BayouLife Magazine September 2015 by BayouLife Magazine

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SEPTEMBER 2015 16 / ASK ERIN Organizing Your Jewelry 28 / A. ALDEN’S MEMO The September Issue 30 / BAYOU KIDZ Raising Responsible Children 42 / FISHING WITH KENNY The Summertime Blues for Summmer Bass 54 / MEREDITH’S MUSINGS She Gave Up Her Husband for Lent 68 / P. ALLEN SMITH Flower Child

70 / BAYOU OUTDOORS Gator Time 84 / BAYOU ICONS Deanie and Tom Baker 94 / ON NEUTRAL GROUND Neutral Looks for Fall Make a Bold Fashion Statement 108 / SWEET MEMORIES Shipley’s Donuts Announces An End of An Era 118 / FLEX APPEAL Muscle Club Apparel 140 / FAITH, FAMILY & FASHION Missy Robertson Takes Us On a Personal Journey 148 / LOSING YOUR BREAST FRIEND Dianne Guillot Discusses Living Life With Breast Cancer 154 / RUMO’S HAS IT Russell Moore Creates A Phenomenal Hair Product Line

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160 / STYLE THROUGH THE DECADES Remarkable Individuals Who Leave A Fashionable Impression 168 / PUCCI DIVINE Martha Hayden Shares Her Extensive Collection of Emilio Pucci

BayouLife

UR SEPTEMBER ISSUE, LIKE

many other magazines is our Style issue. I can’t say that I am a super stylish person, I definitely depend on boutique owners to help dress me. When I have an event, my cousin, Rhonda McCartt, will direct me to a Laundry dress – can’t go wrong with Shelli Segal. We always say that Monroe is the biggest, little town in the world. Case in point: Martha Hayden (a Monroe native) is one of the largest collectors of vintage Emilio Pucci in the country. After taking a peek in her impressive designer closet, we asked Martha to let us style a photo shoot inspired by Pucci. With the help of my good friends Sarah Davidson and Nick McKinney, we pulled together a timeless fashion spread. And I can’t forget to thank my dad for bringing his Moto Guzzi over for a few photographs. A month ago, during my monthly self breast exam, I noticed a dimple. I immediately made an appointment with my doctor. He sent me for my first mammogram – I was scared. I have to say that the technicians made the process extremely easy, and honestly, it was not painful like I had imagined. I got my clear results two days before my 36th birthday. On September 19th, join us for Race for the Cure at Forsythe Park to raise awareness and funds for breast cancer research. And

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2107 Honor Street, Suite E Monroe, LA 71201 Phone: 318.855.3185 Fax: 318.855.4645

WW W. B AYO UL I F EM A G . C O M make sure to read Dianne Guillot’s story on page 148. Dianne is a breast cancer survivor and is this year’s New Balance Honorary Survivor. On Saturday, August 15th, we were getting ready for our Style Through the Decades photo shoot when the power went out in Monroe. The UPSTAIRS gallery lost it’s air and lights, so we quickly had to make alternate plans. I am so grateful for the Masur Museum of Art for letting us take over the gallery for a few hours, for Material Things for loaning us some fabulous chairs, for Melanie and Graham and for all six of our lovely ladies for keeping their poise. They are true examples of what being “beautiful on the inside” means. There are so many great articles this month and not enough room for me to mention all of them. But, I hope you can take a comfy seat and enjoy reading this issue of BayouLife Magazine.

~ Cassie Livingston

PUBLISHER Cassie Livingston cassie@bayoulifemag.com EDITOR Maré Brennan mare@bayoulifemag.com ART DIRECTOR Melanie Moffett melanie@bayoulifemag.com ADVERTISING MANAGER Toni Navarro toni@bayoulifemag.com ADVERTISING SALES EXECUTIVE Ashley Hubenthal ashley@bayoulifemag.com OFFICE MANAGER Ellie Jackson ellie@bayoulifemag.com CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Maré Brennan John A. Califano, MD Dan Chason Kenny Covington Michael DeVault Dr. David Finley Cindy Gist Foust Linda Holyfield Kathryn Joyce Barbara Leader Erin Love Dr. Brent Metts Meredith McKinnie Dr. Timothy Mickel Mary Napoli Analeise Reeves LaRone Richardson Delia Simpson P. Allen Smith Tabby Soignier Beatrice A. Tatem Judy Wagoner CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS Brad Arender Martin G Meyers ON THE COVER Ellie Jackson in Pucci at Layton Castle Photography by Brad Arender BayouLife Magazine is published and distributed by Redbird Publishing, LLC. Circulation: 12,000 copies monthly. Postal subscriptions ($20) can be ordered online at www.bayoulifemag.com. BayouLife Magazine is not responsible for unsolicited photographs, manuscripts or other materials. Reproduction of contents without express written permission is prohibited.

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Not Your Father’s Root Beer

Small Town Brewery Creates Specialty Beers with Unique and Flavorful Ingredients

BY DELIA SIMPSON, CRAFT, SPECIALTY & IMPORT MANAGER, CHOICE BRANDS, INC.

IM KOVAC’S GREAT-GREATgrandfather from the 1600s was the captain of a ship in England. He was also a bit of a gambler. As legend has it, he won a brewery during a high-stakes card game, which led him to start crafting his own beers. He began brewing beer on the ships he sailed. This allowed him to travel further than other vessels, because beer stayed fresh during long journeys. The story goes that his beer was even consumed on a fleet of ships he commanded that transported some of the earliest settlers to America. Years later, when Kovac expressed an interest in making his own beer, his mother finally revealed to him his family's beer making history and why brewing was in his blood. Until then, he had never heard the complete story. Using some of his great-great grandfather's recipes as inspiration, he founded Small Town Brewery. At Small Town, the goal is to honor the family's beer making tradition by creating specialty beers with unique and flavorful ingredients. Kovac passed down his family's beer making tradition by working tirelessly with his son to craft the first version of “Not Your Father's Root Beer.” Located in Wauconda, Illinois, Small Town brewed its first batch of root beer in 2013, sprinkling a vat with sassafras bark, vanilla, anise, wintergreen and handfuls of ad-

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ditional spices. Originally, the product was offered only in kegs. Because of the overwhelming response and thousands of requests from all over the country, they worked relentlessly with experts (representing over 80 years of brewing experience) to figure out how to increase production and bottle the product, while keeping the cost to consumers reasonable. After almost two years, they figured out how to meet the demand. At 5.9% ABV, the silky, smooth and satisfying finish is unmatched in flavor. It appeals to craft beer aficionados as well as to those who don't typically drink beer but crave something unique. Described as an ale with the taste of spices, the award-winning “Not Your Father's Root Beer” has received many accolades in its short time on the market. Besides achieving a 97 rating from Beer Advocate, the brew also won 2nd place overall in Chicago's 4th annual Beer Hoptacular event in 2013. It is already a very popular choice at several local restaurants and bars as a dessert option when served up in an adult root beer float. There are also several inventive cocktail recipes using the bold, sweet and spicy brew as a base. Demand has been high, but rest assured, deliveries are being made to local retailers as you read this. It will be available in six-pack bottles year round.

Check out the recipe below, courtesy of mybakingadditction.com, for a cold, creamy, and delicious treat that's just for grown-ups.

Adult Root Beer Floats Yield: 4 Servings Prep Time: 5 Minutes

Ingredients: 1 pint quality vanilla bean ice cream 2 12-ounce bottles of Not Your Father's Root Beer whipped cream chocolate syrup

Directions: Scoop 1/2 cup vanilla ice cream into each of the 4 frosty mugs. Add enough root beer to fill each mug. If desired, top with whipped cream and a drizzle of chocolate syrup. Serve immediately. For a variation on this recipe, add a shot of your favorite liqueur. To achieve optimal enjoyment, wait until the kids have gone to bed!

For a complete list of stores, restaurants, and bars that carry Not Your Father's Root Beer, as well as a list of events featuring the brand, visit us on Facebook at Facebook.com/choicebrands. We'll also keep you posted on the latest beer happenings around town.

The Psychology of Style Not Just A Trendy Makeover, But a Mind-Body Transformation

BY BEATRICE A. TATEM, PH.D., LPC-S, NCC, ACS

OPHISTICATED, CHARMING, DEMURE, CLASSY, SMART, stunning, vibrant, cute, dashing, conservative, flashy, sexy, fresh, hot, elegant, edgy, brilliant, swagger, fun, free, chic, compelling, impressive, loose, awesome, artistic, creative, haute, couture, dramatic, bold, casual, cool, fascinating, faux, beauty, amazing, flattering, sleek, glamorous, sensational, vogue, unique, bohemian… these are a few words that can describe one’s clothing, personality and style. How do you describe your clothing, your personality and your style? How do you style yourself? What does your personal style reveal about you from the inside out? Although often misunderstood, overlooked and undervalued, style is significant in our lives. Style can be defined as a particular way something is done, designed, articulated, crafted or performed. According to Psychology Today style is identity, personality, self-awareness and character. Style is often associated with clothing and fashion. However, there is a distinction between fashion and style. The distinction is as follows…Fashion is in the clothes we wear. Style is in the wearer. Fashion can be expensive. Style is priceless. Fashion is dictated. Style is individualistic. Fashion comes and goes with time. Style develops, grows and evolves. Fashion is adorning one’s self. Style is visual persuasion stating who you are. Fashion is ordinary. Style is captivating. Fashion shouts. Style communicates. Fashion is commonplace. Style is your signature; it is your stamp on things, it is your brand. Fashion is pretty. Style is artistic and creative. Fashion satisfies the expectations of others. Style is being yourself and being seen as yourself. Fashion comes from outside. Style comes from within. Fashion is surface. Style is deep, reflecting emotion. Fashion is simple. Style is complex. Fashion is an instant makeover. Style is a life makeover. Fashion is popular. Style is substance. Fashion is fad and trend. Style is lasting and memorable. Style is character, courage, creativity and awareness of self. Style is intriguing, distinctive and memorable. Style suggests energy and freshness. It is optimism made visible. Style is personal identity created through experiences and interactions often expressed through clothing. Fashion is expressing

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style through clothing; being stylish is beyond being wrapped up in clothing and fashion. Having style does not require a lot of clothing or “stuff.“ You can have lots clothes and little style or you can have few clothes and lots of style. When applying psychological theories to what we wear, Fashion Psychologist reminds us clothing choices impact not only our own thoughts and emotions, but also the thoughts and emotions of others. Psychology readily admits that what you wear is directly linked to what you think and feel about yourself. What you wear also helps to shape what others think and feel about you, which in time can influence your sense of style. Style supersedes fashion; it is a distinctive way of putting ourselves together. Style is a unique blend of spirit, mind, body and soul. Style is about you and your relationship with yourself. It suggests creativity, self-expression and personality. Style helps us to paint a visual picture of our inner selves linked to our consciousness. Style is a reflection of you as a person. Style is self-knowledge and self-confidence expressed through what you choose to wear and how you wear it; how you perceive yourself and how others perceive you. Like all knowledge, self-knowledge must be updated as you grow and evolve; style takes continuous self-assessment. Style is vigor, attitude, wit, vitality, inventiveness, vim and vibe. It demands the desire and confidence to express whatever mood one experiences. Style intrinsically links external and internal components. In essence, the outside and inside of our being affects each other. Style can be achieved once you know who you are, what you are and why you are. Style is more than a trendy makeover but is a transformation of the total person. In order to have true style, your style must reflect the character and personality of the true self. Style is psychological from the inside out. Fashion comes and goes, but having style, your style, is forever. For more information about counseling services and outreach programming, contact Dr. Tatem at Wellness Initiatives, 1900 North 18th Street, Suite 414, Monroe, La 71201. 318-410-1555 or at btatem.bt@gmail.com.

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A Look Behind the Curtain The Hearing Consultation at Audibel the Hearing Center

T IS ESTIMATED BY THE BETTER Hearing Institute that over 35 million Americans willingly chose to suffer from untreated hearing loss in their daily lives. For some, the degree of hearing loss may be more impacting than others, but every person could benefit from a simple hearing consultation appointment. One reason more people don't take advantage of our offer for a free hearing check is apprehensions for what takes place during this appointment. We will help to explain that process and remove any concerns for making an appointment. The first item that occurs at a hearing consultation is an introduction to the hearing specialist and brief discussion around your hearing loss symptoms and needs for hearing improvement as it relates to your lifestyle. This will help the specialist understand specifically which type of situation you are not hearing as well as you should. Then a hearing evaluation or screening will commence to identify the extent of any hearing loss that may exist. The results are shared by the hearing professional to discuss how hearing loss may be impacting your abilities as well as possible recommendations for a hearing solution. If a hearing loss solution is recom-

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mended to you, this oftentimes is for hearing aid technology to which the opportunity will be presented to try using hearing aids while in office. This is a completely voluntary step in the appointment process, but many patients who are struggling with hearing loss have found it compelling to listen to the difference that hearing aid technology can make in their hearing. Should you decide to purchase any hearing aids, a no-obligation trial period is included with the purchase. As you can see, the hearing consultation is a simple and unintimidating process that is geared towards helping you identify if any hearing loss exists and determine the best course of action to help improve your hearing. We offer a complimentary hearing consultation every day at our office and are happy to help you or a loved one with an appointment. To get started, call our office during business hours or visit our website for more information. MAKING A DIFFERENCE Our mission is to bring understanding among people through hearing care by focusing on awareness, education, protection and treatment, So the World May Hear! At Audibel The Hearing Center, we

care about your well-being and the lives of the less fortunate around the world. As a proud supporter of The Starkey Hearing Foundation’s “So The World May Hear” program, we are changing lives through the gift of hearing. Your support through the purchase of Audibel Instruments, and your donation and trade-in of any model hearing aids goes to the foundation’s programs to provide hearing instruments to children in the most remote and poverty stricken regions of the world.

ABOUT US Audibel The Hearing Center is Northeast Louisiana’s Audibel dispenser. Cherry Phillips “The Hearing Lady” has been serving this area for over 27 years. We offer free hearing screenings, free second opinions, extended warranties and repairs on all makes and brands of hearing aids. You can find out more by visiting our website www.AudibelMonroe.com and you can see more and like us on Facebook.com/AudibelMonroe.

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ganizing and decorative solution.

HOOKS – Turn an unused wall into a display area by installing hooks. You can hang necklaces and bracelets from them!

FRAMES – Replace the glass of an old picture frame with a piece of cork board or some other fabric or material that you can easily push earrings into. You can also attach hooks to the material from which to hang necklaces and/or bracelets.

TACKLE BOXES – I love using tackle boxes to arrange jewelry. You can customize the sizes and shapes of the compartments, and they are instantly ready for travelling! Just throw one in your suitcase and go!

ask erin

ORGANIZING YOUR JEWELRY by Erin Sharplin Love ewelry is a fashion essential because it has the power to transform an outfit from day to night, from classic to modern, or from casual and colorful to sophisticated in an instant! So why does it seem that while clothing trends change, our jewelry collection stays the same or is stored and forgotten until the next time we try to match an older piece with a current outfit? Have you ever tried to untangle two or more necklace chains when you are on the way out the door and need an instant accessory to finish your outfit? This unpleasant ritual should teach us that jewelry shouldn’t be tossed in a box to become jumbled, broken and outdated! Rather, it should be displayed, loved and worn! To help make sure your jewelry can become the staple it should be, I’ve listed a few of my favorite organizing tips: As with any organizing process, there will be items currently in your jewelry wardrobe that should be discarded. But beware-- the area around you will look worse before it gets better! Always remember that tip! During every organizing process, the space you are working with will always look

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messy at first. So, to get started, sort through each piece of jewelry with discerning eyes. Do you still love the piece? How long has it been since you’ve worn it? Now, follow the tips below:

1. Sort away – Begin sorting the jewelry you are keeping into separate piles (rings, bracelets, earrings, necklaces, etc.) 2. Donate – Donate the pieces you are tossing. Contact some local women and teen -oriented non-profit organizations to see if they would have use for them. 3. Sell – If there are some pieces of jewelry you no longer want but can’t bear to give away, try selling them. You can host a jewelry swap or try to sell them on Ebay! 4. Create the perfect space – Now that all you have left are workable pieces of jewelry that you love, you can begin finding creative ways to display and organize them like the ones below. BUSTS – Create a mini boutique in your closet or bedroom by displaying some of your favorite pieces on jewelry busts. It’s a great or-

BELT AND TIE RACKS – These are great for hanging necklaces and will keep them tangle free!

VASES AND BOWLS – Don’t forget to use items that are already in your home! Choose a few of your favorite decorative pieces and hang earrings from the rim, slide bangles over the neck or puddle large necklaces in the bottom of the piece. Tie the chains separately with colorful ribbon so they won’t tangle.

There are so many innovative ways to display your jewelry, and with websites like Pinterest, there is no excuse not to use your creativity to display each piece beautifully.

Of course, you can always use the typical jewelry armoire, but try to incorporate a few of these new ideas to make your jewelry more appealing and fun!

Erin Sharplin Love, owner of Panache by Erin, is a Certified Fashion and Image Consultant, Professional Organizer and Certified Wedding Coordinator, whose specialties include outfit coordination and closet organization. Love has a knack for creating the perfect organized spaces that work with each client’s personality, for helping her fashion clients develop their own personal style and for helping her wedding clients create the wedding of their dreams within their budget and without the stress. Panache by Erin offers the following services – outfit coordination, personal shopping, personal color analysis, home/office organization and wedding/event coordination. To learn more, please go to www.panachebyerin.com.

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Marsala Beverage

Louisiana Craft Beer Week to be Held September 13-19

Great Raft Brewing – Shreveport LA Great Raft Brewing's mission is to create fresh craft beer that complements the lifestyles and cultures of Louisiana. Our beer is complex, inspired, bold and plentiful, providing our customers a beer experience unlike any other. Southern people enjoy spicy, flavorful food, and Great Raft beer not only stands up to the bold flavors in our cooking, but complements it as well. Great Raft beers are produced with the finest hops and grains, providing our customers with consistently great beer in every batch. Great Raft Brewing was founded on the principle of brewing what we call “Real Beer.” Real Beer is brewed with creativity, passion and authenticity. Our beer is brewed with creativity that pushes the boundaries of style, a passion for greatness and authentic, quality ingredients. Drink Real Beer™. You deserve it.

Red River Brewing Company – Shreveport, LA Red River Brewing Company LLC was founded in 2009 in a local garage. Two friends’ dreams of bringing local beer to Northwest Louisiana soon became three guys brewing at all hours of the night, perfecting flavors and crafting recipes. With roots in the local home brewing community, our mission is to bring high quality, local beer to high quality, local people….or vagrants like us, too.

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Chafunkta Brewing Company – Mandeville, LA Chafunkta Brewing Company is a Mandeville, LA based Nanobrewery formed by Josh and Jamie Erickson in June of 2011. Chafunkta Brewing Company was born from their shared interest and passion for brewing great craft beer. They started CBC with the hopes of doing something for a living that they both truly loved and enjoyed with great passion. They also firmly believe in increasing craft beer market awareness in Louisiana by creating and delivering great tasting beers.

Tin Roof Beer – Baton Rouge, LA Geaux Local. Drink Tin Roof Beer. Tin Roof beers are handcrafted in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, using only the finest American and European malts, freshest hops and pure parish well water. No preservatives or additives are ever used. This means you enjoy the natural flavor of the beer the way it was intended. Every batch of Tin Roof beer is brewed with an uncompromising commitment to exceptional quality. This gives our beer a consistent, delicious and unmistakable Southern charm - you’ll know it when you taste it.

Covington Brewhouse – Covington, LA Covington Brewhouse is result of a scientist and a rock-n-roll brewmaster buying the best kept secret in downtown Covington, Louisiana. Our Brewery, located on the

beautiful north shore of Lake Pontchartrain, carries on that proud “local” brewing tradition as a contributor to the present-day American craft beer renaissance. Our beers, which exemplify another of Louisiana’s unique “local flavors,” not only pair well with the amazing local cuisine, but stand on their own with distinctive taste and character.

Bayou Teche Brewing – Arnaudville, LA Returning to America after a six-year deployment in West Germany, our brewmaster dreamed of creating a beer that would pair with the Cajun cuisine he grew up eating. Living in Europe, he had learned to appreciate the regional foods and beers of many countries and how they had evolved to complement each other. Taking up brewing beer at home, he taught himself to make several styles of these beers, fine-tuning recipes until he was satisfied that they complemented Cajun and Creole food. After returning to Arnaudville, he taught his brothers and collaborating they brewed commemorative batches of beer for their family’s holiday meals. Bayou Teche Brewing was founded on this simple dream – to craft beers that complement the cuisine and lifestyle of Cajuns and Creoles. With that mission, the Knott brothers decided on St. Patrick’s Day in 2009 to convert a discarded rail road car into a farmhouse brewery.

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Haik Humble Eye Center Introduces Medical Aesthetic Services

Helping You SEE Well... LIVE Well... and Even LOOK Well

AIK HUMBLE EYE CENTER IS proud to introduce advanced cosmetic and medical aesthetic services to our practice offerings. Our services are provided in a relaxing and comfortable atmosphere utilizing the latest technology and highly qualified professionals to deliver great results. Our goal is to understand your areas of concern that need to be addressed and recommend the best leading edge treatments that fit your budget. Along with treatments such as injections of Botox and Juvederm, four non-surgical procedures are now available to help you look and feel your best.

LASER HAIR REDUCTION Using a gentle beam of light, the Lumenis LightSheer® can help solve the problem of unwanted hair. The LightSheer® is more than 75% faster than the average hair reduction session, and also features the unique HIT™ and ChillTip™ technologies for pain relief. Treatment takes between 10 to 60 minutes depending on the size of the area being treated. No sedation is required for treatment, and there is minimal discomfort with no downtime after treatments. Additionally, LightSheer® is a smart, economical choice, saving you money spent on temporary hair removal solutions. IPL PHOTOREJUVENATION The Lumenis® IPL (Intense Pulsed Light)

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photorejuvenation treatment offers visible improvements on a range of skin concerns, such as age and sun spots, freckles, rosacea, broken capillaries and overall skin appearance. IPL treatment works with your skin to remove skin imperfections and stimulate collagen and elastic fiber production over a sequence of treatments. A fast “lunch-time” treatment with no downtime, IPL typically takes 2 to 6 sessions with 2-4 weeks in between are needed to achieve optimal results for most skin concerns.

ResurFx™ The Lumenis® ResurFx™ fractional laser is a non-ablative skin resurfacing technology for fine lines, skin texture and overall skin appearance. ResurFx is optimally tailored to address even the early signs of aging. This laser stimulates the production of new collagen and elastic fibers in the deeper layers of the skin. Stimulating new collagen production is the key to more radiant, youthful looking skin. Experience minimal downtime in a “lunchtime” treatment, and return to your busy lifestyle. Optimal results are achieved after 3 to 5 sessions in 4 to 5 weeks intervals. However, you will continue to see improvements for up to six months following the treatment. VASER® SHAPE VASER Shape is a safe and effective body shaping treatment that can smooth, firm and

shape those troublesome problem areas to give you the body you desire. A non-invasive treatment that combines ultrasound and massage, VASER Shape generally requires 3to 5 treatments with no pain and no downtime. The procedure will smooth and shape your body, but it is not a weight loss solution. If you have those problem areas that are resistant to diet and exercise, and are looking for a nonsurgical solution, then ask about VASER Shape today. In addition to non-surgical procedures, Haik Humble Eye Center continues to provide a wide range of cosmetic surgical procedures such as eyelid surgery, laser skin resurfacing and neck liposuction. Whether you are considering the many cosmetic procedures we offer or interested in discussing skin care maintenance, we can assist you in developing a realistic plan to achieve your goals. Safety and your results are of utmost importance for us at Haik Humble Eye Center, and we do our best to make sure you have the most experienced doctors and staff working with you every step of the way. For more information on our medical aesthetic services or to schedule an appointment, please call our main office in West Monroe at (318) 325-2610.

WWW.BAYOULIFEMAG.COM | SEPTEMBER 2015

7th Annual Think Pink Tea Celebrate Life and the Healing Power of Laughter

N HONOR OF NATIONAL BREAST Cancer Awareness Month, recognized annually in October, Glenwood’s Breast Health Center will host its 7th Annual Think Pink Tea on Friday, October 23rd at the West Monroe Convention Center. It is a wonderful time to gather with friends, as we celebrate life and the healing power of laughter. Attendees will enjoy a delicious light lunch and a variety of teas along with exclusive shopping with over 30 vendors. While most people are aware of breast cancer, many overlook the importance of mammograms to detect the disease in its early stages, so it can be treated with greater success. The now widely popular event helps to spread the important message of early detection while celebrating the lives of breast cancer survivors in an empowering way. This year’s keynote speaker will be Lillie Shockney, Administrative Director of the Johns Hopkins Breast Center. In fact, she has many official titles, but her most significant job does not appear on a business card. Shockney, has become a crusader for better care for breast cancer patients around the world. A two-time breast cancer survivor, she has published 14 books and more than 300 peer-reviewed articles in medical journals. She has won more than two dozen awards for her work from national organizations like Susan G. Komen for the Cure, and through her travels, she has met thousands of newly diagnosed patients and their families, answering questions big and small and sharing her experience. Lillie is also the breast cancer consultant for national ABC

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News and Good Morning America, and is also consulted regularly by the NBC Today Show and CNN. Due to limited seating, reservations are required. A $15.00 admission includes the program, luncheon, shopping privileges and tea. Payment is due when reservations are made. Tickets can be purchased online at www.grmc.com/think-pink-tea. They may also be purchased at Glenwood Medical Mall. For ticket information call 329-8590.

GLENWOOD BREAST HEALTH CENTER Center of Excellence The Glenwood Breast Health Center has been recognized as a Breast Imaging Center of Excellence by the American College of Radiology and is a participant with NQMBC. We believe women deserve to be empowered to actively participate in decisions about their care and treatment. We are committed to equipping patients with knowledge and encouragement throughout their treatment journey. Our services include digital mammography with CAD, MRI with CAD, Ultrasound, Biopsy and Dexascan to determine bone density. BREAST PATIENT NAVIGATION PROGRAM Help Along The Journey Glenwood’s Breast Patient Navigation Program provides patients with seamless and timely coordination of their clinical, educational and supportive needs as they progress through breast cancer diagnosis and treatment. This

service is provided free of charge to all Glenwood breast patients.

GENETIC COUNSELING SERVICES Know your breast cancer risks. Change your outcome. Women who have inherited mutations in the BRCA 1 and BRCA 2 genes face a much higher risk of developing breast cancer and ovarian cancer. A genetic counseling session helps women understand their personal risk or the risk of other family members. It can also help them learn what testing, surveillance, prevention strategies or research trials might be right for their situation. OUR LOCATIONS: Glenwood Breast Health Center At Glenwood Medical Mall Phone: (318) 329-8585 Hours: 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. (M-F)

Glenwood Breast Patient Navigation Program Phone: (318) 329-8559 Hours: 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. (M-F)

Glenwood Imaging Center In Monroe on Hwy 165 North Phone: (318) 329-8800 Hours: 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 pm. (M-F)

For more information about Glenwood’s breast health and women’s services,call 877726-WELL (9355) or visit www.grmc.com.

Buying a Home? Let’s Talk Financing. How Big of a Mortgage Can I Afford?

OT ONLY DOES OWNING A home give you a haven for yourself and your family, it also makes great financial sense because of the tax benefits — which you can’t take advantage of when paying rent. The following calculation assumes a 28 percent income tax bracket. If your bracket is higher, your savings will be, too. Based on your current rent, use this calculation to figure out how much mortgage you can afford. Rent: __________________________________

Multiplier: x 1.32

Mortgage payment: _____________________

Because of tax deductions, you can make a mortgage payment — including taxes and insurance — that is approximately one-third larger than your current rent payment and end up with the same amount of income. This calculation is designed to provide an example and is only an estimate. For a detailed, accurate estimate, talk to a local lender.

Get Your Finances in Order:To-Do List Now that you’ve started thinking about a mortgage, you’ll want to get your finances in order so that you can get the best possible terms on your home loan. There are some simple things you can do before applying for a mortgage that can save you money and

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help you to afford a larger home. Use this checklist to get started:

1. Develop a household budget. Instead of creating a budget of what you’d like to spend, use receipts to create a budget that reflects your actual spending habits over the last several months. This approach will factor in unexpected expenses, such as car repairs, as well as predictable costs, such as rent, utility bills and groceries.

2. Reduce your debt. Lenders generally look for a total debt load of no more than 36 percent of income. This figure includes your mortgage, which typically ranges between 25 and 28 percent of your net household income. So you need to get monthly payments on the rest of your installment debt — car loans, student loans and revolving balances on credit cards — down to between 8 and 10 percent of your net monthly income.

3. Look for ways to save. You probably know how much you spend on rent and utilities, but little expenses add up, too. Try writing down everything you spend for one month. You’ll probably spot some great ways to save, whether it’s cutting out that morning trip to Starbucks or eating dinner at home more often.

4. Increase your income. Now’s the time to ask for a raise! If that’s not an option, you

may want to consider taking on a second job to get your income at a level high enough to qualify for the home you want.

5. Save for a down payment. Designate a certain amount of money each month to put away in your savings account. Although it’s possible to get a mortgage with only 5 percent down, or even less, you can usually get a better rate if you put down a larger percentage of the total purchase. Aim for a 20 percent down payment.

6. Keep your job. While you don’t need to be in the same job forever to qualify for a home loan, having a job for less than two years may mean you have to pay a higher interest rate. 7. Establish a good credit history. Get a credit card and make payments by the due date. Do the same for all your other bills, too. Pay off the entire balance promptly. All of this information can seem overwhelming at first. The professional Realtors at Perry & Associates Residential Real Estate can be your guides in the home buying process. We have established relationships with local lenders that you can trust. Call Perry & Associates or visit perryresidential.com to get started on your home buying journey!

WWW.BAYOULIFEMAG.COM | SEPTEMBER 2015

Shreveport Mini Maker Faire Event to be Held Saturday, September 15th

HAT DO THE FOLLOWING things have in common?

• a bath mirror that eliminates fog from shower steam • a robot that makes pancakes • a low-cost infant warmer that does not require electricity for use in rural areas and developing nations • biodiesel cars • an underwater robot to map lake and ocean floors • portable, compact, solar-powered lighting for emergency relief missions • a self-balancing people mover designed to help the elderly and disabled move around more safely and efficiently

All are ideas that were born from a creative community of DIY-ers with an entrepreneurial spirit that saw room for improvement or creation of products and processes that make life easier… and all were shown at a Maker Faire in their community! Maker Faire is the Greatest Show (and Tell) on Earth—a family-friendly showcase of invention, creativity and resourcefulness and a celebration of the Maker Movement. It’s a place where people show what they are making and share what they are learning. Makers range from tech enthusiasts to crafters to homesteaders to scientists to garage tinkerers. They are of all ages and backgrounds. The aim of Maker Faire is to entertain, inform, connect and grow this community.

