| Thrive Entertainment Guide | Commercial & Editorial Photography | Decatur IL |

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Today I’m giving Decatur and Thrive Entertainment Guide some love here on the blog. Decatur has only been home for us since late 2010 so we haven’t even been here a decade yet, but I already feel rooted to this community and really would miss some of the great things this city offers if we were to ever relocate.

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One of the very first connections I made when I moved to town was with Katrina Smalley the publisher of Thrive Entertainment Guide, who I could gush about for days… Not only has Kat been excited about my business coming to the area since day one but she’s excited about this town and EVERYTHING going on in it! It’s her (and by extension, our) job to know about what’s going on in Macon county and make sure you guys do too. And I’m honored to be a continuing part of that effort through Thrive Entertainment Guide.

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I get to do a very eclectic style of work for Thrive with something a bit different every month. Often I get to cover and create images to tell a whole story (including a cover image!)…

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Other times I get to create portraits (like I love) of the movers and shakers doing big things right here in our little town. This is always a fun and challenging endeavor because, while I LOVE to create portraits, it can be a challenge to create a single portrait that shows you, the reader, who this person is as well as what they do or love. And I really push myself to keep these fresh, though there may be a Q&A portrait in every issue of Thrive I hope they’ll never be two that look quite alike (because these folks are all doing very unique and wonderful things).

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Still other times my contribution to the magazine drifts over to the commercial side with product images both for stories and for our supportive advertisers. And (hint hint) if you didn’t know already your ad in Thrive comes complete with my services to create images to show off your products to our readers! (Side note, my very own #BabyB has made about 3 appearances in Thrive already and you can see her twice below… it’s true, she’s a star!).

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And this past month, my husband even made a debut in the magazine as he was interviewed for a story on Macon Speedway and that’s his pride and joy custom-painted helmet you see (shoutout to INDOCIL).

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And occasionally… I mean VERY occasionally I get talked into writing for the magazine as well. Though ‘writer’ has always been a pipe dream of mine, I can’t say that it’s ever been something that comes easily so I admit I avoid it whenever possible. But when it comes with the promise of food and/or coffee who can say no?!?!

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And really all the best assignments come with FOOD (and friends)…

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Decatur really is a unique place and though it seems to get a bad (for some reason) it really is FULL of unique activities, chances for adventure in nature, entertainment from board games to art classes, theater shows to live music plus don’t even get me started on the park district activities and amenities (OMG so much to do!)… and so much more on the horizon (water park and ropes courses dude!). And if you ever have the thought that there is nothing to do in this city… pick up a Thrive (there are literally THOUSANDS available around town every month) and check out the center calendar, where you’ll also find some of my lovely clients!

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Because not only do I work for Thrive every month but it also works for me! Sharing and showing off my amazing clients and what we’ve been creating together.

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You can read these and all past issues of Thrive Entertainment Guide HERE.

Filippo’s Pizza & Pasta| Small Business Feature

This month it’s time to share with you a little hidden gem of the Mt. Zion area. I have to admit that while I’d heard whisperings of this pizza especially from my MTZ senior clients, it was my intern last summer who really solidified our need to include them as one of our small business features. Ms. Olivia touted them as a staple in their family and the place for the best pizza in town and I have to say I fell in love with the character and warm Italian welcome of this place as soon as I walked in. Not only did the smell of fresh homemade pizza sauce fill the air but nearly every inch of wall space was adorned with warm, adorable and often clever nicknacks. So now without further ado, I present to you Filippo’s Pizza & Pasta:

The Details: Klaus Koehne,Pizziaiolo at Filippo’s Pizza & Pasta | In Business: The restaurant has been here for 20 years, and I have been a part of it for about 15 of those years.

Hours: 4 PM – approx. 11 PM, Wednesday through Sunday| Location: 435 N State Highway 121, Mt. Zion, IL 62549| Phone: 217-864-4467

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Tell us about your business… What do you do? Simply put, we make pizza and pasta. You want the real skinny on us, then it is more complicated than that. Not a lot of places still make dough the way we do, using a recipe that changes based on how the flour crop was last year or if the weather is coming to be particularly humid. Our product is constantly being refined and tweaked, even after all of these years. The sauce is freshly made a couple of times a day, and with the way the owner taught me to do it, no measuring cups are used. It is a pinch of this and a scoop of that. There are subtle differences day to day, and that is something that pleases me so much!

