VHHS HABITAT FOR HUMANITY CLUB • ANNUAL HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE • THE GREAT CAROLINA OUTDOORS
A PIECE OF ME
A LOOK AT JO ANNE YOUNG’S LIFETIME OF ART
SEC MAN, FAMILY MAN A FORMER SEC COMMISSIONER’S STORIED LEGACY
FOOD WINTER 2021 VestaviaHillsMagazine.com Volume Five | Issue Five $4.95
freedom IN THE KITCHEN WITH THE PEACHIE SPOON VestaviaHillsMagazine.com 1
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A MASTER CLASS IN THE ART OF COOKING. Step inside Grand Bohemian Hotel Mountain Brook and head to Habitat Cooking School for an unforgettable experience filled with storytelling and fresh ingredients. Guided by our chef, you’ll learn global techniques, master new skills and uncover the stories behind each dish as you taste your way to a new perspective. Explore classes and reserve your spot at mountain-brook.classesbykessler.com. grandbohemianmountainbrook.com | @GrandBohemianMountainbrook
BY K ESSLER
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HA N D -S E L E C T ED F U R NI S H I N GS , ACCESSORIES & U NI Q U E G I F TS
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FEATURES
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A FAMILY MAN A tour of longtime SEC Commissioner Mike Slive’s home office tells you as much about his character as his accomplishments.
68 HIT THE ROAD
THE GREAT CAROLINA OUTDOORS Hike, bike and adventure at these three resorts in the new year.
76 SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION
What should you buy for friends and loved ones this season? Look no further than the shops right around you.
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PHOTO CONTRIBUTED
HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE
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PHOTO BY BLAIR RAMSEY
arts & culture
19 A Piece of Me: Jo Anne Young’s Lifetime of Art 28 Read This Book: Student-Approved Reads
schools & sports
29 Love Your Neighbor: A Mission to Do Small Things with Love 36 Five Questions For: Elementary School Character Club Leaders
food
& drink
in every issue 10 Contributors 13 From the Editor 14 The Question 15 The Guide 82 Out & About 87 Marketplace 88 My Vestavia Hills
37 Guilty No More: Finding Freedom with The Peachie Spoon
home
& style
47 Decking the Halls: All is Bright in Woodridge Place Home 56 In Style: Holiday Pizzazz
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contributors EDITORIAL
Alec Etheredge Meg Herndon Michelle Love Madoline Markham Keith McCoy Emily Sparacino
CONTRIBUTORS
Karen Askins Gabby Bass-Butler James Culver Morgan Hunt Blair Ramsey Christiana Roussel Elizabeth Sturgeon Lauren Ustad
DESIGN
Jamie Dawkins Connor Martin-Lively Kimberly Myers Briana Sansom
MARKETING
Evann Campbell Octavia Campbell Jessica Caudill Kari George Michaela Hancock Rachel Henderson Rhett McCreight Tori Montjoy Viridiana Romero Kerrie Thompson
ADMINISTRATION Hailey Dolbare Mary Jo Eskridge Daniel Holmes Stacey Meadows Tim Prince Brittany Schofield Anna Willis
Morgan Hunt, Photographer
Morgan recently finished her BS in art from the University of Montevallo. With her business, Morgan Hunt Media, she works as a freelance commercial and wedding photographer in the Birmingham area while getting her MA in photography from Savannah College of Art and Design. She believes that photographs have a very unique storytelling ability, and her work lives in a space between journalism and fine art.
Blair Ramsey, Photographer
Blair is a Vestavia Hills-based photographer whose company, Southern Intrigue Photography, specializes in sports action, portrait and commercial images. Blair and her husband, John, have two sons, Cooper and Cameron, who have both had the privilege of being Auburn cheerleaders. Blair’s work can be found at southernintriguephotography. com, on Instagram @southernintriguephotography and Facebook @southernintrigue.
Elizabeth Sturgeon, Writer
Elizabeth was born and raised in Birmingham and has stayed close to home ever since. You might find her searching for a thrift store gem or ordering a meal she’s never tried before. A recent Samford University graduate, Elizabeth works in Birmingham-Southern College’s communications department, writing about students, alumni and campus culture.
Lauren Ustad, Photographer
Lauren lives in Birmingham with her husband, Joe, their four children, and their 2-pound Yorkie they refer to as “Boobie.” She spends her professional time posing itty bitties and chasing little munchkins. In her free time you can probably find her slaving away at their most current renovation project or building Legos with her self-proclaimed super heroes.
Vestavia Hills Magazine is published quarterly by Shelby County Newspapers Inc., P.O. Box 947, Columbiana, AL 35051. Vestavia Hills Magazine is a registered trademark. All contents herein are the sole property of Shelby County Newspapers Inc. [the Publisher]. No part of this periodical may be reproduced without written permission from the Publisher. Please address all correspondence (including but not limited to letters, story ideas and requests to reprint materials) to: Editor, Vestavia Hills Magazine, P.O. Box 947, Columbiana, AL 35051. Vestavia Hills Magazine is mailed to select households throughout Vestavia Hills, and a limited number of free copies are available at local businesses. Please visit VestaviaHillsMagazine.com for a list of those locations. Subscriptions are available at a rate of $14.95 plus tax for one year by visiting VestaviaHillsMagazine.com or calling (205) 669-3131, ext. 532. Advertising inquiries may be made by emailing advertise@vestaviahillsmagazine.com, or by calling (205) 669-3131, ext. 536.
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18 years and counting... 14 Winter 2021
2823 18TH STREET SOUTH
SHOEFLYHOMEWOOD
from the editor
A
ON THE COVER
Food Freedom
As we enter the holidays, I’m reminded that as much as I love good food, a festive atmosphere and dressing up, I don’t love parties—at least not big parties. It can be fun for a short bit to mingle around, meet people and come across familiar faces, but quickly I’m longing for a one-on-one coffee date or meal around a small table, to dig into nextlevel depth of conversation. That’s part of why it’s fun to create magazine stories for you where we share in-depth conversations with people doing interesting things in our community—the kind of conversations that you might not get a chance to have with them at a party. For instance, I didn’t get to ever meet former SEC Commissioner Mike Slive himself, but his daughter Anna Slive Harwood told me all about his life and legacy as she showed our photographer Blair Ramsey and me around his office full of memorabilia from his career. Sure, his national championship ring collection is cool, but all the more so I am excited to share what I learned from Anna about his character and leadership. But before you get to those pages, be sure to read writer Elizabeth Sturgeon’s narrative on artist and teacher Jo Anne Young—who just so happened to have shaped Elizabeth as an artist as well. After that you’ll find a conversation I had with several Vestavia Hills High School students about how they are encouraging people to do “small things with great love” through their club, and the back story on all the inspiring healthy posts Meredith Mann aka @thepeachiespoon shares via the words of our intern Gabby Bass-Butler. Elsewhere in the magazine, our annual Holiday Gift Guide is full of ideas for those who are both easy and hard to buy for on your list all while shopping local, and as we head into 2022, our Hit the Road feature this season takes you to three resorts in the Carolinas where you can be active in all kinds of off-the-beaten-path ways. As we celebrate the holidays and the New Year, here’s to all the rich stories that our community will continue to live and that our team at Vestavia Hills Magazine has the pleasure to share with you! Feel free to send ideas for them my way any time.
madoline.markham@vestaviahillsmagazine.com
Meredith Mann is helping others find freedom in food through her work as The Peachie Spoon. Photo by Stacy Allen Design by Connor Martin-Lively
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“ ” THE QUESTION
What Vestavia Hills nonprofit or cause do you recommend supporting? The Vestavia Hills Library in the Forest Foundation because it is a great resource for our city with a MakerSpace, passport services and more. -Karen Eggert Templeton
-Katherine Coursey Gorham
Unless U, a safe, friendly environment providing continuing education for adults with special needs as well as job training in their very own Unless U Scoops.
Vapor Ministries. Micah and his team are the real deal.
Rucker Collier Foundation! They are carrying on Rucker’s memory by raising money for rare pediatric cancers and supporting other families fighting pediatric cancers.
aTeam Ministries’ owners are Vestavia residents. It offers spiritual, financial, and emotional support to children and families on the pediatric cancer journey.
AMBUCS behind Publix on Canyon Road provides adaptive “trykes” to children with mobility limitations. It is such a joy to see a child on these trykes.
Vestavia Hills Police Foundation, vestaviahills policefoundation.com
-Carolyn Juliano Lanzi
-Katie Kennedy
-Heather Douglass Brown
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Help the Hills provides a coalition of community stakeholders that are concerned for the overall health and wellness of Vestavia youth.
-Brad Johnson
-Kristen Metty
- Adam Hadder
THE GUIDE
PARADE TIME + SANTA TIME Vestavia Hills holiday traditions continue with these annual events: Vestavia Hills Christmas Parade Dec. 12 | 2-4 p.m. Liberty Park Sports Complex to Alston Meadows Find a good spot along the route to watch the parade pass. Breakfast with Santa Dec. 11 | 7:30-10 a.m. Vestavia Hills City Center The event is free to attend, with breakfast courtesy of the City of Vestavia Hills. VestaviaHillsMagazine.com 17
THE GUIDE AROUND TOWN NOV. 17-JAN. 2 Beyond Van Gogh: The Immersive Experience BJCC Exhibition Hall NOV. 26-DEC. 24 Christmas Tree Farm Old Baker Farm DEC. 1 Menorah Lighting Vestavia Hills City Hall
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Reindeer Dash Pure Fitness, Vestavia Hills 1425 Montgomery Highway, Suite 115 Work off all that party food at this annual 5K and 1-mile fun run. Better yet, dress as your favorite holiday character and bring your family when you come. Register at runsignup.com.
NONPROFIT
THE SHOW WILL GO ON Unless U students have two performances coming up. Join them for Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol on Dec. 3 at 2 p.m. or 6 p.m. at Unless U, 737 Chesnut Street in Vestavia, and then for Unless U Got Talent on Feb. 19 at 6:30 p.m. at the Lyric Theatre. Purchase tickets at unlessu.org/ drama for A Christmas Carol and unlessu. org/uugottalent for Unless U Got Talent.
