Springfield, Missouri Shopping Guide: Small Businesses to Support this Holiday Season!

November 24, 2023 Bekah Schooler

It’s the most wonderful time of the year! The holiday season is one time of year that people make an effort to spend time with their loved ones and show them how much they care. One way that we show people we are thinking of them is the act of gift giving!

A gift does not have to be elaborate or expensive to show someone you care about them. Sometimes a simple card or a small, unique gift can mean much more than something from a big box store. Shopping your small, local businesses can be a wonderful way to get meaningful and unique gifts with the added bonus of supporting your local economy!

For the past 5 years, I have made an effort to shop 100% small or local for my holiday shopping. Not only has it made for some really memorable gifts for my loved ones, but believe me, it means the world to our Springfield business owner neighbors when you choose to shop with them for your holiday shopping! With all of this being said, I have put together a holiday shopping guide with numerous local small businesses and gift ideas for all!

Local Clothing Boutiques

We all know someone who loves the latest fashion trends! Ditch the busy mall and find some unique finds at the many local boutiques in the Springfield area!

5 Pound Apparel: 5 Pound has men’s and women’s clothing as well as unique gift options throughout the store! Added bonus: every purchaase gives back to numerous charities! Located Downtown Springfield. 412 South Ave, Springfield, MO 65806

Clothe Boutique: Trendy young women’s clothing and accessories. Located in the Brentwood shopping center. 2644 S Glenstone Ave, Springfield, MO 65804.

Downtown Boutique: Women’s clothing and lots of stocking stuffer options, located just a short distance outside of Springfield in Republic, MO. 224 N Main St, Republic, MO 65738.

Modern Society Apparel: Modern apparel for women - also located in the Brentwood shopping center. 2652 S. Glenstone, Springfield, MO 65804

Bree’s Little Closet: Bree’s has women’s apparel and is located off of Republic Road in south Springfield! 1607 W Republic Rd, Springfield, MO 65807

Staxx: Upscale women’s clothing in the Brentwood shopping center - Bonus, their sister store, Jellybeans has a variety of goodies for the kiddos on your list! 2630 Glenstone Ave, Springfield, MO 65804

Home Goods & More

These shops have something for everyone! Each of these options have several home decor and gift options in their store!

The Market: This is my go-to stop for home goods during the holiday season! Walking into this shop is like walking into a winter wonderland during the holiday season - They also have so many fun smaller gift options! This shop is also located in the Brentwood shopping center. 2628 S Glenstone Ave, Springfield, MO 65804

Sunset: This store offers beautiful, artisan home decor! They just opened here on C-street in 2023! 303 E Commercial St Springfield, MO

House Counsel: If you want refined home goods, house counsel is a beautifully curated home store! 1961 S Glenstone Ave, Springfield, MO 65804

Harrison House Market: Located just next door to House Counsel, Harrison House is also a place that just gives you a warm and fuzzy feeling walking through their doors! I’ve purchased candles, ornaments, books and more from their store! 1717 E Cherokee St #103, Springfield, MO 65804

Unique Finds

Hakaar’s Bazaar: If you have a vintage lover on your list, Hakaar’s Bazaar is one of our neighbors here on Commercial Street. They have a variety of vintage clothing and home items. Definitely a fun and unique place to peruse! 217 W Commercial St, Springfield, MO 65803

Pagination Book Shop: This little book shop is perfect for the avid readers! It is located in a historic Walnut Street home and each room is packed full of unique reads! 1150 E Walnut St, Springfield, MO 65806

Serendipity: Another Commercial Street neighbor of ours! They have small gift options and items perfect for stocking stuffers - Bonus, they also offer custom balloon creations and party decor. The perfect place to get your holiday decor! 215 W Commercial St, Springfield, MO 65803

Culture Flock: I stop in this store every holiday season! They have custom clothing designs and so many fun stickers, pins, patches, and so many other fun items! 607 S Pickwick Ave Suite A, Springfield, MO 65802

The Local Bevy: This store is a dreammm - they have artisan jewelry and pottery stickers, cards, and so many other unique finds! 617 S Pickwick Ave, Springfield, MO 65802

Little Bluebird: If you want to knock out a lot of shopping at once, try a curated flea market boutique like Little Bluebird! Located just a short distance outside of Springfield in Ozark, this shop has booths stuffed full of unique goodies for every type of person! 2004 W Evangel St, Ozark, MO 65721

Gift an Experience!

