Here at The Bedford Mom we believe that moms deserve to be recognized and celebrated! This month we are so excited to feature Elise Nova, a small business owner and mom of two girls. Read all about her and her family below!
Tell us about yourself!
My name is Elise and my husband, Aaron, and I live in town with our two daughters, Lydia (6) and Emily (3). I am the Owner and Maker at the Beaded Sheep, which is my online store where I sell hand-sewn goodies like cloth napkins, paperless towels, book sleeves, and so much more! I grew up in North Attleboro, MA, and after college lived in Beverly, MA before moving up to New Hampshire. We have lived here since 2016 and love living in Bedford.
Tell us about your work!
I currently own my business, The Beaded Sheep, where I am a Maker and create hand-sewn goodies that I sell in my online shop as well as various markets throughout New Hampshire. The business has been with me since high school when I made beaded jewelry, (hence the “beaded” part of Beaded Sheep), and has morphed over the years to what it has been for the past four years. My career path since college has been wide and varied, but I’ve been able to take aspects from all of my previous jobs and use them with The Beaded Sheep. I love meeting my customers at the markets I do and will be one of the vendors at our local Bedford Handmade market this year, so come say hi!
What are your favorite local restaurants?
We love Mangia in Manchester, River Road Tavern, Tucker’s, Flight, and the Inside Scoop!
What is your favorite way to practice self-care?
My favorite way to practice self-care is by getting cozy in my reading nook in my bedroom. I have a rocking swivel chair that used to be my late grandmother’s, a blanket that she made me, and a bookshelf next to the chair where I will light a candle and have my water. I love curling up there and getting lost in a story (or even writing my own!)
What brought you to Bedford?
My husband and I bought his late grandfather’s house in Bedford in 2016. We loved the location since it is close to everything, and we loved that we had a lot of space in our backyard for when we did have kids.
What is your favorite thing about Bedford?
My favorite thing about Bedford is the community. I have gotten to meet and know so many wonderful people here in town, and I love running into familiar faces when I’m out doing errands. My dad and I recently became members of the Bedford Italian Cultural Society, which has been a wonderful way to meet other Italians in the area. I also serve on the Board of Directors for the Lamb’s Workshop here in Bedford and enjoy serving that community and getting to know local families through the school.
What are your favorite local spots in town?
Some of my favorite spots in town are at the library, Flight or the Inside Scoop, and Trader Joe’s. I am a big fan of Target, but try to stick to pick-ups so that I don’t buy things I don’t need!
What is your best piece of advice for moms who are new in town?
My best piece of advice to a new mom here in Bedford is to start at the library. When I first moved here, I did not make friends until after I had my first daughter because I started going to the library and met other moms that way through their Mother Goose program. Go to one of the adult programs or one for your kids and you are bound to meet your next best friend there, since I certainly did!
What is your best piece of advice for expecting moms or new moms?
My advice for new or expecting moms is to let go of expectations, which is very hard to do, but well worth it. I have found that when I don’t clutch tightly to expectations, I have more fun and less anxiety about parenting going exactly the way I expect it to. I had expectations that my kids would go to the public school, but then we decided to homeschool. It took me a while to wrap my head around the decision because I had expectations about what our life would look like in one scenario and then we ended up with a completely different (and wonderful) experience. Leaving yourself open for things to go differently and letting go of tight expectations will help you enjoy the moments more.
In closing, we hope you enjoyed reading this article about Elise! If you’d like to nominate a Bedford mom to be spotlighted, please submit your nomination via email to info@thebedfordmom.com. Thanks so much!