Heaven Sent Home Décor & Gifts
When catching a glimpse of Janice Clunan greeting passersby on the steps of her new business, one might think it appears as if she is welcoming guests to her own home – which is exactly what Clunan had in mind when she recently opened Heaven Sent Home Décor & Gifts in Woodstock, VT.

“That’s exactly what I wanted it to feel like: like you are walking into someone’s home,” she said.

No wonder she was pleased when her son, who had been away at school, recently walked into the Elm Street shop and exclaimed, “I feel like I’m home.”

While the shop reflects Clunan’s personal taste, she said she also wants to accommodate the wishes of her customers, and even keeps a wish list for them to record what they are looking for. The list states: “I have no idea what I really want, but I won’t be satisfied until I get it.”

Clunan said she opened the business with the belief that “beautiful things aren’t readily available to people unless they use a decorator.” Clunan had never used a decorator herself, and wanted to provide others with access to “beautiful things” without having to rely on one.

“I just began gathering things for the home that are beautiful and different, and am now making them available,” she said.

Clunan compiles her inventory from antique stores, auctions and wholesalers. A mother of three grown boys, this is her first business endeavor after having taken the time to raise her sons. She said she is enjoying the whole experience, “especially the shopping.”

Heaven Sent carries an eclectic array of items including vases, mirrors, pillows, accent pieces, botanicals, china, blankets and jewelry. She carries Harden and Habersham furniture as well.

While she focuses on quality products, Clunan offers something at all price ranges. The store’s elegance is offset by what she calls “a little whimsy,” as reflected by the two poodle statuettes in the window and the large pink urn at the back of the store.

Clunan said she did some investigating in town before the Elm Street location became available. After finding the space, she was up and running in just six weeks. Her business is housed in 400 square feet of space, which she calls conducive to her venture and “beautiful with perfect lighting.”

Reaction to the business has been good, she said, with the local community being “very supportive.” So far, her business has attracted visitors from Connecticut, New York and California in addition to local traffic.

Beth Finlayson, director of The Woodstock Area Chamber of Commerce, said Heaven Sent is a good fit for Woodstock.

“I think it is a really nice addition to the community and downtown business,” said Finlayson. “It’s just a beautiful shop.”

The mailing address for Heaven Sent Home Décor & Gifts is 23 Elm Street, Woodstock, VT 05091. The telephone number is 802.457.2933; the e-mail address is hvnsntpink@yahoo.com. Hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily and by appointment.

Grill N’ Chill
Father and son-in-law Gary Hull and Justin Stacey hope to whet the palates of area residents with a new restaurant that has a name that says it all.

The Grill N’ Chill, which recently opened on Main Street in Randolph, VT, offers subs and ice cream year-round.

“Some people want ice cream even in the winter, especially hot fudge sundaes or ice cream with apple pie,” said Hull.

The new business is located in 1,700 square feet of space leased from George Rich. The location was the long-time home of Rich’s business, Video Vault, until it closed earlier this year.

Grill N’ Chill features movie posters from Video Vault on its wall in honor of the many years the business was located there.

“Many people associate the space with Video Vault,” Hull explained.

Grill N’ Chill features a menu of subs, burgers, soups, seafood and fries. Subs are prepared on bread baked fresh daily and feature “good quality meat” such as McKenzie and other well-known brands, said Hull.

Grill N’ Chill is also cooking its meat and fries in a high-heat oven as opposed to a fryer. The restaurant serves Gifford ice cream from Maine.

When Hull first learned from his daughter that his son-in-law was interested in going into business, they discussed the possibility of starting a concession-style restaurant. Once they began looking at the cost of equipment and food, however, it made sense to open a full-time restaurant.

Initially the men, who live in Williamstown and Barre, considered the Montpelier area, but soon realized that the lack of good parking prohibited locating there. Both Hull and Stacey expressed pleasure at finding a location in Randolph.

“The atmosphere here seems very much Vermont,” said Hull. “They have done a lot of improvements to the village.”

Stacey called the community “friendly,” and noted people have been very receptive.

Some renovations to the space were necessary. Joel Parmalee oversaw the plumbing work, and Gary and Jake Mason handled the electrical work.

Hull said he has worked in “everything from printing to storage.” Raised in Barre, he lived there until he was 16, when his father’s job took him to Massachusetts. There, he worked as a teenager at a local restaurant before going to college and joining the service. Since leaving the service, he said he has always worked on his own or for a family business.

Stacey has sold cars for the past four years. The men have gleaned information about the food industry from good friend Ed LaCrosse, owner of Simply Subs in Barre.

Grill N’ Chill presently employs eight people, including some high school students. Many of the employees have experience in the restaurant business as cooks or waitresses.

