Smyrna Vinings, GA May 2023

Letter from the Editor

I love any opportunity to recognize the women in my life who make it rich and beautiful - my mom and grandmothers, my sister, my friends... and this 'Women's Issue' edition of the magazine will help us recognize the women who help make life rich and beautiful in Smryna Vinings.

And of course with Mother’s Day this month, all eyes are on moms… But it’s not just our 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 community, pouring into our livesmaking themselves unforgettable and irreplaceable.

The women of Smryna Vinings 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.

While it’s always important to shop local and support local businesses, this month is the perfect time to patronize businesses owned by women in our community. That’s one of my favorite parts of this role - connecting with and championing the best of the best when it comes to the women of Smyrna Vinings.

I hope you’ll take a few minutes to send a text, make a phone call, or get your kids on a video call with the women in your life who deserve recognition. It only takes a minute to brighten someone’s day and remind them how much you love them!

SARAH COLE, EDITOR @SMYRNAVININGSCITYLIFESTYLE

May 2023

PUBLISHER

Burke Scott | burke.scott@citylifestyle.com

EDITOR

Sarah Cole | sarah.cole@citylifestyle.com

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

Sarah Cole, Daron Elam, Mary W. Moore, Natalie Keng

CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS

Chris Lawery, Deborah Llewelyn

Corporate Team

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 Matthew Endersbe

LAYOUT DESIGNER Andi Foster

Dr. Aja Nichols established Lifestyle Dentistry in 2016, where she embarked on the idea to practice dentistry a little differently than it has been done traditionally. She is continuously creating a spa-like atmosphere and a team who consistently delivers five-star experiences.

“We educate and empower patients to understand and take charge of their oral health. We pride ourselves in doing the right things, at the right time, for the right reasons.”

Welcome to Mezza Luna Pasta & Seafood

We at Mezza Luna believe an intimate atmosphere in the right location, personal and attentive service, and great company is what separates a delicious dinner from an unforgettable experience. Our handmade dishes accompanied with exclusively selected Italian wines and amazing staff represent the core of Italian culture.

Our culinary team creates weekly featured items such as off menu dessert, pasta, fish and meat dishes.

Authentic and freshly cooked Italian meals with the freshest ingredients, accompanied by high quality imported Italian wines.

city scene

Where neighbors can see and be seen.

Want to be seen in the magazine? Tag your Instagram photos with @SmyrnaViningsCityLifestyle

IF YOU ARE READING THIS... SO IS YOUR BEST CLIENT.

1: Atkin’s Park Smyrna celebrates their 20th anniversary! 2: Local author Colleen Oakley celebrates the launch of her latest book, The Mostly True Story of Tanner & Louise with her mom. 3: Smyrna locals Melissa Fulford & Heather Scott spent Galentine’s weekend in the Blue Ridge Mountains! 4: April showers bring May flowers to AR Workshop Smyrna! 5: Blue Bird Lane Boutique celebrates their Grand Opening!

@ATKINSPARKSMYRNA @WRITERCOLLEENOAKLEY

Women of Influence

SHINING A SPOTLIGHT ON AMAZING WOMEN FROM THE SMYRNA VININGS COMMUNITY

ARTICLE BY SARAH COLE

Reagan Zottnick

Reagan’s passion for art and love for being in the kitchen led her to start Meats to Sweets a year ago. With over 30 years of customer service experience, she understands the importance of taking care of clients and their needs. Meats to Sweets isn’t just about charcuterie boards. Each creation comes with a homemade sweet, seasonal fruits, locally sourced jellies and jams, as well as other unique compliments. They also offer grazing stations, individual lunch boxes, and customized arrangements, such as all sweets or crudités. She and her husband moved to Smyrna 9 years ago and have since added a son to their family. They can’t wait to watch him enjoy all that Smyrna has to offer from sports and community activities, to Food Truck Tuesdays and festivals at Market Village. Reagan and her family are happy to call Smyrna Home!

Reagan Zottnick Meats to Sweets

Ali Korf

Ali Korf is the owner of Restore Hyper Wellness Vinings and a Nurse Practitioner by trade. Her passion for health and wellness has led her to utilize her skills and knowledge to run a business that benefits the community. For the past decade, she has lived in Smyrna with her beautiful family and is dedicated to improving the lives of those around her every day.

