Birmingham, AL February 2021

F E B R UA RY 2 02 1

Artists and Makers

of the Magic City

LI F E + C U LTU R E TA X T I M E? RE AD T H IS I D E AS FO R YO U R VAL EN T I N E

LIFESTYLE LETTER

FEBRUARY 2021 PUBLISHER

J Shay Langley | shay.langley@lifestylepubs.com EDITOR

For the love of Birmingham IT'S FEBRUARY, AND WHAT BETTER WAY TO CELEBRATE THE TRADITIONAL MONTH OF LOVE THAN WITH OUR ISSUE ABOUT ARTISTS AND MAKERS WHO MAKE THE MAGIC CITY A MORE INSPIRING PLACE?

Denise K. James | denise.james@lifestylepubs.com AD DESIGNER

Matthew Endersbe L AYO UT DESIGNER

Dana Rudolph CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS

Wick Oliver

The February cover, expertly photographed by Wick Oliver, features longtime Birmingham local Bob Tedrow of Homewood Music, looking very comfortable in his natural habitat. You'll learn more about his craft of repairing musical instruments, as well as a few other notable creatives in this edition: Elizabeth Hughey of DISCO; local painter Claire Godbee; and Ryan Gale, a leather craftsman.

Of course, there are scores of other artistic, innovative folks throughout the city, and part of what makes Birmingham a great place is the incredible talent paired with the welcoming community. In fact, that talent extends to all sorts of businesses – check out our local valentine gift list or the Financial Buzz with Jesse Scroggins to see what I mean. All of us together make up greater Birmingham, a wonderful place to be.

We are humbled at how this community has welcomed our magazine. We hope you enjoy reading this issue as much as we enjoyed putting it together. It is truly, as they say, a labor of love.

CORPORATE TEAM CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER Steven Schowengerdt CHIEF SALES OFFICER Matthew Perry CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER DeLand Shore ART DIRECTOR Sara Minor

Until next time,

OPERATIONS DIRECTOR Janeane Thompson AD MANAGER Chad Jensen REGIONAL SALES DIRECTOR Eric Williams WEB APPLICATIONS Michael O’Connell

J. Shay Langley, Publisher 514 W 26TH ST., KANSAS CITY, MO

ARIZONA | CALIFORNIA | COLORADO | CONNECTICUT | FLORIDA | GEORGIA IDAHO | ILLINOIS | KANSAS | MARYLAND | MASSACHUSETTS | MICHIGAN MINNESOTA | MISSOURI | MONTANA | NEW JERSEY | NORTH CAROLINA OHIO | OKLAHOMA | OREGON | PENNSYLVANIA | SOUTH CAROLINA TENNESSEE | TEXAS | VIRGINIA | WASHINGTON

ON THE COVER Bob Tedrow, Owner of Homewood Music.

PHOTOGRAPHY BY WICK OLIVER 4

Birmingham Lifestyle | February 2021

CityLifestyle.com/BirminghamAL

Proverbs 3:5-6 Birmingham Lifestyle™ is published monthly by Lifestyle Publications LLC. It is distributed via the US Postal Service to some of the Birmingham areas’ most affluent neighborhoods. Articles and advertisements do not necessarily reflect Lifestyle Publications’ opinions. No portion of this magazine may be reproduced in any form without written consent. Lifestyle Publications does not assume responsibility for statements made by advertisers or editorial contributors.

Information in Birmingham Lifestyle™ is gathered from sources considered to be reliable, but the accuracy of all information cannot be guaranteed.

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5

INSIDE THE ISSUE FEBRUARY 2021

FEATURES 08 Helping Young Writers Find a Voice Desert Island Supply Co. 12 A Heart for Art Q&A with Local Painter Claire Godbee

16 Instrumental to the Magic City’s Sound Bob Tedrow and Team at Homewood Music

16 12

20 Keep Calm and Carry a Handmade Tote Ryan Gale of Old Oak Leather is “Old School”

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08

DEPARTMENTS 4

Lifestyle Letter

7

Around Town

8

City Scene

10

Food & Wine

12

Artist’s Palette

20 Page Turners 24 Financial Buzz 28 DIY 34 Trend Setter

AROUND TOWN

FORMER CARRAWAY MEDICAL SITE CARED FOR AGAIN Birmingham City Council approved a $13 million inventive package to restore the former Carraway Methodist Medical Center location.

