GARDEN COCKTAIL RECIPES • PATTI CALLAHAN HENRY’S NEW NOVEL • THE GREATEST SHOWMAN
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FEATURES
50
THE FALL FASHION GUIDE What’s trending this season at Mountain Brook boutiques— and where to find it.
58
URBAN ANGLING Shades Creek teems with bluegill, bream and bass—why not venture off the Jemison Trail and fly fish?
BIRMINGHAM’S GREATEST SHOWMAN The legacy of theater magnate Richard Kennedy lives on at the Alabama, the Lyric and beyond.
4 MountainBrookMagazine.com
PHOTO BY REBECCA WISE
66
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PHOTO BY LINDSEY CULVER
arts & culture
17 The Places of Joy: Patti Callahan Henry’s New Novel 24 Read This Book: Biographical Fiction Recs
schools & sports
25 All in the Family: Researching Their Ancestors 30 Five Questions For: New MBHS Principal Philip Holley
food
& drink
31 In the Garden: Herbescent Cocktail Recipes
home
in every issue 6 Contributors 7 From the Editor 9 #MountainBrookMag 10 The Question 11 The Guide 74 Chamber Connections 76 Out & About 86 Marketplace 88 My Mountain Brook
& style
39 Yours, Mine & Ours: The Pizitzes’ Marriage of Tastes 48 Five Questions For: Hundley Hilton Designing Duo 49 At Home: Creating Black & White Chic
MountainBrookMagazine.com 5
MOUNTAIN BROOK
contributors
MAGAZINE
EDITORIAL
Graham Brooks Stephen Dawkins Alec Etheredge Briana Harris Madoline Markham Keith McCoy Emily Sparacino Neal Wagner
CONTRIBUTORS
Milan Ballard Ben Breland Olivia Burton Emily Butler Jessica Clement Lindsey Culver Isabel Elkus Madison Freeman Eleanor Kerr Alice Lucas Susan Smith Elizabeth Sturgeon Meredith Tolleson Lauren Ustad Rebecca Wise
DESIGN
Connor Bucy Jamie Dawkins Kate Sullivan
Ben Breland, Photographer
Ben is a professional freelance photographer living in Mountain Brook. You can routinely spot him shooting high school, collegiate and professional sporting events—or with camera focused on a variety of interesting subjects from people to nature all across Alabama and the Southeastern US.
Olivia Burton, Writer
Olivia is a recent Yale grad who grew up in Mountain Brook. Having just moved to New York City, she now realizes that she took having a car and a backyard for granted. When she’s not stuck in the Subway, she enjoys salsa dancing, writing and painting with watercolors.
Susan Smith, Writer
Susan Smith spent countless hours as a little girl exploring the banks of Bishop Creek in Shelby County, and Alabama’s warm-water creeks and rivers have felt like home ever since. She loves Jesus and fly fishing and writing about them both. As a student at Auburn University and the University of Montevallo, Susan studied journalism and English, focusing on ecocriticism and the work of nineteenth century American writers. She lives in Birmingham with her husband David, children Carrie Ella, Burk, and Mary McBride and Sally, the best Boykin Spaniel the universe has ever known.
MARKETING
Kristy Brown Kari George Rachel Henderson Daniel Holmes Rhett McCreight Kim McCulla Nick McKnight Lindsay Milligan Kerrie Thompson
Meredith Tolleson, Recipe Developer & Stylist
Meredith is a Birmingham native who works full-time as a marketing manager and SEO specialist by day, but her passion for sharing the Southern lifestyle, cooking and creating cocktail recipes inspired the inception of her blog, The Southern Source. You can find travel guides, recipes and lifestyle tips for the modern Southern woman on thesouthernsource.com and on Instagram @thesouthernsource.
ADMINISTRATION Hailey Dolbare Mary Jo Eskridge Katie McDowell Stacey Meadows Tim Prince
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.
6 MountainBrookMagazine.com
from the editor
I
ON THE COVER
Style Statement Maker
Brit Ware models a suede skirt and statement earrings from local boutiques at the Grand Bohemian Hotel Mountain Brook. Photo by Rebecca Wise Design by Connor Bucy
I love nothing more than binge reading historical fiction that transports me into someone else’s world. Scratch that, that’s one of a few of my favorite things, right up there with exploring a place full of history like Oxford, England, learning about the power of the letter writing and the written word in people’s lives, discussing deeper-probing ideas from books, watching love stories unfold where two people engage with one another’s minds, and relishing a really good meal with even better company. Needless to say, it was a pretty dreamy “work” week to fly through Patti Callahan Henry’s new novel about Joy Davidman, an epic writer who just so happened to be married to C.S. Lewis, and then meeting with Patti to discuss how the book connects to everything in my favorite things list (the meal was not so much in the book but definitely a part of our lunch interview). Learning Patti’s back story on the novel was just as fascinating as the book itself, so be sure to check it out in this issue. To be honest, my favorite things list is far longer than the one I typed out above. Another at the top is learning about people’s passions and finding expressions for them in our magazine pages. I first met MBHS teacher Jake Collins a few years ago to talk about how he engages his students with exploring their own ties to history, and two talented MBHS students tell that story on page 25. On another note, I’d seen a couple of guys fly fishing Shades Creek while I was running on Jemison Trail but didn’t know much about it until writer and passionate fly fisher herself Susan Smith mentioned its growing popularity. “You should write about it,” I told her, and a few months later that passion is just as evident in her words as photographer Ben Breland’s is for capturing nature and athletic action photos. Onto a third subject, I had learned how Madison Freeman and Milan Ballard both beam with interest in fashion and loved seeing how they styled our first-ever fashion photo shoot, and how they along with photographer Rebecca Wise were so innovative with where to photograph the awesome models we recruited to join us at the Grand Bohemian. In an elevator? Yep. On a luggage cart? Yes again. And that’s not even getting to Richard Kennedy’s ties to early Hollywood and the Alabama Theatre, blogger Meredith Tolleson’s talent for crafting cocktails using local herbs, and Deanna Pizitz’s bright style and new appreciation for antiques and art—plus many more storytelling details in this issue. I hope you enjoy reading about them all in the pages that follow and that you’ll share your passions or those of others you know that might be a good fit for our future issues. Thanks for reading!
madoline.markham@mountainbrookmagazine.com MountainBrookMagazine.com 7
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“ ” THE QUESTION
Mountain Brook is full of awesome streets and neighborhoods, but why do you love yours? Abingdon, where trees are not knocked down and neighbors aren’t on top of each other. We all have unique homes, not cookie cutter. We see all sorts of wildlife, red foxes and deer. It’s so peaceful.
Victoria Road, sometimes nicknamed “Cherry Street” in the spring because every neighbor supposedly has three cherry trees in their front yard. In fact, we have our own sorority, the Victoria Road Sorority.
Brookwood Road is smack dab in the middle of Mountain Brook so we are close to everything— including the church, which is great for walking the trail that encircles it.
Faring Road! Tons of kids of all ages, and they roam from yard to yard in the afternoons and all summer long, knowing they’re welcome at pretty much any house on the street.
-Joan McCalla
-Laura Greene Silsbee
Montevallo Terrace is the best street! We have a fantastic group of neighbors, lots of sweet kids, and we are more than walkable to CES and MBJH. We are also close to both sides of Crestline Village!
-Kimm Eckhoff
-Tamara Zucker Goldis
Locksley Drive! Love our neighbors and how everyone stops to talk on way to or from Overton Park! -Hillary Berman Weiss
-Kate Benedict Sutlive
Growing up on Dexter at Honeysuckle. Japanese cherry tree on the corner for climbing. Yards for play in approximately 20 kids of similar age. Always enough for kickball or hide n seek. -William Culp
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Lake Drive is the street my husband grew up on. When we dated, we walked around the Lake Drive Circle before going out. We have big old fashioned colored light bulbs lining the front streets of each home on Christmas. -Patti Poundstone Badham
THE GUIDE
HOMECOMING PARADE NOV. 2 CRESTLINE VILLAGE 2:30 P.M. Join the MBHS football players and cheerleaders, Dorians and students, and, well, most of Mountain Brook in Crestline to build excitement for the homecoming game against Gardendale. PHOTO BY ELEANOR KERR MountainBrookMagazine.com 11
THE GUIDE WHAT TO DO IN MOUNTAIN BROOK SEPT. 3 Labor Day SEPT. 8 Books in the Brook Pop-Up Storytime Irondale Furnace 10 a.m. SEPT. 11 Patriot Day Ceremony Held with Cities of Homewood & Vestavia Vestavia Hills City Hall 8:30 a.m.
OCT. 27
SEPT. 11 Family Night: Jim Aycock’s Music Show Emmet O’Neal Library 5:30 p.m.
CAHABA VILLAGE 2-5 P.M.
SEPT. 13 Teen Trivia: Back to School Edition Emmet O’Neal Library 6:30-8 p.m.
Here’s your excuse for Fido to have a Halloween costume this year. The festival fun kicks off at 2 p.m., but pet costume judging starts at 5 p.m. All benefits go to the Birmingham Humane Society.
SEPT. 14 IBERIABANK ZooGala 2018 Birmingham Zoo 7-11 p.m.
SEPT. 16
SEPT. 20 Dyeing Fabrics with Indigo For Teens Emmet O’Neal Library 6-8:30 p.m.
Cahaba Village Fall Festival
Taste of Mountain Brook 101 HOYT LANE NEXT TO CITY HALL CRESTLINE VILLAGE 11:30 A.M.-1:30 P.M. Eat your way through all the villages in one sitting with tastes from your favorite Mountain Brook restaurants while taking in live entertainment. It all benefits All In Mountain Brook’s community programs and speaker events. Purchase tickets at tasteofmountainbrook.com or the Mountain Brook Chamber of Commerce office.
12 MountainBrookMagazine.com
SEPT. 21 Karaoke Party Presented by Standing Room Only Ages 21+ Emmet O’Neal Library 7 p.m. SEPT. 21-23 Orchid Show and Sale Birmingham Botanical Gardens SEPT. 24 Books in the Brook Pop-Up Storytime Overton Park 10 a.m. SEPT. 25 Mountain Brook Chamber of Commerce Luncheon Linda Bonnin, VP of Strategic
THE GUIDE Communication for University of Alabama Birmingham Botanical Gardens 11 a.m.-1 p.m.
PHOTO BY ALICE LUCAS
OCT. 5 eSchool Day Mountain Brook City Schools OCT. 8 Columbus Day Mountain Brook City Schools Closed OCT. 9 Birmingham Children’s Theatre: Rumpelstiltskin Emmet O’Neal Library 5:30 p.m. OCT. 13 Books in the Brook Pop-Up Storytime Canterbury Park 10 a.m. OCT. 13 Nightmare on Elm Street Craft and Movie Double Feature: Black Sunday (1960) & The Witch (2015) Emmet O’Neal Library 5-10 p.m. OCT. 17-28 Shop Save Share Benefitting Junior League of Birmingham Community Projects OCT. 18 Fall Jazz with Civitas English Village 5-8 p.m. OCT. 19 Creature Double Feature: Frankenstein and Bride of Frankenstein For Teens Emmet O’Neal Library 6-9:30 p.m. OCT. 23 All Ages Film Night: The Canterville Ghosts (1944) Emmet O’Neal Library 6:30 p.m. OCT. 26 A Night Dark & Grimm Fairy Tale Festival Emmet O’Neal Library/ Children 6 p.m.
