Lake Erie Lifestyle January 2019 - Wedding Edition

JANUARY 2019

S P E C I A L B R I DA L I S S U E

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P L U S : SLEIGH RIDES AND LOCAL MEN BREW BEER IN MILLVALE

2 | LAKE ERIE LIFESTYLE

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JANUARY 2019

ɛǖźɘɤ nɛźǷǖźɛ SȑŠźɛǾ Lṳ̈̄ǖǾƷ ȑǷǷʩǾǖʍ̬

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contents

Janurary ’19 VOL. 12 ISSUE 3

30 | Winter wonderland Brides celebrate in snow.

home & garden

crafts

12

50

DURABLE DECORATING

Lacemakers take art to new level.

Newer fabrics can take a spill.

15

LEVEL UP

A THREAD UP

sports & adventure

Adding an elevator increases independence.

arts & entertainment 17

58

SLEIGH DAYS Enjoy winter wonderland in horse-drawn style.

OLD ADS GET NEW LIFE Exhibit shines at Schuster Gallery.

bon appétit 18

WATERFORD BREWERS MOVE INTO MILLVALE Erie area residents open Pittsburgh brewery.

22

SOUPER SUPPER SEASON Stuffed with goodness, here’s a soup to love.

in every issue 8

Celebrate some fun festivities.

10

CHOOSE SHOES FIRST Bride goes feet first into wedding fashion.

28

WHERE ARE THEY NOW? Cristina Maleno Ras was on the cover of the first bridal issue of Lake Erie LifeStyle in January 2010.

bridal 24

JANUARY IS ...

66

LAST LOOK Wave goodbye to 2018.

PITTSBURGHERS LOVE ERIE Couple chooses Erie for wedding site.

39

PROTECT THE RINGS What to know about ring insurance.

40

WINGDING OF A BACHELOR PARTY Buffalo tops list for go-to destinations.

44

IN STYLE What’s the trend in dresses?

48

IT’S PERSONAL Add your own personality to wedding plans.

4 | LAKE ERIE LIFESTYLE

JANU

on the cover Shawn and Emily Walsh enjoyed a winter wedding in downtown Erie. [MOMENTS CAPTURED BY MEGHAN/ CONTRIBUTED PHOTO]

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2019

JANUARY 2019

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From the editor

Do you hear what I hear?

E

Giving up running was very year, I work toward a good idea. It allows being healthier. Age, me however, keeps creepm to still play tennis.

I look at my siblings ing up on me and adding to the — who are much older list of “what am I gonna do than about that?” th I am — to figure out what body part will This year, better hearing ou need attention next. My is at the top of the list. My ne brother and sister have brother has hearing aids. br had hand, toe, knee, My dad had them. I doubt I ha Pam Parker k at elbow and shoulder surgerwill escape. Everyone I work the Warner Theatre. ies. I’m hoping all of that with knows I am limited, so [CHRISTOPHER MILLETTE/ ERIE TIMES-NEWS] skips me, but I do have a “Pam!” is often the precurbum thumb and a bad toe. sor to questions they want I’m setting up my appointment to add to ask me because they know that’s how years to my ears. I’ll share more in one of to get my attention. I am not alone in my our upcoming health articles in Lake Erie diminished hearing. I don’t think Siri LifeStyle. listens very well.

Until then, all of us at Lake Erie LifeLast year, the dreaded colonoscopy Style hope you have a happy new year. was at the top of my to-do list, and I survived. It wasn’t nearly as bad as I thought Pam Parker it would be.

Editor For several years, I thought my knees would be the first to get professional medical attention, but they seem to have recovered. They hurt on occasion but nothing like they did a few years ago.

6 | LAKE ERIE LIFESTYLE

JA N UA RY 2 0 1 9

EDITOR Pam Parker pam.parker@timesnews.com CONTRIBUTING DESIGNER/WEB DESIGN Magazine Design by Center for News & Design ———— Web design Dave Super PHOTOGRAPHERS Jack Hanrahan, Christopher Millette, Greg Wohlford ADVERTISING Amy Izbicki, multi-media sales manager aizbicki@timesnews.com 814-878-1924 CONTACT US 205 W. 12th St., Erie, PA 16534 GoErie.com/lifestyle/lake-erie-lifestyle All content, including the design, art, photos and editorial content © 2018, Erie Times-News. No portion of this magazine may be copied or reprinted without the express written permission of the publisher.

JANUARY 2019

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contributors

January

“The best thing to hold onto in life is each other.”

— AU D R E Y H E P B U R N , AC T R ESS

Karen Beardsley visits an advertising exhibit with a lot of history at Gannon University’s Schuster Theater.

She is the media relations manager at UPMC. page 17 Liz Allen, a retired newspaper editor, learns how to make lace. She was tickled to learn that the macramé Christmas ornaments she learned to make in a craft class circa 1975 are actually a form of lace-making. page 50 Melissa Erickson shares some suggestions on how to choose ring insurance.

She also covers wedding traditions and trends. She is a writer and copy editor for Gatehouse Media. pages 39, 44, 48 Marie Feltz shared what she learned about new home furnishings and fabrics during the recent International Home Furnishings Market at High Point, North Carolina.

She is an award-winning designer with more than 30 years of experience. She owns Decorating Den Interiors of Meadville and also serves the Erie area. page 12 Trill Dreistadt gets the drift on where we can all find sleigh rides this winter.

Dreistadt is a retired journalism teacher who is now a freelance writer and editor. page 58

Jennie Geisler shares her fabulous recipe for Stuffed Pepper Soup. She is the resident foodie at the Erie Times-News and has shared recipes she makes at home for more than 16 years. page 22 Jack Hanrahan found a great display of holiday lights in Millcreek Township. He is an award-winning photojournalist at the Erie Times-News and GoErie. page 66 Steve Orbanek meets two Waterford natives who opened a brewery in Millvale, Pa. Orbanek and he tells us about some fun bachelor party ideas that include Buffalo chicken wings and more. Orbanek is a marketing communications specialist at Penn State Behrend. page 18, 40 Pam Parker catches up with Cassandra Garrison, who appeared on the first bridal issue of Lake Erie LifeStyle in January 2010. Parker looks at some of the wedding trends and interviews brides who had summer and winter weddings. Parker is the editor of Lake Erie LifeStyle, Her Times and House to Home at the Erie Times-News. page 10, 24, 28, 30 Jennifer Smith shares that her family recently added an elevator and adapted the lighting and plumbing in her home to accommodate her son and his new power wheelchair. She is freelance writer who has lived in her North East home since 2000. page 15

CO M I N G I N F E B RUA RY Here comes our food issue. We have a lot of healthy eating ideas, but we won’t miss a chance to talk about splurging, too.

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Celebrate!

Compiled by Pam Parker Happy New Year!

It’s not just the month to start anew or establish a resolution. It’s also: • National Bath Safety Month • National Blood Donor Month • National Braille Literacy Month • National Hobby Month • Hot Tea Month • National Oatmeal Month • National Mentoring Month • National Slow Cooking Month • National Soup Month And there are some pretty great days to celebrate: Jan. 4: National Spaghetti Day Jan. 8: Bubble Bath Day Jan. 10: Bittersweet Chocolate Day Jan. 10: Houseplant Appreciation Day Jan. 15: National Hat Day Jan. 17: Ditch New Year’s Resolutions Day Jan. 18: Winnie the Pooh Day — the birthday of Winnie’s author A.A. Milne Jan. 19: National Popcorn Day Jan. 20: National Cheese Lover’s Day Jan. 21: Martin Luther King Jr.’s birthday (celebrated on the third Monday) Jan. 22: National Blonde Brownie Day Jan. 23: National Pie Day Jan. 27: Chocolate Cake Day Jan. 29: National Puzzle Day

According to NationaDaylCalendarDay. com, working on a jigsaw puzzle makes us use both sides of our brain, and that can improve memory, cognitive function and problem-solving skills. And don’t forget crossword puzzles, Sudoku, word searches and other puzzles. [SHUTTERSTOCK.COM]

JANUARY 2019

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Where are they now ... brought to you by Painted Finch Gallery

Looking back on the first bridal issue Story by Pam Parker

Our first bridal issue in 2010 featured Dusty Ras and Cristina Maleno Ras on the cover.

The couple told the story of how Dusty proposed at what was supposed to be a family barbecue, but it turned into a party with 100 people.

That’s just the way the couple’s parents John and Lynn Maleno and Ed and Patti Ras rolled.

The couple wed on Aug. 21 at St. Gregory Church in North East and held a reception at Lakeview Country Club. Fireworks were part of the festivities. Cristina, a childhood leukemia survivor, had endured three years of chemotherapy. Her dream wedding went off with a bang.

It was a busy time for the

10 | L A K E E R I E L I F E S T Y L E

Maleno family. At the same time all the last-minute wedding preparations took place, the Malenos were involved in the “Extreme Makeover Home Edition” at Clara Ward’s home. The couple had full-time jobs as well. Cristina was a teacher and Dusty was a barber.

Today, the couple has two children and one on the way in January. Dusty is still a barber, but Cristina changed careers.

“I actually work part-time for our family company now — Maleno. I wanted to be home with the kids more,” she said.

The couple said life is busy. “I can’t believe it’s almost been 10 years,” she said. “Time flies when you’re having fun.” LEL

AB ABOVE: Dusty and Cristina Maleno Ras told the story of M their wedding in the first bridal th issue of Lake Erie LifeStyle is magazine in January 2010. m LEFT: The first Lake Erie LE LifeStyle bridal issue in 2010 Li featured Dusty Ras and Crisfe tina Maleno Ras. [FILE PHOTOS] tin

JANUARY 2019

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home & garden

Choosing a white sofa that’s covered in a performance fabric makes it easier to use in a living room or family room setting. [CONTRIBUTED PHOTO]

12 | L A K E E R I E L I F E S T Y L E

home & garden

Performance fabrics are ideal for bright, sunny spots in the home or office because they prevent fading.

[CONTRIBUTED PHOTO]

PERFORMANCE FABRIC is all the rage Story by Marie Feltz

P

erformance fabrics, for use in the home as well as outdoors, were especially prominent as we toured the Fall International Home Furnishings Market at High Point, North Carolina. They were so much in the spotlight that there was even a “Performance Fabric Playground” at which visitors to the market could test clean a variety of fabrics that had been spotted with red wine, orange soda, chocolate milk, coffee, balsamic vinegar salad dressing, crayons, markers or lipstick.

Outdoor furniture is now getting more of an indoor upholstered look to give homeowners more variety in selections. Showrooms were also showing power options with outdoor pieces.

In one showroom, we saw how their all-fiber cushion construction allows moisture to drain through, preventing mold and mildew, and sits beautifully in the frame using a seat construction technique that provides long-life and sag-resistant support.

JANUARY 2019

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home & garden

Moving indoors In another showroom, a manufacturer of fine upholstered furniture told us that 19 of their 25 top-selling fabrics are performance fabrics. To add emphasis to that point, they even arranged for our group to have a special demonstration of a brand new performance fabric called Inside Out, described as being “the first all-in-one performance fabric that can satisfy all of your needs and withstand the elements, both inside and outside.”

So why the push to develop performance fabrics for indoor use?

Eating areas are an obvious place performance fabrics can be especially appreciated. One might be hesitant to use white fabric on counter seats unless you know those frequent spills could be cleaned without staining.

There are far more reasons, though, for considering performance fabrics.

You might want an upholstered piece that can withstand glaring sun for placement by a window. You might want a light colored piece in a room that will be frequented by children.

Family rooms for active households could be another place you would want to explore using a performance fabric.

Don’t forget pets. Just because you have a dog or cat doesn’t mean you can’t still have beautiful customdesigned fine upholstered furniture.

These materials are ideal for busy homes that have pets and children. This is a minimum to be considered heavy duty performance. Most are rated more than 50,000 double rubs.

A salesperson who is claiming a certain number of double rubs for a fabric should be able to show documentation from a testing lab.

What else to look for: Cleaning instructions should be clear: Can it be cleaned with water?

Can you use bleach? Or will you need a solvent? Check to see if it’s stain-, liquid- and solid-resistant.

