By: Keriann Russell, Fashion Insider, MainelyMara.com

We’ve all seen them – cute moms strolling their little ones around Back Bay or running errands with their tiny look-a-likes following close behind.  How is it that they work so hard (and you know they’re getting very little sleep!), but they still manage to look so cute?  With Mother’s Day coming up on Sunday, I thought it was only appropriate to chat with 3 of Portland’s fashionable moms about their style, what they think about this season’s trends and of course, motherhood!

MOM #1:  JENNIFER

Photo by Cathy of Cathy Clicks Photography

Jennifer’s blog, Cute Potato,  is a “Guide to Everything Kid-Friendly in Maine!”  As a mother of two (both under the age of 5), she shares with her readers all of the places and people that her family has discovered over time.  Jennifer is passionate about her family, the state of Maine and her writing (look for her upcoming piece in Maine Magazine next month!).  Much like the activities she plans for her family, she has a fun style that’s all her own.

How would you describe your style?

“I like mixing classic pieces with fun, colorful accessories like bold necklaces & shoes with cute embellishments.  I’m also a sucker for a great print.”

In your closet, what is your go-to outfit for Spring/Summer?

“I found a navy and white sweater dress with three-quarter sleeves at H&M.  I love that I can wear the dress with a belt or pair it with pants when it’s cooler outside.”

What do you love most about being a mom?

“I love going on little adventures with my kids.  Now that it’s getting warmer, we’ll take a few family road trips to places in Maine we have yet to explore.”

MOM #2:  MICHELLE

Michelle is the manager of Bliss and has worked there since they opened their doors 9 years ago.  She is a buyer for the store, so it’s no surprise that her style and eye for fashion is amazing.  As a mother of two little girls (Isabella is 6 and Penelope is 21 months), she balances family and work like a pro.  She even has her own jewelry line called “My Little Anchor,” which she sells in Bliss.  Her creations include beaded earrings and hairpins adorned with new and vintage treasures.  Manager, designer and mom – she really does it all.

How would you describe your style?

“My style can be best described as casual, carefree comfort consisting of textured, neutral-colored layers.  Everything in my wardrobe works together which is great for my busy on-the-go lifestyle.”

What is your favorite accessory for Spring/Summer?

“I ALWAYS have a scarf with me!  A scarf can take a simple outfit to another level.  My most recent scarf purchase is a wispy, striped linen Epice scarf.  It will surely be a staple in my wardrobe for months to come!  I also can’t live without my Chan Luu wrap bracelet – my arm feels naked without it!”

What is one of the best parts about being a mom?

“I love watching my girls grow into their own personalities.  They are alike in so many ways, yet they are into really different things.  They keep me on my toes and make me laugh every single day.  The best part for me is knowing that as a parent I’m helping shape who they become.  All of the things they learn from me now will influence who they become in the future…which is really cool.”

MOM #3:  MARA

MainelyMara members know her for her great local offers and impeccable taste, but did you know she is a mom too?  Little Audrey was born last summer and since then Mara has been juggling her growing business and all the joys that being a new mom brings.

Describe your style – Has it changed since becoming a mom?

“I would describe my style as classic, feminine and on-trend.  Fortunately, I don’t think my style has changed since becoming a Mom (or at least I’ve been trying not to change!).  I don’t think there’s any reason to start wearing “Mom” jeans & sneakers just because you’ve had a baby.  In fact, I think it’s important to still take care of yourself & take pride in how you look to set a good example for your child.”

Now that the warm weather is finally here, what Spring/Summer trend are you most excited about?

“I am most excited to wear a romper this season!  I was very pregnant last summer (and I couldn’t find any maternity rompers!), so I was super jealous of all the cute ones I was seeing.  Lucky for me, they’re back for another season!”

What is one of your favorite things about being a new mom?

“Everything!  It’s so hard to narrow it down to one thing…I have loved every minute of motherhood since my daughter was born 9 months ago.  Some of my favorite things are that every day brings a new discovery – whether it’s learning to clap or feeling grass for the first time – it’s so incredible to see her discovering the world.  Another very fun thing is dressing her!  They make mini versions of all the big trends, from fedoras to boyfriend jeans, and I can’t resist putting her in all of them!”

