Tag Archives: delaware

The Table at Brandywine: Farm to Table Harvest Lunch

The Table at Brandywine is a brand new concept developed by co-founders Becca Manning and Karen DeMaio. They have put forth a collaborative effort to host events in the area that aim to not only showcase locally talented creatives, but to bring the community together to collectively support local farms, chefs, musicians and artists.

By bringing together a multitude of talent to The Table at Brandywine, where the focus is on locally-grown, sustainable food, we can, as a community, support our local creatives and essentially foster new relationships and ideas. Each venue will showcase a different farm, chef, musician and artist, allowing the community the opportunity to experience local talent first-hand.

Their first event is this Saturday, October 20th at the Bethel Farm House Lawn from 12 – 2 pm – tickets are $20/plate (link below to purchase tickets). The seasonally-appropriate menu (see below) will be prepared with produce from Highland Orchards and farmstead cheese from Doe Run Farm by Chef Chris Montgomery, who has worked at Talulah’s Garden and Talulah’s Table and currently is the chef for Kennett Restaurant in Philadelphia.

Please come support the community as well as experience a delicious meal accompanied by some live music by Matthew Halley and display art by artist Sammi Bateman. Your support is greatly appreciated!

Purchase tickets here for the Farm to Table Harvest Lunch Event

Pancakes for Parkinson’s : Flipping for a Cure

Be a part of the mission to speed a cure & increase awareness for Parkinson’s disease. Come out this Saturday to Sanford School to help raise money for The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s disease research at the 4th annual Pancakes for Parkinson’s, a Team Fox Delaware event.

Donations of $100 or more will entitle you to breakfast entry for two (make your donation here). Otherwise, tickets are $10 per person at the door for all you can eat pancakes! Full event details also available here.

Since 2009, Delaware Team Fox has raised over $220,000, benefiting
The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research to accelerate the delivery of life-changing treatments,
and ultimately a cure, to people with Parkinson’s disease

Local boutiques Houpette, Peter Kate & Two Sisters will all be donating 10% of sales on ‘all things orange’ this Saturday, September 22nd to Team Fox.

two sisters: new tween & teen boutique (in greenville!)

This weekend, Kara Hebert will be officially opening the doors to her new tween & teen clothing boutique, Two Sisters in Powder Mill Square in Greenville, DE. Kara kindly showed me around her new space to get a sneak peek at her gorgeous shop. Kara and her interior designer/photographer sister, Penny Ashford, designed the store together. They did a beautiful job combining a creative and playful mix of Quadrille and China Seas fabrics and wallpapers, combined with furnishings and lighting from Ikea. Kara also incorporated custom-made accessories and Moroccan poufs by John Robshaw into the mix, which add great texture to the space. Two Sisters‘ fun, colorful interiors will certainly draw any mother and daughter in to shop around. Kara has selected many fun & unique clothing and accessory lines that will be sure to suit any young girl’s budding style!

Q&A with Kara Hebert, Owner of Two Sisters:

How did you come up with the idea to start a teen/tween shop?
When we moved to Wilmington several years ago, I started volunteering as an assistant coach with Girls on the Run, initially because I love running and wanted a few hours to do something by myself each week! That was my first introduction to tween girls (GOTR is for girls in 3^rd and 4^th grades) and I just fell in love with that age group. I think the tween/teen age is a really important one; it’s when girls start becoming independent, but they still need guidance from their parents and other trusted adults. After coaching and spending time with these incredible girls, I knew I wanted to focus on this age group somehow.

When looking around Wilmington, I noticed we didn’t have a store that focused exclusively on the teen/tween market (considered sizes 7-16 or for most 1^st – 8^th graders). The only shopping alternatives were online stores and the local malls, which don’t have a wide selection of appropriate clothes for teen/tweens. I feel that a lot of styles out there right now are too mature for young girls’ figures, and don’t send the right message or fit them correctly. As an alternative, my hope is to provide a tween store that offers fun, trendy clothes that the girls love but appropriate, affordable and well-made clothes that their moms can get excited about too. Our mission is for every girl who walks into our store finds something that makes her feel confident and beautiful about herself. Sometimes it can be difficult to shop with your tween, and by providing fun yet appropriate styles, my hope is to make it a fun, bonding experience for mothers and daughters!

