ARTS + CULTURE
EMBRACING YOUR INNER SILLY
FOOD + BEVERAGE
NO-PROOF COCKTAILS
WORTH TOASTING TO
HEALTH + WELLNESS
DING DONG, YOUR MAKE-UP ARTIST IS HERE
Share the experience, spread the word
When you’re TIMELESS you’re always IN FASHION.
I don’t know about you, but I love any opportunity to recognize the women in my life who just make it more rich and beautiful. Our sisters, mothers and daughters are some of the most influential women in our lives.
And of course with Mother’s Day this month, all eyes are on moms… But it’s not just the biological mothers, but the mother figures in our lives who have made an indelible impact on us. It’s the family members, teachers, friends and neighbors doing awesome things in our communities, pouring into our lives - making themselves unforgettable and irreplaceable.
While it’s always important to shop local and support our area businesses, this month is the perfect time to patronize businesses owned by women in our communities. That’s one of my favorite parts of this roleconnecting with and championing the best of the best when it comes to BuckHaven and beyond.
They are movers and shakers, builders and makers. They are both seen and unseen. Their silent service blesses those who are under their care. Their attention to detail shows us something about beauty that can’t be seen or understood any other way.
We're pleased to introduce you to a new author in Brookhaven, Sally McPheely, whose children's story of embracing our differences just hit the shelves. Thank you for reminding us to be silly, Sally!
Raquel Souza is a business owner, mentor and philanthropist. We love her salons and know you will want to support her once you hear her story.
While you're enjoying this issue, pay attention to the ads (said no editor, ever!) because, without our advertising partners, we'd be pulp!
Happy Mother's Day! xx
SUE G. COLLINS, EDITOR
@BUCKHAVENCITYLIFESTYLE
May 2023
PUBLISHER
Jim Newman | jnewman@citylifestyle.com
EDITOR
Sue G. Collins | scollins@citylifestyle.com
COPY EDITOR
Stacy Conde | stacy.conde@citylifestyle.com
SENIOR ACCOUNT MANAGER
Karyn Slovin | karyn.slovin@citylifestyle.com
ADMINISTRATIVE COORDINATOR
Karla Wilkinson | Karla.Wilkinson@citylifestyle.com
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS
Casey Kelly, Sean O'Keefe
CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS
Jessica Attie, Jolie Loren
CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER Steven Schowengerdt
CHIEF SALES OFFICER Matthew Perry
CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER DeLand Shore
DIRECTOR OF SOCIAL MEDIA Mindy Hargesheimer
ART DIRECTOR Sara Minor
OPERATIONS DIRECTOR Janeane Thompson
WEB APPLICATIONS Michael O’Connell
AD DESIGNER Rachel Collins
LAYOUT DESIGNER Emily Lisenbee
Where neighbors can see and be seen.
Want to be seen in the magazine? Tag your Instagram photos with @buckhavencitylifestyle
• Caregiving by Certified Nursing Assistants experienced with Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, Cancer, Depression and Mobility Issues
• Assistance with activities of daily living, including bathing, dressing, toileting, meal preparation, light housekeeping, medication reminders and personal errands
Georgia brands, King of Pops and Creature Comforts, partnered for the first pop-up of the “Local Georgia Business Series,” celebrating companies that support each other’s ambitious goals and colorful backgrounds. When King of Pops Founder, Steven Carse, began selling pops out of a single cart on the street in Atlanta, he had no idea that the local business he was starting would end up multiplying into many local businesses across the South.
The oldest art center in Atlanta, Chastain Arts Center, is excited to be
offering KickstART Summer Camp from June 5 – August 4. They are offering camps Monday - Friday for youth from 9 a.m. -2:30 p.m. and teens from 3:30 p.m. – 5 p.m. with eight amazing, art-themed camp weeks ranging from clay, pop art, public art, surrealism, and many more! Explore the world of art and encourage individual artistic expression and learning. OCAAtlanta.com/Chastain
Apricot Lane, a national women’s boutique franchise offering on-trend apparel, accessories, and gifts with a personalized customer experience, has newly opened in the Fountain Oaks Shopping Center. The boutique is individually operated by local owners who uniquely serve their communities. Owner Linda Ross is opening Apricot Lane – Buckhead/Sandy Springs. She grew up in Dunwoody and is excited to be part of the Buckhead/ Sandy Springs Community. 4920 Roswell Rd., Suite 18.
