Fairfield Living Magazine, May/June 2020

pe rs ona l i z i ng acc e s s or i e s

DESIGNS BY NICOLE MANNO

c has i ng t h e dr e a m

MIKE CHLALA’S SURF SHOTS

t h e s h i r l ey t e m pl e k i ng

LEO KELLY

SEE HOW IT’S DONE

SHARE THE MOMENT A NEW VIEW OF STAYING CONNECTED

Social Media Success & Happiness

MAY/JUNE 2020 | $5.95

6 local pros on how to attract followers by sharing what you love

Home is where your healthcare is with Virtual Visits There’s promise in getting care anywhere Your place. Your time. Your peace of mind. Connecting to a primary care, urgent care or specialty doctor or clinician has never been easier. Whether you have allergies, cold/flu symptoms or need a follow-up appointment, Virtual Visits are a convenient way to get the care you need, wherever you are. It’s just one more way we’re here for you.

New and existing patients can start at

nuvancehealth.org/virtualvisits

© Nuvance Health

Health Quest Medical Practice | The Heart Center | Western Connecticut Medical Group

2020 HONORING COVID-19 HEROES This year we are focusing Light a Fire on those who rose to the challenge during the COVID-19 epidemic. We are thrilled to celebrate the individuals, nonprofits and businesses that showed us the true meaning of kindness and philanthropy.

HONOREES WILL BE FEATURED IN THE NOVEMBER ISSUE AND CELEBRATED AT A SPECIAL AWARDS CEREMONY.

PLEASE VOTE TODAY! lightafireawards.com VOTING DEADLINE: JUNE 30

Nominations being accepted in the following categories.

We will choose two honorees in each category.

Adult Child Health Care Professional Nonprofit Business

JOIN US FOR THE AWARDS Thursday, December 3 Westport Country Playhouse fairfield living, greenwich, new canaan•darien, stamford, westport, athome in fairfield county, ilovefc.com

contents MAY/JUNE 2020 vol. 10 | issue 3

feature

departments

36

5 PRESIDENT’S LETTER 8 EDITOR’S LETTER

UNDER THE INFLUENCE

10 STATUS REPORT

BUZZ Leo Kelly, the Shirley Temple King

We’re all online more than ever. Sometimes we’re doing work digitally, other times we’re just connecting with friends. In this story, we introduce you to locals who have earned an impressive following due to their online efforts.

From blog posts to Instagram updates, these local talents know how to get attention— and now they share their tips.

Nicole Manno of Better Off Personalized Health today with Gray Matters Surf photographer Mike Chlala HAYVN, for work share now Emily Liebert’s new book, Perfectly Famous Adriana Gatti Liberatore on healthy eating

Elizabeth Ariola Julia Dzafic Jenn Falik Liz Joy Morgan Matkovic Stephanie Trotta

Starting a home garden?

Homefront has advice The cozy comfort of Lovesac EAT Metro Kitchen and Bar

by emily liebert

J.B. Percival Co. on the cover: penfield beach

The new Manna 33 PEOPLE & PLACES

36

cover note: For our social media issue, we used the tool of choice—the iPhone— to capture this image.

35 FINANCE FIX 51 INDEX OF ADVERTISERS 52 POSTSCRIPT

above: Jenn Falik shares great finds with her online followers and subscribers

FAIRFIELD LIVING MAY/JUNE 2020, VOL. 10, NO. 3. FAIRFIELD LIVING (ISSN 2163-7555) is published bi-monthly by Moffly Media, Inc., 205 Main St., Westport, CT 06880. Periodical postage paid at Westport, CT, and additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes (Form 3579) to FAIRFIELD LIVING PO BOX 9309, Big Sandy, TX 75755-9607. U.S. Subscription rates: $19.95/1 year, $34.95/2 years; Canada and Foreign $44/1 year, $72/2 years. fairfieldlivingmag.com

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president’s letter

MAY 2020 / JONATHAN MOFFLY

VENTURE PHOTOGRAPHY, GREENWICH, CT

SURVIVE TO THRIVE T hank you. Together, in this crisis, we can adapt, change and become something new. Our lives are altered.

Our community is straining to accommodate the realities of disease and economic distress.

The outlook is uncertain. We want it to be over.

Desperately. And when it is, we will be different.

The most valuable lessons lie in our power to come together and help each other.

Our priorities are to stay healthy, doing our duty to stop the spread so that friends, family and strangers alike stay safe, and to keep our homes and workplaces financially afloat. Then, do whatever extra we can.

I am proud of my community. Small acts of kindness break the quiet and isolation.

Executive Editor Cristin Marandino going for a socially distant walk and talk with my eightyfour-year-old mom. Production Director Kerri Rak making 246 joyfully designed equipment tags as gifts to our first responders. My wife, our business manager, tripling her EMT volunteer hours to be on the front lines. Our friend, Ariana, dropping off groceries for my family.

Economically, it is dire for so many.

Businesses are in distress, and staff and vendor reductions are the consequence. Small local businesses are particularly hard hit, often lacking the resources to weather a long storm.

Our restaurants, the heart of our community, where we connect with each other, are trying to maintain some semblance of normalcy for us by offering takeout and delivery. They struggle to take care of as many employees as they can on so much less.

MAY/JUNE 2020 FAIRFIELD LIVING

5

Moffly is a small family business, too. As you see with this, much thinner May issue, we are also being impacted by the crisis. My priority is to take care of our team and our customers. We are as resolute as ever to help people live life better and help businesses thrive.

Our partners—your retailers, restaurants, businesses and professional services—are feeling the economic slam. The necessity of social distancing makes Amazon more than a temptation. Yet our retailers, with their unique offerings and personal services are what make our area special. Reach out to your favorites for delivery. Connect. Support. Keep us strong.

A personal thank you to Cristin Marandino, too, for putting up with her boss overshooting the deadline for this page, while dealing with a suddenly complex workload, with less resources, while working from home. She brandishes a kind lash.

Most importantly, thank you. We are grateful for your support as readers, as partners and as customers. We believe in the indomitable spirit of our community.

Lastly, with gratitude, I ask you to take action and help the most vulnerable in our community.

This group has grown exponentially in just the past few weeks. Please make a donation to Fairfield County’s Community Foundation’s COVID-19 Resiliency Fund at fccfoundation .org. The FCCF will ensure your donation reaches the right hands for greatest impact.

One action taken by many has an indelible impact. Together we have the character to work through this crisis.

FAIRFIELD COUNTY COVID-19

RESILIENCY FUND This crisis is hardest on our most vulnerable. Our nonprofits are serving their basic needs: Safety. Food. Shelter.

PLEASE HELP US TO HELP THEM LEARN MORE & DONATE: FCCFOUNDATION.ORG/COVID19RESILIENCYFUND

vol. 10 | no. 3 | may/june 2020 creative director

Amy Vischio–amy.vischio@moffly.com executive editor

Cristin Marandino–cristin.marandino@moffly.com

For over a century, Cummings & Lockwood has provided sophisticated legal representation to individuals, families and businesses.

editorial editor

Diane Sembrot–diane.sembrot@moffly.com market editor

Megan Gagnon–megan.gagnon@moffly.com assistant editor

Joey Macari–joey.macari@moffly.com contributing editors

Elizabeth Hole–editor, custom publishing Julee Kaplan–editor, new canaan • darien copy editors

Terry Christofferson, Kathryn Satterfield

Wills, Trusts and Estate Planning

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Wealth Protection Planning

Litigation and Arbitration

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Commercial and Residential Real Estate

contributing writers

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Nancy Conroy, Linda Coursen, Bridgett Csapo DiBonaventura, Dana McCreesh, Caren Hart Nelson, Gerard Pampalone, Lynne Taikowski, Donna Twist

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editor’s letter

MAY/JUNE 2020 / DIANE SEMBROT

H

In It Together Know someone going above and beyond?

Have a photo of something cute, uplifting or heartwarming spotted around town or in your home? Send us your stories and photos. We’d love to post them online or publish them in an upcoming issue.

Email diane.sembrot@moffly.com

ello, dear Fairfield! Let me start by saying how much I miss you. I know I can go for walks or a drive, but I want more. I want to head off to an event, go spring shopping and grab coffee with friends. I look forward to when days return to something we all remember—and how I regret how I used to take them for granted.

During the lockdown, I spent a lot of time online, and I was pushed into trying new digital tricks fast—things I had put off, hoping I could create an amazing social media strategy and produce perfect online content.

But then an unexpected teacher showed me the value of just doing it. Behold the rise and dominance of the king: Leo Kelly. This six-year-old Fairfielder showed us how to be Instagram royalty effortlessly. He is the Shirley Temple King. His parents offered him the classic childhood beverage, and he shared his thoughts online. Easy—and his cuteness was the cherry on top. His honest reviews of various Shirley Temples had restaurants working overtime to impress the pint-size critic and earn a coveted good review. The more the barkeeps try, the more adorable Leo’s videos become. He even appeared on Ellen.

I’ll let you catch up with him inside. His increase in followers is plenty of inspiration for the rest of us—yes, time to up our digital game. If you’re not a natural like Leo, don’t miss our feature “Under the Influence.” It showcases Fairfield County bloggers and Instagrammers to know. They share how they got started and what keeps them going. They also reveal secrets that the rest of us can keep

fairfieldlivingmag.com

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in mind when deciding if we should press share on our latest post. The basic point is to know why we’re on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, etc. Do we want to share pretty photos? Are we trying to reach new customers who might like our new finds? Do we want to network with those who share our style?

Or maybe we’re interested in weighing in on Fairfield news? Of course, there’s a place, time and way to share, and always new tools and techniques for content creation and management to secure the results we want. We have to enjoy learning and trying new things.

Our experts are here to help by sharing what works for them.

They all offer a similar bit of advice: Be real and enjoy what you do. Keep that in mind— because once you get into going digital, you might find that it can become complex.

There’s a lot to cover, including developing goals, determining your target market, using different tools that you can use to measure your influence, creating a strategy to build your brand, understanding paid media, and working effectively with partners. We don’t have to do it alone. We can share and discuss as well as learn from one another. After all, it’s called social media, so, let’s be social about it.

We had hoped to bring you the event in conjunction with this editorial, but then we went into lockdown. We’re moving the event to a future date that prioritizes safety. Until then, enjoy this issue and follow us online.

PHOTO BY BRUCE PLOTKIN

WE’RE TOGETHER

vol. 10 | no. 3 | may/june 2020

WHAT’S IN YOUR YARD?

publisher

Jonathan W. Moffly

sales & marketing Jonathan Moffly

publisher, athome, new canaan•darien, fairfield living jonathan.moffly@moffly.com

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publisher, westport•weston•wilton gabriella.mays@moffly.com

Karen Kelly-Micka

publisher, stamford karen.kelly@moffly.com Jennifer Frank account executive jennifer.frank@moffly.com Hilary Hotchkiss account executive hilary.hotchkiss@moffly.com Rick Johnson account executive rick.johnson@moffly.com Jennifer Petersen account executive jennifer.petersen@moffly.com Kathleen Godbold partnership and big picture manager kathleen.godbold@moffly.com Rachel Shorten events director rachel.shorten@moffly.com

business president

Jonathan W. Moffly business manager

Elena Moffly elena.moffly@moffly.com cofounders

John W. Moffly IV & Donna C. Moffly PUBLISHERS OF GREENWICH, FAIRFIELD LIVING, NEW CANAAN • DARIEN • ROWAYTON, WESTPORT, STAMFORD and athome magazines 205 Main Street, Westport, CT 06880 phone: 203-222-0600 mail@moffly.com

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buzz STATUS REPORT

above: Leo Kelly, the online sensation for his reviews of Shirley Temples right: The classic childhood beverage with a cherry on top

BORN TO RULE

PHOTOGRAPHY © BRENT HOFACKER-ADOBESTOCK.COM: PORTRAIT BY MARCIE AT MALER PHOTOGRAPHY

FAIRFIELD’S SHIRLEY TEMPLE KING LEO KELLY

by joey macari

F

airfield’s own mighty Leo Kelly, age six, became an overnight sensation with his adorably honest reviews of Shirley Temple drinks from restaurants all across town. His cyber moniker, The Shirley Temple King (@theshirleytempleking), skyrocketed from a few hundred followers to more than 200,000 in just a few short weeks after his Longhorn’s Steakhouse review went viral. (At press time, his followers are up to nearly 285,000.)

