Hickory Living March 2023

By Kathy Wheeler

The first day of spring is March 20th! Get ready for all the new growth the season brings to our landscape and the rise in temperatures. It’s always a magical time when our trees and gardens start to bloom after the drab winter months. Use this time to clean your flower beds and prepare them for the planting season ahead.

Don’t forget to wear green on St. Patrick’s Day, March 17th, and set your clocks forward an hour on Sunday, March 12th. March 3rd is National Day of Unplugging, World Day of Prayer, and National Employee Appreciation Day...all good ways to spend your Friday. Choose your favorite!

Spring is a splendid time to start your home renovations, updates, or decorating projects. It’s also one of the most popular times to list your home for sale. Visit our Home Design section in the magazine, starting on page 20, for

some good advice on kitchen renovations and redecorating on a budget. There is also an article on Moss Marlow Building Co., one of our Best of the Foothills winners. They have been voted Best Home Builder three years in a row and believe in doing the job right.

Our cover story this month features Realtor/Broker Kristine Hutton with Coldwell Banker Boyd & Hassell. If you are looking to buy a new home, purchase an investment property, or sell your home, Kristine is a Realtor you would enjoy working with. Read her story and client testimonials beginning on page 10.

March 5th through 11th is Dental Assistant Recognition Week and March 6th is National Dentist Day, it’s the perfect time to feature our business spotlight, McKinney • Graham Dental Arts. Drs. Kyle McKinney and Bryan Graham merged their practices over

a year ago and are providing patients with exceptional dental care in their new state-of-the-art facility! Read about all of the technology and services they offer beginning on page 18. If you are looking for a dentist or planning to have any cosmetic dental work done, this would be a good article to read before making any decisions!

The weekend of March 24th promises to be a fun time at the Hickory Metro Convention Center. The Catawba Valley Pottery & Antiques Festival and the annual Catawba Valley Gem and Mineral Expo will both be held that weekend. For tickets, times, and dates, visit the Metro’s website https://www. visithickorymetro.com/things-to-do/ events/.

Thank you for reading the March issue of Hickory Living! We hope you enjoy the beginning of spring and the month of March!

Kristine Hutton A Realtor With Your Best Interests At Heart

By Kathy Wheeler | Photos by Shane Greene Photography

According to the National Association of Realtors (NAR), honesty and integrity are the qualities that home buyers and sellers value the most. In fact, 98% of home buyers put those qualities on the top of their list in a survey conducted by the NAR. Realtor/Broker Kristine Hutton with Coldwell Banker Boyd & Hassell, a top-producing real estate firm in Hickory, exemplifies these qualities and more. Throughout her client testimonials, the same positive attributes shine through: honesty, integrity, positivity, and an excellent work ethic.

It’s easy to talk with Kristine, and her desire to make people feel secure, happy, and confident about their real estate decisions shines through as soon as you speak with her. She specializes in listening to her clients’ needs, responding quickly with answers to their questions, and working hard to make their real estate goals become a reality. “I just want to do a good job for the people who have trusted me as their agent,” said Kristine. “My top priority is to make sure people are confident and excited throughout the home-buying and selling process.” According

Photos: On the cover and pictured–Realtor/ Broker Kristine Hutton with Coldwell Banker Boyd & Hassell.

to Karen Tittjung, who moved from Michigan to the Hickory area, “Working with Kristine was a dream!”

Another one of Kristine’s clients, Sara Isenhour, said, “Kristine was a joy to work with in selling one house and buying another. She was truly a professional and worked to find us a lovely new home. Her demeanor was always pleasant and courteous.”

STAGING

Kristine has an eye for what sells and can help you prepare your home for the market, whether it’s removing a wall to make a room larger or changing lighting to make a room brighter. She offers great advice on staging and decluttering. She believes less is more. This advice may be as simple as removing items off the kitchen counter, taking down a few pictures, or adding a vase of flowers for warmth. She will help you to prepare your home so that it shows the best. Kristine is also serious about photography. “MLS photos create a buyers’ first impression of your home,” said Kristine. She takes photos that highlight your home’s greatest assets and will best secure a showing. She realizes that whether you are buying or selling a home, each transaction is a large investment, and Kristine treats them as if they were her own.

