Lisa Beddigs launched her own design business, Scarlett J Designs, in May 2025 to provide full-service interior design, including everything from decor for new or remodeled homes to holiday styling. Although she works with a range of clients, Beddigs focuses on getting to know each homeowner’s personality to provide the best design possible. “I don't want clients to walk into their home and feel like they’re in a museum. I want it to feel lived in, and even if they haven't lived in it yet, but to feel like there's that homey aspect to it, and that's really how I approach design,” says Beddigs. I'm making sure that throughout the home, there are many personalized touches.”

With a 25-year background in corporate marketing, Beddigs chose to pursue a different path just a few years ago. “I decided to start to actually do something that I really love to do, because I have never in my life, until I started this company, woken up and said, ‘I love my job,’” she says. “I wanted to start something that I'm so passionate about that every single day, and now I really love it.”  Beddigs notes that she still utilizes many of the same skills from her previous career, focusing on providing every client with a high-level experience.

Although she had always hesitated to open her own firm due to the client-driven nature of running a small business independently, Beddigs has found a new love for both the business and design aspects of her firm. “Being able to shift my focus to what I really love to do gave me a fresh sense of the business side,” she says. “I’m one of those left and right-brain people. I love immersing myself in the design and focusing on that, and then the next day I can focus on the finances.”

This holiday season, Beddigs found an additional passion for holiday decorating. A particularly special Christmas installation in an apartment at the St. Regis on Longboat Key allowed her to explore holiday design—Beddigs planned, sourced and installed the entire design for the family’s first time celebrating Christmas in the home. “I really was able to allow the design to kind of set the stage for the memories that they would build from this season on, to many more holidays in this home,” she says. With a classic Hallmark Christmas theme and a traditional color palette, Beddigs created a full design featuring a fully-decorated and personalized tree, a hot chocolate bar and a custom-made floral piece. Looking ahead to the future of her firm, Beddigs is inspired to expand her work on holiday projects because of her passion for this design.

Read more about Scarlett J Designs and this St. Regis Christmas installation in the February edition of SRQ Magazine.

Scarlett J Designs, 2419 Temple St, Sarasota, scarjdesigns.com.

Pictured: Lisa Beddigs is the founder and stylist-in-chief at Scarlett J Designs. Photo provided by Lisa Beddigs.

Get ready for a day filled with curtain calls! The Bazaar on Apricot & Lime is presenting StageFest, a celebration of Sarasota’s performing arts scene happening Saturday, January 10 from 10am-3pm. Between shows, guests can visit booths from each company to learn about their upcoming seasons and meet the talented performers who make Sarasota “The Cultural Coast.” Representatives from Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall and the Sarasota Rising Arts Festival will also be on-site sharing information about upcoming events and initiatives. Visitors can also explore The Bazaar on Apricot & Lime’s 40+ local creators, artists, and curators, each offering unique handmade goods, art, and treasures. And when hunger strikes, Hamlet’s Eatery, the award-winning onsite food truck, will be serving up delicious lunch options, beverages, and sweet treats. StageFest will take place outdoors at The Bazaar on Apricot & Lime, located at 821 Apricot Ave, Sarasota, FL. Admission and parking are free, and the event is family- and pet-friendly.

Saturday, January 10, 10am-3pm, The Bazaar on Apricot & Lime | 821 Apricot Ave, Sarasota, Free Admission | Live Performances | Local Shopping | Food & Drinks by Hamlet’s Eatery. For more information, visit www.BazaarOnApricotAndLime.com and follow @BazaarOnApricotAndLime on social media. 

The Sarasota Alliance for Historic Preservation (SAHP) has announced 11 honorees of the annual Sarasota County Heritage Awards, recognizing excellence in historic preservation, research, education and stewardship throughout the County. The award winners include individuals, organizations and project teams that have dedicated themselves to maintaining, restoring and promoting the structures that reflect Sarasota’s past. Awardees will be honored at SAHP’s Heritage Awards Dinner on April 30, 2026. 

Our popular concert series continues on Monday, Jan. 5, 2026 with the Stevie Wonder tribute band, Hotter Than July. Showtime is 7:30 p.m. at Venice Performing Arts Center located on the Venice High School campus at 1 Indian Avenue, Building 5, Venice, FL 34285. All tickets for Hotter Than July are $56 which includes a hurricane restoration fee for the rebuild of Venice Theatre's main stage Jervey Theatre. Tickets for all 77th Season concerts and shows as well as registration for the international theatre festival aactWorldFest are available at VeniceTheatre.org or by calling the box office at 941-488-1115.  

To learn more, visit

The Planetarium at The Bishop is excited to launch Sky & Scope, a hands-on telescope workshop designed for beginners! This two-part program will turn your curiosity into confidence! Session One, held on Saturday morning, covers the essentials: how a telescope works, the different types of telescopes, and observational techniques. In Session Two, the following Saturday evening, you’ll put theory into practice during a guided observing session led by Planetarium Educators. Whether you’re a complete novice or looking to sharpen your skills, Sky & Scope workshops will provide the knowledge and support you need to navigate the night sky! 

To learn more, visit

Selby Gardens’ Artist in Residence, Patti Smith, returns for a special performance in celebration of our Historic Spanish Point campus exhibition Robert Louis Stevenson: A Child’s Garden of Verses.

Wednesday, January 14, 7-8pm, Historic Spanish Point campus. 

To learn more, visit

 Joseph McElmeel, Chairman and CEO of executive search firm Brooke Chase Associates, Inc. is pleased to announce the successful recruitment of Shea Chaplic as Regional Vice President of Sales – Southeast for Spectrum Fine Cabinetry of Boca Raton. In this newly created role, Shea will build market presence by developing relationships and new customer partnerships with local and/or national builders, developers, architects, designers, specifiers, municipalities, contractors, and building owners in the Southeast U.S.Shea has a rich background in business development, having previously held positions as Director of Business Development and Estimating at Advanced Millwork, and as District Sales Manager at Wells Fargo Equipment Financing. Spectrum Fine Cabinetry of Boca Raton, FL is a privately owned, well-established, and growing manufacturer of custom, high-end kitchen cabinetry.