Kendall County Woman Magazine - Jan/Feb 2019 by Ben Schooley

Table of

CONTENTS Jan/Feb 2019

COVER: KRISTY WATSON: ART, ADVENTURE & COUNTRY LIVING

16 13

Entrepreneur, artist, and avid horsewoman Kristy Watson gives us a glimpse into her inspiration and drive to support Kendall County’s cultural scene.

THE BEAUTY OF TECHNOLOGY Live longer. Feel younger. An insightful conversation with Dr. Liz McRae on aging, aesthetics, and living your best life.

LET’S GET SAUCED

FLUFFY & FABULOUS

YOGA AS LIFESTYLE MEDICINE

Impress your dinner guests with a savory Beurre Blanc recipe that will have you saying “Ooh La La.”

Put the pep in your pup’s step. Local pet stylist shares all the details about lavish pet grooming.

How yoga can promote overall wellness, and even serve as physical and emotional therapy.

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2019

Letter

KENDALL COUNTY

WOMAN Jan/Feb 2019 | Issue 01

from the Publisher

To the wonderful women of Kendall County, What an exciting day – the inaugural issue of Kendall County Woman magazine! This project has been bouncing around the minds of our team for years, but we were finally able to bring this to life. I have always pictured in my mind what I thought the magazine could look like and I think I speak for the entire team when I say that this is just what we hoped it would be. I have lived in Kendall County since the late ‘80s, and as we all know, things have certainly changed. My inspiration for this publication originated from a devout appreciation for this area’s countless women that are impacting business, charities, and their families. I’ve lived from Corpus Christi to Boston in my career, but this community is unlike any other. We are all busy. With our careers. With our families. With our friends. Yet, in Kendall County, this seems to only inspire the women in this community to dig a little deeper, invest more time, and try even harder to better the lives of everyone around us. For that, I’m overwhelmingly proud. We might not realize it, but Kendall County women are probably the most influential demographic in the area. Generally speaking, we own a great percentage of local businesses, we are heavily involved with local charities and churches, and let’s face it, for the most part, women “run” the home. Our first cover story, Kristy Watson is the perfect example. A business owner. An inventor. A long time resident. A volunteer. And a widow. Kristy moved here from Michigan, and at once knew this was HOME. She has invested her life in the community and is a testimony to hard work and chasing a dream, even in the face of loss. We want to introduce you to the colorful characters that are sitting next to you at the coffee shop. To do this, we need your help. If you know a great story, shoot me an email. It doesn’t matter if it’s your best friend or the owner of a business that you frequent… if you think that someone should be celebrated, we want to know about it. Lastly, I just wanted to say THANK YOU to the advertisers in this first issue. We’ve been doing magazines for over a decade, but the first issues are always the hardest. But these advertisers have been kind enough to support it. The response has been great, the feedback has been overwhelming, and the public interest has been tangible. THANKS for taking a chance on us, and we hope that we delivered.

PUBLISHED BY

SMV Texas Design Group, LLC 930 E. Blanco, Ste. 200, Boerne, TX 78006 Advertising Inquiries: (210) 507-5250

PUBLISHER

Peggy Schooley peggy@smvtexas.com ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER

Benjamin D. Schooley ben@smvtexas.com CREATIVE DIRECTOR

Ben Weber

ben.weber@smvtexas.com OPERATIONS MANAGER

Andrea Forshee andrea@smvtexas.com

DESIGNED AND PRODUCED BY

SPS DGTL 112 E. Pecan St., Suite 360, San Antonio, TX 78205 (210) 634-0818 CREATIVE DIRECTOR

Madelyn Olsen GRAPHIC DESIGNER

Emma Guller

Sincerely, Peggy Schooley, Publisher

Kendall County Woman Magazine

ADVERTISING COORDINATOR

Alexandra Rubio

| EVENTS | SUBMIT YOUR EVENTS INFO! Email us at kcw@smvtexas.com

January/February BOERNE Boerne Market Days

JAN. 12-13 & FEB. 9-10 | 10 AM - 5 PM Main Plaza comes alive with great shopping in an outdoor setting.

Boerne Hill Country Antiques Show FEB. 23 | 10 AM - 5 PM | $5 Kendall County Fairgrounds Spend your weekend browsing over 60 antique dealers for classic items of all varieties.

Second Saturday Art Beat

JAN. 12 | 4 PM - 8 PM Does the Love of Art Make Your Heart Beat Faster? Boerne shops and art galleries are teaming up to bring you a heart-racing fine art experience. Take a walk on the art side every second Saturday of the month from 4 - 8pm. Look for the flashy banners displayed throughout Boerne.