Our pasta side of the kitchen just keeps getting better and better. Recently, the owner and the man who taught me everything I know about being a chef, Enzo Galbo, loosened the reins on our creative freedom a bit, and nothing has shined quite so brightly as our pasta chefs. On my side of the kitchen, the pizza side, I strive for synchronization. Sometimes an hour or so will go by on a busy night without a single word having to be spoken between my sous chef and I. The pasta chefs are the complete opposite. They are constantly talking about what they’re making with each other and bringing out tasting spoons to be certain that everything is at its peak. I think the dishwashers hate them a little bit for all of the extra spoons they’re washing every night.

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What makes your business unique/special? Our pizza is something else. All of our products are pretty great, really. But the thing I know more than anything else is pizza, and I have to admit that it still, after all of these years, gets me excited. One would think that eating pizza every day would get old, but it really doesn’t. We are unique and special and little snowflakes because you can see with our open kitchen everyone getting in the zone and really getting into cooking. Honestly, we aren’t ignoring you if you are at the window and we aren’t talking to you; we are just in the groove.

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What item/service on your menu or in your shop do you just LOVE and think everyone needs? Pizza. Everyone needs pizza. It’s no secret. I need pizza, you need pizza. Everyone needs pizza! Seriously, you do. Pizza is an old tradition and borders on a life style in some parts of the world. There are books on it, t-shirts about it, bumper stickers, etc. Pizza is the bee’s knees and you need it in your life.

In what way have you gone above/beyond in the past for a customer? Oy. Let me count all of the ways. Look, we say this all of the time to each other, because we all have friends outside of our little restaurant in the service industry: we are so lucky to have the customers that we do. Our customers genuinely the best, and we always do our best to make them the best product and find ways to better serve them. I want to find a specific example, but it is something that we try to do on a daily basis, so it is hard to pinpoint one example that stands out.

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What is the coolest thing you’ve ever had a client do for you? Again, our customers are the absolute best! You want the coolest thing? Nah. Let me tell you about what keeps us going. Sometimes we get little notes from our clients thanking us for doing this or that. We have some of them put up in the kitchen, and I catch my co-workers looking at them when they’re busy or stressed. It’s the little things that mean the most. Similar things occur with our Facebook reviews; they come up in conversation pretty regularly. It’s a nice pick-me-up on those tougher nights.

What tool/equipment/or other vendor could you not imagine doing business without? I kind of hate that it’s a dough roller. We have a rolling pin and we know how to use it, but man does that mechanical dough roller make our job easier. I have worked nights when the dough roller goes down and we are stuck rolling by hand and it slows us down quite a bit.

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What other local business do you just LOVE? Why? Ok, so it is no secret that we are a bunch of nerds at Filippo’s. The Hidden Lair just down the road has been a source of endless hours of post-work entertainment for us. Man, that place is great!

WHY did you choose to do what you do? Sam Jones said to me one day that his six-year-old self would be so proud of him for making every day a pizza party. Truer words… Honestly, I just love this place. It is something I can believe in. It put me through college (twice) and when the opportunity arose to run it and flex my cooking muscles a bit, I jumped at it!

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What are you passionate about outside of your business? I love art, particularly photography and writing. When I am not at the restaurant, you can usually find me chasing the next shot or in my office editing.

Introduce us to your STAFF

Benjamin Luchtefeld, pasta chef and head server: Benjamin has been with the business almost as along as I have. I think he has over 13 years under his belt.

Sam Jones, pasta chef. Sam is doing some next level stuff and keeps pushing the rest of the staff to do better.

Brandie Ewing, pasta chef: Brandie has a cooler head than almost anyone else I have ever met. She is unflappable.

Jordan Robertson, sous chef on  both pizza and pasta: Jordan is a switch hitter in the kitchen and can do just about anything. He is indispensable.

Wolfgang Stubblefield, pizza sous chef: Kolton and I have become so in sync that some nights we won’t speak for hours.

Alan Sharp, server: You may hear us all groan when Alan starts singing, but it really does keep us going. He really keeps moral in check.

Nick Rainey, server: If you spend anytime in the Decatur or Champaign area, you have undoubtedly run into Rainey helping someone. He never stops.

Clayton Schinzler, driver & dishwasher: Clayton is one of our newer employees. After just a week it had already felt like he was an old friend working with us for years.

