LOVELAND MAGAZINE

News and Events from the Loveland, Ohio Area

Without fear or favor
Since 2004

Author: Cassie Mattia

  • Local Sweets Shop Celebrates Life’s Simple Pleasures

    Local Sweets Shop Celebrates Life’s Simple Pleasures

    “Because chocolate calls the shots.”

    Cassie Mattia is a resident of Historic Downtown Loveland

    Loveland, Ohio – Unicorn Bark, Penny Candy, Salted Caramel Chip Ice Cream, Peanut Butter Banana Bark, Berry Berry Bean Ice Cream and Chocolate Covered Race Cars are just a few of the unique delicacies Loveland Sweets offers that keeps guests all across Ohio coming back for more. 

    Loveland Sweets started its delicious adventure in 2006 when resident Gloria Wilson opened its doors.

    “I had always had a dream in the back of my mind that involved opening a candy store,” Wilson said, “Every time I went on vacation I always searched for a candy store and when I moved to Loveland I realized it had that same vacation feeling with the bike trail, the restaurants, the beautiful scenery – the only thing missing was a candy store so I thought why not open a candy store!”

    Gloria Wilson (center) said, “I want to celebrate a simple pleasure with those that visit my store.”

    Although Wilson’s background was in Environmental Science and Biology that did not scare her away from the idea of owning her own business. 

    To be quite honest I had no business plan I just had a dream and at that moment in my life it was time to pursue it.

    “I didn’t have a business background but I learned a lot from the landscaping business I was in before as a landscape designer. To be quite honest I had no business plan I just had a dream and at that moment in my life it was time to pursue it,” Wilson said.


    Loveland Sweets is not only known of course for its novelty sweets but it’s also known for its unique chocolates and ice cream combinations. Loveland Sweets uses high quality fine chocolate and only the best ingredients when creating the fillings to their chocolates and ice cream blends. 

    “A lot of businesses use cheaper chocolate, but I don’t do that. I know it reduces my profit margin, but I don’t want to do less than the best chocolate,” Wilson explained, “The chocolate I use is Callebaut and I make all my fillings from scratch. We don’t necessarily use a certain process when creating our chocolate because chocolate calls the shots. We temper the chocolate. Our combinations are where we use our creative side. They are sometimes inspired by something else like our Unicorn Bark! Sandy my co-worker saw this in a magazine and we thought why not try it out! We did a new one today called Peanut Butter Banana Bark. I was at Trader Joes saw the dehydrated bananas and I was like we can do something with this,” Wilson said.

    So just how did Gloria come up with the Loveland Sweets name? It’s simple everyone just loves the Loveland name on their candy! I mean Loveland is the Sweetheart of Ohio!

    So just how did Gloria come up with the Loveland Sweets name? It’s simple everyone just loves the Loveland name on their candy! I mean Loveland is the Sweetheart of Ohio! 

    “When I was trying to figure out a name for my candy shop I got out a notebook wrote lots of names and settled on Loveland Sweets not realizing people love the name Loveland. People want to be sure that the name Loveland is on their box of candies or sweets. It’s especially big with weddings,” Wilson said.

    The obvious reason for going to Loveland Sweets is to of course experience its handmade chocolate creations, create your own goodie bag for the kids full of sweet and sour gummies or get a warm cup of their custom blend coffee, but another reason to stop by is to take a look at the old fashion candy store décor.

    Gloria Wilson said she loves the penny candy and the race cars and of course the old fashion drawers of the old fashion candy store décor.

    “When I was first opening the store I wanted it to look old fashion with a modern twist but not too modern. I love the penny candy and the race cars and of course the old fashion drawers,” Wilson said, “When people come into my store I want them to see my creative side that’s my favorite part of this it’s the creativity aspect of owning my own business. I want to celebrate a simple pleasure with those that visit my store. Candy makes people happy. It’s a celebration of happiness, like my ice cream castles in my front windows. I want my guests not only to enjoy my candy but also enjoy the experience they have when visiting my store,” Wilson said.

    Loveland Sweets is now known as one of Downtown Historic Loveland’s top go to spots for both travelers and residents when exploring the Downtown Loveland area.