Initial plans call for the restaurant to be open seven days a week. Hours will be Monday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

The mailing address is 29 North Main Street, Randolph, VT 05061. The phone number is 802.431.0220.


Galleria Giovanna Fine Arts
Giovanna Lepore and David Giffin have renovated 750 square feet of an Upper Valley farmhouse into the region’s newest art venue, Galleria Giovanna Fine Arts in Canaan, NH.

The business, which opened in July, will evolve into an art school and design center, said Lepore. In the meantime, she called its opening “a vision.”

“I just wanted to have a venue for artists who are under-exhibited, for those who aren’t yet commercialized,” said Lepore.”

I want to exhibit artists who are regional, from New England or New York State, but who I feel are under-exhibited,” she said. She wants to showcase work “that will really appeal to collectors and decorators.

“My focus is on people who don’t have a venue for their work. These are usually people doing other things as well, like holding down a full-time job,” she said. “This will be a place for their work to be seen and appreciated.”

For the grand opening, she assembled oils by John Abrahamsen and Carolyn Bardos; art photography by Diane D’ Amato; bronzes by Sherlie Dayton; acrylics by George Hofmann; and her own oils and linoprints. All are currently on display.

The gallery is located in the same building where the couple has lived for 25 years. They share the 60-acre farm with three horses.

Lepore, a native of Gardiner, ME, is an art major who has exhibited in several New England galleries. She previously worked with Carolyn Bardos at the Art Post, formerly on Route 10 in Orford. This was also an old farmhouse complex with art classes for adults and children, as well as exhibitions.

Based on that experience, Lepore said the dream of having her own gallery began about four years ago.

Because she works full-time as an education manager for Tri County Head Start, she has had to use her weekends to focus on conceptual and physical tasks. She and Giffin enlisted his three sons to help. One is an architect, another did what she called “muscle work” and the third is a carpenter.

Galleria Giovanna Fine Arts is located at 313 River Rd., Canaan NH 03741.The telephone number is 603. 523.7154. Hours are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Friday, 12 p.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday or by appointment.



Carmella’s Restaurant
By GUY C. DENECHAUD
Carmella’s Restaurant has opened in Claremont, NH.

The Italian eatery, owned by Daniel Mott, occupies the space that was most recently the home of Sophie & Zeke’s restaurant around the corner from Opera House Square, a notable feature in downtown Claremont.

The 75-seat restaurant, which began serving lunch and dinner when it opened at the end of July, added breakfast service during August.

Carmella’s menu offers traditional Italian dishes such as lasagna, ravioli and Marsala dishes. It also boasts a series of family recipes from Mott’s mother, Carmella Mott, who is in her 90s and for whom the restaurant is named.

“I needed to hire three chefs to do justice to the varied tasty family recipes that my mom had perfected,” said Daniel Mott. Meatballs are one of the dishes which he said the family is particularly proud of: the restaurant’s meatballs include veal, pork, breadcrumbs and spices.

“We serve a mixture of Sicilian, southern and northern Italian dishes, and also offer daily specials that include both traditional cuisine and more modern creative entrées,” Mott said.

Mott, who owns the historic Claremont building where the new restaurant is located, is assisted by a staff that includes Melissa Pollari, restaurant manager, and Jessica Eastman, who is the bar and floor manager. Eastman has approximately 20 years of experience in the food service industry, and has been based in Claremont most of the time since the late 1990s.

The kitchen staff at Carmella’s also prepares desserts on the premises including tiramisu and its popular Peach Supreme Sin Pie.

Mott said he also plans to open a dance club in a space that is below street level in the building in association with the restaurant.

“To be a part of the rebirth of downtown Claremont, as the foot traffic made up of local residents, businesspeople and visitors is rising, is especially exciting,” said Mott. “At Carmella’s, we will do our part to give people another reason to come to this central area.”

Carmella’s Restaurant is located at 50 Pleasant Street, Claremont, NH 03743. The telephone number is 603.542.5005. The Web site is www.Carmellasclaremont.com.



Plum Tree School
By KIM J. GIFFORD
An innovative new pre-school recently opened its doors in Pomfret, VT. Plum Tree School, which focuses on environmental issues and local foods, is the brainchild of Cronin Sleeper.

Sleeper opened the pre-school out of her home on High Pastures Road to coincide with the Woodstock school system’s year. She can accommodate up to six children ages three, as well as four and five-year-olds that aren’t yet ready for kindergarten.

The idea for the pre-school came out of Sleeper’s desire to be home more and be her own boss. A mother of three grown children, she has worked the past six years as a reading tutor and aid in the autism room at the Ottauquechee School.

