Cary Living Magazine

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handmade holiday TheAnew age of shopping page 60 page 18

holiday

giftguide the ultimate solution for your holiday shopping!

n ov e m b e r | d e c e m b e r 2 0 1 4

publisher

a n o t e fro m the

Although new to Cary Living, I’ve lived in the Triangle and been in the publishing industry here for over 30 years. Back in the day my parents lived in Cary, my father worked in RTP and my mother took me shopping for freshman year at North Hills Mall and Cameron Village. My first college experience was NC State summer school before going off to another Southern college town for undergrad school. Already I feel at home here at Cary Living, thanks in large part to the friendly and hard-working staff at the magazines.

As the holiday season approaches, it’s a good time to reflect on the traditional holiday meals and celebrations from years past. Whether your family traditions involve blood family or family of close-knit friends, traditions you create pass down to our younger generations. My own family lives in the Southeastern United States and four other countries – England, Lebanon, Canada and Australia; our holidays are more often spent with the “family” of friends we have acquired over many decades of living in North Carolina. My two daughters celebrate “American Thanksgiving” in Vancouver and Sydney, usually scrambling to find all the ingredients necessary to replicate those family favorites they grew up with. They’ll gather their own family of friends in faraway living rooms and dining rooms and create their own traditions.

Down the road in Morrisville, North Carolina’s only “paintscaping” light and music production is a free spectacle that normally only shows in large urban areas – don’t miss it. Catch up with Apex High School grad and former major league baseball player Landon Powell, who just snagged a university head coaching position in the Carolinas. Peruse our suggestions of gift ideas in our annual gift guides section, or contemplate making your own heirloom gifts when you read “A Handmade Holiday” for inspiration.

Check out our other articles and tidbits to keep you and your holiday guests entertained and fed during November and December. Keep us on your coffee table until January 2015, when we’ll see you again.

I am committed to making each of our city magazines – Cary Living, Midtown Magazine, and Pinehurst Magazine – YOUR community magazine, as relevant and local as possible. Feel free to send me your thoughts on how we can improve and what else we can do in the future to keep you coming back for more.

Sioux Best,

Sioux Watson Publisher/Editor

Your opinions matter to us. Let us know what you think of this issue of Cary Living.

Please email sioux@caryliving.com with your comments.

Publisher/EDITOR Sioux Watson Advertising Sales Charis Painter | Julie Shaw | Sioux Watson Creative Director Travis Aptt Art Director & Marketing Manager Jennifer Casey Graphic Designer Jennifer Heinser Contributing Writers Dan Bain | David Droschak | Tim Stroupe Kate Turgeon Watson | Kurt Dusterberg Christa Gala | Stacy Cathey | Darcy Brennan Ann Marie Sochia, MS, LPCA, CHT, NLP Photographers Jessica Yakamna | April Maness Photography

Cary Living is published six times annually. Any reproduction in part or in whole of any part of this publication is prohibited without the express written consent of the publisher.

Cary Living is not responsible for unsolicited manuscripts, photography or art. Unsolicited material is welcome and is considered intended for publication. Such material will become the property of the magazine and will be subject to editing.

Material will be returned if accompanied by a self-addressed stamped envelope. Cary Living will not knowingly accept any real estate advertising in violation of U.S. equal opportunity law.

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CARYLIVING

NO V E M B E R | DE CE M B E R 2 0 1 4

18 18 SO NOTED...WITH LOVE How Wake County’s homegrown nonprofit “Note In The Pocket” became one of a kind.

26 PAMPERED RELAXATION Local spas tell us what’s special about their spa and why we should schedule our appointment for relaxation today.

33 GIFT GUIDE The ultimate solution for your holiday shopping!

46 Have game, will travel Looking to ramp up your child’s athletic career? Travel teams might be the answer.

50

60

50 lights like you’ve never seen Park West Village in Morrisville is using the technology to make one of its buildings come to life for the holidays in a 3-D animated light show.

departments

54 TURKEY TImE Holiday staple seeking broader audience.

32 | Beauty

60 A haNDMADE HOLIDAY We talk with four women who make different things for different reasons each holiday season.

10 | ON THE SCENE – TECH 12 | ON THE SCENE – SPORTS 14 | Wine Review 16 | beer Review 24 | DIY 38 | calendar of events 40 | people you should know 43 | Chef Mario 53 | Farm fresh gifts 58 | FASHIOn 64 | healthy living 72 | sightingS

TECH photography © moorescloud.com

By Dan Bain

very smart Holiday interactive light string brings technology to tradition Last year, MooresCloud introduced Holiday, a string of smart lights billed as “the world’s first connected, intelligent, beautiful and easyto-use set of holiday lights.” It’s a mouthful, but it appears to be true.

The 22-foot string holds 50 LED globes, each programmable in tandem with or independent of the others, across a spectrum of more than 16 million colors. Yes, 16 million. The lights are interactive and responsive, controlled via smartphone, tablet, or web browser apps.

Dozens of apps and functions are available for the device, including:

• • • • • • • •

Color Wheel: Dial up an instant change in color to whichever one you’re touching onscreen.

Blinking Colors: Display random colors in each globe, changing at customizable speeds.

Rainbow: Select multiple colors to “chase” down the string.

Holiday Visualiser: Coordinate the lights to music.

LightCompass: Modulate the colors in sync with the movements of your mobile device.

PhotoGrabber: Select an image on your mobile device, then send a color from it to the globes.

Timer: Set times to turn on and off.

Countdown: Set a duration to be counted backward, and the colors will change from green to yellow to red to blinking red as the time ticks away.

Holiday can also be used for mood lighting and other decorative purposes, any time of year. Although the $199 product is currently sold out, MooresCloud offers a “wish list” – whereby consumers can request them to manufacture more – at moorescloud.com. Happy Holidays!

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caryliving.com | 11

SPORTS photograph © Bob Jordan

By david droschak

The Atlantic Coast Conference Football Championship Game celebrates its 10th anniversary this December. Hall of Fame coach Bobby Bowden of Florida State celebrates with his players at the first title game in Jacksonville, Florida, in 2005.

A Championship Conference ACC Celebrating 10th Anniversary of Football Championship Game It’s hard to believe a decade has passed since the Atlantic Coast Conference expanded with the likes of Boston College, Miami and Virginia Tech, split into Atlantic and Coastal divisions, and began staging the Dr Pepper ACC Championship Game.

Since then, other conferences have followed suit with major expansions and the ACC again has added additional schools (Louisville, Pittsburgh and Syracuse) to its growing geographical footprint, upgrading its football image significantly in the process.

Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte is hosting the game between division winners for the fifth straight year. The December 6th game is also the first in a six-year contract extension, essentially making the home of the NFL Carolina Panthers the “unofficial home” of the ACC title game.

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Last year’s game featured eventual national champion Florida State and upstart Duke, drawing more than 67,000 fans.

“Everyone is competing for the discretionary dollar, wherever you may be holding your event,” said Michael Strickland, the league’s senior associate commissioner for football. “And our TV partners have created a great product at home for fans that have invested countless thousands of dollars into nice TVs and viewing rooms.

So, we have to do a great job of staging an event that motivates folks to come out to the stadium and experience college football live.

We believe the in-venue experience is still something not to be missed.”

Two of our local teams – North Carolina and NC State – have yet to advance to the ACC title game. Same holds true for

one-time power Miami. Florida State and Virginia Tech have each won three title games over the last nine seasons.

“The one main positive about the creation of this game over the last 10 years is that, for 99 percent of the folks who put on the uniform, this is the highest level of football they will ever play,” Strickland said. “For all those seniors who won’t play professional football, this will be the final major sporting event of their life. So from touchdown to takeoff – from the moment they land in Charlotte to the moment they leave – we want the student/ athlete to have a fantastic experience.

Same holds true for the fans.”

Log on to www.theacc.com for additional ticket information.

WINEreview rothschild rouge

By Tim Stroupe, wine manager total wine & more, Crossroads Shopping Center

chateau de chantegrive graves

CULT cabernet napa

90

CHateau hautmaillet pomerol

90

Wine Advocate

92 James Suckling

Wine Enthusiast

Bordeaux, France

Bordeaux, France

Napa, California

Bordeaux, France

A superb value from the owners of Château Lafite-Rothschild, this Cabernet/Merlot blend is great for everyday drinking. Classic flavors of black currants and plums with light vanilla overtones ending smooth and dry.

Elegant and classy for your next party!

Notes of tobacco leaf, creme de cassis, barbecue smoke and loads of flesh, opulence and richness characterize this dense purple-colored wine, which is full-bodied and over-achieving.

Drink it over the next decade. A major sleeper of the vintage.

Great price for a Cab this good, and surprising that it’s non-vintage.

Toasty oak stands out, not unpleasantly, and then the blackberries, black currants and dark chocolate kicks in.

Holds its own among far more expensive Napa Cabernets.

Expressive nose with coffee, eucalyptus and lots of blueberries. Dark ripe plums, vanilla and wild strawberries.

Full-bodied, velvety and balanced on the palate with attractive fruit. Soft fine tannins.

Needs a couple of years to soften.

$15.99/bottle

$29.99/bottle

$29.99/bottle

$39.99/bottle

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Dominican oaks cabernet

Napa, CA This Napa Cabernet is an incredibly nuanced wine with ripe cherry, spicebox and anise fragrances; the palate mimics the aromas in addition to added notes of coffee and toast; the overall subtlety and balance of the wine makes it a real standout.

$18.99/bottle

BEERreview

By Tim Stroupe, wine manager total wine & more, Crossroads Shopping Center

FOUNDERS BREAKFAST STOUT

alesmith speedway stout

noda hop drop n’ roll ipa

weyerbacher althea

founders brewing company

alesmith brewing company

noda brewing co.

weyerbacher brewing co.

89

99

Beer Connoisseur

Beer Advocate

highland thunderstruck coffee porter highland brewing co.

96 Beer Advocate

Michigan

California

North Carolina

Pennsylvania

North Carolina

Brewed with an abundance of flaked oats, bitter and sweetened imported chocolates, Sumatra and Kona coffee. This Stout has an intense fresh-roasted coffee nose topped with a cinnamon colored frothy head that seems to never fade.

Jet Black with an off-white head. Starts with strong coffee and dark chocolate sensations, turning to a multitude of toasty, roasty and caramel malt flavors. Clean and crisp, full-bodied and warm from the high alcohol content.

Pours a hazy golden yellow/orange color.

The aroma is citrusy and piney with notes of grassy, bitter hops.

The taste is packed with citrus fruit and bold, bitter hops that are followed by a warm, boozy finish.

A Belgian-style Dubbel brewed with plums. Dark brown in color. Sweet malty aromas of dark fruits and yeasty notes.

Traditional maltiness of a Dubbel with added fruity notes from the plums. Nice beer, with proceed contributions going toward breast cancer research.

