News — Montclair NJ

In this new feature, Women In My Neighborhood, I recognize women in downtown Montclair, where I live and work, who inspire, educate, or work here as well. This first installment features Azie from Verdigreen Home, a family-owned and operated shop located at 182 Glenridge Avenue. It's home to local artisans and upcycled vintage décor, complimented by a do-it-yourself workshop where they stock Chalk Paint® by Annie Sloan and other related products, so fun! I asked Azie a few questions about what inspires her when she's consulting and designing. For more information about Verdigreen Home be sure to check out their...

Sunday in Maplewood was a blast! The Bizarre Bazaar 2016 was my best show to date so I'm spending time this week restocking my inventory in between filling orders, 'tis the season! The Shaving Kit bags made from beer promotion banners were a big hit and I'll be making new ones from different banners for the event Drink Till You Shop! the Tierney's Tavern Holiday Pop-up Market this Saturday, 12/17, from 1pm-6pm. This family friendly event features holiday drinks, pictures with Santa, local artists and vendors upstairs at Tierney's. Shop local, drink local, drink till you shop! This year features...

The holiday shopping season has arrived and the push is on to find the perfect gifts for everyone on your list! Luckily, in Montclair there are great shops and annual events that support local businesses while making holiday gift-giving easy and memorable. These are the upcoming local holiday events where I'm participating this year! Small Business Saturday is this Saturday, 11/26, and I will be set up at the {verdigreen} home Makers Market from 10am-1pm. This hub for all things chalk paint glows with holiday charm at this time of the year and it's always a treat to merchandise my...

  Recycling and composting are great ways to divert waste from landfills and turn those materials into valuable resources. Reducing the amount of waste you produce, including reuse, is an even better way to keep solid waste out of methane-producing landfills. Conscientious choices when shopping like choosing products without a lot of packaging, buying locally, and even bringing your own bags, are a few other ways to reduce waste. Shopping at reuse centers is another excellent way to keep useful materials in the consumer stream and out of landfills.   Creative reuse centers around the globe are enabling communities to...

Selling handmade products online brings many challenges, one of the greatest being product photography. Not only do you need to be expert in your craft, you need to be skilled at photographing your product in order to represent it accurately to buyers through the pictures in the listing. Over the years I have incorporated the town of Montclair into my product shots to show my connection to the community to buyers from around the world. My favorite models have been my daughter and her friends, their energy is contagious and the photos I took with them are among my favorite....