Boerne Chocolate Walk

FEB. 9 | 10 AM - 5 PM Downtown Boerne Join the Boerne community for this sweet event! The walk will take you through Boerne’s Downtown district and you will see firsthand our unique stores, galleries and restaurants.

Empty Bowls Benefit FEB. 16 | 11 AM - 2 PM 10

KENDALL COUNTY WOMAN

Rainbow Senior Center at Kronkosky Place Empty Bowls, a grassroots movement to help end hunger, began in 1990 and is personalized within each community by local artists. For $25.00, guests may select a bowl crafted by one of our local artisans along with a serving of soup and bread donated by local Boerne restaurants and caterers. Only 500 bowls will be available, so purchase your tickets early!

Trinity Irish Dance Company

FEB. 22 | 7:30 PM | $20 - $60 Champion High School Auditorium A fusion of Ireland’s vibrant and longstanding dance-form and elements of American innovation, Trinity Irish Dance Company dazzles audiences around the globe with its hard-driving percussive power, lightning-fast agility, and aerial grace.

FREDERICKSBURG First Friday Art Walk

inspiration. In addition to the various media on display, enjoy food & local wine at most stops from the area’s award-winning wineries -Becker Vineyards, Grape Creek Vineyards, Torre De Pietra and Pedernales Cellars. Some of the galleries also offer entertainment for your pleasure. Reception schedules vary by gallery, and are posted the week of the event on gallery websites, Facebook and in the local newspaper.

Art and Vino Painting Class “Night Sky”

JAN. 5 | 5 PM - 7 PM Are you looking for an easy way to explore your creative side and have a fun night out with friends? Art and Vino is the answer! The fun part is you can bring and enjoy your favorite bottle of wine or beverage and snacks during the class. Come alone or invite your friends. Paint, canvas, brushes, aprons, and a place to sit are provided, as is an experienced local artist, who can lead you step by step through the process of recreating the featured artwork. Many times, you can change the background color to coordinate with your home decor. At the end of the evening, you’ll have a one-of-a-kind creation and a newfound talent you’ll want to explore.

JAN. 4 | 10 AM - 8 PM

The fine art galleries of Fredericksburg, Texas have joined together to host a monthly event: First Friday Art Walk Fredericksburg! These participating galleries open their doors at 10 am and extend their hours until 8 pm to allow everyone ample time to make it to all participating venues! This is a fantastic way to see the finest in regional, national & international art in a beautiful Texas Hill Country setting. Many of the artists are on hand to discuss their work and share their

Fredericksburg Trade Days

JAN. 18-20 9 AM - 6 PM Friday & Saturday 9 AM - 4 PM Sunday Sunday Farms Shop with Over 350 Vendors! You will find 7 barns & acres of: Antiques, collectibles, tools, crafts, shabby chic, primitives, ranch furniture, hunting accessories, candles, unique clothing, jewelry, food and so much more.

Wine/Spirits Tastings BOERNE Boerne Brewery

Friday 2 PM - 5 PM Tours and Tastings: Free Souvenir Pint: $5 Last Tour at 4:45 PM Saturday 1 PM - 4 PM Tours and Tastings: $5 Souvenir Pint Included Last Tour at 3:45 PM

Sister Creek Vineyards

Monday - Sunday 10 AM - 5 PM 4 Wines: $9.45; 8 Wines: $12.45

COMFORT Bending Branch Winery Saturday 2 PM - 3 PM Tastings: $25

Singing Water Vineyards Thursday - Saturday 11 AM -6 PM Tasting Fee: $15 for 8 Wines

Hill County Distillers Thursday - Sunday 2 PM - 8 PM Tastings: Free

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2019

KENDALL COUNTY WOMAN

| B EAUTY |

The Beauty of

TECHNOLOGY by Ceslie Armstrong

ccording to the Social Security Administration, a woman turning age 65 today can expect to live, on average, until age 86.7. Many experts agree that a key factor for extended longevity is due to technology. Specifically, innovations in health and wellness mean that our bodies are physically living longer; but, what about our spirit and attitude? Does how one feels on the inside match what one sees in the mirror? Can a disconnect between the two affect many years of what should be celebrated as extra years to thrive? “My husband and I are active travelers in our fifties who feel like we are in our thirties!” said Jean Marie, “a few years ago I began getting depressed because the face I saw in the mirror each morning did not represent my spirit and lifestyle. I began doing research on fillers and told myself I would wait until there was a breakthrough product that lasted longer. I found one in Bellafill and have never looked back.” A Kendall County resident who is a technology-based advanced laser medicine and surgery pioneering doctor, Elizabeth T. McRae, M.D., F.A.C.P., is a globally recognized expert, practitioner, and trainer in Aesthetic Services. She has been board certified by the American Board of Internal Medicine since 1991 and is a fellow of the American College of Physicians. Dr. McRae, who has practiced Advanced Laser Aesthetics since 2005, explained that her practice is currently second in Texas in the volume of Bellafill injections and will be first next year. The reasons for this incredible growth include women, and men, seeking expert advice, skill, and deep knowledge of the anatomy to actually experience the latest in fillers that are considered to be remarkably advanced. Specifically, McRae is an expert on Bellafill, the only dermal filler FDA approved to be a safe and effective for up to 5 years. “I have been so blessed to continue following my

