Mountain Brook Magazine, November/December 2020

TOUR A MERRY & BRIGHT HOME • MEET OUR SCHOOL RESOURCE OFFICERS • HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE

LIGHT IN DARKNESS

THE STORY OF A FAMILY'S APP BORN OUT OF GRIEF

PAINTING IN ABSTRACT LACEY SIMMONS ON ART & LIFE

PIE

NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2020 MountainBrookMagazine.com Volume Four | Issue Six $4.95

CHEF INSIDE POST OFFICE PIES WITH JOHN HALL

MountainBrookMagazine.com 1

Your health can’t wait.

Your Safe Care is Our #1 Priority At Brookwood Baptist Medical Center, we go above and beyond to help ensure that our hospital is safe for you. We’re here for emergencies 24/7 with the quality and expertise that makes us a community built on care. If you’re not feeling well, don’t ignore your symptoms or downplay your pain.

Taking care of your health now may prevent greater health risks in the future.

Social Distancing

Wear a Mask

Clean Environment

For more information, visit

Separate Covid-19 Areas

www.BrookwoodBaptistMedicalCenter.com 2 November/December 2020

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4 November/December 2020

MountainBrookMagazine.com 5

56

FEATURES

56

A LIGHT IN THE DARKNESS In the midst of grieving the loss of their son, the Morgan family has developed an app to help connect others in life challenges.

66

SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION

What should you buy for friends and loved ones this season?

Look no further than the shops right around you.

6 November/December 2020

PHOTO BY REBECCA WISE

HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE

43 arts & culture

15 Source of Strength: Abstract Art by Lacey Simmons 24 Read This Book: Books for 21st-Century Learners

schools & sports

25 For the Kids: Meet Our School Resource Officers 32 Five Questions for: MBHS Varsity Basketball Coach Tyler Davis

food

& drink

33 Tried & True: Inside Post Office Pies’ New Lane Parke Outpost

home

PHOTO BY LAUREN USTAD

in every issue 6 Contributors 9 From the Editor 10 The Question 11 The Guide 72 Chamber Connections 74 Out & About 78 Marketplace 80 My Mountain Brook

& style

43 Merry & Bright: A Brick Colonial Dressed Up for the Season 53 In the Garden: How to Create a Festive Holiday Container 54 In Style: Pink Pizzazz

MountainBrookMagazine.com 7

MOUNTAIN BROOK

contributors

MAGAZINE

EDITORIAL

Alec Etheredge Madoline Markham Keith McCoy Scott Mims Emily Sparacino

CONTRIBUTORS

Abby Adams Mary Fehr Kate Sullivan Green Harper Nichols Angela Pewitt Christiana Roussel Elizabeth Sturgeon Ellie Thomas Lauren Ustad Selah Vetter Rebecca Wise

DESIGN

Elizabeth Sturgeon, Writer

Elizabeth was born and raised in Birmingham and has stayed close to home ever since. A recent Samford University graduate, Elizabeth serves as the communications coordinator at Birmingham-Southern College, where she covers stories about students, alumni and campus culture.

She is always down for a meal she’s never eaten before or a movie she’s never seen.

Harper Nichols, Photographer

Harper Nichols is a student at the University of Birmingham at Alabama, where she is 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.

Jamie Dawkins Connor Martin-Lively Briana Sansom

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

Ellie Thomas, Intern

Ellie is a senior at Mountain Brook High School who has always had a passion for writing and plans to pursue journalism in college. She enjoys all things artistic and will take up any opportunity to express her creativity.

Outside of school, Ellie loves spending time with her friends, attending youth groups and driving around town listening to her favorite songs.

Selah Vetter, Intern

Selah was born and raised in Long Island, New York, but now splits her time between Knoxville, Tennessee and Birmingham where she attends Samford University. With a lifelong passion for writing, Selah loves being able to share other people’s stories with her words. In her free time, you can find her running, reading a book or hanging out with friends or family at a coffee shop.

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.

8 November/December 2020

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from the editor

Y

ON THE COVER

Pie Chef

Chef John Hall stands in the new Post Office Pies location that he opened with his business partners in Lane Parke this fall.

Photo by Mary Fehr Design by Jamie Dawkins

Y’all, we made it. Believe it or not, 2020 will have an end, and it’s just around the corner as we wrap up this issue. I certainly can’t recall a more tumultuous season or, ironically, one where I spent oh so much time slowing down and enjoying the simplicity of the everyday goodness. As I’m looking back through this issue’s stories, most seem to be telling microcosms of 2020.

Let’s start with tragedy. Our feature on the Buddys App starts with Caitie and James Morgan’s story of losing their son the night before his first birthday in an unexpected twist of sorrow. That part of their story feels very 2020-esque, with the loss of so many lives as we watched news story after life event unveiling yet another calamity to drag this year down further and further.

But that’s not where the Morgans’ story, or 2020, ends though. With time came glimmers of hope for their family and later an app to help bring light to others walking through darkness in life through connections to others in similar situations. Be sure to read more about it and the lives it honors in the pages that lie ahead, as well as the story of how Lacey Simmons’ signature abstract feather artwork was born of a difficult season she unexpectedly spent at her parents’ house—sound like a familiar life theme for this year?

There have been other plot lines in the midst of the messiness of this year too, like following through with plans to open a new restaurant location during a pandemic. Doing so feels crazy, Post Office Pies Chef John Hall admitted to us, but also he says his team knew they had to. And isn’t that a universal story to a degree too? Remember the days when even leaving your home felt crazy? And yet at times you had to. Some parts of life have had to go on, with a new sort of normal, strange though it may be.

And then there’s the place where we all found ourselves forever on end this year: home. While you might be tired of time inside yours, in the pages ahead we take you on a tour of the Dennistons’ brick colonial home all dressed up for the holidays. Looking back at these festive spaces we photographed pre-pandemic last Christmas, I am reminded of how the space where we wake each morning, where we dirty dishes and fill our stomachs, where we recline to rest and sleep ushers in a constant of comforts as tumult escalates in our larger worlds.

That’s not even getting to our Q&As with the stellar School Resource Officers who are so passionate about building relationships with students.

Be sure to check those out in these pages too along with our annual Holiday Gift Guide.

2020—it’s been a wild ride we’re all ready to usher out, but we sure are glad we’ve lived out in the richness of community around us here in Mountain Brook. Here’s to hoping your year ends with joyous memories amidst all the crazy!

madoline.markham@mountainbrookmagazine.com MountainBrookMagazine.com 11

“ ” THE QUESTION

In the midst of the hardships of 2020, what has brought you the most joy?

My 90-year-old grandmother starting a water gun fight with my 6-year-old son.

Our family had three baby girls born during the pandemic. Mountain Brook Class of 2038, get ready for all these cousins!

Lack of busy-ness. Family meals actually at the table, quality time with the ones you love most and being outdoors every opportunity.

I have found a new love for the outdoors and working in my yard! I never knew how much planting a flower or painting a fence could fill my cup.

Focusing more on the quality than quantity of our relationships and activities and watching my children learn how to do the same.

Daily walks that led me to really get to know some of my neighbors. Before COVID we just waved as we passed, but now we look forward to catching up when we see each other.

I was worried the increased time together would cause more siblings disagreements, but I loved seeing how it actually brought them closer together.

Friday afternoon tradition of walking to Craft’s for frozen screwdrivers!

-Caleigh Rathmell Alevy

-Ginny Paul

-Katherine Davis Moak

-Lexi Ginsburg Mota

12 November/December 2020

-Louise Griffin Holden

-Sara Denbo James

-Susan Henagan Logan

-Taylor Jordan Knight

THE GUIDE

HOLIDAY PARADE DEC. 6 3 P.M. Mountain Brook Village Watch as floats, fire trucks, bands, choral groups, dancers and of course St. Nicholas himself parade down through Mountain Brook Village. Watch for updates on the event as changes may occur due to COVID-19.

MountainBrookMagazine.com 13

THE GUIDE AROUND TOWN SATURDAYS IN NOVEMBER Fall Foliage Special Heart of Dixie Railroad Museum 10 a.m. & 1 p.m.

NOV. 2 Dia de los Muertos Pepper Place NOV. 5 Samford Legacy League Holiday Gift Market First Church of the Nazarene, Vestavia Hills

NOV. 14-29

Sam Lapidus Montclair Run This Turkey Day tradition is going virtual this year. The annual 10K, 5K and fun run celebrate the life of Sam Lapidus, his love of fitness and the LJCC and of family and

friends. Proceeds benefit the Alabama Center for Childhood Cancer and Blood Disorders at Children’s of Alabama.

Register online at slmr.itsyourrace.com.