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The original Maker Faire event was held in San Mateo, CA and in 2014 celebrated its ninth annual show with some 1100 makers and 130,000 people in attendance. World Maker Faire New York, the other flagship event, has grown in four years to 600+ makers and 80,000 attendees. Detroit, Kansas City, Atlanta, Milwaukee, Orlando, Silver Spring, Paris, Rome, Oslo, Trondheim, Tokyo, Newcastle (UK) and Shenzhen are the home of larger-scale, “featured” Maker Faires and over 120 communitydriven, independently organized Mini Maker Faires are now being produced around the United States and the world. The rise of the global Maker Movement represents a huge opportunity for our northLouisiana community. Sci-Port, along with partners at Bossier Arts Council, Centenary College, Norton Art Gallery and Red Stick Robotics, is pleased to bring to the community the first Shreveport Mini Maker Faire®, Saturday, September 19 at the Centenary College Fitness Center. America has always been a nation of tinkerers, inventors and entrepreneurs. In recent years, a growing number of Americans have gained access to technologies such as 3D printers, laser cutters, easy-to-use design software and desktop machine tools. This, in combination with open source information about how to use, modify and build upon these technologies and the availability of crowdfunding platforms, is enabling more Americans to design and build almost anything. Additionally, the ability to rapidly and affordably test, tinker,

monitor and customize places a premium on locating production close to American markets and opens new doors to entrepreneurship and innovation in manufacturing. The power of these emerging technologies creates the opportunity for Makers to launch new businesses, create jobs and build the industries of the future. Our most pressing challenges require the passion, ingenuity and skills of Americans young and old. These citizen solvers can approach problems with fresh eyes, create new networks of partners and use these tools to design new solutions. This confluence of engaged citizens and tools is why a number of government agencies and private-sector partners believe that Makers can be a powerful complement in their strategies to tackle big problems. These tools, increasing access to nearby makerspaces and events like Maker Faires across the country are inspiring a new generation of entrepreneurs, empowering Makers to launch startups in the same way that Steve Wozniak and Steve Jobs developed and marketed the first Apple Computer while participating in the Homebrew Computer Club. Here’s to the Shreveport Mini Maker Faire being the first of many to illuminate the incredible innovative talents of our region and providing inspiration to the inventors of tomorrow. To learn more or apply to be a Maker at the Shreveport Mini Maker Faire, visit www.ShreveportMakerFaire.com.

Distressed Denim KUT from the Kloth Plaid Rails

High-Waiste d Pants Les Copains

70’s Chic Rebecca Minkoff

A. ALDEN’S MEMO

The

Loafers Rag & Bone

September ISSUE

Over-theKnee Boots, Fur and Chunky Knits Stuart Weitzman Boots (street style)

Duster Jackets Bobeau Grey Menswear Pallas

Mini Skirts Rosie Huntington -Whitely

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Marsala Olivia Palermo

Dallas and Atlanta based fashion sales representative for Reeves & Company, Analeise Reeves dissects all of Fall 2015’s top style trends Even if you don’t know much about the fashion industry, odds are you know that September is the pinnacle of the fashion calendar. Not only do the all-important fashion week shows (NYC, London, Milan and Paris) take place in September, but all the high-power U.S. fashion magazines (Vogue, Elle, Harper’s Bazaar, and the like) release their largest issues of the entire year. They’re often compared to telephone books and even the Bible because of their girth. A tip: don’t ever pick up your September issue in an airport. I’ve done this one too many times and trust me, your arms will be sore for about a week. So considering this is the September issue of BayouLife, I thought it would be most appropriate to focus my attention on the key trends for Fall 2015. I’ve compiled my trend list based on what I’ve read in recent issues of my favorite magazines, what I saw on the runways in February, and what boutiques and department stores have been buying from me in Atlanta, Dallas, Las Vegas and New York City.

WWW.BAYOULIFEMAG.COM | SEPTEMBER 2015

BAYOUKIDZ

Raising Responsible Children TEACHING YOUR KIDS LIFE SKILLS article by Cindy G. Foust

elcome, readers, to the September issue of BayouLife, which is based largely on fashion. (Pregnant pause) That’s it. (Another pregnant pause) That’s all I got on that subject. I took a stab at it last year, but since many of my family and friends frequently remind me that I should be starring on So You Think You Can Dress, I’ll leave this month’s magazine preview to the authorities on fashion, clearly not me. Meanwhile, I will do like I do many months, and ponder my column’s topic while I am washing dishes. Washing dishes you might ask? Like in a sink, with your hands? Yes, for those interested readers, my dishwasher has been out (let me reemphasis my frustration by shouting the letters O-U-T) for over a month. And let me qualify, the only two things I don’t put in my dishwasher are my children (well, except for my husband’s cast iron skillet, he gets real worked up over rusty skillets). Now, does anyone have the Maytag repairman’s number? I have been waiting patiently for three weeks for the “right part” to come in, and meanwhile, shopping for Palmo-

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live so I can save my dishwater hands. If it sounds like I’m being a “whiny-tail” (shout out to Bitsy), it’s because I am. I mean, am I the only one who has gotten accustomed to convenience? I bet not. Surely, however, I haven’t forgotten the days of my youth when we didn’t have a dishwasher? In the words of my dad, “Why should I buy a dishwasher, I have three!” For that matter, when my two sisters and I left home, my dad bought a dishwasher, a television with a remote control and a riding lawn mower. Go figure. Of course, changing channels wasn’t all that taxing in my day, since we only had three channels, but as usual, I’m chasing a rabbit and I forgot where the rabbit hole was. Oh….washing my dishes and pondering my column! As I was saying, while I was getting “dish-pan hands” I got to thinking. I had to wash the dishes by hand when I was growing up. It didn’t kill me. I also had to mow the grass at the “Ponderosa” with a push mower. And for that matter, I had to dust and vacuum and make my bed. Yep, I survived all of that responsibility, too. Fast forward thirty something years (that

“something” variable can be anything in the age equation you want it to be), and we find ourselves as parents, working tirelessly to make sure we raise responsible children, right? Isn’t that every parent’s goal? Their dream? To raise children that are strong, independent and self-reliant? As I often say, my children are never far from my thoughts, as is the case with most parents, I am sure. If you are like my husband Scott and I, we worry about such things as what they will be when they grow up. Do they wash their hands after they use the bathroom? Do they floss after they brush? Do their socks match their shirts (now there’s a fashion tip for you, it just came to me from the fashion gods out of nowhere)? Do they eat their peas and carrots? All these worries are valid, but who am I kidding? An attribute we can instill in our children, that’s as equally important is responsibility. Why? Because responsibility will be an attribute that will spill over into every facet of their life when they are adults. This character building quality will make them more independent and self-reliant, for times when we, their parents, can’t be there. Sounds good in theory, but practically, how do we get there? As I like to do when I write this column, I pulled out the imaginary report card to grade Scott and me on the job we are doing with our kids. I especially like to grade us after I do the obligatory research, and of course, call in the experts. So what did I find? First and foremost, teaching responsibility is more about attitude than it is completing a task. It’s the idea of doing things for yourself and not waiting on your parents or someone else to do it for you. You know, taking initiative. Hmmm…that practical application can be noted with chores, school work, sports or anything extra-curricular. It’s also about teaching them life skills that will enable them to become contributing members of society, maintain their jobs, and be able to help take care of their own family one day. Good grief, how did I get from a broken dishwasher to this place? I’m not sure, but the more I read, the more important I felt the message was. Research is overwhelmingly consistent that says children who have no responsibility when they are growing up, reach their adult years with an attitude of entitlement and thinking the world owes them something. Holy cow…starting tomorrow, my kids are making their beds every day! I jest of course, but where do we start? First, my research says you should start young. I don’t think anyone expects their Continued on page 82

WWW.BAYOULIFEMAG.COM | SEPTEMBER 2015

80 Years of Success Central Oil and Supply Celebrates 80th Anniversary

ENTRAL OIL AND SUPPLY IS celebrating its 80th year in business this month with a ribbon cutting and an open house at a new facility. Throughout its history, you might say Central Oil has continually looked for ways to cure its customers’ problems. And that is why the company is still flourishing eight decades later. From wholesale and retail outlets, service centers, quick lubes and car dealerships to commercial and industrial customers, Central Oil serves a diverse roster. This 227-employee, fully integrated petroleum distributor is well-established in sectors such as heavy equipment, construction and transportation as well as petrochemical and manufacturing. Central Oil & Supply is also the parent company of Central Station Stores, which owns and operates 14 retail locations. On the wholesale side, COS’s experts work hard to provide quality products and superior service to help businesses increase profitability, reliability and functionality. Central Oil is in partnership with a variety of leading lubricant manufacturers, including Shell, Castrol, Motorcraft and Schaeffer. Whether industrial, agricultural or automotive, COS stocks leading brands designed for the specific challenges of each industry. COS offers yet another advantage in today's volatile fuel market: a fuel risk-management program. The COS Fuel Risk Management Pro-

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gram is a strategy used to protect customers against investment losses or to add stability in the face of future cost uncertainty. "We offer a program that enables our customers to utilize the futures market to lock into fuel prices when they are low," says Anna Robertson, Director of Sales and Marketing. While the extraordinary volume and purchasing power of Central Oil is a reason wholesale clients put their faith in the distributor, Central Station Stores’ fresh approach to serving its customers throughout North Louisiana is what helps the business stay pertinent after all these years. The Slider Rider, COS’s famous food truck, has become a staple in the Monroe/West Monroe area—and their unique location at the Monroe Regional Airport continues to get recognition and press. Finally, Central Oil & Supply offers clients an 80-year tradition of strength and stability that its employees are proud to represent. Central Oil & Supply’s roots began as Sherrouse Medicine Co. of New Orleans. The company manufactured Dr. Tichenor's Antiseptic, an old-fashioned tonic for treating wounds and burns. The Sherrouse family diversified when William Jasper's son, William John Sherrouse, opened the first Circle S gas station in 1926 in Gulfport. Within a year, he expanded to five stations and moved the company's headquarters to Monroe,

Louisiana. In 1935, Sherrouse incorporated for the sale of wholesale petroleum under the name Central Oil & Supply Corp. In 1972, one chapter closed and a new one began as John Hardeman Cordell IV (husband of W.J. Sherrouse's daughter, Susan) became president of the company. Central Oil eventually opened two additional facilities, one in Shreveport and one in Baton Rouge, to allow it to better serve the entire state of Louisiana and surrounding areas. Mr. Cordell also founded Central Oil's line of convenience stores, Central Station Stores, in North Louisiana in the early 1980s. “Our continued success is attributed to our hard-working team and the beneficial partnerships with our brands and vendors,” says Hardeman Cordell, President of Central Oil & Supply. “It is holding to our company values and the dedication of our excellent team that has helped us change with the times. At Central Oil & Supply, it is not only our job, but our heritage, to deliver quality products and superior service to our valued customers.” It’s not every day that a company celebrates its 80th year in business. Throughout the years, COS has looked for ways to serve the people of North Louisiana—that is how, after 80 years, this family-owned and operated company is still relevant today.

Inspired by one of fall’s color trends, Reflective Pond, this haute hue is making a splash this season in everything from jewels to pumps. Find these items at our area retailers.

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1. DUCK & DRESSING 2. SUE PAPERIE 3. THURMAN’S FOOD FACTORY & GIFTS 4. FIESTA NUTRITION CENTER 5. THE CHILDREN’S SHOPPE 6. HAIK HUMBLE EYE CENTER 7. FLAIR - MONROE’S FINE JEWELER 8. BEAU MONDE 9. HERRINGSTONE’S 10. HAVEN 11. WOODSTOCK FURNITURE REVIVAL 12. ERIN’S ATTIC 13. LINCOLN OUTDOOR LIVING 14. M.D. MINERALS 15.THE PAPER MARKET 16. THE TOGGERY 17. MOODY BLUES BOUTIQUE 18. SLEEPY HOLLOW FURNITURE 19.THE FASHION OF RUSTON 20. SALT & PEPPER ACCESSORY BOUTIQUE 21. MATERIAL THINGS 22. MR. P’S TEES 23. HEMLINE MONROE 24. M SALON 25. DEIRDRE MCGEHEE DESIGNS 34 SEPTEMBER 2015 | W WW. BAYO UL IFEM AG. C OM

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BAYOUBUZZWORTHY

COZY MOSIE

Looking for cute tees for your kiddos? Look no further than Cozy Mosie! Designed by local artist Libby Gifford. Named after her nephew, Moses, these shirts are designed with kids and coziness in mind. Find this “Hug it Out” tee and more at cozymosie.com, or check them out on Facebook!

NOT JUST PIE

That pie making genius family from Monroe, The Stones, have done it again! Coming in at #2, Not Just Pie is topping the latest national survey of the Best Pie Shops in America on TheDailyMeal.com We can truly say we're only surprised they weren't Number One! Says Christy Stone, "We are beyond grateful for being featured in TheDailyMeal.com 's list of "The 12 Best Pie Shops in America!" We have worked hard for over 30 years to become one of the city's and state's favorite pie shops and will do our best to continue the tradition." Now, who is ready for another piece of that banana caramel!

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103rd BIRTHDAY

St. Joseph Assisted Living and First Choice Hospice hosted a birthday party in honor of Paul Goldman, who turned 103 on August 10th. John came to Monroe in 1953 to manage KNOEAM Radio. He later put KNOE TV on the air and became Executive Vice President and Manager for KNOE AM/FM and TV. Pictured with Paul are Denise Smith of First Choice Hospice and Ted Telano.

NEWK’S EATERY

Newk’s Eatery in West Monroe opened its doors on August 3rd to a large crowd. Owners James Fuller and James Hardin welcomed friends, family and patrons.

WWW.BAYOULIFEMAG.COM | SEPTEMBER 2015

River Oaks School Excellence in Academics and Athletics

USTANG FANS, CLAP YOUR hands! School is back is session, and fall has arrived. When the school bell rings at the end of the day, it’s time for only one thing—Mustang football! Students, parents, alumni and faculty come together each week to cheer River Oaks on to victory. In the 2015 athletic season, the Mustang tradition of excellence in academics and athletics continues with a new generation. The students of River Oaks School strive for success on and off the field. Each new school year provides students the opportunity to embrace team sports and spirit groups that enhance their experience as a Mustang. By participating in sports, students learn responsibility, self-respect, selfdiscipline and leadership. Students encourage each other and work together to score in the stadium and reach their goals within the classroom. River Oaks celebrates these achievements with great pride. Dr. Tom Middleton, Headmaster of River Oaks School, has dedicated over twenty years of his lengthy and successful career to building the academic curriculum to its current distinction. He recognizes the many benefits of an outstanding athletic program that endeavors to enhance and support academic life. First and foremost, the student athletes of River Oaks School are scholars and leaders. “River Oaks School is fortunate to have strong academic athletes. The athletes at

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River Oaks are required to maintain a satisfactory grade point average to ensure their academic standing. The athletes at River Oaks have historically been leaders in the classroom, as well. Their aggressive attitude toward athletics and winning carry over into the classroom where high ACT scores and a high GPAs are acronyms pursued with vigor. R.O. athletes’ admissions to universities and colleges are not hindered by their academic performances. We want our athletes to be champions in the classroom first and champions on the field of play second. Our mission statement is: Striving for excellence in academics, the arts and athletics. That is our mission. Those are our priorities,” says Dr. Middleton. Dr. Middleton is proud to work side by side with Head Coach and Athletic Director Robert Hannah. This season, Coach Hannah enters his thirtieth year of leadership with the Mustangs. He is an icon within the River Oaks family, and his experience and expertise are invaluable. With the support of the entire Mustang community behind him, he is certain that there will be many exciting Friday nights in Woody Boyles Stadium this season. “I feel confident we will continue to see weekly improvement in all positions on the team. Our goal is to win a district championship and host the first round of the playoffs,” says Coach Hannah. Fall means football, but River Oaks offers a wide variety of team sports for stu-

dents to experience. Basketball, track, baseball and softball, soccer, tennis and golf teams all provide unique opportunities for Mustangs to develop skills and compete and against other schools in the district. These sports would not be possible without the devoted parents of River Oaks, especially the R. O. Athletic Booster Club, who spend countless hours to ensure the best programs possible. The River Oaks Athletic Program would not be complete without the stellar spirit groups that keep the team motivated and the fans on their feet. The Varsity and Junior Varsity Cheerleaders, Sundance Kids and Sunsations dance teams are also talented athletes on the field and leaders in the classroom. And every Mustang fan knows that no night in Woody Boyles Stadium would be complete without the rousing beats from the Mustang Drumline. River Oaks School continues to provide its students with a comprehensive educational experience in the 2015-2016 academic year. Students, alumni and parents know that River Oaks’ commitment to excellence in academics, the arts and athletics is a winning combination that will endure for generations to come. Join the mighty Mustangs on Friday nights as exceptional student athletes pursue victory on playing field.

WWW.BAYOULIFEMAG.COM | SEPTEMBER 2015

FISHING with KENNY

The Summer Time Blues for Summer Bass by K ENN Y C OV ING TON AS FISHERMEN, WE LOVE TO CATCH fish. It’s pretty much that simple, and the easier it is, the better we seem to like it. While I love the catching aspect of fishing as much as the next person, my true passion for the sport is figuring out where the fish are and why they are biting at a particular time. During the hottest part of the summer here in north Louisiana, it can seem like there are no fish to be found, much less caught, out of our area lakes and rivers. Many swimmers and skiers complain that our waters feel like “bath water.”Since bass are a product of their environment, they will act accordingly. The window of opportunity can be very small when it comes to having a successful day on the water, so it is important to recognize a few of the smaller details. 42 SEPTEMBER 2015 | W WW. BAYO UL IFEM AG. C OM

First and foremost, an angler has to remember that the warmer the water the less, a fish needs to eat in order to survive. A bass metabolism is such that during the warmer summer months, they move around less so they are very particular about their feeding habits. They will not exert near as much energy to chase a meal, and even during times of heavy feeding activity, it is usually short lived. It is because of this that fishing the first few hours after daylight and the last few hours before dark are usually prime times to catch bass during the summer doldrums. The shade found at both sunrise and sunset is the heaviest you will find at any point during the day, and the fish try to take advantage of even a slight drop in the water temperature. This scenario will usually put them in predictable areas in the shallow water column, but it is important to cover as much water as you can to try and get the most of the early morning or late evening bite. Even with extremely high water temperatures, top water fishing can be really effective on early morning or late evening trips. It is much easier for a bass to pin his next meal against the surface than it is to chase something around him under the water. Remember they aren’t wanting to move very much, so pay extra attention to where and how each fish is caught. The speed and lure presentation can be critical to your success.

A common question I get from other fishermen is, “Once the sun comes up, where do the fish go?” Much like heavily-pressured deer, it seems a bass is just as capable of vanishing into thin air. Actually, what summer bass tend to do is pull near the first available cover or structure away from their feeding areas, and they will suspend in the water column. Note that I didn’t say they will pull into the cover or above the structure, I said they will pull near it. Fish that are suspended like this are notoriously the hardest ones to catch. Some other key features to look for when targeting summer bass are isolated weed patches or any irregular weed areas such as smaller sections of lily pads or maybe a floating section of gator grass around a cypress tree. Dock fishing can be really good in the heat of the summer, but pay particular attention where you are getting your bites. When fishing for summer, bass they tend to be in isolated areas but also around specific types of cover. In keeping with my idea on specifics, I try to keep my choice of lures as simple as possible during the hottest summer months. When it comes to reaction baits, I tend to have more success on smaller lures. The shad this time of year are generally small, as well as the bream, that shallow oriented bass are usually feeding on, so it’s favorable to throw lures with smaller profiles. Pop R’s, shallow crankbaits such as a 100 Series Bandit, ¼ ounce single willow leaf spinnerbait and a ¼ ounce white buzzbait are my favorite choices when it comes to reaction type of lure selection. My choice for flipping/pitching is almost always a Texas rigged, 8 inch straight, tail worm, and 95% of the time the color will be plum. A watermelon/red Baby Brush Hog can also be an excellent choice for a Texas rigged application. With these lure choices, I can effectively cover the water column from dirt deep down to the eight to 10 foot zone. As you can see, there are several different ways to catch fish as the hottest days of summer slowly start coming to an end. Specific targets in specific areas can lead you to great fishing trips. Be careful on the water, and catch one for me! See you next month!

WWW.BAYOULIFEMAG.COM | SEPTEMBER 2015

Minimally InvasiveThyroid Surgery Brent Metts, M.D., PhD. – Ear, Nose and Throat

HE THYROID GLAND IS A BUTTERFLY-SHAPED endocrine gland located in the lower front of the neck. Hormones released by the gland travel through your bloodstream and affect nearly every part of your body, from your heart and brain to your muscles and skin. Thyroid hormones help the body use energy, stay warm and keep the brain, heart, muscles and other organs functioning, as they should. It also controls your metabolism (how your body uses energy from food), and how well you burn calories. An underactive thyroid (hypothyroidism) makes fewer hormones than needed for the body to function properly. Symptoms of hypothyroidism may be vague and often mimic other conditions including changes in the menstrual cycle, depression, hair loss, dry skin, greater sensitivity to cold, carpal tunnel syndrome and unexplained weight gain. If left untreated, hypothyroidism can cause goiter, heart problems, infertility and mental health issues. It can also cause birth defects in babies born to mothers with untreated hypothyroidism. An overactive thyroid (hyperthyroidism) makes too much hormone than needed which forces many bodily functions to speed up. Like hypothyroidism, symptoms may be hard to recognize but often include an unexplained weight loss, rapid heartbeat, a low tolerance for heat, excessive sweating, chronic nervousness and moodiness. Without treatment, hyperthyroidism can lead to serious heart problems or bone problems. Patients with thyroid conditions including cancerous or benign thyroid nodules, large thyroid glands (goiters), hypothyroidism or hyperthyroidism are candidates for thyroid surgery. Surgery may also be recommended for nodules with benign biopsy results if they are increasing in size that could lead to speech or swallowing difficulties and pain. 44 SEPTEMBER 2015 | W WW. BAYO UL IFEM AG. C OM

The most modern approaches for performing thyroid surgery are minimally invasive and endoscopic-assisted techniques performed in our area by Dr. Brent Metts. The surgery is easier to undergo and recover from than traditional surgery. Most importantly, it only leaves a tiny scar on the patient's neck. With traditional thyroid surgery, a permanent scar as long as four inches (and sometimes more) is usually very apparent on the necks of patients. Minimally invasive, endoscopic (video) assisted thyroid surgery uses a high definition camera to perform the surgery through a very small incision. The camera provides a magnified view of the thyroid gland and the critical structures nearby. Most of these surgeries are outpatient procedures that take between 30 and 90 minutes. Incisions are closed using a newer, safer method that doesn’t require drains, staples or stitches. After surgery, patients can usually go home in one to two hours and can resume most normal activities the next day. Traditional surgery almost always means a one-night stay in the hospital and a longer recovery period. Dr. Metts is one of the few surgeons in the nation who is fellowship trained in Minimally Invasive and EndoscopicAssisted Thyroid and Parathyroid Surgeries. He also has a Ph.D. in Vestibular Neuroscience. Combined with his medical training in ENT, he specializes in the evaluation of patients with dizziness and equilibrium issues. Other services include Balloon Sinuplasty™, treatment of sinus and thyroid disease, hearing loss, voice care, sleep apnea and dysphagia. Glenwood Ear, Nose, and Throat is located in the Glenwood Medical Mall at 102 Thomas Road, Suite 202 in West Monroe. For more information or to schedule an appointment with Dr. Metts, call 318-329-8458. Most insurance policies are accepted.

WWW.BAYOULIFEMAG.COM | SEPTEMBER 2015

Bayou Pages NIGHTSTANDS & COFFEE TABLES FA S H I O N A F T E R C O C O

RE VIEWS BY MIC HAEL DEVA ULT f the industry in question involves the creative, chances are it was led by, or at least significantly influenced by, someone who lived and worked in Paris. In literature, Hemingway dominated. For food, the City of Lights graced the world with Miss Julia Child. In a fashion, a cursory trip to Starbucks is enough to demonstrate just how much of an influence a demurring French woman defined high fashion. Virtually everywhere you look, you’ll find the tell tale interlocking Cs of the Coco Chanel logo. To understand fashion is to study Chanel. This month, consider a trio of books that will help understand not only Chanel the designer, but also Coco the woman. These books each provide a glimpse into some aspect of what made the brand the definitive voice of all things style.

Coco Chanel By Lisa Chaney Lisa Chaney is hardly the first biographer to take on the extraordinary life of Coco Chanel. Yet, Chaney’s biography of the fashion maven is, consistently, termed the definitive source on all things Coco. Chaney lifts the veil on Chanel’s life, taking readers on the journey that catapulted a young, semi-abandoned orphan from a child on the streets of a rural French village to the immortal queen of the fashion capital of the world. Gabrielle Bonheur Chanel was born in the sleepy village of Samur, near Tours in western France. When her mother died, Chanel’s father sent her to a convent where she learned to sew. Later, Chanel performed

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as a singer in nightclubs and earned the mellifluous nickname that would make her famous. Chaney charts along the way her subjects’ rising fortunes and her position in the society that would, ultimately, embrace her in the post-Nazi era. If Chaney’s biography has one shortcoming, it’s that allegations of German sympathies seem to be shrugged off and, in their place, Chaney positions a glossed over version of Coco the entrepreneur and dispassionate observer, instead of the somewhat more plausible Coco the conspirator.

Chanel By Francois Baudot What is it that defines the Chanel style? Is it simplicity? Is it that one, small missing element? Is it clean lines or quality? These are questions Francois Baudot tackles in his threevolume boxed display set titled simply Chanel. Over the course of a scant hundred or so pages, Baudot presents images from the fashion, fine jewelry, and perfume creations of the company bearing Chanel’s name. Each of the volumes highlights the best of Chanel style, with a particular interest in the elegance of understatement that drives her designs. Simple lines and reserved designs fill the pages of the Fashion volume, which groups items by ages of Chanel. If some contemporary readers find the offerings at the jewelry store a little over-designed, they can take heart in the Jewelry volume. Even in the Perfume volume, it’s easy to sense the depth of subtley in Chanel No. 5. Baudot’s Chanel stands as a sort of visual

biography of both the woman and the fashion empire she left behind. With the careful attention of a museum curator, Baudot captures in Chanel that same sense of understatement that always seems to leave us wanting more.

Chanel: The Vocabulary of Style By Jérôme Gautier Jérôme Gautier accomplishes something truly amazing in Chanel: The Vocabulary of Style, his presentation-style photo book is chronical. While some critics have taken shots at Gautier’s book for paying lip service to Chanel, what he accomplishes is far more valuable as the story of the fashion house as made through their most broad medium: advertising. Equal parts retrospectives of Chanel and of Karl Lagerfeld’s time at Chanel Magazine, Gautier assembles a history of advertisements for the Chanel lines, as shot by some of the best fashion photographers of the day. For readers seeking photos of a Chanel hat or gloves, this isn’t the book. But if you’re looking for a serious study of the artistic development of the Brand Chanel, this is where you start. While Gautier’s sprawling 304-page work steps sometimes far away from the core of the Chanel style, the book achieves something vastly more important. Gautier’s selections of images chart the very course of fashion itself, from its beginnings with Coco through the more avant garde offerings of the day. In the end, Gautier’s “Vocabulary of Style” underscores the arresting reality of design: there is no style with out Chanel.

JGS School Fund

Jesus the Good Shepherd School to Host Iron Chef JGS Competition

What is THE JGS SCHOOL FUND? For the first time in nearly 10 years, Jesus the Good Shepherd Catholic School is initiating an annual giving program, or what will be commonly referred to as THE JGS SCHOOL FUND, which will replace our fall fundraising events of years past. THE JGS SCHOOL FUND is an effort on the part of our school to establish one major fundraising campaign, which can produce better results than many small fundraisers. Traditionally, strong institutions have strong annual funds, and JGS should be no different.

How will the fund be distributed? The goal this year is $100,000 with any excess funds going toward non-budgeted capital improvements. Your generosity in the form of a gift to THE JGS SCHOOL FUND affords us the opportunity to provide our wonderful teachers with bonuses that help bring their overall compensation a bit closer to that of area public schools. We are also able to contribute to the school’s tuition assistance pool, install awnings over sidewalks, purchase new window blinds for the original school building and continue to update all of our restrooms on campus. Must donations be made at once? Donations to THE JGS SCHOOL FUND can be made at once or over the course of the school year, which gives everyone a chance to participate. For instance, a pledge of $30 per month for 10 months will add up to a dona-

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tion of $300 or a pledge of $1000 per month for ten months will add up to a $10,000 donation! The opportunities for support are limitless, especially since many companies will match employees’ gifts to local schools. Donors must visit their Personnel offices for more information. Matching gifts are an easy and wonderful way to increase your support for JGS, and we consider company-matching funds as part of the total gift. Therefore, a supporter’s gift of $500 can turn into $1000 if their company institutes a one-to-one matching fund program.

What are Giving Societies and Clubs? Giving societies and clubs give our supporters the chance to belong to something special and provide an opportunity for everyone to be involved at JGS. Individuals, families or organizations that make a minimum $1000 annual gift to THE JGS SCHOOL FUND, will automatically become a member of The 1960 Society, which is named for the year the school was founded and is an organization of leaders who invest deeply into the future of JGS School. For more information regarding the levels of our Giving Societies and Clubs, please refer to our website: www.jesusgoodshepherd.org. The most important aspect of THE JGS SCHOOL FUND is that no matter the size, large or small, every gift matters and makes a difference in our ability to reach our goal.

What is the IRON CHEF JGS competition? Each year, THE JGS SCHOOL FUND will have a different theme, and this year’s theme is IRON CHEF JGS! The time, talents and treasures of our supporters are the perfect ingredients that help to make JGS such a special place for our students. Like the secret ingredient on every episode of Iron Chef, the support of our families and friends is the secret ingredient to the success of JGS! This year, our IRON CHEF JGS “competitors” are made up of enthusiastic supporters, who are joyfully competing to raise the most funds and win the title of IRON CHEF JGS! When making your contribution, be sure to check the box next to the competitor for whom you would like to “vote” and help them win the IRON CHEF JGS competition! Why support THE JGS SCHOOL FUND? By supporting THE JGS SCHOOL FUND you will be actively participating in the advancement of our mission and vision for the future. The contributions our students make to the future are shaped by the contributions you make today. We recognize that making a gift of any size is a personal decision, so please know that your generosity, in any form, is always meaningful and genuinely appreciated and we thank you in advance for your investment in the mission and future of Jesus the Good Shepherd Catholic School.

