THE BUTTNAKED CANDLES STORY • INSIDE THE ALVAREZ HOME • MEET RUNNER ETHAN STRAND
MAGIC MOMENTS CARING FOR ADULTS WITH DEMENTIA
NUTRITIOUS + DELICIOUS
A HEALTH COACH’S GUIDE TO EATING OUT
the gifts of
APRIL/MAY 2020 VestaviaHillsMagazine.com Volume Four | Issue Two $4.95
GRACE
AND HOW SHE BRINGS OUT THE BEST IN PEOPLE
IN AN EMERGENCY,
A COMMUNITY BUILT ON RESPONSIVENESS In an emergency, you have the power to choose where to receive expert care. Insist on going to Brookwood Baptist Medical Center. As your community of care, take comfort in knowing we’ll always be here when you need it the most.
For more information, visit BrookwoodBaptistMedicalCenter.com For life-threatening emergencies, call 9-1-1
31
M
“ TAKE ME TO BROOKWOOD BAPTIST.”
A PL AL IC ED
DR ZA
BROOKWOOD BAPTIST MEDICAL CENTER: EMERGENCY ROOM
O WO OK BRO
DM
DR ER NT CE AL C I ED
Brookwood Baptist Medical Center 2010 Brookwood Medical Center Dr. Birmingham, AL 35209 PENDENCE CT INDE
FEATURES
52
THE GIFTS OF GRACE Grace Davis was born with an extra chromosome, but from cheering to college admissions, she doesn’t give up on what she sets her mind on.
58
THIS MAGIC MOMENT Adults with dementia don’t have to explain themselves when they are with their friends in the community at CARES.
65
SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION
With spring comes spring cleaning and more. Here’s your guide to home décor, organizing and other resources.
4 April/May 2020
PHOTO BYLAUREN USTAD
BUILDERS & BUYERS
49
33
PHOTO BY KAREN ASKINS
arts & culture
in every issue
17 A Candle Experiment: The Buttnaked Story 24 Read This Book: What’s on Kimberly Johnson’s Bookshelf
schools & sports
32 Five Questions For: The VHHS We the People Team
& drink
home
& style
10 The Question 11 The Guide 70 Out & About 78 Marketplace
VH
33 Eat Out, Eat Healthy: A Health Coach’s Guide 42 Five Questions For: China Bistro
7 From the Editor 8 #VestaviaHillsMag
25 The Closer: Meet Stand-Out Runner Ethan Strand
food
6 Contributors
80 My Vestavia Hills
43 For the Good Times: New Orleans Flair in the Alvarez Home 49 At Home: Sophisticated Black and White Color Story 50 In Style: Floral Fever
VestaviaHillsMagazine.com 5
contributors EDITORIAL
Stephen Dawkins Alec Etheredge Madoline Markham Keith McCoy Scott Mims Emily Sparacino Briana H. Wilson
CONTRIBUTORS Abby Adams Karen Askins Kaitlin Baker Mallory Barry Lauren Brooks Jessica Clement James Culver Mary Fehr Meredith Mann Patrick McGough Harper Nichols Melanie Peeples Lauren Ustad
DESIGN
Angela Caver Jamie Dawkins Kate Sullivan Green Connor Martin-Lively
MARKETING
Darniqua Bowen Kristy Brown Kari George Caroline Hairston Nick Heady Rachel Henderson Rhett McCreight Kim McCulla Viridiana Romero Briana Sanders Lisa Shapiro Jessica Steelman Kerrie Thompson
ADMINISTRATION Hailey Dolbare Mary Jo Eskridge Daniel Holmes Stacey Meadows Tim Prince
6 April/May 2020
Karen Askins, Photographer
Karen received her first 35mm camera at 21. Once a hobby, photography has grown into a second career. She and her husband, David, have called Vestavia home for 33 years. They have two daughters and sons-in-law: Jordan and Christopher Lawrence and baby Mary Elle, and Devon and Tristan Hughes, students at University of South Alabama Medical School and Harrison School of Pharmacy.
Meredith Mann, Writer
Meredith is a certified Holistic Wellness and Nutrition Coach who loves smoothies and yoga. She is married to Eric Mann, and they have three children. You can find her @thepeachiespoon on Instagram for healthy recipes and wellness tips.
Patrick McGough, Photographer
Born and raised in Birmingham, Patrick has had a passion for photography from when he bought his first cardboard box camera in a flea market at the age of 12. That passion has taken him all over the South and abroad on many assignments and projects. Every shoot creates an opportunity to meet new people and to explore ideas and locations. Whether shooting businesses, families, or individuals, he strives to capture the most fun, genuine and unique images for his clients.
Harper Nichols, Photographer
Harper is a sophomore at the University of Birmingham at Alabama studying art with a concentration on photography. She hopes to pursue a career as an editorial or travel photographer, taking photos all around the world.
Vestavia Hills Magazine is published bimonthly by Shelby County Newspapers Inc., P.O. Box 947, Columbiana, AL 35051. Vestavia Hills Magazine is a registered trademark. All contents herein are the sole property of Shelby County Newspapers Inc. [the Publisher]. No part of this periodical may be reproduced without written permission from the Publisher. Please address all correspondence (including but not limited to letters, story ideas and requests to reprint materials) to: Editor, Vestavia Hills Magazine, P.O. Box 947, Columbiana, AL 35051. Vestavia Hills Magazine is mailed to select households throughout Vestavia Hills, and a limited number of free copies are available at local businesses. Please visit VestaviaHillsMagazine.com for a list of those locations. Subscriptions are available at a rate of $16.30 for one year by visiting VestaviaHillsMagazine.com or calling (205) 669-3131, ext. 532. Advertising inquiries may be made by emailing advertise@vestaviahillsmagazine.com, or by calling (205) 669-3131, ext. 536.
from the editor
A
ON THE COVER
As I write this, I am trying to channel the spring weather that will have arrived with this issue But today, it’s cold and rainy. I’m getting texts from my friend in East Nashville about the tornado damage around her. Much of Italy has shut down, and I have friends travelling there who might not be able to return home anytime soon. Here in Birmingham no hand sanitizer is anywhere to be found as our fears over the coronavirus rise and a similarly scared stock market drops. I don’t know what the quarantines, numbers of cases and Dow Jones Industrial Average will look like as you read this in April or May. But today I’m also scanning this issue’s story list looking for inspiration for what to write on this page. As I do I see face after face that bring to mind story after story we get to share in these pages. Stories like Grace Davis’s as she cheered one final time in her senior year, and VHHS junior Ethan Strand’s as he sets his mind on the state championship track meet this spring. I see the smiles of the adult with dementia in the CARES program during their craft time, and the grin Denise Alvarez bore as she showed me the details of her home that make it so meaningful to her family. And as my mind is flooded with these delightful faces, the scaries become less scary. Because no matter what is going on in the world around us and what creeps into our world here in Vestavia, the stories in this issue are no less true and no less worth celebrating. And better even yet, they remind us of the army of friends and neighbors around us here who will walk with us through whatever is to come. We mostly show smiles in our pages, but in the stories leading up to them their stories are rife with eczema (be sure to read the Buttnaked Candles story!), with unexpected, ill-fated news from the geneticist, with the heaviness that comes with a caring for a loved one with dementia—tough moments that today are interlaced with beauty that would come in the moments those living them didn’t know at the time would lie ahead. And so I invite you to soak in the sweetness in the stories in this issue, and to hold close to the community around you, come sunshine or rain. And as always, I welcome your ideas for stories any time!
The Gifts of Grace
Vestavia Hills High School senior Grace Davis doesn't give up on what she sets her mind on.
madoline.markham@vestaviahillsmagazine.com
Photo by Mary Fehr Design by Kate Sullivan Green
VestaviaHillsMagazine.com 7
#VestaviaHillsMag
Tag us in your Vestavia Hills photos on Instagram, and we’ll pick our favorites to regram and publish on this page in each issue.
@matthew.alan I’ve spent most of my time downtown lately, but today I got to play at my old stomping grounds. Didn’t expect to see this at the library in Vestavia Hills, AL. That’s right class of ‘99. Go Rebels. #InstagramBham #HikeAlabama #BhamNow #AlabamaTheBeautiful #GetOutStayOut
@lathanassociates Vestavia Hills Elementary West cafeteria at dusk. Just hanging out over a playground- great job @wyattbuilds. #storefront #brick #glass #sunshades #elementarymydear
@vestaviahillschoir @southernintriguephotography More VHHS baseball pics loaded to website. #baseball #vestaviahills #1rebel #maxpreps #sportsphotographer #birminghamphotographer #highschoolbaseball #southernintriguephotography
8 April/May 2020
Enterprise Southland Show Choir Classic | Small Mixed Grand Champion | Best Show Design | Best Visuals | Finals Performance | 5th Place in Finals | What an incredible day it has been! #vhchristmascarol Photos: Stephen Stair Photography
[Newbor n + Child + Family Por traiture] info@apeppermintphoto.com + 205.807.6431 w w w . a p e p p e r m i n t p h o t o . c o m VestaviaHillsMagazine.com 9
“ ” THE QUESTION
You don’t really know Vestavia Hills unless you know ________.
Joe’s Ranch House -Kristin Mollison Lewis
-Karla Johnson Thomas
Leonardo’s on Rocky Ridge! They had the best lasagna!
How to get from Columbiana to Liberty Park using neighborhood roads by memory.
Happy Hal and his house by East
“... the exhilaration and terror of morning carpool on Massey Road!”
The Christmas Parade that went down Hwy. 31 and building floats for the Homecoming Parade.
Johnny and Bettye Howell. Johnny was the very first principal of Vestavia Hills High School, and Bettye was the first art teacher. They just turned 90.
-Martha Rusk
-Ashley Tucker Hicks
- Linda Warren Griggs
10 April/May 2020
The Canyon Road Mannequin
- Margaret Gunnels Jacob
- Joe Bryant
-Robin Mitchell Howell
THE GUIDE
HEIGHTS HANGOUT APRIL 26 2-7 p.m. Heights Village
New Cahaba Heights restaurants Milo’s, Troup’s Pizza and The Handle Bar will make their debut alongside food from longtime food favorites Doodles, FoodBar, Mudtown, Satterfield’s and El Zunzun at this annual event. Plus there will be live music and a Kids Zone with inflatables, crafts and more. Admission is $10 or free for children ages 12 and younger, and proceeds benefit the ongoing Beautification of Cahaba Heights through the Cahaba Heights Merchants Association. VestaviaHillsMagazine.com 11
THE GUIDE WHAT TO DO IN VESTAVIA APRIL 10
Easter Egg-stravaganza 10:30 a.m.- noon City Hall Lawn
Have your picture made with the Easter Bunny, visit a petting zoo, enter rubber duck races and “fish” for your Easter Egg to find out your prize. Refreshments and crafts will also be part of the fun at this annual library event for preschoolers to kindergartners.
APRIL 5 2019 Belle Presentation Vestavia Country Club APRIL 9 OLLI Presents: Apollo 13 Library in the Forest 1:30-3 p.m. APRIL 12 Easter Library in the Forest Closed APRIL 14 Vestavia Hills Chamber of Commerce Luncheon Vestavia Hills Country Club 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m. APRIL 18 Vestavia Hills High School Prom APRIL 20 Culture Trip-Capoeira Martial Arts Library in the Forest 6:30 p.m.
APRIL 28
29th Annual Mayor’s Prayer Breakfast 7 a.m. Buffet, 7:30 a.m. Program Vestavia Country Club As quarterback at the University of Alabama from 2002-2005, Brodie Croyle was MVP of the Cotton Bowl during his senior season before being drafted 85th overall by the Kansas City Chiefs in the 2006 NFL Draft, where he played five seasons. Today Croyle serves as executive director of Big Oak Ranch, a Christian home for children who are orphaned, abused, abandoned or neglected. Come hear more of his story as city officials and neighbors alike gather to offer prayers for our world, country, state and city. Visit vestaviahills.org for tickets, which cost $20 each. 12 April/May 2020
APRIL 21 Earth Day Crafts Teens Grades 7-12 Library in the Forest 4-6 p.m. APRIL 21 Taste of the Heights Vestavia Elementary Cahaba Heights Gym 5:30-7 p.m. APRIL 21 Family Night- Puppeteer David Stephens Library in the Forest 6 p.m. Dinner, 6:30-7:15 p.m. Show APRIL 25 Friends of the Library: The Holocaust Education Center Library in the Forest 10-11:30 a.m. APRIL 25 Lego Wars (For Kids) Library in the Forest 11-11:45 a.m.