RETAIL

HOLIDAY OPEN HOUSES

DEC. 20-22

Living Nativity Mountain Brook Baptist Church Come park and watch the Biblical account of Jesus’ birth played out live as you stay in the warmth of your car. Live actors and live animals are used in this annual production by Mountain Brook Baptist Church, now going more than 50 years strong. Due to COVID-19, all attendees will be asked to stay in their cars this year and to tune their radios to a specific FM channel to hear the narration. Shows start at 6:45, 7:30 and 8:15 p.m. each night.

14 November/December 2020

No need to worry about a 5:00 closing time on these nights.

Plus, there will be extra merriment with festivities in the stores, so come knock out some shopping for special ones on your list and support local businesses. All open houses are organized by the Mountain Brook Chamber of Commerce.

NOV. 5: English Village Shop, Sip, and Stroll, 4-6 p.m.

NOV. 12: Crestline Village Holiday Open House, 5-7 p.m.

DEC. 3: Mountain Brook Village Jingle and Mingle, 5-7 p.m.

DEC. 4: English Village Shop, Sip, and Stroll, 5-7 p.m.

NOV. 7 Virtual Walk to End Epilepsy walktoendepilepsy.org/ birmingham NOV. 7-8 Moss Magic: Moss Rock Festival + Magic City Art Connection The Hoover Met NOV. 11 National Veterans Day Parade Downtown Birmingham NOV. 16-22 Market Noel Virtual Marketplace Benefitting the Junior League of Birmingham marketnoel.net NOV. 28 Small Business Saturday Local Retailers LATE NOVEMBER-DEC. 24 Christmas Tree Farm Old Baker Farm 9 a.m.-Dark DEC. 5 Holiday Artist Market Shelby County Arts Center 9 a.m.-3 p.m.

DEC. 10 Samford University Legacy Christmas Home Tour samford.edu/legacyleague/

THE GUIDE DEC. 11 Taylor Hicks Performs The Allman Brothers Band The Lyric Theatre

LIBRARY

BACK IN BUSINESS

DEC. 11-13 70th Annual IPC Holiday House Tour- Virtual ipc-usa.org DEC. 17-29 Alabama Ballet’s The Nutcracker BJCC Concert Hall DEC. 17, 19, 20 Holiday Spectacular Presented by Red Mountain Theatre Company Regions Field DEC. 19 Meadow Brook Runs Valley Bank, Meadow Brook Branch

NOV. 21

Miss Olympian Pageant 7 P.M. Mountain Brook High School Who will the winner of the 53rd annual pageant be? Come out to see for yourself as the contestants participate in an interview, opening number dance and evening walk before the winner is crowned. Follow them on Instagram at @missolympianpageant for updates.

Have you been back to the O’Neal Library since it reopened late this summer? Masked patrons are welcome to its limited access Monday to Saturday 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Curbside pick-up service for library materials is available Monday to Friday 10 a.m.-5:30 p.m. and Saturdays 10 a.m.-1:30 p.m.

Although it is not ready to offer in-person events, you can find a varied online schedule including four book groups via Zoom, educational programming in cooperation with UAB, creative workshops for teens, and more.

Find the full calendar and register for events for adults, teens and children at oneallibrary.org.

MountainBrookMagazine.com 15

&CULTURE

ARTS

SOURCE OF STRENGTH Lacey Simmons has seen the power of design—and prayer—in the fluid style of her abstract feathers and ink work.

BY ELIZABETH STURGEON PHOTOS BY MARY FEHR MountainBrookMagazine.com 17

L

Lacey Simmons’ black and white Degas ballerinas, dressed and moving in ink, still grace the walls of her parents’ home in Mountain Brook. Since then, the ink and paper style has become her niche, her business, and a source of strength throughout her life and art career.

By Lacey, her business, started with on-paper illustrations and has expanded to larger paintings, framing work, and a range of other projects that are all originally her. “In the beginning, I didn’t know what direction I would take, but I knew everything would be made by

18 November/December 2020

me,” she says.

Since her childhood, Lacey has always drawn, painted and broadened her knowledge of art. She dabbled in all different mediums and remembers her mom introducing her to the greats like Renoir, Monet and Degas. Illustration quickly became her favorite artform, which she pursued at Mountain Brook High School and in classes at Alabama Art Supply.

Her high school teacher first introduced her to pen and ink, which led her to explore the loose and flowing style. She used a nib pen to pick up

Lacey Simmons has drawn and painted since childhood.

MountainBrookMagazine.com 19

the loose ink, then combined it with water on the page to soften the pigment. “It seemed simple— just black and white—but I loved using water to see the fluidness and gradient of how everything flowed,” Lacey says.

Her high school skill and passion led her to pursue a degree in graphic design from Auburn 20 November/December 2020

University, which included more illustration and painting classes along with digital design. For a while though, after getting married, having her first children, and beginning jobs in dermatology offices in Birmingham and Fairhope, Lacey stepped away from art in her life.

Flashforward to 2014 and life looked a little

different. Lacey moved back home with her parents, along with her 2-year-old and infant sons, to step away from her own home and a struggling marriage. With the advice from her friends, she sat back down in her childhood basement—what served as her high school art studio—as she picked up the pen once again. “It was all pen and ink on the walls. I was there to figure that out, so that’s what I focused on,” she says.

As she made new work, she soon began selling some of her pieces. Still being in the baby world, she painted a set of four prints of baby animals which sold quickly, and then moved into painting nudes and figures. Eventually, she found herself back at her own home at her kitchen table in the evenings and saw new abstracts come to life.

Little did she know at the time, she was defining her look as an artist. “I prayerfully went into painting, and I just picked up the ink and watercolor I always loved and did two strokes that evolved into this abstract feather,” Lacey says. “I did another and another, and they all looked different with the water flowing in different ways.”

Her feathers started as something that would fit into anyone’s home—light, soft and colored with sepias, blacks and grays. Now, as she’s continued painting, they range in colors, sizes and styles, each one completely different than the other, and they have become central to her collection of work.

Lacey first put some pieces in Trouvé in English Village, fittingly named with the French word “to be found” because her own home and community, plus numerous stores and customers throughout the Southeast, had discovered her. She started her LLC in 2015 and has since watched this adventure grow as she’s leaned in to working as a

“

There I was, 12 years later, trying to provide for my kids, it hit me. This is what I’ve been thanking you for.

- Lacey Simmons

”

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Habitat Feed & Social is the perfect destination for celebrations with friends and family.

Indulge in new and familiar cravings and satisfy your good taste with our inspired seasonal menus. And don’t miss the signature dessert.

After all, ‘tis the season to celebrate.

For reservations call 205.203.4745 or find us on OpenTable. habitatfeedandsocial.com @GrandBohemianMountainBrook

MountainBrookMagazine.com 21

22 November/December 2020

full-time artist—something she never thought she could do growing up.

Now, since remarrying and seeing her family grow, Lacey has created a studio in her basement, with plans to soon renovate their house and build a new space. In her current work space, plus a sort of gallery with her pieces covering the walls, she rolls out loose canvas, frames her prints and paper work, and invites people over to view her work. The fluid style of her ink work emerges through her other pieces, from large paintings to playful portraits or other new pieces or collaborations with other artists.

Recently, one of Lacey’s favorite projects is her Hebrew letter art. She paints the characters in an abstract way, each as a separate framed piece.

“The Hebrew letters can be more personal. I ask someone for words that represents their family or their life, and I paint them to use as a banner on their wall,” she says.

As she takes on new projects, Lacey does quite a few commissions to work with people on specific colors or styles that they have in mind.

Sometimes, parents will request feathers that represent each of their children, and Lacey

MountainBrookMagazine.com 23

SWEET HOME ALABAMA Being born and raised in Mountain Brook and now living here with her family, Lacey’s work will always have some connection to Alabama. “I create my own atmosphere, but my landscapes always look very Alabamian,” she says. Her acrylic landscapes, often painted on large, unstretched canvas, depict hazy lake scenes that resonate with many throughout the Southeast.

24 November/December 2020

captures their personality from descriptions to blend into her design.

Especially since becoming known for her feathers, she’s seen the power the designs have.

“About once a month, I hear from someone about what feathers mean to them. People have so many connections to feathers, and God is speaking to them,” she says, which matches with her own experience.

Lacey, well into the rhythm of her art and the feathers, remembered a day in college, in prayer in her dorm at Auburn. She saw a feather in her mind’s eye and felt an overwhelming sense of gratitude, then opened her eyes to see an actual feather fall from her forehead. “After that, every time I saw a feather, I knew the Lord was with me and speaking to me,” she says.