I’ve always loved retail and have a background in retail finance (I worked in corporate finance at The Gap and as a consumer M&A investment banker at Bank of America). I thought opening a teen/tween store would be perfect blend of my passion for retail and my excitement for that tween/teen age group. When the space in Powder Mill Square became available next to Peter Kate, it just seemed like perfect timing!

Where does the name Two Sisters come from?
The store name was inspired by my two daughters, Lilly, 5 and Margot, 3. I also have 2 sisters of my own; one lives in San Francisco and the other lives right here in Wilmington and we are incredibly close friends.

Since I love having sisters and really love watching the amazing sisterly bond that’s developing between my 2 little girls, I thought it would be a fun idea to celebrate that special relationship by naming the store Two Sisters!

How did you and your sister (interior designer, Penny Ashford) come up with the design for the store?
My sister has worked in interior design ever since I can remember, and is just so talented. This was the first project we’ve worked on together and it was truly a labor of love for us both!

We chose orange and pink as the store colors since they’re bright and happy and we thought would appeal to tweens and teens. Once we knew our color scheme, we searched for bold and bright fabrics for our lounge chairs and the dressing room curtains. We also thought it would be fun and playful to wallpaper the dressing rooms and gift wrapping corner to give the store a unique, whimsical feel. For tired moms or friends and little sisters, we found these great Moroccan poufs from John Robshaw and cool hot pink chairs from Ikea!

In keeping with the young theme, we had all of our shelving and cash wrap custom-built using clean, white beadboard that we accented with orange paint and pink glass.

After the colorful Candy Wall Art from Alessandra Manziotti was installed, we added final details like candy installations and cowhide rugs to complete the playful, teen/tween look.

Did you start with a certain fabric you loved or a piece of furniture that you knew you wanted for the store?
We both love Quadrille and China Seas fabrics and wallpaper because they’re clean as well as boldly modern and fun. Before choosing anything else, we visited their showroom and unanimously choose their orange / pink fabric for our lounge chairs and selected the orange and white geometric dressing room wallpaper. After those were chosen, designing everything else around them was easy!

You mentioned that you had Alessandra Manziotti (Bunch) take photos for wall art? Where did you come up with the concept for photographing candy?
If you know me (or my sister Penny), you’ll know that we love candy and are big candy enthusiasts. When visiting New York, we always manage to swing by Dylan’s Candy Bar, which is the mecca for candy lovers. I was inspired by the fun and colorful candy décor at Dylan’s, and by the photos in her beautiful book, “Dylan’s Candy Bar- Unwrap Your Sweet Life by Dylan Lauren”. Alessandra did a fantastic job of using Dylan’s for inspiration but created her own whimsical images that highlight the bright colors and fun textures of her candy subjects. They really look amazing (and delicious)!

You mentioned that you are partnering with some different groups to promote healthy living and education for girls.  Can you tell me a little about those groups and how you plan to work with them?
Sure – we hope to emphasize our Mission of empowering young women, not only in how they choose to dress, but also by encouraging them to make other healthy, strong choices in their lives. In light of that goal, we’ve created our own 2 Sisters Rewards Programs and partnered with other local groups who are also committed to promoting a healthy lifestyle for girls.

Currently, we support Girls on the Run and will be carrying some of their adorable merchandise for sale, of which 100% of the proceeds will go back to the GOTR program.  We have also partnered with the Delaware Running Company by offering a discount to young athletes who have completed any one of their sponsored races (they just need to provide their race bib). We’re also working on a similar partnership with Empowered Yoga, who is equally committed to empowering and strengthening young women.

In store, we just announced our 2Sister of the Month Program that recognizes a new girl, each month, whom we admire for her kindness, personal accomplishment or community contributions. We will feature each 2Sister in our store and in our monthly emails. Lastly, we have a Report Card Reward program in place, which rewards girls with various discounts for achieving academic success at school.

What kinds of lines will you be carrying?
Since our goal is to create a fun and playful shopping atmosphere for both the Moms and Girls, we’re carrying a great range of lines that vary in both style and price point. I really want everyone who comes into our store to leave with something they feel good about wearing and mom feels great about buying. I’ve also made a point to carry lines that aren’t sold anywhere locally, to keep the shopping experience here special.