THE GUIDE MAY 2 Star Wars Salute For All Ages Vestavia Hills Library in the Forest 6-8 p.m. MAY 6 Makerspace for Adults: Watercolor Book Marks Library in the Forest 6:30-7:30 p.m. MAY 12 Vestavia Hills Chamber of Commerce Luncheon Vestavia Hills Country Club 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m.
APRIL 16
RISE Day
4-10 p.m. Vestavia Hills High School The community is invited for a day of fun and games, and fundraising for the UAB O’Neill Comprehensive Cancer Center. You’ll find food, games and live entertainment from 4-10 p.m. and a kids zone from 4-7 p.m. Be sure to stay for the Ceremony of Light at 8:30 p.m. and the closing celebration at 9:45 p.m.
MAY 13, 14, 18 Extended Library Hours + Exam Study Breaks For Grades 6-12 Library in the Forest Study Breaks 3,5, & 7 p.m. Open Until 9 p.m.
APRIL 4
Wing Ding
MAY 15 Upcycle City - Strainer Paint Pour Library in the Forest 7-9 p.m.
4-7 p.m. Vestavia Hills City Hall
MAY 19 Vestavia Hills High School Graduation
The community is invited for a day of fun and games, and fundraising for the UAB O’Neill Comprehensive Cancer Center. You’ll find food, games and live entertainment from 4-10 p.m. and a kids zone from 4-7 p.m. Be sure to stay for the Ceremony of Light at 8:30 p.m. and the closing celebration at 9:45 p.m.
MAY 20 Grown-Up Gaming - Tabletop Game Night Library in the Forest 5:30-7:30 p.m. MAY 20 Grown-Up Gaming - Tabletop Game Night Library in the Forest 5:30-7:30 p.m. MAY 21 Last Day of Vestavia City Schools MAY 25 Memorial Day MAY 28 Tommy Johns, Children’s Entertainer Library in the Forest 10:30 a.m. & 3:30 p.m.
APRIL 26-28
Rise Against Hunger Vestavia Hills United Methodist Church Pack meals and help end hunger with Rise Against Hunger. Sign up for a 90-minute time slot by yourself or with a group to help pack nutrient-rich meals. The church is also looking for financial donations and prayers for the event. To sign up or learn more, visit vhumc.org/event/rise-against-hunger/. VestaviaHillsMagazine.com 13
THE GUIDE AROUND TOWN BUSINESS
TIME FOR A HAIRCUT Who knew getting a haircut could be so fun? New kid haircut salon Pigtails & Crew Cuts is now open in Vestavia City Center by Panera Bread. There is even a party room inside! Learn more at. pigtailsandcrewcuts.com/ birmingham-vestavia/.
APRIL 3-5 Indy Grand Prix of Alabama Barber Motorsports Park APRIL 9-14 Birmingham Barons vs. Rocket City Trash Pandas Regions Field APRIL 10-19 You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown Red Mountain Theatre Company Cabaret Theatre APRIL 16-26 Love, Linda Virginia Samford Theatre APRIL 18 Sozo Children Run for a Reason Sozo Trading Co., Avondale APRIL 18 Gumbo Gala Benefitting Episcopal Place Sloss Furnaces APRIL 18 & 19 Alabama Symphony Orchestra Presents Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban in Concert Samford University Wright Center APRIL 19 BHM26.2 Marathon, HalfMarathon, Team Relay and Fun Run Railroad Park
RETIREMENT
WELCOME TO LONGLEAF There’s a new assisted living, memory support and short-term respite care community in Liberty Park. More than 200 guests joined Longleaf Liberty Park for their grand opening ribbon cutting and celebration on Feb. 20. Longleaf features 68 assisted living apartments and 27 memory care residences. For more information, visit LongleafLibertyPark.com. 14 April/May 2020
APRIL 20-24 Birmingham Barons vs. Tennessee Smokies Regions Field APRIL 17-18 Lebanese Food and Culture Festival St. Elias Maronite Church APRIL 24-26 Bandstand Presented By Broadway In Birmingham BJCC Concert Hall
THE GUIDE APRIL 24-26 Magic City Art Connection Linn Park MAY 1-3 Alabama Ballet Presents: Ovation BJCC Theater MAY 1-4 Birmingham Barons vs. Mississippi Braves Regions Field MAY 2 Back Forty Social Back Forty Brewing Company MAY 2 Trussville City Fest Trussville Civitan Park MAY 7-10 Regions Tradition Greystone Golf & Country Club MAY 8-24 Bright Star Red Mountain Theatre Company Cabaret Theatre MAY 8-9 Mendelssohn in Scotland Alabama Symphony Orchestra Alys Stephens Center MAY 11-15 Birmingham Barons vs. Rocket City Trash Pandas Regions Field MAY 16 Do Dah Day Caldwell and Rhodes Parks MAY 16 Alabama Symphony Orchestra Presents the Music of John Williams Samford University Wright Center MAY 15-16 Great Southern Gun & Knife Show | BJCC MAY 27-31 Birmingham Barons vs. Jackson Generals Regions Field
MAY 22
Summer Reading Kickoff Library in the Forest Summer Reading is kicking off all day at the Vestavia Library! Catch a fairytale puppet show at 10 a.m., 2 p.m. and 4 p.m. in the Children’s Program Room, followed by popsicles for all. At 6:30 p.m. The Greek Circus Extravaganza will perform a hilarious Greek Myth mash-up for everyone in the Community Room. Pizza will be served at 6 p.m. before the show. And don’t forget to sign up for Summer Reading; the first 500 kids to do so get special bags!
ATHLETICS
SEC-BOUND These four Rebel football players are officially signed to play at Auburn, Alabama, Tennessee and Southeastern Louisiana. Congrats to Jake Levant (Auburn University), Bennett Whisenhunt (University of Alabama), Will Brooks (University of Tennessee) and Eli Sawyer (Southeastern Louisiana University)!
VestaviaHillsMagazine.com 15
THE GUIDE APRIL 16
Vestavia Hills Dogwood Luncheon 11 a.m. Vestavia Country Club
APRIL 11
Battle of the Bands 5-9 p.m. Rocky Ridge
Come out to hear local bands take the stage of Rocky Ridge Plaza and see who will win cash prizes in middle and high school categories. The lineup features high school bands Hawthorn Street, Hillstreet, The Forevers, Sweet Tea and Mountain Grass Unit, as well as middle school bands Scrantonicity, Audio Ammunition and Boho. Mason Music is sponsoring the event. Plus, it’s free to attend.
FIND ART.
You’re sure to laugh a lot with Sophie Hudson as the featured guest for this Vestavia Hills Beautification Board event. The author BooMama.net blog and four books and co-host of The Big Boo Cast, Sophie hopes that through her stories, women find encouragement and hope in the everyday, joy-filled moments of life. There will be a silent auction too. Tickets for the luncheon are available at eventbrite.com.
16 April/May 2020
April 24-26, 2020 Linn Park, downtown Birmingham 200 Artists • Corks & Chefs • Live Performances Imagination Festival for Kids • Cafe & Lounges Special Exhibitions SPONSORS: PLATINUM City of Birmingham • Starnes Media • This is Alabama GOLD Birmingham Magazine Birmingham Mountain Radio 107.3fm • Hoover’s Magazine • Joe Piper SILVER Alabama Power Bell Media • Kinetic Communications BRONZE Bham Now • BlueCross and BlueShield of Alabama Greater Birmingham Convention and Visitors Bureau • Over the Mountain Journal STEEL Alabama State Council on the Arts & the National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency Babypalooza • Bancography • Birmingham Business Journal • B-Metro • Event Rentals Unlimited EXCURSIONSgo.com • Jefferson County • Publix Super Markets Charities • Royal Cup Coffee Shipt • State Farm • StyleBlueprint • Unclaimed Baggage • WBHM Public Radio 90.3fm Yarbrough Festival Food Service
Image: Ellie Ali
www.magiccityart.com
&CULTURE
ARTS
A CANDLE EXPERIMENT
Science teacher Pam Weaver created Buttnaked Candles first for skin care, and then for candlelight. BY LAUREN BROOKS PHOTOS BY MARY FEHR VestaviaHillsMagazine.com 17
W
With a name like “Buttnaked Candles,” candle and lotion maker Pam Weaver keeps waiting for someone to protest, but so far, no one has objected to the moniker. Derek, Pam’s husband, was the one who came up with the catchy name because she always says it’s best to apply the lotion, or melted candle wax, before you get dressed. “I told him, ‘We live in the South,’” she says. “‘You can’t put that on a sign! What about church markets?’ But so far, no market has turned me down because of it. And, the best time to put on lotion is when you’re just out of the shower—so he was totally right.” Pam says she lights one of her candles, usually Southern Magnolia, in her bathroom as she gets into the shower and lets it burn while she bathes. When she finishes showering, she dips her finger into the melted wax and applies the double lotion-wax everywhere she has dry skin—even her lips. These candles and their lotion are more than just a beauty product or a clever idea. When Pam was pregnant with her second son, she developed severe eczema and an extreme intolerance for strong smells, and even the products her dermatologist recommended didn’t help her relentless battle with dry skin. “When I woke up in the morning, I looked like a
Candle maker Pam Weaver
18 April/May 2020
VestaviaHillsMagazine.com 19
Pam pours candles by hand in her home kitchen.
20 April/May 2020
CANDLE SCENT GUIDE Pam says that she chose most of Buttnaked scents because of the memories they evoke. Spa Day
Manly Man
Love Shack
sea salt and agave
bergamot and spruce
strawberry, raspberry, grapefruit “Teenage girls love this one.”
“It’s a nice, clean smell from the soap at
This scent reminds her of Old Spice
a spa in Arizona. Someone from Arizona
which her late father used to wear. “He
told me it smelled like home for her.”
was outdoorsy and hunted and this smell
Serenity Now
coconut, cucumber, strawberry,
Southern Magnolia
“This one was just dumb luck. It’s my
banana, vanilla
cucumber and mint “The day I made this one I had a bunch
floral mix: carnation, rose, gardenia
of boys running around my house, and all
“Outside the church where I grew
I could think was, ‘Serenity now!’” Pressed Linen linen
Buttnaked
reminds me of him.”
up going with my family, there were magnolia trees,” she says. “After church,
best seller.” My Currant Situation red currant and orange
my friends and I would climb these trees
“This was one of my spring scents that
while we waited for our moms to talk.”
was supposed to be seasonal, but people
“This smells like a good, clean house. I kept mixing until it smelled just right.”
murder victim—my hands were all bloody because they itched so much and I scratched them all night,” she says. “I tried to keep them wrapped up, but you can’t live life like that.” Her mother gave her a lotion made by a local beekeeper and it worked well. But after a while, something about the consistency changed, and it was no longer effective. Pam decided that if this beekeeper could make a lotion, then so could she. One winter when she felt particularly miserable, Pam, who has been a science teacher for over 10 years, started researching lotion products and ingredients online. She decided to begin experimenting with making her own lotion—literally playing around in her kitchen with what she had on hand. “At the time, coconut oil was the Holy Grail—it was
complained when I didn’t have it so I brought it back.”
being used for everything,” she says. “But it didn’t help my hands.” Some Italian friends mentioned using olive oil as a moisturizer, so she tried mixing some with soy wax and landed on a winning combination for her lotion base. “There was lots of trial and error involved, but it’s not a big deal to me to experiment,” says Pam, who has been a seventh-grade science teacher at Pizitz Middle School for four years. “I went through recipes and my kitchen cabinets and experimented with different combinations of oils and soy wax and mixed until I got right ratios. I smelled like a kitchen because I literally grabbed whatever I had in my cabinets. And, I figured if the FDA approved it, then it must be okay.” Her eureka moment came when she thought
The Heart Knows There Is Only One Right Choice
Compassionate veterinary care, boarding & grooming
1471 Montgomery Hwy VestaviaAnimalClinic.com Paid for by John & Melody Greene
(205) 823-7485
VestaviaHillsMagazine.com 21
through how to get the lotion to absorb into her skin the best way—heat it before applying—and that’s how she came up with making candles and using the melted wax as lotion. “Your skin absorbs better when you’re warm—your pores close up when you’re cold,” she explains. Pam isn’t exactly sure how or why her concoctions have worked so well, but once she got the consistency correct, she worked on finding scents that didn’t give her a headache. “Once again, I let the FDA do their work and I just picked soap scents that are already skin- and bodyapproved,” she says. Today Pam buys all of her products locally from a candle supply company and continues to tweak her methods of candle making—from changing scents to trying new production ideas. Her home kitchen serves as her laboratory where she uses her microwave oven to melt the soy flakes and then mix in the oils and soap scents. As the final step, she pours the mixture into jars and then gets to the ultrasophisticated method to insert candlewicks she touts with a wry smile. “I use popsicle sticks and clothespins to hold the wicks up,” she says. “You can buy metal flat wick
22 April/May 2020
stands but they’re expensive, so I came up with something better that I found in my junk drawer at home.” Now eight years into her journey with candle making, Pam recalls back to the days when she made them only for herself and friends, until someone invited her to sell at a local neighborhood Christmas market. She estimates that she pours nine dozen during an average week today and 12 to 15 dozen per week around the holiday season. She sells at boutiques, various craft and church markets around town, and at The Market at Pepper Place. Not only have her candles caught on, but repeat customers have found the lotion to be healing just as she has—especially those who suffer from dry skin because of chemotherapy treatments. “I’m proud I can help them,” she says. “Dry skin is the last thing they need to worry about. They go through so much and I like knowing that I can help offer some relief and provide some comfort.” Follow Buttnaked Candles on Facebook and Instagram or reach Pam at buttnakedcandles@ yahoo.com.