OCT. 31
Mystics of Mountain Brook Parade CRESTLINE VILLAGE 4 P.M. It’s tradition! Come out to the streets of Crestline for festive floats and candy throwing galore before starting your night of trick or treating.
OCT. 4-7
Antiques at the Gardens BIRMINGHAM BOTANICAL GARDENS
FRIDAY & SATURDAY 10 A.M.5 P.M. SUNDAY 11 A.M.-4 P.M. Antique dealers from across the country set up their wares at the gardens for quite the fair of antiques, furniture, porcelain, fine art, silver, garden accessories and jewelry. Architects, interior designers and landscape designers will also display curate themed areas with goods selected from the best of Birmingham and other sources. General daily admission is $15 a person.
OCT. 3
Village Garden Walk Kick Off Party MOUNTAIN BROOK VILLAGE 4-6 P.M. It’s time for Antiques in the Gardens at Birmingham Botanical Gardens, and Mountain Brook Village wants to celebrate with garden-inspired windows. You’ll find music, food and shopping too at the Friday night party.
Share your news! Email submissions to mm@mountainbrookmagazine.com to be considered for our next issue. MountainBrookMagazine.com 13
THE GUIDE AROUND TOWN SEPT. 13 Bobby Horton Presents Songs and Stories of the Civil War Samford Wright Center SEPT. 13 ASO Unwined: Mendelssohn’s Italian Symphony Alys Stephens Center SEPT. 13-30 Hello, Dolly! Virginia Samford Theatre SEPT. 21 Birmingham Does Broadway Alabama Symphony Orchestra Samford Wright Center
Varsity Spartan Football
Bring on the Friday night lights. Don your green and gold, and we’ll see you at Spartan Stadium. All games start at 7 p.m. Sept. 7: At Tuscaloosa County Sept. 14: Vs. Spain Park Sept. 21: Vs. Vestavia Hills Oct. 12: At Hewitt-Trussville Oct. 19: Vs. Thompson Oct. 26: At Hoover Nov. 2: Vs. Gardendale/Homecoming Photo by Charles Skinner of Cskinnerstudios
OCT. 14
Jazz in the Park
ACROSS FROM EMMET O’NEAL LIBRARY 5-8 P.M.
Grab your picnic blanket, and meet us on the grassy knoll in front of the library for an evening of picnics and a free jazz concert.
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SEPT. 21-22+28-29 At Home Presented by Alabama Ballet Alabama Ballet Center for Dance SEPT. 27-29 St. George Middle Eastern Food Festival St. George Greek-Catholic Milkite Church SEPT. 28-29 Broadway Night at the Cabaret Red Mountain Cabaret Theatre SEPT. 29 Irondale Whistle Stop Festival Historic Downtown Irondale SEPT. 29 Fiesta Linn Park SEPT. 30 Rickie Lee Jones with Special Guest Anders Osborne Alys Stephens Center SEPT. 30 Cahaba River Fry-Down Benefits Cahaba River Society Railroad Park OCT. 4-6 Greek Food Festival Holy Trinity-Holy Cross Greek Orthodox Cathedral OCT. 4-7 Southern Women’s Show BJCC
THE GUIDE OCT. 6 Bluff Park Art Show Bluff Park Community Center 9 a.m.-5 p.m. OCT. 6-8 Barber Vintage Motorcycle Festival Barber Motorsports Festival OCT. 13 Susan G. Komen North Central Alabama Race for the Cure Regions Field OCT. 14 Breakin’ Bread Sloss Furnaces OCT. 19-21 Alabama Ballet Presents La Sylphide BJCC Concert Hall
SEPT. 28
Western Supermarkets Wine & Food Festival THE BIRMINGHAM ZOO 6-9 P.M.
OCT. 26-28 A Midsummer Night’s Dream Virginia Samford Theatre
Interested in tasting from several hundred wines and local food too? Head to the zoo for this annual festival, and a portion of proceeds will benefit the Emmet O’Neal Library, Junior League of Birmingham, UAB Comprehensive Care Center and East Lake Initiative. Tickets are available at Western locations and westernsupermarkets.com.
meet our top producers of 2018
Shelley Clark
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Ray & Poynor
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We understand that we are in a relationship business. Our clients' needs are our priority and we work hard to find them what they are looking for. Our agents are here to make a difference. Honesty, Integrity, Knowledge. That is what sets Ray & Poynor apart from the rest. Henry Ray
MountainBrookMagazine.com 15
THE GUIDE OCT. 20-21
Fall Plant Sale
BIRMINGHAM BOTANICAL GARDENS SATURDAY 9 A.M. - 5 P.M. SUNDAY NOON - 4 P.M. Find everything you need for your yard heading into colder weather with herbs, sustainable trees, fall annuals, shrubs, natives, perennials and more for sale. Plus, all the trees are natives selected especially for Birmingham’s climate and condition.
SEPT. 14-15
Sweet Repeats Consignment Sale MOUNTAIN BROOK COMMUNITY CHURCH FRIDAY 9 A.M.-6 P.M. SATURDAY 9 A.M.-NOON Stock your kids’ fall and winter wardrobe while supporting MBCC’s short-term mission trips to places like San Diego, Peru, Hungary, Haiti and the Dominican Republic. Consignors receive 75 percent of the selling price, and 25 percent goes to MBCC Missions.
SUBSCRIBE NOW!
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&CULTURE
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THE PLACES OF JOY
Patti Callahan Henry’s new novel of Joy Davidman reaches deeper than the poet’s marriage to C.S. Lewis. BY MADOLINE MARKHAM PHOTOS CONTRIBUTED MountainBrookMagazine.com 17
P
Patti Callahan Henry has lyrically weaved tales of love and self-discovery for 12 New York Times bestselling novels now, setting each in distinctly Southern places from the Carolina Lowcountry to familiar landmarks near her Mountain Brook home. But her latest project took her on a new road, penning a novel of Joy Davidman, a poet, writer and the woman C. S. “Jack” Lewis called “my whole world.” Patti, here writing as Patti Callahan, traces Joy’s story from transatlantic letters from New York to London to Oxford, breathing her extensive research
18 MountainBrookMagazine.com
into her storytelling voice. “For the first time in 13 books, I don’t feel like I am pushing myself because this is all about Joy,” she told us over lunch this summer. “You have to meet this amazing, fiery woman who has something to teach all of us about living a better life and being brave and making choices people don’t approve of.” We recommend reading the novel for yourself after it comes out Oct. 2, but first here’s what Patti had to say about how her world became entrenched in Joy’s.
“Soulful, poignant, lyrical, Becoming Mrs. Lewis unearths a lost love story that begs to be remembered and retold. I was swept along, filled with hope, and entirely beguiled, not only by the life lived behind the veil of C.S. Lewis’s books but also by the woman who won his heart. A literary treasure from first page to last.” –Lisa Wingate, New York Times bestselling author of Before We Were Yours
How did you get interested in writing about Joy Davidman? I am a preacher’s kid, so I grew up with C.S. Lewis’s books. I read the Screwtape Letters when I was too young to read them, and I fell through the wardrobe into Narnia. I had heard about his wife, Joy, through the years, and I am always fascinated by improbable love stories. But really it all started when I was at a Christmas party with about 10 of my writer friends in Nashville, and I was talking to my dear friend Ariel Lawhon, who writes historical fiction. We were talking about how I have read more historical fiction than anything else, and how I have thought about
writing it but that it’s such a departure from what I do. She asked who I would write about if I could. I don’t where it came from, but I said, “I would write about C.S. Lewis’s wife. She is so fascinating!” She got this look on her face and said, “If you don’t do, I am doing it.” And I started it the next day. How did you want to frame the story? The question I started with is: “How in the world did they ever get together?” It’s impossible. Joy is this Bronx-born woman 16 years Jack’s junior who is married with two kids living on a farm in New York, part of the New York literati, a communist, an atheist MountainBrookMagazine.com 19
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Author Patti Callahan Henry explores Magdalen College in Oxford where C.S. Lewis taught.
who had a conversion experience. Jack’s brother Warren wrote in his journal, “We received an email from this fascinating American woman.” So whatever she wrote grabbed their attention. I wanted to know her journey. I loved the movie Shadowlands, but that’s the story of her dying. I wanted to write a book about her living. There wasn’t a single voice telling her to do what she did. How was she brave enough to save her own life? That was the whole seed of the story. I found this quote she wrote in an essay called “On Fear”: “If we should ever grow brave, what on earth would become of us?” I think she asked herself that and answered it with her life. What did your research process look like? I started with what other people have written about her. Then I read everything from her point of view. I went to the Marian E. Wade Center at Wheaton College and read her unpublished letters, poems and short stories to get her voice and know how she was feeling. I could see her sitting at a typewriter struggling with her feelings. I also met with Lyle Dorsett, who is a professor in Birmingham and wrote her first biography in the ’80s. I didn’t meet her son until the book was done, but he’s been incredibly supportive. I also went to London to the places she talks about in her letters, and to Oxford—what I call “the places of Joy.” I went to Jack’s house and to Magdalene College where he taught, to The Eagle and Child and other pubs. I left like I was
AN EVENING WITH PATTI CALLAHAN BECOMING MRS. LEWIS MONDAY, OCT. 1 6:30-8:30 p.m. St. Luke’s Episcopal Church Tickets, $35 each, include a signed first edition of the book and can be purchased at alabamabooksmith.com. A special private reception begins at 6 p.m.; tickets, $100, include wine, food and preferred seating. All proceeds benefit Sawyerville Episcopal Day Camp in the Black Belt, and the event is sponsored by the Episcopal Diocese of Alabama and Alabama Booksmith. MountainBrookMagazine.com 21
visiting a place I had dreamt about. You mention that a lot of things written about Joy are critical. What are your thoughts on that? She was very judged, and at first I couldn’t figure out why sometimes people were very harsh, calling her names like brash and abrasive, where I would call her fiery and brave. When the world wants to call her names for leaving her husband or setting on a career path or being a divorced woman in Oxford, those insults show no recognition of her hurt and vulnerability. They are easy boxes to put her in. Once you call someone a name, you don’t have to know them as a person. I wanted to show a vulnerable, hurting woman with a father who was cruel and a husband who was philandering. I wanted to show why she was the way she was, and also that she wasn’t those things. Can you talk some about your writing process? My office had timelines, dates, lists of when their books were published, every little thing. Once I built that skeleton, dressing it was so much fun. From reading so much of Joy’s writing, she was so in my 22 MountainBrookMagazine.com
head that I knew her voice and how she would say something. Of course I can’t be 100 percent right, but I let her live through me. What was most surprising as you learned about Joy’s life? I’d say how wide and big her life is even though it wasn’t long. She wrote two novels and volumes of poetry, and she was a screenwriter for a year. I was so surprised by all the twists and turns of her life. She died when she was 45, and like I did, she had breast cancer. If they would have caught it, she might have lived. What were your impressions as you read Joy’s writing? She is incredibly articulate. She means what she says and she says what she means. Her metaphors are what make her poetry, and they ring true. She had an incredible sense of social justice, which is what she won her Yale Younger Poets Award for for poems about the Spanish Civil War called Letters to a Comrade. At times her writing can be sharp and pointed. She was a very harsh critic. The world pained her.