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Dinner & Diamonds 7-11 P.M. Vestavia Country Club Time to dinner, entertainment, and silent and live auctions—all to benefit academic “extras” such as professional development, technology and classroom enhancements for Vestavia City Schools. Find tickets and more information at vestaviafoundation.org. 18 Winter 2021
DEC. 3-5 Magic City Nutcracker The Lyrice Theatre DEC. 3-19 Holiday Spectacular Red Mountain Theatre Company DEC. 3-22 Holiday Film Series Alabama Theatre DEC. 11 Independent Presbyterian Church Holiday House Tour Various Homes DEC. 14 Birmingham Boys Choir Christmas Concert Samford University Wright Center DEC. 17-19 & 21-23 Alabama Ballet’s The Nutcracker BJCC Concert Hall DEC. 20-JAN. 1 Winter Holidays Vestavia Hills City Schools Closed JAN. 17 MLK Holiday Vestavia Hills City Schools Closed JAN. 19-23 Dear Evan Hansen Presented by Broadway in Birmingham BJCC Concert Hall
THE GUIDE JAN. 20-29 Birmingham Restaurant Week Winter Edition JAN. 20-FEB. 5 Dolly Parton’s 9 to 5: The Musical Virginia Samford Theatre JAN. 20-22 Birmingham Boat Show BJCC Exhibition Halls FEB. 11-27 Once on this Island Red Mountain Theatre Company FEB. 11-13 Mercedes Benz Marathon Weekend FEB. 17-20 Cats Presented by Broadway in Birmingham BJCC Concert Hall
COMMUNITY
FAMILY FESTIVITIES Each year RISE at Vestavia Hills High School raises money to benefit cancer research, and this year they have all kinds of fun events planned for the community, each benefitting the Adolescent and Young Adult Oncology Program at UAB. A Santa Celebration
DEC. 5 | 4-6 P.M. Vestavia Hills High School Gym Take free pictures with Santa Claus and enjoy a sing-along, crafts and food. Tickets are $10 per child and free for adults. Buy them on gofan.co under Vestavia Hills High School.
RISE & Buy - A Massive Yard Sale
FEB. 12 | 8 A.M.-NOON Vestavia Hills Civic Center
Come find a treasure at this sale! Superhero Fun Run+Rebel 5K Color Run
Pinkies Up Tea Party
MARCH 5 Vestavia Hills High School
Time for a tea party with Alice in Wonderland, Wonderland and more! Tickets are $10 per child and free for adults. Buy them on gofan.co under VHHS.
Ages first through fifth grade can take part in the Superhero Run at 8:30 a.m., and ages sixth grade to adult can take part in the Color Run at 9:30 a.m. Register ($20) at go.uab.edu/vhhsrise no later than Feb. 22.
FEB. 5 | 10-11:30 A.M. Vestavia Hills United Methodist
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[Newbor n + Child + Family Por traiture] info@apeppermintphoto.com + 205.807.6431 w w w . a p e p p e r m i n t p h o t o . c o m 20 Winter 2021
&CULTURE
ARTS
A PIECE OF ME
For Jo Anne Young and her students, art has been a way to make sense of the world and to be a light in it. BY ELIZABETH STURGEON PHOTOS BY MORGAN HUNT VestaviaHillsMagazine.com 21
I
I fill my hand with soap and swirl paint-clogged bristles under the faucet. Fingers wrinkled and stained, I stir the brushes into my palm until the colors run clear. A good, clean paint brush requires some of the same patience that a painter employs in their craft. Maybe my process sounds obvious, but it’s a method I have followed carefully ever since Jo Anne Young taught me 15 years ago. Wide-eyed and eager to create, I was one of the thousands of faces that sat in Ms. Young’s art room over her 40 years at Briarwood Christian School. During those years, she helped artists of all levels master the basics during art class and private lessons before school, after school and during her
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lunch break. She poured into all her students—from third graders through adult students—and helped them paint the things that inspired them. A crucial part of my growth as an artist, Ms. Young’s instruction brought my artistic spark down to reality. I learned how to mix a green that was vibrant and leafy and how to cast shadows with dots of ink. There was a science to the precision in which she taught, met by the beautiful images we got to replicate and her always-encouraging guidance. That combination of detailed talent with an inspired love for storytelling is what makes Jo Anne the artist she is and gives her current work meaning—the art she now has time to create outside of the classroom since retiring in 2017. “Under the
Jo Anne Young retired from working as an art teacher at Briarwood Christian School in 2017 and now paints from her Cahaba Heights home.
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GIGGLES AND HUGS After she retired, Jo Anne’s first goal was to publish a children’s book. From the beginning of the writing and illustration process to the release, she achieved her goal in about one year. Giggles and Hugs is a collection of stories for grandchildren and pulls from Jo Anne’s own experiences with her five grandchildren.
microscope, everything is methodically placed,” she says. “Realistic and abstract art can be found all around us. You’ll see that God placed abstract patterns and colors that are thoughtfully and purposefully arranged. Jo Anne launched her second career right after her Mother’s Day Brunch in 2017, when her daughter, Julie, encouraged her mom to repurpose her childhood bedroom. By the next weekend, Jo Anne arranged her studio space in her beloved Cahaba Heights home, and the soft blue walls were
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quickly filled with her acrylic paintings, charcoal sketches and ink drawings. You can’t divide Jo Anne’s current portfolio from the 40 years she spent teaching though. She’s perfected her artistic eye for capturing heart and soul through art by teaching others, which has always been her dream. Jo Anne received a Bachelor of Science in art education from the University of Montevallo before finding her longtime position at Briarwood—where her husband, Coach Jeff Young, also taught for 45
This painting depicts Jo Anne’s five grandchildren.
years—and then building her teaching career. Growing up primarily in small town Evergreen, Alabama, without art classes in her schools, Jo Anne taught herself, gathering all the art books in the library to page through the work of the greats and study their techniques. Art became her lens to see beauty in the world, and she knew she wanted to give more artists the opportunity to gain this perspective. “Art was a way to release and make sense of the world, and to be a light in the midst of it,” Jo Anne says. “Even in teaching and seeing that light bulb as students understand how to paint what they see, my purpose has been to glorify the Lord with whatever he’s put in my hands.” Her new portfolio of work is just an extension of the purpose to which she’s always clung. Jo Anne’s art has become her medium for telling the stories that are personal to her and those behind her commissions. Peeking between bookshelves in her studio is a framed print of Norman Rockwell’s “Triple Self-Portrait,” a piece from her favorite artist and fellow storyteller. It makes sense that Jo Anne is drawn to someone who shares the same commitment to detail and narrative-focused artwork that she channels in her own work. VestaviaHillsMagazine.com 25
ALL IN THE FAMILY It’s no surprise that Jo Anne’s two daughters, Alieta Young Casey and Julie Young Tucker (pictured on right), developed artistic talent and passions of their own, and both still live in the Birmingham area with their families and continue to pursue art. Alieta shares her insight on interior design and décor through her blog and Instagram account, Alieta Treasure Hunting, while Julie is producing custom artwork like her mom with Bridal Illustrations by Julie.
These are the kind of things that are so powerfully touching. They’re moments that are in your heart for a long time. -Jo Anne Young
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Her pieces never go without a title and a backstory, which she usually shares on social media with photos of what she’s working on or the complete piece. Sometimes, those stories are the ones given to her—what she calls people’s “heart-tugs” that they’ve come to her with—or stories and inspiration of her own. Her writings about each piece are almost like devotionals, often including the prayers that interconnect with her pieces. “This perspective, starting a second career, I’m not like I was coming out of college,” she says. “I’m enjoying my art and my time in a way that ministers to others. I love painting all kinds of things—abstract or realistically, or landscapes, flowers, people— because I’ve had 40 years of helping others do that.” In paints, charcoal, graphite or ink, Jo Anne captures meaning in simple scenes: hands held within each other, a grandfather and granddaughter tending the garden, the house where a couple got married or where their parents grew up. “These are the kind of things that are so powerfully touching,” she says. “They’re moments that are in your heart for a long time.” In her body of work, you’ll find angels and heavenly scenes, florals and nature, and people and families as Jo Anne’s primary subject matter, which she often pulls from her own family, from scripture or from images in her mind. Her style is the storytelling—she never limits herself to certain subjects, sizes and textures, or specific techniques that bind her work into one category. She’s always curious to paint in a different way or tackle a new style of portraiture. VestaviaHillsMagazine.com 27
Jo Anne likes having Norman Rockwell’s “Triple Self Portrait” hanging as she paints.
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Likewise, with her teaching background, she’s guided students to create work of all kinds and continues to search for that breadth. She’s drawn to the different backgrounds and experiences people bring to her and gets lost in the creative process, adding life and dimension to their stories, just like she does with her own. Jo Anne becomes close to every piece she works on and has always felt that familiarity with art. She knows she can still pick out the work of her students from decades ago—in fact, it’s happened before— because she knows the pieces and has a distinct way of teaching and capturing an image. She would surely still recognize the ink drawings and paintings that my mom still has matted and framed on her walls, in the same way I recognize the techniques I still pull from her class. Whether or not her students now are still active artists, Jo Anne has impacted something in their creative life, or in the way they see the world. “In my artwork and in what my students do, a piece of me’s in it,” she says. “There’s heart tugs in each one, especially when you’re praying for certain situations that are difficult, and you know this painting will be a ray of hope.”
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ARTS & CULTURE
READ THIS BOOK
StudentApproved Reads Recommendations from
Sheila Jackson
VHHS Freshman Campus Library Media Specialist
It is often a challenge to get students to read, so I try to find creative ways to make this happen. I have students recommend books that they have read and liked, and then I post a simple sticky note with the student’s name. I also have a running list of “wanted titles” that the students update and add to. It helps when they are actively involved in what they want to read. My hope is that they become lifelong learners and readers.