    There are not a lot of people making their candy and ice cream on site anymore.

    “I think what really keeps people coming to my shop is that it’s not a chain. So many places are chains all across America. It’s homogeneous. Loveland Sweets is unique. We make our stuff in house where as a lot of places do not do that. There are not a lot of people making their candy and ice cream on site anymore. This is what keeps out of towners and locals coming back,” Wilson explained. “You really get to know people! I find myself saying things like ‘Oh is the dark chocolate almond guy coming in!’ You know people by their favorites!”

    One of the “Tricks” to Loveland Sweets’ success is they always have seasonal “Treats”.

    Though Wilson has dedicated her life to sweetening her guest’s day she hasn’t forgot about her environmental background trying to bring that passion to the sweets business as well.

    “Plastics are a nightmare so I have brought in pink paper bags that are paper made from a bi product of sugar cane. Our ice cream cups, paper straws, plastic cups and spoons are made from corn. My transition into being completely plastic free is not perfect yet but I’m trying to minimize the use of it as much as I can,” Wilson said.

    “Plastics are a nightmare so I have brought in pink paper bags that are paper made from a bi product of sugar cane. Our ice cream cups, paper straws, plastic cups and spoons are made from corn. My transition into being completely plastic free is not perfect yet but I’m trying to minimize the use of it as much as I can,” Wilson said. “The young people that work for me reinforce my environmental friendly ideas and I want to make an impact on them. We recycle and we compost our coffee grounds as well.”

    There are not a lot of people making their candy and ice cream on site anymore. This is what keeps out of towners and locals coming back,” Wilson explained.

    If your wandering around Downtown Loveland and are looking for something unique to satisfy that sweet tooth skip on over to

    Loveland Sweets to visit Gloria and her team of confectionery geniuses! Loveland Sweets is located at 124 West Loveland Avenue and is open from 9 AM to 9 PM every day. If you would like to contact Loveland Sweets or check out their beautiful products, visit Loveland Sweets on Facebook or Instagram or call 513-583-8305.

    Loveland Sweets is in Historic Downtown Loveland, Ohio.

  • Big move brings big opportunities for Little Miami River Chamber Alliance

    Big move brings big opportunities for Little Miami River Chamber Alliance

    I recently sat down with CeeCee Collins at her new office in the West Loveland Historic District to talk about their move, the Chamber expansion, her background, and to find out exactly what they do.

    Cassia Mattia is a resident of the Downtown Historic District in Loveland, Ohio.

    Loveland, Ohio – What would Historic Downtown Loveland be without the Little Miami Bike Trail, the 4th of July Firecracker Festival, the Loveland Valentine program, the authentic family-owned restaurants, and the unique assortment of small businesses scattered across the town? There’s one group of people that many locals don’t realize aid in making Loveland such a special place to live and visit. That group is the Little Miami River Chamber Alliance.

    In 1969 The Little Miami River Chamber Alliance, then known as “The Businessmen’s Association,” was founded and began their journey with one goal in mind, to devote themselves to the civic and economic development of Loveland. The civic organization planned on doing this by simply supporting the business community with “member investor benefits”. Fast forward to the present day that simple concept led to an expansion beyond anyone’s wildest dreams, especially current LMR Chamber Alliance President CeeCee Collins.

    LMR Chamber Alliance President CeeCee Collins

    “Our mission in creating and now expanding the chamber has always been to help businesses succeed. We serve as the leading advocate for businesses in Loveland, Symmes Township, and Miami Township. We have gone from at the beginning having 38 businesses to now serving over 300. It has been so much fun to watch our community expand and small businesses succeed,” Collins said, “With 83 percent of our businesses being small businesses we place a huge focus on helping them connect to the consumer and other businesses through our business directory listings in an annual magazine, our networking events, and through offering free listings on our website.”

    So how did current LMR Chamber Alliance President CeeCee Collins become involved in creating such a successful, tight-knit community of businesses?