Do you seen men reading this book? I think this story is universal. Yes, it’s told from her point of view as a woman, but my PR team came up with the greatest tagline: “You don’t know Jack until you’ve met Joy.” You get to know Jack in a new way— how upset he was when he thought he had no more stories to tell and how she relit that fire. I don’t think you know anyone fully until you know them in relationship to something else or someone else. Jack and his work stand alone, but he becomes more real when you see him in a relationship. People don’t want to think about him struggling, but of course he struggled. And of course he had doubt. Of course he fell in love. Of course he didn’t want to ruin his image in Oxford. I put in the book that he was passed over twice for promotion because they considered him too much of a popular writer instead of an intellectual writer. It’s not a gushy love story. It’s a story of two minds coming together over questioning and debate and trying to understand their life and make choices—all the things that make us human in a relationship. What category would you put the book in? I consider it a transformational journey of two
people whose lives were transformed because they met on paper with words. Words build our lives, and they fell in love over discussion and debate because they were pen pals for three years. It’s a spiritual book because Joy’s transformation starts with a mystical experience that she doesn’t understand, and she calls that mystical experience God. Everything she did from that point forward is to understand that experience, which began a spiritual quest on which she met Lewis. If someone wants to read some of Joy’s work, where should they start? Pick up a book of her poetry, A Naked Tree: Love Sonnets to C.S. Lewis and Other Poems. There’s also Out of My Bone: The Letters of Joy Davidman; I always want to send people to the source. If you want to read what she thought after her conversion, read Smoke on the Mountain. It’s her view of the 10 Commandments from being Jewish to atheist to Christian. There’s an amazing essay at the front of it called “On Fear.” That essay and her letters and poetry will let you see all the phases of life she went through from doubting to angry to acceptance.
MountainBrookMagazine.com 23
READ THIS BOOK
Biographical Fiction Recommendations from
Patti Callahan Henry Bestselling Author
Author Patti Callahan Henry has just written her first historical novel, but her fascination with works in the genre is nothing new. “I am consistently fascinated by the fiery women of the past who have something to teach us today, who reach through the pages of fictional narrative to tell us the truth,” she says. Here are only a few of the ones that have both fascinated and captivated her.
Love and Ruin
By Paula McLain This is the story of Martha Gellhorn, Hemingway’s third wife—a fiercely independent, ambitious woman ahead of her time, who would become one of the greatest war correspondents of the twentieth century. She struggles to forge her own path as both a woman and a writer while falling in love with one of the most famous writers of the 20th century. This book blew me away with its beautiful language and heart-rending choices, which we, as women, still struggle with today.
I Was Anastasia
By Ariel Lawhon This dual timeline recounting of Anna Anderson’s 50-year battle to be recognized as Anastias Romanov was a wild ride, extravagant in its vivid sensory experiences and page turning suspense. You think you know Anastasia and her story? Well, Lawhon’s resplendent prose is here to remind you that there is always more to the story.
The Alice Network
By Kate Quinn Going back and forth between 1915 and 1947, this true story of two women—a female spy recruited to the real-life Alice Network in France during World War I and an unconventional American socialite searching for her cousin in 1947—are brought together in a mesmerizing story of courage and redemption. I found myself researching the true inspiration, Louise de Bettignies, and being thankful for the women who had the almost incomprehensible courage to change the world for good.
Mrs. Poe
By Lynn Cullen Inspired by literature’s most haunting love triangle, Lynn Cullen captured me with this story of Edgar Allan Poe, his mistress’s confessions, and his wife’s frightening obsession. To delve into history and discover the story behind the story was an absolute pleasure.
The Marriage of Opposites
By Alice Hoffman This forbidden love story set on the tropical island of St. Thomas is about the extraordinary woman who gave birth to painter Camille Pissarro—the father of impressionism. Set in St. Thomas during the early 1800s and then onto Paris, I was transported both in setting and time, looking up bleary eyed and confused in the modern day. What a wonder this book was for me.
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SCHOOL
&SPORTS
ALL IN THE FAMILY
How MBHS students are discovering their ancestors and how they connect with history. BY ISABEL ELKUS & EMILY BUTLER PHOTOS BY ELEANOR KERR MountainBrookMagazine.com 25
M
MBHS teacher Jake Collins looks over genealogy research with 2018 graduate Kate Dyleski.
Marching through the tall grass, a soldier prepares to fire against the Confederacy, his palms sweating as he awaits what could be the final battle of the American Civil War. He’s not just a stranger in a history book either. You know his name, his regiment, how old he was and where he fought. And you know he’s your relative, all thanks to a family ancestry project for your tenth-grade U.S. History class. Through this project, Jake Collins’ students have uncovered countless tales from their families, connecting history with personal stories. “I have had a student who descended from slaves sitting next to someone who comes from a family who owned hundreds of slaves,” he says. “It was really important for others in the class to watch those two students have a conversation about slavery and its impact on our country today. I have also had students sitting next to each other who had ancestors that literally
26 MountainBrookMagazine.com
fought against each other at places like Shiloh, Vicksburg and Chattanooga.” This year, Collins even discovered that one of his students was actually his distant cousin through a Civil War veteran. Collins, an amateur historian and author of Images of America: Homewood, has always looked for creative ways to help students connect to history. Prior to coming to Mountain Brook, Collins taught at Homewood Middle School for three years. There he created a social media project through Instagram for his students called the “Homewood History Hunt” to instill a love and appreciation for the history of Homewood. When he came to Mountain Brook High School in the fall of 2015 to teach, he knew exactly how to help students connect to United States history. Collins has always dabbled in genealogy and knew there was a grant available for high schools. All students at MBHS have free access to
Owen Riley
“
The project helped me to cultivate my personal identity. It made the unit much more interesting because I made a personal connection with it through what I was learning from my research.
ancestryclassroom.com to discover ancestors, fold3. com to research military records, and newspapers. com that provides access to hundreds of papers throughout the country, and in his class, they put those resources to good use. The assignment begins in the fall when Collins sends home a family tree packet at Thanksgiving break and instructs students to get their grandparents, aunts, uncles and anyone else interested to help them fill out as much information as possible. At the end of the third nine weeks, the assignment becomes more clear: Trace your family tree back to at least the time of the Civil War, and then create either a poster focusing on an ancestor’s military records or immigration/migration records, or a paper defending a Civil War veteran. Students also have the option to create their own assignment. Ultimately, the project tends to dig not just into history but all the more so
–Owen Riley into family ties, often into finding a particular ancestor of interest. For senior Owen Riley, “The project helped me to cultivate my personal identity.” He learned of new aspects about his family’s past in the Confederacy and even found out that he is a distant relative with another student due to a common ancestor. His project focused on the battle plans and military records of his ancestors, including soldiers from the battles of Shiloh, Vicksburg, Gettysburg and Appomattox. “It made the unit much more interesting because I made a personal connection with it through what I was learning from my research,” he says. 2018 graduate Kate Dyleski learned the importance of credibility when she discovered information that differed from history as her family knew it. She had grown up hearing from her uncle that her greatgreat-great-grandfather, James Madison Gorman, MountainBrookMagazine.com 27
was captured during the Civil War in Salem Church during the Battle of Fredericksburg. So when she also found through research that her great-greatgreat-grandmother, Ophelia Gorman, filed a pension claiming her husband was never captured, Kate was conflicted with who to trust for the most credible information: a trustworthy and knowledgeable secondary source who she knows well, or a firstperson and directly associated primary source who she has never met. She ended up focusing on source reliability for the second half of her project and was surprised by how much it affected her family. “This isn’t just a project parents ignore or don’t care about,” she says. “For 28 MountainBrookMagazine.com
me, it was a project my whole family was excited for because everyone was so interested in the final product and finding the truth.” Collins has also seen siblings complete the project in different ways, expanding family trees or taking the project in opposite directions. When he had 2018 graduate Ford Clegg during his first year of teaching at MBHS, Ford set the example for future students completing the project. So his younger sister junior Anne Carlton Clegg had to get creative when the time came around for the project to begin. She ended up getting to see her family’s impact across Alabama as she found properties they owned in Bullock County, Randolph County and Clay County. She also found
reports of slave owners within her family, which helped her put certain aspects of her life into perspective. Like many of his classmates, junior Charles Regan’s research led him to create his own project. At the outset, he had uncovered Civil War era drawings by his German ancestor, Charles Ludwig Meister. As it turns out, Meister was an architect before the American Civil War and later became a typographer for the Confederate Army. Speaking of German ancestors, junior Michael Schmidt learned his ancestor Gottlieb Wilhelm Daimler was one of the first pioneers of the internal combustion engine, helping to create the first Mercedes-Benz car in the late 1800s and the world’s first motorcycle in 1885. “I had no idea, and I was excited to learn more about him from my relatives,” he says. After all, the heart of the project is not just learning history. It’s about digging into a next-level layer of family. As Michael says, “The project has definitely helped me get to know my family better and discover certain traits I may have inherited from my greatgreat-grandfather, which is something I probably would not have taken the time to discover without being assigned this project.”
Michael Schmidt presents his findings about his German ancestor’s pioneering work with Mercedes-Benz.
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MountainBrookMagazine.com 29
SCHOOL & SPORTS
5
FIVE QUESTIONS FOR
Philip Holley
New MBHS Principal + 1989 Alumnus PHOTO BY MADOLINE MARKHAM
If you happen to take a trip to the principal’s office at Mountain Brook High School, you’ll find signed photos of astronauts and space shuttle models alongside a 1989 yearbook and sports memorabilia from the school in the ‘80s—all telling the story of its new resident. Before taking on administrative roles, Philip Holley spent 19 years “passing along my passion for the natural world around us” to students in biology classrooms, and even took home the President’s Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching, the nation’s highest honor for teachers of those subjects. Here’s what he had to say about his new role and some of what you’ll find in his office. What made you want to transition from teaching to administration? A principal at the junior high called me into his office and said, “You need to go get your administration degree.” And I said, “No, no, I am not going to do that. I love teaching too much.” Two or three years after that, it clicked. I had gotten an email from a former student that said, “I just want you to know what an impact you made on me, and I am now going to go into a science field because I enjoyed biology so much.” I realized if I can have that big of an impact on 120 kids in my class every year, being an administrator I can have an impact on so many more students. I thought it was time to look into administration, and I haven’t looked back.
I remember taking astronomy and geology with Bubba Daves. He had such a passion for it, and it came through every day when he taught. I remember going into that class thinking, “I don’t think I am interested in this,” and by the time I left at the end of the year, I loved it. Ever since then, astronomy is interesting to me, and it’s because of his class.
What role does social media play in a school in 2018? Social media has changed everything. A lot of teachers use (the app) Remind to keep in contact with their students, and students use GroupMe to share information and work on projects. Whenever I am in any event, whether it’s a choir show or football or baseball or softball, I think it’s important What stands out from your memories as to tweet out what’s going on at Mountain Brook High School from my personal a MBHS student? 30 MountainBrookMagazine.com
account and from school accounts. I want everyone to know the great things that are happening here. What is something people might not know about you? I applied to be an astronaut in the early 2000s when NASA brought back the educator astronaut program. I made it into the final 100 but didn’t get selected. I am still interested in it but that’s not the path I am meant to be on. What do you do when you are not working? I like to read and spend time with my family. I love being outside in nature. We love to go to the beach and hike at Red Mountain Park. I love to read biographies of historical leaders to learn things to help me in this role. I love to learn.
