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Holiday gift guide; profile of event planner Ashley Ryals; profile of artist Guadalupe Robinson; Encourage Huntsville; profile of Chef Will; the perfect holiday dinner
Citation preview
HOMEGROWN HUNTSVILLE | ENCOURAGING ENDEAVORS | HOLIDAY GIFTS | CHEF WILL
noalastudioscom
NOVEMBERDECEMBER $495
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Holiday Luncheons | Catering | Shopping + Holiday Gifts
Monday ndash Wednesday 10am ndash 5pm Thursday + Friday 10am ndash 7pm Saturday 10am ndash 4pmWeekday Lunch 11am ndash 2pm Saturday Brunch 10am ndash 2pm
462 Lane Drive Florence AL 35630 middot 2567601090 middot wwwalabamachanincom
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember 2030 Cecil Ashburne Drive | Huntsville Alabama
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
featuring
the magic of
comes to life
Nov 20 2015 - Jan 2 2016 bull More than 2 million lights and 9 acres of stunning deacutecor
bull ICE featuring The Nutcracker - 2 million pounds of colorful
hand-carved ice sculptures and slides
bull NEW - Dr Seussrsquo How the Grinch Stole Christmas The Musical
bull NEW - Larry Gatlin amp The Gatlin Brothers Christmas Dinner Show
bull NEW - The Elf on the Shelfreg Scavenger Hunt
bull Gingerbread Decorating Corner sponsored by PEEPSreg
bull Carriage rides snow tubing outdoor ice skating and more
ChristmasAtGaylordOprylandcom | (888) 677-9872
ICE PRESENTED BY
The Holiday Tradition
NASHVILLE TN
Pepsi and Pepsi Globe are registered trademarks of PepsiCo Inc TM amp copy 1957 2015 Dr Seuss Enterprises LP The Elf on the Shelfreg and copy 2015 CCA and B LLC All Rights Reserved PEEPS reg trademark Just Born Inc copy 2015 All rights reserved
6 raquo NovemberDecember
80
features
Huntsvillersquos HomegrownHostess
For hometown herald Ashley Ryals trumpeting Huntsville hot spots is an entrepreneurial labor of love
by sara wright covingtonphotos by olivia reedand jeff white
Photo by Olivia Reed
22Th e Perfect Holiday
Dinner
Area foodies make entertaining easyby roy hall
photos by olivia reed
70Encouraging Endeavors
Encourage Huntsvillersquos maker-teachers generously share their talent and inspiration with the community
by sara wright covingtonphotos by jacki gil patrick hood erin lindsey and michelle odom
60Of Deft and Dirty Hands
Turning life into art the pottery of Guadalupe Robinson
by jennifer crossley howardphotos by patrick hood
16Will Power
Chef Will spreads the good news of healthy tasty food one skillet at a time
by sarah gaedephotos by patrick hood
hley ville eurial
on EnEn
EncHumagentheinspthe
by scovphojachoo
28shoptilyuledrop
And shop local
produced byaissa castillo and
lauren mccaulphotos by
lauren tomasella carney
7 raquo editorrsquos letter laquo Allen Tomlinson
norsquoala huntsvilleadvisory board
Osie Adelfang
ARC Design-Build Inc
Lynne Berry
HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology
Sarah Brewer
Click Photo Designs by Sarah Brewer
Kimberly Casey
Lowe Mill Arts amp Entertainment
Donna Castellano
Historic Huntsville Foundation
Aissa Castillo
aislerchiccom
Dan Halcomb
Huntsville Symphony Orchestra
Lauren McCaul
deptofagraculturecom
Guy McClure Jr
Athens State University
Tom Patterson
knowhuntsvillecom
Dr Holly Powe
Calhoun Community College
Olivia Reed
Olivia Reed Photography
Patrick Robbins
Huntsville Hospital
Lauren Tomasella Carney
Lauren Tomasella Photography
Ashley Vaughn
White Rabbit StudiosVertical House Records
Charles Vaughn
Vaughn Lumber Company
Andrew Wilmon
Broadway Theatre League
Shop rsquoTil Yule Drop
Wait what Itrsquos that time already If yoursquore like
us the fact that the holidays are almost upon us seems
almost unbelievable Where has this year gone We need
more timemdashwersquore not ready yet
But ready or not here they come So to help you fi nd
gifts for all of the people on your holiday list wersquove com-
piled our annual Shop lsquoTil Yule Drop Buying Guide Our
secret shoppers went all over the Valley fi nding the most
wonderful unique and appealing gifts for every person
on the list and wersquove neatly organized them so you can easily fi nd just what yoursquore
looking for One thing it reminded us is how great the shopping is here in this part
of the worldmdashwe honestly canrsquot think of a single thing we would need to go online
to get Another thing we learned Th erersquos no way we can put all of the neat things
from around here in one magazinemdashyoursquoll just have to go shopping for yourself
Have fun
Th is time of year isnrsquot just about shopping and celebration of course unless you are
celebrating local talent Check out our profi le of Chef Will well known to the visi-
tors to Lowe Mill and Green Street Market and Guadalupe Robinson a talented
ceramics artist Wersquove put together some sample meals from area chefs and wersquoll
introduce you to Homegrown Huntsville Itrsquos all enough to make your mouth water
As hectic as this time of year can be remember to take some time to relax and enjoy
it Th is is truly a special season full of family and friends food and gifts camarade-
rie and reverence Sometimes the most memorable events are small not elaborate
sometimes the best gifts are the thoughtful ones not the most expensive Be safe
stay warm and enjoymdashand remember to Shop the Valley yrsquoall Merry Christmas
8 raquo contents
NOVEMBERDECEMBER 2015
Volume 4 Issue 6
bull bull bull
Editor-in-Chief C Allen Tomlinson
Chief Operating Offi cer Matthew Liles
Creative Director David Sims
Advertising Directors Heidi King and Jamie Noles
Advertising Sales Kevin McDonald
Features Manager Roy Hall
Graphic Designer Rowan Finnegan
Web Designer Justin Hall
Editorial Assistant Tara Bullington
Proofreader Carole Maynard
Distribution Johnson Trent
bull bull bull
Contributing Writers
Amy C Collins Sara Wright Covington
Sarah Gaede Roy Hall Jennifer Crossley Howard
Guy McClure Jr Allen Tomlinson
bull bull bull
Contributing Photographers
Jacki Gil Patrick Hood Erin Lindsey
Danny Mitchell Michelle Odom
Olivia Reed Lauren Tomasella Carney
Jeff White
bull bull bull
NorsquoAla Huntsville is published six times annuallyby NorsquoAla Studios
PO Box 2530 Florence AL 35630 Phone (800) 779-4222 | Fax (256) 766-4106
Web noalastudioscom
Standard postage paid at Huntsville ALA one-year subscription is $1995for delivery in the United States
Signed articles refl ect only the views of the authors and do not necessarily refl ect the views of the editors
Advertisers are solely responsible forthe content of their advertisements
copy 2008-2015 NorsquoAla Studios All rights reserved
Send all correspondence toAllen Tomlinson Editor at the postal address above
or by e-mail to allennoalastudioscomLetters may be edited for space and style
To advertise contact us at(256) 766-4222 or salesnoalastudioscom
The editor will provide writerrsquos guidelines upon requestProspective authors should not submit unsolicited
manuscripts please query the editor fi rst
NorsquoAla Huntsville is printed with vegetable-based inksPlease recycle
Connect with us on Facebook NorsquoAla HuntsvilleTwitter NoAla_Magazine and Pinterest NoAlaStudios
everything else
6010 Calendar Selected Events for NovemberDecember 2015
12 Cryinrsquo Out Loud ldquoHomerdquo
by sara wright covington
90 Bless Th eir HeartsldquoTh e Comforts of Blossomwoodrdquo by guy mcclure jr
92 Th e Vine ldquoBordeaux Powerrdquo by amy c collins
94 Parting Shot by patrick hood
copy Patrick Hood
On the cover Liliana Castillo
Maddox Acker Ilan Castillo
Rowan Jackson and Liam Acker
get into the holiday spirit
(1) Light of Mine Pullover ($25)(2) Free Range Baseball Tee ($23)(3) Young Buck Baseball Tee ($23)(4) Hey Yrsquoall Tee ($20)(5) Hey Yrsquoall Pullover ($25)Tiny Vinestinyvinesshopcom
Photo by Lauren Tomasella Carney
Guadalupe Robinson Turning life into art
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Friday November 13
Lights Up Holiday Tree Lighting
Bridge Street Town Centre lights up like a winter wonderland to welcome Santa with school choirs local musicians
and strolling Victorian carolers culminating in a spectacular fi reworks display 700pm Free Bridge Street Town Centre
bridgestreethuntsvillecom
Sunday November 15
Beethoven Conversations
Select Beethoven piano solos and Quintet op 16 B-fl at major featuring guest artist pianist Kirill Gerstein 330pm Admission
charged Roberts Hall UAH (256) 539-4818 hsoorg
Friday November 20 ndash Sunday November 22
Bullets Over Broadway
A young playwright in desperate need of fi nancial backing for his next show accepts an off er he canrsquot refuse from a mobster
looking to please his showgirl girlfriend Donrsquot miss what the New Yorker exclaims as ldquoa Fun Machine from Start to Finishrdquo Fri
200pm Sat 200 and 800pm Sun 200pm and 730pm Admission charged Von Braun Center 700 Monroe St (256) 518-6155
broadwaytheatreleagueorg
Sunday November 22
A Vignette from Th e Nutcracker
Enjoy a vignette from the Huntsville Ballet Companyrsquos 47th annual production of Th e Nutcracker set in antebellum Huntsville
with a nod to local legends and traditions and accompanied by Tchaikovskyrsquos delightful score 200pm Free fee for museum
exhibitions Huntsville Museum of Art 300 Church St (256) 535-4350 hsvmuseumorg
Tuesday December 1 ndash Wednesday December 23
Santarsquos Village
All ages will delight in visiting the Clausrsquo house meeting Santarsquos reindeer the North Pole elves and Santa Snow shows craft
projects and musical entertainment all add to the fun at the Village Santa Calls Home 500pm-900pm Admission charged
Alabama Constitution Village 109 Gates Ave earlyworkscom
Wednesday December 2
Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony Every Light a Prayer for Peace
Th is yearrsquos program includes local dignitaries elementary-age students clergy and Federated Garden Club members who will
light the Botanical Gardenrsquos Christmas Tree 930am Free Huntsville Botanical Garden 4747 Bob Wallace Ave (256) 830-444
hsvbgorg
Friday December 4
Peace on Earth A Holiday Music Extravaganza
Th e Symphonic Chorus Childrenrsquos Chorale and Youth Chorale join the UAH Music Department the Huntsville Symphony
Orchestra and Huntsville Ballet for this seasonal performance 730pm Admission charged Von Braun Concert Hall 700
Monroe St (256) 533-6606 thechorusorg
10 raquo calendar
g g
y December 4
on Earth A Holiday Music Extravaganza
e Symphonic Chorus Childrenrsquos Chorale and Youth Chorale join the UAH Music Departmennnnnnennnnnnnnnnnne ttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttt ttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttheeeeeheeeheheheeeeehehehehehhhheeheeheheheheheeehehehehhhhhhhhhhehehehehehehehhehhheheheehehhhehehhheheheehehheheheheheheehhhehehhehhhhhhhehhehhheh HHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHununununununununununununununununnununuununununununununuunununununuunununnnnnunnunuu tstststststststststststststststststststststststststststststststststtststssststssstststss iviviviviviviviiviviviviviviviviviviviviviviviviviviviviviivvivivivivivivivivivivivivvivivivivvivviivv lllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllleeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee SySySySySySySySySySySySyySySySySySySySySySyySySyySySySySySySySySySySySySySySySySySyySySySySyySySySySySSSySySySySySyympmpmpmpmpmpmpmpmmpmpmpmpmpmpmpmpmpmpmpmmpmpmpmpmmpmmpmpmpmpmpmpmpmpmppppmpmpmppmpmppmpmpmppmphohohohohhohohohhohohohhohohohohohhohohohohohhhhhohohohhohohhohohohhohohohohohohohohohhohoohhohonynynnynynynynynynynynynynynynynynynynynynynnynynynynynynynynynynynynynynynnynyyynynyynnnnnynyyy
chestra and Huntsville Ballet for this seasonal performance 730pm Admission nnnnn n chchhchhhchchhhhhhhhhhchhchhhhhhhchchhhchchhhchhhhchhchchhchchchhhhhhhhchcccccchhhhchchcccccccchhchchcccccchchcccccccchccccccharrrrrrrarrrrarrarrarrrrrrrrrraraaarrrrrarararararraaaaaarrrarararaaaaaaararrraraaaaaaaaaaararararaaaaaaaaararaaararaaaarrarrrggggggggggegegegeegegegegegegegeggggggegegegegegegegeggeeeggegegeggegegeegegggggggegg dddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddd VVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVonononnonononononononononononononnnoonoonono BBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBrararararararrararrrarararararaaarararararaaunununununununununnunununununununuununuuuunununnuu CCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCConononononononononononnnononononononoonoooononoooononononnonncecececececececececececececeececececececececececeeceeeeccceeertrtrtrtrtrtrtrtrtrtrtrrtrtrtrtrtrtrtrtrtrtrtrtrtrtrtrtrttrtrtrtrtrtrtrtrttrt HHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHallalalalalalalaalalalllllalalalalalalalalllalalalalalalalalalaalalalalaallalalalalalllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll 777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000
onroe St (256) 533-6606 thechorusorg
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Friday December 4 ndash Saturday December 5
Kris Kringlersquos Candlelight Christmas
Two spectacular evenings of cozy fi res holiday music fi ggy pudding homemade cookies kids crafts designer deacutecor and much
more Itrsquos holiday fun for the whole family with the most magical view in town 430pm-900pm Admission charged Burritt on
the Mountain 3101 Burritt Dr (256) 536-2882 burrittonthemountaincom
Friday December 4 ndash Sunday December 6
A Christmas Carol
Travel with Scrooge as he visits his past present and future on Christmas Eve in this musical retelling of Charles Dickensrsquo
classic novel Fri and Sat 700pm and Sun 200pm Admission charged Von Braun Playhouse 700 Monroe St (256) 539-6829
fantasyplayhousecom
Friday December 4 ndash Sunday December 6
Th e Nutcracker A Yuletide Ballet
Alabama Youth Ballet Th eatre opens its 10th season to holiday audiences with this beloved Christmas ballet Fri 700pm
Sat 200pm and 730pm Sun 200pm Admission charged Lee HS Auditorium 2500 Meridian St (256) 881-5930
alabamayouthballetorg
Saturday December 12
Madison Christmas Parade
Music fl oats and fun for the whole family Afterwards gather for an old-fashioned celebration on the Village Green Listen
to carolers and instrumental music around the Roundhouse and sip hot chocolate at the Gazebo 530pm Free Downtown
Madison (256) 772-9300 cimadisonalus
Saturday December 12
Mooresville Holiday Home Tour and Progressive Dinner
Th e 50 residents of historic Mooresville incorporated in 1818 invite you to celebrate the season with a tour of the 1839 Brick
Church 1820 Stagecoach Tavern 1840 Post Offi ce and fi ve private homes all decorated in the tradition of Christmas past
Homes open and shopping available from 200pm to 600pm Dinner seating at 330pm to 430pm and at 500pm to 600 pm in
town square Reservations required $70 Mooresville (256) 355-2683 mooresvillealcom
Saturday December 12
Spirit of Christmas Past Homes Tour and Luminaries
Tour fi ve private residences on Randolph Street the Weeden House Museum on Gates Avenue and other historic buildings
ornately decorated for the holidays 500pm-900pm Admission charged Twickenham Historic District (256) 536-7718
twickenhamhomestourcom
Th ursday December 17
Huntsville Christmas Parade
Welcome Santa Claus to Huntsville as he ushers in the Christmas season at the annual Christmas parade Enjoy the excitement
and music with many entries and bands from across North Alabama 600pm Free Downtown Huntsville (256) 885-9797
Saturday December 19
Holiday Artists Market
Americarsquos largest private artist complex invites the public to its annual Holiday Artists Market 1100am-600pm Free Flying
Monkey Arts Th eater Lowe Mill 2211 Seminole Dr (256) 489-7000 fl yingmonkeyartsorg
Saturday December 31
Huntsville Symphony Orchestra presents ldquoWhat A Wonderful Worldrdquo - a tribute to Louis Armstrong
Bring in the New Year with the Byron Stripling Quartet and the music of Louis Armstrong a presentation of the HSO 730
pm Mark C Smith Concert Hall VBC call (256) 539-4818 for tickets or visit wwwhsoorg
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
pm Mark C Smith Concert Hall VBC call (256) 539-4818 for tickets or visit wwwhsoorg
12 raquo cryinrsquo out loud raquo Sara Wright Covington
HOME
So we carry our boxes and baggage from place to place carving out a new niche for them wherever we fi nd ourselves And I fi nd that long after I have left a place that place has not left me
According to a government survey conducted in the average person moves around 11
times in a lifetime My husband never one to conform to the norm had moved nine times by the time
he was 18 He just like his father and his fatherrsquos father is a builder and thatrsquos just what builders do
Th ey build and they move and then they build and they move again I knew when I married him that
he would follow in those family footsteps and that I was signing up for a lifetime of constant moving
Frequent moves do seem to be much more of the norm where we live in Huntsville a super transient
place full of military and government men and women who are accustomed to shifting their families
from spot to spot But having only lived in two houses by the time I was 18 it was still hard for me
to imagine packing my entire life into boxes every couple of
years Now on our third move together Irsquove started taking
inventory of my things each time I prepare to repack them
into boxes and Irsquove defi nitely begun to see a trendmdashmost
everything I own has been in my life for a very long time Irsquove
carried my grandmotherrsquos hat boxes full of fur and feath-
ered millinery from place to place with me since I was 22 I
still have the antique four poster bed I slept in as a
child My many bookshelves are fi lled with every
book I have likely ever ownedmdashfrom the Norton
Anthology of English Literature to Frommerrsquos Las
Vegas guide book Th ere are even a few items of
clothing in my closet that are 20 or more years old
including a rain jacket monogrammed with my high
school letters and a sequined tube top I think I wore
at some point during college although I hope that
Irsquom wrong
It has been scientifi cally proven that most people
fear change as the outcome of that change is of-
ten unknown With each and every move that we
make it has become increasingly evident that I am
no diff erent We fi nd faith in the familiar which for
me seems to include everything from my footwear
to my friends So we carry our boxes and baggage
from place to place carving out a new niche for them
wherever we fi nd ourselves And I fi nd that long after
I have left a place that place has not left me I re-
cently went to visit the house where I grew up which
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
is sadly empty now Th e front door was exactly the same
and the concrete steps where I skinned my knee as a child
are still there as is the scar I still bear from those steps 30
years later I peeked through the glass backdoor to see that
the kitchen cabinets were still exactly the same an unpainted
knotty wood with brass knobs and the pocket door adja-
cent to the stove was still there also half open to the sitting
room I wondered if that door still bore the carved notches
of my height chart an expanse of inches that widened over
the years as I grew each notch labeled in pen with a date I
strained my eyes to look but could not see
Th e seasons are changing now and once again we are mov-
ing Th e boxes are being collected now and Irsquove already be-
gun a mental timeline of how long I can procrastinate until
actually beginning to pack them Th is summer in particular
has been one of many changes for usmdashups and downs joys
and sorrowsmdashand the walls of this house have witnessed
them all And I have to admit that it does seem right that
as the seasons change we too should also move on As
someone recently put it to me when facing the fear of the
unknown we have to learn to just manage and adjustmdashhav-
ing faith at the threshold of change that life will continue to
be full of beauty and fun love and loss We are not forced
to edge any one of these out to make room for the other but
rather we must learn to make room for them all
Th ere is no doubt that this house will stick with me as
all of the memories within it are engraved into my mind
But this time around I know that home will always be
where my family and friends are and the walls around
us are just a shelter through the sun and storms of our
lives I choose to believe that old habits are not necessar-
ily bad habits but traditions we choose to bring with us
into the future as a form of comfort in the midst of the
fear of the future My husband and I have celebrated
one of those old traditions in this house as we
have made our own growth chart for our
children here carving and marking their
tiny heights onto one of our downstairs
doors And although I will likely fret and
shed some tears through this entire mov-
ing process as I attempt to detach myself
from these walls a little compromise can be
comforting and being married to a builder
does have its perksmdashwe are unhinging that
door and taking it with us when we go
for information visit wwwathenseduathenianplayers
Names for photos are provided by the organization or business featured
14 raquo scene
Suzanne OrsquoConnor Karen Kiss and Sallie Ennis
Front Row L-R Patrick Robbins Ed Rush Nancy Colin George Smith and Steve Thornton Back Row L-R John Johnson Richard Van Valkenburgh Ronald Reed and Skipper Colin
Richard and Nancy Van Valkenburgh
Jay and Dana Town
Ernie Rivard Ann Rivard Anne Compton Burke and Kim and John Johnson
George and Lee Anne Smith and Steve and Patti Thornton
Linda Akenhead Donna Rush Ivy Albert and Amelia Summerville
Bobsy and Bill IngramChris Wesley Suzanne OrsquoConnor and Patrick Robbins
Tom and Pennie Keene Sharon and Ed Gartrell and Janet and David Skidmore
Debbie Overcash Brenda Millberger and Theresa Taylor
Ronald and Daphne Reed and Nancy and Skipper Colin
Kendall Black and Lee Anne Bostick
Sharon Gartrell Paige Prozan Amelia Summerville and Susan Todd Matt Taylor Bruce Summerville
Eric Milberger and Tommy Overcash
copy Photos by Mark Jaeger
Joyce Griffi n Betsy Lowe Peter Lowe Debbie Washburn and Ben Washburn
2015 Symphony Ball Advisorsrsquo Cocktail Partyaugust middot home of jay and dana town huntsville
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
text by sarah gaede raquo photos by patrick hood
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Some restaurants have food trucks for off-premise
special events Chef Will proprietor of Th e Palate at Lowe
Mill has a folding table Equipped with coolers kettles a
butane burner and his trusty cast iron skillet he turns out
amazing vegetarian and vegan dishes for his loyal following
every Th ursday at Greene Street Market in Huntsville
Although he grew up in Groton Connecticut helping his
mother in the kitchen and was always interested in food Chef
Will then known as Forest Wilson felt he couldnrsquot compete
with his older brother who was an executive chef So he
received vocational training in welding and visual arts (skills
which he still uses in creating his Afro-centric art) After a
brief stint in California working in the shipbuilding industry
he decided to follow his fi rst love and go to culinary school
When Chef Will visited his mother in Huntsville he realized
how much he missed being close to the land So he moved to
Alabama After he saw what his family was eating and how
many health problems they had he began an intensive study
of nutrition and the healing properties of natural foods
He had already been turned on to the health benefi ts of a
vegetarian diet by the surfers he hung out with in California
With his back-to-basics approach
Chef Will is like a nineteenth century
cook witha twenty-first century vibe
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
like a nineteenth century cook with a twenty-
fi rst century vibe
While most of Chef Willrsquos dishes are vegan he
does use real cheese because it melts better
He also uses free-range eggs Portobello
mushrooms are his go-to meat substitute
Th e day I visited he was serving portobello
pepper ldquosteakrdquo over quinoa and brown rice
with a liberal dash of his secret Bee Sting
sauce which his son Khaliq is working on
marketing to the public It was scrumptious
His food is so densely fl avored you donrsquot miss
the meat He especially loves the spices and
ingredients of Indian Asian and Chinese
cuisines all of which off er a great variety of
tasty vegetarian dishes
Chef Will is a passionate evangelist for the
healing properties of pure natural foods and
he preaches this gospel in a way that is so
inviting those who try his food cannot help
but be much more open-minded about trying
new healthy creative ways of eating
who seemed to have much more energy than he did He
became intentional about every step of the cooking process
from ingredient sourcing to cookwaremdashhence the cast
iron skillet which is naturally non-stick and adds iron to
whatever is cooked in it
Chef Will sources his ingredients locally whenever possible
He makes his vegetable stock with spring water His tasty
beans are soaked and simmered in that fl avorful stock not
poured from a can His collards are sublime without a hint
of pork fat With his back-to-basics approach Chef Will is
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Start a New Holiday Tradition at Burritt on the Mountain
ldquoHoliday Magicrdquo A Magical Dining Experience
December 10th 11th amp 12th
Itrsquos a magically fun evening dining in a historic cabin or the mansion with friends while enjoying delectable food and wine It is unlike any other holiday dinner and itrsquos perfect for a festive family occasion yet intimate enough for a romantic dinner for two Itrsquos rustic AND upscale
Holiday Magic reservations are being taken now by calling Butch Damson at 256-534-4361 Hurry Space is limted $90 per dinner seat Visit the website for menus and more
limited seating available make your reservations today
Wersquore decking the walls halls and stalls to get you in the holiday spirit More than 600 candles illuminate the sidewalks and Historic Park and music fills the air adding to the nostalgic feel of the holidays String cranberries make paper punch ornaments roast chesnuts amp taste figgy pudding Fun for the whole family itrsquos Christmas the way itrsquos supposed to be
Kris KringlersquosCandlelight Christmas
December 4th amp 5th
A much anticipated musical favorite will be back at Burritt in the Old Country Church
PerformancesDecember 16th through 20th
Tickets ON SALE NOWPurchase tickets at Josiersquos online
or by calling 256-536-2882or by calling 256-536-2by calling 256-536-2burrittonthemountaincom
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Th
ePE
R
FECT HOLIDAY DIN
NE
R
In our modern world of far-fl ung families Th anksgiving and Christmas are those rare occasions so fi lled with nostalgia
and meaning we press the pause button on our busy lives to prioritize time together Because family time is so rare these days NorsquoAla asked some of Huntsvillersquos fi nest chefs to suggest dishes that will inspire you as you plan your
familyrsquos menu this holiday season
Any time we spend with our loved ones is precious herersquos hoping these meal
ideas help make this yearrsquos holidays perfect
text by roy hall raquo photos by olivia reed
ldquoWith all the fl avors we associate with the holidays the gingerbread man is always near the top of the list So let the kids enjoy the traditional cookies while you sip this sophisticated cocktailrdquo mdashParker
ldquoTh e holidays are so fun-fi lled it seems appropriate that a holiday salad should refl ect that with lots of diff erent things going on fruits nuts cheeses and always a little hint of sweetness in the dressing No matter what main dishes and sides are served this salad will complement them allrdquo mdashAndrew
Grilled Pear Salad with Cambozola and Walnuts
Mezza Luna
(256) 650-2514 Th e GingermanMezza Luna
Butternut Squash Wild Mushroom and Roasted Asparagus Risotto
Th e Eaves
(256) 489-1752
ldquoI love this dish because itrsquos crisp and clean and adds a touch of light color to a typically heavy mealmdashthe bright green asparagus and red pancetta even look Christmassyrdquo mdashOwner LeeLee Wiginton
ldquoTh is isnrsquot super diffi cult to make It echoes the fl avors of the season And itrsquos also something a little unexpected It has a great fl avor profi le and complements other proteins really well Guests will love itrdquo mdashChef Merle Phillip
Snow Pea Salad with Crispy PancettaLynrsquos Gracious Goodness
(256) 533-2607
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Th ePERFECT HOLIDAY DINNER
Fried Brussels Sprouts with Coriander Greek Yogurt Sauce
Mezza Luna
ldquoI chose to do the turkey this way because itrsquos a diff erent approach Th e challenge of roasting a whole turkey is that the white and dark meat cook at diff erent speeds By separating the two you can cook each for its own proper cooking timerdquo mdashChef Steven Bunner
ldquoBrussels sprouts have had a bad rap Th e fi rst time most people encounter them theyrsquore overcooked mushy and served plain Th atrsquos a shame because theyrsquore nutritional powerhouses and because theyrsquore a fall crop at their best during the holiday seasonrdquo mdashJohn
Roast Turkey Breast and Dark Meat Roulade Served with Pecan Pesto
1892 East(256) 489-1242
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Between now and the end of the year take advantage of cost reductions on three popular proceduresmdashand begin 2016 with new confidence
bull SAVE BIG on breast augmentationOur saline price is $700 off and our silicone price is $900 off cash price only Schedule your initial consultation by December 31 2015 to lock in your price and the procedure must take place by March 31 2016
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Look better - feel better - and save money Itrsquos time to get more for less
Dr Russell Jennings203 Avalon Ave Suite 300
Muscle Shoals AL 35661
Phone(256) 386-1450jenningsplasticsurgerycom
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Th ePERFECT HOLIDAY DINNER
Nutella CheesecakeMason Dixon Bakery amp Bistro(256) 213-7545
ldquoTh is is one of our favorite desserts for a holiday and for every day Th e rich and creamy cake melts like ice cream in your mouth the smoothness of the fi lling balances perfectly with the crunchiness of the crust and the delicate hints of the swirled Nutella are divinerdquo mdashCo-owners Chef Ashley and Taylor Ramirez
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Emily Taylor5510 Promenade Point Pkwy Suite 160Madison AL 35757256-430-2781
I can help you
your own wayGROW
1114-519HO
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
produced by aissa castillo and lauren mccaulphotos by lauren tomasella carney
clothing modeled by aaron petersen rachel smith anne harbargerand kait barinaga (for finery)
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Meet the Shop Girls The mission To search Valley shops and boutiques
for the fi nest in Yuletide treasures
Accepting the challenge three of Huntsvillersquos most original and creative taste-makers
Say hello to NorsquoAla Shop Girls Aissa Castillo Lauren McCaul and Lauren Tomasella CarneyDuring the day these mild-mannered professionals tend to demanding careers in design
retail management and photography But evenings and weekends theyrsquore out saving the world from uninspiring fashion and decor as style superheroes
Their picks for the very best gift ideas follow For ideas and inspiration year-round
stay in-the-know by following our Shop Girls on social media
Lauren McCaul deptofagraculturecom Instagram dept_of_agra_cultureAissa Castillo aislerchiccom Instagram aislerchic
Lauren Tomasella Carney laurentomasellacom Instagram laurentomasella
And as you shop for your own Christmas treasures this season please remember to spread your cheermdashand your dollarsmdashat home
(1) Amanda Uprichard Jacket ($248)(2) BCBG Dress ($228)(3) Zoa Dress ($128)Personal Couture Boutique(256) 508-5632
(4) Dress ($168)Anthropologie(256) 327-8470
(5) Olive + Oak Oatmeal Shawl ($72)(10) Simply Noelle Zipper Gusset Bag ($5999)House of Holland(256) 206-8989
(6) One-of-a-kind Eva Ziegler Agate and Pyrite Necklace ($397)(8) Eva Ziegler Freshwater Pearl Strand ($501)Eva Ziegler Jewelryevazieglercom
(9) Gift Set ($5995)Piper amp LeafPiperandleafcom
(7) Long Horn Necklace ($68)Personal Couture Boutique(256) 508-5632
Left to right Lauren Tomasella Carney
Lauren McCaul and Aissa Castillo
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
On himFilson Shirt ($98) Filson Jacket ($320)Yeti Cooler ($34999)Alabama Outdoors(256)-885-3561
On herPPLA Vest ($7999)PPLA Dress ($7499)Bedstu Boots ($295)Indigorsquos Boutique(256) 345-6348
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) Woolly Mammoth Tooth 4rdquo Damascus Linerlock Knife ($150)(2) Cardboard Safari Bucky Cardboard Deer Head ($30)(3) Curt Benzle Porcelain Compass ($15)Little Green Store and Gallery (256) 539-9699
(4) Hunting Journal ($32)Sweet Pineapple(256) 964-7563
(5) Yeti Colster ($2999)Alabama Outdoors(256)-885-3561
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
(1) Yellow House Handcrafted Beard Oils ($18 ea)Yellow House Beard Oilsyellowhousebeards com (2) Mustache amp Beard Comb ($16)Little Green Store and Gallery (256) 539-9699 (3) Latika Body Essentials Charcoal Liquid Soap ($18)(4) Latika Body Essentials Charcoal Bar Soap ($6) (5) Rustico Leather Key Chain ($18) Sweet Pineapple(256) 964-7563
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) Wood Thumb Tie ($44) (2) Slightly Alabama iPad Case ($250) (3) DockSmith Driftwood iPhone Docking Station ($68) Little Green Storeand Gallery (256) 539-9699 (4) Loyal Stricklin Aviator Mug ($35)Domaine South(256) 808-8860 (5) Would You Be a Deer Notepad ($9) Sweet Pineapple(256) 964-7563
(6) Filson Satchel ($265) Alabama Outdoors(256)-885-3561
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
When itrsquos time to move into a bigger house get a home loan from the bank thatrsquos had a home right here for generations You might say we know a thing about location location location synovuscommortgage
Banking products are provided by Synovus Bank Member FDIC Divisions of Synovus Bank operate under multiple trade names across the Southeast Loans products subject to credit approval
When itrsquos time to move into a bigger house get a home
Here is where Henry learned hersquod be getting
SERVING YOU LOCALLY AS
2565513300 | fcb-hsvcom
his own room
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) Spiritual GangsterTank ($36)(2) Luquido Yoga Pants ($90)(3) MZ Wallace Metro Tote ($245)(4) Vimmia V back Sweatshirt ($96)(5) Onzie Sports Bra ($48)(6) Olympia Yoga Pants ($96)(7) bkr Water Bottle ($30)The Fitzgerald Pilates amp Barre(256) 603-1886
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
(1) Gypsy Pant WarmTribal ($72) (2) Berry High Waist Legging ($88) (3) Long Legging Mathematics ($65) (4) Long Legging Peacock ($65) The FitzgeraldPilates amp Barre(256) 603-1886
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) Jane Tran Hair Clips ($15)(2) bkr Water Bottle ($30)(3) well-kept Tech Wipes ($6)(4) Made with Love Bracelets ($25)(5) Pointe Studio Socks ($12)(6) Bando Too Cold to Hold Coozie ($5)The Fitzgerald Pilates amp Barre(256) 603-1886
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
(1) Shop Bando Coff ee Cup ($14)(2) Shop Bando Pens ($14) (3) Shop Bando Pouch ($26) (4) Shop Bando Coin Purse ($20) The FitzgeraldPilates amp Barre(256) 603-1886
(5) Check Things Off Notepad ($16)(6) Hello From Huntsville Stamp ($12)Salt + Paperie(256) 655-5550
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) Muzzle Loaders Chocolate Bourbon Balls ($1999) (2) Vintage Crystal Decanter ($20) (3) Quench Glassware ($1399) Domaine South(256) 808-8860
(4) The Hella Bitters Old Fashioned Kit ($65)(5) American Bar by Charles Schumann ($2495) Little Green Storeand Gallery (256) 539-9699
(6) Julep Cups ($50)Willowbrook Shoppe (256) 270-7181
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom | novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) DECCO Umbrella in a Bottle ($1995)(2) Alexa Pulitzer Stationery Set ($14 ea)(3) Ikat Scarf ($6250)Huntsville Museumof Art(256) 535-4350
(4) Emily Ley Grace Journal ($32) (5) Sugar Boo Designs Clutch ($18) (6) Emily Ley Daily Planner ($58) (7) Latika Milk ampHoney Bar ($6) (8) Farm House Fresh Shea Butter Hand Cream ($14) (9) Christen MaxwellZippy ($42) (10) Green Tea Bubble Bath ($32) Sweet Pineapple(256) 964-7563 (11) Goal Getter Cuff ($32)Indigorsquos Boutique(256) 345-6348
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
(1) Kilim Pillow ($58) (2) Bejeweled Silver Plate Vase ($144) (3) Bone Clad Box ($375)Willowbrook Shoppe (256) 270-7181
(4) Cowhide Rug ($550)(5) Lucyrsquos Locket ($95) (Original piecemdashselection may vary)Sweet Pineapple(256) 964-7563 (6) Clutch ($65)Department of Agra Culturedeptofagraculturecom
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) Above The Bar Antler on Chain 28rdquo ($3999) (2) Above The Bar Deer wAntler Head 18rdquo ($2999) Indigorsquos Boutique(256) 345-6348
(3) Margaret Solow Labradorite18KT Bezel ($290) (4) Margaret Solow Diamond Crest MoonSilver ($460) (5) Margaret Solow Black Spinel + DiamondSilver ($560) (6) Margaret Solow Double Black Spinel18KT ($260)Little Green Store and Gallery (256) 539-9699
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
(1) Margaret Solow Grey Moonstoon18KT Necklace ($240) (2) Margaret Solow OpalDiamond Mosaic Necklace ($610) Little Green Storeand Gallery (256) 539-9699
(3) One-of-a-kind Eva Ziegler Smokey Quartz and Pyrite Necklace ($406)Eva Ziegler Jewelryevazieglercom
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) Jennifer BehrTurban ($625)(2) Cotton Day Dress ($64)(3) Norma Ishak Cardigan ($375)Finery(256) 429-3429
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) The Lion Sleeps Tonight Bath Bomb ($6) Sweet Pineapple(256) 964-7563
(2) Tiger Jelly Cat ($2250)(3) Dog Tag Teether ($1550)(4) Dinosaur Footie ($3595)Honey B Boutique(256) 503-2853
(5) Young Buck ($25)Tiny Vinestinyvinesshopcom
(6) Bib Set ($13)Huntsville Museumof Art(256) 535-4350
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
(1) Tiny Dancer Bath Bomb ($6)Sweet Pineapple(256) 964-7563
(2) Kickee Mammoth Footie ($3595)(3) Noodle amp Boo Essential Care Kit ($18)(4) Elephant Jelly Cat ($2250)Honey B Boutique(256) 503-2853
(5) ArtFolio Pink Elephant Coloring Tote ($17)Huntsville Museumof Art(256) 535-4350
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) Bib Set ($13)Huntsville Museumof Art(256) 535-4350 (2) Little Light ($25)Tiny Vinestinyvinesshopcom (3) Micro Leon Cardboard Lion ($30)Little Green Storeand Gallery (256) 539-9699 (4) I Love You Like Biscuits amp Gravy ($23)Domaine South(256) 808-8860
(5) Kickee Kimono ($4295)Honey B Boutique(256) 503-2853
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
SURPRISEA LOVED ONE
THIS HOLIDAY SEASON
WITH A FOREVER GIFT
HobbsJewelerscom 8772331347Parkway Place Mall
HuntsvilleHwy 72 West
AthensMain Street
Ardmore TN
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Caftan ($75)Sarah Richey Necklace ($350)Finery(256) 429-3429
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
(1) Chewbead Necklace ($3495)(2) Mayoral Baby Bag ($7995)(3) Mayoral Diaper Changing Pad ($2495)(4) Nursing Scarf ($2695) (5) Kickee Swaddling Blanket ($22)Honey B Boutique(256) 503-2853 (6) Lucy Darling Months Sticker ($25) (7) The Story of You Baby Book by Emily Ley ($62) Sweet Pineapple(256) 964-7563
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) Alwand Vahan 14K Gold and Onyx Ring wDiamond Accent ($2595)(2) Alwand Vanan 14K Gold and Onyx Bracelet wDiamond Accent ($2695)Hobbs Jewelers(877) 233-1347
(3) Britt Ryan Dress ($288)Personal Couture Boutique(256) 508-5632
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) Rocket Cosmos Mug ($13)Huntsville Museumof Art(256) 535-4350
(2) Loose Leaf Tea ($399)Piper amp Leaf piperandleafcom (3) Judy Jackson Tea Pot ($56) (4) Gary Watson Cherry Cutting Board ($48-$68) (5) Susan Coe Birthday Cake Plate ($33) Little Green Storeand Gallery (256) 539-9699 (6) Macarons ($116 pcs $221 dozen)Whisk Small Treats Bakery(256) 656-1027
(7) Truffl es ($185 each)Pizellersquos Confections (256) 513-9745 (8) Olive amp Sinclair Chocolate ($799)Domaine South(256) 808-8860
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
(1) Whisk Note Pad ($8) (2) In the Forest Mixing Bowl ($36) (3) Twig Serving Set ($18)(8) Southern Firefl y Candle ($12)Sweet Pineapple(256) 964-7563
(4) Urchin Bowl ($10)(5) Foodie Dice ($38)(6) 1Canoe2 Wood Recipe Box w Recipe Cards ($6999) Domaine South(256) 808-8860 (7) Growlers ($75 small $95 large)Southern Growlersoutherngrowlercom
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) Tacori 18K Barbados Blue Bold Gem Ring ($660)(2) Tacori 18K Barbados Blue Bold Gem Necklace ($630)(3) Tacori 18K Barbados Blue Bold Gem Bracelet ($990)Hobbs Jewelers(877) 233-1347
(4) BCBG Dress ($328)Personal Couture Boutique(256) 508-5632
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Guadalupe Robinson
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
text by jennifer crossley howard raquo photos by patrick hood
Of Deft and Dirty Hands
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Huntsville potter Guadalupe Lanning Robinson has spent more than 36 years mastering the
marriage of clay texture and geometric design into her pottery yet time has done little to temper the
plight of waiting
ldquoIt is hard for me to let a pot just dryrdquo she says motioning toward fi ve small wet pots sitting near her
pottery wheel ldquoIrsquom as excited to do this as I was 30 years agordquo
To observe her studio at Lowe Mill that is easy to believe Located on the corridor outside the textile
mill-turned-art centerrsquos main building the loft-like space with a corrugated tin roof feels like a place a
Gabriel Garcia Marquez character would enjoy daydreaming
Sienna-hued pottery sits in various stages to be fi red layered and etched Argentinian tango music
streams from Robinsonrsquos iPhone and two cockatiels a parrot and a parakeet chirp from their cages All
except the parrot fl y freely when Robinson is working
Robinson who is 61 made her fi rst pot in 1979 in her native Mexico City Almost four decades later her
work is part of permanent museum collections in Auburn Huntsville Tuscumbia and Tupelo Missis-
sippi She regularly enters her work in respected juried shows such as the Monte Sano Arts Festival and
the Kentuck Festival of the Arts in Northport and has received two Alabama State Council on the Arts
individual artist fellowships
Her inspiration draws from the villages around her native Mexico City such as the black pottery of
the northwest as well as her acquired Southern culture White lilies corn grids and round female
fi guresmdashldquoreally strong women who are in chargerdquo Robinson saysmdashreappear on her stoneware She uses
natural dyes indigo for color and mixes sand into clay for texture Nothing is wasted
ldquoI donrsquot waste any clayrdquo Robinson says ldquoEverything is recycledrdquo
Robinson fi nds solace in the 40-50 hours a week she puts in at the studio and the often tedious process
of making pots which can take from three weeks to six weeks for larger pots She usually works on two
or three pots at a time tending to groups at diff erent stages
After a pot is thrown on a wheel a piece can take days to dry before its fi rst bisque fi re in which tem-
peratures rise to 1800 F After baking for nine hours the kiln must cool Th e second fi ring rises to 2150
F and matures the clay and melts the glazes to strengthen the piece
ldquoI am an effi cient person by naturerdquo Robinson says ldquoWaiting for the kiln to cool down enough to open
can be nerve wracking and this is when my patience is usually put to the testrdquo
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
ldquoIt is hard for me to let a pot just dry Irsquom as excited to do this as I was 30 years agordquo
Robinson makes most of her pots on a wheel using oxides to change the color of clay she gets from Nashville and Pittsburgh Her pottery takes several weeks from start to fi nish depending on how large a pot is and how many she makes at a time
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
ldquoAttend to your childrenrsquos needs fi rst keep focus on what you want to douse the happiness joy and little breaks you get to make your artTh ey grow real fast and they will keep inspiring you all your liferdquo
Robinson imagined this bat-like design as she was working She usually begins a piece with a design in mind but that often evolves
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Robinson uses an overlay of liquid clay called engobemdashthat includes three to four layersmdashto create a
base on which to design
Th ere is high risk in making pottery and hours of work can be wasted on a pot that has not dried en-
tirely before it enters the kiln Air pockets or the wrong mixture of chemicals can ruin a piece
ldquoArt is involved but science is toordquo says Laura Smith director of education at the Huntsville Museum
of Art where Robinson has taught pottery classes ldquoItrsquos more labor intensive in terms of working with
the medium whether yoursquore building by hand or with a wheel until you fi re with the fi nal layer of glazerdquo
Th e result is sturdy pottery
ldquoI want my pots to look like something that is lasting a long timerdquo Robinson says
Th ough she works solitarily in her studio she says she does not get lonely Her birds and music keep her
company and each stage of pottery making has a soundtrack She uses needlepoint tools to draw onto
clay to Jose Feliciano and other Latin American musicians
ldquoIf Irsquom at the wheel Bruno Marsrdquo she says ldquoIf Irsquom unloading the kiln and something is really awesome
then I need something moving and I have on Motownrdquo
Robinsonrsquos years of experience minimize the risk of damaged pots but she says her greatest challenge
as a potter was balancing her work while raising her two children Now adults their candid childhood
pictures and those of her grandchildren cover the warm green walls of her studio
She met her husband the poet James Robinson in 1977 on a Greyhound bus when she returned to
Mexico City from visiting a friend at the University of Southern Mississippi He was heading to Mexico
to study at a university Th ey married six months later After giving birth to her daughter Annie Jane in
Mexico City in 1982 the family moved to Huntsville in 1985 Th at is when Robinson got more serious
about her pottery
ldquoFrom the very beginning when I moved to Alabama I knew I was going to have to do thisrdquo she said
ldquoIn some ways it was a way for me to keep connected to my heritagerdquo
She took even 15 minutes of free time to work in the studio behind her home and worked late into the
night while her daughter and son Isidoro born in 1987 slept Having a home studio allowed her to
wash clothes tend to her home and drop off lunches at school while maintaining her art
ldquoTh ere was something for me when I fi rst became a mother that fueled my creativityrdquo Robinson says
ldquoTh ey are such a social inspiration too It fi lls your liferdquo
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Robinson advises fellow artists who are mothers to seize
both roles but to prioritize motherhood
ldquoAttend to your childrenrsquos needs fi rst keep focus on what you
want to do use the happiness joy and little breaks you get
to make your artrdquo she says ldquoTh ey grow real fast and they will
keep inspiring you all your liferdquo
Anna Sue Courtney director of the Flying Monkey Arts
Center at Lowe Mill has known Robinson for more than
10 years She says she admires how mothers and artists like
Robinson seamlessly embrace both roles
ldquoIt seems therersquos not a separation between creating and rais-
ing childrenrdquo Courtney says ldquoTh ey seem to pull from the
same placerdquo
Part of Robinsonrsquos motivation at Lowe Mill comes from
working privately in a studio alongside other artists that fos-
ters a community of feedback and ideas
ldquoItrsquos nice to be here because you can take a break and walk around and get inspirationrdquo Courtney says
ldquoItrsquos refreshingrdquo
When she needs a break from the studio Robinson stays home to sketch designs for a day or two then
she is back in the studio
Trips twice a year to Mexico City keep her plugged in to her native culture which in turn shows up in
her pottery
ldquoI have to recharge myselfrdquo Robinson says ldquoI love Huntsville and loved raising my kids here but I still
have the need of going back to be recharged and smell all the smells and see all the colors and get on
the subway and be pushed aroundrdquo
Details from her trips that infl uence her work include the ever-present red that covers the city during
the celebration of Dia de los Muertos or the Day of the Dead Th e pyramids of Teotihuacan conjure
warm earth tones and fl oating gardens around the city yield sweet pungent calla lilies and carnations
Celebration of food tough women and nature reappear in her pottery qualities that both Southern and
Mexican cultures treasure
Above This daisy design is character-istic of Robinsonrsquos work Nature food and strong females from her native Mexico City and the South are strong creative infl uences
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Clockwise from top left Robinson often glazes only the inside of her pots so they can hold water and food She began quilting in 2002 and her quilts like her pottery contain earth tones and natural infl uences in their design Four birds keep Robinson company in what can be the isolating medium of pottery making Geometry and symmetry are two signature elements in Robinsonrsquos work according to Laura Smith director of education at the Huntsville Museum of Art
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Just as she keeps her home country close to her heart Robinson is loyal to her fi rst
love of pottery though she began making quilts in 2002
ldquoIrsquom a potter who likes to quiltrdquo she says
Like her pottery her quilting follows designs of organic nature such as fl owers and
crops on rich jewel tone cotton
ldquoWhen I fi rst saw one of her quilts I didnrsquot realize it was hers and I thought that
looks like it should be Guadalupersquos quiltrdquo Courtney says
Robinson prefers the immediate gratifi cation of clay
ldquoItrsquos a very responsive mediumrdquo she says ldquoYou can manipulate it Th e fact of mak-
ing something out of dirt out of nothing and making it durable making it perma-
nent that after going through the heat and maturing is something very excitingrdquo
She gently dings a pot covered with white dresses titled ldquoTehuana Dressrdquo to make
her point
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
887 FM Muscle Shoals bull 1007 FM Huntsvillewwwaprorg
News classicalmusic and more
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
copy Patrick Hood
text by sara wright covington raquo photos by jacki gil
patrick hood erin lindsey and michelle odom
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
copy Patrick Hood
ldquoA LOT OF PEOPLE HAD BEEN ASKING ME QUESTIONS ABOUTHOW I GOT MY BUSINESS STARTED I WANTED TO GATHER SOME PEOPLE AROUND ME
WHO WERE GOING THROUGH THOSE STRUGGLES AND TOBUILD ENTREPRENEURIAL COURAGErdquo
JACKI GIL SALT+PAPERIE
copy Patrick Hood
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
untsville-born Jacki Gil began her paper design busi-
ness Salt+Paperie in 2014 with an expansive vision
in mind one that extended beyond creating beautiful
custom designed paper goods ldquoI love my design job
but when Irsquom 50 years old I donrsquot see myself still de-
signing wedding invitationsrdquo the master stationer says
ldquoI really have a passion for teaching and helping people
I want to be a mentorrdquo
In 2015 Gil set out on her mentoring mission sooner than expected with a series
of workshops called Encourage Huntsville ldquoA lot of people had been asking me
questions about how I got my business startedrdquo Gil says about the early days of
Salt+Paperie Even though most of those questions from entrepreneurial-hopefuls
were technicalmdashlike how to apply for a business licensemdashthey served as inspira-
tion for Gil ldquoI wanted to gather some people around me who were going through
those struggles and to build entrepreneurial courage I defi nitely saw that there
was a need for helping people to take that next step toward owning their own
businessesrdquo
Encourage Huntsville was modeled on the image of a growing small business
movement called the Rising Tide Society a national community of creative small
business owners who encourage ldquocommunity over competitionrdquo Th at spirit of
openness is at the heart of Encourage Huntsville ldquoCommunity over competition
is a huge part of what we are doingrdquo says Gil ldquoSmall business owners sharing how
they earn their money is a big dealrdquo
As a fi rst step Gil gathered others around her who were using their skills and abili-
ties to make their own small businesses work With talents ranging from cooking
and cake decorating to hand lettering and artwork these small business owners
all embraced Gilrsquos vision for imparting to others the knowledge of their craft un-
impeded by a fear of losing their competitive edge
Th e fi rst lesson Gil wanted to impart to Encourage Huntsvillersquos students wasnrsquot
necessarily a particular craft or skill but a spirt of creative confi dence ldquoWe want-
ed to bridge the gap between the very artsy community and the ultimate engineer
communityrdquo many of whom Gil observes had been told since childhood they
werenrsquot artistic ldquoWhen you are little and someone tells you that you donrsquot have a
talent it sticks with you I found that a lot of people had that experience so that
was the workshop partmdashto build some creative courage in this communityrdquo
Gil conducted the fi rst workshop herself testing the waters to see how the concept
would be received Th e admission price to that fi rst workshop included supplies a
take-home ldquogoody bagrdquo to help students continue their work extracurricularly and
refreshmentsmdashas well as Gilrsquos tips of her trade
ldquoWe went in blindly not knowing if we had a market or notrdquo says Gil Th e popular-
ity of that fi rst class proved undeniably that a market did in fact exist the work-
shop sold out in one day ldquoSo we did back-to-back workshopsrdquo Gil says ldquoAfter that
novemberdecembeeer eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee | nononoononononononoonoonononooooonoonoonnononnoaaalalalllaallllllalaalaaalal ststustust ddiossscom mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm | | | | | | | | | | |
f
w
y
Previous page Encourage Huntsvillersquos founder and instructor Jacki Gil teaches a class in hand lettering Facing page A participant studies her supply list
we realized people really want to do this stuff So we said lsquoletrsquos jump on the boat
and make this happenrsquordquo
Gilrsquos longtime friend photographer Erin Lindsey of Erin Lindsey Images agreed
to contribute to Encourage Huntsvillersquos curriculum by teaching a photography
class ldquoJacki and I are a good team because our hearts are in the same place when
it comes to encouraging othersrdquo Lindsey says Still she admits saying yes to teach-
ing wasnrsquot without some initial hesitation ldquoWhen Jacki asked if I would teach a
class it was kind of scary I thought I had to be perfect before I could teach oth-
ersrdquo Lindsey says of her initial hesitancy ldquoBut after talking to Jacki I realized none
of us are perfectrdquo But perfection isnrsquot the goal encouragement is the goal ldquoAnd I
thought lsquoI can defi nitely line up with that visionrsquordquo
Michelle Odom another Huntsville native and owner of custom cake bakery Just
Crumbs was also on board with Gilrsquos vision In fact Odom had been contemplat-
ing teaching a class when she was approached by Gil to teach a fondant basics
class ldquoHuntsville is such an engineer town and everyone is so mathematical and
scientifi crdquo Odom says echoing the dichotomy between the arts and sciences ex-
pressed by Gil ldquoTh ese workshops are just a very cool way for structured people to
have a creative outletrdquo
ldquoJACKI AND I ARE A GOOD TEAM BECAUSE OUR HEARTS ARE INTHE SAME PLACE WHEN IT COMES TO ENCOURAGING OTHERSrdquo
ERIN LINDSEY ERIN LINDSEY IMAGES
copy Erin Lindsey
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Above A participant in Erin Lindseyrsquos photo class frames a still life
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
copy Erin Lindsey
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
ldquoHUNTSVILLE IS SUCH AN ENGINEER TOWN AND EVERYONE ISSO MATHEMATICAL AND SCIENTIFIC THESE WORKSHOPS ARE JUST A VERY COOL
WAY FOR STRUCTURED PEOPLE TO HAVE A CREATIVE OUTLETrdquo MICHELLE ODOM JUST CRUMBS
copy Michelle Odom
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
ldquoAnd yesrdquo Odom acknowledges ldquoyou are in theory teaching your competition But
at the same time you are helping the community be more creativerdquo
With its roster of popular creative workshops under its belt Encourage Huntsville
has added business classes to its community-over-competition curriculum with
classes designed to provide specifi c guidance for small business owners ldquoAll of
our events that donrsquot require hands-on work we call seminarsrdquo says Gil ldquoWe had
about 15 people at our fi rst one It was pretty much just an open discussion to ask
us questions and get answers from the perspective of a small business ownerrdquo
Th e seminars enjoyed the same success and enthusiasm as the workshops ldquoWe
had two hours for people to ask questionsrdquo Gil says Topics covered ran the gamut
from scheduling daily tasks self-hosting a website or using an Etsy store man-
aging client expectations and being realistic about how much time you need to
complete jobs
ldquoTh e time went quickly and people wanted morerdquo says Gil who envisions an all-
day seminar in 2016
Margaret Baggett owner and executive chef of the Chef Next Door is another
small business owner who has shared Gilrsquos vision from the very beginning teach-
copy Erin Lindsey
Facing page Michelle Odomrsquos fondant basics class begins with a styrofoam cake form Above Newbie photographers familiarize themselves with their cameras in Erin Lindseyrsquos photography class
ing knife skills workshops and helping host the business seminars ldquoI am so proud
to get to be a part of this project and help nurture other small business owners
who may just be starting out on their journey or are deep in it and looking for
some encouragement from other business ownersrdquo Baggett says of what motivates
her participation in Encourage Huntsville ldquoEven being on the advice-giving side
of things I am still learning and have taken tips and tricks and lessons from each
event we have had so far We never stop learning from each other and never stop
improving upon our craftsrdquo
Th e mutual growth among students and teachers is the source of the encourage-
mentmdashand the joymdashof Encourage Huntsville ldquoItrsquos so much fun to see the light
bulbs go off with people and see them encouraged right before your eyesrdquo Lindsey
says of her experience with the program ldquoPlus itrsquos a pleasure to contribute to a
sense of community over competition Th at whole concept is so rarerdquo
As Encourage Huntsvillersquos following continues to grow the diversity of the work-
shops will expand as well Whether you are looking to spend a fun afternoon
learning a new craft or are a budding small business owner hoping to launch
your brand Encourage Huntsville has something valuable to off er ldquoWe encourage
those left-brain folks to take up a new hobby or skillrdquo Baggett says ldquoor just encour-
age the people of Huntsville to get together and fan their creative fl amesrdquo
If yoursquore looking for
creative or entrepreneurial
encouragement visit
encouragehuntsvillecom
for seminar and workshop
schedules and information
ldquoI AM SO PROUD TO GET TO BE A PART OF THIS PROJECT AND HELP NURTURE OTHER SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS WHO MAY JUST BE STARTING OUT ON THEIR JOURNEY OR ARE DEEP IN IT
AND LOOKING FOR SOME ENCOURAGEMENT FROM OTHER BUSINESS OWNERSrdquoMARGARET BAGGETT CHEF NEXT DOOR
copy Jacki Gil
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
copy Jacki Gil
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Participants in Margaret Baggettrsquos knife skills workshop learn to perfect their ldquomise en placerdquo
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
copy Olivia Reed
text by sara wright covington raquo photos by olivia reed and jeff white
HUNTSVILLErsquoS
HOMEGROWNHOSTESS
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
ttttttononononoooooonononooooo raquo praquo praquo praquo praquo phothothothothotosoososos s s osos bybybbybb
Any host will tell you that delicious food and quality libations while important to
a partyrsquos success are secondary to the most important ingredient of all the guest list Th atrsquos why many
of downtown Huntsvillersquos most popular restaurants breweries and wine shops are turning to event
planner Ashley Ryals and her uncanny knack for attracting loyal patronsmdashand creating unforgettable
events in the process
When Huntsville born-and-bred Ashley Ryals left for college at the University of Alabama in 2001
she thought her exit from the Valley was permanent ldquoI never thought I would end up back hererdquo the
founder of event planning company Homegrown Huntsville says with a knowing laugh But after a few
post-graduate years working for world-renowned public relations powerhouse Weber Shandwick in
New York City Ryals started to second guess her freshman declaration
ldquoI started to get homesickrdquo she admits ldquoAll of my friends were getting married and meeting for football
games and I was missing itrdquo So when a friend from home set up an interview at EarlyWorks for a job
doing event planning Ryals jumped at the chance to come home
Ashley spent the next few years planning EarlyWorks Whistle Stop and Santarsquos Village events A brief
stint in sales followed along with a seat on the board of Huntsville Young Professionals where she had
an idea for a downtown pub crawl
ldquoWe expected 20 or 30 peoplerdquo Ryals says of their modest expectations ldquoBut 200 people showed uprdquo
Th at initial success convinced Ryals to embark on her dream of establishing an
event planning company But it wasnrsquot just any event planning company Ryals
had in mind she envisioned one that would collaborate with local businesses
cultivate signature events for the community to enjoy and support small busi-
nesses in the process
Inspired Ryals left her sales job and for the second time in her life came home
again to event planning and Homegrown Huntsville
To help bring her vision to life Ryals collaborated with designer Adrianne Van
Kirk of Fave Creative ldquoAdrianne has been a part of the visual and branding of
Homegrown from the beginning We come up with the event ideas then I get
the ticketing and sales together and she comes back with a logo and the mar-
keting for the event And thatrsquos how it all comes togetherrdquo Ryals says of their
creative process
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
ASHLEY RYALS
copy Olivia Reed
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
ldquoMOST WINE FESTIVALS ACROSS THE COUNTRY HAVE PROVEN RECORDS OF BEING ABLE TO STAY AROUND 15 OR 20 YEARS OR EVEN LONGER AND THE ECONOMIES OF THOSE
CITIES HAVE REALLY GROWN AS A RESULT I WANT BIG SPRING CRUSH TO EVENTUALLY BE THE BIGGEST AND BEST WINE FESTIVAL IN THE STATE OF ALABAMArdquo ASHLEY RYALS
copy Jeff White
copy Jeff White
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
copy Olivia Reed
Homegrown launched in 2011 with what would become its
signature event Dine amp Dash Every second Wednesday
April through October a trolley shuttles patrons between
downtown establishments where they are served a drink
and appetizer before moving on to the next stop
Owner and executive chef Merle Phillips of Th e Eaves was
one of the fi rst restaurants to sign on for Dine amp Dashrsquos de-
but ldquoAshley came to me and said she was starting a trolley
tasting conceptrdquo says Chef Merle ldquoI didnrsquot really know her so
I was taking a chance on the concept she was sellingrdquo
Merle tried it and has been a loyal participant of Dine amp
Dash ever since
ldquoIt was a risk in the beginning but it defi nitely paid off rdquo Chef
Merle says of the experience Pivotal to that experience ac-
cording to Phillips is Ryalsrsquo demonstration to the commu-
nity just what the term ldquohomegrownrdquo really means ldquoAshley
shines a spotlight on independent businesses in a market-
place that has for so long focused on chainsrdquo Phillips says
ldquoDine amp Dash has really brought into sharp focus the inter-
esting culinary diversity that Huntsville has to off errdquo
For the next two years Homegrown Huntsville focused al-
most exclusively on Dine amp Dash which by the end of its fi rst
year included every single downtown restaurant But when
big changes began to appear on the downtown horizonmdash
new restaurants breweries and residential developmentsmdash
Ryalsrsquo instincts told her
the time had come to
introduce a new event
to the downtown cal-
endar
ldquoBeer Hop follows
the concept of Dine
amp Dashrdquo Ryals says of
Homegrownrsquos second
venture which began
in 2013 Each month a
trolley visits three dif-
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
BILL FOWLEROLD TOWN BEER
EXCHANGE
copy Olivia Reed
copy Olivia Reed
ferent breweries where patrons sample beers and enjoy food
from a variety of food trucks parked at each location
Bill Fowler managing partner of Old Town Beer Exchange
agreed to participate in Beer Hop on his very fi rst day of
business and credits Ryals with an overwhelmingly success-
ful opening night ldquoAshley said lsquoI can guarantee that you are
going to have wave after wave of people coming throughrsquordquo
Fowler says recalling that fi rst jittery occasion Once again
Ryals proved true to her word with 60-plus patrons arriving
in an hour-and-a-half ldquoIt was awesome and such a great ex-
perience for usrdquo Fowler raves ldquoAshley is a hard worker and
you can see that in what she doesrdquo
Fowler believes that in addition to bringing new customers
to OTBX Ryals is also cultivating beer education consis-
tently bringing in people who are new to beer and want to
learn And with Huntsvillersquos recent brewery boom that level
of education and interest is crucial for the brewing commu-
nity to thrive ldquoWe have a very small window of opportunityrdquo
says Fowler ldquoI think Huntsville in particular is becoming a
craft brewing community People are making money at this
and once Tennessee sees that we need to already have had a
pretty huge head startrdquo
By the end of 2013 and with standing events Beer Hop and
Dine amp Dash well established Ryals took time to refl ect on
her original goal for Homegrown Huntsville ldquoIn the back of
my head from day one I knew I wanted to do a wine festival
I just didnrsquot think Huntsville was ready for it in 2011rdquo
Emboldened by the success of Beer Hop Ryals decided to
make the leap with Big Spring Crush wine festival later the
same year Once again Ryals delivered the perfect audience
for the event and in the process discovered a surprising
fact about North Alabamarsquos contribution to the wine-mak-
ing industry
ldquoIn doing the wine festival I learned that we have a huge
wine community in Huntsvillerdquo Ryals says ldquoTh ere are only
about 47 certifi ed wine judges in the entire United States
and we have four of them right here in North Alabama Two
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
copy Jeff White
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
ldquoI STARTED TO GET HOMESICK ALL OF MY FRIENDS WERE GETTING MARRIEDAND MEETING FOR FOOTBALL GAMES AND I WAS MISSING ITrdquo ASHLEY RYALS
copy Jeff White
copy Jeff White
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
ldquoIT WAS AWESOME AND SUCH A GREAT EXPERIENCE FOR USrdquoBILL FOWLER OLD TOWN BEER EXCHANGE
copy Jeff White
copy Olivia Reed
of those four certifi ed wine judges sit on the committee for
Big Spring Crushrdquo
Matthew and Stephanie Mell had just opened Church Street
Wine Shop when they decided to participate in the fi rst Big
Spring Crush Like OTBXrsquos Robert Fowler the Mells credit
Ryals and Homegrown Huntsville for helping to introduce
their new enterprise to the community ldquoAshley has been in-
strumental in helping to bring us people who love and ap-
preciate winerdquo Stephanie Mell says ldquoShe was homegrown
here in Huntsville and she really gets the downtown area
and small businesses and that is so important to usrdquo
Big Spring Crush began with a bang featuring over 150
wines and attracting patrons from across the country
ldquoMost wine festivals across the country have proven records
of being able to stay around 15 or 20 years or even longerrdquo
Ryals says ldquoAnd the economies of those cities have really
grown as a result I want Big Spring Crush to eventually be
the biggest and best wine festival in the state of Alabamardquo
How does Ryals intend to make that dream come true ldquoBy
always keeping it fresh I want to have new marketing and
new things happening each yearrdquo
Ryalsrsquo formula of reinvention and expansion has successfully
led Homegrown Huntsville through fi ve years of success and
helped its events become community staples along the way In
the process Ryals is broadening more than just our image of
downtown Huntsville shersquos joining a class of creative entrepre-
neurs committed to expanding Huntsvillersquos reputation as more
than just a hub for the brightest scientifi c minds in America
ldquoWe have a big city of engineers and lawyers and itrsquos won-
derfulrdquo Ryals say ldquo But there is a whole artist and food cul-
ture here and there is so much growth I want us to have a
vibrant cool downtown area and I want for people to tell
their friends to come and visit and to see Huntsville for what
it is a city I loverdquo
If yoursquod like to participate in Homegrown Huntsville either
as a guest or a participating business visit homegrown-
huntsvillecom
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
copy Jeff White
I was years old and the year was At that time the city of Huntsville was inching toward the mountain to the east California Street was once the continental divide between the small town metropo-lis and the uncharted territories gingerly crossed by the real estate pioneers four score and some odd years prior Th is area became the new suburb as the city kept pushing onward toward Fagan Springs as if the reverberating booms of rocket testings were vibrating Hunstvillians away from its epicenter
From the front yard of our house on Owens Drive I could look to the rightmdashup the hill to the bend be-yond which the big houses stood on their rocky ledge pedestals and to the left where all the other houses that looked just like oursmdashfresh and newmdashrambled for what seemed like miles Th ose clean well-lit abodes all seemed the same and granted at my age I knew more about the pets that lived there than I did about the people who owned those manageable mortgages I came to realize that each was diff erent in a way that was permeated by voices smells and furnishings
It is a clicheacute to say that our lives were simpler then because that is just how the current era will be fondly referred to in the future but to a 5-year-old it is the simplicity that brought the joy Th e sixties will always be to me the beginning of the age of manufactured happiness Cheap clean and simple was what was strived for and what was easily obtained Plastic items were plentiful and pretty things could be bought with SampH Green Stamps A few coins in our pocket would transfer us into the most master of manipula-tors with us giving our all to convince our parents for a jaunt to Murdockrsquos for a holiday of wonderment joy and impatience as we would scour the shelves trying to get the most from our meager budget
Owens Drive was the fairly new thoroughfare from which the avenues of three-bedroom-ranchers fi ngered away at planned intervals Th is was the place where newlyweds started their lives homes and families Where girls with last names that had been in the town for generations would change them to those strange and exotic last names of the clean cut newcomers brought here for military purposes Where the housewives would preheat their pristine electric ovens trying to make cheese straws and biscuits that were just like their motherrsquos only to be frustrated as they were never quite the same and where the husbands would follow in their fatherrsquos footsteps by joining the Acme Club and hunting doves on the weekends
Th ere was a swimming pool Certainly not at our house Th e only private pool I remember as a child was one that my grandmother would take me to nestled between huge trees at someonersquos house on Adams Street I would swim with other children my age while our grandmothers chatted smoking cigarettes in cat-eyed anonymity whispering most of their stories so we wouldnrsquot be able to hear But between their
gasps and laughter we would listen hear and learn
Th e Blossomwood pool was a place of designated rules and the sound of bright whistlesmdashwith straight lines and distinctive colors of blue and green I can still feel the Coppertoned oiliness on the skin of the tanned lifeguard as she carried me from the deep end frightened after my fi rst attempt at solo-swimming She knew my name I had no idea who she was
On the other side of the pool was the school my older sister attended It had a style that mim-icked the poolmdashstraight lines cleanmdasha temple to orderliness and good manners It was with
awe that I once watched the young adults there some as old as eleven wind and dance their way around a sky-high fl agpolemdasheach with a diff erent color ribbon until the fi rst (and only) May Pole
I was privy to was completely dressed in its woven bright colors
90 raquo bless their hearts raquo Guy McClure Jr
Huntsville was a magical place for us tail-end baby boomers to grow upmdashbeyond the miracles of the escalator at Pizitz the smiling little lady on the tall stool at the register at Britlings There was a comfort level there that Irsquom not sure is in the minds of the 5-year-olds of today
cat-eyed agasps
Th s
aI w
THE COMFORTS OF BLOSSOMWOOD
In our world of red-bricked carported castles there was a def-inite division of generations Th e children ate separately from the parents went to school as our dads went to work enter-tained our neighborhood friends as quietly as possible and felt safe between our boundaries of Big Cove Road and Hermitage Street While we dined on our Chef Boy-Ar-Dee boxed pizza our parents busied themselves dressing in their dark colors getting ready for a late dinner at Boots having the scent of perfume and face powder trail my mother as she came into the kitchen looking for something with an intense purpose My father would smell of British Sterling and look just as he did when he went to work only happier Th ese nights meant something fun would happenmdashwe would have a babysitter
Babysitters were my introduction into what was and still seems cool Th ey were usually Huntsville High School teen-agers who would put on a show without even knowing it I would drink in their every move word and essence of style To me they were supermodelsmdashmovie starsmdasheven more fa-mous in my eyes than a television weatherman and almost as glamorous as the waitresses at the Waffl e House
Before they would tire of me and my sister and put us to bed they would include us in their world of music and knowledge which I thought was all-encompassing Suddenly our world of Th e Benny Carl Show and Fantasy Playhouse would seem trite and passeacute and we would catch a fl eeting glimpse into what would be in store for us when we too could stay up past 8 pm
Huntsville was a magical place for us tail-end baby boomers to grow upmdashbeyond the miracles of the escalator at Pizitz the smiling little lady on the tall stool at the register at Britlings and that bright colorful Maypole Th ere was a comfort level there that Irsquom not sure is in the minds of the 5-year-olds of todaymdashthe soothing sheltered lack of knowledge of why we were so lucky yet we didnrsquot even know that we were
In the other areas of our Huntsville there was poverty and ra-cial unrestmdashas there was and is in every city I was unaware People of color were always a part of my worldmdashmostly be-cause they had my attention and respect At our house there was Annie my grandmotherrsquos house was fi lled with the joys of Lula and out on the family farm there was strong and smiling Homer and large and huggable Rosamdashall just as much a part of my life as everyone else My life was good and they were instrumental in making it that way
What will the 5-year-olds of today who are lucky enough to be raised on those well-planned streets remember when they surpass their own 50 year mark It is a much more complex world now and there are diff erent concerns with daily changes of fear Youthful innocence is a prize that is encased without a lock Premature maturity is a viable threat and a constant fear But each night tucked in tight in a simple room sleeps tomor-rowrsquos adults who are having sweet dreamsmdashblanketed by the comforts of Blossomwood
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
92 raquo the vine raquo Amy C Collins
BORDEAUX POWER
Where Burgundyrsquos vineyards were established by Benedictine monks patiently growing wine vines with spiritual hearts Bordeauxrsquos vineyards were raised by entrepreneurial laymen who recognized the massive monetary opportunity when the English began drinking down their peasant wine
The city of Bordeaux is Francersquos primary port town on the Atlantic ocean a harbor that has for centuries served as the countryrsquos most important dock Th e regionrsquos history is long and storied with the fi rst written reference to the area dated 379 AD by the Latin poet Ausonius who was also a wine-grower Jump ahead to the year 1152 when Eleanor of Aquitaine married Englandrsquos soon-to-be king Henry Plantagenet and the port and surrounding vineyard land became the source of wine for the English a connection that remains strong even today
Bordeaux produces the worldrsquos most expensive and sought after collector wines the top tier of which make up less than fi ve percent of the regionrsquos total production Th ese names are quickly learned by neophyte wine drinkers wanting to make an impression Chateau Haut-Brion Lafi te Latour and Margaux for example Grown in gravelly soils only a few meters above sea levelmdashin contrast vineyards elsewhere in Europe typically sit between 300 and 900 metersmdashthese wines are some of the most powerful austere and pawed over When young the tannins in these cabernet sauvignon cabernet franc and merlot blends coat the tongue and mouth with a chalky dry sensation akin to sucking on an Earl Grey tea bag and are perhaps best suited to well-fatted rare steak and cigars Th ese are wines built to live for decades Personally I prefer a Bordeaux at least 20 years aged when the tannins have had ample time to calm down and mellow out and more nuanced fl avors come forward Sounds fancy and it is Only in some very lucky circumstances over the past year have I been guest to a bottle of 1990 Clos de Menuts Saint-Eacutemilion and a 1970 Chateau Haut-Brion About once every 10 years Irsquove had the good
fortune to taste a wine older than myself Nice work if you can get it
Where Burgundyrsquos vineyards (Francersquos other classifi ed sought-after region) were established by Benedictine monks patiently growing wine vines with spiritual hearts
Bordeauxrsquos vineyards were raised by entrepreneurial laymen who recognized the massive monetary opportunity when the English began drinking down their peasant wine Th is underscores the second half of my theory as to why Americans
more often American males are so drawn to the wines of Bordeaux Th erersquos an inherent capitalist connection something in the soil Th at the wines are so
unmistakable so distinctively grand and pronounced elixirs exemplifi es the fi rst half of my theory we Americans are not known for our subtlety (To be fair the Chinese are
signifi cant Bordeaux collectors as well)
Philosophy aside Bordeaux is quite a large region that produces beautiful white and red values as well as the rare fi nds out of the populacersquos price range Herersquos the skinny Blending is the game single varietal wines are rare White Bordeaux is typically made from a blend of sauvignon blanc and seacutemillon and sometimes a drop or two of muscadelle ugni blanc or colombard Reds are made primarily from the two cabernets plus merlot with small quantities of petit verdot malbec and carmenegravere occasionally in the mix Th e region is also home to the golden nectar of late ripened seacutemillon sauvignon blanc and muscadelle grapes that have successfully attracted the noble rot a fungus that covers the fruit and drains moisture from inside leaving behind rich sweet grapes without moldy fl avors Chateau drsquoYquem is the most famous of these unfortifi ed dessert wines though there are better bargains from the region
Bordeaux is split by the Gironde river which divides the region into three general areas Th e left bank also known as the Haut-Meacutedoc is where the classifi ed top growths are situated Th ese prestigious estates were named for their exceptional vineyard sites in 1855 a decision nearly unchanged since Today serious collectors invest in Bordeaux futures theoretically locking down lower prices of top
ample time to calm dit is Only in some vede Menuts Saint-Eacutem
fortune to taste a
Wherees
aun
of msignifi
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Follow Amy at pigandvinecom for morestories and wine suggestions
growth estates while the wine is still aging in the cellar Itrsquos the wine tradersquos equivalent to the NASDAQ On the right bank Saint-Eacutemilion and Pommerol are the prized vineyard areas known for their merlot heavy cuveacutees To the south west we fi nd Graves where there are many great values to be had in both white and red bottlings Entre-Deux-Mers which translates to ldquobetween two seasrdquo sits between the Dordogne and Garonne tributaries off the Gironde and is an excellent source for crisp whites
Get started on your Bordeaux experience with these values
Chateau Graville-Lacoste 2014 Graves 75 seacutemillon 20 sauvignon blanc and 5 muscadelle make up this beauty thatrsquos consistently delicious every vintage Crisp and refreshing great with seafood
Chateau Mirambeau 2014 GravesAnother classic blend of 40 sauvignon blanc 40 seacutemillon and 20 muscadelle this lovely white is a bit more fl oral than the Graville-Lacoste Easy drinking and great value
Chateau de Parenchegravere Bordeaux Rouge 201155 merlot 30 cabernet sauvignon and 15 cabernet franc grown in clay heavy soils similar to the right bank of the region Fleshy with good structure and abundant red fruit
Chateau Arnaud Bordeaux Supeacuterieur 2011Supeacuterieur on a Bordeaux label isnrsquot egotistical marketingmdashby law it indicates a wine with up to one degree more alcohol than its AC Bordeaux brethren What it really means is one more degree of body structure and in this case quality Approachable delicious and easy on the wallet
Chateau de Bernadotte Haut-Meacutedoc 2005Th e 2005 vintage in Bordeaux is in the history books with double asterisks Owned by the eminent Pichon Lalande family and made from vineyards in Paulliac one of the more choice growing areas in the region this is an incredible value a top tier Bordeaux for a fraction of the cost
Chateau de Suduiraut Sauternes 2011Ripe cantaloupe apricot and honey and an interesting smoky note with a solid sweet attack followed by great acidity A dessert wine that wonrsquot overpower the dessert
94 raquo parting shot raquo Patrick Hood
Meet Solvar
Solvar belongs to one of the worldrsquos oldest and purest equine lineages the Nor-
wegian Fjord horse a breed that has remained virtually unchanged for more than
2000 yearsmdashlong before we became acquainted with his animated cousins in
the movie Frozen Th ese national symbols of Norway are characterized by primi-
tive zebra striping on their legs and a dorsal stripe running from forelock to tail
resulting in a striking two-tone mane that sticks up like a Mohawk Th eir athleti-
cism agility and dependability make them valuable both as sport horses as well
as therapy horses for emotionally and physically challenged adults and children
Catie Wells of Huntsville is the proud owner of Solvar who resides at Monte
Sano Stables
For tickets or information 256-539-4818 or hsoorg
Bring In the New Year With Us
presents
WHAT A WONDERFUL
WORLDA tribute to Louis
Armstrong featuring the
Byron Stripling Quartet
Thursday December 31
730 pm bull Pops Series bullMark C Smith
Concert Hall VBC
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
M O R E T H A N 7 0 S H O P S A N D R E S T A U R A N T S I N C L U D I N G B E L K | D S W S H O E S | A P P L E J O S A B A N K | R E E D S J E W E L E R S | PA N D O R A | J C R E W | K AT E S PA D E N E W Y O R KO R V I S | B A N A N A R E P U B L I C | M I C H A E L K O R S | F R A N C E S C Arsquo S | A N T H R O P O L O G I EH amp M | S O M A | M O U N T A I N H I G H O U T F I T T E R S | B A R N E S amp N O B L E | S E P H O R AALTAR rsquoD STATE | CONNORS STEAK amp SEFOOD | THE WEST IN HUNTSV I L L E | MONACO P ICTURES
C O M I N G S O O N V E R S O N A ndash near Belk
B R I D G E S T R E E T H U N T S V I L L E C O M |
BR IDGE STREET TOWN CENTRE I S LOCATED AT EX I T 14 OFF I - 565 AT OLD MAD ISON P IKE
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Holiday Luncheons | Catering | Shopping + Holiday Gifts
Monday ndash Wednesday 10am ndash 5pm Thursday + Friday 10am ndash 7pm Saturday 10am ndash 4pmWeekday Lunch 11am ndash 2pm Saturday Brunch 10am ndash 2pm
462 Lane Drive Florence AL 35630 middot 2567601090 middot wwwalabamachanincom
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember 2030 Cecil Ashburne Drive | Huntsville Alabama
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
featuring
the magic of
comes to life
Nov 20 2015 - Jan 2 2016 bull More than 2 million lights and 9 acres of stunning deacutecor
bull ICE featuring The Nutcracker - 2 million pounds of colorful
hand-carved ice sculptures and slides
bull NEW - Dr Seussrsquo How the Grinch Stole Christmas The Musical
bull NEW - Larry Gatlin amp The Gatlin Brothers Christmas Dinner Show
bull NEW - The Elf on the Shelfreg Scavenger Hunt
bull Gingerbread Decorating Corner sponsored by PEEPSreg
bull Carriage rides snow tubing outdoor ice skating and more
ChristmasAtGaylordOprylandcom | (888) 677-9872
ICE PRESENTED BY
The Holiday Tradition
NASHVILLE TN
Pepsi and Pepsi Globe are registered trademarks of PepsiCo Inc TM amp copy 1957 2015 Dr Seuss Enterprises LP The Elf on the Shelfreg and copy 2015 CCA and B LLC All Rights Reserved PEEPS reg trademark Just Born Inc copy 2015 All rights reserved
6 raquo NovemberDecember
80
features
Huntsvillersquos HomegrownHostess
For hometown herald Ashley Ryals trumpeting Huntsville hot spots is an entrepreneurial labor of love
by sara wright covingtonphotos by olivia reedand jeff white
Photo by Olivia Reed
22Th e Perfect Holiday
Dinner
Area foodies make entertaining easyby roy hall
photos by olivia reed
70Encouraging Endeavors
Encourage Huntsvillersquos maker-teachers generously share their talent and inspiration with the community
by sara wright covingtonphotos by jacki gil patrick hood erin lindsey and michelle odom
60Of Deft and Dirty Hands
Turning life into art the pottery of Guadalupe Robinson
by jennifer crossley howardphotos by patrick hood
16Will Power
Chef Will spreads the good news of healthy tasty food one skillet at a time
by sarah gaedephotos by patrick hood
hley ville eurial
on EnEn
EncHumagentheinspthe
by scovphojachoo
28shoptilyuledrop
And shop local
produced byaissa castillo and
lauren mccaulphotos by
lauren tomasella carney
7 raquo editorrsquos letter laquo Allen Tomlinson
norsquoala huntsvilleadvisory board
Osie Adelfang
ARC Design-Build Inc
Lynne Berry
HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology
Sarah Brewer
Click Photo Designs by Sarah Brewer
Kimberly Casey
Lowe Mill Arts amp Entertainment
Donna Castellano
Historic Huntsville Foundation
Aissa Castillo
aislerchiccom
Dan Halcomb
Huntsville Symphony Orchestra
Lauren McCaul
deptofagraculturecom
Guy McClure Jr
Athens State University
Tom Patterson
knowhuntsvillecom
Dr Holly Powe
Calhoun Community College
Olivia Reed
Olivia Reed Photography
Patrick Robbins
Huntsville Hospital
Lauren Tomasella Carney
Lauren Tomasella Photography
Ashley Vaughn
White Rabbit StudiosVertical House Records
Charles Vaughn
Vaughn Lumber Company
Andrew Wilmon
Broadway Theatre League
Shop rsquoTil Yule Drop
Wait what Itrsquos that time already If yoursquore like
us the fact that the holidays are almost upon us seems
almost unbelievable Where has this year gone We need
more timemdashwersquore not ready yet
But ready or not here they come So to help you fi nd
gifts for all of the people on your holiday list wersquove com-
piled our annual Shop lsquoTil Yule Drop Buying Guide Our
secret shoppers went all over the Valley fi nding the most
wonderful unique and appealing gifts for every person
on the list and wersquove neatly organized them so you can easily fi nd just what yoursquore
looking for One thing it reminded us is how great the shopping is here in this part
of the worldmdashwe honestly canrsquot think of a single thing we would need to go online
to get Another thing we learned Th erersquos no way we can put all of the neat things
from around here in one magazinemdashyoursquoll just have to go shopping for yourself
Have fun
Th is time of year isnrsquot just about shopping and celebration of course unless you are
celebrating local talent Check out our profi le of Chef Will well known to the visi-
tors to Lowe Mill and Green Street Market and Guadalupe Robinson a talented
ceramics artist Wersquove put together some sample meals from area chefs and wersquoll
introduce you to Homegrown Huntsville Itrsquos all enough to make your mouth water
As hectic as this time of year can be remember to take some time to relax and enjoy
it Th is is truly a special season full of family and friends food and gifts camarade-
rie and reverence Sometimes the most memorable events are small not elaborate
sometimes the best gifts are the thoughtful ones not the most expensive Be safe
stay warm and enjoymdashand remember to Shop the Valley yrsquoall Merry Christmas
8 raquo contents
NOVEMBERDECEMBER 2015
Volume 4 Issue 6
bull bull bull
Editor-in-Chief C Allen Tomlinson
Chief Operating Offi cer Matthew Liles
Creative Director David Sims
Advertising Directors Heidi King and Jamie Noles
Advertising Sales Kevin McDonald
Features Manager Roy Hall
Graphic Designer Rowan Finnegan
Web Designer Justin Hall
Editorial Assistant Tara Bullington
Proofreader Carole Maynard
Distribution Johnson Trent
bull bull bull
Contributing Writers
Amy C Collins Sara Wright Covington
Sarah Gaede Roy Hall Jennifer Crossley Howard
Guy McClure Jr Allen Tomlinson
bull bull bull
Contributing Photographers
Jacki Gil Patrick Hood Erin Lindsey
Danny Mitchell Michelle Odom
Olivia Reed Lauren Tomasella Carney
Jeff White
bull bull bull
NorsquoAla Huntsville is published six times annuallyby NorsquoAla Studios
PO Box 2530 Florence AL 35630 Phone (800) 779-4222 | Fax (256) 766-4106
Web noalastudioscom
Standard postage paid at Huntsville ALA one-year subscription is $1995for delivery in the United States
Signed articles refl ect only the views of the authors and do not necessarily refl ect the views of the editors
Advertisers are solely responsible forthe content of their advertisements
copy 2008-2015 NorsquoAla Studios All rights reserved
Send all correspondence toAllen Tomlinson Editor at the postal address above
or by e-mail to allennoalastudioscomLetters may be edited for space and style
To advertise contact us at(256) 766-4222 or salesnoalastudioscom
The editor will provide writerrsquos guidelines upon requestProspective authors should not submit unsolicited
manuscripts please query the editor fi rst
NorsquoAla Huntsville is printed with vegetable-based inksPlease recycle
Connect with us on Facebook NorsquoAla HuntsvilleTwitter NoAla_Magazine and Pinterest NoAlaStudios
everything else
6010 Calendar Selected Events for NovemberDecember 2015
12 Cryinrsquo Out Loud ldquoHomerdquo
by sara wright covington
90 Bless Th eir HeartsldquoTh e Comforts of Blossomwoodrdquo by guy mcclure jr
92 Th e Vine ldquoBordeaux Powerrdquo by amy c collins
94 Parting Shot by patrick hood
copy Patrick Hood
On the cover Liliana Castillo
Maddox Acker Ilan Castillo
Rowan Jackson and Liam Acker
get into the holiday spirit
(1) Light of Mine Pullover ($25)(2) Free Range Baseball Tee ($23)(3) Young Buck Baseball Tee ($23)(4) Hey Yrsquoall Tee ($20)(5) Hey Yrsquoall Pullover ($25)Tiny Vinestinyvinesshopcom
Photo by Lauren Tomasella Carney
Guadalupe Robinson Turning life into art
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Friday November 13
Lights Up Holiday Tree Lighting
Bridge Street Town Centre lights up like a winter wonderland to welcome Santa with school choirs local musicians
and strolling Victorian carolers culminating in a spectacular fi reworks display 700pm Free Bridge Street Town Centre
bridgestreethuntsvillecom
Sunday November 15
Beethoven Conversations
Select Beethoven piano solos and Quintet op 16 B-fl at major featuring guest artist pianist Kirill Gerstein 330pm Admission
charged Roberts Hall UAH (256) 539-4818 hsoorg
Friday November 20 ndash Sunday November 22
Bullets Over Broadway
A young playwright in desperate need of fi nancial backing for his next show accepts an off er he canrsquot refuse from a mobster
looking to please his showgirl girlfriend Donrsquot miss what the New Yorker exclaims as ldquoa Fun Machine from Start to Finishrdquo Fri
200pm Sat 200 and 800pm Sun 200pm and 730pm Admission charged Von Braun Center 700 Monroe St (256) 518-6155
broadwaytheatreleagueorg
Sunday November 22
A Vignette from Th e Nutcracker
Enjoy a vignette from the Huntsville Ballet Companyrsquos 47th annual production of Th e Nutcracker set in antebellum Huntsville
with a nod to local legends and traditions and accompanied by Tchaikovskyrsquos delightful score 200pm Free fee for museum
exhibitions Huntsville Museum of Art 300 Church St (256) 535-4350 hsvmuseumorg
Tuesday December 1 ndash Wednesday December 23
Santarsquos Village
All ages will delight in visiting the Clausrsquo house meeting Santarsquos reindeer the North Pole elves and Santa Snow shows craft
projects and musical entertainment all add to the fun at the Village Santa Calls Home 500pm-900pm Admission charged
Alabama Constitution Village 109 Gates Ave earlyworkscom
Wednesday December 2
Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony Every Light a Prayer for Peace
Th is yearrsquos program includes local dignitaries elementary-age students clergy and Federated Garden Club members who will
light the Botanical Gardenrsquos Christmas Tree 930am Free Huntsville Botanical Garden 4747 Bob Wallace Ave (256) 830-444
hsvbgorg
Friday December 4
Peace on Earth A Holiday Music Extravaganza
Th e Symphonic Chorus Childrenrsquos Chorale and Youth Chorale join the UAH Music Department the Huntsville Symphony
Orchestra and Huntsville Ballet for this seasonal performance 730pm Admission charged Von Braun Concert Hall 700
Monroe St (256) 533-6606 thechorusorg
10 raquo calendar
g g
y December 4
on Earth A Holiday Music Extravaganza
e Symphonic Chorus Childrenrsquos Chorale and Youth Chorale join the UAH Music Departmennnnnnennnnnnnnnnnne ttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttt ttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttheeeeeheeeheheheeeeehehehehehhhheeheeheheheheheeehehehehhhhhhhhhhehehehehehehehhehhheheheehehhhehehhheheheehehheheheheheheehhhehehhehhhhhhhehhehhheh HHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHununununununununununununununununnununuununununununununuunununununuunununnnnnunnunuu tstststststststststststststststststststststststststststststststststtststssststssstststss iviviviviviviviiviviviviviviviviviviviviviviviviviviviviviivvivivivivivivivivivivivivvivivivivvivviivv lllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllleeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee SySySySySySySySySySySySyySySySySySySySySySyySySyySySySySySySySySySySySySySySySySySyySySySySyySySySySySSSySySySySySyympmpmpmpmpmpmpmpmmpmpmpmpmpmpmpmpmpmpmpmmpmpmpmpmmpmmpmpmpmpmpmpmpmpmppppmpmpmppmpmppmpmpmppmphohohohohhohohohhohohohhohohohohohhohohohohohhhhhohohohhohohhohohohhohohohohohohohohohhohoohhohonynynnynynynynynynynynynynynynynynynynynynynnynynynynynynynynynynynynynynynnynyyynynyynnnnnynyyy
chestra and Huntsville Ballet for this seasonal performance 730pm Admission nnnnn n chchhchhhchchhhhhhhhhhchhchhhhhhhchchhhchchhhchhhhchhchchhchchchhhhhhhhchcccccchhhhchchcccccccchhchchcccccchchcccccccchccccccharrrrrrrarrrrarrarrarrrrrrrrrraraaarrrrrarararararraaaaaarrrarararaaaaaaararrraraaaaaaaaaaararararaaaaaaaaararaaararaaaarrarrrggggggggggegegegeegegegegegegegeggggggegegegegegegegeggeeeggegegeggegegeegegggggggegg dddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddd VVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVonononnonononononononononononononnnoonoonono BBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBrararararararrararrrarararararaaarararararaaunununununununununnunununununununuununuuuunununnuu CCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCConononononononononononnnononononononoonoooononoooononononnonncecececececececececececececeececececececececececeeceeeeccceeertrtrtrtrtrtrtrtrtrtrtrrtrtrtrtrtrtrtrtrtrtrtrtrtrtrtrtrttrtrtrtrtrtrtrtrttrt HHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHallalalalalalalaalalalllllalalalalalalalalllalalalalalalalalalaalalalalaallalalalalalllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll 777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000
onroe St (256) 533-6606 thechorusorg
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Friday December 4 ndash Saturday December 5
Kris Kringlersquos Candlelight Christmas
Two spectacular evenings of cozy fi res holiday music fi ggy pudding homemade cookies kids crafts designer deacutecor and much
more Itrsquos holiday fun for the whole family with the most magical view in town 430pm-900pm Admission charged Burritt on
the Mountain 3101 Burritt Dr (256) 536-2882 burrittonthemountaincom
Friday December 4 ndash Sunday December 6
A Christmas Carol
Travel with Scrooge as he visits his past present and future on Christmas Eve in this musical retelling of Charles Dickensrsquo
classic novel Fri and Sat 700pm and Sun 200pm Admission charged Von Braun Playhouse 700 Monroe St (256) 539-6829
fantasyplayhousecom
Friday December 4 ndash Sunday December 6
Th e Nutcracker A Yuletide Ballet
Alabama Youth Ballet Th eatre opens its 10th season to holiday audiences with this beloved Christmas ballet Fri 700pm
Sat 200pm and 730pm Sun 200pm Admission charged Lee HS Auditorium 2500 Meridian St (256) 881-5930
alabamayouthballetorg
Saturday December 12
Madison Christmas Parade
Music fl oats and fun for the whole family Afterwards gather for an old-fashioned celebration on the Village Green Listen
to carolers and instrumental music around the Roundhouse and sip hot chocolate at the Gazebo 530pm Free Downtown
Madison (256) 772-9300 cimadisonalus
Saturday December 12
Mooresville Holiday Home Tour and Progressive Dinner
Th e 50 residents of historic Mooresville incorporated in 1818 invite you to celebrate the season with a tour of the 1839 Brick
Church 1820 Stagecoach Tavern 1840 Post Offi ce and fi ve private homes all decorated in the tradition of Christmas past
Homes open and shopping available from 200pm to 600pm Dinner seating at 330pm to 430pm and at 500pm to 600 pm in
town square Reservations required $70 Mooresville (256) 355-2683 mooresvillealcom
Saturday December 12
Spirit of Christmas Past Homes Tour and Luminaries
Tour fi ve private residences on Randolph Street the Weeden House Museum on Gates Avenue and other historic buildings
ornately decorated for the holidays 500pm-900pm Admission charged Twickenham Historic District (256) 536-7718
twickenhamhomestourcom
Th ursday December 17
Huntsville Christmas Parade
Welcome Santa Claus to Huntsville as he ushers in the Christmas season at the annual Christmas parade Enjoy the excitement
and music with many entries and bands from across North Alabama 600pm Free Downtown Huntsville (256) 885-9797
Saturday December 19
Holiday Artists Market
Americarsquos largest private artist complex invites the public to its annual Holiday Artists Market 1100am-600pm Free Flying
Monkey Arts Th eater Lowe Mill 2211 Seminole Dr (256) 489-7000 fl yingmonkeyartsorg
Saturday December 31
Huntsville Symphony Orchestra presents ldquoWhat A Wonderful Worldrdquo - a tribute to Louis Armstrong
Bring in the New Year with the Byron Stripling Quartet and the music of Louis Armstrong a presentation of the HSO 730
pm Mark C Smith Concert Hall VBC call (256) 539-4818 for tickets or visit wwwhsoorg
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
pm Mark C Smith Concert Hall VBC call (256) 539-4818 for tickets or visit wwwhsoorg
12 raquo cryinrsquo out loud raquo Sara Wright Covington
HOME
So we carry our boxes and baggage from place to place carving out a new niche for them wherever we fi nd ourselves And I fi nd that long after I have left a place that place has not left me
According to a government survey conducted in the average person moves around 11
times in a lifetime My husband never one to conform to the norm had moved nine times by the time
he was 18 He just like his father and his fatherrsquos father is a builder and thatrsquos just what builders do
Th ey build and they move and then they build and they move again I knew when I married him that
he would follow in those family footsteps and that I was signing up for a lifetime of constant moving
Frequent moves do seem to be much more of the norm where we live in Huntsville a super transient
place full of military and government men and women who are accustomed to shifting their families
from spot to spot But having only lived in two houses by the time I was 18 it was still hard for me
to imagine packing my entire life into boxes every couple of
years Now on our third move together Irsquove started taking
inventory of my things each time I prepare to repack them
into boxes and Irsquove defi nitely begun to see a trendmdashmost
everything I own has been in my life for a very long time Irsquove
carried my grandmotherrsquos hat boxes full of fur and feath-
ered millinery from place to place with me since I was 22 I
still have the antique four poster bed I slept in as a
child My many bookshelves are fi lled with every
book I have likely ever ownedmdashfrom the Norton
Anthology of English Literature to Frommerrsquos Las
Vegas guide book Th ere are even a few items of
clothing in my closet that are 20 or more years old
including a rain jacket monogrammed with my high
school letters and a sequined tube top I think I wore
at some point during college although I hope that
Irsquom wrong
It has been scientifi cally proven that most people
fear change as the outcome of that change is of-
ten unknown With each and every move that we
make it has become increasingly evident that I am
no diff erent We fi nd faith in the familiar which for
me seems to include everything from my footwear
to my friends So we carry our boxes and baggage
from place to place carving out a new niche for them
wherever we fi nd ourselves And I fi nd that long after
I have left a place that place has not left me I re-
cently went to visit the house where I grew up which
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
is sadly empty now Th e front door was exactly the same
and the concrete steps where I skinned my knee as a child
are still there as is the scar I still bear from those steps 30
years later I peeked through the glass backdoor to see that
the kitchen cabinets were still exactly the same an unpainted
knotty wood with brass knobs and the pocket door adja-
cent to the stove was still there also half open to the sitting
room I wondered if that door still bore the carved notches
of my height chart an expanse of inches that widened over
the years as I grew each notch labeled in pen with a date I
strained my eyes to look but could not see
Th e seasons are changing now and once again we are mov-
ing Th e boxes are being collected now and Irsquove already be-
gun a mental timeline of how long I can procrastinate until
actually beginning to pack them Th is summer in particular
has been one of many changes for usmdashups and downs joys
and sorrowsmdashand the walls of this house have witnessed
them all And I have to admit that it does seem right that
as the seasons change we too should also move on As
someone recently put it to me when facing the fear of the
unknown we have to learn to just manage and adjustmdashhav-
ing faith at the threshold of change that life will continue to
be full of beauty and fun love and loss We are not forced
to edge any one of these out to make room for the other but
rather we must learn to make room for them all
Th ere is no doubt that this house will stick with me as
all of the memories within it are engraved into my mind
But this time around I know that home will always be
where my family and friends are and the walls around
us are just a shelter through the sun and storms of our
lives I choose to believe that old habits are not necessar-
ily bad habits but traditions we choose to bring with us
into the future as a form of comfort in the midst of the
fear of the future My husband and I have celebrated
one of those old traditions in this house as we
have made our own growth chart for our
children here carving and marking their
tiny heights onto one of our downstairs
doors And although I will likely fret and
shed some tears through this entire mov-
ing process as I attempt to detach myself
from these walls a little compromise can be
comforting and being married to a builder
does have its perksmdashwe are unhinging that
door and taking it with us when we go
for information visit wwwathenseduathenianplayers
Names for photos are provided by the organization or business featured
14 raquo scene
Suzanne OrsquoConnor Karen Kiss and Sallie Ennis
Front Row L-R Patrick Robbins Ed Rush Nancy Colin George Smith and Steve Thornton Back Row L-R John Johnson Richard Van Valkenburgh Ronald Reed and Skipper Colin
Richard and Nancy Van Valkenburgh
Jay and Dana Town
Ernie Rivard Ann Rivard Anne Compton Burke and Kim and John Johnson
George and Lee Anne Smith and Steve and Patti Thornton
Linda Akenhead Donna Rush Ivy Albert and Amelia Summerville
Bobsy and Bill IngramChris Wesley Suzanne OrsquoConnor and Patrick Robbins
Tom and Pennie Keene Sharon and Ed Gartrell and Janet and David Skidmore
Debbie Overcash Brenda Millberger and Theresa Taylor
Ronald and Daphne Reed and Nancy and Skipper Colin
Kendall Black and Lee Anne Bostick
Sharon Gartrell Paige Prozan Amelia Summerville and Susan Todd Matt Taylor Bruce Summerville
Eric Milberger and Tommy Overcash
copy Photos by Mark Jaeger
Joyce Griffi n Betsy Lowe Peter Lowe Debbie Washburn and Ben Washburn
2015 Symphony Ball Advisorsrsquo Cocktail Partyaugust middot home of jay and dana town huntsville
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
text by sarah gaede raquo photos by patrick hood
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Some restaurants have food trucks for off-premise
special events Chef Will proprietor of Th e Palate at Lowe
Mill has a folding table Equipped with coolers kettles a
butane burner and his trusty cast iron skillet he turns out
amazing vegetarian and vegan dishes for his loyal following
every Th ursday at Greene Street Market in Huntsville
Although he grew up in Groton Connecticut helping his
mother in the kitchen and was always interested in food Chef
Will then known as Forest Wilson felt he couldnrsquot compete
with his older brother who was an executive chef So he
received vocational training in welding and visual arts (skills
which he still uses in creating his Afro-centric art) After a
brief stint in California working in the shipbuilding industry
he decided to follow his fi rst love and go to culinary school
When Chef Will visited his mother in Huntsville he realized
how much he missed being close to the land So he moved to
Alabama After he saw what his family was eating and how
many health problems they had he began an intensive study
of nutrition and the healing properties of natural foods
He had already been turned on to the health benefi ts of a
vegetarian diet by the surfers he hung out with in California
With his back-to-basics approach
Chef Will is like a nineteenth century
cook witha twenty-first century vibe
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
like a nineteenth century cook with a twenty-
fi rst century vibe
While most of Chef Willrsquos dishes are vegan he
does use real cheese because it melts better
He also uses free-range eggs Portobello
mushrooms are his go-to meat substitute
Th e day I visited he was serving portobello
pepper ldquosteakrdquo over quinoa and brown rice
with a liberal dash of his secret Bee Sting
sauce which his son Khaliq is working on
marketing to the public It was scrumptious
His food is so densely fl avored you donrsquot miss
the meat He especially loves the spices and
ingredients of Indian Asian and Chinese
cuisines all of which off er a great variety of
tasty vegetarian dishes
Chef Will is a passionate evangelist for the
healing properties of pure natural foods and
he preaches this gospel in a way that is so
inviting those who try his food cannot help
but be much more open-minded about trying
new healthy creative ways of eating
who seemed to have much more energy than he did He
became intentional about every step of the cooking process
from ingredient sourcing to cookwaremdashhence the cast
iron skillet which is naturally non-stick and adds iron to
whatever is cooked in it
Chef Will sources his ingredients locally whenever possible
He makes his vegetable stock with spring water His tasty
beans are soaked and simmered in that fl avorful stock not
poured from a can His collards are sublime without a hint
of pork fat With his back-to-basics approach Chef Will is
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Start a New Holiday Tradition at Burritt on the Mountain
ldquoHoliday Magicrdquo A Magical Dining Experience
December 10th 11th amp 12th
Itrsquos a magically fun evening dining in a historic cabin or the mansion with friends while enjoying delectable food and wine It is unlike any other holiday dinner and itrsquos perfect for a festive family occasion yet intimate enough for a romantic dinner for two Itrsquos rustic AND upscale
Holiday Magic reservations are being taken now by calling Butch Damson at 256-534-4361 Hurry Space is limted $90 per dinner seat Visit the website for menus and more
limited seating available make your reservations today
Wersquore decking the walls halls and stalls to get you in the holiday spirit More than 600 candles illuminate the sidewalks and Historic Park and music fills the air adding to the nostalgic feel of the holidays String cranberries make paper punch ornaments roast chesnuts amp taste figgy pudding Fun for the whole family itrsquos Christmas the way itrsquos supposed to be
Kris KringlersquosCandlelight Christmas
December 4th amp 5th
A much anticipated musical favorite will be back at Burritt in the Old Country Church
PerformancesDecember 16th through 20th
Tickets ON SALE NOWPurchase tickets at Josiersquos online
or by calling 256-536-2882or by calling 256-536-2by calling 256-536-2burrittonthemountaincom
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Th
ePE
R
FECT HOLIDAY DIN
NE
R
In our modern world of far-fl ung families Th anksgiving and Christmas are those rare occasions so fi lled with nostalgia
and meaning we press the pause button on our busy lives to prioritize time together Because family time is so rare these days NorsquoAla asked some of Huntsvillersquos fi nest chefs to suggest dishes that will inspire you as you plan your
familyrsquos menu this holiday season
Any time we spend with our loved ones is precious herersquos hoping these meal
ideas help make this yearrsquos holidays perfect
text by roy hall raquo photos by olivia reed
ldquoWith all the fl avors we associate with the holidays the gingerbread man is always near the top of the list So let the kids enjoy the traditional cookies while you sip this sophisticated cocktailrdquo mdashParker
ldquoTh e holidays are so fun-fi lled it seems appropriate that a holiday salad should refl ect that with lots of diff erent things going on fruits nuts cheeses and always a little hint of sweetness in the dressing No matter what main dishes and sides are served this salad will complement them allrdquo mdashAndrew
Grilled Pear Salad with Cambozola and Walnuts
Mezza Luna
(256) 650-2514 Th e GingermanMezza Luna
Butternut Squash Wild Mushroom and Roasted Asparagus Risotto
Th e Eaves
(256) 489-1752
ldquoI love this dish because itrsquos crisp and clean and adds a touch of light color to a typically heavy mealmdashthe bright green asparagus and red pancetta even look Christmassyrdquo mdashOwner LeeLee Wiginton
ldquoTh is isnrsquot super diffi cult to make It echoes the fl avors of the season And itrsquos also something a little unexpected It has a great fl avor profi le and complements other proteins really well Guests will love itrdquo mdashChef Merle Phillip
Snow Pea Salad with Crispy PancettaLynrsquos Gracious Goodness
(256) 533-2607
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Th ePERFECT HOLIDAY DINNER
Fried Brussels Sprouts with Coriander Greek Yogurt Sauce
Mezza Luna
ldquoI chose to do the turkey this way because itrsquos a diff erent approach Th e challenge of roasting a whole turkey is that the white and dark meat cook at diff erent speeds By separating the two you can cook each for its own proper cooking timerdquo mdashChef Steven Bunner
ldquoBrussels sprouts have had a bad rap Th e fi rst time most people encounter them theyrsquore overcooked mushy and served plain Th atrsquos a shame because theyrsquore nutritional powerhouses and because theyrsquore a fall crop at their best during the holiday seasonrdquo mdashJohn
Roast Turkey Breast and Dark Meat Roulade Served with Pecan Pesto
1892 East(256) 489-1242
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Between now and the end of the year take advantage of cost reductions on three popular proceduresmdashand begin 2016 with new confidence
bull SAVE BIG on breast augmentationOur saline price is $700 off and our silicone price is $900 off cash price only Schedule your initial consultation by December 31 2015 to lock in your price and the procedure must take place by March 31 2016
bull FULL-FACIAL LASER is $1500 Cash price only Initial consultation must occur before December 31 2015 and the procedure must be done by March 31 2016
bull WEEKEND Eribium Laser PEEL is Buy ThreeGet One Free Save $400 on our regular $1600 cash price by scheduling your initial consultation by December 31 2015
Look better - feel better - and save money Itrsquos time to get more for less
Dr Russell Jennings203 Avalon Ave Suite 300
Muscle Shoals AL 35661
Phone(256) 386-1450jenningsplasticsurgerycom
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Th ePERFECT HOLIDAY DINNER
Nutella CheesecakeMason Dixon Bakery amp Bistro(256) 213-7545
ldquoTh is is one of our favorite desserts for a holiday and for every day Th e rich and creamy cake melts like ice cream in your mouth the smoothness of the fi lling balances perfectly with the crunchiness of the crust and the delicate hints of the swirled Nutella are divinerdquo mdashCo-owners Chef Ashley and Taylor Ramirez
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Emily Taylor5510 Promenade Point Pkwy Suite 160Madison AL 35757256-430-2781
I can help you
your own wayGROW
1114-519HO
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
produced by aissa castillo and lauren mccaulphotos by lauren tomasella carney
clothing modeled by aaron petersen rachel smith anne harbargerand kait barinaga (for finery)
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Meet the Shop Girls The mission To search Valley shops and boutiques
for the fi nest in Yuletide treasures
Accepting the challenge three of Huntsvillersquos most original and creative taste-makers
Say hello to NorsquoAla Shop Girls Aissa Castillo Lauren McCaul and Lauren Tomasella CarneyDuring the day these mild-mannered professionals tend to demanding careers in design
retail management and photography But evenings and weekends theyrsquore out saving the world from uninspiring fashion and decor as style superheroes
Their picks for the very best gift ideas follow For ideas and inspiration year-round
stay in-the-know by following our Shop Girls on social media
Lauren McCaul deptofagraculturecom Instagram dept_of_agra_cultureAissa Castillo aislerchiccom Instagram aislerchic
Lauren Tomasella Carney laurentomasellacom Instagram laurentomasella
And as you shop for your own Christmas treasures this season please remember to spread your cheermdashand your dollarsmdashat home
(1) Amanda Uprichard Jacket ($248)(2) BCBG Dress ($228)(3) Zoa Dress ($128)Personal Couture Boutique(256) 508-5632
(4) Dress ($168)Anthropologie(256) 327-8470
(5) Olive + Oak Oatmeal Shawl ($72)(10) Simply Noelle Zipper Gusset Bag ($5999)House of Holland(256) 206-8989
(6) One-of-a-kind Eva Ziegler Agate and Pyrite Necklace ($397)(8) Eva Ziegler Freshwater Pearl Strand ($501)Eva Ziegler Jewelryevazieglercom
(9) Gift Set ($5995)Piper amp LeafPiperandleafcom
(7) Long Horn Necklace ($68)Personal Couture Boutique(256) 508-5632
Left to right Lauren Tomasella Carney
Lauren McCaul and Aissa Castillo
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
On himFilson Shirt ($98) Filson Jacket ($320)Yeti Cooler ($34999)Alabama Outdoors(256)-885-3561
On herPPLA Vest ($7999)PPLA Dress ($7499)Bedstu Boots ($295)Indigorsquos Boutique(256) 345-6348
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) Woolly Mammoth Tooth 4rdquo Damascus Linerlock Knife ($150)(2) Cardboard Safari Bucky Cardboard Deer Head ($30)(3) Curt Benzle Porcelain Compass ($15)Little Green Store and Gallery (256) 539-9699
(4) Hunting Journal ($32)Sweet Pineapple(256) 964-7563
(5) Yeti Colster ($2999)Alabama Outdoors(256)-885-3561
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
(1) Yellow House Handcrafted Beard Oils ($18 ea)Yellow House Beard Oilsyellowhousebeards com (2) Mustache amp Beard Comb ($16)Little Green Store and Gallery (256) 539-9699 (3) Latika Body Essentials Charcoal Liquid Soap ($18)(4) Latika Body Essentials Charcoal Bar Soap ($6) (5) Rustico Leather Key Chain ($18) Sweet Pineapple(256) 964-7563
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) Wood Thumb Tie ($44) (2) Slightly Alabama iPad Case ($250) (3) DockSmith Driftwood iPhone Docking Station ($68) Little Green Storeand Gallery (256) 539-9699 (4) Loyal Stricklin Aviator Mug ($35)Domaine South(256) 808-8860 (5) Would You Be a Deer Notepad ($9) Sweet Pineapple(256) 964-7563
(6) Filson Satchel ($265) Alabama Outdoors(256)-885-3561
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
When itrsquos time to move into a bigger house get a home loan from the bank thatrsquos had a home right here for generations You might say we know a thing about location location location synovuscommortgage
Banking products are provided by Synovus Bank Member FDIC Divisions of Synovus Bank operate under multiple trade names across the Southeast Loans products subject to credit approval
When itrsquos time to move into a bigger house get a home
Here is where Henry learned hersquod be getting
SERVING YOU LOCALLY AS
2565513300 | fcb-hsvcom
his own room
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) Spiritual GangsterTank ($36)(2) Luquido Yoga Pants ($90)(3) MZ Wallace Metro Tote ($245)(4) Vimmia V back Sweatshirt ($96)(5) Onzie Sports Bra ($48)(6) Olympia Yoga Pants ($96)(7) bkr Water Bottle ($30)The Fitzgerald Pilates amp Barre(256) 603-1886
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
(1) Gypsy Pant WarmTribal ($72) (2) Berry High Waist Legging ($88) (3) Long Legging Mathematics ($65) (4) Long Legging Peacock ($65) The FitzgeraldPilates amp Barre(256) 603-1886
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) Jane Tran Hair Clips ($15)(2) bkr Water Bottle ($30)(3) well-kept Tech Wipes ($6)(4) Made with Love Bracelets ($25)(5) Pointe Studio Socks ($12)(6) Bando Too Cold to Hold Coozie ($5)The Fitzgerald Pilates amp Barre(256) 603-1886
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
(1) Shop Bando Coff ee Cup ($14)(2) Shop Bando Pens ($14) (3) Shop Bando Pouch ($26) (4) Shop Bando Coin Purse ($20) The FitzgeraldPilates amp Barre(256) 603-1886
(5) Check Things Off Notepad ($16)(6) Hello From Huntsville Stamp ($12)Salt + Paperie(256) 655-5550
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) Muzzle Loaders Chocolate Bourbon Balls ($1999) (2) Vintage Crystal Decanter ($20) (3) Quench Glassware ($1399) Domaine South(256) 808-8860
(4) The Hella Bitters Old Fashioned Kit ($65)(5) American Bar by Charles Schumann ($2495) Little Green Storeand Gallery (256) 539-9699
(6) Julep Cups ($50)Willowbrook Shoppe (256) 270-7181
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom | novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) DECCO Umbrella in a Bottle ($1995)(2) Alexa Pulitzer Stationery Set ($14 ea)(3) Ikat Scarf ($6250)Huntsville Museumof Art(256) 535-4350
(4) Emily Ley Grace Journal ($32) (5) Sugar Boo Designs Clutch ($18) (6) Emily Ley Daily Planner ($58) (7) Latika Milk ampHoney Bar ($6) (8) Farm House Fresh Shea Butter Hand Cream ($14) (9) Christen MaxwellZippy ($42) (10) Green Tea Bubble Bath ($32) Sweet Pineapple(256) 964-7563 (11) Goal Getter Cuff ($32)Indigorsquos Boutique(256) 345-6348
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
(1) Kilim Pillow ($58) (2) Bejeweled Silver Plate Vase ($144) (3) Bone Clad Box ($375)Willowbrook Shoppe (256) 270-7181
(4) Cowhide Rug ($550)(5) Lucyrsquos Locket ($95) (Original piecemdashselection may vary)Sweet Pineapple(256) 964-7563 (6) Clutch ($65)Department of Agra Culturedeptofagraculturecom
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) Above The Bar Antler on Chain 28rdquo ($3999) (2) Above The Bar Deer wAntler Head 18rdquo ($2999) Indigorsquos Boutique(256) 345-6348
(3) Margaret Solow Labradorite18KT Bezel ($290) (4) Margaret Solow Diamond Crest MoonSilver ($460) (5) Margaret Solow Black Spinel + DiamondSilver ($560) (6) Margaret Solow Double Black Spinel18KT ($260)Little Green Store and Gallery (256) 539-9699
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
(1) Margaret Solow Grey Moonstoon18KT Necklace ($240) (2) Margaret Solow OpalDiamond Mosaic Necklace ($610) Little Green Storeand Gallery (256) 539-9699
(3) One-of-a-kind Eva Ziegler Smokey Quartz and Pyrite Necklace ($406)Eva Ziegler Jewelryevazieglercom
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) Jennifer BehrTurban ($625)(2) Cotton Day Dress ($64)(3) Norma Ishak Cardigan ($375)Finery(256) 429-3429
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) The Lion Sleeps Tonight Bath Bomb ($6) Sweet Pineapple(256) 964-7563
(2) Tiger Jelly Cat ($2250)(3) Dog Tag Teether ($1550)(4) Dinosaur Footie ($3595)Honey B Boutique(256) 503-2853
(5) Young Buck ($25)Tiny Vinestinyvinesshopcom
(6) Bib Set ($13)Huntsville Museumof Art(256) 535-4350
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
(1) Tiny Dancer Bath Bomb ($6)Sweet Pineapple(256) 964-7563
(2) Kickee Mammoth Footie ($3595)(3) Noodle amp Boo Essential Care Kit ($18)(4) Elephant Jelly Cat ($2250)Honey B Boutique(256) 503-2853
(5) ArtFolio Pink Elephant Coloring Tote ($17)Huntsville Museumof Art(256) 535-4350
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) Bib Set ($13)Huntsville Museumof Art(256) 535-4350 (2) Little Light ($25)Tiny Vinestinyvinesshopcom (3) Micro Leon Cardboard Lion ($30)Little Green Storeand Gallery (256) 539-9699 (4) I Love You Like Biscuits amp Gravy ($23)Domaine South(256) 808-8860
(5) Kickee Kimono ($4295)Honey B Boutique(256) 503-2853
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
SURPRISEA LOVED ONE
THIS HOLIDAY SEASON
WITH A FOREVER GIFT
HobbsJewelerscom 8772331347Parkway Place Mall
HuntsvilleHwy 72 West
AthensMain Street
Ardmore TN
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Caftan ($75)Sarah Richey Necklace ($350)Finery(256) 429-3429
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
(1) Chewbead Necklace ($3495)(2) Mayoral Baby Bag ($7995)(3) Mayoral Diaper Changing Pad ($2495)(4) Nursing Scarf ($2695) (5) Kickee Swaddling Blanket ($22)Honey B Boutique(256) 503-2853 (6) Lucy Darling Months Sticker ($25) (7) The Story of You Baby Book by Emily Ley ($62) Sweet Pineapple(256) 964-7563
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) Alwand Vahan 14K Gold and Onyx Ring wDiamond Accent ($2595)(2) Alwand Vanan 14K Gold and Onyx Bracelet wDiamond Accent ($2695)Hobbs Jewelers(877) 233-1347
(3) Britt Ryan Dress ($288)Personal Couture Boutique(256) 508-5632
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) Rocket Cosmos Mug ($13)Huntsville Museumof Art(256) 535-4350
(2) Loose Leaf Tea ($399)Piper amp Leaf piperandleafcom (3) Judy Jackson Tea Pot ($56) (4) Gary Watson Cherry Cutting Board ($48-$68) (5) Susan Coe Birthday Cake Plate ($33) Little Green Storeand Gallery (256) 539-9699 (6) Macarons ($116 pcs $221 dozen)Whisk Small Treats Bakery(256) 656-1027
(7) Truffl es ($185 each)Pizellersquos Confections (256) 513-9745 (8) Olive amp Sinclair Chocolate ($799)Domaine South(256) 808-8860
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
(1) Whisk Note Pad ($8) (2) In the Forest Mixing Bowl ($36) (3) Twig Serving Set ($18)(8) Southern Firefl y Candle ($12)Sweet Pineapple(256) 964-7563
(4) Urchin Bowl ($10)(5) Foodie Dice ($38)(6) 1Canoe2 Wood Recipe Box w Recipe Cards ($6999) Domaine South(256) 808-8860 (7) Growlers ($75 small $95 large)Southern Growlersoutherngrowlercom
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) Tacori 18K Barbados Blue Bold Gem Ring ($660)(2) Tacori 18K Barbados Blue Bold Gem Necklace ($630)(3) Tacori 18K Barbados Blue Bold Gem Bracelet ($990)Hobbs Jewelers(877) 233-1347
(4) BCBG Dress ($328)Personal Couture Boutique(256) 508-5632
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Guadalupe Robinson
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
text by jennifer crossley howard raquo photos by patrick hood
Of Deft and Dirty Hands
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Huntsville potter Guadalupe Lanning Robinson has spent more than 36 years mastering the
marriage of clay texture and geometric design into her pottery yet time has done little to temper the
plight of waiting
ldquoIt is hard for me to let a pot just dryrdquo she says motioning toward fi ve small wet pots sitting near her
pottery wheel ldquoIrsquom as excited to do this as I was 30 years agordquo
To observe her studio at Lowe Mill that is easy to believe Located on the corridor outside the textile
mill-turned-art centerrsquos main building the loft-like space with a corrugated tin roof feels like a place a
Gabriel Garcia Marquez character would enjoy daydreaming
Sienna-hued pottery sits in various stages to be fi red layered and etched Argentinian tango music
streams from Robinsonrsquos iPhone and two cockatiels a parrot and a parakeet chirp from their cages All
except the parrot fl y freely when Robinson is working
Robinson who is 61 made her fi rst pot in 1979 in her native Mexico City Almost four decades later her
work is part of permanent museum collections in Auburn Huntsville Tuscumbia and Tupelo Missis-
sippi She regularly enters her work in respected juried shows such as the Monte Sano Arts Festival and
the Kentuck Festival of the Arts in Northport and has received two Alabama State Council on the Arts
individual artist fellowships
Her inspiration draws from the villages around her native Mexico City such as the black pottery of
the northwest as well as her acquired Southern culture White lilies corn grids and round female
fi guresmdashldquoreally strong women who are in chargerdquo Robinson saysmdashreappear on her stoneware She uses
natural dyes indigo for color and mixes sand into clay for texture Nothing is wasted
ldquoI donrsquot waste any clayrdquo Robinson says ldquoEverything is recycledrdquo
Robinson fi nds solace in the 40-50 hours a week she puts in at the studio and the often tedious process
of making pots which can take from three weeks to six weeks for larger pots She usually works on two
or three pots at a time tending to groups at diff erent stages
After a pot is thrown on a wheel a piece can take days to dry before its fi rst bisque fi re in which tem-
peratures rise to 1800 F After baking for nine hours the kiln must cool Th e second fi ring rises to 2150
F and matures the clay and melts the glazes to strengthen the piece
ldquoI am an effi cient person by naturerdquo Robinson says ldquoWaiting for the kiln to cool down enough to open
can be nerve wracking and this is when my patience is usually put to the testrdquo
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
ldquoIt is hard for me to let a pot just dry Irsquom as excited to do this as I was 30 years agordquo
Robinson makes most of her pots on a wheel using oxides to change the color of clay she gets from Nashville and Pittsburgh Her pottery takes several weeks from start to fi nish depending on how large a pot is and how many she makes at a time
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
ldquoAttend to your childrenrsquos needs fi rst keep focus on what you want to douse the happiness joy and little breaks you get to make your artTh ey grow real fast and they will keep inspiring you all your liferdquo
Robinson imagined this bat-like design as she was working She usually begins a piece with a design in mind but that often evolves
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Robinson uses an overlay of liquid clay called engobemdashthat includes three to four layersmdashto create a
base on which to design
Th ere is high risk in making pottery and hours of work can be wasted on a pot that has not dried en-
tirely before it enters the kiln Air pockets or the wrong mixture of chemicals can ruin a piece
ldquoArt is involved but science is toordquo says Laura Smith director of education at the Huntsville Museum
of Art where Robinson has taught pottery classes ldquoItrsquos more labor intensive in terms of working with
the medium whether yoursquore building by hand or with a wheel until you fi re with the fi nal layer of glazerdquo
Th e result is sturdy pottery
ldquoI want my pots to look like something that is lasting a long timerdquo Robinson says
Th ough she works solitarily in her studio she says she does not get lonely Her birds and music keep her
company and each stage of pottery making has a soundtrack She uses needlepoint tools to draw onto
clay to Jose Feliciano and other Latin American musicians
ldquoIf Irsquom at the wheel Bruno Marsrdquo she says ldquoIf Irsquom unloading the kiln and something is really awesome
then I need something moving and I have on Motownrdquo
Robinsonrsquos years of experience minimize the risk of damaged pots but she says her greatest challenge
as a potter was balancing her work while raising her two children Now adults their candid childhood
pictures and those of her grandchildren cover the warm green walls of her studio
She met her husband the poet James Robinson in 1977 on a Greyhound bus when she returned to
Mexico City from visiting a friend at the University of Southern Mississippi He was heading to Mexico
to study at a university Th ey married six months later After giving birth to her daughter Annie Jane in
Mexico City in 1982 the family moved to Huntsville in 1985 Th at is when Robinson got more serious
about her pottery
ldquoFrom the very beginning when I moved to Alabama I knew I was going to have to do thisrdquo she said
ldquoIn some ways it was a way for me to keep connected to my heritagerdquo
She took even 15 minutes of free time to work in the studio behind her home and worked late into the
night while her daughter and son Isidoro born in 1987 slept Having a home studio allowed her to
wash clothes tend to her home and drop off lunches at school while maintaining her art
ldquoTh ere was something for me when I fi rst became a mother that fueled my creativityrdquo Robinson says
ldquoTh ey are such a social inspiration too It fi lls your liferdquo
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Robinson advises fellow artists who are mothers to seize
both roles but to prioritize motherhood
ldquoAttend to your childrenrsquos needs fi rst keep focus on what you
want to do use the happiness joy and little breaks you get
to make your artrdquo she says ldquoTh ey grow real fast and they will
keep inspiring you all your liferdquo
Anna Sue Courtney director of the Flying Monkey Arts
Center at Lowe Mill has known Robinson for more than
10 years She says she admires how mothers and artists like
Robinson seamlessly embrace both roles
ldquoIt seems therersquos not a separation between creating and rais-
ing childrenrdquo Courtney says ldquoTh ey seem to pull from the
same placerdquo
Part of Robinsonrsquos motivation at Lowe Mill comes from
working privately in a studio alongside other artists that fos-
ters a community of feedback and ideas
ldquoItrsquos nice to be here because you can take a break and walk around and get inspirationrdquo Courtney says
ldquoItrsquos refreshingrdquo
When she needs a break from the studio Robinson stays home to sketch designs for a day or two then
she is back in the studio
Trips twice a year to Mexico City keep her plugged in to her native culture which in turn shows up in
her pottery
ldquoI have to recharge myselfrdquo Robinson says ldquoI love Huntsville and loved raising my kids here but I still
have the need of going back to be recharged and smell all the smells and see all the colors and get on
the subway and be pushed aroundrdquo
Details from her trips that infl uence her work include the ever-present red that covers the city during
the celebration of Dia de los Muertos or the Day of the Dead Th e pyramids of Teotihuacan conjure
warm earth tones and fl oating gardens around the city yield sweet pungent calla lilies and carnations
Celebration of food tough women and nature reappear in her pottery qualities that both Southern and
Mexican cultures treasure
Above This daisy design is character-istic of Robinsonrsquos work Nature food and strong females from her native Mexico City and the South are strong creative infl uences
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Clockwise from top left Robinson often glazes only the inside of her pots so they can hold water and food She began quilting in 2002 and her quilts like her pottery contain earth tones and natural infl uences in their design Four birds keep Robinson company in what can be the isolating medium of pottery making Geometry and symmetry are two signature elements in Robinsonrsquos work according to Laura Smith director of education at the Huntsville Museum of Art
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Just as she keeps her home country close to her heart Robinson is loyal to her fi rst
love of pottery though she began making quilts in 2002
ldquoIrsquom a potter who likes to quiltrdquo she says
Like her pottery her quilting follows designs of organic nature such as fl owers and
crops on rich jewel tone cotton
ldquoWhen I fi rst saw one of her quilts I didnrsquot realize it was hers and I thought that
looks like it should be Guadalupersquos quiltrdquo Courtney says
Robinson prefers the immediate gratifi cation of clay
ldquoItrsquos a very responsive mediumrdquo she says ldquoYou can manipulate it Th e fact of mak-
ing something out of dirt out of nothing and making it durable making it perma-
nent that after going through the heat and maturing is something very excitingrdquo
She gently dings a pot covered with white dresses titled ldquoTehuana Dressrdquo to make
her point
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
887 FM Muscle Shoals bull 1007 FM Huntsvillewwwaprorg
News classicalmusic and more
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
copy Patrick Hood
text by sara wright covington raquo photos by jacki gil
patrick hood erin lindsey and michelle odom
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
copy Patrick Hood
ldquoA LOT OF PEOPLE HAD BEEN ASKING ME QUESTIONS ABOUTHOW I GOT MY BUSINESS STARTED I WANTED TO GATHER SOME PEOPLE AROUND ME
WHO WERE GOING THROUGH THOSE STRUGGLES AND TOBUILD ENTREPRENEURIAL COURAGErdquo
JACKI GIL SALT+PAPERIE
copy Patrick Hood
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
untsville-born Jacki Gil began her paper design busi-
ness Salt+Paperie in 2014 with an expansive vision
in mind one that extended beyond creating beautiful
custom designed paper goods ldquoI love my design job
but when Irsquom 50 years old I donrsquot see myself still de-
signing wedding invitationsrdquo the master stationer says
ldquoI really have a passion for teaching and helping people
I want to be a mentorrdquo
In 2015 Gil set out on her mentoring mission sooner than expected with a series
of workshops called Encourage Huntsville ldquoA lot of people had been asking me
questions about how I got my business startedrdquo Gil says about the early days of
Salt+Paperie Even though most of those questions from entrepreneurial-hopefuls
were technicalmdashlike how to apply for a business licensemdashthey served as inspira-
tion for Gil ldquoI wanted to gather some people around me who were going through
those struggles and to build entrepreneurial courage I defi nitely saw that there
was a need for helping people to take that next step toward owning their own
businessesrdquo
Encourage Huntsville was modeled on the image of a growing small business
movement called the Rising Tide Society a national community of creative small
business owners who encourage ldquocommunity over competitionrdquo Th at spirit of
openness is at the heart of Encourage Huntsville ldquoCommunity over competition
is a huge part of what we are doingrdquo says Gil ldquoSmall business owners sharing how
they earn their money is a big dealrdquo
As a fi rst step Gil gathered others around her who were using their skills and abili-
ties to make their own small businesses work With talents ranging from cooking
and cake decorating to hand lettering and artwork these small business owners
all embraced Gilrsquos vision for imparting to others the knowledge of their craft un-
impeded by a fear of losing their competitive edge
Th e fi rst lesson Gil wanted to impart to Encourage Huntsvillersquos students wasnrsquot
necessarily a particular craft or skill but a spirt of creative confi dence ldquoWe want-
ed to bridge the gap between the very artsy community and the ultimate engineer
communityrdquo many of whom Gil observes had been told since childhood they
werenrsquot artistic ldquoWhen you are little and someone tells you that you donrsquot have a
talent it sticks with you I found that a lot of people had that experience so that
was the workshop partmdashto build some creative courage in this communityrdquo
Gil conducted the fi rst workshop herself testing the waters to see how the concept
would be received Th e admission price to that fi rst workshop included supplies a
take-home ldquogoody bagrdquo to help students continue their work extracurricularly and
refreshmentsmdashas well as Gilrsquos tips of her trade
ldquoWe went in blindly not knowing if we had a market or notrdquo says Gil Th e popular-
ity of that fi rst class proved undeniably that a market did in fact exist the work-
shop sold out in one day ldquoSo we did back-to-back workshopsrdquo Gil says ldquoAfter that
novemberdecembeeer eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee | nononoononononononoonoonononooooonoonoonnononnoaaalalalllaallllllalaalaaalal ststustust ddiossscom mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm | | | | | | | | | | |
f
w
y
Previous page Encourage Huntsvillersquos founder and instructor Jacki Gil teaches a class in hand lettering Facing page A participant studies her supply list
we realized people really want to do this stuff So we said lsquoletrsquos jump on the boat
and make this happenrsquordquo
Gilrsquos longtime friend photographer Erin Lindsey of Erin Lindsey Images agreed
to contribute to Encourage Huntsvillersquos curriculum by teaching a photography
class ldquoJacki and I are a good team because our hearts are in the same place when
it comes to encouraging othersrdquo Lindsey says Still she admits saying yes to teach-
ing wasnrsquot without some initial hesitation ldquoWhen Jacki asked if I would teach a
class it was kind of scary I thought I had to be perfect before I could teach oth-
ersrdquo Lindsey says of her initial hesitancy ldquoBut after talking to Jacki I realized none
of us are perfectrdquo But perfection isnrsquot the goal encouragement is the goal ldquoAnd I
thought lsquoI can defi nitely line up with that visionrsquordquo
Michelle Odom another Huntsville native and owner of custom cake bakery Just
Crumbs was also on board with Gilrsquos vision In fact Odom had been contemplat-
ing teaching a class when she was approached by Gil to teach a fondant basics
class ldquoHuntsville is such an engineer town and everyone is so mathematical and
scientifi crdquo Odom says echoing the dichotomy between the arts and sciences ex-
pressed by Gil ldquoTh ese workshops are just a very cool way for structured people to
have a creative outletrdquo
ldquoJACKI AND I ARE A GOOD TEAM BECAUSE OUR HEARTS ARE INTHE SAME PLACE WHEN IT COMES TO ENCOURAGING OTHERSrdquo
ERIN LINDSEY ERIN LINDSEY IMAGES
copy Erin Lindsey
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Above A participant in Erin Lindseyrsquos photo class frames a still life
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
copy Erin Lindsey
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
ldquoHUNTSVILLE IS SUCH AN ENGINEER TOWN AND EVERYONE ISSO MATHEMATICAL AND SCIENTIFIC THESE WORKSHOPS ARE JUST A VERY COOL
WAY FOR STRUCTURED PEOPLE TO HAVE A CREATIVE OUTLETrdquo MICHELLE ODOM JUST CRUMBS
copy Michelle Odom
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
ldquoAnd yesrdquo Odom acknowledges ldquoyou are in theory teaching your competition But
at the same time you are helping the community be more creativerdquo
With its roster of popular creative workshops under its belt Encourage Huntsville
has added business classes to its community-over-competition curriculum with
classes designed to provide specifi c guidance for small business owners ldquoAll of
our events that donrsquot require hands-on work we call seminarsrdquo says Gil ldquoWe had
about 15 people at our fi rst one It was pretty much just an open discussion to ask
us questions and get answers from the perspective of a small business ownerrdquo
Th e seminars enjoyed the same success and enthusiasm as the workshops ldquoWe
had two hours for people to ask questionsrdquo Gil says Topics covered ran the gamut
from scheduling daily tasks self-hosting a website or using an Etsy store man-
aging client expectations and being realistic about how much time you need to
complete jobs
ldquoTh e time went quickly and people wanted morerdquo says Gil who envisions an all-
day seminar in 2016
Margaret Baggett owner and executive chef of the Chef Next Door is another
small business owner who has shared Gilrsquos vision from the very beginning teach-
copy Erin Lindsey
Facing page Michelle Odomrsquos fondant basics class begins with a styrofoam cake form Above Newbie photographers familiarize themselves with their cameras in Erin Lindseyrsquos photography class
ing knife skills workshops and helping host the business seminars ldquoI am so proud
to get to be a part of this project and help nurture other small business owners
who may just be starting out on their journey or are deep in it and looking for
some encouragement from other business ownersrdquo Baggett says of what motivates
her participation in Encourage Huntsville ldquoEven being on the advice-giving side
of things I am still learning and have taken tips and tricks and lessons from each
event we have had so far We never stop learning from each other and never stop
improving upon our craftsrdquo
Th e mutual growth among students and teachers is the source of the encourage-
mentmdashand the joymdashof Encourage Huntsville ldquoItrsquos so much fun to see the light
bulbs go off with people and see them encouraged right before your eyesrdquo Lindsey
says of her experience with the program ldquoPlus itrsquos a pleasure to contribute to a
sense of community over competition Th at whole concept is so rarerdquo
As Encourage Huntsvillersquos following continues to grow the diversity of the work-
shops will expand as well Whether you are looking to spend a fun afternoon
learning a new craft or are a budding small business owner hoping to launch
your brand Encourage Huntsville has something valuable to off er ldquoWe encourage
those left-brain folks to take up a new hobby or skillrdquo Baggett says ldquoor just encour-
age the people of Huntsville to get together and fan their creative fl amesrdquo
If yoursquore looking for
creative or entrepreneurial
encouragement visit
encouragehuntsvillecom
for seminar and workshop
schedules and information
ldquoI AM SO PROUD TO GET TO BE A PART OF THIS PROJECT AND HELP NURTURE OTHER SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS WHO MAY JUST BE STARTING OUT ON THEIR JOURNEY OR ARE DEEP IN IT
AND LOOKING FOR SOME ENCOURAGEMENT FROM OTHER BUSINESS OWNERSrdquoMARGARET BAGGETT CHEF NEXT DOOR
copy Jacki Gil
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
copy Jacki Gil
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Participants in Margaret Baggettrsquos knife skills workshop learn to perfect their ldquomise en placerdquo
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
copy Olivia Reed
text by sara wright covington raquo photos by olivia reed and jeff white
HUNTSVILLErsquoS
HOMEGROWNHOSTESS
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
ttttttononononoooooonononooooo raquo praquo praquo praquo praquo phothothothothotosoososos s s osos bybybbybb
Any host will tell you that delicious food and quality libations while important to
a partyrsquos success are secondary to the most important ingredient of all the guest list Th atrsquos why many
of downtown Huntsvillersquos most popular restaurants breweries and wine shops are turning to event
planner Ashley Ryals and her uncanny knack for attracting loyal patronsmdashand creating unforgettable
events in the process
When Huntsville born-and-bred Ashley Ryals left for college at the University of Alabama in 2001
she thought her exit from the Valley was permanent ldquoI never thought I would end up back hererdquo the
founder of event planning company Homegrown Huntsville says with a knowing laugh But after a few
post-graduate years working for world-renowned public relations powerhouse Weber Shandwick in
New York City Ryals started to second guess her freshman declaration
ldquoI started to get homesickrdquo she admits ldquoAll of my friends were getting married and meeting for football
games and I was missing itrdquo So when a friend from home set up an interview at EarlyWorks for a job
doing event planning Ryals jumped at the chance to come home
Ashley spent the next few years planning EarlyWorks Whistle Stop and Santarsquos Village events A brief
stint in sales followed along with a seat on the board of Huntsville Young Professionals where she had
an idea for a downtown pub crawl
ldquoWe expected 20 or 30 peoplerdquo Ryals says of their modest expectations ldquoBut 200 people showed uprdquo
Th at initial success convinced Ryals to embark on her dream of establishing an
event planning company But it wasnrsquot just any event planning company Ryals
had in mind she envisioned one that would collaborate with local businesses
cultivate signature events for the community to enjoy and support small busi-
nesses in the process
Inspired Ryals left her sales job and for the second time in her life came home
again to event planning and Homegrown Huntsville
To help bring her vision to life Ryals collaborated with designer Adrianne Van
Kirk of Fave Creative ldquoAdrianne has been a part of the visual and branding of
Homegrown from the beginning We come up with the event ideas then I get
the ticketing and sales together and she comes back with a logo and the mar-
keting for the event And thatrsquos how it all comes togetherrdquo Ryals says of their
creative process
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
ASHLEY RYALS
copy Olivia Reed
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
ldquoMOST WINE FESTIVALS ACROSS THE COUNTRY HAVE PROVEN RECORDS OF BEING ABLE TO STAY AROUND 15 OR 20 YEARS OR EVEN LONGER AND THE ECONOMIES OF THOSE
CITIES HAVE REALLY GROWN AS A RESULT I WANT BIG SPRING CRUSH TO EVENTUALLY BE THE BIGGEST AND BEST WINE FESTIVAL IN THE STATE OF ALABAMArdquo ASHLEY RYALS
copy Jeff White
copy Jeff White
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
copy Olivia Reed
Homegrown launched in 2011 with what would become its
signature event Dine amp Dash Every second Wednesday
April through October a trolley shuttles patrons between
downtown establishments where they are served a drink
and appetizer before moving on to the next stop
Owner and executive chef Merle Phillips of Th e Eaves was
one of the fi rst restaurants to sign on for Dine amp Dashrsquos de-
but ldquoAshley came to me and said she was starting a trolley
tasting conceptrdquo says Chef Merle ldquoI didnrsquot really know her so
I was taking a chance on the concept she was sellingrdquo
Merle tried it and has been a loyal participant of Dine amp
Dash ever since
ldquoIt was a risk in the beginning but it defi nitely paid off rdquo Chef
Merle says of the experience Pivotal to that experience ac-
cording to Phillips is Ryalsrsquo demonstration to the commu-
nity just what the term ldquohomegrownrdquo really means ldquoAshley
shines a spotlight on independent businesses in a market-
place that has for so long focused on chainsrdquo Phillips says
ldquoDine amp Dash has really brought into sharp focus the inter-
esting culinary diversity that Huntsville has to off errdquo
For the next two years Homegrown Huntsville focused al-
most exclusively on Dine amp Dash which by the end of its fi rst
year included every single downtown restaurant But when
big changes began to appear on the downtown horizonmdash
new restaurants breweries and residential developmentsmdash
Ryalsrsquo instincts told her
the time had come to
introduce a new event
to the downtown cal-
endar
ldquoBeer Hop follows
the concept of Dine
amp Dashrdquo Ryals says of
Homegrownrsquos second
venture which began
in 2013 Each month a
trolley visits three dif-
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
BILL FOWLEROLD TOWN BEER
EXCHANGE
copy Olivia Reed
copy Olivia Reed
ferent breweries where patrons sample beers and enjoy food
from a variety of food trucks parked at each location
Bill Fowler managing partner of Old Town Beer Exchange
agreed to participate in Beer Hop on his very fi rst day of
business and credits Ryals with an overwhelmingly success-
ful opening night ldquoAshley said lsquoI can guarantee that you are
going to have wave after wave of people coming throughrsquordquo
Fowler says recalling that fi rst jittery occasion Once again
Ryals proved true to her word with 60-plus patrons arriving
in an hour-and-a-half ldquoIt was awesome and such a great ex-
perience for usrdquo Fowler raves ldquoAshley is a hard worker and
you can see that in what she doesrdquo
Fowler believes that in addition to bringing new customers
to OTBX Ryals is also cultivating beer education consis-
tently bringing in people who are new to beer and want to
learn And with Huntsvillersquos recent brewery boom that level
of education and interest is crucial for the brewing commu-
nity to thrive ldquoWe have a very small window of opportunityrdquo
says Fowler ldquoI think Huntsville in particular is becoming a
craft brewing community People are making money at this
and once Tennessee sees that we need to already have had a
pretty huge head startrdquo
By the end of 2013 and with standing events Beer Hop and
Dine amp Dash well established Ryals took time to refl ect on
her original goal for Homegrown Huntsville ldquoIn the back of
my head from day one I knew I wanted to do a wine festival
I just didnrsquot think Huntsville was ready for it in 2011rdquo
Emboldened by the success of Beer Hop Ryals decided to
make the leap with Big Spring Crush wine festival later the
same year Once again Ryals delivered the perfect audience
for the event and in the process discovered a surprising
fact about North Alabamarsquos contribution to the wine-mak-
ing industry
ldquoIn doing the wine festival I learned that we have a huge
wine community in Huntsvillerdquo Ryals says ldquoTh ere are only
about 47 certifi ed wine judges in the entire United States
and we have four of them right here in North Alabama Two
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
copy Jeff White
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
ldquoI STARTED TO GET HOMESICK ALL OF MY FRIENDS WERE GETTING MARRIEDAND MEETING FOR FOOTBALL GAMES AND I WAS MISSING ITrdquo ASHLEY RYALS
copy Jeff White
copy Jeff White
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
ldquoIT WAS AWESOME AND SUCH A GREAT EXPERIENCE FOR USrdquoBILL FOWLER OLD TOWN BEER EXCHANGE
copy Jeff White
copy Olivia Reed
of those four certifi ed wine judges sit on the committee for
Big Spring Crushrdquo
Matthew and Stephanie Mell had just opened Church Street
Wine Shop when they decided to participate in the fi rst Big
Spring Crush Like OTBXrsquos Robert Fowler the Mells credit
Ryals and Homegrown Huntsville for helping to introduce
their new enterprise to the community ldquoAshley has been in-
strumental in helping to bring us people who love and ap-
preciate winerdquo Stephanie Mell says ldquoShe was homegrown
here in Huntsville and she really gets the downtown area
and small businesses and that is so important to usrdquo
Big Spring Crush began with a bang featuring over 150
wines and attracting patrons from across the country
ldquoMost wine festivals across the country have proven records
of being able to stay around 15 or 20 years or even longerrdquo
Ryals says ldquoAnd the economies of those cities have really
grown as a result I want Big Spring Crush to eventually be
the biggest and best wine festival in the state of Alabamardquo
How does Ryals intend to make that dream come true ldquoBy
always keeping it fresh I want to have new marketing and
new things happening each yearrdquo
Ryalsrsquo formula of reinvention and expansion has successfully
led Homegrown Huntsville through fi ve years of success and
helped its events become community staples along the way In
the process Ryals is broadening more than just our image of
downtown Huntsville shersquos joining a class of creative entrepre-
neurs committed to expanding Huntsvillersquos reputation as more
than just a hub for the brightest scientifi c minds in America
ldquoWe have a big city of engineers and lawyers and itrsquos won-
derfulrdquo Ryals say ldquo But there is a whole artist and food cul-
ture here and there is so much growth I want us to have a
vibrant cool downtown area and I want for people to tell
their friends to come and visit and to see Huntsville for what
it is a city I loverdquo
If yoursquod like to participate in Homegrown Huntsville either
as a guest or a participating business visit homegrown-
huntsvillecom
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
copy Jeff White
I was years old and the year was At that time the city of Huntsville was inching toward the mountain to the east California Street was once the continental divide between the small town metropo-lis and the uncharted territories gingerly crossed by the real estate pioneers four score and some odd years prior Th is area became the new suburb as the city kept pushing onward toward Fagan Springs as if the reverberating booms of rocket testings were vibrating Hunstvillians away from its epicenter
From the front yard of our house on Owens Drive I could look to the rightmdashup the hill to the bend be-yond which the big houses stood on their rocky ledge pedestals and to the left where all the other houses that looked just like oursmdashfresh and newmdashrambled for what seemed like miles Th ose clean well-lit abodes all seemed the same and granted at my age I knew more about the pets that lived there than I did about the people who owned those manageable mortgages I came to realize that each was diff erent in a way that was permeated by voices smells and furnishings
It is a clicheacute to say that our lives were simpler then because that is just how the current era will be fondly referred to in the future but to a 5-year-old it is the simplicity that brought the joy Th e sixties will always be to me the beginning of the age of manufactured happiness Cheap clean and simple was what was strived for and what was easily obtained Plastic items were plentiful and pretty things could be bought with SampH Green Stamps A few coins in our pocket would transfer us into the most master of manipula-tors with us giving our all to convince our parents for a jaunt to Murdockrsquos for a holiday of wonderment joy and impatience as we would scour the shelves trying to get the most from our meager budget
Owens Drive was the fairly new thoroughfare from which the avenues of three-bedroom-ranchers fi ngered away at planned intervals Th is was the place where newlyweds started their lives homes and families Where girls with last names that had been in the town for generations would change them to those strange and exotic last names of the clean cut newcomers brought here for military purposes Where the housewives would preheat their pristine electric ovens trying to make cheese straws and biscuits that were just like their motherrsquos only to be frustrated as they were never quite the same and where the husbands would follow in their fatherrsquos footsteps by joining the Acme Club and hunting doves on the weekends
Th ere was a swimming pool Certainly not at our house Th e only private pool I remember as a child was one that my grandmother would take me to nestled between huge trees at someonersquos house on Adams Street I would swim with other children my age while our grandmothers chatted smoking cigarettes in cat-eyed anonymity whispering most of their stories so we wouldnrsquot be able to hear But between their
gasps and laughter we would listen hear and learn
Th e Blossomwood pool was a place of designated rules and the sound of bright whistlesmdashwith straight lines and distinctive colors of blue and green I can still feel the Coppertoned oiliness on the skin of the tanned lifeguard as she carried me from the deep end frightened after my fi rst attempt at solo-swimming She knew my name I had no idea who she was
On the other side of the pool was the school my older sister attended It had a style that mim-icked the poolmdashstraight lines cleanmdasha temple to orderliness and good manners It was with
awe that I once watched the young adults there some as old as eleven wind and dance their way around a sky-high fl agpolemdasheach with a diff erent color ribbon until the fi rst (and only) May Pole
I was privy to was completely dressed in its woven bright colors
90 raquo bless their hearts raquo Guy McClure Jr
Huntsville was a magical place for us tail-end baby boomers to grow upmdashbeyond the miracles of the escalator at Pizitz the smiling little lady on the tall stool at the register at Britlings There was a comfort level there that Irsquom not sure is in the minds of the 5-year-olds of today
cat-eyed agasps
Th s
aI w
THE COMFORTS OF BLOSSOMWOOD
In our world of red-bricked carported castles there was a def-inite division of generations Th e children ate separately from the parents went to school as our dads went to work enter-tained our neighborhood friends as quietly as possible and felt safe between our boundaries of Big Cove Road and Hermitage Street While we dined on our Chef Boy-Ar-Dee boxed pizza our parents busied themselves dressing in their dark colors getting ready for a late dinner at Boots having the scent of perfume and face powder trail my mother as she came into the kitchen looking for something with an intense purpose My father would smell of British Sterling and look just as he did when he went to work only happier Th ese nights meant something fun would happenmdashwe would have a babysitter
Babysitters were my introduction into what was and still seems cool Th ey were usually Huntsville High School teen-agers who would put on a show without even knowing it I would drink in their every move word and essence of style To me they were supermodelsmdashmovie starsmdasheven more fa-mous in my eyes than a television weatherman and almost as glamorous as the waitresses at the Waffl e House
Before they would tire of me and my sister and put us to bed they would include us in their world of music and knowledge which I thought was all-encompassing Suddenly our world of Th e Benny Carl Show and Fantasy Playhouse would seem trite and passeacute and we would catch a fl eeting glimpse into what would be in store for us when we too could stay up past 8 pm
Huntsville was a magical place for us tail-end baby boomers to grow upmdashbeyond the miracles of the escalator at Pizitz the smiling little lady on the tall stool at the register at Britlings and that bright colorful Maypole Th ere was a comfort level there that Irsquom not sure is in the minds of the 5-year-olds of todaymdashthe soothing sheltered lack of knowledge of why we were so lucky yet we didnrsquot even know that we were
In the other areas of our Huntsville there was poverty and ra-cial unrestmdashas there was and is in every city I was unaware People of color were always a part of my worldmdashmostly be-cause they had my attention and respect At our house there was Annie my grandmotherrsquos house was fi lled with the joys of Lula and out on the family farm there was strong and smiling Homer and large and huggable Rosamdashall just as much a part of my life as everyone else My life was good and they were instrumental in making it that way
What will the 5-year-olds of today who are lucky enough to be raised on those well-planned streets remember when they surpass their own 50 year mark It is a much more complex world now and there are diff erent concerns with daily changes of fear Youthful innocence is a prize that is encased without a lock Premature maturity is a viable threat and a constant fear But each night tucked in tight in a simple room sleeps tomor-rowrsquos adults who are having sweet dreamsmdashblanketed by the comforts of Blossomwood
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
92 raquo the vine raquo Amy C Collins
BORDEAUX POWER
Where Burgundyrsquos vineyards were established by Benedictine monks patiently growing wine vines with spiritual hearts Bordeauxrsquos vineyards were raised by entrepreneurial laymen who recognized the massive monetary opportunity when the English began drinking down their peasant wine
The city of Bordeaux is Francersquos primary port town on the Atlantic ocean a harbor that has for centuries served as the countryrsquos most important dock Th e regionrsquos history is long and storied with the fi rst written reference to the area dated 379 AD by the Latin poet Ausonius who was also a wine-grower Jump ahead to the year 1152 when Eleanor of Aquitaine married Englandrsquos soon-to-be king Henry Plantagenet and the port and surrounding vineyard land became the source of wine for the English a connection that remains strong even today
Bordeaux produces the worldrsquos most expensive and sought after collector wines the top tier of which make up less than fi ve percent of the regionrsquos total production Th ese names are quickly learned by neophyte wine drinkers wanting to make an impression Chateau Haut-Brion Lafi te Latour and Margaux for example Grown in gravelly soils only a few meters above sea levelmdashin contrast vineyards elsewhere in Europe typically sit between 300 and 900 metersmdashthese wines are some of the most powerful austere and pawed over When young the tannins in these cabernet sauvignon cabernet franc and merlot blends coat the tongue and mouth with a chalky dry sensation akin to sucking on an Earl Grey tea bag and are perhaps best suited to well-fatted rare steak and cigars Th ese are wines built to live for decades Personally I prefer a Bordeaux at least 20 years aged when the tannins have had ample time to calm down and mellow out and more nuanced fl avors come forward Sounds fancy and it is Only in some very lucky circumstances over the past year have I been guest to a bottle of 1990 Clos de Menuts Saint-Eacutemilion and a 1970 Chateau Haut-Brion About once every 10 years Irsquove had the good
fortune to taste a wine older than myself Nice work if you can get it
Where Burgundyrsquos vineyards (Francersquos other classifi ed sought-after region) were established by Benedictine monks patiently growing wine vines with spiritual hearts
Bordeauxrsquos vineyards were raised by entrepreneurial laymen who recognized the massive monetary opportunity when the English began drinking down their peasant wine Th is underscores the second half of my theory as to why Americans
more often American males are so drawn to the wines of Bordeaux Th erersquos an inherent capitalist connection something in the soil Th at the wines are so
unmistakable so distinctively grand and pronounced elixirs exemplifi es the fi rst half of my theory we Americans are not known for our subtlety (To be fair the Chinese are
signifi cant Bordeaux collectors as well)
Philosophy aside Bordeaux is quite a large region that produces beautiful white and red values as well as the rare fi nds out of the populacersquos price range Herersquos the skinny Blending is the game single varietal wines are rare White Bordeaux is typically made from a blend of sauvignon blanc and seacutemillon and sometimes a drop or two of muscadelle ugni blanc or colombard Reds are made primarily from the two cabernets plus merlot with small quantities of petit verdot malbec and carmenegravere occasionally in the mix Th e region is also home to the golden nectar of late ripened seacutemillon sauvignon blanc and muscadelle grapes that have successfully attracted the noble rot a fungus that covers the fruit and drains moisture from inside leaving behind rich sweet grapes without moldy fl avors Chateau drsquoYquem is the most famous of these unfortifi ed dessert wines though there are better bargains from the region
Bordeaux is split by the Gironde river which divides the region into three general areas Th e left bank also known as the Haut-Meacutedoc is where the classifi ed top growths are situated Th ese prestigious estates were named for their exceptional vineyard sites in 1855 a decision nearly unchanged since Today serious collectors invest in Bordeaux futures theoretically locking down lower prices of top
ample time to calm dit is Only in some vede Menuts Saint-Eacutem
fortune to taste a
Wherees
aun
of msignifi
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Follow Amy at pigandvinecom for morestories and wine suggestions
growth estates while the wine is still aging in the cellar Itrsquos the wine tradersquos equivalent to the NASDAQ On the right bank Saint-Eacutemilion and Pommerol are the prized vineyard areas known for their merlot heavy cuveacutees To the south west we fi nd Graves where there are many great values to be had in both white and red bottlings Entre-Deux-Mers which translates to ldquobetween two seasrdquo sits between the Dordogne and Garonne tributaries off the Gironde and is an excellent source for crisp whites
Get started on your Bordeaux experience with these values
Chateau Graville-Lacoste 2014 Graves 75 seacutemillon 20 sauvignon blanc and 5 muscadelle make up this beauty thatrsquos consistently delicious every vintage Crisp and refreshing great with seafood
Chateau Mirambeau 2014 GravesAnother classic blend of 40 sauvignon blanc 40 seacutemillon and 20 muscadelle this lovely white is a bit more fl oral than the Graville-Lacoste Easy drinking and great value
Chateau de Parenchegravere Bordeaux Rouge 201155 merlot 30 cabernet sauvignon and 15 cabernet franc grown in clay heavy soils similar to the right bank of the region Fleshy with good structure and abundant red fruit
Chateau Arnaud Bordeaux Supeacuterieur 2011Supeacuterieur on a Bordeaux label isnrsquot egotistical marketingmdashby law it indicates a wine with up to one degree more alcohol than its AC Bordeaux brethren What it really means is one more degree of body structure and in this case quality Approachable delicious and easy on the wallet
Chateau de Bernadotte Haut-Meacutedoc 2005Th e 2005 vintage in Bordeaux is in the history books with double asterisks Owned by the eminent Pichon Lalande family and made from vineyards in Paulliac one of the more choice growing areas in the region this is an incredible value a top tier Bordeaux for a fraction of the cost
Chateau de Suduiraut Sauternes 2011Ripe cantaloupe apricot and honey and an interesting smoky note with a solid sweet attack followed by great acidity A dessert wine that wonrsquot overpower the dessert
94 raquo parting shot raquo Patrick Hood
Meet Solvar
Solvar belongs to one of the worldrsquos oldest and purest equine lineages the Nor-
wegian Fjord horse a breed that has remained virtually unchanged for more than
2000 yearsmdashlong before we became acquainted with his animated cousins in
the movie Frozen Th ese national symbols of Norway are characterized by primi-
tive zebra striping on their legs and a dorsal stripe running from forelock to tail
resulting in a striking two-tone mane that sticks up like a Mohawk Th eir athleti-
cism agility and dependability make them valuable both as sport horses as well
as therapy horses for emotionally and physically challenged adults and children
Catie Wells of Huntsville is the proud owner of Solvar who resides at Monte
Sano Stables
For tickets or information 256-539-4818 or hsoorg
Bring In the New Year With Us
presents
WHAT A WONDERFUL
WORLDA tribute to Louis
Armstrong featuring the
Byron Stripling Quartet
Thursday December 31
730 pm bull Pops Series bullMark C Smith
Concert Hall VBC
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
M O R E T H A N 7 0 S H O P S A N D R E S T A U R A N T S I N C L U D I N G B E L K | D S W S H O E S | A P P L E J O S A B A N K | R E E D S J E W E L E R S | PA N D O R A | J C R E W | K AT E S PA D E N E W Y O R KO R V I S | B A N A N A R E P U B L I C | M I C H A E L K O R S | F R A N C E S C Arsquo S | A N T H R O P O L O G I EH amp M | S O M A | M O U N T A I N H I G H O U T F I T T E R S | B A R N E S amp N O B L E | S E P H O R AALTAR rsquoD STATE | CONNORS STEAK amp SEFOOD | THE WEST IN HUNTSV I L L E | MONACO P ICTURES
C O M I N G S O O N V E R S O N A ndash near Belk
B R I D G E S T R E E T H U N T S V I L L E C O M |
BR IDGE STREET TOWN CENTRE I S LOCATED AT EX I T 14 OFF I - 565 AT OLD MAD ISON P IKE
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Holiday Luncheons | Catering | Shopping + Holiday Gifts
Monday ndash Wednesday 10am ndash 5pm Thursday + Friday 10am ndash 7pm Saturday 10am ndash 4pmWeekday Lunch 11am ndash 2pm Saturday Brunch 10am ndash 2pm
462 Lane Drive Florence AL 35630 middot 2567601090 middot wwwalabamachanincom
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember 2030 Cecil Ashburne Drive | Huntsville Alabama
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
featuring
the magic of
comes to life
Nov 20 2015 - Jan 2 2016 bull More than 2 million lights and 9 acres of stunning deacutecor
bull ICE featuring The Nutcracker - 2 million pounds of colorful
hand-carved ice sculptures and slides
bull NEW - Dr Seussrsquo How the Grinch Stole Christmas The Musical
bull NEW - Larry Gatlin amp The Gatlin Brothers Christmas Dinner Show
bull NEW - The Elf on the Shelfreg Scavenger Hunt
bull Gingerbread Decorating Corner sponsored by PEEPSreg
bull Carriage rides snow tubing outdoor ice skating and more
ChristmasAtGaylordOprylandcom | (888) 677-9872
ICE PRESENTED BY
The Holiday Tradition
NASHVILLE TN
Pepsi and Pepsi Globe are registered trademarks of PepsiCo Inc TM amp copy 1957 2015 Dr Seuss Enterprises LP The Elf on the Shelfreg and copy 2015 CCA and B LLC All Rights Reserved PEEPS reg trademark Just Born Inc copy 2015 All rights reserved
6 raquo NovemberDecember
80
features
Huntsvillersquos HomegrownHostess
For hometown herald Ashley Ryals trumpeting Huntsville hot spots is an entrepreneurial labor of love
by sara wright covingtonphotos by olivia reedand jeff white
Photo by Olivia Reed
22Th e Perfect Holiday
Dinner
Area foodies make entertaining easyby roy hall
photos by olivia reed
70Encouraging Endeavors
Encourage Huntsvillersquos maker-teachers generously share their talent and inspiration with the community
by sara wright covingtonphotos by jacki gil patrick hood erin lindsey and michelle odom
60Of Deft and Dirty Hands
Turning life into art the pottery of Guadalupe Robinson
by jennifer crossley howardphotos by patrick hood
16Will Power
Chef Will spreads the good news of healthy tasty food one skillet at a time
by sarah gaedephotos by patrick hood
hley ville eurial
on EnEn
EncHumagentheinspthe
by scovphojachoo
28shoptilyuledrop
And shop local
produced byaissa castillo and
lauren mccaulphotos by
lauren tomasella carney
7 raquo editorrsquos letter laquo Allen Tomlinson
norsquoala huntsvilleadvisory board
Osie Adelfang
ARC Design-Build Inc
Lynne Berry
HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology
Sarah Brewer
Click Photo Designs by Sarah Brewer
Kimberly Casey
Lowe Mill Arts amp Entertainment
Donna Castellano
Historic Huntsville Foundation
Aissa Castillo
aislerchiccom
Dan Halcomb
Huntsville Symphony Orchestra
Lauren McCaul
deptofagraculturecom
Guy McClure Jr
Athens State University
Tom Patterson
knowhuntsvillecom
Dr Holly Powe
Calhoun Community College
Olivia Reed
Olivia Reed Photography
Patrick Robbins
Huntsville Hospital
Lauren Tomasella Carney
Lauren Tomasella Photography
Ashley Vaughn
White Rabbit StudiosVertical House Records
Charles Vaughn
Vaughn Lumber Company
Andrew Wilmon
Broadway Theatre League
Shop rsquoTil Yule Drop
Wait what Itrsquos that time already If yoursquore like
us the fact that the holidays are almost upon us seems
almost unbelievable Where has this year gone We need
more timemdashwersquore not ready yet
But ready or not here they come So to help you fi nd
gifts for all of the people on your holiday list wersquove com-
piled our annual Shop lsquoTil Yule Drop Buying Guide Our
secret shoppers went all over the Valley fi nding the most
wonderful unique and appealing gifts for every person
on the list and wersquove neatly organized them so you can easily fi nd just what yoursquore
looking for One thing it reminded us is how great the shopping is here in this part
of the worldmdashwe honestly canrsquot think of a single thing we would need to go online
to get Another thing we learned Th erersquos no way we can put all of the neat things
from around here in one magazinemdashyoursquoll just have to go shopping for yourself
Have fun
Th is time of year isnrsquot just about shopping and celebration of course unless you are
celebrating local talent Check out our profi le of Chef Will well known to the visi-
tors to Lowe Mill and Green Street Market and Guadalupe Robinson a talented
ceramics artist Wersquove put together some sample meals from area chefs and wersquoll
introduce you to Homegrown Huntsville Itrsquos all enough to make your mouth water
As hectic as this time of year can be remember to take some time to relax and enjoy
it Th is is truly a special season full of family and friends food and gifts camarade-
rie and reverence Sometimes the most memorable events are small not elaborate
sometimes the best gifts are the thoughtful ones not the most expensive Be safe
stay warm and enjoymdashand remember to Shop the Valley yrsquoall Merry Christmas
8 raquo contents
NOVEMBERDECEMBER 2015
Volume 4 Issue 6
bull bull bull
Editor-in-Chief C Allen Tomlinson
Chief Operating Offi cer Matthew Liles
Creative Director David Sims
Advertising Directors Heidi King and Jamie Noles
Advertising Sales Kevin McDonald
Features Manager Roy Hall
Graphic Designer Rowan Finnegan
Web Designer Justin Hall
Editorial Assistant Tara Bullington
Proofreader Carole Maynard
Distribution Johnson Trent
bull bull bull
Contributing Writers
Amy C Collins Sara Wright Covington
Sarah Gaede Roy Hall Jennifer Crossley Howard
Guy McClure Jr Allen Tomlinson
bull bull bull
Contributing Photographers
Jacki Gil Patrick Hood Erin Lindsey
Danny Mitchell Michelle Odom
Olivia Reed Lauren Tomasella Carney
Jeff White
bull bull bull
NorsquoAla Huntsville is published six times annuallyby NorsquoAla Studios
PO Box 2530 Florence AL 35630 Phone (800) 779-4222 | Fax (256) 766-4106
Web noalastudioscom
Standard postage paid at Huntsville ALA one-year subscription is $1995for delivery in the United States
Signed articles refl ect only the views of the authors and do not necessarily refl ect the views of the editors
Advertisers are solely responsible forthe content of their advertisements
copy 2008-2015 NorsquoAla Studios All rights reserved
Send all correspondence toAllen Tomlinson Editor at the postal address above
or by e-mail to allennoalastudioscomLetters may be edited for space and style
To advertise contact us at(256) 766-4222 or salesnoalastudioscom
The editor will provide writerrsquos guidelines upon requestProspective authors should not submit unsolicited
manuscripts please query the editor fi rst
NorsquoAla Huntsville is printed with vegetable-based inksPlease recycle
Connect with us on Facebook NorsquoAla HuntsvilleTwitter NoAla_Magazine and Pinterest NoAlaStudios
everything else
6010 Calendar Selected Events for NovemberDecember 2015
12 Cryinrsquo Out Loud ldquoHomerdquo
by sara wright covington
90 Bless Th eir HeartsldquoTh e Comforts of Blossomwoodrdquo by guy mcclure jr
92 Th e Vine ldquoBordeaux Powerrdquo by amy c collins
94 Parting Shot by patrick hood
copy Patrick Hood
On the cover Liliana Castillo
Maddox Acker Ilan Castillo
Rowan Jackson and Liam Acker
get into the holiday spirit
(1) Light of Mine Pullover ($25)(2) Free Range Baseball Tee ($23)(3) Young Buck Baseball Tee ($23)(4) Hey Yrsquoall Tee ($20)(5) Hey Yrsquoall Pullover ($25)Tiny Vinestinyvinesshopcom
Photo by Lauren Tomasella Carney
Guadalupe Robinson Turning life into art
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Friday November 13
Lights Up Holiday Tree Lighting
Bridge Street Town Centre lights up like a winter wonderland to welcome Santa with school choirs local musicians
and strolling Victorian carolers culminating in a spectacular fi reworks display 700pm Free Bridge Street Town Centre
bridgestreethuntsvillecom
Sunday November 15
Beethoven Conversations
Select Beethoven piano solos and Quintet op 16 B-fl at major featuring guest artist pianist Kirill Gerstein 330pm Admission
charged Roberts Hall UAH (256) 539-4818 hsoorg
Friday November 20 ndash Sunday November 22
Bullets Over Broadway
A young playwright in desperate need of fi nancial backing for his next show accepts an off er he canrsquot refuse from a mobster
looking to please his showgirl girlfriend Donrsquot miss what the New Yorker exclaims as ldquoa Fun Machine from Start to Finishrdquo Fri
200pm Sat 200 and 800pm Sun 200pm and 730pm Admission charged Von Braun Center 700 Monroe St (256) 518-6155
broadwaytheatreleagueorg
Sunday November 22
A Vignette from Th e Nutcracker
Enjoy a vignette from the Huntsville Ballet Companyrsquos 47th annual production of Th e Nutcracker set in antebellum Huntsville
with a nod to local legends and traditions and accompanied by Tchaikovskyrsquos delightful score 200pm Free fee for museum
exhibitions Huntsville Museum of Art 300 Church St (256) 535-4350 hsvmuseumorg
Tuesday December 1 ndash Wednesday December 23
Santarsquos Village
All ages will delight in visiting the Clausrsquo house meeting Santarsquos reindeer the North Pole elves and Santa Snow shows craft
projects and musical entertainment all add to the fun at the Village Santa Calls Home 500pm-900pm Admission charged
Alabama Constitution Village 109 Gates Ave earlyworkscom
Wednesday December 2
Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony Every Light a Prayer for Peace
Th is yearrsquos program includes local dignitaries elementary-age students clergy and Federated Garden Club members who will
light the Botanical Gardenrsquos Christmas Tree 930am Free Huntsville Botanical Garden 4747 Bob Wallace Ave (256) 830-444
hsvbgorg
Friday December 4
Peace on Earth A Holiday Music Extravaganza
Th e Symphonic Chorus Childrenrsquos Chorale and Youth Chorale join the UAH Music Department the Huntsville Symphony
Orchestra and Huntsville Ballet for this seasonal performance 730pm Admission charged Von Braun Concert Hall 700
Monroe St (256) 533-6606 thechorusorg
10 raquo calendar
g g
y December 4
on Earth A Holiday Music Extravaganza
e Symphonic Chorus Childrenrsquos Chorale and Youth Chorale join the UAH Music Departmennnnnnennnnnnnnnnnne ttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttt ttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttheeeeeheeeheheheeeeehehehehehhhheeheeheheheheheeehehehehhhhhhhhhhehehehehehehehhehhheheheehehhhehehhheheheehehheheheheheheehhhehehhehhhhhhhehhehhheh HHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHununununununununununununununununnununuununununununununuunununununuunununnnnnunnunuu tstststststststststststststststststststststststststststststststststtststssststssstststss iviviviviviviviiviviviviviviviviviviviviviviviviviviviviviivvivivivivivivivivivivivivvivivivivvivviivv lllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllleeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee SySySySySySySySySySySySyySySySySySySySySySyySySyySySySySySySySySySySySySySySySySySyySySySySyySySySySySSSySySySySySyympmpmpmpmpmpmpmpmmpmpmpmpmpmpmpmpmpmpmpmmpmpmpmpmmpmmpmpmpmpmpmpmpmpmppppmpmpmppmpmppmpmpmppmphohohohohhohohohhohohohhohohohohohhohohohohohhhhhohohohhohohhohohohhohohohohohohohohohhohoohhohonynynnynynynynynynynynynynynynynynynynynynynnynynynynynynynynynynynynynynynnynyyynynyynnnnnynyyy
chestra and Huntsville Ballet for this seasonal performance 730pm Admission nnnnn n chchhchhhchchhhhhhhhhhchhchhhhhhhchchhhchchhhchhhhchhchchhchchchhhhhhhhchcccccchhhhchchcccccccchhchchcccccchchcccccccchccccccharrrrrrrarrrrarrarrarrrrrrrrrraraaarrrrrarararararraaaaaarrrarararaaaaaaararrraraaaaaaaaaaararararaaaaaaaaararaaararaaaarrarrrggggggggggegegegeegegegegegegegeggggggegegegegegegegeggeeeggegegeggegegeegegggggggegg dddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddd VVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVonononnonononononononononononononnnoonoonono BBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBrararararararrararrrarararararaaarararararaaunununununununununnunununununununuununuuuunununnuu CCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCConononononononononononnnononononononoonoooononoooononononnonncecececececececececececececeececececececececececeeceeeeccceeertrtrtrtrtrtrtrtrtrtrtrrtrtrtrtrtrtrtrtrtrtrtrtrtrtrtrtrttrtrtrtrtrtrtrtrttrt HHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHallalalalalalalaalalalllllalalalalalalalalllalalalalalalalalalaalalalalaallalalalalalllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll 777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000
onroe St (256) 533-6606 thechorusorg
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Friday December 4 ndash Saturday December 5
Kris Kringlersquos Candlelight Christmas
Two spectacular evenings of cozy fi res holiday music fi ggy pudding homemade cookies kids crafts designer deacutecor and much
more Itrsquos holiday fun for the whole family with the most magical view in town 430pm-900pm Admission charged Burritt on
the Mountain 3101 Burritt Dr (256) 536-2882 burrittonthemountaincom
Friday December 4 ndash Sunday December 6
A Christmas Carol
Travel with Scrooge as he visits his past present and future on Christmas Eve in this musical retelling of Charles Dickensrsquo
classic novel Fri and Sat 700pm and Sun 200pm Admission charged Von Braun Playhouse 700 Monroe St (256) 539-6829
fantasyplayhousecom
Friday December 4 ndash Sunday December 6
Th e Nutcracker A Yuletide Ballet
Alabama Youth Ballet Th eatre opens its 10th season to holiday audiences with this beloved Christmas ballet Fri 700pm
Sat 200pm and 730pm Sun 200pm Admission charged Lee HS Auditorium 2500 Meridian St (256) 881-5930
alabamayouthballetorg
Saturday December 12
Madison Christmas Parade
Music fl oats and fun for the whole family Afterwards gather for an old-fashioned celebration on the Village Green Listen
to carolers and instrumental music around the Roundhouse and sip hot chocolate at the Gazebo 530pm Free Downtown
Madison (256) 772-9300 cimadisonalus
Saturday December 12
Mooresville Holiday Home Tour and Progressive Dinner
Th e 50 residents of historic Mooresville incorporated in 1818 invite you to celebrate the season with a tour of the 1839 Brick
Church 1820 Stagecoach Tavern 1840 Post Offi ce and fi ve private homes all decorated in the tradition of Christmas past
Homes open and shopping available from 200pm to 600pm Dinner seating at 330pm to 430pm and at 500pm to 600 pm in
town square Reservations required $70 Mooresville (256) 355-2683 mooresvillealcom
Saturday December 12
Spirit of Christmas Past Homes Tour and Luminaries
Tour fi ve private residences on Randolph Street the Weeden House Museum on Gates Avenue and other historic buildings
ornately decorated for the holidays 500pm-900pm Admission charged Twickenham Historic District (256) 536-7718
twickenhamhomestourcom
Th ursday December 17
Huntsville Christmas Parade
Welcome Santa Claus to Huntsville as he ushers in the Christmas season at the annual Christmas parade Enjoy the excitement
and music with many entries and bands from across North Alabama 600pm Free Downtown Huntsville (256) 885-9797
Saturday December 19
Holiday Artists Market
Americarsquos largest private artist complex invites the public to its annual Holiday Artists Market 1100am-600pm Free Flying
Monkey Arts Th eater Lowe Mill 2211 Seminole Dr (256) 489-7000 fl yingmonkeyartsorg
Saturday December 31
Huntsville Symphony Orchestra presents ldquoWhat A Wonderful Worldrdquo - a tribute to Louis Armstrong
Bring in the New Year with the Byron Stripling Quartet and the music of Louis Armstrong a presentation of the HSO 730
pm Mark C Smith Concert Hall VBC call (256) 539-4818 for tickets or visit wwwhsoorg
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
pm Mark C Smith Concert Hall VBC call (256) 539-4818 for tickets or visit wwwhsoorg
12 raquo cryinrsquo out loud raquo Sara Wright Covington
HOME
So we carry our boxes and baggage from place to place carving out a new niche for them wherever we fi nd ourselves And I fi nd that long after I have left a place that place has not left me
According to a government survey conducted in the average person moves around 11
times in a lifetime My husband never one to conform to the norm had moved nine times by the time
he was 18 He just like his father and his fatherrsquos father is a builder and thatrsquos just what builders do
Th ey build and they move and then they build and they move again I knew when I married him that
he would follow in those family footsteps and that I was signing up for a lifetime of constant moving
Frequent moves do seem to be much more of the norm where we live in Huntsville a super transient
place full of military and government men and women who are accustomed to shifting their families
from spot to spot But having only lived in two houses by the time I was 18 it was still hard for me
to imagine packing my entire life into boxes every couple of
years Now on our third move together Irsquove started taking
inventory of my things each time I prepare to repack them
into boxes and Irsquove defi nitely begun to see a trendmdashmost
everything I own has been in my life for a very long time Irsquove
carried my grandmotherrsquos hat boxes full of fur and feath-
ered millinery from place to place with me since I was 22 I
still have the antique four poster bed I slept in as a
child My many bookshelves are fi lled with every
book I have likely ever ownedmdashfrom the Norton
Anthology of English Literature to Frommerrsquos Las
Vegas guide book Th ere are even a few items of
clothing in my closet that are 20 or more years old
including a rain jacket monogrammed with my high
school letters and a sequined tube top I think I wore
at some point during college although I hope that
Irsquom wrong
It has been scientifi cally proven that most people
fear change as the outcome of that change is of-
ten unknown With each and every move that we
make it has become increasingly evident that I am
no diff erent We fi nd faith in the familiar which for
me seems to include everything from my footwear
to my friends So we carry our boxes and baggage
from place to place carving out a new niche for them
wherever we fi nd ourselves And I fi nd that long after
I have left a place that place has not left me I re-
cently went to visit the house where I grew up which
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
is sadly empty now Th e front door was exactly the same
and the concrete steps where I skinned my knee as a child
are still there as is the scar I still bear from those steps 30
years later I peeked through the glass backdoor to see that
the kitchen cabinets were still exactly the same an unpainted
knotty wood with brass knobs and the pocket door adja-
cent to the stove was still there also half open to the sitting
room I wondered if that door still bore the carved notches
of my height chart an expanse of inches that widened over
the years as I grew each notch labeled in pen with a date I
strained my eyes to look but could not see
Th e seasons are changing now and once again we are mov-
ing Th e boxes are being collected now and Irsquove already be-
gun a mental timeline of how long I can procrastinate until
actually beginning to pack them Th is summer in particular
has been one of many changes for usmdashups and downs joys
and sorrowsmdashand the walls of this house have witnessed
them all And I have to admit that it does seem right that
as the seasons change we too should also move on As
someone recently put it to me when facing the fear of the
unknown we have to learn to just manage and adjustmdashhav-
ing faith at the threshold of change that life will continue to
be full of beauty and fun love and loss We are not forced
to edge any one of these out to make room for the other but
rather we must learn to make room for them all
Th ere is no doubt that this house will stick with me as
all of the memories within it are engraved into my mind
But this time around I know that home will always be
where my family and friends are and the walls around
us are just a shelter through the sun and storms of our
lives I choose to believe that old habits are not necessar-
ily bad habits but traditions we choose to bring with us
into the future as a form of comfort in the midst of the
fear of the future My husband and I have celebrated
one of those old traditions in this house as we
have made our own growth chart for our
children here carving and marking their
tiny heights onto one of our downstairs
doors And although I will likely fret and
shed some tears through this entire mov-
ing process as I attempt to detach myself
from these walls a little compromise can be
comforting and being married to a builder
does have its perksmdashwe are unhinging that
door and taking it with us when we go
for information visit wwwathenseduathenianplayers
Names for photos are provided by the organization or business featured
14 raquo scene
Suzanne OrsquoConnor Karen Kiss and Sallie Ennis
Front Row L-R Patrick Robbins Ed Rush Nancy Colin George Smith and Steve Thornton Back Row L-R John Johnson Richard Van Valkenburgh Ronald Reed and Skipper Colin
Richard and Nancy Van Valkenburgh
Jay and Dana Town
Ernie Rivard Ann Rivard Anne Compton Burke and Kim and John Johnson
George and Lee Anne Smith and Steve and Patti Thornton
Linda Akenhead Donna Rush Ivy Albert and Amelia Summerville
Bobsy and Bill IngramChris Wesley Suzanne OrsquoConnor and Patrick Robbins
Tom and Pennie Keene Sharon and Ed Gartrell and Janet and David Skidmore
Debbie Overcash Brenda Millberger and Theresa Taylor
Ronald and Daphne Reed and Nancy and Skipper Colin
Kendall Black and Lee Anne Bostick
Sharon Gartrell Paige Prozan Amelia Summerville and Susan Todd Matt Taylor Bruce Summerville
Eric Milberger and Tommy Overcash
copy Photos by Mark Jaeger
Joyce Griffi n Betsy Lowe Peter Lowe Debbie Washburn and Ben Washburn
2015 Symphony Ball Advisorsrsquo Cocktail Partyaugust middot home of jay and dana town huntsville
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
text by sarah gaede raquo photos by patrick hood
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Some restaurants have food trucks for off-premise
special events Chef Will proprietor of Th e Palate at Lowe
Mill has a folding table Equipped with coolers kettles a
butane burner and his trusty cast iron skillet he turns out
amazing vegetarian and vegan dishes for his loyal following
every Th ursday at Greene Street Market in Huntsville
Although he grew up in Groton Connecticut helping his
mother in the kitchen and was always interested in food Chef
Will then known as Forest Wilson felt he couldnrsquot compete
with his older brother who was an executive chef So he
received vocational training in welding and visual arts (skills
which he still uses in creating his Afro-centric art) After a
brief stint in California working in the shipbuilding industry
he decided to follow his fi rst love and go to culinary school
When Chef Will visited his mother in Huntsville he realized
how much he missed being close to the land So he moved to
Alabama After he saw what his family was eating and how
many health problems they had he began an intensive study
of nutrition and the healing properties of natural foods
He had already been turned on to the health benefi ts of a
vegetarian diet by the surfers he hung out with in California
With his back-to-basics approach
Chef Will is like a nineteenth century
cook witha twenty-first century vibe
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
like a nineteenth century cook with a twenty-
fi rst century vibe
While most of Chef Willrsquos dishes are vegan he
does use real cheese because it melts better
He also uses free-range eggs Portobello
mushrooms are his go-to meat substitute
Th e day I visited he was serving portobello
pepper ldquosteakrdquo over quinoa and brown rice
with a liberal dash of his secret Bee Sting
sauce which his son Khaliq is working on
marketing to the public It was scrumptious
His food is so densely fl avored you donrsquot miss
the meat He especially loves the spices and
ingredients of Indian Asian and Chinese
cuisines all of which off er a great variety of
tasty vegetarian dishes
Chef Will is a passionate evangelist for the
healing properties of pure natural foods and
he preaches this gospel in a way that is so
inviting those who try his food cannot help
but be much more open-minded about trying
new healthy creative ways of eating
who seemed to have much more energy than he did He
became intentional about every step of the cooking process
from ingredient sourcing to cookwaremdashhence the cast
iron skillet which is naturally non-stick and adds iron to
whatever is cooked in it
Chef Will sources his ingredients locally whenever possible
He makes his vegetable stock with spring water His tasty
beans are soaked and simmered in that fl avorful stock not
poured from a can His collards are sublime without a hint
of pork fat With his back-to-basics approach Chef Will is
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Start a New Holiday Tradition at Burritt on the Mountain
ldquoHoliday Magicrdquo A Magical Dining Experience
December 10th 11th amp 12th
Itrsquos a magically fun evening dining in a historic cabin or the mansion with friends while enjoying delectable food and wine It is unlike any other holiday dinner and itrsquos perfect for a festive family occasion yet intimate enough for a romantic dinner for two Itrsquos rustic AND upscale
Holiday Magic reservations are being taken now by calling Butch Damson at 256-534-4361 Hurry Space is limted $90 per dinner seat Visit the website for menus and more
limited seating available make your reservations today
Wersquore decking the walls halls and stalls to get you in the holiday spirit More than 600 candles illuminate the sidewalks and Historic Park and music fills the air adding to the nostalgic feel of the holidays String cranberries make paper punch ornaments roast chesnuts amp taste figgy pudding Fun for the whole family itrsquos Christmas the way itrsquos supposed to be
Kris KringlersquosCandlelight Christmas
December 4th amp 5th
A much anticipated musical favorite will be back at Burritt in the Old Country Church
PerformancesDecember 16th through 20th
Tickets ON SALE NOWPurchase tickets at Josiersquos online
or by calling 256-536-2882or by calling 256-536-2by calling 256-536-2burrittonthemountaincom
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Th
ePE
R
FECT HOLIDAY DIN
NE
R
In our modern world of far-fl ung families Th anksgiving and Christmas are those rare occasions so fi lled with nostalgia
and meaning we press the pause button on our busy lives to prioritize time together Because family time is so rare these days NorsquoAla asked some of Huntsvillersquos fi nest chefs to suggest dishes that will inspire you as you plan your
familyrsquos menu this holiday season
Any time we spend with our loved ones is precious herersquos hoping these meal
ideas help make this yearrsquos holidays perfect
text by roy hall raquo photos by olivia reed
ldquoWith all the fl avors we associate with the holidays the gingerbread man is always near the top of the list So let the kids enjoy the traditional cookies while you sip this sophisticated cocktailrdquo mdashParker
ldquoTh e holidays are so fun-fi lled it seems appropriate that a holiday salad should refl ect that with lots of diff erent things going on fruits nuts cheeses and always a little hint of sweetness in the dressing No matter what main dishes and sides are served this salad will complement them allrdquo mdashAndrew
Grilled Pear Salad with Cambozola and Walnuts
Mezza Luna
(256) 650-2514 Th e GingermanMezza Luna
Butternut Squash Wild Mushroom and Roasted Asparagus Risotto
Th e Eaves
(256) 489-1752
ldquoI love this dish because itrsquos crisp and clean and adds a touch of light color to a typically heavy mealmdashthe bright green asparagus and red pancetta even look Christmassyrdquo mdashOwner LeeLee Wiginton
ldquoTh is isnrsquot super diffi cult to make It echoes the fl avors of the season And itrsquos also something a little unexpected It has a great fl avor profi le and complements other proteins really well Guests will love itrdquo mdashChef Merle Phillip
Snow Pea Salad with Crispy PancettaLynrsquos Gracious Goodness
(256) 533-2607
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Th ePERFECT HOLIDAY DINNER
Fried Brussels Sprouts with Coriander Greek Yogurt Sauce
Mezza Luna
ldquoI chose to do the turkey this way because itrsquos a diff erent approach Th e challenge of roasting a whole turkey is that the white and dark meat cook at diff erent speeds By separating the two you can cook each for its own proper cooking timerdquo mdashChef Steven Bunner
ldquoBrussels sprouts have had a bad rap Th e fi rst time most people encounter them theyrsquore overcooked mushy and served plain Th atrsquos a shame because theyrsquore nutritional powerhouses and because theyrsquore a fall crop at their best during the holiday seasonrdquo mdashJohn
Roast Turkey Breast and Dark Meat Roulade Served with Pecan Pesto
1892 East(256) 489-1242
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Between now and the end of the year take advantage of cost reductions on three popular proceduresmdashand begin 2016 with new confidence
bull SAVE BIG on breast augmentationOur saline price is $700 off and our silicone price is $900 off cash price only Schedule your initial consultation by December 31 2015 to lock in your price and the procedure must take place by March 31 2016
bull FULL-FACIAL LASER is $1500 Cash price only Initial consultation must occur before December 31 2015 and the procedure must be done by March 31 2016
bull WEEKEND Eribium Laser PEEL is Buy ThreeGet One Free Save $400 on our regular $1600 cash price by scheduling your initial consultation by December 31 2015
Look better - feel better - and save money Itrsquos time to get more for less
Dr Russell Jennings203 Avalon Ave Suite 300
Muscle Shoals AL 35661
Phone(256) 386-1450jenningsplasticsurgerycom
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Th ePERFECT HOLIDAY DINNER
Nutella CheesecakeMason Dixon Bakery amp Bistro(256) 213-7545
ldquoTh is is one of our favorite desserts for a holiday and for every day Th e rich and creamy cake melts like ice cream in your mouth the smoothness of the fi lling balances perfectly with the crunchiness of the crust and the delicate hints of the swirled Nutella are divinerdquo mdashCo-owners Chef Ashley and Taylor Ramirez
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Emily Taylor5510 Promenade Point Pkwy Suite 160Madison AL 35757256-430-2781
I can help you
your own wayGROW
1114-519HO
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
produced by aissa castillo and lauren mccaulphotos by lauren tomasella carney
clothing modeled by aaron petersen rachel smith anne harbargerand kait barinaga (for finery)
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Meet the Shop Girls The mission To search Valley shops and boutiques
for the fi nest in Yuletide treasures
Accepting the challenge three of Huntsvillersquos most original and creative taste-makers
Say hello to NorsquoAla Shop Girls Aissa Castillo Lauren McCaul and Lauren Tomasella CarneyDuring the day these mild-mannered professionals tend to demanding careers in design
retail management and photography But evenings and weekends theyrsquore out saving the world from uninspiring fashion and decor as style superheroes
Their picks for the very best gift ideas follow For ideas and inspiration year-round
stay in-the-know by following our Shop Girls on social media
Lauren McCaul deptofagraculturecom Instagram dept_of_agra_cultureAissa Castillo aislerchiccom Instagram aislerchic
Lauren Tomasella Carney laurentomasellacom Instagram laurentomasella
And as you shop for your own Christmas treasures this season please remember to spread your cheermdashand your dollarsmdashat home
(1) Amanda Uprichard Jacket ($248)(2) BCBG Dress ($228)(3) Zoa Dress ($128)Personal Couture Boutique(256) 508-5632
(4) Dress ($168)Anthropologie(256) 327-8470
(5) Olive + Oak Oatmeal Shawl ($72)(10) Simply Noelle Zipper Gusset Bag ($5999)House of Holland(256) 206-8989
(6) One-of-a-kind Eva Ziegler Agate and Pyrite Necklace ($397)(8) Eva Ziegler Freshwater Pearl Strand ($501)Eva Ziegler Jewelryevazieglercom
(9) Gift Set ($5995)Piper amp LeafPiperandleafcom
(7) Long Horn Necklace ($68)Personal Couture Boutique(256) 508-5632
Left to right Lauren Tomasella Carney
Lauren McCaul and Aissa Castillo
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
On himFilson Shirt ($98) Filson Jacket ($320)Yeti Cooler ($34999)Alabama Outdoors(256)-885-3561
On herPPLA Vest ($7999)PPLA Dress ($7499)Bedstu Boots ($295)Indigorsquos Boutique(256) 345-6348
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(1) Woolly Mammoth Tooth 4rdquo Damascus Linerlock Knife ($150)(2) Cardboard Safari Bucky Cardboard Deer Head ($30)(3) Curt Benzle Porcelain Compass ($15)Little Green Store and Gallery (256) 539-9699
(4) Hunting Journal ($32)Sweet Pineapple(256) 964-7563
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novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
(1) Yellow House Handcrafted Beard Oils ($18 ea)Yellow House Beard Oilsyellowhousebeards com (2) Mustache amp Beard Comb ($16)Little Green Store and Gallery (256) 539-9699 (3) Latika Body Essentials Charcoal Liquid Soap ($18)(4) Latika Body Essentials Charcoal Bar Soap ($6) (5) Rustico Leather Key Chain ($18) Sweet Pineapple(256) 964-7563
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novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
When itrsquos time to move into a bigger house get a home loan from the bank thatrsquos had a home right here for generations You might say we know a thing about location location location synovuscommortgage
Banking products are provided by Synovus Bank Member FDIC Divisions of Synovus Bank operate under multiple trade names across the Southeast Loans products subject to credit approval
When itrsquos time to move into a bigger house get a home
Here is where Henry learned hersquod be getting
SERVING YOU LOCALLY AS
2565513300 | fcb-hsvcom
his own room
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(1) Spiritual GangsterTank ($36)(2) Luquido Yoga Pants ($90)(3) MZ Wallace Metro Tote ($245)(4) Vimmia V back Sweatshirt ($96)(5) Onzie Sports Bra ($48)(6) Olympia Yoga Pants ($96)(7) bkr Water Bottle ($30)The Fitzgerald Pilates amp Barre(256) 603-1886
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
(1) Gypsy Pant WarmTribal ($72) (2) Berry High Waist Legging ($88) (3) Long Legging Mathematics ($65) (4) Long Legging Peacock ($65) The FitzgeraldPilates amp Barre(256) 603-1886
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novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
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novemberdecember | noalastudioscom | novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
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(1) DECCO Umbrella in a Bottle ($1995)(2) Alexa Pulitzer Stationery Set ($14 ea)(3) Ikat Scarf ($6250)Huntsville Museumof Art(256) 535-4350
(4) Emily Ley Grace Journal ($32) (5) Sugar Boo Designs Clutch ($18) (6) Emily Ley Daily Planner ($58) (7) Latika Milk ampHoney Bar ($6) (8) Farm House Fresh Shea Butter Hand Cream ($14) (9) Christen MaxwellZippy ($42) (10) Green Tea Bubble Bath ($32) Sweet Pineapple(256) 964-7563 (11) Goal Getter Cuff ($32)Indigorsquos Boutique(256) 345-6348
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
(1) Kilim Pillow ($58) (2) Bejeweled Silver Plate Vase ($144) (3) Bone Clad Box ($375)Willowbrook Shoppe (256) 270-7181
(4) Cowhide Rug ($550)(5) Lucyrsquos Locket ($95) (Original piecemdashselection may vary)Sweet Pineapple(256) 964-7563 (6) Clutch ($65)Department of Agra Culturedeptofagraculturecom
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novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
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novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
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novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
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novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
SURPRISEA LOVED ONE
THIS HOLIDAY SEASON
WITH A FOREVER GIFT
HobbsJewelerscom 8772331347Parkway Place Mall
HuntsvilleHwy 72 West
AthensMain Street
Ardmore TN
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novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
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novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
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novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Guadalupe Robinson
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
text by jennifer crossley howard raquo photos by patrick hood
Of Deft and Dirty Hands
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Huntsville potter Guadalupe Lanning Robinson has spent more than 36 years mastering the
marriage of clay texture and geometric design into her pottery yet time has done little to temper the
plight of waiting
ldquoIt is hard for me to let a pot just dryrdquo she says motioning toward fi ve small wet pots sitting near her
pottery wheel ldquoIrsquom as excited to do this as I was 30 years agordquo
To observe her studio at Lowe Mill that is easy to believe Located on the corridor outside the textile
mill-turned-art centerrsquos main building the loft-like space with a corrugated tin roof feels like a place a
Gabriel Garcia Marquez character would enjoy daydreaming
Sienna-hued pottery sits in various stages to be fi red layered and etched Argentinian tango music
streams from Robinsonrsquos iPhone and two cockatiels a parrot and a parakeet chirp from their cages All
except the parrot fl y freely when Robinson is working
Robinson who is 61 made her fi rst pot in 1979 in her native Mexico City Almost four decades later her
work is part of permanent museum collections in Auburn Huntsville Tuscumbia and Tupelo Missis-
sippi She regularly enters her work in respected juried shows such as the Monte Sano Arts Festival and
the Kentuck Festival of the Arts in Northport and has received two Alabama State Council on the Arts
individual artist fellowships
Her inspiration draws from the villages around her native Mexico City such as the black pottery of
the northwest as well as her acquired Southern culture White lilies corn grids and round female
fi guresmdashldquoreally strong women who are in chargerdquo Robinson saysmdashreappear on her stoneware She uses
natural dyes indigo for color and mixes sand into clay for texture Nothing is wasted
ldquoI donrsquot waste any clayrdquo Robinson says ldquoEverything is recycledrdquo
Robinson fi nds solace in the 40-50 hours a week she puts in at the studio and the often tedious process
of making pots which can take from three weeks to six weeks for larger pots She usually works on two
or three pots at a time tending to groups at diff erent stages
After a pot is thrown on a wheel a piece can take days to dry before its fi rst bisque fi re in which tem-
peratures rise to 1800 F After baking for nine hours the kiln must cool Th e second fi ring rises to 2150
F and matures the clay and melts the glazes to strengthen the piece
ldquoI am an effi cient person by naturerdquo Robinson says ldquoWaiting for the kiln to cool down enough to open
can be nerve wracking and this is when my patience is usually put to the testrdquo
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
ldquoIt is hard for me to let a pot just dry Irsquom as excited to do this as I was 30 years agordquo
Robinson makes most of her pots on a wheel using oxides to change the color of clay she gets from Nashville and Pittsburgh Her pottery takes several weeks from start to fi nish depending on how large a pot is and how many she makes at a time
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
ldquoAttend to your childrenrsquos needs fi rst keep focus on what you want to douse the happiness joy and little breaks you get to make your artTh ey grow real fast and they will keep inspiring you all your liferdquo
Robinson imagined this bat-like design as she was working She usually begins a piece with a design in mind but that often evolves
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Robinson uses an overlay of liquid clay called engobemdashthat includes three to four layersmdashto create a
base on which to design
Th ere is high risk in making pottery and hours of work can be wasted on a pot that has not dried en-
tirely before it enters the kiln Air pockets or the wrong mixture of chemicals can ruin a piece
ldquoArt is involved but science is toordquo says Laura Smith director of education at the Huntsville Museum
of Art where Robinson has taught pottery classes ldquoItrsquos more labor intensive in terms of working with
the medium whether yoursquore building by hand or with a wheel until you fi re with the fi nal layer of glazerdquo
Th e result is sturdy pottery
ldquoI want my pots to look like something that is lasting a long timerdquo Robinson says
Th ough she works solitarily in her studio she says she does not get lonely Her birds and music keep her
company and each stage of pottery making has a soundtrack She uses needlepoint tools to draw onto
clay to Jose Feliciano and other Latin American musicians
ldquoIf Irsquom at the wheel Bruno Marsrdquo she says ldquoIf Irsquom unloading the kiln and something is really awesome
then I need something moving and I have on Motownrdquo
Robinsonrsquos years of experience minimize the risk of damaged pots but she says her greatest challenge
as a potter was balancing her work while raising her two children Now adults their candid childhood
pictures and those of her grandchildren cover the warm green walls of her studio
She met her husband the poet James Robinson in 1977 on a Greyhound bus when she returned to
Mexico City from visiting a friend at the University of Southern Mississippi He was heading to Mexico
to study at a university Th ey married six months later After giving birth to her daughter Annie Jane in
Mexico City in 1982 the family moved to Huntsville in 1985 Th at is when Robinson got more serious
about her pottery
ldquoFrom the very beginning when I moved to Alabama I knew I was going to have to do thisrdquo she said
ldquoIn some ways it was a way for me to keep connected to my heritagerdquo
She took even 15 minutes of free time to work in the studio behind her home and worked late into the
night while her daughter and son Isidoro born in 1987 slept Having a home studio allowed her to
wash clothes tend to her home and drop off lunches at school while maintaining her art
ldquoTh ere was something for me when I fi rst became a mother that fueled my creativityrdquo Robinson says
ldquoTh ey are such a social inspiration too It fi lls your liferdquo
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Robinson advises fellow artists who are mothers to seize
both roles but to prioritize motherhood
ldquoAttend to your childrenrsquos needs fi rst keep focus on what you
want to do use the happiness joy and little breaks you get
to make your artrdquo she says ldquoTh ey grow real fast and they will
keep inspiring you all your liferdquo
Anna Sue Courtney director of the Flying Monkey Arts
Center at Lowe Mill has known Robinson for more than
10 years She says she admires how mothers and artists like
Robinson seamlessly embrace both roles
ldquoIt seems therersquos not a separation between creating and rais-
ing childrenrdquo Courtney says ldquoTh ey seem to pull from the
same placerdquo
Part of Robinsonrsquos motivation at Lowe Mill comes from
working privately in a studio alongside other artists that fos-
ters a community of feedback and ideas
ldquoItrsquos nice to be here because you can take a break and walk around and get inspirationrdquo Courtney says
ldquoItrsquos refreshingrdquo
When she needs a break from the studio Robinson stays home to sketch designs for a day or two then
she is back in the studio
Trips twice a year to Mexico City keep her plugged in to her native culture which in turn shows up in
her pottery
ldquoI have to recharge myselfrdquo Robinson says ldquoI love Huntsville and loved raising my kids here but I still
have the need of going back to be recharged and smell all the smells and see all the colors and get on
the subway and be pushed aroundrdquo
Details from her trips that infl uence her work include the ever-present red that covers the city during
the celebration of Dia de los Muertos or the Day of the Dead Th e pyramids of Teotihuacan conjure
warm earth tones and fl oating gardens around the city yield sweet pungent calla lilies and carnations
Celebration of food tough women and nature reappear in her pottery qualities that both Southern and
Mexican cultures treasure
Above This daisy design is character-istic of Robinsonrsquos work Nature food and strong females from her native Mexico City and the South are strong creative infl uences
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Clockwise from top left Robinson often glazes only the inside of her pots so they can hold water and food She began quilting in 2002 and her quilts like her pottery contain earth tones and natural infl uences in their design Four birds keep Robinson company in what can be the isolating medium of pottery making Geometry and symmetry are two signature elements in Robinsonrsquos work according to Laura Smith director of education at the Huntsville Museum of Art
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Just as she keeps her home country close to her heart Robinson is loyal to her fi rst
love of pottery though she began making quilts in 2002
ldquoIrsquom a potter who likes to quiltrdquo she says
Like her pottery her quilting follows designs of organic nature such as fl owers and
crops on rich jewel tone cotton
ldquoWhen I fi rst saw one of her quilts I didnrsquot realize it was hers and I thought that
looks like it should be Guadalupersquos quiltrdquo Courtney says
Robinson prefers the immediate gratifi cation of clay
ldquoItrsquos a very responsive mediumrdquo she says ldquoYou can manipulate it Th e fact of mak-
ing something out of dirt out of nothing and making it durable making it perma-
nent that after going through the heat and maturing is something very excitingrdquo
She gently dings a pot covered with white dresses titled ldquoTehuana Dressrdquo to make
her point
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
887 FM Muscle Shoals bull 1007 FM Huntsvillewwwaprorg
News classicalmusic and more
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
copy Patrick Hood
text by sara wright covington raquo photos by jacki gil
patrick hood erin lindsey and michelle odom
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
copy Patrick Hood
ldquoA LOT OF PEOPLE HAD BEEN ASKING ME QUESTIONS ABOUTHOW I GOT MY BUSINESS STARTED I WANTED TO GATHER SOME PEOPLE AROUND ME
WHO WERE GOING THROUGH THOSE STRUGGLES AND TOBUILD ENTREPRENEURIAL COURAGErdquo
JACKI GIL SALT+PAPERIE
copy Patrick Hood
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
untsville-born Jacki Gil began her paper design busi-
ness Salt+Paperie in 2014 with an expansive vision
in mind one that extended beyond creating beautiful
custom designed paper goods ldquoI love my design job
but when Irsquom 50 years old I donrsquot see myself still de-
signing wedding invitationsrdquo the master stationer says
ldquoI really have a passion for teaching and helping people
I want to be a mentorrdquo
In 2015 Gil set out on her mentoring mission sooner than expected with a series
of workshops called Encourage Huntsville ldquoA lot of people had been asking me
questions about how I got my business startedrdquo Gil says about the early days of
Salt+Paperie Even though most of those questions from entrepreneurial-hopefuls
were technicalmdashlike how to apply for a business licensemdashthey served as inspira-
tion for Gil ldquoI wanted to gather some people around me who were going through
those struggles and to build entrepreneurial courage I defi nitely saw that there
was a need for helping people to take that next step toward owning their own
businessesrdquo
Encourage Huntsville was modeled on the image of a growing small business
movement called the Rising Tide Society a national community of creative small
business owners who encourage ldquocommunity over competitionrdquo Th at spirit of
openness is at the heart of Encourage Huntsville ldquoCommunity over competition
is a huge part of what we are doingrdquo says Gil ldquoSmall business owners sharing how
they earn their money is a big dealrdquo
As a fi rst step Gil gathered others around her who were using their skills and abili-
ties to make their own small businesses work With talents ranging from cooking
and cake decorating to hand lettering and artwork these small business owners
all embraced Gilrsquos vision for imparting to others the knowledge of their craft un-
impeded by a fear of losing their competitive edge
Th e fi rst lesson Gil wanted to impart to Encourage Huntsvillersquos students wasnrsquot
necessarily a particular craft or skill but a spirt of creative confi dence ldquoWe want-
ed to bridge the gap between the very artsy community and the ultimate engineer
communityrdquo many of whom Gil observes had been told since childhood they
werenrsquot artistic ldquoWhen you are little and someone tells you that you donrsquot have a
talent it sticks with you I found that a lot of people had that experience so that
was the workshop partmdashto build some creative courage in this communityrdquo
Gil conducted the fi rst workshop herself testing the waters to see how the concept
would be received Th e admission price to that fi rst workshop included supplies a
take-home ldquogoody bagrdquo to help students continue their work extracurricularly and
refreshmentsmdashas well as Gilrsquos tips of her trade
ldquoWe went in blindly not knowing if we had a market or notrdquo says Gil Th e popular-
ity of that fi rst class proved undeniably that a market did in fact exist the work-
shop sold out in one day ldquoSo we did back-to-back workshopsrdquo Gil says ldquoAfter that
novemberdecembeeer eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee | nononoononononononoonoonononooooonoonoonnononnoaaalalalllaallllllalaalaaalal ststustust ddiossscom mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm | | | | | | | | | | |
f
w
y
Previous page Encourage Huntsvillersquos founder and instructor Jacki Gil teaches a class in hand lettering Facing page A participant studies her supply list
we realized people really want to do this stuff So we said lsquoletrsquos jump on the boat
and make this happenrsquordquo
Gilrsquos longtime friend photographer Erin Lindsey of Erin Lindsey Images agreed
to contribute to Encourage Huntsvillersquos curriculum by teaching a photography
class ldquoJacki and I are a good team because our hearts are in the same place when
it comes to encouraging othersrdquo Lindsey says Still she admits saying yes to teach-
ing wasnrsquot without some initial hesitation ldquoWhen Jacki asked if I would teach a
class it was kind of scary I thought I had to be perfect before I could teach oth-
ersrdquo Lindsey says of her initial hesitancy ldquoBut after talking to Jacki I realized none
of us are perfectrdquo But perfection isnrsquot the goal encouragement is the goal ldquoAnd I
thought lsquoI can defi nitely line up with that visionrsquordquo
Michelle Odom another Huntsville native and owner of custom cake bakery Just
Crumbs was also on board with Gilrsquos vision In fact Odom had been contemplat-
