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Coffee with Creatives - June 2, 2025

June 02, 2025•10 min read

Featuring

Rebecca Bertoldi of My Local Marketing Shop & 222 Marketing

Coffee With Creatives: Sunshine, Design Stories, and Summer Vibes

Welcome to another lively session of Coffee With Creatives! Grab your favorite mug, settle in, and join us as we chat about design moments, weekend adventures, home projects, summer weather, and a splash of laughs with your favorite creative duo—Tara Braatz (interior designer) and Rebecca Bertoldi (marketing friend extraordinaire).

☀️ A Sunny Start: Mugs, Branding, & Water Vibes

Nothing sets the tone quite like a warm mug in hand on a bright Monday morning. Tara and Rebecca kicked things off by sharing their mugs of the day—each with a story.

Tara’s Pick:
A classic, black-and-white mug that adds a dash of style to her morning. The black-and-white scheme is not only a mug choice, but also a smart branding move adopted by some interior designers. As Tara mentions:

“My friend said her clients add the color. I thought that was pretty interesting.”

Rebecca’s Pick:
Rocking a Niagara Falls mug this morning. Why Niagara? Because, as Rebecca shares, sitting by the falls is a unique, calming experience—almost like the ocean breeze for some folks.

“When you sit next to the falls, it’s such a… like, you can just feel the water. For me, it’s very calming. I get calmed by the ocean and by water in general.”

Image here: Two coffee mugs, one with a black and white design and another featuring Niagara Falls.

🌊 Water, Shorelines, and Design Inspiration

There's something special about being close to water. Tara agrees—nothing brings relaxation quite like the shore or the ocean waves.

Rebecca and Tara agree: water is restorative, whether it’s the ocean, a scenic river, or an epic waterfall.

😂 Comedy Night & Shirt Fiascos

Rebecca sets the scene for a hilarious story from a recent date night. She and her husband Kyle took a special trip up to Massachusetts to see comedian Tom Segura. For fans who love a good laugh, the experience went beyond the stage—right into the merch line!

T-shirt Shopping Gone Wrong:
Rebecca and Kyle each picked shirts but avoided matching (because, as Rebecca jokes, “We’re not that kind of married couple.”). She ended up choosing a design she liked—only to discover, thanks to a stranger, that it mimicked the infamous Por*hub logo.

“So, I looked at Kyle, and I’m like, ‘Why is he saying it’s a pornhub shirt?’ He’s like, ‘That’s the logo.’ And I was like, ‘I didn’t know that!’”

The “shirt incident” gave the night a good giggle, topped off with front-row seats at the show and “the best salad ever” at a nearby restaurant (if only she remembered the place’s name!).

Image here: Picture of Tom Segura performing, Rebecca and Kyle at the show, and a close-up of the mystery T-shirt.

🏡 Family Visits & Interior Design Tips

Tara shares a touch of family pride–she recently visited New Hampshire to see her son, Ken Foster. Lunch on his balcony turned into spontaneous design consulting as Tara’s trained eye couldn’t help noticing a need for art on the walls.

Design Tip:
Even renters can personalize spaces. Tara’s advice is to hang pictures (with care!) and play with furniture placement. Ken’s style is already influenced by Tara, evidenced by his bold choice of camel-leather sofa.

“He doesn’t want to put holes in the walls, which I understand, but from a design aspect…”

Visiting Close Friends:
Tara also caught up with her friend Kelly and Kelly’s family, soaking up mountain views, fresh air, and special moments with Kelly’s grandson.

Image here: Family lunch on a balcony, Tara offering interior design tips, and a cozy lounge area with a camel-colored sofa.

🌄 Shore vs. Mountains: Which One Are You?

Tara and Rebecca chat about the age-old debate: Are you a mountain person or a water person? For Tara, water wins (most of the time), while Rebecca is open to the mix—especially the dreamlike places in California where snowy peaks tumble down to sunlit shorelines.

“You can be in California and have people at the beach… then at the top of the mountain, it’s snowing. Like, it’s crazy.”

Throw in a girl’s trip to San Francisco in the future, and the excitement is turned up a notch! There’s always fun to be found in a change of scenery.

Image here: Photo of a mountain range meeting the ocean, a Pacific coastline, and plans for a California trip.

🧺 Decluttering Adventures & Thrifty Finds

Rebecca shares a refreshingly honest look at seasonal closet cleaning. If you’re anything like her (and many of us), there’s a temptation to hold onto clothes you “might” wear—someday. But 2024 marks a new approach:

The Rule:
If an item has survived three closet cleanouts without being worn, it goes!

“Why is it still here? Why do I still need this? So I was just like, whatever I’m not going to wear, or whatever isn’t fitting right now… it all had to go!”

She’s excited to make another trip to “Maria’s Treasures” (a favorite local resale shop), ready to both drop off and discover new-to-you gems.

Image here: Bins of clothes mid-sort, an overflowing donation pile, and a thrift shop—Maria’s Treasures—with unique finds on display.

🏠 Home Renovations: Siding Project Underway

Big things are happening at Rebecca’s house! She’s in the midst of a siding project—a renovation that is already delivering dramatic before-and-after differences.