&DRINK
FOOD
IN THE GARDEN
Savor the last of warmer weather with these cocktail recipes—all made with herbs from local garden shops. RECIPES & STYLING BY MEREDITH TOLLESON PHOTOS BY LINDSEY CULVER MountainBrookMagazine.com 31
Southern Spiced Mule Vodka, Buffalo Rock Ginger Ale, Lime and Fresh Mint Refresher • • • •
2 lime wedges 4 sprigs mint 1.5 ounces vodka Buffalo Rock Ginger Ale
In mule mug, muddle lime wedges and sprigs of mint. Add ice and vodka, and top with Buffalo Rock Ginger Ale. Stir and enjoy.
32 MountainBrookMagazine.com
Through the Pines
Maple and Rosemary Bourbon Sour • • • •
2 ounces Cooper’s Craft Bourbon 1 ounce fresh lemon juice 1/2 ounce dark maple syrup 1 large sprig of rosemary, plus more for garnish
Crush the large sprig of rosemary in your hand to release the oils and add to cocktail shaker. Add the bourbon, lemon juice, maple syrup and ice just above the level of liquid, and shake vigorously for 15 seconds Strain the mixture into rocks glasses containing large ice cubes and garnish with extra sprigs of rosemary.
All greenery and herbs—plus our backdrop—are from Leaf & Petal in Mountain Brook Village.
MountainBrookMagazine.com 33
How to Grow Thriving Herbs Tips From Kris Blevons, Oak Street Garden Shop General Manager •
•
Pick your herbs regularly, perhaps to make cocktails. The more you use them, the more they grow. Going into the fall, consider planting growing parsley alone or
34 MountainBrookMagazine.com
•
with flowers to last through winter. Rosemary is also a good evergreen shrub, and thyme is good for containers but can get nipped by the cold. Most herbs want a lot of sun, and
•
accordingly, they typically grow better outdoors than indoors. The best time to water is in the morning so the foliage wet it can dry out before nighttime temperatures set in.
nov 3-4
Girl Thyme Gin, Rosè and Thyme Spritzer ½ cup water ½ cup sugar 1 bunch thyme 1 ounce gin 3-4 ounces rosé 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
th by
rd Mo
Leopa avis
rah D
Debo
To mix the cocktail, pour gin, 1/2 ounce thyme simple syrup (directions in paragraph above), lemon juice and ice into a cocktail shaker. Shake vigorously for 15 seconds and strain into a cocktail/martini glass. Top with rosé and garnish with edible flower and sprig of thyme.
the preserve, hoover mossrockfestival.com
Giant
In saucepan, heat 1/2 cup water and 1/2 sugar over medium heat and dissolve to make simple syrup. Turn heat off and add bunch of thyme and allow to steep for 5-10 minutes. Strain through fine mesh strainer and allow to cool.
MOSS ROCK
• • • • • •
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MountainBrookMagazine.com 35
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Charcuterie Board Menu
Make your cocktail hour all the better by assembling a (nocook) board of meats and cheese. All products pictured are by Stone Hollow Farmstead unless otherwise noted. • • • • • • • • • •
The Foods of Athenry Gourmet Sodabread Toasts Strawberry Jalapeno Jam Orange Blossom Honey Goat Chevre with White Chive Blossom and Pepper Peach Preserves La Quercia Nduja Spicy Prosciutto Spread Feta Cheese Fermin Iberico Pork DryCured Chorizo Sausage Pimento Cheese Pickled Okra
Caring for your Family
Celia Davenport, DMD 2940 Clairmont Ave S, Birmingham 205-277-2297 davenportdentalandwellness.com MountainBrookMagazine.com 37
October
Make time for your mammogram. 2018 MAMMOTHON
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Visit BrookwoodBaptistHealth.com/MyMammo or call (833)214-6659 for appointments at any of our facilities.
&STYLE
HOME
YOURS, MINE & OURS How Deanna and Jeff Pizitz married their tastes in their Southwood Road home. BY MADOLINE MARKHAM PHOTOS BY LAUREN USTAD MountainBrookMagazine.com 39
W
When she married her husband, Jeff, Deanna Pizitz only brought a desk, her clothes and a few boxes into their home. It was, after all, already replete with antique furnishings and art he has carefully curated over decades. Furnishings mean more when you select them yourself over the years, he’d argue. While he is drawn to darker tones, Deanna, by contrast, prefers things light and bright, and had always let her decorator pick out art and accessories for her home. But from there, the melding of not just their lives but their tastes began. Most of the 1931 Southwood Road house hadn’t been renovated since the 1970s, so the couple enlisted the expertise of interior designer Dana Holcombe, who had worked with Jeff before and knew his style. She listened to Deanna too, and they set out to lighten and brighten spaces while allowing both husband and wife’s styles to shine. “You can have every part of the house, but I want the foyer, dining room, living room and the study,” Jeff had told Deanna. Both of their ties to the house actually go back long before Jeff bought the home in 2002. Jeff grew up visiting his grandparents’ home on the Southwood Road and has loved the street ever since. As for Deanna, she had visited the house in the 1990s for a medical alliance meeting hosted by then-owner Diana Orso. She remembers noting
40 MountainBrookMagazine.com
how beautiful the home and its backyard were and dreaming of buying it. The home was designed by architect D. O. Whilldin in Tudor revival style but also with colonial revival features such as shed porches on its front. “The ‘warped’ brick and Y-shaped, hand-hewn posts and dowels convey the sense that skilled artisans hand crafted them, like the work of the medieval-era craftsmen that these Tudor features seek to emulate,” Thomas Mark Shelley writes in a Birmingham Historical Society book about the architect’s work. In 1970s renovations, the home gained leaded beveled glass windows in place of the original casements, making an exquisite statement along its front and up its second floor staircase. Over the past few years, Jeff and Deanna have visited countless art galleries and antique shops together on their travels, and she’s learned about the stories they boast along with that of their home. Four years ago in New York she came across art by Hunt Slonem, a bright piece depicting butterflies in particular. It struck a chord with Deanna. A little over a year ago she and Jeff ended up purchasing it and hanging it on the stairwell wall in the home— now painted white over a previous green. “I have a whole new appreciation for things,” Deanna says of the evolution of her style and taste. “When I pass that Hunt Slonem, I understand how (Jeff) feels now. It has a story.”
Stairwell When Deanna moved into the house, the walls of this area were green and the carpet was what one vendor called “Methodist red.� Today a new white hue has lightened up the space along with most other rooms in the house, blending in with the tall walls of windows it showcases. As you walk up the stairs, you can see a painting by Hunt Slonem that she and Jeff picked out in New York.
MountainBrookMagazine.com 41
Kitchen In recent renovations, Deanna and Jeff opened up their small, dark kitchen to create an open, spacious area with bright white cabinets and marble countertops. Near the windows sit two custom rock crystal pieces (pictured on the right)—one of Deanna’s new favorite old-meetsnew materials you can also see in a lamp and candlesticks in other rooms in the house.
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Dressing Room When they renovated the house’s upstairs, Deanna converted one bedroom into an elegant retreat of a dressing room, All of her clothes and accessories have homes in the custom white cabinets and drawers bedecked in antiqued glass. Her inspiration for the room came from a Pinterest board she cultivated.
Office Originally a sleeping porch, Deanna spends lots of time working on her blog, Well & Worthy Life, and health coaching in this light and bright space that boasts three walls of windows. The metallic light fixture and many of her accessories are from her daughter-in-law Shannon’s store Kellum & Company. (Side note: Shannon and her husband, Carter, held their wedding in Deanna and Jeff’s backyard in 2014.)
MountainBrookMagazine.com 43
Den When she redecorated the den off the kitchen, Deanna started with all new furniture, but then she brought in a few of Jeff’s antique pieces and has recently added two pieces of art that they picked out together. “I was not an antique person at all, but now I feel like a little bit is good,” she says.
Dining Room This space showcases Jeff’s grandparents’ dining table and some of his antique pieces, but Deanna lighted up its dark tones with new wallpaper, a rug and seats on the chairs that incorporate a modern take on metallics.
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THE FACES OF A
CURE
ChildrensAL.org/committedtoacure
Art Deanna and Jeff selected these pieces of art for their den together. Deanna especially likes the brighter colors in this water scene by Gustave Loiseau (pictured above), while Jeff is drawn to more traditional pieces with more muted hues like this Paris scene by Edouard Cortes (pictured below).
THE ALABAMA CENTER FOR CHILDHOOD CANCER AND BLOOD DISORDERS is committed to finding a cure for Fuller and the more than 1,500 children each year who come to us for care. At our Center, more than 300 dedicated pediatric healthcare professionals provide exceptional patient care, education and research. We are a founding member of the Children’s Oncology Group * — a worldwide clinical trials organization supported by the National Cancer Institute. PROGRESS IN THE FIGHT FOR A CURE l 84% of children diagnosed with cancer in 2018 will be cured. l State-of-the-art screenings have reduced the rate of stroke in sickle cell patients by 90%. (Sickle cell disease is the leading cause of stroke in children). l Expanded programs help children re-enter school and normal life. l We are limiting the late effects of treatments and developing innovative therapies — making real progress in the fight against childhood cancer and blood disorders. We are COMMITTED to a CURE for all children — down the street and around the world.
*The Children’s Oncology group is a clinical - translational trials organization with more than 9,000 experts worldwide dedicated to finding better cures and improving the outcomes for all children with cancer.
MountainBrookMagazine.com 45
Living Room Just as Deanna’s office and dressing room are 100 percent her style, this living room and the house’s study are 100 percent Jeff’s, showcasing his collection of antique furnishings, books, art and more.
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Historical Record The Pizitzes had been given historic documents about their Southwood Road home, including an original statement of cost at $37,650 and an article on its late 1970s renovations that ran in the Shades Valley Sun on Feb. 28, 1980 when Fran and Leonard Hultquist owned the “splendid English Country Home…resting serenely on a knoll with natural grounds and lovely views.”
BEHIND THE SCENES INTERIOR DESIGN: Dana Holcombe
ARCHITECT: Carey Hollingsworth OFFICE LIGHT FIXTURE & ACCESSORIES: Kellum & Company
MountainBrookMagazine.com 47
HOME & STYLE
5
FIVE QUESTIONS FOR
Janie Jones & Elizabeth Miles
Hundley Hilton Designers + D.C. to Birmingham Pals TEXT BY ELIZABETH STURGEON PHOTO BY ELIZA MAXWELL
After Janie and Elizabeth met in Washington D.C. nearly 15 years ago, they never could have guessed that they would both move with their families to Birmingham (the city where their husbands grew up), let alone start a business together. But, it all happened naturally with their love for marrying the new and the old in someone’s style and adding a pop of pink or chartreuse into a room. We got to chat with them about their friendship, Hundley Hilton Interiors and their appearance as Tastemakers at the upcoming Antiques in the Gardens Oct. 4-7 at Birmingham Botanical Gardens. How did you start working together in interior design? JJ: After I had my kids, people would ask me to help with their houses, or if I would help look for a particular piece. I remember going to estate sales with my mom, and I’ve always loved finding antiques and pairing them with something new. I had people contacting me to help with their homes, and I didn’t want to do it by myself. It organically went from finding a piece of furniture to doing a whole room to doing a whole house. EM: I had come from working with my mother in a boutique furniture business. She was a furniture designer and vintage and antique furniture dealer. Before that, I did graphic design for a big furnishing company, and I studied graphic design in school. I think we were two creative people wanting to get back into something creative. Where does the name “Hundley Hilton” come from? EM: We’ve loved honoring the strong female figures in our lives and the women 48 MountainBrookMagazine.com
What’s one of your favorite things about working with clients? JJ: They see them in different light, with a different fabric or a new piece of art. It’s important for people to know that they don’t have to get rid of everything. EM: Clients have a strong awareness of their own style. They’re very sure of what they like but want us to pull that together and reflect it in their home. It’s fun for us Describe a little about your styles, because we’re learning the psychology individually and as a duo. behind someone’s personal style and how JJ: We have two distinct styles, but we we can bring that out. marry them together in a great way. I’ve opened Elizabeth up to a more old-fashioned So, what can we expect from y’all at look with antiques or florals. And my eyes Antiques at the Gardens as Tastemakers? are drawn to things that they never would EM: There are four tastemakers this year, have before since working with her. and we each have a space to design. It’s such EM: I love lines and more modern things, a freeing experience to do something that a mid-century look. One thing that we’ve we’re putting our full stamp on. And this is always felt strongly about is to bring together truly my favorite event of the year. the new, the old, the high and the low. We JJ: It will be bold (and) uniquely us. We want to incorporate family heirlooms, any feel like this is a great opportunity to antiques, or pieces that are salvageable. You showcase our style, and to have such talent can bring in history through different eras. around us is an honor. who encouraged us to be creative in our families through the name. For me, “Hilton” is my great-grandmother’s maiden name. JJ: And “Hundley” came from my greatgrandmother’s maiden name, and it’s my middle name as well. We thought it was a fun way to honor our grandmothers, and I do feel like we’ve been inspired by the women who’ve raised us.
