Tag: 210930

On The Job – Melissa Davis

Melissa Davis

Blow Dry Bar Owner

Melissa Davis is the franchise owner of Blo Blow Dry Bar in Bedford, a “no cuts, no color” salon that provides hair styling and makeup application services.

Explain your job and what it entails.

My job is to be here daily, welcoming guests and working with the team to make sure that our wash-blow-dry concept and experience is on point, and that we’re really connecting with the community.

How long have you had this job?

We opened on Aug. 20.

What led you to this career field and your current job?

I’m originally from Manchester. I moved away after high school and spent many years in New York City and a couple years in Toronto and Miami, and blow dry bars are very popular there. I became an avid client at my local blow dry bar and would go weekly or biweekly to get my hair styled for events. When I moved back [to Manchester] about six months ago, I was deciding on a career change. I knew I wanted to start my own business, and I thought there was definitely a need and a market for [a blow dry bar] here in New Hampshire, because there isn’t anything like it here.

What kind of education or training did you need?

I spent the previous 12 years of my career with … a high-end luxury health club. I was in the global sales division and operations division, working with corporate sales teams, hiring teams, opening locations and bringing the concept to new markets. That background [prepared] me for what I’m doing now with Blo.

What is your typical at-work uniform or attire?

Our signature colors are hot pink, baby pink and gray, so we wear any of those colors or black or white.

What was it like starting this business during the pandemic?

It’s been pretty smooth so far, but we’ll see what happens with the new [Covid] variant. I think as long as we’re following the mandates and adhering to policies, we’ll … still be able to deliver our services to our guests.

What do you wish you’d known at the beginning of your career?

To go with the flow. There will be hiccups, but as long as you learn to pivot and keep moving forward with your vision, it all ends up falling into place.

What do you wish other people knew about your job?

I wish that more people knew that something like this existed. … We’re [working] to educate the public about us and about our concept, but it’s a process, for sure.

What was the first job you ever had?

I worked at a pharmacy when I was 16.

What’s the best piece of work-related advice you’ve ever received?

Keep things in perspective. When you’re really invested in something, it can feel like everything is the end-all-be-all. It really helps if you take things with a grain of salt and calmly strategize your way out of [a problem], versus reacting emotionally.

Five favorites

Favorite book: The Tipping Point by Malcom Gladwell
Favorite movie: Fight Club
Favorite music: Musical theater
Favorite food: Lobster
Favorite thing about NH: The four seasons

Featured photo: Melissa Davis. Courtesy photo.

Kiddie Pool 21/09/30

Family fun for the weekend

Day on the farm

• Charmingfare Farm (774 High St. in Candia; visitthefarm.com) kicks off its two-weekend Pumpkin Festival this weekend. The event runs Saturday, Oct. 2, and Sunday, Oct. 3, and then the following weekend (Columbus Day weekend, when some area schools have a three- or four-day weekend) from Saturday, Oct 9, through Monday, Oct. 11. Tickets cost $22 per person (for everyone 24 months old and older). The event includes tractor- and horse-drawn wagon rides, pumpkin picking, pumpkin art, costumed characters, pony rides and live music. Purchase tickets online for the specific day and time.

Throughout October and November you can sign up for horse trail rides. The cost is $69 per person. Reserve an hour of time on Saturdays or Sundays with slots available at 11 a.m., noon and 1 p.m. The ride itself is 45 minutes long with 15 minutes of basic instruction, safety guidelines and getting up on the horse, according to the website. The horse trail rides are open to children 10 years and older (an adult must accompany kids under 18), riders can not exceed 270 pounds and the horses are kept at a walk (no trotting or cantering) and are good for beginner riders, the website said.

• Applecrest Farm Orchards (133 Exeter Road in Hampton Falls; 926-3721, applecrest.com) holds its Harvest Festival on Saturdays and Sundays from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. and will feature apple and pumpkin picking, live music, a corn maze, tractor rides, an opportunity to visit the barnyard animals, food for purchase and more. This Saturday will be the Great Pumpkin Carve, when a master carver works on an 800-pound jack-o’-lantern, according to the website. The live music scheduled for this weekend includes Unsung Heroes on Saturday and Back Woods Road Band on Sunday.

• Get a photo with one of the draft horses at Coppal House Farm (118 N. River Road in Lee; 659-3572, nhcornmaze.com) on Saturday, Oct. 2, from 1 to 3 p.m. The farm’s corn maze is open Monday, Thursday and Friday from noon to 5 p.m., and Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission costs $9 (for everyone 13 years old and older) and $7 for children ages 5 to 12.

