Mountain Brook Magazine

AVO’S JOSEPH ROZARIO • DECADES OF ROLLINA PORTRAITS • LAWYER-TURNED-PASTOR LANT DAVIS

SEAN FREDELLA

ON THE RED TED CARPET

FOR THE LOVE OF PAPER

STACY CLAIRE BOYD

PASSION for SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2017 MountainBrookMagazine.com $4.95

CLASSIC MOUNTAIN BROOK DRIVING CLUB’S AUTO ENTHUSIASTS

M O D E R N N E W B O R N + C H I L D + FA M I LY P O R T R A I T U R E INFOAPEPPERMINTPHOTO.COM | 205.807.6431 H E I R LO O M A L B U M S | A R C H I VA L Q UA L I T Y P O R T R A I T S

W W W . A P E P P E R M I N T P H O T O . C O M

FEATURES 52

FROM THE LAW TO THE GOSPEL Mountain Brook Presbyterian’s Lant Davis navigated career change with passion and commitment into today.

56

BEAUTY ON WHEELS For some, car collecting is more than a hobby. It enters their blood and carries over into travel, charity work and camaraderie. This is the story of Mountain Brook Driving Club.

64

FOR THE LOVE OF PAPER

PHOTO BY LAUREN USTAD

From the hand-painted to the whimsical to the sophisticated, there’s no doubt that whatever this stationery designer creates is distinctly Stacy Claire Boyd.

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41

33 PHOTO BY PATRICK MCGOUGH

arts & culture

17 Looking Through the Negative Spaces: Artist Rollina Oglesbay 23 Five Questions For: Florist Carole Sullivan 24 Read This Book: Armchair Travel with Lindsy Gardner

schools & sports

25 The Kids Aren’t Alright: Sean Fredella on the TED Stage 32 Five Questions For: MBHS Quarterback Hamp Sisson

food

& drink

33 Bold Food, No Fuss: AVO Chef Joseph Rozario 39 Cocktail: Thyme Well Spent from Dyron’s Lowcountry

in every issue 6 Contributors 7 From the Editor 8 MountainBrookMagazine.com 9 #MountainBrookMag 10 The Question 11 The Guide 72 Chamber Connection 74 Out & About 85 Marketplace 88 My Mountain Brook

40 Five Questions For: Hutton Fant of Oli. O

home

& style

41 All in the Details: The Clay Home 50 In Style: Day & Night

MountainBrookMagazine.com 7

MOUNTAIN BROOK

contributors

MAGAZINE

EDITORIAL

Graham Brooks Stephen Dawkins Alec Etheredge Briana Harris Amalia Kortright Madoline Markham Keith McCoy Emily Sparacino Neal Wagner

Jennifer Jones, Photographer

Jennifer Jones is a photojournalist who loves to capture that “special second” when no one is watching. Each session is unique and different.

You will find that Jennifer’s approach to each one is as distinctively individual as the subjects that she is photographing. She is originally from New York but has made Birmingham her home. She is a loving daughter and mother to her son Harrison, a talented musician.

CONTRIBUTORS

Rebecca Caine Jessica Clement Rachel Crisson Mary Fehr Jennifer Jones Kaitlin Jones Michelle Love Patrick McGough Tracey Rector Christiana Roussel Emma Simmons Lauren Ustad

DESIGN

Connor Bucy Jamie Dawkins Kate Sullivan

MARKETING

Ann Aycock Kristy Brown Kari George Rachel Henderson Daniel Holmes Rhett McCreight Kim McCulla Ashley Murphy April Spivey Bayleigh Thompson Kerrie Thompson

ADMINISTRATION Hailey Dolbare Mary Jo Eskridge Katie Krouse Katie McDowell Stacey Meadows Tim Prince

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Patrick McGough, Photographer

Born and raised in Mountain Brook, Patrick has had a passion for photography from when he bought his first cardboard box camera in a flea market at the age of 12. That passion has taken him all over the South and abroad on many assignments and projects. Every shoot creates an opportunity to meet new people and to explore ideas and locations.

Whether shooting businesses, families, or individuals, he strives to capture the most fun, genuine and unique images for his clients.

Tracey Rector, Writer

Tracey is a freelance writer and blogger who’s called Mountain Brook home since 2001. She and her husband of 28 years are the parents of three adult children. She is a fan of mystery novels, college sports and good food. Her life goal is to spend as much time writing as she spends doing laundry and buying groceries. She is not there yet.

Christiana Roussel, Writer

Once upon a time, Christiana’s bio would have said something about staying busy between writing assignments with four chickens, three dogs, two kids and one husband, but a recent move within Mountain Brook jettisoned the poultry farming operation. Her husband couldn’t be happier, but she’ll only admit to being “in-between flocks.” The hens will be back. Until then, there are teenagers to contend with and a serious love of travel. Recent trips have included Asheville, Boston and Barcelona.

Mountain Brook Magazine is published bimonthly by Shelby County Newspapers Inc., P.O. Box 947, Columbiana, AL 35051.

Mountain Brook Magazine is a registered trademark. All contents herein are the sole property of Shelby County Newspapers Inc. [the Publisher]. No part of this periodical may be reproduced without written permission from the Publisher. Please address all correspondence (including but not limited to letters, story ideas and requests to reprint materials) to: Editor, Mountain Brook Magazine, P.O. Box 947, Columbiana, AL 35051.

Mountain Brook Magazine is mailed to select households throughout Mountain Brook, and a limited number of free copies are available at local businesses. Please visit MountainBookMagazine.com for a list of those locations. Subscriptions are available at a rate of $16.30 for one year by visiting MountainBrookMagazine.com or calling (205) 669-3131, ext. 532.

Advertising inquiries may be made by emailing advertise@mountainbrookmagazine.com, or by calling (205) 669-3131, ext. 536.

from the editor

D

ON THE COVER

Mountain Brook Driving Club

Tommy Kitsmiller drives a Mercedes-Benz SL 300 through streets near Elton Stephens Jr.’s home. He’s the chaplain of the Mountain Brook Driving Club.

Photo by Patrick McGough Design by Katie Krouse

Do you remember the blue bows? It was the fall of 2011, and 11-year-old Sean Fredella was fighting cancer—a word he’d known all too well since age 2. When he returned home from treatments at MD Anderson in Houston just before Christmas that year, blue was the color that welcomed him with ribbons marking mailbox after mailbox he passed. And blue was the color that Sean’s friends held as I corralled them into a photo in the gym at Mountain Brook Elementary to tell the story of a brave boy and the community rallying behind him and his family.

So when I heard at TEDx Birmingham earlier this year that two MBJH students’ TED talks had made it to the national stage, and one of them was Sean’s about his passion to change the fact that only 4 percent of cancer research funds go toward pediatric cancer, I knew there was a new story to tell—one that I am thrilled we get to share in our debut issue.

To me, Mountain Brook is a canopy of lush green. It’s quaint villages filled with locally owned businesses. But most of all, it’s a community that supports one another like none other—be it through purple and gold for Sid, red for Sam or blue for Sean. And that is why this magazine is coming into being, to celebrate this place, its people and their passions.

In this issue, that looks like the generations of portraits Rollina Oglesby has created and the generations of artists she has trained. It looks like a stationery artist whose humility is even more powerful than her national brand and stellar designs. It looks a lawyer-turned-pastor, a chef who found his voice in Asian and Spanish cuisine, the mastermind behind florals at the Ball of Roses, a high school quarterback who is just as about relationships and fundraising as he is Friday night wins and a mayor who wants to bring people together in a new but not-so-new way.

More than anything, we want this magazine to be yours, Mountain Brook. That’s why I’m excited that these pages are filled with not just stories about Mountain Brook people and places, but that they are largely written and photographed by people who call it home. At the end of the day, our staff and I are stewards of this publication for now, but we want it to be the community’s for years and decades to come.

We welcome any of you out there to contribute as well! What should we be writing about in our next issue (November/December—we’re bimonthly in print)? What should we be posting or reposting on Instagram and Facebook? Who should be taking pictures for us? We love ideas and connecting with community members as much as we love stories themselves, and we welcome feedback via email, social media comments and old-fashioned hand-written notes any time.

madoline.markham@mountainbrookmagazine.com

MountainBrookMagazine.com 9

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ONLINE EXCLUSIVE

Our Favorite Kid-Friendly Restaurants

Eating out with kids doesn’t have to be a chore. Find our picks for dishes they’ll love, atmospheres that create no worries and food for Mom and Dad too. mountainbrookmagazine.com/kid-friendly facebook.com/mountainbrookmag

@mountainbrookmag

@mountainbrookmag

Can’t wait for the first issue!

-@bigsouthcompany on Instagram

ChildrensAL.org/committedtoacure

THE FACE OF A CURE

The Alabama Center for Childhood Cancer and Blood Disorders is committed to finding a cure for Rollins and the more than 1,500 children who come to us for care each year.

As a founding member of the Children’s Oncology Group,* Children’s of Alabama and UAB combine research and innovative therapies to help save the lives of children down the street and around the world.

Although the cancer cure rate has risen from 50 to 84 percent and strokes in patients with sickle cell disease have decreased by 90 percent, we are actively working toward a CURE for children like Rollins.

*The Children’s Oncology group is a clinical - translational trials organization with more than 9,000 experts worldwide dedicated to finding better cures and improving the outcomes for all children with cancer.

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#MountainBrookMag

Tag us in your Mountain Brook photos on Instagram, and we’ll pick our favorites to regram and publish on this page in each issue.

@mannslie

one of my favorite doors in mountain brook. love the architectural plans on the walls inside, too.

@mountainbrookmom

Mountain Brook showing off after days of rain. #MBM #thisismountainbrook #homesweethome

@repactiveart

Gorgeous Lily Kate dancing in the “Anne” wide waistband capri REPACTIVEART.com #dancewear #ballerina #yogapants #capri #fitnessgear #artinmotion #barre

@vjonesphoto

When will the rain return? Not sure.

When will the pastries be delicious? All. The. Time. @continental_bakery #villagecharm #englishvillage #regram

MountainBrookMagazine.com 11

“ ” THE QUESTION

You know you are from Mountain Brook when…

You know how to get to The Summit without getting on 280.

-Katherine Kettig

You know Aurelia at the Pig and have for years.

-Catherine McIntyre Lowe

You were in a high school sorority or fraternity.

-Roxane Ash Mackin

You aced the question “Name 10 major Civil War battles” in junior high because you either lived in Cherokee Bend or your friends did.

-Catherine Sullivan Oztekin

You live around the corner from the house you grew up in. And name each house by the families’ that lived in them when you live in that house.

You have a charge account at Gilchrist.

You give directions using city landmarks because you know the way, but not the street names.

You remember Clarence at the Country Club and he would send a Shirley Temple to your table without any order!

-Caroline Turner Ezelle

-Susan Gray

-Jay Skinner

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- Pratt Austin-Trucks

THE GUIDE

JAZZ IN THE PARK OCT. 15 5-8 P.M. ACROSS FROM EMMET O’NEAL LIBRARY Grab your picnic blanket, and meet us on the grassy knoll in front of the library for an evening of picnics and a free jazz concert. The event is being held in partnership with Magic City Smooth Jazz.

PHOTO BY KEITH MCCOY

THE GUIDE WHAT TO DO IN MOUNTAIN BROOK

MBHS

Varsity Spartan Football

SEPT. 2 International Vulture Awareness Day Birmingham Zoo 10 a.m.-2 p.m.

SEPT. 4 Labor Day SEPT. 9 + OCT. 14 Special Saturdays Birmingham Zoo For children with cognitive or physical disabilities

Bring on the Friday night lights. Don your green and gold, and we’ll see you at Spartan Stadium. All games start at 7 p.m.

SEPT. 11 Patriot Day Ceremony Held with Cities of Homewood & Vestavia Vestavia Hills City Hall 8:30 a.m.

SCHEDULE Aug. 25: vs. Gulf Shores Sept. 1: at Helena Sept. 8: vs. Hoover Sept. 15: at Thompson Sept. 22: vs. Spain Park Oct. 6: at Tuscaloosa County Oct. 13: vs. Vestavia Hills Oct. 20: vs. Oak Mountain/ Homecoming Oct. 27: at Huffman

SEPT. 12 Family Night: Outdoor Drum Circle with Get Rhythm!

Emmet O’Neal Library Children 5:30 p.m.

PHOTO BY BEN BRELAND

SEPT. 17

Taste of Mountain Brook 101 Hoyt Lane Next to City Hall Crestline Village 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m.

Eat your way through all the villages in one sitting with tastes from more than 25 local restaurants while taking in live entertainment. Children can check out a special Kids’ Zone of activities, too. It all benefits All In Mountain Brook’s community programs and speaker events. Learn more at tasteofmountainbrook.com.

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SEPT. 22 Radiohead’s OK Computer Rockumentary. + 90s Alternative Karaoke Adults/Standing Room Only Emmet O’Neal Library 6:30 p.m.

SEPT. 23-24 Orchid Show and Sale Birmingham Botanical Gardens SEPT. 26 Mountain Brook Chamber of Commerce Luncheon Featuring Brittany Wagner of Last Chance U Birmingham Botanical Gardens 11 a.m.

SEPT. 27 Flicks Among the Flowers Father of the Bride Birmingham Botanical Gardens Gates 6 p.m., Movie 8 p.m.

OCT. 1 An Afternoon with the Author: Amy McDonald Holocaust Memoir Emmet O’Neal Library 2 p.m.

THE GUIDE OCT. 6 E-Day Mountain Brook City Schools OCT. 10 Family Night: Madcap Puppets Jules & Verne’s Excellent Adventure Emmet O’Neal Library Children 5:30 p.m.

OCT. 11 Columbus Day Mountain Brook City Schools Closed OCT. 13 Nightmare on Elm Street & Friday the 13th Dinner Provided RSVP Required Emmet O’Neal Library/Adults 5:30-10 p.m.

OCT. 14 l’Artiste ordinaire: Photon Ecstacy Compositions that engage music, sound, science fiction & interactive light Emmet O’Neal Library Doors 6:30 p.m., Show 7 p.m.

SEPT. 15-16

Sweet Repeats Consignment Sale Mountain Brook Community Church Friday 9 a.m.-6 p.m.

Saturday 9 a.m.-noon

Stock your kids’ fall and winter wardrobe while supporting MBCC’s short-term mission trips to places like San Diego, Peru, Hungary, Haiti and the Dominican Republic. Consignors receive 75 percent of the selling price, and 25 percent goes to MBCC Missions.

OCT. 18-29 Shop Save Share Benefitting Junior League of Birmingham Community Projects OCT. 21 Creature Movie Double Feature Emmet O’Neal Library/ Teens 6-10 p.m.