ASSISTING THE MOST DEMANDING BUYERS

Today’s real estate market is more complicated than ever. Kristine has helped clients through complex transactions and has also conducted due diligence on properties, ensuring that they meet buyer standards. Steve Davis said, “I can’t say enough positive things about Kristine,” and described the time and effort she spent making sure a home his family wanted to buy met their standards and later, making sure that a deal went through that had many challenges. “From our first interaction, I knew that she would be the type of agent that a demanding buyer would be satisfied with, and my expectations were far exceeded.”

In addition to helping people to buy and sell their primary homes, Kristine has also helped people who planned to use the IRS Section 1031

Photos, top to bottom:

• At the office, Kristine Hutton, Realtor/Broker is shown with her broker-in-charge and office staff.

• Simple changes, like adding flowers, bring warmth to this master bath.

Photos, top to bottom:

• Kristine welcomes David Moore to a showing.

• It’s important to point out a home’s special features, such as the wall of windows showcasing the outdoors.

.• Kristine explains the Offer to Purchase in detail to Rebecca and Rob Wright.

property exchange and needed to find another equivalent rental or investment property. With many years of experience, Kristine can locate a wide range of properties for different buyers and their needs.

AREAS OF EXPERTISE

Living in the Lake Hickory Country Club area, Kristine knows her way around Hickory real estate. She also focuses on Morganton, Lenoir, Conover, Newton, and surrounding areas. She is able to work with a broad range of buyers, from older couples who may be downsizing to first-time homebuyers who are looking for their first dream home. She can help investors locate rental properties, investment properties, and property exchanges as well.

Kristine loves working with first-time home buyers. “They have a lot of questions, and that’s understandable,” she said. “It’s so rewarding to see them move into their new home.” According to Tiffany Sudduth, “Kristine was SO incredible to work with! As a first-time homebuyer, I didn’t really know what to expect or how to navigate the process, and she helped me every step of the way.” Clients who’ve already worked with Kristine use the words “helpful” and “patient” over and over again. With these attributes and a good sense of humor, she is able to help first-time homebuyers achieve their home ownership dreams.

“SO AMAZING AND A HARDWORKING WOMAN!”

According to Nou Yang and Vila Phasiname, a couple who have listed two homes with Kristine, “We will recommend Kristine to everyone looking to buy or sell!” When they first contacted Kristine, she was able to show them a home that they were interested in on the same day. They didn’t ultimately buy that home but found another property six months later. Kristine was able to list their home for sale in a short period of time, and sell the house within two weeks. A year later, the couple wanted to sell another property and the process took only two days. “She is so amazing and a hardworking woman!” they said.

YOUR BEST INTERESTS AT HEART

One thing that stands out when talking with Kristine is that she is thoughtful, listens, and is responsive to others’ concerns and needs. She helped Virginia Mametz’s mother-in-law relocate and buy a home. Virginia said, “She was always quick to answer questions and had my mother-in-law’s best interests at heart.”

FAMILY AND COMMUNITY

Kristine and her husband Fred Hutton, III met in Greens-

boro and will celebrate their 20th anniversary this year. Fred is a home-furnishings executive and plays in a band called Out to Lunch. The Huttons have three kids, MaryHall, Freddy, and Fritz. Mary-Hall lives in Nashville and works for iHeart Media, and Freddy works for Houlihan Lokey, a private banking investment firm in Atlanta. Their 16-year-old son, Fritz, is on the ski team at Appalachian Ski Mountain and competes in free style events at App Ski and the surrounding area. The Huttons love both winter and summer sports. The family snow skis, snowboards, and enjoys wakeboarding and waterskiing during the summer. Kristine loves tennis, running, and because she enjoys gardening, will sometimes give buyers a plant as a housewarming gift and sellers homemade zucchini bread from a family recipe.

After living and working in the Charleston area (Isle of Palms), the Huttons moved to Hickory in 2019. Since their move, they have made lots of friends and become active in the community. Kristine is part of a women’s Bible study group and serves as the assistant treasurer for Hickory Rotary Club. They are members of Lake Hickory Country Club, where she plays on the club’s tennis team and is on the board of directors.

