CONWAY — Stephen O’Farrell, 38, and Greg Vander Veer, 40, proprietors of The Christmas Loft and adjacent Tricks & Treats shop are creative, caring and fun.
It’s part of what makes their marriage and relationship work, sharing a life and business outlook that accentuates the positive.
kAm%96 C6DEn yFDE <?@H:?8 E92E E96J 3@E9 ?6G6C H2?E E@ =:G6 E96:C =:G6D 2A2CE 7C@> @?6 2?@E96C]k^Am
kAm(9:49 >2<6D 7@C 2 AC6EEJ 8@@5 A2:C:?8]k^Am
kAm“(6 >6E :? 2 32C :? }6H *@C< r:EJ :? a_`_[ E96 t2DE6C? q=@4 — :E’D 8@?6 ?@H 2?5 BF:E6 EC2?D7@C>65 3FE :E H2D 2 H6==\<?@H? 82J 32C[” $E6A96?[ H9@ 92:=D 7C@> xC6=2?5[ C6=2E65 :? 2 C646?E ;@:?E :?E6CG:6H]k^Am
kAm“xE H2D AC6EEJ :>>65:2E6i H6 4=:4<65 C:89E 2H2J[” D2:5 vC68]k^Am
kAm“(6 H6?E @? 2 76H 52E6D[ 2?5 :E H2D 2 8C62E C@>2?46 7@C> E96 368:??:?8[” 25565 $E6A96?]k^Am
kAm“Wq642FD6 @7 64@?@>:4DX[ }6H *@C< <:?5 @7 7@C46D J@F E@ =:G6 E@86E96C D@@?6C E92? J@F >:89E @E96CH:D6 — 2?5 H:E9:? 2 J62C H6 H6C6 =:G:?8 E@86E96C[” vC68 4@?E:?F65]k^Am
kAm%96J 925 D6A2C2E6 42C66CD — $E6A96? 925 ;FDE 8@EE6? 9:D 8C66? 42C5 WA6C>2>6?E C6D:56?4J 42C5X 7:G6 >@?E9D 62C=:6C 2?5 925 366? H@C<:?8 2D 2 32CE6?56C 2?5 E96? AFE 9:D HC:E:?8 D<:==D E@ 8@@5 FD6 3J H@C<:?8 :? E96 56G6=@A>6?E 56A2CE>6?E 7@C r2C?68:6 w2== W96 925 366? 2 ;@FC?2=:DE[ 5@:?8 65:E:?8 C6D62C49 :? xC6=2?5 2D H6== 2D 7C66=2?46 HC:E:?8 7@C 56D:8? 2?5 2C49:E64EFC6 >282K:?6D :? {@?5@? AC:@C E@ 4@>:?8 E@ E96 &?:E65 $E2E6DX]k^Am
kAmvC68 H2D 2 5@4F>6?E2CJ 7:=>>2<6C H:E9 9:D @H? AC@5F4E:@? 4@>A2?J]k^Am
kAm$E6A96? @3E2:?65 9:D p>6C:42? 4:E:K6?D9:A :? a_`d]k^Am
kAmx? a_`e[ E96J >256 E96 564:D:@? E@ =62G6 E96 q:8 pAA=6 E@ 4@>6 E@ }6H w2>AD9:C6 E@ E2<6 @G6C vC68’D A2C6?ED’ 4@>A2?J[ %96 r9C:DE>2D {@7E]k^Am
kAm#@??:6 2?5 #:492C5 '2?56C '66C 925 7@F?565 E96 ?@G6=EJ DE@C6 :? y2J[ 'E][ :? `hg_]k^Am
kAm“%96J 925 2 =@7E :? E96 4@F?ECJ DE@C6 E96J 925 DE2CE65 :? E96 >:5\`hf_D[ 2?5 >J >@> 564@C2E65 :E 7@C E96 9@=:52J D62D@?] xE 8C6H 7C@> E96C6[” D2:5 vC68]k^Am
kAm%96 }@CE9 r@?H2J DE@C6 @A6?65 :? `hgc[ @C:8:?2==J =@42E65 :? E96 3F:=5:?8 ?6IE 5@@C — ?@H 9@>6 E@ %C:4<D U2>Aj %C62ED E92E @A6?65 :? a_`h]k^Am