This reminder brought a whole new connection to her work, which has been a source of providence for her and her family for years now. “There I was, 12 years later, trying to provide for my kids, it hit me. This is what I’ve been thanking you for.”

Learn more about Lacey’s art at bylacey.com, @bylacey on Instagram or @bylaceyart on Facebook.

MountainBrookMagazine.com 25

ARTS & CULTURE

READ THIS BOOK

Books for 21st Century Learners Recommendations from

Andrew Cotton

Mountain Brook Junior High English Teacher

I’ve received many questions from parents about how best to support their child’s learning: Is my child prepared for the unique demands of the 21st-century workforce? What skills does my child need to practice today to thrive tomorrow? If you’re looking for a place to start, consider picking up one of these books. They’re written by brilliant dreamers who’ve grounded their radical ideas in objective research, anecdotal data and outside-thebox approaches to improving education.

Creating Innovators: The Making of Young People Who Will Change the World

by Tony Wagner This is my go-to book when giving advice to parents who feel like their child is unengaged, lacking purpose or mindlessly wandering through the day as the world is passing them by. Wagner is my Yoda. Teach you about the benefits of letting kids play and find their passions, he will. Very wise, he is. As he writes, “Academic content is not very useful in and of itself. It is knowing how to apply it in new situations or to new problems that matters most.”

The Teenage Brain: A Neuroscientist’s Survival Guide to Raising Adolescents and Young Adults

by Amy Ellis Nutt and Frances E. Jensen Come quick. Look! It’s right over there—the elusive teenager in its natural habitat. Notice the clothes scattered across the floor to prevent predators from entering their lair. Neither nocturnal nor diurnal, this hybrid animal sleeps at all hours. They survive on a diet of left-overs, junk food and chemical additives. If you want to learn more about teenagers, particularly what makes them tick, this is the book for you. It’s as much about the science behind their development as it is about the best ways to support them.

Mindset: The Psychology of Success

by Carol Dweck For most of my life, I believed I was bad at math. It wasn’t until I read Dweck’s Mindset that I realized I’d been wrong all this time. I wasn’t bad at math; math just happened to be more challenging than, say, English or history. Notice the difference? Many of today’s students would benefit greatly from learning the difference between a growth mindset and a fixed mindset. Can you imagine what school would be like if students saw learning as a chance to grow rather than a place to earn grades?

Creative Schools: The Grassroots Revolution That’s Transforming Education

by Ken Robinson Creative Schools is a must-have for anyone interested in tracing our current educational system back to its industrial roots, learning about successful alternative models for educating young people, and helping students “develop their love of learning, and enable them to face the real challenges of the 21st-century.” Here’s a quote that stands out: “The aims of education are to enable students to understand the world around them and the talents within them so that they can become fulfilled individuals and active, compassionate citizens.”

Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance

by Angela Duckworth Our kids will face difficult challenges in their professional lives. And we won’t be there to guide them through it, not like when they were 10 and begged us to run to Target before 9 to buy poster board, or when they were 15 and asked for advice on how to deal with a lazy lab partner. No, they’ll have to face it on their own.

Duckworth teaches parents and educators how to equip young people with the knowledge that their passion and perseverance is what will help them succeed in any situation.

26 November/December 2020

SCHOOL

&SPORTS

FOR THE KIDS

These School Resource Officers are just as focused on befriending students as they are keeping them safe.

BY MADOLINE MARKHAM PHOTOS BY HARPER NICHOLS MountainBrookMagazine.com 27

Ask Mountain Brook School Resource Officers about their jobs, and they’ll beam talking about building relationships with students and encouraging them along their journeys.

Here’s what they shared about it all.

Officer Richard Knecht Mountain Brook High School

What made you want to do this job?

I am a father of five kids, four boys and one girl. I love children, and it takes a special kind of person to want to be around 1,040 kids every day. I do. It’s the greatest job in the world. To watch these kids come in as 10th graders and leave as young adults going to college is great.

In addition to providing security, what does your job entail?

I am here just to listen to the kids and mentor the kids and help them through their daily struggles. I have a giant bucket of candy, and they come in for candy and we break our barrier down.

Sometimes they need to come and tell me how they feel, to tell me they just bombed a test or they just killed a test. I

28 November/December 2020

and all the games and activities we go to as a group. There are pictures of football games, basketball team, cheerleaders.

The students love to be part of the board.

What’s one of your favorite parts of the school year?

I am part of the homecoming parade every year; I either lead it or follow it in my police car. The kids invite me up on the floats. The school spirit here is far beyond most schools.

hear everything. I’m almost like an adjunct counselor here.

Tell us about your memory board (pictured on page 25).

In my office I have pictures of the kids

What surprises some people about what you do?

I have had kids question whether I am a real police officer because they can’t believe they can have such a great conversation with a cop because most of the interactions they see are on TV.

Officer Rozetha Burrow Brookwood Forest Elementary

How do the relationships you built in the community as a business liaison for the police department carry into what you do now as an SRO? There’s nowhere I can go in the city where an adult doesn’t know Officer ‘Row, but now I want to get to know the kids.

Some of the business owners are parents or grandparents to these kids, so that’s why I wanted to make this full circle and get to know the kids as well in the school environment. I want to see a pre-K student start and finish all the way up through college. I knew about one student in every class or so when I started this year—one kid would say “Oh that’s Officer ‘Row. She’s cool.” Now I am trying to get to

windows are open.

I start off greeting the kids with carpool so all the kids see my face and get to know me. I like to cheer them up if they have a bad day or help them get their backpacks. I am out when they have recess and mask breaks outside, and I tell them goodbye when they leave in the afternoon.

know them even better.

What does your typical day look like?

Around 6:30 a.m. I do a sweep of the building to make sure no doors or

What is your favorite part of your job?

It’s just getting to know the kids and the staff, building the rapport with them. I look forward to greeting them in the morning and evening and teaching them to make eye contact and to greet. Every day when I pull up it puts a smile on my face because I love what I am doing.

MountainBrookMagazine.com 29

Corporal Glen White Crestline Elementary

Why is it important for kids to get to know a police officer?

I just talked to a class about the items on my belt. All the kids ask about what’s on it. I tell them about my training too, so that way they are familiar with what I carry and know that I know how to use it and that they are safe walking by me.

So many kids don’t know what it is and so they are scared of it.

Birmingham. I got a T-shirt that was made to raise money for his family and asked a teacher to get her class to give me ideas on ways to display the shirt.

We ended up framing it, and each fifth grader signed the frame. I have that shirt hanging in my office now.

Have there always been SROs in all Mountain Brook schools?

When I started 14 years ago, we had one officer in the high school, and then What questions do kids ask you? about 10 years ago they added an officer Have you arrested anybody? Have at the junior high. Then after the you ever shot anybody? I try to answer as truthfully as possible but stay age- what questions they will ask. It’s funny. Parkland, Florida, shooting in 2018 the city and Board of Education came to an appropriate. How old are you? What’s your favorite color? They ask everybody What memory as an SRO stands out agreement and put one in each elementary school too. With an officer that, and it lets them know I am a the most?

I first started at Crestline right after in each school, if there is an emergency, person too. What’s your biggest case you have worked? There is no telling an officer was shot and killed in we are right there and we can handle it.

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Officer Josh Glidewell

Mountain Brook Junior High School Why do you think it’s important for SROs to build relationships with students?

With everything going on in the world, it’s a good way to bridge that gap and show police are humans too with lives and families and that we can work together as a community.

What made you want to become an SRO? When I was in college at Alabama, I thought about being a teacher and coach. When the opportunity came available, I thought it would be a good fit because it’s still law enforcement but it’s working with kids. I started here at the junior high in February, and before that I was at Brookwood Forest Elementary.

What’s the difference between working with elementary and junior high students?

The younger kids love police and firemen so you are the cool guy there and they want to talk to you about what’s on your belt. As kids get older, you have to work harder to develop

those relationships. Now at the junior high, I have really enjoyed working the football games and being able to see the kids I knew at Brookwood Forest perform and succeed.

Is there a particular memory that stands out from your time as an SRO? I developed a good relationship with the special needs group at Brookwood Forest, and there I developed a relationship with one of the kids and her mom, dad and brother. My wife and I were invited to her 13th birthday party, and I thought it was cool that they would reach out to us to be a part of that.

MountainBrookMagazine.com 31

Officer Tommy Tanner Mountain Brook Elementary

What made you want to be an SRO? When I was going through school, I bonded with the officers at my school, and they were able to help me through some situations. I always wanted to be that person and return the favor.

What does your job entail?

