Tag Archives: Serenity Life

Serenity Life opens creative new extension

28 Aug

A huge Webster welcome to the Village’s newest — and most creative — business, Serenity Life Creative Studio.

Located at 10 North Ave. (formerly Mabel Jane’s Vintage Shop), the new Serenity Life Creative Studio is an extension of Serenity Life Counseling Services, which already has established locations at 93 West Main St. and 98 North Ave. Owned and operated by professional therapist Mattye McKibben, the studio is the realization of her long-time vision to bring a community-driven art therapy space to life.

She’s delivered that in a big way. Step inside the new studio and you’ll find a bright, open, welcoming atmosphere, enveloped in warm tones with vibrant splashes of color. It’s an environment which Mattye says is “built around the concept of Open Studio Art Therapy, an approach that combines the freedom and joy of creating art with the presence and support of trained creative arts therapists in a welcoming, community-centered environment.”

Rather than feeling like a traditional therapy office or a typical paint-and-sip studio, we’re trying to create something that blends the best of both worlds. We want people to be able to stop in for a girls’ night, a parent-child outing, a date, a family activity, or simply an hour of quiet creativity, while also knowing that licensed Creative Arts Therapists are part of the environment should they want a deeper therapeutic experience. Our hope is to bridge the gap between clinical art therapy and everyday community life, making creative wellness feel approachable, welcoming, and accessible for everyone.

The concept is simple. When you walk in, you step up to the “art bar,” peruse the menu and select an art box stocked with supplies for your favorite medium — watercolor, acrylic, clay, oil pastel, pencil sketching and more. Each box includes all the art supplies you need, with optional add-ons. Grab some paper at the Paper Bar, find a comfortable spot to work (at a table, on a couch, or you can even sit in the front window) and start creating. There are even options for “little artists,” children 10 and under.

If you don’t have your own ideas and aren’t sure where to start, you can get inspired by one of the creative ideas posted in the studio. Or just experiment. You’ve got 90 minutes to work at your own pace, and licensed creative arts therapists are on hand at all times to help with materials, offer creative guidance or provide a little extra support.

Mattye describes the experience as “an approachable way to get some emotional wellness. It’s not a clinical environment.” Rather, “it’s ‘therapy-forward,’ more an open-structure art therapy.” And who couldn’t use a little therapy once in a while, especially when family and friends are part of the fun? What a great way to relax and put life’s problems aside for just a little while.

Serenity Life Creative Studio is located at 10 North Ave. in the Village of Webster. Find out more on their website, where you can also reserve a time to visit. Or just walk in during open studio hours. You can also follow the studio on Facebook and Instagram. And stay tuned for news about upcoming special events, like Ladies’ Nights and Teen Tuesdays.

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

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(posted 8/28/2026)

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Heart to Heart Bride is moving — and other local business news

2 Feb

After 13 years anchoring the northwest corner of the Village of Webster’s four-corners downtown business district, Heart to Heart Bride is preparing to move to a much larger building.

The beautiful bridal shop will be relocating into the former Rochester Linoleum storefront at 1170 Ridge Rd. With 13,000 square feet of floor space, the new location will be more than four times the size of her current shop, allowing for additional inventory (including mothers’ dresses), larger and reconfigured fitting rooms, a large private fitting room, and more.

Owner Sarah Ashworth says that she hopes to have all of the renovations completed and be ready to open by April 1. Stay tuned for more details about the move and opening date.

What’s going on at Empire Lanes?

If you’ve wondered about all the activity happening at Empire Lanes lately, I have your answer, courtesy Barry Howard, President of the Webster Chamber of Commerce. He wrote,

Bowlero Corporation operates Bowlmor Lanes, a chain of bowling centers. Bowlero acquired all the AMF bowling centers in 2013, essentially saving them (AMF) from bankruptcy. My latest information is that they are remodeling the Empire Blvd location and rebranding the AMF name to the Bowlmor name.