AT HOME
Creating Black & White Chic Photos & Text By Jessica Clement A black and white bedroom is a timeless look. To keep the room from looking too severe, include soft elements like rattan trays and baskets, a camel throw at the foot of the bed, and antiques. Combine a mix of prints and patterns in the same color range to add interest. For example, stripe pillows, a throw and rug will create visual interest to a classic color scheme.
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1. Minza Stripe Throw- Details, $275. 2. Black and White Raffia Tray- Details, $65. 3. Small Black Urn- Details, $360. 4. Fir Needle and Juniper Candle-Details, $48. 5. Black and White Stripe Pillow- Details, $275. 6. Oyster Linen Duvet- Suite Dreams, $457. 7. Bone Beads- Suite Dreams, $115. 8. Large Tortoise Jar- Suite Dreams, $275.
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Jessica Clement is an interior designer and stylist who believes that well designed interiors should tell the story about the people who live there.
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ON ISABEL ELKUS Milly Gabriella Top- Tulipano, $395. Citizens of Humanity Rocket Crop High Rise Skinny- Tulipano, $218. Coconuts Winston Boot- Zoco, $79.50.
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the fashion guide WHAT’S TRENDING THIS SEASON AT MOUNTAIN BROOK BOUTIQUES—AND WHERE TO FIND IT. PHOTOS BY REBECCA WISE STYLING BY MILAN BALLARD & MADISON FREEMAN PHOTOGRAPHED AT GRAND BOHEMIAN HOTEL MOUNTAIN BROOK
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ON JULIA BADDLEY Plaid Dress- The Impeccable Pig, $64. Stone Necklace- The Impeccable Pig, $36. Bueno Dylan Ankle BootB. Prince, $150.
PAIR ANKLE BOOTS WITH A MIDI OR MINI DRESS TO SEAMLESSLY TRANSITION INTO FALL WHILE THE DAYS ARE STILL WARM. MountainBrookMagazine.com 51
ON LORELLE BADDLEY Sea Greta Blouse- Tulipano, $370. AG Jeans Fara Skinny Ankle- B. Prince, $198.
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ON JAN WARE Button Up Helen’s Heart Dress- The Pink Tulip, $98. Dark Natural Suede Marc Fisher Heels - Monkee’s, $160. Olive Tote with Inner Bag- The Pink Tulip, $68. Olive ScarfThe Pink Tulip, $9.99. Leather Cuff Bracelet- The Pants Store, $34.99. Statement Beaded Necklace- The Pink Tulip, $68
ACCESSORIZE ANY OUTFIT WITH AN OVERSIZED TOTE BAG WITH A SCARF.
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ON BRIT WARE Cupcake and Cashmere SkirtMonkee’s, $95. Ramy Brook. Black Blouse- Elle, $325. Bauble Bar Pink EarringsMonkee’s, $48. Ethem Adria Black Platform Heels- The Pants Store, $109. Black Tassel Purse- The Pink Tulip, $45.
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BE ON THE LOOKOUT FOR CORDUROY DRESSES THIS FALL.
ON OLIVIA RODRIGUES Orange Corduroy Overall Dress- The Pants Store, $49.99. Dolce Vita Straw Dark Saddle Heels- Monkee’s, $120. Natural Circle Hobo Purse- The Pants Store, $188. Large Gold Hoop Earrings- Elle, $95.
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DON’T FORGET YOUR CLEAR BAG FOR GAME DAYS THIS SEASON.
ON ELLIE DAHUFF Cross Front Black Top- The Pink Tulip, $26. Front Knot Skirt- The Pink Tulip, $45. Anna Lee Black Heels- Monkee’s, $170. Clear Game Day PurseThe Pants Store, $44.99. Long Beaded Necklace- The Pink Tulip, $42. Silver Large Hoop Earring- Elle, $95.
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meet the stylists MADISON FREEMAN
MILAN BALLARD
@MBBFREEMAN INSIDEMYOPENDOOR.COM
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How would you describe your style? Simple and casual, mixed with a little boho. What do you most look forward to about fall? Sweater weather, football season, and my one-year wedding anniversary. What are your favorite fall wardrobe staples? Oversized sweaters and statement flats. What’s trending right now that you are most excited to wear? Hair scarves. What will we find on your blog? Home decor inspiration, cocktail recipes, travel guides, fashion inspiration and more.
You like to blog about travel. How do you think your photo aesthetic and fashion style connect? I love finding unique, colorful buildings, street art, etc. to photograph, and my home is filled with colorful items and maps from my trips. However, when it comes to clothing, I gravitate towards neutrals and deeper tones. What are your favorite fall wardrobe staples? My leather moto jacket is my number one go-to. I can pair it with almost anything from midi dresses and ankle boots, to jeans and a sweater. My Madewell Cape Scarf in camel is my hardest working piece for fall and winter. It is so versatile, and can be used as a cape, scarf or shawl, and even a blanket if you’re cold enough. What’s your biggest extravagance? I suddenly have a growing collection of vintage pieces, mostly by Moschino. I don’t know when or why the collection started, but I may have gone overboard!
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Urban Angling Shades Creek teems with bluegill, bream and bass—why not venture off the Jemison Trail and fly fish? BY SUSAN SMITH PHOTOS BY BEN BRELAND
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From its headwaters between Birmingham Race Course and a cement plant, to the place it meets the Cahaba River near Montevallo, Shades Creek is an entirely urban stream. It flows through nearly 55 miles and six municipalities and provides a home for at least two endangered species of fish. It even has its own strand of the Cahaba lily. Despite its impressive resume, however, it’s often regarded as little more than a drainage ditch. That’s a perception Mountain Brook resident and fly fisherman Stuart Roberts enjoys seeing change. “I know people view Shades Creek as an urban runoff stream,” Stuart says. “I’m always surprised how that attitude changes once someone has stood in the middle of Shades Creek for a couple of hours. I love taking people out fishing for the first time. They always have the same reaction.” 60 MountainBrookMagazine.com
Once it winds through Mountain Brook Country Club and Jemison Park, Shades Creek deepens as it runs along Shades Creek Parkway. Although it runs along one of the busiest thoroughfares in the area, noise from the traffic all but disappears as you climb through the dense underbrush down into the water to fish. You might as well be 50 miles south in a much-less populated area of the Cahaba when you’re up to your waist in Shades Creek fishing. It’s an illusion that lasts until you start picking up golf balls from Mountain Brook Club and sporting equipment from nearby athletic fields. One afternoon, Stuart even carried out a 50-gallon trash can. That was a new one for him.
Stuart Roberts fly fishes on Shades Creek.
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“If this creek were in Colorado, it would be shoulder-to-shoulder all summer.” –Stuart Roberts, quoting a friend
The warm water of Shades Creek is a habitat for bluegill and other bream as well as some bass. Bluegill nests are readily visible in shallow parts of the creek, but Stuart is partial to the green sunfish that has the body of a panfish and the big mouth of a bass. Despite looking like it was assembled from “leftover parts,” as Stuart says, it’s a fish with aquarium good looks that’s a fairly frequent catch in Shades Creek. What equipment is appropriate for these catches in the creek? Stuart frequently uses a Tenkara rod that uses only a telescoping fly rod with a relatively short attached line and fly. Traditional fly rods employ a reel that spools approximately 125 yards of weighed fly line and backing. The portability of the Tenkara rod makes it easy to use for a few minutes of 62 MountainBrookMagazine.com
quick before-and-after-work fishing in a stream, not so unlike the Japanese freshwater trout streams it was developed for nearly 200 years ago. Stuart also touts the Tenkara rod as being more intuitive and easier to learn than a traditional fly rod. His ease with it is apparent and his accuracy enviable as he spots a fish in a dark edge of the creek and delivers the fly right to the front door. Shades Creek remains at a near-comfortable temperature for wet-wading almost year round. Stuart fishes a couple of times a week late into the season. “I usually quit fishing for the year around December 31,” he quips. Stuart’s journey in the creek all started in 2008 when he was working in the First Commercial Bank building on Shades Creek Parkway. “Wednesday
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afternoons my kids would go to choir practice at Office Park,” he says. “The choice was simple: I could stay another hour in the office and work, or I could go fishing in Shades Creek. I knew there were fish in Shades Creek once again thanks to the kids. We would ride bicycles across the bridges and always stop for a fish look. My rule for fishing is just fish when you can.” While many people might not even consider the warm creeks of Alabama suitable for fly fishing, a growing number of people are starting to know better. Bluegill are plentiful and fun to catch on the fly, and the temperature of the water, while making Alabama streams unsuitable for trout, makes wet-wading in the summertime a singular pleasure. “If this creek were in Colorado, it would be shoulder-to-shoulder all summer,” Stuart says, quoting a friend. Shades Creek’s urban location magnifies its accessibility to fishermen, but it also creates ecological vulnerability. Much like
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David Smith holds a fresh catch from Shades Creek.
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the Cahaba River, Shades Creek is threatened by sediment runoff from development and invasive plant species. Friends of Shades Creek and Friends of Jemison Park in Homewood and Mountain Brook, respectively, often partner to advocate for Shades Creek and to help educate the community about protecting and caring for it. Among its advocates is Sim S. W. Johnson, who became interested in native plant species when his family bought a house near Jemison Park. Now president of Friends of Jemison Park, he tirelessly promotes the reintroduction of native plants to the area surrounding Jemison Park and for the health of Shades Creek. In many ways, Sim’s devotion to the preservation of this 54-acre plot is part of Mountain Brook’s DNA. Developer Robert Jemison reserved the low-lying area around Shades Creek for a nature preserve when the city was first being plotted. Now, Sim’s efforts to replace invasive Chinese privet with more native species of plants and trees is helping to preserve the enclave of natural Alabama beauty that Jemison intended. To that point, this spring Friends of Jemison Park partnered with Friends of Shades Creek along with a number of other Alabama conservation and land-preservation organizations to host Shades Creek Fest, a family-friendly event with music and free fly fishing for children that was sponsored by Caliber, an outdoor store in Homewood. Nearly 400 people attended, and plans are already in the works for a 2019 event. Like Stuart, Sim seems to understand that introducing the community to the oftenoverlooked wonders of a particular natural treasure is often all it takes to motivate them to be conservation-minded. “I think people really want to take care of the creek. We’ve just got to simplify that and make it as easy as possible,” Sim says. But one thing about Shades Creek that can’t be simplified any further is the way Stuart fishes it. Between now and the time he hangs up his wading boots for the year on December 31, he’ll be out when he can with his Tenkara rod wetwading and enjoying the truly unique ecosystem surrounding Shades Creek. He’ll be on the lookout for spotted bass, bluegill, red breasted sunfish and green sunfish. He’s likely to spot pretty much every species of fresh-water turtle that lives in Alabama and a variety of small mammals like beaver or even mink. And come New Year’s Day, he’ll start all over again.