Matt Ekiss, driver: We are going to be sad to see Ekiss go when he goes off to university. I think we all just feel better and cheerier having him around.

Konnie Bates, server: Konnie has been working in the MTZ serving circuit for so long that she fees like a pillar of the community.

John Farr, dishwasher: John keeps moral up; he always has a way to get us all to laugh.

Lucas Mays, server: Lucas has been with the restaurant since he was in high school, and now that he has graduated college he immediately came back.

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See the latest news at:

https://www.facebook.com/FilipposPizzaandpasta/

See our other past small business features to connect with more businesses in our area:

See more on our Facebook Page and follow us on Twitter @sjanephotog, Instagram @sjanephotograhy, and Snapchat @sjanephotog

If you’d like to have YOUR small business featured for FREE on the SJP blog (or know a small business we should feature) you can find details HERE!

 

| Skeff Distributing | Small Business Feature | Decatur IL |

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Today I get to share a HUGE small business based right here in Decatur. Just this last month I had the privilege to photograph their 50th anniversary celebration complete with a open house  banquet/dinner party and a Bose giveaway contest which all their attendees could participate. And I have to tell you that spending time with them over those two days of festivities I just LOVE the atmosphere they’ve cultivated. There is an attention to detail that I haven’t seen in a lot of places with trucks, a warehouse and offices that are pristine.

Being very goal driven myself I also loved seeing their goals for the year/month broken down and posted throughout the offices as well as their overall visions for each department displayed largely (like 8 feet tall guys) in their meeting room. There’s a pride and fellowship among the employees and owners that cannot be overlooked and it makes it a pleasure to work with them.

skieff, distributing, sip, commercial photos, small business featureThe Details: Skeff Distributing Company, Inc. | In Business: We’ve been in business since January 6, 1967. Over 50 years!

Hours: Office Hours are Monday-Thursday 8am-5pm, Friday 8am-4pm.  | Location: We distribute to 5 markets in East Central Illinois: Decatur, Springfield,Champaign, Danville, and Taylorville.| Phone: 217-877-3774

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skieff, distributing, sip, commercial photos, small business featureTell us about your business… What do you do? Skeff Distributing Company, Inc. was incorporated on January 6, 1967 to serve as the distributor for Anheuser-Busch, Inc. products. 48 years later, we have expanded our footprint to include the counties of Macon, Menard, Piatt, Champaign, Vermilion, portions of Logan and Christian, DeWitt, Sangamon, Moultrie, Macoupin, Montgomery, Morgan, Douglas, Edgar, Ford, and Iroquois in Central Illinois.

The company currently has 27 delivery routes in the Decatur, Springfield, Danville, Champaign-Urbana, and Taylorville markets to service around 1,800 customers. Team Skeff has expanded to include over 100 employees (both union and non-union) and distributes 70+ brand families.

skeff, distributing, sip, commercial photos, small business feature, beer decatur, What makes your business unique/special? Skeff Distributing is in a special position in business and industry because the product by its very nature is centered on good times and social gatherings. Not too many other businesses can say the same!

What tool/equipment/or other vendor could you not imagine doing business without? We could not do business without our suppliers, especially Anheuser-Busch our main supplier, or our customers. Without them, we would lack products to sell to our retail accounts and, by extension, their customers would have nothing to consume!

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A few years ago I had the chance to work with Skeff for the first time to create the large (6 feet tall) red focal canvas you see in their lobby (pictured below). This was a fun and different project for me though I often design large pieces and collages for my client homes this was the first in a while for a commercial office. 

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One of the coolest things to see as a consumer is the massive Skeff warehouse with stacks and stacks and stacks (and stacks…..) of beverages literally as far as you can see! I know I take for granted the fact that I can walk into any grocery store or gas station and pick up my drink of choice… well this, my friends, is what makes that possible! 

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And you cannot overlook the amazing memorabilia that adorns nearly every space at Skeff. This is an amazing look back through this history of some of their main suppliers: 

Lastly, I’m excited to share with you the Skeff 50th anniversary video:

See the latest news at: http://www.skeffdist.com/

See our other past small business features to connect with more businesses in our area:

See more on our Facebook Page and follow us on Twitter @sjanephotog, Instagram @sjanephotograhy, and Snapchat @sjanephotog.

