THE REDMONT DISTILLING IMPACT • YOUTH LEGISLATURE IN ACTION • ALABAMA MUD POTTERY DESIGNS
A DAY TO REMEMBER A COUPLE’S QUARANTINE WEDDING
SIMPLY LINEN MICHAEL
A LITTLE GIRL WHO INSPIRED A CLOTHING LINE May/June 2020 MountainBrookMagazine.com Volume Four | Issue Three $4.95
MountainBrookMagazine.com 1
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
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“ TAKE ME TO BROOKWOOD BAPTIST.”
A PL AL IC ED
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BROOKWOOD BAPTIST MEDICAL CENTER: EMERGENCY ROOM
O WO OK BRO
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DR ER NT CE AL C I ED
Brookwood Baptist Medical Center 2010 Brookwood Medical Center Dr. Birmingham, AL 35209 PENDENCE CT INDE
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FEATURES
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SIMPLY LINEN MICHAEL Angel Lewis draws inspiration for her versatile, warm palette in her kids clothing line from both her own closet and her daughter.
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Lindsay Westlake and Jim Trucks’s wedding didn’t go as planned with the rise of COVID-19, but it came with just as much rejoicing.
2 May/June 2020
PHOTO BY BETH HONTZAS
IMMEASURABLY MORE
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PHOTO BY LAUREN USTAD
arts & culture
11 That Alabama Mud: Jamie Blattmann’s Pottery Designs 18 At Home: Create a Posh Picnic 19 In the Garden: 5 Steps to Plant a Container 20 In Style: Day to Night 22 Read This Book: Picks by Genre
schools & sports
23 Problem Solvers: A Look at the Work of Youth Legislature 30 Five Questions For: Brookwood Forest Grandparents
food
in every issue 4 Contributors 5 From the Editor 6 The Question 7 The Guide 54 Chamber Connections 56 Out & About 62 Marketplace 64 My Mountain Brook
& drink
31 A Clean Sip: Redmont Distilling’s Impact with Spirits & Beyond
MountainBrookMagazine.com 3
MOUNTAIN BROOK
contributors
MAGAZINE
EDITORIAL
Stephen Dawkins Alec Etheredge Madoline Markham Keith McCoy Emily Sparacino Briana Harris Wilson
CONTRIBUTORS
Abby Adams Emily Butler Jessica Clement James Culver Beth Hontzas Patrick McGough Harper Nichols Angela Pewitt Christiana Roussel Elizabeth Sturgeon Alice Thigpen Lauren Ustad
Abby Adams, Stylist
Abby Adams runs Peeptoes and Pineapples, a fashion and lifestyle blog. She also works full time at ServisFirst Bank, and when she is not working, you’ll find her blogging at local coffee shops (yes, Caveat is one of her favs), shopping at all her favorite local Birmingham boutiques and traveling. You can find her blogging on peeptoesandpineapples.com or on Instagram @peeptoesandpineapples.
Emily Butler, Writer
Emily Butler is a senior at Mountain Brook High School. She spends most of her time working as the co-editor-in-chief for the Mountain Brook High School newspaper, The Sword & Shield, as well as keeping up with the daily news. Most afternoons, she can be found at a local coffee shop with an iced coffee, writing or doing schoolwork.
DESIGN
Angela Caver Jamie Dawkins Kate Sullivan Green Connor Martin-Lively
MARKETING
Darniqua Bowen Kristy Brown Kari George Caroline Hairston Rachel Henderson Rhett McCreight Viridiana Romero Lisa Shapiro Kerrie Thompson
ADMINISTRATION Hailey Dolbare Mary Jo Eskridge Daniel Holmes Stacey Meadows Tim Prince
James Culver, Photographer
James lives in the Birmingham area with his wife, Rachel, and their three children, Callie, James III and John Michael. James is a graduate of Auburn University and spent 17 years in Atlanta working as a graphic designer, creative director and photographer before moving to Birmingham. He specializes in event, real estate and portrait photography, and he can be found on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook at @jculvercreative, and via his website, jculver.com.
Christiana Roussel, Writer
Where should we have dinner? Where should we go on our next family vacation or couple’s getaway? What kind of shotgun should I buy? These are all queries writer Christiana Roussel has answered in recent months. While food writing is her original passion, she has really enjoyed expanding her repertoire to include travel and sporting activities that might involve an upland adventure. And no, it is not just because there might be a need for new clothes for the expedition.
Mountain Brook Magazine is published bimonthly by Shelby County Newspapers Inc., P.O. Box 947, Columbiana, AL 35051. Mountain Brook 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, Mountain Brook Magazine, P.O. Box 947, Columbiana, AL 35051. Mountain Brook Magazine is mailed to select households throughout Mountain Brook, and a limited number of free copies are available at local businesses. Please visit MountainBookMagazine.com for a list of those locations. Subscriptions are available at a rate of $16.30 for one year by visiting MountainBrookMagazine.com or calling (205) 669-3131, ext. 532. Advertising inquiries may be made by emailing advertise@mountainbrookmagazine.com, or by calling (205) 669-3131, ext. 536.
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from the editor
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ON THE COVER
Simply Linen Michael
Angel Lewis named her children’s clothing line after her daughter Linen Michael, who wears a pink dress from its collection here. Photo by Alice Thigpen Design by Jamie Dawkins
The world we are sending this issue out into is a much different one than we were first started to plan stories for. As I write from my front porch-turned-office, I am struck by the oddity of it all. The bright green of spring is bursting out in all its beauty, the air is a perfect crisp 70-something degrees, my neighbors are walking by and I’ll join them (at a distance) later today to continue to log far more hours outdoors than I ever have in a season. There’s beauty in being home more, in talking to neighbors more, in seeing far more families playing games in their yards on a Sunday afternoon. And yet around us darkness looms in news reports and in what we hear from our neighbors serving in healthcare—our heroes in all of this—and those who work in finance, small businesses, restaurants and more. Nearly vacant streets midday are eerie. The unknown is terrifying. Homeschooling kids and keeping them entertained are far from easy. It’s just plain sad not to hug our friends and gather around tables and ballfields together, not to celebrate birthdays and weddings like we always have. Through it all though, our sidewalks and fences are becoming chalk art exhibits, teddy bears and kids’ artwork are peppering our windows, and tangible reminders that we are all in this together are popping up all over our city. As the COVID-19 quarantine set in and we were all rallying together to support our restaurants and retailers while trying to stay sane at home, all of it transformed this issue, and our social media too. When we weren’t able to move forward with some of our previously planned features, I stumbled across photos of a car parade after Lindsay Westlake and Jim Trucks’s wedding the first Saturday of the quarantine and knew there was a story there to tell. As a new sort of normal settled in, we wrapped up the photos for other stories at a social distance or got creative with existing photography, and we reduced our number of event pages after several of the ones we had planned to shoot were cancelled or postponed. Interviews went on though, because I am grateful those can happen over the phone quite easily even if in normal circumstances I prefer a face-to-face meeting. This isn’t the issue I would have planned, this isn’t the time of life we ever would have chosen, but there are beautiful stories being written under this dark cloud of COVID-19 and we’re here to share them. I’d love to hear the ones you are seeing and living—feel free to reach out any time!
madoline.markham@mountainbrookmagazine.com
MountainBrookMagazine.com 5
“ ” THE QUESTION
You don’t really know Mountain Brook unless you know _______. A walk on Jemison with the old stepping stone creek crossing
Limeade at Gilchrist drug store.
All the back-road shortcuts to avoid traffic.
How to get to the high school. Visitors would enter the Bermuda Triangle trying to get to the high school. GPS ruined that.