We are tasked with taking care of the worst-case scenarios we hope will never happen and percentage wise are highly unlikely to happen. The bulk of our time we assist with the faculty and staff on everyday runnings of school, and we head off any problems before when you get to a kindergartener who is overwhelmed. If he can find a they become big problems. friendly face who has the time and What is one of your favorite parts of ability to befriend him, he can get over his anxiety. A lot of them need a your job?

I love to bond with the kids especially grown-up to calm their nerves.

32 November/December 2020

When you visit classes, what do you talk to them about?

We try to explain to them what’s behind the scenes for police officers, which is different than what they see on TV. We are here to help and solve problems and keep everybody safe. We care about the truth, and the agendas people have and sides they take before they know the facts get in the way of knowing the truth. I want the students to deal in facts and let them drive the conversations and the decision making.

What’s a challenge for you at work?

High fives and fist bumps were big last year, but you have to do the best you can with this odd social distance.

Officer Daphne Horton Cherokee Bend Elementary

What made you want to work with kids again?

Kids are like sponges. Things you tell them they take in, and they respond back to you. It lets them see police officers in a way they don’t normally see police officers in that we are friends not foes. We are there to help them. We give elbow bumps now since we can’t do high fives, and they really like that.

What does your job entail?

My first job is school safety. Number two is interacting with the kids and the community itself. In carpool I go talk to the parents, so it lets the community have a person they can feel is their person and helps them feel more a part of the police department.

was selected and started this year.

What memories stand out so far from this year?

There is one little girl in kindergarten who whenever she sees me she wants to come and give me hug. We usually do two elbow bumps. That makes my day. I helped one of the kindergarten classes plant broccoli and other vegetables too.

It was really fun.

What’s your favorite part of your job?

I like going to different classrooms and being in the hall and talking to the How did you end up in this position? students.

I talked to a kid at the I worked for Birmingham Police crosswalk for 30 minutes today. They Department for 20 years, and five of those I worked with kids. I have been say whatever comes to mind. You never with Mountain Brook Police for 13 years, know what’s going to happen day-toand I put in for the SRO program and day.

celebrate

Christmas with

Homewood

Cahaba Heights

MountainBrookMagazine.com 33

5

SCHOOLS & SPORTS

FIVE QUESTIONS FOR

Tyler Davis

New MBHS Basketball Varsity Coach PHOTO BY FALCON WYLES TEXT BY ELLIE THOMAS

This winter opens a new era for Mountain Brook High School basketball with a new head coach, but Tyler Davis is no stranger to the program. For the past 12 years he’s been a coach for it, most recently for the JV team at the high school and before that as assistant coach to Bucky McMillan. His oldest son, Ty, plays on the high school team too, and his younger son Trey is in seventh grade and daughter Avery is in fifth grade. Before the upcoming season, we wanted to learn more about his background and what to expect from him. Here’s what he had to say.

What sparked your interest in basketball, and how did this lead to your career as a coach?

I grew up in Indiana with my dad as a basketball coach, so ever since I remember walking I had a basketball in my hands. I played basketball through elementary school, junior high and high school, and eventually earned a Division I scholarship to Samford. Growing up with my dad as a coach, I always studied basketball and watched how he coached his team and players, which made me a student of the game. When I went to play at Samford, I knew I would probably go into education because both my mom and dad were teachers. My first job after Samford was coaching and teaching at Vestavia, and after nine years, I came to Mountain Brook in 2008.

How has the transition been from assistant coach to head coach this year?

I think coaching with Bucky and learning from him—but also him allowing me to coach my team and be in charge of it—has given me a lot of head coaching responsibilities. Now that I am the head coach of the actual program, I have a big adjustment to make, and I’m still growing 34 November/December 2020

already been able to have a father-son coaching experience. I treat him as I treat the other players and have high expectations for him. Some days I am showing him tough What do you expect for you and your love, but ultimately I am just trying to get him to max out on his potential like the team this season?

With where the program has been and other guys I coach. One thing I have learned with the success that we’ve had over the last is to tell Ty that when we get home, we decade, I know we’re in good hands, as the won’t discuss anything that is going on with guys understand the culture and know how the team unless it is something he wants to hard they have to work. We have a lot of talk about. This way I can be a dad to him as guys in our program who love the game of opposed to his coach at all times, and when basketball but work tirelessly to get better we’re actually at the gym in our environment as individuals and also as a team. With of basketball, I become more or less his being able to have our practices this coach as opposed to his dad. summer—although we had restrictions with masks, which is something we have What makes Mountain Brook basketball never had to deal with before—we were still so special?

The one thing that separates Mountain able to have a productive summer. I’m very excited with the hard work they have been Brook from other places is the team putting in up to this point, and I look for us chemistry in which the players have a family atmosphere. They always want to to have a successful season. look after each other, and I think that the What is it like to have basketball interest success of a team starts with the bond of chemistry: Do they care for each other? Do run in the family?

Basketball is very big in my family since they trust each other and do they love each my wife played basketball at Samford as other? I am excited to continue to keep our well. In terms of coaching my son Ty, he program going, hopefully in the standpoint had the opportunity as an eighth grader to that we can keep being hardworking, play for me on the JV team, so we have unselfish and fearless as a program. into that. It will consistently be something to learn from, but I’m ready to accept the challenge.

&DRINK

FOOD

TRIED & TRUE

Post Office Pies has brought its Swine Pie and an even more expansive menu to Lane Parke.

BY CHRISTIANA ROUSSEL PHOTOS BY MARY FEHR MountainBrookMagazine.com 35

Owning and operating a restaurant in normal times can be thrilling but challenging. Throw in a pandemic, and what used to be exciting can become nerve-wracking or downright scary. The best restaurants will not only survive but thrive when there are a number of hallmarks in place: location, location, location (of course); experienced leadership; a well-honed concept; and great staffing. Chef John Hall has all those components in his Post Office Pies restaurant that debuted in Lane Parke this fall.

36 November/December 2020

MountainBrookMagazine.com 37

Post Office Pies Chef John Hall

The new Lane Parke Post Office Pies boasts a mural featuring visual distinctives of both Mountain Brook and Alabama in general.

38 November/December 2020

T

The people want pizza.

And they want it close by.

And they want it to be amazing.

And they want it to be from a local business, not a chain.

Enter Post Office Pies, in Lane Parke.

Riffing on a tried-and-true concept takes a deft and experienced hand which is exactly what Chef John Hall and his partners, Brandon Cain, Hunter Lake and the late Mike Wilson (see sidebar on page 39) bring with their Mountain Brook version of the Avondale favorite hotspot. The team takes the best of the original—including that allpowerful brand-recognition—and tweaks it a bit to be what this dining market is craving. The end result has already proven to be a true crowd pleaser.

Sitting down with Chef Hall, we talked about this new location and why it is exactly what Mountain Brook diners love. To begin with, the footprint of the Mountain Brook location is slightly larger than the original yet feels larger with the high ceilings and large windows.

Additional outdoor seating has been a boon to being open seven days a week and staying socially distant. In terms of the menu, Hall notes: “We have a gas-burning stove here—we don’t have that in Avondale—so we can do some different things here that we are not capable of doing there.” That translates into wider menu offerings that will include soups, sandwiches and pasta dishes that just aren’t possible at the Avondale space.

Avondale regulars will be happy to know that the Swine Pie is front-and-center on this menu, as well as other favorites like the Saw’s BBQ pizza and the seasonal kale and Brussels sprouts salad.

“Our Buffalo Chicken pizza is a big mover here too, as well as a lot of gluten-free items,” Hall adds. “I’ve never seen anything like it! Our cauliflower crust sells like crazy.” For those new to Post Office Pies, there are always build-your-own options.

This restaurant—like Carrigan’s, ABHI, brick & tin and Sol y Luna—is a Mountain Brook outpost of other Birmingham locations, and there seems to be a rubric to follow when entering this market.

All of the aforementioned have successfully taken the best of the original locations but changed things just a bit to be what Mountain Brook diners are seeking.

Hall observes that “the interesting thing about MountainBrookMagazine.com 39

“We have a gas-burning stove here—we don’t have that in Avondale—so we can do some different things here that we are not capable of doing there.”

-Chef John Hall

40 November/December 2020

REMEMBERING SAW Mike Wilson, a partner in Post Office Pies and founder of SAW’s BBQ, passed away in early September due to a heart attack, but his legacy lives on. Here’s a tribute to him shared on SAW’s BBQ’s social media pages afterward: “Mike Wilson’s genuine passion to make everyone feel good was apparent in his love for soul food and barbecue. Mike never met a stranger and always found common ground with everyone about food, music and fun. Everyone was welcome in his world and in his restaurants. He loved music and food almost as much as he did his two beautiful children.