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Birmingham's Greatest Showman
The legacy of theater magnate Richard Kennedy lives on at the Alabama, the Lyric and beyond. BY OLIVIA BURTON PHOTOS BY LAINE WHITE & CONTRIBUTED
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During World War II, Richard Kennedy traveled to cities across the country promoting the movie industry’s involvement in selling war bonds to support war efforts.
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Black and white photographs, newspaper clippings, theater brochures and song books cover Harriet Cochrane’s dining room table at her house in Cherokee Bend. “I haven’t even been able to go through all of it myself,” she says. Fortunately, she had a guide. Her grandfather Richard M. Kennedy wrote an autobiography so his family would have a record of his life as a theater magnate in the golden age of Hollywood who hosted stars and industry pioneers from Clark Gable to Bob Hope at his home on Overhill Road. Kennedy’s unpublished autobiography traces the history of the theater and movie industry, including the shift from silent movies to “talkies,” union conflicts, and competition with radio and TV. He describes local events, such as the construction of the Alabama Theatre in 1927 and Birmingham population shifts towards the suburbs, against the backdrop of the Great Depression, World War II and the Civil Rights movement. To Kennedy, movie
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theater management was not just a business, but an art that allowed him to support his family and serve his country. More than just a businessman, Kennedy was a patriot, a devoted family man and a showman. MOVING TO THE MAGIC CITY Kennedy was born in Montgomery in 1902. After his father died in 1920, he knew he would have to work instead of attend college. Robert B. Wilby, the owner of several theaters in Montgomery and Selma, had recently acquired the Strand and Colonial Theatres in Birmingham. He offered Kennedy $25 per week if he would move to Birmingham to help manage his theatres. On June 5, 1920, just a few weeks after graduating from Lanier High School, Kennedy took the L&N train to Birmingham for the first time. “Leaving home and all that was near and dear to me was a traumatic experience and more than I thought I
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Richard Kennedy
could bear,” he wrote, “but even this was better than ‘selling pencils all the rest of my life,’ the way I felt about it at the Mercantile Paper Company,” where he had turned down a fulltime job offer that would have allowed him to stay with his mother. Life in the city was a difficult adjustment. “Birmingham, to me, at that time, was the coldest, most impersonal spot on the globe,” he wrote. With only a few connections and a meagre salary, he would have to find a new community in a strange new place at age 18. Kennedy dove into his work, gaining experience from the manager’s office to the projection booth. THE GOLDEN AGE OF HOLLYWOOD The late 1920s were a period of immense change and growth in the movie industry. In 1929, The Jazz Singer featuring Al Jolson premiered at the Strand as the first “talkie” shown in Birmingham. Paramount-Publix opened the Alabama Theatre the day after Christmas in 1927. Kennedy watched the construction of the Alabama Theatre with great interest. “One of my greatest ambitions had been to someday have a chance of operating the Alabama,” he wrote, “but I never dreamed, at that time, that the opportunity was going to be mine.” But it was. In 1932, he became the manager for the Alabama Theatre. Under his leadership, the theater started the Mickey Mouse Club in 1933 and began hosting the Miss Birmingham and Miss Alabama pageants in 1935. Kennedy’s first wife, Marie Wheeler, passed away after childbirth in July 1934. Wilby suggested he take a month off, and close friends recommended putting his two children in a children’s home. In spite of his devastation, Kennedy was determined to carry on as usual. Christmas that year “reopened MountainBrookMagazine.com 69
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THIS PHOTO: Kennedy with the MGM Lion TOP RIGHT: Dick Kennedy is depicted on the right of this 1944 cartoon about movie industry war involvement. BOTTOM RIGHT: Kennedy, right, with Susan Haywood, who won the 1958 Oscar for Best Actress in I Want to Live.
One of my greatest ambitions had been to someday have a chance of operating the Alabama. I never dreamed, at that time, that the opportunity was going to be mine. -Richard Kennedy old wounds,” Kennedy wrote, but he was looking forward to a trip to Los Angeles to see Alabama play in the Rose Bowl—a gift from his district theater managers. The train to Los Angeles took four days. The night after Kennedy’s arrival, movie star Dick Powell invited him to dinner at the Beverly Wilshire hotel with a “small crowd” that included Oscar Morgan, Regis Toomey, and Toomey’s date, an Olympic swimming star who had gone into the movie business (“the name escapes me,” Kennedy wrote). Powell had asked actress Joan Marsh to be Kennedy’s date for the evening. Kennedy reported Hollywood gossip with a Southern man’s raised eyebrow. At the end of the evening, Regis accepted an invitation for himself and his wife to attend the Rose Bowl with Kennedy.
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“I thought it very strange that Regis, a married man, would have a date with a beautiful starlet one night and then take his wife to a football game the next day, but that was the way actors behaved in those glamorous days at Hollywood,” Kennedy commented. The night before the game, Kennedy met Bing Crosby at Paramount Studios. Crosby was betting ping pong tables that Alabama would lose. “I don’t know how many bets he had,” Kennedy wrote, “but I am sure that he lost at least a half-dozen Ping Pong sets.” THE THEATER ON THE HOME FRONT The life of a movie theater manager in the first half of the 20th century was about much more than
parties with movie stars though. During World War II, Kennedy led theater managers across the country in promoting home front support for war efforts. Both Paramount Pictures and 20th Century Fox pledged to sell war bonds by offering purchasers exclusive seating and by showing newsreels and films on rationing, enlistment and espionage. Kennedy considered his involvement in the War Activities Committee as his greatest contribution to his country. Special shows, often with movie stars in attendance, were incentives for citizens to buy war bonds. At one New York show for which Kennedy was partially responsible, the stars included Lana Turner, Kathryn Grayson, and Paul Whiteman and his Orchestra. Whiteman had asked Betty Grable to join him onstage, but the show management worried that Turner would be upset at the idea of sharing the headline. As compensation, they left extra bottles of whiskey in Turner’s dressing room, and Kennedy assured her that Grable would not sing and dance. Backstage before the performance, however, Kennedy found Grable in tap shoes ready to sing and dance. Knowing it was too late, Kennedy went to his seat. After Grable’s show-stopping performance, Turner came onstage in a white gown
“shaking like a leaf.” Kennedy wrote that she admitted to the audience that she had a report on war bond sales but was too nervous to read it. The audience loved it. Although the event was a success in spite of the unexpected turn of events, Kennedy was afraid to go backstage after the show. Kennedy’s involvement in war bond sales as well as with the March of Dimes earned him an invitation to the White House on December 19, 1944. As a Southern conservative, he was never a fan of President Franklin Roosevelt, although he admitted that he enjoyed their meeting. The next year, Kennedy attended another White House reception, this time with President Truman. Kennedy did not admire his “socialistic policies,” but he found Truman to be a “very courageous man.” LIFE AND LEGACY In spite of his frequent travels and his relationships with movie stars and politicians, Kennedy enjoyed living in Mountain Brook with his family. Richard and his second wife Harriet (“Mimi”) Stallworth frequently invited friends and family to singalongs at their house on Overhill Road in the 1960s. The Birmingham Post even included a brief note on the gatherings: “Well, I’ll have you
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RICHARD KENNEDY
THROUGH THE YEARS Q
1902 Richard Kennedy is born in Montgomery.
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1927 Q
1934
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A fire takes hold in downtown Birmingham, but the Alabama Theatre is spared.
Kennedy and business partner/mentor Robert Wilby own the Rialto and three theaters in Ensley.
1935 The Alabama Theatre begins hosting the Miss Birmingham and Miss Alabama pageants.
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1937 Q
Kennedy purchases and renovates his home at 3108 Overhill Road.
1938 Q
1942 Q
Ed Leigh McMillan of the US Treasury asks Kennedy to lead the war bonds efforts with the motion picture industry in Alabama.
Kennedy marries Harriet (“Mimi”) Stallworth, celebrating with a barn dance at the Thomas Jefferson Hotel. They spend their honeymoon in Europe on the eve of World War II.
1944 Kennedy becomes president of the Birmingham Rotary Club and visits President Roosevelt at the White House.
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1945 Q
Kennedy attends a reception with President Truman at the White House.
1949 Q
1961 Q
Kennedy meets with Bobby Kennedy at the White House to discuss how to desegregate movie theaters.
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The Supreme Court breaks up the Paramount monopoly on producing and distributing movies.
1979 Kennedy dies at age 77.
know this dandy group above can really sing…and if you don’t believe me ask any—and I do mean ANY one on Overhill Road!” Carter Kennedy— Harriet’s father—recalls meeting some of Kennedy’s famous friends as a child on Overhill Road. Bob Hope was a frequent visitor, and their A singalong at the Kennedys’ family watched preOverhill home released movies on 16 millimeter film and sampled pre-release concessions like Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups with friends. Carter was also a member of the Birmingham Mickey Mouse Club when it was the largest of its kind. “[My father] wasn’t a pessimist, but he always faced a lot of challenges,” Carter said. At various times, Kennedy worried that radio or television would put him out of business. Even daylight savings time, which meant that summer drive-in movies could not start before 8:30 p.m., posed a threat. Still, Kennedy adapted, whether by pushing his theaters to place more emphasis on concessions or by broadening the scope of theater programming. Kennedy passed away from heart failure in 1979 at age 77. His legacy, however, lives on in the treasure trove of historical documents he left with his family as well as in the revitalization of historic Birmingham venues such as the Alabama and Lyric theaters. While writing his autobiography in the mid-1970s, Kennedy frequently commented on how lucky he felt to have lived such an extraordinary life. “They say that all an old man has is his memories,” he wrote. “Like the click of a camera, I can jump to Rio de Janiero and be gliding past Sugar Loaf on the Nieuw Amsterdam or hop in a second all the way to Paris where we are enjoying an aperitif at the Café de la Pax. I can project back to Honolulu and see again Bill Britt presenting us with decorative leis as we sailed on the Matsonia or jump down to Buenos Aires and be the guests of the Pardos in their lovely and picturesque home.” More than just a businessman, Kennedy was a showman. The impersonal, unrefined experience of the modern movie theater would disappointment him. A movie, he believed, should be an escape from everyday life. Furthermore, the theater should serve its community by providing an enjoyable experience as well as by supporting patriotic causes. “I know full well that as a theatre manager today, I would be a flop, for I could not provide the type of entertainment the young people of this generation want,” he wrote in 1975. “I am content, however, with the knowledge that I have been a satisfactory showman. And between you and I, I still am.”
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Mountain Brook Chamber of Commerce C O N N E C T I O N S
New Member Spotlight
Welcome, Leadership Mountain Brook Class of 2018-19!