Ali’s commitment to health and wellness extends beyond her business, as she is dedicated to enhancing the health of her loved ones, clients, and friends. While her career is essential to her, her family is her top priority and inspires her to pursue what she does today.

Restore Hyper Wellness Vinings, located in Vinings Jubilee, offers various health and wellness services that assist people in feeling their best. Ali hopes that her dedication, passion, and commitment to serve will inspire others to achieve their goals in life.

“I hope my dedication, passion, and commitment to serve will inspire others to achieve their goals.” -Ali Korf

Ali Korf

Restore Hyper Wellness

Laura Nasca is the owner of AR Workshop Smyrna, a DIY Studio serving all ages in the community - offering weekly workshops, summer camps, private events, unique retail, and custom products. Laura is a native of Cobb County and has lived in Smyrna for the past 11 years with her husband, Vince, a teacher and coach at the Lovett School, her two daughters, and the family beagle, Beau. Laura values creativity, community, and family and is inspired daily by the ability to uphold these values in her business through the people she serves. Laura supports the Smyrna business community by serving on the Board of the Smyrna Business Association. Her favorite time of year is Spring through Fall due to the wonderful Festivals offered in Smyrna – a great way to connect and enjoy our town with friends & family! She is a strong supporter of the City of Smyrna and the long-term strategic vision. A wonderful place to work and play – and not only due to its proximity to Atlanta – because of what the city itself offers to citizens and surrounding communities.

“I am inspired by the ability to uphold my values of creativity, community, and family in my business every day.” -Laura Nasca

Laura Nasca

Laura Nasca AR Workshop Smyrna

Dr. Aja Gilmore-Nichols

Lifestyle Dentistry

Dr. Aja Gilmore-Nichols

Dr. Aja Gilmore-Nichols holds over 15 years of experience as a general dentist. As a Lt. Commander in the Navy, she spent time in Virginia and California before making her final stop in Georgia. With so many beautiful cities in the metro-Atlanta area, the close knit Smyrna/Vinings community, along with its booming growth, stole her heart, and there was no doubt where she wanted to open her practice. For almost 7 years, she has been at the helm of Lifestyle Dentistry, in the heart of Smyrna. At Lifestyle Dentistry, Dr. Nichols and her team focus on the ABC’s of dentistry: Airway, Breath, & Cosmetics. They are consistently dedicated to their patient’s experience, and most of all, the patient’s overall health. Part of Lifestyle Dentistry’s mission statement is “We do the right things, at the right time, for the right reasons.” If you or a family member is in the market for a new dentist, Dr. Nichols encourages you to stop by her office for a tour to see if they are a good fit for you!

Gabi Baltzley

Miss Gabi’s Music & Art

Gabi Baltzley

Gabi Baltzley has been nurturing young minds and building confidence in the Smyrna/Vinings area since the summer of 2019! Through her studio, Miss Gabi’s Music & Art, Gabi has helped her students discover confidence in the arts through classes, productions, camps, and private music and art lessons. Her reach also extends beyond the studio to local elementary schools where she teaches Jitterbug Performing Arts clubs and camps! Miss Gabi is passionate about giving her students a space to explore their creativity and grow in the arts! While she loves to see progress in whatever creative skill her students are learning, she believes that the most important thing is that they find joy in the process. Miss Gabi uses the creative and performing arts as tools to inspire confidence, and learn how to connect with our peers and express ourselves in a healthy and authentic way. Her students are currently gearing up to audition for Miss Gabi’s Music & Art’s second production in association with Jitterbug Performing Arts, Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Cinderella! The show will be performed at The Green Room of Mableton this June.

Chelsea Young

Chelsea Young is the owner and lead educator of the Oenophile Institute, a new wine school in Smyrna Village Market. The Oenophile Institute offers classes at levels for the casual consumer to industry professionals, wine tastings, and private events. Chelsea’s goal is to make wine education less pretentious and more inclusive after finding it difficult to break into traditional sommelier roles as a woman. Chelsea is an Atlanta native and worked in restaurants for over 15 years. Some may recognize her from her 3 years at Cru Wine Bar in the Battery. In 2018, she received a scholarship for Women in Wine and began her sommelier certification journey. Chelsea has since passed 5 wine certifications and is awaiting her results from Wine & Spirit Educational Trust’s Diploma Program, making her one of only nine in Georgia. The Oenophile Institute has been a dream of Chelsea’s since discovering her love of wine. As a former dance teacher, sharing a passion with others brings her immense joy. She hopes to add value to Smyrna and the surrounding communities by opening a welcoming space for all wine lovers to expand their palate’s and learn more about wine.

