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A new business is moving into the village: My Roommates Closet

10 Sep

You know how sometimes you search the stores forever looking for that perfect outfit for your big night on the town, and you finally find it in your friend’s closet? That’s the thinking behind the Village of Webster’s newest shop, My Roommates Closet, opening in October at 19 East Main St.

The new clothing store, located in the former Village HandWorks storefront, is owned by 23-year old Nicole Iorio, a recent St. John Fisher graduate with a degree in business marketing. A self-described shopaholic, Nicole’s vision is to share her love of clothing and fashion with women of all ages, help them discover new and different styles to add to their closets and to find that “missing piece” they’ve been looking for.

Her plan is to offer a mixture of styles, from street wear to lounging-around clothes to going-out clothes, much like what you’d find in, well, your roommate’s closet. But more than anything else, Nicole wants the women who wear her clothes to feel confident and comfortable at all times.

At just 23 years old, this is Nicole’s first experience at opening a storefront, but not her first experience in running a successful business. She actually created My Roommates Closet a little over a year ago as an online store, which she’s also taken on the road to several flea markets. Even from the beginning of that venture, she knew she wanted to eventually combine her marketing degree with her love of fashion and open a brick-and-mortar shop. But no way did she expect it to happen so soon.

It was actually a haircut that put things into motion.

“I get my hair done right next door at Main Street Beauty Lounge,” Nicole remembered. “I was sitting there back in May, and I saw that 19 East Main St. opened up. I was thinking about moving my business into a store, but not this soon. I was going to wait a bit, but the place opened up and this area is so cute.”

“When I saw that location, I thought yeah, I think I want to do this.” So she got in touch with the landlord, took a look at the space, and just three months later had signed the lease.  

Nicole hopes to open her new shop sometime in October, but there’s still a lot to do. Newly-painted ceiling tiles have to be reinstalled, lights have to be swapped out, changing rooms built, walls painted and floors redone. She’s discovering that opening a new business is a complicated endeavor, involving a hundred little unforseen details from getting on Google to replacing outlet covers. And on top of all everything else, she’s taking a night class to complete her Master’s degree in Business Marketing.

Fortunately, she’s getting a lot of help and support from her family and friends. “I’m here for it,” she said. “I love it. I love the whole process, It’s very stressful, but I love it.”

My Roommates Closet is located at 19 East Main St. in the Village of Webster. It doesn’t look like much yet, but stay tuned for updates. In the meantime, you can check out the shop online. You’ll find My Roommates Closet here on the website, and also on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, TikTok and Pinterest.

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email me  at missyblog@gmail.com. “Like” this blog on Facebook and follow me on Twitter and Instagram.

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(posted 9/9/2022)

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The Village Quilt Shoppe is celebrating their 3rd anniversary!

9 Sep

I know, right?

It sure hasn’t seemed like it’s been three years since Vanetta Parshall and Monique Liberti opened their cute, friendly little Village Quilt Shoppe at the corner of East Main and Lapham Park in the village. It might seem like that to them, though, since it wasn’t always smooth sailing.

Just three months after they opened their doors in August 2019, and just days before the Village of Webster’s White Christmas celebration, disaster struck when a water leak from the apartment above the shop came through the floor and destoyed much of their merchandise. They had to close for almost a month to regroup and restock. But, determined not to lose their dream shop, they persevered and survived that early setback.

Then COVID struck, and they had to close again for three more months.

Somehow (well, we know how: loyal customers), the little business navigated a global pandemic and came back stronger than ever.

So this week they’ve been celebrating their last three somewhat difficult years and their bright future, by offering special sales on fabric, a By Annie trunk show, and gifts and cake for everyone who walks in the store on Saturday Sept. 10.

The trunk show has a waiting list right now, but all of the By Annie products will be in the shop for the rest of the month, so you can still check them out.

Make sure to check out the Webster Quilt Shoppe website for all of the latest news and class schedules. And be sure to stop in this Saturday Sept. 10 to congratulate Monique and Vanetta on their third anniversary.

The Village Quilt Shoppe is located at 21 E. Main St. in the Village of Webster. They’ll be open Saturday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Check out some of these then-and-now photos. I took the first ones in August, 2019. The last three are from this week, three years later.

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email me  at missyblog@gmail.com. “Like” this blog on Facebook and follow me on Twitter and Instagram.

