Nestled near downtown Smyrna in the former Love Street and Heart & Sole building, the boutique carries on the warmth and charm longtime locals remember. Filled with colorful styles, fun accessories, and carefully curated shoes and clothing, Common Threads was created to be more than just a place to shop, it’s a place where women can feel comfortable, confident, and completely themselves.
The story behind the boutique starts years ago, when Naima first began working at Love Street and Heart & Sole at just 17 years old. A Smyrna native and graduate of Campbell High School, she quickly fell in love with the creativity and community that fashion could bring. Years later, while working at Heart & Sole, she met Bella. The two instantly clicked between styling customers, unpacking new arrivals, and cracking jokes, a friendship was born. The two bonded over making the store aesthetically pleasing and welcoming to customers. They also enjoyed making videos for social media such as how to style scarves and showcasing holiday collections.
Fashion became part of Naima’s world at a young age thanks to summers spent shopping with her grandmothers. She fell in love with putting together outfits and the confidence that came with personal style. That passion later evolved into a fashion blog, where she traveled around Atlanta capturing playful looks and sharing her creativity through fashion.
For Bella, fashion has been part of the plan since middle school. Originally from Augusta, Georgia, she began her retail career at 17 and spent the next 15+ years working in both corporate retail and small boutiques. She helped
Common Threads Boutique
Hello, summer! It’s time for easy outfits, light layers, and pieces that make getting dressed the best part of your day. Common Threads Boutique is stocked with fresh arrivals perfect for every plan—vacations, weekends, or just soaking up the sunshine in style. Come shop your summer favorites before they’re gone!
open 10 new stores throughout her career. After moving to Smyrna in 2017, Bella graduated from Paul Mitchell Schools as a Master Cosmetologist before realizing her heart still belonged in fashion. In 2019, she joined Heart & Sole as a seasonal employee and stayed until longtime owner Carole retired.
Today, Common Threads Boutique is built on everything Bella and Naima loved most about retail: genuine connection, personal style, and creating a space where everyone feels welcome. Their mission is simple: help women of all shapes, styles, and ages find pieces that make them feel amazing without breaking the bank.
Whether you’re hunting for the perfect outfit, updating your closet for the season, or just looking for a fun place to browse and chat… Common Threads Boutique invites the Smyrna community to come by and become part of the story. Bella and Naima are ready to help you find something you love!
Common Threads is anything but common, read all about it!
What an amazing start to the season for our Bravos!
Pet Play Place creates memorable moments for your fur babies. They are more than a facilitythey are a community.
Community Spotlight
Celebrating 75 years with Northwest
Exterminating : A calling to serve and support along with a purpose to protect.
Cobb Chamber Connection
Recognizing the Small Business Stars of 2026!
Women-Owned Business of the Year: Manay CPA, Inc
Business to Watch: Esteem Dental Studio
Sponsor/SmallBusinessoftheYear: Pickleball South Cobb
Small Business of the Year: Proda Technology
Health & Fitness:
How’s it going you ask...? Join Tara for the good, the bad and the ugly with Whole Body Systems Smyrna.
My goal is to laugh a lot, move my body, focus on my health journey and spend time with the people I love. Reach out, I’d love to hear from you!
“Keep your face to the sunshine and you will never see the shadows.”
-Helen Keller
Our Town is published and direct mailed monthly to prestigious homes in Cobb County. Opinions expressed by the editorial staff are their own and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the publisher. Our Town reserves the right to edit and or reject any editorial or advertising content. Our Town is not responsible for errors in advertising beyond the cost of the space or for the validity of claims made by advertisers. Entire contents copyright 2026 by Our Town. Reproduction in whole or in part is forbidden in any media without prior written permission from the publisher.
