August-September 2011 Tallahassee Woman Magazine

COMPLIMENTARY

August/September 2011

Autumn Creative

and Fun Kids Rooms and Parties

The Value of Women’s

FRIENDSHIPS Special Section

What Women Should Know

Mayfield

Growing a Business While Growing a Family

Faves & Raves For Kids

Real Life

Remembering

9-11

t a l l a h a s s e e wo m a n

• A u g u s t /S e p te m b e r 2011 1

less recovery time = more options on the menu { Incisionless Surgical Procedure for Acid Reflux }

MORE DOCTORS. MORE EXPERIENCE. MORE OPTIONS. Transoral Incisionless Fundoplication, the most advanced, minimally invasive surgical procedure for people suffering from gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) or most commonly known as acid reflux.

Patients experience less pain, less blood loss, fewer complications and faster recovery time.

(850) 431-5549 or Tmh.oRG/SuRGERy 2  t a l l a h a s s e e

wo m a n

• A u g u s t /S e p te m b e r 2011

*model

T a l l a h a s s e e

Plastic Surgery Clinic & Physicians’ Skin Care Clinic

Always be ready for bikini season.

Cosmetic Facial Surgery • Cosmetic and Reconstructive Breast Surgery Body Contouring • Facial Rejuvenation • Skin Care • Laser T a l l a h a s s e e

H. Louis Hill, Jr. Larry L. Harper M.D. M.D., F.A.C.S.

Alfredo A. Paredes, Jr., M.D.

Board Certified Plastic Surgeons

Plastic Surgery Clinic & Physicians’ Skin Care Clinic (850) 877-2126 • TLHPlasticSurgery.com t a l l a h a s s e e wo m a n

• A u g u s t /S e p te m b e r 2011 3

Contents

T a l l a h a s s e e W o m a n M a g a z i n e | A u g u s t / S e p t e m b e r 2 0 11

12

On the Cover

Autumn Mayfield is Growing a Family While Growing a Business Cover photography by Adam Cohen

F e at u r e s

18

44

Creating Vibrant and Imaginative Children’s Rooms Ideas for decorating kids’ rooms that will grow with them.

26

Remembering 9-11 Nancy Cohen recalls those life-altering hours in New York City on September 11, 2001.

Departments

7

6

From the Publisher

8

Girl Talk

Life’s Moments

16

22

34

Entertaining

Creating Unique and Stylish Kids’ Parties

Real Life

30

Sports & Fitness

33

What Women Should Know

44

Community

46

Around Town

52

Women We Admire

54

Funny Girl

11

Style & Grace

Faves and Raves for Kids

24

19

From Summer to Fall—The Versatile Sundress | Easy Ways to Protect Your Home and Family | Eat Apples for Good Health Dropped Your Phone in Water? Don’t Panic! Just Grab the Rice—Really!

The Importance of Women’s Friendships | Besties

The Rocketeer | Fifty by 50

A special advertiser section covering topics that you want to know about.

Big Bend Bird Club—It’s Not Just for the Birds Good News in the Fight Against Gynecologic Cancers for Florida Women

Chelsea House Spring Tea

The Women of the Buddy Walk

When Boys Start Liking Girls

in every issue Capital City Gems 14 | Calendar 48 | Women to Watch 50 4 t a l l a h a s s e e

wo m a n

• A u g u s t /S e p te m b e r 2011

Aren’t you sick and tired of feeling

SICK AND TIRED? FATIGUE MENOPAUSE HIGH CHOLESTEROL ERECTILE DYSFUNCTION FIBROMYALGIA MIGRAINE

World Class Expertise

Ready to Feel Fabulous?

“If you are experiencing any of the above conditions and they started after the age of 35, then they are due to hormonal decline unless proven otherwise! When I was introduced to Dzugan Method two years ago, I said ”Finally, a truly scientific approach to using bio-identical hormones and supplements to optimize the health of all my patients!”

I have seen some amazing results, especially in

regards to autoimmune disorders and other extremely difficult medical problems.

My wife and I have personally experienced the same results on the program. Let me show you what Dzugan Method can do for you.”

Les Emhof, MD, Diplomat ABFM, Diplomat ABGM, FACGS

Tallahassee Family Medicine Board Certified Family Practice & Geriatrics

SCHEDULE A FREE CONSULTATION: 850.893.6706 or attend a FREE LECTURE: August 9 & 23, September 6 & 20

World Class Expertise

6:30 pm @1525 Killearn Center Blvd., Tallahassee, FL 32309t a l l a h a s s e e wo m a n • A uwww.dzugan.com g u s t /S e p te m b e r 2011 5

FROMthepublisher

LIFE’s Moments This September 11th marks the ten-year anniversary of the terrorist attacks that rocked our nation to its core. That event shocked many of us and made us realize how precious life really is. In this issue, Nancy Cohen shares her story of what life was like that day in Manhattan—the horror, the fear and the raw emotion that changed her outlook forever.

I think we all changed that day—we realized that life can be taken in a moment and that we need to live each day to the fullest. Since then I have make a conscious effort not to take my family and friends for granted and I hug my children a little tighter. Now that they are teenagers, it may seem like they are beyond needing hugs and reassurance, but kids are kids and they need to know that they are loved and appreciated no matter what their age.

And speaking of kids, we hope you love all the kid-themed articles we have for you this issue. From parties to decorating to back-to-school shopping—we have it all. Also, on the cover is Autumn Mayfield, who is successfully building a business while having the flexibility to spend time with her two children. As many of us know balancing work and family is never easy but always rewarding, as these are the moments in our children’s lives that we can never get back. We hear from mothers all the time that they blinked and now their children are grown and on their own. We pray that we raise our kids to be happy, productive adults but the sweet memories of their childhood will be tucked away in our hearts forever.

Although work, family and other commitments play a huge role in our lives, it is important to a woman’s well being that we take the time to be with our friends too.

September is National Women’s Friendship Month and we have some stories from women about their best gal pals. They may inspire you to go ahead and plan your next Girls Night Out. Until next time.

Living Well and Loving Life!

August/September 2011 Volume 6 | Issue 4

Publisher Kim Rosier Editor Heather Thomas Advertising sales Director Lynn Solomon GRAPHIC DESIGN Christy Jennings Miqueli INTERNs Law S. Hill Amanda Mayor Lindsay Shalom Contributing photographers Shana Beiro Adam Cohen Inga Finch Courtney Gwaltney Tallahassee Woman Magazine LLC Post Office Box 13401 Tallahassee, FL 32317-3401 Phone (850) 893-9624 Fax (850) 254­-7038 info@TalWoman.com Tallahassee Woman is published six times per year and is distributed on a complimentary basis throughout Tallahassee and the surrounding communities. Subscriptions are available for $15 for one year (six issues).

The information in this publication is presented in good faith. The publisher does not guarantee accuracy or assume responsibility for errors or omissions.

Advertising

For more information on advertising, call (850) 893-9624 or e-mail ads@TalWoman.com

TalWoman.com Kim Rosier Publisher

6 t a l l a h a s s e e

wo m a n

• A u g u s t /S e p te m b e r 2011

Join us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter Copyright ©2011

by Tallahassee Woman Magazine LLC. All rights reserved.

Reproduction, in part or in whole, without express written consent of the Publisher is prohibited.

Centennial Bank believes in the importance of getting out in the community. Where our customers are. More than just financially strong, if you need us, we’ll be there for you. Even after hours. That’s why you can find us while on an afternoon walk.

Or wherever you happen to be.

MY100BANK.COM |

A Home BancShares Company

t a l l a h a s s e e wo m a n

• A u g u s t /S e p te m b e r 2011 7

G i r lta l k FA SHION | K NOWLED GE | WELLNESS | SHOPPING

From Summer to Fall

The Versatile Sundress

A

fashion staple for the summer is the sundress. When the cooler weather rolls around instead of packing your sundresses away consider adding layers and accessories to take your wardrobe from summer to fall in style.

• We love the look of boots. Slip on a pair and add a vest for an instant layered look that looks chic and hip in an instant.

• For the sundress that falls mid-thigh, add a pair of leggings for a little more coverage when the weather is just a bit cooler.

• Slip on a cardigan and add a belt for a fresh A-line silhouette.

• Wear a long sleeve tee under the dress, and add a pair of tights with flats. Add a great scarf for an additional pop of color and texture as well as little more added warmth.

Clothing provided by Cole Couture Photography by Shana Beiro 8 t a l l a h a s s e e

wo m a n

• A u g u s t /S e p te m b e r 2011

• For the office, slip on a stylish blazer that will complement the color of your sundress. Add a pair of heels and you’re ready for business.

Easy Ways to Protect Your Home and Family

E

ver wonder if your house is safe from harm? Follow these easy steps to make sure your family is really protected.

Put a smoke detector in every bedroom. Chances are you have a smoke

detector upstairs, downstairs and in the kitchen, but experts say this is not effective enough to keep your family safe, especially if you have young kids. Install smoke detectors in all the bedrooms and test the batteries in your smoke detectors every month, replacing them twice a year. Cost: $7–$60

Test for radon. Radon is one of the main causes of lung cancer for nonsmokers in America and is almost impossible to detect by sight, smell or taste. Radon is released by uranium in the ground and affects houses on the same block in different ways. Testing is easy and affordable. Pick up a testing kit at your local hardware store. Cost: $20 Verify the charge of your fire extinguisher. If the gauge on your fire

extinguisher is in the green area, then it is charged. If the gauge is in the red, you should replace it with a new extinguisher.

Different fire extinguishers are made for specific occasions, such as electrical fires or kitchen fires. Cost: $15–$75

Safeguard your pool. Fix broken

locks and fence hinges around your pool.

The latches on automatically closing gates should be 54 inches above the ground, according to the website poolsafety.gov. If they are lower than that, they should be raised. Cost: $20 for hardware.

—Lindsay Shalom

A. Slipcover Furniture

by Four Seasons, Candles, Gifts and more

Located in the Heart of Downtown Havana, Florida

Ph: 850.539.9001 • Open: Wed-Sat 11-6 / Sun 1-5 • HavanaFlorida.com

CITIZENS OF HUMANITY FRENCH CONNECTION 7 FOR ALL MANKIND MICHAEL STARS FREE PEOPLE ELLA MOSS SPLENDID JBRAND HOBO SPANX BCBG AND MORE!

A. COMING SOON!

shop online

Get Lucky at

clothing, shoes, accessories

for all your

FAVORITES

and home goods

colecouture.com • 1240 Thomasville Road • 850-553-3327 t a l l a h a s s e e wo m a n

• A u g u s t /S e p te m b e r 2011 9

G i r lta l k

Eat Apples for Good Health

fine linens, gifts & accessories Visit us at our new location

1495 Market St. (Next to Nic’s Toggery) Monday-Saturday 10:00-6:00

850-893-1713

E

veryone has heard the saying that an apple a day keeps the doctor away—and now researchers at Florida State University have confirmed the health benefits of including apples in a woman’s diet. Studies show that consumption of this all-time favorite fruit can lower levels of bad cholesterol and improve levels of good cholesterol without causing weight gain in women.

This isn’t your mother’s hysterectomy.

1 in 3 women in the United States will have a hysterectomy by age 60. For your mother’s generation, hysterectomy typically meant a long painful recovery and potential complications.

1.

At Capital Regional Women’s Health, we have changed the experience of gynecologic surgery with the most advanced technology for minimally invasive surgery -- the da Vinci Surgical System.

More and more women are choosing da Vinci Surgery for their hysterectomy and recover in days, not weeks.

Women’s Health 850-877-5589

If you’ve been putting off surgery to resolve a gynecologic problem, it’s time to ask Dr. Michael Douso about da Vinci Surgery.2.

Now accepting new patients and, as always, caring for our established patients!

Worried that eating too 4.many apples could cause a weight gain? There’s good news there too. The study also revealed that the extra 240 calories per day consumed from the Health Women’s apples did not cause the women to gain weight; in fact, they lost an average of over 3 pounds over a one year period.

5.

Michael L. Douso, MD, FACOG

Women’s Health

2770 Capital Medical Blvd Ste 110 | CapitalRegionalMedicalGroup.com formTallahassee 1 10 CAP-720 t a l l a hDuoso a s s e eAd wo a n • A u g Woman u s t /S e4.875x7.5.indd p te m b e r 2011

In the study, women who ate 75 grams of dried apples every day for six months had a 23 percent decrease in bad LDL cholesterol.

In addition, their levels of good HDL cholesterol increased by about 4 percent.

Although the study was conducted using dried apples, the effects would be the same with fresh apples, noted an expert from the American Dietetic Association.

7/15/11 1:18:17 PM

Dropped your phone in water?

Don’t panic! Just Grab the Rice—Really! ith a hefty majority of today’s cell phones costing an arm and a leg, the thought of your phone in water may be enough to make you break a sweat. But these five steps may save you a whole lot of money if your cell phone decides to take a dip.

W

some phones, like the iPhone, the battery cannot be pulled out—in this case you have to skip this step.

Step 1: Do NOT turn your phone on. Pressing the ‘on’ button will short out the circuits in your phone.

Step 3: Compress or vacuum. If you have access to compressed air then run it full blast at all parts of your phone.

A vacuum cleaner may also work.

Step 2: Remove the battery and SIM card. As long as the battery is in your phone it is supplying it with power and you want to stop this immediately. For

Step 4: Submerge in dry, uncooked rice. It doesn’t matter what color or type, just fill a plastic bag or sealable container and bury your phone and all of its parts.

