Columbia Metropolitan magazine

CONTENTS Volume 21 Number 6

13 Features 43 Twists on Tradition

2011 Guide to Tying the Knot

By Deena C. Bouknight

66 Best of Columbia

66

The 2011 winners are announced!

Departments Local Seen 13 Homecoming

Columbians reunite with deployed

family members

By Robin Cowie Nalepa

Home Style 18 From South of France to

South Carolina

Yves and Martine Naar fill their home

with worldly art

By Margaret Gregory

24 Cooking From a Can

Delicious recipes that only require a few

canned goods

By Susan Fuller Slack, C.C.P.

34 Yards of Bargains

43

Tracking treasures on the cheap for

profitable reselling

By Rosanne McDowell

24

34

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CONTENTS Volume 21 Number 6 Palmetto Business 91 A New Future for Richland Mall

102

Richland Mall anticipates a revitalization like

none it’s seen before

By Sam Morton

Advertising Sections 95 Getting Down to Business 100 Gotta Have It In Every Issue 6 From the Editor 10 City Scoops 40 New to the Neighborhood?

94 Spread the Word 102 Just Married 102 Picture This 104 Out & About

91

102

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FROM THE EDITOR

COLUMBIA M E T R O P O L I T A N

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oes this issue feel a little heftier than usual? Are you having to stop, rest your arms for a moment, and then pick the magazine back up again? Don’t worry, you are not losing your mind – we’ve actually combined two months’ worth of stories into one big issue. You may want to set aside a little more time than usual to enjoy this issue, as it is jam packed with loads of good information.

We announce the much anticipated and highly regarded 2011 Best of Columbia contest winners beginning on page 66. We had so much fun with several of our winners, asking them to step out of their comfort zones and act a little zany for our photographer, Jeff Amberg. Watching Ron Rust of Top Hat Sweepers click his heels together atop a three-story house almost did me in. Ron didn’t hesitate when we asked if he could mimic Dick Van Dyke from the 1964 classic, Mary Poppins. “Sure, no problem!” he exclaimed, and he started jumping and clicking until we got the frame we wanted. I feel fairly confident that Ron would have given the same response even if we’d asked him if he could do several cartwheels along the roofline with a final flip as his dismount! Meanwhile, Jeff was balancing himself at the top of a very shaky ladder, camera bag strapped to his back, camera in one hand and directing Ron with the other. And where was I? Frozen with fear, my feet firmly planted on the ground, trying not to get sick from anxiety. Luckily, Jeff was able to capture Ron’s shot within a matter of minutes, and no major catastrophes ensued.

Take a moment to check out the winners to this year’s contest and make an effort to personally congratulate them – they deserve the royal treatment! You will also notice that many winners are listed in red, meaning that they have achieved Hall of Fame status in our contest by winning Best of Columbia at least five times. A big congratulations to all of our 2011 winners.

Another special section that you won’t want to miss is the 2011 Guide to Tying the Knot.

This year’s theme is “Twists on Tradition,” giving brides-to-be inspired ideas on how to add just the right amount of whimsy to their big days. Read about four Columbia couples who did just that. From a destination wedding in Tulum, Mexico, complete with a beautiful “trash the dress” session, to an Alice in Wonderland-themed affair where the bride created her own illustrations to complement the invitations and the scenery, our featured weddings will not disappoint. But beware: for those of you who had traditional weddings, your own wedding may seem a little boring after reading about these imaginative nuptials. And you may start thinking about a do-over.

We hope you enjoy this double issue! Thanks, as always, for reading.

Publisher

Henry Clay e d i to r

Emily Tinch A SSO C I ATE EDITOR a d v e rt i s i n g A rt D i r e c to r

Robyn Culbertson a s s i s ta n t e d i to r O f f i c e / c i r c u l at i o n m a n a g e r

Lindsay Niedringhaus E d i to r i a l A rt D i r e c to r

Dennis Craighead Design SENIOR A DVERTISING E X E C UTIVE

Shawn Coward A DVERTISING s a l e s

Emily Clay, Margaret Clay INTERN s

Elizabeth Keniston, Christine Presutti, Anna Westbury contributing writers

Deena Bouknight, Margaret Gregory, Rosanne McDowell, Sam Morton, Robin Nalepa, Susan Slack P h o to g r ap h y

Jeff Amberg, Jennifer Covington, Robert Clark, Bob Lancaster Columbia Metropolitan is published 10 times a year by Clay Publishing, Inc., 3700 Forest Drive, Suite 106, Columbia, S.C. 29204.

Copyright© Columbia Metropolitan 2011.

Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is prohibited. Advertising rates available upon request. The publishers are not responsible for the comments of authors or for unsolicited manuscripts. Subscription price $19.97 a year, $29.97 for two years in the United States. Postmaster send address changes to: Columbia Metropolitan, P.O. Box 6666, Columbia, South Carolina 29260. (803)787-6501.

Happy New Year!

Emily S. Tinch Editor

Subscribe to Columbia Metropolitan for one year for just $19.97!

Visit columbiametro.com/subscribe or call (803) 787-6501 TODAY! 6 C o lu m b i a M e t ro p o l i ta n

About the cover: D.J. and Danielle Taylor of Columbia were married in Tulum, Mexico.

Photography by Gregg Martin www.greggmartinphoto.com

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CITY SCOOPS

JDRF 13th Annual Wings of Love Gala

By Elizabeth Keniston

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his year, eveyone should “Follow the Yellow Brick Road to a Cure” with the Palmetto Chapter of the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation.

On the evening of Feb. 5, the foundation will present the 13th annual Wings of Love Gala to raise funds to support juvenile diabetes research.

The event will honor Coach and Mrs. Ray Tanner for their exceptional service to the community. Ray and Karen Tanner founded the Ray Tanner Foundation in 2005, a nonprofit organization dedicated to the betterment of economically and medically disadvantaged children and their families. Through various events throughout the year, their foundation raises funds to support organizations that care for seriously

ill children, the homeless and other charitable causes.

J D R F ’ s b l a ck - t i e e v e n t , delightfully themed around The Wizard of Oz, will include a silent and live auction, live music from the band Blackbeard’s Truck, delicious catered food and an open bar. In addition to presenting the Tanners with the Living and Giving award, the Gala also will showcase a video presentation and personal testimony from Ethan Morse, a JDRF Junior Ambassador with Type 1 diabetes.

Other JDRF Junior Ambassadors will be in attendance to share their stories and everyday journeys with diabetes.

JDRF is proud that more than 80 percent of revenue goes directly to research and to ultimately finding a cure for this debilitating disease.

For ticket information, please call (803) 782-1477 or visit jdrfpalmetto.org.

Ethan Morse, JDRF Junior Ambassador

St. Andrews Woman’s Club 30th Annual Bridal Showcase

By Elizabeth Keniston

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n Jan. 9, say “I do” to an all-day wedding affair. The S t . A n d r e w s Wo m a n ’ s Club 30th Annual Bridal Showcase will again provide individuals in the Midlands area with an opportunity to visit and meet more than 100 bridal exhibitors. The event, located at the Cantey Building in the State Fairgrounds, will showcase wedding vendors including florists, bridal and tux shops, photographers, caterers and more. Gowns and wedding apparel will

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also be professionally modeled during several fashion shows throughout the day. Brides-to-be not only can comparison shop with friends and family, but also they may enter in drawings for prizes, find inspiration and chat with other brides from noon to 5 p.m.

The showcase generates funds for community service organizations, benefiting the more than 100 “hands on” community service projects supported by the Woman’s Club. In

the past, organizations such as The American Cancer Society, Sexual Trauma Services of the Midlands, Home Works of America, Inc. and Palmetto Place Children’s Emergency Center, to name a few, have received donaions.

Tickets are $5 for adults and $1 for children under 12. Admission is free for children younger than 2.

For more information, visit sawc-sc.org/ bridalshowcase.

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17th Annual Central Carolina Food and Wine Festival

By Elizabeth Keniston

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roaden your dinner horizons and indulge your taste buds at the 17th Annual Central Carolina Food and Wine Festival. Sponsored by the Central Carolina Community Foundation, various dinners and wine tastings raise money to assist the foundation in awarding grants to nonprofit organizations in the Midlands.

For the past 16 years, the festival has raised over $735,000 in support of the Foundation’s mission.

On Jan. 10, Feb. 6 and Mar. 7, the festival will present fabulous Food & Wine Dinners where guests will enjoy appetizing meals prepared by local chefs, complimentary wines paired with each

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course and guest speakers provided by local wine distributors. On Feb. 24 and Mar. 31, patrons can take part in tasting vintage wines, judging South Carolina distributor’s best selections and sampling hors d’oeuvres at formal wine tastings before the Gala Event on Apr. 1. At the culmination of this delicious festival, guests can seize the opportunity to experience over 300 domestic and international wines, as well as sample cuisine from the best local restaurants and caterers in Columbia.

For more information and to purchase tickets for various events, visit yourfoundation. org/newsandevents/foodwinefestival.aspx.

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LOCAL SEEN

Homecoming Columbians reunite with deployed family members

By Robin Cowie Nalepa / Photography courtesy of respective families

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hanon Rudd had been hearing rumors about the big day for about a month. While she didn’t want to get too excited, she did start preparing.

She cleaned the house from top to bottom. She stocked the cabinets with her husband’s favorite foods.

She purchased new outfits for her children and herself.

She fluffed yellow ribbons and hung homemade signs – “Welcome Home” and “My Daddy, My Hero.” Everything needed to be just right. Her husband, Sgt. Joshua Rudd, was coming home after a year in Iraq.

A year of separation – marked by all too brief phone calls, e-mails and Skype; of avoiding news shows and sending care packages; of longing and fear – would soon end.

In a hot gym in July, hundreds of family members crowded together to welcome home soldiers from the 67th Signal Battalion from Ft. Gordon, Ga. “I saw him, and my heart skipped a beat,” says Shanon of her first sighting of Josh. “I just kept my eye on him the whole time. You know he’s home, he’s safe.”

Then the moment came when families reunited. Kisses and long embraces were traded for the months of “miss yous” and “be safes.” “That’s my daddy” took the place of “where’s my daddy.” Lost moments – birthdays, holidays, everyday – were replaced with joy and relief.

Homecomings like this remain poignant and powerful

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even though they occur frequently and repeatedly across the country as thousands of military personnel arrive home from deployments in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Josh and Shanon and their two children, Maddie, 4, and Nathan, 2, were reunited in July. Since then they’ve had time to adjust, get to know one another again and find a rhythm in their routine together. Maddie no longer gets upset when her daddy goes to work, as she realizes he’ll be coming home again in the evening.

Shanon and Josh had some advantages, as this was Josh’s third deployment and their second deployment together. Shanon, who grew up with an Army father and do-it-all mother, had the support of her family in Lexington and the resources at Ft. Gordon. But she also had memories of the uneasy readjustment from Josh’s second deployment, during which he missed all of his baby daughter’s “firsts” and life at home had changed so drastically.

So this time when Josh returned, they took things slow.

They didn’t force big celebrations, opting for quieter family gatherings. They gave each other space and relearned one another’s quirks.

And according to Angie Barton, Shanon’s mother, they let Josh set the pace. Angie understands the difficulties, as she raised four children while her own husband had a career in the military. Angie is a member of the Blue Star

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Mothers, an organization for mothers and mothers-in-law with children who serve or have served in the military. She offered Shanon as much support as she could and is proud of her daughter and son-in-law.

Since Josh has chosen to make the Army his career, the Rudds know they will likely face future separations.

“It’s a hard life but a good life,” says Shanon. “You’d think it would get easier. You may know what to expect but it doesn’t get easier.”

Shanon is grateful for the support they’ve received from friends, family and the community. “We know people recognize our sacrifice,” she says.

Angela Filyaw and her son welcome her husband Brad home.

Last Person to Hug Air Force Staff Sgt. William “Brad” Filyaw headed to Iraq in May with the 20th Maintenance Operations Squadron from Shaw Air Force Base. He left his wife, Angela, to care for their children and home in Sumter. It was their first separation. They didn’t exactly know how it would go.

“I expected time to creep by,” says Angela. “But it’s flown by.”

Angela stayed busy. She cleared a half-acre lot at the couple’s home, learned to use a chainsaw, fixed outlets, pressure-washed the house and installed flood lights. All the things Brad would have done, she learned to do.

“I’ve been playing man and woman,” says Angela, laughing. “He’s been over there doing what he has to do.”

Frequent phone calls and e-mails kept the couple connected. Yet there is no way to make up for missing the little pleasures of home.

Foremost, I miss my family and being able to do the small things like having barbecues, riding the four-wheelers, going to the races and just hanging out around the house, Brad wrote in an e-mail from Iraq.

Angela and Brad weren’t sure what to expect when he arrived home in mid-October. Angela had heard from other military wives to expect him not to know what’s going on, but she couldn’t imagine the family not falling back into place.

Brad understood his family had learned a lot and done a lot in his absence and hoped for a smooth transition back to a cohesive unit.

Yet it is the homecoming Brad and Angela most anticipated.

I would imagine there will be people, hugs, tears, food and beer, or at least that’s what I’m hoping for, wrote Brad. First thing I intend to do is kiss my wife and hug my kids. After that, I look forward to catfish fillets and Crown Royal by a bonfire.

Josh Rudd walks hand-in-hand with his two children after reuniting in July.

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Angela had decided she would be the last person her husband hugged when they reunited, because she thought she wouldn’t want to let him go, she says.

“I was so scared,” she says. “I didn’t know what to expect.”

When Brad stepped off the plane, two things caught Angela off guard. She cried harder than she expected.

And Brad left with a clean-shaven head and returned with a head full of curls.

Hidden Wounds

Anna Bigham naturally worried about her little brother, Mills.

Despite his training as a United States Marine, Anna knew anything could happen during his two deployments in Iraq.

Weeks would go by without word from him. She hoped for phone calls, for e-mails. Sometimes they came.

Often they didn’t.

“I was hoping and praying and having faith that he and the rest of his Marine buddies would be okay,” remembers Anna. “I wondered where he was, if he was safe.”

Eventually, Mills made it home safely from both his deployments. Joyous relatives and friends, happy for his safe return and excited for his future, were waiting for him.

His commitment to the military over, Mills was honorably discharged and moved back to Columbia, his and Anna’s hometown.

“It was exciting again,” says Anna.

“I was looking forward to having him near me.”

Unfortunately, the transition to civilian life did not go smoothly for Mills. He was unable to hold down a job. He didn’t want to be around people or venture out in the daytime.

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“I liked it, but it threw me for a loop,” she says, laughing.

True to her word, Angela was the last person to hug Brad when he got off the plane. Eventually, she let him go long enough to enjoy a big homecoming party. Only a few hours after stepping back onto South Carolina soil, Brad was in his newly cleared backyard, eating catfish and toasting family.