PUBLISHER/MANAGING EDITOR
Tara Hill Hanover
EDITOR/SPORTS CONTRIBUTOR
Justin Hanover
GRAPHICS AND DESIGN
Jules Fandos
ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE
Sara Young sara@ourtownmonthly.com 678.778.0800
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS
Common Threads
Amy Selby Kim Brinson OTM Staff PO Box 813610 Smyrna, GA 30081-8610 (678)337-7844 info@ourtownmonthly.com www.ourtownmonthly.com
Schwartz Dentistry for Children: 17 Exceptional Years, Dedicated to Pediatric Dentistry.
We are excited to announce that we are adding a new tween/teen section! A quiet, chill vibe! Come check us out!
Timeless, Board Certified, Independently Owned, and Award Winning. Dr. Aaron Schwartz and his Team of experts take pride in building dedicated trust and long-lasting commitment to your child’s oral-healthcare needs. They prioritize a preventative model of care and aim to ensure that you and your child feel welcomed, informed, comfortable, and respected. Choose an independently owned pediatric dental office instead of a corporate-run Dental Support Organization (DSO).
Expert care with your child’s future in mind. A positive, caring dental experience for your child, focused on prevention. Dr. Ross, Dr. Schwartz & Dr. Shah
Talkin’ Sports
By Justin Hanover
Conventional wisdom said that the Braves would be better this season than the last few but, wow, has the start to this 2026 season been amazing. Atlanta jumped out of the gate 20-9 and was 20 games over .500 in May.
The craziest part of this early-season success is that it’s not like Atlanta has been of great health. Both Spencer Schwellenbach and Hurston Waldrep started the season on the injured list with major elbow injuries. Spencer Strider, Sean Murphy and Ha-Seong Kim didn’t make their first starts until May and Ronald Acuna and Drake Baldwin both missed some time and had stints on the injured list. Add in the fact that Austin Riley still does not seem right and it almost feels miraculous that our Bravos have done what they have. The sum has seemingly been far better than its parts.
So how has new manager Walt Weiss led this team to such early success? Well, for one, the pitching has been phenomenal. Chris Sale is looking like his Cy Young self from 2024 and Bryce Elder, who was left for dead by many, has been remarkably efficient and right up there with Sale.
Then you have a bullpen that may be the best in the game. Raisel Iglesias and Robert Suarez anchor a relief corps that, if given a lead, seem to close things out pretty much every night.
As for the offense, Matt Olson has been looking like an MVP candidate and Drake Baldwin is proving his Rookie of the Year award from last year is far from being a fluke. Usual “role players” like Mauricio Dubon, Chadwick Tromp and Dom Smith have been electric at times sparking the team to walk-off win after walk off win creating somewhat of a feeling of destiny here in 2026.
As for the National League East, the Mets have been the anti-Braves and started the season by not being able to get out of their own way. The Phillies began in similar fashion but did improve and with a pair of Cy Young candidates in Cristopher Sanchez and Zach Wheeler and hard-hitting studs like Kyle Schwarber and Bryce Harper, Philadelphia is a team that should still be dangerous throughout.
The Dodgers haven’t always played like the class of baseball to this point but don’t be fooled as they are the gold standard and should be treated as such. If this is going to be a special season, Atlanta will have to get past Los Angeles when it counts most, in October.
Who knows if we will see another World Series parade down at the Battery or even a division title but things are certainly trending upward here in 2026 and should be exciting until the end.
Justin Hanover is a sports reporter/analyst who has worked in the business since 1996. His stops have included ESPN, CNN, 790 The Zone, 680 The Fan and the Atlanta Falcons. He has also done play-by-play analysis and color commentary ranging from the high school level all the way through the professional level. Justin lives in Smyrna with his wife and three children.
UPCOMING CLASSES + WORKSHOPS
AUG 19 -SEP 23 Acting Basics (ages 8-17)
Art of Auditioning (ages 13-18)
SEP 19 Drama Play Date (ages 5-7)
SEP 30 Zip, Zap, Zop! (ages 8-12)
Dungeons & Drama (ages 13-18)
Ladies, gentlemen and children of all ages will adore this clever show. Reclaimed stuffed animals become second hand stars in this silly circus performed on a table top. Be prepared to be amazed, astounded, and awed with animals and tightropes and cannons, oh my!
