A Day In Granby

Welcome to the next installment in our series, A Day In, where one of our Nutmeg Collective members takes us on a tour of their hometown and gives us the scoop on the must-see local spots.  Today we're visiting Granby, home of Vanessa Felie of Queenvanna Creations.

In 2009, Connecticut Magazine ranked Granby the #3 overall Connecticut small town (population 10,000-15,000) to live in, and #1 small town in Hartford County. Granby today still maintains much of its rural New England flavor. Many old houses, old families, old roadways, and foundation holes still provide much evidence of a way of life not-so-very-lost. Some of the old houses and families stretch back to the earliest days of settlement when Granby was a little pocket of hardy pioneers on the outskirts of the "Bible Commonwealth." You can spend a day in Granby exploring this small town's history, with its small businesses and huge accessibility to nature.

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Cossitt Library
The Frederick H. Cossitt Library is a Queen Anne style building, built in 1890. Construction was funded by a bequest from Granby native Frederick H. Cossitt, a wealthy New York businessman. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1988. Today the Cossitt Library is part of the Granby Library System and is fully modernized with internet access, an online catalog and a full children's department in the lower level. Yet the Cossitt has maintained the grace and beauty of a gentler time, and the Children's Department is warm and inviting with an extensive collection of books, movies and play areas.

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Grass Roots Creamery
On the town green, this family run ice cream shop is ice cream made from real food (like strawberries, peaches, berries, nuts, chocolate and coconut). No artificial dyes or colorings, natural and organic toppings. Open seasonally, fresh flavors rotate through in small batches, including Mandarin Orange, Irish Cream, Molasses Oatmeal Cookie and Rosemary Apricot. Grass Roots also works with Granby schools and community organizations during fundraisers and town celebrations. https://www.facebook.com/GrassRootsCreamery

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Lost Acres Vineyard
Discover hand crafted fine wines at Lost Acres Vineyard.  Enjoy a wine tasting, a cheese plate or antipasto plate available from the farm kitchen or bring a picnic. Gorgeous scenery in and around a beautiful building.  They will reopen with a Spring Farmers Market on April 1 and Granby Memorial High School Art Show April 2. Regular Hours start April 3, and events are held throughout the season including comedy shows, concert and other live music, art shows and markets.

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Lost Acres Orchard
The kitchen is open year-round, stocked with soups, chili, chicken pot pies, breads and bake-at-home cinnamon buns. They have recently also had fresh Chicken Noodle Soup, fresh quiche, gluten-free coconut macaroons… and more at the whim of the amazing Wutka/Accetura family. They host a lovely outdoor Mother’s Day brunch on their porch and under a tent, complete with tractor rides and flowers for mom. Call early to reserve a table, their events sell out quickly! https://www.facebook.com/pages/Lost-Acres-Orchard/176534500186

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McLean Game Refuge

Senator George P. McLean gave to the Simsbury and Granby area an extraordinary legacy through his preservation of 3,200 acres of abandoned farms and wild land. The Refuge is open to the public for free for passive recreation and photography year round. There are many trails and picnic areas, and along with the simple rules standard to most hiking areas, the phrase “Leave only footprints and take only photographs and memories” is present. A sledding hill, waterfalls, and scenic views await! http://www.mcleangamerefuge.org/

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Hope you enjoyed the Granby highlights. For more information about Granby, please visit the town's website.


See our other A Day In posts here.

Vanessa Felie, aka "Queenvanna" juggles a husband and two blond pixies while running her burgeoning paper arts and crafts business, QueenvannaCreations. Her job and family inspire her to create crafty projects for holidays, vacations, as well as times when there's just not much going on. Perpetual calendars and other home items, scrapbooking album kits and personalized gifts of all kinds - She looks to add a little flair to everything she makes, to put some extra fun in to daily life, as well as special occassions.
Website | Instagram | Twitter | Facebook | queenvanna@cox.net

Nutmeg Pets: Max and Mikki and Emmett and Elliott

Mikki, the mini schnauzer, and Max, the golden retriever.

Emmett is black and white and Elliott is gray and white, part of the whole furry clan at Nutmeg Naturals.

Shop Spotlight: Doug Hockman Photography

Meet man of few words, Doug Hockman, and his stunning fine art matted photography and wall hangings.

I am "Inspired by nature and weather, and finding unique perspectives in things we see every day.

 

Abstracts are the most fun for me to capture, creating different effects with the camera."

See more of Doug's work in his Etsy shop, Hockman Photography.

or connect with him on Facebook, his website and Twitter.

*****

Would you like to be a featured in the Shop Spotlight?

Active Nutmeg Collective members fill out this form!

It's Treasurypalooza Time!

Round 2!  Each month, the members of the Nutmeg Collective create curated collections of items found on Etsy in an effort to get to know each others' shops and to help show off out beautiful work to others.  So much thought and consideration goes into putting these collections together that we decided to show off some of the top groupings from March, and we want you to vote for your favorite.  Please choose one of the collections below:

Create your free online surveys with SurveyMonkey , the world's leading questionnaire tool.

Connecticut Home Office Finds.

We have rounded up some office must haves for you go-getting Nutmeggers! Shop local with these Connecticut items to keep your daily grind that much more stylish.

Do what you love - our mantra! Hang this up to remind yourself everyday. Grab this print from Patty Murphy Boutique.

What better way to write down your to-do lists than with these lovely arrow embellished pencils from Letter C Design.

Need some excitement on your walls? Try a pattern stencil from Stencilease.

Marketing and branding is a beautifully styled breeze when working with Easton Place Designs.

However you caffeinate, do it in style with a Glitter & Bold mug.

 Stay organized and stylish with a city map notebook from Hartford Prints!

