I’m thrilled to be at William Raveis, whose focus is Marketing and Technology with a connection to a great International Network
Robin and Raveis ... what a great combination!
MERRY CHRISTMAS AND HAPPY CHANUKAH
So fun and probably very convenient for many blended families to celebrate both Christmas and the beginning of Chanukah on the same day this year.
If you missed the Holiday Stroll you missed one of biggest events of the year in West Hartford. The Center and The Square were full of events on the Showmobile and the Stage and activities lining the streets. Santa Claus, Tree Lightings, Chanukah festivities, Live Animals from The Children’s Museum at Kaoud, Hot Chocolate at Grants, La Petite France Crepes, a Flash Mob sponsored by Max Restaurant Group, Holiday Bloggers by Lux Bond & Green, a Fashion Show by BK&Co., Daswani and Exclusive Furs and even Karaoke by Maximum Beverage this year.
The new After Stroll from 7:30-8:30 culminated in a touching community sing along of “We wish you a Merry Christmas.” Special thanks to all the sponsors including the West Hartford Chamber of Commerce, West Hartford Center Business Association, Blue Back Square, BK&Co., Eat IN Connecticut, Keating Insurance, AFC Urgent Care, Maximum Beverage and of course West Hartford Magazine and We-Ha.com.
Please be certain to join us again next year.
COVER STORY
Many of you often hear me say that if you want to be a friend of Ronni’s you need to give her “the scoop” so when we decided to feature the number 1 product on QVC, HALO it made sense that Ronni do the interview. We joke that since we had already been in the Miller’s home (it was featured on the Noah Webster House Tour) that she should get to know Garold, the CEO of HALO. So, learn all about ‘Powering it Forward’ in this issue.
VINEYARD VINES
For years, we have been working on getting a private label clothing line suitable for West Hartford and we are so proud to introduce Vineyard Vines We-Ha clothing. When I first chatted about this idea with Ian Murray (one of the brothers/co-owner of Vineyard Vines), We-Ha.com had just been launched and we knew it made sense. So check out our products on We-Ha.com/store or stop in the Silver Dahlia in The Center or Ooh La La in Blue Back. Let’s have some fun with it … take a picture sporting your Vineyard Vines We-Ha clothes and accessories and share it with us.
Enough about our product … enjoy our annual holiday gift guide known as “Dazzle” and be dazzled at what is available right here in your back yard. Shop local and support all of our business districts in town: the Bishops Corner Neighborhood Association, Elmwood Business Association, Home Design District, Park Road Association and the West Hartford Center Business Association/Blue Back Square.
Have a happy, healthy and safe holiday season,
Thomas P. Hickey II Publisher
tomh@westhartfordmagazine.com
Facebook: West Hartford Magazine, We-Ha.com
Twitter:@westhartfordmag, @wehartford
Instagram: @westhartfordite
Tom (in his Vineyard Vines We-Ha tie and belt), with NBC Connecticut’s Tara Joyce at this year’s Holiday Stroll.
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Blue Back Square Mitten Run
Eric Blake of West Hartford, a veteran Mt. Washington Road Race winner, was the first to cross the finish line in the annual Hartford Marathon Foundation Blue Back Mitten Run. More than 2,200 runners, many decked out in festive mittens and hats – or even complete Santa costumes – lined up on Burr Street in West Hartford under bright blue skies on Sunday morning for the annual Blue Back Mitten Run.
At the finish line of the 5K course, many had warmed up enough to shed their mittens.
… read more on We-Ha.com
Photo byRONNI NEWTON
West Hartford Holds a ‘Dog Party’
If you wanted to see dozens of dogs happily romping around and their owners socializing, Eisenhower Park was the place to be on Nov. 19. The West Hartford Dog Park Coalition held a pop-up dog park event where dogs freely roamed unleashed within the fenced-in baseball diamond. This was the third in a series of monthly pop-up dog parks which are co-sponsored by the Coalition and the town.
The next pop-up dog park will be on December 18, at the Fernridge Park baseball field (567 Fern St., West Hartford) between 10 a.m. – 1 p.m. ... see more photos on We-Ha.com
Photo courtesy of WE-HA.COM/DAVID
COLEMAN,
Spring AAU Basketball tryouts
Boys and girls 3rd grade thru 12th
Our remaining dates are Jan 14/15, and Feb 11/12
Winter league starts Jan 7th Saturdays only 5th grade and under 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. and 6th thru 10th 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Skills and drills first hour 2nd hour games are played.
WEST HARTFORD DOG PARK COALITION
Reduce Stress Traveling
by Deby Van Ohlen, LMT
As we enter the winter vacation season, we need to prepare for a different group of stressers on our bodies and well being. Vacation from your normal routine should not mean leaving all of your healthy habits at home, but of course, along with all of the excitement of a vacation –be it a familiar cabin or an exciting new destination –you have to cope with three things:
1.Getting there
2.Staying in a place that is not your usual home
3.Adjusting to a different routine.
