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MARCH A u g u s ta , A i k e n & E va n s
E s ca p e t h e o r d i n a r y
March comes in big, like a lion, and its roars bring sudden big blooms of periwinkle and fuchsia. The azaleas color our world in the South, they hang in there while we’re predicting when the next cold front will arrive, or can we call this spring yet? We bundle up in chilly mornings and shed layers throughout the day as the mercury rises in the afternoon hours. Time to think about that pedicure and open-toed shoes, time to drive home with the sunroof open, time for the pollen and breezy afternoons when the wind whispers, “Spring has sprung.” This is the big time when the summer heat is still weeks away and we can walk the streets without breaking a sweat, stop and pause long enough to see the time lapse of leaves budding on bare trees. The soothsayer’s warning to Julius Caesar, “Beware the Ides of March,” in Shakespeare’s tragedy imbued that date with a sense of foreboding, but it’s just the 15th on the Roman calendar and we prefer to celebrate it as the Romans did— by indulging in wine, song and celebration. This is a time of good hair days, wind whipping our skirts, evenings just chilly enough for a light sweater, time for outdoors, for new buds turned blooms, the bright sky that reminds us of how small we are in this big old world, and the brand new green grass that’s made for lying on your back and looking for shapes in clouds chugging by as the world keeps turning, turning, turning.
Cover Art: Jackie Besteman
“It was one of those March days when the sun shines hot and the wind blows cold: when it is summer in the light, and winter in the shade.” Charles Dickens
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2015 3
2015
february march
Don’t be afraid to give up the good to go for the great.” John D. Rockefeller
Founder
Nikki Hardin
The BIG Issue
Creative Director Caitilin McPhillips caitilin.mcphillips@skirt.com Market Manager Kate Cooper Metts kate.metts@skirt.com
Features
Contributing Editor Gracie Shepherd gracie.shepherd@gmail.com
Yes, I’m Aging. So What? Iris Dorbian......................................................29
Sales Director
Lisa Dorn lisa.dorn@skirt.com
Just A Mermaid’s Tail
Sales Executives
Hilary Brooke Hall.................................47
Doressa Hawes doressa.hawes@skirt.com Lisa Taylor lisa.taylor@morris.com Maidi McMurtrie Thompson maidi.thompson@morris.com
In This Issue
Mary Porter Vann mary.vann@morris.com Circulation
Letter from the Editor.................................... 4
Photography
He’s So Original..............................................25
Jessica Seigler jessica.seigler@morris.com Jon Michael Sullivan Advertising
Sales: 706.823.3702 Fax: 706.823.6061 1.800.622.6358
SKIRT! THIS M O N T H
Skirt of the Month..........................................29 Meet...................................................................26
No matter the size of the town, someone will always be having big ideas. skirt! is published monthly and distributed free throughout the greater Augusta, Aiken & Evans area. skirt! reserves the right to refuse to sell space for any advertisement the staff deems inappropriate for the publication. All content of this magazine, including without limitation the design, advertisements, art, photos and editorial content, as well as the selection, coordination and arrangement thereof, is Copyright © 2014, Morris Publishing Group, LLC. All Rights Reserved. No portion of this magazine may be copied or reprinted without the express written permission of the publisher. SKIRT!® is a registered trademark of Morris Publishing Group, LLC.
In Augusta and Aiken, there are scores of people who work every day to perfect and promote big ideas they believe in strongly. This issue, we sit down with just a handful of locals who are going hard after big ideas ranging from suicide prevention to holistic living to community collaboration and innovation in technology. A common thread in all of their stories is a simple question that we could all take to heart: why not me? Gracie Shepherd gracie.shepherd@gmail.com
Cover Art: If you’re an artist and would like to submit your work, please send a link or low res artwork to submissions@skirt.com.
Like to see your ad in skirt! Magazine? 706.823.3702 4 march
2015 www.skirt.com
Product..............................................................13
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Denise Tucker | Humanitree House Enter Humanitree House, and immediately it feels like a different world from 8th Street in downtown Augusta.With Bob Marley records playing in one corner and handpainted murals surrounding the entire space, Denise sees it as an extension of her home. She and her husband Baruti opened Humanitree House in the summer of 2014 because they saw a need for a cold-pressed juice bar in particular and a family-friendly gathering place in general. Cold-pressed juice is made using a process that preserves more nutrients than other ways of juicing, keeping the fruit in a similar state as to when it was first picked. Humanitree House is all about eating, drinking and living “closer to the sun, and closer to the earth” as a vegan space. “It’s been life-changing,” Denise says. Her customers have become friends, and being her own boss means that she can take time to just chat with someone if she feels that is what they need. “I can truly find out how life is going for them, and what makes them tick.”
8 march
2015 www.skirt.com
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2015
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Go Big or Go Home You can’t top lobster for fancy dinner party fare. Impress your guest list with a taste of New England delivered fresh to your door. Don’t forget the bibs and melted butter! SimplyLobsters.com will ship fresh Maine lobsters and lobster tails in 24 hours (and you can get them year-round).
