The Inside Press

Magazines serving the communities of Northern Westchester

Chappaqua

Aura Salon: The Best Kept Secret on Upper King Street

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The first thing you notice outside the entrance to the Aura Salon on upper King Street is the beautiful flowers in the artfully arranged window boxes.

Once you step inside on the lower floor you’ll be welcomed by four vanities bathed in natural sunlight where make-up artists use the latest Aveda products to enhance your natural beauty. In the mood for beachy waves or a blowout? Check, the stylists can do that too using the high-end Dyson Supersonic blow dryers which have a built-in sensor to protect your luscious locks from any heat damage.

If you need a fabulous cut or color or mani/pedi without all those harsh chemicals, simply walk upstairs and let the magic begin at the salon.

The salon and beauty bar is owned by Leticia Villagran and Chappaqua mom Jenn Filardi. Jenn was actually a client of Leticia’s for many years when Aura Salon focused on hair and nails. Realizing that there was an unmet need for expertly applied make-up and blowouts that won’t break the bank, Leticia teamed up with Jenn to open the Style Bar in February on the first floor of the salon. Having worked in the city at fashion shows and with celebrity stylists, Jenn brings a wealth of knowledge about the latest beauty trends and loves creating updos, braids and signature blowouts, all at an affordable price point.

Both Leticia and Jenn have relatives in the beauty business. Originally from Guatemala, Leticia’s father and grandfather cut hair. She went to cosmetology school there where students learn everything from facials to applying highlights.

Once she came to the U.S., she obtained her license and still takes classes to stay abreast of the latest beauty treatments and trends. She has more than 20 years of experience in the beauty business. Jenn’s grandfather was a barber and says working at the Style Bar is “in her genes. It’s so much fun. It doesn’t feel like work.” She also enjoys educating her clients about the best products to maintain the health of their hair.

With the upcoming prom and wedding season, the salon is ready to pamper clients for special occasions. “We do communions and wedding parties from the bride to the youngest flower girls,” said Villagran. Parties of four or more get a 10% discount and if the client requests it, they can provide at-home services. But Filardi is quick to point out that Aura is also a great destination if you need express services like speedy make-up applications for a night out or a quick blowout on a more regular basis.Villagran and Filardi and their staff have trained with leading beauty experts at Bumble and Bumble, Vidal Sassoon Academy, Wella, the Aveda Institute and Organic Salon Systems. They are passionate about having staff take industry workshops and continuing education so that clients have access to the latest products and styles.

A member of the Chappaqua-Millwood Chamber of Commerce, the salon’s stylists have volunteered at several events at local schools including a new moms event at World Cup Nursery school and creating a Nordic braid bar at Seven Bridges International Day. They also are proud to have a Greeley senior Clara Perlmutter help them with social media through a LIFE School internship program. Many of the local businesses have helped them get off the ground by promoting their services. “The whole community has been very encouraging and helpful–a real communal effort! “ added Filardi.

PHOTOS COURTESY OF WILLIAM LULOW

Top 10 Financial Tidbits

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BY SCOTT M. KAHAN CFP®

  1. Join your company’s retirement plan and try to contribute as much as you can. Make sure you are contributing enough funds to get the maximum matching contribution from your employer.
  2. One of the greatest gifts you can give is to help pay the education costs for your grandchildren. Any gifts, regardless of how large, made to anyone for the purpose of funding education, do not incur gift taxes as long as the payment is made directly to the educational institution.
  3. Update your estate planning documents. Protect your health and your wealth with a health care proxy and durable power of attorney. Make sure your will and trusts leave money to the correct people.
  4. Maximize your tax deductions. Donate items you don’t need to charity. If you expect a large income tax refund, change your withholding tax so you get more per month in your paycheck and less of a refund.
  5. Buying low and selling high is a lot easier said than done. Have a solid rebalancing strategy in place that helps take the emotions out of investing.
  6. A shorter mortgage isn’t always better. Consider taking a long-term mortgage, and then make additional payments when you can. If things become financially “tight,” you can stop making additional payments.
  7. Protect tangible assets with the right amount of homeowners, automobile and liability insurance for liability and disasters.
  8. Withdrawing retirement plan assets before age 59½ may lead to a 10% penalty; not withdrawing enough after age 70½ may lead to a 50% penalty. Moral of the story? Know when to make withdrawals.
  9. Pay yourself first. As you set your budget each month, set aside money for savings and fixed expenses first. What’s left over can be used for other purposes.
  10. Like regular checkups with your physician, regular reviews with a Certified Financial Planner professional are important to your financial “health.”

Scott M. Kahan, is a Certified Financial Planner® professional and President of Financial Asset Management Corporation, a fee-only wealth management firm located at 26 South Greeley Avenue in Chappaqua. Call Scott Kahan at 914-238-8900.

Artist Danielle Leventhal on Painting… and the Excitement about the 3rd Annual Art Around Town

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By Danielle Leventhal

Villa, 2017; Oil on canvas; 30 x 40 inches  By Danielle Leventhal

I’m thrilled to be participating in the third annual Art Around Town event in Chappaqua. When this event first started, I was a junior at ‘WashU’ in St. Louis, where I studied painting and art history. I never guessed that I would be able to exhibit my work in the town I grew up in after moving back to New York last May.