• Lavoies Farm (172 Nartoff Road in Hollis; 882-0072, lavoiesfarm.com) is holding its harvest weekends, with hayrides and corn boils (from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.) along with pick your own apples and pumpkins and a corn maze. The farm is open daily from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m.

• Head to Scamman Farm (69 Portsmouth Ave. in Stratham; 6868-1258, scammanfarm.com) on Fridays in October for a night in the corn maze. The night maze runs from 6 to 9 p.m. (with the last admittance at 8:30 p.m.), according to the website, which recommends bringing a flashlight. Head back on Saturday, Oct. 2, for Doggie Day, when dogs are allowed at the farm and in the corn maze. The maze is generally open Monday and Wednesday through Friday from noon to 5 p.m. and Saturdays and Sundays, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; admission costs $9 ($7 for kids ages 5 to 12 and for seniors; kids under 5 get in free with a paid adult).

• The Educational Farm at Joppa Hill (174 Joppa Hill Road in Bedford; efjh.org, 472-4724) will hold a Family Trail Run on Sunday, Oct. 3, starting at 10 a.m. Registration costs $20 per person and runs through Oct. 1. The run is described as a “family friendly 2-mile trail loop that begins and ends at the Educational Farm at Joppa Hill,” according to the website. The race itself starts at 11a.m.; after the race there will be a fall fair with activities, lunch, live music and more, the website said.

What monarchs want

A few flowers that attract butterflies

Monarchs are on the move! It is time for their long trip to Mexico to spend the winter. And like marathon runners, they need to bulk up on calories before the event. You may have let a patch of milkweed grow on the edges of your property to support them. That is great, and many of us have done that. But the milkweed plants are for the caterpillars to munch on. Right now they offer nothing to monarchs. Our monarchs need blooming flowers for nectar and pollen.

Of the monarchs I see floating around my gardens, three plants seem most attractive to them for feeding right now: Joe Pye weed, goldenrods and asters. Let’s look at these and their garden worthiness.

Joe Pye weed is a native wildflower that likes stream edges and places with good moisture, though it will grow almost anywhere it is planted. It is a big plant, often 5 or 6 feet tall in the wild. It is a clumping plant, with the clumps getting bigger every year.

It is readily found in plant nurseries, although most sold are a named cultivar, one called “Gateway.” I have found that Gateway blooms longer and does better in a vase than the truly wild ones that have popped up along my stream. There is now a smaller Joe Pye that is called “Little Joe” that only gets to be 3 to 4 feet tall. It is a patented variety that does not breed true, and is actually a different species in the same genus, Eupatorium dubium. Then there is one called “Baby Joe,” but I have not yet tried either one.

The flowers of Joe Pye weed are a light purple and appear in large panicles at the top of the plant. The stems of Gateway are a deep purple, though the wild ones tend to be greener. Plant Joe Pye weed where you want it as the fibrous roots go deep into the soil, and when firmly established they are nearly impossible to dig out.

‘Fireworks’ goldenrod is commonly sold in nurseries now. Courtesy photo.

Goldenrods are a wonderful though frequently maligned genus of plants. For many years they were prohibited in arrangements in the flower room at our county fair, as it was believed they caused hay fever. They do not. They have a heavy, sticky pollen that does not fly in the air but is transported by insects. There are at least 20 species of native goldenrods, including some that prefer shade, while others demand full sun.

Goldenrods are important not only for monarch butterflies but also for many butterflies, moths, bees and other pollinators. And yes, some of the big, sun-loving species will expand their territory and send tenacious roots deep into the soil, even muscling out some dainty perennials.

Years ago I purchased some blue-stemmed goldenrod at The Garden in the Woods in Framingham, Massachusetts. I grow it in dry shade and in rich soil in moist shade. It has never been a pest or traveled around my garden beds, staying just where I planted it, blooming in September and into October. It is quite dainty.

My favorite goldenrod is a variety called “Fireworks” of the speciesSolidago rugosa. It prefers full sun and moist soil, but I have also grown it in part sun and fairly dry soil. Its flowers are tiny, blooming first at the tips and working their way down the 3- to 4-foot stems. The stems arch gracefully like a fireworks display. They can be divided every three to four years to keep the clumps to a manageable size and to increase (or share) them.

All the asters and aster-family flowers are great for monarchs and other butterflies. Scientists don’t call the genus aster any more, but Symphyotrichum, which is a shame as it is much less user-friendly.

There are at least 30 species of asters that grow wild in America, including many nice shade-loving ones that are certainly uprooted as weeds by tidy gardeners long before they bloom now, in the fall.