Big Color Mara Hoffman espadrilles Shoes at Surrey 487 Highland Ave, Augusta 706.504.3532
Big Fragrance Kobo mahogany leather candle Nandina Home & Design 158 Laurens Street SW, Aiken 803.649.0616 Big Sparkle Judith Ripka 18K gold/turquoise earrings Windsor Jewelers 2635 Washington Road, Augusta 706.738.7777
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2015 13
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“REASON CAN ANSWER QUESTIONS, BUT IMAGINATION HAS TO ASK THEM.” Ralph Gerard
SURPRISE! A NOT SO BIG
P
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2015 17
WHAT DOES THE COLOR YELLOW SYMBOLIZE?
A NOT SO BIG
P
Friendship and Joy.
P QUIZ! WHAT WILL KEEP YOU FROM CRYING WHILE PEELING ONIONS?
Chewing Gum.
WHAT COLLEGE HAS BALLROOM DANCING AS A MAJOR?
Brigham University. WHAT WOULD BARBIE’S MEASUREMENTS BE IF SHE WERE LIFE-SIZE?
39-29-33.
WHAT CHEESE GOES BEST WITH A GLASS OF SAUVIGNON BLANC?
Gruyere.
WHO SAID “WOMEN’S RIGHTS ARE HUMAN RIGHTS” AT THE UN FOURTH WORLD CONFERENCE ON WOMEN IN BEIJING ? Hillary Rodham Clinton.
WHAT STATE HAS THE MOTTO “WISDOM, JUSTICE AND MODERATION?”
Georgia.
WHAT CLOUD NUMBER ARE YOU ON WHEN YOU’RE BLISSFULLY HAPPY?
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18 march
2015 www.skirt.com
HOW MANY WAYS ARE THERE TO MAKE CHANGE FOR A DOLLAR?
Charleston Medical Spa
WHO IS THE LARGEST LANDOWNER IN NEW YORK CITY? The Catholic Church.
HOW MANY CANCER DIAGNOSES ARE SUN RELATED?
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WHAT WAS ARETHA FRANKLIN’S FIRSTNUMBER 1 HIT? R-E-S-P-E-C-T!
HOW MUCH GARBAGE ARE AMERICANS RESPONSIBLE FOR IN THE WORLD ANNUALLY?
WHAT ARE THE ONLY BIRDS THAT SEE THE COLOR BLUE?
One-fifth.
WHAT IS THE ONLY FOOD THAT MELTS AT BODY TEMPERATURE? Chocolate.
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Owls.
WHAT COUNTRY WAS THE FIRST TO GIVE WOMEN THE RIGHT TO VOTE? New Zealand.
WHEN DOES A FULL MOON ALWAYS RISE? At Sunset.
WHERE IS IT ILLEGAL TO SPIT? Norfolk, Virginia.
WHAT IS THE SLEEVE ON THE OUTSIDE OF A COFFEE CUP CALLED?
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WHAT ARE THE THREE INGREDIENTS IN MACAROONS?
Eggs, Coconut and Sugar.
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WHAT GRADE DID ELVIS PRESLEY GET IN HIS 8TH GRADE MUSIC CLASS?
“C.”
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Can we go back to “small,” “medium,” and “large?” We’re confused by (and frankly a little scared of) Super, Mega, Extra Grande, Trenta, Extreme and Value-sized—when “big” just can’t quite cut it. We feel pretty virtuous when we pick up dinner from Subway’s “Fresh Fit Choices” (paired with apples and water instead of chips and soda), but we hate it when we forget to ask you to put the mayo on the side. That little dollop of mayo (which looks to be about 4 tablespoons) adds almost two chocolate chip cookies to our order of the “healthy” veggie sandwich. What is with the volume of liquids that are
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20 march
2015 www.skirt.com
get any more out of control and then 7-11 had to bring in the Big Gulp that holds 200% more liquid than the average human stomach. Always a good workout for our lifetime practice of stretching our stomachs. And by the way, where are the Small Gulps or even the Medium Gulps? A special thank you to McDonald’s for offering an alternative to our usual breakfast of fresh fruit and Greek Yogurt with the McDonald’s Big Breakfast with hotcakes, a large biscuit, hashbrowns, eggs and sausage. Because really, who needs breakfast when you can have a buffet? Our top award goes to fast food burgers. Instead of making the burgers bigger, you just pile patties on top of each other. Burger King Triple Whopper with cheese, we see you—THREE ¼ lb. patties (yes, that’s almost a full pound of meat), 82 grams of fat, and 1,230 calories.You’d have to have the metabolism of a hummingbird to burn that off! Overall, kudos to the fast food marketing teams. We wonder what would happen if you used words like “enormous,” “gigantic,” “hefty,” “massive,” or “excessive,” when labeling your foods. How about the Barn Door Burger... now that’s a description we can understand. So, if you could work on that so we could get our obesity numbers down and perhaps solve the problem of fair wages, we’d say “cheers.” And raise our bottle of water to you. We’ll keep the zero calories around.
