16th Annual Tour of Fine Spaces

BY MARTIE EMORY

As we look ahead to being out and about more this spring, the Junior League of Winston-Salem (JLWS) offers us the unique – and enormously fun! – opportunity to visit both new and recently renovated homes throughout Winston-Salem and Forsyth County.

Featuring extraordinary designs from local home builders, interior designers, architects, landscape masters, and other talented craftsmen, the 16th Annual Tour of Fine Spaces will welcome ticket holders inperson on Saturday, April 23, 2022, from 10:00 a.m.- 4:00 p.m. Last year’s event was held virtually due to Covid, and supporters are thrilled to be back to an in-person setting. The Tour is one of the Junior League’s signature fundraisers during the year.

Virginia Ellis, chair of the 2022 Tour, says the fun of an in-person Tour cannot be replicated. “We are so excited for our sponsors, homeowners, and Tour-goers to be able to socialize and make connections,” she says. The Tour is a perfect way for designers and builders to showcase their latest work and fun new ideas, while directly marketing to Tour visitors, all in a relaxed atmosphere. Brand new homes and cleverly renovated spaces will be available for viewing – with styles ranging from contemporary to traditional tastes. You’ll see innovative design and décor concepts, as well as functional, but chic, outdoor spaces. With summer coming, this is an ideal way to gather inspiration for your own outdoor retreat, and Virginia tells us past featured homes have been a fun mix of iconic and historic Winston-Salem, showcasing renovated kitchens, pools, and outdoor living rooms.

A designer herself – with Anderson-Moore Bath & Kitchen – she explains the event is a wonderful opportunity to highlight local talent in the home building and remodeling community, and to showcase small businesses, while supporting the Junior League’s community programs.

One of the leading women’s organization since 1923, the Junior League is known for celebrating and empowering women towards leadership roles through volunteering and learning new skills to allow them to give back to their community. Dedicated to action, the group sponsors many important initiatives each year, including those that bring new literacy and health programs to families in the Winston-Salem area. The Tour of Fine Spaces is a huge financial boost to the organization’s ability to broaden their impact within the community.

“I am delighted that we are able to once again share this annual fundraising event with the community, after pausing in 2020, and pivoting to virtual in 2021 due to the ongoing pandemic,” says Junior League President Liz Noland. “Proceeds from the Tour of Fine Spaces are an important source of income for our community programs, including our well-known Strong Women, Strong Families health fairs (in partnership with Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools), and our BookWORM project that helps increase access to literature for children and families, through book drives and partnerships with various local organizations.” She adds that funds raised also support their mission of advancing women’s leadership by providing important education and training opportunities to volunteer members.

Don’t miss the return of this popular event, and plan to enjoy the Tour with a group of friends! Visit jlws.org/ Tour for more information and ticket purchase, or email touroffinespaces@jlws.org. Tickets are $35 in advance, and $40 the day of the tour. The JLWS will follow masking and distancing requirements in keeping with local requirements at the time of the event.

Photo Courtesy of Berkshire Hathaway Home Services.

Join the Junior League of Winston-Salem for the 16th Annual Tour of Fine Spaces on April 23, 2022!

Every ticket purchased for the Tour of Fine Spaces helps the Junior League of Winston-Salem bring literacy and health programs to women and families in Forsyth County.

Kitchen remodel by Anderson-Moore Bath & Kitchen with designer Virginia Ellis.

Photo courtesy of Nyght Falcon. Kitchen design and cabinetry by Twin City Cabinets with countertops by Bloomday Granite & Marble.

Kitchen remodeled by ICON Custom Builders. Designed by Katherine Yeager and Dixon Custom Cabinetry.

EVENT SPONSORS

HOME SPONSORS

I thought hard about my 2022 goals and the specific steps I would take to reach them.

I reminded myself of the reward awaiting me at the other end of my disciplined effort.

I kept going… encouraged and excited, right on track.

Until one day, or one week, I realized “Wait, what happened? I was doing so well!”

Recognition turned to frustration, and I found myself at a crossroads between determination and defeat.

This experience hit me hard as ’21 morphed into ’22. Between the holidays, our anniversary, my birthday, and a long-awaited trip to reconnect with my family at Christmas, my healthy habits went by the wayside. I wasn’t happy with my state of mind or the state of my waistline. I wanted to get back on track and eventually found a way forward, but it wasn’t what I thought it would be.

STARTED WITHIN

It didn’t start by staring down at the scale, or on my yoga mat or in my walking shoes. It started with just-in-time wisdom words from mindfulness teacher Cheryl Jones who suggested adopting a mindset of working “with ourselves and not on ourselves.” I know that sounds catchy, but that small prepositional shift is huge. It means: shifting the habit of self-criticism and judgment and instead, leaning into self-kindness.

I realized I had fallen into the habit of berating myself, so the reminder helped me to reset and to monitor my self-talk. Then I decided to treat myself as I would a close friend who was struggling with her resolutions. Instead of giving myself a pep talk, I allowed myself to feel disappointed. That simple action led to more self-acceptance…which in turn led to appreciation for my effort, and renewed determination. That shift was seismic. It allowed me to embrace myself all over again and to begin anew. I did the following:

REVISITED MY WHY

I thought again about why my goal mattered to me and how it served me. I confirmed that I wanted this.

RESET MY RESOLUTIONS

As tempted as I was to throw myself in, full throttle, I knew that first I needed to reel things in. It wasn’t realistic to think I would jump from two days a week of planned workouts to four. I scaled it back.