Another way to gift while supporting your local economy is to pick up a gift certificate from a local service provider, restaurant or business in the area or a fun experience! Here are just a few ideas:

Gift a spa treatment from a local esthetician or masseuse, try Grove Spa or Acacia Spa!

Gift a fun night out! You can pour your own candles at Heirloom Candle Bar, attend a mixology class put on by 417 Cocktails, go mini golfing at Getaway Golf, or throw some axes at Craft Axe Throwing.

Buy dinner or coffee for your friends or family, Springfield has SO many amazing local restaurants and coffee shops, but some of our favorites are:

Food

**Cafe Cusco**
**Wheelhouse**
**Van Gogh’s**
**Bambino’s**
**Pizza House**
**Civil Kitchen**
**Gailey’s** **(Pictured)**
**Druff’s**
**Piccolo**

Coffee

**Architect Coffee Co (Pictured - Honey Lavender Latte)**
**Eurasia Coffee Co**
**Urban Grounds**
**Travellers House Coffee & Tea**
**Kingdom Coffee**
**Green House Coffee & Affogato Bar**
**Big Momma’s Coffee & Espresso Bar**

Lastly, We may be biased as a photo studio, but grab your loved one a gift certificate from your favorite local photographer! Updating those family photos is something that can go overlooked! Photos are something that you get to enjoy for the rest of your life - and if you have a photographer to buy a gift for this Christmas, you can always surprise them with a studio rental here at Lightbox!

There you have it! Our 2023 shopping guide for the holidays - We hope this will serve as a useful tool for the 417 community! Now, who did we miss? Comment your favorite small business below!

Written by Bekah

Creative Coordinator at Lightbox.

Recap on the Meraki Workshop

December 30, 2020 Hannah DeVries

We hosted our first workshop! We’ve hosted several small scale photographer’s shoot-out events over the last year and we knew we wanted to expand on them and offer an educational and intimate experience for the photographer’s in our community! This workshop was built to allow the attendees a space to create something new and dive into the intentionality behind their businesses as they move into the new year.

As we begun meeting with vendors and discussing the workshop in more depth a word popped into our Bekah’s head that had hung on her bulletin board throughout high school:

Meraki: [MAY:RAH:KEE] noun.

“Doing something with soul, creativity, or love; to put something of yourself into what you create.”

This word perfectly embodied what we wanted this workshop to be all about and how we wanted all of our vendors and photographers that participated in the workshop to feel as they created in the studio!

We had an amazing team of all-female (HECK FREAKIN YEAH) entrepreneurs and business owners that helped make this two day workshop possible! With the incredible talent and help of Wildly Collective, we were able to offer two different styling themes for the workshop that focused on current and upcoming trends. The Dream State sets were curated and designed by Wildly Collective and focused heavily on a soft, colorful and “dream-like” aesthetic that has us (quite literally) dreaming of Spring!

Our team at Lightbox curated the Modern Romance sets that used a more earthy tones and textures. We wanted these sets to focus more on editorial posing and integrate an edgy bridal session with a fun fast food twist!

We made sure to make the styled shoot portion of both days fall along the same overall theme but offer something new and exciting for each day so that the photographer’s attending could choose to come to day one, day two, or both days!

Day One

This 8 hour day was filled with 2 styled shoots, 1 styling vignette and 1 tablescape. The goal was for each photographer to take the time to try new posing techniques and bounce ideas off one another while shooting. After the photography portion of the day, we congregated in the Edison to download our images and start editing. One of the best parts of the day was hearing from speakers Wildly Collective and Tessa Cooper on “Creating More Meaningful Work” and “Pitching your Work to Publications.” We ended the evening with a catered meal from Cafe Cusco (a local fave) and conversations around the beautiful tablescape styled by Wildly Collective.