VestaviaHillsMagazine.com 23
READ THIS BOOK
What’s on My Bookshelf Recommendations from
Kimberly Kelley Johnson
Vestavia Hills High School Librarian
With the frantic pace of life during the school year, I love to slow down a bit and escape with a good book, and I like to help students find the perfect title for pleasure reading. I want students to experience not only all the academic benefits of reading that the pedagogical research supports, but also a genuine appreciation of it as a refuge and a way to attain knowledge to better understand the complexities of the world around them.
Jabbok
By Kee Sloan This work was recommended by my aunt, who read it in her women’s Bible study group. It is written by the current Alabama Bishop of the Episcopalian Church and is a semi-autobiographical story of an unlikely friendship between a young boy, Buddy, and a homeless, ex-convict, and former preacher named Jake in the Deep South. It is a touching story about the enduring power of genuine human connection that will inspire you to remember to live the tenet “to love one another.” It has a sequel, Beulah, that I plan on reading soon.
Maybe You Should Talk to Someone
By Lori Gottlieb This bestselling candid memoir written by a Los Angeles therapist is both insightful and emotional. The stories range from hilarious to absolutely heartbreaking. Not only does Gottlieb share her experiences with her patients, but she is also grappling with a personal crisis and decides to seek out a therapist herself. It is compulsively readable and relatable as she tackles the weighty topics of love, loss and life’s utter disappointments as well as celebrating the little joys of life. Its blockbuster success has led to it being optioned by ABC as a new TV series.
The 57 Bus
By Dashka Slater This is a riveting true-crime novel about a 2013 assault that takes place in Oakland, California, and it won the ALA’s Excellence in Non-Fiction for Young Adults Award in 2018. Incited by friends, Richard makes a reckless and fateful split-second decision, targeting a napping, gender non-conforming bus passenger, Sasha. The author is brilliant in building empathy for all involved in this intense read, and it is a compelling exploration of race, class, gender, identity and ultimately, the power of forgiveness.
You Never Forget Your First: A Biography of George Washington By Alexis Coe As a history teacher, I was drawn to work with a snarky title written by a popular history podcaster. But, as you might have guessed, this is not a traditional biography; Coe defines her genre as “hipster history.” In this cheeky and engaging work, you will learn so much about Washington’s early life and military career, including the women who shaped him most: his mother and his beloved wife, Martha. I think you will come out with a new perspective on how we remember history and a greater understanding of the humanity behind him. The Giver of Stars
By Jojo Moyes This historical fiction/romance novel is written by Jojo Moyes, who is best known for the blockbuster Me Before You trilogy. This work details the extraordinary lives and enduring friendships of five women working in Depression-era Kentucky. They are part of the library program created by First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt known as the Packhorse Librarians, who travel across the wilderness to bring books to the impoverished people of Appalachia. I loved it and feel it will be an enduring novel! It will be adapted as a film screenplay too.
24 April/May 2020
SCHOOL
&SPORTS
THE CLOSER
VHHS runner Ethan Strand knows just what to do to finish first, and it’s earning him state titles and national rankings. BY MADOLINE MARKHAM PHOTOS BY HARPER NICHOLS & CONTRIBUTED VestaviaHillsMagazine.com 25
26 April/May 2020
B
Back in 2018, Ethan Strand was just a freshman at Vestavia Hills High School. He hadn’t beaten his track and field teammate, senior James Sweeney, all season. Instead, he’d learned from him, soaking up his pointers on training for races. But lo and behold at the state meet that spring when it came time for the 3200-meter race, Ethan turned on his particular strand, if you will, of determination. Before anyone knew it he’d finished first, before James, before junior Bryce Hutchinson. Together, the threesome took home first, second and third places in the event. In his 26 years of coaching track, 20 of them at VHHS, Brett Huber says he’s never seen a threepeat like that at the 7A level. “It’s just Ethan,” Huber says. “He knows what he wants. He’s very instinctual within a race. He has a good feel for his competition.” It’s a pattern Huber has seen over and over again in Ethan’s track career—not unlike the 800-meter race at the 2019 state track and field meet. Ethan had only run that event once that
season, but Huber watched him “put the hammer down” as he entered the final lap in ninth place. He powered ahead and crossed the finish line at 1:54, taking home first in the state—not long after claiming the state title in the 1600-meter and 3200-meter titles too. As Huber will tell you, Ethan is a “closer.” “He just knows what to do and when to do it,” Huber says. “His attitude is he will not be denied. He’s very purposeful on what he wants to accomplish.” Going into last fall’s cross country season, Ethan’s sights were set beyond state meets though to the Foot Locker Cross Country Championship National Finals in San Diego, California. And that’s just where he went as the first Alabamian in 15 years to qualify for meet, finishing 29th nationally and sixth in the South at 16:07.09. There’s no doubt Ethan is an exceptional runner, so it isn’t a surprise that running runs in his family. His mom, Lori, ran track and field for UAB and later coached at Samford University, and his dad, Scott, ran at Auburn and now co-owns
VestaviaHillsMagazine.com 27
Ethan Strand is a junior on the track team at Vestavia Hills High School. OPPOSITE: A younger Ethan runs in a middle school track meet.
28 April/May 2020
The Trak Shak stores. Baby Ethan walked early and was running by the time he was a year old. He was always an active kid. By age 4 he was begging his parents to clock him running. “Time me!” he’d ask, over and over again. He’d run the basketball court in rec leagues and the soccer field for years, but even before that he was running fun runs as a part of the Mercedes Marathon. “He was determined and he loved to win,” Lori recalls. “He loved being good at sports. It wasn’t anything Scott or I pushed him to do. He’s been given a special gift.” Going into high school, Ethan was still determined and still loved to win, only now he was applying it to track with a new level of commitment and training. Both Scott and Lori foresee Ethan surpassing their own running careers. Lori says Ethan is more dedicated than she ever was, and Scott, who competed in multiple Olympic Trials, that Ethan is more gifted than he was. “If he stays healthy and continues to want to do this, he will run a lot faster
than I did,” Scott says, noting how collegiate coaches who have watched Ethan are saying he’s “got it.” What’s “it?” His parents would say it’s his physical abilities combined with his toughness, mentally and physically. Huber says the secret ingredient for a distance runner is to be athletic in general. If Ethan sees the high jump pit open, he wants to see how high he can jump. If sprinters are out, he wants to see how he can sprint. Whatever “it” is, it’s obvious when you see Ethan run that he’s special, either to the trained or the untrained eye, Huber says. But more than anything, Ethan wants to win. “If you are trying to beat Ethan, he has five to ten strategies, and you don’t know what strategy he is going to pick,” Huber notes. “Once he knows he wants to go after and you are in his way, he’s going to do everything possible to beat you in that race. That’s just the way he operates.” But running isn’t just about Ethan. Huber says the VHHS junior, who was named the 2019-20 Gatorade
VestaviaHillsMagazine.com 29
In addition to his state titles, Ethan was named the 2019-20 Gatorade Alabama Boys Cross Country Runner of the Year.
Alabama Boys Cross Country Runner of the Year in February, brings an enthusiasm to the sport that spreads to his teammates, and Ethan cares about his team doing their best. And when he’s not running, Ethan is keeping up with Premier League soccer in England and Auburn football and basketball too— and watching for leaks about new running shoes on Instagram (he admits he’s a “shoe geek”). No running career is without its obstacles, though, as Ethan learned when he came down with the flu as this year’s indoor state track meet was starting. He had just run a 9:00 minute 2-mile the week before, but he and Huber knew he couldn’t race with a fever. 30 April/May 2020
“Knowing Ethan as long as I have, that was the hardest thing he’s had to deal with,” Huber says. “He grew a lot through that.” And Huber would know. He watched as Trey Hardee, a decathlete who would compete in the 2008 Olympics, rolled ankle in the state meet while at VHHS and somehow still placed second in pole vault even though he could barely use one of his legs. He also watched Mac McCoy, the 2014 Gatorade Runner of the Year who would go on to run for the University of Florida, work through stress fracture issues, and current Auburn athlete Katherine Ratliff recover after tearing her ACL her
The research we’re doing is making it possible for kids like Allie to survive, grow up and make things happen. WE DO WHAT WE DO BECAUSE CHILDREN HAVE DREAMS.
junior year on javelin. “We don’t like adversity but you come out on the other side better than when you came in it,” Huber notes. Going into this spring’s track and field season, Ethan wants to drop his times, especially in his favorite event, the mile. He for sure wants to run in college, but beyond that he says he’ll just see where running takes him. Huber gives a stronger foreshadowing though. “He’s up in the discussion to be one of the best runners ever in the state,” Huber says. “He’s aligned to do some really special things. We’re trying to get his training right and keep him healthy.”
1 6 0 0 7 T H AV E N U E S O U T H B I R M I N G H A M , A L 35233 (205) 638-9100 ChildrensAL.org
VestaviaHillsMagazine.com 31
SCHOOLS & SPORTS
5
FIVE QUESTIONS FOR
VHHS We the People Team Members PHOTO CONTRIBUTED
Talk to Vestavia Hills High School seniors on the We the People team about the Supreme Court cases they are studying, on top of their three-month accelerated course in AP U.S. Government, and you’ll quickly question if you are talking to high school students or law school students—and there’s no doubt there are a good number of future law students in the room. To learn more about what it looks like to be on the team, we chatted with team members Robby Turner, Ram Prattipati, Ben Reynolds, Safa Khan and Ford Balogh as they were coming off of a state championship—the team’s 16th straight—and preparing for the national competition of simulated congressional hearings in Washington, D.C. in late April. First of all, can you explain what exactly We the People is? Ben: We the People is a study of American history through the lens of Constitutional law. All of us represent different units that focus on a different aspect of American law and society: the framing of the Constitution, its philosophical origins, how the government is affected today by the Constitution, the Bill of Rights and 21st century implications. It’s the tapestry of America framed through the Constitution and how those 7,000 words have framed these 200 years of history.
What do you do in the competition itself? Ben: Each unit will give four-minute opening statements we will present verbally to frame the questions they provide us. For nationals we will have 11 minutes of open follow-up questions we are preparing for with practice sessions. There’s a lot of memorization but also pulling eclectic sources of background knowledge to answer questions. They judge on presentation, constitutional application, knowledge and passion.
research we are contextualizing all we learned in AP U.S. History. Safa: Simply put We the People is taking history and making it click. Robby: It teaches you to value your opinion enough to back it up and to express it beautifully and intelligently in a way that can both convince people and stimulate them to form their own opinion.