WWW.BAYOULIFEMAG.COM | SEPTEMBER 2015

Lensing and Bozeman eather Katherine Bozeman and John Martin Lensing were united in Holy Matrimony on Saturday, May 9, 2015. The double ring ceremony took place at Parkview Baptist Church in Monroe at half past six in the evening. Reverend Terry Hughes and Father Job Scaria officiated. Heather is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Robert J. Bozeman of Monroe. She is the granddaughter of Mrs. Katherine Bozeman of Shreveport and the late Charlie Bozeman and the late Mr. and Mrs. R.C. Whitten. John is the son of Mr. and Mrs. C.M. “Marty” Lensing of Baton Rouge. He is the grandson of the late Mr. and Mrs. Casper Martin Lensing, Sr. and the late Mr. and Mrs. Carlo Bonura. Escorted by her father, the bride wore an elegant blush gown by

Monique Lhuillier. The soft Aline dress featured a flattering sweetheart neckline and ruched bodice. The Chantilly lace peeked through the soft tulle of the entire gown which created a delicate texture. She carried a bouquet of white hydrangeas, pale pink roses and white peonies. Attending the bride as maid of honor was her sister, Molly Louise Bozeman. Bridesmaids were Lauren Brown, Susan Brown, Elizabeth Bruce, Morgan Chelette, Carolyn Edwards, Catherine Harvey, Amy Hixson and Anna Richard. They wore floor length gowns of pearl pink silk dupioni which featured a ruffle neckline and a flat bow detail on the empire waist. They carried small bouquets of white roses. Flower girls were Addison Brown, Natalie Brown and Vivien Phillips.

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Mark Barbre stood by John’s side as his best man. Robby Apple, Alex Guerin, Matt Harrell, Andrew Naranjo, Dan Neuhoff, Joel Richard, Brian Smith and Paul Thompson served as groomsmen. The groom and groomsmen wore white dinner jackets and boutonnieres of white roses. Ring bearers were Benjamin Barbre and Jacob Richard. Ushers were John Hixson and Kevin Marsh. John Long and C.M. Lensing served as readers, while program attendants were Emma Marsh and Kevin Marsh, Jr. Valerie Barley, Lori Crotwell, Blake Davis and Lauren Ford served as musicians and soloists. Following the wedding, the bride and groom were honored with a reception at the home of the bride’s parents where floral and table arrangements were cre-

ated by Clint Downing. Guests enjoyed favorite Louisiana foods provided by Thurman’s Food Factory, and in lieu of a bride’s cake petit fours created by Patrice Reppond of Sweet P’s. Guests danced the night away to music by The Hardrick Rivers Revue of Natchitoches, Louisiana. On the eve of the wedding, the groom’s parents hosted a lovely rehearsal dinner at the Lotus Club in Monroe. The couple honeymooned in Key West, Florida and now make their home in Baton Rouge where Heather is a nurse practitioner with the Spine Center at the Bone & Joint Clinic and John is a financial advisor with Centura Advisors, LLC. Photography by Genovese Ashford Studio of Baton Rouge.

WWW.BAYOULIFEMAG.COM | SEPTEMBER 2015

Glenwood Urology

Robotic Urological Surgery Results in Less Scarring and Recovery Time

ROSTATE CANCER IS THE MOST COMMON CANCER among men, but as 2 million survivors can attest, it is often treated successfully. One out of every 10 men will develop the disease at some time in his life, most often after age 50. Prostate cancer is a disease in which malignant (cancer) cells form in the tissues of the prostate. The prostate is a gland in the male reproductive system located just below the bladder and in front of the rectum. It is about the size of a walnut and surrounds the urethra (the tube that empties urine from the bladder). The prostate gland produces fluid that is one of the components of semen. Treatment options and prognosis depend on the stage of the cancer, the Gleason score, and the patient’s age and general health. With greater public awareness, early detection is on the rise and mortality rates are declining. New advances in medical technology, such as robotic surgery, are enabling cancer patients to return to active and productive lives soon after their treatment. Other urologic conditions that can be treated with robotic surgery include kidney or urinary tract disorders along with kidney and bladder cancer. The urinary system is made up of the kidneys, ureters, bladder and urethra. The key elements in the system are the kidneys, a pair of fist-sized organs located below the ribs toward the middle of the back. Kidneys work by removing extra liquid and waste from the blood in the form of urine. Narrow tubes called ureters carry urine from the kidneys to the bladder (a sack-like organ in the lower abdomen). Urine is then stored in the bladder and empties through a narrow canal called the urethra. When parts of the urinary system are not functioning properly, symptoms can be mild, moderate or severe. Some typical signs and symptoms of urological conditions may include: • Blood in the urine or semen • A lump in the abdomen 52 SEPTEMBER 2015 | W WW. BAYO UL IFEM AG. C OM

• • • • • • •

Unexplained weight loss or loss of appetite Pain in the side or lower back Changes in urination including frequency, pain or incontinence Feeling the need to urinate without results Sensation that the bladder is not empty after urinating Trouble starting or holding back urination A weak or interrupted urine flow

When medicine, lifestyle changes and other non-surgical treatments do not ease urologic symptoms, the patient’s doctor may recommend surgery. Many urologic surgeries are now performed robotically by Dr. Edward Rutland at Glenwood Regional Medical Center. Robotic surgery allows patients to return home more quickly and with less scarring and side effects than open surgeries. Dr. Rutland is a board certified urology specialist and is the first and only robotically trained urologist in Northeast Louisiana, With robotic surgery, Dr. Rutland is able to operate with greater vision, precision and control. He performs the operations through a few small incisions instead of a large open incision used in traditional urologic surgeries. The da Vinci System features a magnified 3D high-definition vision system and special wristed instruments that bend and rotate far greater than the human wrist. Dr. Rutland remains in 100% in control of the da Vinci System, which translates his hand movements into smaller, more precise movements of tiny instruments inside the patient’s body. If you or someone you love has been diagnosed with a urological condition that could require surgery, it’s important to consider all of your options. To learn more about robotic urological surgery, ask your doctor for a reference to Dr. Edward Rutland at Glenwood Urology. Glenwood Urology is located in Suite 111 at the Glenwood Medical Mall in West Monroe. For more information or to schedule an appointment, call 318-329-8517.

Divorce

Meredithâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Musings She Gave Up Her Husband for Lent BY MEREDITH MCKINNIE

n Ash Wednesday, I accompanied my best friend of ten plus years to see a divorce attorney. I was nervous for her. Having been through a divorce myself seven years ago, I know the pain, the sense of failure, the scariness of the ending and the anticipation of a new beginning. Granted, it was the best choice I ever made. I'm more myself than I've ever been, and yes, I know that sounds clichĂŠ, and perhaps with time I would have gotten here anyway, but the divorce was the gunshot, the start to a race of finding myself, and I'm forever grateful for making that leap of faith. I want that for her, that self-assurance, that eventual peace, that ability to trust herself and her gut. This friend of mine, this warrior, is one of the strongest women I've ever known, but it's a quiet confidence, one easily overlooked. She can be quiet in social situations, though once she opens up, definitely opinionated. She's beautiful, and not that inyour-face beautiful, but the natural, genuine soul, pretty face/maintained a waist, give you the shirt off her back, doesn't know she's

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beautiful, beautiful. She approached me in the summer before ninth grade year, when we were both trying out for the dance team, and though rhythm wasn't her strong suit, it was the thing to do, so we did, and we bonded, both over a shared hatred of our manic dance coach and an appreciation for the bench during softball season sharing sunflower seeds. She was good people, and I felt it instantly. I didn't scare her; she laughed with me, not at me. And her acceptance, honesty and goodness made me want to be better...she became a kindred spirit. Fast forward sixteen years, and she still is. She's the same go-to, listen to me rant, calm me or revive me friend that she was then. We talk almost daily, though our lives are much different. She has children, works 8-5, married, enjoys simpler things in life, but splurges on a Michael Kors bag type. I have a two year relationship, no children, freedom in the evenings to frequent the pub, and it's still all about me, but somehow, we've always managed to stay connected. Life didn't get in our way, at least not for long.

But over the last few years, I've noticed an unhappiness, a longing for something more. She was able to put on a happy face, go through the motions of life like a champ, handle her responsibilities and the blows of an unfaithful, tiring and frankly, immature husband. She did it with a smile and a diligence, an attempt to just get through the day, and this began to sadden me. I want more for her; I want happiness for her. And most importantly, I want her to know she deserves it. Somewhere in the midst of the bad marriage madness, I think she lost herself, couldn't put a finger on the pulse of who she was anymore, and lost all desire to stand up for herself. But a little over a year ago, that all changed. The switch flipped. This time was different. She had had enough. He crossed the same line he always crossed, but he had run out of lines. She kicked him out, and she meant it. When she first told me she was "over it," I stood up after hanging up and did a battle cry. Not because she was hurting, not because I want him to suffer, but because my best friend had regained her strength and found her voice. She was no longer going to tolerate the mess. She was taking that first step, the first step toward change. I would love to say I know happiness is right around the corner for her, but sometimes the path twists and turns. But somewhere along the path, she'll breathe again, easier and deeper, and find her way forward. She's a warrior and won't hesitate to muscle through anyone blocking her way. I'm already witnessing a restored confidence; she laughs again, like from the gut; she smiles more than she sighs; she's connected to her goals and going after what she wants. She can identify it, and she's grabbing it. And she's moving quicker than I ever expected. She's a warrior, and she has inspired me in ways I never imagined. I feel I'm going to be the one leaning on her soon, as strength tends to radiate, and lets us normally considered strong ones curl up and rest for a moment. In an effort of being there and keeping her positive, I've been sending her blog posts of people in similar situations, but this lady deserves her own. She no longer needs guidance, but is becoming the example..and damn, is she beginning to shine. Well done, Lea, well done....

M&K HOUSE M OTH ER AN D D AU GH TER M EET D ESIGN

ARTICLE B Y MER EDITH M CK IN N IE | PHO TO GR APHY B Y M A RTI N G M E YE R S

arah Lee and her fifteen-year-old daughter, Kaylin, are the mother/daughter duo behind M&K House. Much like the logo, hand-sketched by Kaylin herself, the pair began from scratch. Sarah always crafted a custom piece of jewelry for her loved ones for Christmas. Sarah’s mother’s 2013 gift was a slim bracelet with the inscription: “Of all the rights of women the greatest is to be a mother.” Kaylin asked her mom randomly, “Could we sell these?” And M&K was born, fostered by Kaylin’s youthful, fresh creativity and Sarah’s business acumen and eye for sophistication, the pair creates timeless pieces, each with its own name and story perfectly wrapped and presented with the same handmade care attributed to each piece’s construction. The name, “M” for Mommy and “K” for Kaylin originated from the initials put on their cups. Though Kaylin tired of calling Sarah “Mommy” a few years ago, Sarah still initials her cup with an “M.” Having Kaylin at the age of 30 after fearing children were impossible, Sarah values this time with Kaylin, teaching her success by encouraging her entrepreneurship, talent and inspiration. They design together, with one having the idea and the other building on it and vice versa. Sarah insists Kaylin brings a “childlike innocence” to the pieces. Kaylin has since learned the ropes of small business, doing all the packaging, prepping the bags, closure cards, inventory, measuring and assembly. She is receiving a business education outside of her high schoolstudies and has found her passion at the tender age of fifteen, a feat many adults still seek. Being a shy child, Kaylin has blossomed with this venture, becoming more outgoing, vocal, a true salesperson, stepping out of her comfort zone and finding her self-confidence. Kaylin has even created her own products and even offered to buy the materials herself if Mom was doubtful of the idea. She stands behind her ideas and expresses herself through her design. Her first product, magnets in a tin, sold out the first week at the local River Market. Kaylin promptly declared she needed her own space and moved her table down, a move that only made her mother that much more proud of her progress.

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Having collected quotes since the age of ten, Sarah understands and appreciates the power of words with many pieces inscripted with some of her favorite sayings. Each piece comes with its own story and inspiration, packaged alongside the piece with a care card all in a little M&K bag with Kaylin’s hand-drawn house gracing the front. Aside from the superior craftsmanship and attention to minute details, there is a feminine sophistication to each piece layered further with the story to give each customer the depth of artistry. M&K just takes it a step further, packaging the process along with the product. Always one to give back, and with a daughter with a heart for giving, the duo creates one charity piece each spring. This year’s “Bells of Hope” necklace benefitted Heiffer International USA, a foundation that buys producing animals for people in other countries. M&K’s 25% contribution from each sale of “Bells of Hope” helps upstart funding and education for families in the Mississippi Delta to start family farms. This keeps the money at home and helps the children by helping the families. Next year, Kaylin wants to help animals; Sarah is teaching her to be an entrepreneur and to give back to the community. One of the stories behind the piece is that of the “wishes necklace.” Sarah and Kaylin have always loved dandelions; they call them “blowies.” They often stop in random fields to blow and wish, hardly ever having passed one up. Inspired by their tradition of blowing dandelions, the wishes necklace is made from a hand-blown glass ball filled with dandelion seeds. Carefully placed on an adjustable chain, the necklace may look fragile, but it is not. One was recently dropped on a cement floor and bounced five times without so much as a scratch. Their pieces not only have depth, but also durability. Along with Sarah’s mother and best friend, Jerry, this mother/daughter team exemplifies entrepreneurship, inspiration and careful love and respect in each piece they create, a story and a business worth attention. Website: mandkhouse.com Facebook: M&K House Instagram: mandkhouse

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TO DYE FOR WHERE TO FIND: Grey High-Low Shirt - Beau Monde Boutique, Olive Jeans - Duck & Dressing, Navy Button-Down Shirt - HerringStone’s, Black and White Tunic - Erin’s Attic, Indigo Shirt with Knot - Moody Blues Boutique

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ANIMAL INSTINCTS

WHERE TO FIND: War Buffalo Tee - Mr. P’s Tees, Horn Necklace - Salt & Pepper Accessory Boutique, Horn Earrings - The Fashion of Ruston, Cow Skull Belt Hemline Monroe, Tribal Necklace - Deirdre McGehee Designs, CheetahTank Duck & Dressing, Leopard Shorts - Hemline Monroe, Backpack - Deirdre McGehee Designs, Snakeskin Heels - HerringStone’s 60 SEPTEMBER 2015 | W WW. BAYO UL IFEM AG. C OM

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TIME FOR TAILGATING

WHERE TO FIND: Patterned Dress - Beau Monde Boutique, Booties - The Fashion of Ruston, Tank Dresses - Mr. P’s Tees, Leather Clutch - Deirdre McGehee Designs, TOMS Glasses - Haik Humble Eye Center, Jeans - Erin’s Attic 62 SEPTEMBER 2015 | W WW. BAYO UL IFEM AG. C OM

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ETCHED IN STONE

WHERE TO FIND: Beaded Bracelets - The Fashion of Ruston, Tassled Charm Necklace -Moody Blues Boutique, Stone Bangles - Beau Monde Boutique, Blue Geode Necklace - Erinâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Attic, Braided Leather and Geode Necklace - Hemline Monroe, Black and Gold Necklace with Amethyst Geode - Salt & Pepper Accessory Boutique 64 SEPTEMBER 2015 | W WW. BAYO UL IFEM AG. C OM

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FRINGE FRENZY

WHERE TO FIND: Fringe Vest - The Fashion of Ruston, Leather Purse - Duck & Dressing, Cropped Fringe Top - Salt & Pepper Accessory Boutique, Bag with Interchangeable Tassles - Moody Blues Boutique, Fringe Purse - Deirdre McGehee Designs, Fringe Heels - HerringStoneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 66 SEPTEMBER 2015 | W WW. BAYO UL IFEM AG. C OM

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P. Allen Smith

Flower Child C R E AT E A G A R D E N S PA C E F O R Y O U R K I D S A N D WAT C H T H E M G R O W PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF MARK FONVILLE

ften times, parents will ask me how to get young members of the family involved in gardening. Most kids love the outdoors and playing in the dirt comes natural. So creating a kid-friendly garden at home is actually a no-brainer. In addition to growing flowers and some of their own food, gardening allows your children to enjoy more quality time outdoors. Just as important, a kid-friendly garden is a hands-on education in the local ecosystem and nature. It will give you and your child a chance to explore and discuss the natural world around them in a funfilled environment. They will learn about bugs, bees, pollination and small garden critters that may visit their garden on occasion. Through gardening, kids will enjoy the fruits of their labor, experience failure, celebrate success and learn the rewards of patience.

PLANNING To get started, decide where you will set up their space. Whether itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a small area in your garden or a raised bed, give them the responsibility for their own garden. Let them plan what they want to grow and how they want to grow it. They can choose miniature pumpkins for Halloween, or perhaps pineapple sage to enjoy the butterflies and hummingbirds that the blooms attract. Younger gardeners will need more guidance with choices, but this can be blended into the fun of planning. Start out with learning about seeds. It makes it easier for kids to see them grow. Cultivate their 68 SEPTEMBER 2015 | W WW. BAYO UL IFEM AG. C OM

creativity and praise each milestone, such as planting and cleanup times. CREATING THE GARDEN SPACE It doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t take a lot of space in the yard to design a kid-friendly garden. One idea is to use a small colorful wading pool and fill it with garden soil to create the perfect raised bed. Show your kids a healthy soil recipe by mixing one part garden soil and one part compost based on the size of their garden. Drill holes in the bottom and sides of the pool for drainage. Since most plants in their garden will need plenty of sunshine, you can create a simple sun shelter tent

nearby for kids to hang out in and play. As this is most likely their first garden, I would suggest encouraging young gardeners to grow herbs. Whether they start from seed or seedling, herbs grow quickly and many produce beautiful and colorful blooms. The wonderful thing about herbs is kids can nibble on the leaves and smell the fragrances right in the garden. Kids will love tasting their garden as it grows. Sweet basil has floppy fragrant leaves and makes a very tasty pesto. Kids will love this herb on homemade pizza. Mint grows so easily that sometimes it's hard to contain, but it has a wonderful, refreshing fragrance, flavor that tastes like toothpaste, can be used in drinks and is good as a tummy settler. Lemon thyme has a fragrance and flavor that youngsters will love, like lemonade in the summertime. Sage has pretty blue flowers, and this herb will remind kids of our friend, the turkey, and Thanksgiving. Pineapple sage flowers smell and taste like chewing gum, and it will attract butterflies to their garden. Stevia, sometimes known as sweet leaf, has a sweet cane flavor, and kids will enjoy sampling this herb as it grows. A delightful way for kids to keep track of their plants is to create simple and colorful garden markers. All you need are free paint stirrers from a home improvement store, 3 to 4 colors of acrylic paint, a tube of fabric paint and acrylic sealer. Supervise as your kids paint each side of the stirrer, and you can seal them as they finish. Finally, let

Seed Bombs Away!

Why not make seed bombs to toss in the garden? Kids will enjoy this fun and messy project from start to ﬁnish. You will need a large mixing bowl, some air dry clay you can ﬁnd at any art supply or health food store, some compost and seeds.

them write the name of the plant on the marker with the tube of fabric paint. DIY plant markers will make their garden area colorful and inviting When it comes to kids in the garden, keep it motivating and fun. Set clear guidelines from the start as to what is acceptable and what is not acceptable in and around the garden. Most important, make it a positive experience and not just a drudgery of chores. Inspire them to be imaginative and creative in their efforts. We teach children by example. Let them witness your love and excitement in gardening by the joy you share in your efforts. There is no better encouragement for kids.

1. Mix approximately ﬁve handfuls of peat-free compost, to 1 handful of seed to 3 handfuls of clay. Combine the compost and seeds thoroughly, then mix in the clay. You may need to add a little water, so it all sticks together. It should have the consistency of biscuit dough. 2. Shape the mixture into egg-size balls. 3. Dry the seed bombs in a warm dry space. They’ll need to sit for at least 3 to 4 hours. Overnight is ideal. 4. If you want to save any, keep them in a cool dark place, but not for more than a few weeks. Once these are dry, its bombs away! Kids will love tossing their seed bombs into their garden space. Make sure it’s right before a good rain or give them plenty of water afterwards.

maNy visit their garden on occasion. Through gardening, kids will enjoy the fruits of their labor, experience failure, celebrate success and learn the rewards of patience. P. Allen Smith P. Allen Smith is an award-winning designer, gardening and lifestyle expert and host of two public television programs, Garden Home and Garden to Table, and the syndicated 30-minute show P. Allen Smith’s Garden Style. Smith is one of America's most recognized and respected design experts, providing ideas and inspiration through multiple media venues. He is the author of the best-selling Garden Home series of books. Allen is also very active on social media such as Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. Learn more at www.pallensmith.com. WWW.BAYOULIFEMAG.COM | SEPTEMBER 2015

BAYOUOUTDOORS

GATOR TIME

Ashley and Shane Blake, Dan Chason

AN ADVENTURE YOU WILL NEVER FORGET article by Dan Chason

have hunted about every creature you can hunt in the South. From wild hogs to deer to turkey to squirrels to ducks, none can compare to the thrill of hunting the elusive alligator. We get used to seeing these reptiles while fishing, and few alarms go off as they are just part of the scenery. But I assure you when you grab hold of one on a line, you will never forget it. One of my first alligator hunts was memorable, as we were filming it. I was with my good friend, who was the land owner. This gator had wrapped around a stump and would not budge. I volunteered to go and unwind him, so he could be harvested. That was mistake number one. Mistake number two was misjudging the strength of a 11 foot alligator when cornered. After getting slapped with its tail and almost getting a hand ripped off, we successfully dispatched him. Not to be outdone, we continued to run our sets. I was a wiser and more cautious hunter from that point forward. I gained a newfound respect for this prehistoric looking creature. Another hunt was down in Tensas Parish, where we quickly rolled up to a set where the line was down. It was hot. I mean hot enough to fry an egg on the deck of the boat. The landowner was following us in another boat, so we decided to dispatch the gator and leave it on the line so it would stay cool. The landowner decided to assist us by putting the gator in their boat. Mistake number two. He wasn't dead. I have never seen grown men move so fast. That alligator ran one over the back of the boat and turned to do the same with the front passenger. I would have helped, if I hadn't been laughing so hard. Luckily, the gator went back into the water, and we returned to take care of him. These were hard lessons that could have ended in tragedy.

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Alligator hunting is highly regulated. If you intend on hunting alligators, I will give you a few tips, but make for sure that you have the correct licenses and tags. It is important to regulate the sport and the amount of alligators taken and the only way to prevent overharvest is to regulate it. The first thing to remember is that alligators are primarily nocturnal when feeding. But, alligators cannot be hunted at night. You want to slip into an area to scout as quietly as possible. Look for the tell-tale signs of alligator presence, such as muddy slides into the water edges, paths cut through grass patches and my favorite, bubbles. A good bubble trail will turn me onto a big alligator quicker than anything. I like to sit on the bank and just watch my hunting area with binoculars. Sooner or later, that alligator will come up for air for me to judge his size. The second thing you need is a strong stomach. Alligator bait can range from nutria parts, fish or stinking, rotten chicken. The worse it smells, the better. Remember to set your line/hook high. The lower you set your bait, the more likely you are to snare a smaller gator. Big gators will rise and take the bait, engulfing the hook into their belly. All you have to do then is return the next morning and find where he is hiding. Caution is an understatement when dealing with an alligator. They have enough strength in their mouths to break a two by four when biting. This is the reason, whether you are sure that the alligator has been dispatched, to always....and I mean always, tape their mouths shut. Problem number two is the tail. Their tails are where the majority of their strength and movements lie. Again, grabbing an alligator by the tail can result in a broken bone for you, if he isn't dead. They are an exceptional animal with an extended life even after shot. I have seen gators come off of trailers and out of pickup truck beds

when the hunter believes they are done, so be very careful. Alligator season in Louisiana runs during the month of September. The hardest part of it all is keeping the meat and hide from spoiling. Make sure to carry burlap sacks, ice and a tarp to keep the hide and meat cool. There are various alligator operations in our area who will process the hide and meat for you. Remember that the tag must remain with the alligator and all paperwork has to remain with it even if it goes to a taxidermist. Some residents find it cute or fun to feed resident alligators. Nothing is more dangerous or irresponsible. Feeding an alligator makes it lose its fear of humans. Their fear of us is one thing that keeps them away. Not only is it not smart to feed them, it is illegal. If you live on a waterway and have a nuisance alligator, contact your local LDWF office who will dispatch a licensed hunter to remove the alligator. Don't approach, taunt or mess with the alligator as it will only make its removal that much more difficult. If you are looking to experience a good alligator hunt, I recommend Allen Butler (318) 2827362 or at www.LBBAINC.com Don't forget your heart medicine, and be prepared for an adventure that you will never forge!

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BOLD

BAUBLES

FROM PEARLS TO PINK MOONSTONES, THESE BOLD BAUBLES ARE SURE TO MAKE HER SWOON. FIND THEM AT AREA BOUTIQUE JEWELERS. PHOTOGRAPHY BY MARTIN G MEYERS MODEL: MORGYN PAIGE

BALDWIN JEWELERS

Rose gold morganite ring with diamonds. Rose gold pink moonstone necklace with diamonds. Tri-colored gold diamond band, an assortment of yellow gold Etruscan, Art Deco and diamond bracelets.

HOLLIS & COMPANY JEWELERS

Green agate earrings and onyx ring by Ray Griffiths. Green tourmaline ring and matching locket by Arman. 24kt gold and black diamond multi-strand bracelet by Gurhan. Green agate, moonstoon and black onyx bead necklaces by Arman. 24kt gold and black diamond chain by Gurhan. 24kt gold flake necklace by Gurhan.

NATIONAL JEWELRY COMPANY

Chinese cultured pearls with 14kt white gold diamond clasp on both necklace and bracelet. One carat total weight diamonds in each. Pearl and diamond drop earrings.

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RANDY SMITH JEWELERS

14-18 kt yellow gold bangle bracelets. Locket with seed pearls. Black cameo earrings with cabochon ruby and pearl.

WWW.BAYOULIFEMAG.COM | SEPTEMBER 2015

Read Strong

Ouachita Parish Public Library Concludes Record Breaking Summer Reading Challenge with Record Breaking “Read Strong” Event he Ouachita Parish Public Library began the summer with a revamp of its annual summer reading program to actively combat the “summer slide” in education with a new “Summer Reading Challenge.” The resulting participation was astounding, and the new approach netted a 42% increase in registrations from summer of 2014. The challenge ended with the annual “Read Strong” event when the Library invites patrons to come to any branch, register for prizes and read during a pre-set two-hour period. This event, conducted between noon and 2 p.m. on Saturday, August 1, 2015 had a goal of 15,000 pages read in the two hours. Unprecedented participation quickly blew past that goal, and the two hours ended with 41,626 pages read. In all, Read Strong saw 252 adults, 62 teens and 141 children participate in all ten branches, and for the first time, at the Bookmobile parked in front of First Baptist Church of Calhoun. Everyone who participated had the opportunity to receive a free hot dog, chips and soft drink. “We are absolutely blown away by the participation in both the Summer Reading Challenge and Read Strong this year,” said Robin Toms, Library Director. “We are looking forward to hearing from local teachers that our efforts have helped children maintain the skills they learned the previous school year. Adult patrons have already given us great feedback on the adult challenge, and have been enthusiastic in their support of this new approach. You will definitely see another Summer Reading Challenge next year.” The Summer Reading Challenge had 2,792 register and log participation, completing 67,432 challenges. The challenges included summer reading program fundamentals of reading and attending library events. This year, the library added participation in community activities, like visiting a park, museum or the zoo, as well as volunteering for non-profit organizations and

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picking up trash. Various levels of prizes were awarded, and library staff had to reorder prizes during the summer to keep up with demand. One of the most popular prizes was the “A Super Reader Lives Here” yard sign, donated by CenturyLink. In September, the Ouachita Parish Public Library will hold an outreach to register more area residents for library cards and to teach more patrons about the many in-branch and on-line library services now available. Library staff will visit all first grade classes to introduce library use to children entering the new school year. For more information about library activities and services, visit www.oplib.org, follow the Ouachita Parish Public Library on Facebook, or the Library’s Twitter feed @oplib.

Donna Guice, Andrea Griggs, and Mary Lou Davies read at the West Ouachita Branch.

Linda McClinton, Crystal Price, Tammy Smith, and Karen Demoss get hot dogs and chips ready for Bookmobile patrons in Calhoun.

Children’s Department: LaShoma Clayton reads during Read Strong’s Storytime for children at the Louise Williams Branch.

Betty Armstrong turns in her pages to Monique Williams, while Terrie Wright registers Mahnasseh McDowell at the Louise Williams Branch.

Bookmobile staff who hosted the Read Strong event: Linda McClinton, Karen Demoss, Crystal Price, Tammy Smith, Dana Robertson. Not pictured: Wayne Crump.

WWW.BAYOULIFEMAG.COM | SEPTEMBER 2015

Ballgowns, Ballet and Bubbly An Evening with Suzanne Perron and Twin City Ballet

ORGEOUS MARDI GRAS, wedding and debutante gowns created by New Orleans-based couturier, West Monroe native and Twin City Ballet Company alumna, Suzanne Perron St. Paul, will be modeled by Twin City Ballet alumnae and area Arts patrons and activists in an extravagant runway fashion show narrated by the designer. If perfect pleats, cadres of sequins and beads, luscious lace and sumptous fabrics make you weak in the knees, you will want to mark your calendars for this extraordinary event. Attendees will be treated to heavy hors d’oeuvres and champagne to celebrate forty-five years of incredible Twin City Ballet Company memories. In honor of those memories, an encore presentation of “flowers,” a modern ballet choreographed by Lisa Hawkins Harold and exquisitely costumed by Suzanne’s mother, Caroline Perron, will be performed on the venue’s lawn. Former dancers are encouraged to come be a part of this celebration of the award-winning, venerable dance company founded in 1969 by Linda Ford. Sponsorships for Ballgowns, Ballet and Bubbly are still available, including Table Sponsorships starting at $500, which include 8 tickets to the runway show and performance. Individual tickets to the event are $60 each. For little ones and their moms, a Tutus 80 SEPTEMBER 2015 | W WW. BAYO UL IFEM AG. C OM

and Tea party will be held on the morning of October 3. Costumed dancers from “flowers” will mingle with guests while little ones can custom design their own couture hats (covering them with flowers, of course). Following the tea, guests will be treated to excerpts from TCBC’s “flowers.” Tickets for Tutus and Tea are $25 each.

About Suzanne Perron St. Paul: The name “Suzanne Perron” is synonymous with exquisite detail. Her expertly tailored gowns—worn at the elaborate balls of Mardi Gras and down the aisle at New Orleans weddings—draw from the legacy of couture design. After years working alongside Vera Wang, Carolina Herrera, Anna Sui and Ralph Rucci in New York, Louisiana native Perron returned home in 2005 to open her own custom design business, specializing in once-in-a-lifetime gowns for brides, debutantes and Mardi Gras royalty. Twin City Ballet is honored to have Suzanne return to Monroe and showcase over 25 of her stunning designs on the runway at this exclusive fundraiser and ballet event. To learn more about Suzanne Perron :: New Orleans, go to www.suzanneperron.com • 10:00 a.m. – Tutus and Tea – Mom & Me Tea Party featuring dancers from "flowers" and more! Tickets are $25 each. • 6:00 p.m. – Style Show by Couture De-

signer Suzanne Perron and Cocktail Buffet. Tickets are $60 each or $500 for a Table of 8 (includes “flowers” performance)

• 7:30 p.m. – "flowers" performance by Twin City Ballet Company featuring costumes by Caroline Perron. Performance only tickets are $25.

TCBC Senior Company Dancer, Krislynne Flowers in “flowers.”