    “About 21 years ago my family and I moved back to the Cincinnati area. I went to Xavier University. I worked part-time for the Blue Ash YMCA and at the time Loveland was exploring the idea of opening a YMCA. Through that, I was exploring development and fundraising. They asked me to take the lead, so that’s how I got to know all the folks of Loveland and started to get really involved in the community. I got a fulltime job once my kids got older at Ohio Valley Voices in Miami Township. It’s a school for deaf children and we would teach them to speak. I did all the community marketing for them,” Collins said, “The Chamber job became vacant after I had worked 5 years for Ohio Valley Voices and I thought it might be the next step for me. Being so passionate about the Loveland area and the people here I knew the job would be a great fit for me and that I would be great at it!”

    The Expansion

    “In 2016 we explored the idea of expanding. We talked to Symmes and Miami townships and they were on board, so we changed the name to Little Miami River Chamber Alliance because the river goes through in all three places,” Collins explained, “We were in John Hill’s Construction Building in the downtown Historic District, but after expanding we found ourselves doing more events and it was getting tighter and tighter with all our event supplies, so we moved into a new building on West Loveland Avenue on the other side of the river in the West Loveland Historic District, partly because of space. We also realized that moving into a new building would give someone else the opportunity to open a new retail space in the Downtown Historic District. Our new building also gives us the opportunity to rent out our upstairs rooms for business owners who need some office space, which would include utilities, kitchen use, wi-fi, air conditioning, heat, and free parking for only 250 to 300 dollars. The building was built in 1905 and really has beautiful bones. There’s an old fashion telephone in the kitchen, there’s a place to put coal to warm the house, and I also noticed the registers are ancient,” Collins added.

    With the addition of new business members into the Chamber, like Magnolia’s and older Chamber business members growing at such a rapid rate, like The Loveland Symmes Fire Department, Loveland City School District and Eads Hardware, the LMR Chamber is constantly planning events and looking for new event ideas to represent their 300 business members.

    Planning Events

    “There is a formula for planning events. If we do an event it has to be for a purpose. Everything is well discussed and well researched. We talk to the two townships and the city and ask questions like, is this event a benefit to your businesses? Where do we want to put it? We then talk to the business owners about where we want to have the event. Our goal is to have people notice businesses they wouldn’t normally see,” Collins explained, “I also look for sponsorships for the event since we are a non-profit organization. We then get a committee of business owners together for the event and we talk about what will make the event successful. Lastly, we line up details.”

    Collins said that these days she could put together an event pretty quickly, but with the expansion of the Chamber and all of the new events popping up that they have never done before planning an event could take 3 to 4 months.

    “With our events, our goals are to bring awareness to the areas we serve, provide opportunities for the businesses, and help them explore the market and decide if they want to be in it. Not to mention the events also allow us to keep our doors open and to be quite honest they are just fun,” Collins said.

    Some of the biggest events that bring in the largest crowds, according to Collins, are the Fourth of July Firecracker Festival and The Food Truck Rally.

    “Fourth of July is one of the biggest events because it’s such a tradition down here. The parade, the fireworks, the live music, the children’s activities. It’s such a festive atmosphere. The Food Truck Rally is really growing and it’s really becoming the kick off to summer,” Collins said, “Doug Portman also does some amazing events that bring a lot of people down to Loveland such as The Amazing Charity Race and The Halloween Edition Amazing Race, which this year’s theme is Loveland’s Little Vegas. It will be held on October 27th.”

    With Fall right around the corner, there is no doubt that downtown Loveland will be more lively than ever with all of the new businesses popping up as well as the new events representing them.

    “As Loveland takes off being a part of it has been such a pleasure. People want to get more involved so it’s been fun for us,” Collins said.

    Loveland residents and visitors can expect an open house hosted by the LMR Chamber Alliance within the next few months showcasing their new home located at 425 W Loveland Ave. If you would like more information on the Chamber or have thoughts of becoming a member yourself you can find out more information on their Website, Facebook Page or by calling 513-683-1544.