HAVING FUN WHILE KEEPING AN EYE ON THE DETAILS

Kristine’s outgoing personality makes it clear that it is easy to work with her, and she makes tasks that might seem like a chore fun and interesting. She is always watching market trends and keeping her eye out for properties that might interest her clients. She’s committed to finding the best property values, as well as, the best lifestyle fit for her clients. With years of experience and a strong commitment to the community, Kristine Hutton is a Realtor/Broker who knows real estate, the area, and works well with people throughout their home buying and selling journeys.

Kristine Hutton, Realtor/Broker

828-639-0003

kristinehuttonrealtor@gmail.com

www.cbbh.com/kristinehutton

• Verifying information and checking on listings is imperative in finding the perfect home for clients.

• Leaving the office, Kristine is on her way to meet clients to show them some great properties

• The Huttons’ beautiful family

Photos, top to bottom:

BOYD & HASSELL

business spotlight

McKinney • Graham Dental Arts opened their new practice a little over a year ago. The state-of-the-art facility was the vision of Drs. Kyle McKinney and Bryan Graham. They merged their practices to provide patients with more advanced services, extended hours, and a supportive team that was friendly and patient focused. We checked in with them to see how things have progressed since their grand opening.

“We have been so fortunate to see such a fantastic patient response from what we have built,” said Dr. McKinney. Their practice has grown more than 20% over the last year, as they have continued to add more advanced technology to make the dental experience easier and more predictable for their patients. “Dentistry is a rapidly evolving field, with new technology constantly

By Kathy Wheeler

being developed to enhance patient outcomes,” said Dr. McKinney. “We have made it one of our core tenets to utilize this emerging technology to provide our patients with the best possible care.” Whether it’s same-day crowns utilizing digital scanners and in-house milling machines, or dental implants designed using 3-D X-Rays and “virtually” placed in the jaw before the patient arrives, it is clear that this practice stays on the cutting edge.

As a continuation of their desire to provide their patients with the most advanced services, the practice recently added in-house design software that allows them to personally design a patient’s new smile. By utilizing this software and one of two 3-D printers at the office, the doctors can design a smile and print a copy for the patient to see. This

allows a patient to truly see and hold what their teeth will look like before treatment even starts, and the dentist and patient can then work as a team to make any adjustments and dial in exactly what the patient wants. “We like predictable outcomes and knowing that the patient will be happy when we are finished,” said Dr. Graham. “It doesn’t get much better than showing a patient how we can enhance their smile before we even start and then seeing that smile on their face when we are finished.”

Photo by Revival Creatives

Photo by Shane Greene

Photos, Opposite page and right: The

McKinney • Graham team

Drs. Bryan Graham, MacKenzi LeCroy, and Kyle McKinney

Right–Dr. Graham designing a patient’s new smile in ExoCad

Dr. LeCroy reading a patient’s 3D scan

“Another area where our access to technology is helpful is with planning and placing implants,” said Dr. McKinney. In one appointment, using the 3-D planning software, the doctors can plan an implant case to replace missing teeth. “Whether you are missing one tooth or all of your teeth, we can design a plan to give you back your smile,” said Dr. Graham. You have probably seen advertisements for “Teeth in a Day,” which is a fantastic solution for people whose teeth are failing or have no teeth. The doctors at McKinney • Graham can provide this service utilizing their technology. Replacement teeth fixated with implants are “as close as it gets to having what God

gave you the first time,” said Dr. McKinney, and restore a beautiful smile.

Dr. MacKenzie LeCroy, who joined Bryan Graham’s practice in 2020, and is now an integral part of the McKinney • Graham team, told me “I love seeing the whole family.” It’s clear from her outgoing personality that Dr. LeCroy wants to make patients feel special. She emphasized that they want to be gentle and reassuring, especially to younger patients. The practice has kid friendly technology and uses simple, age-appropriate lan-

guage for pediatric patients to make them feel comfortable.

McKinney • Graham Dental Arts continues to grow and build their team serving all ages and stages of patients in Hickory. The practice has not only built a wonderful, state-of-the-art facility, they are creating dream smiles for patients every day.