You can also get email notifications every time I post a new blog by using the “Follow Me” link on the right side of this page.

(posted 9/9/2022)

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Dancing With Denise’s “Happy Feet Dance Crew” spreads joy to nursing homes

30 Aug

Denise Baller of Dancing With Denise has found a charming way to introduce kids to the joy of dancing, while at the same time helping their community.

Denise calls the program “Happy Feet.” It originated several years ago when Denise’s mother, “Miss Tina,” was living at Atria assisted living facility in Penfield. Denise wanted to give the residents a fun and entertaining intergenerational activity, so one evening she invited some of her students to meet at the facility for a “date night” with the residents. The evening was a great success, and the Happy Feet Dance Crew was born.

Since that first outing, “Miss Denise” has taken her students out once a month to visit different local facilities and dance. At the end of the night, the children always share a sweet treat with the residents. In 2019, the Happy Feet Crew grew into an annual summer dance camp, with the students traveling to a different location every morning.

Some of the places the Dance Crew has visited include Webster Comfort Care, where they also spent some time weeding the gardens, and Creekstone Memory Care. They also took a tour of Heritage Christian Stables, where the children cleaned riding equipment, groomed the miniature horses and even cleaned the pasture.

Connecting with the community is Denise’s way of teaching her students how they, and their dancing, can spread love and joy, while learning valuable life lessons. She said,

It’s important to share with the children that life is not perfect and sometimes the jobs we undertake are not things that we love to do. But if you can push through and get to the other side, it makes your heart happy, you become a better person, and most importantly you spread love and joy to make others happy.

If you’d like to meet Denise, learn more about Dancing With Denise and try out a class, stop by her open house on Wednesday Aug. 31 from 5 to 6:30 p.m. at the studio, 1077 Gravel Rd. Click here for more information.

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email me  at missyblog@gmail.com. “Like” this blog on Facebook and follow me on Twitter and Instagram.

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(posted 8/30/2022)

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Barry’s Old School Irish honored … AGAIN

18 Aug

Barry’s Old School Irish is making Webster proud again.

Our authentic little Irish pub, located smack dab in the middle of the Village of Webster, has already racked up numerous accolades from places like the Irish Post and TripAdvisor, which have both named Barry’s one of the best Irish pubs in the United States. Today, Danny and Jessica Barry can add yet another distinction to the list.

TastingTable.com, a New York City-based website focusing on good food and drink, has just published their ranking of the “Best Irish Pubs in America,” and of course our very own Barry’s Old School Irish is on that list.

Tasting Table’s list includes 22 pubs located in 14 states stretching from Hawaii to New York, North Dakota to Florida. Each listing gives a little background of the pub and what makes it special. Barry’s listing reads:

A few years ago, Jessica and Danny Barry were on their honeymoon in Ireland. After falling in love with the charming pubs throughout the Irish countryside, the Barrys aimed to bring back a taste of that charm to their hometown, and Barry’s Old School was born.

Though locals love this pub, it has also been recognized as one of the top 20 Irish pubs in the United States and one of the best in New York state. With the typical drink fare and great food, the menu features favorites like the Barry family’s homemade potato and herb soup and the Bunratty wrap. You’ll also find favorites like the Reuben and shepherd’s pie.

Each year, the pub also hosts its own Irish festival, complete with Guinness sponsorship. With activities in yoga, kids’ activities, music, beer trucks, food trucks, craft vendors, and even an Irish dance performance, this festival certainly succeeds in the Barry’s goal of bringing the life of an Irish pub home.

And as you can see from the photo above, the article is illustrated by just one of the special features that makes Barry’s Old School an AUTHENTIC Irish pub, the weekly traditional music session (every Saturday at 2 p.m. Don’t miss it.)

Congratulations, Danny and Jess Barry for this latest achievement.

Click here to read the entire article.

Barry’s Old School Irish is located at 2 West Main St. in the Village of Webster. Click here to see their webpage, and here for their Facebook page to learn more.

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email me  at missyblog@gmail.com. “Like” this blog on Facebook and follow me on Twitter and Instagram.

You can also get email notifications every time I post a new blog by using the “Follow Me” link on the right side of this page.

(posted 8/18/2022)

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Jazz Festival and mini street fair come to Webster Village this weekend

15 Aug

Get ready to dance in the streets and in the pubs this weekend, when the Webster Jazz Festival returns to the village, with great music, food, drink, a mini-street fair and — this year — t-shirts!