If you’d like to have YOUR small business featured for FREE on the SJP blog (or know a small business we should feature) you can find details HERE!

Mint Salon | Small Business Feature | Decatur IL

You guys!!!!! I’ve been waiting excitedly to share Mint Salon with you. I’m a bit biased toward this gorgeous salon since my hair stylist (aka hair artist/magician) Katie is there but I have to say I’ve heard over and over again how much my clients and friends love all the gals here. And brides, seriously there is NOT a more adorable salon for you and they have the state of the art SalonTouch Studio software that facilitates communicating your desires to the hairdresser, perfect for getting ready on your big day!

The Details: Mint Salon, Brook, Randi, Katie, Lydia and Ashely  | In Business: 4 years

Hours: Vary per stylist on Tuesday through Saturday| Location: 363 S. Main St. Suite 409| Phone: Vary per stylist

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Tell us about your business… What do you do? We are a locally owned salon offering hair-cuts, color, specialty styles, makeup, facial waxing, nails and  pedicures.

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What makes your business unique/special? We stay up to date on current trends and styles. Also our salon vibe is a vintage chic style.

See clearly the rest of Decatur knows how awesome this place is! Voted #1 in the Herald and Review Reader’s Choice 2015:

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What item/service on your menu or in your shop do you just LOVE and think everyone needs? We LOVE a good blow out! It’s the perfect way to start off your weekend or to make it less work for you to style over the next couple days.

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In what way have you gone above/beyond in the past for a customer? We offer classes and parties for friends to learn new tips & tricks. This also gives them the opportunity to socialize and have a little fun with their friends.

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What is the coolest thing you’ve ever had a client do for you? We have had numerous great/cool things that our clients have done for us over the years. From jobs for family members, gifts, and concert tickets! We love our Mint clients!

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What tool/equipment/or other vendor could you not imagine doing business without?  OPI nail polish and Kenra hair products are our go-to products that we could just not do without!

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What other local business do you just LOVE? Why? Paco’s Sol Bistro and Donnie’s Pizza are our number one places to hangout and relax after a long week!

WHY did you choose to do what you do? We love people and love creating art out of hair.

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When did you know you wanted to go into this business? From a young age I think we have all loved makeup, hair, and fashion. This is the best!

What are you passionate about outside of your business? Family, friends, music and of course a little shopping addiction as well.

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Describe your PERFECT day… Brunch at the Blue Spoon, hanging at the pool with the family and some wine on the patio!

Introduce us to your STAFF

Brook Banning– I’ve been doing hair for 14 years!! My reward and fav thing being a hair stylist is styling out the finished product of my cut and color! Outside of hair I absolutely love traveling so I can enjoy my favorite things like quality time with my kids, shopping, dancing, the beach and music!

Ashley Brown– I’ve been doing hair for almost 4 years. I love doing bright and fun colors. When I’m not at the salon, I like working on my new house and lounging with my animals.

Lydia Gentry-Nail tech at Mint Salon. I have been in the industry for 17 years. I have been at Mint since we opened 4 years ago. I love being the best part of my client’s day!!

Kara Williams– My favorite part of being a hairstylist is doing Upstyles such as weddings & proms. A little fun fact about me…I started college as a music major, so I love singing and enjoy a good family karaoke session.

Randi Johnston– I’ve been doing hair for 10 years and I love new color trends especially balayage and hair painting. When I’m not busy with my toddlers I love crafting, playing with makeup and decorating my house!

Katie Fucinari-Hair and makeup artist. I have been doing hair and makeup for ten years and specialize in bridal makeup. When I’m not in the salon I love to spend time with friends and family! Fun fact about me is I would love to own a old school muscle car!

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See the latest news at:

http://www.mintsalondecatur.com/blog/

facebook.com/mintsalondecatur 

See our other past small business features to connect with more businesses in our area:

See more on our Facebook Page and follow us on Twitter @sjanephotog, Instagram @sjanephotograhy, and Snapchat @sjanephotog

Petals | Small Business Feature

It’s time to feature Decatur’s number one location for custom-personalized EVERYTHING! Petals is a full-service gift shop and they specialize in personalization (especially birthday t-shirts!). Monograms, team spirit, you name it they can do it!

