17 minute read
Your Best Self
Come see us for your holiday decor and floral arrangements!
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615.591.7990 | alwaysinbloominc.com 227 Franklin Road | Franklin, TN 37064
BY SANDY COWEN
Holidays can push us to the brink; too much to do and too little time. The panic of finding the perfect gift, all the food prep in advance, decorating the house and wondering if the items we’ve ordered online will look as good as they did in the picture – especially clothes. It’s always the same, but with the COVID-19 panic this year, stress is off the charts. I have a secret, it’s all in your head. Stress and worry and over-thinking all reside in the left hemisphere of our brain. So, switch gears, shift to the right hemisphere and become more creative. There are very simple acts that will help you to engage your creative side and allow you refocus to the present moment. It’s living in the moment that eliminates stress. When you do that, you push out projection, which invites worry; and wipe away the past, which reminds us of regrets, guilt and sorrow. Instead, choose to live in the moment; the joy of that can be overwhelming and it eliminates stress, while you’re in that state. Yes, and while in the present you’ll find it easier to actually love the task at hand instead of dreading it. Take cookies, for example. Even if you’re not a cookie baker by nature, baking cookies can become a fun adventure. Dig out your mother’s homemade cookie recipes for butter cookies or sugar cookies or Mexican wedding cookies. Select a few that sound appealing. Then, take an entire day off and drop out of life. Turn off TV news and bask in the stillness of a quiet house or turn on low music in the background that you truly enjoy. The day is yours. Success or
failure, who cares? My favorite creative experience is wrapping the gifts. I set aside part of my dining room table as Santa’s workshop. Of course, if you have little ones at home, a person has to be a bit more clandestine with the effort. In that case, find a large waste basket and fill it with wrapping, bags of ribbon, tape, scissors, name tags and everything you’ll need. When you take the basket from the closet – you’re ready to go. Feel the love you have for the person you’re giving the gift to, as you wrap each one. There’s something about doing a task with love, that always make it turn out better. Take your time – even if you only wrap a few; fill each effort with lots of love.
Finally, shopping for gifts – stocking gifts, in particular. This project is the most fun while engaging one’s intuition and creativity. I try to always shop for stocking gifts primarily in person. I devote a day or two before Christmas to trek out to male-type stores, if I’m buying for a guy – and female-type stores, if I’m buying for a gal. It’s best if you rarely shop at them so everything is discovery. Stockings, for me, are the most fun to fill – and I wrap every single gift that goes inside – not with ribbon but absolutely with paper. Unwrapping the gifts as they’re removed from the stocking extends the process and builds anticipation. If you’re the gift giver, this is the best experience to watch.
When a person allows themselves to be creative and intuitive, it seems like it is more natural for the feeling of love to flow into the task. These magical breaks in your normal Christmas routine will help diminish your seasonal stress level, guaranteed. So, shift gears this season, it could be the best family holiday ever., Merry Christmas.
SANDY COWEN
Sandy Cowen is a national and international consultant for major corporations facing challenging markets. She helped found and was the programmatic architect for the largest and most comprehensive women’s resource center in the country that quickly accommodated 30,000 client visits a year. She is a role model of resilience. She teaches others that answers always exist and that each of us can take charge of our lives in ways that can be fascinating and exhilarating.
Winter Weather Protection for Your Skin And Great Stocking Stuffers!
It’s that time of year when our skin begins to suffer from the winter elements of cold, wet and dry. It’s also that time of year when we search for the perfect stocking stuffer! Well, look no further!
Are your lips starting to get chapped from chilly temperatures? Are your hands drier than usual? That must mean it’s time to winterize your skincare routine! Add extra hydration to your skincare lineup and help defend your skin from cold weather damage with the below beauty essentials that’ll ensure you beat any winter chill:
• Mad Hippie Vitamin C Serum ($33.99): This award-winning formula contains Vitamin C, E and Hyaluronic Acid to deeply condition skin in distress, leaving a dewy complexion behind. Madhippie.com
• Mad Hippie Cheek and Lip Tint ($22.00): Jojoba and shea butter keep skin hydrated while sea buckthorn berry and blueberry provide antioxidant support to protect and nourish. Look good while you feel good with this versatile cheek and lip tint can be layered for a natural or bold look! Madhippie.com
• Aura Cacia Jojoba Skin Care Oil ($15.59): This natural, non-comedogenic skincare oil is perfect for blending with essential oils or works perfectly on its own for a simple, yet replenishing moisturizer for all skin types. Auracacia.com
• Rituel Sacred Serum ($98.00): This serum alchemizes nature’s most revered healing and beautifying plants with Hemp’s potent cannabinoids and contains 777 mg of organic full-spectrum CBD, fifteen raw, organic, cold-pressed botanical oils, and twelve organic healing flowers and herbs formulated to nourish, regenerate and protect your skin. Rituel.com
Winter is coming...are you ready to take it on with these essentials?