The developer has big plans to transform this dilapidated hospital site into a bustling and bright place in the Magic City, including shops, restaurants, business offices and more.

TRAVEL + LEISURE SPOTLIGHTS THE MAGIC CITY Travel + Leisure Magazine has named our fair city among the top 50 places to travel in the United States.

This is good news for business and tourism going into 2021, and we're proud to have the Magic City recognized as a creative and innovative Southern hub.

Would you like to get in touch with us? We would love to hear from you!

Contact us at CityLifestyle.com/ BirminghamAL using the Get In Touch link and let us know what you think.

CityLifestyle.com/BirminghamAL

7

CITY SCENE

HELPING YOUNG WRITERS FIND A VOICE

DESERT ISLAND SUPPLY CO.

8

Birmingham Lifestyle | February 2021

Most of all, the Hugheys have learned that kids have something to say as well as a perspective — even on sophisticated works of the literary canon.

I’ve put most of my energy into DISCO,” said Liz Hughey. “It has changed the way I think about poetry and teaching writing. Even ONCE UPON A TIME, A JOURNALIST AND A POET, BOTH

with elementary students, we don’t do much with kids’ poems. Kids

NATIVES OF BIRMINGHAM, GOT MARRIED AND WON-

are great at reading poems — sometimes better than adults. You can

DERED WHAT THEY COULD DO FOR THEIR COMMUNITY

hand them anything: John Donne, Chen Chen. I believe you should

TO ENHANCE LITERACY. After living in sunny California and

be able to read a poem without a backlog of knowledge.”

encountering a writing organization called 826 National, Liz Hughey and her husband Chip decided to model a new organization in a similar way. Thus, Desert Island Supply Company – affectionately known as DISCO — was conceived, and scores of students in the Magic City found their voices.

“We chose the name DISCO thinking that the desert island is the blank page,” Liz Hughey explained. “We offer tools for kids to navigate the blank page so they can make their writing better, use their words and advocate for themselves and others — as well as think critically about the world.”

DISCO had modest beginnings, as the best organizations often do. It began nine years ago with a Kickstarter Campaign and the goal of building out a space in the Woodlawn neighborhood. The initial workshops were successfully held on-site, but the Hugheys realized that in order to reach more students and spread literacy, they would need to go to the schools themselves. By the second year, they created the Woodlawn Writers Core, an arduous group of almost 60 volunteers who visit area schools and teach students the art of the written word. The program started with just two schools, but more recently, before the pandemic, a handful of schools

Liz Hughey

throughout Birmingham were on the list.

“We’ve been seeing fewer kids because of the pandemic, but we’re still virtually seeing kids every week and teaching them writing and thinking,” Hughey said. “We’re eager to go back to the normal program. When we started going to schools, we were committed to making a plan and providing consistency — with the same volunteers and teachers — and working steadily for an hour every week.

Kids know the routine, and they know it’s going to be fun.”

Families and educators have shared positive feedback about DISCO’s mission, and the Hugheys make sure everyone can reap the benefits of students’ hard work at community readings, held each May at the Woodlawn space. Additionally, an anthology containing the words of each student is published once a year.

CityLifestyle.com/BirminghamAL

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FOOD & WINE

what’s brewing?

DISCOVERING THE ART OF TEA

Steeping times and water temperatures from ArtOfTea.com

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Birmingham Lifestyle | February 2021

black tea

g reen tea

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Made from fully fermented Camellia sinensis leaves

Made from unfermented Camellia sinensis leaves

Retains its flavor for several years.

Different varieties of green tea are produced depend-

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ing on the variety of Camellia sinensis used, growing

Black tea is processed using either the orthodox

conditions, horticultural methods and time of harvest.

method or CTC (crush, tear, curl). The CTC method

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involves the mincing of weathered tea leaves.

Processing starts by soaking green tea leaves in an

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alcohol solution.

Black tea is often blended with other plants to create

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different varieties. Earl Grey tea is black tea blended

Higher-quality green teas are steeped at cooler

with bergamot oil.

temperatures and for a shorter amount of time than

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lower-quality green teas.