Pours a deep brown.

Hints of chocolate from chocolate malt and midnight wheat.

Mild Noble hop aroma balancing roasty flavors, and subtle fruit and spice notes of artisanroasted Dynamite Roasting Co. fair trade/organic coffee.

$10.49/4-12oz bottles

$12.99/750ml

$11.99/4-16oz cans

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$9.99/750ml

$9.99/6-12oz bottles

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So noted...

with love 18 | caryliving.com

How Wake County’s homegrown nonprofit “Note in the Pocket”

became one of a kind.

By Kate Turgeon Watson

It’s a fall afternoon in an elementary school classroom. Twenty students sit on a colorful mat that doubles as a map of the United States. A boy plays with his shoelaces. A girl bends her knees, wraps her arms around them and rests her cheek on a knee. A few children sit with posture a dancer would envy. Almost all of them, from 1st grade through 5th, have questions.

“How do you know the shoe size they need?” one asks.

“How can a family call you?” another says.

“Where do you keep all the clothes?” still another wants to know.

Dallas Bonavita answers the young inquisitors.

As executive director of Note in the Pocket, she’s used to talking about the nonprofit she represents.

She explains: they know shoe sizes because they’re written down, a family can’t call (but “helper” agencies can), and Note in the Pocket has a volunteer center. The center is on Newton Road, Bonavita adds, close to their school and near “where the horses are.”

If they weren’t before, the kids are definitely with her now. They say “oh” and nod their heads in understanding.

There are questions they don’t ask. They don’t

“That’s really who we are. We are ‘the community.’ We collect the clothes. We process the clothes. We quality control.

We sort. We size. We shelve. And we deliver clothes to children in Wake County who need clothes for school.”

- Dallas Bonavita, executive director of Note in the Pocket

caryliving.com | 19

ask why 51,000 students in Wake County may need Note in the Pocket. For them, the “why” isn’t nearly as important as what they can do to help.

The students are members of Ravenscroft School’s student council. They’re planning a clothing drive for Note in the Pocket, an organization that provides clothing to impoverished and homeless children in Wake County.

Throughout the year Bonavita visits groups like this one.

She visits churches, scouting groups and clubs from Wake County Schools. The donations that groups gather are a lifeline for her nonprofit, which started in 2005 as one family’s ministry.

It began with a kindergarten teacher who was new to the profession. She noticed that many of her students were coming to school hungry and wearing clothing that didn’t fit and wasn’t right for the weather. The situation made it hard for them to learn. As the story goes, Bonavita says, the teacher called her mom. And the mom replied, “We can’t fix everything, but we can do something.”

For more informatioN Phone: 919-714-9403 Email: info@noteinthepocket.org Web: www.noteinthepocket.org

20 | caryliving.com

A student prepares a sign to encourage classmates to donate to a clothing drive for Note in the Pocket, an organization that provides clothing and a special note to impoverished and homeless children in Wake County.

They decided to make sure each child had a coat.

They reached out to their community for help. Coats were donated. And each student in that classroom went home with a winter coat. What the young teacher didn’t expect, however, was that many of the coats were returned the day after they were given.

“The families couldn’t believe that anybody would give their child a coat,” Bonavita explains. “They just didn’t believe it. And they thought, ‘maybe it was just a coat to get them home that one day?’ So they sent them back.”

Out of necessity, the teacher and her mom put a note in each coat pocket that read: “This coat is your child’s to keep. It’s a gift from the community.” The mother-daughter pair, who, Bonavita explains, prefer not to have their names in the spotlight, sent the coats home again.

“That’s really who we are.

We are ‘the community.’

We collect the clothes.

We process the clothes.

We quality control. We sort.

We size. We shelve.

And we deliver clothes to children in Wake County who need clothes for school.”

– Dallas Bonavita, executive director of Note in the Pocket

caryliving.com | 21

That coat drive was the first project for what would become an organization named Note in the Pocket.

For years the coat drives continued. Word got around and, pretty soon, people were just bringing coats at all times of the year, and in great numbers. People started to bring clothes, too. Organizers and friends would drop the clothes off at schools’ clothing closets for those in need and social workers would handle distribution.

“It just kinda grew … people would bring whatever they had whenever they had it,” Bonavita says.

While growth was welcomed, it was also time for a more organized effort. That meant community calendars and monthly clothing drives. A steady stream of clothes coming in could mean a steady stream of clothes going out. The first clothing drive in 2012 yielded more than 100 bags of clothes from an Our Lady of Lourdes Vacation Bible School group.

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2005 Note in the Pocket starts as a family ministry. The first mission is to give winter coats to a classroom of children.

2005-2011 Operating from a private home, the organization continues to donate coats and clothing to students in need.

2012 Note in the Pocket becomes a ministry of Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church.

2013 Note in the Pocket becomes a 501 (c) (3) nonprofit organization, and serves more than 1,550 people (mostly children.)

NITP begins to operate out of a volunteer center in North Raleigh.

2014 Note in the Pocket reaches more than 2,000 people. Children are still the focus, but NITP will provide clothes to others in a child’s household. There’s a note that goes on top of each bag.

It reads, simply, “You are loved.”

“At that point all bets were off,” Bonavita laughs. “People were just – immediately – wanting to schedule clothing drives. Exponentially, as people would hear about us, we had more volunteers show up. We had more requests for clothes.”

They grew their partnership base with school social workers and homeless and transitional housing agencies. Through the partnerships, they could identify the children most in need of their services.

Note in the Pocket had found its niche providing clothing to school-age children. They were delivering a week’s worth of clothing to each child in need.

In the care package were shoes, socks, underwear and seasonally-appropriate, well-fitting clothes. There was no one, they discovered, who was doing what they were doing.

“We deliver … the families in financial crisis can’t get to where there are free or reduced-priced clothes,” Bonavita says. “And those places don’t have a week’s worth of clothes in that

Now in its second year, Ravenscroft’s clothing drive for NITP fits into the school’s Citizen Leader Framework, teacher Megan Bever says. It encourages students to lead with others and change their world, she adds.

child’s sizes. Forget it if you have several children and … you might need size 14 husky. What thrift shop is going to have five pair of size 14 husky pants? You’d be lucky to find one.”

To get the clothing they’re looking for, Note in the Pocket volunteers have been known to visit several thrift shops and discount stores. “They’re great,” she says of the shops. “We have relationships with all of them. We partner with all of them.”

Note in the Pocket volunteers never see the happy faces of the people they serve. But, Bonavita insists, that’s perfectly fine. What’s most important, she adds, is that the work is done anonymously and with dignity. Volunteers deliver to schools and, oftentimes, the schools’ social workers deliver to children when they do home visits.

Like the Note in the Pocket volunteers, those student council representatives – the ones sitting on the USA map rug – won’t ever know exactly whom they are helping. All they know is that they are holding a clothing drive to help others.

“Our motto is all about leading with others and changing our world,” Ravenscroft teacher Megan Bever says. “They’re helping other children … this gives them a sense of a way they can help the community.”

For those who volunteer for Note in the Pocket, the word community is what they are all about. And the word recalls the words written on those very first notes that were sent home in the pockets of winter coats.

“We always say we do clothes. And we do them well. We have a very tight focus on what we do,” Bonavita says. “When you get something from us, it’s going to be new or like new because it’s a gift.” L

OILS VINEGARS SPICES

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caryliving.com | 23

DIY

By christa gala & stacy cathey

YOU’LL NEED: • An old shutter • Hooks • Power drill • Screws • Paint

A GREAT PLACE TO UNLOAD One of the rites of passage of having school-aged kids seems to be tripping over bulging backpacks left in the foyer, on the stairs or just flat-out in the middle of the room.

Unless you have a designated mudroom, often there’s just no home for backpacks, not to mention briefcases, computer bags and purses.

With the holidays upon us, and folks dropping in seemingly all the time, why not make a home for these loads we’re so ready to get rid of? This super-easy project took a few hours and cost under $50. We added a shelf to ours, which holds a wire basket perfect for papers that need to be signed or phones that need to be charged.

First, paint your shelf and shutter; both of these items are available at salvage yards or thrift stores for between $5 and $10 each. We painted our shelf and shutter white, sanding both after they dried for a shabby-chic look. Our shelf is slightly longer than

the shutter at 60 inches and 47 inches, respectively.

Next, screw the shelf to the top of the shutter so that they’re now one piece. Secure the shutter-shelf to the wall with screws. If you have young children, hang the shutter low enough so they will be able to reach the hooks comfortably; consider utilizing wall space under a knee wall or bar.

Now it’s time to attach your hooks. We used three, costing between $5 and $10 each and easily found at any home improvement store. Space them equal distance apart on the shutter, allowing for the width of a heavy backpack or other bag.

The last step is the toughest: Train the kids to unload on those hooks the minute they hit the door.

>>Email us at jennifer@caryliving.com with your DIY suggestion.

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pampered

relaxation Turns out, we like feeling good and looking good. The spa industry is growing, thanks to us. Americans made 164 million spa visits last year, an increase of 2.5 percent in just 12 months, according to the International Spa Association. You know it’s more fun than going to the grocery store, but don’t take our word for it.

Here, local spa owners tell us what’s new and how certain spa treatments can leave you feeling invigorated and even help you manage stubborn health challenges.

26 | caryliving.com

Celebrating 16 years of stellar service to the Cary community, Cary Massage helps to eliminate their clients' stress and pain through therapeutic massage. Highly qualified therapists offer treatments such as deep tissue, Swedish, hot stone, pregnatal, fertility, reflexology, medical massage and massage cupping. Winner of a 2014 Cary Living Diamond Award for “Best Place for Unique Spa Treatments”, Cary Massage also offers spa packages such as the “Garden of Eden,” which includes a relaxing Swedish massage, European facial, invigorating full body scrub and soothing hand and foot treatment.

“Best place to get a massage, hands down.” ~ David S.

Cary Massage

1330 SE Maynard Road | Suite 203 | Cary | 919-651-9910 carymassagetherapy.com

caryliving.com | 27

Massage Envy Spa is the leader in affordable, professional massage and healthy skin facials.

Our 14 conveniently located Raleigh/Durham clinics feature a variety of customized massage services, enhanced therapies, and Murad速 facial services designed to improve your physical and emotional well-being. You are invited to be our guest and enjoy a $49.99 introductory 1-hour massage session or a $59.99 Introductory 1-hour Murad速 Healthy Skin facial session.

Open late, nights and weekends. Hours vary.

Massage Envy Spa

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14 Convenient Locations massageenvyRDU.com

The Spa at Miller-Motte College is dedicated to instructing students in the massage therapy and esthetic professions. We allow the students to gain valuable feedback from clientele to assist in their education. Although we are a learning institution, we strive to provide each client with a wonderful experience.