How has We the People influenced what you want to do in the future? Ben: Being up there and presenting gives me an adrenaline rush, and I think I How has being a part of this changed want to teach. It hasn’t hurt that I have been hanging out with two amazing the way you think? Ram: It has nuanced my political views. teachers, and I want to do the same thing, What does your preparation for There were so many Supreme Court to influence young people to see the world competitions look like? Robby: It tends to be intense. Each of decisions I didn’t know before, and I feel in a different, more well rounded way. Ford: I have always known I wanted to us has memorized 50-60 court cases that like my opinion has more weight than it work in the legal field, and now I have seen are the basis of our knowledge, and we did before. Ford: It’s so important to think for what that would be like and that I want to have done extensive background reading into related areas. For example, I looked yourself, and our teachers Ms. Maddox be a federal judge at some point. Robby: I want to teach and this course deeply into amendments to the Israeli and Ms. Schaefer have done a wonderful shows one of the best ways to do it. With job teaching us how to think. They want us constitution. Ram: Right before competition we tend to develop opinions on our own even if we Socratic questioning, you ask someone a question in order to develop their mind to not have a social life. I was prepping disagree with each other or them. Ben: It’s important to realize history enough to where they can find the answer every day, and I met with my unit members doesn’t happen in vacuum. With this for themselves. every day, going over cases. 32 April/May 2020
&DRINK
FOOD
EAT OUT, EAT HEALTHY
A health and nutrition coach’s tips for what to order to pack nutrients into your day at restaurants nearby. BY MEREDITH MANN PHOTOS BY KAREN ASKINS & CONTRIBUTED VestaviaHillsMagazine.com 33
Dining out doesn’t mean you have to forget your healthy eating or “fall off the wagon” every time. Here are some yummy, balanced meals I regularly order when eating out in Vestavia Hills that won’t make you feel like you’re on a diet. Always ask questions. If you’re unsure how a dish is prepared, ask. You may feel annoying, but the wait staff is there to help you!
The Ridge 34 April/May 2020
Rocky Ridge El Pablano
My favorite here is the “off menu” Chicken Fajitas and Veggies over the House Salad. It’s just perfect after chips and their famous salsa. My husband actually made up this order and I’ve been getting it ever since.
Cajun Seafood House The taste of Louisiana right on Rocky Ridge. Y’all, this place is a hidden gem and so yummy. I always go the grilled, boiled or blackened route with seafood and get a side of veggies. You can’t go wrong with fresh seafood delivered from the Gulf especially in their Seafood Low Boil platter. Oh, and their gumbo is amazing too.
The Ridge Eat and Drink There’s so many tasty options here but my three favorites are the new Flank Steak Salad with goat cheese, the Mexicali Turkey Burger, and the Grilled Tuna Steak with grilled veggies and a side salad.
MENU KEYWORDS WORDS TO LOOK FOR:
WORDS TO AVOID:
Steamed
Breaded
Baked
Cream
Roasted
Dipped
Braised
Crispy
Grilled
Alfredo
Broiled
Pan-fried
Seared
Scalloped
Nutrition Tip: Sweet potato fries aren’t necessarily healthier than regular white potato fries, unless you’re trying to get in more vitamin A. Enjoy the fries you love in moderation.
Cajun Seafood House VestaviaHillsMagazine.com 35
BUILDING A BALANCED MEAL The body is designed to function optimally when it receives a mix of these three essential macronutrients.
uProtein, the most important nutrient, is vital in nourishing our bodies and is the building block for every cell in our body. The magic number of it to feel full and satisfied is 20 grams (women) and 30 grams (men).
uVeggies give us fiber to help with gut health, digestion, energy, vitamins and nutrients. These are more volume-signaling and allow us to feel naturally satisfied by the physical stretching of the lining of our stomach.
Ashley Mac’s
uFat is essential in helping our body absorb certain nutrients and for cell development/growth/ brain function, and it also produces important hormones.
Cahaba Heights Ashley Macs
I’m for the Salad Trio all the way. My usual is double Chicken Salad and the Baby Bleu Salad. If you’re needing to satisfy your sweet tooth, I love their mini cupcakes—perfect portion control and always delish!
Olive Branch uWhat’s not on the list? Think of starches as optional +1 for meals and limit them to one serving per meal.
Here, the entrees come in a glass pyrex dish as your plate, so count me in! All protein options are great but my go-to is the Lamb Kabob Entrée with hummus, grilled veggies, rice and a Greek salad. Usually I swap out rice for double Greek salad. It’s so much food and so good.
Slice If you are not wanting pizza, I go for the Fire Baked Wings and a side salad. If you are going the pizza route, Very Veggie and Basic Pesto are my picks. I always enjoy a couple slices and order a side Iceberg Wedge for some extra fiber. 36 April/May 2020
Olive Branch
Nutrition Tip: Lamb is high in vitamins and minerals like iron, zinc, and B12. And bonus, it’s easier to digest than beef.
VestaviaHillsMagazine.com 37
Liberty Park
On Tap Sports Cafe I love a big bowl of their Irish Stew, loaded with protein and veggies, it’s a complete meal. Or if I’m craving a burger, I go with their Classic Burger and always choose to enjoy either bun or fries to keep it balanced and feel great.
Your Pie When it comes to pizza, I say enjoy your favorite toppings but try to get a veggie/meat combo instead of a “meat lovers” to cut down on so much fat and grease. Choosing thin crust is always the lighter option too. My go-to here is the Ischia Pizza and a side salad for added fiber and nutrients.
Big Sky Bakery I always try to swing by and get a loaf of 100 percent Whole Grain 3 Seed Bread to take home and maybe a Chocolate Chip Cookie. These are a “worth it” indulgence for me. Oh, and I recommend microwaving the cookies 15-20 seconds… if you can wait till you get home.
Find us on
Your Pie 38 April/May 2020
Pizza Tip: Cauliflower crust in not necessarily a healthier option. It tends to have the same amount of carbohydrates per serving. So, unless you need to be gluten free, I’d go for a regular crust and enjoy.
Big Sky Bakery
VestaviaHillsMagazine.com 39
Baumhower’s
31 Area
Baumhower’s Victory Grille If craving a burger, I go for the All-American Burger and always choose between the bun or fries. Our bodies can only store a certain amount of carbohydrates at a time, so I try to keep these at 1 serving per meal. The Char-grilled House Salad with any of the protein options is a great choice too.
Zoe’s Kitchen Here, the Cauliflower Rice Bowl with chicken or salmon is my favorite. It has the perfect amount of protein, healthy fats, and fiber to be a complete meal and always hits the spot with their house made tzatziki sauce, fresh cucumber, and dill.
First Watch Omelet lover here, and the Morning Market Veg is my go-to. Honestly though, none of them ever disappoint. I double the salad greens and skip the toast. 40 April/May 2020
For all your backyard playground needs!!
Dressing Tip: Always get dressings on the side. Skip the fat free because of all the unnecessary added sugar and pass on the white heavier dressings because of unhealthy fats. I’d go for a vinegar-based one.
CALL
205-408-4386 for more info!
NOW ALSO SELLING AY COMMERCIAL PLAY EQUIPMENT! 86 CALL 205-408-4386 FOR MORE INFO!
3165 CCahaba h b VValley lle RRoadd Birmingham, AL 35124
www.backyardalabama.com
National Day of Prayer Breakfast at e American Village T H U R S D A Y, M A Y 7 T H , 8 : 0 0 A M is year’s speaker will be
Phyllis Hoffman DePiano
A leading figure in the publishing industry, Phyllis Hoffman DePiano is the founder and chairman of the board of Hoffman Media, publishers of Southern Lady, Tea Time, Cooking with Paula Deen, Victoria, Taste of the South, Louisiana Cookin’, Celebrate, Bake From Scratch, Classic Sewing, Southern Home, Southern Cast Iron and Cottage Journal magazines. She is a renowned speaker on a variety of topics, and will be speaking on her strong Christian faith. “Our company has some of the most talented people who bring happiness to millions of readers through the pages they create every day. I thank God for the successes that He has bestowed on our company. We inspire our readers to try new things, celebrate each day to the fullest, and put their personal touch on everything in their lives.”
Tickets are $25 per person, and are now on sale. To make a reservation, please email jwasyluka@americanvillage.org or call (205) 665-3535 x 1045 Zoe's Kitchen
e National Day of Prayer Breakfast is sponsored by the Lucille Ryals ompson Colonial Chapel Foundation and cosponsored by the American Village Citizenship Trust.
www.americanvillage.org
MONTEVALLO, ALABAMA
VestaviaHillsMagazine.com 41
FOOD & DRINK
5
FIVE QUESTIONS FOR
Dong Daoi
China Bistro Owner PHOTO BY MADOLINE MARKHAM
Craving Chinese food? Now you can get it any time you drive through Rocky Ridge with a new restaurant on Morgan Road that’s open for lunch and dinner. Their lunch menu board gives a quick overview of menu options—Sesame Chicken, Chicken with Broccoli, General Tso’s Chicken, Sweet & Sour Chicken, Mongolian Beef, Kung Pao Chicken, plus 23 more dishes just on the lunch menu all served with fried rice and an egg roll. Flip to the dinner side of the menu, and you’ll find 12 chef specialty dishes along with 19 chicken dishes, 11 beef dishes, and 11 pork and veggies ones, and that’s not counting fried rice dishes, appetizers and soups. You should also know you can order family dinners for two to six people that include soup, egg rolls and crab rangoon. China Bistro is open Monday-Saturday 11a.m.-9:30 p.m., and on Sunday they close at 9 p.m. For easy carry-out reference, you can call them up at 205-582-2098 to place an order. To learn more about how the restaurant came to be, we chatted with its owner. How did you pick this location? We have had a restaurant in Mountain Brook, Wok Express, on Overton Road by the Publix for 10 years. This new one is a good location and neighborhood. It’s pretty similar to Mountain Brook. We are enjoying it and getting a lot of carry out orders. What are your favorite menu items? I like a little bit spicy. Hunan is my favorite and General Tso’s Chicken. 42 April/May 2020
How does your menu compare to the food of your childhood? I grew up eating food close to what we How did you end up in Birmingham? serve here but with less sugar. People like it I am from South China, which is like sweet here. Alabama where it’s not too hot, not too cold. I used to live in New York, but I didn’t like How did you choose the photo of China’s how it was so busy and so cold. So I moved Great Wall for the dining area? here in 1996, almost 24 years ago. I worked Two years ago my son, daughter and I in restaurants in New York for a couple of went to the Great Wall. They are 15 and 18. years, but I had friends working here. I like it We walked on it for a couple of hours. here, so I am not going to move anywhere. Mongolian Beef and Sesame Chicken (pictured) are popular.
&STYLE
HOME
FOR THE GOOD TIMES The Alvarezes blended their flair for New Orleans into a Christopher-designed home. BY MADOLINE MARKHAM PHOTOS BY LAUREN USTAD VestaviaHillsMagazine.com 43
D
Denise and Ronnie Alvarez have long lived in Vestavia and appreciated the vistas from Vestavia Country Club, so after decades in their Buckhead home, they decided to build their dream home with their favorite golf course view. When they bought their property, it had a twobedroom, one-level home on it with a pool in the back, but the best solution given its state was to take it down to its foundation and build up from there. It was Chris Reebals of Christopher Architecture & Interiors whose design plans won them over, and soon they got to work on bringing their vision for the lot to life. The Alvarezes are New Orleans natives, so they wanted to bring its feel into kitchen details and a courtyard in the front of their house. As to the exterior, Denise wanted a light brick that wasn’t the crisp white that is on so many houses built and renovated in recent years, and favored what she calls a “messy mortar” look between the bricks. Ronnie and Christopher came up with the idea to pair that brick design with a set of stone at its base too along with Christopher’s signature shingled roof and English Tudor style look. Inside the design is bright and open with lots of
44 April/May 2020
light from its tall windows and signature design elements like a pecky cypress ceiling in the master bedroom and on the staircase. Throughout you’ll find Denise’s preference for a clean palette without too much color, and her vision for a home that is as nice as it is comfortable for anyone who comes over. Once the architecture plans were set, Denise worked with interior designer Joanna Goodman, also with Chris’ firm, to select light fixtures, paint colors, rugs and other decorative elements for the home design. “Everyone who has come in has noticed something about the lights,” Denise says. Today Denise can’t count the number of parties they have hosted in their new home, but the ones that will perhaps stand out the most were for her youngest daughter’s wedding. Day to day though, the couple’s favorite spot in the house is the back patio. With gas lights, a TV and a fireplace, there’s really no reason to leave—especially with the view that sold them on the lot in the first place. “It’s so peaceful,” Denise notes. And there’s no doubt that they will continue to, as they say in New Orleans, laissez les bon temps rouler (“let the good times roll”), in the home for years to come.