“Things are back to normal,” says Angela. “It’s like we’ve never skipped a beat. I never thought we’d get back into a routine so easily.”

Mills had physically made it through the war. He lived everyday, however, with the lasting memories of combat. Like many other combat veterans, he suffered from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.

Anna knew her brother needed help. She invited him to move in with her. She tried to help him get back on track with life. She worked to get him mental health treatment. Yet, she couldn’t find the kind of intense, long-term help her brother needed, she says.

Cpl. Mills Bingham and sister Anna

On Oct. 19, 2009, Mills Bigham – a son, a brother, a friend, a veteran – committed suicide.

“After he died, I knew I would do something,” says Anna.

At a time when she could have succumbed to her own grief and despair, Anna focused her energy on helping others.

She founded Hidden Wounds, a nonprofit organization that provides peace of mind and comfort for m ilitary personnel suffering from

military or combat stress injuries such as PTSD, Traumatic Brain Injury and other psychological post war challenges.

Hidden Wounds, based in Columbia, works with combat veterans offering counseling and support. Anna also hopes the organization will raise awareness of the alarming rate of suicide among veterans and fight the stigma military personnel may face when seeking psychological help.

Anna encourages individuals and families to become involved with Hidden Wounds while they or their loved ones are still actively serving in the military.

Says Anna, “It’s important to get involved and learn about the hidden wounds of war and the resources available while they are going through the trauma and experiencing it.”

Almost one year to the day of her brother’s suicide, Anna offered these words at the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention’s Closing Remembrance Ceremony: “I’ve learned that the best way for me to heal is to talk about my experience and brother, Mills, to all who will listen. I’ve made it my privilege to honor the many who have served our nation while creating a legacy for Marine Corporal Mills Palmer Bigham.”

For more information about Hidden Wounds, call (803) 403-8460, or visit hiddenwounds.org.

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Homecoming Gifts Letting go can be hard for anyone faced with a longterm separation. It can be even more difficult when a young child is involved.

Staff Sgt. Tara Washington was deployed with the Air National Guard, 169th Fighter Wing, from McEntire Joint National Guard Base this summer to support the 332nd Air Expeditionary Wing in Iraq.

Though excited and proud to be deployed to do her job and serve the country overseas, Tara also had to say goodbye to her husband, Alexander, and 2-year-old daughter.

There was no way to explain to her little girl what was going on.

“All they register is that you aren’t there,” says Tara.

“When I had to walk away and get on the plane, it was the hardest thing I’ve had to do in my life.”

Tara’s deployment was fairly short – almost four months. When it was time to return home, it simply couldn’t come fast enough for her.

The journey home felt like a never-ending day. The plane hopscotched from Balad, Iraq, to Germany, north to Iceland, across the Atlantic to Maine, then south to Baltimore and finally to South Carolina. Anxious to be home, Tara calmed herself knowing she would soon see her family and hold her child.

Her husband met her at the homecoming so they could spend a few hours of alone time together before the all-day celebration of reuniting with family.

“I ran to him, and it was like seeing him for the first time,” says Tara. “It was just the best feeling.”

Alexander drove Tara to her in-laws where their young daughter was waiting. When Tara saw her little girl standing on the porch, she jumped from the car, maybe before it was even stopped, she says. The refrain of “Mommy, Mommy, Mommy” was the best homecoming gift she could imagine.

Hugs and kisses continued most of the day as Tara savored home-cooked red rice, sausage and shrimp.

“By far the best part,” she says of the homecoming, “was seeing my husband’s face and seeing my daughter, seeing them smile.”

Other resources for returning military personnel and families  Midlands Chapter of the Blue Star Families and Blue Star Mothers of America, bluestarmotherssc.com  Military One Source, militaryonesource.com  William Jennings Bryan Dorn VA Medical Center, columbiasc.va.gov

L to R: James, Marilyn, Michael and Andrew Singletary

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RL Bryan

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HOME STYLE

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From South of France to South Carolina Yves and Martine Naar fill their home with worldly art

By Margaret Gregory / Photography by Robert Clark

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hen Yves and Martine Naar came to the United States from their native France more than 30 years ago, it was not with the intention of putting down roots: “We thought we’d be here two or three years,” recalls Martine.

Now 32 years later, they are proud to call South Carolina home.

“South Carolina has been very welcoming,” she says. “I don’t know that the transition would have been as easy if we had moved anywhere else. People here are so patient.”

The Naars eventually settled in a home on Forest Lake in the early 1990s. While they initially remodeled the house that was originally on the property, in 2002 they decided to tear it all down and start from scratch, with the help of architect Tim Hance and builder Mose Kaufman.

“The design of the house is inspired from the South of France,” says Martine.

Wh i l e t h e k i t ch e n m a y b e Americanized, architectural details include arches throughout along with French doors and French-style windows.

“The windows were more of a challenge because, while they are the norm in France, there aren’t many manufacturers of French-style windows in the States,” Martine says.

While the house is large, the overall feel is still cozy.

“It’s not a house where you feel lost,” Martine notes. “The rooms are inviting to conversation, which is big in France – very European,” she says.

Each of the rooms is filled with art the Naars have collected over the years from their travels, from paintings to

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(above) A Vietnamese settee and pieces of African art greet guests as they enter the Naars’ front door. (left) In the Naar’s dining room stand German wooden carved figures believed to represent St. Peter and St. James.

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carvings and statuary. Each piece holds a special memory.

“When Yves and I were dating, he took a trip to Turkey. On his return, when he showed me what he had bought, I realized that this was how he told me about his trip.”

Those stories have continued over the years.

“We remember where we were when we bought many of the pieces we now have. There’s a conversation that goes on with each piece,” says Martine, who still has the first piece of art – a glass vase – that she collected at the age of 15.

Their love of art from across the globe is evident from the moment you walk through the front door. Matching curios of stone and glass hold several pieces of African art, while a Vietnamese settee reflects the French influence of that nation. A tapestry of Magritte’s “Peace” hangs along the curved staircase.

Standing guard in the living room is a Samurai warrior in full ceremonial dress. The helmet of the warrior dates to the 16th century. Across the way in the dining room stand German wooden carved statues believed to be of St. Peter

and St. James. These statues date from the time of Christopher Columbus in the 15th century. A clock made by Andre Hoy in Paris from the mid 17th century still keeps time. Another favorite piece is a Mother & Child statuette from Europe, dating from the 15th century and actually bought at an auction in Columbia.

The dining room walls are covered with hand-painted wallpaper copied from a 17th-century style. The ceiling is finished in Venetian plaster, and a crystal chandelier is suspended from a ceiling medallion on which angelic cherubs dance in the sky.

Martine and Yves also enjoy local art in their home. The sunroom features beautiful hand-painted lattice work and garden creatures by Christian Thee. The artist, known for his unique style of trompe l’oeil, also painted a representation of the Naar estate as one would imagine it from a time long ago.

The stairway to the basement is trimmed with gold-tone horizontal-striped wallpaper and features more paintings, including one that depicts the area where Yves grew up in Paris. At the entry to a small office, a beautiful Jewish stainedglass window from a synagogue up North

No matter the room in the Naars’ home, it always possesses a European, elegant style.

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The living room is filled with art the Naars have collected over the years from their travels. is backlit to accent its brilliant colors.

Further demonstrating their love of travel, the Naars have a collection of travel posters that were commissioned by Air France in the 1960s. The series was painted by lyrical abstract artist George Mathieu.

To help with the challenges of incorporating her art into the décor of their home, Martine turned to her longtime designer Linda Burnside of LGB Interiors. Martine first began working with Linda when they bought the original house in 1991.

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“I came across an article in which Linda was quoted as saying ‘You start with what you love,’ and she did that with our home. Linda came up with a plan on how to put what we love all together,” she says.

Over the years, Linda has helped decorate several homes for the Naars, including their apartment in Paris.

“Each room has its own personality, but they flow together,” Martine says.

Martine credits Linda with helping her become more adventurous in her decorating choices.

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The stairway to the basement is trimmed with gold-tone horizontal-striped wallpaper.

“Linda allows me to be more creative, whereas I don’t really trust myself,” says Martine.

Art isn’t limited to just the indoors. The large veranda overlooks gardens that extend out to the lake. The landscaping is inspired by Ephrussi de Rothschild Villa & Gardens, located on the French Riviera, overlooking the bay of Villefranche. Three reflecting pools, fountains and Greek statuary, along with pergolas and a covered sitting area, provide an opportunity to relax and unwind.

Martine has been a student of religion and says that much

of their choices in art stem from religious roots.

“We like what we find in religions and culture,” says Martine. “Art was originally commissioned to educate the people, to tell the stories of the Bible. That changed with the Renaissance.”

While they have great admiration for works of art in museums, Yves and Martine both have a personal connection to their own art.

“While it is wonderful to go to a museum to enjoy a beautiful piece of art, art is made to be lived with and to enjoy every day.”

L to R: James, Marilyn, Michael and Andrew Singletary

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HOME STYLE

Cooking From a Can

Delicious recipes that only require a few canned goods

By Susan Fuller Slack, C.C.P. Photography ©Bumble Bee Foods

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very pantry should have a good supply of canned foods in the case of unexpected guests or limited cooking resources, such as during a power outage. Stocking up on canned goods can save time and money, fitting into almost everyone’s budget. Canned goods have long shelf lives, store easily and require minimal preparation.

Canned foods can be creatively included in many scratch dishes. When considering which ones to use, choose those as near as possible to their natural state, with a minimum of processing.

The commercial canning process locks nutrients into foods at the peak of freshness. Canned foods are comparable in nutrient content to fresh or frozen, and some have even more antioxidants than their fresh counterparts. Tomatoes and tomato-based foods like marinara sauce are high in the antioxidant lycopene, which actually offers better protective qualities after canning.

However, keep in mind that canned foods shouldn’t replace fresh foods entirely. For a healthy and well-balanced diet, combine them with as many fresh foods as you can.

Contrary to popular belief, canned foods won’t last until the end of time.

According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, high acid canned

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Stuffed Pasta Shells with Tuna (©Bumble Bee Foods)

foods such as tomatoes, tomato soup, spaghetti sauce, fruits and fruit juice can be stored up to 18 months. Low-acid canned meats, poultry and fish and most vegetables can be stored two to five years, if the cans are in good condition.

A product that has passed its shelf life might still be safe to eat, but quality is no longer guaranteed.

Stuffed Pasta Shells with Tuna (©Bumble Bee Foods)

2 cans or pouches (5 ounces) Bumble Bee® Tuna, drained and flaked 12 ounces dry large pasta shells (to stuff) 1 cup part skim Ricotta cheese 8 ounce chopped frozen spinach, thawed and squeezed 1/2 teaspoon garlic salt

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese 1 jar (12 ounces) marinara or spaghetti sauce 1 cup shredded low-moisture part skim Mozzarella cheese Preheat oven to 350°F. Prepare pasta noodles according to package directions.

Set aside. Combine tuna, Ricotta cheese, spinach, garlic salt and Parmesan cheese.

Fill pasta shells with tuna mixture. Place in casserole dish, open side up. Pour sauce over shells to cover. Sprinkle top with Mozzarella cheese. Bake at 350°F for 30 minutes. Serves 6.

Lemon Hummus

For a protein-rich vegetarian sandwich, spread this delicious mixture over spinach or tomato-flavored flour wraps or on flat bread. Drizzle with extra

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1 teaspoon ground cumin 1/2 to 3/4 teaspoon sea salt black pepper, to taste 2 large peeled garlic cloves 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

Combine all ingredients in the work bowl of a food processor fitted with steel blade. Process mixture, adding a little more water or oil, if necessary, to create a creamy consistency. Scrape down bowl several times. Taste and add additional seasonings, if desired.

Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for one week.

Zesty Salmon Cakes With Chive-Dill Sauce

Wild Alaska Sockeye red salmon and pink salmon are abundant Pacific species available canned. Rich in flavor, they are high in protein, calcium and omega-3 fatty acids. Salmon cakes are delicious on a bed of baby greens topped with Chive-Dill Sauce. They can also be served on toasted buns with garlicky mayonnaise or tartar sauce and crisp lettuce. Add canned salmon to salads, chowders, omelets and casseroles. Don’t worry about the skin and bones; they are completely edible. The soft bones are a rich source of calcium. virgin olive oil, then top with any of the following: a sprinkle of za’atar spice mix, cilantro leaves, shredded lettuce, thinly sliced cucumber, roasted red bell pepper, chopped red onion, crumbled feta cheese, shredded carrots, chopped olives, sun-dried tomato strips or chopped fresh tomatoes. Roll up wraps tightly; then cut in half. Ingredients can also be served in pita bread pockets.

Tahini (sesame seed paste) is available at area markets, Middle Eastern shops and health food stores.

1 15-ounce can garbanzo beans (chickpeas), drained, rinsed 3 to 4 tablespoons tahini, to taste 3 tablespoons water 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, more if desired

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3/4 cup fresh or leftover unseasoned mashed potatoes 1 14.75-ounce can Bumble Bee® Salmon, drained and flaked (remove skin and bones as desired) 3 tablespoons minced fresh herbs (basil, cilantro, parsley or a blend) 1/2 cup finely chopped red bell pepper or canned pimentos 1/2 cup finely chopped green onion (mostly white part) 1 small garlic clove, finely minced 1 large egg, slightly beaten 1 teaspoon grated lemon zest 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice 1 teaspoon Old Bay seasoning or other seasoning blend salt and ground black pepper, to taste 1 teaspoon Sriracha Hot Chili Sauce or

other hot sauce (as desired) 1 1/2 cups bread crumbs, or as needed 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil or butter (or a blend)

Add mashed potato to a medium bowl; if cold, mash with a fork to soften. Mix in remaining ingredients except breadcrumbs and olive oil.

Cover mixture tightly and refrigerate one hour or overnight. Divide and shape salmon mixture into four balls.

Gently coat each ball in breadcrumbs; flatten into cakes 1/2- to 3/4-inch thick. In a large skillet, heat half the oil over medium heat. Fry salmon cakes 3 to 4 minutes on each side, or until golden brown. Add more oil, as needed. When hot and crispy, serve at once with Chive-Dill Sauce. Makes four salmon cakes.

Chive-Dill Sauce 1/3 cup low-fat mayonnaise 1/3 cup sour cream with chives 1 generous tablespoon finely chopped fresh dill 2 teaspoons finely minced shallot or green onion (white part) 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice pinch of salt and freshly ground black pepper

Combine all ingredients and mix well. Cover tightly and chill 30 minutes or overnight. Makes about 3/4 cup.

Variations: Salt-free Mrs. Dash can be substituted as a salt seasoning.

Substitute about 3/4 cup crushed oyster crackers or other crackers for mashed potatoes.