“Over the past four years, I have enjoyed many visits to The Spa at Miller-Motte College. I look forward to each of my visits – be it a massage, facial, waxing or tint service.

My all-time favorite is the O2 Lift Facial. My skin feels rejuvenated after the service.”

~ Debby DiLalla, Apex

The Spa at Miller-Motte College 2205 Walnut Street | Cary | 919-532-7177 thespaatmmc.com

caryliving.com | 29

Our spa is well known for great gift ideas during the holidays and throughout the year.

With our authentic Mediterranean flair and a touch of history, our salon and spa offers everything from massage therapy and skin care to a full-service hair and nail salon. Understanding the simplicity of customs, different cultures, artists and fashion are what inspired this spa and salon to be so unique. Many people see their appearance in a negative light instead of seeing their true beauty. Authentic beauty radiates with vitality, purity, health and earthiness. Syeni prides itself on bringing that beauty and harmony together from the inside out... a way of living that allows us to love ourselves more and to embrace our individual beauty. Syeni’s rituals and treatments follow Dr. Hauschka’s and Davine's way of living using rhythmic methods and pure plantbased products, a lifestyle that avoids harsh treatments and chemicals and allows true beauty to emerge naturally. L

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Syeni Salon & Spa

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225 N Salem Street | Apex | 919-387-4166 syenispa.com

BEAUTY

1

1. For an elegant twist on this season’s hot tousled look, curl hair all over, and lightly shake out using your fingers and a texture cream. Pull hair into a low ponytail and roll upward. Gently fan out and use bobby pins to secure. Hairspray and voila.

HAIR FOR THE

2

Syeni Salon and Spa in Downtown Apex wants to help you look your best for all your upcoming holiday occasions. We are a full-service salon and day spa housed in the historic Tobacco and Mule Building. The holidays are right around the corner and as you know, this time of year can be extremely busy, so book your appointment soon to reserve your spot.

Our talented team of stylists are eager to work their magic on your hair, creating your signature look for the holidays. Mindy Diehl, a stylist at Syeni, shows us some looks you can do at home to get fab-looking hair in a flash. From dramatic coiffures to a subtle chignon, the look that you wear to your event has much to do with what you’ll be wearing.

2. A low chignon makes for chic elegance. Braids intertwined into this look can add interesting appeal while, soft curls can also make a unique spin on a classic chignon.

3. Maybe you prefer your hair down; a half-up look with curls that softly sweep around your face will look beautiful with a strapless gown.

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holiday

from

:

giftguide

1

1. Mailly Brut Reserve Gift Set $54.99 Total Wine and More Champagne France – On the palate, notes of red berry, honey and underlying citrus flavors.

The Mailly Brut Reserve is on the dry side, with a lingering honey accent on the finish.

2. Handmade Chocolate Truffles $26.00 per pound Chocolate Smiles Fifteen flavors plus seasonal favorites to choose from. Sure to please even the most discriminating chocolate lover’s palate. Available in 9, 15/18, 28 piece gift boxes. Let them unwrap...DELICIOUS!

2

3. Bernina Sewing Machine $249 and up Elegant Stitches When shopping for the creative person this season, fulfill their wildest dreams at Elegant Stitches.

Whether you’re sewing, quilting or embroidering, with modern aesthetics plus cutting-edge technology BERNINA creates an unforgettable sewing experience. Our courteous and talented staff will guide Santa to your dream machine!

3

4. Customizable Gift Basket $25-$50 per basket VOM FASS VOM FASS vinegars, oils and spices for the holidays...many delicious choices and complimentary gift wrapping available as well.

5. Swiss Exercise Antiburst Ball $25.00 65cm ball Apex Physical Therapy & Wellness Center Swiss exercise balls are great to help you stay in shape.

34 | caryliving.com

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6. Necklace $72 Sophie & Mollies Boutique Long necklace with beautiful foil gemstones with gold accents. A perfect gift for that special lady on your list this holiday season.

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7. Build-Your-Own Gift Basket Prices vary Massage Envy Spa We have high quality, affordable massage and facials as well as a large selection of Murad® Healthy Skin products and Biofreeze® products for muscle soreness. Grab a basket and build your own with a selection of gift cards and products.

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8. Personalized Holiday Cards and Invitations Price starting at $64 (per 25 cards) Cute Buttons Gift and Paper Boutique It’s the most wonderful time of the year to send out your custom holiday cards and invitations announcing your holiday soiree. We have a great selection of personalized holiday cards and invitations (photo and non-photo) to bring on the festivities in style!

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9. Bourbon and Boweties Bracelets Starting at $28 The Purple Polka Dot Our best selling stack makes a fabulous gift for any fashionista! Largest selection in the area!

Bourbon and Boweties are proudly made by southern hands.

10. Tortoise Necklace and Bracelet Necklace $27.99/Bracelet $24.99 The Southern Charm Boutique Tortoise monogram necklace and matching bracelet. A must on your Christmas list this year.

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11. Vintage Note Cards $13 per bag Erminia’s Vintage Fashion Design A package of vintage note cards comes with 10 cards and envelopes in two different designs.

Card size is 5.5” x 4.25”. Perfect for that fashionista on your Christmas list this year. caryliving.com | 35

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12. Zand Amsterdam Skirt Starting at $69.99 BeYOUtiful Butterfly The “Zand Amsterdam” original snap skirt is reversable, no two are alike and one size fits all. Give as the perfect gift for that girl who wants to be YOUnique.

13. Pandora Essence Collection Bracelet and Beads Starting at $60 Ashworth’s Prim and Proper The Pandora Essence Collection helps women express their innermost self through the symbolic charms, each of which are engraved with key values such as joy, hope, love, loyalty, passion, balance, compassion, health and more.

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14. Handstitched Pillows Small Pillows $48/Large Pillows $68 Elizabeth’s Home & Garden Decor These precious, handstitched needlepoint pillows represent a timeless tradition and a treasure to be adored and passed down from generation to generation.

15. “The Carolers” by Byer’s Choice Ltd. $44.99-$74.99 The Perfect Piece Gingerbread has always been a family holiday tradition when everyone gets together to make cookies, houses, or even tree decorations. Hair and eye colors will vary.

16. Cast Iron Cookware $299 Whisk The best in enameled cast iron cookware from France.

Staub marries the expression of the artisan with the culinary imagination of gourmet chefs to produce the ultimate in comfort food -- and easily moves from the kitchen to your table at home.

17. Jax & Bones Leather Dog Bed $110-250 depending on size Woof Gang Bakery Designed like a sofa, guaranteed to provide snooze-worthy comfort. Dirt resistant and recommended for dogs that shed, as the hair will not stick! Also great for dogs who drool!

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Waves of Change A customized hypnosis session is the perfect gift to jump-start a New Year’s Resolution. Weight loss, smoking cessation, stress management and more! $115 through the holidays (normally $125); includes a free additional MP3 Relaxation Session.

FOOD & DRINK

year-round from 8am-12pm (April through November) and 9:30am-12pm (December through March). Our mission is for all people in our community to become educated about and benefit from locally grown food.

Another Broken Egg Cafe It’s that busy time of year, the holidays are here!

Add a little pep to someone’s morning with a gift certificate from Another Broken Egg Cafe.

BEAUTY

SERVICES Dust and Mop Locally-owned house cleaning service. A perfect holiday gift for one-time, weekly, bi-weekly and monthly services. Ask about our gift cards and our Ahhh…

Package, cleaning service for 12 months.

Syeni Salon & Day Spa Indulge the one you love with the gift of wellness and beauty this holiday season. We offer a wide range of services that will pamper your loved one from head to toe. Gift certificates available for hair, esthetics, nails and massage. Come see us today or visit our website to purchase.

The Spa at Miller-Motte College The Spa at Miller-Motte College is always a great value, with services provided by students and supervised by industry professionals.

Chef Mario Chef-prepared dinners for a week from Chef Mario’s, Inc! Two-person packages start at just $185.

Western Wake Farmers’ Market Give the gift of local foods, all year round! Western Wake Farmers’ Market offers gift certificates in any denomination to give as a gift to your favorite local foodie. Gift certificates can be used to purchase fresh, local products from any vendor at Western Wake Farmers’ Market. We are open every Saturday,

Cary Massage Celebrating 16 years in business helping the community eliminate their stress and pain, and winner of a 2014 Cary Living Diamond Award, we offer online gift certificates for all of the people on your holiday gift list.

ENTERTAINMENT Cary Gallery of Artists Be original. Buy original. We feature contemporary and traditional fine art and crafts, with more than 300 artworks exhibited by 20-plus artists from around the Triangle. Gift certificates available in a variety of denominations.

Sandhills Children’s Center Dance among the trees at the 18th Annual Festival of Trees Snow Ball. Enjoy hearty hors d’oeuvres and a host bar at the beautiful Carolina Hotel in Pinehurst. The Snow Ball is on Friday, November 21st from 7-10pm. Tickets are $100 and available online at www.festivaloftrees.org.

caryliving.com | 37

calendar

OF EVENTS

NOVEMBER | DECEMBER 2014

ARTQUILTS connections exhibit October 22-November 16 Page-Walker Arts & History Center 119 Ambassador Loop | Cary www.TownofCary.org

downtown chili cook-off November 1 | 10am-4pm Fuquay Retail District | Fuquay-Varina www.fuquay-varinadowntown.com cary art loop final friday November 1-25 | 6-9pm carygelleryofartists.org 2014 triangle signature chefs auction November 2 | 5:30pm PrestonwoodCountry Club 300 Prestonwood Pkwy | Cary the carolina theatre of durham PRESENTS various shows November 2, 4-5, 7-8, 11-16, 21-24 The Carolina Theatre | Durham www.carolinatheatre.org civil war genealogy November 4 | 10-11am West Regional Library 4000 Loius Stephens Drive | Cary JUMP FOR THE CHILDREN Horse Show November 4-9pm Gov. James B Hunt, Jr Hunt Horse Complex 4601 Trinity Road | Raleigh www.jumpforthechildren.org

memoir writing November 4 | 7-8:30pm West Regional Library 4000 Loius Stephens Drive | Cary

duke performaces & the carolina theatre of durham PRESENTS The Preservation Hall Jazz Band with Allen Toussaint November 6 | 8pm The Carolina Theatre | Durham www.carolinatheatre.org

Lecture: “Understanding southern silver” by gary albert of mesda November 6 | 7pm Visitors Center of the Joel Lane Museum House Raleigh | 919-833-3431 www.joellane.org retroclassics film series PRESENTS: Alfred Hitchcock’s North by Northwest & Charade November 7 | 7pm www.carolinatheatre.org

meet the author: daniel wallace November 4 | 7-8pm West Regional Library 4000 Loius Stephens Drive | Cary expressions: A celebration of food & art November 14 | 5:30-8pm Umstead Hotel and Spa | Cary 919-677-1400 cash for the holidays promotion in downtown November 14-December 10 All Fuquay-Varina Retail Districts www.fuquay-varinadowntown.com cary shop hop November 14 | 5:30-8pm 200 S. Academy St. | 919-462-2035 www.CaryGalleryofArtists.org

bark for life: dog & Family event November 8 | 10am-2pm Davis Drive Park | Cary www.WakeBark.org