Staircase This connector to the upstairs lets in tons of natural light between the hardwoods and the pecky cypress-accented ceiling.
VestaviaHillsMagazine.com 45
Kitchen The copper vent hood and sink along with the light fixtures and brick walls in the kitchen design are all homages to the Alvarezes’ New Orleans roots. The kitchen also features a coffee nook and appliance panels that hide appliances, as well as a large island that acts as a breakfast table. It even has an ice maker that makes “Milo’s ice.” 46 April/May 2020
Dining Room The Alvarezes didn’t want their dining room to feel too formal. For just the right look, they commissioned a wooden table made by Tyler Schnell, who graduated from Vestavia Hills High School with their children, and paired it with an elegant glass chandelier.
Sitting Room If they are not outside, you’ll likely find Denise and Ronnie in these cozy patterned chairs nestled in the center of the home, between the kitchen, dining room, living room and back porch. The browns in the furniture pull from the dark paneled ceiling and lighter hues in the chandelier reminiscent of the one in the dining room. VestaviaHillsMagazine.com 47
BEHIND THE SCENES Architecture: Chris Reebals, Christopher Architecture & Interiors
Interior Design: Joanna Goodman, Christopher
Architecture & Interiors Construction: Trey Goldstein, Cotton Construction
Select Furnishings: Stock & Trade, Three Sheets
Select DĂŠcor for Photo Styling: Trouve, Suite Dreams, Chickadee, Three Sheets
Styling: Jessica Clement
48 April/May 2020
Office Denise knew she wanted a window seat in her office, where she works from home as a travel agent for Classic Travel by Denise, and Marcy Tolbert helped her with the design of the nail heads on its base that showcase the picture book window behind it.
AT HOME
a color story:
BLACK & WHITE
Black and white are on the complete opposite sides of the color spectrum. Together they make up one of the most classic design color schemes. Pair these colors together for a bold, sophisticated and balanced statement in any room.
Photo & Text By Jessica Clement of JMC Studio
1
4
3 2
1. Black and White Stripe Throw- Pandy Agnew Interiors, $120. 2. Black and White Colorblock Pillow- Pandy Agnew Interiors, $200. 3. Wood Feather- Pandy Agnew Interiors, $46. 4. Dot Pitcher- Pandy Agnew Interiors, $60. 5. Black and White Lamb- Leaf & Petal, $12.99 each.
VestaviaHillsMagazine.com 49
IN STYLE
FLORAL FEVER
BY ABBY ADAMS PHOTOS BY LAUREN USTAD
1. MAUVE FLUTTER DRESS It’s not spring without a colorful dress. Gigi’s | $45
1
2. GOLD ACCENT NECKLACE This classic necklace will go with anything and everything. Little Soles | $26
2
3. FLORAL EARRINGS The cutest statement earrings pair perfectly with pink. Gigi’s | $14
3
4. TAN CLUTCH A neutral clutch is a must to take an outfit to the next level. Gigi’s | $28
4
5. LUCKY BRAND TAN WEDGES These comfortable, stylish wedges will take you places. Little Soles | $58
5
50 April/May 2020
FOR DAUGHTER
1 1. MAGALIE JUMPSUIT
4
Floral is in this spring, and jumpsuits too. Cradle + Bee | $99
2
2. IVORY TASSEL NECKLACE Dress up any outfit with this statement maker. Cradle + Bee | $29
3. COCONUTS SOIRE SANDALS
Abby Adams is a fashion and lifestyle blogger at peeptoesandpineapples. com who loves all things fashion and has a slight obsession with pineapples.
You can wear these with any outfit in your wardrobe. Cradle + Bee | $89
5
4. GOLD TUBE HOOPS This classic set is extra thick to make more of a statement. Cradle + Bee | $18
5. STRETCH BRACELETS These bracelets are all the rage this spring. Cradle + Bee | $12
3
FOR MOM
ACCESSORIZE 1. LOUIS WHITE CHECKERED TOTE DUPE Serendipity | $35
2. RESIN FLOWER EARRINGS
3 1
Cradle + Bee | $15
3. NEON YELLOW HEADBAND Gigi’s | $16
2 VestaviaHillsMagazine.com 51
The
Gifts Grace of
Grace Davis was born with an extra chromosome, but from cheering to college admissions, she doesn't give up on what she sets her mind on. By Melanie Peeples Photos by Mary Fehr & Contributed
VestaviaHillsMagazine.com 53
I
It’s two minutes to go in the girls’ state basketball championship playoffs at Wallace State Community College in Hanceville, Alabama. The Vestavia Hills team trails Spain Park by just a few points, and the kids in the stands are on their feet, screaming. “Let’s go, Rebels!” If they lose this game they’re out—their season over. Over on the sideline, the cheerleaders believe. “R-E-B-E-L-S, Vestavia Rebels are the best! Whoa-oh! Whoa-oh!” They clap, they wave their pom-poms, and if one cheerleader stands out at all, it’s not just because she’s tiny, though she’s a foot shorter than most of them. It’s the little extra OOMPH she puts into her hips when she swings them in the “whoa-ohs.” And this is the time to give it her all. When this game is over, if it ends in a loss, it will be the last time Grace Davis cheers. Her last day in the skirt. Grace’s mom looks like she might cry. She’s watching her oldest child move on, crossing the threshold of all the “last things” a mom marks as her child approaches graduation. Being a cheerleader isn’t something Laura Davis ever thought her child would do. But then, if she’d believed the geneticist at the hospital, she wouldn’t have believed her daughter would ever walk, talk or run. Forget about doing cartwheels and round-offs and standing on top of a pyramid of girls on a basketball court. Grace Davis was born with an extra chromosome. That’s it. But with that extra genetic material came
some challenges. Down syndrome generally causes developmental delays, intellectual disabilities and lower muscle tone. But Grace Davis has gifts, too. And she’s not like everyone else. For one, she started to read at 22 months. That’s right. Twenty-two months. Most children don’t start reading until age 5 or 6. But like I said, Grace Davis isn’t like most. She works harder than most. And she doesn’t give up. So, when she came home one October day during her first year at Pizitz Middle School, after a particularly inspiring pep rally, she told her mom she wanted to be a cheerleader. But since Laura had never tried to limit her daughter’s experience or tell her what she could or couldn’t do, she simply shifted her mindset into giving her daughter the tools she would need to do her best. The only thing is, most girls who want to be cheerleaders take classes geared toward cheerleading for years before trying out. Grace was only going to have four months. Fortunately, Grace had been taking gymnastics since kindergarten, so she had that. Laura put Grace in a cheer class and hired a private coach, Missy Kitchens, who formerly cheered at VHHS and Auburn. Missy didn’t size her up as someone who would or would not make the squad. She doesn’t do that with any of her students. Her job is to make them the best they can be. And to remind the girls that they are more than the skirt. That cheerleading does not define them. And if they don’t make it the first time,
Grace Davis, center, with her parents Chris and Laura and brothers Jack and Will
54 April/May 2020
THE MAGIC OF REBEL-UP Grace’s mom Laura credits the level of inclusion
whose co-presidents are Emily Glaze and Grace
for students with disabilities at VHHS to its
Davis. “The more the students are around students
Exceptional Education teacher Jennifer Greer, who
that have a disability or ‘different abilities,’ the more
says all it takes is getting the students together
they get to know them and genuinely want to be
through efforts like the Rebel-Up Outreach club,
their friend,” Jennifer says.
Grace with her parents Laura and Chris
VestaviaHillsMagazine.com 55
CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: Grace with her dad on the VHHS homecoming court, with her friends Emily Glaze and Emma Gardner, with cheer coach Missy Kitchens, with with Emily and with her teacher Jennifer Greer.
they have a whole year to get better before trying out again. One of the first things Missy noticed was how limber Grace was, a gift Down syndrome bestows on many. But more importantly, Missy noticed how well she was doing all the same required jumps, cheers, chants and dance as the other girls and that Grace loved tumbling and being the flyer (the person lifted up in the air during a stunt). “Grace is an inspiration to us all,” Missy says today. “I love being a part of her life.” Right there beside Grace, also trying out, was her
best friend Emily Glaze. Emily, also now a senior and cheerleader at Vestavia, can’t remember a time before she knew Grace. They met when they were 2, and Grace and her family moved in three houses up the street. Their moms became fast friends and so did the girls. It would be easy to assume that Grace gets her confidence from Emily, but Emily says it’s the other way around. “I just remember in middle school I would always be so nervous to walk into school at first, just because, IT’S MIDDLE SCHOOL, and it’s scary, but she would be like, ‘Come on!’ and I would
walk in with her and it would help me.” It was the same with other things. It wasn’t Grace doing whatever Emily did. It was Emily following Grace. “I think she’s helped me come out of my shell. Like, with cheerleading. I didn’t want to try out for that,” Emily says. “And then when Grace said that she wanted to try out I was like, ‘Well, I guess I’ll try out, too.’” You could say that’s another of Grace’s gifts. Grace is blessed with a personality that doesn’t spend time thinking about whether or not she will fail at something new. She just sees something she wants to do and goes for it. After cheerleading tryouts that first year, Grace and Emily waited together for the results to come in via the computer. Emily made it. Grace did not. But the first thing Grace said was, “Let’s have a party for Emily!” It was then the wheels of Vestavia went into motion. Someone—not Grace or her mom—started an online petition to create a spot for Grace. She had done all the routines, completed the exact same tryout as the other girls. Surely, the petitioners wrote, Pizitz could make a place for her. Which they ultimately did, as did VHHS. Technically, they may
call her the Spirit Girl, but to see her in motion is to see she’s a full-on part of that team. And so, it was Grace and Emily, together again. Emily will be going to Auburn in the fall, and, this just in: so will Grace. She’ll be attending Auburn’s EAGLES program, a four-year course of study for students with intellectual disabilities. Just like any other student, Grace’s goal after graduation will be to find a job and live independently. But not today. Today, she’s still a senior in high school cheering on her basketball team at the state championship playoffs. The buzzer rings and Vestavia loses. The players are done and so are the cheerleaders, who will soon be going their separate ways. Emma Gardner, another cheerleader and close friend of Grace’s, pulls her in for a hug, cradling Grace’s head for a moment so tender and full of love, it’s almost maternal. They close another chapter in their lives and gather outside the locker room, holding on to each other and fighting back tears. Grace holds them off until the car ride home, when she rides off into her future, just like any other high school student about to graduate: a little sad, maybe a little scared, and a lot excited.
SUBSCRIBE NOW! Your Stories. Your Community. Your Magazine.
Front cover
MAGAZINE VESTAVIA HILLS
BISTRO
BERING EY • REMEM V’S JEREMY DOWN
ANDREW LONG
• ESTATE SALES
BEHIND THE
SCENES
Front cover THE WILD E RITCHEY IN HERS • GEORG I-TURNED-TEAC • VHHS ALUMN
MAGAZINE VESTAVIA HILLS
’ ABSTRACT STYLES JOAN CURTIS
Front cover
MAGAZINE VESTAVIA HILLS
LING DYNASTY REBEL WREST
OF • THE SECRET
CITY R CUBAN • MAGIC THE KOOL KORNE
NUTCRACKER
Visit VestaviaHills Magazine.com or DREAM HOME call 205-669-3131 ABSTRACT in ALABAMA to subscribe for IRON CITY CHEF $16.30 (6 issues) a year.
