Brookside Hairdesign LLC | Local business

My latest stop on my mission to show you all some awesome local businesses was at Brookside Hairdesign in Uncasville. We all know that sometimes a great haircut or a new color can really cheer you up, so let's learn more about this great business.

Brookside Hairdesign was first opened in June of 2004, in Quaker Hill. They now occupy a cozy spot right across the street from Montville Hardware on rt 32.

I asked Nola what made her decide to open her own salon over 9 years ago. She wanted a little more flexibility in her work schedule to spend time with her family while still doing what she loved.

Nola's goal has always been to provide her clients with great services and the best products available. Over the years, her clients have become amazing friends and both her and her other stylist, Amber, have a steady following of clients, some of whom have been with them for 10+ years. One of them is me. I have witnessed first hand the relationships they form with their clients. Nola and Amber have made house calls and visited nursing homes when their clients need them as well as being there for those who have passed away. 

Like all of the small businesses I have talked to so far, Nola makes sure she stays active in the local community. They have donated to the Montville schools and local charities and organizations. Last year they hosted their own event in October for Breast Cancer survivors and those still battling. If you've attended the Montville Holiday Parade in the past 3 years, you've also seen Brookside's involvement there. Their Santa's Sleigh float is one of the favorites of the town. 

 If you are looking for a new stylist yourself or want to treat a loved one to some pampering this holiday season, go visit Brookside and talk to one of these awesome ladies. You can pick up gift cards for haircuts, color, manicures, pedicures, and more, all at affordable prices. Combined, Nola and Amber have nearly 40 years of experience behind them and it shows. They know their stuff! They offer a friendly, knowledgeable environment complete with complimentary coffee and tea for their clients.

Brookside Hairdesign is located at 912 Route 32 in Uncasville. Make an appointment by calling 860.848.4247

Montville Florist | Local Business

It's time for the second installment of my local business features. This business has been right here in Montville for 30 years and has been owned by the second generation for 19 years. How cool is that! I'm talking about Montville Florist.

I'm sure many of you have heard of, if not purchased from, this lovely little flower shop on rt 32. This shop is such a good example of what a local small business can do for the community. I recently sat down with Leah and Lynn, owners of Montville Florist, to ask them about how they've been a staple to the town so long.

For one, they stay in the loop. Leah is on the board of directors for the Connecticut Florists Association and continually educates herself about what is trending now in colors and techniques. They also know that when it comes to competing with larger competitors (think grocery store floral departments), they know they are able to provide a better product with an awesome experience. Many of their flowers come from local growers so you can be sure their products are fresh and handled with the utmost care.

What I found to really amazing about Montville Florist is how they take care of their customers. If you have been shopping there for any length of time, they really get to know you. They will know what kind of flowers you should buy for your wife or if your brother has already ordered the same arrangement for your mother. They even have a few elderly customers who call ahead and have their order delivered right to their car so they don't have to get out. Coming in early, staying late and keeping pre-made, low cost arrangements in their case are all ways that they go above and beyond for their customers.

Over the summer, you may have even spotted some beautiful arrangements around town, just waiting for someone to pick them up. That is just one of the ways they gave back to the community this year. If you follow them on Facebook, you may have even seen the clues they would leave. But that's not all they do. On the first day of school, they deliver flowers to wish everyone a great school year. They also bring flowers to the police station and the fire stations on September 11 to thank them for keeping our town safe. Schools and organizations have often called on them to put on classes in floral arranging and they gladly do it. Montville Florist also supports the high school drama club by purchasing ad space in their play bills. The ways they give seem endless!

Did you know they also sell gifts? Handmade candles, chocolates, teddy bears, and cards from a local artist are just some of the items to choose from. So with Thanksgiving in just a few days, head on down to Montville Florist and order a centerpiece for your family gathering or just stop by and pick up one of their pre-made arrangements and a gift for someone special.

Montville Florist is located at 315, Route 32 in Uncasville. 860.848.1278

Monte Cristo Bookshop | Shopping local

For the past couple years, I see things being shared on Facebook like, "Shop local this holiday season" or "Buying from your local small business helps a little girl take dance lessons". While I totally agree with these, I don't think they do enough. Why? Because they don't show you who your local businesses are. You can't see the family that is relying on YOUR business. It's easy to share these posts on social media, but it's also important to know the local businesses and to know why it's so important to support them. 

Over the next 2 months, I'm going to show you some local businesses that would love to meet you. 