The Secret Life of Bees
By Sue Monk Kidd Fourteen-year-old Lily and her companion, Rosaleen, an African-American woman who has cared for Lily since her mother’s death ten years earlier, flee their home after Rosaleen is victimized and escape to Tiburon, South Carolina, a town that holds the secret to her mother’s past. Taken in by an eccentric trio of black beekeeping sisters, Lily is introduced to their mesmerizing world of bees and honey, and she finds a safe haven in Tiburon, South Carolina, at the home of May, June and August.
Out of My Mind
By Sharon M. Draper Melody is not like most people. She cannot walk or talk, but she has a photographic memory and can remember every detail of everything she has ever experienced. She is smarter than most of the adults who try to diagnose her and smarter than her classmates in her integrated classroom—the very same classmates who dismiss her as mentally challenged because she cannot tell them otherwise. But Melody refuses to be defined by cerebral palsy. And she’s determined to let everyone know it—somehow.
DUNE
By Frank Herbert My students and teachers have raved about this book. It’s hard to keep this one on the shelf! When House Atreides is betrayed, the destruction of Paul’s family will set the boy on a journey toward a destiny greater than he could ever have imagined. And as he evolves into the mysterious man known as Muad’Dib, he will bring to fruition humankind’s most ancient and unattainable dream.
My Hero Academia
By Kohei Horikshi This is another series that the students love. It is a graphic novel and is in high demand in my library. What would the world be like if 80 percent of the population manifested superpowers called “Quirks” at age 4? Heroes and villains would be battling it out everywhere! Being a hero would mean learning to use your power, but where would you go to study? The Hero Academy of course! But what would you do if you were one of the 20 percent who were born Quirkless?
Everything Sad Is Untrue
By Daniel Nayeri Khosrou’s stories, stretching back years, decades and centuries, are beautiful and terrifying, from the moment he, his mother and his sister fled Iran in the middle of the night. They stretch all the way back to family tales set in the jasmine-scented city of Isfahan, the palaces of semi-ancient kings and even the land of stories.
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SCHOOL
&SPORTS
LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR This high school club is building houses and encouraging those around them to do things with love. BY MADOLINE MARKHAM PHOTOS CONTRIBUTED VestaviaHillsMagazine.com 31
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Since 2004, the Habitat for Humanity Club at Vestavia Hills High School has raised $25,000 a year for a Habitat house and been a part of the team that builds the house they fund in partnership with Vestavia Hills United Methodist Church. But last year their mission became even bigger, with a desire to build community around them and encourage others to do small things with great love. You might have seen their Love Your Neighbor T-shirts and yard signs around, but there’s a lot more to it too. To learn more about the club’s new mission and how they live it out, we chatted with Vice President Jamie Casey, President Rebecca Berry, Vice President Emeritus Molly Steur and President Emeritus Nathaniel Bass just after this year’s Love
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Your Neighbor Week. Why did you decide to join the Habitat for Humanity club? Nathaniel: My sister was president emeritus my freshman year, so I was forced into it. I fell in love with the club and was chaplain my sophomore year. The relationships we build with one another on build days are so much fun. Jamie: My dad did Habitat when I was younger on Saturdays, so I have always wanted to join it in high school. Rebecca: I like doing volunteer stuff, and I thought it would be a good way to meet new people and build stronger bonds with my friends.
VHHS students participate in builds through the school's Habitat for Humanity Club.
Molly: I felt called to do something in a club, and I signed up for it and went to a build and fell I love with it.
people will be generous with us.
What did the week look like that first year? Molly: We didn’t have a centralized event Where did the idea for Love Your Neighbor because of COVID. We sold T-shirts in three colors and yard signs, and we had spirit nights at local Week come from? Molly: In the summer of 2020, we were looking restaurants where they gave us a portion of their at fundraising opportunities. In the past we funds and we encouraged people to patronize local fundraised through the homecoming dance, but businesses. We had some church groups go to elementary schools and cover the sidewalks in chalk with COVID restrictions we couldn’t put it on. Nathaniel: We wanted to raise the money we with positive messages. We gave food and gift cards need and also pour back into the community. Our to first responders with notes from youth groups. mission statement is to be faithful community We sold flower bombs, which are flower stewards by serving others and doing small things arrangements by local florist Flower Betty. We with great love, and Love Your Neighbor Week is encouraged people to buy them for their neighbors the embodiment of our mission. It’s our opportunity and spread joy that way. The community really to reinvest in our community. Our club has always responded to our mission that week in ways we had a huge focus on raising money and building a never thought they would. home, but now we pair community building with fundraising. We also wanted to buy 937 employees And what about this year? Rebecca: For this year we edited the days a of Vestavia City Schools a box lunch from Chickfil-A because we recognize that if we are generous little. We had Favorite Restaurants Night and VestaviaHillsMagazine.com 33
This fall the club held its first concert during its Love Your Neighbor Week.
Favorite Business Night where we encouraged people to shop local and eat local. We had Love Your Schools Day to show how much we appreciate our teachers, our janitors, our lunch staff, everyone. The community bought Chick-fil-A lunches for all
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of them. Our average donation was $8, and we had over 150 individual donations from people across the community to chip in to buy teamers lunch. Jamie: We got a proclamation from Mayor Ashley Curry for Love Your Neighbor Week too.
Anyone can order “flower bombs” from Flower Betty as a fundraiser for the Habitat for Humanity Club.
What was this year’s inaugural concert like? Rebecca: For our Love Your Neighbor Concert, we had student bands perform at Wald Park and had food trucks and inflatables, and we invited the community to come. So many people came, and that was really inspiring. We had upwards of 600 people. We had the a cappella group called Just Singing and a Michael Jackson/Queen impersonator called Terry Killit and a DJ from the middle school named DJ Midnight. We also had a brass band called Hill Street Bass who are members of the marching band, and we had a two-person rock band called the Silos who closed for us and who was amazing. They all did such a good job. Flower Betty was giving out free roses and a had a flower arch where you could take pictures. What memories stand out from the week? Nathaniel: We would deliver flower bombs last year in the pouring rain. We’d knock on doors and run. Molly: The night of the concert I found myself alone at some point, and stood back and was watching 200 kids listening to music and kids running around and parents enjoying themselves. I loved it. That was my favorite moment, and the sun was setting too. Nathaniel: We raised $6,000 just that night and $15,000 during Love Your Neighbor Week. The financial part is important, but the community engagement is more rewarding than anything else. And you followed up with a homecoming dance returning this year too? Nathaniel: We are in charge of the homecoming dance, and we had it at Wald Park this year. Molly: Our theme was Starry Night, and we setup twinkle lights. Rebecca: We wanted people to come and have fun. What’s new on the horizon for the club? Nathaniel: We are starting to partner with Christian Service Mission, and their mission is to connect resources with needs. VestaviaHillsMagazine.com 35
We will provide new opportunities for club members to go work at their warehouse. We are talking about the opportunity to teach our students how to interact with the people we are helping and how to build a connection with them. This year we are looking at inviting other organizations to join us for builds. It’s awesome team building.
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Let’s talk about the Habitat for Humanity builds. What are those like? Molly: Builds are really fun. We usually have a bus from Vestavia Hills United Methodist, and we all show up at the build site 8 a.m.-3 p.m. on a Saturday. The build directors go over safety, and then we pray over our build. We split into groups from there, and they instruct us on what we need to
W E L C O M E O U R N E W E S T P E D I A T R I C I A N
Sarah Spencer, MD
do. You don’t have to have any prior constructions skills, and you learn a lot of new skills. It takes us three months, from the last Saturday of January through mid-April typically. What stands out about those days? Molly: The cool thing about a Habitat build is sometimes you don’t know what you will be doing until you show up. You could be building the floors of a house. Nathaniel: My favorite build is where we raise the walls with the family we are building it for. There is nothing like it. That’s what gets our students so engaged with it. Molly: It’s such a visually gratifying build because you start with a square in the ground, and by the end of it, it looks like a house shape. Rebecca: Builds are a good way to meet new people and make friends. I know I have met a lot of my close friends through Habitat. Nathaniel: There are so many photos I look back at and see people I didn’t know at the beginning of a day that now I say hi to in the hallways at school. What have you learned about Habitat for Humanity as a larger organization? Nathaniel: We can see the need for affordable, safe housing and for a home. Our club started in 2004, and every year we have built a home for a single mother and her family. We like getting to meet with them and ask them what their prayer requests are. Last year we got Sharpies and wrote on the studs of the walls our prayers for the home and our favorite verses, and that was really cool. We got to bless that home from the ground up.
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SCHOOL & SPORTS
5
FIVE QUESTIONS FOR
Vestavia Hills Elementary Cahaba Heights Grub Hub Leaders PHOTO CONTRIBUTED
Like many elementary schools, most of the teachers and staff at Vestavia Hills Elementary Cahaba Heights are female, so last school year some of the few male faculty and staff members took stock of the importance in their position as role models for boys in the school and wanted to do something about it. That’s how Grub Hub, a character-building lunch club for fifth-grade boys, got its start. Once a month the boys met in small groups with Custodian Orenzo Hardy, Paraprofessional Xavier Bryant, School Resource Officer Andy Chapman or Assistant Principal Jason Bostic to talk through character traits and role play situations. Last year the club was awarded a promising practice from Character. org for its work. To learn more about it, we chatted with Orenzo Hardy and school counselor Cortney McKinney. How did this character club get started? Cortney: It all began last year when one of our paraprofessionals Xavier Bryant came to our Assistant Principal Mr. Bostic and said, “I think it would be a really cool idea to have some lunch bunches with these boys.” There was an urgency to make an impression on them before they move to middle school. They wanted to take some of that character traits we were discussing and teach these boys how to be men of integrity and character. What did the club meetings look like? Orenzo: We started off talking to the boys about being accountable and integrity and making good decisions no matter who is watching or where you are. We want them to understand that going into middle school you are going to be more of an individual and make individual decisions, and that you have to hold each other accountable. If each student takes care of himself and looks out for the group, it will 38 Winter 2021
assistant principle as someone who doesn’t discipline but who listens. They got to know the custodian as someone who is Why do you think the club is important? there for them in every sense of the word. Orenzo: Knowing you have a male Orenzo: As males we wanted to share that we care about these boys and their adult you can turn to no matter what was growth and their studies. Being able to something that was reassuring. The kids express yourself as a male sometimes is felt comfortable coming to us with certain difficult, especially at that age. We wanted things, and you could see their growth to them to know that they are special and be accountable and responsible. You could that they are future leaders of this see them helping the little kids and being community and will make difference in respectful to the staff and their classmates. this community and state and country. What will Grub Hub look like this year? Cortney: This year we don’t have Mr. How did you see the club impacted the Bostic and Mr. X, so we are down a few boys in it? Cortney: At the end of the year, I was men who directed the club. This year the asked to find one or two things we did well Youth Leadership classes at the high at our school to highlight at a meeting, so I school are selecting six to eight guys who invited Bryce Romeo to talk about what he will come over here once a month to be our liked about Grub Hub. He said he new leaders. I think that’s going to start a considered it “bro time,” and they looked really neat relationship where our guys are forward to it every single month. They got going to hang on every word they say. We to know a police officer as someone who is also plan to invite some of our men from not threatening. They got to know the the board. make a better situation for the whole community.