“To me, breaking bread—or egg rolls—is the sincerest olive branch, opening gateways to friendship and motivating people to give back.”

-Natalie Keng

Chelsea Young

The Oenophile Institute

Anne Michaud is the co-founder of The Joint Chiropractic and owner of The Joint in Smyrna. She is the mom of two amazing young women, two dogs, a horse and a cat. Anne is also a wife to a loving partner who supports her and inspires her to shine. Her passions are yoga, horses and painting. Anne started The Joint in 1998 in Tucson, AZ and moved to Vinings in 2003 and opened the clinic that she still owns. She considers The Joint to be her first child, as it was created out of a commitment to serve and heal with love and has remained true to the mission to improve quality of life through routine and affordable chiropractic care. Anne is so proud of her company and the difference it has made as they have disrupted the world of chiropractic by making care accessible to everyone regardless of income or time constraints. She sold the franchise company in 2010 and her Smyrna clinic is one of the most successful Joints of more than 800 in the country!

Natalie Keng Author & Entrepreneur

Natalie Keng is a Georgia Native who is proud to call Smryna her hometown. Smyrna is special to Natalie because of the people, its welcoming spirit and the city’s efforts to balance small town charm with exciting new investments, and she is amazed daily by this dynamic and diverse city. She was the first Asian American candidate to run for Smyrna City Council, is a pioneer in the area of innovative leadership development, and now, as an entrepreneur, her small business highlights food and culture to bring folks together--to break bread and egg rolls--for team-building, networking, to explore diverse foods and to support Georgia Grown local businesses and restaurants. She is tickled pink to announce her new coffee table cookbook, Egg Rolls & Sweet Tea; Asian Inspired, Southern Style, coming in June 2023. It is a personal collection of 100 eclectic recipes, which draw from her own palate as an Asian American born and raised in the Deep South. As an author and entrepreneur, Natalie is excited about “paying it forward” and helping to create a healthy, vibrant community through “opening minds, one mouth at a time.” You can preorder her book on Amazon or order her Sauce Maven collection and cookbook together from GlobalHearth.com

Anne Michaud

The Joint Chiropractic

Anne Michaud

Natalie Keng

BROADWAY’S TONY AWARD®-WINNING BEST MUSICAL IS BACK

ARTICLE BY NATALIE KENG | PHOTOGRAPHY BY DEBORAH LLEWELLYN

Mom’s Unfried Red Rice with Berries

LOCAL ENTREPRENEUR & AUTHOR NATALIE KENG SHARES A FAVORITE RECIPE FROM HER MOM!

A self-proclaimed “Orient Express” home chef when it came to good food fast, Mom came up with one-pot “unfried rice.” Here’s to you and cooking outside the box, Mom!

ingredients:

Serves 4

• 1 1⁄2 cups Bhutanese red rice

• 3 cups water

• 1 teaspoon or 1 cube vegetable or chicken bouillon

• 1⁄2 cup raisins

• 1⁄4 cup dried goji berries

• 1⁄4 cup dried cranberries

• 1⁄3 cup slivered or sliced almonds or shelled sunflower seeds

• 1 teaspoon garlic powder

• 1 teaspoon white pepper

• 1⁄4 teaspoon five-spice powder

• 1 teaspoon salt

• 2 tablespoons butter

directions:

1. In a large heavy-bottomed or nonstick saucepan, combine rice and water with bouillon and soak for 30 minutes.

2. Add the raisins, goji berries, cranberries, almonds, garlic powder, white pepper, five-spice powder, and salt and stir to combine. Some of the spices may float on top—that’s okay.

Read more about Smyrna-based entrepreneur & author of the upcoming Egg Rolls & Sweet Tea cookbook, Natalie Keng, in our Women of Influence editorial in this issue, or find out more at her website NatalieKeng.com!