1. GETTING THERE
Getting there will generally involve a ‘longerthanyoumightlike’ time in a car, plane or train. What should you do to reduce stress? Move around as much as possible. In a car you obviously have more control and can move in larger ways, but even in a plane or train, you can move. Do toe-heel rocks and ankle circles for your lower legs, contract and relax your thighs for your upper legs. Un-crick your neck by slowly turning your head side to side, and ear to shoulder, and then relax those ever tight shoulders by alternately contracting and releasing the entire shoulder area. Clench and relax your fists to activate not only your hands but your whole arm. If possible, get up and walk down the aisle to stretch all of you. Bring a travel pillow so that you can have good head and neck support and a lumbar pillow for your lower back. If you are on extended travel, bring an eye pillow to block out light. Remember to keep hydrated! Especially in a plane, the air is much drier and drinking water can reduce
fatigue, stiffness and can help your body ward off viruses. Carrying some floral water (a citrus blend is invigorating) to spritz your face will keep it moisturized and give you a much needed lift. If sinuses are a problem area, bring some saline nose spray to help prevent headaches and sinus discomfort.
2. STAYING IN A NEW PLACE
Now you have landed, detrained, or driven up to your new home-away-fromhome. Eating, drinking, moving and sleeping will all be affected. Know that if you make any drastic changes to your regular eating, drinking or activity routines (positive or negative), your body will need to adjust. So give your body the chance to do that gently so that you can enjoy the rest of your time away.
New activities are one of the joys of being away–and do it with some forethought. Warming up before, and stretching after that horseback ride or skiing afternoon can make the next few days much more enjoyable. And, whether you are in a cold climate, or sunny spot, let us repeat: Keep hydrated! The water bottle should be omnipresent, and just remember to not only carry it but to actually drink from it. (A wedge of lemon in the bottle can be a great little flavor enhancer.)
And then there is sleep. Check out the firmness of the bed when you first arrive. If it is not okay, inform the management immediately, they may be able to accommodate you. Also, if your neck is particularly prone to stiffness or causing headaches,
carry your own pillow. In addition to your own pillow you may want to consider throwing in a relaxation CD, favorite decaffeinated teas, and perhaps some relaxing essential oils, such as lavender, all to make sleeping easier. Packing a few of your personal comfort items can make a world of difference in your stay away.
3. ADJUST & ENJOY
Being out of one’s ‘normal’ routine can often be one of the biggest joys of a vacation as long as you are able to ‘roll with the punches’. There could be a broken whirlpool, a missed reservation, or a plane delay. Allow yourself extra time between plans in case of the unexpected. Give yourself permission to breathe–externally and internally. Be really radical and be ‘off the clock’, literally, by not wearing your watch. Limit cell phone usage and check email just once a day (if at all). Stretch all of you, not just your muscles… slowly and patiently. Remember, it is the nature of the stressors and the condition of the person being stressed, aka YOU, that determines the amount of negative stress our body feels. The stressors are often out of our control, but we do have definite choices around our condition.
Wishing you safe and relaxing travel. ■
Deby Van Ohlen is a massage theripist from West Hartford, and co-owner of Nurturing Hands, llc. Deby has been on the faculty at the Connecticut
Center for Massage Therapy.
Deby's work focuses on deep therapeutic relaxation with specific work on areas of stress or injury (rotator cuff, chronic neck pain, etc.) while
Join the West Hartford Chamber of Commerce! Good for your business, good for the community.
Membership includes: Your business listing in our on-line Membership Directory and a new member advertisement in West Hartford Life.
Free event promotions on our Community Calendar (read by approximately 700 people each week) which helps you get to the right people for your business.
Meet West Hartford’s business leaders in a casual setting! Enjoy good food and beverage as you network through the Chamber’s Business After Hours and West Hartford Connections events. Exclusive Chamber Rewards including member-to-member product opportunities, special offers, and innovative and competitively priced benefit solutions with CIT. Taking advantage of just one of these rewards can pay for your membership! For membership information, please contact Barbara or Morgan at (860) 521-2300 or e-mail membership@whchamber.com. We look forward to hearing from you soon! www.whchamber.com
Top 3 “Best of” Winners!
Congratulations to all the Winners and Runners-Up of the Second Annual Best of West Hartford
People’s Choice Awards
by Tom Hickey, photos by Todd Fairchild (exterior), Ira Nozik (event), and SnapSeat Photo Booth
Best of West Hartford contest finalists, town officials, business leaders, and residents watched the revealing of the results of West Hartford’s second annual people’s choice contest on September 8, 2016 as they enjoyed cocktails, mingling and great food as well as a magician, chair massages, and more at the awards show at Town Hall.