The ‘Son of Southern BBQ’ (better known as Sorry Ass Wilson) and his recipes will live on and be enjoyed for generations to come, and his legacy will live on in his children, restaurants and recipes. Forever, he will be greatly missed.”

MountainBrookMagazine.com 41

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this location is that we are attracting some of the parents or grandparents of kids who have been coming to our Avondale location for years. Those kids have been attending music shows at Avondale Brewery (just next door to Post Office Pies in Avondale). They already know us and love us, but now we are being introduced to a different sector of diners. There are more families here, more kids.

“This location gives us a broader reach, for sure. We have a great product, and I think it is important to strategically place yourself in a place where you are reaching multiple demographics.”

Beyond mastering the art of the pie, Hall has serious restaurant chops. After graduating high school here in Birmingham, he went on to pursue an associate degree in culinary arts from the prestigious Johnson & Wales University in Charleston and in that time worked under Chef Frank Stitt at Highlands Bar & Grill. From there, the chef went on to get a bachelor’s degree in hospitality management from Johnson & Wales in Providence, which has proven invaluable in the operations side of the restaurant industry. And no doubt, that degree has been very useful, now more

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than ever, when the need to pivot becomes imperative.

Several staff members came to the Mountain Brook location from Avondale too, which made the opening somewhat smoother. “Every time I think about (opening a restaurant in the midst of pandemic), I think we’re crazy, but also we had to,” Hall notes. “We still have some kinks to iron out, things to fix, but honestly, it still feels surreal to have people here!”

The pandemic isn’t the only thing making 2020 a year like no other; certainly race relations have been top of mind this year as well. I asked Chef Hall what it is like, being a Black man, owning and operating a business in Mountain Brook? He paused for a moment before smiling and answering thoughtfully, “Because of a lot of exposure and national attention, people are welcoming and receptive. There are people who are proud and happy we are here. That said, I do feel more pressure to be successful here, as a Black business owner. The pressure to not fail. Any restaurant owner already has that pressure but it feels like extra added pressure.”

In the past, Chef Hall has done private parties in homes all over town, serving a different type of cuisine MountainBrookMagazine.com 43

THE OVERNIGHTER WHAT’S IN IT 2 ounces Tito’s Vodka 1 ounce simple syrup Strawberries and basil, for muddling .75 ounce fresh lime juice Balsamic drizzle Basil leaf, for garnish

that lets his entire skill set shine. Having attended a few of those intimate dinners, I asked him if he has future plans for a possible fine-dining restaurant in Birmingham: “I still have plans on doing a different concept at some point. But if I do, it has to be something that can work with me still overseeing operations at Post Office Pies locations as well.” In the meantime, we are lucky to have Post Office Pies this close to home, where we can gather together and dine well with friends and family alike.

Note: Post Office Pies is open every day except Thanksgiving. That means that you can still get your Swine Pie fix even on Christmas Day! 44 November/December 2020

&STYLE

HOME

MERRY & BRIGHT Greenery and pops of red dress up this brick Colonial home for the holidays.

BY MADOLINE MARKHAM PHOTOS BY LAUREN USTAD MountainBrookMagazine.com 45

M

Mike and Christine Denniston were ready for a new home—and a new project—when Christine stopped by one on Pine Ridge Trail on the way to a tennis match three years ago. “This is it!” she thought. “It’s just so pretty, and it was exactly what we were looking for,” she recalls today. Unlike the home they’d lived in for the previous two decades, there was no need for renovations on this one either—just furniture to fill its rooms and make them their own.

Built in 1985, the Colonial brick house boasts the touches of the builder who first lived in it with his family as well as the Eddleman family who moved afterward and John and Kendall Eagan, who lived in the home for the 25 years before the Dennistons.

Kendall Eagan brought traditional upgrades to the home that make it feel like it’s from an earlier era, with added columns, marble and German glass around the front door that carries into other places in the home.

Christine especially favors the picture molding throughout the home. “It makes art pop,” she says.

“It’s so fun to decorate with picture molding because I am so comforted by symmetry.”

And as it turned out, it was good timing for the Dennistons to furnish a new home larger than their

46 November/December 2020

previous one too. At first they bought some new pieces to fit the space, and then they ended up moving furniture from both Mike’s parents’ house in Mobile and Christine’s mom’s house in Fairhope as his dad and her mom moved to retirement communities not long after they had moved to Pine Ridge Trail.

Today in each room traditional pieces—many of them with Asian and coastal flair—from Mike’s parents’ home accent spaces with complementary more modern furnishings that are either new or were in the Dennistons’ previous home, along with Southeastern art the couple has collected. As she worked with interior designer Mandi Smith T, Christine has recovered chairs, added new lamp shades and cultivated more new touches to give heirloom pieces a fresh look too.

And then when it came time to decorate for the holidays and take things up a notch for the Samford Legacy League Christmas Home Tour last Christmas, Christine enlisted Mandi as well as her friend Susannah Davis to dress up the spaces with greenery and other holiday flair fitting with the home. The result is as timeless as the structure itself.

Staircase Light green and tan ribbons take this fresh garland’s look up a notch on a staircase in the home’s foyer.

MountainBrookMagazine.com 47

Fire Pit Simple red pillows and a plaid throw blanket make this outdoor space hot chocolate-ready.

BEHIND THE SCENES Interior Design

& Holiday DĂŠcor:

Mandi Smith T Interiors

Florals & Holiday DĂŠcor: Susannah Davis

48 November/December 2020

Sunroom This light-filled room was added onto the house where a porch once was and has become the family’s favorite space in the house. “When you are in this room and there’s snow, it was fairy tale beautiful,” Christine says. Ribbon and bow make an extra statement on the tree along with the Dennistons’ ornament collection. Mandi Smith T suggested bundling Christmas cards with ribbon (ABOVE) for this space, and Christine had fun reminiscing years past looking through them.

MountainBrookMagazine.com 49

Breakfast Table Red and green florals are always a good idea for a holiday table, and a plaid ribbon makes a classic greenery wreath in the window all the more festive.

50 November/December 2020

Kitchen After Christine’s stepmother gave her gingerbread cookie cutters one year, it became a family tradition to make gingerbread houses— one they keep up in their bright white kitchen even now with sons in college.

MountainBrookMagazine.com 51

Living Room Susannah Davis designed a more casual magnolia garland for this spacious room’s mantle. Behind it is a textured painting entitled “Last Night in Paris� that the Dennistons purchased in Sedona with their sons Robert and William just after Christine and Robert had traveled to France.

52 November/December 2020

$2.99 to $39.99 roll

Patio Metallic ornaments and a wreath dress up this nook on the Dennistons’ back porch.

11-14-20

Boy’s Bedroom A throw pillow and simple window wreath add a touch of holiday flair to the Dennistons’ older son Robert’s room. The intricate chest at the foot of the bed was his paternal grandfather’s.

MountainBrookMagazine.com 53

ABOUT THE HOME TOUR The Samford University Legacy League holds a Christmas Home Tour each year to raise money for scholarships for students with significant financial need and challenging circumstances.

Last year the Dennistons’ home was on the tour, and this year it will feature five homes in Mountain Brook and Vestavia Hills.

CHRISTMAS HOME TOUR Thursday, Dec. 10

10 a.m.-2 p.m., 4-8 p.m.

Tickets available at Samford. edu/legacyleague or at the door of featured homes.

54 November/December 2020

Master Bedroom Designer Mandi Smith T pulled colors from Mike’s parents’ rug for the décor palette of this room. The botanical artwork and lamps came from his parents’ Mobile home as well, but the chandelier was in the entryway of this home when they moved in. “I love having a crystal chandelier in a bedroom,” Christine says. “It’s kind of Hollywood.” A wreath on the armoire and florals on the coffee table dress up the room for the holidays too.

IN THE GARDEN

HOW TO CREATE A FESTIVE HOLIDAY CONTAINER

By Angela Pewitt | Photo by Harper Nichols

1. Style your container with a festive flair this season with a selection of fresh greenery, Yuletide logs, natural pine cones, curly ting ting and stocking red berries.

2. Remember to water the oasis in the bottom of the container to keep it alive and alert over the holiday months.

3. Disassemble holiday container at your convenience when season is over. You can reuse Yule-Tide logs for next season.

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.

MountainBrookMagazine.com 55

IN STYLE

PINK PIZZAZZ

BY ABBY ADAMS PHOTOS BY LAUREN USTAD

2 1 4

LOOK 1

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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56 November/December 2020

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LOOK 2

Headbands are in, and this metallic one adds pizzazz to any outfit.

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MountainBrookMagazine.com 57

The first Saturday of November three years ago went on like many game days in the years past for Caitie and James Morgan.