Asters have flowers with many rays and a bright yellow eye. They range from deep purple to white, along with pink and a light blue. All are quite tough, surviving any winter thrown at them.

Similar to asters, and a plant I just saw visited by a hungry monarch, is New York ironweed. It has smaller, deep purple blossoms in big clusters at the top of stems that can reach 9 feet tall.

According to Tracy DiSabato Aust in her fabulous book, The Well-Tended Perennial Garden, shorter, later-blooming plants can be created by cutting back all the stems to the ground when they reach 2 feet tall. I shall certainly try that next spring. I moved mine from moist soil to dry soil in partial shade partly because it got too tall in the full sun.

If you care about your monarchs, plant native plants. Native plants are much more useful to pollinators and wild animals than plants imported from other continents. Many of the native plants are just as beautiful and pleasing to me in the garden, and hopefully they are to you, too.

Featured photo: Monarch feeding on New York ironweed. Courtesy photo.

Treasure Hunt 21/09/30

Dear Donna,

Would you know if there is any worth to these Penthouse swizzle strippers? I was cleaning out a house and came across them. I thought they looked interesting and may possibly have value.

Ted

Dear Ted,

Wow, and thanks for covering them up! I agree they are interesting.

Your swizzle sticks (drink stirrers) were produced in the 1970s but along with yours many others were made too. So what I found out was they have to be in perfect, not scratched, condition. The clip on the reverse side to hold it onto the glass also has to be there.

Now if all those items are good to go the value is around $5 each. Sometimes interesting is good, and these could make great conversation pieces. Some items are so mass produced, though, and many are still found today, which keeps the values lower.

The Art Roundup 21/09/30

The latest from NH’s theater, arts and literary communities

•​ Fall fair: The Craftworkers’ Guild presents its Harvest Fair and Shop from Sept. 30 through Oct. 11, with in-person shopping at the Oliver Kendall House (5 Meetinghouse Road, Bedford), as well as online shopping with curbside pickup and shipping available. There will be a variety of handmade goods by juried artisans for sale, including textiles, sculpture, jewelry and more. Shop hours are daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Visit facebook.com/craftworkersguild.

•​ Downtown theater tour: Intown Concord hosts its Upstairs Downtown Tour on Saturday, Oct 2, from 1 to 4 p.m., in downtown Concord. The tour highlights Concord’s arts and culture through downtown theater and music venues and live entertainment. “It has been a really hard year for our downtown theatres and performers,” Jessica Martin, Intown Concord’s Executive Director, said in a press release. “We are thrilled to be able to support them in person again, safely, as this will be a masked event.” A short film at Red River Theatres kicks off the tour at 1 p.m., followed by performances by Grateful Dead tribute band Crawl Space at the Capitol Center for the Arts; Walker Smith at the Bank of New Hampshire Stage; the Concord Community Players, with a preview of their upcoming production of Neil Simon’s Barefoot in the Park at Phenix Hall; and the Club Soda Band at Eagle Square. Tickets cost $40, which includes a guided tour, appetizers and the entertainment. Advance registration is required. Visit intownconcord.org or call 226-2150.

•​ A picture of New Hampshire: “New Hampshire Now,” a collaborative photography project presented by the New Hampshire Historical Society and the New Hampshire Society of Photographic Artists, will be on display in eight exhibitions opening on Friday, Oct. 1, at museums and historical societies across the state. Nearly 50 photographers participated in the project, taking more than 5,000 photos of New Hampshire people, places, culture and events from 2018 to 2020 to create a 21st-century portrait of life in the Granite State. Exhibition locations include Belknap Mill Society in Laconia; Colby-Sawyer College in New London; Portsmouth Historical Society; Historical Society of Cheshire County in Keene; the Manchester Historic Association; Museum of the White Mountains at Plymouth State University; and the Tillotson Center in Colebrook; with the flagship exhibition at the New Hampshire Historical Society in Concord. Visit newhampshirenow.org and nhhistory.org.

• Neil Simon classic: Get your tickets now for the Community Players of Concord’s production of Barefoot in the Park, which will run at Concord City Auditorium (2 Prince St., Concord) on Friday, Oct. 15, and Saturday, Oct. 16, at 7:30 p.m., and Sunday, Oct. 17, at 2 p.m. Tickets cost $18 for adults and $16 for youth ages 17 and under and seniors age 65 and up if purchased by Oct. 13, and $20/$18 after Oct. 13. Visit communityplayersofconcord.org.

ART

Call for Art

• WOMEN’S ARTISAN FAIR Girls at Work, a Manchester-based nonprofit that empowers girls through woodworking and building, is seeking artists for this fair, which is set for Oct. 15 and 16. Women artisans are invited to submit handcrafted fashion pieces, home goods, paintings and other visual arts for consideration. Visit girlswork.org or call 345-0392.

