Over the past seven years The Current Quarterly has published 29 issues, produced 10 fashion shows, organized 7 special events and collaborated with a number of local businesses and nonprofits as a way to highlight the Cape’s unique and ever evolving fashion and shopping scene.

I started the magazine in 2012 not only as a way to show people Cape Cod’s local fashion scene but also where to shop local for most, if not all, of your wants and needs; I felt the message that shopping local is better for our community as a whole needed to be shared in a fun and fashionable way.

About six months after launching The Current Quarterly, I co-founded LoveLiveLocal with Jen Villa and Kate Sheehan, a lifestyle brand that centers around community advocacy and also educating people about the importance of shopping local. Clearly it has been my mission to advocate for small businesses and garner as much support for them as possible!

At this point we feel it makes sense to merge our missions – LoveLiveLocal and The Current Quarterly – and bring them together to form a stronger local brand with a bigger impact. So, I am very excited to say that the CQ will now be a part of LoveLiveLocal!

And this winter The Current Quarterly’s holiday gift guide that we have published for the past seven seasons will now be known as the Love Local Gift Guide, and will continue to be the most comprehensive gift giving guide that highlights local shops, their unique offerings, as well as local products. This magazine will also feature fashions from local boutiques just as the CQ has done for so long.

We will also be infusing some of the type of content you are used to seeing in the CQ into LoveLiveLocal’s annual Field Guide (released in the spring) with features on local shops, shopping and locally made products.

The Current Quarterly as you know it is changing, as we will no longer publish issues year round, but I believe the mission and message that has driven me for so long will be stronger by joining together the two brands that I helped create and grow, and that I can only hope have had and will continue to have a positive impact on the Cape Cod community.

If you have any questions, please feel free to email me at amanda@lovelivelocal.com and if you are interested in advertising in the Love Local Gift Guide and/or the Love Local Field Guide you can get in touch with our Sales Manager, Ian Lee at ian@lovelivelocal.com.

When Lisa Sue Smedberg opened her shop, Story, in Falmouth in June she wanted “to provide women on the Cape with access to fresh and contemporary fashion,” and aimed to do it in a relaxing and plush environment….and she definitely delivers. The clothing and styles you find at her shop are incredibly unique and exciting, and the atmosphere is comfortable and inspiring.

CQ: Can you tell us about your connection to Cape Cod?
Lisa Sue Smedberg: I’m from Connecticut but grew up spending summers in Falmouth where my mom and stepfather had a home since the 80s. Over the years I came to spend more and more time in Falmouth and felt a connection to the community that was difficult to separate from. In 2012, after my mom lost her battle with cancer, my husband and I were living in Boston and took over ownership of my mom’s home. We renovated thinking we’d use it and also rent out. Once the renovation was complete, we never wanted to leave. Two years later, we moved here full time and have never once regretted that decision.

CQ: Have you always had an interest in fashion?
LSS: From obsessing over what might be the perfect outfit for a specific event (starting with the first day of fourth grade) to eagerly awaiting my grandmother’s arrival every Christmas Eve to see what she was wearing (usually something very Julie Christie from Dr. Zhivago). I grew up with a mother and grandmother who each had amazing personal style and took great joy in dressing for every day and special occasions.

CQ: Is that why you decided to open up a boutique?
LSS: If only it were that obvious!! For the first five years we lived in Falmouth, I commuted into Boston several days a week for my job in advertising. When that was no longer sustainable, I started to think about what I would miss most about being away from the city and it was the options for shopping. I also talked with countless women living here about what they wanted in a shopping experience. With that information, my love of fashion and the support of my husband, family and friends, I executed on a vision that is now story.

CQ: What is the significance of the name Story?
LSS: The significance is both literal and figurative. Instead of art on the walls, we feature framed pages of favorite passages from books recommended or given to me by friends over the years. I also subscribe to the notion that in sharing our stories with one another, even in brief conversations, we become more empathetic, we start to understand each other a little better. I tried to create a retail destination that fosters those types of connections.

CQ: How is your shop different from others on Cape Cod?
LSS: Two distinct ways. We’re different first in the environment we’ve created. We’ve deliberately veered away from a coastal vibe to create a metropolitan-chic living room experience with mid-century modern accents. Secondly we’ve curated contemporary, elevated, and alluring styles from designers not typically found on the Cape and in some case, the northeast, but rather found in metropolitan fashion destinations from LA to Copenhagen.

CQ: How would you describe the Story customer?
LSS: The woman who loves time spent on the Cape and seeks fresh styles and special pieces that reflect who she is here and in the broader world she interacts with.

CQ: What are the biggest trends you have seen for this fall/winter fashion season?LSS: Leather (albeit real, faux, or vegan). This trend goes beyond jackets or coats. We’re seeing everyday pieces like t-shirts or joggers re-imagined in leather and even worn together for a luxe, polished look. 2. Volume. In the form of a slightly exaggerated shoulder on dresses or blazers, a balloon sleeve on a fitted knit top, or a wider leg pant. This trend from the 80s has reemerged with subtlety and sophistication. 3. Midi and Full Length Dresses and Skirts. Whether you opt for florals or solids, this silhouette continues to dominate the season and we’re thrilled as it’s a great way to show off your new fall booties and easy to dress up or down with a moto style or denim jacket.