2 year anniversary Party November 15 Elizabeth’s Home and Garden Decor | Cary www.elizabethshomeandgardenshop.com

peak city book festival November 8 | 11am-5pm Hale Cultural Arts Center | Apex peakcitypublishing.co/#!peak-city-book-festival

NC Water polo championship tournament November 15 | 12-9pm Triangle Aquatic Center | Cary 919-369-3025

affordable care act info sessions November 8 | 9am-4pm Genesis United Methodist Church 850 High House Rd. | Cary christmas shopping spree November 8 | 3-4pm West Regional Library 4000 Loius Stephens Drive | Cary 12th annual open house November 8 | 9am-5pm The Garden Hut 1004 Old Honeycutt Rd | Fuquay-Varina the chamber orchestra of the triangle November 9 | 3pm The Carolina Theatre | Durham www.carolinatheatre.org the chamber orchestra of the triangle PRESENTS: The Pinnacle of Piano Concerts November 9 | 3pm www.carolinatheatre.org

38 | caryliving.com

mystery book discussion ‘the prime minister’s secret agent’ by macneal November 12 | 10:30-11:30am West Regional Library 4000 Loius Stephens Drive | Cary

weekend gardener November 15 | 8-11am The Garden Hut 1004 Old Honeycutt Rd | Fuquay-Varina Bill leslie November 16 | 4pm Page-Walker Arts & History Center | Cary 919-460-4963 | www.friendsofpagewalker. com getting the most bang for your marketing buck November 18 | 10-11am West Regional Library 4000 Loius Stephens Drive | Cary talkin’ books November 18 | 7-8pm West Regional Library 4000 Loius Stephens Drive | Cary 18th annual festival of trees to benefit sandhills children’s center November 19-23 Carolina Hotel | 80 Carolina Vista Drive Pinehurst | www.festivaloftrees.org

2 9 16 23 30

3 10 17 24

4 11 18 25

5 12 19 26

6 13 20 27

7 14 21 28

S 1 8 15 22 29

DECEMBER

NOVEMBER

S M T W T F

S M 1 7 8 14 15 21 22 28 29

T 2 9 16 23 30

W 3 10 17 24 31

T 4 11 18 25

F 5 12 19 26

S 6 13 20 27

save energy, save money November 20 | 5-6pm West Regional Library 4000 Loius Stephens Drive | Cary

BOW CLASS December 2 | 6-7:30pm The Garden Hut 1004 Old Honeycutt Rd. | Fuquay-Varina

santa’s workshop December 6 | 10am-12:30pm Herbert C. Young Community Center | Cary www.townofcary.org

duke performaces & the carolina theatre of durham PRESENTS diego el cigala November 20 | 8pm The Carolina Theatre | Durham www.carolinatheatre.org

sleigh rides December 4 | Downtown Fuquay-Varina www.fuquay-varinadowntown.com

christmas party December 6 Elizabeth’s Home and Garden Decor | Cary www.elizabethshomeandgardenshop.com

retrotreasures film series PRESENTS The Odd Couple (1968) & The Producers November 21 | 7pm The Carolina Theatre | Durham www.carolinatheatre.org 19th annual american indian heritage celebration November 22 | 11am-4pm NC Museum of History | Raleigh http://ncmuseumofhistory.org Step lively! A walk for hospice November 22 | 8am Registration WakeMed Soccer Park | 940 E Chatham St. Cary | 919-828-0890 www.steplivelyforhospice.org novel readers evening book discussion ‘my antonia’ by cather November 24 | 7-8pm West Regional Library 4000 Loius Stephens Drive | Cary cary ART LOOP November 28 | 6-9pm 200 S. Academy St. | 919-462-2035 www.CaryGalleryofArtists.org retrofantasma film series PRESENTS Tron (1982) & Logan’s Run November 28 | 7pm The Carolina Theater | Durham www.carolinatheatre.org small business saturday November 29 | 10am-5pm All Fuquay-Varina Retail Districts www.fuquay-varinadowntown.com

town tree lighting December 4 | Downtown Fuquay-Varina www.fuquay-varinadowntown.com ladies night December 4 | 6-8pm The Garden Hut 1004 Old Honeycutt Rd. | Fuquay-Varina 12th annual cary academy holiday shoppe December 4 | 9:30am-5pm December 5 | 10am-5pm & 6:30-9pm December 6 | 10am-4pm 1500 N. Harrison Ave. | Cary Academy Joel lane museum house presents “a colonial christmas” open house December 6 | 11am-4pm 728 W. Hargett St. | Raleigh www.joellane.org town of cary tree lighting ceremony December 6 | 6pm Town Hall Campus by Town Tree | Cary www.townofcary.org the muppets christmas carol & national lampoons christmas vacation December 6 The Muppets Christmas Carol | 10am National Lampoons Christmas Vacation | 7:30 & 9:30pm | The Cary Theater | Cary www.townofcary.org page-walker holiday open house December 6 | 4-6pm Page-Walker Arts & History Center | Cary www.townofcary.org

11th annual ole time winter festival December 6 | 10am-4pm West Chatham St. | Cary www.townofcary.org chamber christmas parade December 7 | Downtown Fuquay-Varina www.fuquay-varinadowntown.com journey to bethlehem December 11, 12 | 6-8:30pm December 13 | 5:30-8:30pm December 13, 14 | 5:30-8:30pm Salem Baptist Church | Apex www.salem-bc.org/upcomingevents holiday open house December 12 | 5:30-8pm 200 S. Academy St. | 919-462-2035 www.CaryGalleryofArtists.org MAgical winter lights December 12, 13, 19-21 | 5:30-8:30pm December 14 | 6-8:30pm Park West Village www.ParkWestVillage.net 43rd annual historiacl oakwood candlelight tour December 13 & 14 | 1-7pm Oakwood Inn | 411 N Bloodworth St. www.historicoakwood.org concert singers of cary presents holiday pops December 13 | 1pm December 14 | 3pm The Cary Arts Center | Cary concertsingers.org raleigh boychoir’s millennium chorus December 14 | 4pm Page-Walker Arts & History Center | Cary 919-460-4963 | friendsofpagewalker.com

Send us...

Community events you would like published in the calendar can be emailed to charis@caryliving.com. caryliving.com | 39

PEOPLE You Should Know

LANDON ON HIS FEET After a major-league baseball career touched by joy and heartache, Apex’s Landon Powell is back in the dugout.

Landon Powell is barely into his thirties. For better and worse, he has packed a lot of powerful experiences into those years.

At the moment, he is laying the groundwork for a new chapter of his life – and time is tight. He’s driving to a meeting at North Greenville University in Greenville, SC, where he is the new head baseball coach. After a season as a volunteer assistant at Furman University, he was offered the job in May. “To be a 32-year old who is retired from baseball and already have a head baseball coaching job within a year, I feel very blessed,” Powell says.

When he says “retired from baseball,” he’s talking about the major leagues. The 2000 Apex High School graduate spent three seasons as a catcher for the Oakland Athletics.

Yet Powell’s baseball story is a mixed bag. Selected in the first round of the major-league draft after a standout career at the University of South Carolina, he received a $1 million bonus. But he tore his anterior cruciate ligament twice at the start of his pro career, leaving him stalled in the minors.

“That really impeded my progress to the big leagues,” Powell says. “I went the longest route possible, going to college for four years and graduating. I already had a late start getting into pro ball.”

When he finally reached the majors in 2009, Detroit Tigers first baseman Miguel Cabrera spelled it out to him. After Powell reached first base on a hit, the Tigers superstar figured the Oakland catcher must be a rookie.

“I haven’t seen you before,” Cabrera said. “How old are you?”

40 | caryliving.com

photograph © Michael Zagaris, Oakland Athletics

By Kurt Dusterberg

“27 years old,” Powell answered.

“Holy cow!” Cabrera said. “I’m 26. This is my seventh year.”

Suddenly, “rookie” felt like a bad word.

“Right then and there I realized how old I was, getting my first experience in the big leagues.”

From 2009-2011, Powell was the Athletics’backup catcher.

All along, however, the knee injuries were taking their toll.

He also began taking medication for a liver disease. “That’s not an excuse,” he says. “I just wasn’t the same player I was my rookie year.”

After spending the 2012 season in the minor leagues, Powell was preparing to earn a spot with the New York Mets

photograph © NGU sports information department photograph © Michael Zagaris, Oakland Athletics

Powell is introduced as the North Greenville University baseball coach with his wife Ally at his side.

in training camp. But instead of focusing on baseball, Landon and his wife Ally were coming to terms with losing a child.

Their four-month-old daughter, Izzy, suffered from a rare disorder that causes an overly aggressive immune system to attack healthy cells.

“There are still days we think about our little girl and we cry,” Powell says. “They say time heals a broken heart, but I don’t know if that’s true. It doesn’t necessarily get any easier every day when we think about Izzy. It doesn’t make it hurt any less. We just know that she is in a better place and God does everything for a reason. We think about her and talk about her

every day. We have pictures of her in our house. She’s still very much part of our family.”

The loss of Izzy made baseball seem far less important.

“It was a lot of stress on our family and on me,” he says. “It seemed like a good time to get out of baseball and start doing something else. For me, to have a family situation like that and a reason to come home and recover from losing our daughter, it was a great opportunity to do something else. I will never look back and think I should have kept playing.”

Whatever baseball memories were left unclaimed, don’t feel bad for Powell. Before he left the game, he made a little history. On a cool day in May, 2010, Powell caught Dallas Braden’s perfect game, just the 19th time in history that a pitcher had allowed no hits and no base runners in a game.

“To be a backup catcher and play only once or twice a week, I was never going to make a lot of headlines or make all-star teams,” Powell says. “So to have that special Sunday afternoon and catch a perfect game and make major-league history, being in that exclusive club of catchers who have caught a perfect game, that was awesome.”

It ranks right there with his first hit in the big leagues, off Seattle star Felix Hernandez. Powell ripped a double off the right-field fence, driving in two runs.

caryliving.com | 41

PEOPLE

photograph © Michael Zagaris, Oakland Athletics

You Should Know

As a junior at Apex High School, Powell helped the Cougars win the 2000 4-A state championship.

“When I got to second base, I literally felt like I was on top of the world. I had chills all over my body. I could have walked off the field right then and never played another game of baseball.”