&DRINK
FOOD
GUILTY NO MORE
Meredith Mann aka The Peachie Spoon is helping others find freedom in food—with plenty of recipes. BY GABBY BASS-BUTLER PHOTOS BY STACY ALLEN & CONTRIBUTED VestaviaHillsMagazine.com 39
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A quick glance at @thepeachiespoon photos on Instagram might have you thinking Meredith Mann has things all figured out. She eats healthy and delicious looking meals amidst her busy schedule raising kids in Vestavia Hills, and she’s always got a smile on her face. But as passionate is she is about health and nutrition, her journey to finding freedom in food was no easy one. After graduating high school, Meredith became a personal trainer, but she was not as healthy as she might have seemed from the outside. Inside she felt like she did not look like how a personal trainer should look, which led to an eating disorder and a food obsession. Eventually though she came into a better relationship with food. “I just found this peace, and I’m not ever on a diet and I don’t count things,” she says today. “I’m just honoring my body, but I don’t have food guilt either.” After her kids started school, Meredith felt the urge to start working again. She knew she did not want to get back into personal training, but she knew she loved nutrition and could do something with that. And that’s just what she did. “I thought that I can help people because all women are on a diet all the time, overthinking it, feeling guilty and not content in their own skin,” she says. Today Meredith is a holistic
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Meredith Mann creates recipes and shares tips from her Vestavia Hills home.
I just found this peace, and I’m not ever on a diet and I don’t count things. I’m just honoring my body, but I don’t have food guilt either. -Meredith Mann nutrition consultant who runs an online platform that allows her to help thousands of clients focus on living a well-balanced life. In 2019 she took that mission to Instagram as @thepeachiespoon but had no idea that it would lead thousands of clients and more than 15,000 followers who keep up with her tips, recipes and nutritional science facts. Day to day, Meredith does everything from consultations to monthly plans to grocery shopping with clients. In all of it, she focuses on more than just what you eat and what kind of medicine you take. “Holistic looks at your whole body picture, how well are you sleeping, are you taking vitamins, how your emotional and mental health is,” she says. She’s also become quite the recipe developer along the way as she posts about smoothies, lunch ideas and energy bites. With 42 Winter 2021
MEREDITH’S GROCERY STAPLES uNut Butters- Shoot for just the nut and salt in
uEggs- These great complete protein and healthy
uCanned Tuna & Salmon- A great quick protein,
uBagged Slaw- For a quick dinner with any
the ingredients list to lessen the inflammatory oils. they come in flavors now and are easy to eat with crackers for a quick meal.
uGrass-Fed Whey Protein Powder- For smoothies and protein oats.
uUnsweetened Almond, Cashew or Coconut
Milk- I always have the unrefrigerated ones in the pantry in case I want to make a quick smoothie.
uPastas - Lentil and chickpea pastas have more fiber and some protein, and canned hearts of palm noodles and miracle noodles are great to have for a last-minute dinner with protein. uCoconut Aminos- I use
these in place of soy sauce and Worcestershire for a great flavor for seasoning all meats.
uCottage Cheese & Greek YogurtThese are great quick proteins to
add to meals or fruit for blood sugar balance.
fat source all in one.
protein, I usually just add vinegar and some avocado oil mayo or pesto.
uPesto & Marinara- Look for olive oil in pesto to
skip those inflammatory oils and no added sugar in the ingredient list of jarred marinara. There’s plenty of natural sugar in the tomatoes.
uRaw Veggies & Hummus- I love to snack on these if I’m super hungry while cooking dinner. uFrozen Turkey Meatballs & Burgers- These
great for a last minute dinner in 10 minutes—it’s quicker than takeout. uSpinach- I buy the big container of fresh and keep it in the freezer so it lasts longer. Add it to smoothies and throw in with eggs. uPotatoes- White or sweet, these make a balanced meal and come together quick. Just microwave them and add a protein source.
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APPLE PIE SMOOTHIE Smoothie Base:
u1 cup almond milk u1 tablespoon psyllium husk, flax or chia seeds u1 serving vanilla protein u1 scoop collagen (optional) u1 handful spinach u1/4 teaspoon cinnamon udash pink salt Topping:
u1 apple, diced u1/4 teaspoon cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice u1/2 serving of your favorite nuts or unsweetened coconut Add smoothie ingredients in the order listed and blend well. While blending, chop apple and add cinnamon. Microwave apple and cinnamon combination in a glass bowl for 1 minute, and then add to it to the top of the smoothie with your favorite nuts or coconut for healthy fats and vital chewing that ensures you’re satisfied. I love fruits during these colder months, and as a bonus, they’re easier to break down during digestion when cooked. 44 Winter 2021
each dish she creates, she is thinking about more than taste, although that’s certainly a factor too. “I do have in my head how to make [the recipes] just the right amount of fat and carbs, so you have the balance of blood sugar that makes you feel good and shut off your hunger,” says Meredith. “There’s more science to my recipes than just putting it together.” Meredith is also a firm believer in finding freedom in food. When she talks to others about food guilt, Meredith boils it down to taking it one day at a time and one meal at a time. She also thinks being more mindful and listening to our cravings is a big help in finding freedom with food. “If you crave pizza, just have pizza and just pray for no guilt and shame,” she says. “Be mindful and sit down, fix the plate, and enjoy your pizza.” It’s also key how you start your day for Meredith. “Breakfast is the most
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ROSEMARY CHICKEN (OR TURKEY) SALAD u2-3 cups chopped cooked chicken (Meredith uses a whole rotisserie chicken) or leftover turkey from the holidays u1/4 cup avocado mayo or Greek yogurt u1 tablespoon Dijon or spicy mustard u1/2 red onion, diced u1/4 cup sliced almonds or walnuts u1 pear, chopped u3 pieces of bacon, cooked & crumbled u1 teaspoon fresh rosemary, chopped u1/2 teaspoon salt u1/2 teaspoon pepper Combine all ingredients in a bowl for a protein and healthy fat combination you can throw on salad greens or put in a wrap/ tortilla, on baked potato, or on bread. And then you’ve got a quick, easy, balanced meal.
important meal of the day because it sets the tone for hunger and cravings. So do more of a savory breakfast and try to get more protein in,” she says. “Then you’ll feel better with your hunger, especially if you’re one that tends to over eat a lot, especially in late afternoon because you’re lacking protein at breakfast, little tweaks like that.” With 2022 right around the corner, Meredith advises others to not to be too restrictive as you make resolutions so they are 46 Winter 2021
VestaviaHillsMagazine.com 47
EASY MEATBALL VEGETABLE SOUP u2 bags frozen turkey meatballs ( Meredith buys from Trader Joe’s or Publix.) u1 onion, chopped uNew potatoes, chopped or cut in half of tiny u1 bag frozen vegetables (corn, green beans, carrot mix) u1 can tomato paste u1 can diced tomatoes u32 ounces beef or chicken bone broth u2 garlic cloves, minced or 2 teaspoons garlic powder u1 teaspoon Italian seasoning uSalt & pepper, to taste Put all ingredients in a slow cooker and cook on low for 6-8 hours or high for 3-4 hours. If it’s last minute, put all ingredients in a Dutch pot. Bring to a boil and cover until potatoes are cooked through, about 30 min. In the instant pot, cook it on manual high pressure for 25 minutes and natural release 10-15 minutes. sustainable. So just start slow and take things one at a time, she says. And lest you think healthy food is boring, check out The Peachie Spoon feed. “It’s really fun and it doesn’t feel like work,” she says. “I feel like everybody can find peace with food.” Follow Meredith’s recipes and tips on Instagram at @thepeachiespoon. 48 Winter 2021
&STYLE
HOME
DECKING THE HALLS All is bright when the Krepses’ Woodridge Place home is dressed up for the holidays. BY MADOLINE MARKHAM PHOTOS BY LAUREN USTAD VestaviaHillsMagazine.com 49
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Joseph and Carrie Kreps first walked into the home on Woodridge Place on a cold February day in 2019. Its kitchen and bathrooms hadn’t been updated since the house was built in 2000, but that didn’t matter once they stepped outside the back door into a serene landscaped patio complete with an outdoor fireplace. “We loved the natural energy,” Carrie says. “It felt right.” After moving in, though, they brightened up most everything in the house with white paint, added molding and putting in touches to make it their own, most notably by renovating both the kitchen and bathrooms. When it came to furnishings, Carrie mixed antiques with new pieces. “I like traditional things but also throwing in something different and unexpected,” she says. And last year she stepped up her Christmas decorating game for their home to be on the Samford University Legacy League Home Tour (See box on page 53 with more information.)