McKinney • Graham Dental Arts

(828) 328-5581

221 13th Ave. PL NW, Hickory mckinneygraham.com

Photos by Shane Greene

home DESIGN

There is no place like home. After a long day at work, home is the place you relax, unwind, and recharge. It should be comfortable, reflect your style and tastes, and most importantly function well for all who live there. If your home needs improvement in any of these areas, it may be time for a renovation or some updates.

Rooms like kitchens and laundry rooms work harder for your family than others. Appliances, with new features, can make your job easier.

Furniture defines your spaces and should be both comfortable and stylish. When a room serves multiple purposes, sofa beds and storage ottomans can maximize the space. It’s important to research your options and try them out for comfort before making your final purchases.

On the following pages, you will find advice and professionals to help you make those improvements and updates. This spring, make the changes that allow your home to be the haven it’s intended to be!

Featuring one of our Best of the Foothills Winners

Moss-Marlow has been voted

Best Home Builder

three years in a row!

It’s easy to see how Moss-Marlow Building Co. was voted by our readers as Best Home Builder three years in a row! Their dedication to service, integrity, and the highest quality standards in building have set them apart. They believe in doing the right thing on every project and communicating effectively and efficiently with clients. Their employees are craftsmen, and they only partner with subcontractors and suppliers who have integrity, an eye for detail, and take pride in their work. Every new residential or commercial project is built with excellence.

Moss-Marlow was established in 1909 by Luther Moss and remained a family business for nearly a century. Today, long-time employeesturned-owners Todd Rhodes (president) and Jeff Knox (vice-president) remain stewards of the values that have served the company for 114 years.

Known for their extraordinary custom homes, Moss-Marlow utilizes a turn-key design/build process to deliver your dreams in the best way possible. They listen to your wants and needs and come up with creative solutions that fit your budget, while maintaining the quality Moss-Marlow is known for. Their projects are built to last—they will serve families for generations to come.

• Lake Rhodhiss Estates

• Waterfront Club

For your next project contact:

Mike McGhinnis, Sales & Marketing Manager

M: (828) 485-7850 | O: (828) 328-2333 |

mike@mossmarlow.com

Moss-Marlow Building Co., Inc.

3039 U.S. Hwy 70 SW, Hickory 28603

(828) 328-2333 | www.mossmarlow.com

Starting a new home or renovation is exciting and can be a wonderful experience or extremely challenging. It’s not only about the end result but also the journey along the way. Communication and being informed of the progress are key to enjoying the process. “We want our customers to have a pleasant experience when they partner with us,” said Jeff. “We use an easy, online software specifically designed for construction project management that keeps customers informed every step of the way,” Jeff continued. “This software is used to post daily work logs, photos, a project schedule, messages, etc. It also provides our customers access via a client portal in order to remotely follow their project and address any questions as they come up.”

Moss-Marlow is equally known for their quality commercial projects as well, that include manufacturing, medical, retail, and warehousing. They also specialize in church projects, such as sanctuaries, fellowship halls, and other worship-related structures.

This is a company that believes in giving back to the local community that has been good to them. They have a ministry team that sets aside money each month so employees can support projects they want to help and some missions that are important to customers. “Relationships are priceless,” said Todd. “We want to be good stewards of what we have been blessed with and take care of family, customers, and community.”

Photos: Above–Construction by Moss Marlow Building Co.

• Pisgah Lodge at The Coves

Whetheryou are building a new home, renovating your home, or making updates to sell, the kitchen is the place to start! It’s the hardest-working room in the house and is truly the heart of your home. It’s a place to gather, prepare meals, do homework, and entertain. When designing your kitchen, it is worth your time to research materials and appliances to make this room efficient, comfortable, and beautiful!

COUTERTOPS

You have lots of choices for every budget––granite, marble, quartz, laminate, solid surface, concrete, glass, stainless steel, ceramic tile, porcelain slab, butcher block, and more. Besides price, each material has pros and cons, and you need to decide what fits your taste and lifestyle. While stone can increase the value of your home, many require periodic sealing to maintain. Ceramic tile is great for a back splash but the grout is easily stained and hard to clean when used on counters. Other materials scorch and scratch easily. Do your research and decide on the best material for your budget and maintenance tolerance before choosing the color, slab, or pattern. Quartz is a popular choice because it is almost maintenance free. It’s an engineered, non-porous surface that is stain, scratch, and heat resistant.