OCT. 26-29 Fall Play Mountain Brook High School Thursday-Saturday 7 p.m.

Sunday 2 p.m.

OCT. 27 A Night Dark & Grimm Fairy Tale Festival & Movie on the Lawn Emmet O’Neal Library Children 6 p.m.

OCT. 31 Mystics of Mountain Brook Parade Crestline Village

OCT. 21-22

Fall Plant Sale Birmingham Botanical Gardens Saturday 9 a.m.-5 p.m.

Sunday noon-4 p.m.

Find everything you need for your yard heading into colder weather with herbs, sustainable trees, fall annuals, shrubs, natives, perennials and more for sale.

Plus, all the trees are natives selected especially for Birmingham’s climate and condition.

MountainBrookMagazine.com 15

THE GUIDE

AROUND TOWN

MBHS

SEPT. 7 Lady Antebellum, Kelsey Ballerini, & Brett Young Oak Mountain Amphitheater 7:30 p.m.

SEPT. 14-16 St. George Middle Eastern Food Festival St. George Greek-Catholic Milkite Church SEPT. 15 Tedeschi Trucks Band The Alabama Theatre 8 p.m.

SEPT. 16 Monkey C Monkey Run Benefits Camp Smile-A-Mile Smile-A-Mile Place, Downtown Birmingham

OCT. 20

SEPT. 21-23 Greek Food Festival Holy Trinity-Holy Cross Greek Orthodox Cathedral

HOMECOMING PARADE

SEPT. 21-OCT. 1 A Chorus Line Virginia Samford Theatre

Crestline Village 2 p.m.

SEPT. 22 Ballet Hispánico Alys Stephens Center 8 p.m.

Join the MBHS football players and cheerleaders, Dorians and students, and, well, most of Mountain Brook in Crestline to build excitement for the homecoming game against the Oak Mountain Eagles.

Sept. 24 Breakin’ Bread Sloss Furnaces 1-5 p.m.

SEPT. 26 Young and the Giant BJCC Concert Hall 7 p.m.

SEPT. 27 Flicks Among the Flowers Father of the Bride Birmingham Botanical Gardens Gates 6 p.m., Movie 8 p.m.

SEPT. 30 Irondale Whistle Stop Festival Historic Downtown Irondale Sept. 30 Fiesta Linn Park Noon-8 p.m.

PHOTOS BY BEN BRELAND

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THE GUIDE OCT. 1 Peppa Pig Live!

The Alabama Theatre 5 p.m.

OCT. 1+15+29 Vulcan AfterTunes Vulcan Park and Museum 1-6 p.m.

OCT. 1 Cahaba River Fry-Down Benefits Cahaba River Society Railroad Park 12-4 p.m.

OCT. 4 The Head and The Heart The Alabama Theatre 8 p.m.

OCT. 6-8 Barber Vintage Motorcycle Festival Barber Motorsports Festival OCT. 7 Bluff Park Art Show Bluff Park Community Center 9 a.m.-5 p.m.

OCT. 7 Susan G. Komen North Central Alabama Race for the Cure Regions Field 9 a.m.

OCT. 12 Spanish Harlem Orchestra Engel Plaza, UAB Free 6 p.m.

OCT. 15 Shopkins Live!

The Alabama Theatre 1 p.m.

OCT. 18-29 Shop Save Share Benefitting Junior League of Birmingham Community Projects OCT. 19 The Triplets of Belleville 7 p.m.

OCT. 28 Howls & Growls Hosted by Greater Birmingham Humane Society Young Professionals Board Old Car Heaven 7-11 p.m.

OCT. 6-8

ANTIQUES AT THE GARDENS Birmingham Botanical Gardens Friday & Saturday 10 a.m.-5 p.m.

Sunday 11 a.m.-4 p.m.

General Admission: $15 per person

Antique dealers from across the country set up their wares at the gardens for quite the fair, while other designers display curate themed areas from the best of Birmingham and other sources.

OCT. 6

VILLAGE GARDEN WALK BLOCK PARTY

Mountain Brook Village 5-7 p.m.

Mountain Brook Village is celebrating Antiques in the Gardens with gardeninspired windows. You’ll find music, food and shopping too at the Friday night party.

OCT. 6

WESTERN SUPERMARKETS WINE & FOOD FESTIVAL The Birmingham Zoo 6-9 p.m.

Interested in tasting from several hundred wines and local food too?

Head to the zoo for this annual festival, and a portion of proceeds will benefit the Emmet O’Neal Library. Tickets are available at the library, Western locations and online.

MountainBrookMagazine.com 17

THE GUIDE CITY

THE FRIEND CONNECTION How the Circle of 100 Friends is looking to connect the community the old-fashioned way.

Let’s say an event is happening in one of the villages Thursday night. Which is the most likely scenario for you?

A. You don’t know it’s going on.

B. You see an email or a Facebook post about it, think about going for a minute and then forget about it.

C. Your friend suggests meeting up for the event and then staying in the village for dinner or drinks (or both!), so of course you say yes and show up.

A new effort led by Mayor Stewart Welch wants to see C be your response more often.

HOW IT WORKS: Each week the mayor gets a list of upcoming events from the Chamber of Commerce that he emails to a list of the “Circle of 100 Friends.” From there each friend “flips” the information to invite friends, whether that be by email or text or Tweet. The concept is simple, but

The team behind Circle of 100: Mayor Stewart Welch, Otey’s and Taco Mama Founder Will Haver, Chamber Director Suzan Doidge and resident Blake Patterson.

builds on a key principle that sets it apart from one of hundreds of emails you get.

“If I just let you know it’s going on [in an email], you might just click through it,” Welch says. “But if it’s from your good buddy and you’re in his circle, and he says, ‘This is what’s going on, I’m going and let’s go to dinner,’ it’s different. It’s really about person-to-person interaction.”

WHY GO TO EVENTS: For many reasons of course—for fun, to see friends, for the food or

music. “If you get 100 extra people at some of the events, it turns it from something that’s not that well attended to something that’s really well attended,” Welch says.

HOW TO GET INVOLVED: The group is still looking for more people to be a part of this list of 100 “raging fans of Mountain Brook.” Each “friend” is simply asked to come to as many events as they are able and to invite their friends and family. To become a part of the circle, email the mayor at stewart@welchgroup.com.

Share your news! Email submissions to mm@mountainbrookmagazine.com to be considered for our next issue.

Patrick McGough Photography (205)602-1052 patrickmcgough.com

&CULTURE

ARTS

LOOKING THROUGH THE NEGATIVE SPACES Portrait artist Rollina Oglesbay shares how art has keeps her young and why she’ll never stop drawing.

BY MICHELLE LOVE PHOTOS BY MARY FEHR

R

Rollina Oglesbay pulls out the sketchbook she carries with her everywhere, just one in a collection of hundreds.

It’s filled with drawings of live models ranging from family members to strangers at the airport. “This one was when I was on a trip and it was on a bus,” she reflects on one of her sketches. “That’s why it’s so bumpy and that was done with ink, too.”

Rollina’s artistic career spans over 30 years. She can’t remember a time when she wasn’t interested in drawing.

“When I was 10, I used to try to copy the movie stars out of the magazines,” she says. While she’s dabbled in many artistic mediums over the years, she prefers to draw portraits and will only use live models.

“When you’re painting from a photograph all of a sudden your mind says [about the drawing], ‘Oh that [drawing] is not exactly like the photograph,’” she says.

“Well that’s not what you want. The photograph is to

20 MountainBrookMagazine.com

give you a start, but then you need to put it away and go ahead and paint and let the painting tell you what to do because as you get into a drawing or a painting it starts talking to you.”

Rollina describes her immersion in her work as “a high.” “The more I do, the higher I get,” she says. “The more I see, the better I get. And when I get home, it takes me a while to come down.”

“You get lost in the painting and time passes by so rapidly and so well [that] you feel so much better when you finish,” she continues. “It makes you feel good and I just read…drawing and painting and sculpting are things they recommend for people to do to feel young and keep their youth.”

With her long résumé of work under her belt, Rollina says it’s common for her to encounter people who have been impacted by her work. “I’ll have people come up to

“

I love to show people that faces are all very similar. It’s the little, tiny things that make the difference that makes a person like [themselves]...

�

“

I’ll have people come up to me and say, ‘You drew my daughter when she was 6. We still have her picture hanging on the wall and we really love it, and now she’s 36.’

”

me and say, ‘You drew my daughter when she was 6. We still have her picture hanging on the wall and we really love it, and now she’s 36,’” she says with a laugh.

She recalls a time when a woman made a special request. “One time this woman came up to me and said, ‘My grandfather is coming in from Taiwan and I’m going to bring him right from the airport to here. And I want you to make a sketch of him.’ So she went to the airport, got her grandfather, brought him right to the mall in Tuscaloosa for me to draw him…He was fantastic. It was so fun to draw him. It really was.”

A founding member of the Mountain Brook Art Association, Rollina has taught art to everyone from teenagers to the elderly. She currently leads arts and crafts classes for the residents at Columbia Cottages in Cahaba Heights, where she herself currently resides.

That art still brings joy to her heart as well. “I love to

show people that faces are all very similar,” she says.

“It’s the little, tiny things that make the difference that makes a person like [themselves], but you have to be able to see it by looking at all of these different things.”

One of her favorite aspects of teaching is helping her students illustrate the way they see the world as opposed to someone else’s point of view. “Everyone has their own talent. They’ve got their own way of looking at things.

Therefore, I don’t want you to try to do what I do because that’s not you,” she says. “So I try to teach people to see relationships, to see negative spaces, to see shapes. I use a lot of different techniques to teach people to see because what they see is unique to them.”

Often Rollina is approached by past students or models. While she may not remember names, she definitely remembers faces—her students more so than her models. “When a person sits [for an artist], all of a MountainBrookMagazine.com 23

COMFORTABLE ANTIQUES FOR

GARDEN & DWELLING

on your way to the lake!

JUST OFF HIGHWAY 280 IN HARPERSVILLE

205.283.6796

Open Fridays, Saturdays, & Sundays until 5pm or by appointment sudden they’re not a personality as such, they’re something that you’re trying to recreate on your paper. It’s like looking at a flower,” she says.

As she looks at her work that hangs throughout her room, Rollina talks about why people should take a new approach to how they think about art. “I think that to enjoy art you need to learn something about it,” she says. “Because people will say, ‘I know what I like but I don’t know why.’ And I think people need to learn–too many people don’t understand art at all. I wish that the schools would teach art more, and I think everyone should have the chance to try to do art, particularly when they’re young because they aren’t afraid.”

Visit us at

ANTIQUES AT THE GARDENS OCTOBER 6, 7 & 8

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ARTS & CULTURE

5

FIVE QUESTIONS FOR

Carole Sullivan Lagniappe Designs Florist & Owner PHOTO BY KAITLIN JONES

Carole Sullivan knows how to make an event beautiful. She’s been the mastermind behind the flowers for the Ball of Roses for the past decade as well as the Poinsettia Ball, making everything from bouquets for the girls to arrangements to décor for the event space on a theme the chairperson selects. But most of her work is focused on weddings. “It’s a great challenge,” she says. “I love to put things together and to meet brides. It’s a lot of hard work, but it’s a lot of fun.” She’s worked out of a storefront in Crestline Village for more than a decade—the perfect location to keep her near her home but keep her work separate from her home, a change up from her early days when she worked out of her house.

How did you get into the flower business?

My sons were all in college at the same time, and I wanted to do something. So I started working for someone who was doing flowers. A friend of mine’s daughter was getting married and I did the flowers for her wedding, and people started asking me to do their flowers. That’s how it started, just word of mouth. I never dreamt I’d be in this business at all, but I love it. That was about 25 years ago.

Where did your name come from?

It means “something a little extra,” it’s a French Cajun colloquialism. I had another business with another partner.

We did wicker baskets with hard bows and ruffles and it was called Lagniappe

Incorporated. I kept the name since I already had accounts at market.

What takes a floral arrangement from good looking to great looking?

Color plays a big part in it, and the types of flowers and greenery. The more textures you have, the more interesting it is. One massive arrangement of one flower is always pretty too. Most brides want an ivory and white with a touch of peach or pink, but next weekend we are doing one that’s all bright colors. That will be fun because we haven’t done one like that in a while.

What trends are you seeing lately?

Brides want a little more loose than tight bouquets. There is more interest in

flowers with textures, and succulents and ferns can give it more green. Pinterest plays a big part now. Before you would come up with your own ideas and see if the bride would like to go in that direction, but now brides bring me a lot of pictures from Pinterest and they want something similar to that.

What are your favorite fall flowers?

Dalias, Coxcomb, things like that.

Brides like textured berries and fall leaves. You can do green berries or black berries (not the fruit but black berries), and different pods. It’s a beautiful time of year, and often they get married at outside venues like Swann Lake.

MountainBrookMagazine.com 25

READ THIS BOOK

Armchair Travel Recommendations from

Lindsy Gardner Emmet O’Neal Library Director

When I was offered the chance to become the new director of the Emmet O’Neal Library, I jumped with joy—and then found an apartment from afar, sold my house and moved all my possessions (including a dog and cat) in five weeks. My transition time didn’t allow for much time off, so this year I’m enjoying different locales and adventures from the comfort of my couch, cuddled up with my fourlegged companions. These authors have created visceral, memorable settings. Bon voyage!

Death at the Chateau Bremont

By M. L. Longworth Setting: Aix-en-Provence, France, present day. The romance between a law professor and a chief magistrate is just as suspenseful as the cozy mystery that these two solve together. This book, the first in a series, is riddled with delectable descriptions of French food and wine, and charming details of architecture and life in Provence.

News of the World

By Paulette Jiles Setting: Texas, 1870. Captain Kidd reads newspapers in small towns to paying customers, eager to hear news of the world. When he is asked to return a young child, who was kidnapped by Indians, to her German relatives in San Antonio, he embarks on a dangerous 400-mile journey through unsettled country that changes both their lives. This book will stick with you long after you turn the last page.

Euphoria

By Lily King Setting: New Guinea, 1933. Three anthropologists study the language, family structure and rituals of native tribes. Their struggle to survive in the jungle brings them together, but the changing dynamic between the three scientists becomes the biggest threat of all. Loosely based on the field work of Margaret Mead, this book was so intriguing that I immediately read her personal biography, Blackberry Winter, to determine fact from fiction.

The Boston Girl

By Anita Diamant Setting: Boston, 1915. This is a richly detailed fictional memoir of a first-generation American who finds joy in learning and friendships and love. I highly recommend the audio version of this book, as read by Linda Lavin. Her narration is so delightful that I listened to the entire book in two days.