Outdoor use: For this, you will want to know about its resistance to fading, mildew or odor.

Sustainability: Some will want to know if it’s PFC-free, has recycled content, natural fiber content, or whether it is certifiable green in some way.

The key is to be knowledgeable. Or, use a knowledgeable design professional to help you choose the right performance fabric for your home. LEL

Performance fabric is a must if you are going to use white seats in an eating area. [CONTRIBUTED PHOTO]

What does “performance” really mean?

There are usually five factors when fabric performance is discussed.

Durability has a standardized measure called “double rubs.” The fabric is tested with a machine that rubs a certain kind of heavy canvas in a back-and-forth motion. Each backand-forth is known as a double rub.

The fabric is usually rated as: Light Duty: 3,000-9,000 double rubs. This fabric will only last one to three years before showing noticeable signs of wear.

Medium Duty: 9,000-15,000 double rubs.

This fabric grade is considered fairly durable and may offer a more costeffective option for families on a budget.

It is still strong enough to be recommended for use in family rooms.

Heavy Duty: 15,000-plus double rubs.

14 | L A K E E R I E L I F E S T Y L E

This conversational configuration is actually upholstered for outdoor use. [CONTRIBUTED PHOTO]

home and garden

WAYS TO MAKE YOUR HOME MORE ACCESSIBLE Story by Jennifer Smith

H

ome is supposed to be our haven. But what happens when your home no longer fits your needs?

We loved our North East home, but we needed to make it more accessible for our son and his power wheelchair. We looked at other houses but decided to adapt our home.

This is the case for a lot of people who might have an injury, arthritis, a degenerative condition or a medical device such as a walker, scooter or wheelchair.

For many of us, everyday tasks such as climbing the stairs, turning on the lights or a trip to the bathroom become an inconvenience or mission impossible. Fortunately, our family learned with a few modifications, it is possible to love your home rather than list it.

Up, up and away Stairs are perhaps the biggest obstacle for those with mobility issues. Enter the elevator. According to Rich Eakin, regional manager for Access Elevator and Lift in Pittsburgh, homeowners can have a custom solution designed and installed in about eight weeks. Models start at $17,000 and operate on a track or hydraulic system.

Custom finishes and modern safety features mean this isn’t your grandma’s elevator. Raised wood paneling and leaded glass mirrors make the interior feel spacious and deluxe.

While commercial elevators have big automatic metal doors, residential units use doors that blend in rather than stand out, Eakin added. Safety gates close when the elevator is in motion and are available in many designs, from old-fashioned wrought-iron scissor gates to sleek, modern metallic.

With children, we wanted a solid gate so there was no chance of fingers getting pinched. For a view of the action while in motion, we chose a gate with windows.

Jennifer Smith’s son, Max, uses an elevator to access different floors of the family’s home.

[CONTRIBUTED PHOTO]

JANUARY 2019

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home and garden

Powering the elevator requires only the addition of a breaker and phone line.

Most homes have the electrical capacity already, Eakin said. Modern elevators are also chock full of safety features.

For example, in the event of a power outage or mechanical error, the cab automatically returns to the ground (or predetermined) level and opens the doors. Should a problem with the system be detected, the elevator will not operate until it is resolved. When in motion, the doors to access the elevator cannot be opened, thus securing the shaft.

One thing to note about residential elevators is the size. If you’ve ridden in an elevator, odds are it’s been at a hotel, hospital or other public building.

Residential elevators are limited to 18 square feet by building code, which, while more than enough room for one or two passengers, can feel smaller than what you’re used to.

Those with a larger powerchair or scooter won’t have enough room inside the elevator

16 | L A K E E R I E L I F E S T Y L E

to turn around. If maneuvering your chair is a concern, consider making the cab a drive-through, with two doors that face each other.

The addition of a power arm above the door allows the elevator door and gates to open automatically. With the push of a button, our son can call the elevator, have the doors open and be on his way upstairs before I even collect my things from the car.

Hearing the whirr of the elevator in motion brings a smile to his face, not to mention lifts his spirits with increased freedom and independence.

Let there be light Some conditions can make reaching or operating a tiny light switch difficult. A simple swap of the switch — to either a larger rocker panel or a motion-activated sensor can make a big difference.

Motion activated sensors can have their downsides, such as when the family pet sets off the light in the middle of the night.

Bathroom necessities Today there are more and more ADAapproved products on the market. It’s important to consider them as part of your research, but you may not need to go to this extent to achieve improved accessibility.

Tapping into new products and technology that are readily available at home improvement stores can offer more function for much less money.

For example, a sink and toilet with automatic sensors make life easier for those with a limited range of motion or fine motor skills. Not every product is perfect for every situation. Be sure to weigh your needs against the pros and cons of the product.

For example, accessible raised tubs with walk-in doors solve the problem of entering/exiting the tub with ease but can be prone to leaks and require the person to sit cold and naked in the tub while it’s filling and emptying. A newer model jetted tub with built-in arm rests paired with a builtin bench or step and strategically placed grab bars was the solution for us. LEL

arts & entertainment

Old ads take the stage

Story by Karen Beardsley

‘C

This ad for Waldameer shares a list of famous musicians, including Duke Ellington and Glenn Miller, who appeared at Rainbow Gardens in its heyday.

[CONTRIBUTED PHOTO]

INFO ExpErience the Best of Erie’s Past Ads Gannon University, Schuster Gallery, West Seventh and Peach streets Gallery hours: The display will be up Tuesday through Friday from Jan. 8 to Jan. 30. The gallery is also open by appointment. Call 871-5467.

An undated photo for Smith Provision Co. is one of 300 ads in the exhibit “ExpErience the Best of Erie’s Past Ads” at Schuster Gallery at Gannon University.

[CONTRIBUTED PHOTO]

ool and crisp for household chores during the hot summer days … takes but a few minutes to iron … keep fresh and lovely all day in these pretty frocks,” reads the ad copy from a 1950 Erie Daily Times ad for Trasks promoting a Wednesday morning $2.98 special for housedresses.

This black and white quarter-page ad is one of many that are part of ExpErience the Best of Erie’s Past Ads, a current exhibit at Gannon University’s Schuster Gallery featuring past print and electronic ads for Erie businesses.

It’s a nostalgic experience you will want to check out in January.

The show captures a sentiment that connects people through advertising. From a 1923 Kraus Department Store ad to a Loblaw’s ad created in 1969, to a Dahlkemper’s catalog, it’s a glimpse of life as it used to be.

The energy behind this thought-provoking and the memory-evoking display is Anne O’Neill who worked in the advertising industry for a dozen years before starting to teach college students about this art form 25 years ago.

The show features 30 minutes of television ads on a continuous loop video, old radio ads and print ads, as well as billboards, signs and packaging dating back to the 1800s. Promotional items such as plates and even ashtrays are reminiscent of Erie businesses.

“Erieites will remember Denny Braendel of Braendel Painting singing a jingle in front of the Warner Theatre and infamous animated Koehler Beer TV ads as well,” said O’Neill.

There are plenty of bank ads, too. “Years ago, every ad agency in town was anchored by a locally-headquartered bank,” said Nancy O’Neill, a partner at Engel O’Neill, Erie’s longest-tenured ad agency with its original owners.

Nancy O’Neill notes that broadcast ad content is shorter and faster. The old 60-second TV spots are often now 15-second spots. A print ad must now be sized for mobile and social media, and once-lengthy production times are much shorter. “Sending a proof to a client via email wasn’t possible years ago; turn-around time is significantly different, vastly improved, today,” she said. “It’s great that Anne and her class gathered this important part of Erie’s history to share with the community.” LEL

JANUARY 2019

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bon appétit

GRIST HOUSE CRAFT BREWERY

HAS ERIE TIES 18 | L A K E E R I E L I F E S T Y L E

bon appétit

Story by Steve Orbanek

A

sk any Pittsburgh craft beer connoisseur to name the city’s top breweries and chances are you’ll find a similar entry at the top of everyone’s list: Grist House Craft Brewery.

But while the beer is brewed in the ‘Burgh, it was born in Erie.

The brainchild of Waterford natives Kyle Mientkiewicz and Brian Eaton, Grist House Craft Brewery first opened its doors Memorial Day Weekend 2014. Located at 10 Sherman St. in Pittsburgh’s Millvale neighborhood, the brewery’s early success has been considerable.

It’s not uncommon for folks to line up during one of Grist House’s can releases, which routinely sell out. Also, while there are more than 30 breweries in the Pittsburgh

metropolitan area, only two boast a higher average score on the Untappd Drink Socially app than Grist House’s current average of 3.9 out of 5 for all its beers.

The brewery’s early success can partially be attributed to the close bond shared by Mientkiewicz and Eaton. Three years apart in age, the two have known one another for years, as they both graduated from Fort LeBoeuf High School and later Penn State University.

They’re also now more than friends, they’re family. Eaton is married to Mientkiewicz’s sister, Krystle.

Krystle Eaton is key to the Grist House story as she helped bridge the gap and was one of the reasons Brian Eaton and Mientkiewicz started home brewing.

Waterford nativies Brian Eaton, left, and Kyle Mientkiewicz opened Grist House Craft Brewery in Pittsburgh’s Millvale neighborhood in 2014. [CONTRIBUTED PHOTO]

LEFT: Grist House collaborated with Lavery Brewing Co. and Erie Brewing Co. this past summer to release King Rowan’s Gelato, center.

It’s a sour IPA that was canned and released at all three breweries and quickly sold out. [CONTRIBUTED PHOTO]

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Grist House’s top seller, Hazedelic Juice Grenade, is among western Pennsylvania’s strongest examples of the ever-popular New England-style IPA. [CONTRIBUTED PHOTO]

“We both went to college together at Penn State, but we didn’t really do much brewing in college right away,” Brian Eaton said. “But when I moved down to D.C., my roommate and I got into home brewing and Kyle would come down. Then, once I moved up to Pittsburgh, he was coming down every weekend (from Cleveland where he worked for Progressive Insurance), and we were brewing.”

The beer was tasting so good that the two decided they wanted to test it back home.

They entered the Brewer’s Cup Home Brew Fest at the Brewerie at Union Station in the spring of 2011. They took first place.

“After that, I think it was like, ‘Alright, we can pull off this starting a brewery thing.’ Progressive Insurance allowed him to work from home, and I was able to work from home, so that also made things easier,” Eaton said. “We were between starting a brewery in Cleveland and Pittsburgh, but at the time, Cleveland had Great Lakes and Fat Head’s and was really just

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a much more mature beer scene, so that inspired us to look at Pittsburgh.”

Since opening, the 15-barrel brewery quickly gained a strong audience, primarily because of its fun, laidback atmosphere.

“We wanted to create a taproom and brewery experience. It’s an old slaughterhouse, so there’s an upper level where you’re overseeing the whole taproom and whole brewing area,” Eaton said. “For us, we want to offer the fun backyard, party experience and a welcoming experience. We’ve always been kid and dog-friendly, and we’ve always wanted it to be a place for people to feel welcome.”

Atmosphere aside, the brewery also provides some exceptional beer.

Since opening, the brewery has been at the forefront of providing innovative styles to Pittsburgh beer drinkers. Grist House’s top seller, Hazedelic Juice Grenade, is among western Pennsylvania’s strongest examples of the ever-popular New England-style IPA.

Two beers sit on the outdoor counter at Grist House Craft Brewery in Pittsburgh’s Millvale neighborhood. Two Waterford natives opened it in 2014. [CONTRIBUTED PHOTO]

Grist House has also been leading the charge with producing heavily-fruited sours. The brewery even collaborated with Lavery Brewing Co. and Erie Brewing Co. this past summer to release King Rowan’s Gelato, a sour IPA that was canned and released at all three breweries. It quickly sold out. The breweries have since again collaborated to produce another version of the beer, which should be available at all three locations as of press time.

Thus far, King Rowan’s Gelato has been the only way that folks in Erie can get their hands on Grist House beer without traveling to Pittsburgh. However, Mientkiewicz and Eaton understand that there is a demand for their beer, especially in Erie, but they want to be smart about their growth strategy.