V estaVia H ills M
’ ALABAMA THE DOWNEYS WATER WHITE NEY TO THE
agazine . coM
V estaVia H ills M
THE JOUR KAYAKING OLYMPICS OF
agazine . coM
VESTAVIA TEMPLE E, LEGEND, V estaVia H ills M
SPECTACL NAMESAKE
FEE HOUSE
REG + THE COF
UIN ON CANYON
THE MANNEQ
agazine . coM
a ugust /s epteMber
THE TEXTURES
2017
2017 AUGUST/SEPTEMBER VestaviaHillsMagazine.com $4.95
OF KENDALL
CADEN LEMONS UES
IN THE BIG LEAG
o ctober /n oVeMber 2017
MBER 2017 OCTOBER/NOVE ne.com VestaviaHillsMagazi Two Volume One | Issue $4.95
BOGGS
OUGHT
UNIVERSITY RETH
UNLESS U
FIELD’S MEET SATTER TRIPP MAULDIN
D eceMber 2017/J anuary
2018
DECEMBER 2017/ JANUARY 2018 ne.com VestaviaHillsMagazi Three Volume One | Issue $4.95
VestaviaHillsMagazine.com 57
this magic
moment adults with dementia don’t have to explain themselves when they are with their friends in the community at CARES. by madoline markham | photos by patrick mcgough
Pat B. is filling in her Mardi Gras mask with a magenta pastel when we sit down to chat with her on a rainy Thursday morning. “I enjoy being here,” she says, looking to her friends sitting around the table with her who are also coloring and chatting. “I enjoy being together. That’s what’s most important to me— especially people who understand who I am.” To feel the weight of Pat’s statement you need a little more context though. Pat has dementia, and like the others who come to the CARES (Caring for Adults through Respite, Enrichment & Socialization) program on weekdays, she can’t socialize with old friends like she used to. Often people with dementia can’t keep up with conversation and become self conscious about it. Companions fall away, and isolation and loneliness sets in. But not at CARES. Here, as Pat says, people understand her. They share
58 April/May 2020
her reality. “We can move on from that moment where you can’t finish your story,” program director Pam Leonard says. “I think that’s what our people find in here—acceptance, love, feeling comfortable in this space. They then once again have some kind of social circle and community. We have real friendships in here. I have ladies you cannot separate; they are going to sit by each other all the time.” And in this moment, Pat has her ladies. “My mantra these days is to live in the moment and whatever that moment is make the best of it,” she tells us. WELCOME TO CARES Looking around at the tables full of artists, you’ll see CARES volunteers and participants all wearing
CARES participants and volunteers engage in an artistic activity together.
60 April/May 2020
yellow name tags with no differentiator between the two, which is exactly the point. In fact, often new volunteers don’t know who is who. Surrounding them in the formerly St. John’s Church for the Deaf across from St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church in Cahaba Heights are the artistic pieces they have collectively completed. There’s a white canvas with all fingerprints of both CARES participants and young teens from N.E. Miles Jewish Day School that have been whited out to form flowers. To its left, tin hearts hang on a tree, and behind it flowers all the participants colored are pasted on a tree that a participant had drawn from what he remembered from his childhood backyard. In the next room, there’s stained glass art in the window and a winter scene adjacent to it. Throughout the program, eight to ten volunteers come each day, Monday to Thursday, help put chips on bingo cards or put paintbrushes in water, whatever is needed. More than anything they want to show respect and dignity to those who are there— ultimately just fostering friendships. The volunteers we talked to say makes them feel good just to be able to help a friend and all in all is rewarding. “You can see some of the stimulation some of the people show,” volunteer Alan Davis says. “It’s gratifying if you see a smile on their face.” Together they play games and trivia that have been adapted. They dance. They paint. They participate in an exercise class. And each day ends with singing. “It’s great for this population because even if they can’t communicate in the way they have historically communicated they can sing along to words they know,” Pam says. Every day starts with trivia on topics brains tend to hold onto like common sayings or song lyrics, and boy does getting it right build confidence. Pam tells the story of a former NASA scientist in the program. “When he answers the trivia and gets it right, he has a big smile on his face because it makes him feel very smart,” she says. Each activity lasts 15-20 minutes, just long enough
to keep the participants’ attention, combining for a jam-packed four hours. “As long as they are being stimulated and they are enjoying what they are doing they are distracted from being concerned with where their loved one is or trying to make sense of what is hard to make sense of,” Pam explains. “All the activities are broken down in ways they can feel successful.” All involved also know how important this respite time is to the participants’ caregivers, for them to know their loved one is being safely cared for and being active. “We are exhausted (after four hours), so I can only imagine another 20 hours,” volunteer David Reese says. “They seem to like it, and we all like it.” The time participants spend at CARES frees up the caregivers to tend to their own medical appointments or even just take a nap, and participants can come just one day a week or more, depending on the needs of their family. Volunteer Phil Teninbaum knows firsthand how vital that is. “My mother had dementia and it never leaves your mind. My brother and sister used to come into town and I felt like I had two days off,” he says. “It never leaves the caregivers’ mind.” A SHARED EXPERIENCE CARES’s umbrella organization, Collat Jewish Family Services, has served seniors in the Birmingham community for the past 30 years with counseling, food assistance, personal care and other services. Even though the word “Jewish” is in its name, CJFS is not a religiously based nonprofit but rather serves people of all faiths. And with that backbone, CARES can provide its participants and caregivers more counseling, case managers or other services when needed. And it was CJFS that first recognized a need for a program like CARES in Birmingham. Five years ago there wasn’t a respite ministry in Birmingham for caregivers of adults with dementia to give them a break from caring for their spouse or parent, so Pam and her team travelled to Montgomery to see one that VestaviaHillsMagazine.com 61
HOW TO BEFRIEND SOMEONE WITH DEMENTIA Here’s a crash course on volunteers are trained to approach their CARES friends.
Instead of bringing participants to reality, volunteers
try to meet them where they are. So if a participant
didn’t do anything wrong. It’s so liberating to know
it’s not going to do you any good (to correct them),
says he or she is waiting for her parents, who the it’s going to escalate the situation. If someone talks leaders know are no longer living, to pick them up,
they don’t correct them. Instead, they assure them
about their mother who has been long gone, you say, ‘Oh I bet you are looking forward to seeing her
they are safe and will be picked up. Likewise, they tonight!’” don’t ask specific questions like how many children
Another pointer: Volunteers and leaders aren’t
they have that they might not be able to answer.
there to do things that participants can do themselves.
Grace says. “You tell them you are sorry even if you
whatever they can for themselves.
“You don’t contradict or argue or disagree,” Lise Volunteers help when needed but try to let them do
62 April/May 2020
was in action there and modeled CARES after it. Today there are three other similar programs in the Birmingham area and more in the works who are looking to CARES as a model. In keeping with what they learned, CARES also offers a caregivers’ support group on the third Thursday of the month at 1 p.m. that is open to anyone in the community, not just CARES participants’ families. ”What we find in that time is people need to hear from others who are going through what they are going through and sharing that experience,” Pam says. “Our caregivers are a wealth of knowledge. They are living it, so they can help each other.” There’s a special treat to the nature of CARES for the participants to be apart from caregivers too. At home they might be told that they have to eat dinner or get ready to leave. But here, if they want to participate, great, and if not that’s fine too. A volunteer will come over and make connections in a different way if that’s the case. Pam, CARES Assistant Director Lise Grace and the volunteers learn from the participants too. “I ask them for parenting advice, and they all weigh in,” she says. “This population still has so much to give and they want to give if we can slow down enough to listen and respect the fact that they have something to
offer.” And Pam can’t see herself anywhere else. “I get to see the good in people,” she says. “It’s the opposite of the world out there. In here there is no mistake for anybody. We are just trying to do the best we can and be kind to each other.” But it’s hard too, especially as she watches dementia progress and folks lose more and more communication. But at other times during CARES something clicks for someone and they, on that occasion, communicate their point. Lise first became familiar with dementia when her husband was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s in 2011, and she’d eventually shift from working as an attorney to working for CJFS. “Now I have the best job I have ever had,” she says. When her husband was living she both brought skills she learned from him to CARES and even more so learned things at CARES she brought home with her. Perhaps the biggest she learned on her own journey was that they may not remember who you are but they remember how you made them feel. And indeed at CARES folks know that this is a happy place. Here they don’t have to explain themselves, and that is beyond freeing. And that’s just why Pat and her friends love to be there.
WE ARE NOW OFFERING
Orthopaedic Urgent Care Services • Walk-in, same-day, and evening treatment options • Prevent Emergency Room costs • Sports injuries • Sprains, Strains, minor dislocations
Thursday, Friday 4:30pm-8pm Saturday 8am-Noon
• Swollen, painful, or injured joints
CONTACT US! 205-985-4220
www.southlakeorthopaedics.com
4517 Southlake Pkwy Hoover, Alabama 35244
VestaviaHillsMagazine.com 63
VOTE TODAY! MAGAZINE
VESTAVIA HILLS’
BEST VE
ST
AV
2020 WINNER
IAH
ILLSMAGAZINE
FOOD & DRINK Most Friendly Service Most Kid Friendly Dining Best Casual Dining Best Date Night Best Ladies Lunch Best Coffee Best Sweet Treats Best Pizza Best Drinks/Cocktails Best Chef COMMUNITY Best Community Event Best Village Best Local Cause
.CO
M
ONLINE VOTING OPENS APRIL 1-15 Winners will be announced in the June/July 2020 issue of VESTAVIA HILLS MAGAZINE
Best Outdoor Spot Best Church Choir Best Local Personality SHOPPING & SERVICES Best New Business Best Customer Service Best Boutique/Clothing Best Store for Gifts Best Store for Kids Best Store for Home Furnishings/ Décor/Kitchens Best Florist/Garden Shop Best Animal Care/Clinic
HOME, FINANCE, & AUTO Best Real Estate Agent Best Insurance Agent Best Bank HEALTH & BEAUTY Best Dental/Orthodontics Practice Best Pharmacy Best Hair Salon Best Nail Salon Best Spa Best Fitness Center
VESTAVIAHILLSMAGAZINE.COM/BEST-VOTE 64 April/May 2020
SPECIAL ADVERTISING
2020 BUILDERS AND BUYERS GUIDE
Real Estate • Interior Design • Kitchen and Bath Remodeling Outdoor Living • Organization
VestaviaHillsMagazine.com 65
BUILDERS AND BUYERS
Vulcan Pest Control 115 Commerce Drive • Pelham Alabama 35124 205.663.4200 • www.vulcantermite.com Protect your most valuable assets! Don’t let termites cause destruction on your property – get them gone quickly with professional termite pest control. If you’re looking for the best termite company in Central Alabama you’ve found it. Vulcan’s Termite Division has over 120 years of combined experience providing commercial and home termite treatment. Our staff works diligently to provide inspections and necessary reports in a timely manner so the stress of buying or selling your home is minimized. Schedule your FREE termite inspection today! One of our termite exterminators can evaluate the situation and suggest the best treatment method.
Homewood Carpet & Flooring 813 Green Springs Hwy • Birmingham 35209 205-518-6423 • www.homewoodcarpet.com “Our slogan is “Foo and You!” because it’s all about you getting the floor and service you want at a fair price,” says Fuad “Foo” Shunnarah. Homewood Carpet & Flooring offers the best selection of carpet, hardwood, and tile in Birmingham for your home or business without costing you a fortune. Foo and his team specialize in consulting with clients in their home or business to find the perfect floor for any application. They provide samples to match your decor, as well as offer professional advice about the type of flooring that will work best for you. They bring many years of experience to your project and will make sure that you get a great installation of a quality product from some of the biggest names in the industry. If your hardwood floor is starting to show its age, we will transform your hardwood into something that will make you proud. They also offer specialty floors including rubber flooring, which is a great option for gyms, recreational facilities and basements. 66 April/May 2020
A name you can trust!
BUILDERS AND BUYERS
A Better Closet 1031 14th Street • Calera, 35040 205-621-1638 • Abettercloset.net • Sales@abettercloset.net A professional design and installation service, A Better Closet delivers custom storage solutions to help organize every room of your home. A Better Closet is a locally owned, family-operated business, and we have been building custom storage for over 30 years. Our designers and craftsmen will transform every area of your home (floor to ceiling) to the custom storage of your dreams – with beautiful, lasting results that are guaranteed over the life of your home. At A Better Closet, exceptional service is built in to the equation. When you schedule a free in-home consultation, we focus on finding the plan that is best for you, because we know your home, family, preferences and needs are unique. A Better Closet wants to maximize every inch of space to increase your home’s storage potential and value. Whether you want to make the most of a walk in closet, custom storage, kitchen pantry or home office, A Better Closet can help.