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2015
march
Photo by J.M. Sullivan
february
Grace Belangia | Welcome to The Clubhou.se If it’s a cool, collaborative effort going on in Augusta, Grace is probably there. From TEDxAugusta to Hack Augusta, she’s a leader and cheerleader within Augusta’s technology and entrepreneurial communities. For the past few years, she’s been a part of spearheading The Clubhou.se, a community of professionals sharing workspace in the old Academy of Richmond County building that has blossomed into a breeding ground for startup ideas, robotics training and a wide range of innovative efforts. “It’s about figuring out a way to empower our different communities,” Grace says. The opportunity for these self-branded “geeks” to find fellowship and inspiration from each other has been met with such great response that it’s led to her and other members sharing the narrative of their success across the country – this summer, Grace will be speaking at the South by Southwest Festival in Austin, Texas. “I think I’d be doing this kind of thing no matter where I was,” she says. “It’s where the crossroad of passion and desire and spiritual gifts comes together.”
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2015 23
2015 2015
Photo by J.M. Sullivan
march february
Lisa Tindal | Tough Conversationalist Lisa believes strongly that the first step in making a difference is starting a conversation. As executive director of Mental Health America for Aiken County, she saw a need to raise awareness and start a local conversation about suicide prevention. With other members of the community, she began the Coalition for Suicide Prevention of Aiken County as a way to find out what exactly those local needs were. “The best thing to do really is just to listen,” she says. Suicide is a difficult subject for many people to approach, but Lisa and the rest of her team on the coalition believe it’s a vital one. “Sometimes we don’t ask questions because we are scared of the answer,” she says. “What keeps us from talking about a lot of things is fear.” The coalition created www.preventingsuicides.com in the hope that it will take some of that fear away, with step-by-step guides for having conversations for suicide prevention.
24 march
2015 www.skirt.com
2015
2015
march
Photo by J.M. Sullivan
february
He’s So Original | He’s So Persistent – Chris Kane You may know him from the morning news on WJBF News Channel 6, but Chris has a not-so-secret life as a devoted runner. He ran his first race in the 2009 Augusta Half Marathon, plugging into the Augusta Striders running group to keep himself motivated. “Some of my best friends in this town now are runners,” he says. “It’s more enjoyable when you have someone your speed, running alongside you.” Immediately following the Boston Marathon bombing in 2013, Chris and other Augusta runners organized a Run For Boston to show support and raise money for survivors. The tragedy prompted Chris to make shirts with #DontStopRunning printed on them, as a message of solidarity and motivation for himself and other runners. The shirts were a huge hit and have expanded into an entire line of running gear, available at Fleet Feet in Martinez. “If you’ve got a problem or a struggle you’re dealing with, tell a runner,” Chris says. “We’re used to going uphill.”
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2015 25
march
20
15
Jamie Johnson Turner romance writer and author of “Always” and “Broken”
2015
february Favorite things:
Describe me:
1. Italian sweet red wine
1. Fantasy Spinner
2. Staying in a luxury hotel
2. Romance Writer
3. Meeting fans of my books
3. Superman Fanatic
4. Hugs from my daughter
4. Hopeless Romantic
5. Just-because flowers from my
5. Spotlight Craver
husband
6. Chocolate Lover
Photo by J.M. Sullivan
Never be less, kiss passionately, speak up, break the mold.
26 march
2015 www.skirt.com
Offering:
Golden Rabbit Enamelware • Bacon Jam • Beyond Borders Cake • Mud Pie • Sound View • Lolita – Just to name a few Open Monday – Friday 9am-5pm and Saturday 10am-2pm 418 Columbia Industrial Blvd –Evans Like and follow us on facebook! | ladies@looptwoloop.com
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Illustration by Monkey Mind Design. monkeymindesign.etsy.com
2015
february
I dreamed I packed my skirt, my traveling shoes, my bucket list, and flew off I dreamed to seeI packed the big, my skirt wide world. and my bikini and headed to Miami for my much earned 76 degree day on the beach.
Milly One. 453 Highland Avenue Augusta 706.869.2254
WHERE Will Your Skirt WHERE take you Will Your Skirt next? take you
next?
www.skirt.com â&#x20AC;&#x192; march
2015â&#x20AC;&#x192; 29
2015
march
WE ASKED THE UNIVERSE FOR THE ANSWERS TO OUR TOP TEN
BIG
q u e s t i o n s A N D T H I S I S H O W S H E S O K I N D LY ANSWERED US.
WHAT SUSTAINS ME? WHAT IS MY PURPOSE TODAY?
To keep your spa date. With myself.
Taco night. And a margarita. And a tequila shot.
WILL I END UP ALONE?
Only if you keep eating your date’s dessert after saying you don’t want any.
AM I THE BEST I CAN BE?
If you’re sick of selfimprovement books, then sure, why not?
WHY AM I HERE? WHERE DO I SEE MYSELF IN FIVE YEARS?
Because your GPS got confused.
In front of a mirror. Searching for gray hairs. IS THIS ALL THERE IS?
HOW WILL I KNOW IF HE IS THE ONE?
When you’re tearfully chocolate-bingeing your way through PMS and he still thinks you’re perfect.
If you’re referring to wine, then, no. Trader Joe’s has your back. WHAT’S NEXT?
Hopefully not jury duty.
30 march
2015 www.skirt.com
WHO AM I?
Ask Siri.