To all you wonderful (and fashionable) moms out there – Happy Mother’s Day!

Q&A with Shannon Bard, Executive Chef/Proprietor of Zapoteca

We all know Zapoteca as being one of the hottest restaurants to hit the Maine food scene and for having an amazing selection of tequila (not to mention a to-die-for Habanero Watermelon Margarita).  But what many of us may not know is that the one behind it all is the stylish culinary expert, Shannon Bard.  MainelyMara was lucky enough to chat with this successful businesswoman to find out about her go-to recipes, working with her husband, and of course, her favorite spring trends. 

How did you get into cooking?  Were you born with a chef hat on or is it something that developed in your later years?   

Growing up in Oklahoma, it was always my job to help cook the family meals so I’ve always had a basic knowledge of cooking.   I actually didn’t develop a passion or appreciation of cooking as an art until I was an adult and began tasting the many intricacies of cuisine from around the world.    To me, cooking is relaxing and a way to release all of my creative energy.   There’s almost nothing that makes me more relaxed or fulfilled than taking the time to create a new dish.

How did you pick Portland to open your restaurant?  What was it about this city that made it a good fit?  

We knew we wanted to stay in Maine so opening a restaurant in Portland was a MUST.  Portland is truly a diverse city with a huge population of individuals that have experienced food all over the world.   We wanted to expand the already great restaurant scene and offer food that was currently not available in this part of the country.

You work with your husband, Tom, who manages the front of the house at Zapoteca.  How is it working as husband & wife together?  Any domestic disputes come into the workplace/kitchen (wink, wink)? 

Working with my husband as close as I do can be a challenge to say the least.   We are both very stubborn and focused but we also have a tremendous amount of love and respect for each other and have been together long enough to try not to take work discussions personally (although I do admit to not being as good at this as my husband is).  We also have a mandatory date-night every week.  This is our time to re-connect as a couple and remember what is really important and why everything at work and at home works.

Between the restaurant and being a mom of 4, you definitely have your hands full and must be exhausted by the end of the day.  What’s your quick & easy go-to dinner menu you prepare for your family? 

Pizza delivery!  But on the delivery driver’s days off, I love to make roasted chicken and potatoes.    It may not be quick but I love that it has minimal hands on time and is pure comfort food.  As an added bonus, we can even have chicken soup the next day.

Any advice for us amateur chefs attempting to cook at home? 

Be confident of what you know and don’t be afraid to not use a recipe.   Some of my kid’s favorite meals have been ones that I have thrown together at the last minute using everything from condiments to leftovers.  Oh – and don’t forget to season your food.  Salt is a MUST.

You have so many tequilas at Zapoteca!  What’s your absolute favorite one? 

I’m not a cheap date (at least that’s what my husband tells me) and my choice in tequila is no different.   I absolutely love the smoothness of Gran Patron Burdeous but at $80 a shot, I don’t get to enjoy it as often as I would like.

Food is somewhat similar to fashion in that it experiences its fair share of trends.  What food trends are occurring these days & how do you incorporate them into your menu at all? 

The local movement is still going strong and hopefully a trend that will be around for a long time.   At Zapoteca, we try to combine authentic Mexican techniques and local ingredients as much as possible.   A favorite for many customers is the Enchilada Camarones that uses local crab and shrimp combined with poblano peppers and cilantro.

Speaking of trends, what spring/summer trends are you most excited about this season? 

I love the new bright colors out this spring.   At work, I’m always in black and by the time I get home, can’t wait to put something on bright and cheerful.

When you’re not in your chef coat, what’s your go-to outfit?  What’s one item you can’t live without? 

In the winter, I love my tunics, leggings and boots.   They’re great to throw on after work and run errands in.    However, this spring I’m really into the bright colors.   I just bought a new bright tangerine blouse that I’m sure I will wear way too often.

What’s on tap for the future at Zapoteca?  What can we look forward to seeing this spring/summer? 

Zapoteca is always changing and evolving.  As far as drinks are concerned, we’re really getting into Mescal’s and are trying to work with the state to get more available locally.   As far as food, I’m working on the new menu now and am getting really excited about some of the new items.  Keep a lookout for some unconventional and surprising flavor combinations.

