Naja Hayward, tea maker

PHOTO by SCOTT JONES
All Naja Hayward wanted was a cup of tea. It was 2003 and she was a visitor roaming the streets of Boston—appropriately—in search of something to sip, as well as a place to relax. Eventually, she found what she was looking for at a tea bar where the drinks [...]

Meow’s Kathleen Schaaf buying vintage when downtown was empty–except for the secondhand stores

PHOTO by ROSHEILA ROBLES
It’s hard to believe today, with the new buildings like stents in the city’s heart—and the vacant lots with white plastic Redevelopment Agency fences around them—but in the late 1970s, downtown was one big thrift in many old buildings. The [...]

Going for broke on kitchenware at Olives, Too! and Kitchen Outfitters

OLIVES, TOO! by ROSHEILA ROBLES
It’s a shame nobody ever tells you how expensive your hobbies will be before you get hooked on them. I seem to have a knack for finding ones requiring copious amounts of time, planning and money: screen printing (of the non-clothing [...]