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2020 certainly did not bring the Christmas season anyone expected, but decorating the house for the tour became a fun project for Carrie and her mom, who has worked as a decorator, while staying home. Since her parents weren’t hosting a big Christmas party like usual, Carrie borrowed some of their décor in addition to items she had collected herself over the years—starting with tree decorations going up as trick or treaters stopped by her house. It’s fitting that the home tour benefits Samford University scholarships too, since Carrie and Joseph met at the university when they were in pharmacy school and law school, respectively, and their home overlooks the school with views of the campus from its second story windows. No matter the time of year though, you’re likely to find Joseph outdoors with a head lamp doing yard work or the whole family enjoying their backyard oasis together.
Outdoor Living Room This outdoor living space sold the Krepses on buying this home. For the holidays it’s dressed up with fresh greenery on the fireplace mantle and colorful lights on the deer head Carrie bought at a shop in Franklin, Tennessee, where her family lived while she was in college.
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Dining Room Carrie likes to mix old with new, as you can see on her holiday table set with her mom’s Christmas china. The china cabinet had also been her parents’, but she purchased the chairs new. She also foraged magnolia branches for the center of the tablescape.
Greenery with red berries adds a festive flair to the back of each dining chair.
Carrie stacked a white dinner plate with a more ornate red and white china pattern salad plate for a look that still left room for more pizzazz from red and green around the napkin.
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Kitchen Before moving into their home two years ago, the Krepses had the kitchen completely renovated, refinishing the existing wood cabinets with white paint and adding quartz countertops and crystal door pulls. The kitchen’s simple white aesthetic makes holiday greens and reds pop all the more in front of it.
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Den Carrie wanted this space off the kitchen to be more casual and comfortable than other rooms in the house, and likewise its Christmas tree showcases homemade ornaments and ones they have bought on family trips that remind them of vacations they have taken together as they decorate the tree each year.
Darnell’s
3370 Morgan Drive (Rocky Ridge Plaza next to Publix)
Vestavia Hills, AL 35216 205-823-3688
www.darnellsfunstuff.com
Gifts for All Occasions! Next Day Personalizing Monogramming• Engraving• Printing Baby• Wedding• Holiday and more! 54 Winter 2021
Living Room A more formal room called for a more formal Christmas tree, so Carrie decked this flocked tree in serene blue and metallic ornaments with glitzy decorative stems at its top.
ABOUT THE HOME TOUR The Samford University Legacy League holds a Christmas Home Tour each year to raise money for scholarships for students with significant financial need and challenging circumstances. Last year the Kreps’ home was on the tour, and this year it will feature three homes in Mountain Brook and two in Vestavia Hills. Christmas Home Tour uThursday, Dec. 9
u10 a.m.-2 p.m., 4-8 p.m. Advance tickets are required and may be purchased at samford.edu/legacyleague. VestaviaHillsMagazine.com 55
Master Bathroom Carrie got the idea to put balloon “bubbles” in her bathtub of her newly renovated master bathroom with help from Rainbow Balloon Company from looking through magazines, and she decided to take the tub in a more comical direction with a bottom half of a Santa made to set in a fireplace she bought from a friend. “My kids came home and could not stop laughing,” she says.
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IN STYLE
1
SPARKLE + SHINE
BY ABBY ADAMS PHOTOS BY LAUREN USTAD
2
FOR MOM 4
1. GOLD STAR EARRINGS Fun up any holiday outfit with this gold pair. Cradle + Bee | $22
2. GOLD GLITTER TOP Go for the gold this holiday season. Cradle + Bee | $69
5 3
3. BLACK PLEATED LEATHER SKIRT Add a black leather skirt as a staple for your winter wardrobe. Cradle + Bee | $79
4. GOLD BUDDHA BANGLES These bangles go with everything. Cradle + Bee | $125
6
5. STAR CLUTCH The finishing touch for your party look might just be this clutch. Cradle + Bee | $69
6. AMULET BLACK BOOTIES If your boots don’t have bling, you are missing out. Little Soles | $129
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2
FOR DAUGHTER 1 1. GOLD SPARKLY TOP Nothing says holiday party like this top. GiGi’s Tween | $39
2. GOLD STAR & MOON EARRINGS These are sure to make a statement with any outfit. GiGi’s Tween | $14
3. BLACK LEATHER SKIRT
6
Pleats make this leather skirt extra fun to wear. GiGi’s Tween | $58
3
4. GOLD SPARKLY FLATS Sparkle from head to toe with these flats. Little Soles | $38
5. SILVER PRESENT CLUTCH
5
4
What girl doesn’t want a present clutch for Christmas? GiGi’s Tween | $32
6. GUITAR STRING STAR BRACELETS Fun up any outfit with these on your wrist. GiGi’s Tween | $21
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This guitar was a gift for Mike Slive from people he worked with in Nashville, which hosted the Music City Bowl and SEC Basketball Tournaments.
62 Winter 2021
A Family Man A tour of longtime SEC Commissioner Mike Slive’s home office tells you as much about his character as his accomplishments. By Madoline Markham | Photos by Blair Ramsey & Contributed Mike Slive never forgot the day he first set foot on Panorama Drive. He and his wife, Liz, were moving to Vestavia Hills from downtown Chicago as he was starting a new position as Southeastern Conference commissioner in 2002, and that particular day the realtor walked them around the side of a house where Mike saw the crest view overlooking Birmingham’s foothills. He was sold right then, and then he turned around and said, “Great, it comes with a house too!” Mike would quickly come to joke that they were northerners by birth and southerners by choice as they came to greatly enjoy the community around
them, and he spent much of the years to come on the house’s screened-in porch taking in that view, smoking cigars, enjoying his morning coffee and conducting business on the phone. When he retired from the SEC in 2015, Mike had an architect come and design an office space in the top floor of his Panorama Drive home to showcase memorabilia from his career. “He was a humble family guy and had never had a room like this before he retired, so it was his baby when he built this,” his daughter Anna Slive Harwood says. “He loved being up here.” The wall of bookshelves on the far side of the VestaviaHillsMagazine.com 63
ANOTHER MIKE SLIVE LEGACY The Mike Slive Foundation started with notes on a napkin at Salem’s Diner, where a booth in Mike’s memory is now filled with his photos. Mike battled prostate cancer for 20 years before he passed away in 2018, 18 months after he cofounded the foundation with Ed Myerson. Ed’s father had prostate cancer, and Ed wanted to start the foundation so his grandsons don’t have to deal with it. Today one in eight men will get prostate cancer in their lifetime, and if you are African American or if your dad or grandfather had it, you are twice as likely to get it. The good news is when the cancer is caught early, it’s 98 percent treatable, so much of what the foundation does is to get the word out about early detection—a message that many men are more likely to listen to if they hear it from an athletic leader. Mike’s cancer eventually metastasized to his spine, and he went through surgery and chemo treatments. He said part of why he wanted to create the foundation is because he didn’t want any man to go through all that he went through, which could have been treated if it was diagnosed earlier. “He said to me early on that it’s amazing to think that his legacy could be something beyond just college sports with this foundation,” Anna says. To learn more about the foundation or to donate, visit mikeslivefoundation.org 64 Winter 2021
TOP: Mike read many books on Winston Churchill, as evidenced by this shelf of books on him. BOTTOM: Mike would often write a note to his granddaughter Abigail in a book after completing it. “He wanted his library to become her library,” Anna says. “That is one of the best gifts he could give her.”
room was home to countless books and photo albums as well as binders containing every speech he made for the SEC. Throughout you’d find items like a bobble head that was made of him and cowbells given to him by former Mississippi State Athletic Director Larry Templeton, also one of Mike’s best friends. Mike, who passed away from prostate cancer in 2018, loved history and filled his shelves with biographies of Winston Churchill and other leaders. “There are people who read books about
leadership, and there’s a whole selfhelp section full of them. But my dad read biographies of great leaders,” Anna says. “I think that contributed to his leadership skills because he knew history and what great leadership is.” Still his most prized possessions in the room weren’t the championship rings, commemorative watches or basketballs from each of the five years he served on the NCAA Men’s Basketball Selection Committee in the office. Instead they were the framed photos of his family that
filled a shelf right next to the door to the room. “Family was everything to him,” Anna says. For Mike serving as commissioner of the SEC was the perfect culmination of all parts of his long career in sports and law. He’d worked as a lawyer and district court judge when he was younger and founded a law firm that assisted NCAA institutions in compliance matters. Before serving as conference commissioners, he was an assistant director of athletics at Dartmouth College, his alma mater, and the director of athletics at Cornell University. Those who knew him would say he was tough and fair and
honest and kind, all at the same time, in all of those positions and as commissioner of the Great Midwest Conference or Conference USA before starting with the SEC. “When he came to the SEC in 2002, a lot of SEC institutions at the time were dealing with infractions cases, and he came in with that judge/lawyer/ athletic background and was able to really clean that program up and put some new rules in place for that,” Anna says. “He was really proud of that.” Speaking of his proudest moments, another was the hiring of Sylvester Croom, the first African
Mike’s custom-built office included glass cases on the right to showcase his collection of NCAA watches and rings.
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2015
2016
2017
TOP: The Slives left Mike’s desk exactly as it was when he passed away in 2018, down to his handwritten call list. Behind the list are his Mike Slive Foundation business cards and a framed note Anna gave him when she was younger. BOTTOM: Mike’s extensive collection of rings, mostly from national championships that SEC institutions won, represent almost every institution in the conference.
