Dixon Living Fall-Winter 2016

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Owner has fresh, new spin at Dixon Floral Scouts strive to keep cemetery standing Family finds success with Fancy Farmhouse

FALL/WINTER 2016

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Serving you since

1962

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FALL/WINTER 2016

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Publisher Sam R Fisher Advertising Director Jennifer Heintzelman Editor Jeff Rogers Magazine Editors Lucas Pauley Rusty Schrader Page Design Lucas Pauley Published by

Sauk Valley Media 3200 E. Lincolnway Sterling, IL 61081 815-625-3600 Articles and advertisements are the property of Sauk Valley Media. No portion of Dixon Living Magazine may be reproduced without the written consent of the publisher.

Ad content is not the responsibility of Sauk Valley Media. The information in this magazine is believed to be accurate; however, Sauk Valley Media cannot and does not guarantee its accuracy. Sauk Valley Media cannot and will not be held liable for the quality or performance of goods and services provided by advertisers listed in any portion of this magazine.

COVER • STORY

New flower shop owner puts focus on community

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Contents 5 – Discount Eyewear Business owner cuts down travel time for customers

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11 – Fancy Farmhouse Busy family fills store full of unique items

17 – Rockwood Cemetery Team tackles cleanup project of site full of history

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20 – Dixon Floral Co.

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New owner aims to put personal touch on items

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25 – Duwaynes Diner Couple delivers new restaurant to Dement Town

31 – Erica Pospeshil Photography Photographer feels fortunate seeing business grow

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37 – Kaleel’s Clothing & Printing

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With new location, family expands longtime business

Company sets its sights on Dixon Discount Eyewear opens full-service office

Corporate safety coordinator Tonya Bush will help you pick out that new look at Discount Eyewear’s new location in Dixon.

Read more on page 7.

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Continued from page 5

Unique and stylish glasses are available through Discount Eyewear, which has the only complete in-house laboratory with same-day service in the area. There are 10 employees, lab included. The lab is at the Rock Falls site, at 723 W. U.S. Route 30. The new Dixon location is at 847 N. Galena Ave.

Story By Pam Eggemeier & Photos By Alex. T. Paschal For Dixon Living

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iscount Eyewear, in Rock Falls for 10 years, now has a full-service office in Dixon.

Owner Bob Klomann has been remodeling the building at 847 N. Galena Ave. for about 4 months, and it has been open for more than a month. The building had most recently been home to Folsom’s Bakery.

Klomann’s partner is optometrist Darrin Vits of Dixon. Vits had been on staff at the Sterling-Rock Falls Clinic for 7 years before teaming up with Klomann more than 2 years ago.

He works at the Rock Falls and Dixon offices.

Klomann of Rock Falls said the decision to expand in the Sauk Valley was an easy one.

“We were drawing a lot of people from Dixon, so we figured they’d love it if we came to them,” Klomann said.

Discount Eyewear isn’t a franchise; it is independently owned, and Klomann owns just the Rock Falls and Dixon locations.

Discount Eyewear has the only complete in-house laboratory with same-day service in the area. There are 10 employees, lab included. The lab is at the Rock Falls site, at 723 W. U.S. Route 30.

“That’s our niche – we have our own lab, and that allows us to sell our products for less,” Klomann said. “Our prices are better because we do everything ourselves, and there are no middlemen.”

Klomann grew up in suburban Palatine, and lived in Elmhurst, but he says he’s better suited for small-town life.

“We had friends we visited in Rock Falls,

Discount Eyewear

Locations: 847 N. Galena Ave., Dixon; 723 W. U.S. 30, Rock Falls Hours: 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday; 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday; 9 a.m. to noon Saturday Contact: 815-625-6195; discounteyewear@outlook.com; facebook.com/discountglasses and we really liked the lifestyle there,” Klomann said. “I grew up in the suburbs, but I’m just a country boy at heart.”

Optometry wasn’t a field Klomann actively pursued, but now he is one of only four peo-

ple nationwide who make prescription diving masks. Unlike regular eyeglass, the specialty lenses are still fashioned from glass.

Continued on page 9

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Continued from page 7

“When I was in the Navy, I was a corpsman attached to the Marines, and they put me in medical records,” Klomann said. “I didn’t like it at all, and told them they had to find a way to get me out.”