-Caroline Knight
-Leslie Berry McLeod
-Chip King
- Susan Gray
Arrelia at Piggly Wiggly -Frieda Swift Murfee
You don’t know the names of all of the streets but refer to them as “that road that goes by the water tower” or that “street in front of MBE.” -Alice George Davidson
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Smith’s and Little Hardware - they will have whatever you might need. -Amy M. Hampton
What all the mailbox bows represent! - Sharon Dobbins Graham
THE GUIDE
RING THE BELLS Each day at noon during the COVID-19 quarantine places of worship, businesses and homes in Mountain Brook rang bells to stand together for our country, for our health care workers, for each other and for our faith. Everyone was encouraged to pick up cow bells, Christmas bells, whatever you have that rings and join in. Props to Nancy and Ricky Bromberg at Bromberg’s for the idea and Mountain Brook Chamber of Commerce for spreading the word to start this on April 4! Photo by JeVois Photography MountainBrookMagazine.com 7
THE GUIDE NONPROFIT
NO KID LEFT BEHIND
SCHOOLS
Mountain Brook Schools donated food to the Levite Jewish Community Center staff that served it to kids and families who usually rely on school lunches during the first week of the COVID-19 quarantine. The LJCC also packed meal bags for a local senior facility, and they setup a drop-off box for medical supply donations including surgical masks, N95 masks, gowns, shoe covers, hand sanitizers and head covers.
E-LEARNING TOOLS As Mountain Brook Schools closed their doors due to the spread of COVID-19, students and teachers began to tap into existing tools for e-learning thanks in part to projects funded by the Mountain Brook Schools Foundation. The Foundation regularly provides Chromebook laptops for use in the elementary school classrooms, but principals were able to pass these devices off for students to use while learning from home during this time. Through funding from the Foundation, elementary students have also been using a digital platform called Seesaw that teachers are now using to connect with students at home.
RETAIL
RANDOM ACTS OF KINDNESS During the first week of the COVID-19 quarantine an Oak Street Garden Shop customer gave the shop a certain amount of money and asked them to send as many beautiful plants as they could to St. Martins in the Pines with that money, no strings attached. Following a special delivery, the seniors who live there have extra orchid blooms to brighten their days. 8 May/June 2020
ATHLETICS
BUCKY BALL After leading Mountain Brook High School’s boy’s basketball team to five state championships and fostering countless memories, Coach Bucky McMillan announced his new position coaching Samford University’s men’s basketball team in early April. That makes a wrap on his 333-74 win/loss high school career record and so much more. Photo by Charles Skinner
THE GUIDE LIBRARY
BOOK CLUB AT A DISTANCE The Breakout Book Club at Emmet O’Neal Library couldn’t meet during the quarantine, but kids were able to get “takeout” bags and make their own snail habitats at home instead of at the library. The library also held virtual story times online and found other ways to adapt its programming to be accessed from a distance.
OUTDOORS
COVID CREEK CLEANUP Treeline Expeditions, led by Mountain Brook Elementary teachers Bill and Suzanne Andrews, encouraged people to pick up trash along creeks and rivers following the recent flooding as they spent time with their families staying at home. They asked that anyone who pick up trash log it in a Google from linked on their Facebook event and share photos and stories on social media with the hashtag #CovidCreekCleanup.
COMMUNITY
MASKS ON DEMAND Leslie McDonald’s Thursday morning sewing group sewed face masks for medical workers to help with the short supply in hospitals. Each day they texted to update each other on their progress and see what each is working on. Local designers Julie Maeseele and Heidi Elnora also advocated for sewing masks as well as Homewood sewing shop The Smocking Bird, which has posted instructions on its social media pages.
FIND UPCOMING EVENT LISTINGS Due to the COVID-19 quarantine that began in mid-March, many local events have been cancelled, and as of producing this magazine issue in mid-April, it was unknown when scheduled events would resume. To give our readers the most up-to-date information, we will be posting events details as they are confirmed on mountainbrookmagazine.com and on our social media at @mountainbrookmag. Please check those places for event updates for May and June.
RESTAURANTS + RETAIL
ONE MOUNTAIN BROOK In response to the financial strain on businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic, the Mountain Brook Chamber of Commerce organized a One Mountain Brook effort. It is challening each household in Mountain Brook to donate $100 to assist the most vulnerable locally owned bricks-and-mortar businesses. Donations can be made at onemb.swell.gives online or by buying a “Choose Mountain Brook Tee Shirt” from The Pants Store at pantsstore.com/products/mb-shirt. MountainBrookMagazine.com 9
THE GUIDE COMMUNITY
JEMISON ROCKS Ellen Faust and her family hid painted rocks on Jemison Trail during the COVID-19 quarantine for others to find and re-hide. It’s one of many examples of ways families found to creatively connect with neighbors in this season.
10 May/June 2020
RESTAURANTS + RETAIL
#CURBSIDEMOUNTAINBROOK IN ACTION As quarantine restrictions were put in place, many Mountain Brook restaurants remained open and offered curbside and delivery services for food and drinks. While most retailers had to close their doors, some offered online shopping and the ability to call in an order for delivery (like The Cook Store, whose only “customer” was a canine, pictured). Businesses also sold gift cards to support them financially now that can be used for shopping later. Mayor Stewart Welch also encouraged residents to leave an extra tip for small business
owners and those who work in the service industry whose finances are strained by the COVID-19 crisis.
&CULTURE
ARTS
THAT ALABAMA MUD Jamie Blattmann finds joy, mystery and magic in the pottery she creates with Canadian flair. BY ELIZABETH STURGEON PHOTOS BY LAUREN USTAD
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Potter Jamie Blattmann
The magic of the process is what’s always brought Jamie Blattmann back to pottery. Each step–molding, firing, glazing, another firing– patiently awaits the next, and the clay won’t let you rush through any of it. Even though Jamie has been making ceramics for 30 years, she’s always surprised by the final piece. “When a piece that’s just beautiful makes it through the whole process, it feels good. I love that you can take something so simple and turn it into anything that you want,” she says. Between career changes and moves across the country, Jamie has developed her style and skill, now displayed through Alabama Mud. She’s owned her business for nearly ten years, producing vases, bowls,
12 May/June 2020
dishes and other products that sell in stores across the Southeast. Jamie completed her art degree at UAB during the rise of Frank Fleming and among other thriving Birmingham creatives, including her metalworking professor Janice Kluge. Though Jamie focused on metal art and photography, a draw towards ceramics was still there. Shortly after marrying, she moved with her husband to British Columbia, where she received her ceramics certification. Jamie produced work for galleries with other artists in her circle as she established herself as a potter. In that season she would carefully transport pieces to a nearby studio to fire and finish them. After the day
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FIND ALABAMA MUD You can find Jamie’s work on alabamamud.com or talk to her about a custom order, but she also sells her work in stores across the Southeast (and in a few beyond the South.) Find her bowls, vases, and dishes in these local Birmingham stores. • Alabama Gift Company • Alabama Goods • The Blue Willow • Michelle’s • Mustard Seeds
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she dropped and shattered a batch of pottery, the shop’s owner bought Jamie her first kiln. The English culture fueled her love for color–something she brought back to Mountain Brook with her. Many of her pieces are glazed in white for a clean look, but Jamie finds ways to incorporate color when she can, whether it’s through gold lining or a bright blue floral design. Alabama Mud remains small and everything is handmade by Jamie, but she hasn’t always worked that way. When she returned to Alabama after her years in Canada, she and her sister founded Tiny Kingdom Creations and shipped keepsake pottery pieces to 42 states. The busy seasons, even with a team to help, were overwhelming. After selling the business and a short break, Jamie once again returned to clay. “I decided to go back to the basics,” she says. “It can
be difficult to produce so much for shops. You lack the more individual pieces.” Jamie often made teapots and tea sets for customers and galleries in British Columbia, but the South doesn’t have the same appreciation for tea. So, her specialization has shifted to everyday, simple pieces, sometimes with a bit of the flair she developed alongside Canadian artists. Her designs are classic, most with a pearly, crisp finish, but she lets the clay lead the work. “The clay has its own mind,” she says. “You can move it, but it tells you how it wants to be moved. Once you start fighting with it, it looks like you’ve been fighting with it. I like that it talks back to you.” The clean white color, which Jamie says can make life feel a little more serene, balances with the one-of-akind, organic shapes. With a softness to how she forms the clay, Jamie’s
One of Jamie’s favorite Alabama Mud products is her wavy bowls.