American head football coach in the SEC, during his tenure, and starting the SEC University, the conference’s academic initiative. And Mike did all of these things for 14 years coming into the role of commissioner at 62 years old, the age at which many people are enjoying a slower pace of life in retirement. “He used to joke that when he got the job he was 6 feet tall and shrunk after that,” Anna says. “That was when he started into what was by far the most challenging professional position he had had.” While his legacy in sports is certainly storied, for this family it’s just as much about his character as the list of accomplishments you can find with a quick Google search. (While he was at the helm, the SEC’s annual revenues increased from $96 million to $455.8 million, Missouri and Texas A&M joined the conference, and schools won 81 national championships including seven consecutive national championships in football, just to name a few highlights.) 66 Winter 2021
CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: Mike played lacrosse at Dartmouth, and his family still has his letterman sweaters and his lacrosse sticks from those years of his life. Mike is the only person outside a team or individual athlete who has ever received a NCAA trophy. Mike was close friends with former UAB Athletic Director Gene Bartow and was commissioner of the Great Midwest Conference in 1991 when UAB joined that conference. The SEC had this ring designed for Mike when he retired to represent all of his accomplishments serving 2002-2015, the 14 schools in the conference and the 81 championships during his tenure.
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CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: Mike reads on the back porch of his Panorama Drive home where he spent as much time as he could. Mike with his daughter Anna and granddaughter Abigail. Mike with Anna, Abigail, his son-in-law Judd and his wife, Liz. Mike talks to Auburn University players.
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TOP: Texas A&M had cowboy boots custom made for Mike when the school joined the SEC Conference. Mike was also an avid cigar smoker and a fan of Maker’s Mark—which he and his family referred to as “the medicine” dating back to when Mike’s dad called that. BOTTOM: Mike was especially proud of a March of Dimes leadership award he received in New York City, which is surrounded by commemorative athletic coins here on a shelf in his office.
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“He was unbelievable with names, and despite all that must have been going on in his head at any given time, he never forgot a name,” Anna says. “He would remember your wife’s name and ask about your children. When he died, I got hundreds of letters from all over the country. Very few people talked about his accomplishments. What they wrote about were stories of his kindness and what he did for them years ago. It was always about the people for him. He always taught me that it doesn’t THE PANDEMIC ASSROOM matter if anyone can do something for you. A janitor and a CL university president were treated the same in his mind.” Y A BRIGHTER DA Another trait that stands out to Anna was his dad’s empathy in how he led. “He let everyone else speak first and really listened SSION IN MI on H GEAR and then at the end would take what everyone said and then say VariatiHIG something,” she says. “Imagine sitting in a room with 14 athletic RESS AY IN EXPDW TOOA DANCERSBR RK EMPOWERING 202THE COLOR IN 1 IR SKIN THE DA directors or presidents who all have a different agenda for their THEMSELVES W ED D IN G S own institution and bring them all together on an issue. That S COOKIEse was what his skill was. In the end, it was a family. That’s what he plea FIX MEET COOKIE always said, ‘I want this to be an SEC family.’” JASON FOUNDER AMY Perhaps above all that’s the legacy that Mike’s office speaks to the most: his Slive family AND his SEC family. Front cover with
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The Great Carolina Outdoors Hike, bike and adventure at these three resorts in the new year. By Christiana Roussel | Photos Contributed
Once the holidays are in our collective rearview mirror, most of us look at the new year as a fresh start—a time to refresh, set new goals, and embrace new habits. We vow to eat better, exercise more and maybe indulge a little less. With those goals in mind, why not ease into things with a vacation geared to healthier habits? After all, there’s no rule saying that these mindful changes have to be monastic or arduous or even not fun. With a vacation to any one of these resorts, you might just fall in love with being the healthiest version of yourself. 70 Winter 2021
choose-your-own
Lowcountry Adventure Palmetto Bluff | Bluffton, South Carolina Situated on the bucolic South Carolina coast, Palmetto Bluff is a destination that combines worldclass hospitality with impeccable cuisine, set against a backdrop of Spanish moss-laden trees, sandy walkways and plough mud teeming with activity. Guests at the resort can choose to stay at the signature Montage Resort on property or at one of the private homes available. No matter where you lay your head at night, you’ll be ensconced in comfort and graceful hospitality, ensuring you’re plenty rested for days filled with outdoor adventure.
Getting There Hopping a flight to Savannah is the fastest way to get to the Lowcountry, but there are plenty of guests who opt to drive. From the airport, it is a quick car ride to the resort.
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HIT THE ROAD
What To Do Honestly, there are not enough hours in the day to explore everything Palmetto Bluff has to offer, but we suggest you try. Start by picking up complimentary bicycles and Bike the Bluff—a 6-7-mile ride through Palmetto Bluff’s 20,000 acres including historic architecture, wildlife and views of the May River—just to get the lay of the land. From there, you may decide to hike, shoot sporting clays, swim, play tennis, paddleboard, fish, canoe, ride horses, play golf or go boating. Or maybe this is the vacation where you try something totally new—pickleball. As the fastest growing sport in the world, there are pickleball courts popping up in cities from coast to coast. Easy for beginners to learn, fast-paced and fun, the pickleball “addiction” is being embraced across generations. Six pickleball courts at Palmetto Bluff’s Wilson Lawn and Racquet Club make this the ideal spot to give it a go.
Where To Eat All of that exertion is bound to spark a strong appetite. On property, there are numerous dining options, from casual to white tablecloth, to satiate yourself. The town of Bluffton certainly merits a visit if you are in the area, and dining at FARM might be the best reason of all. Chef Brandon Carter uses fresh blue crab, hand-picked by local Gullah women at the nearby Bluffton Oyster Company, in his blue crab rice dish (pictured on right). Anson Mills rice provides the base for this dish while sofrito and fried shallots round out its savoriness.
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Hiking Among the Smokies
The Swag | Waynesville, North Carolina Named for the space between two mountains, The Swag resort’s 250-acres nestle up against the Great Smoky Mountains in westernmost North Carolina, making it the perfect getaway for hikers and families who enjoy intergenerational active travel. This mountaintop idyll began as a private getaway for Deener and Dan Matthews, a couple who enjoyed hosting friends from nearby Knoxville. In 2018, The Swag was purchased by Annie and David Colquitt, who had honeymooned at The Swag and fallen in love with the destination. The Colquitts’ adoration is apparent in the very thoughtful updates they’ve added since taking the helm—a cozy spa, more lawn games, outdoor patio dining and an experts-in-residence program.
Getting There The journey to The Swag is almost as lovely as the destination itself. From Birmingham, you can either go through Atlanta and head north, or skip that inevitable traffic and go through Chattanooga and Knoxville, a far prettier and less snarled drive for sure. Make sure you savor the final part of the journey up The Swag’s driveway. It is fun to watch the thermometer on your car drop several degrees as you traverse the switchbacks to reach the resort. The resort operates mid-April to Thanksgiving.
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HIT THE ROAD
What To Do At the core of The Swag is rest. For some, this looks like solo hikes out to beloved knobs with epic views. For others, it means stashing the cell phone and laptop for days on end, reconnecting with family and making new friends in fellow travelers. Badminton, croquet, horseback riding and plenty of swanky Stave puzzles round out the offerings which only serve to switch off the digital brain, resetting your mental bandwidth. Picnics are happily packed for those wishing to be off exploring for the day, and the only traffic jam you’ll find is at the multitude of hummingbird feeders that dot the expansive porch. Another popular activity at The Swag are naturally intimate weddings held out on Gooseberry Knob. Some weddings have even been so small as to necessitate the asking of the innkeeper to serve as witness to the union. Full buyouts of the resort for a wedding, anniversary or family reunion can make any occasion that much more private and special.
Where To Eat The Swag is truly a destination away from it all and as an all-inclusive resort your stay includes all meals, which can be enjoyed family style with other guests (a fantastic way to make new friends) or at private tables. “Social Hour” precedes dinner each evening, allowing guests to mingle in a treasured and convivial setting, sharing stories of the day and settling into a relaxed evening.
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Cycling Through Europe
(or so it feels)
Hotel Domestique | Traveler’s Rest, South Carolina Named for the racing position professional cyclist George Hincapie held in his Tour de France career, the Hotel Domestique provides an elevated biking experience in a bucolic mountain setting. Located just outside Greenville, South Carolina, the resort has the look and feel of something straight out of the Italian countryside. Tall slender cypress trees line the terrace of the barrel-tiled roof with stucco-façade. The muted palette of the décor is punctuated by a punchy orange which feels richly Mediterranean.
Getting There From Birmingham, take I-20 East to Atlanta and then go north on I-85 toward Greenville. Travelers Rest is located about 30 minutes east of downtown Greenville.
What To Do The main draw for Hotel Domestique is, quite simply, biking. The surrounding area is replete with enough hills and straightaways to engage riders of all skill levels. The Swamp Rabbit Trail in nearby downtown Travelers Rest is a popular trail and easy to navigate. Avid cyclists often arrive with their own bikes, but the hotel has a small fleet to accommodate riders as well. High-end road bikes, gravel bikes, mountain bikes and e-bikes are all available to rent for the day. The front desk has a thick binder, full of area rides, broken down by distance. You may also access local rides online at ridewithgps. com. Guests looking for a local guide should reach out to Justin Creech of Blue Ridge Bike Tours at 864-448-4184. Aside from two-wheeled challenges, Hotel Domestique boasts a serene pool and jacuzzi, perfect for recovering from a ride or just enjoying some much-needed downtime. The fountained terrace and adjacent firepit make ideal settings for an afternoon glass of wine or nightcap. Guest rooms are well-appointed and each comes with a Hypervolt percussion massager, to really get the kinks out after a long bike—or car—ride.
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Where to Eat Restaurant 17 (so named for the number of times George Hincapie competed in the Tour de France) is the hotel’s on-site restaurant where Chef Haydn Shaak’s seasonal menu is as inspired as it is wow-inducing. Guests looking to dine off-site should head to Camp in downtown Greenville, where Chef Drew Erickson is stunning diners with his world-class cuisine that employs techniques garnered working with Chef Thomas Keller in Yountville, California’s, famous French Laundry. Come hungry and adventurous.
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Meet Your Travel Guide Proud to call Birmingham home, Christiana Roussel loves discovering every corner of the Magic City. But the road beckons often. She’s been known to make a wrong turn into the right choice, dig in with the locals and try to talk her way out of a speeding ticket or two. Curiosity drives her and finding connection is her passion.
