hamilton missouri | Missouri Star Blog

September 10, 2019December 10, 2019

Local Business Spotlight: Studio Inertia

Alisha Branham, known as Lou Yoga N Flo, is the owner of the new yoga studio here in Hamilton, MO. Alisha has been working hard the past few months to renovate her building from the winery and antique shop it once was into a place where one can come to live a healthier lifestyle. She calls it Studio Inertia, after Newton’s law of motion with the intention of sending the message to “always keep your body in motion.”

Alisha started practicing yoga in 2016 and fell in love with the art of it. After hours of training, she soon became a registered yoga instructor.

“After cheerleading and gymnastics, yoga was something that just came naturally to me.”

Luckily for us, Alisha chose Hamilton, MO to open up shop!

Take a peek into the studio…

Once at the studio, we entered into a freshly painted, cool blue room that wrapped a spacious and comforting welcome area. Alisha kindly offers tea to her guests and her pleasant personality makes it easy to feel relaxed.

Walk through the hall to find where the classes and private lessons are held. The studio is the perfect environment to get reacquainted with one’s body. Its space, lighting, music, and decor have a relaxing and motivating effect. It’s a great place to get your mind and body right.

Alisha’s goal in opening her yoga studio is to get the community, especially children, to become more active. She wants everyone to know that yoga isn’t scary. A person at any level and at any age can approach yoga with ease and she is here to help you get started!

HOURS, PRICING AND CLASS DESCRIPTIONS

Monday
5:30PM FOCUS
7:00PM BREATHE

Tuesday
3:30PM FOCUS

Wednesday
5:30PM FOCUS
7:00PM BREATHE

Thursday
10:00AM ALIGN

Single – $12/class
Punch Card – $50/100
1 Month Unlimited – $75
1 Month Unlimited Family – $115
Private Studio Session – $45

25% discount for Hamilton athletics!

BREATHE – 1 hour
For everybody looking to de-stress and relax. Poses are comfortably held for several minutes allowing muscles to relax for a deep stretch preparing the body for rest and restoring sleep.

FOCUS – 1 hour
Build internal heat through a creative flow using breath synchronized movement to stretch and strengthen muscles. Improves strength, flexibility, and endurance.

ALIGN – 1 hour
Designed for beginners and advanced students who enjoy a slow pace class with emphasis on anatomical alignment. Poses are held for multiple breaths increasing flexibility and overall body awareness.

Studio Inertia holds an intimate relationship with its community, providing not only the above services, but holding events such as Rage Yoga, for local Mug Club members, and Yoga in the Park which is held in Penney Park at the heart of the town.

Pst! If you plan on coming to our Birthday Bash event, Studio Inertia will be holding one of her Yoga in the Park events on Saturday, September 28 at 10 AM!

Follow Lou.Yoga.N.Flo on Facebook as well as the studio’s page for any updates. You can also visit https://www.louyoganflo.com/ anytime to find more information!

September 10, 2019December 10, 2019

Meet Annette Ashbach, a Missouri Star Academy Instructor

Missouri Star Academy is all about providing education and empowering you to create. From weekly tutorials to online in-depth classes, events and even classes held here in Hamilton, MO at our Education Center where there is something for everyone!

Annette Ashbach is one of our Education Center instructors and she teaches many things ranging from making full quilt tops to smaller projects like aprons and totes!

Meet Annette Ashbach, a Missouri Star Academy Instructor

Annette first found interest in sewing after she became fascinated with watching her grandmother’s hand-stitching and embroidery techniques. Her love for sewing continued as she grew up watching her mother create costumes and dance uniforms on the sewing machine. Today, Annette has been quilting on and off for about forty-five years and teaching for the last twelve.

Annette has a very diverse taste in fabrics. She adores anything wool, but also enjoys batiks. She has a soft spot for appliqué and is always up for a challenging pattern!

Take a peek at our Education Center Class Schedule and sign up to learn something fun with Annette!

“Don’t be afraid to try something new… It’s just fabric! Have fun and be creative! That’s all there is to it.” she says.
Annette Ashbach

August 29, 2019December 10, 2019

Introducing… Let’s Make Art

Two years ago, Sarah Cray was a freelance artist… selling her prints on Etsy, illustrating books, and just simply exploring her creative freedoms was the life Sarah had fallen in love with. But then, she got a call that would result in her being able to take those passions and share her love of art with the world. The call was from ours truly, Al Doan, the co-founder of Missouri Star Quilt Co. The pair had briefly known each other in college, but after a bad experience in shopping art supplies online, he called up the talented Sarah in hopes the two could create something better for others.

Let's Make Art, Hamilton Missouri, Local Business Spotlight, Missouri Star

Together, they worked to transform the reputation of art from being intimidating, hard, and overwhelming to helpful, welcoming, and encouraging. In 2017, Sarah’s artistic abilities and Al’s master business mind proved a powerful duo in giving birth to Missouri Star’s sister company, Let’s Make Art! Since then, the team has welcomed modern lettering artist, Nicole Miyuki.

The business hopes to offer several different art medium services soon, but right now, Let’s Make Art offers monthly subscription boxes, supplies and step-by-step tutorials for watercolor taught by Sarah and hand-lettering taught by Nicole.

“The intention was to create a company that was way more accessible and not as intimidating for people who want to get into it. Something that sends the empowering message that anyone can make art.” – Sarah Cray, Co-Founder

When asked what they believe attributes to their success so far. Sarah answered by stating, “I don’t want people to think that I’m the best at watercolor and that I do it perfect every single time. If I make a mistake, I show them openly, and explain how they can correct it… Art is a process and we’re always learning. People are welcome to be open with no judgement here.” Others have found that they have been able to relate to the Let’s Make Art team. It’s a space full of inspiration in which people feel comfortable to begin their creative journey.