It wasn’t long until Ellen DeGeneres got wind of the fairfieldlivingmag.com

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pint-sized connoisseur and invited him onto her show. Of course, he went. The whole family went to L.A. so he could rate mocktails from celebrity

run to Hoodoo Brown BBQ in Ridgefield!” Leo gave its Shirley Temple a whopping 9.5. It’s made with cherries on the inside and on the outside. Thumbs up!

chefs and dish on his only perfect rating to date: the one by Santa Claus. If you can’t wait for that time of year, he does have some good advice: “Don’t walk,

We were lucky enough to score time with this in-demand drink critic. Read on to hear about his day with Ellen and what he loves about his hometown.

PHOTOGRAPHY: CHERRIES © M.U.OZMEN-ADOBESTOCK.COM; MICROSCOPE © ANDREW SCHECK-ADOBESTOCK.COM; ALL OTHERS, CONTRIBUTED

eight questions for leo Who got you on to the drink?

“I would always go out to eat with my parents, and one day they ordered me a Shirley Temple when I was about three years old.

I’ve been ordering them ever since.”

What makes for the best Shirley Temple?

“I like ‘classic’ Shirley Temples: three or four ice cubes, ginger ale, grenadine, three cherries.

A lot of places are making me fancy ones with great presentation and garnishes, but it’s really all about the taste.”

Were you familiar with Barstool Sport’s “Pizza Reviews” when you came up with the Shirley Temple reviews?

“My dad would talk about the pizza reviews, but I never saw one. Sometimes I watch them now and he does a really good job.”

What was it like meeting Ellen?

“Ellen was so nice, and going on the show was very, very fun. I went to the studio with my parents and we had lunch, and then I got to see the set and they showed me where I would walk and sit. A little while later we taped, and I got to meet Ellen DeGeneres.”

Other than Shirley Temples, of course, what do you enjoy a lot?

“I like to play with my brother and sister and hang out with my entire family. I like to play golf and do science experiments. I love reading and writing books.”

What was the other coolest thing you did in LA? “My parents took me to Universal Studios Hollywood the day before we taped Ellen.

I got to meet Scooby Doo and the Mystery Gang, Frankenstein, the Simpsons family and lots of other characters.

I loved the Simpsons ride.”

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What do you want to do when you grow up?

“A scientist, an actor and an author.”

Are your school friends aware of your success?

“Some of my friends know about it and they are excited for me, but I just like to be Leo at school.”

buzz

How did you get the word out?

“At first, I was painting for Anne’s customers and then I started promoting on Instagram and the word spread from there.

The power of social media is remarkable.”

THAT’S SO PERFECTLY ME! FAIRFIELD MOM UPS THE ANTE ON PERSONALIZATION by emily liebert

F

rom as far back as Nicole Manno can remember, she’s been drawing, painting and sketching. In college, she focused on graphic design and apparel marketing, combing her two passions—creativity and publicity. After graduating, Nicole became a merchandise design assistant for private-label clothing companies, then co-owned a wholesale-apparel showroom for seven years, before taking time off to have children. But it wasn’t until a year ago that she recognized a demand in the marketplace for hand-painted monograms on both designer and vegan handbags and launched her company Better Off Painted. Quickly, those monograms led to stripes, hearts, stars, lightning bolts and even more intricate original artwork pieces as well restorative work for older leather items that needed some love. Soon enough, Nicole extended her vision to jackets, sneakers, wallets, backpacks, belts, basketballs and suitcases. We sat down with her to learn more about her innovative new venture. fairfieldlivingmag.com

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What items are best to paint on?

“Leather and vegan items, which includes handbags, suitcases, backpacks, belts and sneakers.

Clothing also works great, particularly denim and canvas. Specialty items, like basketballs, are really fun, but they’re only for display.”

Are there certain fabrics you can’t work with or that are more challenging?

“I’ve been pretty successful painting most items, depending on the desired look, although materials with less texture end up looking cleaner.”

Do you come up with the ideas or do clients typically have something specific in mind?

“It’s definitely a collaboration. It’s hard to know what everyone’s specific tastes are, so I like to consult with the client and get a basic idea of what they’re thinking

about. From there, I can jump in to suggest design elements and color variations. I love hearing what my clients have in mind, and I also love the challenge of making their ideas come to life.”

Explain the process from soup to nuts.

“When a client reaches out, I’ll have a design consultation either via email, DM or phone. From there, I’ll photograph the item and graphically mock up the design in Photoshop for approval.

Changes are always welcome and encouraged until we get it just right.

My goal is for my clients to feel comfortable and be happy with the end result.

Upon approval, painting begins. Typical lead time is anywhere between two weeks and a month, depending on my current project load.”

What’s your favorite item you’ve ever painted and why?

“I recently painted a dreamcatcher on a handbag for a client. She gave me guidelines—she wanted a butterfly and a ladybug included in the design—but she trusted my process and gave me full creative license beyond that. It felt great to craft a little piece of wearable art for her.”

What’s next for you?

“I want to appreciate what’s happening right now. I work from home and feel beyond lucky that I’m able to do what I’m passionate about and share it with others. I’m well aware that this may not last forever, but I’m enjoying meeting new people every day and getting creative.”

For more info, go to: www.betteroffpainted.com

CONTRIBUTED PHOTOGRAPH

What prompted you to launch your own company?

“I was helping out my friend Anne Delorier, who owns Eleven 11, with her pop-up shops and saw that she was having handbags painted by an artist in New York. Her lead times were really long, so I mentioned that I could do it for her much faster. She gave me the opportunity to start painting some samples and it just kind of took off from there. Thanks Anne!”

WHAT LIES BENEATH

RESEARCH CLAIMS THAT BRAIN MAPPING AND NEUROFEEDBACK CAN HELP MANAGE SYMPTOMS OF INJURY, MENTAL ILLNESS AND EVEN AUTISM AND ADHD by beth c o oney fitzpatrick

A

nthony Silver describes the practice of qEEG brain mapping as the art of “making the invisible visible.” At his Westport medical practice, Gray Matters, Silver has spent more than a decade using diagnostic brain imaging—often combined with neurofeedback treatments—to address a variety of complicated psychological and health issues.

During that time, Silver has mapped more than 10,000 brains, looking beneath the skull to investigate and address challenges ranging from attention deficit disorders (ADD) to the lingering effects of concussions, sleep disruptions and mental health issues.

A marriage and family therapist by training, Silver first delved into the somewhat controversial field of brain mapping out of personal curiosity. Someone close to him was diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder several years ago and he suspected something else might be going on. ”With something like ADHD there’s a lot of subjectivity in the diagnosis. There’s no

PHOTO BY © MILLETSTUDIO - STOCK.ADOBE.COM

WHO’S TRYING IT

There are some common challenges, many of them psychological ones, which compel patients to seek Gray Matters' qEEG brain mapping services. They include: attention deficit disorders A recent teenage patient diagnosed with ADHD whose scan revealed brain

biomarker that says, “Here, this is what you have,”’ says Silver. “And there are a million different things that can cause people to exhibit these unfocused symptoms and behavioral issues.” In the case of ADHD he notes it’s not unusual for his scans to reveal anxiety disorders, which should not be treated with stimulants.

Still, Silver stresses he doesn’t consider himself an alternative practitioner intent on proving other experts wrong. “The work I do puts me at the convergence of where a lot of other disciplines meet. It’s personalized medicine that’s about helping people to clarify a diagnosis and get the right help.”

A typical session at Gray Matters begins with a detailed symptom history taken followed by a brain mapping scan. The imaging, which takes about eight minutes, is done first with the eyes open, and then again with eyes closed. Patients relax in a comfortable semi-reclined position while wearing a beanie-like cap fixed with 19 electrodes.

The data gleaned from these scans is then

activity related to anxiety.

Silver worked with the teen’s psychiatrist who switched treatment from stimulant ADHD medications to a mild anxiety drug combined with neurofeedback treatments.

concussions “Often, the person in front of you will be talking about their challenges with mood injuries, but the question we’re asking is are those mood injuries the result of a concussion?” says Silver.

He is working closely with his Gray Matters colleague, concussion expert Dr. Audrey Paul, on a study

related to head traumas.

emotional trauma “It’s incredible to see what severe psychological trauma can do to a brain, even years after the event that caused it has passed,” says Silver, who has worked with sexual assault survivors and war veterans suffering from PTSD.

autism spectrum disorders Silver often uses brain mapping, followed by neurofeedback treatments, to support patients with autism-related disorders.

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Brain mapping could be the path to recovery.

compared to a data of millions of other scanned brains. Normal patterns are compared to abnormal ones, helping Silver offer insights into his patients’ struggles. “Done right, qEEG mapping can yield data that’s gold in terms of helping us understand what’s going on and why.”

Follow-up therapy often includes Silver working with psychiatrists to prescribe or modify a patient's medication, recommendations for lifestyle changes and sometimes, neurofeedback treatments. Also known as EEG (electroencephalogram) biofeedback, neurofeedback is a computerbased therapy system that uses sound or visual signals to retrain the brain.

Silver is one of 150 practitioners in the United States who holds qEEG diplomate status because of his intensive training in the field. Silver often receives referrals from other medical practitioners, including pediatricians, psychiatrists and physical therapists to help patients who have reached frustrating crossroads in their efforts to feel better. “I don’t get patients who are doing well with treatment. I get the ones who are still looking for answers,” he says.

buzz

CATCHING THE WAVE PHOTOGRAPHY BY FAIRFIELD’S MIKE CHLALA by joey macari

M

ike Chlala sees the “perfect surf ” through the set of two lenses: one through the eye of a surfer, the other through the lens of whatever camera he’s working with. This tandem skill has propelled his career as both a professional oceanic photographer and an avid surfer. A Fairfield native, Chlala used to daydream of a big swell as he was skimboarding along the shore of Penfield Beach or reading surfer magazines.

In 2013 he decided to see the big waves for himself and took his passion and his camera to Hawaii, and he’s been attempting the perfect shot ever since. He’s worked with the World Surf League and been published in The Surfers Journal and Freesurf Magazine in Hawaii. How did his love of the ocean propel his career? fairfieldlivingmag.com

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“I woke up one morning and announced to my family: ‘I think I am going to the North Shore of Oahu in Hawaii in two weeks to see what I can do. One-way-ticket style. I have to see Pipeline!’ That was almost seven years ago,” he says, “and I haven’t looked back.”

Although he missed out on a childhood of authentic surfing, Chlala is the first to say that his Fairfield roots were anything but lacking. “Growing up in a place like Fairfield is like winning the lottery and something I’ve never taken for granted. With amazing public education and proximity to New York City, you can literally do anything you want and get the skills to back it—that is, unless you want to surf and photograph the most perfect waves of consequence the world has to offer,” he says.

PHOTOGRAPH OF MIKE CHLALA BY BRIAN BIELMANN

above: While Mike Chlala loves surf photography, he also can be found chasing big waves to ride.

My vision for my photography is to see the beauty of the dance between water and light paired with perfect waves and being able to capture that emotion.

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buzz

I’m a far cry away from a professional surfer but that hasn’t stopped me from sharing the lineup surfing and photographing the best surfers in some of the best waves in the world.

fairfieldlivingmag.com

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“That early deprivation of my passion is why I’m so fired up at the age of thirty-three.