Macy’s Holiday Gift Guide
Macy’s brings magic to the holiday season with thoughtful gifts at every price point for every person on the list. Whether you need a unique stocking stuffer or a truly special piece, for the young or young-at-heart, Macy’s makes finding the perfect gift easy, with luxury items to gifts under $100, $50, $25 and $15. What’s more, shoppers can explore macys.com/gifts to find easy-to-navigate shopping guides by price or personality and discover the season’s most coveted gifts in fashion, home, beauty and toys.
Go online to shop at macys.com or visit local Macy’s locations:
Macy’s at The Green Hills Mall 3813 Hillsboro Pike, Nashville, TN 37215
Macy’s at CoolSprings Galleria 1790 Galleria Blvd, Franklin, TN 37067
TMD Up To Snow Good Flask and Shot Glass Set $30.00
Harper + Ari Pink Champagne Bar Bath Bomb $10 Bella Mini Donut Maker $30.99 Nespresso Vertuo Next Bundle $249.99
Harpeth Valley Dermatology Opens New Practice in Thompson’s Station
Harpeth Valley Dermatology is a family-owned and operated, full-service medical practice consisting of three board-certified dermatologists: Dr. Megan Morrison, Dr. Pezhman Shoureshi, and Dr. Benjamin Bashline. With convenient locations in Thompson’s Station and Smyrna, our practice provides dermatologic care to all ages in the middle Tennessee area. We have a reputation amongst the medical community for providing quality dermatologic care to all of our patients.
Our dermatologists bring a wealth of medical experience that collectively spans over twenty years. Through their prior experience, they became increasingly concerned with the ever-apparent shift from patient-centered dermatologic care to that of a corporate driven business. Many dermatology practices have replaced their boardcertified dermatology physicians with providers lacking specialized training, which can be misleading to patients. At Harpeth Valley Dermatology, our mission is to provide our patients with a true dermatology experience.
Our dermatologists are experts in diagnosing and treating a wide array of medical conditions. We provide comprehensive treatment modalities for common conditions such as eczema, psoriasis, acne, and warts as well as diagnosing and treating skin cancer and various autoimmune conditions. As osteopathic physicians, we provide a holistic approach to diagnosis that focuses on finding the root of the problem instead of solely treating symptoms. We customize treatment plans to not only provide effective management, but more importantly, find a solution that patients feel comfortable with. Outside of medical services, we also provide a full spectrum of cosmetic procedures. These include toxins, fillers, lasers for antiaging and scarring as well as platelet rich plasma (PRP) treatments for hair loss. We are also proud to carry our own line of Harpeth Valley Dermatology products for anti-aging.
One of the most important services we provide is screening for skin cancer. Twenty percent of Americans will develop skin cancer and it remains the leading cause of cancer in the United States. All three of our dermatologists are members of the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) and regularly provide free skin cancer screenings sponsored by the AAD. Outside of diagnosis, the dermatologists at Harpeth Valley Dermatology are experts in providing surgical and non-surgical treatment options for skin cancer, including Mohs micrographic surgery. Dr. Morrison is not only a board-certified dermatologist but she is also a fellowship-trained Mohs surgeon. Mohs surgery is the gold standard for skin cancer treatment and offers the highest cure rate (99%) while minimizing the cosmetic effects of surgery.
We invite you to discover the difference at Harpeth Valley Dermatology where we pride ourselves on practicing first-class dermatologic care.
For more information, please go to harpethvalleydermatology.com or call us at 615-905-8083.