Vinyl Designs, LLC 243 Victoria Station • Alabaster, AL 35114 205.222.2230 • Shapiro8@bellsouth.net The widespread popularity of vinyl siding continues to surprise virtually everyone involved in residential construction including Builders, Contractors, Architects, and Homeowners. Once considered a cheaper option to wood siding, vinyl has made tremendous strides in the past decade with improved quality, better installation systems and advances in color retention offering new vibrant colors. Redesign of overhang systems has allowed vents to be concealed, while quadrupling airflow. These Soffit systems are perfect for stylishly completing the maintenance free goal of brick or stone home exteriors. Styling Innovations have added popular Board and Batten or Cedar options. These are designed so it’s unlikely you recognize them as vinyl in passing. Fiber cement is gaining in popularity, and we also carry this product. However, when comparing with the new generation of vinyl products, there are few occasions when it’s the best solution. Consultations and estimates are free and assist you in making the most informed decision. We would be proud to show you some of the new options available for your next project. Vinyl Designs, LLC opened in 1992 and continues a family tradition that spans over 50 years. VestaviaHillsMagazine.com 67
BUILDERS AND BUYERS
Desjoyaux Pools by DSLD Land Management 5485 US-280 • Birmingham, AL 35242 205-437-1012 • www.dsldland.com • dsldsocialmedia@gmail.com DSLD Land Management has been building custom swimming pools since 1983. We recently became a certified Desjoyaux Pools dealer with exclusive building rights in the Birmingham area to the world’s largest swimming pool company. Desjoyaux Pools provides custom pools for our clients. You choose the shape, size and design of your pool. Our pools are built using recycled materials and a pipeless filtration system that uses less than half the energy of traditional pools. DSLD Land Management provides turnkey installation of your swimming pool, requisite construction and all landscape elements. Pantone 294 Pantone 109
Pantone Process Blue
The Painting Company of Birmingham 5151 Cahaba Valley Rd • Birmingham, AL 35242 205-995-5559 • birminghampaintingco.com Why choose the Painting Company of Birmingham? You have many choices of companies offering painting services, so why should you choose us over the rest? First and foremost, it is our commitment to quality and workmanship. We are a professional painting company, not a home improvement company which offers painting as one of their many services. Our professional painters are experts in their field and adhere to our mission to provide only the highest level of quality and service for every project we undertake. At The Painting Company of Birmingham, we are never satisfied with a mediocre job for our customers and it shows. Read our reviews and testimonials from our happy customers. We know that every job we do, big or small, contributes to our reputation and success. By putting our customers first, we have become the premier painting company in the greater Birmingham area. 68 April/May 2020
BUILDERS AND BUYERS
Cahaba Glass 160 Chandalar Place Drive • Pelham, 35124 205-621-7355 • Cahabaglassco.com • Cahabaglass@hotmail.com Cahaba Glass is your ultimate resource for any automotive, residential and small commercial glass needs. For the home, we specialize in the installation of custom shower enclosures, mirrors, glass shelving, furniture top glass, cabinet door glass and specialty glass. Our glazier will replace unsightly window units and patio door glass to give your home that “like new” look. If your small commercial building needs updating, we offer a full range of glass and architectural products to meet your needs. Our experienced staff will assist you with your automobile insurance claims to make the necessary repairs or replacements due to breakage. When you choose Cahaba Glass Company, you are choosing a proven leader in the glass business. Let us help you make your project shine!
Ray & Poynor 2629 Cahaba Rd • Birmingham, AL 35223 205-879-3036 • www.raypoynor.com Ray & Poynor Properties is a trusted real estate firm serving the Birmingham metro area for more than a decade. With an average of 17 years in the industry, our residential real estate experts are equipped with the knowledge to 205-879-3036 guide you through the buying, selling and relocation process. As your neighbors in Birmingham, we know the market and are invested in our clients and in our community. We work in the best interest of our buyers and sellers. Our clients rely on us to be responsive and communicate with them openly and honestly. We recognize that a home is often our clients’ largest investment, and we serve as a real estate resource beyond a single transaction. Call us today— we’ll guide you home. VestaviaHillsMagazine.com 69
OUT & ABOUT
1
2
DINNER AND DIAMONDS
3
PHOTO BY JAMES CULVER
Vestavia Hills City Schools Foundation held its dinner, entertainment, and silent and live auction event—all to benefit academic “extras” such as professional development, technology and classroom enhancements for Vestavia City Schools—on Feb. 22. 1. Emaleigh Kynard, Breanna Jones and Chris Thomas 2.
4
Jeffrey and Andrea Florio
3. Jennifer and Bubba Shaw, and Missy and Mark Haughery 4. Ashley Hill and Jenifer Harper 5. Charles Mason and Tyler Burgess 6. William and Aubrey Hocutt, and Roger and Annie Stewart 7. Will and Angela Stevens 8. Kalin and Ross Swenson 9. Ragan Whittington and Casey Cauley 10. Stephanie Whisenhunt, Heather Szymela, Missy Lemons and Shelley Anthony 11. Michelle Carney and Shannon Pike
70 April/May 2020
6
5
OUT & ABOUT
7
10
8
9
11
MAKING THE WORLD SAFER ONE EDUCATED FIREARM OWNER AT A TIME Serving Birmingham & Surrounding Areas Since 2009!
Our indoor range has 28 lanes and accommodates •pistols •bows •ries •shotguns
205-822-3600
1561 Montgomery Highway, Hoover, AL 35216 VestaviaHillsMagazine.com 71
OUT & ABOUT
1
PRINCESS & SUPERHERO MEET AND GREET
2
3
4
5
6
PHOTOS BY JAMES CULVER
Kids met and got autographs of more than 50 of their favorite characters played by Vestavia Hills High School students involved in RISE on Feb. 22. Proceeds benefit the O’Neal Comprehensive Cancer Center at UAB. 1. Elizabeth Fountain with Tinkerbell (Olivia Macoy,) Wendy (Emory Zieverink) and Peter Pan (James Howell) 2. Jill and Brooks Broom with Spiderman (John Christiansen) 3. Sarah House with Snow White (Lillie Kate Prather) 4. Anna and Charlie Gualano 5. Lucie Kessler and Tiana (Timea Jenkins) 6. Woody (James Holland Brittle) and Buzz Lightyear (Jordan Henson) 7. RISE Team Members 8. Emily, Allie, Jamesand Calvin Rein with Captain America (CY Powell) 9. Kellye and Mave Campbell, and Kyle, Maggie and Henry Duett 10. Rapunzel and Flynn Rider (Mae Mae Daniels and Thomas Cochran) 11. Pat and May Terrell, Woody (James Holland Brittle), Jesse (Julia Claire Armstrong) and Buzz Lightyear (Jordan Henson)
72 April/May 2020
7
OUT & ABOUT
8
9
TASTE. SIP. REPEAT. 10
TICKETS: www.CorksandChefs.com
N E W ! Sunday Brunch
11
Restaurants & Chefs, Wine, Craft Beer, Cocktails, Seminars & Special Tastings 23rd annual April 25 & 26 12-3pm Linn Park @ the 37th annual Magic City Art Connection
HOOVER’S VESTAVIA HILLS MOUNTAIN BROOK
HOMEWOOD LIFE
SHELBY LIVING VestaviaHillsMagazine.com 73
OUT & ABOUT
1
VHHS SHOW CHOIR SEASON
2
3
PHOTOS BY STEPHEN STAIR & ANGEL BAKER
Vestavia Hills High School’s show choir ensemble, the Vestavia Hills Singers, performed their 2020 competition set, A Christmas Carol, and took home awards in several competitions. 1. The Vestavia Hills Singers with their trophies from the Jasper Foothills Classic 2. Senior Josh Norris as Ebenezer Scrooge
4
3. The Singers’ 2020 Competition Set: A Christmas Carol 4. Junior Riley Graham 5. Junior Walter Reed as The Ghost of Christmas Present 6. India Crawford and the Vestavia Hills Singers girls perform “Expensive” 7. Diane Snoddy, Linden Cundiff, Bella Grace Baker and Gigi Sharp 8. The singers perform “A Hazy Shade of Winter.” 9. The Singers perform “Just Around the Corner” 10. The Singers perform “The Coming of the Dawn.”
74 April/May 2020
6
5
OUT & ABOUT
7
10
8
11
VestaviaHillsMagazine.com 75
OUT & ABOUT
1
MUSIC ON THE MOUNTAIN
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
PHOTOS BY MALLORY BARRY
VHHS graduate and former American Idol contestant Walker Burroughs came back home to perform with Emma Klein in a VHHS RISE concert benefitting the O’Neal Comprehensive Cancer Center at UAB. It was held Feb. 29 at Mountaintop Community Church. 1. Keeley Covington and Margaret Ann Sanders 2. Ella Green and Callie Davis 3. Kinsey and Haley Long 4. Sara GuĚˆven and Anna Deering 5. Anna Szymella and Katherine Morrison 6. Lauren and Kim McDaniel 7. Hayden Speegle and Morgan Anthony 8. Marie Duncan and Ella Harper 9. Maddie Ellis and Serene Almehmi 10. Margaret Ann Green and Anna Bochnak 11. Amanda and Mary Wilson 12. Peyton Hurst and Mary Tate DeFore 13. Lisa and Cris Speegle 14. Alice Powell and Molly Coleman 15. Amelia Lee Speigmer and Gabrielle Hag
76 April/May 2020
OUT & ABOUT
10
11
12
13
14
15
Per fect Day at CocoCay — Bahamas
T HI S I S A DAY UNL IK E A N Y OT HER
7 NIGHT WESTERN CARIBBEAN/BAHAMAS/ BAHAMAS & PERFECT DAY Sailing from New Orleans beginning January 2020 Star ting from $349* *Taxes and fees not included
Contact your travel advisor to book your next adventure. Expedia CruiseShipCenters • 205.437.3354 270 Doug Baker Blvd Ste 500 Birmingham, AL 35242
*Perfect Day and CocoCay are registered trademarks of Royal Caribbean.The pricing and promotions listed on this advertisement are being included by the travel agency and are not the responsibility of Royal Caribbean International or its parent company or affiliates. Contact your travel agency for more information. All itineraries are subject to change without notice. Prices are subject to availability and change without notice. ©2019 Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. Ships’ registry: The Bahamas. 19070913 • 10/30/2019.