ing teaching a class when she was approached by Gil to teach a fondant basics
class ldquoHuntsville is such an engineer town and everyone is so mathematical and
scientifi crdquo Odom says echoing the dichotomy between the arts and sciences ex-
pressed by Gil ldquoTh ese workshops are just a very cool way for structured people to
have a creative outletrdquo
ldquoJACKI AND I ARE A GOOD TEAM BECAUSE OUR HEARTS ARE INTHE SAME PLACE WHEN IT COMES TO ENCOURAGING OTHERSrdquo
ERIN LINDSEY ERIN LINDSEY IMAGES
copy Erin Lindsey
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Above A participant in Erin Lindseyrsquos photo class frames a still life
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
copy Erin Lindsey
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
ldquoHUNTSVILLE IS SUCH AN ENGINEER TOWN AND EVERYONE ISSO MATHEMATICAL AND SCIENTIFIC THESE WORKSHOPS ARE JUST A VERY COOL
WAY FOR STRUCTURED PEOPLE TO HAVE A CREATIVE OUTLETrdquo MICHELLE ODOM JUST CRUMBS
copy Michelle Odom
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
ldquoAnd yesrdquo Odom acknowledges ldquoyou are in theory teaching your competition But
at the same time you are helping the community be more creativerdquo
With its roster of popular creative workshops under its belt Encourage Huntsville
has added business classes to its community-over-competition curriculum with
classes designed to provide specifi c guidance for small business owners ldquoAll of
our events that donrsquot require hands-on work we call seminarsrdquo says Gil ldquoWe had
about 15 people at our fi rst one It was pretty much just an open discussion to ask
us questions and get answers from the perspective of a small business ownerrdquo
Th e seminars enjoyed the same success and enthusiasm as the workshops ldquoWe
had two hours for people to ask questionsrdquo Gil says Topics covered ran the gamut
from scheduling daily tasks self-hosting a website or using an Etsy store man-
aging client expectations and being realistic about how much time you need to
complete jobs
ldquoTh e time went quickly and people wanted morerdquo says Gil who envisions an all-
day seminar in 2016
Margaret Baggett owner and executive chef of the Chef Next Door is another
small business owner who has shared Gilrsquos vision from the very beginning teach-
copy Erin Lindsey
Facing page Michelle Odomrsquos fondant basics class begins with a styrofoam cake form Above Newbie photographers familiarize themselves with their cameras in Erin Lindseyrsquos photography class
ing knife skills workshops and helping host the business seminars ldquoI am so proud
to get to be a part of this project and help nurture other small business owners
who may just be starting out on their journey or are deep in it and looking for
some encouragement from other business ownersrdquo Baggett says of what motivates
her participation in Encourage Huntsville ldquoEven being on the advice-giving side
of things I am still learning and have taken tips and tricks and lessons from each
event we have had so far We never stop learning from each other and never stop
improving upon our craftsrdquo
Th e mutual growth among students and teachers is the source of the encourage-
mentmdashand the joymdashof Encourage Huntsville ldquoItrsquos so much fun to see the light
bulbs go off with people and see them encouraged right before your eyesrdquo Lindsey
says of her experience with the program ldquoPlus itrsquos a pleasure to contribute to a
sense of community over competition Th at whole concept is so rarerdquo
As Encourage Huntsvillersquos following continues to grow the diversity of the work-
shops will expand as well Whether you are looking to spend a fun afternoon
learning a new craft or are a budding small business owner hoping to launch
your brand Encourage Huntsville has something valuable to off er ldquoWe encourage
those left-brain folks to take up a new hobby or skillrdquo Baggett says ldquoor just encour-
age the people of Huntsville to get together and fan their creative fl amesrdquo
If yoursquore looking for
creative or entrepreneurial
encouragement visit
encouragehuntsvillecom
for seminar and workshop
schedules and information
ldquoI AM SO PROUD TO GET TO BE A PART OF THIS PROJECT AND HELP NURTURE OTHER SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS WHO MAY JUST BE STARTING OUT ON THEIR JOURNEY OR ARE DEEP IN IT
AND LOOKING FOR SOME ENCOURAGEMENT FROM OTHER BUSINESS OWNERSrdquoMARGARET BAGGETT CHEF NEXT DOOR
copy Jacki Gil
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
copy Jacki Gil
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Participants in Margaret Baggettrsquos knife skills workshop learn to perfect their ldquomise en placerdquo
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
copy Olivia Reed
text by sara wright covington raquo photos by olivia reed and jeff white
HUNTSVILLErsquoS
HOMEGROWNHOSTESS
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
ttttttononononoooooonononooooo raquo praquo praquo praquo praquo phothothothothotosoososos s s osos bybybbybb
Any host will tell you that delicious food and quality libations while important to
a partyrsquos success are secondary to the most important ingredient of all the guest list Th atrsquos why many
of downtown Huntsvillersquos most popular restaurants breweries and wine shops are turning to event
planner Ashley Ryals and her uncanny knack for attracting loyal patronsmdashand creating unforgettable
events in the process
When Huntsville born-and-bred Ashley Ryals left for college at the University of Alabama in 2001
she thought her exit from the Valley was permanent ldquoI never thought I would end up back hererdquo the
founder of event planning company Homegrown Huntsville says with a knowing laugh But after a few
post-graduate years working for world-renowned public relations powerhouse Weber Shandwick in
New York City Ryals started to second guess her freshman declaration
ldquoI started to get homesickrdquo she admits ldquoAll of my friends were getting married and meeting for football
games and I was missing itrdquo So when a friend from home set up an interview at EarlyWorks for a job
doing event planning Ryals jumped at the chance to come home
Ashley spent the next few years planning EarlyWorks Whistle Stop and Santarsquos Village events A brief
stint in sales followed along with a seat on the board of Huntsville Young Professionals where she had
an idea for a downtown pub crawl
ldquoWe expected 20 or 30 peoplerdquo Ryals says of their modest expectations ldquoBut 200 people showed uprdquo
Th at initial success convinced Ryals to embark on her dream of establishing an
event planning company But it wasnrsquot just any event planning company Ryals
had in mind she envisioned one that would collaborate with local businesses
cultivate signature events for the community to enjoy and support small busi-
nesses in the process
Inspired Ryals left her sales job and for the second time in her life came home
again to event planning and Homegrown Huntsville
To help bring her vision to life Ryals collaborated with designer Adrianne Van
Kirk of Fave Creative ldquoAdrianne has been a part of the visual and branding of
Homegrown from the beginning We come up with the event ideas then I get
the ticketing and sales together and she comes back with a logo and the mar-
keting for the event And thatrsquos how it all comes togetherrdquo Ryals says of their
creative process
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
ASHLEY RYALS
copy Olivia Reed
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
ldquoMOST WINE FESTIVALS ACROSS THE COUNTRY HAVE PROVEN RECORDS OF BEING ABLE TO STAY AROUND 15 OR 20 YEARS OR EVEN LONGER AND THE ECONOMIES OF THOSE
CITIES HAVE REALLY GROWN AS A RESULT I WANT BIG SPRING CRUSH TO EVENTUALLY BE THE BIGGEST AND BEST WINE FESTIVAL IN THE STATE OF ALABAMArdquo ASHLEY RYALS
copy Jeff White
copy Jeff White
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
copy Olivia Reed
Homegrown launched in 2011 with what would become its
signature event Dine amp Dash Every second Wednesday
April through October a trolley shuttles patrons between
downtown establishments where they are served a drink
and appetizer before moving on to the next stop
Owner and executive chef Merle Phillips of Th e Eaves was
one of the fi rst restaurants to sign on for Dine amp Dashrsquos de-
but ldquoAshley came to me and said she was starting a trolley
tasting conceptrdquo says Chef Merle ldquoI didnrsquot really know her so
I was taking a chance on the concept she was sellingrdquo
Merle tried it and has been a loyal participant of Dine amp
Dash ever since
ldquoIt was a risk in the beginning but it defi nitely paid off rdquo Chef
Merle says of the experience Pivotal to that experience ac-
cording to Phillips is Ryalsrsquo demonstration to the commu-
nity just what the term ldquohomegrownrdquo really means ldquoAshley
shines a spotlight on independent businesses in a market-
place that has for so long focused on chainsrdquo Phillips says
ldquoDine amp Dash has really brought into sharp focus the inter-
esting culinary diversity that Huntsville has to off errdquo
For the next two years Homegrown Huntsville focused al-
most exclusively on Dine amp Dash which by the end of its fi rst
year included every single downtown restaurant But when
big changes began to appear on the downtown horizonmdash
new restaurants breweries and residential developmentsmdash
Ryalsrsquo instincts told her
the time had come to
introduce a new event
to the downtown cal-
endar
ldquoBeer Hop follows
the concept of Dine
amp Dashrdquo Ryals says of
Homegrownrsquos second
venture which began
in 2013 Each month a
trolley visits three dif-
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
BILL FOWLEROLD TOWN BEER
EXCHANGE
copy Olivia Reed
copy Olivia Reed
ferent breweries where patrons sample beers and enjoy food
from a variety of food trucks parked at each location
Bill Fowler managing partner of Old Town Beer Exchange
agreed to participate in Beer Hop on his very fi rst day of
business and credits Ryals with an overwhelmingly success-
ful opening night ldquoAshley said lsquoI can guarantee that you are
going to have wave after wave of people coming throughrsquordquo
Fowler says recalling that fi rst jittery occasion Once again
Ryals proved true to her word with 60-plus patrons arriving
in an hour-and-a-half ldquoIt was awesome and such a great ex-
perience for usrdquo Fowler raves ldquoAshley is a hard worker and
you can see that in what she doesrdquo
Fowler believes that in addition to bringing new customers
to OTBX Ryals is also cultivating beer education consis-
tently bringing in people who are new to beer and want to
learn And with Huntsvillersquos recent brewery boom that level
of education and interest is crucial for the brewing commu-
nity to thrive ldquoWe have a very small window of opportunityrdquo
says Fowler ldquoI think Huntsville in particular is becoming a
craft brewing community People are making money at this
and once Tennessee sees that we need to already have had a
pretty huge head startrdquo
By the end of 2013 and with standing events Beer Hop and
Dine amp Dash well established Ryals took time to refl ect on
her original goal for Homegrown Huntsville ldquoIn the back of
my head from day one I knew I wanted to do a wine festival
I just didnrsquot think Huntsville was ready for it in 2011rdquo
Emboldened by the success of Beer Hop Ryals decided to
make the leap with Big Spring Crush wine festival later the
same year Once again Ryals delivered the perfect audience
for the event and in the process discovered a surprising
fact about North Alabamarsquos contribution to the wine-mak-
ing industry
ldquoIn doing the wine festival I learned that we have a huge
wine community in Huntsvillerdquo Ryals says ldquoTh ere are only
about 47 certifi ed wine judges in the entire United States
and we have four of them right here in North Alabama Two
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
copy Jeff White
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
ldquoI STARTED TO GET HOMESICK ALL OF MY FRIENDS WERE GETTING MARRIEDAND MEETING FOR FOOTBALL GAMES AND I WAS MISSING ITrdquo ASHLEY RYALS
copy Jeff White
copy Jeff White
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
ldquoIT WAS AWESOME AND SUCH A GREAT EXPERIENCE FOR USrdquoBILL FOWLER OLD TOWN BEER EXCHANGE
copy Jeff White
copy Olivia Reed
of those four certifi ed wine judges sit on the committee for
Big Spring Crushrdquo
Matthew and Stephanie Mell had just opened Church Street
Wine Shop when they decided to participate in the fi rst Big
Spring Crush Like OTBXrsquos Robert Fowler the Mells credit
Ryals and Homegrown Huntsville for helping to introduce
their new enterprise to the community ldquoAshley has been in-
strumental in helping to bring us people who love and ap-
preciate winerdquo Stephanie Mell says ldquoShe was homegrown
here in Huntsville and she really gets the downtown area
and small businesses and that is so important to usrdquo
Big Spring Crush began with a bang featuring over 150
wines and attracting patrons from across the country
ldquoMost wine festivals across the country have proven records
of being able to stay around 15 or 20 years or even longerrdquo
Ryals says ldquoAnd the economies of those cities have really
grown as a result I want Big Spring Crush to eventually be
the biggest and best wine festival in the state of Alabamardquo
How does Ryals intend to make that dream come true ldquoBy
always keeping it fresh I want to have new marketing and
new things happening each yearrdquo
Ryalsrsquo formula of reinvention and expansion has successfully
led Homegrown Huntsville through fi ve years of success and
helped its events become community staples along the way In
the process Ryals is broadening more than just our image of
downtown Huntsville shersquos joining a class of creative entrepre-
neurs committed to expanding Huntsvillersquos reputation as more
than just a hub for the brightest scientifi c minds in America
ldquoWe have a big city of engineers and lawyers and itrsquos won-
derfulrdquo Ryals say ldquo But there is a whole artist and food cul-
ture here and there is so much growth I want us to have a
vibrant cool downtown area and I want for people to tell
their friends to come and visit and to see Huntsville for what
it is a city I loverdquo
If yoursquod like to participate in Homegrown Huntsville either
as a guest or a participating business visit homegrown-
huntsvillecom
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
copy Jeff White
I was years old and the year was At that time the city of Huntsville was inching toward the mountain to the east California Street was once the continental divide between the small town metropo-lis and the uncharted territories gingerly crossed by the real estate pioneers four score and some odd years prior Th is area became the new suburb as the city kept pushing onward toward Fagan Springs as if the reverberating booms of rocket testings were vibrating Hunstvillians away from its epicenter
From the front yard of our house on Owens Drive I could look to the rightmdashup the hill to the bend be-yond which the big houses stood on their rocky ledge pedestals and to the left where all the other houses that looked just like oursmdashfresh and newmdashrambled for what seemed like miles Th ose clean well-lit abodes all seemed the same and granted at my age I knew more about the pets that lived there than I did about the people who owned those manageable mortgages I came to realize that each was diff erent in a way that was permeated by voices smells and furnishings
It is a clicheacute to say that our lives were simpler then because that is just how the current era will be fondly referred to in the future but to a 5-year-old it is the simplicity that brought the joy Th e sixties will always be to me the beginning of the age of manufactured happiness Cheap clean and simple was what was strived for and what was easily obtained Plastic items were plentiful and pretty things could be bought with SampH Green Stamps A few coins in our pocket would transfer us into the most master of manipula-tors with us giving our all to convince our parents for a jaunt to Murdockrsquos for a holiday of wonderment joy and impatience as we would scour the shelves trying to get the most from our meager budget
Owens Drive was the fairly new thoroughfare from which the avenues of three-bedroom-ranchers fi ngered away at planned intervals Th is was the place where newlyweds started their lives homes and families Where girls with last names that had been in the town for generations would change them to those strange and exotic last names of the clean cut newcomers brought here for military purposes Where the housewives would preheat their pristine electric ovens trying to make cheese straws and biscuits that were just like their motherrsquos only to be frustrated as they were never quite the same and where the husbands would follow in their fatherrsquos footsteps by joining the Acme Club and hunting doves on the weekends
Th ere was a swimming pool Certainly not at our house Th e only private pool I remember as a child was one that my grandmother would take me to nestled between huge trees at someonersquos house on Adams Street I would swim with other children my age while our grandmothers chatted smoking cigarettes in cat-eyed anonymity whispering most of their stories so we wouldnrsquot be able to hear But between their
gasps and laughter we would listen hear and learn
Th e Blossomwood pool was a place of designated rules and the sound of bright whistlesmdashwith straight lines and distinctive colors of blue and green I can still feel the Coppertoned oiliness on the skin of the tanned lifeguard as she carried me from the deep end frightened after my fi rst attempt at solo-swimming She knew my name I had no idea who she was
On the other side of the pool was the school my older sister attended It had a style that mim-icked the poolmdashstraight lines cleanmdasha temple to orderliness and good manners It was with
awe that I once watched the young adults there some as old as eleven wind and dance their way around a sky-high fl agpolemdasheach with a diff erent color ribbon until the fi rst (and only) May Pole
I was privy to was completely dressed in its woven bright colors
90 raquo bless their hearts raquo Guy McClure Jr
Huntsville was a magical place for us tail-end baby boomers to grow upmdashbeyond the miracles of the escalator at Pizitz the smiling little lady on the tall stool at the register at Britlings There was a comfort level there that Irsquom not sure is in the minds of the 5-year-olds of today
cat-eyed agasps
Th s
aI w
THE COMFORTS OF BLOSSOMWOOD
In our world of red-bricked carported castles there was a def-inite division of generations Th e children ate separately from the parents went to school as our dads went to work enter-tained our neighborhood friends as quietly as possible and felt safe between our boundaries of Big Cove Road and Hermitage Street While we dined on our Chef Boy-Ar-Dee boxed pizza our parents busied themselves dressing in their dark colors getting ready for a late dinner at Boots having the scent of perfume and face powder trail my mother as she came into the kitchen looking for something with an intense purpose My father would smell of British Sterling and look just as he did when he went to work only happier Th ese nights meant something fun would happenmdashwe would have a babysitter
Babysitters were my introduction into what was and still seems cool Th ey were usually Huntsville High School teen-agers who would put on a show without even knowing it I would drink in their every move word and essence of style To me they were supermodelsmdashmovie starsmdasheven more fa-mous in my eyes than a television weatherman and almost as glamorous as the waitresses at the Waffl e House
Before they would tire of me and my sister and put us to bed they would include us in their world of music and knowledge which I thought was all-encompassing Suddenly our world of Th e Benny Carl Show and Fantasy Playhouse would seem trite and passeacute and we would catch a fl eeting glimpse into what would be in store for us when we too could stay up past 8 pm
Huntsville was a magical place for us tail-end baby boomers to grow upmdashbeyond the miracles of the escalator at Pizitz the smiling little lady on the tall stool at the register at Britlings and that bright colorful Maypole Th ere was a comfort level there that Irsquom not sure is in the minds of the 5-year-olds of todaymdashthe soothing sheltered lack of knowledge of why we were so lucky yet we didnrsquot even know that we were
In the other areas of our Huntsville there was poverty and ra-cial unrestmdashas there was and is in every city I was unaware People of color were always a part of my worldmdashmostly be-cause they had my attention and respect At our house there was Annie my grandmotherrsquos house was fi lled with the joys of Lula and out on the family farm there was strong and smiling Homer and large and huggable Rosamdashall just as much a part of my life as everyone else My life was good and they were instrumental in making it that way
What will the 5-year-olds of today who are lucky enough to be raised on those well-planned streets remember when they surpass their own 50 year mark It is a much more complex world now and there are diff erent concerns with daily changes of fear Youthful innocence is a prize that is encased without a lock Premature maturity is a viable threat and a constant fear But each night tucked in tight in a simple room sleeps tomor-rowrsquos adults who are having sweet dreamsmdashblanketed by the comforts of Blossomwood
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
92 raquo the vine raquo Amy C Collins
BORDEAUX POWER
Where Burgundyrsquos vineyards were established by Benedictine monks patiently growing wine vines with spiritual hearts Bordeauxrsquos vineyards were raised by entrepreneurial laymen who recognized the massive monetary opportunity when the English began drinking down their peasant wine
The city of Bordeaux is Francersquos primary port town on the Atlantic ocean a harbor that has for centuries served as the countryrsquos most important dock Th e regionrsquos history is long and storied with the fi rst written reference to the area dated 379 AD by the Latin poet Ausonius who was also a wine-grower Jump ahead to the year 1152 when Eleanor of Aquitaine married Englandrsquos soon-to-be king Henry Plantagenet and the port and surrounding vineyard land became the source of wine for the English a connection that remains strong even today
Bordeaux produces the worldrsquos most expensive and sought after collector wines the top tier of which make up less than fi ve percent of the regionrsquos total production Th ese names are quickly learned by neophyte wine drinkers wanting to make an impression Chateau Haut-Brion Lafi te Latour and Margaux for example Grown in gravelly soils only a few meters above sea levelmdashin contrast vineyards elsewhere in Europe typically sit between 300 and 900 metersmdashthese wines are some of the most powerful austere and pawed over When young the tannins in these cabernet sauvignon cabernet franc and merlot blends coat the tongue and mouth with a chalky dry sensation akin to sucking on an Earl Grey tea bag and are perhaps best suited to well-fatted rare steak and cigars Th ese are wines built to live for decades Personally I prefer a Bordeaux at least 20 years aged when the tannins have had ample time to calm down and mellow out and more nuanced fl avors come forward Sounds fancy and it is Only in some very lucky circumstances over the past year have I been guest to a bottle of 1990 Clos de Menuts Saint-Eacutemilion and a 1970 Chateau Haut-Brion About once every 10 years Irsquove had the good
fortune to taste a wine older than myself Nice work if you can get it
Where Burgundyrsquos vineyards (Francersquos other classifi ed sought-after region) were established by Benedictine monks patiently growing wine vines with spiritual hearts
Bordeauxrsquos vineyards were raised by entrepreneurial laymen who recognized the massive monetary opportunity when the English began drinking down their peasant wine Th is underscores the second half of my theory as to why Americans
more often American males are so drawn to the wines of Bordeaux Th erersquos an inherent capitalist connection something in the soil Th at the wines are so
unmistakable so distinctively grand and pronounced elixirs exemplifi es the fi rst half of my theory we Americans are not known for our subtlety (To be fair the Chinese are
signifi cant Bordeaux collectors as well)
Philosophy aside Bordeaux is quite a large region that produces beautiful white and red values as well as the rare fi nds out of the populacersquos price range Herersquos the skinny Blending is the game single varietal wines are rare White Bordeaux is typically made from a blend of sauvignon blanc and seacutemillon and sometimes a drop or two of muscadelle ugni blanc or colombard Reds are made primarily from the two cabernets plus merlot with small quantities of petit verdot malbec and carmenegravere occasionally in the mix Th e region is also home to the golden nectar of late ripened seacutemillon sauvignon blanc and muscadelle grapes that have successfully attracted the noble rot a fungus that covers the fruit and drains moisture from inside leaving behind rich sweet grapes without moldy fl avors Chateau drsquoYquem is the most famous of these unfortifi ed dessert wines though there are better bargains from the region
Bordeaux is split by the Gironde river which divides the region into three general areas Th e left bank also known as the Haut-Meacutedoc is where the classifi ed top growths are situated Th ese prestigious estates were named for their exceptional vineyard sites in 1855 a decision nearly unchanged since Today serious collectors invest in Bordeaux futures theoretically locking down lower prices of top
ample time to calm dit is Only in some vede Menuts Saint-Eacutem
fortune to taste a
Wherees
aun
of msignifi
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Follow Amy at pigandvinecom for morestories and wine suggestions
growth estates while the wine is still aging in the cellar Itrsquos the wine tradersquos equivalent to the NASDAQ On the right bank Saint-Eacutemilion and Pommerol are the prized vineyard areas known for their merlot heavy cuveacutees To the south west we fi nd Graves where there are many great values to be had in both white and red bottlings Entre-Deux-Mers which translates to ldquobetween two seasrdquo sits between the Dordogne and Garonne tributaries off the Gironde and is an excellent source for crisp whites
Get started on your Bordeaux experience with these values
Chateau Graville-Lacoste 2014 Graves 75 seacutemillon 20 sauvignon blanc and 5 muscadelle make up this beauty thatrsquos consistently delicious every vintage Crisp and refreshing great with seafood
Chateau Mirambeau 2014 GravesAnother classic blend of 40 sauvignon blanc 40 seacutemillon and 20 muscadelle this lovely white is a bit more fl oral than the Graville-Lacoste Easy drinking and great value
Chateau de Parenchegravere Bordeaux Rouge 201155 merlot 30 cabernet sauvignon and 15 cabernet franc grown in clay heavy soils similar to the right bank of the region Fleshy with good structure and abundant red fruit
Chateau Arnaud Bordeaux Supeacuterieur 2011Supeacuterieur on a Bordeaux label isnrsquot egotistical marketingmdashby law it indicates a wine with up to one degree more alcohol than its AC Bordeaux brethren What it really means is one more degree of body structure and in this case quality Approachable delicious and easy on the wallet
Chateau de Bernadotte Haut-Meacutedoc 2005Th e 2005 vintage in Bordeaux is in the history books with double asterisks Owned by the eminent Pichon Lalande family and made from vineyards in Paulliac one of the more choice growing areas in the region this is an incredible value a top tier Bordeaux for a fraction of the cost
Chateau de Suduiraut Sauternes 2011Ripe cantaloupe apricot and honey and an interesting smoky note with a solid sweet attack followed by great acidity A dessert wine that wonrsquot overpower the dessert
94 raquo parting shot raquo Patrick Hood
Meet Solvar
Solvar belongs to one of the worldrsquos oldest and purest equine lineages the Nor-
wegian Fjord horse a breed that has remained virtually unchanged for more than
2000 yearsmdashlong before we became acquainted with his animated cousins in
the movie Frozen Th ese national symbols of Norway are characterized by primi-
tive zebra striping on their legs and a dorsal stripe running from forelock to tail
resulting in a striking two-tone mane that sticks up like a Mohawk Th eir athleti-
cism agility and dependability make them valuable both as sport horses as well
as therapy horses for emotionally and physically challenged adults and children
Catie Wells of Huntsville is the proud owner of Solvar who resides at Monte
Sano Stables
For tickets or information 256-539-4818 or hsoorg
Bring In the New Year With Us
presents
WHAT A WONDERFUL
WORLDA tribute to Louis
Armstrong featuring the
Byron Stripling Quartet
Thursday December 31
730 pm bull Pops Series bullMark C Smith
Concert Hall VBC
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
M O R E T H A N 7 0 S H O P S A N D R E S T A U R A N T S I N C L U D I N G B E L K | D S W S H O E S | A P P L E J O S A B A N K | R E E D S J E W E L E R S | PA N D O R A | J C R E W | K AT E S PA D E N E W Y O R KO R V I S | B A N A N A R E P U B L I C | M I C H A E L K O R S | F R A N C E S C Arsquo S | A N T H R O P O L O G I EH amp M | S O M A | M O U N T A I N H I G H O U T F I T T E R S | B A R N E S amp N O B L E | S E P H O R AALTAR rsquoD STATE | CONNORS STEAK amp SEFOOD | THE WEST IN HUNTSV I L L E | MONACO P ICTURES
C O M I N G S O O N V E R S O N A ndash near Belk
B R I D G E S T R E E T H U N T S V I L L E C O M |
BR IDGE STREET TOWN CENTRE I S LOCATED AT EX I T 14 OFF I - 565 AT OLD MAD ISON P IKE
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember 2030 Cecil Ashburne Drive | Huntsville Alabama
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
featuring
the magic of
comes to life
Nov 20 2015 - Jan 2 2016 bull More than 2 million lights and 9 acres of stunning deacutecor
bull ICE featuring The Nutcracker - 2 million pounds of colorful
hand-carved ice sculptures and slides
bull NEW - Dr Seussrsquo How the Grinch Stole Christmas The Musical
bull NEW - Larry Gatlin amp The Gatlin Brothers Christmas Dinner Show
bull NEW - The Elf on the Shelfreg Scavenger Hunt
bull Gingerbread Decorating Corner sponsored by PEEPSreg
bull Carriage rides snow tubing outdoor ice skating and more
ChristmasAtGaylordOprylandcom | (888) 677-9872
ICE PRESENTED BY
The Holiday Tradition
NASHVILLE TN
Pepsi and Pepsi Globe are registered trademarks of PepsiCo Inc TM amp copy 1957 2015 Dr Seuss Enterprises LP The Elf on the Shelfreg and copy 2015 CCA and B LLC All Rights Reserved PEEPS reg trademark Just Born Inc copy 2015 All rights reserved
6 raquo NovemberDecember
80
features
Huntsvillersquos HomegrownHostess
For hometown herald Ashley Ryals trumpeting Huntsville hot spots is an entrepreneurial labor of love
by sara wright covingtonphotos by olivia reedand jeff white
Photo by Olivia Reed
22Th e Perfect Holiday
Dinner
Area foodies make entertaining easyby roy hall
photos by olivia reed
70Encouraging Endeavors
Encourage Huntsvillersquos maker-teachers generously share their talent and inspiration with the community
by sara wright covingtonphotos by jacki gil patrick hood erin lindsey and michelle odom
60Of Deft and Dirty Hands
Turning life into art the pottery of Guadalupe Robinson
by jennifer crossley howardphotos by patrick hood
16Will Power
Chef Will spreads the good news of healthy tasty food one skillet at a time
by sarah gaedephotos by patrick hood
hley ville eurial
on EnEn
EncHumagentheinspthe
by scovphojachoo
28shoptilyuledrop
And shop local
produced byaissa castillo and
lauren mccaulphotos by
lauren tomasella carney
7 raquo editorrsquos letter laquo Allen Tomlinson
norsquoala huntsvilleadvisory board
Osie Adelfang
ARC Design-Build Inc
Lynne Berry
HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology
Sarah Brewer
Click Photo Designs by Sarah Brewer
Kimberly Casey
Lowe Mill Arts amp Entertainment
Donna Castellano
Historic Huntsville Foundation
Aissa Castillo
aislerchiccom
Dan Halcomb
Huntsville Symphony Orchestra
Lauren McCaul
deptofagraculturecom
Guy McClure Jr
Athens State University
Tom Patterson
knowhuntsvillecom
Dr Holly Powe
Calhoun Community College
Olivia Reed
Olivia Reed Photography
Patrick Robbins
Huntsville Hospital
Lauren Tomasella Carney
Lauren Tomasella Photography
Ashley Vaughn
White Rabbit StudiosVertical House Records
Charles Vaughn
Vaughn Lumber Company
Andrew Wilmon
Broadway Theatre League
Shop rsquoTil Yule Drop
Wait what Itrsquos that time already If yoursquore like
us the fact that the holidays are almost upon us seems
almost unbelievable Where has this year gone We need
more timemdashwersquore not ready yet
But ready or not here they come So to help you fi nd
gifts for all of the people on your holiday list wersquove com-
piled our annual Shop lsquoTil Yule Drop Buying Guide Our
secret shoppers went all over the Valley fi nding the most
wonderful unique and appealing gifts for every person
on the list and wersquove neatly organized them so you can easily fi nd just what yoursquore
looking for One thing it reminded us is how great the shopping is here in this part
of the worldmdashwe honestly canrsquot think of a single thing we would need to go online
to get Another thing we learned Th erersquos no way we can put all of the neat things
from around here in one magazinemdashyoursquoll just have to go shopping for yourself
Have fun
Th is time of year isnrsquot just about shopping and celebration of course unless you are
celebrating local talent Check out our profi le of Chef Will well known to the visi-
tors to Lowe Mill and Green Street Market and Guadalupe Robinson a talented
ceramics artist Wersquove put together some sample meals from area chefs and wersquoll
introduce you to Homegrown Huntsville Itrsquos all enough to make your mouth water
As hectic as this time of year can be remember to take some time to relax and enjoy
it Th is is truly a special season full of family and friends food and gifts camarade-
rie and reverence Sometimes the most memorable events are small not elaborate
sometimes the best gifts are the thoughtful ones not the most expensive Be safe
stay warm and enjoymdashand remember to Shop the Valley yrsquoall Merry Christmas
8 raquo contents
NOVEMBERDECEMBER 2015
Volume 4 Issue 6
bull bull bull
Editor-in-Chief C Allen Tomlinson
Chief Operating Offi cer Matthew Liles
Creative Director David Sims
Advertising Directors Heidi King and Jamie Noles
Advertising Sales Kevin McDonald
Features Manager Roy Hall
Graphic Designer Rowan Finnegan
Web Designer Justin Hall
Editorial Assistant Tara Bullington
Proofreader Carole Maynard
Distribution Johnson Trent
bull bull bull
Contributing Writers
Amy C Collins Sara Wright Covington
Sarah Gaede Roy Hall Jennifer Crossley Howard
Guy McClure Jr Allen Tomlinson
bull bull bull
Contributing Photographers
Jacki Gil Patrick Hood Erin Lindsey
Danny Mitchell Michelle Odom
Olivia Reed Lauren Tomasella Carney
Jeff White
bull bull bull
NorsquoAla Huntsville is published six times annuallyby NorsquoAla Studios
PO Box 2530 Florence AL 35630 Phone (800) 779-4222 | Fax (256) 766-4106
Web noalastudioscom
Standard postage paid at Huntsville ALA one-year subscription is $1995for delivery in the United States
Signed articles refl ect only the views of the authors and do not necessarily refl ect the views of the editors
Advertisers are solely responsible forthe content of their advertisements
copy 2008-2015 NorsquoAla Studios All rights reserved
Send all correspondence toAllen Tomlinson Editor at the postal address above
or by e-mail to allennoalastudioscomLetters may be edited for space and style
To advertise contact us at(256) 766-4222 or salesnoalastudioscom
The editor will provide writerrsquos guidelines upon requestProspective authors should not submit unsolicited
manuscripts please query the editor fi rst
NorsquoAla Huntsville is printed with vegetable-based inksPlease recycle
Connect with us on Facebook NorsquoAla HuntsvilleTwitter NoAla_Magazine and Pinterest NoAlaStudios
everything else
6010 Calendar Selected Events for NovemberDecember 2015
12 Cryinrsquo Out Loud ldquoHomerdquo
by sara wright covington
90 Bless Th eir HeartsldquoTh e Comforts of Blossomwoodrdquo by guy mcclure jr
92 Th e Vine ldquoBordeaux Powerrdquo by amy c collins
94 Parting Shot by patrick hood
copy Patrick Hood
On the cover Liliana Castillo
Maddox Acker Ilan Castillo
Rowan Jackson and Liam Acker
get into the holiday spirit
(1) Light of Mine Pullover ($25)(2) Free Range Baseball Tee ($23)(3) Young Buck Baseball Tee ($23)(4) Hey Yrsquoall Tee ($20)(5) Hey Yrsquoall Pullover ($25)Tiny Vinestinyvinesshopcom
Photo by Lauren Tomasella Carney
Guadalupe Robinson Turning life into art
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Friday November 13
Lights Up Holiday Tree Lighting
Bridge Street Town Centre lights up like a winter wonderland to welcome Santa with school choirs local musicians
and strolling Victorian carolers culminating in a spectacular fi reworks display 700pm Free Bridge Street Town Centre
bridgestreethuntsvillecom
Sunday November 15
Beethoven Conversations
Select Beethoven piano solos and Quintet op 16 B-fl at major featuring guest artist pianist Kirill Gerstein 330pm Admission
charged Roberts Hall UAH (256) 539-4818 hsoorg
Friday November 20 ndash Sunday November 22
Bullets Over Broadway
A young playwright in desperate need of fi nancial backing for his next show accepts an off er he canrsquot refuse from a mobster
looking to please his showgirl girlfriend Donrsquot miss what the New Yorker exclaims as ldquoa Fun Machine from Start to Finishrdquo Fri
200pm Sat 200 and 800pm Sun 200pm and 730pm Admission charged Von Braun Center 700 Monroe St (256) 518-6155
broadwaytheatreleagueorg
Sunday November 22
A Vignette from Th e Nutcracker
Enjoy a vignette from the Huntsville Ballet Companyrsquos 47th annual production of Th e Nutcracker set in antebellum Huntsville
with a nod to local legends and traditions and accompanied by Tchaikovskyrsquos delightful score 200pm Free fee for museum
exhibitions Huntsville Museum of Art 300 Church St (256) 535-4350 hsvmuseumorg
Tuesday December 1 ndash Wednesday December 23
Santarsquos Village
All ages will delight in visiting the Clausrsquo house meeting Santarsquos reindeer the North Pole elves and Santa Snow shows craft
projects and musical entertainment all add to the fun at the Village Santa Calls Home 500pm-900pm Admission charged
Alabama Constitution Village 109 Gates Ave earlyworkscom
Wednesday December 2
Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony Every Light a Prayer for Peace
Th is yearrsquos program includes local dignitaries elementary-age students clergy and Federated Garden Club members who will
light the Botanical Gardenrsquos Christmas Tree 930am Free Huntsville Botanical Garden 4747 Bob Wallace Ave (256) 830-444
hsvbgorg
Friday December 4
Peace on Earth A Holiday Music Extravaganza
Th e Symphonic Chorus Childrenrsquos Chorale and Youth Chorale join the UAH Music Department the Huntsville Symphony
Orchestra and Huntsville Ballet for this seasonal performance 730pm Admission charged Von Braun Concert Hall 700
Monroe St (256) 533-6606 thechorusorg
10 raquo calendar
g g
y December 4
on Earth A Holiday Music Extravaganza
e Symphonic Chorus Childrenrsquos Chorale and Youth Chorale join the UAH Music Departmennnnnnennnnnnnnnnnne ttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttt ttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttheeeeeheeeheheheeeeehehehehehhhheeheeheheheheheeehehehehhhhhhhhhhehehehehehehehhehhheheheehehhhehehhheheheehehheheheheheheehhhehehhehhhhhhhehhehhheh HHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHununununununununununununununununnununuununununununununuunununununuunununnnnnunnunuu tstststststststststststststststststststststststststststststststststtststssststssstststss iviviviviviviviiviviviviviviviviviviviviviviviviviviviviviivvivivivivivivivivivivivivvivivivivvivviivv lllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllleeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee SySySySySySySySySySySySyySySySySySySySySySyySySyySySySySySySySySySySySySySySySySySyySySySySyySySySySySSSySySySySySyympmpmpmpmpmpmpmpmmpmpmpmpmpmpmpmpmpmpmpmmpmpmpmpmmpmmpmpmpmpmpmpmpmpmppppmpmpmppmpmppmpmpmppmphohohohohhohohohhohohohhohohohohohhohohohohohhhhhohohohhohohhohohohhohohohohohohohohohhohoohhohonynynnynynynynynynynynynynynynynynynynynynynnynynynynynynynynynynynynynynynnynyyynynyynnnnnynyyy
chestra and Huntsville Ballet for this seasonal performance 730pm Admission nnnnn n chchhchhhchchhhhhhhhhhchhchhhhhhhchchhhchchhhchhhhchhchchhchchchhhhhhhhchcccccchhhhchchcccccccchhchchcccccchchcccccccchccccccharrrrrrrarrrrarrarrarrrrrrrrrraraaarrrrrarararararraaaaaarrrarararaaaaaaararrraraaaaaaaaaaararararaaaaaaaaararaaararaaaarrarrrggggggggggegegegeegegegegegegegeggggggegegegegegegegeggeeeggegegeggegegeegegggggggegg dddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddd VVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVonononnonononononononononononononnnoonoonono BBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBrararararararrararrrarararararaaarararararaaunununununununununnunununununununuununuuuunununnuu CCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCConononononononononononnnononononononoonoooononoooononononnonncecececececececececececececeececececececececececeeceeeeccceeertrtrtrtrtrtrtrtrtrtrtrrtrtrtrtrtrtrtrtrtrtrtrtrtrtrtrtrttrtrtrtrtrtrtrtrttrt HHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHallalalalalalalaalalalllllalalalalalalalalllalalalalalalalalalaalalalalaallalalalalalllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll 777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000
onroe St (256) 533-6606 thechorusorg
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Friday December 4 ndash Saturday December 5
Kris Kringlersquos Candlelight Christmas
Two spectacular evenings of cozy fi res holiday music fi ggy pudding homemade cookies kids crafts designer deacutecor and much
more Itrsquos holiday fun for the whole family with the most magical view in town 430pm-900pm Admission charged Burritt on
the Mountain 3101 Burritt Dr (256) 536-2882 burrittonthemountaincom
Friday December 4 ndash Sunday December 6
A Christmas Carol
Travel with Scrooge as he visits his past present and future on Christmas Eve in this musical retelling of Charles Dickensrsquo
classic novel Fri and Sat 700pm and Sun 200pm Admission charged Von Braun Playhouse 700 Monroe St (256) 539-6829
fantasyplayhousecom
Friday December 4 ndash Sunday December 6
Th e Nutcracker A Yuletide Ballet
Alabama Youth Ballet Th eatre opens its 10th season to holiday audiences with this beloved Christmas ballet Fri 700pm
Sat 200pm and 730pm Sun 200pm Admission charged Lee HS Auditorium 2500 Meridian St (256) 881-5930
alabamayouthballetorg
Saturday December 12
Madison Christmas Parade
Music fl oats and fun for the whole family Afterwards gather for an old-fashioned celebration on the Village Green Listen
to carolers and instrumental music around the Roundhouse and sip hot chocolate at the Gazebo 530pm Free Downtown
Madison (256) 772-9300 cimadisonalus
Saturday December 12
Mooresville Holiday Home Tour and Progressive Dinner
Th e 50 residents of historic Mooresville incorporated in 1818 invite you to celebrate the season with a tour of the 1839 Brick
Church 1820 Stagecoach Tavern 1840 Post Offi ce and fi ve private homes all decorated in the tradition of Christmas past
Homes open and shopping available from 200pm to 600pm Dinner seating at 330pm to 430pm and at 500pm to 600 pm in
town square Reservations required $70 Mooresville (256) 355-2683 mooresvillealcom
Saturday December 12
Spirit of Christmas Past Homes Tour and Luminaries
Tour fi ve private residences on Randolph Street the Weeden House Museum on Gates Avenue and other historic buildings
ornately decorated for the holidays 500pm-900pm Admission charged Twickenham Historic District (256) 536-7718
twickenhamhomestourcom
Th ursday December 17
Huntsville Christmas Parade
Welcome Santa Claus to Huntsville as he ushers in the Christmas season at the annual Christmas parade Enjoy the excitement
and music with many entries and bands from across North Alabama 600pm Free Downtown Huntsville (256) 885-9797
Saturday December 19
Holiday Artists Market
Americarsquos largest private artist complex invites the public to its annual Holiday Artists Market 1100am-600pm Free Flying
Monkey Arts Th eater Lowe Mill 2211 Seminole Dr (256) 489-7000 fl yingmonkeyartsorg
Saturday December 31
Huntsville Symphony Orchestra presents ldquoWhat A Wonderful Worldrdquo - a tribute to Louis Armstrong
Bring in the New Year with the Byron Stripling Quartet and the music of Louis Armstrong a presentation of the HSO 730
pm Mark C Smith Concert Hall VBC call (256) 539-4818 for tickets or visit wwwhsoorg
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
pm Mark C Smith Concert Hall VBC call (256) 539-4818 for tickets or visit wwwhsoorg
12 raquo cryinrsquo out loud raquo Sara Wright Covington
HOME
So we carry our boxes and baggage from place to place carving out a new niche for them wherever we fi nd ourselves And I fi nd that long after I have left a place that place has not left me
According to a government survey conducted in the average person moves around 11
times in a lifetime My husband never one to conform to the norm had moved nine times by the time
he was 18 He just like his father and his fatherrsquos father is a builder and thatrsquos just what builders do
Th ey build and they move and then they build and they move again I knew when I married him that
he would follow in those family footsteps and that I was signing up for a lifetime of constant moving
Frequent moves do seem to be much more of the norm where we live in Huntsville a super transient
place full of military and government men and women who are accustomed to shifting their families
from spot to spot But having only lived in two houses by the time I was 18 it was still hard for me
to imagine packing my entire life into boxes every couple of
years Now on our third move together Irsquove started taking
inventory of my things each time I prepare to repack them
into boxes and Irsquove defi nitely begun to see a trendmdashmost
everything I own has been in my life for a very long time Irsquove
carried my grandmotherrsquos hat boxes full of fur and feath-
ered millinery from place to place with me since I was 22 I
still have the antique four poster bed I slept in as a
child My many bookshelves are fi lled with every
book I have likely ever ownedmdashfrom the Norton
Anthology of English Literature to Frommerrsquos Las
Vegas guide book Th ere are even a few items of
clothing in my closet that are 20 or more years old
including a rain jacket monogrammed with my high
school letters and a sequined tube top I think I wore
at some point during college although I hope that
Irsquom wrong
It has been scientifi cally proven that most people
fear change as the outcome of that change is of-
ten unknown With each and every move that we
make it has become increasingly evident that I am
no diff erent We fi nd faith in the familiar which for
me seems to include everything from my footwear
to my friends So we carry our boxes and baggage
from place to place carving out a new niche for them
wherever we fi nd ourselves And I fi nd that long after
I have left a place that place has not left me I re-
cently went to visit the house where I grew up which
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
is sadly empty now Th e front door was exactly the same
and the concrete steps where I skinned my knee as a child
are still there as is the scar I still bear from those steps 30
years later I peeked through the glass backdoor to see that
the kitchen cabinets were still exactly the same an unpainted
knotty wood with brass knobs and the pocket door adja-
cent to the stove was still there also half open to the sitting
room I wondered if that door still bore the carved notches
of my height chart an expanse of inches that widened over
the years as I grew each notch labeled in pen with a date I
strained my eyes to look but could not see
Th e seasons are changing now and once again we are mov-
ing Th e boxes are being collected now and Irsquove already be-
gun a mental timeline of how long I can procrastinate until
actually beginning to pack them Th is summer in particular
has been one of many changes for usmdashups and downs joys
and sorrowsmdashand the walls of this house have witnessed
them all And I have to admit that it does seem right that
as the seasons change we too should also move on As
someone recently put it to me when facing the fear of the
unknown we have to learn to just manage and adjustmdashhav-
ing faith at the threshold of change that life will continue to
be full of beauty and fun love and loss We are not forced
to edge any one of these out to make room for the other but
rather we must learn to make room for them all
Th ere is no doubt that this house will stick with me as
all of the memories within it are engraved into my mind
But this time around I know that home will always be
where my family and friends are and the walls around
us are just a shelter through the sun and storms of our
lives I choose to believe that old habits are not necessar-
ily bad habits but traditions we choose to bring with us
into the future as a form of comfort in the midst of the
fear of the future My husband and I have celebrated
one of those old traditions in this house as we
have made our own growth chart for our
children here carving and marking their
tiny heights onto one of our downstairs
doors And although I will likely fret and
shed some tears through this entire mov-
ing process as I attempt to detach myself
from these walls a little compromise can be
comforting and being married to a builder
does have its perksmdashwe are unhinging that
door and taking it with us when we go
for information visit wwwathenseduathenianplayers
Names for photos are provided by the organization or business featured
14 raquo scene
Suzanne OrsquoConnor Karen Kiss and Sallie Ennis
Front Row L-R Patrick Robbins Ed Rush Nancy Colin George Smith and Steve Thornton Back Row L-R John Johnson Richard Van Valkenburgh Ronald Reed and Skipper Colin
Richard and Nancy Van Valkenburgh
Jay and Dana Town
Ernie Rivard Ann Rivard Anne Compton Burke and Kim and John Johnson
George and Lee Anne Smith and Steve and Patti Thornton
Linda Akenhead Donna Rush Ivy Albert and Amelia Summerville
Bobsy and Bill IngramChris Wesley Suzanne OrsquoConnor and Patrick Robbins
Tom and Pennie Keene Sharon and Ed Gartrell and Janet and David Skidmore
Debbie Overcash Brenda Millberger and Theresa Taylor
Ronald and Daphne Reed and Nancy and Skipper Colin
Kendall Black and Lee Anne Bostick
Sharon Gartrell Paige Prozan Amelia Summerville and Susan Todd Matt Taylor Bruce Summerville
Eric Milberger and Tommy Overcash
copy Photos by Mark Jaeger
Joyce Griffi n Betsy Lowe Peter Lowe Debbie Washburn and Ben Washburn
2015 Symphony Ball Advisorsrsquo Cocktail Partyaugust middot home of jay and dana town huntsville
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
text by sarah gaede raquo photos by patrick hood
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Some restaurants have food trucks for off-premise
special events Chef Will proprietor of Th e Palate at Lowe
Mill has a folding table Equipped with coolers kettles a
butane burner and his trusty cast iron skillet he turns out
amazing vegetarian and vegan dishes for his loyal following
every Th ursday at Greene Street Market in Huntsville
Although he grew up in Groton Connecticut helping his
mother in the kitchen and was always interested in food Chef
Will then known as Forest Wilson felt he couldnrsquot compete
with his older brother who was an executive chef So he
received vocational training in welding and visual arts (skills
which he still uses in creating his Afro-centric art) After a
brief stint in California working in the shipbuilding industry
he decided to follow his fi rst love and go to culinary school
When Chef Will visited his mother in Huntsville he realized
how much he missed being close to the land So he moved to
Alabama After he saw what his family was eating and how
many health problems they had he began an intensive study
of nutrition and the healing properties of natural foods
He had already been turned on to the health benefi ts of a
vegetarian diet by the surfers he hung out with in California
With his back-to-basics approach
Chef Will is like a nineteenth century
cook witha twenty-first century vibe
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
like a nineteenth century cook with a twenty-
fi rst century vibe
While most of Chef Willrsquos dishes are vegan he
does use real cheese because it melts better
He also uses free-range eggs Portobello
mushrooms are his go-to meat substitute
Th e day I visited he was serving portobello
pepper ldquosteakrdquo over quinoa and brown rice
with a liberal dash of his secret Bee Sting
sauce which his son Khaliq is working on
marketing to the public It was scrumptious
His food is so densely fl avored you donrsquot miss
the meat He especially loves the spices and
ingredients of Indian Asian and Chinese
cuisines all of which off er a great variety of
tasty vegetarian dishes
Chef Will is a passionate evangelist for the
healing properties of pure natural foods and
he preaches this gospel in a way that is so
inviting those who try his food cannot help
but be much more open-minded about trying
new healthy creative ways of eating
who seemed to have much more energy than he did He
became intentional about every step of the cooking process
from ingredient sourcing to cookwaremdashhence the cast
iron skillet which is naturally non-stick and adds iron to
whatever is cooked in it
Chef Will sources his ingredients locally whenever possible
He makes his vegetable stock with spring water His tasty
beans are soaked and simmered in that fl avorful stock not
poured from a can His collards are sublime without a hint
of pork fat With his back-to-basics approach Chef Will is
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Start a New Holiday Tradition at Burritt on the Mountain
ldquoHoliday Magicrdquo A Magical Dining Experience
December 10th 11th amp 12th
Itrsquos a magically fun evening dining in a historic cabin or the mansion with friends while enjoying delectable food and wine It is unlike any other holiday dinner and itrsquos perfect for a festive family occasion yet intimate enough for a romantic dinner for two Itrsquos rustic AND upscale
Holiday Magic reservations are being taken now by calling Butch Damson at 256-534-4361 Hurry Space is limted $90 per dinner seat Visit the website for menus and more
limited seating available make your reservations today
Wersquore decking the walls halls and stalls to get you in the holiday spirit More than 600 candles illuminate the sidewalks and Historic Park and music fills the air adding to the nostalgic feel of the holidays String cranberries make paper punch ornaments roast chesnuts amp taste figgy pudding Fun for the whole family itrsquos Christmas the way itrsquos supposed to be
Kris KringlersquosCandlelight Christmas
December 4th amp 5th
A much anticipated musical favorite will be back at Burritt in the Old Country Church
PerformancesDecember 16th through 20th
Tickets ON SALE NOWPurchase tickets at Josiersquos online
or by calling 256-536-2882or by calling 256-536-2by calling 256-536-2burrittonthemountaincom
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Th
ePE
R
FECT HOLIDAY DIN
NE
R
In our modern world of far-fl ung families Th anksgiving and Christmas are those rare occasions so fi lled with nostalgia
and meaning we press the pause button on our busy lives to prioritize time together Because family time is so rare these days NorsquoAla asked some of Huntsvillersquos fi nest chefs to suggest dishes that will inspire you as you plan your
familyrsquos menu this holiday season
Any time we spend with our loved ones is precious herersquos hoping these meal
ideas help make this yearrsquos holidays perfect
text by roy hall raquo photos by olivia reed
ldquoWith all the fl avors we associate with the holidays the gingerbread man is always near the top of the list So let the kids enjoy the traditional cookies while you sip this sophisticated cocktailrdquo mdashParker
ldquoTh e holidays are so fun-fi lled it seems appropriate that a holiday salad should refl ect that with lots of diff erent things going on fruits nuts cheeses and always a little hint of sweetness in the dressing No matter what main dishes and sides are served this salad will complement them allrdquo mdashAndrew
Grilled Pear Salad with Cambozola and Walnuts
Mezza Luna
(256) 650-2514 Th e GingermanMezza Luna
Butternut Squash Wild Mushroom and Roasted Asparagus Risotto
Th e Eaves
(256) 489-1752
ldquoI love this dish because itrsquos crisp and clean and adds a touch of light color to a typically heavy mealmdashthe bright green asparagus and red pancetta even look Christmassyrdquo mdashOwner LeeLee Wiginton
ldquoTh is isnrsquot super diffi cult to make It echoes the fl avors of the season And itrsquos also something a little unexpected It has a great fl avor profi le and complements other proteins really well Guests will love itrdquo mdashChef Merle Phillip
Snow Pea Salad with Crispy PancettaLynrsquos Gracious Goodness
(256) 533-2607
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Th ePERFECT HOLIDAY DINNER
Fried Brussels Sprouts with Coriander Greek Yogurt Sauce
Mezza Luna
ldquoI chose to do the turkey this way because itrsquos a diff erent approach Th e challenge of roasting a whole turkey is that the white and dark meat cook at diff erent speeds By separating the two you can cook each for its own proper cooking timerdquo mdashChef Steven Bunner
ldquoBrussels sprouts have had a bad rap Th e fi rst time most people encounter them theyrsquore overcooked mushy and served plain Th atrsquos a shame because theyrsquore nutritional powerhouses and because theyrsquore a fall crop at their best during the holiday seasonrdquo mdashJohn
Roast Turkey Breast and Dark Meat Roulade Served with Pecan Pesto
1892 East(256) 489-1242
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Between now and the end of the year take advantage of cost reductions on three popular proceduresmdashand begin 2016 with new confidence
bull SAVE BIG on breast augmentationOur saline price is $700 off and our silicone price is $900 off cash price only Schedule your initial consultation by December 31 2015 to lock in your price and the procedure must take place by March 31 2016
bull FULL-FACIAL LASER is $1500 Cash price only Initial consultation must occur before December 31 2015 and the procedure must be done by March 31 2016
bull WEEKEND Eribium Laser PEEL is Buy ThreeGet One Free Save $400 on our regular $1600 cash price by scheduling your initial consultation by December 31 2015
Look better - feel better - and save money Itrsquos time to get more for less
Dr Russell Jennings203 Avalon Ave Suite 300
Muscle Shoals AL 35661
Phone(256) 386-1450jenningsplasticsurgerycom
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Th ePERFECT HOLIDAY DINNER
Nutella CheesecakeMason Dixon Bakery amp Bistro(256) 213-7545
ldquoTh is is one of our favorite desserts for a holiday and for every day Th e rich and creamy cake melts like ice cream in your mouth the smoothness of the fi lling balances perfectly with the crunchiness of the crust and the delicate hints of the swirled Nutella are divinerdquo mdashCo-owners Chef Ashley and Taylor Ramirez
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Emily Taylor5510 Promenade Point Pkwy Suite 160Madison AL 35757256-430-2781
I can help you
your own wayGROW
1114-519HO
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
produced by aissa castillo and lauren mccaulphotos by lauren tomasella carney
clothing modeled by aaron petersen rachel smith anne harbargerand kait barinaga (for finery)
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Meet the Shop Girls The mission To search Valley shops and boutiques
for the fi nest in Yuletide treasures
Accepting the challenge three of Huntsvillersquos most original and creative taste-makers
Say hello to NorsquoAla Shop Girls Aissa Castillo Lauren McCaul and Lauren Tomasella CarneyDuring the day these mild-mannered professionals tend to demanding careers in design
retail management and photography But evenings and weekends theyrsquore out saving the world from uninspiring fashion and decor as style superheroes
Their picks for the very best gift ideas follow For ideas and inspiration year-round
stay in-the-know by following our Shop Girls on social media
Lauren McCaul deptofagraculturecom Instagram dept_of_agra_cultureAissa Castillo aislerchiccom Instagram aislerchic
Lauren Tomasella Carney laurentomasellacom Instagram laurentomasella
And as you shop for your own Christmas treasures this season please remember to spread your cheermdashand your dollarsmdashat home
(1) Amanda Uprichard Jacket ($248)(2) BCBG Dress ($228)(3) Zoa Dress ($128)Personal Couture Boutique(256) 508-5632
(4) Dress ($168)Anthropologie(256) 327-8470
(5) Olive + Oak Oatmeal Shawl ($72)(10) Simply Noelle Zipper Gusset Bag ($5999)House of Holland(256) 206-8989
(6) One-of-a-kind Eva Ziegler Agate and Pyrite Necklace ($397)(8) Eva Ziegler Freshwater Pearl Strand ($501)Eva Ziegler Jewelryevazieglercom
(9) Gift Set ($5995)Piper amp LeafPiperandleafcom
(7) Long Horn Necklace ($68)Personal Couture Boutique(256) 508-5632
Left to right Lauren Tomasella Carney
Lauren McCaul and Aissa Castillo
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
On himFilson Shirt ($98) Filson Jacket ($320)Yeti Cooler ($34999)Alabama Outdoors(256)-885-3561
On herPPLA Vest ($7999)PPLA Dress ($7499)Bedstu Boots ($295)Indigorsquos Boutique(256) 345-6348
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) Woolly Mammoth Tooth 4rdquo Damascus Linerlock Knife ($150)(2) Cardboard Safari Bucky Cardboard Deer Head ($30)(3) Curt Benzle Porcelain Compass ($15)Little Green Store and Gallery (256) 539-9699
(4) Hunting Journal ($32)Sweet Pineapple(256) 964-7563
(5) Yeti Colster ($2999)Alabama Outdoors(256)-885-3561
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
(1) Yellow House Handcrafted Beard Oils ($18 ea)Yellow House Beard Oilsyellowhousebeards com (2) Mustache amp Beard Comb ($16)Little Green Store and Gallery (256) 539-9699 (3) Latika Body Essentials Charcoal Liquid Soap ($18)(4) Latika Body Essentials Charcoal Bar Soap ($6) (5) Rustico Leather Key Chain ($18) Sweet Pineapple(256) 964-7563
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) Wood Thumb Tie ($44) (2) Slightly Alabama iPad Case ($250) (3) DockSmith Driftwood iPhone Docking Station ($68) Little Green Storeand Gallery (256) 539-9699 (4) Loyal Stricklin Aviator Mug ($35)Domaine South(256) 808-8860 (5) Would You Be a Deer Notepad ($9) Sweet Pineapple(256) 964-7563
(6) Filson Satchel ($265) Alabama Outdoors(256)-885-3561
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
When itrsquos time to move into a bigger house get a home loan from the bank thatrsquos had a home right here for generations You might say we know a thing about location location location synovuscommortgage
Banking products are provided by Synovus Bank Member FDIC Divisions of Synovus Bank operate under multiple trade names across the Southeast Loans products subject to credit approval
When itrsquos time to move into a bigger house get a home
Here is where Henry learned hersquod be getting
SERVING YOU LOCALLY AS
2565513300 | fcb-hsvcom
his own room
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) Spiritual GangsterTank ($36)(2) Luquido Yoga Pants ($90)(3) MZ Wallace Metro Tote ($245)(4) Vimmia V back Sweatshirt ($96)(5) Onzie Sports Bra ($48)(6) Olympia Yoga Pants ($96)(7) bkr Water Bottle ($30)The Fitzgerald Pilates amp Barre(256) 603-1886
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
(1) Gypsy Pant WarmTribal ($72) (2) Berry High Waist Legging ($88) (3) Long Legging Mathematics ($65) (4) Long Legging Peacock ($65) The FitzgeraldPilates amp Barre(256) 603-1886
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(1) Jane Tran Hair Clips ($15)(2) bkr Water Bottle ($30)(3) well-kept Tech Wipes ($6)(4) Made with Love Bracelets ($25)(5) Pointe Studio Socks ($12)(6) Bando Too Cold to Hold Coozie ($5)The Fitzgerald Pilates amp Barre(256) 603-1886
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
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| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) Muzzle Loaders Chocolate Bourbon Balls ($1999) (2) Vintage Crystal Decanter ($20) (3) Quench Glassware ($1399) Domaine South(256) 808-8860
(4) The Hella Bitters Old Fashioned Kit ($65)(5) American Bar by Charles Schumann ($2495) Little Green Storeand Gallery (256) 539-9699
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novemberdecember | noalastudioscom | novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) DECCO Umbrella in a Bottle ($1995)(2) Alexa Pulitzer Stationery Set ($14 ea)(3) Ikat Scarf ($6250)Huntsville Museumof Art(256) 535-4350
(4) Emily Ley Grace Journal ($32) (5) Sugar Boo Designs Clutch ($18) (6) Emily Ley Daily Planner ($58) (7) Latika Milk ampHoney Bar ($6) (8) Farm House Fresh Shea Butter Hand Cream ($14) (9) Christen MaxwellZippy ($42) (10) Green Tea Bubble Bath ($32) Sweet Pineapple(256) 964-7563 (11) Goal Getter Cuff ($32)Indigorsquos Boutique(256) 345-6348
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
(1) Kilim Pillow ($58) (2) Bejeweled Silver Plate Vase ($144) (3) Bone Clad Box ($375)Willowbrook Shoppe (256) 270-7181
(4) Cowhide Rug ($550)(5) Lucyrsquos Locket ($95) (Original piecemdashselection may vary)Sweet Pineapple(256) 964-7563 (6) Clutch ($65)Department of Agra Culturedeptofagraculturecom
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) Above The Bar Antler on Chain 28rdquo ($3999) (2) Above The Bar Deer wAntler Head 18rdquo ($2999) Indigorsquos Boutique(256) 345-6348
(3) Margaret Solow Labradorite18KT Bezel ($290) (4) Margaret Solow Diamond Crest MoonSilver ($460) (5) Margaret Solow Black Spinel + DiamondSilver ($560) (6) Margaret Solow Double Black Spinel18KT ($260)Little Green Store and Gallery (256) 539-9699
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
(1) Margaret Solow Grey Moonstoon18KT Necklace ($240) (2) Margaret Solow OpalDiamond Mosaic Necklace ($610) Little Green Storeand Gallery (256) 539-9699
(3) One-of-a-kind Eva Ziegler Smokey Quartz and Pyrite Necklace ($406)Eva Ziegler Jewelryevazieglercom
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
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novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
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(2) Tiger Jelly Cat ($2250)(3) Dog Tag Teether ($1550)(4) Dinosaur Footie ($3595)Honey B Boutique(256) 503-2853
(5) Young Buck ($25)Tiny Vinestinyvinesshopcom
(6) Bib Set ($13)Huntsville Museumof Art(256) 535-4350
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
(1) Tiny Dancer Bath Bomb ($6)Sweet Pineapple(256) 964-7563
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| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) Bib Set ($13)Huntsville Museumof Art(256) 535-4350 (2) Little Light ($25)Tiny Vinestinyvinesshopcom (3) Micro Leon Cardboard Lion ($30)Little Green Storeand Gallery (256) 539-9699 (4) I Love You Like Biscuits amp Gravy ($23)Domaine South(256) 808-8860
(5) Kickee Kimono ($4295)Honey B Boutique(256) 503-2853
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
SURPRISEA LOVED ONE
THIS HOLIDAY SEASON
WITH A FOREVER GIFT
HobbsJewelerscom 8772331347Parkway Place Mall
HuntsvilleHwy 72 West
AthensMain Street
Ardmore TN
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
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novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
(1) Chewbead Necklace ($3495)(2) Mayoral Baby Bag ($7995)(3) Mayoral Diaper Changing Pad ($2495)(4) Nursing Scarf ($2695) (5) Kickee Swaddling Blanket ($22)Honey B Boutique(256) 503-2853 (6) Lucy Darling Months Sticker ($25) (7) The Story of You Baby Book by Emily Ley ($62) Sweet Pineapple(256) 964-7563
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(1) Alwand Vahan 14K Gold and Onyx Ring wDiamond Accent ($2595)(2) Alwand Vanan 14K Gold and Onyx Bracelet wDiamond Accent ($2695)Hobbs Jewelers(877) 233-1347
(3) Britt Ryan Dress ($288)Personal Couture Boutique(256) 508-5632
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) Rocket Cosmos Mug ($13)Huntsville Museumof Art(256) 535-4350
(2) Loose Leaf Tea ($399)Piper amp Leaf piperandleafcom (3) Judy Jackson Tea Pot ($56) (4) Gary Watson Cherry Cutting Board ($48-$68) (5) Susan Coe Birthday Cake Plate ($33) Little Green Storeand Gallery (256) 539-9699 (6) Macarons ($116 pcs $221 dozen)Whisk Small Treats Bakery(256) 656-1027
(7) Truffl es ($185 each)Pizellersquos Confections (256) 513-9745 (8) Olive amp Sinclair Chocolate ($799)Domaine South(256) 808-8860
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
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(4) Urchin Bowl ($10)(5) Foodie Dice ($38)(6) 1Canoe2 Wood Recipe Box w Recipe Cards ($6999) Domaine South(256) 808-8860 (7) Growlers ($75 small $95 large)Southern Growlersoutherngrowlercom
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
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(4) BCBG Dress ($328)Personal Couture Boutique(256) 508-5632
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Guadalupe Robinson
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
text by jennifer crossley howard raquo photos by patrick hood
Of Deft and Dirty Hands
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Huntsville potter Guadalupe Lanning Robinson has spent more than 36 years mastering the
marriage of clay texture and geometric design into her pottery yet time has done little to temper the
plight of waiting
ldquoIt is hard for me to let a pot just dryrdquo she says motioning toward fi ve small wet pots sitting near her
pottery wheel ldquoIrsquom as excited to do this as I was 30 years agordquo
To observe her studio at Lowe Mill that is easy to believe Located on the corridor outside the textile
mill-turned-art centerrsquos main building the loft-like space with a corrugated tin roof feels like a place a
Gabriel Garcia Marquez character would enjoy daydreaming
Sienna-hued pottery sits in various stages to be fi red layered and etched Argentinian tango music
streams from Robinsonrsquos iPhone and two cockatiels a parrot and a parakeet chirp from their cages All
except the parrot fl y freely when Robinson is working
Robinson who is 61 made her fi rst pot in 1979 in her native Mexico City Almost four decades later her
work is part of permanent museum collections in Auburn Huntsville Tuscumbia and Tupelo Missis-
sippi She regularly enters her work in respected juried shows such as the Monte Sano Arts Festival and
the Kentuck Festival of the Arts in Northport and has received two Alabama State Council on the Arts
individual artist fellowships
Her inspiration draws from the villages around her native Mexico City such as the black pottery of
the northwest as well as her acquired Southern culture White lilies corn grids and round female
fi guresmdashldquoreally strong women who are in chargerdquo Robinson saysmdashreappear on her stoneware She uses
natural dyes indigo for color and mixes sand into clay for texture Nothing is wasted
ldquoI donrsquot waste any clayrdquo Robinson says ldquoEverything is recycledrdquo
Robinson fi nds solace in the 40-50 hours a week she puts in at the studio and the often tedious process
of making pots which can take from three weeks to six weeks for larger pots She usually works on two
or three pots at a time tending to groups at diff erent stages
After a pot is thrown on a wheel a piece can take days to dry before its fi rst bisque fi re in which tem-
peratures rise to 1800 F After baking for nine hours the kiln must cool Th e second fi ring rises to 2150
F and matures the clay and melts the glazes to strengthen the piece
ldquoI am an effi cient person by naturerdquo Robinson says ldquoWaiting for the kiln to cool down enough to open
can be nerve wracking and this is when my patience is usually put to the testrdquo
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
ldquoIt is hard for me to let a pot just dry Irsquom as excited to do this as I was 30 years agordquo
Robinson makes most of her pots on a wheel using oxides to change the color of clay she gets from Nashville and Pittsburgh Her pottery takes several weeks from start to fi nish depending on how large a pot is and how many she makes at a time
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
ldquoAttend to your childrenrsquos needs fi rst keep focus on what you want to douse the happiness joy and little breaks you get to make your artTh ey grow real fast and they will keep inspiring you all your liferdquo
Robinson imagined this bat-like design as she was working She usually begins a piece with a design in mind but that often evolves
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Robinson uses an overlay of liquid clay called engobemdashthat includes three to four layersmdashto create a
base on which to design
Th ere is high risk in making pottery and hours of work can be wasted on a pot that has not dried en-
tirely before it enters the kiln Air pockets or the wrong mixture of chemicals can ruin a piece
ldquoArt is involved but science is toordquo says Laura Smith director of education at the Huntsville Museum
of Art where Robinson has taught pottery classes ldquoItrsquos more labor intensive in terms of working with
the medium whether yoursquore building by hand or with a wheel until you fi re with the fi nal layer of glazerdquo
Th e result is sturdy pottery
ldquoI want my pots to look like something that is lasting a long timerdquo Robinson says
Th ough she works solitarily in her studio she says she does not get lonely Her birds and music keep her
company and each stage of pottery making has a soundtrack She uses needlepoint tools to draw onto
clay to Jose Feliciano and other Latin American musicians
ldquoIf Irsquom at the wheel Bruno Marsrdquo she says ldquoIf Irsquom unloading the kiln and something is really awesome
then I need something moving and I have on Motownrdquo
Robinsonrsquos years of experience minimize the risk of damaged pots but she says her greatest challenge
as a potter was balancing her work while raising her two children Now adults their candid childhood
pictures and those of her grandchildren cover the warm green walls of her studio
She met her husband the poet James Robinson in 1977 on a Greyhound bus when she returned to
Mexico City from visiting a friend at the University of Southern Mississippi He was heading to Mexico
to study at a university Th ey married six months later After giving birth to her daughter Annie Jane in
Mexico City in 1982 the family moved to Huntsville in 1985 Th at is when Robinson got more serious
about her pottery
ldquoFrom the very beginning when I moved to Alabama I knew I was going to have to do thisrdquo she said
ldquoIn some ways it was a way for me to keep connected to my heritagerdquo
She took even 15 minutes of free time to work in the studio behind her home and worked late into the
night while her daughter and son Isidoro born in 1987 slept Having a home studio allowed her to
wash clothes tend to her home and drop off lunches at school while maintaining her art
ldquoTh ere was something for me when I fi rst became a mother that fueled my creativityrdquo Robinson says
ldquoTh ey are such a social inspiration too It fi lls your liferdquo
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Robinson advises fellow artists who are mothers to seize
both roles but to prioritize motherhood
ldquoAttend to your childrenrsquos needs fi rst keep focus on what you
want to do use the happiness joy and little breaks you get
to make your artrdquo she says ldquoTh ey grow real fast and they will
keep inspiring you all your liferdquo
Anna Sue Courtney director of the Flying Monkey Arts
Center at Lowe Mill has known Robinson for more than
10 years She says she admires how mothers and artists like
Robinson seamlessly embrace both roles
ldquoIt seems therersquos not a separation between creating and rais-
ing childrenrdquo Courtney says ldquoTh ey seem to pull from the
same placerdquo
Part of Robinsonrsquos motivation at Lowe Mill comes from
working privately in a studio alongside other artists that fos-
ters a community of feedback and ideas
ldquoItrsquos nice to be here because you can take a break and walk around and get inspirationrdquo Courtney says
ldquoItrsquos refreshingrdquo
When she needs a break from the studio Robinson stays home to sketch designs for a day or two then
she is back in the studio
Trips twice a year to Mexico City keep her plugged in to her native culture which in turn shows up in
her pottery
ldquoI have to recharge myselfrdquo Robinson says ldquoI love Huntsville and loved raising my kids here but I still
have the need of going back to be recharged and smell all the smells and see all the colors and get on
the subway and be pushed aroundrdquo
Details from her trips that infl uence her work include the ever-present red that covers the city during
the celebration of Dia de los Muertos or the Day of the Dead Th e pyramids of Teotihuacan conjure
warm earth tones and fl oating gardens around the city yield sweet pungent calla lilies and carnations
Celebration of food tough women and nature reappear in her pottery qualities that both Southern and
Mexican cultures treasure
Above This daisy design is character-istic of Robinsonrsquos work Nature food and strong females from her native Mexico City and the South are strong creative infl uences
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Clockwise from top left Robinson often glazes only the inside of her pots so they can hold water and food She began quilting in 2002 and her quilts like her pottery contain earth tones and natural infl uences in their design Four birds keep Robinson company in what can be the isolating medium of pottery making Geometry and symmetry are two signature elements in Robinsonrsquos work according to Laura Smith director of education at the Huntsville Museum of Art
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Just as she keeps her home country close to her heart Robinson is loyal to her fi rst
love of pottery though she began making quilts in 2002
ldquoIrsquom a potter who likes to quiltrdquo she says
Like her pottery her quilting follows designs of organic nature such as fl owers and
crops on rich jewel tone cotton
ldquoWhen I fi rst saw one of her quilts I didnrsquot realize it was hers and I thought that
looks like it should be Guadalupersquos quiltrdquo Courtney says
Robinson prefers the immediate gratifi cation of clay
ldquoItrsquos a very responsive mediumrdquo she says ldquoYou can manipulate it Th e fact of mak-
ing something out of dirt out of nothing and making it durable making it perma-
nent that after going through the heat and maturing is something very excitingrdquo
She gently dings a pot covered with white dresses titled ldquoTehuana Dressrdquo to make
her point
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
887 FM Muscle Shoals bull 1007 FM Huntsvillewwwaprorg
News classicalmusic and more
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
copy Patrick Hood
text by sara wright covington raquo photos by jacki gil
patrick hood erin lindsey and michelle odom
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
copy Patrick Hood
ldquoA LOT OF PEOPLE HAD BEEN ASKING ME QUESTIONS ABOUTHOW I GOT MY BUSINESS STARTED I WANTED TO GATHER SOME PEOPLE AROUND ME
WHO WERE GOING THROUGH THOSE STRUGGLES AND TOBUILD ENTREPRENEURIAL COURAGErdquo
JACKI GIL SALT+PAPERIE
copy Patrick Hood
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
untsville-born Jacki Gil began her paper design busi-
ness Salt+Paperie in 2014 with an expansive vision
in mind one that extended beyond creating beautiful
custom designed paper goods ldquoI love my design job
but when Irsquom 50 years old I donrsquot see myself still de-
signing wedding invitationsrdquo the master stationer says
ldquoI really have a passion for teaching and helping people
I want to be a mentorrdquo
In 2015 Gil set out on her mentoring mission sooner than expected with a series
of workshops called Encourage Huntsville ldquoA lot of people had been asking me
questions about how I got my business startedrdquo Gil says about the early days of
Salt+Paperie Even though most of those questions from entrepreneurial-hopefuls
were technicalmdashlike how to apply for a business licensemdashthey served as inspira-
tion for Gil ldquoI wanted to gather some people around me who were going through
those struggles and to build entrepreneurial courage I defi nitely saw that there
was a need for helping people to take that next step toward owning their own
businessesrdquo
Encourage Huntsville was modeled on the image of a growing small business
movement called the Rising Tide Society a national community of creative small
business owners who encourage ldquocommunity over competitionrdquo Th at spirit of
openness is at the heart of Encourage Huntsville ldquoCommunity over competition
is a huge part of what we are doingrdquo says Gil ldquoSmall business owners sharing how
they earn their money is a big dealrdquo
As a fi rst step Gil gathered others around her who were using their skills and abili-
ties to make their own small businesses work With talents ranging from cooking
and cake decorating to hand lettering and artwork these small business owners
all embraced Gilrsquos vision for imparting to others the knowledge of their craft un-
impeded by a fear of losing their competitive edge
Th e fi rst lesson Gil wanted to impart to Encourage Huntsvillersquos students wasnrsquot
necessarily a particular craft or skill but a spirt of creative confi dence ldquoWe want-
ed to bridge the gap between the very artsy community and the ultimate engineer
communityrdquo many of whom Gil observes had been told since childhood they
werenrsquot artistic ldquoWhen you are little and someone tells you that you donrsquot have a
talent it sticks with you I found that a lot of people had that experience so that
was the workshop partmdashto build some creative courage in this communityrdquo
Gil conducted the fi rst workshop herself testing the waters to see how the concept
would be received Th e admission price to that fi rst workshop included supplies a
take-home ldquogoody bagrdquo to help students continue their work extracurricularly and
refreshmentsmdashas well as Gilrsquos tips of her trade
ldquoWe went in blindly not knowing if we had a market or notrdquo says Gil Th e popular-
ity of that fi rst class proved undeniably that a market did in fact exist the work-
shop sold out in one day ldquoSo we did back-to-back workshopsrdquo Gil says ldquoAfter that
novemberdecembeeer eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee | nononoononononononoonoonononooooonoonoonnononnoaaalalalllaallllllalaalaaalal ststustust ddiossscom mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm | | | | | | | | | | |
f
w
y
Previous page Encourage Huntsvillersquos founder and instructor Jacki Gil teaches a class in hand lettering Facing page A participant studies her supply list
we realized people really want to do this stuff So we said lsquoletrsquos jump on the boat
and make this happenrsquordquo
Gilrsquos longtime friend photographer Erin Lindsey of Erin Lindsey Images agreed
to contribute to Encourage Huntsvillersquos curriculum by teaching a photography
class ldquoJacki and I are a good team because our hearts are in the same place when
it comes to encouraging othersrdquo Lindsey says Still she admits saying yes to teach-
ing wasnrsquot without some initial hesitation ldquoWhen Jacki asked if I would teach a
class it was kind of scary I thought I had to be perfect before I could teach oth-
ersrdquo Lindsey says of her initial hesitancy ldquoBut after talking to Jacki I realized none
of us are perfectrdquo But perfection isnrsquot the goal encouragement is the goal ldquoAnd I
thought lsquoI can defi nitely line up with that visionrsquordquo
Michelle Odom another Huntsville native and owner of custom cake bakery Just
Crumbs was also on board with Gilrsquos vision In fact Odom had been contemplat-
ing teaching a class when she was approached by Gil to teach a fondant basics
class ldquoHuntsville is such an engineer town and everyone is so mathematical and
scientifi crdquo Odom says echoing the dichotomy between the arts and sciences ex-
pressed by Gil ldquoTh ese workshops are just a very cool way for structured people to
have a creative outletrdquo
ldquoJACKI AND I ARE A GOOD TEAM BECAUSE OUR HEARTS ARE INTHE SAME PLACE WHEN IT COMES TO ENCOURAGING OTHERSrdquo
ERIN LINDSEY ERIN LINDSEY IMAGES
copy Erin Lindsey
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Above A participant in Erin Lindseyrsquos photo class frames a still life
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
copy Erin Lindsey
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
ldquoHUNTSVILLE IS SUCH AN ENGINEER TOWN AND EVERYONE ISSO MATHEMATICAL AND SCIENTIFIC THESE WORKSHOPS ARE JUST A VERY COOL
WAY FOR STRUCTURED PEOPLE TO HAVE A CREATIVE OUTLETrdquo MICHELLE ODOM JUST CRUMBS
copy Michelle Odom
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
ldquoAnd yesrdquo Odom acknowledges ldquoyou are in theory teaching your competition But
at the same time you are helping the community be more creativerdquo
With its roster of popular creative workshops under its belt Encourage Huntsville
has added business classes to its community-over-competition curriculum with
classes designed to provide specifi c guidance for small business owners ldquoAll of
our events that donrsquot require hands-on work we call seminarsrdquo says Gil ldquoWe had
about 15 people at our fi rst one It was pretty much just an open discussion to ask
us questions and get answers from the perspective of a small business ownerrdquo
Th e seminars enjoyed the same success and enthusiasm as the workshops ldquoWe
had two hours for people to ask questionsrdquo Gil says Topics covered ran the gamut
from scheduling daily tasks self-hosting a website or using an Etsy store man-
aging client expectations and being realistic about how much time you need to
complete jobs
ldquoTh e time went quickly and people wanted morerdquo says Gil who envisions an all-
day seminar in 2016
Margaret Baggett owner and executive chef of the Chef Next Door is another
small business owner who has shared Gilrsquos vision from the very beginning teach-
copy Erin Lindsey
Facing page Michelle Odomrsquos fondant basics class begins with a styrofoam cake form Above Newbie photographers familiarize themselves with their cameras in Erin Lindseyrsquos photography class
ing knife skills workshops and helping host the business seminars ldquoI am so proud
to get to be a part of this project and help nurture other small business owners
who may just be starting out on their journey or are deep in it and looking for
some encouragement from other business ownersrdquo Baggett says of what motivates
her participation in Encourage Huntsville ldquoEven being on the advice-giving side
of things I am still learning and have taken tips and tricks and lessons from each
event we have had so far We never stop learning from each other and never stop
improving upon our craftsrdquo
Th e mutual growth among students and teachers is the source of the encourage-
mentmdashand the joymdashof Encourage Huntsville ldquoItrsquos so much fun to see the light
bulbs go off with people and see them encouraged right before your eyesrdquo Lindsey
says of her experience with the program ldquoPlus itrsquos a pleasure to contribute to a
sense of community over competition Th at whole concept is so rarerdquo
As Encourage Huntsvillersquos following continues to grow the diversity of the work-
shops will expand as well Whether you are looking to spend a fun afternoon
learning a new craft or are a budding small business owner hoping to launch
your brand Encourage Huntsville has something valuable to off er ldquoWe encourage
those left-brain folks to take up a new hobby or skillrdquo Baggett says ldquoor just encour-
age the people of Huntsville to get together and fan their creative fl amesrdquo
If yoursquore looking for
creative or entrepreneurial
encouragement visit
encouragehuntsvillecom
for seminar and workshop
schedules and information
ldquoI AM SO PROUD TO GET TO BE A PART OF THIS PROJECT AND HELP NURTURE OTHER SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS WHO MAY JUST BE STARTING OUT ON THEIR JOURNEY OR ARE DEEP IN IT
AND LOOKING FOR SOME ENCOURAGEMENT FROM OTHER BUSINESS OWNERSrdquoMARGARET BAGGETT CHEF NEXT DOOR
copy Jacki Gil
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
copy Jacki Gil
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Participants in Margaret Baggettrsquos knife skills workshop learn to perfect their ldquomise en placerdquo
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
copy Olivia Reed
text by sara wright covington raquo photos by olivia reed and jeff white
HUNTSVILLErsquoS
HOMEGROWNHOSTESS
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
ttttttononononoooooonononooooo raquo praquo praquo praquo praquo phothothothothotosoososos s s osos bybybbybb
Any host will tell you that delicious food and quality libations while important to
a partyrsquos success are secondary to the most important ingredient of all the guest list Th atrsquos why many
of downtown Huntsvillersquos most popular restaurants breweries and wine shops are turning to event
planner Ashley Ryals and her uncanny knack for attracting loyal patronsmdashand creating unforgettable
events in the process
When Huntsville born-and-bred Ashley Ryals left for college at the University of Alabama in 2001
she thought her exit from the Valley was permanent ldquoI never thought I would end up back hererdquo the
founder of event planning company Homegrown Huntsville says with a knowing laugh But after a few
post-graduate years working for world-renowned public relations powerhouse Weber Shandwick in
New York City Ryals started to second guess her freshman declaration
ldquoI started to get homesickrdquo she admits ldquoAll of my friends were getting married and meeting for football
games and I was missing itrdquo So when a friend from home set up an interview at EarlyWorks for a job
doing event planning Ryals jumped at the chance to come home
Ashley spent the next few years planning EarlyWorks Whistle Stop and Santarsquos Village events A brief
stint in sales followed along with a seat on the board of Huntsville Young Professionals where she had
an idea for a downtown pub crawl
ldquoWe expected 20 or 30 peoplerdquo Ryals says of their modest expectations ldquoBut 200 people showed uprdquo
Th at initial success convinced Ryals to embark on her dream of establishing an
event planning company But it wasnrsquot just any event planning company Ryals
had in mind she envisioned one that would collaborate with local businesses
cultivate signature events for the community to enjoy and support small busi-
nesses in the process
Inspired Ryals left her sales job and for the second time in her life came home
again to event planning and Homegrown Huntsville
To help bring her vision to life Ryals collaborated with designer Adrianne Van
Kirk of Fave Creative ldquoAdrianne has been a part of the visual and branding of
Homegrown from the beginning We come up with the event ideas then I get
the ticketing and sales together and she comes back with a logo and the mar-
keting for the event And thatrsquos how it all comes togetherrdquo Ryals says of their
creative process
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
ASHLEY RYALS
copy Olivia Reed
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
ldquoMOST WINE FESTIVALS ACROSS THE COUNTRY HAVE PROVEN RECORDS OF BEING ABLE TO STAY AROUND 15 OR 20 YEARS OR EVEN LONGER AND THE ECONOMIES OF THOSE
CITIES HAVE REALLY GROWN AS A RESULT I WANT BIG SPRING CRUSH TO EVENTUALLY BE THE BIGGEST AND BEST WINE FESTIVAL IN THE STATE OF ALABAMArdquo ASHLEY RYALS
copy Jeff White
copy Jeff White
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
copy Olivia Reed
Homegrown launched in 2011 with what would become its
signature event Dine amp Dash Every second Wednesday
April through October a trolley shuttles patrons between
downtown establishments where they are served a drink
and appetizer before moving on to the next stop
Owner and executive chef Merle Phillips of Th e Eaves was
one of the fi rst restaurants to sign on for Dine amp Dashrsquos de-
but ldquoAshley came to me and said she was starting a trolley
tasting conceptrdquo says Chef Merle ldquoI didnrsquot really know her so
I was taking a chance on the concept she was sellingrdquo
Merle tried it and has been a loyal participant of Dine amp
Dash ever since
ldquoIt was a risk in the beginning but it defi nitely paid off rdquo Chef
Merle says of the experience Pivotal to that experience ac-
cording to Phillips is Ryalsrsquo demonstration to the commu-
nity just what the term ldquohomegrownrdquo really means ldquoAshley
shines a spotlight on independent businesses in a market-
place that has for so long focused on chainsrdquo Phillips says
ldquoDine amp Dash has really brought into sharp focus the inter-
esting culinary diversity that Huntsville has to off errdquo
For the next two years Homegrown Huntsville focused al-
most exclusively on Dine amp Dash which by the end of its fi rst
year included every single downtown restaurant But when
big changes began to appear on the downtown horizonmdash
new restaurants breweries and residential developmentsmdash
Ryalsrsquo instincts told her
the time had come to
introduce a new event
to the downtown cal-
endar
ldquoBeer Hop follows
the concept of Dine
amp Dashrdquo Ryals says of
Homegrownrsquos second
venture which began
in 2013 Each month a
trolley visits three dif-
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
BILL FOWLEROLD TOWN BEER
EXCHANGE
copy Olivia Reed
copy Olivia Reed
ferent breweries where patrons sample beers and enjoy food
from a variety of food trucks parked at each location
Bill Fowler managing partner of Old Town Beer Exchange
agreed to participate in Beer Hop on his very fi rst day of
business and credits Ryals with an overwhelmingly success-
ful opening night ldquoAshley said lsquoI can guarantee that you are
going to have wave after wave of people coming throughrsquordquo
Fowler says recalling that fi rst jittery occasion Once again
Ryals proved true to her word with 60-plus patrons arriving
in an hour-and-a-half ldquoIt was awesome and such a great ex-
perience for usrdquo Fowler raves ldquoAshley is a hard worker and
you can see that in what she doesrdquo
Fowler believes that in addition to bringing new customers
to OTBX Ryals is also cultivating beer education consis-
tently bringing in people who are new to beer and want to
learn And with Huntsvillersquos recent brewery boom that level
of education and interest is crucial for the brewing commu-
nity to thrive ldquoWe have a very small window of opportunityrdquo
says Fowler ldquoI think Huntsville in particular is becoming a
craft brewing community People are making money at this
and once Tennessee sees that we need to already have had a
pretty huge head startrdquo
By the end of 2013 and with standing events Beer Hop and
Dine amp Dash well established Ryals took time to refl ect on
her original goal for Homegrown Huntsville ldquoIn the back of
my head from day one I knew I wanted to do a wine festival
I just didnrsquot think Huntsville was ready for it in 2011rdquo
Emboldened by the success of Beer Hop Ryals decided to
make the leap with Big Spring Crush wine festival later the
same year Once again Ryals delivered the perfect audience
for the event and in the process discovered a surprising
fact about North Alabamarsquos contribution to the wine-mak-
ing industry
ldquoIn doing the wine festival I learned that we have a huge
wine community in Huntsvillerdquo Ryals says ldquoTh ere are only
about 47 certifi ed wine judges in the entire United States
and we have four of them right here in North Alabama Two
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
copy Jeff White
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
ldquoI STARTED TO GET HOMESICK ALL OF MY FRIENDS WERE GETTING MARRIEDAND MEETING FOR FOOTBALL GAMES AND I WAS MISSING ITrdquo ASHLEY RYALS
copy Jeff White
copy Jeff White
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
ldquoIT WAS AWESOME AND SUCH A GREAT EXPERIENCE FOR USrdquoBILL FOWLER OLD TOWN BEER EXCHANGE
copy Jeff White
copy Olivia Reed
of those four certifi ed wine judges sit on the committee for
Big Spring Crushrdquo
Matthew and Stephanie Mell had just opened Church Street
Wine Shop when they decided to participate in the fi rst Big
Spring Crush Like OTBXrsquos Robert Fowler the Mells credit
Ryals and Homegrown Huntsville for helping to introduce
their new enterprise to the community ldquoAshley has been in-
strumental in helping to bring us people who love and ap-
preciate winerdquo Stephanie Mell says ldquoShe was homegrown
here in Huntsville and she really gets the downtown area
and small businesses and that is so important to usrdquo
Big Spring Crush began with a bang featuring over 150
wines and attracting patrons from across the country
ldquoMost wine festivals across the country have proven records
of being able to stay around 15 or 20 years or even longerrdquo
Ryals says ldquoAnd the economies of those cities have really
grown as a result I want Big Spring Crush to eventually be
the biggest and best wine festival in the state of Alabamardquo
How does Ryals intend to make that dream come true ldquoBy
always keeping it fresh I want to have new marketing and
new things happening each yearrdquo
Ryalsrsquo formula of reinvention and expansion has successfully
led Homegrown Huntsville through fi ve years of success and
helped its events become community staples along the way In
the process Ryals is broadening more than just our image of
downtown Huntsville shersquos joining a class of creative entrepre-
neurs committed to expanding Huntsvillersquos reputation as more
than just a hub for the brightest scientifi c minds in America
ldquoWe have a big city of engineers and lawyers and itrsquos won-
derfulrdquo Ryals say ldquo But there is a whole artist and food cul-
ture here and there is so much growth I want us to have a
vibrant cool downtown area and I want for people to tell
their friends to come and visit and to see Huntsville for what
it is a city I loverdquo
If yoursquod like to participate in Homegrown Huntsville either
as a guest or a participating business visit homegrown-
huntsvillecom
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
copy Jeff White
I was years old and the year was At that time the city of Huntsville was inching toward the mountain to the east California Street was once the continental divide between the small town metropo-lis and the uncharted territories gingerly crossed by the real estate pioneers four score and some odd years prior Th is area became the new suburb as the city kept pushing onward toward Fagan Springs as if the reverberating booms of rocket testings were vibrating Hunstvillians away from its epicenter
From the front yard of our house on Owens Drive I could look to the rightmdashup the hill to the bend be-yond which the big houses stood on their rocky ledge pedestals and to the left where all the other houses that looked just like oursmdashfresh and newmdashrambled for what seemed like miles Th ose clean well-lit abodes all seemed the same and granted at my age I knew more about the pets that lived there than I did about the people who owned those manageable mortgages I came to realize that each was diff erent in a way that was permeated by voices smells and furnishings
It is a clicheacute to say that our lives were simpler then because that is just how the current era will be fondly referred to in the future but to a 5-year-old it is the simplicity that brought the joy Th e sixties will always be to me the beginning of the age of manufactured happiness Cheap clean and simple was what was strived for and what was easily obtained Plastic items were plentiful and pretty things could be bought with SampH Green Stamps A few coins in our pocket would transfer us into the most master of manipula-tors with us giving our all to convince our parents for a jaunt to Murdockrsquos for a holiday of wonderment joy and impatience as we would scour the shelves trying to get the most from our meager budget
Owens Drive was the fairly new thoroughfare from which the avenues of three-bedroom-ranchers fi ngered away at planned intervals Th is was the place where newlyweds started their lives homes and families Where girls with last names that had been in the town for generations would change them to those strange and exotic last names of the clean cut newcomers brought here for military purposes Where the housewives would preheat their pristine electric ovens trying to make cheese straws and biscuits that were just like their motherrsquos only to be frustrated as they were never quite the same and where the husbands would follow in their fatherrsquos footsteps by joining the Acme Club and hunting doves on the weekends
Th ere was a swimming pool Certainly not at our house Th e only private pool I remember as a child was one that my grandmother would take me to nestled between huge trees at someonersquos house on Adams Street I would swim with other children my age while our grandmothers chatted smoking cigarettes in cat-eyed anonymity whispering most of their stories so we wouldnrsquot be able to hear But between their
gasps and laughter we would listen hear and learn
Th e Blossomwood pool was a place of designated rules and the sound of bright whistlesmdashwith straight lines and distinctive colors of blue and green I can still feel the Coppertoned oiliness on the skin of the tanned lifeguard as she carried me from the deep end frightened after my fi rst attempt at solo-swimming She knew my name I had no idea who she was
On the other side of the pool was the school my older sister attended It had a style that mim-icked the poolmdashstraight lines cleanmdasha temple to orderliness and good manners It was with
awe that I once watched the young adults there some as old as eleven wind and dance their way around a sky-high fl agpolemdasheach with a diff erent color ribbon until the fi rst (and only) May Pole
I was privy to was completely dressed in its woven bright colors
90 raquo bless their hearts raquo Guy McClure Jr
Huntsville was a magical place for us tail-end baby boomers to grow upmdashbeyond the miracles of the escalator at Pizitz the smiling little lady on the tall stool at the register at Britlings There was a comfort level there that Irsquom not sure is in the minds of the 5-year-olds of today
cat-eyed agasps
Th s
aI w
THE COMFORTS OF BLOSSOMWOOD
In our world of red-bricked carported castles there was a def-inite division of generations Th e children ate separately from the parents went to school as our dads went to work enter-tained our neighborhood friends as quietly as possible and felt safe between our boundaries of Big Cove Road and Hermitage Street While we dined on our Chef Boy-Ar-Dee boxed pizza our parents busied themselves dressing in their dark colors getting ready for a late dinner at Boots having the scent of perfume and face powder trail my mother as she came into the kitchen looking for something with an intense purpose My father would smell of British Sterling and look just as he did when he went to work only happier Th ese nights meant something fun would happenmdashwe would have a babysitter
Babysitters were my introduction into what was and still seems cool Th ey were usually Huntsville High School teen-agers who would put on a show without even knowing it I would drink in their every move word and essence of style To me they were supermodelsmdashmovie starsmdasheven more fa-mous in my eyes than a television weatherman and almost as glamorous as the waitresses at the Waffl e House
Before they would tire of me and my sister and put us to bed they would include us in their world of music and knowledge which I thought was all-encompassing Suddenly our world of Th e Benny Carl Show and Fantasy Playhouse would seem trite and passeacute and we would catch a fl eeting glimpse into what would be in store for us when we too could stay up past 8 pm
Huntsville was a magical place for us tail-end baby boomers to grow upmdashbeyond the miracles of the escalator at Pizitz the smiling little lady on the tall stool at the register at Britlings and that bright colorful Maypole Th ere was a comfort level there that Irsquom not sure is in the minds of the 5-year-olds of todaymdashthe soothing sheltered lack of knowledge of why we were so lucky yet we didnrsquot even know that we were
In the other areas of our Huntsville there was poverty and ra-cial unrestmdashas there was and is in every city I was unaware People of color were always a part of my worldmdashmostly be-cause they had my attention and respect At our house there was Annie my grandmotherrsquos house was fi lled with the joys of Lula and out on the family farm there was strong and smiling Homer and large and huggable Rosamdashall just as much a part of my life as everyone else My life was good and they were instrumental in making it that way
What will the 5-year-olds of today who are lucky enough to be raised on those well-planned streets remember when they surpass their own 50 year mark It is a much more complex world now and there are diff erent concerns with daily changes of fear Youthful innocence is a prize that is encased without a lock Premature maturity is a viable threat and a constant fear But each night tucked in tight in a simple room sleeps tomor-rowrsquos adults who are having sweet dreamsmdashblanketed by the comforts of Blossomwood
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
92 raquo the vine raquo Amy C Collins
BORDEAUX POWER
Where Burgundyrsquos vineyards were established by Benedictine monks patiently growing wine vines with spiritual hearts Bordeauxrsquos vineyards were raised by entrepreneurial laymen who recognized the massive monetary opportunity when the English began drinking down their peasant wine
The city of Bordeaux is Francersquos primary port town on the Atlantic ocean a harbor that has for centuries served as the countryrsquos most important dock Th e regionrsquos history is long and storied with the fi rst written reference to the area dated 379 AD by the Latin poet Ausonius who was also a wine-grower Jump ahead to the year 1152 when Eleanor of Aquitaine married Englandrsquos soon-to-be king Henry Plantagenet and the port and surrounding vineyard land became the source of wine for the English a connection that remains strong even today
Bordeaux produces the worldrsquos most expensive and sought after collector wines the top tier of which make up less than fi ve percent of the regionrsquos total production Th ese names are quickly learned by neophyte wine drinkers wanting to make an impression Chateau Haut-Brion Lafi te Latour and Margaux for example Grown in gravelly soils only a few meters above sea levelmdashin contrast vineyards elsewhere in Europe typically sit between 300 and 900 metersmdashthese wines are some of the most powerful austere and pawed over When young the tannins in these cabernet sauvignon cabernet franc and merlot blends coat the tongue and mouth with a chalky dry sensation akin to sucking on an Earl Grey tea bag and are perhaps best suited to well-fatted rare steak and cigars Th ese are wines built to live for decades Personally I prefer a Bordeaux at least 20 years aged when the tannins have had ample time to calm down and mellow out and more nuanced fl avors come forward Sounds fancy and it is Only in some very lucky circumstances over the past year have I been guest to a bottle of 1990 Clos de Menuts Saint-Eacutemilion and a 1970 Chateau Haut-Brion About once every 10 years Irsquove had the good
fortune to taste a wine older than myself Nice work if you can get it
Where Burgundyrsquos vineyards (Francersquos other classifi ed sought-after region) were established by Benedictine monks patiently growing wine vines with spiritual hearts
Bordeauxrsquos vineyards were raised by entrepreneurial laymen who recognized the massive monetary opportunity when the English began drinking down their peasant wine Th is underscores the second half of my theory as to why Americans
more often American males are so drawn to the wines of Bordeaux Th erersquos an inherent capitalist connection something in the soil Th at the wines are so
unmistakable so distinctively grand and pronounced elixirs exemplifi es the fi rst half of my theory we Americans are not known for our subtlety (To be fair the Chinese are
signifi cant Bordeaux collectors as well)
Philosophy aside Bordeaux is quite a large region that produces beautiful white and red values as well as the rare fi nds out of the populacersquos price range Herersquos the skinny Blending is the game single varietal wines are rare White Bordeaux is typically made from a blend of sauvignon blanc and seacutemillon and sometimes a drop or two of muscadelle ugni blanc or colombard Reds are made primarily from the two cabernets plus merlot with small quantities of petit verdot malbec and carmenegravere occasionally in the mix Th e region is also home to the golden nectar of late ripened seacutemillon sauvignon blanc and muscadelle grapes that have successfully attracted the noble rot a fungus that covers the fruit and drains moisture from inside leaving behind rich sweet grapes without moldy fl avors Chateau drsquoYquem is the most famous of these unfortifi ed dessert wines though there are better bargains from the region
Bordeaux is split by the Gironde river which divides the region into three general areas Th e left bank also known as the Haut-Meacutedoc is where the classifi ed top growths are situated Th ese prestigious estates were named for their exceptional vineyard sites in 1855 a decision nearly unchanged since Today serious collectors invest in Bordeaux futures theoretically locking down lower prices of top
ample time to calm dit is Only in some vede Menuts Saint-Eacutem
fortune to taste a
Wherees
aun
of msignifi
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Follow Amy at pigandvinecom for morestories and wine suggestions
growth estates while the wine is still aging in the cellar Itrsquos the wine tradersquos equivalent to the NASDAQ On the right bank Saint-Eacutemilion and Pommerol are the prized vineyard areas known for their merlot heavy cuveacutees To the south west we fi nd Graves where there are many great values to be had in both white and red bottlings Entre-Deux-Mers which translates to ldquobetween two seasrdquo sits between the Dordogne and Garonne tributaries off the Gironde and is an excellent source for crisp whites
Get started on your Bordeaux experience with these values
Chateau Graville-Lacoste 2014 Graves 75 seacutemillon 20 sauvignon blanc and 5 muscadelle make up this beauty thatrsquos consistently delicious every vintage Crisp and refreshing great with seafood
Chateau Mirambeau 2014 GravesAnother classic blend of 40 sauvignon blanc 40 seacutemillon and 20 muscadelle this lovely white is a bit more fl oral than the Graville-Lacoste Easy drinking and great value
Chateau de Parenchegravere Bordeaux Rouge 201155 merlot 30 cabernet sauvignon and 15 cabernet franc grown in clay heavy soils similar to the right bank of the region Fleshy with good structure and abundant red fruit
Chateau Arnaud Bordeaux Supeacuterieur 2011Supeacuterieur on a Bordeaux label isnrsquot egotistical marketingmdashby law it indicates a wine with up to one degree more alcohol than its AC Bordeaux brethren What it really means is one more degree of body structure and in this case quality Approachable delicious and easy on the wallet
Chateau de Bernadotte Haut-Meacutedoc 2005Th e 2005 vintage in Bordeaux is in the history books with double asterisks Owned by the eminent Pichon Lalande family and made from vineyards in Paulliac one of the more choice growing areas in the region this is an incredible value a top tier Bordeaux for a fraction of the cost
Chateau de Suduiraut Sauternes 2011Ripe cantaloupe apricot and honey and an interesting smoky note with a solid sweet attack followed by great acidity A dessert wine that wonrsquot overpower the dessert
94 raquo parting shot raquo Patrick Hood
Meet Solvar
Solvar belongs to one of the worldrsquos oldest and purest equine lineages the Nor-
wegian Fjord horse a breed that has remained virtually unchanged for more than
2000 yearsmdashlong before we became acquainted with his animated cousins in
the movie Frozen Th ese national symbols of Norway are characterized by primi-
tive zebra striping on their legs and a dorsal stripe running from forelock to tail
resulting in a striking two-tone mane that sticks up like a Mohawk Th eir athleti-
cism agility and dependability make them valuable both as sport horses as well
as therapy horses for emotionally and physically challenged adults and children
Catie Wells of Huntsville is the proud owner of Solvar who resides at Monte
Sano Stables
For tickets or information 256-539-4818 or hsoorg
Bring In the New Year With Us
presents
WHAT A WONDERFUL
WORLDA tribute to Louis
Armstrong featuring the
Byron Stripling Quartet
Thursday December 31
730 pm bull Pops Series bullMark C Smith
Concert Hall VBC
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
M O R E T H A N 7 0 S H O P S A N D R E S T A U R A N T S I N C L U D I N G B E L K | D S W S H O E S | A P P L E J O S A B A N K | R E E D S J E W E L E R S | PA N D O R A | J C R E W | K AT E S PA D E N E W Y O R KO R V I S | B A N A N A R E P U B L I C | M I C H A E L K O R S | F R A N C E S C Arsquo S | A N T H R O P O L O G I EH amp M | S O M A | M O U N T A I N H I G H O U T F I T T E R S | B A R N E S amp N O B L E | S E P H O R AALTAR rsquoD STATE | CONNORS STEAK amp SEFOOD | THE WEST IN HUNTSV I L L E | MONACO P ICTURES
C O M I N G S O O N V E R S O N A ndash near Belk
B R I D G E S T R E E T H U N T S V I L L E C O M |
BR IDGE STREET TOWN CENTRE I S LOCATED AT EX I T 14 OFF I - 565 AT OLD MAD ISON P IKE
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
featuring
the magic of
comes to life
Nov 20 2015 - Jan 2 2016 bull More than 2 million lights and 9 acres of stunning deacutecor
bull ICE featuring The Nutcracker - 2 million pounds of colorful
hand-carved ice sculptures and slides
bull NEW - Dr Seussrsquo How the Grinch Stole Christmas The Musical
bull NEW - Larry Gatlin amp The Gatlin Brothers Christmas Dinner Show
bull NEW - The Elf on the Shelfreg Scavenger Hunt
bull Gingerbread Decorating Corner sponsored by PEEPSreg
bull Carriage rides snow tubing outdoor ice skating and more
ChristmasAtGaylordOprylandcom | (888) 677-9872
ICE PRESENTED BY
The Holiday Tradition
NASHVILLE TN
Pepsi and Pepsi Globe are registered trademarks of PepsiCo Inc TM amp copy 1957 2015 Dr Seuss Enterprises LP The Elf on the Shelfreg and copy 2015 CCA and B LLC All Rights Reserved PEEPS reg trademark Just Born Inc copy 2015 All rights reserved
6 raquo NovemberDecember
80
features
Huntsvillersquos HomegrownHostess
For hometown herald Ashley Ryals trumpeting Huntsville hot spots is an entrepreneurial labor of love
by sara wright covingtonphotos by olivia reedand jeff white
Photo by Olivia Reed
22Th e Perfect Holiday
Dinner
Area foodies make entertaining easyby roy hall
photos by olivia reed
70Encouraging Endeavors
Encourage Huntsvillersquos maker-teachers generously share their talent and inspiration with the community
by sara wright covingtonphotos by jacki gil patrick hood erin lindsey and michelle odom
60Of Deft and Dirty Hands
Turning life into art the pottery of Guadalupe Robinson
by jennifer crossley howardphotos by patrick hood
16Will Power
Chef Will spreads the good news of healthy tasty food one skillet at a time
by sarah gaedephotos by patrick hood
hley ville eurial
on EnEn
EncHumagentheinspthe
by scovphojachoo
28shoptilyuledrop
And shop local
produced byaissa castillo and
lauren mccaulphotos by
lauren tomasella carney
7 raquo editorrsquos letter laquo Allen Tomlinson
norsquoala huntsvilleadvisory board
Osie Adelfang
ARC Design-Build Inc
Lynne Berry
HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology
Sarah Brewer
Click Photo Designs by Sarah Brewer
Kimberly Casey
Lowe Mill Arts amp Entertainment
Donna Castellano
Historic Huntsville Foundation
Aissa Castillo
aislerchiccom
Dan Halcomb
Huntsville Symphony Orchestra
Lauren McCaul
deptofagraculturecom
Guy McClure Jr
Athens State University
Tom Patterson
knowhuntsvillecom
Dr Holly Powe
Calhoun Community College
Olivia Reed
Olivia Reed Photography
Patrick Robbins
Huntsville Hospital
Lauren Tomasella Carney
Lauren Tomasella Photography
Ashley Vaughn
White Rabbit StudiosVertical House Records
Charles Vaughn
Vaughn Lumber Company
Andrew Wilmon
Broadway Theatre League
Shop rsquoTil Yule Drop
Wait what Itrsquos that time already If yoursquore like
us the fact that the holidays are almost upon us seems
almost unbelievable Where has this year gone We need
more timemdashwersquore not ready yet
But ready or not here they come So to help you fi nd
gifts for all of the people on your holiday list wersquove com-
piled our annual Shop lsquoTil Yule Drop Buying Guide Our
secret shoppers went all over the Valley fi nding the most
wonderful unique and appealing gifts for every person
on the list and wersquove neatly organized them so you can easily fi nd just what yoursquore
looking for One thing it reminded us is how great the shopping is here in this part
of the worldmdashwe honestly canrsquot think of a single thing we would need to go online
to get Another thing we learned Th erersquos no way we can put all of the neat things
from around here in one magazinemdashyoursquoll just have to go shopping for yourself
Have fun
Th is time of year isnrsquot just about shopping and celebration of course unless you are
celebrating local talent Check out our profi le of Chef Will well known to the visi-
tors to Lowe Mill and Green Street Market and Guadalupe Robinson a talented
ceramics artist Wersquove put together some sample meals from area chefs and wersquoll
introduce you to Homegrown Huntsville Itrsquos all enough to make your mouth water
As hectic as this time of year can be remember to take some time to relax and enjoy
it Th is is truly a special season full of family and friends food and gifts camarade-
rie and reverence Sometimes the most memorable events are small not elaborate
sometimes the best gifts are the thoughtful ones not the most expensive Be safe
stay warm and enjoymdashand remember to Shop the Valley yrsquoall Merry Christmas
8 raquo contents
NOVEMBERDECEMBER 2015
Volume 4 Issue 6
bull bull bull
Editor-in-Chief C Allen Tomlinson
Chief Operating Offi cer Matthew Liles
Creative Director David Sims
Advertising Directors Heidi King and Jamie Noles
Advertising Sales Kevin McDonald
Features Manager Roy Hall
Graphic Designer Rowan Finnegan
Web Designer Justin Hall
Editorial Assistant Tara Bullington
Proofreader Carole Maynard
Distribution Johnson Trent
bull bull bull
Contributing Writers
Amy C Collins Sara Wright Covington
Sarah Gaede Roy Hall Jennifer Crossley Howard
Guy McClure Jr Allen Tomlinson
bull bull bull
Contributing Photographers
Jacki Gil Patrick Hood Erin Lindsey
Danny Mitchell Michelle Odom
Olivia Reed Lauren Tomasella Carney
Jeff White
bull bull bull
NorsquoAla Huntsville is published six times annuallyby NorsquoAla Studios
PO Box 2530 Florence AL 35630 Phone (800) 779-4222 | Fax (256) 766-4106
Web noalastudioscom
Standard postage paid at Huntsville ALA one-year subscription is $1995for delivery in the United States
Signed articles refl ect only the views of the authors and do not necessarily refl ect the views of the editors
Advertisers are solely responsible forthe content of their advertisements
copy 2008-2015 NorsquoAla Studios All rights reserved
Send all correspondence toAllen Tomlinson Editor at the postal address above
or by e-mail to allennoalastudioscomLetters may be edited for space and style
To advertise contact us at(256) 766-4222 or salesnoalastudioscom
The editor will provide writerrsquos guidelines upon requestProspective authors should not submit unsolicited
manuscripts please query the editor fi rst
NorsquoAla Huntsville is printed with vegetable-based inksPlease recycle
Connect with us on Facebook NorsquoAla HuntsvilleTwitter NoAla_Magazine and Pinterest NoAlaStudios
everything else
6010 Calendar Selected Events for NovemberDecember 2015
12 Cryinrsquo Out Loud ldquoHomerdquo
by sara wright covington
90 Bless Th eir HeartsldquoTh e Comforts of Blossomwoodrdquo by guy mcclure jr
92 Th e Vine ldquoBordeaux Powerrdquo by amy c collins
94 Parting Shot by patrick hood
copy Patrick Hood
On the cover Liliana Castillo
Maddox Acker Ilan Castillo
Rowan Jackson and Liam Acker
get into the holiday spirit
(1) Light of Mine Pullover ($25)(2) Free Range Baseball Tee ($23)(3) Young Buck Baseball Tee ($23)(4) Hey Yrsquoall Tee ($20)(5) Hey Yrsquoall Pullover ($25)Tiny Vinestinyvinesshopcom
Photo by Lauren Tomasella Carney
Guadalupe Robinson Turning life into art
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Friday November 13
Lights Up Holiday Tree Lighting
Bridge Street Town Centre lights up like a winter wonderland to welcome Santa with school choirs local musicians
and strolling Victorian carolers culminating in a spectacular fi reworks display 700pm Free Bridge Street Town Centre
bridgestreethuntsvillecom
Sunday November 15
Beethoven Conversations
Select Beethoven piano solos and Quintet op 16 B-fl at major featuring guest artist pianist Kirill Gerstein 330pm Admission
charged Roberts Hall UAH (256) 539-4818 hsoorg
Friday November 20 ndash Sunday November 22
Bullets Over Broadway
A young playwright in desperate need of fi nancial backing for his next show accepts an off er he canrsquot refuse from a mobster
looking to please his showgirl girlfriend Donrsquot miss what the New Yorker exclaims as ldquoa Fun Machine from Start to Finishrdquo Fri
200pm Sat 200 and 800pm Sun 200pm and 730pm Admission charged Von Braun Center 700 Monroe St (256) 518-6155
broadwaytheatreleagueorg
Sunday November 22
A Vignette from Th e Nutcracker
Enjoy a vignette from the Huntsville Ballet Companyrsquos 47th annual production of Th e Nutcracker set in antebellum Huntsville
with a nod to local legends and traditions and accompanied by Tchaikovskyrsquos delightful score 200pm Free fee for museum
exhibitions Huntsville Museum of Art 300 Church St (256) 535-4350 hsvmuseumorg
Tuesday December 1 ndash Wednesday December 23
Santarsquos Village
All ages will delight in visiting the Clausrsquo house meeting Santarsquos reindeer the North Pole elves and Santa Snow shows craft
projects and musical entertainment all add to the fun at the Village Santa Calls Home 500pm-900pm Admission charged
Alabama Constitution Village 109 Gates Ave earlyworkscom
Wednesday December 2
Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony Every Light a Prayer for Peace
Th is yearrsquos program includes local dignitaries elementary-age students clergy and Federated Garden Club members who will
light the Botanical Gardenrsquos Christmas Tree 930am Free Huntsville Botanical Garden 4747 Bob Wallace Ave (256) 830-444
hsvbgorg
Friday December 4
Peace on Earth A Holiday Music Extravaganza
Th e Symphonic Chorus Childrenrsquos Chorale and Youth Chorale join the UAH Music Department the Huntsville Symphony
Orchestra and Huntsville Ballet for this seasonal performance 730pm Admission charged Von Braun Concert Hall 700
Monroe St (256) 533-6606 thechorusorg
10 raquo calendar
g g
y December 4
on Earth A Holiday Music Extravaganza
e Symphonic Chorus Childrenrsquos Chorale and Youth Chorale join the UAH Music Departmennnnnnennnnnnnnnnnne ttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttt ttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttheeeeeheeeheheheeeeehehehehehhhheeheeheheheheheeehehehehhhhhhhhhhehehehehehehehhehhheheheehehhhehehhheheheehehheheheheheheehhhehehhehhhhhhhehhehhheh HHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHununununununununununununununununnununuununununununununuunununununuunununnnnnunnunuu tstststststststststststststststststststststststststststststststststtststssststssstststss iviviviviviviviiviviviviviviviviviviviviviviviviviviviviviivvivivivivivivivivivivivivvivivivivvivviivv lllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllleeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee SySySySySySySySySySySySyySySySySySySySySySyySySyySySySySySySySySySySySySySySySySySyySySySySyySySySySySSSySySySySySyympmpmpmpmpmpmpmpmmpmpmpmpmpmpmpmpmpmpmpmmpmpmpmpmmpmmpmpmpmpmpmpmpmpmppppmpmpmppmpmppmpmpmppmphohohohohhohohohhohohohhohohohohohhohohohohohhhhhohohohhohohhohohohhohohohohohohohohohhohoohhohonynynnynynynynynynynynynynynynynynynynynynynnynynynynynynynynynynynynynynynnynyyynynyynnnnnynyyy
chestra and Huntsville Ballet for this seasonal performance 730pm Admission nnnnn n chchhchhhchchhhhhhhhhhchhchhhhhhhchchhhchchhhchhhhchhchchhchchchhhhhhhhchcccccchhhhchchcccccccchhchchcccccchchcccccccchccccccharrrrrrrarrrrarrarrarrrrrrrrrraraaarrrrrarararararraaaaaarrrarararaaaaaaararrraraaaaaaaaaaararararaaaaaaaaararaaararaaaarrarrrggggggggggegegegeegegegegegegegeggggggegegegegegegegeggeeeggegegeggegegeegegggggggegg dddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddd VVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVonononnonononononononononononononnnoonoonono BBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBrararararararrararrrarararararaaarararararaaunununununununununnunununununununuununuuuunununnuu CCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCConononononononononononnnononononononoonoooononoooononononnonncecececececececececececececeececececececececececeeceeeeccceeertrtrtrtrtrtrtrtrtrtrtrrtrtrtrtrtrtrtrtrtrtrtrtrtrtrtrtrttrtrtrtrtrtrtrtrttrt HHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHallalalalalalalaalalalllllalalalalalalalalllalalalalalalalalalaalalalalaallalalalalalllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll 777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000
onroe St (256) 533-6606 thechorusorg
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Friday December 4 ndash Saturday December 5
Kris Kringlersquos Candlelight Christmas
Two spectacular evenings of cozy fi res holiday music fi ggy pudding homemade cookies kids crafts designer deacutecor and much
more Itrsquos holiday fun for the whole family with the most magical view in town 430pm-900pm Admission charged Burritt on
the Mountain 3101 Burritt Dr (256) 536-2882 burrittonthemountaincom
Friday December 4 ndash Sunday December 6
A Christmas Carol
Travel with Scrooge as he visits his past present and future on Christmas Eve in this musical retelling of Charles Dickensrsquo
classic novel Fri and Sat 700pm and Sun 200pm Admission charged Von Braun Playhouse 700 Monroe St (256) 539-6829
fantasyplayhousecom
Friday December 4 ndash Sunday December 6
Th e Nutcracker A Yuletide Ballet
Alabama Youth Ballet Th eatre opens its 10th season to holiday audiences with this beloved Christmas ballet Fri 700pm
Sat 200pm and 730pm Sun 200pm Admission charged Lee HS Auditorium 2500 Meridian St (256) 881-5930
alabamayouthballetorg
Saturday December 12
Madison Christmas Parade
Music fl oats and fun for the whole family Afterwards gather for an old-fashioned celebration on the Village Green Listen
to carolers and instrumental music around the Roundhouse and sip hot chocolate at the Gazebo 530pm Free Downtown
Madison (256) 772-9300 cimadisonalus
Saturday December 12
Mooresville Holiday Home Tour and Progressive Dinner
Th e 50 residents of historic Mooresville incorporated in 1818 invite you to celebrate the season with a tour of the 1839 Brick
Church 1820 Stagecoach Tavern 1840 Post Offi ce and fi ve private homes all decorated in the tradition of Christmas past
Homes open and shopping available from 200pm to 600pm Dinner seating at 330pm to 430pm and at 500pm to 600 pm in
town square Reservations required $70 Mooresville (256) 355-2683 mooresvillealcom
Saturday December 12
Spirit of Christmas Past Homes Tour and Luminaries
Tour fi ve private residences on Randolph Street the Weeden House Museum on Gates Avenue and other historic buildings
ornately decorated for the holidays 500pm-900pm Admission charged Twickenham Historic District (256) 536-7718
twickenhamhomestourcom
Th ursday December 17
Huntsville Christmas Parade
Welcome Santa Claus to Huntsville as he ushers in the Christmas season at the annual Christmas parade Enjoy the excitement
and music with many entries and bands from across North Alabama 600pm Free Downtown Huntsville (256) 885-9797
Saturday December 19
Holiday Artists Market
Americarsquos largest private artist complex invites the public to its annual Holiday Artists Market 1100am-600pm Free Flying
Monkey Arts Th eater Lowe Mill 2211 Seminole Dr (256) 489-7000 fl yingmonkeyartsorg
Saturday December 31
Huntsville Symphony Orchestra presents ldquoWhat A Wonderful Worldrdquo - a tribute to Louis Armstrong
Bring in the New Year with the Byron Stripling Quartet and the music of Louis Armstrong a presentation of the HSO 730
pm Mark C Smith Concert Hall VBC call (256) 539-4818 for tickets or visit wwwhsoorg
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
pm Mark C Smith Concert Hall VBC call (256) 539-4818 for tickets or visit wwwhsoorg
12 raquo cryinrsquo out loud raquo Sara Wright Covington
HOME
So we carry our boxes and baggage from place to place carving out a new niche for them wherever we fi nd ourselves And I fi nd that long after I have left a place that place has not left me
According to a government survey conducted in the average person moves around 11
times in a lifetime My husband never one to conform to the norm had moved nine times by the time
he was 18 He just like his father and his fatherrsquos father is a builder and thatrsquos just what builders do
Th ey build and they move and then they build and they move again I knew when I married him that
he would follow in those family footsteps and that I was signing up for a lifetime of constant moving
Frequent moves do seem to be much more of the norm where we live in Huntsville a super transient
place full of military and government men and women who are accustomed to shifting their families
from spot to spot But having only lived in two houses by the time I was 18 it was still hard for me
to imagine packing my entire life into boxes every couple of
years Now on our third move together Irsquove started taking
inventory of my things each time I prepare to repack them
into boxes and Irsquove defi nitely begun to see a trendmdashmost
everything I own has been in my life for a very long time Irsquove
carried my grandmotherrsquos hat boxes full of fur and feath-
ered millinery from place to place with me since I was 22 I
still have the antique four poster bed I slept in as a
child My many bookshelves are fi lled with every
book I have likely ever ownedmdashfrom the Norton
Anthology of English Literature to Frommerrsquos Las
Vegas guide book Th ere are even a few items of
clothing in my closet that are 20 or more years old
including a rain jacket monogrammed with my high
school letters and a sequined tube top I think I wore
at some point during college although I hope that
Irsquom wrong
It has been scientifi cally proven that most people
fear change as the outcome of that change is of-
ten unknown With each and every move that we
make it has become increasingly evident that I am
no diff erent We fi nd faith in the familiar which for
me seems to include everything from my footwear
to my friends So we carry our boxes and baggage
from place to place carving out a new niche for them
wherever we fi nd ourselves And I fi nd that long after
I have left a place that place has not left me I re-
cently went to visit the house where I grew up which
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
is sadly empty now Th e front door was exactly the same
and the concrete steps where I skinned my knee as a child
are still there as is the scar I still bear from those steps 30
years later I peeked through the glass backdoor to see that
the kitchen cabinets were still exactly the same an unpainted
knotty wood with brass knobs and the pocket door adja-
cent to the stove was still there also half open to the sitting
room I wondered if that door still bore the carved notches
of my height chart an expanse of inches that widened over
the years as I grew each notch labeled in pen with a date I
strained my eyes to look but could not see
Th e seasons are changing now and once again we are mov-
ing Th e boxes are being collected now and Irsquove already be-
gun a mental timeline of how long I can procrastinate until
actually beginning to pack them Th is summer in particular
has been one of many changes for usmdashups and downs joys
and sorrowsmdashand the walls of this house have witnessed
them all And I have to admit that it does seem right that
as the seasons change we too should also move on As
someone recently put it to me when facing the fear of the
unknown we have to learn to just manage and adjustmdashhav-
ing faith at the threshold of change that life will continue to
be full of beauty and fun love and loss We are not forced
to edge any one of these out to make room for the other but
rather we must learn to make room for them all
Th ere is no doubt that this house will stick with me as
all of the memories within it are engraved into my mind
But this time around I know that home will always be
where my family and friends are and the walls around
us are just a shelter through the sun and storms of our
lives I choose to believe that old habits are not necessar-
ily bad habits but traditions we choose to bring with us
into the future as a form of comfort in the midst of the
fear of the future My husband and I have celebrated
one of those old traditions in this house as we
have made our own growth chart for our
children here carving and marking their
tiny heights onto one of our downstairs
doors And although I will likely fret and
shed some tears through this entire mov-
ing process as I attempt to detach myself
from these walls a little compromise can be
comforting and being married to a builder
does have its perksmdashwe are unhinging that
door and taking it with us when we go
for information visit wwwathenseduathenianplayers
Names for photos are provided by the organization or business featured
14 raquo scene
Suzanne OrsquoConnor Karen Kiss and Sallie Ennis
Front Row L-R Patrick Robbins Ed Rush Nancy Colin George Smith and Steve Thornton Back Row L-R John Johnson Richard Van Valkenburgh Ronald Reed and Skipper Colin
Richard and Nancy Van Valkenburgh
Jay and Dana Town
Ernie Rivard Ann Rivard Anne Compton Burke and Kim and John Johnson
George and Lee Anne Smith and Steve and Patti Thornton
Linda Akenhead Donna Rush Ivy Albert and Amelia Summerville
Bobsy and Bill IngramChris Wesley Suzanne OrsquoConnor and Patrick Robbins
Tom and Pennie Keene Sharon and Ed Gartrell and Janet and David Skidmore
Debbie Overcash Brenda Millberger and Theresa Taylor
Ronald and Daphne Reed and Nancy and Skipper Colin
Kendall Black and Lee Anne Bostick
Sharon Gartrell Paige Prozan Amelia Summerville and Susan Todd Matt Taylor Bruce Summerville
Eric Milberger and Tommy Overcash
copy Photos by Mark Jaeger
Joyce Griffi n Betsy Lowe Peter Lowe Debbie Washburn and Ben Washburn
2015 Symphony Ball Advisorsrsquo Cocktail Partyaugust middot home of jay and dana town huntsville
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
text by sarah gaede raquo photos by patrick hood
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Some restaurants have food trucks for off-premise
special events Chef Will proprietor of Th e Palate at Lowe
Mill has a folding table Equipped with coolers kettles a
butane burner and his trusty cast iron skillet he turns out
amazing vegetarian and vegan dishes for his loyal following
every Th ursday at Greene Street Market in Huntsville
Although he grew up in Groton Connecticut helping his
mother in the kitchen and was always interested in food Chef
Will then known as Forest Wilson felt he couldnrsquot compete
with his older brother who was an executive chef So he
received vocational training in welding and visual arts (skills
which he still uses in creating his Afro-centric art) After a
brief stint in California working in the shipbuilding industry
he decided to follow his fi rst love and go to culinary school
When Chef Will visited his mother in Huntsville he realized
how much he missed being close to the land So he moved to
Alabama After he saw what his family was eating and how
many health problems they had he began an intensive study
of nutrition and the healing properties of natural foods
He had already been turned on to the health benefi ts of a
vegetarian diet by the surfers he hung out with in California
With his back-to-basics approach
Chef Will is like a nineteenth century
cook witha twenty-first century vibe
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
like a nineteenth century cook with a twenty-
fi rst century vibe
While most of Chef Willrsquos dishes are vegan he
does use real cheese because it melts better
He also uses free-range eggs Portobello
mushrooms are his go-to meat substitute
Th e day I visited he was serving portobello
pepper ldquosteakrdquo over quinoa and brown rice
with a liberal dash of his secret Bee Sting
sauce which his son Khaliq is working on
marketing to the public It was scrumptious
His food is so densely fl avored you donrsquot miss
the meat He especially loves the spices and
ingredients of Indian Asian and Chinese
cuisines all of which off er a great variety of
tasty vegetarian dishes
Chef Will is a passionate evangelist for the
healing properties of pure natural foods and
he preaches this gospel in a way that is so
inviting those who try his food cannot help
but be much more open-minded about trying
new healthy creative ways of eating
who seemed to have much more energy than he did He
became intentional about every step of the cooking process
from ingredient sourcing to cookwaremdashhence the cast
iron skillet which is naturally non-stick and adds iron to
whatever is cooked in it
Chef Will sources his ingredients locally whenever possible
He makes his vegetable stock with spring water His tasty
beans are soaked and simmered in that fl avorful stock not
poured from a can His collards are sublime without a hint
of pork fat With his back-to-basics approach Chef Will is
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Start a New Holiday Tradition at Burritt on the Mountain
ldquoHoliday Magicrdquo A Magical Dining Experience
December 10th 11th amp 12th
Itrsquos a magically fun evening dining in a historic cabin or the mansion with friends while enjoying delectable food and wine It is unlike any other holiday dinner and itrsquos perfect for a festive family occasion yet intimate enough for a romantic dinner for two Itrsquos rustic AND upscale
Holiday Magic reservations are being taken now by calling Butch Damson at 256-534-4361 Hurry Space is limted $90 per dinner seat Visit the website for menus and more
limited seating available make your reservations today
Wersquore decking the walls halls and stalls to get you in the holiday spirit More than 600 candles illuminate the sidewalks and Historic Park and music fills the air adding to the nostalgic feel of the holidays String cranberries make paper punch ornaments roast chesnuts amp taste figgy pudding Fun for the whole family itrsquos Christmas the way itrsquos supposed to be
Kris KringlersquosCandlelight Christmas
December 4th amp 5th
A much anticipated musical favorite will be back at Burritt in the Old Country Church
PerformancesDecember 16th through 20th
Tickets ON SALE NOWPurchase tickets at Josiersquos online
or by calling 256-536-2882or by calling 256-536-2by calling 256-536-2burrittonthemountaincom
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Th
ePE
R
FECT HOLIDAY DIN
NE
R
In our modern world of far-fl ung families Th anksgiving and Christmas are those rare occasions so fi lled with nostalgia
and meaning we press the pause button on our busy lives to prioritize time together Because family time is so rare these days NorsquoAla asked some of Huntsvillersquos fi nest chefs to suggest dishes that will inspire you as you plan your
familyrsquos menu this holiday season
Any time we spend with our loved ones is precious herersquos hoping these meal
ideas help make this yearrsquos holidays perfect
text by roy hall raquo photos by olivia reed
ldquoWith all the fl avors we associate with the holidays the gingerbread man is always near the top of the list So let the kids enjoy the traditional cookies while you sip this sophisticated cocktailrdquo mdashParker
ldquoTh e holidays are so fun-fi lled it seems appropriate that a holiday salad should refl ect that with lots of diff erent things going on fruits nuts cheeses and always a little hint of sweetness in the dressing No matter what main dishes and sides are served this salad will complement them allrdquo mdashAndrew
Grilled Pear Salad with Cambozola and Walnuts
Mezza Luna
(256) 650-2514 Th e GingermanMezza Luna
Butternut Squash Wild Mushroom and Roasted Asparagus Risotto
Th e Eaves
(256) 489-1752
ldquoI love this dish because itrsquos crisp and clean and adds a touch of light color to a typically heavy mealmdashthe bright green asparagus and red pancetta even look Christmassyrdquo mdashOwner LeeLee Wiginton
ldquoTh is isnrsquot super diffi cult to make It echoes the fl avors of the season And itrsquos also something a little unexpected It has a great fl avor profi le and complements other proteins really well Guests will love itrdquo mdashChef Merle Phillip
Snow Pea Salad with Crispy PancettaLynrsquos Gracious Goodness
(256) 533-2607
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Th ePERFECT HOLIDAY DINNER
Fried Brussels Sprouts with Coriander Greek Yogurt Sauce
Mezza Luna
ldquoI chose to do the turkey this way because itrsquos a diff erent approach Th e challenge of roasting a whole turkey is that the white and dark meat cook at diff erent speeds By separating the two you can cook each for its own proper cooking timerdquo mdashChef Steven Bunner
ldquoBrussels sprouts have had a bad rap Th e fi rst time most people encounter them theyrsquore overcooked mushy and served plain Th atrsquos a shame because theyrsquore nutritional powerhouses and because theyrsquore a fall crop at their best during the holiday seasonrdquo mdashJohn
Roast Turkey Breast and Dark Meat Roulade Served with Pecan Pesto
1892 East(256) 489-1242
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Between now and the end of the year take advantage of cost reductions on three popular proceduresmdashand begin 2016 with new confidence
bull SAVE BIG on breast augmentationOur saline price is $700 off and our silicone price is $900 off cash price only Schedule your initial consultation by December 31 2015 to lock in your price and the procedure must take place by March 31 2016
bull FULL-FACIAL LASER is $1500 Cash price only Initial consultation must occur before December 31 2015 and the procedure must be done by March 31 2016
bull WEEKEND Eribium Laser PEEL is Buy ThreeGet One Free Save $400 on our regular $1600 cash price by scheduling your initial consultation by December 31 2015
Look better - feel better - and save money Itrsquos time to get more for less
Dr Russell Jennings203 Avalon Ave Suite 300
Muscle Shoals AL 35661
Phone(256) 386-1450jenningsplasticsurgerycom
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Th ePERFECT HOLIDAY DINNER
Nutella CheesecakeMason Dixon Bakery amp Bistro(256) 213-7545
ldquoTh is is one of our favorite desserts for a holiday and for every day Th e rich and creamy cake melts like ice cream in your mouth the smoothness of the fi lling balances perfectly with the crunchiness of the crust and the delicate hints of the swirled Nutella are divinerdquo mdashCo-owners Chef Ashley and Taylor Ramirez
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Emily Taylor5510 Promenade Point Pkwy Suite 160Madison AL 35757256-430-2781
I can help you
your own wayGROW
1114-519HO
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
produced by aissa castillo and lauren mccaulphotos by lauren tomasella carney
clothing modeled by aaron petersen rachel smith anne harbargerand kait barinaga (for finery)
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Meet the Shop Girls The mission To search Valley shops and boutiques
for the fi nest in Yuletide treasures
Accepting the challenge three of Huntsvillersquos most original and creative taste-makers
Say hello to NorsquoAla Shop Girls Aissa Castillo Lauren McCaul and Lauren Tomasella CarneyDuring the day these mild-mannered professionals tend to demanding careers in design
retail management and photography But evenings and weekends theyrsquore out saving the world from uninspiring fashion and decor as style superheroes
Their picks for the very best gift ideas follow For ideas and inspiration year-round
stay in-the-know by following our Shop Girls on social media
Lauren McCaul deptofagraculturecom Instagram dept_of_agra_cultureAissa Castillo aislerchiccom Instagram aislerchic
Lauren Tomasella Carney laurentomasellacom Instagram laurentomasella
And as you shop for your own Christmas treasures this season please remember to spread your cheermdashand your dollarsmdashat home
(1) Amanda Uprichard Jacket ($248)(2) BCBG Dress ($228)(3) Zoa Dress ($128)Personal Couture Boutique(256) 508-5632
(4) Dress ($168)Anthropologie(256) 327-8470
(5) Olive + Oak Oatmeal Shawl ($72)(10) Simply Noelle Zipper Gusset Bag ($5999)House of Holland(256) 206-8989
(6) One-of-a-kind Eva Ziegler Agate and Pyrite Necklace ($397)(8) Eva Ziegler Freshwater Pearl Strand ($501)Eva Ziegler Jewelryevazieglercom
(9) Gift Set ($5995)Piper amp LeafPiperandleafcom
(7) Long Horn Necklace ($68)Personal Couture Boutique(256) 508-5632
Left to right Lauren Tomasella Carney
Lauren McCaul and Aissa Castillo
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
On himFilson Shirt ($98) Filson Jacket ($320)Yeti Cooler ($34999)Alabama Outdoors(256)-885-3561
On herPPLA Vest ($7999)PPLA Dress ($7499)Bedstu Boots ($295)Indigorsquos Boutique(256) 345-6348
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) Woolly Mammoth Tooth 4rdquo Damascus Linerlock Knife ($150)(2) Cardboard Safari Bucky Cardboard Deer Head ($30)(3) Curt Benzle Porcelain Compass ($15)Little Green Store and Gallery (256) 539-9699
(4) Hunting Journal ($32)Sweet Pineapple(256) 964-7563
(5) Yeti Colster ($2999)Alabama Outdoors(256)-885-3561
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
(1) Yellow House Handcrafted Beard Oils ($18 ea)Yellow House Beard Oilsyellowhousebeards com (2) Mustache amp Beard Comb ($16)Little Green Store and Gallery (256) 539-9699 (3) Latika Body Essentials Charcoal Liquid Soap ($18)(4) Latika Body Essentials Charcoal Bar Soap ($6) (5) Rustico Leather Key Chain ($18) Sweet Pineapple(256) 964-7563
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) Wood Thumb Tie ($44) (2) Slightly Alabama iPad Case ($250) (3) DockSmith Driftwood iPhone Docking Station ($68) Little Green Storeand Gallery (256) 539-9699 (4) Loyal Stricklin Aviator Mug ($35)Domaine South(256) 808-8860 (5) Would You Be a Deer Notepad ($9) Sweet Pineapple(256) 964-7563
(6) Filson Satchel ($265) Alabama Outdoors(256)-885-3561
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
When itrsquos time to move into a bigger house get a home loan from the bank thatrsquos had a home right here for generations You might say we know a thing about location location location synovuscommortgage
Banking products are provided by Synovus Bank Member FDIC Divisions of Synovus Bank operate under multiple trade names across the Southeast Loans products subject to credit approval
When itrsquos time to move into a bigger house get a home
Here is where Henry learned hersquod be getting
SERVING YOU LOCALLY AS
2565513300 | fcb-hsvcom
his own room
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) Spiritual GangsterTank ($36)(2) Luquido Yoga Pants ($90)(3) MZ Wallace Metro Tote ($245)(4) Vimmia V back Sweatshirt ($96)(5) Onzie Sports Bra ($48)(6) Olympia Yoga Pants ($96)(7) bkr Water Bottle ($30)The Fitzgerald Pilates amp Barre(256) 603-1886
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
(1) Gypsy Pant WarmTribal ($72) (2) Berry High Waist Legging ($88) (3) Long Legging Mathematics ($65) (4) Long Legging Peacock ($65) The FitzgeraldPilates amp Barre(256) 603-1886
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) Jane Tran Hair Clips ($15)(2) bkr Water Bottle ($30)(3) well-kept Tech Wipes ($6)(4) Made with Love Bracelets ($25)(5) Pointe Studio Socks ($12)(6) Bando Too Cold to Hold Coozie ($5)The Fitzgerald Pilates amp Barre(256) 603-1886
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
(1) Shop Bando Coff ee Cup ($14)(2) Shop Bando Pens ($14) (3) Shop Bando Pouch ($26) (4) Shop Bando Coin Purse ($20) The FitzgeraldPilates amp Barre(256) 603-1886
(5) Check Things Off Notepad ($16)(6) Hello From Huntsville Stamp ($12)Salt + Paperie(256) 655-5550
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) Muzzle Loaders Chocolate Bourbon Balls ($1999) (2) Vintage Crystal Decanter ($20) (3) Quench Glassware ($1399) Domaine South(256) 808-8860
(4) The Hella Bitters Old Fashioned Kit ($65)(5) American Bar by Charles Schumann ($2495) Little Green Storeand Gallery (256) 539-9699
(6) Julep Cups ($50)Willowbrook Shoppe (256) 270-7181
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom | novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) DECCO Umbrella in a Bottle ($1995)(2) Alexa Pulitzer Stationery Set ($14 ea)(3) Ikat Scarf ($6250)Huntsville Museumof Art(256) 535-4350
(4) Emily Ley Grace Journal ($32) (5) Sugar Boo Designs Clutch ($18) (6) Emily Ley Daily Planner ($58) (7) Latika Milk ampHoney Bar ($6) (8) Farm House Fresh Shea Butter Hand Cream ($14) (9) Christen MaxwellZippy ($42) (10) Green Tea Bubble Bath ($32) Sweet Pineapple(256) 964-7563 (11) Goal Getter Cuff ($32)Indigorsquos Boutique(256) 345-6348
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
(1) Kilim Pillow ($58) (2) Bejeweled Silver Plate Vase ($144) (3) Bone Clad Box ($375)Willowbrook Shoppe (256) 270-7181
(4) Cowhide Rug ($550)(5) Lucyrsquos Locket ($95) (Original piecemdashselection may vary)Sweet Pineapple(256) 964-7563 (6) Clutch ($65)Department of Agra Culturedeptofagraculturecom
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) Above The Bar Antler on Chain 28rdquo ($3999) (2) Above The Bar Deer wAntler Head 18rdquo ($2999) Indigorsquos Boutique(256) 345-6348
(3) Margaret Solow Labradorite18KT Bezel ($290) (4) Margaret Solow Diamond Crest MoonSilver ($460) (5) Margaret Solow Black Spinel + DiamondSilver ($560) (6) Margaret Solow Double Black Spinel18KT ($260)Little Green Store and Gallery (256) 539-9699
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
(1) Margaret Solow Grey Moonstoon18KT Necklace ($240) (2) Margaret Solow OpalDiamond Mosaic Necklace ($610) Little Green Storeand Gallery (256) 539-9699
(3) One-of-a-kind Eva Ziegler Smokey Quartz and Pyrite Necklace ($406)Eva Ziegler Jewelryevazieglercom
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) Jennifer BehrTurban ($625)(2) Cotton Day Dress ($64)(3) Norma Ishak Cardigan ($375)Finery(256) 429-3429
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) The Lion Sleeps Tonight Bath Bomb ($6) Sweet Pineapple(256) 964-7563
(2) Tiger Jelly Cat ($2250)(3) Dog Tag Teether ($1550)(4) Dinosaur Footie ($3595)Honey B Boutique(256) 503-2853
(5) Young Buck ($25)Tiny Vinestinyvinesshopcom
(6) Bib Set ($13)Huntsville Museumof Art(256) 535-4350
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
(1) Tiny Dancer Bath Bomb ($6)Sweet Pineapple(256) 964-7563
(2) Kickee Mammoth Footie ($3595)(3) Noodle amp Boo Essential Care Kit ($18)(4) Elephant Jelly Cat ($2250)Honey B Boutique(256) 503-2853
(5) ArtFolio Pink Elephant Coloring Tote ($17)Huntsville Museumof Art(256) 535-4350
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) Bib Set ($13)Huntsville Museumof Art(256) 535-4350 (2) Little Light ($25)Tiny Vinestinyvinesshopcom (3) Micro Leon Cardboard Lion ($30)Little Green Storeand Gallery (256) 539-9699 (4) I Love You Like Biscuits amp Gravy ($23)Domaine South(256) 808-8860
(5) Kickee Kimono ($4295)Honey B Boutique(256) 503-2853
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
SURPRISEA LOVED ONE
THIS HOLIDAY SEASON
WITH A FOREVER GIFT
HobbsJewelerscom 8772331347Parkway Place Mall
HuntsvilleHwy 72 West
AthensMain Street
Ardmore TN
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
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novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
(1) Chewbead Necklace ($3495)(2) Mayoral Baby Bag ($7995)(3) Mayoral Diaper Changing Pad ($2495)(4) Nursing Scarf ($2695) (5) Kickee Swaddling Blanket ($22)Honey B Boutique(256) 503-2853 (6) Lucy Darling Months Sticker ($25) (7) The Story of You Baby Book by Emily Ley ($62) Sweet Pineapple(256) 964-7563
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) Alwand Vahan 14K Gold and Onyx Ring wDiamond Accent ($2595)(2) Alwand Vanan 14K Gold and Onyx Bracelet wDiamond Accent ($2695)Hobbs Jewelers(877) 233-1347
(3) Britt Ryan Dress ($288)Personal Couture Boutique(256) 508-5632
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) Rocket Cosmos Mug ($13)Huntsville Museumof Art(256) 535-4350
(2) Loose Leaf Tea ($399)Piper amp Leaf piperandleafcom (3) Judy Jackson Tea Pot ($56) (4) Gary Watson Cherry Cutting Board ($48-$68) (5) Susan Coe Birthday Cake Plate ($33) Little Green Storeand Gallery (256) 539-9699 (6) Macarons ($116 pcs $221 dozen)Whisk Small Treats Bakery(256) 656-1027
(7) Truffl es ($185 each)Pizellersquos Confections (256) 513-9745 (8) Olive amp Sinclair Chocolate ($799)Domaine South(256) 808-8860
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
(1) Whisk Note Pad ($8) (2) In the Forest Mixing Bowl ($36) (3) Twig Serving Set ($18)(8) Southern Firefl y Candle ($12)Sweet Pineapple(256) 964-7563
(4) Urchin Bowl ($10)(5) Foodie Dice ($38)(6) 1Canoe2 Wood Recipe Box w Recipe Cards ($6999) Domaine South(256) 808-8860 (7) Growlers ($75 small $95 large)Southern Growlersoutherngrowlercom
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
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(4) BCBG Dress ($328)Personal Couture Boutique(256) 508-5632
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Guadalupe Robinson
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
text by jennifer crossley howard raquo photos by patrick hood
Of Deft and Dirty Hands
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Huntsville potter Guadalupe Lanning Robinson has spent more than 36 years mastering the
marriage of clay texture and geometric design into her pottery yet time has done little to temper the
plight of waiting
ldquoIt is hard for me to let a pot just dryrdquo she says motioning toward fi ve small wet pots sitting near her
pottery wheel ldquoIrsquom as excited to do this as I was 30 years agordquo
To observe her studio at Lowe Mill that is easy to believe Located on the corridor outside the textile
mill-turned-art centerrsquos main building the loft-like space with a corrugated tin roof feels like a place a
Gabriel Garcia Marquez character would enjoy daydreaming
Sienna-hued pottery sits in various stages to be fi red layered and etched Argentinian tango music
streams from Robinsonrsquos iPhone and two cockatiels a parrot and a parakeet chirp from their cages All
except the parrot fl y freely when Robinson is working
Robinson who is 61 made her fi rst pot in 1979 in her native Mexico City Almost four decades later her
work is part of permanent museum collections in Auburn Huntsville Tuscumbia and Tupelo Missis-
sippi She regularly enters her work in respected juried shows such as the Monte Sano Arts Festival and
the Kentuck Festival of the Arts in Northport and has received two Alabama State Council on the Arts
individual artist fellowships
Her inspiration draws from the villages around her native Mexico City such as the black pottery of
the northwest as well as her acquired Southern culture White lilies corn grids and round female
fi guresmdashldquoreally strong women who are in chargerdquo Robinson saysmdashreappear on her stoneware She uses
natural dyes indigo for color and mixes sand into clay for texture Nothing is wasted
ldquoI donrsquot waste any clayrdquo Robinson says ldquoEverything is recycledrdquo
Robinson fi nds solace in the 40-50 hours a week she puts in at the studio and the often tedious process
of making pots which can take from three weeks to six weeks for larger pots She usually works on two
or three pots at a time tending to groups at diff erent stages
After a pot is thrown on a wheel a piece can take days to dry before its fi rst bisque fi re in which tem-
peratures rise to 1800 F After baking for nine hours the kiln must cool Th e second fi ring rises to 2150
F and matures the clay and melts the glazes to strengthen the piece
ldquoI am an effi cient person by naturerdquo Robinson says ldquoWaiting for the kiln to cool down enough to open
can be nerve wracking and this is when my patience is usually put to the testrdquo
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
ldquoIt is hard for me to let a pot just dry Irsquom as excited to do this as I was 30 years agordquo
Robinson makes most of her pots on a wheel using oxides to change the color of clay she gets from Nashville and Pittsburgh Her pottery takes several weeks from start to fi nish depending on how large a pot is and how many she makes at a time
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
ldquoAttend to your childrenrsquos needs fi rst keep focus on what you want to douse the happiness joy and little breaks you get to make your artTh ey grow real fast and they will keep inspiring you all your liferdquo
Robinson imagined this bat-like design as she was working She usually begins a piece with a design in mind but that often evolves
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Robinson uses an overlay of liquid clay called engobemdashthat includes three to four layersmdashto create a
base on which to design
Th ere is high risk in making pottery and hours of work can be wasted on a pot that has not dried en-
tirely before it enters the kiln Air pockets or the wrong mixture of chemicals can ruin a piece
ldquoArt is involved but science is toordquo says Laura Smith director of education at the Huntsville Museum
of Art where Robinson has taught pottery classes ldquoItrsquos more labor intensive in terms of working with
the medium whether yoursquore building by hand or with a wheel until you fi re with the fi nal layer of glazerdquo
Th e result is sturdy pottery
ldquoI want my pots to look like something that is lasting a long timerdquo Robinson says
Th ough she works solitarily in her studio she says she does not get lonely Her birds and music keep her
company and each stage of pottery making has a soundtrack She uses needlepoint tools to draw onto
clay to Jose Feliciano and other Latin American musicians
ldquoIf Irsquom at the wheel Bruno Marsrdquo she says ldquoIf Irsquom unloading the kiln and something is really awesome
then I need something moving and I have on Motownrdquo
Robinsonrsquos years of experience minimize the risk of damaged pots but she says her greatest challenge
as a potter was balancing her work while raising her two children Now adults their candid childhood
pictures and those of her grandchildren cover the warm green walls of her studio
She met her husband the poet James Robinson in 1977 on a Greyhound bus when she returned to
Mexico City from visiting a friend at the University of Southern Mississippi He was heading to Mexico
to study at a university Th ey married six months later After giving birth to her daughter Annie Jane in
Mexico City in 1982 the family moved to Huntsville in 1985 Th at is when Robinson got more serious
about her pottery
ldquoFrom the very beginning when I moved to Alabama I knew I was going to have to do thisrdquo she said
ldquoIn some ways it was a way for me to keep connected to my heritagerdquo
She took even 15 minutes of free time to work in the studio behind her home and worked late into the
night while her daughter and son Isidoro born in 1987 slept Having a home studio allowed her to
wash clothes tend to her home and drop off lunches at school while maintaining her art
ldquoTh ere was something for me when I fi rst became a mother that fueled my creativityrdquo Robinson says
ldquoTh ey are such a social inspiration too It fi lls your liferdquo
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Robinson advises fellow artists who are mothers to seize
both roles but to prioritize motherhood
ldquoAttend to your childrenrsquos needs fi rst keep focus on what you
want to do use the happiness joy and little breaks you get
to make your artrdquo she says ldquoTh ey grow real fast and they will
keep inspiring you all your liferdquo
Anna Sue Courtney director of the Flying Monkey Arts
Center at Lowe Mill has known Robinson for more than
10 years She says she admires how mothers and artists like
Robinson seamlessly embrace both roles
ldquoIt seems therersquos not a separation between creating and rais-
ing childrenrdquo Courtney says ldquoTh ey seem to pull from the
same placerdquo
Part of Robinsonrsquos motivation at Lowe Mill comes from
working privately in a studio alongside other artists that fos-
ters a community of feedback and ideas
ldquoItrsquos nice to be here because you can take a break and walk around and get inspirationrdquo Courtney says
ldquoItrsquos refreshingrdquo
When she needs a break from the studio Robinson stays home to sketch designs for a day or two then
she is back in the studio
Trips twice a year to Mexico City keep her plugged in to her native culture which in turn shows up in
her pottery
ldquoI have to recharge myselfrdquo Robinson says ldquoI love Huntsville and loved raising my kids here but I still
have the need of going back to be recharged and smell all the smells and see all the colors and get on
the subway and be pushed aroundrdquo
Details from her trips that infl uence her work include the ever-present red that covers the city during
the celebration of Dia de los Muertos or the Day of the Dead Th e pyramids of Teotihuacan conjure
warm earth tones and fl oating gardens around the city yield sweet pungent calla lilies and carnations
Celebration of food tough women and nature reappear in her pottery qualities that both Southern and
Mexican cultures treasure
Above This daisy design is character-istic of Robinsonrsquos work Nature food and strong females from her native Mexico City and the South are strong creative infl uences
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Clockwise from top left Robinson often glazes only the inside of her pots so they can hold water and food She began quilting in 2002 and her quilts like her pottery contain earth tones and natural infl uences in their design Four birds keep Robinson company in what can be the isolating medium of pottery making Geometry and symmetry are two signature elements in Robinsonrsquos work according to Laura Smith director of education at the Huntsville Museum of Art
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Just as she keeps her home country close to her heart Robinson is loyal to her fi rst
love of pottery though she began making quilts in 2002
ldquoIrsquom a potter who likes to quiltrdquo she says
Like her pottery her quilting follows designs of organic nature such as fl owers and
crops on rich jewel tone cotton
ldquoWhen I fi rst saw one of her quilts I didnrsquot realize it was hers and I thought that
looks like it should be Guadalupersquos quiltrdquo Courtney says
Robinson prefers the immediate gratifi cation of clay
ldquoItrsquos a very responsive mediumrdquo she says ldquoYou can manipulate it Th e fact of mak-
ing something out of dirt out of nothing and making it durable making it perma-
nent that after going through the heat and maturing is something very excitingrdquo
She gently dings a pot covered with white dresses titled ldquoTehuana Dressrdquo to make
her point
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
887 FM Muscle Shoals bull 1007 FM Huntsvillewwwaprorg
News classicalmusic and more
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
copy Patrick Hood
text by sara wright covington raquo photos by jacki gil
patrick hood erin lindsey and michelle odom
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
copy Patrick Hood
ldquoA LOT OF PEOPLE HAD BEEN ASKING ME QUESTIONS ABOUTHOW I GOT MY BUSINESS STARTED I WANTED TO GATHER SOME PEOPLE AROUND ME
WHO WERE GOING THROUGH THOSE STRUGGLES AND TOBUILD ENTREPRENEURIAL COURAGErdquo
JACKI GIL SALT+PAPERIE
copy Patrick Hood
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
untsville-born Jacki Gil began her paper design busi-
ness Salt+Paperie in 2014 with an expansive vision
in mind one that extended beyond creating beautiful
custom designed paper goods ldquoI love my design job
but when Irsquom 50 years old I donrsquot see myself still de-
signing wedding invitationsrdquo the master stationer says
ldquoI really have a passion for teaching and helping people
I want to be a mentorrdquo
In 2015 Gil set out on her mentoring mission sooner than expected with a series
of workshops called Encourage Huntsville ldquoA lot of people had been asking me
questions about how I got my business startedrdquo Gil says about the early days of
Salt+Paperie Even though most of those questions from entrepreneurial-hopefuls
were technicalmdashlike how to apply for a business licensemdashthey served as inspira-
tion for Gil ldquoI wanted to gather some people around me who were going through
those struggles and to build entrepreneurial courage I defi nitely saw that there
was a need for helping people to take that next step toward owning their own
businessesrdquo
Encourage Huntsville was modeled on the image of a growing small business
movement called the Rising Tide Society a national community of creative small
business owners who encourage ldquocommunity over competitionrdquo Th at spirit of
openness is at the heart of Encourage Huntsville ldquoCommunity over competition
is a huge part of what we are doingrdquo says Gil ldquoSmall business owners sharing how
they earn their money is a big dealrdquo
As a fi rst step Gil gathered others around her who were using their skills and abili-
ties to make their own small businesses work With talents ranging from cooking
and cake decorating to hand lettering and artwork these small business owners
all embraced Gilrsquos vision for imparting to others the knowledge of their craft un-
impeded by a fear of losing their competitive edge
Th e fi rst lesson Gil wanted to impart to Encourage Huntsvillersquos students wasnrsquot
necessarily a particular craft or skill but a spirt of creative confi dence ldquoWe want-
ed to bridge the gap between the very artsy community and the ultimate engineer
communityrdquo many of whom Gil observes had been told since childhood they
werenrsquot artistic ldquoWhen you are little and someone tells you that you donrsquot have a
talent it sticks with you I found that a lot of people had that experience so that
was the workshop partmdashto build some creative courage in this communityrdquo
Gil conducted the fi rst workshop herself testing the waters to see how the concept
would be received Th e admission price to that fi rst workshop included supplies a
take-home ldquogoody bagrdquo to help students continue their work extracurricularly and
refreshmentsmdashas well as Gilrsquos tips of her trade
ldquoWe went in blindly not knowing if we had a market or notrdquo says Gil Th e popular-
ity of that fi rst class proved undeniably that a market did in fact exist the work-
shop sold out in one day ldquoSo we did back-to-back workshopsrdquo Gil says ldquoAfter that
novemberdecembeeer eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee | nononoononononononoonoonononooooonoonoonnononnoaaalalalllaallllllalaalaaalal ststustust ddiossscom mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm | | | | | | | | | | |
f
w
y
Previous page Encourage Huntsvillersquos founder and instructor Jacki Gil teaches a class in hand lettering Facing page A participant studies her supply list
we realized people really want to do this stuff So we said lsquoletrsquos jump on the boat
and make this happenrsquordquo
Gilrsquos longtime friend photographer Erin Lindsey of Erin Lindsey Images agreed
to contribute to Encourage Huntsvillersquos curriculum by teaching a photography
class ldquoJacki and I are a good team because our hearts are in the same place when
it comes to encouraging othersrdquo Lindsey says Still she admits saying yes to teach-
ing wasnrsquot without some initial hesitation ldquoWhen Jacki asked if I would teach a
class it was kind of scary I thought I had to be perfect before I could teach oth-
ersrdquo Lindsey says of her initial hesitancy ldquoBut after talking to Jacki I realized none
of us are perfectrdquo But perfection isnrsquot the goal encouragement is the goal ldquoAnd I
thought lsquoI can defi nitely line up with that visionrsquordquo
Michelle Odom another Huntsville native and owner of custom cake bakery Just
Crumbs was also on board with Gilrsquos vision In fact Odom had been contemplat-
ing teaching a class when she was approached by Gil to teach a fondant basics
class ldquoHuntsville is such an engineer town and everyone is so mathematical and
scientifi crdquo Odom says echoing the dichotomy between the arts and sciences ex-
pressed by Gil ldquoTh ese workshops are just a very cool way for structured people to
have a creative outletrdquo
ldquoJACKI AND I ARE A GOOD TEAM BECAUSE OUR HEARTS ARE INTHE SAME PLACE WHEN IT COMES TO ENCOURAGING OTHERSrdquo
ERIN LINDSEY ERIN LINDSEY IMAGES
copy Erin Lindsey
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Above A participant in Erin Lindseyrsquos photo class frames a still life
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
copy Erin Lindsey
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
ldquoHUNTSVILLE IS SUCH AN ENGINEER TOWN AND EVERYONE ISSO MATHEMATICAL AND SCIENTIFIC THESE WORKSHOPS ARE JUST A VERY COOL
WAY FOR STRUCTURED PEOPLE TO HAVE A CREATIVE OUTLETrdquo MICHELLE ODOM JUST CRUMBS
copy Michelle Odom
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
ldquoAnd yesrdquo Odom acknowledges ldquoyou are in theory teaching your competition But
at the same time you are helping the community be more creativerdquo
With its roster of popular creative workshops under its belt Encourage Huntsville
has added business classes to its community-over-competition curriculum with
classes designed to provide specifi c guidance for small business owners ldquoAll of
our events that donrsquot require hands-on work we call seminarsrdquo says Gil ldquoWe had
about 15 people at our fi rst one It was pretty much just an open discussion to ask
us questions and get answers from the perspective of a small business ownerrdquo
Th e seminars enjoyed the same success and enthusiasm as the workshops ldquoWe
had two hours for people to ask questionsrdquo Gil says Topics covered ran the gamut
from scheduling daily tasks self-hosting a website or using an Etsy store man-
aging client expectations and being realistic about how much time you need to
complete jobs
ldquoTh e time went quickly and people wanted morerdquo says Gil who envisions an all-
day seminar in 2016
Margaret Baggett owner and executive chef of the Chef Next Door is another
small business owner who has shared Gilrsquos vision from the very beginning teach-
copy Erin Lindsey
Facing page Michelle Odomrsquos fondant basics class begins with a styrofoam cake form Above Newbie photographers familiarize themselves with their cameras in Erin Lindseyrsquos photography class
ing knife skills workshops and helping host the business seminars ldquoI am so proud
to get to be a part of this project and help nurture other small business owners
who may just be starting out on their journey or are deep in it and looking for
some encouragement from other business ownersrdquo Baggett says of what motivates
her participation in Encourage Huntsville ldquoEven being on the advice-giving side
of things I am still learning and have taken tips and tricks and lessons from each
event we have had so far We never stop learning from each other and never stop
improving upon our craftsrdquo
Th e mutual growth among students and teachers is the source of the encourage-
mentmdashand the joymdashof Encourage Huntsville ldquoItrsquos so much fun to see the light
bulbs go off with people and see them encouraged right before your eyesrdquo Lindsey
says of her experience with the program ldquoPlus itrsquos a pleasure to contribute to a
sense of community over competition Th at whole concept is so rarerdquo
As Encourage Huntsvillersquos following continues to grow the diversity of the work-
shops will expand as well Whether you are looking to spend a fun afternoon
learning a new craft or are a budding small business owner hoping to launch
your brand Encourage Huntsville has something valuable to off er ldquoWe encourage
those left-brain folks to take up a new hobby or skillrdquo Baggett says ldquoor just encour-
age the people of Huntsville to get together and fan their creative fl amesrdquo
If yoursquore looking for
creative or entrepreneurial
encouragement visit
encouragehuntsvillecom
for seminar and workshop
schedules and information
ldquoI AM SO PROUD TO GET TO BE A PART OF THIS PROJECT AND HELP NURTURE OTHER SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS WHO MAY JUST BE STARTING OUT ON THEIR JOURNEY OR ARE DEEP IN IT
AND LOOKING FOR SOME ENCOURAGEMENT FROM OTHER BUSINESS OWNERSrdquoMARGARET BAGGETT CHEF NEXT DOOR
copy Jacki Gil
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
copy Jacki Gil
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Participants in Margaret Baggettrsquos knife skills workshop learn to perfect their ldquomise en placerdquo
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
copy Olivia Reed
text by sara wright covington raquo photos by olivia reed and jeff white
HUNTSVILLErsquoS
HOMEGROWNHOSTESS
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
ttttttononononoooooonononooooo raquo praquo praquo praquo praquo phothothothothotosoososos s s osos bybybbybb
Any host will tell you that delicious food and quality libations while important to
a partyrsquos success are secondary to the most important ingredient of all the guest list Th atrsquos why many
of downtown Huntsvillersquos most popular restaurants breweries and wine shops are turning to event
planner Ashley Ryals and her uncanny knack for attracting loyal patronsmdashand creating unforgettable
events in the process
When Huntsville born-and-bred Ashley Ryals left for college at the University of Alabama in 2001
she thought her exit from the Valley was permanent ldquoI never thought I would end up back hererdquo the
founder of event planning company Homegrown Huntsville says with a knowing laugh But after a few
post-graduate years working for world-renowned public relations powerhouse Weber Shandwick in
New York City Ryals started to second guess her freshman declaration
ldquoI started to get homesickrdquo she admits ldquoAll of my friends were getting married and meeting for football
games and I was missing itrdquo So when a friend from home set up an interview at EarlyWorks for a job
doing event planning Ryals jumped at the chance to come home
Ashley spent the next few years planning EarlyWorks Whistle Stop and Santarsquos Village events A brief
stint in sales followed along with a seat on the board of Huntsville Young Professionals where she had
an idea for a downtown pub crawl
ldquoWe expected 20 or 30 peoplerdquo Ryals says of their modest expectations ldquoBut 200 people showed uprdquo
Th at initial success convinced Ryals to embark on her dream of establishing an
event planning company But it wasnrsquot just any event planning company Ryals
had in mind she envisioned one that would collaborate with local businesses
cultivate signature events for the community to enjoy and support small busi-
nesses in the process
Inspired Ryals left her sales job and for the second time in her life came home
again to event planning and Homegrown Huntsville
To help bring her vision to life Ryals collaborated with designer Adrianne Van
Kirk of Fave Creative ldquoAdrianne has been a part of the visual and branding of
Homegrown from the beginning We come up with the event ideas then I get
the ticketing and sales together and she comes back with a logo and the mar-
keting for the event And thatrsquos how it all comes togetherrdquo Ryals says of their
creative process
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
ASHLEY RYALS
copy Olivia Reed
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
ldquoMOST WINE FESTIVALS ACROSS THE COUNTRY HAVE PROVEN RECORDS OF BEING ABLE TO STAY AROUND 15 OR 20 YEARS OR EVEN LONGER AND THE ECONOMIES OF THOSE
CITIES HAVE REALLY GROWN AS A RESULT I WANT BIG SPRING CRUSH TO EVENTUALLY BE THE BIGGEST AND BEST WINE FESTIVAL IN THE STATE OF ALABAMArdquo ASHLEY RYALS
copy Jeff White
copy Jeff White
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
copy Olivia Reed
Homegrown launched in 2011 with what would become its
signature event Dine amp Dash Every second Wednesday
April through October a trolley shuttles patrons between
downtown establishments where they are served a drink
and appetizer before moving on to the next stop
Owner and executive chef Merle Phillips of Th e Eaves was
one of the fi rst restaurants to sign on for Dine amp Dashrsquos de-
but ldquoAshley came to me and said she was starting a trolley
tasting conceptrdquo says Chef Merle ldquoI didnrsquot really know her so
I was taking a chance on the concept she was sellingrdquo
Merle tried it and has been a loyal participant of Dine amp
Dash ever since
ldquoIt was a risk in the beginning but it defi nitely paid off rdquo Chef
Merle says of the experience Pivotal to that experience ac-
cording to Phillips is Ryalsrsquo demonstration to the commu-
nity just what the term ldquohomegrownrdquo really means ldquoAshley
shines a spotlight on independent businesses in a market-
place that has for so long focused on chainsrdquo Phillips says
ldquoDine amp Dash has really brought into sharp focus the inter-
esting culinary diversity that Huntsville has to off errdquo
For the next two years Homegrown Huntsville focused al-
most exclusively on Dine amp Dash which by the end of its fi rst
year included every single downtown restaurant But when
big changes began to appear on the downtown horizonmdash
new restaurants breweries and residential developmentsmdash
Ryalsrsquo instincts told her
the time had come to
introduce a new event
to the downtown cal-
endar
ldquoBeer Hop follows
the concept of Dine
amp Dashrdquo Ryals says of
Homegrownrsquos second
venture which began
in 2013 Each month a
trolley visits three dif-
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
BILL FOWLEROLD TOWN BEER
EXCHANGE
copy Olivia Reed
copy Olivia Reed
ferent breweries where patrons sample beers and enjoy food
from a variety of food trucks parked at each location
Bill Fowler managing partner of Old Town Beer Exchange
agreed to participate in Beer Hop on his very fi rst day of
business and credits Ryals with an overwhelmingly success-
ful opening night ldquoAshley said lsquoI can guarantee that you are
going to have wave after wave of people coming throughrsquordquo
Fowler says recalling that fi rst jittery occasion Once again
Ryals proved true to her word with 60-plus patrons arriving
in an hour-and-a-half ldquoIt was awesome and such a great ex-
perience for usrdquo Fowler raves ldquoAshley is a hard worker and
you can see that in what she doesrdquo
Fowler believes that in addition to bringing new customers
to OTBX Ryals is also cultivating beer education consis-
tently bringing in people who are new to beer and want to
learn And with Huntsvillersquos recent brewery boom that level
of education and interest is crucial for the brewing commu-
nity to thrive ldquoWe have a very small window of opportunityrdquo
says Fowler ldquoI think Huntsville in particular is becoming a
craft brewing community People are making money at this
and once Tennessee sees that we need to already have had a
pretty huge head startrdquo
By the end of 2013 and with standing events Beer Hop and
Dine amp Dash well established Ryals took time to refl ect on
her original goal for Homegrown Huntsville ldquoIn the back of
my head from day one I knew I wanted to do a wine festival
I just didnrsquot think Huntsville was ready for it in 2011rdquo
Emboldened by the success of Beer Hop Ryals decided to
make the leap with Big Spring Crush wine festival later the
same year Once again Ryals delivered the perfect audience
for the event and in the process discovered a surprising
fact about North Alabamarsquos contribution to the wine-mak-
ing industry
ldquoIn doing the wine festival I learned that we have a huge
wine community in Huntsvillerdquo Ryals says ldquoTh ere are only
about 47 certifi ed wine judges in the entire United States
and we have four of them right here in North Alabama Two
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
copy Jeff White
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
ldquoI STARTED TO GET HOMESICK ALL OF MY FRIENDS WERE GETTING MARRIEDAND MEETING FOR FOOTBALL GAMES AND I WAS MISSING ITrdquo ASHLEY RYALS
copy Jeff White
copy Jeff White
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
ldquoIT WAS AWESOME AND SUCH A GREAT EXPERIENCE FOR USrdquoBILL FOWLER OLD TOWN BEER EXCHANGE
copy Jeff White
copy Olivia Reed
of those four certifi ed wine judges sit on the committee for
Big Spring Crushrdquo
Matthew and Stephanie Mell had just opened Church Street
Wine Shop when they decided to participate in the fi rst Big
Spring Crush Like OTBXrsquos Robert Fowler the Mells credit
Ryals and Homegrown Huntsville for helping to introduce
their new enterprise to the community ldquoAshley has been in-
strumental in helping to bring us people who love and ap-
preciate winerdquo Stephanie Mell says ldquoShe was homegrown
here in Huntsville and she really gets the downtown area
and small businesses and that is so important to usrdquo
Big Spring Crush began with a bang featuring over 150
wines and attracting patrons from across the country
ldquoMost wine festivals across the country have proven records
of being able to stay around 15 or 20 years or even longerrdquo
Ryals says ldquoAnd the economies of those cities have really
grown as a result I want Big Spring Crush to eventually be
the biggest and best wine festival in the state of Alabamardquo
How does Ryals intend to make that dream come true ldquoBy
always keeping it fresh I want to have new marketing and
new things happening each yearrdquo
Ryalsrsquo formula of reinvention and expansion has successfully
led Homegrown Huntsville through fi ve years of success and
helped its events become community staples along the way In
the process Ryals is broadening more than just our image of
downtown Huntsville shersquos joining a class of creative entrepre-
neurs committed to expanding Huntsvillersquos reputation as more
than just a hub for the brightest scientifi c minds in America
ldquoWe have a big city of engineers and lawyers and itrsquos won-
derfulrdquo Ryals say ldquo But there is a whole artist and food cul-
ture here and there is so much growth I want us to have a
vibrant cool downtown area and I want for people to tell
their friends to come and visit and to see Huntsville for what
it is a city I loverdquo
If yoursquod like to participate in Homegrown Huntsville either
as a guest or a participating business visit homegrown-
huntsvillecom
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
copy Jeff White
I was years old and the year was At that time the city of Huntsville was inching toward the mountain to the east California Street was once the continental divide between the small town metropo-lis and the uncharted territories gingerly crossed by the real estate pioneers four score and some odd years prior Th is area became the new suburb as the city kept pushing onward toward Fagan Springs as if the reverberating booms of rocket testings were vibrating Hunstvillians away from its epicenter
From the front yard of our house on Owens Drive I could look to the rightmdashup the hill to the bend be-yond which the big houses stood on their rocky ledge pedestals and to the left where all the other houses that looked just like oursmdashfresh and newmdashrambled for what seemed like miles Th ose clean well-lit abodes all seemed the same and granted at my age I knew more about the pets that lived there than I did about the people who owned those manageable mortgages I came to realize that each was diff erent in a way that was permeated by voices smells and furnishings
It is a clicheacute to say that our lives were simpler then because that is just how the current era will be fondly referred to in the future but to a 5-year-old it is the simplicity that brought the joy Th e sixties will always be to me the beginning of the age of manufactured happiness Cheap clean and simple was what was strived for and what was easily obtained Plastic items were plentiful and pretty things could be bought with SampH Green Stamps A few coins in our pocket would transfer us into the most master of manipula-tors with us giving our all to convince our parents for a jaunt to Murdockrsquos for a holiday of wonderment joy and impatience as we would scour the shelves trying to get the most from our meager budget
Owens Drive was the fairly new thoroughfare from which the avenues of three-bedroom-ranchers fi ngered away at planned intervals Th is was the place where newlyweds started their lives homes and families Where girls with last names that had been in the town for generations would change them to those strange and exotic last names of the clean cut newcomers brought here for military purposes Where the housewives would preheat their pristine electric ovens trying to make cheese straws and biscuits that were just like their motherrsquos only to be frustrated as they were never quite the same and where the husbands would follow in their fatherrsquos footsteps by joining the Acme Club and hunting doves on the weekends
Th ere was a swimming pool Certainly not at our house Th e only private pool I remember as a child was one that my grandmother would take me to nestled between huge trees at someonersquos house on Adams Street I would swim with other children my age while our grandmothers chatted smoking cigarettes in cat-eyed anonymity whispering most of their stories so we wouldnrsquot be able to hear But between their
gasps and laughter we would listen hear and learn
Th e Blossomwood pool was a place of designated rules and the sound of bright whistlesmdashwith straight lines and distinctive colors of blue and green I can still feel the Coppertoned oiliness on the skin of the tanned lifeguard as she carried me from the deep end frightened after my fi rst attempt at solo-swimming She knew my name I had no idea who she was
On the other side of the pool was the school my older sister attended It had a style that mim-icked the poolmdashstraight lines cleanmdasha temple to orderliness and good manners It was with
awe that I once watched the young adults there some as old as eleven wind and dance their way around a sky-high fl agpolemdasheach with a diff erent color ribbon until the fi rst (and only) May Pole
I was privy to was completely dressed in its woven bright colors
90 raquo bless their hearts raquo Guy McClure Jr
Huntsville was a magical place for us tail-end baby boomers to grow upmdashbeyond the miracles of the escalator at Pizitz the smiling little lady on the tall stool at the register at Britlings There was a comfort level there that Irsquom not sure is in the minds of the 5-year-olds of today
cat-eyed agasps
Th s
aI w
THE COMFORTS OF BLOSSOMWOOD
In our world of red-bricked carported castles there was a def-inite division of generations Th e children ate separately from the parents went to school as our dads went to work enter-tained our neighborhood friends as quietly as possible and felt safe between our boundaries of Big Cove Road and Hermitage Street While we dined on our Chef Boy-Ar-Dee boxed pizza our parents busied themselves dressing in their dark colors getting ready for a late dinner at Boots having the scent of perfume and face powder trail my mother as she came into the kitchen looking for something with an intense purpose My father would smell of British Sterling and look just as he did when he went to work only happier Th ese nights meant something fun would happenmdashwe would have a babysitter
Babysitters were my introduction into what was and still seems cool Th ey were usually Huntsville High School teen-agers who would put on a show without even knowing it I would drink in their every move word and essence of style To me they were supermodelsmdashmovie starsmdasheven more fa-mous in my eyes than a television weatherman and almost as glamorous as the waitresses at the Waffl e House
Before they would tire of me and my sister and put us to bed they would include us in their world of music and knowledge which I thought was all-encompassing Suddenly our world of Th e Benny Carl Show and Fantasy Playhouse would seem trite and passeacute and we would catch a fl eeting glimpse into what would be in store for us when we too could stay up past 8 pm
Huntsville was a magical place for us tail-end baby boomers to grow upmdashbeyond the miracles of the escalator at Pizitz the smiling little lady on the tall stool at the register at Britlings and that bright colorful Maypole Th ere was a comfort level there that Irsquom not sure is in the minds of the 5-year-olds of todaymdashthe soothing sheltered lack of knowledge of why we were so lucky yet we didnrsquot even know that we were
In the other areas of our Huntsville there was poverty and ra-cial unrestmdashas there was and is in every city I was unaware People of color were always a part of my worldmdashmostly be-cause they had my attention and respect At our house there was Annie my grandmotherrsquos house was fi lled with the joys of Lula and out on the family farm there was strong and smiling Homer and large and huggable Rosamdashall just as much a part of my life as everyone else My life was good and they were instrumental in making it that way
What will the 5-year-olds of today who are lucky enough to be raised on those well-planned streets remember when they surpass their own 50 year mark It is a much more complex world now and there are diff erent concerns with daily changes of fear Youthful innocence is a prize that is encased without a lock Premature maturity is a viable threat and a constant fear But each night tucked in tight in a simple room sleeps tomor-rowrsquos adults who are having sweet dreamsmdashblanketed by the comforts of Blossomwood
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
92 raquo the vine raquo Amy C Collins
BORDEAUX POWER
Where Burgundyrsquos vineyards were established by Benedictine monks patiently growing wine vines with spiritual hearts Bordeauxrsquos vineyards were raised by entrepreneurial laymen who recognized the massive monetary opportunity when the English began drinking down their peasant wine
The city of Bordeaux is Francersquos primary port town on the Atlantic ocean a harbor that has for centuries served as the countryrsquos most important dock Th e regionrsquos history is long and storied with the fi rst written reference to the area dated 379 AD by the Latin poet Ausonius who was also a wine-grower Jump ahead to the year 1152 when Eleanor of Aquitaine married Englandrsquos soon-to-be king Henry Plantagenet and the port and surrounding vineyard land became the source of wine for the English a connection that remains strong even today
Bordeaux produces the worldrsquos most expensive and sought after collector wines the top tier of which make up less than fi ve percent of the regionrsquos total production Th ese names are quickly learned by neophyte wine drinkers wanting to make an impression Chateau Haut-Brion Lafi te Latour and Margaux for example Grown in gravelly soils only a few meters above sea levelmdashin contrast vineyards elsewhere in Europe typically sit between 300 and 900 metersmdashthese wines are some of the most powerful austere and pawed over When young the tannins in these cabernet sauvignon cabernet franc and merlot blends coat the tongue and mouth with a chalky dry sensation akin to sucking on an Earl Grey tea bag and are perhaps best suited to well-fatted rare steak and cigars Th ese are wines built to live for decades Personally I prefer a Bordeaux at least 20 years aged when the tannins have had ample time to calm down and mellow out and more nuanced fl avors come forward Sounds fancy and it is Only in some very lucky circumstances over the past year have I been guest to a bottle of 1990 Clos de Menuts Saint-Eacutemilion and a 1970 Chateau Haut-Brion About once every 10 years Irsquove had the good
fortune to taste a wine older than myself Nice work if you can get it
Where Burgundyrsquos vineyards (Francersquos other classifi ed sought-after region) were established by Benedictine monks patiently growing wine vines with spiritual hearts
Bordeauxrsquos vineyards were raised by entrepreneurial laymen who recognized the massive monetary opportunity when the English began drinking down their peasant wine Th is underscores the second half of my theory as to why Americans
more often American males are so drawn to the wines of Bordeaux Th erersquos an inherent capitalist connection something in the soil Th at the wines are so
unmistakable so distinctively grand and pronounced elixirs exemplifi es the fi rst half of my theory we Americans are not known for our subtlety (To be fair the Chinese are
signifi cant Bordeaux collectors as well)
Philosophy aside Bordeaux is quite a large region that produces beautiful white and red values as well as the rare fi nds out of the populacersquos price range Herersquos the skinny Blending is the game single varietal wines are rare White Bordeaux is typically made from a blend of sauvignon blanc and seacutemillon and sometimes a drop or two of muscadelle ugni blanc or colombard Reds are made primarily from the two cabernets plus merlot with small quantities of petit verdot malbec and carmenegravere occasionally in the mix Th e region is also home to the golden nectar of late ripened seacutemillon sauvignon blanc and muscadelle grapes that have successfully attracted the noble rot a fungus that covers the fruit and drains moisture from inside leaving behind rich sweet grapes without moldy fl avors Chateau drsquoYquem is the most famous of these unfortifi ed dessert wines though there are better bargains from the region
Bordeaux is split by the Gironde river which divides the region into three general areas Th e left bank also known as the Haut-Meacutedoc is where the classifi ed top growths are situated Th ese prestigious estates were named for their exceptional vineyard sites in 1855 a decision nearly unchanged since Today serious collectors invest in Bordeaux futures theoretically locking down lower prices of top
ample time to calm dit is Only in some vede Menuts Saint-Eacutem
fortune to taste a
Wherees
aun
of msignifi
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Follow Amy at pigandvinecom for morestories and wine suggestions
growth estates while the wine is still aging in the cellar Itrsquos the wine tradersquos equivalent to the NASDAQ On the right bank Saint-Eacutemilion and Pommerol are the prized vineyard areas known for their merlot heavy cuveacutees To the south west we fi nd Graves where there are many great values to be had in both white and red bottlings Entre-Deux-Mers which translates to ldquobetween two seasrdquo sits between the Dordogne and Garonne tributaries off the Gironde and is an excellent source for crisp whites
Get started on your Bordeaux experience with these values
Chateau Graville-Lacoste 2014 Graves 75 seacutemillon 20 sauvignon blanc and 5 muscadelle make up this beauty thatrsquos consistently delicious every vintage Crisp and refreshing great with seafood
Chateau Mirambeau 2014 GravesAnother classic blend of 40 sauvignon blanc 40 seacutemillon and 20 muscadelle this lovely white is a bit more fl oral than the Graville-Lacoste Easy drinking and great value
Chateau de Parenchegravere Bordeaux Rouge 201155 merlot 30 cabernet sauvignon and 15 cabernet franc grown in clay heavy soils similar to the right bank of the region Fleshy with good structure and abundant red fruit
Chateau Arnaud Bordeaux Supeacuterieur 2011Supeacuterieur on a Bordeaux label isnrsquot egotistical marketingmdashby law it indicates a wine with up to one degree more alcohol than its AC Bordeaux brethren What it really means is one more degree of body structure and in this case quality Approachable delicious and easy on the wallet
Chateau de Bernadotte Haut-Meacutedoc 2005Th e 2005 vintage in Bordeaux is in the history books with double asterisks Owned by the eminent Pichon Lalande family and made from vineyards in Paulliac one of the more choice growing areas in the region this is an incredible value a top tier Bordeaux for a fraction of the cost
Chateau de Suduiraut Sauternes 2011Ripe cantaloupe apricot and honey and an interesting smoky note with a solid sweet attack followed by great acidity A dessert wine that wonrsquot overpower the dessert
94 raquo parting shot raquo Patrick Hood
Meet Solvar
Solvar belongs to one of the worldrsquos oldest and purest equine lineages the Nor-
wegian Fjord horse a breed that has remained virtually unchanged for more than
2000 yearsmdashlong before we became acquainted with his animated cousins in
the movie Frozen Th ese national symbols of Norway are characterized by primi-
tive zebra striping on their legs and a dorsal stripe running from forelock to tail
resulting in a striking two-tone mane that sticks up like a Mohawk Th eir athleti-
cism agility and dependability make them valuable both as sport horses as well
as therapy horses for emotionally and physically challenged adults and children
Catie Wells of Huntsville is the proud owner of Solvar who resides at Monte
Sano Stables
For tickets or information 256-539-4818 or hsoorg
Bring In the New Year With Us
presents
WHAT A WONDERFUL
WORLDA tribute to Louis
Armstrong featuring the
Byron Stripling Quartet
Thursday December 31
730 pm bull Pops Series bullMark C Smith
Concert Hall VBC
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
M O R E T H A N 7 0 S H O P S A N D R E S T A U R A N T S I N C L U D I N G B E L K | D S W S H O E S | A P P L E J O S A B A N K | R E E D S J E W E L E R S | PA N D O R A | J C R E W | K AT E S PA D E N E W Y O R KO R V I S | B A N A N A R E P U B L I C | M I C H A E L K O R S | F R A N C E S C Arsquo S | A N T H R O P O L O G I EH amp M | S O M A | M O U N T A I N H I G H O U T F I T T E R S | B A R N E S amp N O B L E | S E P H O R AALTAR rsquoD STATE | CONNORS STEAK amp SEFOOD | THE WEST IN HUNTSV I L L E | MONACO P ICTURES
C O M I N G S O O N V E R S O N A ndash near Belk
B R I D G E S T R E E T H U N T S V I L L E C O M |
BR IDGE STREET TOWN CENTRE I S LOCATED AT EX I T 14 OFF I - 565 AT OLD MAD ISON P IKE
6 raquo NovemberDecember
80
features
Huntsvillersquos HomegrownHostess
For hometown herald Ashley Ryals trumpeting Huntsville hot spots is an entrepreneurial labor of love
by sara wright covingtonphotos by olivia reedand jeff white
Photo by Olivia Reed
22Th e Perfect Holiday
Dinner
Area foodies make entertaining easyby roy hall
photos by olivia reed
70Encouraging Endeavors
Encourage Huntsvillersquos maker-teachers generously share their talent and inspiration with the community
by sara wright covingtonphotos by jacki gil patrick hood erin lindsey and michelle odom
60Of Deft and Dirty Hands
Turning life into art the pottery of Guadalupe Robinson
by jennifer crossley howardphotos by patrick hood
16Will Power
Chef Will spreads the good news of healthy tasty food one skillet at a time
by sarah gaedephotos by patrick hood
hley ville eurial
on EnEn
EncHumagentheinspthe
by scovphojachoo
28shoptilyuledrop
And shop local
produced byaissa castillo and
lauren mccaulphotos by
lauren tomasella carney
7 raquo editorrsquos letter laquo Allen Tomlinson
norsquoala huntsvilleadvisory board
Osie Adelfang
ARC Design-Build Inc
Lynne Berry
HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology
Sarah Brewer
Click Photo Designs by Sarah Brewer
Kimberly Casey
Lowe Mill Arts amp Entertainment
Donna Castellano
Historic Huntsville Foundation
Aissa Castillo
aislerchiccom
Dan Halcomb
Huntsville Symphony Orchestra
Lauren McCaul
deptofagraculturecom
Guy McClure Jr
Athens State University
Tom Patterson
knowhuntsvillecom
Dr Holly Powe
Calhoun Community College
Olivia Reed
Olivia Reed Photography
Patrick Robbins
Huntsville Hospital
Lauren Tomasella Carney
Lauren Tomasella Photography
Ashley Vaughn
White Rabbit StudiosVertical House Records
Charles Vaughn
Vaughn Lumber Company
Andrew Wilmon
Broadway Theatre League
Shop rsquoTil Yule Drop
Wait what Itrsquos that time already If yoursquore like
us the fact that the holidays are almost upon us seems
almost unbelievable Where has this year gone We need
more timemdashwersquore not ready yet
But ready or not here they come So to help you fi nd
gifts for all of the people on your holiday list wersquove com-
piled our annual Shop lsquoTil Yule Drop Buying Guide Our
secret shoppers went all over the Valley fi nding the most
wonderful unique and appealing gifts for every person
on the list and wersquove neatly organized them so you can easily fi nd just what yoursquore
looking for One thing it reminded us is how great the shopping is here in this part
of the worldmdashwe honestly canrsquot think of a single thing we would need to go online
to get Another thing we learned Th erersquos no way we can put all of the neat things
from around here in one magazinemdashyoursquoll just have to go shopping for yourself
Have fun
Th is time of year isnrsquot just about shopping and celebration of course unless you are
celebrating local talent Check out our profi le of Chef Will well known to the visi-
tors to Lowe Mill and Green Street Market and Guadalupe Robinson a talented
ceramics artist Wersquove put together some sample meals from area chefs and wersquoll
introduce you to Homegrown Huntsville Itrsquos all enough to make your mouth water
As hectic as this time of year can be remember to take some time to relax and enjoy
it Th is is truly a special season full of family and friends food and gifts camarade-
rie and reverence Sometimes the most memorable events are small not elaborate
sometimes the best gifts are the thoughtful ones not the most expensive Be safe
stay warm and enjoymdashand remember to Shop the Valley yrsquoall Merry Christmas
8 raquo contents
NOVEMBERDECEMBER 2015
Volume 4 Issue 6
bull bull bull
Editor-in-Chief C Allen Tomlinson
Chief Operating Offi cer Matthew Liles
Creative Director David Sims
Advertising Directors Heidi King and Jamie Noles
Advertising Sales Kevin McDonald
Features Manager Roy Hall
Graphic Designer Rowan Finnegan
Web Designer Justin Hall
Editorial Assistant Tara Bullington
Proofreader Carole Maynard
Distribution Johnson Trent
bull bull bull
Contributing Writers
Amy C Collins Sara Wright Covington
Sarah Gaede Roy Hall Jennifer Crossley Howard
Guy McClure Jr Allen Tomlinson
bull bull bull
Contributing Photographers
Jacki Gil Patrick Hood Erin Lindsey
Danny Mitchell Michelle Odom
Olivia Reed Lauren Tomasella Carney
Jeff White
bull bull bull
NorsquoAla Huntsville is published six times annuallyby NorsquoAla Studios
PO Box 2530 Florence AL 35630 Phone (800) 779-4222 | Fax (256) 766-4106
Web noalastudioscom
Standard postage paid at Huntsville ALA one-year subscription is $1995for delivery in the United States
Signed articles refl ect only the views of the authors and do not necessarily refl ect the views of the editors
Advertisers are solely responsible forthe content of their advertisements
copy 2008-2015 NorsquoAla Studios All rights reserved
Send all correspondence toAllen Tomlinson Editor at the postal address above
or by e-mail to allennoalastudioscomLetters may be edited for space and style
To advertise contact us at(256) 766-4222 or salesnoalastudioscom
The editor will provide writerrsquos guidelines upon requestProspective authors should not submit unsolicited
manuscripts please query the editor fi rst
NorsquoAla Huntsville is printed with vegetable-based inksPlease recycle
Connect with us on Facebook NorsquoAla HuntsvilleTwitter NoAla_Magazine and Pinterest NoAlaStudios
everything else
6010 Calendar Selected Events for NovemberDecember 2015
12 Cryinrsquo Out Loud ldquoHomerdquo
by sara wright covington
90 Bless Th eir HeartsldquoTh e Comforts of Blossomwoodrdquo by guy mcclure jr
92 Th e Vine ldquoBordeaux Powerrdquo by amy c collins
94 Parting Shot by patrick hood
copy Patrick Hood
On the cover Liliana Castillo
Maddox Acker Ilan Castillo
Rowan Jackson and Liam Acker
get into the holiday spirit
(1) Light of Mine Pullover ($25)(2) Free Range Baseball Tee ($23)(3) Young Buck Baseball Tee ($23)(4) Hey Yrsquoall Tee ($20)(5) Hey Yrsquoall Pullover ($25)Tiny Vinestinyvinesshopcom
Photo by Lauren Tomasella Carney
Guadalupe Robinson Turning life into art
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Friday November 13
Lights Up Holiday Tree Lighting
Bridge Street Town Centre lights up like a winter wonderland to welcome Santa with school choirs local musicians
and strolling Victorian carolers culminating in a spectacular fi reworks display 700pm Free Bridge Street Town Centre
bridgestreethuntsvillecom
Sunday November 15
Beethoven Conversations
Select Beethoven piano solos and Quintet op 16 B-fl at major featuring guest artist pianist Kirill Gerstein 330pm Admission
charged Roberts Hall UAH (256) 539-4818 hsoorg
Friday November 20 ndash Sunday November 22
Bullets Over Broadway
A young playwright in desperate need of fi nancial backing for his next show accepts an off er he canrsquot refuse from a mobster
looking to please his showgirl girlfriend Donrsquot miss what the New Yorker exclaims as ldquoa Fun Machine from Start to Finishrdquo Fri
200pm Sat 200 and 800pm Sun 200pm and 730pm Admission charged Von Braun Center 700 Monroe St (256) 518-6155
broadwaytheatreleagueorg
Sunday November 22
A Vignette from Th e Nutcracker
Enjoy a vignette from the Huntsville Ballet Companyrsquos 47th annual production of Th e Nutcracker set in antebellum Huntsville
with a nod to local legends and traditions and accompanied by Tchaikovskyrsquos delightful score 200pm Free fee for museum
exhibitions Huntsville Museum of Art 300 Church St (256) 535-4350 hsvmuseumorg
Tuesday December 1 ndash Wednesday December 23
Santarsquos Village
All ages will delight in visiting the Clausrsquo house meeting Santarsquos reindeer the North Pole elves and Santa Snow shows craft
projects and musical entertainment all add to the fun at the Village Santa Calls Home 500pm-900pm Admission charged
Alabama Constitution Village 109 Gates Ave earlyworkscom
Wednesday December 2
Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony Every Light a Prayer for Peace
Th is yearrsquos program includes local dignitaries elementary-age students clergy and Federated Garden Club members who will
light the Botanical Gardenrsquos Christmas Tree 930am Free Huntsville Botanical Garden 4747 Bob Wallace Ave (256) 830-444
hsvbgorg
Friday December 4
Peace on Earth A Holiday Music Extravaganza
Th e Symphonic Chorus Childrenrsquos Chorale and Youth Chorale join the UAH Music Department the Huntsville Symphony
Orchestra and Huntsville Ballet for this seasonal performance 730pm Admission charged Von Braun Concert Hall 700
Monroe St (256) 533-6606 thechorusorg
10 raquo calendar
g g
y December 4
on Earth A Holiday Music Extravaganza
e Symphonic Chorus Childrenrsquos Chorale and Youth Chorale join the UAH Music Departmennnnnnennnnnnnnnnnne ttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttt ttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttheeeeeheeeheheheeeeehehehehehhhheeheeheheheheheeehehehehhhhhhhhhhehehehehehehehhehhheheheehehhhehehhheheheehehheheheheheheehhhehehhehhhhhhhehhehhheh HHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHununununununununununununununununnununuununununununununuunununununuunununnnnnunnunuu tstststststststststststststststststststststststststststststststststtststssststssstststss iviviviviviviviiviviviviviviviviviviviviviviviviviviviviviivvivivivivivivivivivivivivvivivivivvivviivv lllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllleeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee SySySySySySySySySySySySyySySySySySySySySySyySySyySySySySySySySySySySySySySySySySySyySySySySyySySySySySSSySySySySySyympmpmpmpmpmpmpmpmmpmpmpmpmpmpmpmpmpmpmpmmpmpmpmpmmpmmpmpmpmpmpmpmpmpmppppmpmpmppmpmppmpmpmppmphohohohohhohohohhohohohhohohohohohhohohohohohhhhhohohohhohohhohohohhohohohohohohohohohhohoohhohonynynnynynynynynynynynynynynynynynynynynynynnynynynynynynynynynynynynynynynnynyyynynyynnnnnynyyy
chestra and Huntsville Ballet for this seasonal performance 730pm Admission nnnnn n chchhchhhchchhhhhhhhhhchhchhhhhhhchchhhchchhhchhhhchhchchhchchchhhhhhhhchcccccchhhhchchcccccccchhchchcccccchchcccccccchccccccharrrrrrrarrrrarrarrarrrrrrrrrraraaarrrrrarararararraaaaaarrrarararaaaaaaararrraraaaaaaaaaaararararaaaaaaaaararaaararaaaarrarrrggggggggggegegegeegegegegegegegeggggggegegegegegegegeggeeeggegegeggegegeegegggggggegg dddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddd VVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVonononnonononononononononononononnnoonoonono BBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBrararararararrararrrarararararaaarararararaaunununununununununnunununununununuununuuuunununnuu CCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCConononononononononononnnononononononoonoooononoooononononnonncecececececececececececececeececececececececececeeceeeeccceeertrtrtrtrtrtrtrtrtrtrtrrtrtrtrtrtrtrtrtrtrtrtrtrtrtrtrtrttrtrtrtrtrtrtrtrttrt HHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHallalalalalalalaalalalllllalalalalalalalalllalalalalalalalalalaalalalalaallalalalalalllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll 777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000
onroe St (256) 533-6606 thechorusorg
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Friday December 4 ndash Saturday December 5
Kris Kringlersquos Candlelight Christmas
Two spectacular evenings of cozy fi res holiday music fi ggy pudding homemade cookies kids crafts designer deacutecor and much
more Itrsquos holiday fun for the whole family with the most magical view in town 430pm-900pm Admission charged Burritt on
the Mountain 3101 Burritt Dr (256) 536-2882 burrittonthemountaincom
Friday December 4 ndash Sunday December 6
A Christmas Carol
Travel with Scrooge as he visits his past present and future on Christmas Eve in this musical retelling of Charles Dickensrsquo
classic novel Fri and Sat 700pm and Sun 200pm Admission charged Von Braun Playhouse 700 Monroe St (256) 539-6829
fantasyplayhousecom
Friday December 4 ndash Sunday December 6
Th e Nutcracker A Yuletide Ballet
Alabama Youth Ballet Th eatre opens its 10th season to holiday audiences with this beloved Christmas ballet Fri 700pm
Sat 200pm and 730pm Sun 200pm Admission charged Lee HS Auditorium 2500 Meridian St (256) 881-5930
alabamayouthballetorg
Saturday December 12
Madison Christmas Parade
Music fl oats and fun for the whole family Afterwards gather for an old-fashioned celebration on the Village Green Listen
to carolers and instrumental music around the Roundhouse and sip hot chocolate at the Gazebo 530pm Free Downtown
Madison (256) 772-9300 cimadisonalus
Saturday December 12
Mooresville Holiday Home Tour and Progressive Dinner
Th e 50 residents of historic Mooresville incorporated in 1818 invite you to celebrate the season with a tour of the 1839 Brick
Church 1820 Stagecoach Tavern 1840 Post Offi ce and fi ve private homes all decorated in the tradition of Christmas past
Homes open and shopping available from 200pm to 600pm Dinner seating at 330pm to 430pm and at 500pm to 600 pm in
town square Reservations required $70 Mooresville (256) 355-2683 mooresvillealcom
Saturday December 12
Spirit of Christmas Past Homes Tour and Luminaries
Tour fi ve private residences on Randolph Street the Weeden House Museum on Gates Avenue and other historic buildings
ornately decorated for the holidays 500pm-900pm Admission charged Twickenham Historic District (256) 536-7718
twickenhamhomestourcom
Th ursday December 17
Huntsville Christmas Parade
Welcome Santa Claus to Huntsville as he ushers in the Christmas season at the annual Christmas parade Enjoy the excitement
and music with many entries and bands from across North Alabama 600pm Free Downtown Huntsville (256) 885-9797
Saturday December 19
Holiday Artists Market
Americarsquos largest private artist complex invites the public to its annual Holiday Artists Market 1100am-600pm Free Flying
Monkey Arts Th eater Lowe Mill 2211 Seminole Dr (256) 489-7000 fl yingmonkeyartsorg
Saturday December 31
Huntsville Symphony Orchestra presents ldquoWhat A Wonderful Worldrdquo - a tribute to Louis Armstrong
Bring in the New Year with the Byron Stripling Quartet and the music of Louis Armstrong a presentation of the HSO 730
pm Mark C Smith Concert Hall VBC call (256) 539-4818 for tickets or visit wwwhsoorg
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
pm Mark C Smith Concert Hall VBC call (256) 539-4818 for tickets or visit wwwhsoorg
12 raquo cryinrsquo out loud raquo Sara Wright Covington
HOME
So we carry our boxes and baggage from place to place carving out a new niche for them wherever we fi nd ourselves And I fi nd that long after I have left a place that place has not left me
According to a government survey conducted in the average person moves around 11
times in a lifetime My husband never one to conform to the norm had moved nine times by the time
he was 18 He just like his father and his fatherrsquos father is a builder and thatrsquos just what builders do
Th ey build and they move and then they build and they move again I knew when I married him that
he would follow in those family footsteps and that I was signing up for a lifetime of constant moving
Frequent moves do seem to be much more of the norm where we live in Huntsville a super transient
place full of military and government men and women who are accustomed to shifting their families
from spot to spot But having only lived in two houses by the time I was 18 it was still hard for me
to imagine packing my entire life into boxes every couple of
years Now on our third move together Irsquove started taking
inventory of my things each time I prepare to repack them
into boxes and Irsquove defi nitely begun to see a trendmdashmost
everything I own has been in my life for a very long time Irsquove
carried my grandmotherrsquos hat boxes full of fur and feath-
ered millinery from place to place with me since I was 22 I
still have the antique four poster bed I slept in as a
child My many bookshelves are fi lled with every
book I have likely ever ownedmdashfrom the Norton
Anthology of English Literature to Frommerrsquos Las
Vegas guide book Th ere are even a few items of
clothing in my closet that are 20 or more years old
including a rain jacket monogrammed with my high
school letters and a sequined tube top I think I wore
at some point during college although I hope that
Irsquom wrong
It has been scientifi cally proven that most people
fear change as the outcome of that change is of-
ten unknown With each and every move that we
make it has become increasingly evident that I am
no diff erent We fi nd faith in the familiar which for
me seems to include everything from my footwear
to my friends So we carry our boxes and baggage
from place to place carving out a new niche for them
wherever we fi nd ourselves And I fi nd that long after
I have left a place that place has not left me I re-
cently went to visit the house where I grew up which
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
is sadly empty now Th e front door was exactly the same
and the concrete steps where I skinned my knee as a child
are still there as is the scar I still bear from those steps 30
years later I peeked through the glass backdoor to see that
the kitchen cabinets were still exactly the same an unpainted
knotty wood with brass knobs and the pocket door adja-
cent to the stove was still there also half open to the sitting
room I wondered if that door still bore the carved notches
of my height chart an expanse of inches that widened over
the years as I grew each notch labeled in pen with a date I
strained my eyes to look but could not see
Th e seasons are changing now and once again we are mov-
ing Th e boxes are being collected now and Irsquove already be-
gun a mental timeline of how long I can procrastinate until
actually beginning to pack them Th is summer in particular
has been one of many changes for usmdashups and downs joys
and sorrowsmdashand the walls of this house have witnessed
them all And I have to admit that it does seem right that
as the seasons change we too should also move on As
someone recently put it to me when facing the fear of the
unknown we have to learn to just manage and adjustmdashhav-
ing faith at the threshold of change that life will continue to
be full of beauty and fun love and loss We are not forced
to edge any one of these out to make room for the other but
rather we must learn to make room for them all
Th ere is no doubt that this house will stick with me as
all of the memories within it are engraved into my mind
But this time around I know that home will always be
where my family and friends are and the walls around
us are just a shelter through the sun and storms of our
lives I choose to believe that old habits are not necessar-
ily bad habits but traditions we choose to bring with us
into the future as a form of comfort in the midst of the
fear of the future My husband and I have celebrated
one of those old traditions in this house as we
have made our own growth chart for our
children here carving and marking their
tiny heights onto one of our downstairs
doors And although I will likely fret and
shed some tears through this entire mov-
ing process as I attempt to detach myself
from these walls a little compromise can be
comforting and being married to a builder
does have its perksmdashwe are unhinging that
door and taking it with us when we go
for information visit wwwathenseduathenianplayers
Names for photos are provided by the organization or business featured
14 raquo scene
Suzanne OrsquoConnor Karen Kiss and Sallie Ennis
Front Row L-R Patrick Robbins Ed Rush Nancy Colin George Smith and Steve Thornton Back Row L-R John Johnson Richard Van Valkenburgh Ronald Reed and Skipper Colin
Richard and Nancy Van Valkenburgh
Jay and Dana Town
Ernie Rivard Ann Rivard Anne Compton Burke and Kim and John Johnson
George and Lee Anne Smith and Steve and Patti Thornton
Linda Akenhead Donna Rush Ivy Albert and Amelia Summerville
Bobsy and Bill IngramChris Wesley Suzanne OrsquoConnor and Patrick Robbins
Tom and Pennie Keene Sharon and Ed Gartrell and Janet and David Skidmore
Debbie Overcash Brenda Millberger and Theresa Taylor
Ronald and Daphne Reed and Nancy and Skipper Colin
Kendall Black and Lee Anne Bostick
Sharon Gartrell Paige Prozan Amelia Summerville and Susan Todd Matt Taylor Bruce Summerville
Eric Milberger and Tommy Overcash
copy Photos by Mark Jaeger
Joyce Griffi n Betsy Lowe Peter Lowe Debbie Washburn and Ben Washburn
2015 Symphony Ball Advisorsrsquo Cocktail Partyaugust middot home of jay and dana town huntsville
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
text by sarah gaede raquo photos by patrick hood
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Some restaurants have food trucks for off-premise
special events Chef Will proprietor of Th e Palate at Lowe
Mill has a folding table Equipped with coolers kettles a
butane burner and his trusty cast iron skillet he turns out
amazing vegetarian and vegan dishes for his loyal following
every Th ursday at Greene Street Market in Huntsville
Although he grew up in Groton Connecticut helping his
mother in the kitchen and was always interested in food Chef
Will then known as Forest Wilson felt he couldnrsquot compete
with his older brother who was an executive chef So he
received vocational training in welding and visual arts (skills
which he still uses in creating his Afro-centric art) After a
brief stint in California working in the shipbuilding industry
he decided to follow his fi rst love and go to culinary school
When Chef Will visited his mother in Huntsville he realized
how much he missed being close to the land So he moved to
Alabama After he saw what his family was eating and how
many health problems they had he began an intensive study
of nutrition and the healing properties of natural foods
He had already been turned on to the health benefi ts of a
vegetarian diet by the surfers he hung out with in California
With his back-to-basics approach
Chef Will is like a nineteenth century
cook witha twenty-first century vibe
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
like a nineteenth century cook with a twenty-
fi rst century vibe
While most of Chef Willrsquos dishes are vegan he
does use real cheese because it melts better
He also uses free-range eggs Portobello
mushrooms are his go-to meat substitute
Th e day I visited he was serving portobello
pepper ldquosteakrdquo over quinoa and brown rice
with a liberal dash of his secret Bee Sting
sauce which his son Khaliq is working on
marketing to the public It was scrumptious
His food is so densely fl avored you donrsquot miss
the meat He especially loves the spices and
ingredients of Indian Asian and Chinese
cuisines all of which off er a great variety of
tasty vegetarian dishes
Chef Will is a passionate evangelist for the
healing properties of pure natural foods and
he preaches this gospel in a way that is so
inviting those who try his food cannot help
but be much more open-minded about trying
new healthy creative ways of eating
who seemed to have much more energy than he did He
became intentional about every step of the cooking process
from ingredient sourcing to cookwaremdashhence the cast
iron skillet which is naturally non-stick and adds iron to