His out was a ticket into the military’s optician program.

Discount Eyewear also works with local manufacturers in another specialty area.

“We do a lot of safety glasses for companies, and it’s a great way to get exposure,” Klomann said. “Then they see our prices, and it brings them and their families in for glasses, too.”

Vits came to the Sauk Valley 13 years ago from the Springfield area. He said the partnership with Klomann has been a breath of fresh air for him professionally.

“I felt it was time to be my own boss, and this offers a different way of practicing,” Vits said. “This is more general, primary eye care, and it’s done at a different pace.”

Vits said, for him, the best part of Discount Eyewear is the relaxed, casual atmosphere they have created for patients.

“We treat people more like friends and family, and we wear polo shirts and khakis to work every day,” Vits said.

That environment, he believes, gives people a comfort level that makes for a better patient experience.

“Putting people at ease is very important, because when they are comfortable they ask questions, and then when they come home they have a better understanding of what’s going on with their eyes,” Vits said.

Vits said the opticians are trained to look at eye needs while also keeping individual budgets in mind. They carry popular frames including Ray-Ban sunglasses, Vera Bradley, Coach, Bellagio, Blink, and Casino.

Klomann said to watch for a grand opening event; it will be schedule when they have settled in at the Dixon site. s

Dr. Vits’ office is shown at the new Discount Eyewear in Dixon.

Owner Bob Klomann has been remodeling the building for about 4 months, and it has been open for more than a month.

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Family first Mom, daughters turn project into Fancy Farmhouse Story By Kacie Long & Photos By Alex. T. Paschal For Dixon Living

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amily and creativity go hand-in-hand at Fancy Farmhouse, where two sisters and their mother own and operate their own handmade home decor business.

Natalie, 27, Nicole, 22, and their mother, Ann Rutherford, 55, all have a passion for creativity. It’s something that’s innate, according to Ann. It all started when Nicole bought a new house with her boyfriend and wanted to make something to hang above her kitchen cupboards.

“I hand-painted a sign for about 6 hours; it’s about 7 feet long,” she said.

The sign read “Today is a good day, for a good day,” a quote Joanna Gaines uses often on the HGTV show “Fixer Upper,” which is where the girls draw a lot of their creative inspiration from.

They posted a picture of the sign on Facebook and the rest was history, Natalie said.

“We started getting orders for that sign and a bunch of other signs so that led to creating a Facebook page and then into this,” she said.

Fancy Farmhouse is a quaint shop downtown filled with an impressive amount of handmade home decor, especially signs.

The shop also sells fashion accessories, such as blanket scarves and statement necklaces, as well as T-shirts.

Nicole (left), 22, Natalie, 27, and their mother, Ann Rutherford, 55, all have a passion for creativity. It’s something that’s innate, according to Ann.

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RIGHT: Is your house ready the holidays? Fancy Farmhouse might have the perfect item for you.

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Fancy Farmhouse has plenty of different types of items. There are blanket scarfs (top left) and hoodies (bottom left), both perfect for fall. The store also features many decor items (top) and other unique items, such as candles (above) with uncommon scents.

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This is only the tip of the iceberg as to what Fancy Farmhouse offers. With each lap a customer makes around the store, they are bound to spot something new and unique each time.

Natalie said inspiration is everywhere, so it’s important for them to keep track of their ideas.

“We text all throughout the day and night,” she said. “We all carry notebooks, and when we think of something or see something, we write it down and share it with each other.”

Fancy Farmhouse’s weekly workshops are especially popular.

Fancy Farmhouse

Address: 91 S. Hennepin Ave. Hours: Fancy Farmhouse is an occasional shop and is open on different weekends at different times each month Email: farmhouserustique@gmail. com Online: On Facebook “We do two to three workshops a week. We like to keep our workshops small so they’re more personal,” Natalie said. “We usually do wooden signs, but we have been going into

blanket ladders, welcome signs, entryway benches.”

Natalie added they do specialty workshops.

These include mommy-and-me workshops, date-night workshops, and even bachelorette parties. They also like to collaborate with other local businesses.