3. Set the pan over medium-high heat and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and cook for 50 minutes, or until the liquid is absorbed. Remove from heat and let stand, covered, for 10 minutes before serving. Fluff with a fork and gently fold the butter into the hot rice until melted and the rice is evenly coated.

Note: To use a rice cooker, follow the recipe steps above, including the soaking time, and cook according to the manufacturer’s instructions.

ARTICLE BY MARY W. MOORE

SHOWCASING LOCAL WOMEN AUTHORS

Enjoy new release fiction picks from the spectacular roster of women authors in our community and state! The Smyrna Vinings community, Atlanta, and state of Georgia are filled with spectacular women authors. Enjoy these titles from both debut writers and seasoned favorites.

With My Little Eye Leaving Atlanta The Resemblance

by Joshilyn Jackson

This thriller is the latest novel by Decatur author, Joshilyn Jackson. For actress Meribel Mills, disturbing fan mail is part of the price of fame. So when she starts getting creepy letters written in fruit-scented marker she is mostly unphased and diligently files them along with her other messages from unhinged fans. After all, she’s a single mom approaching forty, not the kind of hot young celeb who sparks dangerous obsessions. But there’s something different about Marker Man….

by Tayari Jones

Newly released in paperback, Tayari Jones’ novel Leaving Atlanta is a coming-of-age story with a grim edge, set in 1980s Atlanta. It was the end of summer, a summer during the two-year nightmare in which Atlanta’s AfricanAmerican children were vanishing and twenty-nine would be found murdered by 1982. Here fifth-grade classmates Tasha Baxter, Rodney Green, and Octavia Harrison will discover backto-school means facing everyday challenges in a new world of safety lessons, terrified parents, and constant fear.

by Lauren Nossett

By Atlanta debut novelist, Lauren Nossett, The Resemblance

is a chilling thriller set in Athens, Georgia. On a cold November morning at the University of Georgia, a fraternity brother steps off a busy crosswalk and is struck dead by an oncoming car. More than a dozen witnesses all agree on two things: the driver looked identical to the victim, and he was smiling.

The Mostly True Story of Tanner & Louise When the Moon Turns Blue Rogue Justice

by Colleen Oakley

Smyrna novelist Colleen Oakley is known for her emotional stories with interesting interpersonal relationships. The Mostly True Story of Tanner & Louise is her fifth novel. Twentyone-year-old Tanner Quimby needs a place to live. Preferably one where she can continue sitting around in sweatpants and playing video games nineteen hours a day. With no credit or money to speak of, her options are limited, so when an opportunity to work as a live-in caregiver for an elderly woman falls into her lap, she takes it. Oakley pairs a college dropout and an eighty-four-year-old woman on the run from the law in a story full of heart, humor, and wit.

by Pamela Terry

Smyrna author Pamela Terry is known for her Southern small-town novels. Her latest, When the Moon Turns Blue, targets a timely social topic. On the morning after Harry Cline’s funeral, a rare ice storm hits the town of Wesleyan, Georgia. The community wakes up to find its controversial statue of Confederate general Henry Benning destroyed—and not by the weather. Half the town had wanted to remove the statue; the other half had wanted to preserve it. Now that the matter has been taken out of their hands, the town’s long-simmering tensions are laid bare.

by Stacey Abrams

Former Georgia gubernatorial candidate, Stacey Abrams, is also a gifted novelist. Besides writing romance under the pen name Selena Montgomery, Abrams writes legal thrillers. Rogue Justice is the second in the Supreme Court clerk Avery Keene series. Avery is approached at a legal conference by Preston Davies, an unassuming young man and fellow law clerk to a federal judge in Idaho. Davies believes his boss, Judge Francesca Whitner, was being blackmailed in the days before she died. Desperate to understand what happened, he gives Avery a file, a burner phone, and a fearful warning that there are highly dangerous people involved.