whatever is cooked in it
Chef Will sources his ingredients locally whenever possible
He makes his vegetable stock with spring water His tasty
beans are soaked and simmered in that fl avorful stock not
poured from a can His collards are sublime without a hint
of pork fat With his back-to-basics approach Chef Will is
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Start a New Holiday Tradition at Burritt on the Mountain
ldquoHoliday Magicrdquo A Magical Dining Experience
December 10th 11th amp 12th
Itrsquos a magically fun evening dining in a historic cabin or the mansion with friends while enjoying delectable food and wine It is unlike any other holiday dinner and itrsquos perfect for a festive family occasion yet intimate enough for a romantic dinner for two Itrsquos rustic AND upscale
Holiday Magic reservations are being taken now by calling Butch Damson at 256-534-4361 Hurry Space is limted $90 per dinner seat Visit the website for menus and more
limited seating available make your reservations today
Wersquore decking the walls halls and stalls to get you in the holiday spirit More than 600 candles illuminate the sidewalks and Historic Park and music fills the air adding to the nostalgic feel of the holidays String cranberries make paper punch ornaments roast chesnuts amp taste figgy pudding Fun for the whole family itrsquos Christmas the way itrsquos supposed to be
Kris KringlersquosCandlelight Christmas
December 4th amp 5th
A much anticipated musical favorite will be back at Burritt in the Old Country Church
PerformancesDecember 16th through 20th
Tickets ON SALE NOWPurchase tickets at Josiersquos online
or by calling 256-536-2882or by calling 256-536-2by calling 256-536-2burrittonthemountaincom
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Th
ePE
R
FECT HOLIDAY DIN
NE
R
In our modern world of far-fl ung families Th anksgiving and Christmas are those rare occasions so fi lled with nostalgia
and meaning we press the pause button on our busy lives to prioritize time together Because family time is so rare these days NorsquoAla asked some of Huntsvillersquos fi nest chefs to suggest dishes that will inspire you as you plan your
familyrsquos menu this holiday season
Any time we spend with our loved ones is precious herersquos hoping these meal
ideas help make this yearrsquos holidays perfect
text by roy hall raquo photos by olivia reed
ldquoWith all the fl avors we associate with the holidays the gingerbread man is always near the top of the list So let the kids enjoy the traditional cookies while you sip this sophisticated cocktailrdquo mdashParker
ldquoTh e holidays are so fun-fi lled it seems appropriate that a holiday salad should refl ect that with lots of diff erent things going on fruits nuts cheeses and always a little hint of sweetness in the dressing No matter what main dishes and sides are served this salad will complement them allrdquo mdashAndrew
Grilled Pear Salad with Cambozola and Walnuts
Mezza Luna
(256) 650-2514 Th e GingermanMezza Luna
Butternut Squash Wild Mushroom and Roasted Asparagus Risotto
Th e Eaves
(256) 489-1752
ldquoI love this dish because itrsquos crisp and clean and adds a touch of light color to a typically heavy mealmdashthe bright green asparagus and red pancetta even look Christmassyrdquo mdashOwner LeeLee Wiginton
ldquoTh is isnrsquot super diffi cult to make It echoes the fl avors of the season And itrsquos also something a little unexpected It has a great fl avor profi le and complements other proteins really well Guests will love itrdquo mdashChef Merle Phillip
Snow Pea Salad with Crispy PancettaLynrsquos Gracious Goodness
(256) 533-2607
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Th ePERFECT HOLIDAY DINNER
Fried Brussels Sprouts with Coriander Greek Yogurt Sauce
Mezza Luna
ldquoI chose to do the turkey this way because itrsquos a diff erent approach Th e challenge of roasting a whole turkey is that the white and dark meat cook at diff erent speeds By separating the two you can cook each for its own proper cooking timerdquo mdashChef Steven Bunner
ldquoBrussels sprouts have had a bad rap Th e fi rst time most people encounter them theyrsquore overcooked mushy and served plain Th atrsquos a shame because theyrsquore nutritional powerhouses and because theyrsquore a fall crop at their best during the holiday seasonrdquo mdashJohn
Roast Turkey Breast and Dark Meat Roulade Served with Pecan Pesto
1892 East(256) 489-1242
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Between now and the end of the year take advantage of cost reductions on three popular proceduresmdashand begin 2016 with new confidence
bull SAVE BIG on breast augmentationOur saline price is $700 off and our silicone price is $900 off cash price only Schedule your initial consultation by December 31 2015 to lock in your price and the procedure must take place by March 31 2016
bull FULL-FACIAL LASER is $1500 Cash price only Initial consultation must occur before December 31 2015 and the procedure must be done by March 31 2016
bull WEEKEND Eribium Laser PEEL is Buy ThreeGet One Free Save $400 on our regular $1600 cash price by scheduling your initial consultation by December 31 2015
Look better - feel better - and save money Itrsquos time to get more for less
Dr Russell Jennings203 Avalon Ave Suite 300
Muscle Shoals AL 35661
Phone(256) 386-1450jenningsplasticsurgerycom
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Th ePERFECT HOLIDAY DINNER
Nutella CheesecakeMason Dixon Bakery amp Bistro(256) 213-7545
ldquoTh is is one of our favorite desserts for a holiday and for every day Th e rich and creamy cake melts like ice cream in your mouth the smoothness of the fi lling balances perfectly with the crunchiness of the crust and the delicate hints of the swirled Nutella are divinerdquo mdashCo-owners Chef Ashley and Taylor Ramirez
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Emily Taylor5510 Promenade Point Pkwy Suite 160Madison AL 35757256-430-2781
I can help you
your own wayGROW
1114-519HO
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
produced by aissa castillo and lauren mccaulphotos by lauren tomasella carney
clothing modeled by aaron petersen rachel smith anne harbargerand kait barinaga (for finery)
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Meet the Shop Girls The mission To search Valley shops and boutiques
for the fi nest in Yuletide treasures
Accepting the challenge three of Huntsvillersquos most original and creative taste-makers
Say hello to NorsquoAla Shop Girls Aissa Castillo Lauren McCaul and Lauren Tomasella CarneyDuring the day these mild-mannered professionals tend to demanding careers in design
retail management and photography But evenings and weekends theyrsquore out saving the world from uninspiring fashion and decor as style superheroes
Their picks for the very best gift ideas follow For ideas and inspiration year-round
stay in-the-know by following our Shop Girls on social media
Lauren McCaul deptofagraculturecom Instagram dept_of_agra_cultureAissa Castillo aislerchiccom Instagram aislerchic
Lauren Tomasella Carney laurentomasellacom Instagram laurentomasella
And as you shop for your own Christmas treasures this season please remember to spread your cheermdashand your dollarsmdashat home
(1) Amanda Uprichard Jacket ($248)(2) BCBG Dress ($228)(3) Zoa Dress ($128)Personal Couture Boutique(256) 508-5632
(4) Dress ($168)Anthropologie(256) 327-8470
(5) Olive + Oak Oatmeal Shawl ($72)(10) Simply Noelle Zipper Gusset Bag ($5999)House of Holland(256) 206-8989
(6) One-of-a-kind Eva Ziegler Agate and Pyrite Necklace ($397)(8) Eva Ziegler Freshwater Pearl Strand ($501)Eva Ziegler Jewelryevazieglercom
(9) Gift Set ($5995)Piper amp LeafPiperandleafcom
(7) Long Horn Necklace ($68)Personal Couture Boutique(256) 508-5632
Left to right Lauren Tomasella Carney
Lauren McCaul and Aissa Castillo
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
On himFilson Shirt ($98) Filson Jacket ($320)Yeti Cooler ($34999)Alabama Outdoors(256)-885-3561
On herPPLA Vest ($7999)PPLA Dress ($7499)Bedstu Boots ($295)Indigorsquos Boutique(256) 345-6348
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) Woolly Mammoth Tooth 4rdquo Damascus Linerlock Knife ($150)(2) Cardboard Safari Bucky Cardboard Deer Head ($30)(3) Curt Benzle Porcelain Compass ($15)Little Green Store and Gallery (256) 539-9699
(4) Hunting Journal ($32)Sweet Pineapple(256) 964-7563
(5) Yeti Colster ($2999)Alabama Outdoors(256)-885-3561
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
(1) Yellow House Handcrafted Beard Oils ($18 ea)Yellow House Beard Oilsyellowhousebeards com (2) Mustache amp Beard Comb ($16)Little Green Store and Gallery (256) 539-9699 (3) Latika Body Essentials Charcoal Liquid Soap ($18)(4) Latika Body Essentials Charcoal Bar Soap ($6) (5) Rustico Leather Key Chain ($18) Sweet Pineapple(256) 964-7563
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) Wood Thumb Tie ($44) (2) Slightly Alabama iPad Case ($250) (3) DockSmith Driftwood iPhone Docking Station ($68) Little Green Storeand Gallery (256) 539-9699 (4) Loyal Stricklin Aviator Mug ($35)Domaine South(256) 808-8860 (5) Would You Be a Deer Notepad ($9) Sweet Pineapple(256) 964-7563
(6) Filson Satchel ($265) Alabama Outdoors(256)-885-3561
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
When itrsquos time to move into a bigger house get a home loan from the bank thatrsquos had a home right here for generations You might say we know a thing about location location location synovuscommortgage
Banking products are provided by Synovus Bank Member FDIC Divisions of Synovus Bank operate under multiple trade names across the Southeast Loans products subject to credit approval
When itrsquos time to move into a bigger house get a home
Here is where Henry learned hersquod be getting
SERVING YOU LOCALLY AS
2565513300 | fcb-hsvcom
his own room
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) Spiritual GangsterTank ($36)(2) Luquido Yoga Pants ($90)(3) MZ Wallace Metro Tote ($245)(4) Vimmia V back Sweatshirt ($96)(5) Onzie Sports Bra ($48)(6) Olympia Yoga Pants ($96)(7) bkr Water Bottle ($30)The Fitzgerald Pilates amp Barre(256) 603-1886
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
(1) Gypsy Pant WarmTribal ($72) (2) Berry High Waist Legging ($88) (3) Long Legging Mathematics ($65) (4) Long Legging Peacock ($65) The FitzgeraldPilates amp Barre(256) 603-1886
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) Jane Tran Hair Clips ($15)(2) bkr Water Bottle ($30)(3) well-kept Tech Wipes ($6)(4) Made with Love Bracelets ($25)(5) Pointe Studio Socks ($12)(6) Bando Too Cold to Hold Coozie ($5)The Fitzgerald Pilates amp Barre(256) 603-1886
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
(1) Shop Bando Coff ee Cup ($14)(2) Shop Bando Pens ($14) (3) Shop Bando Pouch ($26) (4) Shop Bando Coin Purse ($20) The FitzgeraldPilates amp Barre(256) 603-1886
(5) Check Things Off Notepad ($16)(6) Hello From Huntsville Stamp ($12)Salt + Paperie(256) 655-5550
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) Muzzle Loaders Chocolate Bourbon Balls ($1999) (2) Vintage Crystal Decanter ($20) (3) Quench Glassware ($1399) Domaine South(256) 808-8860
(4) The Hella Bitters Old Fashioned Kit ($65)(5) American Bar by Charles Schumann ($2495) Little Green Storeand Gallery (256) 539-9699
(6) Julep Cups ($50)Willowbrook Shoppe (256) 270-7181
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom | novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) DECCO Umbrella in a Bottle ($1995)(2) Alexa Pulitzer Stationery Set ($14 ea)(3) Ikat Scarf ($6250)Huntsville Museumof Art(256) 535-4350
(4) Emily Ley Grace Journal ($32) (5) Sugar Boo Designs Clutch ($18) (6) Emily Ley Daily Planner ($58) (7) Latika Milk ampHoney Bar ($6) (8) Farm House Fresh Shea Butter Hand Cream ($14) (9) Christen MaxwellZippy ($42) (10) Green Tea Bubble Bath ($32) Sweet Pineapple(256) 964-7563 (11) Goal Getter Cuff ($32)Indigorsquos Boutique(256) 345-6348
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
(1) Kilim Pillow ($58) (2) Bejeweled Silver Plate Vase ($144) (3) Bone Clad Box ($375)Willowbrook Shoppe (256) 270-7181
(4) Cowhide Rug ($550)(5) Lucyrsquos Locket ($95) (Original piecemdashselection may vary)Sweet Pineapple(256) 964-7563 (6) Clutch ($65)Department of Agra Culturedeptofagraculturecom
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) Above The Bar Antler on Chain 28rdquo ($3999) (2) Above The Bar Deer wAntler Head 18rdquo ($2999) Indigorsquos Boutique(256) 345-6348
(3) Margaret Solow Labradorite18KT Bezel ($290) (4) Margaret Solow Diamond Crest MoonSilver ($460) (5) Margaret Solow Black Spinel + DiamondSilver ($560) (6) Margaret Solow Double Black Spinel18KT ($260)Little Green Store and Gallery (256) 539-9699
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
(1) Margaret Solow Grey Moonstoon18KT Necklace ($240) (2) Margaret Solow OpalDiamond Mosaic Necklace ($610) Little Green Storeand Gallery (256) 539-9699
(3) One-of-a-kind Eva Ziegler Smokey Quartz and Pyrite Necklace ($406)Eva Ziegler Jewelryevazieglercom
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
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novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) The Lion Sleeps Tonight Bath Bomb ($6) Sweet Pineapple(256) 964-7563
(2) Tiger Jelly Cat ($2250)(3) Dog Tag Teether ($1550)(4) Dinosaur Footie ($3595)Honey B Boutique(256) 503-2853
(5) Young Buck ($25)Tiny Vinestinyvinesshopcom
(6) Bib Set ($13)Huntsville Museumof Art(256) 535-4350
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
(1) Tiny Dancer Bath Bomb ($6)Sweet Pineapple(256) 964-7563
(2) Kickee Mammoth Footie ($3595)(3) Noodle amp Boo Essential Care Kit ($18)(4) Elephant Jelly Cat ($2250)Honey B Boutique(256) 503-2853
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| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
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novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
SURPRISEA LOVED ONE
THIS HOLIDAY SEASON
WITH A FOREVER GIFT
HobbsJewelerscom 8772331347Parkway Place Mall
HuntsvilleHwy 72 West
AthensMain Street
Ardmore TN
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
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novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
(1) Chewbead Necklace ($3495)(2) Mayoral Baby Bag ($7995)(3) Mayoral Diaper Changing Pad ($2495)(4) Nursing Scarf ($2695) (5) Kickee Swaddling Blanket ($22)Honey B Boutique(256) 503-2853 (6) Lucy Darling Months Sticker ($25) (7) The Story of You Baby Book by Emily Ley ($62) Sweet Pineapple(256) 964-7563
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(3) Britt Ryan Dress ($288)Personal Couture Boutique(256) 508-5632
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) Rocket Cosmos Mug ($13)Huntsville Museumof Art(256) 535-4350
(2) Loose Leaf Tea ($399)Piper amp Leaf piperandleafcom (3) Judy Jackson Tea Pot ($56) (4) Gary Watson Cherry Cutting Board ($48-$68) (5) Susan Coe Birthday Cake Plate ($33) Little Green Storeand Gallery (256) 539-9699 (6) Macarons ($116 pcs $221 dozen)Whisk Small Treats Bakery(256) 656-1027
(7) Truffl es ($185 each)Pizellersquos Confections (256) 513-9745 (8) Olive amp Sinclair Chocolate ($799)Domaine South(256) 808-8860
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
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novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Guadalupe Robinson
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
text by jennifer crossley howard raquo photos by patrick hood
Of Deft and Dirty Hands
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Huntsville potter Guadalupe Lanning Robinson has spent more than 36 years mastering the
marriage of clay texture and geometric design into her pottery yet time has done little to temper the
plight of waiting
ldquoIt is hard for me to let a pot just dryrdquo she says motioning toward fi ve small wet pots sitting near her
pottery wheel ldquoIrsquom as excited to do this as I was 30 years agordquo
To observe her studio at Lowe Mill that is easy to believe Located on the corridor outside the textile
mill-turned-art centerrsquos main building the loft-like space with a corrugated tin roof feels like a place a
Gabriel Garcia Marquez character would enjoy daydreaming
Sienna-hued pottery sits in various stages to be fi red layered and etched Argentinian tango music
streams from Robinsonrsquos iPhone and two cockatiels a parrot and a parakeet chirp from their cages All
except the parrot fl y freely when Robinson is working
Robinson who is 61 made her fi rst pot in 1979 in her native Mexico City Almost four decades later her
work is part of permanent museum collections in Auburn Huntsville Tuscumbia and Tupelo Missis-
sippi She regularly enters her work in respected juried shows such as the Monte Sano Arts Festival and
the Kentuck Festival of the Arts in Northport and has received two Alabama State Council on the Arts
individual artist fellowships
Her inspiration draws from the villages around her native Mexico City such as the black pottery of
the northwest as well as her acquired Southern culture White lilies corn grids and round female
fi guresmdashldquoreally strong women who are in chargerdquo Robinson saysmdashreappear on her stoneware She uses
natural dyes indigo for color and mixes sand into clay for texture Nothing is wasted
ldquoI donrsquot waste any clayrdquo Robinson says ldquoEverything is recycledrdquo
Robinson fi nds solace in the 40-50 hours a week she puts in at the studio and the often tedious process
of making pots which can take from three weeks to six weeks for larger pots She usually works on two
or three pots at a time tending to groups at diff erent stages
After a pot is thrown on a wheel a piece can take days to dry before its fi rst bisque fi re in which tem-
peratures rise to 1800 F After baking for nine hours the kiln must cool Th e second fi ring rises to 2150
F and matures the clay and melts the glazes to strengthen the piece
ldquoI am an effi cient person by naturerdquo Robinson says ldquoWaiting for the kiln to cool down enough to open
can be nerve wracking and this is when my patience is usually put to the testrdquo
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
ldquoIt is hard for me to let a pot just dry Irsquom as excited to do this as I was 30 years agordquo
Robinson makes most of her pots on a wheel using oxides to change the color of clay she gets from Nashville and Pittsburgh Her pottery takes several weeks from start to fi nish depending on how large a pot is and how many she makes at a time
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
ldquoAttend to your childrenrsquos needs fi rst keep focus on what you want to douse the happiness joy and little breaks you get to make your artTh ey grow real fast and they will keep inspiring you all your liferdquo
Robinson imagined this bat-like design as she was working She usually begins a piece with a design in mind but that often evolves
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Robinson uses an overlay of liquid clay called engobemdashthat includes three to four layersmdashto create a
base on which to design
Th ere is high risk in making pottery and hours of work can be wasted on a pot that has not dried en-
tirely before it enters the kiln Air pockets or the wrong mixture of chemicals can ruin a piece
ldquoArt is involved but science is toordquo says Laura Smith director of education at the Huntsville Museum
of Art where Robinson has taught pottery classes ldquoItrsquos more labor intensive in terms of working with
the medium whether yoursquore building by hand or with a wheel until you fi re with the fi nal layer of glazerdquo
Th e result is sturdy pottery
ldquoI want my pots to look like something that is lasting a long timerdquo Robinson says
Th ough she works solitarily in her studio she says she does not get lonely Her birds and music keep her
company and each stage of pottery making has a soundtrack She uses needlepoint tools to draw onto
clay to Jose Feliciano and other Latin American musicians
ldquoIf Irsquom at the wheel Bruno Marsrdquo she says ldquoIf Irsquom unloading the kiln and something is really awesome
then I need something moving and I have on Motownrdquo
Robinsonrsquos years of experience minimize the risk of damaged pots but she says her greatest challenge
as a potter was balancing her work while raising her two children Now adults their candid childhood
pictures and those of her grandchildren cover the warm green walls of her studio
She met her husband the poet James Robinson in 1977 on a Greyhound bus when she returned to
Mexico City from visiting a friend at the University of Southern Mississippi He was heading to Mexico
to study at a university Th ey married six months later After giving birth to her daughter Annie Jane in
Mexico City in 1982 the family moved to Huntsville in 1985 Th at is when Robinson got more serious
about her pottery
ldquoFrom the very beginning when I moved to Alabama I knew I was going to have to do thisrdquo she said
ldquoIn some ways it was a way for me to keep connected to my heritagerdquo
She took even 15 minutes of free time to work in the studio behind her home and worked late into the
night while her daughter and son Isidoro born in 1987 slept Having a home studio allowed her to
wash clothes tend to her home and drop off lunches at school while maintaining her art
ldquoTh ere was something for me when I fi rst became a mother that fueled my creativityrdquo Robinson says
ldquoTh ey are such a social inspiration too It fi lls your liferdquo
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Robinson advises fellow artists who are mothers to seize
both roles but to prioritize motherhood
ldquoAttend to your childrenrsquos needs fi rst keep focus on what you
want to do use the happiness joy and little breaks you get
to make your artrdquo she says ldquoTh ey grow real fast and they will
keep inspiring you all your liferdquo
Anna Sue Courtney director of the Flying Monkey Arts
Center at Lowe Mill has known Robinson for more than
10 years She says she admires how mothers and artists like
Robinson seamlessly embrace both roles
ldquoIt seems therersquos not a separation between creating and rais-
ing childrenrdquo Courtney says ldquoTh ey seem to pull from the
same placerdquo
Part of Robinsonrsquos motivation at Lowe Mill comes from
working privately in a studio alongside other artists that fos-
ters a community of feedback and ideas
ldquoItrsquos nice to be here because you can take a break and walk around and get inspirationrdquo Courtney says
ldquoItrsquos refreshingrdquo
When she needs a break from the studio Robinson stays home to sketch designs for a day or two then
she is back in the studio
Trips twice a year to Mexico City keep her plugged in to her native culture which in turn shows up in
her pottery
ldquoI have to recharge myselfrdquo Robinson says ldquoI love Huntsville and loved raising my kids here but I still
have the need of going back to be recharged and smell all the smells and see all the colors and get on
the subway and be pushed aroundrdquo
Details from her trips that infl uence her work include the ever-present red that covers the city during
the celebration of Dia de los Muertos or the Day of the Dead Th e pyramids of Teotihuacan conjure
warm earth tones and fl oating gardens around the city yield sweet pungent calla lilies and carnations
Celebration of food tough women and nature reappear in her pottery qualities that both Southern and
Mexican cultures treasure
Above This daisy design is character-istic of Robinsonrsquos work Nature food and strong females from her native Mexico City and the South are strong creative infl uences
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Clockwise from top left Robinson often glazes only the inside of her pots so they can hold water and food She began quilting in 2002 and her quilts like her pottery contain earth tones and natural infl uences in their design Four birds keep Robinson company in what can be the isolating medium of pottery making Geometry and symmetry are two signature elements in Robinsonrsquos work according to Laura Smith director of education at the Huntsville Museum of Art
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Just as she keeps her home country close to her heart Robinson is loyal to her fi rst
love of pottery though she began making quilts in 2002
ldquoIrsquom a potter who likes to quiltrdquo she says
Like her pottery her quilting follows designs of organic nature such as fl owers and
crops on rich jewel tone cotton
ldquoWhen I fi rst saw one of her quilts I didnrsquot realize it was hers and I thought that
looks like it should be Guadalupersquos quiltrdquo Courtney says
Robinson prefers the immediate gratifi cation of clay
ldquoItrsquos a very responsive mediumrdquo she says ldquoYou can manipulate it Th e fact of mak-
ing something out of dirt out of nothing and making it durable making it perma-
nent that after going through the heat and maturing is something very excitingrdquo
She gently dings a pot covered with white dresses titled ldquoTehuana Dressrdquo to make
her point
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
887 FM Muscle Shoals bull 1007 FM Huntsvillewwwaprorg
News classicalmusic and more
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
copy Patrick Hood
text by sara wright covington raquo photos by jacki gil
patrick hood erin lindsey and michelle odom
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
copy Patrick Hood
ldquoA LOT OF PEOPLE HAD BEEN ASKING ME QUESTIONS ABOUTHOW I GOT MY BUSINESS STARTED I WANTED TO GATHER SOME PEOPLE AROUND ME
WHO WERE GOING THROUGH THOSE STRUGGLES AND TOBUILD ENTREPRENEURIAL COURAGErdquo
JACKI GIL SALT+PAPERIE
copy Patrick Hood
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
untsville-born Jacki Gil began her paper design busi-
ness Salt+Paperie in 2014 with an expansive vision
in mind one that extended beyond creating beautiful
custom designed paper goods ldquoI love my design job
but when Irsquom 50 years old I donrsquot see myself still de-
signing wedding invitationsrdquo the master stationer says
ldquoI really have a passion for teaching and helping people
I want to be a mentorrdquo
In 2015 Gil set out on her mentoring mission sooner than expected with a series
of workshops called Encourage Huntsville ldquoA lot of people had been asking me
questions about how I got my business startedrdquo Gil says about the early days of
Salt+Paperie Even though most of those questions from entrepreneurial-hopefuls
were technicalmdashlike how to apply for a business licensemdashthey served as inspira-
tion for Gil ldquoI wanted to gather some people around me who were going through
those struggles and to build entrepreneurial courage I defi nitely saw that there
was a need for helping people to take that next step toward owning their own
businessesrdquo
Encourage Huntsville was modeled on the image of a growing small business
movement called the Rising Tide Society a national community of creative small
business owners who encourage ldquocommunity over competitionrdquo Th at spirit of
openness is at the heart of Encourage Huntsville ldquoCommunity over competition
is a huge part of what we are doingrdquo says Gil ldquoSmall business owners sharing how
they earn their money is a big dealrdquo
As a fi rst step Gil gathered others around her who were using their skills and abili-
ties to make their own small businesses work With talents ranging from cooking
and cake decorating to hand lettering and artwork these small business owners
all embraced Gilrsquos vision for imparting to others the knowledge of their craft un-
impeded by a fear of losing their competitive edge
Th e fi rst lesson Gil wanted to impart to Encourage Huntsvillersquos students wasnrsquot
necessarily a particular craft or skill but a spirt of creative confi dence ldquoWe want-
ed to bridge the gap between the very artsy community and the ultimate engineer
communityrdquo many of whom Gil observes had been told since childhood they
werenrsquot artistic ldquoWhen you are little and someone tells you that you donrsquot have a
talent it sticks with you I found that a lot of people had that experience so that
was the workshop partmdashto build some creative courage in this communityrdquo
Gil conducted the fi rst workshop herself testing the waters to see how the concept
would be received Th e admission price to that fi rst workshop included supplies a
take-home ldquogoody bagrdquo to help students continue their work extracurricularly and
refreshmentsmdashas well as Gilrsquos tips of her trade
ldquoWe went in blindly not knowing if we had a market or notrdquo says Gil Th e popular-
ity of that fi rst class proved undeniably that a market did in fact exist the work-
shop sold out in one day ldquoSo we did back-to-back workshopsrdquo Gil says ldquoAfter that
novemberdecembeeer eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee | nononoononononononoonoonononooooonoonoonnononnoaaalalalllaallllllalaalaaalal ststustust ddiossscom mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm | | | | | | | | | | |
f
w
y
Previous page Encourage Huntsvillersquos founder and instructor Jacki Gil teaches a class in hand lettering Facing page A participant studies her supply list
we realized people really want to do this stuff So we said lsquoletrsquos jump on the boat
and make this happenrsquordquo
Gilrsquos longtime friend photographer Erin Lindsey of Erin Lindsey Images agreed
to contribute to Encourage Huntsvillersquos curriculum by teaching a photography
class ldquoJacki and I are a good team because our hearts are in the same place when
it comes to encouraging othersrdquo Lindsey says Still she admits saying yes to teach-
ing wasnrsquot without some initial hesitation ldquoWhen Jacki asked if I would teach a
class it was kind of scary I thought I had to be perfect before I could teach oth-
ersrdquo Lindsey says of her initial hesitancy ldquoBut after talking to Jacki I realized none
of us are perfectrdquo But perfection isnrsquot the goal encouragement is the goal ldquoAnd I
thought lsquoI can defi nitely line up with that visionrsquordquo
Michelle Odom another Huntsville native and owner of custom cake bakery Just
Crumbs was also on board with Gilrsquos vision In fact Odom had been contemplat-
ing teaching a class when she was approached by Gil to teach a fondant basics
class ldquoHuntsville is such an engineer town and everyone is so mathematical and
scientifi crdquo Odom says echoing the dichotomy between the arts and sciences ex-
pressed by Gil ldquoTh ese workshops are just a very cool way for structured people to
have a creative outletrdquo
ldquoJACKI AND I ARE A GOOD TEAM BECAUSE OUR HEARTS ARE INTHE SAME PLACE WHEN IT COMES TO ENCOURAGING OTHERSrdquo
ERIN LINDSEY ERIN LINDSEY IMAGES
copy Erin Lindsey
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Above A participant in Erin Lindseyrsquos photo class frames a still life
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
copy Erin Lindsey
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
ldquoHUNTSVILLE IS SUCH AN ENGINEER TOWN AND EVERYONE ISSO MATHEMATICAL AND SCIENTIFIC THESE WORKSHOPS ARE JUST A VERY COOL
WAY FOR STRUCTURED PEOPLE TO HAVE A CREATIVE OUTLETrdquo MICHELLE ODOM JUST CRUMBS
copy Michelle Odom
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
ldquoAnd yesrdquo Odom acknowledges ldquoyou are in theory teaching your competition But
at the same time you are helping the community be more creativerdquo
With its roster of popular creative workshops under its belt Encourage Huntsville
has added business classes to its community-over-competition curriculum with
classes designed to provide specifi c guidance for small business owners ldquoAll of
our events that donrsquot require hands-on work we call seminarsrdquo says Gil ldquoWe had
about 15 people at our fi rst one It was pretty much just an open discussion to ask
us questions and get answers from the perspective of a small business ownerrdquo
Th e seminars enjoyed the same success and enthusiasm as the workshops ldquoWe
had two hours for people to ask questionsrdquo Gil says Topics covered ran the gamut
from scheduling daily tasks self-hosting a website or using an Etsy store man-
aging client expectations and being realistic about how much time you need to
complete jobs
ldquoTh e time went quickly and people wanted morerdquo says Gil who envisions an all-
day seminar in 2016
Margaret Baggett owner and executive chef of the Chef Next Door is another
small business owner who has shared Gilrsquos vision from the very beginning teach-
copy Erin Lindsey
Facing page Michelle Odomrsquos fondant basics class begins with a styrofoam cake form Above Newbie photographers familiarize themselves with their cameras in Erin Lindseyrsquos photography class
ing knife skills workshops and helping host the business seminars ldquoI am so proud
to get to be a part of this project and help nurture other small business owners
who may just be starting out on their journey or are deep in it and looking for
some encouragement from other business ownersrdquo Baggett says of what motivates
her participation in Encourage Huntsville ldquoEven being on the advice-giving side
of things I am still learning and have taken tips and tricks and lessons from each
event we have had so far We never stop learning from each other and never stop
improving upon our craftsrdquo
Th e mutual growth among students and teachers is the source of the encourage-
mentmdashand the joymdashof Encourage Huntsville ldquoItrsquos so much fun to see the light
bulbs go off with people and see them encouraged right before your eyesrdquo Lindsey
says of her experience with the program ldquoPlus itrsquos a pleasure to contribute to a
sense of community over competition Th at whole concept is so rarerdquo
As Encourage Huntsvillersquos following continues to grow the diversity of the work-
shops will expand as well Whether you are looking to spend a fun afternoon
learning a new craft or are a budding small business owner hoping to launch
your brand Encourage Huntsville has something valuable to off er ldquoWe encourage
those left-brain folks to take up a new hobby or skillrdquo Baggett says ldquoor just encour-
age the people of Huntsville to get together and fan their creative fl amesrdquo
If yoursquore looking for
creative or entrepreneurial
encouragement visit
encouragehuntsvillecom
for seminar and workshop
schedules and information
ldquoI AM SO PROUD TO GET TO BE A PART OF THIS PROJECT AND HELP NURTURE OTHER SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS WHO MAY JUST BE STARTING OUT ON THEIR JOURNEY OR ARE DEEP IN IT
AND LOOKING FOR SOME ENCOURAGEMENT FROM OTHER BUSINESS OWNERSrdquoMARGARET BAGGETT CHEF NEXT DOOR
copy Jacki Gil
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
copy Jacki Gil
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Participants in Margaret Baggettrsquos knife skills workshop learn to perfect their ldquomise en placerdquo
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
copy Olivia Reed
text by sara wright covington raquo photos by olivia reed and jeff white
HUNTSVILLErsquoS
HOMEGROWNHOSTESS
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
ttttttononononoooooonononooooo raquo praquo praquo praquo praquo phothothothothotosoososos s s osos bybybbybb
Any host will tell you that delicious food and quality libations while important to
a partyrsquos success are secondary to the most important ingredient of all the guest list Th atrsquos why many
of downtown Huntsvillersquos most popular restaurants breweries and wine shops are turning to event
planner Ashley Ryals and her uncanny knack for attracting loyal patronsmdashand creating unforgettable
events in the process
When Huntsville born-and-bred Ashley Ryals left for college at the University of Alabama in 2001
she thought her exit from the Valley was permanent ldquoI never thought I would end up back hererdquo the
founder of event planning company Homegrown Huntsville says with a knowing laugh But after a few
post-graduate years working for world-renowned public relations powerhouse Weber Shandwick in
New York City Ryals started to second guess her freshman declaration
ldquoI started to get homesickrdquo she admits ldquoAll of my friends were getting married and meeting for football
games and I was missing itrdquo So when a friend from home set up an interview at EarlyWorks for a job
doing event planning Ryals jumped at the chance to come home
Ashley spent the next few years planning EarlyWorks Whistle Stop and Santarsquos Village events A brief
stint in sales followed along with a seat on the board of Huntsville Young Professionals where she had
an idea for a downtown pub crawl
ldquoWe expected 20 or 30 peoplerdquo Ryals says of their modest expectations ldquoBut 200 people showed uprdquo
Th at initial success convinced Ryals to embark on her dream of establishing an
event planning company But it wasnrsquot just any event planning company Ryals
had in mind she envisioned one that would collaborate with local businesses
cultivate signature events for the community to enjoy and support small busi-
nesses in the process
Inspired Ryals left her sales job and for the second time in her life came home
again to event planning and Homegrown Huntsville
To help bring her vision to life Ryals collaborated with designer Adrianne Van
Kirk of Fave Creative ldquoAdrianne has been a part of the visual and branding of
Homegrown from the beginning We come up with the event ideas then I get
the ticketing and sales together and she comes back with a logo and the mar-
keting for the event And thatrsquos how it all comes togetherrdquo Ryals says of their
creative process
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
ASHLEY RYALS
copy Olivia Reed
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
ldquoMOST WINE FESTIVALS ACROSS THE COUNTRY HAVE PROVEN RECORDS OF BEING ABLE TO STAY AROUND 15 OR 20 YEARS OR EVEN LONGER AND THE ECONOMIES OF THOSE
CITIES HAVE REALLY GROWN AS A RESULT I WANT BIG SPRING CRUSH TO EVENTUALLY BE THE BIGGEST AND BEST WINE FESTIVAL IN THE STATE OF ALABAMArdquo ASHLEY RYALS
copy Jeff White
copy Jeff White
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
copy Olivia Reed
Homegrown launched in 2011 with what would become its
signature event Dine amp Dash Every second Wednesday
April through October a trolley shuttles patrons between
downtown establishments where they are served a drink
and appetizer before moving on to the next stop
Owner and executive chef Merle Phillips of Th e Eaves was
one of the fi rst restaurants to sign on for Dine amp Dashrsquos de-
but ldquoAshley came to me and said she was starting a trolley
tasting conceptrdquo says Chef Merle ldquoI didnrsquot really know her so
I was taking a chance on the concept she was sellingrdquo
Merle tried it and has been a loyal participant of Dine amp
Dash ever since
ldquoIt was a risk in the beginning but it defi nitely paid off rdquo Chef
Merle says of the experience Pivotal to that experience ac-
cording to Phillips is Ryalsrsquo demonstration to the commu-
nity just what the term ldquohomegrownrdquo really means ldquoAshley
shines a spotlight on independent businesses in a market-
place that has for so long focused on chainsrdquo Phillips says
ldquoDine amp Dash has really brought into sharp focus the inter-
esting culinary diversity that Huntsville has to off errdquo
For the next two years Homegrown Huntsville focused al-
most exclusively on Dine amp Dash which by the end of its fi rst
year included every single downtown restaurant But when
big changes began to appear on the downtown horizonmdash
new restaurants breweries and residential developmentsmdash
Ryalsrsquo instincts told her
the time had come to
introduce a new event
to the downtown cal-
endar
ldquoBeer Hop follows
the concept of Dine
amp Dashrdquo Ryals says of
Homegrownrsquos second
venture which began
in 2013 Each month a
trolley visits three dif-
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
BILL FOWLEROLD TOWN BEER
EXCHANGE
copy Olivia Reed
copy Olivia Reed
ferent breweries where patrons sample beers and enjoy food
from a variety of food trucks parked at each location
Bill Fowler managing partner of Old Town Beer Exchange
agreed to participate in Beer Hop on his very fi rst day of
business and credits Ryals with an overwhelmingly success-
ful opening night ldquoAshley said lsquoI can guarantee that you are
going to have wave after wave of people coming throughrsquordquo
Fowler says recalling that fi rst jittery occasion Once again
Ryals proved true to her word with 60-plus patrons arriving
in an hour-and-a-half ldquoIt was awesome and such a great ex-
perience for usrdquo Fowler raves ldquoAshley is a hard worker and
you can see that in what she doesrdquo
Fowler believes that in addition to bringing new customers
to OTBX Ryals is also cultivating beer education consis-
tently bringing in people who are new to beer and want to
learn And with Huntsvillersquos recent brewery boom that level
of education and interest is crucial for the brewing commu-
nity to thrive ldquoWe have a very small window of opportunityrdquo
says Fowler ldquoI think Huntsville in particular is becoming a
craft brewing community People are making money at this
and once Tennessee sees that we need to already have had a
pretty huge head startrdquo
By the end of 2013 and with standing events Beer Hop and
Dine amp Dash well established Ryals took time to refl ect on
her original goal for Homegrown Huntsville ldquoIn the back of
my head from day one I knew I wanted to do a wine festival
I just didnrsquot think Huntsville was ready for it in 2011rdquo
Emboldened by the success of Beer Hop Ryals decided to
make the leap with Big Spring Crush wine festival later the
same year Once again Ryals delivered the perfect audience
for the event and in the process discovered a surprising
fact about North Alabamarsquos contribution to the wine-mak-
ing industry
ldquoIn doing the wine festival I learned that we have a huge
wine community in Huntsvillerdquo Ryals says ldquoTh ere are only
about 47 certifi ed wine judges in the entire United States
and we have four of them right here in North Alabama Two
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
copy Jeff White
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
ldquoI STARTED TO GET HOMESICK ALL OF MY FRIENDS WERE GETTING MARRIEDAND MEETING FOR FOOTBALL GAMES AND I WAS MISSING ITrdquo ASHLEY RYALS
copy Jeff White
copy Jeff White
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
ldquoIT WAS AWESOME AND SUCH A GREAT EXPERIENCE FOR USrdquoBILL FOWLER OLD TOWN BEER EXCHANGE
copy Jeff White
copy Olivia Reed
of those four certifi ed wine judges sit on the committee for
Big Spring Crushrdquo
Matthew and Stephanie Mell had just opened Church Street
Wine Shop when they decided to participate in the fi rst Big
Spring Crush Like OTBXrsquos Robert Fowler the Mells credit
Ryals and Homegrown Huntsville for helping to introduce
their new enterprise to the community ldquoAshley has been in-
strumental in helping to bring us people who love and ap-
preciate winerdquo Stephanie Mell says ldquoShe was homegrown
here in Huntsville and she really gets the downtown area
and small businesses and that is so important to usrdquo
Big Spring Crush began with a bang featuring over 150
wines and attracting patrons from across the country
ldquoMost wine festivals across the country have proven records
of being able to stay around 15 or 20 years or even longerrdquo
Ryals says ldquoAnd the economies of those cities have really
grown as a result I want Big Spring Crush to eventually be
the biggest and best wine festival in the state of Alabamardquo
How does Ryals intend to make that dream come true ldquoBy
always keeping it fresh I want to have new marketing and
new things happening each yearrdquo
Ryalsrsquo formula of reinvention and expansion has successfully
led Homegrown Huntsville through fi ve years of success and
helped its events become community staples along the way In
the process Ryals is broadening more than just our image of
downtown Huntsville shersquos joining a class of creative entrepre-
neurs committed to expanding Huntsvillersquos reputation as more
than just a hub for the brightest scientifi c minds in America
ldquoWe have a big city of engineers and lawyers and itrsquos won-
derfulrdquo Ryals say ldquo But there is a whole artist and food cul-
ture here and there is so much growth I want us to have a
vibrant cool downtown area and I want for people to tell
their friends to come and visit and to see Huntsville for what
it is a city I loverdquo
If yoursquod like to participate in Homegrown Huntsville either
as a guest or a participating business visit homegrown-
huntsvillecom
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
copy Jeff White
I was years old and the year was At that time the city of Huntsville was inching toward the mountain to the east California Street was once the continental divide between the small town metropo-lis and the uncharted territories gingerly crossed by the real estate pioneers four score and some odd years prior Th is area became the new suburb as the city kept pushing onward toward Fagan Springs as if the reverberating booms of rocket testings were vibrating Hunstvillians away from its epicenter
From the front yard of our house on Owens Drive I could look to the rightmdashup the hill to the bend be-yond which the big houses stood on their rocky ledge pedestals and to the left where all the other houses that looked just like oursmdashfresh and newmdashrambled for what seemed like miles Th ose clean well-lit abodes all seemed the same and granted at my age I knew more about the pets that lived there than I did about the people who owned those manageable mortgages I came to realize that each was diff erent in a way that was permeated by voices smells and furnishings
It is a clicheacute to say that our lives were simpler then because that is just how the current era will be fondly referred to in the future but to a 5-year-old it is the simplicity that brought the joy Th e sixties will always be to me the beginning of the age of manufactured happiness Cheap clean and simple was what was strived for and what was easily obtained Plastic items were plentiful and pretty things could be bought with SampH Green Stamps A few coins in our pocket would transfer us into the most master of manipula-tors with us giving our all to convince our parents for a jaunt to Murdockrsquos for a holiday of wonderment joy and impatience as we would scour the shelves trying to get the most from our meager budget
Owens Drive was the fairly new thoroughfare from which the avenues of three-bedroom-ranchers fi ngered away at planned intervals Th is was the place where newlyweds started their lives homes and families Where girls with last names that had been in the town for generations would change them to those strange and exotic last names of the clean cut newcomers brought here for military purposes Where the housewives would preheat their pristine electric ovens trying to make cheese straws and biscuits that were just like their motherrsquos only to be frustrated as they were never quite the same and where the husbands would follow in their fatherrsquos footsteps by joining the Acme Club and hunting doves on the weekends
Th ere was a swimming pool Certainly not at our house Th e only private pool I remember as a child was one that my grandmother would take me to nestled between huge trees at someonersquos house on Adams Street I would swim with other children my age while our grandmothers chatted smoking cigarettes in cat-eyed anonymity whispering most of their stories so we wouldnrsquot be able to hear But between their
gasps and laughter we would listen hear and learn
Th e Blossomwood pool was a place of designated rules and the sound of bright whistlesmdashwith straight lines and distinctive colors of blue and green I can still feel the Coppertoned oiliness on the skin of the tanned lifeguard as she carried me from the deep end frightened after my fi rst attempt at solo-swimming She knew my name I had no idea who she was
On the other side of the pool was the school my older sister attended It had a style that mim-icked the poolmdashstraight lines cleanmdasha temple to orderliness and good manners It was with
awe that I once watched the young adults there some as old as eleven wind and dance their way around a sky-high fl agpolemdasheach with a diff erent color ribbon until the fi rst (and only) May Pole
I was privy to was completely dressed in its woven bright colors
90 raquo bless their hearts raquo Guy McClure Jr
Huntsville was a magical place for us tail-end baby boomers to grow upmdashbeyond the miracles of the escalator at Pizitz the smiling little lady on the tall stool at the register at Britlings There was a comfort level there that Irsquom not sure is in the minds of the 5-year-olds of today
cat-eyed agasps
Th s
aI w
THE COMFORTS OF BLOSSOMWOOD
In our world of red-bricked carported castles there was a def-inite division of generations Th e children ate separately from the parents went to school as our dads went to work enter-tained our neighborhood friends as quietly as possible and felt safe between our boundaries of Big Cove Road and Hermitage Street While we dined on our Chef Boy-Ar-Dee boxed pizza our parents busied themselves dressing in their dark colors getting ready for a late dinner at Boots having the scent of perfume and face powder trail my mother as she came into the kitchen looking for something with an intense purpose My father would smell of British Sterling and look just as he did when he went to work only happier Th ese nights meant something fun would happenmdashwe would have a babysitter
Babysitters were my introduction into what was and still seems cool Th ey were usually Huntsville High School teen-agers who would put on a show without even knowing it I would drink in their every move word and essence of style To me they were supermodelsmdashmovie starsmdasheven more fa-mous in my eyes than a television weatherman and almost as glamorous as the waitresses at the Waffl e House
Before they would tire of me and my sister and put us to bed they would include us in their world of music and knowledge which I thought was all-encompassing Suddenly our world of Th e Benny Carl Show and Fantasy Playhouse would seem trite and passeacute and we would catch a fl eeting glimpse into what would be in store for us when we too could stay up past 8 pm
Huntsville was a magical place for us tail-end baby boomers to grow upmdashbeyond the miracles of the escalator at Pizitz the smiling little lady on the tall stool at the register at Britlings and that bright colorful Maypole Th ere was a comfort level there that Irsquom not sure is in the minds of the 5-year-olds of todaymdashthe soothing sheltered lack of knowledge of why we were so lucky yet we didnrsquot even know that we were
In the other areas of our Huntsville there was poverty and ra-cial unrestmdashas there was and is in every city I was unaware People of color were always a part of my worldmdashmostly be-cause they had my attention and respect At our house there was Annie my grandmotherrsquos house was fi lled with the joys of Lula and out on the family farm there was strong and smiling Homer and large and huggable Rosamdashall just as much a part of my life as everyone else My life was good and they were instrumental in making it that way
What will the 5-year-olds of today who are lucky enough to be raised on those well-planned streets remember when they surpass their own 50 year mark It is a much more complex world now and there are diff erent concerns with daily changes of fear Youthful innocence is a prize that is encased without a lock Premature maturity is a viable threat and a constant fear But each night tucked in tight in a simple room sleeps tomor-rowrsquos adults who are having sweet dreamsmdashblanketed by the comforts of Blossomwood
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
92 raquo the vine raquo Amy C Collins
BORDEAUX POWER
Where Burgundyrsquos vineyards were established by Benedictine monks patiently growing wine vines with spiritual hearts Bordeauxrsquos vineyards were raised by entrepreneurial laymen who recognized the massive monetary opportunity when the English began drinking down their peasant wine
The city of Bordeaux is Francersquos primary port town on the Atlantic ocean a harbor that has for centuries served as the countryrsquos most important dock Th e regionrsquos history is long and storied with the fi rst written reference to the area dated 379 AD by the Latin poet Ausonius who was also a wine-grower Jump ahead to the year 1152 when Eleanor of Aquitaine married Englandrsquos soon-to-be king Henry Plantagenet and the port and surrounding vineyard land became the source of wine for the English a connection that remains strong even today
Bordeaux produces the worldrsquos most expensive and sought after collector wines the top tier of which make up less than fi ve percent of the regionrsquos total production Th ese names are quickly learned by neophyte wine drinkers wanting to make an impression Chateau Haut-Brion Lafi te Latour and Margaux for example Grown in gravelly soils only a few meters above sea levelmdashin contrast vineyards elsewhere in Europe typically sit between 300 and 900 metersmdashthese wines are some of the most powerful austere and pawed over When young the tannins in these cabernet sauvignon cabernet franc and merlot blends coat the tongue and mouth with a chalky dry sensation akin to sucking on an Earl Grey tea bag and are perhaps best suited to well-fatted rare steak and cigars Th ese are wines built to live for decades Personally I prefer a Bordeaux at least 20 years aged when the tannins have had ample time to calm down and mellow out and more nuanced fl avors come forward Sounds fancy and it is Only in some very lucky circumstances over the past year have I been guest to a bottle of 1990 Clos de Menuts Saint-Eacutemilion and a 1970 Chateau Haut-Brion About once every 10 years Irsquove had the good
fortune to taste a wine older than myself Nice work if you can get it
Where Burgundyrsquos vineyards (Francersquos other classifi ed sought-after region) were established by Benedictine monks patiently growing wine vines with spiritual hearts
Bordeauxrsquos vineyards were raised by entrepreneurial laymen who recognized the massive monetary opportunity when the English began drinking down their peasant wine Th is underscores the second half of my theory as to why Americans
more often American males are so drawn to the wines of Bordeaux Th erersquos an inherent capitalist connection something in the soil Th at the wines are so
unmistakable so distinctively grand and pronounced elixirs exemplifi es the fi rst half of my theory we Americans are not known for our subtlety (To be fair the Chinese are
signifi cant Bordeaux collectors as well)
Philosophy aside Bordeaux is quite a large region that produces beautiful white and red values as well as the rare fi nds out of the populacersquos price range Herersquos the skinny Blending is the game single varietal wines are rare White Bordeaux is typically made from a blend of sauvignon blanc and seacutemillon and sometimes a drop or two of muscadelle ugni blanc or colombard Reds are made primarily from the two cabernets plus merlot with small quantities of petit verdot malbec and carmenegravere occasionally in the mix Th e region is also home to the golden nectar of late ripened seacutemillon sauvignon blanc and muscadelle grapes that have successfully attracted the noble rot a fungus that covers the fruit and drains moisture from inside leaving behind rich sweet grapes without moldy fl avors Chateau drsquoYquem is the most famous of these unfortifi ed dessert wines though there are better bargains from the region
Bordeaux is split by the Gironde river which divides the region into three general areas Th e left bank also known as the Haut-Meacutedoc is where the classifi ed top growths are situated Th ese prestigious estates were named for their exceptional vineyard sites in 1855 a decision nearly unchanged since Today serious collectors invest in Bordeaux futures theoretically locking down lower prices of top
ample time to calm dit is Only in some vede Menuts Saint-Eacutem
fortune to taste a
Wherees
aun
of msignifi
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Follow Amy at pigandvinecom for morestories and wine suggestions
growth estates while the wine is still aging in the cellar Itrsquos the wine tradersquos equivalent to the NASDAQ On the right bank Saint-Eacutemilion and Pommerol are the prized vineyard areas known for their merlot heavy cuveacutees To the south west we fi nd Graves where there are many great values to be had in both white and red bottlings Entre-Deux-Mers which translates to ldquobetween two seasrdquo sits between the Dordogne and Garonne tributaries off the Gironde and is an excellent source for crisp whites
Get started on your Bordeaux experience with these values
Chateau Graville-Lacoste 2014 Graves 75 seacutemillon 20 sauvignon blanc and 5 muscadelle make up this beauty thatrsquos consistently delicious every vintage Crisp and refreshing great with seafood
Chateau Mirambeau 2014 GravesAnother classic blend of 40 sauvignon blanc 40 seacutemillon and 20 muscadelle this lovely white is a bit more fl oral than the Graville-Lacoste Easy drinking and great value
Chateau de Parenchegravere Bordeaux Rouge 201155 merlot 30 cabernet sauvignon and 15 cabernet franc grown in clay heavy soils similar to the right bank of the region Fleshy with good structure and abundant red fruit
Chateau Arnaud Bordeaux Supeacuterieur 2011Supeacuterieur on a Bordeaux label isnrsquot egotistical marketingmdashby law it indicates a wine with up to one degree more alcohol than its AC Bordeaux brethren What it really means is one more degree of body structure and in this case quality Approachable delicious and easy on the wallet
Chateau de Bernadotte Haut-Meacutedoc 2005Th e 2005 vintage in Bordeaux is in the history books with double asterisks Owned by the eminent Pichon Lalande family and made from vineyards in Paulliac one of the more choice growing areas in the region this is an incredible value a top tier Bordeaux for a fraction of the cost
Chateau de Suduiraut Sauternes 2011Ripe cantaloupe apricot and honey and an interesting smoky note with a solid sweet attack followed by great acidity A dessert wine that wonrsquot overpower the dessert
94 raquo parting shot raquo Patrick Hood
Meet Solvar
Solvar belongs to one of the worldrsquos oldest and purest equine lineages the Nor-
wegian Fjord horse a breed that has remained virtually unchanged for more than
2000 yearsmdashlong before we became acquainted with his animated cousins in
the movie Frozen Th ese national symbols of Norway are characterized by primi-
tive zebra striping on their legs and a dorsal stripe running from forelock to tail
resulting in a striking two-tone mane that sticks up like a Mohawk Th eir athleti-
cism agility and dependability make them valuable both as sport horses as well
as therapy horses for emotionally and physically challenged adults and children
Catie Wells of Huntsville is the proud owner of Solvar who resides at Monte
Sano Stables
For tickets or information 256-539-4818 or hsoorg
Bring In the New Year With Us
presents
WHAT A WONDERFUL
WORLDA tribute to Louis
Armstrong featuring the
Byron Stripling Quartet
Thursday December 31
730 pm bull Pops Series bullMark C Smith
Concert Hall VBC
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
M O R E T H A N 7 0 S H O P S A N D R E S T A U R A N T S I N C L U D I N G B E L K | D S W S H O E S | A P P L E J O S A B A N K | R E E D S J E W E L E R S | PA N D O R A | J C R E W | K AT E S PA D E N E W Y O R KO R V I S | B A N A N A R E P U B L I C | M I C H A E L K O R S | F R A N C E S C Arsquo S | A N T H R O P O L O G I EH amp M | S O M A | M O U N T A I N H I G H O U T F I T T E R S | B A R N E S amp N O B L E | S E P H O R AALTAR rsquoD STATE | CONNORS STEAK amp SEFOOD | THE WEST IN HUNTSV I L L E | MONACO P ICTURES
C O M I N G S O O N V E R S O N A ndash near Belk
B R I D G E S T R E E T H U N T S V I L L E C O M |
BR IDGE STREET TOWN CENTRE I S LOCATED AT EX I T 14 OFF I - 565 AT OLD MAD ISON P IKE
7 raquo editorrsquos letter laquo Allen Tomlinson
norsquoala huntsvilleadvisory board
Osie Adelfang
ARC Design-Build Inc
Lynne Berry
HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology
Sarah Brewer
Click Photo Designs by Sarah Brewer
Kimberly Casey
Lowe Mill Arts amp Entertainment
Donna Castellano
Historic Huntsville Foundation
Aissa Castillo
aislerchiccom
Dan Halcomb
Huntsville Symphony Orchestra
Lauren McCaul
deptofagraculturecom
Guy McClure Jr
Athens State University
Tom Patterson
knowhuntsvillecom
Dr Holly Powe
Calhoun Community College
Olivia Reed
Olivia Reed Photography
Patrick Robbins
Huntsville Hospital
Lauren Tomasella Carney
Lauren Tomasella Photography
Ashley Vaughn
White Rabbit StudiosVertical House Records
Charles Vaughn
Vaughn Lumber Company
Andrew Wilmon
Broadway Theatre League
Shop rsquoTil Yule Drop
Wait what Itrsquos that time already If yoursquore like
us the fact that the holidays are almost upon us seems
almost unbelievable Where has this year gone We need
more timemdashwersquore not ready yet
But ready or not here they come So to help you fi nd
gifts for all of the people on your holiday list wersquove com-
piled our annual Shop lsquoTil Yule Drop Buying Guide Our
secret shoppers went all over the Valley fi nding the most
wonderful unique and appealing gifts for every person
on the list and wersquove neatly organized them so you can easily fi nd just what yoursquore
looking for One thing it reminded us is how great the shopping is here in this part
of the worldmdashwe honestly canrsquot think of a single thing we would need to go online
to get Another thing we learned Th erersquos no way we can put all of the neat things
from around here in one magazinemdashyoursquoll just have to go shopping for yourself
Have fun
Th is time of year isnrsquot just about shopping and celebration of course unless you are
celebrating local talent Check out our profi le of Chef Will well known to the visi-
tors to Lowe Mill and Green Street Market and Guadalupe Robinson a talented
ceramics artist Wersquove put together some sample meals from area chefs and wersquoll
introduce you to Homegrown Huntsville Itrsquos all enough to make your mouth water
As hectic as this time of year can be remember to take some time to relax and enjoy
it Th is is truly a special season full of family and friends food and gifts camarade-
rie and reverence Sometimes the most memorable events are small not elaborate
sometimes the best gifts are the thoughtful ones not the most expensive Be safe
stay warm and enjoymdashand remember to Shop the Valley yrsquoall Merry Christmas
8 raquo contents
NOVEMBERDECEMBER 2015
Volume 4 Issue 6
bull bull bull
Editor-in-Chief C Allen Tomlinson
Chief Operating Offi cer Matthew Liles
Creative Director David Sims
Advertising Directors Heidi King and Jamie Noles
Advertising Sales Kevin McDonald
Features Manager Roy Hall
Graphic Designer Rowan Finnegan
Web Designer Justin Hall
Editorial Assistant Tara Bullington
Proofreader Carole Maynard
Distribution Johnson Trent
bull bull bull
Contributing Writers
Amy C Collins Sara Wright Covington
Sarah Gaede Roy Hall Jennifer Crossley Howard
Guy McClure Jr Allen Tomlinson
bull bull bull
Contributing Photographers
Jacki Gil Patrick Hood Erin Lindsey
Danny Mitchell Michelle Odom
Olivia Reed Lauren Tomasella Carney
Jeff White
bull bull bull
NorsquoAla Huntsville is published six times annuallyby NorsquoAla Studios
PO Box 2530 Florence AL 35630 Phone (800) 779-4222 | Fax (256) 766-4106
Web noalastudioscom
Standard postage paid at Huntsville ALA one-year subscription is $1995for delivery in the United States
Signed articles refl ect only the views of the authors and do not necessarily refl ect the views of the editors
Advertisers are solely responsible forthe content of their advertisements
copy 2008-2015 NorsquoAla Studios All rights reserved
Send all correspondence toAllen Tomlinson Editor at the postal address above
or by e-mail to allennoalastudioscomLetters may be edited for space and style
To advertise contact us at(256) 766-4222 or salesnoalastudioscom
The editor will provide writerrsquos guidelines upon requestProspective authors should not submit unsolicited
manuscripts please query the editor fi rst
NorsquoAla Huntsville is printed with vegetable-based inksPlease recycle
Connect with us on Facebook NorsquoAla HuntsvilleTwitter NoAla_Magazine and Pinterest NoAlaStudios
everything else
6010 Calendar Selected Events for NovemberDecember 2015
12 Cryinrsquo Out Loud ldquoHomerdquo
by sara wright covington
90 Bless Th eir HeartsldquoTh e Comforts of Blossomwoodrdquo by guy mcclure jr
92 Th e Vine ldquoBordeaux Powerrdquo by amy c collins
94 Parting Shot by patrick hood
copy Patrick Hood
On the cover Liliana Castillo
Maddox Acker Ilan Castillo
Rowan Jackson and Liam Acker
get into the holiday spirit
(1) Light of Mine Pullover ($25)(2) Free Range Baseball Tee ($23)(3) Young Buck Baseball Tee ($23)(4) Hey Yrsquoall Tee ($20)(5) Hey Yrsquoall Pullover ($25)Tiny Vinestinyvinesshopcom
Photo by Lauren Tomasella Carney
Guadalupe Robinson Turning life into art
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Friday November 13
Lights Up Holiday Tree Lighting
Bridge Street Town Centre lights up like a winter wonderland to welcome Santa with school choirs local musicians
and strolling Victorian carolers culminating in a spectacular fi reworks display 700pm Free Bridge Street Town Centre
bridgestreethuntsvillecom
Sunday November 15
Beethoven Conversations
Select Beethoven piano solos and Quintet op 16 B-fl at major featuring guest artist pianist Kirill Gerstein 330pm Admission
charged Roberts Hall UAH (256) 539-4818 hsoorg
Friday November 20 ndash Sunday November 22
Bullets Over Broadway
A young playwright in desperate need of fi nancial backing for his next show accepts an off er he canrsquot refuse from a mobster
looking to please his showgirl girlfriend Donrsquot miss what the New Yorker exclaims as ldquoa Fun Machine from Start to Finishrdquo Fri
200pm Sat 200 and 800pm Sun 200pm and 730pm Admission charged Von Braun Center 700 Monroe St (256) 518-6155
broadwaytheatreleagueorg
Sunday November 22
A Vignette from Th e Nutcracker
Enjoy a vignette from the Huntsville Ballet Companyrsquos 47th annual production of Th e Nutcracker set in antebellum Huntsville
with a nod to local legends and traditions and accompanied by Tchaikovskyrsquos delightful score 200pm Free fee for museum
exhibitions Huntsville Museum of Art 300 Church St (256) 535-4350 hsvmuseumorg
Tuesday December 1 ndash Wednesday December 23
Santarsquos Village
All ages will delight in visiting the Clausrsquo house meeting Santarsquos reindeer the North Pole elves and Santa Snow shows craft
projects and musical entertainment all add to the fun at the Village Santa Calls Home 500pm-900pm Admission charged
Alabama Constitution Village 109 Gates Ave earlyworkscom
Wednesday December 2
Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony Every Light a Prayer for Peace
Th is yearrsquos program includes local dignitaries elementary-age students clergy and Federated Garden Club members who will
light the Botanical Gardenrsquos Christmas Tree 930am Free Huntsville Botanical Garden 4747 Bob Wallace Ave (256) 830-444
hsvbgorg
Friday December 4
Peace on Earth A Holiday Music Extravaganza
Th e Symphonic Chorus Childrenrsquos Chorale and Youth Chorale join the UAH Music Department the Huntsville Symphony
Orchestra and Huntsville Ballet for this seasonal performance 730pm Admission charged Von Braun Concert Hall 700
Monroe St (256) 533-6606 thechorusorg
10 raquo calendar
g g
y December 4
on Earth A Holiday Music Extravaganza
e Symphonic Chorus Childrenrsquos Chorale and Youth Chorale join the UAH Music Departmennnnnnennnnnnnnnnnne ttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttt ttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttheeeeeheeeheheheeeeehehehehehhhheeheeheheheheheeehehehehhhhhhhhhhehehehehehehehhehhheheheehehhhehehhheheheehehheheheheheheehhhehehhehhhhhhhehhehhheh HHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHununununununununununununununununnununuununununununununuunununununuunununnnnnunnunuu tstststststststststststststststststststststststststststststststststtststssststssstststss iviviviviviviviiviviviviviviviviviviviviviviviviviviviviviivvivivivivivivivivivivivivvivivivivvivviivv lllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllleeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee SySySySySySySySySySySySyySySySySySySySySySyySySyySySySySySySySySySySySySySySySySySyySySySySyySySySySySSSySySySySySyympmpmpmpmpmpmpmpmmpmpmpmpmpmpmpmpmpmpmpmmpmpmpmpmmpmmpmpmpmpmpmpmpmpmppppmpmpmppmpmppmpmpmppmphohohohohhohohohhohohohhohohohohohhohohohohohhhhhohohohhohohhohohohhohohohohohohohohohhohoohhohonynynnynynynynynynynynynynynynynynynynynynynnynynynynynynynynynynynynynynynnynyyynynyynnnnnynyyy
chestra and Huntsville Ballet for this seasonal performance 730pm Admission nnnnn n chchhchhhchchhhhhhhhhhchhchhhhhhhchchhhchchhhchhhhchhchchhchchchhhhhhhhchcccccchhhhchchcccccccchhchchcccccchchcccccccchccccccharrrrrrrarrrrarrarrarrrrrrrrrraraaarrrrrarararararraaaaaarrrarararaaaaaaararrraraaaaaaaaaaararararaaaaaaaaararaaararaaaarrarrrggggggggggegegegeegegegegegegegeggggggegegegegegegegeggeeeggegegeggegegeegegggggggegg dddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddd VVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVonononnonononononononononononononnnoonoonono BBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBrararararararrararrrarararararaaarararararaaunununununununununnunununununununuununuuuunununnuu CCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCConononononononononononnnononononononoonoooononoooononononnonncecececececececececececececeececececececececececeeceeeeccceeertrtrtrtrtrtrtrtrtrtrtrrtrtrtrtrtrtrtrtrtrtrtrtrtrtrtrtrttrtrtrtrtrtrtrtrttrt HHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHallalalalalalalaalalalllllalalalalalalalalllalalalalalalalalalaalalalalaallalalalalalllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll 777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000
onroe St (256) 533-6606 thechorusorg
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Friday December 4 ndash Saturday December 5
Kris Kringlersquos Candlelight Christmas
Two spectacular evenings of cozy fi res holiday music fi ggy pudding homemade cookies kids crafts designer deacutecor and much
more Itrsquos holiday fun for the whole family with the most magical view in town 430pm-900pm Admission charged Burritt on
the Mountain 3101 Burritt Dr (256) 536-2882 burrittonthemountaincom
Friday December 4 ndash Sunday December 6
A Christmas Carol
Travel with Scrooge as he visits his past present and future on Christmas Eve in this musical retelling of Charles Dickensrsquo
classic novel Fri and Sat 700pm and Sun 200pm Admission charged Von Braun Playhouse 700 Monroe St (256) 539-6829
fantasyplayhousecom
Friday December 4 ndash Sunday December 6
Th e Nutcracker A Yuletide Ballet
Alabama Youth Ballet Th eatre opens its 10th season to holiday audiences with this beloved Christmas ballet Fri 700pm
Sat 200pm and 730pm Sun 200pm Admission charged Lee HS Auditorium 2500 Meridian St (256) 881-5930
alabamayouthballetorg
Saturday December 12
Madison Christmas Parade
Music fl oats and fun for the whole family Afterwards gather for an old-fashioned celebration on the Village Green Listen
to carolers and instrumental music around the Roundhouse and sip hot chocolate at the Gazebo 530pm Free Downtown
Madison (256) 772-9300 cimadisonalus
Saturday December 12
Mooresville Holiday Home Tour and Progressive Dinner
Th e 50 residents of historic Mooresville incorporated in 1818 invite you to celebrate the season with a tour of the 1839 Brick
Church 1820 Stagecoach Tavern 1840 Post Offi ce and fi ve private homes all decorated in the tradition of Christmas past
Homes open and shopping available from 200pm to 600pm Dinner seating at 330pm to 430pm and at 500pm to 600 pm in
town square Reservations required $70 Mooresville (256) 355-2683 mooresvillealcom
Saturday December 12
Spirit of Christmas Past Homes Tour and Luminaries
Tour fi ve private residences on Randolph Street the Weeden House Museum on Gates Avenue and other historic buildings
ornately decorated for the holidays 500pm-900pm Admission charged Twickenham Historic District (256) 536-7718
twickenhamhomestourcom
Th ursday December 17
Huntsville Christmas Parade
Welcome Santa Claus to Huntsville as he ushers in the Christmas season at the annual Christmas parade Enjoy the excitement
and music with many entries and bands from across North Alabama 600pm Free Downtown Huntsville (256) 885-9797
Saturday December 19
Holiday Artists Market
Americarsquos largest private artist complex invites the public to its annual Holiday Artists Market 1100am-600pm Free Flying
Monkey Arts Th eater Lowe Mill 2211 Seminole Dr (256) 489-7000 fl yingmonkeyartsorg
Saturday December 31
Huntsville Symphony Orchestra presents ldquoWhat A Wonderful Worldrdquo - a tribute to Louis Armstrong
Bring in the New Year with the Byron Stripling Quartet and the music of Louis Armstrong a presentation of the HSO 730
pm Mark C Smith Concert Hall VBC call (256) 539-4818 for tickets or visit wwwhsoorg
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
pm Mark C Smith Concert Hall VBC call (256) 539-4818 for tickets or visit wwwhsoorg
12 raquo cryinrsquo out loud raquo Sara Wright Covington
HOME
So we carry our boxes and baggage from place to place carving out a new niche for them wherever we fi nd ourselves And I fi nd that long after I have left a place that place has not left me
According to a government survey conducted in the average person moves around 11
times in a lifetime My husband never one to conform to the norm had moved nine times by the time
he was 18 He just like his father and his fatherrsquos father is a builder and thatrsquos just what builders do
Th ey build and they move and then they build and they move again I knew when I married him that
he would follow in those family footsteps and that I was signing up for a lifetime of constant moving
Frequent moves do seem to be much more of the norm where we live in Huntsville a super transient
place full of military and government men and women who are accustomed to shifting their families
from spot to spot But having only lived in two houses by the time I was 18 it was still hard for me
to imagine packing my entire life into boxes every couple of
years Now on our third move together Irsquove started taking
inventory of my things each time I prepare to repack them
into boxes and Irsquove defi nitely begun to see a trendmdashmost
everything I own has been in my life for a very long time Irsquove
carried my grandmotherrsquos hat boxes full of fur and feath-
ered millinery from place to place with me since I was 22 I
still have the antique four poster bed I slept in as a
child My many bookshelves are fi lled with every
book I have likely ever ownedmdashfrom the Norton
Anthology of English Literature to Frommerrsquos Las
Vegas guide book Th ere are even a few items of
clothing in my closet that are 20 or more years old
including a rain jacket monogrammed with my high
school letters and a sequined tube top I think I wore
at some point during college although I hope that
Irsquom wrong
It has been scientifi cally proven that most people
fear change as the outcome of that change is of-
ten unknown With each and every move that we
make it has become increasingly evident that I am
no diff erent We fi nd faith in the familiar which for
me seems to include everything from my footwear
to my friends So we carry our boxes and baggage
from place to place carving out a new niche for them
wherever we fi nd ourselves And I fi nd that long after
I have left a place that place has not left me I re-
cently went to visit the house where I grew up which
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
is sadly empty now Th e front door was exactly the same
and the concrete steps where I skinned my knee as a child
are still there as is the scar I still bear from those steps 30
years later I peeked through the glass backdoor to see that
the kitchen cabinets were still exactly the same an unpainted
knotty wood with brass knobs and the pocket door adja-
cent to the stove was still there also half open to the sitting
room I wondered if that door still bore the carved notches
of my height chart an expanse of inches that widened over
the years as I grew each notch labeled in pen with a date I
strained my eyes to look but could not see
Th e seasons are changing now and once again we are mov-
ing Th e boxes are being collected now and Irsquove already be-
gun a mental timeline of how long I can procrastinate until
actually beginning to pack them Th is summer in particular
has been one of many changes for usmdashups and downs joys
and sorrowsmdashand the walls of this house have witnessed
them all And I have to admit that it does seem right that
as the seasons change we too should also move on As
someone recently put it to me when facing the fear of the
unknown we have to learn to just manage and adjustmdashhav-
ing faith at the threshold of change that life will continue to
be full of beauty and fun love and loss We are not forced
to edge any one of these out to make room for the other but
rather we must learn to make room for them all
Th ere is no doubt that this house will stick with me as
all of the memories within it are engraved into my mind
But this time around I know that home will always be
where my family and friends are and the walls around
us are just a shelter through the sun and storms of our
lives I choose to believe that old habits are not necessar-
ily bad habits but traditions we choose to bring with us
into the future as a form of comfort in the midst of the
fear of the future My husband and I have celebrated
one of those old traditions in this house as we
have made our own growth chart for our
children here carving and marking their
tiny heights onto one of our downstairs
doors And although I will likely fret and
shed some tears through this entire mov-
ing process as I attempt to detach myself
from these walls a little compromise can be
comforting and being married to a builder
does have its perksmdashwe are unhinging that
door and taking it with us when we go
for information visit wwwathenseduathenianplayers
Names for photos are provided by the organization or business featured
14 raquo scene
Suzanne OrsquoConnor Karen Kiss and Sallie Ennis
Front Row L-R Patrick Robbins Ed Rush Nancy Colin George Smith and Steve Thornton Back Row L-R John Johnson Richard Van Valkenburgh Ronald Reed and Skipper Colin
Richard and Nancy Van Valkenburgh
Jay and Dana Town
Ernie Rivard Ann Rivard Anne Compton Burke and Kim and John Johnson
George and Lee Anne Smith and Steve and Patti Thornton
Linda Akenhead Donna Rush Ivy Albert and Amelia Summerville
Bobsy and Bill IngramChris Wesley Suzanne OrsquoConnor and Patrick Robbins
Tom and Pennie Keene Sharon and Ed Gartrell and Janet and David Skidmore
Debbie Overcash Brenda Millberger and Theresa Taylor
Ronald and Daphne Reed and Nancy and Skipper Colin
Kendall Black and Lee Anne Bostick
Sharon Gartrell Paige Prozan Amelia Summerville and Susan Todd Matt Taylor Bruce Summerville
Eric Milberger and Tommy Overcash
copy Photos by Mark Jaeger
Joyce Griffi n Betsy Lowe Peter Lowe Debbie Washburn and Ben Washburn
2015 Symphony Ball Advisorsrsquo Cocktail Partyaugust middot home of jay and dana town huntsville
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
text by sarah gaede raquo photos by patrick hood
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Some restaurants have food trucks for off-premise
special events Chef Will proprietor of Th e Palate at Lowe
Mill has a folding table Equipped with coolers kettles a
butane burner and his trusty cast iron skillet he turns out
amazing vegetarian and vegan dishes for his loyal following
every Th ursday at Greene Street Market in Huntsville
Although he grew up in Groton Connecticut helping his
mother in the kitchen and was always interested in food Chef
Will then known as Forest Wilson felt he couldnrsquot compete
with his older brother who was an executive chef So he
received vocational training in welding and visual arts (skills
which he still uses in creating his Afro-centric art) After a
brief stint in California working in the shipbuilding industry
he decided to follow his fi rst love and go to culinary school
When Chef Will visited his mother in Huntsville he realized
how much he missed being close to the land So he moved to
Alabama After he saw what his family was eating and how
many health problems they had he began an intensive study
of nutrition and the healing properties of natural foods
He had already been turned on to the health benefi ts of a
vegetarian diet by the surfers he hung out with in California
With his back-to-basics approach
Chef Will is like a nineteenth century
cook witha twenty-first century vibe
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
like a nineteenth century cook with a twenty-
fi rst century vibe
While most of Chef Willrsquos dishes are vegan he
does use real cheese because it melts better
He also uses free-range eggs Portobello
mushrooms are his go-to meat substitute
Th e day I visited he was serving portobello
pepper ldquosteakrdquo over quinoa and brown rice
with a liberal dash of his secret Bee Sting
sauce which his son Khaliq is working on
marketing to the public It was scrumptious
His food is so densely fl avored you donrsquot miss
the meat He especially loves the spices and
ingredients of Indian Asian and Chinese
cuisines all of which off er a great variety of
tasty vegetarian dishes
Chef Will is a passionate evangelist for the
healing properties of pure natural foods and
he preaches this gospel in a way that is so
inviting those who try his food cannot help
but be much more open-minded about trying
new healthy creative ways of eating
who seemed to have much more energy than he did He
became intentional about every step of the cooking process
from ingredient sourcing to cookwaremdashhence the cast
iron skillet which is naturally non-stick and adds iron to
whatever is cooked in it
Chef Will sources his ingredients locally whenever possible
He makes his vegetable stock with spring water His tasty
beans are soaked and simmered in that fl avorful stock not
poured from a can His collards are sublime without a hint
of pork fat With his back-to-basics approach Chef Will is
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Start a New Holiday Tradition at Burritt on the Mountain
ldquoHoliday Magicrdquo A Magical Dining Experience
December 10th 11th amp 12th
Itrsquos a magically fun evening dining in a historic cabin or the mansion with friends while enjoying delectable food and wine It is unlike any other holiday dinner and itrsquos perfect for a festive family occasion yet intimate enough for a romantic dinner for two Itrsquos rustic AND upscale
Holiday Magic reservations are being taken now by calling Butch Damson at 256-534-4361 Hurry Space is limted $90 per dinner seat Visit the website for menus and more
limited seating available make your reservations today
Wersquore decking the walls halls and stalls to get you in the holiday spirit More than 600 candles illuminate the sidewalks and Historic Park and music fills the air adding to the nostalgic feel of the holidays String cranberries make paper punch ornaments roast chesnuts amp taste figgy pudding Fun for the whole family itrsquos Christmas the way itrsquos supposed to be
Kris KringlersquosCandlelight Christmas
December 4th amp 5th
A much anticipated musical favorite will be back at Burritt in the Old Country Church
PerformancesDecember 16th through 20th
Tickets ON SALE NOWPurchase tickets at Josiersquos online
or by calling 256-536-2882or by calling 256-536-2by calling 256-536-2burrittonthemountaincom
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Th
ePE
R
FECT HOLIDAY DIN
NE
R
In our modern world of far-fl ung families Th anksgiving and Christmas are those rare occasions so fi lled with nostalgia
and meaning we press the pause button on our busy lives to prioritize time together Because family time is so rare these days NorsquoAla asked some of Huntsvillersquos fi nest chefs to suggest dishes that will inspire you as you plan your
familyrsquos menu this holiday season
Any time we spend with our loved ones is precious herersquos hoping these meal
ideas help make this yearrsquos holidays perfect
text by roy hall raquo photos by olivia reed
ldquoWith all the fl avors we associate with the holidays the gingerbread man is always near the top of the list So let the kids enjoy the traditional cookies while you sip this sophisticated cocktailrdquo mdashParker
ldquoTh e holidays are so fun-fi lled it seems appropriate that a holiday salad should refl ect that with lots of diff erent things going on fruits nuts cheeses and always a little hint of sweetness in the dressing No matter what main dishes and sides are served this salad will complement them allrdquo mdashAndrew
Grilled Pear Salad with Cambozola and Walnuts
Mezza Luna
(256) 650-2514 Th e GingermanMezza Luna
Butternut Squash Wild Mushroom and Roasted Asparagus Risotto
Th e Eaves
(256) 489-1752
ldquoI love this dish because itrsquos crisp and clean and adds a touch of light color to a typically heavy mealmdashthe bright green asparagus and red pancetta even look Christmassyrdquo mdashOwner LeeLee Wiginton
ldquoTh is isnrsquot super diffi cult to make It echoes the fl avors of the season And itrsquos also something a little unexpected It has a great fl avor profi le and complements other proteins really well Guests will love itrdquo mdashChef Merle Phillip
Snow Pea Salad with Crispy PancettaLynrsquos Gracious Goodness
(256) 533-2607
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Th ePERFECT HOLIDAY DINNER
Fried Brussels Sprouts with Coriander Greek Yogurt Sauce
Mezza Luna
ldquoI chose to do the turkey this way because itrsquos a diff erent approach Th e challenge of roasting a whole turkey is that the white and dark meat cook at diff erent speeds By separating the two you can cook each for its own proper cooking timerdquo mdashChef Steven Bunner
ldquoBrussels sprouts have had a bad rap Th e fi rst time most people encounter them theyrsquore overcooked mushy and served plain Th atrsquos a shame because theyrsquore nutritional powerhouses and because theyrsquore a fall crop at their best during the holiday seasonrdquo mdashJohn
Roast Turkey Breast and Dark Meat Roulade Served with Pecan Pesto
1892 East(256) 489-1242
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Between now and the end of the year take advantage of cost reductions on three popular proceduresmdashand begin 2016 with new confidence
bull SAVE BIG on breast augmentationOur saline price is $700 off and our silicone price is $900 off cash price only Schedule your initial consultation by December 31 2015 to lock in your price and the procedure must take place by March 31 2016
bull FULL-FACIAL LASER is $1500 Cash price only Initial consultation must occur before December 31 2015 and the procedure must be done by March 31 2016
bull WEEKEND Eribium Laser PEEL is Buy ThreeGet One Free Save $400 on our regular $1600 cash price by scheduling your initial consultation by December 31 2015
Look better - feel better - and save money Itrsquos time to get more for less
Dr Russell Jennings203 Avalon Ave Suite 300
Muscle Shoals AL 35661
Phone(256) 386-1450jenningsplasticsurgerycom
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Th ePERFECT HOLIDAY DINNER
Nutella CheesecakeMason Dixon Bakery amp Bistro(256) 213-7545
ldquoTh is is one of our favorite desserts for a holiday and for every day Th e rich and creamy cake melts like ice cream in your mouth the smoothness of the fi lling balances perfectly with the crunchiness of the crust and the delicate hints of the swirled Nutella are divinerdquo mdashCo-owners Chef Ashley and Taylor Ramirez
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Emily Taylor5510 Promenade Point Pkwy Suite 160Madison AL 35757256-430-2781
I can help you
your own wayGROW
1114-519HO
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
produced by aissa castillo and lauren mccaulphotos by lauren tomasella carney
clothing modeled by aaron petersen rachel smith anne harbargerand kait barinaga (for finery)
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Meet the Shop Girls The mission To search Valley shops and boutiques
for the fi nest in Yuletide treasures
Accepting the challenge three of Huntsvillersquos most original and creative taste-makers
Say hello to NorsquoAla Shop Girls Aissa Castillo Lauren McCaul and Lauren Tomasella CarneyDuring the day these mild-mannered professionals tend to demanding careers in design
retail management and photography But evenings and weekends theyrsquore out saving the world from uninspiring fashion and decor as style superheroes
Their picks for the very best gift ideas follow For ideas and inspiration year-round
stay in-the-know by following our Shop Girls on social media
Lauren McCaul deptofagraculturecom Instagram dept_of_agra_cultureAissa Castillo aislerchiccom Instagram aislerchic
Lauren Tomasella Carney laurentomasellacom Instagram laurentomasella
And as you shop for your own Christmas treasures this season please remember to spread your cheermdashand your dollarsmdashat home
(1) Amanda Uprichard Jacket ($248)(2) BCBG Dress ($228)(3) Zoa Dress ($128)Personal Couture Boutique(256) 508-5632
(4) Dress ($168)Anthropologie(256) 327-8470
(5) Olive + Oak Oatmeal Shawl ($72)(10) Simply Noelle Zipper Gusset Bag ($5999)House of Holland(256) 206-8989
(6) One-of-a-kind Eva Ziegler Agate and Pyrite Necklace ($397)(8) Eva Ziegler Freshwater Pearl Strand ($501)Eva Ziegler Jewelryevazieglercom
(9) Gift Set ($5995)Piper amp LeafPiperandleafcom
(7) Long Horn Necklace ($68)Personal Couture Boutique(256) 508-5632
Left to right Lauren Tomasella Carney
Lauren McCaul and Aissa Castillo
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
On himFilson Shirt ($98) Filson Jacket ($320)Yeti Cooler ($34999)Alabama Outdoors(256)-885-3561
On herPPLA Vest ($7999)PPLA Dress ($7499)Bedstu Boots ($295)Indigorsquos Boutique(256) 345-6348
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) Woolly Mammoth Tooth 4rdquo Damascus Linerlock Knife ($150)(2) Cardboard Safari Bucky Cardboard Deer Head ($30)(3) Curt Benzle Porcelain Compass ($15)Little Green Store and Gallery (256) 539-9699
(4) Hunting Journal ($32)Sweet Pineapple(256) 964-7563
(5) Yeti Colster ($2999)Alabama Outdoors(256)-885-3561
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
(1) Yellow House Handcrafted Beard Oils ($18 ea)Yellow House Beard Oilsyellowhousebeards com (2) Mustache amp Beard Comb ($16)Little Green Store and Gallery (256) 539-9699 (3) Latika Body Essentials Charcoal Liquid Soap ($18)(4) Latika Body Essentials Charcoal Bar Soap ($6) (5) Rustico Leather Key Chain ($18) Sweet Pineapple(256) 964-7563
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) Wood Thumb Tie ($44) (2) Slightly Alabama iPad Case ($250) (3) DockSmith Driftwood iPhone Docking Station ($68) Little Green Storeand Gallery (256) 539-9699 (4) Loyal Stricklin Aviator Mug ($35)Domaine South(256) 808-8860 (5) Would You Be a Deer Notepad ($9) Sweet Pineapple(256) 964-7563
(6) Filson Satchel ($265) Alabama Outdoors(256)-885-3561
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
When itrsquos time to move into a bigger house get a home loan from the bank thatrsquos had a home right here for generations You might say we know a thing about location location location synovuscommortgage
Banking products are provided by Synovus Bank Member FDIC Divisions of Synovus Bank operate under multiple trade names across the Southeast Loans products subject to credit approval
When itrsquos time to move into a bigger house get a home
Here is where Henry learned hersquod be getting
SERVING YOU LOCALLY AS
2565513300 | fcb-hsvcom
his own room
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) Spiritual GangsterTank ($36)(2) Luquido Yoga Pants ($90)(3) MZ Wallace Metro Tote ($245)(4) Vimmia V back Sweatshirt ($96)(5) Onzie Sports Bra ($48)(6) Olympia Yoga Pants ($96)(7) bkr Water Bottle ($30)The Fitzgerald Pilates amp Barre(256) 603-1886
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
(1) Gypsy Pant WarmTribal ($72) (2) Berry High Waist Legging ($88) (3) Long Legging Mathematics ($65) (4) Long Legging Peacock ($65) The FitzgeraldPilates amp Barre(256) 603-1886
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) Jane Tran Hair Clips ($15)(2) bkr Water Bottle ($30)(3) well-kept Tech Wipes ($6)(4) Made with Love Bracelets ($25)(5) Pointe Studio Socks ($12)(6) Bando Too Cold to Hold Coozie ($5)The Fitzgerald Pilates amp Barre(256) 603-1886
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
(1) Shop Bando Coff ee Cup ($14)(2) Shop Bando Pens ($14) (3) Shop Bando Pouch ($26) (4) Shop Bando Coin Purse ($20) The FitzgeraldPilates amp Barre(256) 603-1886
(5) Check Things Off Notepad ($16)(6) Hello From Huntsville Stamp ($12)Salt + Paperie(256) 655-5550
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) Muzzle Loaders Chocolate Bourbon Balls ($1999) (2) Vintage Crystal Decanter ($20) (3) Quench Glassware ($1399) Domaine South(256) 808-8860
(4) The Hella Bitters Old Fashioned Kit ($65)(5) American Bar by Charles Schumann ($2495) Little Green Storeand Gallery (256) 539-9699
(6) Julep Cups ($50)Willowbrook Shoppe (256) 270-7181
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom | novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) DECCO Umbrella in a Bottle ($1995)(2) Alexa Pulitzer Stationery Set ($14 ea)(3) Ikat Scarf ($6250)Huntsville Museumof Art(256) 535-4350
(4) Emily Ley Grace Journal ($32) (5) Sugar Boo Designs Clutch ($18) (6) Emily Ley Daily Planner ($58) (7) Latika Milk ampHoney Bar ($6) (8) Farm House Fresh Shea Butter Hand Cream ($14) (9) Christen MaxwellZippy ($42) (10) Green Tea Bubble Bath ($32) Sweet Pineapple(256) 964-7563 (11) Goal Getter Cuff ($32)Indigorsquos Boutique(256) 345-6348
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
(1) Kilim Pillow ($58) (2) Bejeweled Silver Plate Vase ($144) (3) Bone Clad Box ($375)Willowbrook Shoppe (256) 270-7181
(4) Cowhide Rug ($550)(5) Lucyrsquos Locket ($95) (Original piecemdashselection may vary)Sweet Pineapple(256) 964-7563 (6) Clutch ($65)Department of Agra Culturedeptofagraculturecom
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) Above The Bar Antler on Chain 28rdquo ($3999) (2) Above The Bar Deer wAntler Head 18rdquo ($2999) Indigorsquos Boutique(256) 345-6348
(3) Margaret Solow Labradorite18KT Bezel ($290) (4) Margaret Solow Diamond Crest MoonSilver ($460) (5) Margaret Solow Black Spinel + DiamondSilver ($560) (6) Margaret Solow Double Black Spinel18KT ($260)Little Green Store and Gallery (256) 539-9699
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
(1) Margaret Solow Grey Moonstoon18KT Necklace ($240) (2) Margaret Solow OpalDiamond Mosaic Necklace ($610) Little Green Storeand Gallery (256) 539-9699
(3) One-of-a-kind Eva Ziegler Smokey Quartz and Pyrite Necklace ($406)Eva Ziegler Jewelryevazieglercom
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) Jennifer BehrTurban ($625)(2) Cotton Day Dress ($64)(3) Norma Ishak Cardigan ($375)Finery(256) 429-3429
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) The Lion Sleeps Tonight Bath Bomb ($6) Sweet Pineapple(256) 964-7563
(2) Tiger Jelly Cat ($2250)(3) Dog Tag Teether ($1550)(4) Dinosaur Footie ($3595)Honey B Boutique(256) 503-2853
(5) Young Buck ($25)Tiny Vinestinyvinesshopcom
(6) Bib Set ($13)Huntsville Museumof Art(256) 535-4350
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
(1) Tiny Dancer Bath Bomb ($6)Sweet Pineapple(256) 964-7563
(2) Kickee Mammoth Footie ($3595)(3) Noodle amp Boo Essential Care Kit ($18)(4) Elephant Jelly Cat ($2250)Honey B Boutique(256) 503-2853
(5) ArtFolio Pink Elephant Coloring Tote ($17)Huntsville Museumof Art(256) 535-4350
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) Bib Set ($13)Huntsville Museumof Art(256) 535-4350 (2) Little Light ($25)Tiny Vinestinyvinesshopcom (3) Micro Leon Cardboard Lion ($30)Little Green Storeand Gallery (256) 539-9699 (4) I Love You Like Biscuits amp Gravy ($23)Domaine South(256) 808-8860
(5) Kickee Kimono ($4295)Honey B Boutique(256) 503-2853
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
SURPRISEA LOVED ONE
THIS HOLIDAY SEASON
WITH A FOREVER GIFT
HobbsJewelerscom 8772331347Parkway Place Mall
HuntsvilleHwy 72 West
AthensMain Street
Ardmore TN
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Caftan ($75)Sarah Richey Necklace ($350)Finery(256) 429-3429
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
(1) Chewbead Necklace ($3495)(2) Mayoral Baby Bag ($7995)(3) Mayoral Diaper Changing Pad ($2495)(4) Nursing Scarf ($2695) (5) Kickee Swaddling Blanket ($22)Honey B Boutique(256) 503-2853 (6) Lucy Darling Months Sticker ($25) (7) The Story of You Baby Book by Emily Ley ($62) Sweet Pineapple(256) 964-7563
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) Alwand Vahan 14K Gold and Onyx Ring wDiamond Accent ($2595)(2) Alwand Vanan 14K Gold and Onyx Bracelet wDiamond Accent ($2695)Hobbs Jewelers(877) 233-1347
(3) Britt Ryan Dress ($288)Personal Couture Boutique(256) 508-5632
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) Rocket Cosmos Mug ($13)Huntsville Museumof Art(256) 535-4350
(2) Loose Leaf Tea ($399)Piper amp Leaf piperandleafcom (3) Judy Jackson Tea Pot ($56) (4) Gary Watson Cherry Cutting Board ($48-$68) (5) Susan Coe Birthday Cake Plate ($33) Little Green Storeand Gallery (256) 539-9699 (6) Macarons ($116 pcs $221 dozen)Whisk Small Treats Bakery(256) 656-1027
(7) Truffl es ($185 each)Pizellersquos Confections (256) 513-9745 (8) Olive amp Sinclair Chocolate ($799)Domaine South(256) 808-8860
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
(1) Whisk Note Pad ($8) (2) In the Forest Mixing Bowl ($36) (3) Twig Serving Set ($18)(8) Southern Firefl y Candle ($12)Sweet Pineapple(256) 964-7563
(4) Urchin Bowl ($10)(5) Foodie Dice ($38)(6) 1Canoe2 Wood Recipe Box w Recipe Cards ($6999) Domaine South(256) 808-8860 (7) Growlers ($75 small $95 large)Southern Growlersoutherngrowlercom
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) Tacori 18K Barbados Blue Bold Gem Ring ($660)(2) Tacori 18K Barbados Blue Bold Gem Necklace ($630)(3) Tacori 18K Barbados Blue Bold Gem Bracelet ($990)Hobbs Jewelers(877) 233-1347
(4) BCBG Dress ($328)Personal Couture Boutique(256) 508-5632
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Guadalupe Robinson
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
text by jennifer crossley howard raquo photos by patrick hood
Of Deft and Dirty Hands
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Huntsville potter Guadalupe Lanning Robinson has spent more than 36 years mastering the
marriage of clay texture and geometric design into her pottery yet time has done little to temper the
plight of waiting
ldquoIt is hard for me to let a pot just dryrdquo she says motioning toward fi ve small wet pots sitting near her
pottery wheel ldquoIrsquom as excited to do this as I was 30 years agordquo
To observe her studio at Lowe Mill that is easy to believe Located on the corridor outside the textile
mill-turned-art centerrsquos main building the loft-like space with a corrugated tin roof feels like a place a
Gabriel Garcia Marquez character would enjoy daydreaming
Sienna-hued pottery sits in various stages to be fi red layered and etched Argentinian tango music
streams from Robinsonrsquos iPhone and two cockatiels a parrot and a parakeet chirp from their cages All
except the parrot fl y freely when Robinson is working
Robinson who is 61 made her fi rst pot in 1979 in her native Mexico City Almost four decades later her
work is part of permanent museum collections in Auburn Huntsville Tuscumbia and Tupelo Missis-
sippi She regularly enters her work in respected juried shows such as the Monte Sano Arts Festival and
the Kentuck Festival of the Arts in Northport and has received two Alabama State Council on the Arts
individual artist fellowships
Her inspiration draws from the villages around her native Mexico City such as the black pottery of
the northwest as well as her acquired Southern culture White lilies corn grids and round female
fi guresmdashldquoreally strong women who are in chargerdquo Robinson saysmdashreappear on her stoneware She uses
natural dyes indigo for color and mixes sand into clay for texture Nothing is wasted
ldquoI donrsquot waste any clayrdquo Robinson says ldquoEverything is recycledrdquo
Robinson fi nds solace in the 40-50 hours a week she puts in at the studio and the often tedious process
of making pots which can take from three weeks to six weeks for larger pots She usually works on two
or three pots at a time tending to groups at diff erent stages
After a pot is thrown on a wheel a piece can take days to dry before its fi rst bisque fi re in which tem-
peratures rise to 1800 F After baking for nine hours the kiln must cool Th e second fi ring rises to 2150
F and matures the clay and melts the glazes to strengthen the piece
ldquoI am an effi cient person by naturerdquo Robinson says ldquoWaiting for the kiln to cool down enough to open
can be nerve wracking and this is when my patience is usually put to the testrdquo
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
ldquoIt is hard for me to let a pot just dry Irsquom as excited to do this as I was 30 years agordquo
Robinson makes most of her pots on a wheel using oxides to change the color of clay she gets from Nashville and Pittsburgh Her pottery takes several weeks from start to fi nish depending on how large a pot is and how many she makes at a time
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
ldquoAttend to your childrenrsquos needs fi rst keep focus on what you want to douse the happiness joy and little breaks you get to make your artTh ey grow real fast and they will keep inspiring you all your liferdquo
Robinson imagined this bat-like design as she was working She usually begins a piece with a design in mind but that often evolves
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Robinson uses an overlay of liquid clay called engobemdashthat includes three to four layersmdashto create a
base on which to design
Th ere is high risk in making pottery and hours of work can be wasted on a pot that has not dried en-
tirely before it enters the kiln Air pockets or the wrong mixture of chemicals can ruin a piece
ldquoArt is involved but science is toordquo says Laura Smith director of education at the Huntsville Museum
of Art where Robinson has taught pottery classes ldquoItrsquos more labor intensive in terms of working with
the medium whether yoursquore building by hand or with a wheel until you fi re with the fi nal layer of glazerdquo
Th e result is sturdy pottery
ldquoI want my pots to look like something that is lasting a long timerdquo Robinson says
Th ough she works solitarily in her studio she says she does not get lonely Her birds and music keep her
company and each stage of pottery making has a soundtrack She uses needlepoint tools to draw onto
clay to Jose Feliciano and other Latin American musicians
ldquoIf Irsquom at the wheel Bruno Marsrdquo she says ldquoIf Irsquom unloading the kiln and something is really awesome
then I need something moving and I have on Motownrdquo
Robinsonrsquos years of experience minimize the risk of damaged pots but she says her greatest challenge
as a potter was balancing her work while raising her two children Now adults their candid childhood
pictures and those of her grandchildren cover the warm green walls of her studio
She met her husband the poet James Robinson in 1977 on a Greyhound bus when she returned to
Mexico City from visiting a friend at the University of Southern Mississippi He was heading to Mexico
to study at a university Th ey married six months later After giving birth to her daughter Annie Jane in
Mexico City in 1982 the family moved to Huntsville in 1985 Th at is when Robinson got more serious
about her pottery
ldquoFrom the very beginning when I moved to Alabama I knew I was going to have to do thisrdquo she said
ldquoIn some ways it was a way for me to keep connected to my heritagerdquo
She took even 15 minutes of free time to work in the studio behind her home and worked late into the
night while her daughter and son Isidoro born in 1987 slept Having a home studio allowed her to
wash clothes tend to her home and drop off lunches at school while maintaining her art
ldquoTh ere was something for me when I fi rst became a mother that fueled my creativityrdquo Robinson says
ldquoTh ey are such a social inspiration too It fi lls your liferdquo
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Robinson advises fellow artists who are mothers to seize
both roles but to prioritize motherhood
ldquoAttend to your childrenrsquos needs fi rst keep focus on what you
want to do use the happiness joy and little breaks you get
to make your artrdquo she says ldquoTh ey grow real fast and they will
keep inspiring you all your liferdquo
Anna Sue Courtney director of the Flying Monkey Arts
Center at Lowe Mill has known Robinson for more than
10 years She says she admires how mothers and artists like
Robinson seamlessly embrace both roles
ldquoIt seems therersquos not a separation between creating and rais-
ing childrenrdquo Courtney says ldquoTh ey seem to pull from the
same placerdquo
Part of Robinsonrsquos motivation at Lowe Mill comes from
working privately in a studio alongside other artists that fos-
ters a community of feedback and ideas
ldquoItrsquos nice to be here because you can take a break and walk around and get inspirationrdquo Courtney says
ldquoItrsquos refreshingrdquo
When she needs a break from the studio Robinson stays home to sketch designs for a day or two then
she is back in the studio
Trips twice a year to Mexico City keep her plugged in to her native culture which in turn shows up in
her pottery
ldquoI have to recharge myselfrdquo Robinson says ldquoI love Huntsville and loved raising my kids here but I still
have the need of going back to be recharged and smell all the smells and see all the colors and get on
the subway and be pushed aroundrdquo
Details from her trips that infl uence her work include the ever-present red that covers the city during
the celebration of Dia de los Muertos or the Day of the Dead Th e pyramids of Teotihuacan conjure
warm earth tones and fl oating gardens around the city yield sweet pungent calla lilies and carnations
Celebration of food tough women and nature reappear in her pottery qualities that both Southern and
Mexican cultures treasure
Above This daisy design is character-istic of Robinsonrsquos work Nature food and strong females from her native Mexico City and the South are strong creative infl uences
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Clockwise from top left Robinson often glazes only the inside of her pots so they can hold water and food She began quilting in 2002 and her quilts like her pottery contain earth tones and natural infl uences in their design Four birds keep Robinson company in what can be the isolating medium of pottery making Geometry and symmetry are two signature elements in Robinsonrsquos work according to Laura Smith director of education at the Huntsville Museum of Art
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Just as she keeps her home country close to her heart Robinson is loyal to her fi rst
love of pottery though she began making quilts in 2002
ldquoIrsquom a potter who likes to quiltrdquo she says
Like her pottery her quilting follows designs of organic nature such as fl owers and
crops on rich jewel tone cotton
ldquoWhen I fi rst saw one of her quilts I didnrsquot realize it was hers and I thought that
looks like it should be Guadalupersquos quiltrdquo Courtney says
Robinson prefers the immediate gratifi cation of clay
ldquoItrsquos a very responsive mediumrdquo she says ldquoYou can manipulate it Th e fact of mak-
ing something out of dirt out of nothing and making it durable making it perma-
nent that after going through the heat and maturing is something very excitingrdquo
She gently dings a pot covered with white dresses titled ldquoTehuana Dressrdquo to make
her point
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
887 FM Muscle Shoals bull 1007 FM Huntsvillewwwaprorg
News classicalmusic and more
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
copy Patrick Hood
text by sara wright covington raquo photos by jacki gil
patrick hood erin lindsey and michelle odom
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
copy Patrick Hood
ldquoA LOT OF PEOPLE HAD BEEN ASKING ME QUESTIONS ABOUTHOW I GOT MY BUSINESS STARTED I WANTED TO GATHER SOME PEOPLE AROUND ME
WHO WERE GOING THROUGH THOSE STRUGGLES AND TOBUILD ENTREPRENEURIAL COURAGErdquo
JACKI GIL SALT+PAPERIE
copy Patrick Hood
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
untsville-born Jacki Gil began her paper design busi-
ness Salt+Paperie in 2014 with an expansive vision
in mind one that extended beyond creating beautiful
custom designed paper goods ldquoI love my design job
but when Irsquom 50 years old I donrsquot see myself still de-
signing wedding invitationsrdquo the master stationer says
ldquoI really have a passion for teaching and helping people
I want to be a mentorrdquo
In 2015 Gil set out on her mentoring mission sooner than expected with a series
of workshops called Encourage Huntsville ldquoA lot of people had been asking me
questions about how I got my business startedrdquo Gil says about the early days of
Salt+Paperie Even though most of those questions from entrepreneurial-hopefuls
were technicalmdashlike how to apply for a business licensemdashthey served as inspira-
tion for Gil ldquoI wanted to gather some people around me who were going through
those struggles and to build entrepreneurial courage I defi nitely saw that there
was a need for helping people to take that next step toward owning their own
businessesrdquo
Encourage Huntsville was modeled on the image of a growing small business
movement called the Rising Tide Society a national community of creative small
business owners who encourage ldquocommunity over competitionrdquo Th at spirit of
openness is at the heart of Encourage Huntsville ldquoCommunity over competition
is a huge part of what we are doingrdquo says Gil ldquoSmall business owners sharing how
they earn their money is a big dealrdquo
As a fi rst step Gil gathered others around her who were using their skills and abili-
ties to make their own small businesses work With talents ranging from cooking
and cake decorating to hand lettering and artwork these small business owners
all embraced Gilrsquos vision for imparting to others the knowledge of their craft un-
impeded by a fear of losing their competitive edge
Th e fi rst lesson Gil wanted to impart to Encourage Huntsvillersquos students wasnrsquot
necessarily a particular craft or skill but a spirt of creative confi dence ldquoWe want-
ed to bridge the gap between the very artsy community and the ultimate engineer
communityrdquo many of whom Gil observes had been told since childhood they
werenrsquot artistic ldquoWhen you are little and someone tells you that you donrsquot have a
talent it sticks with you I found that a lot of people had that experience so that
was the workshop partmdashto build some creative courage in this communityrdquo
Gil conducted the fi rst workshop herself testing the waters to see how the concept
would be received Th e admission price to that fi rst workshop included supplies a
take-home ldquogoody bagrdquo to help students continue their work extracurricularly and
refreshmentsmdashas well as Gilrsquos tips of her trade
ldquoWe went in blindly not knowing if we had a market or notrdquo says Gil Th e popular-
ity of that fi rst class proved undeniably that a market did in fact exist the work-
shop sold out in one day ldquoSo we did back-to-back workshopsrdquo Gil says ldquoAfter that
novemberdecembeeer eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee | nononoononononononoonoonononooooonoonoonnononnoaaalalalllaallllllalaalaaalal ststustust ddiossscom mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm | | | | | | | | | | |
f
w
y
Previous page Encourage Huntsvillersquos founder and instructor Jacki Gil teaches a class in hand lettering Facing page A participant studies her supply list
we realized people really want to do this stuff So we said lsquoletrsquos jump on the boat
and make this happenrsquordquo
Gilrsquos longtime friend photographer Erin Lindsey of Erin Lindsey Images agreed
to contribute to Encourage Huntsvillersquos curriculum by teaching a photography
class ldquoJacki and I are a good team because our hearts are in the same place when
it comes to encouraging othersrdquo Lindsey says Still she admits saying yes to teach-
ing wasnrsquot without some initial hesitation ldquoWhen Jacki asked if I would teach a
class it was kind of scary I thought I had to be perfect before I could teach oth-
ersrdquo Lindsey says of her initial hesitancy ldquoBut after talking to Jacki I realized none
of us are perfectrdquo But perfection isnrsquot the goal encouragement is the goal ldquoAnd I
thought lsquoI can defi nitely line up with that visionrsquordquo
Michelle Odom another Huntsville native and owner of custom cake bakery Just
Crumbs was also on board with Gilrsquos vision In fact Odom had been contemplat-
ing teaching a class when she was approached by Gil to teach a fondant basics
class ldquoHuntsville is such an engineer town and everyone is so mathematical and
scientifi crdquo Odom says echoing the dichotomy between the arts and sciences ex-
pressed by Gil ldquoTh ese workshops are just a very cool way for structured people to
have a creative outletrdquo
ldquoJACKI AND I ARE A GOOD TEAM BECAUSE OUR HEARTS ARE INTHE SAME PLACE WHEN IT COMES TO ENCOURAGING OTHERSrdquo
ERIN LINDSEY ERIN LINDSEY IMAGES
copy Erin Lindsey
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Above A participant in Erin Lindseyrsquos photo class frames a still life
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
copy Erin Lindsey
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
ldquoHUNTSVILLE IS SUCH AN ENGINEER TOWN AND EVERYONE ISSO MATHEMATICAL AND SCIENTIFIC THESE WORKSHOPS ARE JUST A VERY COOL
WAY FOR STRUCTURED PEOPLE TO HAVE A CREATIVE OUTLETrdquo MICHELLE ODOM JUST CRUMBS
copy Michelle Odom
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
ldquoAnd yesrdquo Odom acknowledges ldquoyou are in theory teaching your competition But
at the same time you are helping the community be more creativerdquo
With its roster of popular creative workshops under its belt Encourage Huntsville
has added business classes to its community-over-competition curriculum with
classes designed to provide specifi c guidance for small business owners ldquoAll of
our events that donrsquot require hands-on work we call seminarsrdquo says Gil ldquoWe had
about 15 people at our fi rst one It was pretty much just an open discussion to ask
us questions and get answers from the perspective of a small business ownerrdquo
Th e seminars enjoyed the same success and enthusiasm as the workshops ldquoWe
had two hours for people to ask questionsrdquo Gil says Topics covered ran the gamut
from scheduling daily tasks self-hosting a website or using an Etsy store man-
aging client expectations and being realistic about how much time you need to
complete jobs
ldquoTh e time went quickly and people wanted morerdquo says Gil who envisions an all-
day seminar in 2016
Margaret Baggett owner and executive chef of the Chef Next Door is another
small business owner who has shared Gilrsquos vision from the very beginning teach-
copy Erin Lindsey
Facing page Michelle Odomrsquos fondant basics class begins with a styrofoam cake form Above Newbie photographers familiarize themselves with their cameras in Erin Lindseyrsquos photography class
ing knife skills workshops and helping host the business seminars ldquoI am so proud
to get to be a part of this project and help nurture other small business owners
who may just be starting out on their journey or are deep in it and looking for
some encouragement from other business ownersrdquo Baggett says of what motivates
her participation in Encourage Huntsville ldquoEven being on the advice-giving side
of things I am still learning and have taken tips and tricks and lessons from each
event we have had so far We never stop learning from each other and never stop
improving upon our craftsrdquo
Th e mutual growth among students and teachers is the source of the encourage-
mentmdashand the joymdashof Encourage Huntsville ldquoItrsquos so much fun to see the light
bulbs go off with people and see them encouraged right before your eyesrdquo Lindsey
says of her experience with the program ldquoPlus itrsquos a pleasure to contribute to a
sense of community over competition Th at whole concept is so rarerdquo
As Encourage Huntsvillersquos following continues to grow the diversity of the work-
shops will expand as well Whether you are looking to spend a fun afternoon
learning a new craft or are a budding small business owner hoping to launch
your brand Encourage Huntsville has something valuable to off er ldquoWe encourage
those left-brain folks to take up a new hobby or skillrdquo Baggett says ldquoor just encour-
age the people of Huntsville to get together and fan their creative fl amesrdquo
If yoursquore looking for
creative or entrepreneurial
encouragement visit
encouragehuntsvillecom
for seminar and workshop
schedules and information
ldquoI AM SO PROUD TO GET TO BE A PART OF THIS PROJECT AND HELP NURTURE OTHER SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS WHO MAY JUST BE STARTING OUT ON THEIR JOURNEY OR ARE DEEP IN IT
AND LOOKING FOR SOME ENCOURAGEMENT FROM OTHER BUSINESS OWNERSrdquoMARGARET BAGGETT CHEF NEXT DOOR
copy Jacki Gil
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
copy Jacki Gil
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Participants in Margaret Baggettrsquos knife skills workshop learn to perfect their ldquomise en placerdquo
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
copy Olivia Reed
text by sara wright covington raquo photos by olivia reed and jeff white
HUNTSVILLErsquoS
HOMEGROWNHOSTESS
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
ttttttononononoooooonononooooo raquo praquo praquo praquo praquo phothothothothotosoososos s s osos bybybbybb
Any host will tell you that delicious food and quality libations while important to
a partyrsquos success are secondary to the most important ingredient of all the guest list Th atrsquos why many
of downtown Huntsvillersquos most popular restaurants breweries and wine shops are turning to event
planner Ashley Ryals and her uncanny knack for attracting loyal patronsmdashand creating unforgettable
events in the process
When Huntsville born-and-bred Ashley Ryals left for college at the University of Alabama in 2001
she thought her exit from the Valley was permanent ldquoI never thought I would end up back hererdquo the
founder of event planning company Homegrown Huntsville says with a knowing laugh But after a few
post-graduate years working for world-renowned public relations powerhouse Weber Shandwick in
New York City Ryals started to second guess her freshman declaration
ldquoI started to get homesickrdquo she admits ldquoAll of my friends were getting married and meeting for football
games and I was missing itrdquo So when a friend from home set up an interview at EarlyWorks for a job
doing event planning Ryals jumped at the chance to come home
Ashley spent the next few years planning EarlyWorks Whistle Stop and Santarsquos Village events A brief
stint in sales followed along with a seat on the board of Huntsville Young Professionals where she had
an idea for a downtown pub crawl
ldquoWe expected 20 or 30 peoplerdquo Ryals says of their modest expectations ldquoBut 200 people showed uprdquo
Th at initial success convinced Ryals to embark on her dream of establishing an
event planning company But it wasnrsquot just any event planning company Ryals
had in mind she envisioned one that would collaborate with local businesses
cultivate signature events for the community to enjoy and support small busi-
nesses in the process
Inspired Ryals left her sales job and for the second time in her life came home
again to event planning and Homegrown Huntsville
To help bring her vision to life Ryals collaborated with designer Adrianne Van
Kirk of Fave Creative ldquoAdrianne has been a part of the visual and branding of
Homegrown from the beginning We come up with the event ideas then I get
the ticketing and sales together and she comes back with a logo and the mar-
keting for the event And thatrsquos how it all comes togetherrdquo Ryals says of their
creative process
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
ASHLEY RYALS
copy Olivia Reed
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
ldquoMOST WINE FESTIVALS ACROSS THE COUNTRY HAVE PROVEN RECORDS OF BEING ABLE TO STAY AROUND 15 OR 20 YEARS OR EVEN LONGER AND THE ECONOMIES OF THOSE
CITIES HAVE REALLY GROWN AS A RESULT I WANT BIG SPRING CRUSH TO EVENTUALLY BE THE BIGGEST AND BEST WINE FESTIVAL IN THE STATE OF ALABAMArdquo ASHLEY RYALS
copy Jeff White
copy Jeff White
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
copy Olivia Reed
Homegrown launched in 2011 with what would become its
signature event Dine amp Dash Every second Wednesday
April through October a trolley shuttles patrons between
downtown establishments where they are served a drink
and appetizer before moving on to the next stop
Owner and executive chef Merle Phillips of Th e Eaves was
one of the fi rst restaurants to sign on for Dine amp Dashrsquos de-
but ldquoAshley came to me and said she was starting a trolley
tasting conceptrdquo says Chef Merle ldquoI didnrsquot really know her so
I was taking a chance on the concept she was sellingrdquo
Merle tried it and has been a loyal participant of Dine amp
Dash ever since
ldquoIt was a risk in the beginning but it defi nitely paid off rdquo Chef
Merle says of the experience Pivotal to that experience ac-
cording to Phillips is Ryalsrsquo demonstration to the commu-
nity just what the term ldquohomegrownrdquo really means ldquoAshley
shines a spotlight on independent businesses in a market-
place that has for so long focused on chainsrdquo Phillips says
ldquoDine amp Dash has really brought into sharp focus the inter-
esting culinary diversity that Huntsville has to off errdquo
For the next two years Homegrown Huntsville focused al-
most exclusively on Dine amp Dash which by the end of its fi rst
year included every single downtown restaurant But when
big changes began to appear on the downtown horizonmdash
new restaurants breweries and residential developmentsmdash
Ryalsrsquo instincts told her
the time had come to
introduce a new event
to the downtown cal-
endar
ldquoBeer Hop follows
the concept of Dine
amp Dashrdquo Ryals says of
Homegrownrsquos second
venture which began
in 2013 Each month a
trolley visits three dif-
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
BILL FOWLEROLD TOWN BEER
EXCHANGE
copy Olivia Reed
copy Olivia Reed
ferent breweries where patrons sample beers and enjoy food
from a variety of food trucks parked at each location
Bill Fowler managing partner of Old Town Beer Exchange
agreed to participate in Beer Hop on his very fi rst day of
business and credits Ryals with an overwhelmingly success-
ful opening night ldquoAshley said lsquoI can guarantee that you are
going to have wave after wave of people coming throughrsquordquo
Fowler says recalling that fi rst jittery occasion Once again
Ryals proved true to her word with 60-plus patrons arriving
in an hour-and-a-half ldquoIt was awesome and such a great ex-
perience for usrdquo Fowler raves ldquoAshley is a hard worker and
you can see that in what she doesrdquo
Fowler believes that in addition to bringing new customers
to OTBX Ryals is also cultivating beer education consis-
tently bringing in people who are new to beer and want to
learn And with Huntsvillersquos recent brewery boom that level
of education and interest is crucial for the brewing commu-
nity to thrive ldquoWe have a very small window of opportunityrdquo
says Fowler ldquoI think Huntsville in particular is becoming a
craft brewing community People are making money at this
and once Tennessee sees that we need to already have had a
pretty huge head startrdquo
By the end of 2013 and with standing events Beer Hop and
Dine amp Dash well established Ryals took time to refl ect on
her original goal for Homegrown Huntsville ldquoIn the back of
my head from day one I knew I wanted to do a wine festival
I just didnrsquot think Huntsville was ready for it in 2011rdquo
Emboldened by the success of Beer Hop Ryals decided to
make the leap with Big Spring Crush wine festival later the
same year Once again Ryals delivered the perfect audience
for the event and in the process discovered a surprising
fact about North Alabamarsquos contribution to the wine-mak-
ing industry
ldquoIn doing the wine festival I learned that we have a huge
wine community in Huntsvillerdquo Ryals says ldquoTh ere are only
about 47 certifi ed wine judges in the entire United States
and we have four of them right here in North Alabama Two
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
copy Jeff White
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
ldquoI STARTED TO GET HOMESICK ALL OF MY FRIENDS WERE GETTING MARRIEDAND MEETING FOR FOOTBALL GAMES AND I WAS MISSING ITrdquo ASHLEY RYALS
copy Jeff White
copy Jeff White
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
ldquoIT WAS AWESOME AND SUCH A GREAT EXPERIENCE FOR USrdquoBILL FOWLER OLD TOWN BEER EXCHANGE
copy Jeff White
copy Olivia Reed
of those four certifi ed wine judges sit on the committee for
Big Spring Crushrdquo
Matthew and Stephanie Mell had just opened Church Street
Wine Shop when they decided to participate in the fi rst Big
Spring Crush Like OTBXrsquos Robert Fowler the Mells credit
Ryals and Homegrown Huntsville for helping to introduce
their new enterprise to the community ldquoAshley has been in-
strumental in helping to bring us people who love and ap-
preciate winerdquo Stephanie Mell says ldquoShe was homegrown
here in Huntsville and she really gets the downtown area
and small businesses and that is so important to usrdquo
Big Spring Crush began with a bang featuring over 150
wines and attracting patrons from across the country
ldquoMost wine festivals across the country have proven records
of being able to stay around 15 or 20 years or even longerrdquo
Ryals says ldquoAnd the economies of those cities have really
grown as a result I want Big Spring Crush to eventually be
the biggest and best wine festival in the state of Alabamardquo
How does Ryals intend to make that dream come true ldquoBy
always keeping it fresh I want to have new marketing and
new things happening each yearrdquo
Ryalsrsquo formula of reinvention and expansion has successfully
led Homegrown Huntsville through fi ve years of success and
helped its events become community staples along the way In
the process Ryals is broadening more than just our image of
downtown Huntsville shersquos joining a class of creative entrepre-
neurs committed to expanding Huntsvillersquos reputation as more
than just a hub for the brightest scientifi c minds in America
ldquoWe have a big city of engineers and lawyers and itrsquos won-
derfulrdquo Ryals say ldquo But there is a whole artist and food cul-
ture here and there is so much growth I want us to have a
vibrant cool downtown area and I want for people to tell
their friends to come and visit and to see Huntsville for what
it is a city I loverdquo
If yoursquod like to participate in Homegrown Huntsville either
as a guest or a participating business visit homegrown-
huntsvillecom
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
copy Jeff White
I was years old and the year was At that time the city of Huntsville was inching toward the mountain to the east California Street was once the continental divide between the small town metropo-lis and the uncharted territories gingerly crossed by the real estate pioneers four score and some odd years prior Th is area became the new suburb as the city kept pushing onward toward Fagan Springs as if the reverberating booms of rocket testings were vibrating Hunstvillians away from its epicenter
From the front yard of our house on Owens Drive I could look to the rightmdashup the hill to the bend be-yond which the big houses stood on their rocky ledge pedestals and to the left where all the other houses that looked just like oursmdashfresh and newmdashrambled for what seemed like miles Th ose clean well-lit abodes all seemed the same and granted at my age I knew more about the pets that lived there than I did about the people who owned those manageable mortgages I came to realize that each was diff erent in a way that was permeated by voices smells and furnishings
It is a clicheacute to say that our lives were simpler then because that is just how the current era will be fondly referred to in the future but to a 5-year-old it is the simplicity that brought the joy Th e sixties will always be to me the beginning of the age of manufactured happiness Cheap clean and simple was what was strived for and what was easily obtained Plastic items were plentiful and pretty things could be bought with SampH Green Stamps A few coins in our pocket would transfer us into the most master of manipula-tors with us giving our all to convince our parents for a jaunt to Murdockrsquos for a holiday of wonderment joy and impatience as we would scour the shelves trying to get the most from our meager budget
Owens Drive was the fairly new thoroughfare from which the avenues of three-bedroom-ranchers fi ngered away at planned intervals Th is was the place where newlyweds started their lives homes and families Where girls with last names that had been in the town for generations would change them to those strange and exotic last names of the clean cut newcomers brought here for military purposes Where the housewives would preheat their pristine electric ovens trying to make cheese straws and biscuits that were just like their motherrsquos only to be frustrated as they were never quite the same and where the husbands would follow in their fatherrsquos footsteps by joining the Acme Club and hunting doves on the weekends
Th ere was a swimming pool Certainly not at our house Th e only private pool I remember as a child was one that my grandmother would take me to nestled between huge trees at someonersquos house on Adams Street I would swim with other children my age while our grandmothers chatted smoking cigarettes in cat-eyed anonymity whispering most of their stories so we wouldnrsquot be able to hear But between their
gasps and laughter we would listen hear and learn
Th e Blossomwood pool was a place of designated rules and the sound of bright whistlesmdashwith straight lines and distinctive colors of blue and green I can still feel the Coppertoned oiliness on the skin of the tanned lifeguard as she carried me from the deep end frightened after my fi rst attempt at solo-swimming She knew my name I had no idea who she was
On the other side of the pool was the school my older sister attended It had a style that mim-icked the poolmdashstraight lines cleanmdasha temple to orderliness and good manners It was with
awe that I once watched the young adults there some as old as eleven wind and dance their way around a sky-high fl agpolemdasheach with a diff erent color ribbon until the fi rst (and only) May Pole
I was privy to was completely dressed in its woven bright colors
90 raquo bless their hearts raquo Guy McClure Jr
Huntsville was a magical place for us tail-end baby boomers to grow upmdashbeyond the miracles of the escalator at Pizitz the smiling little lady on the tall stool at the register at Britlings There was a comfort level there that Irsquom not sure is in the minds of the 5-year-olds of today
cat-eyed agasps
Th s
aI w
THE COMFORTS OF BLOSSOMWOOD
In our world of red-bricked carported castles there was a def-inite division of generations Th e children ate separately from the parents went to school as our dads went to work enter-tained our neighborhood friends as quietly as possible and felt safe between our boundaries of Big Cove Road and Hermitage Street While we dined on our Chef Boy-Ar-Dee boxed pizza our parents busied themselves dressing in their dark colors getting ready for a late dinner at Boots having the scent of perfume and face powder trail my mother as she came into the kitchen looking for something with an intense purpose My father would smell of British Sterling and look just as he did when he went to work only happier Th ese nights meant something fun would happenmdashwe would have a babysitter
Babysitters were my introduction into what was and still seems cool Th ey were usually Huntsville High School teen-agers who would put on a show without even knowing it I would drink in their every move word and essence of style To me they were supermodelsmdashmovie starsmdasheven more fa-mous in my eyes than a television weatherman and almost as glamorous as the waitresses at the Waffl e House
Before they would tire of me and my sister and put us to bed they would include us in their world of music and knowledge which I thought was all-encompassing Suddenly our world of Th e Benny Carl Show and Fantasy Playhouse would seem trite and passeacute and we would catch a fl eeting glimpse into what would be in store for us when we too could stay up past 8 pm
Huntsville was a magical place for us tail-end baby boomers to grow upmdashbeyond the miracles of the escalator at Pizitz the smiling little lady on the tall stool at the register at Britlings and that bright colorful Maypole Th ere was a comfort level there that Irsquom not sure is in the minds of the 5-year-olds of todaymdashthe soothing sheltered lack of knowledge of why we were so lucky yet we didnrsquot even know that we were
In the other areas of our Huntsville there was poverty and ra-cial unrestmdashas there was and is in every city I was unaware People of color were always a part of my worldmdashmostly be-cause they had my attention and respect At our house there was Annie my grandmotherrsquos house was fi lled with the joys of Lula and out on the family farm there was strong and smiling Homer and large and huggable Rosamdashall just as much a part of my life as everyone else My life was good and they were instrumental in making it that way
What will the 5-year-olds of today who are lucky enough to be raised on those well-planned streets remember when they surpass their own 50 year mark It is a much more complex world now and there are diff erent concerns with daily changes of fear Youthful innocence is a prize that is encased without a lock Premature maturity is a viable threat and a constant fear But each night tucked in tight in a simple room sleeps tomor-rowrsquos adults who are having sweet dreamsmdashblanketed by the comforts of Blossomwood
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
92 raquo the vine raquo Amy C Collins
BORDEAUX POWER
Where Burgundyrsquos vineyards were established by Benedictine monks patiently growing wine vines with spiritual hearts Bordeauxrsquos vineyards were raised by entrepreneurial laymen who recognized the massive monetary opportunity when the English began drinking down their peasant wine
The city of Bordeaux is Francersquos primary port town on the Atlantic ocean a harbor that has for centuries served as the countryrsquos most important dock Th e regionrsquos history is long and storied with the fi rst written reference to the area dated 379 AD by the Latin poet Ausonius who was also a wine-grower Jump ahead to the year 1152 when Eleanor of Aquitaine married Englandrsquos soon-to-be king Henry Plantagenet and the port and surrounding vineyard land became the source of wine for the English a connection that remains strong even today
Bordeaux produces the worldrsquos most expensive and sought after collector wines the top tier of which make up less than fi ve percent of the regionrsquos total production Th ese names are quickly learned by neophyte wine drinkers wanting to make an impression Chateau Haut-Brion Lafi te Latour and Margaux for example Grown in gravelly soils only a few meters above sea levelmdashin contrast vineyards elsewhere in Europe typically sit between 300 and 900 metersmdashthese wines are some of the most powerful austere and pawed over When young the tannins in these cabernet sauvignon cabernet franc and merlot blends coat the tongue and mouth with a chalky dry sensation akin to sucking on an Earl Grey tea bag and are perhaps best suited to well-fatted rare steak and cigars Th ese are wines built to live for decades Personally I prefer a Bordeaux at least 20 years aged when the tannins have had ample time to calm down and mellow out and more nuanced fl avors come forward Sounds fancy and it is Only in some very lucky circumstances over the past year have I been guest to a bottle of 1990 Clos de Menuts Saint-Eacutemilion and a 1970 Chateau Haut-Brion About once every 10 years Irsquove had the good
fortune to taste a wine older than myself Nice work if you can get it
Where Burgundyrsquos vineyards (Francersquos other classifi ed sought-after region) were established by Benedictine monks patiently growing wine vines with spiritual hearts
Bordeauxrsquos vineyards were raised by entrepreneurial laymen who recognized the massive monetary opportunity when the English began drinking down their peasant wine Th is underscores the second half of my theory as to why Americans
more often American males are so drawn to the wines of Bordeaux Th erersquos an inherent capitalist connection something in the soil Th at the wines are so
unmistakable so distinctively grand and pronounced elixirs exemplifi es the fi rst half of my theory we Americans are not known for our subtlety (To be fair the Chinese are
signifi cant Bordeaux collectors as well)
Philosophy aside Bordeaux is quite a large region that produces beautiful white and red values as well as the rare fi nds out of the populacersquos price range Herersquos the skinny Blending is the game single varietal wines are rare White Bordeaux is typically made from a blend of sauvignon blanc and seacutemillon and sometimes a drop or two of muscadelle ugni blanc or colombard Reds are made primarily from the two cabernets plus merlot with small quantities of petit verdot malbec and carmenegravere occasionally in the mix Th e region is also home to the golden nectar of late ripened seacutemillon sauvignon blanc and muscadelle grapes that have successfully attracted the noble rot a fungus that covers the fruit and drains moisture from inside leaving behind rich sweet grapes without moldy fl avors Chateau drsquoYquem is the most famous of these unfortifi ed dessert wines though there are better bargains from the region
Bordeaux is split by the Gironde river which divides the region into three general areas Th e left bank also known as the Haut-Meacutedoc is where the classifi ed top growths are situated Th ese prestigious estates were named for their exceptional vineyard sites in 1855 a decision nearly unchanged since Today serious collectors invest in Bordeaux futures theoretically locking down lower prices of top
ample time to calm dit is Only in some vede Menuts Saint-Eacutem
fortune to taste a
Wherees
aun
of msignifi
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Follow Amy at pigandvinecom for morestories and wine suggestions
growth estates while the wine is still aging in the cellar Itrsquos the wine tradersquos equivalent to the NASDAQ On the right bank Saint-Eacutemilion and Pommerol are the prized vineyard areas known for their merlot heavy cuveacutees To the south west we fi nd Graves where there are many great values to be had in both white and red bottlings Entre-Deux-Mers which translates to ldquobetween two seasrdquo sits between the Dordogne and Garonne tributaries off the Gironde and is an excellent source for crisp whites
Get started on your Bordeaux experience with these values
Chateau Graville-Lacoste 2014 Graves 75 seacutemillon 20 sauvignon blanc and 5 muscadelle make up this beauty thatrsquos consistently delicious every vintage Crisp and refreshing great with seafood
Chateau Mirambeau 2014 GravesAnother classic blend of 40 sauvignon blanc 40 seacutemillon and 20 muscadelle this lovely white is a bit more fl oral than the Graville-Lacoste Easy drinking and great value
Chateau de Parenchegravere Bordeaux Rouge 201155 merlot 30 cabernet sauvignon and 15 cabernet franc grown in clay heavy soils similar to the right bank of the region Fleshy with good structure and abundant red fruit
Chateau Arnaud Bordeaux Supeacuterieur 2011Supeacuterieur on a Bordeaux label isnrsquot egotistical marketingmdashby law it indicates a wine with up to one degree more alcohol than its AC Bordeaux brethren What it really means is one more degree of body structure and in this case quality Approachable delicious and easy on the wallet
Chateau de Bernadotte Haut-Meacutedoc 2005Th e 2005 vintage in Bordeaux is in the history books with double asterisks Owned by the eminent Pichon Lalande family and made from vineyards in Paulliac one of the more choice growing areas in the region this is an incredible value a top tier Bordeaux for a fraction of the cost
Chateau de Suduiraut Sauternes 2011Ripe cantaloupe apricot and honey and an interesting smoky note with a solid sweet attack followed by great acidity A dessert wine that wonrsquot overpower the dessert
94 raquo parting shot raquo Patrick Hood
Meet Solvar
Solvar belongs to one of the worldrsquos oldest and purest equine lineages the Nor-
wegian Fjord horse a breed that has remained virtually unchanged for more than
2000 yearsmdashlong before we became acquainted with his animated cousins in
the movie Frozen Th ese national symbols of Norway are characterized by primi-
tive zebra striping on their legs and a dorsal stripe running from forelock to tail
resulting in a striking two-tone mane that sticks up like a Mohawk Th eir athleti-
cism agility and dependability make them valuable both as sport horses as well
as therapy horses for emotionally and physically challenged adults and children
Catie Wells of Huntsville is the proud owner of Solvar who resides at Monte
Sano Stables
For tickets or information 256-539-4818 or hsoorg
Bring In the New Year With Us
presents
WHAT A WONDERFUL
WORLDA tribute to Louis
Armstrong featuring the
Byron Stripling Quartet
Thursday December 31
730 pm bull Pops Series bullMark C Smith
Concert Hall VBC
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
M O R E T H A N 7 0 S H O P S A N D R E S T A U R A N T S I N C L U D I N G B E L K | D S W S H O E S | A P P L E J O S A B A N K | R E E D S J E W E L E R S | PA N D O R A | J C R E W | K AT E S PA D E N E W Y O R KO R V I S | B A N A N A R E P U B L I C | M I C H A E L K O R S | F R A N C E S C Arsquo S | A N T H R O P O L O G I EH amp M | S O M A | M O U N T A I N H I G H O U T F I T T E R S | B A R N E S amp N O B L E | S E P H O R AALTAR rsquoD STATE | CONNORS STEAK amp SEFOOD | THE WEST IN HUNTSV I L L E | MONACO P ICTURES
C O M I N G S O O N V E R S O N A ndash near Belk
B R I D G E S T R E E T H U N T S V I L L E C O M |
BR IDGE STREET TOWN CENTRE I S LOCATED AT EX I T 14 OFF I - 565 AT OLD MAD ISON P IKE
8 raquo contents
NOVEMBERDECEMBER 2015
Volume 4 Issue 6
bull bull bull
Editor-in-Chief C Allen Tomlinson
Chief Operating Offi cer Matthew Liles
Creative Director David Sims
Advertising Directors Heidi King and Jamie Noles
Advertising Sales Kevin McDonald
Features Manager Roy Hall
Graphic Designer Rowan Finnegan
Web Designer Justin Hall
Editorial Assistant Tara Bullington
Proofreader Carole Maynard
Distribution Johnson Trent
bull bull bull
Contributing Writers
Amy C Collins Sara Wright Covington
Sarah Gaede Roy Hall Jennifer Crossley Howard
Guy McClure Jr Allen Tomlinson
bull bull bull
Contributing Photographers
Jacki Gil Patrick Hood Erin Lindsey
Danny Mitchell Michelle Odom
Olivia Reed Lauren Tomasella Carney
Jeff White
bull bull bull
NorsquoAla Huntsville is published six times annuallyby NorsquoAla Studios
PO Box 2530 Florence AL 35630 Phone (800) 779-4222 | Fax (256) 766-4106
Web noalastudioscom
Standard postage paid at Huntsville ALA one-year subscription is $1995for delivery in the United States
Signed articles refl ect only the views of the authors and do not necessarily refl ect the views of the editors
Advertisers are solely responsible forthe content of their advertisements
copy 2008-2015 NorsquoAla Studios All rights reserved
Send all correspondence toAllen Tomlinson Editor at the postal address above
or by e-mail to allennoalastudioscomLetters may be edited for space and style
To advertise contact us at(256) 766-4222 or salesnoalastudioscom
The editor will provide writerrsquos guidelines upon requestProspective authors should not submit unsolicited
manuscripts please query the editor fi rst
NorsquoAla Huntsville is printed with vegetable-based inksPlease recycle
Connect with us on Facebook NorsquoAla HuntsvilleTwitter NoAla_Magazine and Pinterest NoAlaStudios
everything else
6010 Calendar Selected Events for NovemberDecember 2015
12 Cryinrsquo Out Loud ldquoHomerdquo
by sara wright covington
90 Bless Th eir HeartsldquoTh e Comforts of Blossomwoodrdquo by guy mcclure jr
92 Th e Vine ldquoBordeaux Powerrdquo by amy c collins
94 Parting Shot by patrick hood
copy Patrick Hood
On the cover Liliana Castillo
Maddox Acker Ilan Castillo
Rowan Jackson and Liam Acker
get into the holiday spirit
(1) Light of Mine Pullover ($25)(2) Free Range Baseball Tee ($23)(3) Young Buck Baseball Tee ($23)(4) Hey Yrsquoall Tee ($20)(5) Hey Yrsquoall Pullover ($25)Tiny Vinestinyvinesshopcom
Photo by Lauren Tomasella Carney
Guadalupe Robinson Turning life into art
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Friday November 13
Lights Up Holiday Tree Lighting
Bridge Street Town Centre lights up like a winter wonderland to welcome Santa with school choirs local musicians
and strolling Victorian carolers culminating in a spectacular fi reworks display 700pm Free Bridge Street Town Centre
bridgestreethuntsvillecom
Sunday November 15
Beethoven Conversations
Select Beethoven piano solos and Quintet op 16 B-fl at major featuring guest artist pianist Kirill Gerstein 330pm Admission
charged Roberts Hall UAH (256) 539-4818 hsoorg
Friday November 20 ndash Sunday November 22
Bullets Over Broadway
A young playwright in desperate need of fi nancial backing for his next show accepts an off er he canrsquot refuse from a mobster
looking to please his showgirl girlfriend Donrsquot miss what the New Yorker exclaims as ldquoa Fun Machine from Start to Finishrdquo Fri
200pm Sat 200 and 800pm Sun 200pm and 730pm Admission charged Von Braun Center 700 Monroe St (256) 518-6155
broadwaytheatreleagueorg
Sunday November 22
A Vignette from Th e Nutcracker
Enjoy a vignette from the Huntsville Ballet Companyrsquos 47th annual production of Th e Nutcracker set in antebellum Huntsville
with a nod to local legends and traditions and accompanied by Tchaikovskyrsquos delightful score 200pm Free fee for museum
exhibitions Huntsville Museum of Art 300 Church St (256) 535-4350 hsvmuseumorg
Tuesday December 1 ndash Wednesday December 23
Santarsquos Village
All ages will delight in visiting the Clausrsquo house meeting Santarsquos reindeer the North Pole elves and Santa Snow shows craft
projects and musical entertainment all add to the fun at the Village Santa Calls Home 500pm-900pm Admission charged
Alabama Constitution Village 109 Gates Ave earlyworkscom
Wednesday December 2
Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony Every Light a Prayer for Peace
Th is yearrsquos program includes local dignitaries elementary-age students clergy and Federated Garden Club members who will
light the Botanical Gardenrsquos Christmas Tree 930am Free Huntsville Botanical Garden 4747 Bob Wallace Ave (256) 830-444
hsvbgorg
Friday December 4
Peace on Earth A Holiday Music Extravaganza
Th e Symphonic Chorus Childrenrsquos Chorale and Youth Chorale join the UAH Music Department the Huntsville Symphony
Orchestra and Huntsville Ballet for this seasonal performance 730pm Admission charged Von Braun Concert Hall 700
Monroe St (256) 533-6606 thechorusorg
10 raquo calendar
g g
y December 4
on Earth A Holiday Music Extravaganza
e Symphonic Chorus Childrenrsquos Chorale and Youth Chorale join the UAH Music Departmennnnnnennnnnnnnnnnne ttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttt ttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttheeeeeheeeheheheeeeehehehehehhhheeheeheheheheheeehehehehhhhhhhhhhehehehehehehehhehhheheheehehhhehehhheheheehehheheheheheheehhhehehhehhhhhhhehhehhheh HHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHununununununununununununununununnununuununununununununuunununununuunununnnnnunnunuu tstststststststststststststststststststststststststststststststststtststssststssstststss iviviviviviviviiviviviviviviviviviviviviviviviviviviviviviivvivivivivivivivivivivivivvivivivivvivviivv lllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllleeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee SySySySySySySySySySySySyySySySySySySySySySyySySyySySySySySySySySySySySySySySySySySyySySySySyySySySySySSSySySySySySyympmpmpmpmpmpmpmpmmpmpmpmpmpmpmpmpmpmpmpmmpmpmpmpmmpmmpmpmpmpmpmpmpmpmppppmpmpmppmpmppmpmpmppmphohohohohhohohohhohohohhohohohohohhohohohohohhhhhohohohhohohhohohohhohohohohohohohohohhohoohhohonynynnynynynynynynynynynynynynynynynynynynynnynynynynynynynynynynynynynynynnynyyynynyynnnnnynyyy
chestra and Huntsville Ballet for this seasonal performance 730pm Admission nnnnn n chchhchhhchchhhhhhhhhhchhchhhhhhhchchhhchchhhchhhhchhchchhchchchhhhhhhhchcccccchhhhchchcccccccchhchchcccccchchcccccccchccccccharrrrrrrarrrrarrarrarrrrrrrrrraraaarrrrrarararararraaaaaarrrarararaaaaaaararrraraaaaaaaaaaararararaaaaaaaaararaaararaaaarrarrrggggggggggegegegeegegegegegegegeggggggegegegegegegegeggeeeggegegeggegegeegegggggggegg dddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddd VVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVonononnonononononononononononononnnoonoonono BBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBrararararararrararrrarararararaaarararararaaunununununununununnunununununununuununuuuunununnuu CCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCConononononononononononnnononononononoonoooononoooononononnonncecececececececececececececeececececececececececeeceeeeccceeertrtrtrtrtrtrtrtrtrtrtrrtrtrtrtrtrtrtrtrtrtrtrtrtrtrtrtrttrtrtrtrtrtrtrtrttrt HHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHallalalalalalalaalalalllllalalalalalalalalllalalalalalalalalalaalalalalaallalalalalalllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll 777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000
onroe St (256) 533-6606 thechorusorg
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Friday December 4 ndash Saturday December 5
Kris Kringlersquos Candlelight Christmas
Two spectacular evenings of cozy fi res holiday music fi ggy pudding homemade cookies kids crafts designer deacutecor and much
more Itrsquos holiday fun for the whole family with the most magical view in town 430pm-900pm Admission charged Burritt on
the Mountain 3101 Burritt Dr (256) 536-2882 burrittonthemountaincom
Friday December 4 ndash Sunday December 6
A Christmas Carol
Travel with Scrooge as he visits his past present and future on Christmas Eve in this musical retelling of Charles Dickensrsquo
classic novel Fri and Sat 700pm and Sun 200pm Admission charged Von Braun Playhouse 700 Monroe St (256) 539-6829
fantasyplayhousecom
Friday December 4 ndash Sunday December 6
Th e Nutcracker A Yuletide Ballet
Alabama Youth Ballet Th eatre opens its 10th season to holiday audiences with this beloved Christmas ballet Fri 700pm
Sat 200pm and 730pm Sun 200pm Admission charged Lee HS Auditorium 2500 Meridian St (256) 881-5930
alabamayouthballetorg
Saturday December 12
Madison Christmas Parade
Music fl oats and fun for the whole family Afterwards gather for an old-fashioned celebration on the Village Green Listen
to carolers and instrumental music around the Roundhouse and sip hot chocolate at the Gazebo 530pm Free Downtown
Madison (256) 772-9300 cimadisonalus
Saturday December 12
Mooresville Holiday Home Tour and Progressive Dinner
Th e 50 residents of historic Mooresville incorporated in 1818 invite you to celebrate the season with a tour of the 1839 Brick
Church 1820 Stagecoach Tavern 1840 Post Offi ce and fi ve private homes all decorated in the tradition of Christmas past
Homes open and shopping available from 200pm to 600pm Dinner seating at 330pm to 430pm and at 500pm to 600 pm in
town square Reservations required $70 Mooresville (256) 355-2683 mooresvillealcom
Saturday December 12
Spirit of Christmas Past Homes Tour and Luminaries
Tour fi ve private residences on Randolph Street the Weeden House Museum on Gates Avenue and other historic buildings
ornately decorated for the holidays 500pm-900pm Admission charged Twickenham Historic District (256) 536-7718
twickenhamhomestourcom
Th ursday December 17
Huntsville Christmas Parade
Welcome Santa Claus to Huntsville as he ushers in the Christmas season at the annual Christmas parade Enjoy the excitement
and music with many entries and bands from across North Alabama 600pm Free Downtown Huntsville (256) 885-9797
Saturday December 19
Holiday Artists Market
Americarsquos largest private artist complex invites the public to its annual Holiday Artists Market 1100am-600pm Free Flying
Monkey Arts Th eater Lowe Mill 2211 Seminole Dr (256) 489-7000 fl yingmonkeyartsorg
Saturday December 31
Huntsville Symphony Orchestra presents ldquoWhat A Wonderful Worldrdquo - a tribute to Louis Armstrong
Bring in the New Year with the Byron Stripling Quartet and the music of Louis Armstrong a presentation of the HSO 730
pm Mark C Smith Concert Hall VBC call (256) 539-4818 for tickets or visit wwwhsoorg
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
pm Mark C Smith Concert Hall VBC call (256) 539-4818 for tickets or visit wwwhsoorg
12 raquo cryinrsquo out loud raquo Sara Wright Covington
HOME
So we carry our boxes and baggage from place to place carving out a new niche for them wherever we fi nd ourselves And I fi nd that long after I have left a place that place has not left me
According to a government survey conducted in the average person moves around 11
times in a lifetime My husband never one to conform to the norm had moved nine times by the time
he was 18 He just like his father and his fatherrsquos father is a builder and thatrsquos just what builders do
Th ey build and they move and then they build and they move again I knew when I married him that
he would follow in those family footsteps and that I was signing up for a lifetime of constant moving
Frequent moves do seem to be much more of the norm where we live in Huntsville a super transient
place full of military and government men and women who are accustomed to shifting their families
from spot to spot But having only lived in two houses by the time I was 18 it was still hard for me
to imagine packing my entire life into boxes every couple of
years Now on our third move together Irsquove started taking
inventory of my things each time I prepare to repack them
into boxes and Irsquove defi nitely begun to see a trendmdashmost
everything I own has been in my life for a very long time Irsquove
carried my grandmotherrsquos hat boxes full of fur and feath-
ered millinery from place to place with me since I was 22 I
still have the antique four poster bed I slept in as a
child My many bookshelves are fi lled with every
book I have likely ever ownedmdashfrom the Norton
Anthology of English Literature to Frommerrsquos Las
Vegas guide book Th ere are even a few items of
clothing in my closet that are 20 or more years old
including a rain jacket monogrammed with my high
school letters and a sequined tube top I think I wore
at some point during college although I hope that
Irsquom wrong
It has been scientifi cally proven that most people
fear change as the outcome of that change is of-
ten unknown With each and every move that we
make it has become increasingly evident that I am
no diff erent We fi nd faith in the familiar which for
me seems to include everything from my footwear
to my friends So we carry our boxes and baggage
from place to place carving out a new niche for them
wherever we fi nd ourselves And I fi nd that long after
I have left a place that place has not left me I re-
cently went to visit the house where I grew up which
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
is sadly empty now Th e front door was exactly the same
and the concrete steps where I skinned my knee as a child
are still there as is the scar I still bear from those steps 30
years later I peeked through the glass backdoor to see that
the kitchen cabinets were still exactly the same an unpainted
knotty wood with brass knobs and the pocket door adja-
cent to the stove was still there also half open to the sitting
room I wondered if that door still bore the carved notches
of my height chart an expanse of inches that widened over
the years as I grew each notch labeled in pen with a date I
strained my eyes to look but could not see
Th e seasons are changing now and once again we are mov-
ing Th e boxes are being collected now and Irsquove already be-
gun a mental timeline of how long I can procrastinate until
actually beginning to pack them Th is summer in particular
has been one of many changes for usmdashups and downs joys
and sorrowsmdashand the walls of this house have witnessed
them all And I have to admit that it does seem right that
as the seasons change we too should also move on As
someone recently put it to me when facing the fear of the
unknown we have to learn to just manage and adjustmdashhav-
ing faith at the threshold of change that life will continue to
be full of beauty and fun love and loss We are not forced
to edge any one of these out to make room for the other but
rather we must learn to make room for them all
Th ere is no doubt that this house will stick with me as
all of the memories within it are engraved into my mind
But this time around I know that home will always be
where my family and friends are and the walls around
us are just a shelter through the sun and storms of our
lives I choose to believe that old habits are not necessar-
ily bad habits but traditions we choose to bring with us
into the future as a form of comfort in the midst of the
fear of the future My husband and I have celebrated
one of those old traditions in this house as we
have made our own growth chart for our
children here carving and marking their
tiny heights onto one of our downstairs
doors And although I will likely fret and
shed some tears through this entire mov-
ing process as I attempt to detach myself
from these walls a little compromise can be
comforting and being married to a builder
does have its perksmdashwe are unhinging that
door and taking it with us when we go
for information visit wwwathenseduathenianplayers
Names for photos are provided by the organization or business featured
14 raquo scene
Suzanne OrsquoConnor Karen Kiss and Sallie Ennis
Front Row L-R Patrick Robbins Ed Rush Nancy Colin George Smith and Steve Thornton Back Row L-R John Johnson Richard Van Valkenburgh Ronald Reed and Skipper Colin
Richard and Nancy Van Valkenburgh
Jay and Dana Town
Ernie Rivard Ann Rivard Anne Compton Burke and Kim and John Johnson
George and Lee Anne Smith and Steve and Patti Thornton
Linda Akenhead Donna Rush Ivy Albert and Amelia Summerville
Bobsy and Bill IngramChris Wesley Suzanne OrsquoConnor and Patrick Robbins
Tom and Pennie Keene Sharon and Ed Gartrell and Janet and David Skidmore
Debbie Overcash Brenda Millberger and Theresa Taylor
Ronald and Daphne Reed and Nancy and Skipper Colin
Kendall Black and Lee Anne Bostick
Sharon Gartrell Paige Prozan Amelia Summerville and Susan Todd Matt Taylor Bruce Summerville
Eric Milberger and Tommy Overcash
copy Photos by Mark Jaeger
Joyce Griffi n Betsy Lowe Peter Lowe Debbie Washburn and Ben Washburn
2015 Symphony Ball Advisorsrsquo Cocktail Partyaugust middot home of jay and dana town huntsville
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
text by sarah gaede raquo photos by patrick hood
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Some restaurants have food trucks for off-premise
special events Chef Will proprietor of Th e Palate at Lowe
Mill has a folding table Equipped with coolers kettles a
butane burner and his trusty cast iron skillet he turns out
amazing vegetarian and vegan dishes for his loyal following
every Th ursday at Greene Street Market in Huntsville
Although he grew up in Groton Connecticut helping his
mother in the kitchen and was always interested in food Chef
Will then known as Forest Wilson felt he couldnrsquot compete
with his older brother who was an executive chef So he
received vocational training in welding and visual arts (skills
which he still uses in creating his Afro-centric art) After a
brief stint in California working in the shipbuilding industry
he decided to follow his fi rst love and go to culinary school
When Chef Will visited his mother in Huntsville he realized
how much he missed being close to the land So he moved to
Alabama After he saw what his family was eating and how
many health problems they had he began an intensive study
of nutrition and the healing properties of natural foods
He had already been turned on to the health benefi ts of a
vegetarian diet by the surfers he hung out with in California
With his back-to-basics approach
Chef Will is like a nineteenth century
cook witha twenty-first century vibe
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
like a nineteenth century cook with a twenty-
fi rst century vibe
While most of Chef Willrsquos dishes are vegan he
does use real cheese because it melts better
He also uses free-range eggs Portobello
mushrooms are his go-to meat substitute
Th e day I visited he was serving portobello
pepper ldquosteakrdquo over quinoa and brown rice
with a liberal dash of his secret Bee Sting
sauce which his son Khaliq is working on
marketing to the public It was scrumptious
His food is so densely fl avored you donrsquot miss
the meat He especially loves the spices and
ingredients of Indian Asian and Chinese
cuisines all of which off er a great variety of
tasty vegetarian dishes
Chef Will is a passionate evangelist for the
healing properties of pure natural foods and
he preaches this gospel in a way that is so
inviting those who try his food cannot help
but be much more open-minded about trying
new healthy creative ways of eating
who seemed to have much more energy than he did He
became intentional about every step of the cooking process
from ingredient sourcing to cookwaremdashhence the cast
iron skillet which is naturally non-stick and adds iron to
whatever is cooked in it
Chef Will sources his ingredients locally whenever possible
He makes his vegetable stock with spring water His tasty
beans are soaked and simmered in that fl avorful stock not
poured from a can His collards are sublime without a hint
of pork fat With his back-to-basics approach Chef Will is
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Start a New Holiday Tradition at Burritt on the Mountain
ldquoHoliday Magicrdquo A Magical Dining Experience
December 10th 11th amp 12th
Itrsquos a magically fun evening dining in a historic cabin or the mansion with friends while enjoying delectable food and wine It is unlike any other holiday dinner and itrsquos perfect for a festive family occasion yet intimate enough for a romantic dinner for two Itrsquos rustic AND upscale
Holiday Magic reservations are being taken now by calling Butch Damson at 256-534-4361 Hurry Space is limted $90 per dinner seat Visit the website for menus and more
limited seating available make your reservations today
Wersquore decking the walls halls and stalls to get you in the holiday spirit More than 600 candles illuminate the sidewalks and Historic Park and music fills the air adding to the nostalgic feel of the holidays String cranberries make paper punch ornaments roast chesnuts amp taste figgy pudding Fun for the whole family itrsquos Christmas the way itrsquos supposed to be
Kris KringlersquosCandlelight Christmas
December 4th amp 5th
A much anticipated musical favorite will be back at Burritt in the Old Country Church
PerformancesDecember 16th through 20th
Tickets ON SALE NOWPurchase tickets at Josiersquos online
or by calling 256-536-2882or by calling 256-536-2by calling 256-536-2burrittonthemountaincom
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Th
ePE
R
FECT HOLIDAY DIN
NE
R
In our modern world of far-fl ung families Th anksgiving and Christmas are those rare occasions so fi lled with nostalgia
and meaning we press the pause button on our busy lives to prioritize time together Because family time is so rare these days NorsquoAla asked some of Huntsvillersquos fi nest chefs to suggest dishes that will inspire you as you plan your
familyrsquos menu this holiday season
Any time we spend with our loved ones is precious herersquos hoping these meal
ideas help make this yearrsquos holidays perfect
text by roy hall raquo photos by olivia reed
ldquoWith all the fl avors we associate with the holidays the gingerbread man is always near the top of the list So let the kids enjoy the traditional cookies while you sip this sophisticated cocktailrdquo mdashParker
ldquoTh e holidays are so fun-fi lled it seems appropriate that a holiday salad should refl ect that with lots of diff erent things going on fruits nuts cheeses and always a little hint of sweetness in the dressing No matter what main dishes and sides are served this salad will complement them allrdquo mdashAndrew
Grilled Pear Salad with Cambozola and Walnuts
Mezza Luna
(256) 650-2514 Th e GingermanMezza Luna
Butternut Squash Wild Mushroom and Roasted Asparagus Risotto
Th e Eaves
(256) 489-1752
ldquoI love this dish because itrsquos crisp and clean and adds a touch of light color to a typically heavy mealmdashthe bright green asparagus and red pancetta even look Christmassyrdquo mdashOwner LeeLee Wiginton
ldquoTh is isnrsquot super diffi cult to make It echoes the fl avors of the season And itrsquos also something a little unexpected It has a great fl avor profi le and complements other proteins really well Guests will love itrdquo mdashChef Merle Phillip
Snow Pea Salad with Crispy PancettaLynrsquos Gracious Goodness
(256) 533-2607
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Th ePERFECT HOLIDAY DINNER
Fried Brussels Sprouts with Coriander Greek Yogurt Sauce
Mezza Luna
ldquoI chose to do the turkey this way because itrsquos a diff erent approach Th e challenge of roasting a whole turkey is that the white and dark meat cook at diff erent speeds By separating the two you can cook each for its own proper cooking timerdquo mdashChef Steven Bunner
ldquoBrussels sprouts have had a bad rap Th e fi rst time most people encounter them theyrsquore overcooked mushy and served plain Th atrsquos a shame because theyrsquore nutritional powerhouses and because theyrsquore a fall crop at their best during the holiday seasonrdquo mdashJohn
Roast Turkey Breast and Dark Meat Roulade Served with Pecan Pesto
1892 East(256) 489-1242
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Between now and the end of the year take advantage of cost reductions on three popular proceduresmdashand begin 2016 with new confidence
bull SAVE BIG on breast augmentationOur saline price is $700 off and our silicone price is $900 off cash price only Schedule your initial consultation by December 31 2015 to lock in your price and the procedure must take place by March 31 2016
bull FULL-FACIAL LASER is $1500 Cash price only Initial consultation must occur before December 31 2015 and the procedure must be done by March 31 2016
bull WEEKEND Eribium Laser PEEL is Buy ThreeGet One Free Save $400 on our regular $1600 cash price by scheduling your initial consultation by December 31 2015
Look better - feel better - and save money Itrsquos time to get more for less
Dr Russell Jennings203 Avalon Ave Suite 300
Muscle Shoals AL 35661
Phone(256) 386-1450jenningsplasticsurgerycom
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Th ePERFECT HOLIDAY DINNER
Nutella CheesecakeMason Dixon Bakery amp Bistro(256) 213-7545
ldquoTh is is one of our favorite desserts for a holiday and for every day Th e rich and creamy cake melts like ice cream in your mouth the smoothness of the fi lling balances perfectly with the crunchiness of the crust and the delicate hints of the swirled Nutella are divinerdquo mdashCo-owners Chef Ashley and Taylor Ramirez
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Emily Taylor5510 Promenade Point Pkwy Suite 160Madison AL 35757256-430-2781
I can help you
your own wayGROW
1114-519HO
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
produced by aissa castillo and lauren mccaulphotos by lauren tomasella carney
clothing modeled by aaron petersen rachel smith anne harbargerand kait barinaga (for finery)
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Meet the Shop Girls The mission To search Valley shops and boutiques
for the fi nest in Yuletide treasures
Accepting the challenge three of Huntsvillersquos most original and creative taste-makers
Say hello to NorsquoAla Shop Girls Aissa Castillo Lauren McCaul and Lauren Tomasella CarneyDuring the day these mild-mannered professionals tend to demanding careers in design
retail management and photography But evenings and weekends theyrsquore out saving the world from uninspiring fashion and decor as style superheroes
Their picks for the very best gift ideas follow For ideas and inspiration year-round
stay in-the-know by following our Shop Girls on social media
Lauren McCaul deptofagraculturecom Instagram dept_of_agra_cultureAissa Castillo aislerchiccom Instagram aislerchic
Lauren Tomasella Carney laurentomasellacom Instagram laurentomasella
And as you shop for your own Christmas treasures this season please remember to spread your cheermdashand your dollarsmdashat home
(1) Amanda Uprichard Jacket ($248)(2) BCBG Dress ($228)(3) Zoa Dress ($128)Personal Couture Boutique(256) 508-5632
(4) Dress ($168)Anthropologie(256) 327-8470
(5) Olive + Oak Oatmeal Shawl ($72)(10) Simply Noelle Zipper Gusset Bag ($5999)House of Holland(256) 206-8989
(6) One-of-a-kind Eva Ziegler Agate and Pyrite Necklace ($397)(8) Eva Ziegler Freshwater Pearl Strand ($501)Eva Ziegler Jewelryevazieglercom
(9) Gift Set ($5995)Piper amp LeafPiperandleafcom
(7) Long Horn Necklace ($68)Personal Couture Boutique(256) 508-5632
Left to right Lauren Tomasella Carney
Lauren McCaul and Aissa Castillo
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
On himFilson Shirt ($98) Filson Jacket ($320)Yeti Cooler ($34999)Alabama Outdoors(256)-885-3561
On herPPLA Vest ($7999)PPLA Dress ($7499)Bedstu Boots ($295)Indigorsquos Boutique(256) 345-6348
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) Woolly Mammoth Tooth 4rdquo Damascus Linerlock Knife ($150)(2) Cardboard Safari Bucky Cardboard Deer Head ($30)(3) Curt Benzle Porcelain Compass ($15)Little Green Store and Gallery (256) 539-9699
(4) Hunting Journal ($32)Sweet Pineapple(256) 964-7563
(5) Yeti Colster ($2999)Alabama Outdoors(256)-885-3561
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
(1) Yellow House Handcrafted Beard Oils ($18 ea)Yellow House Beard Oilsyellowhousebeards com (2) Mustache amp Beard Comb ($16)Little Green Store and Gallery (256) 539-9699 (3) Latika Body Essentials Charcoal Liquid Soap ($18)(4) Latika Body Essentials Charcoal Bar Soap ($6) (5) Rustico Leather Key Chain ($18) Sweet Pineapple(256) 964-7563
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) Wood Thumb Tie ($44) (2) Slightly Alabama iPad Case ($250) (3) DockSmith Driftwood iPhone Docking Station ($68) Little Green Storeand Gallery (256) 539-9699 (4) Loyal Stricklin Aviator Mug ($35)Domaine South(256) 808-8860 (5) Would You Be a Deer Notepad ($9) Sweet Pineapple(256) 964-7563
(6) Filson Satchel ($265) Alabama Outdoors(256)-885-3561
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
When itrsquos time to move into a bigger house get a home loan from the bank thatrsquos had a home right here for generations You might say we know a thing about location location location synovuscommortgage
Banking products are provided by Synovus Bank Member FDIC Divisions of Synovus Bank operate under multiple trade names across the Southeast Loans products subject to credit approval
When itrsquos time to move into a bigger house get a home
Here is where Henry learned hersquod be getting
SERVING YOU LOCALLY AS
2565513300 | fcb-hsvcom
his own room
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) Spiritual GangsterTank ($36)(2) Luquido Yoga Pants ($90)(3) MZ Wallace Metro Tote ($245)(4) Vimmia V back Sweatshirt ($96)(5) Onzie Sports Bra ($48)(6) Olympia Yoga Pants ($96)(7) bkr Water Bottle ($30)The Fitzgerald Pilates amp Barre(256) 603-1886
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
(1) Gypsy Pant WarmTribal ($72) (2) Berry High Waist Legging ($88) (3) Long Legging Mathematics ($65) (4) Long Legging Peacock ($65) The FitzgeraldPilates amp Barre(256) 603-1886
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) Jane Tran Hair Clips ($15)(2) bkr Water Bottle ($30)(3) well-kept Tech Wipes ($6)(4) Made with Love Bracelets ($25)(5) Pointe Studio Socks ($12)(6) Bando Too Cold to Hold Coozie ($5)The Fitzgerald Pilates amp Barre(256) 603-1886
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
(1) Shop Bando Coff ee Cup ($14)(2) Shop Bando Pens ($14) (3) Shop Bando Pouch ($26) (4) Shop Bando Coin Purse ($20) The FitzgeraldPilates amp Barre(256) 603-1886
(5) Check Things Off Notepad ($16)(6) Hello From Huntsville Stamp ($12)Salt + Paperie(256) 655-5550
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) Muzzle Loaders Chocolate Bourbon Balls ($1999) (2) Vintage Crystal Decanter ($20) (3) Quench Glassware ($1399) Domaine South(256) 808-8860
(4) The Hella Bitters Old Fashioned Kit ($65)(5) American Bar by Charles Schumann ($2495) Little Green Storeand Gallery (256) 539-9699
(6) Julep Cups ($50)Willowbrook Shoppe (256) 270-7181
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom | novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) DECCO Umbrella in a Bottle ($1995)(2) Alexa Pulitzer Stationery Set ($14 ea)(3) Ikat Scarf ($6250)Huntsville Museumof Art(256) 535-4350
(4) Emily Ley Grace Journal ($32) (5) Sugar Boo Designs Clutch ($18) (6) Emily Ley Daily Planner ($58) (7) Latika Milk ampHoney Bar ($6) (8) Farm House Fresh Shea Butter Hand Cream ($14) (9) Christen MaxwellZippy ($42) (10) Green Tea Bubble Bath ($32) Sweet Pineapple(256) 964-7563 (11) Goal Getter Cuff ($32)Indigorsquos Boutique(256) 345-6348
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
(1) Kilim Pillow ($58) (2) Bejeweled Silver Plate Vase ($144) (3) Bone Clad Box ($375)Willowbrook Shoppe (256) 270-7181
(4) Cowhide Rug ($550)(5) Lucyrsquos Locket ($95) (Original piecemdashselection may vary)Sweet Pineapple(256) 964-7563 (6) Clutch ($65)Department of Agra Culturedeptofagraculturecom
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) Above The Bar Antler on Chain 28rdquo ($3999) (2) Above The Bar Deer wAntler Head 18rdquo ($2999) Indigorsquos Boutique(256) 345-6348
(3) Margaret Solow Labradorite18KT Bezel ($290) (4) Margaret Solow Diamond Crest MoonSilver ($460) (5) Margaret Solow Black Spinel + DiamondSilver ($560) (6) Margaret Solow Double Black Spinel18KT ($260)Little Green Store and Gallery (256) 539-9699
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
(1) Margaret Solow Grey Moonstoon18KT Necklace ($240) (2) Margaret Solow OpalDiamond Mosaic Necklace ($610) Little Green Storeand Gallery (256) 539-9699
(3) One-of-a-kind Eva Ziegler Smokey Quartz and Pyrite Necklace ($406)Eva Ziegler Jewelryevazieglercom
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) Jennifer BehrTurban ($625)(2) Cotton Day Dress ($64)(3) Norma Ishak Cardigan ($375)Finery(256) 429-3429
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) The Lion Sleeps Tonight Bath Bomb ($6) Sweet Pineapple(256) 964-7563
(2) Tiger Jelly Cat ($2250)(3) Dog Tag Teether ($1550)(4) Dinosaur Footie ($3595)Honey B Boutique(256) 503-2853
(5) Young Buck ($25)Tiny Vinestinyvinesshopcom
(6) Bib Set ($13)Huntsville Museumof Art(256) 535-4350
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
(1) Tiny Dancer Bath Bomb ($6)Sweet Pineapple(256) 964-7563
(2) Kickee Mammoth Footie ($3595)(3) Noodle amp Boo Essential Care Kit ($18)(4) Elephant Jelly Cat ($2250)Honey B Boutique(256) 503-2853
(5) ArtFolio Pink Elephant Coloring Tote ($17)Huntsville Museumof Art(256) 535-4350
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) Bib Set ($13)Huntsville Museumof Art(256) 535-4350 (2) Little Light ($25)Tiny Vinestinyvinesshopcom (3) Micro Leon Cardboard Lion ($30)Little Green Storeand Gallery (256) 539-9699 (4) I Love You Like Biscuits amp Gravy ($23)Domaine South(256) 808-8860
(5) Kickee Kimono ($4295)Honey B Boutique(256) 503-2853
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
SURPRISEA LOVED ONE
THIS HOLIDAY SEASON
WITH A FOREVER GIFT
HobbsJewelerscom 8772331347Parkway Place Mall
HuntsvilleHwy 72 West
AthensMain Street
Ardmore TN
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Caftan ($75)Sarah Richey Necklace ($350)Finery(256) 429-3429
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
(1) Chewbead Necklace ($3495)(2) Mayoral Baby Bag ($7995)(3) Mayoral Diaper Changing Pad ($2495)(4) Nursing Scarf ($2695) (5) Kickee Swaddling Blanket ($22)Honey B Boutique(256) 503-2853 (6) Lucy Darling Months Sticker ($25) (7) The Story of You Baby Book by Emily Ley ($62) Sweet Pineapple(256) 964-7563
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) Alwand Vahan 14K Gold and Onyx Ring wDiamond Accent ($2595)(2) Alwand Vanan 14K Gold and Onyx Bracelet wDiamond Accent ($2695)Hobbs Jewelers(877) 233-1347
(3) Britt Ryan Dress ($288)Personal Couture Boutique(256) 508-5632
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) Rocket Cosmos Mug ($13)Huntsville Museumof Art(256) 535-4350
(2) Loose Leaf Tea ($399)Piper amp Leaf piperandleafcom (3) Judy Jackson Tea Pot ($56) (4) Gary Watson Cherry Cutting Board ($48-$68) (5) Susan Coe Birthday Cake Plate ($33) Little Green Storeand Gallery (256) 539-9699 (6) Macarons ($116 pcs $221 dozen)Whisk Small Treats Bakery(256) 656-1027
(7) Truffl es ($185 each)Pizellersquos Confections (256) 513-9745 (8) Olive amp Sinclair Chocolate ($799)Domaine South(256) 808-8860
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
(1) Whisk Note Pad ($8) (2) In the Forest Mixing Bowl ($36) (3) Twig Serving Set ($18)(8) Southern Firefl y Candle ($12)Sweet Pineapple(256) 964-7563
(4) Urchin Bowl ($10)(5) Foodie Dice ($38)(6) 1Canoe2 Wood Recipe Box w Recipe Cards ($6999) Domaine South(256) 808-8860 (7) Growlers ($75 small $95 large)Southern Growlersoutherngrowlercom
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) Tacori 18K Barbados Blue Bold Gem Ring ($660)(2) Tacori 18K Barbados Blue Bold Gem Necklace ($630)(3) Tacori 18K Barbados Blue Bold Gem Bracelet ($990)Hobbs Jewelers(877) 233-1347
(4) BCBG Dress ($328)Personal Couture Boutique(256) 508-5632
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Guadalupe Robinson
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
text by jennifer crossley howard raquo photos by patrick hood
Of Deft and Dirty Hands
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Huntsville potter Guadalupe Lanning Robinson has spent more than 36 years mastering the
marriage of clay texture and geometric design into her pottery yet time has done little to temper the
plight of waiting
ldquoIt is hard for me to let a pot just dryrdquo she says motioning toward fi ve small wet pots sitting near her
pottery wheel ldquoIrsquom as excited to do this as I was 30 years agordquo
To observe her studio at Lowe Mill that is easy to believe Located on the corridor outside the textile
mill-turned-art centerrsquos main building the loft-like space with a corrugated tin roof feels like a place a
Gabriel Garcia Marquez character would enjoy daydreaming
Sienna-hued pottery sits in various stages to be fi red layered and etched Argentinian tango music
streams from Robinsonrsquos iPhone and two cockatiels a parrot and a parakeet chirp from their cages All
except the parrot fl y freely when Robinson is working
Robinson who is 61 made her fi rst pot in 1979 in her native Mexico City Almost four decades later her
work is part of permanent museum collections in Auburn Huntsville Tuscumbia and Tupelo Missis-
sippi She regularly enters her work in respected juried shows such as the Monte Sano Arts Festival and
the Kentuck Festival of the Arts in Northport and has received two Alabama State Council on the Arts
individual artist fellowships
Her inspiration draws from the villages around her native Mexico City such as the black pottery of
the northwest as well as her acquired Southern culture White lilies corn grids and round female
fi guresmdashldquoreally strong women who are in chargerdquo Robinson saysmdashreappear on her stoneware She uses
natural dyes indigo for color and mixes sand into clay for texture Nothing is wasted
ldquoI donrsquot waste any clayrdquo Robinson says ldquoEverything is recycledrdquo
Robinson fi nds solace in the 40-50 hours a week she puts in at the studio and the often tedious process
of making pots which can take from three weeks to six weeks for larger pots She usually works on two
or three pots at a time tending to groups at diff erent stages
After a pot is thrown on a wheel a piece can take days to dry before its fi rst bisque fi re in which tem-
peratures rise to 1800 F After baking for nine hours the kiln must cool Th e second fi ring rises to 2150
F and matures the clay and melts the glazes to strengthen the piece
ldquoI am an effi cient person by naturerdquo Robinson says ldquoWaiting for the kiln to cool down enough to open
can be nerve wracking and this is when my patience is usually put to the testrdquo
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
ldquoIt is hard for me to let a pot just dry Irsquom as excited to do this as I was 30 years agordquo
Robinson makes most of her pots on a wheel using oxides to change the color of clay she gets from Nashville and Pittsburgh Her pottery takes several weeks from start to fi nish depending on how large a pot is and how many she makes at a time
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
ldquoAttend to your childrenrsquos needs fi rst keep focus on what you want to douse the happiness joy and little breaks you get to make your artTh ey grow real fast and they will keep inspiring you all your liferdquo
Robinson imagined this bat-like design as she was working She usually begins a piece with a design in mind but that often evolves
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Robinson uses an overlay of liquid clay called engobemdashthat includes three to four layersmdashto create a
base on which to design
Th ere is high risk in making pottery and hours of work can be wasted on a pot that has not dried en-
tirely before it enters the kiln Air pockets or the wrong mixture of chemicals can ruin a piece
ldquoArt is involved but science is toordquo says Laura Smith director of education at the Huntsville Museum
of Art where Robinson has taught pottery classes ldquoItrsquos more labor intensive in terms of working with
the medium whether yoursquore building by hand or with a wheel until you fi re with the fi nal layer of glazerdquo
Th e result is sturdy pottery
ldquoI want my pots to look like something that is lasting a long timerdquo Robinson says
Th ough she works solitarily in her studio she says she does not get lonely Her birds and music keep her
company and each stage of pottery making has a soundtrack She uses needlepoint tools to draw onto
clay to Jose Feliciano and other Latin American musicians
ldquoIf Irsquom at the wheel Bruno Marsrdquo she says ldquoIf Irsquom unloading the kiln and something is really awesome
then I need something moving and I have on Motownrdquo
Robinsonrsquos years of experience minimize the risk of damaged pots but she says her greatest challenge
as a potter was balancing her work while raising her two children Now adults their candid childhood
pictures and those of her grandchildren cover the warm green walls of her studio
She met her husband the poet James Robinson in 1977 on a Greyhound bus when she returned to
Mexico City from visiting a friend at the University of Southern Mississippi He was heading to Mexico
to study at a university Th ey married six months later After giving birth to her daughter Annie Jane in
Mexico City in 1982 the family moved to Huntsville in 1985 Th at is when Robinson got more serious
about her pottery
ldquoFrom the very beginning when I moved to Alabama I knew I was going to have to do thisrdquo she said
ldquoIn some ways it was a way for me to keep connected to my heritagerdquo
She took even 15 minutes of free time to work in the studio behind her home and worked late into the
night while her daughter and son Isidoro born in 1987 slept Having a home studio allowed her to
wash clothes tend to her home and drop off lunches at school while maintaining her art
ldquoTh ere was something for me when I fi rst became a mother that fueled my creativityrdquo Robinson says
ldquoTh ey are such a social inspiration too It fi lls your liferdquo
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Robinson advises fellow artists who are mothers to seize
both roles but to prioritize motherhood
ldquoAttend to your childrenrsquos needs fi rst keep focus on what you
want to do use the happiness joy and little breaks you get
to make your artrdquo she says ldquoTh ey grow real fast and they will
keep inspiring you all your liferdquo
Anna Sue Courtney director of the Flying Monkey Arts
Center at Lowe Mill has known Robinson for more than
10 years She says she admires how mothers and artists like
Robinson seamlessly embrace both roles
ldquoIt seems therersquos not a separation between creating and rais-
ing childrenrdquo Courtney says ldquoTh ey seem to pull from the
same placerdquo
Part of Robinsonrsquos motivation at Lowe Mill comes from
working privately in a studio alongside other artists that fos-
ters a community of feedback and ideas
ldquoItrsquos nice to be here because you can take a break and walk around and get inspirationrdquo Courtney says
ldquoItrsquos refreshingrdquo
When she needs a break from the studio Robinson stays home to sketch designs for a day or two then
she is back in the studio
Trips twice a year to Mexico City keep her plugged in to her native culture which in turn shows up in
her pottery
ldquoI have to recharge myselfrdquo Robinson says ldquoI love Huntsville and loved raising my kids here but I still
have the need of going back to be recharged and smell all the smells and see all the colors and get on
the subway and be pushed aroundrdquo
Details from her trips that infl uence her work include the ever-present red that covers the city during
the celebration of Dia de los Muertos or the Day of the Dead Th e pyramids of Teotihuacan conjure
warm earth tones and fl oating gardens around the city yield sweet pungent calla lilies and carnations
Celebration of food tough women and nature reappear in her pottery qualities that both Southern and
Mexican cultures treasure
Above This daisy design is character-istic of Robinsonrsquos work Nature food and strong females from her native Mexico City and the South are strong creative infl uences
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Clockwise from top left Robinson often glazes only the inside of her pots so they can hold water and food She began quilting in 2002 and her quilts like her pottery contain earth tones and natural infl uences in their design Four birds keep Robinson company in what can be the isolating medium of pottery making Geometry and symmetry are two signature elements in Robinsonrsquos work according to Laura Smith director of education at the Huntsville Museum of Art
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Just as she keeps her home country close to her heart Robinson is loyal to her fi rst
love of pottery though she began making quilts in 2002
ldquoIrsquom a potter who likes to quiltrdquo she says
Like her pottery her quilting follows designs of organic nature such as fl owers and
crops on rich jewel tone cotton
ldquoWhen I fi rst saw one of her quilts I didnrsquot realize it was hers and I thought that
looks like it should be Guadalupersquos quiltrdquo Courtney says
Robinson prefers the immediate gratifi cation of clay
ldquoItrsquos a very responsive mediumrdquo she says ldquoYou can manipulate it Th e fact of mak-
ing something out of dirt out of nothing and making it durable making it perma-
nent that after going through the heat and maturing is something very excitingrdquo
She gently dings a pot covered with white dresses titled ldquoTehuana Dressrdquo to make
her point
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
887 FM Muscle Shoals bull 1007 FM Huntsvillewwwaprorg
News classicalmusic and more
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
copy Patrick Hood
text by sara wright covington raquo photos by jacki gil
patrick hood erin lindsey and michelle odom
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
copy Patrick Hood
ldquoA LOT OF PEOPLE HAD BEEN ASKING ME QUESTIONS ABOUTHOW I GOT MY BUSINESS STARTED I WANTED TO GATHER SOME PEOPLE AROUND ME
WHO WERE GOING THROUGH THOSE STRUGGLES AND TOBUILD ENTREPRENEURIAL COURAGErdquo
JACKI GIL SALT+PAPERIE
copy Patrick Hood
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
untsville-born Jacki Gil began her paper design busi-
ness Salt+Paperie in 2014 with an expansive vision
in mind one that extended beyond creating beautiful
custom designed paper goods ldquoI love my design job
but when Irsquom 50 years old I donrsquot see myself still de-
signing wedding invitationsrdquo the master stationer says
ldquoI really have a passion for teaching and helping people
I want to be a mentorrdquo
In 2015 Gil set out on her mentoring mission sooner than expected with a series
of workshops called Encourage Huntsville ldquoA lot of people had been asking me
questions about how I got my business startedrdquo Gil says about the early days of
Salt+Paperie Even though most of those questions from entrepreneurial-hopefuls
were technicalmdashlike how to apply for a business licensemdashthey served as inspira-
tion for Gil ldquoI wanted to gather some people around me who were going through
those struggles and to build entrepreneurial courage I defi nitely saw that there
was a need for helping people to take that next step toward owning their own
businessesrdquo
Encourage Huntsville was modeled on the image of a growing small business
movement called the Rising Tide Society a national community of creative small
business owners who encourage ldquocommunity over competitionrdquo Th at spirit of
openness is at the heart of Encourage Huntsville ldquoCommunity over competition
is a huge part of what we are doingrdquo says Gil ldquoSmall business owners sharing how
they earn their money is a big dealrdquo
As a fi rst step Gil gathered others around her who were using their skills and abili-
ties to make their own small businesses work With talents ranging from cooking
and cake decorating to hand lettering and artwork these small business owners
all embraced Gilrsquos vision for imparting to others the knowledge of their craft un-
impeded by a fear of losing their competitive edge
Th e fi rst lesson Gil wanted to impart to Encourage Huntsvillersquos students wasnrsquot
necessarily a particular craft or skill but a spirt of creative confi dence ldquoWe want-
ed to bridge the gap between the very artsy community and the ultimate engineer
communityrdquo many of whom Gil observes had been told since childhood they
werenrsquot artistic ldquoWhen you are little and someone tells you that you donrsquot have a
talent it sticks with you I found that a lot of people had that experience so that
was the workshop partmdashto build some creative courage in this communityrdquo
Gil conducted the fi rst workshop herself testing the waters to see how the concept
would be received Th e admission price to that fi rst workshop included supplies a
take-home ldquogoody bagrdquo to help students continue their work extracurricularly and
refreshmentsmdashas well as Gilrsquos tips of her trade
ldquoWe went in blindly not knowing if we had a market or notrdquo says Gil Th e popular-
ity of that fi rst class proved undeniably that a market did in fact exist the work-
shop sold out in one day ldquoSo we did back-to-back workshopsrdquo Gil says ldquoAfter that
novemberdecembeeer eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee | nononoononononononoonoonononooooonoonoonnononnoaaalalalllaallllllalaalaaalal ststustust ddiossscom mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm | | | | | | | | | | |
f
w
y
Previous page Encourage Huntsvillersquos founder and instructor Jacki Gil teaches a class in hand lettering Facing page A participant studies her supply list
we realized people really want to do this stuff So we said lsquoletrsquos jump on the boat
and make this happenrsquordquo
Gilrsquos longtime friend photographer Erin Lindsey of Erin Lindsey Images agreed
to contribute to Encourage Huntsvillersquos curriculum by teaching a photography
class ldquoJacki and I are a good team because our hearts are in the same place when
it comes to encouraging othersrdquo Lindsey says Still she admits saying yes to teach-
ing wasnrsquot without some initial hesitation ldquoWhen Jacki asked if I would teach a
class it was kind of scary I thought I had to be perfect before I could teach oth-
ersrdquo Lindsey says of her initial hesitancy ldquoBut after talking to Jacki I realized none
of us are perfectrdquo But perfection isnrsquot the goal encouragement is the goal ldquoAnd I
thought lsquoI can defi nitely line up with that visionrsquordquo
Michelle Odom another Huntsville native and owner of custom cake bakery Just
Crumbs was also on board with Gilrsquos vision In fact Odom had been contemplat-
ing teaching a class when she was approached by Gil to teach a fondant basics
class ldquoHuntsville is such an engineer town and everyone is so mathematical and
scientifi crdquo Odom says echoing the dichotomy between the arts and sciences ex-
pressed by Gil ldquoTh ese workshops are just a very cool way for structured people to
have a creative outletrdquo
ldquoJACKI AND I ARE A GOOD TEAM BECAUSE OUR HEARTS ARE INTHE SAME PLACE WHEN IT COMES TO ENCOURAGING OTHERSrdquo
ERIN LINDSEY ERIN LINDSEY IMAGES
copy Erin Lindsey
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Above A participant in Erin Lindseyrsquos photo class frames a still life
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
copy Erin Lindsey
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
ldquoHUNTSVILLE IS SUCH AN ENGINEER TOWN AND EVERYONE ISSO MATHEMATICAL AND SCIENTIFIC THESE WORKSHOPS ARE JUST A VERY COOL
WAY FOR STRUCTURED PEOPLE TO HAVE A CREATIVE OUTLETrdquo MICHELLE ODOM JUST CRUMBS
copy Michelle Odom
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
ldquoAnd yesrdquo Odom acknowledges ldquoyou are in theory teaching your competition But
at the same time you are helping the community be more creativerdquo
With its roster of popular creative workshops under its belt Encourage Huntsville
has added business classes to its community-over-competition curriculum with
classes designed to provide specifi c guidance for small business owners ldquoAll of
our events that donrsquot require hands-on work we call seminarsrdquo says Gil ldquoWe had
about 15 people at our fi rst one It was pretty much just an open discussion to ask
us questions and get answers from the perspective of a small business ownerrdquo
Th e seminars enjoyed the same success and enthusiasm as the workshops ldquoWe
had two hours for people to ask questionsrdquo Gil says Topics covered ran the gamut
from scheduling daily tasks self-hosting a website or using an Etsy store man-
aging client expectations and being realistic about how much time you need to
complete jobs
ldquoTh e time went quickly and people wanted morerdquo says Gil who envisions an all-
day seminar in 2016
Margaret Baggett owner and executive chef of the Chef Next Door is another
small business owner who has shared Gilrsquos vision from the very beginning teach-
copy Erin Lindsey
Facing page Michelle Odomrsquos fondant basics class begins with a styrofoam cake form Above Newbie photographers familiarize themselves with their cameras in Erin Lindseyrsquos photography class
ing knife skills workshops and helping host the business seminars ldquoI am so proud
to get to be a part of this project and help nurture other small business owners
who may just be starting out on their journey or are deep in it and looking for
some encouragement from other business ownersrdquo Baggett says of what motivates
her participation in Encourage Huntsville ldquoEven being on the advice-giving side
of things I am still learning and have taken tips and tricks and lessons from each
event we have had so far We never stop learning from each other and never stop
improving upon our craftsrdquo
Th e mutual growth among students and teachers is the source of the encourage-
mentmdashand the joymdashof Encourage Huntsville ldquoItrsquos so much fun to see the light
bulbs go off with people and see them encouraged right before your eyesrdquo Lindsey
says of her experience with the program ldquoPlus itrsquos a pleasure to contribute to a
sense of community over competition Th at whole concept is so rarerdquo
As Encourage Huntsvillersquos following continues to grow the diversity of the work-
shops will expand as well Whether you are looking to spend a fun afternoon
learning a new craft or are a budding small business owner hoping to launch
your brand Encourage Huntsville has something valuable to off er ldquoWe encourage
those left-brain folks to take up a new hobby or skillrdquo Baggett says ldquoor just encour-
age the people of Huntsville to get together and fan their creative fl amesrdquo
If yoursquore looking for
creative or entrepreneurial
encouragement visit
encouragehuntsvillecom
for seminar and workshop
schedules and information
ldquoI AM SO PROUD TO GET TO BE A PART OF THIS PROJECT AND HELP NURTURE OTHER SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS WHO MAY JUST BE STARTING OUT ON THEIR JOURNEY OR ARE DEEP IN IT
AND LOOKING FOR SOME ENCOURAGEMENT FROM OTHER BUSINESS OWNERSrdquoMARGARET BAGGETT CHEF NEXT DOOR
copy Jacki Gil
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
copy Jacki Gil
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Participants in Margaret Baggettrsquos knife skills workshop learn to perfect their ldquomise en placerdquo
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
copy Olivia Reed
text by sara wright covington raquo photos by olivia reed and jeff white
HUNTSVILLErsquoS
HOMEGROWNHOSTESS
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
ttttttononononoooooonononooooo raquo praquo praquo praquo praquo phothothothothotosoososos s s osos bybybbybb
Any host will tell you that delicious food and quality libations while important to
a partyrsquos success are secondary to the most important ingredient of all the guest list Th atrsquos why many
of downtown Huntsvillersquos most popular restaurants breweries and wine shops are turning to event
planner Ashley Ryals and her uncanny knack for attracting loyal patronsmdashand creating unforgettable
events in the process
When Huntsville born-and-bred Ashley Ryals left for college at the University of Alabama in 2001
she thought her exit from the Valley was permanent ldquoI never thought I would end up back hererdquo the
founder of event planning company Homegrown Huntsville says with a knowing laugh But after a few
post-graduate years working for world-renowned public relations powerhouse Weber Shandwick in
New York City Ryals started to second guess her freshman declaration
ldquoI started to get homesickrdquo she admits ldquoAll of my friends were getting married and meeting for football
games and I was missing itrdquo So when a friend from home set up an interview at EarlyWorks for a job
doing event planning Ryals jumped at the chance to come home
Ashley spent the next few years planning EarlyWorks Whistle Stop and Santarsquos Village events A brief
stint in sales followed along with a seat on the board of Huntsville Young Professionals where she had
an idea for a downtown pub crawl
ldquoWe expected 20 or 30 peoplerdquo Ryals says of their modest expectations ldquoBut 200 people showed uprdquo
Th at initial success convinced Ryals to embark on her dream of establishing an
event planning company But it wasnrsquot just any event planning company Ryals
had in mind she envisioned one that would collaborate with local businesses
cultivate signature events for the community to enjoy and support small busi-
nesses in the process
Inspired Ryals left her sales job and for the second time in her life came home
again to event planning and Homegrown Huntsville
To help bring her vision to life Ryals collaborated with designer Adrianne Van
Kirk of Fave Creative ldquoAdrianne has been a part of the visual and branding of
Homegrown from the beginning We come up with the event ideas then I get
the ticketing and sales together and she comes back with a logo and the mar-
keting for the event And thatrsquos how it all comes togetherrdquo Ryals says of their
creative process
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
ASHLEY RYALS
copy Olivia Reed
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
ldquoMOST WINE FESTIVALS ACROSS THE COUNTRY HAVE PROVEN RECORDS OF BEING ABLE TO STAY AROUND 15 OR 20 YEARS OR EVEN LONGER AND THE ECONOMIES OF THOSE
CITIES HAVE REALLY GROWN AS A RESULT I WANT BIG SPRING CRUSH TO EVENTUALLY BE THE BIGGEST AND BEST WINE FESTIVAL IN THE STATE OF ALABAMArdquo ASHLEY RYALS
copy Jeff White
copy Jeff White
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
copy Olivia Reed
Homegrown launched in 2011 with what would become its
signature event Dine amp Dash Every second Wednesday
April through October a trolley shuttles patrons between
downtown establishments where they are served a drink
and appetizer before moving on to the next stop
Owner and executive chef Merle Phillips of Th e Eaves was
one of the fi rst restaurants to sign on for Dine amp Dashrsquos de-
but ldquoAshley came to me and said she was starting a trolley
tasting conceptrdquo says Chef Merle ldquoI didnrsquot really know her so
I was taking a chance on the concept she was sellingrdquo
Merle tried it and has been a loyal participant of Dine amp
Dash ever since
ldquoIt was a risk in the beginning but it defi nitely paid off rdquo Chef
Merle says of the experience Pivotal to that experience ac-
cording to Phillips is Ryalsrsquo demonstration to the commu-
nity just what the term ldquohomegrownrdquo really means ldquoAshley
shines a spotlight on independent businesses in a market-
place that has for so long focused on chainsrdquo Phillips says
ldquoDine amp Dash has really brought into sharp focus the inter-
esting culinary diversity that Huntsville has to off errdquo
For the next two years Homegrown Huntsville focused al-
most exclusively on Dine amp Dash which by the end of its fi rst
year included every single downtown restaurant But when
big changes began to appear on the downtown horizonmdash
new restaurants breweries and residential developmentsmdash
Ryalsrsquo instincts told her
the time had come to
introduce a new event
to the downtown cal-
endar
ldquoBeer Hop follows
the concept of Dine
amp Dashrdquo Ryals says of
Homegrownrsquos second
venture which began
in 2013 Each month a
trolley visits three dif-
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
BILL FOWLEROLD TOWN BEER
EXCHANGE
copy Olivia Reed
copy Olivia Reed
ferent breweries where patrons sample beers and enjoy food
from a variety of food trucks parked at each location
Bill Fowler managing partner of Old Town Beer Exchange
agreed to participate in Beer Hop on his very fi rst day of
business and credits Ryals with an overwhelmingly success-
ful opening night ldquoAshley said lsquoI can guarantee that you are
going to have wave after wave of people coming throughrsquordquo
Fowler says recalling that fi rst jittery occasion Once again
Ryals proved true to her word with 60-plus patrons arriving
in an hour-and-a-half ldquoIt was awesome and such a great ex-
perience for usrdquo Fowler raves ldquoAshley is a hard worker and
you can see that in what she doesrdquo
Fowler believes that in addition to bringing new customers
to OTBX Ryals is also cultivating beer education consis-
tently bringing in people who are new to beer and want to
learn And with Huntsvillersquos recent brewery boom that level
of education and interest is crucial for the brewing commu-
nity to thrive ldquoWe have a very small window of opportunityrdquo
says Fowler ldquoI think Huntsville in particular is becoming a
craft brewing community People are making money at this
and once Tennessee sees that we need to already have had a
pretty huge head startrdquo
By the end of 2013 and with standing events Beer Hop and
Dine amp Dash well established Ryals took time to refl ect on
her original goal for Homegrown Huntsville ldquoIn the back of
my head from day one I knew I wanted to do a wine festival
I just didnrsquot think Huntsville was ready for it in 2011rdquo
Emboldened by the success of Beer Hop Ryals decided to
make the leap with Big Spring Crush wine festival later the
same year Once again Ryals delivered the perfect audience
for the event and in the process discovered a surprising
fact about North Alabamarsquos contribution to the wine-mak-
ing industry
ldquoIn doing the wine festival I learned that we have a huge
wine community in Huntsvillerdquo Ryals says ldquoTh ere are only
about 47 certifi ed wine judges in the entire United States
and we have four of them right here in North Alabama Two
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
copy Jeff White
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
ldquoI STARTED TO GET HOMESICK ALL OF MY FRIENDS WERE GETTING MARRIEDAND MEETING FOR FOOTBALL GAMES AND I WAS MISSING ITrdquo ASHLEY RYALS
copy Jeff White
copy Jeff White
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
ldquoIT WAS AWESOME AND SUCH A GREAT EXPERIENCE FOR USrdquoBILL FOWLER OLD TOWN BEER EXCHANGE
copy Jeff White
copy Olivia Reed
of those four certifi ed wine judges sit on the committee for
Big Spring Crushrdquo
Matthew and Stephanie Mell had just opened Church Street
Wine Shop when they decided to participate in the fi rst Big
Spring Crush Like OTBXrsquos Robert Fowler the Mells credit
Ryals and Homegrown Huntsville for helping to introduce
their new enterprise to the community ldquoAshley has been in-
strumental in helping to bring us people who love and ap-
preciate winerdquo Stephanie Mell says ldquoShe was homegrown
here in Huntsville and she really gets the downtown area
and small businesses and that is so important to usrdquo
Big Spring Crush began with a bang featuring over 150
wines and attracting patrons from across the country
ldquoMost wine festivals across the country have proven records
of being able to stay around 15 or 20 years or even longerrdquo
Ryals says ldquoAnd the economies of those cities have really
grown as a result I want Big Spring Crush to eventually be
the biggest and best wine festival in the state of Alabamardquo
How does Ryals intend to make that dream come true ldquoBy
always keeping it fresh I want to have new marketing and
new things happening each yearrdquo
Ryalsrsquo formula of reinvention and expansion has successfully
led Homegrown Huntsville through fi ve years of success and
helped its events become community staples along the way In
the process Ryals is broadening more than just our image of
downtown Huntsville shersquos joining a class of creative entrepre-
neurs committed to expanding Huntsvillersquos reputation as more
than just a hub for the brightest scientifi c minds in America
ldquoWe have a big city of engineers and lawyers and itrsquos won-
derfulrdquo Ryals say ldquo But there is a whole artist and food cul-
ture here and there is so much growth I want us to have a
vibrant cool downtown area and I want for people to tell
their friends to come and visit and to see Huntsville for what
it is a city I loverdquo
If yoursquod like to participate in Homegrown Huntsville either
as a guest or a participating business visit homegrown-
huntsvillecom
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
copy Jeff White
I was years old and the year was At that time the city of Huntsville was inching toward the mountain to the east California Street was once the continental divide between the small town metropo-lis and the uncharted territories gingerly crossed by the real estate pioneers four score and some odd years prior Th is area became the new suburb as the city kept pushing onward toward Fagan Springs as if the reverberating booms of rocket testings were vibrating Hunstvillians away from its epicenter
From the front yard of our house on Owens Drive I could look to the rightmdashup the hill to the bend be-yond which the big houses stood on their rocky ledge pedestals and to the left where all the other houses that looked just like oursmdashfresh and newmdashrambled for what seemed like miles Th ose clean well-lit abodes all seemed the same and granted at my age I knew more about the pets that lived there than I did about the people who owned those manageable mortgages I came to realize that each was diff erent in a way that was permeated by voices smells and furnishings
It is a clicheacute to say that our lives were simpler then because that is just how the current era will be fondly referred to in the future but to a 5-year-old it is the simplicity that brought the joy Th e sixties will always be to me the beginning of the age of manufactured happiness Cheap clean and simple was what was strived for and what was easily obtained Plastic items were plentiful and pretty things could be bought with SampH Green Stamps A few coins in our pocket would transfer us into the most master of manipula-tors with us giving our all to convince our parents for a jaunt to Murdockrsquos for a holiday of wonderment joy and impatience as we would scour the shelves trying to get the most from our meager budget
Owens Drive was the fairly new thoroughfare from which the avenues of three-bedroom-ranchers fi ngered away at planned intervals Th is was the place where newlyweds started their lives homes and families Where girls with last names that had been in the town for generations would change them to those strange and exotic last names of the clean cut newcomers brought here for military purposes Where the housewives would preheat their pristine electric ovens trying to make cheese straws and biscuits that were just like their motherrsquos only to be frustrated as they were never quite the same and where the husbands would follow in their fatherrsquos footsteps by joining the Acme Club and hunting doves on the weekends
Th ere was a swimming pool Certainly not at our house Th e only private pool I remember as a child was one that my grandmother would take me to nestled between huge trees at someonersquos house on Adams Street I would swim with other children my age while our grandmothers chatted smoking cigarettes in cat-eyed anonymity whispering most of their stories so we wouldnrsquot be able to hear But between their
gasps and laughter we would listen hear and learn
Th e Blossomwood pool was a place of designated rules and the sound of bright whistlesmdashwith straight lines and distinctive colors of blue and green I can still feel the Coppertoned oiliness on the skin of the tanned lifeguard as she carried me from the deep end frightened after my fi rst attempt at solo-swimming She knew my name I had no idea who she was
On the other side of the pool was the school my older sister attended It had a style that mim-icked the poolmdashstraight lines cleanmdasha temple to orderliness and good manners It was with
awe that I once watched the young adults there some as old as eleven wind and dance their way around a sky-high fl agpolemdasheach with a diff erent color ribbon until the fi rst (and only) May Pole
I was privy to was completely dressed in its woven bright colors
90 raquo bless their hearts raquo Guy McClure Jr
Huntsville was a magical place for us tail-end baby boomers to grow upmdashbeyond the miracles of the escalator at Pizitz the smiling little lady on the tall stool at the register at Britlings There was a comfort level there that Irsquom not sure is in the minds of the 5-year-olds of today
cat-eyed agasps
Th s
aI w
THE COMFORTS OF BLOSSOMWOOD
In our world of red-bricked carported castles there was a def-inite division of generations Th e children ate separately from the parents went to school as our dads went to work enter-tained our neighborhood friends as quietly as possible and felt safe between our boundaries of Big Cove Road and Hermitage Street While we dined on our Chef Boy-Ar-Dee boxed pizza our parents busied themselves dressing in their dark colors getting ready for a late dinner at Boots having the scent of perfume and face powder trail my mother as she came into the kitchen looking for something with an intense purpose My father would smell of British Sterling and look just as he did when he went to work only happier Th ese nights meant something fun would happenmdashwe would have a babysitter
Babysitters were my introduction into what was and still seems cool Th ey were usually Huntsville High School teen-agers who would put on a show without even knowing it I would drink in their every move word and essence of style To me they were supermodelsmdashmovie starsmdasheven more fa-mous in my eyes than a television weatherman and almost as glamorous as the waitresses at the Waffl e House
Before they would tire of me and my sister and put us to bed they would include us in their world of music and knowledge which I thought was all-encompassing Suddenly our world of Th e Benny Carl Show and Fantasy Playhouse would seem trite and passeacute and we would catch a fl eeting glimpse into what would be in store for us when we too could stay up past 8 pm
Huntsville was a magical place for us tail-end baby boomers to grow upmdashbeyond the miracles of the escalator at Pizitz the smiling little lady on the tall stool at the register at Britlings and that bright colorful Maypole Th ere was a comfort level there that Irsquom not sure is in the minds of the 5-year-olds of todaymdashthe soothing sheltered lack of knowledge of why we were so lucky yet we didnrsquot even know that we were
In the other areas of our Huntsville there was poverty and ra-cial unrestmdashas there was and is in every city I was unaware People of color were always a part of my worldmdashmostly be-cause they had my attention and respect At our house there was Annie my grandmotherrsquos house was fi lled with the joys of Lula and out on the family farm there was strong and smiling Homer and large and huggable Rosamdashall just as much a part of my life as everyone else My life was good and they were instrumental in making it that way
What will the 5-year-olds of today who are lucky enough to be raised on those well-planned streets remember when they surpass their own 50 year mark It is a much more complex world now and there are diff erent concerns with daily changes of fear Youthful innocence is a prize that is encased without a lock Premature maturity is a viable threat and a constant fear But each night tucked in tight in a simple room sleeps tomor-rowrsquos adults who are having sweet dreamsmdashblanketed by the comforts of Blossomwood
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
92 raquo the vine raquo Amy C Collins
BORDEAUX POWER
Where Burgundyrsquos vineyards were established by Benedictine monks patiently growing wine vines with spiritual hearts Bordeauxrsquos vineyards were raised by entrepreneurial laymen who recognized the massive monetary opportunity when the English began drinking down their peasant wine
The city of Bordeaux is Francersquos primary port town on the Atlantic ocean a harbor that has for centuries served as the countryrsquos most important dock Th e regionrsquos history is long and storied with the fi rst written reference to the area dated 379 AD by the Latin poet Ausonius who was also a wine-grower Jump ahead to the year 1152 when Eleanor of Aquitaine married Englandrsquos soon-to-be king Henry Plantagenet and the port and surrounding vineyard land became the source of wine for the English a connection that remains strong even today
Bordeaux produces the worldrsquos most expensive and sought after collector wines the top tier of which make up less than fi ve percent of the regionrsquos total production Th ese names are quickly learned by neophyte wine drinkers wanting to make an impression Chateau Haut-Brion Lafi te Latour and Margaux for example Grown in gravelly soils only a few meters above sea levelmdashin contrast vineyards elsewhere in Europe typically sit between 300 and 900 metersmdashthese wines are some of the most powerful austere and pawed over When young the tannins in these cabernet sauvignon cabernet franc and merlot blends coat the tongue and mouth with a chalky dry sensation akin to sucking on an Earl Grey tea bag and are perhaps best suited to well-fatted rare steak and cigars Th ese are wines built to live for decades Personally I prefer a Bordeaux at least 20 years aged when the tannins have had ample time to calm down and mellow out and more nuanced fl avors come forward Sounds fancy and it is Only in some very lucky circumstances over the past year have I been guest to a bottle of 1990 Clos de Menuts Saint-Eacutemilion and a 1970 Chateau Haut-Brion About once every 10 years Irsquove had the good
fortune to taste a wine older than myself Nice work if you can get it
Where Burgundyrsquos vineyards (Francersquos other classifi ed sought-after region) were established by Benedictine monks patiently growing wine vines with spiritual hearts
Bordeauxrsquos vineyards were raised by entrepreneurial laymen who recognized the massive monetary opportunity when the English began drinking down their peasant wine Th is underscores the second half of my theory as to why Americans
more often American males are so drawn to the wines of Bordeaux Th erersquos an inherent capitalist connection something in the soil Th at the wines are so
unmistakable so distinctively grand and pronounced elixirs exemplifi es the fi rst half of my theory we Americans are not known for our subtlety (To be fair the Chinese are
signifi cant Bordeaux collectors as well)
Philosophy aside Bordeaux is quite a large region that produces beautiful white and red values as well as the rare fi nds out of the populacersquos price range Herersquos the skinny Blending is the game single varietal wines are rare White Bordeaux is typically made from a blend of sauvignon blanc and seacutemillon and sometimes a drop or two of muscadelle ugni blanc or colombard Reds are made primarily from the two cabernets plus merlot with small quantities of petit verdot malbec and carmenegravere occasionally in the mix Th e region is also home to the golden nectar of late ripened seacutemillon sauvignon blanc and muscadelle grapes that have successfully attracted the noble rot a fungus that covers the fruit and drains moisture from inside leaving behind rich sweet grapes without moldy fl avors Chateau drsquoYquem is the most famous of these unfortifi ed dessert wines though there are better bargains from the region
Bordeaux is split by the Gironde river which divides the region into three general areas Th e left bank also known as the Haut-Meacutedoc is where the classifi ed top growths are situated Th ese prestigious estates were named for their exceptional vineyard sites in 1855 a decision nearly unchanged since Today serious collectors invest in Bordeaux futures theoretically locking down lower prices of top
ample time to calm dit is Only in some vede Menuts Saint-Eacutem
fortune to taste a
Wherees
aun
of msignifi
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Follow Amy at pigandvinecom for morestories and wine suggestions
growth estates while the wine is still aging in the cellar Itrsquos the wine tradersquos equivalent to the NASDAQ On the right bank Saint-Eacutemilion and Pommerol are the prized vineyard areas known for their merlot heavy cuveacutees To the south west we fi nd Graves where there are many great values to be had in both white and red bottlings Entre-Deux-Mers which translates to ldquobetween two seasrdquo sits between the Dordogne and Garonne tributaries off the Gironde and is an excellent source for crisp whites
Get started on your Bordeaux experience with these values
Chateau Graville-Lacoste 2014 Graves 75 seacutemillon 20 sauvignon blanc and 5 muscadelle make up this beauty thatrsquos consistently delicious every vintage Crisp and refreshing great with seafood
Chateau Mirambeau 2014 GravesAnother classic blend of 40 sauvignon blanc 40 seacutemillon and 20 muscadelle this lovely white is a bit more fl oral than the Graville-Lacoste Easy drinking and great value
Chateau de Parenchegravere Bordeaux Rouge 201155 merlot 30 cabernet sauvignon and 15 cabernet franc grown in clay heavy soils similar to the right bank of the region Fleshy with good structure and abundant red fruit
Chateau Arnaud Bordeaux Supeacuterieur 2011Supeacuterieur on a Bordeaux label isnrsquot egotistical marketingmdashby law it indicates a wine with up to one degree more alcohol than its AC Bordeaux brethren What it really means is one more degree of body structure and in this case quality Approachable delicious and easy on the wallet
Chateau de Bernadotte Haut-Meacutedoc 2005Th e 2005 vintage in Bordeaux is in the history books with double asterisks Owned by the eminent Pichon Lalande family and made from vineyards in Paulliac one of the more choice growing areas in the region this is an incredible value a top tier Bordeaux for a fraction of the cost
Chateau de Suduiraut Sauternes 2011Ripe cantaloupe apricot and honey and an interesting smoky note with a solid sweet attack followed by great acidity A dessert wine that wonrsquot overpower the dessert
94 raquo parting shot raquo Patrick Hood
Meet Solvar
Solvar belongs to one of the worldrsquos oldest and purest equine lineages the Nor-
wegian Fjord horse a breed that has remained virtually unchanged for more than
2000 yearsmdashlong before we became acquainted with his animated cousins in