A1A
JIMMY BUFFETT TRIBUTE SHOW AUGUST 15th
7 PM
$27- $29
Jeff Pike and A1A are an experience and a driving force that has helped the band remain the first, foremost, and longest-running Jimmy Buffett tribute show in history!
CHI-TOWN
A TRIBUTE TO THE MUSIC OF CHICAGO SEPTEMBER 12th
7PM / $24 - $26
Chi-Town Transit Authority is an 8-piece Chicago tribute band dedicated to reproducing the “Chicago” concert experience. Performing all of the familiar and famous songs covering over 4 decades of steady hits from Chicago. Chi-Town’s emphasis on the kind of live show that brings down the house and leaves the crowd calling for more!
COMING THIS FALL! BRIAN MOOTE COMEDY SHOW OCTOBER 16th $23-$25
n today’s world, pet parents are looking for more than just a place to leave their dogs—they’re looking for an experience. A place where their pets are not only watched, but engaged, exercised, and stimulated. That’s exactly what the Pet Play Place Experience offers - a destination designed around movement, enrichment, and stimulation – allowing a dog to be a dog.
From the moment you step inside, it’s clear that Pet Play Place was built specifically with your pet’s needs in mind. Everything about Pet Play Place is inten tionally designed to offer more space that allows for more activity. While many facilities rely heavily on indoor-only, cramped spaces and small yards, Pet Play Place focuses on large play yards and designated enrichment areas like our Oasis arena that provides parents with online cameras and small group enrichment events. Pet Play Place Kennesaw offers over 10,000 sq ft of outdoor play spaces. This is not an add-on, but a core part of your dog’s experience. Dogs have the opportunity to run, stretch, and burn off energy in a setting that feels natural and open. It’s a game-changer for high-energy dogs and a major reason why pet parents notice a difference when their dogs come home calmer, happier, and more fulfilled.
turn playtime into a splash-filled adventure, to art parties where dogs create one-of-a-kind keepsakes for their owners, to seasonal snow parties that bring winter fun to Georgia—these events are as entertaining as they are enriching.
These aren’t just activities—they’re moments. And they’re a big part of what keeps customers engaged and coming back.
Professional Grooming – Great Hair Days Start Here
Pet Play Place offers full-service grooming designed to keep pets looking and feeling their best. Along with our sister properties, the Canton Pet Spa and Georgia Grooming Spa, we offer comprehensive and creative grooming packages as well as ala carte services. Our groomers work with Dogs and Cats of all ages, breeds and sizes.
Whether it’s a routine bath or a full creative groom, the focus is on your pet’s health and welfare, while delivering creative results.
Mobile Grooming Serving Cobb and Cherokee
Daycare and Boarding That Feels Like Play, Not Waiting Dog daycare at Pet Play Place is built around engagement. Instead of long periods of inactivity, dogs participate in structured play, socialization, and supervised group interaction.
The focus is simple: keep dogs moving, interacting, and mentally stimulated. This approach not only improves behavior but also enhances overall well-being. Dogs return home not just tired, but satisfied—having spent their day doing what dogs are meant to do. For busy families, daycare becomes more than convenience—it becomes an essential part of their dog’s routine.
Daycare activities are included in every boarding stay. Whether staying for just one night, or an extended period of time, your dog will get the exercise they need to keep their nights quiet and calm.
Next Level Cat Boarding
We love our cats and the design of our cat play room demonstrates that. From the exercise wheel to wall climbs to Cat TV, everything is designed to offer your cat a stimulating experience that prioritizes comfort and curiosity. Our Cat Condos and Townhomes at our Kennesaw location offer our feline friends a calm and spacious environment.
Events That Turn Ordinary Days Into Experiences
One of the most unique aspects of Pet Play Place is its commitment to creating memorable experiences—not just for pets, but for their owners as well.