Powell may be an early retiree from the game he loves, but he now has a team to coach. And life goes on with Ally, their son Holden and daughter Ellie, Izzy’s twin.

One day soon, Powell hopes he can point his car back to Apex.

“I don’t get back there as much as I would like to, and now that I’m retired, I want to spend a little more time there,” he says. “My family still lives there. I would love to start some baseball camps, be a little more involved. But every time I drive down Highway 64 and pass by Apex High School, it brings back a lot of memories.”

Just like his professional playing career.

“Even though I didn’t have a 10-year major-league career, I still played a lot of professional baseball,” he says with obvious satisfaction. “I was okay with that. I feel very fortunate.” L

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42 | caryliving.com

raising thebar

Youweask

Q

ANSWER

Which of the legal holidays is my employer required to observe?

Sarah, Cary

None. No employer is required to observe holidays or give holiday time off at all, either with or without pay.

It is entirely up to the employer. If the employer does promise to give holiday pay, however, it must put that holiday policy in writing and make sure that all employees know about it. ~ Paul Derrick

I signed a confidentiality agreement at my job, but I often tell my wife everything that I do at work. Is that a problem?

Will, Raleigh

Yes. Unless your agreement says that it is OK to tell your spouse, you’re in violation. “But it was just my wife” is not a good legal defense. The only safe bet is to honor your agreement and not discuss confidential work matters with her. You should also make it very clear that she should never reveal anything that you’ve already told her, or it could cost you your job. ~ Paul Derrick I’ve been making cuff links using golf ball markers from various courses. I want to sell them on etsy or something like that.

Could I be sued for any reason?

Patent infringement?

Matt, Raleigh The use of a golf ball marker could implicate multiple intellectual

Have a question?

Let us hear it: raisingthebar@midtownmag.com

property – patents, trademarks and/ or copyrights. However, each of these IP laws contains an exception to infringement called the “first-sale doctrine.” Once a work (i.e. golf ball marker) is lawfully sold, the IP owner’s interest is exhausted.

The purchaser can now dispose of it basically as (s)he wants. Here, if you obtain the markers lawfully and don’t base the cuff link on another cuff link design, you should be fine. Best, though, to have a quick chat with an IP attorney to clear the specifics.

~ Rupen Fofaria Can I get in trouble for being a passenger in a car where the driver is charged with DWI? Kevin, Garner

Although you should try your best to not allow others to drive impaired, you will not be in trouble for being a passenger. The scenario is different if it happens in your car. If you allowed an impaired person to drive your car you could be arrested for aiding and

abetting DWI, which carries similar consequences to a DWI charge. ~ Steven Saad Will a speeding ticket that I received in another state affect my license and insurance in North Carolina?

Mark, Garner Yes, probably. All but five states are part of a national drivers license compact. Unless you were cited in Georgia, Wisconsin, Massachusetts, Michigan or Tennessee, the ticket will affect you in the same way it would had you received it in North Carolina. ~ Steven Saad

MeettheCounsel

Steven Saad

Criminal Defense

Paul Derrick

Employment Law

Rupen Fofaria

Intellectual Property

Cranfill Sumner & Hartzog LLP | www.cshlaw.com This content has been prepared for general information purposes only. This information is not intended to provide specific legal advice. Legal advice is dependent upon the specific circumstances of each situation. The information provided cannot replace the advice of competent legal counsel by a licensed attorney in your state.

caryliving.com | 43

CHEFMARIO

Holiday

Hors d’oeuvres Make your memories extra special with some simple, elegant and awe-inspiring culinary creations!

recipes chef mario copy darcy brennan Photography april maness photography 44 | caryliving.com

Sweet and Savoy Baked Brie Profiteroles Profiterole Ingredients 1 cup water ½ cup butter ¼ tsp salt 1 cup all-purpose flour 4 eggs

Honey Mustard Ingredients ½ cup Dijon Mustard 1/3 cup honey 2 Tbsp soy sauce or tamari

Directions Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Bring the water to a boil in a saucepan. Stir in the butter and salt until the butter has melted; remove the saucepan from heat.

Stir in the flour until no dry lumps remain; let cool slightly. Stir in the eggs, one at a time, adding the next egg only after the last one has been completely incorporated into the mixture. Drop the profiterole paste into the prepared baking sheet in evenly spaced dollops the size of walnuts.

Bake in the preheated oven until the pastries have puffed up and turned golden brown, 25 to 30 minutes. Remove from the baking

sheet and cool to room temperature.

Directions Mix everything together.

Serve with sausage, pepper and pineapple kabobs.

Sausage, Pepper & Pineapple Kabobs Makes 12-16 Kabobs

Apple Walnut Filling

Tomato Shallot Filling

Makes 3 Cups

Makes 2 Cups

1 wheel Brie cheese,

3/4” chunks 1 Tbsp butter 2 cups diced apples (Granny Smith) ½ cup brown sugar 2 tsp lemon juice 1 cup chopped, toasted walnuts

1 wheel Brie cheese,

3/4” chunks 1 tsp butter ½ cup shallots, sliced 1 tsp garlic ½ tsp cumin 2 cups tomatoes, diced salt & pepper

4 links Italian sausage 3 cups chunked pineapple, preferably fresh 1 red pepper, diced about the size of a quarter 1 yellow pepper, diced about the size of a quarter 1 green pepper, diced about the size of a quarter 1 medium red onion, diced about the size of a quarter salt

cayenne pepper 2 Tbsp olive oil 12-16 wooden skewers

Directions

Directions

Heat sauté pan over medium heat; melt butter and add shallots. Sauté for 1 minute, then add garlic and cumin.

Sauté for 1 minute. Add diced tomatoes and sauté until liquid is reduced by half. Season with salt and pepper.

To Prepare Using a paring knife, cut a lid from the top of each profiterole.

Drop a chunk of Brie in each, then top with either the Apple Walnut or with Tomato Shallot filling, about one teaspoon.

Place stuffed profiteroles on a lined sheet pan. Right before service, heat in a 350 degree oven for four to seven minutes or until Brie is melty and bubbling, and serve immediately.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Remove casing from sausage and pinch each link into 10 chunks. Roll each chunk into a meatball. Lay sausage balls on a foil-lined sheet pan sprayed with cooking spray.

In a bowl, toss pineapple chunks, peppers, onions and olive oil. Season with salt and just a pinch of cayenne pepper. Pour the veggies over the sausage balls and roast for 20 to 30 minutes, or until sausage is cooked and vegetables are soft.

Cool enough to handle. String sausage, peppers, pineapple and onions onto wooden skewers in decorative fashion. Heat slightly or serve room temperature.

RECIPES!

Heat sauté pan over medium heat; add butter to melt. Then add apples and brown sugar; stir to mix and let brown sugar melt. Add lemon juice and cook for 1 more minute, then add walnuts and remove from heat.

Set aside.

extra

Directions

Ingredients

Coconut Buffalo

Chicken Baby Cakes

and Crispy Onion Tortilla Stacks

Log on to caryliving.com for the recipes! caryliving.com | 45

Have Game, WILL TRAVEL Looking to ramp up your child’s athletic career?

Travel teams might be the answer.

By Kurt Dusterberg

46 | caryliving.com

it

always starts with modest intentions. You’ve got a little athlete at home, and the time is right to enroll your child in the community rec league.

Soon, your budding star has played a few seasons of soccer, softball or a host of other sports, and you start seeing something special. A coach or supportive parent suggests that you should consider a more challenging level of play for your child.

It’s flattering and exciting.

It’s also a slippery slope.

Loosely referred to as “travel” sports, the organizations and teams you can pursue will help your child become a much better athlete. The level of coaching and competition is greater, and there are more games and practices to accelerate the learning curve.

But before you jump in with two cleats, there is a lot to consider.

For starters, is the increased commitment right for your child? Even if little Kyle or Kaitlyn loves soccer, will they want to play and practice five days a week? Also, is your child emotionally ready for the next level of competitions? Travel coaches are more demanding than rec coaches, and most children face an adjustment period when they join better competition. Will your child be devastated if he or she is no longer the star player – or winds up on the bench? Many parents begin thinking of travel sports when their kids are middle-school age.

That’s a transitional time for emotional maturity.

The next issue is an important one. Most travel teams involve a substantial financial commitment.

Organizations and individual teams typically rent practice facilities, buy equipment and pay tournament fees. Parents are also expected to spring for uniforms, personal equipment and travel expenses. It’s easy to push a family beyond its budget.

THE PROS If you’re on board with the athletic commitment and the cost, travel sports might be worth exploring. There are plenty of benefits.

An active, healthy lifestyle In an age where adolescent development includes a lot of downtime on smart phones and electronic devices, playing for a travel team is an ideal way to get exercise and make other smart choices – ones that can last into adulthood.

An opportunity to excel at something worthwhile Athletes learn how to function in a team setting, prioritize their responsibilities and learn what it takes to succeed against other highly-skilled competition. That’s three good life lessons.

A chance to build a social network with like-minded kids If your daughter likes volleyball, what could be better than spending time with peers who love to play the game? There are potential social benefits for parents, too. If you’re all supporting your children’s budding sports careers, you’ve got something in common.

THE CONS Travel sports often draw criticism, however, questioning the wisdom of making children’s sports a centerpiece of a family’s life. Here are some of the drawbacks.

Lost weekends This is the biggie. A weekend tournament can be just that – an all-weekend event. If that idea doesn’t square with your other family priorities, it may not work. Keep your other children in mind, too. Sitting on bleachers watching endless hours of games doesn’t appeal to most siblings.

Expenses This can be a real eye-opener, because costs vary dramatically. Many teams have multiple uniforms. Baseball/softball bats can run close to $300. Depending on how far you have to travel, you might need to absorb hotel costs and additional meals. At minimum, be prepared to spend $1,000 for a year of travel sports. And don’t be surprised if it costs four times that much.

caryliving.com | 47

THE QUESTIONS So, how do you choose what is right for your child?

For starters, investigate your options. Soccer, for example, has different organizations and levels of competition.

Players try out and are assigned to teams. Softball, on the other hand, is more team driven. Individual coaches can start a team and recruit players, then enter tournaments run by different sanctioning organizations.

If your child is invited to join a team, ask plenty of questions.

Are the coaches paid?

This simply depends on the organization. Paying the coaches can drive up the cost dramatically, but good coaching might be worth the investment.

Does the team or organization do fundraising?

Not only can fundraising curb your cost, but it’s a chance for your child to take responsibility for the opportunity that travel sports represents.

What constitutes a “season”?

Some teams play seasons that run four months. Others play almost year-round. Find out if you are committing to six weekends in the spring — or 20 weekends over the calendar year.

What is the team’s idea of “travel”?

Some coaches schedule most of their games and tournaments within an hour’s driving distance, avoiding the need to stay in hotels overnight. Others look for tournaments all over the Southeast.