      Accounting Plus–Bingaman Accounting and Tax Service, LLC is a tax preparation, payroll and bookkeeping company locally based in Loveland, OH.
  • Jena Satchell inspires locals to create “Bespoke” memories

    Jena Satchell inspires locals to create “Bespoke” memories

    It’s not work if you go every single day and love what you do. It doesn’t matter if you make a dollar or 100 dollars it’s all about what it does for you inside.

    – Jena Satchell

    Cassie Mattia lives in Historic Downtown Loveland

    Loveland, Ohio – Have you ever wandered down the aisle of a Home Décor store in search of that one item that you could put in your home that really means something to you? An object or a piece of art that every time you passed it in the hallway or glanced at it in the living room it made you reminisce on memories you cherish. This is exactly what local Jena Satchell offers at Bespoke Design Studio.

    Bespoke Design Studio located at 101-B Commerce Blvd. in Loveland, Ohio is a beautiful place where both DIY beginners and experts are able to create high quality, bespoke home décor from start to finish. Bespoke, meaning custom made design allows friends and families to enjoy the art of creating anything from a wood plank sign to a designer chalkboard to a soft canvas pillow to a centerpiece box using only the best materials and tools.

    Jena opened Bespoke not too long ago in January, but still remembers the path that led her to where she is now.

    I had a twin sister, and brother that was 9 months younger than me. With 3 children all in the same grade, it seemed to me that my parents didn’t have the money to send all of us all to college, so I instead decided to accept a job in the staffing industry and was very successful in a short amount of time. I began closing huge accounts. Financially at 19 when my friends were going to school and couldn’t buy a Starbucks coffee, that wasn’t the case for me. My success led me down this path to the HR field without having been to college. Because I experienced so much success in staffing I then went into selling HR outsourcing. This is when I knew I wanted to be in the HR Corporation as a VP. After years in the staffing business, I decided to start my own business in 2006. I loved finding jobs for people that allowed those people to provide for their families. It was very rewarding and led me to become extremely passionate about helping people and forming a connection with them.

     

    After spending several years in the HR world experiencing success, the company Jena was with, decided to eliminate the position.

    “It was a shock to me. I had been my family’s primary provider for years. I had been working 80 to 90 hours a week and realized I wasn’t making time for things that I truly loved to do and most importantly I wasn’t making enough time for my son. It was something that I knew I regretted. I started to look around and reevaluate,” Jena said.

    HR, of course, was a big passion for Jena, but DIY design was in Jena’s blood. She knew from a very young age that by making things that meant something to her she felt the happiness that she didn’t feel doing anything else.

    Jena grew up watching her father Joe Wolfe (standing) and uncle Fred Wolfe create things, not necessarily because they wanted to, but because they had to. “Financially they couldn’t go buy a new car so they had to build it,” Jena said.

    “As a young child I watched my uncle and my dad create things that were just so unique and so impressive it inspired me. My dad would sometimes spend 6 months building a car! My Uncle would take on the same projects only he worked with wood. So I grew up watching my uncle and my father doing all this not necessarily because they wanted to but because they had to. Financially they couldn’t go buy a new car so they had to build it,” Jena said.

    In 2016 Jena finally made the step towards doing what had truly inspired her since she was a child.

    “I spent a lot of time reflecting in 2016 and ultimately I realized that I never really took the time to look around my home. I would see things that I bought from the store and it just didn’t really inspire me. It was beautiful and I loved the way my home was decorated but I just didn’t look at anything and reflect on a memory. It kind of made me sad. I couldn’t help but remember what my uncle told me…. it’s not work if you go every single day and love what you do. It doesn’t matter if you make a dollar or 100 dollars it’s all about what it does for you inside.”

    I would see things that I bought from the store and it just didn’t really inspire me.

    Jena decided that all she wanted to do was something that inspired people but also made her happy to go into every day. This led to her opening Bespoke Design Studio.

    At Bespoke Design guests get a chance to make their own memories through unique DIY projects using designs selected or created by Jena, specially made stencils, high quality paint, beautiful fabric, locally sourced wood that Jena’s husband and son spend 8 to 10 hours at a time finely sanding – and last but not least power tools!

    Typical tools for the wood plank signs are a crown stapler or a brad nailer.