Vegetable Salad in Orange Chile Dressing

The tasty dressing can be doubled and stored in the refrigerator. A variety of canned vegetables can be substituted, including corn, garbanzo beans, lima beans, white kidney beans or sliced mushrooms.

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Jyotindra “J.P.” Parekh and Mary SamulskiParekh, owners of Rice Music House

Salad 1 14.5-ounce can French-style green beans, well drained 1 15-ounce can Le Sueur® Very Young Small Early Peas, well drained 1/2 red bell pepper, in small dices or 1 4-ounce jar chopped pimento 1 stalk celery, cut lengthwise, sliced diagonally 1/2 small red onion, chopped 1/2 cup toasted slivered almonds 1/3 cup sliced green olives

Orange Chile Dressing 1/4 cup cider vinegar 3 tablespoons sugar 1 teaspoon grated orange zest 1 finely minced garlic clove 1/2 teaspoon chili powder blend 1/2 teaspoon paprika 1/4 cup safflower oil or other light vegetable oil

Put all the salad ingredients into a large bowl. Prepare the Orange Chile Dressing. Gently mix in the dressing to coat the ingredients. Serve at once, or cover and chill several hours.

Aloha Fried Rice with SPAM®

As a judge for the Great American SPAM® Championship at the 2010 S.C. State Fair, I gained a new perspective on the legendary canned pork product while tasting the contestants’ creative, delicious dishes. Several kinds were used: low-sodium and low-fat, SPAM® with Hickory Smoke, SPAM® with cheese and even a variety made from oven-roasted turkey. Recently I enjoyed SPAM® in Hawaii, where nearly seven million cans are consumed per year. Every year in April, the beloved comfort food is celebrated at a popular Waikiki Beach block party. Its savory, salty-sweet taste is a perfect match for fried rice. This version is really delicious! Organize all the ingredients before you begin to cook.

Accompany the fried rice with fresh pineapple or seeded, sliced cucumbers marinated in seasoned rice vinegar.

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3 cups cooked long-grain rice, from 1 cup raw rice (not converted) 3 to 4 tablespoons vegetable oil 2 beaten large eggs 1 cup chopped red onion (about 1/2 onion) 1 small chopped red bell pepper 1 tablespoon finely minced ginger root 2 finely minced garlic cloves 2 3-ounce packs of SPAM® Single Light or 1/2 12-ounce can SPAM® Light or Hot & Spicy, cut in small dice 1 tablespoon regular or reduced–sodium Japanese soy sauce or Aloha Hawaiian soy sauce (available locally) salt and black pepper to taste, if desired 1/2 cup frozen peas, thawed 2 thin green onions, thinly sliced 2 to 3 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro

Prepare rice one day ahead; cool, cover and refrigerate overnight. Remove from refrigerator, and break up any clumps. Heat 1 tablespoon oil over medium heat in a well-seasoned wok or large nonstick skillet. Gently scramble eggs, then remove from pan while still moist and soft; reserve. Wipe pan with paper towels, if necessary; reheat on medium-high heat with 1 or 2 tablespoons oil. Stir-fry diced SPAM® until lightly browned; reserve with the egg. Add onion and bell pepper; cook 3 to 4 minutes until soft. Add ginger root and garlic; stir-fry 1 minute, until aromatic. Reduce heat slightly and add SPAM® and rice to the pan. With a cooking spatula, press rice over pan to heat for 30 seconds; then mix ingredients.

Repeat until rice is hot; then add soy sauce and salt and pepper, if desired. Mix in peas, reserved eggs, green onion and cilantro. Makes 2 to 3 main-dish servings or 4 side-dish servings.

Spicy Chicken & Bean Soup

Hearty and flavorful, this soup can be made quickly using quality canned vegetables. It tastes even better when reheated the second day. As a tasty variation, substitute one can white or

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yellow hominy for the Great Northern beans. The Tennessee Bush Brothers produce my favorite canned beans for this soup.

2 tablespoons olive oil 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1/2-inch cubes 1 large chopped onion 1 chopped green bell pepper 2 large finely minced garlic cloves 1 heaping tablespoon pure chili powder 1 tablespoon ground cumin 1 tablespoon dried oregano 2 14.5-ounce cans petite-cut diced tomatoes, undrained 1 8-ounce can tomato sauce 3 cups canned chicken broth 1/2 cup minced fresh cilantro 1/2 to 3/4 teaspoon dried red pepper flakes, to taste 1 11-ounce can corn kernels with green and red bell peppers (Mexicorn) 1 16-ounce can Bush’s Great Northern Beans, or Cannellini Beans, undrained 1 15-ounce can Bush’s black beans, drained 1 to 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar, to taste salt and black pepper, to taste

Heat oil in a large pot over mediumhigh heat. Brown chicken, stirring often; transfer to a plate. Reduce heat under the pot then sauté onion and bell pepper until soft. Stir in garlic and the three spices. Stir 1 or 2 minutes, then mix in tomatoes, tomato sauce, chicken broth, cilantro and pepper flakes.

Simmer 10 minutes, partially covered, on medium heat, then add corn and beans. Simmer 25 to 30 minutes more.

Add vinegar and salt and black pepper, to taste. Serve at once in large bowls or cool and refrigerate to serve later.

Tomato Soup Spice Cake

L to R: James, Marilyn, Michael and Andrew Singletary

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This updated recipe from the 1930s features canned tomato soup. You can’t detect the tomato flavor – just

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the warm spices. Venerable food memoirist M.F.K. Fisher enjoyed this cake so much that she included a recipe in her 1942 book, How To Cook a Wolf. Depression-era food rationing was in high gear, and the book was a reminder to housewives that cooking could still be pleasurable – even fun, in spite of a tight budget. You’ll wolf down a slice of this moist cake when paired with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or basil gelato.

1/2 cup raisins or diced dates 2 tablespoons dark rum or orange juice 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour 1/2 teaspoon each cinnamon and nutmeg 1/4 teaspoon each ground ginger and cloves 1/2 teaspoon baking powder 1/4 cup (4 tablespoons) soft, unsalted butter 1 cup sugar (1/2 granulated sugar and 1/2 light brown sugar) 1 teaspoon baking soda 1 10 3/4-ounce can Campbell’s condensed tomato soup Lemon Cream Cheese Icing, recipe below toasted walnut or pecan pieces for decoration, if desired

In a container with a lid, soak raisins or dates in rum or orange juice 1 hour or overnight. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Grease a large loaf pan or a 9-inch round cake pan. Line with parchment or waxed paper; grease again, and dust with flour.

Sift together flour, spices and baking powder; set aside. In a large bowl with a

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wooden spoon, cream butter and sugars until smooth.

Mix baking soda into the soup; mixture will become foamy and light. By hand, stir soup into the butter and sugar until smooth. Stir in flour mixture just until batter is well blended. Scrape into prepared pan, and bake 30 minutes or until cake cracks slightly on top and tests done. Cool completely, and remove from pan. Cover cake top with icing; decorate with walnuts.

Lemon Cream Cheese Icing In a medium bowl, beat together until smooth 3 ounces room temperature cream cheese, grated zest of one small lemon, a pinch of salt, 1 to 2 teaspoons lemon juice and 1 cup sifted confectioners’ sugar.

Pear-Ginger Sorbet

A can of frozen fruit in the freezer (without pits) can easily turn into a quick, refreshing dessert! Just give the fruit a whirl in the food processor; then serve immediately or freeze in an airtight container. The versions below are dressed up with additional flavor enhancements. Canned fruit sorbet has a texture that falls halfway between a smooth fresh fruit sorbet and an icy granita. Frozen fruits in heavy syrup have a smoother texture than fruits canned in lite syrup. If the frozen fruit seems a bit tart for your taste, add a little honey. For the best texture, serve within four hours while slightly soft, and two hours if no alcohol is used.

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Eating Healthy With Canned Foods During the canning process, foods are super-heated at high temperatures to kill microorganisms that cause illness. They are free of preservatives and artificial ingredients. Since they are already cooked, they can be eaten from the can; don’t overcook.

Healthy dining options include tuna, salmon and chicken canned in water instead of oil. Oil-packed proteins can be briefly rinsed in a strainer under cool water. Fish are rich in fatty acids and omega-3 oils, especially canned sardines, albacore tuna and salmon. Pregnant women should limit some fish due to mercury content, which can cause birth defects.

Read nutrition labels on cans to determine sodium content. Remove excess sodium from canned foods like beans, tuna and vegetables by briefly rinsing in a strainer under cool water. Canned food producers also offer many low-sodium and sodium-free options.

Healthier options include fruits canned in their own natural juice or water, not heavy syrup. Drain the syrup variety, and rinse briefly.

Protein-rich canned beans are a good source of folate and thiamin – a B1 vitamin that improves mental performance. They are a healthy replacement for meat once or twice a week. Garbanzo beans offer the highest count of bean fiber.

To save money, watch for store sales and consider family-size cans (if you can use up all the contents). Consider buying store brands.

Canned foods keep you fit in other ways: they can serve double duty as hand weights.

1 16-ounce can pears in light syrup 2 tablespoons pear liqueur (Pear William or Perle de Brillet), pear nectar or orange juice 1 teaspoon grated fresh gingerroot 1 tablespoon lemon juice pinch salt

Put can of fruit into the freezer 12 to 18 hours.

Remove from freezer 1/2 hour before use, or dip quickly into hot water to soften slightly. Remove lid, putting fruit and any juice into food processor. Spoon out frozen fruit. Add the remaining ingredients and process until smooth and slushy. Work quickly to preserve the frozen texture. Place a scoop of sorbet into a pretty stemmed glass or serving bowl. Decorate each serving with fresh mint, if desired, and serve with a ginger or sesame cookie. Makes 2 to 3 servings.

Variation: Pina-Colada Pineapple Sorbet 1 20-ounce can pineapple chunks and juice 2 tablespoons quality dark rum (such as Myers) or pineapple juice or orange juice 3 tablespoons cream of coconut 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice 1 teaspoon grated fresh lemon zest pinch salt Prepare as directed above.

Lillian’s Spice Island Cooler

The spicy syrup below will add sparkle to your favorite canned or bottled juices. My friend Lillian Johnson even adds it to ginger ale and iced tea.

4 quarts water 1 cup sugar 1/2 cup whole cloves 1/4 cup ground allspice 1/4 cup grated nutmeg 2 or 3 cinnamon sticks 6 cups of your favorite chilled juice (apple cider, apple juice, cranberry juice, pineapple juice, orange juice)

In a Dutch oven, bring water and spices to a boil.

Cook until water reduces to 1 quart and becomes slightly syrupy. Cool mixture; store in the refrigerator in a 1-quart jar. Pour juice of choice into a large pitcher.

Stir in 2 to 3 tablespoons of the spiced syrup. Serve juice in tall glasses over ice cubes. Add sprigs of fresh mint, if desired. Makes 3 to 4 servings.

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HOME STYLE

Yards of Bargains

Tracking treasures on the cheap for profitable reselling

By Rosanne McDowell / Photography by Jeff Amberg

T

hey call up visions of hounds on the trail: resellers purposefully nosing through a Saturday-morning yard sale. The experienced ones arrive as early as 6 a.m., know what they want, grab their “prey” and move on to the next yard sale; the novices hesitate, sometimes losing out to another bargain-hunter who acts (and grabs) with more decision and speed.

However seasoned they may be, all have the same goals in mind – namely, adventure and profit.

They buy with the idea of reselling their finds for at least double their original investments, and the thrill of the hunt animates the weekly search. Even a kid can play this weekend game because it takes very little outlay of dollars to get started, sometimes none at all.

What particular needs drive resellers to get in the game? Perhaps some need cash required for medical bills, vacations or college tuition fees, or maybe they are collectors craving new specimens to display and sell.

All these things and more propel resellers out of bed at 4 a.m. every Saturday to hit that weekend’s yard sales. Many resellers also forage thrift shops, auction houses and other sources of resale items to expand their inventories.

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Some may think that winning at this sport requires a lot of sales savvy.

It certainly helps, but with the exercise of a little common sense, even rank beginners can make profits from yardsale or thrift-shop reselling. And once the newbie really gets to know how it’s done, return on investment can be incredibly high. Consider one local reseller’s thrift-shop plate as evidence: “Last spring, I was scouting in a thrift shop on Highway 378,” he says, “when I saw a box on the floor that hadn’t been unpacked yet. I sifted through the box and found a beautiful metal plate inlaid with mother of pearl, so I asked the cashier how much he wanted for it. He said, ‘Oh, you can have that for a dollar.’ I turned the plate over and saw the words ‘Tiffany & Co.,’ and I knew I had a find. So I paid my dollar, left with the plate and started checking online to find out how much the plate was worth. That done, I e-mailed a couple of possible buyers I’d located, and a guy in New Jersey e-mailed me back. He had a friend here in Columbia who met me to check out the plate. It turned out to date from around 1905, and on behalf of the New Jersey buyer, the friend bought it for $1,500.”

Re s e l l i n g i s n ’ t a l w a y s t h a t spectacular, but profits can be more than sufficient to warrant

the effort a reseller puts in. For example, while driving through a neighborhood recently, another reseller found an attractive wicker table by the side of the road. She took it home, spray-painted it black and sold it at a consignment shop for $30. And Mike Hedgepath, a flea-market reseller with 45 years of experience, reports that he makes enough yearly at reselling to pay for vacation, Christmas gifts and his fishing and hunting expeditions.

His most remarkable recent finds, a couple of old USC Big Thursday programs, cost him a dime or so each but netted him about $200 on resale. Not bad for a 20-cent investment.

So what should a reselling newbie buy as starter inventory? Experienced resellers agree that in order to prosper, a beginner should probably find a niche and get to know it well – furniture, china, vintage linens, books, South Carolina memorabilia. However, while the newbie is nailing that niche, there are items nearly anyone can find easily and resell successfully. According to Carol Fowles, owner of Consign It! in Forest Acres, small tables, especially glass- and marble-topped ones, are a good beginning yard-sale buy.

Carol explains, “If you can buy a coffee table for $5 at a yard sale

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Over his 10 years of reselling, Joseph Crump has learned his niche fore and aft – silver and china especially – and people who know this will ask him to find particular pieces for them.

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and resell it for $30 at a consignment shop, you’ll make $15 or more, 50 to 60 percent of the selling price.

That’s at least a triple return on your investment – a good deal.”

Carol’s “eco-chic” shop carries upscale furniture, artwork and other decorating accessories, china, silver, crystal, jewelry and handbags. She offers two tips for newbies wanting to consign with her. First, if you want to consign artwork, search out locally and nationally known artists like Cherrie Nute and Jim Harrison.

Second, scout the shop – true for any shop you want to consign with – and see what’s there. Check their prices to figure the maximum you need to pay at yard sales to make a profit on a particular type of consigned item.