REWARDED MYSELF

Yes, I bought those crazy-ass yoga pants I’ve been lusting after. Besides, they were additional motivation to get moving again!

OTHER TIPS FOR GETTING BACK ON TRACK

Since the art and science of keeping resolutions isn’t a one size fits all, here are a few other tips to consider:

GO BACK AND LOOK AT YOUR GOAL

By breaking it down or pulling it back a bit, it may be more achievable. Then, once you start to experience the momentum of small successes, consider gradually adding back on.

CREATE NEW HABITS

This might be scheduling specific times and days for specific actions that support your goal. If yours is de-cluttering, maybe you designate March for clearing out closets, April for reorganizing the basement, and so on. By putting these activities on your calendar – perhaps in small chunks of time – they become scheduled commitments. Or how about shifting your online searches so that they support your goal? Instead of clicking on those shopping or foodie sites, look for online yoga or even Marie Kondo!

OWN YOUR GOAL REGARDLESS OF WHAT SOMEONE ELSE IS DOING

Many of us have accountability partners such as a workout buddy or a walking partner. This is great because it provides both support and a challenge to keep your commitments. But what happens if that partner bugs out on you? In my case, I have found that my yoga partner and I may bug out at different times.

And yet, we each seem to make up the missed time on the mat on our own. Just remember that your goal is yours alone. You own it regardless of what that partner may be doing with hers.

The Real Deal with Candice Deal

SPRING INTO NATURAL BUG & ITCH DEFENSE

BY CANDICE DEAL

Spring has sprung! Finally, the trees have leaves and flowers are budding up all around. Spring brings a renewing sense to the earth with so much emerging life. Unfortunately, the bugs start emerging and buzzing with life, too. Here in the south, our mosquito and fly season starts as soon as the warmer temperatures stick around. So, while everyone is excited to get back outside and enjoy the fruits of spring, the bugs are excited for us to be out, too.

Your typical bug repellents will start popping up on the end caps and aisles of the pharmacy and grocery stores, but keep walking and head on over to the essential oil section and you can whip up your own bug repellents that will leave the toxic chemicals on the shelf! There is no need to spray chemicals all over your body to keep the bugs at bay. A few simple steps and you can enjoy the outdoors without worrying about bug bites or being covered in Deet (an insecticide), butane and propane from head to toe. Some formulas are Deet free but they still often contain butane and propane just to create the spray from the bottle and those aren’t necessarily ingredients you want mixed into something you put on your skin, or the dreaded “fragrance” ingredient along with benzoate products.

Essential oils are a great toxin free, natural alternative and with just a few ingredients you can make a season’s worth of bug repellent to keep you bite free while staying toxic chemical-free, too. Even the plants from which some of the oils come have been staples in gardens for centuries to help keep away the biting bugs. Citronella can be planted in garden beds near outdoor seating areas to help repel the bugs. You will often find outdoor candles and tiki torches using citronella oils. When it comes to the candles, make sure they contain natural soy wax or beeswax and real citronella oil for the fragrance. Bee Balm is another great choice for planting or containers. When the beautiful blooms blossom, they emit a scent that is unbecoming to the mosquito while attracting bees and butterflies. Lavender, the timeless plant known for responding to so many ailments, is also a great mosquito repellant oil and plant. The lovely light purple buds and leaves will repel biting mosquitoes and you can literally crush the buds and leaves against your skin for an instant repellent while outside. To create your go-to bug repellent spray for biting flies, mosquitos, gnats: • Spray Bottle, 10oz • Spring or Distilled Water, 6oz or 3/4c • Apple Cider Vinegar, 3oz or 1/3c (you can use isopropyl alcohol if ACV offends your nose) • Citronella Oil 15 drops • Lemongrass Oil 10 drops • Cedarwood Oil or Lavender Oil 10 drops • Optional – Peppermint Oil 6 drops • Olive or Coconut Oil – 1 tsp • Shake well and spritz to exposed skin

If you have pets, they would appreciate help in these warmer buggy months as well. In fact, dogs contract heartworms from mosquitoes more than any other method of development. So, while it’s necessary to keep them on monthly heartworm preventative, helping them stay itch free while they begin to extend their time outdoors will make them happier through the spring and summer, too. A few spritz of the bug spray will work if they are going hiking or on an outdoor playdate. If they have collars, you can add a drop of citronella oil to the collar to keep the mosquitos in the yard at bay while they bask in the sun rays.

Horses battle flies and mosquitos in the warmer months, and using this bug spray recipe instead of traditional fly sprays will cut down on the fly spray costs and cut out the permethrin insecticide and other chemicals. For horses, adding in tea tree oil is great to help combat the skin fungus associated with horses and the warmer, wetter months of spring and summer.

When you need to find fast relief from bug bites, essential oils can again be in your line of defense. The welts you get from mosquitos and other bug bites are an allergic reaction of the body. They can be red, swollen, and very itchy or painful. There’s a handful of oils that are helpful to relieve the side effects: chamomile, lavender, peppermint, rosemary, and tea tree. Lavender is a great all-around choice for bee stings, mosquito, spider, and fire ant bites. It’s soothing like chamomile but can be applied directly to the bite or sting site. Lavender has cellular anti-inflammatory and analgesic properties that will help ease the itching and pain associated with the bites and has been shown to also be antibacterial and antifungal so if an itch is scratched, it can help prevent any infections.

Simply Sterling & Co.

JEJ Photos