    “Typical tools for the wood plank signs are a crown stapler or a brad nailer. We use porter cable high volt battery operated tools,” Jena says, “You will also be using wood glue to put your signs together. You will be using a power screwdriver to attach your D-Hooks and Hanging Wire as well. At times you will you use a drill for certain projects such as creating decorative boxes or centerpieces,” Jena added.

    Each project kit such as this “Family Name” 14×24″ Serving Tray w/ Handles includes everything you need. Wood parts, stencils custom-cut-to-order just for you, hardware and the use of all necessary wood stains, paints, tools and supplies.

    Bespoke Design Studio offers several opportunities to take classes and workshops specializing in different DIY projects. Jena’s website provides a calendar with the times and dates when classes or workshops are being held. Guests can simply select one of the dates on the calendar followed by the time they want to take the class or workshop and book it right then and there online. The pricing, of course, depends on the size of the project, the materials and the amount of time it takes to complete the project. All classes are open to the public unless you book a private event, which of course are very popular for Birthday celebrations and the ever-popular “Girls Night Out.” Jena welcomes food and beverages in all her classes. Catering is offered to large groups.

    Jena welcomes food and beverages in all her classes. Catering is offered to large groups.

    When asked what her favorite part was about her workshops and classes Jena was quick to respond.

    “The look on their face after they peel off their stencil revealing this beautiful design is very fulfilling for me. Knowing that piece of art they created is going to hang in their home and every time they look at it they are going to reflect on the memory of what they experienced when they were in my studio with the people they care about is truly satisfying. They have a sense of pride in knowing that they did it all themselves. Hopefully these pieces my guests create inspire them to make more things themselves and rely less on things that you can buy from the store.”

    Hopefully these pieces my guests create inspire them to make more things themselves and rely less on things that you can buy from the store.”

    Jena offers her one of a kind pieces on her website for purchase for the sole purpose of gifting. “I create so many pieces that frankly I have to put some online for purchase because I can’t fit everything I have made in my home! I don’t try to push the idea of only buying from my website though because I truly believe the special part of placing these pieces in your home is knowing you made them which you can only do if you come into the studio and make the pieces yourself,” Jena explained, “My reason for opening the studio is to create an experience for people that will be memorable, empowering, inspiring and that will give them something that will last in their home.”

    Items on Jena’s website include decorative pillows, ranging between 35 and 37 dollars, wood plank signs, priced at 40 dollars and centerpiece boxes beginning at 80 dollars.

    The future of Bespoke Design Studio is very bright with many exciting things to come. On September 6th from 5 PM to 9 PM and September 8th from 10 AM to 2 PM Jena is holding an Open House/Seasonal Preview Event where not only will guests be introduced to 72 new designs but will also receive a swag bag if they are one of the first 150 guests to arrive. Each guest that arrives will also receive a discount on a future class and entered into several different raffles after they sign the guest book. Guests will be able to see live demonstrations of DIY projects and seasonal specialties while enjoying food and drinks as well.

    In regards to new things to come in the near future for Bespoke Design Jena says she looks forward to the releasing of String Art, Fabric Pillows, Seasonal Designer Chalkboard Designs and Wreaths. Jena mentioned that for the Spring and Summer guests can expect brand new wood projects introduced as well as workshops given on wood engraving, headboards and buffet tables. Jena hopes to open another location in a year in either Springboro or Lebanon.

    What sets my studio apart from all of the other DIY Design Studios is I don’t require you to be crafty or creative at all.

    “What sets my studio apart from all of the other DIY Design Studios is I don’t require you to be crafty or creative at all. This is something anyone can do! My studio offers friendly instruction, a wide variety of high-quality materials, space and access to tools which may not otherwise be available or cost-effective. It really is like a 4-hour family or friend party where we bond, we drink, we eat, we dance and we create,” Jena said.

    If you would like to learn more about Bespoke Design Studio you can visit www.BespokeDIY.com, call the studio at 513-239-5835 or email Jena at Jena.Satchell@BespokeDIY.com. You can also visit bespokeloveland on Facebook or BespokeDesignDIY on Instagram