“We get the constant question of, ‘When are we’re going to distribute to Erie?’ Our goal has always been to get up into the Erie market, but we need controlled growth as that’s how we’ve been successful thus far,” Eaton said. “We didn’t do our first canning run until late 2016. Then, for all of 2017, we used IronHeart Canning and then at the beginning of this year, we purchased our own (canning line). Now, we’re doing can releases every week.”

The good news is that more expansion news is on the horizon.

According to Eaton, Grist House will soon be expanding to a new building in the Pittsburgh area, which will allow the brewery to grow and increase its reach in the Western Pennsylvania market. Beyond that, he was unable to provide further detail, but he said a news announcement should come shortly after the start of the New Year.

“We will really be able to have controlled growth and get into good markets,” Eaton said. “With this expansion, we want to grow slowly and focus in on Western Pennsylvania, but this building allows us to grow as we see fit, and it has a really good story behind it.”

There’s no timeline for when folks can expect Grist House beer to be found in local bottle shops in Erie, but until then, Pittsburgh is just a short road trip. Take Eaton’s word for it. It will be worth it.

“We’re always striving to improve the quality of our beer by truly focusing on the customer and their expectations,” Eaton said. “We’ve always put the customer experience at the forefront. When you’re coming to visit us at the brewery, we will do what we can to ensure you have a great time and enjoy the beer.” LEL

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bon appétit

WINTER IS COLD stay inside and make soup Story by Jennie Geisler

ABOVE: Stuffed Pepper Soup is a delicious way to stay warm in an Erie winter. [FILE PHOTO/ERIE TIMES-NEWS]

’R

ound these parts, January is a tough year.

I don't care who you are. Just leaving the house takes 15 minutes of dressing and gathering of items. Walking uneventfully from door to car cannot be taken for granted. The weather is pretty much guaranteed to be some level of crappy, and even snow lovers are a long way from their next vacation.

What can be done? Stay inside, set up the streaming service of choice and stir up some luscious, steaming, hearty, well-seasoned lunch-in-a-pot, such as Stuffed Pepper Soup. Its simplicity cannot be overstated, and it's a blank slate for experimentation if you're in the mood: Make it vegetarian with Morning Star "ground beef," deglaze the pan with a splash of hearty red wine, sautee a little onion and garlic, dump in some Italian seasoning, such as dried basil, oregano or parsley. Top with a sprinkle of Parmesan or shredded mozzarella. Serve with crusty bread and butter. But you don't have to do any of those things, as this simple recipe is pretty tasty all on its own.

January? What’s so bad about January?

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Stuffed Pepper Soup • 2 pounds ground beef • 2 quarts beef broth • 1 (28-ounce) can tomato sauce • 1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes, undrained • 2 cups cooked long grain rice • 2 cups chopped green peppers • ¼ cup packed brown sugar • 1 teaspoon salt • 1 teaspoon pepper In a Dutch oven, cook beef over medium heat until no longer pink; drain. Stir in the remaining ingredients; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 30 to 40 minutes or until peppers are tender.

Makes about 4 quarts, for 12 1½-cup servings Per serving: 305 calories, 16 grams fat, 2.8 grams fiber, 18 grams protein, 24 grams carbohydrate, 1,291 milligrams sodium, 57 milligrams cholesterol Values are approximate.

bridal

[SHUTTERSTOCK.COM]

Wedding advice from Erie vendors Story by Pam Parker

I

n our next pages, you’ll read about brides who wed in Erie — two in snowstorms, two in sunshine. But what about the behind-the-scenes people? Here’s some wedding advice from the experts: Start with a good foundation Carol Bowersox, the owner of Braserie Dearie, suggested checking out the undergarments before finding the dress of your dreams.

“We sell strapless bras and shapewear to brides, bridesmaids, moms, and guests every week. Most often they arrive with the dresses, and they’re looking for undergarments for low backs, low fronts and cutaways.

It would be so much better for them to purchase their foundation garments

first, then shop for the dress,” she said.

The point of finding your undergarments first, or at least researching them is to check out the comfort level. Bowersox said stick-on bras are much improved over years past, but it depends on size. Not everyone will want to wear them all day.

She added alternatives to Spanx are available, too. Trying them first helps you know what you’re going to get.

There are some trendy items, too.

“A lot of brides want corsets because they think they are going to be sexy and romantic, but they’re $150, and getting out of one of these isn’t going to be romantic,” Bowersox said.

Reception trends Barry Copple and Brighid O’Brien, of Erie Events, see plenty of weddings at the Warner Theatre, and summer dates aren’t the most popular anymore.

“New Year’s Eve is hot,” O’Brien said.

Copple agreed a lot of brides want dates from October through February. He added that food stations and buffets are still more popular than sit-down dinners, but dessert and cupcake tables are overtaking the big wedding cakes. That is, except for one couple. “They had a pegboard with doughnuts on it. That’s the first time we’ve seen that,” Copple said.

Signature drinks are on some reception menus, too. But even without a signature drink, all weddings are memorable. LEL

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Madeleine O’Neill’s shoes are shown on her wedding day. [HOMETOWN PORTRAITS BY DARLA AND AMANDA RANSOM / CONTRIBUTED PHOTOS]

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wedding

SAY YES to the shoes first Story by Pam Parker Photos by DARLA AND AMANDA RANSOM

Sometimes, a bride finds must-have accessories before saying yes to the dress. That’s what happened for Madeleine O’Neill when she married Ben Taylor in the summer of 2018. Lake Erie LifeStyle asked this bride how she created her look with Tiffany-blue heels.

How did you decide on the shoes?

I had been scouring the internet for the perfect shoes for a while when I found the pair I knew I wanted. I had an idea that I might want a tea-length dress, but I wanted to be sure that I had the right shoes first. When I found these shoes, which were in a color that I loved, I knew the whole idea could come together. The color also became the theme we used in many areas of the wedding.

The shoes were no longer being sold by any stores that I could find online, but I found a single pair in my size from a website called Poshmark, which lets people sell their gently used clothing and other items.

The shoes had been worn once before, by another woman on her wedding day. I was a little nervous about the process, but the shoes were in perfect condition when they arrived.

What made you choose a tea-length dress?

Once I had the shoes, the idea of a tea-length dress made sense. The dress I ended up wearing was the only tea-length dress I tried on (and only the second dress I tried on at all). As soon as I walked out of the dressing room, my mom and I knew it was perfect. It was flouncy and the perfect length to compliment the shoes. It also spun beautifully, which made it great for dancing. The ribbon at my waist was added to give a pop of color that matched the shoes.

Madeleine O’Neill and Ben Taylor walk down the aisle after their wedding ceremony at Holy Rosary Church in Erie.

Madeleine O’Neill and Ben Taylor prepare for their first dance at Goodell Gardens & Homestead.

A bow at the back of Madeleine O’Neill’s wedding dress matches her Tiffany Blue heels.

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How did you decide on your headpiece?

I knew I wanted something like a birdcage veil to go with what was becoming a pretty retro look, with the tea-length dress and funky heels.

My mom offered to make my headpiece herself, so we started looking for material and found beautiful polka-dotted tulle at a fabric shop during a trip to New York City. I found some floral jewelry online and my mom attached it to the veil. I’m glad the veil was over my face for the walk down the aisle because I cried a lot more than I expected to!

Madeleine O’Neill and Ben Taylor chose a chocolate cake for their wedding.

Madeleine O’Neill and Ben Taylor cut their wedding cake at Goodell Gardens & Homestead on their wedding day.

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Madeleine O’Neill and Ben Taylor share their first dance at Goodell Gardens & Homestead on their wedding day.

Madeleine O’Neill and her husband Ben Taylor stroll down a path at Goodell Gardens & Homestead in Edinboro on their wedding day.

Advice to other brides?

When Ben and I first got engaged, my mom bought me a book called “How to Have the Wedding You Want.” It was about how to cut through all the extra noise that can come through when you’re planning a wedding and focus on throwing a party that you will actually enjoy. I tried to hold onto that thought as we went, even when it got stressful. I chose a look that was a little different, but it was also very “me.” We also had a double chocolate wedding cake with chocolate ganache dripping down the side because having a delicious, rich chocolate cake was more important to us than having a traditional white wedding cake.

Decide what wedding traditions are important to you and which ones aren’t, and don’t let the ones you don’t care about get in the way.

With that in mind, and with help from my mom and dad, Ben’s family and a lot of friends, we threw a party I’m really proud of — it was a blast. LEL

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Pittsburghers choose Erie for wedding Story by Pam Parker

A

n Erie wedding for Pittsburgh area couple Dayne and Kelli Cypher started with a proposal at Presque Isle’s Beach on July 4, 2018. They got married Sept 28 at Kite Beach.

But what brought them to Erie?

The couple is from north of Pittsburgh but claims Erie as a second home in the summer.

“We’ve both been coming up there since we were kids,” Kelli Cypher said. She added that her husband’s dad, Ben Cypher, ran fishing charters in Erie.

And how did they meet? “We went to the same grade school and church,” she said. They had both gone their separate ways, but in December 2017, they made contact on social media and went on a first date in February 2018.

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It was an all-Erie wedding with Dayne purchasing Kelli’s engagement ring at Lighthouse Jewelers on West Eighth Street.

Following the ceremony, Matt Mead Photography LLC took photos of the newlyweds at Erie sites, and they celebrated with dinner at the Sheraton Erie Bayfront along with cake from Icing on the Lake on the new boat they purchased prior to the wedding.

They stay at a campsite near Waldameer Park where they spend most summer weekends.

Was it easy to plan long distance? “It was very easy to plan.

Everyone was very accommodating, and Erie’s a wonderful place for vacations — there’s so much to see and a lot history,” she said.

Dayne and Kelli Cypher celebrated their wedding with photos around Erie.

LEL

[MATT MEAD LLC/CONTRIBUTED PHOTO]

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Dayne and Kelli Cypher live near Pittsburgh but claim Erie as a second home during the summer. They got married Sept 28 at Kite Beach and took photos around Erie. [MATT MEAD LLC/CONTRIBUTED PHOTO]

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Winter weddings

SPARKLE IN ERIE Shawn and Emily Walsh celebrated a winter wedding in downtown Erie in 2017. [MOMENTS CAPTURED BY MEGHAN/CONTRIBUTED PHOTO]

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Bride Emily Walsh and her bridesmaids pose outside Old Main at Gannon University. [CONTRIBUTED PHOTO]

Story by Pam Parker

S

hawn and Emily Walsh celebrated their wedding with a flurry of downtown activity on Dec. 9, 2017.

Why a winter wedding? Emily Walsh may look familiar — she was the director of communications at the Erie Zoo — and summers were prime time, so they had to choose a different season.

“At first we talked about fall, and then we discussed Christmas with our families, and they said ‘Go for it,’” Emily Walsh said. “We wanted a vintage Christmas theme wedding downtown, and we wanted to keep everything close because we had a lot of out-of-town guests. We were a little apprehensive because of the weather, and you really worry about your guests, but the whole city was lit up and it’s a beautiful time of year.”

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Shawn and Emily Walsh got special permission to have photographs taken inside Old Main at Gannon University.

[MOMENTS CAPUTURED BY MEGHAN/CONTRIBUTED PHOTO]

The couple looked at venues and considered a ceremony and reception in the same location. “We started researching online and found out that Sabella’s Catering handles the events at the Boston Store, so we reached out to them. I really love the clock in there,” she said. “And having it all in one location took a lot of the pressure off.”

The clock is just one of the many nostalgic items that lit up the inside of the former department store. The spacious main hall that still stretches across a city block features the incredible pillars, tile flooring and an unmatched holiday decor from its days as a top retailer in Erie. Although Shawn and Emily are too young to remember the building’s heyday, the setting was a perfect match for their vintage Christmas theme with 250 guests. “You can fit more than

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Gold chairs await guests for Shawn and Emily Walsh’s wedding in the Boston Store concourse.

[MOMENTS CAPTURED

BY MEGHAN/ CONTRIBUTED PHOTO]

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Tables display holiday decor at Shawn and Emily Walsh’s wedding in the Boston Store concourse. [MOMENTS CAPTURED BY MEGHAN/CONTRIBUTED PHOTO]

Santa and Mrs. Claus showed up for photos during Shawn and Emily Walsh’s wedding in the Boston Store concourse. [MOMENTS CAPTURED BY MEGHAN/CONTRIBUTED PHOTO]

that inside the hall, but we didn’t need the entire setting,” she said.