Sugar Drop Café & Dessert Boutique is a cake, party and sweets supply shop that has been serving the greater Nashville area for almost fifty years. They are a locally- owned boutique sweet shop specializing in professional cake-baking supplies and unique party supplies for every occasion.
In early 2017 Sugar Drop was purchased by Brooke O’Dell, an awardwinning cake artist. Brooke’s cakes have been featured in local and regional publications multiple times including RollingStone.com, The Commercial Appeal in Memphis, and NashvilleBrideGuide.com. She was notably Best of Kids Birthday Cake Baker in the Nashville Scene in 2008. Brooke’s client list includes Ringo Starr, Willie Nelson, Elvis Presley, Country Music Television, Johnnyswim, Lieutenant Governor Ron Ramsey, Congressman Marsha Blackburn, Senator Jack Johnson and many more.
Brooke has turned dessert into an art form and uses buttercream, fondant and whimsy as the tools of her decadent trade-creating edible works of art. As the owner and proprietor of the revamped store, Brooke has combined her eye for design and love affair with sweets to re-establish Sugar Drop as Nashville’s premiere go-to, one-stop, specialty shop for party and baking supplies. From balloons and buttercream to candles and cake pans, Sugar Drop has everything you need for your unique party occasion. Sugar Drop is stocked with the latest trends in both party supplies and cake-decorating and will also carries a variety of specialty unique boutique gift items, perfect for any party host or guest.
In addition to baking and party supplies, Sugar Drop offers fresh Sugar Drop Drippy Cakes in a variety of flavors and sizes, as well as scratch made homemade cookies and bars from family recipes nearly a century old. Homemade chocolate treats and sweets are available for pick-up or can be custom ordered for any occasion, from corporate gifts to wedding favors.
In the new party rental space, Sugar Drop offers a variety of cooking and decorating classes for the young and young at heart. In these classes, O’Dell will share her expertise on everything from buttercream basics to cookie decorating. You can also host a private all-inclusive event for anyone turning five or older at Sugar Drop. Each guest will create a theme based confection with instruction in both buttercream and fondant while enjoying house made goodies including birthday cake popcorn and cotton candy cocktails.
Brooke tells how she left the corporate world and picked up a book to teach herself the art of cake making. “I never dreamed I would be where I am now. Throughout my cake career I have been able to work with some amazing celebrity artists. I dreamed of owning a place of my own at a young age and feel privileged to have been able to take an established business with a long-standing heritage in Brentwood and bring it back to life. Because I am a self-taught baker, my goal is for guests of all ages to feel that our classes and concepts are approachable; that young aspiring bakers can be reminded that dreams do come true through lots of hard work,” she says.
So how did this fairy tale of confections come to be for Brooke? Sugar Drop has been a familiar name in Brentwood for decades. “I was familiar with Sugar Drop when I was told it was for sale. A dear friend saw this dream with me and partnered with me originally, to purchase the shop. We kept the name and general sweet supply concept but basically started the business from scratch, as any good baker would do,” Brooke recalls. “Within five months of operating we had done a complete remodel and began offering our cakes, private events and classes. Within about a year, I realized that we had a special place in the “sugar market” and knew that we would need to be able to relocate in order to grow and do all of the things I dreamed of for this business,” she tells.
At the original Sugar Drop location, Brooke and staff had been able to host over 400 private events, countless classes, three sold-out summers of Camp Sugar Drop and teach thousands. But it wasn’t enough. And so, Brooke began the search for new property in 2019. “We found our current spot in early 2020 and held off signing our lease in March due to the unsteadiness of the market and not knowing how business would be with the pandemic only in its beginning stages,” she remembers. “But we were able to alter our business model overnight to help continue to meet the demand of the market throughout the pandemic shutdown, by offering delivery, curbside pick-up, virtual events and much more. We were one of the only bakeries in Brentwood that remained open and therefore, were able to feel an enormous new wave of business and support that allowed us to keep all of our staff off of unemployment and our doors open,” Brooke says. Definitely – a sweet miracle!