The Webster Jazz Festival will stretch over two days this Friday and Saturday Aug. 19 and 20, kicking off with “Jazz in the Pubs” Friday evening beginning at 6:30 p.m. Six different bands are scheduled to perform at six different village pubs and restaurants, with staggered start times, so you can visit visit several (or all) of the venues for a drink and a bite to eat, and enjoy as many bands as you like.

Here’s the schedule (click on the name to get more information about each band):

West Main will also be hopping that evening with a brand new event sponsored by the Webster BID which they’re calling the Jazz Fair in the Street.

West Main will be closed to traffic for the evening, and the curbs lined with vendors, artisans, local business booths, and maybe even some fun and games. Plus, food and beverages will be available for purchase. (It’s kind of like a mini Village Days.) It’ll be a great chance to meet up with neighbors and friends, maybe do a litle shopping, while you’re meandering from one pub to the next to enjoy some live music.

Here are a few of the artisans and vendors you’ll see there:

  • Mayers Cider Mill cider and donut tastings
  • Catlan Samuels book signing
  • botique items
  • live, professional sidewalk artists
  • Roc City Empanadas food truck
  • craft items including tie-dyed shirts, waterfalls and bird baths, and laser-engraved pieces

On Saturday night the festival clicks up a notch when the music takes to the street.

Beginning at 4 p.m., an outstanding lineup of musical entertainment will perform from the big West Main St. stage, featuring musicians from around Rochester and Upstate. There will be some tables and chairs set up, but they go pretty fast, so plan to bring your own, set them up in the middle of the street and enjoy music all evening long.

The schedule looks like this:

This is always a huge event, so you’ll really want to be a part of it. Admission is free.

And while you’re in town, make sure to stop by Woodland Silkscreening, 5 West Main (lower level), and pick up your official Jazz Fest 2022 t-shirt. Look for her table on Friday during the street fair, or stop by the shop anytime this week for a special pre-sale deal of just $10 each (they’ll be $15 the day of the festival). What a great price for something you can wear proudly every year to show off your love of Webster — and great music.

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email me  at missyblog@gmail.com. “Like” this blog on Facebook and follow me on Twitter and Instagram.

You can also get email notifications every time I post a new blog by using the “Follow Me” link on the right side of this page.

(posted 8/15/2022)

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Calling all Buffalo Bills fans!

1 Aug

The Bills are back in town, the Bills are back in town!

The Buffalo Bills training camp is underway for the next few weeks at St. John Fisher College, and here in Webster, Whimsies gift shop on East Main Street is welcoming them back to town — and revving up the excitement for the upcoming season — with a Let’s Go Buffalo! Family Night on Thursday Aug. 4.

From 5 to 7 p.m. Whimsies will have the entire shop set up with Buffalo-themed games, including ping pong, Connect 4, washer toss, cornhole, and more. Carl’s Pizza will be selling pizza, wings, drinks and desserts, and Cassano Studios will provide music, so get ready to sing your favorite stadium songs, ’cause you you know that the Bills make you wanna SHOUT! (Sorry, no table-smashing this time around.)

This is a great family event, so get out all your Bills gear, bring your appetite, and come on down to the village Thursday night to cheer on our “hometown” team! Let’s get this season started!

Whimsies is located at 32 E. Main St. in Webster village.

(The Bills are practicing that day at Fisher … maybe one of them will hear about all the fun and pay us a visit? C’mon JOSH!!)

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email me  at missyblog@gmail.com. “Like” this blog on Facebook and follow me on Twitter and Instagram.

You can also get email notifications every time I post a new blog by using the “Follow Me” link on the right side of this page.

(posted 8/1/2022)


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Goat Yoga at the Bowen Family Farm: a new spin on an ancient art

31 Jul

At the Bowen Family Farm on Lake Road, yoga has gone to the goats.

You can find yoga classes pretty much anywhere. I’ve seen classes held outdoors in parks, at breweries, in a greenhouse, even accompanied by dogs. But The Bowen Family Farm has come up with a twist that I’d never seen before.

It’s called Goat Yoga. Basically, it’s your normal yoga class, complete with all of the yoga poses we know and love. But while you’re moving through your cat/cow, there’s a good chance that a goat or two might wander by to see what you’re up to.