To create a cozy environment, Sabella’s set up elegant drapes to separate the wedding ceremony from the reception. Drapes also shielded the event from commercial offices, Voodoo Brewery and tenants who use the elevators to get to their apartments.

Decorating was easy with a Christmas theme. “They already had a huge Christmas tree and we put wreaths, lanterns and ornaments on the tables. Our cookie table was filled with Christmas themed desserts,” Emily Walsh said.

Of course, Santa and Mrs. Claus made an appearance for photos. Holiday finery was part of the wardrobe for the bridal party too. Bridesmaids donned black dresses, capes, red scarves and mittens for outdoor photos. Pine cones and Christmas greens adorned bouquets and boutonnieres. Walsh wore a faux fur stole to chase the chill.

The weather cooperated for a picture-perfect setting. “We only had a light dusting of snow. It was beautiful,” Emily Walsh said.

Plenty of photos were taken at Perry Square, but the couple also wanted a few at Gannon University’s Old Main. “We had to submit a request to use Old Main. My mom and dad went there, and it was really special. My dad passed away a few days after I got engaged, and we wanted to include him in everything we could,” she said.

Continued on page 36

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Continued from page 33 A BLIZZARD OF BEAUTY There was more than a dusting of snow for Ryan and Halle Katen’s wedding and reception at the Warner Theatre on Dec. 29, 2017. “We had quite a bit come down the whole day,” Halle Katen said of the snow that followed days after the historic Christmas blizzard. The ceremony started at 5 p.m., and the bride and groom made it in time for the nuptials, but some of the guests didn’t. “We had a few people who couldn’t make it, and some people were late, but it all worked out.”

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Ryan and Halle Katen celebrated their wedding at the Warner Theatre during a snowstorm. [TARA LAWRENCE PHOTOGRAPHY/ CONTRIBUTED PHOTO]

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“

I had a lot of snow on my gown. We couldn’t stay out there for long, but the photos were gorgeous.”

HALLE KATEN

Katen said she didn’t worry about the weather when she was planning. “We’d been engaged for a year, and we started planning in October. People said we would have trouble getting it all done in a few months, but we got everything we wanted — the caterer, the music,” she said.

The snow started around noon, but it tapered off. Then “it came down for another hour right after the ceremony.” When it stopped, the result was beautiful.

“It was really nice — that quiet with all the snow,” she said.

Katen agreed with Walsh that planning a wedding and reception in one place was easy on everyone, and it enabled family and guests to spend more time together without worrying about parking and transportation. Holiday decorations reduced the need for an entire theme of items.

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Ryan and Halle Katen celebrated their wedding at the Warner Theatre with their daughter, Rynette.

[TARA LAWRENCE PHOTOGRAPHY/CONTRIBUTED PHOTO]

“Everything was all decorated for Christmas, so it was great,” she said.

Wedding photographer Tara Lawrence of Lake City captured some stunning photos outside the Warner that reminded Ryan of a magazine cover, according to an article that appeared in the Erie Times-News on Jan. 15. “I had a lot of snow on my gown. We couldn’t stay out there for long, but the photos were gorgeous,” she said.

One of the couple’s photos outside the Warner also appeared on an Instagram feed called “Love What Matters” in a post that garnered more than 11,000 likes. “We were ultimately contacted by the ‘Today Show’ through (Instagram),” she said. “Our photo was featured on the website but not on the TV show.”

The Katens are fans of snow.

They got engaged the previous year on Christmas Eve while cross-country skiing in Waterford.

Would they recommend a winter holiday wedding? “Only if you’re brave and have a good dry cleaner,” Halle Katen said with a laugh. LEL

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Ring insurance is an important part of protecting your investment.

[MORE CONTENT NOW]

WHAT TO KNOW

about ring insurance Story by Melissa Erickson

W

hen you start rocking a ring on your left hand, the first thing you think about probably isn’t insurance, but an engagement ring is one of the most important and valuable items a person owns.

Most often consumers “are truly not informed of the implications of their engagement ring not being properly insured,” said Tyler Krowiorz, brand marketing manager at Jewelers Mutual Insurance Group. The average value of an engagement ring is $5,700, according to a 2017 The Knot survey.

“It makes sense to do due diligence around insurance options for that new engagement ring before making a decision,” Krowiorz said. “It’s worn

every day, everywhere. And the brideto-be may not be used to wearing a ring. So the chances of it getting lost or damaged during day-to-day activities as seemingly benign as washing your hands, going to the gym or removing gloves in cold weather are quite high.”

Policies vary from carrier to carrier, but an engagement ring is usually covered under a standard homeowners insurance or renters policy.

“However, the limits are what becomes important here,” Krowiorz said.

The standard limit ranges between $1,500 and $2,500.

“That means if your ring is over that value, and you lose it, you’ll be

responsible for the balance out of pocket if you want to replace it,” Krowiorz said.

One option is to add a “floater” or “rider” to your policy that provides additional coverage specific to the ring and its amount, Krowiorz said.

The danger is if you make a claim on a lost, damaged or stolen ring, it could raise your rates, he said.

“An additional option would be insuring your engagement ring with a carrier who specializes in jewelry.

This ensures you’re getting comprehensive coverage specific to the piece that would cover you against loss, theft, damage and mysterious disappearance,” Krowiorz said. LEL

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wedding Bachelor parties are a big trend at the Buffalo Wing Festival every Labor Day weekend. [CONTRIBUTED PHOTO]

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wedding

WINGING IT FOR BACHELOR PARTIES Story by Steve Orbanek

W

ings and beer.

Could there be a better pairing for a group of guys celebrating a bachelor’s last hurrah? Drew Cerza thinks not.

Cerza is the founder of the National Buffalo Wing Festival, a two-day event held every Labor Day weekend in Buffalo. For 17 years, the event has been a staple of the city and a popular event for families and friends. This past year, nearly 70,000 folks attended.

Now, it has a new audience: bachelors.

“You talk about wings and beer, you’re talking about a bachelor party in general,” Cerza said. “Plus, Buffalo is perfect as it was actually ranked as one of the four underrated bachelor party locations in the world (via themanual.com).

It’s got pretty good party nightlife, and it’s just a really friendly town.”

This past September, Cerza said 10 different parties chose to make the Wing Festival a part of their itinerary.

Cerza attributes the increased popularity in the festival as a bachelor destination to the latest season of ABC’s “The Bachelorette.” One of the competitors on the show, Jason Tartick, hailed from the Nickel City.

During the series, he actually brought “The Bachelorette” Becca Kufrin on a date to Buffalo, where he took her to The Anchor Bar, the birthplace of the chicken wing.

ABOVE: A 12-lane bowling alley is a highlight at Round1, a 55,000 square-foot indoor entertainment complex in the Millcreek Mall that also includes video games, a bar and restaurant, among many other attractions.

[CHRISTOPHER MILLETTE/ERIE TIMES-NEWS]

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said. “Here, you’re going to eat some great wings, meet some helluva people, have a helluva hangover, but you’re going to remember it, and you’re not going to break the bank either.”

Wings aren’t the only option in the running for bachelor parties.

The Preakness: Where mud always wins As the second leg of the Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing, there’s always an immense amount of interest surrounding the Preakness Stakes, held in Baltimore every third Saturday in May. Each year, folks eagerly watch to see if the winner of the Kentucky Derby will follow up with a win at the Preakness.

However, most years, the winner at the Preakness remains the same: mud.

For bachelor parties, the Preakness InfieldFest is a perfect fit. Essentially, think of an atmosphere that you would associate with a fraternity party. Then throw in some mud, lots of beer, folks dressed to the nines, and that’s what you have with the InfieldFest.

Of course, dressing nice quickly becomes a moot point as the mud inevitably swallows everyone by the end of the afternoon.

This past spring, my brother-inlaw’s bachelor party was held at the event. We had heard the stories of the

Preakness — of drunken folks sprinting across porta-potties, of guests doing their best Hulk-Hogan impersonations while mud wrestling and other bizarre escapades.

Yes, we did see some of that. But overall, the day was more about relaxing with friends while enjoying some brews and the races. It’s not something I would want to do every weekend, but for a bachelor party, it was really nice.

Also, with Baltimore just six hours from Erie, the travel distance was easy.

Ax throwing at LumberjAxes Not too long ago, bachelor parties used to go bowling. Not anymore.

Now, they go ax throwing.

Created in 2006 in Toronto, ax throwing is now growing in popularity here in the United States, partially because of LumberjAxes Axe Throwing Pittsburgh.

The 7,000-square-foot, warehouse-style space offers patrons a chance to enjoy the thrill of competition, but in a different capacity than what most folks are used to.

“LumberjAxes is a great place to have your bachelor party. All the guys can throw axes, and since we are BYOB, they can bring their own beer or wine to the party,” said LumberjAxes owner Corey Deasy. “It’s very unique.

Our guests really enjoy it.”

The Anchor Bar is one of the more than 20 wing eateries from across the world that participates annually in the Wing Festival. Some wing producers come from states as far away as Arizona and Oregon. International eateries from Mexico and England also attended the last festival.

Bachelor party planners interested in attending the Wing Festival are encouraged to register ahead of time with Cerza at buffalowing.com. Cerza then helps build a customized itinerary for the group while also outlining other bachelor-worthy activities in the city.

Some bachelors even have a chance to win VIP status where they will be dubbed “Wing King” for the day.

Other activities that take place during the festival include the United States Chicken Wing Eating Championship, which famed eater Joey Chestnut always participates in; the Buffalo Ninja Challenge based off of NBC’s “American Ninja Warrior” series; the Chicken Wing 5K; a mechanical chicken wing ride; and many other attractions.

All in all, Cerza sees it as the perfect mix for a bachelor party. “If you think about wings, when do you have wings?

When you’re getting together with friends. Wings are that camaraderie food. There are no utensils required, so it’s just the ideal combination,” Cerza

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LEFT: The bar area at Round1 in the Millcreek Mall is one of many attractions in the facility. [CHRISTOPHER MILLETTE/ ERIE TIMES-NEWS]

As Deasy mentioned, the venue is BYOB. However, its location is in Millvale, which is home to two breweries, Grist House Craft Brewery and Draai Laag Brewing Co., and Mr. Smalls Music Venue is nearby. It would be easy to hit up LumberjAxes and the breweries or take in a concert as part of the bachelor party.

For those interested in heading west for a bachelor party, Cleveland also has its own ax throwing facility, Class Axe. The venue offers bachelor parties just like LumberjAxes.

SOME LOCAL BACHELOR PARTY IDEAS:

RIGHT: Inside LumberjAxes, wooden targets are situated near tables where patrons can bring their own beverages.

[CONTRIBUTED PHOTO]

Round1 Entertainment Inc., Millcreek Mall: You can never go wrong with the combination of video games plus reasonably-priced drinks.

Play Port Arcade and VR Center, 2730 W. 12th St.: Every Friday night from 9 p.m. to 1 a.m., Play Port is BYOB and only open to those 21 and older. With more than 100 video games set to free play, it’s a great way to spend an evening.

Pentagon Paintball Inc., 6901 Avonia Road, Fairview: Paintball was made for large group outings, which is one of the reasons why it remains such a consistent bachelor party idea. At Pentagon, for just $35 per person, groups of 10 or more can enjoy six hours of play. LEL

ǏǏ žȑʊɛ ɛǖŠ¨Ǐ .Ǐȑɛ¨Ǐ VźźŠɤ

xźź ʊɤ ¨Ę? Ę?Ç‹Ĺş ɛǖŠ¨Ǐ xÇ‹Č‘ĚĽ G¨Ǟʊ¨ɛ̏ ČĄČĄĘ?Ç‹Ĺ™ ¨Ę? Ę?Ç‹Ĺş Â¨ĚŹĆœÉ›Č‘ÇžĘ?