work brings life to delicate details. Her pieces bear roses or other flowers, or the rims of bowls fold like fresh linen. Her wavy bowls really let their personalities come out, making them one of Jamie’s favorite products. When she gets the chance to make a large one, she loves getting to see how the clay moves on its own. “Pieces can turn into fluid bowls or a stiff structure,” she says. “If there’s a mistake, you can turn it into something good.” Here and there, Jamie finds a little time to play with new forms, colors, and textures to embellish the styles she already works with. As she works on a group of pieces, she likes to experiment with one or two, adding a new texture or design to what she usually works with. She also makes time to explore other artistic interests like photography, and she recently returned from a photography tour in Norway.
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16 May/June 2020
While her eye for composition and color may remain the same through any art form, there’s still something different about pottery. There’s a joy and mystery in the final product, even though she’s had years of practice and teaching others. Jamie remembers learning from other photographers on her last trip
and watching how they can envision the end product before even taking the picture. But for Jamie, never knowing or even predicting how a piece of clay will transform is magic. The surprise when you open the kiln is never spoiled. “You just gasp every time when you see what comes out.”
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AT HOME
CREATE A POSH PICNIC Spring and sunshine are finally here! Rather than eat indoors, why not enjoy the outside and create a delightful outdoor picnic? To create a beautiful picnic setting, combine a fun printed tablecloth or blanket, pretty platters to display food and fresh florals to enhance the mood. It’s fun to mix and match natural materials, like rattan chargers, a marble cheeseboard and a woven ice bucket to create interest. Cheers to a relaxing picnic at the park!
Photo and Text by Jessica Clement of JMC Studio
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1. Rattan Chargers, The Cook Store, $40 set of 4. 2. White Linen Napkins, The Cook Store- $16 set of 2. 3. Marble Coasters, The Cook Store- $30. 4. Woven Ice Bucket, The Cook Store- $85. 5. Gold Stripe Wine Glasses, Trouve- $20. 6. Gold Drink Glasses, Trouve- $16. 7. Marble Cheese Platter, Trouve- $24. 8. Horn Cheese Knife, Trouve- $8. 9. Rattan Tray, Trouve- $18
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IN THE GARDEN
5 STEPS TO PLANT A CONTAINER By Angela Pewitt | Photo by Patrick McGough
1. Consider your light source to determine the plants’ needs on sunlight or shade. 2. Choose a container with drainage hole in the bottom. 3. Prepare the soil with a mix of time-released fertilizer into potting mix. 4. Place the tallest plant in the center. Next surround it with mounding plants, and then add trailing or cascading plants along the edge. 5. Water thoroughly and regularly. Groom the flowers often and prune the stems as needed.
Angela Pewitt is a local entrepreneur, creative designer and owner of Creative Containers, a one stop-shop from consultation to installation. To inquire about your gardening needs, contact her at angelapewitt@gmail.com.
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DAY TO NIGHT IN STYLE
DAYTIME LOOK
BY ABBY ADAMS PHOTOS BY LAUREN USTAD
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1. JOHN & JENN MARCEL TOP You’ll mauve over this simple, comfy shirt. Eleven Eleven | $99
2. LE JEAN These flattering jeans go with anything and everything. Eleven Eleven | $230
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3. ROAM LUNA SLIDE Fashionable slides will take you many places. Eleven Eleven | $124
4. WRAPPING BEADED BRACELETS/ NECKLACES These simple pieces add a fun pop of color to any outfit. Ex Voto Vintage | $115 each
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Abby Adams is a fashion and lifestyle blogger at peeptoesandpineapples. com who loves all things fashion and has a slight obsession with pineapples.
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ACCESSORIZE 1
NIGHTTIME LOOK
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3 1. AMANDA UPRICHARD RED POPPY DRESS Bright colors are in for summer. Stella Blu | $198
2. DAVID AUBREY NECKLACE This necklace is chunky yet glamorous. Stella Blu | $98
3. DOLCE VITA WEDGES Every wardrobe needs a staple summer wedge. Stella Blu | $120
1. MZ WALLACE TOTE Eleven Eleven | $245
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2. KATHERINE NATURAL BAROQUE PEARL NECKLACE Ex Voto Vintage | $279
3. ECA & ALL IS WELL CUFFS Ex Voto Vintage | $79
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READ THIS BOOK
Picks by Genre Recommendations from
Holley Wesley
Emmet O’Neal Library Reference Librarian
I’ve been working at Emmet O’Neal Library for just over 20 years and still have a great time coming up with new and interesting things for the Mountain Brook community. In April 2008 I started a book group that may not sound very new at all, except that in the Genre Reading Group we do not read and discuss one book. Rather we read, listen to, or watch books, audiobooks, or DVDs on one topic. One of the major side effects of attending the meeting is a significantly larger to-bechecked-out lists! Here are our top five topics and titles.
His Majesty’s Dragon
By Naomi Novik | Fantasy Fiction Imagine the Napoleonic Wars with the French empire and its allies fighting the United Kingdom not only with armies and tall ships, but with aerial corps of dragons. When the HMS Reliant captures a French frigate, Capt. Will Laurence finds a lone unhatched dragon egg in the hold. Thus, his seafaring career ends and a much more dangerous and exciting one begins, a true baptism of fire. Capt. Laurence and the dragon Temeraire will have you reading nonstop.
The Eighty Dollar Champion: Snowman, the Horse That Inspired a Nation
By Elizabeth Letts | Sports Perfect for fans of Laura Hillenbrand’s Seabiscuit: An American Legend, this heartwarming, feel-good tale of achieving the American Dream chronicles a success story that captured the heart of Cold War-era America. Little did Dutch immigrant Harry de Leyer know when he rescued a drab white plow horse from the slaughterhouse for a mere $80 that he would one day compete with him in Madison Square Garden’s 1958 National Horse Show and go on to become the stuff of legend. You won’t be able to put it down!
Finders Keepers
Documentary Film In 2015, this rollicking documentary film competed at the Sundance Film Festival and screened at Birmingham’s own Sidewalk Film Festival. One of the subjects of the film, John Wood (who I sat by at the Sidewalk screening!), relates the story of losing part of his leg in a tragic small plane crash, talking the doctors into letting him take it home, and then accidentally selling it in a yard sale after forgetting it was in a barbecue grill. Proof that truth truly is stranger than fiction. This film is streaming on Hoopla.
Garden Spells
By Sarah Addison Allen | Southern Fiction In the backyard garden of the Waverley’s house in the tiny town of Bascom, North Carolina, there are many wondrous things, like a feisty apple tree known for its prophetic fruit and edible flowers imbued with very special properties. Generations of the family have tended this garden, but the most current is caterer Claire Waverley and her ne’er-do-well sister Sydney. Claire’s quiet life is turned upside down as the two sisters try to rediscover common ground and deal with their common legacy.
