Tag Archives: Rosebud Slumber Parties

Roundup: Traffic Survey, Fiery Crash, Real Estate University …

Posted on June 17, 2023 | 13 comments

It appears another traffic survey is underway.

Devices have been placed at various points downtown.

Results will be posted, when available.

Meanwhile, here’s an early finding: There’s a lot of traffic these days.

Traffic survey device at Post Road East and Myrtle Avenue. (Photo/Sal Liccione)

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Tragedy was averted at 8:30 p.m. Friday night. A northbound SUV driver on Newtown Turnpike went into the woods. The vehicle caught fire, but he was pulled out by a neighbor.

A nearby resident notes that young children live in the area. “The road is very dangerous, because drivers who use it as a cut-through speed by.”

The Fire and Police Departments, and EMTs, were on the scene. Eversource responded quickly, and replaced the downed power line.

Newtown Avenue car fire.

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LymanAID — the huge party thanking Westporters for their support of our sister city in Ukraine — has a booth at the Yankee Doodle Fair.

Stop by today and tomorrow to learn about the big event. It’s Sunday, July 9, 1 p.m. until dusk, at the Ukrainian-American Club, Post Road in Southport next to northbound I-95 Exit 19 entrance ramp.

There’s music, food, drinks, and much more. And it’s free — though there will be opportunities to help support Lyman through  raffles, a treasure sale, Yankee auction, coffee table book pull, plant sale, “LymanADE” stand and more.

VIP tickets are available too. Click here to register, and for more details.

Katya Wauchope, at the LymanAID booth at the Yankee Doodle Fair.

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Davide — the new Church Lane pop-up — is a year-old brand. Its first retail outlet features its second collection ever.

Davide (pronounced dah-vee-day) is the brainchild of Joseph Davide Tacopina. A Westport native (and son of one of President Trump’s attorneys), he attended Cheshire Academy and met students from around the world.

Inspired by his father’s ownership of several Italian soccer clubs, Tacopina’s collection blends “athletic culture” with pieces inspired by Marlon Brando and Lake Como. There is plenty of loose-flowing linen and silk.

The 24-year-old designer is self-taught. He chose Westport as the site of his first pop-up because it’s his home. He hopes to take it global.

Click here for more information; click here for the Instagram.

Joe Tacopina, with one of his designs.

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Wakeman Town Farm’s annual Family Fun Day is set for Saturday, July 8 (11 a.m. to 3 p.m.).

The event includes ice cream, pizza, burgers and dogs for purchase, plus cocktails for adults, cold lemonade and iced coffee. 

There’s a scavenger hit, bubble show, School of Rock music, and visits to the animals. 

Click here for tickets, and more information.

This guy is ready for Wakeman Town Farm’s Family Fun Day.

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There’s a new school in town.

Real Estate University — the school for aspiring (and current) real estate professionals, founded in 2005 by Karena Piedmont — has moved from Norwalk to Saugatuck.

The move felt right. She’s already trained scores of Westport realtors over the years. Classes are both in-person and via Zoom.

The address is “Saugatuck Lofts, 101 Franklin Street” — the exposed brick, co-working space in a former grain facility at the Westport Metro-North station, as you take a right at the end of Railroad Place. It’s literally “steps from the train,” for students who travel that way.

“There’s so much synergy here,” Piedmont says. “I share space with real estate attorneys and other professionals. I love being part of a community of like-minded, hard-working small business owners. I wish I moved here years ago.”

“And I love hearing and seeing the trains pass.”

There’s one more bonus: She’s also just a few steps away from “The Benjamin“: the Airbnb she owns at 35 Franklin Avenue.

Saugatuck Lofts

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Also new: the Westport Weston Family YMCA’s director of gymnastics.

Former USA national team gymnast Bryon Knox brings over 40 years of competition. coaching and program development to his new role.

Most recently, he was head gymnastics coach at Southern Connecticut State University. Before that, he led the University of Bridgeport to 6 straight NCAA Division II national championships.

Byron coached 70 USA Gymnastics/All-Americans, and 150 scholar-athletes. He is a former USA women’s national team coach.

He has been with the Y part-time since October, coaching the competitive girls team and instructing coaches. Click here for more information on the Y’s gymnastics program.

Byron Knox

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Rob Docters’ new book — “Ethics and Hidden Greed: Your Defense Against Unethical Strategies and Violations of Trust” — answers questions like, “How do we protect ourselves and our business interests from the unethical behaviors of others? Why doesn’t intuition serve as the best guide for detecting unethical strategies?”

The 1975 Staples High School graduate hopes to make people more aware of (and armed against) scams, as well as choosing more ethical choices themselves. (A strong animal rights activist, he covers the brutality of boiling lobsters alive).

Click here for details.

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Charles McGillion-Moore of Westport helped Norwalk’s Maritime Rowing Club to a national championship in the Men’s Under-15 Coxed Quad, at least weekend’s 28th USRowing Youth National Championship in Sarasota, Florida.

Other top finishes by  Westport and Weston rowers include Men’s Youth U-16 Coxed Quad, 4th place (Adam Turner and Matthew Lupinacci); Women’s Youth U-17 Quad, 6th place (Mina Leon); Men’s Youth U-17 Quad, 7th place (Jack Cushman); Women’s Youth U-15 Coxed Quad, 8th place (Syke Coats); Men’s Youth U-16 Coxed Quad, 12th place (Fox Parker), and Men’s Youth U-16 Eight, 18th place (Simon Meyers).