Start With The Kitchen

By Kathy Wheeler

APPLIANCES

Your range or cooktop and ovens are among the most important appliances in your kitchen. Do you need more than one oven? How many burners? Do you want gas, induction, or electric? There are lots of features to choose from, like steam ovens with steam cooking and cleaning, speed ovens that combine the speed of a microwave with the results of a conventional or convection oven. Also look for built-in air fryers, grills, griddles, and beautiful style!

Range hoods are quieter than they used to be and can be a gorgeous focal point in your kitchen. Some are vented outside while others are ventless. Ask for features that turn the exhaust on and off automatically as sensors see fit.

Dishwashers are another appliance that have gotten quieter. Check the dBs and choose one that is 47 dBs or less. Drawer dishwashers are easier to load, great for washing smaller loads, and take up less real estate when open. You can get dishwashers that automatically open when the cycle is complete for better drying and models that allow you to pre-load detergent for multiple loads.

To free up counterspace, consider a built-in microwave and coffee maker.

Other appliances, like slow cookers, blenders, and toasters, can be stored in pull-out cabinet shelves for easy accessibility. If you can spare the cabinet space, a pull-out trash bin frees up floor space.

Most families need a large refrigerator, and there are lots of features and styles to choose from...side-by-side refrigerator/freezers, freezer drawers, filtered water and ice dispensers are a few that have become popular over the years. The one that intrigues me the most is the smart refrigerator. Through Wi-Fi, a smart fridge connects to a phone app and the Internet. Imagine being at the grocery store and needing to know if you have milk. No problem...look inside your refrigerator through your phone app. You can keep your fridge in tip-top shape with repair and filter alerts. While you cook, you can listen to music, watch a movie, view a recipe on your refrigerator, or set calendar reminders and leave notes to your family. It really can become the hub of your home!

Exploring the possibilities and costs involved can help you make decisions quickly when talking to your contractor or designer. It will be worth the journey once you’ve created your perfect kitchen and can begin enjoying it!

Decorating On A Budget

By Kathy Wheeler

When decorating, I rarely find exactly what I’m looking for. However, if I can find an item that’s close, sometimes a little paint can take it from close to perfect! Don’t be afraid to customize your purchases with a little DIY to make them uniquely yours!

LIGHTING

In 2021, we updated our 20-year-old kitchen with new appliances, countertops, backsplash, sink, light fixtures, painted our cabinets and changed the hardware, and painted the ceiling and walls. I wanted to change out track lighting with a single fixture in the ceiling and a pendant light over the sink. I found the fixtures I wanted on eBay with an open-box discount, but they had the wrong finish. I wanted gold instead of nickel to match my cabinet hardware and couldn’t find that fixture in gold anywhere. Some painter’s tape and a can of gold spray paint fixed that problem perfectly! Another way to update lighting is to change out lamp shades or shades on a chandelier. Drum shades can take dated traditional lighting to a more transitional style.

FURNITURE

Good quality furniture is the way to go! It’s an investment that can last for many years. If you are one of those who likes to update your decor often, there are things you can do to keep furniture current. You would be amazed how updating the fabric on upholstery changes its look. With custom slip covers or reupholster, you can keep most of your comfortable sofas and

chairs up-to-date. Wood furniture can be refinished or painted. For the record, I’m not a big fan of painting expensive, solid wood furniture. I don’t mind DIYing thrift store finds with new hardware and paint but the finish is not always durable. However, if you decide to paint your solid-wood pieces, find a professional who will spray it and add a protective finish so it lasts.

ART

With art, what one person may love another may strongly dislike. It’s so subjective. Do you look for art as an investment or strictly for its esthetical value—the feeling you get when you view it?