“I want each customer to have an overwhelming childhood wonderment when they walk in, no matter their age. We want guests to be able to enjoy our menu in person, so we expanded to have a cafe area, as well as expanded hours and menu offerings. We are now able to host larger private events in our space and continue to offer virtual events. We offer delivery and shipping services to those unable to venture out. We want all who enter to feel like a kid in a candy store. You can order cakes, book events and sign up for all classes through our website,” she says. YOURWILLIAMSON.COM 21
French Hot Chocolate Thankfully, after finally being able to officially open their new space this fall, Sugar Drop is on a roll! Going into 2021 Sugar Drop plans to expand their class offerings to include a variety of interests, both within the culinary world and the creative world. They will be partnering with local chefs and artists to have a variety of monthly offerings in their creative classroom. Be sure to follow Sugar Drop on Facebook or Instagram at
Come see us at our New Location!
Ingredients: 8oz good bittersweet chocolate bars 1 ¾ c. whole milk ½ c heavy cream 2 Tbsp. Brown Sugar ½ tsp vanilla extract
Directions: 1. Combine all ingredients on medium heat and stir until combined and thick. You can add more milk if desired for a thinner consistency. 2. Top with whipped cream, crushed
mint, marshmallows, caramel, etc. @SugarDropTN to find the latest information and inspiration for your next cake or party project and for monthly specials! Sugar Drop aims to be the sweetest shop in town! Come visit Sugar Drop and let your imagination run wild!
In the meantime, Brooke shares some of her holiday favorite treats you
can make at home or find at Sugar Drop. It’s truly a sweet life!
574 Franklin Road | Suite #110 | Franklin, TN 37069 Store Hours: Monday-Wednesday 8am -5pm | Thursday-Saturday 8am - 7pm Closed Sundays sugardrop.com | 629.202.6949
Peppermint Bark Ratio: 2 Pounds Melting Wafers - we suggest Merckans Brand 8oz or 1/2 lb Peppermint Crunch By following this simple ratio, you can adjust your bark favor for each season. You can create white chocolate and key lime crunch during the summer or a dark chocolate orange during the fall. The classic holiday Sugar Drop Bark is white chocolate with red and green peppermint crunch.
Directions: 1. Pour chocolate into a plastic microwave-safe bowl and melt in 30-second increments, stirring in between. Chocolate should melt within 3-5 cycles. 2. Add preferred crunch and pour onto a sheet of parchment or directly onto a granite countertop. 3. Spread bark as thin as possible and allow it to sit for approximately one hour or until it has cooled and hardened. Break into bite-size sections and store in a zip closure bag or tin.
Cream Cheese Mints Ingredients: 4 oz Cream Cheese at room temperature 1 Pound of Powdered Sugar ¼ tsp Peppermint Oil or other flavoring (Butter, Almond, Marshmallow, Cheesecake, etc.) Gel Food Coloring if desired Granulated or Sanding Sugar Flexible Rubber Mint Mold or Chocolate Mold
Directions: 1. Mix together cream cheese, powdered sugar, desired flavor, a pinch of salt and gel coloring until the mixture becomes a stiff dough. This can also be done in a food processor. 2. Pinch off small marble size pieces and roll in granulated or sanding sugar and press gently into a mold or gently flatten with fingers into a disk. If using a chocolate mold with multiple molds, press into mold, and place in the freezer for 1 minute then remove. Continue until all dough is formed.
Christmas Butter Cookies Ingredients: 1 c Butter 1 C Sugar 1 Egg 2 tsp. Vanilla ½ tsp Baking Powder 3 C All Purpose Flour ½ tsp salt
Cookie Glaze: 1 lb Powdered Sugar 4-6 Tbsp. Hot Water Pinch of Salt 1/2 tsp almond or vanilla extract
Directions: 1. In a standing mixer, beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add in egg, vanilla baking powder, flour and salt. Form dough into a ball and place in the fridge to set for 1 hour. Can be placed in the fridge at this point until later use. 2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Remove dough from the fridge and roll out the dough into ¼” thickness on a lightly floured surface or rolling mat. Cut dough using your favorite cutters and bake for 7-9 minutes, just until set. 3. Remove and allow to cool completely before icing.
Glaze Directions: 1.Stir all ingredients to a large bowl, starting with 4 Tbsp. of hot water. Whisk until smooth. If the mixture is too dry, add 1 additional tablespoon at a time until it is a thick but smooth consistency. Glaze may be tinted with food gel. This glaze is great to use for dipping the top of cookies and topping with sprinkles. Use a thick consistency for piping.