Photos of Suzanne Perron courtesy of Eddy Perez, LSU University Relations. Dance photo by Martin Graham Meyers Photography

WWW.BAYOULIFEMAG.COM | SEPTEMBER 2015

BayouKidz CONTINUED FROM PAGE 30

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toddler to make their own sandwich, but making a game of putting their toys away is a subtle way to start. Second, let them help you. Again, children learn their colors early, so teach them to sort the laundry by the lights and the darks. Or if you are in the kitchen, let them help you make the snacks. Third, be the example. For instance, if you put your plate in the sink, encourage your children to do the same. Or put your dirty clothes in the laundry hamper and encourage them to do the same. Fourth, praise your children for their efforts. Everyone, no matter their age, likes to be complimented or encouraged for their efforts. This actually, is my favorite, because in my line of work, I see the effect praise has on a child’s self-confidence. Which leads right into the fifth tip, and that’s managing your adult expectations. If your five-year-old makes their bed, unless their dad is a military sergeant, it will be lopsided. There is no room for criticism! Simply recognize their efforts, rather than walking in the room with a quarter to see if it bounces off the bed! Sixth, and I was surprised at this one, but refrain from giving rewards. The experts say that a reward system does not have to be in place for children to learn responsibility. They say you should save rewards for when your child goes above and beyond their normal responsibilities. Finally, you must teach consequences. Ugh! This is the hardest one for me. But the logic is spot on that parents’ cannot be afraid to let their child suffer or experience anger or sadness. If a parent always solves their child’s problems, they will not be responsible when they grow up. So there you have it, more pearls of parenting that started with my dishwasher being out. I know many of our readers, like myself, have high school kids, and may be thinking it’s too late to “reform” your child. In my opinion, it’s never too late to educate. I’m not sure how often my son will make his bed in college, but a few days ago, my family was enjoying dessert at my parent’s house, and my son walked in the living room and picked everyone’s plate up and went and put it in the sink. I looked at my mom. She looked at me. I bit my lip. She hid a smile. I assumed he had gotten a speeding ticket or failed a test on the second day of school, but alas, dare we hope, that some of those pearls have just simply seeped in? It is my hope through this month’s column that our readers will be validated in their current efforts with their older children or encouraged to sharpen their parenting skills with their younger ones. Sadly, a parenting manual doesn’t come home from the hospital with your newborn, and we all just try to do the best we can. But most of us share these same goals and have high expectations and dreams for our children. There is nothing wrong with working responsibility into your children’s lives, even with the simplest of tasks such as picking their underwear up off the floor. Underwear, of course, that color coordinates with their outfit that day, which is another fashion tip that just came out of nowhere. Thank you, BayouLife readers for allowing me to form this sort of co-parenting relationship with you. Each column I write like this certainly gives me the opportunity to enhance my own parenting skills. And maybe, somehow, in some small way, penetrate the conscience of someone who knows how to fix dishwashers, and they will make their way to my house with a dishwasher pump. That would be great.

WWW.BAYOULIFEMAG.COM | SEPTEMBER 2015

HANDS at WORK THIRTY-SIX YEARS IN, TOM AND DEANIE BAKER REVEAL THE SECRETS OF BUSINESS, LIFE AND HAPPINESS IN A DUELING PAIR OF ICONIC CAREERS IN THE TWIN CITIES. ARTICLE BY MICHAEL DEVAULT PHOTOGRAPHY BY BRAD ARENDER

WWW.BAYOULIFEMAG.COM | SEPTEMBER 2015

“I do,” she says, capping a moment of levity between two indiny given Saturday when there’s an LSU home viduals who’ve spent a lifetime supporting one another in all of their game, parents in northern Monroe know they can endeavors. Those endeavors include traveling the world, devoting get the best courier service in the state. A birthday time to charity and church, entertaining their extensive network of card from Grandma or a check from Dad can find family and friends, and somehow finding time along the way to build its way from Monroe to Baton Rouge, and upon arseparate careers in retail and real estate. They’ve lived much of their rival there, the wayward child will receive their lives serving others, either professionally or personally. Even the LSU package, right before the Tigers kick off. But this vital service isn’t protradition began when Deanie’s son, Guy Campbell, was a freshman vided by the postal service or UPS. It’s the work of Tom and Deanie at LSU. They began going for him. Everything else just sort of hapBaker, and it’s evolved over more than two decades of home-game pened. tailgating. Among the couple’s numerous activities, and there are many “If I told you to meet us at LSU, everybody knows where we’ll dozens of them, over the years Tom has taken part in the Miss be,” said Tom Baker, owner of The Toggery in Monroe. “We’ve become Louisiana Pageant, and he served in the Monroe a meeting place for families and friends.” A conJaycees. Deanie’s efforts have most recently been venient place to hook up with traveling relatives to education, supporting activities and scholardoesn’t quite do the Baker tailgate justice. Fixships at ULM. The couple’s signature cause of ture may be more apropos. They always set up late has been ULM’s Night of Champions. The the Baker family RV on the same spot, put out event, which the Bakers host, raises money to the purple-and-gold flags and line chairs provide support for athletes who are on campus around the perimeter. It’s a remarkable setup by during the summers, when athletic scholarships anyone’s standards, but then again, this is aren’t necessarily available to cover costs of atDeanie and Tom, and they know how to entertendance or living. tain. Deanie enjoys the break from daily life at “They can stay at school, continue their studthe real estate firm she’s built over the last 40 TOM & DEANIE BAKER ies and have that support structure,” Deanie years. It’s her time to unwind, be with friends says. “I think that’s very important for the athand do what comes naturally, to serve. When letes, to have that summer program.” and how the Baker courier service began, she’s The program is successful, but that’s not alunsure. ways the case, a point that’s not lost on Tom, who “So many of the children are freshmen, and was one of the key backers of the community eftheir parents know the Baker motor home fort to preserve the Oxford Natatorium at ULM. leaves at 1:00 on Friday,” Deanie says. Over the “I did all I could to support the local organizayears, they’ve transported money, coats, texttion, including the YMCA, to try and save it,” Tom says. But those efbooks and a myriad of other items to Baton Rouge. “They’ll knock on forts and the efforts of hundreds of others, failed. Ultimately, the Nat the door, and they’ll ask, ‘Miss Deanie, did Mama send this?’” closed, leaving the Twin Cities without a publicly accessible indoor She’ll deliver the care package and return to cooking for their pool. He believes the community lost “a real gem” when the facility guests. As always, guests is a nebulous term for pretty much everyone closed, and he’s heard from people who relocate to Monroe how who turns up at the Baker place near Death Valley. If you’re from they’re surprised the community lacks the facility. He’s not giving up Monroe, at an LSU game, chances are you’ve been by the Baker’s place for the future of indoor watersports, though. “Hopefully, down the once or twice. Deanie estimates she cooks for between 150-300 people road, something will come along.” for every home game. She keeps a notebook on the RV, a culinary Education plays a central role in the couple’s other charitable acdiary of sorts, in which she records the items she prepares and serves. tivities, too. Tom says they give to numerous schools, including River “I can look back and tell you what I fixed for a game, what I bought, Oaks, St. Frederick High and Jesus the Good Shepherd, where they and what I needed more of,” she says. The Bakers have become such have grandchildren. In fact, Deanie is one of 10 “celebrity competia fixture at LSU games they’re almost as familiar as the statue of Mike tors” in the JGS Iron Chef contest, a fundraising effort for the school. itself. A cooking competition is an interesting activity for a woman who’s “We’ve missed one game, it was a no name game, and people nobiggest claim to fame is building a thriving real estate brokerage. ticed,” Tom says. “People joked they didn’t know where to go or what Deanie started in real estate in 1976, about the same time Tom to do.” was finding his retailing legs at The Toggery, which he purchased in Ever since, they don’t miss games. It’s interesting, especially con1980 from the founders, the Pickens family. Working together, they sidering that neither Tom nor Deanie attended LSU. A native of grew their careers and success followed. But a recession in the 1980s Arkansas, Tom attended NLU, graduating in 1971 with a degree in threatened to derail their burgeoning businesses. High interest rates, business. Deanie was a Louisiana Tech Bulldog, earning her degree in unemployment and a shaky economic outlook meant people didn’t physical education before attending NLU for a business degree. If have the credit to purchase homes. Those who did have good credit there’s any disagreement that arises between the two after 36 years of still faced interest rates nearing 20 percent. It was a hard time to sell a marriage, it’s their level of devotion to LSU. home and an even harder time to buy one. Deanie found a niche. “We aren’t dyed in the wool LSU fans,” Tom says, which Deanie “I wanted to deal with people who had money,” she says with a corrects, “I am.” He nods, adding, “Well, we don’t bleed purple and gold.” laugh. The joke aside, Deanie was onto something. A key part of the

WE’VE WORKED HARD, BUT WE’VE ENJOYED LIFE IN OUR 36 YEARS TOGETHER.

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American dream, home ownership was the path to wealth and financial security. For decades, as the post-War generation paid off their mortgages, the values of their homes grew. By the 1980s, many individuals found themselves wanting a larger home or a smaller home, and their wealth was tied up in the property in which they lived. With a paid off home, an older couple could qualify for substantially better mortgage rates. But what about that other home, the one they needed to sell? Deanie had a plan, and it started with the older generation of homeowners looking to upgrade. “They owed nothing on their homes,” Deanie says. “So I would get them to owner-finance it at 10-12 percent. That produced for them a monthly income.” A new homeowner was born, and in the process Deanie’s firm, DB Realty, became the go-to firm for individuals seeking a second home. Repeat business over the years has been a substantial hallmark of DB Realty’s success. Another effect of that success developed, because people rarely downgrade a home. So as the fortunes of her clientele have risen, so has the profile of the firm Deanie started. Very quickly, it became a boutique firm, specializing in higher end homes. That’s not to say the company doesn’t handle homes of all sizes and values. Deanie

is quick to point out she’s got a knack for finding the perfect house for the person. “I like to negotiate,” she says, a brief moment of bragging she allows herself before explaining. “I like to be able to show a person why it’s a good deal. I do a lot of homework, and I don’t go into a deal without knowing the ins and outs of it. What I present to them is in their best interests.” While Deanie’s fortunes were rising, so were Tom’s. He had been working in men’s wear since college, first for the Hanelines and then for himself as the second owner of The Toggery, a store with its own history. The Pickens family came to Monroe to support operations at Selman Field, providing the young Army Air Corps officers with uniforms. After the war, they knew the men would return to jobs. Those men needed suits, so they stuck around. By the early 1980s, though, Tom noticed something in the customer base. It was shrinking. Since 1946, the owners of The Toggery had served the same customers faithfully, hardly a fault in a retail environment that often seems callow in its focus on what’s next week’s big thing. As the returning airmen entered adulthood and began to age, so too did The Toggery. In his early 20s and now an owner, Tom brought new ideas and new energy. He WWW.BAYOULIFEMAG.COM | SEPTEMBER 2015

also infused the existing staff with younger talent, which helped attract new customers without offending older, loyal clients. The gambit worked. But the 1980s hadn’t been easy. The oil collapse of the early 1980s was just the opening act for a long, slow recession. High interest rates meant not only fewer home sales, but it also meant significantly less consumer credit. On the ropes, The Toggery had to make a move. Since its founding, it had been an anchor for downtown Monroe and, later, a smaller shop in a strip center on North 18th Street. Opportunity came knocking when a ladies’ shop on 18th closed and the owner approached Tom about purchasing her store. He leapt at the opportunity. The Toggery relocated, with DB Realty taking up a suite of offices in the back. As the store grew, so too did the firm, underscoring the symbiosis Tom and Deanie have struck in their marriage. In 1986, they opened Her Toggery to serve the wives, who so often shopped for their husbands. Later, when they needed more space for the store and for DB Realty, the real estate company relocated to a state-of-the-art office space less than a block away. The gamble paid off. “I’m starting my 40th year this year,” says Tom of The Toggery. Over the years together, Tom and Deanie Baker have done more than built successful businesses and given time and money to charities. Their efforts have helped shape a community into its present form. “We’ve worked hard, but we’ve enjoyed life in our 36 years together,” Tom says of the years gone by. They don’t show any signs of slowing down, either. Tom and Deanie both note the new crop of Monroe transplants, individuals and families coming to town for a career at CenturyLink or in the healthcare field. Young professionals, drawn by the allure and the promise a of good job in a good place to raise a family, show up and begin to look for community. Both Bakers help in efforts to integrate the newcomers to the city. “I sell two things, and the first one’s not clothes. I sell a relationship,” says Tom, of his work at The Toggery. He’s made dozens of friends through the shop, and even after leaving town, many of those men and women return to shop or just to visit with old friends. Deanie and her realtors go above and beyond to make sure newcomers know what they’re doing and where they’re going when they come to Monroe. That kind of reaching out is important, she says, because people need guidance when they first arrive. Monroe’s willingness to embrace and support newcomers is one of the traits Deanie believes keeps people here for years. “We’re a one-on-one with people here, so that if a person comes into town, we make them feel welcome, and they remember our generosity,” she says of Monroe. “You don’t have many people who will take them to a utility company or the cable company, the places they have no idea about when they first get here.” Tom points out, too, that Monroe has much to offer, with “big town” amenities in a small town space. “If we go through two stoplights, we’ve gone through too many to get somewhere,” he says. “We’re within 10 minutes of anything in Monroe or West Monroe.” Whatever the future holds for Tom and Deanie Baker, rest assured knowing that they’re on top of trends in fashion and real estate. In fact, chances are they’re leading the charge, no matter the front, shirtsleeves up and hands at work. 88 SEPTEMBER 2015 | W WW. BAYO UL IFEM AG. C OM

WWW.BAYOULIFEMAG.COM | SEPTEMBER 2015

Vieux Carré Market

Gourmet Gift Baskets for Any Occasion

T VIEUX CARRE MARKET, WE understand community means giving. Whether it’s celebrating the birth of a child, an anniversary, helping someone grieve over a lost one, or just to say ‘thank you,’ we specialize in creative gift baskets that will fit your occasion. We have different baskets and even gorgeous wooden wine cases that will please the eye. The cost of any basket or wine case box that is purchased includes both decoration and shrink wrapping. We have an abundance of items to select from on hand. The highlight of any basket is always the wine. We have over 450 wines to choose from that fit into any price range, and many can only be found in Vieux Carré Market or New Orleans. Vieux Carré will help you select the perfect wine for the recipient of your extraordinary gift. All wines are hand selected for

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quality and more than anything else…value. Chocolates are a great choice for any basket. Olive and Sinclair Chocolate Co. is located in Nashville, Tennessee where they create handmade stone-ground chocolates. Stone grinding chocolate intensifies and rounds out the flavor of the cocoa bean. Jellies are another delightful option because it can be paired with so many things including our homemade Ciabatta bread, which is made fresh daily. Homestead Jellies come from right down the interstate in Gilbert, Louisiana. Made from local ingredients, the quality and freshness of something made so close to home will make any basket shine. Reginald’s nut butters are made from all – natural Virginia peanuts. They come in a wonderful variety of flavors, including cinnamon molasses cashew, bourbon pecan, wed-

ding pretzel and more. Don’t forget the wonderful pecan confections from Point Coupee Pecans in the Baton Rouge area. Vieux Carré also offers fresh ground organic peanut butter! If you want to make a savory basket, we have fresh hand-cut steaks, cut to your specifications. We have plenty of spices to choose from including, for the heat lover, ghost pepper infused sea salt. We also have a bountiful and unique cheese selection to choose from. Don’t forget about our wonderful selection of boutique whiskeys, vodkas, gins, mixers and more. Stop in and order your next gift basket today, and let us help you create a gift that is uniquely you.

St. Francis OccuMed

We provide urine and hair drug screen collections including 5-panel, 10-panel, Rapid test or can be customized to the clientsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; needs. We are also certified in breath alcohol testing.

At St. Francis Community Health Center

T. FRANCIS OCCUMED PROVIDES industrial medicine comprehensive services at St. Francis Community Health Center (CHC) on Tower Drive in Monroe. Our proven professionals, with over 100 years of combined experience, have made OccuMed the first choice of area businesses for workplace health and safety services. Our team includes a certified occupational registered nurse, certified respiratory therapist, a DOT certified medical examiner and an experienced Workmanâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Comp coordinator. From injury treatment and physical exams to customized programs tailored for your business, St. Francis OccuMed offers services to help you provide a safe work environment and hire the right employees. We help return injured workers to the workplace as efficiently as possible, resulting in reduced lost work time and medical expenses. The convenient hours,

location and parking at CHC help promote timely treatment and follow-up of workrelated injuries to reduce downtime.

What types of pre-employment tests do you provide? We provide many pre-employment tests such as: DOT physicals, athletic/school physicals, agility testing, asbestos, chromium, audiograms, HazMat, U.S. Coast Guard and spirometry.

How quick is your turn-around on drug screenings? Drug screen results are typically available within 24 to 72 hours.

What type of drug screening and/or alcohol testing do you provide?

How long can I expect my employee to be at your center? We aim for quick treatment and return-towork for all patients in our centers. Our patients are seen in the following order: 1) severe injuries, 2) scheduled appointments, 3) non-scheduled (walk-in) patients. Please call for an appointment when possible.

Do you provide your services onsite at our company location? With special accommodations, we are able to bring physical examinations, drug and alcohol testing, health screenings and vaccination services to your workplace. In addition to the added convenience, our onsite services reduce costs by minimizing employees' time away from the job.

Do you offer urgent care services? St. Francis Urgent Care is located at CHC providing walk-in care for minor injury and illness seven days a week, with convenient hours. No appointment is needed.

WWW.BAYOULIFEMAG.COM | SEPTEMBER 2015

Create Your Own Perfect Space HGTV® Home Furniture Gallery at Sleepy Hollow Furniture

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GTV® HAS BECOME A TRUSTED SOURCE FOR SMART home and garden advice and inspiration for more than 99 million U.S. households. The creative minds at HGTV HOME™ tapped into the decorating advice that you know and love from their shows to create furniture collections rooted in their philosophy: Fresh Style from the Design Experts at HGTV®. We know that decorating can be daunting, but we like to keep it simple. Everything we do is a fresh take on two timeless styles we love: Modern and Classic. With over 300 pieces and growing, we’ve got every room covered… bedroom, dining, occasional, upholstery, home entertainment and accents. We’ve done the work so you don’t have to! Mix and match pieces from our collections to create your own perfect space. Each collection offers very different looks that mix, match and mingle. Choose from signature pieces, fashionable upholstery options and timelessly stylish bedroom, dining room, entertainment and accent selections. We’ve even added extra features that help make life at home a little easier, like hidden plugs in select pieces, so you’re never far from a power source and versatile storage items to help you stay organized. The furniture collections complement the HGTV HOME™ portfolio of products which includes paint, flooring, lighting, plants and other home products. We’ve wrapped this all up together in rooms that inspire, yet are easy to transform. The HGTV HOME™ Furniture Collection is produced under license by Bassett Furniture Industries, who has been making quality furniture for 110 years. Bassett Furniture Industries, Inc., is a leading manufacturer and marketer of high quality, mid-priced home furnishings. Bassett's retail strategy includes affordable custom-built furniture that is ready for delivery in the home within 30 days. The Bassett Home Furnishings stores also feature the latest on-trend furniture styles, more than 750 upholstery fabrics, free in-home design visits and coordinated decorating accessories. Sleepy Hollow Furniture is proud to partner with HGTV and Bassett Furniture as North Louisiana’s only HGTV Home Furniture Gallery! Create. Inspire. Refresh. Imagine. Custom. Your way to a look that reflects your own personal style!

HydraFacial™ Power Wash Your Skin

BY TIMOTHY J. MICKEL, MD, FACS, CERTIFIED, AMERICAN BOARD OF PLASTIC SURGERY

XFOLIATION. EVERY WOMAN KNOWS THIS IS THE removal of old dead skin cells on the skin’s surface. It makes your skin feel smooth and fresh and gives it a healthy glow. Regular exfoliation helps maintain healthy, younger looking skin. Most men (and a couple of my Lebanese aunts) exfoliate everyday with shaving cream and a razor, but the majority of women use gritty cleansers or medispa procedures like microdermabrasion to remove the dead cells. HydraFacial™ is a new way to exfoliate using water instead of crystals. Consider microdermabrasion a sand blaster and HydraFacial™ a power washer – like microderm on steroids. HydraFacial™ is a multi-step procedure that includes not only cleansing and exfoliation, but also delivery of antioxidants and other essential nutrients to the skin once the dead cells are blasted away. Exfoliation and cleansing is the first step, followed by a gentle acid peel that loosens dirt and debris from pores with minimal irritation. The next step is painless automated extractions using vortex suction to clean out pores. Finally, antioxidants and hyaluronic acid are applied to the exposed, healthy new skin to nourish, hydrate and protect it. So HydraFacial™ does way more than just exfoliate. It is a resurfacing procedure that thoroughly cares for your skin, providing cleansing, exfoliation, extraction and hydration while infusing antioxidants, peptides and hyaluronic acid. Ranked above IPL, the HydraFacial™ is a non-invasive, non-surgical 30 minute procedure that delivers instant results with no discomfort or downtime. The procedure is soothing, moisturizing, nonirritating and immediately effective. The HydraFacial™ is recommended for all skin types. It specifically targets common skin issues including sun damage, blackheads and whiteheads, enlarged pores, acne, brown spots, uneven skin tone and early fine lines and wrinkles. The best part is it's not just a quick-fix procedure. The HydraFacial™ actually improves the quality of your skin, helping to make it healthy for the long term – especially if it is done on a regular basis. While it can be done as often as every two weeks, we recommend every four to six weeks for most patients. It can even be alternated every other session with traditional microdermabrasion treatments if desired. The treatments are done by my aesthetician, Natalie Green, who has over 15 years experience involving nearly every conceivable spa treatment. Natalie did my treatment, and not only did my skin feel clean and smooth, but it felt even cleaner and smoother when she showed me all the suckedout blackheads and debris that were in the suction canister. (see photo). So as the summer wears on and you sit at the ballpark feeling like you have a gallon of suncreen and half the red dirt on the infield clogging your pores, consider treating yourself to an exfoliating, hydrating, deep cleaning, soothing HydraFacial™. And get a HydraFacial™ gift certificate for someone you love. Call Mickel Plastic Surgery at 388-2050 today. Your skin will thank you for it. WWW.BAYOULIFEMAG.COM | SEPTEMBER 2015

On Neutral Ground PHOTOGRAPHY BY MARTIN G MEYERS MODELS: APRIL HOOPER & EMILY PRESTRIDGE HAIR & MAKEUP: MEKA RELIFORD

DUCK & DRESSING Take to the streets in this oversized t-shirt style dress and this season's must-have boot. Detailed with classic lines and easy heel, this tall boot has lacing at the top of the shaft and an inside zipper for a great fit. Paired with a tassled hat and key necklaces, this look is sure to set you apart.

HEMLINE MONROE This tie-dye print 3/4 sleeve henley blouse looks great with black super skinny jeans and distressed round toe leather boots. A gray felt hat and beaded jewelry complete this perfect look for Fall.

BEAU MONDE This V-neck slant hip pocket jumpsuit and micro-suede wedge sandal are perfect for a night on the town. Add Black Druzy bangles by Bourbon and Bowties for a finished look.

HERRINGSTONEâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S Featuring flattering side slits for easy movement, this relaxed tunic is an effortless chic wardrobe staple for Fall. These heavy cords have a dainty cropped leg for versatile wear and look great with washed leather slip-on ankle boots.

SALT &â&#x20AC;&#x2C6;PEPPER ACCESSORY BOUTIQUE This silky woven romper, boasting a bold cream and navy blue striped print is sure to turn heads. Snakeskin-textured heels add the finishing touch.

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THE FASHION OF RUSTON This mini dot print v-neck top is accented with faux leather piping details and looks great with a faux suede drape jacket. An angular faux leather front adds a perfectly ontrend detail to this surprisingly versatile mini skirt.

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MR. Pâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S TEES This great Oak tree design is featured in black on an ecoringer chocolate and black short sleeve tee. Wear alone or layer with a button-down shirt for fall weather.

ERINâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S ATTIC Look chic this Fall in this taupe split-sleeve top and metallic cropped leggings. Black gladiator-style sandals complete this great look.

MOODY BLUES BOUTIQUE An ivory linen top and wide-leg cotton gauze pants are a great way to transition into the new season. Add a great handmade necklace to complete this outfit.

Say “Goodbye” to Sun Damaged Skin

tive pressure. It is a long lasting, non-invasive solution to eliminate stubborn body fat, leading to beautiful improvements in your body contour. For optimal Before and after Fractora treatment Derma MediQ and Spa Nouvelle Can Help results, it is recommended that weekly LUMECCA tora skin treatment is the fractional rejuvenation sessions are performed over an eight week peAre you ready to repair damaged skin and skin resurfacing treatment you have been riod. The first treatment will leave your skin from the summer sun? Brown spots, broken searching for! It heats the deep layers of the feeling softer and smoother immediately. capillaries, spider veins, rosacea and much skin in a controlled manner to revitalize collamore can be improved in just 1-3 sessions with gen. You can expect a more youthful appear- DIOLAZE Lumecca! Lumecca is the most advanced in- ance with 1-6 sessions. Optimal treatment areas Diolaze is your ultimate solution to getting tense pulsed light (IPL) system used to treat for Fractora include any face and body areas rid of unwanted hair! You can achieve the pigmented and vascular lesions. Improvements that illustrate wrinkles, discoloration or acne smooth and soft skin that you’ve always with sun damage and skin complexion are no- scarring. Visible results can be seen immedi- dreamed of with this advanced laser hair reticeable in as little as a few days after your first ately, and your skin will continue to improve up moval procedure that safely eliminates unsession. Your skin will continue to repair itself to three months after treatment wanted hair. With its built-in, skin cooling over time with the most visible results after 1-2 surface, Diolaze treatments are virtually painweeks, leaving you with a brighter, more youth- BODYFX less. Most commonly treated areas include: ful look. Lumecca is a superior solution to imAre you in the gym, but just can’t seem to bikini, legs, arms, chest, back, shoulders, stomprove your skin! improve that layer of unsightly cellulite? ach, neck, chin and sideburns. Hair is reduced BodyFX is the perfect solution for you! BodyFX with each treatment, and optimal results are obFRACTORA uses a system of different clinically proven served after four to six sessions depending on Are you looking to reduce fine lines and methods including radio-frequency energy, your hair color, hair type, body area and skin wrinkles and reverse the effects of aging? Frac- deep tissue heating and suction-coupled nega- tone.

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Back-to-School in Style

Show Your School Spirit with Cute Items from Sue Paperie

EPTEMBER BRINGS ALL THINGS fall, and in North Louisiana, that means football! At Sue Paperie, they know everyone likes to show their school spirit with pride and have a wide selection of items that you can sport to represent your favorite school and team. They have a printed styrofoam cups in stock for Cedar Creek, Ruston High School, Louisiana Tech and Choudrant, and can special order any school, logo or design for any occasion. There are frost flex and stadium cups available as well. In order to keep your child’s backpack or lunch box from getting lost in the crowd, Sue Paperie has monogramming options for all of their Jon Hart items. “We have a vari-

ety of bags and luggage pieces,” said Rachel Davison, owner of Sue Paperie. “There are lap top cases, pencil bags, laundry bags, change bags, keychains, money clips, you name it! You can pick these out in favorite colors or school colors and personalize them with a monogram.” Things can get hectic with the start of school, practices, rehearsals and more and Sue Paperie has just the thing to keep you organized. The specialty stationery store has a variety of planners for a variety of tastes and personalities. “Our Emily Ley line of Simplified Planners are particularly popular,” says Rachel. After Ley’s son, Brady, was born, she searched high and low for a planner with heart, not just bells and whistles

and extras that left her more overwhelmed than ever. Ley craved a simple, beautiful place to start fresh each and every day. Consequently, the Simplified Planner was born. Each page features four simple, purposeful spaces: Schedule, To Do, Notes and Dinner everything busy, intentional women need and nothing more. In addition to helping you stay organized, Sue Paperie has chic school supplies. A favorite is the “Whistle While You Work” tackle box by Kate Spade. The company took the idea of a fisherman’s tackle box and gave it a pretty twist by trading the traditional metal exterior for something a little more luxe and filling it to the brim with a curated selection of colorful desk accessories. It includes chic bow shaped paper clips and push pins, pencils, binder clips, paper tape, an eraser, pencil sharpener and sticky note pad. From Kate Spade pens, erasers and pencils and Lilly Pulitzer products to stylish notebooks of all sizes, you will be the envy of everyone on campus with items from Sue Paperie!

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Orthopaedic After-Hours Clinic Now Available

North Louisiana Orthopaedic and Sports Medicine Clinic to Offer Extended-Hours Clinic

AVING SERVED THE ARK-LA-MISS, region since 1951, North Louisiana Orthopaedic & Sports Medicine Clinic’s leadership, experience and expertise in the orthopaedic field is now broadening to include an extended-hours clinic. This extended-hours clinic will offer immediate access to board-certified orthopaedic surgeons or orthopaedic physician assistants, will be open from 5-8 p.m. (Monday-Thursday) and 8-11 a.m. (Saturday) and will be held at our 1501 Louisville Avenue location in Monroe. Since injuries such as sprains, strains and fractures often don’t happen at convenient times, you and your family now have the option of skipping the long wait at an emergency room or at a generalized after

hours clinic (where you would be referred to an orthopaedic surgeon). Instead, patients can now immediately receive an accurate diagnosis and treatment plan for an orthopaedic-related problem. According to Dr. Daven Spires, one of our board-certified orthopaedic surgeons, “We want to provide to our patients the convenience of specialized orthopaedic care outside of normal business hours. Our goal is to save our patients significant time and expense by creating an alternative to emergency room and urgent care visits for acute orthopaedic problems.” However, because North Louisiana Orthopaedic & Sports Medicine Clinic wants to keep its care focused on orthopaedics, patients coming in with general

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cold symptoms or those needing vaccinations or physicals will be referred to a traditional after hours clinic. By visiting our extended-hours clinic, patients will benefit from having on-site access to our state-of-the-art facility’s full spectrum of resources and support to include casting, splinting and radiology. For more information about this convenient, cost-efficient way to receive definitive orthopaedic assistance without an appointment and possibly even without a referral, please visit us at www.northlaortho.com, contact us at 318323-8451, or simply stop by our 1501 Louisville Avenue location in Monroe.

Why St. Frederick?

Students Say It Best

E ARE PROUD OF OUR St. Frederick 2015 junior and senior classes. They are well above the ACT average for our state and nation. The top 10% of seniors averaged 31, and the top 10% of juniors averaged 30.75. The top 50% of both classes averaged 26 or higher. The class of 2015 earned $1,102,250.00 in scholarship offers (above and beyond TOPS).