COUNSELING & PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT

MY FULL LIFE: A RECOVERY STORY

BY JULIANNA ROBINSON, LCSW

During my own struggle with an eating disorder, my life might be described as a battlefield, one where I was at war with myself. While I am not proud of my struggle, it is not something to be ashamed of either. If you knew me many years ago, you would have been looking into the eyes of a basically lifeless girl who was so sick, tired, and heavy-hearted that I thought I could use my eating disorder to attain numbness and trudge through life with little to no emotion. In reality, I was tremendously afraid, lonely, angry, hurting, and miserable. Even though I felt as though I was controlling my food intake and the number on my scale, the eating disorder actually had control over me as I consistently found my weak body stuck in a hospital bed over and over again. My eating disorder was feeding me such lies that I couldn’t believe my doctor when she told me, “You’re walking on a very thin line between life and death.”

In my eating disorder, life felt unbearable. Then I found that there was a mental health community that could help. And so, as I look back into the depths of my dysphoria, I worked with therapists, dietitians, and physicians who helped me find the keys to unlock the handcuffs of hopelessness. I was barely surviving. This time in my life was one where others literally had to save me from myself until I gained the tools and restoration that gave me strength to have a role in saving myself too. My treatment team helped me recognize that there was a life beyond my ED and my

ED did not have to be my identity. I had to decide to thoroughly trust my providers and lean into the “whys” as part of my recovery.

I have learned that although my illness was not a choice, recovery is an attainable choice and fighting for a fulfilling life is a worthy choice. I began to live by small victories- bite by bite, meal by meal, day by day- until it became easier to repeat, and more natural to properly nourish my body. My ED diminished my body’s ability to fully experience emotions and life. I waited for the moments when I realized that joy is an emotional state that I was capable of experiencing again. I waited for the relief to come when I finally knew that I am lovable and loved. I waited for the heaviness to be lifted. With the help from my treatment teams along the way, the waiting was worth it and I chose to gradually build a life from which I didn’t feel the need to escape. Providers who fully understood my illness and who accepted me just the way that I was- broken and vulnerable and seeking help- navigated me beyond the lies of the ED. I started having compassion for that lifeless girl inside me and her body, and even compassion for the ED that was in its own way helping me survive trauma that I didn’t know how to cope with without the ED. Today I have regained health. Recovery has allowed me to fully experience life. It has given me energy and the ability to be present. It has allowed connections and relationships that would have been impossible when I was malnourished and giving the voice of my ED power over me. Pain is an inevitable part of being human, but now I am capable of coping with pain without turning to the ED. I learned my eating disorder was not a life sentence and I can live a life free from its bondage. It is an incredible honor to get to walk with clients every day as they, too, free themselves from their own bondage. The care I have received from mental health providers helped me off the ground and out of the muck. For them, I am forever grateful.

MEET QUINISE ARNOLD

ARTICLE BY SARAH COLE

A LOCAL MULTIFACETED ENTREPRENEUR & OWNER OF CONCEIT NAIL AND BEAUTY STUDIOS

A Cobb County resident of 10+ years, Quinise Arnold is a multifaceted entrepreneur providing solutions in real estate, beauty, and entertainment. She is beyond thrilled to bring a new vibe to the Smyrna-Vinings community by taking over the beloved Ashley Nail Spa, and transforming it into Conceit Nail and Beauty Studios. This new venture combines her passion for business and the arts while also providing a uniquely exceptional experience for all guests.

When asked the source of her inspiration, Quinise says, “What inspires me on a daily basis is the opportunity to empower others. Through my work in real estate, I have been fortunate to help families achieve their dreams of homeownership. And now, with Conceit, I have the opportunity to inspire confidence and self love with each person who walks through our door.”

With Conceit Nail & Beauty Studios, Quinise looks forward to bringing a refreshing new energy to this popular destination in the heart of Smyrna Market Village, and says she can’t wait to see what the future holds for this vibrant and supportive community! Find out more at conceitstudios.com

Mental Health Matters

ARTICLE BY DARON ELAM | PHOTOGRAPHY BY CHRIS LAWERY

As a mother, entrepreneur, and survivor, I feel mental health can move us all towards a much brighter and hopeful future. As a community, mental health is a collective decision and one of the single most powerful resources we can capitalize upon. We are uniquely evolved to understand ourselves and ways we can do better both for ourselves and generations to come. To disregard our mental health as a society is to disregard our future.

