STYLE: Inspired by O’Keeffe

Paint the town

t’s easy to pigeon-hole yourself into a “style.” But just because you see yourself as more of a flower print princess doesn’t mean you shouldn’t dabble in neon vixen once in a while.

Take a page from Georgia O’Keeffe. Seminal artist and pioneer of American modernism, O’Keeffe is mostly known for her large-format flower paintings. But while those might be her widely recognized works, they weren’t her sole artistic focus. O’Keeffe’s sources of inspiration were vast, and varied from the New York City skyline to the Peruvian landscape to the view from her airplane seat. She experimented with a variety of media – charcoal, watercolor, oils, and clay. It was this intense exploration of muses and materials that enabled her to grow as an artist and truly define her “style,” not to mention helped to cement her place in the art world.

Think of it this way: You are your own canvas. Though you may gravitate towards a certain aesthetic, keep exploring what defines your personal style. Triumphant debut or fashion fail – the beauty of clothes is that they can easily be changed. W

photos BY MELIssA hEBERt stYLING BY dREwE sMIth INtRo BY NINA BAYs couRNoYER

Hyacinth DRESS in California poppy peony, Irene SUNGLASSES in brown, Sawyer BRACELET, Seeing Heart Charm NECKLACE, and Party Harty EARRINGS by Hart, all available from Oliver Clothing; stylist's own SHOES

ORIENTAL POPPIES BY GEORGIA O'KEEFFE

RED POPPY BY GEORGIA O'KEEFFE

Calluna DRESS in Caliornia poppy and ivory, Chamberlain BLAZER in ivy green, and Audrey EARRINGS, all available at Oliver Clothing; stylist's own SHOES

A NEW SPIN ON

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There’s a revival going on in the arts and crafts world. Artisans are using new techniques, materials, and technology to give their works a modern twist; and buyers, perhaps trying to escape the ubiquity and impermanence of the digital age, are looking for unique, custommade artifacts. Here are three local craftswomen whose work exemplifies the new levels of artistry and innovation that are hallmarks of today’s arts and crafts revival.

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Amanda Neely : Embroidery Artist

AMANDA NEELY learned embroidery as a child, but her work today bears little resemblance to the simpler floral patterns and cross-stitching she did with her grandmother.

Neely creates modern embroidery pieces that often replicate a picture or resemble a painting. Her work includes pet portraits, landscapes, and nature images.

Neely’s embroidery has a deep, textured look, which she achieves with a technique called thread painting (also known as needle painting or silk shading). With thread painting, the embroiderer uses stitches of different lengths and various hues of floss to create the look of brush strokes.

“My style is more realistic,” Neely says. “Depending on the image, the embroidery looks more three-dimensional.”

Though Neely occasionally creates works that conform to current trends or fads, she prefers making classic pieces that are timeless. That’s why she uses antiques, vintage postcards, and old-school tattoo designs as her inspiration. Then, she adds her own spin to the images.

“I use the image for a reference,” Neely says. “I’m more inspired by the style than the actual image.”

Neely also teaches embroidery. Her online platform, crewelghoul.com, provides a mix of free and paid resources. In addition to embroidery tutorials, it also has video classes, an instructional blog, and Neely’s original patterns and embroidery kits. Her embroidery products can be found on Etsy at etsy.com/ people/amandaxn.

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Elise Siegel : Macrame Artist

ELISE SIEGEL started doing macrame just three years ago, but she’s already made her mark as a fiber artist.

In addition to plant hangers and wall hangings, Siegel also creates a number of atypical macrame pieces such as earrings, coasters, and Christmas ornaments.

Nature serves as Siegel’s inspiration. An avid hiker and beach lover, she often looks to the outdoors for ideas.

“To me, the ocean has tons of texture and color,” she says. “I try to incorporate that feeling into my pieces. They have a lot of movement.”

Siegel’s work is representative of the new direction macrame has taken. It is highly textured and contains multiple layers. Also, rather than jute or twine, with which macrame was made in the past, Siegal uses natural materials such as rope that is recycled from textile industry wastes. Materials that are now available for macrame include recycled cotton, raw silk, chiffon, and wool.

In the future, Siegel plans to use some of these other materials in her larger works; and she will expand her product line, available at etsy.com/ shop/seatiedgoods, to include other items customers are asking for such as dog collars, leashes, and yoga mat straps. Siegel would also like to teach a workshop on macrame.