“When I first entered 7th grade at St. Frederick, I didn’t know anyone. Now I am a senior and the current student body president. My high school has given me, and every other student, the opportunity for greatness and lifelong memories. I am proud to call myself a St. Frederick Warrior.” – Senior Arianna Worthy, Student Council President

MARK LOYET, YOUTH MINISTER

“Being an only child, St. Frederick has given me more than an education, it has given me a large extended family. As I start my senior year, I feel as if the underclassmen of the school are the siblings I never had. I have truly been blessed to play sports under coaches that are great role models, while having the opportunity to play next to friends that I will call brothers for the rest of my life.” – Senior Blake Gladfelter, Student Council Vice-President

“From state tennis championship games to Friday night lights, all of our students take pride in being a Warrior and cheering each other on at every event! I know I will be ready to tackle college, because our teachers take pride in teaching and preparing us.” – Sophomore Ashlyn Hilburn

“The role models at this school give me a great example of how we should be in high school. This school provides everything from education to athletics.” – Eighth Grader Will Ellender

“I am so excited to join the St. Frederick family. Catholic education has established an outstanding record of success. The unity and diversity among students in the St. Frederick family is inspiring. We invite you to join the St. Frederick Warrior family, Warriors for Christ.” – Youth Minister Mark Loyet

We are still accepting high school students, but our junior high is almost full. For enrollment information, contact Admissions Director Shere May at 318-323-9636 or stfrederickhigh.org

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SWEET MEMORIES OF SHIPLEY’S DONUTS

As a family tradition comes to an end, the memories of happy times spent in Shipleyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Donuts will always remain in the hearts of the community. b y M A R Y NA P O L I

| photographs by MARTIN G MEYERS

“Preparing the heavenly, melt-in-your-mouth pastries is a lengthy process, much more so than one might expect.”

"It's bittersweet," says Melissa Freeman Hoover. She takes a deep breath and looks at her sister, Beth Freeman Risinger. "But it’s time." After 64 years and four generations in the Freeman family, Shipley's Donuts is for sale. It’s an idea that will shock, surprise and sadden much of the Monroe and West Monroe community. After all, the business means much more to locals than the place to find their favorite donuts. It's an iconic place within our region that holds sweet memories for nearly everyone who has enjoyed the sugary treats the Freeman family still makes by hand. The family will continue business as usual until a new owner is found. It was an achingly difficult decision to put the business on the market and has not been shared publicly until now. The breakfast spot has been a part of the Freeman family and a landmark of Monroe for over six decades, and they plan to savor every moment that is left. Hoover and Risinger have managed every detail of the business for the past ten years and are the lovely faces that customers instantly recognize as they enter. Shipley's has always been a part of life for the sisters. Some of their first memories are from a time when they weren't even tall enough to see over the counter. The shop was something of a playground for them as little girls, where they could enjoy an endless amount of sugary, sweet delights while watching their father expertly cut the donuts with incredible precision and speed. Hoover recalls watching her grandmother, Ethel, who owned the busi110 SEPTEMBER 2015 | WW W. BAY O ULI FEM AG .C OM

ness with her husband, L.E. Freeman, run the shop as through it was an extension of her own home. "She ran this place, and she made it a success. The people who worked for her became part of her family, and she treated her customers like they were coming into her home. She wanted them to be comfortable and happy, and she knew them all by name. She would call this booth her "visiting booth" or "the family booth," because it’s where she sat to talk to friends who came in," says Hoover motioning to the yellow booth she sits in. "I remember sitting in this booth as a child and watching her work. She always kept a big, glass jar of Juicy Fruit gum on the counter. I thought that was so neat, when I was little." Ethel Freeman ran her business with the same kind of love a mother instinctively bestows upon her child. When she passed away in 2005, her son, David Freeman, who is the father of Melissa and Beth, inherited the business. David had also grown up in the shop and learned the skill of preparing the dough, cutting donuts and cooking them at a young age. He has since trained his son-in-law, musician and artist Gray Risinger, and grandson, Cole Risinger, to use the same methods. If customers arrive early enough, they can watch the impressive process through the glass that separates the kitchen from the dining area. Anyone who has caught a glimpse will remember watching David cut the donuts, flip them into the air and catch them on his fingers with such speed, he appears to be something of a juggler or an

acrobat. When he has an audience, David tosses pieces of scrap dough at the glass, teasing out the laughter of the youngest customers as they jump and giggle. After the men of the family have constructed the donuts, the women take over. "We have a special glaze that we use. It's a family secret that we'll never let go of," says Hoover. "We glaze all of our donuts, before we get them ready for the showcase, even the ones that we dip in chocolate or sprinkles or fill with fruit or cream cheese. We use donut dough for the kolaches, too. We make sure everything looks good for the display case. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s all done by hand." Preparing the heavenly, melt-in-yourmouth pastries is a lengthy process, much more so than one might expect. It takes nearly two and a half hours to prepare the donuts from start to finish, depending on how they might be decorated. There are no preservatives of any kind, so each batch is made from scratch in the early morning hours. The day begins around 3:00 a.m. each morning for the family so that they may open at 5:00 a.m. Hoover and Risinger begin welcoming customers as soon as the doors open. "We took over ten years ago when our grandmother passed on," says Risinger. "But, we have worked here to some extent, since we were teenagers. We started working summers, when we were 14 or 15 years old. In high school, I paid for all my cheerleading uniforms with money I had earned here. She

(Hoover) bought her first car with donut money. It was the first job either of us ever had, and itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the first job any of our children have had." Hoover and her husband, Dan, and Risinger and her husband, Gray, have five children between them, all of whom lend a hand in the family business. The Hoover children are twins Morgan and Rachel and younger sister, Madison. The Risinger children are Cole and Lindsay Adams, who is now married and preparing to graduate in nursing from LA Tech. Their faces are familiar to the regular diners of the establishment. "We grew up here," says Adams, speaking of her sibling and cousins. "The customers have watched us grow up from babies. When I graduated high school and when I got married, most of the presents I got were from customers that have known me since I was a little girl. I don't know life without this place. It has been the only job I've ever had," she says with emotion. Then, she smiles and rolls her eyes her mother's way. "I've smelled like flour my whole life!" she says with a laugh. "You aren't the only one!" responds her mother with sarcasm. Shipley's Donuts has been such a longstanding landmark in Monroe, that many people don't realize that the business is actually a chain that originated in Texas. "People ask us all the time why our last name isn't Shipley," say Risinger. "They automatically think that this is the only one, and

itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not. But it is the only one like this. We learned that when the corporate office paid us a visit." When the family began to entertain the idea of selling the business, representatives from the corporate office in Texas came to inspect the location. When they arrived several weeks ago, they were completely flabbergasted. "Oh, they were completely shocked," says Risinger. "They told us that no other Shipley's still operates this way. We are the only one left that still hand-makes our products. No one else cuts their donuts by hand. Just us. No one hand glazes, dips them in toppings or hand pumps the fillings. We still melt our own chocolate and mix our own fillings. We mix our own dough and flour. We are the only Shipley's that does that. Everything is done by machine now, but we do it the way we know how--the same way our grandparents did. The corporate guys couldn't believe it." Hoover nods her head and adds, "We are also the only one left that still offers table service. At all the other locations, people make their order and take it to their seat. No one even offers them a glass of water. He didn't know what to say, when we explained to him that nothing has changed here since we were children." The corporate suit was right. The place is something of a time capsule from a time when personal service and home-cooking WWW.BAYOULIFEMAG.COM | SEPTEMBER 2015

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were not as hard to come by. Shipley's very much the same as it was since the day that Ethel and L.E. Freeman took ownership. Customers still make their choices from the same glass display case that Ethel once filled with handmade creations. They sit at the same window booths and counter stools that have been there for ages. Memorabilia and eyecatching artwork painted by Gray Risinger, husband to Beth, now adorn the walls, but the service and pastries that locals love remain unchanged. This is partly due to the family's commitment to quality and service and partly out of love and respect for the family members who made the business their life's work. One thing is certain, it’s the lack of change and the dependable consistency that locals appreciate at Shipley's. "We know everyone from garbage men to judges," says Hoover. "This place is special to a lot of people from all walks of life. And it brings out the good in people. We hear so many stories and get pictures from people from all over. It has always amazed me how something so simple, could mean so much to people. It’s a special place, and people come from a long way to have breakfast with us." One August Saturday morning, a family of four filled a booth and began to sing, “Happy Birthday.” It is a tradition for the Jefcoat family to celebrate the birthdays of their children, Molly and Magnolia, with breakfast at Shipley's. Young Molly and Magnolia, still dressed in their pajamas, smile brightly as the candle flickers in little Magnolia's sprinkle covered donut. The family sweetly sings "Happy Birthday" to the delighted two-year old, who can hardly wait to blow out the candle and have a bite. We began celebrating their birthdays on their very first one," says Mitchell Jefcoat smiling at this daughters. "Today is Magnolia's second birthday, and Molly will celebrate hers here in a few weeks. It's a tradition for us." The scene touches the hearts of Hoover and Risinger. They thank the family for coming and wish Magnolia a happy birthday. "It’s things like that that make this all worth it," says Risinger. "Our customers mean so much to us. We have stuck with it all these years for them, really. We want this place to continue on, but our children are growing, and they all have other career plans. It's time for us to enjoy this part of our life with our kids. One of the last things our grandmother told us is that she never wanted us to let it close. This place is our baby. We hope we can find someone to love it and love our customers the way we have all these years." Until the fate of the future of Shipley's reveals itself, Hoover and Risinger will continue to offer the delicate, sugary delights that locals love. Regardless of what lies ahead, the delicious memories of happy times spent in the restaurant will always remain in the hearts of the community. Nothing will change that. "Some families and faces are different, but nothing else has changed," says Hoover. "I think our grandmother would be proud."

Ovation Women’s Wellness Focused Care for Women

VATION WOMEN’S WELLNESS, LLC IS NOW OPEN at 1401 N. 18th Street in Monroe! Our focus at this new clinic is to help women with pelvic floor disorders that affect bladder and bowel function, pelvic and vaginal pain, sexual disorders and menopausal hormone management. We treat urological conditions such as overactive bladder, painful urination, chronic bladder infections and urinary incontinence. Common symptoms women experience are urgency and frequency of urination, burning with urination, uncontrolled urine leakage and getting up at night to urinate. Symptoms increase significantly in women after childbearing and beyond the menopausal years. They significantly affect quality of life and are never “normal.” I am Annie Jopling, a Women’s Health Nurse Practitioner, with a special interest in helping women with the above conditions that affect the bladder, bowel and reproductive pelvic organs. I offer nonsurgical treatments in the office for all women who are bothered with symptoms that affect their daily activities. I have been privileged to work in this specialized field of Women’s Health for the past 4 years. I have gained expertise in several nonsurgical treatments for pelvic organ prolapse and urinary incontinence. I will also refer patients to a physical therapist who specializes in the female pelvic floor for strengthening weak muscles to improve function. I will provide well woman exams, and menopause hormone management as well. As a certified SottoPelle® provider, I look forward to offering bioidentical hormone pellets to provide balance in menopause. The physicians, Dr. Robert Harris and Dr. Steven Speights, are board certified urogynecologists in Jackson, Mississippi. Because of the many referrals from northeastern Louisiana, they have made an investment in reaching out to the women in our area with this clinic. Our experienced staff joins me in expressing how excited we are to be here! Appointments can be made by individuals or by referral from a health care provider. We accept most insurances and are open Monday-Friday. Appointments available at 318-599-1404.

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The River Gallery

The River Gallery is happy to feature Mary Ann Nagan, one of their newest members, for September

NATIVE OF WISCONSIN, MARY Ann Nagan recently moved to West Monroe, Louisiana. Belonging to a large family of 8 brothers and sisters, the competition and love of art started at a very young age. She remembers, even before kindergarten, their father reviewing their art and grading it. They were always competing to see who would get the better grade. That family tradition still continues when family members annually get together for a week vacation to concentrate on producing art in the atmosphere of the north woods of Wisconsin. Her Christmas gifts always included some kind of art, whether it was painting kits, crayons, pastels, colored pencils or oils.

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Art has always been her passion. Marriage, children and career however, required that this activity be put on hold for some time. Now with the move to Louisiana, she is finding the opportunity of additional time to work on her art.

Changing Lives for the Better Louisiana Center for Weight Loss Surgery

ICHAEL YATES WAS GETTING ready for work one morning, when he suddenly had to switch gears and head to the emergency room. “I had been suffering from serious fatigue, shortness of breath and dizzy spells. After four hours at the ER, I was told that I was probably having an anxiety attack and that I should consult with my primary care doctor to discuss high blood pressure and diabetes.” It was then that Michael Yates decided to transform his life. Six weeks later, he underwent the gastric sleeve procedure at Louisiana Center for Weight Loss Surgery. Today he is 127 pounds lighter and has only one regret. He guesses others may experience that same regret. “You will regret not pursuing the surgery

DR. WALTER SARTOR

earlier after realizing how simple and minimally invasive the procedure is.” The ease of the procedure can be attributed to excellent surgical care, Yates said. “I’ve said it since day one, and I will say it again. P&S Surgical Hospital, Dr. Walter Sartor and his staff are second to none. Their setup and care is the ‘Beverly Hills’ of Louisiana. I have never seen so much one-onone care given to a patient anywhere. I give them five stars.” The surgery and subsequent weight loss have affected his life in a myriad of ways. “Golf is my favorite activity; over the years, the more and more my weight went up, the more and more my scores went up. The hotter it got, the worse my game became. The heat, coupled with vertigo and nausea turned my favorite hobby into a nightmare. Soon I

BEFORE

AFTER

found the highlight of my round to be a hotdog and Gatorade,” he remembered. “But golf is not the only thing I now enjoy stress free. Before surgery, I was miserable flying, going to the movies, attending concerts and hunting. If it had small seats or required specialty clothing, I was miserable.” Now at 38 years old, Yates cannot remember a time without his obesity struggle. “Being overweight since childhood has had its negative affects. It was hard growing up, knowing that you could not participate in certain activities. It was rather depressing knowing that you could not wear the cool outfits and did not seem to fit in socially,” he said. “Being obese was always embarrassing, regardless if I was 16 years old and wearing

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Downtown Pub Crawl September 3rd

Monroe Renaissance Kicks Off Football Season with Pigskin Pub Crawl

ONROE RENAISSANCE IS kicking off the the festive football season with their bi-monthly Downtown Pub Crawl on Thursday, September 3. The non-profit group, made of volunteers that are working to revitalize downtown, have coordinated a pub crawl to bring together pubs, bars and restaurants in downtown Monroe. Participants check in at Bry Park, located at the corner of South Grand and DeSiard Street. They will receive their pub passport, which will have a map and list of the participating locations, along with drink specials at each location. After making each stop and getting their passport stamped, pub-crawlers will drop off their

completed passport at the last stop – Neat – for their chance to score a touchdown in the form of prizes donated by Glazer’s. The Downtown Pub Crawl is a free event and participants must be 21 years of age. Participants can also hop on the party bus for free transportation along the pubcrawl route. The five participating locations are Enoch’s Irish Pub, Shananigan’s, Neat, Restaurant Cotton and River & Rail Cantina. Local distributors – Marsala Beverage, Choice Brands and Glazer’s – will be on hand at each location to showcase some of their products that will be hits at the your tailgate throughout the season! The Pigskin Pub Crawl is sponsored by Monroe Renaissance, BayouLife Maga-

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zine, Lamar Outdoor and The Radio People. The Downtown Pub Crawl takes place the first Thursday of every other month. For more information, find Monroe Renaissance on Facebook – facebook.com/MonroeRenaissance Monroe Renaissance is a non-profit organization consisting of volunteers, whose mission is to stimulate and make possible the re-awakening of downtown Monroe through community participation, resulting in an enhanced quality of life.

Look to Nature for a Different Type of Growth Factor

Now Available at Professional Laser Center

BY JUDY WAGONER

T’S A FACT. YOUR SKIN THINS WITH age and sun damage. This makes it more prone to fine lines and wrinkles. Also, when you undergo certain dermatologic procedures such as chemical peels, laser therapy or microdermabrasion, your skin undergoes more damage as part of the process. Hundreds of millions of years ago, during a period when our planet was bombarded by extreme radiation, a little snail evolved a method to protect itself, a secretion of growth factors and glycoproteins that covered its skin. This special fluid was absorbed and healed the damage from the sun’s rays, almost instantaneously! After years of research, European scientists have discovered a unique way to harness this growth factor to help repair damaged

human skin: Tensage® SCA Technology (which stands for Secretion of Cryptomphalus Aspersa, a type of snail). It has been voted America's number one growth factor by several national magazines. Tensage SCA Technology is available in a variety of strengths. We can help you determine which products are appropriate for the level of repair and rejuvenation you desire.

Benefits of Tensage: • Firmer looking skin with renewed rejuvenation • Smoothes the appearance of fine lines • Softens the appearance of coarse wrinkles • Helps skin damaged by photo-aging • Faster recovery of skin appearance following dermal procedures

• Increased hydration for softer skin

Tensage Serum can be used in conjunction with the Rejuvapen microneedling treatment. The procedure stimulates the production of collagen in the skin. This medical-grade treatment not only improves the skins appearance, but can also be used to treat hyper- pigmentation, stretch marks, acne scars, fine lines and wrinkles. The micro-needles also allow better penetration of topical products, such as growth factors. Most patients notice healthier looking, glowing skin immediately. Our results have been amazing! If beautiful skin is what you're dreaming of, Professional Laser Center can help. We specialize in the science of beauty.

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N ICO LA A N D J EFF SM I TH, OWNER S OF M U SCLE CLUB A P PA R EL, DI S CU SS H OW THEI R FA MILY’ S HA R DSHIPS S PAR KED A HO ME-G RO WN BU S INESS ARTICLE BY TAB BY SO IGNIER | PHO TOGRAPHY BY MA RTIN G MEYERS

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hen Jeff Smith was eight years old, he found a way to earn enough money to buy a Nintendo instead of waiting six months for Christmas to roll around. When he was in his early 20s, he won over the girl whom he described as having an instant connection with, and by the time he turned 26, he married Nicola Fremen. With a graphic design degree from Louisiana Tech, Smith worked at Tommy Tee’s in Ruston, while his new bride made the trek to Monroe every day to teach first grade. When Smith was 31, he and Nicola welcomed their first child into the world, a son named Kaden, and he made the couple’s perfect world into a perfect family. To this day, it is still perfect, and it can only be credited to a strong marriage. Three weeks after Kaden was born, Nicola started noticing odd things, like her son’s inability to hold his head up. At first she thought she was just being an overly cautious parent, but over the next six months, the couple heard prognosis after prognosis that ranged anywhere from Spinal Muscular Atrophy to Infant Botulism, a disease that occurs when a baby ingests bacteria and creates a toxin inside the body and often leads to death. The new parents were frantic and went everywhere that was suggested to get to the bottom of what was causing their beautiful son to not develop the way most infants do. They found their answer in Jackson, Mississippi when a muscular surgeon discovered that Kaden had a type of muscular dystrophy

called Merosin Deficient CMD. The disease typically causes a weakness in muscles and sometimes even joint deformities. “Muscular dystrophy is such a raw term,” Jeff said. “There are many subcategories for muscular dystrophy, different names for specific types, not just one group name like there was twenty plus years ago. His subtype makes him one in about 2,000 in the world as far as diagnosis is concerned.” “We were told he was not going to walk or crawl,” Nicola added. “He might sit up. He might talk, but he talks all the time. If he’s sitting on the couch, it looks like there is nothing wrong.” Within days of Kaden’s diagnosis, Nicola had searched countless websites to learn more about his condition and even found a convention in Philadelphia later that year. The family traveled to the convention, listened to some of the top doctors in the world and met numerous families living with the same disease as they traded information and asked and answered each other’s questions. “It was hard to see,” Nicola admitted. “That’s our future. It’s hard, but these families are making it. Some of the kids we just fell in love with. There was a kid in college, and he is living in a dorm. He must have 24-hour help come in, but somehow he’s doing it.” Somehow, Kaden is doing it also. He is now five years old and has been driving his own power chair since he was 17 months old. According to him, the world is just as it

should be. He is a happy little boy, who is getting ready to attend Kindergarten in Ruston this fall – and in a regular classroom at that. In the adult world, though, things look much, much different for his parents. Soon after Kaden’s diagnosis, Nicola knew it would be nearly impossible to find someone to care for her son, so she quit her job to stay at home. Jeff continued his work at Tommy’s Tees, where he has been since 1999, but he knew he needed to find a way to replace the lost income, not to mention help pay for Kaden’s hospital bills. An entrepreneur at heart, Jeff leaned on some of his natural talents – starting with the one he recognized at eight years old – and he started his own business. Things were a lot different than they were at eight years old though. Back then he earned money by helping people move in and out of the apartment complex he lived in with his parents, along with other odds and ends, and the goal to sheer happiness – a Nintendo – was a little more than $100, which would take him less than a week to earn. At 31, it would take a lot more elbow grease, late hours and an endless amount of work to get Muscle Club Apparel off the ground. His work ethic went hand in hand with his graphic design background, and he started by showing a few designs to his friends at the gym for feedback. From a piece of paper to a few shirts, Jeff created a business out of his gym bag with the help of Tommy Cline, the owner of Tommy’s WWW.BAYOULIFEMAG.COM | SEPTEMBER 2015

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Tees, who the Smith’s describe as “family.” A few shirts here and there quickly became a lot of extra shirts lying around, so Jeff created a website to begin selling his ideas. Then, he turned to social media to help spread the word, starting with Facebook, then Twitter. “(On Twitter) I would search people who posted something about a workout,” Jeff said. “Then, I would send them a message saying, ‘Hey, we sell apparel. Tell me what you think. It’s a new company.’ And a couple would respond.” The biggest response early on came from Nicole Nagrani. Neither Jeff nor Nicola knew the name, but after a quick Google search, they might as well had said the name of the biggest movie star in Hollywood. “As it turns out, she was Miss Bikini Olympia 2011 and coming from a guy who didn’t really follow body building at the time, I did the research and it’s the highest honor someone could win in the bikini division of bodybuilding,” Jeff said. “So I sent her a message asking, ‘Do you mind if I send you some stuff for exchange of some love on social media?’” A few pictures of a famous fitness person wearing you apparel is a declaration of making it in the business. “We’d get a spike in sales, then go look and Nicole had put a picture up,” Nicola said. Word of the apparel quickly spread to the friends of Nicole Nagrani, and the spikes started occurring more often. Fast forward three and a half years later, and the Smith family has just reached 300,000 fans on their Facebook page and processes about 250 orders a week during its busy season. “You have to stay on top of social media to be relevant,” Jeff said. “It’s imperative, and with everything going on, it’s hard to stay on top of it.” “Everything going on” is an understatement. To quickly bring you up to speed, their son Kaden had spine surgery at the end of March, to correct an 88 degree curvature in his spine due to severe scoliosis. Nicola was 7 months pregnant with twins at the time, but it was a necessity to have it done. The couple welcomed their newborn twins, Chase and Camille, on May 11th of this year, and was unfortunately met with more complications. Chase was born with a hole in his heart, and is currently still being monitored for heart failure. And sadly, Jeff missed the birth of his twins,fgvrth because he was with Kaden in New Orleans, who had developed a staph infection just five weeks after being released from the hospital from his previous surgery. Five weeks after doctors cleared up the infection, one of Kaden’s corrective rods became dislocated. In total, the five year old has had

three surgeries just this year, and two other hospitalizations, and the family is not ashamed to say that they have pleaded to be dealt a break at any time. “I’ve done it several times,” Jeff said of asking for a break. “I’ll tell anyone this has been the toughest nine months of my life.” While most couples are relishing in the first few months of their newborns’ lives, Jeff and Nicola are clinging to each other and focusing on the blessings that come out of more hardship than most families face in a lifetime. And through all the chaos, the couple is finishing up the final touches on a new home they built, which will help with Kaden’s power chair and will provide more room for the family that just jumped from three to five members. Oh, and then there is the business they still run out of their house no matter how big it gets. Their wholesale business is shipped all around the world, with their biggest fan base (outside the US) currently coming from Australia and Canada. In the beginning, Nicola joked at Jeff about selling shirts out of his gym bag, but now the two compete to find which quip will be the most popular printed on a workout shirt. Females make up about 90 percent of sales, and include workout shirts with sayings like, “I’ve Got Flex Appeal,” or “Headphones On. World Off.” Nicola is proud to say which ones she came up with, but she does not shy away from admitting when she’s wrong either. When Jeff came up with an idea to print pillowcases that read “Beauty” on one and “Beast” on the other, Nicola told him to only order 20, because they likely wouldn’t sell. Within the first few weeks, they were ordering 250 more, and all of those were sold before they had them delivered to their house. As the fan base grows, so does the merchandise, from shirts to pillowcases to hats and even gym towels. One towel reads, “You see sweat. I see a sexy glow.” However, their proudest shirt is the one that both wore sitting side by side on a coffee shop couch on an August afternoon as they told their story. The grey shirt had the saying “Stay Strong for those who cannot” printed across the front. They are Kaden’s shirts and 100 percent of the profits of these go to the CureCMD.org foundation, a non-profit whose mission is to bring research, treatments and in the future, and a cure for Congenital Muscular Dystrophies. To learn more about Muscle Club Apparel and to shop for merchandise, visit www.muscleclubapparel.com. WWW.BAYOULIFEMAG.COM | SEPTEMBER 2015

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Downtown Gallery Crawl

The seven participating galleries in the Downtown Gallery Crawl opened their doors August 6th. Strolling from gallery to gallery visitors took in artwork by some of the region’s best-loved artists, while also gaining exposure to a few up-and-comers, as well. The River Gallery located on Antique Alley celebrated their 25th anniversary as Louisiana’s oldest co-op. The 26 artist-members featured a memorabilia wall as well as artwork created just for the show. Arender Gallery welcomed back Dallas artist Gaeb Cardinale, who graduated from ULM, and The Palace Gallery featured local favorite, Gary Ratcliff. The Downtown Gallery Crawl is one of the most popular recurring events downtown, and it brings together a diverse cross-section of the Monroe art, business and social communities.

On the BayouScene

1 Nancy Shutt, Rusty Patterson and Brenda McDaniel 2 Mara Loeb and Linda Ward 3 Leisa Easter, Amanda Easter and DuVette Cox 4 Ben Hickey, Doug Breckenridge and Charlie Heck 5 Wayne Smith and Susan Cochran 6 Karen and Allen Harrison 7 Philip Williams and Shelby McDuﬀ 8 Kenneth Alexander, Danita Bright, Kailey Alexander, Alexis Bright, Shalom Alexander and Alohn Hammond 9 Emery Thibodeaux and Brooke Foy 10 Joshua Mitchell, Ashlee Bell, Victoria Smith, Clint Bell and Erik Stanley 11 Amber Savana, Emily Moore and Emi Harris 12 Katherine and Lila Strode 13 Oluwakoseunti “Sunday” Odubela and Carissa Odubela 14 Tara Holmes, Chelsea Garner and McKenna Sowards 15 Jenny Ellerbe with Alexa, Ben and Mac Hickey 16 Kacie Mathieu and Mary Ellen Graves

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Get the Help You Need Men’s Health

BY JOHN A. CALIFANO, MD

PPROXIMATELY 50% OF MEN IN THIS COUNTRY AGE 50 to 60 suffer from lower urinary tract symptoms, or benign prostatic hypertrophy (BPH). Symptoms tend to worsen over time and affect quality of life. Similarly, 50% of men over age forty have erectile dysfunction/low testosterone which tends to worsen. BPH and erectile dysfunction are very treatable conditions, but too often men delay seeking treatment. BPH, or enlarged prostate, often referred to as lower urinary tract symptoms, can include decreased force of stream, hesitancy, intermittent stream, post void dribbling, nocturia, urinary urgency and frequency. Severe cases can lead to urinary obstruction. These symptoms can often be alleviated. Patients are evaluated with questionnaires, voiding studies, and in some cases, the size of the prostate is assessed by ultrasound or direct vision with cystoscopy. Treatment consists of oral medications for the prostate and/or bladder, with most patients seeing a significant improvement in symptoms/quality of life. In some patients, oral medications do not improve symptoms, and surgical intervention is required. Surgery is usually performed in an outpatient setting with quick recovery time and wonderful results. We utilize the da Vinci robot for some patients with extremely enlarged prostates, taking a minimally invasive approach resulting in a faster recovery. Erectile dysfunction (ED) is a common problem men experience as part of aging. Most men do not realize how many treatment options are available to treat ED. Following an office exam, treatment usually consists of oral medications such as Viagra, Cialis or Levitra. If patients have poor response to oral medications, they can begin injections or urethral suppositories. If all medical forms fail, patients can receive a penile pump or have a penile prosthesis placed. Prosthesis placement is performed in surgery, and satisfaction rates for patients and their significant other exceed 90%. Low testosterone levels affect energy and sexual drive, and is also a common problem. Blood work evaluation to assess testosterone levels can make this an easily treated disorder with treatment consisting of injections, topical gels or insertion of testosterone pellets. BPH, erectile dysfunction and low testosterone are conditions that all men will likely experience at some point in life. With proper evaluation and treatment, most men can expect significant improvements in quality of life. These topics will be included in the next “Talks on Tower” to be held on Thursday, September 10th in the Community Room at St. Francis Community Health Center on Tower Drive in Monroe. There is no fee to attend, but seating is limited, so early registration is recommended. To see a list of upcoming topics and presenters from St. Francis Medical Group in the “Talks on Tower” series, please visit www.stfranmedgroup.com. WWW.BAYOULIFEMAG.COM | SEPTEMBER 2015

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Hemline Monroe Wine Night On Thursday, August 6, Hemline Monroe on Tower Drive hosted a night of wine tasting, shopping and music. Tonore’s, Southern Beverage and Select Wines were in the store with a variety of red and white wines for shoppers to enjoy. Live music was provided by Gray Risinger and Toby Traylor. Owners Natalie Sutor and Josh and Leslie Culp were on hand to mix and mingle with customers and take advantage of the great deals on clothes, shoes and accessories.