I know what it’s like to not have what feeds your soul.”

Chlala’s father is from Lebanon, where, Mike says, “hospitality and family support is a priority.” His proud mother, Roe Chlala, is a well-known local event designer and caterer and introduced her son to the business at a young age. It turned out to be the first taste of his future career. “Skills in the service industry have allowed me to support my passion of surfing and photography and my love of the ocean until it could become my career,” he says. “It was also an amazing background for my wedding photography. I had no idea washing dishes at fourteen was building me up for what would be my career almost twenty years later.”

The North Shore of Oahu is his mecca, for obvious reasons. The tide is high and the chance to surf the waves he’s been dreaming about are finally a reality. “Surfing is my favorite thing in the world. It’s given me so much—a love of the ocean, a passion for health and fitness and a unique perspective on how life can be,” he says. “I’m a far cry away from a professional surfer but that hasn’t stopped me from sharing the lineup surfing [where the waves break] and photographing the best surfers in some of the best waves in the world.”

As for how he creates the perfect shot, he focuses on the emotion of the wave. “My vision for my photography is to see the beauty of the dance between water and light paired with perfect waves and being able to capture that emotion,” he says. “Sharing it with others in the form of art, while also creating a record for myself with the intention of a life well-lived, is my journey.”

Like most things, not every shot or every surf comes without hard work, and he’s had a few bumps and bruises along the way. “I’ve endured multiple injuries, surgery. I’ve been broke and put my life on the line for these photographs as I swim out to capture the waves up-close and personal,” he says. These hard truths don’t stop this athlete/artist from fueling his passion and mastering his craft. ”My true goal is to take my viewers with me and get them a perspective they may not otherwise see.”

To collect Mike’s art and see more of his photography, go to mikechlala.com and on Instagram @chlala_shoots.

my true goal is to take my viewers with me and give them a perspective they may not otherwise see.

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above: When permitted, HAYVN hosts workshops and other business-supportive events for its members and the public • Plenty of variety of work options for members.

GET TO WORK F

or a year, locals needing an escape from their home office or coffee shop “cubicle” jumped into the coworking phenomenon HAYVN. This shared workspace in Darien created for women is having an anniversary, and it continues to thrive despite our temporary climate of school shutdowns, social distancing and other uncertainties.

As soon as COVID-19 forced partial closures, HAYVN set up a “Zoom Room” to assist members and its guests with video conferencing capabilities. Although HAYVN had to postpone a number of events—including Moffly Media’s Women in Business, a Social Media Exchange—the company quickly switched gears and began conducting virtual workshops, called HAYVN HALFTIME. Founder Felicia Rubinstein, an engineer and marketing expert, says one of the biggest benefits of the work space is “creating

community, because isolation is a dream killer.” Her timing couldn’t be better.

Billed as a “coworking space where women connect, create and get stuff done,” HAYVN is a “haven” for freelancers, remote workers or solopreneurs who miss the camaraderie of an office and the resources that come with it.

Since opening in May 2019, HAYVN has held over 120 programs and continues to add more, in addition to providing in-house experts and mentors.

“Magic happens when you are in a community, trust people more and hope to share business opportunities,” says Rubinstein.

“We are a mixed audience, inclusive of all ages: older mentoring younger, younger helping older and women in transition. The ‘Y’ in HAYVN is for a ‘yes’ mentality. If someone has an idea, we encourage and try to support it.”

Inspired to create HAYVN while listening to a story about WeWork on the “How I Built This” podcast, Rubinstein sought to fill the fairfieldlivingmag.com

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void left by flexible workspaces. “A lot of these companies are focusing on Millennials, but no one is focusing on us,” she explains.

“Our programs support the obstacles women encounter to keep their career or business on track.”

Located at 320 Boston Post Road in the newly renovated and rebranded Darien Crossing, HAYVN is filled with light and built to inspire. The 7,000-square-foot office features amenities like a fitness center, event space, art gallery, podcast room, organic café and a shared kitchen stocked with coffee and tea. HAYVN offers food from local caterers such as Carolyn’s Absolutely Fabulous Events, Palmer’s Catering, Nit Noi and Corner Harvest. For special events and meetings, members can use these caterers or bring in their own.

Stepping inside, a community manager provides a warm welcome and presides over all-things-HAYVN.

KITCHEN SHOT BY CHRIS BOJANOVICH; OTHERS, CONTRIBUTED

HAYVN AT THE CENTER OF COWORKING AND CONNECTING NOW by eliz abeth hole

BUSINESS NOW T

PHOTO OF WOMAN IN BLACK-AND-WHITE TOP BY ROSIE ARMSTRONG; OTHER TWO HAYVN SHOTS, CONTRIBUTED; IN SIDEBAR: CONFERENCE BY © LIGHTFIELD STUDIOS - STOCK.ADOBE.COM; FOLDERS © MICHAEL BURRELL - STOCK.ADOBE.COM

above: The conference room is wired for presentations • HAYVN draws women to share expertise and opportunities.

She might help with memberships and networking events or opine on the café’s best homemade scone. Membership packages vary, with work environments ranging from communal tables and dedicated desks to private offices in varying sizes and meeting rooms. Floating and dedicated desks are other options with storage lockers available.

Members can also rent rooms designated for meetings, conferences and podcasts on an hourly basis. For incubators and companies wanting to grow, there’s space available within the building.

Members appreciate special touches, such as privacy panels on desks. HAYVN also provides connections to healthcare benefits, business counselors, legal experts, fitness professionals, nail salons and nutritionists.

Rubinstein’s goal is to help women “streamline their life and focus on themselves and their professions.” Safety is another critical feature.

There’s an ample parking lot with easy building access, a security system and 24/7 entry for members with offices.

When asked if HAYVN welcomes male members, Rubinstein responds: “Absolutely!

Men can be members too. Our programming is women-centric, but it is totally an inclusive space. That means we’re all about welcoming

everyone into our sanctuary.”

Rubinstein spent over a year researching the flexible workspace movement—which she says is increasing at an “average annual rate of 23 percent since 2010”—and searching for the perfect location and design for HAYVN to support the “wellness and work-life balance” of her members. Granoff Architects and Workplace Studio were instrumental in designing the space and managing the build out.

By the end of 2019, HAYVN was awarded “Client of the Year” by the Women’s Business Development Council (WBDC) and nominated by Fairfield County Business Journal as one of the “Thriving Thirty” Best Companies in the county.

Rubinstein is planning a HAYVN Hatch Capstone—a culmination of all the winners from her popular pitch nights. Sponsored

by HAYVN, VentureMom.com and Realist Ventures, these events help women entrepreneurs get funding, exposure and marketing for their businesses.

“Ultimately, when women work in a beautiful space made just for them—where they can come together, collaborate and do great work—a little magic happens,” says Rubinstein. “That’s HAYVN.” MAY/JUNE 2020 FAIRFIELD LIVING

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he space is closed during the health lockdown, with limited access only for people with dedicated desks and private offices. Flex-desk members must contact Felicia for options. You can find updates on its site and through its Instagram posts and stories. You can try its SLACK group and sign up for emails. The VIRTUAL HAYVN COMMUNITY started in March. HAYVN launched HAYVN HALFTIME, for virtual events and gatherings. Tune in at noon for a daily lunch meeting featuring a twenty-minute presentation and a ten-minute question-and-answer period.

Also, HAYVN started using the ZOOM teleconferencing platform for virtual events.

Initial topics include “Finding Your Day-to-Day Compass in Uncertain Times” and “Getting Emergency Support from the SBA.” –Diane Sembrot

above: Shared work spaces can suit small-group meetings, too.

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IN THEIR WORDS 5 Members of HAYVN on Their Work and Sharing Space

Public Relations, Marketing & Advisory Services

Gregory Papajohn and Suzanne Robitaille are the husband-and-wife team behind Archie Group, a cooperative of specialists and consultants in public relations, marketing and management. Gregory, who started the company in 2016, dreamed of “working on Main Street in the town where I live” after commuting to Manhattan for nine years.

Suzanne was working at an ecommerce startup in the city, but found the commute difficult after their daughter was born. Today, the couple runs Archie Group out of a threeperson office at HAYVN. 1 // As a collective with local and virtual employees, how do you utilize your office space?

GP: “We have around twenty consultants, with one-third of them located in Darien and the rest working virtually.

HAYVN brings more of our team members face to face and provides a community. The two main seats are for me, the founder, and my wife, Suzanne, who runs the content studio. We reserve the third seat for our consultant pool. It’s great to have a place to accomplish the Three Cs: convene, communicate and build community. They’re so important to our firm’s success.”

2 // Gregory, what led you to start Archie Group?

GP: “I had a classic Jerry Maguire moment back in 2016 while working as the MD at a boutique agency in New York City. I wasn’t feeling great about my work, and I knew I had more to offer in the financial services space. My wife encouraged me to go out on my own, to get back to doing what I love—advising leaders and building reputation capital for their companies. I had a point of view on financial services PR that I wanted to bring to life. And I was looking to create an environment with other like-minded individuals who shared my passions and wanted to create something together.”

3 // How has coworking helped your business?

GP: “I consider Archie a social enterprise, because we’re trying to solve a real issue that women face as they return to the workforce. As a cooperative, we are worker-led. Archie consultants have control of their hours and their projects, and they don’t have to commute or be in an office.”

Katy Kinsella

Julia Ford & Claudia Wood

Natural Products Sales & Marketing

Jewelry Brand Owners

After going on walks with neighbor Felicia Rubinstein, Katy Kinsella was taken by her coworking vision and “the opportunity for women to meet, network, grow and be inspired.” Kinsella, who works for Kerry Group as well as GOpure Pod, worked from home for five years before joining HAYVN. 1 // What is your HAYVN workspace like?

KK: “As a branch member, I have space at any desk or table in the common areas. You can typically find me at the back table along the wall off the kitchen. It’s the perfect spot, as I can see everything going on while being removed enough to stay focused!”

2 // How has coworking helped your business?

KK: “In so many ways! I work for Kerry, a taste and nutrition company. We make a probiotic ingredient, GanedenBC30, that food and beverage companies add to their products for immune and digestive health benefits. I’ve been introduced to a number of contacts within the food and beverage industry through HAYVN. I also help my partner, Kent Atherton, who owns a company that launched the first-ever portable water purifier. It’s called GOpure Pod.” 3 // What is GOpure Pod? KK: “The Pod removes inorganics, such as chlorine, fluoride, nitrates and nitrites, and heavy metals, from tap water. It fits into any reusable bottle, making it ideal for everyday use. We have GOpure Pod in beverage dispensers at HAYVN. As GOpure grows, I’ve become more involved in signing on local retailers and helping with branding and marketing. ” 4 // What’s it like working alongside entrepreneurs?

KK: “The women and men at HAYVN are doers. Everyone is encouraging of each other’s projects and wants to help in any way they can. It truly is a collaborative environment where you want everyone to win. GOpure has been a sponsor of the HAYVN HATCH pitch slams, and it’s amazing to see what people are working on and how creative and passionate they are for what they do. I love being a part of the entrepreneurial environment. There’s an unmatched enthusiasm you feel from a roomful of creative minds, thinkers and executors.…I love educating and inspiring people and companies to be healthier.

Probiotics and water! I’m lucky to love what I do and to be a part of this supportive community. I’m in awe of what Felicia has created and am so grateful to be on the receiving end of her glorious vision.”

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Sisters and owners of KVO Collections, Julia Ford and Claudia Wood, create high-quality, unique jewelry at accessible prices—described as “diamond jewelry for women to wear every day.” After finding out about HAYVN, the duo were intrigued and made an appointment.

They saw the space before the walls were even up and signed on immediately for a two-person office.

1 // How has coworking helped your business?