Suggested health benefits of black tea include reduc-

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ing atherosclerosis (clogged arteries), lowering the

Traditional Chinese and Indian medicines use green

risk of heart attack and cardiovascular disease and

tea extracts for a variety of health benefits: as a

may also aid in lowering the risk for diabetes, high

stimulant, a diuretic, an astringent and to improve

cholesterol and kidney stones.

heart health.

SUGGESTED STEEPING TIME

SUGGESTED STEEPING TIME

3-5 minutes at 206 F

3 minutes at 180-185 F

white tea

oolon g tea

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There isn’t a universally-accepted definition of what white

Made from partially fermented leaves, buds and stems

tea is, but it is essentially young or unprocessed tea.

of the Camellia sinensis plant

Produces very pale green or yellow-colored liquor.

Different styles vary widely in flavor—flavors range

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from sweet and fruity to woody to green and fresh.

No processing occurs—white tea is generally just

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plucked and allowed to wither dry.

The process involves withering the plant under the sun

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and allowing it to oxidize.

There are different classifications of white tea includ-

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ing Bai Hao Yi Zhen (Silver Needle), Bai Mudan (White

Leaves are formed into two distinct styles: rolled into long

Peony), Gong Mei (Tribute Eyebrow) and Shoumei

curly leaves or wrap-curled into small beads with tails.

(Noble, Long Life Eyebrow).

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Suggested health benefits of oolong tea include

A study suggests white tea acts as an antioxidant agent

boosting metabolism, lowering cholesterol, increasing

and may reduce the risk of premature aging.

mental awareness, aiding digestion, preventing osteo-

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porosis and more.

SUGGESTED STEEPING TIME

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1-3 minutes at 175-185 F

SUGGESTED STEEPING TIME 3-5 minutes at 185-206 F

CityLifestyle.com/BirminghamAL

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ARTIST’S PALETTE

A Heart for Art

Q&A WITH LOCAL PAINTER CLAIRE GODBEE

Claire Godbee

12

Birmingham Lifestyle | February 2021

"

T here h as always been somet hing t herapeutic about t he process - working wit h pigments t o mix t he colors, brushing , blending and l ayering t he paint ... finally ending up wit h ... t he vision I h ad in my mind."

EXPLAIN YOUR BACKGROUND AS

DESCRIBE YOUR ARTISTIC ROUTINE,

AN ARTIST — YOUR INFLUENCES OR

SUCH AS PLACE, MOOD AND MUSIC.

INSPIRATIONS EARLY IN LIFE.

I just recently moved out of my home

I have always had a creative spark, even

studio into a beautiful space in Woodlawn.

as a child. My parents would take my sisters

The whole front of the building consists of

and me to the Montgomery Museum of Fine

ceiling-to-floor windows, so the natural light

Arts … I remember being in awe of all of the

is fantastic. I love being there during the day,

art. Our playroom transformed into an art

preferably with good coffee and either a

room, and I was spending my time working

podcast or jazz in my headphones.

with the various materials: rolls of draft paper my dad brought home from work; powder

WHAT DOES BIRMINGHAM PROVIDE

mixed with water to become paint; nail pol-

TO YOU AS AN ARTIST?

ish; hand-me-down painting sets. My com-

I feel very fortunate beginning my career

mitment and passion grew from a spark to a

as an artist in Birmingham. The city has

flame in high school, and I kept pursuing art

provided me unique opportunities to grow.

at the University of Alabama at Birmingham,

I have been able to cultivate a strong rela-

where I graduated in 2016 with a BFA.

tionship with the local community and to make a name for myself without the satura-

WHAT IS YOUR PREFERRED

tion of a larger city.

MEDIUM? WHY? My preferred medium is acrylic and oil paint. Paint is where I started; I am a self-

WHAT ARE YOUR PLANS FOR THE FUTURE?

taught painter, and it just comes naturally to

I plan to keep painting and keep push-

me and feels the most intimate to me. There

ing forward with my practice. I have a solo

has always been something therapeutic

show coming up at Lowe Mill this summer,

about the process — working with pigments

in the First Floor West Gallery. I hope to

to mix the colors, brushing, blending and

expand my reach outside of Alabama in the

layering the paint onto the canvas for hours,

next few years.

CONTINUED >

finally ending up with a complete painting, the vision I had in my mind.