kAmvC68’D A2C6?ED 56D:8?65 2?5 3F:=E E96 }@CE9 r@?H2J 7=28D9:A DE@C6 E92E :D 4FCC6?E=J 9@>6 E@ E96 r9C:DE>2D {@7E :? `hhd] “%9:D H2D E96 4C@H? ;6H6= @7 6G6CJE9:?8 E96J 925 6?G:D:@?65[” D2:5 vC68]k^Am
kAm%96 4@>A2?J @?46 @A6C2E65 D6G6? DE@C6D :? }6H t?8=2?5] &A@? C6E:C:?8[ E96J D@=5 @77 D6G6C2= :? C646?E J62CD 2?5 ?@H $E6A96? 2?5 vC68 @A6C2E6 EH@i @?6 :? (@@5DE@4< 2?5 E96 }@CE9 r@?H2J DE@C6 2=@?8 H:E9 %C:4<D U2>Aj %C62ED]k^Am
kAmvC68 2?5 $E6A96? D2J E96J H6C6 92AAJ E@ >@G6 7C@> }6H *@C< r:EJ E@ C6=@42E6 E@ }@CE9 r@?H2J E@ CF? %96 r9C:DE>2D {@7E]k^Am
kAm“(6 C62==J 5:5?’E H2?E E@ D66 E9:D DA64:2= 3FD:?6DD 4@>6 E@ 2? 6?5[ 2?5 x E9:?< >J A2C6?ED 2C6 E9C:==65 E92E H6 H2?E65 E@ <66A :E 2=:G6[” D2:5 vC68]k^Am
kAm%96J 925 25565 E@ E96 3FD:?6DD’ D2=6D E9C@F89 2? 24E:G6 @?=:?6 @A6C2E:@?]k^Am
kAm%96J H6C6 >2CC:65 :? }@CE9 r@?H2J 2E E96 rC2?>@C6 x?? :? a_`g]k^Am
kAm“(6 5:5 2 G6CJ 42DF2= =:EE=6 H655:?8 2E E96 :??[ H9:49 :D @H?65 3J @FC 7C:6?5D[ r9C:DE@A96C q6==:D 2?5 t55:6 q6??6EE[” D2:5 vC68] “(6 42==65 {629 |2D@? 2D E96 @77:4:2?E 2?5 D2:5 H6 H2?E65 E@ 86E >2CC:65 E9:D uC:52J — D@ H6 5:5 :E G6CJ BF:4<=J[ G6CJ :?7@C>2==J[ H:E9 @FC 7C:6?5D] $E6A96?’D 72>:=J :D :? xC6=2?5[ D@ H6 ;FDE E9@F89E =6E’D 92G6 2 E:?J H655:?8]”k^Am
kAmpD<65 H9J E96J 564:565 :E H2D E:>6 E@ E:6 E96 <?@E[ 3@E9 C6A=:65 E92E :E H2D :>A@CE2?E E@ @77:4:2==J C64@8?:K6 E96:C 4@>>:E>6?E E@ @?6 2?@E96C]k^Am
kAm“(6 925 366? E@86E96C 7@C 6:89E J62CD 2E E92E A@:?E] x ;FDE E9@F89E[ H6 @H?65 2 9@FD6 E@86E96C[ 2?5 H6 H6C6 <?66\566A :? H@C< E@86E96C — 2?5 H92E :7 v@5 7@C3:5 D@>6E9:?8 92AA6?65 E@ @?6 @7 FDn ~C82?:K:?8 2 3:8 H655:?8 ;FDE D66>65 =:<6 2 3:8 92DD=6 — H9J ?@E 86E >2CC:65 D@ :7 D@>6E9:?8 92AA6?D E@ FD H6 42? E2<6 42C6 @7 @?6 2?@E96C[” $E6A96? D2:5]k^Am
kAmp5565 vC68[ “x <?@H E92E’D ?@E 2 G6CJ C@>2?E:4 2?DH6C — 2?5 E@ >6 x ?6G6C 925 2 DEC@?8 766=:?8 23@FE >2CC:286] qFE x <?6H x H2?E65 E@ DA6?5 E96 C6DE @7 >J =:76 H:E9 9:>[ 2?5 H6 H6C6 2=C625J 4@>>:EE65 E@ @?6 2?@E96C[ 2?5 >2CC:286 H2D ;FDE A2CE @7 E92E]”k^Am
kAm}6H w2>AD9:C6 =682=:K65 D2>6\D6I >2CC:286 :? a__h[ >2<:?8 :E E96 7:7E9 DE2E6 :? E96 ?2E:@? E@ 5@ D@[ 92G:?8 C64@8K:65 4:G:= F?:@?D 2 J62C AC:@C E@ E92E]k^Am