JF: “We have the opportunity to talk with other like-minded business owners and gain insight and perspective from them. HAYVN offers seminars and lunch talks in various areas to help your business, and those have been very beneficial. We’ve also made new friends! There is always something going on there, and it’s nice to have a space where we can close our door for quiet and privacy but we can walk out to the common spaces and have people to talk to. One can really feed off the energy in this place.”

2 // What does “KVO” mean?

CW: “KVO are the initials of our mom who died a long time ago—and way too young. She was German and such a beautiful, smart and kindhearted woman who had great style and was forward thinking. Our collection tries to honor her by our style of classic designs with a contemporary twist.”

3 // Have you held any KVO events at HAYVN? JF: “We’ve had pop-up shopping at HAYVN. We invite other members and businesses to our shopping events, and our customers get excited to experience a new business. Our mission is to use some of our profits to help people with everyday challenges and to support other small businesses. Part of our proceeds go to helping others. We gave money to help families finance adoptions; we bought a braille machine for a blind woman; we purchased computers for disadvantaged children; and we helped someone with medical expenses and car repairs. By donating to small nonprofits and individuals, we can make a big impact.”

4 // Why name jewelry after certain people?

CW: “There are some amazing people we’ve been honored to know in various capacities. They are all badass women and some men who are so special in who they are, how they show up in the world and what they do in their lives. We wanted to highlight them.”

PHOTOGRAPHY: PAPAJOHN AND ROBITAILLE BY SARAH ELLYETT OF ELLYETT PHOTOGRAPHY; KATY KINSELLA BY ROB GULOTTA; FORD AND WOOD BY NICOLA SILVER

Gregory Papajohn & Suzanne Robitaille

Another book? How many have you written now?

“Yes! Sometimes it’s hard to believe, even though I’m the one writing them.

This is lucky number seven for me.”

emails, schedule conference calls and attend to other projects. I have serious respect for authors who write at night.

By 8 p.m. my brain is fried and the only thing it can metabolize is reality TV.”

When did you start this one?

“I started outlining this book in November 2018 and began writing it in January 2019. I emailed the first draft of the manuscript to my editor on May 21, 2019. Not that I keep track of these sorts of things.”

Where do your characters come from—that is, do you need a certain character to drive the story forward by introducing conflict?

“My characters are derived mostly from my imagination but many of their traits and, certainly, plenty of the circumstances they find themselves in are poached from my life and the lives of the people I surround myself with.

Without fail, every time I publish a new book, my friends and family ask me if specific characters are based on them.

There is always one character who drives the story forward.”

What’s the title—and why?

“The title is Perfectly Famous. As for why—one of the two protagonists is a famous crime novelist and her life is anything but perfect. On the heels of Pretty Revenge, my last book, my publisher and I wanted another title with two words that belied each other.”

What’s the plotline?

“Perfectly Famous is the story of a journalist obsessed with finding a crime novelist who disappears after a deadly attack on her daughter. Ward DeFleur, one of the leading ladies, is a mother and famous author, who appears to have it all. She lives in a beautiful estate in picture-perfect Connecticut, along with her teenage daughter, Stevie, where, supposedly, nothing can go wrong. Until, one night, when Stevie is brutally murdered and Ward’s entire world is shattered. Ward is so grief stricken that she vows never to write again. That’s when the other leading lady, Bree Bennett, comes into the picture. She’s a recently divorced, former-journalist-cum-housewife, who’s desperate to fill her days with something other than Pilates classes and grocery shopping. So she decides to start writing for the town newspaper.

What begins as Bree’s effort to tell Ward’s tragic narrative turns into an obsession with finding her favorite author. Unfortunately, Ward doesn’t want to be found. Even worse, Stevie’s killer is still on the loose! Dun dun dun…”

above: Writer Emily Liebert at home

SHE DID IT EMILY LIEBERT’s new book, a mystery/thriller, lands and we want to know more by diane sembrot

PHOTOGRAPHY BY KYLE NORTON

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e sometimes wonder how Emily Liebert gets it all done. Aside from being this magazine’s treasured Books Correspondent, for which she pairs book reviews by local authors with amazing luxe destinations around the world, she also frequently contributes her talents to other sections of this magazine (see “Under the Influence,” profiles of local influencers).

And despite that work, she also regularly publishes her books, including her new one: Perfectly Famous. We can’t help but think there’s more than one person completing all this work, but she insists it’s just her and that computer monitor with the flashing cursor awaiting the next word.

Lucky for us, Emily also finds time to enjoy living in locally. To celebrate Emily’s latest book, Kerri Rosenthal is hosting the author’s launch party at her Westport store on Thursday, June 4.

Did it unfold the way you expected at the outset?

“Ninety-nine percent of the book unfolded the way I expected, due to the fact that I’d outlined it in great detail.

That said, I changed the ending in the last line, as I was writing it, which I’ve never done before! It was deeply satisfying.”

When do you find time to write?

“I work during the weekdays while my kids are at school or camp, specifically my writing hours fall between 8:30 a.m. and 3 p.m. After that, I’ll edit, return

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What can we expect at the launch party?

“It’s Thursday, June 4, and you’re all invited! I’ll be in conversation with my friend Stephanie Szostak, star of the ABC series, A Million Little Things. We’re expecting a big crowd, lots of mingling, food and drink and, of course, I’ll be signing copies of Perfectly Famous.”

Why Kerri’s shop?

“For starters, I’m a big fan of Kerri Rosenthal and her art. She’s extremely talented and hard-working, a combination that I admire. In addition to that, Kerri’s shop is so joyful, fresh and unique. It’s such a stylish venue for a party!”

What’s next for you?

“I’m in the process of writing my eighth novel. At the same time, my last novel Pretty Revenge, was optioned for a television show, so I’m very involved in that. I’m also hoping to announce plans to adapt Perfectly Famous for the big or small screen very soon.

I like to stay busy.”

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GETTING GROUNDED HEALTHY LIVING WITH ADRIANA GATTI LIBERATORE

by diane sembrot

O

nce upon a time, Adriana Gatti Liberatore of @getfitmom_ (note the underscore at the end) was stressed at work and not eating well. So, she left her NYC corporate job and became a certified integrative nutrition health coach from the Institute for Integrative Nutrition and a candidate Registered Dietician with a Masters of Science in Nutrition. Now, she’s also board certified by the American Association for Drugless Practitioners (AADP). In short, she’s the person she wanted to be. She is devoted to helping others transform what they are eating.

This makes her happy, as does her life in Westport with her husband and two sons. As a health coach, she steps in to review how to plan and prepare meals, how to shop for groceries, how to store or ripen organic produce, what to eat when hungry and more. Here’s how to get to the root of healthy living with a bit of help from Adriana. fairfieldlivingmag.com

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Why did you become a health coach?

“I turned to health and wellness in order to improve my overall well-being and livelihood. After over a decade in finance, two small children and a difficult divorce, I found myself a single parent. To make matters worse, I developed hypothyroidism and had hit a complete wall. I knew something had to change. I soon realized that changing my eating habits and overall lifestyle had a tremendous impact on every facet of my day-to-day life. Seeing those results, I felt compelled to share what soon became my passion with others.”

How do you begin working with someone new?

“The first question I ask my clients is: ‘How do you want to feel a year from now?’ The second question I ask is: ‘How do you want to feel when you’re eighty-five years old?’ That’s because the work we do now is to establish long-lasting changes that go well beyond what’s on your plate. As an integrative health coach, my holistic approach takes a look at how you

PHOTOGRAPH BY CHRISTOPHER APPOLDT

above: Adriana Gatti Liberatore helps home cooks prepare healthy food.

eat and why you eat the way you do.

I thoughtfully tweak patterns in your lifestyle that will have significant and sustainable effects to your energy levels and health markers immediately and continuously. This is not about feeling deprived; it’s about rewiring your body to actually crave feeling great.”

Who do you think should consult a health coach?

“Someone who needs a guide to hold them accountable through their health and wellness journey. Whether they’re working on a specific health concern, managing a medical condition, wanting to lose weight, cleanse their system or they’re looking to improve their overall well-being, I am their go-to. I work with busy professionals, families, including children, as well as single parents who want to revamp their health. I offer cooking demos, kitchen cleanses, grocery tours and three- and six-month

programs tailored and targeted to my clients’ specific goals.”

You consider blood sugar, gut health, supplements, lifestyle factors and more. How do you know where to focus?

“I support the idea that no one diet or lifestyle fits all and that one person’s food is another’s poison. I work with my clients on a highly individualized basis during my three- or six-month programs. Understanding the cause of symptoms is at the core of what I do. Food sensitivities are typically responsible for unwanted symptoms.

That’s why we always begin with a lab test to reveal what they are as well as the state of your gut health. This industry attracts many forgiving and soft professionals, which is wonderful and is one of the things that attracted me to this career. While I’m also empathetic, accountability and fully invested motivation—think celebrity

above: Part of healthy cooking is knowing what ingredients to buy, and Adriana helps her clients with smart shopping.

CrossFit coach—is at the center of my approach.”

You have your own garden. What are you growing this season?

“I’m going to grow some of our greatest hits from last year and also switch it up. My ultimate goal is to be fully sustainable in our house. Keeping my Summer Bibb lettuce; kale—so versatile and extremely resilient, it grew into October last year; cucumber; a variety of peppers, including jalapeño, which my son loves; zucchini; tomatoes; eggplant; strawberries; leeks; and herbs—all the herbs I can fit. This year I’m going to add onions, garlic, carrots, arugula and beetroot.

Perhaps I’ll start my own CSA, who’s to say?”

You’re busy. How do you balance life’s demands?

“I learned very early on as a single working parent that if you try to do everything, you will most likely achieve nothing. The key is to stay organized.

One of the most powerful tools in my life is a time-tracking grid. It gives me a helpful visual of how I’m spending my time and I can adjust accordingly.”

We found you through social media.

Do you do your own posting on Instagram and updates to your blog?

“I do! I take a lot of pride in my content creation as well as coming up with or adapting my own recipes. I really enjoy the interactive nature of social media. It gives me a real pulse for what people in and out of our community are searching for and need help with these days.”

Parting thought?

“Coming from an academic household, I’m insatiable when it comes to learning. That’s why I’m pursuing my registered dietician designation as well as my masters of science in nutrition.

I believe that having my RD, MS and Health Coach credentials will help create an unmatched experience for my clients. They deserve it.”

I SUPPORT THE IDEA THAT NO ONE DIET OR LIFESTYLE FITS ALL AND THAT ONE PERSON’S FOOD IS ANOTHER’S POISON. MAY/JUNE 2020 FAIRFIELD LIVING

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above: Homestead Farmers uses cedar frames for raised beds of vegetables. below: Boxed containers of berries bring order to home gardening.

ORGANIC GARDENS I

nterest in the environment and sustainability is leading homeowners to Homefront Farmers in Redding, where owner John Carlson and his crew design and build handsome raised beds and fenced spaces for growing organic vegetables and berries.

Ranging from six-by-eight feet to fortyby-eighty, the gardens cost from $7,000 to $100,000 with amenities, although the plants themselves are extra, as is Carlson’s crew doing the planting and maintenance.

The company also builds and installs covered boxes for strawberries, as well

by tom c onnor

as enclosed patches for fresh, in-season blueberries. In Wilton, Carlson constructed a twenty-five-by-forty-foot garden framed in cedar for durability and fine-mesh wire fencing to keep smaller critters out.

“Organic really is more about the practice than about the products,” he says. “It’s about starting with the soil and making sure that it is healthy, that it has the right structure, the right nutrition. It’s also about having a balance of different crop families, and the right kind of flowers to attract the right kind of insects.

Balance will keep the garden fairly healthy.”

“Organic really is more about the practice than about the products.”

