gifts
Something surprising Skip the shirts and ties and explore gifting alternatives
A ball point pen made from a .50 caliber bullet is seen on display at Native American Gallery, 795 East Clayton St., in downtown Athens. John Roark/Athens Magazine
By Wayne Ford Natalya Haas reached into the glass cabinet in Native American Gallery in downtown Athens and pulled out a piece of jewelry with embedded ivory that came from the tusk of a marine mammal. “No walrus was killed to make this,� Haas emphasized. The ivory came from a piece of fossilized walrus ivory that could be hundreds or a thousand years old. But unique or unusual gifts such as this are something many folks are looking for at Christmas to surprise that special person who may have all the shirts and aprons they need. And unusual gifts can
14 ATHENS MAGAZINE | Winter 2016
be found locally in many shops in downtown and shopping centers surrounding Athens. They are out there. The shopper just needs to explore. While the ivory jewelry is suited for a woman, Haas had other male oriented selections like a knife with a handle shaped like a gun or a knife advertised as tool for cutting a seat belt or breaking out a vehicle window. A gift like this would be great for people interested in disaster preparedness. Downtown Athens was once lined with Chinese ginkgo trees that brightened the town with a flash of yellow leaves in early fall. Today most have been cut down.
art
Oil (paint) and
Water
Artists participated in “Fire Up the Hydrants,” which features 20 painted fire hydrants located throughout downtown Athens. Here’s a quick tour of the Classic City art project. Photos by John Roark
Spontaneous Monsterfication Dan Smith Clayton at College
18 ATHENS MAGAZINE | Winter 2016
Love Force Lily Swindle
East Broad at Thomas
Xeriscaping Emily Bilcik with Brittni Viskochil
Fire Station David Lunde
Georgia on My Mind Ashley Crain
East Broad at Jackson
Clayton at Thomas
Washington at College
Whimsical Water Tonya Allen
Streaming Jill Lenoci
Sea Dawg Megan Reeves
Washington at Jackson
Washington at Thomas
Hancock at College
Winter 2016 | ATHENS MAGAZINE 19
A Course Through Unprotected Waters
Water Creatures of Georgia Katie Yost
Athens in Sunflowers Jamie Calkin
Unidentified Flying Object Lilli Sams
Flores de Brasilia Sofy Bertioli
Sarah Cook Toad Stool
Marc Beechuk Clayton at Pulaski
East Broad at College
20 ATHENS MAGAZINE | Winter 2016
Washington at Pulaski
Broad at Hull
East Broad at Lumpkin
West Broad at Pulaski
The Prydant Christopher Charette Clayton at Hull
Athens Rocks! Sheridan Soileau
Clayton at Lumpkin
Water is a “Bear” Necessity Will Eskridge
Cee Blue Jennifer Zwirn
Ellen Walker Ocean Life
Rainbow Sky Maggie Baxter
Hancock at Lumpkin
Hancock at Pulaski
Washington at Lumpkin
Hancock at Thomas
Winter 2016 | ATHENS MAGAZINE 21
giving back
‘Heartfelt care’ Matt Thomas believes helping the community is an obligation By Joe Johnson Having derived success from doing business in the Athens community, Matt Thomas believes he is obligated to give back to the community, especially around holiday time. “Any business that is supported by the community should be compelled to reinvest in the community,” Thomas said. “I’m not talking about government taxing and redistributing, I’m talking about genuine heartfelt care for other people. At the core, most people care about the human condition. Around the holidays particularly, people respond to opportunities to contribute monetarily and volunteer time.” Thomas, 38, was raised in a home where his family had everything they needed and most of what they wanted. “I was never exposed to neglect, abuse, hunger, etc., so there was a certain shock factor when I got into the real world and realized that such conditions do exist, particularly that they exist in my own community,” he said. Thomas is a 2000 University of Georgia graduate who began his career in Atlanta but really made his mark in the real estate industry in Athens, where in 2004 was named Athens’ Best Realtor by the Athens Banner-Herald. That year he was in the top 10 percent of Coldwell Banker agents worldwide and in the next two consecutive years was in the top 3 percent. “The college and early professional years of my life is Matt Thomas, co-owner of Atlas Real Estate Advisors and Rent Athens, poses for a photo in the Georgian downtown Athens. John Roark/Athens Magazine
22 ATHENS MAGAZINE | Winter 2016
giving back
Empty stocking fund Helping others in need pay the bills during the holiday season By Hilary Butschek The Empty Stocking Fund is a labor of love for the Athens Banner-Herald’s Windy Harrell. Harrell has organized the charitable fund for more than 25 years. Last year, the Empty Stocking Fund rea ched $50,000, and that money was given to people in need. “We receive referrals from organizations for people needing money for a bill or rent,” Harrell said. Nonprofits and organizations, such as Action Ministries, Division of Family and Children Services and The Ark, send in referrals for people in need of money. Then, Harrell contacts as many as she can. Her abilities to help people in Athens is dependent on how much money is donated to the fund. The drive to fill the Empty Stocking Fund begins each Thanksgiving
24 ATHENS MAGAZINE | Winter 2016
and lasts until the end of the year. Then, the money is distrubuted to vendors on behalf of those in need, Harrell said. The money is meant to help out when local agencies can’t cover some costs. Over the years, the amount of money coming in increases every year. “I can remember in the beginning we were only getting about $10,000,” Harrell said. The first few years Harrell said she lost sleep thinking about all the people in need whose stories she had heard. She hoped there would be enough money to help all of them, she said. “Over the years I’ve been really happy with everything we are able to do. I think we make a difference,” Harrell said. For more information or to donate, visit onlineathens. com/emptystocking.