Step 5: Be patient. After at least 24 hours in rice, cross your fingers, turn your phone back on and hope for the best!

We Can Help You Lose Weight in a Safe and Healthy Way

Private consultation with Physician Nutritional plan, medications & supplements to support your weight loss and health Vitamin B12 and B6 injections

The Professional, Trusted Weight Loss Choice in Tallahassee

—Amanda Mayor

HELLO LASER, GOODBYE RAZOR

Hair Removal For Women & Men

1140 Capital Circle SE Ste. 1 Tallahassee, FL 32301 (across from Sam’s Club)

Vein Removal and Sun/Age Spot Removal Now Offering Botox And Dermal Fillers Charles E. Moore, MD Board Certified in Plastic Surgery

Bert Morales, M.D.

Jolynn Greenhalgh, Owner ARNP, CME FL License #EO-896

Member of the American Society of Bariatric Physicians

Offering Evening Appointments | Gift Certificates Available 1233 Miccosukee Road, Tallahassee, FL |

850.402.9044

www.silhouettelaser.com t a l l a h a s s e e wo m a n

• A u g u s t /S e p te m b e r 2011 11

O N THE C O V E R

Growing a Family While Growing a Business

Adam Cohen Photography

By Heather Thomas

W

hether women work outside of the home or not, family responsibilities have a serious impact on the key life choices they make. A week after Autumn Mayfield’s honeymoon, she decided to get her entrepreneurial toes wet by buying a local clothing boutique. She began her public relations career at The Zimmerman Agency, but remained an independent public relations consultant for several out−of−town clients. She was juggling both the store and her consulting business, when a year later, she had her

12 t a l l a h a s s e e

wo m a n

• A u g u s t /S e p te m b e r 2011

first daughter, Emerson, and began to re−strategize. “I was determined to find the balance between career and family.”

Although it was hard to do, she decided to sell her clothing store, giving up on one dream in favor of another. She focused solely on public relations, and created The Mayfield Group.

She figured out how to go virtual with the business from home, established in−house childcare for Emerson and very soon thereafter, for Hadley, her second daughter. Now, two years

later, she is the head of a thriving, boutique public relations firm with more than half a dozen clients and employs four others as part of her team. Several of her team members have families of their own and appreciate the flexibility that working with the firm provides them. “We all live on Skype and meet regularly at coffee houses and restaurants around town.”

Having an office at home, with in-home childcare also provides Autumn the ability to stay close with her girls. “I feel like I am part of the major milestones happening in their lives and don’t miss out on the laughter and sometimes tears.” Autumn also credits her supportive husband for helping to keep things running smoothly. “I think marriage is one of the easiest things to neglect once you have children and a career. It’s so important to foster the connection you have with your spouse. Emory and I make a big effort to be around each other a lot.”

Although the advantages of a flexible work schedule and environment are many, Autumn is always striving for balance. “My biggest struggle is setting boundaries. When you work for yourself, the success of your business is directly related to how hard you work. I could work all the time and still not be done. Setting limits and sticking to the schedule is really important.” Blogging about her daily family life helps to keep things in perspective. “Women really are extraordinary in their ability to do so much as caregivers, partners, sisters and friends. I think we innately just want to please and to help each other. However, it’s of vital importance that we are authentic to ourselves and simply do our best, whatever that is. It’s so easy to compare ourselves to other women (especially online) thinking that they have it all or do it all. But at the end of the day, how we translate this into real living with our family and friends is the most important thing.”

With family as the priority, Autumn feels assured that she has made the right life choice for her.

“Being a mother is a gift, and I love learning and enjoy doing something different every day, whether it’s with work or with my family. I love to wear these different hats!” Life as a woman is a balancing act, and Autumn has tapped into something special, making her work and family life harmonious, but tipping the scale in the favor of family.

For more on Autumn and her family adventures, check out her blog at apinchofsassycharm.com.

COME SEE OUR NEW STORE FILLED WITH BEAUTIFUL FABRICS, ART AND ACCESSORIES! Fabrics • Trims • Wallpaper • Home Accessories • Custom Furniture • Custom Labor • In-Home Consultation

NEW LOCATION • 1410 Market Street The Pavillions, Next to My Favorite Things 850.224.2924 | chrysalisfab@aol.com | www.chrysalisfabric.com

SQUEEZ H S ED E R F

DESIGN

Locally grown designer, creating fresh, not from concentrate, designs, helping you strengthen and grow your business.

Call Today For Your Free Design Consultation.

850.294.3300 christy@christyjenningscreative.com www.ChristyJenningsCreative.com BRANDING • PRINT DESIGN • ADVERTISING • WEB t a l l a h a s s e e wo m a n

• A u g u s t /S e p te m b e r 2011 13

C A PI TAL

C I TY

Noteworthy events coming up in the area that you don’t want to miss.

The 17th Annual Fiber Arts Exhibition

Through September 12 City Hall Gallery

The City Hall Gallery has brought together fiber works from talented local artists of the Tallahassee Quilters Unlimited guild.

With quilts featuring Celtic-inspired “knots,” amazing geometric patterns, and vibrant colors, the range of design and inspiration will be sure to dazzle the eye.

Free of charge and open to the public.

For more information call (850) 224-2500 or visit online at cocanet.org.

The 30th Annual Capital City Quilt Show Through November 6, 2011 Florida History Museum

The Florida History Museum in conjunction with Quilters Unlimited of Tallahassee, are bringing the quilt show back for the 30th straight year. This year’s title is “Diamond’s are a Girl’s Best Friend.” There will be more than 80 carefully and beautifully crafted quilts of many sizes on display in the Museum’s main gallery free of admission.

Tallahassee’s 1st Annual Reading Rally August 13, 2011 North Florida Fair Fairgrounds

Come out for a day of family friendly entertainment, arts and crafts, creative story telling and more. It is the goal of the Reading Rally to provide free books for at least 500 children and to bring awareness of the benefits of early literacy. Families will receive free books, food, prizes and much more.

There will also be family-friendly entertainment such as magic shows, arts and crafts, bounce houses, face painting, and creative story-telling.

The 22nd Annual Exotic Bird Fair and Festival August 27-28, 2011 North Florida Fairgrounds

The Big Bend Bird Club is hosting its 22nd Exotic Bird Fair and Festival. This event is doubles as fun and educational for the whole family! Come out for food, prizes, birds, toys, cages, baby bird feeding demonstrations, face painting and much more. Proceeds will be going towards paying the operational costs of the club, as well as towards avian research. For more information visit bigbendbirdclub.com.

14 t a l l a h a s s e e

wo m a n

• A u g u s t /S e p te m b e r 2011

Teal Magnolias Ladies Only Golf Tournament September 19, 2011 Southwood Golf Club

The Big Bend Chapter of the National Ovarian Cancer Coalition is putting on its 4th Annual Teal Magnolias Ladies Only Golf Tournament. The event will consist of women golfers and gentlemen caddies, continental breakfast, lunch and an award ceremony. For more information, contact the Chapter at (850) 443-8251 or BigBendFL@ovarian.org.

Tallahassee Food Festival September 24, 2011 Leon County Civic Center

Come join the food, vendors and entertainment at the 2nd annual Tallahassee Food Festival. Sample food and beverage, enjoy the kids play area, visit the farmer’s market and a tailgate area. Lots of stage presentations. For more information visit Tallyfoodfestival.com.

DOWN UNDER

850-385-8033 | 2811 Ste. 2 Capital Circle NE, Tallahassee, FL 32308

cotton ETC. COME SEE FOR YOURSELF OUR CLOTHES AND ACCESSORIES COLLECTIONS.

Quality • Classic • Unique Jewelry

SOME OF OUR OFFERINGS INCLUDE

XCVI, ALLEN ALLEN TOLANI, TRIBAL TIANELLO, MUSE UNO DE 50, BRIGHTON AND DIANE WARNER. DRESS BY LILLA P.

Expert Design & Repair • Beautiful Estate Jewelry 1950 -M Thomasville Road at Betton Road in Midtown 850.422.1373

IN THE VERANDAS AT MARKET STREET

1355 Market Street • Tallahassee 850.668.1334 t a l l a h a s s e e wo m a n

• A u g u s t /S e p te m b e r 2011 15

S t y l e & G rac e

Faves & Raves

s d i K

”Two’s company” owl coin purse $15

Sassy & Bud

(850) 539-0051 102 E. 7th Avenue Havana, FL sassyandbud.com

Felt Happy Boutique headband $14 Havengirl ¾ sleeved dress $52.50 Available at

Sassy & Bud

(850) 539-0051 102 E. 7th Avenue Havana, FL sassyandbud.com

Stripe Capris

by Pink Chicken $34 Mini Dress $30 Available at

Personalized Birthday Plates $29.95 each Available at Coton Colors 1355 Market Street Suite A-9 Tallahassee, FL (850) 668-0149 E-mail: shop@coton-colors.com

Mini Mode (229) 226-8861 128 S. Broad St. Thomasville, GA facebook.com/ minimode

So soft and colorful!

Baby Blanket $100

Hip Chicks 102 E. 7th Avenue Havana, FL HipChicksDesigns.com

Make the Birthday Boy or Girl feel extra special when their day is celebrated using the birthday plate from Coton Colors. Some choose to mark the whole month by awarding the recipient with the special plate for dinner or lunch use.

16 t a l l a h a s s e e

wo m a n

• A u g u s t /S e p te m b e r 2011

Mud Pie Roxy Haute Baby Giggle Moon Wes & Willy Quiksilver Kissy Kissy Haven Girl Newport Cottage Cribs Little Castle Custom Bedding and Nursery Design by Hip Chicks Designs

102 E. 7th Ave. Havana, FL 32333 ~ 850.539.0051 ~ Like us on Facebook SPECIALIZING IN CUSTOM: Nursery Bedding • Youth Bedding • Draperies Accessories • Art and Complete Room Decor Design Consulting also available

102 E. 7th Ave. Havana, FL 32333

850.228.3331 info@hipchicksdesigns.com | www.hipchicksdesigns.com t a l l a h a s s e e wo m a n

• A u g u s t /S e p te m b e r 2011 17

i T his

s ju

u uT T st

in Di v

e!

Creating Vibrant and Imaginative Children’s Rooms

Furniture, fabric, fixtures and accessories are from Furniture Showcase & Design.

Designed in collaboration by Wendy Kerr, owner of Furniture Showcase & Design and Autumn Mayfield.

Adam Cohen Photography 18 t a l l a h a s s e e

wo m a n

• A u g u s t /S e p te m b e r 2011

Designed by Wendy Kerr of Furniture Showcase & Design

I

t is fun to design a stylish nursery, but another thing altogether to create a big kid and mom−pleasing room. As your child grows, so will their imaginations and their interests, so it’s important to create a room that will grow with them.

When creating a nursery, indulge your own creativity, but remember in a few years your children will have a creative side of their own, with favorite colors and different interests. A good idea would be to purchase a crib that turns into a toddler bed, since your child will be familiar with it. It will grow with them and save you money in the long run. Besides a theme, a nursery should have these key elements: a crib/toddler bed, changing table, rocking chair, ample lighting, rug, window treatments, stationary storage that is safe for children, paint with zero−VOC paint, and accessories.

Once past the toddler stage let your child have a say in how they want their

It is important to give kids a sense of personal style, and to have fun with their imagination and creativity. t a l l a h a s s e e wo m a n

• A u g u s t /S e p te m b e r 2011 19

room to look. It is important to give them a sense of personal style, and to have fun with their imagination and creativity.

Talk to your child, and zoom in on their interests. Save the trendy for paintings and accessories, but for furniture, go for quality, timeless pieces he or she can use even in their teen and young adult years.

When decorating, think about how the room will be used. The first thing to consider is the bed size and placement, with possibly an extra bed for guests. A trundle bed would be ideal since it can be stored underneath your child’s bed.

Consider how other areas of the room can be used—an art/hobby area, homework 20 t a l l a h a s s e e

wo m a n

• A u g u s t /S e p te m b e r 2011

(desk) area, or a sitting and reading area.

Consider framing their own artwork, and hanging a large bulletin board for pictures and expressing themselves. Ample storage is key for any child’s room, but be sure to use stationary storage (secured to the wall if possible) that is safe for children, and has zero−VOC paint. As for a theme, it’s best not to invest too much money in this since next year it may be something else. If your child wants a Star Wars theme, or a Barbie theme, then frame a poster, or use bedding and pillows.

For walls, and window treatments, use anchoring colors and designs that will mix and match with everything.

Sharing in your child’s creativity makes for a TuTu Divine time and will help turn their room into the most fun, vibrant, and imaginative space in the house!

Terra Palmer and Calynne Hill are the women of TuTu Divine. Visit their blog at tutudivine.com for great ideas and inspiration on divine design, entertaining, fashion, style and other topics that women love.

w w w.tutudivine .com

SAMPLE AND SAVOR Use your Smartphone SCAN app for more information.