“It’s such a fun, meditative craft,” she says. “It’s important to keep the traditional crafts alive.”

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Meghan Harper : Ceramic Artist

Afew classes in ceramics was all it took to make MEGHAN HARPER a ceramics artist. She opted to specialize in functional ceramics, and her work includes mugs, soap dispensers, spoon rests, sake sets, bowls, and other pieces people can use.

“I like art you can use daily versus something that creates dust,” Harper says.

Pop culture, the beach, and nature all inspire Harper, and her work reflects that. Elaborately detailed images of Baby Yodas, seahorses, jellyfish, leaves, feathers, and other natural phenomena adorn her pieces.

Harper’s work is bright and cheerful. She uses brush and dip glazes, many of which she makes, to color her pieces. Harper also makes some pieces in funky, fun shapes. The combination gives her pottery a modern edge.

Harper uses a variety of techniques to create her ceramics. She may carve an image, such as a seahorse, into the pottery; make the image and attach it to the pottery; or use preprinted images to serve as a base upon which to build her own unique designs.

Harper sells her work at her studio at the ArtWorks and her website, saltyceramics.com.

In the future, Harper hopes to open her own pottery school.

“I’d like to share my passion with everyone else who is interested,” she says.

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WARM UP YOUR WARDROBE

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TOINSPIRE

by MICHELLE SAXTON | photos by MADELINE GRAY CHILDREN ARTS PROGRAMS THAT NURTURE IMAGINATIONS

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rom paints, glitter, and nature to clay, fabrics, and musical instruments – there is unlimited potential for children of all ages to express their creativity. That’s the mission of two arts programs in downtown Wilmington.

The Creative Child Studio is a new art studio designed for children, and the DREAMS Center for Arts Education is a longtime multidisciplinary program for youth development.

ANGELA CREASY opened The Creative Child Studio (thecreativechildstudio.com) this past fall at theArtWorks on Willard Street in an area that once held the Block Shirt Factory. Her voice is full of warmth as she describes current classes and future project ideas.

“It’s always been my dream to someday have my own art studio for children,” Creasy says.

The Creative Child Studio offers preschool, after-school, and homeschool classes, as well as sessions with toddlers and caregivers, holiday-themed events, and one-day workshops.

Creasy focuses on the process and experience of creating, and her programs are geared toward younger children from about ages two to twelve. She hopes to inspire confidence as children paint pictures, work with clay, make outdoor nature crafts, create felt stuffed animals, build fairy gardens and snow globes, and do other projects.

“All children are artists,” Creasy says. “The way that

they create and do things is so cool looking. They don’t get in their heads so much. They’re just having fun.”

At DREAMS, children ages eight to seventeen may enroll for after-school, summer, and homeschool classes. The nonprofit, founded in 1997, is located on Fanning Street in a historic former municipal garage.

Interim Executive Director AMY JEFFREY began working with DREAMS in 2018. She gently beams while touring rooms alive with colors, art pieces, and possibilities.

“It’s anybody’s dream come true in here,” Jeffrey says in a music studio with pianos, guitars, drums, and other instruments.

DREAMS also has a gallery, performance venue, learning kitchen, digital arts studio, dance studio, photography darkroom, fine arts room, multimedia room, and pottery room. A sea-themed mural, metal fish, and fabric sculptures were among items planned for an exhibit at the North Carolina Aquarium in Fort Fisher.

Various teaching artists work with DREAMS, and Jeffrey says they connect other topics with art lessons.

“Music teachers talk about math; fine arts teachers talk about geography and reading,” Jeffrey says. “They bring in other academic subjects and strengthen those pathways in the brain through art.”

“What art does – it necessarily challenges and makes your right brain operate with your left brain,” theArtWorks Managing Director JIM KNOWLES says. “It lets the creative side interact with the analytical side.”

Knowles has created an alter ego mascot for the art village – an art cricket named Art E Bug – who may visit some classes to tell stories or help with art lessons.

“Art E Bug’s tagline is, ‘If you want a great nation, it demands a great education, and it all starts with the arts,’” Knowles says.

Both The Creative Child Studio and DREAMS aim to be a positive presence in children’s lives.

“I want to create a message of kindness and loving yourself, believing in yourself, helping others,” Creasy says.