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—john carlson, homefront farmers

CONTRIBUTED PHOTOGRAPHY

THIS IS THE YEAR TO START GROWING VEGETABLES AND HERBS AT HOME

GET COMFORTABLE WESTPORT COZY-AND-CREATIVE NEW FURNITURE STORE, LOVESAC by diane sembrot and joey macari

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CEO and founder. “It’s big, it’s comfy, and it looks amazing next to other furniture.” Instead of a sectional, try infinitely adaptable Sactionals: “Starting with just a Seat and a Side, Sactionals allow you to create a couch that will always meet your needs. Change the covers, rearrange it or easily move it to a new home.”

The attention to providing overand-above comfort is impressive.

For example, instead of a blanket, try tucking your toes into a Footsac. “Lovesac Footsacs are big enough for two and come with a

built-in foot pocket to keep your toes toasty warm.” Also, you can charge any device inside your Sactionals. The Power Hub fits into any Sactionals Side, even if you already have Sactionals at home. And, of course, there’s secreted away storage, too.

The Sactionals Seats and Sides are meant to be adaptable, so that they can easily and quickly fit into a variety of spaces. The pieces are interchangeable, like cushy Lego pieces, making a chair, then a loveseat. See the website for a video of how easy it is to change them up.

Plus, here’s an extra feel-good tidbit about Lovesac: The company is committed to sustainability as well as comfort.

Some 600 bottles go into the fabric of the average Sactionals configuration, and that reduces the amount of waste that would otherwise add to landfills each year. “As we continue to expand our showroom footprint and grow the Lovesac brand, we also look forward to continuing to help people reduce their ecological footprint by creating products that are built to last a lifetime, designed to evolve with the customer, provide long-term utility and, ultimately, reduce the amount of furniture discarded into landfills,” said Nelson.

PRODUCT PHOTOGRAPHY BY RYAN SCHERB; HEADSHOT OF SHAWN BY CHRISTOPHER LOGAN OF CLOGANSTUDIOS

e could all use a little comfort right now. Actually, we could use a lot of it, especially at home. Lovesac is dedicated to that. They design and make the softest, plushest, coziest furniture imaginable. Consider the new Lovesac (lovesac.com) location that recently opened up on the Post Road. While showrooms closed because of COVID-19, shoppers could order online.

“The Lovesac SuperSac is perfect for lounging, napping and kicking back,” says Shawn Nelson,

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above: Sactionals work by combining Seats and Sides, and accessories, like a cup holder, come in Hickory, Grey Ash,and Dark Walnut colors left: An example of a Sac, which comes in different sizes and more than 250 cover options. below: Founder and CEO Shawn Nelson

eat

Metro Kitchen and Bar restaurant is a new concept from Boca Restaurant Group, Peter Prizio and John Taxiltaridis.

The new place features New American Cuisine in a casual but sophisticated setting.

TAKE A BITE THE NEW METRO KITCHEN AND BAR by diane sembrot

restaurant to Boca Oyster Bar, Metro is a place to scoop up deals, including less-than-$10 sports grub: think mozzarella sticks, wings (like Thai Chili wings), nachos with cheese and slides. Salads go big, like the Cold Lobster Salad over mixed greens with peppers, red onion, cucumbers and a dill-cucumber yogurt dressing. Metro Kitchen and Bar features scratch-made dishes, like their juicy burgers, seasonal tacos and entrées, all prepared with quality ingredients.

Cocktails have fun, like the “Fountain of Youth,” a mix of Bacardi Grapefruit, Truly Lime “Spiked” Seltzer and a splash of St. Germain. Let’s raise a glass and cheer for better days.

52 Sanford Street, Fairfield; metrokitchenandbar.com

PHOTOGRAPHY, JULIE WEBEL, MAXEX PUBLIC RELATIONS

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ith white brick walls, black accents, an around-the-bend bar and plenty of natural light thanks to floor-to-ceiling windows, the Metro Kitchen and Bar is hoping to bring in hungry customers from across the county and points north. It opened at the beginning of March—bad timing, but who could have possibly predicted a health quarantine? With customers stuck at home, the restaurant offered take-out and delivery. Once restrictions are lifted and places open back up, we’ll have plenty of reasons to cheer. With all of the TVs, expect sports fans to gather here. The outdoor seating will be welcome in warm weather.

An original concept by Boca Restaurant Group and a sister

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PHOTOGRAPHY

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PHOTO BOOTH

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VIDEO

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SOCIAL MEDIA

Moffly Media is one of the leading providers of professional event photography and marketing services in Fairfield County.

We capture compelling, high-quality images of individuals and groups at meaningful events. With our wide range of capabilities, Moffly will customize a marketing program that’s just right for you.

LEARN MORE! Contact KATHLEEN GODBOLD at Kathleen.Godbold@moffly.com or 203.571.1654

Around the globe, every community is affected by the global novel coronavirus pandemic.

Near & Far Aid’s 65-year commitment to low-income residents within our Fairfield County community is unwavering.

At times like this, they need us more than ever.

With the support of donors, sponsors, and patrons, we responded swiftly to this crisis and established a COVID-19 Emergency Relief Fund.

Please consider extending your hand to our neighbors in need with a donation to the Fund.

For more information or to donate visit www.NEARANDFARAID.org

@nearandfaraid

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eat

NEW OLD FAVORITE J.B. PERCIVAL, A COCKTAIL LOUNGE THAT FEELS LIKE A STEP BACK IN TIME

ALL PHOTOGRAPHY BY PREMIER CONTENT GROUP

by georget te yac oub

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my and her husband, Billy O’Shea, have been thinking of opening an upscale cocktail wine bar in town for a while.

The idea, however, hinged on finding the right location. So, when they saw a space on Donnelly Walk—an old factory building that’s downtown yet feels a bit off the beaten path—they decided to pull the trigger.

The idea for the wine and cocktail lounge came to Amy after realizing there were few upscale places in town to grab a drink after, say, a concert at the Fairfield Theatre Company. “Nothing really fit the bill on what we wanted,” says Amy. “So, we decided to build a place that we would like to go.” She wanted to honor the history of the building and so preserved the industrial aesthetic of the space. The floors have been ground to the original cement floors and finished so guests can see where the machinery was bolted down. The light fixtures have been salvaged, and

lithographs of Bridgeport Brass from 1934 hang on the walls. In fact, the name J.B. Percival is an ode to the handbag maker that once occupied the space. “I get really excited because I can tell all these items’ stories,” says Amy. “It adds a lot to the place.”

In line with the vintage feel, the cocktail list is classic, with OldFashioned, Bee’s Knees, Manhattans, Vesper martinis, and the like.

Amy’s favorite is the Sloe Gin Fizz—sweet, tart and totally refreshing.

A favorite may be the wine flights. “It gets people out of their cabernet and pinot noir comfort zone,” says Amy, “and they taste a bunch of lines they haven’t tried before.”

J.B. Percival had hoped to be the place people would go to meet up with friends, from 4 p.m. until closing “whenever, depending on the night.” Closed during the lockdown, it offers curbside pickup and sells gift cards and cute totes. See more @jbpercivalco on Instagram.

left and below: Find your all-time favorite drinks, from Old-Fashioned to Sloe Gin Fizz

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eat

left: Carrot soup center: Kale salad for different tastes, savory and sweet right: Sourdough bread from Wave Hill Breads below: Hummus toast with roasted vegetables and cucumber salad

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ome coincidences are as delicious as a ripe tomato.

Take, for example, Molly Healey’s new café, Manna Toast —a plant-based, all-day café, which is taking hold in the space of a meat purveyor (M.EAT).

These extremes of the diet scale are more alike than one might notice at first glance: Both reflect local food tastes today—small, niche, local and high-end. It’s just that one provided meat; the other, vegetables. When you give up steaks, you get sprouts.

“We’ll be a café with salads and toasts,” says Molly Healey, the owner. “We’ll have really interesting and fun toasts, not your standard avocado toasts.

We’re making full meals—large concepts that are on toast and bread, but we’re going to have a lot of different kinds and different toppings to bridge the gap between a full-service and

a quick-service restaurant that’s easily accessible.”

She’s excited to bring this new way of thinking about plant-based foods to Westport. “I’ve always eaten things on bread,” she adds. A sweet-potato base is available for those who want to skip the toast.

The new place will also use locally sourced seasonal ingredients as well as selections from a local bread maker and local coffee roaster. For those who want

it, the café will also offer a bit of dairy from local farmers as well as sustainable fish. “We’re trying to find someone who has responsibly caught fish.” Molly is very particular about the food providers she works with, and that’s good for her customers. From vegetables, dairy, fish, bread and more, each is carefully chosen, and she asks all of the questions that a food critic would pose (and more). All of that, she says, will be brought “into one

package,” like a creatively stacked, satisfying open-faced sandwich.

Manna will have four big salads, ten different toasts, three rotating soups and a couple of sides—like roasted vegetables—as well as yogurt and fruits, local coffee and wine and beer. It will also make its own plant milks.

The small café will rely on work that is done at the large commissary kitchen. “We’re going for a community-based program,” she says. “So, we’re going to be a café, but we’re also going to be an event space and have cooking classes, farmers’ market-style. We want to be educational and bring in people to try interesting stuff and to do catered events.” Learning about food is as important to her as enjoying the taste of it.

THE ROOTS Molly learned to cook from her mother. “I’ve always cooked, my

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ALL PHOTOGRAPHY BY STACY BASS

THE NEW PLANT-BASED CAFÉ MANNA TOAST COMES TO BEDFORD SQUARE by diane sembrot

whole life.” She grew up locally and attended Greens Farm Academy before moving with her family to Manhattan. She returned in time to graduate from Weston High School. Inevitably, she went to culinary school. “I just love food.

It’s my passion,” she says.

With her upbringing, education and knowledge of the food industry, it’s natural to wonder about her favorite dish: “Spaghetti.

I just love it. I know, you’d expected something fancy, but my daughter and I just love to sit around and eat pasta together. It’s delicious.”

Molly and her husband, Charlie Gilhuly, started their family three years ago. Speaking of her daughter, she says, “She’s awesome. She’s wowing me every day.” Smiling and lost in a recent memory she shares: “She came into the living room last night with her mini Etch-a-Sketch to take my order. ‘What can I get you, Mommy?’ ‘Would you like some ice cream, Mommy?’” She’s so smart and just the cutest thing ever. We’re just over the moon with her.”

Molly put her business plans aside to stay home and enjoy mommy/daughter time, and then decided that now would be a good time to get going again. She rubs her belly. “Now opening a restaurant and expecting number two and at the same time. It should be interesting,” she says. “But this is something I want to share with my children, to teach them about.”

She has good unofficial support. Charlie is the director of operations for Full House Hospitality, which owns The Cottage and OKO. “So he runs that business,” says Molly. “This is going to be mine.”

Molly also has some official support. “My partners are Stacy Bass and Yvette Waldman,” she says. “I cooked for Stacy and her family for the past five years.”

With big plans for the space, it’s a good sign that Molly is launching the business with healthy and supportive partners in place.

clean—really accessible, not a lot of kitsch or gimmick, just subtle and cozy neutral colors.” It plans to be open 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. “Hopefully, we’ll have people who want to do shared plates and a bottle of wine,” she says of another nod to Manna’s welcoming atmosphere. With twenty-eight seats, expect cozy.

A BIT OF SPACE When Molly found space for her dream café, she knew it would take work. In fact, it was more than expected (like most projects).

“We had to gut it. There was a bathroom in the wall right in the middle of the room. We have to take out that wall,” she says. Other changes were needed to give it the right feel; Manna is all about authenticity and simplicity. “We’re going for a California minimal vibe—very bright, fresh and

WHAT’S COOKING? One thing is missing. “We’re not going to do meat,” she says.

“We’re trying to give options and satiate people, so they do not feel like they’re missing meat.” She recognizes that there are “amazing purveyors” of dairy and meat— “that’s local food.” She will avoid

Molly Healey, owner of Manna Toast

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huge farms and any place that uses antibiotics and hormones.