Then, hustle to the yard sales and prowl for appropriate items.

Over his 10 years of reselling, Joseph Crump has learned his niche fore and aft – silver and china especially – and people who know this will ask him to find particular pieces for them. Friends are only one of his resale outlets, however.

Joseph recalls, “One of my best finds was a dirty set of Villeroy & Boch dinnerware I picked up for $35 at a yard sale in the Shandon area of Columbia. I cleaned it up and sold it to Replacements, Ltd., for $800. I’ve

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Resellers’ Best Finds “Matchbooks picked up free in California at Mel’s Drive-in, where American Graffiti was filmed. I have a handful of them and sell them at $50 a pop on eBay. Even sold a ripped one missing a match for $30.”

“A desk with a $40 tag I got for $20 and sold for $120.”

“An engraving, an abstract modern piece by a famous French artist. I paid about $12 for it at Roundabouts, and it was appraised for about $1,800.”

“A Chippendale-style sofa I found on the curb and sold for $60.”

“A pair of andirons we bought for $2. I painted them black, and we sold them for $80.”

“A small crystal Waterford bowl at the Salvation Army Thrift Store for $1.49.

(Small Waterford bowls are priced new from about $75.)”

“An old mahogany buffet bought at His House for about $40. I painted it white and sold it for $175.”

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also resold on eBay and craigslist and to antique stores.”

Joseph’s best advice to new resellers: When you first start out, try to go with a willing friend who’s already reselling successfully. Watch carefully, and take notes.

If you have repair and painting skills, as one local reselling couple does, you’ll be able to capture even better buys for resale. Knowing they can refurbish damaged merchandise, these resellers keep themselves open to yard sales in all kinds of neighborhoods when searching out promising booty.

They insist, “It’s a myth that you should go only to yard sales in the ‘best’ parts of town; rather, lessaffluent areas tend to be more willing to bargain because they’re more likely to want the cash.”

And that’s another point – take cash, not checks or credit cards, to yard sales.

Experienced reseller Carla Manning owns booths at City Market and Spring Valley Antique Mall in Columbia, and she’s got her 10-year-old son Sam in reseller basic training.

“It’s a great money-management teaching tool,” she grins, “and a very good history lesson for Sam to learn what something is or when it was used when he sees a record player or a typewriter. He’s learning how to clean things up, how to price them and that the antique mall will take a commission. When he’s in high school, he’ll be way ahead of the crowd and will be able to do this and make money.”

If you’re auction bound for inventory to resell at flea markets, Carroll McGee of McGee Auction Gallery says go for the box lots.

They’re inexpensive, and you’ll get anything from three to 20 items to sell. He also very generously says if you need help learning how to buy at auctions, come in and talk to him, his daughter or other regulars at the gallery.

Holly Walker, who resells at the Old Mill in Lexington and on

craigslist, thinks Carroll’s box lots are good for more than just flea markets: “I’ve started going to McGee Auction Gallery,” she says, “which is a great place in this economy to buy for resale. With the $2 and $3 box lots, sometimes you’ll find only a couple of things in there you want, but they’re worth far more than $2. Also, the Good Will Clearance Center in West Columbia is a wonderful place to go if you’re there when they put things out and you don’t mind digging. You just never know what you’re going to find.”

Too busy to resell at flea markets?

One of the simplest resale outlets, the Carolina Trader, requires no more than a few minutes of online work to post a listing. Mike Barrett, co-owner of this weekly classified-ad newspaper, says, “State in your ad description what you originally paid for the item, and post a photo. Almost any item will sell if the price is right.”

For those who like the idea of reselling to a vast online audience but just don’t have the time, try one of the Midlands’ local eBay consignment sellers. They will list, sell and ship items for you through eBay for a reasonable commission.

Gazelle.com, another online reselling outlet, buys used electronics like laptops for $100 or more and broken cell phones for $15, as well as some obsolete items. The company even sends you a postage-paid box for shipping your item.

So it’s finally Friday. Time to finish yard-sale prep and set the alarm for 4:00 a.m. While it may be tough to roll out of a warm bed Saturday morning and head for that first yard sale, it’s also impossible to resist the lure.

As one reseller claims, “It’s addicting – the hunt and seeing the profits add up. If you go every weekend and get a carload, you can make a good profit.”

And have a great time doing it.

Visit columbiametro.com for a list of places to buy and sell your items.

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Yard-Sale Savvy for Newbie Resellers Experienced resellers share some of their best advice for buying at yard sales and thrift shops for resale.

•

Try stopping by the site of a yard sale the day before and asking to see the goods. Sometimes, the seller will let you in and give you first crack at what’s for sale.

Some yard and estate sales are held during the week. You’ll find much less competition then.

Stick with yard sales close to home so you won’t waste gas.

Get to your likeliest yard sales at least 15 minutes early. Really serious buyers get to the first one by 6 a.m.

In winter, yard-sale sellers are more willing to bargain because they want to finish and get in out of the cold.

Buy what you like. You can enjoy it yourself if it doesn’t resell.

Unless you feel the stated price is truly fair, be ready to haggle for a lower one.

Inspect and test everything carefully before you buy because you probably can’t take items back.

Go back at the end of the day to a good sale and make really low-ball offers on items you want.

The seller likely will be more willing to bargain by that time.

If a yard-sale seller won’t agree to your price, leave your name and phone number. Request that the owner call you if the item doesn’t sell and he or she decides to meet your price.

To find great curbside freebies for resale, cruise the better neighborhoods the day before trashpickup day.

Find out when local thrift stores put out newly donated merchandise (probably Monday) and shop at that time for the best pickings.

If your selected thrift shop runs regular specials, e.g., 50 percent off all yellow tags every Tuesday, take advantage.

Don’t pay for appraisals unless you have to.

Get them free when they’re offered at places like the State Museum.

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L to R: James, Marilyn, Michael and Andrew Singletary

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New to the neighborhood?

New Home Communities indicates a natural gas community

1. Allan’s Mill Price Range of New Homes: $100s - $160s School District: Richland 2 Palmetto Homes & Land Realty, LLC Mark Wright, (803) 404-1983 www.candcbuilders.com Directions: Take Percival Rd. to Smallwood. Turn left on Old Percival Rd. Allan’s Mill is on the right.

2. Chelsea Park Price Range of New Homes: $179,900 $204,900 School District: Lexington Richland 5 Rymarc Homes (803) 732-0118 www.rymarc.com Directions: Take I-26 West to exit 97 for Hwy 176/Peak. Take an immediate right on Julius Richardson. Proceed .7 miles to end. Turn right at West Shadygrove. The Chelsea Park entrance is .2 miles on left. Turn left into Chelsea Park on Heathwood. Turn right on Newton Rd., and the new phase is straight ahead.

3. Concord Park Price Range of New Homes: $160s School District: Lexington 2 C and C Builders of Columbia Tina Horne, (803) 736-5008 www.candcbuilders.com Directions: Take I-77 to exit 2 for 12th St. Extension. Turn left on Taylor Rd. behind Busbee Middle School.

4. Heath Pond Price Range of New Homes: $140s - $250s School District: Kershaw Palmetto Homes & Land Realty, LLC Diane Nevitt, (803) 414-3945; Dan Long, (803) 917-0947 www.DianeNevitt.com Directions: Take I-20 East to exit 87 for White Pond/Elgin. Turn left onto White Pond Rd., then left onto Larry Jeffers Rd. Heath Pond is ahead on the right.

5. The Homestead Subdivision Price Range of New Homes: $130s - $200s School District: Richland 2 EXIT Real Estate Solutions Richard Carr, (803) 421-9630 www.ExitColumbiaSC.com Directions: Take I-77 North to Farrow Rd. North.

Turn right onto Hardscrabble, then right onto North Brickyard. Homestead is on the left.

6. Jacobs Creek Price Range of New Homes: $124,900 - $224,900

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School District: Richland 2 Great Southern Homes RMS – Realty & Marketing Services Robert Penny, (803) 360-9165 www.gshomes.gs Directions: Take I-20 East to exit 82 for Spears Creek Church Rd. Turn left onto Spears Creek Church Rd. Continue for three miles and cross Two Notch Rd. Jacob’s Creek will be approximately 1/2 mile ahead on the right. Follow signs to the new model home.

7. Lake Frances Price Range of New Homes: $169,900 $194,900 School District: Lexington 1 Rymarc Homes (803) 315-6409 www.rymarc.com Directions: Take I-20 to exit 55 for Hwy 6 East.

Turn right at Hwy 6 East/S. Lake Dr., and continue for 3.6 miles. Turn left at Platt Springs Rd., and continue for 3.5 miles. Take a sharp right at Ramblin Rd., and go .5 mile. Turn right into Lake Frances on Lake Frances Way. 8. Lexington Villas Price Range of New Homes: $184,900 $273,900 School District: Lexington 1 Epcon Communities Jennah Wells, (803) 520-4381 www.LexingtonVillas.com Directions: Take I-20 West to exit 61 for Hwy 378/Sunset Blvd. Turn right, and go four miles toward Lake Murray. Turn right onto Whiteford Way. Lexington Villas will be ahead on the left.

9. The Lofts at Printers Square Price Range of New Homes: $749,000 $1,550,000 School District: Richland 1 Coldwell Banker United, Realtors® Danny & Karen Hood, (803) 227-3220 or (803) 227-3221 www.LoftsAtPrintersSquare.com Directions: In the Vista, the Lofts at Printers Square are at the corner of Lady and Pulaski streets.

10. LongCreek Plantation Price Range of New Homes: $250,000 $650,000 School District: Richland 2 Plantation Properties (803) 754-2071 www.longcreekplantation.com Directions: Take I-77 North to the Killian Rd. exit, and turn right. Follow the signs to LongCreek Plantation.

11. Peach Grove Villas Price Range of New Homes: $184,900 $273,900 School District: Richland 2 Epcon Communities Levi Weisser, (803) 223-9545 www.PeachGroveVillas.com Directions: Take I-20 East to exit 80. Turn left

onto Clemson Rd. Go 1.5 miles (towards the Village at Sandhill), and turn right onto Earth Rd. Peach Grove Villas is located on the right just before the entrance to Woodcreek Farms.

12. Pine Forest Price Range of New Homes: $120s - $180s School District: Kershaw

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Palmetto Homes & Land Realty, LLC Diane Nevitt, (803) 414-3945 www.candcbuilders.com Directions: Take I-20 East to the Elgin exit. Turn left onto White Pond Rd. Continue to the traffic light in Elgin, crossing Main St./Hwy 1. Cross railroad tracks, and bear right onto Smyrna Rd. Pine Forest is on the left about a mile ahead.

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13. Quail Creek Price Range of New Homes: $100s - $150s School District: Kershaw Palmetto Homes & Land Realty, LLC Diane Nevitt, (803) 414-3945 www.candcbuilders.com Directions: Take I-20 East to the Elgin exit.

Turn left onto White Pond Rd. Continue to the

traffic light in Elgin, crossing Main St./Hwy 1.

Cross railroad tracks, and bear right onto Smyrna Rd. Turn right onto Wildwood Ln., and then left onto Cook Rd. then left into Quail Creek community.

14. Rabon’s Farm Price Range of New Homes: $79,900 -

$159,900 School District: Richland 2 Great Southern Homes RMS – Realty & Marketing Services Lauren Sawyer, (803) 360-4327; Sandy Cleaves, (803) 622-9065 www.gshomes.gs Directions: Take I-77 North to Two Notch Rd.

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exit. Turn right onto Two Notch, then left onto Rabon Rd. Turn right onto Flora Dr. Rabon’s Farm is .5 mile ahead on the right.

Take second entrance, and model home is on the left.

Directions: Take I-20 West to exit 61 for Hwy 378. Turn right, and take an immediate right onto Corley Mill Rd. The entrance to Saluda River Club is located 1.9 miles down Corley Mill Rd. on the right.

15. Rutledge Place Price Range of New Homes: $125,000 $225,000 School District: Kershaw Palmetto Homes & Land Realty, LLC Barbara Jordan, (803) 243-0524; Steve King, (803) 600-9414 www.barbarajordan.homesandland.com Directions: Take I-20 East to exit 98. Turn left onto Hwy 521 North. Continue 5.7 miles through Camden. Rutledge Place is ahead on the left on Edinburgh Castle Rd.

17. South Brook Price Range of New Homes: $134,900 $152,900 School District: Lexington 1 Rymarc Homes (803) 315-6409 www.rymarc.com Directions: Take I-20 West to exit 51. Turn left, and South Brook is on the left.

16. Saluda River Club Price Range of New Homes: Townhomes from the $200s; Craftsman Homes from the $300s; Executive Homes from the $500s; Village District Homesites from the $60s; River District Homesites from $113,900 School District: Lexington 1 Saluda River Club Edmund H. Monteith, Jr., (803) 358-3969 www.saludariverclub.com

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18. Spring Knoll Price Range of New Homes: $120s - $150s School District: Lexington 1 Thomas Shumpert, (803) 518-2588 www.candcbuilders.com Directions: Take I-20 West to Hwy 6. Turn left toward Red Bank/Pelion. Go about 4 miles, and turn right onto Platt Springs Rd. Take the first road to the left, which is Brevard Rd. 19. Stoney Creek Price Range of New Homes: $220s - $280s

School District: Lexington 1 ReMax Real Estate Consultants Thomas Shumpert, (803) 518-2588 www.candcbuilders.com Directions: Take Hwy 378 through Lexington, and turn right onto Wise Ferry Rd. Stoney Creek is ahead on the left.

20. Stonington Price Range of New Homes: $169,900 $199,900 School District: Richland 2 Rymarc Homes (803) 732-0118 www.rymarc.com Directions: Take I-77 North to exit 24. Turn left onto Wilson Blvd. Stonington will be one mile on the right.

21. The Thomaston Subdivision Price Range of New Homes: $160s - $200s School District: Richland 2 EXIT Real Estate Solutions Richard Carr, (803) 421-9630 www.ExitColumbiaSC.com Directions: Take I-77 North to exit 22. Turn right onto Killian Rd., then left onto Longreen Pkwy. Thomaston Subdivision is on the left.

22. Wellesley Price Range of New Homes: $170,900 $194,900 School District: Lexington 1 Rymarc Homes (803) 808-1201 www.rymarc.com Directions: Take I-20 West to exit 61 for US 378/Lexington. Merge right on US 378, and turn left at the first light onto Ginny Ln. Continue to community ahead on the right.

23. Westcott Ridge Price Range of New Homes: $220s to $400,000 School District: Lexington/Richland 5 (Chapin) Russell & Jeffcoat Realtors, Inc. Brenda Berry, (803) 781-6552 www.westcottridge.com Directions: Take I-26 West to exit 97 for Hwy 176/ Peak. Turn right onto Broad River Rd. Continue 1 mile, and Westcott Ridge is on the left.