Caroline: Little House, Revisited
By Sarah Miller | Beach Read Favorites Many people are familiar with Laura Ingalls Wilder’s Little House on the Prairie books. This riveting historical novel is a captivating portrait of Caroline Ingalls, “Ma,” in the beloved series. The beauty, hardship and joys of the frontier come alive as Caroline, Charles and their little girls, Mary and Laura, head west to a land full of promise and peril, vividly reimagining our past.
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SCHOOL
&SPORTS
PROBLEM SOLVERS
Here’s how high school students learn much more than how a bill becomes a law through Youth Legislature. BY EMILY BUTLER PHOTOS CONTRIBUTED MountainBrookMagazine.com 23
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This year Pavel Shirley signed 21 bills into law in Washington, DC. One sought to reduce infant mortality, one to eliminate the FIT deduction, one to create a firearm licensing program. And all of that came before he graduated from Mountain Brook High School, or even started his role as state governor, youth governor that is. Technically all that bill passing came at this year’s Youth Legislature Governor’s conference with governors from 49 other states and as he was selecting his core team of cabinet officials to work
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with in the state for the year. Back in Alabama, he and 52 other MBHS and MBJH students experienced first-hand the processes and positions required to pass a bill in Alabama state government this winter at “Youth Leg,” as they deem it. Students who participate get hands-on experience writing and debating bills, and attend workshops on parliamentary procedure and how to actually write a bill. The process simulates what happens in the actual Alabama state house. Delegates present bills in
committee meetings before those bills are ranked to determine whether they are to be debated on the House or Senate floor. Next, floor leaders for each chamber set the order that the bills will be debated. The participants then move through that list, debating and voting on each bill. If a bill passes one chamber, it will go to the next chamber on the second day of the conference. If a bill makes it through both the House and Senate, it goes to the Youth Governor’s desk to be signed. Though they may have specific duties to carry out
at the conference, students participate in Youth Legislature all year long, often starting their duties from when they are elected up until the conference. To attend and participate in the conference there is an application process, separate from the election process to appoint students with positions in the mock government. Along the way, many found new aspirations in life. Alison Gaston, who first attended the conference when she was in ninth grade, had no interest in politics as a career when she first started. “Now, four MountainBrookMagazine.com 25
Junior Marielle Cornes speaks at Youth in Government.
WHO’S WHO MBHS Students in Alabama
Youth Legislature Leadership Governor: Pavel Shirley
Lieutenant Governor: Ben Harris
Speaker of the House: Chloe Kinderman
First Year Presiding Officer: Alison Gaston First Year Clerk: Elanor Kinderman
Supreme Court Justice: Amelia Winston Chief of Staff: Griffin DardenÂ
Communications Director: Lily Martin 26 May/June 2020
ABOVE: Senior Pavel Shirley served as Alabama youth governor this year. BELOW: Amelia Winston was a Supreme Court justice.
years later and two officer positions later, Youth Legislature has led me to a love for politics and my future major of public relations and political science at the University of Alabama next fall,” she says. “It taught me how to debate, how to work with others even when I don’t agree with their political opinions, and the importance of listening to others, even when I don’t agree.” Amelia Winston served as a Supreme Court justice “to be better informed about Alabama’s legislative process” and encourages students to attend the conference in the future. “It has been happening for decades and hopefully will continue for many more,” she says. “It’s not only a great way to meet others who are passionate about the same things you are, but is a great way to see if you’re interested in debate or politics.” More than taking in information about politics and bills, the program provides its participants with a connection to other students all across Alabama and teaches them how to learn from others. “Youth Leg has the ability to foster understanding in a very divided world and bring people together to solve problems,” says senior Chloe Kinderman, aka this year’s Speaker of the House. “Youth Leg has taught me that listening can be much more MountainBrookMagazine.com 27
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valuable than speaking. Even if I don’t agree with someone, it’s important to know where they are coming from.” With that role under her belt, Kinderman knows that real conversations come from understanding someone’s point of view and have the potential to create change. “I now understand more fully how essential cooperation is to solve the complex issues facing our generation,” she says. Griffin Darden, who served as Chief of Staff, praises Youth Leg for the relationships it helps craft, and how it “helps connect people from across the state and come together to discuss challenges our state faces.” The conference goes beyond just teaching its “legislators” to tackle complex issues too. It also conveys a better understanding and care for how issues affect everyone in our community. “Youth Leg teaches us to care,” says Mabry Smyer. “I learned so much at the conference and always leave much more conscious of serious issues that affect our state and our nation. This program fosters youth activism, which to me, is crucial for the future of Alabama.” This year’s seniors might be retiring from their Youth Leg positions, but there’s no doubt they will continue to make connections and inspire change in the state of Alabama. 28 May/June 2020
SCHOOLS & SPORTS
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FIVE QUESTIONS FOR
Emily & Mark Lee
Brookwood Forest Elementary Grandparents PHOTO CONTRIBUTED
This year Emily and Mark Lee had six specific reasons to spend time at Brookwood Forest Elementary School—their six (of seven) grandchildren who are all students there at the same time. Their oldest, Ella Lee, graduated from Brookwood Forest in 2018, and next up her brother Miller will graduate this year. Ella and Miller’s sister Sara Wells is a fourth grader just like their cousins Fitz and Chloe Bridgers, whose younger siblings Daniel and Leila are both in kindergarten. We chatted with the Lees about their ties to the school and Emily’s there that started decades ago. When did you first “meet” Brookwood Forest? I (Emily) was I was in the first graduating class at Brookwood Forest, and it opened when I was in sixth grade. My grandkids think it’s funny because my picture is in the hallway. My sixth-grade teacher Ms. McCollum was the strictest teacher I ever had and the best teacher I ever had. It was a contemporary building for the time, a round building with amphitheater that’s still there. I went to Crestline before Brookwood Forest opened and was in the first graduating class at Mountain Brook High School. What’s it like to be a BWF grandparent? They call it the “Brookwood Forest family,” and they encourage the grandparents to be there for the Brookwood Forest kids. They acknowledge it takes the whole team to raise those kids, and they want us to come us to come eat lunch and be readers. They encourage 30 May/June 2020
and community that’s been encouraged at Brookwood Forest, and I think it causes the students to thrive. You will see the decals on the bumpers of the parents What memories stand out from over the driving around. They are encouraged to run laps around the field, and for every 25 years? They always have Grandparents Day, miles they get a decal. You’ll see a 25-, 50-, and for Veterans Day they invite all 75- and 100-mile stickers on the bumpers. grandparents to participate and the The children just seem to have total respect auditorium is packed. They encourage us for the principal Mr. Pitner not out of fear, to come to Field Day too. With so many of but they know they are appreciated and our grandkids there, I try to do lunch with loved for the individual that each child is. each grandchild each semester. You can sit at the table by yourself with them or with What’s it like for so many of your the whole class. The sixth-grade play is grandchildren to be there together? When I have been there at lunch time, also fun; our oldest was Dorothy in Wizard of Oz. At the Talent Shows, the kids are so having cousins at the same school makes it encouraging for their classmates, and so special because you pass your cousin in that’s a delight to see. Two of our girls have the hall. I have seen them coming and sung solos, and another one did a comedy going, and it gives them a real sense of belonging. It also gives them a sense of a routine. community with all Brookwood Forest students. It’s like being in the same What makes the school unique? I loved my childhood elementary school summer camp with a special atmosphere but I don’t remember the feeling of family they have created there. grandparents to be there all the time. It’s like a tiny little village tucked away out there.