For a typical Goat Yoga class at the farm, owner Linda Bowen coaxes two of her six goats onto the floor to wander among the students (and sometimes adds rabbits and kittens to the mix). She’ll choose two of the smaller goats, since lying on a yoga mat just inches from the horned animals might be intimidating for someone who’s not familiar with them.

A frequent question Linda gets is if the goats will jump on the students’ backs. That actually doesn’t happen. At least not anymore.

“When the goats were babies, they did jump on our backs,” Linda said. “Now they’re just sort of a distraction.” But that’s actually a good thing, she added. Learning how to center yourself and tune out life’s distractions is a big part of the practice of yoga. She does have to remind everyone at the beginning of every class, however, that sometimes the goats think students are fellow goats and might greet them with a friendly, albeit unexpected, head butt.

The Goat Yoga classes accommodate kids and adults
in an 1860s-era barn
Ellis and Myles Bruce get a visit from Venus the goat before class

That not-getting-distracted part was rather difficult for some of the students in last Saturday morning’s class, which was made up mostly of (human) kids, many of whom had never done yoga before. The adorable bunnies hopping around and goats meandering in between the mats proved too cute to ignore for some of the students, who, as the class began, seemed as interested in petting the friendly animals as they were downward dog … ing. 

The yoga “studio” itself is actually in an old 1860’s barn, where Linda has cleared out enough floor space to accommodate up to 18 yoga mats. Once all of the mats are in place, she makes sure to fence off the doorway so the goats can’t escape, then spreads treats around the room so the goats will visit everyone. Once the class begins, it doesn’t take long for both students and animal helpers to get into the flow of things.

“The goats are a little ‘off’ in the beginning,” Linda said, “(but) by the end they start sleeping on somebody’s mat. They’re relaxed and chill out and are very happy.” 

And after all, that’s what the whole yoga experience is about.

One good thing about COVID, Linda said, “was that it slowed life down and it brought us back to basics, and that’s what I think this is to me. The yoga practice is trying to bring you back, slow your pace and focus within, and not so much on the external stuff.”

Goat Yoga is held at the Bowen Family Farm, 833 Lake Rd., every Saturday morning through August at 9 a.m. Space is limited, so visit their Facebook page for more information and to register.

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email me  at missyblog@gmail.com. “Like” this blog on Facebook and follow me on Twitter and Instagram.

You can also get email notifications every time I post a new blog by using the “Follow Me” link on the right side of this page.

(posted 7/31/2022)

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Remember Village Days? It’s coming back (sort of)

29 Jul

Those great folks at the Webster Business Improvement District (BID) have just in the last two weeks started to pull together a new summer event, and they want to spread to the word to get everyone involved.

It’s basically going to be a street fair, featuring businesses, vendors, snacks, crafts and perhaps a few games, very reminiscent of the old Village Days of yore.

The fair will be held on Friday August 19, on the first night of the Webster Jazz Fest. That evening is “Jazz in the Pubs,” when six different bands will be performing at six different bars and restaurants in town (more details about that in a future blog). West Main Street will already be closed for the evening, so it’s a perfect time to hold a Village-Days-type street fair.

Now, however, the BID needs vendors and contributors. They’re pretty much open to any ideas, so if you’ve got a village business and would like to participate, email the Webster BID at info@websterbid.com and get on board!

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email me  at missyblog@gmail.com. “Like” this blog on Facebook and follow me on Twitter and Instagram.

You can also get email notifications every time I post a new blog by using the “Follow Me” link on the right side of this page.

(posted 7/29/2022)

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Riding as therapy at Heritage Christian Stables

23 Jul

A few weeks ago, I attended a check-presentation event at Heritage Christian Stables on Salt Rd. It was the first time I’d visited the facility in more than 10 years, since I wrote a piece about them when I was still blogging for the Democrat and Chronicle.

I was pleased for the chance to get reacquainted with the stables, and to be reminded of the great service they provide for our community.

Heritage Christian Stables, a community impact program of Heritage Christian Services, is an inclusive, therapeutic riding facility for children and adults with physical, social or developmental disabilities such as cerebral palsy, Down syndrome, spina bifida and many more.

“We serve a little bit of everything,” said Heritage Christian Stables director Tara Kuba. “From individuals with emotional and mental health challenges such as anxiety, depression, self-harm, (to) participants on the autism spectrum.” Some of their students are in wheelchairs, and others are nonverbal, so staff members teach them some signs to communicate what they’d like a horse to do.