“We’re going to be partnering up with Maggie Love at Fusion hair salon to make a makeup brush holder,” Natalie said. “She’s going to teach you how to curl your hair, how to do your eyebrows, and possibly how to do a smokey eye all in one night.”

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One thing that makes Fancy Farmhouse’s workshops unique is how open the Rutherfords are to customization.

“We are open to allowing people to make their creations unique,” Ann said. “If you want to add something or put something additional on it, we’re open to that.”

Believe it or not, this is not any of the womens’ full-time job.

Natalie is a correctional officer, Nicole works at KSB as a phlebotomist, and Ann works at Kreider Services.

Although this makes for a lot of long nights, all three of the Rutherfords agreed they love Fancy Farmhouse and wouldn’t have it any other way.

They also have big plans for their business in collaboration with downtown Dixon in the future.

They recently hosted a Ladies’ Night event at Tipsy where they collaborated with dozens of other businesses.

They hope to host a similar event in the spring.

They also recently debuted the 815 Market, which will be held once or twice a year down-

The store carries many decorative pillows.

town, featuring many downtown businesses.

“We want to bring more attention to downtown Dixon, because downtown Dixon is beautiful. It’s totally redone, and we want to

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be a part of something truly unique and big,” Natalie said. “Teamwork makes the dream work. That’s what we always say to each other.” s

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Restoration of Rockwood Scouts, descendant help breathe new life into cemetery

A fallen tree almost toppled this Civil War soldier’s gravestone.

It reads “Martin Blair, Company A, 13 Illinois Infantry”

Story & Photos

By AvaLynda Casey For Dixon Living

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urrounded by neighborhood children playing, barbecues, and people walking their dog, a man and a boy uncovered a hidden parcel of land with secrets to know, and to tell.

The Rockwood Cemetery has taken its turn with ceremony and neglect.

Bob Hoyle, 68, of Dixon, is a champion of the cemetery. He is commander of the Dixon American Legion and a descendant of family members buried in the little-known graveyard behind Brandywine Banquet Center on state Route 2.

Another champion of the cemetery is Patrick Powers, 15, who lives just down the street.

Lack of lawn care, with no one asserting responsibility for its upkeep, vandalism and storms, and decades of solitude, leave unknown graves for no one to mourn. A granite bench too heavy to carry away lies among the tree limbs, thick leaves and poison ivy.

Bob started looking for the cemetery where his descendants were buried about 10 years ago.

“A neighbor here showed us where it was. It was totally overgrown, and we got the idea that we should clean it up,” Bob said.

His father-in-law, Edward Dempsey, made the sign a few years ago.

A late uncle, Walter Hoyle, kept some records, even a map of graves and markers, but the map hasn’t been seen since his death. His heirs known nothing of the map’s whereabouts.

Bob’s parents, Lester and Florence Hoyle, first were laid to rest there, but were later moved to Chapel Hill because the family wanted their graves to be better cared for.

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Continued from page 17

Walter’s brother, Harold, was buried at 21 and was also moved to Chapel Hill. Some family stones still mark the graves since Chapel Hill doesn’t use headstones.

At one time, a friend used a brass rod to mark the graves.

Bob keeps a copy of the deed to the property, formerly the Rockwood Farm.

The farm was sold off during the Civil War, but didn’t include the cemetery, which is not affiliated with a church.

Bob’s distant cousin, Ralph Hoyle, 71, of Dixon, used to hunt rabbits in the fields here.

“The Hubbard family used to live across the river from the cemetery. The entrance gate opened for families to enter from the Rock River by boat, or on the other side by road,” Ralph said. “The earliest settlers of Palmyra are buried here, and no one knows who they were. ... Uncle Walter knew everything about these graves.”

Powers, a Life Rank Boy Scout in the 60-yearold Dixon Troop 93 chose the clean-up of the Rockwood Cemetery in April for his Eagle Scout project.

“I feel it’s a sacred place. I looked at it with Bob, and we found less than ten headstones,” Patrick said.

It took Powers and four others about 4 hours to trim branches and haul them to the road.

The cemetery is about a quarter of the size of a football field.

Adults operated saws, and the ground was cleared to reveal headstones, grave markers and loving sentiments for those buried here.