On the BayouScene

1 Kelsey Booth and Callie Teekell 2 Margaret Barker, Debbie Luﬀey and Ellie John 3 Jennifer Lord and Caroline Brockman 4 Russell Kicey and Wendy Freeman 5 Jamie Norris and Lauren Bastoe 6 Heath Bastoe and Diana Asbury 7 Andree Eddleman and Felicia Hardwick 8 John Luﬀey and Dr. Ralph Asbury 9 Mandy Dejean and Kori Clowers 10 Delores Johnson and Virginia Vicini 11 Sara Brewer, Caroline Scott and Robert Brewer 12 Jennifer Van and Angie Benjamin 13 Owners Natalie Sutor, Josh and Leslie Culp 14 Lindsey Adams and Rachel McDonald 15 Mary Kathryn Crigler and Claire Gordon

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Fall is Just Around the Corner Hemline Monroe Has Styles to Help You Transition to Cooler Weather

E’RE READY FOR SWEATERS, SCARVES AND cooler weather at Hemline! Come shop our great selection of denim by Hudson, J Brand, AG and Henry & Belle, boots and booties, sneakers by Superga, Spanx leggings, sweaters and so much more. These items are sure to help you transition into fall in style. For all you yoga enthusiasts, we have a fun selection of active wear by ALO including leggings, tanks and sports bras. Namaste! Bracelets by Lokai, New Orleans inspired eyewear by KREWE du Optic, fringe bags and furs are hot items this fall and can all be found at Hemline! Bijoux, Rixen and Virtue jewelry is arriving daily and all pieces are handmade in Louisiana. New arrivals of cocktail dresses by Parker, Amanda Uprichard and Cleobella are arriving daily, just in time for homecoming, weddings and holiday parties. Guys- we have dri fit dress shirts by Mizzen & Main and colorful button ups by Stone Rose. We recently partnered with Tonores, Southern Beverage and Select Wines for a night of shopping, wine tasting and live music by Gray Risinger and Toby Traylor. Everyone had a great time visiting and shopping while enjoying the delicious wine and lively music. Football season is approaching which means we hosted our annual Hemline Tailgate Party. Go Warhawks! Go Tigers! We had a large selection of purple, gold, maroon, red and blue clothing as well as delicious tailgate food from The Fieldhouse. Follow us on Facebook and Instagram @hemlinemonroe for more information on upcoming events, new arrivals and sales. Beginning in October we will be open from 1:00-5:00 p.m. on Sundays in addition to our regular store hours, so plan to start your holiday shopping early this year! We will have great gift items including Rewind candles, Daniel Wellington watches, Ceri Hoover bags and much more! We’re approaching two years of business, and we would like to thank our customers, family, friends and the community for the overwhelming amount of support we’ve been shown. We have met so many great people and have formed many friendships that will last a lifetime. As always, thank you for your business and support! WWW.BAYOULIFEMAG.COM | SEPTEMBER 2015

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Full Moon Yoga at Nonna

In Denver, Colorado in 1995, Keith Villa, head brewmaster and founder of Blue Moon Brewing Company, first created his Belgian-Style Wheat Ale. He believed that something so special only happens “once in a blue moon,” and so the name was born. This year, on July 31st, the sky graced us with a rare and beautiful Blue Moon (the second full moon in a single calendar month), which happened to coincide with Blue Moon Brewing Company’s 20th anniversary. Yogis and beer lovers alike gathered at Nonna to celebrate the celestial event. After an hour long class led by Louisiana Yoga and Paddle, guests were treated to dessert and, of course, Blue Moon beer. Participants also got a commemorative 20th Anniversary Blue Moon glass to take home. Cheers and Namaste!

On the BayouScene

1 Jodi Berry, Mary Anne Whitman and Kristen Goss 2 Jan Thibault and Chris Budny 3 Elizabeth Griﬃn and Kylie Richardson 4 Nadia Morris and Crystal Johnson 5 Amy and Spencer Lange 6 Kelsie Pritchard and Leslie Richman 7 Rebecca George and Jo George 8 Heather Holdiness, Kelsie Pritchard and Gwen Proctor 9 Leslie Richman and Arely Castillo 10 Jana Giles and Dawn Eakin 11 Kristen Trues and Kylie Richardson 12 Arely Castillo, Dawn Eakin, Courtney Thibault and Kylie Richardson 13 Russell Bearden and Jesse Grinter 14 Kallie Bible and Madison Perry

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Back-to-School Block Party

Delhi Community Health Center Celebrates National Health Center Week

N CELEBRATION OF NATIONAL Health Center Week, Delhi Community Health Center welcomed the community to its “Back-to-School Block Party” on the morning of August 12th. With over 500 in attendance, this fun-filled event was enjoyable for the entire family. The Block Party included free health screenings, school supply giveaways, health education and resource information, food, games and door prizes. Kids of all ages had fun with the bounce house and slide, basketball toss, face painting, balloon animals and other games with school supplies as prizes. All services and activities of the event were free of charge for the entire community- thanks to the generous donations of our sponsors: Steve’s Concessions, Louisiana National Guard, Richland Parish Sheriff’s Department, Brookshire’s of Delhi, Commercial

Capital Bank, Thomsons Drug Co., United Health Care and Gary Gilley Campaign. As a Community Health Center, the DCHC staff members take pride in providing access to affordable, high quality health care services. Since its opening in 2012, the Federally Qualified Health Center has expanded its services to better serve the surrounding community. Staffed with physicians, nurse practitioners, counselors and other medical professionals- DCHC offers a wide range of health services for the entire family. With Primary Care for all ages, Chronic Disease Management, KidMed Services, Dental Services and the newly added Behavioral Health Program, DCHC is truly a model of a PatientCentered Medical Home. The Back-to-School Block Party provided an opportunity for parents to get their children ready for the upcom-

ing school year with school supplies and a visit with their local medical home providers. For all of your child’s healthcare needs, Delhi Community Health Center has you covered. For back-to-school and sports physicals, immunizations and wellness check-ups, we are here when you need us. We even offer Pediatric Dental Services through our kidfriendly mobile dental unit. With School-Based Health Centers established at three local schools, we can help keep your child healthy through the entire school year. Ask us how to enter your child into the “Healthy Kidz Zone!” If you would like to learn more about Delhi Community Health Center or see more pictures of our fun filled “Back-to-School Block Party,” please visit us at www.dchc-delhi.com.

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Fall Open House

On Saturday, August 15, McKinney Outdoor hosted their Fall Open House at their Outdoor Superstore in Ruston, LA. Hundreds of people turned out to enjoy the free food and refreshments, as well as the live music. There were cold drinks, cotton candy and sno-cones and representatives from Community Trust Bank were on hand serving up hot dogs. Shoppers were able to take advantage of deals on ATVs, side-by-sides, guns, ammo, bows, deer stands and apparel throughout the store. Clint Crawford was the winner of the grand prize drawing and took home a 250 Honda Recon ATV.

On the BayouScene

1 Brady, Richie and John McKinney 2 Tyler Thompson and David Patterson 3 Heath Fitzgerald and Cheyenne Allen 4 Brad Rinehart and Josh Caver 5 Champ the Bulldog, Lesley and Lily Gregory 6 Susan and Ted White 7 Savannah Webb and Mike Skipper 8 Lillie and Abby Fogle, Rita and Howard Halligan 9 Jobec Stevenson and Elizabeth Lewis 10 Janet and Gary Maxwell 11 Lynne, Eric and Kaylyn Brazzel 12 Tanner, Hayden, Shelley and Jeremy Clark 13 Jared and Amanda Fallin 14 Caroline Everett and Kourtney Hill 15 David Darland and Jeremy Dubose 16 Jed Anderson, John Foster Chestant and Hank Brooks 17 Troy, Leah and Lucas Lord 18 Shelby Williams and Champ the Bulldog

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NYC Canine Styling Open House

On Thursday, June 25, NYC Canine Styling hosted an open house and a ribbon cutting for their new location on Hwy 165 North in Monroe. Owners Marilyn and Robert Milstead hosted friends, family and colleagues, who enjoyed a variety of wine and hors dâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;oeuvres. Guests were able to view the beautiful location, which features an upscale lobby and seating area, three styling suites and a bath area for furry friends. Marilyn is a graduate of the New York School of Dog Grooming and has over 20 years of experience.

On the BayouScene 1 2 3 4 5 6

Marilyn Milstead and Kim Trichell Lance Futch, Alan Futch, Jimmie Carroll Futch and Marilyn Milstead Rita Saxon, Robert and Marilyn Milstead and Tommy Saxon Tony Gilley and Robert Milstead Marilyn Milstead and Crystal White Bradley Milstead, Marilyn Milstead and Bailey Youmans

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Academic Excellence

Start Your Future Now at Neville High School

EMEMBER HIGH SCHOOL? REMEMBER YOUR SORE throat following the championship football game, the particular aroma in the hallways on lasagna day, the drone of announcements, the excitement of prom, the folded notes passed between classes? While those elements of the high school experience haven’t changed, what has evolved is an emphasis on college and career readiness. That focus has shifted senior year of high school into a veritable college schedule for our best and brightest students with their pursuing dual enrollment classes, taking CLEP tests and working through Advanced Placement courses in order to earn college credits. Neville High School was the region’s trailblazer in initiating a dual enrollment program twelve years ago with eight students. This year, the college program includes almost thirty courses with nearly three hundred students enrolled. Our Advanced Placement teachers develop rigorous curriculum and assessments to challenge and engage students at high levels. At year end, students take an examination that assesses mastery of the skills and content learned, as well as their ability to communicate that understanding in writing. Appropriate AP scores —usually a score of 3 or higher on a 5 point scale—result in credits recognized at over 2500 colleges and universities across the world. At Neville High School in 2015-16, fifteen students earned the distinction of AP Scholar. To be named to this prestigious group of students, a student must receive scores of 3 or higher on three or more AP exams. In addition, two students were named an AP Scholar with Honor, meaning they received an average score of at least 3.25 on all AP Exams taken, and scores of 3 or higher on four or more of these exams. The following students earned AP Scholar distinction: Elena Boardman, Samantha Clark, Layne Fincher, Elena Flynn, Anne Hancock, Emerson Heflin, Folasade Lapite, Mary McMullen, Mitchell Mobley, Ryder Myers, Robert Owens, Harper Street, Ryan Thaxton, Cole Williamson and Shadman Yusuf. Mary Snellings Inabnett and King Wong earned AP Scholar with Honor. These AP students and their teachers celebrated their accomplishments at a pizza party at the home of Michael and Katherine Sandifer. Congratulations AP Scholars! Neville is proud of your quest for academic excellence. 130 SEPTEMBER 2015 | W WW. BAYO UL IFEM AG. C OM

Ruston Makers Fair

Mark Your Calendars for September 12th

With over 40 vendors from all over North LA, September 12 will be a great time for the community to come out and see all of these talented local artists and makers for the first Ruston Makers Fair from 11am-6pm. There will be plenty of activities, food and music at this free family event that will be held the week after the Bulldogs return to LA Tech! There will be music by Bethany Raybourn, lunch by Rosemary's Kitchen and many more surprises. The Ruston Makers Fair is pleased to host these vendors: Belle Vie Belle Maison, Martha Hartwell, Viola's Kitchen Jubilee, Hart Originals, A Garden Rocks, Miramar Glass and Metal, Cajun Cottage Crafters, Railway Coffee, Mista J and Harley's Uniquely Upcycled Designs, Allison Vestal & Hillary Clary, Vessel Vintage, Rosalynne Love, Brandiland Apparel, Anne Harris Gourd Artist, X and O Designs, Forge Golem, Young Living Essential Oils, Liz Zanca, Pastry Moon, Audie's Wooden Bowls, Alice Morgan, Megan Lyn Ceramics, Kate Tedeton, Mystic Moonrise Art & Apparel, Kreative Kreations by Marquita, Adrianna Speer, Rabbet Run, Knox Knitting and Crochet & Haute Mess Designs, Stacy Medaries, Sapphire Moments, Tammy Ainsworth, Lana Langston Johnson, Whootails, Jodami Design, Southern Smith, Nomad Naturals , Cottontop Print Shop, Cee Bee Ink, Trese' Jewelry and Red Earth Wildcrafted. Ruston Makers Fair will be held on the corner lot of Monroe Street and Louisiana Avenue, next to The Depot.

Changing Lives Continued From Page 115

husky size pants or 30 years old and wondering if the next size would have elastic waistbands.” It has been one year since his surgery, and Yates no longer suffers from severe heartburn, diabetes, high blood pressure, joint pain, vertigo, headaches, fatigue and other ailments. “One year post operation, and I’m ready to run with the bulls.” When asked to describe his life in one word, Yates chose “newborn.” “I view life now as a fresh start, a new me. I now find more enjoyment in the old things I once loved, as well as a new found love for things I had never tried.”

Louisiana Center for Weight Loss Surgery, an accredited bariatric program, is a partnership between Dr. Walter Sartor, P&S Surgical Hospital, and St. Francis Medical Center. Like us at facebook.com/LCWLS, and call us today at 1-866-821-LIVE.

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Mommy, I Think I Have a Frog in My Tummy!

GI Peds Specializes in Kids’ Tummy Issues

HE RUMBLING IN YOUR CHILD’S stomach has been going on for days, and now you’re worried. You want reassurance that she’s going to be fine. It’s hard to know what’s going on when children are small, so how do you analyze the situation to determine if what is affecting your child is worth a trip to the doctor? Rule of thumb: when in doubt, always seek medical help. And, since children’s gastrointestinal issues are very different from adults’ issues, it’s always the best choice to seek out a physician that specializes in pediatric gastroenterology. Children are growing and changing rapidly, and sometimes they do not know how to express themselves or explain their symptoms. That’s where a trained pediatric physician can use diagnostic tools to determine the cause of your child’s pain.

You likely have your own checklist, but here are a few tips you could use to evaluate your child’s situation. You should contact a specialized pediatric physician if any of the following occur: • If your child vomits more than a couple of times in 12-24 hours or if you are worried about your child becoming dehydrated or you find blood or bile present. • If your child has severe and ongoing abdominal pain, especially if there is associated constipation or diarrhea with bloating, cramping, nausea or general restlessness. • If you ever see blood in your child’s stool. • If your child doesn’t have a regular bowel movement or has painful bowel movements. • Vomiting green or yellow fluid, lack of

weight gain or chronic cough may indicate gastroesophageal reflux or something more serious. • Finicky eaters could be a sign of gastroesophageal reflux or other digestive issues.

If you think your child is in distress, trust your parental instincts. As a parent, you know your child well, and you can recognize when your child is experiencing more than just a hungry, froggy tummy. GI Associates is a certified endoscopy facility with a staff of board-certified physicians highly trained in gastroenterology for adult and pediatric patients. Contact GI Associates at 601.355.1234 to request a pediatric gastroenterologist to care for your child.

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T H E

ARTWORK

CL IFF

T R ESNER

article by Mary Napoli | photography by Brad Arender

rtist Cliff Tresner is as complex and captivating as the artwork he produces. He is a curious soul, perpetually searching and seeking. He asks questions with his eyes and his hands, aggressively manipulating objects of nature in ways that would only occur to creative person. In speaking with him, he is at once guarded yet animated, assertive yet nurturing. He is a dynamic artist that possesses a talent so dynamic it is impossible to forget. The Indiana native has spent 19 years guiding art students at ULM in Monroe and remains as innovative as the day he arrived. Tresner is brilliantly multi-talented and excels at painting and drawing, but is most recognized as a prolific sculptor. Growing up on the plains of Indiana, he felt that he was often misunderstood, and never quite knew where he fit in. Many of the students he encounters feel similarly. He found that art gave him the opportunity to express himself in a way that was freeing and came naturally, and he pursued it with vigor. "The thing that attracts me most about art is that the answer is always elusive and never really right, and often wrong," explains Tresner. "Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s about continued change. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s like life itself in that manner--it just keeps going." He often begins working with one particular art form that leads him to create another. He may begin with a painting and become inspired to include it in a sculpture. Various elements appeal to him

and make up an overall collection that is visually arresting and thought provoking. "In art, you make things, and you don't really know why. Then years later or by interacting with people who view them, you get out of your own head, and you can start to see the relevance. For instance, why do you keep making this thing? And why does it keep showing up over and over again," says Tresner. Tresner's unique talents have been noticed by the art world in the South and nationwide. In 2014, he won Best in Show at the Louisiana Contemporary Arts Exhibition at the Ogden Museum of Southern Art and received second place at the National Outdoor Sculpture Competition. He has been chosen as the Northeast Louisiana Arts Council Artist of the Year and awarded a Fellowship through the Louisiana Division of the Arts. As Director of the ULM Sculpture Garden, he is devoted to displaying the work of interesting artists from around the world, as well as students. He is also the Director of the Bry Hall Gallery on campus, which gives him the opportunity to work closely with teams of students to prepare, set up and coordinate exhibitions. In addition, Tresner is also sought out to hold exhibitions of his own in various places nationally. In 2015, the Maria V. Howard Imperial Arts Center in Rocky Mount, North Carolina hosted Tresner's solo exhibition in sculpture, painting and drawing entitled "Notes from the Road." This showing was so successful, he was invited to do a subsequent showing WWW.BAYOULIFEMAG.COM | SEPTEMBER 2015

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at the University of Mississippi in Oxford, Mississippi called "Notes from the Road Revised." His most recent exhibition requires no travel to enjoy and can be found at Monroe's Masur Museum of Art. "Makers' Mark" is a captivating exhibition, where Tresner displays his work along with fellow artists and friends, Todd Cloe and Frank Hamrick of Ruston. Their handmade objects are constructed from various natural media and result in various forms: sculpture, drawings, books and tintypes. The exhibit highlights each artist’s personality and creative strengths. Tresner displays smaller scale sculptures composed of wood, metal and rock that have an arresting affect visually. The collections of objects, both natural and manipulated, allow the audience to engage with organic elements that often seems peripheral or overlooked in a modern lifestyle saturated with technology. Tresner's talent and imagination appears

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to be endless as creations manifest themselves in various commanding forms. One of the most captivating and unforgettable methods he uses involves cutting words from metal to compose distinctive large scale objects. It’s a laborious task, but the outcome is visually brilliant. During the process, Tresner "writes" words that flow into and out of his mind in almost a dreamlike, transient state. The focus is not on the meaning of the specific words, but the visual shapes that the letters make. Words are often misspelled, written in all directions as he works in a stream of consciousness fashion. He often listens to audio recordings of books, talk radio or podcasts while constructing the words, which maintains the subconscious conversation as he works. "When I'm writing, I tend to lose focus and let things happen. It’s almost like being in a lucid dream state, where you can kind of control it, but it’s just happening, and you go along with it," explains Tresner.

These sculpted words are then used to construct forms--large and small, functional and abstract. He has been commissioned to create furniture, like tables and lampshades, that feature his sculptural writing, These writings also find their way into large scale constructions, such as the outdoor sculpture recently acquired by Delta State University in Cleveland, Mississippi. Although he is most often recognized for his sculptures, he enjoys drawing, and often incorporates these images into his mixed media exhibitions. "Drawing is actually my favorite thing to do. My sculpting teacher actually taught me how to draw. He told me that sculpting is actually drawing in space, and I've found that to be true." Tresner's accomplishments are many, and his talents are vast. The various forms that his creativity is expressed in are almost kaleidoscopic--sculpture, painting, drawing. His artistic abilities seem to know no bounds.

And even though he often finds himself intoxicated with the artistic and otherworldly possibility when sculpting or painting, one of his greatest passions remains in opening the minds and expanding the knowledge of his young students. He invites and often pushes them to embrace their own perspectives and question the very nature of what they see, and this is a great source of inspiration. "My students are really what inspire me the most here. I'm always affected by nature--the foliage, the coler of the earth, the textures--but itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the people here, who make this place great. The visual arts have grown significantly during the time I've lived here, and that is because of the students who come through the University and want to invest in the arts community here. They've revitalized Downtown, invested themselves in the Art Crawls...itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a beautiful thing to see a community grow in this way. To be a part of that is really rewarding."

More of Tresner's work and contact information can be found on his website, www.clifftresner.com. The joint exhibition featuring his work at the Masur Museum of Art, Makers' Mark, runs through October. His outdoor sculptures and other artwork are on display on campus at ULM.

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One Night Only: Jonathan Levin The Prize Winning Pianist on September 11th

In addition to its main stage productions, Strauss Theatre Center brings guest artists to the Monroe community as part of its One Time Only Concert Series. The concert series, created by Tommy Usrey (C.E.O. of Northeast Louisiana Arts Council) and Dr. Corey Trahan, will present Jonathan Levin, a classically trained pianist, to perform “American Portraits,” a concert featuring the music of George Gershwin, Cole Porter, Richard Rodgers and Jerome Kern. Hailed as a performer with “amazing facility” and “tremendous intelligence”(Peter Mack), Jonathan Levin is quickly establishing a reputation as an enthusiastic advocate for creating integrated programs that garner closer connections with audiences. Born in North Carolina, Jonathan made his debut with the Raleigh Symphony Orchestra when he was fifteen. Since then, he has become a sought after recitalist and soloist, performing throughout the country in concert halls, museums, universities, schools, libraries and private salons. Recent engagements have included performances at Carnegie Hall and many others. Jonathan has played solo recitals and taught master classes all across the country including engagements in North Carolina, Tennessee, Mississippi, Louisiana, Nevada, Florida, Washington State, California and Canada. He has performed with the Durham Symphony, the North Carolina Symphony and as a returning guest artist with the Raleigh Symphony. Jonathan has been awarded the National Stillman-Kelley Award, 2nd Prize at the 2012 Los Angeles International Liszt Competition and recipient of the Alan Walker Award from the American Liszt Society. Most recently, he was awarded 2nd Prize at the George Gershwin Brooklyn International Music Competition as well as a special prize for Best Performance of American Music.

WHO: Jonathan Levin, pianist WHAT: “American Portraits,” the music of George Gershwin, Cole Porter, Richard Rodgers and Jerome Kern WHEN: September 11, 2015, 7:00 p.m. WHERE: Emy-Lou Biedenharn Recital Hall, U. L. M. Campus TO BUY TICKETS: Call the Strauss Theatre Box Office at 318-323-6681, email info@strausstheatre.com or click the BUY TICKET button on Strauss Theatre Center’s homepage www.strausstheatrecenter.com.

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Faith Family& Fashion

MISSY ROBERTSON TAKES US ON A PERSONAL JOURNEY OF HOW HER FAITH LED HER TO FASHION. FROM HER CLOTHING LINE WITH SOUTHERN FASHION HOUSE TO HER NEW JEWELRY LINE, LAMININ JEWELRY, MISSY IS LIVING THE FASHIONABLE LIFE. article by LARONE RICHARDSON and photography by MARTIN G MEYERS

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An inner joy and vitality emanate from Missy Robertson, of A&E TV’s Duck Dynasty fame. Dressed in jeans and a stylish blouse and vest from the Missy Robertson Collection, she’s even prettier in person - vibrant, energetic, glowing. Apologizing that her home gets a little crazy, with friends and family running in and out, she suggests that we interview in the guest house and move to the main house later. Like her family’s home and Missy herself, the poolside retreat is warm and inviting, comfortable and beautifully pulled together; traditional, yet stylishly chic, with a definite southern flair. We settle in, and talk turns to her childhood. As a little girl growing up in West Monroe, Melissa “Missy” Louise West never dreamed her life, with all its twists and turns, would turn out the way it has. “I knew I wanted to be a wife and mom,” she says, “but I never had big dreams in terms of what’s happening now.” MISSY ROBERTSON As the daughter of a minister and a music teacher, there was never a lot of extra money, so for Missy, the world of fashion went largely unexplored. In fact, it’s been only in the last couple of years that she has gained confidence in her fashion acumen. Growing up, Missy didn’t haunt the malls, was never immersed in the uniquely feminine pastimes of shopping, building a wardrobe and accessorizing or putting together an “outfit.” It never really bothered her, though, and conspiratorially, she leans in and reveals, “I only found out when I was about 30 that my Mom had volunteered her teaching position at OCS, never receiving a paycheck. And I thought, ‘Wait a minute! We were poor on purpose?!!’” In their early years of marriage, like a lot of young couples, Jase and Missy struggled financially. “Jason made the grand total of $800 a month working as a full-time intern at church,” says Missy, “so I quit school and went to work full-time, too.” She gets tickled at the fans who accuse the Duck Dynasty women of being gold-diggers, saying, “The only gold Jason ever had was an old gold-colored Chevy pickup truck!” She loved that old truck, though. “It had a bench seat, so it was easy to slide over and snuggle!” Missy’s initial introduction into the world of fashion was only a few years ago, when Duck Dynasty was just beginning its ascent as a cable TV ratings phenomenon. The Duck Dynasty women were asked to participate in a local fashion show. “I was assigned to K-Sera, which is Kelly Block’s boutique,” relates Missy. “We had never met, but she was so knowledgeable, patient and helpful. Kelly has a true servant’s heart, and we’ve become the best of friends.” Married to Duck Commander Jase Robertson for 25 years, Missy is mother to Reed, age 20; Cole, age 17; and Mia, who turns 12 this month. In addition to a sometimes grueling filming schedule for Duck Dynasty, Missy gives numerous speaking engagements across the country. Music is one of her deepest passions, and even with an un-

believably hectic schedule, she continues to sing in her church’s praise group, volunteers as a music teacher at Ouachita Christian and even composes music. Each summer, Missy volunteers as crafts director at Camp Ch-Yo-Ca, and she and her family are actively involved in mission work, particularly in the Dominican Republic. It doesn’t stop there, though. Missy has co-authored two bestsellers, and she and Jase have also founded MiaMoo, a charitable foundation dedicated to providing support, encouragement and assistance to the families of others who, like their daughter, Mia, have a cleft lip/palate (check out miamoo.org). Describing Missy as merely “busy” is an epic understatement. Yet, it was partly because of her busy lifestyle, not in spite of it, that Missy decided to take on her own women’s fashion line. That, and the difficulties she had experienced in the past trying to find something suitable but stylish to wear. So how did the Missy Robertson Collection come about? You’ll never believe it…

THE COLLECTION APPEALS TO BUSY, DOWN-TOEARTH WOMEN WHO LIVE JUST LIKE US.

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“It was a Saturday, I was in Brookshires, and my phone rang,” remembers Missy. “It was Kelly saying, ‘I’m at market in Atlanta, talking to the Judith March people.’” Renowned designer Stephanie Carter’s Southern Fashion House, which produces the Judith March and Jacque + Janis lines, wanted to come to West Monroe on Monday - just two days later - to lay out an entire fashion campaign! It was an opportunity that most women would embrace with outstretched arms! But Missy said, “No, that’s way too fast. I need to talk to Jase about it first.” She left the grocery store and headed home, mentally weighing the pros and cons. Jase encouraged her to give them an opportunity to present their ideas. Still needing time to think, she called Kelly back and said, “How about Friday?” Six days later, Southern Fashion House was in her living room with not only ideas, but 30 pieces for her approval. “I loved about 98 percent of them,” acknowledges Missy. With Kelly’s invaluable assistance, she had communicated to the designers her vision of a clothing line that was stylish, yet age appropriate, versatile, modest, comfortable and featured easy-care fabrics. “They nailed it!” she grins. Explaining her initial reluctance, Missy says, “I’m not a ‘jumpin’ type of person. I like to do lots of research and understand what’s happening.” There had to be a higher purpose, something more than a potential fun factor involved for Missy to take on anything else of any magnitude. But Kelly and Jase pointed out that the fashion world could be yet another platform from which to share her Christian values. Before the Missy Robertson Collection launched, Kelly encouraged Missy to talk openly and candidly about the difficulties that she had with shopping. “A lot of women feel ambivalence and anxiety when shopping,” says Kelly. “So many women can relate.”

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P R OD U C T P H OTOGR A P H Y B Y S AVA N N A H K ATE B R ID GE S | C OU RTESY OF SOU TH ER N FASH ION H OU SE

issy agrees, “Lots of women avoid boutiques, because they don’t feel comfortable putting things together. When they walk into a department store, they can feel entirely overwhelmed.” “You want to look fresh and trendy,” she continues, “so you walk over to the Junior section, try them on, and think, ‘No way!’ Or, standing in front of the mirror, they may look OK, but when it comes to living in those clothes, whether it’s running to the grocery store, picking up the kids at school or going to a baseball game, you just can’t feel comfortable.” That’s why stylish comfort, versatility and modesty were such big items on Missy’s must-have list for the collection. Those qualities are apparently important to other busy young women, too. The Missy Robertson Collection debuted only last year, yet because of its increasing popularity, is now in 833 boutiques and stores in 26 states. “We’re focused mainly in the Southeast,” says Missy, “and that’s perfect, because there’s a subtle, southern flair to the pieces. The collection appeals to busy, down-toearth women who live just like us.” And its popularity isn’t relegated to soccer moms. Everyone from teens to stylish, more mature patrons have been enamored with Missy’s collection; it’s that versatile! I ask Missy to describe a typical day in the life of Missy Robertson. “Well, before Duck Dynasty, my life was pretty typical for a working mom, but now there’s no such thing,” she admits, smiling. According to Missy, the only day that remains typical for the Robertson household is Sunday. “Jason and I made the commitment years and years ago to be in church on Sundays, and if we’re physically able, and unless we’re out of town making an appearance, we’re at church every Sunday morning,” she says. For over 20 years, Jase and Missy also held house church at their home on Sunday nights. And she remembers a time when it wasn’t just Sunday nights, but every night! The very week they got back from their honeymoon, Jason’s best friend from high school knocked on their door. “He’d been in our wedding, and both our families and lots of our friends were Christians, and he’d been spending a lot of time with us,” relates Missy. ”He told us he wanted to hear more about Jesus. Then the next night, he brought a friend over, then that friend brought his girlfriend over, and she brought some more of her friends the next night. They kept 144 SEPTEMBER 2015 | W WW. BAYO UL IFEM AG. C OM

bringing over more and more of their friends!” Jase and Missy’s little apartment was bursting at the seams. “Jason was baptizing people in the lake, in the river out by Phil’s, in the baptistery at White’s Ferry Road Church,” she says. “He even got a key to the church, because he was baptizing people at all hours of the night, almost every night!”