Q&A with John Guptill, Co-Owner of CHART Metalworks

You’ve seen their pieces around town, in magazines, and now even The First Lady has a piece.  CHART Metalworks has made a name for itself not only in Maine, but nationwide.  And it all happens right here in Portland at their studio on Pleasant Street.  MainelyMara was lucky enough to sit down with CHART Metalworks to find out more about this inspirational company. 

What was the inspiration behind starting CHART Metalworks?  Tell us how you’ve grown into having your products offered nationwide.   

Charlotte began creating jewelry as a creative outlet in 2002.  It was more of a vintage style with oxidized silver and pearls.  She was working a 9-5 as a loan officer in the corporate world and jewelry making provided her a means to tap in to her artistic side.  It was mostly as a hobby, she made about enough to support what her friends described as her “bead addiction.” 

In 2006 she began to seek a means to turn hobby into profession.  In one of the many programs, business classes and seminars she attended ranging on subjects from “How to write a business plan” to “Creating a trade show booth display” she had the opportunity to ask a well known figure in the jewelry world some advice about her line.  He said she was talented but that her work was too common for market.  She was slightly devastated and shut down the studio seeking inspiration.  A sailor with a collection of nautical charts lying around her home; one day she got the idea to incorporate the beauty of the charts into her work.  Not knowing how the idea would work, she didn’t want to cut into her Casco Bay, ME charts which served her well as navigational tools, so she cut into a random South Carolina and Georgia chart she had hanging around and made her first pieces. 

Later when displaying the initial results to a group of friends, one asked, “Wait, could I get Kettle Cove where I got married?”  That was the “aha” moment that brought the work to customized nautical chart and map jewelry.  She started slow doing some home shows and working with some local stores until in 2008 she left the mortgage business and opened CHART Metalworks with production taking place at a studio here in Portland called Running with Scissors and a small retail boutique outlet within O2 Salon on the corner of Congress and High St.  I, John (Charlotte’s Fiancé) joined shortly thereafter to assist with the growing orders and growing the business. 

In winter of 2009, an opportunity to collaborate with Sea Bags opened up which was a great fit, so we moved production and sales down to Custom House Wharf to share space with them.  Sea Bags provided us some good introductions and we also hit the road and the pavement, which allowed us to grow from Portland-based to more of a Maine and North East regional based company in 2009.  In 2010, we got some great National press in Coastal Living that really assisted in bringing us to the national scene.  In 2011, with more hard work, lots of travel and elbow grease, we continued to expand.  In June of this year we moved to our new studio at 1 Pleasant St, which provided us more space, to deal with the increasing business and for us to combine all of our production and retail into one building with the artist on site to assist customers and design custom pieces with them in real time.

You recently moved into a new studio on Pleasant Street.  Tell us about this new space and what customers can find there. 

The new space has been great because it provides customers the opportunity to interact directly with the artists for a truly unique shopping experience.  We have on display here available for immediate purchase a HUGE selection of Greater Portland and Casco Bay pieces (over 100 pieces).  We also keep on hand our complete Petite Necklace collection, which has become very popular this year! 

One of the greatest aspects about the new studio is our new interactive design station where our customers can design their custom pieces in real time with the artists.  They can view exactly what their desired piece will look like and once we get started making it right away, providing quicker turnaround times on custom pieces.  

What are your best-selling products? 

Our Small Silver Pendant on Ball Chain (1” diameter, size of a quarter) is always right on top.  Our Cuff Links and Key Rings are always very close and the perfect gift for that man on your list who has everything.  Our Petites are doing really well.  The best sellers for Christmas this year were between the Small Silver on Ball Chain, Silver Cuffs or the Key Ring.

You must hear some amazing stories as you’re designing pieces for your customers.  What’s the most romantic story you’ve heard?  Most unique?

Romantic:  (From Mac M) “My wife and I have always been in love with the ocean (swimming, sailing, fly fishing, sunbathing, boating, etc.) and we love Ferry Beach…it’s a beautiful location, relatively uncrowded (or it used to be) and the fishing is also very good.  It kind of became one of our special places…swimming/bathing/fishing in the summer, x-country skiing in the winter, walks year-round, etc.  Our dogs love it there too. 