Potters blend artistic skill with time-honored techniques in the famous ceramics village of Bat Trang

1415 TIMBERLANE RD • 850-906-9010

Furnishing

Designed in collaboration

by Terra Palmer Designs, LLC TALLAHASSEE ’S O.K. WITH CORRECTIONS NUR SE R IE S and Jackie SlackO.K. BY: _____________________________ PROOF BY:_____________

finest

~ Since 1983~

PLEASE READ CAREFULLY • SUBMIT CORRECTIONS ONLINE

ADVERTISER: TEN THOUSAND VILLAGES SALES PERSON: SANDRA VERNON PUBLICATION: TD-GLOSSY SIZE: 4.75 col X 2.25 in

PROOF CREATED AT: 7/14/2011 1:59 PM PROOF DUE: NEXT RUN DATE: 08/03/11

TD-00001

With affordable custom bedding, cribs, rocker-recliners and toy chests, we have everything you need to make your newest addition feel right at home.

The Gallery at Market Street 894-1235 fsdfl.com Fu r n i t ur e

L ig h t i ng

A c c e s s or i e s

Rugs

Wi ndow t r e a t me nt s

t a l l a h a s s e e wo m a n

Design Ser vices

• A u g u s t /S e p te m b e r 2011 21

E N TE R T A I N I N G

Creating Unique and Stylish

Kids’ Parties Contributed by Ivona Foster

Photography by Leigh Barnes, Kerrigan Studios

C

reating a unique and stylish birthday celebration can be a challenge year after year, especially as children’s tastes change. With a little imagination, you can create a celebration worthy of your child’s wonderful spirit right in your home or backyard.

• Decide on a color palette and a party theme, to make it easier to coordinate activities, decorations and other party necessities. Plan the celebration around a favorite book, toy or special childhood item. As girls get older, spa parties become a big hit.

• Repurpose items you already own.

Use interesting plates, stands and other vessels in your favors and food displays. Adorable frames from your home will add a bit of exclusivity to your celebration, and the kids will get a kick out of seeing and using items they 22 t a l l a h a s s e e

wo m a n

• A u g u s t /S e p te m b e r 2011

recognize as special. Add a touch of bling with an interesting mirror or chandelier, and don’t be afraid to prominently exhibit an item that is meaningful to your child.

After all, it is a celebration of them.

• Personalize! Kids enjoy seeing something created just for them. Using paper décor with their name or initials will bring a smile to the child’s face. Personalization will also reduce confusion in seating arrangement. Kids will know which items are theirs, and as the party gets going, this will allow things to run more smoothly.

• Give your child’s favorite foods a new twist. Use cookie cutters for a fun new shapes on a PB&J, or experiment with different jellies or nutella. Use freestanding cupcake liners to ration out foods like macaroni and cheese. Personalized party circles or party flags will serve great as a decoration on bite-sized bits

and to hold the food in place, like pieces of fruit on top of sandwiches.

• Rethink party favors as items that the kids can work on during party activities.

Provide handmade soaps, handmade jewelry, hair pretties and child-friendly nail polish, and allow the guests to pick out their favorites. The children will enjoy the uniqueness of choice, and the parents will appreciate not dealing with clutter from favor bags filled with candy and plastic toys that will never be played with.

About the author: Ivona Foster is the creative mind behind Sugarsticks Parties, a locally owned, mom-run stationery business. She designs and creates personalized party décor, wedding suites and other stationery items that make life lovelier.

You can find her online at sugarsticksparties. com where she shares the giggles and whimsy of her creations and delightful party inspiration.

A birthday celebration is a true celebration of your child, their amazing spirit and the wonderful gift they are to the world.

Creating a stylish celebration will teach our children to love themselves and celebrate who they are.

CLASSIC INTERIORS W I T H PA N AC H E

Need to talk?

Summer Brooke Gomez, MSW

850-421-1260

Relationships Co-Parenting Adolescents Authentic Living Spirituality

     

FSU PhD Candidate/Intern in

Marriage & Family Therapy Nicki Bowden, Allied Member ASID

Your home should reflect your unique style and personality.

Let my resources, expertise and knowledge get you there!

Complete Design Services • Over 23 years Design experience • References Available

www.artofarrangement.net 850.508.1597 • artofarrangement@comcast.net

 

Individuals Couples & Families

There is incredible wisdom within you.

Awaken it.

1115 N GADSDEN STREET | TALLAHASSEE, FL 32303

FL ISW # 6062

t a l l a h a s s e e wo m a n

• A u g u s t /S e p te m b e r 2011 23

REALlife

September is N ational The Importance of

Women’s Friendships

By Karin Marcus

T

he special bond found in female friendships has proven to have tremendous benefits, psychologically, physically and spiritually. Now is the perfect time to reinforce and celebrate those relationships. Sunday, September 19, is the 10th National Women’s Friendship Day. This celebration has been endorsed by the governors of 34 states and has become so popular that now the entire month of September has been declared the National Women’s Friendship Month.

Why are women’s friendships so important that they warrant national recognition?

In recent years, research has shown that friendships between women have a wide range of health benefits that have widespread socioeconomic repercussions.

Through their friendships, women build nurturing, emotionally fulfilling bonds that serve as highly effective support systems. Within these relationships, women gain self-esteem and validation.

They find support in times of trouble and safe avenues for expressing their feelings and thoughts. A circle of women creates a sacred space that allows each to be more deeply present and proactive in their lives.

In general, women with close female friends experience greater happiness and fulfillment.

These emotional benefits have direct physiological effects. A landmark UCLA study found that in times of stress, when men normally respond with a “fight or flight” reflex, women have an additional choice in their behavioral repertoire—to “tend and befriend.” They pull together to support and nurture one another.

This behavior releases extra oxytocin, a chemical that counters stress and produces 24 t a l l a h a s s e e

wo m a n

• A u g u s t /S e p te m b e r 2011

a calming effect. Women connecting with women can actually assist in lowering blood pressure, heart rate and cholesterol.

A Harvard Medical School Nurse’s Health Study further shows that because stress also wreaks havoc on blood glucose levels, healing, bone density and the aging process, women’s friendships can help counteract all these detrimental effects of stress as well. Conversely, researchers also concluded that NOT having close friends is as detrimental to your health as smoking or carrying extra weight.

Other studies suggest that an older woman’s risk of dying from heart disease may be linked to the number of family and social relationships she has. In one study among 503 women with symptoms of coronary artery disease, those with few personal contacts were more than twice as likely to die over the next two to four years as women with more social ties. When the researchers also looked at how women coped with widowhood, they found that those who had a close confidante were more likely to survive the experience without suffering new and lasting physical ailments or permanent loss of vitality.

Finally, science is confirming what we knew all along. Our girlfriends are essential to our well-being, physically, emotionally and spiritually.

So, take the time during this National Women’s Friendship Month to acknowledge and enhance all your wonderful friendships. There are all sorts of ways to celebrate. You can reconnect with a friend over lunch or plan a girl’s night out or even a weekend getaway.

You can take part in a women’s health fair or a seminar on an issue important

to women or organize a clothing drive for needy women. You can expand your circle of women friends by going on a women’s retreat or joining a women’s group. Commit to doing something to strengthen these important relationships. Embrace your sisterhood!

By Karin Marcus, Certified Life Coach/Retreat Leader “Let the beauty of what you love, be what you do” -Rumi Karin@Steppingoutcoaching.com (610) 667-5247 SteppingOutCoaching.com Copyright (c) 2009 Karin Marcis Article Source: EzineArticles.com.

Games Girls Play— BUNCO! Most women will tell you that the best part of Girls Night Out is not what you do, but who you are with. There are so many things women can do on their night out, but Bunco is one of those games that is hugely popular in Tallahassee and across the nation.

Great for groups, Bunco is played with dice and is a fun game to play at a party because it is so easy to learn and almost everybody already has the tools of the game. Also, because players are partnered and move from table to table, by the end of the night, everybody will be fast friends.

Serve wine and appetizers or coffee and dessert and invite your friends over for a time of fun, laughter, and building lasting friendships with your gal pals.

For details and rules of the game visit buncoworldassociation.com.

Women’s Friendship Month “Besties”

women share their stories of What Brought them together and why they will be Best Friends Forever

Amanda Green and Alicia Leggett

Kim Bibeu and April Hambrecht

Denise Redd and Christine Reker

Amanda Green and Alicia Leggett have been best friends for 21 years.

They met in high school and have been inseparable ever since.

April Hambrecht says, “People would always ask me if I had met Kim, and they would ask the same thing to her, about me.

We were so much alike they would say.”

Denise Redd and Christine Reker have been best friends for nearly 26 years.

They share many things in common, especially a love of traveling.

“One of the cool things about our friendship” says Amanda, “is our children’s birth story.” Alicia had been trying to get pregnant for about a year without success, but Amanda was successful after the first month of trying. However, one day when they were together at Amanda’s house, Amanda encouraged Alicia to take a pregnancy test and the test came back positive. “Together we waited the agonizing 2 minutes for the results, but low and behold she was also pregnant!”

Later on, they both went to the doctor and their due dates were exactly the same day. Besides sharing in the joy of pregnancy together, amazingly their babies were born only 32 hours apart. They are now journeying the road of motherhood together, and their children are becoming good friends in the process. Amanda says that, “Alicia is my foundation, and one of the few people I know I can always count on no matter what.”

Kim Bibeu and April Hambrecht both taught spin classes at different fitness facilities and were always compared to one another. However, they did not yet know each other until they met at class and became fast friends.

They went to Panama City for the first of many girl trips 24 years ago. Denise says, “We were shocked, but not completely surprised, that we brought nearly all the same brands of cosmetics, deodorants, etc.

We laughed about that for a long time.”

Just over a year ago, Kim left her job of 21 years and with April, and 3 kids in tow, made a life changing decision. They took a leap of faith and opened Sweat Therapy Fitness, with nothing to fuel it except a mutual passion for fitness and a sisterly dedication to one another. A year later they have managed to create an amazing workout environment, build lasting relationships, and now change not only their member’s lives, but also their own lives in the process. “Our hearts are almost as big as our personalities as we never meet a stranger,” says Kim. April confirms this. “We keep each other grounded and remind each other about the important things in life. We consider each other a sister.”

However, proof of their fated friendship literally came as a gift. About 20 years ago, Denise’s mother-in-law gave her a beautiful sapphire ring for Christmas. It was packaged in a small, wrapped box, which was in a larger wrapped box that she put under the tree. Denise went to see Christine at work one day during the holidays and showed the ring to her. Denise gasped. “She showed me a beautiful, sapphire ring that her motherin-law gave to her for Christmas that was packaged in a small wrapped box which was in a larger wrapped box. It was not just similar to mine, it was the exact ring!” t a l l a h a s s e e wo m a n

• A u g u s t /S e p te m b e r 2011 25

“Remembering 9-11”

By Heather Thomas

T

en years ago this September, our country and our lives were forever changed by the events that took place on one day— 9-11. The brevity of two numbers encompasses so much of what we remember and felt on that day, when time seemed to slow and the seconds contained in minutes resulted in life or death. Most of us can vividly recall where we were, what we were doing and how we were feeling as we watched the events unfold on our televisions. With four crashed planes, thousands of lives were lost and families torn asunder in an act of terrorism never before

26 t a l l a h a s s e e

wo m a n

• A u g u s t /S e p te m b e r 2011

Adam Cohen Photography

seen in modern American history.

Even though the horrific events took place outside of Tallahassee, we felt a part of it, and our hearts intermingled with those in New York City, at the Pentagon and in Pennsylvania. We remain a people united, but forever changed. Nancy Cohen, a Tallahassee woman who lived in Manhattan and whose husband, Adam, worked just blocks away from the World Trade Center, recently shared her own account of that fateful day. On this tenyear anniversary of 9-11, with the help of Nancy and Adam’s story of the indomitable power of love, we honor the lives of those lost that day and of the survivors who strive to live each new day with reverence and hope.

t a l l a h a s s e e wo m a n

• A u g u s t /S e p te m b e r 2011 27

8:50 a.m.

“I was asleep but was woken up by the insistent ringing of the phone. I was alone—Adam had already left for his job as a day trader in the financial district.

I opened my eyes to look out of my window and saw a beautiful, clear-blue sky. It was a gorgeous day, and I can still see that vivid blue in my mind. It would be days later before we could clearly see the “smoke free” city skyline again. I answered the phone and Adam’s mother was in great concern at the other end of the line, asking if I had seen the news and where was Adam? I quickly turned on the television and learned about the first passenger plane that had crashed into the North Tower of the World Trade Center (WTC). My mother called soon thereafter, asking if I had heard from Danny” [Nancy’s brother, Danny, also worked in the financial district of Manhattan].

9:10 a.m.

Adam was at his desk in the trading room of his office for a morning meeting before trading started at 9:30 a.m. when there was suddenly an information blackout on the multiple televisions that surrounded the room. Scenes from the WTC switched on. At first, Adam and the others at the office thought it was just a fluke.

9:15 a.m.

“At this point, I tried to call Adam multiple times and could not get through to him. On television, I see the second passenger plane hit the South Tower of the WTC. I was frozen in place, as shock and horror washed over me. I was thinking, ‘Is this really happening? Is this for real?’

As I continued watching, I saw footage of people jumping from the buildings that were just down the road from Adam, and I was petrified for the friends we knew that worked there. I was overwhelmed with anxiety and I felt very alone. New York City, home to over 8 million people, is unique in that you can feel lonely without being alone. You don’t really know a 28 t a l l a h a s s e e

wo m a n

• A u g u s t /S e p te m b e r 2011

lot of your neighbors. I suddenly had the overwhelming compulsion to see another person’s face, and I opened my front door to peer down the hallway of my apartment. Others were doing the same and no one spoke, but inside I was shouting, ‘IS ANYONE SEEING THIS?’ We just looked at each other in disbelief and acknowledging that no, we were not alone. I was scared for Adam too, but the really deep fear for Adam, and for my brother Danny, didn’t set in until the towers began to fall.”