“It’s just really important for kids

that age to have a safe outlet and a place to be and something to do – other than sit there on their phones – and be around like-minded people and peers that see them for who they are and appreciate them,” says DREAMS Program Coordinator MAGGIE JEFFREY.

Classes at The Creative Child Studio are about $15 to $25. Projects have included painting winter handprint cardinals and making gratitude journals with watercolors and beads. Creasy also recently held a Paint for a Purpose event where each child made two paintings – one to keep and the other to donate for a gallery sale with proceeds to help DREAMS.

DREAMS (givetodreams.org) is funded through grants and individual contributions, which allows the nonprofit to offer classes tuition-free.

“Youth are our community members, and they’re our future,” says DREAMS Program Director LIZZ WELLS. “Investing in them and setting them up for success – especially those who might not find themselves in life experiences where that is a given – is just really powerful.”

Most families served are at or below the New Hanover County poverty line, Wells says.

“It’s so inclusive,” Amy Jeffrey adds. “Kids from the very highest echelon of socioeconomics come in here and they interact with everybody else in a very equal and friendly way, and so does everybody else. There’s so little judgment. All these kids are so supportive of each other and so kind to each other, and they get excited about what each other’s doing. The relationships are really beautiful to watch.” W

ARTS AND KIDS

Here is a sampling of other area programs for budding artists.

Cameron Art Museum

cameronartmuseum.org CAM has extensive programming for pint-sized Picassos to talented teens, including Kids@CAM events, Art Explorers for the infant-to-toddler age group, and Youth Studio classes at its Museum School.

Sprout Yoga & Art

sproutyoga.net This Wrightsville Beach children’s studio combines movement and visual arts activities. Owner Shannon Agee focuses on Process Art, which is child-directed and focused on the act of making.

Community Arts Center

wilmingtoncommunityarts.org The center at Hannah Block Historic USO Building in downtown Wilmington is one of many organizations that offer summer arts camps, as well as events throughout the year. Camps range in focus from visual to performing arts.

Rendering by beth A. KlAhre | photo by DAriA AmAto Lines

LOIS WATSON, owner of Watson Illustrating, was sketching as far back as she can remember.

“I loved to draw,” she says. “My parents always provided sketch pads and paper, and everyone said that I would be an artist one day.”

Watson is an architectural renderer who specializes in drawing houses for builders, architects, and designers. Her extensive portfolio includes illustrations of marinas, churches, business parks, movie studios, condominium complexes, parks, neighborhood amenities, and clubhouses in both streetscape and bird’s-eye views.

Her renderings have been published nationwide in Southern Living magazine and Southern Living House Plans. Watson also prepared renderings for Wilmington-Cape Fear Home Builders Association Parade of Homes for seven years.

She has also made her mark in the local fine arts scene as a paper collage artist. Her work is currently being shown at Gallery Citrine on Second Street and WATER + COLOR GALLERY, both in Wilmington.

Watson is a self-taught artist. As a senior in high school, she turned down a full college scholarship to Pratt Institute in New York. “I have no regrets. I think my high school art teacher would be proud,” she says with a smile.

A Jersey girl, Watson grew up in a town where there was a lot of corporate influence. Over the years, she worked for F. Schumacher & Co., IBM, Dow Jones & Company Inc., and Sperry Univac, now Sperry Corporation.

Watson thinks that all of

her corporate roles prepared her for her career in art.

“Every job gave me a piece of the puzzle for what I am doing today,” she says.

That included the business side of being an artist: bookkeeping, self-promotion, marketing, and networking.

At Sperry Univac, Watson was a switchboard operator. After meeting the art director who discovered her artistic talent, she was hired into the graphics art department where she worked for two years. Here she learned about schematic drawings.

“My boss was one of my early mentors. He taught me how to use art in a corporate environment,” Watson says. “I was getting paid for doing something that came naturally to me, and I realized that I could make a career out of it.”

Watson still uses the drawing instruments that she first acquired at Sperry.

At Dow Jones, Watson started in customer service, eventually transitioned into the marketing department where she was responsible for writing and producing user guides.

“It was a creative role. I worked with the art department and went on photo shoots. I loved that part of the job, but it was a lot of technical writing,” she says.

It was also Watson’s first role as part of a team.

In 1986, Watson and her husband, John, moved to Wilmington for her husband’s job opportunity in management. Watson took a position with now-defunct Training Systems, developing training materials for the pulp and paper industry.