&DRINK
FOOD
A CLEAN SIP
Redmont Distilling is just as much about its creating a clean spirit as it is its philanthropic impact. BY CHRISTIANA ROUSSEL PHOTOS CONTRIBUTED MountainBrookMagazine.com 31
32 May/June 2020
T
There is more than ultra-filtered premium alcohol that goes into each bottle of Redmont Distilling Company’s vodka–there is a passion for giving back. Founded in 2015 as a fun project by Jake Hendon, Jonathan Guidry and Mike Hames, Redmont Distilling Company’s life really began in earnest in 2019 when Mountain Brook residents Eleanor and Claude Estes took the helm of the company with an enhanced vision for what was possible with this brand. As the first distillery to be founded in Alabama since Prohibition, Redmont was poised to be unique in a number of ways. Bringing on NBA great and Leeds, Alabama native, Charles Barkley, as majority shareholder was just the cherry on top. Eleanor and Claude are both Mountain Brook natives and have raised their family here, knowing that this particular corner of Birmingham is truly special. Both are shrewd business people in other arenas—Eleanor is the CEO of Tech Providers Inc. while Claude is a CPA with a thriving business—but it is in their work with Redmont Distilling Company that they have found a way to dig deeper and give
more back to the city and to the region they call home. Redmont Distilling Company practices the oneto-one philosophy: for each bottle of vodka sold, there will be a specific philanthropic action taken to support our community. The beneficiaries of these sales will be rotated out quarterly (or possibly monthly), depending upon needs. “All of us are coming at this from the perspective that we want to make an impact,” Eleanor notes. “We are all in this reflective stage of life. We all want to make a difference. We are going to use Redmont as the vehicle to do that.” One of the brand’s most impactful endeavors took place in the heat of the COVID-19 outbreak when so many businesses were hit hard. Some would argue that the hospitality industry was one of the first to feel the pain of self-quarantine and social-distancing practices. In an effort to support the men and women in the restaurant and bar business, the company held an online fundraising effort on Instagram. Charles Barkley and JOX radio host Lance Taylor hosted an hour-long MountainBrookMagazine.com 33
REDMONT LEMONADE
REDMONT MULE
1 cup sugar
2 ounces Redmont Vodka
8 1/3 cups water
½ ounce fresh lime juice
16 ounces Redmont Vodka
6 ounces ginger beer
4 lemons, juices
1 sprig fresh mint
Juniper berries and flamed rosemary sprig, for garnish
1 lime slice
In a saucepan, combine sugar and 1/3 cup water and place over
Fill an ice cold copper mug with ice. Add vodka and lime juice,
medium heat. Bring the mixture to a boil, and then cook the sugar
followed by the ginger beer. Stir. Garish with mint sprig and
until dissolved. Do not cook the sugar until it starts to turn color.
lime slice.
Remove from heat and cool. In a pitcher, combine the syrup, 8 cups water, lemon juice, vodka and ice and stir to combine. Garnish with juniper berries and a flamed rosemary sprig.
CLASSIC REDMONT AND SODA
CHARLES’ FAVORITE REDMONT AND CRANBERRY 2 ounces Redmont Vodka Club soda
2 ounces Redmont Vodka
Splash cranberry juice
Club soda
Lime wedge
1 squeeze lemon Lemon wedge
Fill a glass with ice cubes. Add vodka, club soda and cranberry juice. Garnish with a lime wedge.
In a glass, add the vodka and then ice, and top with club soda and then a squeeze of lemon. Garnish with lemon wedge.
205-447-3275 • cezelle@realtysouth.com
HELP YOUR BARTENDER In the wake of COVID-19, bar, restaurant and hospitality workers who live just paycheck to paycheck or shift to shift became in need of access to financial assistance. In response, the Redmont Distilling team created the Alabama Hospitality Workers Relief Fund through the Alabama Restaurant and Hospitality Association. Since then, the Redmont team has been selling T-shirts designed by local artist Rob Zilla to benefit the fund (order one at theredmonttee.com) and vetting the applications to ensure Alabama’s hospitality workers receive much-needed aid. Learn more at arhaonline.com/ al-hospitality-workers-relief-fund.html.
conversation about all things sports, vodka and Alabama-related. And true to form, people show up when Sir Charles is involved. In fact, it is one of the reasons Claude says they were keen to have him be a part of the company in the first place. “When George Clooney (and Randy Gerber) sold their Casamigos tequila brand for a jillion dollars, we knew that having a celebrity on board would raise our profile significantly,” Claude says. He had a client who was interested in partnering with the emerging alcohol brand who eventually introduced them to the NBA superstar. Barkley had long wanted to own something significant and meaningful in Alabama and, like vodka and soda itself, the pairing was perfect. “Charles is one of the most genuine and giving people I have ever met,” Claude says. “He truly, truly wants to make a difference.” And as most know, when Barkley puts his mind to something, it happens. Redmont Vodka held a tasting this spring at the Hoover ABC store and Charles was there to sign every bottle sold. He is as affable in person as he is on television, commentating on playoff games. Claude knew he had star power but everyone was blown away by the quantity sold that day—over 120 cases of Redmont Vodka went out the door. That is more than 700 bottles in just three hours.
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But the Alabama ties go deeper than having the Leeds native on board. The Redmont Distillery, located in the Continental Gin complex in Avondale adjacent to Cahaba Brewery, is the first of its kind since prohibition. That alone is noteworthy. The facility is being built out to have a tasting room and will soon be able to host private events as well as serve as a point-of-purchase for the brand’s namesake. Some of you may be reading this and thinking to yourselves, “That’s great and all but, how does it taste?” The answer is clean. If Tito’s has been your go-to vodka to date, you owe it to yourself to try Redmont. Tito’s is distilled six times through a carbon-filtration system whereas Redmont is distilled twice again, which is significant. Do a side-by-side taste test for yourself and you will be able to tell the difference. “The goal of great vodka is no taste and no smell,” Eleanor remarks. “Interestingly, once you start sipping vodka, you begin to notice nuances between brands. There could be a spicy or an alcohol-like taste. Some burn going down. Ours is different in that we distill the corn-based liquid eight times. And it is non-GMO. This is a very clean spirit.” Whether you choose to sip yours on the rocks or blended with your favorite mixers, you will definitely be able to taste the difference. You can currently find Redmont Vodka in all Alabama ABC stores where their footprint and shelf space are expanding. Claude and Eleanor have been diligent and methodical about entering the market place in a very intentional way. “Liquor
Redmont’s vodka is distilled eight times to create an extra clean profile.
36 May/June 2020
The Redmont team: Moira Adams, Jonathan Guidry, Charles Barkley, Montal Morton, Cindy Ash, Eleanor Estes and Claude Estes
is obviously a very regulated industry,” Eleanor says. “So your distributor is really key, and it is different in every single state. A distributor here could be totally different than in another state. You don’t want to necessarily sign on with just one. We decided that the best course of action would be to start here in Alabama, grow it and own Alabama and then branch out to Georgia and Mississippi.” Claude adds, “A distributor who is great in Georgia might not be the best in Las Vegas. And once you name your distributor, they are yours for life. You cannot get out of it.” Their aim is to have a significant foothold in these three Southern states by the end of the year and then continue their expansion. Within five years, they plan to have an international presence. So, how much were Charles and Lance able to raise in that one Instagram live spot? At press time, the figure was north of $30,000 and still growing, with Barkley matching the donations dollar for dollar. Claude and Eleanor get really excited talking about all the opportunities for change that can take place in our community at large, one deliciously clean sip at a time.