Give yourself a beautiful New England view with these beauties from Hockman Photography. 

All day every day! Pure Joy Paperie offers this hustling print.

Keep your inbox organized and rustic with an Unpolished Barn rack. 

 Know what day it is? Of course you do with a Queenvanna Creations calendar.

Written by Alonda Baird-Juhasz, owner of Designer Dwellings, who believes in adding color to life. An avid DIYer, sparkle-loving, all things fabulous addict, her shop features bright and fun home decor accessories and gifts. When not in the shop you can find her interior decorating or visual styling events and photo shoots.

A Spring Day in Hartford

Join Hartford Prints! as they show you a way to spend a spring day in Hartford, Connecticut.

The Downtown Yoga Studio

Rise + Shine at Downtown Yoga

Start your day with a Rise & Shine class at Downtown Yoga on Pratt Street. This gorgeous studio, located on the second floor of historic 57 Pratt Street, offers a variety of all-levels classes six days a week. A Rise + Shine class at 6:00 a.m. will have you saluting the sun and feeling energized for the rest of the day. If you prefer to sleep in a little later, DTY also offers classes later in the day, like lunchtime Go With The Flow at noon, Un-Rush Hour at 5:30, and Weekend Warrior on Saturday mornings.  www.downtownyogastudios.com

One of the entrances to Keney Park

Golf and a walk in Keney Park
At 694 acres, Keney Park is Hartford’s largest. It features a public golf course, tennis courts, hiking trails, and more. Play a round of golf and then watch a cricket match, and if the weather’s warm enough, hop into one of the park’s two outdoor pools for a swim. You can even catch a glimpse of some graceful horses and on the neighboring Ebony Horsewoman farm. http://www.hartford.gov/parks/202-keney-park

Crispy, tender, mouth-watering beef patty from Scott’s Jamaican Bakery

Lunch at Scott’s Jamaican Bakery
After a morning full of exercise, lunch can’t come soon enough! Head over to Scott’s Jamaican Bakery in the North End for some of their famous Jamaican beef patties, curry goat, and coco bread. The prices are great, the people are the sweetest, and the flavors will have you dreaming of palm trees and Caribbean breezes.  http://scottsjamaicanbakery.com/

Corner view of Real Art Ways at 56 Arbor Street-also home to Hartford Prints!

Movie + gallery viewing at Real Art Ways

Relax after the active morning by heading over to Real Art Ways. This community space is both an independent movie theater and a gallery space. In addition to the rotating art exhibits, RAW also hosts a number of community events, notably their Creative Cocktail Hours. You can even have a cocktail from their bar while you watch a classic or contemporary art house feature. http://www.realartways.org/

Infinity Hall, Front Street, Hartford, CT

Dinner + Music at Infinity Hall
Round out your evening with dinner and a concert downtown at Infinity Hall. Front Street bistro offers a delicious selection of entrees and appetizers, along with Happy Hour Specials during the week. Then enjoy live music at the hall, where you can catch local, national, and internationally renowned acts alongside weekly trivia and open mic nights. http://www.infinityhall.com/

Hartford Prints! is a letterpress studio and stationery store that is all about family. We are three sisters and a press, making pretty paper in our home city of Hartford. Addy, Callie, and Rory joined forces in 2012 to create unique letterpress stationery that is modern and fun. From stunning wedding invitations to offbeat greeting cards, our printing prowess, killer style, and graphic genius work together to make effortlessly beautiful designs.
Website | Instagram | Facebook | Twitter | Pinterest | contact@hartfordprints.com

DIY Kitchen Lip Balm

Lip balm is one of the easiest things that you can make at home, in your own kitchen. In about 20 minutes, you can have lip balm made for the entire family. This is a super simple recipe that may require you to make one little stop to your local health food store, but I bet you already have most of what you need in your pantry.

The great thing about this balm is that you won't need to spend a fortune to make it and you can make multiples at one time, saving money in the long run. The best thing though, is that this is an all natural lip balm which is chemical free and contains no dyes, artificial flavors, or preservatives.

You can make this in your microwave or you can make a double boiler by inserting a class cup (I use a Pyrex measuring cup) into a larger pot of boiling water. You'll only want the water to come about half way up your glass container.

You'll need a kitchen scale to go by weight. But I have converted it for you so that you can just use measuring spoons.

You will also need the main ingredients:

1. 1 Tablespoon Extra virgin olive oil
2. 2 TablespoonsVirgin or unrefined coconut oil (the real stuff smells like coconuts)
3. 1 Tablespoon Beeswax
4. 5 drops of an essential oil of your choice (I love peppermint)

To microwave:

Mix all your ingredients (except your essential oil) together in a microwave safe bowl and heat until fully melted and is all liquid.

Stovetop:

Do the same but melt your ingredients (except your essential oil) in your double boiler until fully liquid.

Once you have melted your mix, remove from heat and add your essential oil last. This will keep it from evaporating out during the melting process.  Stir.

Pour your liquid mixture into your desired containers. You can buy lip balm twist up tubes or you can pour it into cool vintage tins, little cosmetic pots, anything you want to carry with you.

Let it sit to cool undisturbed for at least one hour. Do not cover it while it is cooling.

Enjoy your super moisturizing and safe to eat lip treatment!

Jeanine Dell'Orfano is the founder of Solstice Handcrafted. Her focus is safe, chemical-free, organic skin care products and candles formulated from natural herbs, extracts, hydrosols, butters and oils. She works out of her home in Middlefield, CT and loves making custom formulas for those with allergies and sensitive skin. Her background in health, medicine and photography have come together to create a holistic business that allows her to share her love of living simply and beautifully.  Website | Instagram | Facebook