During the summer, they have these planes that drag banners advertising this and that flying up and down the beach from Saco to Scarborough.  I arranged to have one of those planes drag a banner that proposed to my wife…it said “Jill will you marry me?  I love you” and I brought the ring and some champagne to the beach.  At the designated time, the plane flew by very close to us, I drew my wife’s attention to it and she was blown away.  I produced the ring (carefully, cleverly hidden in my fly box…a place I knew she’d never look) proposed and of course she said yes.  The whole beach knew it was us and everyone clapped and cheered as I popped the champagne and poured…cool huh?”

Unique:  We had a woman request a destination where she had once vacationed and always loved but never returned there.  She had decided that with even only this one experience she would retire there.  To make this a reality she decided she would have to have us create her a piece so people would ask her “why do you have that location,” she would have to tell the story and then would be held to make the dream a reality.

What’s the most interesting piece you’ve ever created?

Cuff Links with one link featuring the tip of Chile from where the purchaser departed and the other featuring the point in Antarctica where he landed.

Speaking of interesting pieces, we heard you designed a piece for the First Lady!  Tell us more about Michelle Obama’s piece. 

A very dear friend through a long line of connections provided us the opportunity to possibly have a piece delivered to the first lady, a sort of “Jimmy’s best friend’s cousin Johnny’s second wife’s sister-in-law once removed may be able to give this piece to Michelle Obama when she’s here in town,” so of course we jumped at it!  We created a piece featuring the South Side of Chicago to where her roots run deep and we hear it was delivered and appreciated. 

You have a new studio and are growing/expanding every day.  What’s next on the horizon for CHART Metalworks?

Next year we will continue to expand our wholesale account basis across the US and internationally (hopefully).  We’re going to add a few more boat shows to the list, we do really well with that crowd and it’s great to be able to interact with your customer face to face, hear their stories and their kind and supportive words.  We’ll also be working a bit more on the new studio and trying to get the word out there and bring more people through the door. 

One primary goal is to train our Terrier-Corgi mix Riley a bit more in customer service and to not bark as much at everyone so he can accompany us a bit more to the studio like he used too, however, if you come by and find we have not yet been entirely successful at this task, don’t fear, he doesn’t bite and if you bring a treat, he’ll be forever your friend!

The two of you are engaged and business partners.  How is it working together as fiancés?  Is there a wedding on the horizon?

Ummm…. this December will mark the 3^rd year anniversary of what a lot of our friends describe as a perpetual engagement.  We’re STILL engaged even through working together all this time.  Another really nice feature I forgot to mention about the new studio is separate offices with closing doors; I think this has done wonders for our relationship (jokingly).

Even though we live and work together, we are still best friends.  You’ll be apt to catch us leaving work and walking up Pleasant Street home together, catching a bite or drink at one of our favorite spots on a Friday or Brunch on Sunday.  We’re very rarely without the other, unless I’m on the road at a show, which is hard.  We do not have concrete plans for a wedding at this point, but it is on the horizon!

What’s one thing about CHART Metalworks that people may not know?

I don’t believe everyone knows that we’re just two hardworking people from Maine who live right here in Portland, hand cast and craft all of our pieces right here and seek to make something successful for us, our workers and community. 

I also don’t think everyone knows with the new studio that we are now very accessible and want you to come visit, say hi, shop our selections and design your very own piece right here in Portland with us.

What is the most rewarding part of having your own business?

Having something that started as just an idea and seeing it grow & touch so many people.

How has Portland influenced/assisted your business?  What do you love most about the city?

Well Portland is where I was born, where we now live, literally a block from the studio, where we work and play.  We’re a one-car family and it’s typically only used for grocery shopping and travel to shows.  I don’t know many other communities that can support that kind of life style while still having a small town feel and lots of nice people. 

On the business side, Portland really seems to support the creative economy, from a larger than normal customer base for the arts and hand made goods to a huge community of jewelers and small business people not only willing but eager to share information and tricks of the trade to a large pool of talented and creative professionals enthusiastically willing to work with us.  Portland has definitely assisted the growth of our business.