WHAT’S NEXT? The company has been developing a gin of equal quality to the signature vodka being sold in Alabama. Named after the Roman god of the forge himself, Vulcan Gin can soon be found in liquor stores across the state and in your favorite watering hole in town. Eleanor is also talking about doing some pairing classes or offering mixology get-togethers in the tasting room once the build out is complete. In the meantime, you can find a wide-range of cocktail ideas on redmontdistilling.com or @RedmontDistilling on Instagram.
MountainBrookMagazine.com 37
SIMPLY LINEN MICHAEL Angel Lewis draws inspiration for the versatile, warm palette in her kids clothing line from both her daughter and her own closet. BY MADOLINE MARKHAM PHOTOS BY ALICE THIGPEN PHOTOGRAPHY & CONTRIBUTED
38 May/June 2020
MountainBrookMagazine.com 39
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At age 2 and a half, Linen Michael Lewis knows what style she likes. She wants all her clothes to be bedazzled and hot pink and prefers to wear her pajamas and bathing suit to school at the Cohn Early Learning Center over the other clothing in her closet. She also likes to change clothes about 10 times a day. And she’s exactly the audience for her mom Angel’s clothing line. “I ask her which (pieces) she likes better, and I trust her opinion,” Angel says. As much as Linen herself helps shape the clothing line, Angel still bears the title, and work load, of its chief creative officer though. Angel has always been more drawn to more of a minimalist European aesthetic than a traditional
40 May/June 2020
Southern one, and when Linen was born, she found it was hard to find clothing she liked for her red headed little girl. Little did she know that not too many months later she’d start her own line, and name it after her daughter—whose name “Linen” came from her one day while she was driving into work for Bruno Event Team. In keeping with Jewish tradition her husband, Jared, was raised in, Angel paired it with his middle name, Michael. It was on a date night at Bottega in the fall of 2018 that Angel decided to finally speak her dreams aloud. “I have this silly idea to start a kids clothing line,” she told her husband, and he responded with a chuckle. But she wasn’t joking. Every night after work
Angel Lewis, pictured here with her daughter Linen, invites her friends’ kids over to her Crestline home to model for her children’s clothing line.
she’d get on her laptop and brainstorm and research just what she had in mind. Then she considered it a hobby, but three months later, she showed Jared her plans. This time his response was different. “You have a business,” he told her. “You have to either pursue it or nip it in the bud.” And she trusted his judgement since he’s seen success with the audio-visual business AVX Inc. he started 20 years ago. “I had no idea where I was going or what I was going to do, but I went for it,” Angel says. At the University of Alabama Angel had majored in journalism and political science, and she had no background in clothing design. “When I say I am as untrained as it gets, I am as untrained as it gets,” she says. But armed with grit and determination, that
didn’t mean she wasn’t ready to turn her hobby into a business. In March 2019, she quit her full-time job in marketing and public relations, and the second Linen Michael in her life was born with the light and airy aesthetic Angel has always espoused herself. On any given day you’ll find Angel working in jeans and white shirt—her closet is full of them. “I never felt comfortable in colors,” she says. “It’s just not my thing.” Case in point: when her parents surprised her by painting her room as a child. “It was bright yellow, and I almost had a heart attack,” she recalls. That carries over into the aesthetic of hers and Jared’s Crestline house too, a modern renovation architect Paul Bates designed with inspiration from the 1 Hotel South Beach in Miami. The white oak woodwork by MountainBrookMagazine.com 41
another Michael, Michael Morrow of MDM Designs, throughout their living spaces has doubled as backdrops for photos Angel takes of her Linen Michael pieces with her friends’ kids as models for the line’s website she designed herself. Linen Michael is not smocked. It’s not embroidered. It’s simple. It’s classic. And subtle flair in ties, pockets and ruffles make it what it is. Quickly, the brand has picked up a following in places like Hawaii, California and Canada, and it’s growing in popularity all over the country too. Most of the designs bear warm neutral colors, many of them unisex pieces that can be passed down to siblings and friends male or female. But because Linen loves pink and Angel knows a lot of moms out there do too, there are now Linen Michael designs in a light pink too. While the line features some more traditional special occasion pieces, its heart is designs that “play cute.” “Every household has a play clothes drawer, and I want to see Linen Michael in that drawer,” Angel says. The line will always evolve, but she wants it to be known for its staples, like OshKosh B’gosh was known for its overalls. Time and demand will tell what those pieces are, and Angel keeps up with sales analytics to help put her finger on what exactly it’s becoming. Are there any existing kids clothing designers out there with a Linen Michael style? The closest Angel can think of is Zara Kids, a Spanish-based retailer available worldwide. And then there’s designers like Fin & Vince, but many of their pieces come with graphics and animals on them. ”I don’t think you’ll ever see a graphic on anything of mine, except if it’s a
42 May/June 2020
hand stitched embroider,” she says. Angel even hears dads compliment Linen Michael styles, maybe because they are less feminine she guesses. “It makes me a little happy dance because dads don’t usually care,” Angel says. Much of Angel’s inspiration for design comes from her own closet demarcated into two sections, whites and blacks, with a few natural colors sprinkled in, all from designers like Lacausa Clothing, James Perse, Xirena and Felicite. She sees what her own eye is drawn toward in women’s clothing designs and then adapts it to be a for a child. For example, she pulls a wrap with cap sleeves perfect for the beach—in white of course—out of her closet and explains how it inspired her Rosemary gauze dress for girls, which has long sleeves and gathers at the wrist. Holding up jogger pants, T-shirts and other pieces of her own, she points out elements she’s incorporating into a baby onesie or a girl’s top. “It’s transforming what I personally like into kids clothes,” she explains. And both her closet and internet shopping stay at her fingertips during the workday. Angel’s weekday (when not in quarantine) starts in a coffee shop after Linen goes to school. From there she returns to her home office, with her warehouse space at the bottom of her basement stairs, with each age group separated, and her shipping supplies all hidden behind modern cabinetry faces on the main floor. Once she has a design idea in her head, Angel opens a black sketch book and puts pen to paper. She then scans the design and pulls colors and fabrics together into a PDF to send her manufacturer, often with
Angel draws design inspiration from the natural colors in her own wardrobe, with input from her daughter Linen too.
references to details in images of other clothing pieces she has drawn inspiration from. From there she and the manufacturer go back and forth on until she tells them to press play in bringing it to life. Not too much later the finished product arrives in her driveway in Mountain Brook. In five years Angel says she’d love to have a full in-house team based in Birmingham, and she already has her eye on properties. Ahead of her she’d also love to see her clothes in Target and dreams of launching a sister line of women’s clothes since a lot of her mom customers remark that they
like the styles for themselves, and maybe a kids’ athletic line too. Now just over a year into the business, Angel feels like she is “rounding a corner,” but the journey isn’t always seamless. In the beginning she had a lot of confidence to run off of, but six months in the new had worn off and she started feeling “shaky.” Then came a second wind before she got shaky again just as she hit the one-year mark of the business. “I said, ‘I don’t know if this is the direction I want to go,’” she recalls. But that’s when Jared—two decades into running his own business—came back MountainBrookMagazine.com 43
WHERE TO FIND LINEN MICHAEL DESIGNS Swaddle, Homewood ALKMY, Mountain Brook linenmichael.com @shoplinenmichael on social media 44 May/June 2020
We work tirelessly to help kids get well because Hugh has a long list of stuff he wants to do. WE DO WHAT WE DO BECAUSE CHILDREN HAVE DREAMS.