Our lines range from the classics that never go out of style, including Lilly Pulitzer and Jack Rogers, to the more trendy (but appropriate) such as Ella Moss Girl, Splendid Girl, Vintage Havana, Kiddo by Kate and Pinc Premium, to name a few. I’ve also found some really great new up and coming lines that I love such as Pick Chicken Tween, Miss B (the tween line by Busy Bees), Tractor, Sally Miller Teen Couture and Stella M’Lia, for dressier occasions.  From the West Coast, we’ve brought over some LA favorites including: Joe’s Jeans, LA Made, Malibu Sugar and Sugar Lips tanks. I really just love it all!

For boys, at this point, we’re just carrying the softest, striped polos by Miss B as well as a few bathing suits by Stella Cove. I’m definitely considering adding a larger boy selection for the Fall if we discover that the demand is there.

She Sells Seashells by the Seashore: Sasha Lickle Designs

Combining her perpetual love for the ocean together with a collection of shells from around the world, Palm Beach native Sasha Lickle creates beautiful beach-themed jewelry for her line, Sasha Lickle Designs. I am proud to feature my cousin, Sasha’s business, as she has developed quite a name for herself out of a pastime of exploring the beach as a young child. Below, Sasha answers some questions about how she ended up in the jewelry business and what inspires her latest designs.

Her jewelry line, featuring semi-precious stones, coral, natural seashells and 18-karat gold is currently available at Blue Streak Gallery in Wilmington, DE now through February 29th. You may also find her jewelry at numerous stores along the East Coast (listed below) as well as online. Stop in to Blue Streak Gallery before the end of February to see Sasha’s gorgeous jewelry!

Questions for Sasha Lickle of Sasha Lickle Designs:

What inspired you to start designing shell and semiprecious stone jewelry?
From the time I could walk, I used to spend hours collecting shells on the beach with my mom and there was always something so rewarding about finding an almost perfect shell. I spent my summers diving, diving, snorkeling and wandering the beaches of the Bahamas and have always been captivated by the beauty of the ocean and everything that it inhabits. I just think nature can be so breathtaking at times and in a world where most of what we have been exposed to is manufactured, I wanted to remind people just how incredible nature can be all on it’s own. All of the stones and shells that I use are completely natural; none of them are synthetic or dyed.

Your collection has expanded greatly since you started. How long have you been making jewelry now?
I started making jewelry about 5 years ago when I was bed bound for 11 months due to a back injury, just to keep me occupied. I truly did not know I had a creative bone in my body. As I recovered, I started to wear all of the pieces I had made and began to get several requests from others to make them something. I started making pieces for others just for fun in spare time and out of that grew this business. I did not really start focusing on it full-time until about 2 1/2 years ago. Most of what I have learned has been self-taught through trial and error, so as I have progressed and figured out how to use different methods and techniques I have been able to expand my line.

Your jewelry line is currently being featured nearby at Blue Streak Gallery in Wilmington, Delaware. What other stores currently carry Sasha Lickle Designs jewelry?

Wilmington Country Store    Greenville, DE
Jupiter Island Club    Jupiter, FL
Island Boutique    Jupiter, FL
Initial Styles    Jupiter, FL
The Back Porch    North Palm Beach, FL
Leta Austin Foster    Worth Avenue, Palm Beach, FL
Fiandaca    Worth Avenue, Palm Beach, FL
Aristokids    Palm Beach, FL
The Bath & Tennis Club    Palm Beach, FL
Rapunzel’s Closet    Palm Beach, FL
The Historical Society    West Palm Beach, FL
Gracie Street Interiors    West Palm Beach, FL
Gotta Be Chic    Boca Raton, FL
Seagate Hotel & Spa    Delray Beach, FL
Periwinkle    Delray Beach, FL
Cheeca Lodge    Islamorada, FL
Outer Banks Trading Company    Islamorada, FL
Key Bana    Islamorada, FL
Tarpon Creek Marina    Marathon Key, FL
Drew Patrick Spa    New York, NY
Skirtin Around    Nantucket, MA
La Playa    Naples, FL
Joseph Jewelers    St. Simmons Island, GA
Pink Magnolia    St. Louis, MO
Deep Water Cay    Bahamas
Caron’s Beach House    Available Online Only

What inspirations do you draw from to come up with new jewelry design concepts?
I do a lot of diving and fishing and frequently travel to the Bahamas and I am inspired by the different elements of nature that I come across while exploring those hobbies.