The regatta marked the final high school event for Maritime’s seniors, including Dan Kleeger and Lilly Murphy of Westport, and Justin Sun of Weston.

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Two years after taking over Rosebud Slumber Parties, Helen Martin-Elmer is expanding.

Rosebud has helped nearly 2,000 area children celebrate birthdays and special occasions with themed slumber, outdoor teepee and picnic parties.

This summer, they’re expanding to Westchester County. Click here for details.

A unicorn-themed party from Rosebud.

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It’s a dog-eat-dog world.

Or, at any rate, a Sherwood Mill Pond “Westport … Naturally” scene yesterday, where cormorants chased breakfast, and egrets grabbed whatever was left.

(Photo/Matt Murray)

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And finally … on this day in 1994, Los Angeles police chased OJ Simpson’s Ford Bronco for an hour and half. He finally gave up, and was arrested for the murders of his ex-wife Nicole Brown Simpson, and her friend Ronald Goldman.

(“06880” is your hyper-local blog — and a non-profit. Please click here to make a tax-deductible contribution. Thank you!)

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Posted in Children, Local business, Sports, YMCA

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Rosebud’s Slumber Parties And Sleepovers — COVID-Style

Posted on December 22, 2020 | 2 comments

The list of losses from COVID is large: Businesses. Jobs. Human contact.  Way too many human lives.

But there are small losses too. We don’t often think about things like missed birthday parties and sleepovers. But they matter — especially if you’re a kid, locked down at home and missing your friends.

Which is why the creative talents of Sarah Rose are so important. And so sweet.

She’s the brains behind Rosebud Slumber Parties. It’s a niche specialty, and she’s pivoted several times during the pandemic. But by planning, setting up (and cleaning up) themed events — even if it’s just siblings or one friend — she’s put smiles on the faces of many Westport children.

And their parents.

Sarah moved to Westport 4 years ago from England,, when her husband was transferred. With 3 young boys, she thought it would be “a great adventure.”

She settled in more quickly than she expected, thanks to new friends through preschool, the Compo playground, and her Kings Highway South neighborhood.

Sarah Rose, her husband and sons.

In Britain, kids’ birthday parties often take place at home. So she started a business: Rosebud Boxes. (When she was pregnant, her babies were called “Rosebuds” — a play on her last name. I told you she was clever!)

Sarah provided tableware, costumes and themes. But, she soon realized, most Westporters plan children’s birthday parties at other venues.

She heard about a company that did the same thing for sleepovers. No one was doing that here.

So in early 2019 Sarah began offering tents (handmade with her husband), sleeping mats, blankets, sheets, pillows, twinkling lights, star machines –the whole shebang.

There were 8 themes to choose from, like Harry Potter, unicorns and rainbows, Paris, sports. The age range was around 5 to 11. She did more girl parties than boys, but there were plenty of those too.

Then came COVID.

From mid-March through May, Sarah had no bookings. Yet when people  tentatively ventured back into the world, she was ready. She dropped boxes off at people’s homes, with instructions for how parents could set everything up.

Special delivery from Sarah Rose.

For a 7th birthday, one mother surprised her daughter with a themed tent — just for her. The little girl loved it.

Word spread. This summer, Sarah provided outdoor tepee parties. Each youngster had his or her small, individual tepee. But kids could sit on their own, socially distanced, Sarah-provided blankets outside. And they talked easily between them, all night long.

When the concept of outdoor movies took off, so did Sarah’s tepee business. Then she introduced low picnic tables, with themes like “English high tea” and “enchanted forest.”

Ruby and Rose Kovach enjoy a unicorn-themed party.

As COVID cases surged, parties moved back inside. Now the guest list might include only siblings and cousins, or perhaps a friend or two.

(Earlier this month, good weather allowed a party planned for a garage to move outdoors to a patio. Screened-in porches and pool houses are also good venues.)

It’s still “magical and fun,” Sarah says. And, with lower numbers, it’s more of a bonding experience than with tons of boys and girls.

After the Lehnerd-Reilly family read all the Harry Potter books out loud, they celebrated with a sibling sleepover for the oldest 4 children. Eva, Oscar, Orlando and Marku still tal about it.

Business is picking up. She’s hired Staples High School students to help. She also offers add-on packages, like a cookie service and children’s yoga.

“When parents see everything all set up, they’re blown away,” Sarah says. “They love the idea, and they’re just thankful they can do something for their kids.”

Even indoors, a tepee sleepover can be fun. Just ask Stella and Sloane Evans!

Sarah’s service has brought herself some unexpected joy too.

Growing up in England, she adored Melissa Joan Hart. When the former “Sabrina” actress — who last year lived in Westport — threw a Minecraft-themed party for her 8-year-0ld son, Sarah did the honors.

“From being a 13-year-old girls in a small English village, to planning a party for Melissa Joan Hart, was like a dream,” Sarah says.

Almost as dreamlike as providing a party — small, socially distanced, but a party none the same — for kids in this American suburban town, in the middle of a pandemic.

Sarah Rose and her staff, behind (from left: Staples student Ava Eckholdt, Cassy Callari (Greens Farms Academy), Kate Smith (Staples) and Sarah’s British friend, Helen Martin-Elmer.

(Click here for the Rosebud Slumber Parties website. Hat tip: Michele Sinacore)

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