CityLifestyle.com/BirminghamAL

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ARTIST'S PALETTE (CONTINUED)

"The Moon is Always Female"

by Claire Godbee

To reach Claire, learn about showings or inquire about commissions, visit her website, clairegodbee. com, follow her Instagram account, @godbee, or send her an email at clairegodbeeart@gmail.com.

"Sister Outsider"

by Claire Godbee

14

Birmingham Lifestyle | February 2021

Masters of the Outdoors

World Class Fire Arms

( 2 0 5 ) 9 1 7 -5 8 0 0 c a l ib er xl.com 2 8 2 2 C entr a l Avenu e i n Hom e wo o d

ARTICLE DENISE K JAMES PHOTOGRAPHY WICK OLIVER

WHEN BOB TEDROW MOVED TO BIRMINGHAM

MORE

THAN

30

YEARS AGO WITH HIS WIFE KLARI, HE WASTED NO TIME HITTING THE STREETS IN HIS NEW CITY, INTRODUCING HIMSELF TO THOSE WHO MIGHT BE INTERESTED IN HIS RATHER NICHE TALENT OF REPAIRING MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS. He visited area pawn shops and even the education division of the local symphony, explaining his craft to everyone and anyone willing to listen. Soon enough, Tedrow had a burgeoning client base as well as a busy home life, caring for his little ones while Klari began her own career as an attorney.

I N S T R U M E N TA L T O T H E MAGIC CIT Y’S SOUND

BOB TEDROW AND TEAM AT HOMEWOOD MUSIC

Jason Burns 16

Birmingham Lifestyle | February 2021

Bob Tedrow

As the early iteration of Homewood Music continued to grow — he was “a one-person show for about a decade,” he said —

a host of knowledge in one place for the sake of musicians everywhere.

Tedrow earned a sterling reputation for buying, selling and restor-

“Jason Burns used to hang out in my shop

ing musical instruments. Today, the names behind Homewood

as a teenager. Now, he is more talented than I

Music are known throughout the state of Alabama and beyond,

am,” Tedrow said, chuckling. “I taught him how

and scores of musicians trust Tedrow and his two associates to

to repair; now he teaches me. Michael Clayton

fine-tune their beloved music-makers.

is an intensive care nurse, and his hobby is

Stroll into Homewood Music, and you’re instantly wooed by its gor-

musical instruments. He is a fountain of infor-

geous chaos. Far from a pristine showroom, this shop is humble and

mation on rare guitars and how guitars are built.

eclectic, with an assortment of instruments needing TLC and a trio of

Everyone in this shop is obsessed with minu-

dedicated craftsmen who understand the intimate details of sound.

tiae about musical instruments. It’s the perfect

“There are three of us,” Tedrow said, speaking of himself, Jason

crowd for me to hang out with.”

Burns and Michael Clayton, his associates. “We are always busy at

As for what, exactly, goes on in the shop,

the bench with our hands, all day every day. We start with coffee,

it’s not necessarily building instruments from

and we don’t stop for lunch — we work all day. We repair instru-

scratch, though the team is happy to do it

ments, upgrade instruments, appraise other people’s instruments.

when asked. Rather, buying and selling instru-

We work for collectors, hobbyists and professionals.”

ments and restoring instruments is what keeps

Tedrow shared how he and his younger associates work per-

Homewood Music humming. Instruments reg-

fectly in tandem – far from the “older, wiser one,” he is happy to

ularly cared for include guitars, violins, mando-

learn from Burns and Clayton regularly, and he is thankful to have

lins, ukuleles, banjos and more.

CONTINUED >

CityLifestyle.com/BirminghamAL

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INSTRUMENTAL TO THE MAGIC CITY’S SOUND (CONTINUED)

IF SOMEONE LOVES THEIR INSTRUMENT AND HAS A G O O D S T O R Y, W E L O V E T H E I R I N S T R U M E N T T O O.”

Homewood Music

“We are all players, and we have all built instru-

good for Homewood Music as far as Bob Tedrow

ments that are worth thousands of dollars. But

is concerned — he’s optimistic, even with the rise

building instruments by hand is not a great way to

of online business. After all, at Homewood Music,

make money. It takes too much time — hours and

musicians don’t get a “churn and burn” or impersonal

hours,” explained Tedrow. “So, we buy and sell and

corporate experience; they know their favorite instru-

also restore. When we sell new instruments, we

ments are handled with patience and love.

always upgrade them so they are better — it's an incentive to shop with us.”