Exhibits

• “THINK OUTSIDE THE BOX” Exhibit featuring experimental pieces in a variety of media created by local artists during the pandemic. On view through Sept. 30. Art 3 Gallery (44 W. Brook St., Manchester, 668-6650, art3gallery.com).

• “AROUND NEW HAMPSHIRE” On exhibit at the Greater Concord Chamber of Commerce’s Visitor Center, 49 S. Main St., Concord, on view now through Dec. 16. Featuring the work of New Hampshire Art Association member Elaine Farmer, the exhibit features her oil paintings embodying New Hampshire’s iconic views and ideals, ranging from mountain lakes and birch tree woods to historic landmarks. Visit nhartassociation.org.

• JOAN L. DUNFEY EXHIBITION Features artwork in a variety of media by regional NHAA members and non-members that follows the theme “Portals.” On display at the New Hampshire Art Association’s Robert Lincoln Levy Gallery, 136 State St., Portsmouth. Now through Nov. 28. Visit nhartassociation.org or call 431-4230.

• “AS PRECIOUS AS GOLD: CARPETS FROM THE ISLAMIC WORLD” Exhibit features 32 carpets dating from the 15th century to the 19th century. The Currier Museum of Art (150 Ash St., Manchester). Opens Oct. 23. Museum admission tickets cost $15, $13 for seniors age 65 and up, and must be booked online. Call 669-6144 or visit currier.org.

• “SALON 2021” Exhibition features offbeat and experimental works in a variety of media by regional artists with diverse studio practices and artistic approaches. The Kimball Jenkins Estate (266 N. Main St., Concord, 225-3932, kimballjenkins.com). Nov. 6 through Jan. 6.

• “TOMIE DEPAOLA AT THE CURRIER” Exhibition celebrates the illustrator’s life and legacy through a collection of his original drawings. On view now. Currier Museum of Art, 150 Ash St., Manchester. Museum admission tickets cost $15, $13 for seniors age 65 and up, and must be booked online. Call 669-6144 or visit currier.org.

• ART ON MAIN The City of Concord and the Greater Concord Chamber of Commerce present a year-round outdoor public art exhibit in Concord’s downtown featuring works by professional sculptors. All sculptures will be for sale. Visit concordnhchamber.com/creativeconcord, call 224-2508 or email [email protected].

• WOMEN’S ARTISAN FAIR Girls at Work, a Manchester-based nonprofit that empowers girls through woodworking and building, features handcrafted fashion pieces, home goods, paintings and other visual arts by women artisans. Fri., Oct 15, and Sat. Oct. 16. Visit girlswork.org or call 345-0392.

Fairs and markets

• CONCORD ARTS MARKET Outdoor artisan and fine art market. Every third Saturday, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Now through October. Rollins Park (33 Bow St., Concord). Visit concordartsmarket.net.

Special events

• FALL IRON MELT Participants create an iron tile of their own design by scratching it into a 6-by-6-inch sand mold and coat it with a liquid graphite, then watch as molten iron is poured into their molds on site. Participants can pick up their mold from the Andres Institute of Art, 106 Route 13, Brookline. Pickup dates are Sept. 23, Sept. 25, Sept. 30 and Oct. 2. Dop-off dates are the same as pickup dates, plus Oct. 7. Designs will be poured and ready to pick back up on Oct. 14 and Oct. 16. Register anytime now until Oct. 2 to secure a kit. The cost is $40 per mold. Visit andresinstitute.org.

Workshops and classes

• GENERAL ART CLASSES In-person art classes for all levels and two-dimensional media. held with small groups of two to five students. Private classes are also available. Diane Crespo Fine Art Gallery (32 Hanover St., Manchester). Students are asked to wear masks in the gallery. Tuition costs $20 per group class and $28 per private class, with payment due at the beginning of the class. Call 493-1677 or visit dianecrespofineart.com for availability.

THEATER

Shows

•​ GLORIOUS The Winnipesaukee Playhouse presents. 33 Footlight Circle, Meredith. Sept. 22 through Oct. 9, with showtimes Tuesday through Saturday at 7:30 p.m., plus matinees on Tuesday, Sept. 28, and Thursday, Sept. 30, at 2 p.m. Tickets cost $20 to $37. Visit winnipesaukeeplayhouse.org.