Is your child guaranteed playing time?

If you’re paying, it is reasonable to expect your child will be playing. Ask other parents about their experience before you join.

One last thing Forget about landing a college scholarship. Less than one percent of all high school varsity athletes earn athletic scholarships to Division I universities. Outside of football and basketball, the vast majority of those scholarships are partials ones. Don’t take on travel sports thinking your son or daughter will parlay the experience into an all-expensespaid college career.

Instead, if your child begins playing travel sports between the ages of 10 and 14, here’s a more reasonable goal: encourage them to become a standout high school player. Many kids who make their high school teams will have similar travel sports experience or other specialized training, so don’t count on your kid’s experience to be a fast track to college athletics.

The benefits of keeping your child involved in competitive sports through high school are far more tangible than pursuing an elusive athletic scholarship. The personal memories, good work habits and healthy lifestyles will be reward enough.

48 | caryliving.com

“True love of sport”

propels Apex volleyball star Ally Beckman began playing competitive volleyball late in middle school. Once she caught the bug for the game, she poured her energy into playing with Triangle Volleyball Club, spending countless hours on courts near and far.

Now the Apex High School senior is ready for the next level. She has accepted a volleyball scholarship at the College of Charleston in South Carolina.

Ally is among the most fortunate of travel sports athletes. Earning a college scholarship is the ultimate payoff for the years spent pursuing youth sports at a high level.

But if you ask her mother, the scholarship isn’t what matters most.

“If Ally’s scholarship were taken away tomorrow, it would have been well worth it for us,” Lauren Beckman said. “She truly loves volleyball that much. That’s why she’s playing.

You have to keep that in perspective. It can’t be about college and a scholarship.”

Lauren Beckman has learned what so many other travel parents come to find out: the pursuit of elite-level youth sports is often its own reward. College scholarships are rare by any standard.

“We got into it because we thought it would be great for Ally,” Beckman said.

“You have to get into it for the love of the sport and for what you’re going to put into it – and what it’s going to give you in the moment, not in the future. “ Volleyball has already given Ally a head start on values and experiences that are not typical for teenagers. She went to Costa Rica

last year for 10 days to build volleyball courts with her club team. When college coaches caught wind of her on-court skills, Ally had to learn some adult skills.

“Early in her sophomore year she was talking to coaches on a regular basis on the telephone and sending out letters,” Beckman said. “Basically she was searching for a job, interfacing with adults. Nowadays, kids don’t do that. She was put in situations that kids their age typically don’t face until they are out of college.”

At the most advanced level, a year of Triangle Volleyball Club can cost about $8,000, which includes dues, uniforms and travel. While that is a major financial commitment for anyone, Beckman sees an immediate reward.

“It has been very beneficial and productive,” she said. “I don’t want to say it’s kept Ally out of trouble, but for her, sports has been a really positive influence socially. It’s been a productive way to fill her time.”

Like many people writing the checks, Lauren and her husband Chris don’t dwell on the cost. Just as importantly, they didn’t focus on earning a scholarship either.

“It can’t be about the end game,” Beckman insists. “If it is about the scholarship, that’s the kid who won’t last but a season in college. It has to be about the true love of the sport. She’s healthy and happy, and we’ve gotten her through her adolescent years successfully. It cost a little bit more, but if we hadn’t have done this, then I don’t know what her life would have been like.” L

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Looking for more?

Looking to get your child involved in a more competitive level of sports? Here are some Triangle-area resources to consider. Keep in mind, the various sports operate differently. Some involve joining an organization and being placed on a team.

Others require finding a team (or forming one) and entering tournaments with different sanctioning organizations.

VOLLEYBALL Triangle Volleyball Club: trianglevolleyball.org

SOCCER Capital Area Soccer League: caslnc.com

BASEBALL North Wake County Baseball: wcba.com

BASKETBALL Triangle Flight Basketball Club: raleighaaubasketball.com

LACROSSE North Carolina Lacrosse Academy: nclaxacademy.com HOCKEY Raleigh Youth Hockey Association: ryha.org caryliving.com | 49

lights

like you’ve never seen

by Christa Gala

Ever heard of ‘Paintscaping?’ Park West Village in Morrisville is using the technology to make one of its buildings come to life for the holidays in a 3-D animated light show.

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This is the second-year Park West Village has featured a “paintscaping” show on the darkened face of the Stone Theatre building. The event, Decmber 12th-21st, is free and open to the public.

David Brunner was lucky enough to grow up just minutes from Disney World in Winter Park, Florida, a picturesque town influenced by Disney’s dedication to family fun. Even now, when he goes back to visit family, he attends the same community events he did as a kid.

As general manager of Park West Village in Morrisville, he’s hoping to establish the same kind of traditions, making the 100-acre shopping center a year-round destination for celebrations, music and entertainment.

“It was one of our visions when we were developing this center,” says Brunner. “The city I grew up in, they did this kind of stuff all the time. This is our way of giving back, of saying thank you for letting us come in and be a shopping destination, but also of being the community place that we want to be.

We have these amazing partners who will spend a little extra money to have a top-quality product.”

“Paintscaping” new in the Triangle Soon Park West Village will launch “Magical Winter Lights,” a free outdoor holiday event that includes a 3-D light show every 15 minutes, as well as carolers, free train rides, hot chocolate, story time with Santa and falling snow.

The event runs from December 12th-21st from 6-8pm each night. The Paintscaping light show, called “Magical Winter Lights,” is one of the most unusual aspects of the event. This is the second year for the show, but many residents still don’t know about the event.

The show is screened on the surface of the Stone Theatre – Park West 14.

Professionals have mapped the building and created an entire light and music production.

“It’s like a 3-D movie on the building that makes the entire front of the building come to life,” says Brunner. “We did it at one of our

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actually tells different stories every night and uses different props. Our favorite thing is his personal interaction with the kids. They’re all shocked he knows their names and what they want from Santa this year.”

properties in Chicago and thought it would be cool to do that here because people loved it. No one has done this in North Carolina that we know of.”

Last year the event ended a week earlier; Park West pushed back the date this year so families with relatives in town visiting for the holidays can attend.

“Our demographic is young families and kids, but this show is for all ages” says Brunner. “It’s perfect for anyone and everyone to be able to come out and enjoy some magic this holiday season.”

Story time with Santa Park West is also offering an unusual spin on the traditional Santa visit; instead of posing for a photo on the big guy’s lap, a story time with Santa is offered in the lobby of the movie theater (check the website for times), where Santa interacts with the kids as a group, even incorporating a little magic.

“He just blew me away last year,” says Brunner. “He

>> www.parkwestvillage.net 52 | caryliving.com

Finishing up Park West Village opened in phases, the first in 2011, which included Target and TJ Maxx, among others. Additional phases included stores new to the area, including Charming Charlie, Gander Mountain and White House Black Market.

Earth Fare is coming next, scheduled to open in April 2015.

The last phase will be finished in November 2015 and will combine both retail and some residential, “The District Lofts.”

“We just started construction on our mixed-use buildings, which will finish off the building from where the Charming Charlie and Chico’s are down to Firebirds and BlackFinn Ameripub, which will have three levels of residential on top,” says Brunner. L

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FARMFRESHGIFTS Good Grace’s Homemade Dog Treats Good Grace’s Dog Treats offer 15 different flavors, all handmade! We use no chemicals, preservatives or colorings and include fresh ingredients with specific health benefits for your best friend such as zucchini, acorn squash, blueberries, cranberries, green beans, pumpkin and many more. Your pup will love them all year round!

five farm favorites

Start your Saturday morning shaking hands with our farmers and vendors who bring you local, healthy, fresh products each week, rain or shine.

RedBud Farm Redbud Farm, managed by Clay Smith and Nancy Joyner, is located on the land where Clay grew up.

The family farm has been owned by the family since 1945 and became certified organic in 2009.

Redbud Farm specializes in a wide variety of vegetables and herbs. The farm sells produce at Western Wake Farmers Market, the Elon Community Church Farmers Market, and through a local email network to people around Burlington. Butternut squash, acorn squash, pumpkin and sweet potatoes are in season in the fall and provide great flavor and nourishment throughout the winter.

Robin’s Kitchen Lab RobinMade products are handcrafted small batch foods by Robin’s Kitchen Lab. They are all natural, made with love here in the Triangle with local ingredients, and include Worcestershire sauce, gourmet smoked and seasoned salts, and fruit drinking vinegars. ‘A Grilled Steak’s Best Friend’ basket includes RobinMade Worcestershire sauce and RobinMade Hickory Smoked sea salt, with a marinating pan and BBQ tongs. The ‘Share a Summer Shrub’ includes two RobinMade fruit drinking vinegars, with a serving tray and a pair of handcrafted 100% linen drink napkins.

Hillsborough Cheese Co. Hidden in the heart of historically dairy-rich Orange County our small, boutique creamery focuses on the art of cheese-making. Our Frenchtrained chef and cheese-maker, Cindy West, her husband, Dorian and Brady Stewart handcraft small batches of many varieties of quality fresh and aged cheeses using goat and cow milk. Focusing primarily on traditional European-style cheeses, Cindy and our staff also experiment with sand create some of their own unique cheese blends tailored to our local community’s tastes. We believe in simple, no-nonsense cheese that is delicious and accessible.

Two Chicks Farm Two Chicks Farm is a small farm in Orange County growing high-quality vegetables year-round to produce artisan foods such as pickles, sauerkrauts and pepper jellies. Our fermented products, such as kimchi and sauerkraut are raw, delicious and full of live cultures. No artificial ingredients are ever used in our products; all of our products are produced in small batches in our commercial kitchen. Our Dill Kraut ‘n Pickles and Beets ‘n Caraway are finalists for the 2014 Good Food Awards.

Open Year-Round | (December - March) 9:30am-Noon | (April - November) 8am-Noon Please check www.WesternWakeFarmersMarket.org for weekly guest educators and musicians.

Located on Morrisville Carpenter Rd. between Davis Dr. and Hwy. 55 in Carpenter Village caryliving.com | 53

Holiday Staple Seeking Broader Audience

By David Droschak

Are we all just a bunch of turkeys for not eating more turkey?

Sure, we’ll grab a piece of our favorite bird during the upcoming Thanksgiving or Christmas seasons, and a trip to the deli counter usually has a turkey purchase on the list. But what about the hundreds of other meals we eat during the year?

Can we even find turkey products at the supermarket in the so-called “off season?”

“We have done such a great job telling you that turkey is a holiday dinner that it can be a double-edged sword,” said Tony Seta, director of culinary service for Garner-based Butterball, the nation’s largest turkey producer. “We’ve definitely been promoting our slogan of ‘Everyday Turkey.’

We’ve got a number of items that are starting to take hold. And some grocery store chains are starting to realize and follow suit with what is

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happening in some restaurants, where turkey is on the rise.”