“I work with children, and I just decided that I have all these resources at my house that no one was using such as space, toys, kids’ books, a pond, woods and a meadow that seemed like sort of a waste,” she said.

“I had been thinking of starting a pre-school and was looking to rent space, and then I thought, ‘Why rent it when it is right here?’ ”

Renovations were made to her farmhouse, including construction of a play area with a new cedar swing set and large sandbox made from a rowboat. She added a fence; retrofitted a large bedroom and transformed it into a playroom; and rearranged the children’s library.

The focus of Plum Tree School is play, with two scheduled outdoor periods each day. Her house is located near walking trials, and she said she anticipates taking advantage of the rural setting through walking, gardening and outside play.

The property features raised-bed vegetable gardens and Sleeper will be feeding children from the garden in addition to local food supplied by Community Supported Agriculture.

Television and computers won’t be permitted. “There will be lots of old-fashioned toys, books and conversation,” said Sleeper.

In addition to being a tutor, Sleeper’s background with children includes working on the board of several children’s advocacy groups. She also served on the board of the Counseling Center for Addison County for seven years and was its president for two years.

Her early career included work for Time Life’s book division. After having children, she stayed at home for a period. Afterward, she and her husband, David, started Vermont Magazine, which they ran for 14 years before they sold it and moved to Pomfret. Sleeper eventually got her job at the Ottauquechee School.

She said she sees great potential in her business, and hopes to eventually use it as a means of networking for parents and educators and as a model and resource for those who hope to establish similar schools.

Plum Tree School is located at 1582 High Pastures Road, Woodstock, VT 05091. The telephone number is 802.457.9077. Sleeper’s e-mail address is croninsleeper@gmail.com. Hours are 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily.


Post and Beam Bakery
By LINDA HIMADI
Post and Beam Bakery is a new home bakery and a family business. Joanna Waldman is the cookie baker and recipe creator. Her son, Aaron Taylor-Waldman, handles the graphic design work and marketing strategy.

The cookies are offered for sale at Dan & Whit’s in Norwich, VT.

Joanna Waldman, who has been baking cookies for several years, said her baked goods are popular with her family and her fellow teachers at Thetford Elementary School.

“I’m introducing a creative selection of cookies that are flavorful, imaginative and made from local, wholesome ingredients,” she said. “They spark a sense of nostalgia for home baking.

“I’m using fresh local butter and eggs. I have wonderful suppliers of maple sugar and maple flavoring. King Arthur Flour supplies high- quality ingredients, too. Dan Fraser at Dan & Whit’s has been very helpful and accommodating, allowing me to supply my cookies on a flexible schedule.”

Waldman said she has found gratification in her baking business.

“Unlike teaching, where the benefits of your work are often realized years later, cookies offer an immediate response,” she said.

“People are nurtured and comforted. Their day is brightened. My son Aaron says, ‘The bottom line is that when you experience the cookie, you experience a little bit of nirvana, a fleeting moment of truth. A need to do the happy dance.’”

Different cookies will be offered according to the season. “Right now, I’m baking oatmeal marzipan, maple pecan, lemon pineapple, ginger molasses and chocolate chip cookies,” she said.

“For the packaging, we wanted warm colors and a simple childlike design. Our logo shows a chubby child’s hand reaching for a cookie. The bags are transparent so shoppers can see the product and see that the cookies are handmade.”

Baking is in Waldman’s blood. “I grew up in a family that appreciated communal dining and baking,” she said. “In his later years, my father became an excellent bread baker; my brother is a professional coffee-bean roaster.”

Post and Beam Bakery is located at 582 Route 132, Thetford Center, VT 05075. The e-mail address is baker@postandbeambakery.com; the web site is www.postandbeambakery.com.



Lillian Bill Bags
By KIM J. GIFFORD
Well-known designer “Vera Bradley has nothing on me,” said Cindy Howland, referring to the line of quilted patchwork bags she is producing through her new business, Lillian Bill Bags.

Howland is based in Thetford Center, VT, where she creates purses, tote bags, checkbook covers and eyeglass cases in the sewing room of her home.

She has sold her products throughout the Upper Valley and most recently has begun selling a number through Cape Cod Crafters, a business designed to link crafters with consumer locations including Manchester and Mystic, CT; Kittery, ME; North Conway, NH; Lancaster and Gettysburg, PA; and Pembroke and Shrewsbury, MA.

To sell through Cape Cod Crafters, members must be juried. Howland recently sent her first shipment to the Mystic store, located near Mystic Seaport and two casinos, Foxwood and Mohican Sun, which she noted are huge tourist draws.