calling in medicine to heal my patients internally and externally,” continued McRae, “learning and practicing laser technology in medicine from the inception of the industry many years ago has proven to be so valuable to my patients and supporting my continued ethos of being leading edge. We are always looking at what’s on the horizon and looking for what’s the best for the patient and Bellafill is actually a true value because you are actually buying your filler and keeping it indefinitely versus renting your filler,” said McRae. Dr. McRae’s reputation with fillers has spread beyond Boerne, Texas. Many of her patients come to Kendall County from New York City, Atlanta, and Hollywood and she is well-known in the media and entertainment industry because of her deep medical knowledge and structure of the face. McRae is known for creating an extremely natural results that, “restored my face back to how I looked 10 years ago,” said Jean Marie, “now, I look how I feel and it has improved my overall health because I am happier.” According to the brand, Bellafill’s polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) microspheres are suspended within a base of smooth collagen gel. Once injected, the collagen gel immediately reduces the look of smile lines. Over time, your body uses the microspheres in Bellafill to create a “scaffold” onto which your own natural collagen can develop. This collagen forms a foundation that adds volume to wrinkles, reducing their appearance for natural-looking results that feel soft and smooth. Like any technology, in most uses, it is only as good as the person operating the technology whether it is a tool, knowledge, or product. Dr. McRae’s passion and authentic excitement about the breakthroughs in

beauty and wellness technology are heard in her voice and seen in her eyes. She explained that they do inner and outer transformations to keep people as youthful as possible. As an avid and award-winning horsewoman, McRae knows first-hand the importance of one’s inner-spirit being reflected in their outer-appearance and the empowerment that gives women to not only compete in the workplace but also to live an exceptional and fulfilling life no matter what lifestyle they choose. “Most new patients come in looking so fatigued saying that they look tired and their skin tone has changed,” continued McRae, “it’s just that sudden aging sensation and we counsel women on the correct treatment for their specific needs. Those lush cheeks that they know and that softness in their face, around the eyes and lips are diminished and they want that soft look that they used to have that made them approachable.” She says the downtime for fillers is very little and she has had patients back in the mainstream the day after treatment. McRae MD Medical Laser Spa includes all the latest tools for the whole body that she has personally vetted. Experts agree that doing research by speaking to professionals will help women make a decision about potentially using fillers to enhance their lives for the extended years technology is now affording our population. It is human nature to want to thrive and have emotional satisfaction in our daily lives. It is apparent that now, technology in wellness and beauty, is one more tool for living one’s best life possible for as long as possible.

Women are living longer and thriving more than ever.

Author Ceslie Armstrong is a contributing independent journalist who has not received compensation from Bellafill for this article. JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2019

| F E AT U R E |

KENDALL COUNTY WOMAN

Kristy Waʦо:

ART, ADVENTURE & by Benjamin D. Schooley

Kristy Watson sits on the back patio of her home in Bergheim and sips her coffee while looking at her horses lazily eating, and her dogs chasing each other in the fields. To her left is a small barn full of her inventory of the patented plastic horseshoes she invented and sells to worldwide customers. Behind her sits an easel with a half-finished painting she has been working on to be displayed and sold in a local gallery. Inside the house is her small office - with stacks of papers and a high-powered computer where she operates her own graphic design business. Scattered across her coffee table are notes and planning materials for the AgriCultural Center of which she is now the Director… and myriads of other non-profits that she prioritizes. The only thing missing from this scene is Kristy’s husband and partner, Todd, whom she lost 4 years ago. But to say Kristy is busy is a complete understatement.