ʔȥɜȥ —źɤĘ? ʔʥǞŠxĘ?ɛźźĘ? Äş ɛǖź Äş Ć‚ČĄĆŽÇ?ƂʔƂÇ?ʥʔɜʔ Äş ĚĽĚĽĚĽÉ ĆˇĹşÉ›ÇŹÂ¨ÄťÇ‹É¤É ÄťČ‘Çˇ JANUARY 2019

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Gowns gone wild Story by Melissa Erickson

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rides should embody their personal best on their wedding day, whether that means taking the royal route in a princess-worthy ball gown or wearing a trendy jumpsuit or something with a touch of color.

“Brides are now getting their inspiration from a variety of places, everywhere from celebrity weddings to traditional magazines,” said Cassandra Sethi, New York City personal stylist and founder of Next Level Wardrobe. Pinterest and Instagram are major sources of inspiration, said Sethi, who offers personalized wedding styling services from engagement shoots to the big day and brunch after.

Embellishments and accessories Options abound in gown styles, from conventional to fashion-forward.

“While weddings are an exciting time in one’s life and a major moment, it can be a nod to traditions within their culture and family,” Sethi said. “They may choose to wear traditional outfits from their culture and do traditional religious ceremonies.

“For those brides that want to be more fashion-forward, I noticed that they usually experiment with incorporating some color and/or choose a design that may not be as traditional, such as cutouts, 3-D applique and super-intricate beadwork.”

Designers are going bold with embellishments, Sethi said.

LEFT: Trends are leaning toward colorful underlays underneath the lace. [CONTENT THAT WORKS]

JANUARY 2019

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Gowns and veils are incorporating sequins, appliques and metallics in the designs. [CONTENT THAT WORKS]

“The 3-D applique is a detail that will really make your gown stand out. It is also a great way to incorporate additional colors or metallics into your gown,” she said.

Gold, pink, mauve and lavender may not seem like bridal colors, but maybe that’s why they look so good.

“I advise for brides that want to incorporate color somehow to think about how much they want to do.

Some want full-on color and some just want a touch of it. What’s most important is that they feel amazing in whatever they choose,” Sethi said.

Beautiful bows are on trend.

“From small, large, multiples, you name it, it is out there,” Sethi said.

Sequins add sparkle and a fun twist on the traditional white dress.

“My wedding gown was all-white sequin for my outdoor wedding and was the perfect amount of bling for me. I was also (pleasantly) surprised to discover that it was very

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lightweight to wear so it didn’t feel weighed down as I greeted guests, sat down for dinner or danced the night away,” Sethi said.

Intricate lace and beading can take a gown to the next level.

“Berta Bridal is the top example of a designer that falls within this world. Their gowns are absolutely stunning and for the woman who wants to create an unforgettable look through intricate beading details and interesting lacework,” Sethi said.

Capes are giving wedding gowns a regal vibe, and the longer the better.

“The cape look is more modern and has an edge to it. Capes can also serve as an alternative to a veil and adds dimension to your gown,” Sethi said.

Gown alternatives Some modern brides are looking for an alternative to tradition when it comes the wedding and their gowns, but Sethi advises first

considering the season and context.

“I would highly recommend a jumpsuit or pantsuit when in doubt about what to wear,” she said. These are comfortable and look elegant and sophisticated on many body types, Sethi said. Plus, it’s a great trend if you have multiple wedding events and want to switch up your looks throughout, and better for a destination wedding from a packing perspective, she said.

“At the end of the day, this is your special day along with your partner’s. It is important to feel beautiful, comfortable and authentic in whatever you decide to wear,” Sethi said. “Also, remember that there will most likely be a lot of video and photos taken, so it is worthwhile to make sure every little detail is taken care of, from your clothing, coordination to your partner, hair, makeup and everything in between.” LEL

Njǖɤ ǖɤ ¨ n¨ǖŠ Š̤źɛʍǖɤźǷźǾʍ

IǖǬǬɤ .¨ʍ ź¨Š Vź źĻNjǾȑǬȑƷ̬ sźǷȑ̤źɤ Vź̥ xʍʩġġȑɛǾ .¨ʍ .ȑɛź̤źɛ

ǖʍNjȑʩʍ n¨ǖǾ ]ɛ xʩɛƷźɛ̬ .]s

ȡɁ ȑ ̬ȑʩ Nj¨̤ź ɤʍʩġġȑɛǾ Ɯ¨ʍ ȑǾ ̬ȑʩɛ ġźǬǬ̬ř ʍNjǖƷNjɤř ¨ɛǷɤř ȑɛ ĻNjǖǾɐ ʡɁ ȑ ̬ȑʩ ̥¨Ǿʍ ʍȑ źǬǖǷǖǾ¨ʍź Ɯ¨ʍ ƜɛȑǷ ¨ʍ Ǭź¨ɤʍ ȑǾź ȑƜ ʍNjȑɤź ¨ɛź¨ɤɐ ʔɁ ɛź ̬ȑʩ ¨Ǿ ɛǖź ɛźɤǖŠźǾʍř ¨Ʒź ʔƤǐɶƤɐ 9Ɯ ̬ȑʩ ¨Ǿɤ̥źɛźŠ ɕ̬źɤɖ ʍ̥ȑ ʍǖǷźɤ ȑɛ Ƿȑɛźř ʍNjǖɤ Ƿ¨̬ ġź ʍNjź Ƿȑɤʍ ǖǷȰȑɛʍ¨Ǿʍ ¨ɛʍǖĻǬź ̬ȑʩ ɛź¨Š ¨ǬǬ ̬ź¨ɛɁ 6źɛźɘɤ ̥Nj̬Ř Vź̥ ʍźĻNjǾȑǬȑƷ̬ Ƿ¨Ǩźɤ ǖʍ ȰȑɤɤǖġǬź ʍȑ ʍ¨ɛƷźʍ ¨ǾŠ ǨǖǬǬ Ɯ¨ʍ ĻźǬǬɤ ǖǾ ̬ȑʩɛ ġȑŠ̬ř ǬǖǨź ȰȑǖǾʍǖǾƷ ¨ Ǭ¨ɤźɛ ƷʩǾɁ ǖʍNj Ǿȑ Ȱ¨ǖǾ ȑɛ ɤʩɛƷźɛ̬Ɂ ȑʩ ǷǖƷNjʍ ġź ź¨ʍǖǾƷ ɛǖƷNjʍ ¨ǾŠ ź̪źɛĻǖɤǖǾƷɁ ʩʍ ̬ȑʩɛ ġȑŠ̬ Ɯ¨ʍ Nj¨ɤ ɤNjǖƜʍźŠɁ ǾŠ Ǿȑ̥ ̬ȑʩɘɛź ɤźźǖǾƷ ǖʍ ǖǾ ȰǬ¨Ļźɤ ̬ȑʩ ŠǖŠǾɘʍ ġźƜȑɛźɁ 9ʍɘɤ Ǿȑʍ ̬ȑʩɛ Ɯ¨ʩǬʍɁ Vȑ Ƿ¨ʍʍźɛ Njȑ̥ Nj¨ɛŠ ̬ȑʩ ̥ȑɛǨř ʍNjȑɤź Ǭ¨ɤʍ ɤʍʩġġȑɛǾ ȰȑʩǾŠɤ Ƿ¨̬ ġź ɛźɤǖɤʍ¨Ǿʍ ʍȑ Šǖźʍ ¨ǾŠ ź̪źɛĻǖɤźƙ Nj¨ʍɘɤ ̥Nj̬ ̬ȑʩ ɤNjȑʩǬŠ ǨǾȑ̥ ¨ġȑʩʍƊ

Njź ɕnȑȰɤǖĻǬź Sǖɛ¨ĻǬźɖ Nj¨ʍ IǖǬǬɤ ȑʩɛ .¨ʍ xʩɛȰɛǖɤǖǾƷǬ̬ř ʍ̥ȑ 6¨ɛ̤¨ɛŠ ŠȑĻʍȑɛɤ ŠǖɤĻȑ̤źɛźŠ ʍNj¨ʍ ĻNjǖǬŠɛźǾ ̥Njȑ ¨ʍź ȰȑȰɤǖĻǬźɤ Ʒȑʍ ŠǖǷȰǬźɤ ǖǾ ʍNjźǖɛ ĻNjźźǨɤɁ Njź ŠȑĻʍȑɛɤ ɛź¨Ǭǖ̳źŠ ʍNj¨ʍ ʍNjź ȰȑȰɤǖĻǬźɤ ̥źɛź Ɯɛźź̳ǖǾƷ ¨ǾŠ źǬǖǷǖǾ¨ʍǖǾƷ Ɯ¨ʍ ĻźǬǬɤƙ Njǖɤ ɤǖǷȰǬź ǖŠź¨ř ʍNj¨ʍ ĻȑǬŠ Ļ¨Ǿ ǨǖǬǬ Ɯ¨ʍ ǖǾ ̬ȑʩɛ ġȑŠ̬ ̥ǖʍNjȑʩʍ Ȱ¨ǖǾ ȑɛ ɤʩɛƷźɛ̬ř ǬźŠ ʍȑ ʍNjź Ļɛź¨ʍǖȑǾ ȑƜ ȑȑǬxĻʩǬȰʍǖǾƷɁ

]ǾĻź Ɯ¨ʍ ǖɤ ʍɛź¨ʍźŠ ġ̬ ȑȑǬxĻʩǬȰʍǖǾƷř ǖʍɘɤ ƷȑǾź Ɯȑɛ ƷȑȑŠɁ ȑʩɛ ġȑŠ̬ Ǿ¨ʍʩɛ¨ǬǬ̬ źǬǖǷǖǾ¨ʍźɤ ʍNjź Šź¨Š ĻźǬǬɤɁ ȑʩ Ļ¨Ǿ ɛźɤʩǷź ̬ȑʩɛ Š¨ǖǬ̬ ¨Ļʍṳ̈̄ǖʍǖźɤ ǖǷǷźŠǖ¨ʍźǬ̬Ɂ ǾǬǖǨź ǬǖȰȑɤʩĻʍǖȑǾř ̬ȑʩ ɤźź ǖǾĻɛźŠǖġǬźř ɤĻʩǬȰʍźŠ ɛźɤʩǬʍɤ ̥ǖʍNj Ǿȑ Šȑ̥ǾʍǖǷźɁ

SźŠǖĻ¨ǬǬ̬ nɛȑ̤źǾ ]Ǿ Vź¨ɛǬ̬ ɶ SǖǬǬǖȑǾ nźȑȰǬź ȑȑǬxĻʩǬȰʍǖǾƷ ǖɤ ʍNjź ȑǾǬ̬ . ǐ ¨ȰȰɛȑ̤źŠ ʍźĻNjǾȑǬȑƷ̬ ʍȑ ʍ¨ɛƷźʍ ¨ǾŠ ǨǖǬǬ Ɯ¨ʍ ĻźǬǬɤ ʩɤǖǾƷ ĻȑǾʍɛȑǬǬźŠ ĻȑȑǬǖǾƷɁ ǾŠ Ǿź¨ɛǬ̬ ɶ ǷǖǬǬǖȑǾ ̥ȑǷźǾ ¨ǾŠ ǷźǾ Nj¨̤ź ġźźǾ ʍɛź¨ʍźŠ ̥ȑɛǬŠ̥ǖŠźɁ ¨Ǿʍ ʍȑ ơʍ ǖǾ ̬ȑʩɛ Ɯ¨̤ȑɛǖʍź Ȱ¨Ǿʍɤɐ LȑȑǨ Ʒɛź¨ʍ ǖǾ ¨ ɤ̥ǖǷɤʩǖʍɐ /źʍ ̬ȑʩɛ ɕȰɛźǐġ¨ġ̬ɖ ġȑŠ̬ ġ¨ĻǨ ¨Ʒ¨ǖǾɐ ȑȑǬxĻʩǬȰʍǖǾƷ Ļ¨Ǿ Ʒṳ̈̄ź ̬ȑʩ ¨ Ǿź̥ ơƷʩɛź ¨ǾŠ ¨ Ǿź̥ ǬǖƜźɁ