Anna and the Swallow Man

By Gavriel Savit Setting: Poland, 1939. Anna’s linguistic professor father disappears, leaving her alone and scared in Krakow.

Anna immediately trusts a kind stranger who seems magical, and the two survive by quietly wandering the Polish countryside together. Their unlikely companionship is a touching story of physical and emotional sacrifice. This beautifully written debut novel is my favorite book of the year…so far.

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SCHOOL

&SPORTS

THE KIDS AREN’T ALRIGHT

Sean Fredella’s TED-Ed talk says kids with cancer deserve #MoreThan4.

BY RACHEL CRISSON PHOTOS BY PATRICK MCGOUGH

Sean Fredella shares his TED talk.

Sean Fredella’s opening words on the red TED carpet ring with resilience. “If you don’t know me, I hope you never meet somebody like me again,” he starts. “That’s because I’ve survived cancer four times—four times over the course of seven and a half years.”

Mountain Brook knows his story, but the talk packs it with a punch as a photo pops up on the screen behind him: “I’ve had Leukemia, a bone marrow transplant, chemo, radiation. I’ve had a craniotomy, which is basically a fancy term that doctors use for cutting my head open from this ear to this ear, pulling down my face, then use a drill to pull out the tumor the size of a golf ball. Yeah, fifth grade was not very fun.”

Sean and his friend Brett Lewis were among only 17 students out of hundreds of applicants who were chosen to attend the first TED-Ed weekend last December, a now twice-yearly event that brings together students from TED-Ed youth clubs worldwide

to the TED Headquarters in New York City. “I didn’t really know what it was all about until we went to New York. It was really cool, it felt like I was at Google because of all the technology and innovation,” Sean recalls. “I met people from all around the world, which I’d never done before.”

“Being on [the TED] stage, in the headquarters, that was really neat—it was just so incredible being there,” adds Suzan Brandt, Mountain Brook Junior High technology coordinator and TED-Ed Club advisor.

“There’s a really strong global TED community, and I want our students to be a part of it. They will be more well-connected as they continue to grow.”

MountainBrookMagazine.com 29

Brett Lewis presented his TED talk on peer mentorship in New York City.

Although recorded in New York in December, Sean’s talk at TED-Ed was released online June 7 and quickly went viral, with more than 27,000 views in the first few weeks it was live. In it, the MBHS junior says he cannot help but think of his friends. Friends he met in hospitals or during yearly trips to Camp Smile-A-Mile.

Friends who have almost all passed away. “It’s times like these that I wonder why,” the 16 year old says in his talk. “Why me? Out of all of my friends, why did I survive? There has to be a reason.”

Then, he gets to the reason—so he can raise awareness about funding pediatric cancer research, or the lack thereof. “You know, out of all the money raised, the millions, billions of dollars raised to fight all cancers, pediatric cancer only gets 4 percent,” Sean says. “Children die every day from cancer, and they did nothing to deserve it. We need to fight. We need to make a change. We need to have more than four.” That’s where the hashtag comes in— #MoreThan4.

LOCAL CLUB, GLOBAL CONNECTIONS The talk started back in the Mountain Brook Junior High TEDEd Club when Sean was in ninth grade. “Brett [Lewis], Chip Porter and I joined because Mr. [Andrew] Cotten asked us to. He was my favorite teacher,” Sean says. “My mom also thought it was a good opportunity. I’m glad I listened to them.”

Suzan, with help from fellow educators Andrew Cotten and Mariya Breaux, has always made sure her TED-Ed Club students see the impact of TED across the globe. She brings in guest speakers. They watch all kinds of TED Talks and discuss them. She provides new research resources when she discovers them. They connect with other classrooms via Skype and talk about the ideas that other students are working on.

“I want [my students] to make those global connections and share ideas,” Suzan says. “It’s so cool that kids all over the world are giving each other advice, being so far apart and still knowing 30 MountainBrookMagazine.com

they have the same types of ideas across the globe.”

“We believe that every student has a great idea–really, all of us do,” she continues, explaining that the club helps individuals parse out what their ideas mean to the students and how to push them further. They brainstorm ideas and concepts before making an outline and then a rough draft. Mini lessons leave them with time to do writing in a shared Google Doc, where everyone in class can make notes to ask questions or help keep the stories on track.

“I like knowing that everyone is on the same page, we’re all following the TED structure,” Suzan says, but she really feels connected to the students in other ways too. “I’ve grown personally and professionally and connected with kids on a level that I did not expect. [The students] have shared things that I did not expect.”

Sean, Brett, and a few others in particular have made a huge impact.

CRAFTING ORIGINALITY From the start Sean knew he wanted to talk about the lack of funding in the United States for pediatric cancer, but he was not sure how. “Since it was such a big part of my life, I didn’t know how to make that connection at first.”

“I wanted to establish a tone, and I really wanted to be original,” Sean recalls. Looking to add both comedic and serious parts, he added jokes about being angry like Donald Trump when he was on steroids. That joke in particular got big laughs on stage. “[A TED Talk] really should be a rollercoaster of emotions, and it was really interesting exploring that,” Sean says.

For research, Sean watched even more TED Talks, as well as commencement speeches and routines by comedians like Will Ferrell. And he practiced for hours and hours—by himself, with his peers, in front of his mom, fleshing out his talk with whoever would listen. “It’s been nice to get recognized for raising money for cancer research rather than just for having it,” Sean says. “It’s also

“

”

It’s been pretty cool seeing other kids’ ideas, and to think that maybe they’ll pursue their ideas like I have.

- Sean Fredella

#MORETHAN4 While getting ready for the new school year this summer, Sean was also in meetings about a website, promotional video and fundraising for #MoreThan4.

RALLY FOUNDATION FOR PEDIATRIC CANCER: Sean works with the foundation as a “Rally Kid” to raise funds for pediatric cancer research grants. Collectively more than 500 Rally Kids have raised more than $11 million since 2005—some of which goes to Dr. Gregory K. Friedman, MD’s pediatric brain tumor research at Children’s of Alabama.

ADIDAS: Sean worked with the art directors at Adidas to come up with a logo for #MoreThan4. He took inspiration from athletes like James Harden and Chris Paul, who combine their initials with their jersey numbers to create personal brand logos. Adidas has donated shirts, hoodies, shoes and cleats with the logo.

NFL CLEATS: Sean wants NFL payers to wear gold cleats as a part of the My Cleats, My Cause initiative where they can choose any color to support a charitable cause. As a first step, Sean tagged NFL defensive end Joey Bosa of the LA Chargers in a #MoreThan4 photo on Instagram. Joey “liked” the image, the pair started talking about their shared passion for football, and Joey has been a supporter ever since.

THE PROS: Sean has gotten other pro athletes supporting #MoreThan4 too. Former Iowa State University defensive lineman Mitchell Myers battled and beat Hodgkin’s lymphoma in 2015 while playing for the Cyclones. Former NBA pitcher and longtime New York Yankees star Andrew Pettitte has pledged to support #MoreThan4 in his retirement.

pretty cool to think that I might have a job that’s not invented yet.

Breast cancer awareness had to start out as an idea somewhere, too.”

While Sean’s talk is about pediatric cancer, Brett’s talk is about peer mentorship and how it can be used to make the world a better place, especially by working with special education students to build their social skills and networks. In his talk, Brett said he joined the Peer Helpers in fourth grade to avoid being in the Chess Club. He ended up working with another student named Henley, who has severe autism, for three years to help him with social and organizational skills and exercise.

“Since we’re being honest, [before meeting Henley,] I was nervous because we as humans have a tendency to feel uncomfortable around people who are different than us,” Brett said in his talk. “Over the years, Henley’s small talk has greatly improved, and it’s not just with me. It’s with every person he interacts with. That’s one of the goals of inclusion programs.”

WEDDING AND LIFESTYLE PHOTOGRAPHER

A CATALYST FOR MORE Just because Sean and Brett have left for the high school does not mean their TED involvement is finished. “[Sean and Brett] are very much still a part of the club,” which is now in its fourth year, Suzan says. “We reach out to previous members to make them mentors and coaches, so they can read drafts and give opinions to current students. We want to keep them involved.”

Brett has teamed up with another classmate, Emily Bebenek, to bring a TED-Ed Club to MBHS. “We’re so proud of them for taking the initiative on this,” Suzan says. “It was their idea. They didn’t want the club to stop here [at MBJH], they wanted to bring it to the high school.” Their paperwork to become a TED-Ed Club was approved over the summer, so Brett and Emily now run the club together.

As for Sean, he keeps busy talking with high school, college and professional-level athletes on social media to educate and promote #MoreThan4. In his TED talk, he had proposed getting sports teams across the board to wear gold in September for pediatric cancer awareness, the same way many wear pink on their shoes or helmets for breast cancer or don camouflage jerseys for military support.

“We really want to raise awareness first, so our goal is to get gold into sports. You can’t really raise money if people aren’t aware of your cause,” Sean explained this summer. “This year, it’s Joey Bosa [participating]. Next year, its two or three more athletes. Hopefully it’ll add up, and then leagues, teams and players will join in wearing gold. We’ll raise awareness until the people upstairs can see how they should help kids with cancer.”

The idea all started with TED. “It’s been pretty cool seeing other kids’ ideas, and to think that maybe they’ll pursue their ideas like I have,” Sean says. “I’ve got too much going on to help run the new club, but I will probably be in it. I might do another TED Talk, I don’t know.”

“We’ll see,” his mom, Nell, says with a laugh. “[Promoting #MoreThan4] is basically like a full-time job.”

“I CAME ALIVE WHEN I STARTED LOVING YOU.” - C.S. LEWIS

W W W . M E G A N T S A N G . C O M

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5

SCHOOLS & SPORTS

FIVE QUESTIONS FOR

Hamp Sisson Mountain Brook High School Quarterback PHOTO BY BEN BRELAND

For three-year starter Hamp Sisson, football is as much about the bonds he’s built with fellow players as it the score on the board. “Those become some of your best friendships because you spend so much time with them,” he says. From thirdgrade rec league to the junior high to the current high school team, the Class of 2018 has always been “pretty focused and intent on winning obviously but on building a bond with each other as well,” Hamp says.

How has Mountain Brook evolved as a team during your time at the high school?

Last year I felt like it was a chip on the shoulder because we were scheduled for three teams’ homecomings, but we ended up winning all those homecomings. The two previous years we went 3-7, but we were not going to go 3-7 that year and return to the mediocrity of the last two years. We went 8-3 and made it to the playoffs, so this year we are looking to go further than the first round of the playoffs.

What happened to turn the tide in how the team played?

Last year you had a group of seniors that came together and said, “We are going to play the way Mountain Brook has always played football.” And they have set the new standard for Mountain Brook 34 MountainBrookMagazine.com

football that we are looking to carry over into this year. It’s being tough, smart, being more mentally tough than the other team, knowing your assignment and executing your assignment every single play. That was cool to see firsthand as a junior, and the goal is to carry that over into this year as a new group of seniors.

What can we look to see on the field this year?

We should have an exciting offense to watch this year. We have a lot of good play makers on our offense. That’s one thing I am looking forward to is putting a lot of points on the board and being able to score. Last year we lost to Vestavia in overtime, but it was a really good game.

Obviously we are looking to win this year.

You spend more than 20 hours a week with the football team during the season.

What is that team dynamic like?

In the past I have had so many seniors pour into me. I was hurt for the spring, but it was a great opportunity for me to pour back into the underclassmen like so many seniors have done for me. I get to take one our young quarterbacks to practice every single day, and that’s awesome to be able to talk to him about life and things outside football.

What else are you involved with at the high school?

The past two years I have been on the board for Relay for Life raising money for the American Cancer Society. We started a club last year, the Relay Club, and we got a lot more people involved who were interested in raising money for cancer research. This year we are making it a fundraising club. Each year we are going to pick a different organization to fundraise for.

&DRINK

FOOD

BOLD FOOD, NO FUSS

Joseph Rozario brings a background in Indonesian and Singaporean cuisine to Alabama hot weather food at AVO.

BY CHRISTIANA ROUSSEL PHOTOS BY PATRICK MCGOUGH

W

When Tom Sheffer and his team opened the doors to AVO in 2009, he knew the approachable California-influenced cuisine would be a hit with his fellow Mountain Brook residents. Situated in the very heart of Mountain Brook Village, AVO benefits from some seriously high profile real estate, so anything less than becoming an instant mainstay would have been very conspicuous. Fortunately, Tom’s Green Apple Restaurant Group had already earned its chops with successful concepts in Nashville and Homewood (Rumba and Jackson’s Bar & Bistro).

Offering unfussy food from what Tom calls ”The Upper South” of Alabama, Tennessee and his home state of Kentucky, AVO has built a steady fan base. Two years ago, he brought in a new chef, Joseph Rozario, a change that infused the restaurant with a more casual vibe as well as a spicy kick. “I became chef de cuisine of Rumba at the age of 23,” Joseph says. “It was there that I developed my voice exploring Indonesian, Spanish and Asian—Singaporean, specifically, because that is where my father and his family are from—cuisines. So, I bring a worldly approach to Alabama’s ‘hot weather

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food’ as I call it, as cuisine is most largely influenced by climate.”

The chef and Tom often collaborate on menus, always focusing on what is fresh, seasonal and what diners have come to expect in a neighborhood gem. “I like to come up with some of the menu concepts, but he develops the recipes,” Tom says. “Joseph tends to like bold flavors. He has a predilection for spice.” When discussing how the menu has evolved, Tom notes they kept some classics like their steaks and crab cakes. “But Joseph definitely puts his spin on dishes like fish which changes seasonally,” Tom says. “I would never change something without first consulting with him, and I think he feels the same way.”

Opening prior to the development of Lane Parke could have been dicey, but Tom was betting on that old adage of the rising tide lifting all boats.

“Even when we did not know exactly what [Lane Parke] would be like, we were still for it,” he says. “We just had the idea that the more, the merrier. I think our whole [Mountain Brook Village] area gets noticed more because of Lane Parke.”

On any given night, the AVO dining room will be filled with mostly locals

GET CHEF JOSEPH ROZARIO’S RECIPE FOR CRAB CAKES mountainbrookmagazine.com/avo

MEET CHEF JOSEPH ROZARIO

FOOD & DRINK

and more than a few guests from the nearby Grand Bohemian Hotel. “Part of that is location, part of that is the nature of Mountain Brook and part of that is just how we pitch ourselves to the community we serve,” Tom says. Sundays are especially popular as AVO serves a killer brunch. “We do a Hangtown fry, which is an old California Gold Rush dish with oysters, country ham, scrambled eggs,” Tom says. “We think that [Sunday brunch] is a time when we can feature a lot of the ingredients we use downstairs at Dram during the week—Benton’s bacon, sausage smoked in Kentucky, grits.”

