HOTTEST GIFTS | FASHION INSPIRATION | HOLIDAY COCKTAILS
OMAN GULF COAST
COMPLIMENTARY
N OV E M B E R - D E C E M B E R 2 01 5
I’m grateful ... Woman of Year Dr. Gaudet, 9 others open their heart
One Coast finalists honored
Finding love and first-time marriage after age 60
Michael J. Christie M.D., F.A.C.O.G.
BOARD CERTIFIED OB/GYN
Diplomate of the American Board of OB/GYN
Serving the Gulf Coast for 15 years Laparoscopic Surgery • All aspects of Gynecology Normal and High Risk Obstetrics • Minimally Invasive Outpatient Surgery Robotic Assisted Laparoscopic Hysterectomy • Uterine Ablation • 4-D Ultrasound
Dr. Christie and his Team will take the time to address your healthcare needs
BY
Kelly Mask, FNP-C Board Certified Nurse Practitioner
BOARD CERTIFIED OB/GYN
Cynthia Kinsey, FNP-C Board Certified Nurse Practitioner
Treatment of Women’s Health Concerns With an emphasis on preventative care and wellness Women’s Health Care • Annual Wellness Exams Family Planning • Pelvic Pain • Birth Control & Hormones
Quality Care One Patient At A Time MAIN OFFICE
Ocean Springs (228) 818-0025 2113 Government St., I-4
BILOXI OFFICE
(228) 374-3749 147 Reynoir St., Suite 102
CO L L ECT I O N
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Holiday Smiles for the Entire Family!
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Clifford J. Cook DMD
November - December 2015
2318 Pass Rd., Suite 9 • Biloxi, MS 39531 Hours: Mon.–Fri. 8-5 (Wed. by appt.) 228-388-3353 • BroadwaterDental@yahoo.com
WOULDA, COULDA,
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it’s time for
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DID.
Explore your what’s next. Whether it’s a big transition, or a small change of habit, Life Reimagined can guide you towards new opportunities and ideas. Discover your passion and take the next step to more happiness. Turn your possibilities into realities at LifeReimagined.org.
Contents
NOVEMBER - DECEMBER 2015 HOLIDAY ISSUE
16 Fashioned for the season ‘Tis the season to be merry and bright for all those fabulous holiday and Mardi Gras parties!
54
98
Woman of the Year Dr. Cyndi Gaudet among women recognized for their achievements.
98 Christmas with the Maces
The Mace family shares special traditions celebrated around the holidays.
127
127
16
Holiday cocktails These festive sippers are sure to be a hit at your holiday party.
also inside
88
24
110
Shopping
Money
More than a makeover!
Our holiday gift guide showcases top-notch shops and hottest gadgets.
124 Food
The holidays are all about great recipes shared with loved ones. 6
November - December 2015
Suzie Sawyer: How to help make college a reality for your grandchildren
121 Relationships
Finding love and first time marriage after age 60
Three-time cancer survivor Michelle Gibbs gets pampered
130 Coast Cares
Early childhood education reduces crime impact
Santa
ARRIVES
NOVEMBER 7 th at 10 AM Watch with delight as Santa makes his annual visit from the North Pole by
SKYDIVING
onto Edgewater Mall’s rooftop. Then in a twinkling, down to the center court for visits and portraits.
EDGEWATERMALL.com
kids’DAY
FEATURING SPONGEBOB & PATRICK
DECEMBER 5th 11am -3pm D I L L A R D ’ S | J C P E N N E Y | B E L K | S E A R S | F O O D C O U RT H W Y 9 0 | O N T H E B E AC H B E T W E E N B I L OX I A N D G U L F P O R T | 2 2 8 - 3 8 8 - 4 6 3 6 FREE WI-FI s p o n s o r e d b y
embrace THE EDGE
FROM THE PUBLISHERS
D
y
Angela Bruni
Looking forward to 2016!
S
s
ity to .
y
N
ter)
Dorothy P. Wilson
228-539-5858 15190 Community Road, Suite 350 • Gulfport www.gulfportsurgeryclinic.com 8
November - December 2015
Thanks to all of you who made SUCCESS Women’s Conference a success! It was a great gathering of women that left all of us inspired, enriched and mentored. It is wonderful when women can come together to support one another. (Turn over to page 68 to see how this event began and meet the team behind it.) We are soooo looking forward to next year’s event. We’ll start planning early, so if you’re interested in becoming a partnering sponsor or supporting this effort otherwise, let us know so you can be part of the planning process from Day 1. The conference was a big part of plans for 2015, and we can’t believe it happened. We now turn to 2016, which we believe will be another great year. We are launching a new magazine called Gulf Coast Weddings. It is 100 percent dedicated to showcasing weddings and promoting vendors along the Gulf Coast. It will offer real weddings, local resources and great planning tools. We’re also looking forward to The Wedding Party, which will be a unique wedding show experience. The theme is “Enchanted.” Go to gulfcoastweddings.com to learn more about the new magazine and show! It’s been said that life is all about embracing change, and in 2015, that’s exactly what Gulf Coast Woman did! We are excited to be moving forward, while still remaining true to our original mission of promoting women and exploring issues related to women. In this issue, we have lots of information, recipes and planning tools to help you celebrate the season in a richer, more fun way. We value community and connection, and we hope you feel these sentiments as you spend time with Gulf Coast Woman magazine and with your friends and family over the next few months!
HAPPY HOLIDAYS
It’s that time of year. A time filled with peace, hope, laughter and joy. Regions is thankful to be a part of your community, and we send our best wishes to you and your loved ones during this holiday season. We look forward to serving you throughout the coming year.
1.800.regions | regions.com Š 2015 Regions Bank. www.gcwmultimedia.com
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turan foley buick
Rick Foley Owner
Brett Favre 3 Time NFL MVP
It goes to show when you give your customers a great automotive buying experience and award winning service after the sale good things will happen like you making Turan-Foley Chevrolet-Cadillac-Buick the #1 selling General Motors dealer on the Mississippi Gulf Coast. And we promise when you come to Turan-Foley we will exhaust every possible talent and effort to make your car buying experience the best ever. From our entire team at Turan-Foley we really appreciate and thank you for making us #1.
11123 Hwy. 49 North 228-539-7500 • TuranFoley.com 10
November - December 2015
turna foley cadillac
www.gcwmultimedia.com
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OUR TEAM
FOUNDER & PUBLISHER Angela Bruni
EDITOR & PUBLISHER Dorothy P. Wilson ASSOCIATE EDITORS Brenda Blount John D. Folding Scott Naugle Danie Rodriquez Dana Sleger Karen Sock Elaine Stevens CONTRIBUTING EDITOR Elaine Stevens COVER PHOTOGRAPHY William Colgin CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS William Colgin Shannon Lutkins
AmericanFactoryDirect-HPH-FMU.indd 1
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Lynnz Esrah Barajas Christopher Dearman Kelsie Dove Mallory Fitzgerald Ryan Giles Paul Helwick Dane Hewes Russ Jennings Mike Lacy Dr. Michele Pisciotta Rebecca Ritchey Buck Rogers Suzie Sawyer Dorothy Shaw Joel Smith Mildred Stewart Andrea Taylor Tammy Turnage Dr. Eric J. Wyble Andrea Yeager Angelyn T. Zeringue
GRAPHIC DESIGNERS Cheryl Fishman Lisa Gum Dara Parker Farrah Underwood Nancy Williams
HOW TO REACH US 15431 O’Neal Road Suite B, Gulfport, MS 39503 (228) 539-2422 dorothywilson@gulfcoastwomanmagazine.com angelabruni@gulfcoastwomanmagazine.com www.gcwmultimedia.com ADVERTISING Jennifer Cox ~ (228) 697-5119 Angela Bruni ~ (228) 760-8887 Dorothy Wilson ~ (228) 539-2422 EDITORIAL SERVICES Dorothy Wilson ~ (228) 539-2422 ©2015 Gulf Coast Woman is published six times per year and is available free of charge. We encourage your comments, suggestions and submissions, however, we reserve the right to refuse or edit them. Gulf Coast Woman is not responsible for unsolicited documents or manuscripts. All material is copyrighted and may not be reproduced in any manner without the written permission of the publisher.
10/19/15 8:36 PM
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7/27/15 4:19 PM
Quality home-care assistance has a name.
It’s PRN.
Remain in the comfort of your home.
Call PRN Home Care
for friendly, reliable caregivers. We are here to make a difference in your life and that of your loved ones.
“You know it’s time to get help when you want to spend quality time with your parent, and you can’t because they become a burden to you with the necessities of life.” — A daughter who called PRN to help with her mom
HOMEMAKER SERVICES
ERRAND RUNNER/DRIVERS
ADULT SITTER SERVICES (COMPANION)
LIVE IN/OUT SERVICES
Light housekeeping: such as washing dishes, laundry, vacuuming, changing linen, etc. Light meal preparation, running errands, grocery shopping, medication reminders and other light duties.
PRN Home Care provides Companionship for the lonely or sick client. They assist with Medication Reminders and Meal Preparation.
PRN provides rides for clients to doctor’s appointments, the grocery store, mall, etc. Our Errand Runners will do the shopping for you, carry your bags, and help you put your items away.
Provided by experienced companions, Homemakers or Nursing Assistants, depending on the level of assistance needed.
NURSING ASSISTANT/PERSONAL CARE AIDE
Our skilled assistants have at least one year of experience working in a hospital, nursing home or home health environment. They can assist clients with getting to doctor’s appointments and handle other errands. They also perform homemaker duties.
BATH AIDES
Nursing aides will assist with all of your bathing and personal grooming needs.
CALL FOR APPOINTMENT (228) 385-2603 or 888-782-3316 www.prnhomecareservices.com | kearn@prnhomecareservices.com 14 November - December 2015
www.gcwmultimedia.com
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for the season
Fashioned
‘Tis the season to be merry and bright ‌ as in completely decked out head-to-toe for all those fabulous holiday and Mardi Gras parties!
Photography by William Colgin Written by Dana Sleger Designed by Dorothy Wilson
Model Whitney Dubuisson
Makeup by Jackie Merlau Hair by Angela Taylor, Tanya Tancredi Salon Dress by Karlie, $103 Necklace by Catherine Popesco, $90 Earrings by Catherine Popesco, $80 Bracelets by Catherine Popesco and Gemelli, from $76-$130 Fashions from PANACHE
Smoky quartz, citrine, sapphire, ruby, emerald, garnet — anything from this rich, bold color palette will make a dynamic, here-I-am statement for cocktail parties and formal soirées.
Model Whitney Owen
Makeup by Jackie Merlau Hair by Angela Taylor, Tanya Tancredi Salon Dress Alyce Designs, $256 Earrings Helen’s Heart, $58 Bangles, $36 Shoes by Touch Ups, $64 Fashions from GATLIN’S 18
November - December 2015
Model Whitney Dubuisson
Model Emily Sholes
Dress by Jade, $83 Vest by Jade, $163 Necklace by Catherine Popesco, $90 Earrings by Catherine Popesco, $98 Bracelets by Catherine Popesco and Gemelli, from $58-$130
Jumpsuit by Karen Kane, $149 Necklace, $120
Makeup by Jackie Merlau Hair by Tanya Tancredi, Tanya Tancredi Salon
Makeup by Jackie Merlau Hair by Angela Taylor, Tanya Tancredi Salon
Fashions from BAYOU BELLE
Fashions from PANACHE 19
Model Kayla Wilkerson
Model Isabella Tancredi
Dress by Karlie, $103 Necklace by Catherine Popesco, $42 Earrings by Catherine Popesco, $56 Bracelets by Catherine Popesco and Gemelli, from $76-$130
Dress by Alyce Designs, $476 Earrings by Jim Ball, $68 Bracelet by Helen’s Heart, $48
Makeup by Jackie Merlau Hair by Angela Taylor, Tanya Tancredi Salon
Fashions from PANACHE
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November - December 2015
Makeup by Jackie Merlau Hair by Tanya Tancredi, Tanya Tancredi Salon
Fashions from GATLIN’S
This season is all about the details, especially fringe, lace trim, sequins, metallics, and of course, lots of bling with rhinestones and crystals on everything from clutches to shoes to jewelry. And for a hint of sass, dresses embellished with nude underlay is a stunning standout feature.
www.gcwmultimedia.com
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For the more casual soirée, embrace the layers with jackets, ponchos, kimono cover-ups and scarves. Add a sensational top, a pair of skinny jeans or black straight-leg pants and booties, and you’re ready to show up and show off.
Model Isabella Tancredi Makeup by Jackie Merlau
Hair by Tanya Tancredi, Tanya Tancredi Salon Dress by Primavera Couture, $298 Earrings by Helen’s Heart, $42 Bracelet by Helen’s Heart, $78 Shoes by Johnathan Kayne, $178 Fashions from GATLIN’S 22
November - December 2015
Model Whitney Owen
Makeup by Jackie Merlau Hair by Tanya Tancredi, Tanya Tancredi Salon Top by Frank Lyman Design, $188 Pants, $124 Earrings, $42 Bracelet, $54 Fashions from GATLIN’S
Model Emily Sholes
Makeup by Jackie Merlau Jacket by Johnny Was, $310 Tank by 4LoveAndLiberty, $54 Leggings by Joseph Ribkoff, $180 Hat by Karen Kane, $99 Necklace by L George Designs, $135 Fashions from BAYOU BELLE
Model Kayla Wilkerson Makeup by Jackie Merlau Hair by Angela Taylor, Tanya Tancredi Salon
SPECIAL THANKS
Kelly Spinner for location
Dress by Jade, $143 Peacoat by Jade, $203 Earrings by Catherine Popesco, $56 Bracelets by Catherine Popesco and Gemelli, from $76-$130 Fashions from PANACHE 23
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shopping guide
Wrap up
Christmas
inside
Shop great speciality boutiques Hottest tech “toys� Top beauty gifts Make it lasting: Dedeaux Clan Furniture Retail Therapy
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November - December 2015
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• APPAREL & ACCESSORIES •
228.822.0120
Mon-Fri 10-6, Sat 10-5 • 9354 Three Rivers Rd, Suite A&B
www.gcwmultimedia.com
(Behind Walmart in Gulfport)
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Louis Vuitton Coach Guess Tory Burch Miss Me Michael Kors Jessica Simpson Vera Bradley Citizens of Humanity Lucky BCBG Antonio Melani Catherine Popesco Tiffany & Co. Gucci Sorrelli Vince Camuto J Crew Rampage Giani Binni to name a few!
Back on the Rack believes shoppers with exquisite fashion taste and practical money sense should be appreciated. We are dedicated to providing customers a truly upscale resale shopping experience!
228-868-2037
Desig ner resale clothing and accessories that we have broug ht Back on the Rack!
1524 Pass Rd. • Gulfport, MS 39501 Open Mon - Fri 10am - 5:30pm Sat 10am - 4pm www.bridalformalboutique.com 1419 27th Ave., Ste. E • Gulfport, MS 39501 • 228-822-1480
Holiday Open House November 12-14 Now In 2 Locations!
76 48th St., Ste A • Gulfport (Bayou View) • 228.284.1668 136 Rue Magnolia, Ste B • Downtown Biloxi • 228.365.8415 Hours: Mon. – Fri. 10am – 5:30pm • Sat. 10am – 4pm
Tat2 Designs | PPLA | Sorrelli | Articles Of Society Denim | Jack Rogers | OTBT
Trapp | MS Made Pottery | Tat2 Designs | PPLA | Sorrelli | Articles Of Society Denim | Jack Rogers
Trapp | MS Made Pottery | Tat2 Designs | PPLA | Sorrelli | Articles Of Society Denim | Jack Rogers
Tat2 Designs | PPLA | Sorrelli | Articles Of Society Denim | Jack Rogers | OTBT
shopping guide Have you been naughty or nice this year? Instead of a lump of coal in your stocking, I hope Santa brings you the gift of tech.
Our Top 10 tech gifts for 2015 By Ryan Giles
SMART WATCH
Unless you’ve been living under a rock for the past year, you’ve seen the explosion in the smart watch market. These watches connect to your smart phone via Bluetooth and greatly expand its capabilities. Most of the new watches also double as fashion accessories and offer a huge range of band styles and colors. If you’re an iPhone user, the Apple Watch is your best option. If you’re an Android fan, check out the Moto 360, the Pebble, and the Samsung Gear line of watches.
TABLET
Around the holidays, it’s not unusual to see an influx of new tablet models. This year does not disappoint. Apple has just released the new iPad Pro, but Microsoft’s new Surface Pro 4 could be the best tablet/laptop on the market.
PORTABLE BLUETOOTH SPEAKER
Whether you’re at the beach, hanging around the pool, or lounging with friends, music makes everything better. The latest speakers are portable, water resistant, and can be used as a charger for your smart phone. If you’re in the market for a new speaker, check out Braven, the Creative Muvo Mini, the JBL Charge, and the Bose SoundLink.
TRACKING SENSORS
Do you know someone who forgets everything? Change their life with tracking sensors. These sensors can be attached to anything around the house and easily tracked using your smartphone. Check out the Duet from Protag.
HOME WIRELESS CAMERA
Do you want to know when your kids get home from school? How about recording motion inside your home when you’re on vacation? If so, take a look at the new Nest Cam or Dropcam Pro wireless video system.
HOME REMOTE CONTROL
Have you ever decided *not* to watch a movie because it’s too hard to figure out which remote control to use? If so, you need the new Logitech Harmony Ultimate remote control. You can control your TV, DVR, DVD/BD Player, and surround sound system from one remote control.
SLEEP MONITOR
Do you feel tired in the mornings? Maybe you’re not getting enough rest. Find out with a new sleep monitor. Fitbit, Jawbone, Misfit, and numerous Apple Apps make tracking your sleep easier than ever.
HOME DOORBELL
One of the coolest products of the year is the Ring Video Doorbell. This doorbell mounts near your front door and comes with a built-in camera. When someone presses the doorbell, you can see them and talk to them over your cell phone (even if you’re not at home).
WIRELESS ROUTER
Are you still using that old wireless router at home? If so, upgrade to a new Netgear Nighthawk wireless router. You’ll see faster speeds and better coverage.
ROBOT VACUUM
Oftentimes, technology doesn’t simplify our lives. However, the newest lines of robot vacuum cleaners are the exception. The new models from iRobot, Yujin, and Neato are definitely worth a look.
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November - December 2015
Stig Marcussen
CHRISTMAS CARDS DESIGNED BY NOW AVAILABLE!
S
tig has been a professional, dedicated artist creating original works in pen and ink and watercolors for more than 20 years. His prints are some of the most popular works at festivals. When he sells his prints, he hand-paints each one individually. He has sold more than 15,000 paintings across the U.S.
PAINTINGS • POTTERY • JEWELRY • PAINTED GLASS • APPAREL • BLOWN GLASS 622 Washington Ave • Ocean Springs, MS 39564 • www.pinkrooster.net www.gcwmultimedia.com
(228) 875 -1218
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shopping guide
Hillyer House Ocean Springs
Top 10 craft gallery in the country
C
reating the best experience for both artist and customer, Hillyer House is one of the top 10 craft galleries in the United States. Hillyer House originally opened its doors in 1970 by owner Paige Riley’s great aunt, Nellie Hillyer, and mother, Katherine Reed. After Hurricane Katrina the gallery relocated to downtown Ocean Springs. Hillyer House, family run since its founding 46 years ago, sustains its love of the Mississippi Gulf Coast community with a loyal client base, even in its third generation. Hillyer House features more than 400 American artists from West Coast
to East Coast. Each creation is hand-blown, thrown, glazed, painted, and constructed by the artists. Among the most popular are Bill Campbell’s Flambeaux pottery, Bottle Benders Wind Chimes, Annieglass dinnerware, and Jennifer Schmidt’s Oyster Trees. Offering gift registries for weddings, the gallery assists approximately 40 brides yearly, each with their own individual tastes and preferences. You will find just the right corporate gifts at Hillyer House as well. You can make your holiday shopping a onestop destination at Hillyer House.
FIND HILLYER HOUSE Enjoy the artistry of Hillyer House at 920 Washington Ave. in Ocean Springs or visit www.hillyerhouse.com. Call 228-875-8065 for more information.
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November - December 2015
Not Just A Gift But A Lasting Memory
1.982 in
www.gcwmultimedia.com 228.860.8083
or 228.218.9702 • backbaybliss.com
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Alex North ABOUT THE PHOTOGRAPHER/AUTHOR
Who would have thought a color-blind guy would become interested in taking color photos?
In 2010, Alex North began his journey with photography when he purchased a “good” camera for his son’s high school graduation. After that, he vowed to learn how to use the camera and find his niche through the lens. His reputation for “all or nothing” soon applied to photography, so much so that his wife, Leslie, jokingly started telling friends he had a girlfriend named “Nikky” — a playful nod to his beloved Nikon. She approved of their relationship and gave her full support as Alex embraced his newly discovered passion. As a photographer, he strives to capture life in a way that celebrates its existence. Whether it is a smile, bloom, sunrise, bird or even a tear, his desire is for people to feel the emotion he felt when taking the photo. Alex readily admits the scenes he shoots are not his to claim. He counts it a blessing to share his photos with you through the talent bestowed and the beauty provided. If you think something in this book would look nice on your wall, Alex would greatly appreciate your consideration of a signed print. He also prints a yearly calendar and has several photo note cards of his work.
2016 Alex North Calendar also now available! Follow his journey at naturallynorth.net and on Facebook. 32 November - December 2015 AlexNorth_2PageSpread_FMU.indd All Pages
A Gift of Beauty
This collection of images conveys photographer Alex North’s joy and passion through the lens of his camera. It is a celebration of the splendor found throughout the Mississippi Gulf Coast. “When your joy and passion are presented for others to ponder and celebrate, it becomes art. This book shares just that. You will see what motivates me and how I celebrate our beautiful Mississippi Gulf Coast.” — Alex North, photographer and author
Find a copy! GULFPORT Vintage Vault Triplett-Day Drugs Landers Fine Art & Framing
BILOXI
www.gcwmultimedia.com
Biloxi Visitors Center Negrotto’s Gallery and Custom Framing Maritime & Seafood Museum 33
10/20/15 9:12 AM
shopping guide
Panache Gulfport
Find Popesco, other speciality lines
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Nine years ago, Rebeca StricklandFairley, opened Panache Apparel and Accessories. With a lifelong love of retail, Strickland-Fariley has a degree in fashion merchandising and returned to the Coast after Katrina to be a part of the rebuilding process. Providing a personal shopping experience with products that can’t be found
everywhere else, Panache carries ladies apparel sizes small to extra-large, up to size 16. A favorite item in the boutique is Catherine Popesco Jewelry; the line has been a constant holiday favorite for the past seven years. Panache started with six Catherine Popesco bracelets and has consistently expanded the product line.
FIND PANACHE It is located at 9354 Three Rivers Road, Gulfport, MS (behind Walmart Supercenter). Panache can be contacted by phone at 228-822-0120, on Facebook, and Instagram.
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shopping guide
A red-carpet sensation Creative Marx Online
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wana Marx is a celebrity jewelry designer and owner of Creative Marx Jewelry, which is based on the Coast and operates as an online store. CMJ offers contemporary and stylish pieces that are handcrafted by Marx. From vibrant feather necklaces to oversized drop earrings, her multiple lines definitely turn heads. She has garnered international success since launching in 2008. Her popular whimsical collection includes semiprecious stones, pearls and Swarovski crystals paired with decorative wire detail — a chic design that reflects elegance and hip modern appeal. Marx has attended special events like the Stellar Gospel Music
Coast designer styles for the stars
Awards in Nashville, Tenn., where she worked backstage with the wardrobe team. Her jewelry also has been sold in the Chic Little Devil Style House, Los Angeles’ largest wardrobe house for A-list celebrities. Celebrity fans of Marx’s work include stars Raven Symoné, Lala Vazquez, Kelly Rowland, Drew Barrymore, Anna Kendrick, Mary J. Blige, Lady Gaga, Beyoncé, Aubrey O’Day, Kendra Wilkinson and more. Celebrities on “Real Housewives of Beverly Hills” and “Orange County” also wear her pieces. Marx recently released her first men’s collection — CM for Men — and it has been worn by Grammy award-winning gospel artist VaShawn
when GooGoo Atkins, a Los Angeles-based celebrity stylist, took a pair of my earrings and put them on Tina Campbell of the gospel duo Mary Mary for an episode of ‘The Tonight Show’ with Jay Leno,” Marx says. “After that, the door to Hollywood was wide open for me.”
Twana Marx
Mitchell. So how did this Gulf Coast designer make it to the A-list circle? “The celebrity connection happened
The great thing about Marx’s jewelry is even though pieces have been featured worldwide, that doesn’t mean it’s not affordable. The extensive collection is a great choice for any event and everyday fashionforward thinkers.
FIND CREATIVE MARX Creative Marx Jewelry operates as an online store. To view the collection and purchase jewelry, visit creative mar .com. he business also offers design on demand,” which is a consultation service for custom designs. For more details, call (888) 896-8472.
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“My target audience is definitely made up of fashionistas of every sort: moms who are going out for a night on the town, young ladies headed to prom, brides and their bridesmaids, models needing a look for their photo shoot and celebrities on the red carpet,” Marx says. “My jewelry carries a simple, contemporary feel with a flare of elegance.” Marx always had an interest in the fashion industry, but not necessarily jewelry design. CMJ started when Marx could never find the colors or styles she wanted in accessories. She started to buy jewelry and alter the design to accommodate her preferred style. After being encouraged by another jewelry designer to pursue the newly discovered
hobby further, she began her research online and visited local craft stores for tutorials. After the purchase of a set of tools and beads, the compliments started pouring in and the rest is history. Years of hard work has paid off and in the near future, she will release her first high-end, exclusive collection called “House of Marx.” It will feature an elite line of designs. Every day is a design day for Marx, and the number of hours spent is determined by the intricacy of each piece. However, with all the success and continued knocks on her design door, she remains humble, credits the “Master Creator” as the source of her inspiration, and is thankful to call Mississippi home.
Jubilee
Ocean Springs
FIND JUBILEE Jubilee is located at 929 Washington Ave, Ocean Springs, MS 39564 Contact them at 228.872.6118 or visit them on Facebook www.facebook. com/jubileeos and Instagram: Jubileeboutique
www.gcwmultimedia.com
CREATIVE MARX TO HOST FASHION EXPO FOR NONVIOLENCE AWARENESS reative ar will be host to onfidence outure, a fashion expo to raise greater awareness for services offered by ulf oast omen’s enter for Nonviolence and to inspire women and girls to be beautiful and confident. To celebrate courageous beauty inside and out, three women will be selected to receive complimentary fashion makeovers from Creative ar ’s lam Squad. This special event also will provide an opportunity for aspiring designers to showcase their work to the public through sponsorship opportunities. To learn more about sponsorships, contact Marx at (228) 3552833 or info@creative-marx.com. Dec. 18, 2015 6:30 p.m. DoubleTree by Hilton, Biloxi Speaker ene’ avis, ulf oast omen’s enter For Nonviolence Admission is $20, or $10 with a donation item from ’s wish list. o see items needed, visit gcwcfn. org/wordpress/shelter-wish-list. To purchase tickets, visit eventbrite.com and search for “Creative Marx.”
Great items, affordable prices
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hat began as a shoe boutique in 2005, has evolved into a vibrant and inviting store that adds character to downtown Ocean Springs. Jubliee Boutique, located at 636 Washington Avenue in Downtown Ocean Springs, offers jewelry (including Kendra Scott and Catherine Popesco), handbags, fringe booties, statement vests, unique gifts and more. Owners Lana Sauls and Caroline
Rossi take pride in their ability to offer great items at affordable prices. While neither of them have degrees in fashion merchandising (Sauls has a master’s in business entertainment and Rossi holds a master’s in nursing education), fashion is a passion they both love and share! They are “beyond grateful” to have the opportunity to do what they love. “It’s important to stay true to who you are and do what makes you happy.” 37
shopping guide
Dedeaux Clan Furniture Gulfport
Rocking with Southern charm By Dana Sleger
E
ver wonder what the story is behind that ginormous rocking chair on Canal Road in Gulfport? One might think it’s a fitting rest stop for folklore’s well known lumberjack, Paul Bunyan! Standing tall at 35 feet and weighing up to 12,000 pounds, this unique piece of furniture made from Southern Pine was built in 1995 as a replica of Dedeaux Clan Furniture Factory’s signature product, the Magnolia State Rocker. A smaller 6,500-pound rocker also is located on U.S. 49. The furniture company has been in operation for nearly 50 years and is located right behind the Canal Road’s enormous rocker — one of the most creative advertising billboard’s ever designed and carries the title as the world’s largest rocking chair. It’s impossible to miss and Chuck Dedeaux, owner of the business, says people stop by regularly for a oneof-a-kind photo opp. 38
“We get people who come in here every day,” Chuck says. “If you sit on our porch, there will be someone who drives up after a while and stops to take a picture — all the time, every day.” Chuck and his brother, Andy, are business partners and both are gifted woodwork artisans who inherited the trade from their father, Roy Dedeaux. The family patriarch passed away in 1996, but his presence is felt daily as his picture sits proudly in the office — a reminder that still keeps his two boys in line. “He’s the one that keeps us straight,” Chuck laughs. Roy had an impeccable work ethic and poured a concrete sidewalk just a couple days before he died at 86-years-old. Even then, Chuck says that project was done exactly how his father wanted it…and there was no other way. “My Daddy wasn’t a really big man, but he had a personality that when he started talking, you’re November - December 2015
Chuck Dedeaux stands next to the only piece of furniture o o s e he s h i his he , Roy, e e b i si s in the workshop and serves as a constant reminder of how far the business has grown.
FIND DEDEAUX CLAN FURNITURE FACTORY 11451 Canal Road Gulfport, MS 39503 (228) 832-0079 (228) 328-4346
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Cooking Classes • Full-Service Catering Private Parties Chef Danie, Executive Chef/Owner City Line Cafe - Gulfport • LUNCH - Biloxi Culinary Arts Director | Chef Danie Cooks Private Culinary Classes 837 Vieux Marche • Biloxi, Ms 39530 228-282-4416 www.gcwmultimedia.com
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“What really made me feel the best out of anything was after Katrina when I heard a bunch of people say, ‘The only furniture we have left is the furniture we got from y’all.’ going to start listening to him,” Chuck says. “Growing up, when you hopped in the truck with my Daddy, you better pack your lunch because he wasn’t going to stop at no hamburger joint coming home or no store to get a root beer or anything. He was all about getting there and getting back.” Layers of sawdust cover the floor in the shop where handcrafted furniture is made every day, and the special thing is, Andy and Chuck still use some of the same handheld and electric tools their Daddy used. The list of items Dedeaux Clan Furniture Factory makes is extensive: tables, benches, china cabinets, curios, bookcases, mantels, furniture for the bedroom, office and children, and more. However, the foundation of the business all goes back to quality crafted rockers made with cow hide or wooden slats. The trademark piece that gave the company tremendous notoriety and still serves as the one item most in demand is the “Magnolia State Rocker,” which is a tribute to Mississippi’s state tree. “The top of the chair is rounded and that’s how a magnolia flower looks right before it blooms,” Chuck says. “When Gov. Bill Waller was in office, he requested that 40 November - December 2015
my Daddy make him a really big rocking chair with wide arm rests. He then dedicated that as the Magnolia State Rocker in the 70s.” It took a lot of time and a lot of practice for Roy to hone the woodworking craft, but he was known as a jack of all trades and a master of many. Prior to venturing into the furniture business, he was a contractor, owned a grocery store that specialized in butchery, served 16 years as a Harrison County supervisor, and as a young lad, even traveled to Chicago with several of his brothers to be a bellhop at a nice hotel. The Dedeaux family home was once located right behind the business on 340 acres of land. By the time Roy started tinkering with woodwork in his barn, he was near retirement and fully embraced it as a hobby. In fact, he has never owned the furniture business. He taught his sons the trade and when Chuck and Andy became expert craftsmen, the family business officially began. Roy’s hobby flourished after he became friends with a man in north Mississippi who built rocking chairs and taught him woodturning and how to put the chairs together. “We start out with a square piece of wood and turn it to
make it round and give it designs by hand,” Chuck says. “Daddy worked in the barn right beside us and it was an open barn: cold in the winter and hot in the summer. Daddy knew more than we did and we went out there and rounded off the posts. Our first chairs were pretty rough compared to how we can turn now.” At Dedeaux Clan Furniture Factory, nothing is made from particle board or fiberboard, and about 90 percent of their business is comprised of pieces made with hardwood oak. Other hardwood available includes teak, mahogany, cypress, ash, walnut and more. The business also has a lumber yard on site. As customers walk in the door of the business, they are greeted with an impressive showroom featuring a large display of handcrafted work that has taken the family a lifetime to build. For custom orders, just bring in a picture with dimensions, color and type of wood needed, and if it can be built, the timeframe from start to finish on a project runs six to 12 weeks. Dedeaux furniture has a longstanding tradition of being passed from one generation to the next with heirloom workmanship defined by quality and durability. “What really made me feel the best out of anything was after Katrina when I heard a bunch of people say,
‘The only furniture we have left is the furniture we got from y’all,’” Chuck says. “We build everything solid so it will stay with them for a lifetime.” However, one piece of furniture that will never be for sale is the first chair Roy ever built. It sits in the workshop and serves as a constant reminder of how far the business has grown. “There’s a big difference in that one compared to what we do now,” Chuck says. “We’ve come a long way — I guarantee you!”
916 Washington Ave. Ocean Springs, MS 39564
(228) 875-7008 www.bayoubelle.com
www.gcwmultimedia.com
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shopping guide
A sports fan’s paradise
Sports Shack ’ berville
FIND SPORTS SHACK Shop in the store at 11516 Lamey Bridge Road, Suite L, ’ berville, S , ou can also shop online at www. sportsshack.com. Call Sports Shack for more information: (228) 392-7007.
Robin’s Nest in the Pass Pass Christian
FIND ROBIN’S NEST IN THE PASS 255 Davis Ave. Pass Christian, MS 39571 (228) 222-4863 robinsnestinthepass.com facebook.com/ robinsnestinthepass
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November - December 2015
S
ports Shack in D’Iberville carries the largest selection of collegiate and Saints merchandise on the Mississippi Gulf Coast. You can definitely show off your team pride with your team colors in everything from apparel, auto, and home décor. Offering face painting every Saturday during football season, football score contests through social media accounts, and service with a smile, Sports Shack has the fan experience in mind. If you have an avid SEC, NCAA, or New Orleans Saints fan on your gift-giving list, you cannot go wrong with apparel, home décor, and pottery for the holidays! Pam Thompson, the owner of Sports Shack and a devoted
R
University of Southern Mississippi (USM) fan, opened the store in October 2007. Thompson created a store where fans could purchase their team gear locally instead of driving to individual college campuses.
A nest of great finds
obin’s Nest in the Pass, which opened this fall, is Pass Christian’s newest shopping experience. The gallery gift shop features jewelry, pottery, accessories, glassware, gifts, silk jackets, decorative glass, woodwork, and art. Owner Dorothy Roberts’s reasons for establishing her business are twofold: To honor her sister, Robin Roberts of ABC News, because of Robin’s love for Pass Christian, her hometown; and to create a showcase for the talents of local, regional, and international artists. A gifted jewelry designer in her own right, Dorothy is also showcasing her stunning collection of handcrafted pieces. By far the most popular item sold during the first week of business bears the shop’s logo in jewelry form, designed by Cynthia Webb.
“The logo for Robin’s Nest in the Pass is representative of the whole Roberts’ clan,” Dorothy says. “The three blue eggs represent the three sisters, and the nest holding us together represents my brother.” The 18-inch pewter necklace features three light blue eggs with this inscription on the back: “In my garden, nature grows a place for birds to raise their young.”
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920 Washington Ave. • Ocean Springs • (228) 875.8065 www.gcwmultimedia.com
11516 Lamey Bridge Rd Ste L, D’Iberville, MS
228-392-7007
www.sportsshack.com
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shopping guide
Top beauty gifts for 2015 By Mallory Fitzgerald Let’s face it, gift shopping for your loved ones can be a daunting task, especially when it comes to cosmetic products. I’m going to walk you through the best brands, deals and steals for the 2015 holiday season that will win you “Gift Giver of the Year” in your circle!
THE YOUNG MAKEUP JEDI
For the young teen or tween in your life that wants to jump into makeup full steam ahead, grab an all-inone set. In order to ensure their beginning experiences with makeup are positive and worth it, select a set from a great quality brand. Look for the Tarte Light of the Party Collectors Makeup Case: a travel-size makeup case containing an eyeshadow palette with 30 shades, cheek and contouring shades, a travel-size eyeshadow brush and a deluxe size mascara. Not to mention the case has a zipper closure, a mirror, and is covered with sequins! Perfect for the girl who wants to dabble in a bit of everything! Available at Ulta or Sephora.
THE MAKEUP DIVA
What do you get a woman if she is already a beauty guru on her own and has a huge collection at home? A Beauty Blender! A Beauty Blender is an egg shaped sponge that is used damp. It ensures flawless application of foundation, concealer, BB creams, cream blush, cream contour or bronzer, and the list goes on. Pick up the holiday Beauty Blender set, which includes the original beauty blender, the beauty blender pro, the micro-mini, and the reactivate rehydrator, plus makeup finishing spray. Any makeup lover would be ecstatic to receive this set! Available at Sephora.
SKINCARE JUNKY
For the sophisticated, skincare-loving siren in your life, check out the First Aid Beauty Peace Joy & Fab Kit. A five-piece set of their best-selling skincare products to help renew, refresh and revive the skin. Or you can choose from one of the fabulous GLAMGLOW Gift sets (Giftsexy Dazzling Hydration, Stay Sexy Clearing Set, or Giftsexy Ultimate Anti-Aging Set) which are not only the most raved about mud mask brands, but also have the most adorable packaging for the gift recipient’s enjoyment! Available at Sephora. 44
November - December 2015
THE LIP ENTHUSIAST
We all have that aunt or grandmother that absolutely LOVES lipstick and/or lip gloss! And to be honest, aren’t we all lip junkies in some way? To get the best deal with the most lip, grab the Sephora Favorites Give Me More lip set. This set includes a whopping 15 lipsticks, lip glosses, and lip creams — three being full size, 12 of them being deluxe size. This is a HUGE bang for your buck, retailing at just $40. Available at Sephora.
THE MAN IN YOUR LIFE
Whether it’s your father, your husband, your boyfriend, your brother or your best friend, men deserve good products, too! Men are most likely to neglect their skin, but it doesn’t have to be this way. Nor should it. Surprise them with a grooming kit like The Art of Shaving The 4 Elements of the Perfect Shave Carry-On. This kit is packed with 4 shaving essentials for sensitive skin, catered just for men. Or try something for our bearded men, like the Gnarly Sheen Refining Beard Oil from Billy Jealousy. Sneak in the Clinique For Men Facial Moisturizer, trust me, they’ll love it! Available at Sephora or Ulta.
THE CROWD PLEASER
The final gift that you can give anyone in your life that will be sure to please are BRUSHES. We all need and love a fresh set of brushes. Sigma beauty has an amazing essential brush set from SigmaTech. If I were to pick specific essential brushes that would be all you need, this one would be it. Available online at sigmabeauty.com. In addition, MAC Cosmetics has the most amazing travel size brush sets in their holiday collection every year, and they are well worth the investment! Available at MAC Cosmetics.
Follow Mallory Fitzgerald on Facebook. She is a freelance makeup artist on the Mississippi Gulf Coast. She has been a makeup artist and consultant for magazines and cover models and has participated in fashion weeks and runway shows. Contact her at malloryfitzgerald@yahoo.com.
For that special gift
A collection of unique, inspired gifts are awaiting you! Drop in today to choose from custom artwork, pottery, and jewelry.
A Gallery Gift Shop Celebrating the Creative Spirit!
distinctive jewelry art gifts
255 Davis Avenue • Pass Christian, MS 39571 www.RobinsNestinthePass.com Store hours 228.222.4863 Tues-Fri, 10-6; Sat, 9-4 www.gcwmultimedia.com
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Available at these Coast Locations:
Gourmet Galley, BAY ST. LOUIS The Purple Pelican, PASS CHRISTIAN Joy’s Hallmark, GULFPORT Martin Miazza Gifts, GULFPORT The Pecan House, McHENRY Poppy’s, OCEAN SPRINGS
Large Serving Blue Crab Bowl 11.25” x 4.25”
Shop online at danawdesigns.com
Holissc Foods & Treats, Spa Essensals, Couture, Toys, Collars, Grooming & more!
• www.gcwmultimedia.com
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shopping guide
Retail Therapy Catherine Popesco Stud $48 Available in an assortment of colors Hobo Rachel Leather Wallet $128 Panache 9354 Three Rivers Rd., Gulfport, MS 228-822-0120
Girly Go Garters $36.99 Musee Bath Balls $5.99 Freaker Bottle Covers $9.99 Triplett Day 2429 14th St., Gulfport, MS 228-863-2363
Dudley’s PCA Moisture Retainer & Creme Press Pressing Oil Val’s Hair Gallery 1698 Pass Rd., Biloxi, MS 228-822-0120
Specialized Burp Cloths Prices Vary Specialized Lunchboxes Prices Vary Metal Personalized Picture 12x18 $39 Back Bay Bliss backbaybliss.com
Andalossi Italian Leather Handbag $242.00 Johnny Was Scarf $88.00 Bayou Belle Washington Ave. Ocean Springs, MS 228-875-7008
Freshwater Pearl Dangles $45 CM Signature Gold Wrap Ring $65 www.creative-marx.com
Bottle Juice Drink Prices Vary Be Well Oils cindy.jaudon@yahoo.com
Owl Pillow $39.99 Pillow Pair $65 per pair Fabrics to Fringes 516 A Courthouse Rd., Gulfport, MS 228-896-4040
Fringe Booties $48.95 Pint glass $14 Dressed in Blue 8930 Lorraine Rd, Suite B, Gulfport, MS 228-206-0003
Shop these Local Businesses Independent Beauty Consultant
ALFONSO REALTY INC.
Mary Kay Charlotte DiStefano cdistefano1@marykay.com (228) 806-1425 www.marykay.com/ cdistefano1 Advanced Color Consultant
The Beaded Owls 7198 Beatline Rd., Ste D Long Beach, MS 39560 (228) 284-2712 www.thebeadedowls.com Your source for beads, findings, tools, & more!
Siobhàn Bailey REALTOR (228) 731-0789 siobhanbailey@me.com With a background in Architecture, I bring a unique vision when shopping for a home
Nerium The Precious Pet Premier Designs Jacque McShane Jennifer Eaves-Latch Paula Ingram (228) 547-6032 (228) 263-5539 (228) 326-6784 jacquemcshane.nerium.com jennifer@thepreciouspet.com Ms.Paula.Ingram@gmail.com www.ThePreciousPet.com Website: Exclusive products with PaulaIngram. age-defying ingredients that While you’re away, your pets mypremierdesigns.com you can’t find anywhere else can play! Stunning high-fashion jewelry, affordable & FREE!
SouthernLASH.com Miranda Hebert 3D FiberLASH Mascara RDN, LD mission.nutritionrd@gmail.com Skincare & Mineral Makeup (228) 215-0884 Cindy Holland www.missionnutritionrd.com (228) 235-3674 Take control of your health Whatsupdoc80@att.net with nutrition counseling, weight management, and essential oils.
Touchstone Crystal by Swarovski Susan Lenes susanlenes@aol.com (228) 596-9168 touchstonecrystal.com susanlenes From the runway to your doorway
Jewelry & Ribbons of Mine Karen Gardner (228) 209-2264 www.etsy.com/shop/ JewelryRibbonsofmine Handmade wreaths and handmade custom jewelry. Custom orders accepted.
Ephesians 3:20-21
Come join us! Women in Business Networking meets monthly to network and support each other in business. To join, contact founder Charlotte DiStefano at 228.806.1425 or request permission to join the group on Facebook.
Shop these Local Businesses Airmazing Balloons Event decor & More (228) 209-7097 Face Painting Balloon Decor Balloon Animals Clowning
Stitches by Irene Irene Mimohamed (228) 669-0345
Jennifer Wilson Tupperware Cell. (228) 297-8777 http://jenniferkwilson.my .tupperware.com
Your Pets’ Home Away From Home A Premier Boarding Facility in South Mississippi Highly rated on DogVacay.com AND Rover.com
Custom Tutus, Embroidery, Monogramming & Personalized Gifts!
Come join us!
Kate Lawler (661) 434-5283 www.facebook.com/ yourpetshome awayfromhomems
Women in Business Networking meets monthly to network and support each other in business. To join, contact founder Charlotte DiStefano at 228.806.1425 or request permission to join the group on Facebook.
Pregnancy can be overwhelming.
You may feel afraid, alone, and uncertain. You probably have a lot of questions. Take your time. Talk to someone you can trust like the peer counselors at WRC.
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Pregnancy Tests Peer Counseling Ultrasounds Parenting & Prenatal Classes
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9155 Old Lorraine Rd | Gulfport, MS 39503 | 228.897.8958 info@wrcGulfport.org Mon. & Tues. 10 a.m. - 5 p.m.; Wed. 10 a.m. - 1:30 p.m. Thurs. 10 a.m. - 7 p.m.; Closed Friday, Saturday and Sunday 51
www.gcwmultimedia.com
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SUCCESS WOMEN’S CONFERENCE
Gaudet receives Woman of the Year Award Dr. Cyndi Huff Gaudet is a woman of many significant accomplishments and outstanding contributions in the education sector. Her achievements in the classroom, dedication to community, and commitment to living a life of gratitude has earned Gaudet the recognition as the 2015 Karen Sock Woman of the Year Award. “One key to living a happy and successful life is cultivating an attitude of gratitude,” says Gaudet, winner in the Education Category. “Make the effort to focus on what you have, not what you don’t have, what you CAN do, rather than what you cannot do.” The award, presented by Lighthouse Business & Professional Women, was renamed after Sock this year in recognition of her career achievements, community leadership and mentorship of women on the Coast. The highly touted award recognizes a single woman each year for career experiences, personal achievements, education and community contributions. The selection committee is anonymous. As a professor and chair of the Department of Human Capital Development at the University of Southern Mississippi Gulf Coast, Gaudet’s passion is developing people through academic programs of excellence that prepare HRD professionals for the workplace. However, long before making her mark in the classroom, Gaudet’s path toward education was already laid out for her. “My family knew I was destined to be a teacher,” Gaudet says. “As a child, ‘playing school’ was my favorite pastime, complete with cumulative academic records I made for my dolls and stuffed animals.” Gaudet followed her heart and received a bachelors and masters in business education from USM. She then pursued academia at the highest level and in 1991, she received a Ph.D. 54
November - December 2015
Dr. Cyndi Gaudet was honored at the SUCCESS Women’s Conference Oct. 30. Photography by William Colgin
from Louisiana State University in vocational education with an emphasis on human resource education. After obtaining her Ph.D., she spent seven years as a College of Business faculty member at USL (now University of Louisiana-Lafayette) teaching undergraduate business administration majors and launched the Training and Development Certificate Program. This achievement at USL caught the attention of Southern Miss in Hattiesburg, and in 1997, Gaudet was recruited by the university to establish training and development degree programs that
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We sincerely appreciate your support of the inaugural SUCCESS Women’s Conference
DWilson & Associates, LLC
OMAN GULF COAST
SUCCESS WOMEN’S CONFERENCE
EDUCATION teach how to build more effective and efficient organizations. Since implementation, 500-plus people have completed the certificate program and 135-plus students have graduated with either a master’s degree or Ph.D. Since being at Southern Miss, she has had the privilege to serve as faculty member, program coordinator, professor and current chair of the Department of Human Capital Development. In 2004, she was successful in lobbying to move the department’s degree programs to the Gulf Park campus in Long Beach because as Gaudet says, “The Gulf Coast represents a more robust business community to support the things we teach in human capital development.” Gaudet has garnered a long list of honors and awards during her tenure and accomplishments at the university are extensive, including managing more than $5 million in research projects that integrate return-on-investment methodology as accountability framework. She also conducted a cutting-edge competency model research recognized with awards from NASA, Southern Growth Policies Board, and the
American Society for Training and Development. Gaudet is a volunteer for the Hancock County Habitat for Humanity, United Way leader for the USM Gulf Park campus, serves on the grant committee at First Baptist Church Long Beach post-Katrina, and if the founding board member and past president for the Gulf Coast Chapter of the American Society for Training & Development. The academic success Gaudet has achieved over the years is tremendously impressive, and as far as she is concerned, it starts with the foundational principle of gratitude. “Being grateful is an intentional, daily choice — the choice to look around and acknowledge the many good things in my life,” she says. “I am indeed blessed beyond measure!” And it just doesn’t stop there. In a most fantastic, teacher-like fashion, Gaudet developed a G-R-A-T-E-F-U-L acronym that encompasses everything she is most thankful for in her life. The order of her methodology is simple: God, family, profession.
I’m grateful for… By Dr. Cyndi Gaudet
God’s unconditional love, undeserved grace and tender mercies that carry me through each day. Raising happy, productive children, my most treasured personal accomplishment I share with my husband of 38 years. I consider it a privilege for the opportunity to be a parent and a grandparent. Amazing role models and mentors who have made a difference for me throughout my career. I appreciate being able to partner and collaborate with smart and generous leaders whose integrity and progressive vision for THE BEST Mississippi possible continue to shape and influence my work and inspire me to pay 56
it forward. Teaching as a calling and a profession. My parents taught us the value of education as vitally important to the quality of life for the individual and community. I appreciate the experience as a volunteer teacher at church and enjoying a career teaching at the high school and college level. My passion is creating educational pathways for students, teaching them how to improve performance in organizations through people. Expressions. In my family we have lots of phrases and colloquial sayings we refer to as “Huffisms” — expressions learned
from our parents and grandparents and just from living in the South. It makes for a happy home and workplace. Family, friends, freedom and FUN! Glad to enjoy each of these “golden” threads in this tapestry called life. Unscheduled nights and weekends. I love having evenings or weekends with no plans, just being able to hang out at home or being spontaneous to just pick up and go do something unexpected or fun! Living on the Mississippi Gulf Coast with LOTS of laughter, love and learning in my everyday life.
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Since joining Biloxi Regional Medical Center in 1989 as an accounting clerk (now Merit Health Biloxi), Debby Cleveland has served in multiple capacities within the accounting department, and also manages the hospital payroll. She was honored as “Department Director of the Quarter” for the first quarter of 2002 and in the third quarter of 2009, and was named “Associate of the Quarter.” For many years, Cleveland has been an active member in the hospital’s Service Excellence Committee, which was part of the hospital’s employee suggestion program. She has served the staff during the annual hospital picnic, the fall festival and the Christmas luncheon, and also assisted in monthly programs that promoted staff moral and teamwork, as well as participated in many of the hospital’s community fundraisers. Cleveland graduated from Southern Miss in 1976, is an active member of the Southern Miss Gulf Coast Metro Alumni Chapter, and assist’s with the university’s annual Beach Bash every year. Currently, she is the chapter treasurer and served as past secretary, a board member, and a member of the scholarship committee. In recognition of Cleveland’s love and service to Southern Miss, she was awarded the “Outstanding Service Award” in 2013.
10361B Automall Parkway D’Iberville, MS 39540
(228) 392-3299
Ms. Audrey's Kitchen and Catering is a Southern Buffet restaurant showcasing the very best soul food dishes and fixin's of the Gulf Coast. Opened in March, the food is cooked with soul and served with love. Ms. Audrey celebrates her continued success and dedication to providing you with excellent Southern soul food, warm smiles, and great service!
Thank you BPW for recognizing Ms. Audrey as a Nominee Finalist 2015 Woman of Achievement 1621 30th Ave. Downtown Gulfport
Fax (228) 392-4520 e-mail: sorg@sorgprinting.com www.gcwmultimedia.com 4x10.5_AD_Full Color.indd 1
228.357.5633
59 10/13/15 3:56 PM
SUCCESS WOMEN’S CONFERENCE
Women of Achievement category winners honored CORPORATE DOROTHY DUBOSE SHAW Manager of Community Relations/ overnment ffairs, ngalls Shipbuilding Dorothy Dubose Shaw is manager of community relations/government affairs for Ingalls Shipbuilding in Pascagoula where she has been employed for 43 years. She earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Jackson State University, is a graduate of Leadership Jackson County, and has completed management development training at Harvard University, The Wharton School of Business and Columbia University. Shaw’s impressive tenure at Ingalls is considered to be her most significant accomplishment: “I have served as the first and only female in the history of Ingalls Shipbuilding to manage the labor relations function,” Shaw says. “This was a male dominated profession and I managed to succeed and earn the respect and cooperation of labor leaders.” Community service is a way of life for Shaw. She is involved in a number of organizations, including treasurer of the board of the Jackson County Chamber of Commerce; board chairman of Gulf Coast Renaissance Corporation and Jackson County Salvation Army; immediate past chairman of the Gulf Coast Community Foundation; and vicepresident of the Board of Trustees of the Walter Anderson Museum of Art. She serves on and is the past president of the boards of Boys and
Girls Clubs of Jackson County, United Way for Jackson and George Counties, and Girl Scouts of Greater Mississippi. Shaw is a member of the Gulf Coast Business Council and serves on the board of Audubon Mississippi. She is president of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority and is a Paul Harris Fellow and past president of the Moss Point Rotary Club. She is a member of the Go Red for Women Circle of the American Heart Association. Shaw is a member of St. Paul United Methodist Church in Moss Point where she serves as chairman of the administrative council, member of the Finance Committee, and vice president of the United Methodist Women. Shaw has been honored with many awards such as South Mississippi’s Outstanding Community Leaders Award and recognized as one of Mississippi’s Top 50 Business Women. She was recently awarded the National Community Service Award by Women of Color Magazine.
CAREER ADVICE TO WOMEN: ever compromise who you are and never give up. dversity is inevitable failure is optional. ever underestimate the value of networking and never be afraid to step outside the norm.’ 60
November - December 2015
Printing Copying Promotional Items
1829 25th Avenue Gulfport, MS 39501 228.864.4401 Fax 228.864.4421 www.magnoliaprinting.com www.gcwmultimedia.com
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SUCCESS WOMEN’S CONFERENCE
ENTREPRENEUR HEATHER BRIERTON ndependent consultant and regional vice president, rbonne nternational Heather Brierton moved to the Mississippi Gulf Coast in 2006 after relocating her family’s residential construction company. She joined Arbonne in 2005 as an independent consultant and wholesale consumer, and five years later, was promoted to regional vice president. Her success with Arbonne has garnered incentive trips to New York, Atlantis, Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic, Los Cabos and the Eastern Caribbean, and last year, she was given the keys to a Mercedes Benz. In 2012, Brierton received the Circle of Excellence Award at the Arbonne Global Training Conference where she was recognized as one of the top 50 in the company for personal sales. Brierton admires an “outside the box thinking mentality” in leaders: “World class thinkers create and build other leaders,” she says. “By having this mindset, leaders operate from love and abundance and lead others to operate the same way.” She graduated from Pittsburg State University with a degree in health, physical
education and recreation, and is currently working on a certification in health coaching through the Institute for Integrative Nutrition. Brierton and her family also started a charitable foundation in 2013 called Hope4aFuture Foundation, which has raised and awarded more than $90,000 to families in medical crisis since December of 2013. She is a member and immediate past president of Coast Commerce Networking since 2013, a board member and cheerleading coordinator for Lyman Youth Association since 2014, and a member of Go Red for Women Leadership Team from 2011-2014.
CAREER ADVICE TO WOMEN Fear, obstacles and negative people will try to defeat you, but if you stick with it long enough and trust in od, all things are possible. on’t give up, you never know when you are three feet from gold.
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SUCCESS WOMEN’S CONFERENCE
GOVERNMENT SHERRI CARR BEVIS South ississippi Service oordinator for Mississippi Secretary of State Sherri Bevis is the South Mississippi Service Coordinator for Mississippi Secretary of State Delbert Hosemann. Since 2013, she has managed a variety of special projects for Secretary Hosemann and also serves as a regional coordinator for voter ID. After receiving a Bachelor of Arts degree in communications from Mississippi State University, she had the opportunity to move to Washington, D.C., to work for Senator Trent Lott for two years as his Deputy Press Secretary. After working on Capitol Hill, she furthered her education and received a master’s degree in higher education administration from George Washington University. When she moved back to the Gulf Coast, she served as the executive director of the BayWaveland Main Street Program, followed by serving as the deputy campaign manager in 2011 for Billy Hewes in his statewide campaign for lieutenant governor. She then returned to the classroom and taught fourth grade at North Bay Elementary School. Bevis and her family have lived in Diamondhead for 20 years and values being an active community leader serving as president
of the Gulfport Junior Auxiliary, a board member for the Lynn Meadows Discovery Center, and vice president of the Bay Area Youth Soccer Association. She was past president of Hancock County MSU Alumni Association for 2013-2014, and a member of Leadership Mississippi, class of 2015. She also is a graduate of Leadership Hancock County, the Gulf Coast Business Council’s Master Class, and a 2011 graduate of Leadership Gulf Coast.
CAREER ADVICE TO WOMEN y career advice to other women is to find your purpose and your passion so you can be not only successful, but fulfilled in what you seek to accomplish.
CONNECT. LEARN. EXCEL.
Motivational Speakers Political Symposium Women of Achievement Showcase Community Supporter
Lighting The Way For Women In 2015.
Join us for an upcoming meeting or event! Biloxi Lighthouse & Professional Women meets at noon every 3rd Wednesday at Merit Health Biloxi (formerly Biloxi Regional). Lunch is $10. First-time guests are free! November 18th – Speed Networking December 16th – Annual Christmas Baskets Raffle Don’t miss an opportunity to win a COACH purse basket! Buy your raffle tickets now. Call 228-239-1867 or email: kearn@prnhomecareservices.com
To our membership– Thank you helping us make a difference. Your hard work is appreciated.
From left: Vicki Hensley of PRN Home Care and S.A.F.E., Secretary; Tiffany Bell of Women’s Resources Center, VP of Programs; Debby Cleveland of Merit Health Biloxi, Treasurer; Barbara Butiro of Close to My Heart, VP of Membership; Kearn Cherry of PRN Home Care, President.
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SUCCESS WOMEN’S CONFERENCE
MEDICAL DR. VANESSA DUNCOMBE Physician, Merit Health Biloxi Dr. Vanessa Duncombe is an active member of the Merit Health staff and currently practices in three locations: primary care physician at CarePlus Promenade Medical Center in D’Iberville; medical director at St. Joseph Hospice; and physician at Gulfport Job Corp. She is board certified by the American Board of Family Medicine and also has Advanced Cardiac Life Support, Basic Life Support and American Society of Addiction certifications. Dr. Duncombe has been practicing family medicine for 13 years. She graduated with a Bachelor of Science from the University of Arkansas in 1995 and received her M.D. from the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences in 1999, followed by completing her internship and residency in Arkansas as well. A key leadership skill Dr. Duncombe appreciates in others is organization: “I admire a person who is able to anticipate the needs of the group and implement that need beforehand,” she says. “For example, sending out reminders. As much as everyone is expected to know what’s going on and be prepared, there’s nothing like getting a reminder to keep everyone aware of
expectations and to eliminate potential excuses.” This year, Dr. Duncombe was promoted to Assistant Chief of Medicine at Biloxi Regional Medical Center (now Merit Health) and is a member several national medical organizations, as well as Heroines of Jericho #44, Karun Court #89 and Gulf Coast Alumnae Chapter Delta Sigma Theta. She also stays engaged in the community by participating in the American Academy of Family Physicians, Mississippi Medical Society, American Diabetes Association, Active Staff Merit Health, guest speaker for Back 2 School Bash. She has volunteered at NAACP “When Women Talk”, for Prom Dress Drive with Pink Lotus Project, and with Coastal Women for Change Backpack and School Supply.
CAREER ADVICE TO WOMEN ave goals and work for them, but be happy and have fun. love going to work and being with my patients, but at the end of the day want to know that en oyed my career and my life.
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NONPROFIT PAIGE ROBERTS Owner, EPIC Enterprises, LLC Paige Roberts is the owner of EPIC Enterprises, LLC, a company focused on education, public relations and fundraising initiatives. She is currently co-coordinating Pathways2Possibilities — an interactive career expo for 8th graders for six counties in South Mississippi and seven counties in Northeast Mississippi. From 2004-2010, Roberts was the executive director of the Southeast Mississippi Chapter of the American Red Cross, followed by a year as the interim state director of Public Affairs and Financial Development for the American Red Cross of Mississippi. Roberts also taught journalism at Pascagoula High School for five years where she developed the state curriculum for high school broadcast journalism for the Mississippi Department of Education. Roberts moved to South Mississippi when WLOX-TV hired her out of the University of Missouri School of Journalism to be the Jackson County Bureau Reporter. She recently completed her Master of Public Administration from the University of Southern California. She is an active member in the community through membership in many organizations.
She serves as a member of PTO since 2006 and as treasurer since 2012; she is on the Superintendent’s Parent Advisory Committee at College Park Elementary School, the Jackson County Chamber of Commerce Education Committee, and the Gulf Coast Business Council Higher Education Committee. Roberts has been a member of First Presbyterian Church of Pascagoula since 1994 and is currently serving on the missions committee, she has also served on the communications committee, taught Sunday School classes and sang in the choir. She participated in the United Way of South Mississippi CEO Talent Show Participant in 2013 and 2014. She also served on the Board of Directors and chaired the service projects committee for the Pascagoula Rotary Club.
CAREER ADVICE TO WOMEN y career advice to other career women would be to learn as much as they can about their work and its role in the community so that they can e pand their contribution beyond their workspace.
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SUCCESS WOMEN’S CONFERENCE
SHUNDRAL COLE SHUNDRAL COLE Assistant U.S. attorney Southern District of Mississippi Shundral Cole is an assistant United States attorney in the criminal division for the Southern District of Mississippi. She received a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and English from the University of Mississippi in 2005, and in 2008, she received her Doctor of Jurisprudence from Mississippi College School of Law. Cole has clerked for Hinds County Circuit Judge Winston L. Kidd and Mississippi Court of Appeals Judge David M. Ishee. She was formerly an assistant district attorney for the Seventh Circuit Court District in Hinds County, Miss. In 2012, Cole moved to the Gulf Coast and began working an assistant district attorney for the Second Circuit Court District in Harrison County. Last year, Cole was honored with the Leadership in Law Award as one of the Mississippi Business Journal’s Top Ten Leading Attorneys in Mississippi.
Currently, she is the assistant secretary for the Magnolia Bar Association, vice president for Harrison County Young Lawyers Association, as well as a member of the Mississippi Bar Association, Mississippi Prosecutors Association, Mississippi Women Lawyers Association (MWLA), and the 2013 Mississippi Bar Leadership Forum class. Cole also is a board member for Coast Young Professionals, a member Junior Auxiliary of Gulfport, Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated, the 2014-2015 Leadership Gulf Coast Class, and the 201-2015 Keesler Air Force Base Honorary Commander.
CAREER ADVICE TO WOMEN ever forget from where you came. s professional women, we stand on the shoulders of those who came before us — remember them and continually honor all the sacrifices they made in order for you to be able to achieve your goal.
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Program offers ways to discover new possibilities AARP is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization dedicated to helping people 50 and over improve the quality of their lives. In addition to fighting for issues such as healthcare, employment and income security, and retirement planning, part of AARP’s vision is to help people turn their goals and dreams into reality at any age. One way the organization accomplishes this mission is through “Life Reimagined,� which has gained significant momentum since launching in 2013. The program serves as a single source of online/offline tools and experiences through a unique step-by-step approach that empowers people to define and shape their lives, and find happiness and purpose. With people living longer and redefining traditional notions of aging and retirement, a new life stage has emerged. Today, many people in their 50s, 60s and beyond are choosing to add these years in the middle versus tacking them on later in a “wind down stage.� For many, this new life stage is strengthened by years of experience, accumulated knowledge and wisdom, and feelings of optimism for the road ahead. Life Reimagined inspires and guides people through life transitions by helping them discover new possibilities and connect with a community of people pursuing similar passions and goals. Laurie Johnson is AARP’s associate state director for community outreach and she says the purpose of the program is to help participants reflect on their lives, evaluate what they really want out of life, and begin to take small steps toward their “what’s next.� She finds great joy in assisting others because of the impact the program has made on her own life. “I have been able to reimagine my own life several times so far,� Johnson says. “I think it’s an amazing thing when we are able to match our passion with activities or careers that provide us with a fulfilling and exciting life. Life Reimagined helps me to stay on track as I continually make room in my life for new possibilities and opportunities.� Johnson helps facilitates Life Reimagined workshops on the Gulf Coast, which is designed as an interactive experience that includes a series of videos, thought-provoking questions and life reflections. During the second part of the workshop, volunteers inspire participants toward the realization of what they might want to do next and help them create an action plan to help them get started on the next steps. Workshops are offered at several locations on the coast, and AARP also facilitates Life Reimagined book clubs periodically to help people deepen their experience by reading the program’s book written by Richard Leider and Alan Webber.
MORE INFORMATION For more information on workshops and book club schedule, contact aurie ohnson at . membership isn’t a requirement to participate.
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SUCCESS WOMEN’S CONFERENCE
How SUCCESS Women’s Conference began As has been their pattern for more than a year, Kearn Cherry and Dorothy Wilson met on a Tuesday earlier this year to discuss upcoming projects. Cherry, vice president of PRN Home Care and president of Lighthouse Business & Professional Women, mentioned how much she’d like to see the Lighthouse BPW Women of Achievement event grow into a larger event. Wilson, publisher of Gulf Coast Woman and president of DWilson & Associates, said her magazine wanted to organize a daylong women’s conference to showcase and enrich women. A match was found, and SUCCESS Women’s Conference was born in their minds that spring day. Cherry and Wilson identified several people whom they thought would be critical to the success of such a conference, and the planning stages began. Wilson spoke to her business partner in Gulf Coast Woman, Angela Bruni, and Bruni was delighted to hear that an item on her bucket list — a women’s event — would be checked off. A purpose — inspire, enrich and mentor — was crafted and a name given to the event: SUCCESS. The conference was to help women succeed in their endeavors, highlight achievers and provide information, connections and resources for women across the Coast.
Dorothy Wilson
Kearn Cherry
The next steps quickly fell into place: Community leaders Karen Sock, SUCCESS editor for the magazine, and Tiffany Bell, vice president of Lighthouse BPW, were asked to join the planning team. John Folding, editor of GCW’s new Gulf Coast Weddings magazine and well-known event planner, was asked to lend his experience to the leadership team. Once a fashion show was mentioned, it was a given that Brenda Blount of A Better You had to be part of the team. A date was set and an excited team went to work making it happen! The event, a success in year one, drew hundreds of professional women, speakers from as far away as New York, and vendors from across South Mississippi on Oct. 30.
The SUCCESS Team Dorothy Wilson, Gulf Coast Woman Magazine Kearn Cherry, PRN Home Care Services Angela Bruni, Gulf Coast Woman Magazine Karen Sock, Sock Enterprises Tiffany Bell, Women’s Resource Center John D. Folding, ohn . Folding ssociates Brenda Blount, A Better You Barbara Butiro, Close to the Heart LaShaundra McCarty, 3C is Creative
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Dana Sleger, ilson ssociates Cheryl Fishman, ilson ssociates Crystal Scretching, My Wall of Dreams Tracy Daniel, Gulfport School District Anita Brooks, eiger randspiration Patti Cuevas, Plexus Slim Sabrina Stallworth, ll ottled p Ginger Jenner, Visiting Angel
Community Leader Award nominees
Nearly 80 leaders to be recognized The Mississippi Gulf Coast Chamber of Commerce, in partnership with Hancock County Chamber of Commerce and Jackson County Chamber of Commerce, has announced the finalists for the One Coast Awards. The One Coast Awards are the rebranding of the former Top 10 Under 40 and Community Leader Awards presented by Sun Herald MultiMedia and the Journal of South Mississippi Business. The Roland Weeks Hall of Fame was established in 2002 by the Sun Herald to recognize the wealth of outstanding business and community leaders across the Coast. Top 10 Under 40 and Community Leader Awards were developed to showcase community leaders and strong, up-andcoming young business leaders. The Roland Weeks Hall of Fame was named for the longtime publisher of the Sun Herald. Weeks has set an exemplary example of leadership and community service during his career and postretirement. The program and awards have been revitalized as the One Coast Awards to continue the ideal that One Coast is a regional belief and our common interests far outweigh any difference; an awareness that what benefits one, ultimately benefits all; a celebration of our unique communities and an attitude of no boundaries.
BRAD BRADFORD Mississippi Power
MELANIE CLARK Community Volunteer
CONO CARANNA The White House Hotel
ROBIN CAREY Cedar Lake Christian Academy
LYNN FRISBY DR. STEVE DEMETROPOULOS Boomtown Casino Biloxi Emergency Room Group
SHERRI CARR-BEVIS Mississippi Secretary of State
KAREN GLASS Coldwell Banker Alfonso
JULIE GRESHAM Ingalls Shipbuilding
CHERIE LABAT Bay-Waveland School District
BLAINE LAFONTAINE City of Diamondhead
JOYCE LLOYD Chemours DeLisle
SONDRA LOVE-MAGEE Merit Health Biloxi
TONI MILES WXXV News 25
STEVE NIEMAN Bruno Event Team
KATHARINE OHMAN Community Volunteer
AMBER OLSEN Nextaff
BILL RAYMOND City of Biloxi
CHELI STRUMILA Coast Observer
ALAN SUDDUTH Chevron Pascagoula
ANGELYN TREUTEL ZERINGUE JOHN T. WADE South Group Insurance Gulf States Engineering
KEITH WILLIAMS Hancock Bank
PHOTOGRAPHS NOT AVAILABLE CHRISTENE BRICE Harrison County Election Commission ALETHA BURGE United Way of South Mississippi J.J. FLETCHER The First, A National Banking Association ANDI OUSTALET Community Volunteer CATHY WILSON Hancock County School District
DOROTHY WILSON Gulf Coast Woman
Top 10 Under 40 nominees
ARTURO BARAJAS Mosaic Restaurant/ Magnolia Studio
SHUNDRAL COLE United States Attorney’s Office
CARLOS BELL Mississippi State Port Authority at Gulfport
HOLLEY CUNNINGHAM Bacot/McCarty Foundation
R. LEE FLOWERS Ingalls Shipbuilding/ City of Gulfport
LAWANDA JONES Hancock Bank
PADRICK DENNIS Specialty Contactors & Associates, Inc.
ALLISON GRAY Hancock Bank
JAMES KAIGLER Hancock Bank
ANDY PHELAN Pickering Firm, Inc.
HOPE BLANKENSHIP To The Rescue Bookkeeping
ROBERT DEMING III, Deming Enterprises, LLC
NATALIE GUESS Magnolia Business Alliance
JENNIFER LEE Island View Casino
EMILY PICKERING Mississippi Gulf Coast Chamber of Commerce, Inc.
FATINA BRAVE, Ingalls Shipbuilding
KADY PIETZ The University of Southern Mississippi Gulf Park Campus
JAIMEE DORRIS Jaimee Designs Web Studio, LLC
MAEGAN HARDER Elliott Homes
JENNY LEVENS Mississippi Gulf Coast Chamber of Commerce, Inc.
MEGAN BURKES University of Southern Mississippi Foundation
HEATHER SANDERS Gulf Coast Renaissance Corporation
ASHLEY EDWARDS Hancock County Port and Harbor Commission
JOSHUA JOACHIM American Red Cross
PATRICK LYONS The People’s Bank
ROBERT CARNAHAN Ingalls Shipbuilding
CARMELITA SCOTT East Biloxi Community Collaborative
CHRISTY ELIAS The University of Southern Mississippi Gulf Park Campus
NIKKI JOHNS AGJ Systems & Networks
TAYLOR MCNEEL Brunini, Grantham, Grower & Hewes
COREY CHRISTY Walter Anderson Museum of Art
KENNETH JONES Coldwell Banker Alfonso
JOHNNY OLSEN LPK Architects
LAURA SESSUM Singing River Health System
BRANDON SHERWOOD The Citizens Bank
NOMINEES NOT PICTURED DR. NICKLYA HARRIS-RAY Allied Health Professor ANDREW HINKEBEIN United States Senator Wicker’s Office RENEE JOHNSON WLOX KENNEDY SMITH Harrah’s Gulf Coast
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KATE DENNIS SPEAR Specialty Contractors & Associates, Inc.
SUGAR STALLINGS Stallings Esq.
November - December 2015
JA’LEASA WALDEN STEPS Coalition
BRANDON WEBB BancorpSouth
DIANA ROBINSON The Peoples Bank
l u f e t Gra As 2015 comes to a close, most of us are counting our blessings. Even though we may have experienced hardships, we still can see the good in our lives. Gulf Coast Woman asked several readers to share why they are grateful.
Ernie & Angie THERIOT
‘Cowboy up’ is the Theriot way By Dana Sleger Anyone who knows Ernie and Angie Theriot will tell you they are two of the kindest and most genuine people they have ever met. For 17 years they have lived in Perkinston slightly south of Wiggins. Every time they venture out to shop or dine in their community, they are constantly greeted with hellos by friends and acquaintances who know their story and remain in awe of their strength. This family has endured more heartache than one should in a lifetime, and their marriage vows — “for better, for worse, in sickness and in health” — have been painfully tested. Yet, their The Theriot family: Angie and Ernie with twin boys, Jaden, top, and Ryan. unyielding commitment to each other and unwavering faith in God has created a gratitude anchored in www.gcwmultimedia.com
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fortitude that leaves little room for the “why me” return to the arena to continue questions. training horses for his business. Some might call this mentality a “cowboy In the midst of grieving from up” mindset, which is very fitting for Ernie, the sudden loss of his son, who is well known and well respected within Ernie also was grieving the the regional rodeo circuit. Not only is the loss of his father, Earnest, who 60-year-old a champion calf roper, his honestpassed away two weeks before to-goodness demeanor has earned him a Evan died. longstanding reputation as a true friend and a His father, nicknamed “Rev” valuable mentor to his fellow cowboys. for his reputation of integrity, A horse arena is all Ernie has every known. taught Ernie everything he Since he was a teenager, he practiced for knows about rodeo: how to be upcoming rodeos and owned a successful a champion calf roper and stay business where he broke and trained wild horses humble, and most importantly, for a number of clients. how to be a man of character. On Nov. 25, 2013, all that came to a stop when “Daddy taught me you better a horse he was training bucked him off in the not lie, and you better not arena next to his house. When Angie came out cheat, and you better respect of the barn to check on her husband, she found people older than you,” Ernie him face down in the dirt, talking but unable to says. “He always said if you give move. a man your word, you better do Ernie sustained life-changing injuries that what you say.” caused him to be paralyzed from the waist down Ernie and Angie’s little cowboy, Evan, was The phrase “God works 5 when he passed away in 2005. with limited mobility in both arms. Going from in mysterious ways” is certainly actively riding horses to slowly navigating a power wheelchair applicable to how one processes grief, and how a heart heals is a drastic change that could easily break someone’s spirit, and finds strength to keep moving forward. While Ernie but with Ernie, his faith directs him to look to the heavens found comfort in prayer and scriptures from the Bible, Angie and not his circumstances. had a special moment — a gift — that can only be described “I’ve had a lot of people tell me, ‘It shouldn’t have been as a tangible divine encounter. Ernie,’” says Herbert Theriot, Ernie’s youngest brother and “It was like Evan came to me in a dream and said, ‘I’m okay, 1994 World Champion calf roper. “He has always been Mommy. Don’t you worry about me; I’m okay,’” Angie says. positive — he’s special. No matter what you take away from “This was not long after he died. It was the one and only time him, he still has his faith and is still believing. I know I it happened. It’s hard to put into words, but I know it was couldn’t have gone through what he went through; ain’t no more than a dream.” way.” Kristine Allemand and her husband, Clint, have been dear Herbert is referring to another heartache that hit the family friends with the Theriots for years and were guests at their in 2005. wedding. As a mother herself, Kristine gets emotional when Sadly, Ernie’s accident was all to reminiscent of when their talking about how much she admires Angie’s strength after 5-year-old son, Evan, was fatally injured in the same arena losing young Evan and now being Ernie’s primary caregiver. in September 2005 after a horse got spooked and crashed “No mother should have to go through something like into the gate where Evan was sitting on top of the cattle chute that,” Kristine says. “Angie is a very strong woman, and with watching his dad practice. what she’s been through, she can still smile. I see her as a hero There are a lot of tears when recalling memories of their — a woman of strength, courage, and big faith. I just think beloved son. she’s awesome.” “I’m not saying I’m over it because you never get over it, Prior to Angie coming into Ernie’s life, Kristine was good but you either dwell on it or you go on,” Angie says. “You go friends with Ernie’s first wife, Melinda, a graceful spirit with through a bunch of different emotions. You don’t want to a beautiful singing voice. Tragedy first struck the Theriot forget, and you don’t want people to forget what he sounded family in 1997 when his wife of nearly 21 years died from like or what he looked like.” cancer, making Ernie a single parent to their 17-year-old For the longest time, Ernie couldn’t talk about that day with daughter, Staci. anyone, because it was too painful, especially after having to Staci, raised in the horse arena, has won many rodeos in
breakaway roping and barrel racing events thanks to her father’s guidance. Losing her mother left an indelible mark on her heart, but Staci says she found great comfort in their rodeo family. When her little brother, Evan, died and her dad, Ernie, was injured, their rodeo family was there again to help take away some of the pain. “You want to beat them in the arena, but everyone is family outside the arena, and we have really witnessed that through all the tragedies Daddy has been through,” Staci says. “When Mama died, people held a rodeo to help pay for her medical bills. When Evan died, there were people who paid for his funeral. When Daddy got hurt, people messaged me all the time wanting to know how he’s doing. Rodeo people don’t just throw you to the curb; they are really good people.” And as far as what Angie means to Staci, she couldn’t be more thankful that her step-mom became a part of the Theriot family. “She’s been a Godsend to my Daddy and she’s been a blessing to me,” Staci says. “Angie is like an old soul trapped in a young body. She’s content wherever she’s at and easygoing. She is my Daddy’s 24-hour caregiver, and you’ve got to hand it to her, she’s one tough cookie.” One member of the rodeo family that has been significantly impacted by Ernie’s faith is Cody Ohl, a professional rodeo cowboy for 22 years who has won five world championships in calf roping and was named “All-Around Cowboy Champion” in 2001. Cody says it feels like he and Ernie have been brothers for a long time, which makes their friendship very special to him. “Ernie is a testimony to the way you’re supposed to live your life, especially with what he’s been dealt,” Ohl says. “What makes him special is all the stuff he’s been through. It’s overwhelming, but he handles it in a positive way. He’s always been an inspiration in my life. No matter what’s on his plate or what comes his way, he trusts in the Lord.” Despite the heartaches over the years, wonderful miracles are also a part of the Theriots’ story. On August 3, 2008, Angie gave birth to twin boys, Jaden West and Ryan James — a double-portion blessing for the family. “I was so excited when I found out I was having two babies,” Angie says. “Jaden’s name means ‘God has heard’ or ‘God has remembered’ and Ryan’s name means ‘Little King.”’ Ernie is now making tremendous progress with his physical therapy sessions three times a week at Drayer Physical Therapy in Petal (right outside of Hattiesburg). His therapist, Jennifer Stewart, has vast experience in treating spinal cord injuries. With strength training, balance training, flexibility exercises and neuromuscular re-education, Jennifer believes Ernie may walk again, even if it’s with assistance. “Ernie’s progress has been remarkable,” Jennifer says. “His spinal cord injury is what we call incomplete, meaning
“If I had to describe my Daddy in one word, it would be constant. Not long after Daddy was paralyzed, I was sitting next to his bed trying not to cry. He said, ‘Hey, this too shall pass.’ I thought how can he be that positive? I should not have been shocked by that statement, because my Daddy has always had such strong faith. With all of the losses he has been through, he has remained constant — constant in faith, in positivity, and in prayer.” – Staci Theriot Davenport there is a much better chance for neurological recovery, because the spinal cord was not completely severed. He makes progress each and every second, which of course, is attributed to his unbelievable work ethic. The sky is the limit, and at this point, it’s just a matter of keep on keepin’ on — just working hard and seeing how much strength, endurance, function and independence he can get back.” The Theriots still greatly enjoy attending local rodeos, but Ernie’s view is much different now. Instead of participating in the calf roping event, his handicap van is parked right next to the chute so he can watch his friends and offer some cowboyto-cowboy playful critique. “Am I going to have to come over there and show y’all how to rope it myself,” Ernie teases. By the grace of God, when that day happens, there won’t be a dry eye in the arena. Theriot’s view of the rodeo is h iffe e o
Mike
Grateful
LACY Good living takes teamwork By Mike Lacy
My life has been blessed beyond what I could have ever imagined. Any accomplishments are not and will never be of my own doing. It takes a support system. It takes a collaboration. It takes a network to achieve great things — or even just to get through to the next day. I can’t say that my life has been tough. Compared to some, it’s been straight down the middle. But when those occasional dark clouds come, it’s easy to get down. However, even with the few speed bumps that have created a detour me, I’ve not really slowed down. Why? Faith, family, and friends. That sounds so overused, but it’s true. I’ve seen tremendous grief, and I’ve seen recovery. And it’s so much easier to get there with help. It’s amazing what opportunities present themselves when you are blessed with amazing people around you.
FAMILY
My loving wife, Carol, the most self-less person I’ve ever known, has been such a bedrock for me. My son, Blake, and my mother, Marilyn, are there for me. The lessons of unconditional love from my father, Paul, are with me always.
FAITH
Yes, I pray every day — and much more when I need a booster shot.
FRIENDS
I can’t count them all. Always encouraging, making me laugh, and helping me feel better about who I am and what I have to offer. By day’s end, I start to think, “Did I take more than I gave?” So, I make sure that the support system is not a
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Mike Lacy has been a journalist for almost 40 years as a writer and editor. He’s now a multi-media journalist with his friends at WLOX-TV. On the side, he’s been a theatrical writer, actor, producer and director. He also is an adjunct professor at Tulane University’s School of Continuing Studies.
one-way street. I pay it back, pay it forward — I just pay it. Faith, family, friends — my partners in life. That’s what I’ve been blessed with. That’s what I’m thankful for.
Dorothy SHAW
I am grateful for the opportunity to rise each day to new possibilities and the chance to make a positive difference in someone’s life. I am grateful for the men and women who serve in uniform all around the world, because they put their lives on the line for all of us. I am grateful that I live in a country where I am free to worship and speak without fear of repercussion. I am grateful for my family members who love and support me. I am grateful for my amazing husband who is always there as my loudest cheerleader. I am grateful for my daughter and my grandchildren. I am grateful for my collection of bees, because each time I look at one, I am reminded that, “If bees can fly, I can do anything.” I am grateful for those things that have not always worked out the way I wanted them in life. Getting through those things has made me a much stronger and more determined individual. I am grateful that God loves me in spite of all my faults.
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Lynnz
Grateful
ESRAH BARAJAS
To be happy is to live happily By Lynnz Esrah Barajas
When I tell someone my age, I always add that I have an old soul. We all have a story. As a child I was rejected by my family and grew up suffering in silence. My parents were Arabic and followed everything by the book. When I was twelve, I was pulled out of school to work in a family business. I unloaded trucks daily and came home to an abusive family. Rejection is too simple a term to describe my relationship with my family. After enduring every type of abuse imaginable, I ended up living on my own. I did whatever I could to survive. I’ve been on my own since I was a child to make ends meet. On my 19th birthday I thought all my struggles were over — from homeless shelters to becoming an adult at a young age. I remembered as a kid watching unsolved mysteries of people trapped in a car when something horrific would happen, and I would yell at the TV, “Get out of the car!” Then one day, I ended up in that position. At 19 my car turned off on the tracks and a train hit me. I woke up months later after being in a coma and starring down at my open stomach. I remember how it was too painful to accept so much heartache and pain. I’ve struggled for years with surgeries over and over again to live. I always heard friends can become family, but what I really needed was my mom, a blood relative to hold me and tell me everything would be okay! I remember finally seeing my family sitting there by my hospital bed being told to prepare for my funeral. When I miraculously woke up my choices became limited by family. They wanted me to come back to the life I always felt trapped in — a life I could never adapt to or become part of. Yes, there is some beauty in my culture, but there is so much violence in it, and I wasn’t going to accept it. I said no, I will not go back to that life. I remember an evil stare and a wish that I were dead. I endured a year of wound care and physical therapy. I was weary from it all. Unfortunately, sometimes the suffering is inevitable, and you just have to accept it. I 78
November - December 2015
Her car after it was struck by a train.
became an angry person because of all that happened. Being so angry and hateful only destroyed me. Traumatized after so much suffering, I wondered how could God let this happen? I felt like I didn’t deserve what happened and who easier to blame than God? I eventually regained faith, because I realized after 70 surgeries, I still had my hands and legs, even though doctors said I would never walk again. I became a believer that anything can happen with faith. I have a tender heart and would give somebody my shoes if they needed them. We all have stories, we all have bad days, but I’ve learned to be happy is to live happily. Things happen and it’s up to us to either turn our lives around or ball everything up inside, become angry, and blame others out of anger. Life is so easily misinterpreted because things happen over which we have no control. I’ve lived without family. I’ve gone days without eating. I’ve suffered in every way. I’ve earned money with dirty hands. I’ve worked for it and took no easy way out. I still struggle every day from pain, from heartache, and the memories. But I realized to look back is to live back, is to be back. Living every day with actions of the past, held me back from everything of which I was capable. Feeling the past made me insecure. www.gcwmultimedia.com
I am a believer in God, because I know things could be so much worse. How would life be if I never regained the ability to walk? Sometimes we may never understand why bad things happen, but by simply telling our own story we can change someone. I’m not going to say everything’s perfect, because nothing is. But what you do can change you. I talk to my family, even though they think what happened to me is a punishment from God, because I am going against my culture. For me to be the bigger person and block those words as much as they hurt me, shows me that I’ve changed. Life isn’t simple. You’ll never understand it, but I am a believer that God will never put you in a situation you couldn’t handle. For us to understand is to accept, and to let go of any anger, and to forgive, even though we feel whatever it is doesn’t deserve to be forgiven. We are in control. God is forgiving so why can’t I be? I see miracles happen everyday and we don’t realize it, but they’re billions of people out there, and everything happens for a reason. We can’t question God, we just have to accept it even if it’s something we feel like we can’t accept. Forgive, live and smile — always!
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Angelyn
ZERINGUE A father’s many gifts By Angelyn Treutel Zeringue
Tis the season to count our blessings! So let’s go back to the beginning – my beginning. I was born to two amazing parents, AJ & Loislyn Scardino. They believed in possessing a strong faith, working hard, and having lots of kids. I was the first of 10 children. No, this is not a typo — five girls and five boys. My father always said it was perfect family planning! My dad was the King of Optimism. He never let anything get him down or slow him down. He had a brilliant intellect and was quite a jokester. He was loud, outspoken, and opinionated. He set high expectations for himself and others. Dad was a great role model and introduced us to a myriad of life experiences, from living in a suburb of New Orleans, to working on a pig farm where we developed a love for the outdoors and fishing, to a mountain top-home where we enjoyed all four seasons and snow days, and finally to the beautiful Gulf Coast of Mississippi. Each experience was related to some life or job change that was required as our family grew and grew. And even though I didn’t realize it then, each experience made my life better and made me into who I am today. I learned how to easily make friends because we moved so much. I learned how to roll with the punches, how to take care of animals, take care of lots of babies, deal with bad weather like snowstorms and hurricanes, how to work in an office and run a business, how to handle computers, how to build things, how to be a leader, how to organize, and how having the right tool makes the job go faster. Did I mention that my dad was a tool-aholic? I learned that one cannot wait for an opportunity; one must create the opportunity. I also learned that “he who eats the fastest gets the most-est.” (Only someone from a really large family can relate to that Daddy-ism). My father was a high school sports coach, an officer in the sheriff ’s office, and he helped start a volunteer fire department. Dad designed safety equipment and worked with OSHA on many projects. He was an engineer, a diver, a retail trophy business owner, a pig farmer, a tire additive distributor, a demolition manager, a contractor, a real estate agency owner, a disaster recovery expert, an 80
November - December 2015
accident reconstruction professional, a college instructor, royalty in a Mardi Gras parade, a safety consultant, a risk manager, and a mold remediation specialist. All the while he was a strong head of our family, a firm disciplinarian, a loving husband, and an overall great dad. He was very active in our church and encouraged all of us to support good causes with our time, talent, and treasure. Life is not always kind. In 2008 we began to realize that something was wrong with Dad’s exceptional mind. He was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s. We lost Dad a little bit each day, and we were blessed that he was seemingly unaware of leaving us. In February 2014, my Dad left this world to go to Heaven. As I look back on the ups and downs in my life, I am so grateful for my Dad’s influence on me. He taught me to never give up and to always do my best. He taught me to look for the good and to treat all people with kindness. He taught me that to whom much is given, much is expected. Thanks Dad, I miss you.
A lifelong bond of gratitude
By Dana Sleger LaShay Brown is a remarkable young woman. An 8thgrade student at Bay-Waveland Middle School in Bay St. Louis, LaShay is recognizable to many who know her story. A photograph of her beautiful, angelic face was taken in New Orleans during the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. The iconic image captured the joy of a 3-year-old little girl in the arms of safety. Her rescuer was Michael Maroney, a pararescue jumper with the U.S. Air Force. The photo was taken after he delivered Brown and her family via helicopter to the Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport. Maroney, now a retired Master Sergeant of the Air Force Reserves, never forgot that smile and for years he circulated the photo and tried to locate her through a social media campaign — #FindKatrinaGirl — to check on her well being. Long story short, the 13-year-old who now lives in Waveland eventually heard about Maroney’s nationwide search after a local media outlet reported on Maroney’s efforts. Ten years after the evacuation from a rooftop in New Orleans, Maroney and Brown were reunited on the talk show “The Real” in September. That second hug meant so much more than the first. “The reuniting was amazing,” Brown says. Gratitude means a great deal to Brown. Although she doesn’t remember much from her encounter with Maroney, the principle of being thankful is directly connected to the day he rescued her from rising floodwaters. “I am thankful for everything my family and mother do for me,” Brown says. “I am also thankful for meeting the man who is the reason I am here today.” When the teenager grows up, she wants to be a family court lawyer or a defense attorney. As far as role models, her choice reflects wisdom beyond her young years. “My role model is Maya Angelou,” Brown says. “She made me believe that I am a strong and powerful little girl, young adult, and will become an intelligent woman.” LaShay Brown, your intelligence is already shining. Gulf Coast Woman is thankful you and your family survived Hurricane Katrina and are now residents of the www.gcwmultimedia.com
LaShay BROWN
Mississippi Gulf Coast. We look forward to interviewing you again years down the road when you have made your successful mark on the mountain destined for you to climb. Master Sgt. Mike Maroney hugs LaShay Brown during a reunion in September on the television show “The Real.” They had not seen each other since the day Maroney rescued her family from a rooftop in New Orleans. Photograph by Erica Parise/Warner Bros. Television Three-year-old Hurricane Katrina survivor LaShay Brown h s he es e , ff ike o ey, e she s relocated to the Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport on Sept. 7, 2005. Photograph courtesy of U.S. Air Force
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A year of sporting challenges By Buck Rogers 2015 year has been a year of unique challenges, both professionally and personally. It would have been an epic failure without the contributions of so many people and organizations. Now is the time of year we reflect on what’s really important in life and take stock of what we have, not what we lost. I’m eternally grateful we live in a nation where our rights are guaranteed — not by our government, but by our Creator. Our nation is the last bastion of freedom on Earth where we are born and live free to chase our dreams with no guarantees of success. For life to remain that way, we must continually be protected by those who voluntarily lay down their lives for everything we hold near and dear to our hearts. I’m grateful for the people of the Gulf Coast. Without their unending support and understanding, the dream of bringing Minor League Baseball to South Mississippi would never have materialized. From those that dreamed to those that put a plan in motion, to those that understood that a summer evening with family and friends watching America’s pastime is as good as it gets, the can-do attitude of Coastians is above reproach. They just get it done. I’m extremely proud to be a resident. If we count our blessings and realize what we already have, it’s much easier to be content. When the sun comes up tomorrow I’ll be thankful for the quality of life we enjoy on the Gulf Coast and I’ll be grateful to God for not giving me everything that I want, but providing me with what I need: health, happiness, family, and the opportunity to help make the world a better place.
Mildred
STEWART Prayers of the past make us grateful By Mildred Stewart I could list a million things for which I am grateful. What I am most grateful for at my age of 80 is my Godly heritage which started with my grandfather and the Cummins family dating back to 1836. My family and I would not be where we are today, nor would the generations to come, had it not been for the faithful prayers of past generations I am also grateful that my husband and I, along with our three children, were saved and filled with the Holy Spirit. I was 42. When my husband and I asked Jesus to come into our lives and change our hearts, we were ready to learn whatever we needed to learn in order to change the course of our family. I am grateful for the many divine appointments sent to us--people who came to disciple and teach us how to pray God’s word through faith over situations we wanted to change. One of the many scriptures I pray is Isaiah 59:21: “As for me, this is My covenant says The Lord, My spirit, Who is upon you (Mildred) and My words which I have put in your mouth shall not depart out of your mouth, or out of the mouths of your children, or out of the mouths of your children’s children from now and forever more.” I pray that up to 1000 generations! Another that I have stood on through the many storms of life is Matthew 7: 24-25: “Therefore, whoever hears these sayings of mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock, and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat in the house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock.” The rock, of course, is Jesus! From my grandfather we have 6 generations serving The Lord today. I could not be more grateful. If you do not have a Godly heritage, how exciting that it could all begin with YOU!
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P2P works to change education statistics By Rebecca Ritchey Both public and private schools in the lower six counties of Mississippi participate in P2P. Prior to the event, students receive career exploration activities in the classroom. During P2P, each student will be able to explore four to eight career pathways. Each pathway has a designated pathfinder who has coordinated with Pathways2Possiblities to ensure an informative, interactive, and fun experience. Students will be able to review the careers and the requirements for the career pathways of their choice. Software is used both before and after the expo to assist the students in prioritizing what they learn. In Mississippi, only 60 percent of the ninth-graders graduate from high school. The average graduation rate from the eight Mississippi public universities in four years is 22.85 percent and 44.24 percent in six years. In the lower six counties of Mississippi, 7.38 percent of college graduates are unemployed or underemployed. Employers cannot find workers to meet their specified skill sets for the industry. Pathways2Possibilities has the potential to change these statistics for the better. Education researchers have found that career exploration needs to begin in eighth grade versus the traditional high school and upperclassman years. The study also shows that eighth-graders are developmentally ready to have hands-on experience in careers they are interested in and have a desire to begin exploring the career choices in their area of interest. The first expansion of Pathways2Possibilites took place in Tupelo on Oct. 6 and 7 this year. The event, using the P2P model, was titled “Imagine the Possibilities” and was presented by the CREATE Foundation, the Toyota Wellspring Education Fund and many businesses in Northeast Mississippi. More than 3,000, eighth-graders from seven counties, and 1,000 teachers in Northeast Mississippi attended the event. After the eighth-graders departed on the first day of the expo, several small groups of at risk youth ages 16 to 24 were able to experience the event. Pathway2Possibilities organizers, Karen Sock and Paige Roberts, can be reached at (228) 990-6712. www.gcwmultimedia.com
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How to help make college a reality for your grandchildren Being a grandparent is more than just visiting and playing with your grandchildren. It can also mean being someone who has significant impact on his or her future. By helping secure the finances they’ll need to pay for college, you can help them achieve all the success and hopes you have for them. Robert J. Sawyer
Managing Director Investment Advisor Representative
Suzie Pierce Sawyer
Managing Director Investment Advisor Representative
(228) 864-4460 | (877) 896-4664 | www.sawyerteam.com
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By Suzie Sawyer
According to the College Board, the average cost of tuition and fees for the 2014-2015 school year was $31,231 at private colleges, $9,139 for state residents at public colleges, and $22,958 for out-of-state residents attending public universities. With college tuition continually on the rise, many parents are finding it difficult to cover the costs, leaving their children saddled with student loan debt upon graduation. As a result, a growing number of grandparents are helping their grandchildren pay for their education. If you’ve adequately saved for retirement and other financial goals, you may find assisting your grandchildren with their college savings to be a satisfying way to pass along your wealth. But there are many things for you to consider first. One way you can help is by gifting cash or securities to your grandchild. If the amount of your individual gift is less than $14,000 (or $28,000 for a gift made by a married couple), your gift will be exempt from federal gift tax. Your cash gift would, however, be counted as income for your grandchild, and could affect his or her financial aid eligibility. Another option is to write a check directly to your grandchild’s college to pay for tuition. Under federal law, this is not considered a taxable gift and is therefore not subject to the annual federal gift tax exclusion, but it could affect your grandchild’s eligibility for financial aid. If you have more time before your grandchild starts college, 529 College Savings Plans and Coverdell Education Savings Accounts are two popular savings options worth considering. Each has its own advantages and disadvantages, along with different income limits, age limits, contribution limits, tax treatments, investment options, and financial aid considerations. Your investment professional can help you determine if either option is best for you and your unique financial situation. Investors should consider carefully the investment objectives, risks, and charges and expenses associated with a 529 College Savings Plan before investing or sending money. The official program offering statement, which includes information on municipal fund securities, is available from your financial advisor and should be read carefully before investing. The value of a 529 College Savings account may fluctuate, and there is no guarantee
that any investment portfolio will achieve the stated goal. Your investment may be worth more or less than its original value. Yet another option is a custodial account, such as a Uniform Gift to Minors Act (UGMA) or Uniform Transfer to Minors Act (UTMA) account. Again, such custodial accounts have benefits and drawbacks that you’ll want to discuss with your investment professional. Before making any sort of contribution toward your grandchild’s college education, you will want to meet with your investment professional and tax advisor, since he or she will have valuable insight to your personal financial situation and could possibly offer alternatives or suggestions as to how you can make the most of your contribution. Furthermore, your tax advisor may also help you understand how your assistance to your grandchild’s education will affect your tax situation and the amount of financial aid your grandchild will qualify for. Article provided by Suzie P. Sawyer, Managing Director/Investment Advisor Representative of Trinity Investment Services, LLC, who can be reached at (228) 864-4460. Securities offered through Century Securities Associates, Inc. Member SIPC and FINRA. A subsidiary of Stifel Financial Corp. Home Office: 501 North Broadway, St. Louis, Missouri 63102, (314) 342-4051.
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89
HEALTH
The invisible scars of verbal abuse By Russ Jennings
In recent years, the news media has far with insults — when mean girls in reported an increasing number of school berated your outfit or when your incidents involving the physical abuse best friend decided to tell you exactly of women. what was wrong with your love life. What is not so highly publicized Whether such incidents happened years however, are the equally common ago or very recently, we can still feel cases of verbal abuse. Long after the words biting at us. Try as we might, bruises and cuts from physical abuse we cannot let go of these words. It is heal, the emotional scars of verbal almost as if these hurtful, terrible words abuse remain. become part of who we are and how we “Verbal abuse can be very subtle. define our self-worth,” Webster said. Victims suffer depression, and some In preparing for the photo shoot, even question their own sanity,” said Webster chose her outfit carefully. “I Patricia Evans, author of Verbal Abuse wanted it to be what some people might Survivors Speak Out: On Relationship consider a bit provocative, in order to and Recovery. make the point that no one deserves Faith Webster, 16, of Ocean Springs abuse, no matter who they are, their knows what the long lasting pain of social status or how they dress. Society verbal abuse feels like. sometimes tends to shift blame from the Now a student at Mississippi abuser to the victim,” Webster said. School of the Arts in Brookhaven, When the morning of the shoot Webster is on a personal mission to Photography by Russ Jennings; Model arrived, the weather was violent, with Faith Webster; Makeup by Daniella Rojas heavy rain, strong winds and lightning. increase awareness of the destructive nature of verbal abuse and is using Makeup was applied under the porch her training as an actress and model overhang of a downtown building as to do so. “I wanted to convey through imagery, the pain, the rain came down. The rain then relented, but dreary, embarrassment, low self-esteem, and fear that so many low hanging cloud cover remained. This was appropriate to women silently suffer through,” Webster said. the subject matter, and by midday, the photography work As she developed the concept for a photoshoot centered was complete. Webster’s emotional day was not finished, on verbal abuse, Webster decided to go beyond mere facial however. expressions and poses depicting pain and anxiety, but also “After the photoshoot, I tried to wash the words from my to actually have degrading and insulting words painted on skin, and I found it difficult due to the quality of the paint. her body. My emotions took control as I tried to scrub away the words “Hurtful words others have spoken to us can stick with us ‘whore,’ ‘worthless,’ and ‘liar’,” she said. “This is what it is like forever,” Webster said. “Having these awful words painted to attempt to forget hurtful words we have been forced to on my body would be a way to depict this reality.” carry within our minds, hearts, and souls,” Webster added. Local makeup artist Daniella Rojas was asked to assist According to the Hidden Hurt, a British website/forum with the body painting and she quickly agreed to be part of for verbal abuse sufferers, one in two women will suffer the project. Once Rojas completed work on the makeup, the domestic abuse at some point in their lifetimes. A large true impact of the project became apparent to Webster. percentage of that group will fall victim to verbal abuse. “A few of the insulting words Daniella painted on my Most will suffer in anonymity. body have haunted me personally, Webster said. “Walking Webster hopes to do something about that. around with them on my body for bystanders to see made “We are all guilty of saying unkind things and spreading me feel exposed and vulnerable.” awful gossip,” Webster said, “I encourage everyone to think Verbal abuse knows no age restriction either. The abuse before they speak. We can never fully understand the power can begin at birth, and often continues for years. Webster of our words and how deeply those words can nest inside can attest. others, resulting in pain, damage, and destruction. The time “Everyone remembers a time someone took things too is now to bring this terrible issue out into the light of day.” 90
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13179 Three Rivers November - December 2015 Road | Gulfport, MS 39503
The VitreoRetinal
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Donna Alexander. M.D. American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology
1721 Medical Park Drive Suite 100 Biloxi, MS 39532 Phone (228) 207-0408 Fax (228) 207-0409 /DrDonnaEAlexander
Women's health issues are personal. Dr. Alexander gives the personal attention you deserve.
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www.doctorgremillion.com 93
Botox vs. filler
Which is best for me?
By Dr. Eric J. Wyble
94
Two of the most popular noninvasive cosmetic procedures are Botox and use of fillers. Which one or both is best for you? In general, Botox, a neuromuscular blocking agent, works by “relaxing” the muscles causing wrinkles and is used in the upper third of the face. Areas include the frown lines, (between the eyebrows), forehead, (horizontal lines), and crow’s feet or laugh lines around the eyes. Fillers, on the other hand, are used mainly in the mid and lower face where we develop either volume loss or fine lines around the mouth area. They can also be used together to maximize the effect of each. There are now three neuromuscular blocking agents on the market: Botox, Dysport, and Xeomin. Clinical studies demonstrate that the three products have similar effects, although some clinicians would argue that time of onset and durations may vary based on the anatomical area used. This does give the physician more options in targeting different muscle areas of the face. Botox, Dysport, and Xeomin are mainly used in the upper face, but they can also be used in the lower face. Examples include improving the fine lines of the upper lip, diminishing the fullness of the jowls, and softening the playtysma bands of the neck. Botox, Dysport, and Xeomin can also improve asymmetries of the lower face if muscle imbalance is present. Fillers have shown incredible improvement since the days of collagen injections in the 1980’s and 1990’s. Generally, fillers can be used to restore volume to areas where we lose fat and collagen/elastin. Examples would be the use of Juvederm “Voluma” and Restylane Lyft in the mid-face. Tear trough deformity and loss of volume over the cheek bones can be restored or enhanced. Both fillers are FDA approved for use in the mid-face.
November - December 2015
In dealing with nasolabial folds and marionette lines (the pronounced creases which run from the corners of the mouth to down along the chin), Restylene and Juvederm work very well for mild loss of volume. For more prominent nasolabial and marionette areas, Radiesse, a calcium hydroxylapatite gel, allows greater improvement with lesser volume and lesser cost than Restylene and Juvederm. Radiesse has also been shown to stimulate your own collagen and elastin production. For fine lines around the mouth Belotero or newly FDA approved Restylene Silk work very well. For lips enhancement or augmentation, Restylene Silk works well to improve and eliminate the fine lines that may cause lipstick to “bleed,” while use of Restylene or Juvederm off-label can achieve more dramatic fullness for patients that want or need more volume to the lips. In areas where there are loss of volume and fine lines of the skin, fillers targeting both can be used in a layering effect. The filler for volume is first placed deeper where needed, and the fine lines are then corrected with the appropriate filler after the deeper foundation is placed. Additionally Botox can be added to target certain muscles to enhance the above effect. By adding Botox and fillers to skin tightening devices, such as Thermage, or skin resurfacing devices such as the three different Fraxel lasers, a comprehensive nonsurgical approach to the face can be tailored to your needs. With the holidays and family events approaching, now is a great time to look in the mirror and decide what is best for you! Dr. Wyble has been in practice on the Mississippi Gulf Coast for 23 years and is Board Certified in plastc surgery. Contact him at (228) 865-7299.
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Pregnancy can be overwhelming.
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Hectic holidays Keeping the season in perspective is di cult ob By Dr. Michele Pisciotta As I think of the upcoming holiday season, I have mixed emotions. Can you relate? As the mother of five children, ages 9-16 years, it is a time full of fun and laughter — and tears and stress. All of us, including my husband and I, seem to go into the season with grand expectations which make it hard for me as the woman of the house. I try to keep the spirit of the season present in the planning and celebrating, but it becomes difficult to balance all our wants and needs without becoming overwhelmed. In praying about my role as wife and mother, I realize that God has given me an incredible ability to influence the other members in my home. I believe it is my duty to keep the holidays in proper perspective. I am fortunate to host a grand Thanksgiving celebration for my extended family. Last year we had about 50 family members for dinner. It was wonderful. My children were able to spend time with cousins, aunts, and uncles who they see only once or twice a year. My extended family is very large and I am so thankful for that blessing. The time with family gives us a sense of roots. One of the most attractive things about South Mississippi is that people stay. Sometimes, they leave and come back. It is unique in this day and age. Let’s protect our culture here on the coast by continuing to make this area a home for our children to grow, thrive, and celebrate. Christmas for us is quieter. We have made a tradition to be home on Christmas morning which requires us to schedule our extended family time before Christmas. It is worth it. I love to spend time in our Christmas PJ’s and enjoy the morning. Many years ago my husband and I told our children Santa Claus only brought three gifts for each child because that was the number of gifts Jesus received from the wise men. It has been one way we have been able to keep the insanity of consumerism under control. No matter how much we try, I become conscious of our over-indulgence. What a challenge it can be to say “no” at Christmas. God seems to keep telling me to be quiet. Listen. Let Him be in charge. Love. Be gentle. I am hoping to enjoy my holidays more this year without exerting so much effort. After all, “If Mama ain’t happy, ain’t nobody happy!” Dr. Pisciotta is a local gynecologist with an Ideal Protein weight loss clinic located at 2781 CT Switzer Sr. Dr. Unit 400. You can contact her at (228) 6971367.
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Christmas time is time at the Maces F or many people, the Christmas season is the perfect opportunity to spend time with family, cooking, caroling and decorating. Jennifer Mace and her family begin celebrating immediately following Thanksgiving and continue well into the new year. “Christmas has always been a big holiday,” Mace says. “We try to get our families together.” The family decorates two Christmas trees each year, and one has ornaments that come mostly from family trips and vacations or are indicative of a particular family member’s interest. Ornaments featuring a soccer player and a swimmer represent the interests of Mace’s children. The occupation of Jennifer (nurse) and her husband, Paul (physician), also are represented on the tree. They collect ornaments 98
November - December 2015
while on trips to Washington, D.C., New York or family ski trips. Mace proudly shows off an Ole Miss ornament, selected for her daughter, who is a fan of The University of Mississippi. The second tree features homemade ornaments created by their three children over the years. Jennifer Mace says that it usually takes a couple of nights to finish decorating the tree because they spend so much time reminiscing about trips and looking at the ornaments. Each ornament represents a story in the family’s history, and often the telling of each story triggers another and another. Her favorite Christmas tradition is setting up a German wooden Nativity scene, that she and her husband have had the longest. They received the first
By Kelsie Dove Photography by William Colgin
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pieces of the scene from her mother and aunt at their engagement party. She says her relatives had collected these pieces for years and decided to give her the start to her own collection. The Maces have been married for 21 years, and they have traveled to a special shop in New Orleans almost every year to buy a piece to add to their collection. She fondly remembers the angel that was their oldest daughter’s first piece in the collection and the two peasant children that were the first pieces picked out by her younger two children. After 21 years of collecting, the set includes all of the pieces of the traditional Nativity scene — Joseph, Mary, baby Jesus, the wise men, shepherds, and angels. But it also includes a plethora of animals and other figures that add to the depth of the scene. Mace proudly displays the set in the entrance to her home. Another tradition is to participate in Gulfport’s Christmas on the Bayou. This is another opportunity to enjoy family and friends. She says when she thinks of Christmas, family is what comes to mind.
“Christmas has always been a big holiday.”
Merry Christmas! We make it happen, you make it home!
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Life’s lagniappes By John D. Folding
W
Lagniappe: a small gift given with a purchase to a customer, by way of compliment or for good measure; bonus. (Dictionary.com)
e are always looking for ways to make our lives a little easier. That’s why “how to” books and “life hack” videos are so popular. They lure you in with provocative captions and titles. One of my favorites is the CrazyRussianHacker. He has produced a ton of funny ways to do ordinary tasks — like turning a can of tuna fish into a candle. His popularity, along with more classic helpful hinters like Heloise, is the inspiration for this column. Each issue, I’ll give a few hints on how to make life a little easier — call it a “lagniappe.” LAGNIAPPE NO. 1: CAST IRON SKILLETS At 46 years old, I finally acquired my first cast iron skillet. As a Southern cook, that may be practically the worst kitchen sin of all. I love my stainless Calphalon pots and pans for their durability and flexibility, but they cannot hold a candle to my 10 cast iron skillet. I was nervous about attempting to season a cast iron skillet and figured it would take years for a new one to get as black as those I remember from my grandma’s kitchen. So, I decided to buy a used one. It creeped me out a little thinking I was cooking in someone else’s pan, not knowing how many years of whoknows-what was cooked in it. But I decided, what the heck, a new coat of oil and a hot stove will kill anything. The skillet I got was a little rusty, so I cleaned it fairly well with a paper towel and some very light detergent, making sure not to scrub too much. That would defeat the purpose of buying an old pan. I had always heard to never scrub a cast iron skillet, or it would remove the years worth of seasoning. Once I cleaned off the rust, I rubbed vegetable oil all over the pan — inside and out, put it on the stove over medium-high heat, and turned on the exhaust fan.
Well, that pan smoked like a house-a-fire, but I knew it had to be done. I repeated the process until the pan was as black as Mississippi mud and it was good to go. Once I determined the pan held so much heat, I was able to adjust my cooking methods to compensate. The added plus I never knew: a properly seasoned cast iron skillet is also the best non-stick pan you’ll ever own! LAGNIAPPE NO. 2: LEMONS Lemons are one of life’s most versatile products. It seasons, it cleans, it’s packed with vitamins, it smells great, and it’s cheap. Here are some things to do with a lemon to make your life tidy and tasty: • Clean any cutting board by scrubbing kosher salt into it with half a lemon. • Don’t just throw that salty lemon away, instead toss it into your garbage disposal and run it to deodorize and sanitize. • Use the other half to clean your stainless steel sink by scrubbing the lemon all over the metal to make it gleam like new. • Never have your trout slide between your grill grate again by laying the fish on top of a layer of lemon slices. • Cut lemons into small-ish pieces and drop into a mini muffin pan filled with water and freeze. Great for lemonade and sangria. For larger ice cubes, use slices and a regular muffin pan. LAGNIAPPE NO. 3: WOODEN SPOONS Did you know that your pans have a built-in wooden spoon rest? Yep, it’s called the hole in the handle you would use to hang up the pan. A wooden spoon laid across a pot of boiling pasta will keep the water from boiling over.
Connect with John at johnfolding245@ cableone.net.
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November - December 2015
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CREATIVE GIVING Share your blessings this season By Tammy Turnage It seems to come earlier every year. We just barely put up our red, white and blue decorations, grab our shopping list, walk through the door of any store, and there they are — Thanksgiving and Christmas decorations displayed several months ahead of December! It’s then that most of us get the “Oh, no! Here it comes!” feeling inside. I used to be that way almost every year. In fact, one word could describe my feelings quickly: OVERWHELMED! Can you relate? So what do we have to do this year to make our Christmas season easier and stress free? In this article I talk about some tips that help me navigate the holidays with more ease, but it’s also so important to remember to pause and be grateful, and to share the blessings we have been given with others around us. When we give of ourselves, we find true joy. It’s also then that we realize Christmas is much more than having the most “perfectly” decorated home or tree — it’s in having that sweet feeling deep in our hearts that only comes from giving of ourselves, giving our time, talents, and resources to those who would otherwise have had a lonely holiday. Yes, giving...that is truly what Christmas is all about. This season, be of good cheer and help spread that cheer to those in need.
SHOP THIS YEAR FOR NEXT
One of the best things you can do is shop right after Christmas at the stores’ holiday sales. I’ve found some great discounts on everything from wrapping paper to coats. Find a large plastic storage container (red or green are always fun and festive) and start buying early. The “end of summer” sales are also a good time to buy gifts as well.
BAKE SOME COOKIES
What are you cooking this holiday season? Look through cookbooks and find new recipes to add to
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your families holiday meals. Homemade cookies and candies always make wonderful gifts! Gather the children together and have some fun baking for the holidays.
CLIP IDEAS
Clip lots of magazine ideas! I enjoy looking through magazines all year long for cute ideas for gift giving during the holidays. Then, when you have a little extra time during the year, you can start purchasing some holiday gifts way ahead of time and avoid that last minute holiday stress. And remember, when a family member remarks, “I sure would like a basketball like that,” write it down and purchase it early. You could even gift wrap it ahead of time too!
HOMEMADE GIFT TAGS
Another fun thing to do is to gather your family around the kitchen table and make some really cute “gift tags.” Prepare ahead of time by gathering supplies: lots of glitter, glue, stickers, markers and ribbon. It’s always special to receive a gift make with a homemade gift tag.
REMEMBER THOSE IN NEED
Yes, it’s lots of fun planning for the holiday season, but for many, it’s a difficult time. We do need to prepare and do our best for our families, but in the middle of it all we don’t need to forget the true meaning of the season: giving. So in the midst of your holiday decorating, shopping, and your endless Christmas todo list, stop for a minute and look around. Who do you know this year who has lost a loved one, is lonely, ill, or without resources of their own to provide gifts for their loved ones? Who will be all alone this Christmas? The list is endless. The needs all around us are endless.
A LITTLE GOES A LONG WAY
A few years ago my daughter knew of a family who had lost everything in a fire. They had small children and were so desperate for just the basic necessities. My daughter came up with a wonderful idea and she went to a local thrift store and bought as many gifts as she could, came home and fixed them up, cleaned them, and fixed anything that needed adjusting. She even found a tricycle and stopped by a local tire shop where they fixed the tire just like new. Then, she wrapped the gifts and delivered them to that precious family.
TRAVEL WITH GOODIES
My sister, Nancy, has a wonderful idea she does each December. She makes homemade Christmas snack mix and almond bark bars, packages them into small bags tied with colorful Christmas ribbons, and adds a cute gift tag she makes. Then, she puts them in her car in a small container and when she is out running errands she gives them to people. It may be the person at the dry cleaners or bank, or someone at the grocery store. It brings a huge smile to their faces and it’s such a wonderful way to spread some Christmas cheer!
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5 more tips to get started on a room makeover By Dane Hewes This column is a continuation from the September/ October issue where I offerered some tips to help get your home in tip-top shape. Remember, don’t get overwhelmed with the enormity of the project. Here’s five more tips: CONSIDER ADDING A SOLID Don’t be afraid to throw in a solid pattern to soften and “ground” the look of your room. Sometimes your eyes need a place to rest! GROUP TOGETHER PATTERNS THAT HAVE SIMILAR STYLES Traditional patterns tend to mix easier with traditional patterns, versus mixing them with bold contemporary patterns. This doesn’t mean you can’t mix patterns across style. Sometimes an unexpected print or color gives a “pop” to the room. BE SURE TO BALANCE YOUR PATTERN IN THE SPACE Balance is the key. An equal balance avoids a “lop-sided,” unequal feeling. STICK WITH A CONSISTENT HUE Within your color palette, use colors with the same intensities. If your palette is pastel, it is best not to mix in a jewel tone. THIS IS PROBABLY MY FAVORITE! DON’T BE AFRAID TO BREAK THE RULES: Beauty is in the eye of the beholder! So break the rules if it is pleasing to your eye. Sometimes complementary patterns and motifs come together in an organic, unplanned fashion! If it looks good to you, go for it! Hewes is a partner in Fabrics to Fringes, 516 Courthouse Road, Gulfport.
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Christmas trends Who are we trying to impress? By John D. Folding
I’ve been spending some time online and shopping at local retailers trying to identify the décor items that are trending for this holiday season. Anyone with half a lick of sense can identify these themes as easily as I can (I’ll get to what those are shortly). The harder part is deciding what theme — if any — you want and then putting all of the pieces together so it has that “designer” look (more on that as well). No one wants their best friend to ask, after you’ve spent days creating your holiday signature style, “so, do YOU like it?” I absolutely love decorating for the holidays (any holiday will do!), and I generally do a little something for most major ones. And my philosophy has always been to let your holiday décor enhance your regular surroundings instead of letting them take over. However, it seems like the older I get, the more tiresome it becomes “dressing to impress” with my decorations. I’m at the age now where I don’t really want my surroundings to change every three years. Now, I collect lovely art and furnishings that are of considerable more quality than what used to be in my earlier apartments or homes. I find it more satisfying to make my own path and tend to worry less about whether someone is impressed with my interiors. Lately, I feel the same way about holiday décor. With the advent of Pinterest and other social media, it is possible to quickly ascertain what is trending in just about everything, but it’s hard to find things that are authentic — not DIY, although some of the items that appeal the most are made by hand. By authentic, I mean something precious that will withstand the test of time. Well-crafted. Valuable, but perhaps not expensive. I see so many “crafty”
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projects made with cardboard and Styrofoam that may be cute but seem like a waste of money and creativity. If you have the ability to make things, make them so that they are somewhat permanent. I am nostalgic for the days as a kid when it was like Christmas morning just opening the boxes of collected ornaments purchased or made over the years. You know — the collection of bells you have from every place you visited during summer vacation, or the jolly Santas you buy once a year — things that don’t match or have a theme, but have authenticity because they come with a memory attached to them. That’s what the holidays are all about to me. You can see perfectly matched decorations at the department stores and show houses, but you can’t find authenticity in those places. There is a place for themes and trends — they do help define your personal style. While you are still discovering what that style is, trends will lead you to the things you love. So here are a few of the trends I’m loving for this season: MONOCHROMATIC THEMES In particular grays, whites and beiges. Natural. Rustic is trending out, but natural things like pine cones and pheasant feathers will always be in style. TWO-COLOR THEMES Specifically red and white or green (almost lime) and white. Red and white are inherently Christmas-y and tend to be kid friendly. Green and white feel fresh and cool together and make homes painted in lighter colors feel very bright and not overwhelmingly heavy. By the way, go easy on using too many ornaments.
TRADITIONAL THEMES I’m always going to love a red and green Christmas. Garlands, clear lights, touches of silver and gold, and ornaments that are scaled to fit your décor. As far getting that designer look, if you can’t pull it off, it’s okay to admit it. There are a couple of ways to get help with achieving the look you want, like asking a friend who has a knack or hiring someone to help you. HERE ARE SOME TIPS • Finding the balance between “just right” and over the top “OMG gaudy” can be really tough. If you tend to have that problem, then set a time limit on your decorating, and stop when the timer goes off. If you are getting tired, that means it’s time to stop. Decorating when you are tired is a recipe for disaster. • You should probably be able to see the limbs of your Christmas tree. “But that’s what it looked like in the catalog,” you say. Hello! They are trying to sell ornaments, so of course those trees will be packed. • Always plan on at least one-third to twice as many lights as you think you are going to need. This is one area where the over-the-top caution is tossed out the window. Wrap each individual limb from the trunk to the branch tip with lights, and always go from the top of the tree to the bottom. Once you’ve done that, take a step back and squint your eyes at the tree. Squinting helps you see gaps better. If you see gaps, then go back and either rearrange some of the strands to fill in, or add another strand. • Decoration order goes like this: Lights first, then ribbon or garlands, then larger ornaments, then smaller ornaments to fill in gaps and finally tinsel. Remember, trends and themes are fun, but trust yourself to lend authenticity to what is such a personal time. Your best friend will then say, “Wow! I love it!”
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RE AL T O R® REALTOR®
Ocean Springs Lumber a hotspot for kitchen design By Dana Sleger Ocean Springs Lumber and Supply Co. is a family-owned business that has served local and regional residential and commercial customers since 1925. The company has a strong reputation as a full-line lumber and hardware retailer, but the large building on Government Street encompasses so much more. In addition to the 16,000-square-foot retail store and 50,000-square-foot warehouse, there are two wonderful showrooms on each side that offer top-notch accessories for new homes and remodeling projects. “The company as a whole offers customers/ clients a full array of building products such as doors, windows, cabinetry, Benjamin Moore Paints, and hard-to-find products to complete other projects,” says Amanda Currie, a kitchen and bath designer and sales associate for Ocean Springs Lumber & Supply Co. “You can pretty much build a home through this company without having to go anywhere else — even plumbing can be specialordered.” Currie manages the kitchen side of the business and she says the 4,000-square-foot showroom is chockfull of samples with everything needed for a custom designed kitchen that can accommodate low- to high-end budgets. There are numerous displays of decorative hardware, countertops, and eight different lines of semi and custom cabinetry with various styles of doors and species of wood. Currie’s expertise also provides customers with design services, space planning, materials selection, cabinet specification and supply, and color and texture applications. “We can do a turnkey project where items are installed through Ocean Springs Lumber or we can sub it out through contractors — we do it all,” Currie says. “We want to make your kitchen project simpler and a more satisfying experience. I listen to each customer’s needs to help them create the kitchen they are trying to achieve.” With a fully working kitchen in the showroom, customers are able to have a more hands-on experience in the selection process to better visualize how it would look in their home. And, it has all the bells and whistles! Some popular items that are trending include laminated glass inserts for wall cabinets, single Apron Front Farmhouse sinks, commercial type stovetops and decorative cabinet knobs and pulls. As far as design, Currie says right now Southern style is
simple with light colored cabinets accented with wall paint in gray tones. Another trend-setting element in kitchens is quartz countertops because not only are they extremely durable due to being made from one of the hardest minerals on earth, they also are available in “oodles of colors.” Quartz is replacing granite as the high-end countertop choice for a number of reasons: it’s non-porous and requires no sealing; it’s bacteria and stain resistant; and easy to maintain and clean. The showplace carries seven lines of quartz with plenty of samples to choose from. Currie says her customers are pleased with the service, selection and affordability of a small town business that specializes in custom kitchen design, especially since kitchen space is much bigger than what is used to be. “We are a local business that enjoys doing business with local people,” Curries says. “People are using the kitchen as a hub and want it more open because of the desire to have everyone in the same room. It has become the center of the home and customers appreciate the dedication we give to completing their project.”
OCEAN SPRINGS LUMBER & SUPPLY CO. 1611 Government St., Ocean Springs (228) 875-4112 oslumber.com Monday - Friday: 6:30 a.m. - 6 p.m. Saturday: 7 a.m. - 5 p.m. Sunday: Closed
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FASHION & BEAUTY
Makeover!
More than a
By Andrea Yeager
BEFORE Makeover winner Michelle Gibbs before transformation begins. Photograph by Andrea Yeager
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“I love the color and the haircut,” said the three-time cancer survivor, tossing her new shorter hairdo. “It was worth all the work these stylists did.” Michelle Gibbs of Hattiesburg was shocked to be told that she was this year’s final recipient of a makeup and hair makeover. “I couldn’t believe it,” said the 48-year-old wife and mother of three. “I called Tamara Yotov to make sure it wasn’t a hoax.” Yotov, manager at Back on the Rack resale shop in Gulfport, nominated Gibbs for the makeover at Tanya Tancredi Salon, also in Gulfport. “After all she’s been through, I don’t know of anyone else more deserving,” said Yotov. In the past five years, Gibbs has survived three non-related cancers, a double mastectomy, two thyroid surgeries and two lung surgeries. Doctors had to perform two surgeries on her thyroid and lung because neither of the first surgeries looked like cancer, but days later, the tests said cancer. Back to the operating rooms she went. Because she had no family history of cancer, doctors at M.D. Anderson Hospital in Houston told her that it was rarer to have three unrelated cancers than it was to win the lottery. “I now buy lottery tickets,” she said jokingly. “These cancers give you a different perspective on life. I have slowed down some and don’t take anything for granted.” During her chemotherapy treatment, her youngest son, Presley, said, “Mom, I know the chemo was bad, but you smile a lot more and you yell a lot less.” “I love that he said that. It puts life into perspective,” Gibbs said. Husband David said, “She has been so strong. Now, she helps friends and patients get through cancer treatment. She even gives them
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Melinda Hryhorcheuk & Thom Gnau help tranform Gibbs at Tanya Tancredi Salon in Gulfport. Photographs by Shannon Lutkins Photography
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her cell phone so they can always get in touch with her.” Before her breast surgery, Gibbs threw a party themed, “Ta-Ta to the tatas.” She had T-shirts made for the guests and also sold them with all proceeds going to the Pink Heart Fund. She raised more than $1,000. She once told her mother before her cancer surgeries that she did not feel like she was doing what she needed to do. “My mother said, but you are, you are a nurse,” Gibbs said. “I know now that helping others deal with cancer diagnoses is what I am supposed to do.” Now, Gibbs gives each cancer victim she helps a Saint Peregrine medal — the patron saint of cancer. “While most are not Catholic, I tell them to keep it and rub it and know that people are praying for them.” A full-time nurse and part-time psychiatric nurse, Gibbs needed a hairstyle that fits her active lifestyle. “I usually pull my hair back in a ponytail while I am at work.” She now sports a deeper shade of blonde with lowlights and a layered, feathered haircut that frames her face. Her makeup, done by hairstylist and makeup
artist Thom Gnau, looks so soft and natural. “I wanted her to have a feminine look, one that can transition from day to evening,” said Gnau, who has been a stylist, makeup artist and instructor for more than 30 years. “She needs it to be wearable every day.” Gnau also is the hands behind the new haircut, which is done in an oval shape, leaving quite a bit of length but layering to give an almost wispy look. “The way the layers hit gives her a softer, less elongated shape,” he said. “This gives an oval structure to her whole face.” The rich blond hair color with lowlights adds depth and light at the same time. Hairstylist Melinda Hryocheuk, who has been a stylist for some 22 years on the Coast and in Tennessee, first put a filler on Gibbs’ hair so the color would last longer. Then came the color and lowlights, all for a softer, more natural look. Looking at herself in the mirror, Gibbs fairly glowed. The cut, the color and the makeup all worked their magic to make her feel pampered and special. Her husband planned to make her feel special, too, by taking her out for dinner.
Thom Gnau discusses makeover process with Gibbs. Photographs by Shannon Lutkins Photography
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Thom Gnau of Tanya Tancredi Salon: A hairstylist and makeup artist for more than 30 years. He recently returned to the Coast from San Antonio, where he taught specialized classes at beauty schools. Back on the Rack: Provided fashions for Gibbs. NOMINATE A DESERVING WOMAN FOR THE NEXT MAKEOVER! dorothywilson@gulfcoastwomanmagazine.com
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By Angela Taylor Fall is in the air! Fall is colors, smells, tastes, and memories that accompany it. A look that is as crisp and delightful as those cinnamon rolls coming out of the oven can transform you for the season ahead. This year is all about going back to nature and keeping things 100 percent you. Choosing a look that reflects you and your natural inner beauty is the perfect recipe that simply can’t be understated. Think color and style. To keep your hair following the fall trends of 2015, depth is key. Achieve depth by choosing colors that collaborate with your skin and eye color. Look to palettes that contain caramel and auburn tones in addition to deeper blondes and chocolate browns. These colors can be administered using an all-over color application along with the balayage technique (which is becoming more popular in 2015 than the ombré look of 2014). Using several different color tones in such ways allows your hair to have a more dimensional and natural look-perfect for the upcoming season. Like any good seasonal dessert, presentation is vital when it comes to your hairstyles which may include anything from a French twist to a very sleek, blunt bob. This year, messy buns are very simple and pull off a relaxed appearance, but they can also be slicked back for a classier air. Braids of all kinds are also still in season (thanks to the popular movie, “The Hunger Games”). The fortunate thing about these 2015 hairstyles is that no matter which way you travel — either high and messy or sleek and classy — you can’t go wrong. Picking the right combination of colors and styles can be as daunting as trying to follow Grandma’s holiday recipes. Become more knowledgeable about these trends and consult with your stylist on which ones fit you best. Your stylist will know which color tones and hair styles accentuate your features and bring out your inner beauty. Like all the flavors of a Pumpkin Spice Latte coming together to make the perfect cup of coffee, your look must blend together to create the perfect complement to the most important thing about fall — YOU! Angela Taylor is a color specialist at Tanya Tancredi Salon in Gulfport.
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
Designing beauty
A personal guide to home architecture
By Scott Naugle A house reveals the most intimate of details about its owner. Our style and design choices in creating the environment where we sleep, dine, and announce ourselves to others is a rare scenario where we are able to decide and create how we wish to be perceived. At its finest, a home speaks an eloquent and divulging language about our innermost needs for both comfort and the approval of others. In “Creating Your Architectural Style,” George Hopkins offers us an illustrative and exhaustive guide expanding our thinking about personal surroundings. “Creating Your Architectural Style” is the rare intersection of a beautiful coffee table book with useful, actionable advice. Hopkins explains his intent, “This book answers myriad questions posed by clients for whom I’ve designed fine homes.” George Hopkins is a native of New Orleans and the founder of The Hopkins Company. He earned both a Master of Science degree in planning and a doctorate in architecture and engineering from Tulane University. Sections of the book, all accompanied by beautiful color photographs, address finding and planning your design www.gcwmultimedia.com
style, creating rooms, selecting design elements, and the role of the design team from the architect to the general contractor. “The purpose of the book is to provide a thorough explanation of the process required to design a fine home,” writes Hopkins. As an example of an often overlooked design option, we are reminded of the aesthetic value of ironwork in the exterior façade of a residence. “Few architectural elements rival ironwork for the opportunity to introduce beautiful design patterns to functional components of the home,” Hopkins elaborates. Gates, scrolled brackets supporting a roof, posts, pillars, and columns may all be fashioned in a variety of forms only limited by the imagination. For those of us who are not considering a home construction project, “Creating Your Architecture Style” is an idea source, a dream book, for what is possible in both comfortable and stylish home living. MORE INFO Pelican Publishing Co. $45, ISBN 9781589807198 115
Photo courtesy of Leah Watters of Watters Architecture At left, curator Barbara Reed
Reading room with a view – and coffee
S
By Dana Sleger
cenic Drive in Pass Christian is well known for its collage of architectural glory with historic homes that overlook the peaceful Mississippi Sound. Coastal residents and visitors frequently enjoy a leisurely drive down this street just for the views on both sides, but did you know there’s a gem of a business nestled on the corner of Scenic Drive and Davis Avenue that drips with exquisite taste in literature and beverages? Pass Christian Books and Cat Island Coffeehouse is owned by Scott Naugle and Sean Pittman. They opened their new two-story building in November 2013 to provide guests with a light-filled, energetic, artistic, and intellectual environment that encompasses a stellar view over the water. While sipping on a specialty coffee or tea, guests are encouraged to peruse the carefully curated book inventory and savor the ambience of the open concept design inside, or bask in the outdoors on a wrap-around porch that beholds the Pass Christian Harbor. Thanks to the business’ fulltime book curator, Barbara Reed, every title available has been extensively researched before it’s added to the collection, and in many cases, titles cannot be located elsewhere locally. The second floor of the building is an especially prized area where Mississippi authors and topics are featured. 116
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Although the bookstore portion of the business has been in operation since 2002, when the owners designed the new building, adding a coffeehouse was a must-have feature, but it’s not your ordinary beverage locale. Truth be told, there is a big difference between a coffeehouse and a coffee shop. “In a coffeehouse, everything matters in preparation of the coffee beverage from the selection of the single origin bean through to the skill of the professionally trained barista,” says Robert Guillot, artisan barista. “There is no bulk brewing of coffee, but rather the individual drip brewing of each cup.” Just on a monthly basis alone, thousands of beverages are served while each one is attended to with a handcrafted touch. Single origin coffees change frequently due to the availability and quality of the bean, and they feature a micro-lot coffee for only a few days. More than 20 different types of teas also are offered. The overall vision of Naugle and Pittman is to present new experiences in coffee, tea, art, and literature to the community. Next time you’re in the area, make sure to stop by Pass Christian Books and Cat Island Coffeehouse to enjoy an exceptional coffee or tea while browsing the one-of-a-kind selection of books in a most relaxing and welcoming environment.
Want to see your child at play while you’re at work?
By Rebecca Ritchey
Deck the halls, Oaks stuff the phones Twin Child Development Center
has the latest in technology!
Kidvision Webcam
This is the time of year to be with family and friends, enjoy great food and relax. This year, make it a point to be fully present and engaged in all of the festivities. Yes, I am suggesting it: Go tech free! Albert Einstein said, “The human spirit must prevail over technology” and that couldn’t more true now. It is time to reclaim the spirit of our holidays!
Log on and view your child anytime thru the day!
896-4100 • 1077 Pine Street, Gulfport Open 6:30am to 6:00pm Monday-Friday
MAKE MEMORIES, NOT POSTS
When I was a child, I remember everyone in my family taking turns opening gifts. We would sit, wait patiently… or impatiently, for our turn. The highlight was watching the face of the recipient. We always knew when something we really wanted was about to be opened, because one of the adults would tell us to wait until they got the camera, or camcorder (I am ageing myself, I know). The pictures and videos were taken for our own personal memories. They weren’t posted on social media for thumbs up or hearts. They were taken for the family to look back on and remember the moment. Enjoy the moment this year by putting your device on airplane mode; this way, you can use your camera without receiving constant notifications.
PHONE TOWER
When you go to a restaurant, have everyone at the table stack their phone or put it face down on the table. The person who looks at his phone first has to pay the bill. This is a great incentive not to look at your phone, especially when it is a big dinner party!
Brenda Whitwell
Financial Advisor 11 N. Water Street, Suite 16290 Mobile, AL 36602 251-470 2310 brenda.whitwell@morganstanley.com
© 2014 Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC. Member SIPC. CRC897541 06/14
Biloxi’s Premier Christian Preschool since 1956
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TECH-FREE TOYS
This year, re-introduce your children to tech-free toys. Open-ended toys are a fun way to watch imaginations blossom.
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USE SNAIL MAIL
It is easy to send out a blanketed holiday message to your contacts via social media and e-mail. This year, purchase or get creative with your children and make Christmas cards.
BE PRESENT
Be purposefully present this holiday season. Tell those around your Thanksgiving table what you are thankful for and look them in the eyes. Don’t miss the real joy of the season because your head is in your tablet. Laugh out loud, don’t just LOL this season!
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Good Shepherd Christian Academy provides quality education partnered with a Christian environment to students in the Gulfport, MS area. We use the “Beginnings” curriculum and computer programs to enhance preparation for kindergarten. Enroll your child today in the safe, healthy, cheerful environment of our school. Our loving and professional staff works with every child in a caring, positive, and encouraging manner. • • • •
Chapel each morning Christian environment Low child/ teacher ratio Child care from 6 weeks to completion of Pre K
80 48th St. • Gulfport, MS 39507 Hours of Business:
117 PM Mon. thru Fri. 6:30 AM to 5:45
Events
Holiday
november
37TH ANNUAL PETER ANDERSON Arts and Crafts Festival November 7-8 Downtown Ocean Springs Free admission for spectators ($2 donation is appreciated) peterandersonfestival.com HOLIDAY BOUTIQUE November 13-14 Friday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Saturday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Pass Christian Yacht Club $5 admission passchristianyachtclub.org 32ND ANNUAL RON MEYERS CHRISTMAS CITY GIFT SHOW November 13-15 11/13 – 10 a.m. – 4 p.m.; 11/14 – 9 a.m. – 5:30 p.m.; 11/15 – 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. Mississippi Coast Coliseum $8 for 1 day ticket or $12 for 2 day ticket christmascitygiftshow.com HOLIDAY MARKET November 21 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. D’Iberville Community Club $2 admission (ages 12 and under free) HOLIDAY MARKET November 21 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. D’Iberville Community Club $2 admission (ages 12 and under free)
december
SANTA AND FRIENDS ON ICE December 1 – 27 7 p.m. on Tuesdays-Fridays; 3 p.m. and 7 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays Beau Rivage Casino and Resort $12.95, $16.95, & $24.95 + tax & service charge beaurivage.com/entertainment CHRISTMAS AT BEAUVOIR 118 November - December 2015
December 1 – 31 6-8 p.m. Beauvoir $12.50/adult; $7.50 ages 6-18; Under age 6 – free; Military, AAA, and Seniors $10.00 visitbeauvoir.org HOLIDAY CHORAL SPECTACULAR December 1 and 3 7:30 p.m. Main Street Baptist Church (800) 844-8425 or (601) 266-5418 OCEAN SPRINGS CHRISTMAS TREE LIGHTING WITH SANTA December 3 6-8 p.m. Marshall Park, Downtown Ocean Springs Free admission oceanspringschamber.com PASCAGOULA DOWNTOWN FOR THE HOLIDAYS CHRISTMAS PARADE December 4 5-9 p.m. Downtown Pascagoula Free admission for spectators cityofpascagoula.com/special-events mainstreetbiloxi.com 30TH ANNUAL CHRISTMAS IN THE PASS December 4 5-9 p.m. Downtown Pass Christian and Harbor Free admission for spectators passmainstreet.com/event OCEAN SPRINGS HOLIDAY OPEN HOUSE December 4 – 5 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Downtown Ocean Springs Free admission for spectators oceanspringschamber.com BREAKFAST WITH SANTA December 5 8:30 a.m. – 10:30 a.m. The Salvation Army Kroc Center $5.00 Admission
2015 krocmscoast.org 11TH ANNUAL BILOXI CHRISTMAS IN THE CITY December 5 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Rue Magnolia and Water Street (Downtown Biloxi Arts District) Free admission for spectators mainstreetbiloxi.com 30TH ANNUAL CHRISTMAS ON THE WATER BOAT PARADE December 5 6 p.m. Mississippi Gulf Coast (Biloxi) Free admission for spectators Rusty David - Event Coordinator (228) 617-3112 or (228) 432-2563 4TH ANNUAL CHRISTMAS PARADE SNOWFLAKES AND SUGARPLUM FESTIVAL December 5 arade at a.m. Snow akes and Sugarplum Festival noon to 8 p.m. Bay St. Louis Free admission facebook.com Snow akes ndSugarplums SECOND ANNUAL SANTA’S WORKSHOP December 5 1-5 p.m. D’Iberville Town Green Free admission Desiree Marquez or Brian Sims (228) 392-9734 THE BELLYDANCE NUTCRACKER SUITE December 5 – 6 December 5 at 6 p.m.; December 6 at 2 p.m. Mary C. O’Keefe Cultural Center Admission: $20 themaryc.org/Main.html 54TH ANNUAL CHRISTMAS TOUR OF HOMES December 6 2-5 p.m. $15 to tour all homes Donna Gewin - Event Coordinator (228) 896-0415; (228) 896-9582; (228) 863-3856 COAST BIG BAND HOLIDAY SHOW www.gcwmultimedia.com
December 8 7:30 p.m. Mary C. O’Keefe Cultural Center Admission: $12.50 www.themaryc.org WAMA HOLIDAY OPEN HOUSE December 10 5-7:30 p.m. Walter Anderson Museum of Art Free admission walterandersonmuseum.org DISNEY ON ICE LET’S CELEBRATE! December 10-13 December 10: 10:30 a.m. and 7 p.m. December 11: 10:30 a.m. and 7 p.m. December 12: 2 p.m. and 6 p.m. December 13: 6 p.m. Mississippi Coast Coliseum Ticket prices can be found online at www.mscoastcoliseum.com 14TH ANNUAL CHRISTMAS ON THE BAYOU December 12 6 p.m. Bayou Bernard (Gulfport) Free admission for spectators christmasonthebayou.org A CHARLIE BROWN CHRISTMAS December 17 – 20 Thursday, Friday, and Saturday: 7 p.m. Sunday: 2 p.m. The Salvation Army Kroc Center $10 admission krocmscoast.org A BLUE CHRISTMAS FEATURING BRANDON BENNETT December 18 8 p.m. Hard Rock Casino, Biloxi Admission: $19.99 & $29.99 hardrockbiloxi.com
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The Handy Art of Christmas By Rebecca Ritchey
“Maybe Christmas, the Grinch thought, doesn’t come from a store.” – Dr. Seuss There is no holiday quite like Christmas — the sights, the scents, the memories to be made. DIY (Do It Yourself) and handmade items have been the rage the past few years. Here are a few suggestions on how to make Christmas 2015 personal for you and yours with these DIY creations.
COOKIE CUTTER ORNAMENT Six simple materials, most of which you may have at home, create beautiful and unique ornaments.
Materials: • Hot glue gun and glue sticks • Scissors • Utility knife • Metal cookie cutters • Decorative scrapbook paper • Embroidery thread, thin ribbon, or twine Four easy steps to distinctive holiday décor: • Apply hot glue around the edge of a metal cookie cutter. • Press the cookie cutter, glue side down, to the decorative side of scrapbook paper. • Cut around the outer edge of the cookie cutter using the utility knife. • Tie a small knot with the thread, twine, or ribbon at the top of the cookie cutter. Hang on your Christmas tree and enjoy!
SPLIT PEA WREATHS The traditional Christmas colors of red and green come alive in this holiday wreath made with split peas — it will make your mom happy!
Materials: • A wreath form • At least three packages of dried split peas • Clear glue • Large tray or pan • Ribbon of your choice Directions: • Spread the peas onto the tray. • Generously add glue to the wreath and spread it around. • Place the glue side of the wreath into the tray of peas and hold firm for a few seconds. • Repeat as often as necessary to cover the entire wreath. • Allow to dry completely. • Add a ribbon to the top. Hang the wreath on your front door or above your fireplace. n oy the festive conversation piece
SHARPIE MUG e all have that one coffee lover in our life who doesn’t believe there is too much coffee or too many coffee cups. his year make them something they will appreciate as they savor each sip hand decorated coffee mug Materials: eramic coffee mug Sharpie markers oil based ven Directions: • Decorate the mug however you would like with the Sharpie markers. • Place in oven. • Turn oven on to 350 degrees for 30 minutes. • Allow oven to completely cool before removing mug. Wrap and know your loved one will think of you each time the steamy brew touches their lips!
RELATIONSHIPS
Better late...
Finding love and first time marriage after age By Paula Helwick
I am living proof that God’s delays are not God’s denials. Here I am at age 61 getting married for the very first time! My wedding date, Saturday October 10, to the love of my life, Harold Vega Vondenstein, will have come and gone by the time you read this. However, I am confident our joy together will continue forever. My story is remarkable for a few reasons, aside from the fact that this is a first for me at my age. I met Harold on Christian Mingle, an online dating service. And, Harold and I have remained celibate throughout our entire courtship and engagement. I have learned women don’t have to give themselves to a man prior to marriage to be considered marriage material. Remaining celibate and trusting Photography by Denise Rednour, Denise’s Dreams Photography God to provide the right mate is a very empowering position for a woman to take. During our courtship, Harold drove each week from Daphne, My celibacy commitment began 16 years ago. Ala., to Gulfport. He slept on a blow-up mattress on my living I had made too many mistakes in my past and decided that it was time that I did it God’s way. My motto became, “It is God’s room floor while I slept in my bed with my three Chihuahuas: Coco, Cody and Casey. way or the highway.” I freely shared my celibacy commitment On May 24, we visited the Walter Anderson Museum of with female friends and bible study groups. I knew I hit a Art in Ocean Springs. While I was looking at art, Harold nerve by their responses. sneaked out to his car where he had hidden his guitar. He had By the way, Harold had also made a commitment six years written two original songs for me: The first one a prayer and ago to remain celibate and trust God. the second one with the words of the actual marriage proposal Our whirlwind romance began Christmas Day 2014 when which he performed amid the Walter Anderson murals in the Harold appeared in my Christian Mingle mailbox. Our very community center. He swept me off my feet! first date was at Aunt Jenny’s Catfish Restaurant in Ocean Moving to Gulfport in June, Harold remained true to our Springs on New Year’s Eve. I asked the cashier to take photos original commitment to remain celibate until we married. He of us and emailed them to my niece, Jaimee Dorris, who moved into a different apartment at my apartment complex responded with two words I will never forget, “He’s husband.” with plans for us to reside in his larger unit after our wedding Harold and I had an easiness about us that was undeniable. day. I had asked for a man who was romantic to the core and I had asked for a man after God’s own heart like King Harold did not disappoint, showering me with gifts and David in the Bible and for someone who would not set flowers throughout our courtship. Describing myself as limits on what God could accomplish through him, as well “bold, articulate, and outspoken” in my online profile, I was as a ministry partner. What I did not ask for is that he be not going to let Harold get the upper hand in the romance handsome and have a full head of hair! To my delight I department, so I showered him with gifts, too. We both knew learned that God gives more than we could ever ask or think, early on that our relationship was for keeps. In fact, Harold if what we ask for is aligned with God’s perfect will. closed his Christian Mingle account 10 days after he opened it. He told me he had found exactly what he was looking for. www.gcwmultimedia.com
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Pathway to freedom Broken Rainbow helps kids connect the dots after death, divorce By Andrea Yeager A 3-year-old was ready to go to a festival. She looked at her grandmother and said, “Will Grandy meet us there?” “No, honey, Grandy is with Jesus now. He isn’t coming back.” Hard words for a grandmother to say through the tears, but even harder for the little girl who misses her grandpa. A death or divorce shatters the visions and hopes of Norman Rockwell holidays. Thanksgiving, Hanukkah or Christmas are hard without that special person, but the first one is the toughest. Holidays that are supposed to be centered on family bring tears, silence, sadness and even anger. How does one cope with a divorce or death and still get through the holidays? The Broken Rainbow program, sponsored by First United Methodist Church in Gulfport for more Drawing by the children at Broken Rainbow program, First United than 30 years, offers help. The 12-week sessions help Methodist in Gulfport youngsters, ages 6 through high school, work through final. their feelings. And work, it does. The holidays for families of divorce have their own set Most of the kids have parents who are divorced or of problems. Often the children like to play one parent divorcing, but sometimes someone significant in the against the other. They like getting two sets of gifts. child’s life has died. In Broken Rainbow, that’s addressed, too. The current One 11-year-old went seven weeks without 12-week program ends just before Thanksgiving for which participating or even paying attention. Leader Margaret Johnson is thankful. Johnson, whose own three sons went through Broken “This helps them get through the holidays,” she said. Rainbow, was frustrated trying to reach the child. On the “They are dealing with depression, acceptance especially if eighth week, a breakthrough came. The child finally went there is a new boyfriend or girlfriend in a parent’s life. The to the father’s grave. kids know that if the holidays were tough, the can come “What a difference,” Johnson said. “We all talked about back for another 12 weeks in January.” what the grave looked like and if the child talked to the Johnson said: “I always tell my kids that the rainbow dad. It was a release, freedom.” may be broken, but the sun is still shining.” While death is final, dealing with a parents’ divorce has its type of death, too — the death of the family unit, Johnson says. MORE INFO “That’s what we talk about in our first session,” said Broken Rainbow is a program that helps children ages Johnson, whose first marriage ended in divorce. “I just 6 through high school deal with their parents’ divorce let them talk and read some of the worksheets out loud if or the death of a significant person. they want.” Sessions last 12 weeks and meet from 7 to 8:15 p.m. The kids are encouraged to talk about what’s bothering on Thursday nights at First United Methodist Church, them in their lives. Parents, grandparents or guardians are 2301 15th St., Gulfport. Sessions start in January, not to ask about the kids’ discussions. May and September. “It’s all confidential between me and them,” she said. “It’s a safe place. It lets them begin to rebuild trust.” Cost of the program is $30, but if a parent goes to The number of 12-week sessions the kids attend either the Divorce Recovery or Grief Recovery class, the fee is waived. Details: (228) 229-6851. depends on the individual. One came to the program for four years. It took that long for the parents’ divorce to be 122 November - December 2015
Farmer & Chef event set for Nov. 5 March of Dimes is proud to host The Farmer & The Chef on Nov. 5 at the Golden Nugget Casino. The Farmer and The Chef event will pair local farmers and local chefs to prepare a four-course meal to all event attendees. Not only is this an exciting fund raiser for the March of Dimes, it is also a way to create sustainable relationships between local farmers and chefs. It reinforces March of Dimesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; mission of promoting healthy eating for pregnant women. This year March of Dimes will recognize Dr. Bryant McCrary as Physician of the Year. He is a pediatrician with Memorial Hospital.
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TICKETS Tickets are available for $100. Sponsorships are available starting at $1,500. For more information, contact Jennifer Parker, (228) 206-3429.
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FOOD
CHEF DANIE’S APPLE PIE 6 granny smith apples 1 1/2 c sugar 2 T cinnamon 4 T butter
2 pie crusts ( store bought or you can always make your own if you like) 1 lemon 1 t vanilla
By Danie Rodriquez
Top off a great holiday meal with apple pie What do the holidays mean to you? For me, the holidays mean family and food, in that order. With two chefs in our family and a few foodies, too, every get-together involves a lot of great food. Any time spent around the table with family is always quality time. We all lead such busy lives today that we sometimes forget to stop and relax and enjoy. This time of year beckons us all to slow down and celebrate what really matters. Can’t you smell the turkey, dressing and homemade apple pie? Gather the family and be thankful for all of your blessings and each other. It is a time of year for reflection and peace. Make this year really special and spend time in the kitchen, spend time around the table and spend time with each other. Even if all of the food doesn’t come out picture perfect, all of the memories will. For the holidays, I am sharing my Simple Apple Pie Recipe that makes a perfect dessert for any holiday and Fancy Beef Wellington Packages for something a little dressed up for the season. Prepare what you can ahead of time and make sure that on the holiday all you have to do is reheat and set the table. Don’t stress over perfection, life is much too short for that. Remember all that matters is spending the time with family and friends. No one will remember the stuff that wasn’t perfect but they will remember the great time together. Try them both and enjoy spending time with the family. Check out my food blog for more great ideas: http://chefdaniecooks.blogspot.com. Chef Danie is the executive chef and owner of City Line Cafe in Gulfport, Lunch in Biloxi. She is the culinary artis director or Che Danie Coo s and offers pri ate culinary classes. She can be reached at 228.282.4416. 124
November - December 2015
Peel and core apples. Slice apples into 1/4 inch slices and put in a bowl. Squeeze juice from lemon onto apples to keep them from oxidizing. Toss apple pieces in lemon juice. Add sugar, cinnamon and vanilla to the apples and toss together. Try to make sure all of the apples are coated evenly Line pie pan with one of the pie crusts. It needs to hang over the edges just a little so you will be able to make an edge to the crust. Par-cook the crust in a 350* oven for 5 minutes. Put apples into the pie crust that is in the pie pan. Sprinkle the top with the remaining 1/4 c sugar and dot the top with butter (as shown in the picture below right) Now you are ready to put the top crust on and normally I just unroll the other crust directly on top of the pie and I cut a vent hole in the middle but you can also cut the pie crust into strips and do a the lattice top crust. For this, you need to unroll the other pie crust onto a wooden cutting board and cut it evenly into strips. Lay strips across the center of the pie evenly spaced and only attached at one end. Weave the other pie crust pieces over and under in the opposite direction to create a basket weave pattern on the top of the pie. This sounds a lot harder than it actually is and the results are always beautiful. If all else fails though you can always just top the whole pie with the crust and cut a vent hole in the center. Bake the pie at 350 for about 30-45 minutes. The apples will be fork tender when pierced. Let stand to slightly cool before cutting.
BEEF WELLINGTON PACKAGES filets of beef oz each pk frozen puffed pastry 1 8oz pk cremini mushrooms 1 med onion (chopped) ½ stick butter 1 T Worchester
4 slices of prosciutto thinly sliced 2 T creole mustard Salt and pepper 1 T granulated garlic 1 T granulated onion
A RUSTIC FUSION OF MEDITERRANEAN & SPANISH CUISINE WITH A SOUTHERN FLARE. Season beef on both sides with garlic, onion, salt and pepper and let sit out to come to room temp. Put mushrooms into a food processor and pulse until it becomes a rough paste then scrape the paste into a pan and sautĂŠ them with butter, chopped onion and Worchester until the mushroom and onions have completely softened and the liquid has mostly cooked out (about 8-10 minutes). Then set aside and let cool slightly. Heat a grill pan or cast iron pan on high until it is hot. Place steaks on hot pan and cook 2 minutes on each side ipping only once. Set steaks aside to cool for a minute. Heat oven to 450 degrees. emove puff pastry from oven. Once steak has cooled enough to touch, rub the outside with the creole mustard and wrap each steak in prosciutto. ut each piece of puff pastry in half. n each square place one of the steaks wrapped in prosciutto and top that with a layer of the cooked and cooled mushrooms directly in the center of the pastry. ring up each corner of the puff pastry to the center and twist to form a little package. rush the top of the puff pastry with the egg wash and sprinkle with parmesan cheese. Bake in oven for 10-15 minutes depending on how done you want the steaks. Make sure that the tops of the puff pastry do not stick up too far from the steak package because the ends will burn. Remove steaks from oven and let rest for 2-3 minutes before cutting.
Now
open in
GULFPORT 1308 27TH AVE, GULFPORT
f FOLLOW US ON FACEBOOK
osaic estaurant Fun and avorful
O
By Christopher Dearman
ne of Gulfport’s newest restaurants is bringing an enticing international flair not often seen in these parts. Mosaic Restaurant & Bar features a large selection of international cuisine including world known tapas, flavorful entrées, beautifully prepared mojitos and specialty drinks, live music, and much more. It’s this variety of components, a mix of cultures from all over the world, which creates a unique atmosphere that everyone on the Gulf Coast should come out and experience. Owner Arturo Barajas, along with his business partner Gabriel Khachik, have had their eye on the downtown historical building, which at certain times housed a Cadillac dealership and other restaurants for many years. When the space finally became available, they jumped at the opportunity. “We are tying to bring joy to Gulfport. There has always been a piece missing — that Latin American fun that we know how to provide 100 percent,” Barajas said of what they hope to accomplish. “Some people may be afraid to try things with an international flair, but I’ve never been afraid to try something, as sometimes you can find your new favorite. It’s just a matter of opening your mind and being open to try something new.” Like its sister restaurant, Mosaic Tapas Bar in downtown Ocean Springs, the menu features a large variety of tapas, small plates similar to appetizers that are originally from Spain, designed to be shared and encourage conversation. Put them in the middle of the table while having drinks, and it creates a unique ambiance from all the aromas mixed together. With a wide variety of sophisticated dishes from all over the world, you’ll find seafood, beef, pork, chicken, and vegetarian tapas that are bursting with flavor. The Ahi Tuna Pinchos is excellent, served on skewers with roasted pepper, onion, and a chipotle aioli. The Argentinean Empanadas are tasty deep-fried pastries filled with a house-ground sirloin recipe. The Chorizo Bruschetta is spicy sausage and fresh mozzarella with sautéed onions and sweet peppers, served on toast with a rich Romesco sauce. You really can’t go wrong with anything on the menu, as it’s obvious that great care has been taken to bring an exceptional dining experience. “We mix every single one of our spices in house,” Barajas said of Mosaic’s homemade and imported ingredients. “That’s what makes the difference. Nothing comes from a bag pre-made. There is a process to every single sauce and every single thing we bring to the table.” Besides tapas, you’ll also find full entrées, salads, burgers, quesadillas, and sandwiches, including the bestselling Cuban sandwich. In addition to the delicious food, Mosaic prides itself on having one of the largest specialty 126 November - December 2015
drink menus on the Coast. Be sure to stop by on Mojito Night Tuesdays or Martini Night Wednesdays, where you can choose from any of their fruit mojitos and from over twenty mouth-watering martinis for only $5. This is in addition to their more than 25 original recipe specialty drinks made from fresh ingredients. Mosaic is also home to live music and dancing Thursday through Saturday nights, including Latin Night Out. Bands from all over come to play an eclectic mix of musical styles including Arabic, Indian, flamenco, reggae, salsa, jazz, blues and merengue music, among others. “It’s fun and it’s flavorful. Some people have mentioned this is the most cosmopolitan spot on the Mississippi Gulf Coast, and that’s what we are trying to show,” Barajas said of the environment he is working hard to create. “We want every person on the Gulf Coast to come out and experience what we do best. When you’re sitting at a table having all kinds of flavors from all over the world, and drinking different specialty drinks from all over the world, and listening to music from all over the world, that type of atmosphere brings a full experience.”
MOSAIC RESTAURANT & BAR 1310 27th Ave. Gulfport Monday-Saturday lunch and dinner www.mosaictapasrestaurant.com www.facebook.com/MosaicRestaurantGulfport
Cheers to the
Holidays
Whether sipping some tasty bubbly or savoring a warm minty delight, these recipes are sure to be a hit at your holiday party!
Northern Lights
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CHRISTMAS PARTY
Today!
This festive fizzer gets a saucy makeover thanks to several teaspoons of a favorite holiday condiment — just be sure to hold the turkey. “It’s the perfect welcome drink at any holiday soirée,” says Los Angeles bartender David Delaney. “It’s light and refreshing. Who doesn’t want to kick off the night with some bubbly?” 1 ounce gin ½ ounce Simple Syrup (see below) ½ ounce fresh lemon juice 2 teaspoons cranberry sauce 2 dashes of Angostura bitters Ice cubes 2 ounces cold sparkling wine
Catering Rehearsal Dinners Private Party Space Available Wedding Venue
Recipe by David Delaney, Los Angeles, CA.
Combine the gin, simple syrup, lemon juice, cranberry sauce, and bitters in a cocktail shaker. Add ice and shake well. Double strain into a chilled flute and top with the sparkling wine. Garnish with cranberries, skewered on a cocktail pick. Simple Syrup Makes about 1 ½ cups
1 cup water 1 cup granulated sugar Combine the water and sugar in a small saucepan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring constantly. Turn the heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring slowly, until the sugar is dissolved, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool to room temperature. Transfer to a clean glass bottle, cover, and refrigerate for up to 2 weeks.
SERVES 1
TOOLS
cocktail shaker, strainer, e esh strainer
www.gcwmultimedia.com
GLASS e
GARNISH 3 fresh cranberries
t o p S n a t i l o p o m s o The most C oast C f l u G i p p i s s i s s i on the M Spectacular Food. Great Martinis. Awesome Music. Live Entertainment. Outdoor Seating. Daily Specials. Open Daily at 11 a.m.
TWO CONVENIENT LOCATIONS
1010 Government St. • Ocean Springs • 228.818.9885 1310 27th Ave. • Gulfport • 228.265.8013
MosaicTapasRestaurant.com 127
WINTER JULEP
If you thought juleps were only for the summer months, think again. Bartender Lara Creasy wanted to find a way to transform the classic hot-weather cocktail to a warming drink for the colder months. After a bit of tinkering, she found that peppermint tea was a perfect base for a good pour of bourbon, and the Winter Julep was born. Between the candy canes that hang from the tree and the starlight candies that line the roofs of gingerbread houses, who doesn’t crave mint all December long? Let the kids keep their candy canes and have yourself this properly grownup treat. 1 teaspoon peppermint tea leaves 5 ounces boiling water 1 ½ ounces bourbon ¾ ounce brown sugar syrup
Recipe by Lara Creasy, Atlanta, GA.
In a warm heat-proof brandy snifter, use an infuser to steep the tea leaves in the boiling water for 4 minutes. Remove the infuser. Add the bourbon and brown sugar syrup and stir to combine. Garnish with the mint sprig. To make the brown sugar syrup, in a small cup, combine 1 1/8 teaspoons brown sugar with 1 1/8 teaspoons of boiling water. Stir to dissolve the sugar and allow to cool. Tip: Don’t put the fresh mint garnish directly in the drink. Instead, lay the mint on the side of the mug.
SERVES 1
TOOLS
tea infuser, barspoon
GLASS he p oo b y s iff er or irish offee
Find more tips online at www.gcwmultimedia.com 128
November - December 2015
GARNISH mint sprig (see tip)
HOLIDAY ENTERTAINING TIPS & TRICKS
It may be the most wonderful time of the year, but with back to back holiday festivities filling up the calendar, holiday entertaining can be a tad overwhelming. To ensure stress-free party planning, follow these tips and tricks.
THE BIG CHILL
Ice rings can be essential when it comes to making punches. Fortunately, they’re a cinch to make. Simply fill a undt pan with water and freeze the day before you’re planning to serve. It’s a good idea to freeze two so that you have a backup. And be sure to set the pans on a level surface in the freezer so the water freezes evenly. To get the frozen mold out of the ring, just run some water over the ice, and then carefully turn the pan upside down while supporting the ice ring.
JOIN THE PARTY
If you’re hosting a party, don’t forget to enjoy yourself! That means you shouldn’t be playing the bartender all night. Unless you’re a bartending dynamo, making dozens of cocktails and being a good host at the same time is virtually impossible. Here are a few ideas for planning that will allow you to have a good time at your party: • Ask a friend to make drinks at your party in exchange for bar duty at his or her fête. • Before the party, squeeze fresh juices and prep syrups (and any other ingredients you can) to save time later on. • Make punches ahead of time and let guests serve themselves. • Grate spices and make citrus peels for garnishes ahead of time, so they’re ready to go when it’s time to pour your drinks.
GLASS ACT
If spending money on matching sets of the right glassware stresses you out, think about going vintage and mixing and matching styles. Your local Goodwill store carries loads of fun and inexpensive glassware, and don’t be afraid to get creative with whatever you already have around.
TAXI!
As a host, you always want to plan for safe departures for your guests. Make sure everyone has a designated driver and print out a list of cabbie phone numbers to post near the door or hand to guests as they prepare to leave.
PARTY FAVORS
Looking for a fun way to make sure friends remember your party? Laminate recipe cards for the cocktails you will serve and give them to guests as they leave.
CHILL OUT
Lots of holiday cocktails call for sparkling wine as a key ingredient. Since you never shake sparkling wine with the rest of your ingredients, be sure to chill your wine ahead of time so it keeps the cocktails nice and cool once you pour it in.
(228) 206-3510
Coffee, smoothies, sandwiches, salads & more
SHARE THE WEALTH
Making lots of cocktails or big batches of punch can be expensive, so consider hosting a potluck where guests are assigned to bring certain spirits instead of snacks.
BOTTLE SHOP
If you’re planning to batch a bunch of cocktails in advance and you don’t have enough containers to hold all the mixtures, simply reuse the empty bottles that held the spirits.
COOL LIKE THAT
You never want to run out of ice in the middle of a party, so make sure you’ve made or bought plenty of ice for your drinks. You can store it in coolers and use it as needed.
Just south of O’Neal Road
on Highway 49 12449 US 49, Gulfport, MS 39503 Drive-thru Available
TOOL TIME
Be sure to have on hand all of the tools you’ll need to make your cocktails — plenty of shakers, barspoons, muddlers and strainers. Ask friends ahead of time if you need to borrow their tools, so you’re sure to be fully outfitted when you’re ready to start mi ing.
JUICY FRUIT
A Great Meet-up Place!
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You’ll likely use a lot of citrus juice in your holiday drinks, so you’ll want to get as much juice out of the fruit as possible. To do this, be sure to store your citrus at room temperature, and when you’re ready to uice them, first roll them under your hand on a counter surface. This will release the juices within the fruit so that when you cut into them, they’re ready to release every last drop. Reprinted with permission from “Cocktails for the Holidays” by the editors of Imbibe Magazine. Published by Chronicle Books.
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CARES & CONCERNS
Early childhood education: How it impacts crime By Joel Smith
D
uring nearly 15 years as a prosecutor, I have had the opportunity to handle hundreds of cases involving those who have violated the law in Mississippi. Seeing a multitude of cases day after day, year after year, has made me passionate about the issues we face in the fight for victims of crime in our community. Obtaining justice for those who have been victimized by the selfish and brutal acts of another is a unique battle and one that can be professionally rewarding. On the other hand, witnessing the plight and difficulties endured by a victim is heartbreaking and frustrating. Public service in the criminal justice system has taught me many life lessons. I have observed the best and worst of our society. A major focus in the District Attorneyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s office is recidivism-the number of repeat offenders that churn through the criminal justice system. Our office sends more criminals to prison with habitual offender enhancement sentences than any other jurisdiction in Mississippi. This is a vicious cycle and one where there are no winners. After dealing with this issue for quite some time, it has become clear that one of the key components to reducing recidivism will come from outside the justice system altogether. The education of our children, specifically early childhood education, has a profound impact on the likelihood of whether they will fall into a repetitive life of crime. Studies have shown that children who attend preschool at age four are more likely to graduate from high school, become homeowners, and qualify for
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military service. Most importantly, children who attend preschool reduce the likelihood that they will not participate in a violent crime by 70%. Nationwide research shows for every $1 in public funds spent on quality early childhood education, $7 is returned to the public in the reduction of services required to remedy crime, poverty, unemployment, and medical costs. In Mississippi, the return is as high as $12. Obviously, we cannot arrest and incarcerate our way out of the crime problem facing our country. While tough enforcement and prosecution are vital to a safe community, it cannot be the only answer. We have to search for solutions that keep people from turning to a life of crime in the first place. This will require a multi-faceted approach to yield long-term results. Early childhood education can and should play a major role in our strategy. By expanding the availability of quality Pre-K education, we can help the children of Mississippi reach higher graduation rates. In turn, this will lead to less crime and lower costs to taxpayers. I am not naĂŻve enough to believe that any one approach is going to completely eliminate crime. However, the implementation of a comprehensive plan to provide quality early childhood education to all children can create a safer future for all Mississippians.
Smith is district attorney for Harrison, Hancock and Stone County. Reach him at jsmithjr@co.harrison. ms.us.
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