•​ CRUEL INTENTIONS THE ’90s MUSICAL Seacoast Repertory Theatre (125 Bow St., Portsmouth) presents. Sept. 23 through Oct. 23, with showtimes on Thursday at 7:30 p.m., Friday at 8 p.m., Saturday at 2 and 8 p.m., and Sunday at 2 and 7:30 p.m. Tickets cost $32 to $50. Visit seacoastrep.org.

• GREATER TUNA The Hatbox Theatre (Steeplegate Mall, 270 Loudon Road, Concord). Oct. 1 through Oct. 10, with showtimes Friday and Saturday at 7:30 p.m., and Sunday at 2 p.m. Tickets $22 for adults, $19 for students and seniors. Visit hatboxnh.com.

•​ 9/12 New World Theatre presents. Players’ Ring Theatre (105 Marcy St., Portsmouth). Oct. 8 through Oct. 17, with showtimes Friday at 7:30 p.m., Saturday at 2:30 and 7:30 p.m., and Sunday at 2:30 p.m. Tickets $25 for adults and $22 for ages 65 and up and students. Visit playersring.org.

Walk on

“Kick-Start!” art exhibition shows resilience through shoes

Stilettos, slippers, blue suede shoes — footwear can tell a story, and the “Kick-Start!” art exhibition currently on display at Twiggs Gallery is showing it through paintings, sculptures, installations and other expressive media.

“All the work is really different,” Twiggs Gallery Director Laura Morrison said. “No one piece is like the other. We have things that are very serious, things that are just plain silly, things that are really powerful.”

The exhibition, presented by the Women’s Caucus for Art’s NH Chapter, symbolizes resiliency, particularly in light of the pandemic.

“The call for art [was] … how are we kick-starting our lives after Covid?” Morrison said. “There are a few about that, but [also some that are] about more personal things, like personal power.”

“Filling Our Shoes with Talent and Leadership,” by Margaret Femia. Courtesy photo.

Morrison said that the idea came from Adele Sanborn, owner of Twiggs Gallery and a member of the board for the Women’s Caucus for Art’s NH Chapter.

“A few years ago we had a bra show, and that was a big hit, so she came up with the idea [that] maybe we can use some other piece of clothing,” Morrison said.

Shoes turned out to be a good choice; the artists took the theme in all kinds of directions.

“It just really runs the gamut in terms of media and content,” Morrison said.

One of the most unique pieces is a popup book called “Rude Shoes” by Donna Catanzaro, which tells stories of the shoes she’s hated — like the squeaky shoes she once wore to a quiet museum, and the very uncomfortable hiking boots that hurt her feet and ruined her hike. Creating the piece was, in itself, a nod to the “kick-start” theme.

“She had a lot of free time during the pandemic, so she taught herself how to make a popup book [through] online classes,” Morrison said.

Artist Paulette Brace created a small installation featuring all of her children’s baby shoes, which she had collected and stored in the attic for years.

“It’s actually quite a powerful piece,” Morrison said.

There’s a feminist piece created by Margaret Femia, a salmon stiletto with flags that feature the names of female leaders. Linda Greenwood also went with stilettos, but hers are red with rhinestones and glitter, and they’re ready to fight a tiger.

“It’s called ‘Kick Butt and Go for the Gold,’ and it symbolizes getting rid of Covid and moving forward in a positive and energetic manner,” Morrison said.

Morrison, who is also president of the national Women’s Caucus for Art, created a very personal piece for the exhibition. During Covid, she was undergoing treatment for breast cancer. Sanborn organized a get-well card writing campaign while she was undergoing chemotherapy and radiation, and Morrison was sometimes getting three, four or five cards a week. She ended up with well over 100 cards and small pieces of art, which she used, along with cut-up suede stilettos and petals from roses that her husband had given her, to create her piece.

“It was really fun and also very emotional to go through [the cards] again,” she said.

Twiggs Gallery hosts shows for the Women’s Caucus for Art’s NH Chapter every couple of years, and Morrison said it’s a strong chapter with more than 100 artists. Anyone can join the caucus; it’s open to all artists and art lovers. Morrison said that Twiggs always enjoys working with the caucus, because their exhibitions are solid in terms of the number of artists who participate and the types of media. Plus, they fit with the gallery’s natural propensity to promote women’s creative ventures.

“We show a lot of women’s art here at Twiggs,” Morrison said. “We get a lot of support from women. … It’s a real community of women artists. [But] we welcome men [too]!”

“Kick-Start”

Where: Twiggs Gallery, 254 King St., Boscawen
When: On display through Oct. 31
Hours: Thursday through Saturday, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., and Sunday noon to 4 p.m.
More information: 975-0015

Featured photo: “Lifespan Development” by Marcia Santore. Courtesy photo.

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