the movie Frozen Th ese national symbols of Norway are characterized by primi-
tive zebra striping on their legs and a dorsal stripe running from forelock to tail
resulting in a striking two-tone mane that sticks up like a Mohawk Th eir athleti-
cism agility and dependability make them valuable both as sport horses as well
as therapy horses for emotionally and physically challenged adults and children
Catie Wells of Huntsville is the proud owner of Solvar who resides at Monte
Sano Stables
For tickets or information 256-539-4818 or hsoorg
Bring In the New Year With Us
presents
WHAT A WONDERFUL
WORLDA tribute to Louis
Armstrong featuring the
Byron Stripling Quartet
Thursday December 31
730 pm bull Pops Series bullMark C Smith
Concert Hall VBC
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
M O R E T H A N 7 0 S H O P S A N D R E S T A U R A N T S I N C L U D I N G B E L K | D S W S H O E S | A P P L E J O S A B A N K | R E E D S J E W E L E R S | PA N D O R A | J C R E W | K AT E S PA D E N E W Y O R KO R V I S | B A N A N A R E P U B L I C | M I C H A E L K O R S | F R A N C E S C Arsquo S | A N T H R O P O L O G I EH amp M | S O M A | M O U N T A I N H I G H O U T F I T T E R S | B A R N E S amp N O B L E | S E P H O R AALTAR rsquoD STATE | CONNORS STEAK amp SEFOOD | THE WEST IN HUNTSV I L L E | MONACO P ICTURES
C O M I N G S O O N V E R S O N A ndash near Belk
B R I D G E S T R E E T H U N T S V I L L E C O M |
BR IDGE STREET TOWN CENTRE I S LOCATED AT EX I T 14 OFF I - 565 AT OLD MAD ISON P IKE
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Friday November 13
Lights Up Holiday Tree Lighting
Bridge Street Town Centre lights up like a winter wonderland to welcome Santa with school choirs local musicians
and strolling Victorian carolers culminating in a spectacular fi reworks display 700pm Free Bridge Street Town Centre
bridgestreethuntsvillecom
Sunday November 15
Beethoven Conversations
Select Beethoven piano solos and Quintet op 16 B-fl at major featuring guest artist pianist Kirill Gerstein 330pm Admission
charged Roberts Hall UAH (256) 539-4818 hsoorg
Friday November 20 ndash Sunday November 22
Bullets Over Broadway
A young playwright in desperate need of fi nancial backing for his next show accepts an off er he canrsquot refuse from a mobster
looking to please his showgirl girlfriend Donrsquot miss what the New Yorker exclaims as ldquoa Fun Machine from Start to Finishrdquo Fri
200pm Sat 200 and 800pm Sun 200pm and 730pm Admission charged Von Braun Center 700 Monroe St (256) 518-6155
broadwaytheatreleagueorg
Sunday November 22
A Vignette from Th e Nutcracker
Enjoy a vignette from the Huntsville Ballet Companyrsquos 47th annual production of Th e Nutcracker set in antebellum Huntsville
with a nod to local legends and traditions and accompanied by Tchaikovskyrsquos delightful score 200pm Free fee for museum
exhibitions Huntsville Museum of Art 300 Church St (256) 535-4350 hsvmuseumorg
Tuesday December 1 ndash Wednesday December 23
Santarsquos Village
All ages will delight in visiting the Clausrsquo house meeting Santarsquos reindeer the North Pole elves and Santa Snow shows craft
projects and musical entertainment all add to the fun at the Village Santa Calls Home 500pm-900pm Admission charged
Alabama Constitution Village 109 Gates Ave earlyworkscom
Wednesday December 2
Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony Every Light a Prayer for Peace
Th is yearrsquos program includes local dignitaries elementary-age students clergy and Federated Garden Club members who will
light the Botanical Gardenrsquos Christmas Tree 930am Free Huntsville Botanical Garden 4747 Bob Wallace Ave (256) 830-444
hsvbgorg
Friday December 4
Peace on Earth A Holiday Music Extravaganza
Th e Symphonic Chorus Childrenrsquos Chorale and Youth Chorale join the UAH Music Department the Huntsville Symphony
Orchestra and Huntsville Ballet for this seasonal performance 730pm Admission charged Von Braun Concert Hall 700
Monroe St (256) 533-6606 thechorusorg
10 raquo calendar
g g
y December 4
on Earth A Holiday Music Extravaganza
e Symphonic Chorus Childrenrsquos Chorale and Youth Chorale join the UAH Music Departmennnnnnennnnnnnnnnnne ttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttt ttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttheeeeeheeeheheheeeeehehehehehhhheeheeheheheheheeehehehehhhhhhhhhhehehehehehehehhehhheheheehehhhehehhheheheehehheheheheheheehhhehehhehhhhhhhehhehhheh HHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHununununununununununununununununnununuununununununununuunununununuunununnnnnunnunuu tstststststststststststststststststststststststststststststststststtststssststssstststss iviviviviviviviiviviviviviviviviviviviviviviviviviviviviviivvivivivivivivivivivivivivvivivivivvivviivv lllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllleeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee SySySySySySySySySySySySyySySySySySySySySySyySySyySySySySySySySySySySySySySySySySySyySySySySyySySySySySSSySySySySySyympmpmpmpmpmpmpmpmmpmpmpmpmpmpmpmpmpmpmpmmpmpmpmpmmpmmpmpmpmpmpmpmpmpmppppmpmpmppmpmppmpmpmppmphohohohohhohohohhohohohhohohohohohhohohohohohhhhhohohohhohohhohohohhohohohohohohohohohhohoohhohonynynnynynynynynynynynynynynynynynynynynynynnynynynynynynynynynynynynynynynnynyyynynyynnnnnynyyy
chestra and Huntsville Ballet for this seasonal performance 730pm Admission nnnnn n chchhchhhchchhhhhhhhhhchhchhhhhhhchchhhchchhhchhhhchhchchhchchchhhhhhhhchcccccchhhhchchcccccccchhchchcccccchchcccccccchccccccharrrrrrrarrrrarrarrarrrrrrrrrraraaarrrrrarararararraaaaaarrrarararaaaaaaararrraraaaaaaaaaaararararaaaaaaaaararaaararaaaarrarrrggggggggggegegegeegegegegegegegeggggggegegegegegegegeggeeeggegegeggegegeegegggggggegg dddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddd VVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVonononnonononononononononononononnnoonoonono BBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBrararararararrararrrarararararaaarararararaaunununununununununnunununununununuununuuuunununnuu CCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCConononononononononononnnononononononoonoooononoooononononnonncecececececececececececececeececececececececececeeceeeeccceeertrtrtrtrtrtrtrtrtrtrtrrtrtrtrtrtrtrtrtrtrtrtrtrtrtrtrtrttrtrtrtrtrtrtrtrttrt HHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHallalalalalalalaalalalllllalalalalalalalalllalalalalalalalalalaalalalalaallalalalalalllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll 777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000
onroe St (256) 533-6606 thechorusorg
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Friday December 4 ndash Saturday December 5
Kris Kringlersquos Candlelight Christmas
Two spectacular evenings of cozy fi res holiday music fi ggy pudding homemade cookies kids crafts designer deacutecor and much
more Itrsquos holiday fun for the whole family with the most magical view in town 430pm-900pm Admission charged Burritt on
the Mountain 3101 Burritt Dr (256) 536-2882 burrittonthemountaincom
Friday December 4 ndash Sunday December 6
A Christmas Carol
Travel with Scrooge as he visits his past present and future on Christmas Eve in this musical retelling of Charles Dickensrsquo
classic novel Fri and Sat 700pm and Sun 200pm Admission charged Von Braun Playhouse 700 Monroe St (256) 539-6829
fantasyplayhousecom
Friday December 4 ndash Sunday December 6
Th e Nutcracker A Yuletide Ballet
Alabama Youth Ballet Th eatre opens its 10th season to holiday audiences with this beloved Christmas ballet Fri 700pm
Sat 200pm and 730pm Sun 200pm Admission charged Lee HS Auditorium 2500 Meridian St (256) 881-5930
alabamayouthballetorg
Saturday December 12
Madison Christmas Parade
Music fl oats and fun for the whole family Afterwards gather for an old-fashioned celebration on the Village Green Listen
to carolers and instrumental music around the Roundhouse and sip hot chocolate at the Gazebo 530pm Free Downtown
Madison (256) 772-9300 cimadisonalus
Saturday December 12
Mooresville Holiday Home Tour and Progressive Dinner
Th e 50 residents of historic Mooresville incorporated in 1818 invite you to celebrate the season with a tour of the 1839 Brick
Church 1820 Stagecoach Tavern 1840 Post Offi ce and fi ve private homes all decorated in the tradition of Christmas past
Homes open and shopping available from 200pm to 600pm Dinner seating at 330pm to 430pm and at 500pm to 600 pm in
town square Reservations required $70 Mooresville (256) 355-2683 mooresvillealcom
Saturday December 12
Spirit of Christmas Past Homes Tour and Luminaries
Tour fi ve private residences on Randolph Street the Weeden House Museum on Gates Avenue and other historic buildings
ornately decorated for the holidays 500pm-900pm Admission charged Twickenham Historic District (256) 536-7718
twickenhamhomestourcom
Th ursday December 17
Huntsville Christmas Parade
Welcome Santa Claus to Huntsville as he ushers in the Christmas season at the annual Christmas parade Enjoy the excitement
and music with many entries and bands from across North Alabama 600pm Free Downtown Huntsville (256) 885-9797
Saturday December 19
Holiday Artists Market
Americarsquos largest private artist complex invites the public to its annual Holiday Artists Market 1100am-600pm Free Flying
Monkey Arts Th eater Lowe Mill 2211 Seminole Dr (256) 489-7000 fl yingmonkeyartsorg
Saturday December 31
Huntsville Symphony Orchestra presents ldquoWhat A Wonderful Worldrdquo - a tribute to Louis Armstrong
Bring in the New Year with the Byron Stripling Quartet and the music of Louis Armstrong a presentation of the HSO 730
pm Mark C Smith Concert Hall VBC call (256) 539-4818 for tickets or visit wwwhsoorg
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
pm Mark C Smith Concert Hall VBC call (256) 539-4818 for tickets or visit wwwhsoorg
12 raquo cryinrsquo out loud raquo Sara Wright Covington
HOME
So we carry our boxes and baggage from place to place carving out a new niche for them wherever we fi nd ourselves And I fi nd that long after I have left a place that place has not left me
According to a government survey conducted in the average person moves around 11
times in a lifetime My husband never one to conform to the norm had moved nine times by the time
he was 18 He just like his father and his fatherrsquos father is a builder and thatrsquos just what builders do
Th ey build and they move and then they build and they move again I knew when I married him that
he would follow in those family footsteps and that I was signing up for a lifetime of constant moving
Frequent moves do seem to be much more of the norm where we live in Huntsville a super transient
place full of military and government men and women who are accustomed to shifting their families
from spot to spot But having only lived in two houses by the time I was 18 it was still hard for me
to imagine packing my entire life into boxes every couple of
years Now on our third move together Irsquove started taking
inventory of my things each time I prepare to repack them
into boxes and Irsquove defi nitely begun to see a trendmdashmost
everything I own has been in my life for a very long time Irsquove
carried my grandmotherrsquos hat boxes full of fur and feath-
ered millinery from place to place with me since I was 22 I
still have the antique four poster bed I slept in as a
child My many bookshelves are fi lled with every
book I have likely ever ownedmdashfrom the Norton
Anthology of English Literature to Frommerrsquos Las
Vegas guide book Th ere are even a few items of
clothing in my closet that are 20 or more years old
including a rain jacket monogrammed with my high
school letters and a sequined tube top I think I wore
at some point during college although I hope that
Irsquom wrong
It has been scientifi cally proven that most people
fear change as the outcome of that change is of-
ten unknown With each and every move that we
make it has become increasingly evident that I am
no diff erent We fi nd faith in the familiar which for
me seems to include everything from my footwear
to my friends So we carry our boxes and baggage
from place to place carving out a new niche for them
wherever we fi nd ourselves And I fi nd that long after
I have left a place that place has not left me I re-
cently went to visit the house where I grew up which
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
is sadly empty now Th e front door was exactly the same
and the concrete steps where I skinned my knee as a child
are still there as is the scar I still bear from those steps 30
years later I peeked through the glass backdoor to see that
the kitchen cabinets were still exactly the same an unpainted
knotty wood with brass knobs and the pocket door adja-
cent to the stove was still there also half open to the sitting
room I wondered if that door still bore the carved notches
of my height chart an expanse of inches that widened over
the years as I grew each notch labeled in pen with a date I
strained my eyes to look but could not see
Th e seasons are changing now and once again we are mov-
ing Th e boxes are being collected now and Irsquove already be-
gun a mental timeline of how long I can procrastinate until
actually beginning to pack them Th is summer in particular
has been one of many changes for usmdashups and downs joys
and sorrowsmdashand the walls of this house have witnessed
them all And I have to admit that it does seem right that
as the seasons change we too should also move on As
someone recently put it to me when facing the fear of the
unknown we have to learn to just manage and adjustmdashhav-
ing faith at the threshold of change that life will continue to
be full of beauty and fun love and loss We are not forced
to edge any one of these out to make room for the other but
rather we must learn to make room for them all
Th ere is no doubt that this house will stick with me as
all of the memories within it are engraved into my mind
But this time around I know that home will always be
where my family and friends are and the walls around
us are just a shelter through the sun and storms of our
lives I choose to believe that old habits are not necessar-
ily bad habits but traditions we choose to bring with us
into the future as a form of comfort in the midst of the
fear of the future My husband and I have celebrated
one of those old traditions in this house as we
have made our own growth chart for our
children here carving and marking their
tiny heights onto one of our downstairs
doors And although I will likely fret and
shed some tears through this entire mov-
ing process as I attempt to detach myself
from these walls a little compromise can be
comforting and being married to a builder
does have its perksmdashwe are unhinging that
door and taking it with us when we go
for information visit wwwathenseduathenianplayers
Names for photos are provided by the organization or business featured
14 raquo scene
Suzanne OrsquoConnor Karen Kiss and Sallie Ennis
Front Row L-R Patrick Robbins Ed Rush Nancy Colin George Smith and Steve Thornton Back Row L-R John Johnson Richard Van Valkenburgh Ronald Reed and Skipper Colin
Richard and Nancy Van Valkenburgh
Jay and Dana Town
Ernie Rivard Ann Rivard Anne Compton Burke and Kim and John Johnson
George and Lee Anne Smith and Steve and Patti Thornton
Linda Akenhead Donna Rush Ivy Albert and Amelia Summerville
Bobsy and Bill IngramChris Wesley Suzanne OrsquoConnor and Patrick Robbins
Tom and Pennie Keene Sharon and Ed Gartrell and Janet and David Skidmore
Debbie Overcash Brenda Millberger and Theresa Taylor
Ronald and Daphne Reed and Nancy and Skipper Colin
Kendall Black and Lee Anne Bostick
Sharon Gartrell Paige Prozan Amelia Summerville and Susan Todd Matt Taylor Bruce Summerville
Eric Milberger and Tommy Overcash
copy Photos by Mark Jaeger
Joyce Griffi n Betsy Lowe Peter Lowe Debbie Washburn and Ben Washburn
2015 Symphony Ball Advisorsrsquo Cocktail Partyaugust middot home of jay and dana town huntsville
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
text by sarah gaede raquo photos by patrick hood
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Some restaurants have food trucks for off-premise
special events Chef Will proprietor of Th e Palate at Lowe
Mill has a folding table Equipped with coolers kettles a
butane burner and his trusty cast iron skillet he turns out
amazing vegetarian and vegan dishes for his loyal following
every Th ursday at Greene Street Market in Huntsville
Although he grew up in Groton Connecticut helping his
mother in the kitchen and was always interested in food Chef
Will then known as Forest Wilson felt he couldnrsquot compete
with his older brother who was an executive chef So he
received vocational training in welding and visual arts (skills
which he still uses in creating his Afro-centric art) After a
brief stint in California working in the shipbuilding industry
he decided to follow his fi rst love and go to culinary school
When Chef Will visited his mother in Huntsville he realized
how much he missed being close to the land So he moved to
Alabama After he saw what his family was eating and how
many health problems they had he began an intensive study
of nutrition and the healing properties of natural foods
He had already been turned on to the health benefi ts of a
vegetarian diet by the surfers he hung out with in California
With his back-to-basics approach
Chef Will is like a nineteenth century
cook witha twenty-first century vibe
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
like a nineteenth century cook with a twenty-
fi rst century vibe
While most of Chef Willrsquos dishes are vegan he
does use real cheese because it melts better
He also uses free-range eggs Portobello
mushrooms are his go-to meat substitute
Th e day I visited he was serving portobello
pepper ldquosteakrdquo over quinoa and brown rice
with a liberal dash of his secret Bee Sting
sauce which his son Khaliq is working on
marketing to the public It was scrumptious
His food is so densely fl avored you donrsquot miss
the meat He especially loves the spices and
ingredients of Indian Asian and Chinese
cuisines all of which off er a great variety of
tasty vegetarian dishes
Chef Will is a passionate evangelist for the
healing properties of pure natural foods and
he preaches this gospel in a way that is so
inviting those who try his food cannot help
but be much more open-minded about trying
new healthy creative ways of eating
who seemed to have much more energy than he did He
became intentional about every step of the cooking process
from ingredient sourcing to cookwaremdashhence the cast
iron skillet which is naturally non-stick and adds iron to
whatever is cooked in it
Chef Will sources his ingredients locally whenever possible
He makes his vegetable stock with spring water His tasty
beans are soaked and simmered in that fl avorful stock not
poured from a can His collards are sublime without a hint
of pork fat With his back-to-basics approach Chef Will is
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Start a New Holiday Tradition at Burritt on the Mountain
ldquoHoliday Magicrdquo A Magical Dining Experience
December 10th 11th amp 12th
Itrsquos a magically fun evening dining in a historic cabin or the mansion with friends while enjoying delectable food and wine It is unlike any other holiday dinner and itrsquos perfect for a festive family occasion yet intimate enough for a romantic dinner for two Itrsquos rustic AND upscale
Holiday Magic reservations are being taken now by calling Butch Damson at 256-534-4361 Hurry Space is limted $90 per dinner seat Visit the website for menus and more
limited seating available make your reservations today
Wersquore decking the walls halls and stalls to get you in the holiday spirit More than 600 candles illuminate the sidewalks and Historic Park and music fills the air adding to the nostalgic feel of the holidays String cranberries make paper punch ornaments roast chesnuts amp taste figgy pudding Fun for the whole family itrsquos Christmas the way itrsquos supposed to be
Kris KringlersquosCandlelight Christmas
December 4th amp 5th
A much anticipated musical favorite will be back at Burritt in the Old Country Church
PerformancesDecember 16th through 20th
Tickets ON SALE NOWPurchase tickets at Josiersquos online
or by calling 256-536-2882or by calling 256-536-2by calling 256-536-2burrittonthemountaincom
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Th
ePE
R
FECT HOLIDAY DIN
NE
R
In our modern world of far-fl ung families Th anksgiving and Christmas are those rare occasions so fi lled with nostalgia
and meaning we press the pause button on our busy lives to prioritize time together Because family time is so rare these days NorsquoAla asked some of Huntsvillersquos fi nest chefs to suggest dishes that will inspire you as you plan your
familyrsquos menu this holiday season
Any time we spend with our loved ones is precious herersquos hoping these meal
ideas help make this yearrsquos holidays perfect
text by roy hall raquo photos by olivia reed
ldquoWith all the fl avors we associate with the holidays the gingerbread man is always near the top of the list So let the kids enjoy the traditional cookies while you sip this sophisticated cocktailrdquo mdashParker
ldquoTh e holidays are so fun-fi lled it seems appropriate that a holiday salad should refl ect that with lots of diff erent things going on fruits nuts cheeses and always a little hint of sweetness in the dressing No matter what main dishes and sides are served this salad will complement them allrdquo mdashAndrew
Grilled Pear Salad with Cambozola and Walnuts
Mezza Luna
(256) 650-2514 Th e GingermanMezza Luna
Butternut Squash Wild Mushroom and Roasted Asparagus Risotto
Th e Eaves
(256) 489-1752
ldquoI love this dish because itrsquos crisp and clean and adds a touch of light color to a typically heavy mealmdashthe bright green asparagus and red pancetta even look Christmassyrdquo mdashOwner LeeLee Wiginton
ldquoTh is isnrsquot super diffi cult to make It echoes the fl avors of the season And itrsquos also something a little unexpected It has a great fl avor profi le and complements other proteins really well Guests will love itrdquo mdashChef Merle Phillip
Snow Pea Salad with Crispy PancettaLynrsquos Gracious Goodness
(256) 533-2607
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Th ePERFECT HOLIDAY DINNER
Fried Brussels Sprouts with Coriander Greek Yogurt Sauce
Mezza Luna
ldquoI chose to do the turkey this way because itrsquos a diff erent approach Th e challenge of roasting a whole turkey is that the white and dark meat cook at diff erent speeds By separating the two you can cook each for its own proper cooking timerdquo mdashChef Steven Bunner
ldquoBrussels sprouts have had a bad rap Th e fi rst time most people encounter them theyrsquore overcooked mushy and served plain Th atrsquos a shame because theyrsquore nutritional powerhouses and because theyrsquore a fall crop at their best during the holiday seasonrdquo mdashJohn
Roast Turkey Breast and Dark Meat Roulade Served with Pecan Pesto
1892 East(256) 489-1242
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Between now and the end of the year take advantage of cost reductions on three popular proceduresmdashand begin 2016 with new confidence
bull SAVE BIG on breast augmentationOur saline price is $700 off and our silicone price is $900 off cash price only Schedule your initial consultation by December 31 2015 to lock in your price and the procedure must take place by March 31 2016
bull FULL-FACIAL LASER is $1500 Cash price only Initial consultation must occur before December 31 2015 and the procedure must be done by March 31 2016
bull WEEKEND Eribium Laser PEEL is Buy ThreeGet One Free Save $400 on our regular $1600 cash price by scheduling your initial consultation by December 31 2015
Look better - feel better - and save money Itrsquos time to get more for less
Dr Russell Jennings203 Avalon Ave Suite 300
Muscle Shoals AL 35661
Phone(256) 386-1450jenningsplasticsurgerycom
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Th ePERFECT HOLIDAY DINNER
Nutella CheesecakeMason Dixon Bakery amp Bistro(256) 213-7545
ldquoTh is is one of our favorite desserts for a holiday and for every day Th e rich and creamy cake melts like ice cream in your mouth the smoothness of the fi lling balances perfectly with the crunchiness of the crust and the delicate hints of the swirled Nutella are divinerdquo mdashCo-owners Chef Ashley and Taylor Ramirez
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Emily Taylor5510 Promenade Point Pkwy Suite 160Madison AL 35757256-430-2781
I can help you
your own wayGROW
1114-519HO
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
produced by aissa castillo and lauren mccaulphotos by lauren tomasella carney
clothing modeled by aaron petersen rachel smith anne harbargerand kait barinaga (for finery)
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Meet the Shop Girls The mission To search Valley shops and boutiques
for the fi nest in Yuletide treasures
Accepting the challenge three of Huntsvillersquos most original and creative taste-makers
Say hello to NorsquoAla Shop Girls Aissa Castillo Lauren McCaul and Lauren Tomasella CarneyDuring the day these mild-mannered professionals tend to demanding careers in design
retail management and photography But evenings and weekends theyrsquore out saving the world from uninspiring fashion and decor as style superheroes
Their picks for the very best gift ideas follow For ideas and inspiration year-round
stay in-the-know by following our Shop Girls on social media
Lauren McCaul deptofagraculturecom Instagram dept_of_agra_cultureAissa Castillo aislerchiccom Instagram aislerchic
Lauren Tomasella Carney laurentomasellacom Instagram laurentomasella
And as you shop for your own Christmas treasures this season please remember to spread your cheermdashand your dollarsmdashat home
(1) Amanda Uprichard Jacket ($248)(2) BCBG Dress ($228)(3) Zoa Dress ($128)Personal Couture Boutique(256) 508-5632
(4) Dress ($168)Anthropologie(256) 327-8470
(5) Olive + Oak Oatmeal Shawl ($72)(10) Simply Noelle Zipper Gusset Bag ($5999)House of Holland(256) 206-8989
(6) One-of-a-kind Eva Ziegler Agate and Pyrite Necklace ($397)(8) Eva Ziegler Freshwater Pearl Strand ($501)Eva Ziegler Jewelryevazieglercom
(9) Gift Set ($5995)Piper amp LeafPiperandleafcom
(7) Long Horn Necklace ($68)Personal Couture Boutique(256) 508-5632
Left to right Lauren Tomasella Carney
Lauren McCaul and Aissa Castillo
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
On himFilson Shirt ($98) Filson Jacket ($320)Yeti Cooler ($34999)Alabama Outdoors(256)-885-3561
On herPPLA Vest ($7999)PPLA Dress ($7499)Bedstu Boots ($295)Indigorsquos Boutique(256) 345-6348
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) Woolly Mammoth Tooth 4rdquo Damascus Linerlock Knife ($150)(2) Cardboard Safari Bucky Cardboard Deer Head ($30)(3) Curt Benzle Porcelain Compass ($15)Little Green Store and Gallery (256) 539-9699
(4) Hunting Journal ($32)Sweet Pineapple(256) 964-7563
(5) Yeti Colster ($2999)Alabama Outdoors(256)-885-3561
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
(1) Yellow House Handcrafted Beard Oils ($18 ea)Yellow House Beard Oilsyellowhousebeards com (2) Mustache amp Beard Comb ($16)Little Green Store and Gallery (256) 539-9699 (3) Latika Body Essentials Charcoal Liquid Soap ($18)(4) Latika Body Essentials Charcoal Bar Soap ($6) (5) Rustico Leather Key Chain ($18) Sweet Pineapple(256) 964-7563
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) Wood Thumb Tie ($44) (2) Slightly Alabama iPad Case ($250) (3) DockSmith Driftwood iPhone Docking Station ($68) Little Green Storeand Gallery (256) 539-9699 (4) Loyal Stricklin Aviator Mug ($35)Domaine South(256) 808-8860 (5) Would You Be a Deer Notepad ($9) Sweet Pineapple(256) 964-7563
(6) Filson Satchel ($265) Alabama Outdoors(256)-885-3561
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
When itrsquos time to move into a bigger house get a home loan from the bank thatrsquos had a home right here for generations You might say we know a thing about location location location synovuscommortgage
Banking products are provided by Synovus Bank Member FDIC Divisions of Synovus Bank operate under multiple trade names across the Southeast Loans products subject to credit approval
When itrsquos time to move into a bigger house get a home
Here is where Henry learned hersquod be getting
SERVING YOU LOCALLY AS
2565513300 | fcb-hsvcom
his own room
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) Spiritual GangsterTank ($36)(2) Luquido Yoga Pants ($90)(3) MZ Wallace Metro Tote ($245)(4) Vimmia V back Sweatshirt ($96)(5) Onzie Sports Bra ($48)(6) Olympia Yoga Pants ($96)(7) bkr Water Bottle ($30)The Fitzgerald Pilates amp Barre(256) 603-1886
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
(1) Gypsy Pant WarmTribal ($72) (2) Berry High Waist Legging ($88) (3) Long Legging Mathematics ($65) (4) Long Legging Peacock ($65) The FitzgeraldPilates amp Barre(256) 603-1886
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(1) Jane Tran Hair Clips ($15)(2) bkr Water Bottle ($30)(3) well-kept Tech Wipes ($6)(4) Made with Love Bracelets ($25)(5) Pointe Studio Socks ($12)(6) Bando Too Cold to Hold Coozie ($5)The Fitzgerald Pilates amp Barre(256) 603-1886
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
(1) Shop Bando Coff ee Cup ($14)(2) Shop Bando Pens ($14) (3) Shop Bando Pouch ($26) (4) Shop Bando Coin Purse ($20) The FitzgeraldPilates amp Barre(256) 603-1886
(5) Check Things Off Notepad ($16)(6) Hello From Huntsville Stamp ($12)Salt + Paperie(256) 655-5550
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) Muzzle Loaders Chocolate Bourbon Balls ($1999) (2) Vintage Crystal Decanter ($20) (3) Quench Glassware ($1399) Domaine South(256) 808-8860
(4) The Hella Bitters Old Fashioned Kit ($65)(5) American Bar by Charles Schumann ($2495) Little Green Storeand Gallery (256) 539-9699
(6) Julep Cups ($50)Willowbrook Shoppe (256) 270-7181
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom | novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) DECCO Umbrella in a Bottle ($1995)(2) Alexa Pulitzer Stationery Set ($14 ea)(3) Ikat Scarf ($6250)Huntsville Museumof Art(256) 535-4350
(4) Emily Ley Grace Journal ($32) (5) Sugar Boo Designs Clutch ($18) (6) Emily Ley Daily Planner ($58) (7) Latika Milk ampHoney Bar ($6) (8) Farm House Fresh Shea Butter Hand Cream ($14) (9) Christen MaxwellZippy ($42) (10) Green Tea Bubble Bath ($32) Sweet Pineapple(256) 964-7563 (11) Goal Getter Cuff ($32)Indigorsquos Boutique(256) 345-6348
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
(1) Kilim Pillow ($58) (2) Bejeweled Silver Plate Vase ($144) (3) Bone Clad Box ($375)Willowbrook Shoppe (256) 270-7181
(4) Cowhide Rug ($550)(5) Lucyrsquos Locket ($95) (Original piecemdashselection may vary)Sweet Pineapple(256) 964-7563 (6) Clutch ($65)Department of Agra Culturedeptofagraculturecom
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) Above The Bar Antler on Chain 28rdquo ($3999) (2) Above The Bar Deer wAntler Head 18rdquo ($2999) Indigorsquos Boutique(256) 345-6348
(3) Margaret Solow Labradorite18KT Bezel ($290) (4) Margaret Solow Diamond Crest MoonSilver ($460) (5) Margaret Solow Black Spinel + DiamondSilver ($560) (6) Margaret Solow Double Black Spinel18KT ($260)Little Green Store and Gallery (256) 539-9699
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
(1) Margaret Solow Grey Moonstoon18KT Necklace ($240) (2) Margaret Solow OpalDiamond Mosaic Necklace ($610) Little Green Storeand Gallery (256) 539-9699
(3) One-of-a-kind Eva Ziegler Smokey Quartz and Pyrite Necklace ($406)Eva Ziegler Jewelryevazieglercom
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) Jennifer BehrTurban ($625)(2) Cotton Day Dress ($64)(3) Norma Ishak Cardigan ($375)Finery(256) 429-3429
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) The Lion Sleeps Tonight Bath Bomb ($6) Sweet Pineapple(256) 964-7563
(2) Tiger Jelly Cat ($2250)(3) Dog Tag Teether ($1550)(4) Dinosaur Footie ($3595)Honey B Boutique(256) 503-2853
(5) Young Buck ($25)Tiny Vinestinyvinesshopcom
(6) Bib Set ($13)Huntsville Museumof Art(256) 535-4350
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
(1) Tiny Dancer Bath Bomb ($6)Sweet Pineapple(256) 964-7563
(2) Kickee Mammoth Footie ($3595)(3) Noodle amp Boo Essential Care Kit ($18)(4) Elephant Jelly Cat ($2250)Honey B Boutique(256) 503-2853
(5) ArtFolio Pink Elephant Coloring Tote ($17)Huntsville Museumof Art(256) 535-4350
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) Bib Set ($13)Huntsville Museumof Art(256) 535-4350 (2) Little Light ($25)Tiny Vinestinyvinesshopcom (3) Micro Leon Cardboard Lion ($30)Little Green Storeand Gallery (256) 539-9699 (4) I Love You Like Biscuits amp Gravy ($23)Domaine South(256) 808-8860
(5) Kickee Kimono ($4295)Honey B Boutique(256) 503-2853
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
SURPRISEA LOVED ONE
THIS HOLIDAY SEASON
WITH A FOREVER GIFT
HobbsJewelerscom 8772331347Parkway Place Mall
HuntsvilleHwy 72 West
AthensMain Street
Ardmore TN
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Caftan ($75)Sarah Richey Necklace ($350)Finery(256) 429-3429
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
(1) Chewbead Necklace ($3495)(2) Mayoral Baby Bag ($7995)(3) Mayoral Diaper Changing Pad ($2495)(4) Nursing Scarf ($2695) (5) Kickee Swaddling Blanket ($22)Honey B Boutique(256) 503-2853 (6) Lucy Darling Months Sticker ($25) (7) The Story of You Baby Book by Emily Ley ($62) Sweet Pineapple(256) 964-7563
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) Alwand Vahan 14K Gold and Onyx Ring wDiamond Accent ($2595)(2) Alwand Vanan 14K Gold and Onyx Bracelet wDiamond Accent ($2695)Hobbs Jewelers(877) 233-1347
(3) Britt Ryan Dress ($288)Personal Couture Boutique(256) 508-5632
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) Rocket Cosmos Mug ($13)Huntsville Museumof Art(256) 535-4350
(2) Loose Leaf Tea ($399)Piper amp Leaf piperandleafcom (3) Judy Jackson Tea Pot ($56) (4) Gary Watson Cherry Cutting Board ($48-$68) (5) Susan Coe Birthday Cake Plate ($33) Little Green Storeand Gallery (256) 539-9699 (6) Macarons ($116 pcs $221 dozen)Whisk Small Treats Bakery(256) 656-1027
(7) Truffl es ($185 each)Pizellersquos Confections (256) 513-9745 (8) Olive amp Sinclair Chocolate ($799)Domaine South(256) 808-8860
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
(1) Whisk Note Pad ($8) (2) In the Forest Mixing Bowl ($36) (3) Twig Serving Set ($18)(8) Southern Firefl y Candle ($12)Sweet Pineapple(256) 964-7563
(4) Urchin Bowl ($10)(5) Foodie Dice ($38)(6) 1Canoe2 Wood Recipe Box w Recipe Cards ($6999) Domaine South(256) 808-8860 (7) Growlers ($75 small $95 large)Southern Growlersoutherngrowlercom
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) Tacori 18K Barbados Blue Bold Gem Ring ($660)(2) Tacori 18K Barbados Blue Bold Gem Necklace ($630)(3) Tacori 18K Barbados Blue Bold Gem Bracelet ($990)Hobbs Jewelers(877) 233-1347
(4) BCBG Dress ($328)Personal Couture Boutique(256) 508-5632
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Guadalupe Robinson
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
text by jennifer crossley howard raquo photos by patrick hood
Of Deft and Dirty Hands
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Huntsville potter Guadalupe Lanning Robinson has spent more than 36 years mastering the
marriage of clay texture and geometric design into her pottery yet time has done little to temper the
plight of waiting
ldquoIt is hard for me to let a pot just dryrdquo she says motioning toward fi ve small wet pots sitting near her
pottery wheel ldquoIrsquom as excited to do this as I was 30 years agordquo
To observe her studio at Lowe Mill that is easy to believe Located on the corridor outside the textile
mill-turned-art centerrsquos main building the loft-like space with a corrugated tin roof feels like a place a
Gabriel Garcia Marquez character would enjoy daydreaming
Sienna-hued pottery sits in various stages to be fi red layered and etched Argentinian tango music
streams from Robinsonrsquos iPhone and two cockatiels a parrot and a parakeet chirp from their cages All
except the parrot fl y freely when Robinson is working
Robinson who is 61 made her fi rst pot in 1979 in her native Mexico City Almost four decades later her
work is part of permanent museum collections in Auburn Huntsville Tuscumbia and Tupelo Missis-
sippi She regularly enters her work in respected juried shows such as the Monte Sano Arts Festival and
the Kentuck Festival of the Arts in Northport and has received two Alabama State Council on the Arts
individual artist fellowships
Her inspiration draws from the villages around her native Mexico City such as the black pottery of
the northwest as well as her acquired Southern culture White lilies corn grids and round female
fi guresmdashldquoreally strong women who are in chargerdquo Robinson saysmdashreappear on her stoneware She uses
natural dyes indigo for color and mixes sand into clay for texture Nothing is wasted
ldquoI donrsquot waste any clayrdquo Robinson says ldquoEverything is recycledrdquo
Robinson fi nds solace in the 40-50 hours a week she puts in at the studio and the often tedious process
of making pots which can take from three weeks to six weeks for larger pots She usually works on two
or three pots at a time tending to groups at diff erent stages
After a pot is thrown on a wheel a piece can take days to dry before its fi rst bisque fi re in which tem-
peratures rise to 1800 F After baking for nine hours the kiln must cool Th e second fi ring rises to 2150
F and matures the clay and melts the glazes to strengthen the piece
ldquoI am an effi cient person by naturerdquo Robinson says ldquoWaiting for the kiln to cool down enough to open
can be nerve wracking and this is when my patience is usually put to the testrdquo
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
ldquoIt is hard for me to let a pot just dry Irsquom as excited to do this as I was 30 years agordquo
Robinson makes most of her pots on a wheel using oxides to change the color of clay she gets from Nashville and Pittsburgh Her pottery takes several weeks from start to fi nish depending on how large a pot is and how many she makes at a time
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
ldquoAttend to your childrenrsquos needs fi rst keep focus on what you want to douse the happiness joy and little breaks you get to make your artTh ey grow real fast and they will keep inspiring you all your liferdquo
Robinson imagined this bat-like design as she was working She usually begins a piece with a design in mind but that often evolves
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Robinson uses an overlay of liquid clay called engobemdashthat includes three to four layersmdashto create a
base on which to design
Th ere is high risk in making pottery and hours of work can be wasted on a pot that has not dried en-
tirely before it enters the kiln Air pockets or the wrong mixture of chemicals can ruin a piece
ldquoArt is involved but science is toordquo says Laura Smith director of education at the Huntsville Museum
of Art where Robinson has taught pottery classes ldquoItrsquos more labor intensive in terms of working with
the medium whether yoursquore building by hand or with a wheel until you fi re with the fi nal layer of glazerdquo
Th e result is sturdy pottery
ldquoI want my pots to look like something that is lasting a long timerdquo Robinson says
Th ough she works solitarily in her studio she says she does not get lonely Her birds and music keep her
company and each stage of pottery making has a soundtrack She uses needlepoint tools to draw onto
clay to Jose Feliciano and other Latin American musicians
ldquoIf Irsquom at the wheel Bruno Marsrdquo she says ldquoIf Irsquom unloading the kiln and something is really awesome
then I need something moving and I have on Motownrdquo
Robinsonrsquos years of experience minimize the risk of damaged pots but she says her greatest challenge
as a potter was balancing her work while raising her two children Now adults their candid childhood
pictures and those of her grandchildren cover the warm green walls of her studio
She met her husband the poet James Robinson in 1977 on a Greyhound bus when she returned to
Mexico City from visiting a friend at the University of Southern Mississippi He was heading to Mexico
to study at a university Th ey married six months later After giving birth to her daughter Annie Jane in
Mexico City in 1982 the family moved to Huntsville in 1985 Th at is when Robinson got more serious
about her pottery
ldquoFrom the very beginning when I moved to Alabama I knew I was going to have to do thisrdquo she said
ldquoIn some ways it was a way for me to keep connected to my heritagerdquo
She took even 15 minutes of free time to work in the studio behind her home and worked late into the
night while her daughter and son Isidoro born in 1987 slept Having a home studio allowed her to
wash clothes tend to her home and drop off lunches at school while maintaining her art
ldquoTh ere was something for me when I fi rst became a mother that fueled my creativityrdquo Robinson says
ldquoTh ey are such a social inspiration too It fi lls your liferdquo
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Robinson advises fellow artists who are mothers to seize
both roles but to prioritize motherhood
ldquoAttend to your childrenrsquos needs fi rst keep focus on what you
want to do use the happiness joy and little breaks you get
to make your artrdquo she says ldquoTh ey grow real fast and they will
keep inspiring you all your liferdquo
Anna Sue Courtney director of the Flying Monkey Arts
Center at Lowe Mill has known Robinson for more than
10 years She says she admires how mothers and artists like
Robinson seamlessly embrace both roles
ldquoIt seems therersquos not a separation between creating and rais-
ing childrenrdquo Courtney says ldquoTh ey seem to pull from the
same placerdquo
Part of Robinsonrsquos motivation at Lowe Mill comes from
working privately in a studio alongside other artists that fos-
ters a community of feedback and ideas
ldquoItrsquos nice to be here because you can take a break and walk around and get inspirationrdquo Courtney says
ldquoItrsquos refreshingrdquo
When she needs a break from the studio Robinson stays home to sketch designs for a day or two then
she is back in the studio
Trips twice a year to Mexico City keep her plugged in to her native culture which in turn shows up in
her pottery
ldquoI have to recharge myselfrdquo Robinson says ldquoI love Huntsville and loved raising my kids here but I still
have the need of going back to be recharged and smell all the smells and see all the colors and get on
the subway and be pushed aroundrdquo
Details from her trips that infl uence her work include the ever-present red that covers the city during
the celebration of Dia de los Muertos or the Day of the Dead Th e pyramids of Teotihuacan conjure
warm earth tones and fl oating gardens around the city yield sweet pungent calla lilies and carnations
Celebration of food tough women and nature reappear in her pottery qualities that both Southern and
Mexican cultures treasure
Above This daisy design is character-istic of Robinsonrsquos work Nature food and strong females from her native Mexico City and the South are strong creative infl uences
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Clockwise from top left Robinson often glazes only the inside of her pots so they can hold water and food She began quilting in 2002 and her quilts like her pottery contain earth tones and natural infl uences in their design Four birds keep Robinson company in what can be the isolating medium of pottery making Geometry and symmetry are two signature elements in Robinsonrsquos work according to Laura Smith director of education at the Huntsville Museum of Art
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Just as she keeps her home country close to her heart Robinson is loyal to her fi rst
love of pottery though she began making quilts in 2002
ldquoIrsquom a potter who likes to quiltrdquo she says
Like her pottery her quilting follows designs of organic nature such as fl owers and
crops on rich jewel tone cotton
ldquoWhen I fi rst saw one of her quilts I didnrsquot realize it was hers and I thought that
looks like it should be Guadalupersquos quiltrdquo Courtney says
Robinson prefers the immediate gratifi cation of clay
ldquoItrsquos a very responsive mediumrdquo she says ldquoYou can manipulate it Th e fact of mak-
ing something out of dirt out of nothing and making it durable making it perma-
nent that after going through the heat and maturing is something very excitingrdquo
She gently dings a pot covered with white dresses titled ldquoTehuana Dressrdquo to make
her point
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
887 FM Muscle Shoals bull 1007 FM Huntsvillewwwaprorg
News classicalmusic and more
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
copy Patrick Hood
text by sara wright covington raquo photos by jacki gil
patrick hood erin lindsey and michelle odom
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
copy Patrick Hood
ldquoA LOT OF PEOPLE HAD BEEN ASKING ME QUESTIONS ABOUTHOW I GOT MY BUSINESS STARTED I WANTED TO GATHER SOME PEOPLE AROUND ME
WHO WERE GOING THROUGH THOSE STRUGGLES AND TOBUILD ENTREPRENEURIAL COURAGErdquo
JACKI GIL SALT+PAPERIE
copy Patrick Hood
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
untsville-born Jacki Gil began her paper design busi-
ness Salt+Paperie in 2014 with an expansive vision
in mind one that extended beyond creating beautiful
custom designed paper goods ldquoI love my design job
but when Irsquom 50 years old I donrsquot see myself still de-
signing wedding invitationsrdquo the master stationer says
ldquoI really have a passion for teaching and helping people
I want to be a mentorrdquo
In 2015 Gil set out on her mentoring mission sooner than expected with a series
of workshops called Encourage Huntsville ldquoA lot of people had been asking me
questions about how I got my business startedrdquo Gil says about the early days of
Salt+Paperie Even though most of those questions from entrepreneurial-hopefuls
were technicalmdashlike how to apply for a business licensemdashthey served as inspira-
tion for Gil ldquoI wanted to gather some people around me who were going through
those struggles and to build entrepreneurial courage I defi nitely saw that there
was a need for helping people to take that next step toward owning their own
businessesrdquo
Encourage Huntsville was modeled on the image of a growing small business
movement called the Rising Tide Society a national community of creative small
business owners who encourage ldquocommunity over competitionrdquo Th at spirit of
openness is at the heart of Encourage Huntsville ldquoCommunity over competition
is a huge part of what we are doingrdquo says Gil ldquoSmall business owners sharing how
they earn their money is a big dealrdquo
As a fi rst step Gil gathered others around her who were using their skills and abili-
ties to make their own small businesses work With talents ranging from cooking
and cake decorating to hand lettering and artwork these small business owners
all embraced Gilrsquos vision for imparting to others the knowledge of their craft un-
impeded by a fear of losing their competitive edge
Th e fi rst lesson Gil wanted to impart to Encourage Huntsvillersquos students wasnrsquot
necessarily a particular craft or skill but a spirt of creative confi dence ldquoWe want-
ed to bridge the gap between the very artsy community and the ultimate engineer
communityrdquo many of whom Gil observes had been told since childhood they
werenrsquot artistic ldquoWhen you are little and someone tells you that you donrsquot have a
talent it sticks with you I found that a lot of people had that experience so that
was the workshop partmdashto build some creative courage in this communityrdquo
Gil conducted the fi rst workshop herself testing the waters to see how the concept
would be received Th e admission price to that fi rst workshop included supplies a
take-home ldquogoody bagrdquo to help students continue their work extracurricularly and
refreshmentsmdashas well as Gilrsquos tips of her trade
ldquoWe went in blindly not knowing if we had a market or notrdquo says Gil Th e popular-
ity of that fi rst class proved undeniably that a market did in fact exist the work-
shop sold out in one day ldquoSo we did back-to-back workshopsrdquo Gil says ldquoAfter that
novemberdecembeeer eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee | nononoononononononoonoonononooooonoonoonnononnoaaalalalllaallllllalaalaaalal ststustust ddiossscom mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm | | | | | | | | | | |
f
w
y
Previous page Encourage Huntsvillersquos founder and instructor Jacki Gil teaches a class in hand lettering Facing page A participant studies her supply list
we realized people really want to do this stuff So we said lsquoletrsquos jump on the boat
and make this happenrsquordquo
Gilrsquos longtime friend photographer Erin Lindsey of Erin Lindsey Images agreed
to contribute to Encourage Huntsvillersquos curriculum by teaching a photography
class ldquoJacki and I are a good team because our hearts are in the same place when
it comes to encouraging othersrdquo Lindsey says Still she admits saying yes to teach-
ing wasnrsquot without some initial hesitation ldquoWhen Jacki asked if I would teach a
class it was kind of scary I thought I had to be perfect before I could teach oth-
ersrdquo Lindsey says of her initial hesitancy ldquoBut after talking to Jacki I realized none
of us are perfectrdquo But perfection isnrsquot the goal encouragement is the goal ldquoAnd I
thought lsquoI can defi nitely line up with that visionrsquordquo
Michelle Odom another Huntsville native and owner of custom cake bakery Just
Crumbs was also on board with Gilrsquos vision In fact Odom had been contemplat-
ing teaching a class when she was approached by Gil to teach a fondant basics
class ldquoHuntsville is such an engineer town and everyone is so mathematical and
scientifi crdquo Odom says echoing the dichotomy between the arts and sciences ex-
pressed by Gil ldquoTh ese workshops are just a very cool way for structured people to
have a creative outletrdquo
ldquoJACKI AND I ARE A GOOD TEAM BECAUSE OUR HEARTS ARE INTHE SAME PLACE WHEN IT COMES TO ENCOURAGING OTHERSrdquo
ERIN LINDSEY ERIN LINDSEY IMAGES
copy Erin Lindsey
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Above A participant in Erin Lindseyrsquos photo class frames a still life
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
copy Erin Lindsey
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
ldquoHUNTSVILLE IS SUCH AN ENGINEER TOWN AND EVERYONE ISSO MATHEMATICAL AND SCIENTIFIC THESE WORKSHOPS ARE JUST A VERY COOL
WAY FOR STRUCTURED PEOPLE TO HAVE A CREATIVE OUTLETrdquo MICHELLE ODOM JUST CRUMBS
copy Michelle Odom
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
ldquoAnd yesrdquo Odom acknowledges ldquoyou are in theory teaching your competition But
at the same time you are helping the community be more creativerdquo
With its roster of popular creative workshops under its belt Encourage Huntsville
has added business classes to its community-over-competition curriculum with
classes designed to provide specifi c guidance for small business owners ldquoAll of
our events that donrsquot require hands-on work we call seminarsrdquo says Gil ldquoWe had
about 15 people at our fi rst one It was pretty much just an open discussion to ask
us questions and get answers from the perspective of a small business ownerrdquo
Th e seminars enjoyed the same success and enthusiasm as the workshops ldquoWe
had two hours for people to ask questionsrdquo Gil says Topics covered ran the gamut
from scheduling daily tasks self-hosting a website or using an Etsy store man-
aging client expectations and being realistic about how much time you need to
complete jobs
ldquoTh e time went quickly and people wanted morerdquo says Gil who envisions an all-
day seminar in 2016
Margaret Baggett owner and executive chef of the Chef Next Door is another
small business owner who has shared Gilrsquos vision from the very beginning teach-
copy Erin Lindsey
Facing page Michelle Odomrsquos fondant basics class begins with a styrofoam cake form Above Newbie photographers familiarize themselves with their cameras in Erin Lindseyrsquos photography class
ing knife skills workshops and helping host the business seminars ldquoI am so proud
to get to be a part of this project and help nurture other small business owners
who may just be starting out on their journey or are deep in it and looking for
some encouragement from other business ownersrdquo Baggett says of what motivates
her participation in Encourage Huntsville ldquoEven being on the advice-giving side
of things I am still learning and have taken tips and tricks and lessons from each
event we have had so far We never stop learning from each other and never stop
improving upon our craftsrdquo
Th e mutual growth among students and teachers is the source of the encourage-
mentmdashand the joymdashof Encourage Huntsville ldquoItrsquos so much fun to see the light
bulbs go off with people and see them encouraged right before your eyesrdquo Lindsey
says of her experience with the program ldquoPlus itrsquos a pleasure to contribute to a
sense of community over competition Th at whole concept is so rarerdquo
As Encourage Huntsvillersquos following continues to grow the diversity of the work-
shops will expand as well Whether you are looking to spend a fun afternoon
learning a new craft or are a budding small business owner hoping to launch
your brand Encourage Huntsville has something valuable to off er ldquoWe encourage
those left-brain folks to take up a new hobby or skillrdquo Baggett says ldquoor just encour-
age the people of Huntsville to get together and fan their creative fl amesrdquo
If yoursquore looking for
creative or entrepreneurial
encouragement visit
encouragehuntsvillecom
for seminar and workshop
schedules and information
ldquoI AM SO PROUD TO GET TO BE A PART OF THIS PROJECT AND HELP NURTURE OTHER SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS WHO MAY JUST BE STARTING OUT ON THEIR JOURNEY OR ARE DEEP IN IT
AND LOOKING FOR SOME ENCOURAGEMENT FROM OTHER BUSINESS OWNERSrdquoMARGARET BAGGETT CHEF NEXT DOOR
copy Jacki Gil
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
copy Jacki Gil
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Participants in Margaret Baggettrsquos knife skills workshop learn to perfect their ldquomise en placerdquo
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
copy Olivia Reed
text by sara wright covington raquo photos by olivia reed and jeff white
HUNTSVILLErsquoS
HOMEGROWNHOSTESS
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
ttttttononononoooooonononooooo raquo praquo praquo praquo praquo phothothothothotosoososos s s osos bybybbybb
Any host will tell you that delicious food and quality libations while important to
a partyrsquos success are secondary to the most important ingredient of all the guest list Th atrsquos why many
of downtown Huntsvillersquos most popular restaurants breweries and wine shops are turning to event
planner Ashley Ryals and her uncanny knack for attracting loyal patronsmdashand creating unforgettable
events in the process
When Huntsville born-and-bred Ashley Ryals left for college at the University of Alabama in 2001
she thought her exit from the Valley was permanent ldquoI never thought I would end up back hererdquo the
founder of event planning company Homegrown Huntsville says with a knowing laugh But after a few
post-graduate years working for world-renowned public relations powerhouse Weber Shandwick in
New York City Ryals started to second guess her freshman declaration
ldquoI started to get homesickrdquo she admits ldquoAll of my friends were getting married and meeting for football
games and I was missing itrdquo So when a friend from home set up an interview at EarlyWorks for a job
doing event planning Ryals jumped at the chance to come home
Ashley spent the next few years planning EarlyWorks Whistle Stop and Santarsquos Village events A brief
stint in sales followed along with a seat on the board of Huntsville Young Professionals where she had
an idea for a downtown pub crawl
ldquoWe expected 20 or 30 peoplerdquo Ryals says of their modest expectations ldquoBut 200 people showed uprdquo
Th at initial success convinced Ryals to embark on her dream of establishing an
event planning company But it wasnrsquot just any event planning company Ryals
had in mind she envisioned one that would collaborate with local businesses
cultivate signature events for the community to enjoy and support small busi-
nesses in the process
Inspired Ryals left her sales job and for the second time in her life came home
again to event planning and Homegrown Huntsville
To help bring her vision to life Ryals collaborated with designer Adrianne Van
Kirk of Fave Creative ldquoAdrianne has been a part of the visual and branding of
Homegrown from the beginning We come up with the event ideas then I get
the ticketing and sales together and she comes back with a logo and the mar-
keting for the event And thatrsquos how it all comes togetherrdquo Ryals says of their
creative process
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
ASHLEY RYALS
copy Olivia Reed
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
ldquoMOST WINE FESTIVALS ACROSS THE COUNTRY HAVE PROVEN RECORDS OF BEING ABLE TO STAY AROUND 15 OR 20 YEARS OR EVEN LONGER AND THE ECONOMIES OF THOSE
CITIES HAVE REALLY GROWN AS A RESULT I WANT BIG SPRING CRUSH TO EVENTUALLY BE THE BIGGEST AND BEST WINE FESTIVAL IN THE STATE OF ALABAMArdquo ASHLEY RYALS
copy Jeff White
copy Jeff White
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
copy Olivia Reed
Homegrown launched in 2011 with what would become its
signature event Dine amp Dash Every second Wednesday
April through October a trolley shuttles patrons between
downtown establishments where they are served a drink
and appetizer before moving on to the next stop
Owner and executive chef Merle Phillips of Th e Eaves was
one of the fi rst restaurants to sign on for Dine amp Dashrsquos de-
but ldquoAshley came to me and said she was starting a trolley
tasting conceptrdquo says Chef Merle ldquoI didnrsquot really know her so
I was taking a chance on the concept she was sellingrdquo
Merle tried it and has been a loyal participant of Dine amp
Dash ever since
ldquoIt was a risk in the beginning but it defi nitely paid off rdquo Chef
Merle says of the experience Pivotal to that experience ac-
cording to Phillips is Ryalsrsquo demonstration to the commu-
nity just what the term ldquohomegrownrdquo really means ldquoAshley
shines a spotlight on independent businesses in a market-
place that has for so long focused on chainsrdquo Phillips says
ldquoDine amp Dash has really brought into sharp focus the inter-
esting culinary diversity that Huntsville has to off errdquo
For the next two years Homegrown Huntsville focused al-
most exclusively on Dine amp Dash which by the end of its fi rst
year included every single downtown restaurant But when
big changes began to appear on the downtown horizonmdash
new restaurants breweries and residential developmentsmdash
Ryalsrsquo instincts told her
the time had come to
introduce a new event
to the downtown cal-
endar
ldquoBeer Hop follows
the concept of Dine
amp Dashrdquo Ryals says of
Homegrownrsquos second
venture which began
in 2013 Each month a
trolley visits three dif-
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
BILL FOWLEROLD TOWN BEER
EXCHANGE
copy Olivia Reed
copy Olivia Reed
ferent breweries where patrons sample beers and enjoy food
from a variety of food trucks parked at each location
Bill Fowler managing partner of Old Town Beer Exchange
agreed to participate in Beer Hop on his very fi rst day of
business and credits Ryals with an overwhelmingly success-
ful opening night ldquoAshley said lsquoI can guarantee that you are
going to have wave after wave of people coming throughrsquordquo
Fowler says recalling that fi rst jittery occasion Once again
Ryals proved true to her word with 60-plus patrons arriving
in an hour-and-a-half ldquoIt was awesome and such a great ex-
perience for usrdquo Fowler raves ldquoAshley is a hard worker and
you can see that in what she doesrdquo
Fowler believes that in addition to bringing new customers
to OTBX Ryals is also cultivating beer education consis-
tently bringing in people who are new to beer and want to
learn And with Huntsvillersquos recent brewery boom that level
of education and interest is crucial for the brewing commu-
nity to thrive ldquoWe have a very small window of opportunityrdquo
says Fowler ldquoI think Huntsville in particular is becoming a
craft brewing community People are making money at this
and once Tennessee sees that we need to already have had a
pretty huge head startrdquo
By the end of 2013 and with standing events Beer Hop and
Dine amp Dash well established Ryals took time to refl ect on
her original goal for Homegrown Huntsville ldquoIn the back of
my head from day one I knew I wanted to do a wine festival
I just didnrsquot think Huntsville was ready for it in 2011rdquo
Emboldened by the success of Beer Hop Ryals decided to
make the leap with Big Spring Crush wine festival later the
same year Once again Ryals delivered the perfect audience
for the event and in the process discovered a surprising
fact about North Alabamarsquos contribution to the wine-mak-
ing industry
ldquoIn doing the wine festival I learned that we have a huge
wine community in Huntsvillerdquo Ryals says ldquoTh ere are only
about 47 certifi ed wine judges in the entire United States
and we have four of them right here in North Alabama Two
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
copy Jeff White
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
ldquoI STARTED TO GET HOMESICK ALL OF MY FRIENDS WERE GETTING MARRIEDAND MEETING FOR FOOTBALL GAMES AND I WAS MISSING ITrdquo ASHLEY RYALS
copy Jeff White
copy Jeff White
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
ldquoIT WAS AWESOME AND SUCH A GREAT EXPERIENCE FOR USrdquoBILL FOWLER OLD TOWN BEER EXCHANGE
copy Jeff White
copy Olivia Reed
of those four certifi ed wine judges sit on the committee for
Big Spring Crushrdquo
Matthew and Stephanie Mell had just opened Church Street
Wine Shop when they decided to participate in the fi rst Big
Spring Crush Like OTBXrsquos Robert Fowler the Mells credit
Ryals and Homegrown Huntsville for helping to introduce
their new enterprise to the community ldquoAshley has been in-
strumental in helping to bring us people who love and ap-
preciate winerdquo Stephanie Mell says ldquoShe was homegrown
here in Huntsville and she really gets the downtown area
and small businesses and that is so important to usrdquo
Big Spring Crush began with a bang featuring over 150
wines and attracting patrons from across the country
ldquoMost wine festivals across the country have proven records
of being able to stay around 15 or 20 years or even longerrdquo
Ryals says ldquoAnd the economies of those cities have really
grown as a result I want Big Spring Crush to eventually be
the biggest and best wine festival in the state of Alabamardquo
How does Ryals intend to make that dream come true ldquoBy
always keeping it fresh I want to have new marketing and
new things happening each yearrdquo
Ryalsrsquo formula of reinvention and expansion has successfully
led Homegrown Huntsville through fi ve years of success and
helped its events become community staples along the way In
the process Ryals is broadening more than just our image of
downtown Huntsville shersquos joining a class of creative entrepre-
neurs committed to expanding Huntsvillersquos reputation as more
than just a hub for the brightest scientifi c minds in America
ldquoWe have a big city of engineers and lawyers and itrsquos won-
derfulrdquo Ryals say ldquo But there is a whole artist and food cul-
ture here and there is so much growth I want us to have a
vibrant cool downtown area and I want for people to tell
their friends to come and visit and to see Huntsville for what
it is a city I loverdquo
If yoursquod like to participate in Homegrown Huntsville either
as a guest or a participating business visit homegrown-
huntsvillecom
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
copy Jeff White
I was years old and the year was At that time the city of Huntsville was inching toward the mountain to the east California Street was once the continental divide between the small town metropo-lis and the uncharted territories gingerly crossed by the real estate pioneers four score and some odd years prior Th is area became the new suburb as the city kept pushing onward toward Fagan Springs as if the reverberating booms of rocket testings were vibrating Hunstvillians away from its epicenter
From the front yard of our house on Owens Drive I could look to the rightmdashup the hill to the bend be-yond which the big houses stood on their rocky ledge pedestals and to the left where all the other houses that looked just like oursmdashfresh and newmdashrambled for what seemed like miles Th ose clean well-lit abodes all seemed the same and granted at my age I knew more about the pets that lived there than I did about the people who owned those manageable mortgages I came to realize that each was diff erent in a way that was permeated by voices smells and furnishings
It is a clicheacute to say that our lives were simpler then because that is just how the current era will be fondly referred to in the future but to a 5-year-old it is the simplicity that brought the joy Th e sixties will always be to me the beginning of the age of manufactured happiness Cheap clean and simple was what was strived for and what was easily obtained Plastic items were plentiful and pretty things could be bought with SampH Green Stamps A few coins in our pocket would transfer us into the most master of manipula-tors with us giving our all to convince our parents for a jaunt to Murdockrsquos for a holiday of wonderment joy and impatience as we would scour the shelves trying to get the most from our meager budget
Owens Drive was the fairly new thoroughfare from which the avenues of three-bedroom-ranchers fi ngered away at planned intervals Th is was the place where newlyweds started their lives homes and families Where girls with last names that had been in the town for generations would change them to those strange and exotic last names of the clean cut newcomers brought here for military purposes Where the housewives would preheat their pristine electric ovens trying to make cheese straws and biscuits that were just like their motherrsquos only to be frustrated as they were never quite the same and where the husbands would follow in their fatherrsquos footsteps by joining the Acme Club and hunting doves on the weekends
Th ere was a swimming pool Certainly not at our house Th e only private pool I remember as a child was one that my grandmother would take me to nestled between huge trees at someonersquos house on Adams Street I would swim with other children my age while our grandmothers chatted smoking cigarettes in cat-eyed anonymity whispering most of their stories so we wouldnrsquot be able to hear But between their
gasps and laughter we would listen hear and learn
Th e Blossomwood pool was a place of designated rules and the sound of bright whistlesmdashwith straight lines and distinctive colors of blue and green I can still feel the Coppertoned oiliness on the skin of the tanned lifeguard as she carried me from the deep end frightened after my fi rst attempt at solo-swimming She knew my name I had no idea who she was
On the other side of the pool was the school my older sister attended It had a style that mim-icked the poolmdashstraight lines cleanmdasha temple to orderliness and good manners It was with
awe that I once watched the young adults there some as old as eleven wind and dance their way around a sky-high fl agpolemdasheach with a diff erent color ribbon until the fi rst (and only) May Pole
I was privy to was completely dressed in its woven bright colors
90 raquo bless their hearts raquo Guy McClure Jr
Huntsville was a magical place for us tail-end baby boomers to grow upmdashbeyond the miracles of the escalator at Pizitz the smiling little lady on the tall stool at the register at Britlings There was a comfort level there that Irsquom not sure is in the minds of the 5-year-olds of today
cat-eyed agasps
Th s
aI w
THE COMFORTS OF BLOSSOMWOOD
In our world of red-bricked carported castles there was a def-inite division of generations Th e children ate separately from the parents went to school as our dads went to work enter-tained our neighborhood friends as quietly as possible and felt safe between our boundaries of Big Cove Road and Hermitage Street While we dined on our Chef Boy-Ar-Dee boxed pizza our parents busied themselves dressing in their dark colors getting ready for a late dinner at Boots having the scent of perfume and face powder trail my mother as she came into the kitchen looking for something with an intense purpose My father would smell of British Sterling and look just as he did when he went to work only happier Th ese nights meant something fun would happenmdashwe would have a babysitter
Babysitters were my introduction into what was and still seems cool Th ey were usually Huntsville High School teen-agers who would put on a show without even knowing it I would drink in their every move word and essence of style To me they were supermodelsmdashmovie starsmdasheven more fa-mous in my eyes than a television weatherman and almost as glamorous as the waitresses at the Waffl e House
Before they would tire of me and my sister and put us to bed they would include us in their world of music and knowledge which I thought was all-encompassing Suddenly our world of Th e Benny Carl Show and Fantasy Playhouse would seem trite and passeacute and we would catch a fl eeting glimpse into what would be in store for us when we too could stay up past 8 pm
Huntsville was a magical place for us tail-end baby boomers to grow upmdashbeyond the miracles of the escalator at Pizitz the smiling little lady on the tall stool at the register at Britlings and that bright colorful Maypole Th ere was a comfort level there that Irsquom not sure is in the minds of the 5-year-olds of todaymdashthe soothing sheltered lack of knowledge of why we were so lucky yet we didnrsquot even know that we were
In the other areas of our Huntsville there was poverty and ra-cial unrestmdashas there was and is in every city I was unaware People of color were always a part of my worldmdashmostly be-cause they had my attention and respect At our house there was Annie my grandmotherrsquos house was fi lled with the joys of Lula and out on the family farm there was strong and smiling Homer and large and huggable Rosamdashall just as much a part of my life as everyone else My life was good and they were instrumental in making it that way
What will the 5-year-olds of today who are lucky enough to be raised on those well-planned streets remember when they surpass their own 50 year mark It is a much more complex world now and there are diff erent concerns with daily changes of fear Youthful innocence is a prize that is encased without a lock Premature maturity is a viable threat and a constant fear But each night tucked in tight in a simple room sleeps tomor-rowrsquos adults who are having sweet dreamsmdashblanketed by the comforts of Blossomwood
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
92 raquo the vine raquo Amy C Collins
BORDEAUX POWER
Where Burgundyrsquos vineyards were established by Benedictine monks patiently growing wine vines with spiritual hearts Bordeauxrsquos vineyards were raised by entrepreneurial laymen who recognized the massive monetary opportunity when the English began drinking down their peasant wine
The city of Bordeaux is Francersquos primary port town on the Atlantic ocean a harbor that has for centuries served as the countryrsquos most important dock Th e regionrsquos history is long and storied with the fi rst written reference to the area dated 379 AD by the Latin poet Ausonius who was also a wine-grower Jump ahead to the year 1152 when Eleanor of Aquitaine married Englandrsquos soon-to-be king Henry Plantagenet and the port and surrounding vineyard land became the source of wine for the English a connection that remains strong even today
Bordeaux produces the worldrsquos most expensive and sought after collector wines the top tier of which make up less than fi ve percent of the regionrsquos total production Th ese names are quickly learned by neophyte wine drinkers wanting to make an impression Chateau Haut-Brion Lafi te Latour and Margaux for example Grown in gravelly soils only a few meters above sea levelmdashin contrast vineyards elsewhere in Europe typically sit between 300 and 900 metersmdashthese wines are some of the most powerful austere and pawed over When young the tannins in these cabernet sauvignon cabernet franc and merlot blends coat the tongue and mouth with a chalky dry sensation akin to sucking on an Earl Grey tea bag and are perhaps best suited to well-fatted rare steak and cigars Th ese are wines built to live for decades Personally I prefer a Bordeaux at least 20 years aged when the tannins have had ample time to calm down and mellow out and more nuanced fl avors come forward Sounds fancy and it is Only in some very lucky circumstances over the past year have I been guest to a bottle of 1990 Clos de Menuts Saint-Eacutemilion and a 1970 Chateau Haut-Brion About once every 10 years Irsquove had the good
fortune to taste a wine older than myself Nice work if you can get it
Where Burgundyrsquos vineyards (Francersquos other classifi ed sought-after region) were established by Benedictine monks patiently growing wine vines with spiritual hearts
Bordeauxrsquos vineyards were raised by entrepreneurial laymen who recognized the massive monetary opportunity when the English began drinking down their peasant wine Th is underscores the second half of my theory as to why Americans
more often American males are so drawn to the wines of Bordeaux Th erersquos an inherent capitalist connection something in the soil Th at the wines are so
unmistakable so distinctively grand and pronounced elixirs exemplifi es the fi rst half of my theory we Americans are not known for our subtlety (To be fair the Chinese are
signifi cant Bordeaux collectors as well)
Philosophy aside Bordeaux is quite a large region that produces beautiful white and red values as well as the rare fi nds out of the populacersquos price range Herersquos the skinny Blending is the game single varietal wines are rare White Bordeaux is typically made from a blend of sauvignon blanc and seacutemillon and sometimes a drop or two of muscadelle ugni blanc or colombard Reds are made primarily from the two cabernets plus merlot with small quantities of petit verdot malbec and carmenegravere occasionally in the mix Th e region is also home to the golden nectar of late ripened seacutemillon sauvignon blanc and muscadelle grapes that have successfully attracted the noble rot a fungus that covers the fruit and drains moisture from inside leaving behind rich sweet grapes without moldy fl avors Chateau drsquoYquem is the most famous of these unfortifi ed dessert wines though there are better bargains from the region
Bordeaux is split by the Gironde river which divides the region into three general areas Th e left bank also known as the Haut-Meacutedoc is where the classifi ed top growths are situated Th ese prestigious estates were named for their exceptional vineyard sites in 1855 a decision nearly unchanged since Today serious collectors invest in Bordeaux futures theoretically locking down lower prices of top
ample time to calm dit is Only in some vede Menuts Saint-Eacutem
fortune to taste a
Wherees
aun
of msignifi
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Follow Amy at pigandvinecom for morestories and wine suggestions
growth estates while the wine is still aging in the cellar Itrsquos the wine tradersquos equivalent to the NASDAQ On the right bank Saint-Eacutemilion and Pommerol are the prized vineyard areas known for their merlot heavy cuveacutees To the south west we fi nd Graves where there are many great values to be had in both white and red bottlings Entre-Deux-Mers which translates to ldquobetween two seasrdquo sits between the Dordogne and Garonne tributaries off the Gironde and is an excellent source for crisp whites
Get started on your Bordeaux experience with these values
Chateau Graville-Lacoste 2014 Graves 75 seacutemillon 20 sauvignon blanc and 5 muscadelle make up this beauty thatrsquos consistently delicious every vintage Crisp and refreshing great with seafood
Chateau Mirambeau 2014 GravesAnother classic blend of 40 sauvignon blanc 40 seacutemillon and 20 muscadelle this lovely white is a bit more fl oral than the Graville-Lacoste Easy drinking and great value
Chateau de Parenchegravere Bordeaux Rouge 201155 merlot 30 cabernet sauvignon and 15 cabernet franc grown in clay heavy soils similar to the right bank of the region Fleshy with good structure and abundant red fruit
Chateau Arnaud Bordeaux Supeacuterieur 2011Supeacuterieur on a Bordeaux label isnrsquot egotistical marketingmdashby law it indicates a wine with up to one degree more alcohol than its AC Bordeaux brethren What it really means is one more degree of body structure and in this case quality Approachable delicious and easy on the wallet
Chateau de Bernadotte Haut-Meacutedoc 2005Th e 2005 vintage in Bordeaux is in the history books with double asterisks Owned by the eminent Pichon Lalande family and made from vineyards in Paulliac one of the more choice growing areas in the region this is an incredible value a top tier Bordeaux for a fraction of the cost
Chateau de Suduiraut Sauternes 2011Ripe cantaloupe apricot and honey and an interesting smoky note with a solid sweet attack followed by great acidity A dessert wine that wonrsquot overpower the dessert
94 raquo parting shot raquo Patrick Hood
Meet Solvar
Solvar belongs to one of the worldrsquos oldest and purest equine lineages the Nor-
wegian Fjord horse a breed that has remained virtually unchanged for more than
2000 yearsmdashlong before we became acquainted with his animated cousins in
the movie Frozen Th ese national symbols of Norway are characterized by primi-
tive zebra striping on their legs and a dorsal stripe running from forelock to tail
resulting in a striking two-tone mane that sticks up like a Mohawk Th eir athleti-
cism agility and dependability make them valuable both as sport horses as well
as therapy horses for emotionally and physically challenged adults and children
Catie Wells of Huntsville is the proud owner of Solvar who resides at Monte
Sano Stables
For tickets or information 256-539-4818 or hsoorg
Bring In the New Year With Us
presents
WHAT A WONDERFUL
WORLDA tribute to Louis
Armstrong featuring the
Byron Stripling Quartet
Thursday December 31
730 pm bull Pops Series bullMark C Smith
Concert Hall VBC
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
M O R E T H A N 7 0 S H O P S A N D R E S T A U R A N T S I N C L U D I N G B E L K | D S W S H O E S | A P P L E J O S A B A N K | R E E D S J E W E L E R S | PA N D O R A | J C R E W | K AT E S PA D E N E W Y O R KO R V I S | B A N A N A R E P U B L I C | M I C H A E L K O R S | F R A N C E S C Arsquo S | A N T H R O P O L O G I EH amp M | S O M A | M O U N T A I N H I G H O U T F I T T E R S | B A R N E S amp N O B L E | S E P H O R AALTAR rsquoD STATE | CONNORS STEAK amp SEFOOD | THE WEST IN HUNTSV I L L E | MONACO P ICTURES
C O M I N G S O O N V E R S O N A ndash near Belk
B R I D G E S T R E E T H U N T S V I L L E C O M |
BR IDGE STREET TOWN CENTRE I S LOCATED AT EX I T 14 OFF I - 565 AT OLD MAD ISON P IKE
Friday November 13
Lights Up Holiday Tree Lighting
Bridge Street Town Centre lights up like a winter wonderland to welcome Santa with school choirs local musicians
and strolling Victorian carolers culminating in a spectacular fi reworks display 700pm Free Bridge Street Town Centre
bridgestreethuntsvillecom
Sunday November 15
Beethoven Conversations
Select Beethoven piano solos and Quintet op 16 B-fl at major featuring guest artist pianist Kirill Gerstein 330pm Admission
charged Roberts Hall UAH (256) 539-4818 hsoorg
Friday November 20 ndash Sunday November 22
Bullets Over Broadway
A young playwright in desperate need of fi nancial backing for his next show accepts an off er he canrsquot refuse from a mobster
looking to please his showgirl girlfriend Donrsquot miss what the New Yorker exclaims as ldquoa Fun Machine from Start to Finishrdquo Fri
200pm Sat 200 and 800pm Sun 200pm and 730pm Admission charged Von Braun Center 700 Monroe St (256) 518-6155
broadwaytheatreleagueorg
Sunday November 22
A Vignette from Th e Nutcracker
Enjoy a vignette from the Huntsville Ballet Companyrsquos 47th annual production of Th e Nutcracker set in antebellum Huntsville
with a nod to local legends and traditions and accompanied by Tchaikovskyrsquos delightful score 200pm Free fee for museum
exhibitions Huntsville Museum of Art 300 Church St (256) 535-4350 hsvmuseumorg
Tuesday December 1 ndash Wednesday December 23
Santarsquos Village
All ages will delight in visiting the Clausrsquo house meeting Santarsquos reindeer the North Pole elves and Santa Snow shows craft
projects and musical entertainment all add to the fun at the Village Santa Calls Home 500pm-900pm Admission charged
Alabama Constitution Village 109 Gates Ave earlyworkscom
Wednesday December 2
Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony Every Light a Prayer for Peace
Th is yearrsquos program includes local dignitaries elementary-age students clergy and Federated Garden Club members who will
light the Botanical Gardenrsquos Christmas Tree 930am Free Huntsville Botanical Garden 4747 Bob Wallace Ave (256) 830-444
hsvbgorg
Friday December 4
Peace on Earth A Holiday Music Extravaganza
Th e Symphonic Chorus Childrenrsquos Chorale and Youth Chorale join the UAH Music Department the Huntsville Symphony
Orchestra and Huntsville Ballet for this seasonal performance 730pm Admission charged Von Braun Concert Hall 700
Monroe St (256) 533-6606 thechorusorg
10 raquo calendar
g g
y December 4
on Earth A Holiday Music Extravaganza
e Symphonic Chorus Childrenrsquos Chorale and Youth Chorale join the UAH Music Departmennnnnnennnnnnnnnnnne ttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttt ttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttheeeeeheeeheheheeeeehehehehehhhheeheeheheheheheeehehehehhhhhhhhhhehehehehehehehhehhheheheehehhhehehhheheheehehheheheheheheehhhehehhehhhhhhhehhehhheh HHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHununununununununununununununununnununuununununununununuunununununuunununnnnnunnunuu tstststststststststststststststststststststststststststststststststtststssststssstststss iviviviviviviviiviviviviviviviviviviviviviviviviviviviviviivvivivivivivivivivivivivivvivivivivvivviivv lllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllleeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee SySySySySySySySySySySySyySySySySySySySySySyySySyySySySySySySySySySySySySySySySySySyySySySySyySySySySySSSySySySySySyympmpmpmpmpmpmpmpmmpmpmpmpmpmpmpmpmpmpmpmmpmpmpmpmmpmmpmpmpmpmpmpmpmpmppppmpmpmppmpmppmpmpmppmphohohohohhohohohhohohohhohohohohohhohohohohohhhhhohohohhohohhohohohhohohohohohohohohohhohoohhohonynynnynynynynynynynynynynynynynynynynynynynnynynynynynynynynynynynynynynynnynyyynynyynnnnnynyyy
chestra and Huntsville Ballet for this seasonal performance 730pm Admission nnnnn n chchhchhhchchhhhhhhhhhchhchhhhhhhchchhhchchhhchhhhchhchchhchchchhhhhhhhchcccccchhhhchchcccccccchhchchcccccchchcccccccchccccccharrrrrrrarrrrarrarrarrrrrrrrrraraaarrrrrarararararraaaaaarrrarararaaaaaaararrraraaaaaaaaaaararararaaaaaaaaararaaararaaaarrarrrggggggggggegegegeegegegegegegegeggggggegegegegegegegeggeeeggegegeggegegeegegggggggegg dddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddd VVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVonononnonononononononononononononnnoonoonono BBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBrararararararrararrrarararararaaarararararaaunununununununununnunununununununuununuuuunununnuu CCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCConononononononononononnnononononononoonoooononoooononononnonncecececececececececececececeececececececececececeeceeeeccceeertrtrtrtrtrtrtrtrtrtrtrrtrtrtrtrtrtrtrtrtrtrtrtrtrtrtrtrttrtrtrtrtrtrtrtrttrt HHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHallalalalalalalaalalalllllalalalalalalalalllalalalalalalalalalaalalalalaallalalalalalllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll 777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000
onroe St (256) 533-6606 thechorusorg
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Friday December 4 ndash Saturday December 5
Kris Kringlersquos Candlelight Christmas
Two spectacular evenings of cozy fi res holiday music fi ggy pudding homemade cookies kids crafts designer deacutecor and much
more Itrsquos holiday fun for the whole family with the most magical view in town 430pm-900pm Admission charged Burritt on
the Mountain 3101 Burritt Dr (256) 536-2882 burrittonthemountaincom
Friday December 4 ndash Sunday December 6
A Christmas Carol
Travel with Scrooge as he visits his past present and future on Christmas Eve in this musical retelling of Charles Dickensrsquo
classic novel Fri and Sat 700pm and Sun 200pm Admission charged Von Braun Playhouse 700 Monroe St (256) 539-6829
fantasyplayhousecom
Friday December 4 ndash Sunday December 6
Th e Nutcracker A Yuletide Ballet
Alabama Youth Ballet Th eatre opens its 10th season to holiday audiences with this beloved Christmas ballet Fri 700pm
Sat 200pm and 730pm Sun 200pm Admission charged Lee HS Auditorium 2500 Meridian St (256) 881-5930
alabamayouthballetorg
Saturday December 12
Madison Christmas Parade
Music fl oats and fun for the whole family Afterwards gather for an old-fashioned celebration on the Village Green Listen
to carolers and instrumental music around the Roundhouse and sip hot chocolate at the Gazebo 530pm Free Downtown
Madison (256) 772-9300 cimadisonalus
Saturday December 12
Mooresville Holiday Home Tour and Progressive Dinner
Th e 50 residents of historic Mooresville incorporated in 1818 invite you to celebrate the season with a tour of the 1839 Brick
Church 1820 Stagecoach Tavern 1840 Post Offi ce and fi ve private homes all decorated in the tradition of Christmas past
Homes open and shopping available from 200pm to 600pm Dinner seating at 330pm to 430pm and at 500pm to 600 pm in
town square Reservations required $70 Mooresville (256) 355-2683 mooresvillealcom
Saturday December 12
Spirit of Christmas Past Homes Tour and Luminaries
Tour fi ve private residences on Randolph Street the Weeden House Museum on Gates Avenue and other historic buildings
ornately decorated for the holidays 500pm-900pm Admission charged Twickenham Historic District (256) 536-7718
twickenhamhomestourcom
Th ursday December 17
Huntsville Christmas Parade
Welcome Santa Claus to Huntsville as he ushers in the Christmas season at the annual Christmas parade Enjoy the excitement
and music with many entries and bands from across North Alabama 600pm Free Downtown Huntsville (256) 885-9797
Saturday December 19
Holiday Artists Market
Americarsquos largest private artist complex invites the public to its annual Holiday Artists Market 1100am-600pm Free Flying
Monkey Arts Th eater Lowe Mill 2211 Seminole Dr (256) 489-7000 fl yingmonkeyartsorg
Saturday December 31
Huntsville Symphony Orchestra presents ldquoWhat A Wonderful Worldrdquo - a tribute to Louis Armstrong
Bring in the New Year with the Byron Stripling Quartet and the music of Louis Armstrong a presentation of the HSO 730
pm Mark C Smith Concert Hall VBC call (256) 539-4818 for tickets or visit wwwhsoorg
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
pm Mark C Smith Concert Hall VBC call (256) 539-4818 for tickets or visit wwwhsoorg
12 raquo cryinrsquo out loud raquo Sara Wright Covington
HOME
So we carry our boxes and baggage from place to place carving out a new niche for them wherever we fi nd ourselves And I fi nd that long after I have left a place that place has not left me
According to a government survey conducted in the average person moves around 11
times in a lifetime My husband never one to conform to the norm had moved nine times by the time
he was 18 He just like his father and his fatherrsquos father is a builder and thatrsquos just what builders do
Th ey build and they move and then they build and they move again I knew when I married him that
he would follow in those family footsteps and that I was signing up for a lifetime of constant moving
Frequent moves do seem to be much more of the norm where we live in Huntsville a super transient
place full of military and government men and women who are accustomed to shifting their families
from spot to spot But having only lived in two houses by the time I was 18 it was still hard for me
to imagine packing my entire life into boxes every couple of
years Now on our third move together Irsquove started taking
inventory of my things each time I prepare to repack them
into boxes and Irsquove defi nitely begun to see a trendmdashmost
everything I own has been in my life for a very long time Irsquove
carried my grandmotherrsquos hat boxes full of fur and feath-
ered millinery from place to place with me since I was 22 I
still have the antique four poster bed I slept in as a
child My many bookshelves are fi lled with every
book I have likely ever ownedmdashfrom the Norton
Anthology of English Literature to Frommerrsquos Las
Vegas guide book Th ere are even a few items of
clothing in my closet that are 20 or more years old
including a rain jacket monogrammed with my high
school letters and a sequined tube top I think I wore
at some point during college although I hope that
Irsquom wrong
It has been scientifi cally proven that most people
fear change as the outcome of that change is of-
ten unknown With each and every move that we
make it has become increasingly evident that I am
no diff erent We fi nd faith in the familiar which for
me seems to include everything from my footwear
to my friends So we carry our boxes and baggage
from place to place carving out a new niche for them
wherever we fi nd ourselves And I fi nd that long after
I have left a place that place has not left me I re-
cently went to visit the house where I grew up which
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
is sadly empty now Th e front door was exactly the same
and the concrete steps where I skinned my knee as a child
are still there as is the scar I still bear from those steps 30
years later I peeked through the glass backdoor to see that
the kitchen cabinets were still exactly the same an unpainted
knotty wood with brass knobs and the pocket door adja-
cent to the stove was still there also half open to the sitting
room I wondered if that door still bore the carved notches
of my height chart an expanse of inches that widened over
the years as I grew each notch labeled in pen with a date I
strained my eyes to look but could not see
Th e seasons are changing now and once again we are mov-
ing Th e boxes are being collected now and Irsquove already be-
gun a mental timeline of how long I can procrastinate until
actually beginning to pack them Th is summer in particular
has been one of many changes for usmdashups and downs joys
and sorrowsmdashand the walls of this house have witnessed
them all And I have to admit that it does seem right that
as the seasons change we too should also move on As
someone recently put it to me when facing the fear of the
unknown we have to learn to just manage and adjustmdashhav-
ing faith at the threshold of change that life will continue to
be full of beauty and fun love and loss We are not forced
to edge any one of these out to make room for the other but
rather we must learn to make room for them all
Th ere is no doubt that this house will stick with me as
all of the memories within it are engraved into my mind
But this time around I know that home will always be
where my family and friends are and the walls around
us are just a shelter through the sun and storms of our
lives I choose to believe that old habits are not necessar-
ily bad habits but traditions we choose to bring with us
into the future as a form of comfort in the midst of the
fear of the future My husband and I have celebrated
one of those old traditions in this house as we
have made our own growth chart for our
children here carving and marking their
tiny heights onto one of our downstairs
doors And although I will likely fret and
shed some tears through this entire mov-
ing process as I attempt to detach myself
from these walls a little compromise can be
comforting and being married to a builder
does have its perksmdashwe are unhinging that
door and taking it with us when we go
for information visit wwwathenseduathenianplayers
Names for photos are provided by the organization or business featured
14 raquo scene
Suzanne OrsquoConnor Karen Kiss and Sallie Ennis
Front Row L-R Patrick Robbins Ed Rush Nancy Colin George Smith and Steve Thornton Back Row L-R John Johnson Richard Van Valkenburgh Ronald Reed and Skipper Colin
Richard and Nancy Van Valkenburgh
Jay and Dana Town
Ernie Rivard Ann Rivard Anne Compton Burke and Kim and John Johnson
George and Lee Anne Smith and Steve and Patti Thornton
Linda Akenhead Donna Rush Ivy Albert and Amelia Summerville
Bobsy and Bill IngramChris Wesley Suzanne OrsquoConnor and Patrick Robbins
Tom and Pennie Keene Sharon and Ed Gartrell and Janet and David Skidmore
Debbie Overcash Brenda Millberger and Theresa Taylor
Ronald and Daphne Reed and Nancy and Skipper Colin
Kendall Black and Lee Anne Bostick
Sharon Gartrell Paige Prozan Amelia Summerville and Susan Todd Matt Taylor Bruce Summerville
Eric Milberger and Tommy Overcash
copy Photos by Mark Jaeger
Joyce Griffi n Betsy Lowe Peter Lowe Debbie Washburn and Ben Washburn
2015 Symphony Ball Advisorsrsquo Cocktail Partyaugust middot home of jay and dana town huntsville
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
text by sarah gaede raquo photos by patrick hood
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Some restaurants have food trucks for off-premise
special events Chef Will proprietor of Th e Palate at Lowe
Mill has a folding table Equipped with coolers kettles a
butane burner and his trusty cast iron skillet he turns out
amazing vegetarian and vegan dishes for his loyal following
every Th ursday at Greene Street Market in Huntsville
Although he grew up in Groton Connecticut helping his
mother in the kitchen and was always interested in food Chef
Will then known as Forest Wilson felt he couldnrsquot compete
with his older brother who was an executive chef So he
received vocational training in welding and visual arts (skills
which he still uses in creating his Afro-centric art) After a
brief stint in California working in the shipbuilding industry
he decided to follow his fi rst love and go to culinary school
When Chef Will visited his mother in Huntsville he realized
how much he missed being close to the land So he moved to
Alabama After he saw what his family was eating and how
many health problems they had he began an intensive study
of nutrition and the healing properties of natural foods
He had already been turned on to the health benefi ts of a
vegetarian diet by the surfers he hung out with in California
With his back-to-basics approach
Chef Will is like a nineteenth century
cook witha twenty-first century vibe
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
like a nineteenth century cook with a twenty-
fi rst century vibe
While most of Chef Willrsquos dishes are vegan he
does use real cheese because it melts better
He also uses free-range eggs Portobello
mushrooms are his go-to meat substitute
Th e day I visited he was serving portobello
pepper ldquosteakrdquo over quinoa and brown rice
with a liberal dash of his secret Bee Sting
sauce which his son Khaliq is working on
marketing to the public It was scrumptious
His food is so densely fl avored you donrsquot miss
the meat He especially loves the spices and
ingredients of Indian Asian and Chinese
cuisines all of which off er a great variety of
tasty vegetarian dishes
Chef Will is a passionate evangelist for the
healing properties of pure natural foods and
he preaches this gospel in a way that is so
inviting those who try his food cannot help
but be much more open-minded about trying
new healthy creative ways of eating
who seemed to have much more energy than he did He
became intentional about every step of the cooking process
from ingredient sourcing to cookwaremdashhence the cast
iron skillet which is naturally non-stick and adds iron to
whatever is cooked in it
Chef Will sources his ingredients locally whenever possible
He makes his vegetable stock with spring water His tasty
beans are soaked and simmered in that fl avorful stock not
poured from a can His collards are sublime without a hint
of pork fat With his back-to-basics approach Chef Will is
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Start a New Holiday Tradition at Burritt on the Mountain
ldquoHoliday Magicrdquo A Magical Dining Experience
December 10th 11th amp 12th
Itrsquos a magically fun evening dining in a historic cabin or the mansion with friends while enjoying delectable food and wine It is unlike any other holiday dinner and itrsquos perfect for a festive family occasion yet intimate enough for a romantic dinner for two Itrsquos rustic AND upscale
Holiday Magic reservations are being taken now by calling Butch Damson at 256-534-4361 Hurry Space is limted $90 per dinner seat Visit the website for menus and more
limited seating available make your reservations today
Wersquore decking the walls halls and stalls to get you in the holiday spirit More than 600 candles illuminate the sidewalks and Historic Park and music fills the air adding to the nostalgic feel of the holidays String cranberries make paper punch ornaments roast chesnuts amp taste figgy pudding Fun for the whole family itrsquos Christmas the way itrsquos supposed to be
Kris KringlersquosCandlelight Christmas
December 4th amp 5th
A much anticipated musical favorite will be back at Burritt in the Old Country Church
PerformancesDecember 16th through 20th
Tickets ON SALE NOWPurchase tickets at Josiersquos online
or by calling 256-536-2882or by calling 256-536-2by calling 256-536-2burrittonthemountaincom
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Th
ePE
R
FECT HOLIDAY DIN
NE
R
In our modern world of far-fl ung families Th anksgiving and Christmas are those rare occasions so fi lled with nostalgia
and meaning we press the pause button on our busy lives to prioritize time together Because family time is so rare these days NorsquoAla asked some of Huntsvillersquos fi nest chefs to suggest dishes that will inspire you as you plan your
familyrsquos menu this holiday season
Any time we spend with our loved ones is precious herersquos hoping these meal
ideas help make this yearrsquos holidays perfect
text by roy hall raquo photos by olivia reed
ldquoWith all the fl avors we associate with the holidays the gingerbread man is always near the top of the list So let the kids enjoy the traditional cookies while you sip this sophisticated cocktailrdquo mdashParker
ldquoTh e holidays are so fun-fi lled it seems appropriate that a holiday salad should refl ect that with lots of diff erent things going on fruits nuts cheeses and always a little hint of sweetness in the dressing No matter what main dishes and sides are served this salad will complement them allrdquo mdashAndrew
Grilled Pear Salad with Cambozola and Walnuts
Mezza Luna
(256) 650-2514 Th e GingermanMezza Luna
Butternut Squash Wild Mushroom and Roasted Asparagus Risotto
Th e Eaves
(256) 489-1752
ldquoI love this dish because itrsquos crisp and clean and adds a touch of light color to a typically heavy mealmdashthe bright green asparagus and red pancetta even look Christmassyrdquo mdashOwner LeeLee Wiginton
ldquoTh is isnrsquot super diffi cult to make It echoes the fl avors of the season And itrsquos also something a little unexpected It has a great fl avor profi le and complements other proteins really well Guests will love itrdquo mdashChef Merle Phillip
Snow Pea Salad with Crispy PancettaLynrsquos Gracious Goodness
(256) 533-2607
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Th ePERFECT HOLIDAY DINNER
Fried Brussels Sprouts with Coriander Greek Yogurt Sauce
Mezza Luna
ldquoI chose to do the turkey this way because itrsquos a diff erent approach Th e challenge of roasting a whole turkey is that the white and dark meat cook at diff erent speeds By separating the two you can cook each for its own proper cooking timerdquo mdashChef Steven Bunner
ldquoBrussels sprouts have had a bad rap Th e fi rst time most people encounter them theyrsquore overcooked mushy and served plain Th atrsquos a shame because theyrsquore nutritional powerhouses and because theyrsquore a fall crop at their best during the holiday seasonrdquo mdashJohn
Roast Turkey Breast and Dark Meat Roulade Served with Pecan Pesto
1892 East(256) 489-1242
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Between now and the end of the year take advantage of cost reductions on three popular proceduresmdashand begin 2016 with new confidence
bull SAVE BIG on breast augmentationOur saline price is $700 off and our silicone price is $900 off cash price only Schedule your initial consultation by December 31 2015 to lock in your price and the procedure must take place by March 31 2016
bull FULL-FACIAL LASER is $1500 Cash price only Initial consultation must occur before December 31 2015 and the procedure must be done by March 31 2016
bull WEEKEND Eribium Laser PEEL is Buy ThreeGet One Free Save $400 on our regular $1600 cash price by scheduling your initial consultation by December 31 2015
Look better - feel better - and save money Itrsquos time to get more for less
Dr Russell Jennings203 Avalon Ave Suite 300
Muscle Shoals AL 35661
Phone(256) 386-1450jenningsplasticsurgerycom
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Th ePERFECT HOLIDAY DINNER
Nutella CheesecakeMason Dixon Bakery amp Bistro(256) 213-7545
ldquoTh is is one of our favorite desserts for a holiday and for every day Th e rich and creamy cake melts like ice cream in your mouth the smoothness of the fi lling balances perfectly with the crunchiness of the crust and the delicate hints of the swirled Nutella are divinerdquo mdashCo-owners Chef Ashley and Taylor Ramirez
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Emily Taylor5510 Promenade Point Pkwy Suite 160Madison AL 35757256-430-2781
I can help you
your own wayGROW
1114-519HO
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
produced by aissa castillo and lauren mccaulphotos by lauren tomasella carney
clothing modeled by aaron petersen rachel smith anne harbargerand kait barinaga (for finery)
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Meet the Shop Girls The mission To search Valley shops and boutiques
for the fi nest in Yuletide treasures
Accepting the challenge three of Huntsvillersquos most original and creative taste-makers
Say hello to NorsquoAla Shop Girls Aissa Castillo Lauren McCaul and Lauren Tomasella CarneyDuring the day these mild-mannered professionals tend to demanding careers in design
retail management and photography But evenings and weekends theyrsquore out saving the world from uninspiring fashion and decor as style superheroes
Their picks for the very best gift ideas follow For ideas and inspiration year-round
stay in-the-know by following our Shop Girls on social media
Lauren McCaul deptofagraculturecom Instagram dept_of_agra_cultureAissa Castillo aislerchiccom Instagram aislerchic
Lauren Tomasella Carney laurentomasellacom Instagram laurentomasella
And as you shop for your own Christmas treasures this season please remember to spread your cheermdashand your dollarsmdashat home
(1) Amanda Uprichard Jacket ($248)(2) BCBG Dress ($228)(3) Zoa Dress ($128)Personal Couture Boutique(256) 508-5632
(4) Dress ($168)Anthropologie(256) 327-8470
(5) Olive + Oak Oatmeal Shawl ($72)(10) Simply Noelle Zipper Gusset Bag ($5999)House of Holland(256) 206-8989
(6) One-of-a-kind Eva Ziegler Agate and Pyrite Necklace ($397)(8) Eva Ziegler Freshwater Pearl Strand ($501)Eva Ziegler Jewelryevazieglercom
(9) Gift Set ($5995)Piper amp LeafPiperandleafcom
(7) Long Horn Necklace ($68)Personal Couture Boutique(256) 508-5632
Left to right Lauren Tomasella Carney
Lauren McCaul and Aissa Castillo
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
On himFilson Shirt ($98) Filson Jacket ($320)Yeti Cooler ($34999)Alabama Outdoors(256)-885-3561
On herPPLA Vest ($7999)PPLA Dress ($7499)Bedstu Boots ($295)Indigorsquos Boutique(256) 345-6348
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) Woolly Mammoth Tooth 4rdquo Damascus Linerlock Knife ($150)(2) Cardboard Safari Bucky Cardboard Deer Head ($30)(3) Curt Benzle Porcelain Compass ($15)Little Green Store and Gallery (256) 539-9699
(4) Hunting Journal ($32)Sweet Pineapple(256) 964-7563
(5) Yeti Colster ($2999)Alabama Outdoors(256)-885-3561
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
(1) Yellow House Handcrafted Beard Oils ($18 ea)Yellow House Beard Oilsyellowhousebeards com (2) Mustache amp Beard Comb ($16)Little Green Store and Gallery (256) 539-9699 (3) Latika Body Essentials Charcoal Liquid Soap ($18)(4) Latika Body Essentials Charcoal Bar Soap ($6) (5) Rustico Leather Key Chain ($18) Sweet Pineapple(256) 964-7563
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) Wood Thumb Tie ($44) (2) Slightly Alabama iPad Case ($250) (3) DockSmith Driftwood iPhone Docking Station ($68) Little Green Storeand Gallery (256) 539-9699 (4) Loyal Stricklin Aviator Mug ($35)Domaine South(256) 808-8860 (5) Would You Be a Deer Notepad ($9) Sweet Pineapple(256) 964-7563
(6) Filson Satchel ($265) Alabama Outdoors(256)-885-3561
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
When itrsquos time to move into a bigger house get a home loan from the bank thatrsquos had a home right here for generations You might say we know a thing about location location location synovuscommortgage
Banking products are provided by Synovus Bank Member FDIC Divisions of Synovus Bank operate under multiple trade names across the Southeast Loans products subject to credit approval
When itrsquos time to move into a bigger house get a home
Here is where Henry learned hersquod be getting
SERVING YOU LOCALLY AS
2565513300 | fcb-hsvcom
his own room
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) Spiritual GangsterTank ($36)(2) Luquido Yoga Pants ($90)(3) MZ Wallace Metro Tote ($245)(4) Vimmia V back Sweatshirt ($96)(5) Onzie Sports Bra ($48)(6) Olympia Yoga Pants ($96)(7) bkr Water Bottle ($30)The Fitzgerald Pilates amp Barre(256) 603-1886
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
(1) Gypsy Pant WarmTribal ($72) (2) Berry High Waist Legging ($88) (3) Long Legging Mathematics ($65) (4) Long Legging Peacock ($65) The FitzgeraldPilates amp Barre(256) 603-1886
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) Jane Tran Hair Clips ($15)(2) bkr Water Bottle ($30)(3) well-kept Tech Wipes ($6)(4) Made with Love Bracelets ($25)(5) Pointe Studio Socks ($12)(6) Bando Too Cold to Hold Coozie ($5)The Fitzgerald Pilates amp Barre(256) 603-1886
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
(1) Shop Bando Coff ee Cup ($14)(2) Shop Bando Pens ($14) (3) Shop Bando Pouch ($26) (4) Shop Bando Coin Purse ($20) The FitzgeraldPilates amp Barre(256) 603-1886
(5) Check Things Off Notepad ($16)(6) Hello From Huntsville Stamp ($12)Salt + Paperie(256) 655-5550
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) Muzzle Loaders Chocolate Bourbon Balls ($1999) (2) Vintage Crystal Decanter ($20) (3) Quench Glassware ($1399) Domaine South(256) 808-8860
(4) The Hella Bitters Old Fashioned Kit ($65)(5) American Bar by Charles Schumann ($2495) Little Green Storeand Gallery (256) 539-9699
(6) Julep Cups ($50)Willowbrook Shoppe (256) 270-7181
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom | novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) DECCO Umbrella in a Bottle ($1995)(2) Alexa Pulitzer Stationery Set ($14 ea)(3) Ikat Scarf ($6250)Huntsville Museumof Art(256) 535-4350
(4) Emily Ley Grace Journal ($32) (5) Sugar Boo Designs Clutch ($18) (6) Emily Ley Daily Planner ($58) (7) Latika Milk ampHoney Bar ($6) (8) Farm House Fresh Shea Butter Hand Cream ($14) (9) Christen MaxwellZippy ($42) (10) Green Tea Bubble Bath ($32) Sweet Pineapple(256) 964-7563 (11) Goal Getter Cuff ($32)Indigorsquos Boutique(256) 345-6348
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
(1) Kilim Pillow ($58) (2) Bejeweled Silver Plate Vase ($144) (3) Bone Clad Box ($375)Willowbrook Shoppe (256) 270-7181
(4) Cowhide Rug ($550)(5) Lucyrsquos Locket ($95) (Original piecemdashselection may vary)Sweet Pineapple(256) 964-7563 (6) Clutch ($65)Department of Agra Culturedeptofagraculturecom
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) Above The Bar Antler on Chain 28rdquo ($3999) (2) Above The Bar Deer wAntler Head 18rdquo ($2999) Indigorsquos Boutique(256) 345-6348
(3) Margaret Solow Labradorite18KT Bezel ($290) (4) Margaret Solow Diamond Crest MoonSilver ($460) (5) Margaret Solow Black Spinel + DiamondSilver ($560) (6) Margaret Solow Double Black Spinel18KT ($260)Little Green Store and Gallery (256) 539-9699
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
(1) Margaret Solow Grey Moonstoon18KT Necklace ($240) (2) Margaret Solow OpalDiamond Mosaic Necklace ($610) Little Green Storeand Gallery (256) 539-9699
(3) One-of-a-kind Eva Ziegler Smokey Quartz and Pyrite Necklace ($406)Eva Ziegler Jewelryevazieglercom
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
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novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) The Lion Sleeps Tonight Bath Bomb ($6) Sweet Pineapple(256) 964-7563
(2) Tiger Jelly Cat ($2250)(3) Dog Tag Teether ($1550)(4) Dinosaur Footie ($3595)Honey B Boutique(256) 503-2853
(5) Young Buck ($25)Tiny Vinestinyvinesshopcom
(6) Bib Set ($13)Huntsville Museumof Art(256) 535-4350
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
(1) Tiny Dancer Bath Bomb ($6)Sweet Pineapple(256) 964-7563
(2) Kickee Mammoth Footie ($3595)(3) Noodle amp Boo Essential Care Kit ($18)(4) Elephant Jelly Cat ($2250)Honey B Boutique(256) 503-2853
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| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
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novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
SURPRISEA LOVED ONE
THIS HOLIDAY SEASON
WITH A FOREVER GIFT
HobbsJewelerscom 8772331347Parkway Place Mall
HuntsvilleHwy 72 West
AthensMain Street
Ardmore TN
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
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novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
(1) Chewbead Necklace ($3495)(2) Mayoral Baby Bag ($7995)(3) Mayoral Diaper Changing Pad ($2495)(4) Nursing Scarf ($2695) (5) Kickee Swaddling Blanket ($22)Honey B Boutique(256) 503-2853 (6) Lucy Darling Months Sticker ($25) (7) The Story of You Baby Book by Emily Ley ($62) Sweet Pineapple(256) 964-7563
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(3) Britt Ryan Dress ($288)Personal Couture Boutique(256) 508-5632
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) Rocket Cosmos Mug ($13)Huntsville Museumof Art(256) 535-4350
(2) Loose Leaf Tea ($399)Piper amp Leaf piperandleafcom (3) Judy Jackson Tea Pot ($56) (4) Gary Watson Cherry Cutting Board ($48-$68) (5) Susan Coe Birthday Cake Plate ($33) Little Green Storeand Gallery (256) 539-9699 (6) Macarons ($116 pcs $221 dozen)Whisk Small Treats Bakery(256) 656-1027
(7) Truffl es ($185 each)Pizellersquos Confections (256) 513-9745 (8) Olive amp Sinclair Chocolate ($799)Domaine South(256) 808-8860
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
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novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Guadalupe Robinson
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
text by jennifer crossley howard raquo photos by patrick hood
Of Deft and Dirty Hands
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Huntsville potter Guadalupe Lanning Robinson has spent more than 36 years mastering the
marriage of clay texture and geometric design into her pottery yet time has done little to temper the
plight of waiting
ldquoIt is hard for me to let a pot just dryrdquo she says motioning toward fi ve small wet pots sitting near her
pottery wheel ldquoIrsquom as excited to do this as I was 30 years agordquo
To observe her studio at Lowe Mill that is easy to believe Located on the corridor outside the textile
mill-turned-art centerrsquos main building the loft-like space with a corrugated tin roof feels like a place a
Gabriel Garcia Marquez character would enjoy daydreaming
Sienna-hued pottery sits in various stages to be fi red layered and etched Argentinian tango music
streams from Robinsonrsquos iPhone and two cockatiels a parrot and a parakeet chirp from their cages All
except the parrot fl y freely when Robinson is working
Robinson who is 61 made her fi rst pot in 1979 in her native Mexico City Almost four decades later her
work is part of permanent museum collections in Auburn Huntsville Tuscumbia and Tupelo Missis-
sippi She regularly enters her work in respected juried shows such as the Monte Sano Arts Festival and
the Kentuck Festival of the Arts in Northport and has received two Alabama State Council on the Arts
individual artist fellowships
Her inspiration draws from the villages around her native Mexico City such as the black pottery of
the northwest as well as her acquired Southern culture White lilies corn grids and round female
fi guresmdashldquoreally strong women who are in chargerdquo Robinson saysmdashreappear on her stoneware She uses
natural dyes indigo for color and mixes sand into clay for texture Nothing is wasted
ldquoI donrsquot waste any clayrdquo Robinson says ldquoEverything is recycledrdquo
Robinson fi nds solace in the 40-50 hours a week she puts in at the studio and the often tedious process
of making pots which can take from three weeks to six weeks for larger pots She usually works on two
or three pots at a time tending to groups at diff erent stages
After a pot is thrown on a wheel a piece can take days to dry before its fi rst bisque fi re in which tem-
peratures rise to 1800 F After baking for nine hours the kiln must cool Th e second fi ring rises to 2150
F and matures the clay and melts the glazes to strengthen the piece
ldquoI am an effi cient person by naturerdquo Robinson says ldquoWaiting for the kiln to cool down enough to open
can be nerve wracking and this is when my patience is usually put to the testrdquo
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
ldquoIt is hard for me to let a pot just dry Irsquom as excited to do this as I was 30 years agordquo
Robinson makes most of her pots on a wheel using oxides to change the color of clay she gets from Nashville and Pittsburgh Her pottery takes several weeks from start to fi nish depending on how large a pot is and how many she makes at a time
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
ldquoAttend to your childrenrsquos needs fi rst keep focus on what you want to douse the happiness joy and little breaks you get to make your artTh ey grow real fast and they will keep inspiring you all your liferdquo
Robinson imagined this bat-like design as she was working She usually begins a piece with a design in mind but that often evolves
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Robinson uses an overlay of liquid clay called engobemdashthat includes three to four layersmdashto create a
base on which to design
Th ere is high risk in making pottery and hours of work can be wasted on a pot that has not dried en-
tirely before it enters the kiln Air pockets or the wrong mixture of chemicals can ruin a piece
ldquoArt is involved but science is toordquo says Laura Smith director of education at the Huntsville Museum
of Art where Robinson has taught pottery classes ldquoItrsquos more labor intensive in terms of working with
the medium whether yoursquore building by hand or with a wheel until you fi re with the fi nal layer of glazerdquo
Th e result is sturdy pottery
ldquoI want my pots to look like something that is lasting a long timerdquo Robinson says
Th ough she works solitarily in her studio she says she does not get lonely Her birds and music keep her
company and each stage of pottery making has a soundtrack She uses needlepoint tools to draw onto
clay to Jose Feliciano and other Latin American musicians
ldquoIf Irsquom at the wheel Bruno Marsrdquo she says ldquoIf Irsquom unloading the kiln and something is really awesome
then I need something moving and I have on Motownrdquo
Robinsonrsquos years of experience minimize the risk of damaged pots but she says her greatest challenge
as a potter was balancing her work while raising her two children Now adults their candid childhood
pictures and those of her grandchildren cover the warm green walls of her studio
She met her husband the poet James Robinson in 1977 on a Greyhound bus when she returned to
Mexico City from visiting a friend at the University of Southern Mississippi He was heading to Mexico
to study at a university Th ey married six months later After giving birth to her daughter Annie Jane in
Mexico City in 1982 the family moved to Huntsville in 1985 Th at is when Robinson got more serious
about her pottery
ldquoFrom the very beginning when I moved to Alabama I knew I was going to have to do thisrdquo she said
ldquoIn some ways it was a way for me to keep connected to my heritagerdquo
She took even 15 minutes of free time to work in the studio behind her home and worked late into the
night while her daughter and son Isidoro born in 1987 slept Having a home studio allowed her to
wash clothes tend to her home and drop off lunches at school while maintaining her art
ldquoTh ere was something for me when I fi rst became a mother that fueled my creativityrdquo Robinson says
ldquoTh ey are such a social inspiration too It fi lls your liferdquo
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Robinson advises fellow artists who are mothers to seize
both roles but to prioritize motherhood
ldquoAttend to your childrenrsquos needs fi rst keep focus on what you
want to do use the happiness joy and little breaks you get
to make your artrdquo she says ldquoTh ey grow real fast and they will
keep inspiring you all your liferdquo
Anna Sue Courtney director of the Flying Monkey Arts
Center at Lowe Mill has known Robinson for more than
10 years She says she admires how mothers and artists like
Robinson seamlessly embrace both roles
ldquoIt seems therersquos not a separation between creating and rais-
ing childrenrdquo Courtney says ldquoTh ey seem to pull from the
same placerdquo
Part of Robinsonrsquos motivation at Lowe Mill comes from
working privately in a studio alongside other artists that fos-
ters a community of feedback and ideas
ldquoItrsquos nice to be here because you can take a break and walk around and get inspirationrdquo Courtney says
ldquoItrsquos refreshingrdquo
When she needs a break from the studio Robinson stays home to sketch designs for a day or two then
she is back in the studio
Trips twice a year to Mexico City keep her plugged in to her native culture which in turn shows up in
her pottery
ldquoI have to recharge myselfrdquo Robinson says ldquoI love Huntsville and loved raising my kids here but I still
have the need of going back to be recharged and smell all the smells and see all the colors and get on
the subway and be pushed aroundrdquo
Details from her trips that infl uence her work include the ever-present red that covers the city during
the celebration of Dia de los Muertos or the Day of the Dead Th e pyramids of Teotihuacan conjure
warm earth tones and fl oating gardens around the city yield sweet pungent calla lilies and carnations
Celebration of food tough women and nature reappear in her pottery qualities that both Southern and
Mexican cultures treasure
Above This daisy design is character-istic of Robinsonrsquos work Nature food and strong females from her native Mexico City and the South are strong creative infl uences
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Clockwise from top left Robinson often glazes only the inside of her pots so they can hold water and food She began quilting in 2002 and her quilts like her pottery contain earth tones and natural infl uences in their design Four birds keep Robinson company in what can be the isolating medium of pottery making Geometry and symmetry are two signature elements in Robinsonrsquos work according to Laura Smith director of education at the Huntsville Museum of Art
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Just as she keeps her home country close to her heart Robinson is loyal to her fi rst
love of pottery though she began making quilts in 2002
ldquoIrsquom a potter who likes to quiltrdquo she says
Like her pottery her quilting follows designs of organic nature such as fl owers and
crops on rich jewel tone cotton
ldquoWhen I fi rst saw one of her quilts I didnrsquot realize it was hers and I thought that
looks like it should be Guadalupersquos quiltrdquo Courtney says
Robinson prefers the immediate gratifi cation of clay
ldquoItrsquos a very responsive mediumrdquo she says ldquoYou can manipulate it Th e fact of mak-
ing something out of dirt out of nothing and making it durable making it perma-
nent that after going through the heat and maturing is something very excitingrdquo
She gently dings a pot covered with white dresses titled ldquoTehuana Dressrdquo to make
her point
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
887 FM Muscle Shoals bull 1007 FM Huntsvillewwwaprorg
News classicalmusic and more
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
copy Patrick Hood
text by sara wright covington raquo photos by jacki gil
patrick hood erin lindsey and michelle odom
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
copy Patrick Hood
ldquoA LOT OF PEOPLE HAD BEEN ASKING ME QUESTIONS ABOUTHOW I GOT MY BUSINESS STARTED I WANTED TO GATHER SOME PEOPLE AROUND ME
WHO WERE GOING THROUGH THOSE STRUGGLES AND TOBUILD ENTREPRENEURIAL COURAGErdquo
JACKI GIL SALT+PAPERIE
copy Patrick Hood
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
untsville-born Jacki Gil began her paper design busi-
ness Salt+Paperie in 2014 with an expansive vision
in mind one that extended beyond creating beautiful
custom designed paper goods ldquoI love my design job
but when Irsquom 50 years old I donrsquot see myself still de-
signing wedding invitationsrdquo the master stationer says
ldquoI really have a passion for teaching and helping people
I want to be a mentorrdquo
In 2015 Gil set out on her mentoring mission sooner than expected with a series
of workshops called Encourage Huntsville ldquoA lot of people had been asking me
questions about how I got my business startedrdquo Gil says about the early days of
Salt+Paperie Even though most of those questions from entrepreneurial-hopefuls
were technicalmdashlike how to apply for a business licensemdashthey served as inspira-
tion for Gil ldquoI wanted to gather some people around me who were going through
those struggles and to build entrepreneurial courage I defi nitely saw that there
was a need for helping people to take that next step toward owning their own
businessesrdquo
Encourage Huntsville was modeled on the image of a growing small business
movement called the Rising Tide Society a national community of creative small
business owners who encourage ldquocommunity over competitionrdquo Th at spirit of
openness is at the heart of Encourage Huntsville ldquoCommunity over competition
is a huge part of what we are doingrdquo says Gil ldquoSmall business owners sharing how
they earn their money is a big dealrdquo
As a fi rst step Gil gathered others around her who were using their skills and abili-
ties to make their own small businesses work With talents ranging from cooking
and cake decorating to hand lettering and artwork these small business owners
all embraced Gilrsquos vision for imparting to others the knowledge of their craft un-
impeded by a fear of losing their competitive edge
Th e fi rst lesson Gil wanted to impart to Encourage Huntsvillersquos students wasnrsquot
necessarily a particular craft or skill but a spirt of creative confi dence ldquoWe want-
ed to bridge the gap between the very artsy community and the ultimate engineer
communityrdquo many of whom Gil observes had been told since childhood they
werenrsquot artistic ldquoWhen you are little and someone tells you that you donrsquot have a
talent it sticks with you I found that a lot of people had that experience so that
was the workshop partmdashto build some creative courage in this communityrdquo
Gil conducted the fi rst workshop herself testing the waters to see how the concept
would be received Th e admission price to that fi rst workshop included supplies a
take-home ldquogoody bagrdquo to help students continue their work extracurricularly and
refreshmentsmdashas well as Gilrsquos tips of her trade
ldquoWe went in blindly not knowing if we had a market or notrdquo says Gil Th e popular-
ity of that fi rst class proved undeniably that a market did in fact exist the work-
shop sold out in one day ldquoSo we did back-to-back workshopsrdquo Gil says ldquoAfter that
novemberdecembeeer eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee | nononoononononononoonoonononooooonoonoonnononnoaaalalalllaallllllalaalaaalal ststustust ddiossscom mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm | | | | | | | | | | |
f
w
y
Previous page Encourage Huntsvillersquos founder and instructor Jacki Gil teaches a class in hand lettering Facing page A participant studies her supply list
we realized people really want to do this stuff So we said lsquoletrsquos jump on the boat
and make this happenrsquordquo
Gilrsquos longtime friend photographer Erin Lindsey of Erin Lindsey Images agreed
to contribute to Encourage Huntsvillersquos curriculum by teaching a photography
class ldquoJacki and I are a good team because our hearts are in the same place when
it comes to encouraging othersrdquo Lindsey says Still she admits saying yes to teach-
ing wasnrsquot without some initial hesitation ldquoWhen Jacki asked if I would teach a
class it was kind of scary I thought I had to be perfect before I could teach oth-
ersrdquo Lindsey says of her initial hesitancy ldquoBut after talking to Jacki I realized none
of us are perfectrdquo But perfection isnrsquot the goal encouragement is the goal ldquoAnd I
thought lsquoI can defi nitely line up with that visionrsquordquo
Michelle Odom another Huntsville native and owner of custom cake bakery Just
Crumbs was also on board with Gilrsquos vision In fact Odom had been contemplat-
ing teaching a class when she was approached by Gil to teach a fondant basics
class ldquoHuntsville is such an engineer town and everyone is so mathematical and
scientifi crdquo Odom says echoing the dichotomy between the arts and sciences ex-
pressed by Gil ldquoTh ese workshops are just a very cool way for structured people to
have a creative outletrdquo
ldquoJACKI AND I ARE A GOOD TEAM BECAUSE OUR HEARTS ARE INTHE SAME PLACE WHEN IT COMES TO ENCOURAGING OTHERSrdquo
ERIN LINDSEY ERIN LINDSEY IMAGES
copy Erin Lindsey
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Above A participant in Erin Lindseyrsquos photo class frames a still life
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
copy Erin Lindsey
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
ldquoHUNTSVILLE IS SUCH AN ENGINEER TOWN AND EVERYONE ISSO MATHEMATICAL AND SCIENTIFIC THESE WORKSHOPS ARE JUST A VERY COOL
WAY FOR STRUCTURED PEOPLE TO HAVE A CREATIVE OUTLETrdquo MICHELLE ODOM JUST CRUMBS
copy Michelle Odom
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
ldquoAnd yesrdquo Odom acknowledges ldquoyou are in theory teaching your competition But
at the same time you are helping the community be more creativerdquo
With its roster of popular creative workshops under its belt Encourage Huntsville
has added business classes to its community-over-competition curriculum with
classes designed to provide specifi c guidance for small business owners ldquoAll of
our events that donrsquot require hands-on work we call seminarsrdquo says Gil ldquoWe had
about 15 people at our fi rst one It was pretty much just an open discussion to ask
us questions and get answers from the perspective of a small business ownerrdquo
Th e seminars enjoyed the same success and enthusiasm as the workshops ldquoWe
had two hours for people to ask questionsrdquo Gil says Topics covered ran the gamut
from scheduling daily tasks self-hosting a website or using an Etsy store man-
aging client expectations and being realistic about how much time you need to
complete jobs
ldquoTh e time went quickly and people wanted morerdquo says Gil who envisions an all-
day seminar in 2016
Margaret Baggett owner and executive chef of the Chef Next Door is another
small business owner who has shared Gilrsquos vision from the very beginning teach-
copy Erin Lindsey
Facing page Michelle Odomrsquos fondant basics class begins with a styrofoam cake form Above Newbie photographers familiarize themselves with their cameras in Erin Lindseyrsquos photography class
ing knife skills workshops and helping host the business seminars ldquoI am so proud
to get to be a part of this project and help nurture other small business owners
who may just be starting out on their journey or are deep in it and looking for
some encouragement from other business ownersrdquo Baggett says of what motivates
her participation in Encourage Huntsville ldquoEven being on the advice-giving side
of things I am still learning and have taken tips and tricks and lessons from each
event we have had so far We never stop learning from each other and never stop
improving upon our craftsrdquo
Th e mutual growth among students and teachers is the source of the encourage-
mentmdashand the joymdashof Encourage Huntsville ldquoItrsquos so much fun to see the light
bulbs go off with people and see them encouraged right before your eyesrdquo Lindsey
says of her experience with the program ldquoPlus itrsquos a pleasure to contribute to a
sense of community over competition Th at whole concept is so rarerdquo
As Encourage Huntsvillersquos following continues to grow the diversity of the work-
shops will expand as well Whether you are looking to spend a fun afternoon
learning a new craft or are a budding small business owner hoping to launch
your brand Encourage Huntsville has something valuable to off er ldquoWe encourage
those left-brain folks to take up a new hobby or skillrdquo Baggett says ldquoor just encour-
age the people of Huntsville to get together and fan their creative fl amesrdquo
If yoursquore looking for
creative or entrepreneurial
encouragement visit
encouragehuntsvillecom
for seminar and workshop
schedules and information
ldquoI AM SO PROUD TO GET TO BE A PART OF THIS PROJECT AND HELP NURTURE OTHER SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS WHO MAY JUST BE STARTING OUT ON THEIR JOURNEY OR ARE DEEP IN IT
AND LOOKING FOR SOME ENCOURAGEMENT FROM OTHER BUSINESS OWNERSrdquoMARGARET BAGGETT CHEF NEXT DOOR
copy Jacki Gil
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
copy Jacki Gil
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Participants in Margaret Baggettrsquos knife skills workshop learn to perfect their ldquomise en placerdquo
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
copy Olivia Reed
text by sara wright covington raquo photos by olivia reed and jeff white
HUNTSVILLErsquoS
HOMEGROWNHOSTESS
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
ttttttononononoooooonononooooo raquo praquo praquo praquo praquo phothothothothotosoososos s s osos bybybbybb
Any host will tell you that delicious food and quality libations while important to
a partyrsquos success are secondary to the most important ingredient of all the guest list Th atrsquos why many
of downtown Huntsvillersquos most popular restaurants breweries and wine shops are turning to event
planner Ashley Ryals and her uncanny knack for attracting loyal patronsmdashand creating unforgettable
events in the process
When Huntsville born-and-bred Ashley Ryals left for college at the University of Alabama in 2001
she thought her exit from the Valley was permanent ldquoI never thought I would end up back hererdquo the
founder of event planning company Homegrown Huntsville says with a knowing laugh But after a few
post-graduate years working for world-renowned public relations powerhouse Weber Shandwick in
New York City Ryals started to second guess her freshman declaration
ldquoI started to get homesickrdquo she admits ldquoAll of my friends were getting married and meeting for football
games and I was missing itrdquo So when a friend from home set up an interview at EarlyWorks for a job
doing event planning Ryals jumped at the chance to come home
Ashley spent the next few years planning EarlyWorks Whistle Stop and Santarsquos Village events A brief
stint in sales followed along with a seat on the board of Huntsville Young Professionals where she had
an idea for a downtown pub crawl
ldquoWe expected 20 or 30 peoplerdquo Ryals says of their modest expectations ldquoBut 200 people showed uprdquo
Th at initial success convinced Ryals to embark on her dream of establishing an
event planning company But it wasnrsquot just any event planning company Ryals
had in mind she envisioned one that would collaborate with local businesses
cultivate signature events for the community to enjoy and support small busi-
nesses in the process
Inspired Ryals left her sales job and for the second time in her life came home
again to event planning and Homegrown Huntsville
To help bring her vision to life Ryals collaborated with designer Adrianne Van
Kirk of Fave Creative ldquoAdrianne has been a part of the visual and branding of
Homegrown from the beginning We come up with the event ideas then I get
the ticketing and sales together and she comes back with a logo and the mar-
keting for the event And thatrsquos how it all comes togetherrdquo Ryals says of their
creative process
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
ASHLEY RYALS
copy Olivia Reed
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
ldquoMOST WINE FESTIVALS ACROSS THE COUNTRY HAVE PROVEN RECORDS OF BEING ABLE TO STAY AROUND 15 OR 20 YEARS OR EVEN LONGER AND THE ECONOMIES OF THOSE
CITIES HAVE REALLY GROWN AS A RESULT I WANT BIG SPRING CRUSH TO EVENTUALLY BE THE BIGGEST AND BEST WINE FESTIVAL IN THE STATE OF ALABAMArdquo ASHLEY RYALS
copy Jeff White
copy Jeff White
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
copy Olivia Reed
Homegrown launched in 2011 with what would become its
signature event Dine amp Dash Every second Wednesday
April through October a trolley shuttles patrons between
downtown establishments where they are served a drink
and appetizer before moving on to the next stop
Owner and executive chef Merle Phillips of Th e Eaves was
one of the fi rst restaurants to sign on for Dine amp Dashrsquos de-
but ldquoAshley came to me and said she was starting a trolley
tasting conceptrdquo says Chef Merle ldquoI didnrsquot really know her so
I was taking a chance on the concept she was sellingrdquo
Merle tried it and has been a loyal participant of Dine amp
Dash ever since
ldquoIt was a risk in the beginning but it defi nitely paid off rdquo Chef
Merle says of the experience Pivotal to that experience ac-
cording to Phillips is Ryalsrsquo demonstration to the commu-
nity just what the term ldquohomegrownrdquo really means ldquoAshley
shines a spotlight on independent businesses in a market-
place that has for so long focused on chainsrdquo Phillips says
ldquoDine amp Dash has really brought into sharp focus the inter-
esting culinary diversity that Huntsville has to off errdquo
For the next two years Homegrown Huntsville focused al-
most exclusively on Dine amp Dash which by the end of its fi rst
year included every single downtown restaurant But when
big changes began to appear on the downtown horizonmdash
new restaurants breweries and residential developmentsmdash
Ryalsrsquo instincts told her
the time had come to
introduce a new event
to the downtown cal-
endar
ldquoBeer Hop follows
the concept of Dine
amp Dashrdquo Ryals says of
Homegrownrsquos second
venture which began
in 2013 Each month a
trolley visits three dif-
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
BILL FOWLEROLD TOWN BEER
EXCHANGE
copy Olivia Reed
copy Olivia Reed
ferent breweries where patrons sample beers and enjoy food
from a variety of food trucks parked at each location
Bill Fowler managing partner of Old Town Beer Exchange
agreed to participate in Beer Hop on his very fi rst day of
business and credits Ryals with an overwhelmingly success-
ful opening night ldquoAshley said lsquoI can guarantee that you are
going to have wave after wave of people coming throughrsquordquo
Fowler says recalling that fi rst jittery occasion Once again
Ryals proved true to her word with 60-plus patrons arriving
in an hour-and-a-half ldquoIt was awesome and such a great ex-
perience for usrdquo Fowler raves ldquoAshley is a hard worker and
you can see that in what she doesrdquo
Fowler believes that in addition to bringing new customers
to OTBX Ryals is also cultivating beer education consis-
tently bringing in people who are new to beer and want to
learn And with Huntsvillersquos recent brewery boom that level
of education and interest is crucial for the brewing commu-
nity to thrive ldquoWe have a very small window of opportunityrdquo
says Fowler ldquoI think Huntsville in particular is becoming a
craft brewing community People are making money at this
and once Tennessee sees that we need to already have had a
pretty huge head startrdquo
By the end of 2013 and with standing events Beer Hop and
Dine amp Dash well established Ryals took time to refl ect on
her original goal for Homegrown Huntsville ldquoIn the back of
my head from day one I knew I wanted to do a wine festival
I just didnrsquot think Huntsville was ready for it in 2011rdquo
Emboldened by the success of Beer Hop Ryals decided to
make the leap with Big Spring Crush wine festival later the
same year Once again Ryals delivered the perfect audience
for the event and in the process discovered a surprising
fact about North Alabamarsquos contribution to the wine-mak-
ing industry
ldquoIn doing the wine festival I learned that we have a huge
wine community in Huntsvillerdquo Ryals says ldquoTh ere are only
about 47 certifi ed wine judges in the entire United States
and we have four of them right here in North Alabama Two
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
copy Jeff White
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
ldquoI STARTED TO GET HOMESICK ALL OF MY FRIENDS WERE GETTING MARRIEDAND MEETING FOR FOOTBALL GAMES AND I WAS MISSING ITrdquo ASHLEY RYALS
copy Jeff White
copy Jeff White
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
ldquoIT WAS AWESOME AND SUCH A GREAT EXPERIENCE FOR USrdquoBILL FOWLER OLD TOWN BEER EXCHANGE
copy Jeff White
copy Olivia Reed
of those four certifi ed wine judges sit on the committee for
Big Spring Crushrdquo
Matthew and Stephanie Mell had just opened Church Street
Wine Shop when they decided to participate in the fi rst Big
Spring Crush Like OTBXrsquos Robert Fowler the Mells credit
Ryals and Homegrown Huntsville for helping to introduce
their new enterprise to the community ldquoAshley has been in-
strumental in helping to bring us people who love and ap-
preciate winerdquo Stephanie Mell says ldquoShe was homegrown
here in Huntsville and she really gets the downtown area
and small businesses and that is so important to usrdquo
Big Spring Crush began with a bang featuring over 150
wines and attracting patrons from across the country
ldquoMost wine festivals across the country have proven records
of being able to stay around 15 or 20 years or even longerrdquo
Ryals says ldquoAnd the economies of those cities have really
grown as a result I want Big Spring Crush to eventually be
the biggest and best wine festival in the state of Alabamardquo
How does Ryals intend to make that dream come true ldquoBy
always keeping it fresh I want to have new marketing and
new things happening each yearrdquo
Ryalsrsquo formula of reinvention and expansion has successfully
led Homegrown Huntsville through fi ve years of success and
helped its events become community staples along the way In
the process Ryals is broadening more than just our image of
downtown Huntsville shersquos joining a class of creative entrepre-
neurs committed to expanding Huntsvillersquos reputation as more
than just a hub for the brightest scientifi c minds in America
ldquoWe have a big city of engineers and lawyers and itrsquos won-
derfulrdquo Ryals say ldquo But there is a whole artist and food cul-
ture here and there is so much growth I want us to have a
vibrant cool downtown area and I want for people to tell
their friends to come and visit and to see Huntsville for what
it is a city I loverdquo
If yoursquod like to participate in Homegrown Huntsville either
as a guest or a participating business visit homegrown-
huntsvillecom
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
copy Jeff White
I was years old and the year was At that time the city of Huntsville was inching toward the mountain to the east California Street was once the continental divide between the small town metropo-lis and the uncharted territories gingerly crossed by the real estate pioneers four score and some odd years prior Th is area became the new suburb as the city kept pushing onward toward Fagan Springs as if the reverberating booms of rocket testings were vibrating Hunstvillians away from its epicenter
From the front yard of our house on Owens Drive I could look to the rightmdashup the hill to the bend be-yond which the big houses stood on their rocky ledge pedestals and to the left where all the other houses that looked just like oursmdashfresh and newmdashrambled for what seemed like miles Th ose clean well-lit abodes all seemed the same and granted at my age I knew more about the pets that lived there than I did about the people who owned those manageable mortgages I came to realize that each was diff erent in a way that was permeated by voices smells and furnishings
It is a clicheacute to say that our lives were simpler then because that is just how the current era will be fondly referred to in the future but to a 5-year-old it is the simplicity that brought the joy Th e sixties will always be to me the beginning of the age of manufactured happiness Cheap clean and simple was what was strived for and what was easily obtained Plastic items were plentiful and pretty things could be bought with SampH Green Stamps A few coins in our pocket would transfer us into the most master of manipula-tors with us giving our all to convince our parents for a jaunt to Murdockrsquos for a holiday of wonderment joy and impatience as we would scour the shelves trying to get the most from our meager budget
Owens Drive was the fairly new thoroughfare from which the avenues of three-bedroom-ranchers fi ngered away at planned intervals Th is was the place where newlyweds started their lives homes and families Where girls with last names that had been in the town for generations would change them to those strange and exotic last names of the clean cut newcomers brought here for military purposes Where the housewives would preheat their pristine electric ovens trying to make cheese straws and biscuits that were just like their motherrsquos only to be frustrated as they were never quite the same and where the husbands would follow in their fatherrsquos footsteps by joining the Acme Club and hunting doves on the weekends
Th ere was a swimming pool Certainly not at our house Th e only private pool I remember as a child was one that my grandmother would take me to nestled between huge trees at someonersquos house on Adams Street I would swim with other children my age while our grandmothers chatted smoking cigarettes in cat-eyed anonymity whispering most of their stories so we wouldnrsquot be able to hear But between their
gasps and laughter we would listen hear and learn
Th e Blossomwood pool was a place of designated rules and the sound of bright whistlesmdashwith straight lines and distinctive colors of blue and green I can still feel the Coppertoned oiliness on the skin of the tanned lifeguard as she carried me from the deep end frightened after my fi rst attempt at solo-swimming She knew my name I had no idea who she was
On the other side of the pool was the school my older sister attended It had a style that mim-icked the poolmdashstraight lines cleanmdasha temple to orderliness and good manners It was with
awe that I once watched the young adults there some as old as eleven wind and dance their way around a sky-high fl agpolemdasheach with a diff erent color ribbon until the fi rst (and only) May Pole
I was privy to was completely dressed in its woven bright colors
90 raquo bless their hearts raquo Guy McClure Jr
Huntsville was a magical place for us tail-end baby boomers to grow upmdashbeyond the miracles of the escalator at Pizitz the smiling little lady on the tall stool at the register at Britlings There was a comfort level there that Irsquom not sure is in the minds of the 5-year-olds of today
cat-eyed agasps
Th s
aI w
THE COMFORTS OF BLOSSOMWOOD
In our world of red-bricked carported castles there was a def-inite division of generations Th e children ate separately from the parents went to school as our dads went to work enter-tained our neighborhood friends as quietly as possible and felt safe between our boundaries of Big Cove Road and Hermitage Street While we dined on our Chef Boy-Ar-Dee boxed pizza our parents busied themselves dressing in their dark colors getting ready for a late dinner at Boots having the scent of perfume and face powder trail my mother as she came into the kitchen looking for something with an intense purpose My father would smell of British Sterling and look just as he did when he went to work only happier Th ese nights meant something fun would happenmdashwe would have a babysitter
Babysitters were my introduction into what was and still seems cool Th ey were usually Huntsville High School teen-agers who would put on a show without even knowing it I would drink in their every move word and essence of style To me they were supermodelsmdashmovie starsmdasheven more fa-mous in my eyes than a television weatherman and almost as glamorous as the waitresses at the Waffl e House
Before they would tire of me and my sister and put us to bed they would include us in their world of music and knowledge which I thought was all-encompassing Suddenly our world of Th e Benny Carl Show and Fantasy Playhouse would seem trite and passeacute and we would catch a fl eeting glimpse into what would be in store for us when we too could stay up past 8 pm
Huntsville was a magical place for us tail-end baby boomers to grow upmdashbeyond the miracles of the escalator at Pizitz the smiling little lady on the tall stool at the register at Britlings and that bright colorful Maypole Th ere was a comfort level there that Irsquom not sure is in the minds of the 5-year-olds of todaymdashthe soothing sheltered lack of knowledge of why we were so lucky yet we didnrsquot even know that we were
In the other areas of our Huntsville there was poverty and ra-cial unrestmdashas there was and is in every city I was unaware People of color were always a part of my worldmdashmostly be-cause they had my attention and respect At our house there was Annie my grandmotherrsquos house was fi lled with the joys of Lula and out on the family farm there was strong and smiling Homer and large and huggable Rosamdashall just as much a part of my life as everyone else My life was good and they were instrumental in making it that way
What will the 5-year-olds of today who are lucky enough to be raised on those well-planned streets remember when they surpass their own 50 year mark It is a much more complex world now and there are diff erent concerns with daily changes of fear Youthful innocence is a prize that is encased without a lock Premature maturity is a viable threat and a constant fear But each night tucked in tight in a simple room sleeps tomor-rowrsquos adults who are having sweet dreamsmdashblanketed by the comforts of Blossomwood
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
92 raquo the vine raquo Amy C Collins
BORDEAUX POWER
Where Burgundyrsquos vineyards were established by Benedictine monks patiently growing wine vines with spiritual hearts Bordeauxrsquos vineyards were raised by entrepreneurial laymen who recognized the massive monetary opportunity when the English began drinking down their peasant wine
The city of Bordeaux is Francersquos primary port town on the Atlantic ocean a harbor that has for centuries served as the countryrsquos most important dock Th e regionrsquos history is long and storied with the fi rst written reference to the area dated 379 AD by the Latin poet Ausonius who was also a wine-grower Jump ahead to the year 1152 when Eleanor of Aquitaine married Englandrsquos soon-to-be king Henry Plantagenet and the port and surrounding vineyard land became the source of wine for the English a connection that remains strong even today
Bordeaux produces the worldrsquos most expensive and sought after collector wines the top tier of which make up less than fi ve percent of the regionrsquos total production Th ese names are quickly learned by neophyte wine drinkers wanting to make an impression Chateau Haut-Brion Lafi te Latour and Margaux for example Grown in gravelly soils only a few meters above sea levelmdashin contrast vineyards elsewhere in Europe typically sit between 300 and 900 metersmdashthese wines are some of the most powerful austere and pawed over When young the tannins in these cabernet sauvignon cabernet franc and merlot blends coat the tongue and mouth with a chalky dry sensation akin to sucking on an Earl Grey tea bag and are perhaps best suited to well-fatted rare steak and cigars Th ese are wines built to live for decades Personally I prefer a Bordeaux at least 20 years aged when the tannins have had ample time to calm down and mellow out and more nuanced fl avors come forward Sounds fancy and it is Only in some very lucky circumstances over the past year have I been guest to a bottle of 1990 Clos de Menuts Saint-Eacutemilion and a 1970 Chateau Haut-Brion About once every 10 years Irsquove had the good
fortune to taste a wine older than myself Nice work if you can get it
Where Burgundyrsquos vineyards (Francersquos other classifi ed sought-after region) were established by Benedictine monks patiently growing wine vines with spiritual hearts
Bordeauxrsquos vineyards were raised by entrepreneurial laymen who recognized the massive monetary opportunity when the English began drinking down their peasant wine Th is underscores the second half of my theory as to why Americans
more often American males are so drawn to the wines of Bordeaux Th erersquos an inherent capitalist connection something in the soil Th at the wines are so
unmistakable so distinctively grand and pronounced elixirs exemplifi es the fi rst half of my theory we Americans are not known for our subtlety (To be fair the Chinese are
signifi cant Bordeaux collectors as well)
Philosophy aside Bordeaux is quite a large region that produces beautiful white and red values as well as the rare fi nds out of the populacersquos price range Herersquos the skinny Blending is the game single varietal wines are rare White Bordeaux is typically made from a blend of sauvignon blanc and seacutemillon and sometimes a drop or two of muscadelle ugni blanc or colombard Reds are made primarily from the two cabernets plus merlot with small quantities of petit verdot malbec and carmenegravere occasionally in the mix Th e region is also home to the golden nectar of late ripened seacutemillon sauvignon blanc and muscadelle grapes that have successfully attracted the noble rot a fungus that covers the fruit and drains moisture from inside leaving behind rich sweet grapes without moldy fl avors Chateau drsquoYquem is the most famous of these unfortifi ed dessert wines though there are better bargains from the region
Bordeaux is split by the Gironde river which divides the region into three general areas Th e left bank also known as the Haut-Meacutedoc is where the classifi ed top growths are situated Th ese prestigious estates were named for their exceptional vineyard sites in 1855 a decision nearly unchanged since Today serious collectors invest in Bordeaux futures theoretically locking down lower prices of top
ample time to calm dit is Only in some vede Menuts Saint-Eacutem
fortune to taste a
Wherees
aun
of msignifi
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Follow Amy at pigandvinecom for morestories and wine suggestions
growth estates while the wine is still aging in the cellar Itrsquos the wine tradersquos equivalent to the NASDAQ On the right bank Saint-Eacutemilion and Pommerol are the prized vineyard areas known for their merlot heavy cuveacutees To the south west we fi nd Graves where there are many great values to be had in both white and red bottlings Entre-Deux-Mers which translates to ldquobetween two seasrdquo sits between the Dordogne and Garonne tributaries off the Gironde and is an excellent source for crisp whites
Get started on your Bordeaux experience with these values
Chateau Graville-Lacoste 2014 Graves 75 seacutemillon 20 sauvignon blanc and 5 muscadelle make up this beauty thatrsquos consistently delicious every vintage Crisp and refreshing great with seafood
Chateau Mirambeau 2014 GravesAnother classic blend of 40 sauvignon blanc 40 seacutemillon and 20 muscadelle this lovely white is a bit more fl oral than the Graville-Lacoste Easy drinking and great value
Chateau de Parenchegravere Bordeaux Rouge 201155 merlot 30 cabernet sauvignon and 15 cabernet franc grown in clay heavy soils similar to the right bank of the region Fleshy with good structure and abundant red fruit
Chateau Arnaud Bordeaux Supeacuterieur 2011Supeacuterieur on a Bordeaux label isnrsquot egotistical marketingmdashby law it indicates a wine with up to one degree more alcohol than its AC Bordeaux brethren What it really means is one more degree of body structure and in this case quality Approachable delicious and easy on the wallet
Chateau de Bernadotte Haut-Meacutedoc 2005Th e 2005 vintage in Bordeaux is in the history books with double asterisks Owned by the eminent Pichon Lalande family and made from vineyards in Paulliac one of the more choice growing areas in the region this is an incredible value a top tier Bordeaux for a fraction of the cost
Chateau de Suduiraut Sauternes 2011Ripe cantaloupe apricot and honey and an interesting smoky note with a solid sweet attack followed by great acidity A dessert wine that wonrsquot overpower the dessert
94 raquo parting shot raquo Patrick Hood
Meet Solvar
Solvar belongs to one of the worldrsquos oldest and purest equine lineages the Nor-
wegian Fjord horse a breed that has remained virtually unchanged for more than
2000 yearsmdashlong before we became acquainted with his animated cousins in
the movie Frozen Th ese national symbols of Norway are characterized by primi-
tive zebra striping on their legs and a dorsal stripe running from forelock to tail
resulting in a striking two-tone mane that sticks up like a Mohawk Th eir athleti-
cism agility and dependability make them valuable both as sport horses as well
as therapy horses for emotionally and physically challenged adults and children
Catie Wells of Huntsville is the proud owner of Solvar who resides at Monte
Sano Stables
For tickets or information 256-539-4818 or hsoorg
Bring In the New Year With Us
presents
WHAT A WONDERFUL
WORLDA tribute to Louis
Armstrong featuring the
Byron Stripling Quartet
Thursday December 31
730 pm bull Pops Series bullMark C Smith
Concert Hall VBC
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
M O R E T H A N 7 0 S H O P S A N D R E S T A U R A N T S I N C L U D I N G B E L K | D S W S H O E S | A P P L E J O S A B A N K | R E E D S J E W E L E R S | PA N D O R A | J C R E W | K AT E S PA D E N E W Y O R KO R V I S | B A N A N A R E P U B L I C | M I C H A E L K O R S | F R A N C E S C Arsquo S | A N T H R O P O L O G I EH amp M | S O M A | M O U N T A I N H I G H O U T F I T T E R S | B A R N E S amp N O B L E | S E P H O R AALTAR rsquoD STATE | CONNORS STEAK amp SEFOOD | THE WEST IN HUNTSV I L L E | MONACO P ICTURES
C O M I N G S O O N V E R S O N A ndash near Belk
B R I D G E S T R E E T H U N T S V I L L E C O M |
BR IDGE STREET TOWN CENTRE I S LOCATED AT EX I T 14 OFF I - 565 AT OLD MAD ISON P IKE
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Friday December 4 ndash Saturday December 5
Kris Kringlersquos Candlelight Christmas
Two spectacular evenings of cozy fi res holiday music fi ggy pudding homemade cookies kids crafts designer deacutecor and much
more Itrsquos holiday fun for the whole family with the most magical view in town 430pm-900pm Admission charged Burritt on
the Mountain 3101 Burritt Dr (256) 536-2882 burrittonthemountaincom
Friday December 4 ndash Sunday December 6
A Christmas Carol
Travel with Scrooge as he visits his past present and future on Christmas Eve in this musical retelling of Charles Dickensrsquo
classic novel Fri and Sat 700pm and Sun 200pm Admission charged Von Braun Playhouse 700 Monroe St (256) 539-6829
fantasyplayhousecom
Friday December 4 ndash Sunday December 6
Th e Nutcracker A Yuletide Ballet
Alabama Youth Ballet Th eatre opens its 10th season to holiday audiences with this beloved Christmas ballet Fri 700pm
Sat 200pm and 730pm Sun 200pm Admission charged Lee HS Auditorium 2500 Meridian St (256) 881-5930
alabamayouthballetorg
Saturday December 12
Madison Christmas Parade
Music fl oats and fun for the whole family Afterwards gather for an old-fashioned celebration on the Village Green Listen
to carolers and instrumental music around the Roundhouse and sip hot chocolate at the Gazebo 530pm Free Downtown
Madison (256) 772-9300 cimadisonalus
Saturday December 12
Mooresville Holiday Home Tour and Progressive Dinner
Th e 50 residents of historic Mooresville incorporated in 1818 invite you to celebrate the season with a tour of the 1839 Brick
Church 1820 Stagecoach Tavern 1840 Post Offi ce and fi ve private homes all decorated in the tradition of Christmas past
Homes open and shopping available from 200pm to 600pm Dinner seating at 330pm to 430pm and at 500pm to 600 pm in
town square Reservations required $70 Mooresville (256) 355-2683 mooresvillealcom
Saturday December 12
Spirit of Christmas Past Homes Tour and Luminaries
Tour fi ve private residences on Randolph Street the Weeden House Museum on Gates Avenue and other historic buildings
ornately decorated for the holidays 500pm-900pm Admission charged Twickenham Historic District (256) 536-7718
twickenhamhomestourcom
Th ursday December 17
Huntsville Christmas Parade
Welcome Santa Claus to Huntsville as he ushers in the Christmas season at the annual Christmas parade Enjoy the excitement
and music with many entries and bands from across North Alabama 600pm Free Downtown Huntsville (256) 885-9797
Saturday December 19
Holiday Artists Market
Americarsquos largest private artist complex invites the public to its annual Holiday Artists Market 1100am-600pm Free Flying
Monkey Arts Th eater Lowe Mill 2211 Seminole Dr (256) 489-7000 fl yingmonkeyartsorg
Saturday December 31
Huntsville Symphony Orchestra presents ldquoWhat A Wonderful Worldrdquo - a tribute to Louis Armstrong
Bring in the New Year with the Byron Stripling Quartet and the music of Louis Armstrong a presentation of the HSO 730
pm Mark C Smith Concert Hall VBC call (256) 539-4818 for tickets or visit wwwhsoorg
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
pm Mark C Smith Concert Hall VBC call (256) 539-4818 for tickets or visit wwwhsoorg
12 raquo cryinrsquo out loud raquo Sara Wright Covington
HOME
So we carry our boxes and baggage from place to place carving out a new niche for them wherever we fi nd ourselves And I fi nd that long after I have left a place that place has not left me
According to a government survey conducted in the average person moves around 11
times in a lifetime My husband never one to conform to the norm had moved nine times by the time
he was 18 He just like his father and his fatherrsquos father is a builder and thatrsquos just what builders do
Th ey build and they move and then they build and they move again I knew when I married him that
he would follow in those family footsteps and that I was signing up for a lifetime of constant moving
Frequent moves do seem to be much more of the norm where we live in Huntsville a super transient
place full of military and government men and women who are accustomed to shifting their families
from spot to spot But having only lived in two houses by the time I was 18 it was still hard for me
to imagine packing my entire life into boxes every couple of
years Now on our third move together Irsquove started taking
inventory of my things each time I prepare to repack them
into boxes and Irsquove defi nitely begun to see a trendmdashmost
everything I own has been in my life for a very long time Irsquove
carried my grandmotherrsquos hat boxes full of fur and feath-
ered millinery from place to place with me since I was 22 I
still have the antique four poster bed I slept in as a
child My many bookshelves are fi lled with every
book I have likely ever ownedmdashfrom the Norton
Anthology of English Literature to Frommerrsquos Las
Vegas guide book Th ere are even a few items of
clothing in my closet that are 20 or more years old
including a rain jacket monogrammed with my high
school letters and a sequined tube top I think I wore
at some point during college although I hope that
Irsquom wrong
It has been scientifi cally proven that most people
fear change as the outcome of that change is of-
ten unknown With each and every move that we
make it has become increasingly evident that I am
no diff erent We fi nd faith in the familiar which for
me seems to include everything from my footwear
to my friends So we carry our boxes and baggage
from place to place carving out a new niche for them
wherever we fi nd ourselves And I fi nd that long after
I have left a place that place has not left me I re-
cently went to visit the house where I grew up which
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
is sadly empty now Th e front door was exactly the same
and the concrete steps where I skinned my knee as a child
are still there as is the scar I still bear from those steps 30
years later I peeked through the glass backdoor to see that
the kitchen cabinets were still exactly the same an unpainted
knotty wood with brass knobs and the pocket door adja-
cent to the stove was still there also half open to the sitting
room I wondered if that door still bore the carved notches
of my height chart an expanse of inches that widened over
the years as I grew each notch labeled in pen with a date I
strained my eyes to look but could not see
Th e seasons are changing now and once again we are mov-
ing Th e boxes are being collected now and Irsquove already be-
gun a mental timeline of how long I can procrastinate until
actually beginning to pack them Th is summer in particular
has been one of many changes for usmdashups and downs joys
and sorrowsmdashand the walls of this house have witnessed
them all And I have to admit that it does seem right that
as the seasons change we too should also move on As
someone recently put it to me when facing the fear of the
unknown we have to learn to just manage and adjustmdashhav-
ing faith at the threshold of change that life will continue to
be full of beauty and fun love and loss We are not forced
to edge any one of these out to make room for the other but
rather we must learn to make room for them all
Th ere is no doubt that this house will stick with me as
all of the memories within it are engraved into my mind
But this time around I know that home will always be
where my family and friends are and the walls around
us are just a shelter through the sun and storms of our
lives I choose to believe that old habits are not necessar-
ily bad habits but traditions we choose to bring with us
into the future as a form of comfort in the midst of the
fear of the future My husband and I have celebrated
one of those old traditions in this house as we
have made our own growth chart for our
children here carving and marking their
tiny heights onto one of our downstairs
doors And although I will likely fret and
shed some tears through this entire mov-
ing process as I attempt to detach myself
from these walls a little compromise can be
comforting and being married to a builder
does have its perksmdashwe are unhinging that
door and taking it with us when we go
for information visit wwwathenseduathenianplayers
Names for photos are provided by the organization or business featured
14 raquo scene
Suzanne OrsquoConnor Karen Kiss and Sallie Ennis
Front Row L-R Patrick Robbins Ed Rush Nancy Colin George Smith and Steve Thornton Back Row L-R John Johnson Richard Van Valkenburgh Ronald Reed and Skipper Colin
Richard and Nancy Van Valkenburgh
Jay and Dana Town
Ernie Rivard Ann Rivard Anne Compton Burke and Kim and John Johnson
George and Lee Anne Smith and Steve and Patti Thornton
Linda Akenhead Donna Rush Ivy Albert and Amelia Summerville
Bobsy and Bill IngramChris Wesley Suzanne OrsquoConnor and Patrick Robbins
Tom and Pennie Keene Sharon and Ed Gartrell and Janet and David Skidmore
Debbie Overcash Brenda Millberger and Theresa Taylor
Ronald and Daphne Reed and Nancy and Skipper Colin
Kendall Black and Lee Anne Bostick
Sharon Gartrell Paige Prozan Amelia Summerville and Susan Todd Matt Taylor Bruce Summerville
Eric Milberger and Tommy Overcash
copy Photos by Mark Jaeger
Joyce Griffi n Betsy Lowe Peter Lowe Debbie Washburn and Ben Washburn
2015 Symphony Ball Advisorsrsquo Cocktail Partyaugust middot home of jay and dana town huntsville
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
text by sarah gaede raquo photos by patrick hood
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Some restaurants have food trucks for off-premise
special events Chef Will proprietor of Th e Palate at Lowe
Mill has a folding table Equipped with coolers kettles a
butane burner and his trusty cast iron skillet he turns out
amazing vegetarian and vegan dishes for his loyal following
every Th ursday at Greene Street Market in Huntsville
Although he grew up in Groton Connecticut helping his
mother in the kitchen and was always interested in food Chef
Will then known as Forest Wilson felt he couldnrsquot compete
with his older brother who was an executive chef So he
received vocational training in welding and visual arts (skills
which he still uses in creating his Afro-centric art) After a
brief stint in California working in the shipbuilding industry
he decided to follow his fi rst love and go to culinary school
When Chef Will visited his mother in Huntsville he realized
how much he missed being close to the land So he moved to
Alabama After he saw what his family was eating and how
many health problems they had he began an intensive study
of nutrition and the healing properties of natural foods
He had already been turned on to the health benefi ts of a
vegetarian diet by the surfers he hung out with in California
With his back-to-basics approach
Chef Will is like a nineteenth century
cook witha twenty-first century vibe
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
like a nineteenth century cook with a twenty-
fi rst century vibe
While most of Chef Willrsquos dishes are vegan he
does use real cheese because it melts better
He also uses free-range eggs Portobello
mushrooms are his go-to meat substitute
Th e day I visited he was serving portobello
pepper ldquosteakrdquo over quinoa and brown rice
with a liberal dash of his secret Bee Sting
sauce which his son Khaliq is working on
marketing to the public It was scrumptious
His food is so densely fl avored you donrsquot miss
the meat He especially loves the spices and
ingredients of Indian Asian and Chinese
cuisines all of which off er a great variety of
tasty vegetarian dishes
Chef Will is a passionate evangelist for the
healing properties of pure natural foods and
he preaches this gospel in a way that is so
inviting those who try his food cannot help
but be much more open-minded about trying
new healthy creative ways of eating
who seemed to have much more energy than he did He
became intentional about every step of the cooking process
from ingredient sourcing to cookwaremdashhence the cast
iron skillet which is naturally non-stick and adds iron to
whatever is cooked in it
Chef Will sources his ingredients locally whenever possible
He makes his vegetable stock with spring water His tasty
beans are soaked and simmered in that fl avorful stock not
poured from a can His collards are sublime without a hint
of pork fat With his back-to-basics approach Chef Will is
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Start a New Holiday Tradition at Burritt on the Mountain
ldquoHoliday Magicrdquo A Magical Dining Experience
December 10th 11th amp 12th
Itrsquos a magically fun evening dining in a historic cabin or the mansion with friends while enjoying delectable food and wine It is unlike any other holiday dinner and itrsquos perfect for a festive family occasion yet intimate enough for a romantic dinner for two Itrsquos rustic AND upscale
Holiday Magic reservations are being taken now by calling Butch Damson at 256-534-4361 Hurry Space is limted $90 per dinner seat Visit the website for menus and more
limited seating available make your reservations today
Wersquore decking the walls halls and stalls to get you in the holiday spirit More than 600 candles illuminate the sidewalks and Historic Park and music fills the air adding to the nostalgic feel of the holidays String cranberries make paper punch ornaments roast chesnuts amp taste figgy pudding Fun for the whole family itrsquos Christmas the way itrsquos supposed to be
Kris KringlersquosCandlelight Christmas
December 4th amp 5th
A much anticipated musical favorite will be back at Burritt in the Old Country Church
PerformancesDecember 16th through 20th
Tickets ON SALE NOWPurchase tickets at Josiersquos online
or by calling 256-536-2882or by calling 256-536-2by calling 256-536-2burrittonthemountaincom
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Th
ePE
R
FECT HOLIDAY DIN
NE
R
In our modern world of far-fl ung families Th anksgiving and Christmas are those rare occasions so fi lled with nostalgia
and meaning we press the pause button on our busy lives to prioritize time together Because family time is so rare these days NorsquoAla asked some of Huntsvillersquos fi nest chefs to suggest dishes that will inspire you as you plan your
familyrsquos menu this holiday season
Any time we spend with our loved ones is precious herersquos hoping these meal
ideas help make this yearrsquos holidays perfect
text by roy hall raquo photos by olivia reed
ldquoWith all the fl avors we associate with the holidays the gingerbread man is always near the top of the list So let the kids enjoy the traditional cookies while you sip this sophisticated cocktailrdquo mdashParker
ldquoTh e holidays are so fun-fi lled it seems appropriate that a holiday salad should refl ect that with lots of diff erent things going on fruits nuts cheeses and always a little hint of sweetness in the dressing No matter what main dishes and sides are served this salad will complement them allrdquo mdashAndrew
Grilled Pear Salad with Cambozola and Walnuts
Mezza Luna
(256) 650-2514 Th e GingermanMezza Luna
Butternut Squash Wild Mushroom and Roasted Asparagus Risotto
Th e Eaves
(256) 489-1752
ldquoI love this dish because itrsquos crisp and clean and adds a touch of light color to a typically heavy mealmdashthe bright green asparagus and red pancetta even look Christmassyrdquo mdashOwner LeeLee Wiginton
ldquoTh is isnrsquot super diffi cult to make It echoes the fl avors of the season And itrsquos also something a little unexpected It has a great fl avor profi le and complements other proteins really well Guests will love itrdquo mdashChef Merle Phillip
Snow Pea Salad with Crispy PancettaLynrsquos Gracious Goodness
(256) 533-2607
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Th ePERFECT HOLIDAY DINNER
Fried Brussels Sprouts with Coriander Greek Yogurt Sauce
Mezza Luna
ldquoI chose to do the turkey this way because itrsquos a diff erent approach Th e challenge of roasting a whole turkey is that the white and dark meat cook at diff erent speeds By separating the two you can cook each for its own proper cooking timerdquo mdashChef Steven Bunner
ldquoBrussels sprouts have had a bad rap Th e fi rst time most people encounter them theyrsquore overcooked mushy and served plain Th atrsquos a shame because theyrsquore nutritional powerhouses and because theyrsquore a fall crop at their best during the holiday seasonrdquo mdashJohn
Roast Turkey Breast and Dark Meat Roulade Served with Pecan Pesto
1892 East(256) 489-1242
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Between now and the end of the year take advantage of cost reductions on three popular proceduresmdashand begin 2016 with new confidence
bull SAVE BIG on breast augmentationOur saline price is $700 off and our silicone price is $900 off cash price only Schedule your initial consultation by December 31 2015 to lock in your price and the procedure must take place by March 31 2016
bull FULL-FACIAL LASER is $1500 Cash price only Initial consultation must occur before December 31 2015 and the procedure must be done by March 31 2016
bull WEEKEND Eribium Laser PEEL is Buy ThreeGet One Free Save $400 on our regular $1600 cash price by scheduling your initial consultation by December 31 2015
Look better - feel better - and save money Itrsquos time to get more for less
Dr Russell Jennings203 Avalon Ave Suite 300
Muscle Shoals AL 35661
Phone(256) 386-1450jenningsplasticsurgerycom
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Th ePERFECT HOLIDAY DINNER
Nutella CheesecakeMason Dixon Bakery amp Bistro(256) 213-7545
ldquoTh is is one of our favorite desserts for a holiday and for every day Th e rich and creamy cake melts like ice cream in your mouth the smoothness of the fi lling balances perfectly with the crunchiness of the crust and the delicate hints of the swirled Nutella are divinerdquo mdashCo-owners Chef Ashley and Taylor Ramirez
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Emily Taylor5510 Promenade Point Pkwy Suite 160Madison AL 35757256-430-2781
I can help you
your own wayGROW
1114-519HO
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
produced by aissa castillo and lauren mccaulphotos by lauren tomasella carney
clothing modeled by aaron petersen rachel smith anne harbargerand kait barinaga (for finery)
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Meet the Shop Girls The mission To search Valley shops and boutiques
for the fi nest in Yuletide treasures
Accepting the challenge three of Huntsvillersquos most original and creative taste-makers
Say hello to NorsquoAla Shop Girls Aissa Castillo Lauren McCaul and Lauren Tomasella CarneyDuring the day these mild-mannered professionals tend to demanding careers in design
retail management and photography But evenings and weekends theyrsquore out saving the world from uninspiring fashion and decor as style superheroes
Their picks for the very best gift ideas follow For ideas and inspiration year-round
stay in-the-know by following our Shop Girls on social media
Lauren McCaul deptofagraculturecom Instagram dept_of_agra_cultureAissa Castillo aislerchiccom Instagram aislerchic
Lauren Tomasella Carney laurentomasellacom Instagram laurentomasella
And as you shop for your own Christmas treasures this season please remember to spread your cheermdashand your dollarsmdashat home
(1) Amanda Uprichard Jacket ($248)(2) BCBG Dress ($228)(3) Zoa Dress ($128)Personal Couture Boutique(256) 508-5632
(4) Dress ($168)Anthropologie(256) 327-8470
(5) Olive + Oak Oatmeal Shawl ($72)(10) Simply Noelle Zipper Gusset Bag ($5999)House of Holland(256) 206-8989
(6) One-of-a-kind Eva Ziegler Agate and Pyrite Necklace ($397)(8) Eva Ziegler Freshwater Pearl Strand ($501)Eva Ziegler Jewelryevazieglercom
(9) Gift Set ($5995)Piper amp LeafPiperandleafcom
(7) Long Horn Necklace ($68)Personal Couture Boutique(256) 508-5632
Left to right Lauren Tomasella Carney
Lauren McCaul and Aissa Castillo
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
On himFilson Shirt ($98) Filson Jacket ($320)Yeti Cooler ($34999)Alabama Outdoors(256)-885-3561
On herPPLA Vest ($7999)PPLA Dress ($7499)Bedstu Boots ($295)Indigorsquos Boutique(256) 345-6348
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) Woolly Mammoth Tooth 4rdquo Damascus Linerlock Knife ($150)(2) Cardboard Safari Bucky Cardboard Deer Head ($30)(3) Curt Benzle Porcelain Compass ($15)Little Green Store and Gallery (256) 539-9699
(4) Hunting Journal ($32)Sweet Pineapple(256) 964-7563
(5) Yeti Colster ($2999)Alabama Outdoors(256)-885-3561
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
(1) Yellow House Handcrafted Beard Oils ($18 ea)Yellow House Beard Oilsyellowhousebeards com (2) Mustache amp Beard Comb ($16)Little Green Store and Gallery (256) 539-9699 (3) Latika Body Essentials Charcoal Liquid Soap ($18)(4) Latika Body Essentials Charcoal Bar Soap ($6) (5) Rustico Leather Key Chain ($18) Sweet Pineapple(256) 964-7563
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) Wood Thumb Tie ($44) (2) Slightly Alabama iPad Case ($250) (3) DockSmith Driftwood iPhone Docking Station ($68) Little Green Storeand Gallery (256) 539-9699 (4) Loyal Stricklin Aviator Mug ($35)Domaine South(256) 808-8860 (5) Would You Be a Deer Notepad ($9) Sweet Pineapple(256) 964-7563
(6) Filson Satchel ($265) Alabama Outdoors(256)-885-3561
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
When itrsquos time to move into a bigger house get a home loan from the bank thatrsquos had a home right here for generations You might say we know a thing about location location location synovuscommortgage
Banking products are provided by Synovus Bank Member FDIC Divisions of Synovus Bank operate under multiple trade names across the Southeast Loans products subject to credit approval
When itrsquos time to move into a bigger house get a home
Here is where Henry learned hersquod be getting
SERVING YOU LOCALLY AS
2565513300 | fcb-hsvcom
his own room
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) Spiritual GangsterTank ($36)(2) Luquido Yoga Pants ($90)(3) MZ Wallace Metro Tote ($245)(4) Vimmia V back Sweatshirt ($96)(5) Onzie Sports Bra ($48)(6) Olympia Yoga Pants ($96)(7) bkr Water Bottle ($30)The Fitzgerald Pilates amp Barre(256) 603-1886
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
(1) Gypsy Pant WarmTribal ($72) (2) Berry High Waist Legging ($88) (3) Long Legging Mathematics ($65) (4) Long Legging Peacock ($65) The FitzgeraldPilates amp Barre(256) 603-1886
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) Jane Tran Hair Clips ($15)(2) bkr Water Bottle ($30)(3) well-kept Tech Wipes ($6)(4) Made with Love Bracelets ($25)(5) Pointe Studio Socks ($12)(6) Bando Too Cold to Hold Coozie ($5)The Fitzgerald Pilates amp Barre(256) 603-1886
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
(1) Shop Bando Coff ee Cup ($14)(2) Shop Bando Pens ($14) (3) Shop Bando Pouch ($26) (4) Shop Bando Coin Purse ($20) The FitzgeraldPilates amp Barre(256) 603-1886
(5) Check Things Off Notepad ($16)(6) Hello From Huntsville Stamp ($12)Salt + Paperie(256) 655-5550
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) Muzzle Loaders Chocolate Bourbon Balls ($1999) (2) Vintage Crystal Decanter ($20) (3) Quench Glassware ($1399) Domaine South(256) 808-8860
(4) The Hella Bitters Old Fashioned Kit ($65)(5) American Bar by Charles Schumann ($2495) Little Green Storeand Gallery (256) 539-9699
(6) Julep Cups ($50)Willowbrook Shoppe (256) 270-7181
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom | novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) DECCO Umbrella in a Bottle ($1995)(2) Alexa Pulitzer Stationery Set ($14 ea)(3) Ikat Scarf ($6250)Huntsville Museumof Art(256) 535-4350
(4) Emily Ley Grace Journal ($32) (5) Sugar Boo Designs Clutch ($18) (6) Emily Ley Daily Planner ($58) (7) Latika Milk ampHoney Bar ($6) (8) Farm House Fresh Shea Butter Hand Cream ($14) (9) Christen MaxwellZippy ($42) (10) Green Tea Bubble Bath ($32) Sweet Pineapple(256) 964-7563 (11) Goal Getter Cuff ($32)Indigorsquos Boutique(256) 345-6348
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
(1) Kilim Pillow ($58) (2) Bejeweled Silver Plate Vase ($144) (3) Bone Clad Box ($375)Willowbrook Shoppe (256) 270-7181
(4) Cowhide Rug ($550)(5) Lucyrsquos Locket ($95) (Original piecemdashselection may vary)Sweet Pineapple(256) 964-7563 (6) Clutch ($65)Department of Agra Culturedeptofagraculturecom
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) Above The Bar Antler on Chain 28rdquo ($3999) (2) Above The Bar Deer wAntler Head 18rdquo ($2999) Indigorsquos Boutique(256) 345-6348
(3) Margaret Solow Labradorite18KT Bezel ($290) (4) Margaret Solow Diamond Crest MoonSilver ($460) (5) Margaret Solow Black Spinel + DiamondSilver ($560) (6) Margaret Solow Double Black Spinel18KT ($260)Little Green Store and Gallery (256) 539-9699
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
(1) Margaret Solow Grey Moonstoon18KT Necklace ($240) (2) Margaret Solow OpalDiamond Mosaic Necklace ($610) Little Green Storeand Gallery (256) 539-9699
(3) One-of-a-kind Eva Ziegler Smokey Quartz and Pyrite Necklace ($406)Eva Ziegler Jewelryevazieglercom
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) Jennifer BehrTurban ($625)(2) Cotton Day Dress ($64)(3) Norma Ishak Cardigan ($375)Finery(256) 429-3429
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) The Lion Sleeps Tonight Bath Bomb ($6) Sweet Pineapple(256) 964-7563
(2) Tiger Jelly Cat ($2250)(3) Dog Tag Teether ($1550)(4) Dinosaur Footie ($3595)Honey B Boutique(256) 503-2853
(5) Young Buck ($25)Tiny Vinestinyvinesshopcom
(6) Bib Set ($13)Huntsville Museumof Art(256) 535-4350
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
(1) Tiny Dancer Bath Bomb ($6)Sweet Pineapple(256) 964-7563
(2) Kickee Mammoth Footie ($3595)(3) Noodle amp Boo Essential Care Kit ($18)(4) Elephant Jelly Cat ($2250)Honey B Boutique(256) 503-2853
(5) ArtFolio Pink Elephant Coloring Tote ($17)Huntsville Museumof Art(256) 535-4350
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) Bib Set ($13)Huntsville Museumof Art(256) 535-4350 (2) Little Light ($25)Tiny Vinestinyvinesshopcom (3) Micro Leon Cardboard Lion ($30)Little Green Storeand Gallery (256) 539-9699 (4) I Love You Like Biscuits amp Gravy ($23)Domaine South(256) 808-8860
(5) Kickee Kimono ($4295)Honey B Boutique(256) 503-2853
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
SURPRISEA LOVED ONE
THIS HOLIDAY SEASON
WITH A FOREVER GIFT
HobbsJewelerscom 8772331347Parkway Place Mall
HuntsvilleHwy 72 West
AthensMain Street
Ardmore TN
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Caftan ($75)Sarah Richey Necklace ($350)Finery(256) 429-3429
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
(1) Chewbead Necklace ($3495)(2) Mayoral Baby Bag ($7995)(3) Mayoral Diaper Changing Pad ($2495)(4) Nursing Scarf ($2695) (5) Kickee Swaddling Blanket ($22)Honey B Boutique(256) 503-2853 (6) Lucy Darling Months Sticker ($25) (7) The Story of You Baby Book by Emily Ley ($62) Sweet Pineapple(256) 964-7563
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) Alwand Vahan 14K Gold and Onyx Ring wDiamond Accent ($2595)(2) Alwand Vanan 14K Gold and Onyx Bracelet wDiamond Accent ($2695)Hobbs Jewelers(877) 233-1347
(3) Britt Ryan Dress ($288)Personal Couture Boutique(256) 508-5632
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) Rocket Cosmos Mug ($13)Huntsville Museumof Art(256) 535-4350
(2) Loose Leaf Tea ($399)Piper amp Leaf piperandleafcom (3) Judy Jackson Tea Pot ($56) (4) Gary Watson Cherry Cutting Board ($48-$68) (5) Susan Coe Birthday Cake Plate ($33) Little Green Storeand Gallery (256) 539-9699 (6) Macarons ($116 pcs $221 dozen)Whisk Small Treats Bakery(256) 656-1027
(7) Truffl es ($185 each)Pizellersquos Confections (256) 513-9745 (8) Olive amp Sinclair Chocolate ($799)Domaine South(256) 808-8860
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
(1) Whisk Note Pad ($8) (2) In the Forest Mixing Bowl ($36) (3) Twig Serving Set ($18)(8) Southern Firefl y Candle ($12)Sweet Pineapple(256) 964-7563
(4) Urchin Bowl ($10)(5) Foodie Dice ($38)(6) 1Canoe2 Wood Recipe Box w Recipe Cards ($6999) Domaine South(256) 808-8860 (7) Growlers ($75 small $95 large)Southern Growlersoutherngrowlercom
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) Tacori 18K Barbados Blue Bold Gem Ring ($660)(2) Tacori 18K Barbados Blue Bold Gem Necklace ($630)(3) Tacori 18K Barbados Blue Bold Gem Bracelet ($990)Hobbs Jewelers(877) 233-1347
(4) BCBG Dress ($328)Personal Couture Boutique(256) 508-5632
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Guadalupe Robinson
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
text by jennifer crossley howard raquo photos by patrick hood
Of Deft and Dirty Hands
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Huntsville potter Guadalupe Lanning Robinson has spent more than 36 years mastering the
marriage of clay texture and geometric design into her pottery yet time has done little to temper the
plight of waiting
ldquoIt is hard for me to let a pot just dryrdquo she says motioning toward fi ve small wet pots sitting near her
pottery wheel ldquoIrsquom as excited to do this as I was 30 years agordquo
To observe her studio at Lowe Mill that is easy to believe Located on the corridor outside the textile
mill-turned-art centerrsquos main building the loft-like space with a corrugated tin roof feels like a place a
Gabriel Garcia Marquez character would enjoy daydreaming
Sienna-hued pottery sits in various stages to be fi red layered and etched Argentinian tango music
streams from Robinsonrsquos iPhone and two cockatiels a parrot and a parakeet chirp from their cages All
except the parrot fl y freely when Robinson is working
Robinson who is 61 made her fi rst pot in 1979 in her native Mexico City Almost four decades later her
work is part of permanent museum collections in Auburn Huntsville Tuscumbia and Tupelo Missis-
sippi She regularly enters her work in respected juried shows such as the Monte Sano Arts Festival and
the Kentuck Festival of the Arts in Northport and has received two Alabama State Council on the Arts
individual artist fellowships
Her inspiration draws from the villages around her native Mexico City such as the black pottery of
the northwest as well as her acquired Southern culture White lilies corn grids and round female
fi guresmdashldquoreally strong women who are in chargerdquo Robinson saysmdashreappear on her stoneware She uses
natural dyes indigo for color and mixes sand into clay for texture Nothing is wasted
ldquoI donrsquot waste any clayrdquo Robinson says ldquoEverything is recycledrdquo
Robinson fi nds solace in the 40-50 hours a week she puts in at the studio and the often tedious process
of making pots which can take from three weeks to six weeks for larger pots She usually works on two
or three pots at a time tending to groups at diff erent stages
After a pot is thrown on a wheel a piece can take days to dry before its fi rst bisque fi re in which tem-
peratures rise to 1800 F After baking for nine hours the kiln must cool Th e second fi ring rises to 2150
F and matures the clay and melts the glazes to strengthen the piece
ldquoI am an effi cient person by naturerdquo Robinson says ldquoWaiting for the kiln to cool down enough to open
can be nerve wracking and this is when my patience is usually put to the testrdquo
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
ldquoIt is hard for me to let a pot just dry Irsquom as excited to do this as I was 30 years agordquo
Robinson makes most of her pots on a wheel using oxides to change the color of clay she gets from Nashville and Pittsburgh Her pottery takes several weeks from start to fi nish depending on how large a pot is and how many she makes at a time
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
ldquoAttend to your childrenrsquos needs fi rst keep focus on what you want to douse the happiness joy and little breaks you get to make your artTh ey grow real fast and they will keep inspiring you all your liferdquo
Robinson imagined this bat-like design as she was working She usually begins a piece with a design in mind but that often evolves
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Robinson uses an overlay of liquid clay called engobemdashthat includes three to four layersmdashto create a
base on which to design
Th ere is high risk in making pottery and hours of work can be wasted on a pot that has not dried en-
tirely before it enters the kiln Air pockets or the wrong mixture of chemicals can ruin a piece
ldquoArt is involved but science is toordquo says Laura Smith director of education at the Huntsville Museum
of Art where Robinson has taught pottery classes ldquoItrsquos more labor intensive in terms of working with
the medium whether yoursquore building by hand or with a wheel until you fi re with the fi nal layer of glazerdquo
Th e result is sturdy pottery
ldquoI want my pots to look like something that is lasting a long timerdquo Robinson says
Th ough she works solitarily in her studio she says she does not get lonely Her birds and music keep her
company and each stage of pottery making has a soundtrack She uses needlepoint tools to draw onto
clay to Jose Feliciano and other Latin American musicians
ldquoIf Irsquom at the wheel Bruno Marsrdquo she says ldquoIf Irsquom unloading the kiln and something is really awesome
then I need something moving and I have on Motownrdquo
Robinsonrsquos years of experience minimize the risk of damaged pots but she says her greatest challenge
as a potter was balancing her work while raising her two children Now adults their candid childhood
pictures and those of her grandchildren cover the warm green walls of her studio
She met her husband the poet James Robinson in 1977 on a Greyhound bus when she returned to
Mexico City from visiting a friend at the University of Southern Mississippi He was heading to Mexico
to study at a university Th ey married six months later After giving birth to her daughter Annie Jane in
Mexico City in 1982 the family moved to Huntsville in 1985 Th at is when Robinson got more serious
about her pottery
ldquoFrom the very beginning when I moved to Alabama I knew I was going to have to do thisrdquo she said
ldquoIn some ways it was a way for me to keep connected to my heritagerdquo
She took even 15 minutes of free time to work in the studio behind her home and worked late into the
night while her daughter and son Isidoro born in 1987 slept Having a home studio allowed her to
wash clothes tend to her home and drop off lunches at school while maintaining her art
ldquoTh ere was something for me when I fi rst became a mother that fueled my creativityrdquo Robinson says
ldquoTh ey are such a social inspiration too It fi lls your liferdquo
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Robinson advises fellow artists who are mothers to seize
both roles but to prioritize motherhood
ldquoAttend to your childrenrsquos needs fi rst keep focus on what you
want to do use the happiness joy and little breaks you get
to make your artrdquo she says ldquoTh ey grow real fast and they will
keep inspiring you all your liferdquo
Anna Sue Courtney director of the Flying Monkey Arts
Center at Lowe Mill has known Robinson for more than
10 years She says she admires how mothers and artists like
Robinson seamlessly embrace both roles
ldquoIt seems therersquos not a separation between creating and rais-
ing childrenrdquo Courtney says ldquoTh ey seem to pull from the
same placerdquo
Part of Robinsonrsquos motivation at Lowe Mill comes from
working privately in a studio alongside other artists that fos-
ters a community of feedback and ideas
ldquoItrsquos nice to be here because you can take a break and walk around and get inspirationrdquo Courtney says
ldquoItrsquos refreshingrdquo
When she needs a break from the studio Robinson stays home to sketch designs for a day or two then
she is back in the studio
Trips twice a year to Mexico City keep her plugged in to her native culture which in turn shows up in
her pottery
ldquoI have to recharge myselfrdquo Robinson says ldquoI love Huntsville and loved raising my kids here but I still
have the need of going back to be recharged and smell all the smells and see all the colors and get on
the subway and be pushed aroundrdquo
Details from her trips that infl uence her work include the ever-present red that covers the city during
the celebration of Dia de los Muertos or the Day of the Dead Th e pyramids of Teotihuacan conjure
warm earth tones and fl oating gardens around the city yield sweet pungent calla lilies and carnations
Celebration of food tough women and nature reappear in her pottery qualities that both Southern and
Mexican cultures treasure
Above This daisy design is character-istic of Robinsonrsquos work Nature food and strong females from her native Mexico City and the South are strong creative infl uences
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Clockwise from top left Robinson often glazes only the inside of her pots so they can hold water and food She began quilting in 2002 and her quilts like her pottery contain earth tones and natural infl uences in their design Four birds keep Robinson company in what can be the isolating medium of pottery making Geometry and symmetry are two signature elements in Robinsonrsquos work according to Laura Smith director of education at the Huntsville Museum of Art
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Just as she keeps her home country close to her heart Robinson is loyal to her fi rst
love of pottery though she began making quilts in 2002
ldquoIrsquom a potter who likes to quiltrdquo she says
Like her pottery her quilting follows designs of organic nature such as fl owers and
crops on rich jewel tone cotton
ldquoWhen I fi rst saw one of her quilts I didnrsquot realize it was hers and I thought that
looks like it should be Guadalupersquos quiltrdquo Courtney says
Robinson prefers the immediate gratifi cation of clay
ldquoItrsquos a very responsive mediumrdquo she says ldquoYou can manipulate it Th e fact of mak-
ing something out of dirt out of nothing and making it durable making it perma-
nent that after going through the heat and maturing is something very excitingrdquo
She gently dings a pot covered with white dresses titled ldquoTehuana Dressrdquo to make
her point
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
887 FM Muscle Shoals bull 1007 FM Huntsvillewwwaprorg
News classicalmusic and more
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
copy Patrick Hood
text by sara wright covington raquo photos by jacki gil
patrick hood erin lindsey and michelle odom
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
copy Patrick Hood
ldquoA LOT OF PEOPLE HAD BEEN ASKING ME QUESTIONS ABOUTHOW I GOT MY BUSINESS STARTED I WANTED TO GATHER SOME PEOPLE AROUND ME
WHO WERE GOING THROUGH THOSE STRUGGLES AND TOBUILD ENTREPRENEURIAL COURAGErdquo
JACKI GIL SALT+PAPERIE
copy Patrick Hood
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
untsville-born Jacki Gil began her paper design busi-
ness Salt+Paperie in 2014 with an expansive vision
in mind one that extended beyond creating beautiful
custom designed paper goods ldquoI love my design job
but when Irsquom 50 years old I donrsquot see myself still de-
signing wedding invitationsrdquo the master stationer says
ldquoI really have a passion for teaching and helping people
I want to be a mentorrdquo
In 2015 Gil set out on her mentoring mission sooner than expected with a series
of workshops called Encourage Huntsville ldquoA lot of people had been asking me
questions about how I got my business startedrdquo Gil says about the early days of
Salt+Paperie Even though most of those questions from entrepreneurial-hopefuls
were technicalmdashlike how to apply for a business licensemdashthey served as inspira-
tion for Gil ldquoI wanted to gather some people around me who were going through
those struggles and to build entrepreneurial courage I defi nitely saw that there
was a need for helping people to take that next step toward owning their own
businessesrdquo
Encourage Huntsville was modeled on the image of a growing small business
movement called the Rising Tide Society a national community of creative small
business owners who encourage ldquocommunity over competitionrdquo Th at spirit of
openness is at the heart of Encourage Huntsville ldquoCommunity over competition
is a huge part of what we are doingrdquo says Gil ldquoSmall business owners sharing how
they earn their money is a big dealrdquo
As a fi rst step Gil gathered others around her who were using their skills and abili-
ties to make their own small businesses work With talents ranging from cooking
and cake decorating to hand lettering and artwork these small business owners
all embraced Gilrsquos vision for imparting to others the knowledge of their craft un-
impeded by a fear of losing their competitive edge
Th e fi rst lesson Gil wanted to impart to Encourage Huntsvillersquos students wasnrsquot
necessarily a particular craft or skill but a spirt of creative confi dence ldquoWe want-
ed to bridge the gap between the very artsy community and the ultimate engineer
communityrdquo many of whom Gil observes had been told since childhood they
werenrsquot artistic ldquoWhen you are little and someone tells you that you donrsquot have a
talent it sticks with you I found that a lot of people had that experience so that
was the workshop partmdashto build some creative courage in this communityrdquo
Gil conducted the fi rst workshop herself testing the waters to see how the concept
would be received Th e admission price to that fi rst workshop included supplies a
take-home ldquogoody bagrdquo to help students continue their work extracurricularly and
refreshmentsmdashas well as Gilrsquos tips of her trade
ldquoWe went in blindly not knowing if we had a market or notrdquo says Gil Th e popular-
ity of that fi rst class proved undeniably that a market did in fact exist the work-
shop sold out in one day ldquoSo we did back-to-back workshopsrdquo Gil says ldquoAfter that
novemberdecembeeer eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee | nononoononononononoonoonononooooonoonoonnononnoaaalalalllaallllllalaalaaalal ststustust ddiossscom mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm | | | | | | | | | | |
f
w
y
Previous page Encourage Huntsvillersquos founder and instructor Jacki Gil teaches a class in hand lettering Facing page A participant studies her supply list
we realized people really want to do this stuff So we said lsquoletrsquos jump on the boat
and make this happenrsquordquo
Gilrsquos longtime friend photographer Erin Lindsey of Erin Lindsey Images agreed
to contribute to Encourage Huntsvillersquos curriculum by teaching a photography
class ldquoJacki and I are a good team because our hearts are in the same place when
it comes to encouraging othersrdquo Lindsey says Still she admits saying yes to teach-
ing wasnrsquot without some initial hesitation ldquoWhen Jacki asked if I would teach a
class it was kind of scary I thought I had to be perfect before I could teach oth-
ersrdquo Lindsey says of her initial hesitancy ldquoBut after talking to Jacki I realized none
of us are perfectrdquo But perfection isnrsquot the goal encouragement is the goal ldquoAnd I
thought lsquoI can defi nitely line up with that visionrsquordquo
Michelle Odom another Huntsville native and owner of custom cake bakery Just
Crumbs was also on board with Gilrsquos vision In fact Odom had been contemplat-
ing teaching a class when she was approached by Gil to teach a fondant basics
class ldquoHuntsville is such an engineer town and everyone is so mathematical and
scientifi crdquo Odom says echoing the dichotomy between the arts and sciences ex-
pressed by Gil ldquoTh ese workshops are just a very cool way for structured people to
have a creative outletrdquo
ldquoJACKI AND I ARE A GOOD TEAM BECAUSE OUR HEARTS ARE INTHE SAME PLACE WHEN IT COMES TO ENCOURAGING OTHERSrdquo
ERIN LINDSEY ERIN LINDSEY IMAGES
copy Erin Lindsey
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Above A participant in Erin Lindseyrsquos photo class frames a still life
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
copy Erin Lindsey
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
ldquoHUNTSVILLE IS SUCH AN ENGINEER TOWN AND EVERYONE ISSO MATHEMATICAL AND SCIENTIFIC THESE WORKSHOPS ARE JUST A VERY COOL
WAY FOR STRUCTURED PEOPLE TO HAVE A CREATIVE OUTLETrdquo MICHELLE ODOM JUST CRUMBS
copy Michelle Odom
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
ldquoAnd yesrdquo Odom acknowledges ldquoyou are in theory teaching your competition But
at the same time you are helping the community be more creativerdquo
With its roster of popular creative workshops under its belt Encourage Huntsville
has added business classes to its community-over-competition curriculum with
classes designed to provide specifi c guidance for small business owners ldquoAll of
our events that donrsquot require hands-on work we call seminarsrdquo says Gil ldquoWe had
about 15 people at our fi rst one It was pretty much just an open discussion to ask
us questions and get answers from the perspective of a small business ownerrdquo
Th e seminars enjoyed the same success and enthusiasm as the workshops ldquoWe
had two hours for people to ask questionsrdquo Gil says Topics covered ran the gamut
from scheduling daily tasks self-hosting a website or using an Etsy store man-
aging client expectations and being realistic about how much time you need to
complete jobs
ldquoTh e time went quickly and people wanted morerdquo says Gil who envisions an all-
day seminar in 2016
Margaret Baggett owner and executive chef of the Chef Next Door is another
small business owner who has shared Gilrsquos vision from the very beginning teach-
copy Erin Lindsey
Facing page Michelle Odomrsquos fondant basics class begins with a styrofoam cake form Above Newbie photographers familiarize themselves with their cameras in Erin Lindseyrsquos photography class
ing knife skills workshops and helping host the business seminars ldquoI am so proud
to get to be a part of this project and help nurture other small business owners
who may just be starting out on their journey or are deep in it and looking for
some encouragement from other business ownersrdquo Baggett says of what motivates
her participation in Encourage Huntsville ldquoEven being on the advice-giving side
of things I am still learning and have taken tips and tricks and lessons from each
event we have had so far We never stop learning from each other and never stop
improving upon our craftsrdquo
Th e mutual growth among students and teachers is the source of the encourage-
mentmdashand the joymdashof Encourage Huntsville ldquoItrsquos so much fun to see the light
bulbs go off with people and see them encouraged right before your eyesrdquo Lindsey
says of her experience with the program ldquoPlus itrsquos a pleasure to contribute to a
sense of community over competition Th at whole concept is so rarerdquo
As Encourage Huntsvillersquos following continues to grow the diversity of the work-
shops will expand as well Whether you are looking to spend a fun afternoon
learning a new craft or are a budding small business owner hoping to launch
your brand Encourage Huntsville has something valuable to off er ldquoWe encourage
those left-brain folks to take up a new hobby or skillrdquo Baggett says ldquoor just encour-
age the people of Huntsville to get together and fan their creative fl amesrdquo
If yoursquore looking for
creative or entrepreneurial
encouragement visit
encouragehuntsvillecom
for seminar and workshop
schedules and information
ldquoI AM SO PROUD TO GET TO BE A PART OF THIS PROJECT AND HELP NURTURE OTHER SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS WHO MAY JUST BE STARTING OUT ON THEIR JOURNEY OR ARE DEEP IN IT
AND LOOKING FOR SOME ENCOURAGEMENT FROM OTHER BUSINESS OWNERSrdquoMARGARET BAGGETT CHEF NEXT DOOR
copy Jacki Gil
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
copy Jacki Gil
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Participants in Margaret Baggettrsquos knife skills workshop learn to perfect their ldquomise en placerdquo
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
copy Olivia Reed
text by sara wright covington raquo photos by olivia reed and jeff white
HUNTSVILLErsquoS
HOMEGROWNHOSTESS
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
ttttttononononoooooonononooooo raquo praquo praquo praquo praquo phothothothothotosoososos s s osos bybybbybb
Any host will tell you that delicious food and quality libations while important to
a partyrsquos success are secondary to the most important ingredient of all the guest list Th atrsquos why many
of downtown Huntsvillersquos most popular restaurants breweries and wine shops are turning to event
planner Ashley Ryals and her uncanny knack for attracting loyal patronsmdashand creating unforgettable
events in the process
When Huntsville born-and-bred Ashley Ryals left for college at the University of Alabama in 2001
she thought her exit from the Valley was permanent ldquoI never thought I would end up back hererdquo the
founder of event planning company Homegrown Huntsville says with a knowing laugh But after a few
post-graduate years working for world-renowned public relations powerhouse Weber Shandwick in
New York City Ryals started to second guess her freshman declaration
ldquoI started to get homesickrdquo she admits ldquoAll of my friends were getting married and meeting for football
games and I was missing itrdquo So when a friend from home set up an interview at EarlyWorks for a job
doing event planning Ryals jumped at the chance to come home
Ashley spent the next few years planning EarlyWorks Whistle Stop and Santarsquos Village events A brief
stint in sales followed along with a seat on the board of Huntsville Young Professionals where she had
an idea for a downtown pub crawl
ldquoWe expected 20 or 30 peoplerdquo Ryals says of their modest expectations ldquoBut 200 people showed uprdquo
Th at initial success convinced Ryals to embark on her dream of establishing an
event planning company But it wasnrsquot just any event planning company Ryals
had in mind she envisioned one that would collaborate with local businesses
cultivate signature events for the community to enjoy and support small busi-
nesses in the process
Inspired Ryals left her sales job and for the second time in her life came home
again to event planning and Homegrown Huntsville
To help bring her vision to life Ryals collaborated with designer Adrianne Van
Kirk of Fave Creative ldquoAdrianne has been a part of the visual and branding of
Homegrown from the beginning We come up with the event ideas then I get
the ticketing and sales together and she comes back with a logo and the mar-
keting for the event And thatrsquos how it all comes togetherrdquo Ryals says of their
creative process
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
ASHLEY RYALS
copy Olivia Reed
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
ldquoMOST WINE FESTIVALS ACROSS THE COUNTRY HAVE PROVEN RECORDS OF BEING ABLE TO STAY AROUND 15 OR 20 YEARS OR EVEN LONGER AND THE ECONOMIES OF THOSE
CITIES HAVE REALLY GROWN AS A RESULT I WANT BIG SPRING CRUSH TO EVENTUALLY BE THE BIGGEST AND BEST WINE FESTIVAL IN THE STATE OF ALABAMArdquo ASHLEY RYALS
copy Jeff White
copy Jeff White
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
copy Olivia Reed
Homegrown launched in 2011 with what would become its
signature event Dine amp Dash Every second Wednesday
April through October a trolley shuttles patrons between
downtown establishments where they are served a drink
and appetizer before moving on to the next stop
Owner and executive chef Merle Phillips of Th e Eaves was
one of the fi rst restaurants to sign on for Dine amp Dashrsquos de-
but ldquoAshley came to me and said she was starting a trolley
tasting conceptrdquo says Chef Merle ldquoI didnrsquot really know her so
I was taking a chance on the concept she was sellingrdquo
Merle tried it and has been a loyal participant of Dine amp
Dash ever since
ldquoIt was a risk in the beginning but it defi nitely paid off rdquo Chef
Merle says of the experience Pivotal to that experience ac-
cording to Phillips is Ryalsrsquo demonstration to the commu-
nity just what the term ldquohomegrownrdquo really means ldquoAshley
shines a spotlight on independent businesses in a market-
place that has for so long focused on chainsrdquo Phillips says
ldquoDine amp Dash has really brought into sharp focus the inter-
esting culinary diversity that Huntsville has to off errdquo
For the next two years Homegrown Huntsville focused al-
most exclusively on Dine amp Dash which by the end of its fi rst
year included every single downtown restaurant But when
big changes began to appear on the downtown horizonmdash
new restaurants breweries and residential developmentsmdash
Ryalsrsquo instincts told her
the time had come to
introduce a new event
to the downtown cal-
endar
ldquoBeer Hop follows
the concept of Dine
amp Dashrdquo Ryals says of
Homegrownrsquos second
venture which began
in 2013 Each month a
trolley visits three dif-
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
BILL FOWLEROLD TOWN BEER
EXCHANGE
copy Olivia Reed
copy Olivia Reed
ferent breweries where patrons sample beers and enjoy food
from a variety of food trucks parked at each location
Bill Fowler managing partner of Old Town Beer Exchange
agreed to participate in Beer Hop on his very fi rst day of
business and credits Ryals with an overwhelmingly success-
ful opening night ldquoAshley said lsquoI can guarantee that you are
going to have wave after wave of people coming throughrsquordquo
Fowler says recalling that fi rst jittery occasion Once again
Ryals proved true to her word with 60-plus patrons arriving
in an hour-and-a-half ldquoIt was awesome and such a great ex-
perience for usrdquo Fowler raves ldquoAshley is a hard worker and
you can see that in what she doesrdquo
Fowler believes that in addition to bringing new customers
to OTBX Ryals is also cultivating beer education consis-
tently bringing in people who are new to beer and want to
learn And with Huntsvillersquos recent brewery boom that level
of education and interest is crucial for the brewing commu-
nity to thrive ldquoWe have a very small window of opportunityrdquo
says Fowler ldquoI think Huntsville in particular is becoming a
craft brewing community People are making money at this
and once Tennessee sees that we need to already have had a
pretty huge head startrdquo
By the end of 2013 and with standing events Beer Hop and
Dine amp Dash well established Ryals took time to refl ect on
her original goal for Homegrown Huntsville ldquoIn the back of
my head from day one I knew I wanted to do a wine festival
I just didnrsquot think Huntsville was ready for it in 2011rdquo
Emboldened by the success of Beer Hop Ryals decided to
make the leap with Big Spring Crush wine festival later the
same year Once again Ryals delivered the perfect audience
for the event and in the process discovered a surprising
fact about North Alabamarsquos contribution to the wine-mak-
ing industry
ldquoIn doing the wine festival I learned that we have a huge
wine community in Huntsvillerdquo Ryals says ldquoTh ere are only
about 47 certifi ed wine judges in the entire United States
and we have four of them right here in North Alabama Two
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
copy Jeff White
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
ldquoI STARTED TO GET HOMESICK ALL OF MY FRIENDS WERE GETTING MARRIEDAND MEETING FOR FOOTBALL GAMES AND I WAS MISSING ITrdquo ASHLEY RYALS
copy Jeff White
copy Jeff White
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
ldquoIT WAS AWESOME AND SUCH A GREAT EXPERIENCE FOR USrdquoBILL FOWLER OLD TOWN BEER EXCHANGE
copy Jeff White
copy Olivia Reed
of those four certifi ed wine judges sit on the committee for
Big Spring Crushrdquo
Matthew and Stephanie Mell had just opened Church Street
Wine Shop when they decided to participate in the fi rst Big
Spring Crush Like OTBXrsquos Robert Fowler the Mells credit
Ryals and Homegrown Huntsville for helping to introduce
their new enterprise to the community ldquoAshley has been in-
strumental in helping to bring us people who love and ap-
preciate winerdquo Stephanie Mell says ldquoShe was homegrown
here in Huntsville and she really gets the downtown area
and small businesses and that is so important to usrdquo
Big Spring Crush began with a bang featuring over 150
wines and attracting patrons from across the country
ldquoMost wine festivals across the country have proven records
of being able to stay around 15 or 20 years or even longerrdquo
Ryals says ldquoAnd the economies of those cities have really
grown as a result I want Big Spring Crush to eventually be
the biggest and best wine festival in the state of Alabamardquo
How does Ryals intend to make that dream come true ldquoBy
always keeping it fresh I want to have new marketing and
new things happening each yearrdquo
Ryalsrsquo formula of reinvention and expansion has successfully
led Homegrown Huntsville through fi ve years of success and
helped its events become community staples along the way In
the process Ryals is broadening more than just our image of
downtown Huntsville shersquos joining a class of creative entrepre-
neurs committed to expanding Huntsvillersquos reputation as more
than just a hub for the brightest scientifi c minds in America
ldquoWe have a big city of engineers and lawyers and itrsquos won-
derfulrdquo Ryals say ldquo But there is a whole artist and food cul-
ture here and there is so much growth I want us to have a
vibrant cool downtown area and I want for people to tell
their friends to come and visit and to see Huntsville for what
it is a city I loverdquo
If yoursquod like to participate in Homegrown Huntsville either
as a guest or a participating business visit homegrown-
huntsvillecom
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
copy Jeff White
I was years old and the year was At that time the city of Huntsville was inching toward the mountain to the east California Street was once the continental divide between the small town metropo-lis and the uncharted territories gingerly crossed by the real estate pioneers four score and some odd years prior Th is area became the new suburb as the city kept pushing onward toward Fagan Springs as if the reverberating booms of rocket testings were vibrating Hunstvillians away from its epicenter
From the front yard of our house on Owens Drive I could look to the rightmdashup the hill to the bend be-yond which the big houses stood on their rocky ledge pedestals and to the left where all the other houses that looked just like oursmdashfresh and newmdashrambled for what seemed like miles Th ose clean well-lit abodes all seemed the same and granted at my age I knew more about the pets that lived there than I did about the people who owned those manageable mortgages I came to realize that each was diff erent in a way that was permeated by voices smells and furnishings
It is a clicheacute to say that our lives were simpler then because that is just how the current era will be fondly referred to in the future but to a 5-year-old it is the simplicity that brought the joy Th e sixties will always be to me the beginning of the age of manufactured happiness Cheap clean and simple was what was strived for and what was easily obtained Plastic items were plentiful and pretty things could be bought with SampH Green Stamps A few coins in our pocket would transfer us into the most master of manipula-tors with us giving our all to convince our parents for a jaunt to Murdockrsquos for a holiday of wonderment joy and impatience as we would scour the shelves trying to get the most from our meager budget
Owens Drive was the fairly new thoroughfare from which the avenues of three-bedroom-ranchers fi ngered away at planned intervals Th is was the place where newlyweds started their lives homes and families Where girls with last names that had been in the town for generations would change them to those strange and exotic last names of the clean cut newcomers brought here for military purposes Where the housewives would preheat their pristine electric ovens trying to make cheese straws and biscuits that were just like their motherrsquos only to be frustrated as they were never quite the same and where the husbands would follow in their fatherrsquos footsteps by joining the Acme Club and hunting doves on the weekends
Th ere was a swimming pool Certainly not at our house Th e only private pool I remember as a child was one that my grandmother would take me to nestled between huge trees at someonersquos house on Adams Street I would swim with other children my age while our grandmothers chatted smoking cigarettes in cat-eyed anonymity whispering most of their stories so we wouldnrsquot be able to hear But between their
gasps and laughter we would listen hear and learn
Th e Blossomwood pool was a place of designated rules and the sound of bright whistlesmdashwith straight lines and distinctive colors of blue and green I can still feel the Coppertoned oiliness on the skin of the tanned lifeguard as she carried me from the deep end frightened after my fi rst attempt at solo-swimming She knew my name I had no idea who she was
On the other side of the pool was the school my older sister attended It had a style that mim-icked the poolmdashstraight lines cleanmdasha temple to orderliness and good manners It was with
awe that I once watched the young adults there some as old as eleven wind and dance their way around a sky-high fl agpolemdasheach with a diff erent color ribbon until the fi rst (and only) May Pole
I was privy to was completely dressed in its woven bright colors
90 raquo bless their hearts raquo Guy McClure Jr
Huntsville was a magical place for us tail-end baby boomers to grow upmdashbeyond the miracles of the escalator at Pizitz the smiling little lady on the tall stool at the register at Britlings There was a comfort level there that Irsquom not sure is in the minds of the 5-year-olds of today
cat-eyed agasps
Th s
aI w
THE COMFORTS OF BLOSSOMWOOD
In our world of red-bricked carported castles there was a def-inite division of generations Th e children ate separately from the parents went to school as our dads went to work enter-tained our neighborhood friends as quietly as possible and felt safe between our boundaries of Big Cove Road and Hermitage Street While we dined on our Chef Boy-Ar-Dee boxed pizza our parents busied themselves dressing in their dark colors getting ready for a late dinner at Boots having the scent of perfume and face powder trail my mother as she came into the kitchen looking for something with an intense purpose My father would smell of British Sterling and look just as he did when he went to work only happier Th ese nights meant something fun would happenmdashwe would have a babysitter
Babysitters were my introduction into what was and still seems cool Th ey were usually Huntsville High School teen-agers who would put on a show without even knowing it I would drink in their every move word and essence of style To me they were supermodelsmdashmovie starsmdasheven more fa-mous in my eyes than a television weatherman and almost as glamorous as the waitresses at the Waffl e House
Before they would tire of me and my sister and put us to bed they would include us in their world of music and knowledge which I thought was all-encompassing Suddenly our world of Th e Benny Carl Show and Fantasy Playhouse would seem trite and passeacute and we would catch a fl eeting glimpse into what would be in store for us when we too could stay up past 8 pm
Huntsville was a magical place for us tail-end baby boomers to grow upmdashbeyond the miracles of the escalator at Pizitz the smiling little lady on the tall stool at the register at Britlings and that bright colorful Maypole Th ere was a comfort level there that Irsquom not sure is in the minds of the 5-year-olds of todaymdashthe soothing sheltered lack of knowledge of why we were so lucky yet we didnrsquot even know that we were
In the other areas of our Huntsville there was poverty and ra-cial unrestmdashas there was and is in every city I was unaware People of color were always a part of my worldmdashmostly be-cause they had my attention and respect At our house there was Annie my grandmotherrsquos house was fi lled with the joys of Lula and out on the family farm there was strong and smiling Homer and large and huggable Rosamdashall just as much a part of my life as everyone else My life was good and they were instrumental in making it that way
What will the 5-year-olds of today who are lucky enough to be raised on those well-planned streets remember when they surpass their own 50 year mark It is a much more complex world now and there are diff erent concerns with daily changes of fear Youthful innocence is a prize that is encased without a lock Premature maturity is a viable threat and a constant fear But each night tucked in tight in a simple room sleeps tomor-rowrsquos adults who are having sweet dreamsmdashblanketed by the comforts of Blossomwood
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
92 raquo the vine raquo Amy C Collins
BORDEAUX POWER
Where Burgundyrsquos vineyards were established by Benedictine monks patiently growing wine vines with spiritual hearts Bordeauxrsquos vineyards were raised by entrepreneurial laymen who recognized the massive monetary opportunity when the English began drinking down their peasant wine
The city of Bordeaux is Francersquos primary port town on the Atlantic ocean a harbor that has for centuries served as the countryrsquos most important dock Th e regionrsquos history is long and storied with the fi rst written reference to the area dated 379 AD by the Latin poet Ausonius who was also a wine-grower Jump ahead to the year 1152 when Eleanor of Aquitaine married Englandrsquos soon-to-be king Henry Plantagenet and the port and surrounding vineyard land became the source of wine for the English a connection that remains strong even today