atson begins, “I was born in Freemont, Michigan, which is on the western side of the state, right near Grand Rapids. I was the youngest of 6 kids, grew up on a farm and, as you can tell by my place now, I loved animals then and still do. I’ve always had horses since I was very little, and I started riding when I was 3. At the time it was perfectly normal that my sister would put me up on the “big” horse, and if I fell off, she’d put me up on the pony. At three! I remember days when I would get up on my own, climb up on my pony, head to a nearby friend’s place, and not be back until right before dark. Such a free way to grow up.” Watson learned early on about hard work and an entrepreneurial spirit. “Dad was an Ag teacher and an FFA appraiser, and my mom was a farmwife. If you wonder about the difference between a housewife and a farm wife, well, if pigs got out, a farmwife wrestles them back into the pen! In the ‘80s we were big into vegetable farming, and that also fell to my mom for the most part. We’d all do our turn at selling vegetables in front of the house. For us kids, we learned how to make a buck, about customer ser-

vice, and my dad always instilled in us that you always want to make the customer happy. If they were coming for a melon, it wasn’t just about the melon.” As she left for college, she found herself on a fortuitous skiing trip. “It was 5 busloads of us kids going skiing, and I had told my parents that I thought I might meet the man of my dreams on this trip. Sure enough, it turned out that I did. My friend Nancy introduced me to Todd, and it took us a few days, but we ultimately hit it off.” They married soon after, just as she had predicted to her folks. Todd took a job in Houston, and Kristy went to Comfort for an interview with a map-maker there. “When I got to town I said that I didn’t care if I got the job… I’m moving out here regardless. But I DID get that job, so Todd and I bounced back and forth with the visits between Houston and Comfort for a while, but that wore us out. He eventually went to work in San Antonio for the Gambrinus Company (liquor distributor) — which he thought was about the coolest job ever! We were living in a little apartment in Boerne, and soon after, we began on the construction for this house in Bergheim.” She loved the job in Comfort and her new life with Todd, but a change quickly occurred. “We had just moved in when my company was bought out by Rand McNally and everybody was fired, and the business was immediately shuttered. It was a total shock and we had 15 minutes to get our stuff ! At that very moment, the phone rang and it was a woman from a book publisher in San Antonio. I was literally standing in my office grabbing my stuff ! She said “Kristy, I just saw that your job was shut down, when can you start?” A week later I was with the publisher and did that for a year doing magazine layouts — which taught me a lot.” The entrepreneurial bug bit Watson, and a new era was ushered in. “I decided I wanted to start my own business, a graphic design one. I got a little office in San Antonio in 1996, got some equipment and started doing design – catalogs, brochures, and websites were just coming online so I learned about those. Todd JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2019

saw that I was having so much fun that he said that he was going to quit his job and join me. And he did! He was the business end: the marketing, the client meetings, that sort of work. He would find some of our clients, and we were a great team. Those were great times. It was, and still is, Polonyx Graphic Design, which was named after our two dogs – Polar and Onyx.” Always an avid horsewoman, the next venture for her came from a simple afternoon of playing with her horse in the front pasture. “I was playing with my horse, Hickory, in the pasture and he hit his front leg, cut his tendon and became very lame. He couldn’t walk. It required a lot of rehab and he kept limping. I began to think about his metal shoes, and I looked around and found that there were other kinds of horseshoes out there that would help make it easier for him to walk, but even after trying everything I could find, none of them were as good as I thought they should be. So I used that Illustrator program and I sat down and designed my own shoes. Talking to my brother John, a plastics engineer, about my invention brought a true “AHA” moment! He told me that I would need to make a mold to design a prototype, and a partner of his may want to help out – and I was underway! I knew that it was needed and went to work to create it. I realized that I was always marketing things for other people and their ideas, so maybe I could do

this for myself. I could do the brochures, the sites, and when I could get the manufacturing figured out, I would be in business.” She continues, “Todd was on board with the idea, and we got it patented. We went to our first convention and those trail riders just went crazy for it. This was in 1999. We had several prototypes

horseshoes per month, which was quite a success from my perspective.” On October 25, 2014, Kristy’s entire world would be shaken to its core. “Todd had been playing basketball for 20 years with the same guys twice a week. It was just a normal morning, and one of the guys called and said ‘You better get over here – Todd slipped.’ I got there and they were still working on him. They didn’t want me going in the gym, and I quickly learned it was a heart attack. Then they said that they were taking him to the hospital, when the ambulance driver came out and said ‘Do you have his driver’s license? How old was your husband?’ I instantly recognized that he was talking in the past tense. I knew then that this was way more serious than a basketball injury. We all went to the hospital, and they finally brought me into the room and I watched as they unplugged everything.” Kristy continues, “I have a lot of friends that are widows also, and I learned that it seems like the first year you’re simply in shock. You’re hit with not only the emotional shock, but also a financial shock, as your two incomes just became one. And then the next year you kind of go through realizing that you’re a single woman for the first time in 25 years. Every time you come to that anniversary, whether of his passing, a wedding anniversary, a birthday… you’re confronted with the loss again.

“I love this land I live on, and try to help in any way that I feel I can add something.”