Mayor Shari Cantor, who was traveling in Bavaria, prepared some pre-recorded remarks and, thanks to David Chmielewski of Direct Line Media, was able to kick off the evening on the video screen. The stage was beautifully accessorized as a “great room” courtesy of the Home Design District.
The winners were kept secret, under lock and key in the office of Filomeno & Company by Kathryn Plourde. Kathryn was the only one who knew the winners prior to Thursday evening (at left handing the winners to host NBC Connecticut’s Brad Drazen). The winners were chosen from among 277 finalists in 49 categories. The businesses were nominated this spring and from June through Aug. 31, votes were cast for the winners. The people nominated (one vote per email address) and the people voted (one vote per email address). It was a true people’s choice contest.
.CAMP SHALOM
.Renbrook School Summer Adventure
.Noah Webster House Colonial Camp PARK 2016:
.Elizabeth Park
.Fernridge Park
.Westmoor Park
PRESCHOOL/DAYCARE 2016: . . .Mandell JCC
.Lollipop Tree Nursery School
.Montessori School of Greater Hartford RECREATION 2016:
.Elizabeth Park
.Reservoir
.Town of WH Parks & Leisure Services
COFFEE/TEA 2016: .
.J. René Coffee Roasters
.Hartford Baking Co.
.Café Sofia
ETHNIC RESTAURANT 2016: . . . .Arugula
.Black Bamboo
.East West Grille
FAMILY RESTAURANT 2016: . . . .A.C. Petersen Farms
.The Cheesecake Factory
.Blue Plate Kitchen
FINE DINING 2016: .
.Restaurant Bricco
.Treva
.Max Oyster Bar
BAKERY 2016:
.Hartford Baking Company
.Elmwood Pastry Shop
.NoRA Cupcake Company BREAKFAST RESTAURANT 2016: Effie’s Place
.Quaker Diner
.Blue Plate Kitchen
BURGER RESTAURANT 2016:
.Max Burger
.Plan B
.Five Guys Burgers and Fries
GROCERY STORE 2016: .
DESSERT 2016:
ICE CREAM SHOP 2016:
. .Whole Foods, Raymond Road
.Trader Joes
.Halls Market
.The Cheesecake Factory
.Halls Bake Shop
.Ritas Ice
.A.C. Petersen Farms
.Sweet Frog West Hartford
.Ben & Jerrys
CAMP 2016:
PIZZA PLACE 2016:
BUSINESS LUNCH 2016:
WINE SHOP 2016:
LIQUOR STORE 2016:
EXCERCISE/FITNESS 2016:
PERSONAL TRAINER 2016:
HAIR SALON 2016:
BARBER SHOP 2016:
MANICURE/PEDICURE2016:
SPA 2016:
SATELLITE MEDICAL 2016:
HOME HEALTH CARE 2016:
BANK/FINANCIAL 2016:
GARDEN/FLORIST 2016:
HOME IMPROVEMENT 2016:
.Harrys Bishops Corner
.Frank Pepe Pizza of West Hartford
.Luna Pizza
. .Restaurant Bricco
.Max Oyster Bar
.bartaco
.The Wise Old Dog
.West Side Wines & Spirits
.Harvest Wine & Spirits
.Maximum Beverage
.Crazy Bruce’s Liquors
.Parkview Wine & Spirits
.Mandell JCC Greater Hartford
.Work In Progress Fitness (WIP)
.BodyRoc Fit Lab
.D’Mario Sowa from Akua Ba Fitness
.Shaun Chambers from BodyRoc
.Jon Camacho New York Sports Club
.Salon Medusa
.BLO blow dry bar
.Matthew Phillips Salon
.Degras Barber Shop
.Bristle & Blade
.Kennedys Barber Club
.Silk Nails
.Thu Lan Nail Retreat
.Grace Nails
.Massage Envy
.Blue Mercury West Hartford
.Victorian Day Spa
.AFC URGENT CARE West Hartford
.Hartford Medical Group Walk-In
.New England Urgent Care
.Jewish Family Services
.Companions for Living
.Bank of America
.Webster Bank
.TD Bank
.Moscarillo’s Garden Shoppe
.Gledhill Nursery
.Lane & Lenge Florist
.Bartlett Brainard
.JP Carroll Construction
.McNally’s Modern Maintenance LAWN/LANDSCAPING 2016:
.EcoTurf
.Trout Brook Landscaping
.Zysk Brothers Landscaping
LAW FIRM/LAWYER 2016:
PET SERVICES 2016:
.Eagan,Donohue, Van Dyke & Falsey
.Steier & McCormick
.Stanger & Associates
.Veterinary Specialists of CT
.Petals & Paws
.Petcare Veterinary Services REAL ESTATE COMPANY 2016: . .William Raveis Real Estate
.Play It Again Sports MEN’S LOCAL FASHION 2016: . .Daswani Clothiers
.Oscars Tux
.Bob DeGemmis Dressed to the Nines WOMEN’S LOCAL FASH. 2016: . .BK & Co
.Kimberly Boutique
.Ooh La La Boutique
Maura Conway & David Johnson
photos by Lindsey Calpa Photography & Design, lindseycalpa.com
The picturesque wedding of Maura Conway and David Johnson took place at The Riverview, in Simsbury, CT.