9:20 a.m.

“Adam calls me and says, ‘Hey Nance, you won’t believe what is going on down here!’ And I yell to him, ‘YES I DO! PLANES HAVE CRASHED INTO THE WORLD TRADE CENTER. GET OUT OF THERE AND COME HOME!’ He says that he will be on his way soon and that he loves me. That’s the last I hear from him for awhile.”

9:37 a.m.

Even though most people in Adam’s office are aware of what is going on, there seems to be a disconnect of emotion between those watching the events at home and those actually in the area of the WTC. Adam stays until the television shows footage of the aftermath of a passenger plane that crashed into the Pentagon. He feels a compelling urge to get home to Nancy and finally leaves his office building. As he and a multitude of others make their way to the subway stations, the smell of smoke grows stronger and floating pieces of smoldering paper are falling from the sky like a ticker-tape parade.

He reaches up, grabs one, and realizes with disbelief that it is the upper half of a memo from an office in the WTC.

9:59 a.m.

“When the first tower fell, I really began to panic for Adam and my brother. The

phone is ringing constantly, but it’s not Adam—just family members as scared as I am. That was one of the hardest aspects of this day. I had to be the main source of information and to be objective and calm, when really I had no information to give and I was a mess inside. I had to wait, and wait, and wait with no end in sight.”

9:59 a.m.

While riding in the subway car directly below the area where the WTC towers were standing, Adam hears a giant ‘boom’ and feels a tremendous shock wave reverberate through the tunnel, and the car stops. He starts to smell smoke.

Some passengers panic, thinking a bomb has gone off and several try to open the windows to get air, but are tackled by other passengers to stop them from letting out oxygen. In his mind, Adam becomes cognizant of the dangers that surround him and surmises, “I must get home to Nancy” then prepares himself to do anything he can to survive.

10:28 a.m.

“When the second tower falls I start to cry for Adam and the people in the towers and the worry almost overtakes me. At that moment, I look out the window and see people gathered on the streets and looking toward the downtown sky, at the smoke, envisioning a skyline without the WTC. I go outside too. There is utter stillness and almost no cars in sight. Manhattan is a city that is never still, but it was so quiet, almost peaceful, as if the city was holding its breath and had not let it out yet.”

10:28 a.m.

Another boom and shock wave is felt, but after a short time, the train starts up again and backs up to the nearest station for everyone to exit out. After Adam and hundreds of others run through the stopped train that line the subway tunnel and then up the stairs from the tunnel to the surface, they enter a world covered in

ash. It’s pitch black and hard to see, and everyone is coughing from the smoke, but people exiting the station form a human chain by holding hands. Adam joins it and they slowly walk through the darkness and make their way to an office building.

10:45 a.m.

“My mom calls and says that my brother is fine and had walked over the Brooklyn Bridge and is slowly making his way home.

Shortly after, I finally hear from Adam.

He says he’s using a friend’s cell phone.

I ask if he is OK, and he says he is fine, that he loves me, and that he’s in an office building where they are giving out water.

He asks if this was a nuclear attack and I tell him, ‘Their gone,’ and he says, ‘Who’s gone?’ And I say, ‘The towers are gone.’ He had no idea that the towers had fallen and he and those around him thought some sort of nuclear device had gone off. He tells me that he plans to leave the cover of the office building lobby and walk towards light or clearing in the sky. He’ll then get his bearings and walk uptown from there.

What he sees on the way home was extraordinary: everyone covered in gray ash, and firefighters walking around in a daze. One firefighter was even sitting on a corner, sobbing, and everywhere, restaurant and store owners were handing out food and water and asking how they could help.

Adam witnessed a mass exodus from the financial district and is comforted by the humanity of his common New Yorker.

Noon

“I’m sitting in the living room, staring at the door for what seems like hours, and then Adam walks in, covered from head to toe in gray ash. I jump up and run to him, and we hug and kiss and I don’t think I have ever loved anyone more in that moment.”

Later that day, even though death was all around them, Nancy says, “We all needed to see and feel life,” so she and Adam made their way to Central Park. “For days, we

talked and talked to strangers on the streets and in bars and restaurants, which were the only businesses that for the most part stayed open. They became family gathering rooms. When I looked into people’s eyes, I knew what they were thinking, and we felt closer to one another. It was a time that I felt so connected to the city that I never could have imagined living anywhere else.”

In the days following, the smell outside was almost overpowering, and having never smelled it before, Adam and Nancy sorrowfully realized that it was the smell of death and decay. Manhattan was literally closed off from the rest of the world due to no-fly zones and travel restrictions—a gigantic city became a close-knit family. Nancy and Adam said that the outpouring of love and support from the community was what kept them all going. “During that time we never thought about leaving the city,” Nancy said. “Our families kept asking us to leave and to get out of there. I told them that this was home and that we weren’t going anywhere.” However, just a few years later, when their son Hunter was born, they made their way to Tallahassee.

For Nancy and Adam, and for the rest of country, there is a before 9-11, and now, an after. They have learned to live their lives with a new normal, with the memories of that day tucked back in their minds, but never to be forgotten. Nancy explains it best. “I think we all felt attacked, and we all felt like victims, even if we did not die or lose a loved one. We all lost our innocence that day. However, I think we became more unified as a country and we revere life more in the shadow of our mortality. No matter where we go and whatever place we call home, we all take 9-11 with us.”

“There is utter stillness and almost no cars in sight.

Manhattan is a city that is never still, but it was so quiet, almost peaceful, as if the city was holding its breath and had not let it out yet.” t a l l a h a s s e e wo m a n

• A u g u s t /S e p te m b e r 2011 29

S p or t s & F i t n e s s

The Rocketeer Rita Buck-Crockett

By Heather Thomas and Lindsay Shalom

R

ita Buck-Crockett knows the power of never giving up on your dreams, and it’s that determination which propelled her to become one of the best volleyball players in the world, and now a successful business owner and mentor for local youth.

Originally from San Antonio, Texas, Rita and her brother were raised by their father on a dairy farm. Her mother tragically died from complications from surgery when she was 9, and her life was forever changed. “It wasn’t a typical upbringing, but my father always did his best and worked very hard.”

From him, Rita learned the importance of a hard work ethic, which she applies to everything she does. However, she longed for what other families had. “I wanted to become someone other than a child growing up on a dairy farm and I knew that my athletics and academics was the key. I was furious about them since they were my way out.”

While continually striving to reach the next level in athletics, Rita earned a double sport scholarship from San Antonio Junior College for volleyball and basketball, and was awarded the All-American Player of the Year the same year that her team won the national championship in volleyball.

From there, she went to the University of Houston and became an AIAW All-American volleyball player. While at the University of Houston, she tried out for the Junior National Volleyball team and was cut the very first 3 hours because “they said I was too small.” At that point, Rita’s athletic momentum seemed 30 t a l l a h a s s e e

wo m a n

• A u g u s t /S e p te m b e r 2011

Photography by Adam Cohen

“It taught me to never stop living my dream, to believe in myself and do the best you can do all the time since someone is always watching you.” to stop, and she began to doubt that she would achieve any future success.

However, later on the next year, during a national tournament, the head coach of the USA National Olympic Team approached Rita and asked her to be on the team. “It taught me to never stop living my dream, to believe in myself and do the best you can do all the time since someone is always watching you.”

From there, Rita began to literally rocket to the top of volleyball stardom. She left her junior year of college to join the Olympic team in 1978, but wasn’t able to compete in the 1980 Olympics due to the Western boycott. She stayed busy. In 1982, her USA Olympic Team took the bronze medal at the World Championships in Lima, Peru.

In 1983, she was named one of the top 6 Inga Finch Photography

players in the world after competing in the World Cup, and while on the U.S. Olympic volleyball team in 1984, she won the silver medal. In that same year, Sports Illustrated magazine named her the world’s best athlete and gave her the nickname, “Crockett the Rocket” because of her 42inch vertical leap and her 100 mile-perhour “kills.” In 1989, Rita became the first African American to win a professional beach championship by winning the WPVA World Championships with her Brazilian beach partner, Jackie Silva. She spent much of the 80s and 90s traveling the world, competing and coaching.

In 2004, after a successful run as the head volleyball coach at the University of Iowa for five years, where she also finished her degree, Rita moved to Tallahassee to be the new associate head coach at Florida State University and to be closer to her daughter who attended FSU on a volleyball scholarship. She worked at FSU a couple of years, but then left to take over a volleyball academy for kids in Tallahassee. She is currently the president and CEO of the school called The Rita Crockett Academy (RCA), formerly the North Florida Volleyball Academy (NFVA), which offers group and private lessons for kids from elementary school to high school.

She passes along to them the importance of self-confidence. “I believe in all of my kids.

We have to believe in them. If someone doesn’t believe in you, you know it, and then you don’t try as hard. This can apply to everything in life and that’s what I live my life by.” One of the goals of the academy is to help students receive athletic scholarships so they are able to attend college while playing the sport they love.

In October of this year, Rita will be inducted into the international volleyball hall of fame. Although she has pursued the sport of volleyball most of her life, she finds the most fulfillment from her role as a mother and mentor to aspiring young athletes. “Throughout my life, I wanted to be the best I could be, and I keep trying to take everything to the next level. I don’t like settling. I’m not the type of person that is OK with just the way it is. I want my parents to look at their little girl and see how she has made the life that they have given me good, and how I’m working hard to give the same to my daughter and the kids at RCA. Hopefully, one day, they will pass it along to the children in their lives.”

t a l l a h a s s e e wo m a n

• A u g u s t /S e p te m b e r 2011 31

FIFT Y BY

50

By Law S. Hill

Your Sporting Image by Karen Thibodeaux

Marathon runner Jennifer Shafer set a goal for herself—run 50 marathons before the age of 50—and realized along the way that much of the success was in the journey.

second marathon in Chicago, and even though eight years had passed since her first marathon, Jennifer finished with her best time ever. She explained the experience: “I jumped right back into training for another marathon and found myself getting obsessed with running.

Every day revolved around my runs.”

T

hroughout her life, Jennifer Shafer has enjoyed the sport of running.

Little did she know that this pastime would lead to a longer journey riddled with miles and victory. In college, Jennifer ran track and cross-country. While she loved the sport, she never saw herself using it for more than recreational exercise. She didn’t know it yet, but she would one day run more than most have in their whole lifetime, let alone within 50 years.

In 1994, Jennifer participated in the firstever Walt Disney World Marathon. She described the experience as “thrilling” and something she knew she would love to continue to do. However, newly married to her husband Steve, Jennifer chose another path for the next eight years, placing her running dreams on hold to raise children, excel in her career and enjoy every moment of married life.

Then in 2002, a friend who was training for a marathon invited her to run along, and the passion lit long ago began to burn again. Soon after, Jennifer found herself completing her 32 t a l l a h a s s e e

wo m a n

• A u g u s t /S e p te m b e r 2011

At times, Jennifer lamented the focus and time she dedicated to the marathon training. Most of her friends could not train as often as she, so a majority of her running time was alone and away from her family. Jennifer explained that she was unaware at the time at how this affected her well-being, her relationships and her physical state—it was only after a slight stress-fracture injury derailed her training that she fully realized the extent of her involvement. Being a woman of strong faith, Jennifer said, “I believe God used a stress fracture to help me readjust my priorities.” She added that her faith inspired her in new ways, apart from her own personal obsession and away from her own praise.

With a new outlook on balance in her life, Jennifer finished her third marathon a year later, again improving her finishing time. Soon after, her husband proposed an idea that would shape her obsession into passion and would test every part of her mind, body and soul. She said, “Steve challenged me to run 50 full marathons before my 50th birthday. Being a person

who has difficulty refusing a challenge, ‘50 by 50’ became my goal.” So at 35 years old and just three marathons to her credit, Jennifer made her mind up to complete 47 additional marathons in 15 years.

Although the numbers seemed daunting, Jennifer was focused and invigorated, fueled by the loving encouragement of her husband, her children and her faith.

For the next several years, Jennifer worked at meeting her goal by completing five to eight marathons per year. And just this past spring, Jennifer reached her goal when she completed her 50th marathon— 7 years ahead of her goal at the age of 43. When asked whether she would do more marathons, Jennifer smiled and said, “God makes things happen at the right time and for the right reasons. My two sons are now interested in running and training for their sports, so we are doing that as a family. This joy surpasses any thought of another marathon.”

And her advice to others on how to reach their goals and attain their dreams?

“Everyone is unique,” Jennifer said. “Find a way to use the talents God has given you. Work hard and give 110 percent.

Set your goal and stay committed to it. Above all, look for ways to bless others with your uniqueness—not just yourself and not just for your own gain. Achieving that will be the greatest accomplishment.”