Starts June 8
Taste of Atlanta is pleased to announce its 2023 dates and venue information for four can’t-miss tasting event experiences in some of Metro Atlanta’s hottest culinary communities. Each event will feature food tastings from over 25 of the area’s best restaurants and top chefs paired with unlimited beer, wine and craft cocktail tastings for ages 21+. First up is Food That Rocks, June 8 at City Springs in Sandy Springs. TasteOfAtlanta.com
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100% Authentic top designer handbags & accessories offering competitive consignment rates
Get in touch by heading over to our landing page to connect: CityLifestyle.com/BuckHaven
introduced her to daily life in the U.S. She quickly learned that her passion was for aesthetics, so she put herself through cosmetology school while working full-time.
Raquel Souza was in her early 20s when she left Brazil and moved to America, not knowing anyone Stateside, and with about five words of English under her belt. It was the children she babysat for who taught Raquel her first English phrases and
The first to introduce the all-natural art of sugaring to Atlanta, Raquel opened the first Sweet Peach Wax & Sugaring Studio in Virginia-Highland in 2012. She now has locations in Buckhead, Sandy Springs, Johns Creek, Vinings, and Brookhaven. Raquel has been waxing and sugaring for the past ten years and has earned a reputation from the local and national media as the city’s best hair removal specialist.
She employs more than 50 people, mostly immigrant women like herself, who she hopes one day will become business owners.
She employs more than 50 people, mostly immigrant women like herself, who she hopes one day will become business owners. All team members are licensed estheticians, expertly trained to provide one of the best hair removal experiences possible. Raquel managed to maintain her entire team during COVID and took extraordinary precautions to keep the doors open and to protect her clientele and staff.
Always an advocate for women and women’s health, Raquel proactively replaced talcum powder with cornstarch when she learned of the link between the powder and ovarian cancer. This year she partnered with the Georgia Ovarian Cancer Alliance (GOCA) to launch a grassroots education program. This partnership will directly impact the thousands of women each week who visit one of the Atlanta area Sweet Peach locations, as each guest will be given information on the signs and symptoms of ovarian cancer in an effort to promote early detection.
“Since my business is predominately focused on the pelvic area of women who want to look good on the outside, I also want them to be healthy on the inside,” says Souza. “The partnership with GOCA gives us the opportunity to educate our captive audience of women from their 20s to their 80s and, hopefully, save lives.”
SweetPeachWax.com
@SweetPeachWax
Raquel has become a mentor to other Brazilian women who have come to Atlanta to start businesses, and helped pave the way to their success.
Most young girls experiment with their mother’s makeup, but when Shikha Arya first tried her mom’s eyeliner and lipstick, she was hooked. A natural-born artist, Shikha loved to sketch and paint, was a bright student, and loved science - which led to a career in technology.
But as we know, you can’t suppress real passion, so she transitioned her technical scientific skills to makeup science. After training and certification, Shikha became a skincare ambassador and regional makeup artist for Christian Dior. She honed her skills on TV and movie sets and has become the go-to makeup artist for weddings, special events and for individuals who want a transformative look.
“ My knowledge of skincare gives clients the resources they need for truly healthy skin, which is the palette you want,” says Shikha. “I’m a versatile artist and can transform your look with contouring or go subtle and natural, and anything in between.”
• Ditch the foundation and go with sunscreen for protection and concealer for areas of concern.
• Blush is in and so is looking a bit flushed. Just add a splash of pink or coral blush to cheeks, eyes and bridge of the nose.
• Grunge is back. Smudge eye pencil to get that messy look.
Shikha’s studio is on the Sandy Springs/Buckhead border, and she will travel to you!
Shikhaarya.com
770.776.7911
@makeupbyshikhaarya
TASTE
THURSDAY, JUNE 8 | 6-10PM City Springs | Sandy Springs
· EAT & GREET with SANDY SPRINGS’ RESTAURANTS and TOP CHEFS · ALL-INCLUSIVE RESTAURANT TASTES and DESSERT BAR TREATS · BOTTOMLESS WINE, BEER and COCKTAIL TASTINGS · CHEF DEMONSTRATIONS · LIVE MUSIC by the GEEK SQUAD ·
BUY TICKETS NOW!
FoodThatRocks.org
@FoodThatRocksATL
BROOKHAVEN AUTHOR SHARES A STORY OF INCLUSION IN HER FIRST BOOK.