“I learned how to read blueprints, an important part of my job now,” she says.

Working at Training Systems, she yearned for something more creative. In 1995, her brother Scott Sullivan needed a renderer for his new business designing residential coastal homes in Wrightsville Beach.

“Give me a house plan and let me try,” Watson says. “I ripped open Southern Living magazine, saw the pen and ink illustrations, and tore them all out. And I got out my pen and ink. With a little coaching from my brother, I began illustrating for a few of his projects, and I picked up a few of my own clients. Then I got a sixty-house project.”

By April 1996, Watson resigned from her tech writing job and began illustrating for Parade of Homes, and by 2001 she was rendering for Southern Living. In 2021, Watson celebrated twenty-six years as an artist-illustrator.

“I feel really blessed. This is not something I could have ever dreamed for myself,” Watson says. “I love bringing a builder’s vision to life through my renderings and seeing his face when I deliver the illustrations. It’s the perfect career for me.” W

Art and the Bloom | January 7-9 Blockade Runner Beach Resort in Wrightsville Beach

In January, Watson, a member of the Art League of Leland and the Wilmington Art Association, will conduct a workshop for Art and the Bloom. She will teach paper collage painting with little pieces of layered papers creating a floral paper collage, and attendees will take home their pieces.

Art and the Bloom is the New Hanover Garden Club’s floral design exhibition and competition in which floral

designers create a floral interpretation inspired by fine art. Proceeds from the event, co-sponsored by the Harbor Island Garden Club, go toward area scholarships and community projects.

Other events, besides Watson’s session, include demonstrations and workshops in floral design, afternoon teas with fashion shows, art sales gallery, and vendors. Info: artandthebloom.eventbrite.com

WILMA ONLINE

Keep up with WILMA all month long, through our website, daily emails, and social media.

Sign up for WILMA’s new daily emails at wilmamag.com/email-newsletter. Here’s the weekly lineup:

MONDAY IS WILMA LEADERSHIP with profiles on the region’s leading women, their business, personal, and career advice, as well as highlights on women who are making moves.

TUESDAY IS WILMA ROUNDUP, a focus on stories published on our monthly print issues and a look behindthe-scenes at the magazine.

WEDNESDAY IS WILMA WELLNESS where you can read about the latest fitness and health trends, as well as profiles on women in the wellness industry and get recipes and workouts from chefs and trainers in the community.

THURSDAY IS KEEP IT LOCAL, a collection of shopping finds from local retailers, sponsors’ content brought to you by the WILMA marketing team.

FRIDAY IS WILMA DOWNTIME, where we give you a backstage pass to upcoming shows and events in the community. You can also expect profiles and Q&As with local artists and highlights on the latest entertainment and leisure activities around town to get ready for the weekend.

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By JOHANNA CANO | Photos by TERAH HOOBLER

Our 1917 Farmhouse shares a house’s journey

Old homes have a special place in ASHLEY DUSING’s heart, which is why when she became a homeowner, she set her eye on a hundred-yearold historic home 20 minutes outside of Wilmington in Riegelwood.

And through her social media page, Our 1917 Farmhouse, which journeyed her home’s renovation, she discovered that a large following also appreciated the charm and uniqueness that comes with historic homes.

“Before moving to Wilmington, I had always lived in an old home. I believe the ‘newest’ home I had lived in was from 1940. I just cannot picture myself in a newer build. Old dwellings come with character. That’s not something that can easily – or at least affordably – be replicated in new construction,” Dusing says. “Old homes have history. They have a certain smell, look, quality building materials, decades or even centuries of past families.”

Dusing, who lived in Peru, Indiana, and northern Illinois growing up, lived in Wilmington with her husband until 2017 when they purchased a farmhouse in Riegelwood on its one-hundredth birthday. The Dusings became the second family to own the home, having purchased it from the granddaughters of the original owners.

In January 2017, the couple started slowly renovating and preserving the farmhouse, and Dusing decided to document the journey through an Instagram account mostly for herself and the previous homeowners.

“The day we closed, we started tearing into the house, and I started uploading photos little by little. I wanted a platform just solely to photo document our renovation and preservation journey,” she says. “There have been periods where my account was private because I just needed somewhere to throw photos, to document the journey for myself; my Instagram account was not really intended for outsiders – except for the family we purchased the house from.”