Day Two

This 4 hour day consisted of 2 styled shoots, headshot set-up, editing time, an introspective worksheet and learning about “Staying True to Your Brand Identity from the owner of the Ozark Mountain Flower Truck, Cassie Parker!

Cassie spoke on staying true to your brand identity, finding your “why” and how to scale your business! We LOVED having Cassie here because we so admire the brand she has cultivated at Ozark Mountain Flower Truck!

Our favorite part of any photography related events at the studio is ALWAYS the incredible images from all of the attendees! We continue to be blown away by the creativity and passion of the photography community in our area!

BG STUDIOS PHOTOGRAPHY

RHIANON BROWN PHOTOGRAPHY

BLOOM AND BE PHOTO

MORRIS IMAGERY

J PUHR PHOTOGRAPHY

PORTRAIT NOVELLA

LEIGH SMITH PHOTO

WHITE DOVE PHOTOGRAPHY

WILD WILD PHOTOGRAPHY

CHELSEA MACMILLAN PHOTGRAPHY

ILLUMINATE PHOTOGRAPHY

We are so incredibly thankful that this workshop was a success and ignited the creative spark in the community we love so much! We couldn’t have done it without the help of our incredible vendors:

Wildly Collective

Dream State concept & design
Day one speakers
@wildlycollective_

Kyndra Jackson

Dream State day two wardrobe
@neverwakemeup

(Photo by Leigh Smith Photo)

Shea Brianne

Styling mats
@shea_brianne
(Photo by Rhianon Brown Photography)

Queen City Blooms

Dream State florals
Modern Romance head piece

@queencity.blooms

Sand and Stone Handmade

Stone ring boxes
@sandandstone.handmade

Cassie Parker

Day two speaker
@ozarkmtnflowertruck

Lilac and Lord Baking

Baked goods
@lilacandlordbaking

AVBS

Hair and makeup
@avbsalon_tiffany
@avbsalon_aerie

gather elise abigail photo feb 2020-1785.jpg — Tessa Cooper

Day one speaker
@tessajcooper
(Photo by Elise Abigail Photo)

Kind words:

Written by Bekah Schooler & Hannah DeVries

Q & A with a Photographer - Mariah Datema Photography

March 25, 2020 Bekah Schooler

Ready to meet another awesome 417 photographer? We’re loving getting to know the people who use our space and what inspires them to create! Today on the blog we introduce you to Mariah of Mariah Datema Photography! we love her passion and drive and can’t wait for you to

Hi! I’m Mariah!

I'm a young, aspiring photographer in the 417. I have lived in Springfield for all my life, and I'm currently attending Missouri State University with a major in Child Development and a minor in Diversity Studies! I am super passionate about activism and social justice, and of course: photography! I have been interested in photography since the fifth grade, when I would take photos on my LG flip phone. My junior year of high school I got a job at Sonic so that I could save enough money to finally buy my first DSLR. I was so excited, and my business started from there! My goal for photography is to make people feel as comfortable and confident in their own skin as they can. Self-Love and empowerment can be such a difficult journey, but I want my clients to embrace who they are as individuals and learn to love themselves along the way. My favorite feedback from clients goes along the lines of, "Mariah! You made me look so beautiful" Nah, girl. That's all you. You are beautiful!

Headshot by Illuminate Photography

Q: How long have you been a photographer?

I got my first DSLR camera in 2017, and have been seriously pursuing photography since 2018. It was my senior year of high school, so my first true sessions were senior sessions from my friends in class! I'm still super appreciative that they trusted me during that time because more often than not I had no idea what I was doing.

Q: How would you describe your photography style?

My photography style is warm, candid, and soft. It has changed a lot over the last year but I've finally found my style and I'm sticking to it!

Q: What is the most rewarding thing about being a photographer to you?

The most rewarding thing is just hearing how confident my clients are after photoshoots. I love hearing positive feedback and that they've found confidence within their photographs.

Q: What is the best thing about your clients?

My clients are seriously so sweet. In my few years of doing photography, there have been very few clients that I didn't click with! I love my reoccurring clients that come back to me for multiple occasions, it makes me feel so loved and important! I cannot thank my clients enough for being so incredibly amazing. They rock!