She enjoys talking about what she has learned about food, so part of her vision is to not just serve good, healthy, plant-based food, but also teach others about cooking techniques and to enjoy it together. That means more space.

“This first café is very small— it doesn’t have room for a full kitchen.” First café? “We want to open more of them. We’ll build this main kitchen and do all the prep there, then bring everything to the café. Two cooks will then prep and plate everything.

That will make all of our food consistent and allow us to expand much quicker, so we don’t have to build kitchens in all of our spaces.”

It also means that Manna will have ample room for gatherings.

“We want to outfit it so we can set up big long tables for farm-style dinners, maybe once a month.”

It’s also big enough to hold cooking classes. “We want to do all different kinds of classes. My sous chef, Jason, has been cooking in restaurants for years, so that’s the educational part. We’ll show people how to cook healthy food; how to find local, healthy food; how to take advantage of the beautiful farmers’ market here; and how to find abundant vegetables. There will be a big curriculum for that.”

Part of education can also be about unwinding everything we’ve been told over the years: Do this, do that. “There are so many trends and guidelines and diets,” she says with a laugh. “Just eat real food. We’re trying to get back to the basics. Keep it simple.”

The new café plans to be open, with outdoor seating, in June. If the quarantine is still on, then Manna will do delivery. There’s no stopping Molly’s healthy food mission. F

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people&PLACES by joey macari

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ASPETUCK LAND TRUST / Haskins Lecture

Nature’s Own

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he annual Aspetuck Land Trust Haskins Lecture was held at Branson Hall in Westport. Aspetuck Land Trust is a nonprofit conservation group that protects local open space in Westport, Weston, Easton and Fairfield for the benefit and education of the public. Professor Doug Tallamy from the University of Delaware, author of Bringing Nature Home, was this year’s featured speaker. The lecture focused on the importance of suburban homeowners and how they can help bring more biodiversity back to the landscape to benefit wildlife. Recently, the land trust announced its Green Corridor Initiative to protect the last remaining open space in the four-town region and engage thousands of homeowners to take care of their yards in more environmentally sustainable ways. » 1 Aspetuck President Bill Kraekel, Doug Tallamy and Aspetuck Executive Director David Brant 2 Heather Williams, honoree Margery Silk, Walter Greene and Ellen Greenburg 3 Naomie Bleifield was honored for her fifty years of Aspetuck Land Trust membership 4 Nancy Saipe, Eva Grundy and Nancy Doniger 5 Bill Kupinse and Bob and Bonnie Kreitler 6 Aspetuck’s Landowner Engagement Director Mary Ellen Lemay, Board Member Jeff Galdenzi and Luisa Francoeur 7 Lisa Hersch and Dr. Jonathan Siner 8 Aspetuck Stewardship Director Lou Bacchiocchi and Board Member Nancy Moon 9 Alan Feldman and Mary Hogue 10 Amy Harlacker and Misty Beyer MAY/JUNE 2020 FAIRFIELD LIVING

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BANK OF AMERICA / Neighborhood Builders

Family Matters

1 William Garay and Daniel Sorial 2 Joe Rog, Kathy Reichenbach, Mike Jehle and Jonathan Moffly 3 Senator Richard Blumenthal 4 Chris Zell, Lisa Cerbone Montalto, Kelly Ann Day, Christie Stewart and Steve Samuels 5 Andy Sieg, president of Merrill Lynch Wealth Management, addresses the crowd 6 Andy Sieg, Anne Demchak, Debra Greenwood and Bill Tommins fairfieldlivingmag.com

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PHOTOGRAPHS BY JENNA BASCOM

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he Center for Family Justice and Fellowship Place, Inc., a nonprofit based in Fairfield that addresses domestic violence and abuse prevention, was named the 2019 Bank of America Neighborhood Builders award recipient for Southern Connecticut. The grant ceremony, held at Fairfield University, highlighted the importance of the Bank of American Neighborhood Builders program, which awarded the center a $200,000 grant, which will allow the organization to expand its programs, increase economic mobility and provide critical care to its patients. Bank of America Market President Bill Tommins addressed the guests, as did Senator Richard Blumenthal and other esteemed supporters. F

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MONEY / BY CAROL LEONETTI DANNHAUSER

A NEW LOW

THE PSYCHOLOGY OF FINANCIAL STRESS, OR DOW AFFECTIVE DISORDER

Dr. Martin Klein

HEADSHOT, CONTRIBUTED; FAMILY PHOTO BY ©LUCKYBUSINESS - STOCK.ADOBE.COM

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ebruary 12, 2020: The stock market reaches a record high. And many of us here in lower Fairfield County, checking our investment accounts and 401(k) balances, feel like Masters of the Financial Universe.

At the day’s end, Barron’s asks, “Can anything stop the rally?”

Yes, as a matter of fact.

Coronavirus can. But we didn’t know that yet. Soon enough, we certainly would.

Not even a month later, the market has tumbled 20 percent, the beginning of a freefall. For some, the move triggers Dow Affective Disorder (DAD), an affliction coined by Fairfield County psychologist Dr. Martin Klein, whose clients include many investors.

“In a bull market they feel elated and invincible,” he says. “In a bear market they feel depressed and stressed to the point of irrational panic. They feel a sense

of despair, and fear the worst— financial apocalypse. It becomes a mood disorder.”

Klein practices in Fairfield and Westport, home to Bridgewater, the world’s largest hedge fund.

Our county is unique, he says, in that many people here are not only heavily invested in the stock market, they also work in the industry. “They live and breathe this stuff, sometimes to the point of obsession.”

As market turmoil heats up, investors tend to react in one of two ways. Some accept that markets go up and go down, and they don’t look at their portfolios.

“But others,” Klein says, “watch the market day and night.”

Net worth becomes a daily scoreboard of their of identity, sense of self and self-worth—a rush when the market rises, a crush when a rally dissipates.

“Then they become irrational and make bigger mistakes,” he says.

“They feel like they’re a failure, then they sell at the bottom and torture themselves for not being smart enough to divest before the downturn occurred. They fail to see their losses as temporary and fall into despair.”

When COVID-19 first struck Connecticut, many here “felt a lot of fear, and a lot of it was not irrational. Bonuses wouldn’t be there. Lifestyles would have to change. It became paralyzing. Not only could you have bet wrong

and lost your money or your client’s money, but now you’re also worried you’re going to lose your house or your job.”

But for those with Dow Affective Disorder, tumbling markets caused psychological pain that can lead to panic attacks, gastrointestinal distress, back or neck pain, insomnia, change in appetite, decrease in libido, poor concentration and even suicidal ideations, the doctor says. It can destroy families and careers.

You don’t have to be rich to suffer from DAD, Klein says.

“If you’re middle class and have $200,000 or you’re a billionaire, and you lose a third of that, I think it affects everybody equally,” he says.

So why are some people more vulnerable than others? “Family history. No matter how rich they get, some people don’t have enough money.”

One client, a physician with about $9 million in assets at the beginning of the year, suffered a full-on panic when his portfolio dropped to $6 million, even though he was young, confident, had health insurance, a good job and significant savings, Klein says.

He hopes that the coronavirus helped some people put things in perspective. “It’s a reminder that money is not the most important thing in life. You can have a Honda Accord rather than a Lexus. You can buy a smaller house. You want to thank God you have your health.” F

MARKET FLUCTUATIONS OBSESSING IS A WAKE-UP CALL TO GET HELP Don’t look at your stock portfolio. It’s only numbers on paper.

Turn off the TV and get some exercise.

Connect with others to avoid feeling alone.

Try meditation or hypnosis to reach relaxation.

Focus on positives, such as enjoying healthy family meals to re-connect with them meaningfully.

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by emily liebert sidebars by diane sembrot

under the influence LIFESTYLE BLOGGERS WE’RE FOLLOWING (AND SO SHOULD YOU) What do these ladies have in common?

They’re smart, stylish, savvy, and they’ve transformed their passions into professions.

Very successful ones at that. They’re also called influencers, which means that— via their blogs and social media outlets— they have the clout to impact the decision making, and often purchasing power, of their followers and beyond.

We sat down with this particular group of women, not only because they each represent a different town in Connecticut, but also because we find them aspirational and inspirational…and we hang on to their every word (and gorgeous photo!).

Elizabeth Ariola @mrsnipple_

new canaan

Liz Joy

@purejoyhome

fairfield

Julia Dzafic

@lemonstripes

PHOTO OF JENN AND MORGAN BY JULIA DAGS; ELIZABETH ARIOLA BY CARTER FISH; OTHERS, CONTRIBUTED

westport

Jenn Falik @jennfalik

westport

Stephanie Trotta

@stephanietrotta darien

Morgan Matkovic @lilies.and.lambs greenwich

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Elizabeth Ariola new canaan

Born and raised in Ridgefield, now mom to two boys (Charlie, three, and Ford, two), the former pharmaceutical executive and medical sales representative for Johnson + Johnson started her blog in November 2018, while spending countless hours registering online for her first born.

“I thought I was going crazy. I was over-analyzing strollers and car seats, even changing pads,” she laughs. “Ultimately, I came to the conclusion that during your motherhood journey, you really can’t control much.”

Still, as she continued to dig around the internet for the best of everything child-related, she recognized that there was no personal connection behind most of the websites she landed on. This realization was her impetus to launch Mrs. Nipple, in order to provide other moms with resources accompanied by the human touch she felt was missing. “I envisioned a space where women could come, not

BUILDING A COMMUNITY WITH

TOP 20 A STRONG PERSONAL IDENTITY Understanding who you are in the big vast world HASHTAGS of bloggers and people on Instagram is going

TIPS

to help attract followers to you. Here’s what Elizabeth shared about her focus.

ultimately, just not feel alone.”

While Liz’s goal has always been to help women emotionally and mentally survive pregnancy and motherhood, and it was never her plan to become an influencer per se, she does wear the title well, as she encourages her followers to push through those tough periods of time

only to find answers, but to stay. That’s why I created a community made up of mothers from all around the world. A community where moms can share their own stories and journeys, where they can chat about questions they might have at two o’clock in the morning, when the rest of the world is sleeping, and,

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“Pick a niche theme for your brand. Mine is motherhood.

The more niche the better.”

“Be true to your brand and yourself, nothing is worth quick money.”

“Invite your community to join you in the spotlight.”

“Vulnerability is always a good thing.”

“Don’t take yourself too seriously.”

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PHOTO OF ELIZABETH BY JULIA DAGS

Her name is Liz Ariola, but online, she calls herself Mrs. Nipple.

identity,” she muses. “So when I decided to dive headfirst into the motherhood space with Mrs. Nipple as my brand, he loved that I was finally embracing our name. He always encourages me to stick with it.” That’s a good thing, because Liz considers her job full time and has no plans to slow down.

She says her greatest blogging achievement has been building a group that is so supportive and open, it’s drastically changed her own outlook on motherhood. “My second born, Ford, was a very uncomfortable baby. I knew something was up, but it seemed no one could nail down what it was until a mom in the Mrs. Nipple community diagnosed him with a lip and tongue tie. All of the specialists we’d seen had missed it, but this mother on Instagram caught it,” Liz recalls.

Elizabeth Ariola posts regularly to support, and connect with, other busy moms.

when they don’t know how they can face another round of bad news, another stomach bug or another dirty diaper. She understands that not all women have a solid support system or

IN THE CRISIS

When things are tough, Elizabeth does what wise moms do: She helps her family productively focus on the big wonders and simple joys in life and plan for the good times to come.

i was torn about leaving my full-time job.

I went back and forth for a year, not knowing what the right decision was.

My husband was supportive of the decision to focus on Mrs. Nipple.

That sticks with me every day.

PHOTO ON STEPS AND OF FAMILY BY CARTER FISH

WORDS TO LIVE BY

even a close friend to experience life alongside them.

