There is a mother-daughter duo of fashion lovers in the heart of Long Island , New York that you just have to meet . Sherree and Ashley O ’ Shea work together through thick and thin with their mobile women ’ s clothing , jewelry , and accessory company , DazzleBar . If their exquisite , classic collection of affordable style doesn ’ t draw you in , their warm , affable nature definitely will . These two women are dedicated to giving their customers individual attention to provide them with that special piece to complete an outfit . They have fun , work together strongly , and even consider most of their customers to be like family .
BY GABRIELLA SAITTA
Cliché : What inspired both of you to create your own boutique ? Sherree : You know when you don ’ t know what you want to do with your life ? I was in my late 50s at that point and I didn ’ t know where to go . I knew I loved to shop , so what do you do when you love to shop ? You create a place that people love to come to . Living so close to New York City , it was easy to get started and follow the trends . I just love to shop and why shouldn ’ t everybody no matter what your funds ? Ashley : When I started getting involved , I would help them out here and there , but then I started taking vacation days to help out . Around the same time , I was getting frustrated with my commute to my job and they just weren ’ t going in the same direction that I wanted , so I decided to leave and just do this for the holiday , but by January , I realized that there ’ s no turning back now ! I also enjoy shopping and playing with the pieces . Sherree : Part of it is growing up with four daughters and one son , we ’ re always putting together pieces and seeing what each other has . We ’ re always mixing them and creating something new with them . We always love doing crafts and creating together . We have a lot of fun doing what we do . Everybody says they want to be a part of our family , but they do become family . We enjoy being with them ; we have a mutual trust ! If something doesn ’ t look good , we ’ re not going to try to sell it just to sell it . It ’ s also very much family backed ; everybody is there for each other . We have a lot of fun . You gotta love what you do ! Ashley : I ’ m telling you , I am the most like my mother ! There are days when I say “ Oh no ! I am becoming my mother !” We have a harmonious style that ’ s perfect for collecting our pieces .
You ’ ve mentioned on your website that you donate funds and time to many charities . Where do you guys help out ? Sherree : One of the big ones that we do is the Long Island Beauty Ball . That ’ s usually around October for Breast Cancer Awareness Month . They give a day of beauty for women who are survivors or who are still surviving and have a ball at the Crest Hollow Country Club . We were the first actual vendor there and then we make a donation back to them . We also do work with Cystic Fibrosis . Ashley : We go into schools and we open up sales to teachers and staff and then donate money back to them . It goes towards things like children being able to afford field trips , scholarships , new playground equipment . Sherree : We don ’ t tell them specifically what it has to go for . They know their needs better than we do . The schools are really our biggest events . We just did one for the Hauppauge volleyball team . Ashley : We also have promo codes online that , if used , will go towards a certain charity or event that we ’ re doing . Sherree : Also , while trying to find our audience , I called up the principal from my kids ’ old school . All five of my kids were very involved , so when I said “ Hey , remember the O ’ Shea family ? Can we do an event ?” it was no problem and then it became word of mouth .
What is the unique style behind DazzleBar ? Sherree : We hand-pick everything and we pick what we love . Our style is universal , but near on the preppy-side . Ashley : We include a beachy , coastal style in our boutique that ’ s true to Long Island . Sherree : We also include accessories that you can take from day to evening . We deal with a lot of working women who don ’ t have time to change before going to an event , so we teach them how to switch up the same accessories to get a new look . It ’ s also affordable enough for all women and we cover a vast age . We stand behind our products 100 %. If you ’ re not happy with something , we are a text away and we meet our clients to make swaps . Some even text us pictures of outfits and we will take the time to tell them which accessories go best with it . We are customer service oriented .
Why did you choose to be a travel boutique ? Ashley : We are a true pop-up boutique and that ’ s the way the world is going . Sherree : We have a website , but most people
Credit : dazzlebarboutique . com
still want to touch and feel the merchandise . We still allow for that touch-and-feel while still offering you the convenience . Ashley : We go into a lot of schools and many teachers think “ I had to run out and get gifts after work , but you ’ re here and this is perfect ,” so there ’ s the convenience factor . We ’ re just trying to make people ’ s lives a little bit easier and give them more time to just breathe . Sherree : We are a personal service . With retail , you have to be different from the next guy and that ’ s our thing . Ashley : Most people of my generation don ’ t want to make the connection between us and them , but we will talk to anyone for hours ! But we ’ re also a little cut and dry because you don ’ t have to wander around a store and talk with a zillion different people . We will help you directly . Sherree : It ’ s also a lot of fun . Each experience is new and you never get bored .
How has working together as a family influenced your experiences in creating your boutique ? Sherree : We don ’ t always agree on everything . You have your moments like in
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