Maura was honored to have her Nana Slack’s wedding band and her uncle, “Unc” Kevin Slack officiate. He recounted how Maura played “hard to get” by moving increasingly further away from David after graduating from Holy Cross and how he drove further and further to spend weekends with her. Until finally Maura graduated from medical school, accepting a residency in Connecticut to be close to David.
The reception was a lovely, casually elegant evening. The bride and groom danced to “Everything,” the bride and her father danced to “It’s a Wonderful World” and the groom and his mother danced to “Sweet Child of Mine.” The hit of the night was a candy bar, with every kind of candy imaginable.
Other highlights included: Stunning flowers by Moscarillos; wedding pictures taken in Elizabeth Park during Rose Weekend, and Max’s Oyster Bar catered the rehearsal dinner.
Maura and David both attended Northwest Catholic High School and College of the Holy Cross but didn’t start dating until after David’s graduation. Maura went on to attend University of New England Medical School.
A December South Africa honeymoon is planned. ■
Left: Maura and David cut their cake. Top inset: Maura shares a fun moment with her mother Kate Conway. Inset above: Maura and her brother Mike Conway
Below: Dancing and a photo with fellow Holy Cross alumni.
“Unc” Kevin Slack officiated for Maura and David
■ WEDDINGS
Up Do’s & Hair Styling
Tailors, Clothiers, Tuxedos
Garold Miller is “Powering it Forward” with HALO
By Ronni Newton
Garold Miller is one of those guys who is always thinking, always looking forward, always trying to figure out solutions to make things work better or make tasks easier – and not only does he do it very successfully, he always looks to combine function with fashion.
Many local residents may not realize that Miller, who moved to West Hartford two years ago, and partner Dan Weinstein, are the people behind QVC’s most successful electronics line. But they will once HALO moves to “Main Street” and appears in stores in West Hartford, Glastonbury, and – Miller hopes –countless other retail centers.
photo by CHEYNEY BARRIEAU
Garold Miller and Danw Weinstein in the Glastonbury office of HALO.
“They {QVC} sold out in two minutes ... It was the first time electronics had been done in crazy colors, but I had that jewelry background”
-Garold Miller, HALO CEO
Early Years
“I’ve always been an inventor. As a kid I would take apart everything in my mom’s house. I’d take her clock apart and put it back together. It drove her nuts,” Miller said.
The born inventor was also blessed with great business acumen. He didn’t grow up wealthy and in high school he started a business cleaning cars to earn some extra cash. He soon had eight guys working for him. By the time he graduated from Glastonbury High School in 1989, he sold the business – which is still operating as an automobile detailer – and had enough money to buy a house, a car, and pay his tuition at the University of Rhode Island.
The fashion angle emerged when Miller was bartending at the Cooke House in Newport one summer during college. “I thought I wanted to be a jet fighter pilot, but then I met these guys,” Miller said, regular customers who were in the jewelry business.
The world was in disarray, Operation Desert Storm was going on, and Miller came up with the idea for a gold guardian angel pin. He saved up $1,200 from bartending and spent it to create a model of the pin and have it cast. Then he went through the phone book and made a list of 300 gift stores and went door-to-door.
The 200th ordered pins, and Miller made $20.80. They reordered, and his Treasures and Trinkets Inc. was launched.
“As an entrepreneur I knew time was of the essence. If I stayed at school I would be behind where I wanted to go,” said Miller.
Once he had the business well-established, he dropped out of URI.
The company became highly successful, and he sold it, giving away millions to charity, he said. “Angel pins were a great way to give back.”
Miller and his wife, Katharine, formed a new company. Friends Marketing focused on costume jewelry, and created many “must-have” products like friendship pins (safety pins with charms) and Italian charm bracelets.
Miller grew Friends Marketing and then sold it but kept working for them while continuing to invent and at the same time realizing the growth potential for online and TV sales. One of his inventions was the EZ Hanger – an aluminum level with three marking points that’s now a QVC topseller and launched the EZ Tools Brand.
So he bought back Friends Marketing, and through the prayer bracelet, brought Garold Miller Jewelry to QVC, where today it’s still a number one line. The prayer bracelets – stretchy beaded bracelets with a dangling prayer box charm – have meaning. The bracelets resonated with QVC customers who bought millions.