“My husband used to call me out for trying to mispronounce our last name, because I was embarrassed by the new

“After an early morning visit to our doctor, he said she was correct. A short and relatively easy laser procedure later, my baby—who was always in pain—was suddenly healthy and happy. I will be forever grateful to my community for taking the time to join in these important discussions.”

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westport

When Julia Dzafic first started blogging in 2010, Instagram didn’t exist, and the modern incarnation of the word influencer had yet to be born. Julia was working in marketing at the time and launched her blog on Facebook as a side hustle because she wanted to share healthy recipes and cute outfits with her friends. “I never expected it to turn into a real business,” says the New Hampshire native. But then something unforeseen happened. Her friends sent the posts to their friends, who also sent them to their friends and

BALANCE

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Plan ahead to find time for work and family.

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“Blogging full time looks fun and care-free, but there are many factors to keep in mind if you’re considering a jump.”

“I had my blog for six years before I made enough money to quit my job and focus on Lemon Stripes.”

“Hustle day in and day out. While it’s fun, sometimes the fuzzy line between work and life can feel overwhelming.”

“Put systems in place so that you’re able to be present with friends and family while also sharing daily content.”

“Time-blocking helps me stay on track and lets me focus on my husband and daughter at night.”

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Julia Dzafic

brands started to take notice.

At first, Julia’s mission was to stick to recipes and fashion, to keep things simple and inexpensive. “My husband, Anel, a personal trainer, and I were dating when I started Lemon Stripes, then called Lemons & Loafers. He’s been my number one supporter from day one. For the first five years, he even took all of my photos.”

Although Julia soon realized that the blog had a life of its own, and was growing with her, she admits it took about two full years to even begin to turn her hobby into a profitable entity.

Her first real break came in 2012 when clothing and accessories brand C.Wonder paid her to do a blog post and then promoted it for her. Julia couldn’t believe all the publicity she received or that she was able to monetize what she’d previously considered a little project.

Fast-forward to 2015, when Julia made the decision to quit her steady job and pursue her blog exclusively. They knew that Anel would have to take on the financial burden of their household, which he did with no complaints. (Anel loves what Julia does, but sometimes feels weird when people come up to him in public and say they recognize him from her Instagram account.)

Julia also knew that she had reached a turning point and was ready to open up to her followers about much more personal

When isolated from her friends during shelter-in-place, Julia wrote a blog post for @thehappilyeva about meaningful friendships.

moments. In fact, it was a post she wrote about enduring a miscarriage that she considers her greatest achievement to date. The post went viral and, to this day, she receives emails and messages from women all over the world telling her that

IN THE CRISIS

she helped them get through their own miscarriages. “The fact that I’m helping so many people makes all the hard work worth it,” Julia says.

Now, five years later, she covers topics that matter to her most, like motherhood,

Finding the silver lining in the quarantine, Julia made the most of mommy-and-daughter time, including playing, learning about makeup and styling and cooking at home.

PHOTO ABOVE BY JULIA DAGS

WORDS TO LIVE BY

sustainability and mental health, in addition to recipes, fashion and her absolutely awesome holiday gift guides.

The mom to daughter Amalia (almost three)—the light of her life—and a fur baby, a pit-mix named Boots, spends forty to fifty hours each week on her blog and Instagram account.

Julia loves the flexibility that her career of choice offers, noting that she’s able to spend quality time with Amalia without having to answer to anyone. Often, she wakes up early and works late so she can have some fun during the day.

“Two of my favorite activities are hiking and running on the beach with my dog. Taking thirty minutes each day to be outside in nature makes me feel like a different person.”

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My husband, Anel, has been my biggest supporter from day one, before blogging was even a thing. he would take my photos all over the streets of manhattan and when people made fun of what i did, he stuck up for me and believed in me. To this day, he gets excited about every partnership and campaign I take on and cheers me on from the sidelines. I couldn’t do it without him.

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WORKING WITH BRANDS

Jenn Falik

1 “Make sure you work with brands you truly love and, ideally, brands that you have used organically many times on your social platforms.

This makes the content creation piece of a partnership easier, and your audience will be more receptive to the sponsored messaging.

No dollar amount is worth jeopardizing the years I spent building trust with my readers and followers.”

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divulges lifelong Westporter Jenn Falik about her often frenetic vocation as an influencer. “Brian is very private and doesn’t always love the overshare moments that I’m prone to,” she adds, “but he’s smart and gets the business.

As such, he tries to be good humored about the shenanigans I partake in.”

experts not tied to a magazine and wanted a “home base” online where producers could find her for bookings and viewers could follow up on things she’d covered during segments. That’s when she launched her blog out of her apartment in Madison Square Park, which—over the last decade—has transformed in lock step with her life. She explains, “I write about the things I’m shopping for/worrying about/ curious to learn.” In 2009, before kids (she’s mom to Alexa French, nine, and Goldie Nora, five) it was a lot of hot-pink heels and lip glosses. Soon it evolved to maternity style, then when she had Alexa in 2011, baby gear entered the equation.

Parenting insecurities and

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3 “A rate card—make it in Canva—lays out the basic ways in which you can work with a brand. Don’t get into the details, because when it comes down to it, most programs end up being customized based on what the brand wants to achieve and what they want to spend to achieve it. Having a rate card sets the tone.”

PHOTO OF JENN BY JULIA DAGS

“My husband thinks I’m nuts, but he lets me do it,”

Shenanigans aside, one might say Jenn’s career began in kindergarten, when she schooled her classmates on the merits of Bonne Bell lip balm (she attended Coleytown Elementary and Middle, graduating from Staples), but, instead, Jenn credits her ten-year stint as a publicist at Alison Brod Marketing & Communications in New York City, where she developed strategies for major beauty and lifestyle brands. Before work in the morning, she would appear on local and national television shows, sharing her favorite finds and trends with viewers. She recalls, “I had an excuse to get my hair blown out by a pro and could still be at my desk by nine.”

Jenn soon realized that she was one of the only on-air

“Being professional and easy to work with will go a long way. My follower count is not massive, especially compared to many of the influencers in my space, but my extensive background in public relations is such an advantage when it comes to brand collaborations. I really know what the brands want on the other side of the conference call.

I go above and beyond to deliver it, without unnecessary back-andforth emails or diva-like requests. It can be as valuable as followers.”

editorial email every Thursday,” she outlines. “Honestly, I can’t believe how quickly it’s grown.”

Of course, success doesn’t materialize overnight. Jenn is typically at her desk (or the Westport Library) five hours a day, five days a week, solely focused on creating blog concepts, shooting social content and studying things like SEO and how to enhance the functionality and UX of her site. She confesses she’s still figuring out how to work smarter, not harder.

But there are a couple of things that make it all worth it: “When I hear from followers and readers that they are madly in love with a product I recommended or related to a venting post I wrote, which I was likely scared to press ‘publish.’

Also, I truly appreciate having a reason to spend time making thoughtful purchase decisions for myself and my family all in the name of ‘work.’”

Falik family time means being equal parts silly and fabulous.

discoveries, a move to suburbia, and everything that came along with that, and now she says, “I’m so excited when I discover a sleek looking stand to hold my Dyson cordless!”

As far as being labeled an influencer, this self-proclaimed SoulCycle junkie isn’t reluctant, but the term definitely didn’t exist when she was starting out.

Her goal, she says, has always been to have an excuse to ask questions, find things, try things and share things. And share she does via her “Better Basics” Today Show spots, and her blog

IN THE CRISIS

In one of those “Only Jenn” moments, during the hoarding emergency of shelter-in-place, Jenn hauled out a bunch of pretty bamboo toilet paper that she had hoped to promote.

PHOTO OF FAMILY BY JEN GOLDBERG PHOTOGRAPHY

WORDS TO LIVE BY

and Instagram account.

Most recently, Jenn launched her Ultimate Edit newsletter, featuring her top must-have items, which she identifies as one of her greatest achievements to date. “It’s an evolution of the blog that I feel really speaks to where my audience is right now.

They’re busy, busy, busy! They don’t necessarily have the time to sort through all the ‘swipe ups’ and content overload on a daily basis, so I simplify it for them by delivering five truly amazing finds to their in-box in the form of a succinct, shoppable

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Brian is great at coming up with clever caption ideas for my photos. technically, i am the writer in the family, but he has a way of concisely getting a point across with a touch of witty humor. Also, he has a knack for coaching me on how to pose for ‘impromptu’ photo ops. I sometimes just want him to snap the shot, but when I see the final image, I am grateful!

in 2009, while working in human resources. She loved the “people aspect” of her job but not the corporate setting.

She was desperate for a creative outlet and knew she would be happier pursuing other interests. “I was dreaming about beach homes from within the glass windows of my office,” she says, “so I decided to start writing about them.”

It wasn’t until four years later that her focus turned from beach houses to being a new stay-at-home mom, when her first son, Brian Jr. (now six), was born. She started writing about things she was cooking, clothing she was finding, how she was decorating on a budget and all things motherhood. At that time, she says there wasn’t really any money involved with blogging, so she leveraged her graphicdesign skills to design wedding invitations until Pure Joy Home became a solid source of income.

It was her goal to become an influencer, even though it’s a term she’s still getting used to.

“I decided that if I could choose to do one thing on top of being a full-time mother to a baby and a toddler (daughter Grace, now four), it would be the blog,” she

4 Liz Joy

fairfield

TIPS

THE POWER OF INSTAGRAM AND BLOGGING TO CONNECT

explains. “There were no real deadlines, and I could share as much as I was able to. It was also forgiving to my life as a mom and, eventually, I figured out more and more of a balance.”

Liz says her big career break came when she was accepted into the rewardStyle network, citing that you had to prove the success of your business, even if your revenue was minute.

Regardless, it sparked a fire in her that convinced her she could make it in the “crazy online world.”

Flash-forward to the present. Not only can the Stamford native support her family financially, but also her husband, Brian, has joined her team. (He was a VP of sales for iHeartMedia in NYC.) “We’ve always dreamed of a freer lifestyle, and I’m proud to say that after years of hustle and building this brand from the ground up, we were able to make that dream a reality.

He helps me with absolutely everything, and having more time together as a family is life-changing.”

The couple, who’s expecting their third child any day, have watched their IG account attract more attention than the blog.

Liz says that her audience prefers to consume quick snippets of content when they can, and Instagram gives them that immediate fix. “I love my blog and value its importance for longer-form content, but for getting the everyday moments

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Ask Questions For example, Liz posed: “What do you say I up the ‘home’ content around here?” Then ask followers to tell her what they want.

Cross Promote Liz shared new outfits and told followers that she would post them on her blog.

Make Mentions She shared that she loves strawberry smoothies, then dropped in a dairyindustry website link.

Share Moments Liz posted on Instagram about her blog post on seeing “quarantine as a gift for family time.”

Be Real Liz shares vulnerable moments of her pregnancy. Moms relate to it.

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ALL PHOTOGRAPHS, CONTRIBUTED

It’s been over a decade since Liz Joy launched her blog Pure Joy Home,

and random thoughts out, IG is king,” Liz details. “I would say we spend about six hours a day between the two. That doesn’t include the backend work, so we’re looking at a total of about eight solid hours. I message with probably fifty to 100 of my readers daily. The best part is that I can spread everything out according to our family’s schedules.”

When they’re not caught up in the regular grind, Liz and Brian love to travel as a family and take complete advantage of school vacations. Their top spots are Block Island, Charleston, and joining Liz’s parents in Florida. “This summer we’re excited to visit Nantucket, but we may slow down a bit in 2020 with our new addition.”

Liz regularly shares beautiful family shots with her followers

IN THE CRISIS

WORDS TO LIVE BY

Under quarantine, Liz was pregnant. Her posts asked for people to take the reality of the situation to heart and to think of the responsibility they had to not only themselves, but also to others. She implored people to just stay home.