A Life rank Scout, London Thomas, 13, of Dixon, used pruning shears and said the group filled up two trucks of brush.

A Star rank Scout, BJ Broers, 13, of Dixon, said “It’s about respect, and the cemetery shouldn’t be in this condition.”

On the return visit, Matthew Brauman, 13,

Ralph Hoyle (left), 71, Jim McMullin (second from left), 62, and Bob Hoyle (second from right), 68, stand with BJ Broers (from left), 13, Matthew Brauman, 13, Patrick Powers, 15, and London Thomas, 13, all of Boy Scout Troop 93.

For more information

For more information and history about Rockwood Cemetery, call Bob Hoyle at 815-288-6140.

Dixon, a Second-class rank Scout, and Cindy Lightner, 55, of Dixon, committee member of Boy Scout Troop 93, came to show support for the troop.

Patrick’s mom, Jeannie Powers, 55, found out when she was leaving town that the Eagle project was that weekend.

“I would have helped; I wanted to help, but Patrick had done all the planning,” Jeannie said. “He wanted to do it on his own, and he did. I’m so proud of him. My son is teaching me about life and respect,

and the work here needs to be carried on.”

Bob, Ralph and Patrick are looking for records, names of people buried in the cemetery, and any other help the public can offer.

Bob is willing to talk to anyone who can offer historical information, recorded names, or is willing to help in the maintenance of the cemetery.

“The more help we get, the better we can do,” Bob said, “When we are gone, who will continue the work?” s

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Owner Shelly Long (left) and designer Stacy Blackbourn aim to provide a personal touch to each item at Dixon Floral Co.

Business in bloom A lot has changed since switch in ownership at Dixon Floral Co.

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Story By Kacie Long & Photos By Alex. T. Paschal For Dixon Living

lot has changed since Dixon Floral Co. changed hands earlier this year.

New owner Shelly Long, 43, said one of the most notable changes to the business is how attentive they are to each customer’s individual needs.

Recently, the business has been creating a lot of funeral arrangements. Stacy Blackbourn, 45, the arrangement designer, said in order to add a personal touch to their

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funeral arrangements they read each person’s obituary.

“We try to find out a little bit of information about the person, ... especially for funeral arrangements, just what they enjoyed and [we] put a little touch of that in there,” Blackbourn said.

For example, Long mentioned last week they were creating an arrangement for a woman who they discovered loved to crochet.

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Dixon Floral Co.

Address: 116 E. First St. Phone: 815-288-2246 Hours: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday; and 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday Online: dixonfloral.com and on Facebook

“We put balls of yarn in the arrangement,” Long said. “We really try to take time with each phone call to make sure we understand why we’re sending it, who we’re sending it to, if there is a special reason – we give hugs, too.”

Sending flowers to a funeral or to someone who’s down or something, that’s kind of a big responsibility.”

Long said the business will do floral arrangements for any occasion and has dozens of different arrangements to choose from on the website. People can always request more personalized arrangements.

Another big change has occurred at Dixon Floral Co. The original owner, Jean Miller, closed up the antique portion of the flower shop when she left. Now, the space serves as a church and a community room.

“The community room is a place where anyone can come and relax, have lunch, do some work on their laptops; there’s free Wi-Fi,” Long said.

People can rent the room for baby showers or other small events for $25.

Continued on page 23

TOP AND ABOVE: Dixon Floral Co. has lots of gifts and decorations for sale. During the fall, you’re bound to see your share of pumpkins, gourds and other items popular during the season.

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The Living Well Church of Nazarene is connected to both the flower shop and the community room. Initially, it was the need to expand the size of her church that drove Long to purchase the flower shop.

“The flower shop wasn’t on our radar,” Long said.

“Everyone at the church was looking for something because the church needed to move to grow.

“We were talking to Jean about possibly moving over here and she asked if we would like to buy the flower shop.”

Long figured since her career as a hotel accountant was coming to a close because of the hotels being sold, she would give it a try. So on May 1, she purchased the building.

“I told my husband, ‘Who buys a flower shop the week of Mother’s Day?’” Long said with a laugh.

Although business has been good so far, Long hopes to continue to grow her business and let people know that Dixon Floral has not closed.