I started in New London, at the Monte Cristo Bookshop. I sat with the owners, Christopher and Gina Jones, for a couple of hours and talked with them about why they think shopping locally is so important.

"To help us and people like us" was the immediate response from Chris. This couple started out with an idea. They loved books and talking about books. They wanted to work in a bookstore, but eventually decided to open their own. Opening a retail store is not something that happens overnight. This took planning, funding, phone calls, and lots of hard work. Owning a business becomes your baby. You start to live and breathe your business and you soon realize everything you do is to work towards your goal of making this a success.

Chris and Gina now have an adorable little boy (who was also in the store) to support as well and they take their business very seriously. When I asked them why shopping at the Monte Cristo Bookshop is different than visiting a national retailer or buying books online, the answer is pretty simple: the experience. When you walk into a big, chain retailer, you can't talk to them like you can here. You can't pick their brains about different topics, ranging from the New London vibe to local bands. You're also not going to be able to talk to the manager of one of those big stores about how you think their store could improve. Chris and Gina welcome this. They want to know what you think. They want to know if there is a book you would like to see on their shelves. They want you to know that they are there for you. Sometimes their prices are even lower than that online retailer as well. Not to mention a large used book section and what they're calling the "retro book" section, full of great used classics.

What else will you get at Monte Cristo Bookshop? Events! A ton of FREE events. They now have 13 events listed just for November alone. You get to meet authors of both local and national best-selling books. This store is the real deal. They are truly passionate about what they do and what they have to offer.

Monte Cristo Bookshop even supports local charities, non profits, and schools in their community. And of course, they personally shop local. While I was there, they got take-out from Mangetout Organic Cafe and coffee from Washington Street Coffee House, both within walking distance of their shop.

So, while you're out looking for gifts this holiday season, head over to Monte Cristo Bookshop at 38 Green St. and pick up some a few great reads for everyone on your list. They have gift cards too for those that are hard to shop for. Chris and Gina will happily give you recommendations too!

Our Fantastic Fall | A personal post

This time of year is really my favorite. I love the foliage and the crisp air. I love grabbing a sweater before walking out of the house. Hearing the crunch of the leaves under my feet is a wonderful sound. I try to enjoy this season as much as possible before winter digs its heels in. I'm not a fan of winter. When you're a kid, winter is great! Sledding, snowball fights, no school......the novelty wears off when you realize you need to shovel all of that and probably still have to drive in it at some point. It also gets dark far too early and I feel like we're trapped by 5:00. But back to fall....
Although you won't see me eating any apples right off the tree (I'm allergic to raw apples. Super lame), you will find me at the orchard at least a couple times. I love to make apple crisp and my kids will snack on apples.
Walking around pretty much anywhere is just more beautiful in the fall. Over the last week, we've visited the aquarium, the orchard and the arboretum. Here are some of the memories we've made.

You'll notice my daughter has a fantastic fashion sense, like matching zebra with zebra. I also love that my dad joined us for this trip.

I'm just a big fan of the colors going on here. Yellow bees, red apples, green grass.....good stuff.

I don't often get a chance to be in a picture with my kids. This was pretty cool for me. I think it's extra special that our dog made it into our family portrait too. Thanks to my mom, who was also holding onto her dog, for being able to get this for me.

Huge smile on mama's face about this one. There is nothing more amazing than kids just being kids.

Alright, there's nothing that screams "fall" about petting a shark inside, but this was still really fun for my kids.

Where have I been?? Seriously ignored blog

Whoa....I knew it had been a long time, but I didn't know it had been this long! What a terrible blogger I've been. So, what have I been up to? So much! I've been photographing some awesome people and spending some quality time with my kids. I now have a first grader too, which has apparently sidetracked me greatly from this here blog.
Let's start with a wedding I did this summer. This wedding was unlike any wedding I had ever attended, let alone photographed. I will admit that I was nervous about this one. This wedding was aboard the Mystic Whaler, a tall ship that set sail out of New London. I'm not prone to sea-sickness, but what I was most fearful of was the size. This ship is on the smaller side and they had as many guests as they could fit. I imagined fighting through a crowd to be able to get to where I needed to be during the ceremony. Luckily, that was not that case and by the end of the wedding I was nearly in tears at the beauty of it. It was, quite honestly, one of the most gorgeous weddings I had ever have the privilege of photographing. A sunset on the water, what could be better than that?!

 And check out this bouquet! The bride made this using the extra pieces of her mother's wedding gown, which she had completely remade so she could wear it.