Le Jardin du Roi is the perfect place to show my work. I have so many fond memories of birthday brunches, reunions and family dinners at Le Jardin. The work I’m showing for this event is a mix of some older pieces from school and new paintings. In college, I focused on portraits, and my thesis was a zeitgeist collection of paintings that I did based on live-sitters, all female students ages 18-22.

I was interested in the brain and the human ability to be naturally empathetic, and how we can intuitively tune in to another person’s emotions and intentions. Since then, I’ve gone on to explore other subjects in my paintings, including places and landscapes from my memory and old photographs. In all of my work, I am exploring color theory through the application of paint, layers of printmaking and mark-making.

 

Greeley grad Danielle Leventhal received a BFA in Painting, with a second major in Art History, from the Sam Fox School of Design & Visual Arts at Washington University in St. Louis in 2016. She works in the mediums of oil paint, watercolor, and printmaking. Ms. Leventhal is the recipient of the Jeffrey Frank Wacks Scholarship for Fine Arts, the Mary Cowan Harford Award in Watercolor, and the Scholastic National Silver Medal for Painting. Her paintings and prints will be up the month of June.

3rd Annual Art Around Town Comes to Chappaqua

 

 

 

3rd Annual Art Around Town Comes to Chappaqua

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Artists to show their recent works at over 25 merchants in Chappaqua

Every art lover will find a work to enjoy in the Northern Westchester Artists Guild show this June, as the 3rd Annual Art Around Town comes to Chappaqua.  Art Around Town features some of the best local artists from the Tri-State area who are hosted by the generosity of 25 plus merchants in Chappaqua and highlights the diversity of area talent.

The event kicks off on Thursday June 1st at 5 p.m. and the opening night festivities will go to 8:30pm. HGSH Acapella group will be preforming and all the participating merchants will have mini receptions in their stores. Visitors can pick up an event map of participating merchants and artists at the main tent in front of Desires By Mikolay.

Art Around Town is easily enjoyed by the community. The art will be available for viewing and purchase during June and in conjunction with each establishment’s business hours, or by appointment. The event will conclude at the end June. During the opening hours artists will also have small works and objects d’art, related to their practice for sale.

The Northern Westchester Artists Guild is a group of artists from the Tri-State area, bringing their creative arts to venues around Westchester’s neighborhoods. Both emerging and established artists present their work allowing viewers the opportunity to appreciate and purchase quality art one can live with.

For more information, visit https://www.nwartistsguild.org

Relay Reflections…

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… and Hope Following the 10th Annual Relay for Life of Chappaqua     

Article and Photo by Gillian Hand

On May 20th, the field in front of Bell Middle School was transformed. Tents and tables sprung up across the property as Greeley students prepared to spend the night at one of the most anticipated fundraising events of the year: the 10th Annual Relay for Life of Chappaqua. All night long, these participants would walk in support of cancer patients, raising money for research and fostering hope for a world without cancer.

The dedication to finding a cure runs strong in this American Cancer Society event, bringing communities together across the globe and right here in Chappaqua. Although no words can do it justice, this Relay for Life slogan is a true testament to the nature and goals of this inspiring event: “Celebrate. Remember. Fight back.”

2017 marked the tenth year of Chappaqua’s participation in Relay for Life. For one decade, students at Horace Greeley High School have come together to raise money for cancer research and have walked the track throughout the night in support of all those who have been touched by cancer. This year, the reconstruction of the Greeley track and field facilities prompted the event’s move to downtown Chappaqua.

While this would mark the first year that the fundraiser would be held anywhere but the Greeley property, the new location of Bell Middle School enhanced community involvement and inspired increased participation of local merchants and residents. Although the Bell facilities do not include a track, committee members from the Greeley club worked throughout the day to prepare the grounds for the fundraiser and mimic the setup of past years. While it was certainly a change from the previous events held at Greeley, the Chappaqua administration partnered with the Relay for Life of Chappaqua executive board to help ease the transition and make the event the great success it has been in the past.

I served on the Relay planning committee and executive board throughout my four years at Greeley. Behind the scenes, this dedicated Greeley club prepares for the event throughout the year, organizes the setup and cleanup of the event grounds, and works tirelessly to ensure that the night runs smoothly. It has been an honor to not only take part in such an inspiring and worthy event, but to also lend a personal hand in the successful planning and execution of the fundraiser. Each year, I have been privileged to watch the event grow and develop at every stage, present for everything from the early months of planning to the sun rising over the field after a night of walking.

Relay for Life is extraordinary. By rallying behind friends or family members touched by the disease or simply staying the night despite heavy rain or cold temperatures, these students prove themselves year after year as true supporters of the cause. It is incredible to see students, families, Greeley faculty members, and other Chappaqua residents coming together in hope and support; Relay for Life of Chappaqua has shown me how successful we can be when we unite behind a common goal. Nearly everyone has been touched by cancer in some way, and with an event like Relay, the entire community can work together to foster change and progress in cancer research. While I am looking forward to continuing my participation in college, I am excited to watch Relay for Life of Chappaqua continue to grow and succeed. 

At the time of the writing of this article, the 2017 Relay for Life of Chappaqua had raised over $170,000 for the American Cancer Society, and this number will only go up. Relay for Life is something that both Greeley and Chappaqua as a whole can be proud of.

To donate to Relay for Life of Chappaqua, visit http://main.acsevents.org/site/TR/RelayForLife/RFLCY17EA?pg=entry&fr_id=79440.

 

Inside Press Intern Gillian Hand is a senior at Greeley.