kAm$E6A96? WH9@ 42>6 @FE H96? 96 H2D :? xC6=2?5 2E 286 `d X 2?5 vC68 WH9@ H2D ad H96? 96 E@=5 9:D A2C6?EDX D2J E96:C 72>:=:6D H6C6 E9C:==65 H96? E96J 8@E >2CC:65 2?5 2C6 G6CJ =@G:?8 2?5 DFAA@CE:G6 @7 E96>]k^Am
kAm%96J D2:5 E96J 92G6 366? H2C>=J C646:G65 3J E96 |@F?E (2D9:?8E@? '2==6J[ 2?5 92G6 366? 92AAJ E@ 86E :?G@=G65 :? =@42= |E] (2D9:?8E@? '2==6J r92>36C @7 r@>>6C46 2?5 (9:E6 |@F?E2:? x?56A6?56?ED 24E:G:E:6D[ H:E9 vC68 D6CG:?8 @? E96 3@2C5D @7 (9:E6 |@F?E2:? !C:56 2?5 E96 '2==6J x?56A6?56?ED]k^Am
kAmpD<65 H92E E96J 766= :D <6J E@ E96:C DF446DD 2D =:76 A2CE?6CD[ E96J 3@E9 :>>65:2E=6J D2:5 2 D92C65 D6?D6 @7 9F>@C] p?5 C6DA64E]k^Am
kAm“x ECJ E@ 36 A9:=@D@A9:42= :? D66:?8 E92E =:76 :D D9@CE[ 2?5 :? D@>6 H2JD J@F 2C6 C6DA@?D:3=6 7@C 6249 @E96C’D 92AA:?6DD D@ J@F 92G6 E@ 36 42C67F= ?@E E@ E2<6 6249 @E96C 7@C 8C2?E65[” D2:5 $E6A96?]k^Am
kAm“xE’D DEC2?86[” :?E6C;64E65 vC68[ “9@H D@ >2?J E9:?8D :? =:76 2C6 23@FE E:>:?8[ 2?5 36:?8 D@>6H96C6 2E E96 C:89E E:>6] x @7E6? E9:?< — :7 x 925 ?@E 366? D:EE:?8 E96C6 :? E92E 32C E92E ?:89E …]”k^Am
kAmp?5 E96?[ E96C6’D E92E <?@H:?8 H96? J@F <?@H — 2 >28:4 :E D66>D E@ 2== DF446DD7F= A2:C:?8D]k^Am
kAmpD $E6A96? D2:5[ “(6 925 3@E9 5@?6 D@>6 EC2G6=:?8 WH96? H6 7:CDE >6EX 2?5 H6C6 2 3:E @=56C] $@ H96? E96 C:89E @?6 42>6 2=@?8 …”k^Am
kAmw@=:52J DA:C:E[ 2== E96 J62C\C@F?5]k^Am
kAmu@C >@C6[ 8@ E@ k2 9C67lQ9EEAi^^49C:DE>2D=@7E]4@>Qm49C:DE>2D=@7E]4@>k^2m]k^Am
(0) comments
Welcome to the discussion.
Log In
Keep it Clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, racist or sexually-oriented language.
PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK.
Don't Threaten. Threats of harming another person will not be tolerated.
Be Truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone or anything.
Be Nice. No racism, sexism or any sort of -ism that is degrading to another person.
Be Proactive. Use the 'Report' link on each comment to let us know of abusive posts.
Share with Us. We'd love to hear eyewitness accounts, the history behind an article.