“I may not need to add too many other locations as they have such a big client base in Mystic, but I wouldn’t mind being in Kittery or North Conway, too,” Howland said.

Here in the Upper Valley, Howland has sold her Lillian Bill Bags at places such as Chapman’s in Fairlee, VT and to a number of individuals. Prices range from $45 for a purse to $60 for the larger tote bags. Checkbook covers cost $15. Howland said she hopes to add additional pieces to her line in the future.

She began creating her bags recently after having been a quilter for 25 years. She attends a quilting retreat every year; at the last one, she made a quilted bag.

“I thought it was very cool, but not quite what I wanted, so I went home and redesigned it,” she said.

Because she had an excess of material, she ended up with a patchwork design. “I thought it was really cute. People have told me that they are really beautiful,” Howland said.

She began to share the bags with friends and coworkers, and many suggested she should sell them. She decided to register her business name and give it a try.

Lillian Bill Bags is named after Howland’s mother, Lillian, and her brother, William or “Bill” as she called him, who died last year.

“The name is to honor them,” said Howland. “They were simple, honest people, just like my bags.”

Howland may be reached at 802.785.2795 in the evenings. Her mailing address is 642 Tuckerhill Road, Thetford Center, VT 05075. Her e-mail address is lillianbillbags@yahoo.com.


Information Design Studio
BY GUY C. DENECHAUD
Geoffrey Ross began operations for his new business, Information Design Studio, in time for the heightened promotional activities that take place in northern New England in the summer.

Information Design Studio offers business services related to both marketing and financial applications and summaries.

“At Information Design Studio, we create and prepare content for marketing pieces including advertising brochures, catalogs and newsletters, as well as annual reports and financial statements,” Ross said.

For instance, Ross has been working with the Upper Valley Chamber of Commerce helping to promote businesses within the region.

“The opportunities for utilizing effective communication in a number of ways, from direct mail to Web site, to aid in building a business have never been more abundant,” Ross said.

“The trick is to be able to communicate effectively with your target audience, and that takes an understanding of the dynamics of choosing the right language and framing it in the right context. That is only the product of considerable experience in the field.”

An assessment of market impact should be made when designing such basic elements as trade names and business logos, he said.

“Success in business is usually directly related to the ability of a business to effectively communicate its message to existing and potential customers. In that equation, context as well as content is vital,” Ross said.

Ross has an extensive background in investment banking and helping new and expanding companies apply for venture capital. “The kind of detail that is required to make investors comfortable about putting their money behind a company in today’s environment is extensive, and it is helpful to have a background in the financial fields to know what is important and how the information should be presented,” Ross said.

He said he is pleased to be running his company from his office in Lyme, NH. “I have been living in the Upper Valley for 20 years now, and have acquired many contacts here and am strongly attached to the region,” he said.

Information Design Studio has a mailing address of 84 Dartmouth College Highway, Lyme, NH 03768. The telephone number is 603.795.4025. The Web site is www.N4dsign.com.


LGB Bernina Sales & Service
By LINDA HIMADI

LGB Bernina Sales & Service is a new business that has opened on Holiday Drive in White River Junction, VT.

The owner is Buzz Barr, who has nine years of experience selling and servicing Bernina sewing machines, a high-end product made in Switzerland. He also sells Necchi machines from Italy.

Barr services many makes of sewing machines. “I enjoy the work and many people depend on me,” said Barr.

The business also sells thread, patterns, needles, pins, scissors and other notions. “My wife, Nancy Barr, is a seamstress,” he said. “She will be teaching a basic sewing class in the fall: learning how to make garments.”

Added Nancy Barr: “Schools are not offering as many home economics classes now, and I feel that cooking and sewing are important basic skills.”

Newer sewing machines should be serviced every year, said Buzz Barr. “Sewing machines are sophisticated now, some having over 200 types of stitches. They have power boards and circuit boards. Machines should be serviced every year, cleaned and oiled, and parts replaced.”

Barr previously owned Country Quilters Emporium in the Junction Marketplace in White River Junction, VT for nine years.

“We closed that business and stumbled onto our new space,” he said. “There is convenient parking and there are no steps: it is very accessible for people lugging heavy machines.”

LGB Bernina Sales & Service is located next door to Hen House Fabrics owned by Susan Parker, who worked with the Barrs in their former location. “Having her business next door is a convenience for our customers,” he said.

“I want my customers to feel at ease in my store. We share smiles and laughs. Customer service is very important and done in a timely manner. I offer a viable service at a fair price. I treat people as I would like to be treated,” said Barr.

LGB Bernina Sales & Service is located at 246 Holiday Drive, White River Junction, VT. The telephone number is 802.296.0082. Hours are 12:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. Tuesday through Friday and 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday.