DESIGN ISSUE
ISSUE
Caroline Gidiere
Coronets Dance Club
11 | Kiwanis Pancake Breakfast
12 | An excerpt from Daniel Wallace’s new book of short stories
14 | Boy Scout Troop 97 in Homewood recognizes five new Eagle Scouts.
15 | Things to do, people to hear and see
On Dollhouses and Design
hen I was a little girl, Santa Claus brought me a dollhouse for Christmas one year. I was obsessed with the lovely white Colonial (five, four and a door) with its green shutters and red front door (it even had a tiny brass doorknob). I would spend hours arranging and rearranging the furniture in the various rooms, right down to organizing the tiny pots and pans in the miniature kitchen. I was so enamored, that my mom signed me up for a dollhouse decorating class at a local store in my hometown called Annie’s Woodshed. It was my dream! I hung wallpaper, painted rooms and was so proud of myself. And that’s as close as I ever came to being a designer!
The three talented women featured in this issue all came to design in different ways but have built reputations based on their ability to create timeless designs in countless homes—normal sized, not the doll-size variety. Whether it’s the use of vibrant color, rich fabrics, or exquisite finishes, these women have their own takes on style and design that shine. I’m so envious of the ability to look at a space and see it in an entirely different way. It’s a skill I truly wish I had. But who needs it when you have available professionals like these! Makes me want to wallpaper something—man I miss that dollhouse.
–BARRY WISE SMITH
We
Thursday, April 3, 2025
Daniel Wallace in 9th grade at B.U.S. (which later became Altamont), waiting for the eclipse.
Birmingham Boys Choir/Taste of Birmingham
The Birmingham Boys Choir brought their singular sound to the 11th Annual Taste of Birmingham fundraiser on March 18th at The Club. Nearly 400 guests enjoyed culinary delights from 22 restaurants, with Tré Luna winning the Iron Skillet Award for the second year in a row with their braised beef short ribs.
The choir’s performance of Dream-themed songs was the highlight of the evening. Director of Development Christopher Ritchey served as the event emcee in support of Executive Director Jeff Caulk and Music Director Ken Berg. John Hosmer and Allison Creel served as co-chairs of the event, which was the most successful to date.
Both the silent and live auctions were a huge
success, supporting the choir’s future concerts and recruitment season. The auctions featured items like premium wines, a stay at a Renaissance Resort and Spa, a collectable bottle of Blanton Single Barrel Whiskey, an onsite Cajun crawfish boil, and a year’s mosquito treatment from Oasis Mosquito Solutions. Piddlin’ Art and Antiques in Vestavia served as the presenting sponsor, with additional sponsorships from HOAR Construction and others. The event was blessed with beautiful weather, a lively and friendly atmosphere and a remarkable ice sculpture carved on the terrace. The next Birmingham Boys Choir event will be a Sean of the South collaborative concert on April 6th. For tickets go to https://cbo.io/tickets/sean/tickets.
Caitlin and Jeff Caulk
Lizbeth and Michael Skrobis
Rob Glasgow, Lisa Carroll and Lisa Renegar
Melissa and Nicholas Ireland and Emily Grace and Brandon Ames
Birmingham Boys Choir
Guests enjoyed sweet treats from local vendors.
Brooke and Justin Mitchell, Bethany and Brad Jett and Caitlin Caulk
Kelly and Stephen Skelton
Mary and Steven Gornik
Caitlin Caulk and Christopher Ritchey
PICKWICK DANCE CLUB
Members of the Pickwick Dance Club enjoyed an encore of last year’s 50th anniversary dance during their March 7th dance at the Mountain Brook Club.
Club President Kathy Peerson and Paula Hickman were the party planners. Decorations and invitations were French-themed, with a mime greeting guests and directing members to the sunroom for a cocktail party.
Each table was decorated in bright pink tablecloths topped with a black Eiffel Tower surrounded by twinkling lights. In the ballroom, living room and hallway, tables were decorated with luminaries highlighting photos of Pickwick members taken at parties over the years.
About 160 guests enjoyed a buffet that included
shrimp and grits, a South of the Border spread, a mac-and-cheese bar and beef and pork sliders.
The Embers, a Carolina beach music band, provided the dance music and at the end of the party lead singer Craig Woolard sang “God Bless the USA” as a giant American flag unfurled in the background.
The Antiquarian Society of Birmingham Inc.
The Antiquarian Society of Birmingham met at the Vestavia Country Club on March 12th
In the ballroom were tablescapes that reflected the theme, “What is This Old Thing? Exploring the Collections of Colonial Williamsburg.” The décor included brass candlesticks, pineapples, oranges,
greenery and forest green linens, all curated by Sandra Holley and Cookie Logan. The members were greeted upon arriving by members
Jan Hatchett and Amanda Adams. Hostess for the Vestavia Country Club was Linda Stewart.
J. Grahame Long from the Colonial Williamsburg
Foundation was the guest speaker, and members were excited to hear about Williamsburg’s new art museum and the current archaeological site.
Lynda Whitney gave the invocation before the group dined on a salad plate for lunch.
Sara Beth Blair and Dick Coffee
Jane and Joe Gribbin
Gail and Alan Howle
Jean Woodward, Patsy Dreher, Dana Norton, Vicki McGehee and Patty Baker
George and Susan Nolen, Romona and Jim Shannon
Alston and Chris Ray and Garnett and Jim Baker
George and Ann Morris Jo and Julia Ann Cleage
J. Grahame Long, Colonial Williamsburg Foundation and Carolyn Delk , V.P. The Antiquarian Society Jan Hatchett and Amanda Adams
Cookie Logan and Sandra Holley
HOMEWOOD ROTARIANS
The wearin’ of the green was all part of the fun when Homewood Rotarians and their guests celebrated St. Patrick’s Day early at their fun-filled annual scholarship fundraiser on March 1st. The event, held at the Valley Hotel in Homewood, was deemed a success in its quest to raise money for college scholarships for Homewood High School seniors.
The evening included an Irish-themed buffet dinner, music by Celtic band Hooley and silent and live auctions. A highlight was the auctioning of a limited-edition print of Nick Saban by renowned Homewood artist Steve Skipper, who was present for the festivities.
Martha and Glenn Ellis
Stephanie and John Dean
Steve Skipper and Club president Robert Holmes with a Nick Saban print that was auctioned off.
Al Murray and Lori Salter
Joyce Underwood, Lisa and Mike Eckenrod and Anthony Underwood
Mary Lou Reynolds and Cathy Warrington
Taste of Homewood
Fans and newcomers to Homewood’s restaurant scene gathered at Soho Square on March 13th for the 22nd annual Taste of Homewood.
The popular event drew hundreds of guests who enjoyed live entertainment while sampling food and beverages from more than 25 local restaurants, catering companies and beverage
companies. Participating eateries included 1918 Catering, Ace Hardware, AlaBev, Baba Java, Bitty and Beau’s Coffee, Buffalo Rock, Chick-fil-A, Cookie Fix, Corbeau Wine Bar, Farm Bowl + Juice Co., Frothy Monkey, Happy Catering Company, Hero Doughnuts, Ironwood Kitchen & Cocktails, Little Donkey, Luca, Magnolia Point, Meals by Misty, Milo’s, O’Henry’s, Otey’s Tavern,
Piggly Wiggly, Rodney Scott’s BBQ, Shiki Thai and Sushi, Slice Pizza & Brew, SoHo Social, SoHo Standard, Social Taco, Taco Mama, Tina’s Market and Urban Cookhouse.
Shiki Thai and Sushi won the coveted People’s Choice Award, with Ironwood Kitchen & Cocktails and Rodney Scott’s BBQ as first and second runners up respectively.
Kim Smith and Duffy Towey
Caroline Deaterly and Avery Bechthold
Janiee Rush and Daniel Entrekin
Andy and Lauren Gwaltney
Larry and Kristi Wilson and Donna and Johnnie Bertella
Patrick and Skylar Miller
Eli and Luke Ellerman Fran and Ben Hixon
A NIGHT AT THE OSCARS GALA
The glamour of the Academy Awards set the theme for A Night at the Oscars, a fundraiser for Mitchell’s Place on March 15th.
Guests gathered at the Country Club of Birmingham, where they enjoyed cocktails,
dinner and silent and live auctions. They also danced to the sound of the Rock Candy Band. Mitchell’s Place provides comprehensive services for children and families affected by autism spectrum disorder and other developmental disabilities.
Joel and Shelby Kimerling Shannon and Carter Adams
Chase and Virginia Couch
Jill and Brian Murphy and Mike and Karle Falkenburg
Allen and Nancy Meisler and Anne and Justin Weintraub
Sam and Amanda Ransom
Elise Druhot, Brice England and Landon Stubblefield
Eve Hirsch, Michael Randman and Melanie Appell
CORONETS DANCE CLUB
Members of the Coronets Dance Club continued to celebrate 70 years of tradition with dinner and dancing at the Vestavia Country Club on March 7th
P.A. Carmichael and Joyce Talbot, who chaired the party, put together collages of years past and shared many scrapbooks that featured photo collections of men and women from the club’s dances and luncheons.
Easy Street provided a variety of dance music ranging from ballroom to swing and the waltz.
Members in attendance were Carolyn and Jim Delk, Lynne and Joe Nicholson, Linda and Mike Gooldrup, Jim Barlett, P.A. and Beatty Carmichael, Cathie and John Amos, Julie and Steve Marmurek, Marsha and Buford McCarty, Amy and Mickey Zarra, Kathy Tracy,
Ashley and Troy Carmichael, Linda and Spencer Bachus, Carol and Phillip Powell, Redonda and Lowell Broom, Shelley and Steve Watkins, Pat Garlikov and Jim Harrison, Joy and Steve Wilkes, Dena Parker, Linda Quarrels, Nell Larson, Dianne and Richard Horn, Patty and Norman Clay, Becky and Richard Padgett, Nelle Freeman and Jack Mandel.
Norman and Patty Clay
Cathie and John Amos
Nell Larson, Linda Quarles and Deana Parker
Steve and Julie Marmurek
P.A. and Beatty Carmichael
Steve and Joy Wilkes
Jim and Carolyn Delk and Steve Watkins
Joe and Lynne Nicholson and Shelley and Steve Watkins
KIWANIS PANCAKE BREAKFAST
Devouring a stack of hot pancakes and sausage is a great way to start the morning, especially when served for a good cause at the Kiwanis Club of Homewood-Mountain Brook's 41st Annual Pancake Breakfast on March 8 at The Exceptional Foundation. A silent auction, door prizes and a kid zone with fun children’s activities were on hand
and the club partnered with Bitty & Beau’s Coffee Shop for coffee. The shop employs people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
Proceeds from the event will benefit the Homewood Public Library and other charities in the Birmingham area focused on serving children.
Mary Browning, Racheal Fairley and Krista Young
Cooper and Matt Smith
Leland Keller and Buddy Moon
Anne, Catherine, John and Taylor Agricola
Will Rykard and Zach Sims
Grant, Owen and Laura Bradley
The Men in the Woods
An excerpt from the new book, Beneath the Moon and Long Dead Stars STORY AND ILLUSTRATION
BY
DANIEL WALLACE
DANIEL WALLACE—the author of six novels, including the larger-than-life Big Fish , as well as a children’s book, a coloring book, and, most recently, a work of nonfiction, called This Isn’t Going to End Well —is publishing a book of his very, very short stories on May 20 th. It’s called Beneath the Moon and Long Dead Stars I t’s a perfect book: small enough to fit in your pocket but chock-full of stories, almost all of them short enough to be read at a long stop light. Being that Daniel grew up on Balmoral in Mountain Brook, we cajoled him into giving us an excerpt:
The men who live in the woods behind my house had been getting out of hand for some time. They were all in their mid-fifties, golfers formerly, and meat eaters—jolly men in general—but since their wives had sent them away to live in the woods, they had become grumpy and discontented. At night they would bellow and howl. They want their televisions and ice-makers and chairs beside the vents. They live like animals now in badly made straw huts and eat anything that wanders too close to their turf. We know what’s happening to our dogs and cats, but there’s nothing we can do: some of these men are very powerful; all of them belong to the country club.
Last night from a window, I saw them leaving the woods and marching, single file, toward my home. They knocked at the door.
“What is it?” I said, staring at their wretchedness through the peep-hole. “What do you want?”
“Your telephone,” they said. “We’d like to use your telephone.”
“That’s out of the question,” I said. “You can’t come in. My wife -- “
“Your wife?” he said.
“She won’t allow it.”
“His wife won’t allow it!” said one of them. “His wife says no,” said another.
“She must be wonderful,” the first one said. “Really, I bet she is.”
“She is,” I said. “My wife is wonderful.”
“We knew your father,” one of the men said. “You’re not your father.”
Then they went away, grumbling, back into the woods.
Later that night, in bed, I told my wife what had happened.
“They came here?” she said. I nodded. She was appalled. “I want you to go down there and tell them not to do that. Tell them never to come here again.”
“Now?” I said. “It’s like midnight.”
“Now,” she said. “For me.” She kissed me on the cheek.
I walked down the little trail, which led to the woods behind our house. I saw a light, followed it. The men were cooking squirrel around a fire. They were drinking coffee from old tin cups. They bellowed and wailed. But they seemed to be having a pretty good time.
“Hey fellas,” I said, and all the bellowing stopped, and they looked up at me and smiled. “Please don’t come around our house anymore. Okay?”
They looked at each other, then into the fire.
“Okay,” they said, shrugging their shoulders. “Fine.”
It didn’t seem to mean that much to them. All they had wanted was the phone.
When I turned to go, I could see my house on the hill above me, and watched as one light after another was killed, and it was all darkness. It seemed I could even hear the doors shut and lock, as my wife prepared for sleep. My house seemed to disappear into the black sky. I paused.
“Going away so soon?” one of the men said. The fire was bright, warm. “Yeah,” said another. “And just when we were getting to know you.” OTMJ
© Short Édition - All Rights Reserved
BENEATH THE MOON AND LONG DEAD STARS
will be available on May 20th at all major book outlets or preorder here: bullcitypress.com/product/beneaththe-moon-and-long-dead-stars-bydaniel-wallace/. Of the short stories, Rosecrans Baldwin, author of Everything Now had this to say, “I’m always happy to be back in Daniel Wallace country—lovers, haters and coffin makers in stories that were eerily familiar until a revelation knocked me sideways. In very few pages, self-deception grappled with longing, monsters turned out to be frail. Few writers can make the everyday sing. Wallace goes one further: he makes it surprising.” In addition to his commitment to his muse, Daniel Wallace is the J. Ross MacDonald Distinguished Professor of English at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, his alma mater, where he lives with his wife, Laura.
EAGLE SCOUTS
Boy Scout Troop 97, based at Trinity United Methodist Church in Homewood, held an Eagle Court of Honor on Feb. 23 to recognize its five newest Eagle Scouts. The new Eagle Scouts and their Eagle Service projects are:
GARNER JOHNSON
Garner, the son of Brandon and Laura Johnson, and Christie Gilder Johnson, worked with Erin Meacham of the Homewood Middle School Enrichment Program to build a moveable outdoor classroom at the school.
FOSTER LAIRD
Foster, the son of Andy Laird and Audrey Laird, designed and built a rain barrel watering station at Trinity West Homewood to provide an environmentally friendly method for watering the community garden.
SANTIAGO POZZO
Santiago, son of Lucas Pozzo-Miller and Karina Ricart, partnered with the Homewood Middle School Band Department to create a one-ofa-kind mobile instrument desk that will be used in classroom instruction. Santiago also arranged service days with troop volunteers to organize changes to the band room and assemble a new lectern.
ELIJAH COPELAND
Elijah is the son of Susan Copeland and Ethan Copeland. He built and installed the new Gaga Ball pit at the Shades Valley YMCA in Homewood, where he works.
PHINNEAS MULLINS
Phinneas is the son of Grant and Lindsey Mullins. He worked with the Homewood Parks Board to design and install Wildlife Identification Signs on both the Lakeshore Walking Trail and in Central Park. During sign installation, he called on troop members to help with a trash cleanup of Shades Creek.
Thurs., April 3
TUNES ON TAP
Tunes on Tap is a free concert series that brings together classical music and a casual, laid-back atmosphere at local bars and breweries.
WHEN: 6:30 p.m.
WHERE: Cahaba Brewing Co.
April 3-13
DEARLY DEPARTED
In the Baptist backwoods of the Bible Belt, the beleaguered Turpin family proves that living and dying in the South are seldom tidy and always hilarious.
WHEN: Various showtimes WHERE: Homewood Theatre
April 3-13
WHO’S AFRAID OF VIRGINIA WOLFE?
When George and Martha invite a new faculty member and his wife back to their house after a stuffy campus gathering, no one knows what lies ahead in this production of what is considered one of the top plays of 20th-century American theatre. WHEN: Various showtimes
WHERE: Virginia Samford Theatre
April 4-19
DISNEY’S FREAKY FRIDAY
When an overworked mother and her teenage daughter magically swap bodies, they have just one day to put things right again. This show is a collaboration with the UAB Theatre Department.
WHEN: Various showtimes
WHERE: Red Mountain Theatre
Sat., April 5
LIVE GRILLING EVENT
Learn more about grills and grilling at this live event with cooking tips and grilling tricks! There will be a raffle for great prizes that will support Make-a-Wish Alabama. WHEN: 10 a.m.
WHERE: AllSouth Appliance Group
Sat., April 5
MINI MASTERS PUTT-PUTT EVENT
Play a 9-hole mini-golf course, enjoy food,
swag and other goodies with your team of four for a good cause! This Vestavia Hills Chamber of Commerce event will benefit RISE, the youth leadership program at Vestavia Hills High School and the UAB Comprehensive Cancer Center. Registration required at business.vestaviahills.org/events.
WHEN: 9 a.m.-1 p.m.
WHERE: Scout’s Square, Vestavia Hills
Sat., April 5
HOMEWOOD LIBRARY BLOCK PARTY
The Homewood Library Foundation will hold its annual Block Party fundraiser with food samples, live music and lots of family fun! Get tickets online at homewoodlibraryfoundation.org or at the door.
WHEN: 5-7:30 p.m.
WHERE: Homewood Public Library
Sat., April 5
RUNNING FOR THE BULLS 5K
The race is a benefit for Bama Bully Rescue and one of the organization’s biggest fundraising events. It’s a family and fur-friendly event that promises lots of fun while raising money to rescue pit bull-type dogs from Alabama animal shelters.
WHEN: 9 a.m.
WHERE: Oak Mountain State Park Redbud Pavilion (across from the BMX track)
Sun., April 6
DAWSON BAPTIST CHURCH TO CELEBRATE CENTENNIAL
Dawson Baptist Church will celebrate its 100th anniversary on April 6 with a day-long series of services and events to mark the occasion. These include a special worship service with retired former pastor Dr. Gary Fenton, a former staff reception, Chapel Choir reunion, a celebration service premiering a new documentary on the history of the church and a church-wide picnic with a variety of festivities. To learn more, visit dawsonchurch.org/100yearcelebration.
Dawson Baptist Church Centennial Celebration
Sun., April 6
BIRMINGHAM VEGAN FEST
Indulge in tasty vegan food, check out plant-based health and beauty products and enjoy music from DJ Dillon T. Spicer at the Birmingham Vegan Fest. Stroll among the 70 vendors on hand, including food trucks, artist displays and apparel booths.
WHEN: 11 a.m.-5 p.m.
WHERE: Cahaba Brewery
Mon., April 7
GROWN UP PROM
Get ready for a night to remember as you relive your prom experience and create new memories. Dress up or dust off your old prom attire, and dance the night away to music through the decades! This 21+ event will have all the prom classics—music, dancing, food (heavy hors d'oeuvres) and fun—with a few grown-up twists.
WHEN: 7-10 p.m.
WHERE: The Farrell COST: Ticket price: $125
DETAILS: familyconnection-inc.org/ news-and-events/ For table information, call (205) 663-6301 or email jennifer@familyconnection-inc.org.
Mon., April 7
STORYTELLING THROUGH MUSIC
Experience the power of music and resilience as world-renowned musician, Mona Golabek, brings her bestselling novel, The Children of Willesden Lane, to life. Through stunning piano performances, Golabek shares the gripping true story of her mother’s struggle to survive during the Holocaust. Don’t miss this unforgettable evening that will leave you feeling inspired by the courage and perseverance of the human spirit!
WHEN: Doors open at 5:30 p.m. with the program beginning promptly at 6:30 p.m.
WHERE: Wright Center at Samford University
Ticket price: $18 https://ahecinfo.org/events/ mona-golabek-the-children-ofwillesden-lane-in-birmingham/
April 7-11
LENTEN LUNCH SERIES
Cathedral Church of the Advent opens its Lenten Preaching Series on Ash Wednesday, with Bishop Glenda Curry as the first speaker. A lunch menu is available, featuring hot entrées, salads and homemade desserts.
WHEN: Speaker at 12:05 p.m.
Lunch served 12:15-1 p.m.
WHERE: Cathedral Church of the Advent
Storytelling Through Music
Thurs., April 10
TABLESCAPES
Christian writer Stephanie Smith
will be the guest speaker at the Tablescapes event to benefit The King’s Home Shelby Auxiliary. The auxiliary supports the women and children of King's Home Shelby who have been victims of domestic abuse, drug abuse or other violence.
WHEN: 10 a.m.-1 p.m.
WHERE: Asbury United Methodist Church Williams Chapel
Thurs., April 10 THE DILL PICKERS
The Dill Pickers, musicians who play a variety of classic roots-style music, are featured in this concert fundraiser to benefit the Friends of the Hoover Library.
WHEN: 7 p.m.
WHERE: Hoover Library Theatre
Thurs., April 10
VESTAVIA SPRING FLING
Join the Vestavia Arts Council at its second annual Spring Fling! Enjoy live music, sips and snacks and a silent auction.
WHEN: 5:30-7 p.m.
WHERE: St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church
April 10-27
TINY BEAUTIFUL THINGS
Tiny Beautiful Things follows the relationships between an anonymous advice columnist named Sugar and the many real-life readers who pour out their hearts to her.
WHEN: Various showtimes
WHERE: Terrific New Theatre
Fri., April 11
COFFEE CONCERT: BARBER + RACHMANINOFF
Barber’s evocative “Second Essay for Orchestra,” and Rachmaninoff’s “Symphonic Dances” are on the program for this informal concert.
WHEN: 11 a.m.
WHERE: Alys Stephens Center
April 11-12
SPRING WITH BERNSTEIN & RACHMANINOFF
Experience an unforgettable evening of musical mastery with the Alabama Symphony Orchestra and a program that fuses lesser-known gems with classical treasures.
WHEN: 7 p.m.
WHERE: Alys Stephens Center
Sat., April 12
RED SHOE RUN: ROCKIN’ 5K
Help support the guest families served by Ronald McDonald House Charities of Alabama by participating in the 5K or 1-Mile Fun Run at the Red Shoe Run: Rockin’ 5K! Funds raised by the Red Shoe Run help keep a family close to their sick or injured child free of charge.
WHEN: 7 a.m.
WHERE: Begins and ends at the Ronald McDonald House in Birmingham
Sat., April 12
CAHABAQUE BBQ COOK-OFF
Feast on a variety of barbecued meats and sides, washed down with beer and soft drinks at the annual CahabaQue BBQ Cook-Off to benefit the Breast Cancer Research Foundation of Alabama. CahabaQue features top-notch all-you-can-eat BBQ samples prepared by cook teams, live music and craft beer. For tickets, visit cahabaque.com.
WHEN: Noon-4 p.m.
WHERE: Cahaba Brewing Company
April 12, 19, 26
THE WIZARD OF OZ
A new musical version of the classic L. Frank Baumis geared to ages six and older. WHEN: 11 a.m.
WHERE: Birmingham Children’s Theatre
April 14-18
LENTEN LUNCH SERIES
Cathedral Church of the Advent opens its Lenten Preaching Series on Ash Wednesday, with Bishop Glenda Curry as the first speaker. A lunch menu is available, featuring hot entrées, salads and homemade desserts.
WHEN: Speaker at 12:05 p.m.
Lunch served 12:15-1 p.m.
WHERE: Cathedral Church of the Advent
Sat., April 19
EASTER EGG ROLL
A springtime hop down the bunny trail in Mountain Brook leads to the community Easter Egg Roll! The popular annual event attracts families with baskets in tow, ready to collect eggs and have their picture taken with the Easter Bunny.
WHEN: 10 a.m.-Noon
WHERE: Grassy field in front of O’Neal Library
Thurs., April 24
SECRET SISTERS WITH THE SYMPHONY
Grammy-nominated Secret Sisters captivate audiences with spellbinding harmonies while exploring the complexities of life, love and womanhood in this concert with
love and womanhood in this concert with the Alabama Symphony.
WHEN: 7 p.m.
WHERE: Alys Stephens Center
Fri., April 25
MIDDAY MUSIC
Oboist James Sullivan will perform in a free, 30-minute recital.
WHEN: Noon
WHERE: Cathedral Church of the Advent
Fri., April 25
THE WIZARD OF OZ
A new musical version of the classic
L. Frank Baum story is geared to ages six and older.
WHEN: 7 p.m.
WHERE: Birmingham Children’s Theatre
Fri., April 25
GLADYS IMPROV
Trained in the New York, Chicago and LA improv scenes respectively, Michael, Jacob and Tim bring their lightning fast and thunderously weird version of long-form improv home to Birmingham, and they call it Gladys.
WHEN: 7 & 9 p.m.
WHERE: Virginia Samford Theatre
Fri., April 25
ourHOME MUSTACHE BASH
ourHOME’s first ticketed fundraising event will feature food, fun, and live music from the
Spring with Bernstein & Rachmaninoff
Vestavia Spring Fling
‘90s country party band, Mustache the Band!
The private outdoor event will celebrate and “set the stage” to transform lives through innovative solutions and unwavering commitment to adults with disabilities. Drinks and food will be available for purchase, and a special VIP experience at Corbeau Wine Bar will include four free drinks, unlimited snacks, private restrooms and a VIP concert viewing area. Space is limited. Parking attendants will be available onsite to assist with event parking.
WHEN: 7 p.m.
WHERE: The Edge in Homewood
April 25-26
ST. ELIAS FOOD & CULTURAL FESTIVAL
There will be plenty of food and fun at St. Elias’ 27th annual festival on Birmingham’s Southside. Delicious specialties, such as Lebanese doughnuts, spinach pies and baked kibbeh sandwiches will be served, along with music, performances of traditional dancing, church tours and a silent auction. On April 26th, lace up your running shoes for the 5K Cedar Run and 1 Mile Fun Run. For details, visit stelias.org/festival.
WHEN: 10 a.m.-9 p.m. both days
WHERE: St. Elias Maronite Catholic Church
Sat., April 26
BOB SYKES 14TH ANNUAL BBQ & BLUES FESTIVAL
A frequent winner of Best Food Festival in the State, the 14th Annual Bob Sykes BBQ & Blues festival combines the best of Bob Sykes barbecue with blues music in an all-day festival for the whole family. In addition to great music and food, there’s also arts and crafts, outdoor exhibits and numerous vendors. Enjoy musical performances by Kid Sly featuring Hurricane Elaine, Ra’Shad the Blues Kid, Diedra the Alabama Blues Queen, Southern Avenue and Shemekia Copeland. Tickets can be purchased prior to the event for $10 or at the gate for $15.
WHEN: 12-6 p.m. (gates open at 11 a.m.)
WHERE: DeBardeleben Park, 1623 2nd Avenue North, Bessemer
Sat., April 26
MUSICA DE MARIACHI!
The Alabama Symphony welcomes Mariachi Cobre, one of the best-known mariachi bands in the U.S. WHEN: 7 p.m.
WHERE: BJCC Concert Hall.
Sun., April 27
HOOVER HISTORICAL SOCIETY OPEN HOUSE
The Hoover Historical Society will hold an Open House and membership drive. Learn about the society while enjoying light refreshments and music by the Hoover High School Jazz Ensemble. The society will award its annual scholarships to Hoover School System students at 3 p.m.
WHEN: 2-4 p.m.
WHERE: Hoover-Randle Houme
Tues., April 29
CHAMBER MUSIC CONCERT
The vocal music quartet New York Polyphony brings their Grammy-nominated, innovative programming spanning from the 12th to 17th centuries in an evening concert. WHEN: 7 p.m.
WHERE: Cathedral Church of the Advent OTMJ
St. Elias Food & Cultural Festival
The Cook Store Turns 50
An Interview with proprietor Wesley Lassen
BY LEE HURLEY
It’s official, The Cook Store is now qualified to join AARP. Opened by Sam Franks in 1975, he later sold it to Betty Knight who changed the name to The Cook Store and, in 1999, sold it to Wesley Lassen, where our story begins. Wesley was born and raised in Mountain Brook, the daughter of well-liked and respected Fred Powell who helped start Burr & Forman in 1963. Her mother, Bette, passed her culinary wisdom and passion down to Wesley, who loved trips to the grocery store with her mom to buy ingredients. And yet, it’s a bit of a leap from enjoying cooking to owning a cooking store. That takes an extra set of attributes, which after 26 years in business, Wesley has gotten the oldfashioned way. The store is comfortable and acoustically inviting with wood floors and walls. One can see plenty of function to go with form, and as Wesley said in an interview years ago, “Everything we sell, we
want you to be able to cook in it, clean it and do anything you want with it.”
OTMJ: You grew up a Brookie?
WESLEY LASSEN: I grew up in Crestline, went through the MB school system and then to Sweet Briar College and got a BA (trainable) in Economics with a minor in Philosophy— again I'm trainable.
Do you still live in Mountain Brook? I currently live in the Hollywood section of Homewood (29 years) but will be moving to my husband, Hal's childhood home, which we renovated in Vestavia. So I will have covered all the over-the-mountain areas in my lifetime.
Congratulations on your semicentennial!
Cheers to 50 years!! My first day owning the store, I think we did $68 in sales. We brought in a decorator and moved some things around and
“My husband, Hal, is the pasta man and the griller. I take care of all the rest.”
–wesley lassen
The world has gone from fancy and traditional to a lot more casual—we find brides and grooms would much rather have casual pottery than fine china. We all entertain much more casually than we used to.
If you were on a desert island, what three kitchen items would you take with you?
Joyce Chen scissors, tongs and a Le Creuset nonstick skillet...and of course a good wine opener.
What is something about your store that might surprise people?
We sell nothing with a cord…no electrics.
Pottery is a big deal here?
I grew up loving pottery and felt like if it was functional it would make this shop different. We started with Tena Payne of Earthborn Studios and branched out from there. It is the most fun part of the business. I have dealt with a lot of potters, but Earthborn has been tried and true for 26 years.
Are you a good cook?
I'm a well-rounded cook and like to do a little bit of everything. I always tell people my brother James Powell is a much better cook than me—he is adventurous with meats, vegetables and sauces. My husband, Hal, is the pasta man and the griller. I take care of all the rest.
Tell us about Lucy.
picked paint colors. I was terrified but excited all at the same time. We met with reps, ordered products and just went with the flow. My mom helped me a lot. We are kindred spirits. We are not good shoppers but excellent buyers.
How do you decide what products are in your store?
The store products are about what I like. If I don't like it, I can't sell it. I learned this valuable lesson early on.
What are some of your best sellers?
Earthborn Pottery, Le Creuset non-stick cookware and Dutch ovens, wood as a category—especially square wooden plates— Wusthof knives and of course gadgets of all kinds.
What have been some of the most interesting changes you’ve seen since you bought the store?
Lucy, is an almost seven-year-old goldendoodle. She is my child and the shop mascot. We got her on a Saturday at seven weeks old, and on Monday she was at the store. My girls here at the shop are her other mothers. She is very protective of all of us.
In a world full of chains stores, do your customers appreciate the uniqueness of shopping at an independent store?
YES! I think people love that we are an independent shop that gives lots of personal attention. We hope we have the best customer service in town. We are a happy shop and want people to feel that from us.
Anything else?
The Cook Store was a silver winner in 2019 for Retailer of the Year. I'm very proud of that award. And last, you can only be as successful as those who surround you. My Cook Store team and family are THE BEST!! OTMJ
A Legacy of Good Taste
Caroline Gidiere’s new book captures the joyful patterns and colors of her interior design work.
BY MADOLINE MARKHAM KOONCE
One of Caroline Gidiere’s earliest memories growing up in Florence, Ala., was going to a wallpaper store with her mother while her sister was in preschool. Her mom would set her down in front of a wallpaper book and ask her to pick out a pattern for her room. No matter if they were at home or out in the world, Gidiere saw how her mom valued having a beautiful home and always knew an upholsterer or wallpaper hanger to call. “My whole life, I watched someone create their own interiors and was encouraged to do the same thing,” Gidiere says.
So, it was only fitting that when Gidiere released her new interior design book full of
joyful patterns and colors on March 4th that she’d dedicate Interiors for a Life in Good Taste to the woman who raised her. “For my mother, who planted the seeds and then added the gentle rain and warm sunshine, pinching and pruning along the way,” the dedication reads. Rewinding in time, Gidiere started her career not in design but in law. She met her husband, Stephen, in law school and practiced law in firms in downtown Birmingham for years before she stumbled into interior design. In some ways, Gidiere’s journey as a designer started when took on a personal project designing her own home in Mountain Brook with local architect James F. Carter.
From there she started receiving notes in her mailbox asking for her design work, and friends began asking for her expertise as well. Add to the design interest mix that a household with two children and two working lawyers was “an
overwhelming amount of pressure,” Gidiere says. Ten years ago, Gidiere decided to step aside from her law career and focus on interior design.
Today, Gidiere has showcased her modern take on traditional interiors by designing homes not only in Birmingham but also from Dallas to Palm Beach and up the east coast from Georgia to the Carolinas to Northern Virginia, and her work has been featured in Veranda, Southern Living, House Beautiful and Flower, among other magazines.
As Gidiere’s career in design was growing, the publisher Rizzoli, a New York company that has released many interior design coffee table books, took note. The publisher met Gidiere at a design conference a few years ago and, to Gidiere’s surprise, emailed her offering her a book deal a couple of weeks later.
“It literally caught me off guard,” Gidiere says. “It was more of something I hoped to do one day.”
A
top: The living room layout of Gidiere’s Mountain Brook home developed around her neighborhood’s annual progressive Christmas party, where they ended up playing Cards Against Humanity. The room features feminine ruffled chintz slipcovers paired with more masculine dark pieces, and the botanical print collection on the walls started with a pair of prints that her husband Stephen’s grandparents purchased in New Orleans in the 1930s.
At first she turned the publisher down, fearing she didn’t have enough design work built up yet to fill a book, but after talking to some friends, she decided to move forward with the project. As photo shoots for the book began, more of her projects finished, and in the end, she had more images than she needed to fill her 272-page book.
above:
longtime lawyer, Caroline Gidiere started working as an interior designer after designing her Georgian-style Mountain Brook home with architect James F. Carter.
“I want to create designs and interiors that are enduring and that do not speak to a moment in time.” –caroline gidiere
Today, Gidiere sees the book as not only a portfolio of her design work but as a way for a reader to feel like they have hired her for a couple of days. Alongside beautiful interiors images spreading across full pages, Gidiere sprinkles in tips on how to set up a guest bedroom and entertaining areas along with other spaces in the home. There are even two recipes for cocktail parties and tips on how to throw one and how to set up your bar, in keeping with Rizzoli’s request that she also impart wisdom on entertaining in the book.
Recently, Gidiere wrapped up a project with Carter, this time for a client and is quick to note how much she enjoys working with him. “We are both classicists,” she says. “We don’t like trends. James is an encyclopedia of knowledge about interiors and architecture, and I always learn something when I am working with him.”
Another bond she shares with Carter is their love of Colonial Williamsburg. Growing up, Gidiere’s family spent two weeks every summer there on vacation, and while she didn’t always appreciate it in her teenage years, she came to know it “like the back of my hand,” she says.
Likewise, when she started to design her own home with Carter, Gidiere knew she wanted a design that would endure and that she didn’t want to regret getting caught up in trends. What came to mind was none other than Colonial Williamsburg, and the George Wythe House on the Palace Green in particular. Carter would go on to design the Gidieres’ home after the Wythe House, adding arches to the design for his own take on the design that Gidiere thinks adds presence to the design.
Pick up a copy of Interiors for a Life in Good Taste, and you’ll not only find timeless design in photos of Gidiere’s own home in a section of the book but also that it is the guiding principal in each room she shapes. “I want to create designs and interiors that are enduring and that do not speak to a moment in time,” she says. “You can create interiors that can be refreshed over time as things wear out but don’t need to be yanked out because that moment is gone, and it seems old and outdated.”
Readers have decidedly wanted to see what’s inside the book too. Interiors for a Life in Good Taste sold out within 24 hours of its release on March 4th and is now in its second printing. Just like she carefully crafts each detail in the rooms she decorates, Gidiere took deep care thinking through the design of the book. “The edges of the book are dipped blue because I wanted it to be beautiful sitting out on a coffee table
whatever direction it turns,” she says. “I wanted the book itself to be an object and not just the content in it.”
Gidiere also chose a smaller size for the book to make it more affordable for younger readers—the same audience she hopes will read her entertaining tips and start hosting parties of their own.
Flip through the book or walk in a space Gidiere has designed and one thing is very evident: Just as Gidiere’s mom’s decorating and entertaining legacy lives on in her, Gidiere’s legacy will live on in the interiors she creates and the pages that share their beauty. OTMJ
To learn more about Gidiere’s work or purchase her book (that comes signed and gift wrapped!), visit carolinegidiere.com. Interiors for a Life in Good Taste is also available at other local and online retailers.
above: Gidiere mixed modern art with classical and antique furnishings in this sitting room where a young client entertains business colleagues and clients.
right: Interior designer Caroline Gidiere’s new book Interiors for a Life in Good Taste was published by Rizzoli in March.
Tradition with a Twist
Designer Julie Terrell puts her unique spin on
classic
interior design.
BY BARRY WISE SMITH
Julie Terrell never planned on being an interior designer. She graduated from Birmingham-Southern College with a degree in Art History and went on to get her master’s degree from the University of Alabama with plans to get her PhD and be a professor.
“But I figured out it wasn’t what I wanted to do,” Terrell says. And while she ultimately decided against a career in Art History, graduate school offered a unique opportunity to pursue educational travel in Italy, honing her eye while studying art and architectural styles.
Terrell wasn’t sure exactly what it was she DID want to do, so in 1998, she took an internship at Southern Accents Magazine, a high-end interiors and lifestyle magazine
from the publishers of Southern Living. “That was my introduction to interiors,” Terrell recalls.
A few years later, as she and her husband Jimbo were going through a kitchen renovation, Terrell became interested in the language of design. Working with her cabinet company, she realized she had a vision for what she wanted, but she didn’t have the technical skills to communicate that to the professionals on the project.
Terrell realized this might be the thing she wanted to do, so she enrolled in design school where she set out to learn the business side of interior design. “I learned how to draw, use AutoCAD, and got a broader understanding of the design business,” Terrell says.
With two small children at home, Terrell took her time getting through the program. “I did the program slowly while my kids were in mother’s morning out or at night until I
“Designers have a dual role, making things functional and making things beautiful.”
–julie terrell
This Lake Martin home’s living room has both woodland and lake views.
The custom console and coffee table anchor the large room, which has plenty of comfortable seating for family and friends.
above: The kitchen and dining areas have abundant natural light and lake views. The palette is light with natural textures and green accents.
had the skill I needed to be successful in this business,” she says. She finished the program in 2010 and took an internship with Cindy Cantley at Cantley & Company, a high-end cabinet company and design firm.
That same year, Terrell went out on her own opening Julie Terrell Interior Design. “I learned so much through experience,” Terrell says. “And sometimes, I learned things the hard way. I’ve learned the business as I’ve gone along and built a wonderful clientele over time.” Terrell describes her design aesthetic as rooted in tradition but with modern and contemporary elements mixed in. “I love that each project is different, and I like complex projects where I start from the beginning and work all the way through in every phase of the project,” she says. “I love to collaborate with architects and solve problems.”
Three recent projects—the renovation of a downtown home, design of a cottage at the lake, and the redesign of a family home in Mountain Brook—stand out as some of Terrell’s favorites. “They have been different, but I’ve learned so much,” she says.
As for the lake house, “I love to do second homes, she says. “There’s so much more of a relaxed approach. It’s where people go to relax and enjoy their families and down time, so it has a lighter feel to it. It’s fun making sure the houses have what they need but also making sure they will be enjoyed and lived in.”
While Terrell has a very traditional design process—what she enjoys most is incorporating her clients’ personalities and preferences into her designs. “Designers have a dual role, making things functional and making things beautiful,” she says. “You want to use beautiful colors and fabrics, but you also have to make sure the doors swing
TOP 5
Julie Terrell’s Style Picks:
correctly and that switches and outlets are located correctly. I truly enjoy the full scope of the project.”
And with her background in art history, art always plays a big part in Terrell’s designs. “I always want to incorporate artwork into a space,” she says. “I find a lot of inspiration from art. A favorite recent project was helping a client build their art collection. “I love projects where people invest thoughtfully into their homes. I love creating beautiful things with my clients.” OTMJ
A lakeside view of the living room with a seating area for two.
PHOTO BY HECTOR SANCHEZ
Classically Eclectic
Marianne Strong relies on bold colors and rich textures to achieve her signature style.
BY BARRY WISE SMITH
Marianne Strong grew up in Nashville a nascent designer. “I loved design growing up. I was that kid who constantly rearranged her room,” Strong says.
“My parents were very supportive and encouraged my creativity. They gave me free reign to paint and do what I wanted to do.”
“There’s so much to learn, and things are changing all the time. I love it and wouldn’t do anything else.”
–marianne strong
But Strong also knew that she wanted to own her own business. She went to business school at Ole Miss, graduated with a business degree and set about figuring out her next step. After waiting tables in Colorado and at the beach, she landed in Memphis and got a job at BPI (Building Products Incorporated) as the marketing person for their flooring product lines. “That’s where I truly fell in love with design,” she says.
A few years later, Strong moved to Birmingham with her then boyfriend (now husband) for
Strong’s dining room
The bright, light-filled entryway in this Vestavia home features classic herringbone floors to contrast the light walls and sleek furnishings.
The kitchen that started it all—designed over 10 years ago, this kitchen still gets attention for it’s deep green-blue cabinetry and custom wood and brass shelves. “Still to this day I get
his job, and Strong decided to go back to school at Samford for a design degree. While there, Strong went to work for designer Jenny Edwards. “My best education was working for Jenny,” Strong says. “I saw how a business was run, and she was incredibly supportive of me opening my own business. For a while, I was working for Jenny and doing my own side projects. We’re still very close.”
After two years, Strong left Samford to start her business in 2007. And almost 20 years later, Strong is still a student of design. “Here I am almost 20 years in, and I still learn
something new almost every day,” Strong says. “Our processes and the way we do things change every year. There’s so much to learn, and things are changing all the time. I love it and wouldn’t do anything else. I feel lucky we get to do this.”
Strong started out working from home after her first child was born, before moving into an office in Highland Park and hiring her first employees. “The business grew organically,” Strong says before hiring Teresa Cole, whose background in graphic design made her a natural fit for Strong’s business.
When asked to define her design style, Strong says Curated Eclectic because “We like everything, there’s not a lot that we can’t work with.” Strong loves that each of her projects looks different but sticks to the same principals of bold color and lots of texture.
TOP 5
Marianne Strong’s Style Picks:
“When people see a house that we’ve done, I don’t want them to look at it and think ‘there’s another Marianne Strong Interiors house’ because it looks like every other one,” she says. “We love clients who trust us to take their style and elevate it and who let us have fun. We love color and pattern, we love wallpaper. We don’t ❶
We love to contrast soft, feminine things with a masculine aesthetic—plaids, deep colors and rich leathers
Rich materials— real wood, natural metals, marble
Patterns—we love bold fabrics and wallpaper
Furniture that’s classic and built to last
We love color— color should be embraced!
want to do the same old thing every time.” Focusing primarily on family homes, Strong does occasionally take on light commercial projects and finds them very interesting. When Strong did the interiors for the original Carrigan’s Public House, she loved the challenge of a public space. “We love a commercial project thrown in every now and again,” she says. When asked about other memorable projects, Strong immediately recalls an early kitchen renovation in Vestavia Hills, where she is a resident. “One of my most memorable projects is a Vestavia kitchen that I did well over 10 years ago,” she says. “We chose a deep green-blue color for the cabinetry with custom brass and wood shelves. At the time, no one was going this—it was all white kitchens back then. But the homeowner trusted me and saw my vision. We put a picture of the kitchen on Pinterest, and still to this day I get at least one message every week asking me about that kitchen. Today it doesn’t’ seem that different from what’s out there, but at the time, it was truly one-of-a-kind.”
It’s this trust from clients that continues to build Strong’s business. “Probably 90 percent of our business is either repeat business or word-of-mouth work from friends of clients,” Strong says. “We love when clients give us input but give us free reign to do what we do.” Cole agrees, “We’re good at pushing the envelope.”
So, while Strong didn’t always plan to go into design, she’s very glad she did. I love it and wouldn’t want to do anything else!” OTMJ
SCHOOL
Rick Hedrick’s Legacy
A Lifetime of Transforming Children, One Zipline at a Time
BY NAUSICAA CHU
Jamie Blattman’s son had looked forward to this moment since kindergarten: the annual fifth grade campout. The campout was a legend among the students of Cherokee Bend Elementary (CBS), a weekend spent living in tents and conquering action-packed outdoor activities.
But this time, there was an unexpected hitch. “I’ll never forget when my first son went through it, and his campout had the biggest bully in it,” says Blattman.
Only one person appeared to actually appreciate the situation: Rick Hedrick, the founder of the Fair Oaks Elementary Curriculum, a program that taught elementary students teamwork and problem-solving skills through activities in the backwoods of CBS. “I think he loved it when he got groups where there were conflicts, because he loved to help them see and recognize that their actions have consequences right now and in the future,” says Blattman. At the campout, Hedrick called numerous circle-ups to discuss the bully’s behavior, teaching the group how actions could both help and hurt others.
“I think it changed that boy’s life,” says Blattman. The campout was typical of Hedrick’s lifelong work transforming the lives of children. Hedrick, who passed away suddenly on Jan. 25, impacted over 3,000 students, faculty and parents during his 28 years as the implementer of the Fair Oaks program. Alongside his two other jobs working with inpatients at Mountain View Hospital and at-risk youth in Cullman, Hedrick was a beloved educator best known for his big hugs, encouraging advice and immense care for each of his students.
Hedrick focused on teaching children the life skills that they would need to know outside of the classroom. He had three rules for his students: “One, to do their best. Two, to be safe. And three, value yourself and others,” Hedrick said in a tribute video
created by the Mountain Brook school system.
The materials with which Hedrick instilled these values were not textbooks and worksheets, but rather heart-racing activities in the woods of CBS, with names like the “flying squirrel,” “pamper pull,” and “catwalk.” The activities often involved jumps from high places. “It’s about showing the kids that you can do hard things. You can be successful. You can conquer your fears,” says Blattman, who worked as Hedrick’s liaison for several years.
At one event for parents, Elizabeth Edwards recalled peering down 50 feet from the pamper pull, a tall structure that resembled a telephone pole. Hedrick told her to jump. There was just one problem: “I’m super scared of heights,” says Edwards. However, Hedrick helped her overcome this fear. “He taught me through it,” says Edwards.
Hedrick would often tell nervous participants, “If you fall, I will be there to catch you.” Whether it was encouraging wary parents to jump off tall equipment, having third graders arrange themselves by birthday on a narrow log or laughing with gleeful children as they dangled upside-down from a tree, Hedrick instilled self-confidence and courage in children and parents alike.
This self-confidence and courage translated into other aspects of the children’s lives, beyond the physical activities. While some parents occasionally complained that CBS should focus more on academics, Hedrick’s emphasis on life lessons led to noticeable success in middle school for students who went through Fair Oaks. “Fabulous academics don’t make you a great adult, but really great life lessons do,” says Blattman. “We would always hear when our kids would go to the junior high that you could tell which kids had gone through the program and which kids had not. They were team players. There was a lot to be said about them.”
Hedrick extended his work at CBS to Mountain View Hospital, a psychiatric hospital in Gadsden, where he designed adventure courses for children with cognitive behavior struggles. On Tuesdays and Thursdays, he would drive to Cullman to work with at-risk youth, from the Cullman Juvenile Court to run a ropes course program. “He loved the ones who no one else loved,” says Blattman.
Though holding three jobs simultaneously was a taxing schedule, Hedrick willingly gave up much of his own time in order to support his students. His dedication to instilling courage, selflessness and confidence in thousands of children continues to have a positive impact on the community.
As for that bully at the campout? “He’s a great guy now,” says Blattman. OTMJ
Rick Hedrick and Sarah Welles Edwards, 2015
Bryant-Jordan Region Winner Charlie Sims
Homewood’s Charlie Sims didn’t let blindness in one eye stop him from excelling on the basketball court and in the classroom.
BY RUBIN E. GRANT PHOTO BY SCOTT BUTLER
Homewood senior Charlie Sims isn’t the typical high school basketball player.
He’s completely blind in his right eye. “When I was little, they thought I might not be blind,” Sims says. “I went through a lot of therapy to try to strengthen it, but it’s completely blind now.”
He continues, “I also went through speech therapy because I slurred my words. When I was little, my mouth didn’t develop properly, and I had trouble speaking and chewing. Those were developmental issues I had to overcome.”
Sims’ biological parents both dealt with substance abuse, which led to his physical conditions and adoption. Nick Sims and his wife Stacey Davis adopted Charlie when he was two months old. “I was adopted, and my adoptive parents raised me,” Nick Sims says, “so it’s interesting seeing the other side of it as a parent.”
While growing up, Charlie became active in
sports, playing baseball, basketball and soccer.
He quit baseball before he was 10 and quit soccer in the eighth grade to concentrate on basketball.
“I loved basketball more, and I didn’t want the other things to take away from basketball,” he says. “I played a lot of AAU, trying to make varsity.”
Charlie finally made the Homewood varsity roster as a junior. “The team we had was really good, and it was hard to get on it,” Charlie says.
“That summer I wanted to make sure I was ready to play. I worked hard. I would go to the gym in the morning, then go to work as a volunteer at United Ability (with the Hand In Hand Early Learning Program), then come to back to the gym. I wanted to be prepared for my journey, so if I got minutes, I could impact the game.”
A 6-foot-6 forward, Charlie averaged four points and two rebounds a game as a junior, helping the Patriots post a 24-9 record and reach their first regional final since 2016. This season, he battled knee and elbow injuries, averaging
seven points and 3.5 rebounds as Homewood finished 19-11.
Just being on the court the past two seasons despite being blind in his right eye earned Sims some special recognition. He was selected as the Class 6A Region 5 Bryant-Jordan Achievement Award winner. “It’s really an honor,” Charlie says. “I wasn’t expecting it. It’s a big deal to be honored for my accomplishments. It means all the hard work I put in has come to fruition. It means that somebody with my struggles is doing some good things in the community. It makes me real proud and grateful for the people around me who put me in a position to succeed.”
Nick says, “The regional award is really a big deal. I have lot of pride for his achievement obviously, thinking about where he’s at after all he’s been through. He’s a really good basketball player and now he’s fortunate enough to be recognized for it.”
The Bryant-Jordan Scholarship Program, which began in 1986, recognizes high school senior student-athletes from 52 regions in Alabama, awarding college scholarships to celebrate their achievements. The Bryant-Jordan Program honors students who are exceptional academically, as well as those who have overcome major obstacles to succeed.
Ninety-six scholarships are awarded annually to seniors from schools that are members of the Alabama High School Athletic Association. The program has grown from an $8,000 award program to presently more than $800,000.
The scholarships are divided into two major categories: Scholar-Athlete Award and Achievement Award. The Scholar-Athlete Award honors seniors who are superior athletes and outstanding students. The Achievement Award honors those who have achieved success relative to his or her ability or who may have overcome an unusual hardship.
Region winners are put into competition before a selection committee to determine the winner in each class. Class winners are then compared to determine the top Scholar Athlete and top Achievement winners in the state. Those winners will be announced April 14 during the 40th Annual Bryant-Jordan Awards Banquet and Ceremony at the Sheraton Birmingham Hotel Ballroom. The banquet will begin at 6 p.m. and will be live streamed.
Mountain Brook wrestler Jack Abenoja was
the Class 6A Region 5
Vestavia Hills
was the Class 7A Region 3 Scholar-Athlete winner. Charlie says he never let being blind in his right eye be a hindrance on the court. “I just have a feel for things because I’ve played so much,” he says. “I kind of know where people should be. I’ve never played with two good eyes, so I don’t know what that’s like. I try to play at my own pace, so I can make easier reads on the court. I try to see something happening and it makes me a little quicker.”
Homewood boys basketball coach Elijah Garrison is elated to see Sims honored. “I don’t think I’ve ever been around someone who loves basketball as much as Charlie,” Garrison says. “When I get to school in the morning, he’s already here getting up shots. And after school he’s back in the gym getting up shots. The fact that he’s doing it being blind in one eye is amazing. He has had to overcome a lot, so it’s a great honor for him to be a region winner.”
“It’s really an honor. It means all the hard work I put in has come to fruition.” –charlie sims
Mike Bradley, a former college basketball player at Connecticut and Samford, mentored Sims at Big Mike’s Fundamentals in Birmingham. He also was thrilled to see Sims receive the region award. “I was drawn to Charlie because of his background,” Bradley says. “I was raised in foster homes in Chattanooga, so I kind of knew a little of what Charlie was going through. He’s an amazing kid. He’s the epitome of everything we stand for in our basketball training, so to see him get this award is great.”
Charlie also excels in the classroom. He has a 4.05 grade-point average and scored 30 on the ACT. He will play college basketball at Lycoming College, a Division III program in Williamsport, Penn. “They gave me my first offer after my junior year,” Charlie says “They saw me play and said they were impressed by how hard I worked and the skills I showed in the game, and they thought I was good enough to play at the next level.”
Charlie says he hasn’t totally decided on his course of study, but it will likely be “pre-health with a track for physical therapy.” OTMJ
Scholar-Athlete winner and
basketball player Jack Cobb
A Chip Off Mom’s Block
BY RUBIN E. GRANT
PHOTO BY JORDAN WALD
Vestavia Hills senior Bruce Littleton didn’t have to think twice about where he gets his athleticism. “It 100 percent comes from my mom,” Littleton says without hesitation. “My mentality comes from my dad, but my athletic ability comes from my mom. In every sport she played, she was the best.”
Littleton’s mother is Brigid Meadow, Vestavia Hills’ girls soccer coach. In high school in the early 1990s, Meadow was a star athlete in soccer and basketball at Berry (now Hoover). She went on to play both sports at Wofford College in South Carolina and was the first women’s soccer representative in the Wofford Hall of Fame.
Undoubtedly, Meadow passed on the athletic genes to her sons. Bruce Littleton’s older brother, Bryce Littleton, played baseball, football and wrestled at Vestavia Hills, winning an individual and team state championship in wrestling before going on to play football at UAB. “My brother was a great athlete,” Bruce Littleton says proudly.
Bruce Littleton has followed in his brother’s footsteps, playing baseball, football and wrestling for the Rebels. Last fall, Littleton, a versatile H-back, was voted to the 2024 All-OTM football team after amassing more than 1,000 yards of total offense with 46 catches for 578 yards and four touchdowns and 86 carries for 492 yards and 11 rushing touchdowns. He injured his knee as the season neared its end and didn’t wrestle this winter. But he said, the injury wasn’t the reason. “I didn’t wrestle cause my mom wouldn’t let me,” he says with
a laugh. “I wanted to because I wanted to win an individual title like my brother.”
Littleton considers his mother an excellent athletic advisor. “She definitely gives good advice, mostly on the mental side rather than the on-field athletic side,” he saiys. “She knows what athletes go through.”
Neither football nor wrestling are in Bruce Littleton’s future. A 6-foot-3, 220-pound left-handed pitcher, he has signed to play baseball in college at the University of Southern Mississippi. “I’ve always known baseball was going to be my sport since I started playing with my summer travel team Excel,” he says. “I truly like being on the mound and striking guys out.”
Littleton is one of two Vestavia Hills baseball players headed to Southern. Outfielder William Tonsmeire is the other.
Littleton says continuing to play with Tonsmeire wasn’t why he chose Southern. “Basically, it’s because of coach (Christian) Ostrander,” he says, referring to the Golden Eagles’ head coach. “He really stood out to me. I also thought it was the best fit for me. It’s a great town, and I’ll have great teammates, so it was easy for me to decide that’s where I wanted to go.”
Littleton’s senior season with the Rebels has gotten off to a slow start. He failed to notch a win in his first two outings. He is searching for a reason for his early struggles. “That’s a question I’ve been wondering,” he says. “I don’t have an answer for it, yet.”
When Littleton is on top of his game, he combines a low 90-mile-per-hour fastball
with a slurve, a combination of a slider and curveball. “I’m basically a two-pitch guy, and sometimes I might work in a changeup,” he says. “My best pitch is my fastball. I try to get strikeouts.”
Last year as a junior, Littleton recorded 29 strikeouts in 21 innings pitched but also issued 24 walks.
Vestavia Hills coach Jamie Harris believes once Littleton has more control and consistently finds the strike zone, the sky is the limit. “Bruce has the talent level to play baseball a long time,” Harris says. “He’s got the kind of size college and professional teams look for, and he’s a left-hander who throws hard and his ball moves. He’s got all the tools he needs, but he needs to throw more strikes. Once he gets more consistent and his mechanics become more repeatable, he has a chance to be really good.”
Harris hopes Littleton can harness his immense talents this spring. He believes if he can, the Rebels have the pitching depth to make another run at the Class 7A state championship, which they won in 2023. “We’ve got a pretty good chance now, but if he comes around, we have a chance to be really special,” Harris says.
Littleton also believes the Rebels can contend for the 7A crown. They entered the second weekend of March with a 7-3 record. “Our lineup is stacked, and we have good pitching, too,” Littleton says. “We have a lot of potential, and I think we will go far.”
Whatever happens for him the rest of the season, Littleton can thank his mom for it. OTMJ
Vestavia Hills’ Littleton Credits His Mother for His Athleticism.
SPORTS
Thursday, April 3, 2025
JUST LIKE MOM: MOUNTAIN BROOK’S MINICH IS SECOND-GENERATION SOCCER GOALKEEPER
BY RUBIN E. GRANT
Melissa Minich wasn’t sure she wanted her daughter Laine to follow in her footsteps as a soccer goalkeeper.
Melissa Minich was a goalkeeper in college at Kentucky and Missouri after a standout high school career in the St. Louis area. It wasn’t a surprise when her daughter Laine Minich began playing soccer when she was only four.
When she started playing competitively, she was a center back and forward. “I was always one of the tallest on any team I played for growing up, so it kind of made sense,” says Laine, who is now a 5-foot-9 senior at Mountain Brook High School.
In the fifth grade, Laine transitioned to playing goalkeeper, something her mother initially didn’t think was a good idea. “When she started playing with BUSA (Birmingham United Soccer Association), they saw her tendencies and that she was defensive minded,” Melissa says. “They asked if she would like to try out for goalkeeper. My first reaction was, ‘Oh, no!’, just because when I was growing up, I was always one of the tallest. I was 5-7 in the fourth or fifth grade and wound up in goal.”
Melissa warmed to the idea after she saw the kind of training goalkeepers at BUSA received
She has 218 career saves, 23 this season.
“She’s a tremendous player,” Mountain Brook girls soccer coach Adam Johnson says. “Her work ethic is the best of the best. She has had a record-setting career. She’s stays focused on who she is as a player, has great character and is the definition of ‘team first’ mentality.
Johnson continues, “What makes her so talented as a goalkeeper is her level of composure and poise while playing a high pressure position. She has a way of knowing what’s going on his front of her and has laser-like focus in intense moments. She’s the perfect goalkeeper and perfect team captain.”
Laine allowed only eight goals during the 2024 season—four coming in play, three on penalty kicks and one on a free kick—culminating with the state title.
the ball to teammates who had never scored to allow them to score before finally scoring herself. “When Coach Johnson allowed me to play the field against Woodlawn, I honestly was so excited,” she says. “Scoring a high school goal has always been on the soccer bucket list. It is a feeling you’ll never forget.”
Laine loves the team aspect of her sport. “What I love most about soccer is that it is always becoming more competitive,” she says. “It’s such a team sport, and it truly takes all 11 players to get the job done. Soccer allows for so much creativity and talent to shine which gives everyone the opportunity to make a name for themselves.”
from Jeremy Hampton, who was then the club’s director of goalkeeping and is now an assistant coach at Florida Atlantic University. “I watched them train her, and they were doing things I didn’t learn until I was at Kentucky,” Melissa says. “It didn’t just deal with having good feet and good hands, but also other techniques.”
Since then, Laine has received tutelage from former Mountain Brook All-State goalkeeper Sarah Francis Adair and former Ole Miss goalkeeper Ashley Orkus, who now plays for Tampa Bay Sun FC. “She’s been blessed to be surrounded by some incredible talent,” Melissa says. “She has made it work.”
Of course, Laine gives her mom some of the credit. “My goalkeeping instincts came from my mother,” she says.
The time Laine Minich spent developing her craft paid big dividends for the Spartans during the 2024 Class 6A state tournament. Minich recorded six saves in the semifinals and finals and was named MVP as Mountain Brook captured the Class 6A title, defeating Briarwood Christian 2-0 in the championship game.
The Spartans scored 22 goals and gave up none in four playoff games. In her career, Laine has 21 clean sheets, including seven this season, and has allowed only 44 goals in four years on the varsity, including just five so far this season.
“Winning the state championship last year was the pinnacle of my MBHS soccer career so far,” Laine says. “It was such an honor to be named the MVP. I was incredibly surprised, knowing any of my other teammates could have also received that award.”
Laine knows her success in goal is depends on her teammates, especially the defenders.
“I think what makes me an effective goalkeeper is my ability to communicate to my back line and midfield,” she says. “I was very fortunate to learn the importance of communication from fabulous coaches and players that I look up to.”
Earlier this season in a game against Woodlawn, Laine left the net, so she could score her first high school goal. She passed on the opportunity the first three times, passing
“What I love most about soccer is that it is always becoming more competitive. It’s such a team sport, and it truly takes all 11 players to get the job done.” –laine minich
Laine isn’t the only Minich playing varsity athletics for the Spartans—her younger sister Morgan is a freshman on the softball team. Laine is headed to Louisiana Lafayette to play in college. “The campus of Louisiana Lafayette felt like home,” she says. “It was the perfect size for me. The team feels like a family. I think a lot of UL’s culture that is created by the head coach, Chris McBride. He does an amazing job, not only growing you as a player but pushing players to their limits to be the best person.
Laine plans to study medicine, specifically a route in ophthalmology.
Melissa is thrilled her daughter will get a chance to play in college. “I’m proud of her because she has worked so hard,” Melissa says. “She’s blessed to have this opportunity and I’m very excited she does. It’s really incredible.”
But first Laine Minich wants to end her high school career with a flourish. “Senior year so far has been more emotional than I expected,” she says. “It comes with a lot of ‘last-first’ moments. Every game has been a little bit more important to me than the last. When I was a freshman, I once had a senior tell me to ‘enjoy the small moments.’ I didn’t quite understand what that meant until this year. Being a senior has taught me the value of leadership and team chemistry.”
The Spartans hope to successfully defend their 2024 state title. The 2025 playoffs begin April 22nd, and the state tournament is scheduled for May 7-10 in Huntsville.
Mountain Brook entered spring break with a 7-2-2 record, ranked third in Class 6A and seventh in the Super Poll in the Alabama High School Coaches’ Poll. “I think we are capable and a strong candidate to make another run at the title,” Laine says. OTMJ