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SPECIAL ADVERTISING
GIF T GUIDE 2
1. Gift Sets Have a glass of wine from our vast selection while you shop for the perfect gift this holiday season. Also, shop glass art, pottery, candles, jewelry and other unique items from local artists. Prices vary. Just a Tish. 115 W. College Street, Columbiana, AL 35051. (205) 671-5267. justatishwine.com.
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2. Flameware Pottery Handmade by Terry Silverman at The Pottery Works in Fitzwilliam, New Hampshire, this cookware suits the needs of everyone in the kitchen, from the gourmet chef to the everyday cook. Prices vary. The Cook Store. 2841 Cahaba Road, Mountain Brook, AL 35223. (205) 879-5277. thecookstoremtnbrook.com.
3. Pop Its! Find these Pop Its!—flexible silicone toys that resembles bubble wrap—plus other fashion and gift items for girls sizes 7-16. $8-$29. Sgt. Peppers by Dear Prudence. 4441 Creekside Avenue, Suite 117, Hoover, AL 35244. (205) 4077523. sgtpeppersbydp.com.
4. Annual Children’s of Alabama Ornament Christopher Radko Toting Treasure Teddies Wishing you a bear-y Christmas! These teddies are riding in style on their little red wagon piled high with toys and holiday joy. $64. Bromberg’s. 2800 Cahaba Road, Mountain Brook, AL 35223. (205) 871-3276. brombergs.com.
5. Estelle Colored Wine Glasses These colored glasses are inspired by the designer’s grandmother Estelle, who loved antiques. $27 stemless, $29 stems. A’mano. 281 Rele Street, Mountain Brook, AL 35223. (205) 871-9093. shopamanogifts.com.
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8 7. Custom Gift Boxes Looking for a unique holiday experience for yourself or as a gift? Curate a collection of gifts and greenery at Plant that will arrive beautifully packed from the shop to the front door. The store customizes for any holiday and occasion and takes online orders. Customizable pricing. Plant. 10876 AL-25, Calera, AL 35040. (205) 319-7071. plantcalera.com.
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8. ‘50s Swimming Pool Print This digitalized enhanced photo comes in a distressed teal frame. $110. Vintage Interiors. 2838 Pelham Parkway, Pelham, AL 35124. (205) 620-1900. vintageinteriorsal.com.
9. Classic Camo Carryall
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This heavy-duty, 14-ounce waxed cotton canvas is inspired by vintage patterns proven in the field with an updated color palette for the hardwood bottoms and marshes the brand calls home for three seasons each year. $195. Tom Beckbe. 2423 Canterbury Road, Mountain Brook, AL 35223. (205) 286-8203. tombeckbe.com
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10. Shacket Shackets—a combination of a shirt and a jacket—are the item of the season, and Dear Prudence at Patton Creek and The Summit has lots of them to choose from. $60. Dear Prudence.Patton Creek and The Summit. dearprudence.com.
11. Custom Gift Boxes Fill a basket with laundry soap, soap bars, bath bombs and even flamingo soap that in partnership with the Birmingham Zoo give back $1 for each flamingo bar sold. Various Prices. Buff City Soap. Hoover, Greystone and Mountain Brook. buffcitysoap.com.
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12. Alabama Flag Charcuterie Board This charcuterie board was crafted in Huntsville specially for Alabama Goods. The channels on the board represent Alabama’s state flag, and the middle of the board is designed for food or a bowl. Plus, the board is made from bamboo that is water-resistant, durable, resistant to bacteria and hard (even though it is lightweight). $59.99. Alabama Goods. 2933 18th Street S., Homewood, AL 35209. (205) 803-3900. alabamagoods.com.
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13. Kent Stetson Handbags These handmade handbags created by Rhode Island designer Kent Stetson are “a great way to spark fun conversations, producing moments when life and art fuse together,” Stetson says. $210. Wallace-Burke. 1811 29th Avenue S., Homewood, AL 35209. (205) 874-1044. wallaceburke.com.
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14. Nutcracker Soldier Add this painted metal nutcracker to your holiday décor collection. $68.95. Sweet Peas Garden Shop. 2829 Linden Avenue, Homewood, AL 35209. (205) 879-3839. sweetpeasgardenshop.com.
15. Pink Hat Inspired by vintage men’s styles, this hat is designed to make a statement. $135. Hemline. 1802 29th Avenue S., Homewood, AL 35209. (205) 802-9252. shophemline.com.
16. Myra Double Wine Carrier A best-selling gift item for the wine lover, this unique wine carrier pairs well with a bottle of wine or other gift items for your sassy friend. Download the store’s app and follow @lovethesassyshopper. $38. The Sassy Shopper. 224 Kent Stone Way, Suite 200, Alabaster, AL 35007. (205) 624-4084. thesassyshopper.com.
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17. Cocoa Bombs Try different flavored cocoa bombs for everyone’s liking: cookies and cream, mint chocolate, peppermint, strawberry, caramel macchiato and many others. Stop by the shop for a special treat this holiday season! $5-6. Creations Galore and Moore. 8261 US-31, Calera, AL 35040. (205) 690-8399. creationsgaloreandmoore.com.
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18. Lala Skirt This fun tiered ruffle skirt is made of 100 percent silk, has a drawstring waist and comes in multiple different colors. $299. Dukes Clothier. 53 Church Street, Mountain Brook, AL 35213. (205) 739-2244. dukesclothier.com.
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19. Gift Card & Home Spa Supplies Pair high-quality candles, bath and body products, and other local gift items with a gift certificate for one of Absolute’s services to create the perfect gift. Call for pricing details. Absolute Health and Wellness. 8919 Highway 119, Suite 102, Alabaster, AL 35007. (205) 624-3605. absolutehealthwellness.com.
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20. Serving Tray This tray was made by Becky Bolton of Calera, Alabama, in her signature blue glaze with fish around the inner circle and a ruffled edge. $50. Blue Phrog. 955 Main Street, Montevallo, AL 35115. (205) 665-3766. bluephroggallery.com.
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21. Red Coat This lightweight, wool-blend coat is perfect for winters in the South. Select from a variety of colors and check out the store’s trendy boutique items, furniture and home decor selection while you’re at it. $69. Collective and Co. Home. 251 Buck Creek Plaza, Alabaster, AL 35007. (205) 624-3102. collectiveandcompany.com.
22. 14-Karat Diamond Fashion Set
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The best gifts come in small packages. This 14-karat yellow gold chain link diamond fashion set includes a bangle, ring, necklace and earrings. After all, ‘tis the season to sparkle, shine and shop local. Starting at $1,465. Southeastern Jewelers. 5299 Valleydale Road, Birmingham, AL 35242. (205) 980-9030. southeasternjewelers.net.
23. Diba True NirVana Boots
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You’ll be walking on cloud nine in these boots featuring a comfy wedge for a height that instantly boosts your style. Its urban chic silhouette is covered in suede with a side gore panel and a rear pull tab lofted by a molded rubber lug sole. $96. Oh My Sole. 4045 Helena Road, Helena, AL 35080. (205) 406-5602. ohmysoulboutique.com.
24. BuDhaGirl, Myra Bag & Vintage Havana Sneaker Step 1: Add BuDhaGirl Bracelets to any outfit ($125). Step 2: Pick out a Myra Bag to carry all your essentials ($59$96). Step 3: Complete your outfit with a sneaker from Vintage Havana ($139). $59 - $139. Hami Boutique. 300 Carlow Lane, Suite 101, Birmingham, AL 35242. (205) 834-8833. shophamiboutique.com.
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25. 14-Karat Yellow & White Gold Stackable Diamond Bracelets Shay’s has many stackable diamond bracelet styles in stock now, so shop early for the holidays. Prices start around $1,300. Shay’s Jewelry. 1678 Montgomery Highway, 103C, Hoover, AL 35216. (205) 978-5880. shaysjewelers.com.
26. Cocktail Books Brush up on your knowledge with these spirited titles. $15-$35. At Home Furnishings. 2921 18th Street S., Homewood, AL 35209. (205) 879-3510. athome-furnishings.com.
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27. Neoprene Tote + Hat The perfect carry-all tote can’t wait to join you on your weekend travels, brunch or girls night out! It is lightweight yet durable with a dash of contrasting color and finished with a removable wristlet pouch and hard bottom liner. Gift it along with this tan brim hat that funs up any outfit. $65 tote, $30 hat. High Cotton Boutique. 415 Chelsea Crossroads, Chelsea, AL 35043. (205) 677-2200. highcottonboutique.com.
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28. Mini Drones This is the toy this season! Choose from the blue hand-operated drone for indoor and outdoor play or the red globe-shaped drone with a magic controller and built-in lights. $19.99 blue, $35 red. Homewood Toy & Hobby Shop. 2830 18th Street S., Homewood, AL 35209. (205) 879-3986. homewoodtoy-hobby.com.
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29. Kids Boutique Sets Cute, comfortable and easy fitting—these kids boutique sets are always a big hit with selections for every season, and they always come with a free bow of your choice. $24 $32. Consigned Design. 72 Fulton Springs Road, Alabaster, AL 35007. (205) 664-7540. consigned.design.
30. Kendra Scott’s Holiday Set All three of these pieces are sure to dazzle: Alex Gunmetal pendant necklace in emerald cat’s eye, Alex gunmetal drop earrings in emerald cat’s eye and Elora gunmetal hoop earrings in emerald cat’s eye. Complimentary gift wrapping is available. $65, $55, $70. Cahaba Lily South. 5479 US-280. Suite 117, Birmingham, AL 35242. (205) 490-6210. cahabalilysouth.com.
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31. Sorel Mate’riaux
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This modern, versatile wedge has waterproof suede to boot. $250. ShoeFly. 823 18th Street S., Homewood, AL 35209. (205) 870-7131.
32. Nest Candles
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Mantooth Interiors is your home for all Nest collections and fragrances. Its large selection of holiday scents make a great gift for friends and family. $49. Mantooth Interiors. 2813 18th Street S., Homewood, AL 35209. (205) 879-5474. mantoothinteriors.com.
