Through heartache and devotion, Sheila Scheick is like a butterfly who has embraced changes and challenges in her life, transforming into something new and unexpected with colors that radiate strength, compassion and clarity.

A licensed and nationally certified muscular therapist, Sheila founded Zen Muscular Therapy and Wellness Center in 2001. Located off Route 128 in Woburn, Mass., Zen’s mission has been to help clients gain balance of body, mind and spirit through pain relief, stress reduction and education. The path that led Sheila here is a story unto its own.

With a bachelor’s degree in psychology and a master’s in education, Sheila spent several years as an alternative education teacher and teaching English as a second language. She later sought out new challenges and growth in the insurance industry, but felt out of her element in the corporate world. It was in the midst of this transition that something terrible happened–something that would deeply affect her and change her life forever. Sheila’s younger sister suffered a severe asthma attack that resulted in a traumatic brain injury, leaving her in a persistent vegetative state (PVS).

“At the time that this happened I wanted to find some alternative therapy to help her or, hopefully, heal her, and, at the very least, supplement the physical therapy she was barely getting at rehab,” Sheila says. “Her muscles were weak and atrophied, so I took a couple of massage and reflexology classes to learn techniques to work on her muscles and energy points. Once I started taking the classes, I realized how much I loved the work and decided to quit my job and go to school full time. Best decision I have ever made!”

If beauty is as seen through the eye of the beholder, then Jennifer Bullock sees beauty focused from behind the lens of a Canon 50D. As she puts it, she was tired of paying for the “fast food” type of services she was getting when it came to having portraits done of her kids. So what did she do? She immersed herself in photography learning  as much as possible in order to better capture and document the lives of her family and friends. It didn't take long for photography to become  a serious hobby for Jennifer. And as it would turn out, she got much more than she bargained for. Not only had she found a way to tap into her own uniqueness and creativity, but she also found great satisfaction in interacting with and pleasing  her subjects through her art. “I love seeing and capturing different stages and moments in peoples' lives simply through my viewfinder. I honestly believe I can see things differently from behind my camera that others cannot ordinarily see”, she says. In 2008, Jennifer Bullock started Jennifer Bullock Photography. Working mainly on location in Western Massachusetts, Jennifer is primarily a wedding and portrait photographer. She attributes the growth of her business to good old fashioned word of mouth along with some additional help from social networking forums such as Facebook. Jennifer generally works within 25 minutes of her home, but is willing to travel literally anywhere, keeping her fingers crossed in anticipation for her first "destination wedding" ! I was able to catch up with Jennifer to discuss her work and some of the more technical aspects of what it's like to be a professional photographer. Here's how it went...

The House

The Shabby Sheep isn’t just a furniture store; it’s a story of innovation and preservation…a labor of love. Entrepreneurs, Erika Deady-Wohlers and her husband Nick Wohlers moved from Chicopee to Granby in 2001. They had purchased the old Thorton Clark house off Route 202, on East State Street. The two story colonial was built in 1826 and home to generations of Clarks. The house was in poor condition and in desperate need of attention. The Wholer’s found a dusty, old plaque in the cellar, whose faded letters read: Home is where your story begins, and so began Erika and Nick’s story. Under the watchful eyes of a small town, frequent passerbys peered through their heated car windows as the young couple diligently worked through the frigid winter months.