This listing is provided by the Home Builders Association of Greater Columbia.

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Guide to tying the knot

Twists on Tradition 2011 Guide to Tying the Knot

By Deena C. Bouknight / Photography by www.greggmartinphoto.com

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2011

Guide to Tying the Knot Twists on

Tradition

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or most, weddings are – and always have been – about pomp and circumstance.

The wedding day is the time to go all out, to create a special moment for everyone involved. And, even though most brides-to-be dream since girlhood about fairy tale, traditional weddings, more are pushing the creative envelope to come up with themes that don’t fit any particular mold. As a result, the wedding supply and service industry is accommodating needs, equipping weddings with anything and everything imaginable to make the day daring and unique.

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Exotic D.J. Taylor & Danielle Kictarek

Photography by www.greggmartinphoto.com

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fter D.J. Taylor spoke with his bride-to-be about an experience attending a destination wedding in Cancun in 2007, he was determined to pull off a similar experience for their own wedding in May 2010.

“What struck me at that wedding in Cancun was how much interaction there was between friends and family of the bride and groom,” says D.J. “Unlike the typical wedding where people come together for a few hours to attend the service and the reception, the destination wedding enables the people who are dearest in your lives to share more than a few hours together.”

Danielle (Dani) and D.J. chose a fournight, five-day package to Dreams Tulum Resort and Spa in Tulum, Mexico. Since most of the guests would be coming from the East Coast, they wanted to make sure all could book relatively easy flights from such major airports as Charlotte, N.C., and Atlanta, Ga. The couple strategically settled on the weekend of Memorial Day so that guests would have an opportunity to take more time off before and after the weekend.

Betsi Jordan of Prestige Travel in Columbia negotiated travel rates and logistics, and many of the couple’s guests arranged travel through Prestige as well. Fifty guests made the trip, and not one guest experienced a single travel-related mishap to and from Mexico.

“Dani spent hours, weeks and months reading blogs and websites, eventually building some connections through a group online at bestdestinationwedding. com. Through this group, she learned about everything from locations to where to buy wedding favors at the destination, instead of paying huge shipping and duty fees,” says D.J. One idea Dani gleaned from the website was providing guests with out of town bags when they arrived. She found 30 tote bags in the wedding colors of green and light blue and filled them with such items as aspirin, Alka Seltzer, sanitizer wipes, water bottles, Chapstick and sunscreen. The water bottles featured a wedding logo that Dani designed.

She also made sure there were beach toys for two couples bringing children.

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Dani and D.J. met their wedding photographer at a Fall Bridal Showcase at the Columbia Metropolitan Convention Center. Photographer Gregg Martin overheard them talking to his assistant about how they were interested in a “trash the dress” photo shoot. (This actually involved Dani purchasing a second-hand wedding dress on eBay and wearing it for photographs in a number of exotic locations the day before the wedding, including an underground fresh water river in a cave.) Gregg became intrigued, and, after speaking with the couple, negotiated with them to shoot the wedding.

After arriving in Mexico, Dani met with an on-site wedding director and worked out the details for the flowers and cake.

She chose orange calla lilies and white roses and a tres leche (three milk) cake with strawberry filling. Other food included bruschetta with prosciutto, tomato and fresh basil, a mixed Italian green salad and citrus vinaigrette and filet mignon with shrimp and malted butter.

The couple was married on the beach at 5:30 p.m., followed by a reception at Dolphin Pool, which overlooks the ocean and the resort’s gardens and was just a short walk from the beach. Guests enjoyed cocktail hour with a four-piece mariachi band, as well as a slide show by Gregg, featuring photos of the prior day’s trash the dress shoot.

The groomsmen all wore Caribbean linen pants and shirts, and D.J. wore a tan suit. Dani’s dresses came from Bella Vista. Her wedding dress was formal with a sweetheart neckline, and she chose to change into a short, off-white cocktail dress for the reception.

“The cocktail dress turned out to be a perfect idea, since we ended up dancing a modified tango for our first dance. We had lessons beforehand with Vista Ballroom’s director, Erin Bolshakov,” says D.J. “What Dani and I are still enjoying about our wedding is seeing our friends and family continuing to build friendships they made that weekend in Mexico,” says D.J. “We believe that bringing these circles together gives us a support system that helps strengthen our own marriage, which is what every couple needs.”

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Creative Cakes Not a huge fan of the traditional white, tiered wedding cake? Since the cake is the centerpiece for the wedding reception, you can make a major statement with something that doesn’t fit into any mold.

Go for taste, theme or drama.

Here are some suggestions:

WWW.HIGHCONTRASTWEDDINGS.COM

All organic confections, with placards listing the ingredients Layers filled with Godiva liqeur, Kahlua, key lime cream or fruit purees Tiers of brightly colored cupcakes or frosted doughnuts Stacks of cheese adorned with grapes, berries, nuts and flowers Molded Jell-o “cakes” made with tropical fruit and champagne Fountains in lieu of cakes, with chocolate or other syrups surrounded by heaps of fruit, marshmallows, short breads and brownie bites Cake toppers that move – a couple on a dance floor, for example Distinct towers that hold a variety of different cakes for guests to try

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Green Graham Cox & Andria Durham

Photography by Michael Koska, www.michaelkoska.com

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rom the moment they decided to marry last October, Graham and Andria Cox knew they would have nothing wasteful at their wedding. They are both environmentally conscious, so they made sure their wedding day was as green as possible, without being over the top.

The green focus began with the invitations from foreverfiances.com.

They were made of recycled paper with wildflower seeds woven into the paper fibers. On the back of the invitations were instructions to plant the seeds. “This company even ships all of their orders in recycled containers and packaging,” says Andria.

Instead of using even more paper for a response card, guests RSVPed via the wedding website or a specific email account. To keep guests from traveling more than necessary, both the wedding and the reception took place in one location: City Art in The Vista. According to Andria, Applause Catering embraced the couple’s green focus. All of the plates, utensils and disposable food items were made of bamboo husks.

“We like bamboo over paper products because bamboo is a rapidly renewable resource,” she says.

“These were completely biodegradable and were composted by Applause. The cups were recyclable #1 plastic and were recycled after the wedding, along with any glass beverage bottles.” In addition, the couple rented live palms and ferns to decorate the area.

“This reduced the need for extra flowers and more decorations,” says Andria. Any flowers purchased were taken to residents at local nursing homes after the wedding.

“Plus there was already art on display at City Art. This created a warm and inviting ambiance, and we were fortunate to have Blue Sky art on exhibit. What a treat!”

Graham and Andria did not want

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a full, printed wedding album, so they worked with Michael Koska Photography, who provided them with a disc instead. They were able to use the disc to send photos and print only the ones they desired.

Since Andria’s grandmother was not able to make the wedding, Grant’s Photo & Video filmed the occasion and web-streamed it live to her. Andria’s dress, which she purchased at Jo-Lin’s Bridal, had to be altered somewhat. She saved the lace and extra material, which she plans on using in the future to make a christening blanket.

Graham and Andria decided to forgo a wedding party; the 80 or so guests just dressed in cocktail attire.

Although there was nothing green about the wedding cake from Chocolate Nirvana, the couple did opt to make donations to Harvest Hope Food Bank in lieu of wedding favors. A poem beside the guest book explained: Bubbles, sparklers or maybe rice?

We’ve done something that hopefully you’ll think is twice as nice. We’ve filled your bellies the whole night through and in your honor have done the same for a family or two.

Says Andria, “Graham and I met at a friend’s birthday party, and everything about the nature of who we are made us want the most important aspect of our wedding day to be laid back and comfortable. The whole premise of the way we went green was to show that it is possible to be environmentally responsible without making every aspect of a wedding green. Even if couples would have the bottles recycled from their weddings, and that’s all they did, it would be a step in a positive direction. It is our hope that by seeing a nicely done wedding that had a reduced impact on the environment, others will feel empowered to do one of the things we did, or even more.”

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PHOTOGRAPHY BY WWW.GREGGMARTINPHOTO.COM

Fun Flowers Floral bouquets have come a long way from roses with sprays of babies’ breath. Brides will often choose a theme and a color scheme and then figure out how florals fit into it. Can’t find a flower to suit the bridal party palette? Flowers can now be hand-colored. Or, you can choose something entirely different to dress the day.

Fancy these ideas: Organic or locally grown flowers, or snipped greenery from yards Exotic flowers like birds of paradise or orchids for beach and island settings Leis instead of bouquets Bouquets created from shells

PHOTOGRAPHY BY WWW.C LARKBERRY.C OM

Rainbow roses artificially infused with bright colors

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Tissue paper arrangements

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Dramatic Brian Conner & Ashleigh Pair

Photography by www.travistphotography.com

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hat happens when a rocker and an event planner get married?

A mixture of “classic southern traditional and dramatic style” culminated in a “Hallowedding” for Brian Conner and Ashleigh Pair. This was a wedding that was dramatically romantic.

“Getting married the weekend of All Saints Day was important to us because many cultures believe it’s the day to celebrate the lives of the deceased that have gone before us,” says Brian. “We felt like this was the only day for us, not only because it is one of the most magical nights of the year, but also because our family and friends who have passed could be closer to us.”

Brian, lead singer of the band Villanova, and Ashleigh, event manager at the Columbia Metropolitan Convention Center, were high school sweethearts – even attending her junior and senior prom together.

A born planner, Ashleigh says she’s been hashing out the details of her wedding since she was a little girl. However, over the years her tastes evolved into what she calls edgy elegance.

“Every detail was important. I wanted a real haunting beauty, like in Tim Burton films,” he says. “We ended up getting a lot of ideas for the wedding from the film Sleepy Hollow.”

Brian and Ashleigh’s wedding party consisted of 26 members – what the couple refers to as a wedding party of debonair devils and dashing damsels. Brian wanted to wear a tuxedo similar to the one Brad Pitt wore in Interview with a Vampire, so they chose a charcoal-colored Joseph & Feiss tux with a singlebutton, center-vented, cut-away jacket paired with hickory-striped and pleated pants. The ensemble included an ascot and a matching gray vest.

Ideas for the bridesmaid dresses came from the movie Legend. The result was a black silk, v-neck, high-collared and open-backed gown.

For her dress, she found a white, modern, couturier-styled Maggie Sottero gown in Godavari silk with zebra-printed shoes. Setting off the dress were floral bouquets of white hydrangeas, white lilies, white larkspurs, white delphiniums, white orchids, twisted willow and various greenery. For the wedding party,

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the flowers were dark red with black calla lilies with accents of real pheasant feathers.

The wedding drama began the night before the ceremony, as Brian’s parents hosted a rehearsal dinner at Saluda River Club. Zebraprinted Chinese lanterns and creepily elegant chandeliers set the tone. Besides a fall menu provided by Jack Brantley of Aberdeen Catering, Brian was surprised by a groom’s cake made into the shape of the guitar he plays in his band. Guests were offered a New Yorkstyle cheesecake decorated with a zebra-print design.

The Oct. 31, 2009, 6 p.m. ceremony took place at Saxe Gotha Presbyterian Church in Lexington. After the ceremony, the couple and the wedding party rode a trolley to the Columbia Metropolitan Convention Center for the reception. The group made a grand red carpet entrance at the Center to the Phantom of the Opera theme song.

Explains Ashleigh, “Because Brian is a musician, the music had to be perfect. And who else than DJ Jon Ruff to rock the reception with help from WARQ’s Rock 93.5 radio station emcee, Matt Lee. We danced the night away to songs such as Michael Jackson’s ‘Thriller’ and Frank Sinatra’s ‘Witchcraft.’”

Ashleigh described the reception colors as richly dark and romantic, with zebraprinted linens and dramatic red fabric hanging from the ceiling. In the Center’s grand ballroom was an enormous arrangement of tropical foliage and several hundred red ginger lilies. Special surprises for guests were a flame eater/dancer and a zebra-printed backdrop photo booth with a life-sized witch and a life-sized Frankenstein monster to accompany guests in pictures. The wedding cake by Jane Wallace of Lexington featured layers of red velvet, carrot and pound cakes frosted with cream cheese icing and embellished with zebra print strokes.

Guests went home with party favors of zebra-printed boxes with a Bartlett pear inside dipped in milk chocolate and drizzled in white chocolate to create the zebra-print design.

“Our wedding day was the best day of my life,” says Ashleigh. “Halloween now has greater significance for us, since we can celebrate our wedding anniversary on that day.”

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P HOTO G RAP HY BY WWW. G RE G G M ARTIN P HOTO. CO M PHOTOGRAPHY BY WWW.TRAVISTPHOTOGRAPHY. COM PHOTOGRAPHY BY WWW.HIGHCONTRASTWEDDINGS.COM

Venturesome Venues Although church weddings still rank as the number one choice for weddings, locations are becoming more and more obscure. When the new bridge opened in Charleston, couples clamored to say their “I dos” there. Often the venue itself has meaning, but sometimes the chosen wedding spot is just a way to express oneself.

Consider these locales: Naturally green settings, such as The Riverwalk, Adams Pond, Saluda Shoals, Wintergreen Woods and Finlay Park The deck of one of Lake Murray’s charter boats, such as The Southern Patriot or The Spirit of Lake Murray

PHOTOGRAPH Y BY WWW.MICH AELKOS KA.C OM

City life settings like The State Museum, EdVenture or Canal & Senate

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Artsy avenues, including HoFP Gallery, City Art and the Columbia Museum of Art Historic backdrops, like the Mitchell House, Hampton-Preston Mansion and Garden, Robert Mills House and Park, Seibels House, Caldwell-Boylston House and Lace House

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Theatrical Philip Simoneaux & Shayna Katzman

Photography by www.highcontrastweddings.com

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hayna Katzman of London, England, grew up with a grandfather calling her “big-eyed rabbit,” while reading and watching Alice in Wonderland.

When she decided to marry Blythewood native Philip (Phil) Simoneaux II two years ago, the fine art and art history graduate decided that Alice in Wonderland would be a meaningful and fun theme to pursue.

“I wanted to memorialize my grandfather and my late godfather, Sir William Tymym, a sculptor who is famous for the lifesize ‘Guy the Gorilla’ sculpture that sits at the entrance of the London Zoo. He taught me art as a child,” she says. “Phil is more conservative, but he was very accommodating and enjoyed it all.”

Shayna, who works full-time at Glenforest School and also has her own artistic jewelry line called Birdies by Shayna, illustrated aspects of Alice in Wonderland for the save-the-date card, the invitation and the program. She also designed cards that were enlarged and situated around the garden at Canal & Senate. Finally, through her jewelry line, she created illustrated necklaces and cufflinks featuring Alice in Wonderland images for several members of the bridal party.