with just the words she needed to hear. “Angel, most businesses take three to five years to get off their feet,” he told her. “Stay focused and consistent because you have done a phenomenal job of getting where you are now.” Not long after that low point a sales rep emailed her on a Monday saying she was captivated by the Linen Michael line and asking if she could get clothes to her the next day to showcase in a Dallas kids market on Thursday, so that’s just what Angel did. Not even two days later, the Atlanta kids market—the third largest after New York and Dallas—accepted her line for its 2020 event, and all that after industry contacts had told her she wouldn’t get accepted into Atlanta since there wasn’t a brand like it there and the South is known for its traditional style. “And then it all made sense,” Angel says today. “Those are the biggest things that have happened.” Today Angel is busy pouring her heart and soul into her Spring 2021 line to bring to Atlanta this fall. “I will be my best yet because I have put so much time and thought and detail into it,” she says. Plus, she’s learned a lot in the first year of Linen Michael to build off of. Of course, Linen continues to inspire her designs too. Since her daughter likes wearing her dance leotard to school so much, Angel is designing a pretty ballerinastyle dress that is her own style. “Is this Mommy’s work?” Linen asks as she puts on clothes each morning. Yes, Angel tells her, yes it is. Linen doesn’t yet know that “Mommy’s work” bears her name as well, but one day soon she will and no doubt take pride in that fact just like her mommy does.
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MountainBrookMagazine.com 45
46 May/June 2020
Immeasurably MORE
L
LINDSAY WESTLAKE AND JIM TRUCKS’S WEDDING DIDN’T GO AS PLANNED WITH THE RISE OF COVID-19, BUT IT CAME WITH JUST AS MUCH REJOICING. BY MADOLINE MARKHAM | PHOTOS BY BETH HONTZAS
Lindsay Westlake and Jim Trucks knew two things when they got engaged in September 2019. More than any details or fanfare, they wanted to be able to celebrate their marriage with all of their friends, and they wanted a short engagement. Even just six months felt like way too long. So they booked a reception at Vestavia Country Club and a ceremony at Redeemer Community Church for March 21 and made plans for a honeymoon in Hawaii over Lindsay’s spring break from teaching at Crestline Elementary. Quickly the guest list grew to around 500.
Two weeks before their big day, Lindsay and Jim went to a wedding at their church and imagined their own ceremony in the sanctuary space where they had gathered each Sunday of their relationship. At the time, they knew about COVID-19, but it wasn’t on their radar that it could affect their plans. If anything they thought it might start to affect Birmingham after they returned from Hawaii. A week later, though, the mood shifted. Eight days before their wedding, schools statewide were cancelled for three weeks. Six days out—the MountainBrookMagazine.com 47
48 May/June 2020
Dreamcakes created a small cake for Lindsay Westlake and Jim Trucks’ intimate wedding reception at Shoppe, which agreed to host it less than a week before the big day as the couple had to change their original plans due to the COVID-19 quarantine.
Sunday before their Saturday wedding—the CDC recommended a 50-person limit to any gathering. By Monday Vestavia Country Club had closed for the foreseeable future. Piece by piece, the day Lindsay and Jim had hoped for was crumbling. “In wedding planning you have control, and then all of a sudden (we) had no control,” Lindsay recalls. “We didn’t care about the details. We cared about our church and all of our friends being there—for everyone to have fun and to have the memory of all our people all in one place. As the numbers changed, it was heartbreaking that all the people we love couldn’t come.” That Sunday they started working on alternate plans. Numbers knocked down to 25 and then ultimately to 10. Each time they would find peace with a new plan, Lindsay would get yet another call to change it, breaking one more hope she’d started to hold. At some point she and Jim thought they might just marry in their pastor’s backyard with a couple of witnesses. Early in the week though, they went over to their friends Jeff and Jess Heine’s house, where they gained the added counsel of Jeff, the pastor they’d planned to marry them. “Jeff said, ‘Make no mistake that God has always known this day for you, and it has always been good,’” Lindsay recalls. “That was a turning point for us.” For Lindsay the hardest part was the day she had to text all of their guests to update them. “I wanted everyone to know that though this is disappointing, we believe the Lord is never far from us,” she explains. “We were sad and it hurt to change the ceremony we had planned to speak of the Lord’s goodness and a reception to celebrate that, but the story God is writing is not sad. It was the biggest picture of bitter and sweet.” Around that time of the week plan after plan started to stick. Jim and Lindsay couldn’t have their ceremony inside, so they moved it out to the church’s front steps—which allowed their beloved labs Winston and Pax to join in on the event. Florist Sarah Peinhardt had already placed the floral order and found ways to rethink the floral designs, including to create floral collars for Winston and Pax, and photographer Beth Hontzas had told Lindsay she was still in even if it only four people were present. As to the reception, Shoppe in Forest Park offered their space, and better yet, because it’s technically two businesses with The General
MountainBrookMagazine.com 49
50 May/June 2020
Shoppe they were allowed to have 20 guests there instead of 10. Lindsay had taught Brick & Tin owners Susan and Mauricio Papapietro’s son at Crestline, so she texted Susan that week to check on catering. From there Brick & Tin cooked up plans to box up their grain salad with chicken—with a beautiful wrapping with rosemary sprigs Susan added. Doodles, which was originally going to deliver shaved ice to their now-cancelled rehearsal dinner, brought shaved ice to Shoppe instead. Jan Potter at Dreamcakes made a smaller version of the wedding cake they had planned with a gluten-free top layer for Lindsay, who has celiac disease. Lindsay’s brother Brent, a former bartender, created a signature cocktail made with gin, champagne, lemonade and St. Germain, with lids on top, and one of her sister Allison’s friends painted a watercolor of their dogs bearing the cocktail name. “Everybody was in it together,” Lindsay recalls. “It was a sweet reminder that these businesses are facing scary times and good we got to support local businesses we love.” And so on the afternoon of March 21, Lindsay walked up the steps of the church to her groom, with their immediate families right there, at social distance, to witness the moment. Their friend Jess played the song Lindsay had always wanted to walk down the aisle to on guitar—“Be Still,” also written by Jess. Jeff’s homily was brief but thoughtful, and their vision of feeling like they were known as they committed their lives to one another held more than true. Allison had made new programs for the ceremony bearing the words from Psalm 118 that their grandmother would always say, “This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad it.” “And that’s still exactly what we felt,” Lindsay says. “I got to marry my favorite person, and the whole day was peaceful.” What the newly married couple didn’t expect was to look across the street to find their closest friends “tailgating” in the parking lot at a social distance, or to look up as they started to sip champagne right after the ceremony to see a family friend, Angela Smith, drive by followed by one of Lindsay’s students. From there cars full of students, old friends, church friends and more holding signs and honking continued to drive by—around 50 of them in a parade that Angela and her mom Gail had organized. “People still show up and humanity is still so beautiful,” Lindsay recalls. “We felt so incredibly MountainBrookMagazine.com 51
Brick & Tin provided boxed Grain Salads for the wedding guests.
“It was so special that our wedding day got to be something that brought other people joy.” -Lindsay Westlake Trucks
loved. It was so sweet to see posters and people’s faces we hadn’t seen. That will always be the most moving part of the day to me.” Friends later told them that the parade had given them something excited about as fears over the increase in COVID-19 cases rose. “And we got to share in this together,” Lindsay says. “It was so special that our wedding day got to be something that brought other people joy.” After their intimate wedding, the Trucks travelled not to Hawaii, not to the Old Edwards Inn they’d booked as plans started to change or to 52 May/June 2020
the Alabama beaches they’d booked when Old Edwards closed, but to spend a week on a private beach on St. George’s Island that remained open. Hawaii is still on the books, just now for this summer, after they hold a reception at Vestavia Country Club on July 25 that all of their friends can attend. But even without all their friends gathered on March 21 as planned, the Trucks’ wedding day was beyond sweet. “It was immeasurably more than I ever imagined and not sad or lacking at all,” Lindsay says. “I was blown away all day.”