It’s not enough for one person in your life to be attending therapy. Receiving mental health care is, in and of itself, collective impact. That’s why I’m so passionate about our work with Summit’s Edge. We are showing up for our community and I think that’s the most beautiful part of all.

Summit’s Edge is unique practice celebrating diversity, culture, and emphasizing inclusion both in the modalities of treatment and clinicians providing services. Readers can expect safety and intentionality in the way we provide and streamline services for counseling from our amazing team. We have a compassionate care model and believe therapy starts with the first call. Our Client Experience Coordinators walk you through each step so our clients can simply focus on the care they are seeking. We are very intentional to hire a diverse group of therapists from various backgrounds so clients can feel truly safe in the therapeutic process. Summit’s Edge provides free consultations, and we help our clients find appropriate care, even if it’s not with us.

I founded the company in 2016 and expanded into group practice shortly thereafter. As a group practice owner, I knew I could make a collective impact that reached far beyond the services I could provide as a

solo practitioner. I envisioned a place where clinicians worked on a collaborative care team and where the focus could truly remain on what was in the best interest of the client. In the beginning, I was asking amazing clinicians I knew to take a chance on my dream across tables in local coffee shops. Today, we have over 20 clinicians providing services at Summit’s Edge providing evidence-based and quality care.

I feel sustained in my purpose when I’m focused on facilitating healing for as many people as possible. I deeply believe everyone deserves quality mental health care, and I’ve committed to spending the rest of my life to do everything I can to provide quality services to as many people as possible. I want to leave a meaningful legacy and use my life to operate with integrity and hope so others are inspired to do the same.

My partner Brett and I are proud to call Smyrna home. This area reflects our values and what is truly important, and we are making so many family memories here. Because we love this community so much, we have committed to deliver the highest quality mental health services in partnership with so many other amazing organizations in the area.

This community is hopeful and has the common thread of seeing a brighter future, even if it’s within themselves. Mental health and wellness are founded on the concept of hope. I think it’s hard to find entire communities that can unite over even a single concept. That’s another reason why we love this community and are so passionate about serving it.

Readers can contact us Monday through Thursday 9-6 and Friday 9-3 for scheduling, visit our website at se.care, or follow us on Instagram @summits_edge.

“To participate in your own mental health, I encourage you to ask yourself these two questions each day: What is one thing I can do today to make my life even just 1% better? If I could see myself through someone else’s eyes, what loving and compassionate thing would I say to me?”

Make an Impact for Mom

Memorable ways to celebrate the mother figure in your life

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.

Play a Family Board Game

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.)

Pick Your Own Fruit

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.)

Book Her a Weekend Away

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.

Complete a Jigsaw Puzzle

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.

Get Theater Tickets

Go to a play or a musical — lots of towns even host outdoor theater events.

I have worked with Lopez Bros for 10 years on many small and large projects. Always completely satisfied and if I want something changed, they always accommodate. Great company. Great people.

- JOHN S

events

A curated selection of the most intriguing upcoming events in our area.

TUESDAYS BEGINNING MAY 2ND

Food Truck Tuesdays

TAYLOR BRAWNER PARK, 3180

ATLANTA ROAD, SMYRNA GA 30080

Join the City of Smryna for Smyrna Food Truck Tuesdays each Tuesday beginning May 2 at Taylor-Brawner Park from 5:00 p.m. until 9:00 p.m. This event is the best Food Truck event series around! Enjoy the offerings from a weekly gathering of quality mobile gourmet trucks and a bit of sweets mixed in and music, too!

MAY 5TH

Coronation Tea & Talk

SMYRNA PUBLIC LIBRARY

MEETING ROOM | 11:00 AM

Join the Smyrna Library for a celebration of the coronation of King Charles III, King of the United Kingdom. Enjoy tea and light refreshments of tiny sandwiches, biscuits, and scones. Also enjoy a short lecture by Kennesaw State University professor, Dr. Amy Dunigan. Remember to wear your fascinator or ascot!

MAY 6TH

Smyrna Garden Tour

TAYLOR-BRAWNER HOUSE

10:00 AM

Join Keep Smyrna Beautiful for a self-guided Garden Tour on Saturday, May 6. Ticketholders will have the chance to explore five of Smyrna’s most beautiful private gardens, enjoy refreshments at the Tea Room, and shop at the Plant Sale, which will be open to the public. Purchase tickets at keepsmyrnabeautiful.com.