All of your designs are handmade, by you. How long does it typically take to complete a piece for you?
It depends on the complexity of the piece, but it can range anywhere from about 20 minutes to 3 or 4 hours to assemble. Some of the pieces, like the gold-dipped ones have processes that take about a week to complete.

Your images that are used to showcase your line are beautiful. Do you photograph them yourself?
I do, with the help of my mom. Most of them are taken in her backyard with various pieces of corals, shells, barnacles etc. that we have found together on various beaches around the world. I have also taken some of the photos down in the Bahamas.

We love that your line is reasonably priced. The majority of designer jewelry out there similar to yours is quite costly. How do you stay within these price points?
It is not easy!! When I originally started the line, I knew there was a hole in the market for lower price point, good quality jewelry because personally I had always had a difficult time finding accessories that I could afford that didn’t fall apart or turn funny colors after the first time you wore them. So my goal was to create a high quality product that was good looking and fun that any shopper could afford and purchase just because they liked it and it didn’t have to be a serious investment. It was a lot harder than I thought to find reliable good quality suppliers. I quickly discovered that unless you personally go hand pick each shell, stone, etc. you end being sent horrible quality/broken pieces. So, I spend hours digging through bins of shells and stones trying to find the most perfect pieces. I have also made great relationships with a few people that know what I am looking for that hold pieces for me when they come across them.

Having grown up in Palm Beach, how have you seen it grow and change?
Interestingly, Palm Beach Hasn’t changed that much since I was a kid. It has always been this sort of perfect tropical island that people escape to. It has a reputation for being this snooty stuck up place, which can appear to be at times to outsiders, but only because it is a small, tight-knit community whose residents are very protective of. It is not out of malice or looking down upon people, but rather out of love for this place they have worked so hard to build. The island is very old school and traditional in its ways and as the rest of the world grows more casual and lax on manners, traditions and respect for others, the residents of the island fight to hang on to those things. The biggest change I have seen is the increase of younger families here. Traditionally, the majority of the population here has been the 65 and above age group, but in the last 10 or 15 years there have been a lot more 20 and 30-something’s moving here, or staying here if they have grown up here.

What are some of your favorite spots – design stores, restaurants, hotels, clothing boutiques?
I think my favorite restaurants are Bice and Buccan. My favorite design stores are Gracie Street Interiors and Island Home; Clothing boutiques are C. Orrico and Aristokids.

Knowing that you’ve teamed up with several clothing/accessory lines for trunk shows in the past, do you have plans to work with any specific lines in the future?
Not really, as I have found my business mentality seems to be different from most in that my goal is ensure that the customer gets exactly what they want and absolutely loves each piece of jewelry that they purchase. This often means allocating a lot of my resources and time to the product and customer instead of on marketing or displays and/or spreading myself too thin in multiple markets, which is often how other companies seem to want to use their resources. It is also tough because I am a small company and have a much smaller budget than most, so it can be hard to keep up with what other lines want to do. I also love having the freedom to tailor my approach as I see fit. I am relatively new at this and learn so much everyday. In that process, I often discover that there are new ways to do things, ideas to explore or approaches that just don’t quite meet the customers needs. So, I enjoy having the ability to shift gears and improve the company, which can be hard to do when you are partnered up with other lines.

Being as creative as you are, do you carry your love for design into your home?  Can you tell us a little about your interior design style?
Ironically thus far, the interior of my home is much more based on functionality than design. I work out of my home, so most of my furniture was purchased for its ability to provide function and storage and the design was secondary. Naturally, most of my interior design is fairly, tropical or beachy with lots of bright colors and bamboo. My favorite pieces in my apartment are a framed Marlin release flag that is signed by everyone that was on the boat when I caught my first Marlin and these gorgeous prints of fish and the Bahamian islands that my mother purchased from a local artist in the Bahamas the year I was born.

To view the entire jewelry collection & purchase items, please visit Sasha Lickle Designs