KENDALL COUNTY WOMAN

and played with the colors. The clear one is so you can see where you are nailing. Once Facebook got going, then people started really taking notice.” And they definitely took notice. Watson found a local company here in Boerne that could handle the manufacturing, “We built a small facility on our property for inventory storage, and put our graphic design and marketing skills to work. Back then, an online presence was important, but there was no e-commerce – people would just call in their orders. I put ads in horse magazines and I target-marketed where the horse owners were, not just the farriers. It quickly became a big part of my life, probably at least half of my professional work. I was still involved with the Carriage House Gallery with my artwork, Polonyx Graphic Design, and the horseshoe business. At its peak, we were selling over 800

But you also remind yourself that you have made it another year. To me, each anniversary is hard, but I’m encouraged when I see that I’m still making it. One of the biggest changes is that I realize now that we really don’t know just how long we have to live. I’ve begun traveling a lot, and my focus is now on experiences. I am constantly mapping out the next adventure.” As for adventure, Kristy is focusing more time on her art, which has been shown and sold locally at a variety of galleries. She also is teaching kids the skill of art at their schools. “Since I was a teenager, I’ve painted. You know how the art teacher selects someone from the school to showcase their art? She chose me. The same night, I had won a science challenge project. Mostly I just remember that I had to choose whether to go to the art showcase or to the science fair, and I chose the art showcase. I’m so glad I did, looking back from today’s perspective. My art is what led me to become the president of the Boerne Area Artists’ Association, which is now the Boerne Professional Arts. I’d also display my art at Carriage House Gallery, as well as many other galleries. The Dodging Duck carries all my art now, and it works because 1) it looks great in the restaurant and 2) it sells quite well! I also teach art twice a week at 3 different after school programs for Ellison, Johnson Ranch, and Kinder Ranch Schools. I find it so, so rewarding to watch the kids grow and expand their skills – it keeps me energized.” As if all this wasn’t enough, Kristy also volunteers extensively in Kendall County. She explains, “I used to be really involved with the Agriculture Heritage Museum. When I first got into it in 2002, when I was President of the Boerne Area Artist’s Association, I realized the group wasn’t reaching out into the local community much, if at all. I suggested that we start to teach painting and we did — we began in the Pioneer House. I was over there a bunch and I saw that they needed so much help. I subsequently became a Director of the Museum, and for several years after that, we put on the Chuck Wagon Cookoff, and it was super popular. We made some money for the museum and began doing events like vintage baseball games. I was doing probably 20 hours per week volunteering and I realized I had to back away from it a little. Then, this year I heard that the City wasn’t going to renew their lease to the museum… and so I started thinking about it again. I had this feeling that I needed to do something – so I called all the City Council

folks, the new Museum Director, and other business leaders. We had a sit-down meeting where I learned that the City wasn’t going renew the lease because the museum was overgrown, dusty, and neglected. I could really see why the City wasn’t renewing things. But, by the end of that meeting, they gave me the keys and I took over. The following week, I started adding people to help and we have really been coming up with ideas! Facebook has been one great resource because I’ve been able to send out posts asking folks to help out with specific things – and people have always come through! Now, it has been rebranded as the AgriCultural Museum, we are pulling in the Hill Country Council for the Arts people, and we recently held the ‘AgriCultural Tractor Ball.’” The Tractor Ball, the first of its kind for the museum, was a well received success and should work toward saving the museum for years to come. “I feel the Tractor Ball at the AgriCultural Museum was a success – it brought awareness of the museum as a great place to hold a cultural event by showcasing the buildings and grounds. It also brought together a partnership between the Hill Country Council for the Arts and the board of the AgriCultural Museum to work together to raise funds to save the museum. We have plans now to work together for future events. Two that are already on the calendar are a Bierfest on April 6 and a Power & Paint show on June 1 with vintage trucks, vintage motorcycles and outdoor painters.” Kristy has carved out quite the life from the back porch of her picturesque acreage in Bergheim. The horses lazily wander the pasture, the dogs bark and play, and Kristy sips her coffee while watching the sun climb higher in the sky. From the ranchlands of Michigan to Kendall County, Kristy has chased her dreams and worked tirelessly for this community she calls home. She finishes, “I love it here and always have. Yes, the town is getting busier and traffic can be frustrating, but it’s still home to me. I love this land I live on, and try to help in any way that I feel I can add something. It can be a bit lonely at times, but I also am involved in a monthly drumming circle for women. We drum and I play the flute and we’ll talk about things going on and some of our pains, so that’s my church. Ever since Todd died, there are good days and bad days, but I remain very spiritual. I know that there is definitely life after death, and I take wonderful peace in knowing that I will see him again soon.”