ȑʩ Ƿ¨̬ Nj¨̤ź Njź¨ɛŠ ɛ¨Šǖȑ ȰźɛɤȑǾ¨Ǭǖʍ̬ Gźɤɤ ʩɛɛ̬ ȑǾ xʍ¨ɛ ȡ̷Ʈř ¨ɤ ɤNjź ŠźɤĻɛǖġźɤ Njźɛ Ɯ¨ʍǐǬȑɤɤ ǦȑʩɛǾź̬ ̥ǖʍNj ȑȑǬxĻʩǬȰʍǖǾƷɁ xNjź ʍɛʩɤʍɤ ʩɤ ʍȑ NjźǬȰ Njźɛ ǬȑȑǨ Ɯ¨Ǿʍ¨ɤʍǖĻɁ ȑʩ Ļ¨Ǿř ʍȑȑɁ

ȑ ȑʩ ¨Ǿʍ ȑ .ǖǾ¨ǬǬ̬ Lȑɤź xʍʩġġȑɛǾ .¨ʍɐ Njź ȰɛȑȑƜ ȑƜ ʍNjǖɤ Ǿź̥ ʍźĻNjǾȑǬȑƷ̬ ǖɤ ǖǾ ʍNjź ɛźɤʩǬʍɤ ǖʍ ȰɛȑŠʩĻźɤ Ɯȑɛ ̬ȑʩɁ Nj¨ʍɘɤ ̥Nj̬ ̥ź ¨ǬǬȑ̥ ̬ȑʩ ʍȑ ̤ǖɤǖʍ ȑʩɛ ɛǖź ǬȑĻ¨ʍǖȑǾ ¨ǾŠ ĻǬ¨ǖǷ ̬ȑʩɛ .ɛźź sź¨Šźɛɘɤ /ǖƜʍɤ ¨ʍ Ǿȑ Ļȑɤʍř ʍȑ ɤźź ǖƜ ȑȑǬxĻʩǬȰʍǖǾƷ ǖɤ ɛǖƷNjʍ Ɯȑɛ ̬ȑʩɁ Njź ơɛɤʍ ʍNjǖǾƷ ̬ȑʩ Šȑ ǖɤ ʍźǬǬ ʩɤ Njȑ̥ ǷʩĻNj Ɯ¨ʍ ̬ȑʩ ̥¨Ǿʍ ʍȑ ǬȑɤźɁ NjźǾ ʍźǬǬ ʩɤ ̥Njźɛź ̬ȑʩ ̥¨Ǿʍ ʍȑ Ǭȑɤź ǖʍ ǐ ǐ ġźǬǬ̬ř ʍNjǖƷNjɤř ¨ɛǷɤř ȑɛ ĻNjǖǾɁ 9ʍ Ƿ¨Ǩźɤ ¨ǬǷȑɤʍ Ǿȑ ŠǖƝźɛźǾĻźɁ Nj¨ʍ ɤ¨Ƿź Š¨̬ř ̬ȑʩ ɤʍ¨ɛʍ ̬ȑʩɛ ǦȑʩɛǾź̬ Šȑ̥Ǿ ʍNjź ɤ¨Ƿź ɛȑ¨Š ʍNj¨ʍ Ǿź¨ɛǬ̬ ɶř̷​̷​̷ř̷​̷​̷ ȰźȑȰǬź Nj¨̤ź ƷȑǾź ġźƜȑɛź ̬ȑʩɁ Njź̬ ¨ǬǬ Ǭȑɤʍ ɤʍʩġġȑɛǾř ʩƷǬ̬ Ɯ¨ʍ ̥ǖʍNj ȑȑǬxĻʩǬȰʍǖǾƷƙ Vȑ ź̪źɛĻǖɤźɁ Vȑ ŠǖźʍɤɁ Vȑ ǾźźŠǬźɤɁ Vȑ ȰǖǬǬɤɁ Vȑ Ȱ¨ǖǾɁ ǾŠ Ǿȑ Ǿź̥ ĻǬȑʍNjźɤ ̬ȑʩ Ļ¨Ǿ ġʩ̬ ̥ǖǬǬ Ƿ¨Ǩź ̬ȑʩ ǬȑȑǨ Ƿȑɛź ¨ʍʍɛ¨Ļʍṳ̈̄źɁ Njź ĻNjȑǖĻź ǖɤ ̬ȑʩɛɤɁ Njǖɤ ǖɤ ¨ ȰɛȑƷɛ¨Ƿ Ɯȑɛ ̥ȑǷźǾ ¨ǾŠ ǷźǾ ̥Njȑ ¨ɛź ɤźɛǖȑʩɤ ¨ġȑʩʍ ǬȑȑǨǖǾƷ Ʒɛź¨ʍ ¨ǾŠ ƜźźǬǖǾƷ Ƿȑɛź ¨Ǭṳ̈̄źɁ ¨Ǩź ¨ĻʍǖȑǾ Ǿȑ̥ř ̥NjǖǬź ʍNjǖɤ ȑƝźɛ ǖɤ ɤʍǖǬǬ ¨̤¨ǖǬ¨ġǬźɁ

Vȑ̥ ̪ȰǬȑɛź ȑʩɛ ]ȰʍǖȑǾɤ ȑ NjźǬȰ ɛǖź ɛźɤǖŠźǾʍɤ Ƿ¨Ǩź ʍNjź ɛǖƷNjʍ ĻNjȑǖĻź ¨ġȑʩʍ Ɯ¨ʍ Ǭȑɤɤ ʍNjǖɤ xȰɛǖǾƷř ̬ȑʩɘɛź źǾʍǖʍǬźŠ ʍȑ ¨ Ȱ¨ĻǨ¨Ʒź ȑƜ ʔ .ɛźź /ǖƜʍɤ Ɯȑɛ ¨ ǬǖǷǖʍźŠ ʍǖǷźɁ ʍ V] Ļȑɤʍ ¨ǾŠ V] ȑġǬǖƷ¨ʍǖȑǾ ʍȑ ġʩ̬ ¨Ǿ̬ʍNjǖǾƷɁ xǖǷȰǬ̬ ġɛǖǾƷ ʍNjǖɤ ¨ɛʍǖĻǬź ʍȑ xǬǖǷ ȑŠ̬ xȰ¨ ̥NjźǾ ̬ȑʩ ɤʍȑȰ ǖǾ Ɯȑɛ ̬ȑʩɛ ɕ.¨ʍ ź /ȑǾź .ȑɛź̤źɛɖ ȑǾɤʩǬʍ¨ʍǖȑǾ ¨ȰȰȑǖǾʍǷźǾʍ ¨ǾŠ ɛźĻźṳ̈̄ź ̬ȑʩɛ ʔ .ɛźź /ǖƜʍɤŘ

.s s sɘx /9. x ɤ ¨Ǿ ɛǖź ɛźɤǖŠźǾʍř ̬ȑʩ ¨ɛź źǾʍǖʍǬźŠ ʍȑ ʔ .ɛźź /ǖƜʍɤɁ xʩȰȰǬǖźɤ ¨ɛź ǬǖǷǖʍźŠř ɤȑ ȰǬź¨ɤź ¨Ļʍ Ǿȑ̥Ɂ ȑ ɛźɤźɛ̤ź ̬ȑʩɛ ƷǖƜʍɤř Ļ¨ǬǬ ƂȡƮǐƮ̷ʡǐƂɶȄɭɁ ȑʩ Ʒźʍ ¨ǬǬ ʍNjǖɤŘ ĺ .ɛźź /ǖƜʍ ȏȡŘ ȑǷȰǬǖǷźǾʍ¨ɛ̬ ɕ.¨ʍ ź /ȑǾź .ȑɛź̤źɛɖ ȑǾɤʩǬʍ¨ʍǖȑǾř ɛź̤ź¨Ǭɤ ʍNjź ɤʩɛȰɛǖɤǖǾƷ ɤźĻɛźʍ ʍȑ ɛ¨ȰǖŠř ȰźɛǷ¨ǾźǾʍ Ɯ¨ʍ Ǭȑɤɤ ȲůƤ̷Ɂ̷​̷ ̤¨Ǭʩźȸ ĺ .ɛźź /ǖƜʍ ȏʡŘ V¨Ƿ¨ɤʍź V¨ʍʩɛ¨Ǭ xǨǖǾĻ¨ɛźɁ ȑʩɛ ĻNjȑǖĻź ȑƜ .¨Ļź Sȑǖɤʍʩɛǖ̳źɛř .¨Ļǖ¨Ǭ Ǭź¨Ǿɤźɛř ȑɛ ̬ź xźɛʩǷɁ ȑǷźǾ ȑ̤źɛ ɶ̷ ɤ¨̬ř ə ǚʑǏǚȂ Ť¨̰ɨŝ ǻ̰ ƥȂž ǰǚȂžɨ ¨ɟž ĥ¨ɟžǰ̰ ʑǏžɟžɅ ǻ¨̷žŤ ̩ǚʑǏ ʑǏž ɟžɨʭǰʑɨƝɚ ȲůƤƂɁ̷​̷ ̤¨Ǭʩźȸ ĺ .ɛźź /ǖƜʍ ȏʔŘ ůʡ̷​̷Ɂ̷​̷ x¨̤ǖǾƷɤ ȑʩĻNjźɛ ȑǾ ȑȑǬxĻʩǬȰʍǖǾƷ ɛź¨ʍǷźǾʍ ¨ǬǬ Ǿȑ̥ř ƂȡƮǐƮ̷ʡǐƂɶȄɭɁ Njźɛźɘɤ Ǿȑ ȑġǬǖƷ¨ʍǖȑǾ ʍȑ ġʩ̬ ¨Ǿ̬ʍNjǖǾƷ ǐ ǐ Ǧʩɤʍ Ļ¨ǬǬ ʍȑ ź̪ȰǬȑɛź ̬ȑʩɛ ȑȰʍǖȑǾɤƙ ȑʩɛ sź¨Šźɛɤ /ǖƜʍɤ ź̪Ȱǖɛź G¨Ǿʩ¨ɛ̬ ʔȡř ʡ̷ȡȄ ȑȑǬɤĻʩǬȰʍǖǾƷ ġ̬ xǬǖǷ ȑŠ̬ xȰ¨ ǐ ȡƂȡȡ IʩǾʍ̳ sŠɁř ɛǖźř n ȡɶƤ̷Ȅ ]ǾǬǖǾź ¨ʍ ̥​̥​̥ɁxǬǖǷ ȑŠ̬xȰ¨ɁĻȑǷɁ ]ɛ Ļ¨ǬǬ Ǿȑ̥ ƂȡƮǐƮ̷ʡǐƂɶȄɭ

JANUARY 2019

¨Ǩź ʍNjǖɤ ɏʩǖ̳Ř

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6ź¨ɛŠ ]Ǿ xʍ¨ɛ ȡ̷Ʈ s¨Šǖȑ

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bridal Story by Melissa Erickson | More content now

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Enjoy trends &

hen it comes to the special day, a wedding should be what the couple wants it to be, not what tradition requires.

Rather than doing things by the book, today’s brides and grooms tend to take their own individual needs and circumstances into account, said etiquette expert Lizzie Post, host of the Awesome Etiquette podcast and co-president of the Emily Post Institute.

“Do what makes sense to you,” Post said.

Couples are moving away from formal affairs to create weddings that truly represent who they are as a couple, said Kristen Maxwell Cooper, editor in chief of The Knot. Couples want to bring their personalities into the wedding and choose to tie the knot in nontraditional venues such as barns and farms, historic homes and wineries, museums and parks, according to The Knot 2017 Real Wedding Study. Additionally, many are nodding to cultural and religious traditions and adding flavor with elements such as a Chinese tea ceremony or traditional Horah Jewish dance, The Knot survey found.

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bridal

“The good news about wedding parties these days is that there are no rules,” said Kylie Carlson, owner and chief executive officer of the International Academy of Wedding & Event Planning.

Unique, but cohesive Having honor attendants of the opposite gender is no big deal, but they still need to coordinate.

“Couples should have whomever they want on ‘their side.’ Stick with a similar color palette, even if that means just elements for a tux or the dress,” Carlson said. “Make sure the level of formality is consistent with each of the members of the wedding party. Work with your florist so that the boutonnieres and bouquets have complementary blooms.”