They left their daughter Caroline and son James—whose first birthday was the next day—with their grandparents and headed to Tuscaloosa to meet up with some of James’ work friends. They had no way of knowing what was to come the next day though.

58 November/December 2020

James Morgan works on the Buddys App in front of a portrait of his son whose memory inspired he and his wife Caitie to start the app.

MountainBrookMagazine.com 59

Caitie and James Morgan with their daughters Caroline and Carlisle

60 November/December 2020

The game ended late so the couple ended up spending the night at a friend’s house and setting an alarm to come back home to Mountain Brook early Sunday morning, Nov. 5, for birthday celebrations. But that morning James’ mom, who had been watching their kids, called, and Caitie and James couldn’t understand what she was saying as she spoke frantically.

Baby James had passed away inexplicably in the middle of the night. Three years later, they still don’t have answers on what caused his death even after many tests.

In the dark days that followed a bright spot came when the Morgans’ neighbor Anna Harris brought her friend Cameron Cole over to their house—a moment that would be fortuitous in many ways in the years to come. The Morgans had never met him, but he shared with them the story of losing his son Cam at age 3 in the middle of the night

with no explanation. “It gave us a glimmer of hope that he lost his son several years ago, and he’s still able to go help other people and able to get out of bed every day and live life,” Caitie recalls.

In the weeks to come the Morgans would become friends with the Coles, and Cameron would continue to text them to check in, send them resources to read and be a sounding board who could say, “Yeah, I get it.”

Other couples, one from Dothan and one from Memphis, who had been through a similar journey, reached out to them as well.

“It’s like this terrible fraternity that you don’t want The Morgans’ son James to be in, but it’s helpful once you are in it because those people have truly been where you are and know how you feel,” Caitie says. “It’s something you can’t explain to anyone until you have been there yourself. “ As James and Caitie worked through their grief,

MountainBrookMagazine.com 61

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62 November/December 2020

they decided to do something special every year on Nov. 5 to honor their son and keep talking about him with their older daughter Caroline. “We wanted to move forward with him, not move on from him, because he is always going to be a part of our lives,” James explains. So that first year he took up running as a way to cope with stress and signed up for a marathon at Disney World on the one-year anniversary of the day they lost James.

By then their daughter Carlisle had been born. Just two weeks after James passed away, Caitie had found out she was pregnant— no small news for them especially since Caitie had had miscarriages and fertility issues. “Her being pregnant was a miracle,” James says. “It’s never happened that quickly for us.”

That news, Caitie says, was also, “lightness in the middle of darkness.”

After the marathon, James and Caitie wanted to use their pain as way to help other people. “What has helped us the most? And how can we give that to people?” they thought. From there their minds went to the Coles and couples who helped them to know they weren’t the only ones going through what they were, and how they might not have met them if they didn’t have the community that surrounds them in Mountain Brook and Birmingham.

That’s when the idea for an app came to James. What better way could there be to help connect people with support at their fingertips anywhere? Sure, there were plenty of support networks available with message boards, but none they could find that

MountainBrookMagazine.com 63

could connect you with people who might be compatible with on a deeper level. “By having that immediate connection and not just that you share the same loss—but maybe you share a city and interests—it helps open up the wall to ask the hard questions: Is this normal? Did you feel this? What helped you? How did you keep living?” James says. For them this was a vital part of their grief journey alongside therapy, and they saw the app as a complement to professional counseling appointments to be an everyday check-in and support system.

One morning in 2018 James woke up around 4 a.m. ready to explore this app idea and started typing out all his ideas on a laptop. From there he started running the idea for an app past close friends and family members, and they began to team up with the Bethay family on the project. And as it turns out one of the members of a church small group the Morgans started in around that time happened to be the owner of Airship, a custom mobile app and software development company. “It felt like a god wink,” Caitie says. So they got him on board to bring their vision to life for what would be called the Buddys App that released this fall.

And it’s not just for grief. It connects people with life challenges in the realms of family and parenting, loss of a loved one, medical, mental health and relationships. Within those five areas are categories like anxiety, stress, divorce and loneliness. The end product allows a user to create a profile with your area of challenge plus your hobbies or personal interests that might be best to connect with those on a similar journey to you, and from there you can search for people with key words for either a life challenge like

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64 November/December 2020

These images show how the Buddys App connects users with similar life challenges, like this user’s with fertility and pregnancy.

MountainBrookMagazine.com 65

“loss of a son” or an interest like “cooking.” There are also areas of the app that suggest connections, message boards for broader topics and ways to create small groups of people to connect. And with a worldwide pandemic, the Morgans think the app is needed more than ever.

Even though its purposes sweep wider than their own, much of the app branding connects personally with the Morgan family too.

Caitie’s dad passed away from cancer six years ago, and the app name itself honors his name, Buddy. Plus their logo, a butterfly, unites two letter Bs, one for Caitie’s dad Buddy and one for baby James who they called “little Buddy,” with a V that represent that baby James was the fifth in his family. Now every time their daughter Caroline, now 6, sees a butterfly she points it out, knowing its journey of transformation and its special significance for her family, and likes to draw them as well. The branding also incorporates sunset colors that make it feel both hopeful and calming.

As they launched the app this fall not long before what would have been baby James’ fourth birthday, the Morgans weren’t sure where its journey would take them. But they did know they were “taking our pain and hopefully helping other people,” James says.

“Even before we launched the app, it was a success because it was helpful for us in our grieving process and our hopes to help others.”

Indeed, a shining light in the darkness of 2020.

The Buddys App can be downloaded on the Apple App Store or Google Play. Learn more at buddysapp.com.

66 November/December 2020

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12. Leo and Zachary Blazers For the best dressed young man on your list! These jackets are stylish, classy and elegant, and they are made from top of the line fabrics. Starting at $90. Mon Ami, 40 Church Street, Birmingham, AL 35213. (205) 848-7800. monamibham.com.

13. Outdoor Wind Chimes These precision-tuned, weather-resistant outdoor wind chimes from Music of the Spheres are handcrafted in the USA and 30 inches tall. $96.95. DSLD AquaScapes, 5485 Highway 280, Birmingham, AL 35242. (205) 437-1012. dsldland.com

14. Nest Candle The aroma of a sparkling holiday season is created by blending pomegranate, Mandarin orange, pine, cloves and cinnamon with a hint of vanilla and amber. $49. Mantooth Interiors, 2813 18th Street South, Homewood, AL 35209. (205) 879-5474. mantoothinteriors.com

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15. Onward Seabreeze Special Edition Golf Cart Your ride around the block is about to get a lot more fun in this golf cart from Club Car with plenty of room for four. It is comfortable and practical yet fun and stylish. $14,999. Diamond Golf Cart, 160 Inverness Plaza, Birmingham, AL 35242.

(205) 769-6355. diamondgolfcars.com.

16. Joe’s Dipping Oil This custom blended oil boasts parsley, lemon and a special blend of spices perfect for dipping your favorite bread in. Small $10, Large $22.95. Joe’s Italian, 21 Weatherly Club Drive, Alabaster, AL 35007. (205) 663-4111. joesitalianonline. com.

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18 17. Freedom Soaps Gift Box Fill a box of your choosing with sustainably made soaps, scrubs, balms, bath salts and more based in the heart of Cahaba Heights. Freedom Soaps can customize the perfect gift set for you! Prices vary by custom box. Freedom Soaps, 3131 Bellwood Drive, Vestavia Hills, AL 35243. (205) 7831171. freedomsoaps.com.

18. Frozen Cookie Dough and Skillet Treat yourself to hot cookies whenever you like—or better yet, a skillet cookie. Each set of dough comes with 15 frozen balls, and the mini skillet is 5 inches in diameter and made by Lodge. Frozen Dough $20, Skillet $11.25. Cookie Fix, 2854 18th Street South, Homewood, AL 35209. (205) 582-2623. cookiefix.com.

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19. Alabama and Auburn Santa Clause Have Santa pull for your team with our custom Auburn and Alabama Santa Clause. Bring your handcrafted Santa to life by posing the arms, combing the hair or fluffing his beard. $29.99. Home Accents, 2750 Pelham Parkway, Pelham, AL 35214. (205) 621-2039. homeaccentsonline.com.

20. Wireless Table Lamp This rechargeable table lamp has a contact charging base, and its LED light is ideal indoors or outdoors. The matte painted aluminum fixture comes in different colors to match your décor. $160. Alkmy, 17 Dexter Avenue, Birmingham, AL 35213. (205) 492-6677. shopalkmy.com.

21. Ryu Sweater & Necklace This Ryu sweater in scarlet is perfect for holiday parties especially when you pair it with a fun necklace. You can shop them online and find updates on social media @dearprushops. Sweater $79, Necklace $19. Dear Prudence, 4441 Creekside Avenue Suite 125, Hoover, AL 35244. (205) 407-7523. dearprudence.com.