18

“That’s always been the goal: to work hard every day, to be nice to people and to be responsible,”

Thanks to their loyal client base of aficionados, this

Tedrow mused. “Rinse, lather and repeat. It’s a sim-

iconic shop has survived the pandemic, taking great

ple business plan. It has worked for more than 30

care with everyone’s instruments so Birmingham

years. If someone loves their instrument and has a

homes are swelling with melody. The future looks

good story, we love their instrument too.”

Birmingham Lifestyle | February 2021

Michael Clayton

CityLifestyle.com/BirminghamAL

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PAGE TURNERS Old Oak Leather

Keep Calm and Carry a Handmade Tote RYAN GALE OF OLD OAK LEATHER IS "OLD SCHOOL"

EXPLAIN HOW YOU BECAME A LEATHER ARTIST. WHAT INSPIRED YOU TO START THIS JOURNEY? DID A RELATIVE OR MENTOR INFLUENCE YOU? Since I can remember, I have always enjoyed working with my hands and building things. I was never one to play video games or sit inside in front of the TV. Most of my influence came from my mother’s father.

He owned a company that built service stations throughout the Southeast. He could build anything with his hands and would always say two things that I will not forget: “Why go buy it if you can make it yourself?” and “Old school is better than new school.”

My wife is the reason Old Oak Leather grew into a business. About six or seven years ago, my wife said she was going to buy a leather tote, and I said I bet I could make one. After reading several articles and doing some research on the proper tools needed, I made my first tote. She carried it to work and really used it! Throughout the weeks and months ahead, she would have random women ask her where she bought her tote, and she would come home and tell me about it. After several months of her coming home and saying women were asking about the tote again, I decided to bring it to small shops around Birmingham and get their opinion. I was happy with the response I received, and Old Oak Leather was born.

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Birmingham Lifestyle | February 2021

Old Oak Leather

EXPLAIN THE FIRST TIME YOU CREATED A PIECE

WHAT CHALLENGES HAVE YOU FACED WITH

AND SOLD IT. HOW DID YOU FEEL?

YOUR CRAFT? HAS MODERN LIFE OR THE

I was excited and humbled that someone would spend their hard-earned money on something I made with my hands.

INTERNET MADE IT HARDER? I wouldn’t say it is a challenge, but I’m learning from mistakes. I make my own original templates, so there is a lot of starting over in my shop. I am

HOW LONG HAS THIS BEEN YOUR CAREER?

constantly learning.

WHAT ARE YOUR ASPIRATIONS FOR THE FUTURE? I have been operating Old Oak Leather for about five or six years as a business.

WHAT WOULD YOU SAY TO OTHER ARTISTS AND CRAFTERS WHO ARE HOPING TO MAKE A LIVING FROM THEIR ART FORM?

EXPLAIN A LITTLE BIT OF YOUR ARTISTIC

Put your own spin on everything you make. Expect

PROCESS. DO YOU NEED CERTAIN MUSIC?

late nights and early mornings, and enjoy learning

FOOD? PEACE AND QUIET?

from your mistakes.

I definitely listen to music, I listen to everything from old school country to jam bands. As for the process, everything I build is completely handmade. When I say handmade, I mean no power equipment is used throughout the entire process — no sewing machine; just hand tools, needles and thread. I hand cut and

You can find Ryan’s one-of-a-kind pieces at Caliber Sports.

hand sew everything I make. I could build everything

To view the collection, visit https://caliberxl.com/,

by the light of a fire if I had to!

or stop by 2822 Central Ave in Homewood.

My wife is the reason Old Oak L e at h e r g r e w i n t o a b u s i n e s s .

About six or seven years ago, m y w i f e s a i d s h e wa s g o i n g t o b u y a l e at h e r t o t e , a n d I s a i d I b e t I c o u l d m a k e o n e .”