The décor of AVO has been updated subtly over the years, keeping things fresh with new paint and adding carpet to portions of the dining room. But it is the tweaking of the menu that might get the most notice. “I think we have gotten a little more ca-

MUSIC IN THE KITCHEN: Well, my father is a pianist/composer/arranger and my stepfather owns recording studios. I listen to everything.

My brother and I grew up dancing, which goes hand-inhand with cooking, so there is usually some obscure dancemusic playing. The last album I bought is by an artist who goes by the stage name “Flume”.

TRANSITION FROM NASHVILLE TO BIRMINGHAM: It has been a seamless adventure. I live next to AVO and feel like the area is much the same as the Nashville area where I grew up. Birmingham possesses many of the charming attributes that are slowly being lost in Nashville’s growth with the influx of so many non-natives. I should add that I did not expect the bounty of Alabama’s produce when I arrived. It is varied and inspiring. There is a tomato hobbyist who will remain anonymous that I adore. I wish readers could see pictures of the jewels he produces!

sual under Joseph’s lead,” Tom says. “He has been cooking since he was 14 years old, and his take on food is to make something delicious that is approachable, not fussy.”

Not upsetting the locals though can be kind of tricky. “When we first opened, some of the staff kind of laughed and thought I would be changing up the menu a lot, but I told them, people like to be able to come in and consistently order what they like, Tom says. “Sometimes we do take things off but it is like a fine dance—you want to stay fresh for regulars, but you don’t want to frustrate them.”

It is this approach that keeps the regulars coming back while surprising new guests to AVO. As Tom puts it, “We’re not a flashy brand. That is one thing that has not changed since we opened, by design. We always knew we had a good thing going.”

ONE INGREDIENT PEOPLE MIGHT BE SURPRISED YOU DON’T HAVE ON HAND: Salt! I replace it with soy sauce, miso, nutritional yeast, or fish sauce. The soy products are inherited from my Singaporean father. The yeast is inherited from my health-nut mother. The fish sauce is a taught-and-learned expression from my early Italian training. The earliest fish sauce recipes originated in Rome. I suppose I am a true Eurasian in heritage and diet!

APPROACH TO COOKING: I can describe it in a three-word mantra, which anyone I have ever trained will recognize: “Reduce and refine.”

Strip away anything from your practices that does not serve an absolute purpose and try to add an unexpected, but familiar, accent. From how my colleagues write their recipes, control heat, adjust seasonings and practice their knifework – all are examples of this simple philosophy.

MountainBrookMagazine.com 39

“

I think we have gotten a little more casual under Joseph’s lead. He has been cooking since he was 14 years old, and his take on food is to make something delicious that is approachable, not fussy.

–Tom Sheffer

”

WHAT’S NEXT FOR THE GREEN APPLE RESTAURANT GROUP? THE SODA JERK: This “fine fast food” concept is coming to Edgewood and also Huntsville.

THE ICE HOUSE: This Texas barbecue restaurant will be around the corner from AVO. It will serve up Texas-style barbecue, sausage, turkey, German potato salad, pinto beans and creamed corn.

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Thyme

FOOD & DRINK

WELL SPENT DYRON’S LOWCOUNTRY PHOTO BY EMMA SIMMONS

Some of Daniel Holifield’s fondest summer memories took place on his grandfather’s porch, where the two would share a slice of fresh honeycomb from the family farm. For the Dyron’s Lowcountry bartender, honey is sweet reminder of Thyme Well Spent.

Combined with the deep flavors of cinnamon and thyme, Daniel’s signature cocktail is a refreshingly sweet late summer sipper.

WHAT’S IN IT • 2 sprigs thyme, Michael Dean’s Terra Preta Farm • 2 oz. Elijah Craig Small Batch bourbon • 1/2 lemon, juiced • 1 tablespoon wildflower honey • 1 tablespoon cinnamon simple syrup • 1 cinnamon stick • 1 lemon twist

HOW TO MAKE IT Muddle 1 sprig thyme and the bourbon together. Add lemon juice, honey and cinnamon syrup. Shake vigorously. Strain into a collins glass and garnish with a sprig of thyme, a cinnamon stick and a lemon twist.

FOOD & DRINK

5

FIVE QUESTIONS FOR

Hutton Fant

Oli.O Specialty Oils & Balsamics Owner PHOTO BY KAITLIN JONES

Since opening shop in 2013, Hutton Fant has seen customers grow from seeing her imported olive oils and balsamic vinegars as a novelty they use when in-laws come over to adding it to their regular grocery list before heading off to Western or Whole Foods. A naturally flavored oil and a balsamic can change the flavors of food dramatically with little hassle, and she loves to help Mountain Brook Village shoppers find the right selections for their kitchens.

What sets your olive oils apart from what you find in grocery stores?

What’s so different about this is the chemistry of it is being tested to ensure it’s 100 percent olive oil. Most of what you see at the stores is being fed with other kinds of oil like canola oil or seed oil that are lessening the health benefits of the oil. For a lot of what’s in the stores, they are wanting to get a higher yield, so they wait for olives to become overly ripe and then press them and then heat them again to extract as much oil. Here the olives are being picked in a 4-8 hour window and being cold pressed (not heated to extract more oil).

that a marinade might have. We put the balsamic over ice cream, and some of the white balsamic we put in cocktails, like a peach balsamic with champagne kind of a like a bellini. We bake with a lot of oils, so we’ll substitute a butter or a canola oil for a blood orange olive oil, so you’ll get a fun flavor but you are also using a better fat for you and also less fat.

What are some of your favorite ways to cook with them?

I love any kind of Mexican food, so a lot of times I’ll use a cilantro and onion oil or a harissa oil, which is a roasted chili pepper with garlic and coriander and cumin, and I will put it over chicken breasts and peppers How do you suggest using the oils and and onions and do fajitas. We love doing blackberry-ginger balsamic over sweet balsamics?

We use them for salad dressings, bread potatoes. I’ll stir the cinnamon pear dipping, pastas, roasted vegetables. We balsamic into oatmeal, or it’s good in a marinate a lot of meat to give it that flavor pork tenderloin marinade or over without the added preservatives or salts baked apples.

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How do you even start to pick which flavors to buy?

Everyone’s palate is so different. It’s best for them to come in and tell me how they enjoy cooking and what they like to eat. My favorite part is interacting with the customer and working through what foods they are preparing in their homes and what might help with their cooking lifestyle. It eliminates a lot of preparation because you are not having to follow a recipe and add eight different spices.

How do you work with other local food businesses?

It’s fun to feed off others’ creative energy. We partnered with Steel City Pops last summer, and they used our strawberry balsamic in their strawberry balsamic popsicle. Shindig’s chef Mac Russell can take the lemongrass mint white balsamic or a more obscure flavor and pair it with a food that complements it so well.

&STYLE

HOME

ALL IN THE DETAILS

Geometric patterns, custom woodwork and statement ceilings make the Clay home unlike any other.

BY MADOLINE MARKHAM PHOTOS BY LAUREN USTAD MountainBrookMagazine.com 43

HOME & STYLE

O

Open the colossal custom-stained door of the Clay home with its centered push/pull knob, and the open floor plan pops with decorative details: bold art wallpaper in the powder room, a silver-and-gold tile patterned bar backsplash and art deco accents on the dining room ceiling.

The wow factor comes in the arches above the door frames. It’s in the crisscross woodwork pattern above the fireplace and echoed in vertical wall that lines the twostory staircase. It’s in the 10-foot-high entryway and 12-foot-high living room, and in the beams in the vaulted ceiling of the kitchen. “Details can make an ordinary house special,” Heather Clay says. “You don’t really need anything else.” Heather had wanted her new home to be something different, something that didn’t look like anything else. And that’s what she got.

Heather and interior designer Lisa Flake—a friend of Heather’s from college—both love color, as is evident in the pops that complement the white and grey palette of many rooms. But Heather says Lisa stretches her outside her comfort zone too. The custom quality of the house

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carries over to the grey color they mixed for their hardwood floor stain, complete with hints of ebony and white. “It’s different,” Heather says. “People notice it.”

The Clays had been living in a five-bedroom house on Cherry Street in Crestline they had redone, but they wanted a different space for their kids’ teen years and beyond that was still in walking distance of Crestline Village. They found a ranch with an unusually deep wooded lot that appealed to them and decided to tear it down to start fresh in its footprint. The new house has a third story and is extended 12 feet out the back of where the ranch stood. The new home is 5,671 square feet, whereas the old was only 3,000.

Knowing they wanted an open floor plan and a brick exterior, Heather and her husband, Carter, sketched out their ideas on a napkin at Billy’s one night, and from there home designer Eric Dale dreamed up countless custom details to make statement after statement as you walk through the home. The result is nothing short of stunning to friends who come over, while also creating a comfortable family space for years to come.

Dining Room A light black, silver and gold art deco wallpaper (Metropolis Marrasite by Mokum) on the ceiling adds a dramatic touch to this space along with the statement gold chandelier. “I love to put paper on the ceilings because it’s never overkill but packs a big punch,” Lisa says. A portrait of the Clays’ son Coleman by Liz Lindström hangs between the windows.

Master Bedroom

Master Bathroom The custom mirrors from Village Framers in each bathroom feature a different metallic texture that varies in shape and thickness. All the bathrooms have similar dual lamps but with slightly different shapes and different hues on their shades. Here in the master, these elements mix in a darker hue with the lighter marble countertops and shower as well as the floor tile, a crushed porcelain tile with touches of grey.

The turquoise headboard came from the Clays’ previous house, so Heather picked neutrals for the floor-to-ceiling curtains with a silver and gold sheen and other parts of the room, enabling her to easily swap out only some elements to give the room a different feel one day.

HOME & STYLE

Kitchen Heather wanted a spacious kitchen with a large island for people to gather (and cook of course), and its vaulted ceiling makes it feel all the more roomy. The polished Vail Select quartzite countertops provide the look of marble used in the rest of the house but with the durability of granite. Plus, its tints of green in horizontal and vertical veins make it one of Lisa’s favorite stones. Beneath it, a grey island provides an accent to the mostly white space. The triangular pattern used in the architectural details is echoed in a section of built-in china cabinets that line the breakfast nook space. The slow-shut base cabinets were all constructed as one piece and then cut into drawers to create a unified look.

MountainBrookMagazine.com 47

Powder Room Artist Lindsay Cowles creates wallpapers from sections of her original paintings—they are always abstract, bright and bold. “I use her papers as often as my clients will let me,” Lisa says. “Bathrooms are so hard to get personality in at times, and with her papers they immediately turn into works of art!” Lisa loves the color of Lindsay’s No. 810 Pink they picked. ”It’s just cool,” she says. To contrast the paper’s boldness, Lisa and Heather selected a solid vanity from Fixtures & Finishes, and a grey velvet mirror hangs above it.

HOME & STYLE

Teenage Bedroom Like the dining room, Akimbo Greyscale wallpaper by Eskayel on the ceiling makes a statement for Hollis’ room. She wanted blacks, whites and greys for her space, so she and Lisa worked to incorporate them in her headboard, bedding and curtains while adding a pop of turquoise in pillows.

Bar The bar’s wow factor comes in the chrome, gold and white marble-patterned backsplash that is made from tile with a seamless grouting job. It ties to the color scheme of art by Cecily Hill Lowe framed with gold and silver around the corner in the kitchen. Both Heather and Cecily are from Meridian, Mississippi, and now live in Birmingham—adding another layer of connection for Heather. Back in the bar, the geometric cabinet door design echoes the front door, and polished nickel cabinet pulls tie the look together.

Basement Pops of purple, bright art and a geometric rug fun up this teen hangout space, which has plenty of extra seating that can be moved around. Oyster-colored pavers by Firerock are both durable and easy to clean, making a suitable surface for storage closets that surround the living area. The Clays also plan to add a game room with a pool table in a room behind this space.

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“

”

Details can make an ordinary house special. You don’t really need anything else.

- Heather Clay

Living Room

The signature elements of this room are the crisscross wood pattern above the fireplace and the coffered ceiling. A sunburst with clouds from Antiquities in Mountain Brook Village hangs above the mantle. Gas fireballs provide heat in a sleek design within the limestone fireplace that is wood-burning on its screened-in porch side. Adjacent to it, a built-in bookshelf offers decorative space with cabinets with Lucite handles on the lower storage space.

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BEHIND THE SCENES Residential Design: Eric Dale

Builder: Paul Davis, Ruff Reams Building Co.

Interior Design: Lisa Flake, Caldwell Flake Interiors Cabinetry: Bud’s Cabinets

Cabinet Hardware, Front Door Pull: Brandino Brass Fabricator: Will Casey, Synergy Stone

Plumbing Fixtures: Fixtures & Finishes

Outdoor Lighting: Architectural Heritage

Stone & Tile: Synergy Stone, Triton Stone Group Indoor Lighting & Carpet: Hiltz-Lauber

Front Door & Shutter Stain: Daniel Whitsett, Paintworks Design Studio Kitchen Appliances: Thermador

Select Rugs: Kings House, Paige Albright Orientals

P R E S E N T E D

B Y

BBGARDENS.ORG/ANTIQUES OR 205.414.3950 BIRMINGHAMBOTANICALGARDENS

BBGARDENS

BBGARDENS

PROVIDING FREE SCIENCE EDUCATION AT BIRMINGHAM BOTANICAL GARDENS

MountainBrookMagazine.com 51

&

IN STYLE

DAY DAY

NIGHT

1

By Jessica Clement Photos by Lauren Ustad

1. LEOPARD PRINT CAMISOLE

BY TIBI This leopard print cami adds a chic element to a daytime look. For cold fall days, add a rugged leather jacket or army jacket.

Elle | $375

2. GOLD LINEAR CUFF BY ELIZABETH AND JAMES

2

Add a pop of metallic glamor with this cuff.

Monkee’s of Mountain Brook | $125

3. LEATHER CROSSBODY BAG BY HAMMIT This perfect-sized bag goes with any casual outfit.

Village Sportswear | $250 2.

4. ASYMMETRICAL DENIM BY FRAME The biggest denim fall trend is angled hems, a subtle detail that adds a great impact to your basics.

M. Lavender Clothing | $229

3

5. BLUSH SLIP-ON SNEAKER BY MARC FISHER LTD This textured platform is one of the biggest must-haves for the fall.

Monkee’s of Mountain Brook | $139.95

4 5

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1

NIGHT

2 1. BLACK FRINGE STATEMENT EARRING Classic black and gold step up the look in these head-turning statement earrings.

Elle | $85

2. BLUSH MOCK TOP SWEATER

BY MICHAEL STARS Blush transitions from season to season with ease as does the light weight of this staple.