ARTICLE BY SUE G. COLLINS PHOTOGRAPHY BY JOLIE LOREN
Sally McPheely loves silly. She loves tongue twisters, rhyming stories that make you giggle, and tickle fights.
As a parent of three, she adores story time and cuddles.
As an illustrator and designer, she works hard to carve out time for her art.
And, as a caring human, Sally believes in equality and embracing one another’s differences.
The Brookhaven resident’s new children’s book, her first, embraces all that makes Sally silly. “The Purple Croc in an Orange Sock,” now out in paperback and hardcover shares a meaningful message of self esteem and kindness. She wrote and illustrated the book from her home office, a large converted closet she cheerfully decorated and claimed as her own.
Of course, the story is a rhyming tongue twister (making reading more fun for grown-ups and accessible for kids) and the illustrations are adorable. The protagonist is a
purple croc who finds a magic clock that he believes transforms him into a more wonderful version of himself. An intrepid new acquaintance helps the purple croc discover and embrace his differences and true self and uncover his self confidence.
“We live in a world of comparisons and competition,” says Sally. “But it’s our differences that should be celebrated.”
She created the animal characters to be approachable and relatable. The color palate is cheerful, but soft. “I had so much
fun writing the story, finding rhymes that fit and stayed true to the silliness.”
She is working to get the book in the hands of young children and hopes to work with local schools, libraries, book stores and boutiques to carry the book, the first of a series, she says. For now, find the book on Amazon (and read the glowing reviews).
Follow Sally’s lead and embrace your silliness!
Sally, a native of Australia, and her husband Gregg have lived in Brookhaven for 10 years and have three children.
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For many reasons, partiers are turning to non-alcoholic cocktails. Gone are the days of a bartender just mixing up a Shirley Temple in a rocks glass when an intrepid drinker requested a no-proof beverage.
Now, bartenders are stocking their top shelves and well with a gorgeous variety of alcohol-free bottles and keeping cans of spirit-free, ready-mixed cocktails in the cooler.
For whatever reason (and it’s nobody’s business), more people are giving up booze. And face it, life feels better and heads remain clearer without it.
Without booze, you can get more done and treat your body like a temple, not a basement.
Spiritless was founded by three women juggling the long hours of entrepreneurism, the skepticism of a male-dominated industry, the expectations of motherhood, the fulfillment of mentoring, the intimacy of partnership and the desire to carve out just five minutes of Zen.
The team brings experience working with some of the largest spirits conglomerates in the world. As busy, career-oriented parents, they were also feeling the strain of weekday drinks at work dinners, added calories, and sluggish mornings after a few glasses. Together, Lauren Chitwood, Abbey Ferguson, and Lexie Lancaster Larsen created Spiritless, now with Kentucky 72, Jalisco 55 and two pour over canned cocktails: a whiskey sour and old-fashioned.
“We love and respect the strong women we’ve met in this industry—from bottle shop owners to mixologists to retail buyers—just as much as we enjoy being female founders,” says Abbey.
“When you’re a working mom, prioritizing family is paramount, even on a day like Mother’s Day this month, devoted to you. Between the three of us, we have 12 kids under 12, so you’ll likely find us chasing a few moments of Zen in between breakfast in bed and opening macaroni artwork presents,” says Lauren.
How
A variety of hand-selected American oak is combined with a high-proof neutral grain spirit. By modulating the heat and pressure in the still, they imitate the barrel aging process seen in traditional spirits, over multiple years, in a matter of hours. The intensely flavored high-proof oak-infused spirit cools in preparation for the next phase. The reverse distillation process separates ethanol from the Kentucky 74 distillate. “The ethanol is then removed and repurposed for the next batch. We call this our ‘regenerative ingredient,’” Lexi explains. The distillate that remains in the still is non-alcoholic. This is where Kentucky 74 is born. Just like a fine craft Bourbon, Kentucky 74 is blended by selecting specific totes from various distillations,
INGREDIENTS
• 2 oz. Spiritless Jalisco 55 NA
• 4 oz. Grapefruit soda
• ¼ oz. Fresh lime juice
each with a unique character. The distiller selects the perfect combination of totes to create Kentucky 74, a smooth, balanced spirit with hints of caramel, vanilla, and oak.
“Yes, you’ll miss a little bit of the burn, because frankly, that’s what alcohol does. But as passionate drinkers ourselves, we knew a little bit of heat was necessary, so you’ll find that in Kentucky 74 and Jalisco 55,” says Lauren.