Fast forward to today, and Our 1917 Farmhouse’s Instagram page (@our1917farmhouse) has definitely grown beyond its initial following, garnering more than 59,000 followers. And Dusing’s renovation efforts have been spotlighted in Flea Market Home & Living magazine.

While the Dusings started this journey with zero renovating experience, learning from YouTube videos as they went along and hiring professionals when needed, they knew the number one goal was to maintain the characteristics that come along with an old home.

“One of my biggest pet peeves is when an old home is purchased and then completely gutted, and it looks like a new build inside. Old homes and buildings are disappearing every day,” Dusing says. “Once they are torn down and gutted of their character, they are gone. They deserve to be preserved when they can.”

To avoid replacing original fixtures, windows, doors, and more with lesser quality material, Dusing has found Legacy Salvage in Wilmington a great spot to hunt for old house parts.

“All this to say, modern amenities are not at all a bad thing,” she adds. “We have plenty in our home that is not ‘period correct’ such a smart thermostats, modern indoor toilets, and air conditioning. However, we have our original floors, doors, and as far as we know, windows.”

From the home’s bathroom lined with subway tiles and a 1930s clawfoot bathtub to the kitchen’s wooden island that came out of the garage of the 1915 farmhouse she grew up in, Dusing says her favorite spot is the library.

“That space is my dream come true. I clearly have an antique book buying problem, and when house hunting I needed a room to accommodate my ever-growing old book collection,” she says. “This room has developed and transformed beyond anything I could have ever imagined.”

Besides tons of followers that appreciate its design style, Our 1917 Farmhouse also brought a bundle of joy to the Dusings.

In 2020, the couple welcomed their son, Theodore, via an “unplanned” adoption when one of their Instagram followers asked to adopt her unborn child.

Of the adoption, Dusing, who was adopted herself, says “You cannot make this stuff up.” Theodore is now the star of some of the home’s photos.

Dusing says she is still shocked at the following she garnered on social media and the fact that she is able to make a living through the platforms.

“I was sharing about our good reno days and our bad reno days, slithering critters that have made their way in the farmhouse, freshly delivered appliances that came in so severely damaged that I actually couldn’t be mad – all I could do was laugh until I cried – all of which I shared with my growing audience and people started catching on,” she says. “I get to do what I love while staying home with my son while connecting with people from all over! It does not get any better than that.” W

This profile appeared in a recent WILMA Downtime email newsletter. To sign up for daily WILMA emails, go to WILMAmag.com.

DIGNITY MEMORIAL

PLANNING FOR THE LOSS OF A LOVED ONE

The thought of losing a spouse or loved one is something that most people want to avoid. Accidents can happen and the only certainty in life is change, however, so it is worthwhile to plan for the worst and prepare for the future.

Having to make a decision about what a loved one or spouse’s desires for memorialization might have been is only going to increase the amount of stress experienced by the survivors. Setting aside the necessary time to make a few simple choices can help to alleviate some of this stress and ensure that your loved one’s final wishes are met.

It is a little hard to believe, but many widows report their spouse did not have any sort of plan established for what they would want if they were to pass away. A few examples of some of the decisions that will need to be made to preplan effectively include:

· Cremation ceremony or traditional burial · Metal or wooden casket · Placement of burial plot, memorial space or cremation niche · Favorite hymn, song, organist or band

Of course, it is also a good idea to plan for the disbursement of assets. This involves a host of key decisions, and there are many legal/estate considerations to make when preparing for a death. Having an attorney assist with ensuring important documents are in order and up to date before a death occurs can eliminate the burden of making difficult choices during an emotional time.

Creating a list of contacts to be used after a death has occurred is another good idea. Identifying a cadre of close friends and family to reach out to first is a top priority. If your loved one is employed, making plans to contact their employer should be next. Some people choose to assign one person on the list to contact the remainder of the listed individuals. This individual can also send funeral arrangement schedules through email and post on social media on the family’s behalf.

Having a loved one or spouse write down passwords to social media and/or financial accounts is also very important. Some financial institutions may not allow access to funds without account numbers and/ or passwords. It is also very depressing for survivors to view social media accounts after an individual has passed, and in many cases it isn’t possible to modify or delete these accounts without having necessary information or passwords.

Whether you are dealing with the loss of a loved one or just interested in being proactive about pre-planning as a means of ensuring their final wishes are understood and carried out, the team at Dignity Memorial can help guide you through the process and assist with any questions you have along the way.