| CO O K I N G |

Let’s Get The Beurre Blanc sauce is a delicious and easy to make butter-based sauce your family will enjoy. This rich and buttery sauce goes great with fish or seafood, and it’s as easy to make as 1, 2, 3... Voila! by Denise Mazal

Beurre Blanc 1 shallot (finely chopped) 1 cup white wine 1 Tbsp. lemon juice 1 cup heavy cream 4 Tbsp. unsalted butter (cold and cubed) Salt and white pepper

1. In a pan, on medium heat sweat the shallots with a little butter until translucent. Add white wine, and lemon juice and reduce at a simmer until the mixture is nearly dry. 2. Add the cream and when it starts to bubble (not boil), whisk in the butter piece by piece. Continue whisking until the sauce is smooth. 3. Season with salt and white pepper, to taste. Serve immediately. 4. Spice things up! Make this recipe your own and add a personal touch with herbs and spices. My favorite seasonings are garlic, thyme, bay leaves, rosemary, allspice, juniper berry, and fresh ground pepper. TIP: Low heat is key! If the sauce comes to a boil, the liquid will evaporate, and you will end up with a greasy, separated mess. If this happens, there is an easy fix: In the same pan, on low heat, whisk in a little more heavy cream. The cream helps the emulsification causing the mixture with butter to combine easily. C’est facile! This would be the same technique for reheating creamy sauce. Start with heavy cream, bring it to the point where it starts to bubble and add your left-over creamy sauce. Serve it immediately.

Quick Tips Did you know not to add flour? Adding flour straight into your water-based sauce will cause developing lumps. If that happens to you, you can still fix it by whisking it or use the stick blender to smooth the lumps out.

of flour and butter (or any fat) and cook them in a pan until they start to turn yellow, or even brown depending on the application. You want to get a sandy consistency. You can add this fat/flour roux to simmering liquid to thicken. The ratio of 2 Tbsp. roux to 1 qt. fluid makes a sauce, the amount depending on preference.

Sauce too runny? Let’s make a roux.

Another good thickener I use is called slurry. Add raw flour to water and whisk it until it dissolves, then add the slurry into a liquid to boil. The downside to a slurry is that it never develops any flavor like a roux. I use the slurry for white and creamy sauces.

The roux gives your sauce silky smooth texture and an amazing flavor. The deeper the color, the deeper the taste. I use a roux for thickening brown sauces. Take equal parts

The last thickener I like to use for a quick fix is arrowroot starch. The ratio is 1Tbsp. of starch to 1 qt. of liquid.

KENDALL COUNTY WOMAN

Denise Mazal Owner/Chef at Little Gretel Restaurant Denise was born in Czechoslovakia. She grew up in Prague, at her mother’s side in restaurants. Day by day watching, learning and practicing her mother’s recipes; dreaming of someday owning her own restaurant. Upon Denise’s defection, she worked in the restaurant and hospitality industries in Paris, France and Germany. After having four children and thirty years in the retail business, Denise opened “Little Gretel Restaurant.” Her dreams fulfilled. Denise, along with her daughter, Veronica, opened Little Gretel in 2009, using Denise’s mother’s well tested recipes. Denise’s style of cooking is a labor of love, making everything from scratch. All the dishes at Little Gretel have Denise’s prevalent influence and “Old World” flair.

Boutique & Gifts 26

KENDALL COUNTY WOMAN

www.DaisyPearlBoutique.com 322 South Main Street, Boerne, Texas 78006

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2019

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| PR O F I L E |

& Fabulous FLUFFY

Local pet stylist knows how to put the pep in your pupâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s step by Mimi Berg

et Styling by Mimi is an all-breed dog and cat grooming business. I am the proud owner/pet stylist. I have been in business for over 4 years now in beautiful Boerne. Before that, I worked with Dr. Lang in Boerne for 2 years. I received my intensive training in Houston attending the Golden Paws grooming school. As a means of keeping up with the latest trends and grooming techniques, I attend an annual conference in Houston filled with seminars allowing me to maintain and even grow my skill set. I got into grooming by complete accident and pursued a career out of â&#x20AC;Żnecessity. After giving birth to my beautiful daughter Emilie and staying home to raise her, I found despite my background in accounting, reentering the workforce a challenge with few possibilities for reentry. After finally finding work as a server, I decided I had to forge a new path and reinvent myself. I had some history/training with dogs having completed a program as a master dog trainer in my native Canada. Concurrently I bought a Brittany to show, and while trying to figure out how to groom him, I realized I wanted to be a dog groomer. As a reflection of my dedication to this newfound career, I drove 2 hours each morning and evening for months until I completed my courses and began to expand my experience working with a vast amount of breeds learning to groom and care for each wonderful pet that came my way. After working at PetSmart for a few years, I started to work only with veterinarians. By 2012, my family and I were lucky enough to move to Boerne where I have been a groomer for over 6 years. When you open a dog-grooming salon or any kind of service business, it takes some time to establish a clientele. The first 6 months were a challenge, but there is no other way around it. Once you throw yourself in the storm, you just have to wait until it passes. After persevering through that first year, through hard work and a continued