But wait, there’s more good to the brand! Through 2% for the Girls, they will donate up to 2% of Spiritless profits to nonprofits, programs and partnerships that foster entrepreneurialism, mentoring and leadership development among young women.
Spiritless can be found at 20+ independent locations in Atlanta including Total Wine and both Amazon and Spiritless.com ship to all 50 U.S. states.
DIRECTIONS
Build ingredients in a highball glass, except for soda, and add ice. Top with soda. Stir gently and garnish with
grapefruit peel. Salt rim optional: rim glass with salt by rubbing a lime piece around the edge of glass and rolling glass in coarse salt. Cheers!
In Atlanta, Spiritless supports A Sip of Paradise, a nonprofit bartenders' community garden. A Sip of Paradise Garden provides horticultural therapy, employment resources, and health and wellness programs for bartenders and the greater hospitality community to recharge their minds, bodies and spirits. To celebrate Women’s History Month, sales benefitted Step Up, a non-profit focused on female mentorship.
“WE LOVE AND RESPECT THE STRONG WOMEN WE’VE MET IN THIS INDUSTRY—FROM BOTTLE SHOP OWNERS TO MIXOLOGISTS TO RETAIL BUYERS—JUST AS MUCH AS WE ENJOY BEING FEMALE FOUNDERS.”
The moms and the mother figures in our lives mean everything to us. They deserve the best every day, of course. But at least one day out of the year, we get to shower them with the same love and thoughtfulness they give to us so selflessly.
This year, we hope you’ll consider some memorable ways to make lasting memories with the mom or mother figure in your life. If you haven’t already planned something special, take a look at our list of ideas and circle your favorites. If you have kids, let them join in the fun too!
Whether you decide to spend a day at home or enjoy a day on the town, these innovative celebration ideas will include fun for the whole family and make Mom feel loved. Whatever activity or surprise you land on to show your mom, wife, sister or maternal figure your appreciation for all they do, the most important thing is that you all get to spend some quality time together.
Take a Flower Arranging Class Mother’s Day arrives just as spring is in full bloom. Take advantage of the season by going to a flower arranging class with mom.
If Mom likes strategizing, challenge her to a friendly board game competition. (And, no, you don’t have to let her win just because it’s Mother’s Day.)
This activity is especially fun if you have a lot of kids who want to get in on the action. Then, when you all get home, you can whip up a treat for Mom with your selections. (Maybe give her a strawberry in a Champagne glass while she waits.)
There’s no day like Mother’s Day to be impulsive! Book a weekend trip for the two of you at a cute B&B in a city Mom has always wanted to visit.
Find a puzzle with an image you know your mom will love (or make a custom one using a photo of the two of you) and put it together over wine and snacks. You’ll be amazed at how much chatting you can get done while puzzling.
Go to a play or a musical — lots of towns even host outdoor theater events.
Whether you make the brews and treats yourself or head out to an official tea house, Mom will love sipping her beverage out of fancy china and snacking on tea sandwiches.
A curated selection of the most intriguing upcoming events in our area.
MAY 13TH-14TH
Chastain Park Spring Arts Festival
4469 STELLA DR., ATLANTA
Named as one of the nation’s Top 100 arts festivals nationwide by Sunshine Artist Magazine, the Chastain Park Arts Festival will host its 13th annual event at Chastain Park along Park Drive for approximately 175 artists and artisans. ChastainParkArtsFestival.com
MAY 13TH-14TH
Dunwoody Art Festival
DUNWOODY VILLAGE SHOPPING CENTER
Enjoy the artisan booths and children's activities on Dunwoody Village Parkway and Dunwoody Village Shopping Center.
MAY 13TH
Star Wars: The Force Awakens in Concert
ATLANTA SYMPHONY HALL
The Atlanta Symphony Orchestra will present Star Wars: The Force Awakens in concert, featuring a screening of the complete film with Oscar®-winning composer John Williams’ musical score performed live to the film. The concerts will be led by guest conductor Christopher Confessore. May 13 at 7:30 p.m. and May 14 at 3 p.m. ASO.org
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Enjoy
HAKU LYCHEE MARTINI
• 2 oz. HAKU® Japanese Craft Vodka
• 1 oz. house made lychee simple syrup
1. Combine ingredients
2. Shake vigorously over ice
3. Strain and serve up in a chilled martini glass
4. Garnish with a lychee