Mix-and-match attire is a nontraditional look couples are embracing. Focusing on a color palette will keep the wedding party

look cohesive, Carlson said.

“Decide early on how much the hues should impact clothing selections. It may not make sense, for example, to have everyone dressed head-to-toe in teal, so instead, see if there are accessories that can be incorporated to complement one another,” she said.

Letting attendants choose their own outfits allows them to show off their personal style, but you’ll want to communicate the level of formality so everyone complements one another in that manner, Carlson said.

Traditional for a reason However, some traditional elements will never go out of style.

The first dance is a perennial favorite. It’s such a great way to start off the reception. You really can’t beat that initial excitement as the couple is introduced for the first time onto the dance floor,” Carlson said.

Registries are traditional, but an invitation should not include registry information or what gifts are wanted, Post said.

“The focus always should be on inviting guests to celebrate the event with you; not for an expectation of a gift,” she said.

“Honeyfunds” have been embraced by wedding guests because they want to give couples the gift of a vacation together or an activity, Post said.

“Experiential registry gifts are quite popular right now,” Carlson said. “Memberships to museums (art, science, etc.) are a great addition to any wedding registry. They typically last a full calendar year and include a number of perks, giving you plenty of excuses for a regular date night. We’re also seeing tickets to events, wine of the month clubs and gift certificates to have one’s house cleaned.” LEL

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Susan Hottle holds a lace snail she made. [CONTRIBUTED PHOTO]

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A variety of homemade lace products are displayed. [CONTRIBUTED PHOTO]

ATHREADup Story by Liz Allen

Susan Hottle’s enthusiasm for lace-making got an added boost when she heard Allie Marguccio speak about the history, beauty and religious significance of Slovenian bobbin lace at an Erie Art Museum event several years ago.

For Jean Reardon, already skilled at crocheting and cross-stitch, seeing a man making bobbin lace at a craft show gave her the impetus to learn more about the technique. What he was making struck her as “completely unique,” she says.

Today, these two friends, Reardon and Hottle, are passionate about making lace by

hand — and handing down the stories of where, why and how lace has been stitched, woven, knotted and conveyed around the world.

The language they use as they extoll the delights of lace-making sounds foreign and exotic, yet they have a down-home approach in sharing their knowledge with lace-making novices. They are founding members of Lacers of the Lake, “where lace and laughter meet.”

It’s a charter chapter of the nonprofit International Organization of Lace Inc., and the LOL acronym is deliberate. “It’s just to have fun and make lace,” says Hottle.

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Before I interviewed her and Reardon at Hottle’s Millcreek home, I had only one phrase about lace in my lexicon, thanks to my Irish grandmother, who referred to Elizabeth Allen, my great-grandmother on my grandfather’s side, as “lacecurtain Irish.” Elizabeth’s family apparently pronounced “Mahoney,” their surname, by accenting the first syllable instead of the third, giving off a whiff of upper-crust haughtiness.

It’s true that from the time the lace-making began in the 16th century, likely in Venice, it was intended to embellish the fashions and furnishings of the well-to-do.

But it was poor women who toiled to make lace by hand, according to “The Origins of Lace” researched by the Lace Guild, which has a museum and library in England. “By 1600, high-quality lace was being made in many centers across Europe including Flanders, Spain, France and England — women who were practiced at other textile crafts seem to have picked up new skills with relative ease,” the guild states on its website, www.laceguild.org.

“Lace was actually more valuable than certain jewels and gold,” says Hottle. But demand outpaced supply and during the Industrial Revolution, machine-made lace replaced the highly sought handmade variety. “By 1870, virtually every type of hand-made lace had its machine-made copy,” according to the Lace Guild.

RIGHT: Liz Allen tried her hand at using bobbins to make lace.

[CONTRIBUTED PHOTO]

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This closeup of homemade lace shows the intricate detail involved in lacemaking. [CONTRIBUTED PHOTO]

Yet also by that time, lacemaking had spread around the world. Bobbin lace was used to make church vestments and altar cloths, and “nuns were experts at all types of lace-making and carried their expertise to wherever they went – China, India, Finland,” says Reardon. Refugees uprooted by war and political change also took their lace-making skills to new lands.

In addition to bobbin lace, lace-makers developed specialized techniques, including needle lace, point lace, wire lace and tatting. They also created signature styles identified by country, region and even city. There is Bruges lace from Belgium, Schneeberger lace from Germany, Milanese lace from Italy, Vologda lace from Russia and Chantilly lace from France.

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“There’s more than one way to make lace. It’s not a one-trick pony,” says Hottle.

The lacey motifs she and Reardon have created include maple leaves, oak leaves and acorns; a leaping stag; artsy iguanas; a delicate hummingbird; an iridescent snail; bursting stars; and vibrant sunflowers and poppies — each representing certain places on the globe. The hummingbird is done in Milanese lace; the red and golden leaves in Vologda lace.

“The names are generally from the towns where they were made,” says Reardon. “It’s no different than when a cheese is named for a little town or a wine is named for a little town.”

Both Hottle and Reardon are uniquely invested in sharing their enthusiasm for lace-making, but they came to the craft through different paths and approach it now from different perspectives.

Hottle, 69, is retired from the real estate business. She had done embroidery and was also making crazy quilts, from scraps of fabric, when she decided she wanted to embellish her quilts with lace. For her, lace making is both artistic and practical. She might eye a classic twin sweater set from Talbots and imagine how it will look even more stylish with a customized lace collar and cuffs.

“I don’t want to have what everyone else has. I want to be creating my own stuff,” she says.

Hottle also became enamored with the work of Marguccio, who gave a presentation at the Erie Art Museum with another lace maker a number of years ago. Marguccio’s family is from Slovenia and she received a grant from the state of Pennsylvania to study Idrija lace, her family heritage, in the same village where her

Susan Hottle uses bobbins to make lace. [CONTRIBUTED PHOTO]

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great-grandmother once lived.

“She is the foremost expert on Idrija lace in the U.S.,” says Hottle, who didn’t get to speak to Marguccio in Erie but later took a class from her at Marguccio’s home in Seward, near Johnstown.

Hottle explains: “I now own a bolster pillow, Idrija bobbins and Slovenian thread, so I guess you could say I’m hooked!”

Reardon, 68, who lives in Mercer, took up lace making when her three grown children suggested that she’d need a hobby as she eased into retirement from her full-time job at a foster-care agency by cutting back her work to three days a week.

“It’s a good retirement hobby,” Reardon says. “The kids encouraged me in it because it keeps my mind sharp.”

In Reardon’s eyes, Hottle is truly an artist. “Some people just have artistic talent and a desire to make pretty things. I’m not a creative artist. I’m intrigued by the techniques and the history,” Reardon says.

But with their combined experience and interests, the two women prove to be good teachers.

They invited me to sit down at the table with a cookie pillow (named for its round shape) for a quick lesson in how to make bobbin lace.

I pictured bobbins as the round metal or plastic threadholders you clamp into sewing machines, but the bobbins used for bobbin lace are elegant wooden pieces that resemble pegged clothespins.

Hottle and Reardon coached me in two simple motions: cross, in which you lift spooled bobbins left over right, and twist, in which you move the bobbins right over left.

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Fortunately, they had “pricked” the pattern for me, so I knew where to insert the straight pins to guide my motion as I unspooled the thread and adjusted the tension.

I thought that I would tense up as I labored under their expert eyes. But the sound of bobbin clicking bobbin was melodic, “like a little chant,” says Hottle. When I caught onto the rhyme and rhythm of moving the bobbins, I felt a sense of accomplishment, especially when they finished off my project — a goldfish in variegated shades of yellow, with a beady black eye — and handed it to me to take home.

“It’s a mental challenge,” says Hottle.

“An exercise for the brain,” says Reardon.

But I also sensed that there was something more at work than a one-time workout at mental gymnastics.

So I asked Barbara Hauck, a weaver who teaches her craft to children at the Neighborhood Art House and to adults at the Studio at St. Mary’s, about why I had experienced such a thrill when I learned a simple fiber art in less than an hour.

“My theory is that we’ve become so technologically advanced, (that) we’ve become swipers and button-pushers,” she says. “Our inner desire is to use our hands to produce something from beginning to end that we can see. When we are working on computers, we never see an actual product,” says Hauck, who is a member of the Northwest Pennsylvania Artists Association and the Lake Erie Fiber Arts Guild.

“I’m not just talking about fiber. I’m talking about woodworking. I’m talking about … reconstructing houses. I’m talking about gardeners. Our culture has distanced ourselves from the basic products of Earth.”

Years ago, Hauck says, she got a ball of yarn that women in India made from ragged old saris.

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Susan Hottle makes lace. [CONTRIBUTED PHOTO]

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Jean Reardon, left, and Susan Hottle stand with a variety of lace items they made. [CONTRIBUTED PHOTO]

“They re-spun them into yarn to be used again,� she says. “When I was weaving using this yarn on the loom, I was literally touching every tiny inch of thread and I realized there was a woman around the world who had done the very same thing. We touched the very same fiber.�

Hottle also has a wide-angle view of the meaning of making lace. “It’s an art. It’s a craft. It’s a friendship thing. It’s a travel thing.

And it’s a mental thing,� she says.

She would love to see a local group of lace makers spring up in Erie and then have their work displayed in galleries. She talks about a light festival in Singapore that featured an artistic exhibit of giant sea urchins made from lace. “Can you see a light festival on Dobbins Landing?� she asks.

Yes, I can. Now, who will pull that thread of an idea together? LEL

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Dashing THROUGH THE SNOW Story by Trill Dreistadt

W

hat better way to embrace the crisp wonderland of winter than dashing through the snow in a horse-drawn sleigh or wagon along a frozen pond surrounded by snow-capped pine trees? The Erie area boasts a number of venues where friends and family can wrap up in woolly warm blankets to laugh and sing all the way as a team of magnificent draft horses that include Belgians and Percherons make their way over the snow-sparkled fields.

ABOVE: May Farm Activities offers sleigh rides in Edinboro. [CONTRIBUTED PHOTO]

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Holly Hill Belgians offers sleigh rides in Spartansburg. [CONTRIBUTED PHOTO]

CHAUTAUQUA INSTITUTION A short 50-minute drive to the Chautauqua Institution gives you an opportunity to find sleigh and carriage rides on Saturdays and Sundays through Feb. 24. They depart every half hour from 1 to 3 p.m., weather permitting. The Stateline Draft Horse Club arranges the rides.

Ed Trisket, president of the club, trailers his team of 6-year-old Belgian horses, Bob and Rock, to an area just outside the Chautauqua Bookstore at Bestor Plaza, where tickets can be purchased on a first-come basis ($4 for adults and $3 for children). Trisket’s team is decked out with golden bells that jingle all along the way on this 45-minute outing that coasts along the Chautauqua Lake and through the quaint Victorian village of the Institution. These 1,800-pound Belgian beauties love being out in the cool, crisp air as much as the families and friends they pull along the snowy roads.

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Stateline Draft Horse Club offers sleigh rides at Chautauqua Institution through February. [STATELINE DRAFT HORSE CLUB/CONTRIBUTED PHOTO]

“I’ve been doing this as a hobby for 42 years and love working with my Belgians and the public,” Trisket says. “People just love these gentle giants and can’t resist rubbing their noses and patting their necks.” Many of his patrons want to know why the horses don’t slip. “Drill tech spikes on their shoes,” Trisket responds, “keep the horses stabilized as they navigate hills and bends in the road.”

Trisket’s hobby has taken him into the field of construction. He builds his own sleighs, installing on either side of the carriage frame the benches that hold 15 to 20 people. “I also design and build the runners we use in snow,” he says.

And if you want to know anything about the history and points of interest along the tour, Trisket’s your

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man. He’ll point out the annex of the Athenaeum Hotel in 1924 with 157 rooms. He can explain why the Institution was designated as a National Historic Landmark in 1989. And he’d be happy to answer your questions about the founding of the Institution in 1874 by businessman Lewis Miller and Methodist minister John Vincent.