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devotion for both our clients and their pets, our pool of customers gradually grew from 4 clients to nearly 2700. Thanks to our devoted clientele, we remain in high demand. I credit my success to not one thing but a conglomeration of many traits. My business administration background sustained dedication to my career and an innate belief that one can succeed if they just believe in themselves. In business, you face a varied set of challenges and expectations from maintaining your revenue stream to treating your staff with the respect they deserve and supporting them the best you can. Everything from revenue to picking your team demands your absolute treat equally and with respect. I am proud that I own the business outright, I never borrowed money and continuously reinvested in the salon serving as a primary motivator to keep things afloat and offer the best service. We had bumps along the way, but you address those, make changes, and just look forward. One of those bumps I had to address was moving the salon in October of 2017. I was pleased with the location thanks to the cost-effective rent, but unfortunately, in April of 2017, due to the place being sold, I was forced to find a new home for our salon. Due to the nature of our business, I encountered resistance from proprietors who had an issue with noise levels and sanitation. It took a great

deal of perseverance, having to find agents willing to help and a proprietor open to taking a chance on my salon. Thankfully, we found a willing proprietor and a price that was within the budget. Once moved in, I had to reimagine what this new location could be, reinvesting in order cosmetically enhance the location and tap into the beautiful rural feel that

members. What keeps me energized is the reactions of the clients when they see their pets, and both client and pet enjoy the transformation and the benefits of grooming. It is those reactions that we live for and give us so much satisfaction. As a way of giving back to our community, we also work with rescue groups hoping to do our small part helping to unite our community members with some loveable pets looking for a home of their own. With the arrival of Kady, a super talented and passionate groomer, we expect to grow our clientele base at our new location and continue our dedicated approach to every facet of this business. We look forward to many more years serving our wonderful community and thank you for the continued support and patronage.

“What keeps me energized is the reactions of the clients when they see their pets.” Boerne has to offer. When met with having to find a new site at a higher price, rather than close shop, I had to tap into my experience and a strong sense of confidence to find a new home for our pets, one that I am incredibly proud to call our new home. Thanks to our convenient location, we were able to expand our fantastic client base to serve not just Boerne but the greater Kendall county and beyond. I never fail to remember, that every day for a while, I am responsible for these beautiful living creatures, family pets that are more than just pets, but part of my clients’ families. We go through a host of steps to ensure the safety of both pets and our dedicated staff. As a business owner, this is my livelihood and I cannot thank the greater Boerne community for entrusting me with their little family

PET STYLING BY MIMI (830) 331-1329 1028 N. Main St., Boerne, TX 78006 JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2019

| LIF E S T Y L E |

Yoga as Lifestyle Medicine AWAKENING THE INNER PHYSICIAN by Melissa Aguirre, Instructor at Boerne Agave Yoga

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It’s like medicine,” the client said as she pressed both palms into her low back taking a gentle backbend. Janet had been coming to yoga regularly for almost eight weeks and was reporting the way she was able to emotionally regulate and feel better in her body. “When I feel discomfort, I can listen to my body and discover where I need to stretch or relax.” Janet continued as we returned to a neutral standing position. Yoga is becoming more prominent in our culture today as the internet explodes with articles from “5 Yoga Poses for Headaches” to “3 Mantras for Better Living” and many more content inspired by the yoga practice. More companies are integrating yoga into their corporate wellness programs and physicians are even encouraging patients to try yoga. As more people adopt yoga philosophy, ethics, and practice into their lives, the ever evolving conversation of yoga continues to expand. Yoga as Lifestyle Medicine represents this idea that lifestyle itself can cul34