CityLifestyle.com/BirminghamAL

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Birmingham Lifestyle | February 2021

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FINANCIAL BUZZ

R

O T H

I R A 24

Birmingham Lifestyle | February 2021

HAVE YOU CONSIDERED A ROTH IRA? HERE ARE THE REASONS WHY YOU SHOULD

ALL OF US WANT MORE BANG FOR OUR BUCK,

“We look at reducing one’s taxes over their entire

AND THAT MEANS PAYING FEWER TAXES. If

lifetime. Sometimes, it makes sense to convert from

you’re diligently saving for retirement, you’ve likely

a traditional IRA to a Roth and pay taxes now. It is

got an Individual Retirement Account, or IRA. But is

likely that taxes will rise in the future and not go

this the best way to squirrel away funds, or should

down,” he explained, adding that current tax law is

you consider another type of account: the Roth IRA?

set to expire at the end of 2025.

Jesse Scroggins of Scroggins Wealth Team, Senior Vice President at Southwest Investment

YOU CAN CONVERT FUNDS FROM YOUR IRA

Group, briefs clients with conversations they should

WITHOUT LIMITS.

have with their CPA at tax time. According to

Here is great news: if you are converting your regular

Scroggins, there are distinct advantages to a Roth

IRA into a Roth — even if your IRA is already quite hefty

IRA, and it’s worth bringing up to your accountant.

— you can sneak around the typical contribution limits.

FEDERAL TAXES ARE CURRENTLY LOW.

but those limits don’t apply to converting,” Scroggins

“There are income limits on contributing directly, Right now, taxes are historically low. When you

noted. “The limit is $6,000 per year, or $7,000 if you

create a retirement account, it’s wise to think about

are over age 50. That’s to contribute directly per

taxes with a long-term perspective, according to

year, currently. But you can convert any amount.

Scroggins. With a Roth IRA, you pay taxes on the

For example, you can convert $100,000 from your

“front end,” rather than later.

traditional IRA to a Roth all at once.”

CONTINUED >

CityLifestyle.com/BirminghamAL

25

FINANCIAL BUZZ (CONTINUED)

BOTH WORKING FOLKS AND RETIREES CAN BENEFIT FROM A ROTH. Scroggins pointed out those who already retired might want to convert to a Roth. Unlike with traditional IRAs, there is no appointed time to pull money out.

“At age 72, with a traditional IRA, you have to pull money out. But with a Roth, you don’t

The information has been obtained from sources considered to be reliable, but we do not guarantee that the foregoing material is accurate or complete. Any opinions are those of Jesse Scroggins and not necessarily those of Raymond James. Expressions of opinion are as of this date and are subject to change without notice.

There is no guarantee that these statements, opinions or forecasts provided herein will prove to be correct. Investing involves risk and you may incur a profit or loss regardless of strategy selected.

Please note, changes in tax laws may occur at any time and

have to. Conventional wisdom is to let IRAs

could have a substantial impact upon each person's situation.

build up until minimum required distribution,

While we are familiar with the tax provisions of the issues pre-

age 72, but a proactive approach would be to

sented herein, as Financial Advisors of RJFS, we are not qualified

consider doing partial conversions to a Roth

to render advice on tax or legal matters. You should discuss tax or

while in early retirement,” he said.

YOU CAN AVOID THE “WIDOW PENALTY”.

In most cases, spouses die separately, leaving one spouse filing individually. Converting to Roth while in the joint tax bracket could benefit a widow or widower down the road.

legal matters with the appropriate professional Unless certain criteria are met, Roth IRA owners must be 59½ or older and have held the IRA for five years before tax-free withdrawals are permitted. Additionally, each converted amount may be subject to its own five-year holding period. Converting a traditional IRA into a Roth IRA has tax implications. Investors should consult a tax advisor before deciding to do a conversion.

Like Traditional IRAs, contribution limits apply to Roth IRAs. In addition, with a Roth IRA, your allowable contribution may be reduced or eliminated if your annual income exceeds certain limits.

Contributions to a Roth IRA are never tax deductible, but if certain conditions are met, distributions will be completely income tax free.

26

Birmingham Lifestyle | February 2021

WE LOVE OUR COMMUNITY AND WE’RE PRAYING FOR YOU! P L E A SE LET US K NOW HOW WE CAN HELP.