Fashion meets function in a powerful way
“I’ve always had a passion for electronics and gadgets, and I wanted to create an electronics brand,” Miller said. “I also have a wife and four daughters, and someone’s phone is always out of power.”
Miller was struck by the fact that high tech mobile electronics could only be
charged by plugging them into a wall. He became the first in the world to file patents for portable power, but said initially it wasn’t an easy sell, despite his already proven success on QVC.
“I told QVC I wanted to start an electronics company. They said, ‘You’re crazy!’” This was about seven or eight years ago, Miller said.
He chatted about his ideas with his thenneighbor in Glastonbury, Dan Weinstein. “He’s an incredibly smart guy. He’s an electrical engineer,” Miller said, with a background writing code for EMC in Boston.
Miller told Weinstein about his two top ideas: creating back-up systems for personal use (this was in the pre-cloud days), and portable power. “Dan had just started a company doing back-up for mid-sized companies. He said it would cost $100,000 per user, not exactly a QVC customer.”
“I also said I wanted to create a power supply, that one day there would be more electronic devices than people,” Miller said.
In 2011, Miller and Weinstein partnered and launched Halo2Cloud LLC. “The HALO name comes from my first angel pin business. It’s protective and all about giving back.”
Miller said he shared his ideas with QVC in a Power Point presentation. He wanted to be able to control the heat and turn lights on an off from a phone. They liked the idea of having electronic backup from HALO Cloud Control, but what QVC, which has a female-intensive customer base, bought into was the portable power idea.
“Women’s lives are incredibly busy. They don’t have the time in their day to do one more thing. They need portable power. Maybe they don’t know it, but they do,” Miller told QVC.
“I handed them a brick-sized, duct-taped portable power supply,” Miller said. QVC said the idea was “cool,” but it had to be small enough to fit into a pocket.
“I said I want to sell it in pink leopard, in purple,” Miller said after creating the pocket-sized product, but at the time all electronic devices were black. QVC agreed to be “crazy” and sell the product in white. It was a complete failure.
“I went back to QVC. They never give
Halo 9000 in Ivory Crocodile and Red Crocodile.
second chances but we already had a 10year relationship,” Miller said.
He and Weinstein believed in the product, and personally financed the production of 60,000 pieces. “They sold out in two minutes. They were pink leopard and purple. It was the first time electronics had been done in crazy colors, but I had that jewelry background,” Miller said.
The idea was to make a product that was incredibly fashionable targeted to women. “We just need to get it into her hands, and then she’ll see how useful it is,” Miller said. He knew that once someone bought the product they would realize how cool it was.
Spurred by the initial success, Miller asked QVC about their sales record. When he found out it was 190,000 pieces, Miller said he would sell 300,000. “I knew I could do it because I had the data.” It was scary as an entrepreneur to take a risk with that much product, he said, but a good calculated risk.
QVC ordered 305,000 pieces of the HALO 2800 – and sold out in 4 hours on Black Friday weekend in 2012. “It broke the record, shut down their computers, their servers crashed.”
Miller wanted to sell a million pieces the next year, but QVC balked and said their servers couldn’t handle it. But they did agree to 380,000 sets of two chargers which also sold out, once again breaking a record. HALO is in the QVC Hall of Fame.
“Today there are more than five million HALO users, and many are HALO heroes,” Miller said. He loves hearing great stories about people helping others in emergency
situations by offering a charge, and there are plenty of those to share.
One of the newer HALO products, the HALO Bolt 57720, fits in someone’s hand and can be tossed into a purse but is powerful enough to jumpstart up to 215 cars – and then still charge a cellphone. It’s sold in black graphite, but also blue Moroccan and pink floral.
Miller said he’s heard thousands of stories about the devices. He shared one from a woman who offered to help a guy whose pick-up truck wouldn’t start. “What are you going to do with that flowery thing?” he asked her as she pulled a HALO device from her purse. “Start your truck,” the woman said. And she did.
Powering it forward by way of Main Street and giving back
HALO is now co-branding their products with high-end companies like Louis Vuitton and Bvlgari, companies that rarely if ever co-brand anything.
Today HALO is a global brand, the world’s largest portable power manufacturer, with a reach that extends to England, France, Italy, Japan, and Dubai. The international business has experienced 350 percent growth year after year, Miller said.
HALO continues to give back, and Miller said the company has donated more than $5 million to charities like OCRF, the Ovarian Cancer Research Fund Alliance. A “super Saturday” in the Hamptons last year alone raised more than $800,000 for OCRF.
“I think it’s very good karma to do it. I
definitely believe in giving back to the community,” Miller said.
“Powering it Forward” is HALO’s goal for the future, and “Power your Favorite Cause” will be a new feature of their website, and integral to the company’s future as well.