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This is the guy I met at a bar in 2007. I knew from that night he was someone special, we stayed up talking in my parents’ kitchen until 4:30 in the morning!!! #whoami He took me out to dinner the next night, and we’ve literally been inseparable since. Sometimes I wonder what if I didn’t go out that night? So funny how life works.

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Morgan Matkovic greenwich

TIPS

STARTING PARTNERSHIPS WITH BRANDS

worked in retail for several years post-grad—everything from buying, to managing and styling. After that, her career took a turn toward substitute teaching, while she pursued her master’s degree in education.

But, ultimately, she pushed the pause button on that to face her battle with infertility and to undergo IVF after roughly a year of fertility treatments.

During that time, from 2010– 2012, she dabbled in writing a blog that never really took off and eventually dissolved. Still, she missed it as a creative outlet. So, in early 2015, halfway through her pregnancy with her first daughter, Morgan, she decided to launch Lilies and Lambs with the intention of sharing her life as a new mom: cute baby clothes, recipes and décor inspiration.

Then a funny thing happened.

What she had envisioned as a lifestyle blog ended up as a very therapeutic space for her.

“Between my struggles with

infertility and a bout with postpartum anxiety, entry into new motherhood was not easy for me,” Morgan explains. “I found it so cathartic to tell my story with all of its gritty, raw and real musings and to bond with others that felt the same way through both social media and my blog.”

That said, one thing she is clear about is that her goal was never to become an influencer. In fact, she doesn’t even refer to herself that way. “I can’t believe the direction this journey has taken me in.

I never, ever thought it would become a lucrative business that I could do as a stay-at-home

mom,” she reveals. “In many ways, I feel like the ‘Accidental Influencer.’ I’m so lucky that what I have to say has resonated with people and that they want to be a part of it. There are so many ‘pinch me’ moments.”

Some of those moments have come from partnerships with major brands, such as Olay and Pampers, and a long list of mompreneurs. She also fairly points out that there are a lot of people who take for granted how much work goes into her job, especially with a husband, two young kids (Madeline, almost five, and Lila, not even one yet), and

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“Create a media kit and really familiarize yourself with your audience.

Who are they? What partnerships will resonate with them?”

“Reach out to brands that make sense for your readership.”

“Be social and seek to forge long-term relationships.”

“Create meaningful, authentic content that benefits both your audience and your brand partners.”

“Know your worth as a creative person, and don’t be afraid to ask for what you want.”

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PHOTO OF MORGAN BY JULIA DAGS

Before Lilies and Lambs was even a glimmer of a thought, Morgan Matkovic

Life isn’t perfect, but Morgan does share sweet family moments

IN THE CRISIS

was no more money to be made as an “influencer,” she says little would change for Lilies and Lambs. You would still find her posting photos of her family and providing the same content with the hope that just one person out there would read and connect with her words.

Morgan isn’t all work and no play. For pleasure, she and her husband (they both grew up in Greenwich but didn’t cross paths until she moved back in 2012) love to travel as a family, go out to dinner and have their friends over for BBQs and pizza night. She’s also a huge fan of SoulCycle, her Peloton Tread, and watching Bravo. “Give me all the Bravo!”

During shelter-in-place, Morgan shared on Lilies and Lambs the way she was supporting her children, from comfy clothes and familiar camp activities to good food and a drive around town to enjoy the scenery. She highlighted her family’s uncomplicated, happy moments.

BLACK-AND-WHITE PHOTO OF MORGAN BY JULIA DAGS; OTHERS, CONTRIBUTED

WORDS TO LIVE BY

two crazy dogs running around.

“This year, I’ll do biweekly photo shoots, IG stories throughout the day and blog during the kids’ naptime or when they’re asleep at night,” she outlines.

“Furthermore, if there’s one thing I’ve learned through my experience with social media, it’s that in order to succeed you must, in fact, be social. With that, comes hours of interacting with other accounts, businesses, readers and so on, both virtually on socialmedia platforms and in person through events and meetings.”

She believes that her passion for writing is what led her to this career and what feeds her soul. However, if the industry changed tomorrow, and there

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My husband is definitely Lilies and Lambs’ longest and biggest fan. Without his support, I’m quite certain my readership wouldn’t be anywhere near what it is today. he’s been beyond supportive and is the consummate coach. He encourages me to step outside my comfort zone, motivates me to continue to write and always, always makes me laugh until i get that perfect shot for instagram.

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TIPS

GROWING YOUR BUSINESS BY DOING WHAT’S RIGHT FOR YOU.

Stephanie Trotta

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In fall of 2010, Stephanie Trotta was so inspired by her fashion career at Ralph Lauren that she

started a blog, The Girl Guide, so she could share her own voice via a unique creative outlet.

Two years later, she decided to take a break. “I do wonder where I’d be today if I’d stuck with it back then,” says the striking blond, born and bred in Ossining, New York, and mom to Luke, five, and Harrison (Harry), three. “I believe the universe had a different plan and I trust that.

I know now that I still needed time to grow and to experience.”

When she revisited The Girl Guide in 2016, Stephanie was a different person. She’d transformed into a woman— she was a wife and a full-time working (and nursing) mother with seemingly zero free time for an inspirational side project. Yet she needed that—it was her happy place. “I’ll never forget driving home from the hospital after giving birth to my second son, Harrison, and thinking, This is it.

I’m going off on my own to make a career out of this. I wanted to be my own boss. Thirteen months later I quit my job.”

Originally, The Girl Guide was almost 100 percent fashion.

Then she partnered with one of her good friends, a chef in San Francisco, who created

2 Try New Campaigns Stephanie launched “The Sunday Section” to share her personalized mix of fashion, beauty, news, cooking and more.

“Every week I search the internet for articles, recipes, podcasts and fashion finds, looking for information and inspiration,” she notes.

“It is truly a labor of love. As we approach the one year mark (I can’t believe it), ‘The Sunday Section’ has become the thing I never knew I always wanted.”

3 Trust Your Inner Voice One day after leaving friends, Stephanie was having what she calls the Sunday scaries.

Then she noticed it was beautiful outside. “The sun was just starting to set and I immediately said to Frank, ‘Let’s go down to the beach for a few minutes.’ It always seems to calm me, helps me refocus and shifts my energy.”

PHOTO OF STEPHANIE BY JULIA DAGS

darien

Encourage Others People ask Stephanie if the market is oversaturated or if it’s too late to start blogging or styling. “As long as you have passion, drive and most important a unique voice, it is never too late. There is only one you, and there is enough room in this world for all of us to carve out our own little space and be successful.”

and photographed recipes for Stephanie to feature and the blog started to evolve into the lifestyle arena, including topics such as music, travel and her personal favorites, whether a new coffee shop, a boutique or a lip balm she loved. “My dream is to inspire my readers to look their best, but even more important feel their best. That is my hope when someone reads my posts or watches my stories,” says Stephanie, who spends about thirty-five hours a week on her blog and IG combined, in addition to extra time on emails and interacting with clients.

Despite her success, the term influencer doesn’t resonate with her. Instead, she refers to herself as a stylist and blogger and says

IN THE CRISIS

During the national crisis, Stephanie noticed a personal shift. With fewer emails to return, fewer meetings and other demands on her time, she learned how to slow down.

CONTRIBUTED

WORDS TO LIVE BY

says, is incredibly special.

What else does she appreciate about her job? “The first thing that comes to mind is flexibility. After working for a large corporation for the better part of the past ten years, it’s pretty amazing that I get to set my own schedule now. That never gets old. Flexibility means getting to spend time with my boys during the day and be there for them in ways that I wasn’t when I was working full-time.”

With a husband who’s very supportive of her career (he takes her photos on the weekends and when they travel), Stephanie feels like she has the freedom to spread her wings—and to take fifteen minutes a day to sit with a cup of tea (usually loose leaf) and reflect on life. F

there was never really one big career break for her, more like smaller wins that added up, for which she credits her “slow and steady wins the race” mentality.

Like in February 2019 when she was highlighted as a stylist on theeverygirl.com and got to share a week of outfits. She garnered a significant number of new followers and readers from that.

Still, numbers aside, what really moves her is being a resource for women. For example, when she receives a message from a fellow mom saying that Stephanie encouraged a trip to a farm with her kids and they had the best time or that Stephanie helped her look and feel good going back to work after having her first child. That, she

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These extra days, hours and minutes we get to spend together—I will not take them for granted…I try to remind myself that I have them with me, and I know how lucky I am. We can only do our best for our children.

They could never understand what is happening in the world and they won’t remember all of this...maybe only the way that they felt...so I’m doing everything in my power to make it love.

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We welcome wedding announcements together with candid photographs.

Weddings should have a current Fairfield family connection and must be submitted within three months of the wedding day.

Regretfully, we are unable to run every wedding submitted.

Send Information to: weddings@fairfieldlivingmag.com Fairfield Living Magazine 205 Main Street Westport, CT 06880

postscript

MAY/JUNE 2020 / DONNA MOFFLY

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Now, because of the coronavirus, we’ve been hit with something new—social distancing. But I ask you: What’s new about it?

o this is our social media issue, a truly fascinating “with it” read. While proofing it, I’ve actually learned a lot.

But in a world flooded with the stuff—along with its own vocabulary of tweets, likes, posts, friending, following and such—I’m a bit lost.

Of course, FaceTime does allow you to look someone in the eyes, but let’s not forget about the original social media.

I’m not a techie. I leave that to my children and grandchildren. But I was the first of my friends to have a home computer, and I’ve known just enough about them to do my job at Moffly Media for the past thirty years.

Communicating is also part of my DNA— editing my high school yearbook, writing copy for an ad agency and scripts for kids’ shows, doing publicity for schools, and serving as founding editor of greenwich magazine. And I’m still at it today.

Now, because of the coronavirus, we’ve been hit with something new—social distancing.

But I ask you: What’s new about it? We’ve been distancing ourselves for years.

We can’t even answer the phone and expect it to be a friend. When it rings, you must quickly check caller ID, because it’s probably some robot claiming there’s a warrant out for your arrest (let the answering machine pick up), or that the IRS has suspended your social security number (the real IRS will never call you) or that grandson Jimmy desperately needs money (even if the scammers got the name right, ask for his home address and he’ll hang up) or that your credit card will be charged $400 unless you Press 1 (don’t).

I wonder what my favorite cartoonist Gerry Dumas would have done. Gerry was a very fairfieldlivingmag.com

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funny guy who once did an article for us entitled “Call Me”. As a writer, he was home alone a lot and got, well, lonely. He loved cold calls. He figured these people had a tough job, and he could cheer them up with some friendly banter. So he’d keep the conversation going until they hung up on him.

He loved his phone but didn’t have his nose buried in it 24/7 as we do today.

So what’s wrong with the old-fashioned way of connecting with real live people? On long drives with the kids, we’d entertain ourselves singing “Ninety-nine Bottles of Beer on the Wall” or playing auto-bingo, who could spot a cow first. No TVs on board back then. When conversation lagged at big family dinners, we played “telephone,” made even better if Grandfather was a little deaf. Remember? You’d whisper something to Billy sitting next to you like: “I wish we could go to Basin Harbor;” and by the time it went around the table, it would’ve become, “A fish doesn’t go to the barber.” No electronics. All generations happily involved.

So reach out to your friends, even while social distancing. Instead of texting or e-mailing them, why not give them a call? Your high school classmate in a nursing home in Florida would love to hear your voice; your long-ago bridesmaid will be bowled over that you still remember her birthday. And depending where we’re at with sheltering in place, you might ask your bored grandson stuck at home to come make a buck gardening. It’s great bonding planting petunias together. Or you might invite a couple of people for dinner—not in a noisy restaurant where you can’t really talk, but in the peace and quiet of your own home.

All that’s social life—without the media.

VENTURE PHOTOGRAPHY, GREENWICH, CT

OF OLD-FASHIONED SOCIABLE MEDIA

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