“We never have two lessons that look the same,” she added.

It turns out that horseback riding is great therapy for all of these conditions, as explained on the Heritage Christian Stables website:

Therapeutic horsemanship impacts a person’s physical, cognitive, emotional, social, and spiritual well being. The horse’s walk mimics the three dimensional movement of the human walk, offering riders the rhythmic movement and opportunities for improvement in balance, symmetry, and muscle strengthening. Participants are provided with cognitive tasks to improve following directions, sequencing, and meeting educational goals. Psychologically, it’s empowering for the rider to be able to control a 1,000-pound animal and develop a bond with a horse that positively affects the participant’s self-esteem and confidence. Therapeutic horsemanship allows people to strengthen their bodies and minds, freeing their spirit to do the things they never thought possible. 

Of course, it’s also just plain FUN.

Heritage Christian Stables operates on 13 beautiful acres at 1103 Salt Rd., just south of State. They currently have 12 full-size horses and two miniature horses. The smaller ones are used for students who might be intimidated by the larger horses; they can sit in a small cart pulled by a mini and drive it around the ring.

As with most businesses, the pandemic presented some real challenges for the stables; they’re only just now getting back to being fully staffed, for example. But they came through stronger than ever, even recently introducing a new program for veterans in partnership with CompeerCorp.

Tara said,

We have approximately 10 veterans who come out and ride or groom and care for the horses on a weekly basis. … They thoroughly enjoy the horses and interacting with them. They are becoming more engaged in our activities and are building relationships here with the horses and other people.

During the pandemic, the stables also expanded their program for community riders. “People didn’t have a lot they could do,” Tara said, so we had them start riding horses.” Still, by far most of the 100 or so students who take lessons at Heritage Christian Stables do so for therapeutic reasons. The facility offers a safe, non-judgmental place to learn new skills, make new friends, and achieve to the best of their abilities. The social, emotional and physical benefits students get from the simple joy of riding a horse are changing their lives.

Garrett helps with a therapeutic riding lesson
Mary Claire is a student and a volunteer

To do this great work, Heritage Christian Stables relies on community support. Tara explained, “We’re a little different from other commercial stables (which) also do horse boarding, horse training, maybe tack sales or some other revenue streams. Here our only revenue stream is our lessons.” They charge students less than half of the actual cost for every lesson, subsidizing the balance through donations.

The continued success of their therapeutic horsemanship program also depends on volunteers, who help coordinate special projects and run lessons. Riders may require as many as three people to assist them – one “side walker” on each side of the horse and one “horse leader” responsible for guiding the equine.

To find out more about Heritage Christian Stables, call (585) 872-2540, see their website here or check out their Facebook page. Also, click here to learn more about becoming a volunteer. Experience is not required, and all training is provided.

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email me  at missyblog@gmail.com. “Like” this blog on Facebook and follow me on Twitter and Instagram.

You can also get email notifications every time I post a new blog by using the “Follow Me” link on the right side of this page.

(posted 7/21/2022)

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Gleason Orthodontics hosting school supply drive

18 Jul

Believe it or not, it’s that time again. School supplies are filling the shelves at all the stores, and in just a few short weeks, supply-shopping will begin in earnest.

As you stock up on notebooks and folders, pencils and pens, consider dropping a few extra bucks on some EXTRA supplies for those students in our district who can’t easily afford them.

Gleason Orthodontics on South Ave. in the Village of Webster is hosting a school supply drive this summer, and wants to help as many kids as possible have a successful start to their school year by providing those in need with critical supplies.

They’re especially looking for pencils, pens, paper, folders, binders, backpacks, highlighters, crayons, markers, glue, tape calculators, notebooks, erasers, rulers, Sharpies and composition books. Basically, if you’re throwing something in the cart for your kids, consider picking up an extra for the donation drive. The prices are rock-bottom this time of year, so it’s the best time to find some bargains.

Donations are being accepted through Aug. 22, and can be dropped off at Gleason Orthodontics, 246 South Ave., Webster. For more information, call 585-872-3355 or email community@gleasonorthodontics.com.

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email me  at missyblog@gmail.com. “Like” this blog on Facebook and follow me on Twitter and Instagram.

You can also get email notifications every time I post a new blog by using the “Follow Me” link on the right side of this page.

(posted 7/18/2022)

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