Taking Shayna’s cue and implementing their own imaginations were Beryl Jaffe and Doris Frank of RSVP Events Parties with Panache. At the venue owned

by Dupre Catering & Events, which includes 300 Senate, The Hall at Canal & Senate, the garden and the Manor House, were croquet sets, pink flamingos, topiaries, an archway of flowers and giant teapots with flowers in them. Also on hand were Larry Hembree, executive director of the Nickelodeon Theatre, who officiated the wedding, and pianist Joe Hudson, who provided musical accompaniment for the service.

“Both Larry and Joe played huge roles in helping to orchestrate our wedding service. Without them, our ceremony would never have been the theatrical, musical production that it was,” says Shayna.

At the same time, Shayna says she was

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careful not to make the wedding overly themed.

“We still wanted our wedding to be tasteful and elegant. What Beryl and Doris did was amazing! It was larger than life, and there was so much personality in it!”

Adding to the personality were the green-and-white paisley-printed bridesmaid dresses hand-sewn by Annabelle LaRoque, whose shop is on Devine Street.

Shayna’s sister, a makeup artist in London, designed the dresses based on a style she had seen by British designer Vivienne Westwood. The groomsmen wore tuxedoes and top hats, while Phil wore a top hat and tails with his tux.

Music selected was not the traditional “Pachelbel’s Canon,” but instead were selections from musicals such as The Fantasticks and Into the Woods. Shayna’s brother, a musical theater major, sang “Try to Remember” from The Fantasticks.

“He has an amazing voice, and everyone was in tears,” she says.

In addition to her strapless white dress, Shayna wore a headband featuring Swarovski crystals.

After the 6 p.m. wedding, guests gathered at food stations decorated with giant teapots. The cake fit the Alice in Wonderland theme as well in that the layers were off-kilter, arranged at different angles.

The topper was a cloth pair of handmade whimsical birds.

Since the bride’s and groom’s initials are “S” and “P,” Shayna created a gift of a mini salt and pepper shaker in a chiffon bag with another of her illustrations enclosed.

“There was nothing really traditional about any aspect of the wedding, except the something old, new, borrowed and blue,” she says. Shayna carried an old penny handed down by several generations of women in her family. The borrowed and blue item was a bluebird broach. The something new was a Swarovski crystal ring, a gift from her mother.

“It was all just fun and relaxing, and we all had a wonderful time,” adds Shayna.

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PHOTOGRAPHY BY WWW.MICHAELKOSKA.COM

P HOTOG RAP HY BY WWW. CL ARKBE RRY. CO M

AttentionGrabbing Attire Traditionally, wedding dresses were white or a version of white. For the modern bride, almost anything goes in terms of dress and accessories.

This has become a day when some feel compelled to boldly convey a distinct fashion sense and even stretch the limits of daring and outrageous. Today dresses are offered in every hue, from pale yellow to metallics like gold or silver.

Liven up your attire with these fun fashion tips: Splashes of color in the veil and/or wedding dress Tea-length dresses that allow distinct and/or fashionable shoes to be shown off, such as leopard-print pumps, or flip flops for a beach or outdoor wedding Weddings dresses with layers of ethereal, sheer ruffles

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Print dresses for bridesmaids

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A feather parasol as an accessory A monogrammed train Hairstyles with vintage or artsy barrettes, combs or headbands

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Guide to Tying the Knot Resource Guide Bridal Gown Cleaning

Rosewood Florist 2917 Rosewood Drive, Columbia (803) 256-8351 www.rosewoodflorist.com

Rice Music House 3214 Devine Street, Columbia (803) 254-2777 www.ricemusichouse.com

Bridal Luncheons/Rehearsal Dinners Nonnah’s 930 Gervais Street, Columbia (803) 779-9599 www.nonnahs.com

Something Special 7011 St Andrews Rd 3-C, Columbia (803) 407-7123 www.somethingspecial floristandgifts.com

Southern Pottery 3105 Devine Street, Columbia (803) 251-3001 www.southern-pottery.com

Bridal Tea

Gifts

Tripp’s Fine Cleaner’s trippsfinecleaners.com (803) 665-0006

Laura’s Tea Room 105 South Palmer Street, Historic Ridgeway (803) 337-8574 www.laurastearoom.com www.teamap.com

Bridal Wear

Evelyn’s Bridal & Formal Wear 28 Townlee Lane, Lugoff (803) 438-8141 www.evelynsbridalonline.com

Caterers

Cottage & Vine 4600 Forest Drive, Columbia (803) 787-7985 Dia’s Merle Norman & Boutique 4711-13 Forest Drive, Columbia (803) 743-9010 www.diasboutique.com Especially For You 1221 Bower Parkway, Suite 106, Irmo (803) 227-0106

Southern Way Catering (803) 783-1061 www.thesouthernway.com

Gibson’s on Devine 2808 Devine Street, Columbia (803) 771-4520

Tronco’s Special Events The Medallion Center 7315 Garners Ferry Road, Columbia (803) 256-1222 www.troncos.com

M. Gallery Interiors 711 E Main St. Suite I, Lexington (803) 785-4620

Florists

Garden Tapestry (803) 917-3036 jimmilib@bellsouth.net

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Mary & Martha’s 4711-16 Forest Drive, Columbia (803) 787-6165 www.maryandmarthasc.com non(e)such 2754 Devine Street, Columbia (803) 254-0772 www.nonesuchltd.com

Spring Hill Woodworking 1631 Pet Sites Road, Chapin (803) 345-9392 www.springhillwoodworking.com Uptown on Main 1204 Main Street, Columbia (803) 661-7651 www.uptownsc.com

Honeymoon Destinations

Rumbling Bald Resort On Lake Lure in North Carolina (800) 792-3925 www.rumblingbald.com

Hotels

Clarion Town House 1615 Gervais Street, Columbia (803) 771-8711 www.clarionhotelcolumbia.com Hilton Columbia Center 924 Senate Street, Columbia (803) 744-7800 www.hiltoncolumbia.com Hilton Garden Inn 434 Columbiana Drive, Columbia (803) 407-6640/(877) STAY-HGI www.columbiaharbison. stayhgi.com

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Whitney Hotel Woodrow at Devine, Columbia (803) 252-0845 www.whitneyhotel.com

Invitations/Gifts

Invitation Station 7163 St Andrews Road, Columbia (803) 732-5898 4525 Forest Drive, Columbia (803) 790-7797 1216 W. Main Street, Lexington (803) 358-3038 www.invitationstationonline.com

Jewelry

Carolina Fine Jewelry 4708 Forest Drive, Columbia (803) 736-0415 www.carolinafinejewelry.com

Spas

Tranquil Moments Day Spa 715 Queen Street, Columbia (803) 254-4055 www.tranquilmoments dayspa.com

Wedding Venues

Columbia Museum of Art 1515 Main Street, Columbia (803) 343-2212 www.columbiamuseum.org Leaside (803) 783-9136 www.thesouthernway.com The Millstone at Adams Pond (803) 783-5732 www.thesouthernway.com

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FEATURE

Best of Col C olumbians have spoken and once again picked the best businesses in our city! Readers have voted on everything from the best places to eat pizza and fried chicken to the best locations to find children’s shoes or to see a movie. The next few pages will serve as a guide to the city from those who know it best – people like you.

This is your city, your magazine and these are your choices for the best of Columbia.

See who won this year’s categories, and help us celebrate these wonderful businesses that make Columbia a great place to live!

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umbia 2011

(L to R) Phillip Gardner, Lauren Boland, Gene Strause, Dale Roberts, Mark Murff, Mandy Morse and Ron Williams of Sea Ray dropped anchor and captured the win for Best Boat Dealer in this year’s Best of Columbia contest.

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Ron Rust of Top Hat Sweepers kicks up his heels over his win for Best Chimney Sweep this year.

Names in red have achieved Hall of Fame status, having been named Best of Columbia at least five times.

Food

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Best boiled peanuts Cromer’s

Best wings Wild Wing

Best grits Blue Marlin

Best ribs Hudson’s Smokehouse

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Jyotindra “J.P.” Parekh and Mary SamulskiParekh, owners of Rice Music House

Best barbecue Hudson’s Smokehouse

Best french fries Five Guys Burgers & Fries

Best milkshake Rush’s

Best salad California Dreaming

Best pizza Za’s Brick Oven Pizza

Best biscuit Bojangles’

Best appetizer Bonefish Grill

Best sandwich Groucho’s Deli

Best chicken salad The Gourmet Shop

Best fried chicken Zesto’s

Best dessert Nonnah’s

Best cole slaw Zesto’s

Best steak Longhorn Steakhouse

Best cookie The Fresh Market

Best pasta salad The Gourmet Shop

Best hamburger Five Guys Burgers & Fries

Best ice cream Marble Slab

Best doughnuts Krispy Kreme Doughnuts

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Best bakery Tiffany’s Best iced tea Bojangles’ Best cocktail Blue Martini

Restaurants Best Restaurant in Irmo Catch 22 Best Restaurant in Lexington Travinia Italian Kitchen Best Restaurant in Columbia Mr. Friendly’s Best Restaurant in West Columbia/Cayce Terra Best Restaurant in Northeast Solstice

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(L to R) Will Fowler, David Stack, Fred Gantt and Elizabeth Rice of Hay Hill Services reeled in a big one with their win for Best Hardscape Company.

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Best Chinese Restaurant Miyo’s Best Japanese Restaurant Sato Japanese Steak & Seafood Best Thai Restaurant Thai Lotus Best Mexican Restaurant Eric’s San José Best Greek restaurant Devine Foods Best Italian restaurant Villa Tronco Best seafood restaurant Blue Marlin Best sushi restaurant Miyo’s Best lakeside restaurant Rusty Anchor Best fine dining restaurant Dianne’s on Devine Best fast food restaurant Rush’s

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Best romantic dinner Ristorante Divino Best outdoor dining Harper’s Best Sunday brunch DiPrato’s Best business lunch Motor Supply Company Best family restaurant Lizard’s Thicket Best coffee house Starbucks

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Best wait staff Dianne’s On Devine Best wine menu Gervais & Vine Best new restaurant Conrad’s Restaurant Best bang for the buck Moe’s Southwest Grill

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Retail

Best women’s evening wear

Best shopping venue Columbiana Station

Coplon’s

Best women’s clothing

store

Best bridal wear store David’s Bridal

store

Talbots

Best women’s shoe store Kicks Exceptional Shoes Best men’s clothing store Granger Owings Classic Clothiers Best men’s formal wear store

The Black Tie Best children’s clothing store

Little Lambs & Ivy II Best children’s shoe store Tootsies Children’s Shoes Best athletic wear store Todd & Moore Best sporting goods store Dick’s Sporting Goods Best bicycle specialty store Outspokin’ Best running specialty store Strictly Running Best gift store Gibson’s on Devine

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Best jewelry store Handpicked

Best glass store ACE Glass

Best mattress store Best Mattress

Best fashion accessories

Best lighting store The Lite House

Best appliance store Jeffers McGill

Best Gardening Store Woodley’s

Best home furnishings store Whit Ash

store

Just the Thing Best vision wear Devine Eyes Best toy store Be Beep A Toy Shop Best pet boutique Pupcakes Pet Boutique Best florist Rosewood Florist Best bookstore Barnes & Noble Best Gamecock store Jewelry Warehouse Best antique store Meeting Street Interiors Best local art store City Art Best kitchen store Mary & Martha’s Best wine shop Total Wine & More Best frame shop HoFP

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Best office furnishings store

COF Best flooring/floor covering store

Cogdill Carpet Best wallpaper/wall covering store

Wallpaper Additions Best clothing consignment shop

ReventĂŠ Best furniture consignment shop

Worth Repeating Best office supplies Staples Best supermarket Publix

Home Best home builder Baudo & Associates

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Best home remodeler Willm Construction Best apartment complex Aspyre Best condominiums Adesso Best retirement community

Still Hopes Best assisted living facility

Still Hopes

Recreation Best exercise facility Gold’s Gym Best golf course Forest Lake Country Club Best marina Lake Murray Marina Best boat dealer Sea Ray Best place for a kid’s birthday party

Monkey Joe’s

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Service Best residential real estate agency

Coldwell Banker United, Realtors速 Best commercial real estate agency

Colliers Keenan Best real estate agent Rhett Wolfe Best insurance agency State Farm Best insurance agent Jack Godbold Best fence company Brabham Fence Company Best landscaping company Blue Moon Landscaping Best hardscape company Hay Hill Services Best moving company Palmetto Specialty Transfer Best residential interior designer

Brandon Davidson Interiors Best commercial interior designer

Katherine J. Anderson Design/Interiors

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Best furniture refinisher Colonial Woodworking Best pest control service Terminix Best security system ADT Best carpet cleaner Stanley Steemer Best chimney sweep Top Hat Sweepers Best plumbing company Meetze Plumbing Best heating/air service 2nd Wind Heating & Air Conditioning, Inc. Best Facial Urban Nirvana Best Massage Urban Nirvana Best nail salon Soak

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Best tanning salon Beaches Best hair salon Shear Expectations Best lodging Sheraton Best cell phone company Verizon Best auto repair company Andrews Auto Best professional photographer

John Wrightenberry Photography Best embroiderer Uptown on Main Best car rental agency Enterprise Best limo service CMI Best staffing agency Snelling

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Best travel agency Forest Lake Travel Best modeling agency Millie Lewis Best dry cleaner Tripp’s Fine Cleaners Best car wash Frank’s Best caterer Southern Way Best event planner Carolina Event Consultants Best wedding venue Millstone at Adam’s Pond Best pet grooming Sarah & Suzie’s Grooming Best pet sitter Camp Bow Wow Best doggie day care Camp Bow Wow

Media &

Entertainment Best TV station WIS-TV Best TV personality Dawndy Mercer Plank

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Best radio station WCOS Best radio personality Jonathon Rush Best live theatre Trustus Theatre Best movie theater Regal Sandhill Cinema 16 Best museum Columbia Museum of Art Best art gallery City Art Best nightlife The Vista

Our readers are the best!

We always want to know what our readers really think, and this year we rewarded a lucky voter for voicing her opinion. Linda Amick of Irmo won a $100 gift certificate to Mr. Friendly’s for sending in her ballot.

Columbia Metropolitan magazine thanks Linda and everyone else for participating in our annual poll.

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PALMETTO BUSINESS

A New Future for Richland Mall

Richland Mall anticipates a revitalization like none it’s seen before

By Sam Morton / Photography by Jeff Amberg

I

n April 2010, Bill Walkup and Don Taylor, principals in Century Capital Group, announced their purchase of the property formerly known as Richland Fashion Mall and Midtown at Forest Acres. As their first move in restoring it to its former glory, the men gave the place back its old name: Richland Mall. What’s more, they have brought on board longtime Columbia developer Alan Kahn, whose brainchild is the wildly successful retail and mixed-use venture Village at Sandhill.