Bordeaux produces the worldrsquos most expensive and sought after collector wines the top tier of which make up less than fi ve percent of the regionrsquos total production Th ese names are quickly learned by neophyte wine drinkers wanting to make an impression Chateau Haut-Brion Lafi te Latour and Margaux for example Grown in gravelly soils only a few meters above sea levelmdashin contrast vineyards elsewhere in Europe typically sit between 300 and 900 metersmdashthese wines are some of the most powerful austere and pawed over When young the tannins in these cabernet sauvignon cabernet franc and merlot blends coat the tongue and mouth with a chalky dry sensation akin to sucking on an Earl Grey tea bag and are perhaps best suited to well-fatted rare steak and cigars Th ese are wines built to live for decades Personally I prefer a Bordeaux at least 20 years aged when the tannins have had ample time to calm down and mellow out and more nuanced fl avors come forward Sounds fancy and it is Only in some very lucky circumstances over the past year have I been guest to a bottle of 1990 Clos de Menuts Saint-Eacutemilion and a 1970 Chateau Haut-Brion About once every 10 years Irsquove had the good
fortune to taste a wine older than myself Nice work if you can get it
Where Burgundyrsquos vineyards (Francersquos other classifi ed sought-after region) were established by Benedictine monks patiently growing wine vines with spiritual hearts
Bordeauxrsquos vineyards were raised by entrepreneurial laymen who recognized the massive monetary opportunity when the English began drinking down their peasant wine Th is underscores the second half of my theory as to why Americans
more often American males are so drawn to the wines of Bordeaux Th erersquos an inherent capitalist connection something in the soil Th at the wines are so
unmistakable so distinctively grand and pronounced elixirs exemplifi es the fi rst half of my theory we Americans are not known for our subtlety (To be fair the Chinese are
signifi cant Bordeaux collectors as well)
Philosophy aside Bordeaux is quite a large region that produces beautiful white and red values as well as the rare fi nds out of the populacersquos price range Herersquos the skinny Blending is the game single varietal wines are rare White Bordeaux is typically made from a blend of sauvignon blanc and seacutemillon and sometimes a drop or two of muscadelle ugni blanc or colombard Reds are made primarily from the two cabernets plus merlot with small quantities of petit verdot malbec and carmenegravere occasionally in the mix Th e region is also home to the golden nectar of late ripened seacutemillon sauvignon blanc and muscadelle grapes that have successfully attracted the noble rot a fungus that covers the fruit and drains moisture from inside leaving behind rich sweet grapes without moldy fl avors Chateau drsquoYquem is the most famous of these unfortifi ed dessert wines though there are better bargains from the region
Bordeaux is split by the Gironde river which divides the region into three general areas Th e left bank also known as the Haut-Meacutedoc is where the classifi ed top growths are situated Th ese prestigious estates were named for their exceptional vineyard sites in 1855 a decision nearly unchanged since Today serious collectors invest in Bordeaux futures theoretically locking down lower prices of top
ample time to calm dit is Only in some vede Menuts Saint-Eacutem
fortune to taste a
Wherees
aun
of msignifi
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Follow Amy at pigandvinecom for morestories and wine suggestions
growth estates while the wine is still aging in the cellar Itrsquos the wine tradersquos equivalent to the NASDAQ On the right bank Saint-Eacutemilion and Pommerol are the prized vineyard areas known for their merlot heavy cuveacutees To the south west we fi nd Graves where there are many great values to be had in both white and red bottlings Entre-Deux-Mers which translates to ldquobetween two seasrdquo sits between the Dordogne and Garonne tributaries off the Gironde and is an excellent source for crisp whites
Get started on your Bordeaux experience with these values
Chateau Graville-Lacoste 2014 Graves 75 seacutemillon 20 sauvignon blanc and 5 muscadelle make up this beauty thatrsquos consistently delicious every vintage Crisp and refreshing great with seafood
Chateau Mirambeau 2014 GravesAnother classic blend of 40 sauvignon blanc 40 seacutemillon and 20 muscadelle this lovely white is a bit more fl oral than the Graville-Lacoste Easy drinking and great value
Chateau de Parenchegravere Bordeaux Rouge 201155 merlot 30 cabernet sauvignon and 15 cabernet franc grown in clay heavy soils similar to the right bank of the region Fleshy with good structure and abundant red fruit
Chateau Arnaud Bordeaux Supeacuterieur 2011Supeacuterieur on a Bordeaux label isnrsquot egotistical marketingmdashby law it indicates a wine with up to one degree more alcohol than its AC Bordeaux brethren What it really means is one more degree of body structure and in this case quality Approachable delicious and easy on the wallet
Chateau de Bernadotte Haut-Meacutedoc 2005Th e 2005 vintage in Bordeaux is in the history books with double asterisks Owned by the eminent Pichon Lalande family and made from vineyards in Paulliac one of the more choice growing areas in the region this is an incredible value a top tier Bordeaux for a fraction of the cost
Chateau de Suduiraut Sauternes 2011Ripe cantaloupe apricot and honey and an interesting smoky note with a solid sweet attack followed by great acidity A dessert wine that wonrsquot overpower the dessert
94 raquo parting shot raquo Patrick Hood
Meet Solvar
Solvar belongs to one of the worldrsquos oldest and purest equine lineages the Nor-
wegian Fjord horse a breed that has remained virtually unchanged for more than
2000 yearsmdashlong before we became acquainted with his animated cousins in
the movie Frozen Th ese national symbols of Norway are characterized by primi-
tive zebra striping on their legs and a dorsal stripe running from forelock to tail
resulting in a striking two-tone mane that sticks up like a Mohawk Th eir athleti-
cism agility and dependability make them valuable both as sport horses as well
as therapy horses for emotionally and physically challenged adults and children
Catie Wells of Huntsville is the proud owner of Solvar who resides at Monte
Sano Stables
For tickets or information 256-539-4818 or hsoorg
Bring In the New Year With Us
presents
WHAT A WONDERFUL
WORLDA tribute to Louis
Armstrong featuring the
Byron Stripling Quartet
Thursday December 31
730 pm bull Pops Series bullMark C Smith
Concert Hall VBC
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
M O R E T H A N 7 0 S H O P S A N D R E S T A U R A N T S I N C L U D I N G B E L K | D S W S H O E S | A P P L E J O S A B A N K | R E E D S J E W E L E R S | PA N D O R A | J C R E W | K AT E S PA D E N E W Y O R KO R V I S | B A N A N A R E P U B L I C | M I C H A E L K O R S | F R A N C E S C Arsquo S | A N T H R O P O L O G I EH amp M | S O M A | M O U N T A I N H I G H O U T F I T T E R S | B A R N E S amp N O B L E | S E P H O R AALTAR rsquoD STATE | CONNORS STEAK amp SEFOOD | THE WEST IN HUNTSV I L L E | MONACO P ICTURES
C O M I N G S O O N V E R S O N A ndash near Belk
B R I D G E S T R E E T H U N T S V I L L E C O M |
BR IDGE STREET TOWN CENTRE I S LOCATED AT EX I T 14 OFF I - 565 AT OLD MAD ISON P IKE
12 raquo cryinrsquo out loud raquo Sara Wright Covington
HOME
So we carry our boxes and baggage from place to place carving out a new niche for them wherever we fi nd ourselves And I fi nd that long after I have left a place that place has not left me
According to a government survey conducted in the average person moves around 11
times in a lifetime My husband never one to conform to the norm had moved nine times by the time
he was 18 He just like his father and his fatherrsquos father is a builder and thatrsquos just what builders do
Th ey build and they move and then they build and they move again I knew when I married him that
he would follow in those family footsteps and that I was signing up for a lifetime of constant moving
Frequent moves do seem to be much more of the norm where we live in Huntsville a super transient
place full of military and government men and women who are accustomed to shifting their families
from spot to spot But having only lived in two houses by the time I was 18 it was still hard for me
to imagine packing my entire life into boxes every couple of
years Now on our third move together Irsquove started taking
inventory of my things each time I prepare to repack them
into boxes and Irsquove defi nitely begun to see a trendmdashmost
everything I own has been in my life for a very long time Irsquove
carried my grandmotherrsquos hat boxes full of fur and feath-
ered millinery from place to place with me since I was 22 I
still have the antique four poster bed I slept in as a
child My many bookshelves are fi lled with every
book I have likely ever ownedmdashfrom the Norton
Anthology of English Literature to Frommerrsquos Las
Vegas guide book Th ere are even a few items of
clothing in my closet that are 20 or more years old
including a rain jacket monogrammed with my high
school letters and a sequined tube top I think I wore
at some point during college although I hope that
Irsquom wrong
It has been scientifi cally proven that most people
fear change as the outcome of that change is of-
ten unknown With each and every move that we
make it has become increasingly evident that I am
no diff erent We fi nd faith in the familiar which for
me seems to include everything from my footwear
to my friends So we carry our boxes and baggage
from place to place carving out a new niche for them
wherever we fi nd ourselves And I fi nd that long after
I have left a place that place has not left me I re-
cently went to visit the house where I grew up which
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
is sadly empty now Th e front door was exactly the same
and the concrete steps where I skinned my knee as a child
are still there as is the scar I still bear from those steps 30
years later I peeked through the glass backdoor to see that
the kitchen cabinets were still exactly the same an unpainted
knotty wood with brass knobs and the pocket door adja-
cent to the stove was still there also half open to the sitting
room I wondered if that door still bore the carved notches
of my height chart an expanse of inches that widened over
the years as I grew each notch labeled in pen with a date I
strained my eyes to look but could not see
Th e seasons are changing now and once again we are mov-
ing Th e boxes are being collected now and Irsquove already be-
gun a mental timeline of how long I can procrastinate until
actually beginning to pack them Th is summer in particular
has been one of many changes for usmdashups and downs joys
and sorrowsmdashand the walls of this house have witnessed
them all And I have to admit that it does seem right that
as the seasons change we too should also move on As
someone recently put it to me when facing the fear of the
unknown we have to learn to just manage and adjustmdashhav-
ing faith at the threshold of change that life will continue to
be full of beauty and fun love and loss We are not forced
to edge any one of these out to make room for the other but
rather we must learn to make room for them all
Th ere is no doubt that this house will stick with me as
all of the memories within it are engraved into my mind
But this time around I know that home will always be
where my family and friends are and the walls around
us are just a shelter through the sun and storms of our
lives I choose to believe that old habits are not necessar-
ily bad habits but traditions we choose to bring with us
into the future as a form of comfort in the midst of the
fear of the future My husband and I have celebrated
one of those old traditions in this house as we
have made our own growth chart for our
children here carving and marking their
tiny heights onto one of our downstairs
doors And although I will likely fret and
shed some tears through this entire mov-
ing process as I attempt to detach myself
from these walls a little compromise can be
comforting and being married to a builder
does have its perksmdashwe are unhinging that
door and taking it with us when we go
for information visit wwwathenseduathenianplayers
Names for photos are provided by the organization or business featured
14 raquo scene
Suzanne OrsquoConnor Karen Kiss and Sallie Ennis
Front Row L-R Patrick Robbins Ed Rush Nancy Colin George Smith and Steve Thornton Back Row L-R John Johnson Richard Van Valkenburgh Ronald Reed and Skipper Colin
Richard and Nancy Van Valkenburgh
Jay and Dana Town
Ernie Rivard Ann Rivard Anne Compton Burke and Kim and John Johnson
George and Lee Anne Smith and Steve and Patti Thornton
Linda Akenhead Donna Rush Ivy Albert and Amelia Summerville
Bobsy and Bill IngramChris Wesley Suzanne OrsquoConnor and Patrick Robbins
Tom and Pennie Keene Sharon and Ed Gartrell and Janet and David Skidmore
Debbie Overcash Brenda Millberger and Theresa Taylor
Ronald and Daphne Reed and Nancy and Skipper Colin
Kendall Black and Lee Anne Bostick
Sharon Gartrell Paige Prozan Amelia Summerville and Susan Todd Matt Taylor Bruce Summerville
Eric Milberger and Tommy Overcash
copy Photos by Mark Jaeger
Joyce Griffi n Betsy Lowe Peter Lowe Debbie Washburn and Ben Washburn
2015 Symphony Ball Advisorsrsquo Cocktail Partyaugust middot home of jay and dana town huntsville
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
text by sarah gaede raquo photos by patrick hood
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Some restaurants have food trucks for off-premise
special events Chef Will proprietor of Th e Palate at Lowe
Mill has a folding table Equipped with coolers kettles a
butane burner and his trusty cast iron skillet he turns out
amazing vegetarian and vegan dishes for his loyal following
every Th ursday at Greene Street Market in Huntsville
Although he grew up in Groton Connecticut helping his
mother in the kitchen and was always interested in food Chef
Will then known as Forest Wilson felt he couldnrsquot compete
with his older brother who was an executive chef So he
received vocational training in welding and visual arts (skills
which he still uses in creating his Afro-centric art) After a
brief stint in California working in the shipbuilding industry
he decided to follow his fi rst love and go to culinary school
When Chef Will visited his mother in Huntsville he realized
how much he missed being close to the land So he moved to
Alabama After he saw what his family was eating and how
many health problems they had he began an intensive study
of nutrition and the healing properties of natural foods
He had already been turned on to the health benefi ts of a
vegetarian diet by the surfers he hung out with in California
With his back-to-basics approach
Chef Will is like a nineteenth century
cook witha twenty-first century vibe
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
like a nineteenth century cook with a twenty-
fi rst century vibe
While most of Chef Willrsquos dishes are vegan he
does use real cheese because it melts better
He also uses free-range eggs Portobello
mushrooms are his go-to meat substitute
Th e day I visited he was serving portobello
pepper ldquosteakrdquo over quinoa and brown rice
with a liberal dash of his secret Bee Sting
sauce which his son Khaliq is working on
marketing to the public It was scrumptious
His food is so densely fl avored you donrsquot miss
the meat He especially loves the spices and
ingredients of Indian Asian and Chinese
cuisines all of which off er a great variety of
tasty vegetarian dishes
Chef Will is a passionate evangelist for the
healing properties of pure natural foods and
he preaches this gospel in a way that is so
inviting those who try his food cannot help
but be much more open-minded about trying
new healthy creative ways of eating
who seemed to have much more energy than he did He
became intentional about every step of the cooking process
from ingredient sourcing to cookwaremdashhence the cast
iron skillet which is naturally non-stick and adds iron to
whatever is cooked in it
Chef Will sources his ingredients locally whenever possible
He makes his vegetable stock with spring water His tasty
beans are soaked and simmered in that fl avorful stock not
poured from a can His collards are sublime without a hint
of pork fat With his back-to-basics approach Chef Will is
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Start a New Holiday Tradition at Burritt on the Mountain
ldquoHoliday Magicrdquo A Magical Dining Experience
December 10th 11th amp 12th
Itrsquos a magically fun evening dining in a historic cabin or the mansion with friends while enjoying delectable food and wine It is unlike any other holiday dinner and itrsquos perfect for a festive family occasion yet intimate enough for a romantic dinner for two Itrsquos rustic AND upscale
Holiday Magic reservations are being taken now by calling Butch Damson at 256-534-4361 Hurry Space is limted $90 per dinner seat Visit the website for menus and more
limited seating available make your reservations today
Wersquore decking the walls halls and stalls to get you in the holiday spirit More than 600 candles illuminate the sidewalks and Historic Park and music fills the air adding to the nostalgic feel of the holidays String cranberries make paper punch ornaments roast chesnuts amp taste figgy pudding Fun for the whole family itrsquos Christmas the way itrsquos supposed to be
Kris KringlersquosCandlelight Christmas
December 4th amp 5th
A much anticipated musical favorite will be back at Burritt in the Old Country Church
PerformancesDecember 16th through 20th
Tickets ON SALE NOWPurchase tickets at Josiersquos online
or by calling 256-536-2882or by calling 256-536-2by calling 256-536-2burrittonthemountaincom
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Th
ePE
R
FECT HOLIDAY DIN
NE
R
In our modern world of far-fl ung families Th anksgiving and Christmas are those rare occasions so fi lled with nostalgia
and meaning we press the pause button on our busy lives to prioritize time together Because family time is so rare these days NorsquoAla asked some of Huntsvillersquos fi nest chefs to suggest dishes that will inspire you as you plan your
familyrsquos menu this holiday season
Any time we spend with our loved ones is precious herersquos hoping these meal
ideas help make this yearrsquos holidays perfect
text by roy hall raquo photos by olivia reed
ldquoWith all the fl avors we associate with the holidays the gingerbread man is always near the top of the list So let the kids enjoy the traditional cookies while you sip this sophisticated cocktailrdquo mdashParker
ldquoTh e holidays are so fun-fi lled it seems appropriate that a holiday salad should refl ect that with lots of diff erent things going on fruits nuts cheeses and always a little hint of sweetness in the dressing No matter what main dishes and sides are served this salad will complement them allrdquo mdashAndrew
Grilled Pear Salad with Cambozola and Walnuts
Mezza Luna
(256) 650-2514 Th e GingermanMezza Luna
Butternut Squash Wild Mushroom and Roasted Asparagus Risotto
Th e Eaves
(256) 489-1752
ldquoI love this dish because itrsquos crisp and clean and adds a touch of light color to a typically heavy mealmdashthe bright green asparagus and red pancetta even look Christmassyrdquo mdashOwner LeeLee Wiginton
ldquoTh is isnrsquot super diffi cult to make It echoes the fl avors of the season And itrsquos also something a little unexpected It has a great fl avor profi le and complements other proteins really well Guests will love itrdquo mdashChef Merle Phillip
Snow Pea Salad with Crispy PancettaLynrsquos Gracious Goodness
(256) 533-2607
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Th ePERFECT HOLIDAY DINNER
Fried Brussels Sprouts with Coriander Greek Yogurt Sauce
Mezza Luna
ldquoI chose to do the turkey this way because itrsquos a diff erent approach Th e challenge of roasting a whole turkey is that the white and dark meat cook at diff erent speeds By separating the two you can cook each for its own proper cooking timerdquo mdashChef Steven Bunner
ldquoBrussels sprouts have had a bad rap Th e fi rst time most people encounter them theyrsquore overcooked mushy and served plain Th atrsquos a shame because theyrsquore nutritional powerhouses and because theyrsquore a fall crop at their best during the holiday seasonrdquo mdashJohn
Roast Turkey Breast and Dark Meat Roulade Served with Pecan Pesto
1892 East(256) 489-1242
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Between now and the end of the year take advantage of cost reductions on three popular proceduresmdashand begin 2016 with new confidence
bull SAVE BIG on breast augmentationOur saline price is $700 off and our silicone price is $900 off cash price only Schedule your initial consultation by December 31 2015 to lock in your price and the procedure must take place by March 31 2016
bull FULL-FACIAL LASER is $1500 Cash price only Initial consultation must occur before December 31 2015 and the procedure must be done by March 31 2016
bull WEEKEND Eribium Laser PEEL is Buy ThreeGet One Free Save $400 on our regular $1600 cash price by scheduling your initial consultation by December 31 2015
Look better - feel better - and save money Itrsquos time to get more for less
Dr Russell Jennings203 Avalon Ave Suite 300
Muscle Shoals AL 35661
Phone(256) 386-1450jenningsplasticsurgerycom
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Th ePERFECT HOLIDAY DINNER
Nutella CheesecakeMason Dixon Bakery amp Bistro(256) 213-7545
ldquoTh is is one of our favorite desserts for a holiday and for every day Th e rich and creamy cake melts like ice cream in your mouth the smoothness of the fi lling balances perfectly with the crunchiness of the crust and the delicate hints of the swirled Nutella are divinerdquo mdashCo-owners Chef Ashley and Taylor Ramirez
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Emily Taylor5510 Promenade Point Pkwy Suite 160Madison AL 35757256-430-2781
I can help you
your own wayGROW
1114-519HO
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
produced by aissa castillo and lauren mccaulphotos by lauren tomasella carney
clothing modeled by aaron petersen rachel smith anne harbargerand kait barinaga (for finery)
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Meet the Shop Girls The mission To search Valley shops and boutiques
for the fi nest in Yuletide treasures
Accepting the challenge three of Huntsvillersquos most original and creative taste-makers
Say hello to NorsquoAla Shop Girls Aissa Castillo Lauren McCaul and Lauren Tomasella CarneyDuring the day these mild-mannered professionals tend to demanding careers in design
retail management and photography But evenings and weekends theyrsquore out saving the world from uninspiring fashion and decor as style superheroes
Their picks for the very best gift ideas follow For ideas and inspiration year-round
stay in-the-know by following our Shop Girls on social media
Lauren McCaul deptofagraculturecom Instagram dept_of_agra_cultureAissa Castillo aislerchiccom Instagram aislerchic
Lauren Tomasella Carney laurentomasellacom Instagram laurentomasella
And as you shop for your own Christmas treasures this season please remember to spread your cheermdashand your dollarsmdashat home
(1) Amanda Uprichard Jacket ($248)(2) BCBG Dress ($228)(3) Zoa Dress ($128)Personal Couture Boutique(256) 508-5632
(4) Dress ($168)Anthropologie(256) 327-8470
(5) Olive + Oak Oatmeal Shawl ($72)(10) Simply Noelle Zipper Gusset Bag ($5999)House of Holland(256) 206-8989
(6) One-of-a-kind Eva Ziegler Agate and Pyrite Necklace ($397)(8) Eva Ziegler Freshwater Pearl Strand ($501)Eva Ziegler Jewelryevazieglercom
(9) Gift Set ($5995)Piper amp LeafPiperandleafcom
(7) Long Horn Necklace ($68)Personal Couture Boutique(256) 508-5632
Left to right Lauren Tomasella Carney
Lauren McCaul and Aissa Castillo
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
On himFilson Shirt ($98) Filson Jacket ($320)Yeti Cooler ($34999)Alabama Outdoors(256)-885-3561
On herPPLA Vest ($7999)PPLA Dress ($7499)Bedstu Boots ($295)Indigorsquos Boutique(256) 345-6348
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) Woolly Mammoth Tooth 4rdquo Damascus Linerlock Knife ($150)(2) Cardboard Safari Bucky Cardboard Deer Head ($30)(3) Curt Benzle Porcelain Compass ($15)Little Green Store and Gallery (256) 539-9699
(4) Hunting Journal ($32)Sweet Pineapple(256) 964-7563
(5) Yeti Colster ($2999)Alabama Outdoors(256)-885-3561
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
(1) Yellow House Handcrafted Beard Oils ($18 ea)Yellow House Beard Oilsyellowhousebeards com (2) Mustache amp Beard Comb ($16)Little Green Store and Gallery (256) 539-9699 (3) Latika Body Essentials Charcoal Liquid Soap ($18)(4) Latika Body Essentials Charcoal Bar Soap ($6) (5) Rustico Leather Key Chain ($18) Sweet Pineapple(256) 964-7563
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) Wood Thumb Tie ($44) (2) Slightly Alabama iPad Case ($250) (3) DockSmith Driftwood iPhone Docking Station ($68) Little Green Storeand Gallery (256) 539-9699 (4) Loyal Stricklin Aviator Mug ($35)Domaine South(256) 808-8860 (5) Would You Be a Deer Notepad ($9) Sweet Pineapple(256) 964-7563
(6) Filson Satchel ($265) Alabama Outdoors(256)-885-3561
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
When itrsquos time to move into a bigger house get a home loan from the bank thatrsquos had a home right here for generations You might say we know a thing about location location location synovuscommortgage
Banking products are provided by Synovus Bank Member FDIC Divisions of Synovus Bank operate under multiple trade names across the Southeast Loans products subject to credit approval
When itrsquos time to move into a bigger house get a home
Here is where Henry learned hersquod be getting
SERVING YOU LOCALLY AS
2565513300 | fcb-hsvcom
his own room
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) Spiritual GangsterTank ($36)(2) Luquido Yoga Pants ($90)(3) MZ Wallace Metro Tote ($245)(4) Vimmia V back Sweatshirt ($96)(5) Onzie Sports Bra ($48)(6) Olympia Yoga Pants ($96)(7) bkr Water Bottle ($30)The Fitzgerald Pilates amp Barre(256) 603-1886
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
(1) Gypsy Pant WarmTribal ($72) (2) Berry High Waist Legging ($88) (3) Long Legging Mathematics ($65) (4) Long Legging Peacock ($65) The FitzgeraldPilates amp Barre(256) 603-1886
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) Jane Tran Hair Clips ($15)(2) bkr Water Bottle ($30)(3) well-kept Tech Wipes ($6)(4) Made with Love Bracelets ($25)(5) Pointe Studio Socks ($12)(6) Bando Too Cold to Hold Coozie ($5)The Fitzgerald Pilates amp Barre(256) 603-1886
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
(1) Shop Bando Coff ee Cup ($14)(2) Shop Bando Pens ($14) (3) Shop Bando Pouch ($26) (4) Shop Bando Coin Purse ($20) The FitzgeraldPilates amp Barre(256) 603-1886
(5) Check Things Off Notepad ($16)(6) Hello From Huntsville Stamp ($12)Salt + Paperie(256) 655-5550
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) Muzzle Loaders Chocolate Bourbon Balls ($1999) (2) Vintage Crystal Decanter ($20) (3) Quench Glassware ($1399) Domaine South(256) 808-8860
(4) The Hella Bitters Old Fashioned Kit ($65)(5) American Bar by Charles Schumann ($2495) Little Green Storeand Gallery (256) 539-9699
(6) Julep Cups ($50)Willowbrook Shoppe (256) 270-7181
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom | novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) DECCO Umbrella in a Bottle ($1995)(2) Alexa Pulitzer Stationery Set ($14 ea)(3) Ikat Scarf ($6250)Huntsville Museumof Art(256) 535-4350
(4) Emily Ley Grace Journal ($32) (5) Sugar Boo Designs Clutch ($18) (6) Emily Ley Daily Planner ($58) (7) Latika Milk ampHoney Bar ($6) (8) Farm House Fresh Shea Butter Hand Cream ($14) (9) Christen MaxwellZippy ($42) (10) Green Tea Bubble Bath ($32) Sweet Pineapple(256) 964-7563 (11) Goal Getter Cuff ($32)Indigorsquos Boutique(256) 345-6348
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
(1) Kilim Pillow ($58) (2) Bejeweled Silver Plate Vase ($144) (3) Bone Clad Box ($375)Willowbrook Shoppe (256) 270-7181
(4) Cowhide Rug ($550)(5) Lucyrsquos Locket ($95) (Original piecemdashselection may vary)Sweet Pineapple(256) 964-7563 (6) Clutch ($65)Department of Agra Culturedeptofagraculturecom
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) Above The Bar Antler on Chain 28rdquo ($3999) (2) Above The Bar Deer wAntler Head 18rdquo ($2999) Indigorsquos Boutique(256) 345-6348
(3) Margaret Solow Labradorite18KT Bezel ($290) (4) Margaret Solow Diamond Crest MoonSilver ($460) (5) Margaret Solow Black Spinel + DiamondSilver ($560) (6) Margaret Solow Double Black Spinel18KT ($260)Little Green Store and Gallery (256) 539-9699
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
(1) Margaret Solow Grey Moonstoon18KT Necklace ($240) (2) Margaret Solow OpalDiamond Mosaic Necklace ($610) Little Green Storeand Gallery (256) 539-9699
(3) One-of-a-kind Eva Ziegler Smokey Quartz and Pyrite Necklace ($406)Eva Ziegler Jewelryevazieglercom
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) Jennifer BehrTurban ($625)(2) Cotton Day Dress ($64)(3) Norma Ishak Cardigan ($375)Finery(256) 429-3429
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) The Lion Sleeps Tonight Bath Bomb ($6) Sweet Pineapple(256) 964-7563
(2) Tiger Jelly Cat ($2250)(3) Dog Tag Teether ($1550)(4) Dinosaur Footie ($3595)Honey B Boutique(256) 503-2853
(5) Young Buck ($25)Tiny Vinestinyvinesshopcom
(6) Bib Set ($13)Huntsville Museumof Art(256) 535-4350
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
(1) Tiny Dancer Bath Bomb ($6)Sweet Pineapple(256) 964-7563
(2) Kickee Mammoth Footie ($3595)(3) Noodle amp Boo Essential Care Kit ($18)(4) Elephant Jelly Cat ($2250)Honey B Boutique(256) 503-2853
(5) ArtFolio Pink Elephant Coloring Tote ($17)Huntsville Museumof Art(256) 535-4350
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) Bib Set ($13)Huntsville Museumof Art(256) 535-4350 (2) Little Light ($25)Tiny Vinestinyvinesshopcom (3) Micro Leon Cardboard Lion ($30)Little Green Storeand Gallery (256) 539-9699 (4) I Love You Like Biscuits amp Gravy ($23)Domaine South(256) 808-8860
(5) Kickee Kimono ($4295)Honey B Boutique(256) 503-2853
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
SURPRISEA LOVED ONE
THIS HOLIDAY SEASON
WITH A FOREVER GIFT
HobbsJewelerscom 8772331347Parkway Place Mall
HuntsvilleHwy 72 West
AthensMain Street
Ardmore TN
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Caftan ($75)Sarah Richey Necklace ($350)Finery(256) 429-3429
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
(1) Chewbead Necklace ($3495)(2) Mayoral Baby Bag ($7995)(3) Mayoral Diaper Changing Pad ($2495)(4) Nursing Scarf ($2695) (5) Kickee Swaddling Blanket ($22)Honey B Boutique(256) 503-2853 (6) Lucy Darling Months Sticker ($25) (7) The Story of You Baby Book by Emily Ley ($62) Sweet Pineapple(256) 964-7563
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) Alwand Vahan 14K Gold and Onyx Ring wDiamond Accent ($2595)(2) Alwand Vanan 14K Gold and Onyx Bracelet wDiamond Accent ($2695)Hobbs Jewelers(877) 233-1347
(3) Britt Ryan Dress ($288)Personal Couture Boutique(256) 508-5632
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) Rocket Cosmos Mug ($13)Huntsville Museumof Art(256) 535-4350
(2) Loose Leaf Tea ($399)Piper amp Leaf piperandleafcom (3) Judy Jackson Tea Pot ($56) (4) Gary Watson Cherry Cutting Board ($48-$68) (5) Susan Coe Birthday Cake Plate ($33) Little Green Storeand Gallery (256) 539-9699 (6) Macarons ($116 pcs $221 dozen)Whisk Small Treats Bakery(256) 656-1027
(7) Truffl es ($185 each)Pizellersquos Confections (256) 513-9745 (8) Olive amp Sinclair Chocolate ($799)Domaine South(256) 808-8860
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
(1) Whisk Note Pad ($8) (2) In the Forest Mixing Bowl ($36) (3) Twig Serving Set ($18)(8) Southern Firefl y Candle ($12)Sweet Pineapple(256) 964-7563
(4) Urchin Bowl ($10)(5) Foodie Dice ($38)(6) 1Canoe2 Wood Recipe Box w Recipe Cards ($6999) Domaine South(256) 808-8860 (7) Growlers ($75 small $95 large)Southern Growlersoutherngrowlercom
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) Tacori 18K Barbados Blue Bold Gem Ring ($660)(2) Tacori 18K Barbados Blue Bold Gem Necklace ($630)(3) Tacori 18K Barbados Blue Bold Gem Bracelet ($990)Hobbs Jewelers(877) 233-1347
(4) BCBG Dress ($328)Personal Couture Boutique(256) 508-5632
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Guadalupe Robinson
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
text by jennifer crossley howard raquo photos by patrick hood
Of Deft and Dirty Hands
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Huntsville potter Guadalupe Lanning Robinson has spent more than 36 years mastering the
marriage of clay texture and geometric design into her pottery yet time has done little to temper the
plight of waiting
ldquoIt is hard for me to let a pot just dryrdquo she says motioning toward fi ve small wet pots sitting near her
pottery wheel ldquoIrsquom as excited to do this as I was 30 years agordquo
To observe her studio at Lowe Mill that is easy to believe Located on the corridor outside the textile
mill-turned-art centerrsquos main building the loft-like space with a corrugated tin roof feels like a place a
Gabriel Garcia Marquez character would enjoy daydreaming
Sienna-hued pottery sits in various stages to be fi red layered and etched Argentinian tango music
streams from Robinsonrsquos iPhone and two cockatiels a parrot and a parakeet chirp from their cages All
except the parrot fl y freely when Robinson is working
Robinson who is 61 made her fi rst pot in 1979 in her native Mexico City Almost four decades later her
work is part of permanent museum collections in Auburn Huntsville Tuscumbia and Tupelo Missis-
sippi She regularly enters her work in respected juried shows such as the Monte Sano Arts Festival and
the Kentuck Festival of the Arts in Northport and has received two Alabama State Council on the Arts
individual artist fellowships
Her inspiration draws from the villages around her native Mexico City such as the black pottery of
the northwest as well as her acquired Southern culture White lilies corn grids and round female
fi guresmdashldquoreally strong women who are in chargerdquo Robinson saysmdashreappear on her stoneware She uses
natural dyes indigo for color and mixes sand into clay for texture Nothing is wasted
ldquoI donrsquot waste any clayrdquo Robinson says ldquoEverything is recycledrdquo
Robinson fi nds solace in the 40-50 hours a week she puts in at the studio and the often tedious process
of making pots which can take from three weeks to six weeks for larger pots She usually works on two
or three pots at a time tending to groups at diff erent stages
After a pot is thrown on a wheel a piece can take days to dry before its fi rst bisque fi re in which tem-
peratures rise to 1800 F After baking for nine hours the kiln must cool Th e second fi ring rises to 2150
F and matures the clay and melts the glazes to strengthen the piece
ldquoI am an effi cient person by naturerdquo Robinson says ldquoWaiting for the kiln to cool down enough to open
can be nerve wracking and this is when my patience is usually put to the testrdquo
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
ldquoIt is hard for me to let a pot just dry Irsquom as excited to do this as I was 30 years agordquo
Robinson makes most of her pots on a wheel using oxides to change the color of clay she gets from Nashville and Pittsburgh Her pottery takes several weeks from start to fi nish depending on how large a pot is and how many she makes at a time
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
ldquoAttend to your childrenrsquos needs fi rst keep focus on what you want to douse the happiness joy and little breaks you get to make your artTh ey grow real fast and they will keep inspiring you all your liferdquo
Robinson imagined this bat-like design as she was working She usually begins a piece with a design in mind but that often evolves
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Robinson uses an overlay of liquid clay called engobemdashthat includes three to four layersmdashto create a
base on which to design
Th ere is high risk in making pottery and hours of work can be wasted on a pot that has not dried en-
tirely before it enters the kiln Air pockets or the wrong mixture of chemicals can ruin a piece
ldquoArt is involved but science is toordquo says Laura Smith director of education at the Huntsville Museum
of Art where Robinson has taught pottery classes ldquoItrsquos more labor intensive in terms of working with
the medium whether yoursquore building by hand or with a wheel until you fi re with the fi nal layer of glazerdquo
Th e result is sturdy pottery
ldquoI want my pots to look like something that is lasting a long timerdquo Robinson says
Th ough she works solitarily in her studio she says she does not get lonely Her birds and music keep her
company and each stage of pottery making has a soundtrack She uses needlepoint tools to draw onto
clay to Jose Feliciano and other Latin American musicians
ldquoIf Irsquom at the wheel Bruno Marsrdquo she says ldquoIf Irsquom unloading the kiln and something is really awesome
then I need something moving and I have on Motownrdquo
Robinsonrsquos years of experience minimize the risk of damaged pots but she says her greatest challenge
as a potter was balancing her work while raising her two children Now adults their candid childhood
pictures and those of her grandchildren cover the warm green walls of her studio
She met her husband the poet James Robinson in 1977 on a Greyhound bus when she returned to
Mexico City from visiting a friend at the University of Southern Mississippi He was heading to Mexico
to study at a university Th ey married six months later After giving birth to her daughter Annie Jane in
Mexico City in 1982 the family moved to Huntsville in 1985 Th at is when Robinson got more serious
about her pottery
ldquoFrom the very beginning when I moved to Alabama I knew I was going to have to do thisrdquo she said
ldquoIn some ways it was a way for me to keep connected to my heritagerdquo
She took even 15 minutes of free time to work in the studio behind her home and worked late into the
night while her daughter and son Isidoro born in 1987 slept Having a home studio allowed her to
wash clothes tend to her home and drop off lunches at school while maintaining her art
ldquoTh ere was something for me when I fi rst became a mother that fueled my creativityrdquo Robinson says
ldquoTh ey are such a social inspiration too It fi lls your liferdquo
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Robinson advises fellow artists who are mothers to seize
both roles but to prioritize motherhood
ldquoAttend to your childrenrsquos needs fi rst keep focus on what you
want to do use the happiness joy and little breaks you get
to make your artrdquo she says ldquoTh ey grow real fast and they will
keep inspiring you all your liferdquo
Anna Sue Courtney director of the Flying Monkey Arts
Center at Lowe Mill has known Robinson for more than
10 years She says she admires how mothers and artists like
Robinson seamlessly embrace both roles
ldquoIt seems therersquos not a separation between creating and rais-
ing childrenrdquo Courtney says ldquoTh ey seem to pull from the
same placerdquo
Part of Robinsonrsquos motivation at Lowe Mill comes from
working privately in a studio alongside other artists that fos-
ters a community of feedback and ideas
ldquoItrsquos nice to be here because you can take a break and walk around and get inspirationrdquo Courtney says
ldquoItrsquos refreshingrdquo
When she needs a break from the studio Robinson stays home to sketch designs for a day or two then
she is back in the studio
Trips twice a year to Mexico City keep her plugged in to her native culture which in turn shows up in
her pottery
ldquoI have to recharge myselfrdquo Robinson says ldquoI love Huntsville and loved raising my kids here but I still
have the need of going back to be recharged and smell all the smells and see all the colors and get on
the subway and be pushed aroundrdquo
Details from her trips that infl uence her work include the ever-present red that covers the city during
the celebration of Dia de los Muertos or the Day of the Dead Th e pyramids of Teotihuacan conjure
warm earth tones and fl oating gardens around the city yield sweet pungent calla lilies and carnations
Celebration of food tough women and nature reappear in her pottery qualities that both Southern and
Mexican cultures treasure
Above This daisy design is character-istic of Robinsonrsquos work Nature food and strong females from her native Mexico City and the South are strong creative infl uences
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Clockwise from top left Robinson often glazes only the inside of her pots so they can hold water and food She began quilting in 2002 and her quilts like her pottery contain earth tones and natural infl uences in their design Four birds keep Robinson company in what can be the isolating medium of pottery making Geometry and symmetry are two signature elements in Robinsonrsquos work according to Laura Smith director of education at the Huntsville Museum of Art
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Just as she keeps her home country close to her heart Robinson is loyal to her fi rst
love of pottery though she began making quilts in 2002
ldquoIrsquom a potter who likes to quiltrdquo she says
Like her pottery her quilting follows designs of organic nature such as fl owers and
crops on rich jewel tone cotton
ldquoWhen I fi rst saw one of her quilts I didnrsquot realize it was hers and I thought that
looks like it should be Guadalupersquos quiltrdquo Courtney says
Robinson prefers the immediate gratifi cation of clay
ldquoItrsquos a very responsive mediumrdquo she says ldquoYou can manipulate it Th e fact of mak-
ing something out of dirt out of nothing and making it durable making it perma-
nent that after going through the heat and maturing is something very excitingrdquo
She gently dings a pot covered with white dresses titled ldquoTehuana Dressrdquo to make
her point
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
887 FM Muscle Shoals bull 1007 FM Huntsvillewwwaprorg
News classicalmusic and more
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
copy Patrick Hood
text by sara wright covington raquo photos by jacki gil
patrick hood erin lindsey and michelle odom
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
copy Patrick Hood
ldquoA LOT OF PEOPLE HAD BEEN ASKING ME QUESTIONS ABOUTHOW I GOT MY BUSINESS STARTED I WANTED TO GATHER SOME PEOPLE AROUND ME
WHO WERE GOING THROUGH THOSE STRUGGLES AND TOBUILD ENTREPRENEURIAL COURAGErdquo
JACKI GIL SALT+PAPERIE
copy Patrick Hood
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
untsville-born Jacki Gil began her paper design busi-
ness Salt+Paperie in 2014 with an expansive vision
in mind one that extended beyond creating beautiful
custom designed paper goods ldquoI love my design job
but when Irsquom 50 years old I donrsquot see myself still de-
signing wedding invitationsrdquo the master stationer says
ldquoI really have a passion for teaching and helping people
I want to be a mentorrdquo
In 2015 Gil set out on her mentoring mission sooner than expected with a series
of workshops called Encourage Huntsville ldquoA lot of people had been asking me
questions about how I got my business startedrdquo Gil says about the early days of
Salt+Paperie Even though most of those questions from entrepreneurial-hopefuls
were technicalmdashlike how to apply for a business licensemdashthey served as inspira-
tion for Gil ldquoI wanted to gather some people around me who were going through
those struggles and to build entrepreneurial courage I defi nitely saw that there
was a need for helping people to take that next step toward owning their own
businessesrdquo
Encourage Huntsville was modeled on the image of a growing small business
movement called the Rising Tide Society a national community of creative small
business owners who encourage ldquocommunity over competitionrdquo Th at spirit of
openness is at the heart of Encourage Huntsville ldquoCommunity over competition
is a huge part of what we are doingrdquo says Gil ldquoSmall business owners sharing how
they earn their money is a big dealrdquo
As a fi rst step Gil gathered others around her who were using their skills and abili-
ties to make their own small businesses work With talents ranging from cooking
and cake decorating to hand lettering and artwork these small business owners
all embraced Gilrsquos vision for imparting to others the knowledge of their craft un-
impeded by a fear of losing their competitive edge
Th e fi rst lesson Gil wanted to impart to Encourage Huntsvillersquos students wasnrsquot
necessarily a particular craft or skill but a spirt of creative confi dence ldquoWe want-
ed to bridge the gap between the very artsy community and the ultimate engineer
communityrdquo many of whom Gil observes had been told since childhood they
werenrsquot artistic ldquoWhen you are little and someone tells you that you donrsquot have a
talent it sticks with you I found that a lot of people had that experience so that
was the workshop partmdashto build some creative courage in this communityrdquo
Gil conducted the fi rst workshop herself testing the waters to see how the concept
would be received Th e admission price to that fi rst workshop included supplies a
take-home ldquogoody bagrdquo to help students continue their work extracurricularly and
refreshmentsmdashas well as Gilrsquos tips of her trade
ldquoWe went in blindly not knowing if we had a market or notrdquo says Gil Th e popular-
ity of that fi rst class proved undeniably that a market did in fact exist the work-
shop sold out in one day ldquoSo we did back-to-back workshopsrdquo Gil says ldquoAfter that
novemberdecembeeer eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee | nononoononononononoonoonononooooonoonoonnononnoaaalalalllaallllllalaalaaalal ststustust ddiossscom mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm | | | | | | | | | | |
f
w
y
Previous page Encourage Huntsvillersquos founder and instructor Jacki Gil teaches a class in hand lettering Facing page A participant studies her supply list
we realized people really want to do this stuff So we said lsquoletrsquos jump on the boat
and make this happenrsquordquo
Gilrsquos longtime friend photographer Erin Lindsey of Erin Lindsey Images agreed
to contribute to Encourage Huntsvillersquos curriculum by teaching a photography
class ldquoJacki and I are a good team because our hearts are in the same place when
it comes to encouraging othersrdquo Lindsey says Still she admits saying yes to teach-
ing wasnrsquot without some initial hesitation ldquoWhen Jacki asked if I would teach a
class it was kind of scary I thought I had to be perfect before I could teach oth-
ersrdquo Lindsey says of her initial hesitancy ldquoBut after talking to Jacki I realized none
of us are perfectrdquo But perfection isnrsquot the goal encouragement is the goal ldquoAnd I
thought lsquoI can defi nitely line up with that visionrsquordquo
Michelle Odom another Huntsville native and owner of custom cake bakery Just
Crumbs was also on board with Gilrsquos vision In fact Odom had been contemplat-
ing teaching a class when she was approached by Gil to teach a fondant basics
class ldquoHuntsville is such an engineer town and everyone is so mathematical and
scientifi crdquo Odom says echoing the dichotomy between the arts and sciences ex-
pressed by Gil ldquoTh ese workshops are just a very cool way for structured people to
have a creative outletrdquo
ldquoJACKI AND I ARE A GOOD TEAM BECAUSE OUR HEARTS ARE INTHE SAME PLACE WHEN IT COMES TO ENCOURAGING OTHERSrdquo
ERIN LINDSEY ERIN LINDSEY IMAGES
copy Erin Lindsey
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Above A participant in Erin Lindseyrsquos photo class frames a still life
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
copy Erin Lindsey
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
ldquoHUNTSVILLE IS SUCH AN ENGINEER TOWN AND EVERYONE ISSO MATHEMATICAL AND SCIENTIFIC THESE WORKSHOPS ARE JUST A VERY COOL
WAY FOR STRUCTURED PEOPLE TO HAVE A CREATIVE OUTLETrdquo MICHELLE ODOM JUST CRUMBS
copy Michelle Odom
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
ldquoAnd yesrdquo Odom acknowledges ldquoyou are in theory teaching your competition But
at the same time you are helping the community be more creativerdquo
With its roster of popular creative workshops under its belt Encourage Huntsville
has added business classes to its community-over-competition curriculum with
classes designed to provide specifi c guidance for small business owners ldquoAll of
our events that donrsquot require hands-on work we call seminarsrdquo says Gil ldquoWe had
about 15 people at our fi rst one It was pretty much just an open discussion to ask
us questions and get answers from the perspective of a small business ownerrdquo
Th e seminars enjoyed the same success and enthusiasm as the workshops ldquoWe
had two hours for people to ask questionsrdquo Gil says Topics covered ran the gamut
from scheduling daily tasks self-hosting a website or using an Etsy store man-
aging client expectations and being realistic about how much time you need to
complete jobs
ldquoTh e time went quickly and people wanted morerdquo says Gil who envisions an all-
day seminar in 2016
Margaret Baggett owner and executive chef of the Chef Next Door is another
small business owner who has shared Gilrsquos vision from the very beginning teach-
copy Erin Lindsey
Facing page Michelle Odomrsquos fondant basics class begins with a styrofoam cake form Above Newbie photographers familiarize themselves with their cameras in Erin Lindseyrsquos photography class
ing knife skills workshops and helping host the business seminars ldquoI am so proud
to get to be a part of this project and help nurture other small business owners
who may just be starting out on their journey or are deep in it and looking for
some encouragement from other business ownersrdquo Baggett says of what motivates
her participation in Encourage Huntsville ldquoEven being on the advice-giving side
of things I am still learning and have taken tips and tricks and lessons from each
event we have had so far We never stop learning from each other and never stop
improving upon our craftsrdquo
Th e mutual growth among students and teachers is the source of the encourage-
mentmdashand the joymdashof Encourage Huntsville ldquoItrsquos so much fun to see the light
bulbs go off with people and see them encouraged right before your eyesrdquo Lindsey
says of her experience with the program ldquoPlus itrsquos a pleasure to contribute to a
sense of community over competition Th at whole concept is so rarerdquo
As Encourage Huntsvillersquos following continues to grow the diversity of the work-
shops will expand as well Whether you are looking to spend a fun afternoon
learning a new craft or are a budding small business owner hoping to launch
your brand Encourage Huntsville has something valuable to off er ldquoWe encourage
those left-brain folks to take up a new hobby or skillrdquo Baggett says ldquoor just encour-
age the people of Huntsville to get together and fan their creative fl amesrdquo
If yoursquore looking for
creative or entrepreneurial
encouragement visit
encouragehuntsvillecom
for seminar and workshop
schedules and information
ldquoI AM SO PROUD TO GET TO BE A PART OF THIS PROJECT AND HELP NURTURE OTHER SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS WHO MAY JUST BE STARTING OUT ON THEIR JOURNEY OR ARE DEEP IN IT
AND LOOKING FOR SOME ENCOURAGEMENT FROM OTHER BUSINESS OWNERSrdquoMARGARET BAGGETT CHEF NEXT DOOR
copy Jacki Gil
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
copy Jacki Gil
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Participants in Margaret Baggettrsquos knife skills workshop learn to perfect their ldquomise en placerdquo
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
copy Olivia Reed
text by sara wright covington raquo photos by olivia reed and jeff white
HUNTSVILLErsquoS
HOMEGROWNHOSTESS
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
ttttttononononoooooonononooooo raquo praquo praquo praquo praquo phothothothothotosoososos s s osos bybybbybb
Any host will tell you that delicious food and quality libations while important to
a partyrsquos success are secondary to the most important ingredient of all the guest list Th atrsquos why many
of downtown Huntsvillersquos most popular restaurants breweries and wine shops are turning to event
planner Ashley Ryals and her uncanny knack for attracting loyal patronsmdashand creating unforgettable
events in the process
When Huntsville born-and-bred Ashley Ryals left for college at the University of Alabama in 2001
she thought her exit from the Valley was permanent ldquoI never thought I would end up back hererdquo the
founder of event planning company Homegrown Huntsville says with a knowing laugh But after a few
post-graduate years working for world-renowned public relations powerhouse Weber Shandwick in
New York City Ryals started to second guess her freshman declaration
ldquoI started to get homesickrdquo she admits ldquoAll of my friends were getting married and meeting for football
games and I was missing itrdquo So when a friend from home set up an interview at EarlyWorks for a job
doing event planning Ryals jumped at the chance to come home
Ashley spent the next few years planning EarlyWorks Whistle Stop and Santarsquos Village events A brief
stint in sales followed along with a seat on the board of Huntsville Young Professionals where she had
an idea for a downtown pub crawl
ldquoWe expected 20 or 30 peoplerdquo Ryals says of their modest expectations ldquoBut 200 people showed uprdquo
Th at initial success convinced Ryals to embark on her dream of establishing an
event planning company But it wasnrsquot just any event planning company Ryals
had in mind she envisioned one that would collaborate with local businesses
cultivate signature events for the community to enjoy and support small busi-
nesses in the process
Inspired Ryals left her sales job and for the second time in her life came home
again to event planning and Homegrown Huntsville
To help bring her vision to life Ryals collaborated with designer Adrianne Van
Kirk of Fave Creative ldquoAdrianne has been a part of the visual and branding of
Homegrown from the beginning We come up with the event ideas then I get
the ticketing and sales together and she comes back with a logo and the mar-
keting for the event And thatrsquos how it all comes togetherrdquo Ryals says of their
creative process
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
ASHLEY RYALS
copy Olivia Reed
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
ldquoMOST WINE FESTIVALS ACROSS THE COUNTRY HAVE PROVEN RECORDS OF BEING ABLE TO STAY AROUND 15 OR 20 YEARS OR EVEN LONGER AND THE ECONOMIES OF THOSE
CITIES HAVE REALLY GROWN AS A RESULT I WANT BIG SPRING CRUSH TO EVENTUALLY BE THE BIGGEST AND BEST WINE FESTIVAL IN THE STATE OF ALABAMArdquo ASHLEY RYALS
copy Jeff White
copy Jeff White
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
copy Olivia Reed
Homegrown launched in 2011 with what would become its
signature event Dine amp Dash Every second Wednesday
April through October a trolley shuttles patrons between
downtown establishments where they are served a drink
and appetizer before moving on to the next stop
Owner and executive chef Merle Phillips of Th e Eaves was
one of the fi rst restaurants to sign on for Dine amp Dashrsquos de-
but ldquoAshley came to me and said she was starting a trolley
tasting conceptrdquo says Chef Merle ldquoI didnrsquot really know her so
I was taking a chance on the concept she was sellingrdquo
Merle tried it and has been a loyal participant of Dine amp
Dash ever since
ldquoIt was a risk in the beginning but it defi nitely paid off rdquo Chef
Merle says of the experience Pivotal to that experience ac-
cording to Phillips is Ryalsrsquo demonstration to the commu-
nity just what the term ldquohomegrownrdquo really means ldquoAshley
shines a spotlight on independent businesses in a market-
place that has for so long focused on chainsrdquo Phillips says
ldquoDine amp Dash has really brought into sharp focus the inter-
esting culinary diversity that Huntsville has to off errdquo
For the next two years Homegrown Huntsville focused al-
most exclusively on Dine amp Dash which by the end of its fi rst
year included every single downtown restaurant But when
big changes began to appear on the downtown horizonmdash
new restaurants breweries and residential developmentsmdash
Ryalsrsquo instincts told her
the time had come to
introduce a new event
to the downtown cal-
endar
ldquoBeer Hop follows
the concept of Dine
amp Dashrdquo Ryals says of
Homegrownrsquos second
venture which began
in 2013 Each month a
trolley visits three dif-
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
BILL FOWLEROLD TOWN BEER
EXCHANGE
copy Olivia Reed
copy Olivia Reed
ferent breweries where patrons sample beers and enjoy food
from a variety of food trucks parked at each location
Bill Fowler managing partner of Old Town Beer Exchange
agreed to participate in Beer Hop on his very fi rst day of
business and credits Ryals with an overwhelmingly success-
ful opening night ldquoAshley said lsquoI can guarantee that you are
going to have wave after wave of people coming throughrsquordquo
Fowler says recalling that fi rst jittery occasion Once again
Ryals proved true to her word with 60-plus patrons arriving
in an hour-and-a-half ldquoIt was awesome and such a great ex-
perience for usrdquo Fowler raves ldquoAshley is a hard worker and
you can see that in what she doesrdquo
Fowler believes that in addition to bringing new customers
to OTBX Ryals is also cultivating beer education consis-
tently bringing in people who are new to beer and want to
learn And with Huntsvillersquos recent brewery boom that level
of education and interest is crucial for the brewing commu-
nity to thrive ldquoWe have a very small window of opportunityrdquo
says Fowler ldquoI think Huntsville in particular is becoming a
craft brewing community People are making money at this
and once Tennessee sees that we need to already have had a
pretty huge head startrdquo
By the end of 2013 and with standing events Beer Hop and
Dine amp Dash well established Ryals took time to refl ect on
her original goal for Homegrown Huntsville ldquoIn the back of
my head from day one I knew I wanted to do a wine festival
I just didnrsquot think Huntsville was ready for it in 2011rdquo
Emboldened by the success of Beer Hop Ryals decided to
make the leap with Big Spring Crush wine festival later the
same year Once again Ryals delivered the perfect audience
for the event and in the process discovered a surprising
fact about North Alabamarsquos contribution to the wine-mak-
ing industry
ldquoIn doing the wine festival I learned that we have a huge
wine community in Huntsvillerdquo Ryals says ldquoTh ere are only
about 47 certifi ed wine judges in the entire United States
and we have four of them right here in North Alabama Two
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
copy Jeff White
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
ldquoI STARTED TO GET HOMESICK ALL OF MY FRIENDS WERE GETTING MARRIEDAND MEETING FOR FOOTBALL GAMES AND I WAS MISSING ITrdquo ASHLEY RYALS
copy Jeff White
copy Jeff White
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
ldquoIT WAS AWESOME AND SUCH A GREAT EXPERIENCE FOR USrdquoBILL FOWLER OLD TOWN BEER EXCHANGE
copy Jeff White
copy Olivia Reed
of those four certifi ed wine judges sit on the committee for
Big Spring Crushrdquo
Matthew and Stephanie Mell had just opened Church Street
Wine Shop when they decided to participate in the fi rst Big
Spring Crush Like OTBXrsquos Robert Fowler the Mells credit
Ryals and Homegrown Huntsville for helping to introduce
their new enterprise to the community ldquoAshley has been in-
strumental in helping to bring us people who love and ap-
preciate winerdquo Stephanie Mell says ldquoShe was homegrown
here in Huntsville and she really gets the downtown area
and small businesses and that is so important to usrdquo
Big Spring Crush began with a bang featuring over 150
wines and attracting patrons from across the country
ldquoMost wine festivals across the country have proven records
of being able to stay around 15 or 20 years or even longerrdquo
Ryals says ldquoAnd the economies of those cities have really
grown as a result I want Big Spring Crush to eventually be
the biggest and best wine festival in the state of Alabamardquo
How does Ryals intend to make that dream come true ldquoBy
always keeping it fresh I want to have new marketing and
new things happening each yearrdquo
Ryalsrsquo formula of reinvention and expansion has successfully
led Homegrown Huntsville through fi ve years of success and
helped its events become community staples along the way In
the process Ryals is broadening more than just our image of
downtown Huntsville shersquos joining a class of creative entrepre-
neurs committed to expanding Huntsvillersquos reputation as more
than just a hub for the brightest scientifi c minds in America
ldquoWe have a big city of engineers and lawyers and itrsquos won-
derfulrdquo Ryals say ldquo But there is a whole artist and food cul-
ture here and there is so much growth I want us to have a
vibrant cool downtown area and I want for people to tell
their friends to come and visit and to see Huntsville for what
it is a city I loverdquo
If yoursquod like to participate in Homegrown Huntsville either
as a guest or a participating business visit homegrown-
huntsvillecom
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
copy Jeff White
I was years old and the year was At that time the city of Huntsville was inching toward the mountain to the east California Street was once the continental divide between the small town metropo-lis and the uncharted territories gingerly crossed by the real estate pioneers four score and some odd years prior Th is area became the new suburb as the city kept pushing onward toward Fagan Springs as if the reverberating booms of rocket testings were vibrating Hunstvillians away from its epicenter
From the front yard of our house on Owens Drive I could look to the rightmdashup the hill to the bend be-yond which the big houses stood on their rocky ledge pedestals and to the left where all the other houses that looked just like oursmdashfresh and newmdashrambled for what seemed like miles Th ose clean well-lit abodes all seemed the same and granted at my age I knew more about the pets that lived there than I did about the people who owned those manageable mortgages I came to realize that each was diff erent in a way that was permeated by voices smells and furnishings
It is a clicheacute to say that our lives were simpler then because that is just how the current era will be fondly referred to in the future but to a 5-year-old it is the simplicity that brought the joy Th e sixties will always be to me the beginning of the age of manufactured happiness Cheap clean and simple was what was strived for and what was easily obtained Plastic items were plentiful and pretty things could be bought with SampH Green Stamps A few coins in our pocket would transfer us into the most master of manipula-tors with us giving our all to convince our parents for a jaunt to Murdockrsquos for a holiday of wonderment joy and impatience as we would scour the shelves trying to get the most from our meager budget
Owens Drive was the fairly new thoroughfare from which the avenues of three-bedroom-ranchers fi ngered away at planned intervals Th is was the place where newlyweds started their lives homes and families Where girls with last names that had been in the town for generations would change them to those strange and exotic last names of the clean cut newcomers brought here for military purposes Where the housewives would preheat their pristine electric ovens trying to make cheese straws and biscuits that were just like their motherrsquos only to be frustrated as they were never quite the same and where the husbands would follow in their fatherrsquos footsteps by joining the Acme Club and hunting doves on the weekends
Th ere was a swimming pool Certainly not at our house Th e only private pool I remember as a child was one that my grandmother would take me to nestled between huge trees at someonersquos house on Adams Street I would swim with other children my age while our grandmothers chatted smoking cigarettes in cat-eyed anonymity whispering most of their stories so we wouldnrsquot be able to hear But between their
gasps and laughter we would listen hear and learn
Th e Blossomwood pool was a place of designated rules and the sound of bright whistlesmdashwith straight lines and distinctive colors of blue and green I can still feel the Coppertoned oiliness on the skin of the tanned lifeguard as she carried me from the deep end frightened after my fi rst attempt at solo-swimming She knew my name I had no idea who she was
On the other side of the pool was the school my older sister attended It had a style that mim-icked the poolmdashstraight lines cleanmdasha temple to orderliness and good manners It was with
awe that I once watched the young adults there some as old as eleven wind and dance their way around a sky-high fl agpolemdasheach with a diff erent color ribbon until the fi rst (and only) May Pole
I was privy to was completely dressed in its woven bright colors
90 raquo bless their hearts raquo Guy McClure Jr
Huntsville was a magical place for us tail-end baby boomers to grow upmdashbeyond the miracles of the escalator at Pizitz the smiling little lady on the tall stool at the register at Britlings There was a comfort level there that Irsquom not sure is in the minds of the 5-year-olds of today
cat-eyed agasps
Th s
aI w
THE COMFORTS OF BLOSSOMWOOD
In our world of red-bricked carported castles there was a def-inite division of generations Th e children ate separately from the parents went to school as our dads went to work enter-tained our neighborhood friends as quietly as possible and felt safe between our boundaries of Big Cove Road and Hermitage Street While we dined on our Chef Boy-Ar-Dee boxed pizza our parents busied themselves dressing in their dark colors getting ready for a late dinner at Boots having the scent of perfume and face powder trail my mother as she came into the kitchen looking for something with an intense purpose My father would smell of British Sterling and look just as he did when he went to work only happier Th ese nights meant something fun would happenmdashwe would have a babysitter
Babysitters were my introduction into what was and still seems cool Th ey were usually Huntsville High School teen-agers who would put on a show without even knowing it I would drink in their every move word and essence of style To me they were supermodelsmdashmovie starsmdasheven more fa-mous in my eyes than a television weatherman and almost as glamorous as the waitresses at the Waffl e House
Before they would tire of me and my sister and put us to bed they would include us in their world of music and knowledge which I thought was all-encompassing Suddenly our world of Th e Benny Carl Show and Fantasy Playhouse would seem trite and passeacute and we would catch a fl eeting glimpse into what would be in store for us when we too could stay up past 8 pm
Huntsville was a magical place for us tail-end baby boomers to grow upmdashbeyond the miracles of the escalator at Pizitz the smiling little lady on the tall stool at the register at Britlings and that bright colorful Maypole Th ere was a comfort level there that Irsquom not sure is in the minds of the 5-year-olds of todaymdashthe soothing sheltered lack of knowledge of why we were so lucky yet we didnrsquot even know that we were
In the other areas of our Huntsville there was poverty and ra-cial unrestmdashas there was and is in every city I was unaware People of color were always a part of my worldmdashmostly be-cause they had my attention and respect At our house there was Annie my grandmotherrsquos house was fi lled with the joys of Lula and out on the family farm there was strong and smiling Homer and large and huggable Rosamdashall just as much a part of my life as everyone else My life was good and they were instrumental in making it that way
What will the 5-year-olds of today who are lucky enough to be raised on those well-planned streets remember when they surpass their own 50 year mark It is a much more complex world now and there are diff erent concerns with daily changes of fear Youthful innocence is a prize that is encased without a lock Premature maturity is a viable threat and a constant fear But each night tucked in tight in a simple room sleeps tomor-rowrsquos adults who are having sweet dreamsmdashblanketed by the comforts of Blossomwood
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
92 raquo the vine raquo Amy C Collins
BORDEAUX POWER
Where Burgundyrsquos vineyards were established by Benedictine monks patiently growing wine vines with spiritual hearts Bordeauxrsquos vineyards were raised by entrepreneurial laymen who recognized the massive monetary opportunity when the English began drinking down their peasant wine
The city of Bordeaux is Francersquos primary port town on the Atlantic ocean a harbor that has for centuries served as the countryrsquos most important dock Th e regionrsquos history is long and storied with the fi rst written reference to the area dated 379 AD by the Latin poet Ausonius who was also a wine-grower Jump ahead to the year 1152 when Eleanor of Aquitaine married Englandrsquos soon-to-be king Henry Plantagenet and the port and surrounding vineyard land became the source of wine for the English a connection that remains strong even today
Bordeaux produces the worldrsquos most expensive and sought after collector wines the top tier of which make up less than fi ve percent of the regionrsquos total production Th ese names are quickly learned by neophyte wine drinkers wanting to make an impression Chateau Haut-Brion Lafi te Latour and Margaux for example Grown in gravelly soils only a few meters above sea levelmdashin contrast vineyards elsewhere in Europe typically sit between 300 and 900 metersmdashthese wines are some of the most powerful austere and pawed over When young the tannins in these cabernet sauvignon cabernet franc and merlot blends coat the tongue and mouth with a chalky dry sensation akin to sucking on an Earl Grey tea bag and are perhaps best suited to well-fatted rare steak and cigars Th ese are wines built to live for decades Personally I prefer a Bordeaux at least 20 years aged when the tannins have had ample time to calm down and mellow out and more nuanced fl avors come forward Sounds fancy and it is Only in some very lucky circumstances over the past year have I been guest to a bottle of 1990 Clos de Menuts Saint-Eacutemilion and a 1970 Chateau Haut-Brion About once every 10 years Irsquove had the good
fortune to taste a wine older than myself Nice work if you can get it
Where Burgundyrsquos vineyards (Francersquos other classifi ed sought-after region) were established by Benedictine monks patiently growing wine vines with spiritual hearts
Bordeauxrsquos vineyards were raised by entrepreneurial laymen who recognized the massive monetary opportunity when the English began drinking down their peasant wine Th is underscores the second half of my theory as to why Americans
more often American males are so drawn to the wines of Bordeaux Th erersquos an inherent capitalist connection something in the soil Th at the wines are so
unmistakable so distinctively grand and pronounced elixirs exemplifi es the fi rst half of my theory we Americans are not known for our subtlety (To be fair the Chinese are
signifi cant Bordeaux collectors as well)
Philosophy aside Bordeaux is quite a large region that produces beautiful white and red values as well as the rare fi nds out of the populacersquos price range Herersquos the skinny Blending is the game single varietal wines are rare White Bordeaux is typically made from a blend of sauvignon blanc and seacutemillon and sometimes a drop or two of muscadelle ugni blanc or colombard Reds are made primarily from the two cabernets plus merlot with small quantities of petit verdot malbec and carmenegravere occasionally in the mix Th e region is also home to the golden nectar of late ripened seacutemillon sauvignon blanc and muscadelle grapes that have successfully attracted the noble rot a fungus that covers the fruit and drains moisture from inside leaving behind rich sweet grapes without moldy fl avors Chateau drsquoYquem is the most famous of these unfortifi ed dessert wines though there are better bargains from the region
Bordeaux is split by the Gironde river which divides the region into three general areas Th e left bank also known as the Haut-Meacutedoc is where the classifi ed top growths are situated Th ese prestigious estates were named for their exceptional vineyard sites in 1855 a decision nearly unchanged since Today serious collectors invest in Bordeaux futures theoretically locking down lower prices of top
ample time to calm dit is Only in some vede Menuts Saint-Eacutem
fortune to taste a
Wherees
aun
of msignifi
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Follow Amy at pigandvinecom for morestories and wine suggestions
growth estates while the wine is still aging in the cellar Itrsquos the wine tradersquos equivalent to the NASDAQ On the right bank Saint-Eacutemilion and Pommerol are the prized vineyard areas known for their merlot heavy cuveacutees To the south west we fi nd Graves where there are many great values to be had in both white and red bottlings Entre-Deux-Mers which translates to ldquobetween two seasrdquo sits between the Dordogne and Garonne tributaries off the Gironde and is an excellent source for crisp whites
Get started on your Bordeaux experience with these values
Chateau Graville-Lacoste 2014 Graves 75 seacutemillon 20 sauvignon blanc and 5 muscadelle make up this beauty thatrsquos consistently delicious every vintage Crisp and refreshing great with seafood
Chateau Mirambeau 2014 GravesAnother classic blend of 40 sauvignon blanc 40 seacutemillon and 20 muscadelle this lovely white is a bit more fl oral than the Graville-Lacoste Easy drinking and great value
Chateau de Parenchegravere Bordeaux Rouge 201155 merlot 30 cabernet sauvignon and 15 cabernet franc grown in clay heavy soils similar to the right bank of the region Fleshy with good structure and abundant red fruit
Chateau Arnaud Bordeaux Supeacuterieur 2011Supeacuterieur on a Bordeaux label isnrsquot egotistical marketingmdashby law it indicates a wine with up to one degree more alcohol than its AC Bordeaux brethren What it really means is one more degree of body structure and in this case quality Approachable delicious and easy on the wallet
Chateau de Bernadotte Haut-Meacutedoc 2005Th e 2005 vintage in Bordeaux is in the history books with double asterisks Owned by the eminent Pichon Lalande family and made from vineyards in Paulliac one of the more choice growing areas in the region this is an incredible value a top tier Bordeaux for a fraction of the cost
Chateau de Suduiraut Sauternes 2011Ripe cantaloupe apricot and honey and an interesting smoky note with a solid sweet attack followed by great acidity A dessert wine that wonrsquot overpower the dessert
94 raquo parting shot raquo Patrick Hood
Meet Solvar
Solvar belongs to one of the worldrsquos oldest and purest equine lineages the Nor-
wegian Fjord horse a breed that has remained virtually unchanged for more than
2000 yearsmdashlong before we became acquainted with his animated cousins in
the movie Frozen Th ese national symbols of Norway are characterized by primi-
tive zebra striping on their legs and a dorsal stripe running from forelock to tail
resulting in a striking two-tone mane that sticks up like a Mohawk Th eir athleti-
cism agility and dependability make them valuable both as sport horses as well
as therapy horses for emotionally and physically challenged adults and children
Catie Wells of Huntsville is the proud owner of Solvar who resides at Monte
Sano Stables
For tickets or information 256-539-4818 or hsoorg
Bring In the New Year With Us
presents
WHAT A WONDERFUL
WORLDA tribute to Louis
Armstrong featuring the
Byron Stripling Quartet
Thursday December 31
730 pm bull Pops Series bullMark C Smith
Concert Hall VBC
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
M O R E T H A N 7 0 S H O P S A N D R E S T A U R A N T S I N C L U D I N G B E L K | D S W S H O E S | A P P L E J O S A B A N K | R E E D S J E W E L E R S | PA N D O R A | J C R E W | K AT E S PA D E N E W Y O R KO R V I S | B A N A N A R E P U B L I C | M I C H A E L K O R S | F R A N C E S C Arsquo S | A N T H R O P O L O G I EH amp M | S O M A | M O U N T A I N H I G H O U T F I T T E R S | B A R N E S amp N O B L E | S E P H O R AALTAR rsquoD STATE | CONNORS STEAK amp SEFOOD | THE WEST IN HUNTSV I L L E | MONACO P ICTURES
C O M I N G S O O N V E R S O N A ndash near Belk
B R I D G E S T R E E T H U N T S V I L L E C O M |
BR IDGE STREET TOWN CENTRE I S LOCATED AT EX I T 14 OFF I - 565 AT OLD MAD ISON P IKE
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
is sadly empty now Th e front door was exactly the same
and the concrete steps where I skinned my knee as a child
are still there as is the scar I still bear from those steps 30
years later I peeked through the glass backdoor to see that
the kitchen cabinets were still exactly the same an unpainted
knotty wood with brass knobs and the pocket door adja-
cent to the stove was still there also half open to the sitting
room I wondered if that door still bore the carved notches
of my height chart an expanse of inches that widened over
the years as I grew each notch labeled in pen with a date I
strained my eyes to look but could not see
Th e seasons are changing now and once again we are mov-
ing Th e boxes are being collected now and Irsquove already be-
gun a mental timeline of how long I can procrastinate until
actually beginning to pack them Th is summer in particular
has been one of many changes for usmdashups and downs joys
and sorrowsmdashand the walls of this house have witnessed
them all And I have to admit that it does seem right that
as the seasons change we too should also move on As
someone recently put it to me when facing the fear of the
unknown we have to learn to just manage and adjustmdashhav-
ing faith at the threshold of change that life will continue to
be full of beauty and fun love and loss We are not forced
to edge any one of these out to make room for the other but
rather we must learn to make room for them all
Th ere is no doubt that this house will stick with me as
all of the memories within it are engraved into my mind
But this time around I know that home will always be
where my family and friends are and the walls around
us are just a shelter through the sun and storms of our
lives I choose to believe that old habits are not necessar-
ily bad habits but traditions we choose to bring with us
into the future as a form of comfort in the midst of the
fear of the future My husband and I have celebrated
one of those old traditions in this house as we
have made our own growth chart for our
children here carving and marking their
tiny heights onto one of our downstairs
doors And although I will likely fret and
shed some tears through this entire mov-
ing process as I attempt to detach myself
from these walls a little compromise can be
comforting and being married to a builder
does have its perksmdashwe are unhinging that
door and taking it with us when we go
for information visit wwwathenseduathenianplayers
Names for photos are provided by the organization or business featured
14 raquo scene
Suzanne OrsquoConnor Karen Kiss and Sallie Ennis
Front Row L-R Patrick Robbins Ed Rush Nancy Colin George Smith and Steve Thornton Back Row L-R John Johnson Richard Van Valkenburgh Ronald Reed and Skipper Colin
Richard and Nancy Van Valkenburgh
Jay and Dana Town
Ernie Rivard Ann Rivard Anne Compton Burke and Kim and John Johnson
George and Lee Anne Smith and Steve and Patti Thornton
Linda Akenhead Donna Rush Ivy Albert and Amelia Summerville
Bobsy and Bill IngramChris Wesley Suzanne OrsquoConnor and Patrick Robbins
Tom and Pennie Keene Sharon and Ed Gartrell and Janet and David Skidmore
Debbie Overcash Brenda Millberger and Theresa Taylor
Ronald and Daphne Reed and Nancy and Skipper Colin
Kendall Black and Lee Anne Bostick
Sharon Gartrell Paige Prozan Amelia Summerville and Susan Todd Matt Taylor Bruce Summerville
Eric Milberger and Tommy Overcash
copy Photos by Mark Jaeger
Joyce Griffi n Betsy Lowe Peter Lowe Debbie Washburn and Ben Washburn
2015 Symphony Ball Advisorsrsquo Cocktail Partyaugust middot home of jay and dana town huntsville
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
text by sarah gaede raquo photos by patrick hood
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Some restaurants have food trucks for off-premise
special events Chef Will proprietor of Th e Palate at Lowe
Mill has a folding table Equipped with coolers kettles a
butane burner and his trusty cast iron skillet he turns out
amazing vegetarian and vegan dishes for his loyal following
every Th ursday at Greene Street Market in Huntsville
Although he grew up in Groton Connecticut helping his
mother in the kitchen and was always interested in food Chef
Will then known as Forest Wilson felt he couldnrsquot compete
with his older brother who was an executive chef So he
received vocational training in welding and visual arts (skills
which he still uses in creating his Afro-centric art) After a
brief stint in California working in the shipbuilding industry
he decided to follow his fi rst love and go to culinary school
When Chef Will visited his mother in Huntsville he realized
how much he missed being close to the land So he moved to
Alabama After he saw what his family was eating and how
many health problems they had he began an intensive study
of nutrition and the healing properties of natural foods
He had already been turned on to the health benefi ts of a
vegetarian diet by the surfers he hung out with in California
With his back-to-basics approach
Chef Will is like a nineteenth century
cook witha twenty-first century vibe
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
like a nineteenth century cook with a twenty-
fi rst century vibe
While most of Chef Willrsquos dishes are vegan he
does use real cheese because it melts better
He also uses free-range eggs Portobello
mushrooms are his go-to meat substitute
Th e day I visited he was serving portobello
pepper ldquosteakrdquo over quinoa and brown rice
with a liberal dash of his secret Bee Sting
sauce which his son Khaliq is working on
marketing to the public It was scrumptious
His food is so densely fl avored you donrsquot miss
the meat He especially loves the spices and
ingredients of Indian Asian and Chinese
cuisines all of which off er a great variety of
tasty vegetarian dishes
Chef Will is a passionate evangelist for the
healing properties of pure natural foods and
he preaches this gospel in a way that is so
inviting those who try his food cannot help
but be much more open-minded about trying
new healthy creative ways of eating
who seemed to have much more energy than he did He
became intentional about every step of the cooking process
from ingredient sourcing to cookwaremdashhence the cast
iron skillet which is naturally non-stick and adds iron to
whatever is cooked in it
Chef Will sources his ingredients locally whenever possible
He makes his vegetable stock with spring water His tasty
beans are soaked and simmered in that fl avorful stock not
poured from a can His collards are sublime without a hint
of pork fat With his back-to-basics approach Chef Will is
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Start a New Holiday Tradition at Burritt on the Mountain
ldquoHoliday Magicrdquo A Magical Dining Experience
December 10th 11th amp 12th
Itrsquos a magically fun evening dining in a historic cabin or the mansion with friends while enjoying delectable food and wine It is unlike any other holiday dinner and itrsquos perfect for a festive family occasion yet intimate enough for a romantic dinner for two Itrsquos rustic AND upscale
Holiday Magic reservations are being taken now by calling Butch Damson at 256-534-4361 Hurry Space is limted $90 per dinner seat Visit the website for menus and more
limited seating available make your reservations today
Wersquore decking the walls halls and stalls to get you in the holiday spirit More than 600 candles illuminate the sidewalks and Historic Park and music fills the air adding to the nostalgic feel of the holidays String cranberries make paper punch ornaments roast chesnuts amp taste figgy pudding Fun for the whole family itrsquos Christmas the way itrsquos supposed to be
Kris KringlersquosCandlelight Christmas
December 4th amp 5th
A much anticipated musical favorite will be back at Burritt in the Old Country Church
PerformancesDecember 16th through 20th
Tickets ON SALE NOWPurchase tickets at Josiersquos online
or by calling 256-536-2882or by calling 256-536-2by calling 256-536-2burrittonthemountaincom
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Th
ePE
R
FECT HOLIDAY DIN
NE
R
In our modern world of far-fl ung families Th anksgiving and Christmas are those rare occasions so fi lled with nostalgia
and meaning we press the pause button on our busy lives to prioritize time together Because family time is so rare these days NorsquoAla asked some of Huntsvillersquos fi nest chefs to suggest dishes that will inspire you as you plan your
familyrsquos menu this holiday season
Any time we spend with our loved ones is precious herersquos hoping these meal
ideas help make this yearrsquos holidays perfect
text by roy hall raquo photos by olivia reed
ldquoWith all the fl avors we associate with the holidays the gingerbread man is always near the top of the list So let the kids enjoy the traditional cookies while you sip this sophisticated cocktailrdquo mdashParker
ldquoTh e holidays are so fun-fi lled it seems appropriate that a holiday salad should refl ect that with lots of diff erent things going on fruits nuts cheeses and always a little hint of sweetness in the dressing No matter what main dishes and sides are served this salad will complement them allrdquo mdashAndrew
Grilled Pear Salad with Cambozola and Walnuts
Mezza Luna
(256) 650-2514 Th e GingermanMezza Luna
Butternut Squash Wild Mushroom and Roasted Asparagus Risotto
Th e Eaves
(256) 489-1752
ldquoI love this dish because itrsquos crisp and clean and adds a touch of light color to a typically heavy mealmdashthe bright green asparagus and red pancetta even look Christmassyrdquo mdashOwner LeeLee Wiginton
ldquoTh is isnrsquot super diffi cult to make It echoes the fl avors of the season And itrsquos also something a little unexpected It has a great fl avor profi le and complements other proteins really well Guests will love itrdquo mdashChef Merle Phillip
Snow Pea Salad with Crispy PancettaLynrsquos Gracious Goodness
(256) 533-2607
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Th ePERFECT HOLIDAY DINNER
Fried Brussels Sprouts with Coriander Greek Yogurt Sauce
Mezza Luna
ldquoI chose to do the turkey this way because itrsquos a diff erent approach Th e challenge of roasting a whole turkey is that the white and dark meat cook at diff erent speeds By separating the two you can cook each for its own proper cooking timerdquo mdashChef Steven Bunner
ldquoBrussels sprouts have had a bad rap Th e fi rst time most people encounter them theyrsquore overcooked mushy and served plain Th atrsquos a shame because theyrsquore nutritional powerhouses and because theyrsquore a fall crop at their best during the holiday seasonrdquo mdashJohn
Roast Turkey Breast and Dark Meat Roulade Served with Pecan Pesto
1892 East(256) 489-1242
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Between now and the end of the year take advantage of cost reductions on three popular proceduresmdashand begin 2016 with new confidence
bull SAVE BIG on breast augmentationOur saline price is $700 off and our silicone price is $900 off cash price only Schedule your initial consultation by December 31 2015 to lock in your price and the procedure must take place by March 31 2016
bull FULL-FACIAL LASER is $1500 Cash price only Initial consultation must occur before December 31 2015 and the procedure must be done by March 31 2016
bull WEEKEND Eribium Laser PEEL is Buy ThreeGet One Free Save $400 on our regular $1600 cash price by scheduling your initial consultation by December 31 2015
Look better - feel better - and save money Itrsquos time to get more for less
Dr Russell Jennings203 Avalon Ave Suite 300
Muscle Shoals AL 35661
Phone(256) 386-1450jenningsplasticsurgerycom
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Th ePERFECT HOLIDAY DINNER
Nutella CheesecakeMason Dixon Bakery amp Bistro(256) 213-7545
ldquoTh is is one of our favorite desserts for a holiday and for every day Th e rich and creamy cake melts like ice cream in your mouth the smoothness of the fi lling balances perfectly with the crunchiness of the crust and the delicate hints of the swirled Nutella are divinerdquo mdashCo-owners Chef Ashley and Taylor Ramirez
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Emily Taylor5510 Promenade Point Pkwy Suite 160Madison AL 35757256-430-2781
I can help you
your own wayGROW
1114-519HO
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
produced by aissa castillo and lauren mccaulphotos by lauren tomasella carney
clothing modeled by aaron petersen rachel smith anne harbargerand kait barinaga (for finery)
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Meet the Shop Girls The mission To search Valley shops and boutiques
for the fi nest in Yuletide treasures
Accepting the challenge three of Huntsvillersquos most original and creative taste-makers
Say hello to NorsquoAla Shop Girls Aissa Castillo Lauren McCaul and Lauren Tomasella CarneyDuring the day these mild-mannered professionals tend to demanding careers in design
retail management and photography But evenings and weekends theyrsquore out saving the world from uninspiring fashion and decor as style superheroes
Their picks for the very best gift ideas follow For ideas and inspiration year-round
stay in-the-know by following our Shop Girls on social media
Lauren McCaul deptofagraculturecom Instagram dept_of_agra_cultureAissa Castillo aislerchiccom Instagram aislerchic
Lauren Tomasella Carney laurentomasellacom Instagram laurentomasella
And as you shop for your own Christmas treasures this season please remember to spread your cheermdashand your dollarsmdashat home
(1) Amanda Uprichard Jacket ($248)(2) BCBG Dress ($228)(3) Zoa Dress ($128)Personal Couture Boutique(256) 508-5632
(4) Dress ($168)Anthropologie(256) 327-8470
(5) Olive + Oak Oatmeal Shawl ($72)(10) Simply Noelle Zipper Gusset Bag ($5999)House of Holland(256) 206-8989
(6) One-of-a-kind Eva Ziegler Agate and Pyrite Necklace ($397)(8) Eva Ziegler Freshwater Pearl Strand ($501)Eva Ziegler Jewelryevazieglercom
(9) Gift Set ($5995)Piper amp LeafPiperandleafcom
(7) Long Horn Necklace ($68)Personal Couture Boutique(256) 508-5632
Left to right Lauren Tomasella Carney
Lauren McCaul and Aissa Castillo
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
On himFilson Shirt ($98) Filson Jacket ($320)Yeti Cooler ($34999)Alabama Outdoors(256)-885-3561
On herPPLA Vest ($7999)PPLA Dress ($7499)Bedstu Boots ($295)Indigorsquos Boutique(256) 345-6348
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) Woolly Mammoth Tooth 4rdquo Damascus Linerlock Knife ($150)(2) Cardboard Safari Bucky Cardboard Deer Head ($30)(3) Curt Benzle Porcelain Compass ($15)Little Green Store and Gallery (256) 539-9699
(4) Hunting Journal ($32)Sweet Pineapple(256) 964-7563
(5) Yeti Colster ($2999)Alabama Outdoors(256)-885-3561
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
(1) Yellow House Handcrafted Beard Oils ($18 ea)Yellow House Beard Oilsyellowhousebeards com (2) Mustache amp Beard Comb ($16)Little Green Store and Gallery (256) 539-9699 (3) Latika Body Essentials Charcoal Liquid Soap ($18)(4) Latika Body Essentials Charcoal Bar Soap ($6) (5) Rustico Leather Key Chain ($18) Sweet Pineapple(256) 964-7563
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) Wood Thumb Tie ($44) (2) Slightly Alabama iPad Case ($250) (3) DockSmith Driftwood iPhone Docking Station ($68) Little Green Storeand Gallery (256) 539-9699 (4) Loyal Stricklin Aviator Mug ($35)Domaine South(256) 808-8860 (5) Would You Be a Deer Notepad ($9) Sweet Pineapple(256) 964-7563
(6) Filson Satchel ($265) Alabama Outdoors(256)-885-3561
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
When itrsquos time to move into a bigger house get a home loan from the bank thatrsquos had a home right here for generations You might say we know a thing about location location location synovuscommortgage
Banking products are provided by Synovus Bank Member FDIC Divisions of Synovus Bank operate under multiple trade names across the Southeast Loans products subject to credit approval
When itrsquos time to move into a bigger house get a home
Here is where Henry learned hersquod be getting
SERVING YOU LOCALLY AS
2565513300 | fcb-hsvcom
his own room
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) Spiritual GangsterTank ($36)(2) Luquido Yoga Pants ($90)(3) MZ Wallace Metro Tote ($245)(4) Vimmia V back Sweatshirt ($96)(5) Onzie Sports Bra ($48)(6) Olympia Yoga Pants ($96)(7) bkr Water Bottle ($30)The Fitzgerald Pilates amp Barre(256) 603-1886
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
(1) Gypsy Pant WarmTribal ($72) (2) Berry High Waist Legging ($88) (3) Long Legging Mathematics ($65) (4) Long Legging Peacock ($65) The FitzgeraldPilates amp Barre(256) 603-1886
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) Jane Tran Hair Clips ($15)(2) bkr Water Bottle ($30)(3) well-kept Tech Wipes ($6)(4) Made with Love Bracelets ($25)(5) Pointe Studio Socks ($12)(6) Bando Too Cold to Hold Coozie ($5)The Fitzgerald Pilates amp Barre(256) 603-1886
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
(1) Shop Bando Coff ee Cup ($14)(2) Shop Bando Pens ($14) (3) Shop Bando Pouch ($26) (4) Shop Bando Coin Purse ($20) The FitzgeraldPilates amp Barre(256) 603-1886
(5) Check Things Off Notepad ($16)(6) Hello From Huntsville Stamp ($12)Salt + Paperie(256) 655-5550
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) Muzzle Loaders Chocolate Bourbon Balls ($1999) (2) Vintage Crystal Decanter ($20) (3) Quench Glassware ($1399) Domaine South(256) 808-8860
(4) The Hella Bitters Old Fashioned Kit ($65)(5) American Bar by Charles Schumann ($2495) Little Green Storeand Gallery (256) 539-9699
(6) Julep Cups ($50)Willowbrook Shoppe (256) 270-7181
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom | novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) DECCO Umbrella in a Bottle ($1995)(2) Alexa Pulitzer Stationery Set ($14 ea)(3) Ikat Scarf ($6250)Huntsville Museumof Art(256) 535-4350
(4) Emily Ley Grace Journal ($32) (5) Sugar Boo Designs Clutch ($18) (6) Emily Ley Daily Planner ($58) (7) Latika Milk ampHoney Bar ($6) (8) Farm House Fresh Shea Butter Hand Cream ($14) (9) Christen MaxwellZippy ($42) (10) Green Tea Bubble Bath ($32) Sweet Pineapple(256) 964-7563 (11) Goal Getter Cuff ($32)Indigorsquos Boutique(256) 345-6348
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
(1) Kilim Pillow ($58) (2) Bejeweled Silver Plate Vase ($144) (3) Bone Clad Box ($375)Willowbrook Shoppe (256) 270-7181
(4) Cowhide Rug ($550)(5) Lucyrsquos Locket ($95) (Original piecemdashselection may vary)Sweet Pineapple(256) 964-7563 (6) Clutch ($65)Department of Agra Culturedeptofagraculturecom
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) Above The Bar Antler on Chain 28rdquo ($3999) (2) Above The Bar Deer wAntler Head 18rdquo ($2999) Indigorsquos Boutique(256) 345-6348
(3) Margaret Solow Labradorite18KT Bezel ($290) (4) Margaret Solow Diamond Crest MoonSilver ($460) (5) Margaret Solow Black Spinel + DiamondSilver ($560) (6) Margaret Solow Double Black Spinel18KT ($260)Little Green Store and Gallery (256) 539-9699
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
(1) Margaret Solow Grey Moonstoon18KT Necklace ($240) (2) Margaret Solow OpalDiamond Mosaic Necklace ($610) Little Green Storeand Gallery (256) 539-9699
(3) One-of-a-kind Eva Ziegler Smokey Quartz and Pyrite Necklace ($406)Eva Ziegler Jewelryevazieglercom
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) Jennifer BehrTurban ($625)(2) Cotton Day Dress ($64)(3) Norma Ishak Cardigan ($375)Finery(256) 429-3429
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) The Lion Sleeps Tonight Bath Bomb ($6) Sweet Pineapple(256) 964-7563
(2) Tiger Jelly Cat ($2250)(3) Dog Tag Teether ($1550)(4) Dinosaur Footie ($3595)Honey B Boutique(256) 503-2853
(5) Young Buck ($25)Tiny Vinestinyvinesshopcom
(6) Bib Set ($13)Huntsville Museumof Art(256) 535-4350
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
(1) Tiny Dancer Bath Bomb ($6)Sweet Pineapple(256) 964-7563
(2) Kickee Mammoth Footie ($3595)(3) Noodle amp Boo Essential Care Kit ($18)(4) Elephant Jelly Cat ($2250)Honey B Boutique(256) 503-2853
(5) ArtFolio Pink Elephant Coloring Tote ($17)Huntsville Museumof Art(256) 535-4350
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) Bib Set ($13)Huntsville Museumof Art(256) 535-4350 (2) Little Light ($25)Tiny Vinestinyvinesshopcom (3) Micro Leon Cardboard Lion ($30)Little Green Storeand Gallery (256) 539-9699 (4) I Love You Like Biscuits amp Gravy ($23)Domaine South(256) 808-8860
(5) Kickee Kimono ($4295)Honey B Boutique(256) 503-2853
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
SURPRISEA LOVED ONE
THIS HOLIDAY SEASON
WITH A FOREVER GIFT
HobbsJewelerscom 8772331347Parkway Place Mall
HuntsvilleHwy 72 West
AthensMain Street
Ardmore TN
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Caftan ($75)Sarah Richey Necklace ($350)Finery(256) 429-3429
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
(1) Chewbead Necklace ($3495)(2) Mayoral Baby Bag ($7995)(3) Mayoral Diaper Changing Pad ($2495)(4) Nursing Scarf ($2695) (5) Kickee Swaddling Blanket ($22)Honey B Boutique(256) 503-2853 (6) Lucy Darling Months Sticker ($25) (7) The Story of You Baby Book by Emily Ley ($62) Sweet Pineapple(256) 964-7563
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(1) Alwand Vahan 14K Gold and Onyx Ring wDiamond Accent ($2595)(2) Alwand Vanan 14K Gold and Onyx Bracelet wDiamond Accent ($2695)Hobbs Jewelers(877) 233-1347
(3) Britt Ryan Dress ($288)Personal Couture Boutique(256) 508-5632
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) Rocket Cosmos Mug ($13)Huntsville Museumof Art(256) 535-4350
(2) Loose Leaf Tea ($399)Piper amp Leaf piperandleafcom (3) Judy Jackson Tea Pot ($56) (4) Gary Watson Cherry Cutting Board ($48-$68) (5) Susan Coe Birthday Cake Plate ($33) Little Green Storeand Gallery (256) 539-9699 (6) Macarons ($116 pcs $221 dozen)Whisk Small Treats Bakery(256) 656-1027
(7) Truffl es ($185 each)Pizellersquos Confections (256) 513-9745 (8) Olive amp Sinclair Chocolate ($799)Domaine South(256) 808-8860
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
(1) Whisk Note Pad ($8) (2) In the Forest Mixing Bowl ($36) (3) Twig Serving Set ($18)(8) Southern Firefl y Candle ($12)Sweet Pineapple(256) 964-7563
(4) Urchin Bowl ($10)(5) Foodie Dice ($38)(6) 1Canoe2 Wood Recipe Box w Recipe Cards ($6999) Domaine South(256) 808-8860 (7) Growlers ($75 small $95 large)Southern Growlersoutherngrowlercom
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) Tacori 18K Barbados Blue Bold Gem Ring ($660)(2) Tacori 18K Barbados Blue Bold Gem Necklace ($630)(3) Tacori 18K Barbados Blue Bold Gem Bracelet ($990)Hobbs Jewelers(877) 233-1347
(4) BCBG Dress ($328)Personal Couture Boutique(256) 508-5632
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Guadalupe Robinson
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
text by jennifer crossley howard raquo photos by patrick hood
Of Deft and Dirty Hands
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Huntsville potter Guadalupe Lanning Robinson has spent more than 36 years mastering the
marriage of clay texture and geometric design into her pottery yet time has done little to temper the
plight of waiting
ldquoIt is hard for me to let a pot just dryrdquo she says motioning toward fi ve small wet pots sitting near her
pottery wheel ldquoIrsquom as excited to do this as I was 30 years agordquo
To observe her studio at Lowe Mill that is easy to believe Located on the corridor outside the textile
mill-turned-art centerrsquos main building the loft-like space with a corrugated tin roof feels like a place a
Gabriel Garcia Marquez character would enjoy daydreaming
Sienna-hued pottery sits in various stages to be fi red layered and etched Argentinian tango music
streams from Robinsonrsquos iPhone and two cockatiels a parrot and a parakeet chirp from their cages All
except the parrot fl y freely when Robinson is working
Robinson who is 61 made her fi rst pot in 1979 in her native Mexico City Almost four decades later her
work is part of permanent museum collections in Auburn Huntsville Tuscumbia and Tupelo Missis-
sippi She regularly enters her work in respected juried shows such as the Monte Sano Arts Festival and
the Kentuck Festival of the Arts in Northport and has received two Alabama State Council on the Arts
individual artist fellowships
Her inspiration draws from the villages around her native Mexico City such as the black pottery of
the northwest as well as her acquired Southern culture White lilies corn grids and round female
fi guresmdashldquoreally strong women who are in chargerdquo Robinson saysmdashreappear on her stoneware She uses
natural dyes indigo for color and mixes sand into clay for texture Nothing is wasted
ldquoI donrsquot waste any clayrdquo Robinson says ldquoEverything is recycledrdquo
Robinson fi nds solace in the 40-50 hours a week she puts in at the studio and the often tedious process
of making pots which can take from three weeks to six weeks for larger pots She usually works on two
or three pots at a time tending to groups at diff erent stages
After a pot is thrown on a wheel a piece can take days to dry before its fi rst bisque fi re in which tem-
peratures rise to 1800 F After baking for nine hours the kiln must cool Th e second fi ring rises to 2150
F and matures the clay and melts the glazes to strengthen the piece
ldquoI am an effi cient person by naturerdquo Robinson says ldquoWaiting for the kiln to cool down enough to open
can be nerve wracking and this is when my patience is usually put to the testrdquo
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
ldquoIt is hard for me to let a pot just dry Irsquom as excited to do this as I was 30 years agordquo
Robinson makes most of her pots on a wheel using oxides to change the color of clay she gets from Nashville and Pittsburgh Her pottery takes several weeks from start to fi nish depending on how large a pot is and how many she makes at a time
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
ldquoAttend to your childrenrsquos needs fi rst keep focus on what you want to douse the happiness joy and little breaks you get to make your artTh ey grow real fast and they will keep inspiring you all your liferdquo
Robinson imagined this bat-like design as she was working She usually begins a piece with a design in mind but that often evolves
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Robinson uses an overlay of liquid clay called engobemdashthat includes three to four layersmdashto create a
base on which to design
Th ere is high risk in making pottery and hours of work can be wasted on a pot that has not dried en-
tirely before it enters the kiln Air pockets or the wrong mixture of chemicals can ruin a piece
ldquoArt is involved but science is toordquo says Laura Smith director of education at the Huntsville Museum
of Art where Robinson has taught pottery classes ldquoItrsquos more labor intensive in terms of working with
the medium whether yoursquore building by hand or with a wheel until you fi re with the fi nal layer of glazerdquo
Th e result is sturdy pottery
ldquoI want my pots to look like something that is lasting a long timerdquo Robinson says
Th ough she works solitarily in her studio she says she does not get lonely Her birds and music keep her
company and each stage of pottery making has a soundtrack She uses needlepoint tools to draw onto
clay to Jose Feliciano and other Latin American musicians
ldquoIf Irsquom at the wheel Bruno Marsrdquo she says ldquoIf Irsquom unloading the kiln and something is really awesome
then I need something moving and I have on Motownrdquo
Robinsonrsquos years of experience minimize the risk of damaged pots but she says her greatest challenge
as a potter was balancing her work while raising her two children Now adults their candid childhood
pictures and those of her grandchildren cover the warm green walls of her studio
She met her husband the poet James Robinson in 1977 on a Greyhound bus when she returned to
Mexico City from visiting a friend at the University of Southern Mississippi He was heading to Mexico
to study at a university Th ey married six months later After giving birth to her daughter Annie Jane in
Mexico City in 1982 the family moved to Huntsville in 1985 Th at is when Robinson got more serious
about her pottery
ldquoFrom the very beginning when I moved to Alabama I knew I was going to have to do thisrdquo she said
ldquoIn some ways it was a way for me to keep connected to my heritagerdquo
She took even 15 minutes of free time to work in the studio behind her home and worked late into the
night while her daughter and son Isidoro born in 1987 slept Having a home studio allowed her to
wash clothes tend to her home and drop off lunches at school while maintaining her art
ldquoTh ere was something for me when I fi rst became a mother that fueled my creativityrdquo Robinson says
ldquoTh ey are such a social inspiration too It fi lls your liferdquo
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Robinson advises fellow artists who are mothers to seize
both roles but to prioritize motherhood
ldquoAttend to your childrenrsquos needs fi rst keep focus on what you
want to do use the happiness joy and little breaks you get
to make your artrdquo she says ldquoTh ey grow real fast and they will
keep inspiring you all your liferdquo
Anna Sue Courtney director of the Flying Monkey Arts
Center at Lowe Mill has known Robinson for more than
10 years She says she admires how mothers and artists like
Robinson seamlessly embrace both roles
ldquoIt seems therersquos not a separation between creating and rais-
ing childrenrdquo Courtney says ldquoTh ey seem to pull from the
same placerdquo
Part of Robinsonrsquos motivation at Lowe Mill comes from
working privately in a studio alongside other artists that fos-
ters a community of feedback and ideas
ldquoItrsquos nice to be here because you can take a break and walk around and get inspirationrdquo Courtney says
ldquoItrsquos refreshingrdquo
When she needs a break from the studio Robinson stays home to sketch designs for a day or two then
she is back in the studio
Trips twice a year to Mexico City keep her plugged in to her native culture which in turn shows up in
her pottery
ldquoI have to recharge myselfrdquo Robinson says ldquoI love Huntsville and loved raising my kids here but I still
have the need of going back to be recharged and smell all the smells and see all the colors and get on
the subway and be pushed aroundrdquo
Details from her trips that infl uence her work include the ever-present red that covers the city during
the celebration of Dia de los Muertos or the Day of the Dead Th e pyramids of Teotihuacan conjure
warm earth tones and fl oating gardens around the city yield sweet pungent calla lilies and carnations
Celebration of food tough women and nature reappear in her pottery qualities that both Southern and
Mexican cultures treasure
Above This daisy design is character-istic of Robinsonrsquos work Nature food and strong females from her native Mexico City and the South are strong creative infl uences
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Clockwise from top left Robinson often glazes only the inside of her pots so they can hold water and food She began quilting in 2002 and her quilts like her pottery contain earth tones and natural infl uences in their design Four birds keep Robinson company in what can be the isolating medium of pottery making Geometry and symmetry are two signature elements in Robinsonrsquos work according to Laura Smith director of education at the Huntsville Museum of Art
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Just as she keeps her home country close to her heart Robinson is loyal to her fi rst
love of pottery though she began making quilts in 2002
ldquoIrsquom a potter who likes to quiltrdquo she says
Like her pottery her quilting follows designs of organic nature such as fl owers and
crops on rich jewel tone cotton
ldquoWhen I fi rst saw one of her quilts I didnrsquot realize it was hers and I thought that
looks like it should be Guadalupersquos quiltrdquo Courtney says
Robinson prefers the immediate gratifi cation of clay
ldquoItrsquos a very responsive mediumrdquo she says ldquoYou can manipulate it Th e fact of mak-
ing something out of dirt out of nothing and making it durable making it perma-
nent that after going through the heat and maturing is something very excitingrdquo
She gently dings a pot covered with white dresses titled ldquoTehuana Dressrdquo to make
her point
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
887 FM Muscle Shoals bull 1007 FM Huntsvillewwwaprorg
News classicalmusic and more
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
copy Patrick Hood
text by sara wright covington raquo photos by jacki gil
patrick hood erin lindsey and michelle odom
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
copy Patrick Hood
ldquoA LOT OF PEOPLE HAD BEEN ASKING ME QUESTIONS ABOUTHOW I GOT MY BUSINESS STARTED I WANTED TO GATHER SOME PEOPLE AROUND ME
WHO WERE GOING THROUGH THOSE STRUGGLES AND TOBUILD ENTREPRENEURIAL COURAGErdquo
JACKI GIL SALT+PAPERIE
copy Patrick Hood
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
untsville-born Jacki Gil began her paper design busi-
ness Salt+Paperie in 2014 with an expansive vision
in mind one that extended beyond creating beautiful
custom designed paper goods ldquoI love my design job
but when Irsquom 50 years old I donrsquot see myself still de-
signing wedding invitationsrdquo the master stationer says
ldquoI really have a passion for teaching and helping people
I want to be a mentorrdquo
In 2015 Gil set out on her mentoring mission sooner than expected with a series
of workshops called Encourage Huntsville ldquoA lot of people had been asking me
questions about how I got my business startedrdquo Gil says about the early days of
Salt+Paperie Even though most of those questions from entrepreneurial-hopefuls
were technicalmdashlike how to apply for a business licensemdashthey served as inspira-
tion for Gil ldquoI wanted to gather some people around me who were going through
those struggles and to build entrepreneurial courage I defi nitely saw that there
was a need for helping people to take that next step toward owning their own
businessesrdquo
Encourage Huntsville was modeled on the image of a growing small business
movement called the Rising Tide Society a national community of creative small
business owners who encourage ldquocommunity over competitionrdquo Th at spirit of
openness is at the heart of Encourage Huntsville ldquoCommunity over competition
is a huge part of what we are doingrdquo says Gil ldquoSmall business owners sharing how
they earn their money is a big dealrdquo
As a fi rst step Gil gathered others around her who were using their skills and abili-
ties to make their own small businesses work With talents ranging from cooking
and cake decorating to hand lettering and artwork these small business owners
all embraced Gilrsquos vision for imparting to others the knowledge of their craft un-
impeded by a fear of losing their competitive edge
Th e fi rst lesson Gil wanted to impart to Encourage Huntsvillersquos students wasnrsquot
necessarily a particular craft or skill but a spirt of creative confi dence ldquoWe want-
ed to bridge the gap between the very artsy community and the ultimate engineer
communityrdquo many of whom Gil observes had been told since childhood they
werenrsquot artistic ldquoWhen you are little and someone tells you that you donrsquot have a
talent it sticks with you I found that a lot of people had that experience so that
was the workshop partmdashto build some creative courage in this communityrdquo
Gil conducted the fi rst workshop herself testing the waters to see how the concept
would be received Th e admission price to that fi rst workshop included supplies a
take-home ldquogoody bagrdquo to help students continue their work extracurricularly and
refreshmentsmdashas well as Gilrsquos tips of her trade
ldquoWe went in blindly not knowing if we had a market or notrdquo says Gil Th e popular-
ity of that fi rst class proved undeniably that a market did in fact exist the work-
shop sold out in one day ldquoSo we did back-to-back workshopsrdquo Gil says ldquoAfter that
novemberdecembeeer eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee | nononoononononononoonoonononooooonoonoonnononnoaaalalalllaallllllalaalaaalal ststustust ddiossscom mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm | | | | | | | | | | |
f
w
y
Previous page Encourage Huntsvillersquos founder and instructor Jacki Gil teaches a class in hand lettering Facing page A participant studies her supply list
we realized people really want to do this stuff So we said lsquoletrsquos jump on the boat
and make this happenrsquordquo
Gilrsquos longtime friend photographer Erin Lindsey of Erin Lindsey Images agreed
to contribute to Encourage Huntsvillersquos curriculum by teaching a photography
class ldquoJacki and I are a good team because our hearts are in the same place when
it comes to encouraging othersrdquo Lindsey says Still she admits saying yes to teach-
ing wasnrsquot without some initial hesitation ldquoWhen Jacki asked if I would teach a
class it was kind of scary I thought I had to be perfect before I could teach oth-
ersrdquo Lindsey says of her initial hesitancy ldquoBut after talking to Jacki I realized none
of us are perfectrdquo But perfection isnrsquot the goal encouragement is the goal ldquoAnd I
thought lsquoI can defi nitely line up with that visionrsquordquo
Michelle Odom another Huntsville native and owner of custom cake bakery Just
Crumbs was also on board with Gilrsquos vision In fact Odom had been contemplat-
ing teaching a class when she was approached by Gil to teach a fondant basics
class ldquoHuntsville is such an engineer town and everyone is so mathematical and
scientifi crdquo Odom says echoing the dichotomy between the arts and sciences ex-
pressed by Gil ldquoTh ese workshops are just a very cool way for structured people to
have a creative outletrdquo
ldquoJACKI AND I ARE A GOOD TEAM BECAUSE OUR HEARTS ARE INTHE SAME PLACE WHEN IT COMES TO ENCOURAGING OTHERSrdquo
ERIN LINDSEY ERIN LINDSEY IMAGES
copy Erin Lindsey
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Above A participant in Erin Lindseyrsquos photo class frames a still life
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
copy Erin Lindsey
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
ldquoHUNTSVILLE IS SUCH AN ENGINEER TOWN AND EVERYONE ISSO MATHEMATICAL AND SCIENTIFIC THESE WORKSHOPS ARE JUST A VERY COOL
WAY FOR STRUCTURED PEOPLE TO HAVE A CREATIVE OUTLETrdquo MICHELLE ODOM JUST CRUMBS
copy Michelle Odom
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
ldquoAnd yesrdquo Odom acknowledges ldquoyou are in theory teaching your competition But
at the same time you are helping the community be more creativerdquo
With its roster of popular creative workshops under its belt Encourage Huntsville
has added business classes to its community-over-competition curriculum with
classes designed to provide specifi c guidance for small business owners ldquoAll of
our events that donrsquot require hands-on work we call seminarsrdquo says Gil ldquoWe had
about 15 people at our fi rst one It was pretty much just an open discussion to ask
us questions and get answers from the perspective of a small business ownerrdquo
Th e seminars enjoyed the same success and enthusiasm as the workshops ldquoWe
had two hours for people to ask questionsrdquo Gil says Topics covered ran the gamut
from scheduling daily tasks self-hosting a website or using an Etsy store man-
aging client expectations and being realistic about how much time you need to
complete jobs
ldquoTh e time went quickly and people wanted morerdquo says Gil who envisions an all-
day seminar in 2016
Margaret Baggett owner and executive chef of the Chef Next Door is another
small business owner who has shared Gilrsquos vision from the very beginning teach-
copy Erin Lindsey
Facing page Michelle Odomrsquos fondant basics class begins with a styrofoam cake form Above Newbie photographers familiarize themselves with their cameras in Erin Lindseyrsquos photography class
ing knife skills workshops and helping host the business seminars ldquoI am so proud
to get to be a part of this project and help nurture other small business owners
who may just be starting out on their journey or are deep in it and looking for
some encouragement from other business ownersrdquo Baggett says of what motivates
her participation in Encourage Huntsville ldquoEven being on the advice-giving side
of things I am still learning and have taken tips and tricks and lessons from each
event we have had so far We never stop learning from each other and never stop
improving upon our craftsrdquo
Th e mutual growth among students and teachers is the source of the encourage-
mentmdashand the joymdashof Encourage Huntsville ldquoItrsquos so much fun to see the light
bulbs go off with people and see them encouraged right before your eyesrdquo Lindsey
says of her experience with the program ldquoPlus itrsquos a pleasure to contribute to a
sense of community over competition Th at whole concept is so rarerdquo
As Encourage Huntsvillersquos following continues to grow the diversity of the work-
shops will expand as well Whether you are looking to spend a fun afternoon
learning a new craft or are a budding small business owner hoping to launch
your brand Encourage Huntsville has something valuable to off er ldquoWe encourage
those left-brain folks to take up a new hobby or skillrdquo Baggett says ldquoor just encour-
age the people of Huntsville to get together and fan their creative fl amesrdquo
If yoursquore looking for
creative or entrepreneurial
encouragement visit
encouragehuntsvillecom
for seminar and workshop
schedules and information
ldquoI AM SO PROUD TO GET TO BE A PART OF THIS PROJECT AND HELP NURTURE OTHER SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS WHO MAY JUST BE STARTING OUT ON THEIR JOURNEY OR ARE DEEP IN IT
AND LOOKING FOR SOME ENCOURAGEMENT FROM OTHER BUSINESS OWNERSrdquoMARGARET BAGGETT CHEF NEXT DOOR
copy Jacki Gil
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
copy Jacki Gil
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Participants in Margaret Baggettrsquos knife skills workshop learn to perfect their ldquomise en placerdquo
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
copy Olivia Reed
text by sara wright covington raquo photos by olivia reed and jeff white
HUNTSVILLErsquoS
HOMEGROWNHOSTESS
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
ttttttononononoooooonononooooo raquo praquo praquo praquo praquo phothothothothotosoososos s s osos bybybbybb
Any host will tell you that delicious food and quality libations while important to
a partyrsquos success are secondary to the most important ingredient of all the guest list Th atrsquos why many
of downtown Huntsvillersquos most popular restaurants breweries and wine shops are turning to event
planner Ashley Ryals and her uncanny knack for attracting loyal patronsmdashand creating unforgettable
events in the process
When Huntsville born-and-bred Ashley Ryals left for college at the University of Alabama in 2001
she thought her exit from the Valley was permanent ldquoI never thought I would end up back hererdquo the
founder of event planning company Homegrown Huntsville says with a knowing laugh But after a few
post-graduate years working for world-renowned public relations powerhouse Weber Shandwick in
New York City Ryals started to second guess her freshman declaration
ldquoI started to get homesickrdquo she admits ldquoAll of my friends were getting married and meeting for football
games and I was missing itrdquo So when a friend from home set up an interview at EarlyWorks for a job
doing event planning Ryals jumped at the chance to come home
Ashley spent the next few years planning EarlyWorks Whistle Stop and Santarsquos Village events A brief
stint in sales followed along with a seat on the board of Huntsville Young Professionals where she had
an idea for a downtown pub crawl
ldquoWe expected 20 or 30 peoplerdquo Ryals says of their modest expectations ldquoBut 200 people showed uprdquo
Th at initial success convinced Ryals to embark on her dream of establishing an
event planning company But it wasnrsquot just any event planning company Ryals
had in mind she envisioned one that would collaborate with local businesses
cultivate signature events for the community to enjoy and support small busi-
nesses in the process
Inspired Ryals left her sales job and for the second time in her life came home
again to event planning and Homegrown Huntsville
To help bring her vision to life Ryals collaborated with designer Adrianne Van
Kirk of Fave Creative ldquoAdrianne has been a part of the visual and branding of
Homegrown from the beginning We come up with the event ideas then I get
the ticketing and sales together and she comes back with a logo and the mar-
keting for the event And thatrsquos how it all comes togetherrdquo Ryals says of their
creative process
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
ASHLEY RYALS
copy Olivia Reed
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
ldquoMOST WINE FESTIVALS ACROSS THE COUNTRY HAVE PROVEN RECORDS OF BEING ABLE TO STAY AROUND 15 OR 20 YEARS OR EVEN LONGER AND THE ECONOMIES OF THOSE
CITIES HAVE REALLY GROWN AS A RESULT I WANT BIG SPRING CRUSH TO EVENTUALLY BE THE BIGGEST AND BEST WINE FESTIVAL IN THE STATE OF ALABAMArdquo ASHLEY RYALS
copy Jeff White
copy Jeff White
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
copy Olivia Reed
Homegrown launched in 2011 with what would become its
signature event Dine amp Dash Every second Wednesday
April through October a trolley shuttles patrons between
downtown establishments where they are served a drink
and appetizer before moving on to the next stop
Owner and executive chef Merle Phillips of Th e Eaves was
one of the fi rst restaurants to sign on for Dine amp Dashrsquos de-
but ldquoAshley came to me and said she was starting a trolley
tasting conceptrdquo says Chef Merle ldquoI didnrsquot really know her so
I was taking a chance on the concept she was sellingrdquo
Merle tried it and has been a loyal participant of Dine amp
Dash ever since
ldquoIt was a risk in the beginning but it defi nitely paid off rdquo Chef
Merle says of the experience Pivotal to that experience ac-
cording to Phillips is Ryalsrsquo demonstration to the commu-
nity just what the term ldquohomegrownrdquo really means ldquoAshley
shines a spotlight on independent businesses in a market-
place that has for so long focused on chainsrdquo Phillips says
ldquoDine amp Dash has really brought into sharp focus the inter-
esting culinary diversity that Huntsville has to off errdquo
For the next two years Homegrown Huntsville focused al-
most exclusively on Dine amp Dash which by the end of its fi rst
year included every single downtown restaurant But when
big changes began to appear on the downtown horizonmdash
new restaurants breweries and residential developmentsmdash
Ryalsrsquo instincts told her
the time had come to
introduce a new event
to the downtown cal-
endar
ldquoBeer Hop follows
the concept of Dine
amp Dashrdquo Ryals says of
Homegrownrsquos second
venture which began
in 2013 Each month a
trolley visits three dif-
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
BILL FOWLEROLD TOWN BEER
EXCHANGE
copy Olivia Reed
copy Olivia Reed
ferent breweries where patrons sample beers and enjoy food
from a variety of food trucks parked at each location
Bill Fowler managing partner of Old Town Beer Exchange
agreed to participate in Beer Hop on his very fi rst day of
business and credits Ryals with an overwhelmingly success-
ful opening night ldquoAshley said lsquoI can guarantee that you are
going to have wave after wave of people coming throughrsquordquo
Fowler says recalling that fi rst jittery occasion Once again
Ryals proved true to her word with 60-plus patrons arriving
in an hour-and-a-half ldquoIt was awesome and such a great ex-
perience for usrdquo Fowler raves ldquoAshley is a hard worker and
you can see that in what she doesrdquo
Fowler believes that in addition to bringing new customers
to OTBX Ryals is also cultivating beer education consis-
tently bringing in people who are new to beer and want to
learn And with Huntsvillersquos recent brewery boom that level
of education and interest is crucial for the brewing commu-
nity to thrive ldquoWe have a very small window of opportunityrdquo
says Fowler ldquoI think Huntsville in particular is becoming a
craft brewing community People are making money at this
and once Tennessee sees that we need to already have had a
pretty huge head startrdquo
By the end of 2013 and with standing events Beer Hop and
Dine amp Dash well established Ryals took time to refl ect on
her original goal for Homegrown Huntsville ldquoIn the back of
my head from day one I knew I wanted to do a wine festival
I just didnrsquot think Huntsville was ready for it in 2011rdquo
Emboldened by the success of Beer Hop Ryals decided to
make the leap with Big Spring Crush wine festival later the
same year Once again Ryals delivered the perfect audience
for the event and in the process discovered a surprising
fact about North Alabamarsquos contribution to the wine-mak-
ing industry
ldquoIn doing the wine festival I learned that we have a huge
wine community in Huntsvillerdquo Ryals says ldquoTh ere are only
about 47 certifi ed wine judges in the entire United States
and we have four of them right here in North Alabama Two
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
copy Jeff White
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
ldquoI STARTED TO GET HOMESICK ALL OF MY FRIENDS WERE GETTING MARRIEDAND MEETING FOR FOOTBALL GAMES AND I WAS MISSING ITrdquo ASHLEY RYALS
copy Jeff White
copy Jeff White
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
ldquoIT WAS AWESOME AND SUCH A GREAT EXPERIENCE FOR USrdquoBILL FOWLER OLD TOWN BEER EXCHANGE
copy Jeff White
copy Olivia Reed
of those four certifi ed wine judges sit on the committee for
Big Spring Crushrdquo
Matthew and Stephanie Mell had just opened Church Street
Wine Shop when they decided to participate in the fi rst Big
Spring Crush Like OTBXrsquos Robert Fowler the Mells credit
Ryals and Homegrown Huntsville for helping to introduce
their new enterprise to the community ldquoAshley has been in-
strumental in helping to bring us people who love and ap-
preciate winerdquo Stephanie Mell says ldquoShe was homegrown
here in Huntsville and she really gets the downtown area
and small businesses and that is so important to usrdquo
Big Spring Crush began with a bang featuring over 150
wines and attracting patrons from across the country
ldquoMost wine festivals across the country have proven records
of being able to stay around 15 or 20 years or even longerrdquo
Ryals says ldquoAnd the economies of those cities have really
grown as a result I want Big Spring Crush to eventually be
the biggest and best wine festival in the state of Alabamardquo
How does Ryals intend to make that dream come true ldquoBy
always keeping it fresh I want to have new marketing and
new things happening each yearrdquo
Ryalsrsquo formula of reinvention and expansion has successfully
led Homegrown Huntsville through fi ve years of success and
helped its events become community staples along the way In
the process Ryals is broadening more than just our image of
downtown Huntsville shersquos joining a class of creative entrepre-
neurs committed to expanding Huntsvillersquos reputation as more
than just a hub for the brightest scientifi c minds in America
ldquoWe have a big city of engineers and lawyers and itrsquos won-
derfulrdquo Ryals say ldquo But there is a whole artist and food cul-
ture here and there is so much growth I want us to have a
vibrant cool downtown area and I want for people to tell
their friends to come and visit and to see Huntsville for what
it is a city I loverdquo
If yoursquod like to participate in Homegrown Huntsville either
as a guest or a participating business visit homegrown-
huntsvillecom
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
copy Jeff White
I was years old and the year was At that time the city of Huntsville was inching toward the mountain to the east California Street was once the continental divide between the small town metropo-lis and the uncharted territories gingerly crossed by the real estate pioneers four score and some odd years prior Th is area became the new suburb as the city kept pushing onward toward Fagan Springs as if the reverberating booms of rocket testings were vibrating Hunstvillians away from its epicenter
From the front yard of our house on Owens Drive I could look to the rightmdashup the hill to the bend be-yond which the big houses stood on their rocky ledge pedestals and to the left where all the other houses that looked just like oursmdashfresh and newmdashrambled for what seemed like miles Th ose clean well-lit abodes all seemed the same and granted at my age I knew more about the pets that lived there than I did about the people who owned those manageable mortgages I came to realize that each was diff erent in a way that was permeated by voices smells and furnishings
It is a clicheacute to say that our lives were simpler then because that is just how the current era will be fondly referred to in the future but to a 5-year-old it is the simplicity that brought the joy Th e sixties will always be to me the beginning of the age of manufactured happiness Cheap clean and simple was what was strived for and what was easily obtained Plastic items were plentiful and pretty things could be bought with SampH Green Stamps A few coins in our pocket would transfer us into the most master of manipula-tors with us giving our all to convince our parents for a jaunt to Murdockrsquos for a holiday of wonderment joy and impatience as we would scour the shelves trying to get the most from our meager budget
Owens Drive was the fairly new thoroughfare from which the avenues of three-bedroom-ranchers fi ngered away at planned intervals Th is was the place where newlyweds started their lives homes and families Where girls with last names that had been in the town for generations would change them to those strange and exotic last names of the clean cut newcomers brought here for military purposes Where the housewives would preheat their pristine electric ovens trying to make cheese straws and biscuits that were just like their motherrsquos only to be frustrated as they were never quite the same and where the husbands would follow in their fatherrsquos footsteps by joining the Acme Club and hunting doves on the weekends
Th ere was a swimming pool Certainly not at our house Th e only private pool I remember as a child was one that my grandmother would take me to nestled between huge trees at someonersquos house on Adams Street I would swim with other children my age while our grandmothers chatted smoking cigarettes in cat-eyed anonymity whispering most of their stories so we wouldnrsquot be able to hear But between their
gasps and laughter we would listen hear and learn
Th e Blossomwood pool was a place of designated rules and the sound of bright whistlesmdashwith straight lines and distinctive colors of blue and green I can still feel the Coppertoned oiliness on the skin of the tanned lifeguard as she carried me from the deep end frightened after my fi rst attempt at solo-swimming She knew my name I had no idea who she was
On the other side of the pool was the school my older sister attended It had a style that mim-icked the poolmdashstraight lines cleanmdasha temple to orderliness and good manners It was with
awe that I once watched the young adults there some as old as eleven wind and dance their way around a sky-high fl agpolemdasheach with a diff erent color ribbon until the fi rst (and only) May Pole
I was privy to was completely dressed in its woven bright colors
90 raquo bless their hearts raquo Guy McClure Jr
Huntsville was a magical place for us tail-end baby boomers to grow upmdashbeyond the miracles of the escalator at Pizitz the smiling little lady on the tall stool at the register at Britlings There was a comfort level there that Irsquom not sure is in the minds of the 5-year-olds of today
cat-eyed agasps
Th s
aI w
THE COMFORTS OF BLOSSOMWOOD
In our world of red-bricked carported castles there was a def-inite division of generations Th e children ate separately from the parents went to school as our dads went to work enter-tained our neighborhood friends as quietly as possible and felt safe between our boundaries of Big Cove Road and Hermitage Street While we dined on our Chef Boy-Ar-Dee boxed pizza our parents busied themselves dressing in their dark colors getting ready for a late dinner at Boots having the scent of perfume and face powder trail my mother as she came into the kitchen looking for something with an intense purpose My father would smell of British Sterling and look just as he did when he went to work only happier Th ese nights meant something fun would happenmdashwe would have a babysitter
Babysitters were my introduction into what was and still seems cool Th ey were usually Huntsville High School teen-agers who would put on a show without even knowing it I would drink in their every move word and essence of style To me they were supermodelsmdashmovie starsmdasheven more fa-mous in my eyes than a television weatherman and almost as glamorous as the waitresses at the Waffl e House
Before they would tire of me and my sister and put us to bed they would include us in their world of music and knowledge which I thought was all-encompassing Suddenly our world of Th e Benny Carl Show and Fantasy Playhouse would seem trite and passeacute and we would catch a fl eeting glimpse into what would be in store for us when we too could stay up past 8 pm
Huntsville was a magical place for us tail-end baby boomers to grow upmdashbeyond the miracles of the escalator at Pizitz the smiling little lady on the tall stool at the register at Britlings and that bright colorful Maypole Th ere was a comfort level there that Irsquom not sure is in the minds of the 5-year-olds of todaymdashthe soothing sheltered lack of knowledge of why we were so lucky yet we didnrsquot even know that we were
In the other areas of our Huntsville there was poverty and ra-cial unrestmdashas there was and is in every city I was unaware People of color were always a part of my worldmdashmostly be-cause they had my attention and respect At our house there was Annie my grandmotherrsquos house was fi lled with the joys of Lula and out on the family farm there was strong and smiling Homer and large and huggable Rosamdashall just as much a part of my life as everyone else My life was good and they were instrumental in making it that way
What will the 5-year-olds of today who are lucky enough to be raised on those well-planned streets remember when they surpass their own 50 year mark It is a much more complex world now and there are diff erent concerns with daily changes of fear Youthful innocence is a prize that is encased without a lock Premature maturity is a viable threat and a constant fear But each night tucked in tight in a simple room sleeps tomor-rowrsquos adults who are having sweet dreamsmdashblanketed by the comforts of Blossomwood
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
92 raquo the vine raquo Amy C Collins
BORDEAUX POWER
Where Burgundyrsquos vineyards were established by Benedictine monks patiently growing wine vines with spiritual hearts Bordeauxrsquos vineyards were raised by entrepreneurial laymen who recognized the massive monetary opportunity when the English began drinking down their peasant wine
The city of Bordeaux is Francersquos primary port town on the Atlantic ocean a harbor that has for centuries served as the countryrsquos most important dock Th e regionrsquos history is long and storied with the fi rst written reference to the area dated 379 AD by the Latin poet Ausonius who was also a wine-grower Jump ahead to the year 1152 when Eleanor of Aquitaine married Englandrsquos soon-to-be king Henry Plantagenet and the port and surrounding vineyard land became the source of wine for the English a connection that remains strong even today
Bordeaux produces the worldrsquos most expensive and sought after collector wines the top tier of which make up less than fi ve percent of the regionrsquos total production Th ese names are quickly learned by neophyte wine drinkers wanting to make an impression Chateau Haut-Brion Lafi te Latour and Margaux for example Grown in gravelly soils only a few meters above sea levelmdashin contrast vineyards elsewhere in Europe typically sit between 300 and 900 metersmdashthese wines are some of the most powerful austere and pawed over When young the tannins in these cabernet sauvignon cabernet franc and merlot blends coat the tongue and mouth with a chalky dry sensation akin to sucking on an Earl Grey tea bag and are perhaps best suited to well-fatted rare steak and cigars Th ese are wines built to live for decades Personally I prefer a Bordeaux at least 20 years aged when the tannins have had ample time to calm down and mellow out and more nuanced fl avors come forward Sounds fancy and it is Only in some very lucky circumstances over the past year have I been guest to a bottle of 1990 Clos de Menuts Saint-Eacutemilion and a 1970 Chateau Haut-Brion About once every 10 years Irsquove had the good
fortune to taste a wine older than myself Nice work if you can get it
Where Burgundyrsquos vineyards (Francersquos other classifi ed sought-after region) were established by Benedictine monks patiently growing wine vines with spiritual hearts
Bordeauxrsquos vineyards were raised by entrepreneurial laymen who recognized the massive monetary opportunity when the English began drinking down their peasant wine Th is underscores the second half of my theory as to why Americans
more often American males are so drawn to the wines of Bordeaux Th erersquos an inherent capitalist connection something in the soil Th at the wines are so
unmistakable so distinctively grand and pronounced elixirs exemplifi es the fi rst half of my theory we Americans are not known for our subtlety (To be fair the Chinese are
signifi cant Bordeaux collectors as well)
Philosophy aside Bordeaux is quite a large region that produces beautiful white and red values as well as the rare fi nds out of the populacersquos price range Herersquos the skinny Blending is the game single varietal wines are rare White Bordeaux is typically made from a blend of sauvignon blanc and seacutemillon and sometimes a drop or two of muscadelle ugni blanc or colombard Reds are made primarily from the two cabernets plus merlot with small quantities of petit verdot malbec and carmenegravere occasionally in the mix Th e region is also home to the golden nectar of late ripened seacutemillon sauvignon blanc and muscadelle grapes that have successfully attracted the noble rot a fungus that covers the fruit and drains moisture from inside leaving behind rich sweet grapes without moldy fl avors Chateau drsquoYquem is the most famous of these unfortifi ed dessert wines though there are better bargains from the region
Bordeaux is split by the Gironde river which divides the region into three general areas Th e left bank also known as the Haut-Meacutedoc is where the classifi ed top growths are situated Th ese prestigious estates were named for their exceptional vineyard sites in 1855 a decision nearly unchanged since Today serious collectors invest in Bordeaux futures theoretically locking down lower prices of top
ample time to calm dit is Only in some vede Menuts Saint-Eacutem
fortune to taste a
Wherees
aun
of msignifi
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Follow Amy at pigandvinecom for morestories and wine suggestions
growth estates while the wine is still aging in the cellar Itrsquos the wine tradersquos equivalent to the NASDAQ On the right bank Saint-Eacutemilion and Pommerol are the prized vineyard areas known for their merlot heavy cuveacutees To the south west we fi nd Graves where there are many great values to be had in both white and red bottlings Entre-Deux-Mers which translates to ldquobetween two seasrdquo sits between the Dordogne and Garonne tributaries off the Gironde and is an excellent source for crisp whites
Get started on your Bordeaux experience with these values
Chateau Graville-Lacoste 2014 Graves 75 seacutemillon 20 sauvignon blanc and 5 muscadelle make up this beauty thatrsquos consistently delicious every vintage Crisp and refreshing great with seafood
Chateau Mirambeau 2014 GravesAnother classic blend of 40 sauvignon blanc 40 seacutemillon and 20 muscadelle this lovely white is a bit more fl oral than the Graville-Lacoste Easy drinking and great value
Chateau de Parenchegravere Bordeaux Rouge 201155 merlot 30 cabernet sauvignon and 15 cabernet franc grown in clay heavy soils similar to the right bank of the region Fleshy with good structure and abundant red fruit
Chateau Arnaud Bordeaux Supeacuterieur 2011Supeacuterieur on a Bordeaux label isnrsquot egotistical marketingmdashby law it indicates a wine with up to one degree more alcohol than its AC Bordeaux brethren What it really means is one more degree of body structure and in this case quality Approachable delicious and easy on the wallet
Chateau de Bernadotte Haut-Meacutedoc 2005Th e 2005 vintage in Bordeaux is in the history books with double asterisks Owned by the eminent Pichon Lalande family and made from vineyards in Paulliac one of the more choice growing areas in the region this is an incredible value a top tier Bordeaux for a fraction of the cost
Chateau de Suduiraut Sauternes 2011Ripe cantaloupe apricot and honey and an interesting smoky note with a solid sweet attack followed by great acidity A dessert wine that wonrsquot overpower the dessert
94 raquo parting shot raquo Patrick Hood
Meet Solvar
Solvar belongs to one of the worldrsquos oldest and purest equine lineages the Nor-
wegian Fjord horse a breed that has remained virtually unchanged for more than
2000 yearsmdashlong before we became acquainted with his animated cousins in
the movie Frozen Th ese national symbols of Norway are characterized by primi-
tive zebra striping on their legs and a dorsal stripe running from forelock to tail
resulting in a striking two-tone mane that sticks up like a Mohawk Th eir athleti-
cism agility and dependability make them valuable both as sport horses as well
as therapy horses for emotionally and physically challenged adults and children
Catie Wells of Huntsville is the proud owner of Solvar who resides at Monte
Sano Stables
For tickets or information 256-539-4818 or hsoorg
Bring In the New Year With Us
presents
WHAT A WONDERFUL
WORLDA tribute to Louis
Armstrong featuring the
Byron Stripling Quartet
Thursday December 31
730 pm bull Pops Series bullMark C Smith
Concert Hall VBC
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
M O R E T H A N 7 0 S H O P S A N D R E S T A U R A N T S I N C L U D I N G B E L K | D S W S H O E S | A P P L E J O S A B A N K | R E E D S J E W E L E R S | PA N D O R A | J C R E W | K AT E S PA D E N E W Y O R KO R V I S | B A N A N A R E P U B L I C | M I C H A E L K O R S | F R A N C E S C Arsquo S | A N T H R O P O L O G I EH amp M | S O M A | M O U N T A I N H I G H O U T F I T T E R S | B A R N E S amp N O B L E | S E P H O R AALTAR rsquoD STATE | CONNORS STEAK amp SEFOOD | THE WEST IN HUNTSV I L L E | MONACO P ICTURES
C O M I N G S O O N V E R S O N A ndash near Belk
B R I D G E S T R E E T H U N T S V I L L E C O M |
BR IDGE STREET TOWN CENTRE I S LOCATED AT EX I T 14 OFF I - 565 AT OLD MAD ISON P IKE
Names for photos are provided by the organization or business featured
14 raquo scene
Suzanne OrsquoConnor Karen Kiss and Sallie Ennis
Front Row L-R Patrick Robbins Ed Rush Nancy Colin George Smith and Steve Thornton Back Row L-R John Johnson Richard Van Valkenburgh Ronald Reed and Skipper Colin
Richard and Nancy Van Valkenburgh
Jay and Dana Town
Ernie Rivard Ann Rivard Anne Compton Burke and Kim and John Johnson
George and Lee Anne Smith and Steve and Patti Thornton
Linda Akenhead Donna Rush Ivy Albert and Amelia Summerville
Bobsy and Bill IngramChris Wesley Suzanne OrsquoConnor and Patrick Robbins
Tom and Pennie Keene Sharon and Ed Gartrell and Janet and David Skidmore
Debbie Overcash Brenda Millberger and Theresa Taylor
Ronald and Daphne Reed and Nancy and Skipper Colin
Kendall Black and Lee Anne Bostick
Sharon Gartrell Paige Prozan Amelia Summerville and Susan Todd Matt Taylor Bruce Summerville
Eric Milberger and Tommy Overcash
copy Photos by Mark Jaeger
Joyce Griffi n Betsy Lowe Peter Lowe Debbie Washburn and Ben Washburn
2015 Symphony Ball Advisorsrsquo Cocktail Partyaugust middot home of jay and dana town huntsville
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
text by sarah gaede raquo photos by patrick hood
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Some restaurants have food trucks for off-premise
special events Chef Will proprietor of Th e Palate at Lowe
Mill has a folding table Equipped with coolers kettles a
butane burner and his trusty cast iron skillet he turns out
amazing vegetarian and vegan dishes for his loyal following
every Th ursday at Greene Street Market in Huntsville
Although he grew up in Groton Connecticut helping his
mother in the kitchen and was always interested in food Chef
Will then known as Forest Wilson felt he couldnrsquot compete
with his older brother who was an executive chef So he
received vocational training in welding and visual arts (skills
which he still uses in creating his Afro-centric art) After a
brief stint in California working in the shipbuilding industry
he decided to follow his fi rst love and go to culinary school
When Chef Will visited his mother in Huntsville he realized
how much he missed being close to the land So he moved to
Alabama After he saw what his family was eating and how
many health problems they had he began an intensive study
of nutrition and the healing properties of natural foods
He had already been turned on to the health benefi ts of a
vegetarian diet by the surfers he hung out with in California
With his back-to-basics approach
Chef Will is like a nineteenth century
cook witha twenty-first century vibe
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
like a nineteenth century cook with a twenty-
fi rst century vibe
While most of Chef Willrsquos dishes are vegan he
does use real cheese because it melts better
He also uses free-range eggs Portobello
mushrooms are his go-to meat substitute
Th e day I visited he was serving portobello
pepper ldquosteakrdquo over quinoa and brown rice
with a liberal dash of his secret Bee Sting
sauce which his son Khaliq is working on
marketing to the public It was scrumptious
His food is so densely fl avored you donrsquot miss
the meat He especially loves the spices and
ingredients of Indian Asian and Chinese
cuisines all of which off er a great variety of
tasty vegetarian dishes
Chef Will is a passionate evangelist for the
healing properties of pure natural foods and
he preaches this gospel in a way that is so
inviting those who try his food cannot help
but be much more open-minded about trying
new healthy creative ways of eating
who seemed to have much more energy than he did He
became intentional about every step of the cooking process
from ingredient sourcing to cookwaremdashhence the cast
iron skillet which is naturally non-stick and adds iron to
whatever is cooked in it
Chef Will sources his ingredients locally whenever possible
He makes his vegetable stock with spring water His tasty
beans are soaked and simmered in that fl avorful stock not
poured from a can His collards are sublime without a hint
of pork fat With his back-to-basics approach Chef Will is
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Start a New Holiday Tradition at Burritt on the Mountain
ldquoHoliday Magicrdquo A Magical Dining Experience
December 10th 11th amp 12th
Itrsquos a magically fun evening dining in a historic cabin or the mansion with friends while enjoying delectable food and wine It is unlike any other holiday dinner and itrsquos perfect for a festive family occasion yet intimate enough for a romantic dinner for two Itrsquos rustic AND upscale
Holiday Magic reservations are being taken now by calling Butch Damson at 256-534-4361 Hurry Space is limted $90 per dinner seat Visit the website for menus and more
limited seating available make your reservations today
Wersquore decking the walls halls and stalls to get you in the holiday spirit More than 600 candles illuminate the sidewalks and Historic Park and music fills the air adding to the nostalgic feel of the holidays String cranberries make paper punch ornaments roast chesnuts amp taste figgy pudding Fun for the whole family itrsquos Christmas the way itrsquos supposed to be
Kris KringlersquosCandlelight Christmas
December 4th amp 5th
A much anticipated musical favorite will be back at Burritt in the Old Country Church
PerformancesDecember 16th through 20th
Tickets ON SALE NOWPurchase tickets at Josiersquos online
or by calling 256-536-2882or by calling 256-536-2by calling 256-536-2burrittonthemountaincom
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Th
ePE
R
FECT HOLIDAY DIN
NE
R
In our modern world of far-fl ung families Th anksgiving and Christmas are those rare occasions so fi lled with nostalgia
and meaning we press the pause button on our busy lives to prioritize time together Because family time is so rare these days NorsquoAla asked some of Huntsvillersquos fi nest chefs to suggest dishes that will inspire you as you plan your
familyrsquos menu this holiday season
Any time we spend with our loved ones is precious herersquos hoping these meal
ideas help make this yearrsquos holidays perfect
text by roy hall raquo photos by olivia reed
ldquoWith all the fl avors we associate with the holidays the gingerbread man is always near the top of the list So let the kids enjoy the traditional cookies while you sip this sophisticated cocktailrdquo mdashParker
ldquoTh e holidays are so fun-fi lled it seems appropriate that a holiday salad should refl ect that with lots of diff erent things going on fruits nuts cheeses and always a little hint of sweetness in the dressing No matter what main dishes and sides are served this salad will complement them allrdquo mdashAndrew
Grilled Pear Salad with Cambozola and Walnuts
Mezza Luna
(256) 650-2514 Th e GingermanMezza Luna
Butternut Squash Wild Mushroom and Roasted Asparagus Risotto
Th e Eaves
(256) 489-1752
ldquoI love this dish because itrsquos crisp and clean and adds a touch of light color to a typically heavy mealmdashthe bright green asparagus and red pancetta even look Christmassyrdquo mdashOwner LeeLee Wiginton
ldquoTh is isnrsquot super diffi cult to make It echoes the fl avors of the season And itrsquos also something a little unexpected It has a great fl avor profi le and complements other proteins really well Guests will love itrdquo mdashChef Merle Phillip
Snow Pea Salad with Crispy PancettaLynrsquos Gracious Goodness
(256) 533-2607
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Th ePERFECT HOLIDAY DINNER
Fried Brussels Sprouts with Coriander Greek Yogurt Sauce
Mezza Luna
ldquoI chose to do the turkey this way because itrsquos a diff erent approach Th e challenge of roasting a whole turkey is that the white and dark meat cook at diff erent speeds By separating the two you can cook each for its own proper cooking timerdquo mdashChef Steven Bunner
ldquoBrussels sprouts have had a bad rap Th e fi rst time most people encounter them theyrsquore overcooked mushy and served plain Th atrsquos a shame because theyrsquore nutritional powerhouses and because theyrsquore a fall crop at their best during the holiday seasonrdquo mdashJohn
Roast Turkey Breast and Dark Meat Roulade Served with Pecan Pesto
1892 East(256) 489-1242
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Between now and the end of the year take advantage of cost reductions on three popular proceduresmdashand begin 2016 with new confidence
bull SAVE BIG on breast augmentationOur saline price is $700 off and our silicone price is $900 off cash price only Schedule your initial consultation by December 31 2015 to lock in your price and the procedure must take place by March 31 2016
bull FULL-FACIAL LASER is $1500 Cash price only Initial consultation must occur before December 31 2015 and the procedure must be done by March 31 2016
bull WEEKEND Eribium Laser PEEL is Buy ThreeGet One Free Save $400 on our regular $1600 cash price by scheduling your initial consultation by December 31 2015
Look better - feel better - and save money Itrsquos time to get more for less
Dr Russell Jennings203 Avalon Ave Suite 300
Muscle Shoals AL 35661
Phone(256) 386-1450jenningsplasticsurgerycom
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Th ePERFECT HOLIDAY DINNER
Nutella CheesecakeMason Dixon Bakery amp Bistro(256) 213-7545
ldquoTh is is one of our favorite desserts for a holiday and for every day Th e rich and creamy cake melts like ice cream in your mouth the smoothness of the fi lling balances perfectly with the crunchiness of the crust and the delicate hints of the swirled Nutella are divinerdquo mdashCo-owners Chef Ashley and Taylor Ramirez
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Emily Taylor5510 Promenade Point Pkwy Suite 160Madison AL 35757256-430-2781
I can help you
your own wayGROW
1114-519HO
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
produced by aissa castillo and lauren mccaulphotos by lauren tomasella carney
clothing modeled by aaron petersen rachel smith anne harbargerand kait barinaga (for finery)
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Meet the Shop Girls The mission To search Valley shops and boutiques
for the fi nest in Yuletide treasures
Accepting the challenge three of Huntsvillersquos most original and creative taste-makers
Say hello to NorsquoAla Shop Girls Aissa Castillo Lauren McCaul and Lauren Tomasella CarneyDuring the day these mild-mannered professionals tend to demanding careers in design
retail management and photography But evenings and weekends theyrsquore out saving the world from uninspiring fashion and decor as style superheroes
Their picks for the very best gift ideas follow For ideas and inspiration year-round
stay in-the-know by following our Shop Girls on social media
Lauren McCaul deptofagraculturecom Instagram dept_of_agra_cultureAissa Castillo aislerchiccom Instagram aislerchic
Lauren Tomasella Carney laurentomasellacom Instagram laurentomasella
And as you shop for your own Christmas treasures this season please remember to spread your cheermdashand your dollarsmdashat home
(1) Amanda Uprichard Jacket ($248)(2) BCBG Dress ($228)(3) Zoa Dress ($128)Personal Couture Boutique(256) 508-5632
(4) Dress ($168)Anthropologie(256) 327-8470
(5) Olive + Oak Oatmeal Shawl ($72)(10) Simply Noelle Zipper Gusset Bag ($5999)House of Holland(256) 206-8989
(6) One-of-a-kind Eva Ziegler Agate and Pyrite Necklace ($397)(8) Eva Ziegler Freshwater Pearl Strand ($501)Eva Ziegler Jewelryevazieglercom
(9) Gift Set ($5995)Piper amp LeafPiperandleafcom
(7) Long Horn Necklace ($68)Personal Couture Boutique(256) 508-5632
Left to right Lauren Tomasella Carney
Lauren McCaul and Aissa Castillo
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
On himFilson Shirt ($98) Filson Jacket ($320)Yeti Cooler ($34999)Alabama Outdoors(256)-885-3561
On herPPLA Vest ($7999)PPLA Dress ($7499)Bedstu Boots ($295)Indigorsquos Boutique(256) 345-6348
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) Woolly Mammoth Tooth 4rdquo Damascus Linerlock Knife ($150)(2) Cardboard Safari Bucky Cardboard Deer Head ($30)(3) Curt Benzle Porcelain Compass ($15)Little Green Store and Gallery (256) 539-9699
(4) Hunting Journal ($32)Sweet Pineapple(256) 964-7563
(5) Yeti Colster ($2999)Alabama Outdoors(256)-885-3561
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
(1) Yellow House Handcrafted Beard Oils ($18 ea)Yellow House Beard Oilsyellowhousebeards com (2) Mustache amp Beard Comb ($16)Little Green Store and Gallery (256) 539-9699 (3) Latika Body Essentials Charcoal Liquid Soap ($18)(4) Latika Body Essentials Charcoal Bar Soap ($6) (5) Rustico Leather Key Chain ($18) Sweet Pineapple(256) 964-7563
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) Wood Thumb Tie ($44) (2) Slightly Alabama iPad Case ($250) (3) DockSmith Driftwood iPhone Docking Station ($68) Little Green Storeand Gallery (256) 539-9699 (4) Loyal Stricklin Aviator Mug ($35)Domaine South(256) 808-8860 (5) Would You Be a Deer Notepad ($9) Sweet Pineapple(256) 964-7563
(6) Filson Satchel ($265) Alabama Outdoors(256)-885-3561
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
When itrsquos time to move into a bigger house get a home loan from the bank thatrsquos had a home right here for generations You might say we know a thing about location location location synovuscommortgage
Banking products are provided by Synovus Bank Member FDIC Divisions of Synovus Bank operate under multiple trade names across the Southeast Loans products subject to credit approval
When itrsquos time to move into a bigger house get a home
Here is where Henry learned hersquod be getting
SERVING YOU LOCALLY AS
2565513300 | fcb-hsvcom
his own room
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) Spiritual GangsterTank ($36)(2) Luquido Yoga Pants ($90)(3) MZ Wallace Metro Tote ($245)(4) Vimmia V back Sweatshirt ($96)(5) Onzie Sports Bra ($48)(6) Olympia Yoga Pants ($96)(7) bkr Water Bottle ($30)The Fitzgerald Pilates amp Barre(256) 603-1886
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
(1) Gypsy Pant WarmTribal ($72) (2) Berry High Waist Legging ($88) (3) Long Legging Mathematics ($65) (4) Long Legging Peacock ($65) The FitzgeraldPilates amp Barre(256) 603-1886
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(1) Jane Tran Hair Clips ($15)(2) bkr Water Bottle ($30)(3) well-kept Tech Wipes ($6)(4) Made with Love Bracelets ($25)(5) Pointe Studio Socks ($12)(6) Bando Too Cold to Hold Coozie ($5)The Fitzgerald Pilates amp Barre(256) 603-1886
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
(1) Shop Bando Coff ee Cup ($14)(2) Shop Bando Pens ($14) (3) Shop Bando Pouch ($26) (4) Shop Bando Coin Purse ($20) The FitzgeraldPilates amp Barre(256) 603-1886
(5) Check Things Off Notepad ($16)(6) Hello From Huntsville Stamp ($12)Salt + Paperie(256) 655-5550
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) Muzzle Loaders Chocolate Bourbon Balls ($1999) (2) Vintage Crystal Decanter ($20) (3) Quench Glassware ($1399) Domaine South(256) 808-8860
(4) The Hella Bitters Old Fashioned Kit ($65)(5) American Bar by Charles Schumann ($2495) Little Green Storeand Gallery (256) 539-9699
(6) Julep Cups ($50)Willowbrook Shoppe (256) 270-7181
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom | novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
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(1) DECCO Umbrella in a Bottle ($1995)(2) Alexa Pulitzer Stationery Set ($14 ea)(3) Ikat Scarf ($6250)Huntsville Museumof Art(256) 535-4350
(4) Emily Ley Grace Journal ($32) (5) Sugar Boo Designs Clutch ($18) (6) Emily Ley Daily Planner ($58) (7) Latika Milk ampHoney Bar ($6) (8) Farm House Fresh Shea Butter Hand Cream ($14) (9) Christen MaxwellZippy ($42) (10) Green Tea Bubble Bath ($32) Sweet Pineapple(256) 964-7563 (11) Goal Getter Cuff ($32)Indigorsquos Boutique(256) 345-6348
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
(1) Kilim Pillow ($58) (2) Bejeweled Silver Plate Vase ($144) (3) Bone Clad Box ($375)Willowbrook Shoppe (256) 270-7181
(4) Cowhide Rug ($550)(5) Lucyrsquos Locket ($95) (Original piecemdashselection may vary)Sweet Pineapple(256) 964-7563 (6) Clutch ($65)Department of Agra Culturedeptofagraculturecom
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) Above The Bar Antler on Chain 28rdquo ($3999) (2) Above The Bar Deer wAntler Head 18rdquo ($2999) Indigorsquos Boutique(256) 345-6348
(3) Margaret Solow Labradorite18KT Bezel ($290) (4) Margaret Solow Diamond Crest MoonSilver ($460) (5) Margaret Solow Black Spinel + DiamondSilver ($560) (6) Margaret Solow Double Black Spinel18KT ($260)Little Green Store and Gallery (256) 539-9699
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
(1) Margaret Solow Grey Moonstoon18KT Necklace ($240) (2) Margaret Solow OpalDiamond Mosaic Necklace ($610) Little Green Storeand Gallery (256) 539-9699
(3) One-of-a-kind Eva Ziegler Smokey Quartz and Pyrite Necklace ($406)Eva Ziegler Jewelryevazieglercom
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) Jennifer BehrTurban ($625)(2) Cotton Day Dress ($64)(3) Norma Ishak Cardigan ($375)Finery(256) 429-3429
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) The Lion Sleeps Tonight Bath Bomb ($6) Sweet Pineapple(256) 964-7563
(2) Tiger Jelly Cat ($2250)(3) Dog Tag Teether ($1550)(4) Dinosaur Footie ($3595)Honey B Boutique(256) 503-2853
(5) Young Buck ($25)Tiny Vinestinyvinesshopcom
(6) Bib Set ($13)Huntsville Museumof Art(256) 535-4350
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
(1) Tiny Dancer Bath Bomb ($6)Sweet Pineapple(256) 964-7563
(2) Kickee Mammoth Footie ($3595)(3) Noodle amp Boo Essential Care Kit ($18)(4) Elephant Jelly Cat ($2250)Honey B Boutique(256) 503-2853
(5) ArtFolio Pink Elephant Coloring Tote ($17)Huntsville Museumof Art(256) 535-4350
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) Bib Set ($13)Huntsville Museumof Art(256) 535-4350 (2) Little Light ($25)Tiny Vinestinyvinesshopcom (3) Micro Leon Cardboard Lion ($30)Little Green Storeand Gallery (256) 539-9699 (4) I Love You Like Biscuits amp Gravy ($23)Domaine South(256) 808-8860
(5) Kickee Kimono ($4295)Honey B Boutique(256) 503-2853
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
SURPRISEA LOVED ONE
THIS HOLIDAY SEASON
WITH A FOREVER GIFT
HobbsJewelerscom 8772331347Parkway Place Mall
HuntsvilleHwy 72 West
AthensMain Street
Ardmore TN
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Caftan ($75)Sarah Richey Necklace ($350)Finery(256) 429-3429
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
(1) Chewbead Necklace ($3495)(2) Mayoral Baby Bag ($7995)(3) Mayoral Diaper Changing Pad ($2495)(4) Nursing Scarf ($2695) (5) Kickee Swaddling Blanket ($22)Honey B Boutique(256) 503-2853 (6) Lucy Darling Months Sticker ($25) (7) The Story of You Baby Book by Emily Ley ($62) Sweet Pineapple(256) 964-7563
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) Alwand Vahan 14K Gold and Onyx Ring wDiamond Accent ($2595)(2) Alwand Vanan 14K Gold and Onyx Bracelet wDiamond Accent ($2695)Hobbs Jewelers(877) 233-1347
(3) Britt Ryan Dress ($288)Personal Couture Boutique(256) 508-5632
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) Rocket Cosmos Mug ($13)Huntsville Museumof Art(256) 535-4350
(2) Loose Leaf Tea ($399)Piper amp Leaf piperandleafcom (3) Judy Jackson Tea Pot ($56) (4) Gary Watson Cherry Cutting Board ($48-$68) (5) Susan Coe Birthday Cake Plate ($33) Little Green Storeand Gallery (256) 539-9699 (6) Macarons ($116 pcs $221 dozen)Whisk Small Treats Bakery(256) 656-1027
(7) Truffl es ($185 each)Pizellersquos Confections (256) 513-9745 (8) Olive amp Sinclair Chocolate ($799)Domaine South(256) 808-8860
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
(1) Whisk Note Pad ($8) (2) In the Forest Mixing Bowl ($36) (3) Twig Serving Set ($18)(8) Southern Firefl y Candle ($12)Sweet Pineapple(256) 964-7563
(4) Urchin Bowl ($10)(5) Foodie Dice ($38)(6) 1Canoe2 Wood Recipe Box w Recipe Cards ($6999) Domaine South(256) 808-8860 (7) Growlers ($75 small $95 large)Southern Growlersoutherngrowlercom
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) Tacori 18K Barbados Blue Bold Gem Ring ($660)(2) Tacori 18K Barbados Blue Bold Gem Necklace ($630)(3) Tacori 18K Barbados Blue Bold Gem Bracelet ($990)Hobbs Jewelers(877) 233-1347
(4) BCBG Dress ($328)Personal Couture Boutique(256) 508-5632
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Guadalupe Robinson
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
text by jennifer crossley howard raquo photos by patrick hood
Of Deft and Dirty Hands
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Huntsville potter Guadalupe Lanning Robinson has spent more than 36 years mastering the
marriage of clay texture and geometric design into her pottery yet time has done little to temper the
plight of waiting
ldquoIt is hard for me to let a pot just dryrdquo she says motioning toward fi ve small wet pots sitting near her
pottery wheel ldquoIrsquom as excited to do this as I was 30 years agordquo
To observe her studio at Lowe Mill that is easy to believe Located on the corridor outside the textile
mill-turned-art centerrsquos main building the loft-like space with a corrugated tin roof feels like a place a
Gabriel Garcia Marquez character would enjoy daydreaming
Sienna-hued pottery sits in various stages to be fi red layered and etched Argentinian tango music
streams from Robinsonrsquos iPhone and two cockatiels a parrot and a parakeet chirp from their cages All
except the parrot fl y freely when Robinson is working
Robinson who is 61 made her fi rst pot in 1979 in her native Mexico City Almost four decades later her
work is part of permanent museum collections in Auburn Huntsville Tuscumbia and Tupelo Missis-
sippi She regularly enters her work in respected juried shows such as the Monte Sano Arts Festival and
the Kentuck Festival of the Arts in Northport and has received two Alabama State Council on the Arts
individual artist fellowships
Her inspiration draws from the villages around her native Mexico City such as the black pottery of
the northwest as well as her acquired Southern culture White lilies corn grids and round female
fi guresmdashldquoreally strong women who are in chargerdquo Robinson saysmdashreappear on her stoneware She uses
natural dyes indigo for color and mixes sand into clay for texture Nothing is wasted
ldquoI donrsquot waste any clayrdquo Robinson says ldquoEverything is recycledrdquo
Robinson fi nds solace in the 40-50 hours a week she puts in at the studio and the often tedious process
of making pots which can take from three weeks to six weeks for larger pots She usually works on two
or three pots at a time tending to groups at diff erent stages
After a pot is thrown on a wheel a piece can take days to dry before its fi rst bisque fi re in which tem-
peratures rise to 1800 F After baking for nine hours the kiln must cool Th e second fi ring rises to 2150
F and matures the clay and melts the glazes to strengthen the piece
ldquoI am an effi cient person by naturerdquo Robinson says ldquoWaiting for the kiln to cool down enough to open
can be nerve wracking and this is when my patience is usually put to the testrdquo
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
ldquoIt is hard for me to let a pot just dry Irsquom as excited to do this as I was 30 years agordquo
Robinson makes most of her pots on a wheel using oxides to change the color of clay she gets from Nashville and Pittsburgh Her pottery takes several weeks from start to fi nish depending on how large a pot is and how many she makes at a time
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
ldquoAttend to your childrenrsquos needs fi rst keep focus on what you want to douse the happiness joy and little breaks you get to make your artTh ey grow real fast and they will keep inspiring you all your liferdquo
Robinson imagined this bat-like design as she was working She usually begins a piece with a design in mind but that often evolves
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Robinson uses an overlay of liquid clay called engobemdashthat includes three to four layersmdashto create a
base on which to design
Th ere is high risk in making pottery and hours of work can be wasted on a pot that has not dried en-
tirely before it enters the kiln Air pockets or the wrong mixture of chemicals can ruin a piece
ldquoArt is involved but science is toordquo says Laura Smith director of education at the Huntsville Museum
of Art where Robinson has taught pottery classes ldquoItrsquos more labor intensive in terms of working with
the medium whether yoursquore building by hand or with a wheel until you fi re with the fi nal layer of glazerdquo
Th e result is sturdy pottery
ldquoI want my pots to look like something that is lasting a long timerdquo Robinson says
Th ough she works solitarily in her studio she says she does not get lonely Her birds and music keep her
company and each stage of pottery making has a soundtrack She uses needlepoint tools to draw onto
clay to Jose Feliciano and other Latin American musicians
ldquoIf Irsquom at the wheel Bruno Marsrdquo she says ldquoIf Irsquom unloading the kiln and something is really awesome
then I need something moving and I have on Motownrdquo
Robinsonrsquos years of experience minimize the risk of damaged pots but she says her greatest challenge
as a potter was balancing her work while raising her two children Now adults their candid childhood
pictures and those of her grandchildren cover the warm green walls of her studio
She met her husband the poet James Robinson in 1977 on a Greyhound bus when she returned to
Mexico City from visiting a friend at the University of Southern Mississippi He was heading to Mexico
to study at a university Th ey married six months later After giving birth to her daughter Annie Jane in
Mexico City in 1982 the family moved to Huntsville in 1985 Th at is when Robinson got more serious
about her pottery
ldquoFrom the very beginning when I moved to Alabama I knew I was going to have to do thisrdquo she said
ldquoIn some ways it was a way for me to keep connected to my heritagerdquo
She took even 15 minutes of free time to work in the studio behind her home and worked late into the
night while her daughter and son Isidoro born in 1987 slept Having a home studio allowed her to
wash clothes tend to her home and drop off lunches at school while maintaining her art
ldquoTh ere was something for me when I fi rst became a mother that fueled my creativityrdquo Robinson says
ldquoTh ey are such a social inspiration too It fi lls your liferdquo
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Robinson advises fellow artists who are mothers to seize
both roles but to prioritize motherhood
ldquoAttend to your childrenrsquos needs fi rst keep focus on what you
want to do use the happiness joy and little breaks you get
to make your artrdquo she says ldquoTh ey grow real fast and they will
keep inspiring you all your liferdquo
Anna Sue Courtney director of the Flying Monkey Arts
Center at Lowe Mill has known Robinson for more than
10 years She says she admires how mothers and artists like
Robinson seamlessly embrace both roles
ldquoIt seems therersquos not a separation between creating and rais-
ing childrenrdquo Courtney says ldquoTh ey seem to pull from the
same placerdquo
Part of Robinsonrsquos motivation at Lowe Mill comes from
working privately in a studio alongside other artists that fos-
ters a community of feedback and ideas
ldquoItrsquos nice to be here because you can take a break and walk around and get inspirationrdquo Courtney says
ldquoItrsquos refreshingrdquo
When she needs a break from the studio Robinson stays home to sketch designs for a day or two then
she is back in the studio
Trips twice a year to Mexico City keep her plugged in to her native culture which in turn shows up in
her pottery
ldquoI have to recharge myselfrdquo Robinson says ldquoI love Huntsville and loved raising my kids here but I still
have the need of going back to be recharged and smell all the smells and see all the colors and get on
the subway and be pushed aroundrdquo
Details from her trips that infl uence her work include the ever-present red that covers the city during
the celebration of Dia de los Muertos or the Day of the Dead Th e pyramids of Teotihuacan conjure
warm earth tones and fl oating gardens around the city yield sweet pungent calla lilies and carnations
Celebration of food tough women and nature reappear in her pottery qualities that both Southern and
Mexican cultures treasure
Above This daisy design is character-istic of Robinsonrsquos work Nature food and strong females from her native Mexico City and the South are strong creative infl uences
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Clockwise from top left Robinson often glazes only the inside of her pots so they can hold water and food She began quilting in 2002 and her quilts like her pottery contain earth tones and natural infl uences in their design Four birds keep Robinson company in what can be the isolating medium of pottery making Geometry and symmetry are two signature elements in Robinsonrsquos work according to Laura Smith director of education at the Huntsville Museum of Art
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Just as she keeps her home country close to her heart Robinson is loyal to her fi rst
love of pottery though she began making quilts in 2002
ldquoIrsquom a potter who likes to quiltrdquo she says
Like her pottery her quilting follows designs of organic nature such as fl owers and
crops on rich jewel tone cotton
ldquoWhen I fi rst saw one of her quilts I didnrsquot realize it was hers and I thought that
looks like it should be Guadalupersquos quiltrdquo Courtney says
Robinson prefers the immediate gratifi cation of clay
ldquoItrsquos a very responsive mediumrdquo she says ldquoYou can manipulate it Th e fact of mak-
ing something out of dirt out of nothing and making it durable making it perma-
nent that after going through the heat and maturing is something very excitingrdquo
She gently dings a pot covered with white dresses titled ldquoTehuana Dressrdquo to make
her point
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
887 FM Muscle Shoals bull 1007 FM Huntsvillewwwaprorg
News classicalmusic and more
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
copy Patrick Hood
text by sara wright covington raquo photos by jacki gil
patrick hood erin lindsey and michelle odom
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
copy Patrick Hood
ldquoA LOT OF PEOPLE HAD BEEN ASKING ME QUESTIONS ABOUTHOW I GOT MY BUSINESS STARTED I WANTED TO GATHER SOME PEOPLE AROUND ME
WHO WERE GOING THROUGH THOSE STRUGGLES AND TOBUILD ENTREPRENEURIAL COURAGErdquo
JACKI GIL SALT+PAPERIE
copy Patrick Hood
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
untsville-born Jacki Gil began her paper design busi-
ness Salt+Paperie in 2014 with an expansive vision
in mind one that extended beyond creating beautiful
custom designed paper goods ldquoI love my design job
but when Irsquom 50 years old I donrsquot see myself still de-
signing wedding invitationsrdquo the master stationer says
ldquoI really have a passion for teaching and helping people
I want to be a mentorrdquo
In 2015 Gil set out on her mentoring mission sooner than expected with a series
of workshops called Encourage Huntsville ldquoA lot of people had been asking me
questions about how I got my business startedrdquo Gil says about the early days of
Salt+Paperie Even though most of those questions from entrepreneurial-hopefuls
were technicalmdashlike how to apply for a business licensemdashthey served as inspira-
tion for Gil ldquoI wanted to gather some people around me who were going through
those struggles and to build entrepreneurial courage I defi nitely saw that there
was a need for helping people to take that next step toward owning their own
businessesrdquo
Encourage Huntsville was modeled on the image of a growing small business
movement called the Rising Tide Society a national community of creative small
business owners who encourage ldquocommunity over competitionrdquo Th at spirit of
openness is at the heart of Encourage Huntsville ldquoCommunity over competition
is a huge part of what we are doingrdquo says Gil ldquoSmall business owners sharing how
they earn their money is a big dealrdquo
As a fi rst step Gil gathered others around her who were using their skills and abili-
ties to make their own small businesses work With talents ranging from cooking
and cake decorating to hand lettering and artwork these small business owners
all embraced Gilrsquos vision for imparting to others the knowledge of their craft un-
impeded by a fear of losing their competitive edge
Th e fi rst lesson Gil wanted to impart to Encourage Huntsvillersquos students wasnrsquot
necessarily a particular craft or skill but a spirt of creative confi dence ldquoWe want-
ed to bridge the gap between the very artsy community and the ultimate engineer
communityrdquo many of whom Gil observes had been told since childhood they
werenrsquot artistic ldquoWhen you are little and someone tells you that you donrsquot have a
talent it sticks with you I found that a lot of people had that experience so that
was the workshop partmdashto build some creative courage in this communityrdquo
Gil conducted the fi rst workshop herself testing the waters to see how the concept
would be received Th e admission price to that fi rst workshop included supplies a
take-home ldquogoody bagrdquo to help students continue their work extracurricularly and
refreshmentsmdashas well as Gilrsquos tips of her trade
ldquoWe went in blindly not knowing if we had a market or notrdquo says Gil Th e popular-
ity of that fi rst class proved undeniably that a market did in fact exist the work-
shop sold out in one day ldquoSo we did back-to-back workshopsrdquo Gil says ldquoAfter that
novemberdecembeeer eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee | nononoononononononoonoonononooooonoonoonnononnoaaalalalllaallllllalaalaaalal ststustust ddiossscom mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm | | | | | | | | | | |
f
w
y
Previous page Encourage Huntsvillersquos founder and instructor Jacki Gil teaches a class in hand lettering Facing page A participant studies her supply list
we realized people really want to do this stuff So we said lsquoletrsquos jump on the boat
and make this happenrsquordquo
Gilrsquos longtime friend photographer Erin Lindsey of Erin Lindsey Images agreed
to contribute to Encourage Huntsvillersquos curriculum by teaching a photography
class ldquoJacki and I are a good team because our hearts are in the same place when
it comes to encouraging othersrdquo Lindsey says Still she admits saying yes to teach-
ing wasnrsquot without some initial hesitation ldquoWhen Jacki asked if I would teach a
class it was kind of scary I thought I had to be perfect before I could teach oth-
ersrdquo Lindsey says of her initial hesitancy ldquoBut after talking to Jacki I realized none
of us are perfectrdquo But perfection isnrsquot the goal encouragement is the goal ldquoAnd I
thought lsquoI can defi nitely line up with that visionrsquordquo
Michelle Odom another Huntsville native and owner of custom cake bakery Just
Crumbs was also on board with Gilrsquos vision In fact Odom had been contemplat-
ing teaching a class when she was approached by Gil to teach a fondant basics
class ldquoHuntsville is such an engineer town and everyone is so mathematical and
scientifi crdquo Odom says echoing the dichotomy between the arts and sciences ex-
pressed by Gil ldquoTh ese workshops are just a very cool way for structured people to
have a creative outletrdquo
ldquoJACKI AND I ARE A GOOD TEAM BECAUSE OUR HEARTS ARE INTHE SAME PLACE WHEN IT COMES TO ENCOURAGING OTHERSrdquo
ERIN LINDSEY ERIN LINDSEY IMAGES
copy Erin Lindsey
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Above A participant in Erin Lindseyrsquos photo class frames a still life
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
copy Erin Lindsey
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
ldquoHUNTSVILLE IS SUCH AN ENGINEER TOWN AND EVERYONE ISSO MATHEMATICAL AND SCIENTIFIC THESE WORKSHOPS ARE JUST A VERY COOL
WAY FOR STRUCTURED PEOPLE TO HAVE A CREATIVE OUTLETrdquo MICHELLE ODOM JUST CRUMBS
copy Michelle Odom
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
ldquoAnd yesrdquo Odom acknowledges ldquoyou are in theory teaching your competition But
at the same time you are helping the community be more creativerdquo
With its roster of popular creative workshops under its belt Encourage Huntsville
has added business classes to its community-over-competition curriculum with
classes designed to provide specifi c guidance for small business owners ldquoAll of
our events that donrsquot require hands-on work we call seminarsrdquo says Gil ldquoWe had
about 15 people at our fi rst one It was pretty much just an open discussion to ask
us questions and get answers from the perspective of a small business ownerrdquo
Th e seminars enjoyed the same success and enthusiasm as the workshops ldquoWe
had two hours for people to ask questionsrdquo Gil says Topics covered ran the gamut
from scheduling daily tasks self-hosting a website or using an Etsy store man-
aging client expectations and being realistic about how much time you need to
complete jobs
ldquoTh e time went quickly and people wanted morerdquo says Gil who envisions an all-
day seminar in 2016
Margaret Baggett owner and executive chef of the Chef Next Door is another
small business owner who has shared Gilrsquos vision from the very beginning teach-
copy Erin Lindsey
Facing page Michelle Odomrsquos fondant basics class begins with a styrofoam cake form Above Newbie photographers familiarize themselves with their cameras in Erin Lindseyrsquos photography class
ing knife skills workshops and helping host the business seminars ldquoI am so proud
to get to be a part of this project and help nurture other small business owners
who may just be starting out on their journey or are deep in it and looking for
some encouragement from other business ownersrdquo Baggett says of what motivates
her participation in Encourage Huntsville ldquoEven being on the advice-giving side
of things I am still learning and have taken tips and tricks and lessons from each
event we have had so far We never stop learning from each other and never stop
improving upon our craftsrdquo
Th e mutual growth among students and teachers is the source of the encourage-
mentmdashand the joymdashof Encourage Huntsville ldquoItrsquos so much fun to see the light
bulbs go off with people and see them encouraged right before your eyesrdquo Lindsey
says of her experience with the program ldquoPlus itrsquos a pleasure to contribute to a
sense of community over competition Th at whole concept is so rarerdquo
As Encourage Huntsvillersquos following continues to grow the diversity of the work-
shops will expand as well Whether you are looking to spend a fun afternoon
learning a new craft or are a budding small business owner hoping to launch
your brand Encourage Huntsville has something valuable to off er ldquoWe encourage
those left-brain folks to take up a new hobby or skillrdquo Baggett says ldquoor just encour-
age the people of Huntsville to get together and fan their creative fl amesrdquo
If yoursquore looking for
creative or entrepreneurial
encouragement visit
encouragehuntsvillecom
for seminar and workshop
schedules and information
ldquoI AM SO PROUD TO GET TO BE A PART OF THIS PROJECT AND HELP NURTURE OTHER SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS WHO MAY JUST BE STARTING OUT ON THEIR JOURNEY OR ARE DEEP IN IT
AND LOOKING FOR SOME ENCOURAGEMENT FROM OTHER BUSINESS OWNERSrdquoMARGARET BAGGETT CHEF NEXT DOOR
copy Jacki Gil
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
copy Jacki Gil
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Participants in Margaret Baggettrsquos knife skills workshop learn to perfect their ldquomise en placerdquo
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
copy Olivia Reed
text by sara wright covington raquo photos by olivia reed and jeff white
HUNTSVILLErsquoS
HOMEGROWNHOSTESS
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
ttttttononononoooooonononooooo raquo praquo praquo praquo praquo phothothothothotosoososos s s osos bybybbybb
Any host will tell you that delicious food and quality libations while important to
a partyrsquos success are secondary to the most important ingredient of all the guest list Th atrsquos why many
of downtown Huntsvillersquos most popular restaurants breweries and wine shops are turning to event
planner Ashley Ryals and her uncanny knack for attracting loyal patronsmdashand creating unforgettable
events in the process
When Huntsville born-and-bred Ashley Ryals left for college at the University of Alabama in 2001
she thought her exit from the Valley was permanent ldquoI never thought I would end up back hererdquo the
founder of event planning company Homegrown Huntsville says with a knowing laugh But after a few
post-graduate years working for world-renowned public relations powerhouse Weber Shandwick in
New York City Ryals started to second guess her freshman declaration
ldquoI started to get homesickrdquo she admits ldquoAll of my friends were getting married and meeting for football
games and I was missing itrdquo So when a friend from home set up an interview at EarlyWorks for a job
doing event planning Ryals jumped at the chance to come home
Ashley spent the next few years planning EarlyWorks Whistle Stop and Santarsquos Village events A brief
stint in sales followed along with a seat on the board of Huntsville Young Professionals where she had
an idea for a downtown pub crawl
ldquoWe expected 20 or 30 peoplerdquo Ryals says of their modest expectations ldquoBut 200 people showed uprdquo
Th at initial success convinced Ryals to embark on her dream of establishing an
event planning company But it wasnrsquot just any event planning company Ryals
had in mind she envisioned one that would collaborate with local businesses
cultivate signature events for the community to enjoy and support small busi-
nesses in the process
Inspired Ryals left her sales job and for the second time in her life came home
again to event planning and Homegrown Huntsville
To help bring her vision to life Ryals collaborated with designer Adrianne Van
Kirk of Fave Creative ldquoAdrianne has been a part of the visual and branding of
Homegrown from the beginning We come up with the event ideas then I get
the ticketing and sales together and she comes back with a logo and the mar-
keting for the event And thatrsquos how it all comes togetherrdquo Ryals says of their
creative process
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
ASHLEY RYALS
copy Olivia Reed
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
ldquoMOST WINE FESTIVALS ACROSS THE COUNTRY HAVE PROVEN RECORDS OF BEING ABLE TO STAY AROUND 15 OR 20 YEARS OR EVEN LONGER AND THE ECONOMIES OF THOSE
CITIES HAVE REALLY GROWN AS A RESULT I WANT BIG SPRING CRUSH TO EVENTUALLY BE THE BIGGEST AND BEST WINE FESTIVAL IN THE STATE OF ALABAMArdquo ASHLEY RYALS
copy Jeff White
copy Jeff White
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
copy Olivia Reed
Homegrown launched in 2011 with what would become its
signature event Dine amp Dash Every second Wednesday
April through October a trolley shuttles patrons between
downtown establishments where they are served a drink
and appetizer before moving on to the next stop
Owner and executive chef Merle Phillips of Th e Eaves was
one of the fi rst restaurants to sign on for Dine amp Dashrsquos de-
but ldquoAshley came to me and said she was starting a trolley
tasting conceptrdquo says Chef Merle ldquoI didnrsquot really know her so
I was taking a chance on the concept she was sellingrdquo
Merle tried it and has been a loyal participant of Dine amp
Dash ever since
ldquoIt was a risk in the beginning but it defi nitely paid off rdquo Chef
Merle says of the experience Pivotal to that experience ac-
cording to Phillips is Ryalsrsquo demonstration to the commu-
nity just what the term ldquohomegrownrdquo really means ldquoAshley
shines a spotlight on independent businesses in a market-
place that has for so long focused on chainsrdquo Phillips says
ldquoDine amp Dash has really brought into sharp focus the inter-
esting culinary diversity that Huntsville has to off errdquo
For the next two years Homegrown Huntsville focused al-
most exclusively on Dine amp Dash which by the end of its fi rst
year included every single downtown restaurant But when
big changes began to appear on the downtown horizonmdash
new restaurants breweries and residential developmentsmdash
Ryalsrsquo instincts told her
the time had come to
introduce a new event
to the downtown cal-
endar
ldquoBeer Hop follows
the concept of Dine
amp Dashrdquo Ryals says of
Homegrownrsquos second
venture which began
in 2013 Each month a
trolley visits three dif-
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
BILL FOWLEROLD TOWN BEER
EXCHANGE
copy Olivia Reed
copy Olivia Reed
ferent breweries where patrons sample beers and enjoy food
from a variety of food trucks parked at each location
Bill Fowler managing partner of Old Town Beer Exchange
agreed to participate in Beer Hop on his very fi rst day of
business and credits Ryals with an overwhelmingly success-
ful opening night ldquoAshley said lsquoI can guarantee that you are
going to have wave after wave of people coming throughrsquordquo
Fowler says recalling that fi rst jittery occasion Once again
Ryals proved true to her word with 60-plus patrons arriving
in an hour-and-a-half ldquoIt was awesome and such a great ex-
perience for usrdquo Fowler raves ldquoAshley is a hard worker and
you can see that in what she doesrdquo
Fowler believes that in addition to bringing new customers
to OTBX Ryals is also cultivating beer education consis-
tently bringing in people who are new to beer and want to
learn And with Huntsvillersquos recent brewery boom that level
of education and interest is crucial for the brewing commu-
nity to thrive ldquoWe have a very small window of opportunityrdquo
says Fowler ldquoI think Huntsville in particular is becoming a
craft brewing community People are making money at this
and once Tennessee sees that we need to already have had a
pretty huge head startrdquo
By the end of 2013 and with standing events Beer Hop and
Dine amp Dash well established Ryals took time to refl ect on
her original goal for Homegrown Huntsville ldquoIn the back of
my head from day one I knew I wanted to do a wine festival
I just didnrsquot think Huntsville was ready for it in 2011rdquo
Emboldened by the success of Beer Hop Ryals decided to
make the leap with Big Spring Crush wine festival later the
same year Once again Ryals delivered the perfect audience
for the event and in the process discovered a surprising
fact about North Alabamarsquos contribution to the wine-mak-
ing industry
ldquoIn doing the wine festival I learned that we have a huge
wine community in Huntsvillerdquo Ryals says ldquoTh ere are only
about 47 certifi ed wine judges in the entire United States
and we have four of them right here in North Alabama Two
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
copy Jeff White
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
ldquoI STARTED TO GET HOMESICK ALL OF MY FRIENDS WERE GETTING MARRIEDAND MEETING FOR FOOTBALL GAMES AND I WAS MISSING ITrdquo ASHLEY RYALS
copy Jeff White
copy Jeff White
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
ldquoIT WAS AWESOME AND SUCH A GREAT EXPERIENCE FOR USrdquoBILL FOWLER OLD TOWN BEER EXCHANGE
copy Jeff White
copy Olivia Reed
of those four certifi ed wine judges sit on the committee for
Big Spring Crushrdquo
Matthew and Stephanie Mell had just opened Church Street
Wine Shop when they decided to participate in the fi rst Big
Spring Crush Like OTBXrsquos Robert Fowler the Mells credit
Ryals and Homegrown Huntsville for helping to introduce
their new enterprise to the community ldquoAshley has been in-
strumental in helping to bring us people who love and ap-
preciate winerdquo Stephanie Mell says ldquoShe was homegrown
here in Huntsville and she really gets the downtown area
and small businesses and that is so important to usrdquo
Big Spring Crush began with a bang featuring over 150
wines and attracting patrons from across the country
ldquoMost wine festivals across the country have proven records
of being able to stay around 15 or 20 years or even longerrdquo
Ryals says ldquoAnd the economies of those cities have really
grown as a result I want Big Spring Crush to eventually be
the biggest and best wine festival in the state of Alabamardquo
How does Ryals intend to make that dream come true ldquoBy
always keeping it fresh I want to have new marketing and
new things happening each yearrdquo
Ryalsrsquo formula of reinvention and expansion has successfully
led Homegrown Huntsville through fi ve years of success and
helped its events become community staples along the way In
the process Ryals is broadening more than just our image of
downtown Huntsville shersquos joining a class of creative entrepre-
neurs committed to expanding Huntsvillersquos reputation as more
than just a hub for the brightest scientifi c minds in America
ldquoWe have a big city of engineers and lawyers and itrsquos won-
derfulrdquo Ryals say ldquo But there is a whole artist and food cul-
ture here and there is so much growth I want us to have a
vibrant cool downtown area and I want for people to tell
their friends to come and visit and to see Huntsville for what
it is a city I loverdquo
If yoursquod like to participate in Homegrown Huntsville either
as a guest or a participating business visit homegrown-
huntsvillecom
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
copy Jeff White
I was years old and the year was At that time the city of Huntsville was inching toward the mountain to the east California Street was once the continental divide between the small town metropo-lis and the uncharted territories gingerly crossed by the real estate pioneers four score and some odd years prior Th is area became the new suburb as the city kept pushing onward toward Fagan Springs as if the reverberating booms of rocket testings were vibrating Hunstvillians away from its epicenter
From the front yard of our house on Owens Drive I could look to the rightmdashup the hill to the bend be-yond which the big houses stood on their rocky ledge pedestals and to the left where all the other houses that looked just like oursmdashfresh and newmdashrambled for what seemed like miles Th ose clean well-lit abodes all seemed the same and granted at my age I knew more about the pets that lived there than I did about the people who owned those manageable mortgages I came to realize that each was diff erent in a way that was permeated by voices smells and furnishings
It is a clicheacute to say that our lives were simpler then because that is just how the current era will be fondly referred to in the future but to a 5-year-old it is the simplicity that brought the joy Th e sixties will always be to me the beginning of the age of manufactured happiness Cheap clean and simple was what was strived for and what was easily obtained Plastic items were plentiful and pretty things could be bought with SampH Green Stamps A few coins in our pocket would transfer us into the most master of manipula-tors with us giving our all to convince our parents for a jaunt to Murdockrsquos for a holiday of wonderment joy and impatience as we would scour the shelves trying to get the most from our meager budget
Owens Drive was the fairly new thoroughfare from which the avenues of three-bedroom-ranchers fi ngered away at planned intervals Th is was the place where newlyweds started their lives homes and families Where girls with last names that had been in the town for generations would change them to those strange and exotic last names of the clean cut newcomers brought here for military purposes Where the housewives would preheat their pristine electric ovens trying to make cheese straws and biscuits that were just like their motherrsquos only to be frustrated as they were never quite the same and where the husbands would follow in their fatherrsquos footsteps by joining the Acme Club and hunting doves on the weekends
Th ere was a swimming pool Certainly not at our house Th e only private pool I remember as a child was one that my grandmother would take me to nestled between huge trees at someonersquos house on Adams Street I would swim with other children my age while our grandmothers chatted smoking cigarettes in cat-eyed anonymity whispering most of their stories so we wouldnrsquot be able to hear But between their
gasps and laughter we would listen hear and learn
Th e Blossomwood pool was a place of designated rules and the sound of bright whistlesmdashwith straight lines and distinctive colors of blue and green I can still feel the Coppertoned oiliness on the skin of the tanned lifeguard as she carried me from the deep end frightened after my fi rst attempt at solo-swimming She knew my name I had no idea who she was
On the other side of the pool was the school my older sister attended It had a style that mim-icked the poolmdashstraight lines cleanmdasha temple to orderliness and good manners It was with
awe that I once watched the young adults there some as old as eleven wind and dance their way around a sky-high fl agpolemdasheach with a diff erent color ribbon until the fi rst (and only) May Pole
I was privy to was completely dressed in its woven bright colors
90 raquo bless their hearts raquo Guy McClure Jr
Huntsville was a magical place for us tail-end baby boomers to grow upmdashbeyond the miracles of the escalator at Pizitz the smiling little lady on the tall stool at the register at Britlings There was a comfort level there that Irsquom not sure is in the minds of the 5-year-olds of today
cat-eyed agasps
Th s
aI w
THE COMFORTS OF BLOSSOMWOOD
In our world of red-bricked carported castles there was a def-inite division of generations Th e children ate separately from the parents went to school as our dads went to work enter-tained our neighborhood friends as quietly as possible and felt safe between our boundaries of Big Cove Road and Hermitage Street While we dined on our Chef Boy-Ar-Dee boxed pizza our parents busied themselves dressing in their dark colors getting ready for a late dinner at Boots having the scent of perfume and face powder trail my mother as she came into the kitchen looking for something with an intense purpose My father would smell of British Sterling and look just as he did when he went to work only happier Th ese nights meant something fun would happenmdashwe would have a babysitter
Babysitters were my introduction into what was and still seems cool Th ey were usually Huntsville High School teen-agers who would put on a show without even knowing it I would drink in their every move word and essence of style To me they were supermodelsmdashmovie starsmdasheven more fa-mous in my eyes than a television weatherman and almost as glamorous as the waitresses at the Waffl e House
Before they would tire of me and my sister and put us to bed they would include us in their world of music and knowledge which I thought was all-encompassing Suddenly our world of Th e Benny Carl Show and Fantasy Playhouse would seem trite and passeacute and we would catch a fl eeting glimpse into what would be in store for us when we too could stay up past 8 pm
Huntsville was a magical place for us tail-end baby boomers to grow upmdashbeyond the miracles of the escalator at Pizitz the smiling little lady on the tall stool at the register at Britlings and that bright colorful Maypole Th ere was a comfort level there that Irsquom not sure is in the minds of the 5-year-olds of todaymdashthe soothing sheltered lack of knowledge of why we were so lucky yet we didnrsquot even know that we were
In the other areas of our Huntsville there was poverty and ra-cial unrestmdashas there was and is in every city I was unaware People of color were always a part of my worldmdashmostly be-cause they had my attention and respect At our house there was Annie my grandmotherrsquos house was fi lled with the joys of Lula and out on the family farm there was strong and smiling Homer and large and huggable Rosamdashall just as much a part of my life as everyone else My life was good and they were instrumental in making it that way
What will the 5-year-olds of today who are lucky enough to be raised on those well-planned streets remember when they surpass their own 50 year mark It is a much more complex world now and there are diff erent concerns with daily changes of fear Youthful innocence is a prize that is encased without a lock Premature maturity is a viable threat and a constant fear But each night tucked in tight in a simple room sleeps tomor-rowrsquos adults who are having sweet dreamsmdashblanketed by the comforts of Blossomwood
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
92 raquo the vine raquo Amy C Collins
BORDEAUX POWER
Where Burgundyrsquos vineyards were established by Benedictine monks patiently growing wine vines with spiritual hearts Bordeauxrsquos vineyards were raised by entrepreneurial laymen who recognized the massive monetary opportunity when the English began drinking down their peasant wine
The city of Bordeaux is Francersquos primary port town on the Atlantic ocean a harbor that has for centuries served as the countryrsquos most important dock Th e regionrsquos history is long and storied with the fi rst written reference to the area dated 379 AD by the Latin poet Ausonius who was also a wine-grower Jump ahead to the year 1152 when Eleanor of Aquitaine married Englandrsquos soon-to-be king Henry Plantagenet and the port and surrounding vineyard land became the source of wine for the English a connection that remains strong even today
Bordeaux produces the worldrsquos most expensive and sought after collector wines the top tier of which make up less than fi ve percent of the regionrsquos total production Th ese names are quickly learned by neophyte wine drinkers wanting to make an impression Chateau Haut-Brion Lafi te Latour and Margaux for example Grown in gravelly soils only a few meters above sea levelmdashin contrast vineyards elsewhere in Europe typically sit between 300 and 900 metersmdashthese wines are some of the most powerful austere and pawed over When young the tannins in these cabernet sauvignon cabernet franc and merlot blends coat the tongue and mouth with a chalky dry sensation akin to sucking on an Earl Grey tea bag and are perhaps best suited to well-fatted rare steak and cigars Th ese are wines built to live for decades Personally I prefer a Bordeaux at least 20 years aged when the tannins have had ample time to calm down and mellow out and more nuanced fl avors come forward Sounds fancy and it is Only in some very lucky circumstances over the past year have I been guest to a bottle of 1990 Clos de Menuts Saint-Eacutemilion and a 1970 Chateau Haut-Brion About once every 10 years Irsquove had the good
fortune to taste a wine older than myself Nice work if you can get it
Where Burgundyrsquos vineyards (Francersquos other classifi ed sought-after region) were established by Benedictine monks patiently growing wine vines with spiritual hearts
Bordeauxrsquos vineyards were raised by entrepreneurial laymen who recognized the massive monetary opportunity when the English began drinking down their peasant wine Th is underscores the second half of my theory as to why Americans
more often American males are so drawn to the wines of Bordeaux Th erersquos an inherent capitalist connection something in the soil Th at the wines are so
unmistakable so distinctively grand and pronounced elixirs exemplifi es the fi rst half of my theory we Americans are not known for our subtlety (To be fair the Chinese are
signifi cant Bordeaux collectors as well)
Philosophy aside Bordeaux is quite a large region that produces beautiful white and red values as well as the rare fi nds out of the populacersquos price range Herersquos the skinny Blending is the game single varietal wines are rare White Bordeaux is typically made from a blend of sauvignon blanc and seacutemillon and sometimes a drop or two of muscadelle ugni blanc or colombard Reds are made primarily from the two cabernets plus merlot with small quantities of petit verdot malbec and carmenegravere occasionally in the mix Th e region is also home to the golden nectar of late ripened seacutemillon sauvignon blanc and muscadelle grapes that have successfully attracted the noble rot a fungus that covers the fruit and drains moisture from inside leaving behind rich sweet grapes without moldy fl avors Chateau drsquoYquem is the most famous of these unfortifi ed dessert wines though there are better bargains from the region
Bordeaux is split by the Gironde river which divides the region into three general areas Th e left bank also known as the Haut-Meacutedoc is where the classifi ed top growths are situated Th ese prestigious estates were named for their exceptional vineyard sites in 1855 a decision nearly unchanged since Today serious collectors invest in Bordeaux futures theoretically locking down lower prices of top
ample time to calm dit is Only in some vede Menuts Saint-Eacutem
fortune to taste a
Wherees
aun
of msignifi
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Follow Amy at pigandvinecom for morestories and wine suggestions
growth estates while the wine is still aging in the cellar Itrsquos the wine tradersquos equivalent to the NASDAQ On the right bank Saint-Eacutemilion and Pommerol are the prized vineyard areas known for their merlot heavy cuveacutees To the south west we fi nd Graves where there are many great values to be had in both white and red bottlings Entre-Deux-Mers which translates to ldquobetween two seasrdquo sits between the Dordogne and Garonne tributaries off the Gironde and is an excellent source for crisp whites
Get started on your Bordeaux experience with these values
Chateau Graville-Lacoste 2014 Graves 75 seacutemillon 20 sauvignon blanc and 5 muscadelle make up this beauty thatrsquos consistently delicious every vintage Crisp and refreshing great with seafood
Chateau Mirambeau 2014 GravesAnother classic blend of 40 sauvignon blanc 40 seacutemillon and 20 muscadelle this lovely white is a bit more fl oral than the Graville-Lacoste Easy drinking and great value
Chateau de Parenchegravere Bordeaux Rouge 201155 merlot 30 cabernet sauvignon and 15 cabernet franc grown in clay heavy soils similar to the right bank of the region Fleshy with good structure and abundant red fruit
Chateau Arnaud Bordeaux Supeacuterieur 2011Supeacuterieur on a Bordeaux label isnrsquot egotistical marketingmdashby law it indicates a wine with up to one degree more alcohol than its AC Bordeaux brethren What it really means is one more degree of body structure and in this case quality Approachable delicious and easy on the wallet
Chateau de Bernadotte Haut-Meacutedoc 2005Th e 2005 vintage in Bordeaux is in the history books with double asterisks Owned by the eminent Pichon Lalande family and made from vineyards in Paulliac one of the more choice growing areas in the region this is an incredible value a top tier Bordeaux for a fraction of the cost
Chateau de Suduiraut Sauternes 2011Ripe cantaloupe apricot and honey and an interesting smoky note with a solid sweet attack followed by great acidity A dessert wine that wonrsquot overpower the dessert
94 raquo parting shot raquo Patrick Hood
Meet Solvar
Solvar belongs to one of the worldrsquos oldest and purest equine lineages the Nor-
wegian Fjord horse a breed that has remained virtually unchanged for more than
2000 yearsmdashlong before we became acquainted with his animated cousins in
the movie Frozen Th ese national symbols of Norway are characterized by primi-
tive zebra striping on their legs and a dorsal stripe running from forelock to tail
resulting in a striking two-tone mane that sticks up like a Mohawk Th eir athleti-
cism agility and dependability make them valuable both as sport horses as well
as therapy horses for emotionally and physically challenged adults and children
Catie Wells of Huntsville is the proud owner of Solvar who resides at Monte
Sano Stables
For tickets or information 256-539-4818 or hsoorg
Bring In the New Year With Us
presents
WHAT A WONDERFUL
WORLDA tribute to Louis
Armstrong featuring the
Byron Stripling Quartet
Thursday December 31
730 pm bull Pops Series bullMark C Smith
Concert Hall VBC
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
M O R E T H A N 7 0 S H O P S A N D R E S T A U R A N T S I N C L U D I N G B E L K | D S W S H O E S | A P P L E J O S A B A N K | R E E D S J E W E L E R S | PA N D O R A | J C R E W | K AT E S PA D E N E W Y O R KO R V I S | B A N A N A R E P U B L I C | M I C H A E L K O R S | F R A N C E S C Arsquo S | A N T H R O P O L O G I EH amp M | S O M A | M O U N T A I N H I G H O U T F I T T E R S | B A R N E S amp N O B L E | S E P H O R AALTAR rsquoD STATE | CONNORS STEAK amp SEFOOD | THE WEST IN HUNTSV I L L E | MONACO P ICTURES
C O M I N G S O O N V E R S O N A ndash near Belk
B R I D G E S T R E E T H U N T S V I L L E C O M |
BR IDGE STREET TOWN CENTRE I S LOCATED AT EX I T 14 OFF I - 565 AT OLD MAD ISON P IKE
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
text by sarah gaede raquo photos by patrick hood
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Some restaurants have food trucks for off-premise
special events Chef Will proprietor of Th e Palate at Lowe
Mill has a folding table Equipped with coolers kettles a
butane burner and his trusty cast iron skillet he turns out
amazing vegetarian and vegan dishes for his loyal following
every Th ursday at Greene Street Market in Huntsville
Although he grew up in Groton Connecticut helping his
mother in the kitchen and was always interested in food Chef
Will then known as Forest Wilson felt he couldnrsquot compete
with his older brother who was an executive chef So he
received vocational training in welding and visual arts (skills
which he still uses in creating his Afro-centric art) After a
brief stint in California working in the shipbuilding industry
he decided to follow his fi rst love and go to culinary school
When Chef Will visited his mother in Huntsville he realized
how much he missed being close to the land So he moved to
Alabama After he saw what his family was eating and how
many health problems they had he began an intensive study
of nutrition and the healing properties of natural foods
He had already been turned on to the health benefi ts of a
vegetarian diet by the surfers he hung out with in California
With his back-to-basics approach
Chef Will is like a nineteenth century
cook witha twenty-first century vibe
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
like a nineteenth century cook with a twenty-
fi rst century vibe
While most of Chef Willrsquos dishes are vegan he
does use real cheese because it melts better
He also uses free-range eggs Portobello
mushrooms are his go-to meat substitute
Th e day I visited he was serving portobello
pepper ldquosteakrdquo over quinoa and brown rice
with a liberal dash of his secret Bee Sting
sauce which his son Khaliq is working on
marketing to the public It was scrumptious
His food is so densely fl avored you donrsquot miss
the meat He especially loves the spices and
ingredients of Indian Asian and Chinese
cuisines all of which off er a great variety of
tasty vegetarian dishes
Chef Will is a passionate evangelist for the
healing properties of pure natural foods and
he preaches this gospel in a way that is so
inviting those who try his food cannot help
but be much more open-minded about trying
new healthy creative ways of eating
who seemed to have much more energy than he did He
became intentional about every step of the cooking process
from ingredient sourcing to cookwaremdashhence the cast
iron skillet which is naturally non-stick and adds iron to
whatever is cooked in it
Chef Will sources his ingredients locally whenever possible
He makes his vegetable stock with spring water His tasty
beans are soaked and simmered in that fl avorful stock not
poured from a can His collards are sublime without a hint
of pork fat With his back-to-basics approach Chef Will is
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Start a New Holiday Tradition at Burritt on the Mountain
ldquoHoliday Magicrdquo A Magical Dining Experience
December 10th 11th amp 12th
Itrsquos a magically fun evening dining in a historic cabin or the mansion with friends while enjoying delectable food and wine It is unlike any other holiday dinner and itrsquos perfect for a festive family occasion yet intimate enough for a romantic dinner for two Itrsquos rustic AND upscale
Holiday Magic reservations are being taken now by calling Butch Damson at 256-534-4361 Hurry Space is limted $90 per dinner seat Visit the website for menus and more
limited seating available make your reservations today
Wersquore decking the walls halls and stalls to get you in the holiday spirit More than 600 candles illuminate the sidewalks and Historic Park and music fills the air adding to the nostalgic feel of the holidays String cranberries make paper punch ornaments roast chesnuts amp taste figgy pudding Fun for the whole family itrsquos Christmas the way itrsquos supposed to be
Kris KringlersquosCandlelight Christmas
December 4th amp 5th
A much anticipated musical favorite will be back at Burritt in the Old Country Church
PerformancesDecember 16th through 20th
Tickets ON SALE NOWPurchase tickets at Josiersquos online
or by calling 256-536-2882or by calling 256-536-2by calling 256-536-2burrittonthemountaincom
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Th
ePE
R
FECT HOLIDAY DIN
NE
R
In our modern world of far-fl ung families Th anksgiving and Christmas are those rare occasions so fi lled with nostalgia
and meaning we press the pause button on our busy lives to prioritize time together Because family time is so rare these days NorsquoAla asked some of Huntsvillersquos fi nest chefs to suggest dishes that will inspire you as you plan your
familyrsquos menu this holiday season
Any time we spend with our loved ones is precious herersquos hoping these meal
ideas help make this yearrsquos holidays perfect
text by roy hall raquo photos by olivia reed
ldquoWith all the fl avors we associate with the holidays the gingerbread man is always near the top of the list So let the kids enjoy the traditional cookies while you sip this sophisticated cocktailrdquo mdashParker
ldquoTh e holidays are so fun-fi lled it seems appropriate that a holiday salad should refl ect that with lots of diff erent things going on fruits nuts cheeses and always a little hint of sweetness in the dressing No matter what main dishes and sides are served this salad will complement them allrdquo mdashAndrew
Grilled Pear Salad with Cambozola and Walnuts
Mezza Luna
(256) 650-2514 Th e GingermanMezza Luna
Butternut Squash Wild Mushroom and Roasted Asparagus Risotto
Th e Eaves
(256) 489-1752
ldquoI love this dish because itrsquos crisp and clean and adds a touch of light color to a typically heavy mealmdashthe bright green asparagus and red pancetta even look Christmassyrdquo mdashOwner LeeLee Wiginton
ldquoTh is isnrsquot super diffi cult to make It echoes the fl avors of the season And itrsquos also something a little unexpected It has a great fl avor profi le and complements other proteins really well Guests will love itrdquo mdashChef Merle Phillip
Snow Pea Salad with Crispy PancettaLynrsquos Gracious Goodness
(256) 533-2607
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Th ePERFECT HOLIDAY DINNER
Fried Brussels Sprouts with Coriander Greek Yogurt Sauce
Mezza Luna
ldquoI chose to do the turkey this way because itrsquos a diff erent approach Th e challenge of roasting a whole turkey is that the white and dark meat cook at diff erent speeds By separating the two you can cook each for its own proper cooking timerdquo mdashChef Steven Bunner
ldquoBrussels sprouts have had a bad rap Th e fi rst time most people encounter them theyrsquore overcooked mushy and served plain Th atrsquos a shame because theyrsquore nutritional powerhouses and because theyrsquore a fall crop at their best during the holiday seasonrdquo mdashJohn
Roast Turkey Breast and Dark Meat Roulade Served with Pecan Pesto
1892 East(256) 489-1242
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Between now and the end of the year take advantage of cost reductions on three popular proceduresmdashand begin 2016 with new confidence
bull SAVE BIG on breast augmentationOur saline price is $700 off and our silicone price is $900 off cash price only Schedule your initial consultation by December 31 2015 to lock in your price and the procedure must take place by March 31 2016
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Look better - feel better - and save money Itrsquos time to get more for less
Dr Russell Jennings203 Avalon Ave Suite 300
Muscle Shoals AL 35661
Phone(256) 386-1450jenningsplasticsurgerycom
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Th ePERFECT HOLIDAY DINNER
Nutella CheesecakeMason Dixon Bakery amp Bistro(256) 213-7545
ldquoTh is is one of our favorite desserts for a holiday and for every day Th e rich and creamy cake melts like ice cream in your mouth the smoothness of the fi lling balances perfectly with the crunchiness of the crust and the delicate hints of the swirled Nutella are divinerdquo mdashCo-owners Chef Ashley and Taylor Ramirez
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Emily Taylor5510 Promenade Point Pkwy Suite 160Madison AL 35757256-430-2781
I can help you
your own wayGROW
1114-519HO
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
produced by aissa castillo and lauren mccaulphotos by lauren tomasella carney
clothing modeled by aaron petersen rachel smith anne harbargerand kait barinaga (for finery)
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Meet the Shop Girls The mission To search Valley shops and boutiques
for the fi nest in Yuletide treasures
Accepting the challenge three of Huntsvillersquos most original and creative taste-makers
Say hello to NorsquoAla Shop Girls Aissa Castillo Lauren McCaul and Lauren Tomasella CarneyDuring the day these mild-mannered professionals tend to demanding careers in design
retail management and photography But evenings and weekends theyrsquore out saving the world from uninspiring fashion and decor as style superheroes
Their picks for the very best gift ideas follow For ideas and inspiration year-round
stay in-the-know by following our Shop Girls on social media
Lauren McCaul deptofagraculturecom Instagram dept_of_agra_cultureAissa Castillo aislerchiccom Instagram aislerchic
Lauren Tomasella Carney laurentomasellacom Instagram laurentomasella
And as you shop for your own Christmas treasures this season please remember to spread your cheermdashand your dollarsmdashat home
(1) Amanda Uprichard Jacket ($248)(2) BCBG Dress ($228)(3) Zoa Dress ($128)Personal Couture Boutique(256) 508-5632
(4) Dress ($168)Anthropologie(256) 327-8470
(5) Olive + Oak Oatmeal Shawl ($72)(10) Simply Noelle Zipper Gusset Bag ($5999)House of Holland(256) 206-8989
(6) One-of-a-kind Eva Ziegler Agate and Pyrite Necklace ($397)(8) Eva Ziegler Freshwater Pearl Strand ($501)Eva Ziegler Jewelryevazieglercom
(9) Gift Set ($5995)Piper amp LeafPiperandleafcom
(7) Long Horn Necklace ($68)Personal Couture Boutique(256) 508-5632
Left to right Lauren Tomasella Carney
Lauren McCaul and Aissa Castillo
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
On himFilson Shirt ($98) Filson Jacket ($320)Yeti Cooler ($34999)Alabama Outdoors(256)-885-3561
On herPPLA Vest ($7999)PPLA Dress ($7499)Bedstu Boots ($295)Indigorsquos Boutique(256) 345-6348
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) Woolly Mammoth Tooth 4rdquo Damascus Linerlock Knife ($150)(2) Cardboard Safari Bucky Cardboard Deer Head ($30)(3) Curt Benzle Porcelain Compass ($15)Little Green Store and Gallery (256) 539-9699
(4) Hunting Journal ($32)Sweet Pineapple(256) 964-7563
(5) Yeti Colster ($2999)Alabama Outdoors(256)-885-3561
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
(1) Yellow House Handcrafted Beard Oils ($18 ea)Yellow House Beard Oilsyellowhousebeards com (2) Mustache amp Beard Comb ($16)Little Green Store and Gallery (256) 539-9699 (3) Latika Body Essentials Charcoal Liquid Soap ($18)(4) Latika Body Essentials Charcoal Bar Soap ($6) (5) Rustico Leather Key Chain ($18) Sweet Pineapple(256) 964-7563
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) Wood Thumb Tie ($44) (2) Slightly Alabama iPad Case ($250) (3) DockSmith Driftwood iPhone Docking Station ($68) Little Green Storeand Gallery (256) 539-9699 (4) Loyal Stricklin Aviator Mug ($35)Domaine South(256) 808-8860 (5) Would You Be a Deer Notepad ($9) Sweet Pineapple(256) 964-7563
(6) Filson Satchel ($265) Alabama Outdoors(256)-885-3561
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
When itrsquos time to move into a bigger house get a home loan from the bank thatrsquos had a home right here for generations You might say we know a thing about location location location synovuscommortgage
Banking products are provided by Synovus Bank Member FDIC Divisions of Synovus Bank operate under multiple trade names across the Southeast Loans products subject to credit approval
When itrsquos time to move into a bigger house get a home
Here is where Henry learned hersquod be getting
SERVING YOU LOCALLY AS
2565513300 | fcb-hsvcom
his own room
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) Spiritual GangsterTank ($36)(2) Luquido Yoga Pants ($90)(3) MZ Wallace Metro Tote ($245)(4) Vimmia V back Sweatshirt ($96)(5) Onzie Sports Bra ($48)(6) Olympia Yoga Pants ($96)(7) bkr Water Bottle ($30)The Fitzgerald Pilates amp Barre(256) 603-1886
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
(1) Gypsy Pant WarmTribal ($72) (2) Berry High Waist Legging ($88) (3) Long Legging Mathematics ($65) (4) Long Legging Peacock ($65) The FitzgeraldPilates amp Barre(256) 603-1886