“When the previous owner closed down the antique shop, everyone kind of thought Dixon Floral closed too,” Long said. “Our goal is to get bigger; we’ve expanded our delivery area, we’ve changed our delivery prices, and just try to listen to the customer and to know what they want.” s

Dixon Floral Co. has an active Facebook page. This photo was posted Oct. 11 with the caption “Our outside has a new look!! If you like that, stop inside and see the big changes!”

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Doing it right in Dement Town

Duwaynes Diner aims ‘to keep the old style alive’

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Story By Rachel Rodgers & Photos By Michael Krabbenhoeft For Dixon Living

cott and Vanessa Boss celebrated their 1-year wedding anniversary a bit differently than most couples.

Instead of going out to dinner and a movie, the Rock Falls duo walked into the vacant space at 609 Depot Ave. on Aug. 15 and looked at a blank canvas that would become Duwaynes Diner: The Garden of Eaten.

The diner opened 2 weeks later fulfilling both of their longtime aspirations of running a restaurant.

“We found out we both had the same dream for years, and it all just kind of came together,” Scott, 54, said.

The name is a combination of what they both always wanted to call their hypothetical diners, Duwaynes coming from Vanessa’s father, Kevin Duwayne Mulnix, who was quite surprised when he found out.

Duwaynes Diner

Address: 609 Depot Ave. Hours: 5 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Monday through Friday; 9 p.m. Friday to 3 p.m.

Saturday; and 9 p.m. Saturday to 3 p.m. Sunday; Carry-out is available Phone: 815-288-1421 Online: On Facebook

The diner’s specialty, a wet burrito, is a flour tortilla shell filled with slow-cooked beef brisket, beans, lettuce, tomato and a homemade sauce.

Continued on page 27

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Vanessa (second from right) and Scott Boss, owners of Duwaynes Diner in Dixon, stand with manager and Vanessa’s sister, Adriana Mulnix, and their daughters, Alyssa, 3, and Allison, 10.

Continued from page 25

Mulnix was also the inspiration for the diner’s color scheme, which carries a theme of navy blue and silver for the Dallas Cowboys, his favorite team.

“It put a big smile on his face,” Scott said.

The diner serves breakfast all day, and its signature dishes are wet burritos and cinnamon rolls.

Scott’s specialty wet burrito, which he has perfected over the past 36 years, is a flour tortilla shell filled with slow-cooked beef brisket, beans, lettuce, tomato and a homemade sauce.

Continued on page 29

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Vanessa Boss makes the Patriot French toast plate (shown below) at the diner.

French toast is topped with stawberries, blueberries and whipped cream.

Continued from page 27

The cinnamon rolls are made from his grandmother’s 75-year-old recipe.

The spot was previously home to Flynnie’s Diner, which moved next door to 607 Depot Ave., and Cathy’s Breakfast Nook prior to that.

Cathy’s used to have overnight hours on the weekend, a tradition the Bosses brought back.

“The nights have been going really well, and it gives people a place other than McDonald’s to go to that’s open late,” Scott said.

On Fridays and Saturdays, the diner is open late from 9 p.m. to 3 p.m. and has weekday hours of 5 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday.

Vanessa said they have several future goals for the diner, including expanding the parking lot.

“We’re hoping to build it back up here in Dement Town,” she said.

She worked as a server in the area for about 20 years, beginning at Pizza Hut in Sterling when she was 16.

“I love seeing people smile and seeing them happy,” she said. “It’s something that’s very rewarding.”

Scott works at Boss Roofing and Siding in Rock Falls, owned by his son, Brick Boss, and put his experience to use installing a new tin roof on the building. He also worked late nights painting and sprucing up the diner to have everything ready by their Aug. 29 opening.

“We wanted to keep the old style alive,” he said.

The diner is geared toward a family atmosphere, and the bosses like to come up with different pancake shapes for kids.

Their staff is made up of about a dozen family and friends.

“We want this to have a real family atmosphere and be a place people really enjoy,” Vanessa said. s

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Keeping things candid Photographer aims to capture real moments for her customers Story By Kacie Long & Photos By Philip Marruffo For Dixon Living

A

fter moving to Dixon 2 years ago, Erica Pospeshil has managed to build an impressive clientele for her photography business – her focus being modern lifestyle.