Sometimes the art they create has a mission of its own. With Let’s Make Art Matter, the Let’s Make Art team places an addressed and stamped postcard in each subscription box. There is a free tutorial per each card. Everyone then creates their postcard and sends it to a family, person, or organization that is suffering from the death of a loved one, an illness, or other disaster. “We send them to a family that just really needs a little bit of love. Art can be very healing.” says Sarah. Outside of the subscription boxes, people are welcome to walk-in, sit down at a table and Make Art Matter right there in the store and they will make sure it’s gets sent to the family for you.

When you stop in at Let’s Make Art, there’s always an opportunity to “try it before you buy it” and even participate in a make-a-take! With our Birthday Bash event coming up, Let’s Make Art invites you to come and create your own or join in on making art matter. Whether for yourself or for a family who needs a smile, stop by their booth and try it out!

Even if you aren’t quilter, you can still enjoy “Quilt Town, USA.” Bring your friends and stop in for a brew, go golfing, or grab a sweet bite to eat. And don’t forget to say hi to the Let’s Make Art team and discover watercolor and hand-lettering designs!

Learn More at LetsMakeArt.com or follow them on Facebook or Instagram!

June 26, 2019June 26, 2019

Local Business Spotlight: The Hangout

Former Kansas City entrepreneurs, Stephanie and Tim Champagne opened Joe Jumps Eatery and Smokehouse in Gallatin, MO in the fall of 2018. Luckily for us, they decided to create a sister restaurant right here in Hamilton! The Hangout by Joe Jumps recently opened in May of this year. The building has been quite the busy place ever since which is no surprise when you take a look at their amazing menu options and relaxing atmosphere.

Here’s just a few of their signature, must-try meals…

Lunch

Must-try: Deep fried avocados (appetizer), Joe’s Massive Tenderloin Sandwich, and the Shrimp Po Boy

Dinner

Must-try: Shrimp & Grits, Chicken and Waffles, or the Reverse Pot Pie

The Hangout is such a fitting name for the restaurant. Cozy, warm lighting and rustic wooden benches will make you feel right at home during your meal with friends or family. In the summertime, eat out on the patio for a more refreshing experience or romantic date night. The Hangout is definitely one of our new favorite hang-outs!

Not only have people been raving about the food at the hangout, but the staff as well! These friendly faces are happy to cook you a great meal or serve you anything you may need during your visit here!

“You have to get the tenderloin sandwich. My husband and I did share the tenderloin and we both brought some home . My son had a big cheeseburger… daughter-in-law and granddaughter had the chicken tenders. Everything was excellent. Our server was really friendly and kept up with refills. We all walked out full and said we will be back. 5 stars all the way.”
Mindy Loyd, local resident

As if you need another reason to stop in, The Hangout now serves peach, strawberry, and regular lemonade! Yum!
Also, you can pair your meal with a fine wine or choose your favorite liquor or beer!

Go to their website to check for opening hours when you plan your next visit to Hamilton. Like their Facebook page to keep up with any yummy menu changes or closings!

April 10, 2018April 10, 2018

Highway 36 Quilt Trail

Travel back in time to the 1800’s in northern Missouri for this year’s Missouri Highway 36 Quilt Trail 2018 Passport program. This year’s theme is “Ol’ Trail Town,” with each of the 16 blocks along the trail capturing a bit of life throughout northern Missouri as it was 150 years (or more) ago. Our block for Missouri Star features a train station, which played an integral part in the early development of the town of Hamilton.

History of the Railroad in Hamilton

The railroad brought commerce, construction, dry goods and much more to our town, with the line completed on Valentine’s Day 1859, and the depot finished later that year. To learn about Hamilton’s railroad, we spoke with Dean Hales, a native Hamiltonian with a penchant for history, who remembers the railroad vividly from the 1940s on until the late 1980s when the line and the train station were removed.

Hales explains that three sets of railroad tracks once intersected Davis Street, just a few steps north of our Main Shop. Although almost all evidence of the railroad is gone, there are still a few reminders. The relocated Penney house sits atop the foundation of what was once the train depot, and the “Hamilton” sign across the elevated tract of land between Penney Park and the bank was put in place so that commuters could look out the window and know which town they were passing through.

Of course, one only has to look at the mural painted on the north side of our Main Shop to see the most visible reminder of the role the railroad played in shaping Hamilton.

Highway 36 Quilt Trail

Now that we know the significance of the railroad in Hamilton, let’s talk more about the Highway 36 Quilt Trail program. This is the program’s fifth year and the trail opens on April 3, with 16 shops in 15 towns along the Missouri section of Highway 36 participating in the program.

Our Highway 36 Quilt Trail Quilt is currently displayed in our Penney’s Quilt Shop, and this year, we are offering a fabric kit so you can create a block exactly like ours! As you travel down the quilt trail you will see that each quilt shop created their own

The trail journeys along Highway 36, with stops in towns throughout the corridor, which includes towns on the highway, and also those that are 36 miles to the north and south of the route. Historical towns like St. Joseph, Marceline, Hannibal, and a dozen others with quilt shops and iconic American stories to share are ready and waiting to welcome you on your journey down the Highway 36 Quilt Trail.

Participants can download a shop passport HERE (or pick one up in the first shop you visit), and visit all of the shops for a free block pattern. One must visit the shop in person to participate in the Quilt Trail. Read all about the program HERE. Once you complete the trail, you will have 16 blocks to create your “Ol’ Trail Town” quilt, and you can turn it into one of the participating shops to see if you win a prize! We can’t wait to see what you make!

If you are planning your trip to Missouri Star Quilt Co., be sure to check out Visit MSQC for travel and lodging information. We hope you enjoy traveling down Highway 36, and visiting all of the shops along the way!