Throughout the year, the facility hosts a variety of themed events designed to add excitement and variety to each dog’s routine. From foam parties that
Expanding on our commitment to excellence in serving our customers, Pet Play Place is now offering mobile grooming services throughout Cobb and Cherokee County.
This service brings professional grooming directly to our customer’s doorstep, eliminating the need for travel and making the experience easier for both pets and their owners. For dogs who may feel anxious in traditional grooming environments, mobile grooming provides a calmer, more personalized alternative.
Private Dog Park
Want to throw an outdoor dog party with just your close friends? Live in an apartment and have nowhere to bring your dog to run and play? Come check out our private dog park complete with agility equipment that takes your dog park experience to the next level. Private hour increments are available for reservations through the Sniffspot app.
More Than a Facility—A Community
At its core, Pet Play Place is more than a place to drop off your pet. It’s a community built around trust, consistency, and genuine LOVE for our families.
Every service, every space, and every interaction is designed with one goal in mind: to create an environment where pets thrive and owners feel confident.
For those searching for a pet care experience that goes beyond the basics, Pet Play Place delivers something different—something bigger, more engaging
Celebrating Cobb’s Small Business Stars
very May, the Cobb Chamber hosts the Small Business of the Year Awards Luncheon, recognizing local entrepreneurs whose grit, creativity, and community spirit continue to define our region.
The Cobb Chamber is proud to announce Proda Technology as Cobb’s 2026 Small Business of the Year. This nationally recognized, cybersecurity-focused managed IT firm has grown from a small founding team to more than 35 professionals serving organizations across the country. Between 2023 and 2025, Proda’s revenue grew 50 percent, and its charitable giving nearly doubled in that same time span. Their secret is a relentless focus on investing in exceptional people, continuously improving operations, and protecting the businesses and communities they serve. Proda will now represent Cobb County at Georgia’s statewide small business competition.
The Chamber’s special category winners are equally inspiring. Essex Consulting LLC, the 2026 Minority-Owned Business of the Year, has evolved over nine years into a trusted strategic partner for its clients, helping organizations streamline operations and build people-centered systems.
Manay CPA Inc., the Woman-Owned Business of the Year, serves clients across three continents, helping global companies navigate the U.S. tax system with
confidence while growing its own staff by 28 percent in the past year.
The Veteran-Owned Business of the Year, Essayon Construction Group, made history as the first back-to-back winner in this category. Founded in Marietta by CEO Israel Brown on values instilled through his military service, this Inc. 5000 honoree has become one of the Southeast’s most recognized small businesses in construction. We salute his service and his leadership.
DeNyse Companies, the inaugural Family-Owned Business of the Year, began with a husband-and-wife team making signs in their basement in 1983. Today, the family-led company is one of the Southeast’s largest sign manufacturers, with iconic work at The Battery Atlanta, Truist Park, and atop the historic Equitable Building.
Our Community Service Excellence Award goes to Modo Modo Agency LLC, whose employee-driven DoGooder program has given the equivalent of $1.65 million in time and dollars to more than 46 community organizations over the past decade.
If you’d like to visit these businesses, visit cobbchamber.org/ small-business-of-the-year-award/ for a map of locations and learn more about our winners.
AUTHOR OF “REVERSE MORTGAGES: Using Your Home Equity to Create a Better Retirement”
If you are concerned you may not have saved enough for retirement, you have another option to consider. HUD offers an FHA insured reverse mortgage that the typical senior homeowner can access between $600,000 & $1,000,000 or more in retirement without ever making any monthly payments. This amount can make a significant difference in what your retirement could look like.
Your home is the biggest asset most people own and using the equity in it can mean the difference in your quality of life in your later years.
Contact me for a free evaluation and see the difference using your home equity makes in funding the retirement lifestyle you worked your whole life for.