Village Sportswear | $88

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3. BLUSH FUR VEST BY MY TRIBE Add a fun statement vest to a sleek mock lightweight sweater for a date night or girls’ night.

Village Sportswear | $195

4. BLACK LEATHER SKIRT BY BB DAKOTA This sleek staple can be dressed up for a night out on the town or dressed down for brunch.

Elle | $149

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5. NUDE HEEL BY SCHUTZ Elevate any fall look with a simple nude heel.

M. Lavender Clothing | $170

5

4

Life and style blogger Jessica Clement of White Oak & Ivy covers how to live stylishly with local fashion and decor.

MountainBrookMagazine.com 53

FROM THE

L AW GOSPEL TO THE

Mountain Brook Presbyterian’s Lant Davis navigated career change with passion and commitment into today.

C

By Tracey Rector Photos by Jennifer Jones

Commitment first, plans later. For The Reverend Lant B. Davis of Mountain Brook Presbyterian Church, this was the lesson learned during a time of major transition in his life. Having taken a leave of absence from his position as partner in a highprofile Birmingham law firm in order to gain clarity about his career choice, Davis found himself working closely with a group of passionate volunteers who were attempting to save the financially troubled Alabama Symphony Orchestra.

A Yale Law School graduate whose areas of legal expertise include bankruptcy law, he drew up a plan to restructure the organization. But the reception from corporate sponsors was less than enthusiastic, and a frustrated Davis returned to his legal career.

The determination of the patrons to save the Alabama Symphony Orchestra, however, refused to die. The group continued to pursue support, and Davis recalls a meeting in the early 1990s with arts benefactor Alys Stephens and her husband, Elton B. Stephens, philanthropist and founder of EBSCO Industries. Davis says he was presenting his meticulously crafted business plan when Mr. Stephens interrupted to inform him that he had done everything wrong. Surprised, Davis asked the business titan what he meant. “You should have

54 MountainBrookMagazine.com

gotten the money first,” Stephens told him.

“Commitment first, then the plan.”

These words echo the trajectory of the path Lant B. Davis wound up taking to reach his current position as senior pastor at Mountain Brook Presbyterian Church. Upon graduation from law school, Davis landed a prestigious offer in his hometown of Birmingham and embarked on a successful career as an attorney who specialized in health law and international arbitration. But something was missing. He spent years of grappling with his decision to pursue law. His soul searching led him to ask where he might best use his skills, and his thoughts continued to return to pastoral ministry. After practicing more than 20 years, Davis left the high-powered world of corporate law to answer that call to ministry.

TO THE LAND I WILL SHOW YOU It wasn’t a decision he took lightly. Davis knew it might be a tough sell to his wife, Amanda. He laughs as he recalls thinking, “Lord, if this is what you want, the first person you’re going to have to talk to is Amanda because she did not marry a preacher.”

In the end, Amanda gave her blessing. And so,

Mayor Ashley Curry hands keys over to Roderick Johnson, who received a car from the ministry.

like Abraham and his family in ancient Mesopotamia, the couple, with their high school-aged son in tow, moved to Louisville, Kentucky, where Davis completed his Master of Divinity degree at Louisville Presbyterian Theological Seminary. He describes the feeling of being back in school after the high pressure world of corporate and international law as magical. “I was a kid in a candy shop,” he says.

Davis loved his time in seminary so much that he spent four years in administration at the school after receiving his degree. He still serves as chairman of the Board of Trustees. But once again, the call to pastoral ministry was too strong to ignore, and he began seeking out a church to serve. He spent 11 years as pastor of Central Presbyterian Church in Terre Haute, Indiana, before returning to his hometown of Birmingham to be closer to his aging father. His first Sunday at Mountain Brook Presbyterian was Pentecost Sunday of last year.

THE CHURCH IN THE WOODS Mountain Brook Presbyterian, nestled on a peaceful wooded lot on Brookwood Road in the heart of Mountain Brook, is a true “neighborhood church.” The building that houses the impressive sanctuary, with its beautiful stained glass windows brought from the downtown 6th Avenue Presbyterian church when it closed, appears older than its 50 years because of the attention to detail and the desire to honor both the old and the new. While the sanctuary is certainly awe-inspiring, the spirit in the services is warm and responsive. Davis admits that he will, on occasion, slip from his pastor’s role to that of a choir member and join the choir in song.

Both Reverend Davis and his wife, who holds a doctorate in mathematics education and is currently writing a book on early childhood mathematics, see their ministry as a partnership.

They conduct Bible study classes during the week, reflecting their shared passion for teaching. Amanda, whose Scripture study group for busy women reaches dozens of women through email, embraces her role as pastor’s wife, even though it wasn’t originally in the plan when the couple married.

As Davis enters his second year, his attention is shifting from strengthening the infrastructure of the church to focusing on outreach by the congregation. “How can we serve this neighborhood?” he asks. He mentions how he can sit at his desk in his office and watch a parade of runners, walkers and bikers pass by on Brookwood Road. With a much sought-after daily preschool program and a vibrant Boy Scout program at the church, the tools are in place to extend a hospitable hand to the community. But Davis isn’t satisfied with the status quo. He desires to make Mountain Brook Presbyterian a welcoming 56 MountainBrookMagazine.com

destination for everyone throughout the community and not just a beautiful landmark along a running route. “Stay tuned,” he says with a grin.

Davis sees many parallels between his former career and his current calling. Interpreting ancient texts and composing written and oral communication form the backbone of both law and ministry, and while Davis excels at both, his heart is clearly drawn to the personal relationships that law and ministry foster.

Two stuffed animals share a seat in a wingback chair in his office. When asked about them, he says they help children relax and open up when they come to his office to talk. “They serve the same purpose with most of the adults I counsel as well,” he says.

CHARTING A COURSE BY THE STARS When asked what he enjoys when he is not thinking about church business, Davis laughs. “When is that?” he asks. He admits to being a hands-on pastor and administrator, leaving little time to pursue hobbies. Davis enjoys reading and possesses a special affinity for “archaic things.” Passionate about preserving skills that are dying out, he has conducted archery classes and built a sailboat that he took out on the waters of Lake Martin and the Gulf of Mexico. Given his affinity for formulating a course of action, it is no surprise that he taught himself celestial navigation using a sextant and the stars to determine location. He admits his first computation was a bit off—but only by a couple of hundred miles.

Still, not bad for a man who loves to plot and plan. A man who visualizes an objective and figures out the best way to get there.

A man who demonstrates by example that without commitment first, the best plans stand little chance of success.

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Rolling

By Rebecca Caine Photos by Patrick McGough

BEAUTY For some, car collecting is more than a hobby. It enters their blood and carries over into travel, charity work and camaraderie. This is the story of Mountain Brook Driving Club.

E

lton B. Stephens Jr. remembers begging his father to build him a go-cart. “He took a six-panel wood door and put a steering wheel on it and a lawn mower engine on the back and four tires,” Stephens recalls of the elder. “I was just obsessed with bicycles and motorcycles and cars.” In short, he was all about anything with wheels.

Take a look into Stephens’ spacious garage at his Mountain Brook home and it is evident that he has not outgrown his obsession. The collection is arrestingly beautiful: a Mercedes-Benz 300 SL and a Mercedes Adenauer 300 D, a Maserati 3500 GT, a Jaguar XKE, a Ferrari 365, a Bentley Continental S1 and a couple of flawless Triumph motorcycles, all gleaming and all in pristine condition—a motorhead’s dream.

Stephens is chairman of the board for the Mountain Brook Driving Club (MBDC), a society established five years ago that is devoted to uniting people who hold a common interest in cars with the aim of learning from each other and cultivating a passion in vintage automobiles while promoting the city of Birmingham.

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ANYTHING WITH WHEELS The group unofficially began 10 years ago as a holiday fete, affectionately known as The Car Guys’ Christmas Party, organized by Stephens, David Bruno and Malcolm Morrow. What was once an intimate gathering of friends quickly grew into an annual event with upwards of 25 people enjoying music, a speaker and a gourmet meal among Stephens’ impressive fleet. As their numbers climbed, the MBDC was officially established.

The club is made up of auto enthusiasts who run the gamut of interests associated with cars. There’s Stephens, a self-proclaimed aesthete with his collection of stunning classic vehicles. Then there’s club chaplain Tommy Kitsmiller, who was detailing his parents’ cars by age 9 and has worked for big-name car aficionados like David Geffen, Adam Carolla and Jay Leno. There’s also racecar driver Michael Wright, who can be seen zipping around the track in his 1970 Porsche 914-6 during the Barber Historics race in May, and Alan Thacker, vice president of events, who found his way to the club after meeting Morrow, MBDC vice president and director of communications, during an event at Barber Motorsports Park.

“We have certain people in our club that will take their car apart and put it back together,” says club president

“

Car collecting and driving and liking cars is an incredible obsession for a hobby. Once it gets in your blood, you can’t get away from it.

- Elton B. Stephens Jr.

”

Taylor Bartlett, who prefers modern luxury vehicles with a classic touch and enjoys the thrill of the hunt for a one-of-a-kind car. “Car collecting and driving and liking cars is an incredible obsession for a hobby,” Stephens admits. “Once it gets in your blood, you can’t get away from it.”

Many of the members began cultivating a love for cars long before the Mountain Brook Driving Club ever existed. Bartlett points out that boys often idolize cars they may not be able to afford, hang posters of Corvettes on their walls as teens and then fulfill a life goal by finally purchasing one as an adult. Founding member Bruno, who loves Italian cars, agrees. For club secretary Scott Hults, who can trace his family lineage to 1300s England, it’s all about Jaguars and other English vehicles. “When we get together for lunch or for a drink, we don’t talk about Alabama football,” Stephens jokes. “We talk about cars.”

HITTING THE PAVEMENT Fellowship among the Mountain Brook Driving Club comes in the form of seasonal rallies, dinners, and Barber Motorsports events like the Indy and Vintage races. For the annual English Village Holiday Open House held in November, MBDC members parades their vehicles and meet prospective members among the shops and restaurants of the village. In addition, the club raises funds for various charities and nonprofits including Toys For Tots and the Barber Vintage Motorsports Museum.

“We’ve got some good active members,” Morrow says. “These are hands-on, active members who enjoy cars, but they also enjoy the charity work and the rallies, and the fellowship, and camaraderie of a car club.”

In March the club’s spring rally took members and their cars on a driving tour through northwestern Alabama along rolling scenic highways to historic downtown Florence. Upon arrival, the group had lunch at Odette, whose bar boasts the largest selection of bourbon in the state according to Southern Living, and toured the “heartbeat of the Muscle Shoals sound,” FAME Recording Studios. The rally planned for this fall, Thacker says, will take the club up into the colorchanging mountains of northeast Alabama for a stop at another local restaurant still yet to be announced. These tours are reminiscent of the glamor of long-distance road rallies from the Jazz Age through the 1950s as favored by celebrities Frank Lloyd Wright, F. Scott Fitzgerald and Elvis Presley.

MountainBrookMagazine.com 63

CONCOURS DREAMS Ultimately, Stephens reveals, it is one major goal of the club to organize a concours d’elegance in the heart of Birmingham benefitting a local charity. Possibly the most spectacular and prestigious of all auto events, concours d’elegance began in 1600s France as a horse and carriage competition of elegance, but evolved into an automobile beauty pageant. Entries are judged for authenticity, function, history, style and quality of restoration.

Inspired by Atlanta’s 2016 premiere concours at Chateau Elan Winery and Resort, the Mountain Brook Driving Club has already begun scouting locations and considering beneficiaries (the Birmingham Zoo and Comprehensive Cancer Center have made the club’s shortlist). However, Bartlett says, they are still in the very early stages of development.

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The prospect of establishing a concours in Birmingham could be huge for the city. According to “Profits of Passion,” a 2013 Financial Times article Stephens has framed in his garage, classic cars were trending that year at nearly 400 percent price growth over a decade—meaning that, according to the article, coming out of the 2008 recession, luxury collectible items like cars are appreciating in value like never before, outstripping all luxury investment categories except gold. Stephens credits this to the international market of classic cars, a market that could become much closer to home if the club secures a concours in Birmingham any time soon.

In the meantime, the car guys of Mountain Brook continue to reach out into the community to find likeminded folks, swap stories, scout fabulous cars and tune their vehicles all in an effort to ultimately make—and keep—their city a destination for all things auto.

DESTINATION AUTO Club members frequently travel together with their families to auto events all over the United States and abroad.

• The Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance California • Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance - Florida • Arizona Concours d’Elegance - Phoenix • Atlanta Concours d’Elegance • Concorso d’Eleganza at Villa d’Este Lake Como, Italy • Goodwood Festival of Speed - Goodwood Estate outside of London, England

®

MountainBrookMagazine.com 65

Love Paper FOR THE

OF

From the hand-painted to the whimsical to the sophisticated, there’s no doubt that whatever this stationery designer creates is distinctly Stacy Claire Boyd.

By Madoline Markham Photos by Jennifer Jones Art by Katie Krouse 66 MountainBrookMagazine.com

Designer Melissa Frances, left, works with Stacy on new Stacy Claire Boyd designs.

S

tacy Claire Boyd created her first hand-painted invitation for a small affair—a bridal shower Maria Shriver was hosting for Caroline Kennedy. It was 1985, and Stacy, a fresh University of Alabama graduate, was working in a paper boutique in the Henri Bendel department store on 57th Street in New York City. Maria had walked in one day needing the bridal shower invitation more quickly than the store could turn it around, so Stacy’s manager quickly found a solution.

“Well, maybe Stacy can help you,” she told Maria. “Oh, fantastic!”

Maria said.

But Stacy was caught off guard. “I loved drawing and doodling and calligraphy and writing and pretty things and just the art of addressing a letter, so that’s what [my manager] had seen me do,” Stacy recalls. “But I had never really done anything formally.” But of course Stacy couldn’t say no—it was an epic break into the world of paper. ”So I acted like, ‘This is what I do all the time. This is no big deal,’” Stacy says.

The guest list arrived as Stacy was working on designs to show Maria. “I was awestruck,” Stacy says. “I would call my dad and say, ‘Oh my gosh, Barbara Streisand is on the list, and Jackie Onassis is on the list.’ I was really glazed over by the whole thing.” As she hand-crafted each invitation, she wrote “Stacy Claire Boyd, New

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York City,” and from there her brand and business—now based a short drive from her Mountain Brook home—was born.

GROWING UP WITH STACY CLAIRE BOYD In the early days, Stacy worked with Caroline Kennedy, Kathy Lee Gifford and others who found her by word of mouth. “They would wine and dine you,” Stacy says. “They’d pick you up in their limo and take you to the Four Seasons, and you’d talk about what the invitation should look like.” From the start, she was known for her hand-painted personalization. She’d cover every surface down to her refrigerator in her studio apartment with drying paper.