The men are working on a master plan for the property. Bill says it’s unrealistic to expect to fill the vast amount of space – 875,000 square feet, to be exact – solely with retail.

“We’re getting interest from people

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looking at office space and also a medical facility. I’m certain we’ll wind up with a mixed-use property,” he says.

At the corner of Forest Drive and Beltline Boulevard, it’s once again an exciting time.

“What we want to emphasize most is that we are all local,” Bill says. Now, also understand we’re not magicians.

We can’t get the mall revitalized overnight. Retailers are methodical in their decision-making. Retail sales are slow. This is the environment we’re working in.”

Sti l l , t h e m e n a r e a c t i v e l y seeking suggestions on what people around Columbia would like to see in a revitalized Richland Mall.

They’ve even set up a Facebook page

specifically for the effort.

Built in the early 1980s, Richland Mall in Forest Acres replaced the original open air mall that many longtime Columbians remember as the original. The new structure carried high expectations. It was billed as the Lenox Square of the Midlands.

Through the years, it has hosted its fair share of national chains. Bonwit Teller, Parisian, J. B. White, Dillard’s, Berry’s, The Bombay Company, and the remaining stalwart, Belk, are just a few of the national upscale brands that have been tenants. It has also served as home to some iconic Forest Acres’ businesses like BeBeep Toys and The Happy Bookseller.

Michelle Riley, a Columbia native,

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grew up visiting the mall: “It used to have this great open-air feel. There was a grocery store, and the movie theaters used to be out front,” she says. The grocery store was a Winn-Dixie, and before Litchfield opened its sevenscreen cinema in 1990 on the mall’s rooftop (long before popcorn cost $12.50 per bucket) movie-goers got to experience a large, two-screen theater, with rocking, overstuffed comfortable seats—the 90s version of a multiplex.

The mall has seen some better days with Bonwit Teller adding 80,000 square feet of retail shopping space and J.B. White constructing a third floor in 1988, bringing another 64,000 square feet of clothing and house wares for sale. Baskin Robbins sold its 31 flavors nearby, and the mall became a happening place to be.

No one can deny that Richland Mall has suffered its fair share of growing pains and setbacks, too. Original developer L.J. Hooker encountered financial problems and applied for provisional liquidator status as early as 1989. Some tenants sued the developer over alleged contract breaches. Forest Acres residents opposed zoning changes, especially the clear cutting of a stand of trees for the mall’s parking lot and the widening of Beltline Boulevard, which, they complained, would lead to traffic congestion.

But there was still great hope. In 1988, Richland Mall’s $150 million expansion represented the largest industrial investment in the county to date. The mall, then and now, has always been a significant contributor to the community, especially when it comes to charitable events. Among others, it has hosted a number of fashion shows to benefit the Columbia City Ballet, silent auctions to assist the American Heart Association and events to benefit the March of Dimes.

In 1990 after its physical expansion, mall owners rechristened the facility Richland Fashion Mall. In addition to its upscale retailers, the building’s makeover included new decorative fountains that sprayed intermittent plumes of water and the new staple for

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malls in the South: a food court. The emphasis on fashion, however, severely limited the mall’s focus, leading to a dearth of product diversity.

In the early 2000s, the mall shifted its focus again and concentrated on pulling in small boutique-type stores like the Columbia Museum of Art Gift Shop. In 2005, a North Carolina firm bought the property for $19 million, announced plans to develop the space as mixed-use retail and residential, and gave it yet another new name: Midtown at Forest Acres. While the City of Forest Acres hosts a largely

The mall’s new owners are actively seeking suggestions on what people around Columbia would like to see in a revitalized Richland Mall. Says Bill Walkup, “We’re local. We get it. And we care.” upper-middle-class to wildly wealthy demographic, Manhattan it is not, and the concept withered on the vine.

While Barnes & Noble Booksellers, S&S Cafeteria, TGI Fridays, Belk and Regal Cinema continued to hold down the fort, the property’s largest tenant became a Verizon call center, which owns separate property sold off by mall developers.

But all this is old news, hardly worth a rehash, except that it provides a history and also a backdrop with which to contrast the eager hopes of Bill Walkup, Don Taylor and Alan Kahn.

“We have three or four small tenants already signed up, and we’re going to continue the farmer’s market,” Bill says.

The rooftop farmer’s market, barely

a year old, has been wildly popular.

Shoppers can get bedding plants and local produce fresh from the garden at a significant savings over surrounding grocery stores.

“We also have a vendor selling South Carolina shrimp that he picks up from the docks in Charleston and brings straight to the market. At $9.25 a pound, it’s also about 25 percent cheaper than the stores. It just goes to show you how competitive it’s going to be. It’s a wonderful opportunity for our shoppers,” Bill says.

Competitive is the operative word for the new owners. They offer what Bill says are remarkably competitive lease rates compared to the other malls in town. Again, because the owners are local, they have their fingers on the pulse of the Columbia markets. But neither Alan nor Bill see Richland Mall and the Village as direct competitors.

“There’s a significant distance between the two locations,” Bill says.

“We may see some overlap, but not to the extent that one will take business away from the other.”

Ironically, Alan joined the project after Bill and Don bought the mall and began interviewing national retail consultants.

“As a matter of fact,” Bill says, “I’ve got a 50-page report that told us a lot of things we already knew: that we were surrounded by a lot of neighborhoods with high incomes, and we aren’t really in the same marketing areas as Columbia Mall or the Village at Sandhill. I’ve known Alan since junior high school and concluded he was not a competitor, so we asked him to help us.”

As a result, the trio is looking for a combination of national chains to be drawing cards for businesses from other sectors.

“We’re looking for a lot of variety, but the highest quality,” Bill says. While the men don’t look to replicate the Village at Sandhill — given the limited space, it would be impossible anyway — they do want to mirror its community involvement, such as the Village’s 4th of July celebration and Halloween festival.

They plan to build on what already

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exists, according to Bill: “You may not know it, but the City of Forest Acres started the rooftop bands festival. It has a real carnival atmosphere and has been going on for the past two or three years.”

They will continue with the popular singing animated Christmas bears inside the mall, Halloween events and the farmer’s market.

Of the benefit of having the only mall parking garage in Columbia, Bill says, “I was walking through one of the stores one day and one of the cashiers who didn’t know who I was said, ‘If it’s raining, you can stay dry. If it’s a hundred degrees outside, you can return to a cool car in the shade. And we have the safest mall in Columbia.’ It warmed my heart to hear her say that.”

When Bill and his partners established their mall Facebook page, they received 1,520 postings in the first two weeks. In response, he reassures, “We’re local. We get it. And we care.”

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SPREAD THE WORD

Harold Bessent

Bill McDaniels

Ray Tanner

Anne Kirkland

Eric Alder

Mike Williams

Kristine Cato

Jimmy Byars

Peter Sercer

Darryl Wieland

Brittany Lozanne

Malissa Burnette

Paul Mashburn

Lee Mashburn

Lynn Shealy

John Becker

John Stevenson

Scott Hebebrand

Frank Braddock

Will Jordan

Jamie Stancil

Gary T. Pope, Jr.

Dana Bruce

Amanda Strickland

John T. Lay, Jr. of Ellis Lawhorne & Sims, P.A. has been awarded the national Fred H. Sievert Award.

David C. Journer, Jr. has been named Best Lawyers 2011 Trusts and Estates Lawyer of the Year.

Palmetto Health Foundation has named Harold Bessent, Bill McDaniels and Ray Tanner as Palmetto Health Foundation Fellows.

Anne Kirkland has joined Coldwell Banker United, Realtors® as a sales associate in the Irmo office.

Eric Alder and Mike Williams of Hood Construction have attained the designation of construction supervisors through the CAGC SuperVISION program.

to chair the national board of the Association of Community College Trustees.

Dennis Corporation has been honored as the 51st most successful architecture/engineering/environmental consulting firm in the U.S. and Canada at the 2010 Hot Firm Conference. The company has also received the 2010 Hot Firms Give Back A/E Philanthropy Award.

Scott Heron, owner of Creative Tile, has been named chairman of the Greater Columbia Home Builders Association Remodelers Council.

Ana Lòpez-De Fede, M.D., president of the Richland County Tuberculosis Association, has received the 2010 Palmetto Patriot Award.

City Center Partnership has been selected to receive the 2010 Columbia Choice Award by Columbia Green and the Columbia Tree & Appearance Commission.

G. Darryl Wieland, Ph.D., M.P.H., of Palmetto Health has been featured in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

Kristine Cato of Rogers Townsend & Thomas, PC has been named a Super Lawyer in the category of Employment & Labor.

Stuart White has joined the Greater Columbia Chamber of Commerce as senior vice president for sales and marketing.

Jimmy Byars has joined Nexsen Pruet, LLC as an associate. The firm has been listed as the 217th largest law firm in the country by The National Law Journal’s list of the 250 largest law firms in America.

Terra has qualified for membership in Distinguished Restaurants of North America in the creative contemporary category.

Peter E. Sercer, Sr. of the Midlands Technical College Commission has been elected

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The Cultural Council of Richland & Lexington Counties has honored four grantees in the following categories: The Musicians and Songwriters Guild of S.C. in

the Inspiration category; Trustus Theatre in the Collaboration category; Columbia International Festival in the Education category; and The South Carolina Philharmonic in the Innovation category.

Brittany Lozanne has joined the law firm of McAngus Goudelock & Courie.

M. Malissa Burnette has joined Callison Tight & Robinson as a member.

Titke Mack, a store manager of McDonald’s, has won a brand new 2011 Chevy Malibu from Love Chevrolet as a part of the Columbia McDonald’s annual Co-Op rally.

Jack Brantley of Aberdeen Catery, Bill Dukes of Blue Marlin and Jimmy Kokolis of Zorba’s Greek Restaurants have been inducted into the Greater Columbia R e s t a u r a n t A s s o c i a t i o n ’s Columbia Restaurant Hall of Fame.

Local artist Rachel Parker’s work has been featured in Dog Sayings: Wit & Wisdom From Man’s Best Friend.

March of Dimes has raised more than $1 million at their Signature Chefs Auction.

Lexington Medical Center’s Inpatient Services Department has won the Summit Award from Press Ganey for sustaining excellence in quality of care. The hospital’s Outpatient Surgery Departments in Irmo and Lexington have won the Summit Award for the fourth year in a row.

Paul Mashburn of Mashburn Construction has been promoted to president and chief operating officer. Lee Mashburn has been named executive vice president of preconstruction. Lynn Shealy has been named vice chairman of the board.

John Becker has joined the company as chief estimator.

John R. Stevenson, former superintendent of Richland School District One, has been honored by Africa’s Future-Umbuntu as the 2010 Elder of the Year.

Scott Hebebrand, president of Southeast Realty, has teamed with LandTech, Inc. of South Carolina to form LandTech Realty, LLC. The Braddock Group, led by Frank Braddock, has joined JHS Capital Advisors.

Will Jordan has joined Sowell Gray Stepp & Lafitte as an associate.

Jamie Stancil has joined Palmetto Health Cancer Centers as event coordinator.

Gary T. Pope, Jr., has joined Pope Zeigler as an associate.

Dana Bruce, executive director of Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, has been elected president of the SC Health Charities.

Amanda Strickland has joined JDRF as development director.

J ANUAR Y / F EBRUAR Y 2011

GETTING DOWN TO BUSINESS WITH

Garner’s Natural Life

Jean, Leslie, Maggie, Emma Jeff Garner, Candace Garner

G Sylvia, Emma

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arner’s Natural Life may be new to Trenholm Plaza in Forest Acres, but in Greenville it is THE go-to place for health and wellness. With deep roots in Greenville’s health-conscious community going all the way back to 1969, Garner’s emerged this fall in Columbia as a much welcomed addition to Trenholm Plaza’s upscale shops.

Located between Starbucks and the Pancake House, Garner’s offers an extensive selection of high-quality organic vitamins, herbs and natural body care. The beautiful boutique atmosphere is only a part of Garner’s appeal. The key to Garner’s longevity and wild popularity is the outstanding personal attention and education customers have come to expect when shopping there. Garner’s Natural Life is a charming, cutting-edge wellness center with a fun, inspiring atmosphere that is sure to become a favorite in Columbia.

SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION

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GETTING DOWN TO BUSINESS WITH

Paradime Construction G

rowing up in Charleston, Stan O’Brien was inspired by the city’s history and architecture to become a home builder.

“From a very young age, I was drawing homes and learning the science of buildings,” he says. “The Paradime logo actally came from a drawing I did in the first grade.”

Stan’s dreams lead him to Clemson, where he earned degrees in Architecture and Construction Science. After gaining valuable design experience in North Carolina, he returned to South Carolina to start his own custom home business. With its smalltown feel, Columbia was the perfect place to settle

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down with his wife and two young sons.

“I began Paradime Construction, Inc. to offer both custom design and construction,” Stan says.

“I wanted to focus on personal attention where I am the only point of contact and any questions or concerns are handled by me personally. I feel that home building can be a fun process, and I want my clients to have a pleasant experience seeing their ideas become reality.”

In 2003, Paradime Construction was the first local builder to join the ENERGY STAR program, and it was then that Stan began to set himself apart from other builders. From value-engineering to

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the green building movement, understanding the science behind home construction helps Stan make homes better by saving energy, preserving resources and creating a more healthy living environment.

“For the last 12 years, it has been my pleasure to work with families around Columbia to help them build their dream. I consider my clients to be my friends, and I am proud of being their neighbor here in Columbia. I encourage anyone looking for a custom home builder to do your research and choose a builder that you can have a great working relationship with – a relationship that will last a lifetime, just like your new home.”

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GETTING DOWN TO BUSINESS WITH

Still Hopes Episcopal Retirement Community

Still Hopes residents work with the Posit Science InSight™ training program.

D

o you want to think faster, focus better and remember more? How about maintain good driving skills? The Posit Science InSight™ training program, offered to the public at Still Hopes Episcopal Retirement Community, targets visual processing in the brain.

Visual processing is an especially important root of cognitive ability because so many experiences and memories are defined by what we see. An improvement in visual processing and memory can help you feel sharper and more confident, at the top of your game.

InSight features five engaging computer-based exercises for which experience using a computer mouse is the only requirement. The exercises help

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you with quickly occurring visual events such as noticing a person unexpectedly stepping into the street or watching and learning a new dance step.

This training also sharpens visual precision and memory, helping you spot details and remember them. Enlargement of useful field-of-view (the area over which one can extract information in a single glance) is especially important for safe driving.

Training also expands divided attention such as keeping track of cars at a busy intersection or children running through a playground.

The InSight exercises incorporate research from many scientific studies which indicate that participants experience multiple benefits including a 300 percent average increase in visual processing

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speed, improved driving safety, a 38 percent reduction in dangerous driving maneuvers and ability to remain independent longer.