22. Silver and Gold Bracelets

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This 14KW flex bangle has 37 round diamonds with four prongs each, and the 14KW flexible diamond bangle bracelet features 34 diamonds prong set in single row half way round. Silver Bracelet $3,199, Gold Bracelet $4,299.

Shay’s Jewelers, 3301 Lorna Road, Suite 1, Hoover, AL 35216. (205) 978-5880. shaysjewelers.com.

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SPECIAL ADVERTISING 23. SpringHouse Gift Card Give the gift of a dining experience like no other.

Rising out of the hilltop, SpringHouse treats diners to a local Southern cuisine served in rustic, casual elegance. SpringHouse, 12 Benson Mill Road, Alexander City, AL 35010. (256) 329-0835. springhouseatcrossroads.com.

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24. Wrap This cozy wrap is as stylish as it is comfortable and goes with almost any outfit. $54. Serendipity, 3124 Heights Village, Vestavia Hills, AL 35243. (205) 970-2398. serendipityofbham.com.

25. Corksicle Wine Bucket Perfect for parties, this wine bucket is stainless and super insulated to keep beverages ice cold for up to 48 hours. Chill your favorite beverage or pile it high with ice for serving. $75. The Cook Store, 2841 Cahaba Road, Birmingham, AL 35223. (205) 879-5277. thecookstoremtnbrook.com.

26. The #UpsidedownChallange Game This game will keep your friends and family laughing out loud for hours. Compete to do simple tasks like writing your name, giving a high five and pouring water from one cup into another, all while your vision is flipped upside down. $24.99.

Homewood Toy & Hobby, 2830 18th Street South, Birmingham, AL 35209. (205) 879-3986. homewoodtoy-hobby.com.

27. Dog Tanks For the best dressed pup this holiday season, these tanks are sure to make a statement. The soft and comfortable stripe cotton has a baby rib knit and an appliquĂŠ graphic with attached dimensional bow tie. They are machine washable. $22. Fancy Fur, 5291 Valleydale Road, #139, Birmingham, AL 35242. (205) 408-1693. fancyfurpets.com.

28. Plants in Decorative Pots Elevate the look of your plants with these dipped clay and metal decorative planters. $35.98 or two for $64.98. plant Home & DĂŠcor, 10876 Highway 25, Calera, AL 35040. (205) 319-7071.

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SPECIAL ADVERTISING 29. Inflatable Stand-up Paddleboard The Tarpon inflatable stand-up paddleboard by HO Sports combines comfort and functionality in a highly portable, easy-to-store package. It includes a backpack for easy transport/storage, an adjustable three-piece paddle with rider height indicator and a high-pressure pump with PSI. $799. Russell Marine Boating & Outdoors, 19 Russell Marine Road, Alexander City, AL 35010. (256) 329-0835. russelllandsonlakemartin.com.

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30. Leopard Print Top & Leggings This leopard print woobie top is perfect with super comfy knit leggings. Find more updates on social media @sgtpeppersbydp. Leggings $59, Top $39. Sgt. Peppers by Dear Prudence, 4442 Creekside Avenue, Suite 126, Hoover, AL 35244.

(205) 407-7524. sgtpeppersbydp.com.

31. Luna 3 by Foreo Meet LUNA 3 from Foreo, the softest skincare device in the beauty world. Featuring 30 percent softer silicone touch points and T-Sonic technology, it lifts away dirt, oil and excess sebum with a one-minute cleansing with a targeted firming facial. $199. Woodhouse Day Spa, 125 Summit Boulevard, Birmingham, AL 35243. (205) 905-7676. birmingham. woodhousespas.com.

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32. Handmade Stockings These stockings made from vintage Suzanni textiles with Uzbek trim are perfect for every fireplace. $75. Paige Albright Orientals, 2814 Petticoat Lane, #2320, Mountain Brook, AL 35223. (205) 877-3232. paigealbrightorientals.com.

33. Skin Drink Serum This pure, nourishing serum penetrates deep within the dermis to draw moisture in and hold it there to provide all-day moisture and skin barrier repair! $92. Gunn Dermatology, 32 Church Street, Mountain Brook, AL 35213. (205) 4157536. gunndermatology.com.

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Mountain Brook Chamber of Commerce C O N N E C T I O N S

New Member Spotlight Telecom Transport Services Inc. BRANDINO BRASS Over Easy Woolley Institute for SpokenLanguage Education Gerald Garner, Mountain Brook City Council Go Get Organized LLC Hassig Family Chiropractic My Advisor

Shop Local Support Our Merchants For every $100 you spend at a locally owned business, $68 will stay in the community. If that same $100 was spent at a national chain, only $43 will stay in the community.

Welcome Mary Douglass!

Mary Douglass Evans is the newest intern at the Mountain Brook Chamber of Commerce

101 HOYT LANE 74 November/December 2020

MTN. BROOK, ALABAMA 35213

F i n d U s O n l i ne

Sign up for our weekly newsletter

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Access our member directory

Mark your calendars for the annual Holiday Parade!

Mountain Brook Merchant Relief Fund Our merchants are the heartbeat of the community, and every single one of us is being affected

by COVID-19. Help us help our merchants by donating to hhttps://onemb.swell.gives/!

The event is planned for Sunday December 6th.

Changes may occur.

It’s time to shop, dine and live local!

Village Gold has gone digital!

Welcome to Crestline Village, Gunn Dermatology A ribbon cutting was held on September 3rd in honor of Dr. Gunn’s new practice!

205 - 871 - 3779

Log on to www.mtnbrookchamber.org

WWW.MTNBROOKCHAMBER.ORG MountainBrookMagazine.com 75

OUT & ABOUT

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BIRMINGHAM BOTANICAL GARDENS FALL PLANT SALE

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PHOTOS BY SELAH VETTER

Mountain Brook residents welcomed fall with the annual plant sale at the Birmingham Botanical Gardens on Sept. 12. The plant sale raised proceeds for the grounds, education groups and outreach activities. 1. Louise Billings 2. Gale Overton 3. Jamie Haas and Mindy Black 4. Jennifer Thomas 5. Dharti Patel and Vivian Adams 6. Katie Harrell and Elem Hardy 7. Saundra Smith 8. Liz Bishop 9. Jim Williams 10. Louisa Stone, Tresia Peterson, Laura Staffman and Mallie Steel 11. Josie, Kenya and Brooke McLean 12. Lauren and Elicia 13. Angie and Jennifer

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OUT & ABOUT

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Ask a child what he dreams of doing in the future. His answer brings everything into focus for us.

11 WE DO WHAT WE DO BECAUSE CHILDREN HAVE DREAMS.

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1 6 0 0 7 T H AV E N U E S O U T H BIRMINGHAM, AL 35233 (205) 638-9100 | ChildrensAL.org

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OUT & ABOUT

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STORIES ON THE LAWN

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PHOTOS BY SELAH VETTER

On Tuesday mornings this fall, the O’Neal Library hosted a time of stories and songs for kids outside on the lawn beside the library.

1. Laura and Charlie Baker, Katherine Vaughn, and Ashley and Caroline Jones 2. Alice Goodsell and kids 3. Michelle Rickert with her son 4. Rachel and Charlotte Shepherd 5. Julia and Mary Ann Cockron 6. Jordan, Luke and Andy Flanagan 7. Courtney Jacobs 8. Calee and Laney Yoe, Jessica and Peyton George, and Ashley and Caroline Jones

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OUT & ABOUT

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MBHS FOOTBALL VS. THOMPSON PHOTOS BY ELLIE THOMAS

Mountain Brook High School played an away game against Thompson High School on Sept. 25. The stands held a number of people cheering on the Spartans, including many enthusiastic Mountain Brook seniors.

1. Mary Douglass Evans, Abby Maziarz and Kate Johnson

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2. Ellison Wilson and Hollen Blalock 3. Maggie Doyle, Mary Carolyn Sink and Catherine Taylor 4. Ashley Best, Absher Lawson, Lauren Jernigan and Millie Martin Dorman

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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.A-1Appliance. 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

HIRING EXPERIENCED FULL CASE ORDER SELECTORS $19.03 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

Operator, Quality, Carpentry, Welder, Foundry. Positions In: Calera, Clanton, Pelham, Bessemer, McCalla.

Walk-in applications accepted.

Clanton (205)280-0002.

Pelham (205)444-9774.

Bama Concrete Now Hiring: Diesel Mechanic 4 Years Minimum Experience.

CDL Preferred.

Competitive Pay. Great Benefits.