By Kimberly Brinson & Tara Hanover
If you know me, you are fully aware I laugh too loud and I talk too much, if I am reading a book-I want everyone to read it and if I am crossing a finish line I want everyone to cross it with me...basically I am, “go big or go home” at all times. So, when I started this journey, I was ALL IN.
Between bone density, muscle tone, peri-menopausal hormones, nutrition, vitamins, toxin analysis, food journal, amping up the protein, fitting in my workouts, supplements, electrolytes and of course doing my best to fit in sleep (yeah, right)...I feel like a runaway locomotive in a partial derailment. Oh, and as much as I’d like you to think that my weight is a secondary concern...I regret to inform you, that is not entirely true. Can you relate?
So...the question I have been asked over and over, “how’s it going?” My answer, I am not sure...because my brain functions in an “all or nothing” mentality, and I am definitely not doing all things well. However, nothing is not an option. After airing these concerns to Kim, she informed me of this, “NEWSFLASH! No one can do everything, at all times well. Focus on 2 things and count them as a win!” So- month 2, I am operating with a new mentality-consistency over perfection. JUST. KEEP. GOING.
The reality is this: sustainable progress is rarely built through perfection. It is built through consistency.
One of the biggest shifts we work on with clients is moving away from the “all or nothing” mindset. Because when women feel like they are failing at one piece of the process, they often want to abandon the entire thing. But health does not improve from occasional perfection—it improves from repeated action over time.
That’s especially true during the menopause transition. At this stage, the body is changing. Recovery changes. Muscle mass becomes harder to maintain. Bone loss can accelerate. Energy can feel unpredictable. What worked before often stops working now. That does not mean the body is broken—it means the strategy has to evolve.
One of the ways we help clients stay grounded in that process is by focusing less on outcome goals alone and more on behavior goals.
Outcome goals matter. Tara absolutely cares about how she feels in her body, her energy, her bone health, and yes—her weight. Most women do. But outcomes are influenced by many variables and often take time. If every day is judged only by the scale, the mirror, or whether everything feels “fixed” yet, it’s very easy to feel defeated.
Tara is experiencing the month one overload. She has gone through many assessments, gotten a lot of feedback, and is now trying to implement change in an already full life. Since Tara is high achieving in every area of life, she wants this new fitness/wellness goal to match other places where she is already very successful. But true wellness is a long game, and we do not outwardly see a lot of change in this amount of time. BUT THINGS ARE HAPPENING!
Behavior goals are different. They focus on the actions that build momentum:
l Showing up for her workouts this week
l Increasing protein intake consistently
l Improving sleep habits one step at a time
l Building strength progressively and safely
l Staying engaged even during stressful weeks
Those are measurable wins that create long-term change. And equally important, we want Tara to maintain her autonomy throughout this process.
Our role is not to take over someone’s life or demand perfection. It is to educate, guide, and help clients make informed decisions that fit their real lives. The process has to feel sustainable and empowering—not restrictive or punishing.
That means there is room for adjustment. Room for honest conversations. Room for setbacks without shame. We work collaboratively with clients, so they understand why they are doing something, not just what to do.
What I appreciate most about Tara’s first month is not whether she checked every single box perfectly. It’s that she kept showing up honestly. She asked questions. She became more aware of her habits. She started building strength intentionally instead of accidentally. Those are foundational changes.
This is exactly why our approach at Wholebody Systems is not just about workouts. It is about creating a plan that supports women through the reality of aging—whether they are trying to prevent bone loss during the menopause transition or actively improve strength and bone health after an osteoporosis diagnosis.
The goal is not perfection. The goal is capacity. More strength. More confidence. More resilience. More years doing the things you love.
And sometimes the biggest win in month one is simply this: JUST. KEEP. GOING.
We’d love you to join our journey, reach out!
Kimberly Brinson is the studio director and managing partner at Wholebody Systems Smyrna. She loves connecting with clients on their wellness journey. When she’s not in the studio, you can find her hiking, mountain biking and immersing herself in the latest wellness topics.Find her on Instagram @Kimatwholebody