InSight training classes are open to everyone age 55 and older and are offered throughout the year at Still Hopes Episcopal Retirement Community for a nominal fee. Call (803) 739-5034 or email dheimlich@stillhopes.org.

Jean Doster, a participant in one of the InSight training classes says, “The brain fitness class was a mental challenge between me and the program, enlarging my peripheral vision and concentration. The added brownie point was the fun of the games.”

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GETTING DOWN TO BUSINESS WITH

Tronco’s

Kathryn Brennan, David Martin, Dorothy Team

D

avid Martin has grown up in the food and beverage business. As soon as he was old enough, he was helping out at Villa Tronco, the family-run restaurant his great grandmother, Sadie Tronco, started.

David worked in the family business until 1990, when he took the step many restaurant owners choose – building on their reputation and

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opening a catering business out of the restaurant.

Tronco’s was a roaring success, and one year later it was moved out of the restaurant to a separate location. Tronco’s was the first catering business in Columbia to have its own banquet facility.

Today, David heads Tronco’s Special Events at The Medallion Center.

Tronco’s offers catering for any budget.

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“We’ve had many celebrity clients, including The Rolling Stones, Alicia Keys, Jane Pauley, Kenny Rogers and The Four Tops,” says David, “but we make sure all of our customers feel like stars.”

The future holds great success, and Tronco’s will be able to serve even more clients and hold many more events in the state of the art facility at The Medallion Center.

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GETTING DOWN TO BUSINESS WITH

Paul Bennett, center, cuts the ribbon at the grand opening ceremony for Vista Wealth Management.

Vista Wealth Management “Y

ou never know what events are going to transpire to get you home.” These are words by famous motivational author Og Mandino, whose book was given to Paul Bennett by his grandmother 25 years ago. Little did Paul realize then how that thin paperback would guide him to where he is today: home. After 17 years in the financial services business, Paul decided in September 2010 to take a giant leap of faith and follow his dream of opening his own firm – Vista Wealth Management in downtown Columbia.

“For me, business is personal,” Paul says.

“When my clients and I meet, we talk about their life goals, where they would like to see themselves in 20 years, their health, their children’s plans, and their family’s hopes. In my business, I have the privilege every day of not only helping my clients with their investments, but also working alongside

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them to reach their goals. Business is personal, and my clients are like family to me. I love to see them succeed.”

Over the past nine years as a financial advisor in Columbia, Paul’s career rode the roller coaster ride of two bank buyouts. Finally, at the end of last year, he was ready to step off the ride and offer clients what he wanted most: stability. Although he’d dreamed of opening his own firm, transitions in the workplace drove him to take that step. In September, Paul was drawn to the Wells Fargo Advisors Financial Network (WFAFN) – mainly its impressive technology that’s user-friendly for clients, as well as wide-range access and resources to the financial markets. He decided to take the independent channel, open Vista Wealth Management, and offer all investment products and services through WFAFN.

SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION

“Of all that I can now provide my clients, I’m excited to introduce an impressive financial planning tool called ‘Envision,’” says Paul. Every Tuesday evening in January and February, Vista Wealth Management will host complimentary Envision seminars that easily lay out a step-by-step process to help clients of all ages reach a new level in their investment and financial planning.

In his new Lady Street office – furnished with wooden ducks reminiscent of his favorite hunting sport, rustic antiques, and oil paintings of Italy created by one of his own customers – Paul warmly welcomes his family of clients to a place that he truly feels is home.

Investment products and services are offered through Wells Fargo Advisors Financial Network, LLC (WFAFN), Member SIPC. Vista Wealth Management is a separate entity from WFAFN.

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C o lu m b i a M e t ro p o l i ta n 101

Brittany Brooks and B.J. Mackie

BARBERPHOTO.COM

Georgette Laws and Alvin Tubman

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Amber Jo Showers and Goerge Crowe

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Zoe Dawson and Riley Anderson

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JUST MARRIED

Aleshia Miles and Travis Roberts

Kristin King and Chris Basquill

PICTURE THIS

Riverbanks Zoofari

Woyate West African Drum and Dance Company

Jan Stamps, Mike Stamps

Rainman the Llama, Step Taylor

Bokesch & Tipton Accounting’s Grand Opening Celebration

Sara Tipton, Mark Bokesch

Freeman Belser, Donny Dial

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Charlotte Bokesch, Mark Bokesch, Matt Hill

James Hugh Barringer, Rachel Chaplin, Michael Quinn, Alec Chaplin

Rutledge Davies, Mason Hardy

Marvin Huggins, Darren Foy

J ANUAR Y / F EBRUAR Y 2011

Picture this

SCETV’s 50th Anniversary Celebration

Katie Mixon of “Riverbanks Roundup” with some viewers

The Cat in the Hat, Anneliese Schaller

P.A. Bennett, Mayor Steve Benjamin, The Cat in the Hat, Mark Quinn

Palmetto Center for Women TWIN Awards

Barbara Rackes

Bridgett Lytton

Dr. Susan E.M. Davis

Heidi Scott

Jo Pauling-Jones

Karen Brosius

Cultural Council of Richland and Lexington Counties Founders Dinner

Don Zurlo, Philip Mullen, Diana Farfan, James Busby, Tom Lockhart, Renee Rouillier, Mark Woodham

Claire Fort, Alvin Neal, Barbara Willm

Jimmy Chao, Jane Chao

Debbie Cohn, Rich Cohn

Raj Aluri, Morihiko Nakahara, Rhonda Hunsinger, Andrew Witt, Christi James, Vicki Whitehead, Sharon VonFange, Kay Thigpen, Jim Thigpen

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Bruce Hughes, Beryl Dakers

Cheryl Behymer, Kelly Shockley, Felicia Easterlin, Ann Henry

Jerry Davis, Judy Davis

C o lu m b i a M e t ro p o l i ta n 103

OUT & ABOUT

january

Central Carolina Community Foundation, yourfoundation.org Jan. 10 Food & Wine Dinner: MoMo’s Bistro, 6:30pm Colonial Life Arena, coloniallifearena.com Jan. 14 to 15 Monster Jam Jan. 29 Red Nose Run, 8am Columbia Metropolitan Convention Center, columbiaconvention center.com Jan. 14 to 16 Lake Murray Gymnastic Center Gamecock Invitational Jan. 22 World Beer Festival Columbia Museum of Art, columbiamuseum.org through Jan. 2 Taylor Made: The Art of Anna Heyward Taylor through Jan. 16 About FACE through Jan. 23 I Heard a Voice: The Art of Lesley Dill through Jan. 23 Emily Dickinson and Contemporary Fine Printing Jan. 6 & 13 Artful Meditation Series, 9am Jan. 14 Special Tour: Rare Books & Special Collections Room at Thomas Cooper Library, noon Jan. 15 Lecture: Meditation, 2pm Edventure Children’s Museum, edventure.org through Jan. 3 Once Upon a Time through Jan. 2011 From Here to Timbuktu through Feb. 20 Snowville!

Jan. 4, 11, 18, 25 Read to Me, 11am Jan. 4, 11, 18, 25 Toddler Tuesdays, 10am Jan. 18 Tales for Tots, 11am Jan. 22 EdCeptional Family Night: Children with Sensory/ Developmental Disabilities, 5 to 7pm Jan. 28 Member Sneak Peak: Attack of the Bloodsuckers!, 3 to 5pm Five Points, fivepointscolumbia.com Jan. 7 First Fridays in Five Points Koger Center for the Arts, koger.sc.edu Jan. 15 South Carolina Philharmonic Master Series 4, 7:30pm Jan. 18 to 19 Broadway in Columbia presents Fiddler on the Roof, 7:30pm Jan. 22 Columbia Classical Ballet presents LifeChance Gala, 7:30pm Jan. 29 The Woman’s Club of Cayce presents Rocket Man: A Tribute to Sir Elton John, 7:30pm

Lake Carolina, lakecarolina.com Jan. 9 Polar Bear Plunge, 10am to 12pm Newberry Opera House, newberryoperahouse.com Jan. 7 to 8 Newberry Ballet Guild Jan. 9 Gospel Explosion, 5pm Jan. 13 Nanci Griffith, 8pm Jan. 14 Ray Price, 8pm Jan. 15 Doc Watson & David Holt, 8pm Jan. 20 Glenn Miller Orchestra, 8pm Jan. 21 Ronnie McDowell, 8pm Jan. 22 Rob Crosby’s Songwriter Show, 8pm Jan. 23 Ruby Morgan, Pianist, 3pm Jan. 25 to 26 All Shook Up, 3 and 8pm Jan. 27 Five by Design in Stay Tuned, 8pm Jan. 31 Michael Bolton, 8pm Riverbanks Zoo and Garden, riverbanks.org through Jan. 2 Lights Before Christmas Jan. 12, 19, 26 Junior Master Gardener program for homeschoolers, 10am to 12:30pm Jan. 22 Scout Saturdays Shandon Presbyterian Church, shandonpres.org Jan. 18 Arts at Shandon “Annual Dance,” 7 to 10pm Shandon United Methodist Church, shandon-umc.org Jan. 25 Resound! Columbia Baroque Soloists SnapClasses.com Jan. 15 Workshop with Michael and Angela Koska, 10am to 4pm SC Confederate Relic Room and Military Museum, crr.sc.gov Jan. 14 Home School Friday, 10am Jan. 17 Shield and Storm: 20th Anniversary of the Persian Gulf War SC State Museum, museum.state.sc.us through Jan. 3 Pirates, Privateers and Buccaneers through Jan. 9 Palmetto Portraits through Jan. 30 The Coming of the Civil War through Jan. 31 South Carolina Silver: Varieties in Society 1750 – 1935 Jan. 15 Museum Road Show, 9:30am to 3:30pm St. Andrews Woman’s Club, www.sawc-sc.org Jan. 9 30th Annual Bridal Showcase, noon to 5pm

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Town Theatre, towntheatre.com Jan. 14 to 29 Harvey Trustus Theatre, trustus.org Jan. 6 to 22 The Great American Trailer Park Musical Village Artists at Village at Sandhill, thevillageartists.com Jan. 7 First Fridays at Village Artists, 6 to 8:45pm Workshop Theatre, workshoptheatre.com Jan. 14 to 29 Sealed for Freshness: A Tupperware Party Gone Awry

february

Central Carolina Community Foundation, yourfoundation.org Feb. 6 Food & Wine Dinner: The Vista Room, 6:30pm Feb. 24 Diamond Creek Wine Tasting at Capital City Club, 6:30pm Colonial Life Arena, coloniallifearena.com Feb. 3 to 6 Barnum’s Funundrum Feb. 25 Disney Live! Mickey’s Magic Show, 3:30 and 6:30pm Columbia Children’s Theatre, columbiachildrenstheatre. com Feb. 4 to 6 Peter Pan Feb. 11 to 20 Alice in Wonderland Columbia Metropolitan Convention Center, columbiaconvention center.com Feb. 2 USC Career Center Careerfest Columbia Museum of Art, columbiamuseum.org through May 2011 Who Shot Rock & Roll: A Photographic History, 1955 – Present Feb. 17 Wadsworth Chamber Music Series: Presented by Edward Arron & Friends, 7pm Edventure Children’s Museum, edventure.org through Feb. 20 Snowville!

Feb. 1, 8, 15, 22 Read to Me, 11am Feb. 1, 8, 15, 22 Toddler Tuesdays, 10am Feb. 15 Tales for Tots, 11am Feb. 17 9th Annual Girls Night Out, 7pm First Presbyterian Church, firstprescolumbia.org Feb. 11 to 12 Spiritual Life Conference: Battle for the Soul

Michael Bolton

Five Points, fivepointscolumbia.com Feb. 4 First Fridays in Five Points Heathwood Hall, heathwood.org Feb. 17 Open House informational session, 9am Junior League of Columbia, jlcolumbia.org Feb. 5 Clean Sweep, 8am to 2pm Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, jdrfpalmetto.org Feb. 5 Wings of Love Gala Koger Center for the Arts, koger.sc.edu Feb. 2 to 4 Columbia City Ballet presents Beauty & the Beast Feb. 4 to 5 Columbia City Ballet presents Cinderella Feb. 11 Classic Productions for Students presents Freedom Train, 9:45 and 11:45am Feb. 12 SC Philharmonic Master Series 5, 7:30pm Feb. 13 SC Philharmonic Youth Orchestra, 3:30pm Feb. 15 USC Symphony Orchestra with Katherine Ten Hagen, violin, 7:30pm Feb. 17 to 19 USC Band Clinics Feb. 20 USC Clinic Bands Concert, 2pm Feb. 22 to 23, South Carolina Philharmonic Young People’s Concert, 9:45 and 11:15am Feb. 26 to 27 Broadway in Columbia presents A Chorus Line Newberry Opera House, newberryoperahouse.com Feb. 1 Tosca – Teatro Lirico D’Europa, 8pm Feb. 3 Leslie Uggams, 8pm Feb. 7 Night Fever: Bee Gees Tribute, 8pm Feb. 9 Stephen Eager, 8pm Feb. 10 Music Man, 3 and 8pm Feb. 12 Chamber Orchestra Kremlin, 8pm Feb. 14 An Evening of Love & Romance: Dr. John Smitherman, 8pm Feb. 17 Ballet Folklorico de

Bahia, 8pm Feb. 18 Artie Shaw Orchestra, 8pm Feb. 19 James Gregory: The Funniest Man in America, 3, 6 and 8:15pm Feb. 20 The Lettermen, 3 and 8pm Feb. 25 John Davidson, 3 and 8pm Feb. 26 Oak Ridge Boys, 3 and 8pm Feb. 27 to 28 Tommy Emmanuel, 8pm Riverbanks Zoo and Garden, riverbanks.org Feb. 2, 9, 16 Junior Master Gardener program for homeschoolers, 10am to 12:30pm Feb. 5 Scout Saturdays Shandon Presbyterian Church, shandonpres.org Feb. 26 Arts at Shandon “Friends of the Groom,” 7 to 10pm South Carolina Confederate Relic Room and Military Museum, crr.sc.gov through June 25 Shield and Storm: 20th Anniversary of the Persian Gulf War Feb. 11 Home School Friday, 10am SC State Museum, museum.state.sc.us Feb. 26 Uncommon Folk St. Peter’s Catholic Church, visitstpeters.org Feb. 1 Tournemire’s L’Orgue Mystique, 7pm The Symphony League, scsymphonyleague.com Feb. 13 Sixth Annual Valentine Ball, 6 to 11pm Theatre South Carolina, TSC.cas.sc.edu Feb. 18 to 26, The Suicide Trustus Theatre, trustus.org Feb. 11 to Mar. 5 Mahalia Village Artists at Village at Sandhill, thevillageartists.com Feb. 4 First Fridays at Village Artists, 6 to 8:45pm

J A N U A R Y / F E B R U A R Y 2011