You can find Story at 352 Main Street, Falmouth or online on Instagram at @storyfalmouth or at Facebook.com/storyfalmouth

I like to think of the Arts Foundation of Cape Cod’s annual Pops by the Sea event as a really big garden party, and dress accordingly. To me, this might mean flowy, flowery dresses, straw wide-brimmed hats and wedge sandals. But this year’s event theme offered a little bit of a twist. In honor of the 50^th anniversary of Woodstock, the Boston Pops’ playlist included music from 1969 – and thus the theme of the event was the Summer of ’69.

I had fun putting together an outfit around this premise, marrying the styles worn by the flower children and the mod queens of the 60s.

I ended up choosing a flowy and flowery top from Artichoke (channeling my inner flower child).

The drawstring that cinches the shirt in the middle allows the shirt to become short-waisted so it pairs well with a pair of high waisted (mod inspired) shorts from Devinto.

I accessorized the look with a pair of straw slides from If the Shoe Fits and gold hooped earrings that picked up the aquamarine color in the top from Wellfleet Marine Retail.

All throughout the day from the pre-show with DJ Ian Lee and Funktapuss to singing along with the Boston Pops to “Aquarius/Let the Sun Shine” I felt like I fit right in with the vibe of 1969.

Here is an outfit that highlights all of the best of fashion after Memorial Day: sleeveless tops, white jeans, open toed shoes, and pops of turquoise.

The gorgeous green shirt from Green Eyed Daisy is not only sleeveless but the halter top accentuates the shoulders that are (finally) sun kissed.

I paired it with a classic pair of white jeans from Changing Tides Consignment. Admittedly, I resisted adding white denim to my wardrobe for a very long time, however, they truly are a great addition to a summer wardrobe. They can be worn with a basic tee for daytime looks and with a sparkly top or dressy blouse to make a nighttime look a little more elevated.

I thought a pop of turquoise would add a fun element to the outfit, so I chose these gold hoops from Design Works, and finished the look with my go-to gold sandals also from Design Works.

The Long Table has been a signature Hyannis Main Street event for years, but this year for the first time ever, on Sunday, June 23, the event will take place in the middle of the street.

Picture this: an elegant dinner party with over 500 guests enjoying delicious food from thirteen local restaurants at one long table while also enjoying fabulous entertainment like curated music from DJ Ian Lee. Each participating restaurant will offer their own themed four-course, sit down meal with wine pairings, and corresponding table décor.

Naturally, my first thought when I heard about this year’s event went to what I would wear. Different restaurants offering different themes means the options are varied – and fun! So, I made a plan to go to three Hyannis Main Street boutiques to find the perfect outfit to sit at the tables of Rendezvous Café & Creperie, the Naked Oyster, and The West End.

Rendezvous Café & Creperie is planning on bringing a Cape Cod twist to a traditional French meal starting the evening off with Salade Lyonnais and finishing with a Crème Brule, and their table will be decorated on the theme by Betsy Young of Soho Arts Company.

So, what does one wear to a French themed dinner party? Why, a black jumpsuit and a whimsical printed scarf from Directions, of course!

Naked Oyster will be cooking up a Taste of the Sea with a menu that features oysters from their very own oyster farm and local artist Stephanie Swanson of Swanson Studios will be creating the decor.

To dress for this table, I couldn’t resist trying on a nautically inspired blue and white striped sundress from Puritan Cape Cod, and the flowy ruffled bottom reminded of an ocean wave.

The West End and their incredibly talented events manager Meaghann Kenney will be creating what they do best: gold, glam and Gatsby-inspired. Their menu is thoughtfully curated with a main course of a filet mignon with foie gras butter, smashed potatoes and seasonal vegetables.

Sitting at this table calls for a black, lace cocktail dress from Country Soul paired with a long gold, tasseled necklace reminiscent of the flapper style.

Regardless of where I end up and what I wear, the night is bound to be one for the books!

If you are interested in attending the Hyannis Main Street Long Table event reservations are to be made directly with the restaurant of your choice.

Even though the weather on Cape Cod isn’t cooperating with my desire to transition my wardrobe to spring-mode, I’m still taking liberties and dressing like it’s 60 plus degrees every day.

This means taking out my cropped jeans, wearing shoes without socks and unpacking my short-sleeved shirts that were put away for the winter.

I love a good pair of dark skinny denim, but I also like a pair of jeans with a little bit of personality and interest. Accordingly, the central focus of this outfit is the Blank NYC light colored cropped jeans with some fraying and contrasting darker color details from Green Eyed Daisy.

I paired the outfit with an oversized navy marled top with a knotted v-neck from Weekend to highlight the darker blue color in the jeans, along with a pair of light gray Converse Chuck Taylors I scored at Changing Tides Consignment to create a more sporty vibe and my favorite stacking rings made on Cape Cod by Molly Avellar.

I look forward to wearing these jeans throughout the spring season and into the summer with tank tops and flip flops, and the Chuck Taylors in the warmer weather with my summer dresses and shorts.