-Freedom Soap Company -Barbara Lummis, Realtor ARC Realty -Mountain Brook Presbyterian Church -First US Bank -Birmingham Museum of Art -Jan Ware Designs -Climate Storage
It’s not too late to hop on the Mountain Brook Restaurant Trail for a chance to win a $1800 prize! #i8mb
Front: Ella Lukens, Laura Kate Howell, Mills McWhorter, Charles Nicrosi, Hattie Noden, Megan Sumrall, Ann Inskeep, Ferris Schwefler Back: Weesa Keller, Alice Monk, Fred Lindsey, Hunter Keel, Caroline Lewis, Vann Logan, Eric Cordover, Will Krueger Not Pictured: Mary Frances Torbert and Fraley Williams
Taste of Mountain Brook
mtnbrookchamber.org/ restaurant-trail Mountain Brook's digital mall is now live! https://outklick.com/shop/ mountain-brook
101 HOYT LANE 74 MountainBrookMagazine.com
City Hall September 16,11:30-1:30 Benefitting ALL IN Mountain Brook Purchase tickets at tasteofmountainbrook.com or the Chamber office.
MTN. BROOK, ALABAMA 35213
Happenings Around Town Chamber Luncheon Featuring Linda Bonnin, VP of Strategic Communication for The University of Alabama and creator of the awardwinning campaign “Where Legends Are Made” Birmingham Botanical Gardens September 25th, 11:00-1:00 Purchase tickets at mtnbrookchamber.org.
Save the Date October 3
Village Garden Walk Kick-Off Mountain Brook Village 4:00-6:00
October 18
Jazz in the Park
Fall Jazz with Civitas English Village 5:00-8:00
October 27
Cahaba Village Fall Festival Pet Costume Contest @ 5:00 2:00-5:00 Benefitting Greater Birmingham Humane Society
aba Village CahFall Festival Saturday, October, 27th 2:00 pm - 5:00 pm
In front of Emmet O’Neal Library October 14, 5:00-8:00
Howl-O-Ween Pet Costume Competition @ 5pm
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WWW.MTNBROOKCHAMBER.ORG MountainBrookMagazine.com 75
OUT & ABOUT
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BALL OF ROSES PHOTOS BY DEE MOORE
The 58th annual Ball of Roses benefitted the Alabama Ballet. The event took place June 2 at The Country Club of Birmingham. 1. Irene, Lucy, Emily and Huey Gardner 2. Edward, Jenny, Sanders and Randy Reed 3. Carlton and Will Fountain
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4. Emily and Andy Sink 5. Austin, Karen, Jordan, Allene and Tommy Tynes 6. Peter and Jane Dommerich Hill, and Bo, Morgan, Sally, William and Kitty Lineberry 7. Roxanne, Mallie, Caroline and Perry Given 8. Jim and Diane Richardson, Andy and Key Hudson, Emory and Thornton Ratliff, and Knox Richardson 9. Walter, Charlton, Missy, Evalyn, Bette Ann, Charlton and Andrew Bargeron 10. Lucy, Henley, Paley and Krislin Smith
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November 3-4 | The Preserve | Hoover, Alabama 65+ Brews | Cask Garden | Beer Snacks | Football | Wooded Venue Advance tickets get Belgian Glass | $25 Early Bird (purchase by Sept 15) | mossrockfestival.com SPOTLIGHT PARTNERs
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OUT & ABOUT
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MARKET DAY PHOTOS BY ELIZABETH STURGEON
Mountain Brook Village shops held sales galore at this annual shopping event on July 21. 1. Pat and Peggy Martin 2. Megan Dowdy, Karen Balliet and Susan Fitzgibbon 3. Pam Huff and Lauren Simpson 4. Sandy Friedman with Petey 5. Toni Gwinn, Molly Maddox and Paige Maddox
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6. Pam Beckham, Jessica Schniper, Susan Jones and Connie Long White 7. Diane Redus and Martha Ann Denson 8. Simona Dunlap, Clayton Walton and Casie Walker 9. Kim Edwards, Norma Sampley, Cindy Thigpen and Kim Owens 10. Kyliah and Jai Ravizee
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OUT & ABOUT
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SHADES VALLEY PRESBYTERIAN FARMERS MARKET
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PHOTOS BY ELEANOR KERR
Shades Valley Presbyterian held a farmers market on Wednesdays from 3-6 p.m. this summer. 1. Jeanett Bennett 2. Jack Riley, Anna Blackmon and Bruce Ludwig 3. Don and Ruth Riggers
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4. George and Beverly Jackson 5. Farm-fresh produce 6. Market shoppers 7. Jodi, Maddie and Alex Steltenpohl 8. Jack Riley 9. Steve and Talitha Talley 10. Market wares
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OUT & ABOUT
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DESCENDED FROM HEROES They came from all walks of life, from rural farms, from small towns to big cities, to answer their country’s call. — Senator Bob Dole
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WWW.VETERANSREGISTEROFHONOR.COM
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VISIT US FOR SMOOTHIES AND ACAI BOWLS. We give all gym member %15 off all smoothies must show proof of membership
DON'T forget about us for your catering events.
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OUT & ABOUT
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SUMMER READING FINALE PHOTOS BY EMILY HENDERSON
Summer reading at the Emmet O’Neal Library wrapped up with a Bike Bonanza Block Party on July 31. 1. Marian Northington and William Barnes 2. Summer reading finale fun 3. Anne Lowrey Roden and Caroline Baker 4. Garret Roden and James Baker 5. Caroline, Eleanor and Alex Dabal 6. Ford Newman 7. Gloria Repolesk, Rachel Owens, Merideth Stackpole, Tess DeView and Rachael Struthers 8. Ford and John Clark Newman 9. Katherine Malone and Eric Cheng
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Liberty Animal Hospital Welcomes Dr Clair Woodalland A native of Mountain Brook Claire is a member of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons and the Alabama Veterinary Medical Association. After studying abroad she is happy to return home and is ready to care for your furry friends.
3810 River Run Drive, Birmingham
205-970-0411 www.libertyah.com MountainBrookMagazine.com 83
OUT & ABOUT
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OTEY’S FEST PHOTOS BY ALICE LUCAS
Rebirth Brass Band and The New Orleans Suspects headlined this year’s Otey’s Fest on July 28. 1. Scott Pierce and Sarah McLemore 2. William Yandell, Cameron Coleman and Mac Parker 3. Tyler Love and Trey Hamre
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4. Brooke and Reid Warren 5. Bronnie Cox, Nicole Roberts, Jen Lier, Alex Wilkerson and Ryan Burress 6. James and Reed Avant 7. Brucie Mancusco, Chandler Thigpen, Caroline Hawkins, Alex Hawkins and Katie Jernigan 8. John Miles Benton IV, Kaitlin Brown, Carrie Whitt and Houston Love 9. Andy Backer, Logan Anez, Mash Powell and Trey Hamre
SUBSCRIBE NOW! Your Stories. Your Community. Your Magazine. Visit MountainBrookMagazine.com or call 205-669-3131 to subscribe for $16.30 (6 issues) a year.
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OUT & ABOUT
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Brought to you by www.sidewalkfest.com
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MARKETPLACE
Marketplace Mountain Brook Magazine • 205.669.3131
Acceptance Loan Company. Personal Loans! Let us pay off your title loan! 224 Cahaba Valley Road, Pelham. 205-663-5821
LAWN CARE • Large Properties • Lake Properties • Property Cleanups - Great Rates! Free Estimates! - Shelby and Chilton Counties 10% DISCOUNT for Military & Senior Citizens. Call Alex 205-955-3439 Class-A CDL Driver. 500 Sign-on Bonus. 25+yo w/good MVR. 6+months flatbed experience. $.38-46cpm (based on experience) On actual miles driven +$.20d/h. Paid tarp/stopover/layover/ detention. 205-642-9186. Application at: www. angelswaytransportation.com INDUSTRIAL ATHLETES $17.68 hour + production & safety $$$ incentives. Grocery order selection using electric pallet jacks & voice activated headsets. Apply online at AGSOUTH.COM or call Charlie Seagle at (205) 808-4833 Pre-employment drug test required. Automation Personnel Services Hiring IMMEDIATELY For: Automotive Assembly, General Labor, Production, Clerical, Machine Operator, Quality, Carpentry, Welder, Foundry. Positions In: Calera, Clanton, Pelham, Bessemer, McCalla. Walk-in applications accepted. Clanton (205)280-0002. Pelham (205)444-9774. Boise Cascade Now Hiring for Utility Positions. Starting pay $13/hour. Must be able to pass background screen. Please apply at www.bc.com
B & J Metal Fabricators Offering more than roofing! • Metal roofing • Portable metal buildings • Custom sizes available Customize your own!! Montevallo (205)665-4687 (205)296-9988
Bama Concrete Now Hiring: Diesel Mechanic 4 Years Minimum Experience. CDL Preferred. Competitive Pay. Great Benefits. Apply in person: 2180 Hwy 87 Alabaster, 35007 Maintenance Electrician needed. 10-years experience in motor controls, troubleshooting, programming frequency drives, soft starts, computer skills and electrical installations. Contact Cahaba Veneer at 205-926-9797 Galleria Woods Senior Living JOIN THE GALLERIA WOODS TEAM Are you tired of 12 hour-shifts? Asst Dir Nursing-Reqs RN nursing degree and current AL RN license/2-4 yrs related exp. Prefer long term care exp. $3000 sign-on bonus. Cert Dietary Mgr-FT Day. Reqs Diet.Mgr-cert & 4-yrs of exp. $1000 sign-on-bonus. Servers and dishwashers Restaurant exp & strong customer service skills. LPN and Certified Nursing Assistants-All shifts To apply:www.brookdale.com Or visit us at 3850 Galleria Woods Drive Birmingham, AL 35244. For more Info contact Jeff Prince 205.985.7537. Carroll Fulmer Now Hiring Class-A CDL Drivers. Overthe-road positions available. Dry vans. No hazmat. Must have one year over-the-road. Experience and a clean MVR. Competitive pay and bonus package. Good home time. Call 800-633-9710 ext. 2
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Bent Creek Apartments. Affordable 1 and 2 Bedroom. On-site Manager. On-site Maintenance. 3001 7th Street. North Canton, AL 35045. TDD#s: 800-548-2547(V) 800-548-2546(T/A) bentcreek@morrowapts.com Office Hours: Mon-Fri, 8am-4pm. Equal Opportunity Provider/Employer
Birmingham,AL based Transportation Company looking for Class-A CDL drivers • Average 22,500/ miles-wk • Must be at least 23yrs old • Starting pay at .43/mile increase to .45 in 6-months • 18-months driving exp. Please Call:205-925-1977 Ext:2309 or Email: recruiting@ churchtransportation.net City of Clanton is Hiring. Detailed job descriptions on file at City Hall. EOE. Drug screening/physical required. NOW HIRING!!! • Director, Pharmacy Services • Director, Material Management • RN-ER RFT 7pm-7am • RN-ICU RFT 7pm-7am Email resume to: Blaine.Green@cvhealth.net or go to www.cvhealth.net EEO Employer M/F/D/VDrug-freeWorkplace Full Time and Part Time RN’s Needed for home health in Bibb, Shelby and Chilton counties. Excellent Salary and Benefits. Please send resumes to jobs@rubic.com or call 866-273-3984 DCH Health System Caring. For Life. $5,000 *Sign-on Bonus for full time RNs *For More Info Contact Annie.Miller@dchsystem.com. Apply online at: www.dchsystem.com
PT/FT Farm Equipment Operator, Lawn Maintenance and Fork Lift Driver Needed. Drug and Background Check Required. Call 205-688-0258 to set up Interview.