30 ATHENS MAGAZINE | Winter 2016
Love
is in the details
By Lee Shearer
There are all kinds of ways to create the perfect Christmas decorations and accents for your home, limited only by imagination — one of the several reasons, by the way, to get children involved when you deck the halls.
Andrea GriffithGirtz, Kelly Girtz and their son Noah in their Athens home, which is elegantly decorated each year to celebrate the holidays. Photos by Blane Marable
Andrea Griffith-Girtz pays careful attention to color and balance as she ornaments the tree and adds other touches in the Athens home she shares with husband Kelly Girtz and son Noah, 4. “Some years I don’t use a lot of red, but just use gold and silver. I change it up every year,” said Griffith-Girtz, who learned from her mother, a professional decorator. “Some years I go glamorous and glittery; last year I wanted to do something with a more cottage feel.” You can see her mother’s influence even in the way Christmas presents are wrapped — elegant in their simplicity and precision, always with a small added touch such as a sprig of greenery or ornament. “My mom always said the love is in the details,” said Griffith-Girtz. “I just sort of grew up this way. It just feels natural this way.” She also learned tips such as using big ornaments to fill in the gaps you find in your tree. She also likes to use mirrors, such as the one beneath the centerpiece on her dining room table; the mirror catches and amplifies the reflections when she lights candles, or can catch the glow of small electric lights woven into a mantel decoration of cedar branches or coursed around the tree. A few simple elements are all it takes to create a such a centerpiece or other accents — here, the trimmed small limbs of a cedar tree arranged in a square basket, with pieces of fruit adding color accents.
Winter 2016 | ATHENS MAGAZINE 31
Barbara ‘Lady B’ Sims reacts during a celebration of The Rev. Archibald Killian’s life at Ebenezer Baptist Church West in Athens. John Roark/Athens Magazine
Winter 2016 | ATHENS MAGAZINE 35
design
Decorating is
Ornamental
Above: Felt is a friendly medium. With sharp sewing scissors, trace patterns from stencils or even cookie cutters. With some supervision and Elmer’s glue, have the family’s children glue together a family mural that could be added to year by year, or use a more permanent industrial grade glue. Or make picture frames of your own, though this one is commercially available at Michael’s. Include a meaningful family picture where the cute puppy face is pictured, or paint stencils or rubber stamp heavy paper in order to further personalize a homespun theme.
38 ATHENS MAGAZINE | Winter 2016
Top: From glass spheres to clay, humble burlap and cosy felt, these inspirations will take you through the beginning to end of the winter holiday season and may even create family traditions. For inspiration, you may think of the work of local Athens artists such as Bendzunas family glass or Loretta Eby, both available at Aurum Studios. Pictured here are hand-blown glass ornaments by Loretta Eby. And then make your own spin on the festive tradition. Far left: Folded burlap glued along a core could be created to stand alone, converted to place card holders as toppers. And burlap ribbon is multiseason, so crafting them prior to or after Thanksgiving day feast could make a new family tradition that would fit with harvest or winter theme. At left: From mud pie, featured in many gift stores including Treehouse of Athens, there’s also much inspiration to be found. These wine corks with bells, on cards stamped with gold, bring to mind jingle. Wine corks can be dressed for the season or converted to clever ornaments.
Winter 2016 | ATHENS MAGAZINE 39
Winter 2016 | ATHENS MAGAZINE 43