From there, she started attending the National Stationery Show trade show and got to know little mom and pop stationery shops all over the country, eventually moving her business back to Alabama and raising a family. During that era she became known for her birth announcements and other whimsical designs with animals, butterflies and other designs that appealed to kid events.

“You would befriend these people,” Stacy says of the stationery stores. “My cards have photos of my kids on them, so they would grow up with my product. My customers became my friends and say, ‘Oh my goodness, I can’t believe how big Alex is!’”

“

YOU ARE TRYING TO EVOKE A FEELING. YOU WANT YOUR CARD TO STAND OUT BECAUSE EVEN THE WORDING SPEAKS TO YOU— WORDING THAT LEAVES YOU FEELING WARM AND FUZZY.

”

college freshman, did makeup for models in Birmingham Fashion Week. And Alex likes to fly his drone where he lives in Colorado and create videos with music and type.

THE DIGITAL DECADES

The card business was a big part of her kids’ lives too. “You knew if you were going to the beach, you weren’t just going to the beach with swim suits and sunscreen,” Stacy says of their childhood. “You were bringing little props. Like there was always a tutu or something to be extra cute for the photo.”

Raising kids also gave her insider perspective on the market for kid invitations and the like. “I knew what kind of birthday parties people wanted because I was having those same birthday parties for my kids,” Stacy recalls. As her business evolved, she designed a line of baby clothes and gift ware under the Stacy Claire Boyd brand.

Be it nature or nurture, Stacy’s kids inherited their mom’s creativity. Annie, now studying fashion merchandising in college, crafted a line of hand-made jewelry and hair accessories for a number of years and won a dress design competition for Birmingham Fashion Week in high school. Last year Claire, a

Three decades after Stacy’s start in New York, the stationery business looks much different. Her designs are now digitally printed on demand by Shutterfly. com and used in stationery stores that she says are “alive and well”—all under the Stacy Claire Boyd brand. The transition to digital, she says, has been fun. In the past she and coworkers would sit by the printer overnight to make sure the color was right—and often it didn’t quite turn out as she had planned. She’d also have to take a risk and print and hand-customize 1,000s of pieces at a time, hoping she’d sell them.

Today cards are printed as they are ordered, color selection leaves no question marks, and all the personalization is done in the design stage. “The possibilities are so much greater, and it’s so much more fun because you are not limited,” Stacy says.

“It used to be a very painstaking process to hand glitter a card and to make things sparkle and shine. Now with technology they have ways to make things look like glitter and gold foil is very big… You don’t have to pay up for something that looks so special.”

Printing speed isn’t the only thing that has also increased in the era of Pinterest and Instagram. “Inspiration is everywhere,” Stacy says. “It’s almost like inspiration overload.” Sometimes a spark comes from flipping through an Anthropologie or Free People catalogue. Sometimes it’s from a friend’s photo on Instagram or photos of billboards or graffiti her kids text her. Sometimes it’s something that catches her eye as she drives down the street. The heart of it digs deeper than just visuals though. “You are trying to evoke a feeling,” Stacy says.

“You want your card to stand out because even the wording speaks to you—wording that leaves you feeling warm and fuzzy.”

While much of the design work is digital, the early stages are very tactile just like Stacy’s early days in her New York studio apartment. Often she starts by creating watercolors and handpainted elements that are later digitized. For their holiday line last year, she and her two designers gathered twigs and pieces of holly to photograph to use. (Holiday design season starts right after MountainBrookMagazine.com 71

Christmas season when Stacy says “you are feeling hot chocolatey and thinking about those same feelings and sounds and songs and eggnog.”)

A BRAND EVOLUTION While hand painting is still an important part of Stacy Claire Boyd, some designs are all based on typography or blocks of color, and today their focus is on holiday cards and wedding invitations.

So what does it mean to be a Stacy Claire Boyd design today then?

Melissa Frances, a designer who has worked for Stacy for 11 years, says they are known for being sophisticated, clean, accessible and clever.

“It’s good thoughtful design you can count on,” Stacy says. “I think we have a following because they used it in the past, and it worked and they got compliments on it. It’s kind of like when you had a cute outfit and it’s Kate Spade, you might go back to Kate Spade again because it works for you… We go from real clean good design to the watercolor-y hand-painted things to the child-like things. We cover all of it.”

Notables like Reese Witherspoon, George Clooney and Adam Sandler are still choosing her designs out of the myriad available online. Often, Stacy will write a hand-written note to certain customers and to their Shutterfly staff they work with. She ended up corresponding a few times with actress Dakota Fanning and her sister Ellie after they bought some stationery, and actress

THE ROLE OF PAPER TODAY “There is a place for paper and there always will be—at least I really hope so anyway. I don’t think there’s anything like going to your mailbox and getting something that’s beautiful. It’s like getting a gift really, especially now. Everything is so professional looking. It’s important like a real book is. I don’t want to Kindle my book at the beach, I want to turn some pages, I want to touch it.

“There’s no other way to really do that. It’s always important to get a hand-written note or thank you note.

I don’t really see that that has changed so much. I think we teach our kids that, and hopefully they teach their children that. You have enough times in your life where you know the importance of it because you’ve received something hand-written in the mail and you know how important it is that somebody took the time to do that.”

-Stacy Claire Boyd

72 MountainBrookMagazine.com

Natalie Morales has written her a few times.

Stacy’s designs have evolved with culture too. Holiday card photos are now more casual. “Now it’s just so simple and everybody has a photo,” Stacy says. “It’s not necessarily that it even has to be taken by a photographer. It’s the kids laughing in the swimming pool or just that moment that you capture in your iPhone. You are getting a taste of someone’s daily life, and it’s not this formal portrait.

And weddings—the other cornerstone of her business today thanks to getting featured on Today Throws a Wedding on The Today Show—are more fun and less formal. “It’s still proper, but has more personality to the couple. When you receive an invitation, you feel like that was them sending it to you so it has their stamp on it.”

At one time the Stacy Claire Boyd operation got up to 90 people in a Liberty Park office, but now she’s refocused on just the design part of the business and outsources the customer service and shipping to a business in Pelham. She and her two designers are a three-man shop in Cahaba Heights—a “tight, tight, tight family,” Melissa says, noting that Stacy has been like a mother and a sister and a friend and a mentor to her.

“It doesn’t feel so crazy,” Stacy says. “You feel more in control and like you can focus on the things that matter.” And for Stacy, that’s always been design itself—from hand-painted shower invitations for Caroline Kennedy to a digitally printed gold fold wedding suite for a bride who finds Stacy’s style fits her own.

MountainBrookMagazine.com 73

Mountain Brook Chamber of Commerce C O N N E C T I O N

Happenings Sept. 17

(Rain Date: 9/24) Taste of Mountain Brook 11:30 a.m. 1:30 p.m.

City Hall

Oct. 1

Little Leader Day 1:00 - 3:00 p.m.

City Hall

Oct. 15

Jazz with Civitas 5:00 - 8:00 p.m.

English Village

Oct. 31

Halloween Parade Crestline Village

Sept. 26

Chamber Luncheon Featuring Brittany Wagner 11:00 a.m. 3:00 p.m.

Birmingham Botanical Gardens

Oct. 6

Village Garden Walk 5:00 - 7:00 p.m.

Mountain Brook Village

May 7 | Mountain Brook’s 75th Birthday Party Pictured: Mountain Brook’s mayors past and present including Mayor for the Day Tess Patton

June 15 | Ribbon Cutting for The Retreat at Mountain Brook’s Grand Opening

June 20 | Ribbon Cutting for Iberia Bank Crestline’s 5th Anniversary

July 24 | Ribbon Cutting for Mountain Brook Sporting Goods’ Grand Opening

July 22 | Market Day in Mountain Brook Village

August 12 | Crestline Tent Sale

Oct. 19

Jazz in the Park 5:00 - 8:00 p.m.

Across from Emmet O’Neal Library

New Member Spotlight •

Summer Event Recap

Standard Heating & Air Conditioning

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Business Interiors

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Summit Renovation

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VuePoint Diagnostics

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HomeFit

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V Gleissner Collections

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Forge

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Grande Jete

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St. Martin’s in the Pines

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Bates Roberts Fowlkes and Jackson Insurance Agency

101 HOYT LANE

MOUNTAIN BROOK, ALABAMA 35213

F i n d U s O n l i ne

Sign up for our monthly newsletter | Access our member directory Learn more about buying Village Gold certificates

Mountain Brook Chamber of Commerce Luncheon

Around The Villages

Featuring Brittany Wagner of Netflix docuseries LAST CHANCE U Sponsored by: Great Smiles Orthodontics

September 26th Birmingham Botanical Gardens 11:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.

Purchase tickets at www.mtnbrookchamber.org

October 6 | Village Garden Walk 5:00 - 7:00 p.m.

Shop | Dine | Special Events Mountain Brook Village

Introducing the 2017 Mountain Brook Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors October 19 | Jazz with Civitas 5:00 - 8:00 p.m.

Jazz | Shopping | Dining English Village

Executive Council: Lori Smith, Cal Dodson, David Faulkner, Tanya Cooper, Tonya Jones, Terry Chapman, Erica Murphy

Past Presidents Advisory Group: Dan Bundy, Frank Caley, Terry Chapman, Kaye Emack, David Faulkner, Will Haver, Steven Hydinger, Amy Jackson, John Rucker, John Wilson, Alice Womack

Directors at Large: Dr. Kevin Alexander, Ricky Bromberg, Laura Hydinger, Kari Kampakis, Tommy Luckie, Mike Morrison, CO VPs of Retail: Parker Stringfellow, Heidi Hallman, Missy Campbell, John Evans, Ann Lauren Nichols, Kristin Ritter, Ashley Robinett, Vince Schilleci, Leigh Ann Sisson, Sanders, Marguerite Ray, Avani Rupa, Ladd Katie Smith, Teresa Vick, Maury Wald, Dave Tucker Wood Other Offices: Martha Gorham, John Wilson, Paul De Marco, Dan Bundy, Sam Gaston, Alice Womack, Suzan Doidge, Molly Wallace

WWW.MTNBROOKCHAMBER.ORG

October 15 | Jazz in the Park

5:00 - 8:00 p.m.

Bring a Picnic!

Across from Emmet O’Neal Library

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OUT & ABOUT

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LOL GO!

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PHOTOS BY KAITLIN JONES

Kindergarten through second graders painted owls at LOL! Go at the Emmet O’Neal Library this summer.

1. Kaylee and Ella Jane Cotton 2. Oak Minor 3. Lily Williams 4. Russell Chambliss 5. Charlotte Chambliss 6. James Stuckey and Drew Schilder

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7. Poppy Cunningham 8. Mack Paul 9. Celia House 10. Sammy Williams 11. Tess DeView, Rachel Owens and Meredith Stackpole

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OUT & ABOUT

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OUT & ABOUT

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MOVERS AND MAKERS

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PHOTOS BY KAITLIN JONES

Preschoolers and their parents came out to the Emmet O’Neal Library for a special afternoon of painting this summer.

1. Colton and Ava Kerckner 2. Wells White 3. Hill McGowan 4. Wade McGowan 5. Mack Forrester 6. Carlton Keathley 7. Stowe Black 8. Carlton Keathle and Mack Forrester 9. Wells White

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OUT & ABOUT

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OTEY’S FEST

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PHOTOS BY ALICE LUCAS

Cowboy Mouth, Cheesebrokers and, of course, The Hurlers filled Crestline Village with music and more for this year’s Otey’s Fest on July 28.

Ticket proceeds benefited Better Basics and the Phoenix Club of Birmingham.

1. Lillian Jones, Katie Baker and Mary Truss 2. Oliver Booth and Corinne Wood 3. Mary Grace Showfety, Tom Causby and Lucy Lavette

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4. Jake Paul, Liora Chessin, LaTonya Barnes and Knox Richardson 5. Kelli Mauro, Laura Montgomery and Rachel Martin 6. Lyla meeting Zeke 7. Band 2020 8. Chad and Heather Fitch 9. Tim Hall and Megan Neill 10. Ashley Burkett and Emily Ruzic 11. Kamy McMinn, Marilyn Joyce, Breelynne Upton, Will McCowan and Maggie Allen 12. Carson Parker, Elizabeth Daris, Margaret Factor and Gage Smith 13. Lucy Lavette, Heather Fitch and Gage Smith 14. Charlie Smith, Bill Ridges, Tim Hall and Megan Neill

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OUT & ABOUT

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SUMMER READING FINALE

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PHOTOS BY KATILIN JONES

Summer reading at the Emmet O’Neal Library wrapped up with a night of singing and dancing with Roger Day. 1. Thomas and Reid Papapietro 2. James and Caroline Baker 3. Addie Coe and David Tanner 4. Silas, Quinn Morgen and Kristie Morgen

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5. Patrick and Zachary Waylor 6. Emily and Martha Mae Smith 7. Heart, MeeMee and John Lee 8. Charlotte, Russell and Russell Chambliss 9. Brandon and Rosemary Lower 10. Hannah, Rachel and Sarah Thorton 11. Lucy Manay, Spencer Manay, Lulu Morgan and Marcella Morgan 12. Micah Hamilton, Jude Hamilton, Percy Hamilton and Crispin Piazza

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OUT & ABOUT

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CRESTLINE TENT SALE

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PHOTOS BY ALICE LUCAS

Crestline had its own version of Market Day with sales and more throughout the village on Saturday, Aug. 12.

1. Jackie Burks, DVM 2. Laura Gessert and Catherine Agricola 3. Sharon Garrett and Mary Carlise Cotton 4. Once Upon a Time

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5. Virginia Jones at Snoozy’s Kids 6. Carlee Arnold and Olivia Arnold 7. Caroline Kolezszar, Mary Gaston Brown and Molly Keller 8. Students held a bake sale for Kick MS. 9. Knox Richardson, Mountain Brook Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Suzan Doidge and City Council Member Billy Pritchard 10. Goods from The Pantry 11. Jellies from The Pantry 12. Riva Cullinan

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OUT & ABOUT

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OUT & ABOUT

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MARKET DAY PHOTOS BY ALICE LUCAS

Tents filled with sale items took over Mountain Brook Village for this annual event in July. It was originally started to coincide with Bastille Day. 1.

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Christine’s and Antiques Anne Lawton and Karen Blair Marguerite’s Conceits Christine’s Anna Lowery outside of Rex Harris Fine Jewelry

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Marketplace Mountain Brook Magazine • 205.669.3131

Acceptance Loan Company, Inc. Personal Loans! Let us Pay Off Your Title Loans!