As for the direction that sales is taking, Miller said that’s becoming community-focused, too.
“We’re getting back to Main Street. We want to be in West Hartford, showing support for the community, saying ‘this is your brand, this is your hometown,’” Miller said. Most people see HALO as a tech company that’s growing all over the world, but don’t know it’s locally-based.
HALO has had its headquarters in Glastonbury but purchased an 1850s (that’s not a typo) building at 6 Central Row in Hartford. “We are super-excited to move on Jan. 1,” Miller said.
They are also getting involved with the community by sponsoring events, donating “power to socialize,” creating special edition HALO devices like the We-Ha branded charger. “We’re excited to be involved with We-Ha, and Vineyard Vines,” he said.
Miller said he’s looking into collaborations with local restaurants, too.
“It’s harder to make the product in limited quantities, but we’re going to do it.”
He encourages organizations to contact the company about involvement in events. (Email Miller’s assistant, Dominique Travali, dtravali@halo2cloud.com)
Miller bought a 1930s home in West
“Today there are more than five million HALO users, and many are HALO heroes.”
-Garold Miller, HALO CEO
photos courtesy of HALO
“The HALO name comes from my first angel pin business. It’s protective and all about giving back.”
Hartford two years ago and restored it. He loves living in West Hartford, and said his wife and four daughters do, too.
“They love the town, the restaurants and cafes. It’s all so close,” he said.
People see a product on TV, but Miller thinks these days many are more likely to buy it if it’s available locally, on their own main street. One other focus is educating consumers, and sending the message that people shouldn’t just plug anything into their phone. There are plenty of copycat portable charger products, but Miller said there’s a big difference between those and what HALO sells, and many could ruin a phone or other expensive electronic device.
Miller laughed as he talked about the lecturing on entrepreneurship he’s doing now at Brown University as well as Endicott College, where one of his daughters is a student. His mom is shocked, but he told her that lecturing was the only way he could get there.
“I went to the school of hard knocks. If I had had school smarts I could have gone further,” he said. He tells his kids that it’s better to do both.
Miller said that two of his daughters are very creative and aspire to be entrepreneurs. One wants to be an FBI profiler and his 13year-old wants to be a doctor.
“I made it to the Ivy League, even though I dropped out.” ■
The Art of Outdoor
-Garold Miller, HALO CEO
Great Rooms
by Jeff Hodges
In 2011, Dan Weinstein and Garold Miller and partnered and launched Halo2Cloud LLC.
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Happy Holidays!
I read this recently, and did some fact-checking and it appears to be true. “Why do I wish people ‘Happy Holidays’? Because from November 1 to January 15 there are approximately 29 holidays observed by 7 of the world’s major religions, and I don’t think mine are the only ones that count.”
On another note, if you wish me Happy Soulstice, Merry Christmas or Happy Chanukah because those are your holidays, I will be glad to share in the joy with you, and this year we can celebrate Christmas and Chanukah together!
DAZZLE is full of wonderful “wrap-it-and-tie-it-with-a-bow” gift ideas from the greater West Hartford area, including a few small businesses. Please shop local and support your neighbors.
Thank you to merchants in Blue Back Square, West Hartford Center Business Association, Elmwood Business Association, Park Road Association, Bishops Corner Neighborhood Association, and West Hartford Chamber of Commerce for sharing your special gift ideas and making our shopping experience enjoyable this holiday season.
We hope you find time to visit many of our advertisers and featured merchants –and tell them you were DAZZLED!
Please have a safe, happy and healthy Holiday Season!
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nurturinghandsllc.com
HOLY LAND SANDS CANDLEHOLDER
Complete with sand from the holy land, this candle holder is ready to gleam like a campfire in desert night. Recycled bottles are smashed into pieces and melted in high temperature ovens. In Phoenician glass blowing, artisans add substances to the molten glass, creating a range of colors within each piece. Working with this process takes an especially skilled hand, and is reserved for the true masters of the art. Each piece has its own unique blend of color and pattern. $34.99
TEN THOUSAND VILLAGES
967 Farmington Ave. 860-233-5470
MOOD LAMP
This mood lamp features a poem about the meaning of home. The lettering becomes magically more visible when the light is turned on. $49.99
TEN THOUSAND VILLAGES
967 Farmington Ave. 860-233-5470
CANDLE LUMINARIES
th Anniversary to Ten Thousand Villages, a long-time staple in The Center
Add a warm glow to your holiday decor. This metal luminary in a vintage verdigris finish has a glass insert and can be used with votives, taillights or pillar candles.
POMPANOOSUC MILLS
21 Brace Road
860-561-5207
www.pompy.com
860-561-5207 www.pompy.com Happy
STOKES FIRESTARTERS
A great stocking stuffer made with all natural and recycled materials, including sawdust from Pompanoosuc Mills. Use for starting fires in fireplaces, wood stoves, grills, campfires and outdoor fire pits.