Photography by Adam Cohen

WHAT Should

KNOW

A special section to help you find information and local resources available to you for some of life’s choices regarding your health, beauty, and overall wellness. t a l l a h a s s e e wo m a n

• A u g u s t /S e p te m b e r 2011 33

a s p e c i a l A d v e r t i s i ng s e c t i on

A Minimally-Invasive Alternative to Open Heart Surgery Debra Jackson of Funston, Georgia, became the first patient in the Tallahassee area to have a percutaneous procedure for an Atrial Septal Defect (ASD) performed locally. The procedure, performed at Tallahassee Memorial Hospital (TMH) by William C. Dixon IV, MD, a cardiologist, provides an alternative to open heart surgery for certain patients suffering from ASD, a condition in which the wall separating the top two chambers of the heart is not fully developed. Though ASD is present from birth, the condition can present no symptoms and go undetected for many years. Left untreated, it may result in such serious conditions as heart failure, pulmonary hypertension or stroke.

Debra, 51, was not diagnosed until this past January, when sudden health problems prompted her to visit the Colquitt Regional Med Care clinic in Moultrie. “My heart was racing, and I had shortness of breath,” she says of her symptoms. The clinic’s physician sent her to the ER at Colquitt Regional Medical Center, where a cardiologist identified the problem; he discovered a hole about the size of a quarter in Debra’s heart and connected her to TMH for further care.

A patient with an abnormality such as Debra’s would normally require open heart surgery, but through a collaborative evaluation by Dr. Dixon and Patrick Murrah, MD, a cardiothoracic surgeon, Debra was found to be an excellent candidate for the percutaneous procedure. The treatment closes the hole in the heart with a device called an Amplatzer Septal Occluder, which is inserted via a small incision in the skin and then threaded up to the heart through the blood vessels.

34 t a l l a h a s s e e

wo m a n

• A u g u s t /S e p te m b e r 2011

Dr. Dixon, who served in the United States Army for 15 years, learned how to perform the procedure while working as a military physician at Walter Reed Army Medical Center. Having lived in Tallahassee for the past two years, he is pleased to see that the community is now capable of performing percutaneous treatment of ASD, which was not previously offered in cities closer than Atlanta, Jacksonville and Gainesville.“It’s a very good procedure for the right patient,” he says. “It provides an alternative to open heart surgery that allows the patient to return to a normal lifestyle with no medical issues.”

Factors that must be weighed in determining whether an ASD patient is appropriate for the Amplatzer procedure include the size, severity of resultant complications and, most important, the location of the hole in the heart.

According to Dr. Dixon, the Amplatzer procedure, when performed on an appropriate candidate, is as effective as open heart surgery. “The difference,” he attests, “is that Mrs. Jackson goes home the day after the Amplatzer procedure with a Band-Aid on her leg, as opposed to being in the hospital for 4 to 5 days with an incision down her chest.”

In fact, the recovery process is so quick that on the afternoon of the procedure, mere hours after the surgery, Debra was sitting up in her hospital bed, chatting with family and sipping a soft drink. While she has been instructed not to do any heavy lifting for at least three weeks after leaving the hospital, she will otherwise be able to return to normal activities.

In a study conducted by the Journal of Invasive Cardiology, the Amplatzer Septal Occluder was found to have excellent results in 106 out of 117 consecutive patients. “This is a good thing for the city of Tallahassee—for our patients and our medical community,” states Dr. Dixon.

Tallahassee Memorial HealthCare 1300 Miccosukee Road Tallahassee, FL 32308 (850) 431-ICAN (4226) tmhbreasthealth.com

Feeling Beautiful Most women want to feel and look their best. To that end, there is a spectrum of treatment options available, surgical and non-surgical, to help you maintain and enhance your appearance, helping to increase your self confidence.

loss of elastin, improve acne, may reduce skin cancer, and diminish brown spots.

We encourage women to begin a maintenance program early with diet and exercise, and avoidance of sun and smoking. We also suggest considering a skin care program, and other non-surgical therapies designed to help maintain your youthful appearance. In addition, when appropriate, cosmetic surgery maybe considered.

There are many non-surgical therapies available to maintaining a youthful appearance such as injectables, laser treatments and chemical peels.

A good skin care program can protect healthy skin, correct some skin damage, and help prevent future injury.

Whether your skin is sun-damaged, discolored, acne-prone or hypersensitive, a good treatment program can help improve the appearance, texture, and condition of your skin.

It is important that women care for their skin daily. Following are some beauty secrets that can help you: Use a daily moisturizer. A good moisturizer can take years off your face.

When your skin is dry, wrinkles are accentuated, which makes you look older.

Use a sunscreen. Sunscreen blocks out the sun’s damaging rays and their aging effects. The sun negatively impacts collagen production in the skin. Without the collagen your skin looses elasticity and will not maintain the youthful and wrinkle-free appearance (check with your pharmacist about a complete block.)

Use a retinoid product. Retinoids exfoliate, thicken the dermis, reduce the a s p e c i a l A d v e r t i s i ng s e c t i on

Use a daily cleanser. A cleanser helps remove impurities and oil without drying the skin.

Injectable neuromuscular blocking agents (such as Botox and others) makes it possible to weaken and immobilize selected muscles of facial expression, especially the frown lines. The dermal fillers restore volume and fullness in women with moderate to severe facial wrinkles and folds, loss of facial volume or thinning lips.

Laser treatments can reduce the visible signs of aging and diminish slight skin surface imperfections that occur with aging and sun exposure.

Chemical peels can correct uneven pigmentation and smooth wrinkles while exfoliating damaged skin and promote deep skin rejuvenation. There are a number of peels, varying in strength, which can be customized for the individual.

Finally, surgical procedures are available to address your concerns. Many times surgery is the best option for you, either alone or in combination with dermal fillers or chemical peels. Surgical procedures include liposuction, body contouring (breast enlargement, breast lifts, breast reductions, abdominoplasty), facelifts, eyelids, and nose reshaping. The decision to have surgery is personal, and you and your surgeon can decide which procedures can achieve your goals. Be sure to ask questions about the procedure, and most importantly, select

Louis Hill, MD

a surgeon who is board-certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgeons.

Looking your best and believing in yourself are important. At Tallahassee Plastic Surgery Clinic, we specialize in skin care, nonsurgical treatment and cosmetic surgery.

Our Physicians and staff are dedicated to meeting the individual needs of our patients so please feel free to call us for your personal and confidential consultation.

Louis Hill, MD Tallahassee Plastic Surgery Clinic 2452 Mahan Drive, Suite 101 850-877-2126 www.tlhplasticsurgery.com

t a l l a h a s s e e wo m a n

• A u g u s t /S e p te m b e r 2011  35

a s p e c i a l A d v e r t i s i ng s e c t i on

What You Need to Know–About Hormones determined by genetics and—based on a recent study from the MD Anderson Clinic—by environment (nutrition, toxins, emotions, etc). Low hormone levels are associated with an increased occurrence of many problems generally attributed to “aging.” Here are some specific effects of low or imbalanced hormones.

Low testosterone—high cholesterol, heart disease, fatigue, weight gain, poor stamina, osteoporosis, hair loss, decreased muscle mass—all in both men and women.

Dr. Leslie Emhof It seems that hormones are a hot topic these days and everyone has an opinion.

However, opinions are not what you need.

Rather, you need to know the facts so you can make wise decisions about your health.

First, let’s look at the physiology, or what hormones do in the body. Of course everyone knows about estrogens and progesterone in the female body and how they control the menstrual cycle.

The effects of testosterone on the libido and muscle mass in the male body are also well known. What many people don’t know is just how important testosterone is for women and what estrogen and progesterone do to men.

The word hormone is derived from the Greek word hormo, which means “to set in motion.” Hormones control almost all the processes and functions in the body.

When hormones begin to decrease, many functions of the body begin to slow down or stop altogether. It is a wellknown medical fact that our hormones peak in our teens, become optimal in our late 20’s and early 30’s and then begin to gradually decline. The rate of decline is 36 t a l l a h a s s e e

wo m a n

• A u g u s t /S e p te m b e r 2011

Low estrogen—hot flashes, irritability, sleep problems, poor memory, night sweats—also all in both men and women.

High estrogen or imbalance with progesterone—breast cancer, blood clots, heart disease, stroke, gallbladder disease, migraine—again in both men and women.

As you can see, hormone problems can cause a wide range of diseases, and these are just a few examples. Recent studies have found such things as Macular Degeneration and autoimmune disorders to be related to low hormones as well.

So why all of the recent fear about hormones? Many doctors would have you believe that hormone replacement carries huge risks. However, the idea that hormones in women cause breast cancer, strokes and cardiovascular disease has been shown to be incorrect. In reality, all these studies were on drugs that were used to replace hormones. That is why it was called hormone replacement therapy (HRT). The key word was REPLACEMENT. Highly profitable drugs were used instead of hormones.

Drug companies wanted you to think of these drugs as hormones—but they are not. Multiple scientific studies have now shown that when bio-identical, natural, and

true hormones are used, there is no such risk. Properly balanced hormone levels are actually preventative of these conditions.

This is a key principle and you need to understand the differences between the options. HRT drugs are patentable compounds that the drug companies created to mimic the hormones in the system. They are ‘close’ but not chemically identical to those naturally produced by the body.

You have to understand that the body is extremely smart. It recognizes these as different and thus they have different effects in the body. As a result, there is a major difference in the reaction in the body between drugs and hormones that are chemically identical to what your body normally produces, so called bio-identical.

Thus, if you want to maintain a more youthful vitality and reduce your risks of age related diseases, choose bioidentical hormones—not drugs—so your body can function at optimum levels for a longer period of time.

For more information call for a FREE consultation (850) 893-6706.

Or attend one of the upcoming FREE seminars: August 9 or 23; September 6 or 20 at 6:30 p.m. at 1525 Killearn Center Blvd. in Tallahassee.

World Class Expertise

Dr. Leslie Emhof, MD Tallahassee Family Medicine 1525 Killearn Center Boulevard Tallahassee, Florida 32309 (850) 893-6706

Women and Peripheral Arterial Disease It is often believed that Peripheral Arterial Disease (PAD)—“hardening of the arteries,” “atherosclerotic arterial occlusive disease” or “blocked arteries”—is a more significant problem for men. However, as our population ages, the incidence of PAD in women is becoming more common. In fact, by the sixth decade of life, the incidence of PAD in women is similar to that of men. Because of the increased lifespan of women compared to men, women outnumber men over age 75 by a ratio of 3:2 and over age 80 by a ratio of 2:1. It is now well recognized that there is a protective effect of female hormones on the development of atherosclerotic disease (PAD). However, with menopause and thereafter this protective effect is lost.

Furthermore, this protective effect does not appear to be able to be reproduced with hormone replacement therapy.

Overall, the risk factors for the development of PAD are similar in men and women, those being smoking, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and diabetes. Modification of these risk factors has a significant impact on the development and progression of PAD. Unfortunately, PAD is underdiagnosed and undertreated in women for a variety of reasons—societal bias, neglect of symptoms, higher poverty rate for elderly females, and coexisting symptoms of osteoporosis or degenerative joint disease. Thus women with PAD often present to their physician with either more advanced disease or emergently, making treatment more difficult and often resulting in a greater risk of complications.

The most common manifestations of PAD are stroke (carotid artery disease), leg pains (lower extremity arterial disease) and aneurysms (swelling of arteries). If diagnosed early enough, PAD can often be treated with medications or endovascular procedures (balloon dilatation, stents, and stent grafts) thus avoiding surgery.

a s p e c i a l A d v e r t i s i ng s e c t i on

EMBARRASSED TO SHOW OFF YOUR LEGS??

Varicose veins can be more than just a cosmetic concern; you may have an undiagnosed venous disorder. With so many options now available, not everyone needs major surgery.

Vascular Surgery Associates offers a full service line of venous treatment plans. Ask Tallahassee's only Board Certified vascular surgeons to evaluate and discuss one of the following treatment plans that may be right for you:

• Sclerotherapy • Vein Laser Therapy • Ambulatory Phlebectomy • Minimally Invasive Endovenous Therapy

Free your legs...

Many insurance plans cover partial, sometimes complete venous disorder treatment plans. Consult one of our Board Certified Vascular Specialists to find out if your varicose veins might be more than a cosmetic issue.

Vascular Surgery Associates Dr's Kaelin, Hoyne, Brumberg & Massie 2631 Centennial Blvd., Suite 100 Tallahassee, FL 32308 www.vsafl.com | 850-877-8539

Robert F. Hoyne, MD, FACS, RVT Vascular Surgery Associates of Tallahassee 2631 Centennial Blvd. Suite 100 |Tallahassee, FL (850) 877-8539 | vsafl.com

t a l l a h a s s e e wo m a n

• A u g u s t /S e p te m b e r 2011 37

a s p e c i a l A d v e r t i s i ng s e c t i on

Innovative Care for Kids Capital Regional’s New Pediatric Emergency Room The team at Capital Regional Medical Center believes, when it comes to an emergency, the best story is a short story.

That’s why the hospital has long been known for boasting the shortest emergency room wait times in the area. In 2010, the hospital provided emergency care to more than 70,000 patients, 12,000 of them children, with an average wait time of 25 minutes to see a physician. Now, the facility will fill another important need— offering the most efficient, highest-quality emergency medical care just for children in its new Pediatric Emergency Room.

emergency room. When her then eight-year-old daughter, a competitive gymnast, suffered a knee injury, she took her to the emergency room at Capital Regional Medical Center.

The only facility of its kind in the Big Bend, the Capital Regional Medical Center Pediatric Emergency Room will provide excellent emergency care for children, while easing the stress often associated with a visit to a hospital. Parents will be glad to know their children are being cared for by an elite team of pediatric professionals.