910.799.1686 | DIGNITYMEMORIAL.COM

Michael Higgins is Sales Manager for Dignity Memorial®, which cares for more than 300,000 families each year through its network of more than 2,000 providers throughout North America. Learn more at www.dignitymemorial.com, or call Greenlawn Memorial Park, Oleander Memorial Gardens and Coble Funeral and Cremation Services at Greenlawn Memorial Park, (910) 799-1686.

MARKRAFT CABINETS

DESIGNING OUTDOOR LIVING SPACE

Would you like to add some additional space to your existing floor plan, but aren’t quite ready for the commitment of a home addition? Consider bringing the indoors out by focusing on your outdoor area. More and more homeowners are using and designing their outdoor space for living, gathering, cooking, and just plain enjoying. With our mild climate here in southeastern North Carolina, adding a design plan to your outdoor space is an investment you can use all year long. Here are a few outdoor design ideas that would make the most of all your living space.

Outdoor living rooms are becoming a popular way to take advantage of minimally used outdoor space. Adding comfortable furniture that stands up to the elements with ample places for food, drinks, and books is the perfect way to spread out and relax. These outdoor living rooms can include an outdoor fireplace with a mantle that looks to be perfectly suited inside or out. Many homeowners also decide to add an outdoor television, light fixtures, and ceiling fans to their outdoor living rooms for an extra level of comfort.

What would provide an excellent complement to your outdoor living room? Adding an outdoor kitchen adds to the convenience and flexibility of your outdoor space, whether for relaxing or entertaining. Weatherproof cabinets can be installed to store everything you’d need for a built-in gas grill and food prep area. Countertops made of granite and quartz stand up to outdoor weather all while making your space look inviting and fresh. But your imagination is the limit - outdoor kitchens can be outfitted with refrigerators, gas stoves, sinks, wine refrigerators, and more! Think about the things that you use most frequently in your indoor kitchen and take them to your outdoor kitchen design plan.

If a whole outdoor kitchen isn’t something that you would make use of in your design plan, consider the addition of an outdoor wet bar. This might be just the thing to add next to your pool or existing fireplace area. A wet bar includes a sink, open countertop areas, and ample space for seating. Outdoor cabinets also often prove a useful addition to a wet bar, but the main thing to consider here is providing ample seating for you, your family, and guests. Enjoying food and drinks

910.793.0202 | MARKRAFT.COM

fireside doesn’t just have to be when you go on a fancy vacation – you can have it all in your own backyard.

Take advantage of our region’s year-round beautiful weather and invest in your outdoor area. A member of Markraft’s talented design team is ready to help you get started with your design plan today. Give them a call at 910-793-0202 or schedule an appointment to visit their showroom to start the process.

President and General Manager Cee Edwards and his team of talented designers invites you to visit Markraft’s Design Studio, 2705 Castle Creek Lane, just off Castle Hayne Road. Markraft’s professional kitchen and bath designers consult by appointment.

MCKEE HOMES

HOMEBUYING IN 2022

If you have become frustrated trying to find a new home in this crazy real estate market, you are not alone. A number of factors have combined to create the “perfect storm” seller’s market leaving homebuyers scrambling to submit bids on the shrinking available inventory of homes for sale.

New Construction

With less than two months’ supply of available homes on the market, many homebuyers are looking at new construction as an alternative to pre-owned homes. Homebuilders are constantly developing new communities and homesites, and putting new homes on the market, adding to the available inventory of homes.

Between the unpredictable price of materials and land coupled with supply-chain issues caused by the pandemic, many homebuilders are taking homes off the market, or not listing them until their homes are far enough along that the builder’s cost can be accurately assessed. This has led to even more homebuyer frustration with buyers scrambling to find new homes in the areas they want to live.