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) Jane Tran Hair Clips ($15)(2) bkr Water Bottle ($30)(3) well-kept Tech Wipes ($6)(4) Made with Love Bracelets ($25)(5) Pointe Studio Socks ($12)(6) Bando Too Cold to Hold Coozie ($5)The Fitzgerald Pilates amp Barre(256) 603-1886
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
(1) Shop Bando Coff ee Cup ($14)(2) Shop Bando Pens ($14) (3) Shop Bando Pouch ($26) (4) Shop Bando Coin Purse ($20) The FitzgeraldPilates amp Barre(256) 603-1886
(5) Check Things Off Notepad ($16)(6) Hello From Huntsville Stamp ($12)Salt + Paperie(256) 655-5550
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) Muzzle Loaders Chocolate Bourbon Balls ($1999) (2) Vintage Crystal Decanter ($20) (3) Quench Glassware ($1399) Domaine South(256) 808-8860
(4) The Hella Bitters Old Fashioned Kit ($65)(5) American Bar by Charles Schumann ($2495) Little Green Storeand Gallery (256) 539-9699
(6) Julep Cups ($50)Willowbrook Shoppe (256) 270-7181
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom | novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) DECCO Umbrella in a Bottle ($1995)(2) Alexa Pulitzer Stationery Set ($14 ea)(3) Ikat Scarf ($6250)Huntsville Museumof Art(256) 535-4350
(4) Emily Ley Grace Journal ($32) (5) Sugar Boo Designs Clutch ($18) (6) Emily Ley Daily Planner ($58) (7) Latika Milk ampHoney Bar ($6) (8) Farm House Fresh Shea Butter Hand Cream ($14) (9) Christen MaxwellZippy ($42) (10) Green Tea Bubble Bath ($32) Sweet Pineapple(256) 964-7563 (11) Goal Getter Cuff ($32)Indigorsquos Boutique(256) 345-6348
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
(1) Kilim Pillow ($58) (2) Bejeweled Silver Plate Vase ($144) (3) Bone Clad Box ($375)Willowbrook Shoppe (256) 270-7181
(4) Cowhide Rug ($550)(5) Lucyrsquos Locket ($95) (Original piecemdashselection may vary)Sweet Pineapple(256) 964-7563 (6) Clutch ($65)Department of Agra Culturedeptofagraculturecom
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) Above The Bar Antler on Chain 28rdquo ($3999) (2) Above The Bar Deer wAntler Head 18rdquo ($2999) Indigorsquos Boutique(256) 345-6348
(3) Margaret Solow Labradorite18KT Bezel ($290) (4) Margaret Solow Diamond Crest MoonSilver ($460) (5) Margaret Solow Black Spinel + DiamondSilver ($560) (6) Margaret Solow Double Black Spinel18KT ($260)Little Green Store and Gallery (256) 539-9699
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
(1) Margaret Solow Grey Moonstoon18KT Necklace ($240) (2) Margaret Solow OpalDiamond Mosaic Necklace ($610) Little Green Storeand Gallery (256) 539-9699
(3) One-of-a-kind Eva Ziegler Smokey Quartz and Pyrite Necklace ($406)Eva Ziegler Jewelryevazieglercom
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) Jennifer BehrTurban ($625)(2) Cotton Day Dress ($64)(3) Norma Ishak Cardigan ($375)Finery(256) 429-3429
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) The Lion Sleeps Tonight Bath Bomb ($6) Sweet Pineapple(256) 964-7563
(2) Tiger Jelly Cat ($2250)(3) Dog Tag Teether ($1550)(4) Dinosaur Footie ($3595)Honey B Boutique(256) 503-2853
(5) Young Buck ($25)Tiny Vinestinyvinesshopcom
(6) Bib Set ($13)Huntsville Museumof Art(256) 535-4350
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
(1) Tiny Dancer Bath Bomb ($6)Sweet Pineapple(256) 964-7563
(2) Kickee Mammoth Footie ($3595)(3) Noodle amp Boo Essential Care Kit ($18)(4) Elephant Jelly Cat ($2250)Honey B Boutique(256) 503-2853
(5) ArtFolio Pink Elephant Coloring Tote ($17)Huntsville Museumof Art(256) 535-4350
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) Bib Set ($13)Huntsville Museumof Art(256) 535-4350 (2) Little Light ($25)Tiny Vinestinyvinesshopcom (3) Micro Leon Cardboard Lion ($30)Little Green Storeand Gallery (256) 539-9699 (4) I Love You Like Biscuits amp Gravy ($23)Domaine South(256) 808-8860
(5) Kickee Kimono ($4295)Honey B Boutique(256) 503-2853
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
SURPRISEA LOVED ONE
THIS HOLIDAY SEASON
WITH A FOREVER GIFT
HobbsJewelerscom 8772331347Parkway Place Mall
HuntsvilleHwy 72 West
AthensMain Street
Ardmore TN
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Caftan ($75)Sarah Richey Necklace ($350)Finery(256) 429-3429
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
(1) Chewbead Necklace ($3495)(2) Mayoral Baby Bag ($7995)(3) Mayoral Diaper Changing Pad ($2495)(4) Nursing Scarf ($2695) (5) Kickee Swaddling Blanket ($22)Honey B Boutique(256) 503-2853 (6) Lucy Darling Months Sticker ($25) (7) The Story of You Baby Book by Emily Ley ($62) Sweet Pineapple(256) 964-7563
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) Alwand Vahan 14K Gold and Onyx Ring wDiamond Accent ($2595)(2) Alwand Vanan 14K Gold and Onyx Bracelet wDiamond Accent ($2695)Hobbs Jewelers(877) 233-1347
(3) Britt Ryan Dress ($288)Personal Couture Boutique(256) 508-5632
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) Rocket Cosmos Mug ($13)Huntsville Museumof Art(256) 535-4350
(2) Loose Leaf Tea ($399)Piper amp Leaf piperandleafcom (3) Judy Jackson Tea Pot ($56) (4) Gary Watson Cherry Cutting Board ($48-$68) (5) Susan Coe Birthday Cake Plate ($33) Little Green Storeand Gallery (256) 539-9699 (6) Macarons ($116 pcs $221 dozen)Whisk Small Treats Bakery(256) 656-1027
(7) Truffl es ($185 each)Pizellersquos Confections (256) 513-9745 (8) Olive amp Sinclair Chocolate ($799)Domaine South(256) 808-8860
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
(1) Whisk Note Pad ($8) (2) In the Forest Mixing Bowl ($36) (3) Twig Serving Set ($18)(8) Southern Firefl y Candle ($12)Sweet Pineapple(256) 964-7563
(4) Urchin Bowl ($10)(5) Foodie Dice ($38)(6) 1Canoe2 Wood Recipe Box w Recipe Cards ($6999) Domaine South(256) 808-8860 (7) Growlers ($75 small $95 large)Southern Growlersoutherngrowlercom
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) Tacori 18K Barbados Blue Bold Gem Ring ($660)(2) Tacori 18K Barbados Blue Bold Gem Necklace ($630)(3) Tacori 18K Barbados Blue Bold Gem Bracelet ($990)Hobbs Jewelers(877) 233-1347
(4) BCBG Dress ($328)Personal Couture Boutique(256) 508-5632
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Guadalupe Robinson
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
text by jennifer crossley howard raquo photos by patrick hood
Of Deft and Dirty Hands
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Huntsville potter Guadalupe Lanning Robinson has spent more than 36 years mastering the
marriage of clay texture and geometric design into her pottery yet time has done little to temper the
plight of waiting
ldquoIt is hard for me to let a pot just dryrdquo she says motioning toward fi ve small wet pots sitting near her
pottery wheel ldquoIrsquom as excited to do this as I was 30 years agordquo
To observe her studio at Lowe Mill that is easy to believe Located on the corridor outside the textile
mill-turned-art centerrsquos main building the loft-like space with a corrugated tin roof feels like a place a
Gabriel Garcia Marquez character would enjoy daydreaming
Sienna-hued pottery sits in various stages to be fi red layered and etched Argentinian tango music
streams from Robinsonrsquos iPhone and two cockatiels a parrot and a parakeet chirp from their cages All
except the parrot fl y freely when Robinson is working
Robinson who is 61 made her fi rst pot in 1979 in her native Mexico City Almost four decades later her
work is part of permanent museum collections in Auburn Huntsville Tuscumbia and Tupelo Missis-
sippi She regularly enters her work in respected juried shows such as the Monte Sano Arts Festival and
the Kentuck Festival of the Arts in Northport and has received two Alabama State Council on the Arts
individual artist fellowships
Her inspiration draws from the villages around her native Mexico City such as the black pottery of
the northwest as well as her acquired Southern culture White lilies corn grids and round female
fi guresmdashldquoreally strong women who are in chargerdquo Robinson saysmdashreappear on her stoneware She uses
natural dyes indigo for color and mixes sand into clay for texture Nothing is wasted
ldquoI donrsquot waste any clayrdquo Robinson says ldquoEverything is recycledrdquo
Robinson fi nds solace in the 40-50 hours a week she puts in at the studio and the often tedious process
of making pots which can take from three weeks to six weeks for larger pots She usually works on two
or three pots at a time tending to groups at diff erent stages
After a pot is thrown on a wheel a piece can take days to dry before its fi rst bisque fi re in which tem-
peratures rise to 1800 F After baking for nine hours the kiln must cool Th e second fi ring rises to 2150
F and matures the clay and melts the glazes to strengthen the piece
ldquoI am an effi cient person by naturerdquo Robinson says ldquoWaiting for the kiln to cool down enough to open
can be nerve wracking and this is when my patience is usually put to the testrdquo
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
ldquoIt is hard for me to let a pot just dry Irsquom as excited to do this as I was 30 years agordquo
Robinson makes most of her pots on a wheel using oxides to change the color of clay she gets from Nashville and Pittsburgh Her pottery takes several weeks from start to fi nish depending on how large a pot is and how many she makes at a time
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
ldquoAttend to your childrenrsquos needs fi rst keep focus on what you want to douse the happiness joy and little breaks you get to make your artTh ey grow real fast and they will keep inspiring you all your liferdquo
Robinson imagined this bat-like design as she was working She usually begins a piece with a design in mind but that often evolves
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Robinson uses an overlay of liquid clay called engobemdashthat includes three to four layersmdashto create a
base on which to design
Th ere is high risk in making pottery and hours of work can be wasted on a pot that has not dried en-
tirely before it enters the kiln Air pockets or the wrong mixture of chemicals can ruin a piece
ldquoArt is involved but science is toordquo says Laura Smith director of education at the Huntsville Museum
of Art where Robinson has taught pottery classes ldquoItrsquos more labor intensive in terms of working with
the medium whether yoursquore building by hand or with a wheel until you fi re with the fi nal layer of glazerdquo
Th e result is sturdy pottery
ldquoI want my pots to look like something that is lasting a long timerdquo Robinson says
Th ough she works solitarily in her studio she says she does not get lonely Her birds and music keep her
company and each stage of pottery making has a soundtrack She uses needlepoint tools to draw onto
clay to Jose Feliciano and other Latin American musicians
ldquoIf Irsquom at the wheel Bruno Marsrdquo she says ldquoIf Irsquom unloading the kiln and something is really awesome
then I need something moving and I have on Motownrdquo
Robinsonrsquos years of experience minimize the risk of damaged pots but she says her greatest challenge
as a potter was balancing her work while raising her two children Now adults their candid childhood
pictures and those of her grandchildren cover the warm green walls of her studio
She met her husband the poet James Robinson in 1977 on a Greyhound bus when she returned to
Mexico City from visiting a friend at the University of Southern Mississippi He was heading to Mexico
to study at a university Th ey married six months later After giving birth to her daughter Annie Jane in
Mexico City in 1982 the family moved to Huntsville in 1985 Th at is when Robinson got more serious
about her pottery
ldquoFrom the very beginning when I moved to Alabama I knew I was going to have to do thisrdquo she said
ldquoIn some ways it was a way for me to keep connected to my heritagerdquo
She took even 15 minutes of free time to work in the studio behind her home and worked late into the
night while her daughter and son Isidoro born in 1987 slept Having a home studio allowed her to
wash clothes tend to her home and drop off lunches at school while maintaining her art
ldquoTh ere was something for me when I fi rst became a mother that fueled my creativityrdquo Robinson says
ldquoTh ey are such a social inspiration too It fi lls your liferdquo
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Robinson advises fellow artists who are mothers to seize
both roles but to prioritize motherhood
ldquoAttend to your childrenrsquos needs fi rst keep focus on what you
want to do use the happiness joy and little breaks you get
to make your artrdquo she says ldquoTh ey grow real fast and they will
keep inspiring you all your liferdquo
Anna Sue Courtney director of the Flying Monkey Arts
Center at Lowe Mill has known Robinson for more than
10 years She says she admires how mothers and artists like
Robinson seamlessly embrace both roles
ldquoIt seems therersquos not a separation between creating and rais-
ing childrenrdquo Courtney says ldquoTh ey seem to pull from the
same placerdquo
Part of Robinsonrsquos motivation at Lowe Mill comes from
working privately in a studio alongside other artists that fos-
ters a community of feedback and ideas
ldquoItrsquos nice to be here because you can take a break and walk around and get inspirationrdquo Courtney says
ldquoItrsquos refreshingrdquo
When she needs a break from the studio Robinson stays home to sketch designs for a day or two then
she is back in the studio
Trips twice a year to Mexico City keep her plugged in to her native culture which in turn shows up in
her pottery
ldquoI have to recharge myselfrdquo Robinson says ldquoI love Huntsville and loved raising my kids here but I still
have the need of going back to be recharged and smell all the smells and see all the colors and get on
the subway and be pushed aroundrdquo
Details from her trips that infl uence her work include the ever-present red that covers the city during
the celebration of Dia de los Muertos or the Day of the Dead Th e pyramids of Teotihuacan conjure
warm earth tones and fl oating gardens around the city yield sweet pungent calla lilies and carnations
Celebration of food tough women and nature reappear in her pottery qualities that both Southern and
Mexican cultures treasure
Above This daisy design is character-istic of Robinsonrsquos work Nature food and strong females from her native Mexico City and the South are strong creative infl uences
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Clockwise from top left Robinson often glazes only the inside of her pots so they can hold water and food She began quilting in 2002 and her quilts like her pottery contain earth tones and natural infl uences in their design Four birds keep Robinson company in what can be the isolating medium of pottery making Geometry and symmetry are two signature elements in Robinsonrsquos work according to Laura Smith director of education at the Huntsville Museum of Art
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Just as she keeps her home country close to her heart Robinson is loyal to her fi rst
love of pottery though she began making quilts in 2002
ldquoIrsquom a potter who likes to quiltrdquo she says
Like her pottery her quilting follows designs of organic nature such as fl owers and
crops on rich jewel tone cotton
ldquoWhen I fi rst saw one of her quilts I didnrsquot realize it was hers and I thought that
looks like it should be Guadalupersquos quiltrdquo Courtney says
Robinson prefers the immediate gratifi cation of clay
ldquoItrsquos a very responsive mediumrdquo she says ldquoYou can manipulate it Th e fact of mak-
ing something out of dirt out of nothing and making it durable making it perma-
nent that after going through the heat and maturing is something very excitingrdquo
She gently dings a pot covered with white dresses titled ldquoTehuana Dressrdquo to make
her point
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
887 FM Muscle Shoals bull 1007 FM Huntsvillewwwaprorg
News classicalmusic and more
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
copy Patrick Hood
text by sara wright covington raquo photos by jacki gil
patrick hood erin lindsey and michelle odom
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
copy Patrick Hood
ldquoA LOT OF PEOPLE HAD BEEN ASKING ME QUESTIONS ABOUTHOW I GOT MY BUSINESS STARTED I WANTED TO GATHER SOME PEOPLE AROUND ME
WHO WERE GOING THROUGH THOSE STRUGGLES AND TOBUILD ENTREPRENEURIAL COURAGErdquo
JACKI GIL SALT+PAPERIE
copy Patrick Hood
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
untsville-born Jacki Gil began her paper design busi-
ness Salt+Paperie in 2014 with an expansive vision
in mind one that extended beyond creating beautiful
custom designed paper goods ldquoI love my design job
but when Irsquom 50 years old I donrsquot see myself still de-
signing wedding invitationsrdquo the master stationer says
ldquoI really have a passion for teaching and helping people
I want to be a mentorrdquo
In 2015 Gil set out on her mentoring mission sooner than expected with a series
of workshops called Encourage Huntsville ldquoA lot of people had been asking me
questions about how I got my business startedrdquo Gil says about the early days of
Salt+Paperie Even though most of those questions from entrepreneurial-hopefuls
were technicalmdashlike how to apply for a business licensemdashthey served as inspira-
tion for Gil ldquoI wanted to gather some people around me who were going through
those struggles and to build entrepreneurial courage I defi nitely saw that there
was a need for helping people to take that next step toward owning their own
businessesrdquo
Encourage Huntsville was modeled on the image of a growing small business
movement called the Rising Tide Society a national community of creative small
business owners who encourage ldquocommunity over competitionrdquo Th at spirit of
openness is at the heart of Encourage Huntsville ldquoCommunity over competition
is a huge part of what we are doingrdquo says Gil ldquoSmall business owners sharing how
they earn their money is a big dealrdquo
As a fi rst step Gil gathered others around her who were using their skills and abili-
ties to make their own small businesses work With talents ranging from cooking
and cake decorating to hand lettering and artwork these small business owners
all embraced Gilrsquos vision for imparting to others the knowledge of their craft un-
impeded by a fear of losing their competitive edge
Th e fi rst lesson Gil wanted to impart to Encourage Huntsvillersquos students wasnrsquot
necessarily a particular craft or skill but a spirt of creative confi dence ldquoWe want-
ed to bridge the gap between the very artsy community and the ultimate engineer
communityrdquo many of whom Gil observes had been told since childhood they
werenrsquot artistic ldquoWhen you are little and someone tells you that you donrsquot have a
talent it sticks with you I found that a lot of people had that experience so that
was the workshop partmdashto build some creative courage in this communityrdquo
Gil conducted the fi rst workshop herself testing the waters to see how the concept
would be received Th e admission price to that fi rst workshop included supplies a
take-home ldquogoody bagrdquo to help students continue their work extracurricularly and
refreshmentsmdashas well as Gilrsquos tips of her trade
ldquoWe went in blindly not knowing if we had a market or notrdquo says Gil Th e popular-
ity of that fi rst class proved undeniably that a market did in fact exist the work-
shop sold out in one day ldquoSo we did back-to-back workshopsrdquo Gil says ldquoAfter that
novemberdecembeeer eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee | nononoononononononoonoonononooooonoonoonnononnoaaalalalllaallllllalaalaaalal ststustust ddiossscom mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm | | | | | | | | | | |
f
w
y
Previous page Encourage Huntsvillersquos founder and instructor Jacki Gil teaches a class in hand lettering Facing page A participant studies her supply list
we realized people really want to do this stuff So we said lsquoletrsquos jump on the boat
and make this happenrsquordquo
Gilrsquos longtime friend photographer Erin Lindsey of Erin Lindsey Images agreed
to contribute to Encourage Huntsvillersquos curriculum by teaching a photography
class ldquoJacki and I are a good team because our hearts are in the same place when
it comes to encouraging othersrdquo Lindsey says Still she admits saying yes to teach-
ing wasnrsquot without some initial hesitation ldquoWhen Jacki asked if I would teach a
class it was kind of scary I thought I had to be perfect before I could teach oth-
ersrdquo Lindsey says of her initial hesitancy ldquoBut after talking to Jacki I realized none
of us are perfectrdquo But perfection isnrsquot the goal encouragement is the goal ldquoAnd I
thought lsquoI can defi nitely line up with that visionrsquordquo
Michelle Odom another Huntsville native and owner of custom cake bakery Just
Crumbs was also on board with Gilrsquos vision In fact Odom had been contemplat-
ing teaching a class when she was approached by Gil to teach a fondant basics
class ldquoHuntsville is such an engineer town and everyone is so mathematical and
scientifi crdquo Odom says echoing the dichotomy between the arts and sciences ex-
pressed by Gil ldquoTh ese workshops are just a very cool way for structured people to
have a creative outletrdquo
ldquoJACKI AND I ARE A GOOD TEAM BECAUSE OUR HEARTS ARE INTHE SAME PLACE WHEN IT COMES TO ENCOURAGING OTHERSrdquo
ERIN LINDSEY ERIN LINDSEY IMAGES
copy Erin Lindsey
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Above A participant in Erin Lindseyrsquos photo class frames a still life
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
copy Erin Lindsey
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
ldquoHUNTSVILLE IS SUCH AN ENGINEER TOWN AND EVERYONE ISSO MATHEMATICAL AND SCIENTIFIC THESE WORKSHOPS ARE JUST A VERY COOL
WAY FOR STRUCTURED PEOPLE TO HAVE A CREATIVE OUTLETrdquo MICHELLE ODOM JUST CRUMBS
copy Michelle Odom
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
ldquoAnd yesrdquo Odom acknowledges ldquoyou are in theory teaching your competition But
at the same time you are helping the community be more creativerdquo
With its roster of popular creative workshops under its belt Encourage Huntsville
has added business classes to its community-over-competition curriculum with
classes designed to provide specifi c guidance for small business owners ldquoAll of
our events that donrsquot require hands-on work we call seminarsrdquo says Gil ldquoWe had
about 15 people at our fi rst one It was pretty much just an open discussion to ask
us questions and get answers from the perspective of a small business ownerrdquo
Th e seminars enjoyed the same success and enthusiasm as the workshops ldquoWe
had two hours for people to ask questionsrdquo Gil says Topics covered ran the gamut
from scheduling daily tasks self-hosting a website or using an Etsy store man-
aging client expectations and being realistic about how much time you need to
complete jobs
ldquoTh e time went quickly and people wanted morerdquo says Gil who envisions an all-
day seminar in 2016
Margaret Baggett owner and executive chef of the Chef Next Door is another
small business owner who has shared Gilrsquos vision from the very beginning teach-
copy Erin Lindsey
Facing page Michelle Odomrsquos fondant basics class begins with a styrofoam cake form Above Newbie photographers familiarize themselves with their cameras in Erin Lindseyrsquos photography class
ing knife skills workshops and helping host the business seminars ldquoI am so proud
to get to be a part of this project and help nurture other small business owners
who may just be starting out on their journey or are deep in it and looking for
some encouragement from other business ownersrdquo Baggett says of what motivates
her participation in Encourage Huntsville ldquoEven being on the advice-giving side
of things I am still learning and have taken tips and tricks and lessons from each
event we have had so far We never stop learning from each other and never stop
improving upon our craftsrdquo
Th e mutual growth among students and teachers is the source of the encourage-
mentmdashand the joymdashof Encourage Huntsville ldquoItrsquos so much fun to see the light
bulbs go off with people and see them encouraged right before your eyesrdquo Lindsey
says of her experience with the program ldquoPlus itrsquos a pleasure to contribute to a
sense of community over competition Th at whole concept is so rarerdquo
As Encourage Huntsvillersquos following continues to grow the diversity of the work-
shops will expand as well Whether you are looking to spend a fun afternoon
learning a new craft or are a budding small business owner hoping to launch
your brand Encourage Huntsville has something valuable to off er ldquoWe encourage
those left-brain folks to take up a new hobby or skillrdquo Baggett says ldquoor just encour-
age the people of Huntsville to get together and fan their creative fl amesrdquo
If yoursquore looking for
creative or entrepreneurial
encouragement visit
encouragehuntsvillecom
for seminar and workshop
schedules and information
ldquoI AM SO PROUD TO GET TO BE A PART OF THIS PROJECT AND HELP NURTURE OTHER SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS WHO MAY JUST BE STARTING OUT ON THEIR JOURNEY OR ARE DEEP IN IT
AND LOOKING FOR SOME ENCOURAGEMENT FROM OTHER BUSINESS OWNERSrdquoMARGARET BAGGETT CHEF NEXT DOOR
copy Jacki Gil
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
copy Jacki Gil
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Participants in Margaret Baggettrsquos knife skills workshop learn to perfect their ldquomise en placerdquo
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
copy Olivia Reed
text by sara wright covington raquo photos by olivia reed and jeff white
HUNTSVILLErsquoS
HOMEGROWNHOSTESS
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
ttttttononononoooooonononooooo raquo praquo praquo praquo praquo phothothothothotosoososos s s osos bybybbybb
Any host will tell you that delicious food and quality libations while important to
a partyrsquos success are secondary to the most important ingredient of all the guest list Th atrsquos why many
of downtown Huntsvillersquos most popular restaurants breweries and wine shops are turning to event
planner Ashley Ryals and her uncanny knack for attracting loyal patronsmdashand creating unforgettable
events in the process
When Huntsville born-and-bred Ashley Ryals left for college at the University of Alabama in 2001
she thought her exit from the Valley was permanent ldquoI never thought I would end up back hererdquo the
founder of event planning company Homegrown Huntsville says with a knowing laugh But after a few
post-graduate years working for world-renowned public relations powerhouse Weber Shandwick in
New York City Ryals started to second guess her freshman declaration
ldquoI started to get homesickrdquo she admits ldquoAll of my friends were getting married and meeting for football
games and I was missing itrdquo So when a friend from home set up an interview at EarlyWorks for a job
doing event planning Ryals jumped at the chance to come home
Ashley spent the next few years planning EarlyWorks Whistle Stop and Santarsquos Village events A brief
stint in sales followed along with a seat on the board of Huntsville Young Professionals where she had
an idea for a downtown pub crawl
ldquoWe expected 20 or 30 peoplerdquo Ryals says of their modest expectations ldquoBut 200 people showed uprdquo
Th at initial success convinced Ryals to embark on her dream of establishing an
event planning company But it wasnrsquot just any event planning company Ryals
had in mind she envisioned one that would collaborate with local businesses
cultivate signature events for the community to enjoy and support small busi-
nesses in the process
Inspired Ryals left her sales job and for the second time in her life came home
again to event planning and Homegrown Huntsville
To help bring her vision to life Ryals collaborated with designer Adrianne Van
Kirk of Fave Creative ldquoAdrianne has been a part of the visual and branding of
Homegrown from the beginning We come up with the event ideas then I get
the ticketing and sales together and she comes back with a logo and the mar-
keting for the event And thatrsquos how it all comes togetherrdquo Ryals says of their
creative process
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
ASHLEY RYALS
copy Olivia Reed
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
ldquoMOST WINE FESTIVALS ACROSS THE COUNTRY HAVE PROVEN RECORDS OF BEING ABLE TO STAY AROUND 15 OR 20 YEARS OR EVEN LONGER AND THE ECONOMIES OF THOSE
CITIES HAVE REALLY GROWN AS A RESULT I WANT BIG SPRING CRUSH TO EVENTUALLY BE THE BIGGEST AND BEST WINE FESTIVAL IN THE STATE OF ALABAMArdquo ASHLEY RYALS
copy Jeff White
copy Jeff White
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
copy Olivia Reed
Homegrown launched in 2011 with what would become its
signature event Dine amp Dash Every second Wednesday
April through October a trolley shuttles patrons between
downtown establishments where they are served a drink
and appetizer before moving on to the next stop
Owner and executive chef Merle Phillips of Th e Eaves was
one of the fi rst restaurants to sign on for Dine amp Dashrsquos de-
but ldquoAshley came to me and said she was starting a trolley
tasting conceptrdquo says Chef Merle ldquoI didnrsquot really know her so
I was taking a chance on the concept she was sellingrdquo
Merle tried it and has been a loyal participant of Dine amp
Dash ever since
ldquoIt was a risk in the beginning but it defi nitely paid off rdquo Chef
Merle says of the experience Pivotal to that experience ac-
cording to Phillips is Ryalsrsquo demonstration to the commu-
nity just what the term ldquohomegrownrdquo really means ldquoAshley
shines a spotlight on independent businesses in a market-
place that has for so long focused on chainsrdquo Phillips says
ldquoDine amp Dash has really brought into sharp focus the inter-
esting culinary diversity that Huntsville has to off errdquo
For the next two years Homegrown Huntsville focused al-
most exclusively on Dine amp Dash which by the end of its fi rst
year included every single downtown restaurant But when
big changes began to appear on the downtown horizonmdash
new restaurants breweries and residential developmentsmdash
Ryalsrsquo instincts told her
the time had come to
introduce a new event
to the downtown cal-
endar
ldquoBeer Hop follows
the concept of Dine
amp Dashrdquo Ryals says of
Homegrownrsquos second
venture which began
in 2013 Each month a
trolley visits three dif-
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
BILL FOWLEROLD TOWN BEER
EXCHANGE
copy Olivia Reed
copy Olivia Reed
ferent breweries where patrons sample beers and enjoy food
from a variety of food trucks parked at each location
Bill Fowler managing partner of Old Town Beer Exchange
agreed to participate in Beer Hop on his very fi rst day of
business and credits Ryals with an overwhelmingly success-
ful opening night ldquoAshley said lsquoI can guarantee that you are
going to have wave after wave of people coming throughrsquordquo
Fowler says recalling that fi rst jittery occasion Once again
Ryals proved true to her word with 60-plus patrons arriving
in an hour-and-a-half ldquoIt was awesome and such a great ex-
perience for usrdquo Fowler raves ldquoAshley is a hard worker and
you can see that in what she doesrdquo
Fowler believes that in addition to bringing new customers
to OTBX Ryals is also cultivating beer education consis-
tently bringing in people who are new to beer and want to
learn And with Huntsvillersquos recent brewery boom that level
of education and interest is crucial for the brewing commu-
nity to thrive ldquoWe have a very small window of opportunityrdquo
says Fowler ldquoI think Huntsville in particular is becoming a
craft brewing community People are making money at this
and once Tennessee sees that we need to already have had a
pretty huge head startrdquo
By the end of 2013 and with standing events Beer Hop and
Dine amp Dash well established Ryals took time to refl ect on
her original goal for Homegrown Huntsville ldquoIn the back of
my head from day one I knew I wanted to do a wine festival
I just didnrsquot think Huntsville was ready for it in 2011rdquo
Emboldened by the success of Beer Hop Ryals decided to
make the leap with Big Spring Crush wine festival later the
same year Once again Ryals delivered the perfect audience
for the event and in the process discovered a surprising
fact about North Alabamarsquos contribution to the wine-mak-
ing industry
ldquoIn doing the wine festival I learned that we have a huge
wine community in Huntsvillerdquo Ryals says ldquoTh ere are only
about 47 certifi ed wine judges in the entire United States
and we have four of them right here in North Alabama Two
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
copy Jeff White
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
ldquoI STARTED TO GET HOMESICK ALL OF MY FRIENDS WERE GETTING MARRIEDAND MEETING FOR FOOTBALL GAMES AND I WAS MISSING ITrdquo ASHLEY RYALS
copy Jeff White
copy Jeff White
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
ldquoIT WAS AWESOME AND SUCH A GREAT EXPERIENCE FOR USrdquoBILL FOWLER OLD TOWN BEER EXCHANGE
copy Jeff White
copy Olivia Reed
of those four certifi ed wine judges sit on the committee for
Big Spring Crushrdquo
Matthew and Stephanie Mell had just opened Church Street
Wine Shop when they decided to participate in the fi rst Big
Spring Crush Like OTBXrsquos Robert Fowler the Mells credit
Ryals and Homegrown Huntsville for helping to introduce
their new enterprise to the community ldquoAshley has been in-
strumental in helping to bring us people who love and ap-
preciate winerdquo Stephanie Mell says ldquoShe was homegrown
here in Huntsville and she really gets the downtown area
and small businesses and that is so important to usrdquo
Big Spring Crush began with a bang featuring over 150
wines and attracting patrons from across the country
ldquoMost wine festivals across the country have proven records
of being able to stay around 15 or 20 years or even longerrdquo
Ryals says ldquoAnd the economies of those cities have really
grown as a result I want Big Spring Crush to eventually be
the biggest and best wine festival in the state of Alabamardquo
How does Ryals intend to make that dream come true ldquoBy
always keeping it fresh I want to have new marketing and
new things happening each yearrdquo
Ryalsrsquo formula of reinvention and expansion has successfully
led Homegrown Huntsville through fi ve years of success and
helped its events become community staples along the way In
the process Ryals is broadening more than just our image of
downtown Huntsville shersquos joining a class of creative entrepre-
neurs committed to expanding Huntsvillersquos reputation as more
than just a hub for the brightest scientifi c minds in America
ldquoWe have a big city of engineers and lawyers and itrsquos won-
derfulrdquo Ryals say ldquo But there is a whole artist and food cul-
ture here and there is so much growth I want us to have a
vibrant cool downtown area and I want for people to tell
their friends to come and visit and to see Huntsville for what
it is a city I loverdquo
If yoursquod like to participate in Homegrown Huntsville either
as a guest or a participating business visit homegrown-
huntsvillecom
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
copy Jeff White
I was years old and the year was At that time the city of Huntsville was inching toward the mountain to the east California Street was once the continental divide between the small town metropo-lis and the uncharted territories gingerly crossed by the real estate pioneers four score and some odd years prior Th is area became the new suburb as the city kept pushing onward toward Fagan Springs as if the reverberating booms of rocket testings were vibrating Hunstvillians away from its epicenter
From the front yard of our house on Owens Drive I could look to the rightmdashup the hill to the bend be-yond which the big houses stood on their rocky ledge pedestals and to the left where all the other houses that looked just like oursmdashfresh and newmdashrambled for what seemed like miles Th ose clean well-lit abodes all seemed the same and granted at my age I knew more about the pets that lived there than I did about the people who owned those manageable mortgages I came to realize that each was diff erent in a way that was permeated by voices smells and furnishings
It is a clicheacute to say that our lives were simpler then because that is just how the current era will be fondly referred to in the future but to a 5-year-old it is the simplicity that brought the joy Th e sixties will always be to me the beginning of the age of manufactured happiness Cheap clean and simple was what was strived for and what was easily obtained Plastic items were plentiful and pretty things could be bought with SampH Green Stamps A few coins in our pocket would transfer us into the most master of manipula-tors with us giving our all to convince our parents for a jaunt to Murdockrsquos for a holiday of wonderment joy and impatience as we would scour the shelves trying to get the most from our meager budget
Owens Drive was the fairly new thoroughfare from which the avenues of three-bedroom-ranchers fi ngered away at planned intervals Th is was the place where newlyweds started their lives homes and families Where girls with last names that had been in the town for generations would change them to those strange and exotic last names of the clean cut newcomers brought here for military purposes Where the housewives would preheat their pristine electric ovens trying to make cheese straws and biscuits that were just like their motherrsquos only to be frustrated as they were never quite the same and where the husbands would follow in their fatherrsquos footsteps by joining the Acme Club and hunting doves on the weekends
Th ere was a swimming pool Certainly not at our house Th e only private pool I remember as a child was one that my grandmother would take me to nestled between huge trees at someonersquos house on Adams Street I would swim with other children my age while our grandmothers chatted smoking cigarettes in cat-eyed anonymity whispering most of their stories so we wouldnrsquot be able to hear But between their
gasps and laughter we would listen hear and learn
Th e Blossomwood pool was a place of designated rules and the sound of bright whistlesmdashwith straight lines and distinctive colors of blue and green I can still feel the Coppertoned oiliness on the skin of the tanned lifeguard as she carried me from the deep end frightened after my fi rst attempt at solo-swimming She knew my name I had no idea who she was
On the other side of the pool was the school my older sister attended It had a style that mim-icked the poolmdashstraight lines cleanmdasha temple to orderliness and good manners It was with
awe that I once watched the young adults there some as old as eleven wind and dance their way around a sky-high fl agpolemdasheach with a diff erent color ribbon until the fi rst (and only) May Pole
I was privy to was completely dressed in its woven bright colors
90 raquo bless their hearts raquo Guy McClure Jr
Huntsville was a magical place for us tail-end baby boomers to grow upmdashbeyond the miracles of the escalator at Pizitz the smiling little lady on the tall stool at the register at Britlings There was a comfort level there that Irsquom not sure is in the minds of the 5-year-olds of today
cat-eyed agasps
Th s
aI w
THE COMFORTS OF BLOSSOMWOOD
In our world of red-bricked carported castles there was a def-inite division of generations Th e children ate separately from the parents went to school as our dads went to work enter-tained our neighborhood friends as quietly as possible and felt safe between our boundaries of Big Cove Road and Hermitage Street While we dined on our Chef Boy-Ar-Dee boxed pizza our parents busied themselves dressing in their dark colors getting ready for a late dinner at Boots having the scent of perfume and face powder trail my mother as she came into the kitchen looking for something with an intense purpose My father would smell of British Sterling and look just as he did when he went to work only happier Th ese nights meant something fun would happenmdashwe would have a babysitter
Babysitters were my introduction into what was and still seems cool Th ey were usually Huntsville High School teen-agers who would put on a show without even knowing it I would drink in their every move word and essence of style To me they were supermodelsmdashmovie starsmdasheven more fa-mous in my eyes than a television weatherman and almost as glamorous as the waitresses at the Waffl e House
Before they would tire of me and my sister and put us to bed they would include us in their world of music and knowledge which I thought was all-encompassing Suddenly our world of Th e Benny Carl Show and Fantasy Playhouse would seem trite and passeacute and we would catch a fl eeting glimpse into what would be in store for us when we too could stay up past 8 pm
Huntsville was a magical place for us tail-end baby boomers to grow upmdashbeyond the miracles of the escalator at Pizitz the smiling little lady on the tall stool at the register at Britlings and that bright colorful Maypole Th ere was a comfort level there that Irsquom not sure is in the minds of the 5-year-olds of todaymdashthe soothing sheltered lack of knowledge of why we were so lucky yet we didnrsquot even know that we were
In the other areas of our Huntsville there was poverty and ra-cial unrestmdashas there was and is in every city I was unaware People of color were always a part of my worldmdashmostly be-cause they had my attention and respect At our house there was Annie my grandmotherrsquos house was fi lled with the joys of Lula and out on the family farm there was strong and smiling Homer and large and huggable Rosamdashall just as much a part of my life as everyone else My life was good and they were instrumental in making it that way
What will the 5-year-olds of today who are lucky enough to be raised on those well-planned streets remember when they surpass their own 50 year mark It is a much more complex world now and there are diff erent concerns with daily changes of fear Youthful innocence is a prize that is encased without a lock Premature maturity is a viable threat and a constant fear But each night tucked in tight in a simple room sleeps tomor-rowrsquos adults who are having sweet dreamsmdashblanketed by the comforts of Blossomwood
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
92 raquo the vine raquo Amy C Collins
BORDEAUX POWER
Where Burgundyrsquos vineyards were established by Benedictine monks patiently growing wine vines with spiritual hearts Bordeauxrsquos vineyards were raised by entrepreneurial laymen who recognized the massive monetary opportunity when the English began drinking down their peasant wine
The city of Bordeaux is Francersquos primary port town on the Atlantic ocean a harbor that has for centuries served as the countryrsquos most important dock Th e regionrsquos history is long and storied with the fi rst written reference to the area dated 379 AD by the Latin poet Ausonius who was also a wine-grower Jump ahead to the year 1152 when Eleanor of Aquitaine married Englandrsquos soon-to-be king Henry Plantagenet and the port and surrounding vineyard land became the source of wine for the English a connection that remains strong even today
Bordeaux produces the worldrsquos most expensive and sought after collector wines the top tier of which make up less than fi ve percent of the regionrsquos total production Th ese names are quickly learned by neophyte wine drinkers wanting to make an impression Chateau Haut-Brion Lafi te Latour and Margaux for example Grown in gravelly soils only a few meters above sea levelmdashin contrast vineyards elsewhere in Europe typically sit between 300 and 900 metersmdashthese wines are some of the most powerful austere and pawed over When young the tannins in these cabernet sauvignon cabernet franc and merlot blends coat the tongue and mouth with a chalky dry sensation akin to sucking on an Earl Grey tea bag and are perhaps best suited to well-fatted rare steak and cigars Th ese are wines built to live for decades Personally I prefer a Bordeaux at least 20 years aged when the tannins have had ample time to calm down and mellow out and more nuanced fl avors come forward Sounds fancy and it is Only in some very lucky circumstances over the past year have I been guest to a bottle of 1990 Clos de Menuts Saint-Eacutemilion and a 1970 Chateau Haut-Brion About once every 10 years Irsquove had the good
fortune to taste a wine older than myself Nice work if you can get it
Where Burgundyrsquos vineyards (Francersquos other classifi ed sought-after region) were established by Benedictine monks patiently growing wine vines with spiritual hearts
Bordeauxrsquos vineyards were raised by entrepreneurial laymen who recognized the massive monetary opportunity when the English began drinking down their peasant wine Th is underscores the second half of my theory as to why Americans
more often American males are so drawn to the wines of Bordeaux Th erersquos an inherent capitalist connection something in the soil Th at the wines are so
unmistakable so distinctively grand and pronounced elixirs exemplifi es the fi rst half of my theory we Americans are not known for our subtlety (To be fair the Chinese are
signifi cant Bordeaux collectors as well)
Philosophy aside Bordeaux is quite a large region that produces beautiful white and red values as well as the rare fi nds out of the populacersquos price range Herersquos the skinny Blending is the game single varietal wines are rare White Bordeaux is typically made from a blend of sauvignon blanc and seacutemillon and sometimes a drop or two of muscadelle ugni blanc or colombard Reds are made primarily from the two cabernets plus merlot with small quantities of petit verdot malbec and carmenegravere occasionally in the mix Th e region is also home to the golden nectar of late ripened seacutemillon sauvignon blanc and muscadelle grapes that have successfully attracted the noble rot a fungus that covers the fruit and drains moisture from inside leaving behind rich sweet grapes without moldy fl avors Chateau drsquoYquem is the most famous of these unfortifi ed dessert wines though there are better bargains from the region
Bordeaux is split by the Gironde river which divides the region into three general areas Th e left bank also known as the Haut-Meacutedoc is where the classifi ed top growths are situated Th ese prestigious estates were named for their exceptional vineyard sites in 1855 a decision nearly unchanged since Today serious collectors invest in Bordeaux futures theoretically locking down lower prices of top
ample time to calm dit is Only in some vede Menuts Saint-Eacutem
fortune to taste a
Wherees
aun
of msignifi
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Follow Amy at pigandvinecom for morestories and wine suggestions
growth estates while the wine is still aging in the cellar Itrsquos the wine tradersquos equivalent to the NASDAQ On the right bank Saint-Eacutemilion and Pommerol are the prized vineyard areas known for their merlot heavy cuveacutees To the south west we fi nd Graves where there are many great values to be had in both white and red bottlings Entre-Deux-Mers which translates to ldquobetween two seasrdquo sits between the Dordogne and Garonne tributaries off the Gironde and is an excellent source for crisp whites
Get started on your Bordeaux experience with these values
Chateau Graville-Lacoste 2014 Graves 75 seacutemillon 20 sauvignon blanc and 5 muscadelle make up this beauty thatrsquos consistently delicious every vintage Crisp and refreshing great with seafood
Chateau Mirambeau 2014 GravesAnother classic blend of 40 sauvignon blanc 40 seacutemillon and 20 muscadelle this lovely white is a bit more fl oral than the Graville-Lacoste Easy drinking and great value
Chateau de Parenchegravere Bordeaux Rouge 201155 merlot 30 cabernet sauvignon and 15 cabernet franc grown in clay heavy soils similar to the right bank of the region Fleshy with good structure and abundant red fruit
Chateau Arnaud Bordeaux Supeacuterieur 2011Supeacuterieur on a Bordeaux label isnrsquot egotistical marketingmdashby law it indicates a wine with up to one degree more alcohol than its AC Bordeaux brethren What it really means is one more degree of body structure and in this case quality Approachable delicious and easy on the wallet
Chateau de Bernadotte Haut-Meacutedoc 2005Th e 2005 vintage in Bordeaux is in the history books with double asterisks Owned by the eminent Pichon Lalande family and made from vineyards in Paulliac one of the more choice growing areas in the region this is an incredible value a top tier Bordeaux for a fraction of the cost
Chateau de Suduiraut Sauternes 2011Ripe cantaloupe apricot and honey and an interesting smoky note with a solid sweet attack followed by great acidity A dessert wine that wonrsquot overpower the dessert
94 raquo parting shot raquo Patrick Hood
Meet Solvar
Solvar belongs to one of the worldrsquos oldest and purest equine lineages the Nor-
wegian Fjord horse a breed that has remained virtually unchanged for more than
2000 yearsmdashlong before we became acquainted with his animated cousins in
the movie Frozen Th ese national symbols of Norway are characterized by primi-
tive zebra striping on their legs and a dorsal stripe running from forelock to tail
resulting in a striking two-tone mane that sticks up like a Mohawk Th eir athleti-
cism agility and dependability make them valuable both as sport horses as well
as therapy horses for emotionally and physically challenged adults and children
Catie Wells of Huntsville is the proud owner of Solvar who resides at Monte
Sano Stables
For tickets or information 256-539-4818 or hsoorg
Bring In the New Year With Us
presents
WHAT A WONDERFUL
WORLDA tribute to Louis
Armstrong featuring the
Byron Stripling Quartet
Thursday December 31
730 pm bull Pops Series bullMark C Smith
Concert Hall VBC
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
M O R E T H A N 7 0 S H O P S A N D R E S T A U R A N T S I N C L U D I N G B E L K | D S W S H O E S | A P P L E J O S A B A N K | R E E D S J E W E L E R S | PA N D O R A | J C R E W | K AT E S PA D E N E W Y O R KO R V I S | B A N A N A R E P U B L I C | M I C H A E L K O R S | F R A N C E S C Arsquo S | A N T H R O P O L O G I EH amp M | S O M A | M O U N T A I N H I G H O U T F I T T E R S | B A R N E S amp N O B L E | S E P H O R AALTAR rsquoD STATE | CONNORS STEAK amp SEFOOD | THE WEST IN HUNTSV I L L E | MONACO P ICTURES
C O M I N G S O O N V E R S O N A ndash near Belk
B R I D G E S T R E E T H U N T S V I L L E C O M |
BR IDGE STREET TOWN CENTRE I S LOCATED AT EX I T 14 OFF I - 565 AT OLD MAD ISON P IKE
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
text by sarah gaede raquo photos by patrick hood
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Some restaurants have food trucks for off-premise
special events Chef Will proprietor of Th e Palate at Lowe
Mill has a folding table Equipped with coolers kettles a
butane burner and his trusty cast iron skillet he turns out
amazing vegetarian and vegan dishes for his loyal following
every Th ursday at Greene Street Market in Huntsville
Although he grew up in Groton Connecticut helping his
mother in the kitchen and was always interested in food Chef
Will then known as Forest Wilson felt he couldnrsquot compete
with his older brother who was an executive chef So he
received vocational training in welding and visual arts (skills
which he still uses in creating his Afro-centric art) After a
brief stint in California working in the shipbuilding industry
he decided to follow his fi rst love and go to culinary school
When Chef Will visited his mother in Huntsville he realized
how much he missed being close to the land So he moved to
Alabama After he saw what his family was eating and how
many health problems they had he began an intensive study
of nutrition and the healing properties of natural foods
He had already been turned on to the health benefi ts of a
vegetarian diet by the surfers he hung out with in California
With his back-to-basics approach
Chef Will is like a nineteenth century
cook witha twenty-first century vibe
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
like a nineteenth century cook with a twenty-
fi rst century vibe
While most of Chef Willrsquos dishes are vegan he
does use real cheese because it melts better
He also uses free-range eggs Portobello
mushrooms are his go-to meat substitute
Th e day I visited he was serving portobello
pepper ldquosteakrdquo over quinoa and brown rice
with a liberal dash of his secret Bee Sting
sauce which his son Khaliq is working on
marketing to the public It was scrumptious
His food is so densely fl avored you donrsquot miss
the meat He especially loves the spices and
ingredients of Indian Asian and Chinese
cuisines all of which off er a great variety of
tasty vegetarian dishes
Chef Will is a passionate evangelist for the
healing properties of pure natural foods and
he preaches this gospel in a way that is so
inviting those who try his food cannot help
but be much more open-minded about trying
new healthy creative ways of eating
who seemed to have much more energy than he did He
became intentional about every step of the cooking process
from ingredient sourcing to cookwaremdashhence the cast
iron skillet which is naturally non-stick and adds iron to
whatever is cooked in it
Chef Will sources his ingredients locally whenever possible
He makes his vegetable stock with spring water His tasty
beans are soaked and simmered in that fl avorful stock not
poured from a can His collards are sublime without a hint
of pork fat With his back-to-basics approach Chef Will is
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Start a New Holiday Tradition at Burritt on the Mountain
ldquoHoliday Magicrdquo A Magical Dining Experience
December 10th 11th amp 12th
Itrsquos a magically fun evening dining in a historic cabin or the mansion with friends while enjoying delectable food and wine It is unlike any other holiday dinner and itrsquos perfect for a festive family occasion yet intimate enough for a romantic dinner for two Itrsquos rustic AND upscale
Holiday Magic reservations are being taken now by calling Butch Damson at 256-534-4361 Hurry Space is limted $90 per dinner seat Visit the website for menus and more
limited seating available make your reservations today
Wersquore decking the walls halls and stalls to get you in the holiday spirit More than 600 candles illuminate the sidewalks and Historic Park and music fills the air adding to the nostalgic feel of the holidays String cranberries make paper punch ornaments roast chesnuts amp taste figgy pudding Fun for the whole family itrsquos Christmas the way itrsquos supposed to be
Kris KringlersquosCandlelight Christmas
December 4th amp 5th
A much anticipated musical favorite will be back at Burritt in the Old Country Church
PerformancesDecember 16th through 20th
Tickets ON SALE NOWPurchase tickets at Josiersquos online
or by calling 256-536-2882or by calling 256-536-2by calling 256-536-2burrittonthemountaincom
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Th
ePE
R
FECT HOLIDAY DIN
NE
R
In our modern world of far-fl ung families Th anksgiving and Christmas are those rare occasions so fi lled with nostalgia
and meaning we press the pause button on our busy lives to prioritize time together Because family time is so rare these days NorsquoAla asked some of Huntsvillersquos fi nest chefs to suggest dishes that will inspire you as you plan your
familyrsquos menu this holiday season
Any time we spend with our loved ones is precious herersquos hoping these meal
ideas help make this yearrsquos holidays perfect
text by roy hall raquo photos by olivia reed
ldquoWith all the fl avors we associate with the holidays the gingerbread man is always near the top of the list So let the kids enjoy the traditional cookies while you sip this sophisticated cocktailrdquo mdashParker
ldquoTh e holidays are so fun-fi lled it seems appropriate that a holiday salad should refl ect that with lots of diff erent things going on fruits nuts cheeses and always a little hint of sweetness in the dressing No matter what main dishes and sides are served this salad will complement them allrdquo mdashAndrew
Grilled Pear Salad with Cambozola and Walnuts
Mezza Luna
(256) 650-2514 Th e GingermanMezza Luna
Butternut Squash Wild Mushroom and Roasted Asparagus Risotto
Th e Eaves
(256) 489-1752
ldquoI love this dish because itrsquos crisp and clean and adds a touch of light color to a typically heavy mealmdashthe bright green asparagus and red pancetta even look Christmassyrdquo mdashOwner LeeLee Wiginton
ldquoTh is isnrsquot super diffi cult to make It echoes the fl avors of the season And itrsquos also something a little unexpected It has a great fl avor profi le and complements other proteins really well Guests will love itrdquo mdashChef Merle Phillip
Snow Pea Salad with Crispy PancettaLynrsquos Gracious Goodness
(256) 533-2607
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Th ePERFECT HOLIDAY DINNER
Fried Brussels Sprouts with Coriander Greek Yogurt Sauce
Mezza Luna
ldquoI chose to do the turkey this way because itrsquos a diff erent approach Th e challenge of roasting a whole turkey is that the white and dark meat cook at diff erent speeds By separating the two you can cook each for its own proper cooking timerdquo mdashChef Steven Bunner
ldquoBrussels sprouts have had a bad rap Th e fi rst time most people encounter them theyrsquore overcooked mushy and served plain Th atrsquos a shame because theyrsquore nutritional powerhouses and because theyrsquore a fall crop at their best during the holiday seasonrdquo mdashJohn
Roast Turkey Breast and Dark Meat Roulade Served with Pecan Pesto
1892 East(256) 489-1242
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Between now and the end of the year take advantage of cost reductions on three popular proceduresmdashand begin 2016 with new confidence
bull SAVE BIG on breast augmentationOur saline price is $700 off and our silicone price is $900 off cash price only Schedule your initial consultation by December 31 2015 to lock in your price and the procedure must take place by March 31 2016
bull FULL-FACIAL LASER is $1500 Cash price only Initial consultation must occur before December 31 2015 and the procedure must be done by March 31 2016
bull WEEKEND Eribium Laser PEEL is Buy ThreeGet One Free Save $400 on our regular $1600 cash price by scheduling your initial consultation by December 31 2015
Look better - feel better - and save money Itrsquos time to get more for less
Dr Russell Jennings203 Avalon Ave Suite 300
Muscle Shoals AL 35661
Phone(256) 386-1450jenningsplasticsurgerycom
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Th ePERFECT HOLIDAY DINNER
Nutella CheesecakeMason Dixon Bakery amp Bistro(256) 213-7545
ldquoTh is is one of our favorite desserts for a holiday and for every day Th e rich and creamy cake melts like ice cream in your mouth the smoothness of the fi lling balances perfectly with the crunchiness of the crust and the delicate hints of the swirled Nutella are divinerdquo mdashCo-owners Chef Ashley and Taylor Ramirez
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Emily Taylor5510 Promenade Point Pkwy Suite 160Madison AL 35757256-430-2781
I can help you
your own wayGROW
1114-519HO
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
produced by aissa castillo and lauren mccaulphotos by lauren tomasella carney
clothing modeled by aaron petersen rachel smith anne harbargerand kait barinaga (for finery)
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Meet the Shop Girls The mission To search Valley shops and boutiques
for the fi nest in Yuletide treasures
Accepting the challenge three of Huntsvillersquos most original and creative taste-makers
Say hello to NorsquoAla Shop Girls Aissa Castillo Lauren McCaul and Lauren Tomasella CarneyDuring the day these mild-mannered professionals tend to demanding careers in design
retail management and photography But evenings and weekends theyrsquore out saving the world from uninspiring fashion and decor as style superheroes
Their picks for the very best gift ideas follow For ideas and inspiration year-round
stay in-the-know by following our Shop Girls on social media
Lauren McCaul deptofagraculturecom Instagram dept_of_agra_cultureAissa Castillo aislerchiccom Instagram aislerchic
Lauren Tomasella Carney laurentomasellacom Instagram laurentomasella
And as you shop for your own Christmas treasures this season please remember to spread your cheermdashand your dollarsmdashat home
(1) Amanda Uprichard Jacket ($248)(2) BCBG Dress ($228)(3) Zoa Dress ($128)Personal Couture Boutique(256) 508-5632
(4) Dress ($168)Anthropologie(256) 327-8470
(5) Olive + Oak Oatmeal Shawl ($72)(10) Simply Noelle Zipper Gusset Bag ($5999)House of Holland(256) 206-8989
(6) One-of-a-kind Eva Ziegler Agate and Pyrite Necklace ($397)(8) Eva Ziegler Freshwater Pearl Strand ($501)Eva Ziegler Jewelryevazieglercom
(9) Gift Set ($5995)Piper amp LeafPiperandleafcom
(7) Long Horn Necklace ($68)Personal Couture Boutique(256) 508-5632
Left to right Lauren Tomasella Carney
Lauren McCaul and Aissa Castillo
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
On himFilson Shirt ($98) Filson Jacket ($320)Yeti Cooler ($34999)Alabama Outdoors(256)-885-3561
On herPPLA Vest ($7999)PPLA Dress ($7499)Bedstu Boots ($295)Indigorsquos Boutique(256) 345-6348
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) Woolly Mammoth Tooth 4rdquo Damascus Linerlock Knife ($150)(2) Cardboard Safari Bucky Cardboard Deer Head ($30)(3) Curt Benzle Porcelain Compass ($15)Little Green Store and Gallery (256) 539-9699
(4) Hunting Journal ($32)Sweet Pineapple(256) 964-7563
(5) Yeti Colster ($2999)Alabama Outdoors(256)-885-3561
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
(1) Yellow House Handcrafted Beard Oils ($18 ea)Yellow House Beard Oilsyellowhousebeards com (2) Mustache amp Beard Comb ($16)Little Green Store and Gallery (256) 539-9699 (3) Latika Body Essentials Charcoal Liquid Soap ($18)(4) Latika Body Essentials Charcoal Bar Soap ($6) (5) Rustico Leather Key Chain ($18) Sweet Pineapple(256) 964-7563
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) Wood Thumb Tie ($44) (2) Slightly Alabama iPad Case ($250) (3) DockSmith Driftwood iPhone Docking Station ($68) Little Green Storeand Gallery (256) 539-9699 (4) Loyal Stricklin Aviator Mug ($35)Domaine South(256) 808-8860 (5) Would You Be a Deer Notepad ($9) Sweet Pineapple(256) 964-7563
(6) Filson Satchel ($265) Alabama Outdoors(256)-885-3561
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
When itrsquos time to move into a bigger house get a home loan from the bank thatrsquos had a home right here for generations You might say we know a thing about location location location synovuscommortgage
Banking products are provided by Synovus Bank Member FDIC Divisions of Synovus Bank operate under multiple trade names across the Southeast Loans products subject to credit approval
When itrsquos time to move into a bigger house get a home
Here is where Henry learned hersquod be getting
SERVING YOU LOCALLY AS
2565513300 | fcb-hsvcom
his own room
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) Spiritual GangsterTank ($36)(2) Luquido Yoga Pants ($90)(3) MZ Wallace Metro Tote ($245)(4) Vimmia V back Sweatshirt ($96)(5) Onzie Sports Bra ($48)(6) Olympia Yoga Pants ($96)(7) bkr Water Bottle ($30)The Fitzgerald Pilates amp Barre(256) 603-1886
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
(1) Gypsy Pant WarmTribal ($72) (2) Berry High Waist Legging ($88) (3) Long Legging Mathematics ($65) (4) Long Legging Peacock ($65) The FitzgeraldPilates amp Barre(256) 603-1886
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) Jane Tran Hair Clips ($15)(2) bkr Water Bottle ($30)(3) well-kept Tech Wipes ($6)(4) Made with Love Bracelets ($25)(5) Pointe Studio Socks ($12)(6) Bando Too Cold to Hold Coozie ($5)The Fitzgerald Pilates amp Barre(256) 603-1886
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
(1) Shop Bando Coff ee Cup ($14)(2) Shop Bando Pens ($14) (3) Shop Bando Pouch ($26) (4) Shop Bando Coin Purse ($20) The FitzgeraldPilates amp Barre(256) 603-1886
(5) Check Things Off Notepad ($16)(6) Hello From Huntsville Stamp ($12)Salt + Paperie(256) 655-5550
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) Muzzle Loaders Chocolate Bourbon Balls ($1999) (2) Vintage Crystal Decanter ($20) (3) Quench Glassware ($1399) Domaine South(256) 808-8860
(4) The Hella Bitters Old Fashioned Kit ($65)(5) American Bar by Charles Schumann ($2495) Little Green Storeand Gallery (256) 539-9699
(6) Julep Cups ($50)Willowbrook Shoppe (256) 270-7181
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom | novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) DECCO Umbrella in a Bottle ($1995)(2) Alexa Pulitzer Stationery Set ($14 ea)(3) Ikat Scarf ($6250)Huntsville Museumof Art(256) 535-4350
(4) Emily Ley Grace Journal ($32) (5) Sugar Boo Designs Clutch ($18) (6) Emily Ley Daily Planner ($58) (7) Latika Milk ampHoney Bar ($6) (8) Farm House Fresh Shea Butter Hand Cream ($14) (9) Christen MaxwellZippy ($42) (10) Green Tea Bubble Bath ($32) Sweet Pineapple(256) 964-7563 (11) Goal Getter Cuff ($32)Indigorsquos Boutique(256) 345-6348
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
(1) Kilim Pillow ($58) (2) Bejeweled Silver Plate Vase ($144) (3) Bone Clad Box ($375)Willowbrook Shoppe (256) 270-7181
(4) Cowhide Rug ($550)(5) Lucyrsquos Locket ($95) (Original piecemdashselection may vary)Sweet Pineapple(256) 964-7563 (6) Clutch ($65)Department of Agra Culturedeptofagraculturecom
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) Above The Bar Antler on Chain 28rdquo ($3999) (2) Above The Bar Deer wAntler Head 18rdquo ($2999) Indigorsquos Boutique(256) 345-6348
(3) Margaret Solow Labradorite18KT Bezel ($290) (4) Margaret Solow Diamond Crest MoonSilver ($460) (5) Margaret Solow Black Spinel + DiamondSilver ($560) (6) Margaret Solow Double Black Spinel18KT ($260)Little Green Store and Gallery (256) 539-9699
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
(1) Margaret Solow Grey Moonstoon18KT Necklace ($240) (2) Margaret Solow OpalDiamond Mosaic Necklace ($610) Little Green Storeand Gallery (256) 539-9699
(3) One-of-a-kind Eva Ziegler Smokey Quartz and Pyrite Necklace ($406)Eva Ziegler Jewelryevazieglercom
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) Jennifer BehrTurban ($625)(2) Cotton Day Dress ($64)(3) Norma Ishak Cardigan ($375)Finery(256) 429-3429
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) The Lion Sleeps Tonight Bath Bomb ($6) Sweet Pineapple(256) 964-7563
(2) Tiger Jelly Cat ($2250)(3) Dog Tag Teether ($1550)(4) Dinosaur Footie ($3595)Honey B Boutique(256) 503-2853
(5) Young Buck ($25)Tiny Vinestinyvinesshopcom
(6) Bib Set ($13)Huntsville Museumof Art(256) 535-4350
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
(1) Tiny Dancer Bath Bomb ($6)Sweet Pineapple(256) 964-7563
(2) Kickee Mammoth Footie ($3595)(3) Noodle amp Boo Essential Care Kit ($18)(4) Elephant Jelly Cat ($2250)Honey B Boutique(256) 503-2853
(5) ArtFolio Pink Elephant Coloring Tote ($17)Huntsville Museumof Art(256) 535-4350
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) Bib Set ($13)Huntsville Museumof Art(256) 535-4350 (2) Little Light ($25)Tiny Vinestinyvinesshopcom (3) Micro Leon Cardboard Lion ($30)Little Green Storeand Gallery (256) 539-9699 (4) I Love You Like Biscuits amp Gravy ($23)Domaine South(256) 808-8860
(5) Kickee Kimono ($4295)Honey B Boutique(256) 503-2853
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
SURPRISEA LOVED ONE
THIS HOLIDAY SEASON
WITH A FOREVER GIFT
HobbsJewelerscom 8772331347Parkway Place Mall
HuntsvilleHwy 72 West
AthensMain Street
Ardmore TN
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Caftan ($75)Sarah Richey Necklace ($350)Finery(256) 429-3429
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
(1) Chewbead Necklace ($3495)(2) Mayoral Baby Bag ($7995)(3) Mayoral Diaper Changing Pad ($2495)(4) Nursing Scarf ($2695) (5) Kickee Swaddling Blanket ($22)Honey B Boutique(256) 503-2853 (6) Lucy Darling Months Sticker ($25) (7) The Story of You Baby Book by Emily Ley ($62) Sweet Pineapple(256) 964-7563
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) Alwand Vahan 14K Gold and Onyx Ring wDiamond Accent ($2595)(2) Alwand Vanan 14K Gold and Onyx Bracelet wDiamond Accent ($2695)Hobbs Jewelers(877) 233-1347
(3) Britt Ryan Dress ($288)Personal Couture Boutique(256) 508-5632
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) Rocket Cosmos Mug ($13)Huntsville Museumof Art(256) 535-4350
(2) Loose Leaf Tea ($399)Piper amp Leaf piperandleafcom (3) Judy Jackson Tea Pot ($56) (4) Gary Watson Cherry Cutting Board ($48-$68) (5) Susan Coe Birthday Cake Plate ($33) Little Green Storeand Gallery (256) 539-9699 (6) Macarons ($116 pcs $221 dozen)Whisk Small Treats Bakery(256) 656-1027
(7) Truffl es ($185 each)Pizellersquos Confections (256) 513-9745 (8) Olive amp Sinclair Chocolate ($799)Domaine South(256) 808-8860
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
(1) Whisk Note Pad ($8) (2) In the Forest Mixing Bowl ($36) (3) Twig Serving Set ($18)(8) Southern Firefl y Candle ($12)Sweet Pineapple(256) 964-7563
(4) Urchin Bowl ($10)(5) Foodie Dice ($38)(6) 1Canoe2 Wood Recipe Box w Recipe Cards ($6999) Domaine South(256) 808-8860 (7) Growlers ($75 small $95 large)Southern Growlersoutherngrowlercom
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) Tacori 18K Barbados Blue Bold Gem Ring ($660)(2) Tacori 18K Barbados Blue Bold Gem Necklace ($630)(3) Tacori 18K Barbados Blue Bold Gem Bracelet ($990)Hobbs Jewelers(877) 233-1347
(4) BCBG Dress ($328)Personal Couture Boutique(256) 508-5632
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Guadalupe Robinson
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
text by jennifer crossley howard raquo photos by patrick hood
Of Deft and Dirty Hands
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Huntsville potter Guadalupe Lanning Robinson has spent more than 36 years mastering the
marriage of clay texture and geometric design into her pottery yet time has done little to temper the
plight of waiting
ldquoIt is hard for me to let a pot just dryrdquo she says motioning toward fi ve small wet pots sitting near her
pottery wheel ldquoIrsquom as excited to do this as I was 30 years agordquo
To observe her studio at Lowe Mill that is easy to believe Located on the corridor outside the textile
mill-turned-art centerrsquos main building the loft-like space with a corrugated tin roof feels like a place a
Gabriel Garcia Marquez character would enjoy daydreaming
Sienna-hued pottery sits in various stages to be fi red layered and etched Argentinian tango music
streams from Robinsonrsquos iPhone and two cockatiels a parrot and a parakeet chirp from their cages All
except the parrot fl y freely when Robinson is working
Robinson who is 61 made her fi rst pot in 1979 in her native Mexico City Almost four decades later her
work is part of permanent museum collections in Auburn Huntsville Tuscumbia and Tupelo Missis-
sippi She regularly enters her work in respected juried shows such as the Monte Sano Arts Festival and
the Kentuck Festival of the Arts in Northport and has received two Alabama State Council on the Arts
individual artist fellowships
Her inspiration draws from the villages around her native Mexico City such as the black pottery of
the northwest as well as her acquired Southern culture White lilies corn grids and round female
fi guresmdashldquoreally strong women who are in chargerdquo Robinson saysmdashreappear on her stoneware She uses
natural dyes indigo for color and mixes sand into clay for texture Nothing is wasted
ldquoI donrsquot waste any clayrdquo Robinson says ldquoEverything is recycledrdquo
Robinson fi nds solace in the 40-50 hours a week she puts in at the studio and the often tedious process
of making pots which can take from three weeks to six weeks for larger pots She usually works on two
or three pots at a time tending to groups at diff erent stages
After a pot is thrown on a wheel a piece can take days to dry before its fi rst bisque fi re in which tem-
peratures rise to 1800 F After baking for nine hours the kiln must cool Th e second fi ring rises to 2150
F and matures the clay and melts the glazes to strengthen the piece
ldquoI am an effi cient person by naturerdquo Robinson says ldquoWaiting for the kiln to cool down enough to open
can be nerve wracking and this is when my patience is usually put to the testrdquo
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
ldquoIt is hard for me to let a pot just dry Irsquom as excited to do this as I was 30 years agordquo
Robinson makes most of her pots on a wheel using oxides to change the color of clay she gets from Nashville and Pittsburgh Her pottery takes several weeks from start to fi nish depending on how large a pot is and how many she makes at a time
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
ldquoAttend to your childrenrsquos needs fi rst keep focus on what you want to douse the happiness joy and little breaks you get to make your artTh ey grow real fast and they will keep inspiring you all your liferdquo
Robinson imagined this bat-like design as she was working She usually begins a piece with a design in mind but that often evolves
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Robinson uses an overlay of liquid clay called engobemdashthat includes three to four layersmdashto create a
base on which to design
Th ere is high risk in making pottery and hours of work can be wasted on a pot that has not dried en-
tirely before it enters the kiln Air pockets or the wrong mixture of chemicals can ruin a piece
ldquoArt is involved but science is toordquo says Laura Smith director of education at the Huntsville Museum
of Art where Robinson has taught pottery classes ldquoItrsquos more labor intensive in terms of working with
the medium whether yoursquore building by hand or with a wheel until you fi re with the fi nal layer of glazerdquo
Th e result is sturdy pottery
ldquoI want my pots to look like something that is lasting a long timerdquo Robinson says
Th ough she works solitarily in her studio she says she does not get lonely Her birds and music keep her
company and each stage of pottery making has a soundtrack She uses needlepoint tools to draw onto
clay to Jose Feliciano and other Latin American musicians
ldquoIf Irsquom at the wheel Bruno Marsrdquo she says ldquoIf Irsquom unloading the kiln and something is really awesome
then I need something moving and I have on Motownrdquo
Robinsonrsquos years of experience minimize the risk of damaged pots but she says her greatest challenge
as a potter was balancing her work while raising her two children Now adults their candid childhood
pictures and those of her grandchildren cover the warm green walls of her studio
She met her husband the poet James Robinson in 1977 on a Greyhound bus when she returned to
Mexico City from visiting a friend at the University of Southern Mississippi He was heading to Mexico
to study at a university Th ey married six months later After giving birth to her daughter Annie Jane in
Mexico City in 1982 the family moved to Huntsville in 1985 Th at is when Robinson got more serious
about her pottery
ldquoFrom the very beginning when I moved to Alabama I knew I was going to have to do thisrdquo she said
ldquoIn some ways it was a way for me to keep connected to my heritagerdquo
She took even 15 minutes of free time to work in the studio behind her home and worked late into the
night while her daughter and son Isidoro born in 1987 slept Having a home studio allowed her to
wash clothes tend to her home and drop off lunches at school while maintaining her art
ldquoTh ere was something for me when I fi rst became a mother that fueled my creativityrdquo Robinson says
ldquoTh ey are such a social inspiration too It fi lls your liferdquo
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Robinson advises fellow artists who are mothers to seize
both roles but to prioritize motherhood
ldquoAttend to your childrenrsquos needs fi rst keep focus on what you
want to do use the happiness joy and little breaks you get
to make your artrdquo she says ldquoTh ey grow real fast and they will
keep inspiring you all your liferdquo
Anna Sue Courtney director of the Flying Monkey Arts
Center at Lowe Mill has known Robinson for more than
10 years She says she admires how mothers and artists like
Robinson seamlessly embrace both roles
ldquoIt seems therersquos not a separation between creating and rais-
ing childrenrdquo Courtney says ldquoTh ey seem to pull from the
same placerdquo
Part of Robinsonrsquos motivation at Lowe Mill comes from
working privately in a studio alongside other artists that fos-
ters a community of feedback and ideas
ldquoItrsquos nice to be here because you can take a break and walk around and get inspirationrdquo Courtney says
ldquoItrsquos refreshingrdquo
When she needs a break from the studio Robinson stays home to sketch designs for a day or two then
she is back in the studio
Trips twice a year to Mexico City keep her plugged in to her native culture which in turn shows up in
her pottery
ldquoI have to recharge myselfrdquo Robinson says ldquoI love Huntsville and loved raising my kids here but I still
have the need of going back to be recharged and smell all the smells and see all the colors and get on
the subway and be pushed aroundrdquo
Details from her trips that infl uence her work include the ever-present red that covers the city during
the celebration of Dia de los Muertos or the Day of the Dead Th e pyramids of Teotihuacan conjure
warm earth tones and fl oating gardens around the city yield sweet pungent calla lilies and carnations
Celebration of food tough women and nature reappear in her pottery qualities that both Southern and
Mexican cultures treasure
Above This daisy design is character-istic of Robinsonrsquos work Nature food and strong females from her native Mexico City and the South are strong creative infl uences
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Clockwise from top left Robinson often glazes only the inside of her pots so they can hold water and food She began quilting in 2002 and her quilts like her pottery contain earth tones and natural infl uences in their design Four birds keep Robinson company in what can be the isolating medium of pottery making Geometry and symmetry are two signature elements in Robinsonrsquos work according to Laura Smith director of education at the Huntsville Museum of Art
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Just as she keeps her home country close to her heart Robinson is loyal to her fi rst
love of pottery though she began making quilts in 2002
ldquoIrsquom a potter who likes to quiltrdquo she says
Like her pottery her quilting follows designs of organic nature such as fl owers and
crops on rich jewel tone cotton
ldquoWhen I fi rst saw one of her quilts I didnrsquot realize it was hers and I thought that
looks like it should be Guadalupersquos quiltrdquo Courtney says
Robinson prefers the immediate gratifi cation of clay
ldquoItrsquos a very responsive mediumrdquo she says ldquoYou can manipulate it Th e fact of mak-
ing something out of dirt out of nothing and making it durable making it perma-
nent that after going through the heat and maturing is something very excitingrdquo
She gently dings a pot covered with white dresses titled ldquoTehuana Dressrdquo to make
her point
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
887 FM Muscle Shoals bull 1007 FM Huntsvillewwwaprorg
News classicalmusic and more
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
copy Patrick Hood
text by sara wright covington raquo photos by jacki gil
patrick hood erin lindsey and michelle odom
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
copy Patrick Hood
ldquoA LOT OF PEOPLE HAD BEEN ASKING ME QUESTIONS ABOUTHOW I GOT MY BUSINESS STARTED I WANTED TO GATHER SOME PEOPLE AROUND ME
WHO WERE GOING THROUGH THOSE STRUGGLES AND TOBUILD ENTREPRENEURIAL COURAGErdquo
JACKI GIL SALT+PAPERIE
copy Patrick Hood
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
untsville-born Jacki Gil began her paper design busi-
ness Salt+Paperie in 2014 with an expansive vision
in mind one that extended beyond creating beautiful
custom designed paper goods ldquoI love my design job
but when Irsquom 50 years old I donrsquot see myself still de-
signing wedding invitationsrdquo the master stationer says
ldquoI really have a passion for teaching and helping people
I want to be a mentorrdquo
In 2015 Gil set out on her mentoring mission sooner than expected with a series
of workshops called Encourage Huntsville ldquoA lot of people had been asking me
questions about how I got my business startedrdquo Gil says about the early days of
Salt+Paperie Even though most of those questions from entrepreneurial-hopefuls
were technicalmdashlike how to apply for a business licensemdashthey served as inspira-
tion for Gil ldquoI wanted to gather some people around me who were going through
those struggles and to build entrepreneurial courage I defi nitely saw that there
was a need for helping people to take that next step toward owning their own
businessesrdquo
Encourage Huntsville was modeled on the image of a growing small business
movement called the Rising Tide Society a national community of creative small
business owners who encourage ldquocommunity over competitionrdquo Th at spirit of
openness is at the heart of Encourage Huntsville ldquoCommunity over competition
is a huge part of what we are doingrdquo says Gil ldquoSmall business owners sharing how
they earn their money is a big dealrdquo
As a fi rst step Gil gathered others around her who were using their skills and abili-
ties to make their own small businesses work With talents ranging from cooking
and cake decorating to hand lettering and artwork these small business owners
all embraced Gilrsquos vision for imparting to others the knowledge of their craft un-
impeded by a fear of losing their competitive edge
Th e fi rst lesson Gil wanted to impart to Encourage Huntsvillersquos students wasnrsquot
necessarily a particular craft or skill but a spirt of creative confi dence ldquoWe want-
ed to bridge the gap between the very artsy community and the ultimate engineer
communityrdquo many of whom Gil observes had been told since childhood they
werenrsquot artistic ldquoWhen you are little and someone tells you that you donrsquot have a
talent it sticks with you I found that a lot of people had that experience so that
was the workshop partmdashto build some creative courage in this communityrdquo
Gil conducted the fi rst workshop herself testing the waters to see how the concept
would be received Th e admission price to that fi rst workshop included supplies a
take-home ldquogoody bagrdquo to help students continue their work extracurricularly and
refreshmentsmdashas well as Gilrsquos tips of her trade
ldquoWe went in blindly not knowing if we had a market or notrdquo says Gil Th e popular-
ity of that fi rst class proved undeniably that a market did in fact exist the work-
shop sold out in one day ldquoSo we did back-to-back workshopsrdquo Gil says ldquoAfter that
novemberdecembeeer eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee | nononoononononononoonoonononooooonoonoonnononnoaaalalalllaallllllalaalaaalal ststustust ddiossscom mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm | | | | | | | | | | |
f
w
y
Previous page Encourage Huntsvillersquos founder and instructor Jacki Gil teaches a class in hand lettering Facing page A participant studies her supply list
we realized people really want to do this stuff So we said lsquoletrsquos jump on the boat
and make this happenrsquordquo
Gilrsquos longtime friend photographer Erin Lindsey of Erin Lindsey Images agreed
to contribute to Encourage Huntsvillersquos curriculum by teaching a photography
class ldquoJacki and I are a good team because our hearts are in the same place when
it comes to encouraging othersrdquo Lindsey says Still she admits saying yes to teach-
ing wasnrsquot without some initial hesitation ldquoWhen Jacki asked if I would teach a
class it was kind of scary I thought I had to be perfect before I could teach oth-
ersrdquo Lindsey says of her initial hesitancy ldquoBut after talking to Jacki I realized none
of us are perfectrdquo But perfection isnrsquot the goal encouragement is the goal ldquoAnd I
thought lsquoI can defi nitely line up with that visionrsquordquo
Michelle Odom another Huntsville native and owner of custom cake bakery Just
Crumbs was also on board with Gilrsquos vision In fact Odom had been contemplat-
ing teaching a class when she was approached by Gil to teach a fondant basics
class ldquoHuntsville is such an engineer town and everyone is so mathematical and
scientifi crdquo Odom says echoing the dichotomy between the arts and sciences ex-
pressed by Gil ldquoTh ese workshops are just a very cool way for structured people to
have a creative outletrdquo
ldquoJACKI AND I ARE A GOOD TEAM BECAUSE OUR HEARTS ARE INTHE SAME PLACE WHEN IT COMES TO ENCOURAGING OTHERSrdquo
ERIN LINDSEY ERIN LINDSEY IMAGES
copy Erin Lindsey
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Above A participant in Erin Lindseyrsquos photo class frames a still life
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
copy Erin Lindsey
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
ldquoHUNTSVILLE IS SUCH AN ENGINEER TOWN AND EVERYONE ISSO MATHEMATICAL AND SCIENTIFIC THESE WORKSHOPS ARE JUST A VERY COOL
WAY FOR STRUCTURED PEOPLE TO HAVE A CREATIVE OUTLETrdquo MICHELLE ODOM JUST CRUMBS
copy Michelle Odom
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
ldquoAnd yesrdquo Odom acknowledges ldquoyou are in theory teaching your competition But
at the same time you are helping the community be more creativerdquo
With its roster of popular creative workshops under its belt Encourage Huntsville
has added business classes to its community-over-competition curriculum with
classes designed to provide specifi c guidance for small business owners ldquoAll of
our events that donrsquot require hands-on work we call seminarsrdquo says Gil ldquoWe had
about 15 people at our fi rst one It was pretty much just an open discussion to ask
us questions and get answers from the perspective of a small business ownerrdquo
Th e seminars enjoyed the same success and enthusiasm as the workshops ldquoWe
had two hours for people to ask questionsrdquo Gil says Topics covered ran the gamut
from scheduling daily tasks self-hosting a website or using an Etsy store man-
aging client expectations and being realistic about how much time you need to
complete jobs
ldquoTh e time went quickly and people wanted morerdquo says Gil who envisions an all-
day seminar in 2016
Margaret Baggett owner and executive chef of the Chef Next Door is another
small business owner who has shared Gilrsquos vision from the very beginning teach-
copy Erin Lindsey
Facing page Michelle Odomrsquos fondant basics class begins with a styrofoam cake form Above Newbie photographers familiarize themselves with their cameras in Erin Lindseyrsquos photography class
ing knife skills workshops and helping host the business seminars ldquoI am so proud
to get to be a part of this project and help nurture other small business owners
who may just be starting out on their journey or are deep in it and looking for
some encouragement from other business ownersrdquo Baggett says of what motivates
her participation in Encourage Huntsville ldquoEven being on the advice-giving side
of things I am still learning and have taken tips and tricks and lessons from each
event we have had so far We never stop learning from each other and never stop
improving upon our craftsrdquo
Th e mutual growth among students and teachers is the source of the encourage-
mentmdashand the joymdashof Encourage Huntsville ldquoItrsquos so much fun to see the light
bulbs go off with people and see them encouraged right before your eyesrdquo Lindsey
says of her experience with the program ldquoPlus itrsquos a pleasure to contribute to a
sense of community over competition Th at whole concept is so rarerdquo
As Encourage Huntsvillersquos following continues to grow the diversity of the work-
shops will expand as well Whether you are looking to spend a fun afternoon
learning a new craft or are a budding small business owner hoping to launch
your brand Encourage Huntsville has something valuable to off er ldquoWe encourage
those left-brain folks to take up a new hobby or skillrdquo Baggett says ldquoor just encour-
age the people of Huntsville to get together and fan their creative fl amesrdquo
If yoursquore looking for
creative or entrepreneurial
encouragement visit
encouragehuntsvillecom
for seminar and workshop
schedules and information
ldquoI AM SO PROUD TO GET TO BE A PART OF THIS PROJECT AND HELP NURTURE OTHER SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS WHO MAY JUST BE STARTING OUT ON THEIR JOURNEY OR ARE DEEP IN IT
AND LOOKING FOR SOME ENCOURAGEMENT FROM OTHER BUSINESS OWNERSrdquoMARGARET BAGGETT CHEF NEXT DOOR
copy Jacki Gil
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
copy Jacki Gil
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Participants in Margaret Baggettrsquos knife skills workshop learn to perfect their ldquomise en placerdquo
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
copy Olivia Reed
text by sara wright covington raquo photos by olivia reed and jeff white
HUNTSVILLErsquoS
HOMEGROWNHOSTESS
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
ttttttononononoooooonononooooo raquo praquo praquo praquo praquo phothothothothotosoososos s s osos bybybbybb
Any host will tell you that delicious food and quality libations while important to
a partyrsquos success are secondary to the most important ingredient of all the guest list Th atrsquos why many
of downtown Huntsvillersquos most popular restaurants breweries and wine shops are turning to event
planner Ashley Ryals and her uncanny knack for attracting loyal patronsmdashand creating unforgettable
events in the process
When Huntsville born-and-bred Ashley Ryals left for college at the University of Alabama in 2001
she thought her exit from the Valley was permanent ldquoI never thought I would end up back hererdquo the
founder of event planning company Homegrown Huntsville says with a knowing laugh But after a few
post-graduate years working for world-renowned public relations powerhouse Weber Shandwick in
New York City Ryals started to second guess her freshman declaration
ldquoI started to get homesickrdquo she admits ldquoAll of my friends were getting married and meeting for football
games and I was missing itrdquo So when a friend from home set up an interview at EarlyWorks for a job
doing event planning Ryals jumped at the chance to come home
Ashley spent the next few years planning EarlyWorks Whistle Stop and Santarsquos Village events A brief
stint in sales followed along with a seat on the board of Huntsville Young Professionals where she had
an idea for a downtown pub crawl
ldquoWe expected 20 or 30 peoplerdquo Ryals says of their modest expectations ldquoBut 200 people showed uprdquo
Th at initial success convinced Ryals to embark on her dream of establishing an
event planning company But it wasnrsquot just any event planning company Ryals
had in mind she envisioned one that would collaborate with local businesses
cultivate signature events for the community to enjoy and support small busi-
nesses in the process
Inspired Ryals left her sales job and for the second time in her life came home
again to event planning and Homegrown Huntsville
To help bring her vision to life Ryals collaborated with designer Adrianne Van
Kirk of Fave Creative ldquoAdrianne has been a part of the visual and branding of
Homegrown from the beginning We come up with the event ideas then I get
the ticketing and sales together and she comes back with a logo and the mar-
keting for the event And thatrsquos how it all comes togetherrdquo Ryals says of their
creative process
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
ASHLEY RYALS
copy Olivia Reed
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
ldquoMOST WINE FESTIVALS ACROSS THE COUNTRY HAVE PROVEN RECORDS OF BEING ABLE TO STAY AROUND 15 OR 20 YEARS OR EVEN LONGER AND THE ECONOMIES OF THOSE
CITIES HAVE REALLY GROWN AS A RESULT I WANT BIG SPRING CRUSH TO EVENTUALLY BE THE BIGGEST AND BEST WINE FESTIVAL IN THE STATE OF ALABAMArdquo ASHLEY RYALS
copy Jeff White
copy Jeff White
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
copy Olivia Reed
Homegrown launched in 2011 with what would become its
signature event Dine amp Dash Every second Wednesday
April through October a trolley shuttles patrons between
downtown establishments where they are served a drink
and appetizer before moving on to the next stop
Owner and executive chef Merle Phillips of Th e Eaves was
one of the fi rst restaurants to sign on for Dine amp Dashrsquos de-
but ldquoAshley came to me and said she was starting a trolley
tasting conceptrdquo says Chef Merle ldquoI didnrsquot really know her so
I was taking a chance on the concept she was sellingrdquo
Merle tried it and has been a loyal participant of Dine amp
Dash ever since
ldquoIt was a risk in the beginning but it defi nitely paid off rdquo Chef
Merle says of the experience Pivotal to that experience ac-
cording to Phillips is Ryalsrsquo demonstration to the commu-
nity just what the term ldquohomegrownrdquo really means ldquoAshley
shines a spotlight on independent businesses in a market-
place that has for so long focused on chainsrdquo Phillips says
ldquoDine amp Dash has really brought into sharp focus the inter-
esting culinary diversity that Huntsville has to off errdquo
For the next two years Homegrown Huntsville focused al-
most exclusively on Dine amp Dash which by the end of its fi rst
year included every single downtown restaurant But when
big changes began to appear on the downtown horizonmdash
new restaurants breweries and residential developmentsmdash
Ryalsrsquo instincts told her
the time had come to
introduce a new event
to the downtown cal-
endar
ldquoBeer Hop follows
the concept of Dine
amp Dashrdquo Ryals says of
Homegrownrsquos second
venture which began
in 2013 Each month a
trolley visits three dif-
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
BILL FOWLEROLD TOWN BEER
EXCHANGE
copy Olivia Reed
copy Olivia Reed
ferent breweries where patrons sample beers and enjoy food
from a variety of food trucks parked at each location
Bill Fowler managing partner of Old Town Beer Exchange
agreed to participate in Beer Hop on his very fi rst day of
business and credits Ryals with an overwhelmingly success-
ful opening night ldquoAshley said lsquoI can guarantee that you are
going to have wave after wave of people coming throughrsquordquo
Fowler says recalling that fi rst jittery occasion Once again
Ryals proved true to her word with 60-plus patrons arriving
in an hour-and-a-half ldquoIt was awesome and such a great ex-
perience for usrdquo Fowler raves ldquoAshley is a hard worker and
you can see that in what she doesrdquo
Fowler believes that in addition to bringing new customers
to OTBX Ryals is also cultivating beer education consis-
tently bringing in people who are new to beer and want to
learn And with Huntsvillersquos recent brewery boom that level
of education and interest is crucial for the brewing commu-
nity to thrive ldquoWe have a very small window of opportunityrdquo
says Fowler ldquoI think Huntsville in particular is becoming a
craft brewing community People are making money at this
and once Tennessee sees that we need to already have had a
pretty huge head startrdquo
By the end of 2013 and with standing events Beer Hop and
Dine amp Dash well established Ryals took time to refl ect on
her original goal for Homegrown Huntsville ldquoIn the back of
my head from day one I knew I wanted to do a wine festival
I just didnrsquot think Huntsville was ready for it in 2011rdquo
Emboldened by the success of Beer Hop Ryals decided to
make the leap with Big Spring Crush wine festival later the
same year Once again Ryals delivered the perfect audience
for the event and in the process discovered a surprising
fact about North Alabamarsquos contribution to the wine-mak-
ing industry
ldquoIn doing the wine festival I learned that we have a huge
wine community in Huntsvillerdquo Ryals says ldquoTh ere are only
about 47 certifi ed wine judges in the entire United States
and we have four of them right here in North Alabama Two
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
copy Jeff White
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
ldquoI STARTED TO GET HOMESICK ALL OF MY FRIENDS WERE GETTING MARRIEDAND MEETING FOR FOOTBALL GAMES AND I WAS MISSING ITrdquo ASHLEY RYALS
copy Jeff White
copy Jeff White
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
ldquoIT WAS AWESOME AND SUCH A GREAT EXPERIENCE FOR USrdquoBILL FOWLER OLD TOWN BEER EXCHANGE
copy Jeff White
copy Olivia Reed
of those four certifi ed wine judges sit on the committee for
Big Spring Crushrdquo
Matthew and Stephanie Mell had just opened Church Street
Wine Shop when they decided to participate in the fi rst Big
Spring Crush Like OTBXrsquos Robert Fowler the Mells credit
Ryals and Homegrown Huntsville for helping to introduce
their new enterprise to the community ldquoAshley has been in-
strumental in helping to bring us people who love and ap-
preciate winerdquo Stephanie Mell says ldquoShe was homegrown
here in Huntsville and she really gets the downtown area
and small businesses and that is so important to usrdquo
Big Spring Crush began with a bang featuring over 150
wines and attracting patrons from across the country
ldquoMost wine festivals across the country have proven records
of being able to stay around 15 or 20 years or even longerrdquo
Ryals says ldquoAnd the economies of those cities have really
grown as a result I want Big Spring Crush to eventually be
the biggest and best wine festival in the state of Alabamardquo
How does Ryals intend to make that dream come true ldquoBy
always keeping it fresh I want to have new marketing and
new things happening each yearrdquo
Ryalsrsquo formula of reinvention and expansion has successfully
led Homegrown Huntsville through fi ve years of success and
helped its events become community staples along the way In
the process Ryals is broadening more than just our image of
downtown Huntsville shersquos joining a class of creative entrepre-
neurs committed to expanding Huntsvillersquos reputation as more
than just a hub for the brightest scientifi c minds in America
ldquoWe have a big city of engineers and lawyers and itrsquos won-
derfulrdquo Ryals say ldquo But there is a whole artist and food cul-
ture here and there is so much growth I want us to have a
vibrant cool downtown area and I want for people to tell
their friends to come and visit and to see Huntsville for what
it is a city I loverdquo
If yoursquod like to participate in Homegrown Huntsville either
as a guest or a participating business visit homegrown-
huntsvillecom
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
copy Jeff White
I was years old and the year was At that time the city of Huntsville was inching toward the mountain to the east California Street was once the continental divide between the small town metropo-lis and the uncharted territories gingerly crossed by the real estate pioneers four score and some odd years prior Th is area became the new suburb as the city kept pushing onward toward Fagan Springs as if the reverberating booms of rocket testings were vibrating Hunstvillians away from its epicenter
From the front yard of our house on Owens Drive I could look to the rightmdashup the hill to the bend be-yond which the big houses stood on their rocky ledge pedestals and to the left where all the other houses that looked just like oursmdashfresh and newmdashrambled for what seemed like miles Th ose clean well-lit abodes all seemed the same and granted at my age I knew more about the pets that lived there than I did about the people who owned those manageable mortgages I came to realize that each was diff erent in a way that was permeated by voices smells and furnishings
It is a clicheacute to say that our lives were simpler then because that is just how the current era will be fondly referred to in the future but to a 5-year-old it is the simplicity that brought the joy Th e sixties will always be to me the beginning of the age of manufactured happiness Cheap clean and simple was what was strived for and what was easily obtained Plastic items were plentiful and pretty things could be bought with SampH Green Stamps A few coins in our pocket would transfer us into the most master of manipula-tors with us giving our all to convince our parents for a jaunt to Murdockrsquos for a holiday of wonderment joy and impatience as we would scour the shelves trying to get the most from our meager budget
Owens Drive was the fairly new thoroughfare from which the avenues of three-bedroom-ranchers fi ngered away at planned intervals Th is was the place where newlyweds started their lives homes and families Where girls with last names that had been in the town for generations would change them to those strange and exotic last names of the clean cut newcomers brought here for military purposes Where the housewives would preheat their pristine electric ovens trying to make cheese straws and biscuits that were just like their motherrsquos only to be frustrated as they were never quite the same and where the husbands would follow in their fatherrsquos footsteps by joining the Acme Club and hunting doves on the weekends
Th ere was a swimming pool Certainly not at our house Th e only private pool I remember as a child was one that my grandmother would take me to nestled between huge trees at someonersquos house on Adams Street I would swim with other children my age while our grandmothers chatted smoking cigarettes in cat-eyed anonymity whispering most of their stories so we wouldnrsquot be able to hear But between their
gasps and laughter we would listen hear and learn
Th e Blossomwood pool was a place of designated rules and the sound of bright whistlesmdashwith straight lines and distinctive colors of blue and green I can still feel the Coppertoned oiliness on the skin of the tanned lifeguard as she carried me from the deep end frightened after my fi rst attempt at solo-swimming She knew my name I had no idea who she was
On the other side of the pool was the school my older sister attended It had a style that mim-icked the poolmdashstraight lines cleanmdasha temple to orderliness and good manners It was with
awe that I once watched the young adults there some as old as eleven wind and dance their way around a sky-high fl agpolemdasheach with a diff erent color ribbon until the fi rst (and only) May Pole
I was privy to was completely dressed in its woven bright colors
90 raquo bless their hearts raquo Guy McClure Jr
Huntsville was a magical place for us tail-end baby boomers to grow upmdashbeyond the miracles of the escalator at Pizitz the smiling little lady on the tall stool at the register at Britlings There was a comfort level there that Irsquom not sure is in the minds of the 5-year-olds of today
cat-eyed agasps
Th s
aI w
THE COMFORTS OF BLOSSOMWOOD
In our world of red-bricked carported castles there was a def-inite division of generations Th e children ate separately from the parents went to school as our dads went to work enter-tained our neighborhood friends as quietly as possible and felt safe between our boundaries of Big Cove Road and Hermitage Street While we dined on our Chef Boy-Ar-Dee boxed pizza our parents busied themselves dressing in their dark colors getting ready for a late dinner at Boots having the scent of perfume and face powder trail my mother as she came into the kitchen looking for something with an intense purpose My father would smell of British Sterling and look just as he did when he went to work only happier Th ese nights meant something fun would happenmdashwe would have a babysitter
Babysitters were my introduction into what was and still seems cool Th ey were usually Huntsville High School teen-agers who would put on a show without even knowing it I would drink in their every move word and essence of style To me they were supermodelsmdashmovie starsmdasheven more fa-mous in my eyes than a television weatherman and almost as glamorous as the waitresses at the Waffl e House
Before they would tire of me and my sister and put us to bed they would include us in their world of music and knowledge which I thought was all-encompassing Suddenly our world of Th e Benny Carl Show and Fantasy Playhouse would seem trite and passeacute and we would catch a fl eeting glimpse into what would be in store for us when we too could stay up past 8 pm
Huntsville was a magical place for us tail-end baby boomers to grow upmdashbeyond the miracles of the escalator at Pizitz the smiling little lady on the tall stool at the register at Britlings and that bright colorful Maypole Th ere was a comfort level there that Irsquom not sure is in the minds of the 5-year-olds of todaymdashthe soothing sheltered lack of knowledge of why we were so lucky yet we didnrsquot even know that we were
In the other areas of our Huntsville there was poverty and ra-cial unrestmdashas there was and is in every city I was unaware People of color were always a part of my worldmdashmostly be-cause they had my attention and respect At our house there was Annie my grandmotherrsquos house was fi lled with the joys of Lula and out on the family farm there was strong and smiling Homer and large and huggable Rosamdashall just as much a part of my life as everyone else My life was good and they were instrumental in making it that way
What will the 5-year-olds of today who are lucky enough to be raised on those well-planned streets remember when they surpass their own 50 year mark It is a much more complex world now and there are diff erent concerns with daily changes of fear Youthful innocence is a prize that is encased without a lock Premature maturity is a viable threat and a constant fear But each night tucked in tight in a simple room sleeps tomor-rowrsquos adults who are having sweet dreamsmdashblanketed by the comforts of Blossomwood
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
92 raquo the vine raquo Amy C Collins
BORDEAUX POWER
Where Burgundyrsquos vineyards were established by Benedictine monks patiently growing wine vines with spiritual hearts Bordeauxrsquos vineyards were raised by entrepreneurial laymen who recognized the massive monetary opportunity when the English began drinking down their peasant wine
The city of Bordeaux is Francersquos primary port town on the Atlantic ocean a harbor that has for centuries served as the countryrsquos most important dock Th e regionrsquos history is long and storied with the fi rst written reference to the area dated 379 AD by the Latin poet Ausonius who was also a wine-grower Jump ahead to the year 1152 when Eleanor of Aquitaine married Englandrsquos soon-to-be king Henry Plantagenet and the port and surrounding vineyard land became the source of wine for the English a connection that remains strong even today
Bordeaux produces the worldrsquos most expensive and sought after collector wines the top tier of which make up less than fi ve percent of the regionrsquos total production Th ese names are quickly learned by neophyte wine drinkers wanting to make an impression Chateau Haut-Brion Lafi te Latour and Margaux for example Grown in gravelly soils only a few meters above sea levelmdashin contrast vineyards elsewhere in Europe typically sit between 300 and 900 metersmdashthese wines are some of the most powerful austere and pawed over When young the tannins in these cabernet sauvignon cabernet franc and merlot blends coat the tongue and mouth with a chalky dry sensation akin to sucking on an Earl Grey tea bag and are perhaps best suited to well-fatted rare steak and cigars Th ese are wines built to live for decades Personally I prefer a Bordeaux at least 20 years aged when the tannins have had ample time to calm down and mellow out and more nuanced fl avors come forward Sounds fancy and it is Only in some very lucky circumstances over the past year have I been guest to a bottle of 1990 Clos de Menuts Saint-Eacutemilion and a 1970 Chateau Haut-Brion About once every 10 years Irsquove had the good
fortune to taste a wine older than myself Nice work if you can get it
Where Burgundyrsquos vineyards (Francersquos other classifi ed sought-after region) were established by Benedictine monks patiently growing wine vines with spiritual hearts
Bordeauxrsquos vineyards were raised by entrepreneurial laymen who recognized the massive monetary opportunity when the English began drinking down their peasant wine Th is underscores the second half of my theory as to why Americans
more often American males are so drawn to the wines of Bordeaux Th erersquos an inherent capitalist connection something in the soil Th at the wines are so
unmistakable so distinctively grand and pronounced elixirs exemplifi es the fi rst half of my theory we Americans are not known for our subtlety (To be fair the Chinese are
signifi cant Bordeaux collectors as well)
Philosophy aside Bordeaux is quite a large region that produces beautiful white and red values as well as the rare fi nds out of the populacersquos price range Herersquos the skinny Blending is the game single varietal wines are rare White Bordeaux is typically made from a blend of sauvignon blanc and seacutemillon and sometimes a drop or two of muscadelle ugni blanc or colombard Reds are made primarily from the two cabernets plus merlot with small quantities of petit verdot malbec and carmenegravere occasionally in the mix Th e region is also home to the golden nectar of late ripened seacutemillon sauvignon blanc and muscadelle grapes that have successfully attracted the noble rot a fungus that covers the fruit and drains moisture from inside leaving behind rich sweet grapes without moldy fl avors Chateau drsquoYquem is the most famous of these unfortifi ed dessert wines though there are better bargains from the region
Bordeaux is split by the Gironde river which divides the region into three general areas Th e left bank also known as the Haut-Meacutedoc is where the classifi ed top growths are situated Th ese prestigious estates were named for their exceptional vineyard sites in 1855 a decision nearly unchanged since Today serious collectors invest in Bordeaux futures theoretically locking down lower prices of top
ample time to calm dit is Only in some vede Menuts Saint-Eacutem
fortune to taste a
Wherees
aun
of msignifi
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Follow Amy at pigandvinecom for morestories and wine suggestions
growth estates while the wine is still aging in the cellar Itrsquos the wine tradersquos equivalent to the NASDAQ On the right bank Saint-Eacutemilion and Pommerol are the prized vineyard areas known for their merlot heavy cuveacutees To the south west we fi nd Graves where there are many great values to be had in both white and red bottlings Entre-Deux-Mers which translates to ldquobetween two seasrdquo sits between the Dordogne and Garonne tributaries off the Gironde and is an excellent source for crisp whites
Get started on your Bordeaux experience with these values
Chateau Graville-Lacoste 2014 Graves 75 seacutemillon 20 sauvignon blanc and 5 muscadelle make up this beauty thatrsquos consistently delicious every vintage Crisp and refreshing great with seafood
Chateau Mirambeau 2014 GravesAnother classic blend of 40 sauvignon blanc 40 seacutemillon and 20 muscadelle this lovely white is a bit more fl oral than the Graville-Lacoste Easy drinking and great value
Chateau de Parenchegravere Bordeaux Rouge 201155 merlot 30 cabernet sauvignon and 15 cabernet franc grown in clay heavy soils similar to the right bank of the region Fleshy with good structure and abundant red fruit
Chateau Arnaud Bordeaux Supeacuterieur 2011Supeacuterieur on a Bordeaux label isnrsquot egotistical marketingmdashby law it indicates a wine with up to one degree more alcohol than its AC Bordeaux brethren What it really means is one more degree of body structure and in this case quality Approachable delicious and easy on the wallet
Chateau de Bernadotte Haut-Meacutedoc 2005Th e 2005 vintage in Bordeaux is in the history books with double asterisks Owned by the eminent Pichon Lalande family and made from vineyards in Paulliac one of the more choice growing areas in the region this is an incredible value a top tier Bordeaux for a fraction of the cost
Chateau de Suduiraut Sauternes 2011Ripe cantaloupe apricot and honey and an interesting smoky note with a solid sweet attack followed by great acidity A dessert wine that wonrsquot overpower the dessert
94 raquo parting shot raquo Patrick Hood
Meet Solvar
Solvar belongs to one of the worldrsquos oldest and purest equine lineages the Nor-
wegian Fjord horse a breed that has remained virtually unchanged for more than
2000 yearsmdashlong before we became acquainted with his animated cousins in
the movie Frozen Th ese national symbols of Norway are characterized by primi-
tive zebra striping on their legs and a dorsal stripe running from forelock to tail
resulting in a striking two-tone mane that sticks up like a Mohawk Th eir athleti-
cism agility and dependability make them valuable both as sport horses as well
as therapy horses for emotionally and physically challenged adults and children
Catie Wells of Huntsville is the proud owner of Solvar who resides at Monte
Sano Stables
For tickets or information 256-539-4818 or hsoorg
Bring In the New Year With Us
presents
WHAT A WONDERFUL
WORLDA tribute to Louis
Armstrong featuring the
Byron Stripling Quartet
Thursday December 31
730 pm bull Pops Series bullMark C Smith
Concert Hall VBC
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
M O R E T H A N 7 0 S H O P S A N D R E S T A U R A N T S I N C L U D I N G B E L K | D S W S H O E S | A P P L E J O S A B A N K | R E E D S J E W E L E R S | PA N D O R A | J C R E W | K AT E S PA D E N E W Y O R KO R V I S | B A N A N A R E P U B L I C | M I C H A E L K O R S | F R A N C E S C Arsquo S | A N T H R O P O L O G I EH amp M | S O M A | M O U N T A I N H I G H O U T F I T T E R S | B A R N E S amp N O B L E | S E P H O R AALTAR rsquoD STATE | CONNORS STEAK amp SEFOOD | THE WEST IN HUNTSV I L L E | MONACO P ICTURES
C O M I N G S O O N V E R S O N A ndash near Belk
B R I D G E S T R E E T H U N T S V I L L E C O M |
BR IDGE STREET TOWN CENTRE I S LOCATED AT EX I T 14 OFF I - 565 AT OLD MAD ISON P IKE
text by sarah gaede raquo photos by patrick hood
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Some restaurants have food trucks for off-premise
special events Chef Will proprietor of Th e Palate at Lowe
Mill has a folding table Equipped with coolers kettles a
butane burner and his trusty cast iron skillet he turns out
amazing vegetarian and vegan dishes for his loyal following
every Th ursday at Greene Street Market in Huntsville
Although he grew up in Groton Connecticut helping his
mother in the kitchen and was always interested in food Chef
Will then known as Forest Wilson felt he couldnrsquot compete
with his older brother who was an executive chef So he
received vocational training in welding and visual arts (skills
which he still uses in creating his Afro-centric art) After a
brief stint in California working in the shipbuilding industry
he decided to follow his fi rst love and go to culinary school
When Chef Will visited his mother in Huntsville he realized
how much he missed being close to the land So he moved to
Alabama After he saw what his family was eating and how
many health problems they had he began an intensive study
of nutrition and the healing properties of natural foods
He had already been turned on to the health benefi ts of a
vegetarian diet by the surfers he hung out with in California
With his back-to-basics approach
Chef Will is like a nineteenth century
cook witha twenty-first century vibe
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
like a nineteenth century cook with a twenty-
fi rst century vibe
While most of Chef Willrsquos dishes are vegan he
does use real cheese because it melts better
He also uses free-range eggs Portobello
mushrooms are his go-to meat substitute
Th e day I visited he was serving portobello
pepper ldquosteakrdquo over quinoa and brown rice
with a liberal dash of his secret Bee Sting
sauce which his son Khaliq is working on
marketing to the public It was scrumptious
His food is so densely fl avored you donrsquot miss
the meat He especially loves the spices and
ingredients of Indian Asian and Chinese
cuisines all of which off er a great variety of
tasty vegetarian dishes
Chef Will is a passionate evangelist for the
healing properties of pure natural foods and
he preaches this gospel in a way that is so
inviting those who try his food cannot help
but be much more open-minded about trying
new healthy creative ways of eating
who seemed to have much more energy than he did He
became intentional about every step of the cooking process
from ingredient sourcing to cookwaremdashhence the cast
iron skillet which is naturally non-stick and adds iron to
whatever is cooked in it
Chef Will sources his ingredients locally whenever possible
He makes his vegetable stock with spring water His tasty
beans are soaked and simmered in that fl avorful stock not
poured from a can His collards are sublime without a hint
of pork fat With his back-to-basics approach Chef Will is
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Start a New Holiday Tradition at Burritt on the Mountain
ldquoHoliday Magicrdquo A Magical Dining Experience
December 10th 11th amp 12th
Itrsquos a magically fun evening dining in a historic cabin or the mansion with friends while enjoying delectable food and wine It is unlike any other holiday dinner and itrsquos perfect for a festive family occasion yet intimate enough for a romantic dinner for two Itrsquos rustic AND upscale
Holiday Magic reservations are being taken now by calling Butch Damson at 256-534-4361 Hurry Space is limted $90 per dinner seat Visit the website for menus and more
limited seating available make your reservations today
Wersquore decking the walls halls and stalls to get you in the holiday spirit More than 600 candles illuminate the sidewalks and Historic Park and music fills the air adding to the nostalgic feel of the holidays String cranberries make paper punch ornaments roast chesnuts amp taste figgy pudding Fun for the whole family itrsquos Christmas the way itrsquos supposed to be
Kris KringlersquosCandlelight Christmas
December 4th amp 5th
A much anticipated musical favorite will be back at Burritt in the Old Country Church
PerformancesDecember 16th through 20th
Tickets ON SALE NOWPurchase tickets at Josiersquos online
or by calling 256-536-2882or by calling 256-536-2by calling 256-536-2burrittonthemountaincom
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Th
ePE
R
FECT HOLIDAY DIN
NE
R
In our modern world of far-fl ung families Th anksgiving and Christmas are those rare occasions so fi lled with nostalgia
and meaning we press the pause button on our busy lives to prioritize time together Because family time is so rare these days NorsquoAla asked some of Huntsvillersquos fi nest chefs to suggest dishes that will inspire you as you plan your
familyrsquos menu this holiday season
Any time we spend with our loved ones is precious herersquos hoping these meal
ideas help make this yearrsquos holidays perfect
text by roy hall raquo photos by olivia reed
ldquoWith all the fl avors we associate with the holidays the gingerbread man is always near the top of the list So let the kids enjoy the traditional cookies while you sip this sophisticated cocktailrdquo mdashParker
ldquoTh e holidays are so fun-fi lled it seems appropriate that a holiday salad should refl ect that with lots of diff erent things going on fruits nuts cheeses and always a little hint of sweetness in the dressing No matter what main dishes and sides are served this salad will complement them allrdquo mdashAndrew
Grilled Pear Salad with Cambozola and Walnuts
Mezza Luna
(256) 650-2514 Th e GingermanMezza Luna
Butternut Squash Wild Mushroom and Roasted Asparagus Risotto
Th e Eaves
(256) 489-1752
ldquoI love this dish because itrsquos crisp and clean and adds a touch of light color to a typically heavy mealmdashthe bright green asparagus and red pancetta even look Christmassyrdquo mdashOwner LeeLee Wiginton
ldquoTh is isnrsquot super diffi cult to make It echoes the fl avors of the season And itrsquos also something a little unexpected It has a great fl avor profi le and complements other proteins really well Guests will love itrdquo mdashChef Merle Phillip
Snow Pea Salad with Crispy PancettaLynrsquos Gracious Goodness
(256) 533-2607
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Th ePERFECT HOLIDAY DINNER
Fried Brussels Sprouts with Coriander Greek Yogurt Sauce
Mezza Luna
ldquoI chose to do the turkey this way because itrsquos a diff erent approach Th e challenge of roasting a whole turkey is that the white and dark meat cook at diff erent speeds By separating the two you can cook each for its own proper cooking timerdquo mdashChef Steven Bunner
ldquoBrussels sprouts have had a bad rap Th e fi rst time most people encounter them theyrsquore overcooked mushy and served plain Th atrsquos a shame because theyrsquore nutritional powerhouses and because theyrsquore a fall crop at their best during the holiday seasonrdquo mdashJohn
Roast Turkey Breast and Dark Meat Roulade Served with Pecan Pesto
1892 East(256) 489-1242
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Between now and the end of the year take advantage of cost reductions on three popular proceduresmdashand begin 2016 with new confidence
bull SAVE BIG on breast augmentationOur saline price is $700 off and our silicone price is $900 off cash price only Schedule your initial consultation by December 31 2015 to lock in your price and the procedure must take place by March 31 2016
bull FULL-FACIAL LASER is $1500 Cash price only Initial consultation must occur before December 31 2015 and the procedure must be done by March 31 2016
bull WEEKEND Eribium Laser PEEL is Buy ThreeGet One Free Save $400 on our regular $1600 cash price by scheduling your initial consultation by December 31 2015
Look better - feel better - and save money Itrsquos time to get more for less
Dr Russell Jennings203 Avalon Ave Suite 300
Muscle Shoals AL 35661
Phone(256) 386-1450jenningsplasticsurgerycom
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Th ePERFECT HOLIDAY DINNER
Nutella CheesecakeMason Dixon Bakery amp Bistro(256) 213-7545
ldquoTh is is one of our favorite desserts for a holiday and for every day Th e rich and creamy cake melts like ice cream in your mouth the smoothness of the fi lling balances perfectly with the crunchiness of the crust and the delicate hints of the swirled Nutella are divinerdquo mdashCo-owners Chef Ashley and Taylor Ramirez
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Emily Taylor5510 Promenade Point Pkwy Suite 160Madison AL 35757256-430-2781
I can help you
your own wayGROW
1114-519HO
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
produced by aissa castillo and lauren mccaulphotos by lauren tomasella carney
clothing modeled by aaron petersen rachel smith anne harbargerand kait barinaga (for finery)
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Meet the Shop Girls The mission To search Valley shops and boutiques
for the fi nest in Yuletide treasures
Accepting the challenge three of Huntsvillersquos most original and creative taste-makers
Say hello to NorsquoAla Shop Girls Aissa Castillo Lauren McCaul and Lauren Tomasella CarneyDuring the day these mild-mannered professionals tend to demanding careers in design
retail management and photography But evenings and weekends theyrsquore out saving the world from uninspiring fashion and decor as style superheroes
Their picks for the very best gift ideas follow For ideas and inspiration year-round
stay in-the-know by following our Shop Girls on social media
Lauren McCaul deptofagraculturecom Instagram dept_of_agra_cultureAissa Castillo aislerchiccom Instagram aislerchic
Lauren Tomasella Carney laurentomasellacom Instagram laurentomasella
And as you shop for your own Christmas treasures this season please remember to spread your cheermdashand your dollarsmdashat home
(1) Amanda Uprichard Jacket ($248)(2) BCBG Dress ($228)(3) Zoa Dress ($128)Personal Couture Boutique(256) 508-5632
(4) Dress ($168)Anthropologie(256) 327-8470
(5) Olive + Oak Oatmeal Shawl ($72)(10) Simply Noelle Zipper Gusset Bag ($5999)House of Holland(256) 206-8989
(6) One-of-a-kind Eva Ziegler Agate and Pyrite Necklace ($397)(8) Eva Ziegler Freshwater Pearl Strand ($501)Eva Ziegler Jewelryevazieglercom
(9) Gift Set ($5995)Piper amp LeafPiperandleafcom
(7) Long Horn Necklace ($68)Personal Couture Boutique(256) 508-5632
Left to right Lauren Tomasella Carney
Lauren McCaul and Aissa Castillo
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
On himFilson Shirt ($98) Filson Jacket ($320)Yeti Cooler ($34999)Alabama Outdoors(256)-885-3561
On herPPLA Vest ($7999)PPLA Dress ($7499)Bedstu Boots ($295)Indigorsquos Boutique(256) 345-6348
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) Woolly Mammoth Tooth 4rdquo Damascus Linerlock Knife ($150)(2) Cardboard Safari Bucky Cardboard Deer Head ($30)(3) Curt Benzle Porcelain Compass ($15)Little Green Store and Gallery (256) 539-9699
(4) Hunting Journal ($32)Sweet Pineapple(256) 964-7563
(5) Yeti Colster ($2999)Alabama Outdoors(256)-885-3561
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
(1) Yellow House Handcrafted Beard Oils ($18 ea)Yellow House Beard Oilsyellowhousebeards com (2) Mustache amp Beard Comb ($16)Little Green Store and Gallery (256) 539-9699 (3) Latika Body Essentials Charcoal Liquid Soap ($18)(4) Latika Body Essentials Charcoal Bar Soap ($6) (5) Rustico Leather Key Chain ($18) Sweet Pineapple(256) 964-7563
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) Wood Thumb Tie ($44) (2) Slightly Alabama iPad Case ($250) (3) DockSmith Driftwood iPhone Docking Station ($68) Little Green Storeand Gallery (256) 539-9699 (4) Loyal Stricklin Aviator Mug ($35)Domaine South(256) 808-8860 (5) Would You Be a Deer Notepad ($9) Sweet Pineapple(256) 964-7563
(6) Filson Satchel ($265) Alabama Outdoors(256)-885-3561
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
When itrsquos time to move into a bigger house get a home loan from the bank thatrsquos had a home right here for generations You might say we know a thing about location location location synovuscommortgage
Banking products are provided by Synovus Bank Member FDIC Divisions of Synovus Bank operate under multiple trade names across the Southeast Loans products subject to credit approval
When itrsquos time to move into a bigger house get a home
Here is where Henry learned hersquod be getting
SERVING YOU LOCALLY AS
2565513300 | fcb-hsvcom
his own room
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) Spiritual GangsterTank ($36)(2) Luquido Yoga Pants ($90)(3) MZ Wallace Metro Tote ($245)(4) Vimmia V back Sweatshirt ($96)(5) Onzie Sports Bra ($48)(6) Olympia Yoga Pants ($96)(7) bkr Water Bottle ($30)The Fitzgerald Pilates amp Barre(256) 603-1886
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
(1) Gypsy Pant WarmTribal ($72) (2) Berry High Waist Legging ($88) (3) Long Legging Mathematics ($65) (4) Long Legging Peacock ($65) The FitzgeraldPilates amp Barre(256) 603-1886
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) Jane Tran Hair Clips ($15)(2) bkr Water Bottle ($30)(3) well-kept Tech Wipes ($6)(4) Made with Love Bracelets ($25)(5) Pointe Studio Socks ($12)(6) Bando Too Cold to Hold Coozie ($5)The Fitzgerald Pilates amp Barre(256) 603-1886
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
(1) Shop Bando Coff ee Cup ($14)(2) Shop Bando Pens ($14) (3) Shop Bando Pouch ($26) (4) Shop Bando Coin Purse ($20) The FitzgeraldPilates amp Barre(256) 603-1886
(5) Check Things Off Notepad ($16)(6) Hello From Huntsville Stamp ($12)Salt + Paperie(256) 655-5550
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) Muzzle Loaders Chocolate Bourbon Balls ($1999) (2) Vintage Crystal Decanter ($20) (3) Quench Glassware ($1399) Domaine South(256) 808-8860
(4) The Hella Bitters Old Fashioned Kit ($65)(5) American Bar by Charles Schumann ($2495) Little Green Storeand Gallery (256) 539-9699
(6) Julep Cups ($50)Willowbrook Shoppe (256) 270-7181
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom | novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) DECCO Umbrella in a Bottle ($1995)(2) Alexa Pulitzer Stationery Set ($14 ea)(3) Ikat Scarf ($6250)Huntsville Museumof Art(256) 535-4350
(4) Emily Ley Grace Journal ($32) (5) Sugar Boo Designs Clutch ($18) (6) Emily Ley Daily Planner ($58) (7) Latika Milk ampHoney Bar ($6) (8) Farm House Fresh Shea Butter Hand Cream ($14) (9) Christen MaxwellZippy ($42) (10) Green Tea Bubble Bath ($32) Sweet Pineapple(256) 964-7563 (11) Goal Getter Cuff ($32)Indigorsquos Boutique(256) 345-6348
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
(1) Kilim Pillow ($58) (2) Bejeweled Silver Plate Vase ($144) (3) Bone Clad Box ($375)Willowbrook Shoppe (256) 270-7181
(4) Cowhide Rug ($550)(5) Lucyrsquos Locket ($95) (Original piecemdashselection may vary)Sweet Pineapple(256) 964-7563 (6) Clutch ($65)Department of Agra Culturedeptofagraculturecom
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) Above The Bar Antler on Chain 28rdquo ($3999) (2) Above The Bar Deer wAntler Head 18rdquo ($2999) Indigorsquos Boutique(256) 345-6348
(3) Margaret Solow Labradorite18KT Bezel ($290) (4) Margaret Solow Diamond Crest MoonSilver ($460) (5) Margaret Solow Black Spinel + DiamondSilver ($560) (6) Margaret Solow Double Black Spinel18KT ($260)Little Green Store and Gallery (256) 539-9699
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
(1) Margaret Solow Grey Moonstoon18KT Necklace ($240) (2) Margaret Solow OpalDiamond Mosaic Necklace ($610) Little Green Storeand Gallery (256) 539-9699
(3) One-of-a-kind Eva Ziegler Smokey Quartz and Pyrite Necklace ($406)Eva Ziegler Jewelryevazieglercom
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) Jennifer BehrTurban ($625)(2) Cotton Day Dress ($64)(3) Norma Ishak Cardigan ($375)Finery(256) 429-3429
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) The Lion Sleeps Tonight Bath Bomb ($6) Sweet Pineapple(256) 964-7563
(2) Tiger Jelly Cat ($2250)(3) Dog Tag Teether ($1550)(4) Dinosaur Footie ($3595)Honey B Boutique(256) 503-2853
(5) Young Buck ($25)Tiny Vinestinyvinesshopcom
(6) Bib Set ($13)Huntsville Museumof Art(256) 535-4350
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
(1) Tiny Dancer Bath Bomb ($6)Sweet Pineapple(256) 964-7563
(2) Kickee Mammoth Footie ($3595)(3) Noodle amp Boo Essential Care Kit ($18)(4) Elephant Jelly Cat ($2250)Honey B Boutique(256) 503-2853
(5) ArtFolio Pink Elephant Coloring Tote ($17)Huntsville Museumof Art(256) 535-4350
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) Bib Set ($13)Huntsville Museumof Art(256) 535-4350 (2) Little Light ($25)Tiny Vinestinyvinesshopcom (3) Micro Leon Cardboard Lion ($30)Little Green Storeand Gallery (256) 539-9699 (4) I Love You Like Biscuits amp Gravy ($23)Domaine South(256) 808-8860
(5) Kickee Kimono ($4295)Honey B Boutique(256) 503-2853
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
SURPRISEA LOVED ONE
THIS HOLIDAY SEASON
WITH A FOREVER GIFT
HobbsJewelerscom 8772331347Parkway Place Mall
HuntsvilleHwy 72 West
AthensMain Street
Ardmore TN
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Caftan ($75)Sarah Richey Necklace ($350)Finery(256) 429-3429
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
(1) Chewbead Necklace ($3495)(2) Mayoral Baby Bag ($7995)(3) Mayoral Diaper Changing Pad ($2495)(4) Nursing Scarf ($2695) (5) Kickee Swaddling Blanket ($22)Honey B Boutique(256) 503-2853 (6) Lucy Darling Months Sticker ($25) (7) The Story of You Baby Book by Emily Ley ($62) Sweet Pineapple(256) 964-7563
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) Alwand Vahan 14K Gold and Onyx Ring wDiamond Accent ($2595)(2) Alwand Vanan 14K Gold and Onyx Bracelet wDiamond Accent ($2695)Hobbs Jewelers(877) 233-1347
(3) Britt Ryan Dress ($288)Personal Couture Boutique(256) 508-5632
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) Rocket Cosmos Mug ($13)Huntsville Museumof Art(256) 535-4350
(2) Loose Leaf Tea ($399)Piper amp Leaf piperandleafcom (3) Judy Jackson Tea Pot ($56) (4) Gary Watson Cherry Cutting Board ($48-$68) (5) Susan Coe Birthday Cake Plate ($33) Little Green Storeand Gallery (256) 539-9699 (6) Macarons ($116 pcs $221 dozen)Whisk Small Treats Bakery(256) 656-1027
(7) Truffl es ($185 each)Pizellersquos Confections (256) 513-9745 (8) Olive amp Sinclair Chocolate ($799)Domaine South(256) 808-8860
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
(1) Whisk Note Pad ($8) (2) In the Forest Mixing Bowl ($36) (3) Twig Serving Set ($18)(8) Southern Firefl y Candle ($12)Sweet Pineapple(256) 964-7563
(4) Urchin Bowl ($10)(5) Foodie Dice ($38)(6) 1Canoe2 Wood Recipe Box w Recipe Cards ($6999) Domaine South(256) 808-8860 (7) Growlers ($75 small $95 large)Southern Growlersoutherngrowlercom
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) Tacori 18K Barbados Blue Bold Gem Ring ($660)(2) Tacori 18K Barbados Blue Bold Gem Necklace ($630)(3) Tacori 18K Barbados Blue Bold Gem Bracelet ($990)Hobbs Jewelers(877) 233-1347
(4) BCBG Dress ($328)Personal Couture Boutique(256) 508-5632
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Guadalupe Robinson
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
text by jennifer crossley howard raquo photos by patrick hood
Of Deft and Dirty Hands
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Huntsville potter Guadalupe Lanning Robinson has spent more than 36 years mastering the
marriage of clay texture and geometric design into her pottery yet time has done little to temper the
plight of waiting
ldquoIt is hard for me to let a pot just dryrdquo she says motioning toward fi ve small wet pots sitting near her
pottery wheel ldquoIrsquom as excited to do this as I was 30 years agordquo
To observe her studio at Lowe Mill that is easy to believe Located on the corridor outside the textile
mill-turned-art centerrsquos main building the loft-like space with a corrugated tin roof feels like a place a
Gabriel Garcia Marquez character would enjoy daydreaming
Sienna-hued pottery sits in various stages to be fi red layered and etched Argentinian tango music
streams from Robinsonrsquos iPhone and two cockatiels a parrot and a parakeet chirp from their cages All
except the parrot fl y freely when Robinson is working
Robinson who is 61 made her fi rst pot in 1979 in her native Mexico City Almost four decades later her
work is part of permanent museum collections in Auburn Huntsville Tuscumbia and Tupelo Missis-
sippi She regularly enters her work in respected juried shows such as the Monte Sano Arts Festival and
the Kentuck Festival of the Arts in Northport and has received two Alabama State Council on the Arts
individual artist fellowships
Her inspiration draws from the villages around her native Mexico City such as the black pottery of
the northwest as well as her acquired Southern culture White lilies corn grids and round female
fi guresmdashldquoreally strong women who are in chargerdquo Robinson saysmdashreappear on her stoneware She uses
natural dyes indigo for color and mixes sand into clay for texture Nothing is wasted
ldquoI donrsquot waste any clayrdquo Robinson says ldquoEverything is recycledrdquo
Robinson fi nds solace in the 40-50 hours a week she puts in at the studio and the often tedious process
of making pots which can take from three weeks to six weeks for larger pots She usually works on two
or three pots at a time tending to groups at diff erent stages
After a pot is thrown on a wheel a piece can take days to dry before its fi rst bisque fi re in which tem-
peratures rise to 1800 F After baking for nine hours the kiln must cool Th e second fi ring rises to 2150
F and matures the clay and melts the glazes to strengthen the piece
ldquoI am an effi cient person by naturerdquo Robinson says ldquoWaiting for the kiln to cool down enough to open
can be nerve wracking and this is when my patience is usually put to the testrdquo
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
ldquoIt is hard for me to let a pot just dry Irsquom as excited to do this as I was 30 years agordquo
Robinson makes most of her pots on a wheel using oxides to change the color of clay she gets from Nashville and Pittsburgh Her pottery takes several weeks from start to fi nish depending on how large a pot is and how many she makes at a time
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
ldquoAttend to your childrenrsquos needs fi rst keep focus on what you want to douse the happiness joy and little breaks you get to make your artTh ey grow real fast and they will keep inspiring you all your liferdquo
Robinson imagined this bat-like design as she was working She usually begins a piece with a design in mind but that often evolves
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Robinson uses an overlay of liquid clay called engobemdashthat includes three to four layersmdashto create a
base on which to design
Th ere is high risk in making pottery and hours of work can be wasted on a pot that has not dried en-
tirely before it enters the kiln Air pockets or the wrong mixture of chemicals can ruin a piece
ldquoArt is involved but science is toordquo says Laura Smith director of education at the Huntsville Museum
of Art where Robinson has taught pottery classes ldquoItrsquos more labor intensive in terms of working with
the medium whether yoursquore building by hand or with a wheel until you fi re with the fi nal layer of glazerdquo
Th e result is sturdy pottery
ldquoI want my pots to look like something that is lasting a long timerdquo Robinson says
Th ough she works solitarily in her studio she says she does not get lonely Her birds and music keep her
company and each stage of pottery making has a soundtrack She uses needlepoint tools to draw onto
clay to Jose Feliciano and other Latin American musicians
ldquoIf Irsquom at the wheel Bruno Marsrdquo she says ldquoIf Irsquom unloading the kiln and something is really awesome
then I need something moving and I have on Motownrdquo
Robinsonrsquos years of experience minimize the risk of damaged pots but she says her greatest challenge
as a potter was balancing her work while raising her two children Now adults their candid childhood
pictures and those of her grandchildren cover the warm green walls of her studio
She met her husband the poet James Robinson in 1977 on a Greyhound bus when she returned to
Mexico City from visiting a friend at the University of Southern Mississippi He was heading to Mexico
to study at a university Th ey married six months later After giving birth to her daughter Annie Jane in
Mexico City in 1982 the family moved to Huntsville in 1985 Th at is when Robinson got more serious
about her pottery
ldquoFrom the very beginning when I moved to Alabama I knew I was going to have to do thisrdquo she said
ldquoIn some ways it was a way for me to keep connected to my heritagerdquo
She took even 15 minutes of free time to work in the studio behind her home and worked late into the
night while her daughter and son Isidoro born in 1987 slept Having a home studio allowed her to
wash clothes tend to her home and drop off lunches at school while maintaining her art
ldquoTh ere was something for me when I fi rst became a mother that fueled my creativityrdquo Robinson says
ldquoTh ey are such a social inspiration too It fi lls your liferdquo
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Robinson advises fellow artists who are mothers to seize
both roles but to prioritize motherhood
ldquoAttend to your childrenrsquos needs fi rst keep focus on what you
want to do use the happiness joy and little breaks you get
to make your artrdquo she says ldquoTh ey grow real fast and they will
keep inspiring you all your liferdquo
Anna Sue Courtney director of the Flying Monkey Arts
Center at Lowe Mill has known Robinson for more than
10 years She says she admires how mothers and artists like
Robinson seamlessly embrace both roles
ldquoIt seems therersquos not a separation between creating and rais-
ing childrenrdquo Courtney says ldquoTh ey seem to pull from the
same placerdquo
Part of Robinsonrsquos motivation at Lowe Mill comes from
working privately in a studio alongside other artists that fos-
ters a community of feedback and ideas
ldquoItrsquos nice to be here because you can take a break and walk around and get inspirationrdquo Courtney says
ldquoItrsquos refreshingrdquo
When she needs a break from the studio Robinson stays home to sketch designs for a day or two then
she is back in the studio
Trips twice a year to Mexico City keep her plugged in to her native culture which in turn shows up in
her pottery
ldquoI have to recharge myselfrdquo Robinson says ldquoI love Huntsville and loved raising my kids here but I still
have the need of going back to be recharged and smell all the smells and see all the colors and get on
the subway and be pushed aroundrdquo
Details from her trips that infl uence her work include the ever-present red that covers the city during
the celebration of Dia de los Muertos or the Day of the Dead Th e pyramids of Teotihuacan conjure
warm earth tones and fl oating gardens around the city yield sweet pungent calla lilies and carnations
Celebration of food tough women and nature reappear in her pottery qualities that both Southern and
Mexican cultures treasure
Above This daisy design is character-istic of Robinsonrsquos work Nature food and strong females from her native Mexico City and the South are strong creative infl uences
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Clockwise from top left Robinson often glazes only the inside of her pots so they can hold water and food She began quilting in 2002 and her quilts like her pottery contain earth tones and natural infl uences in their design Four birds keep Robinson company in what can be the isolating medium of pottery making Geometry and symmetry are two signature elements in Robinsonrsquos work according to Laura Smith director of education at the Huntsville Museum of Art
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Just as she keeps her home country close to her heart Robinson is loyal to her fi rst
love of pottery though she began making quilts in 2002
ldquoIrsquom a potter who likes to quiltrdquo she says
Like her pottery her quilting follows designs of organic nature such as fl owers and
crops on rich jewel tone cotton
ldquoWhen I fi rst saw one of her quilts I didnrsquot realize it was hers and I thought that
looks like it should be Guadalupersquos quiltrdquo Courtney says
Robinson prefers the immediate gratifi cation of clay
ldquoItrsquos a very responsive mediumrdquo she says ldquoYou can manipulate it Th e fact of mak-
ing something out of dirt out of nothing and making it durable making it perma-
nent that after going through the heat and maturing is something very excitingrdquo
She gently dings a pot covered with white dresses titled ldquoTehuana Dressrdquo to make
her point
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
887 FM Muscle Shoals bull 1007 FM Huntsvillewwwaprorg
News classicalmusic and more
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
copy Patrick Hood
text by sara wright covington raquo photos by jacki gil
patrick hood erin lindsey and michelle odom
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
copy Patrick Hood
ldquoA LOT OF PEOPLE HAD BEEN ASKING ME QUESTIONS ABOUTHOW I GOT MY BUSINESS STARTED I WANTED TO GATHER SOME PEOPLE AROUND ME
WHO WERE GOING THROUGH THOSE STRUGGLES AND TOBUILD ENTREPRENEURIAL COURAGErdquo
JACKI GIL SALT+PAPERIE
copy Patrick Hood
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
untsville-born Jacki Gil began her paper design busi-
ness Salt+Paperie in 2014 with an expansive vision
in mind one that extended beyond creating beautiful
custom designed paper goods ldquoI love my design job
but when Irsquom 50 years old I donrsquot see myself still de-
signing wedding invitationsrdquo the master stationer says
ldquoI really have a passion for teaching and helping people
I want to be a mentorrdquo
In 2015 Gil set out on her mentoring mission sooner than expected with a series
of workshops called Encourage Huntsville ldquoA lot of people had been asking me
questions about how I got my business startedrdquo Gil says about the early days of
Salt+Paperie Even though most of those questions from entrepreneurial-hopefuls
were technicalmdashlike how to apply for a business licensemdashthey served as inspira-
tion for Gil ldquoI wanted to gather some people around me who were going through
those struggles and to build entrepreneurial courage I defi nitely saw that there
was a need for helping people to take that next step toward owning their own
businessesrdquo
Encourage Huntsville was modeled on the image of a growing small business
movement called the Rising Tide Society a national community of creative small
business owners who encourage ldquocommunity over competitionrdquo Th at spirit of
openness is at the heart of Encourage Huntsville ldquoCommunity over competition
is a huge part of what we are doingrdquo says Gil ldquoSmall business owners sharing how
they earn their money is a big dealrdquo
As a fi rst step Gil gathered others around her who were using their skills and abili-
ties to make their own small businesses work With talents ranging from cooking
and cake decorating to hand lettering and artwork these small business owners
all embraced Gilrsquos vision for imparting to others the knowledge of their craft un-
impeded by a fear of losing their competitive edge
Th e fi rst lesson Gil wanted to impart to Encourage Huntsvillersquos students wasnrsquot
necessarily a particular craft or skill but a spirt of creative confi dence ldquoWe want-
ed to bridge the gap between the very artsy community and the ultimate engineer
communityrdquo many of whom Gil observes had been told since childhood they
werenrsquot artistic ldquoWhen you are little and someone tells you that you donrsquot have a
talent it sticks with you I found that a lot of people had that experience so that
was the workshop partmdashto build some creative courage in this communityrdquo
Gil conducted the fi rst workshop herself testing the waters to see how the concept
would be received Th e admission price to that fi rst workshop included supplies a
take-home ldquogoody bagrdquo to help students continue their work extracurricularly and
refreshmentsmdashas well as Gilrsquos tips of her trade
ldquoWe went in blindly not knowing if we had a market or notrdquo says Gil Th e popular-
ity of that fi rst class proved undeniably that a market did in fact exist the work-
shop sold out in one day ldquoSo we did back-to-back workshopsrdquo Gil says ldquoAfter that
novemberdecembeeer eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee | nononoononononononoonoonononooooonoonoonnononnoaaalalalllaallllllalaalaaalal ststustust ddiossscom mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm | | | | | | | | | | |
f
w
y
Previous page Encourage Huntsvillersquos founder and instructor Jacki Gil teaches a class in hand lettering Facing page A participant studies her supply list
we realized people really want to do this stuff So we said lsquoletrsquos jump on the boat
and make this happenrsquordquo
Gilrsquos longtime friend photographer Erin Lindsey of Erin Lindsey Images agreed
to contribute to Encourage Huntsvillersquos curriculum by teaching a photography
class ldquoJacki and I are a good team because our hearts are in the same place when
it comes to encouraging othersrdquo Lindsey says Still she admits saying yes to teach-
ing wasnrsquot without some initial hesitation ldquoWhen Jacki asked if I would teach a
class it was kind of scary I thought I had to be perfect before I could teach oth-
ersrdquo Lindsey says of her initial hesitancy ldquoBut after talking to Jacki I realized none
of us are perfectrdquo But perfection isnrsquot the goal encouragement is the goal ldquoAnd I
thought lsquoI can defi nitely line up with that visionrsquordquo
Michelle Odom another Huntsville native and owner of custom cake bakery Just
Crumbs was also on board with Gilrsquos vision In fact Odom had been contemplat-
ing teaching a class when she was approached by Gil to teach a fondant basics
class ldquoHuntsville is such an engineer town and everyone is so mathematical and
scientifi crdquo Odom says echoing the dichotomy between the arts and sciences ex-
pressed by Gil ldquoTh ese workshops are just a very cool way for structured people to
have a creative outletrdquo
ldquoJACKI AND I ARE A GOOD TEAM BECAUSE OUR HEARTS ARE INTHE SAME PLACE WHEN IT COMES TO ENCOURAGING OTHERSrdquo
ERIN LINDSEY ERIN LINDSEY IMAGES
copy Erin Lindsey
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Above A participant in Erin Lindseyrsquos photo class frames a still life
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
copy Erin Lindsey
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
ldquoHUNTSVILLE IS SUCH AN ENGINEER TOWN AND EVERYONE ISSO MATHEMATICAL AND SCIENTIFIC THESE WORKSHOPS ARE JUST A VERY COOL
WAY FOR STRUCTURED PEOPLE TO HAVE A CREATIVE OUTLETrdquo MICHELLE ODOM JUST CRUMBS
copy Michelle Odom
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
ldquoAnd yesrdquo Odom acknowledges ldquoyou are in theory teaching your competition But
at the same time you are helping the community be more creativerdquo
With its roster of popular creative workshops under its belt Encourage Huntsville
has added business classes to its community-over-competition curriculum with
classes designed to provide specifi c guidance for small business owners ldquoAll of
our events that donrsquot require hands-on work we call seminarsrdquo says Gil ldquoWe had
about 15 people at our fi rst one It was pretty much just an open discussion to ask
us questions and get answers from the perspective of a small business ownerrdquo
Th e seminars enjoyed the same success and enthusiasm as the workshops ldquoWe
had two hours for people to ask questionsrdquo Gil says Topics covered ran the gamut
from scheduling daily tasks self-hosting a website or using an Etsy store man-
aging client expectations and being realistic about how much time you need to
complete jobs
ldquoTh e time went quickly and people wanted morerdquo says Gil who envisions an all-
day seminar in 2016
Margaret Baggett owner and executive chef of the Chef Next Door is another
small business owner who has shared Gilrsquos vision from the very beginning teach-
copy Erin Lindsey
Facing page Michelle Odomrsquos fondant basics class begins with a styrofoam cake form Above Newbie photographers familiarize themselves with their cameras in Erin Lindseyrsquos photography class
ing knife skills workshops and helping host the business seminars ldquoI am so proud
to get to be a part of this project and help nurture other small business owners
who may just be starting out on their journey or are deep in it and looking for
some encouragement from other business ownersrdquo Baggett says of what motivates
her participation in Encourage Huntsville ldquoEven being on the advice-giving side
of things I am still learning and have taken tips and tricks and lessons from each
event we have had so far We never stop learning from each other and never stop
improving upon our craftsrdquo
Th e mutual growth among students and teachers is the source of the encourage-
mentmdashand the joymdashof Encourage Huntsville ldquoItrsquos so much fun to see the light
bulbs go off with people and see them encouraged right before your eyesrdquo Lindsey
says of her experience with the program ldquoPlus itrsquos a pleasure to contribute to a
sense of community over competition Th at whole concept is so rarerdquo
As Encourage Huntsvillersquos following continues to grow the diversity of the work-
shops will expand as well Whether you are looking to spend a fun afternoon
learning a new craft or are a budding small business owner hoping to launch
your brand Encourage Huntsville has something valuable to off er ldquoWe encourage
those left-brain folks to take up a new hobby or skillrdquo Baggett says ldquoor just encour-
age the people of Huntsville to get together and fan their creative fl amesrdquo
If yoursquore looking for
creative or entrepreneurial
encouragement visit
encouragehuntsvillecom
for seminar and workshop
schedules and information
ldquoI AM SO PROUD TO GET TO BE A PART OF THIS PROJECT AND HELP NURTURE OTHER SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS WHO MAY JUST BE STARTING OUT ON THEIR JOURNEY OR ARE DEEP IN IT
AND LOOKING FOR SOME ENCOURAGEMENT FROM OTHER BUSINESS OWNERSrdquoMARGARET BAGGETT CHEF NEXT DOOR
copy Jacki Gil
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
copy Jacki Gil
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Participants in Margaret Baggettrsquos knife skills workshop learn to perfect their ldquomise en placerdquo
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
copy Olivia Reed
text by sara wright covington raquo photos by olivia reed and jeff white
HUNTSVILLErsquoS
HOMEGROWNHOSTESS
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
ttttttononononoooooonononooooo raquo praquo praquo praquo praquo phothothothothotosoososos s s osos bybybbybb
Any host will tell you that delicious food and quality libations while important to
a partyrsquos success are secondary to the most important ingredient of all the guest list Th atrsquos why many
of downtown Huntsvillersquos most popular restaurants breweries and wine shops are turning to event
planner Ashley Ryals and her uncanny knack for attracting loyal patronsmdashand creating unforgettable
events in the process
When Huntsville born-and-bred Ashley Ryals left for college at the University of Alabama in 2001
she thought her exit from the Valley was permanent ldquoI never thought I would end up back hererdquo the
founder of event planning company Homegrown Huntsville says with a knowing laugh But after a few
post-graduate years working for world-renowned public relations powerhouse Weber Shandwick in
New York City Ryals started to second guess her freshman declaration
ldquoI started to get homesickrdquo she admits ldquoAll of my friends were getting married and meeting for football
games and I was missing itrdquo So when a friend from home set up an interview at EarlyWorks for a job
doing event planning Ryals jumped at the chance to come home
Ashley spent the next few years planning EarlyWorks Whistle Stop and Santarsquos Village events A brief
stint in sales followed along with a seat on the board of Huntsville Young Professionals where she had
an idea for a downtown pub crawl
ldquoWe expected 20 or 30 peoplerdquo Ryals says of their modest expectations ldquoBut 200 people showed uprdquo
Th at initial success convinced Ryals to embark on her dream of establishing an
event planning company But it wasnrsquot just any event planning company Ryals
had in mind she envisioned one that would collaborate with local businesses
cultivate signature events for the community to enjoy and support small busi-
nesses in the process
Inspired Ryals left her sales job and for the second time in her life came home
again to event planning and Homegrown Huntsville
To help bring her vision to life Ryals collaborated with designer Adrianne Van
Kirk of Fave Creative ldquoAdrianne has been a part of the visual and branding of
Homegrown from the beginning We come up with the event ideas then I get
the ticketing and sales together and she comes back with a logo and the mar-
keting for the event And thatrsquos how it all comes togetherrdquo Ryals says of their
creative process
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
ASHLEY RYALS
copy Olivia Reed
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
ldquoMOST WINE FESTIVALS ACROSS THE COUNTRY HAVE PROVEN RECORDS OF BEING ABLE TO STAY AROUND 15 OR 20 YEARS OR EVEN LONGER AND THE ECONOMIES OF THOSE
CITIES HAVE REALLY GROWN AS A RESULT I WANT BIG SPRING CRUSH TO EVENTUALLY BE THE BIGGEST AND BEST WINE FESTIVAL IN THE STATE OF ALABAMArdquo ASHLEY RYALS
copy Jeff White
copy Jeff White
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
copy Olivia Reed
Homegrown launched in 2011 with what would become its
signature event Dine amp Dash Every second Wednesday
April through October a trolley shuttles patrons between
downtown establishments where they are served a drink
and appetizer before moving on to the next stop
Owner and executive chef Merle Phillips of Th e Eaves was
one of the fi rst restaurants to sign on for Dine amp Dashrsquos de-
but ldquoAshley came to me and said she was starting a trolley
tasting conceptrdquo says Chef Merle ldquoI didnrsquot really know her so
I was taking a chance on the concept she was sellingrdquo
Merle tried it and has been a loyal participant of Dine amp
Dash ever since
ldquoIt was a risk in the beginning but it defi nitely paid off rdquo Chef
Merle says of the experience Pivotal to that experience ac-
cording to Phillips is Ryalsrsquo demonstration to the commu-
nity just what the term ldquohomegrownrdquo really means ldquoAshley
shines a spotlight on independent businesses in a market-
place that has for so long focused on chainsrdquo Phillips says
ldquoDine amp Dash has really brought into sharp focus the inter-
esting culinary diversity that Huntsville has to off errdquo
For the next two years Homegrown Huntsville focused al-
most exclusively on Dine amp Dash which by the end of its fi rst
year included every single downtown restaurant But when
big changes began to appear on the downtown horizonmdash
new restaurants breweries and residential developmentsmdash
Ryalsrsquo instincts told her
the time had come to
introduce a new event
to the downtown cal-
endar
ldquoBeer Hop follows
the concept of Dine
amp Dashrdquo Ryals says of
Homegrownrsquos second
venture which began
in 2013 Each month a
trolley visits three dif-
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
BILL FOWLEROLD TOWN BEER
EXCHANGE
copy Olivia Reed
copy Olivia Reed
ferent breweries where patrons sample beers and enjoy food
from a variety of food trucks parked at each location
Bill Fowler managing partner of Old Town Beer Exchange
agreed to participate in Beer Hop on his very fi rst day of
business and credits Ryals with an overwhelmingly success-
ful opening night ldquoAshley said lsquoI can guarantee that you are
going to have wave after wave of people coming throughrsquordquo
Fowler says recalling that fi rst jittery occasion Once again
Ryals proved true to her word with 60-plus patrons arriving
in an hour-and-a-half ldquoIt was awesome and such a great ex-
perience for usrdquo Fowler raves ldquoAshley is a hard worker and
you can see that in what she doesrdquo
Fowler believes that in addition to bringing new customers
to OTBX Ryals is also cultivating beer education consis-
tently bringing in people who are new to beer and want to
learn And with Huntsvillersquos recent brewery boom that level
of education and interest is crucial for the brewing commu-
nity to thrive ldquoWe have a very small window of opportunityrdquo
says Fowler ldquoI think Huntsville in particular is becoming a
craft brewing community People are making money at this
and once Tennessee sees that we need to already have had a
pretty huge head startrdquo
By the end of 2013 and with standing events Beer Hop and
Dine amp Dash well established Ryals took time to refl ect on
her original goal for Homegrown Huntsville ldquoIn the back of
my head from day one I knew I wanted to do a wine festival
I just didnrsquot think Huntsville was ready for it in 2011rdquo
Emboldened by the success of Beer Hop Ryals decided to
make the leap with Big Spring Crush wine festival later the
same year Once again Ryals delivered the perfect audience
for the event and in the process discovered a surprising
fact about North Alabamarsquos contribution to the wine-mak-
ing industry
ldquoIn doing the wine festival I learned that we have a huge
wine community in Huntsvillerdquo Ryals says ldquoTh ere are only
about 47 certifi ed wine judges in the entire United States
and we have four of them right here in North Alabama Two
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
copy Jeff White
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
ldquoI STARTED TO GET HOMESICK ALL OF MY FRIENDS WERE GETTING MARRIEDAND MEETING FOR FOOTBALL GAMES AND I WAS MISSING ITrdquo ASHLEY RYALS
copy Jeff White
copy Jeff White
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
ldquoIT WAS AWESOME AND SUCH A GREAT EXPERIENCE FOR USrdquoBILL FOWLER OLD TOWN BEER EXCHANGE
copy Jeff White
copy Olivia Reed
of those four certifi ed wine judges sit on the committee for
Big Spring Crushrdquo
Matthew and Stephanie Mell had just opened Church Street
Wine Shop when they decided to participate in the fi rst Big
Spring Crush Like OTBXrsquos Robert Fowler the Mells credit
Ryals and Homegrown Huntsville for helping to introduce
their new enterprise to the community ldquoAshley has been in-
strumental in helping to bring us people who love and ap-
preciate winerdquo Stephanie Mell says ldquoShe was homegrown
here in Huntsville and she really gets the downtown area
and small businesses and that is so important to usrdquo
Big Spring Crush began with a bang featuring over 150
wines and attracting patrons from across the country
ldquoMost wine festivals across the country have proven records
of being able to stay around 15 or 20 years or even longerrdquo
Ryals says ldquoAnd the economies of those cities have really
grown as a result I want Big Spring Crush to eventually be
the biggest and best wine festival in the state of Alabamardquo
How does Ryals intend to make that dream come true ldquoBy
always keeping it fresh I want to have new marketing and
new things happening each yearrdquo
Ryalsrsquo formula of reinvention and expansion has successfully
led Homegrown Huntsville through fi ve years of success and
helped its events become community staples along the way In
the process Ryals is broadening more than just our image of
downtown Huntsville shersquos joining a class of creative entrepre-
neurs committed to expanding Huntsvillersquos reputation as more
than just a hub for the brightest scientifi c minds in America
ldquoWe have a big city of engineers and lawyers and itrsquos won-
derfulrdquo Ryals say ldquo But there is a whole artist and food cul-
ture here and there is so much growth I want us to have a
vibrant cool downtown area and I want for people to tell
their friends to come and visit and to see Huntsville for what
it is a city I loverdquo
If yoursquod like to participate in Homegrown Huntsville either
as a guest or a participating business visit homegrown-
huntsvillecom
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
copy Jeff White
I was years old and the year was At that time the city of Huntsville was inching toward the mountain to the east California Street was once the continental divide between the small town metropo-lis and the uncharted territories gingerly crossed by the real estate pioneers four score and some odd years prior Th is area became the new suburb as the city kept pushing onward toward Fagan Springs as if the reverberating booms of rocket testings were vibrating Hunstvillians away from its epicenter
From the front yard of our house on Owens Drive I could look to the rightmdashup the hill to the bend be-yond which the big houses stood on their rocky ledge pedestals and to the left where all the other houses that looked just like oursmdashfresh and newmdashrambled for what seemed like miles Th ose clean well-lit abodes all seemed the same and granted at my age I knew more about the pets that lived there than I did about the people who owned those manageable mortgages I came to realize that each was diff erent in a way that was permeated by voices smells and furnishings
It is a clicheacute to say that our lives were simpler then because that is just how the current era will be fondly referred to in the future but to a 5-year-old it is the simplicity that brought the joy Th e sixties will always be to me the beginning of the age of manufactured happiness Cheap clean and simple was what was strived for and what was easily obtained Plastic items were plentiful and pretty things could be bought with SampH Green Stamps A few coins in our pocket would transfer us into the most master of manipula-tors with us giving our all to convince our parents for a jaunt to Murdockrsquos for a holiday of wonderment joy and impatience as we would scour the shelves trying to get the most from our meager budget
Owens Drive was the fairly new thoroughfare from which the avenues of three-bedroom-ranchers fi ngered away at planned intervals Th is was the place where newlyweds started their lives homes and families Where girls with last names that had been in the town for generations would change them to those strange and exotic last names of the clean cut newcomers brought here for military purposes Where the housewives would preheat their pristine electric ovens trying to make cheese straws and biscuits that were just like their motherrsquos only to be frustrated as they were never quite the same and where the husbands would follow in their fatherrsquos footsteps by joining the Acme Club and hunting doves on the weekends
Th ere was a swimming pool Certainly not at our house Th e only private pool I remember as a child was one that my grandmother would take me to nestled between huge trees at someonersquos house on Adams Street I would swim with other children my age while our grandmothers chatted smoking cigarettes in cat-eyed anonymity whispering most of their stories so we wouldnrsquot be able to hear But between their
gasps and laughter we would listen hear and learn
Th e Blossomwood pool was a place of designated rules and the sound of bright whistlesmdashwith straight lines and distinctive colors of blue and green I can still feel the Coppertoned oiliness on the skin of the tanned lifeguard as she carried me from the deep end frightened after my fi rst attempt at solo-swimming She knew my name I had no idea who she was
On the other side of the pool was the school my older sister attended It had a style that mim-icked the poolmdashstraight lines cleanmdasha temple to orderliness and good manners It was with
awe that I once watched the young adults there some as old as eleven wind and dance their way around a sky-high fl agpolemdasheach with a diff erent color ribbon until the fi rst (and only) May Pole
I was privy to was completely dressed in its woven bright colors
90 raquo bless their hearts raquo Guy McClure Jr
Huntsville was a magical place for us tail-end baby boomers to grow upmdashbeyond the miracles of the escalator at Pizitz the smiling little lady on the tall stool at the register at Britlings There was a comfort level there that Irsquom not sure is in the minds of the 5-year-olds of today
cat-eyed agasps
Th s
aI w
THE COMFORTS OF BLOSSOMWOOD
In our world of red-bricked carported castles there was a def-inite division of generations Th e children ate separately from the parents went to school as our dads went to work enter-tained our neighborhood friends as quietly as possible and felt safe between our boundaries of Big Cove Road and Hermitage Street While we dined on our Chef Boy-Ar-Dee boxed pizza our parents busied themselves dressing in their dark colors getting ready for a late dinner at Boots having the scent of perfume and face powder trail my mother as she came into the kitchen looking for something with an intense purpose My father would smell of British Sterling and look just as he did when he went to work only happier Th ese nights meant something fun would happenmdashwe would have a babysitter
Babysitters were my introduction into what was and still seems cool Th ey were usually Huntsville High School teen-agers who would put on a show without even knowing it I would drink in their every move word and essence of style To me they were supermodelsmdashmovie starsmdasheven more fa-mous in my eyes than a television weatherman and almost as glamorous as the waitresses at the Waffl e House
Before they would tire of me and my sister and put us to bed they would include us in their world of music and knowledge which I thought was all-encompassing Suddenly our world of Th e Benny Carl Show and Fantasy Playhouse would seem trite and passeacute and we would catch a fl eeting glimpse into what would be in store for us when we too could stay up past 8 pm
Huntsville was a magical place for us tail-end baby boomers to grow upmdashbeyond the miracles of the escalator at Pizitz the smiling little lady on the tall stool at the register at Britlings and that bright colorful Maypole Th ere was a comfort level there that Irsquom not sure is in the minds of the 5-year-olds of todaymdashthe soothing sheltered lack of knowledge of why we were so lucky yet we didnrsquot even know that we were
In the other areas of our Huntsville there was poverty and ra-cial unrestmdashas there was and is in every city I was unaware People of color were always a part of my worldmdashmostly be-cause they had my attention and respect At our house there was Annie my grandmotherrsquos house was fi lled with the joys of Lula and out on the family farm there was strong and smiling Homer and large and huggable Rosamdashall just as much a part of my life as everyone else My life was good and they were instrumental in making it that way
What will the 5-year-olds of today who are lucky enough to be raised on those well-planned streets remember when they surpass their own 50 year mark It is a much more complex world now and there are diff erent concerns with daily changes of fear Youthful innocence is a prize that is encased without a lock Premature maturity is a viable threat and a constant fear But each night tucked in tight in a simple room sleeps tomor-rowrsquos adults who are having sweet dreamsmdashblanketed by the comforts of Blossomwood
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
92 raquo the vine raquo Amy C Collins
BORDEAUX POWER
Where Burgundyrsquos vineyards were established by Benedictine monks patiently growing wine vines with spiritual hearts Bordeauxrsquos vineyards were raised by entrepreneurial laymen who recognized the massive monetary opportunity when the English began drinking down their peasant wine
The city of Bordeaux is Francersquos primary port town on the Atlantic ocean a harbor that has for centuries served as the countryrsquos most important dock Th e regionrsquos history is long and storied with the fi rst written reference to the area dated 379 AD by the Latin poet Ausonius who was also a wine-grower Jump ahead to the year 1152 when Eleanor of Aquitaine married Englandrsquos soon-to-be king Henry Plantagenet and the port and surrounding vineyard land became the source of wine for the English a connection that remains strong even today
Bordeaux produces the worldrsquos most expensive and sought after collector wines the top tier of which make up less than fi ve percent of the regionrsquos total production Th ese names are quickly learned by neophyte wine drinkers wanting to make an impression Chateau Haut-Brion Lafi te Latour and Margaux for example Grown in gravelly soils only a few meters above sea levelmdashin contrast vineyards elsewhere in Europe typically sit between 300 and 900 metersmdashthese wines are some of the most powerful austere and pawed over When young the tannins in these cabernet sauvignon cabernet franc and merlot blends coat the tongue and mouth with a chalky dry sensation akin to sucking on an Earl Grey tea bag and are perhaps best suited to well-fatted rare steak and cigars Th ese are wines built to live for decades Personally I prefer a Bordeaux at least 20 years aged when the tannins have had ample time to calm down and mellow out and more nuanced fl avors come forward Sounds fancy and it is Only in some very lucky circumstances over the past year have I been guest to a bottle of 1990 Clos de Menuts Saint-Eacutemilion and a 1970 Chateau Haut-Brion About once every 10 years Irsquove had the good
fortune to taste a wine older than myself Nice work if you can get it
Where Burgundyrsquos vineyards (Francersquos other classifi ed sought-after region) were established by Benedictine monks patiently growing wine vines with spiritual hearts
Bordeauxrsquos vineyards were raised by entrepreneurial laymen who recognized the massive monetary opportunity when the English began drinking down their peasant wine Th is underscores the second half of my theory as to why Americans
more often American males are so drawn to the wines of Bordeaux Th erersquos an inherent capitalist connection something in the soil Th at the wines are so
unmistakable so distinctively grand and pronounced elixirs exemplifi es the fi rst half of my theory we Americans are not known for our subtlety (To be fair the Chinese are
signifi cant Bordeaux collectors as well)
Philosophy aside Bordeaux is quite a large region that produces beautiful white and red values as well as the rare fi nds out of the populacersquos price range Herersquos the skinny Blending is the game single varietal wines are rare White Bordeaux is typically made from a blend of sauvignon blanc and seacutemillon and sometimes a drop or two of muscadelle ugni blanc or colombard Reds are made primarily from the two cabernets plus merlot with small quantities of petit verdot malbec and carmenegravere occasionally in the mix Th e region is also home to the golden nectar of late ripened seacutemillon sauvignon blanc and muscadelle grapes that have successfully attracted the noble rot a fungus that covers the fruit and drains moisture from inside leaving behind rich sweet grapes without moldy fl avors Chateau drsquoYquem is the most famous of these unfortifi ed dessert wines though there are better bargains from the region
Bordeaux is split by the Gironde river which divides the region into three general areas Th e left bank also known as the Haut-Meacutedoc is where the classifi ed top growths are situated Th ese prestigious estates were named for their exceptional vineyard sites in 1855 a decision nearly unchanged since Today serious collectors invest in Bordeaux futures theoretically locking down lower prices of top
ample time to calm dit is Only in some vede Menuts Saint-Eacutem
fortune to taste a
Wherees
aun
of msignifi
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Follow Amy at pigandvinecom for morestories and wine suggestions
growth estates while the wine is still aging in the cellar Itrsquos the wine tradersquos equivalent to the NASDAQ On the right bank Saint-Eacutemilion and Pommerol are the prized vineyard areas known for their merlot heavy cuveacutees To the south west we fi nd Graves where there are many great values to be had in both white and red bottlings Entre-Deux-Mers which translates to ldquobetween two seasrdquo sits between the Dordogne and Garonne tributaries off the Gironde and is an excellent source for crisp whites
Get started on your Bordeaux experience with these values
Chateau Graville-Lacoste 2014 Graves 75 seacutemillon 20 sauvignon blanc and 5 muscadelle make up this beauty thatrsquos consistently delicious every vintage Crisp and refreshing great with seafood
Chateau Mirambeau 2014 GravesAnother classic blend of 40 sauvignon blanc 40 seacutemillon and 20 muscadelle this lovely white is a bit more fl oral than the Graville-Lacoste Easy drinking and great value
Chateau de Parenchegravere Bordeaux Rouge 201155 merlot 30 cabernet sauvignon and 15 cabernet franc grown in clay heavy soils similar to the right bank of the region Fleshy with good structure and abundant red fruit
Chateau Arnaud Bordeaux Supeacuterieur 2011Supeacuterieur on a Bordeaux label isnrsquot egotistical marketingmdashby law it indicates a wine with up to one degree more alcohol than its AC Bordeaux brethren What it really means is one more degree of body structure and in this case quality Approachable delicious and easy on the wallet
Chateau de Bernadotte Haut-Meacutedoc 2005Th e 2005 vintage in Bordeaux is in the history books with double asterisks Owned by the eminent Pichon Lalande family and made from vineyards in Paulliac one of the more choice growing areas in the region this is an incredible value a top tier Bordeaux for a fraction of the cost
Chateau de Suduiraut Sauternes 2011Ripe cantaloupe apricot and honey and an interesting smoky note with a solid sweet attack followed by great acidity A dessert wine that wonrsquot overpower the dessert
94 raquo parting shot raquo Patrick Hood
Meet Solvar
Solvar belongs to one of the worldrsquos oldest and purest equine lineages the Nor-
wegian Fjord horse a breed that has remained virtually unchanged for more than
2000 yearsmdashlong before we became acquainted with his animated cousins in
the movie Frozen Th ese national symbols of Norway are characterized by primi-
tive zebra striping on their legs and a dorsal stripe running from forelock to tail
resulting in a striking two-tone mane that sticks up like a Mohawk Th eir athleti-
cism agility and dependability make them valuable both as sport horses as well
as therapy horses for emotionally and physically challenged adults and children
Catie Wells of Huntsville is the proud owner of Solvar who resides at Monte
Sano Stables
For tickets or information 256-539-4818 or hsoorg
Bring In the New Year With Us
presents
WHAT A WONDERFUL
WORLDA tribute to Louis
Armstrong featuring the
Byron Stripling Quartet
Thursday December 31
730 pm bull Pops Series bullMark C Smith
Concert Hall VBC
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
M O R E T H A N 7 0 S H O P S A N D R E S T A U R A N T S I N C L U D I N G B E L K | D S W S H O E S | A P P L E J O S A B A N K | R E E D S J E W E L E R S | PA N D O R A | J C R E W | K AT E S PA D E N E W Y O R KO R V I S | B A N A N A R E P U B L I C | M I C H A E L K O R S | F R A N C E S C Arsquo S | A N T H R O P O L O G I EH amp M | S O M A | M O U N T A I N H I G H O U T F I T T E R S | B A R N E S amp N O B L E | S E P H O R AALTAR rsquoD STATE | CONNORS STEAK amp SEFOOD | THE WEST IN HUNTSV I L L E | MONACO P ICTURES
C O M I N G S O O N V E R S O N A ndash near Belk
B R I D G E S T R E E T H U N T S V I L L E C O M |
BR IDGE STREET TOWN CENTRE I S LOCATED AT EX I T 14 OFF I - 565 AT OLD MAD ISON P IKE
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Some restaurants have food trucks for off-premise
special events Chef Will proprietor of Th e Palate at Lowe
Mill has a folding table Equipped with coolers kettles a
butane burner and his trusty cast iron skillet he turns out
amazing vegetarian and vegan dishes for his loyal following
every Th ursday at Greene Street Market in Huntsville
Although he grew up in Groton Connecticut helping his
mother in the kitchen and was always interested in food Chef
Will then known as Forest Wilson felt he couldnrsquot compete
with his older brother who was an executive chef So he
received vocational training in welding and visual arts (skills
which he still uses in creating his Afro-centric art) After a
brief stint in California working in the shipbuilding industry
he decided to follow his fi rst love and go to culinary school
When Chef Will visited his mother in Huntsville he realized
how much he missed being close to the land So he moved to
Alabama After he saw what his family was eating and how
many health problems they had he began an intensive study
of nutrition and the healing properties of natural foods
He had already been turned on to the health benefi ts of a
vegetarian diet by the surfers he hung out with in California
With his back-to-basics approach
Chef Will is like a nineteenth century
cook witha twenty-first century vibe
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
like a nineteenth century cook with a twenty-
fi rst century vibe
While most of Chef Willrsquos dishes are vegan he
does use real cheese because it melts better
He also uses free-range eggs Portobello
mushrooms are his go-to meat substitute
Th e day I visited he was serving portobello
pepper ldquosteakrdquo over quinoa and brown rice
with a liberal dash of his secret Bee Sting
sauce which his son Khaliq is working on
marketing to the public It was scrumptious
His food is so densely fl avored you donrsquot miss
the meat He especially loves the spices and
ingredients of Indian Asian and Chinese
cuisines all of which off er a great variety of
tasty vegetarian dishes
Chef Will is a passionate evangelist for the
healing properties of pure natural foods and
he preaches this gospel in a way that is so
inviting those who try his food cannot help
but be much more open-minded about trying
new healthy creative ways of eating
who seemed to have much more energy than he did He
became intentional about every step of the cooking process
from ingredient sourcing to cookwaremdashhence the cast
iron skillet which is naturally non-stick and adds iron to
whatever is cooked in it
Chef Will sources his ingredients locally whenever possible
He makes his vegetable stock with spring water His tasty
beans are soaked and simmered in that fl avorful stock not
poured from a can His collards are sublime without a hint
of pork fat With his back-to-basics approach Chef Will is
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Start a New Holiday Tradition at Burritt on the Mountain
ldquoHoliday Magicrdquo A Magical Dining Experience
December 10th 11th amp 12th
Itrsquos a magically fun evening dining in a historic cabin or the mansion with friends while enjoying delectable food and wine It is unlike any other holiday dinner and itrsquos perfect for a festive family occasion yet intimate enough for a romantic dinner for two Itrsquos rustic AND upscale
Holiday Magic reservations are being taken now by calling Butch Damson at 256-534-4361 Hurry Space is limted $90 per dinner seat Visit the website for menus and more
limited seating available make your reservations today
Wersquore decking the walls halls and stalls to get you in the holiday spirit More than 600 candles illuminate the sidewalks and Historic Park and music fills the air adding to the nostalgic feel of the holidays String cranberries make paper punch ornaments roast chesnuts amp taste figgy pudding Fun for the whole family itrsquos Christmas the way itrsquos supposed to be
Kris KringlersquosCandlelight Christmas
December 4th amp 5th
A much anticipated musical favorite will be back at Burritt in the Old Country Church
PerformancesDecember 16th through 20th
Tickets ON SALE NOWPurchase tickets at Josiersquos online
or by calling 256-536-2882or by calling 256-536-2by calling 256-536-2burrittonthemountaincom
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Th
ePE
R
FECT HOLIDAY DIN
NE
R
In our modern world of far-fl ung families Th anksgiving and Christmas are those rare occasions so fi lled with nostalgia
and meaning we press the pause button on our busy lives to prioritize time together Because family time is so rare these days NorsquoAla asked some of Huntsvillersquos fi nest chefs to suggest dishes that will inspire you as you plan your
familyrsquos menu this holiday season
Any time we spend with our loved ones is precious herersquos hoping these meal
ideas help make this yearrsquos holidays perfect
text by roy hall raquo photos by olivia reed
ldquoWith all the fl avors we associate with the holidays the gingerbread man is always near the top of the list So let the kids enjoy the traditional cookies while you sip this sophisticated cocktailrdquo mdashParker
ldquoTh e holidays are so fun-fi lled it seems appropriate that a holiday salad should refl ect that with lots of diff erent things going on fruits nuts cheeses and always a little hint of sweetness in the dressing No matter what main dishes and sides are served this salad will complement them allrdquo mdashAndrew
Grilled Pear Salad with Cambozola and Walnuts
Mezza Luna
(256) 650-2514 Th e GingermanMezza Luna
Butternut Squash Wild Mushroom and Roasted Asparagus Risotto
Th e Eaves
(256) 489-1752
ldquoI love this dish because itrsquos crisp and clean and adds a touch of light color to a typically heavy mealmdashthe bright green asparagus and red pancetta even look Christmassyrdquo mdashOwner LeeLee Wiginton
ldquoTh is isnrsquot super diffi cult to make It echoes the fl avors of the season And itrsquos also something a little unexpected It has a great fl avor profi le and complements other proteins really well Guests will love itrdquo mdashChef Merle Phillip
Snow Pea Salad with Crispy PancettaLynrsquos Gracious Goodness
(256) 533-2607
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Th ePERFECT HOLIDAY DINNER
Fried Brussels Sprouts with Coriander Greek Yogurt Sauce
Mezza Luna
ldquoI chose to do the turkey this way because itrsquos a diff erent approach Th e challenge of roasting a whole turkey is that the white and dark meat cook at diff erent speeds By separating the two you can cook each for its own proper cooking timerdquo mdashChef Steven Bunner
ldquoBrussels sprouts have had a bad rap Th e fi rst time most people encounter them theyrsquore overcooked mushy and served plain Th atrsquos a shame because theyrsquore nutritional powerhouses and because theyrsquore a fall crop at their best during the holiday seasonrdquo mdashJohn
Roast Turkey Breast and Dark Meat Roulade Served with Pecan Pesto
1892 East(256) 489-1242
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Between now and the end of the year take advantage of cost reductions on three popular proceduresmdashand begin 2016 with new confidence
bull SAVE BIG on breast augmentationOur saline price is $700 off and our silicone price is $900 off cash price only Schedule your initial consultation by December 31 2015 to lock in your price and the procedure must take place by March 31 2016
bull FULL-FACIAL LASER is $1500 Cash price only Initial consultation must occur before December 31 2015 and the procedure must be done by March 31 2016
bull WEEKEND Eribium Laser PEEL is Buy ThreeGet One Free Save $400 on our regular $1600 cash price by scheduling your initial consultation by December 31 2015
Look better - feel better - and save money Itrsquos time to get more for less
Dr Russell Jennings203 Avalon Ave Suite 300
Muscle Shoals AL 35661
Phone(256) 386-1450jenningsplasticsurgerycom
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Th ePERFECT HOLIDAY DINNER
Nutella CheesecakeMason Dixon Bakery amp Bistro(256) 213-7545
ldquoTh is is one of our favorite desserts for a holiday and for every day Th e rich and creamy cake melts like ice cream in your mouth the smoothness of the fi lling balances perfectly with the crunchiness of the crust and the delicate hints of the swirled Nutella are divinerdquo mdashCo-owners Chef Ashley and Taylor Ramirez
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Emily Taylor5510 Promenade Point Pkwy Suite 160Madison AL 35757256-430-2781
I can help you
your own wayGROW
1114-519HO
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
produced by aissa castillo and lauren mccaulphotos by lauren tomasella carney
clothing modeled by aaron petersen rachel smith anne harbargerand kait barinaga (for finery)
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Meet the Shop Girls The mission To search Valley shops and boutiques
for the fi nest in Yuletide treasures
Accepting the challenge three of Huntsvillersquos most original and creative taste-makers
Say hello to NorsquoAla Shop Girls Aissa Castillo Lauren McCaul and Lauren Tomasella CarneyDuring the day these mild-mannered professionals tend to demanding careers in design
retail management and photography But evenings and weekends theyrsquore out saving the world from uninspiring fashion and decor as style superheroes
Their picks for the very best gift ideas follow For ideas and inspiration year-round
stay in-the-know by following our Shop Girls on social media
Lauren McCaul deptofagraculturecom Instagram dept_of_agra_cultureAissa Castillo aislerchiccom Instagram aislerchic
Lauren Tomasella Carney laurentomasellacom Instagram laurentomasella
And as you shop for your own Christmas treasures this season please remember to spread your cheermdashand your dollarsmdashat home
(1) Amanda Uprichard Jacket ($248)(2) BCBG Dress ($228)(3) Zoa Dress ($128)Personal Couture Boutique(256) 508-5632
(4) Dress ($168)Anthropologie(256) 327-8470
(5) Olive + Oak Oatmeal Shawl ($72)(10) Simply Noelle Zipper Gusset Bag ($5999)House of Holland(256) 206-8989
(6) One-of-a-kind Eva Ziegler Agate and Pyrite Necklace ($397)(8) Eva Ziegler Freshwater Pearl Strand ($501)Eva Ziegler Jewelryevazieglercom
(9) Gift Set ($5995)Piper amp LeafPiperandleafcom
(7) Long Horn Necklace ($68)Personal Couture Boutique(256) 508-5632
Left to right Lauren Tomasella Carney
Lauren McCaul and Aissa Castillo
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
On himFilson Shirt ($98) Filson Jacket ($320)Yeti Cooler ($34999)Alabama Outdoors(256)-885-3561
On herPPLA Vest ($7999)PPLA Dress ($7499)Bedstu Boots ($295)Indigorsquos Boutique(256) 345-6348
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) Woolly Mammoth Tooth 4rdquo Damascus Linerlock Knife ($150)(2) Cardboard Safari Bucky Cardboard Deer Head ($30)(3) Curt Benzle Porcelain Compass ($15)Little Green Store and Gallery (256) 539-9699
(4) Hunting Journal ($32)Sweet Pineapple(256) 964-7563
(5) Yeti Colster ($2999)Alabama Outdoors(256)-885-3561
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
(1) Yellow House Handcrafted Beard Oils ($18 ea)Yellow House Beard Oilsyellowhousebeards com (2) Mustache amp Beard Comb ($16)Little Green Store and Gallery (256) 539-9699 (3) Latika Body Essentials Charcoal Liquid Soap ($18)(4) Latika Body Essentials Charcoal Bar Soap ($6) (5) Rustico Leather Key Chain ($18) Sweet Pineapple(256) 964-7563
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) Wood Thumb Tie ($44) (2) Slightly Alabama iPad Case ($250) (3) DockSmith Driftwood iPhone Docking Station ($68) Little Green Storeand Gallery (256) 539-9699 (4) Loyal Stricklin Aviator Mug ($35)Domaine South(256) 808-8860 (5) Would You Be a Deer Notepad ($9) Sweet Pineapple(256) 964-7563
(6) Filson Satchel ($265) Alabama Outdoors(256)-885-3561
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
When itrsquos time to move into a bigger house get a home loan from the bank thatrsquos had a home right here for generations You might say we know a thing about location location location synovuscommortgage
Banking products are provided by Synovus Bank Member FDIC Divisions of Synovus Bank operate under multiple trade names across the Southeast Loans products subject to credit approval
When itrsquos time to move into a bigger house get a home
Here is where Henry learned hersquod be getting
SERVING YOU LOCALLY AS
2565513300 | fcb-hsvcom
his own room
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) Spiritual GangsterTank ($36)(2) Luquido Yoga Pants ($90)(3) MZ Wallace Metro Tote ($245)(4) Vimmia V back Sweatshirt ($96)(5) Onzie Sports Bra ($48)(6) Olympia Yoga Pants ($96)(7) bkr Water Bottle ($30)The Fitzgerald Pilates amp Barre(256) 603-1886
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
(1) Gypsy Pant WarmTribal ($72) (2) Berry High Waist Legging ($88) (3) Long Legging Mathematics ($65) (4) Long Legging Peacock ($65) The FitzgeraldPilates amp Barre(256) 603-1886
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) Jane Tran Hair Clips ($15)(2) bkr Water Bottle ($30)(3) well-kept Tech Wipes ($6)(4) Made with Love Bracelets ($25)(5) Pointe Studio Socks ($12)(6) Bando Too Cold to Hold Coozie ($5)The Fitzgerald Pilates amp Barre(256) 603-1886
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
(1) Shop Bando Coff ee Cup ($14)(2) Shop Bando Pens ($14) (3) Shop Bando Pouch ($26) (4) Shop Bando Coin Purse ($20) The FitzgeraldPilates amp Barre(256) 603-1886
(5) Check Things Off Notepad ($16)(6) Hello From Huntsville Stamp ($12)Salt + Paperie(256) 655-5550
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) Muzzle Loaders Chocolate Bourbon Balls ($1999) (2) Vintage Crystal Decanter ($20) (3) Quench Glassware ($1399) Domaine South(256) 808-8860
(4) The Hella Bitters Old Fashioned Kit ($65)(5) American Bar by Charles Schumann ($2495) Little Green Storeand Gallery (256) 539-9699
(6) Julep Cups ($50)Willowbrook Shoppe (256) 270-7181
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom | novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) DECCO Umbrella in a Bottle ($1995)(2) Alexa Pulitzer Stationery Set ($14 ea)(3) Ikat Scarf ($6250)Huntsville Museumof Art(256) 535-4350
(4) Emily Ley Grace Journal ($32) (5) Sugar Boo Designs Clutch ($18) (6) Emily Ley Daily Planner ($58) (7) Latika Milk ampHoney Bar ($6) (8) Farm House Fresh Shea Butter Hand Cream ($14) (9) Christen MaxwellZippy ($42) (10) Green Tea Bubble Bath ($32) Sweet Pineapple(256) 964-7563 (11) Goal Getter Cuff ($32)Indigorsquos Boutique(256) 345-6348
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
(1) Kilim Pillow ($58) (2) Bejeweled Silver Plate Vase ($144) (3) Bone Clad Box ($375)Willowbrook Shoppe (256) 270-7181
(4) Cowhide Rug ($550)(5) Lucyrsquos Locket ($95) (Original piecemdashselection may vary)Sweet Pineapple(256) 964-7563 (6) Clutch ($65)Department of Agra Culturedeptofagraculturecom
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) Above The Bar Antler on Chain 28rdquo ($3999) (2) Above The Bar Deer wAntler Head 18rdquo ($2999) Indigorsquos Boutique(256) 345-6348
(3) Margaret Solow Labradorite18KT Bezel ($290) (4) Margaret Solow Diamond Crest MoonSilver ($460) (5) Margaret Solow Black Spinel + DiamondSilver ($560) (6) Margaret Solow Double Black Spinel18KT ($260)Little Green Store and Gallery (256) 539-9699
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
(1) Margaret Solow Grey Moonstoon18KT Necklace ($240) (2) Margaret Solow OpalDiamond Mosaic Necklace ($610) Little Green Storeand Gallery (256) 539-9699
(3) One-of-a-kind Eva Ziegler Smokey Quartz and Pyrite Necklace ($406)Eva Ziegler Jewelryevazieglercom
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) Jennifer BehrTurban ($625)(2) Cotton Day Dress ($64)(3) Norma Ishak Cardigan ($375)Finery(256) 429-3429
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) The Lion Sleeps Tonight Bath Bomb ($6) Sweet Pineapple(256) 964-7563
(2) Tiger Jelly Cat ($2250)(3) Dog Tag Teether ($1550)(4) Dinosaur Footie ($3595)Honey B Boutique(256) 503-2853
(5) Young Buck ($25)Tiny Vinestinyvinesshopcom
(6) Bib Set ($13)Huntsville Museumof Art(256) 535-4350
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
(1) Tiny Dancer Bath Bomb ($6)Sweet Pineapple(256) 964-7563
(2) Kickee Mammoth Footie ($3595)(3) Noodle amp Boo Essential Care Kit ($18)(4) Elephant Jelly Cat ($2250)Honey B Boutique(256) 503-2853
(5) ArtFolio Pink Elephant Coloring Tote ($17)Huntsville Museumof Art(256) 535-4350
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) Bib Set ($13)Huntsville Museumof Art(256) 535-4350 (2) Little Light ($25)Tiny Vinestinyvinesshopcom (3) Micro Leon Cardboard Lion ($30)Little Green Storeand Gallery (256) 539-9699 (4) I Love You Like Biscuits amp Gravy ($23)Domaine South(256) 808-8860
(5) Kickee Kimono ($4295)Honey B Boutique(256) 503-2853
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
SURPRISEA LOVED ONE
THIS HOLIDAY SEASON
WITH A FOREVER GIFT
HobbsJewelerscom 8772331347Parkway Place Mall
HuntsvilleHwy 72 West
AthensMain Street
Ardmore TN
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Caftan ($75)Sarah Richey Necklace ($350)Finery(256) 429-3429
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
(1) Chewbead Necklace ($3495)(2) Mayoral Baby Bag ($7995)(3) Mayoral Diaper Changing Pad ($2495)(4) Nursing Scarf ($2695) (5) Kickee Swaddling Blanket ($22)Honey B Boutique(256) 503-2853 (6) Lucy Darling Months Sticker ($25) (7) The Story of You Baby Book by Emily Ley ($62) Sweet Pineapple(256) 964-7563
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) Alwand Vahan 14K Gold and Onyx Ring wDiamond Accent ($2595)(2) Alwand Vanan 14K Gold and Onyx Bracelet wDiamond Accent ($2695)Hobbs Jewelers(877) 233-1347
(3) Britt Ryan Dress ($288)Personal Couture Boutique(256) 508-5632
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) Rocket Cosmos Mug ($13)Huntsville Museumof Art(256) 535-4350
(2) Loose Leaf Tea ($399)Piper amp Leaf piperandleafcom (3) Judy Jackson Tea Pot ($56) (4) Gary Watson Cherry Cutting Board ($48-$68) (5) Susan Coe Birthday Cake Plate ($33) Little Green Storeand Gallery (256) 539-9699 (6) Macarons ($116 pcs $221 dozen)Whisk Small Treats Bakery(256) 656-1027
(7) Truffl es ($185 each)Pizellersquos Confections (256) 513-9745 (8) Olive amp Sinclair Chocolate ($799)Domaine South(256) 808-8860
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
(1) Whisk Note Pad ($8) (2) In the Forest Mixing Bowl ($36) (3) Twig Serving Set ($18)(8) Southern Firefl y Candle ($12)Sweet Pineapple(256) 964-7563
(4) Urchin Bowl ($10)(5) Foodie Dice ($38)(6) 1Canoe2 Wood Recipe Box w Recipe Cards ($6999) Domaine South(256) 808-8860 (7) Growlers ($75 small $95 large)Southern Growlersoutherngrowlercom
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
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(4) BCBG Dress ($328)Personal Couture Boutique(256) 508-5632
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Guadalupe Robinson
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
text by jennifer crossley howard raquo photos by patrick hood
Of Deft and Dirty Hands
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Huntsville potter Guadalupe Lanning Robinson has spent more than 36 years mastering the
marriage of clay texture and geometric design into her pottery yet time has done little to temper the
plight of waiting
ldquoIt is hard for me to let a pot just dryrdquo she says motioning toward fi ve small wet pots sitting near her
pottery wheel ldquoIrsquom as excited to do this as I was 30 years agordquo
To observe her studio at Lowe Mill that is easy to believe Located on the corridor outside the textile
mill-turned-art centerrsquos main building the loft-like space with a corrugated tin roof feels like a place a
Gabriel Garcia Marquez character would enjoy daydreaming
Sienna-hued pottery sits in various stages to be fi red layered and etched Argentinian tango music
streams from Robinsonrsquos iPhone and two cockatiels a parrot and a parakeet chirp from their cages All
except the parrot fl y freely when Robinson is working
Robinson who is 61 made her fi rst pot in 1979 in her native Mexico City Almost four decades later her
work is part of permanent museum collections in Auburn Huntsville Tuscumbia and Tupelo Missis-
sippi She regularly enters her work in respected juried shows such as the Monte Sano Arts Festival and
the Kentuck Festival of the Arts in Northport and has received two Alabama State Council on the Arts
individual artist fellowships
Her inspiration draws from the villages around her native Mexico City such as the black pottery of
the northwest as well as her acquired Southern culture White lilies corn grids and round female
fi guresmdashldquoreally strong women who are in chargerdquo Robinson saysmdashreappear on her stoneware She uses
natural dyes indigo for color and mixes sand into clay for texture Nothing is wasted
ldquoI donrsquot waste any clayrdquo Robinson says ldquoEverything is recycledrdquo
Robinson fi nds solace in the 40-50 hours a week she puts in at the studio and the often tedious process
of making pots which can take from three weeks to six weeks for larger pots She usually works on two
or three pots at a time tending to groups at diff erent stages
After a pot is thrown on a wheel a piece can take days to dry before its fi rst bisque fi re in which tem-
peratures rise to 1800 F After baking for nine hours the kiln must cool Th e second fi ring rises to 2150
F and matures the clay and melts the glazes to strengthen the piece
ldquoI am an effi cient person by naturerdquo Robinson says ldquoWaiting for the kiln to cool down enough to open
can be nerve wracking and this is when my patience is usually put to the testrdquo
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
ldquoIt is hard for me to let a pot just dry Irsquom as excited to do this as I was 30 years agordquo
Robinson makes most of her pots on a wheel using oxides to change the color of clay she gets from Nashville and Pittsburgh Her pottery takes several weeks from start to fi nish depending on how large a pot is and how many she makes at a time
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
ldquoAttend to your childrenrsquos needs fi rst keep focus on what you want to douse the happiness joy and little breaks you get to make your artTh ey grow real fast and they will keep inspiring you all your liferdquo
Robinson imagined this bat-like design as she was working She usually begins a piece with a design in mind but that often evolves
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Robinson uses an overlay of liquid clay called engobemdashthat includes three to four layersmdashto create a
base on which to design
Th ere is high risk in making pottery and hours of work can be wasted on a pot that has not dried en-
tirely before it enters the kiln Air pockets or the wrong mixture of chemicals can ruin a piece
ldquoArt is involved but science is toordquo says Laura Smith director of education at the Huntsville Museum
of Art where Robinson has taught pottery classes ldquoItrsquos more labor intensive in terms of working with
the medium whether yoursquore building by hand or with a wheel until you fi re with the fi nal layer of glazerdquo
Th e result is sturdy pottery
ldquoI want my pots to look like something that is lasting a long timerdquo Robinson says
Th ough she works solitarily in her studio she says she does not get lonely Her birds and music keep her
company and each stage of pottery making has a soundtrack She uses needlepoint tools to draw onto
clay to Jose Feliciano and other Latin American musicians
ldquoIf Irsquom at the wheel Bruno Marsrdquo she says ldquoIf Irsquom unloading the kiln and something is really awesome
then I need something moving and I have on Motownrdquo
Robinsonrsquos years of experience minimize the risk of damaged pots but she says her greatest challenge
as a potter was balancing her work while raising her two children Now adults their candid childhood
pictures and those of her grandchildren cover the warm green walls of her studio
She met her husband the poet James Robinson in 1977 on a Greyhound bus when she returned to
Mexico City from visiting a friend at the University of Southern Mississippi He was heading to Mexico
to study at a university Th ey married six months later After giving birth to her daughter Annie Jane in
Mexico City in 1982 the family moved to Huntsville in 1985 Th at is when Robinson got more serious
about her pottery
ldquoFrom the very beginning when I moved to Alabama I knew I was going to have to do thisrdquo she said
ldquoIn some ways it was a way for me to keep connected to my heritagerdquo
She took even 15 minutes of free time to work in the studio behind her home and worked late into the
night while her daughter and son Isidoro born in 1987 slept Having a home studio allowed her to
wash clothes tend to her home and drop off lunches at school while maintaining her art
ldquoTh ere was something for me when I fi rst became a mother that fueled my creativityrdquo Robinson says
ldquoTh ey are such a social inspiration too It fi lls your liferdquo
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Robinson advises fellow artists who are mothers to seize
both roles but to prioritize motherhood
ldquoAttend to your childrenrsquos needs fi rst keep focus on what you
want to do use the happiness joy and little breaks you get
to make your artrdquo she says ldquoTh ey grow real fast and they will
keep inspiring you all your liferdquo
Anna Sue Courtney director of the Flying Monkey Arts
Center at Lowe Mill has known Robinson for more than
10 years She says she admires how mothers and artists like
Robinson seamlessly embrace both roles
ldquoIt seems therersquos not a separation between creating and rais-
ing childrenrdquo Courtney says ldquoTh ey seem to pull from the
same placerdquo
Part of Robinsonrsquos motivation at Lowe Mill comes from
working privately in a studio alongside other artists that fos-
ters a community of feedback and ideas
ldquoItrsquos nice to be here because you can take a break and walk around and get inspirationrdquo Courtney says
ldquoItrsquos refreshingrdquo
When she needs a break from the studio Robinson stays home to sketch designs for a day or two then
she is back in the studio
Trips twice a year to Mexico City keep her plugged in to her native culture which in turn shows up in
her pottery
ldquoI have to recharge myselfrdquo Robinson says ldquoI love Huntsville and loved raising my kids here but I still
have the need of going back to be recharged and smell all the smells and see all the colors and get on
the subway and be pushed aroundrdquo
Details from her trips that infl uence her work include the ever-present red that covers the city during
the celebration of Dia de los Muertos or the Day of the Dead Th e pyramids of Teotihuacan conjure
warm earth tones and fl oating gardens around the city yield sweet pungent calla lilies and carnations
Celebration of food tough women and nature reappear in her pottery qualities that both Southern and
Mexican cultures treasure
Above This daisy design is character-istic of Robinsonrsquos work Nature food and strong females from her native Mexico City and the South are strong creative infl uences
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Clockwise from top left Robinson often glazes only the inside of her pots so they can hold water and food She began quilting in 2002 and her quilts like her pottery contain earth tones and natural infl uences in their design Four birds keep Robinson company in what can be the isolating medium of pottery making Geometry and symmetry are two signature elements in Robinsonrsquos work according to Laura Smith director of education at the Huntsville Museum of Art
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Just as she keeps her home country close to her heart Robinson is loyal to her fi rst
love of pottery though she began making quilts in 2002
ldquoIrsquom a potter who likes to quiltrdquo she says
Like her pottery her quilting follows designs of organic nature such as fl owers and
crops on rich jewel tone cotton
ldquoWhen I fi rst saw one of her quilts I didnrsquot realize it was hers and I thought that
looks like it should be Guadalupersquos quiltrdquo Courtney says
Robinson prefers the immediate gratifi cation of clay
ldquoItrsquos a very responsive mediumrdquo she says ldquoYou can manipulate it Th e fact of mak-
ing something out of dirt out of nothing and making it durable making it perma-
nent that after going through the heat and maturing is something very excitingrdquo
She gently dings a pot covered with white dresses titled ldquoTehuana Dressrdquo to make
her point
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
887 FM Muscle Shoals bull 1007 FM Huntsvillewwwaprorg
News classicalmusic and more
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
copy Patrick Hood
text by sara wright covington raquo photos by jacki gil
patrick hood erin lindsey and michelle odom
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
copy Patrick Hood
ldquoA LOT OF PEOPLE HAD BEEN ASKING ME QUESTIONS ABOUTHOW I GOT MY BUSINESS STARTED I WANTED TO GATHER SOME PEOPLE AROUND ME
WHO WERE GOING THROUGH THOSE STRUGGLES AND TOBUILD ENTREPRENEURIAL COURAGErdquo
JACKI GIL SALT+PAPERIE
copy Patrick Hood
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
untsville-born Jacki Gil began her paper design busi-
ness Salt+Paperie in 2014 with an expansive vision
in mind one that extended beyond creating beautiful
custom designed paper goods ldquoI love my design job
but when Irsquom 50 years old I donrsquot see myself still de-
signing wedding invitationsrdquo the master stationer says
ldquoI really have a passion for teaching and helping people
I want to be a mentorrdquo
In 2015 Gil set out on her mentoring mission sooner than expected with a series
of workshops called Encourage Huntsville ldquoA lot of people had been asking me
questions about how I got my business startedrdquo Gil says about the early days of
Salt+Paperie Even though most of those questions from entrepreneurial-hopefuls
were technicalmdashlike how to apply for a business licensemdashthey served as inspira-
tion for Gil ldquoI wanted to gather some people around me who were going through
those struggles and to build entrepreneurial courage I defi nitely saw that there
was a need for helping people to take that next step toward owning their own
businessesrdquo
Encourage Huntsville was modeled on the image of a growing small business
movement called the Rising Tide Society a national community of creative small
business owners who encourage ldquocommunity over competitionrdquo Th at spirit of
openness is at the heart of Encourage Huntsville ldquoCommunity over competition
is a huge part of what we are doingrdquo says Gil ldquoSmall business owners sharing how
they earn their money is a big dealrdquo
As a fi rst step Gil gathered others around her who were using their skills and abili-
ties to make their own small businesses work With talents ranging from cooking
and cake decorating to hand lettering and artwork these small business owners
all embraced Gilrsquos vision for imparting to others the knowledge of their craft un-
impeded by a fear of losing their competitive edge
Th e fi rst lesson Gil wanted to impart to Encourage Huntsvillersquos students wasnrsquot
necessarily a particular craft or skill but a spirt of creative confi dence ldquoWe want-
ed to bridge the gap between the very artsy community and the ultimate engineer
communityrdquo many of whom Gil observes had been told since childhood they
werenrsquot artistic ldquoWhen you are little and someone tells you that you donrsquot have a
talent it sticks with you I found that a lot of people had that experience so that
was the workshop partmdashto build some creative courage in this communityrdquo
Gil conducted the fi rst workshop herself testing the waters to see how the concept
would be received Th e admission price to that fi rst workshop included supplies a
take-home ldquogoody bagrdquo to help students continue their work extracurricularly and
refreshmentsmdashas well as Gilrsquos tips of her trade
ldquoWe went in blindly not knowing if we had a market or notrdquo says Gil Th e popular-
ity of that fi rst class proved undeniably that a market did in fact exist the work-
shop sold out in one day ldquoSo we did back-to-back workshopsrdquo Gil says ldquoAfter that
novemberdecembeeer eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee | nononoononononononoonoonononooooonoonoonnononnoaaalalalllaallllllalaalaaalal ststustust ddiossscom mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm | | | | | | | | | | |
f
w
y
Previous page Encourage Huntsvillersquos founder and instructor Jacki Gil teaches a class in hand lettering Facing page A participant studies her supply list
we realized people really want to do this stuff So we said lsquoletrsquos jump on the boat
and make this happenrsquordquo
Gilrsquos longtime friend photographer Erin Lindsey of Erin Lindsey Images agreed
to contribute to Encourage Huntsvillersquos curriculum by teaching a photography
class ldquoJacki and I are a good team because our hearts are in the same place when
it comes to encouraging othersrdquo Lindsey says Still she admits saying yes to teach-
ing wasnrsquot without some initial hesitation ldquoWhen Jacki asked if I would teach a
class it was kind of scary I thought I had to be perfect before I could teach oth-
ersrdquo Lindsey says of her initial hesitancy ldquoBut after talking to Jacki I realized none
of us are perfectrdquo But perfection isnrsquot the goal encouragement is the goal ldquoAnd I
thought lsquoI can defi nitely line up with that visionrsquordquo
Michelle Odom another Huntsville native and owner of custom cake bakery Just
Crumbs was also on board with Gilrsquos vision In fact Odom had been contemplat-
ing teaching a class when she was approached by Gil to teach a fondant basics
class ldquoHuntsville is such an engineer town and everyone is so mathematical and
scientifi crdquo Odom says echoing the dichotomy between the arts and sciences ex-
pressed by Gil ldquoTh ese workshops are just a very cool way for structured people to
have a creative outletrdquo
ldquoJACKI AND I ARE A GOOD TEAM BECAUSE OUR HEARTS ARE INTHE SAME PLACE WHEN IT COMES TO ENCOURAGING OTHERSrdquo
ERIN LINDSEY ERIN LINDSEY IMAGES
copy Erin Lindsey
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Above A participant in Erin Lindseyrsquos photo class frames a still life
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
copy Erin Lindsey
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
ldquoHUNTSVILLE IS SUCH AN ENGINEER TOWN AND EVERYONE ISSO MATHEMATICAL AND SCIENTIFIC THESE WORKSHOPS ARE JUST A VERY COOL
WAY FOR STRUCTURED PEOPLE TO HAVE A CREATIVE OUTLETrdquo MICHELLE ODOM JUST CRUMBS
copy Michelle Odom
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
ldquoAnd yesrdquo Odom acknowledges ldquoyou are in theory teaching your competition But
at the same time you are helping the community be more creativerdquo
With its roster of popular creative workshops under its belt Encourage Huntsville
has added business classes to its community-over-competition curriculum with
classes designed to provide specifi c guidance for small business owners ldquoAll of
our events that donrsquot require hands-on work we call seminarsrdquo says Gil ldquoWe had
about 15 people at our fi rst one It was pretty much just an open discussion to ask
us questions and get answers from the perspective of a small business ownerrdquo
Th e seminars enjoyed the same success and enthusiasm as the workshops ldquoWe
had two hours for people to ask questionsrdquo Gil says Topics covered ran the gamut
from scheduling daily tasks self-hosting a website or using an Etsy store man-
aging client expectations and being realistic about how much time you need to
complete jobs
ldquoTh e time went quickly and people wanted morerdquo says Gil who envisions an all-
day seminar in 2016
Margaret Baggett owner and executive chef of the Chef Next Door is another
small business owner who has shared Gilrsquos vision from the very beginning teach-
copy Erin Lindsey
Facing page Michelle Odomrsquos fondant basics class begins with a styrofoam cake form Above Newbie photographers familiarize themselves with their cameras in Erin Lindseyrsquos photography class
ing knife skills workshops and helping host the business seminars ldquoI am so proud
to get to be a part of this project and help nurture other small business owners
who may just be starting out on their journey or are deep in it and looking for
some encouragement from other business ownersrdquo Baggett says of what motivates
her participation in Encourage Huntsville ldquoEven being on the advice-giving side
of things I am still learning and have taken tips and tricks and lessons from each
event we have had so far We never stop learning from each other and never stop
improving upon our craftsrdquo
Th e mutual growth among students and teachers is the source of the encourage-
mentmdashand the joymdashof Encourage Huntsville ldquoItrsquos so much fun to see the light
bulbs go off with people and see them encouraged right before your eyesrdquo Lindsey
says of her experience with the program ldquoPlus itrsquos a pleasure to contribute to a
sense of community over competition Th at whole concept is so rarerdquo
As Encourage Huntsvillersquos following continues to grow the diversity of the work-
shops will expand as well Whether you are looking to spend a fun afternoon
learning a new craft or are a budding small business owner hoping to launch
your brand Encourage Huntsville has something valuable to off er ldquoWe encourage
those left-brain folks to take up a new hobby or skillrdquo Baggett says ldquoor just encour-
age the people of Huntsville to get together and fan their creative fl amesrdquo
If yoursquore looking for
creative or entrepreneurial
encouragement visit
encouragehuntsvillecom
for seminar and workshop
schedules and information
ldquoI AM SO PROUD TO GET TO BE A PART OF THIS PROJECT AND HELP NURTURE OTHER SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS WHO MAY JUST BE STARTING OUT ON THEIR JOURNEY OR ARE DEEP IN IT
AND LOOKING FOR SOME ENCOURAGEMENT FROM OTHER BUSINESS OWNERSrdquoMARGARET BAGGETT CHEF NEXT DOOR
copy Jacki Gil
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
copy Jacki Gil
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Participants in Margaret Baggettrsquos knife skills workshop learn to perfect their ldquomise en placerdquo
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
copy Olivia Reed
text by sara wright covington raquo photos by olivia reed and jeff white
HUNTSVILLErsquoS
HOMEGROWNHOSTESS
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
ttttttononononoooooonononooooo raquo praquo praquo praquo praquo phothothothothotosoososos s s osos bybybbybb
Any host will tell you that delicious food and quality libations while important to
a partyrsquos success are secondary to the most important ingredient of all the guest list Th atrsquos why many
of downtown Huntsvillersquos most popular restaurants breweries and wine shops are turning to event
planner Ashley Ryals and her uncanny knack for attracting loyal patronsmdashand creating unforgettable
events in the process
When Huntsville born-and-bred Ashley Ryals left for college at the University of Alabama in 2001
she thought her exit from the Valley was permanent ldquoI never thought I would end up back hererdquo the
founder of event planning company Homegrown Huntsville says with a knowing laugh But after a few
post-graduate years working for world-renowned public relations powerhouse Weber Shandwick in
New York City Ryals started to second guess her freshman declaration
ldquoI started to get homesickrdquo she admits ldquoAll of my friends were getting married and meeting for football
games and I was missing itrdquo So when a friend from home set up an interview at EarlyWorks for a job
doing event planning Ryals jumped at the chance to come home
Ashley spent the next few years planning EarlyWorks Whistle Stop and Santarsquos Village events A brief
stint in sales followed along with a seat on the board of Huntsville Young Professionals where she had
an idea for a downtown pub crawl
ldquoWe expected 20 or 30 peoplerdquo Ryals says of their modest expectations ldquoBut 200 people showed uprdquo
Th at initial success convinced Ryals to embark on her dream of establishing an
event planning company But it wasnrsquot just any event planning company Ryals
had in mind she envisioned one that would collaborate with local businesses
cultivate signature events for the community to enjoy and support small busi-
nesses in the process
Inspired Ryals left her sales job and for the second time in her life came home
again to event planning and Homegrown Huntsville
To help bring her vision to life Ryals collaborated with designer Adrianne Van
Kirk of Fave Creative ldquoAdrianne has been a part of the visual and branding of
Homegrown from the beginning We come up with the event ideas then I get
the ticketing and sales together and she comes back with a logo and the mar-
keting for the event And thatrsquos how it all comes togetherrdquo Ryals says of their
creative process
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
ASHLEY RYALS
copy Olivia Reed
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
ldquoMOST WINE FESTIVALS ACROSS THE COUNTRY HAVE PROVEN RECORDS OF BEING ABLE TO STAY AROUND 15 OR 20 YEARS OR EVEN LONGER AND THE ECONOMIES OF THOSE
CITIES HAVE REALLY GROWN AS A RESULT I WANT BIG SPRING CRUSH TO EVENTUALLY BE THE BIGGEST AND BEST WINE FESTIVAL IN THE STATE OF ALABAMArdquo ASHLEY RYALS
copy Jeff White
copy Jeff White
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
copy Olivia Reed
Homegrown launched in 2011 with what would become its
signature event Dine amp Dash Every second Wednesday
April through October a trolley shuttles patrons between
downtown establishments where they are served a drink
and appetizer before moving on to the next stop
Owner and executive chef Merle Phillips of Th e Eaves was
one of the fi rst restaurants to sign on for Dine amp Dashrsquos de-
but ldquoAshley came to me and said she was starting a trolley
tasting conceptrdquo says Chef Merle ldquoI didnrsquot really know her so
I was taking a chance on the concept she was sellingrdquo
Merle tried it and has been a loyal participant of Dine amp
Dash ever since
ldquoIt was a risk in the beginning but it defi nitely paid off rdquo Chef
Merle says of the experience Pivotal to that experience ac-
cording to Phillips is Ryalsrsquo demonstration to the commu-
nity just what the term ldquohomegrownrdquo really means ldquoAshley
shines a spotlight on independent businesses in a market-
place that has for so long focused on chainsrdquo Phillips says
ldquoDine amp Dash has really brought into sharp focus the inter-
esting culinary diversity that Huntsville has to off errdquo
For the next two years Homegrown Huntsville focused al-
most exclusively on Dine amp Dash which by the end of its fi rst
year included every single downtown restaurant But when
big changes began to appear on the downtown horizonmdash
new restaurants breweries and residential developmentsmdash
Ryalsrsquo instincts told her
the time had come to
introduce a new event
to the downtown cal-
endar
ldquoBeer Hop follows
the concept of Dine
amp Dashrdquo Ryals says of
Homegrownrsquos second
venture which began
in 2013 Each month a
trolley visits three dif-
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
BILL FOWLEROLD TOWN BEER
EXCHANGE
copy Olivia Reed
copy Olivia Reed
ferent breweries where patrons sample beers and enjoy food
from a variety of food trucks parked at each location
Bill Fowler managing partner of Old Town Beer Exchange
agreed to participate in Beer Hop on his very fi rst day of
business and credits Ryals with an overwhelmingly success-
ful opening night ldquoAshley said lsquoI can guarantee that you are
going to have wave after wave of people coming throughrsquordquo
Fowler says recalling that fi rst jittery occasion Once again