Seta is not alone in his thinking. The National Turkey Federation has been focusing on marketing awareness of turkey for years in its ongoing white meat competition with chicken, especially recently with the creation of new packaging and products, from ground turkey to turkey bacon to turkey chops.

“We have sort of joked about it; what comes first in creating awareness – the turkey or the egg?” said Keith Williams, the federation’s vice president of communications and marketing.

“Each of those brands you know very well and have grown up with has looked at innovation to find a packaging and portion size that fit – different flavors and pairing options that go with turkey. You even see wine pairings suggested with turkeys now.”

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In case anyone is counting, North Carolina inched past Minnesota as the nation’s No. 1 producer of turkeys, with 1.2 billion pounds coming from the Tar Heel state.

Turkey consumption outside of the bookend holiday seasons has always fought an uphill battle. And there are some tangible reasons. One is size. Most associate the product with large, 20-pound Tom turkeys, and long, drawn-out cooking times. Second, the supply of turkeys can be an issue when comparing the product to chickens.

“For broiler chickens, like the ones you see at KFC, those birds go on the market by 30-35 days of age, so within a month they are out there on the market,” said Dr. Peter Ferket, a turkey nutritionist at North Carolina State University. “Very few chickens are marketed beyond 56 days.

For turkeys, 56 days is the shortest period of time for some hen products, and that might be a small little whole turkey.

Then at the other end of the spectrum some Toms are going to market at 20-22 weeks of age at a size or well over 45 pounds.

So it is a function of time and resources.”

However, the push is on, big time, to create an image that turkey is versatile. At a recent food show in Durham, Butterball’s marketing pamphlet featured photos of bacon, lunch meat, sausage, wraps … even kabobs. No whole turkeys were highlighted as the product begins to branch out into mainstream offerings.

“Sliced turkey is the main ingredient in most of the sandwiches in the United States (other than ground beef in a hamburger) so we’ve made great inroads there,” Seta said. “But now we’ve got a chef select line; we’re working on turkey chops.

I’ve even done it Korean style. When I go out to Butterball sales meetings, my charge is to come up with items that we can serve with turkey. I’ve even done taco bars … any which way that I can use veal or I can use beef, I have applied it to turkey. Some individuals have come up to me and said, ‘That’s not turkey’ and I’ve said, ‘Oh yes it is.’”

Turkey is also healthy – low in calories and saturated fats – and priced right.

“A lot of items are really starting to take hold, especially with other meat prices rising the way they are,” Seta said.

“We can slip in quite easily with turkey.”

Williams also noted that turkey exports continue to rise.

“Exports are very important to the United States poultry farmer,” he said. “We’ve been known for years as the breadbasket of the world. Let’s face it, we feed the world, we just do.

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And in learning about what some countries prefer, we’ve also looked at the influx of our new citizens that come to places like North Carolina and the Research Triangle Park to work.

They come with tastes that do include turkey in their menus. America has always been a melting pot, blessed with new ideas. It is quite a natural thing for us to look at.”

Seta is biased, but he makes three different turkeys for Thanksgiving – one in a conventional oven, one grilled and one deep-fried, in which case a 14-pounder can take just one hour.

And hats off to the cold turkey leftovers.

“It is the best part of the meal, a nice turkey sandwich on white bread with some mayonnaise, said Backyard Bistro owner Joe Lumbrazo. “There’s nothing better than turkey leftovers.

“A lot of times it goes to the marketing of it; food suppliers that have come into my restaurant to sell to me have always pushed chicken, chicken, chicken,” added Lumbrazo. “Very seldom has a guy come through my door pushing turkey, only around Thanksgiving time. The other 364 days of the year are they saying you can make a turkey tetrazzini or a turkey pot pie?” L

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Looking for some everyday turkey ideas?

Log on to www.eatturkey.com, where more than 1,000 recipes are featured. caryliving.com | 57

FASHION

dress up your jeans

While jeans are traditionally considered casual wear, the right pair can easily be dressed up for your next event this holiday season. Starting with the right pair of jeans is the key, and from there you can create nearly any look by knowing how and what to match them with.

Here we have given you some of our local boutiques’ favorite ideas.

2.

1.

1. BeYOUtiful Butterfly 2. The Purple Polka Dot 3. The Southern Charm Boutique 4. Ashworth Prim and Proper 5. The Southern Charm Boutique

3.

4.

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5.

7.

6.

8.

6. BeYOUtiful Butterfly 7. The Purple Polka Dot 8. Ashworth Prim and Proper 9. Sophie and Mollies Boutique 10. Sophie and Mollies Boutique

9.

10.

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handmade

HOLIDAY

By Kate Turgeon Watson

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Soon, I hope, my mailbox will fill with Christmas cards. You know … photos of smiling people in beautiful places with greetings such as “Merry Christmas,” “Peace” or “Happy Holidays.” I know these greetings.

I’ve used these greetings.

Soon, I hope, my mailbox will fill with Christmas cards. You know … photos of smiling people in beautiful places with greetings such as “Merry Christmas,” “Peace” or “Happy Holidays.” I know these greetings. I’ve used these greetings.

I, too, have uploaded an image from my computer to a card-making website. (Hold your applause, please.)

I thought I was doing pretty well to get cards printed and delivered before December 25th.

And then I opened up a tattered envelope marked, “Lennie and Josie’s Christmas Cards. Keep!”

It was in a box of my grandparents’ things. And inside the envelope was a mix of drawings, humor and history.

There was almost every card this couple, Lennie and Josie, had ever sent to my grandparents. There was an off-white, folded card marked “1963” in gold-color ink.

On the front was a drawing of an angel - wings and all wearing a robe and shedding a tear on her cheek. In the background is a flag at half-mast.

As I held it I thought, “1963 … the year President Kennedy was assassinated.”

The 1972 card had a drawing of what looked like the moon or a planet and the message, “Peace on Earth – and elsewhere.” I had to search. Turned out 1972 was the year Apollo took its last flight to the moon. It was also the year a space probe named Mariner returned to earth from Mars.

The 1976 card, which referenced America’s bicentennial, was a drawing of the Liberty Bell with the greeting “Jingle Bells.”

The cards didn’t all acknowledge well-known historical events. Some recalled moments in the card maker’s life, such as his retirement. Some, like the 1995 card with a smiling Santa in an Atlanta Braves cap, recalled moments in sports history. Some cards referenced the weather, such as El Niño and a hurricane.

There were witty (or not-so-witty, depending on your party affiliation) political cards. But I’m not going into details.

When I saw the cards, I felt like I needed to appreciate them. I organized them by date, as any type-A person would. I researched the years I didn’t understand; many of the cards were made before I was even born.

I tried to “get” the decades-old lingo and images. I wondered what had happened to the years that weren’t there. I missed them.

There I was, sitting in my living room in 2014, wondering what one person’s holiday card from 1983 was all about and pouting that it wasn’t in the bunch.

That’s the beauty of handmade.

I was interested in what this couple had created and how they had interpreted history. I was amazed at how honestly they approached all kinds of topics, from wars to the World Series.

And I wondered if my cards were carrying anything other than a heartfelt message and family photo. Like I frequently do, I gave myself a break. The holidays are busy, after all. Just ask anyone in a Harris Teeter who is buying vanilla extract at 1am.

There are still many who take the time to make something by hand and share it with others. Cary Living caught up with four ladies who make different things for different reasons. Join the magazine for a little piece of their handmade holiday.

Mary-Ellen Krull, who teaches high school Spanish, started to cross stitch a specific Santa pattern in the 1980s.

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Artist Elena Caron is working on unique ornaments for her three daughters. The embroidery hoops will be personal and feature part of an item of each girl’s clothing.

Mary-Ellen Krull’s Santas

Mary-Ellen Krull has her comfy chair near the television and a cabinet full of quilting and cross-stitching supplies. But it’s her interest in a cute Santa Claus pattern that has created a tradition in her home.

“I saw these and I thought they were just so pretty,” she says, looking down at plans from Prairie Schooler, a company that makes a Santa pattern each year. “I thought I would do four; that was the original intent.”

That was 30 years ago. Since then she has made about 10 cross-stitched Santas. She doesn’t make them in order of distribution. And, she admits, she doesn’t make them every year.

Krull adapts the patterns to avoid what’s “hokey.” She’s drawn to the ones that have personal meaning, such as a Santa with a red cardinal, which reminds her of her husband’s hometown of Saint Louis. She especially likes a Santa with sunflowers.

There’s one Santa on Krull’s table that’s unfinished. Her younger daughter started it 13 years ago when she was 10. “I’m going to give it one more try this year … and see if she’ll do it for me for my Christmas gift,” Krull laughs. “And if she doesn’t do it, then I am going to pick it up.”

Krull displays the framed Santas, which usually take her about a month each to create, on her kitchen wall during the holidays.

While she enjoys her handiwork, she’s quick to note that the talent belongs to the person who made the pattern. Cross-stitching is fun, she explains, and these Santas are “beginner projects.”

Krull makes most of her cross-stitch progress while traveling by car or airplane. She has been known to precut her supplies so she can take the work on a plane and leave the scissors behind. For her, it’s a quiet way to pass time and end up with a finished product she enjoys.

“Of course, this is not really in vogue anymore,” Krull laughs about cross-stitching. “But I’m not really following the vogue.”

Elena Caron’s ornaments

Elena Caron is an artist who has to gently remind her loved ones that they have to “wait for the holidays.”

Caron, who creates notecards and original watercolors, is known for giving friends and family members original, personal pieces at Christmastime.

This year she’s working on three special ornaments for her daughters: Sophie, 16; Emma, 5; and Vera, 3. The ornaments are 62 | caryliving.com

part of her embroidery hoop art collection. The art, which depicts a female with a slight nose and red lips, is done on thick, cotton duck canvas and features a large, colorful arrangement of flowers and shapes on top of the woman’s head.

For her daughters, she’s creating four-inch circular hoop art that includes personal touches, such as fabric from her daughters’ favorite pieces of clothing. Instead of flowers, she’s imagining snowflakes and other holiday touches.

When creating the ornaments, she thinks of each daughter.

They’re all blonde, she says, but that’s where the similarities end.

Sophie, she said, was adopted from the Ukraine as an older child, so it’s important to create memories. Emma is a music lover. And Vera, the youngest, “thinks she’s a tiger.”

By the time they are under the tree the gifts will be similar, but different. Creating something original, Caron says, can save money but, more importantly, is a meaningful gift.

“It has heart and spirit and love, sweat and … blood,” she laughs, pointing to her needle-pricked fingers.

At the Blanchard household, hand-dipping pretzels in melted chocolate and sharing the treats with friends has been a tradition for 14 years.