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OUT & ABOUT
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BEAUX ARTS KREWE BALL
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PHOTOS BY JAMES CULVER
Young women were presented at the 53rd annual Beaux Arts Krewe Ball on Feb. 21, including Queen Ellie Martin. James Hugh Miller III was this year’s king and was known as “King Popsi.” Each year the ball benefits the Birmingham Museum of Art. 1. Hollon Skinner, Kathryn Baker, Mary Spann, Juliette Cook, Laura Spann and Queen Ellie Martin
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2. Carol and Jorge de la Torre 3. Dukes Larry Whatley and Turner Williams 4. Princesses Elizabeth Harvey and Jackson St. Louis 5. Robert Robinson, Kimberly Powell, William Wahlheim and Duke James Powell 6. Josh and Hamilton Girvin 7. Phil Cool, Gerald Gillespy and Forrest DeBuys 8. Ellen and Lovelace Faust 9. Frances Wheelock, Robin Kidd, Net Wade and Emily Bowron 10. Lucie and Brad Haynes, Elizabeth and David Crommelin, and Lucy and Tony Gaede 11. Princesses Carolyn Wahlheim, Jane Perry Starling and Emma Taylor
56 May/June 2020
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OUT & ABOUT
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MountainBrookMagazine.com 57
OUT & ABOUT
1
BEAUX ARTS KREWE BALL
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3
4
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PHOTOS BY JAMES CULVER
Young women were presented at the 53rd annual Beaux Arts Krewe Ball on Feb. 21, including Queen Ellie Martin. James Hugh Miller III was this year’s king and was known as “King Popsi.” 1. Kathy Skinner, Christy and Frank Cater, and Tommy and Tracy Joyce 2. Mary Johnson Bradford, Elizabeth Gillespy and Anne Coleman Johnson 3. Gracie Tortorici and Phillip Talley 4. Dottie Kent and Anna James 5. Queen Ellie and her trainbearers: Jack Baker, Bo Baker, Kate Allen, Van Kuehner, Jackson Thomas and Hunter Fitzgerald 6. Princess Frances Bromberg and her father, Frank Bromberg 7. Charlie and Bebe Bugg, and Jimmy Holloway 8. Lady Hollon Skinner, James Mozingo, Lady Ann McQueen Whatley and Will Leitner 9. Brad Kidd, Emily and Bill Bowron 10. King Popsi and Queen Ellie Martin 11. Ladies in Waiting and their trainbearers. Back row: Edith Amason, Gunter Crommelin, Brooke Holloway, Hollon Skinner, Ann McQueen Whatley, El McMillan. Front row: Lovelace Faust, Henry Crommelin, Charlotte Redden, Frances Reynolds, Parr Cooper, Mary Carolyn Anderson. Photo by Image Arts. 58 May/June 2020
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OUT & ABOUT
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WE’RE EXCITED TO ANNOUNCE THE WINNERS OF MOUNTAIN BROOK’S BEST IN AN UPCOMING ISSUE! 9
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OUT & ABOUT
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EXCEPTIONAL FOUNDATION CHILI COOK-OFF
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PHOTOS BY JAMES CULVER
Booths of chili—so much chili—filled the parking lot at Brookwood Village on March 7 to benefit The Exceptional Foundation. 1. Harris Doyle Properties Team 2. Nancy, Charlotte and Robert Kilpatrick; Whitney and Anderson St. Laurent; and Kelly and Lewis Nelson
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3. Sheri, Oakley, River and Jon Gallyot 4. Matt Benton, Michael Sellers and Andrew Davis 5. Lauren, Elizabeth, Catherine and Sara Hughes 6. M & B Hangers Team 7. Jamilya Coleman and Bella Jade 8. Protective Life Team 9. Hannah Echols, Mary Kate Hughes and Hannah Stone 10. Chili Birds 11. Leigh bailey and Kara Lelley 12. Alabama Power Team 13. Chris, Angie, Harper, Avery and Elizabeth Cleland 14. Nathan Harris as Velvet Elvis 15. Libby, Ryan, Bebe and Margaret Burge 16. Hannon, Margot and Liles Doody 17. Command Alkon Team 18. Cecile and Luna Jones 60 May/June 2020
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MARKETPLACE
Marketplace Mountain Brook 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 205-7554570 HIRING EXPERIENCED FULL CASE ORDER SELECTORS $18.58 per hour plus production $$$ incentives. Grocery order selection using electric pallet jacks & voice activated headsets. Great benefits including Blue Cross health & dental insurance & matching 401k. Pre-employment drug test required. Apply Online: WWW. AGSOUTH.COM 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.
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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 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: 800548-2547(V) 800-5482546(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
MountainBrookMagazine.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 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: 205-298-6799 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)6889004 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!! •Caregivers-ADL’s, assist with medications and some lifting 7am3pm, 3pm-11pm, 11pm-7pm •Activity Director Part-Time •Cooks-some 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. 256-2456500 •TDD#s: 800548-2547(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. 205755-3430 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 Monday-Friday 8am6pm Saturdays 1pm6pm 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
MARKETPLACE to come join our growing and dynamic team. Apply online at miloshamburgers.com 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 205240-5428 Nursing assistant to care for high functioning quadriplegic home health 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 •Fulltime 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:205-665-2021 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! Popeyes 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 one-time services available.
SPRING CLEANUP SPECIALS! Call Alex today for details: 205955-3439 ~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 334524-7722 or 256-5958425 Acceptance Loan Company, Inc. Personal loans! Let us pay off your title loans! 224 Cahaba Valley Rd, Pelham 205-663-5821 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 205-833-4575 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 Pop & Sons Demolition & Junk Removal (205)948-8494 junkguys2014@gmail. com •Junk Removal Services •Demolition•More!! FREE QUOTES!! ALSO WITH THE MENTION OF THIS AD GET $20 OFF!!!
Service Tech, Inc. Heating & Air Conditioning AL Cert# 89282 Now Hiring Full-Time Certified Technician •Minimum 5 years experience •Residential, Commercial and Refrigeration •Ipad Experience •On-Call Rotation Apply at: www. servicetechhvac.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 205-405-6991 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 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 straightshift, 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) 2665178 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! 9:30am9:30pm 205-624-2211 AL License#E-3013 DONAVAN LAKES FISHING CLUB & INN Marion, Perry Co. AL •8 Lakes •17 Piers •Camping -Bass, Bream, Crappie, Catfish- Memberships $1000 for 2020. Contact Thomas Wilson 334-247-2101 wils5789@bellsouth.net www.donavanlakes.org
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MY MOUNTAIN BROOK SAM GASTON Mountain Brook City Manager
An Ode to the Past
The Old Mill My favorite historical landmark in the city, the mill reminds me of the Robert Jemison Jr. plan and dream for Mountain Brook every time I ride by. I know he would be proud of the community today.
Lunch Please
Urban Cookhouse I love the variety of food they offer and their prompt and courtesy service. My go-to order is their chicken salad and fruit plate.
Community Hub
The Emmet O’Neal Library This spot is such a community asset. The library staff is very creative and so helpful. It is almost a community center due to all the activities held there.
Village Center
City Hall I love the design and space we have in this building. Plus the people I get to work with everyday are very special. It makes coming to work very enjoyable. Photo by Harper Nichols
Get Outdoors
Cahaba River Walk Park This is my favorite park for beauty and relaxation. It’s such a beautiful area with the natural settings and the Cahaba River flowing by.
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