Ryals proved true to her word with 60-plus patrons arriving
in an hour-and-a-half ldquoIt was awesome and such a great ex-
perience for usrdquo Fowler raves ldquoAshley is a hard worker and
you can see that in what she doesrdquo
Fowler believes that in addition to bringing new customers
to OTBX Ryals is also cultivating beer education consis-
tently bringing in people who are new to beer and want to
learn And with Huntsvillersquos recent brewery boom that level
of education and interest is crucial for the brewing commu-
nity to thrive ldquoWe have a very small window of opportunityrdquo
says Fowler ldquoI think Huntsville in particular is becoming a
craft brewing community People are making money at this
and once Tennessee sees that we need to already have had a
pretty huge head startrdquo
By the end of 2013 and with standing events Beer Hop and
Dine amp Dash well established Ryals took time to refl ect on
her original goal for Homegrown Huntsville ldquoIn the back of
my head from day one I knew I wanted to do a wine festival
I just didnrsquot think Huntsville was ready for it in 2011rdquo
Emboldened by the success of Beer Hop Ryals decided to
make the leap with Big Spring Crush wine festival later the
same year Once again Ryals delivered the perfect audience
for the event and in the process discovered a surprising
fact about North Alabamarsquos contribution to the wine-mak-
ing industry
ldquoIn doing the wine festival I learned that we have a huge
wine community in Huntsvillerdquo Ryals says ldquoTh ere are only
about 47 certifi ed wine judges in the entire United States
and we have four of them right here in North Alabama Two
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
copy Jeff White
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
ldquoI STARTED TO GET HOMESICK ALL OF MY FRIENDS WERE GETTING MARRIEDAND MEETING FOR FOOTBALL GAMES AND I WAS MISSING ITrdquo ASHLEY RYALS
copy Jeff White
copy Jeff White
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
ldquoIT WAS AWESOME AND SUCH A GREAT EXPERIENCE FOR USrdquoBILL FOWLER OLD TOWN BEER EXCHANGE
copy Jeff White
copy Olivia Reed
of those four certifi ed wine judges sit on the committee for
Big Spring Crushrdquo
Matthew and Stephanie Mell had just opened Church Street
Wine Shop when they decided to participate in the fi rst Big
Spring Crush Like OTBXrsquos Robert Fowler the Mells credit
Ryals and Homegrown Huntsville for helping to introduce
their new enterprise to the community ldquoAshley has been in-
strumental in helping to bring us people who love and ap-
preciate winerdquo Stephanie Mell says ldquoShe was homegrown
here in Huntsville and she really gets the downtown area
and small businesses and that is so important to usrdquo
Big Spring Crush began with a bang featuring over 150
wines and attracting patrons from across the country
ldquoMost wine festivals across the country have proven records
of being able to stay around 15 or 20 years or even longerrdquo
Ryals says ldquoAnd the economies of those cities have really
grown as a result I want Big Spring Crush to eventually be
the biggest and best wine festival in the state of Alabamardquo
How does Ryals intend to make that dream come true ldquoBy
always keeping it fresh I want to have new marketing and
new things happening each yearrdquo
Ryalsrsquo formula of reinvention and expansion has successfully
led Homegrown Huntsville through fi ve years of success and
helped its events become community staples along the way In
the process Ryals is broadening more than just our image of
downtown Huntsville shersquos joining a class of creative entrepre-
neurs committed to expanding Huntsvillersquos reputation as more
than just a hub for the brightest scientifi c minds in America
ldquoWe have a big city of engineers and lawyers and itrsquos won-
derfulrdquo Ryals say ldquo But there is a whole artist and food cul-
ture here and there is so much growth I want us to have a
vibrant cool downtown area and I want for people to tell
their friends to come and visit and to see Huntsville for what
it is a city I loverdquo
If yoursquod like to participate in Homegrown Huntsville either
as a guest or a participating business visit homegrown-
huntsvillecom
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
copy Jeff White
I was years old and the year was At that time the city of Huntsville was inching toward the mountain to the east California Street was once the continental divide between the small town metropo-lis and the uncharted territories gingerly crossed by the real estate pioneers four score and some odd years prior Th is area became the new suburb as the city kept pushing onward toward Fagan Springs as if the reverberating booms of rocket testings were vibrating Hunstvillians away from its epicenter
From the front yard of our house on Owens Drive I could look to the rightmdashup the hill to the bend be-yond which the big houses stood on their rocky ledge pedestals and to the left where all the other houses that looked just like oursmdashfresh and newmdashrambled for what seemed like miles Th ose clean well-lit abodes all seemed the same and granted at my age I knew more about the pets that lived there than I did about the people who owned those manageable mortgages I came to realize that each was diff erent in a way that was permeated by voices smells and furnishings
It is a clicheacute to say that our lives were simpler then because that is just how the current era will be fondly referred to in the future but to a 5-year-old it is the simplicity that brought the joy Th e sixties will always be to me the beginning of the age of manufactured happiness Cheap clean and simple was what was strived for and what was easily obtained Plastic items were plentiful and pretty things could be bought with SampH Green Stamps A few coins in our pocket would transfer us into the most master of manipula-tors with us giving our all to convince our parents for a jaunt to Murdockrsquos for a holiday of wonderment joy and impatience as we would scour the shelves trying to get the most from our meager budget
Owens Drive was the fairly new thoroughfare from which the avenues of three-bedroom-ranchers fi ngered away at planned intervals Th is was the place where newlyweds started their lives homes and families Where girls with last names that had been in the town for generations would change them to those strange and exotic last names of the clean cut newcomers brought here for military purposes Where the housewives would preheat their pristine electric ovens trying to make cheese straws and biscuits that were just like their motherrsquos only to be frustrated as they were never quite the same and where the husbands would follow in their fatherrsquos footsteps by joining the Acme Club and hunting doves on the weekends
Th ere was a swimming pool Certainly not at our house Th e only private pool I remember as a child was one that my grandmother would take me to nestled between huge trees at someonersquos house on Adams Street I would swim with other children my age while our grandmothers chatted smoking cigarettes in cat-eyed anonymity whispering most of their stories so we wouldnrsquot be able to hear But between their
gasps and laughter we would listen hear and learn
Th e Blossomwood pool was a place of designated rules and the sound of bright whistlesmdashwith straight lines and distinctive colors of blue and green I can still feel the Coppertoned oiliness on the skin of the tanned lifeguard as she carried me from the deep end frightened after my fi rst attempt at solo-swimming She knew my name I had no idea who she was
On the other side of the pool was the school my older sister attended It had a style that mim-icked the poolmdashstraight lines cleanmdasha temple to orderliness and good manners It was with
awe that I once watched the young adults there some as old as eleven wind and dance their way around a sky-high fl agpolemdasheach with a diff erent color ribbon until the fi rst (and only) May Pole
I was privy to was completely dressed in its woven bright colors
90 raquo bless their hearts raquo Guy McClure Jr
Huntsville was a magical place for us tail-end baby boomers to grow upmdashbeyond the miracles of the escalator at Pizitz the smiling little lady on the tall stool at the register at Britlings There was a comfort level there that Irsquom not sure is in the minds of the 5-year-olds of today
cat-eyed agasps
Th s
aI w
THE COMFORTS OF BLOSSOMWOOD
In our world of red-bricked carported castles there was a def-inite division of generations Th e children ate separately from the parents went to school as our dads went to work enter-tained our neighborhood friends as quietly as possible and felt safe between our boundaries of Big Cove Road and Hermitage Street While we dined on our Chef Boy-Ar-Dee boxed pizza our parents busied themselves dressing in their dark colors getting ready for a late dinner at Boots having the scent of perfume and face powder trail my mother as she came into the kitchen looking for something with an intense purpose My father would smell of British Sterling and look just as he did when he went to work only happier Th ese nights meant something fun would happenmdashwe would have a babysitter
Babysitters were my introduction into what was and still seems cool Th ey were usually Huntsville High School teen-agers who would put on a show without even knowing it I would drink in their every move word and essence of style To me they were supermodelsmdashmovie starsmdasheven more fa-mous in my eyes than a television weatherman and almost as glamorous as the waitresses at the Waffl e House
Before they would tire of me and my sister and put us to bed they would include us in their world of music and knowledge which I thought was all-encompassing Suddenly our world of Th e Benny Carl Show and Fantasy Playhouse would seem trite and passeacute and we would catch a fl eeting glimpse into what would be in store for us when we too could stay up past 8 pm
Huntsville was a magical place for us tail-end baby boomers to grow upmdashbeyond the miracles of the escalator at Pizitz the smiling little lady on the tall stool at the register at Britlings and that bright colorful Maypole Th ere was a comfort level there that Irsquom not sure is in the minds of the 5-year-olds of todaymdashthe soothing sheltered lack of knowledge of why we were so lucky yet we didnrsquot even know that we were
In the other areas of our Huntsville there was poverty and ra-cial unrestmdashas there was and is in every city I was unaware People of color were always a part of my worldmdashmostly be-cause they had my attention and respect At our house there was Annie my grandmotherrsquos house was fi lled with the joys of Lula and out on the family farm there was strong and smiling Homer and large and huggable Rosamdashall just as much a part of my life as everyone else My life was good and they were instrumental in making it that way
What will the 5-year-olds of today who are lucky enough to be raised on those well-planned streets remember when they surpass their own 50 year mark It is a much more complex world now and there are diff erent concerns with daily changes of fear Youthful innocence is a prize that is encased without a lock Premature maturity is a viable threat and a constant fear But each night tucked in tight in a simple room sleeps tomor-rowrsquos adults who are having sweet dreamsmdashblanketed by the comforts of Blossomwood
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
92 raquo the vine raquo Amy C Collins
BORDEAUX POWER
Where Burgundyrsquos vineyards were established by Benedictine monks patiently growing wine vines with spiritual hearts Bordeauxrsquos vineyards were raised by entrepreneurial laymen who recognized the massive monetary opportunity when the English began drinking down their peasant wine
The city of Bordeaux is Francersquos primary port town on the Atlantic ocean a harbor that has for centuries served as the countryrsquos most important dock Th e regionrsquos history is long and storied with the fi rst written reference to the area dated 379 AD by the Latin poet Ausonius who was also a wine-grower Jump ahead to the year 1152 when Eleanor of Aquitaine married Englandrsquos soon-to-be king Henry Plantagenet and the port and surrounding vineyard land became the source of wine for the English a connection that remains strong even today
Bordeaux produces the worldrsquos most expensive and sought after collector wines the top tier of which make up less than fi ve percent of the regionrsquos total production Th ese names are quickly learned by neophyte wine drinkers wanting to make an impression Chateau Haut-Brion Lafi te Latour and Margaux for example Grown in gravelly soils only a few meters above sea levelmdashin contrast vineyards elsewhere in Europe typically sit between 300 and 900 metersmdashthese wines are some of the most powerful austere and pawed over When young the tannins in these cabernet sauvignon cabernet franc and merlot blends coat the tongue and mouth with a chalky dry sensation akin to sucking on an Earl Grey tea bag and are perhaps best suited to well-fatted rare steak and cigars Th ese are wines built to live for decades Personally I prefer a Bordeaux at least 20 years aged when the tannins have had ample time to calm down and mellow out and more nuanced fl avors come forward Sounds fancy and it is Only in some very lucky circumstances over the past year have I been guest to a bottle of 1990 Clos de Menuts Saint-Eacutemilion and a 1970 Chateau Haut-Brion About once every 10 years Irsquove had the good
fortune to taste a wine older than myself Nice work if you can get it
Where Burgundyrsquos vineyards (Francersquos other classifi ed sought-after region) were established by Benedictine monks patiently growing wine vines with spiritual hearts
Bordeauxrsquos vineyards were raised by entrepreneurial laymen who recognized the massive monetary opportunity when the English began drinking down their peasant wine Th is underscores the second half of my theory as to why Americans
more often American males are so drawn to the wines of Bordeaux Th erersquos an inherent capitalist connection something in the soil Th at the wines are so
unmistakable so distinctively grand and pronounced elixirs exemplifi es the fi rst half of my theory we Americans are not known for our subtlety (To be fair the Chinese are
signifi cant Bordeaux collectors as well)
Philosophy aside Bordeaux is quite a large region that produces beautiful white and red values as well as the rare fi nds out of the populacersquos price range Herersquos the skinny Blending is the game single varietal wines are rare White Bordeaux is typically made from a blend of sauvignon blanc and seacutemillon and sometimes a drop or two of muscadelle ugni blanc or colombard Reds are made primarily from the two cabernets plus merlot with small quantities of petit verdot malbec and carmenegravere occasionally in the mix Th e region is also home to the golden nectar of late ripened seacutemillon sauvignon blanc and muscadelle grapes that have successfully attracted the noble rot a fungus that covers the fruit and drains moisture from inside leaving behind rich sweet grapes without moldy fl avors Chateau drsquoYquem is the most famous of these unfortifi ed dessert wines though there are better bargains from the region
Bordeaux is split by the Gironde river which divides the region into three general areas Th e left bank also known as the Haut-Meacutedoc is where the classifi ed top growths are situated Th ese prestigious estates were named for their exceptional vineyard sites in 1855 a decision nearly unchanged since Today serious collectors invest in Bordeaux futures theoretically locking down lower prices of top
ample time to calm dit is Only in some vede Menuts Saint-Eacutem
fortune to taste a
Wherees
aun
of msignifi
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Follow Amy at pigandvinecom for morestories and wine suggestions
growth estates while the wine is still aging in the cellar Itrsquos the wine tradersquos equivalent to the NASDAQ On the right bank Saint-Eacutemilion and Pommerol are the prized vineyard areas known for their merlot heavy cuveacutees To the south west we fi nd Graves where there are many great values to be had in both white and red bottlings Entre-Deux-Mers which translates to ldquobetween two seasrdquo sits between the Dordogne and Garonne tributaries off the Gironde and is an excellent source for crisp whites
Get started on your Bordeaux experience with these values
Chateau Graville-Lacoste 2014 Graves 75 seacutemillon 20 sauvignon blanc and 5 muscadelle make up this beauty thatrsquos consistently delicious every vintage Crisp and refreshing great with seafood
Chateau Mirambeau 2014 GravesAnother classic blend of 40 sauvignon blanc 40 seacutemillon and 20 muscadelle this lovely white is a bit more fl oral than the Graville-Lacoste Easy drinking and great value
Chateau de Parenchegravere Bordeaux Rouge 201155 merlot 30 cabernet sauvignon and 15 cabernet franc grown in clay heavy soils similar to the right bank of the region Fleshy with good structure and abundant red fruit
Chateau Arnaud Bordeaux Supeacuterieur 2011Supeacuterieur on a Bordeaux label isnrsquot egotistical marketingmdashby law it indicates a wine with up to one degree more alcohol than its AC Bordeaux brethren What it really means is one more degree of body structure and in this case quality Approachable delicious and easy on the wallet
Chateau de Bernadotte Haut-Meacutedoc 2005Th e 2005 vintage in Bordeaux is in the history books with double asterisks Owned by the eminent Pichon Lalande family and made from vineyards in Paulliac one of the more choice growing areas in the region this is an incredible value a top tier Bordeaux for a fraction of the cost
Chateau de Suduiraut Sauternes 2011Ripe cantaloupe apricot and honey and an interesting smoky note with a solid sweet attack followed by great acidity A dessert wine that wonrsquot overpower the dessert
94 raquo parting shot raquo Patrick Hood
Meet Solvar
Solvar belongs to one of the worldrsquos oldest and purest equine lineages the Nor-
wegian Fjord horse a breed that has remained virtually unchanged for more than
2000 yearsmdashlong before we became acquainted with his animated cousins in
the movie Frozen Th ese national symbols of Norway are characterized by primi-
tive zebra striping on their legs and a dorsal stripe running from forelock to tail
resulting in a striking two-tone mane that sticks up like a Mohawk Th eir athleti-
cism agility and dependability make them valuable both as sport horses as well
as therapy horses for emotionally and physically challenged adults and children
Catie Wells of Huntsville is the proud owner of Solvar who resides at Monte
Sano Stables
For tickets or information 256-539-4818 or hsoorg
Bring In the New Year With Us
presents
WHAT A WONDERFUL
WORLDA tribute to Louis
Armstrong featuring the
Byron Stripling Quartet
Thursday December 31
730 pm bull Pops Series bullMark C Smith
Concert Hall VBC
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
M O R E T H A N 7 0 S H O P S A N D R E S T A U R A N T S I N C L U D I N G B E L K | D S W S H O E S | A P P L E J O S A B A N K | R E E D S J E W E L E R S | PA N D O R A | J C R E W | K AT E S PA D E N E W Y O R KO R V I S | B A N A N A R E P U B L I C | M I C H A E L K O R S | F R A N C E S C Arsquo S | A N T H R O P O L O G I EH amp M | S O M A | M O U N T A I N H I G H O U T F I T T E R S | B A R N E S amp N O B L E | S E P H O R AALTAR rsquoD STATE | CONNORS STEAK amp SEFOOD | THE WEST IN HUNTSV I L L E | MONACO P ICTURES
C O M I N G S O O N V E R S O N A ndash near Belk
B R I D G E S T R E E T H U N T S V I L L E C O M |
BR IDGE STREET TOWN CENTRE I S LOCATED AT EX I T 14 OFF I - 565 AT OLD MAD ISON P IKE
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
like a nineteenth century cook with a twenty-
fi rst century vibe
While most of Chef Willrsquos dishes are vegan he
does use real cheese because it melts better
He also uses free-range eggs Portobello
mushrooms are his go-to meat substitute
Th e day I visited he was serving portobello
pepper ldquosteakrdquo over quinoa and brown rice
with a liberal dash of his secret Bee Sting
sauce which his son Khaliq is working on
marketing to the public It was scrumptious
His food is so densely fl avored you donrsquot miss
the meat He especially loves the spices and
ingredients of Indian Asian and Chinese
cuisines all of which off er a great variety of
tasty vegetarian dishes
Chef Will is a passionate evangelist for the
healing properties of pure natural foods and
he preaches this gospel in a way that is so
inviting those who try his food cannot help
but be much more open-minded about trying
new healthy creative ways of eating
who seemed to have much more energy than he did He
became intentional about every step of the cooking process
from ingredient sourcing to cookwaremdashhence the cast
iron skillet which is naturally non-stick and adds iron to
whatever is cooked in it
Chef Will sources his ingredients locally whenever possible
He makes his vegetable stock with spring water His tasty
beans are soaked and simmered in that fl avorful stock not
poured from a can His collards are sublime without a hint
of pork fat With his back-to-basics approach Chef Will is
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Start a New Holiday Tradition at Burritt on the Mountain
ldquoHoliday Magicrdquo A Magical Dining Experience
December 10th 11th amp 12th
Itrsquos a magically fun evening dining in a historic cabin or the mansion with friends while enjoying delectable food and wine It is unlike any other holiday dinner and itrsquos perfect for a festive family occasion yet intimate enough for a romantic dinner for two Itrsquos rustic AND upscale
Holiday Magic reservations are being taken now by calling Butch Damson at 256-534-4361 Hurry Space is limted $90 per dinner seat Visit the website for menus and more
limited seating available make your reservations today
Wersquore decking the walls halls and stalls to get you in the holiday spirit More than 600 candles illuminate the sidewalks and Historic Park and music fills the air adding to the nostalgic feel of the holidays String cranberries make paper punch ornaments roast chesnuts amp taste figgy pudding Fun for the whole family itrsquos Christmas the way itrsquos supposed to be
Kris KringlersquosCandlelight Christmas
December 4th amp 5th
A much anticipated musical favorite will be back at Burritt in the Old Country Church
PerformancesDecember 16th through 20th
Tickets ON SALE NOWPurchase tickets at Josiersquos online
or by calling 256-536-2882or by calling 256-536-2by calling 256-536-2burrittonthemountaincom
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Th
ePE
R
FECT HOLIDAY DIN
NE
R
In our modern world of far-fl ung families Th anksgiving and Christmas are those rare occasions so fi lled with nostalgia
and meaning we press the pause button on our busy lives to prioritize time together Because family time is so rare these days NorsquoAla asked some of Huntsvillersquos fi nest chefs to suggest dishes that will inspire you as you plan your
familyrsquos menu this holiday season
Any time we spend with our loved ones is precious herersquos hoping these meal
ideas help make this yearrsquos holidays perfect
text by roy hall raquo photos by olivia reed
ldquoWith all the fl avors we associate with the holidays the gingerbread man is always near the top of the list So let the kids enjoy the traditional cookies while you sip this sophisticated cocktailrdquo mdashParker
ldquoTh e holidays are so fun-fi lled it seems appropriate that a holiday salad should refl ect that with lots of diff erent things going on fruits nuts cheeses and always a little hint of sweetness in the dressing No matter what main dishes and sides are served this salad will complement them allrdquo mdashAndrew
Grilled Pear Salad with Cambozola and Walnuts
Mezza Luna
(256) 650-2514 Th e GingermanMezza Luna
Butternut Squash Wild Mushroom and Roasted Asparagus Risotto
Th e Eaves
(256) 489-1752
ldquoI love this dish because itrsquos crisp and clean and adds a touch of light color to a typically heavy mealmdashthe bright green asparagus and red pancetta even look Christmassyrdquo mdashOwner LeeLee Wiginton
ldquoTh is isnrsquot super diffi cult to make It echoes the fl avors of the season And itrsquos also something a little unexpected It has a great fl avor profi le and complements other proteins really well Guests will love itrdquo mdashChef Merle Phillip
Snow Pea Salad with Crispy PancettaLynrsquos Gracious Goodness
(256) 533-2607
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Th ePERFECT HOLIDAY DINNER
Fried Brussels Sprouts with Coriander Greek Yogurt Sauce
Mezza Luna
ldquoI chose to do the turkey this way because itrsquos a diff erent approach Th e challenge of roasting a whole turkey is that the white and dark meat cook at diff erent speeds By separating the two you can cook each for its own proper cooking timerdquo mdashChef Steven Bunner
ldquoBrussels sprouts have had a bad rap Th e fi rst time most people encounter them theyrsquore overcooked mushy and served plain Th atrsquos a shame because theyrsquore nutritional powerhouses and because theyrsquore a fall crop at their best during the holiday seasonrdquo mdashJohn
Roast Turkey Breast and Dark Meat Roulade Served with Pecan Pesto
1892 East(256) 489-1242
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Between now and the end of the year take advantage of cost reductions on three popular proceduresmdashand begin 2016 with new confidence
bull SAVE BIG on breast augmentationOur saline price is $700 off and our silicone price is $900 off cash price only Schedule your initial consultation by December 31 2015 to lock in your price and the procedure must take place by March 31 2016
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Look better - feel better - and save money Itrsquos time to get more for less
Dr Russell Jennings203 Avalon Ave Suite 300
Muscle Shoals AL 35661
Phone(256) 386-1450jenningsplasticsurgerycom
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Th ePERFECT HOLIDAY DINNER
Nutella CheesecakeMason Dixon Bakery amp Bistro(256) 213-7545
ldquoTh is is one of our favorite desserts for a holiday and for every day Th e rich and creamy cake melts like ice cream in your mouth the smoothness of the fi lling balances perfectly with the crunchiness of the crust and the delicate hints of the swirled Nutella are divinerdquo mdashCo-owners Chef Ashley and Taylor Ramirez
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Emily Taylor5510 Promenade Point Pkwy Suite 160Madison AL 35757256-430-2781
I can help you
your own wayGROW
1114-519HO
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
produced by aissa castillo and lauren mccaulphotos by lauren tomasella carney
clothing modeled by aaron petersen rachel smith anne harbargerand kait barinaga (for finery)
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Meet the Shop Girls The mission To search Valley shops and boutiques
for the fi nest in Yuletide treasures
Accepting the challenge three of Huntsvillersquos most original and creative taste-makers
Say hello to NorsquoAla Shop Girls Aissa Castillo Lauren McCaul and Lauren Tomasella CarneyDuring the day these mild-mannered professionals tend to demanding careers in design
retail management and photography But evenings and weekends theyrsquore out saving the world from uninspiring fashion and decor as style superheroes
Their picks for the very best gift ideas follow For ideas and inspiration year-round
stay in-the-know by following our Shop Girls on social media
Lauren McCaul deptofagraculturecom Instagram dept_of_agra_cultureAissa Castillo aislerchiccom Instagram aislerchic
Lauren Tomasella Carney laurentomasellacom Instagram laurentomasella
And as you shop for your own Christmas treasures this season please remember to spread your cheermdashand your dollarsmdashat home
(1) Amanda Uprichard Jacket ($248)(2) BCBG Dress ($228)(3) Zoa Dress ($128)Personal Couture Boutique(256) 508-5632
(4) Dress ($168)Anthropologie(256) 327-8470
(5) Olive + Oak Oatmeal Shawl ($72)(10) Simply Noelle Zipper Gusset Bag ($5999)House of Holland(256) 206-8989
(6) One-of-a-kind Eva Ziegler Agate and Pyrite Necklace ($397)(8) Eva Ziegler Freshwater Pearl Strand ($501)Eva Ziegler Jewelryevazieglercom
(9) Gift Set ($5995)Piper amp LeafPiperandleafcom
(7) Long Horn Necklace ($68)Personal Couture Boutique(256) 508-5632
Left to right Lauren Tomasella Carney
Lauren McCaul and Aissa Castillo
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
On himFilson Shirt ($98) Filson Jacket ($320)Yeti Cooler ($34999)Alabama Outdoors(256)-885-3561
On herPPLA Vest ($7999)PPLA Dress ($7499)Bedstu Boots ($295)Indigorsquos Boutique(256) 345-6348
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) Woolly Mammoth Tooth 4rdquo Damascus Linerlock Knife ($150)(2) Cardboard Safari Bucky Cardboard Deer Head ($30)(3) Curt Benzle Porcelain Compass ($15)Little Green Store and Gallery (256) 539-9699
(4) Hunting Journal ($32)Sweet Pineapple(256) 964-7563
(5) Yeti Colster ($2999)Alabama Outdoors(256)-885-3561
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
(1) Yellow House Handcrafted Beard Oils ($18 ea)Yellow House Beard Oilsyellowhousebeards com (2) Mustache amp Beard Comb ($16)Little Green Store and Gallery (256) 539-9699 (3) Latika Body Essentials Charcoal Liquid Soap ($18)(4) Latika Body Essentials Charcoal Bar Soap ($6) (5) Rustico Leather Key Chain ($18) Sweet Pineapple(256) 964-7563
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) Wood Thumb Tie ($44) (2) Slightly Alabama iPad Case ($250) (3) DockSmith Driftwood iPhone Docking Station ($68) Little Green Storeand Gallery (256) 539-9699 (4) Loyal Stricklin Aviator Mug ($35)Domaine South(256) 808-8860 (5) Would You Be a Deer Notepad ($9) Sweet Pineapple(256) 964-7563
(6) Filson Satchel ($265) Alabama Outdoors(256)-885-3561
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
When itrsquos time to move into a bigger house get a home loan from the bank thatrsquos had a home right here for generations You might say we know a thing about location location location synovuscommortgage
Banking products are provided by Synovus Bank Member FDIC Divisions of Synovus Bank operate under multiple trade names across the Southeast Loans products subject to credit approval
When itrsquos time to move into a bigger house get a home
Here is where Henry learned hersquod be getting
SERVING YOU LOCALLY AS
2565513300 | fcb-hsvcom
his own room
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) Spiritual GangsterTank ($36)(2) Luquido Yoga Pants ($90)(3) MZ Wallace Metro Tote ($245)(4) Vimmia V back Sweatshirt ($96)(5) Onzie Sports Bra ($48)(6) Olympia Yoga Pants ($96)(7) bkr Water Bottle ($30)The Fitzgerald Pilates amp Barre(256) 603-1886
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
(1) Gypsy Pant WarmTribal ($72) (2) Berry High Waist Legging ($88) (3) Long Legging Mathematics ($65) (4) Long Legging Peacock ($65) The FitzgeraldPilates amp Barre(256) 603-1886
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) Jane Tran Hair Clips ($15)(2) bkr Water Bottle ($30)(3) well-kept Tech Wipes ($6)(4) Made with Love Bracelets ($25)(5) Pointe Studio Socks ($12)(6) Bando Too Cold to Hold Coozie ($5)The Fitzgerald Pilates amp Barre(256) 603-1886
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
(1) Shop Bando Coff ee Cup ($14)(2) Shop Bando Pens ($14) (3) Shop Bando Pouch ($26) (4) Shop Bando Coin Purse ($20) The FitzgeraldPilates amp Barre(256) 603-1886
(5) Check Things Off Notepad ($16)(6) Hello From Huntsville Stamp ($12)Salt + Paperie(256) 655-5550
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) Muzzle Loaders Chocolate Bourbon Balls ($1999) (2) Vintage Crystal Decanter ($20) (3) Quench Glassware ($1399) Domaine South(256) 808-8860
(4) The Hella Bitters Old Fashioned Kit ($65)(5) American Bar by Charles Schumann ($2495) Little Green Storeand Gallery (256) 539-9699
(6) Julep Cups ($50)Willowbrook Shoppe (256) 270-7181
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom | novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) DECCO Umbrella in a Bottle ($1995)(2) Alexa Pulitzer Stationery Set ($14 ea)(3) Ikat Scarf ($6250)Huntsville Museumof Art(256) 535-4350
(4) Emily Ley Grace Journal ($32) (5) Sugar Boo Designs Clutch ($18) (6) Emily Ley Daily Planner ($58) (7) Latika Milk ampHoney Bar ($6) (8) Farm House Fresh Shea Butter Hand Cream ($14) (9) Christen MaxwellZippy ($42) (10) Green Tea Bubble Bath ($32) Sweet Pineapple(256) 964-7563 (11) Goal Getter Cuff ($32)Indigorsquos Boutique(256) 345-6348
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
(1) Kilim Pillow ($58) (2) Bejeweled Silver Plate Vase ($144) (3) Bone Clad Box ($375)Willowbrook Shoppe (256) 270-7181
(4) Cowhide Rug ($550)(5) Lucyrsquos Locket ($95) (Original piecemdashselection may vary)Sweet Pineapple(256) 964-7563 (6) Clutch ($65)Department of Agra Culturedeptofagraculturecom
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) Above The Bar Antler on Chain 28rdquo ($3999) (2) Above The Bar Deer wAntler Head 18rdquo ($2999) Indigorsquos Boutique(256) 345-6348
(3) Margaret Solow Labradorite18KT Bezel ($290) (4) Margaret Solow Diamond Crest MoonSilver ($460) (5) Margaret Solow Black Spinel + DiamondSilver ($560) (6) Margaret Solow Double Black Spinel18KT ($260)Little Green Store and Gallery (256) 539-9699
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
(1) Margaret Solow Grey Moonstoon18KT Necklace ($240) (2) Margaret Solow OpalDiamond Mosaic Necklace ($610) Little Green Storeand Gallery (256) 539-9699
(3) One-of-a-kind Eva Ziegler Smokey Quartz and Pyrite Necklace ($406)Eva Ziegler Jewelryevazieglercom
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) Jennifer BehrTurban ($625)(2) Cotton Day Dress ($64)(3) Norma Ishak Cardigan ($375)Finery(256) 429-3429
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
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(2) Tiger Jelly Cat ($2250)(3) Dog Tag Teether ($1550)(4) Dinosaur Footie ($3595)Honey B Boutique(256) 503-2853
(5) Young Buck ($25)Tiny Vinestinyvinesshopcom
(6) Bib Set ($13)Huntsville Museumof Art(256) 535-4350
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
(1) Tiny Dancer Bath Bomb ($6)Sweet Pineapple(256) 964-7563
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| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) Bib Set ($13)Huntsville Museumof Art(256) 535-4350 (2) Little Light ($25)Tiny Vinestinyvinesshopcom (3) Micro Leon Cardboard Lion ($30)Little Green Storeand Gallery (256) 539-9699 (4) I Love You Like Biscuits amp Gravy ($23)Domaine South(256) 808-8860
(5) Kickee Kimono ($4295)Honey B Boutique(256) 503-2853
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
SURPRISEA LOVED ONE
THIS HOLIDAY SEASON
WITH A FOREVER GIFT
HobbsJewelerscom 8772331347Parkway Place Mall
HuntsvilleHwy 72 West
AthensMain Street
Ardmore TN
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
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novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
(1) Chewbead Necklace ($3495)(2) Mayoral Baby Bag ($7995)(3) Mayoral Diaper Changing Pad ($2495)(4) Nursing Scarf ($2695) (5) Kickee Swaddling Blanket ($22)Honey B Boutique(256) 503-2853 (6) Lucy Darling Months Sticker ($25) (7) The Story of You Baby Book by Emily Ley ($62) Sweet Pineapple(256) 964-7563
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(3) Britt Ryan Dress ($288)Personal Couture Boutique(256) 508-5632
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) Rocket Cosmos Mug ($13)Huntsville Museumof Art(256) 535-4350
(2) Loose Leaf Tea ($399)Piper amp Leaf piperandleafcom (3) Judy Jackson Tea Pot ($56) (4) Gary Watson Cherry Cutting Board ($48-$68) (5) Susan Coe Birthday Cake Plate ($33) Little Green Storeand Gallery (256) 539-9699 (6) Macarons ($116 pcs $221 dozen)Whisk Small Treats Bakery(256) 656-1027
(7) Truffl es ($185 each)Pizellersquos Confections (256) 513-9745 (8) Olive amp Sinclair Chocolate ($799)Domaine South(256) 808-8860
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
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(4) Urchin Bowl ($10)(5) Foodie Dice ($38)(6) 1Canoe2 Wood Recipe Box w Recipe Cards ($6999) Domaine South(256) 808-8860 (7) Growlers ($75 small $95 large)Southern Growlersoutherngrowlercom
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novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Guadalupe Robinson
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
text by jennifer crossley howard raquo photos by patrick hood
Of Deft and Dirty Hands
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Huntsville potter Guadalupe Lanning Robinson has spent more than 36 years mastering the
marriage of clay texture and geometric design into her pottery yet time has done little to temper the
plight of waiting
ldquoIt is hard for me to let a pot just dryrdquo she says motioning toward fi ve small wet pots sitting near her
pottery wheel ldquoIrsquom as excited to do this as I was 30 years agordquo
To observe her studio at Lowe Mill that is easy to believe Located on the corridor outside the textile
mill-turned-art centerrsquos main building the loft-like space with a corrugated tin roof feels like a place a
Gabriel Garcia Marquez character would enjoy daydreaming
Sienna-hued pottery sits in various stages to be fi red layered and etched Argentinian tango music
streams from Robinsonrsquos iPhone and two cockatiels a parrot and a parakeet chirp from their cages All
except the parrot fl y freely when Robinson is working
Robinson who is 61 made her fi rst pot in 1979 in her native Mexico City Almost four decades later her
work is part of permanent museum collections in Auburn Huntsville Tuscumbia and Tupelo Missis-
sippi She regularly enters her work in respected juried shows such as the Monte Sano Arts Festival and
the Kentuck Festival of the Arts in Northport and has received two Alabama State Council on the Arts
individual artist fellowships
Her inspiration draws from the villages around her native Mexico City such as the black pottery of
the northwest as well as her acquired Southern culture White lilies corn grids and round female
fi guresmdashldquoreally strong women who are in chargerdquo Robinson saysmdashreappear on her stoneware She uses
natural dyes indigo for color and mixes sand into clay for texture Nothing is wasted
ldquoI donrsquot waste any clayrdquo Robinson says ldquoEverything is recycledrdquo
Robinson fi nds solace in the 40-50 hours a week she puts in at the studio and the often tedious process
of making pots which can take from three weeks to six weeks for larger pots She usually works on two
or three pots at a time tending to groups at diff erent stages
After a pot is thrown on a wheel a piece can take days to dry before its fi rst bisque fi re in which tem-
peratures rise to 1800 F After baking for nine hours the kiln must cool Th e second fi ring rises to 2150
F and matures the clay and melts the glazes to strengthen the piece
ldquoI am an effi cient person by naturerdquo Robinson says ldquoWaiting for the kiln to cool down enough to open
can be nerve wracking and this is when my patience is usually put to the testrdquo
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
ldquoIt is hard for me to let a pot just dry Irsquom as excited to do this as I was 30 years agordquo
Robinson makes most of her pots on a wheel using oxides to change the color of clay she gets from Nashville and Pittsburgh Her pottery takes several weeks from start to fi nish depending on how large a pot is and how many she makes at a time
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
ldquoAttend to your childrenrsquos needs fi rst keep focus on what you want to douse the happiness joy and little breaks you get to make your artTh ey grow real fast and they will keep inspiring you all your liferdquo
Robinson imagined this bat-like design as she was working She usually begins a piece with a design in mind but that often evolves
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Robinson uses an overlay of liquid clay called engobemdashthat includes three to four layersmdashto create a
base on which to design
Th ere is high risk in making pottery and hours of work can be wasted on a pot that has not dried en-
tirely before it enters the kiln Air pockets or the wrong mixture of chemicals can ruin a piece
ldquoArt is involved but science is toordquo says Laura Smith director of education at the Huntsville Museum
of Art where Robinson has taught pottery classes ldquoItrsquos more labor intensive in terms of working with
the medium whether yoursquore building by hand or with a wheel until you fi re with the fi nal layer of glazerdquo
Th e result is sturdy pottery
ldquoI want my pots to look like something that is lasting a long timerdquo Robinson says
Th ough she works solitarily in her studio she says she does not get lonely Her birds and music keep her
company and each stage of pottery making has a soundtrack She uses needlepoint tools to draw onto
clay to Jose Feliciano and other Latin American musicians
ldquoIf Irsquom at the wheel Bruno Marsrdquo she says ldquoIf Irsquom unloading the kiln and something is really awesome
then I need something moving and I have on Motownrdquo
Robinsonrsquos years of experience minimize the risk of damaged pots but she says her greatest challenge
as a potter was balancing her work while raising her two children Now adults their candid childhood
pictures and those of her grandchildren cover the warm green walls of her studio
She met her husband the poet James Robinson in 1977 on a Greyhound bus when she returned to
Mexico City from visiting a friend at the University of Southern Mississippi He was heading to Mexico
to study at a university Th ey married six months later After giving birth to her daughter Annie Jane in
Mexico City in 1982 the family moved to Huntsville in 1985 Th at is when Robinson got more serious
about her pottery
ldquoFrom the very beginning when I moved to Alabama I knew I was going to have to do thisrdquo she said
ldquoIn some ways it was a way for me to keep connected to my heritagerdquo
She took even 15 minutes of free time to work in the studio behind her home and worked late into the
night while her daughter and son Isidoro born in 1987 slept Having a home studio allowed her to
wash clothes tend to her home and drop off lunches at school while maintaining her art
ldquoTh ere was something for me when I fi rst became a mother that fueled my creativityrdquo Robinson says
ldquoTh ey are such a social inspiration too It fi lls your liferdquo
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Robinson advises fellow artists who are mothers to seize
both roles but to prioritize motherhood
ldquoAttend to your childrenrsquos needs fi rst keep focus on what you
want to do use the happiness joy and little breaks you get
to make your artrdquo she says ldquoTh ey grow real fast and they will
keep inspiring you all your liferdquo
Anna Sue Courtney director of the Flying Monkey Arts
Center at Lowe Mill has known Robinson for more than
10 years She says she admires how mothers and artists like
Robinson seamlessly embrace both roles
ldquoIt seems therersquos not a separation between creating and rais-
ing childrenrdquo Courtney says ldquoTh ey seem to pull from the
same placerdquo
Part of Robinsonrsquos motivation at Lowe Mill comes from
working privately in a studio alongside other artists that fos-
ters a community of feedback and ideas
ldquoItrsquos nice to be here because you can take a break and walk around and get inspirationrdquo Courtney says
ldquoItrsquos refreshingrdquo
When she needs a break from the studio Robinson stays home to sketch designs for a day or two then
she is back in the studio
Trips twice a year to Mexico City keep her plugged in to her native culture which in turn shows up in
her pottery
ldquoI have to recharge myselfrdquo Robinson says ldquoI love Huntsville and loved raising my kids here but I still
have the need of going back to be recharged and smell all the smells and see all the colors and get on
the subway and be pushed aroundrdquo
Details from her trips that infl uence her work include the ever-present red that covers the city during
the celebration of Dia de los Muertos or the Day of the Dead Th e pyramids of Teotihuacan conjure
warm earth tones and fl oating gardens around the city yield sweet pungent calla lilies and carnations
Celebration of food tough women and nature reappear in her pottery qualities that both Southern and
Mexican cultures treasure
Above This daisy design is character-istic of Robinsonrsquos work Nature food and strong females from her native Mexico City and the South are strong creative infl uences
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Clockwise from top left Robinson often glazes only the inside of her pots so they can hold water and food She began quilting in 2002 and her quilts like her pottery contain earth tones and natural infl uences in their design Four birds keep Robinson company in what can be the isolating medium of pottery making Geometry and symmetry are two signature elements in Robinsonrsquos work according to Laura Smith director of education at the Huntsville Museum of Art
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Just as she keeps her home country close to her heart Robinson is loyal to her fi rst
love of pottery though she began making quilts in 2002
ldquoIrsquom a potter who likes to quiltrdquo she says
Like her pottery her quilting follows designs of organic nature such as fl owers and
crops on rich jewel tone cotton
ldquoWhen I fi rst saw one of her quilts I didnrsquot realize it was hers and I thought that
looks like it should be Guadalupersquos quiltrdquo Courtney says
Robinson prefers the immediate gratifi cation of clay
ldquoItrsquos a very responsive mediumrdquo she says ldquoYou can manipulate it Th e fact of mak-
ing something out of dirt out of nothing and making it durable making it perma-
nent that after going through the heat and maturing is something very excitingrdquo
She gently dings a pot covered with white dresses titled ldquoTehuana Dressrdquo to make
her point
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
887 FM Muscle Shoals bull 1007 FM Huntsvillewwwaprorg
News classicalmusic and more
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
copy Patrick Hood
text by sara wright covington raquo photos by jacki gil
patrick hood erin lindsey and michelle odom
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
copy Patrick Hood
ldquoA LOT OF PEOPLE HAD BEEN ASKING ME QUESTIONS ABOUTHOW I GOT MY BUSINESS STARTED I WANTED TO GATHER SOME PEOPLE AROUND ME
WHO WERE GOING THROUGH THOSE STRUGGLES AND TOBUILD ENTREPRENEURIAL COURAGErdquo
JACKI GIL SALT+PAPERIE
copy Patrick Hood
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
untsville-born Jacki Gil began her paper design busi-
ness Salt+Paperie in 2014 with an expansive vision
in mind one that extended beyond creating beautiful
custom designed paper goods ldquoI love my design job
but when Irsquom 50 years old I donrsquot see myself still de-
signing wedding invitationsrdquo the master stationer says
ldquoI really have a passion for teaching and helping people
I want to be a mentorrdquo
In 2015 Gil set out on her mentoring mission sooner than expected with a series
of workshops called Encourage Huntsville ldquoA lot of people had been asking me
questions about how I got my business startedrdquo Gil says about the early days of
Salt+Paperie Even though most of those questions from entrepreneurial-hopefuls
were technicalmdashlike how to apply for a business licensemdashthey served as inspira-
tion for Gil ldquoI wanted to gather some people around me who were going through
those struggles and to build entrepreneurial courage I defi nitely saw that there
was a need for helping people to take that next step toward owning their own
businessesrdquo
Encourage Huntsville was modeled on the image of a growing small business
movement called the Rising Tide Society a national community of creative small
business owners who encourage ldquocommunity over competitionrdquo Th at spirit of
openness is at the heart of Encourage Huntsville ldquoCommunity over competition
is a huge part of what we are doingrdquo says Gil ldquoSmall business owners sharing how
they earn their money is a big dealrdquo
As a fi rst step Gil gathered others around her who were using their skills and abili-
ties to make their own small businesses work With talents ranging from cooking
and cake decorating to hand lettering and artwork these small business owners
all embraced Gilrsquos vision for imparting to others the knowledge of their craft un-
impeded by a fear of losing their competitive edge
Th e fi rst lesson Gil wanted to impart to Encourage Huntsvillersquos students wasnrsquot
necessarily a particular craft or skill but a spirt of creative confi dence ldquoWe want-
ed to bridge the gap between the very artsy community and the ultimate engineer
communityrdquo many of whom Gil observes had been told since childhood they
werenrsquot artistic ldquoWhen you are little and someone tells you that you donrsquot have a
talent it sticks with you I found that a lot of people had that experience so that
was the workshop partmdashto build some creative courage in this communityrdquo
Gil conducted the fi rst workshop herself testing the waters to see how the concept
would be received Th e admission price to that fi rst workshop included supplies a
take-home ldquogoody bagrdquo to help students continue their work extracurricularly and
refreshmentsmdashas well as Gilrsquos tips of her trade
ldquoWe went in blindly not knowing if we had a market or notrdquo says Gil Th e popular-
ity of that fi rst class proved undeniably that a market did in fact exist the work-
shop sold out in one day ldquoSo we did back-to-back workshopsrdquo Gil says ldquoAfter that
novemberdecembeeer eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee | nononoononononononoonoonononooooonoonoonnononnoaaalalalllaallllllalaalaaalal ststustust ddiossscom mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm | | | | | | | | | | |
f
w
y
Previous page Encourage Huntsvillersquos founder and instructor Jacki Gil teaches a class in hand lettering Facing page A participant studies her supply list
we realized people really want to do this stuff So we said lsquoletrsquos jump on the boat
and make this happenrsquordquo
Gilrsquos longtime friend photographer Erin Lindsey of Erin Lindsey Images agreed
to contribute to Encourage Huntsvillersquos curriculum by teaching a photography
class ldquoJacki and I are a good team because our hearts are in the same place when
it comes to encouraging othersrdquo Lindsey says Still she admits saying yes to teach-
ing wasnrsquot without some initial hesitation ldquoWhen Jacki asked if I would teach a
class it was kind of scary I thought I had to be perfect before I could teach oth-
ersrdquo Lindsey says of her initial hesitancy ldquoBut after talking to Jacki I realized none
of us are perfectrdquo But perfection isnrsquot the goal encouragement is the goal ldquoAnd I
thought lsquoI can defi nitely line up with that visionrsquordquo
Michelle Odom another Huntsville native and owner of custom cake bakery Just
Crumbs was also on board with Gilrsquos vision In fact Odom had been contemplat-
ing teaching a class when she was approached by Gil to teach a fondant basics
class ldquoHuntsville is such an engineer town and everyone is so mathematical and
scientifi crdquo Odom says echoing the dichotomy between the arts and sciences ex-
pressed by Gil ldquoTh ese workshops are just a very cool way for structured people to
have a creative outletrdquo
ldquoJACKI AND I ARE A GOOD TEAM BECAUSE OUR HEARTS ARE INTHE SAME PLACE WHEN IT COMES TO ENCOURAGING OTHERSrdquo
ERIN LINDSEY ERIN LINDSEY IMAGES
copy Erin Lindsey
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Above A participant in Erin Lindseyrsquos photo class frames a still life
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
copy Erin Lindsey
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
ldquoHUNTSVILLE IS SUCH AN ENGINEER TOWN AND EVERYONE ISSO MATHEMATICAL AND SCIENTIFIC THESE WORKSHOPS ARE JUST A VERY COOL
WAY FOR STRUCTURED PEOPLE TO HAVE A CREATIVE OUTLETrdquo MICHELLE ODOM JUST CRUMBS
copy Michelle Odom
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
ldquoAnd yesrdquo Odom acknowledges ldquoyou are in theory teaching your competition But
at the same time you are helping the community be more creativerdquo
With its roster of popular creative workshops under its belt Encourage Huntsville
has added business classes to its community-over-competition curriculum with
classes designed to provide specifi c guidance for small business owners ldquoAll of
our events that donrsquot require hands-on work we call seminarsrdquo says Gil ldquoWe had
about 15 people at our fi rst one It was pretty much just an open discussion to ask
us questions and get answers from the perspective of a small business ownerrdquo
Th e seminars enjoyed the same success and enthusiasm as the workshops ldquoWe
had two hours for people to ask questionsrdquo Gil says Topics covered ran the gamut
from scheduling daily tasks self-hosting a website or using an Etsy store man-
aging client expectations and being realistic about how much time you need to
complete jobs
ldquoTh e time went quickly and people wanted morerdquo says Gil who envisions an all-
day seminar in 2016
Margaret Baggett owner and executive chef of the Chef Next Door is another
small business owner who has shared Gilrsquos vision from the very beginning teach-
copy Erin Lindsey
Facing page Michelle Odomrsquos fondant basics class begins with a styrofoam cake form Above Newbie photographers familiarize themselves with their cameras in Erin Lindseyrsquos photography class
ing knife skills workshops and helping host the business seminars ldquoI am so proud
to get to be a part of this project and help nurture other small business owners
who may just be starting out on their journey or are deep in it and looking for
some encouragement from other business ownersrdquo Baggett says of what motivates
her participation in Encourage Huntsville ldquoEven being on the advice-giving side
of things I am still learning and have taken tips and tricks and lessons from each
event we have had so far We never stop learning from each other and never stop
improving upon our craftsrdquo
Th e mutual growth among students and teachers is the source of the encourage-
mentmdashand the joymdashof Encourage Huntsville ldquoItrsquos so much fun to see the light
bulbs go off with people and see them encouraged right before your eyesrdquo Lindsey
says of her experience with the program ldquoPlus itrsquos a pleasure to contribute to a
sense of community over competition Th at whole concept is so rarerdquo
As Encourage Huntsvillersquos following continues to grow the diversity of the work-
shops will expand as well Whether you are looking to spend a fun afternoon
learning a new craft or are a budding small business owner hoping to launch
your brand Encourage Huntsville has something valuable to off er ldquoWe encourage
those left-brain folks to take up a new hobby or skillrdquo Baggett says ldquoor just encour-
age the people of Huntsville to get together and fan their creative fl amesrdquo
If yoursquore looking for
creative or entrepreneurial
encouragement visit
encouragehuntsvillecom
for seminar and workshop
schedules and information
ldquoI AM SO PROUD TO GET TO BE A PART OF THIS PROJECT AND HELP NURTURE OTHER SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS WHO MAY JUST BE STARTING OUT ON THEIR JOURNEY OR ARE DEEP IN IT
AND LOOKING FOR SOME ENCOURAGEMENT FROM OTHER BUSINESS OWNERSrdquoMARGARET BAGGETT CHEF NEXT DOOR
copy Jacki Gil
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
copy Jacki Gil
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Participants in Margaret Baggettrsquos knife skills workshop learn to perfect their ldquomise en placerdquo
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
copy Olivia Reed
text by sara wright covington raquo photos by olivia reed and jeff white
HUNTSVILLErsquoS
HOMEGROWNHOSTESS
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
ttttttononononoooooonononooooo raquo praquo praquo praquo praquo phothothothothotosoososos s s osos bybybbybb
Any host will tell you that delicious food and quality libations while important to
a partyrsquos success are secondary to the most important ingredient of all the guest list Th atrsquos why many
of downtown Huntsvillersquos most popular restaurants breweries and wine shops are turning to event
planner Ashley Ryals and her uncanny knack for attracting loyal patronsmdashand creating unforgettable
events in the process
When Huntsville born-and-bred Ashley Ryals left for college at the University of Alabama in 2001
she thought her exit from the Valley was permanent ldquoI never thought I would end up back hererdquo the
founder of event planning company Homegrown Huntsville says with a knowing laugh But after a few
post-graduate years working for world-renowned public relations powerhouse Weber Shandwick in
New York City Ryals started to second guess her freshman declaration
ldquoI started to get homesickrdquo she admits ldquoAll of my friends were getting married and meeting for football
games and I was missing itrdquo So when a friend from home set up an interview at EarlyWorks for a job
doing event planning Ryals jumped at the chance to come home
Ashley spent the next few years planning EarlyWorks Whistle Stop and Santarsquos Village events A brief
stint in sales followed along with a seat on the board of Huntsville Young Professionals where she had
an idea for a downtown pub crawl
ldquoWe expected 20 or 30 peoplerdquo Ryals says of their modest expectations ldquoBut 200 people showed uprdquo
Th at initial success convinced Ryals to embark on her dream of establishing an
event planning company But it wasnrsquot just any event planning company Ryals
had in mind she envisioned one that would collaborate with local businesses
cultivate signature events for the community to enjoy and support small busi-
nesses in the process
Inspired Ryals left her sales job and for the second time in her life came home
again to event planning and Homegrown Huntsville
To help bring her vision to life Ryals collaborated with designer Adrianne Van
Kirk of Fave Creative ldquoAdrianne has been a part of the visual and branding of
Homegrown from the beginning We come up with the event ideas then I get
the ticketing and sales together and she comes back with a logo and the mar-
keting for the event And thatrsquos how it all comes togetherrdquo Ryals says of their
creative process
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
ASHLEY RYALS
copy Olivia Reed
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
ldquoMOST WINE FESTIVALS ACROSS THE COUNTRY HAVE PROVEN RECORDS OF BEING ABLE TO STAY AROUND 15 OR 20 YEARS OR EVEN LONGER AND THE ECONOMIES OF THOSE
CITIES HAVE REALLY GROWN AS A RESULT I WANT BIG SPRING CRUSH TO EVENTUALLY BE THE BIGGEST AND BEST WINE FESTIVAL IN THE STATE OF ALABAMArdquo ASHLEY RYALS
copy Jeff White
copy Jeff White
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
copy Olivia Reed
Homegrown launched in 2011 with what would become its
signature event Dine amp Dash Every second Wednesday
April through October a trolley shuttles patrons between
downtown establishments where they are served a drink
and appetizer before moving on to the next stop
Owner and executive chef Merle Phillips of Th e Eaves was
one of the fi rst restaurants to sign on for Dine amp Dashrsquos de-
but ldquoAshley came to me and said she was starting a trolley
tasting conceptrdquo says Chef Merle ldquoI didnrsquot really know her so
I was taking a chance on the concept she was sellingrdquo
Merle tried it and has been a loyal participant of Dine amp
Dash ever since
ldquoIt was a risk in the beginning but it defi nitely paid off rdquo Chef
Merle says of the experience Pivotal to that experience ac-
cording to Phillips is Ryalsrsquo demonstration to the commu-
nity just what the term ldquohomegrownrdquo really means ldquoAshley
shines a spotlight on independent businesses in a market-
place that has for so long focused on chainsrdquo Phillips says
ldquoDine amp Dash has really brought into sharp focus the inter-
esting culinary diversity that Huntsville has to off errdquo
For the next two years Homegrown Huntsville focused al-
most exclusively on Dine amp Dash which by the end of its fi rst
year included every single downtown restaurant But when
big changes began to appear on the downtown horizonmdash
new restaurants breweries and residential developmentsmdash
Ryalsrsquo instincts told her
the time had come to
introduce a new event
to the downtown cal-
endar
ldquoBeer Hop follows
the concept of Dine
amp Dashrdquo Ryals says of
Homegrownrsquos second
venture which began
in 2013 Each month a
trolley visits three dif-
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
BILL FOWLEROLD TOWN BEER
EXCHANGE
copy Olivia Reed
copy Olivia Reed
ferent breweries where patrons sample beers and enjoy food
from a variety of food trucks parked at each location
Bill Fowler managing partner of Old Town Beer Exchange
agreed to participate in Beer Hop on his very fi rst day of
business and credits Ryals with an overwhelmingly success-
ful opening night ldquoAshley said lsquoI can guarantee that you are
going to have wave after wave of people coming throughrsquordquo
Fowler says recalling that fi rst jittery occasion Once again
Ryals proved true to her word with 60-plus patrons arriving
in an hour-and-a-half ldquoIt was awesome and such a great ex-
perience for usrdquo Fowler raves ldquoAshley is a hard worker and
you can see that in what she doesrdquo
Fowler believes that in addition to bringing new customers
to OTBX Ryals is also cultivating beer education consis-
tently bringing in people who are new to beer and want to
learn And with Huntsvillersquos recent brewery boom that level
of education and interest is crucial for the brewing commu-
nity to thrive ldquoWe have a very small window of opportunityrdquo
says Fowler ldquoI think Huntsville in particular is becoming a
craft brewing community People are making money at this
and once Tennessee sees that we need to already have had a
pretty huge head startrdquo
By the end of 2013 and with standing events Beer Hop and
Dine amp Dash well established Ryals took time to refl ect on
her original goal for Homegrown Huntsville ldquoIn the back of
my head from day one I knew I wanted to do a wine festival
I just didnrsquot think Huntsville was ready for it in 2011rdquo
Emboldened by the success of Beer Hop Ryals decided to
make the leap with Big Spring Crush wine festival later the
same year Once again Ryals delivered the perfect audience
for the event and in the process discovered a surprising
fact about North Alabamarsquos contribution to the wine-mak-
ing industry
ldquoIn doing the wine festival I learned that we have a huge
wine community in Huntsvillerdquo Ryals says ldquoTh ere are only
about 47 certifi ed wine judges in the entire United States
and we have four of them right here in North Alabama Two
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
copy Jeff White
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
ldquoI STARTED TO GET HOMESICK ALL OF MY FRIENDS WERE GETTING MARRIEDAND MEETING FOR FOOTBALL GAMES AND I WAS MISSING ITrdquo ASHLEY RYALS
copy Jeff White
copy Jeff White
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
ldquoIT WAS AWESOME AND SUCH A GREAT EXPERIENCE FOR USrdquoBILL FOWLER OLD TOWN BEER EXCHANGE
copy Jeff White
copy Olivia Reed
of those four certifi ed wine judges sit on the committee for
Big Spring Crushrdquo
Matthew and Stephanie Mell had just opened Church Street
Wine Shop when they decided to participate in the fi rst Big
Spring Crush Like OTBXrsquos Robert Fowler the Mells credit
Ryals and Homegrown Huntsville for helping to introduce
their new enterprise to the community ldquoAshley has been in-
strumental in helping to bring us people who love and ap-
preciate winerdquo Stephanie Mell says ldquoShe was homegrown
here in Huntsville and she really gets the downtown area
and small businesses and that is so important to usrdquo
Big Spring Crush began with a bang featuring over 150
wines and attracting patrons from across the country
ldquoMost wine festivals across the country have proven records
of being able to stay around 15 or 20 years or even longerrdquo
Ryals says ldquoAnd the economies of those cities have really
grown as a result I want Big Spring Crush to eventually be
the biggest and best wine festival in the state of Alabamardquo
How does Ryals intend to make that dream come true ldquoBy
always keeping it fresh I want to have new marketing and
new things happening each yearrdquo
Ryalsrsquo formula of reinvention and expansion has successfully
led Homegrown Huntsville through fi ve years of success and
helped its events become community staples along the way In
the process Ryals is broadening more than just our image of
downtown Huntsville shersquos joining a class of creative entrepre-
neurs committed to expanding Huntsvillersquos reputation as more
than just a hub for the brightest scientifi c minds in America
ldquoWe have a big city of engineers and lawyers and itrsquos won-
derfulrdquo Ryals say ldquo But there is a whole artist and food cul-
ture here and there is so much growth I want us to have a
vibrant cool downtown area and I want for people to tell
their friends to come and visit and to see Huntsville for what
it is a city I loverdquo
If yoursquod like to participate in Homegrown Huntsville either
as a guest or a participating business visit homegrown-
huntsvillecom
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
copy Jeff White
I was years old and the year was At that time the city of Huntsville was inching toward the mountain to the east California Street was once the continental divide between the small town metropo-lis and the uncharted territories gingerly crossed by the real estate pioneers four score and some odd years prior Th is area became the new suburb as the city kept pushing onward toward Fagan Springs as if the reverberating booms of rocket testings were vibrating Hunstvillians away from its epicenter
From the front yard of our house on Owens Drive I could look to the rightmdashup the hill to the bend be-yond which the big houses stood on their rocky ledge pedestals and to the left where all the other houses that looked just like oursmdashfresh and newmdashrambled for what seemed like miles Th ose clean well-lit abodes all seemed the same and granted at my age I knew more about the pets that lived there than I did about the people who owned those manageable mortgages I came to realize that each was diff erent in a way that was permeated by voices smells and furnishings
It is a clicheacute to say that our lives were simpler then because that is just how the current era will be fondly referred to in the future but to a 5-year-old it is the simplicity that brought the joy Th e sixties will always be to me the beginning of the age of manufactured happiness Cheap clean and simple was what was strived for and what was easily obtained Plastic items were plentiful and pretty things could be bought with SampH Green Stamps A few coins in our pocket would transfer us into the most master of manipula-tors with us giving our all to convince our parents for a jaunt to Murdockrsquos for a holiday of wonderment joy and impatience as we would scour the shelves trying to get the most from our meager budget
Owens Drive was the fairly new thoroughfare from which the avenues of three-bedroom-ranchers fi ngered away at planned intervals Th is was the place where newlyweds started their lives homes and families Where girls with last names that had been in the town for generations would change them to those strange and exotic last names of the clean cut newcomers brought here for military purposes Where the housewives would preheat their pristine electric ovens trying to make cheese straws and biscuits that were just like their motherrsquos only to be frustrated as they were never quite the same and where the husbands would follow in their fatherrsquos footsteps by joining the Acme Club and hunting doves on the weekends
Th ere was a swimming pool Certainly not at our house Th e only private pool I remember as a child was one that my grandmother would take me to nestled between huge trees at someonersquos house on Adams Street I would swim with other children my age while our grandmothers chatted smoking cigarettes in cat-eyed anonymity whispering most of their stories so we wouldnrsquot be able to hear But between their
gasps and laughter we would listen hear and learn
Th e Blossomwood pool was a place of designated rules and the sound of bright whistlesmdashwith straight lines and distinctive colors of blue and green I can still feel the Coppertoned oiliness on the skin of the tanned lifeguard as she carried me from the deep end frightened after my fi rst attempt at solo-swimming She knew my name I had no idea who she was
On the other side of the pool was the school my older sister attended It had a style that mim-icked the poolmdashstraight lines cleanmdasha temple to orderliness and good manners It was with
awe that I once watched the young adults there some as old as eleven wind and dance their way around a sky-high fl agpolemdasheach with a diff erent color ribbon until the fi rst (and only) May Pole
I was privy to was completely dressed in its woven bright colors
90 raquo bless their hearts raquo Guy McClure Jr
Huntsville was a magical place for us tail-end baby boomers to grow upmdashbeyond the miracles of the escalator at Pizitz the smiling little lady on the tall stool at the register at Britlings There was a comfort level there that Irsquom not sure is in the minds of the 5-year-olds of today
cat-eyed agasps
Th s
aI w
THE COMFORTS OF BLOSSOMWOOD
In our world of red-bricked carported castles there was a def-inite division of generations Th e children ate separately from the parents went to school as our dads went to work enter-tained our neighborhood friends as quietly as possible and felt safe between our boundaries of Big Cove Road and Hermitage Street While we dined on our Chef Boy-Ar-Dee boxed pizza our parents busied themselves dressing in their dark colors getting ready for a late dinner at Boots having the scent of perfume and face powder trail my mother as she came into the kitchen looking for something with an intense purpose My father would smell of British Sterling and look just as he did when he went to work only happier Th ese nights meant something fun would happenmdashwe would have a babysitter
Babysitters were my introduction into what was and still seems cool Th ey were usually Huntsville High School teen-agers who would put on a show without even knowing it I would drink in their every move word and essence of style To me they were supermodelsmdashmovie starsmdasheven more fa-mous in my eyes than a television weatherman and almost as glamorous as the waitresses at the Waffl e House
Before they would tire of me and my sister and put us to bed they would include us in their world of music and knowledge which I thought was all-encompassing Suddenly our world of Th e Benny Carl Show and Fantasy Playhouse would seem trite and passeacute and we would catch a fl eeting glimpse into what would be in store for us when we too could stay up past 8 pm
Huntsville was a magical place for us tail-end baby boomers to grow upmdashbeyond the miracles of the escalator at Pizitz the smiling little lady on the tall stool at the register at Britlings and that bright colorful Maypole Th ere was a comfort level there that Irsquom not sure is in the minds of the 5-year-olds of todaymdashthe soothing sheltered lack of knowledge of why we were so lucky yet we didnrsquot even know that we were
In the other areas of our Huntsville there was poverty and ra-cial unrestmdashas there was and is in every city I was unaware People of color were always a part of my worldmdashmostly be-cause they had my attention and respect At our house there was Annie my grandmotherrsquos house was fi lled with the joys of Lula and out on the family farm there was strong and smiling Homer and large and huggable Rosamdashall just as much a part of my life as everyone else My life was good and they were instrumental in making it that way
What will the 5-year-olds of today who are lucky enough to be raised on those well-planned streets remember when they surpass their own 50 year mark It is a much more complex world now and there are diff erent concerns with daily changes of fear Youthful innocence is a prize that is encased without a lock Premature maturity is a viable threat and a constant fear But each night tucked in tight in a simple room sleeps tomor-rowrsquos adults who are having sweet dreamsmdashblanketed by the comforts of Blossomwood
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
92 raquo the vine raquo Amy C Collins
BORDEAUX POWER
Where Burgundyrsquos vineyards were established by Benedictine monks patiently growing wine vines with spiritual hearts Bordeauxrsquos vineyards were raised by entrepreneurial laymen who recognized the massive monetary opportunity when the English began drinking down their peasant wine
The city of Bordeaux is Francersquos primary port town on the Atlantic ocean a harbor that has for centuries served as the countryrsquos most important dock Th e regionrsquos history is long and storied with the fi rst written reference to the area dated 379 AD by the Latin poet Ausonius who was also a wine-grower Jump ahead to the year 1152 when Eleanor of Aquitaine married Englandrsquos soon-to-be king Henry Plantagenet and the port and surrounding vineyard land became the source of wine for the English a connection that remains strong even today
Bordeaux produces the worldrsquos most expensive and sought after collector wines the top tier of which make up less than fi ve percent of the regionrsquos total production Th ese names are quickly learned by neophyte wine drinkers wanting to make an impression Chateau Haut-Brion Lafi te Latour and Margaux for example Grown in gravelly soils only a few meters above sea levelmdashin contrast vineyards elsewhere in Europe typically sit between 300 and 900 metersmdashthese wines are some of the most powerful austere and pawed over When young the tannins in these cabernet sauvignon cabernet franc and merlot blends coat the tongue and mouth with a chalky dry sensation akin to sucking on an Earl Grey tea bag and are perhaps best suited to well-fatted rare steak and cigars Th ese are wines built to live for decades Personally I prefer a Bordeaux at least 20 years aged when the tannins have had ample time to calm down and mellow out and more nuanced fl avors come forward Sounds fancy and it is Only in some very lucky circumstances over the past year have I been guest to a bottle of 1990 Clos de Menuts Saint-Eacutemilion and a 1970 Chateau Haut-Brion About once every 10 years Irsquove had the good
fortune to taste a wine older than myself Nice work if you can get it
Where Burgundyrsquos vineyards (Francersquos other classifi ed sought-after region) were established by Benedictine monks patiently growing wine vines with spiritual hearts
Bordeauxrsquos vineyards were raised by entrepreneurial laymen who recognized the massive monetary opportunity when the English began drinking down their peasant wine Th is underscores the second half of my theory as to why Americans
more often American males are so drawn to the wines of Bordeaux Th erersquos an inherent capitalist connection something in the soil Th at the wines are so
unmistakable so distinctively grand and pronounced elixirs exemplifi es the fi rst half of my theory we Americans are not known for our subtlety (To be fair the Chinese are
signifi cant Bordeaux collectors as well)
Philosophy aside Bordeaux is quite a large region that produces beautiful white and red values as well as the rare fi nds out of the populacersquos price range Herersquos the skinny Blending is the game single varietal wines are rare White Bordeaux is typically made from a blend of sauvignon blanc and seacutemillon and sometimes a drop or two of muscadelle ugni blanc or colombard Reds are made primarily from the two cabernets plus merlot with small quantities of petit verdot malbec and carmenegravere occasionally in the mix Th e region is also home to the golden nectar of late ripened seacutemillon sauvignon blanc and muscadelle grapes that have successfully attracted the noble rot a fungus that covers the fruit and drains moisture from inside leaving behind rich sweet grapes without moldy fl avors Chateau drsquoYquem is the most famous of these unfortifi ed dessert wines though there are better bargains from the region
Bordeaux is split by the Gironde river which divides the region into three general areas Th e left bank also known as the Haut-Meacutedoc is where the classifi ed top growths are situated Th ese prestigious estates were named for their exceptional vineyard sites in 1855 a decision nearly unchanged since Today serious collectors invest in Bordeaux futures theoretically locking down lower prices of top
ample time to calm dit is Only in some vede Menuts Saint-Eacutem
fortune to taste a
Wherees
aun
of msignifi
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Follow Amy at pigandvinecom for morestories and wine suggestions
growth estates while the wine is still aging in the cellar Itrsquos the wine tradersquos equivalent to the NASDAQ On the right bank Saint-Eacutemilion and Pommerol are the prized vineyard areas known for their merlot heavy cuveacutees To the south west we fi nd Graves where there are many great values to be had in both white and red bottlings Entre-Deux-Mers which translates to ldquobetween two seasrdquo sits between the Dordogne and Garonne tributaries off the Gironde and is an excellent source for crisp whites
Get started on your Bordeaux experience with these values
Chateau Graville-Lacoste 2014 Graves 75 seacutemillon 20 sauvignon blanc and 5 muscadelle make up this beauty thatrsquos consistently delicious every vintage Crisp and refreshing great with seafood
Chateau Mirambeau 2014 GravesAnother classic blend of 40 sauvignon blanc 40 seacutemillon and 20 muscadelle this lovely white is a bit more fl oral than the Graville-Lacoste Easy drinking and great value
Chateau de Parenchegravere Bordeaux Rouge 201155 merlot 30 cabernet sauvignon and 15 cabernet franc grown in clay heavy soils similar to the right bank of the region Fleshy with good structure and abundant red fruit
Chateau Arnaud Bordeaux Supeacuterieur 2011Supeacuterieur on a Bordeaux label isnrsquot egotistical marketingmdashby law it indicates a wine with up to one degree more alcohol than its AC Bordeaux brethren What it really means is one more degree of body structure and in this case quality Approachable delicious and easy on the wallet
Chateau de Bernadotte Haut-Meacutedoc 2005Th e 2005 vintage in Bordeaux is in the history books with double asterisks Owned by the eminent Pichon Lalande family and made from vineyards in Paulliac one of the more choice growing areas in the region this is an incredible value a top tier Bordeaux for a fraction of the cost
Chateau de Suduiraut Sauternes 2011Ripe cantaloupe apricot and honey and an interesting smoky note with a solid sweet attack followed by great acidity A dessert wine that wonrsquot overpower the dessert
94 raquo parting shot raquo Patrick Hood
Meet Solvar
Solvar belongs to one of the worldrsquos oldest and purest equine lineages the Nor-
wegian Fjord horse a breed that has remained virtually unchanged for more than
2000 yearsmdashlong before we became acquainted with his animated cousins in
the movie Frozen Th ese national symbols of Norway are characterized by primi-
tive zebra striping on their legs and a dorsal stripe running from forelock to tail
resulting in a striking two-tone mane that sticks up like a Mohawk Th eir athleti-
cism agility and dependability make them valuable both as sport horses as well
as therapy horses for emotionally and physically challenged adults and children
Catie Wells of Huntsville is the proud owner of Solvar who resides at Monte
Sano Stables
For tickets or information 256-539-4818 or hsoorg
Bring In the New Year With Us
presents
WHAT A WONDERFUL
WORLDA tribute to Louis
Armstrong featuring the
Byron Stripling Quartet
Thursday December 31
730 pm bull Pops Series bullMark C Smith
Concert Hall VBC
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
M O R E T H A N 7 0 S H O P S A N D R E S T A U R A N T S I N C L U D I N G B E L K | D S W S H O E S | A P P L E J O S A B A N K | R E E D S J E W E L E R S | PA N D O R A | J C R E W | K AT E S PA D E N E W Y O R KO R V I S | B A N A N A R E P U B L I C | M I C H A E L K O R S | F R A N C E S C Arsquo S | A N T H R O P O L O G I EH amp M | S O M A | M O U N T A I N H I G H O U T F I T T E R S | B A R N E S amp N O B L E | S E P H O R AALTAR rsquoD STATE | CONNORS STEAK amp SEFOOD | THE WEST IN HUNTSV I L L E | MONACO P ICTURES
C O M I N G S O O N V E R S O N A ndash near Belk
B R I D G E S T R E E T H U N T S V I L L E C O M |
BR IDGE STREET TOWN CENTRE I S LOCATED AT EX I T 14 OFF I - 565 AT OLD MAD ISON P IKE
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Start a New Holiday Tradition at Burritt on the Mountain
ldquoHoliday Magicrdquo A Magical Dining Experience
December 10th 11th amp 12th
Itrsquos a magically fun evening dining in a historic cabin or the mansion with friends while enjoying delectable food and wine It is unlike any other holiday dinner and itrsquos perfect for a festive family occasion yet intimate enough for a romantic dinner for two Itrsquos rustic AND upscale
Holiday Magic reservations are being taken now by calling Butch Damson at 256-534-4361 Hurry Space is limted $90 per dinner seat Visit the website for menus and more
limited seating available make your reservations today
Wersquore decking the walls halls and stalls to get you in the holiday spirit More than 600 candles illuminate the sidewalks and Historic Park and music fills the air adding to the nostalgic feel of the holidays String cranberries make paper punch ornaments roast chesnuts amp taste figgy pudding Fun for the whole family itrsquos Christmas the way itrsquos supposed to be
Kris KringlersquosCandlelight Christmas
December 4th amp 5th
A much anticipated musical favorite will be back at Burritt in the Old Country Church
PerformancesDecember 16th through 20th
Tickets ON SALE NOWPurchase tickets at Josiersquos online
or by calling 256-536-2882or by calling 256-536-2by calling 256-536-2burrittonthemountaincom
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Th
ePE
R
FECT HOLIDAY DIN
NE
R
In our modern world of far-fl ung families Th anksgiving and Christmas are those rare occasions so fi lled with nostalgia
and meaning we press the pause button on our busy lives to prioritize time together Because family time is so rare these days NorsquoAla asked some of Huntsvillersquos fi nest chefs to suggest dishes that will inspire you as you plan your
familyrsquos menu this holiday season
Any time we spend with our loved ones is precious herersquos hoping these meal
ideas help make this yearrsquos holidays perfect
text by roy hall raquo photos by olivia reed
ldquoWith all the fl avors we associate with the holidays the gingerbread man is always near the top of the list So let the kids enjoy the traditional cookies while you sip this sophisticated cocktailrdquo mdashParker
ldquoTh e holidays are so fun-fi lled it seems appropriate that a holiday salad should refl ect that with lots of diff erent things going on fruits nuts cheeses and always a little hint of sweetness in the dressing No matter what main dishes and sides are served this salad will complement them allrdquo mdashAndrew
Grilled Pear Salad with Cambozola and Walnuts
Mezza Luna
(256) 650-2514 Th e GingermanMezza Luna
Butternut Squash Wild Mushroom and Roasted Asparagus Risotto
Th e Eaves
(256) 489-1752
ldquoI love this dish because itrsquos crisp and clean and adds a touch of light color to a typically heavy mealmdashthe bright green asparagus and red pancetta even look Christmassyrdquo mdashOwner LeeLee Wiginton
ldquoTh is isnrsquot super diffi cult to make It echoes the fl avors of the season And itrsquos also something a little unexpected It has a great fl avor profi le and complements other proteins really well Guests will love itrdquo mdashChef Merle Phillip
Snow Pea Salad with Crispy PancettaLynrsquos Gracious Goodness
(256) 533-2607
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Th ePERFECT HOLIDAY DINNER
Fried Brussels Sprouts with Coriander Greek Yogurt Sauce
Mezza Luna
ldquoI chose to do the turkey this way because itrsquos a diff erent approach Th e challenge of roasting a whole turkey is that the white and dark meat cook at diff erent speeds By separating the two you can cook each for its own proper cooking timerdquo mdashChef Steven Bunner
ldquoBrussels sprouts have had a bad rap Th e fi rst time most people encounter them theyrsquore overcooked mushy and served plain Th atrsquos a shame because theyrsquore nutritional powerhouses and because theyrsquore a fall crop at their best during the holiday seasonrdquo mdashJohn
Roast Turkey Breast and Dark Meat Roulade Served with Pecan Pesto
1892 East(256) 489-1242
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Between now and the end of the year take advantage of cost reductions on three popular proceduresmdashand begin 2016 with new confidence
bull SAVE BIG on breast augmentationOur saline price is $700 off and our silicone price is $900 off cash price only Schedule your initial consultation by December 31 2015 to lock in your price and the procedure must take place by March 31 2016
bull FULL-FACIAL LASER is $1500 Cash price only Initial consultation must occur before December 31 2015 and the procedure must be done by March 31 2016
bull WEEKEND Eribium Laser PEEL is Buy ThreeGet One Free Save $400 on our regular $1600 cash price by scheduling your initial consultation by December 31 2015
Look better - feel better - and save money Itrsquos time to get more for less
Dr Russell Jennings203 Avalon Ave Suite 300
Muscle Shoals AL 35661
Phone(256) 386-1450jenningsplasticsurgerycom
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Th ePERFECT HOLIDAY DINNER
Nutella CheesecakeMason Dixon Bakery amp Bistro(256) 213-7545
ldquoTh is is one of our favorite desserts for a holiday and for every day Th e rich and creamy cake melts like ice cream in your mouth the smoothness of the fi lling balances perfectly with the crunchiness of the crust and the delicate hints of the swirled Nutella are divinerdquo mdashCo-owners Chef Ashley and Taylor Ramirez
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Emily Taylor5510 Promenade Point Pkwy Suite 160Madison AL 35757256-430-2781
I can help you
your own wayGROW
1114-519HO
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
produced by aissa castillo and lauren mccaulphotos by lauren tomasella carney
clothing modeled by aaron petersen rachel smith anne harbargerand kait barinaga (for finery)
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Meet the Shop Girls The mission To search Valley shops and boutiques
for the fi nest in Yuletide treasures
Accepting the challenge three of Huntsvillersquos most original and creative taste-makers
Say hello to NorsquoAla Shop Girls Aissa Castillo Lauren McCaul and Lauren Tomasella CarneyDuring the day these mild-mannered professionals tend to demanding careers in design
retail management and photography But evenings and weekends theyrsquore out saving the world from uninspiring fashion and decor as style superheroes
Their picks for the very best gift ideas follow For ideas and inspiration year-round
stay in-the-know by following our Shop Girls on social media
Lauren McCaul deptofagraculturecom Instagram dept_of_agra_cultureAissa Castillo aislerchiccom Instagram aislerchic
Lauren Tomasella Carney laurentomasellacom Instagram laurentomasella
And as you shop for your own Christmas treasures this season please remember to spread your cheermdashand your dollarsmdashat home
(1) Amanda Uprichard Jacket ($248)(2) BCBG Dress ($228)(3) Zoa Dress ($128)Personal Couture Boutique(256) 508-5632
(4) Dress ($168)Anthropologie(256) 327-8470
(5) Olive + Oak Oatmeal Shawl ($72)(10) Simply Noelle Zipper Gusset Bag ($5999)House of Holland(256) 206-8989
(6) One-of-a-kind Eva Ziegler Agate and Pyrite Necklace ($397)(8) Eva Ziegler Freshwater Pearl Strand ($501)Eva Ziegler Jewelryevazieglercom
(9) Gift Set ($5995)Piper amp LeafPiperandleafcom
(7) Long Horn Necklace ($68)Personal Couture Boutique(256) 508-5632
Left to right Lauren Tomasella Carney
Lauren McCaul and Aissa Castillo
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
On himFilson Shirt ($98) Filson Jacket ($320)Yeti Cooler ($34999)Alabama Outdoors(256)-885-3561
On herPPLA Vest ($7999)PPLA Dress ($7499)Bedstu Boots ($295)Indigorsquos Boutique(256) 345-6348
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) Woolly Mammoth Tooth 4rdquo Damascus Linerlock Knife ($150)(2) Cardboard Safari Bucky Cardboard Deer Head ($30)(3) Curt Benzle Porcelain Compass ($15)Little Green Store and Gallery (256) 539-9699
(4) Hunting Journal ($32)Sweet Pineapple(256) 964-7563
(5) Yeti Colster ($2999)Alabama Outdoors(256)-885-3561
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
(1) Yellow House Handcrafted Beard Oils ($18 ea)Yellow House Beard Oilsyellowhousebeards com (2) Mustache amp Beard Comb ($16)Little Green Store and Gallery (256) 539-9699 (3) Latika Body Essentials Charcoal Liquid Soap ($18)(4) Latika Body Essentials Charcoal Bar Soap ($6) (5) Rustico Leather Key Chain ($18) Sweet Pineapple(256) 964-7563
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) Wood Thumb Tie ($44) (2) Slightly Alabama iPad Case ($250) (3) DockSmith Driftwood iPhone Docking Station ($68) Little Green Storeand Gallery (256) 539-9699 (4) Loyal Stricklin Aviator Mug ($35)Domaine South(256) 808-8860 (5) Would You Be a Deer Notepad ($9) Sweet Pineapple(256) 964-7563
(6) Filson Satchel ($265) Alabama Outdoors(256)-885-3561
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
When itrsquos time to move into a bigger house get a home loan from the bank thatrsquos had a home right here for generations You might say we know a thing about location location location synovuscommortgage
Banking products are provided by Synovus Bank Member FDIC Divisions of Synovus Bank operate under multiple trade names across the Southeast Loans products subject to credit approval
When itrsquos time to move into a bigger house get a home
Here is where Henry learned hersquod be getting
SERVING YOU LOCALLY AS
2565513300 | fcb-hsvcom
his own room
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) Spiritual GangsterTank ($36)(2) Luquido Yoga Pants ($90)(3) MZ Wallace Metro Tote ($245)(4) Vimmia V back Sweatshirt ($96)(5) Onzie Sports Bra ($48)(6) Olympia Yoga Pants ($96)(7) bkr Water Bottle ($30)The Fitzgerald Pilates amp Barre(256) 603-1886
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
(1) Gypsy Pant WarmTribal ($72) (2) Berry High Waist Legging ($88) (3) Long Legging Mathematics ($65) (4) Long Legging Peacock ($65) The FitzgeraldPilates amp Barre(256) 603-1886
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) Jane Tran Hair Clips ($15)(2) bkr Water Bottle ($30)(3) well-kept Tech Wipes ($6)(4) Made with Love Bracelets ($25)(5) Pointe Studio Socks ($12)(6) Bando Too Cold to Hold Coozie ($5)The Fitzgerald Pilates amp Barre(256) 603-1886
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
(1) Shop Bando Coff ee Cup ($14)(2) Shop Bando Pens ($14) (3) Shop Bando Pouch ($26) (4) Shop Bando Coin Purse ($20) The FitzgeraldPilates amp Barre(256) 603-1886
(5) Check Things Off Notepad ($16)(6) Hello From Huntsville Stamp ($12)Salt + Paperie(256) 655-5550
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) Muzzle Loaders Chocolate Bourbon Balls ($1999) (2) Vintage Crystal Decanter ($20) (3) Quench Glassware ($1399) Domaine South(256) 808-8860
(4) The Hella Bitters Old Fashioned Kit ($65)(5) American Bar by Charles Schumann ($2495) Little Green Storeand Gallery (256) 539-9699
(6) Julep Cups ($50)Willowbrook Shoppe (256) 270-7181
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom | novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) DECCO Umbrella in a Bottle ($1995)(2) Alexa Pulitzer Stationery Set ($14 ea)(3) Ikat Scarf ($6250)Huntsville Museumof Art(256) 535-4350
(4) Emily Ley Grace Journal ($32) (5) Sugar Boo Designs Clutch ($18) (6) Emily Ley Daily Planner ($58) (7) Latika Milk ampHoney Bar ($6) (8) Farm House Fresh Shea Butter Hand Cream ($14) (9) Christen MaxwellZippy ($42) (10) Green Tea Bubble Bath ($32) Sweet Pineapple(256) 964-7563 (11) Goal Getter Cuff ($32)Indigorsquos Boutique(256) 345-6348
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
(1) Kilim Pillow ($58) (2) Bejeweled Silver Plate Vase ($144) (3) Bone Clad Box ($375)Willowbrook Shoppe (256) 270-7181
(4) Cowhide Rug ($550)(5) Lucyrsquos Locket ($95) (Original piecemdashselection may vary)Sweet Pineapple(256) 964-7563 (6) Clutch ($65)Department of Agra Culturedeptofagraculturecom
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) Above The Bar Antler on Chain 28rdquo ($3999) (2) Above The Bar Deer wAntler Head 18rdquo ($2999) Indigorsquos Boutique(256) 345-6348
(3) Margaret Solow Labradorite18KT Bezel ($290) (4) Margaret Solow Diamond Crest MoonSilver ($460) (5) Margaret Solow Black Spinel + DiamondSilver ($560) (6) Margaret Solow Double Black Spinel18KT ($260)Little Green Store and Gallery (256) 539-9699
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
(1) Margaret Solow Grey Moonstoon18KT Necklace ($240) (2) Margaret Solow OpalDiamond Mosaic Necklace ($610) Little Green Storeand Gallery (256) 539-9699
(3) One-of-a-kind Eva Ziegler Smokey Quartz and Pyrite Necklace ($406)Eva Ziegler Jewelryevazieglercom
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) Jennifer BehrTurban ($625)(2) Cotton Day Dress ($64)(3) Norma Ishak Cardigan ($375)Finery(256) 429-3429
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) The Lion Sleeps Tonight Bath Bomb ($6) Sweet Pineapple(256) 964-7563
(2) Tiger Jelly Cat ($2250)(3) Dog Tag Teether ($1550)(4) Dinosaur Footie ($3595)Honey B Boutique(256) 503-2853
(5) Young Buck ($25)Tiny Vinestinyvinesshopcom
(6) Bib Set ($13)Huntsville Museumof Art(256) 535-4350
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
(1) Tiny Dancer Bath Bomb ($6)Sweet Pineapple(256) 964-7563
(2) Kickee Mammoth Footie ($3595)(3) Noodle amp Boo Essential Care Kit ($18)(4) Elephant Jelly Cat ($2250)Honey B Boutique(256) 503-2853
(5) ArtFolio Pink Elephant Coloring Tote ($17)Huntsville Museumof Art(256) 535-4350
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) Bib Set ($13)Huntsville Museumof Art(256) 535-4350 (2) Little Light ($25)Tiny Vinestinyvinesshopcom (3) Micro Leon Cardboard Lion ($30)Little Green Storeand Gallery (256) 539-9699 (4) I Love You Like Biscuits amp Gravy ($23)Domaine South(256) 808-8860
(5) Kickee Kimono ($4295)Honey B Boutique(256) 503-2853
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
SURPRISEA LOVED ONE
THIS HOLIDAY SEASON
WITH A FOREVER GIFT
HobbsJewelerscom 8772331347Parkway Place Mall
HuntsvilleHwy 72 West
AthensMain Street
Ardmore TN
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
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novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
(1) Chewbead Necklace ($3495)(2) Mayoral Baby Bag ($7995)(3) Mayoral Diaper Changing Pad ($2495)(4) Nursing Scarf ($2695) (5) Kickee Swaddling Blanket ($22)Honey B Boutique(256) 503-2853 (6) Lucy Darling Months Sticker ($25) (7) The Story of You Baby Book by Emily Ley ($62) Sweet Pineapple(256) 964-7563
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) Alwand Vahan 14K Gold and Onyx Ring wDiamond Accent ($2595)(2) Alwand Vanan 14K Gold and Onyx Bracelet wDiamond Accent ($2695)Hobbs Jewelers(877) 233-1347
(3) Britt Ryan Dress ($288)Personal Couture Boutique(256) 508-5632
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) Rocket Cosmos Mug ($13)Huntsville Museumof Art(256) 535-4350
(2) Loose Leaf Tea ($399)Piper amp Leaf piperandleafcom (3) Judy Jackson Tea Pot ($56) (4) Gary Watson Cherry Cutting Board ($48-$68) (5) Susan Coe Birthday Cake Plate ($33) Little Green Storeand Gallery (256) 539-9699 (6) Macarons ($116 pcs $221 dozen)Whisk Small Treats Bakery(256) 656-1027
(7) Truffl es ($185 each)Pizellersquos Confections (256) 513-9745 (8) Olive amp Sinclair Chocolate ($799)Domaine South(256) 808-8860
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
(1) Whisk Note Pad ($8) (2) In the Forest Mixing Bowl ($36) (3) Twig Serving Set ($18)(8) Southern Firefl y Candle ($12)Sweet Pineapple(256) 964-7563
(4) Urchin Bowl ($10)(5) Foodie Dice ($38)(6) 1Canoe2 Wood Recipe Box w Recipe Cards ($6999) Domaine South(256) 808-8860 (7) Growlers ($75 small $95 large)Southern Growlersoutherngrowlercom
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
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(4) BCBG Dress ($328)Personal Couture Boutique(256) 508-5632
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Guadalupe Robinson
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
text by jennifer crossley howard raquo photos by patrick hood
Of Deft and Dirty Hands
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Huntsville potter Guadalupe Lanning Robinson has spent more than 36 years mastering the
marriage of clay texture and geometric design into her pottery yet time has done little to temper the
plight of waiting
ldquoIt is hard for me to let a pot just dryrdquo she says motioning toward fi ve small wet pots sitting near her
pottery wheel ldquoIrsquom as excited to do this as I was 30 years agordquo
To observe her studio at Lowe Mill that is easy to believe Located on the corridor outside the textile
mill-turned-art centerrsquos main building the loft-like space with a corrugated tin roof feels like a place a
Gabriel Garcia Marquez character would enjoy daydreaming
Sienna-hued pottery sits in various stages to be fi red layered and etched Argentinian tango music
streams from Robinsonrsquos iPhone and two cockatiels a parrot and a parakeet chirp from their cages All
except the parrot fl y freely when Robinson is working
Robinson who is 61 made her fi rst pot in 1979 in her native Mexico City Almost four decades later her
work is part of permanent museum collections in Auburn Huntsville Tuscumbia and Tupelo Missis-
sippi She regularly enters her work in respected juried shows such as the Monte Sano Arts Festival and
the Kentuck Festival of the Arts in Northport and has received two Alabama State Council on the Arts
individual artist fellowships
Her inspiration draws from the villages around her native Mexico City such as the black pottery of
the northwest as well as her acquired Southern culture White lilies corn grids and round female
fi guresmdashldquoreally strong women who are in chargerdquo Robinson saysmdashreappear on her stoneware She uses
natural dyes indigo for color and mixes sand into clay for texture Nothing is wasted
ldquoI donrsquot waste any clayrdquo Robinson says ldquoEverything is recycledrdquo
Robinson fi nds solace in the 40-50 hours a week she puts in at the studio and the often tedious process
of making pots which can take from three weeks to six weeks for larger pots She usually works on two
or three pots at a time tending to groups at diff erent stages
After a pot is thrown on a wheel a piece can take days to dry before its fi rst bisque fi re in which tem-
peratures rise to 1800 F After baking for nine hours the kiln must cool Th e second fi ring rises to 2150
F and matures the clay and melts the glazes to strengthen the piece
ldquoI am an effi cient person by naturerdquo Robinson says ldquoWaiting for the kiln to cool down enough to open
can be nerve wracking and this is when my patience is usually put to the testrdquo
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
ldquoIt is hard for me to let a pot just dry Irsquom as excited to do this as I was 30 years agordquo
Robinson makes most of her pots on a wheel using oxides to change the color of clay she gets from Nashville and Pittsburgh Her pottery takes several weeks from start to fi nish depending on how large a pot is and how many she makes at a time
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
ldquoAttend to your childrenrsquos needs fi rst keep focus on what you want to douse the happiness joy and little breaks you get to make your artTh ey grow real fast and they will keep inspiring you all your liferdquo
Robinson imagined this bat-like design as she was working She usually begins a piece with a design in mind but that often evolves
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Robinson uses an overlay of liquid clay called engobemdashthat includes three to four layersmdashto create a
base on which to design
Th ere is high risk in making pottery and hours of work can be wasted on a pot that has not dried en-
tirely before it enters the kiln Air pockets or the wrong mixture of chemicals can ruin a piece
ldquoArt is involved but science is toordquo says Laura Smith director of education at the Huntsville Museum
of Art where Robinson has taught pottery classes ldquoItrsquos more labor intensive in terms of working with
the medium whether yoursquore building by hand or with a wheel until you fi re with the fi nal layer of glazerdquo
Th e result is sturdy pottery
ldquoI want my pots to look like something that is lasting a long timerdquo Robinson says
Th ough she works solitarily in her studio she says she does not get lonely Her birds and music keep her
company and each stage of pottery making has a soundtrack She uses needlepoint tools to draw onto
clay to Jose Feliciano and other Latin American musicians
ldquoIf Irsquom at the wheel Bruno Marsrdquo she says ldquoIf Irsquom unloading the kiln and something is really awesome
then I need something moving and I have on Motownrdquo
Robinsonrsquos years of experience minimize the risk of damaged pots but she says her greatest challenge
as a potter was balancing her work while raising her two children Now adults their candid childhood
pictures and those of her grandchildren cover the warm green walls of her studio
She met her husband the poet James Robinson in 1977 on a Greyhound bus when she returned to
Mexico City from visiting a friend at the University of Southern Mississippi He was heading to Mexico
to study at a university Th ey married six months later After giving birth to her daughter Annie Jane in
Mexico City in 1982 the family moved to Huntsville in 1985 Th at is when Robinson got more serious
about her pottery
ldquoFrom the very beginning when I moved to Alabama I knew I was going to have to do thisrdquo she said
ldquoIn some ways it was a way for me to keep connected to my heritagerdquo
She took even 15 minutes of free time to work in the studio behind her home and worked late into the
night while her daughter and son Isidoro born in 1987 slept Having a home studio allowed her to
wash clothes tend to her home and drop off lunches at school while maintaining her art
ldquoTh ere was something for me when I fi rst became a mother that fueled my creativityrdquo Robinson says
ldquoTh ey are such a social inspiration too It fi lls your liferdquo
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Robinson advises fellow artists who are mothers to seize
both roles but to prioritize motherhood
ldquoAttend to your childrenrsquos needs fi rst keep focus on what you
want to do use the happiness joy and little breaks you get
to make your artrdquo she says ldquoTh ey grow real fast and they will
keep inspiring you all your liferdquo
Anna Sue Courtney director of the Flying Monkey Arts
Center at Lowe Mill has known Robinson for more than
10 years She says she admires how mothers and artists like
Robinson seamlessly embrace both roles
ldquoIt seems therersquos not a separation between creating and rais-
ing childrenrdquo Courtney says ldquoTh ey seem to pull from the
same placerdquo
Part of Robinsonrsquos motivation at Lowe Mill comes from
working privately in a studio alongside other artists that fos-
ters a community of feedback and ideas
ldquoItrsquos nice to be here because you can take a break and walk around and get inspirationrdquo Courtney says
ldquoItrsquos refreshingrdquo
When she needs a break from the studio Robinson stays home to sketch designs for a day or two then
she is back in the studio
Trips twice a year to Mexico City keep her plugged in to her native culture which in turn shows up in
her pottery
ldquoI have to recharge myselfrdquo Robinson says ldquoI love Huntsville and loved raising my kids here but I still
have the need of going back to be recharged and smell all the smells and see all the colors and get on
the subway and be pushed aroundrdquo
Details from her trips that infl uence her work include the ever-present red that covers the city during
the celebration of Dia de los Muertos or the Day of the Dead Th e pyramids of Teotihuacan conjure
warm earth tones and fl oating gardens around the city yield sweet pungent calla lilies and carnations
Celebration of food tough women and nature reappear in her pottery qualities that both Southern and
Mexican cultures treasure
Above This daisy design is character-istic of Robinsonrsquos work Nature food and strong females from her native Mexico City and the South are strong creative infl uences
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Clockwise from top left Robinson often glazes only the inside of her pots so they can hold water and food She began quilting in 2002 and her quilts like her pottery contain earth tones and natural infl uences in their design Four birds keep Robinson company in what can be the isolating medium of pottery making Geometry and symmetry are two signature elements in Robinsonrsquos work according to Laura Smith director of education at the Huntsville Museum of Art
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Just as she keeps her home country close to her heart Robinson is loyal to her fi rst
love of pottery though she began making quilts in 2002
ldquoIrsquom a potter who likes to quiltrdquo she says
Like her pottery her quilting follows designs of organic nature such as fl owers and
crops on rich jewel tone cotton
ldquoWhen I fi rst saw one of her quilts I didnrsquot realize it was hers and I thought that
looks like it should be Guadalupersquos quiltrdquo Courtney says
Robinson prefers the immediate gratifi cation of clay
ldquoItrsquos a very responsive mediumrdquo she says ldquoYou can manipulate it Th e fact of mak-
ing something out of dirt out of nothing and making it durable making it perma-
nent that after going through the heat and maturing is something very excitingrdquo
She gently dings a pot covered with white dresses titled ldquoTehuana Dressrdquo to make
her point
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
887 FM Muscle Shoals bull 1007 FM Huntsvillewwwaprorg
News classicalmusic and more
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
copy Patrick Hood
text by sara wright covington raquo photos by jacki gil
patrick hood erin lindsey and michelle odom
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
copy Patrick Hood
ldquoA LOT OF PEOPLE HAD BEEN ASKING ME QUESTIONS ABOUTHOW I GOT MY BUSINESS STARTED I WANTED TO GATHER SOME PEOPLE AROUND ME
WHO WERE GOING THROUGH THOSE STRUGGLES AND TOBUILD ENTREPRENEURIAL COURAGErdquo
JACKI GIL SALT+PAPERIE
copy Patrick Hood
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
untsville-born Jacki Gil began her paper design busi-
ness Salt+Paperie in 2014 with an expansive vision
in mind one that extended beyond creating beautiful
custom designed paper goods ldquoI love my design job
but when Irsquom 50 years old I donrsquot see myself still de-
signing wedding invitationsrdquo the master stationer says
ldquoI really have a passion for teaching and helping people
I want to be a mentorrdquo
In 2015 Gil set out on her mentoring mission sooner than expected with a series
of workshops called Encourage Huntsville ldquoA lot of people had been asking me
questions about how I got my business startedrdquo Gil says about the early days of
Salt+Paperie Even though most of those questions from entrepreneurial-hopefuls
were technicalmdashlike how to apply for a business licensemdashthey served as inspira-
tion for Gil ldquoI wanted to gather some people around me who were going through
those struggles and to build entrepreneurial courage I defi nitely saw that there
was a need for helping people to take that next step toward owning their own
businessesrdquo
Encourage Huntsville was modeled on the image of a growing small business
movement called the Rising Tide Society a national community of creative small
business owners who encourage ldquocommunity over competitionrdquo Th at spirit of
openness is at the heart of Encourage Huntsville ldquoCommunity over competition
is a huge part of what we are doingrdquo says Gil ldquoSmall business owners sharing how
they earn their money is a big dealrdquo
As a fi rst step Gil gathered others around her who were using their skills and abili-
ties to make their own small businesses work With talents ranging from cooking
and cake decorating to hand lettering and artwork these small business owners
all embraced Gilrsquos vision for imparting to others the knowledge of their craft un-
impeded by a fear of losing their competitive edge
Th e fi rst lesson Gil wanted to impart to Encourage Huntsvillersquos students wasnrsquot
necessarily a particular craft or skill but a spirt of creative confi dence ldquoWe want-
ed to bridge the gap between the very artsy community and the ultimate engineer
communityrdquo many of whom Gil observes had been told since childhood they
werenrsquot artistic ldquoWhen you are little and someone tells you that you donrsquot have a
talent it sticks with you I found that a lot of people had that experience so that
was the workshop partmdashto build some creative courage in this communityrdquo
Gil conducted the fi rst workshop herself testing the waters to see how the concept
would be received Th e admission price to that fi rst workshop included supplies a
take-home ldquogoody bagrdquo to help students continue their work extracurricularly and
refreshmentsmdashas well as Gilrsquos tips of her trade
ldquoWe went in blindly not knowing if we had a market or notrdquo says Gil Th e popular-
ity of that fi rst class proved undeniably that a market did in fact exist the work-
shop sold out in one day ldquoSo we did back-to-back workshopsrdquo Gil says ldquoAfter that
novemberdecembeeer eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee | nononoononononononoonoonononooooonoonoonnononnoaaalalalllaallllllalaalaaalal ststustust ddiossscom mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm | | | | | | | | | | |
f
w
y
Previous page Encourage Huntsvillersquos founder and instructor Jacki Gil teaches a class in hand lettering Facing page A participant studies her supply list
we realized people really want to do this stuff So we said lsquoletrsquos jump on the boat
and make this happenrsquordquo
Gilrsquos longtime friend photographer Erin Lindsey of Erin Lindsey Images agreed
to contribute to Encourage Huntsvillersquos curriculum by teaching a photography
class ldquoJacki and I are a good team because our hearts are in the same place when
it comes to encouraging othersrdquo Lindsey says Still she admits saying yes to teach-
ing wasnrsquot without some initial hesitation ldquoWhen Jacki asked if I would teach a
class it was kind of scary I thought I had to be perfect before I could teach oth-
ersrdquo Lindsey says of her initial hesitancy ldquoBut after talking to Jacki I realized none
of us are perfectrdquo But perfection isnrsquot the goal encouragement is the goal ldquoAnd I
thought lsquoI can defi nitely line up with that visionrsquordquo
Michelle Odom another Huntsville native and owner of custom cake bakery Just
Crumbs was also on board with Gilrsquos vision In fact Odom had been contemplat-
ing teaching a class when she was approached by Gil to teach a fondant basics
class ldquoHuntsville is such an engineer town and everyone is so mathematical and
scientifi crdquo Odom says echoing the dichotomy between the arts and sciences ex-
pressed by Gil ldquoTh ese workshops are just a very cool way for structured people to
have a creative outletrdquo
ldquoJACKI AND I ARE A GOOD TEAM BECAUSE OUR HEARTS ARE INTHE SAME PLACE WHEN IT COMES TO ENCOURAGING OTHERSrdquo
ERIN LINDSEY ERIN LINDSEY IMAGES
copy Erin Lindsey
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Above A participant in Erin Lindseyrsquos photo class frames a still life
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
copy Erin Lindsey
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
ldquoHUNTSVILLE IS SUCH AN ENGINEER TOWN AND EVERYONE ISSO MATHEMATICAL AND SCIENTIFIC THESE WORKSHOPS ARE JUST A VERY COOL
WAY FOR STRUCTURED PEOPLE TO HAVE A CREATIVE OUTLETrdquo MICHELLE ODOM JUST CRUMBS
copy Michelle Odom
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
ldquoAnd yesrdquo Odom acknowledges ldquoyou are in theory teaching your competition But
at the same time you are helping the community be more creativerdquo
With its roster of popular creative workshops under its belt Encourage Huntsville
has added business classes to its community-over-competition curriculum with
classes designed to provide specifi c guidance for small business owners ldquoAll of
our events that donrsquot require hands-on work we call seminarsrdquo says Gil ldquoWe had
about 15 people at our fi rst one It was pretty much just an open discussion to ask
us questions and get answers from the perspective of a small business ownerrdquo
Th e seminars enjoyed the same success and enthusiasm as the workshops ldquoWe
had two hours for people to ask questionsrdquo Gil says Topics covered ran the gamut
from scheduling daily tasks self-hosting a website or using an Etsy store man-
aging client expectations and being realistic about how much time you need to
complete jobs
ldquoTh e time went quickly and people wanted morerdquo says Gil who envisions an all-
day seminar in 2016
Margaret Baggett owner and executive chef of the Chef Next Door is another
small business owner who has shared Gilrsquos vision from the very beginning teach-
copy Erin Lindsey
Facing page Michelle Odomrsquos fondant basics class begins with a styrofoam cake form Above Newbie photographers familiarize themselves with their cameras in Erin Lindseyrsquos photography class
ing knife skills workshops and helping host the business seminars ldquoI am so proud
to get to be a part of this project and help nurture other small business owners
who may just be starting out on their journey or are deep in it and looking for
some encouragement from other business ownersrdquo Baggett says of what motivates
her participation in Encourage Huntsville ldquoEven being on the advice-giving side
of things I am still learning and have taken tips and tricks and lessons from each
event we have had so far We never stop learning from each other and never stop
improving upon our craftsrdquo
Th e mutual growth among students and teachers is the source of the encourage-
mentmdashand the joymdashof Encourage Huntsville ldquoItrsquos so much fun to see the light
bulbs go off with people and see them encouraged right before your eyesrdquo Lindsey
says of her experience with the program ldquoPlus itrsquos a pleasure to contribute to a
sense of community over competition Th at whole concept is so rarerdquo
As Encourage Huntsvillersquos following continues to grow the diversity of the work-
shops will expand as well Whether you are looking to spend a fun afternoon
learning a new craft or are a budding small business owner hoping to launch
your brand Encourage Huntsville has something valuable to off er ldquoWe encourage
those left-brain folks to take up a new hobby or skillrdquo Baggett says ldquoor just encour-
age the people of Huntsville to get together and fan their creative fl amesrdquo
If yoursquore looking for
creative or entrepreneurial
encouragement visit
encouragehuntsvillecom
for seminar and workshop
schedules and information
ldquoI AM SO PROUD TO GET TO BE A PART OF THIS PROJECT AND HELP NURTURE OTHER SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS WHO MAY JUST BE STARTING OUT ON THEIR JOURNEY OR ARE DEEP IN IT
AND LOOKING FOR SOME ENCOURAGEMENT FROM OTHER BUSINESS OWNERSrdquoMARGARET BAGGETT CHEF NEXT DOOR
copy Jacki Gil
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
copy Jacki Gil
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Participants in Margaret Baggettrsquos knife skills workshop learn to perfect their ldquomise en placerdquo
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
copy Olivia Reed
text by sara wright covington raquo photos by olivia reed and jeff white
HUNTSVILLErsquoS
HOMEGROWNHOSTESS
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
ttttttononononoooooonononooooo raquo praquo praquo praquo praquo phothothothothotosoososos s s osos bybybbybb
Any host will tell you that delicious food and quality libations while important to
a partyrsquos success are secondary to the most important ingredient of all the guest list Th atrsquos why many
of downtown Huntsvillersquos most popular restaurants breweries and wine shops are turning to event
planner Ashley Ryals and her uncanny knack for attracting loyal patronsmdashand creating unforgettable
events in the process
When Huntsville born-and-bred Ashley Ryals left for college at the University of Alabama in 2001
she thought her exit from the Valley was permanent ldquoI never thought I would end up back hererdquo the
founder of event planning company Homegrown Huntsville says with a knowing laugh But after a few
post-graduate years working for world-renowned public relations powerhouse Weber Shandwick in
New York City Ryals started to second guess her freshman declaration
ldquoI started to get homesickrdquo she admits ldquoAll of my friends were getting married and meeting for football
games and I was missing itrdquo So when a friend from home set up an interview at EarlyWorks for a job
doing event planning Ryals jumped at the chance to come home
Ashley spent the next few years planning EarlyWorks Whistle Stop and Santarsquos Village events A brief
stint in sales followed along with a seat on the board of Huntsville Young Professionals where she had
an idea for a downtown pub crawl
ldquoWe expected 20 or 30 peoplerdquo Ryals says of their modest expectations ldquoBut 200 people showed uprdquo
Th at initial success convinced Ryals to embark on her dream of establishing an
event planning company But it wasnrsquot just any event planning company Ryals
had in mind she envisioned one that would collaborate with local businesses
cultivate signature events for the community to enjoy and support small busi-
nesses in the process
Inspired Ryals left her sales job and for the second time in her life came home
again to event planning and Homegrown Huntsville
To help bring her vision to life Ryals collaborated with designer Adrianne Van
Kirk of Fave Creative ldquoAdrianne has been a part of the visual and branding of
Homegrown from the beginning We come up with the event ideas then I get
the ticketing and sales together and she comes back with a logo and the mar-
keting for the event And thatrsquos how it all comes togetherrdquo Ryals says of their
creative process
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
ASHLEY RYALS
copy Olivia Reed
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
ldquoMOST WINE FESTIVALS ACROSS THE COUNTRY HAVE PROVEN RECORDS OF BEING ABLE TO STAY AROUND 15 OR 20 YEARS OR EVEN LONGER AND THE ECONOMIES OF THOSE
CITIES HAVE REALLY GROWN AS A RESULT I WANT BIG SPRING CRUSH TO EVENTUALLY BE THE BIGGEST AND BEST WINE FESTIVAL IN THE STATE OF ALABAMArdquo ASHLEY RYALS
copy Jeff White
copy Jeff White
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
copy Olivia Reed
Homegrown launched in 2011 with what would become its
signature event Dine amp Dash Every second Wednesday
April through October a trolley shuttles patrons between
downtown establishments where they are served a drink
and appetizer before moving on to the next stop
Owner and executive chef Merle Phillips of Th e Eaves was
one of the fi rst restaurants to sign on for Dine amp Dashrsquos de-
but ldquoAshley came to me and said she was starting a trolley
tasting conceptrdquo says Chef Merle ldquoI didnrsquot really know her so
I was taking a chance on the concept she was sellingrdquo
Merle tried it and has been a loyal participant of Dine amp
Dash ever since
ldquoIt was a risk in the beginning but it defi nitely paid off rdquo Chef
Merle says of the experience Pivotal to that experience ac-
cording to Phillips is Ryalsrsquo demonstration to the commu-
nity just what the term ldquohomegrownrdquo really means ldquoAshley
shines a spotlight on independent businesses in a market-
place that has for so long focused on chainsrdquo Phillips says
ldquoDine amp Dash has really brought into sharp focus the inter-
esting culinary diversity that Huntsville has to off errdquo
For the next two years Homegrown Huntsville focused al-
most exclusively on Dine amp Dash which by the end of its fi rst
year included every single downtown restaurant But when
big changes began to appear on the downtown horizonmdash
new restaurants breweries and residential developmentsmdash
Ryalsrsquo instincts told her
the time had come to
introduce a new event
to the downtown cal-
endar
ldquoBeer Hop follows
the concept of Dine
amp Dashrdquo Ryals says of
Homegrownrsquos second
venture which began
in 2013 Each month a
trolley visits three dif-
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
BILL FOWLEROLD TOWN BEER
EXCHANGE
copy Olivia Reed
copy Olivia Reed
ferent breweries where patrons sample beers and enjoy food
from a variety of food trucks parked at each location
Bill Fowler managing partner of Old Town Beer Exchange
agreed to participate in Beer Hop on his very fi rst day of
business and credits Ryals with an overwhelmingly success-
ful opening night ldquoAshley said lsquoI can guarantee that you are
going to have wave after wave of people coming throughrsquordquo
Fowler says recalling that fi rst jittery occasion Once again
Ryals proved true to her word with 60-plus patrons arriving
in an hour-and-a-half ldquoIt was awesome and such a great ex-
perience for usrdquo Fowler raves ldquoAshley is a hard worker and
you can see that in what she doesrdquo
Fowler believes that in addition to bringing new customers
to OTBX Ryals is also cultivating beer education consis-
tently bringing in people who are new to beer and want to
learn And with Huntsvillersquos recent brewery boom that level
of education and interest is crucial for the brewing commu-
nity to thrive ldquoWe have a very small window of opportunityrdquo
says Fowler ldquoI think Huntsville in particular is becoming a
craft brewing community People are making money at this
and once Tennessee sees that we need to already have had a
pretty huge head startrdquo
By the end of 2013 and with standing events Beer Hop and
Dine amp Dash well established Ryals took time to refl ect on
her original goal for Homegrown Huntsville ldquoIn the back of
my head from day one I knew I wanted to do a wine festival
I just didnrsquot think Huntsville was ready for it in 2011rdquo
Emboldened by the success of Beer Hop Ryals decided to
make the leap with Big Spring Crush wine festival later the
same year Once again Ryals delivered the perfect audience
for the event and in the process discovered a surprising
fact about North Alabamarsquos contribution to the wine-mak-
ing industry
ldquoIn doing the wine festival I learned that we have a huge
wine community in Huntsvillerdquo Ryals says ldquoTh ere are only
about 47 certifi ed wine judges in the entire United States
and we have four of them right here in North Alabama Two
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
copy Jeff White
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
ldquoI STARTED TO GET HOMESICK ALL OF MY FRIENDS WERE GETTING MARRIEDAND MEETING FOR FOOTBALL GAMES AND I WAS MISSING ITrdquo ASHLEY RYALS
copy Jeff White
copy Jeff White
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
ldquoIT WAS AWESOME AND SUCH A GREAT EXPERIENCE FOR USrdquoBILL FOWLER OLD TOWN BEER EXCHANGE
copy Jeff White
copy Olivia Reed
of those four certifi ed wine judges sit on the committee for
Big Spring Crushrdquo
Matthew and Stephanie Mell had just opened Church Street
Wine Shop when they decided to participate in the fi rst Big
Spring Crush Like OTBXrsquos Robert Fowler the Mells credit
Ryals and Homegrown Huntsville for helping to introduce
their new enterprise to the community ldquoAshley has been in-
strumental in helping to bring us people who love and ap-
preciate winerdquo Stephanie Mell says ldquoShe was homegrown
here in Huntsville and she really gets the downtown area
and small businesses and that is so important to usrdquo
Big Spring Crush began with a bang featuring over 150
wines and attracting patrons from across the country
ldquoMost wine festivals across the country have proven records
of being able to stay around 15 or 20 years or even longerrdquo
Ryals says ldquoAnd the economies of those cities have really
grown as a result I want Big Spring Crush to eventually be
the biggest and best wine festival in the state of Alabamardquo
How does Ryals intend to make that dream come true ldquoBy
always keeping it fresh I want to have new marketing and
new things happening each yearrdquo
Ryalsrsquo formula of reinvention and expansion has successfully
led Homegrown Huntsville through fi ve years of success and
helped its events become community staples along the way In
the process Ryals is broadening more than just our image of
downtown Huntsville shersquos joining a class of creative entrepre-
neurs committed to expanding Huntsvillersquos reputation as more
than just a hub for the brightest scientifi c minds in America
ldquoWe have a big city of engineers and lawyers and itrsquos won-
derfulrdquo Ryals say ldquo But there is a whole artist and food cul-
ture here and there is so much growth I want us to have a
vibrant cool downtown area and I want for people to tell
their friends to come and visit and to see Huntsville for what
it is a city I loverdquo
If yoursquod like to participate in Homegrown Huntsville either
as a guest or a participating business visit homegrown-
huntsvillecom
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
copy Jeff White
I was years old and the year was At that time the city of Huntsville was inching toward the mountain to the east California Street was once the continental divide between the small town metropo-lis and the uncharted territories gingerly crossed by the real estate pioneers four score and some odd years prior Th is area became the new suburb as the city kept pushing onward toward Fagan Springs as if the reverberating booms of rocket testings were vibrating Hunstvillians away from its epicenter
From the front yard of our house on Owens Drive I could look to the rightmdashup the hill to the bend be-yond which the big houses stood on their rocky ledge pedestals and to the left where all the other houses that looked just like oursmdashfresh and newmdashrambled for what seemed like miles Th ose clean well-lit abodes all seemed the same and granted at my age I knew more about the pets that lived there than I did about the people who owned those manageable mortgages I came to realize that each was diff erent in a way that was permeated by voices smells and furnishings
It is a clicheacute to say that our lives were simpler then because that is just how the current era will be fondly referred to in the future but to a 5-year-old it is the simplicity that brought the joy Th e sixties will always be to me the beginning of the age of manufactured happiness Cheap clean and simple was what was strived for and what was easily obtained Plastic items were plentiful and pretty things could be bought with SampH Green Stamps A few coins in our pocket would transfer us into the most master of manipula-tors with us giving our all to convince our parents for a jaunt to Murdockrsquos for a holiday of wonderment joy and impatience as we would scour the shelves trying to get the most from our meager budget
Owens Drive was the fairly new thoroughfare from which the avenues of three-bedroom-ranchers fi ngered away at planned intervals Th is was the place where newlyweds started their lives homes and families Where girls with last names that had been in the town for generations would change them to those strange and exotic last names of the clean cut newcomers brought here for military purposes Where the housewives would preheat their pristine electric ovens trying to make cheese straws and biscuits that were just like their motherrsquos only to be frustrated as they were never quite the same and where the husbands would follow in their fatherrsquos footsteps by joining the Acme Club and hunting doves on the weekends
Th ere was a swimming pool Certainly not at our house Th e only private pool I remember as a child was one that my grandmother would take me to nestled between huge trees at someonersquos house on Adams Street I would swim with other children my age while our grandmothers chatted smoking cigarettes in cat-eyed anonymity whispering most of their stories so we wouldnrsquot be able to hear But between their
gasps and laughter we would listen hear and learn
Th e Blossomwood pool was a place of designated rules and the sound of bright whistlesmdashwith straight lines and distinctive colors of blue and green I can still feel the Coppertoned oiliness on the skin of the tanned lifeguard as she carried me from the deep end frightened after my fi rst attempt at solo-swimming She knew my name I had no idea who she was
On the other side of the pool was the school my older sister attended It had a style that mim-icked the poolmdashstraight lines cleanmdasha temple to orderliness and good manners It was with
awe that I once watched the young adults there some as old as eleven wind and dance their way around a sky-high fl agpolemdasheach with a diff erent color ribbon until the fi rst (and only) May Pole
I was privy to was completely dressed in its woven bright colors
90 raquo bless their hearts raquo Guy McClure Jr
Huntsville was a magical place for us tail-end baby boomers to grow upmdashbeyond the miracles of the escalator at Pizitz the smiling little lady on the tall stool at the register at Britlings There was a comfort level there that Irsquom not sure is in the minds of the 5-year-olds of today
cat-eyed agasps
Th s
aI w
THE COMFORTS OF BLOSSOMWOOD
In our world of red-bricked carported castles there was a def-inite division of generations Th e children ate separately from the parents went to school as our dads went to work enter-tained our neighborhood friends as quietly as possible and felt safe between our boundaries of Big Cove Road and Hermitage Street While we dined on our Chef Boy-Ar-Dee boxed pizza our parents busied themselves dressing in their dark colors getting ready for a late dinner at Boots having the scent of perfume and face powder trail my mother as she came into the kitchen looking for something with an intense purpose My father would smell of British Sterling and look just as he did when he went to work only happier Th ese nights meant something fun would happenmdashwe would have a babysitter
Babysitters were my introduction into what was and still seems cool Th ey were usually Huntsville High School teen-agers who would put on a show without even knowing it I would drink in their every move word and essence of style To me they were supermodelsmdashmovie starsmdasheven more fa-mous in my eyes than a television weatherman and almost as glamorous as the waitresses at the Waffl e House
Before they would tire of me and my sister and put us to bed they would include us in their world of music and knowledge which I thought was all-encompassing Suddenly our world of Th e Benny Carl Show and Fantasy Playhouse would seem trite and passeacute and we would catch a fl eeting glimpse into what would be in store for us when we too could stay up past 8 pm
Huntsville was a magical place for us tail-end baby boomers to grow upmdashbeyond the miracles of the escalator at Pizitz the smiling little lady on the tall stool at the register at Britlings and that bright colorful Maypole Th ere was a comfort level there that Irsquom not sure is in the minds of the 5-year-olds of todaymdashthe soothing sheltered lack of knowledge of why we were so lucky yet we didnrsquot even know that we were
In the other areas of our Huntsville there was poverty and ra-cial unrestmdashas there was and is in every city I was unaware People of color were always a part of my worldmdashmostly be-cause they had my attention and respect At our house there was Annie my grandmotherrsquos house was fi lled with the joys of Lula and out on the family farm there was strong and smiling Homer and large and huggable Rosamdashall just as much a part of my life as everyone else My life was good and they were instrumental in making it that way
What will the 5-year-olds of today who are lucky enough to be raised on those well-planned streets remember when they surpass their own 50 year mark It is a much more complex world now and there are diff erent concerns with daily changes of fear Youthful innocence is a prize that is encased without a lock Premature maturity is a viable threat and a constant fear But each night tucked in tight in a simple room sleeps tomor-rowrsquos adults who are having sweet dreamsmdashblanketed by the comforts of Blossomwood
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
92 raquo the vine raquo Amy C Collins
BORDEAUX POWER
Where Burgundyrsquos vineyards were established by Benedictine monks patiently growing wine vines with spiritual hearts Bordeauxrsquos vineyards were raised by entrepreneurial laymen who recognized the massive monetary opportunity when the English began drinking down their peasant wine
The city of Bordeaux is Francersquos primary port town on the Atlantic ocean a harbor that has for centuries served as the countryrsquos most important dock Th e regionrsquos history is long and storied with the fi rst written reference to the area dated 379 AD by the Latin poet Ausonius who was also a wine-grower Jump ahead to the year 1152 when Eleanor of Aquitaine married Englandrsquos soon-to-be king Henry Plantagenet and the port and surrounding vineyard land became the source of wine for the English a connection that remains strong even today
Bordeaux produces the worldrsquos most expensive and sought after collector wines the top tier of which make up less than fi ve percent of the regionrsquos total production Th ese names are quickly learned by neophyte wine drinkers wanting to make an impression Chateau Haut-Brion Lafi te Latour and Margaux for example Grown in gravelly soils only a few meters above sea levelmdashin contrast vineyards elsewhere in Europe typically sit between 300 and 900 metersmdashthese wines are some of the most powerful austere and pawed over When young the tannins in these cabernet sauvignon cabernet franc and merlot blends coat the tongue and mouth with a chalky dry sensation akin to sucking on an Earl Grey tea bag and are perhaps best suited to well-fatted rare steak and cigars Th ese are wines built to live for decades Personally I prefer a Bordeaux at least 20 years aged when the tannins have had ample time to calm down and mellow out and more nuanced fl avors come forward Sounds fancy and it is Only in some very lucky circumstances over the past year have I been guest to a bottle of 1990 Clos de Menuts Saint-Eacutemilion and a 1970 Chateau Haut-Brion About once every 10 years Irsquove had the good
fortune to taste a wine older than myself Nice work if you can get it
Where Burgundyrsquos vineyards (Francersquos other classifi ed sought-after region) were established by Benedictine monks patiently growing wine vines with spiritual hearts
Bordeauxrsquos vineyards were raised by entrepreneurial laymen who recognized the massive monetary opportunity when the English began drinking down their peasant wine Th is underscores the second half of my theory as to why Americans
more often American males are so drawn to the wines of Bordeaux Th erersquos an inherent capitalist connection something in the soil Th at the wines are so
unmistakable so distinctively grand and pronounced elixirs exemplifi es the fi rst half of my theory we Americans are not known for our subtlety (To be fair the Chinese are
signifi cant Bordeaux collectors as well)
Philosophy aside Bordeaux is quite a large region that produces beautiful white and red values as well as the rare fi nds out of the populacersquos price range Herersquos the skinny Blending is the game single varietal wines are rare White Bordeaux is typically made from a blend of sauvignon blanc and seacutemillon and sometimes a drop or two of muscadelle ugni blanc or colombard Reds are made primarily from the two cabernets plus merlot with small quantities of petit verdot malbec and carmenegravere occasionally in the mix Th e region is also home to the golden nectar of late ripened seacutemillon sauvignon blanc and muscadelle grapes that have successfully attracted the noble rot a fungus that covers the fruit and drains moisture from inside leaving behind rich sweet grapes without moldy fl avors Chateau drsquoYquem is the most famous of these unfortifi ed dessert wines though there are better bargains from the region
Bordeaux is split by the Gironde river which divides the region into three general areas Th e left bank also known as the Haut-Meacutedoc is where the classifi ed top growths are situated Th ese prestigious estates were named for their exceptional vineyard sites in 1855 a decision nearly unchanged since Today serious collectors invest in Bordeaux futures theoretically locking down lower prices of top
ample time to calm dit is Only in some vede Menuts Saint-Eacutem
fortune to taste a
Wherees
aun
of msignifi
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Follow Amy at pigandvinecom for morestories and wine suggestions
growth estates while the wine is still aging in the cellar Itrsquos the wine tradersquos equivalent to the NASDAQ On the right bank Saint-Eacutemilion and Pommerol are the prized vineyard areas known for their merlot heavy cuveacutees To the south west we fi nd Graves where there are many great values to be had in both white and red bottlings Entre-Deux-Mers which translates to ldquobetween two seasrdquo sits between the Dordogne and Garonne tributaries off the Gironde and is an excellent source for crisp whites
Get started on your Bordeaux experience with these values
Chateau Graville-Lacoste 2014 Graves 75 seacutemillon 20 sauvignon blanc and 5 muscadelle make up this beauty thatrsquos consistently delicious every vintage Crisp and refreshing great with seafood
Chateau Mirambeau 2014 GravesAnother classic blend of 40 sauvignon blanc 40 seacutemillon and 20 muscadelle this lovely white is a bit more fl oral than the Graville-Lacoste Easy drinking and great value
Chateau de Parenchegravere Bordeaux Rouge 201155 merlot 30 cabernet sauvignon and 15 cabernet franc grown in clay heavy soils similar to the right bank of the region Fleshy with good structure and abundant red fruit
Chateau Arnaud Bordeaux Supeacuterieur 2011Supeacuterieur on a Bordeaux label isnrsquot egotistical marketingmdashby law it indicates a wine with up to one degree more alcohol than its AC Bordeaux brethren What it really means is one more degree of body structure and in this case quality Approachable delicious and easy on the wallet
Chateau de Bernadotte Haut-Meacutedoc 2005Th e 2005 vintage in Bordeaux is in the history books with double asterisks Owned by the eminent Pichon Lalande family and made from vineyards in Paulliac one of the more choice growing areas in the region this is an incredible value a top tier Bordeaux for a fraction of the cost
Chateau de Suduiraut Sauternes 2011Ripe cantaloupe apricot and honey and an interesting smoky note with a solid sweet attack followed by great acidity A dessert wine that wonrsquot overpower the dessert
94 raquo parting shot raquo Patrick Hood
Meet Solvar
Solvar belongs to one of the worldrsquos oldest and purest equine lineages the Nor-
wegian Fjord horse a breed that has remained virtually unchanged for more than
2000 yearsmdashlong before we became acquainted with his animated cousins in
the movie Frozen Th ese national symbols of Norway are characterized by primi-
tive zebra striping on their legs and a dorsal stripe running from forelock to tail
resulting in a striking two-tone mane that sticks up like a Mohawk Th eir athleti-
cism agility and dependability make them valuable both as sport horses as well
as therapy horses for emotionally and physically challenged adults and children
Catie Wells of Huntsville is the proud owner of Solvar who resides at Monte
Sano Stables
For tickets or information 256-539-4818 or hsoorg
Bring In the New Year With Us
presents
WHAT A WONDERFUL
WORLDA tribute to Louis
Armstrong featuring the
Byron Stripling Quartet
Thursday December 31
730 pm bull Pops Series bullMark C Smith
Concert Hall VBC
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
M O R E T H A N 7 0 S H O P S A N D R E S T A U R A N T S I N C L U D I N G B E L K | D S W S H O E S | A P P L E J O S A B A N K | R E E D S J E W E L E R S | PA N D O R A | J C R E W | K AT E S PA D E N E W Y O R KO R V I S | B A N A N A R E P U B L I C | M I C H A E L K O R S | F R A N C E S C Arsquo S | A N T H R O P O L O G I EH amp M | S O M A | M O U N T A I N H I G H O U T F I T T E R S | B A R N E S amp N O B L E | S E P H O R AALTAR rsquoD STATE | CONNORS STEAK amp SEFOOD | THE WEST IN HUNTSV I L L E | MONACO P ICTURES
C O M I N G S O O N V E R S O N A ndash near Belk
B R I D G E S T R E E T H U N T S V I L L E C O M |
BR IDGE STREET TOWN CENTRE I S LOCATED AT EX I T 14 OFF I - 565 AT OLD MAD ISON P IKE
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Th
ePE
R
FECT HOLIDAY DIN
NE
R
In our modern world of far-fl ung families Th anksgiving and Christmas are those rare occasions so fi lled with nostalgia
and meaning we press the pause button on our busy lives to prioritize time together Because family time is so rare these days NorsquoAla asked some of Huntsvillersquos fi nest chefs to suggest dishes that will inspire you as you plan your
familyrsquos menu this holiday season
Any time we spend with our loved ones is precious herersquos hoping these meal
ideas help make this yearrsquos holidays perfect
text by roy hall raquo photos by olivia reed
ldquoWith all the fl avors we associate with the holidays the gingerbread man is always near the top of the list So let the kids enjoy the traditional cookies while you sip this sophisticated cocktailrdquo mdashParker
ldquoTh e holidays are so fun-fi lled it seems appropriate that a holiday salad should refl ect that with lots of diff erent things going on fruits nuts cheeses and always a little hint of sweetness in the dressing No matter what main dishes and sides are served this salad will complement them allrdquo mdashAndrew
Grilled Pear Salad with Cambozola and Walnuts
Mezza Luna
(256) 650-2514 Th e GingermanMezza Luna
Butternut Squash Wild Mushroom and Roasted Asparagus Risotto
Th e Eaves
(256) 489-1752
ldquoI love this dish because itrsquos crisp and clean and adds a touch of light color to a typically heavy mealmdashthe bright green asparagus and red pancetta even look Christmassyrdquo mdashOwner LeeLee Wiginton
ldquoTh is isnrsquot super diffi cult to make It echoes the fl avors of the season And itrsquos also something a little unexpected It has a great fl avor profi le and complements other proteins really well Guests will love itrdquo mdashChef Merle Phillip
Snow Pea Salad with Crispy PancettaLynrsquos Gracious Goodness
(256) 533-2607
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Th ePERFECT HOLIDAY DINNER
Fried Brussels Sprouts with Coriander Greek Yogurt Sauce
Mezza Luna
ldquoI chose to do the turkey this way because itrsquos a diff erent approach Th e challenge of roasting a whole turkey is that the white and dark meat cook at diff erent speeds By separating the two you can cook each for its own proper cooking timerdquo mdashChef Steven Bunner
ldquoBrussels sprouts have had a bad rap Th e fi rst time most people encounter them theyrsquore overcooked mushy and served plain Th atrsquos a shame because theyrsquore nutritional powerhouses and because theyrsquore a fall crop at their best during the holiday seasonrdquo mdashJohn
Roast Turkey Breast and Dark Meat Roulade Served with Pecan Pesto
1892 East(256) 489-1242
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Between now and the end of the year take advantage of cost reductions on three popular proceduresmdashand begin 2016 with new confidence
bull SAVE BIG on breast augmentationOur saline price is $700 off and our silicone price is $900 off cash price only Schedule your initial consultation by December 31 2015 to lock in your price and the procedure must take place by March 31 2016
bull FULL-FACIAL LASER is $1500 Cash price only Initial consultation must occur before December 31 2015 and the procedure must be done by March 31 2016
bull WEEKEND Eribium Laser PEEL is Buy ThreeGet One Free Save $400 on our regular $1600 cash price by scheduling your initial consultation by December 31 2015
Look better - feel better - and save money Itrsquos time to get more for less
Dr Russell Jennings203 Avalon Ave Suite 300
Muscle Shoals AL 35661
Phone(256) 386-1450jenningsplasticsurgerycom
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Th ePERFECT HOLIDAY DINNER
Nutella CheesecakeMason Dixon Bakery amp Bistro(256) 213-7545
ldquoTh is is one of our favorite desserts for a holiday and for every day Th e rich and creamy cake melts like ice cream in your mouth the smoothness of the fi lling balances perfectly with the crunchiness of the crust and the delicate hints of the swirled Nutella are divinerdquo mdashCo-owners Chef Ashley and Taylor Ramirez
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Emily Taylor5510 Promenade Point Pkwy Suite 160Madison AL 35757256-430-2781
I can help you
your own wayGROW
1114-519HO
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
produced by aissa castillo and lauren mccaulphotos by lauren tomasella carney
clothing modeled by aaron petersen rachel smith anne harbargerand kait barinaga (for finery)
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Meet the Shop Girls The mission To search Valley shops and boutiques
for the fi nest in Yuletide treasures
Accepting the challenge three of Huntsvillersquos most original and creative taste-makers
Say hello to NorsquoAla Shop Girls Aissa Castillo Lauren McCaul and Lauren Tomasella CarneyDuring the day these mild-mannered professionals tend to demanding careers in design
retail management and photography But evenings and weekends theyrsquore out saving the world from uninspiring fashion and decor as style superheroes
Their picks for the very best gift ideas follow For ideas and inspiration year-round
stay in-the-know by following our Shop Girls on social media
Lauren McCaul deptofagraculturecom Instagram dept_of_agra_cultureAissa Castillo aislerchiccom Instagram aislerchic
Lauren Tomasella Carney laurentomasellacom Instagram laurentomasella
And as you shop for your own Christmas treasures this season please remember to spread your cheermdashand your dollarsmdashat home
(1) Amanda Uprichard Jacket ($248)(2) BCBG Dress ($228)(3) Zoa Dress ($128)Personal Couture Boutique(256) 508-5632
(4) Dress ($168)Anthropologie(256) 327-8470
(5) Olive + Oak Oatmeal Shawl ($72)(10) Simply Noelle Zipper Gusset Bag ($5999)House of Holland(256) 206-8989
(6) One-of-a-kind Eva Ziegler Agate and Pyrite Necklace ($397)(8) Eva Ziegler Freshwater Pearl Strand ($501)Eva Ziegler Jewelryevazieglercom
(9) Gift Set ($5995)Piper amp LeafPiperandleafcom
(7) Long Horn Necklace ($68)Personal Couture Boutique(256) 508-5632
Left to right Lauren Tomasella Carney
Lauren McCaul and Aissa Castillo
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
On himFilson Shirt ($98) Filson Jacket ($320)Yeti Cooler ($34999)Alabama Outdoors(256)-885-3561
On herPPLA Vest ($7999)PPLA Dress ($7499)Bedstu Boots ($295)Indigorsquos Boutique(256) 345-6348
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) Woolly Mammoth Tooth 4rdquo Damascus Linerlock Knife ($150)(2) Cardboard Safari Bucky Cardboard Deer Head ($30)(3) Curt Benzle Porcelain Compass ($15)Little Green Store and Gallery (256) 539-9699
(4) Hunting Journal ($32)Sweet Pineapple(256) 964-7563
(5) Yeti Colster ($2999)Alabama Outdoors(256)-885-3561
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
(1) Yellow House Handcrafted Beard Oils ($18 ea)Yellow House Beard Oilsyellowhousebeards com (2) Mustache amp Beard Comb ($16)Little Green Store and Gallery (256) 539-9699 (3) Latika Body Essentials Charcoal Liquid Soap ($18)(4) Latika Body Essentials Charcoal Bar Soap ($6) (5) Rustico Leather Key Chain ($18) Sweet Pineapple(256) 964-7563
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) Wood Thumb Tie ($44) (2) Slightly Alabama iPad Case ($250) (3) DockSmith Driftwood iPhone Docking Station ($68) Little Green Storeand Gallery (256) 539-9699 (4) Loyal Stricklin Aviator Mug ($35)Domaine South(256) 808-8860 (5) Would You Be a Deer Notepad ($9) Sweet Pineapple(256) 964-7563
(6) Filson Satchel ($265) Alabama Outdoors(256)-885-3561
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
When itrsquos time to move into a bigger house get a home loan from the bank thatrsquos had a home right here for generations You might say we know a thing about location location location synovuscommortgage
Banking products are provided by Synovus Bank Member FDIC Divisions of Synovus Bank operate under multiple trade names across the Southeast Loans products subject to credit approval
When itrsquos time to move into a bigger house get a home
Here is where Henry learned hersquod be getting
SERVING YOU LOCALLY AS
2565513300 | fcb-hsvcom
his own room
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) Spiritual GangsterTank ($36)(2) Luquido Yoga Pants ($90)(3) MZ Wallace Metro Tote ($245)(4) Vimmia V back Sweatshirt ($96)(5) Onzie Sports Bra ($48)(6) Olympia Yoga Pants ($96)(7) bkr Water Bottle ($30)The Fitzgerald Pilates amp Barre(256) 603-1886
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
(1) Gypsy Pant WarmTribal ($72) (2) Berry High Waist Legging ($88) (3) Long Legging Mathematics ($65) (4) Long Legging Peacock ($65) The FitzgeraldPilates amp Barre(256) 603-1886
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) Jane Tran Hair Clips ($15)(2) bkr Water Bottle ($30)(3) well-kept Tech Wipes ($6)(4) Made with Love Bracelets ($25)(5) Pointe Studio Socks ($12)(6) Bando Too Cold to Hold Coozie ($5)The Fitzgerald Pilates amp Barre(256) 603-1886
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
(1) Shop Bando Coff ee Cup ($14)(2) Shop Bando Pens ($14) (3) Shop Bando Pouch ($26) (4) Shop Bando Coin Purse ($20) The FitzgeraldPilates amp Barre(256) 603-1886
(5) Check Things Off Notepad ($16)(6) Hello From Huntsville Stamp ($12)Salt + Paperie(256) 655-5550
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) Muzzle Loaders Chocolate Bourbon Balls ($1999) (2) Vintage Crystal Decanter ($20) (3) Quench Glassware ($1399) Domaine South(256) 808-8860
(4) The Hella Bitters Old Fashioned Kit ($65)(5) American Bar by Charles Schumann ($2495) Little Green Storeand Gallery (256) 539-9699
(6) Julep Cups ($50)Willowbrook Shoppe (256) 270-7181
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom | novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) DECCO Umbrella in a Bottle ($1995)(2) Alexa Pulitzer Stationery Set ($14 ea)(3) Ikat Scarf ($6250)Huntsville Museumof Art(256) 535-4350
(4) Emily Ley Grace Journal ($32) (5) Sugar Boo Designs Clutch ($18) (6) Emily Ley Daily Planner ($58) (7) Latika Milk ampHoney Bar ($6) (8) Farm House Fresh Shea Butter Hand Cream ($14) (9) Christen MaxwellZippy ($42) (10) Green Tea Bubble Bath ($32) Sweet Pineapple(256) 964-7563 (11) Goal Getter Cuff ($32)Indigorsquos Boutique(256) 345-6348
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
(1) Kilim Pillow ($58) (2) Bejeweled Silver Plate Vase ($144) (3) Bone Clad Box ($375)Willowbrook Shoppe (256) 270-7181
(4) Cowhide Rug ($550)(5) Lucyrsquos Locket ($95) (Original piecemdashselection may vary)Sweet Pineapple(256) 964-7563 (6) Clutch ($65)Department of Agra Culturedeptofagraculturecom
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) Above The Bar Antler on Chain 28rdquo ($3999) (2) Above The Bar Deer wAntler Head 18rdquo ($2999) Indigorsquos Boutique(256) 345-6348
(3) Margaret Solow Labradorite18KT Bezel ($290) (4) Margaret Solow Diamond Crest MoonSilver ($460) (5) Margaret Solow Black Spinel + DiamondSilver ($560) (6) Margaret Solow Double Black Spinel18KT ($260)Little Green Store and Gallery (256) 539-9699
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
(1) Margaret Solow Grey Moonstoon18KT Necklace ($240) (2) Margaret Solow OpalDiamond Mosaic Necklace ($610) Little Green Storeand Gallery (256) 539-9699
(3) One-of-a-kind Eva Ziegler Smokey Quartz and Pyrite Necklace ($406)Eva Ziegler Jewelryevazieglercom
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) Jennifer BehrTurban ($625)(2) Cotton Day Dress ($64)(3) Norma Ishak Cardigan ($375)Finery(256) 429-3429
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) The Lion Sleeps Tonight Bath Bomb ($6) Sweet Pineapple(256) 964-7563
(2) Tiger Jelly Cat ($2250)(3) Dog Tag Teether ($1550)(4) Dinosaur Footie ($3595)Honey B Boutique(256) 503-2853
(5) Young Buck ($25)Tiny Vinestinyvinesshopcom
(6) Bib Set ($13)Huntsville Museumof Art(256) 535-4350
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
(1) Tiny Dancer Bath Bomb ($6)Sweet Pineapple(256) 964-7563
(2) Kickee Mammoth Footie ($3595)(3) Noodle amp Boo Essential Care Kit ($18)(4) Elephant Jelly Cat ($2250)Honey B Boutique(256) 503-2853
(5) ArtFolio Pink Elephant Coloring Tote ($17)Huntsville Museumof Art(256) 535-4350
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) Bib Set ($13)Huntsville Museumof Art(256) 535-4350 (2) Little Light ($25)Tiny Vinestinyvinesshopcom (3) Micro Leon Cardboard Lion ($30)Little Green Storeand Gallery (256) 539-9699 (4) I Love You Like Biscuits amp Gravy ($23)Domaine South(256) 808-8860
(5) Kickee Kimono ($4295)Honey B Boutique(256) 503-2853
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
SURPRISEA LOVED ONE
THIS HOLIDAY SEASON
WITH A FOREVER GIFT
HobbsJewelerscom 8772331347Parkway Place Mall
HuntsvilleHwy 72 West
AthensMain Street
Ardmore TN
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Caftan ($75)Sarah Richey Necklace ($350)Finery(256) 429-3429
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
(1) Chewbead Necklace ($3495)(2) Mayoral Baby Bag ($7995)(3) Mayoral Diaper Changing Pad ($2495)(4) Nursing Scarf ($2695) (5) Kickee Swaddling Blanket ($22)Honey B Boutique(256) 503-2853 (6) Lucy Darling Months Sticker ($25) (7) The Story of You Baby Book by Emily Ley ($62) Sweet Pineapple(256) 964-7563
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) Alwand Vahan 14K Gold and Onyx Ring wDiamond Accent ($2595)(2) Alwand Vanan 14K Gold and Onyx Bracelet wDiamond Accent ($2695)Hobbs Jewelers(877) 233-1347
(3) Britt Ryan Dress ($288)Personal Couture Boutique(256) 508-5632
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) Rocket Cosmos Mug ($13)Huntsville Museumof Art(256) 535-4350
(2) Loose Leaf Tea ($399)Piper amp Leaf piperandleafcom (3) Judy Jackson Tea Pot ($56) (4) Gary Watson Cherry Cutting Board ($48-$68) (5) Susan Coe Birthday Cake Plate ($33) Little Green Storeand Gallery (256) 539-9699 (6) Macarons ($116 pcs $221 dozen)Whisk Small Treats Bakery(256) 656-1027
(7) Truffl es ($185 each)Pizellersquos Confections (256) 513-9745 (8) Olive amp Sinclair Chocolate ($799)Domaine South(256) 808-8860
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
(1) Whisk Note Pad ($8) (2) In the Forest Mixing Bowl ($36) (3) Twig Serving Set ($18)(8) Southern Firefl y Candle ($12)Sweet Pineapple(256) 964-7563
(4) Urchin Bowl ($10)(5) Foodie Dice ($38)(6) 1Canoe2 Wood Recipe Box w Recipe Cards ($6999) Domaine South(256) 808-8860 (7) Growlers ($75 small $95 large)Southern Growlersoutherngrowlercom
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) Tacori 18K Barbados Blue Bold Gem Ring ($660)(2) Tacori 18K Barbados Blue Bold Gem Necklace ($630)(3) Tacori 18K Barbados Blue Bold Gem Bracelet ($990)Hobbs Jewelers(877) 233-1347
(4) BCBG Dress ($328)Personal Couture Boutique(256) 508-5632
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Guadalupe Robinson
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
text by jennifer crossley howard raquo photos by patrick hood
Of Deft and Dirty Hands
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Huntsville potter Guadalupe Lanning Robinson has spent more than 36 years mastering the
marriage of clay texture and geometric design into her pottery yet time has done little to temper the
plight of waiting
ldquoIt is hard for me to let a pot just dryrdquo she says motioning toward fi ve small wet pots sitting near her
pottery wheel ldquoIrsquom as excited to do this as I was 30 years agordquo
To observe her studio at Lowe Mill that is easy to believe Located on the corridor outside the textile
mill-turned-art centerrsquos main building the loft-like space with a corrugated tin roof feels like a place a
Gabriel Garcia Marquez character would enjoy daydreaming
Sienna-hued pottery sits in various stages to be fi red layered and etched Argentinian tango music
streams from Robinsonrsquos iPhone and two cockatiels a parrot and a parakeet chirp from their cages All
except the parrot fl y freely when Robinson is working
Robinson who is 61 made her fi rst pot in 1979 in her native Mexico City Almost four decades later her
work is part of permanent museum collections in Auburn Huntsville Tuscumbia and Tupelo Missis-
sippi She regularly enters her work in respected juried shows such as the Monte Sano Arts Festival and
the Kentuck Festival of the Arts in Northport and has received two Alabama State Council on the Arts
individual artist fellowships
Her inspiration draws from the villages around her native Mexico City such as the black pottery of
the northwest as well as her acquired Southern culture White lilies corn grids and round female
fi guresmdashldquoreally strong women who are in chargerdquo Robinson saysmdashreappear on her stoneware She uses
natural dyes indigo for color and mixes sand into clay for texture Nothing is wasted
ldquoI donrsquot waste any clayrdquo Robinson says ldquoEverything is recycledrdquo
Robinson fi nds solace in the 40-50 hours a week she puts in at the studio and the often tedious process
of making pots which can take from three weeks to six weeks for larger pots She usually works on two
or three pots at a time tending to groups at diff erent stages
After a pot is thrown on a wheel a piece can take days to dry before its fi rst bisque fi re in which tem-
peratures rise to 1800 F After baking for nine hours the kiln must cool Th e second fi ring rises to 2150
F and matures the clay and melts the glazes to strengthen the piece
ldquoI am an effi cient person by naturerdquo Robinson says ldquoWaiting for the kiln to cool down enough to open
can be nerve wracking and this is when my patience is usually put to the testrdquo
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
ldquoIt is hard for me to let a pot just dry Irsquom as excited to do this as I was 30 years agordquo
Robinson makes most of her pots on a wheel using oxides to change the color of clay she gets from Nashville and Pittsburgh Her pottery takes several weeks from start to fi nish depending on how large a pot is and how many she makes at a time
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
ldquoAttend to your childrenrsquos needs fi rst keep focus on what you want to douse the happiness joy and little breaks you get to make your artTh ey grow real fast and they will keep inspiring you all your liferdquo
Robinson imagined this bat-like design as she was working She usually begins a piece with a design in mind but that often evolves
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Robinson uses an overlay of liquid clay called engobemdashthat includes three to four layersmdashto create a
base on which to design
Th ere is high risk in making pottery and hours of work can be wasted on a pot that has not dried en-
tirely before it enters the kiln Air pockets or the wrong mixture of chemicals can ruin a piece
ldquoArt is involved but science is toordquo says Laura Smith director of education at the Huntsville Museum
of Art where Robinson has taught pottery classes ldquoItrsquos more labor intensive in terms of working with
the medium whether yoursquore building by hand or with a wheel until you fi re with the fi nal layer of glazerdquo
Th e result is sturdy pottery
ldquoI want my pots to look like something that is lasting a long timerdquo Robinson says
Th ough she works solitarily in her studio she says she does not get lonely Her birds and music keep her
company and each stage of pottery making has a soundtrack She uses needlepoint tools to draw onto
clay to Jose Feliciano and other Latin American musicians
ldquoIf Irsquom at the wheel Bruno Marsrdquo she says ldquoIf Irsquom unloading the kiln and something is really awesome
then I need something moving and I have on Motownrdquo
Robinsonrsquos years of experience minimize the risk of damaged pots but she says her greatest challenge
as a potter was balancing her work while raising her two children Now adults their candid childhood
pictures and those of her grandchildren cover the warm green walls of her studio
She met her husband the poet James Robinson in 1977 on a Greyhound bus when she returned to
Mexico City from visiting a friend at the University of Southern Mississippi He was heading to Mexico
to study at a university Th ey married six months later After giving birth to her daughter Annie Jane in
Mexico City in 1982 the family moved to Huntsville in 1985 Th at is when Robinson got more serious
about her pottery
ldquoFrom the very beginning when I moved to Alabama I knew I was going to have to do thisrdquo she said
ldquoIn some ways it was a way for me to keep connected to my heritagerdquo
She took even 15 minutes of free time to work in the studio behind her home and worked late into the
night while her daughter and son Isidoro born in 1987 slept Having a home studio allowed her to
wash clothes tend to her home and drop off lunches at school while maintaining her art
ldquoTh ere was something for me when I fi rst became a mother that fueled my creativityrdquo Robinson says
ldquoTh ey are such a social inspiration too It fi lls your liferdquo
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Robinson advises fellow artists who are mothers to seize
both roles but to prioritize motherhood
ldquoAttend to your childrenrsquos needs fi rst keep focus on what you
want to do use the happiness joy and little breaks you get
to make your artrdquo she says ldquoTh ey grow real fast and they will
keep inspiring you all your liferdquo
Anna Sue Courtney director of the Flying Monkey Arts
Center at Lowe Mill has known Robinson for more than
10 years She says she admires how mothers and artists like
Robinson seamlessly embrace both roles
ldquoIt seems therersquos not a separation between creating and rais-
ing childrenrdquo Courtney says ldquoTh ey seem to pull from the
same placerdquo
Part of Robinsonrsquos motivation at Lowe Mill comes from
working privately in a studio alongside other artists that fos-
ters a community of feedback and ideas
ldquoItrsquos nice to be here because you can take a break and walk around and get inspirationrdquo Courtney says
ldquoItrsquos refreshingrdquo
When she needs a break from the studio Robinson stays home to sketch designs for a day or two then
she is back in the studio
Trips twice a year to Mexico City keep her plugged in to her native culture which in turn shows up in
her pottery
ldquoI have to recharge myselfrdquo Robinson says ldquoI love Huntsville and loved raising my kids here but I still
have the need of going back to be recharged and smell all the smells and see all the colors and get on
the subway and be pushed aroundrdquo
Details from her trips that infl uence her work include the ever-present red that covers the city during
the celebration of Dia de los Muertos or the Day of the Dead Th e pyramids of Teotihuacan conjure
warm earth tones and fl oating gardens around the city yield sweet pungent calla lilies and carnations
Celebration of food tough women and nature reappear in her pottery qualities that both Southern and
Mexican cultures treasure
Above This daisy design is character-istic of Robinsonrsquos work Nature food and strong females from her native Mexico City and the South are strong creative infl uences
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Clockwise from top left Robinson often glazes only the inside of her pots so they can hold water and food She began quilting in 2002 and her quilts like her pottery contain earth tones and natural infl uences in their design Four birds keep Robinson company in what can be the isolating medium of pottery making Geometry and symmetry are two signature elements in Robinsonrsquos work according to Laura Smith director of education at the Huntsville Museum of Art
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Just as she keeps her home country close to her heart Robinson is loyal to her fi rst
love of pottery though she began making quilts in 2002
ldquoIrsquom a potter who likes to quiltrdquo she says
Like her pottery her quilting follows designs of organic nature such as fl owers and
crops on rich jewel tone cotton
ldquoWhen I fi rst saw one of her quilts I didnrsquot realize it was hers and I thought that
looks like it should be Guadalupersquos quiltrdquo Courtney says
Robinson prefers the immediate gratifi cation of clay
ldquoItrsquos a very responsive mediumrdquo she says ldquoYou can manipulate it Th e fact of mak-
ing something out of dirt out of nothing and making it durable making it perma-
nent that after going through the heat and maturing is something very excitingrdquo
She gently dings a pot covered with white dresses titled ldquoTehuana Dressrdquo to make
her point
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
887 FM Muscle Shoals bull 1007 FM Huntsvillewwwaprorg
News classicalmusic and more
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
copy Patrick Hood
text by sara wright covington raquo photos by jacki gil
patrick hood erin lindsey and michelle odom
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
copy Patrick Hood
ldquoA LOT OF PEOPLE HAD BEEN ASKING ME QUESTIONS ABOUTHOW I GOT MY BUSINESS STARTED I WANTED TO GATHER SOME PEOPLE AROUND ME
WHO WERE GOING THROUGH THOSE STRUGGLES AND TOBUILD ENTREPRENEURIAL COURAGErdquo
JACKI GIL SALT+PAPERIE
copy Patrick Hood
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
untsville-born Jacki Gil began her paper design busi-
ness Salt+Paperie in 2014 with an expansive vision
in mind one that extended beyond creating beautiful
custom designed paper goods ldquoI love my design job
but when Irsquom 50 years old I donrsquot see myself still de-
signing wedding invitationsrdquo the master stationer says
ldquoI really have a passion for teaching and helping people
I want to be a mentorrdquo
In 2015 Gil set out on her mentoring mission sooner than expected with a series
of workshops called Encourage Huntsville ldquoA lot of people had been asking me
questions about how I got my business startedrdquo Gil says about the early days of
Salt+Paperie Even though most of those questions from entrepreneurial-hopefuls
were technicalmdashlike how to apply for a business licensemdashthey served as inspira-
tion for Gil ldquoI wanted to gather some people around me who were going through
those struggles and to build entrepreneurial courage I defi nitely saw that there
was a need for helping people to take that next step toward owning their own
businessesrdquo
Encourage Huntsville was modeled on the image of a growing small business
movement called the Rising Tide Society a national community of creative small
business owners who encourage ldquocommunity over competitionrdquo Th at spirit of
openness is at the heart of Encourage Huntsville ldquoCommunity over competition
is a huge part of what we are doingrdquo says Gil ldquoSmall business owners sharing how
they earn their money is a big dealrdquo
As a fi rst step Gil gathered others around her who were using their skills and abili-
ties to make their own small businesses work With talents ranging from cooking
and cake decorating to hand lettering and artwork these small business owners
all embraced Gilrsquos vision for imparting to others the knowledge of their craft un-
impeded by a fear of losing their competitive edge
Th e fi rst lesson Gil wanted to impart to Encourage Huntsvillersquos students wasnrsquot
necessarily a particular craft or skill but a spirt of creative confi dence ldquoWe want-
ed to bridge the gap between the very artsy community and the ultimate engineer
communityrdquo many of whom Gil observes had been told since childhood they
werenrsquot artistic ldquoWhen you are little and someone tells you that you donrsquot have a
talent it sticks with you I found that a lot of people had that experience so that
was the workshop partmdashto build some creative courage in this communityrdquo
Gil conducted the fi rst workshop herself testing the waters to see how the concept
would be received Th e admission price to that fi rst workshop included supplies a
take-home ldquogoody bagrdquo to help students continue their work extracurricularly and
refreshmentsmdashas well as Gilrsquos tips of her trade
ldquoWe went in blindly not knowing if we had a market or notrdquo says Gil Th e popular-
ity of that fi rst class proved undeniably that a market did in fact exist the work-
shop sold out in one day ldquoSo we did back-to-back workshopsrdquo Gil says ldquoAfter that
novemberdecembeeer eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee | nononoononononononoonoonononooooonoonoonnononnoaaalalalllaallllllalaalaaalal ststustust ddiossscom mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm | | | | | | | | | | |
f
w
y
Previous page Encourage Huntsvillersquos founder and instructor Jacki Gil teaches a class in hand lettering Facing page A participant studies her supply list
we realized people really want to do this stuff So we said lsquoletrsquos jump on the boat
and make this happenrsquordquo
Gilrsquos longtime friend photographer Erin Lindsey of Erin Lindsey Images agreed
to contribute to Encourage Huntsvillersquos curriculum by teaching a photography
class ldquoJacki and I are a good team because our hearts are in the same place when
it comes to encouraging othersrdquo Lindsey says Still she admits saying yes to teach-
ing wasnrsquot without some initial hesitation ldquoWhen Jacki asked if I would teach a
class it was kind of scary I thought I had to be perfect before I could teach oth-
ersrdquo Lindsey says of her initial hesitancy ldquoBut after talking to Jacki I realized none
of us are perfectrdquo But perfection isnrsquot the goal encouragement is the goal ldquoAnd I
thought lsquoI can defi nitely line up with that visionrsquordquo
Michelle Odom another Huntsville native and owner of custom cake bakery Just
Crumbs was also on board with Gilrsquos vision In fact Odom had been contemplat-
ing teaching a class when she was approached by Gil to teach a fondant basics
class ldquoHuntsville is such an engineer town and everyone is so mathematical and
scientifi crdquo Odom says echoing the dichotomy between the arts and sciences ex-
pressed by Gil ldquoTh ese workshops are just a very cool way for structured people to
have a creative outletrdquo
ldquoJACKI AND I ARE A GOOD TEAM BECAUSE OUR HEARTS ARE INTHE SAME PLACE WHEN IT COMES TO ENCOURAGING OTHERSrdquo
ERIN LINDSEY ERIN LINDSEY IMAGES
copy Erin Lindsey
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Above A participant in Erin Lindseyrsquos photo class frames a still life
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
copy Erin Lindsey
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
ldquoHUNTSVILLE IS SUCH AN ENGINEER TOWN AND EVERYONE ISSO MATHEMATICAL AND SCIENTIFIC THESE WORKSHOPS ARE JUST A VERY COOL
WAY FOR STRUCTURED PEOPLE TO HAVE A CREATIVE OUTLETrdquo MICHELLE ODOM JUST CRUMBS
copy Michelle Odom
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
ldquoAnd yesrdquo Odom acknowledges ldquoyou are in theory teaching your competition But
at the same time you are helping the community be more creativerdquo
With its roster of popular creative workshops under its belt Encourage Huntsville
has added business classes to its community-over-competition curriculum with
classes designed to provide specifi c guidance for small business owners ldquoAll of
our events that donrsquot require hands-on work we call seminarsrdquo says Gil ldquoWe had
about 15 people at our fi rst one It was pretty much just an open discussion to ask
us questions and get answers from the perspective of a small business ownerrdquo
Th e seminars enjoyed the same success and enthusiasm as the workshops ldquoWe
had two hours for people to ask questionsrdquo Gil says Topics covered ran the gamut
from scheduling daily tasks self-hosting a website or using an Etsy store man-
aging client expectations and being realistic about how much time you need to
complete jobs
ldquoTh e time went quickly and people wanted morerdquo says Gil who envisions an all-
day seminar in 2016
Margaret Baggett owner and executive chef of the Chef Next Door is another
small business owner who has shared Gilrsquos vision from the very beginning teach-
copy Erin Lindsey
Facing page Michelle Odomrsquos fondant basics class begins with a styrofoam cake form Above Newbie photographers familiarize themselves with their cameras in Erin Lindseyrsquos photography class
ing knife skills workshops and helping host the business seminars ldquoI am so proud
to get to be a part of this project and help nurture other small business owners
who may just be starting out on their journey or are deep in it and looking for
some encouragement from other business ownersrdquo Baggett says of what motivates
her participation in Encourage Huntsville ldquoEven being on the advice-giving side
of things I am still learning and have taken tips and tricks and lessons from each
event we have had so far We never stop learning from each other and never stop
improving upon our craftsrdquo
Th e mutual growth among students and teachers is the source of the encourage-
mentmdashand the joymdashof Encourage Huntsville ldquoItrsquos so much fun to see the light
bulbs go off with people and see them encouraged right before your eyesrdquo Lindsey
says of her experience with the program ldquoPlus itrsquos a pleasure to contribute to a
sense of community over competition Th at whole concept is so rarerdquo
As Encourage Huntsvillersquos following continues to grow the diversity of the work-
shops will expand as well Whether you are looking to spend a fun afternoon
learning a new craft or are a budding small business owner hoping to launch
your brand Encourage Huntsville has something valuable to off er ldquoWe encourage
those left-brain folks to take up a new hobby or skillrdquo Baggett says ldquoor just encour-
age the people of Huntsville to get together and fan their creative fl amesrdquo
If yoursquore looking for
creative or entrepreneurial
encouragement visit
encouragehuntsvillecom
for seminar and workshop
schedules and information
ldquoI AM SO PROUD TO GET TO BE A PART OF THIS PROJECT AND HELP NURTURE OTHER SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS WHO MAY JUST BE STARTING OUT ON THEIR JOURNEY OR ARE DEEP IN IT
AND LOOKING FOR SOME ENCOURAGEMENT FROM OTHER BUSINESS OWNERSrdquoMARGARET BAGGETT CHEF NEXT DOOR
copy Jacki Gil
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
copy Jacki Gil
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Participants in Margaret Baggettrsquos knife skills workshop learn to perfect their ldquomise en placerdquo
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
copy Olivia Reed
text by sara wright covington raquo photos by olivia reed and jeff white
HUNTSVILLErsquoS
HOMEGROWNHOSTESS
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
ttttttononononoooooonononooooo raquo praquo praquo praquo praquo phothothothothotosoososos s s osos bybybbybb
Any host will tell you that delicious food and quality libations while important to
a partyrsquos success are secondary to the most important ingredient of all the guest list Th atrsquos why many
of downtown Huntsvillersquos most popular restaurants breweries and wine shops are turning to event
planner Ashley Ryals and her uncanny knack for attracting loyal patronsmdashand creating unforgettable
events in the process
When Huntsville born-and-bred Ashley Ryals left for college at the University of Alabama in 2001
she thought her exit from the Valley was permanent ldquoI never thought I would end up back hererdquo the
founder of event planning company Homegrown Huntsville says with a knowing laugh But after a few
post-graduate years working for world-renowned public relations powerhouse Weber Shandwick in
New York City Ryals started to second guess her freshman declaration
ldquoI started to get homesickrdquo she admits ldquoAll of my friends were getting married and meeting for football
games and I was missing itrdquo So when a friend from home set up an interview at EarlyWorks for a job
doing event planning Ryals jumped at the chance to come home
Ashley spent the next few years planning EarlyWorks Whistle Stop and Santarsquos Village events A brief
stint in sales followed along with a seat on the board of Huntsville Young Professionals where she had
an idea for a downtown pub crawl
ldquoWe expected 20 or 30 peoplerdquo Ryals says of their modest expectations ldquoBut 200 people showed uprdquo
Th at initial success convinced Ryals to embark on her dream of establishing an
event planning company But it wasnrsquot just any event planning company Ryals
had in mind she envisioned one that would collaborate with local businesses
cultivate signature events for the community to enjoy and support small busi-
nesses in the process
Inspired Ryals left her sales job and for the second time in her life came home
again to event planning and Homegrown Huntsville
To help bring her vision to life Ryals collaborated with designer Adrianne Van
Kirk of Fave Creative ldquoAdrianne has been a part of the visual and branding of
Homegrown from the beginning We come up with the event ideas then I get
the ticketing and sales together and she comes back with a logo and the mar-
keting for the event And thatrsquos how it all comes togetherrdquo Ryals says of their
creative process
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
ASHLEY RYALS
copy Olivia Reed
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
ldquoMOST WINE FESTIVALS ACROSS THE COUNTRY HAVE PROVEN RECORDS OF BEING ABLE TO STAY AROUND 15 OR 20 YEARS OR EVEN LONGER AND THE ECONOMIES OF THOSE
CITIES HAVE REALLY GROWN AS A RESULT I WANT BIG SPRING CRUSH TO EVENTUALLY BE THE BIGGEST AND BEST WINE FESTIVAL IN THE STATE OF ALABAMArdquo ASHLEY RYALS
copy Jeff White
copy Jeff White
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
copy Olivia Reed
Homegrown launched in 2011 with what would become its
signature event Dine amp Dash Every second Wednesday
April through October a trolley shuttles patrons between
downtown establishments where they are served a drink
and appetizer before moving on to the next stop
Owner and executive chef Merle Phillips of Th e Eaves was
one of the fi rst restaurants to sign on for Dine amp Dashrsquos de-
but ldquoAshley came to me and said she was starting a trolley
tasting conceptrdquo says Chef Merle ldquoI didnrsquot really know her so
I was taking a chance on the concept she was sellingrdquo
Merle tried it and has been a loyal participant of Dine amp
Dash ever since
ldquoIt was a risk in the beginning but it defi nitely paid off rdquo Chef
Merle says of the experience Pivotal to that experience ac-
cording to Phillips is Ryalsrsquo demonstration to the commu-
nity just what the term ldquohomegrownrdquo really means ldquoAshley
shines a spotlight on independent businesses in a market-
place that has for so long focused on chainsrdquo Phillips says
ldquoDine amp Dash has really brought into sharp focus the inter-
esting culinary diversity that Huntsville has to off errdquo
For the next two years Homegrown Huntsville focused al-
most exclusively on Dine amp Dash which by the end of its fi rst
year included every single downtown restaurant But when
big changes began to appear on the downtown horizonmdash
new restaurants breweries and residential developmentsmdash
Ryalsrsquo instincts told her
the time had come to
introduce a new event
to the downtown cal-
endar
ldquoBeer Hop follows
the concept of Dine
amp Dashrdquo Ryals says of
Homegrownrsquos second
venture which began
in 2013 Each month a
trolley visits three dif-
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
BILL FOWLEROLD TOWN BEER
EXCHANGE
copy Olivia Reed
copy Olivia Reed
ferent breweries where patrons sample beers and enjoy food
from a variety of food trucks parked at each location
Bill Fowler managing partner of Old Town Beer Exchange
agreed to participate in Beer Hop on his very fi rst day of
business and credits Ryals with an overwhelmingly success-
ful opening night ldquoAshley said lsquoI can guarantee that you are
going to have wave after wave of people coming throughrsquordquo
Fowler says recalling that fi rst jittery occasion Once again
Ryals proved true to her word with 60-plus patrons arriving
in an hour-and-a-half ldquoIt was awesome and such a great ex-
perience for usrdquo Fowler raves ldquoAshley is a hard worker and
you can see that in what she doesrdquo
Fowler believes that in addition to bringing new customers
to OTBX Ryals is also cultivating beer education consis-
tently bringing in people who are new to beer and want to
learn And with Huntsvillersquos recent brewery boom that level
of education and interest is crucial for the brewing commu-
nity to thrive ldquoWe have a very small window of opportunityrdquo
says Fowler ldquoI think Huntsville in particular is becoming a
craft brewing community People are making money at this
and once Tennessee sees that we need to already have had a
pretty huge head startrdquo
By the end of 2013 and with standing events Beer Hop and
Dine amp Dash well established Ryals took time to refl ect on
her original goal for Homegrown Huntsville ldquoIn the back of
my head from day one I knew I wanted to do a wine festival
I just didnrsquot think Huntsville was ready for it in 2011rdquo
Emboldened by the success of Beer Hop Ryals decided to
make the leap with Big Spring Crush wine festival later the
same year Once again Ryals delivered the perfect audience
for the event and in the process discovered a surprising
fact about North Alabamarsquos contribution to the wine-mak-
ing industry
ldquoIn doing the wine festival I learned that we have a huge
wine community in Huntsvillerdquo Ryals says ldquoTh ere are only
about 47 certifi ed wine judges in the entire United States
and we have four of them right here in North Alabama Two
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
copy Jeff White
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
ldquoI STARTED TO GET HOMESICK ALL OF MY FRIENDS WERE GETTING MARRIEDAND MEETING FOR FOOTBALL GAMES AND I WAS MISSING ITrdquo ASHLEY RYALS
copy Jeff White
copy Jeff White
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
ldquoIT WAS AWESOME AND SUCH A GREAT EXPERIENCE FOR USrdquoBILL FOWLER OLD TOWN BEER EXCHANGE
copy Jeff White
copy Olivia Reed
of those four certifi ed wine judges sit on the committee for
Big Spring Crushrdquo
Matthew and Stephanie Mell had just opened Church Street
Wine Shop when they decided to participate in the fi rst Big
Spring Crush Like OTBXrsquos Robert Fowler the Mells credit
Ryals and Homegrown Huntsville for helping to introduce
their new enterprise to the community ldquoAshley has been in-
strumental in helping to bring us people who love and ap-
preciate winerdquo Stephanie Mell says ldquoShe was homegrown
here in Huntsville and she really gets the downtown area
and small businesses and that is so important to usrdquo
Big Spring Crush began with a bang featuring over 150
wines and attracting patrons from across the country
ldquoMost wine festivals across the country have proven records
of being able to stay around 15 or 20 years or even longerrdquo
Ryals says ldquoAnd the economies of those cities have really
grown as a result I want Big Spring Crush to eventually be
the biggest and best wine festival in the state of Alabamardquo
How does Ryals intend to make that dream come true ldquoBy
always keeping it fresh I want to have new marketing and
new things happening each yearrdquo
Ryalsrsquo formula of reinvention and expansion has successfully
led Homegrown Huntsville through fi ve years of success and
helped its events become community staples along the way In
the process Ryals is broadening more than just our image of
downtown Huntsville shersquos joining a class of creative entrepre-
neurs committed to expanding Huntsvillersquos reputation as more
than just a hub for the brightest scientifi c minds in America
ldquoWe have a big city of engineers and lawyers and itrsquos won-
derfulrdquo Ryals say ldquo But there is a whole artist and food cul-
ture here and there is so much growth I want us to have a
vibrant cool downtown area and I want for people to tell
their friends to come and visit and to see Huntsville for what
it is a city I loverdquo
If yoursquod like to participate in Homegrown Huntsville either
as a guest or a participating business visit homegrown-
huntsvillecom
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
copy Jeff White
I was years old and the year was At that time the city of Huntsville was inching toward the mountain to the east California Street was once the continental divide between the small town metropo-lis and the uncharted territories gingerly crossed by the real estate pioneers four score and some odd years prior Th is area became the new suburb as the city kept pushing onward toward Fagan Springs as if the reverberating booms of rocket testings were vibrating Hunstvillians away from its epicenter
From the front yard of our house on Owens Drive I could look to the rightmdashup the hill to the bend be-yond which the big houses stood on their rocky ledge pedestals and to the left where all the other houses that looked just like oursmdashfresh and newmdashrambled for what seemed like miles Th ose clean well-lit abodes all seemed the same and granted at my age I knew more about the pets that lived there than I did about the people who owned those manageable mortgages I came to realize that each was diff erent in a way that was permeated by voices smells and furnishings
It is a clicheacute to say that our lives were simpler then because that is just how the current era will be fondly referred to in the future but to a 5-year-old it is the simplicity that brought the joy Th e sixties will always be to me the beginning of the age of manufactured happiness Cheap clean and simple was what was strived for and what was easily obtained Plastic items were plentiful and pretty things could be bought with SampH Green Stamps A few coins in our pocket would transfer us into the most master of manipula-tors with us giving our all to convince our parents for a jaunt to Murdockrsquos for a holiday of wonderment joy and impatience as we would scour the shelves trying to get the most from our meager budget
Owens Drive was the fairly new thoroughfare from which the avenues of three-bedroom-ranchers fi ngered away at planned intervals Th is was the place where newlyweds started their lives homes and families Where girls with last names that had been in the town for generations would change them to those strange and exotic last names of the clean cut newcomers brought here for military purposes Where the housewives would preheat their pristine electric ovens trying to make cheese straws and biscuits that were just like their motherrsquos only to be frustrated as they were never quite the same and where the husbands would follow in their fatherrsquos footsteps by joining the Acme Club and hunting doves on the weekends
Th ere was a swimming pool Certainly not at our house Th e only private pool I remember as a child was one that my grandmother would take me to nestled between huge trees at someonersquos house on Adams Street I would swim with other children my age while our grandmothers chatted smoking cigarettes in cat-eyed anonymity whispering most of their stories so we wouldnrsquot be able to hear But between their
gasps and laughter we would listen hear and learn
Th e Blossomwood pool was a place of designated rules and the sound of bright whistlesmdashwith straight lines and distinctive colors of blue and green I can still feel the Coppertoned oiliness on the skin of the tanned lifeguard as she carried me from the deep end frightened after my fi rst attempt at solo-swimming She knew my name I had no idea who she was
On the other side of the pool was the school my older sister attended It had a style that mim-icked the poolmdashstraight lines cleanmdasha temple to orderliness and good manners It was with
awe that I once watched the young adults there some as old as eleven wind and dance their way around a sky-high fl agpolemdasheach with a diff erent color ribbon until the fi rst (and only) May Pole
I was privy to was completely dressed in its woven bright colors
90 raquo bless their hearts raquo Guy McClure Jr
Huntsville was a magical place for us tail-end baby boomers to grow upmdashbeyond the miracles of the escalator at Pizitz the smiling little lady on the tall stool at the register at Britlings There was a comfort level there that Irsquom not sure is in the minds of the 5-year-olds of today
cat-eyed agasps
Th s
aI w
THE COMFORTS OF BLOSSOMWOOD
In our world of red-bricked carported castles there was a def-inite division of generations Th e children ate separately from the parents went to school as our dads went to work enter-tained our neighborhood friends as quietly as possible and felt safe between our boundaries of Big Cove Road and Hermitage Street While we dined on our Chef Boy-Ar-Dee boxed pizza our parents busied themselves dressing in their dark colors getting ready for a late dinner at Boots having the scent of perfume and face powder trail my mother as she came into the kitchen looking for something with an intense purpose My father would smell of British Sterling and look just as he did when he went to work only happier Th ese nights meant something fun would happenmdashwe would have a babysitter
Babysitters were my introduction into what was and still seems cool Th ey were usually Huntsville High School teen-agers who would put on a show without even knowing it I would drink in their every move word and essence of style To me they were supermodelsmdashmovie starsmdasheven more fa-mous in my eyes than a television weatherman and almost as glamorous as the waitresses at the Waffl e House
Before they would tire of me and my sister and put us to bed they would include us in their world of music and knowledge which I thought was all-encompassing Suddenly our world of Th e Benny Carl Show and Fantasy Playhouse would seem trite and passeacute and we would catch a fl eeting glimpse into what would be in store for us when we too could stay up past 8 pm
Huntsville was a magical place for us tail-end baby boomers to grow upmdashbeyond the miracles of the escalator at Pizitz the smiling little lady on the tall stool at the register at Britlings and that bright colorful Maypole Th ere was a comfort level there that Irsquom not sure is in the minds of the 5-year-olds of todaymdashthe soothing sheltered lack of knowledge of why we were so lucky yet we didnrsquot even know that we were
In the other areas of our Huntsville there was poverty and ra-cial unrestmdashas there was and is in every city I was unaware People of color were always a part of my worldmdashmostly be-cause they had my attention and respect At our house there was Annie my grandmotherrsquos house was fi lled with the joys of Lula and out on the family farm there was strong and smiling Homer and large and huggable Rosamdashall just as much a part of my life as everyone else My life was good and they were instrumental in making it that way
What will the 5-year-olds of today who are lucky enough to be raised on those well-planned streets remember when they surpass their own 50 year mark It is a much more complex world now and there are diff erent concerns with daily changes of fear Youthful innocence is a prize that is encased without a lock Premature maturity is a viable threat and a constant fear But each night tucked in tight in a simple room sleeps tomor-rowrsquos adults who are having sweet dreamsmdashblanketed by the comforts of Blossomwood
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
92 raquo the vine raquo Amy C Collins
BORDEAUX POWER
Where Burgundyrsquos vineyards were established by Benedictine monks patiently growing wine vines with spiritual hearts Bordeauxrsquos vineyards were raised by entrepreneurial laymen who recognized the massive monetary opportunity when the English began drinking down their peasant wine
The city of Bordeaux is Francersquos primary port town on the Atlantic ocean a harbor that has for centuries served as the countryrsquos most important dock Th e regionrsquos history is long and storied with the fi rst written reference to the area dated 379 AD by the Latin poet Ausonius who was also a wine-grower Jump ahead to the year 1152 when Eleanor of Aquitaine married Englandrsquos soon-to-be king Henry Plantagenet and the port and surrounding vineyard land became the source of wine for the English a connection that remains strong even today
Bordeaux produces the worldrsquos most expensive and sought after collector wines the top tier of which make up less than fi ve percent of the regionrsquos total production Th ese names are quickly learned by neophyte wine drinkers wanting to make an impression Chateau Haut-Brion Lafi te Latour and Margaux for example Grown in gravelly soils only a few meters above sea levelmdashin contrast vineyards elsewhere in Europe typically sit between 300 and 900 metersmdashthese wines are some of the most powerful austere and pawed over When young the tannins in these cabernet sauvignon cabernet franc and merlot blends coat the tongue and mouth with a chalky dry sensation akin to sucking on an Earl Grey tea bag and are perhaps best suited to well-fatted rare steak and cigars Th ese are wines built to live for decades Personally I prefer a Bordeaux at least 20 years aged when the tannins have had ample time to calm down and mellow out and more nuanced fl avors come forward Sounds fancy and it is Only in some very lucky circumstances over the past year have I been guest to a bottle of 1990 Clos de Menuts Saint-Eacutemilion and a 1970 Chateau Haut-Brion About once every 10 years Irsquove had the good
fortune to taste a wine older than myself Nice work if you can get it
Where Burgundyrsquos vineyards (Francersquos other classifi ed sought-after region) were established by Benedictine monks patiently growing wine vines with spiritual hearts
Bordeauxrsquos vineyards were raised by entrepreneurial laymen who recognized the massive monetary opportunity when the English began drinking down their peasant wine Th is underscores the second half of my theory as to why Americans
more often American males are so drawn to the wines of Bordeaux Th erersquos an inherent capitalist connection something in the soil Th at the wines are so
unmistakable so distinctively grand and pronounced elixirs exemplifi es the fi rst half of my theory we Americans are not known for our subtlety (To be fair the Chinese are
signifi cant Bordeaux collectors as well)
Philosophy aside Bordeaux is quite a large region that produces beautiful white and red values as well as the rare fi nds out of the populacersquos price range Herersquos the skinny Blending is the game single varietal wines are rare White Bordeaux is typically made from a blend of sauvignon blanc and seacutemillon and sometimes a drop or two of muscadelle ugni blanc or colombard Reds are made primarily from the two cabernets plus merlot with small quantities of petit verdot malbec and carmenegravere occasionally in the mix Th e region is also home to the golden nectar of late ripened seacutemillon sauvignon blanc and muscadelle grapes that have successfully attracted the noble rot a fungus that covers the fruit and drains moisture from inside leaving behind rich sweet grapes without moldy fl avors Chateau drsquoYquem is the most famous of these unfortifi ed dessert wines though there are better bargains from the region
Bordeaux is split by the Gironde river which divides the region into three general areas Th e left bank also known as the Haut-Meacutedoc is where the classifi ed top growths are situated Th ese prestigious estates were named for their exceptional vineyard sites in 1855 a decision nearly unchanged since Today serious collectors invest in Bordeaux futures theoretically locking down lower prices of top
ample time to calm dit is Only in some vede Menuts Saint-Eacutem
fortune to taste a
Wherees
aun
of msignifi
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Follow Amy at pigandvinecom for morestories and wine suggestions
growth estates while the wine is still aging in the cellar Itrsquos the wine tradersquos equivalent to the NASDAQ On the right bank Saint-Eacutemilion and Pommerol are the prized vineyard areas known for their merlot heavy cuveacutees To the south west we fi nd Graves where there are many great values to be had in both white and red bottlings Entre-Deux-Mers which translates to ldquobetween two seasrdquo sits between the Dordogne and Garonne tributaries off the Gironde and is an excellent source for crisp whites
Get started on your Bordeaux experience with these values
Chateau Graville-Lacoste 2014 Graves 75 seacutemillon 20 sauvignon blanc and 5 muscadelle make up this beauty thatrsquos consistently delicious every vintage Crisp and refreshing great with seafood
Chateau Mirambeau 2014 GravesAnother classic blend of 40 sauvignon blanc 40 seacutemillon and 20 muscadelle this lovely white is a bit more fl oral than the Graville-Lacoste Easy drinking and great value
Chateau de Parenchegravere Bordeaux Rouge 201155 merlot 30 cabernet sauvignon and 15 cabernet franc grown in clay heavy soils similar to the right bank of the region Fleshy with good structure and abundant red fruit
Chateau Arnaud Bordeaux Supeacuterieur 2011Supeacuterieur on a Bordeaux label isnrsquot egotistical marketingmdashby law it indicates a wine with up to one degree more alcohol than its AC Bordeaux brethren What it really means is one more degree of body structure and in this case quality Approachable delicious and easy on the wallet
Chateau de Bernadotte Haut-Meacutedoc 2005Th e 2005 vintage in Bordeaux is in the history books with double asterisks Owned by the eminent Pichon Lalande family and made from vineyards in Paulliac one of the more choice growing areas in the region this is an incredible value a top tier Bordeaux for a fraction of the cost
Chateau de Suduiraut Sauternes 2011Ripe cantaloupe apricot and honey and an interesting smoky note with a solid sweet attack followed by great acidity A dessert wine that wonrsquot overpower the dessert
94 raquo parting shot raquo Patrick Hood
Meet Solvar
Solvar belongs to one of the worldrsquos oldest and purest equine lineages the Nor-
wegian Fjord horse a breed that has remained virtually unchanged for more than
2000 yearsmdashlong before we became acquainted with his animated cousins in
the movie Frozen Th ese national symbols of Norway are characterized by primi-
tive zebra striping on their legs and a dorsal stripe running from forelock to tail
resulting in a striking two-tone mane that sticks up like a Mohawk Th eir athleti-
cism agility and dependability make them valuable both as sport horses as well
as therapy horses for emotionally and physically challenged adults and children
Catie Wells of Huntsville is the proud owner of Solvar who resides at Monte
Sano Stables
For tickets or information 256-539-4818 or hsoorg
Bring In the New Year With Us
presents
WHAT A WONDERFUL
WORLDA tribute to Louis
Armstrong featuring the
Byron Stripling Quartet
Thursday December 31
730 pm bull Pops Series bullMark C Smith
Concert Hall VBC
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
M O R E T H A N 7 0 S H O P S A N D R E S T A U R A N T S I N C L U D I N G B E L K | D S W S H O E S | A P P L E J O S A B A N K | R E E D S J E W E L E R S | PA N D O R A | J C R E W | K AT E S PA D E N E W Y O R KO R V I S | B A N A N A R E P U B L I C | M I C H A E L K O R S | F R A N C E S C Arsquo S | A N T H R O P O L O G I EH amp M | S O M A | M O U N T A I N H I G H O U T F I T T E R S | B A R N E S amp N O B L E | S E P H O R AALTAR rsquoD STATE | CONNORS STEAK amp SEFOOD | THE WEST IN HUNTSV I L L E | MONACO P ICTURES
C O M I N G S O O N V E R S O N A ndash near Belk
B R I D G E S T R E E T H U N T S V I L L E C O M |
BR IDGE STREET TOWN CENTRE I S LOCATED AT EX I T 14 OFF I - 565 AT OLD MAD ISON P IKE
Butternut Squash Wild Mushroom and Roasted Asparagus Risotto
Th e Eaves
(256) 489-1752
ldquoI love this dish because itrsquos crisp and clean and adds a touch of light color to a typically heavy mealmdashthe bright green asparagus and red pancetta even look Christmassyrdquo mdashOwner LeeLee Wiginton
ldquoTh is isnrsquot super diffi cult to make It echoes the fl avors of the season And itrsquos also something a little unexpected It has a great fl avor profi le and complements other proteins really well Guests will love itrdquo mdashChef Merle Phillip
Snow Pea Salad with Crispy PancettaLynrsquos Gracious Goodness
(256) 533-2607
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Th ePERFECT HOLIDAY DINNER
Fried Brussels Sprouts with Coriander Greek Yogurt Sauce
Mezza Luna
ldquoI chose to do the turkey this way because itrsquos a diff erent approach Th e challenge of roasting a whole turkey is that the white and dark meat cook at diff erent speeds By separating the two you can cook each for its own proper cooking timerdquo mdashChef Steven Bunner
ldquoBrussels sprouts have had a bad rap Th e fi rst time most people encounter them theyrsquore overcooked mushy and served plain Th atrsquos a shame because theyrsquore nutritional powerhouses and because theyrsquore a fall crop at their best during the holiday seasonrdquo mdashJohn
Roast Turkey Breast and Dark Meat Roulade Served with Pecan Pesto
1892 East(256) 489-1242
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Between now and the end of the year take advantage of cost reductions on three popular proceduresmdashand begin 2016 with new confidence
bull SAVE BIG on breast augmentationOur saline price is $700 off and our silicone price is $900 off cash price only Schedule your initial consultation by December 31 2015 to lock in your price and the procedure must take place by March 31 2016
bull FULL-FACIAL LASER is $1500 Cash price only Initial consultation must occur before December 31 2015 and the procedure must be done by March 31 2016
bull WEEKEND Eribium Laser PEEL is Buy ThreeGet One Free Save $400 on our regular $1600 cash price by scheduling your initial consultation by December 31 2015
Look better - feel better - and save money Itrsquos time to get more for less
Dr Russell Jennings203 Avalon Ave Suite 300
Muscle Shoals AL 35661
Phone(256) 386-1450jenningsplasticsurgerycom
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Th ePERFECT HOLIDAY DINNER
Nutella CheesecakeMason Dixon Bakery amp Bistro(256) 213-7545
ldquoTh is is one of our favorite desserts for a holiday and for every day Th e rich and creamy cake melts like ice cream in your mouth the smoothness of the fi lling balances perfectly with the crunchiness of the crust and the delicate hints of the swirled Nutella are divinerdquo mdashCo-owners Chef Ashley and Taylor Ramirez
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Emily Taylor5510 Promenade Point Pkwy Suite 160Madison AL 35757256-430-2781
I can help you
your own wayGROW
1114-519HO
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
produced by aissa castillo and lauren mccaulphotos by lauren tomasella carney
clothing modeled by aaron petersen rachel smith anne harbargerand kait barinaga (for finery)
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Meet the Shop Girls The mission To search Valley shops and boutiques
for the fi nest in Yuletide treasures
Accepting the challenge three of Huntsvillersquos most original and creative taste-makers
Say hello to NorsquoAla Shop Girls Aissa Castillo Lauren McCaul and Lauren Tomasella CarneyDuring the day these mild-mannered professionals tend to demanding careers in design
retail management and photography But evenings and weekends theyrsquore out saving the world from uninspiring fashion and decor as style superheroes
Their picks for the very best gift ideas follow For ideas and inspiration year-round
stay in-the-know by following our Shop Girls on social media
Lauren McCaul deptofagraculturecom Instagram dept_of_agra_cultureAissa Castillo aislerchiccom Instagram aislerchic
Lauren Tomasella Carney laurentomasellacom Instagram laurentomasella
And as you shop for your own Christmas treasures this season please remember to spread your cheermdashand your dollarsmdashat home
(1) Amanda Uprichard Jacket ($248)(2) BCBG Dress ($228)(3) Zoa Dress ($128)Personal Couture Boutique(256) 508-5632
(4) Dress ($168)Anthropologie(256) 327-8470
(5) Olive + Oak Oatmeal Shawl ($72)(10) Simply Noelle Zipper Gusset Bag ($5999)House of Holland(256) 206-8989
(6) One-of-a-kind Eva Ziegler Agate and Pyrite Necklace ($397)(8) Eva Ziegler Freshwater Pearl Strand ($501)Eva Ziegler Jewelryevazieglercom
(9) Gift Set ($5995)Piper amp LeafPiperandleafcom
(7) Long Horn Necklace ($68)Personal Couture Boutique(256) 508-5632
Left to right Lauren Tomasella Carney
Lauren McCaul and Aissa Castillo
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
On himFilson Shirt ($98) Filson Jacket ($320)Yeti Cooler ($34999)Alabama Outdoors(256)-885-3561
On herPPLA Vest ($7999)PPLA Dress ($7499)Bedstu Boots ($295)Indigorsquos Boutique(256) 345-6348
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) Woolly Mammoth Tooth 4rdquo Damascus Linerlock Knife ($150)(2) Cardboard Safari Bucky Cardboard Deer Head ($30)(3) Curt Benzle Porcelain Compass ($15)Little Green Store and Gallery (256) 539-9699
(4) Hunting Journal ($32)Sweet Pineapple(256) 964-7563
(5) Yeti Colster ($2999)Alabama Outdoors(256)-885-3561
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
(1) Yellow House Handcrafted Beard Oils ($18 ea)Yellow House Beard Oilsyellowhousebeards com (2) Mustache amp Beard Comb ($16)Little Green Store and Gallery (256) 539-9699 (3) Latika Body Essentials Charcoal Liquid Soap ($18)(4) Latika Body Essentials Charcoal Bar Soap ($6) (5) Rustico Leather Key Chain ($18) Sweet Pineapple(256) 964-7563
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) Wood Thumb Tie ($44) (2) Slightly Alabama iPad Case ($250) (3) DockSmith Driftwood iPhone Docking Station ($68) Little Green Storeand Gallery (256) 539-9699 (4) Loyal Stricklin Aviator Mug ($35)Domaine South(256) 808-8860 (5) Would You Be a Deer Notepad ($9) Sweet Pineapple(256) 964-7563
(6) Filson Satchel ($265) Alabama Outdoors(256)-885-3561
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
When itrsquos time to move into a bigger house get a home loan from the bank thatrsquos had a home right here for generations You might say we know a thing about location location location synovuscommortgage
Banking products are provided by Synovus Bank Member FDIC Divisions of Synovus Bank operate under multiple trade names across the Southeast Loans products subject to credit approval
When itrsquos time to move into a bigger house get a home
Here is where Henry learned hersquod be getting
SERVING YOU LOCALLY AS
2565513300 | fcb-hsvcom
his own room
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) Spiritual GangsterTank ($36)(2) Luquido Yoga Pants ($90)(3) MZ Wallace Metro Tote ($245)(4) Vimmia V back Sweatshirt ($96)(5) Onzie Sports Bra ($48)(6) Olympia Yoga Pants ($96)(7) bkr Water Bottle ($30)The Fitzgerald Pilates amp Barre(256) 603-1886
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
(1) Gypsy Pant WarmTribal ($72) (2) Berry High Waist Legging ($88) (3) Long Legging Mathematics ($65) (4) Long Legging Peacock ($65) The FitzgeraldPilates amp Barre(256) 603-1886
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) Jane Tran Hair Clips ($15)(2) bkr Water Bottle ($30)(3) well-kept Tech Wipes ($6)(4) Made with Love Bracelets ($25)(5) Pointe Studio Socks ($12)(6) Bando Too Cold to Hold Coozie ($5)The Fitzgerald Pilates amp Barre(256) 603-1886
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
(1) Shop Bando Coff ee Cup ($14)(2) Shop Bando Pens ($14) (3) Shop Bando Pouch ($26) (4) Shop Bando Coin Purse ($20) The FitzgeraldPilates amp Barre(256) 603-1886
(5) Check Things Off Notepad ($16)(6) Hello From Huntsville Stamp ($12)Salt + Paperie(256) 655-5550
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) Muzzle Loaders Chocolate Bourbon Balls ($1999) (2) Vintage Crystal Decanter ($20) (3) Quench Glassware ($1399) Domaine South(256) 808-8860
(4) The Hella Bitters Old Fashioned Kit ($65)(5) American Bar by Charles Schumann ($2495) Little Green Storeand Gallery (256) 539-9699
(6) Julep Cups ($50)Willowbrook Shoppe (256) 270-7181
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom | novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) DECCO Umbrella in a Bottle ($1995)(2) Alexa Pulitzer Stationery Set ($14 ea)(3) Ikat Scarf ($6250)Huntsville Museumof Art(256) 535-4350
(4) Emily Ley Grace Journal ($32) (5) Sugar Boo Designs Clutch ($18) (6) Emily Ley Daily Planner ($58) (7) Latika Milk ampHoney Bar ($6) (8) Farm House Fresh Shea Butter Hand Cream ($14) (9) Christen MaxwellZippy ($42) (10) Green Tea Bubble Bath ($32) Sweet Pineapple(256) 964-7563 (11) Goal Getter Cuff ($32)Indigorsquos Boutique(256) 345-6348
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
(1) Kilim Pillow ($58) (2) Bejeweled Silver Plate Vase ($144) (3) Bone Clad Box ($375)Willowbrook Shoppe (256) 270-7181
(4) Cowhide Rug ($550)(5) Lucyrsquos Locket ($95) (Original piecemdashselection may vary)Sweet Pineapple(256) 964-7563 (6) Clutch ($65)Department of Agra Culturedeptofagraculturecom
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) Above The Bar Antler on Chain 28rdquo ($3999) (2) Above The Bar Deer wAntler Head 18rdquo ($2999) Indigorsquos Boutique(256) 345-6348
(3) Margaret Solow Labradorite18KT Bezel ($290) (4) Margaret Solow Diamond Crest MoonSilver ($460) (5) Margaret Solow Black Spinel + DiamondSilver ($560) (6) Margaret Solow Double Black Spinel18KT ($260)Little Green Store and Gallery (256) 539-9699
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
(1) Margaret Solow Grey Moonstoon18KT Necklace ($240) (2) Margaret Solow OpalDiamond Mosaic Necklace ($610) Little Green Storeand Gallery (256) 539-9699
(3) One-of-a-kind Eva Ziegler Smokey Quartz and Pyrite Necklace ($406)Eva Ziegler Jewelryevazieglercom
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) Jennifer BehrTurban ($625)(2) Cotton Day Dress ($64)(3) Norma Ishak Cardigan ($375)Finery(256) 429-3429
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) The Lion Sleeps Tonight Bath Bomb ($6) Sweet Pineapple(256) 964-7563
(2) Tiger Jelly Cat ($2250)(3) Dog Tag Teether ($1550)(4) Dinosaur Footie ($3595)Honey B Boutique(256) 503-2853
(5) Young Buck ($25)Tiny Vinestinyvinesshopcom
(6) Bib Set ($13)Huntsville Museumof Art(256) 535-4350
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
(1) Tiny Dancer Bath Bomb ($6)Sweet Pineapple(256) 964-7563
(2) Kickee Mammoth Footie ($3595)(3) Noodle amp Boo Essential Care Kit ($18)(4) Elephant Jelly Cat ($2250)Honey B Boutique(256) 503-2853
(5) ArtFolio Pink Elephant Coloring Tote ($17)Huntsville Museumof Art(256) 535-4350
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) Bib Set ($13)Huntsville Museumof Art(256) 535-4350 (2) Little Light ($25)Tiny Vinestinyvinesshopcom (3) Micro Leon Cardboard Lion ($30)Little Green Storeand Gallery (256) 539-9699 (4) I Love You Like Biscuits amp Gravy ($23)Domaine South(256) 808-8860
(5) Kickee Kimono ($4295)Honey B Boutique(256) 503-2853
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
SURPRISEA LOVED ONE
THIS HOLIDAY SEASON
WITH A FOREVER GIFT
HobbsJewelerscom 8772331347Parkway Place Mall
HuntsvilleHwy 72 West
AthensMain Street
Ardmore TN
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
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novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
(1) Chewbead Necklace ($3495)(2) Mayoral Baby Bag ($7995)(3) Mayoral Diaper Changing Pad ($2495)(4) Nursing Scarf ($2695) (5) Kickee Swaddling Blanket ($22)Honey B Boutique(256) 503-2853 (6) Lucy Darling Months Sticker ($25) (7) The Story of You Baby Book by Emily Ley ($62) Sweet Pineapple(256) 964-7563
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(3) Britt Ryan Dress ($288)Personal Couture Boutique(256) 508-5632
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) Rocket Cosmos Mug ($13)Huntsville Museumof Art(256) 535-4350
(2) Loose Leaf Tea ($399)Piper amp Leaf piperandleafcom (3) Judy Jackson Tea Pot ($56) (4) Gary Watson Cherry Cutting Board ($48-$68) (5) Susan Coe Birthday Cake Plate ($33) Little Green Storeand Gallery (256) 539-9699 (6) Macarons ($116 pcs $221 dozen)Whisk Small Treats Bakery(256) 656-1027
(7) Truffl es ($185 each)Pizellersquos Confections (256) 513-9745 (8) Olive amp Sinclair Chocolate ($799)Domaine South(256) 808-8860
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
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(4) Urchin Bowl ($10)(5) Foodie Dice ($38)(6) 1Canoe2 Wood Recipe Box w Recipe Cards ($6999) Domaine South(256) 808-8860 (7) Growlers ($75 small $95 large)Southern Growlersoutherngrowlercom
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(4) BCBG Dress ($328)Personal Couture Boutique(256) 508-5632
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Guadalupe Robinson
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
text by jennifer crossley howard raquo photos by patrick hood
Of Deft and Dirty Hands
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Huntsville potter Guadalupe Lanning Robinson has spent more than 36 years mastering the
marriage of clay texture and geometric design into her pottery yet time has done little to temper the
plight of waiting
ldquoIt is hard for me to let a pot just dryrdquo she says motioning toward fi ve small wet pots sitting near her
pottery wheel ldquoIrsquom as excited to do this as I was 30 years agordquo
To observe her studio at Lowe Mill that is easy to believe Located on the corridor outside the textile
mill-turned-art centerrsquos main building the loft-like space with a corrugated tin roof feels like a place a
Gabriel Garcia Marquez character would enjoy daydreaming
Sienna-hued pottery sits in various stages to be fi red layered and etched Argentinian tango music
streams from Robinsonrsquos iPhone and two cockatiels a parrot and a parakeet chirp from their cages All
except the parrot fl y freely when Robinson is working
Robinson who is 61 made her fi rst pot in 1979 in her native Mexico City Almost four decades later her
work is part of permanent museum collections in Auburn Huntsville Tuscumbia and Tupelo Missis-
sippi She regularly enters her work in respected juried shows such as the Monte Sano Arts Festival and
the Kentuck Festival of the Arts in Northport and has received two Alabama State Council on the Arts
individual artist fellowships
Her inspiration draws from the villages around her native Mexico City such as the black pottery of
the northwest as well as her acquired Southern culture White lilies corn grids and round female
fi guresmdashldquoreally strong women who are in chargerdquo Robinson saysmdashreappear on her stoneware She uses
natural dyes indigo for color and mixes sand into clay for texture Nothing is wasted
ldquoI donrsquot waste any clayrdquo Robinson says ldquoEverything is recycledrdquo
Robinson fi nds solace in the 40-50 hours a week she puts in at the studio and the often tedious process
of making pots which can take from three weeks to six weeks for larger pots She usually works on two
or three pots at a time tending to groups at diff erent stages
After a pot is thrown on a wheel a piece can take days to dry before its fi rst bisque fi re in which tem-
peratures rise to 1800 F After baking for nine hours the kiln must cool Th e second fi ring rises to 2150
F and matures the clay and melts the glazes to strengthen the piece
ldquoI am an effi cient person by naturerdquo Robinson says ldquoWaiting for the kiln to cool down enough to open
can be nerve wracking and this is when my patience is usually put to the testrdquo
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
ldquoIt is hard for me to let a pot just dry Irsquom as excited to do this as I was 30 years agordquo
Robinson makes most of her pots on a wheel using oxides to change the color of clay she gets from Nashville and Pittsburgh Her pottery takes several weeks from start to fi nish depending on how large a pot is and how many she makes at a time
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
ldquoAttend to your childrenrsquos needs fi rst keep focus on what you want to douse the happiness joy and little breaks you get to make your artTh ey grow real fast and they will keep inspiring you all your liferdquo
Robinson imagined this bat-like design as she was working She usually begins a piece with a design in mind but that often evolves
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Robinson uses an overlay of liquid clay called engobemdashthat includes three to four layersmdashto create a
base on which to design
Th ere is high risk in making pottery and hours of work can be wasted on a pot that has not dried en-
tirely before it enters the kiln Air pockets or the wrong mixture of chemicals can ruin a piece
ldquoArt is involved but science is toordquo says Laura Smith director of education at the Huntsville Museum
of Art where Robinson has taught pottery classes ldquoItrsquos more labor intensive in terms of working with
the medium whether yoursquore building by hand or with a wheel until you fi re with the fi nal layer of glazerdquo
Th e result is sturdy pottery
ldquoI want my pots to look like something that is lasting a long timerdquo Robinson says
Th ough she works solitarily in her studio she says she does not get lonely Her birds and music keep her
company and each stage of pottery making has a soundtrack She uses needlepoint tools to draw onto
clay to Jose Feliciano and other Latin American musicians
ldquoIf Irsquom at the wheel Bruno Marsrdquo she says ldquoIf Irsquom unloading the kiln and something is really awesome
then I need something moving and I have on Motownrdquo
Robinsonrsquos years of experience minimize the risk of damaged pots but she says her greatest challenge
as a potter was balancing her work while raising her two children Now adults their candid childhood
pictures and those of her grandchildren cover the warm green walls of her studio
She met her husband the poet James Robinson in 1977 on a Greyhound bus when she returned to
Mexico City from visiting a friend at the University of Southern Mississippi He was heading to Mexico
to study at a university Th ey married six months later After giving birth to her daughter Annie Jane in
Mexico City in 1982 the family moved to Huntsville in 1985 Th at is when Robinson got more serious
about her pottery
ldquoFrom the very beginning when I moved to Alabama I knew I was going to have to do thisrdquo she said
ldquoIn some ways it was a way for me to keep connected to my heritagerdquo
She took even 15 minutes of free time to work in the studio behind her home and worked late into the
night while her daughter and son Isidoro born in 1987 slept Having a home studio allowed her to
wash clothes tend to her home and drop off lunches at school while maintaining her art
ldquoTh ere was something for me when I fi rst became a mother that fueled my creativityrdquo Robinson says
ldquoTh ey are such a social inspiration too It fi lls your liferdquo
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Robinson advises fellow artists who are mothers to seize
both roles but to prioritize motherhood
ldquoAttend to your childrenrsquos needs fi rst keep focus on what you
want to do use the happiness joy and little breaks you get
to make your artrdquo she says ldquoTh ey grow real fast and they will
keep inspiring you all your liferdquo
Anna Sue Courtney director of the Flying Monkey Arts
Center at Lowe Mill has known Robinson for more than
10 years She says she admires how mothers and artists like
Robinson seamlessly embrace both roles
ldquoIt seems therersquos not a separation between creating and rais-
ing childrenrdquo Courtney says ldquoTh ey seem to pull from the
same placerdquo
Part of Robinsonrsquos motivation at Lowe Mill comes from
working privately in a studio alongside other artists that fos-
ters a community of feedback and ideas
ldquoItrsquos nice to be here because you can take a break and walk around and get inspirationrdquo Courtney says
ldquoItrsquos refreshingrdquo
When she needs a break from the studio Robinson stays home to sketch designs for a day or two then
she is back in the studio
Trips twice a year to Mexico City keep her plugged in to her native culture which in turn shows up in
her pottery
ldquoI have to recharge myselfrdquo Robinson says ldquoI love Huntsville and loved raising my kids here but I still
have the need of going back to be recharged and smell all the smells and see all the colors and get on
the subway and be pushed aroundrdquo
Details from her trips that infl uence her work include the ever-present red that covers the city during
the celebration of Dia de los Muertos or the Day of the Dead Th e pyramids of Teotihuacan conjure
warm earth tones and fl oating gardens around the city yield sweet pungent calla lilies and carnations
Celebration of food tough women and nature reappear in her pottery qualities that both Southern and
Mexican cultures treasure
Above This daisy design is character-istic of Robinsonrsquos work Nature food and strong females from her native Mexico City and the South are strong creative infl uences
