This season, the Main Line is flourishing with coffee-infused cocktails, colorful needlepoint canvases and more.
Bluebird’s head distiller, Scott Gilbert, has been an avid roaster for 15 years, so this coffee-cocktail combo was only inevitable
Picture this: You stroll into a sunlit cafe for a strong cup of joe made from house-roasted beans and a flaky pastry, only to return later for a nightcap of creatively concocted cocktails. That’s the concept behind Ardmore’s new cafe and bar, Char & Stave (charandstave.com). “Coffee is the perfect morning drink to wake up and attack the day, while whiskey and cocktails are the perfect way to wind down and relax,” says Jared Adkins, the face behind the cafe as well as Bluebird Distilling. “We are now perfectly poised to bring this idea to life.” With a java and whiskey twist, Char & Stave’s sips are far from your typical pick-me-ups: Here, coffee is aged in whisky barrels and cocktails are classic or espresso, matcha and chai based, like the Four Grain Bourbon Old Fashioned. Under the same roof, customers can also peruse in-house beans and Bluebird Distilling spirits—needless to say, they have it all.
Co-owners Stephanie Barnes and Morria Winn
Summer tans are no longer temporarily slimming, thanks to Contour Body Studio’s (contourbodystudio.com) new Slim Spray Tan. Stop in the new Ardmore location, by co-owners Stephanie Barnes and Morria Winn, for this fat-burning tint: The cream is infused with Contour’s slim serum formula, so fat deposits melt away all while leaving behind a vacation-ready tan. “Our self-tanning serum helps to reduce the visibility of cellulite by stopping the fat cells’ ability to expand,” says Winn. “This allows for noticeably smoother skin while giving a sun-kissed, radiant glow.” To boot, the product is made only of organic, vegan ingredients like caffeine, aloe and essential oils, so nothing unwanted will sneak through your pores. The tan lasts 72 hours after application, leaving more than enough time to glow at a summer party or stun on the beach.
Zimolong’s inspiration for the business’ name comes from her gray stone home in Bryn Mawr, where Greystone Needlepoint was born.
It seems that everyone found a new hobby to start during the pandemic, and Shannon Zimolong is no exception. Previously the designer behind clothing line Dakota Martin in New York City, this Bryn Mawr native always had a passion for stitching. After feeling misplaced and off, she looked to needlepoint for balance—little did she know that it would lead to a business. Now known as Greystone Needlepoint (greystoneneedlepoint.com), Zimolong is spreading her love for the art to the area through colorful canvases and kits. New this month are bunny canvases, painted by Memphis artist Lee Long, which are a no-brainer to stitch for Easter tablescapes, as well as fig-patterned needlepoint bags. Designed with Zimolog’s custom colorway and local Lewis home store’s pattern, the bags are ideal for organizing on-the-go needlepoint materials. Plus, adding even more “spring” to your home are the Greystone’s logo canvases, painted by local Anne Fisher, featuring baby birds and flowers. “Flowers embody everlasting beauty, the peony symbolizes happy life, and the two birds signify community and calmness,” explains Zimolong. “The stem of the peony is a needle pulling through the canvas to create a beautiful bloom, all in my favorite color, blue.”
Photography by: Courtesy of Char & Stave; SSM Photography; Rachel McGinn Photography