Q: What is your favorite thing to photograph?

Either Grads/Seniors or couples. I love taking MSU Grad photos because they're always in such a great mood. Like yes, you did that! You got a degree! That's amazing! Then definitely couples because I am such a hopeless romantic. Show me some love and intimacy and I'll be saying the word "cute" a hundred times during your session.

What accomplishment are you most proud of?

Oh gosh. Well, I guess I could say that it's always extremely rewarding to me when MSU reposts my Grad photos to their Instagram. This past semester a photo from one of my Grad sessions actually got put into a slide show in Glass Hall, which was the coolest thing ever. The client I had for that shoot was absolutely stunning, so it's no wonder they chose that photo!

Q: If you could give one piece of advice to yourself when you first started as a photographer, what would it be?

Keep learning, and don't ever stop. Even when you think you're at a point in your journey where you know enough to succeed, that's not enough. Constant learning will get you to where you'd like to be.

Do you have any Photography influences?

So many! I follow new photographers on Instagram everyday it seems like. A few of my favorites are: Abigail Derrick, Marissa Knudsen, Raleigh Woods, Aurora Dawn, and Kayla Locke. All super talented and powerful women, which I'm all about.

What is your favorite piece of gear? Dream piece of gear?

My nifty fifty lens is my absolute favorite at the moment. It just works so well with portraits! I would love to upgrade to a full frame camera one of these days, as I'm still using my DSLR from junior year of high school! I'm a Canon girl through and through, so I'll definitely be upgrading to a Canon. ;)

Q: If you could give one piece of advice to your clients what would it be?

Relax and stay natural. Natural movements make for the best photos. Be yourself and be comfortable! Photoshoots can be nerve wracking but I want you to feel as authentic as possible.

Q: What are some fun facts people may not know about you?

I have been a vegetarian for 6 years, I'm the Instagram coordinator for @msugenerationaction (the campus organization I'm in), I'm 1/4 Korean, my favorite color is emerald green, I have more plants than I can count, and I have 3 siblings! Oh, and I'm very open-minded and no topic is too taboo in my mind. I'll talk about anything!

Q: What would your ultimate, dream photo shoot be?

I've always had this idea of doing something with women empowerment and self-confidence. I don't really know exactly what that would look like, but I'm thinking I'd work with a diverse group of women in terms of race, age, etc, and take photos of them without makeup to show natural beauty..Maybe a future Lightbox project? On the simpler side: I would LOVE to shoot a couple session in the mountains someday. I'm definitely a mountains kinda girl.

Q: Where do you draw inspiration from?

Honestly I draw inspiration from the photographers in this community. Everyone is super kind, inspiring, and helpful. I love seeing their creative projects because then it encourages me to come up with some creative ideas of my own!

Q: What was your favorite part about using Lightbox?

The decor! Every time I walk in there, I think "Dang, can Hannah just come and decorate my entire house?" Everything there is so aesthetically pleasing and the lighting is perfect.

Q: What kind of photo shoot(s) have you done at Lightbox?

I have done a winter/Christmas themed high school senior photoshoot, and I also did headshots for a local makeup artist/esthetician! The senior shoot was in the Loft, and the headshot shoot was in the lower studio. Both were fantastic, and I especially loved all the plants in the lower studio.

Q: How would you like to use the studios at Lightbox in the future?

I would like to delve into boudoir photography eventually, and I think Lightbox would be a really great and comfortable place for that. I also would just love to shoot more portraits in general at Lightbox. Every time I shoot there, it's magic.

Q: Any final thoughts?

Lightbox is a photographer's dream. If you're a photographer in the area and haven't had a chance to try it out yet, make plans to do so. You won't regret it!

Thanks Mariah! We are so excited to see you continue your photography journey and see what photos you take in the future at Lightbox! If you want to see more of Mariah’s work you can follow her on instagram here : @mariahdatemaphoto

Written by Bekah Schooler

Lightbox Creative Coordinator and Studio Assistant

If you are interested in being featured in the Q & A with a photographer series e-mail me at Lightboxbekah@gmail.com