Capital Regional Medical Center will also add to its capabilities with a new Pediatric Inpatient Unit to care for children that need to be admitted to the hospital.

“As any parent will tell you, the health and wellbeing of a child is of the upmost importance,” says Marie Johnson, Chief Nursing Officer at Capital Regional Medical Center. “Our pediatric team will treat injuries and illness quickly while addressing the specific needs of children to make their hospital visit less intimidating.”

The Pediatric Emergency Room at Capital Regional Medical Center is created with a child-friendly atmosphere to soothe anxiety and help children feel more comfortable. Instead of being treated alongside adults with varying injuries, the Pediatric Emergency Room is for kids only. With a child-focused, soothing atmosphere, the facility will lessen anxiety for children, and parents will be comforted knowing that their kids are being treated by the area’s best pediatric professionals.

Tallahassee mom Andra Kay Musselwhite knows the stress of rushing a child to the 38 t a l l a h a s s e e

wo m a n

• A u g u s t /S e p te m b e r 2011

“We were blown away by how quickly we saw an actual doctor. He took great care of Mary Carlton,” she explains. “I’m excited about the addition of the Pediatric Emergency Room. It gives parents an option for child-specific emergency care that we haven’t had in Tallahassee before.”

Mary Carlton Musselwhite at a gymnastics meet after receiving quality care at Capital Regional.

“At Capital Regional Medical Center, we’re dedicated to providing the highest quality care to our community,” says Bud Wethington, President and Chief Executive Officer of Capital Regional Medical Center. “The Pediatric Emergency Room and Inpatient Unit will allow us to continue to offer the best care for the Big Bend’s youngest patients in an innovative way that provides the greatest comfort for parent and child.”

A dedicated emergency room makes sense for a community like Tallahassee. With 66 percent of its population under age 44, Tallahassee is a young city, especially compared to the rest of the state of Florida.

Young families make up a large part of the demographics, with more children under age 17 than the state average.

Capital Regional Medical Center has long provided its patients with the highest quality service, state-of-the-art technology and caring doctors and nurses. The hospital filled a major need in Gadsden County last year when it opened a full-

service, state-of-the-art emergency room for the community. The Pediatric Emergency Room is another important step in ensuring the medical needs of the community are met.

Capital Regional Medical Center’s Pediatric Emergency Room and inpatient unit are scheduled to open in August, with a slate of activities including a community open house. For more information, visit CapitalRegionalMedicalCenter.com.

Capital Regional Medical Center 2626 Capital Medical Boulevard Tallahassee, Florida 32308 (850) 325-5000 CapitalRegionalMedicalCenter.com

The Top 10 Screening Tests That Women Can Do to Improve Their Health Getting the right screening tests at the right time is one of the most important things women can do for their health.

Shannon Price, MD

Breast Cancer. Early detection of breast cancer greatly improves odds for survival.

Mammograms, self-breast exams and physician breast exams are the best defenses for identifying masses early.

Cervical Cancer. Human papillomavirus (HPV) is the major risk factor for cervical cancer. Pap tests can find abnormal precancerous cells on the surface of the cervix so they can be removed before they turn into cancer.

Type 2 Diabetes. One-third of the people in the United States with diabetes don’t know they have it. It can lead to heart disease, stroke, kidney disease, blindness and nerve damage.

Osteoporosis Screening Tests. Dual Energy X-ray Absorptiometry (DEXA) scans can measure bone mineral density and detect osteoporosis before fractures occur and help predict the risk of future bone fractures.

Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV).

HIV spreads through blood and some body secretions. There is still no cure or vaccine.

However, early treatment with anti-HIV medications may help the body’s immune system fight the virus.

Skin Cancer. Early treatment of melanomas, basal cell and squamous cell skin cancers is important. A skin exam by a physician should be part of a routine cancer checkup.

High Blood Pressure (Hypertension). The risk for hypertension increases with age.

If left untreated, it can lead to severe complications without any symptoms, including an aneurysm, heart disease, stroke and kidney failure.

Cholesterol Levels. High cholesterol increases the risk of developing heart

disease as well as hardening and narrowing of the arteries. Over time it can lead to heart attack and stroke, especially for diabetics, and people who smoke.

Colorectal Cancer. Colorectal cancer ranks third for women after lung and breast cancer. A colonoscopy is a common screening test for colorectal cancer.

Glaucoma. Glaucoma is a condition that can result in blindness due to damage to the optic nerve.

For more information on women’s health visit nflwc.com.

Exciting News for Women!

CHP Commercial members are no longer required to pay a co-pay for a Well Woman Exam at North Florida Women’s Care.

www.nFlwC.com or (850) 877-7241 1401 Centerville Road, Suite 202, Tallahassee, Florida 32308

a s p e c i a l A d v e r t i s i ng s e c t i on

OBSTETRICS & GYNECOLOGY

The Care You Deserve and The Trust You Expect

t a l l a h a s s e e wo m a n

• A u g u s t /S e p te m b e r 2011 39

a s p e c i a l A d v e r t i s i ng s e c t i on

The Birds and the Fees Having “The Money Talk” with Your Children Do financial matters come close to the birds and the bees on your list of “Things I Dread Discussing with my Children”? Sure, loan interest and credit scores may not be the most enjoyable topics of conversation to introduce, but they are subjects that all youngsters need to be informed of. Kids are actually more interested in learning about these matters than you think.

Though they may have expressed blatant disinterest in most lessons you’ve tried to teach them, they are quite fond of money and they do want to know more about it.

Nevertheless, you’ve probably been putting off “the money talk.” With a few simple guidelines, you’ll be prepared to get on your way to raising a money-smart kid.

First and foremost, understand that it is YOUR responsibility to have conversations about finances with your children and the best time to start is NOW. While studies indicate that most individuals develop money habits by thirteen years of age, the practices that your kids observe and follow when they are young are extremely significant and will affect them for the rest of their lives. Based on a national survey of high school seniors, only 20% of students take personal finance class in school and only 40% report their parents teaching them about finances. The truth is kids don’t know because no one is telling them. Take the first step and opt to be an informative parent; give your kids the tools and skills they need to avoid financial distress.

But, if money is made of paper and paper comes from trees, then doesn’t money grow on trees?

Helping your kids understand the concept that income is limited can be a struggle. A common strategy for parents is an emphasis on the idea that money is earned and the association of payments with chores.

Though such an approach does help teach

40 t a l l a h a s s e e

wo m a n

• A u g u s t /S e p te m b e r 2011

“the value of a dollar” and the profit of hard work, it creates one obstacle in the lessons of money management—if kids don’t do their chores and don’t get their allowance, they won’t have any money to manage.

Consider giving your children money that is linked to chores on top of a steady base allowance. The stipend amount can be at your own discretion and your kids will benefit from such a consistent income. This method is ideal in setting your kids up to develop an organized budget. The next step is to encourage them to formulate a structured spending plan and set aside particular funds for particular expenses.

But I said, “PLEASE!” Lessons in sensible spending are probably the toughest component of financial education. First of all, it’s arduous to be an impressive role model because it’s difficult to control your own spending. Second of all, you just want to give them everything their precious little hearts desire. Be okay with saying no! Consider this—would you rather see the sad eyes of your little girl who doesn’t have the newest outfit for her Barbie or a red-faced thirty-yearold, carrying luggage, on your porch, asking to move back home while she pays off years of accrued credit card debt?

Once your kids are at an age that they can handle their own cash, let them— but help them to create and operate their own spending policies. Consider checking out separately when you go shopping. Let them make their own purchases, using their “own” funds. This will clearly demonstrate to them that expenses simply cannot exceed income.

manage their own money, they need to understand that their spending plan must always incorporate reserves that are completely separate from their expenses.

One way to initiate saving is to designate a fixed portion of allowance that will be consistently set aside. Also, in order to guide your kids towards saving, when they express interest in a purchase, encourage them to wait. As they see their savings grow, they can decide if the item is actually worth the money. This is a great lesson for them to learn at a young age; impulsive spending is an extremely common habit.

You can also help your kids consider their target purchases by listing three other things their money could be spent on.

Follow up—ask them if they really missed the little things they had to sacrifice in order to save. Also, ask them if the item they were saving for is something they’re still interested in. Don’t discourage them from spending their savings, though. They should experience the value of saving and learn to appreciate the reward.

In addition, definitely consider opening your youngsters a savings account. This is probably the simplest and quickest way for them to learn about deposits, building savings, and interest.

Florida Commerce Credit Union offers a special kid-friendly savings account for children ages newborn to 12 years old.

The Sammy Squirrel Kids Club is a great savings tool designed to encourage saving and responsible spending. Start your child on the path to financial wellness today. Talk to your youngsters now so they (and you) can benefit from their financially independent lives in the future.

Resist cravings, put it in savings.

While spending is the most challenging financial lesson to teach, saving is probably the most crucial one. As kids begin to

FloridaCommerce.org | (850) 488-0035

Reducing the Signs of Age Everyone wants to know the secret to keeping a youthful look and how to slow the signs of aging. The experienced physicians at Southeastern Plastic Surgery offer this information on how they help their patients.

“We see patients, who are seeking more invasive treatments to reverse the sun damage to the skin. Many are surprised that we are able to develop less invasive programs that can make a tremendous difference,” said Dr. Kirbo.

Ben J. Kirbo, M.D., board-certified plastic surgeon at Southeastern Plastic Surgery, said there are three important tips for achieving a youthful appearance:

He said there are a lot of options for skin care that not only aesthetically make a difference but can impact damage through routine maintenance using medical grade skin care products.

• Be very conscious of sun exposure.

• Always wear protective sun blocks.

• Begin a skin regimen early and make it a daily routine.

“A treatment program makes a dramatic difference,” says Dr. Laurence Rosenberg, board-certified plastic surgeon at Southeastern Plastic Surgery. “These in-office treatments take only about 30 minutes and are perfect for patients who want all-in-one skin rejuvenation that targets broken capillaries, sun damage, uneven textures and wrinkles. Patients see the desired results after only five to six treatments.

Dr. Kirbo created The SPA at Southeastern Plastic Surgery seven years ago as an added service for plastic surgery patients, and today, skin care services are available to everyone. The SPA offers medical grade skin care treatments in a calm and soothing atmosphere. Services include microdermabrasion, laser hair removal, wrinkle reduction, chemical peels, vein treatments, facials and treatment for adult acne. Skin care consultations are offered by a professional staff of licensed aestheticians.

To learn more about skin care programs, visit online at se-plasticsurgery.com or call (850) 219-2000.

age with confidence Ben Kirbo, M.D. and Laurence Rosenberg, M.D., selected by goldline Research as one of the Leading Plastic Surgeons in the United States, are dedicated to providing the most advanced cosmetic and reconstructive procedures available in a state-of-the-art facility with a licensed surgery suite.

~ Breast Augmentation ~ facelift ~ hair transplants

~ tummy tuck ~ Liposuction ~ nasal Reshaping

Ben J. Kirbo, M.D. ~ Laurence Z. Rosenberg, M.D. CeRtifieD By the AMeRiCAn BoARD of PLAstiC suRgeRy

850.219.2000

2030 Fleischmann Rd. ~ Tallahassee, FL

LiKe us on fACeBooK!

a s p e c i a l A d v e r t i s i ng s e c t i on

www.se-plasticsurgery.com

t a l l a h a s s e e wo m a n

• A u g u s t /S e p te m b e r 2011 41

a s p e c i a l A d v e r t i s i ng s e c t i on

The Importance of Mammograms Breast cancer, as we all know, is a silent killer. It invades and relentlessly attacks our bodies so cruelly and so often without detection. But technology has given us a powerful weapon to fight back with—the mammogram.

For women in the United States, breast cancer death rates are higher than those for any other cancer, besides lung cancer.

According to the American Cancer Society website, last year 39,840 women lost their battle with breast cancer. When you’re gambling with your life, the stakes are too high to take chances.

Since 1990, the breast cancer death rate in the United States has decreased by a hopeful thirty percent thanks in large part due to screening mammograms. Early detection increases the chance of survival, so it is important to have mammograms as often as advised by your doctor.

If you are experiencing any of these symptoms it is important to consult a physician immediately. They do not necessarily mean cancer; they could also be signs of things such as cysts or infection. Only a physician can determine what medical intervention is best.

The single greatest magnifier of a woman’s chance of getting breast cancer is her age. At age 25 the chance is 1 in 19,608, at age 50 chances are 1 in 50, and at age 60 a woman’s chances of getting breast cancer are 1 in 24. The overall lifetime risk is 1 in 8.

These odds show significant reason to take getting regular mammograms seriously. The American Cancer Society’s guidelines state that women at an average risk for breast cancer should have their first mammogram by the age of forty.

There are two types of mammograms: screening and diagnostic.

A screening mammogram is one that is done without any signs or symptoms of cancer; it takes about fifteen to thirty minutes.

A diagnostic mammogram is done after experiencing symptoms of cancer, or if a personal history of breast cancer exists. This kind of mammogram takes about thirty to forty-five minutes.

A woman should always be aware of any unusual changes in her body as these may be a sign that medical attention is needed.