Carol Blanchard’S Chocolate-covered treats

For Carol Blanchard and her two sons, it all starts with a Costco-sized jar of pretzel rods. Another necessary ingredient: the chocolate bars that Blanchard buys each Black Friday while she’s out shopping with her mom.

That’s the way it’s been for the last 14 holiday seasons.

When the boys were younger they were quick to help create the chocolate-covered pretzels, Blanchard says. Now that they are teenagers, however, they help “most of the time.”

The process is easy, she says. Melt the chocolate. Stir. Melt again. And then dip each pretzel rod in the chocolate by hand.

The trio adds toppings like holiday sprinkles, coconut flakes, chocolate chips, peppermint pieces and crushed pecans.

“When the boys were little we’d be in the grocery store and they’d ask, like in September, ‘can we buy pretzels yet?’”

Blanchard laughs. “And I’d say, ‘not yet. When it’s time.’”

They make batches of the pretzels throughout the season.

And they give the treats as gifts to teachers, friends and neighbors.

They’ve even been known to mail boxes of the pretzels to former neighbors who moved away.

“I think, being a teacher, it was always more special to think that the person thought of you while they were making something,” she says. “We might give a gift card with it, too, but … really it’s nice to know that the student made something for you.”

Susan Johnson’s ornaments

Susan Johnson grew up in Hyde County.

Talk to her and she just may tell you about the rural, small-town community on the northeastern coast of North Carolina.

She may also tell you about moving to the state’s capital city, attending college at NC State University and stepping foot into a downtown Raleigh church one Christmas season.

“I saw these two trees covered in only gold and white beads …

I thought they were the most beautiful things I had ever seen. They just took my breath away,” Johnson says. She learned that they were called Chrismon trees (something she hadn’t seen at home), and that they were named for the ornaments called Chrismons, which carried religious significance.

Time marched on for her. She graduated, got married and started a family.

Decades later she was a member of that same church she had visited as a college student. And the church was looking for people to repair the original Chrismons from the 1960s.

“I knew those were the ones I had seen in the ‘80s when I was a college student,” she says. Johnson became part of the restoration team that replaced old wire with new, fortified the ornaments and replaced beads. She also helped to make new ornaments for a new tree.

But Johnson wasn’t finished. She decided she wanted to make an entire series for her home church in Hyde County. She crafted a couple hundred by hand.

Some of the simple ones, she says, take about two hours to make. The more intricate patterns may take up to five hours each.

Do the math and you’ll learn that looking at one large tree filled with about 200 ornaments is like staring at 700 hours of work.

“Looking at the trees … it just gives me a feeling of awe and pride. There’s meaning and a little story that goes with each ornament,” she says. “It’s an honor to give back to the tradition.” L

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h e a lt h y

living

‘Happier’ Holidays Want a stress-free holiday season? Try these 8 simple steps.

by Ann Marie Sochia, LPCA, CHT, NLP, MS Waves of Change Black Friday and Cyber Monday are only a few weeks away.

Considered the official beginning of the holiday season, it’s also known as the “season of stress”. If the holiday season has become something you just tolerate, get though, manage, here are eight simple tips to help you actually enjoy the holiday season, whatever that looks like for you and your family.

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1. Just say “No thank you”.

You don’t have to go to every party or event. Make a list of all of the events you and your family are considering attending and pick only those that bring pleasure and allow you to enjoy your family’s “reason for the season”. If you must, but don’t want to, attend a party or event you dread, such as your spouse’s work party…set a time limit, smile and be pleasant, and leave on your terms.

2. Donate!

You don’t have to use or keep every holiday decoration in your attic.

Some of them may be old, outdated, or no longer “you”. When you get ready to decorate, separate the items into two boxes: decorations to use, and decorations to give away – to anyone who can/will use them, or to the garbage. One person’s junk is another person’s treasure. If you donate, do keep a receipt for your tax records.

3. Help your family appreciate what they have.

Give thanks for what you have, and remind yourself and your children there are plenty of people who won’t receive any presents. This means teaching your children at an early age that the holidays are not all about gifts.

4. Set a budget.

The holidays are not about how much money you spend, but the quality of time you spend with people. Don’t be afraid to let your children know exactly what you can afford – and stick to it. This means setting and sticking to a budget that is family friendly and allows your children to have a healthy appreciation for family finances and the holiday season.

5. Be aware of food triggers.

When going to events or preparing the family holiday meals, start on a full stomach. At the party, find a comfortable place to stand that is as far away as possible from tempting “goodies” tables. Take a tall, ice-filled drink, and make it your only one for the night. Prepare holiday meals on a full stomach; let someone else bring the sugar cookies with frosting rather than doing it yourself.

6. Don’t overextend.

You don’t have to do everything. Prioritize what needs to be done, and ask and/or assign your family tasks. If they are not able or willing to help, hire it out.

7. Smile!

Remember, when standing in the long lines at the store getting that last minute gift or the one that is the 7am only special, the world will not end if you don’t get it. We don’t want another “Cabbage Patch incident,” do we? The person at the cash register is probably making minimum wage and has been working a very long shift, and you are her 1000th customer for the day and probably not her last. Smile.

Keep in mind that customer in front of you may be having a bad day; your smile might be what turns it around. Smiling will help make the day a little brighter for you and those around you.

8. Take a deep breath.

Prescription for the day: “breathe in, breathe out and relax.” Repeat as needed. Close your eyes for a moment, block out the sounds around you and take three to five deep breaths in and slowly let them out while thinking about something beautiful and relaxing.

This can be done anywhere, except while driving. If you need to keep your eyes open, go for it. Turn your cellphone off and “breathe in, breath out and relax.”

Remember, you are in control of what you do and how you act – so choose to make it a great holiday season…just breathe and relax. caryliving.com | 65

SHOPPING

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dow nt ow n a p e x

support locally-owned, independent businesses

SHOPPING

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dow nt ow n C A RY

support locally-owned, independent businesses

next issue c ary livin g

WEDDING GUIDE Western Wake has so much to offer to brides and their entourage – we’ll be covering highlights of all things weddings, from tiny to grand, for 2015 wedding planners.

HEALTH AND FITNESS IN THE NEW YEAR Always good to know you can start fresh with your goals for health and fitness every January!

We’ll lead the way on how you can achieve new levels of happiness and energy when you eat right and get enough exercise.

Senior Living Communities and Services Guide Whether you are looking to find the perfect retirement community to move to, or just want to find services catered to your independent lifestyle, our guide will give you plenty of resources to inspire you and manage your daily routines.

in every issue TECH • SIGHTINGS • HEALTHY LIVING CALENDAR OF EVENTS • WINE & BEER REVIEWS AND MUCH MORE!

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SHOPPING

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s ou t h c a ry

support locally-owned, independent businesses

sightings

cary living

The UPS Store® Donates to Make-A-WisH

Cary Chamber of Commerce Annual Banquet

5th Annual Cocktails, Cornhole and Couture

Devils Ridge Charity Golf Classic

In conjunction with its “Make-A-Wish Week” fundraising campaign, The UPS Store donated $10,000 to Make-A-Wish Eastern North Carolina during a check presentation at its Cary Stone Creek Village location on September 11th. Wish kid Alex, who recently received his wish to go to Walt Disney World during Star Wars weekend, was in attendance.

On September 13th, Ruckus Pizza, Pasta & Spirits hosted its 5th Annual Cocktails, Cornhole & Couture benefitting the Vs. Cancer Foundation and the NOR Foundation. The event kicked off with a cornhole tournament at 11am, followed by live music and a fashion show.

On September 3rd, Cary Chamber of Commerce held its annual banquet at Prestonwood Country Club. The evening began with a reception, followed by dinner and a presentation from keynote speaker, NC Department of Commerce Secretary Sharon Decker.

On September 17th at the Devils RIdge Golf Club in Holly Springs, the Men’s Golf Association (MGA) held the Devils Ridge Charity Golf Classic to benefit Alzheimers North Carolina, an organization focused on the needs of North Carolina patients and caregivers as they battle this disease.

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cary living

sightings

Dragon Boat Festival

The Triangle’s first ever Dragon Boat Festival was held at Cary’s Koka Booth Amphitheatre on September 27th. The festival, hosted by Asian Focus and Pan Am, is a very popular event held across the country and made its debut on Symphony Lake for the first time in the Greater Triangle Area.

For Garden’s Sake Fall Festival

On October 11th, For Garden’s Sake held its annual fall festival.

As part of the community and their desire to be your local lawn, landscape and garden center company, they opened their beautiful property for hayrides, a pumpkin patch, pony rides, face painting, live music, food and more!

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opening of Field & Stream

The new Field & Stream store at the Parkside Town Commons shopping center in Cary, which had a soft opening September 2nd, is only the fifth Field & Stream-branded store to open across the country and the first store to open that’s south of Crescent Springs, Kentucky. The store hosted the Field & Stream Hunt, Cast & Pitch Youth Challenge for children ages 6-15 to test their skills in archery, casting and tent building.

HopeSpring Village Golf Tournament On October 3rd, Green Hope High School held its homecoming football game, where Gianna Giambalvo and Jacob Guetirez won senior homecoming king and queen. The next day, October 4th, marked the 9th annual fundraiser golf tournament for HopeSpring Village at The Preserve at Jordan Lake in Chapel Hill. Then on October 12th, Gianna and Jacob cut the ribbon to start the walk for the annual Buddy Walk for the Triangle Down Syndrome Network.

Want your Event featured In sightings?

Contact us to have a photographer attend your event!

charis@caryliving.com • 919-782-4710

Opening Golf Galaxy

The grand opening celebration for Golf Galazy was held on September 19th-21st at Parkside Town Commons. Golf Galaxy is a specialty golf retailer offering a broad assortment of golf equipment, apparel and footwear and a complete range of golf services from PGA & LPGA professionals, certified fitting experts, and tour-level club technicians.

Wine and Cheese Tasting

Aging Outreach Services and Woodland Terrace Senior Living held their 4th Annual Wine & Cheese Tasting benefitting Alzheimers North Carolina on September 10th at Woodland Terrace Senior Living. Cloer Family Vineyards and Ashe County Cheese was on hand to present their goods.

Photos © Cari Long Photography

GENESIS WORSHIP

On September 21st, Genesis United Methodist Church in Cary had their annual Worship in the Park at Sertoma Amphitheater in Bond Park. Genesis presented a check for $4,200 to Howard Manning, Executive Director of Dorcas Ministries, in Cary. Those proceeds came from their 3rd Annual Purple Cloth 5k, which supports Dorcas Ministries.

Carolina Chase Regatta

On September 24th, the Triangle Rowing Club (TRC), the area’s youth rowing program, competed in the Carolina Chase regatta (formerly called the Beaver Dam regatta) at Falls Lake Recreation Area in Wake Forest. The regatta was sponsored by the Carolina Masters Crew Club.

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