“I’ve been really fortunate that it has grown so quickly,” Pospeshil, 32, said. “It’s awesome; it’s that word of mouth.”

She photographs just about anything, focusing mostly on weddings, senior pictures, newborns and families, with fall being her busiest time of the year.

A look through her planner will reveal day after day filled with scheduled photo sessions.

“I do one to two sessions a day at least, it’s kind of crazy,” she said. “I’ll shoot a session and I give myself a strict timeline because ... I need to keep my clients happy so I’m up late editing pictures.”

Erica Pospeshil has created a name for herself in the photography business in the Sauk Valley.

See some of her work on page 33.

Continued on page 33

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Photography by Erica Pospeshil Continued on page 35

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Continued from page 33

Erica Pospeshil works with a client during one of her photo shoots.

SM-ST08794-1024

“This last couple of weeks my husband comes home from work – he gets home about 5:30 – and I am out the door quicker than I can say, ‘Hi,’” Pospeshil said.

Even in the midst of her busiest time of the year, Pospeshil said she has a true passion for photography and is constantly looking for new inspiration. Her pictures are rarely posed and are all about being candid and natural.

“I want people to look back and realize how awesome their individual family is. ...

I want people to cherish the real emotion, that real feeling, that they had at that time,” she said.

Pospeshil tries to capture these types of moments in various ways by picking a setting or location the family is familiar with.

She also mentioned it’s important the family feels as comfortable as possible; one of the ways this can be achieved is through clothing choice.

Erica Pospeshil Photography

Phone: 224-343-1122 Email: ericapospeshil@gmail.com Online: ericapospeshilphotography.com; Erica Pospeshil Photography on Facebook; and @Erica.

Pospeshil on Instagram “That’s the biggest thing,” she said. “I always tell people, ‘Don’t go out and buy brand new clothes or brand new shoes for your session because you’re not going to be comfortable.’

“Your children don’t look like that – they’re not going to be comfortable, it’s not real.”

In other words, Pospeshil wants to capture a snapshot of each of her client’s lives.

Her favorite thing to shoot is a toss up between weddings and newborns.

“They are emotional. It’s the first time holding your baby, or nursing, or the first time changing a diaper,” she said. “The real emotion you get from that is what I love. It’s the same with weddings.”

Although fall is one of her busiest seasons, Pospeshil said her calendar can still fill up rapidly no matter what time of the year it is. She said potential clients should book at least 2 months in advance.

“I’ve already had four Facebook messages just this morning asking what my prices and availability are,” she said. “I had 15 weddings this year. ... It takes a lot out of you; it’s 12- to 15-hour days.”

Sessions range in price but in general, newborn and lifestyle sessions start at $175, senior sessions start at $250 and wedding and engagement packages start at $1,250.

“I just want my business to keep growing,” Pospeshil said. s

(815) 288-9335 | 80 S. Hennepin Ave | Dixon, Illinois Bar hours: Mon-Sat 10am-1am, Sun 11am-11pm Kitchen hours: Mon-Sun 11am-7pm

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Kaleel’s Clothing & Printing’s new home at 704 N. Galena Ave. in Dixon is shown.

The shop offers silkscreening and embroidery, but the core remains men’s clothing and accessories.

Read more on page 39.

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Look for our Specialty Magazines Featured in the E-Edition on Saukvalley.com W dd g Weddings

Sauk Valley

2016-2017

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Kaleidoscope A Colorful Look at Life After 50

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Published By: Sauk Valley Media

To receive your FREE copy, please email your name & address to: mclardie@saukvalley.com or call 815-625-3600 ext. 5640 38

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2016-2017

Wellness

Business settling into new home N

Story By Pam Eggemeier & Photos By Philip Marruffo For Dixon Living

emer Kaleel arrived at Ellis Island from his native Lebanon in 1905, with nothing but his dreams.

The 17-year-old Nemer, who spoke no English, left Beirut on a cattle boat and eventually settled in Spring Valley. He scraped up enough money to buy a horse and buggy, and the framework of a family business was born – Kaleel’s Country Peddler.