Solutions For Homebuyers

To help meet the increasing demand for new homes and help their buyers meet their closing date, many homebuilders are temporarily changing how they do business. Homes and homesites in new communities are under limitedrelease restrictions as builders can’t accurately predict how much the homes will cost them to build a few months down the road. To solve some of these common issues, McKee Homes is starting to choose specific floorplans, options and upgrades for each available homesite in most of our new and upcoming communities and phases. That way the materials can be ordered far enough in advance to get the home completed without major delays. This allows our homebuyers to feel confident they can close and move into their new homes according to the preset dates and schedules set when the contract is signed. Find A New Home

McKee Homes has quick move-in home inventory in select communities in their Raleigh, Wilmington, Pinehurst and Fayetteville area markets. With new communities and phases in existing communities opening soon, we are doing our best to help our homebuyers find the home of their dreams in this crazy housing market. Our award-winning designs are built with quality in mind and backed by our 2-10 homeowner’s warranty. Our warranty includes 10 YEARS of structural warranty, 2 YEARS of distribution systems such as

910.672.7296 | MCKEEHOMESNC.COM

electrical, HVAC and plumbing, and 1 YEAR workmanship and materials defects. Financing Your New Home

In the current real estate market, being able to quickly get prequalified and know you can obtain a mortgage by a certain date can be the difference between owning a new home or missing out on the home of your dreams.

Our in-house lender, Vision Lending Services, was created to do all that and more for McKee Homes’ homebuyers. The Vision Lending team is available seven days a week and makes sure that every step of the home buying process is simple, easy to understand and as transparent as possible.

Brenna started working for McKee Homes back in 2016 as a New Home Sales Consultant and was recently promoted to the Wilmington Area Sales Manager!

SCARLESS VEIN CARE

VARICOSE VEINS IN PREGNANCY - WHAT'S THE CONNECTION?

If you are currently pregnant or are thinking about having a baby, vein health should be on your mind. Why? Well, during pregnancy the body undergoes a number of changes, including hormonal fluctuations and weight gain. Both of these factors can contribute to the development of varicose veins and vein disease. This is especially the case if there is a family history of the condition. Why Do Pregnant Women Get Varicose Veins? As pregnancy progresses, the growing fetus and uterus put pressure on the inferior vena cava, which is a major blood vessel that is responsible for helping return the blood toward the heart. Stress on blood vessels increases as blood volume expands by 45%, on average, as the blood flow rate in the pelvis region continues to decrease. This makes it challenging for the blood in the legs to return toward the heart.

When this occurs, vein valves may become faulty and blood can start to pool in the veins and weaken the wall of the affected blood vessels. This causes vein stretching, sagging, and swelling, which may manifest as prominent spider veins and varicose veins. Vascular changes can also cause swelling and pain in the legs and feet. Varicose veins may improve after childbirth, but they won't go away completely. Treating your veins between pregnancy can help alleviate symptoms like leg pain and swelling. Can You Prevent Varicose Veins While Pregnant? Preventative measures for varicose veins and vein disease include: · Avoiding sitting or standing for long periods · Sleeping on your left side decrease excessive pressure on the inferior vena cava · Elevating your legs · Exercising to improve your blood circulation · Wearing compression stockings to help prevent the blood from pooling in your legs Should Vein Screenings Be Part of Prenatal Healthcare? Dr. Kamran Goudarzi believes so. He has witnessed the connection between changes in vascular health and pregnancy in many patients. Patients with poor venous health who become pregnant are at risk for developing vein-related complications. With treatment, patients with venous insufficiency have overcome swollen, painful legs and varicose veins and reduced their risk for more serious complications like venous ulcers and blood clots. How Effective Is Vein Disease Treatment? In part one of this two-part episode of the Nice Living with Dr. Kamran Podcast, a young mother shares her story of how she overcame a severe case of vein disease with the help of modern vein treatment at Scarless Vein Care by Dr. Kamran. Katie discusses her symptoms, initial frustrations finding help, and discovering relief and results beyond what she imagined. In part two of this podcast episode, Dr. Kamran further explains the connection between venous

910.218.0933 | SCARLESSVEINCARE.COM

insufficiency and varicose veins during pregnancy and how vein disease is more common in young people than many realize. Are You Concerned About Your Vein Health? Whether you are currently expecting or have already welcomed your little one/s into the world, our team at Scarless Vein Care by Dr. Kamran is here for you. Call our office to learn about a complimentary consultation and learn more about treatment options at our state-of-the-art vein centers in Wilmington, NC and Leland, NC.

Internationally recognized as a pioneer in the field of phlebology and vascular surgery, Dr. Kamran has been providing general, thoracic, vascular, laparoscopic, and both upper and lower endoscopic surgeries for more than 40 years. As one of the first physicians and centers in the state of North Carolina to offer intravascular laser ablation for the treatment of varicose veins, Dr. Kamran is known for outstanding patient outcomes and satisfaction rates.