POMPANOOSUC MILLS
21 Brace Road
MANGO WOOD BOWL
The natural finish of high-quality mango wood is complemented by the sheen of gold leaf. This unique design is brought to Ten Thousand Villages by the artisans of Noah’s Ark International Exports, creating opportunities for makers living in and around Moradabad, India. $89.99
TEN THOUSAND VILLAGES
967 Farmington Ave. 860-233-5470
MIKUTOWSKI VALET BOXES
Hardwood valet boxes, remote control boxes and jewelry boxes. Meticulously handcrafted in Michigan with many different woods, in many styles. No stains are used, the wood's natural color and grain are allowed to shine through.
Add unique beauty to your holiday list or your own decor with these embellished gourds. The inside of this gourd bowl is lined with variegated gold leaf and the outside shell is painted with metallic acrylics, inks, and covered with a protective shine.
SPIRITED TOUCH GOURDS
Marilyn Holt
860-985-0563
Spiritedtouch.com
“SMITTENS” FOR KO FANS
If you have a Kingswood Oxford student or alumni on your shopping list, take a look at these mittens, handmade from upcycled sweaters with fleece lining and a KO crest is embroidered on the top. Each pair is slightly different.
KO & Co. SCHOOL STORE
170 Kingswood Road www.kingswoodoxford.org
Through the Rwandan Peace Basket project, over 2,000 women were provided work and paid a fair wage for each basket made exclusively for doTERRA. The “Gift of Peace” set includes an ornament-sized basket and a 5mL bottle of doTERRA Peace Blend® essential oil. Contact Joy for more information.
doTERRA WELLNESS ADVOCATE
JOY TAYLOR
www.mydoterra.com/joyls
GIFT OF PEACE
NOT JUST ANY SOCK - THESE ROCK!
Marcoliani Milano Men’s Pima Cotton Socks. Add a vibrant touch to your wardrobe with striped socks crafted in Italy from a stretch cotton blend. Mid-calf height. Cotton/nylon.
DASWANI CLOTHIERS
959 Farmington Ave.
860-561-4435
FASHIONS FOR THE HOLIDAYS
Dazzle everywhere you go with this sequin teal dress from Soprano. Sleek and elegant with a bit of sass. On the right, a crushed velvet dress in champagne by Ecru Lab is the perfect dress for an elegant holiday party. Accessorized with a matching crushed velvet choker.
OOH LA LA BOUTIQUE
80 Memorial Road
860-236-4444
COOKIES!
Custom cookies will make any age smile! Cookie platters include fresh baked cookies and seasonal dessert goodies decorated with candies, ribbon candy and decoratively wrapped in cellophane with a beautiful bow.
Custom Santa Cookies $8 each Assorted holiday cookie platters $45+
CAFÉ LOUISE CATERING
1156 New Britain Ave. 860-561-0160 www.cafelouise.com
MACARONS & A YULE LOG
If you’ve never actually eaten a Yule Log, make this season the start of a new tradition. And the macarons are the real deal from this ‘French’ bakery right in West Hartford Center.
LA PETITE FRANCE
967 Farmington Ave. 860-231-9255 www.lpfcafe.com
CHEERS!
We discovered a wine theme among the festive decorating ideas at West Elm in Blue Back Square. No wine-ing with this gift basket (left). Unwine with some Rewind candles (below left). “Cozy on up” decorations and accessories (below right).
WEST ELM 91 Memorial Road 860-231-7781
“TASTE” OF THE TOWN 4-PACK
The popular neighborhood “Taste of” events are a great way to sample foods from a whole region of town, all under one roof! Now you can order tickets for all four events as one gift pack. Four pack of tickets is $120 in advance. Regular price at the door is $40 each, or $160 total. (Dates subject to change)
www.we-ha.com/store
GIFT THAT REALLY KEEPS ON GIVING
Anytime Fitness is designed for the busy lifestyle, providing 24/7/365 access to exercise through use of your own security-access key. Talk about no more excuses! Gift cards available for any of the programs for current members or future members.
ANYTIME FITNESS
340 N Main St
860-570-0123
LET EFFIE’S DO THE COOKING
From Spanikopita and salads, to pies and cakes, let Effie’s do the cooking for your next event or family affair. You just need to pick it up! (Keep them in mind for an award-winning “Best of West Hartford” breakfast before you shop!)
EFFIE’S PLACE RESTAURANT & CATERING
91 Park Road
860-233-9653
TENNIS ANYONE?
Looking for the perfect gift for the tennis player in your life? Look no further than the Racquet Koop, with 4 models to choose from the new Wilson BLX Blade is an excellent choice!