Process Notes:

As the siding comes off, the contractors are uncovering (and fixing) quite a bit of rotted wood.
All changes and repairs are documented and handled promptly, with additions covered by their home equity line or project loan.

Rebecca also shares some helpful tips for those considering similar renovations:

Be prepared for change orders as hidden issues come up.
Make sure there’s a financial buffer in your project loan just in case.
Trust the experts—her team is “guaranteed roofing” but does excellent siding too, taking care with cleanup and pet safety.

“They clean up very nicely. At the end of each day, they are putting giant tarps down to collect debris, and they’re mindful of the dog.”

Insider Tip:
Before any heavy hammering or demo, take down anything hanging on or attached to exterior walls! Rebecca learned this the hard way—some beloved Italian dishes and crafty entryway art pieces took a tumble.

“If I didn’t think of it, I would have taken anything off of an exterior wall… my fourth generation Italian dishes were this close to dropping on the floor!”

Image here: House getting new siding, workers in action, “before” and “after” shots (or just the under-construction look), plus a photo of treasured dishes safely relocated during construction.

🏡 Barn Dreams & Office Makeovers

Tara is eyeing her own big project: transforming her barn into a stylish, black-and-white office and storage oasis. With new gutters and roofing checked off, now it’s time for siding and a fresh coat of paint.

Her design vision? Classic, modern, and all kinds of inviting.

Image here: Photo of a barn with “before” look and sketches/dream boards of Tara’s planned black-and-white design.

🎨 Family Creativity: Dexter’s Artistic Eye

Talent runs in the family! Tara’s daughter Dexter has a gift for photography, capturing the world through her lens with fresh, unique angles, and vibrant clarity.

Stunning shots of hay bales under wide skies
Crisp, nature-rich snapshots
Scenes that highlight color, texture, and emotion

“It’s interesting the mindset of how she can see that angle. As an artist and designer, I don’t have that capability… so a lot of times, she’s taking pictures for me. Her shots are just so much better!”

Image here: Samples of Dexter’s photography—nature, landscapes, everyday life.

“Dexter, if you’re listening, great job. I’m proud of you!”

🌞 Surviving Summer in New England: Hiding From The Heat

After record-breaking rain, the sun is finally making an appearance—and it’s coming in hot! With temps soaring into the 90s, the conversation turns to how best to beat the heat in New England.

Options for Staying Cool:

Head to the shore (if you don’t mind a little salt and sand)
Escape inside, but malls are mostly “a thing of the past”
Try local escape rooms, like the one in Norwich, which the Northeast Networking group will be using for team-building

Rebecca admits that while she can browse home stores for hours, sometimes you just want somewhere quiet to cool off and recharge. For Tara, the best escape is a beach umbrella, a packed lunch, and a good book—as long as the seagulls don’t interfere!

“All it takes is a little bit, you know? Just a change in scenery usually goes a long way.”

Image here: Sun-drenched New England beach, people relaxing under umbrellas, escape room clues on a table, and a group photo from a team-building event.

Beach Days—Love Them or Leave Them?

Both share candid takes on what’s great and what’s not:

Rebecca can’t handle too much sun (pale-skinned folks unite!)
Tara loves the ocean, but only if the water is clear (think Aruba or Mexico—no seaweed, please!)
Seagull stories from childhood: Rebecca used to throw bread crust at sleeping friends to wake them up—inadvertently creating a “seagull storm” on the beach

“We would go down there, and I would get so annoyed when my friends would fall asleep all day because I couldn't. I would get bored, so then I would start throwing crust at them…”

Image here: Childhood beach memories, seagulls swarming, and a line of beach umbrellas with packed lunches nearby.

🎉 One Year of Coffee With Creatives: Let’s Celebrate!

Here comes the big news: Next month marks ONE YEAR of Coffee With Creatives!

To celebrate, Rebecca and Tara are partnering with G’s Country Barn to design an exclusive Coffee With Creatives candle.

How You Can Join The Fun

They’ll narrow down original scent options.
YOU, the community, will vote for your favorite.
Watch for behind-the-scenes videos of candle making!
The winning candle will be available for you to snag for yourself.

“We’re so grateful for everyone that tunes in each week. We couldn’t do it without you!”

Image here: Candle jars, colorful wax, and a “Coffee With Creatives” logo mockup.

🎟️ Concert Giveaways and Community Events

Rebecca and Tara love spreading the fun! Recently, they organized a raffle for tickets to see Sugar as part of the Madonna Place concert series. Winners (including Shirley and Jesse!) will be notified, and Rebecca promises to share the fun, maybe even going live from the event.

“It’s for a great cause, so it’ll be good.”

🛠️ Practical Advice and Real Talk

Throughout the episode, practical bits and heartfelt reminders are woven in:

When doing home renos, prep for surprises—financial and physical!
Decluttering is good for your home and your mind.
Family and friends are worth the trip, no matter how busy life gets.
Let the creatives in your life shine (even if you aren’t the best behind the camera yourself).
A little kindness goes a long way.

🌈 Wrapping Up: A Smile Goes a Long Way

As always, Tara and Rebecca close the session with encouragement and gratitude.

“Just make sure you’re always smiling. A smile goes a long way. You never know what anyone’s going through… your smile just may help them brighten their day.”