MAY FARM ACTIVITIES Forty years of welcoming the public to his farm just south of Erie in Edinboro to enjoy the adventure of horse-drawn sleigh rides has not jaded the enthusiasm of owner John May one bit. “I’ve done this practically my whole life and have loved it all,” he says. The six black Percherons he houses in his barn alongside the four carriages and sleighs are the

reason people come. “Visitors love to pet these 2,000-pound horses,” he shares, “and at 18 hands high, folks really have to do some reaching!” One hand is 4 inches. The Percherons are draft horses that originated in France.

One of his teams, King, age 12, and Charger, age 13, can easily haul the 12 adults he can tuck into his bobsled for an afternoon excursion along country trails and scenic back roads. “People love to hear the bells on the horses’ harness jingle as they move rhythmically in time with each other,” he says.

Night rides are illuminated with lights attached to the sled and become family memories and friends’ best times. Cozy up on the burgundy velvet benches under flannel blankets and feel the silent beauty of nighttime

sports & adventure

envelop you. “Last year two women who had never seen snow came from Louisiana just to experience the invigorating fun,” he says.

People are invited to take food and beverages for this 30-minute ride and take lots of pictures. Reservations are required regardless of the size of the party; tickets are $10 each.

May also hauls his teams to community events where he often offers his services at no cost. “We offered free rides to patrons this past October for Hope on Horseback’s fundraiser at the Bourbon Barrel on State Street in Erie just to support their cause,” he explains.

Visitors at Presque Isle Snow Days will find May with his team geared up for a prance around the peninsula.

Sleigh and wagon rides are popular at Chautauqua Institution.

[STATELINE DRAFT HORSE CLUB/CONTRIBUTED PHOTO]

HOLLY HILL BELGIANS Just a 50-minute ride from Erie to Spartansburg takes visitors to Holly Hill Belgians owner Sam Hawley. He has been welcoming the public to enjoy his Belgian-drawn horse rides for 23 years and knows a thing or two about the temperament and work ethic of his horses. “I

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have four Belgians that I work every single day of the week on a 6-mile drive because they are also pulling horses in contests of strength and endurance,” he says. These sweet-tempered, 2,500-pound gentle giants stay fit for public tours because, he says, “work keeps them strong and agreeable for the task of safely hauling large groups of people.”

Hawley’s sleigh holds up to 20 people and costs $100 per ride for the group whether it’s two people or 20. “Bring lots of friends,” Hawley laughs, “and enjoy the cruise with a bunch of buddies.”

His Belgians, Cruz, Tom, Cadillac and Davey, work in teams of two to pull patrons on a 45-minute scenic excursion through acres of woodland wonder. At the end of the trail, nestled in the pines, sits a beautiful forest cabin with a covered front porch that can be rented for $150. The inviting wood interior with open ceiling beams and a warm fireplace beckons friends and families to enjoy those special events together.

“February is one of my favorite times of the

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year because so many couples have become engaged here in this silent, romantic spot,” Hawley says. When he returns to collect them later, they are, he says, “so in love, so vibrant.”

Open October through March, reservations must be made in advance for rides and the cabin.

MA & PA’S SLEIGH RIDES A pleasant hour and a half ride southwest of Erie in Burton, Ohio you’ll find owners Scott and Tammy Puleo of Ma and Pa’s outfit ready to entertain you with a wintry sleigh ride through the snow-crusted woods and along frozen meadows. Snuggle down under one of their faux-fur cozy blankets for an exhilarating jaunt through the countryside. Operating mostly on Saturdays (noon to 9 p.m.) and Sundays (noon to 5 p.m.) throughout the winter season, the Puleos harness up their black Percherons, Gracie and Bob, to prance smartly along rural byways.

Ma & Pa’s Gift Shack is housed in an 1820s log cabin where sleigh rides return and

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A couple takes a sleigh ride at Ma & Pa’s Sleigh Rides in Burton, Ohio. [CONTRIBUTED PHOTO]

patrons are treated to Ma’s famous snowball cookies and maple coffee around a blazing fire.

Shop their specialty items made in the USA, perhaps a moose sconce, a chainsaw-carved wall hanging, Amish-made furniture, or a cedar and nutmeg soy candle. Don’t miss out on a quart jug of their own maple syrup tapped and produced on the property.

All rides are private and must be booked in advance (adults are $20, kids 11-16 years are $10, kids 5-10 years are $5, 4 years and under are free).

Searching for the perfect romantic adventure? Book a couples’ day ride for $50 or a night ride for $65. And what a novel venue for the adventurous bride and groom seeking an absolute one-of-a-kind wedding location for their special occasion.

The Puleos have been doing this for 17 years and feel like they are memory makers. They say so many people visit to celebrate the best of life’s moments like a 50-year anniversary, a first date, or a 20-year family reunion. LEL

GETTING THERE: Chautauqua Institution 1 Ames Avenue Chautauqua, NY 14722 http:/chautauquabookstore.chq.org 716-782-2871 May Farm Activities 7766 Crane Road, Edinboro, PA 16412 http://mayfarmactivities.weebly.com 814-397-3265 Holly Hill Belgians 19451 South Road, Spartansburg, PA 16434 Holly Hill Belgians is on Facebook https://bit.ly/2EkVTey 814-438-8112 Ma & Pa’s Sleigh Rides 15161 Main Market Road, Burton, OH 44021 http://www.maandpas.com 440-548-5521

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JANUARY 2019

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last look

Photos by Jack Hanrahan

J

ack Hanrahan captures holiday lights at Michael Landis' home at 4009 Pinelawn Drive in Millcreek Township. It almost looks like the snowman is waving goodbye.

Happy New Year.

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ź¨ʩʍǖƜʩǬ .¨ǖɛ̤ǖź̥ NjȑǷź ȑǾ ȑ̤źɛ ʔ ¨Ļɛźɤƙ IǖʍĻNjźǾ ǖɤ ȑȰźǾ ʍȑ ʍNjź Ɯ¨ǷǖǬ̬ ɛȑȑǷ ¨ǾŠ Nj¨ɤ ¨ĻĻźɤɤ ʍȑ ¨ NjʩƷź ŠźĻǨƙ ź¨ʩʍǖƜʩǬǬ̬ ŠźĻȑɛ¨ʍźŠ ¨ǾŠ ¨ȰȰȑǖǾʍźŠ ʍNjɛȑʩƷNjȑʩʍ ¨ǾŠ Ɯź¨ʍʩɛźɤ ¨ ơǾǖɤNjźŠ Ǭȑ̥źɛ Ǭź̤źǬ ̥ǖʍNj ¨ ġźŠɛȑȑǷř Ɯ¨ǷǖǬ̬ ɛȑȑǷ ¨ǾŠ Ǭ¨ɛƷź ƜʩǬǬ ġ¨ʍNjɁ Njźɛźɘɤ ¨ ʡ Ļ¨ɛ ¨ʍʍ¨ĻNjźŠ Ʒ¨ɛ¨Ʒź ̥ǖʍNj ¨Ǿ ¨ŠŠǖʍǖȑǾ¨Ǭ ʔ Ļ¨ɛ Šźʍ¨ĻNjźŠ Ʒ¨ɛ¨Ʒź ̥NjǖĻNj Ɯź¨ʍʩɛźɤ ¨ ġ¨ʍNj ¨ǾŠ ƷɛźźǾNjȑʩɤźɁ Njź ǖǾ ƷɛȑʩǾŠ ȰȑȑǬ ǖɤ Njź¨ʍźŠɁ ȰƷɛ¨Šźɤ ǖǾĻǬʩŠź ǨǖʍĻNjźǾř Ƿ¨ɤʍźɛ ġ¨ʍNj ¨ǾŠ Ǭȑ̥źɛ Ǭź̤źǬɁ ůƤ̷​̷ř̷​̷​̷

Vź¨ɛǬ̬ ɶř̷​̷​̷ ɤɏʩ¨ɛź Ɯźźʍ ȑƜ Ǭṳ̈̄ǖǾƷ ɤȰ¨Ļź ȑƝźɛɤ ĻȑʩǾʍǬźɤɤ ¨ǷźǾǖʍǖźɤ ƜɛȑǷ ʍNjź Ʒɛ¨ǾŠǐɤǖ̳źŠ Ƿ¨ɤʍźɛ ġźŠɛȑȑǷ ɤʩǖʍź Ɯź¨ʍʩɛǖǾƷ ¨ ̥ȑȑŠ ġʩɛǾǖǾƷ ơɛźȰǬ¨Ļź ¨ǾŠ ʍ̥ȑ ƜʩǬǬ ġ¨ʍNjɤř ġɛź¨ǨƜ¨ɤʍ ɛȑȑǷ ¨ɛź¨ř Ʒɛ¨ǾŠǐɤǖ̳źŠ ƜȑɛǷ¨Ǭ Ǭṳ̈̄ǖǾƷ ɛȑȑǷř ŠǖǾǖǾƷ ɛȑȑǷ ¨ɛź¨ɤř ¨ Ʒɛź¨ʍ ǨǖʍĻNjźǾ ̥ǖʍNj Nj¨ǾŠ Ļɛ¨ƜʍźŠ ɤNj¨Ǩźɛ Ļ¨ġǖǾźʍɛ̬ř ɤʍ¨ǖǾǬźɤɤ ɤʍźźǬ ¨ȰȰǬǖ¨ǾĻźɤ ¨ǾŠ Ʒɛ¨Ǿǖʍź ĻȑʩǾʍźɛʍȑȰɤɁ LȑĻ¨ʍźŠ ȑǾ ¨ ʍɛźźŠř ʔƶƮ ¨Ļɛź Ǭȑʍ ǖǾ /ɛźźǾġɛǖźɛ 6ǖǬǬɤƙ ůƮʡƤř̷​̷​̷

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nNj̬ǬǬǖɤ ʩɛǾźɛ ƮʔƮǐɭʡȄ̷

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ġɤȑǬʩʍźǬ̬ ɤʍɛǖǨǖǾƷ NjȑǷźř ̤źɛ̬ Ȱɛṳ̈̄¨ʍźǬ̬ ɤǖʍʩ¨ʍźŠ ȑǾ ¨ Ǭ¨ɛƷź ̥ȑȑŠźŠ ǬȑʍɁ ƷȑɛƷźȑʩɤ Ļȑ̤źɛźŠ ġ¨ĻǨ ȰȑɛĻNj ¨ǾŠ Njȑʍ ʍʩġ ¨ɛź¨ ¨ɛź ź¨ɤǖǬ̬ ¨ĻĻźɤɤźŠ ̤ǖ¨ ʍNjź ǨǖʍĻNjźǾ ¨ɛź¨Ɂ Njǖɤ NjȑǷź źǾĻ¨ȰɤʩǬ¨ʍźɤ Ǭȑ̥ Ƿ¨ǖǾʍźǾ¨ǾĻź Ǭṳ̈̄ǖǾƷ ¨ǾŠ ̥ɛ¨Ȱɤ ǖʍ ǖǾ Ǭʩ̪ʩɛ̬Ɂ .ź¨ʍʩɛǖǾƷ ȑȰźǾ źǾʍźɛʍ¨ǖǾǖǾƷ ¨ǾŠ Ǭṳ̈̄ǖǾƷ ɤȰ¨Ļźɤ ¨ǾŠ ¨ Ʒɛ¨ǾŠ Ƿ¨ɤʍźɛ ġźŠɛȑȑǷ ɤʩǖʍź ȑǾ ʍNjź ơɛɤʍ ƣȑȑɛɁ Njɛźź ¨ŠŠǖʍǖȑǾ¨Ǭ ġźŠɛȑȑǷɤ ĻȑǷȰǬǖǷźǾʍ ʍNjź ʩȰɤʍ¨ǖɛɤɁ Ǿǖɏʩź ¨ɛĻNjǖʍźĻʍʩɛ¨Ǭ Šźʍ¨ǖǬ ǖɤ ʩǾȰ¨ɛ¨ǬǬźǬźŠɁ Ɯ¨Ǿʍ¨ɤʍǖĻ ġʩ̬ ¨ʍ ůƮƤ̷ř̷​̷​̷Ɂ

ȑǾǾǖź ɛǖʍʍȑǾ G¨ĻǨǖź źǾǾźɛ ƂƂʡǐʡƮʔ̷ Ƃʔʔǐʔʔʔʡ

JANUARY 2019

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