Wellness

The Hormone Whisperer

Menopause Expert Jackie Giannelli is Helping Women in Thrive Through Midlife Article by Katie Parry | Photography by Kate Wark Photography Nobody warns you it will feel like this. Not the 3 a.m. wake-ups, heart racing, unable to fall back asleep. Not the brain fog so thick you blank on a name mid-sentence. Not the weight that appears out of nowhere, the flashes of rage that arrive without warning, the creeping sense that the person you used to be has quietly left the building. For women in...

Health + Wellness

Dear Denise: Strength, Truth, and the Space In Between

A Therapist’s Journey Through Breast Cancer—and the Courage to Face Life with Honesty, Resilience, and Heart” Article by Denise Santangelo When I first heard the words “you have breast cancer,” my world flipped upside down. I’ve spent my life helping people walk through fear, teaching them how to sit with uncertainty, how to regulate emotion, how to move forward when life doesn’t go according to plan. But there’s a quiet, humbling truth no one prepares you for, when you’re the one facing the...

Wellness

Pro Skin Studio

Olena Gavrysh Brings the Art of Buccal Massage to Ridgefield with Customized Facials and Advanced Skincare Article by Katie Parry | Photography by Natasha Fleming Photography It begins like a regular facial. You’re lying on a spa bed with soft music playing, drifting toward relaxation as the esthetician massages your face. Then, suddenly, the gloves go on—and she reaches inside your mouth. It might sound awkward, but it’s actually an intraoral therapeutic technique called buccal massage. ...

Life + Culture

Studio Maria Mayer Feng

Preserving Memories In Heirloom-Quality Books—Because Life Is How We Remember It Article by Katie Parry | Photography by Annie Fandl Photography Since photography was invented, images have existed as physical objects. Daguerreotypes, tintypes, film, paper. They lived on walls, in dusty frames, attics, and antique stores—fragments of history, sometimes the only physical reminder of a life lived. Digital photography revolutionized how people hold onto their memories. While our days are now...

Home + Design

Rowe Construction

Built Around People, Not Just Projects Article by Katie Parry | Photography by Abby Cole Photography A beautifully renovated space has a quiet confidence. Nothing feels forced or accidental. Everything works. What’s hidden beneath that simplicity are the hundreds of decisions it took to get there. Permitting, engineering, material selections, scheduling, and budgeting—each piece handled by different professionals who are focused on their specific role. And while that expertise is essential...

Home Services

More than Mulch

The Sweet Peet Story: Soil, Sustainability, and Loyal Locals Article by Katie Parry | Photography by Veronica Green Photography The first time Chris Tartaglia dumped a load of Sweet Peet mulch for a customer, she took one look at it—and lost her shoes. “She was ecstatic,” he says, laughing at the memory. “She kicked her shoes off and danced in the mulch pile. I remember thinking—OK… we might be onto something here.” More than two decades later, that “something” has grown into a beloved...

Arts + Culture

More than Musicals—The Mission Behind A.C.T. of CT

Where Professional Theater and Community Connections Meet Article by Katie Parry When A.C.T. of CT (A Contemporary Theatre of Connecticut) opened its doors in 2018 with a sold-out run of Mamma Mia! , it signaled more than the arrival of a new theater—it marked the beginning of a bold new chapter in Ridgefield’s cultural landscape.  While Ridgefield Playhouse has long drawn diverse audiences for acclaimed one-night concerts and events, and Ridgefield Theater Barn has remained a cherished home...

Home + Design

The Book Barn

A Historic Barn, a Storied Bookshop, and the Couple Behind Its Restoration Article by Katie Parry | Photography by Kate Wark Photography When Amanda DiGiacomo and Jason Pastuzyn first saw the Book Barn, sunlight streamed through holes in the siding, and lead paint coated the walls and windows. But the space felt like kismet—as if it had been lying in wait for its next tenants to steward it through another chapter. Amanda, who grew up in North Salem, met Jason while the two were attending...

Home + Design

The Roof Specialists

How a Father-Son Team Turned Decades of Expertise into One of the Most Trusted Roofing Companies in the Area Article by Katie Parry | Photography by Jennifer Zarine Photography When Gabriel Loja first arrived in Connecticut, he did what many newcomers do: he worked wherever he could, learning a trade from the ground up. For Gabriel, that trade was roofing. Years spent installing shingles in summer heat, repairing storm damage, and mastering the details of flashing and drainage eventually gave...

Arts + Culture

From Branchville to Broadway

Lia Christina Makes Her Debut In Stranger Things: The First Shadow Article by Katie Parry At three years old, Lia Konstantakopoulos would climb onto her family’s coffee table, strike a pose, and proclaim, “I want to be on Broadway!” Most children who make such declarations spend a lifetime chasing them. Lia—who goes by Lia Christina professionally (“because my last name has 17 letters!”)—made hers come true in just seven years. Last fall, at age 10, she made her Broadway debut as Alice Creel...