TE X T PRAYER TO 2 0 5 - 9 0 0 - 3 7 8 6 O R EM AI L PA STO R @ L A K ES I D EBA P T I S T.CO M JOIN US FOR WORSHIP SUNDAY MORNINGS AT 8:30 & 10:45 LIVE-STREAMED AT 10:45 AT LAKESIDEBAPTIST.COM

DIY

ARTICLE AND PHOTOGRAPHY AUDREY KUETHER

H A N D M A D E H O M E A COMPREHENSIVE GUIDE TO ALL THINGS DIY WITH EXPERT AUDREY KUETHER

28

Birmingham Lifestyle | February 2021

Before I made these cute gold leaf dishes, my jewelry was a tangled mess. Now I actually enjoy keeping it organized and displayed! Don’t let gold leaf intimidate you – it’s a game changer. Check out the tutorial to learn how to make some of these pretties for yourself or for gift giving.

+ G O L D E N

G L A M

J E W E L R Y

D I S H E S

+

SCAN ME FOR THE FULL TUTORIAL!

CONTINUED >

CityLifestyle.com/BirminghamAL

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SCAN ME FOR THE FULL TUTORIAL!

+

T E R R I F I C

T O Y

A N I M A L

P H O T O

D I S P L A Y S

+

DIY (CONTINUED)

30

Birmingham Lifestyle | February 2021

I turned these toys into some fun photo holders, but they are also super fun used as table place settings at a kid’s birthday party.

They double as a party favor!

CONTINUED >

CityLifestyle.com/BirminghamAL

31

DIY (CONTINUED)

SCAN ME FOR THE FULL TUTORIAL!

+

P R E T T Y

P O M

It doesn’t get more fun than yarn pom poms – ok maybe I need to get a life, but nonetheless ....

In this tutorial , I show you just how easy it is to make your own pom poms and pull them together to make the cutest wall hangings.

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Birmingham Lifestyle | February 2021

P O M

W A L L

H A N G I N G S

+

WE WORK TOGETHER TO IMPROVE YOUR FINANCIAL LIFE

Jesse Scroggins, AAMS® Senior Vice President Financial Professional, RJFS

205.730.0055 600 University Park Place, Suite 350 Homewood, AL 35209 Investment advisory services offered through Southwestern Investment Advisory Services, Inc., an independent registered investment adviser. Southwestern Investment Group and Scroggins Wealth Team are not registered broker dealers, and are independent of Raymond James Financial Services. Securities offered through Raymond James Financial Services, Inc., member FINRA/SIPC. Representatives may not be registered to offer securities and advisory services in all states.

CityLifestyle.com/BirminghamAL

33

TREND SETTER

Heartfelt

LO C A L G I F T S

IDEAS YOUR VALENTINE WILL LOVE

CELEBRATE YOUR VALENTINE THIS YEAR WITH A GIFT FROM THE MAGIC CITY, AND SKIP THE BIG-BOX, CORPORATE STUFF. Birmingham is absolutely brimming with wonderful choices for shopping local, and we’ve rounded up a few of our favorites to make it easy. Your sweetheart will thank you!

GIFTS FOR HIM

DINNER ON THE TOWN

You think men are hard to buy

Whether steak or seafood is your

for? We aren’t buying it. Here are

preference, Birmingham has some

our favorite places to find the best

of the finest cuisine around. Book a

masculine yet refined gifts for

table and eat your heart out.

your handsome valentine.

Ruth’s Chris Steak House The Briary Pipe and Cigar Shop Cigars & More Shaia's of Homewood Inc. Skier’s Marine Caliber Sports

Perry Steakhouse & Grille GIFTS FOR HER Gentlemen, are you looking for that perfect gift, piece of jewelry

Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse and Wine Bar Pappadeaux Seafood Kitchen

or blouse to complete your sweetheart’s wardrobe? Try these on for size.

Gus Mayer Saks Fifth Avenue Hemline Birmingham Isbell Jewelers Alan & Co. Fine Jewelers

SPA AND SALON TIME

Steed’s Jewelers

Pamper your valentine with a spa

Levy's Fine Jewelry

AT HOME

or salon treat, all perfect for relax-

Wallace-Burke Fine Jewelry &

Planning on staying in? No prob-

ing to the max. From massages

Collectibles

lem. Grab a nice bottle of wine or

and facials to a trendy new ‘do, all

Cummings Jewelry Design

crafted spirit, plus sweets for your

of these are sure to say “I love you.”

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DRINKS AND DESSERT

sweetie, and prepare to get cozy.

Salon Amanda K.

Edgar’s Bakery

Escape Day Spa

Classic Wine Company

Spa Cahaba

Redmont Distilling Co.

Birmingham Lifestyle | February 2021

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