VestaviaHillsMagazine.com 77
MARKETPLACE
Marketplace Vestavia Hills Magazine • 205.669.3131
Need appliance or air conditioner parts? How about a water filter for your refrigerator? We have it all at A-1 Appliance Parts! Call 1-800-841-0312 www.A1Appliance.com
Mechanic needed. Must have own tools and five years experience. Apply in person: 1105 7th St N, Clanton. Or call for appointment 205-755-4570 INDUSTRIAL ATHLETES $18.38+/hour + production & safety $$$ incentives. Grocery order selection using electric pallet jacks & voice activated headsets. Apply online at AGSOUTH. COM or call Charlie Seagle at (205) 808-4833 Pre-employment drug test required. Automation Personnel Services Hiring IMMEDIATELY For: Automotive Assembly, General Labor, Production, Clerical, Machine Operator, Quality, Carpentry, Welder, Foundry. Positions In: Calera, Clanton, Pelham, Bessemer, McCalla. Walk-in applications accepted. Clanton (205)280-0002. Pelham (205)444-9774. Avanti Polar Lipids is looking for full and part time employees. Submit resume to jobs@ avantilipids.com •Highly proficient math skills required. •High school diploma required. Bama Concrete Now Hiring: Diesel Mechanic 4 Years Minimum Experience. CDL Preferred. Competitive
78 April/May 2020
Pay. Great Benefits. Apply in person: 2180 Hwy 87 Alabaster, 35007 Bent Creek Apartments. Affordable 1 and 2 Bedroom. On-site Manager. On-site Maintenance. 3001 7th Street. North Clanton, AL 35045. TDD#s: 800-5482547(V) 800-548-2546(T/A) bentcreek@morrowapts. com Office Hours: MonFri, 8am-4pm. Equal Opportunity Provider/ Employer Immediate need for LPN’s. Full time LPN Position with sign on bonus. BMC Nursing Home. Responsible for patient care and supervision of CNA staff. Will also provide treatment and meds for residents. Apply online or call Human Resources at 205-926-3363 bibbmedicalcenter.com Boise Cascade Now Hiring for Utility Positions. Starting pay $13.66/hour. Must be able to pass background screen. Please apply at www.bc.com Core Focus Personnel 205-826-3088 • Now Hiring Production Mill Worker, Jemison. 12hrs (days/ nights), ability to pass drug test, background check, physical. Positions working in outside temperature conditions. Previous manufacturing experience required. $11.75/hr to start. ETS RESTORATIONS •Retaining Walls •Concrete Work •Demolition •Landscaping •Construction •Tree
VestaviaHillsMagazine.com
Removal •Tree Trimming •Bobcat Work •Hardscapes •Hauling Residential & Commercial FREE ESTIMATES!!! CALL NOW (205)209-7787 $2000 SIGN ON BONUS NEW PAY SCALE TO QUALIFYING DRIVERS EVERGREEN TRANSPORT, is accepting applications for local drivers in the Calera and Leeds, AL, area. Must have Class A CDL, good driving record, 1 yr verifiable tractor trailer experience. Good pay and benefits. Apply in person at 8278 Hwy 25 South, Calera, AL, or call for info 205-6683316. Now Hiring Heavy Equipment Operators and CDL Drivers Competitive pay and benefits. Pre-employment drug test required Equal Employment Opportunity Employer Call: 205-2986799 or email us at: jtate@ forestryenv.com Industrial Coatings Group, Inc. is hiring experienced -Sandblasters -Industrial Painters - Helpers. Must be able to pass drug test and e-verify check. Must be willing to travel. Professional references required. Please send resume to: icgsecretary@ hotmail.com or call (205)688-9004 Owner Operators Wanting Dedicated Year Round Anniston, AL www.pull4klb.com
Lancaster Place Apartments. Location, community & quality living in Calera, AL. 1, 2, & 3 bedroom apartments available. Call today for specials!! 205-668-6871. Or visit hpilancasterplace.com Now Hiring!! •CaregiversADL’s, assist with medications and some lifting 7am-3pm, 3pm11pm, 11pm-7pm •Activity Director Part-Time •Cookssome 12/hr shifts Call Shay McNeal 205-620-2905 Marble Valley Manor. Affordable 1 and 2 Bedroom Apartments for Elderly & Disabled. Many on-site services! 2115 Motes Rd, Sylacauga. 256-245-6500 •TDD#s: 800-548-2547(V) •800-5482546(T/A). Office Hours: Mon-Fri, 8am-4pm. Equal Opportunity Provider/ Employer
Are you a motivated professional? Are you looking for a dynamic career? Are you ready to control your own level of success? See why McKinnons’ is an exciting place to work and grow. Now accepting applications for Sales, Service, and Detail Shop. Apply with the receptionist. 205-755-3430 MedHelp Clinics Now Hiring •Front Desk Receptionists with billing experience •Certified Medical Assistants with at least 2yrs of experience We are looking to fill full-time & part-time positions at our Pelham and Birmingham locations. We’re always
looking to hire qualified personnel Open 7 days a week 8am-8pm MondayFriday 8am-6pm Saturdays 1pm-6pm Sunday Qualified Applicants should apply at: www.medhelpclinics.com Shake up your career!!! Are you looking for something new and FUN? Milo’s is always looking for great managers to come join our growing and dynamic team. Apply online at miloshamburgers. com Montgomery Stockyard Drop Station at Gray & Son’s in Clanton. Call Lane at 205-389-4530. For other hauling arrangements, contact Wes in Harpersville 205-965-8657 Oxford Healthcare in Montgomery currently hiring certified CNA’s and/ or Home Health aides in the Clanton, Marbury and Maplesville areas. Must be able to pass complete background check, have reliable transportation and have a strong work ethic. Serious inquiries only. Call 334-409-0035 or apply on-line at www. Oxfordhealthcare.com Specializing in all your hair care needs SERENITY SALON Barber/Stylist Chairs Available for Rent 2 Convenient Locations •2005 Valleydale Rd. •Pelham •3000 Meadow Lake Dr. Suite 107 Call Nichole 205-240-5428 Nursing assistant to care for high functioning quadriplegic home health
MARKETPLACE patient in Jemison. Must have valid drivers license. Part-time. Call Mr. Wilbanks 205-908-3333 CLOCK REPAIR SVS. * Setup * Repair * Maintenance. I can fix your Mother’s clock. Alabaster/ Pelham. Call Stephen (205)663-2822 Electrician - FT Supreme Electric, local-based company in Pelham. Must be willing to learn & work hard. Go to: supremeelectric-al. com Print employment application under Contact Us. Mail to: Supreme Electric 231 Commerce Pkwy Pelham, AL 35124 or call 205-453-9327. Wilton Water and Gas Board HIRING WATER TECHNICIAN •Full-time position available •We offer BCBS health insurance & state retirement •Starting pay $12/hr depending on exp. Duties include but not limited to: •Reading Meters •Repair Leaks •Installing Water Lines •Repair & Replace Flush Plugs •Replace Gas/Water Meters •General Maintenance of Gas System •Cutting Grass •Maintain Town Properties and Main Buildings •Generally Available to Respond Within 30/min to Emergency Call-Outs, at Anytime of Day/Night Year Round •Skilled Operation of Backhoe & Variety of Hand Tools Requirements: •Valid AL DL •HS Diploma/GED Apply In Person or Contact Melissa with questions: 205-6652021 Email resumes: melissa@wilton-al.org
Become a Dental Assistant in ONLY 8 WEEKS! Please visit our website capstonedental assisting.com or call (205)561-8118 and get your career started! White Oak Transportation is hiring CDL-A drivers in your area. Great Pay! Excellent Benefits! Visit our website www. whiteoaktrans.com for more information EOEM/F/D/V KELLY Educational Staffing WE’RE HIRING! •Substitute Teahers •Aides •Cafeteria •Clerical •Custodial Positions Shelby County School District, Pelham City Schools & Alabaster City Schools. Call 205-682-7082 for more information. -Equal Opportunity EmployerPopeyes Seeking friendly, motivated, dependable Crew Members. OPEN INTERVIEWS DAILY 2:00pm-5:00pm 3300 Pelham Parkway. Immediate Openings! Start work this week! Apply online: work4popeyeskitchen.com GENERAL LAWN CARE Specialist in large yards 2+ acres. Serving Chilton, Coosa & many more areas. Bi-weekly, weekly or onetime services available. SPRING CLEANUP SPECIALS FOR FEBRUARY! Call Alex today for details: 205-955-3439 ~Military & Senior Discounts~ 10-20 Acre Tracts Partially cleared. Ideal for pasture. Isabella school district. $3000 per acre. Possible owner financing with 10% down. Call 334-524-7722 or 256-595-8425
Acceptance Loan Company, Inc. Personal loans! Let us pay off your title loans! 224 Cahaba Valley Rd, Pelham 205-6635821 NOW HIRING Part-Time Bookkeeper Position in Alabaster, AL 9am-1pm with flexibility Send Resume to: Human Resource Dept. PO Box 947 Columbiana, AL 35051 Pharmaceutical Grade Pharmaceutical Grade CBD Oil, a unique concept for sublingual absorption. Helps pain, anxiety, energy & more. Order from home 205-276-7778. www.CiliByDesign.com/ BrendaGlaze $Cash Paid For Used RV’s!$ Motor Homes, Travel/Enclosed trailers, consignment welcome, Cars and Trucks, Pick up available, Mccluskey Auto and RV Sales, LLC 205-8334575
Experience •On-Call Rotation Apply at: www. servicetechhvac.com
3090 revcoltom@gmail.com
Sitting Angels Home Care, LLC NOW ACCEPTING NEW PATIENTS Doctor Appointments, Bathing/ Dressing Meal Preparation, Errands, Laundry,Light House Keeping and More. Lenette Walls, Owner 205405-6991 Shelby County Openings: Loaders: •1st shift 7am4pm, Monday-Friday •2nd Shift- 4:30pm Finish, Sunday–Thursday $11.00/hr Packers-1st shift 7am-4pm, Monday-Friday $11.00/hr Replenisher-1st Shift 6am3:30pm $12.00/hr Standup Forklift Operators 1st Shift-6am-3:30pm $12.00/ hr Apply online: www. mystaffmark.com
Construction Workers Needed for Local Construction Company. Must be experienced and dependable. Job is five days a week. Salary based on skills. Must have remodeling experience. Call Adam 205-863-9059
The Harvest Place Christian Church Join us for worship every SUNDAY The Harvest Place Christian Church 14 Westside Ln, Columbiana, AL 35051 Bishop Wales Williams, Jr Chief Apostle •Morning Worship Sunday 11am •Life Enrichment Classes Sunday 10:15am •Join Us Every Tuesday Night at JOYFEST •Midweek WorshipBegins at 6:30pm www. getyourharvest.org
Pop & Sons Demolition & Junk Removal (205)9488494 junkguys2014@ gmail.com •Junk Removal Services •Demolition•More!! FREE QUOTES!! ALSO WITH THE MENTION OF THIS AD GET $20 OFF!!!
The Salvation Army Birmingham is hiring Part-time and Full-time •Housing Monitors •Kitchen Assistants •Cooks Apply in Person The Salvation Army Center of Hope 2015 26th Avenue Birmingham, AL 35234
Service Tech, Inc. Heating & Air Conditioning AL Cert# 89282 Now Hiring Full-Time Certified Technician •Minimum 5 years experience •Residential, Commercial and Refrigeration •Ipad
Land For Sale 51acres +/Helena located on South Shades Crest Rd. Great development/investment potential or private estate location $17,500/per acre Includes old farm house good frontage 205-587-
Western International Gas & Cylinders, Inc Sign-On-Bonus! Hiring SOLO & TEAM CDL Drivers •2yrs Exp•Pass D.O.T Physical/Background Check •Hazmat Endorsement Apply Online: www. drive4western.com EOE Experienced Termite Technician or someone experienced in routeservice work and wants to learn new profession. Work-vehicle/equipment provided. Must drive straight-shift, have clean driving record/be 21/ pass background/drug test. Training provided. Insurance/401K offered. M-F 7:00-4:30 + 1 Saturday/month. Pay $13hr. Send resume to facsmith@ charter.net Brian’s Tree Service Trees cut from the top down! Safe tree removal in confined areas. Stump grinding! General liability and wokers comp. 205-281-2427 Roof Repairs Years of Experience with all types of roofs. Dependable. I WILL fix your leak! Call Don (205) 266-5178 “ Tru Acupressure Clinic LLC - You’re one massage away from a good mood! Massage therapy is not a luxury, it is a necessity! Licensed Therapist SERVICES AVAILABLE: •Deep Tissue •Swedish •Acupressure •Hot Stone •Foot Massage Same-Day Appointments • Weekend & Evening Hours • Walk-Ins Available • 844 US Highway 31 South, Alabaster AL. OPEN 7 DAYS A WEEK! 9:30am-9:30pm 205-6242211 AL License#E-3013
VestaviaHillsMagazine.com 79
MY VESAVIA HILLS PETER FALKNER
Falkner Gardens Owner + Cyclist + Father of Two
Come On Over
Landscape Design for Entertaining When I design houses around here, I think about how these houses can entertain and how to create areas to grill and watch football games because you know someone is always going to pop in. We love to entertain at our house, and my wife, Marchelle, has an ice cream party at our house on the first day of school every year where the ice cream man comes.
Scenic Cycling A Feast for the Eyes
Sunsets Every night I text my wife to look out the kitchen window to see the sunset if I’m not home. It’s the prime spot to watch it from our house.
Smyer Road I love to ride my bike up Smyer Road to Vestavia Drive. It’s a beautiful and challenging ride, and there’s a great view over Samford and the city from up there.
Date Night
Bistro V My wife and I love to go to Bistro V for our date nights. I like that it’s a local spot and you can sit around people you know and have the same waitress any time. Any of their seafood is really good. Photos by Jean Allsopp
Welcome to Mayberry
Small Town Feel We love the small town feel of Vestavia and that all our friends are nearby. Our kids get to ride their bikes to school at East, which is a rarity these days. Our dog Aubie is like the neighborhood mascot, and everyone walks past him on the way to school when they pass our house on the corner.
80 April/May 2020
Comfortable Medical Waiting
Dedicated Spa Check-in Area
Private Spa Lounge
Birmingham’s Only Float Pool