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tivate wellness. The current definition of health is “the state of being free from injury or illness.” However, it is obvious that this reductionist view of health does not address the issues of flourishing wellness. One can lack disease or be free of injury, yet feel extremely isolated, discontent, and unfulfilled in life. As research is continuing to develop, contentment is often derived from deep meaning and presence in everyday living. Many are accessing this sense of wholeness and meaning through the yoga practice itself. Yoga is derived from the Sanskrit work “yuj” meaning to yoke. It is a practice that liberates the fluctuations of the mind and cultivates a deep sense of unity within our being. The practice subscribes to any body and any background while inviting the practitioner to show up with whatever or however his or her current state is. Yoga works with wholeness first and validates wholeness—despite the circumstance, injury, or limitation. Because this is the fertile ground where yoga begins, the practice is person centered and guided on the

preface of fitting the poses to the individual rather than the other way around. When people meet themselves where they are and take inquiry of their present experience, it begins to cultivate interception and mindfulness. Each time we tune in and check how we are feeling, it creates an opportunity to self-regulate by inquiring if we need to adapt, say no, or go further within a pose. This continuous practice of acceptance and surrender, yet presenting the will to show up, begins to derail dysfunctional thought forms that can trigger self-sabotage. By unbinding disempowerment, the practitioner can reconnect with their body in a nourishing way. The practice stretches and strengthens the body but also serves as a vehicle to connect the breath and mindfulness into our physical expression. Anytime we use the breath to move our body, we are present. The mind is focused on the movement; the body emulates with sensation and is driven by the breath. Practice makes permanence and what we do on the mat will determine the way it shows up in our life. This is how yoga becomes lifestyle by habit. When we practice functional movement patterns on the mat it creates new neural pathways in the mind that will inform our default movement and responses off the mat. Just like stress, a strong yoga pose might cause discomfort, but with continuous practice you’ll overcome the difficulties with a welcoming attitude, relaxed breath, and overall patience. When nourishment is the intention used

on the mat, the practitioner will continue the day living informed by that intention. It is about awakening the inner physical and yoga is lifestyle medicine because it rebuilds these neural networks in the brain and affects the practitioner on a cellular level making it sustainable for wellness. It was a Thursday evening and we had just finished a warm Vinyasa flow class. As the last of my students was rolling up her mat she paused and looked up at me. “The mat absorbs so much more than sweat,” she said and continued to gather her things to leave. The mat absorbs so much more than sweat. All of us come to the practice with different backgrounds, with different wellness goals and intentions. All of us may draw different experiences and benefits such as learning breathing to prepare for labor to maintaining range of motion to avoid surgery. Regardless, this natural medicine, innate to our human experience, is medicine because within our plugged in culture it may be the most advanced technology used to return home to ourselves. This year San Antonio will be presenting a free event Saturday, June 17th about Yoga as Lifestyle Medicine to inform the community on ways to integrate yogic techniques, technology, and philosophy into one’s life to cultivate sustainable wellness. This event will bridge the medical and holistic communities together to serve and empower the collective in the maintenance and recovery of health. For more information or interest in getting involved visit www.idoyogasa.org.

Melissa Aguirre is a Nationally Registered Yoga Therapist, Author and MBSR Practitioner specializing in scientifically based holistic health practices and education. She also leads several classes at Agave Yoga in Boerne. Her passion for serving those who serve has led to the creation of her mindfulness based yoga therapy programs that serve the military population along with multiple wellness workshops and classes in holistic healing to her national audience. Melissa is a wellness speaker and contributing author for yoga therapy case studies continuing to impact optimal patient care and sustainable lifestyle choice. Director of MelMarie Yoga Academy, Melissa trains and certifies practitioners in adaptive and therapeutic yoga and her participation in holistic health summits define her as a true asset and advocate to sustainable wellness. In her free time, Melissa loves the little things; cozy evenings, journaling, her faith, movement, chai, sweaters with thumbholes, her daughter’s snuggles, spending time with husband who keeps her rooted and inspired. For more about Melissa and Agave Yoga’s schedule and class information, please visit www.agaveyoga.com.

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2019

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HOUSTON | AUSTIN | SAN ANTONIO

NAI Partners is a full-service firm offering client leasing and sales solutions in the areas of office tenant representation, office landlord representation, industrial tenant representation, industrial landlord representation, landlord services, retail services, property management, investment sales, an investment fund, and project management, among other services. As an independently owned company, we have the agility of a smaller firm, but can leverage the scale of the NAI Global network to provide the service of the biggest firms. We’re structured to offer partner-level expertise every step of the way, from proposals, to building tours, negotiation and deal closing.

Joe DeCola, a veteran commercial real estate sales professional, is a Vice President with NAI Partners. Joe occupies a “player/coach” role, functioning as a producer with a focus on building NAI Partners’ Retail Services business and teams in the company’s Austin and San Antonio offices, and also providing sales coaching and management for the company’s junior-level producers in those markets. He splits his time between the two cities on a weekly basis.

Joe DeCola

HOUSTON | AUSTIN | SAN ANTONIO

Joe DeCola

1020 NE Loop 410, Suite 810 San Antonio, TX 78209 www.naipartners.com/sanantonio

+ 830 739 4646 joe.decola@naipartners.com

Vice President