Apply in person: 2180 Hwy 87 Alabaster, 35007 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

$2000 SIGN ON BONUS NEW PAY SCALE TO QUALIFYING DRIVERS EVERGREEN TRANSPORT, is accepting Automation applications for local Personnel Services drivers in the Calera Hiring IMMEDIATELY and Leeds, AL, area.

For: Automotive Must have Class A Assembly, General CDL, good driving Labor, Production, record, 1 yr verifiable Clerical, Machine tractor trailer 80 November/December 2020

MountainBrookMagazine.com

experience. Good pay and benefits.

Apply in person at 8278 Hwy 25 South, Calera, AL, or call for info 205-668-3316.

Owner Operators Wanting Dedicated Year Round Anniston, AL www.pull4klb.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

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

NEED A JOB???

COME JOIN OUR TEAM OF GREAT PEOPLE!!

Lancaster Place Starting pay: $12hrApartments. $14hr •General Location, community Labor •Heavy & quality living in Equipment Operator Calera, AL. 1, 2, & 3 •Shipping •Washer/ bedroom apartments Greaser •Calera available. Call today •Alabaster Online: for specials!!

Specializing in all www.stellarstaffingllc.

205-668-6871. your hair care needs com Call: 205-916Or visit SERENITY SALON 2860 hpilancasterplace.

Barber/Stylist Chairs com Available for Rent 2 CLOCK REPAIR Convenient Locations SVS. * Setup * Repair Marble Valley •2005 Valleydale Rd. * Maintenance. I can Manor.

•Pelham fix your Mother’s Affordable 1 and 2 •3000 Meadow Lake clock. Alabaster/ Bedroom Apartments Dr. Suite 107 Pelham. Call Stephen for Elderly & Call Nichole (205)663-2822 Disabled. Many on205-240-5428 site services!

Electrician - FT 2115 Motes Rd, South Haven Health Supreme Electric, Sylacauga. & Rehab NOW local-based company 256-245-6500 HIRING!!! •LPN’s & in Pelham. Must be •TDD#s: RN’s -$5,000 Sign-on willing to learn & 800-548-2547(V) Bonus for Full-Time work hard. Go to: •800-548-2546(T/A). shift •CNA’s supremeelectric-al.

Office Hours: MonApply in person: com Fri, 8am-4pm.

3141 Old Print employment Equal Opportunity Columbiana Rd application under Provider/Employer Birmingham, AL Contact Us. Mail to: -35266 Supreme Electric 231 Commerce Pkwy Pelham, AL 35124 or call 205-453-9327.

MARKETPLACE FT 2nd Shift Security Guard needed for beautiful, gated community in No Shelby Co. Paid health insurance, $12hr, 3-11pm weekdays. Must have previous experience, gun permit & pistol.

Qualified candidates should call Kim 991-4654 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: work4popeyes kitchen.com GENERAL LAWN CARE Specialist in large yards 2+ acres.

Serving Chilton, Coosa & many more areas. Bi-weekly, weekly or one-time services available.

•Flower Beds •Pine Straw •Mulch •Shrub Trimming CALL NOW FOR FALL SPECIALS! Call Alex today for details: 1-205-955-3439 ~Military & Senior Discounts~

Now hiring RN’s and LPN’s throughout Alabama! $250 community referral bonus for RN’s and LPN’s. Signon Bonuses available at select locations!

For more information please contact: Paige Gandolfi Call/ text: 724-691-7474 pgandolfi@ wexfordhealth.com Burger King JOIN OUR TEAM NOW HIRING All Positions QUALIFICATIONS: ENERGETIC, HIGHLY MOTIVATED, FRIENDLY & A SMILING FACE. APPLY ONLINE: www.bkworker.com (EOE–DRUG FREE WORKPLACE) GROCERY STORE MERCHANDISER •$684 weekly starting salary •MUST be able to travel at least 3 nights per week •Use Plan-o-Grams to reset merchandise in retail grocery stores •Must be physically fit and able to lift up to 60 lbs.

•Store locations within 300 mile radius of Birmingham •Mileage reimbursement Great benefits including Blue Cross health & dental insurance, paid vacation & matching 401k.

Apply Online: WWW. AGSOUTH.COM

JOIN OUR ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT FOR A BURGER KING FRANCHISE Schuster Enterprises, Inc., a Franchisee of Burger King, is looking for a person with skills in HVAC & Refrigeration, Light Electrical & Plumbing. BENEFITS: •Competitive Wage Based on Skills & Experience, Annual Reviews.

•Health and Life Insurance •401K Profit Sharing Plan •Paid Vacations •Maintenance Vehicle and Tools Furnished FOR INTERVIEW CALL DAVID STEVENS: 706.563.3066 (EOE–DRUG FREE WORKPLACE)

Monthly Membership $235.

Active Military, Veteran, First Responder, Teacher & Student 15% Discount.

Address: 993 Yeager Parkway.

Pelham, AL 35124.

Contact Us. Jonathan Luna 205-451-3095.

Instagram: crossfit_Inferis.

Facebook: CrossFit Inferis We Pay Cash For Used RV’s!!!

McCluskey Auto & RV Sales, LLC 205-833-4575 Burger King is now hiring.

Please apply online @ joinbkalabama. com

drug test.

Training provided.

Insurance/401K offered. M-F 7:004:30 + 1 Saturday/ month. Pay $13hr.

Send resume to facsmith@charter.net Servpro of Birmingham. We’re looking for quality people who want to work hard and make a difference.

For this excellent career opportunity, email now! bmcrea@servproof birmingham.com Little Caesars Now Hiring Management & Crew Members.

Calera, Greystone, & Chelsea Locations.

To apply text “pizzacrew” to 85000.

Western International Gas & Cylinders, Inc SignOn-Bonus! Hiring SOLO & TEAM CDL Drivers •2yrs Exp•Pass D.O.T Physical/Background Check •Hazmat Endorsement Apply Online: www. drive4western.com EOE

Home Instead Senior Care • CAREGiver / CNA Weekend Shifts Needed. Have you previously been a family caregiver? Do you want to make a difference in the life of a senior?

Acceptance Loan Or do you simply Company, Inc. have a special way Personal loans! Let of taking care of us pay off your title others? Expect to loans!

Experienced make a difference!!

224 Cahaba Valley Termite Technician Requirements: Rd, Pelham or someone 21 years of age, 205-663-5821 experienced in route- current drivers service work and license, reliable Come out of your wants to learn new transportation, lift, comfort zone. Come profession. Workpush, pull 25 pounds, join our Crossfit vehicle/equipment clean criminal history Family. Crossfit provided. Must & drug screen.

Inferis. Individual drive straight-shift, Please apply at Unlimited Monthly have clean driving homeinstead.com/ Memeberships $125. record/be 21/ bham Couples Unlimited pass background/ Bertolone’s in Calera NOW HIRING. •Dishwasher (FT) •Kitchen Cook (FT) Apply in person at 209 Supercenter Dr. Calera, AL. 35040

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MY MOUNTAIN BROOK MARY GLENN MCELVEEN Style Consultant at Styled by MG

Margaritas + Queso

LaPaz I couldn’t not mention this weeknight ritual that my husband and I always stick to. At least once a week you will find us sharing a bowl of queso with a margarita in hand at the LaPaz bar. It’s our favorite meal and time to spend together!

‘Tis the Season

Etc. Holiday Window Display It is officially the holidays when Etc. unveils their holiday window displays! Each year they continue to blow me away with their creativity and design—it is like Bergdorf Goodman opened up right here in Mountain Brook Village. It also gives me another reason to point out some items on my Christmas list to Mr. Claus McElveen.

Full of Charm

Petticoat Lane/Culver Road If I am not editing someone’s closet then you will find me in the most beautiful shop environment working at Patina. There is so much beauty and charm on this little street home to some of Birmingham’s finest home décor shops and my favorite happy hour spot, Golden Age Wine. My favorite time of the day is around 3 p.m. when all of the kids from Mountain Brook Elementary come running past the shop headed towards Gilchrist.

For Every Style & Budget

Village Boutiques Some of my favorites are Tulipano (my go-to for timeless seasonal staples for all ages), Milla (an amazing selection of trendy pieces for young adults), M. Lavender (one of my favorite shops for evening wear) and Stella Blu (they carry a great denim brand that is under $100 I recommend) in Mountain Brook Village. In Crestline Village, my two go-tos are Dukes (if you like trendy, then this is the place to find it) and Elle (a great mix of affordable wardrobe staples + splurge items).

For a Stroll

Jemison Trail If time allows there is nothing I love more than walking Jemison Trail on a Sunday afternoon. It also happens to be the place where my husband asked me to marry him, so of course it is a place that will always be near and dear to my heart.

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