Then only 19, newly married Missy remembers thinking, “I’m fixing to lose my husband! We were literally never alone.” And then she felt guilty, because she knew they were doing good works. “I cried a lot that first year of marriage,” she says, able to smile about it now, “but we received loving counsel from Phil and Kay, Jason’s brother Alan and his wife, Lisa, and an older couple at our church.” Missy says they learned that God doesn’t expect spouses to constantly put others before their marriage, even when it involves good works. “It was a difficult process to learn,” shares Missy, “but we learned it. And after 25 years of marriage, it’s just… ‘smooth’, just so wonderful; I never thought our marriage could be so good. And I look at young couples just starting out like John Luke and Mary Kate, and I know they’ll have to figure it out, too. But it’s so worth it!” Asked if there’s anything exciting on the horizon that she’d like to share, Missy reveals the October 6th release of her new book. Published by Tyndale House, Blessed, Blessed…Blessed, is the incredible, beautifully written personal story of her and Jase’s journey as a couple and as a family. Before I leave, Missy gives me an advance reader copy, and I can say, unequivocally, that readers will be touched and inspired by her tender, sometimes humorous and always candid revelations. Missy looks over at Kelly, and says, “I know we’re not ready for a national launch, but I think a community launch is OK.” Kelly nods her assent. They begin to describe a goal, a work-in-progress, involving their Laminin Jewelry line. The line’s namesake is the molecular protein, laminin, shaped like a cross, which scientists have discovered holds everything together. “Some people consider laminin to be a type of physical embodiment of Colossians 1:17, ‘He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together,’” says Missy. Each piece is authentically earthy and gritty, incorporating striking natural stones and distinctly natural textures, such as leather. As of this writing, the line is offered only on Missy’s website, missyrobertson.com, and at K-Sera Boutique in West Monroe. There’s been no real advertising involved, but demand has made it difficult to keep in stock. “Currently, we have one person working full-time making jewelry,” says Kelly, “but the ultimate goal is to provide jobs for young, under-skilled mothers, whose children are 100 percent dependent on them 100 percent of the time.” “We want them to have an encouraging, supportive work environment and be able to leave at 2 or 2:30 to be home with their children after school,” adds Missy. They’re still in the development stages and working out logistics but are understandably excited about the positive impact such a program will have on the community. Like the projects she undertakes, the masthead on Missy’s website reveals the order of her priorities: “Faith, Family, Fashion.” Most of us have heard it said from the pulpit that when a person makes the conscious decision to put God first, it can’t help but permeate every aspect of life. Missy believes it, and she lives it…and countless lives have been blessed because of it. The Missy Robertson Collection by Southern Fashion House is available at these local boutiques: HerringStone’s, Duck & Dressing, The Twisted Peacock, K-Sera, The Loft in Bastrop, Erin’s Attic in Ruston and Beau Monde in Ruston. WWW.BAYOULIFEMAG.COM | SEPTEMBER 2015

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Hair Must-Haves for Fall

The M Stylists Shine the Salon Spotlight on Their Favorite Products

HE STYLE TEAM AT M SALON gives their top products for a fabulous Fall style:

The Olaplex Treatment “Olaplex is a game changer in the world of hair color. It’s an add-on service and upgrade for hair that has ever been chemically processed. It bonds damaged hair and fills in the holes of each follicle. Ask your stylist about Olaplex, if your hair is in need of serious chemical rehab. And with the Ombré trend giving way to the more natural transition of Ecaille (tortoise shell color effect), Olaplex is the answer for healthy hair this fall.” – Co-Owner Ashley Murray

Surface Awaken “Ask anyone who has ever experienced hair loss, the emotional effects can be devastating. And you would be surprised how common this problem is, especially for women. With the exception of basic diet and nutrition, scalp care is the most important step in promoting healthy hair. Hair loss can be caused from stress, trauma, genetics, hormonal imbalances, immune system and nutritional deficiencies, or even bad habits. Surface Awaken hair products are made with natural ingredients and are especially designed for scalp nutrition and regrowth. Scalp care is vital for hair health and regrowth.” – Stylist Mallory Williams

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Kenra Blowdry Spray “Kenra Blowdry Spray is a blow drying timesaver! I use it on every blowout. It not only detangles wet hair, it cuts blow drying time in half. And did I mention the smell is phenomenal!” – Stylist Lorie Jones

Dry Shampoo “Moroccanoil Dry Shampoo is my latest addiction! It comes in dark and light tones and is perfect for giving fresh and clean (limp) hair some “grit.” It also makes it okay to go another day without washing, if you're in a time crunch! When your hair says you can't go another day... Moroccanoil says, ‘You can!’ It’s our dirty little secret! Shhh!” – Co-Owner Natalie Matthews

Golf Championship

Squire Creek Course Will Host U.S. Women’s Mid-Amateur Championship October 3-8th

The U.S. Golf Association (USGA) will bring one of its national championship events to Louisiana for only the second time in history, and for the first time since way back in 1966, this fall. The young but storied Squire Creek course in Choudrant will be the site of the U.S. Women’s Mid-Amateur Championship Oct. 38. A field of 132 international players ages 25 and over will compete for the USGA’s secondmost-prestigious women’s title (behind only the U.S. Women’s Amateur), with the event figuring to attract the top over-25 U.S. amateurs, as well as notables from several other countries. The tournament will hold 26 sectional qualifying events around the country in late August and early September to qualify for the national event. Entries are still being accepted through Aug. 19, and players must have a maximum 9.4 handicap to be eligible.

Squire Creek has twice hosted the state women’s Mid-Amateur and also hosted the 2013 Louisiana Women’s Amateur, but the October USGA title event will be the facility’s biggest tournament since the Tom Fazio-designed layout opened for play in 2002. Two years after it opened, Squire Creek was ranked as one of the top 10 best new courses in the U.S. by Golf Digest. Golf Digest also ranks the 7,105-yard facility No. 2 among Louisiana courses behind the Country Club of Louisiana in Baton Rouge. “Squire Creek is an avid supporter of amateur golf,” said general manager Rick Maier, “and we’re honored to host the Women’s MidAmateur Championship.” The event includes two rounds of stroke play on Saturday-Sunday, Oct. 3-4. The top 64 finishers in stroke play will advance to a matchplay bracket culminating with the champi-

onship match on Thursday, Oct. 8. Practice rounds will be staged on Thursday-Friday, Oct. 1-2. There will be no admission charge for any day of the tournament. In fact, if anyone is looking to get involved, Squire Creek is seeking more than 300 volunteers to help with tournament staging including scoring, registration, parking, player services and more. Volunteers will receive a tournament golf shirt and cap. And for even more involvement (and a tangible reward), the tournament is seeking volunteer caddies. Caddie volunteers will receive a minimum of $50 per round and meals along with the shirt and cap, and those who caddie are eligible for two rounds of complimentary play on the course for working the two practice rounds and the stroke-play rounds, and one complimentary round for each round caddied in match play. Caddies may carry bags or use a pull cart. Complimentary rounds are redeemable anytime after the tournament through April 1, 2016.

Interested individuals and groups, both for regular volunteer services or to work as caddies, may contact Katie Bryan at Squire Creek at (318) 768-7000 or katiebryan@squirecreek.com.

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Losing Your Breast Friends DIANNE GUILLOT DISCUSSES LIFE DURING AND AFTER BREAST CANCER: HOPE, HEALING AND FAITH

article by BARBARA LEADER and photography by MARTIN G MEYERS

ianne Guillot, 70, of West Monroe remembers the exact moment when she knew that her life would be changed forever. She was getting ready for bed on a Thursday night in 1993 when her hand slipped off the waistband of her pajama pants as she pulled them up. The back of her hand brushed the underside of her breast and she felt it – a tiny lump, smaller than a tic tac. She knew what she felt wasn’t normal. The next day, she went for testing, had a lumpectomy the following week and then learned that the tiny lump, which wasn’t even big enough for doctors to perform all of the usual tests on, was indeed malignant. “I never said, ‘Why me?" she said. “Instead, I said, ‘Why not me?’ No one else deserves this either.” She relied on her faith, family and friends to help her through her journey to recovery. “I didn’t have sense enough to be scared,” she said. “I knew it could be treated, so I just gave it over to God. I said, ‘God, this is yours, take it. You know what it is that I’m here to do. If I haven’t done it yet, then leave me here.” “Those who know me know that when I give something to God, I usually want to help him with it,” she said. “But this I did not. I gave it completely to Him.” Guillot, who describes the women in her family as “riddled with cancer” always believed in the importance of selfbreast exams and regular mammograms. “I have cousins on

my mom’s side that it eradicated by the time they were 50 years old,” she said. “I knew not to mess with it. I knew what it did to people. I had a first cousin 10 years older than me that died from breast cancer.”

THE JOURNEY BEGINS Only two months before the night that Guillot discovered her tiny lump, she had been given a clean bill of health following her yearly exam and mammogram. Surgeons performed a lumpectomy and scheduled Guillot for radiation treatment, but she never got it. Instead, she got a mastectomy. Guillot reported for her first day of treatment, was marked for the radiation therapy and waited for her procedure to begin. The treatment was supposed to last only 30 minutes, but Guillot said four hours later she found herself still in the office, and the doctors had not started radiation treatment. In preparing for her radiation, they had discovered more cancer in her breast. Guillot says the doctor, (who was not her surgeon), told her she shouldn’t have had a lumpectomy initially and he would not perform radiation treatments on her. “I was furious with my surgeon,” she said. “The one request I had made of him was to consult with (her family physician) Dr. Leary and come up with a treatment plan.” Guillot said the surgeon didn’t consult with the late Dr. Marshall Leary. But after learning there was more cancer, she talked to him and asked him to look at her medical records.

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IT’S OKAY TO CRY, TO PITCH A FIT, BUT THEN YOU PUT YOUR BIG GIRL DRAWERS ON AND GET UP AND WALK THE WALK. Together, Guillot and Leary decided that she would have the breast removed. “He said, ‘You can look at it today, and it is fine,” she remembers. “‘But you can look at it tomorrow, and it can take legs and travel.” “He said he couldn’t tell me what to do,” she said. “But when I asked him what he would say if his wife was in the same situation he said, ‘Remove it.” Guillot said that she believes being honest and open with her family and friends about the diagnosis and treatment made it easier for them to support her. “I was an open book,” she said. “I made them comfortable with it. I could have made their lives miserable, if I had been miserable. But that’s not me. I wanted to protect my family. I let them walk the walk with me and didn’t keep them at arms’ distance. My journey was their journey.” Guillot’s daughter, Wendi, agrees with her mom’s assessment. “I don’t remember her sulking or being depressed, or any of the emotions that people go through,” Wendi said. “She stayed upbeat. She was always honest with her family, and she didn’t hide anything. Going through it as a family helped.” Guillot said she missed only two weeks of work and one week as the pianist of Highland Baptist Church during her recovery. 150 SEPTEMBER 2015 | W WW. BAYO UL IFEM AG. C OM

ROUND TWO But, 15 years later, a suspicious mammogram indicated a similar condition in her second breast. “They wanted to watch it, but at that point, I went to a surgeon,” she said. “He said you don’t have to wait. It’s your decision.” “So, I said, well then there’s no decision; take it off,” Guillot recalls. After her second mastectomy, she says there was a sense of relief, “knowing that that was one something that I wasn’t ever going have to deal with again. I had walked that valley and come back to the mountain top.” Guillot talked with doctors about reconstructive surgery, but decided against it. “In life, if you lose something that you love, if there’s a loss in your life, you are going to grieve,” she explained. “Here I was, I didn’t have any boobs, and before, I had big boobs, pretty boobs.” But after listening to how the procedure would be done, Guillot investigated alternatives. “I discovered ‘Just Like You’ and those ladies are fantastic,” she said. “When doctors described the procedure for reconstruction and then said there still would be no nipple I thought, ‘If I can go buy them, it isn’t a concern for my husband and at that point I was up in my 50s and way beyond my bikini years, that’s what I would do. There are people in my life who have no idea’.” Friends played an important role in her recovery. Wynona Wilson of Calhoun is one of those friends. “I remember spending the night in the hospital with her when she was recuperating,” Wilson said. “She never complained. I just know that if it was me, I just would have been devastated. She took it like the trooper that she is. She’s always positive, never negative.”

Guillot is active with Susan G. Komen for the Cure, enthusiastically and honestly sharing her story of survival with anyone who wants or needs to hear.

A SPECIAL RECOGNITION Guillot will participate in the 23rd annual Northeast Louisiana Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure on September 19 as an honored survivor. For her service, her amazing attitude and for selflessly sharing her story, Guillot has been named this year’s New Balance Honorary Survivor. She will represent thousands who have won their battle with breast cancer and honor those who have not. “For years she’s been so closely involved with the Race,” Becky Tripp said. “She has been president of the board and chair of our survivor area. She’s been our education chair and an advocate who has travelled to both Baton Rouge and Washington D.C. to bring attention to the need for a cure. On top of that, she’s always been a person that local survivors can depend on for support.” Guillot will be among the thousands who will participate in this year’s race. Tripp expects between 4,000 and 4,500 people will be a part of the celebration. “Diane is one of those ladies who is warm and welcoming to everyone she meets,” Tripp said. “You know you can depend on her always to be positive. She’s been an inspiration for years.” Four thousand people participated in last year’s event. Through entry fees and donations the 2014 Race for the Cure raised $190,000. Seventy-five percent of the net proceeds stay in northeastern Louisiana to fund grants for local non-profits for education, screening and treatment. The remaining 25 percent goes to research. Guillot says she’s proud to have been a part of the volunteer effort against breast cancer during a time when the fatality rate has decreased dramatically. According to the Susan G. Komen website, one in eight women will be diagnosed with breast cancer during her lifetime. In 1980, the 5-year survival rate for women diagnosed with early stage breast cancer confined to the breast was about 74 percent. Komen statistics have that survival rate today at 98 percent. Guillot believes early detection was the key in her successful treatments. She advocates for young girls to begin self-breast examinations when they begin menstruation. Starting early with self breast exams helps women know what is normal in their breasts, so they can detect what is not normal, like Guillot did. “One of the lowest points I’ve had since being diagnosed is seeing the young ones who have waited too late to get treatment,” she said. “Early detection is the key. They think, ‘This can’t happen to me.’”

STILL SASSY AND GOING STRONG Guillot has no plans of slowing down anytime soon. She’s going to keep talking and keep spreading the word that survival is no longer just possible, it’s probable. “Beating any kind of cancer is 99 percent attitude,” she said. “You can accept it and move on with it or you can fight it. But the outcome is going to be what the outcome is going to be. The idea is to go on with your life.” “I’ll talk to anyone about it,” she said. “I say, ‘It’s okay to cry, to pitch a fit, but then you put on your big girl drawers and get up and walk the walk.’” For more information on Susan G. Komen for the Cure, go to www.komennela.org.

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Monroe’s Original Consignment Mark Your Calendar For Monroe’s Munchkin Market, September 16-19 BY CASSIE LIVINGSTON

ALL IS ALMOST HERE, AND THAT CAN ONLY MEAN one thing, The Monroe Munchkin Market Event is almost here. From September 16-19th, the Fall/Winter 2015 will be held at Mt. Zion Family Life Center (100 N. 18th Street). There will be new and gently used children’s clothing (girl’s: newborn to junior; boys: newborn to 18), toys, books, DVDs, baby equipment, shoes and much more. “The sale is open to the public Wednesday, September 16, from 10:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m., Thursday, September 17, from 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m., Friday, September 18, from 10:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m. and Saturday, September 18, from 8:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. On Friday and Saturday everything marked in RED is ½ price.” says India Gregg, co-owner. Don’t want to wait? An Early Bird Presale is available to eager patrons from 10:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. on Tuesday, September 15th for $10. Monroe Munchkin Market is a small business started by long-time friends and moms India Gregg and Amie Smith, both of Monroe. “We are moms and know the expense of trying to keep your children clothed. We saw in other markets that the consignment sales were hugely popular by the public and other moms wanting great clothes at prices that were affordable. We started out 8 years ago in a small location with clothes mostly consigned by our friends and family and have grown to 500+ consignors twice a year for a Spring Sale and Fall Sale,” according to Gregg and Smith. I personally shop every Monroe Munchkin Market Event – I attended the new mom’s slot when my daughter was first born and was addicted right away. This Spring, I had people ask me if I was opening a daycare in the checkout line. I wasn’t - but I was stocking up for a small revamp we were doing at our church’s nursery. That is the great thing about Monroe Munchkin Market, you can find anything you need at a discount price. My friends always comment on how cute I dress Stella and Vivian, and half of their clothes come from consignment. They have name brands like: Peaches n’ Cream, Matilda Jane, Kissy Kissy, Feltman Bros. and more. If you haven’t been – make sure you sign up today. Believe me, you don’t want to miss out on this event. Once you experience the Monroe Munchkin Market, you will keep it on your calendar for years to come. For more information about the sale, visit www.monroemunchkinmarket.com, “Like” Monroe Munchkin Market on Facebook or send an email to info@monroemunchkinmarket.com. 152 SEPTEMBER 2015 | W WW. BAYO UL IFEM AG. C OM

Azure Pools and Spas More Than Just Pools

ZURE POOLS AND SPAS HAS BEEN YOUR LOCAL pool professionals since 2006. In addition to selling liners, above ground and in ground pools, they offer a great selection of products and supplies to help take care of your pool all season long. Fully stocked with reliable brands for your convenience, their knowledgeable staff can help answer all your pool-related questions. As a member of The Backyard Place, they provide quality products and dependable service to all of their customers. Azure has a reputation for excellence and continuous service to the community with high-quality pool supplies and service. However, Azure has more than just pools. They are known across Northeast Louisiana for their spa selection. They make having a spa in your own backyard a possibility! You can choose from a Hot Spring or Jacuzzi spa and have it delivered right to your backyard. At Azure Pools & Spas, we aim to make life easier for you and offer everything you need to make your spa both decorative and functional. Choose from simple spas for relaxation or one that makes a backyard statement. Plus, you can accessorize your spa with LED lighting, integrated entertainment systems and water features, and Azure can provide the supplies and chemicals. Azure is the exclusive carrier for Hot Spring Spas and Jacuzzi and is the only authorized dealer in the Ark-La-Miss region! To add even more to your backyard, check out the Primo Ceramic Grills, one of the most versatile outdoor cookers in the world, and it’s available at Azure. You can use it as a grill, an oven, a roaster, or a smoker with a simple adjustment to the air flow and cooking configuration. In addition to offering products and service, Azure’s offers convenience with two locations! Serving North Louisiana and South Arkansas, Azure is located in Monroe on Hwy 165 North, as well as on Willow Glen in Ruston. Azure’s is locally-owned and operated and is your one stop shop to get your backyard ready for all seasons! WWW.BAYOULIFEMAG.COM | SEPTEMBER 2015

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RUMO’ S HA S IT

RUSSELL MOORE ON HIS DRIVE TO SUCCEED, THE CREATION OF A PHENOMENAL HAIR PRODUCT LINE AND THE QUEST FOR THE PERFECT NAME. A R T I C L E B Y M I C H A E L D E VA U LT A N D P H O T O G R A P H Y B Y B R A D A R E N D E R

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e doesn't look quite like what you'd expect of a hair entrepreneur who some have described as a maestro. He's younger than most of the individuals who've achieved his level of success in the competitive world of salons and styling products, due in part to a natural youthfulness and somewhat playful attitude. After just a few minutes in a chair at Rumo's Barber on Stubbs Avenue in Monroe, it's easy to see why Russell Moore is one of the region's most popular and successful stylists. "I've been doing this a little more than 15 years now," he says. "I started in the hair business, when I was 19 years old." But those years and the countless experiences of a well-seasoned professional aren't what led him to create Rumo, a line of natural hair products. Instead, he credits his sister. "I come from a family of entrepreneurs. So doing one thing isn't enough," he says. For example, in addition to her career as a photographer, his sister launched a line of handbags, which inspired him to follow suit. "We want to do that one thing--and then do ten others." About the same time his sister's handbags were taking off, serendipity stepped in for Moore, as well. "A phone call came in from a potential investor, and that opened the doors," he said. A few months later, Rumo's haircare was on the shelf of his salon. Sulfate free, paraben free, gluten free and DEA free, Moore says Rumo's products are as close to all natural as the products can be. "We're as clean as any hair product on the market, actually cleaner," he says. If usage is any indication of the product's cleanliness and effectiveness, Moore is onto something big. After a week of daily shampoos, hair feels lighter, fuller and healthier. Whether rinsing in hard water or soft, the hair rinses clean of suds and sticky residues, while at the same time providing a nourishing blend of natural oils for a silky, conditioned feel, without conditioners. It's quite a feat for a boy from Ruston who first moved east with an eye to a career in music. "I was trying to be a rock and roll star, but I guess you could say hair found me," Moore says. He was living at the time in Huntsville, AL, a stone's throw from Nashville and the bright lights of Music City. A drummer, he had come to Huntsville to join a band. In spite of some success, the band wasn't paying the bills. So he turned to cutting hair. Working in Huntsville at what he admits was one of the better salons, Moore honed a knack for styling and a natural talent with scissors into the skills necessary to succeed in a competitive industry. It didn't take him long to realize he had found his true calling. Leaving music behind, he embarked on a new journey. "After a year of being really serious, we decided to go out and open our own place," he said. There was one challenge he hadn't considered: what to call the new salon. For a while, he and his wife pondered that question. Driving across Huntsville one day, it struck him. In a city of some 300,000 people, there was not a single salon named after the owner. Just like that the Russell Moore Salon was born. At 26, Moore was on his way. "We really reaped the benefits," he says of naming the salon after himself. Something was amiss, though, and it didn't take long to see just what it was. When new customers turned up--and they turned up almost every day--they came in and asked for Russell Moore. It makes sense on some level. After all, his name was over the door. But his success meant two things: he was really busy all the time, and the crew who was there to work with him wasn't. While facing this challenge, Moore embarked on a new part of his life-journey. He and his wife were expecting a child, and family was important. They had a decision to make. "I was 26, I was playing big ball over in Alabama," he says. "Once we had our first child, though, we decided to come back to Louisiana." He and his family would return to Louisiana, start over and make it all work again. This time around, he knew he would have to make some changes. First, he wanted a more casual, more personal salon where customers felt comfortable but individual stylists could grow into a career as he had. That meant no more "Russell Moore Salon," and again, he found himself back where he started: in want of a name. "I read a story about Adolf and Rudolf Dassler," he said. The two German brothers were at the heart of a ferocious family feud, made worse by Adolf's decision to start a clothing company to compete with Rudolf's Puma brand. For the name of his new enterprise, Adolf couldn't use the family name, as it could create confusion with his brother's lines. At the same time, he wanted something unique. Combining Adi, his nickname, and "Das--" from his surname, Adidas was born. "I thought, 'Why don't I try that?' Rumo's sounded friendly and approachable. So Rumo's it is."

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A Ruston salon sprung up and quickly got its feet solidly on the ground. Not wanting to rest on that accomplishment, Moore decided to try his hand in the more competitive and more lucrative Monroe market. They began looking for a location. "At first, I was going to just go get a chair," he said, referring to the unique fee-for-space relationship common in the hair salon industry. As word spread he was looking to come into the Monroe market, Salon Couture reached out. They had a room available, and it would be perfect. Now, with the Rumo's product line just hitting the market, Moore is set to open a new salon on Antique Alley in West Monroe. It's a move he anticipates will help drive customers to the hair products he's carefully crafting. And by crafting, that is to say still inventing. Current offerings include a shampoo-conditioner combination in two formulations for fine, thinner hair, and for coarse, thick hair. Fragrant Rosemary merges with citrus oil and mint to produce an invigorating experience. The shampoo, free of heavy additives and harmful chemicals, leaves hair healthier than other shampoo offerings. The conditioner rejuvenates hair, adding both volume and sheen. The combination anchors the line, which has grown to include a single styling product so far. Called simply Salt Water, the styling product is a mousse-sea salt concoction that combines the effects of a light mousse with the brittle, just beached look of salt water. Combining the two products was a stroke of inspiration. Moore explains. "Salt water sprays have been around for a while," he says. "But those products always left hair looking too brittle or the salt caked on the sprayer and flaked." So instead of a mister for delivery, Moore wondered what would happen if they combined the sea salt, which provides that whispy beach feel, with mouse, which gives the user the ability to provide style and shape. The combination not only worked. It was brilliant. "It's just a really great product," he says.

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While he's building out the salon, he's not losing sight of the Rumo's products that will eventually fill the shelves. He's mum on what is coming next, but there are clues in the Rumo's salon experience, especially for men, who should do themselves a favor, carve an hour out of the busy work day and ask for the full Rumo's experience, which includes a wash, cut and style and a barbershop-style hot towel shave. The experience begins with aromatic shaving oil, applied by hand to the dry face. A wet towel packing follows. The towels are heated to high temperatures, placed steaming on the customer's face, and packed into layers. After a few minutes, the towels are removed, a custom shaving cream brush-applied and towels are returned. Then, the towels are removed, more shaving cream is added, and the shave begins. For those who've never experienced a straight razor shave, it's an exercise in trust and relaxation. The customer can not only feel every stroke of the razor, but he can also hear it. Tiny imperfections in the skin and coarse facial hair provide ample sounds during the shave, which takes about 25 minutes. Once completed, Moore then deftly cuts and styles

the customer's hair, avoiding what he says are fads. "I aim for age-appropriate haircuts," he says. "The haircut should fit the man, not the man trying to fit a look or style." And what of that shaving cream? Where can the customer get it? The short answer is they can't. And in that moment, Moore plays coy. While no release date is planned yet--em-

phasis on yet--Moore believes Rumo's is positioned to uniquely benefit from the end of the Lumbersexual craze and its fascination with heavy beards. "I think the beard phase is on its last breaths of air," he says. "And yes, we'll be there for you when you want to shave your beard."

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Styl e Through the Decades

Columnist and writer Lucy Mangan once famously opined, “The march of time is relentless and unforgiving, is it

not?” Taking a few minutes to catch your breath at the MAC, it may seem like Mangan is onto something. But we’re not so sure. Entered into evidence to the contrary: this year’s selection of remarkable individuals from all walks of life

who, while growing older gracefully, seem to have arrested time in its tracks. From the college girl barely embarked on the journey of life to the grandmothers, taking her time in looking back on a remarkable life, these women epitomize everything that is style and substance. Professionals, homemakers and quite often both, each of these special ladies

brings into the world a certain indefinable allure, and they’re more than a handful when you put them into a room together. Just don’t ask them to put their fingers on how they got here or where they’re going, because a number of

these women are hyperfocused on the now. ARTICLE BY MICHAEL DEVAULT AND PHOTOGRAPHY BY MARTIN G MEYERS

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Rachel Ledbetter

Texas Christian University is hardly the place one might expect to find a stylish young Monroe woman who is intent on becoming a speech pathologist. Yet, these days downtown Fort Worth is the playground for Rachel Ledbetter, a Neville graduate who learned a lot about style from her mother, Dee. Rachel is the first “legacy” in the BayouLife “Style Through the Decades” annual, and it’s easy to understand why. She’s simply down to earth with a refreshing optimism often missing from college kids. “Pretty is as pretty does,” she says with a laugh, advice she got from her mother. For Rachel, pretty isn’t so much about a look, it’s about everything else. Maybe that’s why her style is uniquely hers, a tip she underscores by suggesting you try not to dress up your age. “Match your style to your personality. Keep not only age appropriateness, but to also think of it in the long run as you age,” she suggests. Even though she’s barely more than a girl herself, Rachel has a bit of wisdom for the younger crowd coming up behind her. “Less is more. I wish someone had told me that when I was growing up,” she says. She pauses to think back, and then she laughs. “You don’t necessarily know your style, what looks best on you at a young age or what to do as you’re maturing. There are many times I know I overdid it. I look back and I think, ‘What was I doing?” She doesn’t dwell, though, and instead incorporates the advice into her own, almost entirely practical aesthetic. On the practical front, she’s already brand-loyal. Open Rachel’s handbag, and chances are you’ll find Timebomb, a coverup she says she is never without. The first make-up product she owned, she describes Timebomb as her “go-to” and “in every purse I own.” When it comes to clothing, she’s equally loyal to one name: Alexander Wang. But her loyalty to the House of Wang isn’t because he’s a celebrity designer or a recognizable name. Instead, it’s far more practical. “It’s perfect in every way for me,” she says. “I love that it’s kind of edgy, but classic. It fits you like a glove and shows off all the right parts of your figure, for me at least.” Edgy, classic, youthful exuberance. Sounds a lot like someone we know.

Courtney Wetzel

Courtney Wetzel is…well…long. Gracefully long, to be sure, but when she enters a room, you are immediately impressed by clean lines and a flowing, graceful figure. It’s a descriptive she immediately shrugs off in favor of a bit of history. “My dad worked in Oil and Gas,” she says. “I am not a fancy girl.” Growing up in Natchitoches as a young girl and, eventually, graduating from high school in Meridian, MS, Courtney has seen her fair share of the South. She holds degrees in graphic communication, with dual master’s degrees in studio art and special education. Married to the dapper Zeke Wetzel, Courtney laughs about her husband’s reputation. “He spends more on his clothes than I spend on mine,” she says. “And his beauty products are…well, you just wouldn’t believe.” A certain agelessness defines Courtney’s signature look. She doesn’t wear much makeup, instead allowing her skin to do the work. Beauty is inner, not something you put on, and Courtney has that in spades. “It’s knowing yourself and not comparing yourself to others,” she says. “Once we start comparing, we start to see ourselves in a different light. It’s important to know yourself, your likes and dislikes.” She does have one beauty product that she suggests no woman live without. “Vasoline,” she says flatly. “Since I was 10 years old, I have put it underneath my eyes, because I once met an 80-year-old woman with beautiful, wrinkle free eyes and no crow’s feet. Her secret: Vasoline.” She’s also followed the advice of her orthodontist who, 25 years ago, told her to wear her retainers every night. Courtney is the mother of two children, a girl (7) and boy (6). Between the busy days filled parenting and myriad activities that go with being a professional artist, wife of a doctor, and supporter of all things community, she leads a busy life. Perhaps that’s why she gravitates to the simplicity of Coco Chanel’s look and designs. She dispenses Chanel’s advice about accessories. “Put on all your jewelry and accessories you want to wear, then take one piece off, just to make sure you don’t overdo it,” Courtney says. She also has some practical advice for girls on a budget. “You don’t have to be a fashion prisoner due to a modest budget. There are always great finds out there, from second hand stores to eBay. And don’t put this in there, but,” she says, leaning over to share a big secret. “Dirt Cheap is the best thing going in Monroe, Louisiana.”

Therese Nagem

Therese Nagem strikes an elegant pose, leans in slightly, and smiles. She’s not hamming for a camera but, instead, it’s about you. With the moves of a skilled communicator, she’s drawing you into her world, her sphere. There’s a certain international quality in her mannerisms that at once embraces coy, shy, aloof, and intimate. Meet her once, and it’s easy to see Therese the Attorney, Therese the Retailer, or Therese the Mom. And she accomplishes all three at once. A Winnsboro native, she studied law at Tulane University, is married to Baton Rouge food impresario Sammy Nagem, and mothers their two children. Oh…and did we mention she’s one of a trio of partners in Vieux Carré Market? It seems there’s not much Thérese can’t accomplish in life, and it’s this confidence and boldness that immediately strike you as something befitting Marlene Dietrich in a 40’s film noir. Buried in that, a certain resolve. “We’re all getting older,” she says. “Do it beautifully. Do it gracefully.” Part of growing older gracefully and beautifully requires effort, though. That means exercise and eating well. Also, Thérese says women should spend more time outside. “I think it’s good for you mentally and physically,” she says. But she also cautions it’s easy to overdo exposure, adding, “Take care of your skin. We’re not getting any more. And if we take care of it, it will take us throughout our lifetime.” She recommends TNS Serum, by SkinMedica. While the product works, for Thérese it’s not just about the efficacy. “It’s more internal. It gives me confidence in my skin.” Like so many other women, Therese relies on the simplicity and elegance of Coco Chanel, her favorite designer. “When I was an attorney and I dressed, Chanel was my favorite,” Therese says. “It was all I’d ever wear, shoes, handbag, everything. I don’t dress like that any longer, but I still try to keep it simple and elegant.” Elegance indeed, as Therese is a striking figure in the black-on-black ensemble accented tastefully with yellow gold bangles and bracelets. She shares her one piece of advice with women with the same confidence as a lawyer, in a single, terse instruction: “Put on your lipstick.” It’s not about appearance, she says, but something deeper, something that serves as an outward reminder of that inner spirit. “It empowers me to do whatever I need to every single day.”