33. Beanies These hand-knit cashmere beanies by Brazeau Tricot each have a crown motif. $134. B. Prince. 271 Rele Street, Mountain Brook, AL 35223. (205) 871-1965. shopbprince.com.
34. Bogg Brrr and a Half Cooler The half cooler takes up half the space, leaving plenty is room for towels, sunscreen, books, and more. $32.95. Village Drug. 300 Carlow Lane, Suite 116, Birmingham, AL 35242. (205) 713-8393. villagedrugco.com.
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35. Watercolor Painting This beautifully framed c. 1870 English watercolor measures 14.75 by 11.5 inches, and you can find more art and treasured finds on the store’s website or Instagram handle @printscharmingsohonyc. $245. Prints Charming. 1903 Cahaba Road, Mountain Brook, AL 35223. (571) 214-9586. printscharmingsoho.com.
36. Cookie Dough + Skillet Gift someone Cookie Fix Frozen Dough To-Go and pair it with a 5-inch Lodge skillet they can bake it in. Frozen Dough $20, Skillet $11.25. Cookie Fix. Cahaba Heights and Homewood. (205) 582-2623. cookiefix.com.
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OUT & ABOUT
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VHHS VARSITY FOOTBALL GAMES
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PHOTOS BY KAREN ASKINS
The community came out to cheer on the Vestavia Hills High School Varsity team at Thompson Reynolds Stadium this fall. 1. Bryant Agee 2. VHHS student section 3. Haley Rocks 4. Mitchell Towns 5. Madison Waldrop 6. Amira Walton, Katie Culbertson, Arden Hudson and Marly Jackson 7. Emma Grace Nix and Carson Horne 8. Coach Sean Calhoun with his son Cade 9. Lane Whisenhunt 10. VHHS Lettermen 11. Molly Coleman, Marly Jackson, Katie Culbertson, Arden Hudson, Madison McKenna and Carson Horne 12. Cole Turner
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OUT & ABOUT
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OUT & ABOUT
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9/11 REMEMBRANCE CEREMONY
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PHOTOS BY JAMES CULVER
The cities of Homewood, Mountain Brook and Vestavia Hills held a 20th Anniversary 9/11 Remembrance & Patriot Day Ceremony in Crestline Village on Sept. 11. 1. Mountain Brook High School Symphonic Band 2. Mountain Brook Firefighter Burke 3. Piper Morrison
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4. Homewood, Mountain Brook and Vestavia Hills fire and police chiefs with Master of Ceremonies Jack Royer 5. Scouts BSA Troop 86 6. City of Mountain Brook Color Guard 7. Bay Matthews 8. Joshua and Gibson Schmidt 9. Mountain Brook Police Officers 10. Ada Dapkus 11. Vestavia Hills Mayor Ashley Curry
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MARKETPLACE
Marketplace Vestavia Hills Magazine • 205.669.3131
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. Walkin applications accepted. Clanton (205)280-0002. Pelham (205)444-9774. Bama Concrete Now Hiring: Diesel Mechanic 4 Years Minimum Experience. CDL Preferred. Competitive Pay. Great Benefits. Apply in person: 2180 Hwy 87 Alabaster, 35007 Beelman Truck Co Now Hiring Experienced Drivers and Recent Grads. Great pay. Great benefits. More home time. Apply online at beelman. com or call 205-665-5507 Boise Cascade Now Hiring for Utility Positions. Starting pay $14/hour. Must be able to pass background screen. Please apply at www.bc.com $80,000+ Yearly Potential Sales positions available at Burton Campers. Please call Mickey Price for phone interview: 205-668-0075 Comfort Keepers NOW HIRING. Job requirements: A caring spirit and passion for helping others. For more information visit: www. comfortkeepers.com or Call 205-338-7909. Lancaster Place Apartments. Location, community & quality living in Calera, AL. 1, 2, & 3 bedroom apartments available. Call today for specials!! 205-668-6871. Or visit hpilancasterplace.com
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WELDER NEEDED MIG & TIG •Light gauge stainless, aluminized, galvanized Manufacturing and Assembly Helpers Needed •Paid Holidays •Typical Shifts 6:00am2:30pm Call RICK: 205761-3975
Marble Valley Manor. Affordable 1 and 2 Bedroom Apartments for Elderly & Disabled. Many on-site services! 2115 Motes Rd, Sylacauga. 256245-6500 •TDD#s: 800548-2547(V) •800-5482546(T/A). Office Hours: Mon-Fri, 8am-4pm. Equal Opportunity Provider/ Employer Oxford Healthcare in Montgomery currently hiring certified CNA’s and/or Home Health aides in the Clanton, Marbury and Maplesville areas. Must be able to pass complete background check, have reliable transportation and have a strong work ethic. Serious inquiries only. Call 3 34-409-0035 or apply on-line at www.Oxfordhealthcare. com LAND FOR SALE 180 acres, located on Walnut Creek. Will not divide property. Call for more information: 205-369-5641 South Haven Health & Rehab NOW HIRING!!! •LPN’s & RN’s -$5,000 Sign-on Bonus for Full-Time shift •CNA’s Apply in person: 3141 Old Columbiana Rd Birmingham,AL-35266 CLOCK REPAIR SVS. * Setup * Repair * Maintenance. I can fix your Mother’s clock. Alabaster/ Pelham. Call Stephen (205)663-2822
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Land for Sale Covington County-46 Acres $184,000 -Located on Booth Rd. West of Florala -Potential Country Homesite, Recreational Getaway -Power Available Contact Clay Baker: 251-895-6460 claybaker@speaksland. com Land for Sale Shelby County-36 Acres $5950/ acre -Located on County Road 51 near Wilsonville -Recently Thinned -Potential Homesite or Mini-Farm Contact Clay Baker: 251-895-6460 claybaker@speaksland. com
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. Now hiring RN’s and LPN’s throughout Alabama! $250 community referral bonus for RN’s and LPN’s. Signon Bonuses available at select locations! For more information please contact: Paige Gandolfi Call/text: 724-691-7474 pgandolfi@wexfordhealth. com CUSTARD DOG TRAINING Obedience & Attack 334-231-0334 WHATLEY PLUMBING - PLUMBERS WANTED Located in Chilton County Since 2011. Skills Needed: Dependability, Honesty, Teamwork, Eagerness to Learn. Valid driver’s license required. To apply, email: whatleyplumbing 7558555@gmail.com 205755-8555
Become a Dental Assistant in ONLY 8 WEEKS! Please visit our website capstonedental assisting.com or call (205)561-8118 and get your career started!
JOIN OUR TEAM! Just Plumbing & Gas Now Hiring PLUMBERS & HELPERS Apprentice $18/ hour, Journeyman $25/ hour with certification cards. Must have driver’s license. Full-Time Monday-Friday (Weekend work available). In-town work. SIGN-ON BONUS AFTER 90 DAYS! Call Tommy: 205-296-0294 Wright Brothers Construction Co., Inc. seeking Carpenters and a Crane Operator in the Helena area. Please apply online: www.wbcci. com/careers/apply-now Or send resume: hr@wbcci. com Please call 423-3362261 with any questions. Equal Opportunity Employer. Females & Minorities encouraged to apply. Drug Free Workplace. E-Verify Employer. Kelly Education • Shelby County Schools • Hiring Substitute Teachers. Limitless opportunities for passionate people! •Free pre-hire training •Paid orientation •Ongoing professional development •Steady, yet flexible, work •Weekly pay •Your preference of schools. Contact Anne Gamble: O: 205.682.7062 M: 205.532.1122 anne. gamble@kellyservices.com Maintenance/Handyman Needed PT/FT $12/ hr Must have basic skill set for home projects Valid DL/own mode of transportation Own tools, RELIABLE/DEPENDABLE 205-988-0160
Vulcan Steel Products Now Hiring Machine Operator (1st & 2nd shift) Starting at $18.50 per hour. Top-notch health benefits, 401k, & company stock options Apply online: https://apply. jobappnetwork.com/ vulcan-steel-products Call: 205-620-5185 Acceptance Loan Company, Inc. Personal loans! Let us pay off your title loans! 224 Cahaba Valley Rd, Pelham 205-663-5821 Experienced Termite Technician or someone experienced in routeservice work and wants to learn new profession. Work-vehicle/equipment provided. Must drive straight-shift, have clean driving record/be 21/ pass background/drug test. Training provided. Insurance/401K offered. M-F 7:00-4:30 + 1 Saturday/month. Pay $13hr. Send resume to facsmith@charter.net High Expectations Cleaning 205-728-8854 highexpertcleaning.com Southeastern Sealcoating Seeking hardworking team members to join our paving crew. •Paving Operators •Screw Operators •Rake Man Full-Time $15-$20/hour 401(k), Health/dental/ vision insurance, & paid time off! Apply in person: 1330 Adamsville Industrial Parkway, Birmingham PAINTERS WANTED Must have: •5 years painting & construction experience •Dependable transportation •Clean, neat appearance •Drug and alcohol free •Previous work history (References) •Carpentry skills a plus. Good pay for right people! Call 205-621-2627
T here's no place like
HOME for the holidays
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MY VESTAVIA HILLS COLLINS MCMURRAY
Miss Auburn University 2020-2021 + VHHS Graduate
Boutique Ties
The Clothes Tree I love The Clothes Tree. They have the best selection of clothes and are the sweetest people. I worked there in high school, and they always made me feel so loved!
For the Views
Vestavia Hills Baptist Church My church, Vestavia Hills Baptist Church, has a beautiful overlook of the city of Birmingham and it is one of my favorite places to go!
All About the Fries
The Ridge I love the Frenchie Salad from The Ridge! It is so delicious how they put French fries on the salad.
Unforgettable People
Sol Azteca Sol Azteca has the sweetest owners, and they always make my family feel so loved and special when we eat there. And that’s not to mention, their food is great!
For a Good Cause
RISE One of my favorite events in Vestavia is Relay for Life, now known as RISE. In high school I participated, and it was so much fun for the whole community to get involved raising money to fight cancer.
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