A sample of recently sold properties in Smyrna Vinings.

REALTY REPORT PROVIDED COURTESY OF

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SCAN THE QR CODE TO SEE YOUR HOME’S CURRENT MARKET VALUE!

CELEBRATE

Mother's Day

MAY 12TH-14TH

Atlanta Ballet presents Significant Others

COBB ENERGY CENTRE

A world première commissioned by Atlanta Ballet; Significant Others explores the role of artistic collaboration in relationships. Using the music of Clara & Robert Schumann, visual art of Sonja & Robert Delaunay, and writing of Zelda & F. Scott Fitzgerald, Remi Wörtmeyer showcases that artists achieve their greatest creative potential by inspiring and supporting each other when bound by love.

MAY 13TH

Mother's Day Cookie Decorating Class

SMYRNA COMMUNITY CENTER

TULIP ROOM | 11:00 AM

Sweet Bites by Mimi has partnered with Smyrna Parks & Recreation for a fun & interactive cookie decorating class. Learn different decorating techniques & take home your cookie masterpieces to enjoy. Bring the whole family and enjoy a special day celebrating moms! For more info, reach out to aputnam@smyrnaga.gov

MAY 29TH

Memorial Day Ceremony

TWENTIETH CENTURY

VETERANS MEMORIAL | 9:30 AM

Join the Smyrna Community for a Memorial Day Ceremony on Monday, May 29 at 9:30am at the Veterans Memorial next to City Hall. Find more info at smyrnaga.gov

Get in touch by heading over to our landing page to connect:

CityLifestyle.com/SmyrnaVinings

When you search the Bible for exemplary motherhood, you will find an explosion of inspiration. The first two chapters of 1 Samuel tell the story of Hannah, a woman clothed in dignity who responds to life’s challenges with a smile (Proverbs 31:25). She longed to have a child, but her prolonged waiting led to deep discouragement. Her husband didn’t fully understand her. When he found her depressed, he voiced one of the silliest questions any husband could ask: “Why is your heart sad? Am I not more to you than 10 sons?”

Life’s problems are often the theater in which we see God’s goodness on full display. Hannah’s difficult circumstances did not weaken her faith; they made it stronger. Eventually, God replaced her grief with real peace and lasting contentment. But Hannah’s story was only beginning. “In due time she gave birth to a son” (1 Samuel 1:20). Interestingly, her son was Samuel, the leader God would later use to anoint Israel’s first kings.

- Proverbs 31:25

We all need Hannah’s story. In God’s goodness, He supplies our needs “in due time.” Hannah’s gratitude spilled over into a song that I pray will be your song too: “My heart exults in the Lord; I rejoice in Your salvation, There is no one holy like the Lord, nor is there any rock like our God” (1 Samuel 2:1-2). If you are looking for a church to call home, I invite you to join us for worship this Mother’s Day on May 14th as we thank God for mothers like Hannah.

Jeff Pennington Senior Pastor

“Strength and dignity are her clothing, and she smiles at the future.”

Grilled Pineapple & Jalapeño Margarita

ARTICLE BY SARAH COLE

ingredients

• 8 grilled pineapple cubes

• 1 oz lime juice

• 1.5 oz mezcal

• 0.5 oz agave

• 0.5 oz Tanteo Jalepeño Tequila

• 0.5 oz Cointreau

• 3 jalapeños, sliced into rounds

• Tajin for garnish

directions

1. To a shaker, add lime juice, half the grilled pineapple, and ice.

2. Add agave, mezcal, tequila, and Cointreau. Shake well for 20 seconds.

3. Dip desired glass into Tajin, then pour your margarita, and garnish with remaining pineapple and jalapeño. Enjoy!

Celebrate Cinco de Mayo with Zama Mexican Cuisine in Smyrna

Celebrate Cinco de Mayo with this fabulous Grilled Pineapple & Jalapeño margarita recipe from our friends at Zama Mexican Cuisine. For even more fun and flavor, visit Zama Mexican Cuisine for amazing Southeastern Mexican cuisine in a warm inviting atmosphere.

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