224 Cahaba Valley Rd, Pelham 205-663-5821

Be part of the next breakthrough Cancer treatment.

Donate Today. Your donation funds lifesaving research, treatment and care. www.cancer.org Great Jobs ARE Out There...

If You Know Where to Look!

AIDT recruits, screens & trains qualified applicants for outstanding jobs statewide.

All at NO COST to you! Visit www.aidt.edu/jobs today to view your opportunities!

INDUSTRIAL ATHLETES $17.68 hour plus production & safety $$$ incentives. Grocery order selection using electric pallet jacks & voice activated headsets. Paid vacation. Paid holidays. Blue Cross health & dental insurance. Matching 401k plan. Apply online at AGSOUTH.COM or call Charlie Seagle at (205) 808-4833 Pre-employment drug test required.

Lake Mitchell!

1209 Co Rd 261 Spacious home with privacy & beautiful views. GR w/exposed beams & rock fp. Wood floors, large rooms make this home perfect for entertaining or relaxing. FR w/fp. Multiple decks, exterior stone fireplace, dock & 2 covered boat slips. $270,000.

MLS#786807 Atkinson Real Estate LLC 256-245-6782 NITES 205-369-7769 Automation Personnel Services Hiring IMMEDIATELY For: Automotive Assembly, General Labor, Production, Clerical, Machine Operator, Quality, Carpentry, Welder, Foundry Positions In: Calera, Clanton, Pelham, Bessemer, McCalla Walk-in applications accepted.

Clanton (205)280-0002 Pelham (205)444-9774 B&J Metal Fabricators Professional sheet metal replacement and fabrication on classic cars/trucks. $65.00/hour for labor Parts/supplies additional Quotes based per job. Media

blasting available. Powder coating coming soon. Montevallo area.

(205)665-4687 (205)296-9988 Bama Concrete Hiring Mixer Drivers Local deliveries. Class-B+ CDL, 2yrs MINIMUM heavyhaul experience/ Clean MVR. Competitive Pay/ Great Benefits.

Apply in person: 2180 Hwy 87 Alabaster, 35007 Be Blessed Caregivers (205)381-2391 Need dependable, loving, dedicated care for your loved ones? Call us today for a free consultation.

Licensed-Bonded-Insured.

Bathing-Dressing-Meals-ErrandsLight House Cleaning-Medication Reminders-Hygiene.

John 3:16 Beelman Truck Hiring Experienced Mechanics and Drivers. Great pay.

Great benefits.

Apply online at beelman.com or call 205-665-5507.

Birmingham Hide & Tallow Immediate position for CLASS-B ROUTE DRIVERS FOR LOCAL ROUTE. WELL-ESTABLISHED 100+ YEAR COMPANY NOW HIRING ROUTE DRIVERS. HOME NIGHTS/WEEKENDS. LOOKING FOR HARD WORKING DRIVERS TO JOIN OUR TEAM. CLEAN MVR/BG CHECK REQUIRED. COMPETITIVE PAY & BENEFITS: BCBC, 401K, PAID HOLIDAYS/VACATION, COMPANY FURNISHED UNIFORMS. CALL 205-425-1711 OR EMAIL: adria.lupien@bhtonline.com NOW HIRING CAMPGROUND MAINTENANCE Must have basic electrical/ plumbing/handyman/multi-tasker/ computer knowledge/customer service/communication skills/ fluent English. Ability to pass a background/drug screen. Send resume to tammy@abshop.com.

CAREGIVER Over 20 yrs experience.

Trustworthy. References upon request. 24/7. Light cooking, drs appts., will run errands.

CALL 205-566-4900

MountainBrookMagazine.com

Borden Dairy of Alabama, LLC NOW HIRING for Class B CDL Delivery Drivers at our Irondale, AL Branch. Six Months verifiable experience driving a Commercial Vehicle. Experience in customer service preferred.

Go to www.bordendairy.com to apply. (Careers, select location) Borden Dairy of Alabama, LLC is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

BRIARWOOD APARTMENTS Now Leasing! Beautiful 1 and 2 Bedroom Apartments Mon & Wed 8:30am-4pm 535-A Hicks St Montevallo 205-665-2257 TDD #’s: (V)1-800-548-2547 (T/A)1-800-548-2546 This institution is an equal opportunity provider and employer.

DELIVERY DRIVERS Local Grocery Distributor in Alabaster seeking qualified drivers.

Delivery/unloading to multiple locations. Mon-Fri work week.

Requirements: Valid DL, clean driving record. Benefits: Competitive wages, bonuses, benefits, opportunity for advancement. Call 205-397-1782.

BTC Wholesale Distributors FOR SALE: Oracal Vinyl and Premium HTV Vinyl by the Foot or by the Yard C&C Trophy & Sign, Inc. 209 6th ST N Clanton CAGLE SOD FARM 419 Hybrid Bermuda • $1.35 sq.yd.

Meyers Zoysia • $2.50 sq.yd.

Empire Zoysia • $3.00 sq. yd.

DELIVERY AVAILABLE 662-365-3152 www.caglesod.com Carroll Fulmer Now Hiring Class-A CDL Drivers. Over-the-road positions Available. Dry vans. No hazmat.

Must have one year over-the-road Experience and a clean MVR. Competitive pay and bonus Package. Good home time.

Call 800-633-9710 ext. 2 CDL Drivers Needed!

HOME DAILY! •$850-$1250/week •Paid Vacation after 1yr •Medical/Dental/Vision Avail.

•New Equipment 2yrs Exp, Clean MVR, Drug Test Chris 205-446-5400 chrisgilliland01@gmail.com Regina (205)275-2293

rparker7770@gmail.com Danny (205)471-3177 dcgcfi@gmail.com FT Presser for Dry Cleaner.

Salary, vacation, holidays, health & life insurance. Must have reliable transportation.

Call Debbie: 205-588-6521 Hiring part-time salesmen for permanent morning shift Monday-Friday. $10/hour versus commission. Call 256•404•7897 and leave a message to be considered for the position.

PT Golf Course Grounds Worker Visit www.cityofmontevallo.com for detailed job description and on-line application or apply in person at City Hall, 541 Main St, Montevallo, AL 35115 EEO Got a Class A or Class B CDL? WE WANT YOU! We can even do OJT in some cases. We offer a NO overnight, NO Weekend 4-day workweek!

You need to be able to drive a manual shift or automatic transmission truck. On some deliveries you will need to be able to lift at least 75 lbs- just letting you know up front (yep–we have hand trucks and dollys though!)

We start early-so you need to be able to wake before the roosters– but we don’t work late nights.

We are a Birmingham based, family owned Company with a 90 year business history, so yeah– we are here to stay! Call 205-7954533 or send resume to trans@citywholesale.com Library Director Chilton/Clanton Public Library Master of Library Science preferred, with 5 years supervisory library experience. Applications available at Clanton Library circulation desk, email darlene@chiltonclantonlibrary.org or by mail to the Chilton/Clanton Public Library 100 First Ave Clanton, AL 35045 Ready to Work for the #1 Brand in the World?

Now Hiring Class A-CDL Drivers for Coca-Cola Bottling United. Go to www.cocacolaunited.com to apply!

Columbiana Health and Rehabilitation, LLC is currently looking for a few good people for the following positions:

•PRN Dietary •PRN Housekeeping/Laundry •Full Time RN/LPN 7P-7A •Full Time CNA Night Shift •Part Time CNAs (Day and evening shifts) Please apply in person to: 22969 Hwy 25 Columbiana, AL 35051 Applications are accepted Monday-Friday 8:30A-4:00P. Coosa Valley Medical Center NOW HIRING! •LPNs: Post Acute Care •Respiratory Therapist: Sign on Bonus Email resume to: Blaine.Green@cvhealth.net or to apply, go to www.cvhealth.net Full Time and Part Time RN’s Needed for home health in Bibb, Shelby and Chilton counties.

Excellent Salary and Benefits.

Please send resumes to jobs@rubic.com or call 866-273-3984 DCH Health System Caring. For Life. $5,000 *Sign-on Bonus for full time RNs *For More Info Contact Annie.Miller@dchsystem.com Apply online at: www.dchsystem.com EXPERIENCED ASPHALT EQUIPMENT OPERATORS Dunn Construction is now hiring for the following full-time positions: •Backhoe Operator: Must be able to demonstrate use of front and back of equipment.

•CDL HAZMAT Drivers: Must hold current Commercial Driver’s License w/Hazmat endorsement, as well as clean driving record.

2 years experience is a must.

•CDL Driver Class B or A: Must have at least 12 months’ experience operating dump truck.

•Experienced Asphalt Equipment Operators •Asphalt Laborers: Looking to hire in Saginaw & Birmingham areas.

•In search of anyone w/previous asphalt operations experience.

401K, health, vision, dental, life insurance, paid holidays, PTO benefits. E-Verify.

To Apply: Go to dunnconstruction.com Click on “Working at Dunn, scroll to the bottom of the page & click position to apply. If you have questions you can emailcareers@dunnconstruction. com EOE/Minorities/Females/ Disabled/Veterans

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MARKETPLACE PT/FT Farm Equipment Operator, Lawn Maintenance and Fork Lift Driver Needed Drug and Background Check Required.

Apply In Person: 150 Princeton Lane Jemison, AL 35085 Plumbing Service & Repair Technician Requirements: •Journeyman’s plumbing card •Experience in Residential/ Commercial service/repair/drain cleaning/sewer work •Clean-cut/self-motivated •Good communication skills •Clean MVR/background/ drug test Email resume: john@jeffcoat.us NOW HIRING MECHANIC Must be able to pass background check, drug screening, Needs own tools Apply at: Ellison Auto Sales 12 Ellison Lane Jemison, AL. ASE Auto Technician with Imports (German) experience.

Candidate should have: •strong work ethic •own tools Quality & craftsmanship are important. www.empireautohaus.com Welder Training Short Term Licensing Call for Details 866-432-0430 ESDschool.com Eastern Tree Service 24 Hour Storm Service www.ETSTree.org Experienced Professionals 205-856-2078 Quick Response Free Estimates $2000 SIGN ON BONUS NEW PAY SCALE TO QUALIFYING DRIVERS EVERGREEN TRANSPORT, is accepting applications for local drivers in the Calera and Leeds, AL, area. Must have Class A CDL, good driving record, 1 yr verifiable tractor trailer experience. Good pay and benefits. Apply in person at 8278 Hwy 25 South, Calera, AL, or call for info 205-668-3316.

LABORERS NEEDED INDUSTRIAL CONTRACTOR Faulkner Industrial Sterrett, AL • Pre-employment drug screen and criminal background check required.

• Random Drug/Alcohol screening also administered • Must have State DL or State issued ID. • Must be able to pass basic written safety exams after training • Must be physically fit.

Work includes use of personal protective equipment.

This includes ½ face and full-face respirator, must be clean shaven.

• Must be willing to travel, in and

out of town work. Hotels paid by company and daily cash perdiem issued • OSHA 10 & MSHA a plus.

• Mechanic and Trouble Shooting Skills a plus.

• Pay depends on experience and personal skill sets. Pay starts at 12.00 for basic labor that meets all criteria above. Higher pay is available for higher skill sets or when skills are proven.

• Must provide work history and references.

Please call for application: 205-672-8556 Now taking applications for: •Cook •Bartender •Waitress •Line Dance Instructor for growing business in Clanton.

205-755-4949 or 334-235-0228 PELHAM LOCATION NOW OPEN: Monday-Saturday, 11am-8pm Sunday, 11am-2pm Try our ribs!

Ask about our daily specials.

309 Huntley Parkway 624-4461 ONLINE AUCTIONS www.GTAOnlineAuctions.com 205-326-0833 Granger, Thagard & Assoc.

Jack F. Granger #873 H&H Waterproofing Now Hiring Experienced Waterproofers Must be able to pass background check and drug test.

205-670-0090 DRIVERS Hanna Truck Lines is seeking Professional Flatbed Drivers. 53 cpm No surprises: Starting pay (all miles): 51 cpm, 52 cpm at 6 months, 53 cpm at 1 year.

100% Outbounds loads Pre-loaded & Tarped.

75% Inbound No Tarp.

Late Model Peterbilt Trucks.

Air Ride Trailers.

Home weekends.

Low cost BCBS Health & Dental Ins. Matching 401K. Qualifications: 18 months Class A CDL driving experience with 6 months flatbed; Applicants must meet all D.O.T. requirements.

Contact recruiting at 1-800-634-7315 or come by HTL office at 1700 Boone Blvd, Northport.

EOE Hardee’s Now Hiring •Crew Members/Hoover •Management/Calera Email resume to: hardees2007@bellsouth.net LPN’s, RN’s, CNA’s Full-time & part-time • 2nd & 3rd Shift Apply in person: Hatley Health Care 300 Medical Ctr Dr Clanton, AL 35045

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Looking for a wonderful place to live?

NEW Meadow View Village Apartments. Columbiana, AL. Now Pre-leasing 2&3 Bedrooms.

Great Amenities Provided.

Call 256-560-0821 99 Eagle Lane info@hollyhand.com.

Equal Housing Opportunity.

NOW TAKING APPLICATIONS Managers and Assistant Managers MONTEVALLO KFC 950 N. MAIN STREET MONTEVALLO, AL 35115 To apply send resumes to: Attn: Katie Badgwell 113 25th Ave East Tuscaloosa, AL 35404 (205) 553-8621 Katie@jmfkfc.com

for Sales, Service, and Detail Shop. Apply with the receptionist.

205-755-3430

Part Time Apartment Manager Immediate opening for part time apartment manager in Clanton, AL. Previous residential property management experience and/ or Rural Development property preferred. Strong organizational, communication & computer skills. Ability to effectively multitask. Position eligible for health insurance and paid time off.

For Immediate Consideration Email Resume to: hiringdept0885@gmail.com Include in Subject Line: CLANTON Background checks will be run prior to starting employment.

CDL TRUCK DRIVER For Tree Service Also hiring for other full-time and part-time jobs.

Drug Test Required.

205-836-2038 or 205-229-7144

Shake up your career!!!

Are you looking for something new and FUN? Milo’s is always looking for great managers to come join our growing and dynamic team.

Apply online at miloshamburgers.com

Clanton Villas 2806 7th Street Clanton, AL 35045 1 Bedroom Units Rental Office 205-755-9377 TDD/TTY 1-800-548-2546 This institution is an equal opportunity provider and Employer.

Owner Operators Wanting Dedicated Year Round Anniston, AL www.pull4klb.com

International Association of Heat and Frost Insulators and Allied Workers Celebrating 100 years of justice, equality and fairness in the workplace.

BIRMINGHAM AREA INSULATORS LOCAL 78 THE HEAT AND FROST INSULATORS LOCAL 78 will be accepting applications for a fouryear Apprenticeship Program.