According to the American Cancer Society, any of the following unusual changes in the breast can be a symptom of breast cancer: • Swelling of all or part of the breast • Skin irritation or dimpling • Breast pain • Nipple pain or the nipple turning inward • Redness, scaliness, or thickening of the nipple or breast skin • A nipple discharge other than breast milk • A lump in the underarm area

42 t a l l a h a s s e e

wo m a n

• A u g u s t /S e p te m b e r 2011

• • • • • • • •

Cosmetic surgery of the face, eyes, and nose Cosmetic and reconstructive breast surgery Endoscopic and minimal incision surgery Body contouring and lifting Power assisted liposuction Fat grafting for face and body Dr. Jeffrey M. Rawlings Botox / Juvederm Plastic Surgery of North Florida Financing available

2056 Centre Point Lane Tallahassee, Florida (850) 668-6888

(850) 668-6888 www.PlasticSurgeryNorthFlorida.com 2056 Centre Pointe Lane • Tallahassee, FL

JEFFREY M

CERTIFIED AME

&

COSMETIC RECONSTRUCTIVE SURGERY

• • • • • • • •

Cosmetic surgery of the face, eyes, and nose Cosmetic and reconstructive breast surgery Endoscopic and minimal incision surgery Body contouring and lifting Power assisted liposuction Fat grafting for face and body Botox / Juvederm Financing available

(850) 668-6888 www.PlasticSurgeryNorthFlorida.com 2056 Centre Pointe Lane • Tallahassee, FL

JEFFREY M. RAWLINGS, M.D., FACS

CERTIFIED AMERICAN BOARD OF PLASTIC SURGEONS

PA R T N E R P R A C T I C E O F P L A S T I C S U R G E R Y O F N O R T H F LO R I D A

Customized Facials, Peels & Microdermabrasion Solar Genesis for Age Spots & Sun Damage Laser Genesis Therapies: • Pore Reduction • Texture • Collagen Regeneration • Acne Scarring • Rosacea • Lines & Wrinkles

Titan Nonsurgical Skin Lifting Vein Therapy Laser Hair Removal Skin Care by Obagi Permanent Cosmetics Micro Current “Facelift” Facial Mineral Makeup by Jane Iredale Botox/Juvederm/Sculptra TM

850.224.6889 2056 Centre Pointe Lane

J E F F R E Y M . R AW L I N G S , M D. FAC S Certified American Board of Plastic Surgery & American Board of Surgery Fellowship, Advanced Aesthetic & Reconstructive Surgery: Mayo Clinic, AZ

LESLIE REINHARD Licensed Aesthetician LIC # FB9733844

l ahhaasssseeee w wo maan n t at a l ll a om

AIMEE MAYO

Licensed Aesthetician Licensed Electrologist LIC # E1180

•• A auugguusstt/S /seepptet emmb be re r2011 20114343

C O M M U N ITY | O rgan i z a t i on s

The Big Bend Bird Club It’s Not Just for the Birds

By Lindsay Shalom

D

id you ever think exotic birds would be helping out the Tallahassee community? The answer is yes—with the formation of the Tallahassee Big Bend Bird Club (BBBC), these exotic birds are helping to raise awareness and to educate the community.

The members of the BBBC are dedicated to sharing and caring for exotic birds with community outreach programs ranging from festivals and fairs to raise money for avian research, educating schoolchildren about the importance of these exotic creatures and their delicate ecosystems to providing an extensive fostering and bird adoption program.

The club helps sick and injured birds by finding capable and loving homes for them. “Just like dogs and cats, parrots unfortunately sometimes need a new home, often due to out-living their owner or neglect or poor education on the owner’s part. Many parrots live up to 100 years old, and most new parrot owners don’t do the

Inga Finch Photography Palmer of Terra Palmer Designs 44 t a l l a h a s s e e

wo m a n

• A u g u s t /S e p te m b e r 2011

research before bringing these pets home. We provide training and support to anyone who is interested in adoption,” said Alisa Hawley, public relations chair of the group.

The BBBC is very active in the Tallahassee community, from educating school children about exotic birds and the importance of their environments to providing entertainment and information for nursing homes. Members are able to share their passion for birds while creating lasting friendships and helping out the local community.

The BBBC participates in many local festivals, such as the Parrothead Phrenzy, which raises money to benefit Alzheimer’s research. Alisa was at Parrothead Phrenzy with her one-year-old macaw named Apple, helping to raise awareness and funds for a good cause. Alisa and Apple also have visited elementary schools to educate kids about exotic birds, making learning fun for the students.

As part of its community outreach, BBBC is once again gearing up for its 22nd Annual Exotic Bird Fair and Festival, which takes place on August 27-28, 2011. The event is open to everyone and encourages families and bird lovers alike to share in the beauty and fun of these exotic birds. There will be food, prizes, bird demonstrations, educational talks and face painting. The proceeds go to avian research and funding the BBBC. Interested in joining the club or just learning more about birds? The group meets every second Sunday at 2 p.m. at Dorothy B Oven Park.

For more information visit online at bigbendbirdclub.com.

Good News in the Fight Against Gynecologic Cancers for Florida Women

R

ecently, important legislation was signed into law in support of widespread access to educational materials about gynecologic cancers for women and girls in Florida.

The Kelly Smith Gynecologic and Ovarian Cancer Education and Awareness Act of 2011 ensures that the Florida Department of Health will raise the awareness of gynecologic cancers in the state with educational information. The act requires that an advocate be appointed to represent gynecologic cancers on the Florida State Cancer Council for the first time, giving a voice to those who fight these deadly diseases.

And if the name Kelly Smith sounds familiar, it should. Kelly Smith, the founder of the Ovarian Cancer Alliance of Northern Florida and the act’s namesake, calls Tallahassee home. Kelly was first diagnosed with ovarian cancer at age 17 and has endured numerous surgeries and chemotherapy treatments over the last 14 years. She has been an advocate for gynecological health ever since.

Call Richard Bevis Today for your FREE In-Home Consultation.

Invisible Fence by Lafayette Kennels

850.656.2856 lafayettekennels.invisiblefence.com

Celebrating Senior Living!

100 John Knox Road, Tallahassee, FL 32303 850-531-0404 HarborChase.com Assisted Living Facility # AL9730

An HRA Community

Tallahassee_4.875x2.25_6.13.indd 1

6/13/11 1:01 PM

Did you know?

Nearly

80%

of lung cancer patients are former or non-smokers?

Each year, lung cancer claims the lives of

2X

as many women as breast cancer.

TOGETHER WE CAN CHANGE THIS.

Kelly has devoted herself to educating young women about the symptoms of gynecologic cancers. “These diseases strike women of all ages,” said Kelly, “and only education and awareness can arm women to know the symptoms that can lead to early diagnosis. Too many women are diagnosed in late stages when the cancer has spread to other organs, leading to death in an average of less than five years.”

The symptoms of gynecologic cancers are subtle and include bloating, irregular vaginal bleeding, discomfort after eating, a feeling of fullness after eating small quantities, and pelvic or abdominal pain. Most women do not know that a pap smear will not diagnose most forms of gynecologic cancers, making the education provided by the act even more critical. For more information visit oca-nfl.org.

Mention this ad to receive a free gift with your new installed pet containment solution.

YOU’RE INVITED

This woman got lung cancer... and she never smoked.

November 1, 2011 Tallahassee, Florida

Join us by registering today at

www.shinealightonlungcancer.org or email shinealighttally@gmail.com t a l l a h a s s e e wo m a n

• A u g u s t /S e p te m b e r 2011 45

AROUNDTOWN Special Events • Speakers • Benefits • Activities

Kristen Ledlow (Miss Capital City USA 2012), Lelah Vay Kelley (Miss Tallahassee USA 2012), Beth Shankle-Anderson, Pam Ridley, and Jessica Rumbach (Miss Capital City Teen USA 2012)

Judy Nolton, Denise Schmidt

Betty Shelton, Beth Burns, Gynene Sanders

Judy Nolton, Niki Nolton

Beth Burns (Chelsea House Director), Pam Ridley, and Kristen Ledlow (Miss Capital City USA 2012)

Chelsea House Spring TEa Supporters of the Chelsea House, an agency that cares for homeless women and children, came together at Thomasville Road Baptist Church for its annual Chelsea House Spring Tea. Each table was decorated by the hostess and attendees around a chosen theme. Residents and volunteers of the Chelsea House were recgonized and honored and financial contributions were made during the event that will be used to benefit the Chelsea House residents.

46 t a l l a h a s s e e

wo m a n

• A u g u s t /S e p te m b e r 2011

t a l l a h a s s e e wo m a n

• A u g u s t /S e p te m b e r 2011  47

CALENDAR

SPECIAL Events August 13 Reading Rally by the Miracles in Me Foundation to promote literacy.

North Florida Fairgrounds 12:00 p.m.–5:00 p.m.

Free admission. For more information e-mail miraclesinme@gmail.com.

September 24 Tallahassee Food Festival Leon County Civic Center 10 a.m.-4 p.m.

Food and beverage, kids play area, farmer’s market and a tailgate area.

Lots of stage presentations. For more information visit online at tallyfoodfestival.com.

August 26th and 28th 22nd Annual Exotic Bird Fair North Florida Fairgrounds bigbendbirdclub.com September 19 Teal Magnolias Ladies Only Golf Tournament Southwood Golf Club (850) 893-1596 bigbendfl@ovarian.org October 8 Buddy Walk 2011 Hosted by Down Syndrome Association of Tallahassee 9:00 a.m.–Noon in Southwood.

For information on how you can help or donate visit online at dsatallahassee.org.

Art Exhibits August through September Curators in Action Tallahassee Museum Phipps Gallery For more information visit tallahasseemuseum.org Through September 12 17th Annual Fiber Arts Exhibition City Hall Gallery (850) 224-2500 or cocanet.org.

Through November 6 Capital City Quilt Show Florida History Museum (850) 245-6400 museumoffloridahistory.com

OF

EVENTS 48 t a l l a h a s s e e

wo m a n

• A u g u s t /S e p te m b e r 2011

August 13 – September 2 Sculptures in the Park Maclay Gardens Visitors Center (850) 487-4556

Follow us on Twitter.

Find us on Facebook.

Theatre & Dance September 28–October 2 Dralion Cirque du Soleil Tallahassee Civic Center For information call (850)222-0400 or visit tlccc.org.

Music August 4 Christabel and the Jons The Mockingbird Café (850) 222-4956 mockingbirdtallahassee.com August 5 The Scott Holt Band Bradfordville Blues Club (850) 906-0766 bradfordvilleblues.com September 23 University Symphony Orchestra FSU College of Music Ruby Diamond Concert Hall (850) 645-7949

health-related events Tuesdays and Thursdays Zumba at A Woman’s Place 1301 East Sixth Avenue 5:15 p.m.–6:15 p.m. $2 per class (850) 431-4915

August 19 TMH Healthy Living for Women Seminar Series Brown Bag Lunch N Learn“Identity Theft and PrePaid Legal Services”(Bring your lunch). For information and to register visit tmh.org/events or call (850) 431-4915 September 9 TMH Healthy Living for Women Seminar Series “Menopause and You: What is Happening and Why” Dr. David O’Bryan of North Florida Women’s Care. Cost is $5, includes lunch. To register visit tmh.org/events or call (850) 431-4915.

Visit Talwoman.com To submit an item for the calendar, please be sure to include the event title, date of the event, contact name, telephone number and e-mail or website address. Submissions are subject to approval. Send the information to info@TalWoman.com.

Other Activities August 20 Roller Derby Bout North Florida Fairgrounds Tickets $12-$14 6:00 p.m.–9:00 p.m. tallyrg.com.

August 27 Ten Thousand Villages Sixth Anniversary Celebration Champagne, cupcakes, and door prizes 1415 Timberlane Road (850) 906-9010 September 10 A Taste of Fair Trade Tailgating and Food Ideas Ten Thousand Villages 1415 Timberlane Road (850) 906-9010 September 24 Ideas for Entertaining Tables Ten Thousand Villages 1415 Timberlane Road (850) 906-9010

DiRECTED BY GUY CaRON PRESENTED BY

September 28 – OctOber 2 TallahaSSEE CiviC CENTER

cirquedusoleil.com vENUE

DRA – TALLAhASSee – ANN JRNL – AuguST 1 NO annonce : Publication : Format Fini :

Directeur artistique avec corr.

sans corr.

Demandeur avec corr.

sans corr.

029571

Date de Livraison : July 18, 2011 Date de Parution : August 1, 2011 Couleur : CMYK

029571_DRA_TALLA_Aug1 Woman Magazine 7.5” x 4.875”

Média avec corr.

sans corr.

OFFiCial SPONSORS

Alliances corpo avec corr.

sans corr.

Linéature : ??? lpi.

Safety : XXX Infographiste : Myriam Linguistique avec corr.

NO1

Date de Création

No de Matériel

18/07/2011

DRA-TALLA-029571

sans corr.

t a l l a h a s s e e wo m a n

• A u g u s t /S e p te m b e r 2011 49

w om e n t o w a t c h

Women to Watch

is a listing of women with new jobs or promotions, business openings and changes, awards and installations or women who are reaching out and making a difference in our community.

E-mail information for Women to Watch to listings@TalWoman.com.

Susan Yelton

Amy S. Lowe

Susan Yelton has accepted the post as the president of membership of the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at FSU and Marlene Hanna has been chosen as president-elect.

Amy S. Lowe, owner of the Performing Arts Center of Tallahassee, has been designated as an ABT-Certified Teacher for the American Ballet Theatre National Training Curriculum, combining high-quality artistic training with the basis of dancer health and child development.