$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 205-668-3316. MECHANICS NEEDED Evergreen Transport LLC has two immediate openings for Class B Mechanics at its terminal in Calera, AL. One for night shift and one for day shift. Call Jason at 205-668-3316. Job duties include repairing, maintaining and overhauling of heavy duty fleet truck/trailers and other tasks assigned by supervisor. Franklin Iron Works Now Hiring. Grinders & Laborers. Must apply in person: 146 Tommie Drive, Thorsby. Mon-Fri. 10am-3pm. Taking applications for waitresses for growing business in Clanton Call Teresa: 334-235-0228 or call the restaurant between 4-10pm: 205-280-4949
Outbounds loads Pre-loaded & Tarped. 75% Inbound No Tarp. Late Model Peterbilt Trucks. Air Ride Trailers. Home weekends. Low cost BCBS Health & Dental Ins. Matching 401K. Qualifications: 18 months Class A CDL driving experience with 6 months flatbed; Applicants must meet all D.O.T. requirements. Contact recruiting at 1-800-634-7315 or come by HTL office at 1700 Boone Blvd, Northport. EOE LPN’s, RN’s, CNA’s Full-time & part-time • 2nd & 3rd Shift Apply in person: Hatley Health Care 300 Medical Ctr Dr Clanton, AL 35045 Road and Parking Lot Striping Company NOW HIRING LABORERS. Must be 18+ and have valid driver’s license. Monday-Friday. BCBS/Paid Holidays/Sick days/Vacation/401k. Apply in person: 1110 Highway 31, Calera. 205-663-1511 Does your loved one need help at home? Licensed, bonded, insured, affordable homecare offered. Approved Veteran Service Contractor & LTC Insurance accepted. Live-in-Care Available. Call us today! 205-453-4285
ONLINE AUCTIONS www.GTAOnlineAuctions.com 205-326-0833 Granger, Thagard & Assoc. Jack F. Granger #873
Industrial Coatings Group, Inc. is hiring experienced sandblasters and industrial painters. Must be able to pass a drug test & E-verify check. Professional references required. Must be willing to travel. Please send resume to icgsecretary@hotmail.com or call (205) 612-2064.
DRIVERS Hanna Truck Lines is seeking Professional Flatbed Drivers. 53 cpm No surprises: Starting pay (all miles): 51 cpm, 52 cpm at 6 months, 53 cpm at 1 year. 100%
Need FREE help with your Medicare? Call your State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP) today at (800)AGE-LINE (800)-243-5463.
MARKETPLACE Soon the Mark of the Beast Will Be Enforced. Free Book & Bible Study. PO Box 171 • Samantha, AL 35482 205-339-4837 Owner Operators Wanting Dedicated Year Round Anniston, AL www.pull4klb.com Kelly Educational Staffing® We’re hiring! • Substitute teachers • Aides • Cafeteria • Clerical • Custodial positions Shelby County School District & Alabaster City Schools. Please call 205-870-7154 -Equal Opportunity EmployerM&M Trucking Company hiring experienced trailer and tractor trailer drivers. Minimum three years verifiable experience required. Tanker and dump experience a plus. Apply in person w/ MVR at M&M Trucking Company. 980 Lee Road. Auburn, AL 36830. Now Hiring!! • Caregivers-ADL’s, assist with medications and some lifting 7am-3pm, 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. 256-245-6500 •TDD#s: 800-548-2547(V) •800-548-2546(T/A). Office Hours: Mon-Fri, 8am-4pm. Equal Opportunity Provider/ Employer Are you a motivated professional? Are you looking for a dynamic career? Are you ready to control your own level of success? See why McKinnons’ is an exciting place to work and grow. Now accepting applications for Sales, Service, and Detail Shop. Apply with the receptionist. 205-755-3430 NOW HIRING Class-A CDL Driver Must have clean driving record, two years experience Will train drivers on tank Drivers home nightly Contact Keith at: 205-438-4959
Class A CDL Drivers Needed Immediately for Dump Trailer Hauling • $2000 Retention Bonus • Local Hauling • Home Nights APPLY ONLINE: www.perdidotrucking.com Perdido Trucking Service, LLC 251-470-0355 Shake up your career!!! Are you looking for something new and FUN? Milo’s is always looking for great managers to come join our growing and dynamic team. Apply online at miloshamburgers.com Montgomery Stockyard Drop Station at Gray & Son’s in Clanton. Call Lane at 205389-4530. For other hauling arrangements, contact Wes in Harpersville 205-965-8657 Production Jobs. Willing to Train. AAM in Columbiana is HIRING for multiple shifts. Email resume to dcurtis@grede.com or apply in person: 130 Industrial Pkwy, Columbiana, AL 35051 INDUSTRIAL CLEANING IN VANCE Requirements: • 18 Years Old • HS Diploma/GED • Able to work variable shifts/ weekends/holidays • Able to lift up to 50lbs constantly, stand on your feet for 8hrs • Able to pass drug screen/ background check Complete your application on line at www.naonsite.com Immediate Positions!!!! Positions needed: Warehouse • Sales Reps • Assistant Manager • Delivery Drivers • Customer Service. Laid back atmosphere, good pay, plenty of hours available! Company vehicles to qualified individuals! Call Andrew 9am7pm • Mon-Sat at (205)490-1003 or (205)243-6337 Production / Manufacturing Vance, Alabama Starting pay: $12.00 – $14.50 /hr. • Have 2 years+ Production/ Manufacturing experience. • Have Recently Lived in Alabama at least 2 years. • Have A High School Diploma or GED. • Are at least 18 years old. Complete your application on line at www.naonsite.com
LIQUIDATION AUCTION August 4, 10:00AM 610 7th St, Clanton,AL Liquidating contents of BrenWils Flea Mkt. www.auctionzip.com ID#8507 Ken Yates, Auctioneer Lic. #1782 256-276-8091 256-396-5381 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 inquires only. Call 334-409-0035 or apply on-line at www.Oxfordhealthcare.com Move in Special! 3/2 Garden Home w/garage. Dishwasher, Fenced backyard, Great Room w/vaulted Ceiling. Calera Schools. Rent $1150. FLAT SCREEN TV!! (205)433-9811 Order Selectors Food Dist. Center in Pelham DayShift: Mon-Fri. 40+ hours/ week 10:00AM until finished (varies). Salary: $16-20/hr after training. Benefits: Medical, vision, dental, vacation & 401k. Requirements: • Reading & math skills • Lift 40 lbs. repetitively • Work in -10 Temperature Apply in person: 8:30AM-5:00PM Southeastern Food 201 Parker Drive Pelham, Alabama 35124 resume@southeasternfood. com White Oak Transportation is hiring CDL-A drivers in your area. Great Pay! Excellent Benefits! Visit our website www.whiteoaktrans.com for more information EOEM/F/D/V Warehouse Team Member Call (205) 912-7365 or visit www.Hibbett.com Great Benefits LARGEST SELECTION OF WHOLESALE VEHICLES IN THE SOUTHEAST Over 350 vehicles available for direct sale daily! Live auction every Thursday 6:30p.m. (205)7444030 birminghamautoauction. com
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. TaylorMade Transportation Hiring CDL Drivers for Flatbed Regional Division! BCBS Insurance After 30 Days. To apply call: (334)366-2269 or email: s.smith@taylormadeinc. com The Painting Company of Birmingham Immediate openings for professional residential and commercial painters. Must be able to speak English. Call 205-995-5559 University Baptist Substitute Teachers for Pre-K Class • 19yrs • HS Diploma/GED • Child care exp. preferred Part-time Secretary • Clerical responsibilities • Assisting Pastor/church committees • Preparing/editing bulletins/ newsletters • Assisting w/ bookkeeping Send resumes: University Baptist Church PO Box 3 Montevallo,AL 35115 universitybaptistcdc@gmail. com Become a Dental Assistant in ONLY 8 WEEKS! Please visit our website capstonedentalassisting.com or call (205)561-8118 and get your career started! WCA • Roll Off Drivers needed for our Alpine, AL location. Class A or B CDL is required along with one (1) year of verifiable equivalent commercial truck driving experience. Must have a valid and safe driving record. We offer competitive wages & a comprehensive benefits package which includes: Medical, Dental, Vision, 401k, Life Insurance, Short & Long Term Disability, Paid
Holidays and PTO. Please apply through our website at www.wcawaste.com EOE M/F/D/V WARRIOR MET COAL NOW HIRING Located in Brookwood, AL Immediate need for experienced: • Underground Miners • Electricians • Maintenance Foreman • Supervisors Apply online: www.warriormetcoal.com NOW HIRING: •Master Plumber •Experienced Plumber’s Helper •Experienced Plumber Call 205-755-8555 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 Housing Authority of the Birmingham District Hiring: Homeownership LeasePurchase Facilitator Resident Services Coordinator-ROSS Human Resources Specialist Compliance Data Analysis Application Data Entry Clerk Assistant Vice President ofHousing Operations Director of Public Safety Custodian View complete description and apply at www.habd.org or 1826 3rd AvenueSouth Birmingham, Al 35233 EXPERIENCED CONCRETE FOREMAN REV Contruction seeking Experienced Concrete Foreman. Benefits include BCBS Medical Insurance, 401k, paid holidays & vacation time. Email resume: mcole@revconstructioninc. com Fax: 205-349-1862 Call: 205-349-1860 HIRING EXPERIENCED PIPE LAYERS REV Construction seeking Experienced Pipe Layers Benefits include: BCBS Medical Insurance, 401k, Paid holidays & vacation time. Email resume: mcole@revconstructioninc. com Fax: 205-349-1862 Call: 205-349-1860
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MY MOUNTAIN BROOK KARI KAMPAKIS Author+Blogger+Mom of Four
The Best of Bakers
Church Street Coffee & Books Many Sundays after church, our family stops here for hot chocolate and coffee. Their break-up cookies are a local treasure, and my daughters get so excited when they have a big event (like cheer tryouts) and a friend drops off a cookie or two as encouragement.
Gifts Galore Blessing Cuffs
Ex Voto Vintage Years ago, I spoke at a church and was given the most meaningful gift: a cuff bracelet from Ex Voto VIntage that says, “The One who numbers the stars knows you by name.” I wear it all the time and have since bought these blessing cuffs for others as special keepsakes.
Ties that Bind
My Family My husband and I feel very fortunate that four of our siblings and his mother live in Mountain Brook. My parents live in Tuscaloosa and are often here as well. Our kids know their cousins and many go to school together, which makes for some funny and interesting stories.
In Good Hands
Community Leadership Sitting on local boards, like the Chamber of Commerce and ALL IN Mountain Brook, has opened my eyes to the caliber of people leading us. From Suzan Doidge at the Chamber of Commerce, to our school principals and superintendent, to our city manager, police chief, fire chief and many others, I’ve been really impressed by their intelligence and deeply caring nature. It’s comforting to know our community’s in good hands.
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Marguerite’s Conceits I love the femininity of this store and how it helps me decompress. They have the coziest blankets and PJs, and the scented soap makes a great gift. I’m also a big fan of their Cinda B travel bags— many cute patterns to choose from, and they hold up well!
2279 VALLEYDALE RD #100 BIRMINGHAM