“Dad journeyed out to the Earlville, Troy Grove, Ohio, and Mendota area to peddle his merchandise,” said Nemer’s son, George. “He would leave the horse and buggy at a farmhouse, take the train, and continue his route.”

In 1939, the Kaleel family moved from Spring Valley to Earlville, the site of the family’s first storefront. The focus of the business was men’s clothing, and Nemer was ready to expand.

“I had just come home from the service, and Dad was looking for a store for me,” George said. “We bought the Earlville store, and it was open for 40 years.”

George’s brother, Mitch, ran a Kaleel’s in Mendota, and George and his wife, Mona, have run Kaleel’s Men’s Clothing in Amboy since May 4, 1956. The family organized a big party to mark the 60th anniversary of that store. Another brother, Louie, also chose the family business path.

In July 2014, the Kaleels established a presence in Dixon, but the operations quickly outgrew the site at 110 E. McKenney St., thanks in part to plans for the addition of a silkscreening and embroidery business.

Two more generations of Kaleels are running Kaleel’s Clothing & Printing at 704 N. Galena Ave. in Dixon. They started remodeling the former Oil Spot building last fall, and have been open at the new location for about a month.

George’s son, Mark, handles the clothing side of the operations, while his wife, Renee, and their daughter, Kiara, are in charge of the printing.

“When we got things started with the printing business, it had been done in the basement at our house in Amboy,” Renee said. “Kiara and I thought it would be fun, and we started it gradually.”

The Kaleels bought out Scudder’s Printing, and they soon needed more space. A majority of the printing business is for schools, businesses, and campgrounds, but Renee says they’ll print on just about anything, whether it be one item or 1,000.

Kiara, 22, graduated from Sauk Valley

A majority of the printing business is for schools, businesses, and campgrounds, but Renee Kaleel says they’ll print on just about anything, whether it be one item or 1,000.

Kaleel’s Clothing & Printing

Kaleel’s Clothing & Printing is open at its new location, 704 N. Galena Ave. in Dixon, from 8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., Monday through Friday and from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Saturday.

Call 815-284-5033 to reach Kaleel’s in Dixon, or find Kaleel’s Clothing & Printing on Facebook. A website is in the works.

Community College amid all of the changes, and the timing worked well for her. She said she had always planned to work in the family business, and just settled into the new store with everyone else.

In what could be considered a tribute to Nemer, part of the business is back on the road. The Kaleels sell T-shirts, sweatshirts, and jackets at festivals, craft shows, and fairs.

The colorful Dean Russo T-shirt line, many featuring animals, have been big sellers in the store and at special events.

While the printing business is growing, the core remains men’s clothing and accessories.

The merchandise ranges from finely tailored suits and Van Heusen dress shirts to the Wrangler casual line and Carhartt work clothes.

As more of the apparel industry transitions from storefronts to websites, the allure of the Kaleels’ old-school niche becomes more enticing for some shoppers.

George said he’s never used a computer at his Amboy store, and he doesn’t think he’s missing much. He prefers to maintain an intimate experience for customers – the kind that can be hard to find in today’s retail world.

He’ll go through the store’s huge fabric books to custom-design the perfect suit or tuxedo.

Customers still get catalogs, and many place special orders to get exactly what they want.

“We do a lot of weddings, proms, and rentals, and we can save people at least $50 a person on tuxes from what they’d pay at most other places,” George said.

Kaleel’s does its own alterations, which are free if the work is done on items purchased there. They’ll do them on other clothing, but there is a charge.

The business has a Facebook page, and a website is in the works, but the family business is still rooted in the belief that good service never goes out of style.

“People appreciate that there’s someone to wait on them, and actually help them pick out something,” Mark said.

George says he’s about ready to officially pass the torch to the rest of the family.

“I’ll probably do it for another year, but I think 60 years is probably enough,” he said.

But Mark said the little boy who went to his dad’s Earlville store every day after school, honing his fashion instincts, probably won’t be able to stay away for long. Judging by the way George’s eyes still light up when he looks at the fabric books, the Kaleels should be seeing a lot of the family patriarch at the workplace. s

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TAKE THE GREYHOUND CONNECT ROUTE Have questions about routes, station locations, ticketing?

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