Tammy Johnston

Tammy Johnston moves with an ease and effortlessness befitting a dancer, or maybe an athlete. Perhaps that’s because she’s wiser than she lets on about how best a woman can maintain beauty through the years. “I do not think I am the one to answer a question about ageless beauty,” she says in protest, quickly adding, “Stay active. Play tennis, move around, be happy and most of all, enjoy where you are. Enjoy the journey.” Tammy’s journey has taken her from Bossier City, where she grew up, to Ruston, where she’s the wife of Dr. Lamar Johnston. Together, the couple have raised two children—a son (27) who is studying medicine in Dallas, and a daughter (25) majoring in English at Ole Miss. She, too, quotes her mother’s adage, “Pretty is as Pretty does,” and suggests a source for beauty that doesn’t come in a tube. “Your beauty comes from within, from what’s inside. It’s how you treat others,” she says. And watching her interact with the people around her, it’s quickly apparent what makes Tammy a beautiful woman. Adorning her ears are a pair of pearl studs, an accessory she says she can’t live without. Simple, elegant and classic, Tammy says they’re the perfect accessory for pretty much anything she wears. “I wear them all the time,” she says. That timelessness seems to be a theme with Tammy and the other women isn’t a coincidence. For Tammy and the 2015 class of Women Through the Ages, beauty isn’t in the eye of some unknown beholder. Beauty is in the here and now. “The main thing is staying active,” she says, cautioning women against slowing down. “Be a part of things and enjoy it along the way, no matter what it is, the good times and the bad alike.” A fan of Tory Burch, she demurs when pressed on why. Instead, she deflects to questions of individuality. “I’m not really a label person. Instead, I try to pick what looks good on me,” she says. Whatever she’s doing, whoever she’s wearing today, it works. She’s striking and hardly betrays forty, much less the fifties she’s representing. Maybe it’s the simplicity of her clothing or those pearls. Or maybe, it’s simplicity of a regimen driven by her mother-in-law. Ponds Cold Cream and Dove Soap, which she says are the only products she swears by. “It’s clean and simple. Simplicity is the key,” she says. “It’s too easy to get too far into it.”

Martha Hunter

Martha Hunter knows a thing or two about feeding the soul. She should, after all, because she’s the first lady of Antioch No. 1 Baptist Church in Rayville. A lifetime as a pastor’s wife has taught her a thing or two about beauty, about style and about how quickly things change. She quickly defines beauty in terms of antonyms. “What makes a person ‘ugly’ is an attitude,” she says. It’s advice she’s dispensed for years as a paraprofessional with the Richland Parish Schools, where she focused her efforts on building self-esteem in children. “I tell them they’re pretty; ask to see that smile. We take pictures and put them in a frame, hang it on the wall. That makes them feel special.” Over the years, Hunter’s noticed a shift in fashion, especially on Sunday mornings, a time reserved for when people typically don their Sunday’s best, when people approached the act of worship with finest attire and a sense of appropriateness. She attributes part of this shift to attitude. “We’ve gone so far from that, where now we wear almost anything to church,” she says. Older church members and leaders are still trying to offset the slide, leading by example. “We’re wanting to set a trend for the younger ones, to show them there are certain things you wear to church and certain things to wear out of the world, apart from it.” She’s not against makeup, but she doesn’t use much of it. A little lipstick and maybe some color on her cheeks. Even without makeup, though, she’s vibrant, her cheeks flushed and alive. It’s a vision that underscores her core philosophy. “It’s not what’s on the outside,” Martha says. “It’s what’s on the inside, coming through and showing up on the outside.” In all things she does, Martha approaches life with a sense of reverence bordering on worship. That’s not just because she’s a pastor’s wife. It’s more internalized, more “real” for her. “I try to be me, but I want people to see the Christ in me,” she says. There’s a strength underlying her calm elegance and subtle demeanor, something akin to empathy, as if no matter what someone is going through, she understands. “I’ve been through things, as well, and I can identify with them on a lot of things.” Maybe this is why Martha is more than a typical beauty. Her’s is a beauty that comes from an almost intangible place. Maybe this is what grace looks like.

Pat Jordan

She’s poised, measured, stylish and demure. At the same time, she’s none of these things, and is boisterous, excitable, casually classic and loud. Homemaker, entrepreneur, fashion maven, comfortable in sweats, world traveler, homebody. Any one of these accurately defines her, and every one of them in some way fails miserably to capture the study of contradictions that is Pat Jordan. A West Monroe native, Pat reveals she not only went to West Monroe High School in its first class, but she was the first Miss West Monroe High School, a fact she proceeds to beg us not to repeat. A cacophony of objections arise, and she eventually relents—grudgingly. If there’s anything Pat dislikes, it’s bragging, and she feels a little like it’s bragging on herself. She’s so much against talking about her life and experiences—she raised children, went to college, was a marketing executive and traveled the world in what she herself admits has been “an amazing life”—that it’s almost impossible to draw out any details. A name slips here and there—Tom (Ford), whom she knew and about whom she refuses to speak for any length, and a half dozen other designers and style luminaries—but she’s not about all that. Instead, focusing on that inner self is what has helped Pat define beauty for six decades of women. “Beauty was not a big thing in my house. It’s about being yourself, being natural,” Pat says. “Mother always said just wear a smile and be yourself. And maybe sit up straight and wear red lipstick.” She keeps her hair back, mostly, pulled into a tight pony tail that helps frame her face å la Jackie Onassis, and when she speaks it’s hard not to notice the emerald ring glinting under the lights. A large, emerald-cut emerald sits in a nest of smaller, white diamonds, an elegant cocktail ring for an elegant woman, the ring is the one accessory she almost never removes. It reminds her of her son, Greg, who she lost almost ten years ago. “Greg was going to buy me, before he died, an emerald ring. He told me ’Mother, I want you to have a pretty emerald ring,” she says. One day, not long after he passed, she was traveling with Victor and Marie Cascio when she found it. “I said, ‘Thank you, Greg,’ and bought this emerald ring.” Perhaps that’s what she means when she says finding happiness and putting it into the world. “Be proud of who you are, and try to make everybody happy. Forget the small stuff,” she says, and she avoids the clichéd it’s all small stuff, underscoring that, sometimes, it’s not small. Instead, even in those moments, Pat says be joyful. “Portray happiness. And I’ve had a lot of reasons not to be, but that, to me…wear a smile and face the world.”

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PUCCI DIVINE

Dubbed “Pucci Divine” by the late style arbiter Victor Cascio, Martha Hayden shares her thoughts on the building of her extensive collection of Emilio Pucci designs and what it takes to be a fashion rebel. A R T I C L E er walk-in closet is awash in pattern and color with floor to ceiling Pucci designs. With an estimated 500+ pieces that span from rare vintage examples of Emilio Pucci’s definitive work in textiles to new Pucci designs by Christian LaCroix, Matthew Williamson and more recently by Pucci Creative Director Massimo Giorgetti, Martha Hayden, Monroe’s fashion rebel, is a leading authority on all things Pucci. She appreciates design, quality and the art of well-crafted clothes and accessories, as well as attention to color combinations and patterns, traits her favorite designer, Emilio Pucci, shared through his vision of dressing the female form. With designs to accent the curvaceous woman, fans included Marilyn Monroe, Lauren Bacall, Jackie Kennedy, Jennifer Lopez and Elizabeth Taylor. All these women share an appreciation and exhibition of

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style, all different, but with an edge, some more reserved, some more outlandish, but all confident, welldressed icons. Martha counts herself amongst Pucci’s “small, but devoted following.” But to find her place of fashion self-awareness, if you will, Martha’s meditative journey began rather auspiciously as a young, very strong-willed little girl on a shopping trip to Selber Bros. with her very fashionable mother, Jane Hayden. Jane was determined to find little Martha a dress suitable for church. If anyone remembers the children’s department at Selber’s, long racks were filled with little dresses in pastels. “Mother went down the racks, and I would defiantly say, ‘No!’ to every dress she showed me. I seems I would rather have gone naked to church than wear what she would pick for me! Exasperated, my mother said, ‘Well, then, you pick a dress.’ And that’s how it began. From then on, I dressed myself. And I did so with

the complete and utter confidence that I looked like a ’10!’ In a weird way,” says Martha, “that evolved into a lifetime of walking a different path…in life and in fashion.” Martha’s first close encounter with Pucci began in 1973, while vacationing on a Grand Tour of Europe for the first time with her parents, Jane and Lovell Hayden. Martha recounts with a hearty laugh, “My outfits looked horrendous in every photo from that trip, but Mother let me do my own thing.” While in Florence, Italy, Martha’s mother spotted a Pucci boutique. Inside, Jane tried on the most beautiful dress Martha had ever seen. At that moment, the tenyear-old thought, “If I’m ever old enough to afford anything Pucci, I will.” Says Martha, “I have always thought of my mother as the epitome of fashion and beauty.” And to see her mother in that Pucci dress must have made an indelible mark, a fashion brand upon her heart that Martha would return to in time.

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he confidence and independence necessary to travel the world, shuffle her surroundings and refuse to be rooted to a certain place got an extra boost when at the age of ten, her parents put Martha on a bus to Waldemar, a summer camp in Hunt, Texas. An eye-opening experience for Martha, she was forced to make friends, adapt to new surroundings and essentially began to find herself while away from the comforts of home. A place built on pedigree and reputation, girls knew what was expected of them. And though she dreaded going every summer, in hindsight, it taught her who she was, how to be an independent thinker and how to survive and thrive socially. The relationships she built there have served her over the years, as she would often run into the same women at sister schools, abroad and various cities of residency. As they say, the girls of Waldemar “follow the same path like fish in a stream.” Before attending college in the early 1980s in Lynchburg, Virginia at the very preppy Randolph-Macon Woman’s College, Martha went to Laval University in Quebec, Canada, to study French after being selected as the top French speaking student in Louisiana. There she had her first access to European style as a young adult, as many of the fashions of Paris were available in old town Quebec and Montreal. She stuffed her suitcases so full of cutting edge clothes that the airlines almost balked at letting her fly home. In her third year at Randolph-Macon, Martha did a year abroad in Reading, England, and unlike the other girls, brought along her parents who rented a flat in nearby London. With Paddington Station in London just a thirty-minute train ride from Reading, Martha had all the comforts of home alongside the independence of her own space in Reading, although shared with twenty-one other girls. It was here that she realized how the edginess of the new Punk Rock fashion scene of London contrasted greatly with the drab attire of Reading. It was also during this year abroad when Martha along with her best friend took her first side trip to Italy with no adult supervision. Martha also had an American Express Gold Card, sent compliments of her father, much to his eventual regret, with the following note:

Dear M, Enclosed is your “Gold” Amex Card. Please use it with discretion and good judgment. Save the receipts and after your trips, use only in case of dire need or emergency. Have fun on your grand tour. Love, Dad That emergency and her “dire need” came in the form of clothing by an Italian designer named Elio Fiorucci, whose dynamic boutiques inspired Martha with their punk rock roots and irreverent style. Walking into her first Fiorucci store, she recalls “heart palpitations and shortness of breath” from being immersed into a culture of fashion where patterns and bright colors merged with New Wave music and rebellion against conformity. “As a freshman at Randolph-Macon, I tried to blend in. It was the age of the preppies. By my sophomore year, I had abandoned ship and by the time I went to study in England, I had dyed my hair magenta,” says Martha. Having been in Europe so long, it was hard to get back to the pace of Lynchburg, Virginia, for her senior year. She described the college as “stuck in the 50s, like Animal House, very conservative, right off the Blue Ridge Parkway in the Shenandoah Valley.” She was quickly reminded upon her return of how much her style had expanded while in Europe and how conservative Virginia could be. Greeted with the attire of her Virginia peers, all bought from a Carol Reed or LL Bean catalogue: Sperry top siders, corduroy pants with blue embroidered whales, fair isle sweaters with turtlenecks and ray bans, she stuck out. She rolled in with her Fiorucci punk rock outfits and “knew she wasn’t going to get a date.” But it became more about how she felt in the clothes than how she looked to others. She was wearing art. The paths Martha has traveled are as varied as the prints of her Pucci collection. Travel was a staple for Martha, with family trips spent fishing for peacock bass in the Amazon basin in Bogota, Colombia, or bringing history to life learning about Billy the Kid and the Lincoln County Wars in the Badlands of New Mexico and tracing Lewis and Clark’s steps along the National Trail named for their journey. That her degree from Randolph-Macon is in History with a minor in Art History should come as no shock. History was alive for Martha. Through her extensive travels, Martha experienced these places she read about in books; they were alive to her, not

simply stories. She appreciates depth, both with her history and her clothes. She wants to touch it, to live it, claiming she is “never too old to learn.” And she surrounds herself with books ranging from biographies, literature, art books, cookbooks and many titles on the life of the French emperor, Napoleon. She credits her thirst for knowledge from her father, an attorney, and her sense of fashion from her mother, who is always impeccably dressed. After a brief stint at LSU in pursuit of a master’s degree, more as a means of biding time before deciding what to do with the rest of her life, a friend suggested they move to Texas and share expenses. Never one to shy away from change or a new place, Martha accepted and moved to Dallas in 1987. Already having connections in Big D from Waldemar and Randolph-Macon, Martha settled in socially as a member of the Junior League of Dallas and a volunteer for the American Heart Association. After a short span at Bloomingdale’s, she accepted a job with the Zale Corporation doing insurance replacement of high-end jewelry, sterling silver and crystal. In 1993, Martha suffered a major trauma when she was mugged in front of her home in Highland Park and was pistol-whipped, requiring 300 stitches in her face. Several surgeries later over a period of six years, she emerged a better version of her old self. Says Martha, “A threatening experience like that one definitely colors your world and adds to your quirkiness.” As is oftentimes the case, through tragedy emerges opportunity. Martha embraced those opportunities, becoming a spokesperson for the NRA and lobbying for the right to carry arms. But either way, a traumatic experience with a gun didn’t force her to shy away from guns, but rather to learn them, eventually developing a hobby of skeet shooting. Like Waldemar and Europe, she again transformed a challenge into an opportunity to learn and grow. Before finally leaving Dallas in 2005 to return to Monroe to help out at her parents’ businesses, Martha saw the world, even more than she had before. She frequented New York for the parties and crossed off Bermuda, Alaska, Mexico, and almost all states in the US except the extreme Northeast. She even lived in Aspen, Colorado, for a spell. She admits she has had an “unconventional life.” Her friend, the late Victor Cascio, dubbed her “Pucci Divine,” as she would show up at the Chateau week after week with

new, glamorous pieces. Martha attended the 60th Anniversary Party of Emilio Pucci in South Beach, Florida, in a private villa located just two doors down from the Versace mansion. Large helium-filled balloons of every imaginable Pucci pattern were suspended in the air, bumping together as tropical breezes blew through the mansion’s floor-to-ceiling French doors. In this magical setting, she met the current designer for Pucci, Matthew Williamson, and Pucci’s daughter, Laudomia. Before this time, Martha only bought vintage Pucci from flea markets, estate sales and Ebay. Online shopping was in its infancy in 2004, and shopping designer fashion was confined to exclusive catalogues. High-end retailers didn’t have websites. But on a trip to Vegas, Martha discovered a Pucci store in Caesar’s Palace, and there she met Andrea, a salesgirl from Yugoslavia. After that meeting, Andrea would send Martha boxes of Pucci in her size as soon as it arrived to the store. Pucci distributed two major collections per year and two smaller collections on shoulder seasons. When the boxes of Pucci arrived, it was agonizing to only pick a few, so drawn was she to the art of the clothing. She showed me her first Pucci scarf, dramatic and colorful, Christian Lacroix’s take on old Pucci patterns, her first non-vintage piece. She formed a similar relationship with a salesgirl in the Dallas shop, Tootsies, who would also send her Pucci-filled boxes, and thus her collection began to expand and her love and knowledge of the brand only grew. Her advice to collectors of any sort is to study and understand the history of whatever it is that you are trying to collect. For example, did you know that Emilio Pucci was educated in the United State, was an air force pilot in WWII, taught skiing and was a pioneer in creating modern day skiwear as well as being given the credit for designing the capri pant? In 2011, her desire to collect newly-designed pieces of Pucci began to wane when the brand’s creative forces introduced animal prints and plaids into its textile repertoire. Ever a student of the history of the brand, Martha explains that Emilio Pucci never created animal prints, focusing on patterns inspired with detailed graphic punch. When the Pucci brand brought in Peter Dundas from Roberto Cavalli, Martha feels the essence of Pucci got lost. With the animal prints being too Cavalli and the plaids too McQueen, the collections no longer felt like true Pucci. For Martha, Pucci lost its mojo, though Laudomia, Pucci’s daughter, remains a fan of the evolution of the brand. Martha is strictly vintage now, back to her roots and what she feels best represents the Pucci brand, those languid prints, inspired by Mediterranean landscapes, tropical foliage and Pop Art fantasies that accentuate the curves of the female form. Luckily for Martha, the life of a collector is made easier by the advent of the Internet, which has changed the face of the vintage clothing market. Says Martha, “Prices have gone up, but pieces are much easier to find than having to scour estate sales.” These days Martha prides herself on remaining scarce, not being predictable, and not putting everything out there, with no Facebook page for her. Her life is a much calmer pace, hanging out with Harold Woods and traveling with him, wherever his work takes them. She lives by Psalm 118, “This is the day the Lord has made, Let us rejoice and be glad in it.” The passage is a favorite of both her mother, as well as her grandmother, Ida Birdsong. Her mother, sister, niece and herself wear a silver bracelet every day with this Psalm inscribed. While the blessings may come and the clothes may multiply, remember “you’re only borrowing stuff while you’re here. You can’t take it with you.” But over the years, a love of history and fashion and her willingness to take risks has evolved into a respect for style, for grace and elegance with an edge, an evolution even Pucci himself would be proud of. WWW.BAYOULIFEMAG.COM | SEPTEMBER 2015

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Print T H E P O W E R O F

Perusing Martha Hayden’s vintage couture collection designed by, Emilio Pucci, BayouLife was inspired by the pops of print and color. We combined key historic pieces from the historic Pucci fashion house with one of Monroe’s most recognized historical homes, Layton Castle. The Castle provided a dramatic backdrop for distinctive Pucci fashions. Special thanks to Carol Parsons, Nick McKinney, Martha Hayden, Jay Stephenson, Emma Jane Johnson and Jack Green for their help.

PHOTOGRAPHY BY BRAD ARENDER MODEL: ELLIE JACKSON HAIR AND MAKEUP: MEKA RELIFORD ART DIRECTION: SARAH DAVIDSON JEWELRY: HOLLIS & COMPANY

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WE BRIDGED DECADES OF PUCCI DESIGNS WITH A VINTAGE PRINTED VELVET TUNIC AND MODERN THIGH HIGH BOOTS.

PUCCI’S DESIGNS FEATURED SENSUAL, FREE-FLOWING LINES THAT FOLLOWED THE NATURAL CURVES OF THE BODY - EFFORTLESSLY ELEGANT CLOTHING WHICH TOOK WOMEN FROM DAY TO EVENING...

A MAJOR INFLUENCE IN CONTEMPORARY FASHION, EMILIO PUCCI’S LEGACY CONTINUES TO BE A SEMINAL FORCE BEHIND THE BIRTH OF THE “MADE IN ITALY” STYLE AND A MILESTONE IN ITALY’S LUXURY SPORTSWEAR CONCEPT.

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HE WAS A MINIMALIST BEFORE MINIMALISM; A JET-SETTER BEFORE JETS WERE FLYING; A SCIENTIST BEFORE FABRIC TECHNOLOGY BECAME A DISCIPLINE; PROVOCATIVE IN HIS MODERNITY AND SARTORIAL DARING. FOR HIM PRINTS WERE RHYTHM AND MOVEMENT, AND IN PRINTS HE EXPRESSED A MESSAGE OF CONTAGIOUS HAPPINESS.

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~ LAUDOMIA PUCCI

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North Delta Ramble

The North Delta Ramble sold out of its 500 tickets for the Louisiana Saturday Night event on August 23, 2015 at the Brockman family barn. Partygoers were sure to enjoy a good time with live music, food and art. Chef Cory Bahr and Guest Chef Derek Emerson of Jackson, MS teamed up to serve delicious BBQ and a fish fry, while the Honey Island Swamp Band out of New Orleans entertained guests throughout the night. Artist Stan Street of Clarksdale, MS also brought in his entire gallery for viewing inside the barn. Beverages for the evening were provided by Cathead Vokda, Choice Brands and Marsala Beverage. The event will be aired statewide on Louisiana Public Broadcasting in the Fall.

On the BayouScene

1 Cole Causey, Courtney Blakeney and Meredith Smith 2 Delia Simpson and Blake Phillips 3 Kenny O'Neal, Christy and Bruce Bolton 4 Joe and Lisa HolyďŹ eld 5 Mark and Turner Wilson and Arely Castillo 6 Holly Brown and Ryan Harvey 7 Wesley and Emily Martin, Michael and Katherine Sandifer 8 Nacole Crawford, Mark Redding, Angie Pailette, Adam Beasley, Alex Ayerdis and Adriane Trichel 9 Judy Haddad, Linda Berkemeyer and Carroll Swander 10 Avery Roberts, Will Farhat, Bart Lizenblythe, Robbie McBroom, Mick Butler 11 Caroline Brockman, Amy Robinson and Sara Brewer 12 Beau Johnston and Courtnee Crews 13 Erik Stanley, Matthew Garcia and Kyle Snellenberger 14 Nicole Harris and Brittany Ramsey 15 Tyler Flemister and Corey Reece 16 Kyle and Ainslea Snellenberger, Katie Anzalone, Mary Simpson and Lauren Boyce 17 Sarah Greene and Angel Greene

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Neville Tiger Kickoff Bash

The Inaugural Neville Tiger Kickoff Bash was held on Saturday, August 22 at the Vantage Ball Room. The Josh Madden Band provided the entertainment for the evening as guests enjoyed food provided by Portico and drinks by Marsala Beverage. A silent auction was held, and the live auction was the highlight of the night. Guests bid on items donated from local business owners and members of the community. Among the items were beach trips, hunting trips, and items, packages from area boutiques and more. The monies raised will go to improve and maintain excellence in the Neville Football/ Athletic Program.

On the BayouScene

1 Jennifer Brown and Meryl Farr 2 Sonya Fountain and Stephen Walker 3 Ted and Dr. Janine Hopkins, Senator Mike Walsworth 4 Stuart and James Scalia 5 Kade Carter, Brett Braddock and Bill Willson 6 Lyndsey Ewing and Dana Mullins 7 Dudley Cowan and Bill Willson 8 Top: Tommy Jackson, Gordon Markle, Gary Roberts and Greta Boudreaux; Bottom: Kelly Jackson, Karen Hemsley and Johnna Nelson 9 Toni McCarty, Whitney Martin, Chris and Cara Sampognaro 10 Corey Taylor, Senator Mike Walsworth, Hannah Livingston and Stuart Cathey 11 Ellie Jackson and Hannah Harris 12 Mary and Rico Boyer 13 Tommy Jackson and Brent Vidrine 14 Deena and Brad Burch 15 Carol Anne Barnes and Grisham Lenard 16 Matt McTurner, NHS Head Coach Mickey McCarty, Eric Herndon and Michael Harvey 17 Dr. Gary and Sissy Jones

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Calendar of Events Through October 15 Emily Caldwell, Naturally, Maker’s Marks, Recent Acquisitions and Favorites at the Masur Museum Time: Tuesday-Friday 9:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m.; Saturday noon to 5:00 p.m. Enjoy these three exhibits at the Masur Museum featuring local artists, as well as nationally renowned artists as part of the Masur’s permanent collection. Venue: Masur Museum of Art Admission Cost: Free Phone: 318-329-2237 Web: www.masurmuseum.org September 2 Brown Bag Concert featuring Early Ray and Josh Time: 12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m. Grab your lunch and enjoy this free concert in West Monroe. The Dynamic Duo of Josh Ezell and Early Ray Borden play an eclectic mix of pop, country and new age folk with virtuosic string work and powerful vocals. Venue: Pavilion at Seventh Square Admission Cost: Free Phone: 318-396-4016 September 5 My Mini Masur Drop In Activity Time: 2:00 p.m.-5:00 p.m. Bring your kids and let the creativity ﬂow at the Masur Museum as they create an art project. This event is free of charge and children will leave with a unique art project. Venue: Masur Museum of Art Admission Cost: Free Phone: 318-329-2237 Web: www.masurmuseum.org Celebrate Life Time: 4:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Support Life Choices at their fundraiser at Landry Vineyards featuring music by Lisa Spann and Co. Venue: Landry Vineyards Admission Cost: $10 Phone: 318-557-9051

For a full list of event happenings in Northeast Louisiana, see our website at www.bayoulifemag.com

Web: www.landryvineyards.com

September 9 Brown Bag Concert featuring Roses and Revolvers Time: 12:00 pm to 1:00 pm Grab your lunch and enjoy this free concert in West Monroe. Roses and Revolvers is an acoustic due made up of husband and wife Jordan and Stacey Sheppard. Their music is influenced by bluegrass, country, blues, pop and rock 'n roll. Venue: Pavilion at Seventh Square Admission Cost: Free Phone: 318-396-4016 September 10 Celtic Festival Kick-Off featuring Emerald Accent Time: 7:30 p.m. Enjoy this concert and kick-off for the Northeast Louisiana Celtic Festival featuring Emerald Accent with special guests Catherine Bishop and Eric Farmer of The Jackson Irish Dancers. Tickets may be purchased at the ULM Box Office and WMWO Chamber. Venue: ULM Emy-Lou Biedenharn Recital Hall Admission Cost: Tickets are $15. Email: membership@westmonroechamber.org Phone: 318-325-1961 Taste of Home Cooking School Time: Doors Open at 4 p.m.; Show Starts at 6:30 p.m. The Taste of Home Cooking School returns to the Twin Cities with Culinary Specialist, Michelle Roberts, who will share her home cooking tips and tricks while demonstrating step-by-step recipes for the season’s best dishes. Attendees will receive a gift bag with coupons and other goodies. Visit www.sunny983.com and click on ‘Cooking School’ or come by 1200 North 18th Street, Suite D, Monroe for tickets.

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Venue: West Monroe Convention Center Admission Cost: $12 Phone: 318-398-1983 Web: www.westmonroe.com/departments/convention-center

September 11 Remembering September 11 Time: 5:00 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. Join the Chennault Aviation and Military Museum for an evening of tribute and honor of September 11 and those we lost on that tragic day. Venue: Chennault Aviation and Military Museum Admission Cost: Free Phone: (318) 362-5540 Web: chennaultmuseum.org Jonathan Levin's performance of "American Portraits" Time: 7:00 p.m. Jonathan Levin will perform "American Portrait," the music of George Gershwin, Cole Porter, Richard Rodgers and Jerome Kern. Venue: Emy-Lou Biedenharn Recital Hall at ULM Admission Cost: $50 Phone: 318-342-1568 September 12 Ouachita Parish Sheriff's Office DARE Youth Fishing Tournament Time: Fishing begins at daylight. Weigh-In starts at 11 a.m. Kids will love this fishing tournament for children ages 2-12. Fish any waterway, public or private within Ouachita Parish. Participants must check in at registration, even if they do not catch a fish, at 11am. Participants who make a catch will weigh in at this time for a chance to win in their age category. All participants will receive a tournament tshirt and bag. Lunch will be provided, at no charge, during the weigh-in for participants and families. Note - Fishing poles and bait will be provided for those who do not

have ﬁshing equipment. Venue: Ouachita Parish Riﬂe Range Admission Cost: Free Phone: 318-680-1434 Landry Vineyards presents: Hands On Time: 4:00-7:30 p.m. Landry Vineyards winery outdoor concert featuring Hands On! A mix of classic rock, Country Blues, Soul & R&B music will have you, family and friends dancing all night. Make sure you pack your lawn chair, blanket and picnic dinner and enjoy the outdoor show. Venue: Landry Vineyards Admission Cost: $8; Children 12 and under: Free Phone: 318-557-9051 Web: www.landryvineyards.com September 16 Brown Bag Concert featuring String Theory Time: 12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m. Grab your lunch and enjoy this free concert in West Monroe. This band is renowned for the number of instruments they use playing everything from Pink Floyd to Neil Diamond to the Zac Brown Band. Venue: Pavilion at Seventh Square Admission Cost: Free Phone: 318-396-4016 September 16-19 Munchkin Market Fall/Winter 2015 Time: Wednesday, 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.; Thursday, 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.; Friday, 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.; Saturday, 8:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. An Upscale Children's Consignment Sale including clothes, toys, baby equipment, bouncers, shoes and so much more! Venue: Mt. Zion Family Life Center Email: info@monroemunchkinmarket.com

September 19 Race for the Cure Time: 8:00 a.m. Help support and fund cancer research and treatment at this 5K and 1 mile fun run. This is the largest 5K series in the world and the largest 5K in Northeast Louisiana. Venue: Forsythe Park Admission Cost: Registration fees vary from $25 - $35 Phone: 318-966-8130 September 19, 20, 25, and 26 Gypsy Time: Friday and Saturday at 7:00 p.m.; Sunday at 2:00 p.m. Referred to as the greatest American musical by numerous critics and writers, Gypsy is a 1959 musical with music by Jule Styne and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim. Gypsy is loosely based on the 1957 memoirs of Gypsy Rose Lee, the famous striptease artist, and focuses on her mother, Rose, whose name has become synonymous with "the ultimate show business mother." It follows the dreams and efforts of Rose to raise two daughters to perform onstage and casts an affectionate eye on the hardships of show business life. Venue: Strauss Theatre Center Admission Cost: $25 Phone: 318-323-6681 Web: www.strausstheatrecenter.com September 23 Brown Bag Concert featuring Bradley Bridges Time: 12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m. Grab your lunch and enjoy this free concert in West Monroe. Bradley Bridges is a local Christian artist who just recently released his first EP, "Set Me Free." Venue: Pavilion at Seventh Square Admission Cost: Free Phone: 318-396-4016 September 24-October 4 Ark-L-Miss Fair Enjoy rides, food, and fun at the annual Ark-La-Miss fair in Monroe with all ride wristbands sold each day! Venue: Monroe Civic Center Phone: 318-396-8700 Web: www.facebook.com/ArkLaMissFair

September 26 Bottles and Brushes Painting Class Time: 1:00 p.m.-4:00 p.m. The Masur Museum of Art is proud to announce the return of Bottles and Brushes Painting Class with teacher René Hatten! Students are welcome to bring a bottle of wine or other preferred beverage. You must be 18 or older to attend the class, and 21 or older to drink alcoholic beverages. The cost to cover the canvas and all supplies included for painting is $30. Reserve your seat! A new painting will be oﬀered every month, and no prior painting knowledge is needed. Venue: Masur Museum of Art Admission Cost: $30 Phone: 318-329-2237 Web: www.masurmuseum.org Landry Vineyards presents: Code Blue and The Flatliners Time: 3:30 p.m.-7:00 p.m. Landry Vineyards winery outdoor concert featuring Code Blue and The Flatliners! A mix of 60’s, 70’s, 80’s, & country music will have you, family and friends dancing all night. Make sure you pack your lawn chair, blanket and picnic dinner and enjoy the outdoor show. Venue: Landry's Vineyard Admission Cost: $5-$8; Children 12 and under: Free Phone: 318-557-9051 Web: www.landryvineyards.com Black and White Ball Time: 7:00 p.m. to 12:00 a.m. Get glammed up in all black and white to raise money and awareness for the Children's Advocacy Center. Enjoy live music, decadent cuisine, a silent auction, and raﬄe items. Venue: Bayou DeSiard Country Club Admission Cost: $75 per person Phone: 318-398-0945 Web: www.bayoudesiardcc.com For more information on these events and more things to do in Ouachita Parish, visit www.monroe-westmonroe.org. Thank you to our calendar sponsor:

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