When making an investment purchase, I view it differently. I once found a framed, original watercolor in a second-hand store. It was beautiful but didn’t fit anywhere in my decor. However, the quality of the work warranted a much higher price than the $20 I paid for it. You read right...$20! I reframed it with a more suitable second-hand frame, which really improved it. After some online research, I found the artist in a gallery in Colorado. Based on the square inch price of her other paintings, my find was worth

around $900! Researching and locating the artist was just as fun as the treasure hunt.

In decorating...size, color, style, texture, and medium all apply in choosing art. When looking for a painting for my dining room, I found an oil painting that I liked okay. It was the right size, medium, and had great texture. It was just missing one color that would tie it into my color scheme. I mixed up some oil paint, added a few strokes to the painting and it was perfect! You wouldn’t want to do this to an investment piece of art, but for a decorative painting with limited value...why not?

You may not consider yourself an artist but try your hand at it. You don’t even have to be able to draw! Grab a canvas; choose your medium and colors to create an abstract or an acrylic paint pour. There are tons of YouTube videos to help you create your own original.

By upcycling what you have, thinking outside the box, and being creative, you can totally transform a room on a small budget. This spring, give yourself a challenge. Choose one room to redecorate and see how creative you can get! I’m sure it will be beautiful!

©iStockphoto.com | Scovad

Irish Corned Beef Pasties

Servings: 6 • Prep time: 20 minutes

Cooking time: 8 hours 25 minutes

Irish Corned Beef Pasties

Irish Corned Beef is a classic meal for good reason. It’s so easy to cook in your slow cooker and delivers a tender and flavorful piece of meat every time. Potatoes and cabbage cook beautifully together with the beef, making a complete dinner that cooks itself! But if you want to capture that Corned Beef goodness into a tasty treat for your St. Patrick’s Day celebration, simply make Irish Corned Beef Pasties!

If you are not familiar, a Pasty (rhymes with FAST-EE) is a handheld pie filled with cooked meat and vegetables that has long been a popular Irish pub food. Store bought pie crusts are the secret ingredient—just shred the beef, roll out the crust, stuff and bake!

Kathy Dicken lives in Huntersville and is the author of the food blog, The Tasty Bits. For more meal ideas that are simple and delicious, you can follow her blog at www.thetastybits.com or on Instagram @thetastybits.

NOTE: Left-overs will make a perfect meal or shred the beef for delicious Reuben sandwiches!

INGREDIENTS

1- 3 lb. corned beef brisket - rinsed and patted dry (keep spice packet)

1 large sweet onion, quartered

8 cloves

3 garlic cloves - minced

1 bay leaf

1 - 11.2 oz. Guinness beer or similar

3 cups beef broth

1 head of cabbage, cored and quartered

1 lb. baby red potatoes - cubed small

1 pkg. - 2 refrigerated pie crusts

1 egg - beaten

Salt & pepper

MUSTARD-HONEY-HORSERADISH SAUCE

1/2 cup Dijon mustard

1/4 cup honey

1/8 cup prepared horseradish, drained

Salt and pepper to taste

INSTRUCTIONS

Spray the bottom of your slow cooker with cooking spray. To each quartered onion piece, stick in 2 whole cloves. Then place your corned beef, fat side down, on top of the onion in the slow cooker. Top with garlic cloves, bay leaf, spice packet, beer, and beef broth and set it to Low for 8 hours.

When there is 1 hour left, add cubed baby potatoes and cabbage and allow to cook for 1 more hour. Meanwhile, in a medium size bowl, whisk all the sauce ingredients together and set aside. After 8 hours, remove the brisket to a cutting board to cool for a few minutes. Remove potato cubes to a large bowl, and preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Shred beef with 2 forks and reserve ½ of beef for another use. Mix the shredded beef and a handful of chopped cabbage into the large bowl with the potatoes. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Roll out the pie crusts into a 12” wide rectangle on a floured work surface and cut into 6 rectangles. Add about 2 tablespoons of filling on 3 of the rectangles, brush the edges of each rectangle with egg wash, stretch the 3 remaining rectangles over the filling, fold up the edges and pinch together. Repeat with the second pie crust.

Place each pastry on a parchment-lined sheet pan and brush top of each with egg wash. Finally, cut a couple small slits in the top of each crust with a knife and bake for 12 minutes or until the crust is golden brown. Serve with Horseradish sauce and enjoy!