The Details: Kari Calhoun, Owner of Petals | In Business: 8 years

Hours: Monday-Friday 10:00am-5:00pm & Saturday 10:00am-4:00pm | Location: 1351 Hickory Point Dr Suite C Forsyth, IL

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Tell us about your business… What do you do? We are a full service gift shop. We not only sell fun women’s clothing and accessories, gifts for men, school spirit wear and gifts for all ages we personalize these gifts for you. Monogram your items, create fun tshirts for baby to adult, embroider most items or let us design rhinestone shirts for fun or your school. Birthday shirts are our specialty.

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petals, gift shop, small business feature, sjp, sarah jane, forsyth il, forsyth, gift ideas, business photos

What makes your business unique/special?  We create custom personalized items. Infant, toddler, youth and adult. From special 1st birthday outfits to a funny tshirt for grandpa.

petals, gift shop, small business feature, sjp, sarah jane, forsyth il, forsyth, gift ideas, business photos

What item/service on your menu or in your shop do you just LOVE and think everyone needs? We love our custom birthday items. Tutus, diaper covers, bow ties, hats, banners, t shirts and onesies. Another fun item is our custom t-shirts. Funny sayings to business logos. We love helping you design something unique, fun and just what you want.

petals, gift shop, small business feature, sjp, sarah jane, forsyth il, forsyth, gift ideas, business photos

petals, gift shop, small business feature, sjp, sarah jane, forsyth il, forsyth, gift ideas, business photos

Tell us about YOU… WHY did you choose to do what you do? I decided 8 years ago to open a gift shop after leaving the medical field. It has evolved into a gift shop with personalization over the years.  We grow each year and are very thankful for our repeat customers and organizations. I am married to a wonderful man that shares my passion for Petals and creating new products.

When did you know you wanted to go into this business? It was just the time for me. I had always wanted my own business and I was in a position to change jobs or create my own. I chose the latter.

petals, gift shop, small business feature, sjp, sarah jane, forsyth il, forsyth, gift ideas, business photosIn what way have you gone above/beyond in the past for a customer? We help them get exactly what they want. Sometimes you have an idea and we can make it become a reality. Taking a gift and making it personal sets it apart from everything else.

 

 

What is the coolest thing you’ve ever had a client do for you? Become a friend. After 8 years in business some of my customers have become very close friends.

petals, gift shop, small business feature, sjp, sarah jane, forsyth il, forsyth, gift ideas, business photosWhat tool/equipment/or other vendor could you not imagine doing business without? I could not do what I do without my embroidery machines, vinyl cutter, rhinestone software and sewing machine. All these tools help me create customer orders

petals, gift shop, small business feature, sjp, sarah jane, forsyth il, forsyth, gift ideas, business photos

petals, gift shop, small business feature, sjp, sarah jane, forsyth il, forsyth, gift ideas, business photos

petals, gift shop, small business feature, sjp, sarah jane, forsyth il, forsyth, gift ideas, business photos

petals, gift shop, small business feature, sjp, sarah jane, forsyth il, forsyth, gift ideas, business photos

What other local business do you just LOVE? Why? I would have to say Dels and Giggles. I love knowing I can go to either one of these and find exactly what I am looking for. As a small business owner, I have no time and hate shopping online. It’s great to know I can get great gifts local with wonderful businesses.

What are you passionate about outside of your business? My family and friends. Owning your own business is 24/7 job and when you create and make 80% or more of the items you carry, it really becomes your life. My friends and family understand this and will even come and work with me to spend time with me. It very important to have a support system.

petals, gift shop, small business feature, sjp, sarah jane, forsyth il, forsyth, gift ideas, business photos

petals, gift shop, small business feature, sjp, sarah jane, forsyth il, forsyth, gift ideas, business photos

Describe your PERFECT day… I think my perfect day happens very often. Honestly not all days are great, things go wrong, stress happens and it is hard wearing so many hats in a business, but I love what I do. Opening my shop every morning and sometimes looking around and seeing how far I have come makes a perfect day.

 

Introduce us to your STAFF

Morgan Ground. High School Senior Maroa-Forsyth

Jessica Eastwood. Our newest employee who is skilled on creating embroidered items for our customer.

 

petals, gift shop, small business feature, sjp, sarah jane, forsyth il, forsyth, gift ideas, business photos

See the latest news at:

http://www.petalsgiftshop.com/

See our other past small business features to connect with more businesses in our area:

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