Stephanie Brandt Cornais and Tara Posey have partnered to create the online site HealthyMamaHealthyBaby.com, a wellness blog for moms.

Stephanie Brandt Cornais & Tara Posey

LaKia C. Morrison

LaKia C. Morrison recently released a book entitled Can You Handle My Pearls.

Jasmine Clemons has been promoted to Business Development Manager of Shula’s 347 Grill.

Gloria Pugh, AMWAT Moving & Warehousing, was elected to serve a second term as president of the Earnest S. Wheaton Scholarship Foundation Inc.

Jackye Maxey was recently awarded the 2011 Frankie Drayton Thomas Leadership Award by Jasmine Clemons

Gloria Pugh

the Charmettes, Inc., as an acknowledgment of her extraordinary leadership abilities within the organization and the Tallahassee community. Currently, she is the president of the Leon County chapter, has inducted 15 members during her tenure and has held many offices within the local chapter since gaining membership.

Tammy Hamlet was selected as the recipient of the 2011 Gwendolyn Baker Rodgers Spirit

Award as a result of her hard work and dedication as chair of the chapter’s signature event— the Debutante Presentation and Ball. The event fosters the awarding of more than $10,000 in scholarships to young women to continue their education at colleges and universities nationwide.

Jackye Maxey

Tammy Hamlet

Carrie Zimmerman announced that the The Zimmerman Agency has been ranked as the number one-largest public relations firm within an advertising agency in the United States,

by O’Dwyers, the respected national industry source.

Margo Thomas has recently opened Marlynn Consulting Group, offering tax-incentive

services, including training grants and enterprise zone credit opportunities. She was involved with the verification of over 50,000 Florida jobs and recommended over $200 million in tax refunds and credits.

Carrie Zimmerman

Margo Thomas

Colleen McConnell of The Zonta Club of Tallahassee was recognized as “Zontian of the Year” in honor of her service to the organization and the Tallahassee community. Also, newly elected Zonta officers were announced for 2011-2012—President, Patty Ball Thomas; President-elect, Judy White; Vice-President, Wendy Grey; Treasurer, Kaye Kendrick; Secretary, Judy Bishop; Communications Director, Jeanna Olson; Historian, Penny Gilmer; and Parliamentarian, Glenda Conley.

Lydia Claire Brooks has recently joined Covenant Hospice as Development Manager. In her

new position, Brooks will be responsible for coordinating special events and fundraising activities for Covenant Hospice.

Colleen McConnell 50 t a l l a h a s s e e

Lydia Claire Brooks wo m a n

• A u g u s t /S e p te m b e r 2011

w om e n t o w a t c h Sonia Clark-Rosier, the director of The H.O.P.E. Center of Tallahassee, has recently relocated

the center to an independent location. The center provides adult education, mentoring, counseling, employment preparation, training seminars and budgeting/financial planning services.

Marti Springer announces the opening of Springer Acupuncture, providing contemporary oriental acupuncture and lifestyle consultations.

Sonia ClarkRosier

Marti Springer

Sandi Hall, owner of the Miracle Years Child Care Centers, has launched her nonprofit

organization’s MY Economic Development Initiative and The Miracles in Me Foundation. The Foundation is set to host the First Annual Reading Rally on August 13th at the North Florida Fairgrounds. The Reading Rally will distribute books and other school supplies in efforts promote literacy, prevent illiteracy and encourage family interaction.

Sha`Ron James has recently opened Divas & Dolls Natural Hair Studio for Girls, a hair salon for girls ages 2–16 that provides hair care services as well as character education, to enhance each girl’s inner beauty and confidence.

Sandi Hall

Sha’Ron James

Amy Campbell, Senior Vice President of Branch Administration and Human Resources for Premier

Bank, recently received the Human Resources Professional of the Year award from the The Big Bend Society for Human Resource Management. The award is presented to a human resources professional who has raised the level of performance of a human resources department in a measured way that indicates excellence.

Amy Campbell

Capital Regional Medical Group Southwood welcomes their newest colleague, Lourdes Mosley. As a licensed Prescribing Physician’s Assistant, she has over 20 years of experience in treating patients of all ages and places a great deal of emphasis on health promotion and disease prevention.

Lourdes Mosley

Tallahassee’s Premier Afterschool Dance Martial Arts Music Fine Arts Life skills

Maximize your child’s potential with fun & exciting classes!

Focus on success  Higher grades  Optimizes behavior  Stronger minds & bodies  Improves self-esteem

Superior benefits  Pickup service  Homework assistance  Fun & exciting classes  Safe environment

All classes developed by a PhD Instructional Systems Designer

S ART n ope 0 PM 0 to 7:

Register today  Space limited  Affordable weekly tuition: $97! (multichild discounts available) www.TallyARTS.com

850-878-ARTS (2787)

Esposito’s Gardens t a l l a h a s s e e wo m a n

• A u g u s t /S e p te m b e r 2011 51

w om e n w e a d m i r e

Inga Finch Photography

The Women of the Buddy Walk

By Amanda Mayor

F

riendship sometimes stems from unexpected, unlikely places. But for Alison Faris, Angi Falzoi and Danielle Tharpe, their roots could not have landed in more prosperous soil. They are mothers of children with Down syndrome by chance, but have become close friends with a very specific purpose.

When Down syndrome first entered Alison’s life four years ago it was anchored to the chromosomes of her daughter, Emma. When it came to facing the challenges that would surely lie in raising a child with Down syndrome, Alison received encouragement from those

52 t a l l a h a s s e e

wo m a n

• A u g u s t /S e p te m b e r 2011

around her. “Even I said that I could do it, but it wasn’t until I spent time with these ladies and their beautiful children that I actually believed it,” she says.

“They inspire me without even trying.”

The three have been brought together through an organization called DSAT, which stands for the Down Syndrome Association of Tallahassee. Each year DSAT puts on an event called the Buddy Walk to raise awareness as well as to celebrate those with Down syndrome.

“I’ve grown especially close to Angi and Danielle throughout the event planning process. Today, I have a more open heart

and a broader mind,” Alison says fondly.

Down syndrome is a genetic condition that occurs when someone is born with 47 chromosomes instead of the usual 46.

The extra chromosome causes problems and obstacles for the development and growth of the brain and body.

Angi Falzoi was no stranger to the effects of Down syndrome when her daughter, Kelsey, came into her life.

As an occupational therapist, she had already worked with adults and children with the condition. “However,” she says, “I can honestly say it means nothing like when you have your own child

with Down syndrome. Everything you thought you knew goes out the window because now it is personal.”

Angi credits the common goal of developing DSAT’s ability to reach and support as many families as possible in conjunction with their constant communication in the process of doing so, as the place where the roots of her bond with Alison and Danielle really took hold. “As DSAT has grown so has our friendship,” she says.

We all know the huge difference that can be made when good friends are placed in our lives. They often give us the mind-set and ambition to get through things that otherwise might make us crumble and fall.

“At times I feel like divine intervention gave me Alison and Danielle because someone knew I needed them for strength, balance and perspective,” Angi explains.

“Thankfully, I get all that—and more.”

Danielle is also able to see her son’s diagnosis with Down syndrome as a

“The comfort level we have with each other is irreplaceable. I cannot think of anything we cannot talk about.” positive catalyst to her friendship with Angi and Alison. It is not surprising that something so personal as their children and their health could sprout a connection, but what is truly remarkable is how deep the roots of their friendship have genuinely grown. “Without Down syndrome our paths may have crossed, but I do not think we would have ever become close friends,” she says. “The comfort level we have with each other is irreplaceable. I cannot think of anything we cannot talk about.”

Angi, unsurprisingly, shares a very similar view. “I can not imagine this path without Alison and Danielle,” she says. “Their friendship is so important

because they can truly understand the challenges we face in a way that typical friends cannot. They give me normalcy in situations that are not typical.”

Women like Alison, Angi and Danielle, who can take something seemingly detrimental and turn it into something positive, healing and helpful are truly inspirational. “Our work together has become less work and more passion,” Danielle says of the three’s involvement with the DSAT. Without a doubt the Buddy Walk, DSAT and these three buddies’ walking through life together has forever touched hundreds of hearts and changed the lives of those affected by Down syndrome in our community. We might all do well to remember that, as these friends and their organization encourage, “We are all more alike than we are different.”

For more information on DSAT and the Buddy Walk, which is scheduled to take place on October 8, 2011, visit their website at DSATallahassee.org.

Children’s Books by Carol Hair Moore V E R I TA S M U S I C Training People to B ecome Successful Musicians

Marvin the Magnificent Nubian Goat Busy Bumble Bee Rides the Waves

Delight the young child in your life with these amazing books written by author Carol Hair Moore and beautifully illustrated

by Michael Harrell.

Order on amazon.com or cypresspublications.com Visit Carol on facebook at Carol Hair Moore Children’s Books Available in Local Stores & Museums Baden Baden Cards and Gifts • Barnsley Gardens Resort Gift Shop • Bedfellows Gifts and Fine Linens • Books Plus Bookstore • Bradley’s Country Store • Coffee Interiors at Cargo Unlimited • Coton Colors • Cummer Museum of Fine Art and Gardens • Downtown Bookstore • Eastern National Bookstore • Florida Museum of History Gift Shop • Gadsden Art Center • Goodwood Museum And Gardens • The Grady Market • Gulf Speciman Lab • Iris Anne’s • Lemoyne Art Foundation • Loli and the Bean • My Favorite Things • Purple Martin Nursery • St. Johns Bookstore • St. Peters Bookstore • Sweet Grass Dairy • Tallahassee Museum • Tallahassee Nurseries • Yasmania

www.iwishyouicecreamandcake.com

Guitar - Piano - Drums Located in the Circle K Shopping Center K illar ney Way

(850) 321 2910 t a l l a h a s s e e wo m a n

• A u g u s t /S e p te m b e r 2011 53

F u nn y G i r l

When Boys Start Liking Girls

By Cheryl O’Donovan

I

n junior high, my now teenage son resembled something vaguely Paleolithic.

Although I threatened to revoke privileges such as computer games, television and Monty Python reruns, he would not put a comb through his hair unless reminded.

After he turned 13, I no longer had to worry. He embraced the wonders of hygiene: he started liking girls. My husband coaches him and lives vicariously through our son, revisiting his youth— without the Meatloaf and Boston albums.

I pray my son will show good judgment when it comes to dating. One day, he told me he thought Kate Middleton was attractive. I twirled around the kitchen with triumph. See? I gloated. Take that, silicon-injected Hollywood. My son prefers the classy Kate over Kim Kardashian.

But then my delusion became the anvil clunking Wile E. Coyote’s foot.

“No, Mom, Kim is hot, too.”

Kids don’t say, “Golly, gee, what a nice looking girl.” No. Everyone is “hot.” Makes me wish he could timetravel to an innocent 1950s sock hop.

54 t a l l a h a s s e e

wo m a n

• A u g u s t /S e p te m b e r 2011

I dread potential exposure to stuff on the Internet. Why can’t my son find a nice girl like Dora the Explorer?

Meanwhile, my twelve-year-old is a bit of a rogue. My friends tease he will be a “chick magnet.” Having come from a royal lineage of geeks, myself included, I remained skeptical.

My youngest looked puzzled. “Julie?”

My voice verged on a squeak. “The girl who called last night.”

“Mom. That was Julius. You thought a girl called me? Ewww.”

Then “Julie” called.

My youngest took the phone from my hand, Xbox headset still on his ears, as nonchalant as James Bond sitting across from a blonde at the baccarat table.

Julie. Calling my twelve-year-old.

My husband high-fived our oldest. I clutched my throat. Acid churned in my stomach. This girl could arrive on my front porch toting a Chihuahua.

But I stayed quiet… well, until the next morning, as I dropped him off at school.

“So, ahem,” I strove to be a cool parent even though the Neurotic Parent Alliance voted me most likely to hover, three years in a row. “Is Julie in your class?”

Coming up in the next issue of Tallahassee Woman Theatre, dance, art, museums and more Dining in, dining out PLus: Fall Fashion trends & Breast cancer awareness

Shorter wait times, so she can get back on

The Stage.

The new Pediatric Emergency Room at Capital Regional is a child-friendly atmosphere intended to soothe anxiety and help children feel more comfortable. Instead of being treated alongside adults with varying injuries, the Pediatric Emergency Room is for kids only. And parents can be comforted knowing that their kids will be treated quickly by the area’s best boardcertified pediatric professionals.

The best ER stories are short stories.

Ours are the shortest.

Opening August 2011 CapitalRegionalMedicalCenter.com 850-325-5000 t a l l a h a s s e e wo m a n

• A u g u s t /S e p te m b e r 2011 55

It’s Never too Early to Teach the Value of Good Savings Habits!

The Sammy Squirrel Kids’ Club is designed to educate children under the age of 12 about the value of saving and responsible spending. It’s also a way to familiarize them with how to make deposits, withdrawals, and other transactions.

Research shows that this experience is important to reduce the risk of financial stress later in life.

The program rewards kids with “Acoins” for depositing money in their savings account, making good grades, and building up their account balance over time.

Visit FloridaCommerce.org for more information!

BLAIRSTONE | BRADFORDVILLE | CAPITAL | THOMASVILLE | MAHAN | WESTSIDE | MARIANNA 56 t a l l a h a s s e e

wo m a n

• A u g u s t /S e p te m b e r 2011