Applications will be accepted on Tuesdays only between 8:30am and 2:00pm at 2653 Ruffner Road Birmingham, AL 35210 205-956-2866 or craig@insulators78.org Applicants must be at least 18 years old and furnish proof of age. Applicants will be required to take a simple math test as well as an English comprehension test.

The Joint Apprenticeship and Training Committee is registered with the Department of Labor Bureau of Apprenticeship Training and is an equal opportunity employer.

DRIVERS NEEDED $2,000 Sign On Bonus J & M Tank Lines, Inc. Class-A CDL Local and OTR Drivers. GREAT BENEFITS! Health Insurance $9 Weekly. OTR Drivers Home 2 or More Times Weekly. jmtankjobs.com or call Jeff Sandlin@256-245-3933

Kelly Educational Staffing® We’re hiring!

•Substitute teachers •Aides •Cafeteria •Clerical •Custodial positions Shelby County School District & Alabaster City Schools.

Please call 205-870-7154 -Equal Opportunity Employer-

Lovejoy Trucking Montevallo seeking an OTR Driver home once/twice a week Flatbed and Tarp experience, must pass Physical/Drug Screen Terry Lovejoy 205-746-2419 Jimmy Hatcher 205-283-9822

Hiring CDL-A Drivers Sign-on Bonus Great Benefits Local Domicile Work Apply online at: MerchantsFood Service.com/Careers

280 Location Opening Now Hiring 3 shift Managers Pay Rate $9-$11 20-25 Employees Pay Rate $7.75-$8.50.

Must have own transportation and flexible schedule. Apply at recruiting.talentreef.com/ momma-goldbergs-deli (205)503-6190 Montgomery Stockyard Drop Station at Gray & Son’s in Clanton. Call Lane at 205-389-4530. For other hauling arrangements, contact Wes in Harpersville 205-965-8657 Certified Crane Operator Position Must have current crane license for telescoping boom cranes, DOT physical. Birmingham Area Call 205-672-2403 for more information

WE HAVE JOBS! · Machine Operator- Moody · Packers- Moody/ Hoover · Paint Line- Moody · Pickers/PackersAlabaster Lyons HR www.lyonshr.com/career-search (205)943-4820

Ignite Your Career with Mspark!

For current openings, visit: www.mspark.com/our-company/ careers/ or send resume: apollard@mspark.com.

Mspark offers competitive compensation, benefits and a team-oriented work environment.

EOE.

Service Technician Top Pay, Benefits & Commission!

Mainline Heating & Air 400 Hillwood Park S, Alabaster, AL Or email resume to: ashley@mainlineheating.com (205)664-4751

INDUSTRIAL CLEANING IN VANCE Requirements: •18 Years Old •HS Diploma/GED •Able to work variable shifts/ weekends/holidays •Able to lift up to 50lbs constantly, stand on your feet for 8hrs •Able to pass drug screen/ background check Complete your application on line at www.naonsite.com

Marble Valley Manor Affordable 1 and 2 Bedroom Apartments for Elderly & Disabled. Many on-site services!

2115 Motes Rd, Sylacauga 256-245-6500 TDD#s: 800-548-2547(V) 800-548-2546(T/A) Office Hours: Mon-Fri, 8am-4pm Equal Opportunity Provider/Employer Are you a motivated professional? Are you looking for a dynamic career? Are you ready to control your own level of success? See why McKinnons’ is an exciting place to work and grow. Now accepting applications

Production / Manufacturing Vance, Alabama Starting pay: $12.00 – $14.50 /hr.

• Have 2 years+ Production/Manufacturing experience.

• Have Recently Lived in Alabama at least 2 years.

• Have A High School Diploma or GED. • Are at least 18 years old.

Complete your application on line at www.naonsite.com

MARKETPLACE Odyssey Early Schools Birmingham’s Best Daycare/Preschool is Seeking Experienced Teachers.

4 Year Degree Preferred.

Full-Time.

BEST Pay. FULL Benefits (Insurance, Leave, Holidays).

Call Annie Fine 205-991-0039.

Oxford Healthcare in Montgomery currently hiring certified CNA’s and/or Home Health aides in the Clanton, Marbury and Maplesville areas. Must be able to pass complete background check, have reliable transportation and have a strong work ethic. Serious inquires only. Call 334-409-0035 or apply on-line at www.Oxfordhealthcare.com Popeye’s Operated by PAP of AL, LLC Hiring at locations in Pelham & Sylacauga Apply online at: work4popeyeskitchen.com Cook/Server Needed Breakfast Shift (approx. 3am-1pm) Must be able to work some weekends and holidays.

Apply at: Peach Park Express 2320 7th Street South Class A CDL Drivers Needed Immediately for Dump Trailer Hauling • $2000 Retention Bonus • Local Hauling • Home Nights APPLY ONLINE: www.perdidotrucking.com Perdido Trucking Service, LLC 251-470-0355 AFFORDABLE HIGH-SPEED INTERNET Available where you live! Call Today for this Limited Time Offer! www.pbsinternet.com 800-266-4409 PLUMBERS & PLUMBER HELPERS Call or Text 205-432-9049 NOW HIRING Regional Class-A Driver Positions For Our Finley Blvd. Location •Competitive weekly pay (direct-deposit) •Full-benefits including 401K •Health/Life insurance •Safety Bonuses •Minimum weekly pay: $700(guaranteed) Call 270-250-3595 for more information or visit pylestransport.com to apply.

Regional Drivers are home every weekend and often mid-week for rest period.

FREON 12 WANTED: R12 collecting dust in your garage? We pay CA$H for R12 EPA cert, We pick up Call now for April pickup: (312)291-9169 sell@refrigerantfinders.com

3/2 Garden Home Calera Schools Easy access to HWY 31 & I-65 W/D hook-ups, Dishwasher Fenced backyard.

No Pets. Rent $1250 (205)433-9811 PRE-SCHOOL OPPORTUNITY Lead Teachers For 18-24mos AND Lead Teachers For Pre-School Age Morning and Afternoon Opportunities Call: 205-601-9482 or Email: queenmoore1956@gmail.com ROSS NEELY TRUCK LINES •NOW HIRING• TRUCK DRIVERS-OTR If you are a professional CDL A Driver, have two years experience,a good safety recrod, and want to GET HOME ON THE WEEKENDS apply online at www.rossneely.com or apply by email at jeff@rossneely.com Saiia Construction Co. ISO: CDL Long-Haul Drivers.

Requirements: OTR experience driving lowboy trailers; transporting heavy oversized loads; experience with heavy equipment required; ability to work in outside environments, safety-oriented, and team-player. Overtime available.

Great opportunity. Competitive compensation/benefit package.

Email: DVeigl@saiia.com or fax: 205-943-2258 JOIN OUR MANAGEMENT TEAM Schuster Enterprises, Inc, a Franchisee of Burger King, is looking for Management professionals who have a desire to join a team where people are the most important asset, where growth is based on ability and where opportunity is abundant.

Benefits: •Competitive wages •Health & Life insurance •Paid vacations •401(k) Apply online at: www.bkworker.com DRUG FREE WORKPLACE EOE Saiia Construction Company seeks equipment operators in the Alabaster area with the ability to operate various types of equipment including: dozers, excavators, rock trucks, and motor graders. 2+yrs. operating exp.

MSHA training a plus. Must have dependable transportation, able to work in outside environments, safety oriented, and team player.

We have day and night shift work, overtime is available.

Great opportunity. Competitive compensation and benefit package. If you are interested contact Johnny Pipp 205.943.2214 or email jpipp@saiia.com

Innovative Salon and Spa in Helena searching for talented, dependable Cosmetologist, Massage Therapist and Esthetician. Join the Serenity Team. Now accepting applications by email: serenity@serenity-salonandspa. com ServiceMaster is Hiring Part-time Fire Cleaning Techs WILL TRAIN! Must pass background check/ drug test, have reliable transportation & good driving record.

Serious Inquiries Call (205)424-4211 We are currently in need of experienced CNC Machinists.

Excellent pay and benefit package. Qualified applicants may apply at: Shelby Machine & Tool 160 Mullins Drive Helena, AL 205-621-6711 Order Selectors Food Dist. Center in Pelham Day-Shift: Mon-Fri. 40+ hours/week 10:00AM until finished (varies).

Salary: $16-20/hr after training.

Benefits: Medical, vision, dental, vacation & 401k.

Requirements: •Reading & math skills •Lift 40 lbs. repetitively •Work in -10 Temperature Apply in person: 8:30AM-5:00PM Southeastern Food 201 Parker Drive Pelham, Alabama 35124 resume@southeasternfood.com Immediate Positions!!!!

Positions needed: Warehouse • Sales Reps • Assistant Manager • Delivery Drivers • Customer Service.

Laid back atmosphere, good pay, plenty of hours available!

Company vehicles to qualified individuals! Call Andrew 9am-7pm • Mon-Sat at (205)490-1003 or (205)243-6337

Electrician - FT Supreme Electric, local-based company in Pelham. Must be willing to learn & work hard.

Go to: supremeelectric-al.com Print employment application under Contact Us. Mail to: Supreme Electric 231 Commerce Pkwy Pelham, AL 35124 or call 205-453-9327.

$5000 SIGN-ON BONUS! HIRING CDL TEAM A DRIVER Apply online: www.westernintl.com Or Contact Corporate: Western International Gas & Cylinders 979-413-2140 or 979-413-2192 (EOE) Experienced Carpenter Needed Please Call 205-755-8555 or send resume to whatleybuilders@ businessmailbox.com

TARGET AUCTION Advanced Real Estate Marketing 800-476-3939 www.targetauction.com

Tree Nursery Worker Needed Responsible w/mechanical skills.

To operate forklift/farm tractors/ equipment/welding/ground maintenance/service equipment/ check fluid levels/clean after use.

Maintain safe/clean area. Requires valid-DL/reliable transportation.

334-365-2488

TaylorMade Transportation Hiring CDL Drivers for Flatbed Regional Division!

BCBS Insurance After 30 Days. To apply call: (334)366-2269 or email: s.smith@taylormadeinc.com The Painting Company of Birmingham Immediate openings for professional residential and commercial painters. Must be able to speak English.

Call 205-995-5559 HIRING EXPERIENCED CDL-A COMPANY TANKER DRIVERS IN YOUR AREA! Regional runs-Chemical hauls *Get Home Weekly!* **Earn $60K+ Per Year** Average 2,000-2,500 miles/week.

Paid product training-$800/week.

Full benefits+401K. CDL-A, 2-Years Tractor Trailer Experience, tanker/hazmat endorsements, passport & TWIC required.

Call 888-572-3662! www.trimac.com OTR Drivers Wanted 24 Years or Older Hazmat preferred but not required. Full benefit Package available.

Pneumatic tank equipment.

Dry bulk hauling. $500 SIGN ON BONUS Home every other weekend.

Apply online: Vernonmilling.com 800-753-1993

CLOCK REPAIR SVS. * Setup * Repair * Maintenance I can fix your Mother’s clock.

Alabaster/Pelham Call Stephen (205)663-2822

Become a Dental Asst. in ONLY 8 WEEKS! Please visit our website capstonedentalassisting.com or call (205) 561-8118 and get your career started!

SUNCREST HOME HEALTH CLANTON, AL Is Growing!!

We have immediate, full time and PRN needs for RN, LPN, PT, PTA, OT, and COTA’s.

MUST have one year of clinical experience!

Apply online at: www.almostfamily.com /careers.php For questions, please call the agency at 205-280-4663

Caregivers Needed ASAP! Competitive hourly pay.

Call Visiting Angels at (205)719-1996 to discuss.

Wiley Sanders Truck Lines Inc $1,000 SIGN-ON-BONUS DRIVER PAY RAISE EFFECTIVE JUNE 2017!

Longevity-Bonus.

Quarterly Safe-Driving AWARD. Competitive Pay Package.

PAID Orientation.

NEW Fleet of Trucks.

Call 1-855-777-9785 & ask for Dale or Brandy.

Nights/weekends, call Jeffrey: 334-372-5049 Ron: 1-850-454-4276 Richard: 334-492-0803 Wiregrass Construction Company is seeking experienced asphalt CDL TRUCK DRIVERS. Must be dependable.

Excellent benefits.

Interested applicants may apply: 951 Dow Street Pelham, AL 35124 (205)620-4132 or 151 Piper Lane Alabaster, AL 35007 (205)605-0753.

8AM to 5PM, M-F. WCC is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

YARD SPOTTER Immediate Opening-F/T or P/T Class-A-CDL required to shuttle trailers from truck-yard to loading area. Benefits available for F/T positions.

Apply In Person: Woodgrain Distribution(EOE) 80 So. Shelby St., Montevallo 205-665-2546(Ext.207) ksenecal@woodgrain.com”

FLATBED DRIVERS OTR Flatbed Trucking Co. now hiring Company Drivers and Leasing Owner Operators with 2 yrs exp.

205-592-3422 www.watkinstrucking.com NOW HIRING CDL-A DRIVERS w/Haz. $5000 Sign-On Bonus.

Apply online: www.westernintl.com or Corporate Office: 979-413-2140

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MY MOUNTAIN BROOK Laura Hydinger

ALL IN Mountain Brook Executive Director

PHOTO BY MARGARET LEE PHOTOGRAPHY

Morning Workout Camaraderie

Deliciousness for a Good Cause

Every Girl Fitness It’s got to be inspiring to get me there! I love working out with the girls at Every Girl Fitness. The workouts are designed to be fun, challenging, and appeal to “every girl” at every fitness level. I love the camaraderie of this group!

Taste of Mountain Brook Taste of Mountain Brook on Sept. 23 benefits ALL IN Mountain Brook, where I serve as the executive director. ALL IN strives to protect and enhance the lives and well-being of our youth by providing valuable resources and community programs.

Trail Walking

Irondale Furnace Trail & Jemison Park One of our favorite family walking routes is to start at the Irondale Furnace right behind our house, jump the creek and continue along the sidewalk path to the Jemison Trail or into one of the villages.

Sunday Morning Heritage

St. Lukes Episcopal Church My grandparents helped start Saint Luke’s church more than 50 years ago, and my husband and I met and married while serving as youth volunteers there. Today our daughter sings with the band at The Word, our modern worship service. I can’t think of a more peaceful place than to sit on the bench under the two beautiful oaks located in front of the church.

Nostalgic Shopping

Little Hardware I love the smell as you walk in the door. I remember riding their famous hobby horse as a child while my parents shopped, as my children also did. Thirty years later, that same hobby horse has a special spot in the store’s new location in English Village. I love the personal service and “can-do” spirit of everyone that works there.

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