RACQUET KOOP
1131 New Britain Ave. 860-232-9271
NEVER TOO COLD FOR ICE CREAM
A.C. Petersen Farms has over 40 flavors of ice cream to make your cone, sundae, or milkshake a delectable treat. The worth-the-trip famous hand whipped heavy cream is heavenly, and don’t forget the gourmet hot fudge!
A.C. PETERSEN FARMS 240 Park Road 860-233-8483
OUTDOOR FIREPLACE
Custom designed to fit your space and your lifestyle, the amazing outdoor firelplaces, BBQs and fire pits by Jeff Hodges will get you to use your patio again! Perfect for hanging out with friends and family .
JEFF HODGES LANDSCAPEs www.jeffhodgeslandscapes.com 860-295-3302
AROMAS IN COFFEE BOOK
“Aromas in Coffee Book” is the ultimate scratch n’ sniff gift for coffee lovers! This beautifully designed art book consists of 4 colorful pages profiling 16 flavor components. It is co-authored by West Hartford author, Joseph Charles Epstein. The book retails for $24.95.
J. RENÉ COFFEE ROASTERS
3320 Park Road
860-461-7858
WEST HARTFORD MAGAZINE
The gift that keeps on giving all year. Gift subscriptions just $35.
www.we-ha.com/subscribe 860-508-4032
WEST HARTFORD SODA
Created locally in small batches at New Britain’s
Soda. Available at Effie’s Place Restaurant and the We-Ha Pop-Up store.
WE-HA POP UP COMING SOON www.we-ha.com/store 860-508-4032
Avery
VINEYARD VINES WE-HA CLOTHING & ACCESSORIES
Show your West Hartford pride and embrace you inner (or outer) preppy! Available items include the traditional Shep Shirt (long sleeved comfort), in Navy for men and women, Polo shirts, adjustable hat (shown above), and the Classic Tote (shown right), D-Ring Belt and Tie area available in green or blue.
WE-HA POP UP COMING SOON www.we-ha.com/store 860-508-4032
HALO CHARGERS.
Charge your devices, and even jump start a care, when you are on the go. Really. (Left) Halo Bolt ACDC 58830 shown in Wood Grain, also comes in Black Graphite. (Above) Halo Set of 2 Shine in Blush/Blush Floral . (Above right) Halo Powerjam 6000 in Black. (Right) Halo Couture 5000 in Rose Gold.
shop.halo2cloud.com
www.we-ha.com/store
Creating Holiday Magic
During this festive season, the streets sparkle with holiday shoppers, well wishers, and, of course ugly sweaters! Holiday traditions vary, people celebrate in different ways, and businesses seem to incorporate some of the holiday magic to get creative and have a little fun along the way.
In anticipation of the annual West Hartford Holiday Stroll, a group of seemingly un-related businesses prepared for a photo shoot on a brisk cold night in November. In the streets, in the heart of West Hartford –with Lux Bond & Green’s gorgeous Roberto Demeglio jewelry and Carolyn Paine, founder of CONNetic Dance –dancers prepare for the camera as Katharine Ortiz, Creative Director of A Little Bird Told Me, checks the lighting conditions. A light snowfall fills the air as freelance photographer Alex Syphers captures the night scenes. That Girl stylist Kelly Hart made sure hair and makeup was just right.
Next, the group moves across the street and is joined by more CONNetic Dance performers for a costume change and preview for an upcoming Ugly Sweater Flash Mob, sponsored by Max Restaurant Group
“Marketing that ‘moves the dial’ is creative and captures the imagination,” says Katharine. “Our clients rely on us to create something different, and we are beyond fortunate to work with some of the best West Hartford businesses and be uniquely positioned to match them with local artistic talent which brings their brands to life. Of course,” she says with a smile, “showcasing products is the foundation of what
we do, but at this time of year there’s so much vibe to be captured, so why not have a little fun with it?”
During the Holiday Stroll, a group of cheering dancers in ugly sweaters jump up and down in front of the Showmobile Stage with unbridled energy after completing their flash mob routine in the streets during the finale of the stroll. Smiling and festive, they hand out Max Restaurant Group fliers to the crowd. A video of the performance is created for Facebook, to integrate the dance with the message.
Follow the players in this story on Instagram to stay up to date with what they are up to in We-Ha and beyond: @Birdsocialmedia @Maxrestaurantgroup @LuxBondGreen and @ConneticDance
FROM LEFT:‘That Girl’ Stylist Kelly Hart touches up makeup, CONNetic Dance performers pose in West Hartford Center, and ‘A Little Bird Told Me’ Creative Director Katharine Ortiz styles CONNetic Dance Founder Carolyn Paine’s jewelry. BELOW: CONNetic Dance performers during the West Hartford Holiday Stroll’s Ugly Sweater Flash Mob.
Bottom photo by KATHARINE ORTIZ. Top photos by ALEX