Ruff Day Resort is on the move

Ruff Day Resort, the dog boarding and daycare business at 1999 Empire Blvd. will be expanding this spring to a much larger facility on Gravel Rd.

Owner Amy Holtz wrote that the decision to expand was driven largely by the fact they’ve been at capacity for overnight stays, training and daycare. Their new location at 1085 Gravel Rd. will double the outdoor space they now have. They’ll also be adding turf which “will be fabulous during the mud season.”

Three new training rooms will accommodate larger classes and private lessons during the day, evenings and weekends. Luxury boarding suites will be available, plus lots of fun spaces for the smaller pups who want to play separate from the big dogs.

Amy hopes to be able to open the new location by May 1, provided all construction goes as planned. Stay tuned for more information as the move is finalized.

Serenity Life has expanded in the village

Serenity Life Creative Arts Therapy, which for a year and a half has operated out of a cozy little house at 98 North Ave., has just opened a second office, dedicated to providing services for young children.

The new offices are located in the historic cobblestone Dean House at 93 West Main St. in the Village of Webster. Since the beginning, Serenity Life has served patients of all ages, beginning even at 2 years old, with counseling and creative arts therapies. But in the time they’ve been open, owner Mattye McKibben says she and her staff members have noticed there’s a lot of need to support younger children — which they affectionately call their “littles” — but there are limited options.

So they’ve renovated the new location specifically to serve patients ages 10 and under, especially focusing on providing art and play therapy. Adults and teenagers will still be seen at the original North Ave. location.

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

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(posted 2/2/2023)

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Serenity Life celebrates first anniversary, expands its North Ave. offices

27 Jun
Serenity Life is at 98 North Ave. in Webster
Mattye McKibben next to a painting she did when she was younger

In this day and age when we too often hear about businesses having to close up shop, it’s nice to hear about one which is actually expanding.

Serenity Life Creative Arts Therapy, located at 98 North Ave. in the Village of Webster, has recently added two new counseling rooms/offices, doubling the practice’s original space, just as the business celebrates its first anniversary.

Serenity Life specializes in counseling services and creative arts therapy for anxiety, life stressors, addiction, healing trauma and more. The office’s 13 service providers are trained in traditional talk therapy AND art therapy. What that means is you don’t have to be artistic to seek out their help, but art, music and even dance can be incorporated into sessions when appropriate.

Serenity Life is directed by Webster Schroeder graduate Mattye McKibben, herself an experienced art therapy clinician. Mattye first learned about the discipline in her Advanced Placement art class, and after graduation pursued degrees in art therapy and creative arts therapy. She worked in the local hospital system for 11 years before opening her own counseling office — Serenity Life — last July.

“We take a person-centered, solution-focused approach to counseling where clients feel partnered with, heard, like they have choices in the services they receive,” Mattye said. “Our goal is for folks to feel they are making progress right away. We pride ourselves on finding a great therapeutic match with the counselor because this is one of the biggest indicators that therapy will be successful.”

Mattye says she’s still working on decorating the new offices, striving to furnish them “in a fun way,” with a “mid-century vibe,” using lots of vintage furniture. The walls are filled with artwork painted by Mattye herself, or one of her very talented family members.

The results are immediately obvious when you step through the door. The rooms are bright, welcoming, calming and comforting … just as they should be in a counseling office.

Even though Serenity Life only joined the Village of Webster business scene a short time ago, it’s already become a strong community supporter. During the Fall in Love With Webster event last February, for example, they hosted a free “Love Yourself” virtual group therapy class. In April they stuffed 100 plastic eggs for the Village of Webster’s Easter Egg Hunt, and coming up next month, keep an eye out for them in the Firemen’s Parade.

Community involvement is an important part of their mission, Mattye said.

“We’re part of the community. We want to be your friendly neighborhood counselor that’s trustworthy, relatable and inclusive, creating a safe environment for everyone.”

Click here to find out more about Serenity Life Creative Arts Therapy. Here’s a peek at the offices:

One of the newest rooms is a dedicated children’s room
A small patio area invites more informal discussions

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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 6/27/2022)

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