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Clockwise from top left Robinson often glazes only the inside of her pots so they can hold water and food She began quilting in 2002 and her quilts like her pottery contain earth tones and natural infl uences in their design Four birds keep Robinson company in what can be the isolating medium of pottery making Geometry and symmetry are two signature elements in Robinsonrsquos work according to Laura Smith director of education at the Huntsville Museum of Art
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Just as she keeps her home country close to her heart Robinson is loyal to her fi rst
love of pottery though she began making quilts in 2002
ldquoIrsquom a potter who likes to quiltrdquo she says
Like her pottery her quilting follows designs of organic nature such as fl owers and
crops on rich jewel tone cotton
ldquoWhen I fi rst saw one of her quilts I didnrsquot realize it was hers and I thought that
looks like it should be Guadalupersquos quiltrdquo Courtney says
Robinson prefers the immediate gratifi cation of clay
ldquoItrsquos a very responsive mediumrdquo she says ldquoYou can manipulate it Th e fact of mak-
ing something out of dirt out of nothing and making it durable making it perma-
nent that after going through the heat and maturing is something very excitingrdquo
She gently dings a pot covered with white dresses titled ldquoTehuana Dressrdquo to make
her point
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
887 FM Muscle Shoals bull 1007 FM Huntsvillewwwaprorg
News classicalmusic and more
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
copy Patrick Hood
text by sara wright covington raquo photos by jacki gil
patrick hood erin lindsey and michelle odom
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
copy Patrick Hood
ldquoA LOT OF PEOPLE HAD BEEN ASKING ME QUESTIONS ABOUTHOW I GOT MY BUSINESS STARTED I WANTED TO GATHER SOME PEOPLE AROUND ME
WHO WERE GOING THROUGH THOSE STRUGGLES AND TOBUILD ENTREPRENEURIAL COURAGErdquo
JACKI GIL SALT+PAPERIE
copy Patrick Hood
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
untsville-born Jacki Gil began her paper design busi-
ness Salt+Paperie in 2014 with an expansive vision
in mind one that extended beyond creating beautiful
custom designed paper goods ldquoI love my design job
but when Irsquom 50 years old I donrsquot see myself still de-
signing wedding invitationsrdquo the master stationer says
ldquoI really have a passion for teaching and helping people
I want to be a mentorrdquo
In 2015 Gil set out on her mentoring mission sooner than expected with a series
of workshops called Encourage Huntsville ldquoA lot of people had been asking me
questions about how I got my business startedrdquo Gil says about the early days of
Salt+Paperie Even though most of those questions from entrepreneurial-hopefuls
were technicalmdashlike how to apply for a business licensemdashthey served as inspira-
tion for Gil ldquoI wanted to gather some people around me who were going through
those struggles and to build entrepreneurial courage I defi nitely saw that there
was a need for helping people to take that next step toward owning their own
businessesrdquo
Encourage Huntsville was modeled on the image of a growing small business
movement called the Rising Tide Society a national community of creative small
business owners who encourage ldquocommunity over competitionrdquo Th at spirit of
openness is at the heart of Encourage Huntsville ldquoCommunity over competition
is a huge part of what we are doingrdquo says Gil ldquoSmall business owners sharing how
they earn their money is a big dealrdquo
As a fi rst step Gil gathered others around her who were using their skills and abili-
ties to make their own small businesses work With talents ranging from cooking
and cake decorating to hand lettering and artwork these small business owners
all embraced Gilrsquos vision for imparting to others the knowledge of their craft un-
impeded by a fear of losing their competitive edge
Th e fi rst lesson Gil wanted to impart to Encourage Huntsvillersquos students wasnrsquot
necessarily a particular craft or skill but a spirt of creative confi dence ldquoWe want-
ed to bridge the gap between the very artsy community and the ultimate engineer
communityrdquo many of whom Gil observes had been told since childhood they
werenrsquot artistic ldquoWhen you are little and someone tells you that you donrsquot have a
talent it sticks with you I found that a lot of people had that experience so that
was the workshop partmdashto build some creative courage in this communityrdquo
Gil conducted the fi rst workshop herself testing the waters to see how the concept
would be received Th e admission price to that fi rst workshop included supplies a
take-home ldquogoody bagrdquo to help students continue their work extracurricularly and
refreshmentsmdashas well as Gilrsquos tips of her trade
ldquoWe went in blindly not knowing if we had a market or notrdquo says Gil Th e popular-
ity of that fi rst class proved undeniably that a market did in fact exist the work-
shop sold out in one day ldquoSo we did back-to-back workshopsrdquo Gil says ldquoAfter that
novemberdecembeeer eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee | nononoononononononoonoonononooooonoonoonnononnoaaalalalllaallllllalaalaaalal ststustust ddiossscom mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm | | | | | | | | | | |
f
w
y
Previous page Encourage Huntsvillersquos founder and instructor Jacki Gil teaches a class in hand lettering Facing page A participant studies her supply list
we realized people really want to do this stuff So we said lsquoletrsquos jump on the boat
and make this happenrsquordquo
Gilrsquos longtime friend photographer Erin Lindsey of Erin Lindsey Images agreed
to contribute to Encourage Huntsvillersquos curriculum by teaching a photography
class ldquoJacki and I are a good team because our hearts are in the same place when
it comes to encouraging othersrdquo Lindsey says Still she admits saying yes to teach-
ing wasnrsquot without some initial hesitation ldquoWhen Jacki asked if I would teach a
class it was kind of scary I thought I had to be perfect before I could teach oth-
ersrdquo Lindsey says of her initial hesitancy ldquoBut after talking to Jacki I realized none
of us are perfectrdquo But perfection isnrsquot the goal encouragement is the goal ldquoAnd I
thought lsquoI can defi nitely line up with that visionrsquordquo
Michelle Odom another Huntsville native and owner of custom cake bakery Just
Crumbs was also on board with Gilrsquos vision In fact Odom had been contemplat-
ing teaching a class when she was approached by Gil to teach a fondant basics
class ldquoHuntsville is such an engineer town and everyone is so mathematical and
scientifi crdquo Odom says echoing the dichotomy between the arts and sciences ex-
pressed by Gil ldquoTh ese workshops are just a very cool way for structured people to
have a creative outletrdquo
ldquoJACKI AND I ARE A GOOD TEAM BECAUSE OUR HEARTS ARE INTHE SAME PLACE WHEN IT COMES TO ENCOURAGING OTHERSrdquo
ERIN LINDSEY ERIN LINDSEY IMAGES
copy Erin Lindsey
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Above A participant in Erin Lindseyrsquos photo class frames a still life
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
copy Erin Lindsey
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
ldquoHUNTSVILLE IS SUCH AN ENGINEER TOWN AND EVERYONE ISSO MATHEMATICAL AND SCIENTIFIC THESE WORKSHOPS ARE JUST A VERY COOL
WAY FOR STRUCTURED PEOPLE TO HAVE A CREATIVE OUTLETrdquo MICHELLE ODOM JUST CRUMBS
copy Michelle Odom
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
ldquoAnd yesrdquo Odom acknowledges ldquoyou are in theory teaching your competition But
at the same time you are helping the community be more creativerdquo
With its roster of popular creative workshops under its belt Encourage Huntsville
has added business classes to its community-over-competition curriculum with
classes designed to provide specifi c guidance for small business owners ldquoAll of
our events that donrsquot require hands-on work we call seminarsrdquo says Gil ldquoWe had
about 15 people at our fi rst one It was pretty much just an open discussion to ask
us questions and get answers from the perspective of a small business ownerrdquo
Th e seminars enjoyed the same success and enthusiasm as the workshops ldquoWe
had two hours for people to ask questionsrdquo Gil says Topics covered ran the gamut
from scheduling daily tasks self-hosting a website or using an Etsy store man-
aging client expectations and being realistic about how much time you need to
complete jobs
ldquoTh e time went quickly and people wanted morerdquo says Gil who envisions an all-
day seminar in 2016
Margaret Baggett owner and executive chef of the Chef Next Door is another
small business owner who has shared Gilrsquos vision from the very beginning teach-
copy Erin Lindsey
Facing page Michelle Odomrsquos fondant basics class begins with a styrofoam cake form Above Newbie photographers familiarize themselves with their cameras in Erin Lindseyrsquos photography class
ing knife skills workshops and helping host the business seminars ldquoI am so proud
to get to be a part of this project and help nurture other small business owners
who may just be starting out on their journey or are deep in it and looking for
some encouragement from other business ownersrdquo Baggett says of what motivates
her participation in Encourage Huntsville ldquoEven being on the advice-giving side
of things I am still learning and have taken tips and tricks and lessons from each
event we have had so far We never stop learning from each other and never stop
improving upon our craftsrdquo
Th e mutual growth among students and teachers is the source of the encourage-
mentmdashand the joymdashof Encourage Huntsville ldquoItrsquos so much fun to see the light
bulbs go off with people and see them encouraged right before your eyesrdquo Lindsey
says of her experience with the program ldquoPlus itrsquos a pleasure to contribute to a
sense of community over competition Th at whole concept is so rarerdquo
As Encourage Huntsvillersquos following continues to grow the diversity of the work-
shops will expand as well Whether you are looking to spend a fun afternoon
learning a new craft or are a budding small business owner hoping to launch
your brand Encourage Huntsville has something valuable to off er ldquoWe encourage
those left-brain folks to take up a new hobby or skillrdquo Baggett says ldquoor just encour-
age the people of Huntsville to get together and fan their creative fl amesrdquo
If yoursquore looking for
creative or entrepreneurial
encouragement visit
encouragehuntsvillecom
for seminar and workshop
schedules and information
ldquoI AM SO PROUD TO GET TO BE A PART OF THIS PROJECT AND HELP NURTURE OTHER SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS WHO MAY JUST BE STARTING OUT ON THEIR JOURNEY OR ARE DEEP IN IT
AND LOOKING FOR SOME ENCOURAGEMENT FROM OTHER BUSINESS OWNERSrdquoMARGARET BAGGETT CHEF NEXT DOOR
copy Jacki Gil
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
copy Jacki Gil
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Participants in Margaret Baggettrsquos knife skills workshop learn to perfect their ldquomise en placerdquo
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
copy Olivia Reed
text by sara wright covington raquo photos by olivia reed and jeff white
HUNTSVILLErsquoS
HOMEGROWNHOSTESS
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
ttttttononononoooooonononooooo raquo praquo praquo praquo praquo phothothothothotosoososos s s osos bybybbybb
Any host will tell you that delicious food and quality libations while important to
a partyrsquos success are secondary to the most important ingredient of all the guest list Th atrsquos why many
of downtown Huntsvillersquos most popular restaurants breweries and wine shops are turning to event
planner Ashley Ryals and her uncanny knack for attracting loyal patronsmdashand creating unforgettable
events in the process
When Huntsville born-and-bred Ashley Ryals left for college at the University of Alabama in 2001
she thought her exit from the Valley was permanent ldquoI never thought I would end up back hererdquo the
founder of event planning company Homegrown Huntsville says with a knowing laugh But after a few
post-graduate years working for world-renowned public relations powerhouse Weber Shandwick in
New York City Ryals started to second guess her freshman declaration
ldquoI started to get homesickrdquo she admits ldquoAll of my friends were getting married and meeting for football
games and I was missing itrdquo So when a friend from home set up an interview at EarlyWorks for a job
doing event planning Ryals jumped at the chance to come home
Ashley spent the next few years planning EarlyWorks Whistle Stop and Santarsquos Village events A brief
stint in sales followed along with a seat on the board of Huntsville Young Professionals where she had
an idea for a downtown pub crawl
ldquoWe expected 20 or 30 peoplerdquo Ryals says of their modest expectations ldquoBut 200 people showed uprdquo
Th at initial success convinced Ryals to embark on her dream of establishing an
event planning company But it wasnrsquot just any event planning company Ryals
had in mind she envisioned one that would collaborate with local businesses
cultivate signature events for the community to enjoy and support small busi-
nesses in the process
Inspired Ryals left her sales job and for the second time in her life came home
again to event planning and Homegrown Huntsville
To help bring her vision to life Ryals collaborated with designer Adrianne Van
Kirk of Fave Creative ldquoAdrianne has been a part of the visual and branding of
Homegrown from the beginning We come up with the event ideas then I get
the ticketing and sales together and she comes back with a logo and the mar-
keting for the event And thatrsquos how it all comes togetherrdquo Ryals says of their
creative process
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
ASHLEY RYALS
copy Olivia Reed
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
ldquoMOST WINE FESTIVALS ACROSS THE COUNTRY HAVE PROVEN RECORDS OF BEING ABLE TO STAY AROUND 15 OR 20 YEARS OR EVEN LONGER AND THE ECONOMIES OF THOSE
CITIES HAVE REALLY GROWN AS A RESULT I WANT BIG SPRING CRUSH TO EVENTUALLY BE THE BIGGEST AND BEST WINE FESTIVAL IN THE STATE OF ALABAMArdquo ASHLEY RYALS
copy Jeff White
copy Jeff White
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
copy Olivia Reed
Homegrown launched in 2011 with what would become its
signature event Dine amp Dash Every second Wednesday
April through October a trolley shuttles patrons between
downtown establishments where they are served a drink
and appetizer before moving on to the next stop
Owner and executive chef Merle Phillips of Th e Eaves was
one of the fi rst restaurants to sign on for Dine amp Dashrsquos de-
but ldquoAshley came to me and said she was starting a trolley
tasting conceptrdquo says Chef Merle ldquoI didnrsquot really know her so
I was taking a chance on the concept she was sellingrdquo
Merle tried it and has been a loyal participant of Dine amp
Dash ever since
ldquoIt was a risk in the beginning but it defi nitely paid off rdquo Chef
Merle says of the experience Pivotal to that experience ac-
cording to Phillips is Ryalsrsquo demonstration to the commu-
nity just what the term ldquohomegrownrdquo really means ldquoAshley
shines a spotlight on independent businesses in a market-
place that has for so long focused on chainsrdquo Phillips says
ldquoDine amp Dash has really brought into sharp focus the inter-
esting culinary diversity that Huntsville has to off errdquo
For the next two years Homegrown Huntsville focused al-
most exclusively on Dine amp Dash which by the end of its fi rst
year included every single downtown restaurant But when
big changes began to appear on the downtown horizonmdash
new restaurants breweries and residential developmentsmdash
Ryalsrsquo instincts told her
the time had come to
introduce a new event
to the downtown cal-
endar
ldquoBeer Hop follows
the concept of Dine
amp Dashrdquo Ryals says of
Homegrownrsquos second
venture which began
in 2013 Each month a
trolley visits three dif-
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
BILL FOWLEROLD TOWN BEER
EXCHANGE
copy Olivia Reed
copy Olivia Reed
ferent breweries where patrons sample beers and enjoy food
from a variety of food trucks parked at each location
Bill Fowler managing partner of Old Town Beer Exchange
agreed to participate in Beer Hop on his very fi rst day of
business and credits Ryals with an overwhelmingly success-
ful opening night ldquoAshley said lsquoI can guarantee that you are
going to have wave after wave of people coming throughrsquordquo
Fowler says recalling that fi rst jittery occasion Once again
Ryals proved true to her word with 60-plus patrons arriving
in an hour-and-a-half ldquoIt was awesome and such a great ex-
perience for usrdquo Fowler raves ldquoAshley is a hard worker and
you can see that in what she doesrdquo
Fowler believes that in addition to bringing new customers
to OTBX Ryals is also cultivating beer education consis-
tently bringing in people who are new to beer and want to
learn And with Huntsvillersquos recent brewery boom that level
of education and interest is crucial for the brewing commu-
nity to thrive ldquoWe have a very small window of opportunityrdquo
says Fowler ldquoI think Huntsville in particular is becoming a
craft brewing community People are making money at this
and once Tennessee sees that we need to already have had a
pretty huge head startrdquo
By the end of 2013 and with standing events Beer Hop and
Dine amp Dash well established Ryals took time to refl ect on
her original goal for Homegrown Huntsville ldquoIn the back of
my head from day one I knew I wanted to do a wine festival
I just didnrsquot think Huntsville was ready for it in 2011rdquo
Emboldened by the success of Beer Hop Ryals decided to
make the leap with Big Spring Crush wine festival later the
same year Once again Ryals delivered the perfect audience
for the event and in the process discovered a surprising
fact about North Alabamarsquos contribution to the wine-mak-
ing industry
ldquoIn doing the wine festival I learned that we have a huge
wine community in Huntsvillerdquo Ryals says ldquoTh ere are only
about 47 certifi ed wine judges in the entire United States
and we have four of them right here in North Alabama Two
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
copy Jeff White
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
ldquoI STARTED TO GET HOMESICK ALL OF MY FRIENDS WERE GETTING MARRIEDAND MEETING FOR FOOTBALL GAMES AND I WAS MISSING ITrdquo ASHLEY RYALS
copy Jeff White
copy Jeff White
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
ldquoIT WAS AWESOME AND SUCH A GREAT EXPERIENCE FOR USrdquoBILL FOWLER OLD TOWN BEER EXCHANGE
copy Jeff White
copy Olivia Reed
of those four certifi ed wine judges sit on the committee for
Big Spring Crushrdquo
Matthew and Stephanie Mell had just opened Church Street
Wine Shop when they decided to participate in the fi rst Big
Spring Crush Like OTBXrsquos Robert Fowler the Mells credit
Ryals and Homegrown Huntsville for helping to introduce
their new enterprise to the community ldquoAshley has been in-
strumental in helping to bring us people who love and ap-
preciate winerdquo Stephanie Mell says ldquoShe was homegrown
here in Huntsville and she really gets the downtown area
and small businesses and that is so important to usrdquo
Big Spring Crush began with a bang featuring over 150
wines and attracting patrons from across the country
ldquoMost wine festivals across the country have proven records
of being able to stay around 15 or 20 years or even longerrdquo
Ryals says ldquoAnd the economies of those cities have really
grown as a result I want Big Spring Crush to eventually be
the biggest and best wine festival in the state of Alabamardquo
How does Ryals intend to make that dream come true ldquoBy
always keeping it fresh I want to have new marketing and
new things happening each yearrdquo
Ryalsrsquo formula of reinvention and expansion has successfully
led Homegrown Huntsville through fi ve years of success and
helped its events become community staples along the way In
the process Ryals is broadening more than just our image of
downtown Huntsville shersquos joining a class of creative entrepre-
neurs committed to expanding Huntsvillersquos reputation as more
than just a hub for the brightest scientifi c minds in America
ldquoWe have a big city of engineers and lawyers and itrsquos won-
derfulrdquo Ryals say ldquo But there is a whole artist and food cul-
ture here and there is so much growth I want us to have a
vibrant cool downtown area and I want for people to tell
their friends to come and visit and to see Huntsville for what
it is a city I loverdquo
If yoursquod like to participate in Homegrown Huntsville either
as a guest or a participating business visit homegrown-
huntsvillecom
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
copy Jeff White
I was years old and the year was At that time the city of Huntsville was inching toward the mountain to the east California Street was once the continental divide between the small town metropo-lis and the uncharted territories gingerly crossed by the real estate pioneers four score and some odd years prior Th is area became the new suburb as the city kept pushing onward toward Fagan Springs as if the reverberating booms of rocket testings were vibrating Hunstvillians away from its epicenter
From the front yard of our house on Owens Drive I could look to the rightmdashup the hill to the bend be-yond which the big houses stood on their rocky ledge pedestals and to the left where all the other houses that looked just like oursmdashfresh and newmdashrambled for what seemed like miles Th ose clean well-lit abodes all seemed the same and granted at my age I knew more about the pets that lived there than I did about the people who owned those manageable mortgages I came to realize that each was diff erent in a way that was permeated by voices smells and furnishings
It is a clicheacute to say that our lives were simpler then because that is just how the current era will be fondly referred to in the future but to a 5-year-old it is the simplicity that brought the joy Th e sixties will always be to me the beginning of the age of manufactured happiness Cheap clean and simple was what was strived for and what was easily obtained Plastic items were plentiful and pretty things could be bought with SampH Green Stamps A few coins in our pocket would transfer us into the most master of manipula-tors with us giving our all to convince our parents for a jaunt to Murdockrsquos for a holiday of wonderment joy and impatience as we would scour the shelves trying to get the most from our meager budget
Owens Drive was the fairly new thoroughfare from which the avenues of three-bedroom-ranchers fi ngered away at planned intervals Th is was the place where newlyweds started their lives homes and families Where girls with last names that had been in the town for generations would change them to those strange and exotic last names of the clean cut newcomers brought here for military purposes Where the housewives would preheat their pristine electric ovens trying to make cheese straws and biscuits that were just like their motherrsquos only to be frustrated as they were never quite the same and where the husbands would follow in their fatherrsquos footsteps by joining the Acme Club and hunting doves on the weekends
Th ere was a swimming pool Certainly not at our house Th e only private pool I remember as a child was one that my grandmother would take me to nestled between huge trees at someonersquos house on Adams Street I would swim with other children my age while our grandmothers chatted smoking cigarettes in cat-eyed anonymity whispering most of their stories so we wouldnrsquot be able to hear But between their
gasps and laughter we would listen hear and learn
Th e Blossomwood pool was a place of designated rules and the sound of bright whistlesmdashwith straight lines and distinctive colors of blue and green I can still feel the Coppertoned oiliness on the skin of the tanned lifeguard as she carried me from the deep end frightened after my fi rst attempt at solo-swimming She knew my name I had no idea who she was
On the other side of the pool was the school my older sister attended It had a style that mim-icked the poolmdashstraight lines cleanmdasha temple to orderliness and good manners It was with
awe that I once watched the young adults there some as old as eleven wind and dance their way around a sky-high fl agpolemdasheach with a diff erent color ribbon until the fi rst (and only) May Pole
I was privy to was completely dressed in its woven bright colors
90 raquo bless their hearts raquo Guy McClure Jr
Huntsville was a magical place for us tail-end baby boomers to grow upmdashbeyond the miracles of the escalator at Pizitz the smiling little lady on the tall stool at the register at Britlings There was a comfort level there that Irsquom not sure is in the minds of the 5-year-olds of today
cat-eyed agasps
Th s
aI w
THE COMFORTS OF BLOSSOMWOOD
In our world of red-bricked carported castles there was a def-inite division of generations Th e children ate separately from the parents went to school as our dads went to work enter-tained our neighborhood friends as quietly as possible and felt safe between our boundaries of Big Cove Road and Hermitage Street While we dined on our Chef Boy-Ar-Dee boxed pizza our parents busied themselves dressing in their dark colors getting ready for a late dinner at Boots having the scent of perfume and face powder trail my mother as she came into the kitchen looking for something with an intense purpose My father would smell of British Sterling and look just as he did when he went to work only happier Th ese nights meant something fun would happenmdashwe would have a babysitter
Babysitters were my introduction into what was and still seems cool Th ey were usually Huntsville High School teen-agers who would put on a show without even knowing it I would drink in their every move word and essence of style To me they were supermodelsmdashmovie starsmdasheven more fa-mous in my eyes than a television weatherman and almost as glamorous as the waitresses at the Waffl e House
Before they would tire of me and my sister and put us to bed they would include us in their world of music and knowledge which I thought was all-encompassing Suddenly our world of Th e Benny Carl Show and Fantasy Playhouse would seem trite and passeacute and we would catch a fl eeting glimpse into what would be in store for us when we too could stay up past 8 pm
Huntsville was a magical place for us tail-end baby boomers to grow upmdashbeyond the miracles of the escalator at Pizitz the smiling little lady on the tall stool at the register at Britlings and that bright colorful Maypole Th ere was a comfort level there that Irsquom not sure is in the minds of the 5-year-olds of todaymdashthe soothing sheltered lack of knowledge of why we were so lucky yet we didnrsquot even know that we were
In the other areas of our Huntsville there was poverty and ra-cial unrestmdashas there was and is in every city I was unaware People of color were always a part of my worldmdashmostly be-cause they had my attention and respect At our house there was Annie my grandmotherrsquos house was fi lled with the joys of Lula and out on the family farm there was strong and smiling Homer and large and huggable Rosamdashall just as much a part of my life as everyone else My life was good and they were instrumental in making it that way
What will the 5-year-olds of today who are lucky enough to be raised on those well-planned streets remember when they surpass their own 50 year mark It is a much more complex world now and there are diff erent concerns with daily changes of fear Youthful innocence is a prize that is encased without a lock Premature maturity is a viable threat and a constant fear But each night tucked in tight in a simple room sleeps tomor-rowrsquos adults who are having sweet dreamsmdashblanketed by the comforts of Blossomwood
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
92 raquo the vine raquo Amy C Collins
BORDEAUX POWER
Where Burgundyrsquos vineyards were established by Benedictine monks patiently growing wine vines with spiritual hearts Bordeauxrsquos vineyards were raised by entrepreneurial laymen who recognized the massive monetary opportunity when the English began drinking down their peasant wine
The city of Bordeaux is Francersquos primary port town on the Atlantic ocean a harbor that has for centuries served as the countryrsquos most important dock Th e regionrsquos history is long and storied with the fi rst written reference to the area dated 379 AD by the Latin poet Ausonius who was also a wine-grower Jump ahead to the year 1152 when Eleanor of Aquitaine married Englandrsquos soon-to-be king Henry Plantagenet and the port and surrounding vineyard land became the source of wine for the English a connection that remains strong even today
Bordeaux produces the worldrsquos most expensive and sought after collector wines the top tier of which make up less than fi ve percent of the regionrsquos total production Th ese names are quickly learned by neophyte wine drinkers wanting to make an impression Chateau Haut-Brion Lafi te Latour and Margaux for example Grown in gravelly soils only a few meters above sea levelmdashin contrast vineyards elsewhere in Europe typically sit between 300 and 900 metersmdashthese wines are some of the most powerful austere and pawed over When young the tannins in these cabernet sauvignon cabernet franc and merlot blends coat the tongue and mouth with a chalky dry sensation akin to sucking on an Earl Grey tea bag and are perhaps best suited to well-fatted rare steak and cigars Th ese are wines built to live for decades Personally I prefer a Bordeaux at least 20 years aged when the tannins have had ample time to calm down and mellow out and more nuanced fl avors come forward Sounds fancy and it is Only in some very lucky circumstances over the past year have I been guest to a bottle of 1990 Clos de Menuts Saint-Eacutemilion and a 1970 Chateau Haut-Brion About once every 10 years Irsquove had the good
fortune to taste a wine older than myself Nice work if you can get it
Where Burgundyrsquos vineyards (Francersquos other classifi ed sought-after region) were established by Benedictine monks patiently growing wine vines with spiritual hearts
Bordeauxrsquos vineyards were raised by entrepreneurial laymen who recognized the massive monetary opportunity when the English began drinking down their peasant wine Th is underscores the second half of my theory as to why Americans
more often American males are so drawn to the wines of Bordeaux Th erersquos an inherent capitalist connection something in the soil Th at the wines are so
unmistakable so distinctively grand and pronounced elixirs exemplifi es the fi rst half of my theory we Americans are not known for our subtlety (To be fair the Chinese are
signifi cant Bordeaux collectors as well)
Philosophy aside Bordeaux is quite a large region that produces beautiful white and red values as well as the rare fi nds out of the populacersquos price range Herersquos the skinny Blending is the game single varietal wines are rare White Bordeaux is typically made from a blend of sauvignon blanc and seacutemillon and sometimes a drop or two of muscadelle ugni blanc or colombard Reds are made primarily from the two cabernets plus merlot with small quantities of petit verdot malbec and carmenegravere occasionally in the mix Th e region is also home to the golden nectar of late ripened seacutemillon sauvignon blanc and muscadelle grapes that have successfully attracted the noble rot a fungus that covers the fruit and drains moisture from inside leaving behind rich sweet grapes without moldy fl avors Chateau drsquoYquem is the most famous of these unfortifi ed dessert wines though there are better bargains from the region
Bordeaux is split by the Gironde river which divides the region into three general areas Th e left bank also known as the Haut-Meacutedoc is where the classifi ed top growths are situated Th ese prestigious estates were named for their exceptional vineyard sites in 1855 a decision nearly unchanged since Today serious collectors invest in Bordeaux futures theoretically locking down lower prices of top
ample time to calm dit is Only in some vede Menuts Saint-Eacutem
fortune to taste a
Wherees
aun
of msignifi
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Follow Amy at pigandvinecom for morestories and wine suggestions
growth estates while the wine is still aging in the cellar Itrsquos the wine tradersquos equivalent to the NASDAQ On the right bank Saint-Eacutemilion and Pommerol are the prized vineyard areas known for their merlot heavy cuveacutees To the south west we fi nd Graves where there are many great values to be had in both white and red bottlings Entre-Deux-Mers which translates to ldquobetween two seasrdquo sits between the Dordogne and Garonne tributaries off the Gironde and is an excellent source for crisp whites
Get started on your Bordeaux experience with these values
Chateau Graville-Lacoste 2014 Graves 75 seacutemillon 20 sauvignon blanc and 5 muscadelle make up this beauty thatrsquos consistently delicious every vintage Crisp and refreshing great with seafood
Chateau Mirambeau 2014 GravesAnother classic blend of 40 sauvignon blanc 40 seacutemillon and 20 muscadelle this lovely white is a bit more fl oral than the Graville-Lacoste Easy drinking and great value
Chateau de Parenchegravere Bordeaux Rouge 201155 merlot 30 cabernet sauvignon and 15 cabernet franc grown in clay heavy soils similar to the right bank of the region Fleshy with good structure and abundant red fruit
Chateau Arnaud Bordeaux Supeacuterieur 2011Supeacuterieur on a Bordeaux label isnrsquot egotistical marketingmdashby law it indicates a wine with up to one degree more alcohol than its AC Bordeaux brethren What it really means is one more degree of body structure and in this case quality Approachable delicious and easy on the wallet
Chateau de Bernadotte Haut-Meacutedoc 2005Th e 2005 vintage in Bordeaux is in the history books with double asterisks Owned by the eminent Pichon Lalande family and made from vineyards in Paulliac one of the more choice growing areas in the region this is an incredible value a top tier Bordeaux for a fraction of the cost
Chateau de Suduiraut Sauternes 2011Ripe cantaloupe apricot and honey and an interesting smoky note with a solid sweet attack followed by great acidity A dessert wine that wonrsquot overpower the dessert
94 raquo parting shot raquo Patrick Hood
Meet Solvar
Solvar belongs to one of the worldrsquos oldest and purest equine lineages the Nor-
wegian Fjord horse a breed that has remained virtually unchanged for more than
2000 yearsmdashlong before we became acquainted with his animated cousins in
the movie Frozen Th ese national symbols of Norway are characterized by primi-
tive zebra striping on their legs and a dorsal stripe running from forelock to tail
resulting in a striking two-tone mane that sticks up like a Mohawk Th eir athleti-
cism agility and dependability make them valuable both as sport horses as well
as therapy horses for emotionally and physically challenged adults and children
Catie Wells of Huntsville is the proud owner of Solvar who resides at Monte
Sano Stables
For tickets or information 256-539-4818 or hsoorg
Bring In the New Year With Us
presents
WHAT A WONDERFUL
WORLDA tribute to Louis
Armstrong featuring the
Byron Stripling Quartet
Thursday December 31
730 pm bull Pops Series bullMark C Smith
Concert Hall VBC
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
M O R E T H A N 7 0 S H O P S A N D R E S T A U R A N T S I N C L U D I N G B E L K | D S W S H O E S | A P P L E J O S A B A N K | R E E D S J E W E L E R S | PA N D O R A | J C R E W | K AT E S PA D E N E W Y O R KO R V I S | B A N A N A R E P U B L I C | M I C H A E L K O R S | F R A N C E S C Arsquo S | A N T H R O P O L O G I EH amp M | S O M A | M O U N T A I N H I G H O U T F I T T E R S | B A R N E S amp N O B L E | S E P H O R AALTAR rsquoD STATE | CONNORS STEAK amp SEFOOD | THE WEST IN HUNTSV I L L E | MONACO P ICTURES
C O M I N G S O O N V E R S O N A ndash near Belk
B R I D G E S T R E E T H U N T S V I L L E C O M |
BR IDGE STREET TOWN CENTRE I S LOCATED AT EX I T 14 OFF I - 565 AT OLD MAD ISON P IKE
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Th ePERFECT HOLIDAY DINNER
Fried Brussels Sprouts with Coriander Greek Yogurt Sauce
Mezza Luna
ldquoI chose to do the turkey this way because itrsquos a diff erent approach Th e challenge of roasting a whole turkey is that the white and dark meat cook at diff erent speeds By separating the two you can cook each for its own proper cooking timerdquo mdashChef Steven Bunner
ldquoBrussels sprouts have had a bad rap Th e fi rst time most people encounter them theyrsquore overcooked mushy and served plain Th atrsquos a shame because theyrsquore nutritional powerhouses and because theyrsquore a fall crop at their best during the holiday seasonrdquo mdashJohn
Roast Turkey Breast and Dark Meat Roulade Served with Pecan Pesto
1892 East(256) 489-1242
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Between now and the end of the year take advantage of cost reductions on three popular proceduresmdashand begin 2016 with new confidence
bull SAVE BIG on breast augmentationOur saline price is $700 off and our silicone price is $900 off cash price only Schedule your initial consultation by December 31 2015 to lock in your price and the procedure must take place by March 31 2016
bull FULL-FACIAL LASER is $1500 Cash price only Initial consultation must occur before December 31 2015 and the procedure must be done by March 31 2016
bull WEEKEND Eribium Laser PEEL is Buy ThreeGet One Free Save $400 on our regular $1600 cash price by scheduling your initial consultation by December 31 2015
Look better - feel better - and save money Itrsquos time to get more for less
Dr Russell Jennings203 Avalon Ave Suite 300
Muscle Shoals AL 35661
Phone(256) 386-1450jenningsplasticsurgerycom
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Th ePERFECT HOLIDAY DINNER
Nutella CheesecakeMason Dixon Bakery amp Bistro(256) 213-7545
ldquoTh is is one of our favorite desserts for a holiday and for every day Th e rich and creamy cake melts like ice cream in your mouth the smoothness of the fi lling balances perfectly with the crunchiness of the crust and the delicate hints of the swirled Nutella are divinerdquo mdashCo-owners Chef Ashley and Taylor Ramirez
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Emily Taylor5510 Promenade Point Pkwy Suite 160Madison AL 35757256-430-2781
I can help you
your own wayGROW
1114-519HO
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
produced by aissa castillo and lauren mccaulphotos by lauren tomasella carney
clothing modeled by aaron petersen rachel smith anne harbargerand kait barinaga (for finery)
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Meet the Shop Girls The mission To search Valley shops and boutiques
for the fi nest in Yuletide treasures
Accepting the challenge three of Huntsvillersquos most original and creative taste-makers
Say hello to NorsquoAla Shop Girls Aissa Castillo Lauren McCaul and Lauren Tomasella CarneyDuring the day these mild-mannered professionals tend to demanding careers in design
retail management and photography But evenings and weekends theyrsquore out saving the world from uninspiring fashion and decor as style superheroes
Their picks for the very best gift ideas follow For ideas and inspiration year-round
stay in-the-know by following our Shop Girls on social media
Lauren McCaul deptofagraculturecom Instagram dept_of_agra_cultureAissa Castillo aislerchiccom Instagram aislerchic
Lauren Tomasella Carney laurentomasellacom Instagram laurentomasella
And as you shop for your own Christmas treasures this season please remember to spread your cheermdashand your dollarsmdashat home
(1) Amanda Uprichard Jacket ($248)(2) BCBG Dress ($228)(3) Zoa Dress ($128)Personal Couture Boutique(256) 508-5632
(4) Dress ($168)Anthropologie(256) 327-8470
(5) Olive + Oak Oatmeal Shawl ($72)(10) Simply Noelle Zipper Gusset Bag ($5999)House of Holland(256) 206-8989
(6) One-of-a-kind Eva Ziegler Agate and Pyrite Necklace ($397)(8) Eva Ziegler Freshwater Pearl Strand ($501)Eva Ziegler Jewelryevazieglercom
(9) Gift Set ($5995)Piper amp LeafPiperandleafcom
(7) Long Horn Necklace ($68)Personal Couture Boutique(256) 508-5632
Left to right Lauren Tomasella Carney
Lauren McCaul and Aissa Castillo
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
On himFilson Shirt ($98) Filson Jacket ($320)Yeti Cooler ($34999)Alabama Outdoors(256)-885-3561
On herPPLA Vest ($7999)PPLA Dress ($7499)Bedstu Boots ($295)Indigorsquos Boutique(256) 345-6348
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) Woolly Mammoth Tooth 4rdquo Damascus Linerlock Knife ($150)(2) Cardboard Safari Bucky Cardboard Deer Head ($30)(3) Curt Benzle Porcelain Compass ($15)Little Green Store and Gallery (256) 539-9699
(4) Hunting Journal ($32)Sweet Pineapple(256) 964-7563
(5) Yeti Colster ($2999)Alabama Outdoors(256)-885-3561
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
(1) Yellow House Handcrafted Beard Oils ($18 ea)Yellow House Beard Oilsyellowhousebeards com (2) Mustache amp Beard Comb ($16)Little Green Store and Gallery (256) 539-9699 (3) Latika Body Essentials Charcoal Liquid Soap ($18)(4) Latika Body Essentials Charcoal Bar Soap ($6) (5) Rustico Leather Key Chain ($18) Sweet Pineapple(256) 964-7563
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) Wood Thumb Tie ($44) (2) Slightly Alabama iPad Case ($250) (3) DockSmith Driftwood iPhone Docking Station ($68) Little Green Storeand Gallery (256) 539-9699 (4) Loyal Stricklin Aviator Mug ($35)Domaine South(256) 808-8860 (5) Would You Be a Deer Notepad ($9) Sweet Pineapple(256) 964-7563
(6) Filson Satchel ($265) Alabama Outdoors(256)-885-3561
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
When itrsquos time to move into a bigger house get a home loan from the bank thatrsquos had a home right here for generations You might say we know a thing about location location location synovuscommortgage
Banking products are provided by Synovus Bank Member FDIC Divisions of Synovus Bank operate under multiple trade names across the Southeast Loans products subject to credit approval
When itrsquos time to move into a bigger house get a home
Here is where Henry learned hersquod be getting
SERVING YOU LOCALLY AS
2565513300 | fcb-hsvcom
his own room
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) Spiritual GangsterTank ($36)(2) Luquido Yoga Pants ($90)(3) MZ Wallace Metro Tote ($245)(4) Vimmia V back Sweatshirt ($96)(5) Onzie Sports Bra ($48)(6) Olympia Yoga Pants ($96)(7) bkr Water Bottle ($30)The Fitzgerald Pilates amp Barre(256) 603-1886
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
(1) Gypsy Pant WarmTribal ($72) (2) Berry High Waist Legging ($88) (3) Long Legging Mathematics ($65) (4) Long Legging Peacock ($65) The FitzgeraldPilates amp Barre(256) 603-1886
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) Jane Tran Hair Clips ($15)(2) bkr Water Bottle ($30)(3) well-kept Tech Wipes ($6)(4) Made with Love Bracelets ($25)(5) Pointe Studio Socks ($12)(6) Bando Too Cold to Hold Coozie ($5)The Fitzgerald Pilates amp Barre(256) 603-1886
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
(1) Shop Bando Coff ee Cup ($14)(2) Shop Bando Pens ($14) (3) Shop Bando Pouch ($26) (4) Shop Bando Coin Purse ($20) The FitzgeraldPilates amp Barre(256) 603-1886
(5) Check Things Off Notepad ($16)(6) Hello From Huntsville Stamp ($12)Salt + Paperie(256) 655-5550
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) Muzzle Loaders Chocolate Bourbon Balls ($1999) (2) Vintage Crystal Decanter ($20) (3) Quench Glassware ($1399) Domaine South(256) 808-8860
(4) The Hella Bitters Old Fashioned Kit ($65)(5) American Bar by Charles Schumann ($2495) Little Green Storeand Gallery (256) 539-9699
(6) Julep Cups ($50)Willowbrook Shoppe (256) 270-7181
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom | novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) DECCO Umbrella in a Bottle ($1995)(2) Alexa Pulitzer Stationery Set ($14 ea)(3) Ikat Scarf ($6250)Huntsville Museumof Art(256) 535-4350
(4) Emily Ley Grace Journal ($32) (5) Sugar Boo Designs Clutch ($18) (6) Emily Ley Daily Planner ($58) (7) Latika Milk ampHoney Bar ($6) (8) Farm House Fresh Shea Butter Hand Cream ($14) (9) Christen MaxwellZippy ($42) (10) Green Tea Bubble Bath ($32) Sweet Pineapple(256) 964-7563 (11) Goal Getter Cuff ($32)Indigorsquos Boutique(256) 345-6348
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
(1) Kilim Pillow ($58) (2) Bejeweled Silver Plate Vase ($144) (3) Bone Clad Box ($375)Willowbrook Shoppe (256) 270-7181
(4) Cowhide Rug ($550)(5) Lucyrsquos Locket ($95) (Original piecemdashselection may vary)Sweet Pineapple(256) 964-7563 (6) Clutch ($65)Department of Agra Culturedeptofagraculturecom
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) Above The Bar Antler on Chain 28rdquo ($3999) (2) Above The Bar Deer wAntler Head 18rdquo ($2999) Indigorsquos Boutique(256) 345-6348
(3) Margaret Solow Labradorite18KT Bezel ($290) (4) Margaret Solow Diamond Crest MoonSilver ($460) (5) Margaret Solow Black Spinel + DiamondSilver ($560) (6) Margaret Solow Double Black Spinel18KT ($260)Little Green Store and Gallery (256) 539-9699
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
(1) Margaret Solow Grey Moonstoon18KT Necklace ($240) (2) Margaret Solow OpalDiamond Mosaic Necklace ($610) Little Green Storeand Gallery (256) 539-9699
(3) One-of-a-kind Eva Ziegler Smokey Quartz and Pyrite Necklace ($406)Eva Ziegler Jewelryevazieglercom
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) Jennifer BehrTurban ($625)(2) Cotton Day Dress ($64)(3) Norma Ishak Cardigan ($375)Finery(256) 429-3429
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) The Lion Sleeps Tonight Bath Bomb ($6) Sweet Pineapple(256) 964-7563
(2) Tiger Jelly Cat ($2250)(3) Dog Tag Teether ($1550)(4) Dinosaur Footie ($3595)Honey B Boutique(256) 503-2853
(5) Young Buck ($25)Tiny Vinestinyvinesshopcom
(6) Bib Set ($13)Huntsville Museumof Art(256) 535-4350
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
(1) Tiny Dancer Bath Bomb ($6)Sweet Pineapple(256) 964-7563
(2) Kickee Mammoth Footie ($3595)(3) Noodle amp Boo Essential Care Kit ($18)(4) Elephant Jelly Cat ($2250)Honey B Boutique(256) 503-2853
(5) ArtFolio Pink Elephant Coloring Tote ($17)Huntsville Museumof Art(256) 535-4350
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) Bib Set ($13)Huntsville Museumof Art(256) 535-4350 (2) Little Light ($25)Tiny Vinestinyvinesshopcom (3) Micro Leon Cardboard Lion ($30)Little Green Storeand Gallery (256) 539-9699 (4) I Love You Like Biscuits amp Gravy ($23)Domaine South(256) 808-8860
(5) Kickee Kimono ($4295)Honey B Boutique(256) 503-2853
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
SURPRISEA LOVED ONE
THIS HOLIDAY SEASON
WITH A FOREVER GIFT
HobbsJewelerscom 8772331347Parkway Place Mall
HuntsvilleHwy 72 West
AthensMain Street
Ardmore TN
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Caftan ($75)Sarah Richey Necklace ($350)Finery(256) 429-3429
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
(1) Chewbead Necklace ($3495)(2) Mayoral Baby Bag ($7995)(3) Mayoral Diaper Changing Pad ($2495)(4) Nursing Scarf ($2695) (5) Kickee Swaddling Blanket ($22)Honey B Boutique(256) 503-2853 (6) Lucy Darling Months Sticker ($25) (7) The Story of You Baby Book by Emily Ley ($62) Sweet Pineapple(256) 964-7563
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) Alwand Vahan 14K Gold and Onyx Ring wDiamond Accent ($2595)(2) Alwand Vanan 14K Gold and Onyx Bracelet wDiamond Accent ($2695)Hobbs Jewelers(877) 233-1347
(3) Britt Ryan Dress ($288)Personal Couture Boutique(256) 508-5632
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) Rocket Cosmos Mug ($13)Huntsville Museumof Art(256) 535-4350
(2) Loose Leaf Tea ($399)Piper amp Leaf piperandleafcom (3) Judy Jackson Tea Pot ($56) (4) Gary Watson Cherry Cutting Board ($48-$68) (5) Susan Coe Birthday Cake Plate ($33) Little Green Storeand Gallery (256) 539-9699 (6) Macarons ($116 pcs $221 dozen)Whisk Small Treats Bakery(256) 656-1027
(7) Truffl es ($185 each)Pizellersquos Confections (256) 513-9745 (8) Olive amp Sinclair Chocolate ($799)Domaine South(256) 808-8860
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
(1) Whisk Note Pad ($8) (2) In the Forest Mixing Bowl ($36) (3) Twig Serving Set ($18)(8) Southern Firefl y Candle ($12)Sweet Pineapple(256) 964-7563
(4) Urchin Bowl ($10)(5) Foodie Dice ($38)(6) 1Canoe2 Wood Recipe Box w Recipe Cards ($6999) Domaine South(256) 808-8860 (7) Growlers ($75 small $95 large)Southern Growlersoutherngrowlercom
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novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Guadalupe Robinson
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
text by jennifer crossley howard raquo photos by patrick hood
Of Deft and Dirty Hands
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Huntsville potter Guadalupe Lanning Robinson has spent more than 36 years mastering the
marriage of clay texture and geometric design into her pottery yet time has done little to temper the
plight of waiting
ldquoIt is hard for me to let a pot just dryrdquo she says motioning toward fi ve small wet pots sitting near her
pottery wheel ldquoIrsquom as excited to do this as I was 30 years agordquo
To observe her studio at Lowe Mill that is easy to believe Located on the corridor outside the textile
mill-turned-art centerrsquos main building the loft-like space with a corrugated tin roof feels like a place a
Gabriel Garcia Marquez character would enjoy daydreaming
Sienna-hued pottery sits in various stages to be fi red layered and etched Argentinian tango music
streams from Robinsonrsquos iPhone and two cockatiels a parrot and a parakeet chirp from their cages All
except the parrot fl y freely when Robinson is working
Robinson who is 61 made her fi rst pot in 1979 in her native Mexico City Almost four decades later her
work is part of permanent museum collections in Auburn Huntsville Tuscumbia and Tupelo Missis-
sippi She regularly enters her work in respected juried shows such as the Monte Sano Arts Festival and
the Kentuck Festival of the Arts in Northport and has received two Alabama State Council on the Arts
individual artist fellowships
Her inspiration draws from the villages around her native Mexico City such as the black pottery of
the northwest as well as her acquired Southern culture White lilies corn grids and round female
fi guresmdashldquoreally strong women who are in chargerdquo Robinson saysmdashreappear on her stoneware She uses
natural dyes indigo for color and mixes sand into clay for texture Nothing is wasted
ldquoI donrsquot waste any clayrdquo Robinson says ldquoEverything is recycledrdquo
Robinson fi nds solace in the 40-50 hours a week she puts in at the studio and the often tedious process
of making pots which can take from three weeks to six weeks for larger pots She usually works on two
or three pots at a time tending to groups at diff erent stages
After a pot is thrown on a wheel a piece can take days to dry before its fi rst bisque fi re in which tem-
peratures rise to 1800 F After baking for nine hours the kiln must cool Th e second fi ring rises to 2150
F and matures the clay and melts the glazes to strengthen the piece
ldquoI am an effi cient person by naturerdquo Robinson says ldquoWaiting for the kiln to cool down enough to open
can be nerve wracking and this is when my patience is usually put to the testrdquo
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
ldquoIt is hard for me to let a pot just dry Irsquom as excited to do this as I was 30 years agordquo
Robinson makes most of her pots on a wheel using oxides to change the color of clay she gets from Nashville and Pittsburgh Her pottery takes several weeks from start to fi nish depending on how large a pot is and how many she makes at a time
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
ldquoAttend to your childrenrsquos needs fi rst keep focus on what you want to douse the happiness joy and little breaks you get to make your artTh ey grow real fast and they will keep inspiring you all your liferdquo
Robinson imagined this bat-like design as she was working She usually begins a piece with a design in mind but that often evolves
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Robinson uses an overlay of liquid clay called engobemdashthat includes three to four layersmdashto create a
base on which to design
Th ere is high risk in making pottery and hours of work can be wasted on a pot that has not dried en-
tirely before it enters the kiln Air pockets or the wrong mixture of chemicals can ruin a piece
ldquoArt is involved but science is toordquo says Laura Smith director of education at the Huntsville Museum
of Art where Robinson has taught pottery classes ldquoItrsquos more labor intensive in terms of working with
the medium whether yoursquore building by hand or with a wheel until you fi re with the fi nal layer of glazerdquo
Th e result is sturdy pottery
ldquoI want my pots to look like something that is lasting a long timerdquo Robinson says
Th ough she works solitarily in her studio she says she does not get lonely Her birds and music keep her
company and each stage of pottery making has a soundtrack She uses needlepoint tools to draw onto
clay to Jose Feliciano and other Latin American musicians
ldquoIf Irsquom at the wheel Bruno Marsrdquo she says ldquoIf Irsquom unloading the kiln and something is really awesome
then I need something moving and I have on Motownrdquo
Robinsonrsquos years of experience minimize the risk of damaged pots but she says her greatest challenge
as a potter was balancing her work while raising her two children Now adults their candid childhood
pictures and those of her grandchildren cover the warm green walls of her studio
She met her husband the poet James Robinson in 1977 on a Greyhound bus when she returned to
Mexico City from visiting a friend at the University of Southern Mississippi He was heading to Mexico
to study at a university Th ey married six months later After giving birth to her daughter Annie Jane in
Mexico City in 1982 the family moved to Huntsville in 1985 Th at is when Robinson got more serious
about her pottery
ldquoFrom the very beginning when I moved to Alabama I knew I was going to have to do thisrdquo she said
ldquoIn some ways it was a way for me to keep connected to my heritagerdquo
She took even 15 minutes of free time to work in the studio behind her home and worked late into the
night while her daughter and son Isidoro born in 1987 slept Having a home studio allowed her to
wash clothes tend to her home and drop off lunches at school while maintaining her art
ldquoTh ere was something for me when I fi rst became a mother that fueled my creativityrdquo Robinson says
ldquoTh ey are such a social inspiration too It fi lls your liferdquo
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Robinson advises fellow artists who are mothers to seize
both roles but to prioritize motherhood
ldquoAttend to your childrenrsquos needs fi rst keep focus on what you
want to do use the happiness joy and little breaks you get
to make your artrdquo she says ldquoTh ey grow real fast and they will
keep inspiring you all your liferdquo
Anna Sue Courtney director of the Flying Monkey Arts
Center at Lowe Mill has known Robinson for more than
10 years She says she admires how mothers and artists like
Robinson seamlessly embrace both roles
ldquoIt seems therersquos not a separation between creating and rais-
ing childrenrdquo Courtney says ldquoTh ey seem to pull from the
same placerdquo
Part of Robinsonrsquos motivation at Lowe Mill comes from
working privately in a studio alongside other artists that fos-
ters a community of feedback and ideas
ldquoItrsquos nice to be here because you can take a break and walk around and get inspirationrdquo Courtney says
ldquoItrsquos refreshingrdquo
When she needs a break from the studio Robinson stays home to sketch designs for a day or two then
she is back in the studio
Trips twice a year to Mexico City keep her plugged in to her native culture which in turn shows up in
her pottery
ldquoI have to recharge myselfrdquo Robinson says ldquoI love Huntsville and loved raising my kids here but I still
have the need of going back to be recharged and smell all the smells and see all the colors and get on
the subway and be pushed aroundrdquo
Details from her trips that infl uence her work include the ever-present red that covers the city during
the celebration of Dia de los Muertos or the Day of the Dead Th e pyramids of Teotihuacan conjure
warm earth tones and fl oating gardens around the city yield sweet pungent calla lilies and carnations
Celebration of food tough women and nature reappear in her pottery qualities that both Southern and
Mexican cultures treasure
Above This daisy design is character-istic of Robinsonrsquos work Nature food and strong females from her native Mexico City and the South are strong creative infl uences
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Clockwise from top left Robinson often glazes only the inside of her pots so they can hold water and food She began quilting in 2002 and her quilts like her pottery contain earth tones and natural infl uences in their design Four birds keep Robinson company in what can be the isolating medium of pottery making Geometry and symmetry are two signature elements in Robinsonrsquos work according to Laura Smith director of education at the Huntsville Museum of Art
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Just as she keeps her home country close to her heart Robinson is loyal to her fi rst
love of pottery though she began making quilts in 2002
ldquoIrsquom a potter who likes to quiltrdquo she says
Like her pottery her quilting follows designs of organic nature such as fl owers and
crops on rich jewel tone cotton
ldquoWhen I fi rst saw one of her quilts I didnrsquot realize it was hers and I thought that
looks like it should be Guadalupersquos quiltrdquo Courtney says
Robinson prefers the immediate gratifi cation of clay
ldquoItrsquos a very responsive mediumrdquo she says ldquoYou can manipulate it Th e fact of mak-
ing something out of dirt out of nothing and making it durable making it perma-
nent that after going through the heat and maturing is something very excitingrdquo
She gently dings a pot covered with white dresses titled ldquoTehuana Dressrdquo to make
her point
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
887 FM Muscle Shoals bull 1007 FM Huntsvillewwwaprorg
News classicalmusic and more
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
copy Patrick Hood
text by sara wright covington raquo photos by jacki gil
patrick hood erin lindsey and michelle odom
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
copy Patrick Hood
ldquoA LOT OF PEOPLE HAD BEEN ASKING ME QUESTIONS ABOUTHOW I GOT MY BUSINESS STARTED I WANTED TO GATHER SOME PEOPLE AROUND ME
WHO WERE GOING THROUGH THOSE STRUGGLES AND TOBUILD ENTREPRENEURIAL COURAGErdquo
JACKI GIL SALT+PAPERIE
copy Patrick Hood
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
untsville-born Jacki Gil began her paper design busi-
ness Salt+Paperie in 2014 with an expansive vision
in mind one that extended beyond creating beautiful
custom designed paper goods ldquoI love my design job
but when Irsquom 50 years old I donrsquot see myself still de-
signing wedding invitationsrdquo the master stationer says
ldquoI really have a passion for teaching and helping people
I want to be a mentorrdquo
In 2015 Gil set out on her mentoring mission sooner than expected with a series
of workshops called Encourage Huntsville ldquoA lot of people had been asking me
questions about how I got my business startedrdquo Gil says about the early days of
Salt+Paperie Even though most of those questions from entrepreneurial-hopefuls
were technicalmdashlike how to apply for a business licensemdashthey served as inspira-
tion for Gil ldquoI wanted to gather some people around me who were going through
those struggles and to build entrepreneurial courage I defi nitely saw that there
was a need for helping people to take that next step toward owning their own
businessesrdquo
Encourage Huntsville was modeled on the image of a growing small business
movement called the Rising Tide Society a national community of creative small
business owners who encourage ldquocommunity over competitionrdquo Th at spirit of
openness is at the heart of Encourage Huntsville ldquoCommunity over competition
is a huge part of what we are doingrdquo says Gil ldquoSmall business owners sharing how
they earn their money is a big dealrdquo
As a fi rst step Gil gathered others around her who were using their skills and abili-
ties to make their own small businesses work With talents ranging from cooking
and cake decorating to hand lettering and artwork these small business owners
all embraced Gilrsquos vision for imparting to others the knowledge of their craft un-
impeded by a fear of losing their competitive edge
Th e fi rst lesson Gil wanted to impart to Encourage Huntsvillersquos students wasnrsquot
necessarily a particular craft or skill but a spirt of creative confi dence ldquoWe want-
ed to bridge the gap between the very artsy community and the ultimate engineer
communityrdquo many of whom Gil observes had been told since childhood they
werenrsquot artistic ldquoWhen you are little and someone tells you that you donrsquot have a
talent it sticks with you I found that a lot of people had that experience so that
was the workshop partmdashto build some creative courage in this communityrdquo
Gil conducted the fi rst workshop herself testing the waters to see how the concept
would be received Th e admission price to that fi rst workshop included supplies a
take-home ldquogoody bagrdquo to help students continue their work extracurricularly and
refreshmentsmdashas well as Gilrsquos tips of her trade
ldquoWe went in blindly not knowing if we had a market or notrdquo says Gil Th e popular-
ity of that fi rst class proved undeniably that a market did in fact exist the work-
shop sold out in one day ldquoSo we did back-to-back workshopsrdquo Gil says ldquoAfter that
novemberdecembeeer eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee | nononoononononononoonoonononooooonoonoonnononnoaaalalalllaallllllalaalaaalal ststustust ddiossscom mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm | | | | | | | | | | |
f
w
y
Previous page Encourage Huntsvillersquos founder and instructor Jacki Gil teaches a class in hand lettering Facing page A participant studies her supply list
we realized people really want to do this stuff So we said lsquoletrsquos jump on the boat
and make this happenrsquordquo
Gilrsquos longtime friend photographer Erin Lindsey of Erin Lindsey Images agreed
to contribute to Encourage Huntsvillersquos curriculum by teaching a photography
class ldquoJacki and I are a good team because our hearts are in the same place when
it comes to encouraging othersrdquo Lindsey says Still she admits saying yes to teach-
ing wasnrsquot without some initial hesitation ldquoWhen Jacki asked if I would teach a
class it was kind of scary I thought I had to be perfect before I could teach oth-
ersrdquo Lindsey says of her initial hesitancy ldquoBut after talking to Jacki I realized none
of us are perfectrdquo But perfection isnrsquot the goal encouragement is the goal ldquoAnd I
thought lsquoI can defi nitely line up with that visionrsquordquo
Michelle Odom another Huntsville native and owner of custom cake bakery Just
Crumbs was also on board with Gilrsquos vision In fact Odom had been contemplat-
ing teaching a class when she was approached by Gil to teach a fondant basics
class ldquoHuntsville is such an engineer town and everyone is so mathematical and
scientifi crdquo Odom says echoing the dichotomy between the arts and sciences ex-
pressed by Gil ldquoTh ese workshops are just a very cool way for structured people to
have a creative outletrdquo
ldquoJACKI AND I ARE A GOOD TEAM BECAUSE OUR HEARTS ARE INTHE SAME PLACE WHEN IT COMES TO ENCOURAGING OTHERSrdquo
ERIN LINDSEY ERIN LINDSEY IMAGES
copy Erin Lindsey
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Above A participant in Erin Lindseyrsquos photo class frames a still life
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
copy Erin Lindsey
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
ldquoHUNTSVILLE IS SUCH AN ENGINEER TOWN AND EVERYONE ISSO MATHEMATICAL AND SCIENTIFIC THESE WORKSHOPS ARE JUST A VERY COOL
WAY FOR STRUCTURED PEOPLE TO HAVE A CREATIVE OUTLETrdquo MICHELLE ODOM JUST CRUMBS
copy Michelle Odom
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
ldquoAnd yesrdquo Odom acknowledges ldquoyou are in theory teaching your competition But
at the same time you are helping the community be more creativerdquo
With its roster of popular creative workshops under its belt Encourage Huntsville
has added business classes to its community-over-competition curriculum with
classes designed to provide specifi c guidance for small business owners ldquoAll of
our events that donrsquot require hands-on work we call seminarsrdquo says Gil ldquoWe had
about 15 people at our fi rst one It was pretty much just an open discussion to ask
us questions and get answers from the perspective of a small business ownerrdquo
Th e seminars enjoyed the same success and enthusiasm as the workshops ldquoWe
had two hours for people to ask questionsrdquo Gil says Topics covered ran the gamut
from scheduling daily tasks self-hosting a website or using an Etsy store man-
aging client expectations and being realistic about how much time you need to
complete jobs
ldquoTh e time went quickly and people wanted morerdquo says Gil who envisions an all-
day seminar in 2016
Margaret Baggett owner and executive chef of the Chef Next Door is another
small business owner who has shared Gilrsquos vision from the very beginning teach-
copy Erin Lindsey
Facing page Michelle Odomrsquos fondant basics class begins with a styrofoam cake form Above Newbie photographers familiarize themselves with their cameras in Erin Lindseyrsquos photography class
ing knife skills workshops and helping host the business seminars ldquoI am so proud
to get to be a part of this project and help nurture other small business owners
who may just be starting out on their journey or are deep in it and looking for
some encouragement from other business ownersrdquo Baggett says of what motivates
her participation in Encourage Huntsville ldquoEven being on the advice-giving side
of things I am still learning and have taken tips and tricks and lessons from each
event we have had so far We never stop learning from each other and never stop
improving upon our craftsrdquo
Th e mutual growth among students and teachers is the source of the encourage-
mentmdashand the joymdashof Encourage Huntsville ldquoItrsquos so much fun to see the light
bulbs go off with people and see them encouraged right before your eyesrdquo Lindsey
says of her experience with the program ldquoPlus itrsquos a pleasure to contribute to a
sense of community over competition Th at whole concept is so rarerdquo
As Encourage Huntsvillersquos following continues to grow the diversity of the work-
shops will expand as well Whether you are looking to spend a fun afternoon
learning a new craft or are a budding small business owner hoping to launch
your brand Encourage Huntsville has something valuable to off er ldquoWe encourage
those left-brain folks to take up a new hobby or skillrdquo Baggett says ldquoor just encour-
age the people of Huntsville to get together and fan their creative fl amesrdquo
If yoursquore looking for
creative or entrepreneurial
encouragement visit
encouragehuntsvillecom
for seminar and workshop
schedules and information
ldquoI AM SO PROUD TO GET TO BE A PART OF THIS PROJECT AND HELP NURTURE OTHER SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS WHO MAY JUST BE STARTING OUT ON THEIR JOURNEY OR ARE DEEP IN IT
AND LOOKING FOR SOME ENCOURAGEMENT FROM OTHER BUSINESS OWNERSrdquoMARGARET BAGGETT CHEF NEXT DOOR
copy Jacki Gil
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
copy Jacki Gil
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Participants in Margaret Baggettrsquos knife skills workshop learn to perfect their ldquomise en placerdquo
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
copy Olivia Reed
text by sara wright covington raquo photos by olivia reed and jeff white
HUNTSVILLErsquoS
HOMEGROWNHOSTESS
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
ttttttononononoooooonononooooo raquo praquo praquo praquo praquo phothothothothotosoososos s s osos bybybbybb
Any host will tell you that delicious food and quality libations while important to
a partyrsquos success are secondary to the most important ingredient of all the guest list Th atrsquos why many
of downtown Huntsvillersquos most popular restaurants breweries and wine shops are turning to event
planner Ashley Ryals and her uncanny knack for attracting loyal patronsmdashand creating unforgettable
events in the process
When Huntsville born-and-bred Ashley Ryals left for college at the University of Alabama in 2001
she thought her exit from the Valley was permanent ldquoI never thought I would end up back hererdquo the
founder of event planning company Homegrown Huntsville says with a knowing laugh But after a few
post-graduate years working for world-renowned public relations powerhouse Weber Shandwick in
New York City Ryals started to second guess her freshman declaration
ldquoI started to get homesickrdquo she admits ldquoAll of my friends were getting married and meeting for football
games and I was missing itrdquo So when a friend from home set up an interview at EarlyWorks for a job
doing event planning Ryals jumped at the chance to come home
Ashley spent the next few years planning EarlyWorks Whistle Stop and Santarsquos Village events A brief
stint in sales followed along with a seat on the board of Huntsville Young Professionals where she had
an idea for a downtown pub crawl
ldquoWe expected 20 or 30 peoplerdquo Ryals says of their modest expectations ldquoBut 200 people showed uprdquo
Th at initial success convinced Ryals to embark on her dream of establishing an
event planning company But it wasnrsquot just any event planning company Ryals
had in mind she envisioned one that would collaborate with local businesses
cultivate signature events for the community to enjoy and support small busi-
nesses in the process
Inspired Ryals left her sales job and for the second time in her life came home
again to event planning and Homegrown Huntsville
To help bring her vision to life Ryals collaborated with designer Adrianne Van
Kirk of Fave Creative ldquoAdrianne has been a part of the visual and branding of
Homegrown from the beginning We come up with the event ideas then I get
the ticketing and sales together and she comes back with a logo and the mar-
keting for the event And thatrsquos how it all comes togetherrdquo Ryals says of their
creative process
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
ASHLEY RYALS
copy Olivia Reed
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
ldquoMOST WINE FESTIVALS ACROSS THE COUNTRY HAVE PROVEN RECORDS OF BEING ABLE TO STAY AROUND 15 OR 20 YEARS OR EVEN LONGER AND THE ECONOMIES OF THOSE
CITIES HAVE REALLY GROWN AS A RESULT I WANT BIG SPRING CRUSH TO EVENTUALLY BE THE BIGGEST AND BEST WINE FESTIVAL IN THE STATE OF ALABAMArdquo ASHLEY RYALS
copy Jeff White
copy Jeff White
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
copy Olivia Reed
Homegrown launched in 2011 with what would become its
signature event Dine amp Dash Every second Wednesday
April through October a trolley shuttles patrons between
downtown establishments where they are served a drink
and appetizer before moving on to the next stop
Owner and executive chef Merle Phillips of Th e Eaves was
one of the fi rst restaurants to sign on for Dine amp Dashrsquos de-
but ldquoAshley came to me and said she was starting a trolley
tasting conceptrdquo says Chef Merle ldquoI didnrsquot really know her so
I was taking a chance on the concept she was sellingrdquo
Merle tried it and has been a loyal participant of Dine amp
Dash ever since
ldquoIt was a risk in the beginning but it defi nitely paid off rdquo Chef
Merle says of the experience Pivotal to that experience ac-
cording to Phillips is Ryalsrsquo demonstration to the commu-
nity just what the term ldquohomegrownrdquo really means ldquoAshley
shines a spotlight on independent businesses in a market-
place that has for so long focused on chainsrdquo Phillips says
ldquoDine amp Dash has really brought into sharp focus the inter-
esting culinary diversity that Huntsville has to off errdquo
For the next two years Homegrown Huntsville focused al-
most exclusively on Dine amp Dash which by the end of its fi rst
year included every single downtown restaurant But when
big changes began to appear on the downtown horizonmdash
new restaurants breweries and residential developmentsmdash
Ryalsrsquo instincts told her
the time had come to
introduce a new event
to the downtown cal-
endar
ldquoBeer Hop follows
the concept of Dine
amp Dashrdquo Ryals says of
Homegrownrsquos second
venture which began
in 2013 Each month a
trolley visits three dif-
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
BILL FOWLEROLD TOWN BEER
EXCHANGE
copy Olivia Reed
copy Olivia Reed
ferent breweries where patrons sample beers and enjoy food
from a variety of food trucks parked at each location
Bill Fowler managing partner of Old Town Beer Exchange
agreed to participate in Beer Hop on his very fi rst day of
business and credits Ryals with an overwhelmingly success-
ful opening night ldquoAshley said lsquoI can guarantee that you are
going to have wave after wave of people coming throughrsquordquo
Fowler says recalling that fi rst jittery occasion Once again
Ryals proved true to her word with 60-plus patrons arriving
in an hour-and-a-half ldquoIt was awesome and such a great ex-
perience for usrdquo Fowler raves ldquoAshley is a hard worker and
you can see that in what she doesrdquo
Fowler believes that in addition to bringing new customers
to OTBX Ryals is also cultivating beer education consis-
tently bringing in people who are new to beer and want to
learn And with Huntsvillersquos recent brewery boom that level
of education and interest is crucial for the brewing commu-
nity to thrive ldquoWe have a very small window of opportunityrdquo
says Fowler ldquoI think Huntsville in particular is becoming a
craft brewing community People are making money at this
and once Tennessee sees that we need to already have had a
pretty huge head startrdquo
By the end of 2013 and with standing events Beer Hop and
Dine amp Dash well established Ryals took time to refl ect on
her original goal for Homegrown Huntsville ldquoIn the back of
my head from day one I knew I wanted to do a wine festival
I just didnrsquot think Huntsville was ready for it in 2011rdquo
Emboldened by the success of Beer Hop Ryals decided to
make the leap with Big Spring Crush wine festival later the
same year Once again Ryals delivered the perfect audience
for the event and in the process discovered a surprising
fact about North Alabamarsquos contribution to the wine-mak-
ing industry
ldquoIn doing the wine festival I learned that we have a huge
wine community in Huntsvillerdquo Ryals says ldquoTh ere are only
about 47 certifi ed wine judges in the entire United States
and we have four of them right here in North Alabama Two
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
copy Jeff White
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
ldquoI STARTED TO GET HOMESICK ALL OF MY FRIENDS WERE GETTING MARRIEDAND MEETING FOR FOOTBALL GAMES AND I WAS MISSING ITrdquo ASHLEY RYALS
copy Jeff White
copy Jeff White
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
ldquoIT WAS AWESOME AND SUCH A GREAT EXPERIENCE FOR USrdquoBILL FOWLER OLD TOWN BEER EXCHANGE
copy Jeff White
copy Olivia Reed
of those four certifi ed wine judges sit on the committee for
Big Spring Crushrdquo
Matthew and Stephanie Mell had just opened Church Street
Wine Shop when they decided to participate in the fi rst Big
Spring Crush Like OTBXrsquos Robert Fowler the Mells credit
Ryals and Homegrown Huntsville for helping to introduce
their new enterprise to the community ldquoAshley has been in-
strumental in helping to bring us people who love and ap-
preciate winerdquo Stephanie Mell says ldquoShe was homegrown
here in Huntsville and she really gets the downtown area
and small businesses and that is so important to usrdquo
Big Spring Crush began with a bang featuring over 150
wines and attracting patrons from across the country
ldquoMost wine festivals across the country have proven records
of being able to stay around 15 or 20 years or even longerrdquo
Ryals says ldquoAnd the economies of those cities have really
grown as a result I want Big Spring Crush to eventually be
the biggest and best wine festival in the state of Alabamardquo
How does Ryals intend to make that dream come true ldquoBy
always keeping it fresh I want to have new marketing and
new things happening each yearrdquo
Ryalsrsquo formula of reinvention and expansion has successfully
led Homegrown Huntsville through fi ve years of success and
helped its events become community staples along the way In
the process Ryals is broadening more than just our image of
downtown Huntsville shersquos joining a class of creative entrepre-
neurs committed to expanding Huntsvillersquos reputation as more
than just a hub for the brightest scientifi c minds in America
ldquoWe have a big city of engineers and lawyers and itrsquos won-
derfulrdquo Ryals say ldquo But there is a whole artist and food cul-
ture here and there is so much growth I want us to have a
vibrant cool downtown area and I want for people to tell
their friends to come and visit and to see Huntsville for what
it is a city I loverdquo
If yoursquod like to participate in Homegrown Huntsville either
as a guest or a participating business visit homegrown-
huntsvillecom
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
copy Jeff White
I was years old and the year was At that time the city of Huntsville was inching toward the mountain to the east California Street was once the continental divide between the small town metropo-lis and the uncharted territories gingerly crossed by the real estate pioneers four score and some odd years prior Th is area became the new suburb as the city kept pushing onward toward Fagan Springs as if the reverberating booms of rocket testings were vibrating Hunstvillians away from its epicenter
From the front yard of our house on Owens Drive I could look to the rightmdashup the hill to the bend be-yond which the big houses stood on their rocky ledge pedestals and to the left where all the other houses that looked just like oursmdashfresh and newmdashrambled for what seemed like miles Th ose clean well-lit abodes all seemed the same and granted at my age I knew more about the pets that lived there than I did about the people who owned those manageable mortgages I came to realize that each was diff erent in a way that was permeated by voices smells and furnishings
It is a clicheacute to say that our lives were simpler then because that is just how the current era will be fondly referred to in the future but to a 5-year-old it is the simplicity that brought the joy Th e sixties will always be to me the beginning of the age of manufactured happiness Cheap clean and simple was what was strived for and what was easily obtained Plastic items were plentiful and pretty things could be bought with SampH Green Stamps A few coins in our pocket would transfer us into the most master of manipula-tors with us giving our all to convince our parents for a jaunt to Murdockrsquos for a holiday of wonderment joy and impatience as we would scour the shelves trying to get the most from our meager budget
Owens Drive was the fairly new thoroughfare from which the avenues of three-bedroom-ranchers fi ngered away at planned intervals Th is was the place where newlyweds started their lives homes and families Where girls with last names that had been in the town for generations would change them to those strange and exotic last names of the clean cut newcomers brought here for military purposes Where the housewives would preheat their pristine electric ovens trying to make cheese straws and biscuits that were just like their motherrsquos only to be frustrated as they were never quite the same and where the husbands would follow in their fatherrsquos footsteps by joining the Acme Club and hunting doves on the weekends
Th ere was a swimming pool Certainly not at our house Th e only private pool I remember as a child was one that my grandmother would take me to nestled between huge trees at someonersquos house on Adams Street I would swim with other children my age while our grandmothers chatted smoking cigarettes in cat-eyed anonymity whispering most of their stories so we wouldnrsquot be able to hear But between their
gasps and laughter we would listen hear and learn
Th e Blossomwood pool was a place of designated rules and the sound of bright whistlesmdashwith straight lines and distinctive colors of blue and green I can still feel the Coppertoned oiliness on the skin of the tanned lifeguard as she carried me from the deep end frightened after my fi rst attempt at solo-swimming She knew my name I had no idea who she was
On the other side of the pool was the school my older sister attended It had a style that mim-icked the poolmdashstraight lines cleanmdasha temple to orderliness and good manners It was with
awe that I once watched the young adults there some as old as eleven wind and dance their way around a sky-high fl agpolemdasheach with a diff erent color ribbon until the fi rst (and only) May Pole
I was privy to was completely dressed in its woven bright colors
90 raquo bless their hearts raquo Guy McClure Jr
Huntsville was a magical place for us tail-end baby boomers to grow upmdashbeyond the miracles of the escalator at Pizitz the smiling little lady on the tall stool at the register at Britlings There was a comfort level there that Irsquom not sure is in the minds of the 5-year-olds of today
cat-eyed agasps
Th s
aI w
THE COMFORTS OF BLOSSOMWOOD
In our world of red-bricked carported castles there was a def-inite division of generations Th e children ate separately from the parents went to school as our dads went to work enter-tained our neighborhood friends as quietly as possible and felt safe between our boundaries of Big Cove Road and Hermitage Street While we dined on our Chef Boy-Ar-Dee boxed pizza our parents busied themselves dressing in their dark colors getting ready for a late dinner at Boots having the scent of perfume and face powder trail my mother as she came into the kitchen looking for something with an intense purpose My father would smell of British Sterling and look just as he did when he went to work only happier Th ese nights meant something fun would happenmdashwe would have a babysitter
Babysitters were my introduction into what was and still seems cool Th ey were usually Huntsville High School teen-agers who would put on a show without even knowing it I would drink in their every move word and essence of style To me they were supermodelsmdashmovie starsmdasheven more fa-mous in my eyes than a television weatherman and almost as glamorous as the waitresses at the Waffl e House
Before they would tire of me and my sister and put us to bed they would include us in their world of music and knowledge which I thought was all-encompassing Suddenly our world of Th e Benny Carl Show and Fantasy Playhouse would seem trite and passeacute and we would catch a fl eeting glimpse into what would be in store for us when we too could stay up past 8 pm
Huntsville was a magical place for us tail-end baby boomers to grow upmdashbeyond the miracles of the escalator at Pizitz the smiling little lady on the tall stool at the register at Britlings and that bright colorful Maypole Th ere was a comfort level there that Irsquom not sure is in the minds of the 5-year-olds of todaymdashthe soothing sheltered lack of knowledge of why we were so lucky yet we didnrsquot even know that we were
In the other areas of our Huntsville there was poverty and ra-cial unrestmdashas there was and is in every city I was unaware People of color were always a part of my worldmdashmostly be-cause they had my attention and respect At our house there was Annie my grandmotherrsquos house was fi lled with the joys of Lula and out on the family farm there was strong and smiling Homer and large and huggable Rosamdashall just as much a part of my life as everyone else My life was good and they were instrumental in making it that way
What will the 5-year-olds of today who are lucky enough to be raised on those well-planned streets remember when they surpass their own 50 year mark It is a much more complex world now and there are diff erent concerns with daily changes of fear Youthful innocence is a prize that is encased without a lock Premature maturity is a viable threat and a constant fear But each night tucked in tight in a simple room sleeps tomor-rowrsquos adults who are having sweet dreamsmdashblanketed by the comforts of Blossomwood
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
92 raquo the vine raquo Amy C Collins
BORDEAUX POWER
Where Burgundyrsquos vineyards were established by Benedictine monks patiently growing wine vines with spiritual hearts Bordeauxrsquos vineyards were raised by entrepreneurial laymen who recognized the massive monetary opportunity when the English began drinking down their peasant wine
The city of Bordeaux is Francersquos primary port town on the Atlantic ocean a harbor that has for centuries served as the countryrsquos most important dock Th e regionrsquos history is long and storied with the fi rst written reference to the area dated 379 AD by the Latin poet Ausonius who was also a wine-grower Jump ahead to the year 1152 when Eleanor of Aquitaine married Englandrsquos soon-to-be king Henry Plantagenet and the port and surrounding vineyard land became the source of wine for the English a connection that remains strong even today
Bordeaux produces the worldrsquos most expensive and sought after collector wines the top tier of which make up less than fi ve percent of the regionrsquos total production Th ese names are quickly learned by neophyte wine drinkers wanting to make an impression Chateau Haut-Brion Lafi te Latour and Margaux for example Grown in gravelly soils only a few meters above sea levelmdashin contrast vineyards elsewhere in Europe typically sit between 300 and 900 metersmdashthese wines are some of the most powerful austere and pawed over When young the tannins in these cabernet sauvignon cabernet franc and merlot blends coat the tongue and mouth with a chalky dry sensation akin to sucking on an Earl Grey tea bag and are perhaps best suited to well-fatted rare steak and cigars Th ese are wines built to live for decades Personally I prefer a Bordeaux at least 20 years aged when the tannins have had ample time to calm down and mellow out and more nuanced fl avors come forward Sounds fancy and it is Only in some very lucky circumstances over the past year have I been guest to a bottle of 1990 Clos de Menuts Saint-Eacutemilion and a 1970 Chateau Haut-Brion About once every 10 years Irsquove had the good
fortune to taste a wine older than myself Nice work if you can get it
Where Burgundyrsquos vineyards (Francersquos other classifi ed sought-after region) were established by Benedictine monks patiently growing wine vines with spiritual hearts
Bordeauxrsquos vineyards were raised by entrepreneurial laymen who recognized the massive monetary opportunity when the English began drinking down their peasant wine Th is underscores the second half of my theory as to why Americans
more often American males are so drawn to the wines of Bordeaux Th erersquos an inherent capitalist connection something in the soil Th at the wines are so
unmistakable so distinctively grand and pronounced elixirs exemplifi es the fi rst half of my theory we Americans are not known for our subtlety (To be fair the Chinese are
signifi cant Bordeaux collectors as well)
Philosophy aside Bordeaux is quite a large region that produces beautiful white and red values as well as the rare fi nds out of the populacersquos price range Herersquos the skinny Blending is the game single varietal wines are rare White Bordeaux is typically made from a blend of sauvignon blanc and seacutemillon and sometimes a drop or two of muscadelle ugni blanc or colombard Reds are made primarily from the two cabernets plus merlot with small quantities of petit verdot malbec and carmenegravere occasionally in the mix Th e region is also home to the golden nectar of late ripened seacutemillon sauvignon blanc and muscadelle grapes that have successfully attracted the noble rot a fungus that covers the fruit and drains moisture from inside leaving behind rich sweet grapes without moldy fl avors Chateau drsquoYquem is the most famous of these unfortifi ed dessert wines though there are better bargains from the region
Bordeaux is split by the Gironde river which divides the region into three general areas Th e left bank also known as the Haut-Meacutedoc is where the classifi ed top growths are situated Th ese prestigious estates were named for their exceptional vineyard sites in 1855 a decision nearly unchanged since Today serious collectors invest in Bordeaux futures theoretically locking down lower prices of top
ample time to calm dit is Only in some vede Menuts Saint-Eacutem
fortune to taste a
Wherees
aun
of msignifi
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Follow Amy at pigandvinecom for morestories and wine suggestions
growth estates while the wine is still aging in the cellar Itrsquos the wine tradersquos equivalent to the NASDAQ On the right bank Saint-Eacutemilion and Pommerol are the prized vineyard areas known for their merlot heavy cuveacutees To the south west we fi nd Graves where there are many great values to be had in both white and red bottlings Entre-Deux-Mers which translates to ldquobetween two seasrdquo sits between the Dordogne and Garonne tributaries off the Gironde and is an excellent source for crisp whites
Get started on your Bordeaux experience with these values
Chateau Graville-Lacoste 2014 Graves 75 seacutemillon 20 sauvignon blanc and 5 muscadelle make up this beauty thatrsquos consistently delicious every vintage Crisp and refreshing great with seafood
Chateau Mirambeau 2014 GravesAnother classic blend of 40 sauvignon blanc 40 seacutemillon and 20 muscadelle this lovely white is a bit more fl oral than the Graville-Lacoste Easy drinking and great value
Chateau de Parenchegravere Bordeaux Rouge 201155 merlot 30 cabernet sauvignon and 15 cabernet franc grown in clay heavy soils similar to the right bank of the region Fleshy with good structure and abundant red fruit
Chateau Arnaud Bordeaux Supeacuterieur 2011Supeacuterieur on a Bordeaux label isnrsquot egotistical marketingmdashby law it indicates a wine with up to one degree more alcohol than its AC Bordeaux brethren What it really means is one more degree of body structure and in this case quality Approachable delicious and easy on the wallet
Chateau de Bernadotte Haut-Meacutedoc 2005Th e 2005 vintage in Bordeaux is in the history books with double asterisks Owned by the eminent Pichon Lalande family and made from vineyards in Paulliac one of the more choice growing areas in the region this is an incredible value a top tier Bordeaux for a fraction of the cost
Chateau de Suduiraut Sauternes 2011Ripe cantaloupe apricot and honey and an interesting smoky note with a solid sweet attack followed by great acidity A dessert wine that wonrsquot overpower the dessert
94 raquo parting shot raquo Patrick Hood
Meet Solvar
Solvar belongs to one of the worldrsquos oldest and purest equine lineages the Nor-
wegian Fjord horse a breed that has remained virtually unchanged for more than
2000 yearsmdashlong before we became acquainted with his animated cousins in
the movie Frozen Th ese national symbols of Norway are characterized by primi-
tive zebra striping on their legs and a dorsal stripe running from forelock to tail
resulting in a striking two-tone mane that sticks up like a Mohawk Th eir athleti-
cism agility and dependability make them valuable both as sport horses as well
as therapy horses for emotionally and physically challenged adults and children
Catie Wells of Huntsville is the proud owner of Solvar who resides at Monte
Sano Stables
For tickets or information 256-539-4818 or hsoorg
Bring In the New Year With Us
presents
WHAT A WONDERFUL
WORLDA tribute to Louis
Armstrong featuring the
Byron Stripling Quartet
Thursday December 31
730 pm bull Pops Series bullMark C Smith
Concert Hall VBC
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
M O R E T H A N 7 0 S H O P S A N D R E S T A U R A N T S I N C L U D I N G B E L K | D S W S H O E S | A P P L E J O S A B A N K | R E E D S J E W E L E R S | PA N D O R A | J C R E W | K AT E S PA D E N E W Y O R KO R V I S | B A N A N A R E P U B L I C | M I C H A E L K O R S | F R A N C E S C Arsquo S | A N T H R O P O L O G I EH amp M | S O M A | M O U N T A I N H I G H O U T F I T T E R S | B A R N E S amp N O B L E | S E P H O R AALTAR rsquoD STATE | CONNORS STEAK amp SEFOOD | THE WEST IN HUNTSV I L L E | MONACO P ICTURES
C O M I N G S O O N V E R S O N A ndash near Belk
B R I D G E S T R E E T H U N T S V I L L E C O M |
BR IDGE STREET TOWN CENTRE I S LOCATED AT EX I T 14 OFF I - 565 AT OLD MAD ISON P IKE
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Between now and the end of the year take advantage of cost reductions on three popular proceduresmdashand begin 2016 with new confidence
bull SAVE BIG on breast augmentationOur saline price is $700 off and our silicone price is $900 off cash price only Schedule your initial consultation by December 31 2015 to lock in your price and the procedure must take place by March 31 2016
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Look better - feel better - and save money Itrsquos time to get more for less
Dr Russell Jennings203 Avalon Ave Suite 300
Muscle Shoals AL 35661
Phone(256) 386-1450jenningsplasticsurgerycom
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Th ePERFECT HOLIDAY DINNER
Nutella CheesecakeMason Dixon Bakery amp Bistro(256) 213-7545
ldquoTh is is one of our favorite desserts for a holiday and for every day Th e rich and creamy cake melts like ice cream in your mouth the smoothness of the fi lling balances perfectly with the crunchiness of the crust and the delicate hints of the swirled Nutella are divinerdquo mdashCo-owners Chef Ashley and Taylor Ramirez
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Emily Taylor5510 Promenade Point Pkwy Suite 160Madison AL 35757256-430-2781
I can help you
your own wayGROW
1114-519HO
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
produced by aissa castillo and lauren mccaulphotos by lauren tomasella carney
clothing modeled by aaron petersen rachel smith anne harbargerand kait barinaga (for finery)
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Meet the Shop Girls The mission To search Valley shops and boutiques
for the fi nest in Yuletide treasures
Accepting the challenge three of Huntsvillersquos most original and creative taste-makers
Say hello to NorsquoAla Shop Girls Aissa Castillo Lauren McCaul and Lauren Tomasella CarneyDuring the day these mild-mannered professionals tend to demanding careers in design
retail management and photography But evenings and weekends theyrsquore out saving the world from uninspiring fashion and decor as style superheroes
Their picks for the very best gift ideas follow For ideas and inspiration year-round
stay in-the-know by following our Shop Girls on social media
Lauren McCaul deptofagraculturecom Instagram dept_of_agra_cultureAissa Castillo aislerchiccom Instagram aislerchic
Lauren Tomasella Carney laurentomasellacom Instagram laurentomasella
And as you shop for your own Christmas treasures this season please remember to spread your cheermdashand your dollarsmdashat home
(1) Amanda Uprichard Jacket ($248)(2) BCBG Dress ($228)(3) Zoa Dress ($128)Personal Couture Boutique(256) 508-5632
(4) Dress ($168)Anthropologie(256) 327-8470
(5) Olive + Oak Oatmeal Shawl ($72)(10) Simply Noelle Zipper Gusset Bag ($5999)House of Holland(256) 206-8989
(6) One-of-a-kind Eva Ziegler Agate and Pyrite Necklace ($397)(8) Eva Ziegler Freshwater Pearl Strand ($501)Eva Ziegler Jewelryevazieglercom
(9) Gift Set ($5995)Piper amp LeafPiperandleafcom
(7) Long Horn Necklace ($68)Personal Couture Boutique(256) 508-5632
Left to right Lauren Tomasella Carney
Lauren McCaul and Aissa Castillo
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
On himFilson Shirt ($98) Filson Jacket ($320)Yeti Cooler ($34999)Alabama Outdoors(256)-885-3561
On herPPLA Vest ($7999)PPLA Dress ($7499)Bedstu Boots ($295)Indigorsquos Boutique(256) 345-6348
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) Woolly Mammoth Tooth 4rdquo Damascus Linerlock Knife ($150)(2) Cardboard Safari Bucky Cardboard Deer Head ($30)(3) Curt Benzle Porcelain Compass ($15)Little Green Store and Gallery (256) 539-9699
(4) Hunting Journal ($32)Sweet Pineapple(256) 964-7563
(5) Yeti Colster ($2999)Alabama Outdoors(256)-885-3561
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
(1) Yellow House Handcrafted Beard Oils ($18 ea)Yellow House Beard Oilsyellowhousebeards com (2) Mustache amp Beard Comb ($16)Little Green Store and Gallery (256) 539-9699 (3) Latika Body Essentials Charcoal Liquid Soap ($18)(4) Latika Body Essentials Charcoal Bar Soap ($6) (5) Rustico Leather Key Chain ($18) Sweet Pineapple(256) 964-7563
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) Wood Thumb Tie ($44) (2) Slightly Alabama iPad Case ($250) (3) DockSmith Driftwood iPhone Docking Station ($68) Little Green Storeand Gallery (256) 539-9699 (4) Loyal Stricklin Aviator Mug ($35)Domaine South(256) 808-8860 (5) Would You Be a Deer Notepad ($9) Sweet Pineapple(256) 964-7563
(6) Filson Satchel ($265) Alabama Outdoors(256)-885-3561
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
When itrsquos time to move into a bigger house get a home loan from the bank thatrsquos had a home right here for generations You might say we know a thing about location location location synovuscommortgage
Banking products are provided by Synovus Bank Member FDIC Divisions of Synovus Bank operate under multiple trade names across the Southeast Loans products subject to credit approval
When itrsquos time to move into a bigger house get a home
Here is where Henry learned hersquod be getting
SERVING YOU LOCALLY AS
2565513300 | fcb-hsvcom
his own room
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) Spiritual GangsterTank ($36)(2) Luquido Yoga Pants ($90)(3) MZ Wallace Metro Tote ($245)(4) Vimmia V back Sweatshirt ($96)(5) Onzie Sports Bra ($48)(6) Olympia Yoga Pants ($96)(7) bkr Water Bottle ($30)The Fitzgerald Pilates amp Barre(256) 603-1886
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
(1) Gypsy Pant WarmTribal ($72) (2) Berry High Waist Legging ($88) (3) Long Legging Mathematics ($65) (4) Long Legging Peacock ($65) The FitzgeraldPilates amp Barre(256) 603-1886
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) Jane Tran Hair Clips ($15)(2) bkr Water Bottle ($30)(3) well-kept Tech Wipes ($6)(4) Made with Love Bracelets ($25)(5) Pointe Studio Socks ($12)(6) Bando Too Cold to Hold Coozie ($5)The Fitzgerald Pilates amp Barre(256) 603-1886
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
(1) Shop Bando Coff ee Cup ($14)(2) Shop Bando Pens ($14) (3) Shop Bando Pouch ($26) (4) Shop Bando Coin Purse ($20) The FitzgeraldPilates amp Barre(256) 603-1886
(5) Check Things Off Notepad ($16)(6) Hello From Huntsville Stamp ($12)Salt + Paperie(256) 655-5550
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) Muzzle Loaders Chocolate Bourbon Balls ($1999) (2) Vintage Crystal Decanter ($20) (3) Quench Glassware ($1399) Domaine South(256) 808-8860
(4) The Hella Bitters Old Fashioned Kit ($65)(5) American Bar by Charles Schumann ($2495) Little Green Storeand Gallery (256) 539-9699
(6) Julep Cups ($50)Willowbrook Shoppe (256) 270-7181
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom | novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) DECCO Umbrella in a Bottle ($1995)(2) Alexa Pulitzer Stationery Set ($14 ea)(3) Ikat Scarf ($6250)Huntsville Museumof Art(256) 535-4350
(4) Emily Ley Grace Journal ($32) (5) Sugar Boo Designs Clutch ($18) (6) Emily Ley Daily Planner ($58) (7) Latika Milk ampHoney Bar ($6) (8) Farm House Fresh Shea Butter Hand Cream ($14) (9) Christen MaxwellZippy ($42) (10) Green Tea Bubble Bath ($32) Sweet Pineapple(256) 964-7563 (11) Goal Getter Cuff ($32)Indigorsquos Boutique(256) 345-6348
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
(1) Kilim Pillow ($58) (2) Bejeweled Silver Plate Vase ($144) (3) Bone Clad Box ($375)Willowbrook Shoppe (256) 270-7181
(4) Cowhide Rug ($550)(5) Lucyrsquos Locket ($95) (Original piecemdashselection may vary)Sweet Pineapple(256) 964-7563 (6) Clutch ($65)Department of Agra Culturedeptofagraculturecom
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) Above The Bar Antler on Chain 28rdquo ($3999) (2) Above The Bar Deer wAntler Head 18rdquo ($2999) Indigorsquos Boutique(256) 345-6348
(3) Margaret Solow Labradorite18KT Bezel ($290) (4) Margaret Solow Diamond Crest MoonSilver ($460) (5) Margaret Solow Black Spinel + DiamondSilver ($560) (6) Margaret Solow Double Black Spinel18KT ($260)Little Green Store and Gallery (256) 539-9699
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
(1) Margaret Solow Grey Moonstoon18KT Necklace ($240) (2) Margaret Solow OpalDiamond Mosaic Necklace ($610) Little Green Storeand Gallery (256) 539-9699
(3) One-of-a-kind Eva Ziegler Smokey Quartz and Pyrite Necklace ($406)Eva Ziegler Jewelryevazieglercom
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) Jennifer BehrTurban ($625)(2) Cotton Day Dress ($64)(3) Norma Ishak Cardigan ($375)Finery(256) 429-3429
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) The Lion Sleeps Tonight Bath Bomb ($6) Sweet Pineapple(256) 964-7563
(2) Tiger Jelly Cat ($2250)(3) Dog Tag Teether ($1550)(4) Dinosaur Footie ($3595)Honey B Boutique(256) 503-2853
(5) Young Buck ($25)Tiny Vinestinyvinesshopcom
(6) Bib Set ($13)Huntsville Museumof Art(256) 535-4350
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
(1) Tiny Dancer Bath Bomb ($6)Sweet Pineapple(256) 964-7563
(2) Kickee Mammoth Footie ($3595)(3) Noodle amp Boo Essential Care Kit ($18)(4) Elephant Jelly Cat ($2250)Honey B Boutique(256) 503-2853
(5) ArtFolio Pink Elephant Coloring Tote ($17)Huntsville Museumof Art(256) 535-4350
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) Bib Set ($13)Huntsville Museumof Art(256) 535-4350 (2) Little Light ($25)Tiny Vinestinyvinesshopcom (3) Micro Leon Cardboard Lion ($30)Little Green Storeand Gallery (256) 539-9699 (4) I Love You Like Biscuits amp Gravy ($23)Domaine South(256) 808-8860
(5) Kickee Kimono ($4295)Honey B Boutique(256) 503-2853
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
SURPRISEA LOVED ONE
THIS HOLIDAY SEASON
WITH A FOREVER GIFT
HobbsJewelerscom 8772331347Parkway Place Mall
HuntsvilleHwy 72 West
AthensMain Street
Ardmore TN
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Caftan ($75)Sarah Richey Necklace ($350)Finery(256) 429-3429
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
(1) Chewbead Necklace ($3495)(2) Mayoral Baby Bag ($7995)(3) Mayoral Diaper Changing Pad ($2495)(4) Nursing Scarf ($2695) (5) Kickee Swaddling Blanket ($22)Honey B Boutique(256) 503-2853 (6) Lucy Darling Months Sticker ($25) (7) The Story of You Baby Book by Emily Ley ($62) Sweet Pineapple(256) 964-7563
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) Alwand Vahan 14K Gold and Onyx Ring wDiamond Accent ($2595)(2) Alwand Vanan 14K Gold and Onyx Bracelet wDiamond Accent ($2695)Hobbs Jewelers(877) 233-1347
(3) Britt Ryan Dress ($288)Personal Couture Boutique(256) 508-5632
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) Rocket Cosmos Mug ($13)Huntsville Museumof Art(256) 535-4350
(2) Loose Leaf Tea ($399)Piper amp Leaf piperandleafcom (3) Judy Jackson Tea Pot ($56) (4) Gary Watson Cherry Cutting Board ($48-$68) (5) Susan Coe Birthday Cake Plate ($33) Little Green Storeand Gallery (256) 539-9699 (6) Macarons ($116 pcs $221 dozen)Whisk Small Treats Bakery(256) 656-1027
(7) Truffl es ($185 each)Pizellersquos Confections (256) 513-9745 (8) Olive amp Sinclair Chocolate ($799)Domaine South(256) 808-8860
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
(1) Whisk Note Pad ($8) (2) In the Forest Mixing Bowl ($36) (3) Twig Serving Set ($18)(8) Southern Firefl y Candle ($12)Sweet Pineapple(256) 964-7563
(4) Urchin Bowl ($10)(5) Foodie Dice ($38)(6) 1Canoe2 Wood Recipe Box w Recipe Cards ($6999) Domaine South(256) 808-8860 (7) Growlers ($75 small $95 large)Southern Growlersoutherngrowlercom
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) Tacori 18K Barbados Blue Bold Gem Ring ($660)(2) Tacori 18K Barbados Blue Bold Gem Necklace ($630)(3) Tacori 18K Barbados Blue Bold Gem Bracelet ($990)Hobbs Jewelers(877) 233-1347
(4) BCBG Dress ($328)Personal Couture Boutique(256) 508-5632
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Guadalupe Robinson
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
text by jennifer crossley howard raquo photos by patrick hood
Of Deft and Dirty Hands
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Huntsville potter Guadalupe Lanning Robinson has spent more than 36 years mastering the
marriage of clay texture and geometric design into her pottery yet time has done little to temper the
plight of waiting
ldquoIt is hard for me to let a pot just dryrdquo she says motioning toward fi ve small wet pots sitting near her
pottery wheel ldquoIrsquom as excited to do this as I was 30 years agordquo
To observe her studio at Lowe Mill that is easy to believe Located on the corridor outside the textile
mill-turned-art centerrsquos main building the loft-like space with a corrugated tin roof feels like a place a
Gabriel Garcia Marquez character would enjoy daydreaming
Sienna-hued pottery sits in various stages to be fi red layered and etched Argentinian tango music
streams from Robinsonrsquos iPhone and two cockatiels a parrot and a parakeet chirp from their cages All
except the parrot fl y freely when Robinson is working
Robinson who is 61 made her fi rst pot in 1979 in her native Mexico City Almost four decades later her
work is part of permanent museum collections in Auburn Huntsville Tuscumbia and Tupelo Missis-
sippi She regularly enters her work in respected juried shows such as the Monte Sano Arts Festival and
the Kentuck Festival of the Arts in Northport and has received two Alabama State Council on the Arts
individual artist fellowships
Her inspiration draws from the villages around her native Mexico City such as the black pottery of
the northwest as well as her acquired Southern culture White lilies corn grids and round female
fi guresmdashldquoreally strong women who are in chargerdquo Robinson saysmdashreappear on her stoneware She uses
natural dyes indigo for color and mixes sand into clay for texture Nothing is wasted
ldquoI donrsquot waste any clayrdquo Robinson says ldquoEverything is recycledrdquo
Robinson fi nds solace in the 40-50 hours a week she puts in at the studio and the often tedious process
of making pots which can take from three weeks to six weeks for larger pots She usually works on two
or three pots at a time tending to groups at diff erent stages
After a pot is thrown on a wheel a piece can take days to dry before its fi rst bisque fi re in which tem-
peratures rise to 1800 F After baking for nine hours the kiln must cool Th e second fi ring rises to 2150
F and matures the clay and melts the glazes to strengthen the piece
ldquoI am an effi cient person by naturerdquo Robinson says ldquoWaiting for the kiln to cool down enough to open
can be nerve wracking and this is when my patience is usually put to the testrdquo
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
ldquoIt is hard for me to let a pot just dry Irsquom as excited to do this as I was 30 years agordquo
Robinson makes most of her pots on a wheel using oxides to change the color of clay she gets from Nashville and Pittsburgh Her pottery takes several weeks from start to fi nish depending on how large a pot is and how many she makes at a time
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
ldquoAttend to your childrenrsquos needs fi rst keep focus on what you want to douse the happiness joy and little breaks you get to make your artTh ey grow real fast and they will keep inspiring you all your liferdquo
Robinson imagined this bat-like design as she was working She usually begins a piece with a design in mind but that often evolves
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Robinson uses an overlay of liquid clay called engobemdashthat includes three to four layersmdashto create a
base on which to design
Th ere is high risk in making pottery and hours of work can be wasted on a pot that has not dried en-
tirely before it enters the kiln Air pockets or the wrong mixture of chemicals can ruin a piece
ldquoArt is involved but science is toordquo says Laura Smith director of education at the Huntsville Museum
of Art where Robinson has taught pottery classes ldquoItrsquos more labor intensive in terms of working with
the medium whether yoursquore building by hand or with a wheel until you fi re with the fi nal layer of glazerdquo
Th e result is sturdy pottery
ldquoI want my pots to look like something that is lasting a long timerdquo Robinson says
Th ough she works solitarily in her studio she says she does not get lonely Her birds and music keep her
company and each stage of pottery making has a soundtrack She uses needlepoint tools to draw onto
clay to Jose Feliciano and other Latin American musicians
ldquoIf Irsquom at the wheel Bruno Marsrdquo she says ldquoIf Irsquom unloading the kiln and something is really awesome
then I need something moving and I have on Motownrdquo
Robinsonrsquos years of experience minimize the risk of damaged pots but she says her greatest challenge
as a potter was balancing her work while raising her two children Now adults their candid childhood
pictures and those of her grandchildren cover the warm green walls of her studio
She met her husband the poet James Robinson in 1977 on a Greyhound bus when she returned to
Mexico City from visiting a friend at the University of Southern Mississippi He was heading to Mexico
to study at a university Th ey married six months later After giving birth to her daughter Annie Jane in
Mexico City in 1982 the family moved to Huntsville in 1985 Th at is when Robinson got more serious
about her pottery
ldquoFrom the very beginning when I moved to Alabama I knew I was going to have to do thisrdquo she said
ldquoIn some ways it was a way for me to keep connected to my heritagerdquo
She took even 15 minutes of free time to work in the studio behind her home and worked late into the
night while her daughter and son Isidoro born in 1987 slept Having a home studio allowed her to
wash clothes tend to her home and drop off lunches at school while maintaining her art
ldquoTh ere was something for me when I fi rst became a mother that fueled my creativityrdquo Robinson says
ldquoTh ey are such a social inspiration too It fi lls your liferdquo
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Robinson advises fellow artists who are mothers to seize
both roles but to prioritize motherhood
ldquoAttend to your childrenrsquos needs fi rst keep focus on what you
want to do use the happiness joy and little breaks you get
to make your artrdquo she says ldquoTh ey grow real fast and they will
keep inspiring you all your liferdquo
Anna Sue Courtney director of the Flying Monkey Arts
Center at Lowe Mill has known Robinson for more than
10 years She says she admires how mothers and artists like
Robinson seamlessly embrace both roles
ldquoIt seems therersquos not a separation between creating and rais-
ing childrenrdquo Courtney says ldquoTh ey seem to pull from the
same placerdquo
Part of Robinsonrsquos motivation at Lowe Mill comes from
working privately in a studio alongside other artists that fos-
ters a community of feedback and ideas
ldquoItrsquos nice to be here because you can take a break and walk around and get inspirationrdquo Courtney says
ldquoItrsquos refreshingrdquo
When she needs a break from the studio Robinson stays home to sketch designs for a day or two then
she is back in the studio
Trips twice a year to Mexico City keep her plugged in to her native culture which in turn shows up in
her pottery
ldquoI have to recharge myselfrdquo Robinson says ldquoI love Huntsville and loved raising my kids here but I still
have the need of going back to be recharged and smell all the smells and see all the colors and get on
the subway and be pushed aroundrdquo
Details from her trips that infl uence her work include the ever-present red that covers the city during
the celebration of Dia de los Muertos or the Day of the Dead Th e pyramids of Teotihuacan conjure
warm earth tones and fl oating gardens around the city yield sweet pungent calla lilies and carnations
Celebration of food tough women and nature reappear in her pottery qualities that both Southern and
Mexican cultures treasure
Above This daisy design is character-istic of Robinsonrsquos work Nature food and strong females from her native Mexico City and the South are strong creative infl uences
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Clockwise from top left Robinson often glazes only the inside of her pots so they can hold water and food She began quilting in 2002 and her quilts like her pottery contain earth tones and natural infl uences in their design Four birds keep Robinson company in what can be the isolating medium of pottery making Geometry and symmetry are two signature elements in Robinsonrsquos work according to Laura Smith director of education at the Huntsville Museum of Art
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Just as she keeps her home country close to her heart Robinson is loyal to her fi rst
love of pottery though she began making quilts in 2002
ldquoIrsquom a potter who likes to quiltrdquo she says
Like her pottery her quilting follows designs of organic nature such as fl owers and
crops on rich jewel tone cotton
ldquoWhen I fi rst saw one of her quilts I didnrsquot realize it was hers and I thought that
looks like it should be Guadalupersquos quiltrdquo Courtney says
Robinson prefers the immediate gratifi cation of clay
ldquoItrsquos a very responsive mediumrdquo she says ldquoYou can manipulate it Th e fact of mak-
ing something out of dirt out of nothing and making it durable making it perma-
nent that after going through the heat and maturing is something very excitingrdquo
She gently dings a pot covered with white dresses titled ldquoTehuana Dressrdquo to make
her point
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
887 FM Muscle Shoals bull 1007 FM Huntsvillewwwaprorg
News classicalmusic and more
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
copy Patrick Hood
text by sara wright covington raquo photos by jacki gil
patrick hood erin lindsey and michelle odom
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
copy Patrick Hood
ldquoA LOT OF PEOPLE HAD BEEN ASKING ME QUESTIONS ABOUTHOW I GOT MY BUSINESS STARTED I WANTED TO GATHER SOME PEOPLE AROUND ME
WHO WERE GOING THROUGH THOSE STRUGGLES AND TOBUILD ENTREPRENEURIAL COURAGErdquo
JACKI GIL SALT+PAPERIE
copy Patrick Hood
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
untsville-born Jacki Gil began her paper design busi-
ness Salt+Paperie in 2014 with an expansive vision
in mind one that extended beyond creating beautiful
custom designed paper goods ldquoI love my design job
but when Irsquom 50 years old I donrsquot see myself still de-
signing wedding invitationsrdquo the master stationer says
ldquoI really have a passion for teaching and helping people
I want to be a mentorrdquo
In 2015 Gil set out on her mentoring mission sooner than expected with a series
of workshops called Encourage Huntsville ldquoA lot of people had been asking me
questions about how I got my business startedrdquo Gil says about the early days of
Salt+Paperie Even though most of those questions from entrepreneurial-hopefuls
were technicalmdashlike how to apply for a business licensemdashthey served as inspira-
tion for Gil ldquoI wanted to gather some people around me who were going through
those struggles and to build entrepreneurial courage I defi nitely saw that there
was a need for helping people to take that next step toward owning their own
businessesrdquo
Encourage Huntsville was modeled on the image of a growing small business
movement called the Rising Tide Society a national community of creative small
business owners who encourage ldquocommunity over competitionrdquo Th at spirit of
openness is at the heart of Encourage Huntsville ldquoCommunity over competition
is a huge part of what we are doingrdquo says Gil ldquoSmall business owners sharing how
they earn their money is a big dealrdquo
As a fi rst step Gil gathered others around her who were using their skills and abili-
ties to make their own small businesses work With talents ranging from cooking
and cake decorating to hand lettering and artwork these small business owners
all embraced Gilrsquos vision for imparting to others the knowledge of their craft un-
impeded by a fear of losing their competitive edge
Th e fi rst lesson Gil wanted to impart to Encourage Huntsvillersquos students wasnrsquot
necessarily a particular craft or skill but a spirt of creative confi dence ldquoWe want-
ed to bridge the gap between the very artsy community and the ultimate engineer
communityrdquo many of whom Gil observes had been told since childhood they
werenrsquot artistic ldquoWhen you are little and someone tells you that you donrsquot have a
talent it sticks with you I found that a lot of people had that experience so that
was the workshop partmdashto build some creative courage in this communityrdquo
Gil conducted the fi rst workshop herself testing the waters to see how the concept
would be received Th e admission price to that fi rst workshop included supplies a
take-home ldquogoody bagrdquo to help students continue their work extracurricularly and
refreshmentsmdashas well as Gilrsquos tips of her trade
ldquoWe went in blindly not knowing if we had a market or notrdquo says Gil Th e popular-
ity of that fi rst class proved undeniably that a market did in fact exist the work-
shop sold out in one day ldquoSo we did back-to-back workshopsrdquo Gil says ldquoAfter that
novemberdecembeeer eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee | nononoononononononoonoonononooooonoonoonnononnoaaalalalllaallllllalaalaaalal ststustust ddiossscom mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm | | | | | | | | | | |
f
w
y
Previous page Encourage Huntsvillersquos founder and instructor Jacki Gil teaches a class in hand lettering Facing page A participant studies her supply list
we realized people really want to do this stuff So we said lsquoletrsquos jump on the boat
and make this happenrsquordquo
Gilrsquos longtime friend photographer Erin Lindsey of Erin Lindsey Images agreed
to contribute to Encourage Huntsvillersquos curriculum by teaching a photography
class ldquoJacki and I are a good team because our hearts are in the same place when
it comes to encouraging othersrdquo Lindsey says Still she admits saying yes to teach-
ing wasnrsquot without some initial hesitation ldquoWhen Jacki asked if I would teach a
class it was kind of scary I thought I had to be perfect before I could teach oth-
ersrdquo Lindsey says of her initial hesitancy ldquoBut after talking to Jacki I realized none
of us are perfectrdquo But perfection isnrsquot the goal encouragement is the goal ldquoAnd I
thought lsquoI can defi nitely line up with that visionrsquordquo
Michelle Odom another Huntsville native and owner of custom cake bakery Just
Crumbs was also on board with Gilrsquos vision In fact Odom had been contemplat-
ing teaching a class when she was approached by Gil to teach a fondant basics
class ldquoHuntsville is such an engineer town and everyone is so mathematical and
scientifi crdquo Odom says echoing the dichotomy between the arts and sciences ex-
pressed by Gil ldquoTh ese workshops are just a very cool way for structured people to
have a creative outletrdquo
ldquoJACKI AND I ARE A GOOD TEAM BECAUSE OUR HEARTS ARE INTHE SAME PLACE WHEN IT COMES TO ENCOURAGING OTHERSrdquo
ERIN LINDSEY ERIN LINDSEY IMAGES
copy Erin Lindsey
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Above A participant in Erin Lindseyrsquos photo class frames a still life
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
copy Erin Lindsey
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
ldquoHUNTSVILLE IS SUCH AN ENGINEER TOWN AND EVERYONE ISSO MATHEMATICAL AND SCIENTIFIC THESE WORKSHOPS ARE JUST A VERY COOL
WAY FOR STRUCTURED PEOPLE TO HAVE A CREATIVE OUTLETrdquo MICHELLE ODOM JUST CRUMBS
copy Michelle Odom
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
ldquoAnd yesrdquo Odom acknowledges ldquoyou are in theory teaching your competition But
at the same time you are helping the community be more creativerdquo
With its roster of popular creative workshops under its belt Encourage Huntsville
has added business classes to its community-over-competition curriculum with
classes designed to provide specifi c guidance for small business owners ldquoAll of
our events that donrsquot require hands-on work we call seminarsrdquo says Gil ldquoWe had
about 15 people at our fi rst one It was pretty much just an open discussion to ask
us questions and get answers from the perspective of a small business ownerrdquo
Th e seminars enjoyed the same success and enthusiasm as the workshops ldquoWe
had two hours for people to ask questionsrdquo Gil says Topics covered ran the gamut
from scheduling daily tasks self-hosting a website or using an Etsy store man-
aging client expectations and being realistic about how much time you need to
complete jobs
ldquoTh e time went quickly and people wanted morerdquo says Gil who envisions an all-
day seminar in 2016
Margaret Baggett owner and executive chef of the Chef Next Door is another
small business owner who has shared Gilrsquos vision from the very beginning teach-
copy Erin Lindsey
Facing page Michelle Odomrsquos fondant basics class begins with a styrofoam cake form Above Newbie photographers familiarize themselves with their cameras in Erin Lindseyrsquos photography class
ing knife skills workshops and helping host the business seminars ldquoI am so proud
to get to be a part of this project and help nurture other small business owners
who may just be starting out on their journey or are deep in it and looking for
some encouragement from other business ownersrdquo Baggett says of what motivates
her participation in Encourage Huntsville ldquoEven being on the advice-giving side
of things I am still learning and have taken tips and tricks and lessons from each
event we have had so far We never stop learning from each other and never stop
improving upon our craftsrdquo
Th e mutual growth among students and teachers is the source of the encourage-
mentmdashand the joymdashof Encourage Huntsville ldquoItrsquos so much fun to see the light
bulbs go off with people and see them encouraged right before your eyesrdquo Lindsey
says of her experience with the program ldquoPlus itrsquos a pleasure to contribute to a
sense of community over competition Th at whole concept is so rarerdquo
As Encourage Huntsvillersquos following continues to grow the diversity of the work-
shops will expand as well Whether you are looking to spend a fun afternoon
learning a new craft or are a budding small business owner hoping to launch
your brand Encourage Huntsville has something valuable to off er ldquoWe encourage
those left-brain folks to take up a new hobby or skillrdquo Baggett says ldquoor just encour-
age the people of Huntsville to get together and fan their creative fl amesrdquo
If yoursquore looking for
creative or entrepreneurial
encouragement visit
encouragehuntsvillecom
for seminar and workshop
schedules and information
ldquoI AM SO PROUD TO GET TO BE A PART OF THIS PROJECT AND HELP NURTURE OTHER SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS WHO MAY JUST BE STARTING OUT ON THEIR JOURNEY OR ARE DEEP IN IT
AND LOOKING FOR SOME ENCOURAGEMENT FROM OTHER BUSINESS OWNERSrdquoMARGARET BAGGETT CHEF NEXT DOOR
copy Jacki Gil
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
copy Jacki Gil
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Participants in Margaret Baggettrsquos knife skills workshop learn to perfect their ldquomise en placerdquo
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
copy Olivia Reed
text by sara wright covington raquo photos by olivia reed and jeff white
HUNTSVILLErsquoS
HOMEGROWNHOSTESS
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
ttttttononononoooooonononooooo raquo praquo praquo praquo praquo phothothothothotosoososos s s osos bybybbybb
Any host will tell you that delicious food and quality libations while important to
a partyrsquos success are secondary to the most important ingredient of all the guest list Th atrsquos why many
of downtown Huntsvillersquos most popular restaurants breweries and wine shops are turning to event
planner Ashley Ryals and her uncanny knack for attracting loyal patronsmdashand creating unforgettable
events in the process
When Huntsville born-and-bred Ashley Ryals left for college at the University of Alabama in 2001
she thought her exit from the Valley was permanent ldquoI never thought I would end up back hererdquo the
founder of event planning company Homegrown Huntsville says with a knowing laugh But after a few
post-graduate years working for world-renowned public relations powerhouse Weber Shandwick in
New York City Ryals started to second guess her freshman declaration
ldquoI started to get homesickrdquo she admits ldquoAll of my friends were getting married and meeting for football
games and I was missing itrdquo So when a friend from home set up an interview at EarlyWorks for a job
doing event planning Ryals jumped at the chance to come home
Ashley spent the next few years planning EarlyWorks Whistle Stop and Santarsquos Village events A brief
stint in sales followed along with a seat on the board of Huntsville Young Professionals where she had
an idea for a downtown pub crawl
ldquoWe expected 20 or 30 peoplerdquo Ryals says of their modest expectations ldquoBut 200 people showed uprdquo
Th at initial success convinced Ryals to embark on her dream of establishing an
event planning company But it wasnrsquot just any event planning company Ryals
had in mind she envisioned one that would collaborate with local businesses
cultivate signature events for the community to enjoy and support small busi-
nesses in the process
Inspired Ryals left her sales job and for the second time in her life came home
again to event planning and Homegrown Huntsville
To help bring her vision to life Ryals collaborated with designer Adrianne Van
Kirk of Fave Creative ldquoAdrianne has been a part of the visual and branding of
Homegrown from the beginning We come up with the event ideas then I get
the ticketing and sales together and she comes back with a logo and the mar-
keting for the event And thatrsquos how it all comes togetherrdquo Ryals says of their
creative process
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
ASHLEY RYALS
copy Olivia Reed
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
ldquoMOST WINE FESTIVALS ACROSS THE COUNTRY HAVE PROVEN RECORDS OF BEING ABLE TO STAY AROUND 15 OR 20 YEARS OR EVEN LONGER AND THE ECONOMIES OF THOSE
CITIES HAVE REALLY GROWN AS A RESULT I WANT BIG SPRING CRUSH TO EVENTUALLY BE THE BIGGEST AND BEST WINE FESTIVAL IN THE STATE OF ALABAMArdquo ASHLEY RYALS
copy Jeff White
copy Jeff White
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
copy Olivia Reed
Homegrown launched in 2011 with what would become its
signature event Dine amp Dash Every second Wednesday
April through October a trolley shuttles patrons between
downtown establishments where they are served a drink
and appetizer before moving on to the next stop
Owner and executive chef Merle Phillips of Th e Eaves was
one of the fi rst restaurants to sign on for Dine amp Dashrsquos de-
but ldquoAshley came to me and said she was starting a trolley
tasting conceptrdquo says Chef Merle ldquoI didnrsquot really know her so
I was taking a chance on the concept she was sellingrdquo
Merle tried it and has been a loyal participant of Dine amp
Dash ever since
ldquoIt was a risk in the beginning but it defi nitely paid off rdquo Chef
Merle says of the experience Pivotal to that experience ac-
cording to Phillips is Ryalsrsquo demonstration to the commu-
nity just what the term ldquohomegrownrdquo really means ldquoAshley
shines a spotlight on independent businesses in a market-
place that has for so long focused on chainsrdquo Phillips says
ldquoDine amp Dash has really brought into sharp focus the inter-
esting culinary diversity that Huntsville has to off errdquo
For the next two years Homegrown Huntsville focused al-
most exclusively on Dine amp Dash which by the end of its fi rst
year included every single downtown restaurant But when
big changes began to appear on the downtown horizonmdash
new restaurants breweries and residential developmentsmdash
Ryalsrsquo instincts told her
the time had come to
introduce a new event
to the downtown cal-
endar
ldquoBeer Hop follows
the concept of Dine
amp Dashrdquo Ryals says of
Homegrownrsquos second
venture which began
in 2013 Each month a
trolley visits three dif-
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
BILL FOWLEROLD TOWN BEER
EXCHANGE
copy Olivia Reed
copy Olivia Reed
ferent breweries where patrons sample beers and enjoy food
from a variety of food trucks parked at each location
Bill Fowler managing partner of Old Town Beer Exchange
agreed to participate in Beer Hop on his very fi rst day of
business and credits Ryals with an overwhelmingly success-
ful opening night ldquoAshley said lsquoI can guarantee that you are
going to have wave after wave of people coming throughrsquordquo
Fowler says recalling that fi rst jittery occasion Once again
Ryals proved true to her word with 60-plus patrons arriving
in an hour-and-a-half ldquoIt was awesome and such a great ex-
perience for usrdquo Fowler raves ldquoAshley is a hard worker and
you can see that in what she doesrdquo
Fowler believes that in addition to bringing new customers
to OTBX Ryals is also cultivating beer education consis-
tently bringing in people who are new to beer and want to
learn And with Huntsvillersquos recent brewery boom that level
of education and interest is crucial for the brewing commu-
nity to thrive ldquoWe have a very small window of opportunityrdquo
says Fowler ldquoI think Huntsville in particular is becoming a
craft brewing community People are making money at this
and once Tennessee sees that we need to already have had a
pretty huge head startrdquo
By the end of 2013 and with standing events Beer Hop and
Dine amp Dash well established Ryals took time to refl ect on
her original goal for Homegrown Huntsville ldquoIn the back of
my head from day one I knew I wanted to do a wine festival
I just didnrsquot think Huntsville was ready for it in 2011rdquo
Emboldened by the success of Beer Hop Ryals decided to
make the leap with Big Spring Crush wine festival later the
same year Once again Ryals delivered the perfect audience
for the event and in the process discovered a surprising
fact about North Alabamarsquos contribution to the wine-mak-
ing industry
ldquoIn doing the wine festival I learned that we have a huge
wine community in Huntsvillerdquo Ryals says ldquoTh ere are only
about 47 certifi ed wine judges in the entire United States
and we have four of them right here in North Alabama Two
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
copy Jeff White
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
ldquoI STARTED TO GET HOMESICK ALL OF MY FRIENDS WERE GETTING MARRIEDAND MEETING FOR FOOTBALL GAMES AND I WAS MISSING ITrdquo ASHLEY RYALS
copy Jeff White
copy Jeff White
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
ldquoIT WAS AWESOME AND SUCH A GREAT EXPERIENCE FOR USrdquoBILL FOWLER OLD TOWN BEER EXCHANGE
copy Jeff White
copy Olivia Reed
of those four certifi ed wine judges sit on the committee for
Big Spring Crushrdquo
Matthew and Stephanie Mell had just opened Church Street
Wine Shop when they decided to participate in the fi rst Big
Spring Crush Like OTBXrsquos Robert Fowler the Mells credit
Ryals and Homegrown Huntsville for helping to introduce
their new enterprise to the community ldquoAshley has been in-
strumental in helping to bring us people who love and ap-
preciate winerdquo Stephanie Mell says ldquoShe was homegrown
here in Huntsville and she really gets the downtown area
and small businesses and that is so important to usrdquo
Big Spring Crush began with a bang featuring over 150
wines and attracting patrons from across the country
ldquoMost wine festivals across the country have proven records
of being able to stay around 15 or 20 years or even longerrdquo
Ryals says ldquoAnd the economies of those cities have really
grown as a result I want Big Spring Crush to eventually be
the biggest and best wine festival in the state of Alabamardquo
How does Ryals intend to make that dream come true ldquoBy
always keeping it fresh I want to have new marketing and
new things happening each yearrdquo
Ryalsrsquo formula of reinvention and expansion has successfully
led Homegrown Huntsville through fi ve years of success and
helped its events become community staples along the way In
the process Ryals is broadening more than just our image of
downtown Huntsville shersquos joining a class of creative entrepre-
neurs committed to expanding Huntsvillersquos reputation as more
than just a hub for the brightest scientifi c minds in America
ldquoWe have a big city of engineers and lawyers and itrsquos won-
derfulrdquo Ryals say ldquo But there is a whole artist and food cul-
ture here and there is so much growth I want us to have a
vibrant cool downtown area and I want for people to tell
their friends to come and visit and to see Huntsville for what
it is a city I loverdquo
If yoursquod like to participate in Homegrown Huntsville either
as a guest or a participating business visit homegrown-
huntsvillecom
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
copy Jeff White
I was years old and the year was At that time the city of Huntsville was inching toward the mountain to the east California Street was once the continental divide between the small town metropo-lis and the uncharted territories gingerly crossed by the real estate pioneers four score and some odd years prior Th is area became the new suburb as the city kept pushing onward toward Fagan Springs as if the reverberating booms of rocket testings were vibrating Hunstvillians away from its epicenter
From the front yard of our house on Owens Drive I could look to the rightmdashup the hill to the bend be-yond which the big houses stood on their rocky ledge pedestals and to the left where all the other houses that looked just like oursmdashfresh and newmdashrambled for what seemed like miles Th ose clean well-lit abodes all seemed the same and granted at my age I knew more about the pets that lived there than I did about the people who owned those manageable mortgages I came to realize that each was diff erent in a way that was permeated by voices smells and furnishings
It is a clicheacute to say that our lives were simpler then because that is just how the current era will be fondly referred to in the future but to a 5-year-old it is the simplicity that brought the joy Th e sixties will always be to me the beginning of the age of manufactured happiness Cheap clean and simple was what was strived for and what was easily obtained Plastic items were plentiful and pretty things could be bought with SampH Green Stamps A few coins in our pocket would transfer us into the most master of manipula-tors with us giving our all to convince our parents for a jaunt to Murdockrsquos for a holiday of wonderment joy and impatience as we would scour the shelves trying to get the most from our meager budget
Owens Drive was the fairly new thoroughfare from which the avenues of three-bedroom-ranchers fi ngered away at planned intervals Th is was the place where newlyweds started their lives homes and families Where girls with last names that had been in the town for generations would change them to those strange and exotic last names of the clean cut newcomers brought here for military purposes Where the housewives would preheat their pristine electric ovens trying to make cheese straws and biscuits that were just like their motherrsquos only to be frustrated as they were never quite the same and where the husbands would follow in their fatherrsquos footsteps by joining the Acme Club and hunting doves on the weekends
Th ere was a swimming pool Certainly not at our house Th e only private pool I remember as a child was one that my grandmother would take me to nestled between huge trees at someonersquos house on Adams Street I would swim with other children my age while our grandmothers chatted smoking cigarettes in cat-eyed anonymity whispering most of their stories so we wouldnrsquot be able to hear But between their
gasps and laughter we would listen hear and learn
Th e Blossomwood pool was a place of designated rules and the sound of bright whistlesmdashwith straight lines and distinctive colors of blue and green I can still feel the Coppertoned oiliness on the skin of the tanned lifeguard as she carried me from the deep end frightened after my fi rst attempt at solo-swimming She knew my name I had no idea who she was
On the other side of the pool was the school my older sister attended It had a style that mim-icked the poolmdashstraight lines cleanmdasha temple to orderliness and good manners It was with
awe that I once watched the young adults there some as old as eleven wind and dance their way around a sky-high fl agpolemdasheach with a diff erent color ribbon until the fi rst (and only) May Pole
I was privy to was completely dressed in its woven bright colors
90 raquo bless their hearts raquo Guy McClure Jr
Huntsville was a magical place for us tail-end baby boomers to grow upmdashbeyond the miracles of the escalator at Pizitz the smiling little lady on the tall stool at the register at Britlings There was a comfort level there that Irsquom not sure is in the minds of the 5-year-olds of today
cat-eyed agasps
Th s
aI w
THE COMFORTS OF BLOSSOMWOOD
In our world of red-bricked carported castles there was a def-inite division of generations Th e children ate separately from the parents went to school as our dads went to work enter-tained our neighborhood friends as quietly as possible and felt safe between our boundaries of Big Cove Road and Hermitage Street While we dined on our Chef Boy-Ar-Dee boxed pizza our parents busied themselves dressing in their dark colors getting ready for a late dinner at Boots having the scent of perfume and face powder trail my mother as she came into the kitchen looking for something with an intense purpose My father would smell of British Sterling and look just as he did when he went to work only happier Th ese nights meant something fun would happenmdashwe would have a babysitter
Babysitters were my introduction into what was and still seems cool Th ey were usually Huntsville High School teen-agers who would put on a show without even knowing it I would drink in their every move word and essence of style To me they were supermodelsmdashmovie starsmdasheven more fa-mous in my eyes than a television weatherman and almost as glamorous as the waitresses at the Waffl e House
Before they would tire of me and my sister and put us to bed they would include us in their world of music and knowledge which I thought was all-encompassing Suddenly our world of Th e Benny Carl Show and Fantasy Playhouse would seem trite and passeacute and we would catch a fl eeting glimpse into what would be in store for us when we too could stay up past 8 pm
Huntsville was a magical place for us tail-end baby boomers to grow upmdashbeyond the miracles of the escalator at Pizitz the smiling little lady on the tall stool at the register at Britlings and that bright colorful Maypole Th ere was a comfort level there that Irsquom not sure is in the minds of the 5-year-olds of todaymdashthe soothing sheltered lack of knowledge of why we were so lucky yet we didnrsquot even know that we were
In the other areas of our Huntsville there was poverty and ra-cial unrestmdashas there was and is in every city I was unaware People of color were always a part of my worldmdashmostly be-cause they had my attention and respect At our house there was Annie my grandmotherrsquos house was fi lled with the joys of Lula and out on the family farm there was strong and smiling Homer and large and huggable Rosamdashall just as much a part of my life as everyone else My life was good and they were instrumental in making it that way
What will the 5-year-olds of today who are lucky enough to be raised on those well-planned streets remember when they surpass their own 50 year mark It is a much more complex world now and there are diff erent concerns with daily changes of fear Youthful innocence is a prize that is encased without a lock Premature maturity is a viable threat and a constant fear But each night tucked in tight in a simple room sleeps tomor-rowrsquos adults who are having sweet dreamsmdashblanketed by the comforts of Blossomwood
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
92 raquo the vine raquo Amy C Collins
BORDEAUX POWER
Where Burgundyrsquos vineyards were established by Benedictine monks patiently growing wine vines with spiritual hearts Bordeauxrsquos vineyards were raised by entrepreneurial laymen who recognized the massive monetary opportunity when the English began drinking down their peasant wine
The city of Bordeaux is Francersquos primary port town on the Atlantic ocean a harbor that has for centuries served as the countryrsquos most important dock Th e regionrsquos history is long and storied with the fi rst written reference to the area dated 379 AD by the Latin poet Ausonius who was also a wine-grower Jump ahead to the year 1152 when Eleanor of Aquitaine married Englandrsquos soon-to-be king Henry Plantagenet and the port and surrounding vineyard land became the source of wine for the English a connection that remains strong even today
Bordeaux produces the worldrsquos most expensive and sought after collector wines the top tier of which make up less than fi ve percent of the regionrsquos total production Th ese names are quickly learned by neophyte wine drinkers wanting to make an impression Chateau Haut-Brion Lafi te Latour and Margaux for example Grown in gravelly soils only a few meters above sea levelmdashin contrast vineyards elsewhere in Europe typically sit between 300 and 900 metersmdashthese wines are some of the most powerful austere and pawed over When young the tannins in these cabernet sauvignon cabernet franc and merlot blends coat the tongue and mouth with a chalky dry sensation akin to sucking on an Earl Grey tea bag and are perhaps best suited to well-fatted rare steak and cigars Th ese are wines built to live for decades Personally I prefer a Bordeaux at least 20 years aged when the tannins have had ample time to calm down and mellow out and more nuanced fl avors come forward Sounds fancy and it is Only in some very lucky circumstances over the past year have I been guest to a bottle of 1990 Clos de Menuts Saint-Eacutemilion and a 1970 Chateau Haut-Brion About once every 10 years Irsquove had the good
fortune to taste a wine older than myself Nice work if you can get it
Where Burgundyrsquos vineyards (Francersquos other classifi ed sought-after region) were established by Benedictine monks patiently growing wine vines with spiritual hearts
Bordeauxrsquos vineyards were raised by entrepreneurial laymen who recognized the massive monetary opportunity when the English began drinking down their peasant wine Th is underscores the second half of my theory as to why Americans
more often American males are so drawn to the wines of Bordeaux Th erersquos an inherent capitalist connection something in the soil Th at the wines are so
unmistakable so distinctively grand and pronounced elixirs exemplifi es the fi rst half of my theory we Americans are not known for our subtlety (To be fair the Chinese are
signifi cant Bordeaux collectors as well)
Philosophy aside Bordeaux is quite a large region that produces beautiful white and red values as well as the rare fi nds out of the populacersquos price range Herersquos the skinny Blending is the game single varietal wines are rare White Bordeaux is typically made from a blend of sauvignon blanc and seacutemillon and sometimes a drop or two of muscadelle ugni blanc or colombard Reds are made primarily from the two cabernets plus merlot with small quantities of petit verdot malbec and carmenegravere occasionally in the mix Th e region is also home to the golden nectar of late ripened seacutemillon sauvignon blanc and muscadelle grapes that have successfully attracted the noble rot a fungus that covers the fruit and drains moisture from inside leaving behind rich sweet grapes without moldy fl avors Chateau drsquoYquem is the most famous of these unfortifi ed dessert wines though there are better bargains from the region
Bordeaux is split by the Gironde river which divides the region into three general areas Th e left bank also known as the Haut-Meacutedoc is where the classifi ed top growths are situated Th ese prestigious estates were named for their exceptional vineyard sites in 1855 a decision nearly unchanged since Today serious collectors invest in Bordeaux futures theoretically locking down lower prices of top
ample time to calm dit is Only in some vede Menuts Saint-Eacutem
fortune to taste a
Wherees
aun
of msignifi
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Follow Amy at pigandvinecom for morestories and wine suggestions
growth estates while the wine is still aging in the cellar Itrsquos the wine tradersquos equivalent to the NASDAQ On the right bank Saint-Eacutemilion and Pommerol are the prized vineyard areas known for their merlot heavy cuveacutees To the south west we fi nd Graves where there are many great values to be had in both white and red bottlings Entre-Deux-Mers which translates to ldquobetween two seasrdquo sits between the Dordogne and Garonne tributaries off the Gironde and is an excellent source for crisp whites
Get started on your Bordeaux experience with these values
Chateau Graville-Lacoste 2014 Graves 75 seacutemillon 20 sauvignon blanc and 5 muscadelle make up this beauty thatrsquos consistently delicious every vintage Crisp and refreshing great with seafood
Chateau Mirambeau 2014 GravesAnother classic blend of 40 sauvignon blanc 40 seacutemillon and 20 muscadelle this lovely white is a bit more fl oral than the Graville-Lacoste Easy drinking and great value
Chateau de Parenchegravere Bordeaux Rouge 201155 merlot 30 cabernet sauvignon and 15 cabernet franc grown in clay heavy soils similar to the right bank of the region Fleshy with good structure and abundant red fruit
Chateau Arnaud Bordeaux Supeacuterieur 2011Supeacuterieur on a Bordeaux label isnrsquot egotistical marketingmdashby law it indicates a wine with up to one degree more alcohol than its AC Bordeaux brethren What it really means is one more degree of body structure and in this case quality Approachable delicious and easy on the wallet
Chateau de Bernadotte Haut-Meacutedoc 2005Th e 2005 vintage in Bordeaux is in the history books with double asterisks Owned by the eminent Pichon Lalande family and made from vineyards in Paulliac one of the more choice growing areas in the region this is an incredible value a top tier Bordeaux for a fraction of the cost
Chateau de Suduiraut Sauternes 2011Ripe cantaloupe apricot and honey and an interesting smoky note with a solid sweet attack followed by great acidity A dessert wine that wonrsquot overpower the dessert
94 raquo parting shot raquo Patrick Hood
Meet Solvar
Solvar belongs to one of the worldrsquos oldest and purest equine lineages the Nor-
wegian Fjord horse a breed that has remained virtually unchanged for more than
2000 yearsmdashlong before we became acquainted with his animated cousins in
the movie Frozen Th ese national symbols of Norway are characterized by primi-
tive zebra striping on their legs and a dorsal stripe running from forelock to tail
resulting in a striking two-tone mane that sticks up like a Mohawk Th eir athleti-
cism agility and dependability make them valuable both as sport horses as well
as therapy horses for emotionally and physically challenged adults and children
Catie Wells of Huntsville is the proud owner of Solvar who resides at Monte
Sano Stables
For tickets or information 256-539-4818 or hsoorg
Bring In the New Year With Us
presents
WHAT A WONDERFUL
WORLDA tribute to Louis
Armstrong featuring the
Byron Stripling Quartet
Thursday December 31
730 pm bull Pops Series bullMark C Smith
Concert Hall VBC
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
M O R E T H A N 7 0 S H O P S A N D R E S T A U R A N T S I N C L U D I N G B E L K | D S W S H O E S | A P P L E J O S A B A N K | R E E D S J E W E L E R S | PA N D O R A | J C R E W | K AT E S PA D E N E W Y O R KO R V I S | B A N A N A R E P U B L I C | M I C H A E L K O R S | F R A N C E S C Arsquo S | A N T H R O P O L O G I EH amp M | S O M A | M O U N T A I N H I G H O U T F I T T E R S | B A R N E S amp N O B L E | S E P H O R AALTAR rsquoD STATE | CONNORS STEAK amp SEFOOD | THE WEST IN HUNTSV I L L E | MONACO P ICTURES
C O M I N G S O O N V E R S O N A ndash near Belk
B R I D G E S T R E E T H U N T S V I L L E C O M |
BR IDGE STREET TOWN CENTRE I S LOCATED AT EX I T 14 OFF I - 565 AT OLD MAD ISON P IKE
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Th ePERFECT HOLIDAY DINNER
Nutella CheesecakeMason Dixon Bakery amp Bistro(256) 213-7545
ldquoTh is is one of our favorite desserts for a holiday and for every day Th e rich and creamy cake melts like ice cream in your mouth the smoothness of the fi lling balances perfectly with the crunchiness of the crust and the delicate hints of the swirled Nutella are divinerdquo mdashCo-owners Chef Ashley and Taylor Ramirez
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Emily Taylor5510 Promenade Point Pkwy Suite 160Madison AL 35757256-430-2781
I can help you
your own wayGROW
1114-519HO
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
produced by aissa castillo and lauren mccaulphotos by lauren tomasella carney
clothing modeled by aaron petersen rachel smith anne harbargerand kait barinaga (for finery)
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Meet the Shop Girls The mission To search Valley shops and boutiques
for the fi nest in Yuletide treasures
Accepting the challenge three of Huntsvillersquos most original and creative taste-makers
Say hello to NorsquoAla Shop Girls Aissa Castillo Lauren McCaul and Lauren Tomasella CarneyDuring the day these mild-mannered professionals tend to demanding careers in design
retail management and photography But evenings and weekends theyrsquore out saving the world from uninspiring fashion and decor as style superheroes
Their picks for the very best gift ideas follow For ideas and inspiration year-round
stay in-the-know by following our Shop Girls on social media
Lauren McCaul deptofagraculturecom Instagram dept_of_agra_cultureAissa Castillo aislerchiccom Instagram aislerchic
Lauren Tomasella Carney laurentomasellacom Instagram laurentomasella
And as you shop for your own Christmas treasures this season please remember to spread your cheermdashand your dollarsmdashat home
(1) Amanda Uprichard Jacket ($248)(2) BCBG Dress ($228)(3) Zoa Dress ($128)Personal Couture Boutique(256) 508-5632
(4) Dress ($168)Anthropologie(256) 327-8470
(5) Olive + Oak Oatmeal Shawl ($72)(10) Simply Noelle Zipper Gusset Bag ($5999)House of Holland(256) 206-8989
(6) One-of-a-kind Eva Ziegler Agate and Pyrite Necklace ($397)(8) Eva Ziegler Freshwater Pearl Strand ($501)Eva Ziegler Jewelryevazieglercom
(9) Gift Set ($5995)Piper amp LeafPiperandleafcom
(7) Long Horn Necklace ($68)Personal Couture Boutique(256) 508-5632
Left to right Lauren Tomasella Carney
Lauren McCaul and Aissa Castillo
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
On himFilson Shirt ($98) Filson Jacket ($320)Yeti Cooler ($34999)Alabama Outdoors(256)-885-3561
On herPPLA Vest ($7999)PPLA Dress ($7499)Bedstu Boots ($295)Indigorsquos Boutique(256) 345-6348
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) Woolly Mammoth Tooth 4rdquo Damascus Linerlock Knife ($150)(2) Cardboard Safari Bucky Cardboard Deer Head ($30)(3) Curt Benzle Porcelain Compass ($15)Little Green Store and Gallery (256) 539-9699
(4) Hunting Journal ($32)Sweet Pineapple(256) 964-7563
(5) Yeti Colster ($2999)Alabama Outdoors(256)-885-3561
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
(1) Yellow House Handcrafted Beard Oils ($18 ea)Yellow House Beard Oilsyellowhousebeards com (2) Mustache amp Beard Comb ($16)Little Green Store and Gallery (256) 539-9699 (3) Latika Body Essentials Charcoal Liquid Soap ($18)(4) Latika Body Essentials Charcoal Bar Soap ($6) (5) Rustico Leather Key Chain ($18) Sweet Pineapple(256) 964-7563
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) Wood Thumb Tie ($44) (2) Slightly Alabama iPad Case ($250) (3) DockSmith Driftwood iPhone Docking Station ($68) Little Green Storeand Gallery (256) 539-9699 (4) Loyal Stricklin Aviator Mug ($35)Domaine South(256) 808-8860 (5) Would You Be a Deer Notepad ($9) Sweet Pineapple(256) 964-7563
(6) Filson Satchel ($265) Alabama Outdoors(256)-885-3561
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
When itrsquos time to move into a bigger house get a home loan from the bank thatrsquos had a home right here for generations You might say we know a thing about location location location synovuscommortgage
Banking products are provided by Synovus Bank Member FDIC Divisions of Synovus Bank operate under multiple trade names across the Southeast Loans products subject to credit approval
When itrsquos time to move into a bigger house get a home
Here is where Henry learned hersquod be getting
SERVING YOU LOCALLY AS
2565513300 | fcb-hsvcom
his own room
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) Spiritual GangsterTank ($36)(2) Luquido Yoga Pants ($90)(3) MZ Wallace Metro Tote ($245)(4) Vimmia V back Sweatshirt ($96)(5) Onzie Sports Bra ($48)(6) Olympia Yoga Pants ($96)(7) bkr Water Bottle ($30)The Fitzgerald Pilates amp Barre(256) 603-1886
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
(1) Gypsy Pant WarmTribal ($72) (2) Berry High Waist Legging ($88) (3) Long Legging Mathematics ($65) (4) Long Legging Peacock ($65) The FitzgeraldPilates amp Barre(256) 603-1886
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) Jane Tran Hair Clips ($15)(2) bkr Water Bottle ($30)(3) well-kept Tech Wipes ($6)(4) Made with Love Bracelets ($25)(5) Pointe Studio Socks ($12)(6) Bando Too Cold to Hold Coozie ($5)The Fitzgerald Pilates amp Barre(256) 603-1886
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
(1) Shop Bando Coff ee Cup ($14)(2) Shop Bando Pens ($14) (3) Shop Bando Pouch ($26) (4) Shop Bando Coin Purse ($20) The FitzgeraldPilates amp Barre(256) 603-1886
(5) Check Things Off Notepad ($16)(6) Hello From Huntsville Stamp ($12)Salt + Paperie(256) 655-5550
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) Muzzle Loaders Chocolate Bourbon Balls ($1999) (2) Vintage Crystal Decanter ($20) (3) Quench Glassware ($1399) Domaine South(256) 808-8860
(4) The Hella Bitters Old Fashioned Kit ($65)(5) American Bar by Charles Schumann ($2495) Little Green Storeand Gallery (256) 539-9699
(6) Julep Cups ($50)Willowbrook Shoppe (256) 270-7181
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom | novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) DECCO Umbrella in a Bottle ($1995)(2) Alexa Pulitzer Stationery Set ($14 ea)(3) Ikat Scarf ($6250)Huntsville Museumof Art(256) 535-4350
(4) Emily Ley Grace Journal ($32) (5) Sugar Boo Designs Clutch ($18) (6) Emily Ley Daily Planner ($58) (7) Latika Milk ampHoney Bar ($6) (8) Farm House Fresh Shea Butter Hand Cream ($14) (9) Christen MaxwellZippy ($42) (10) Green Tea Bubble Bath ($32) Sweet Pineapple(256) 964-7563 (11) Goal Getter Cuff ($32)Indigorsquos Boutique(256) 345-6348
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
(1) Kilim Pillow ($58) (2) Bejeweled Silver Plate Vase ($144) (3) Bone Clad Box ($375)Willowbrook Shoppe (256) 270-7181
(4) Cowhide Rug ($550)(5) Lucyrsquos Locket ($95) (Original piecemdashselection may vary)Sweet Pineapple(256) 964-7563 (6) Clutch ($65)Department of Agra Culturedeptofagraculturecom
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) Above The Bar Antler on Chain 28rdquo ($3999) (2) Above The Bar Deer wAntler Head 18rdquo ($2999) Indigorsquos Boutique(256) 345-6348
(3) Margaret Solow Labradorite18KT Bezel ($290) (4) Margaret Solow Diamond Crest MoonSilver ($460) (5) Margaret Solow Black Spinel + DiamondSilver ($560) (6) Margaret Solow Double Black Spinel18KT ($260)Little Green Store and Gallery (256) 539-9699
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
(1) Margaret Solow Grey Moonstoon18KT Necklace ($240) (2) Margaret Solow OpalDiamond Mosaic Necklace ($610) Little Green Storeand Gallery (256) 539-9699
(3) One-of-a-kind Eva Ziegler Smokey Quartz and Pyrite Necklace ($406)Eva Ziegler Jewelryevazieglercom
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) Jennifer BehrTurban ($625)(2) Cotton Day Dress ($64)(3) Norma Ishak Cardigan ($375)Finery(256) 429-3429
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) The Lion Sleeps Tonight Bath Bomb ($6) Sweet Pineapple(256) 964-7563
(2) Tiger Jelly Cat ($2250)(3) Dog Tag Teether ($1550)(4) Dinosaur Footie ($3595)Honey B Boutique(256) 503-2853
(5) Young Buck ($25)Tiny Vinestinyvinesshopcom
(6) Bib Set ($13)Huntsville Museumof Art(256) 535-4350
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
(1) Tiny Dancer Bath Bomb ($6)Sweet Pineapple(256) 964-7563
(2) Kickee Mammoth Footie ($3595)(3) Noodle amp Boo Essential Care Kit ($18)(4) Elephant Jelly Cat ($2250)Honey B Boutique(256) 503-2853
(5) ArtFolio Pink Elephant Coloring Tote ($17)Huntsville Museumof Art(256) 535-4350
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) Bib Set ($13)Huntsville Museumof Art(256) 535-4350 (2) Little Light ($25)Tiny Vinestinyvinesshopcom (3) Micro Leon Cardboard Lion ($30)Little Green Storeand Gallery (256) 539-9699 (4) I Love You Like Biscuits amp Gravy ($23)Domaine South(256) 808-8860
(5) Kickee Kimono ($4295)Honey B Boutique(256) 503-2853
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
SURPRISEA LOVED ONE
THIS HOLIDAY SEASON
WITH A FOREVER GIFT
HobbsJewelerscom 8772331347Parkway Place Mall
HuntsvilleHwy 72 West
AthensMain Street
Ardmore TN
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Caftan ($75)Sarah Richey Necklace ($350)Finery(256) 429-3429
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
(1) Chewbead Necklace ($3495)(2) Mayoral Baby Bag ($7995)(3) Mayoral Diaper Changing Pad ($2495)(4) Nursing Scarf ($2695) (5) Kickee Swaddling Blanket ($22)Honey B Boutique(256) 503-2853 (6) Lucy Darling Months Sticker ($25) (7) The Story of You Baby Book by Emily Ley ($62) Sweet Pineapple(256) 964-7563
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) Alwand Vahan 14K Gold and Onyx Ring wDiamond Accent ($2595)(2) Alwand Vanan 14K Gold and Onyx Bracelet wDiamond Accent ($2695)Hobbs Jewelers(877) 233-1347
(3) Britt Ryan Dress ($288)Personal Couture Boutique(256) 508-5632
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) Rocket Cosmos Mug ($13)Huntsville Museumof Art(256) 535-4350
(2) Loose Leaf Tea ($399)Piper amp Leaf piperandleafcom (3) Judy Jackson Tea Pot ($56) (4) Gary Watson Cherry Cutting Board ($48-$68) (5) Susan Coe Birthday Cake Plate ($33) Little Green Storeand Gallery (256) 539-9699 (6) Macarons ($116 pcs $221 dozen)Whisk Small Treats Bakery(256) 656-1027
(7) Truffl es ($185 each)Pizellersquos Confections (256) 513-9745 (8) Olive amp Sinclair Chocolate ($799)Domaine South(256) 808-8860
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
(1) Whisk Note Pad ($8) (2) In the Forest Mixing Bowl ($36) (3) Twig Serving Set ($18)(8) Southern Firefl y Candle ($12)Sweet Pineapple(256) 964-7563
(4) Urchin Bowl ($10)(5) Foodie Dice ($38)(6) 1Canoe2 Wood Recipe Box w Recipe Cards ($6999) Domaine South(256) 808-8860 (7) Growlers ($75 small $95 large)Southern Growlersoutherngrowlercom
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) Tacori 18K Barbados Blue Bold Gem Ring ($660)(2) Tacori 18K Barbados Blue Bold Gem Necklace ($630)(3) Tacori 18K Barbados Blue Bold Gem Bracelet ($990)Hobbs Jewelers(877) 233-1347
(4) BCBG Dress ($328)Personal Couture Boutique(256) 508-5632
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Guadalupe Robinson
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
text by jennifer crossley howard raquo photos by patrick hood
Of Deft and Dirty Hands
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Huntsville potter Guadalupe Lanning Robinson has spent more than 36 years mastering the
marriage of clay texture and geometric design into her pottery yet time has done little to temper the
plight of waiting
ldquoIt is hard for me to let a pot just dryrdquo she says motioning toward fi ve small wet pots sitting near her
pottery wheel ldquoIrsquom as excited to do this as I was 30 years agordquo
To observe her studio at Lowe Mill that is easy to believe Located on the corridor outside the textile
mill-turned-art centerrsquos main building the loft-like space with a corrugated tin roof feels like a place a
Gabriel Garcia Marquez character would enjoy daydreaming
Sienna-hued pottery sits in various stages to be fi red layered and etched Argentinian tango music
streams from Robinsonrsquos iPhone and two cockatiels a parrot and a parakeet chirp from their cages All
except the parrot fl y freely when Robinson is working
Robinson who is 61 made her fi rst pot in 1979 in her native Mexico City Almost four decades later her
work is part of permanent museum collections in Auburn Huntsville Tuscumbia and Tupelo Missis-
sippi She regularly enters her work in respected juried shows such as the Monte Sano Arts Festival and
the Kentuck Festival of the Arts in Northport and has received two Alabama State Council on the Arts
individual artist fellowships
Her inspiration draws from the villages around her native Mexico City such as the black pottery of
the northwest as well as her acquired Southern culture White lilies corn grids and round female
fi guresmdashldquoreally strong women who are in chargerdquo Robinson saysmdashreappear on her stoneware She uses
natural dyes indigo for color and mixes sand into clay for texture Nothing is wasted
ldquoI donrsquot waste any clayrdquo Robinson says ldquoEverything is recycledrdquo
Robinson fi nds solace in the 40-50 hours a week she puts in at the studio and the often tedious process
of making pots which can take from three weeks to six weeks for larger pots She usually works on two
or three pots at a time tending to groups at diff erent stages
After a pot is thrown on a wheel a piece can take days to dry before its fi rst bisque fi re in which tem-
peratures rise to 1800 F After baking for nine hours the kiln must cool Th e second fi ring rises to 2150
F and matures the clay and melts the glazes to strengthen the piece
ldquoI am an effi cient person by naturerdquo Robinson says ldquoWaiting for the kiln to cool down enough to open
can be nerve wracking and this is when my patience is usually put to the testrdquo
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
ldquoIt is hard for me to let a pot just dry Irsquom as excited to do this as I was 30 years agordquo
Robinson makes most of her pots on a wheel using oxides to change the color of clay she gets from Nashville and Pittsburgh Her pottery takes several weeks from start to fi nish depending on how large a pot is and how many she makes at a time
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
ldquoAttend to your childrenrsquos needs fi rst keep focus on what you want to douse the happiness joy and little breaks you get to make your artTh ey grow real fast and they will keep inspiring you all your liferdquo
Robinson imagined this bat-like design as she was working She usually begins a piece with a design in mind but that often evolves
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Robinson uses an overlay of liquid clay called engobemdashthat includes three to four layersmdashto create a
base on which to design
Th ere is high risk in making pottery and hours of work can be wasted on a pot that has not dried en-
tirely before it enters the kiln Air pockets or the wrong mixture of chemicals can ruin a piece
ldquoArt is involved but science is toordquo says Laura Smith director of education at the Huntsville Museum
of Art where Robinson has taught pottery classes ldquoItrsquos more labor intensive in terms of working with
the medium whether yoursquore building by hand or with a wheel until you fi re with the fi nal layer of glazerdquo
Th e result is sturdy pottery
ldquoI want my pots to look like something that is lasting a long timerdquo Robinson says
Th ough she works solitarily in her studio she says she does not get lonely Her birds and music keep her
company and each stage of pottery making has a soundtrack She uses needlepoint tools to draw onto
clay to Jose Feliciano and other Latin American musicians
ldquoIf Irsquom at the wheel Bruno Marsrdquo she says ldquoIf Irsquom unloading the kiln and something is really awesome
then I need something moving and I have on Motownrdquo
Robinsonrsquos years of experience minimize the risk of damaged pots but she says her greatest challenge
as a potter was balancing her work while raising her two children Now adults their candid childhood
pictures and those of her grandchildren cover the warm green walls of her studio
She met her husband the poet James Robinson in 1977 on a Greyhound bus when she returned to
Mexico City from visiting a friend at the University of Southern Mississippi He was heading to Mexico
to study at a university Th ey married six months later After giving birth to her daughter Annie Jane in
Mexico City in 1982 the family moved to Huntsville in 1985 Th at is when Robinson got more serious
about her pottery
ldquoFrom the very beginning when I moved to Alabama I knew I was going to have to do thisrdquo she said
ldquoIn some ways it was a way for me to keep connected to my heritagerdquo
She took even 15 minutes of free time to work in the studio behind her home and worked late into the
night while her daughter and son Isidoro born in 1987 slept Having a home studio allowed her to
wash clothes tend to her home and drop off lunches at school while maintaining her art
ldquoTh ere was something for me when I fi rst became a mother that fueled my creativityrdquo Robinson says
ldquoTh ey are such a social inspiration too It fi lls your liferdquo
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Robinson advises fellow artists who are mothers to seize
both roles but to prioritize motherhood
ldquoAttend to your childrenrsquos needs fi rst keep focus on what you
want to do use the happiness joy and little breaks you get
to make your artrdquo she says ldquoTh ey grow real fast and they will
keep inspiring you all your liferdquo
Anna Sue Courtney director of the Flying Monkey Arts
Center at Lowe Mill has known Robinson for more than
10 years She says she admires how mothers and artists like
Robinson seamlessly embrace both roles
ldquoIt seems therersquos not a separation between creating and rais-
ing childrenrdquo Courtney says ldquoTh ey seem to pull from the
same placerdquo
Part of Robinsonrsquos motivation at Lowe Mill comes from
working privately in a studio alongside other artists that fos-
ters a community of feedback and ideas
ldquoItrsquos nice to be here because you can take a break and walk around and get inspirationrdquo Courtney says
ldquoItrsquos refreshingrdquo
When she needs a break from the studio Robinson stays home to sketch designs for a day or two then
she is back in the studio
Trips twice a year to Mexico City keep her plugged in to her native culture which in turn shows up in
her pottery
ldquoI have to recharge myselfrdquo Robinson says ldquoI love Huntsville and loved raising my kids here but I still
have the need of going back to be recharged and smell all the smells and see all the colors and get on
the subway and be pushed aroundrdquo
Details from her trips that infl uence her work include the ever-present red that covers the city during
the celebration of Dia de los Muertos or the Day of the Dead Th e pyramids of Teotihuacan conjure
warm earth tones and fl oating gardens around the city yield sweet pungent calla lilies and carnations
Celebration of food tough women and nature reappear in her pottery qualities that both Southern and
Mexican cultures treasure
Above This daisy design is character-istic of Robinsonrsquos work Nature food and strong females from her native Mexico City and the South are strong creative infl uences
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Clockwise from top left Robinson often glazes only the inside of her pots so they can hold water and food She began quilting in 2002 and her quilts like her pottery contain earth tones and natural infl uences in their design Four birds keep Robinson company in what can be the isolating medium of pottery making Geometry and symmetry are two signature elements in Robinsonrsquos work according to Laura Smith director of education at the Huntsville Museum of Art
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Just as she keeps her home country close to her heart Robinson is loyal to her fi rst
love of pottery though she began making quilts in 2002
ldquoIrsquom a potter who likes to quiltrdquo she says
Like her pottery her quilting follows designs of organic nature such as fl owers and
crops on rich jewel tone cotton
ldquoWhen I fi rst saw one of her quilts I didnrsquot realize it was hers and I thought that
looks like it should be Guadalupersquos quiltrdquo Courtney says
Robinson prefers the immediate gratifi cation of clay
ldquoItrsquos a very responsive mediumrdquo she says ldquoYou can manipulate it Th e fact of mak-
ing something out of dirt out of nothing and making it durable making it perma-
nent that after going through the heat and maturing is something very excitingrdquo
She gently dings a pot covered with white dresses titled ldquoTehuana Dressrdquo to make
her point
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
887 FM Muscle Shoals bull 1007 FM Huntsvillewwwaprorg
News classicalmusic and more
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
copy Patrick Hood
text by sara wright covington raquo photos by jacki gil
patrick hood erin lindsey and michelle odom
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
copy Patrick Hood
ldquoA LOT OF PEOPLE HAD BEEN ASKING ME QUESTIONS ABOUTHOW I GOT MY BUSINESS STARTED I WANTED TO GATHER SOME PEOPLE AROUND ME
WHO WERE GOING THROUGH THOSE STRUGGLES AND TOBUILD ENTREPRENEURIAL COURAGErdquo
JACKI GIL SALT+PAPERIE
copy Patrick Hood
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
untsville-born Jacki Gil began her paper design busi-
ness Salt+Paperie in 2014 with an expansive vision
in mind one that extended beyond creating beautiful
custom designed paper goods ldquoI love my design job
but when Irsquom 50 years old I donrsquot see myself still de-
signing wedding invitationsrdquo the master stationer says
ldquoI really have a passion for teaching and helping people
I want to be a mentorrdquo
In 2015 Gil set out on her mentoring mission sooner than expected with a series
of workshops called Encourage Huntsville ldquoA lot of people had been asking me
questions about how I got my business startedrdquo Gil says about the early days of
Salt+Paperie Even though most of those questions from entrepreneurial-hopefuls
were technicalmdashlike how to apply for a business licensemdashthey served as inspira-
tion for Gil ldquoI wanted to gather some people around me who were going through
those struggles and to build entrepreneurial courage I defi nitely saw that there
was a need for helping people to take that next step toward owning their own
businessesrdquo
Encourage Huntsville was modeled on the image of a growing small business
movement called the Rising Tide Society a national community of creative small
business owners who encourage ldquocommunity over competitionrdquo Th at spirit of
openness is at the heart of Encourage Huntsville ldquoCommunity over competition
is a huge part of what we are doingrdquo says Gil ldquoSmall business owners sharing how
they earn their money is a big dealrdquo
As a fi rst step Gil gathered others around her who were using their skills and abili-
ties to make their own small businesses work With talents ranging from cooking
and cake decorating to hand lettering and artwork these small business owners
all embraced Gilrsquos vision for imparting to others the knowledge of their craft un-
impeded by a fear of losing their competitive edge
Th e fi rst lesson Gil wanted to impart to Encourage Huntsvillersquos students wasnrsquot
necessarily a particular craft or skill but a spirt of creative confi dence ldquoWe want-
ed to bridge the gap between the very artsy community and the ultimate engineer
communityrdquo many of whom Gil observes had been told since childhood they
werenrsquot artistic ldquoWhen you are little and someone tells you that you donrsquot have a
talent it sticks with you I found that a lot of people had that experience so that
was the workshop partmdashto build some creative courage in this communityrdquo
Gil conducted the fi rst workshop herself testing the waters to see how the concept
would be received Th e admission price to that fi rst workshop included supplies a
take-home ldquogoody bagrdquo to help students continue their work extracurricularly and
refreshmentsmdashas well as Gilrsquos tips of her trade
ldquoWe went in blindly not knowing if we had a market or notrdquo says Gil Th e popular-
ity of that fi rst class proved undeniably that a market did in fact exist the work-
shop sold out in one day ldquoSo we did back-to-back workshopsrdquo Gil says ldquoAfter that
novemberdecembeeer eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee | nononoononononononoonoonononooooonoonoonnononnoaaalalalllaallllllalaalaaalal ststustust ddiossscom mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm | | | | | | | | | | |
f
w
y
Previous page Encourage Huntsvillersquos founder and instructor Jacki Gil teaches a class in hand lettering Facing page A participant studies her supply list
we realized people really want to do this stuff So we said lsquoletrsquos jump on the boat
and make this happenrsquordquo
Gilrsquos longtime friend photographer Erin Lindsey of Erin Lindsey Images agreed
to contribute to Encourage Huntsvillersquos curriculum by teaching a photography
class ldquoJacki and I are a good team because our hearts are in the same place when
it comes to encouraging othersrdquo Lindsey says Still she admits saying yes to teach-
ing wasnrsquot without some initial hesitation ldquoWhen Jacki asked if I would teach a
class it was kind of scary I thought I had to be perfect before I could teach oth-
ersrdquo Lindsey says of her initial hesitancy ldquoBut after talking to Jacki I realized none
of us are perfectrdquo But perfection isnrsquot the goal encouragement is the goal ldquoAnd I
thought lsquoI can defi nitely line up with that visionrsquordquo
Michelle Odom another Huntsville native and owner of custom cake bakery Just
Crumbs was also on board with Gilrsquos vision In fact Odom had been contemplat-
ing teaching a class when she was approached by Gil to teach a fondant basics
class ldquoHuntsville is such an engineer town and everyone is so mathematical and
scientifi crdquo Odom says echoing the dichotomy between the arts and sciences ex-
pressed by Gil ldquoTh ese workshops are just a very cool way for structured people to
have a creative outletrdquo
ldquoJACKI AND I ARE A GOOD TEAM BECAUSE OUR HEARTS ARE INTHE SAME PLACE WHEN IT COMES TO ENCOURAGING OTHERSrdquo
ERIN LINDSEY ERIN LINDSEY IMAGES
copy Erin Lindsey
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Above A participant in Erin Lindseyrsquos photo class frames a still life
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
copy Erin Lindsey
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
ldquoHUNTSVILLE IS SUCH AN ENGINEER TOWN AND EVERYONE ISSO MATHEMATICAL AND SCIENTIFIC THESE WORKSHOPS ARE JUST A VERY COOL
WAY FOR STRUCTURED PEOPLE TO HAVE A CREATIVE OUTLETrdquo MICHELLE ODOM JUST CRUMBS
copy Michelle Odom
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
ldquoAnd yesrdquo Odom acknowledges ldquoyou are in theory teaching your competition But
at the same time you are helping the community be more creativerdquo
With its roster of popular creative workshops under its belt Encourage Huntsville
has added business classes to its community-over-competition curriculum with
classes designed to provide specifi c guidance for small business owners ldquoAll of
our events that donrsquot require hands-on work we call seminarsrdquo says Gil ldquoWe had
about 15 people at our fi rst one It was pretty much just an open discussion to ask
us questions and get answers from the perspective of a small business ownerrdquo
Th e seminars enjoyed the same success and enthusiasm as the workshops ldquoWe
had two hours for people to ask questionsrdquo Gil says Topics covered ran the gamut
from scheduling daily tasks self-hosting a website or using an Etsy store man-
aging client expectations and being realistic about how much time you need to
complete jobs
ldquoTh e time went quickly and people wanted morerdquo says Gil who envisions an all-
day seminar in 2016
Margaret Baggett owner and executive chef of the Chef Next Door is another
small business owner who has shared Gilrsquos vision from the very beginning teach-
copy Erin Lindsey
Facing page Michelle Odomrsquos fondant basics class begins with a styrofoam cake form Above Newbie photographers familiarize themselves with their cameras in Erin Lindseyrsquos photography class
ing knife skills workshops and helping host the business seminars ldquoI am so proud
to get to be a part of this project and help nurture other small business owners
who may just be starting out on their journey or are deep in it and looking for
some encouragement from other business ownersrdquo Baggett says of what motivates
her participation in Encourage Huntsville ldquoEven being on the advice-giving side
of things I am still learning and have taken tips and tricks and lessons from each
event we have had so far We never stop learning from each other and never stop
improving upon our craftsrdquo
Th e mutual growth among students and teachers is the source of the encourage-
mentmdashand the joymdashof Encourage Huntsville ldquoItrsquos so much fun to see the light
bulbs go off with people and see them encouraged right before your eyesrdquo Lindsey
says of her experience with the program ldquoPlus itrsquos a pleasure to contribute to a
sense of community over competition Th at whole concept is so rarerdquo
As Encourage Huntsvillersquos following continues to grow the diversity of the work-
shops will expand as well Whether you are looking to spend a fun afternoon
learning a new craft or are a budding small business owner hoping to launch
your brand Encourage Huntsville has something valuable to off er ldquoWe encourage
those left-brain folks to take up a new hobby or skillrdquo Baggett says ldquoor just encour-
age the people of Huntsville to get together and fan their creative fl amesrdquo
If yoursquore looking for
creative or entrepreneurial
encouragement visit
encouragehuntsvillecom
for seminar and workshop
schedules and information
ldquoI AM SO PROUD TO GET TO BE A PART OF THIS PROJECT AND HELP NURTURE OTHER SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS WHO MAY JUST BE STARTING OUT ON THEIR JOURNEY OR ARE DEEP IN IT
AND LOOKING FOR SOME ENCOURAGEMENT FROM OTHER BUSINESS OWNERSrdquoMARGARET BAGGETT CHEF NEXT DOOR
copy Jacki Gil
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
copy Jacki Gil
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Participants in Margaret Baggettrsquos knife skills workshop learn to perfect their ldquomise en placerdquo
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
copy Olivia Reed
text by sara wright covington raquo photos by olivia reed and jeff white
HUNTSVILLErsquoS
HOMEGROWNHOSTESS
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
ttttttononononoooooonononooooo raquo praquo praquo praquo praquo phothothothothotosoososos s s osos bybybbybb
Any host will tell you that delicious food and quality libations while important to
a partyrsquos success are secondary to the most important ingredient of all the guest list Th atrsquos why many
of downtown Huntsvillersquos most popular restaurants breweries and wine shops are turning to event
planner Ashley Ryals and her uncanny knack for attracting loyal patronsmdashand creating unforgettable
events in the process
When Huntsville born-and-bred Ashley Ryals left for college at the University of Alabama in 2001
she thought her exit from the Valley was permanent ldquoI never thought I would end up back hererdquo the
founder of event planning company Homegrown Huntsville says with a knowing laugh But after a few
post-graduate years working for world-renowned public relations powerhouse Weber Shandwick in
New York City Ryals started to second guess her freshman declaration
ldquoI started to get homesickrdquo she admits ldquoAll of my friends were getting married and meeting for football
games and I was missing itrdquo So when a friend from home set up an interview at EarlyWorks for a job
doing event planning Ryals jumped at the chance to come home
Ashley spent the next few years planning EarlyWorks Whistle Stop and Santarsquos Village events A brief
stint in sales followed along with a seat on the board of Huntsville Young Professionals where she had
an idea for a downtown pub crawl
ldquoWe expected 20 or 30 peoplerdquo Ryals says of their modest expectations ldquoBut 200 people showed uprdquo
Th at initial success convinced Ryals to embark on her dream of establishing an
event planning company But it wasnrsquot just any event planning company Ryals
had in mind she envisioned one that would collaborate with local businesses
cultivate signature events for the community to enjoy and support small busi-
nesses in the process
Inspired Ryals left her sales job and for the second time in her life came home
again to event planning and Homegrown Huntsville
To help bring her vision to life Ryals collaborated with designer Adrianne Van
Kirk of Fave Creative ldquoAdrianne has been a part of the visual and branding of
Homegrown from the beginning We come up with the event ideas then I get
the ticketing and sales together and she comes back with a logo and the mar-
keting for the event And thatrsquos how it all comes togetherrdquo Ryals says of their
creative process
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
ASHLEY RYALS
copy Olivia Reed
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
ldquoMOST WINE FESTIVALS ACROSS THE COUNTRY HAVE PROVEN RECORDS OF BEING ABLE TO STAY AROUND 15 OR 20 YEARS OR EVEN LONGER AND THE ECONOMIES OF THOSE
CITIES HAVE REALLY GROWN AS A RESULT I WANT BIG SPRING CRUSH TO EVENTUALLY BE THE BIGGEST AND BEST WINE FESTIVAL IN THE STATE OF ALABAMArdquo ASHLEY RYALS
copy Jeff White
copy Jeff White
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
copy Olivia Reed
Homegrown launched in 2011 with what would become its
signature event Dine amp Dash Every second Wednesday
April through October a trolley shuttles patrons between
downtown establishments where they are served a drink
and appetizer before moving on to the next stop
Owner and executive chef Merle Phillips of Th e Eaves was
one of the fi rst restaurants to sign on for Dine amp Dashrsquos de-
but ldquoAshley came to me and said she was starting a trolley
tasting conceptrdquo says Chef Merle ldquoI didnrsquot really know her so
I was taking a chance on the concept she was sellingrdquo
Merle tried it and has been a loyal participant of Dine amp
Dash ever since
ldquoIt was a risk in the beginning but it defi nitely paid off rdquo Chef
Merle says of the experience Pivotal to that experience ac-
cording to Phillips is Ryalsrsquo demonstration to the commu-
nity just what the term ldquohomegrownrdquo really means ldquoAshley
shines a spotlight on independent businesses in a market-
place that has for so long focused on chainsrdquo Phillips says
ldquoDine amp Dash has really brought into sharp focus the inter-
esting culinary diversity that Huntsville has to off errdquo
For the next two years Homegrown Huntsville focused al-
most exclusively on Dine amp Dash which by the end of its fi rst
year included every single downtown restaurant But when
big changes began to appear on the downtown horizonmdash
new restaurants breweries and residential developmentsmdash
Ryalsrsquo instincts told her
the time had come to
introduce a new event
to the downtown cal-
endar
ldquoBeer Hop follows
the concept of Dine
amp Dashrdquo Ryals says of
Homegrownrsquos second
venture which began
in 2013 Each month a
trolley visits three dif-
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
BILL FOWLEROLD TOWN BEER
EXCHANGE
copy Olivia Reed
copy Olivia Reed
ferent breweries where patrons sample beers and enjoy food
from a variety of food trucks parked at each location
Bill Fowler managing partner of Old Town Beer Exchange
agreed to participate in Beer Hop on his very fi rst day of
business and credits Ryals with an overwhelmingly success-
ful opening night ldquoAshley said lsquoI can guarantee that you are
going to have wave after wave of people coming throughrsquordquo
Fowler says recalling that fi rst jittery occasion Once again
Ryals proved true to her word with 60-plus patrons arriving
in an hour-and-a-half ldquoIt was awesome and such a great ex-
perience for usrdquo Fowler raves ldquoAshley is a hard worker and
you can see that in what she doesrdquo
Fowler believes that in addition to bringing new customers
to OTBX Ryals is also cultivating beer education consis-
tently bringing in people who are new to beer and want to
learn And with Huntsvillersquos recent brewery boom that level
of education and interest is crucial for the brewing commu-
nity to thrive ldquoWe have a very small window of opportunityrdquo
says Fowler ldquoI think Huntsville in particular is becoming a
craft brewing community People are making money at this
and once Tennessee sees that we need to already have had a
pretty huge head startrdquo
By the end of 2013 and with standing events Beer Hop and
Dine amp Dash well established Ryals took time to refl ect on
her original goal for Homegrown Huntsville ldquoIn the back of
my head from day one I knew I wanted to do a wine festival
I just didnrsquot think Huntsville was ready for it in 2011rdquo
Emboldened by the success of Beer Hop Ryals decided to
make the leap with Big Spring Crush wine festival later the
same year Once again Ryals delivered the perfect audience
for the event and in the process discovered a surprising
fact about North Alabamarsquos contribution to the wine-mak-
ing industry
ldquoIn doing the wine festival I learned that we have a huge
wine community in Huntsvillerdquo Ryals says ldquoTh ere are only
about 47 certifi ed wine judges in the entire United States
and we have four of them right here in North Alabama Two
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
copy Jeff White
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
ldquoI STARTED TO GET HOMESICK ALL OF MY FRIENDS WERE GETTING MARRIEDAND MEETING FOR FOOTBALL GAMES AND I WAS MISSING ITrdquo ASHLEY RYALS
copy Jeff White
copy Jeff White
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
ldquoIT WAS AWESOME AND SUCH A GREAT EXPERIENCE FOR USrdquoBILL FOWLER OLD TOWN BEER EXCHANGE
copy Jeff White
copy Olivia Reed
of those four certifi ed wine judges sit on the committee for
Big Spring Crushrdquo
Matthew and Stephanie Mell had just opened Church Street
Wine Shop when they decided to participate in the fi rst Big
Spring Crush Like OTBXrsquos Robert Fowler the Mells credit
Ryals and Homegrown Huntsville for helping to introduce
their new enterprise to the community ldquoAshley has been in-
strumental in helping to bring us people who love and ap-
preciate winerdquo Stephanie Mell says ldquoShe was homegrown
here in Huntsville and she really gets the downtown area
and small businesses and that is so important to usrdquo
Big Spring Crush began with a bang featuring over 150
wines and attracting patrons from across the country
ldquoMost wine festivals across the country have proven records
of being able to stay around 15 or 20 years or even longerrdquo
Ryals says ldquoAnd the economies of those cities have really
grown as a result I want Big Spring Crush to eventually be
the biggest and best wine festival in the state of Alabamardquo
How does Ryals intend to make that dream come true ldquoBy
always keeping it fresh I want to have new marketing and
new things happening each yearrdquo
Ryalsrsquo formula of reinvention and expansion has successfully
led Homegrown Huntsville through fi ve years of success and
helped its events become community staples along the way In
the process Ryals is broadening more than just our image of
downtown Huntsville shersquos joining a class of creative entrepre-
neurs committed to expanding Huntsvillersquos reputation as more
than just a hub for the brightest scientifi c minds in America
ldquoWe have a big city of engineers and lawyers and itrsquos won-
derfulrdquo Ryals say ldquo But there is a whole artist and food cul-
ture here and there is so much growth I want us to have a
vibrant cool downtown area and I want for people to tell
their friends to come and visit and to see Huntsville for what
it is a city I loverdquo
If yoursquod like to participate in Homegrown Huntsville either
as a guest or a participating business visit homegrown-
huntsvillecom
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
copy Jeff White
I was years old and the year was At that time the city of Huntsville was inching toward the mountain to the east California Street was once the continental divide between the small town metropo-lis and the uncharted territories gingerly crossed by the real estate pioneers four score and some odd years prior Th is area became the new suburb as the city kept pushing onward toward Fagan Springs as if the reverberating booms of rocket testings were vibrating Hunstvillians away from its epicenter
From the front yard of our house on Owens Drive I could look to the rightmdashup the hill to the bend be-yond which the big houses stood on their rocky ledge pedestals and to the left where all the other houses that looked just like oursmdashfresh and newmdashrambled for what seemed like miles Th ose clean well-lit abodes all seemed the same and granted at my age I knew more about the pets that lived there than I did about the people who owned those manageable mortgages I came to realize that each was diff erent in a way that was permeated by voices smells and furnishings
It is a clicheacute to say that our lives were simpler then because that is just how the current era will be fondly referred to in the future but to a 5-year-old it is the simplicity that brought the joy Th e sixties will always be to me the beginning of the age of manufactured happiness Cheap clean and simple was what was strived for and what was easily obtained Plastic items were plentiful and pretty things could be bought with SampH Green Stamps A few coins in our pocket would transfer us into the most master of manipula-tors with us giving our all to convince our parents for a jaunt to Murdockrsquos for a holiday of wonderment joy and impatience as we would scour the shelves trying to get the most from our meager budget
Owens Drive was the fairly new thoroughfare from which the avenues of three-bedroom-ranchers fi ngered away at planned intervals Th is was the place where newlyweds started their lives homes and families Where girls with last names that had been in the town for generations would change them to those strange and exotic last names of the clean cut newcomers brought here for military purposes Where the housewives would preheat their pristine electric ovens trying to make cheese straws and biscuits that were just like their motherrsquos only to be frustrated as they were never quite the same and where the husbands would follow in their fatherrsquos footsteps by joining the Acme Club and hunting doves on the weekends
Th ere was a swimming pool Certainly not at our house Th e only private pool I remember as a child was one that my grandmother would take me to nestled between huge trees at someonersquos house on Adams Street I would swim with other children my age while our grandmothers chatted smoking cigarettes in cat-eyed anonymity whispering most of their stories so we wouldnrsquot be able to hear But between their
gasps and laughter we would listen hear and learn
Th e Blossomwood pool was a place of designated rules and the sound of bright whistlesmdashwith straight lines and distinctive colors of blue and green I can still feel the Coppertoned oiliness on the skin of the tanned lifeguard as she carried me from the deep end frightened after my fi rst attempt at solo-swimming She knew my name I had no idea who she was
On the other side of the pool was the school my older sister attended It had a style that mim-icked the poolmdashstraight lines cleanmdasha temple to orderliness and good manners It was with
awe that I once watched the young adults there some as old as eleven wind and dance their way around a sky-high fl agpolemdasheach with a diff erent color ribbon until the fi rst (and only) May Pole
I was privy to was completely dressed in its woven bright colors
90 raquo bless their hearts raquo Guy McClure Jr
Huntsville was a magical place for us tail-end baby boomers to grow upmdashbeyond the miracles of the escalator at Pizitz the smiling little lady on the tall stool at the register at Britlings There was a comfort level there that Irsquom not sure is in the minds of the 5-year-olds of today
cat-eyed agasps
Th s
aI w
THE COMFORTS OF BLOSSOMWOOD
In our world of red-bricked carported castles there was a def-inite division of generations Th e children ate separately from the parents went to school as our dads went to work enter-tained our neighborhood friends as quietly as possible and felt safe between our boundaries of Big Cove Road and Hermitage Street While we dined on our Chef Boy-Ar-Dee boxed pizza our parents busied themselves dressing in their dark colors getting ready for a late dinner at Boots having the scent of perfume and face powder trail my mother as she came into the kitchen looking for something with an intense purpose My father would smell of British Sterling and look just as he did when he went to work only happier Th ese nights meant something fun would happenmdashwe would have a babysitter
Babysitters were my introduction into what was and still seems cool Th ey were usually Huntsville High School teen-agers who would put on a show without even knowing it I would drink in their every move word and essence of style To me they were supermodelsmdashmovie starsmdasheven more fa-mous in my eyes than a television weatherman and almost as glamorous as the waitresses at the Waffl e House
Before they would tire of me and my sister and put us to bed they would include us in their world of music and knowledge which I thought was all-encompassing Suddenly our world of Th e Benny Carl Show and Fantasy Playhouse would seem trite and passeacute and we would catch a fl eeting glimpse into what would be in store for us when we too could stay up past 8 pm
Huntsville was a magical place for us tail-end baby boomers to grow upmdashbeyond the miracles of the escalator at Pizitz the smiling little lady on the tall stool at the register at Britlings and that bright colorful Maypole Th ere was a comfort level there that Irsquom not sure is in the minds of the 5-year-olds of todaymdashthe soothing sheltered lack of knowledge of why we were so lucky yet we didnrsquot even know that we were
In the other areas of our Huntsville there was poverty and ra-cial unrestmdashas there was and is in every city I was unaware People of color were always a part of my worldmdashmostly be-cause they had my attention and respect At our house there was Annie my grandmotherrsquos house was fi lled with the joys of Lula and out on the family farm there was strong and smiling Homer and large and huggable Rosamdashall just as much a part of my life as everyone else My life was good and they were instrumental in making it that way
What will the 5-year-olds of today who are lucky enough to be raised on those well-planned streets remember when they surpass their own 50 year mark It is a much more complex world now and there are diff erent concerns with daily changes of fear Youthful innocence is a prize that is encased without a lock Premature maturity is a viable threat and a constant fear But each night tucked in tight in a simple room sleeps tomor-rowrsquos adults who are having sweet dreamsmdashblanketed by the comforts of Blossomwood
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
92 raquo the vine raquo Amy C Collins
BORDEAUX POWER
Where Burgundyrsquos vineyards were established by Benedictine monks patiently growing wine vines with spiritual hearts Bordeauxrsquos vineyards were raised by entrepreneurial laymen who recognized the massive monetary opportunity when the English began drinking down their peasant wine
The city of Bordeaux is Francersquos primary port town on the Atlantic ocean a harbor that has for centuries served as the countryrsquos most important dock Th e regionrsquos history is long and storied with the fi rst written reference to the area dated 379 AD by the Latin poet Ausonius who was also a wine-grower Jump ahead to the year 1152 when Eleanor of Aquitaine married Englandrsquos soon-to-be king Henry Plantagenet and the port and surrounding vineyard land became the source of wine for the English a connection that remains strong even today
Bordeaux produces the worldrsquos most expensive and sought after collector wines the top tier of which make up less than fi ve percent of the regionrsquos total production Th ese names are quickly learned by neophyte wine drinkers wanting to make an impression Chateau Haut-Brion Lafi te Latour and Margaux for example Grown in gravelly soils only a few meters above sea levelmdashin contrast vineyards elsewhere in Europe typically sit between 300 and 900 metersmdashthese wines are some of the most powerful austere and pawed over When young the tannins in these cabernet sauvignon cabernet franc and merlot blends coat the tongue and mouth with a chalky dry sensation akin to sucking on an Earl Grey tea bag and are perhaps best suited to well-fatted rare steak and cigars Th ese are wines built to live for decades Personally I prefer a Bordeaux at least 20 years aged when the tannins have had ample time to calm down and mellow out and more nuanced fl avors come forward Sounds fancy and it is Only in some very lucky circumstances over the past year have I been guest to a bottle of 1990 Clos de Menuts Saint-Eacutemilion and a 1970 Chateau Haut-Brion About once every 10 years Irsquove had the good
fortune to taste a wine older than myself Nice work if you can get it
Where Burgundyrsquos vineyards (Francersquos other classifi ed sought-after region) were established by Benedictine monks patiently growing wine vines with spiritual hearts
Bordeauxrsquos vineyards were raised by entrepreneurial laymen who recognized the massive monetary opportunity when the English began drinking down their peasant wine Th is underscores the second half of my theory as to why Americans
more often American males are so drawn to the wines of Bordeaux Th erersquos an inherent capitalist connection something in the soil Th at the wines are so
unmistakable so distinctively grand and pronounced elixirs exemplifi es the fi rst half of my theory we Americans are not known for our subtlety (To be fair the Chinese are
signifi cant Bordeaux collectors as well)
Philosophy aside Bordeaux is quite a large region that produces beautiful white and red values as well as the rare fi nds out of the populacersquos price range Herersquos the skinny Blending is the game single varietal wines are rare White Bordeaux is typically made from a blend of sauvignon blanc and seacutemillon and sometimes a drop or two of muscadelle ugni blanc or colombard Reds are made primarily from the two cabernets plus merlot with small quantities of petit verdot malbec and carmenegravere occasionally in the mix Th e region is also home to the golden nectar of late ripened seacutemillon sauvignon blanc and muscadelle grapes that have successfully attracted the noble rot a fungus that covers the fruit and drains moisture from inside leaving behind rich sweet grapes without moldy fl avors Chateau drsquoYquem is the most famous of these unfortifi ed dessert wines though there are better bargains from the region
Bordeaux is split by the Gironde river which divides the region into three general areas Th e left bank also known as the Haut-Meacutedoc is where the classifi ed top growths are situated Th ese prestigious estates were named for their exceptional vineyard sites in 1855 a decision nearly unchanged since Today serious collectors invest in Bordeaux futures theoretically locking down lower prices of top
ample time to calm dit is Only in some vede Menuts Saint-Eacutem
fortune to taste a
Wherees
aun
of msignifi
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Follow Amy at pigandvinecom for morestories and wine suggestions
growth estates while the wine is still aging in the cellar Itrsquos the wine tradersquos equivalent to the NASDAQ On the right bank Saint-Eacutemilion and Pommerol are the prized vineyard areas known for their merlot heavy cuveacutees To the south west we fi nd Graves where there are many great values to be had in both white and red bottlings Entre-Deux-Mers which translates to ldquobetween two seasrdquo sits between the Dordogne and Garonne tributaries off the Gironde and is an excellent source for crisp whites
Get started on your Bordeaux experience with these values
Chateau Graville-Lacoste 2014 Graves 75 seacutemillon 20 sauvignon blanc and 5 muscadelle make up this beauty thatrsquos consistently delicious every vintage Crisp and refreshing great with seafood
Chateau Mirambeau 2014 GravesAnother classic blend of 40 sauvignon blanc 40 seacutemillon and 20 muscadelle this lovely white is a bit more fl oral than the Graville-Lacoste Easy drinking and great value
Chateau de Parenchegravere Bordeaux Rouge 201155 merlot 30 cabernet sauvignon and 15 cabernet franc grown in clay heavy soils similar to the right bank of the region Fleshy with good structure and abundant red fruit
Chateau Arnaud Bordeaux Supeacuterieur 2011Supeacuterieur on a Bordeaux label isnrsquot egotistical marketingmdashby law it indicates a wine with up to one degree more alcohol than its AC Bordeaux brethren What it really means is one more degree of body structure and in this case quality Approachable delicious and easy on the wallet
Chateau de Bernadotte Haut-Meacutedoc 2005Th e 2005 vintage in Bordeaux is in the history books with double asterisks Owned by the eminent Pichon Lalande family and made from vineyards in Paulliac one of the more choice growing areas in the region this is an incredible value a top tier Bordeaux for a fraction of the cost
Chateau de Suduiraut Sauternes 2011Ripe cantaloupe apricot and honey and an interesting smoky note with a solid sweet attack followed by great acidity A dessert wine that wonrsquot overpower the dessert
94 raquo parting shot raquo Patrick Hood
Meet Solvar
Solvar belongs to one of the worldrsquos oldest and purest equine lineages the Nor-
wegian Fjord horse a breed that has remained virtually unchanged for more than
2000 yearsmdashlong before we became acquainted with his animated cousins in
the movie Frozen Th ese national symbols of Norway are characterized by primi-
tive zebra striping on their legs and a dorsal stripe running from forelock to tail
resulting in a striking two-tone mane that sticks up like a Mohawk Th eir athleti-
cism agility and dependability make them valuable both as sport horses as well
as therapy horses for emotionally and physically challenged adults and children
Catie Wells of Huntsville is the proud owner of Solvar who resides at Monte
Sano Stables
For tickets or information 256-539-4818 or hsoorg
Bring In the New Year With Us
presents
WHAT A WONDERFUL
WORLDA tribute to Louis
Armstrong featuring the
Byron Stripling Quartet
Thursday December 31
730 pm bull Pops Series bullMark C Smith
Concert Hall VBC
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
M O R E T H A N 7 0 S H O P S A N D R E S T A U R A N T S I N C L U D I N G B E L K | D S W S H O E S | A P P L E J O S A B A N K | R E E D S J E W E L E R S | PA N D O R A | J C R E W | K AT E S PA D E N E W Y O R KO R V I S | B A N A N A R E P U B L I C | M I C H A E L K O R S | F R A N C E S C Arsquo S | A N T H R O P O L O G I EH amp M | S O M A | M O U N T A I N H I G H O U T F I T T E R S | B A R N E S amp N O B L E | S E P H O R AALTAR rsquoD STATE | CONNORS STEAK amp SEFOOD | THE WEST IN HUNTSV I L L E | MONACO P ICTURES
C O M I N G S O O N V E R S O N A ndash near Belk
B R I D G E S T R E E T H U N T S V I L L E C O M |
BR IDGE STREET TOWN CENTRE I S LOCATED AT EX I T 14 OFF I - 565 AT OLD MAD ISON P IKE
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Emily Taylor5510 Promenade Point Pkwy Suite 160Madison AL 35757256-430-2781
I can help you
your own wayGROW
1114-519HO
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
produced by aissa castillo and lauren mccaulphotos by lauren tomasella carney
clothing modeled by aaron petersen rachel smith anne harbargerand kait barinaga (for finery)
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Meet the Shop Girls The mission To search Valley shops and boutiques
for the fi nest in Yuletide treasures
Accepting the challenge three of Huntsvillersquos most original and creative taste-makers
Say hello to NorsquoAla Shop Girls Aissa Castillo Lauren McCaul and Lauren Tomasella CarneyDuring the day these mild-mannered professionals tend to demanding careers in design
retail management and photography But evenings and weekends theyrsquore out saving the world from uninspiring fashion and decor as style superheroes
Their picks for the very best gift ideas follow For ideas and inspiration year-round
stay in-the-know by following our Shop Girls on social media
Lauren McCaul deptofagraculturecom Instagram dept_of_agra_cultureAissa Castillo aislerchiccom Instagram aislerchic
Lauren Tomasella Carney laurentomasellacom Instagram laurentomasella
And as you shop for your own Christmas treasures this season please remember to spread your cheermdashand your dollarsmdashat home
(1) Amanda Uprichard Jacket ($248)(2) BCBG Dress ($228)(3) Zoa Dress ($128)Personal Couture Boutique(256) 508-5632
(4) Dress ($168)Anthropologie(256) 327-8470
(5) Olive + Oak Oatmeal Shawl ($72)(10) Simply Noelle Zipper Gusset Bag ($5999)House of Holland(256) 206-8989
(6) One-of-a-kind Eva Ziegler Agate and Pyrite Necklace ($397)(8) Eva Ziegler Freshwater Pearl Strand ($501)Eva Ziegler Jewelryevazieglercom
(9) Gift Set ($5995)Piper amp LeafPiperandleafcom
(7) Long Horn Necklace ($68)Personal Couture Boutique(256) 508-5632
Left to right Lauren Tomasella Carney
Lauren McCaul and Aissa Castillo
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
On himFilson Shirt ($98) Filson Jacket ($320)Yeti Cooler ($34999)Alabama Outdoors(256)-885-3561
On herPPLA Vest ($7999)PPLA Dress ($7499)Bedstu Boots ($295)Indigorsquos Boutique(256) 345-6348
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) Woolly Mammoth Tooth 4rdquo Damascus Linerlock Knife ($150)(2) Cardboard Safari Bucky Cardboard Deer Head ($30)(3) Curt Benzle Porcelain Compass ($15)Little Green Store and Gallery (256) 539-9699
(4) Hunting Journal ($32)Sweet Pineapple(256) 964-7563
(5) Yeti Colster ($2999)Alabama Outdoors(256)-885-3561
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
(1) Yellow House Handcrafted Beard Oils ($18 ea)Yellow House Beard Oilsyellowhousebeards com (2) Mustache amp Beard Comb ($16)Little Green Store and Gallery (256) 539-9699 (3) Latika Body Essentials Charcoal Liquid Soap ($18)(4) Latika Body Essentials Charcoal Bar Soap ($6) (5) Rustico Leather Key Chain ($18) Sweet Pineapple(256) 964-7563
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) Wood Thumb Tie ($44) (2) Slightly Alabama iPad Case ($250) (3) DockSmith Driftwood iPhone Docking Station ($68) Little Green Storeand Gallery (256) 539-9699 (4) Loyal Stricklin Aviator Mug ($35)Domaine South(256) 808-8860 (5) Would You Be a Deer Notepad ($9) Sweet Pineapple(256) 964-7563
(6) Filson Satchel ($265) Alabama Outdoors(256)-885-3561
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
When itrsquos time to move into a bigger house get a home loan from the bank thatrsquos had a home right here for generations You might say we know a thing about location location location synovuscommortgage
Banking products are provided by Synovus Bank Member FDIC Divisions of Synovus Bank operate under multiple trade names across the Southeast Loans products subject to credit approval
When itrsquos time to move into a bigger house get a home
Here is where Henry learned hersquod be getting
SERVING YOU LOCALLY AS
2565513300 | fcb-hsvcom
his own room
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) Spiritual GangsterTank ($36)(2) Luquido Yoga Pants ($90)(3) MZ Wallace Metro Tote ($245)(4) Vimmia V back Sweatshirt ($96)(5) Onzie Sports Bra ($48)(6) Olympia Yoga Pants ($96)(7) bkr Water Bottle ($30)The Fitzgerald Pilates amp Barre(256) 603-1886
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
(1) Gypsy Pant WarmTribal ($72) (2) Berry High Waist Legging ($88) (3) Long Legging Mathematics ($65) (4) Long Legging Peacock ($65) The FitzgeraldPilates amp Barre(256) 603-1886
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) Jane Tran Hair Clips ($15)(2) bkr Water Bottle ($30)(3) well-kept Tech Wipes ($6)(4) Made with Love Bracelets ($25)(5) Pointe Studio Socks ($12)(6) Bando Too Cold to Hold Coozie ($5)The Fitzgerald Pilates amp Barre(256) 603-1886
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
(1) Shop Bando Coff ee Cup ($14)(2) Shop Bando Pens ($14) (3) Shop Bando Pouch ($26) (4) Shop Bando Coin Purse ($20) The FitzgeraldPilates amp Barre(256) 603-1886
(5) Check Things Off Notepad ($16)(6) Hello From Huntsville Stamp ($12)Salt + Paperie(256) 655-5550
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) Muzzle Loaders Chocolate Bourbon Balls ($1999) (2) Vintage Crystal Decanter ($20) (3) Quench Glassware ($1399) Domaine South(256) 808-8860
(4) The Hella Bitters Old Fashioned Kit ($65)(5) American Bar by Charles Schumann ($2495) Little Green Storeand Gallery (256) 539-9699
(6) Julep Cups ($50)Willowbrook Shoppe (256) 270-7181
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom | novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) DECCO Umbrella in a Bottle ($1995)(2) Alexa Pulitzer Stationery Set ($14 ea)(3) Ikat Scarf ($6250)Huntsville Museumof Art(256) 535-4350
(4) Emily Ley Grace Journal ($32) (5) Sugar Boo Designs Clutch ($18) (6) Emily Ley Daily Planner ($58) (7) Latika Milk ampHoney Bar ($6) (8) Farm House Fresh Shea Butter Hand Cream ($14) (9) Christen MaxwellZippy ($42) (10) Green Tea Bubble Bath ($32) Sweet Pineapple(256) 964-7563 (11) Goal Getter Cuff ($32)Indigorsquos Boutique(256) 345-6348
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
(1) Kilim Pillow ($58) (2) Bejeweled Silver Plate Vase ($144) (3) Bone Clad Box ($375)Willowbrook Shoppe (256) 270-7181
(4) Cowhide Rug ($550)(5) Lucyrsquos Locket ($95) (Original piecemdashselection may vary)Sweet Pineapple(256) 964-7563 (6) Clutch ($65)Department of Agra Culturedeptofagraculturecom
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) Above The Bar Antler on Chain 28rdquo ($3999) (2) Above The Bar Deer wAntler Head 18rdquo ($2999) Indigorsquos Boutique(256) 345-6348
(3) Margaret Solow Labradorite18KT Bezel ($290) (4) Margaret Solow Diamond Crest MoonSilver ($460) (5) Margaret Solow Black Spinel + DiamondSilver ($560) (6) Margaret Solow Double Black Spinel18KT ($260)Little Green Store and Gallery (256) 539-9699
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
(1) Margaret Solow Grey Moonstoon18KT Necklace ($240) (2) Margaret Solow OpalDiamond Mosaic Necklace ($610) Little Green Storeand Gallery (256) 539-9699
(3) One-of-a-kind Eva Ziegler Smokey Quartz and Pyrite Necklace ($406)Eva Ziegler Jewelryevazieglercom
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) Jennifer BehrTurban ($625)(2) Cotton Day Dress ($64)(3) Norma Ishak Cardigan ($375)Finery(256) 429-3429
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) The Lion Sleeps Tonight Bath Bomb ($6) Sweet Pineapple(256) 964-7563
(2) Tiger Jelly Cat ($2250)(3) Dog Tag Teether ($1550)(4) Dinosaur Footie ($3595)Honey B Boutique(256) 503-2853
(5) Young Buck ($25)Tiny Vinestinyvinesshopcom
(6) Bib Set ($13)Huntsville Museumof Art(256) 535-4350
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
(1) Tiny Dancer Bath Bomb ($6)Sweet Pineapple(256) 964-7563
(2) Kickee Mammoth Footie ($3595)(3) Noodle amp Boo Essential Care Kit ($18)(4) Elephant Jelly Cat ($2250)Honey B Boutique(256) 503-2853
(5) ArtFolio Pink Elephant Coloring Tote ($17)Huntsville Museumof Art(256) 535-4350
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) Bib Set ($13)Huntsville Museumof Art(256) 535-4350 (2) Little Light ($25)Tiny Vinestinyvinesshopcom (3) Micro Leon Cardboard Lion ($30)Little Green Storeand Gallery (256) 539-9699 (4) I Love You Like Biscuits amp Gravy ($23)Domaine South(256) 808-8860
(5) Kickee Kimono ($4295)Honey B Boutique(256) 503-2853
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
SURPRISEA LOVED ONE
THIS HOLIDAY SEASON
WITH A FOREVER GIFT
HobbsJewelerscom 8772331347Parkway Place Mall
HuntsvilleHwy 72 West
AthensMain Street
Ardmore TN
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Caftan ($75)Sarah Richey Necklace ($350)Finery(256) 429-3429
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
(1) Chewbead Necklace ($3495)(2) Mayoral Baby Bag ($7995)(3) Mayoral Diaper Changing Pad ($2495)(4) Nursing Scarf ($2695) (5) Kickee Swaddling Blanket ($22)Honey B Boutique(256) 503-2853 (6) Lucy Darling Months Sticker ($25) (7) The Story of You Baby Book by Emily Ley ($62) Sweet Pineapple(256) 964-7563
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) Alwand Vahan 14K Gold and Onyx Ring wDiamond Accent ($2595)(2) Alwand Vanan 14K Gold and Onyx Bracelet wDiamond Accent ($2695)Hobbs Jewelers(877) 233-1347
(3) Britt Ryan Dress ($288)Personal Couture Boutique(256) 508-5632
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) Rocket Cosmos Mug ($13)Huntsville Museumof Art(256) 535-4350
(2) Loose Leaf Tea ($399)Piper amp Leaf piperandleafcom (3) Judy Jackson Tea Pot ($56) (4) Gary Watson Cherry Cutting Board ($48-$68) (5) Susan Coe Birthday Cake Plate ($33) Little Green Storeand Gallery (256) 539-9699 (6) Macarons ($116 pcs $221 dozen)Whisk Small Treats Bakery(256) 656-1027
(7) Truffl es ($185 each)Pizellersquos Confections (256) 513-9745 (8) Olive amp Sinclair Chocolate ($799)Domaine South(256) 808-8860
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
(1) Whisk Note Pad ($8) (2) In the Forest Mixing Bowl ($36) (3) Twig Serving Set ($18)(8) Southern Firefl y Candle ($12)Sweet Pineapple(256) 964-7563
(4) Urchin Bowl ($10)(5) Foodie Dice ($38)(6) 1Canoe2 Wood Recipe Box w Recipe Cards ($6999) Domaine South(256) 808-8860 (7) Growlers ($75 small $95 large)Southern Growlersoutherngrowlercom
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) Tacori 18K Barbados Blue Bold Gem Ring ($660)(2) Tacori 18K Barbados Blue Bold Gem Necklace ($630)(3) Tacori 18K Barbados Blue Bold Gem Bracelet ($990)Hobbs Jewelers(877) 233-1347
(4) BCBG Dress ($328)Personal Couture Boutique(256) 508-5632
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Guadalupe Robinson
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
text by jennifer crossley howard raquo photos by patrick hood
Of Deft and Dirty Hands
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Huntsville potter Guadalupe Lanning Robinson has spent more than 36 years mastering the
marriage of clay texture and geometric design into her pottery yet time has done little to temper the
plight of waiting
ldquoIt is hard for me to let a pot just dryrdquo she says motioning toward fi ve small wet pots sitting near her
pottery wheel ldquoIrsquom as excited to do this as I was 30 years agordquo
To observe her studio at Lowe Mill that is easy to believe Located on the corridor outside the textile
mill-turned-art centerrsquos main building the loft-like space with a corrugated tin roof feels like a place a
Gabriel Garcia Marquez character would enjoy daydreaming
Sienna-hued pottery sits in various stages to be fi red layered and etched Argentinian tango music
streams from Robinsonrsquos iPhone and two cockatiels a parrot and a parakeet chirp from their cages All
except the parrot fl y freely when Robinson is working
Robinson who is 61 made her fi rst pot in 1979 in her native Mexico City Almost four decades later her
work is part of permanent museum collections in Auburn Huntsville Tuscumbia and Tupelo Missis-
sippi She regularly enters her work in respected juried shows such as the Monte Sano Arts Festival and
the Kentuck Festival of the Arts in Northport and has received two Alabama State Council on the Arts
individual artist fellowships
Her inspiration draws from the villages around her native Mexico City such as the black pottery of
the northwest as well as her acquired Southern culture White lilies corn grids and round female
fi guresmdashldquoreally strong women who are in chargerdquo Robinson saysmdashreappear on her stoneware She uses
natural dyes indigo for color and mixes sand into clay for texture Nothing is wasted
ldquoI donrsquot waste any clayrdquo Robinson says ldquoEverything is recycledrdquo
Robinson fi nds solace in the 40-50 hours a week she puts in at the studio and the often tedious process
of making pots which can take from three weeks to six weeks for larger pots She usually works on two
or three pots at a time tending to groups at diff erent stages
After a pot is thrown on a wheel a piece can take days to dry before its fi rst bisque fi re in which tem-
peratures rise to 1800 F After baking for nine hours the kiln must cool Th e second fi ring rises to 2150
F and matures the clay and melts the glazes to strengthen the piece
ldquoI am an effi cient person by naturerdquo Robinson says ldquoWaiting for the kiln to cool down enough to open
can be nerve wracking and this is when my patience is usually put to the testrdquo
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
ldquoIt is hard for me to let a pot just dry Irsquom as excited to do this as I was 30 years agordquo
Robinson makes most of her pots on a wheel using oxides to change the color of clay she gets from Nashville and Pittsburgh Her pottery takes several weeks from start to fi nish depending on how large a pot is and how many she makes at a time
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
ldquoAttend to your childrenrsquos needs fi rst keep focus on what you want to douse the happiness joy and little breaks you get to make your artTh ey grow real fast and they will keep inspiring you all your liferdquo
Robinson imagined this bat-like design as she was working She usually begins a piece with a design in mind but that often evolves
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Robinson uses an overlay of liquid clay called engobemdashthat includes three to four layersmdashto create a
base on which to design
Th ere is high risk in making pottery and hours of work can be wasted on a pot that has not dried en-
tirely before it enters the kiln Air pockets or the wrong mixture of chemicals can ruin a piece
ldquoArt is involved but science is toordquo says Laura Smith director of education at the Huntsville Museum
of Art where Robinson has taught pottery classes ldquoItrsquos more labor intensive in terms of working with
the medium whether yoursquore building by hand or with a wheel until you fi re with the fi nal layer of glazerdquo
Th e result is sturdy pottery
ldquoI want my pots to look like something that is lasting a long timerdquo Robinson says
Th ough she works solitarily in her studio she says she does not get lonely Her birds and music keep her
company and each stage of pottery making has a soundtrack She uses needlepoint tools to draw onto
clay to Jose Feliciano and other Latin American musicians
ldquoIf Irsquom at the wheel Bruno Marsrdquo she says ldquoIf Irsquom unloading the kiln and something is really awesome
then I need something moving and I have on Motownrdquo
Robinsonrsquos years of experience minimize the risk of damaged pots but she says her greatest challenge
as a potter was balancing her work while raising her two children Now adults their candid childhood
pictures and those of her grandchildren cover the warm green walls of her studio
She met her husband the poet James Robinson in 1977 on a Greyhound bus when she returned to
Mexico City from visiting a friend at the University of Southern Mississippi He was heading to Mexico
to study at a university Th ey married six months later After giving birth to her daughter Annie Jane in
Mexico City in 1982 the family moved to Huntsville in 1985 Th at is when Robinson got more serious
about her pottery
ldquoFrom the very beginning when I moved to Alabama I knew I was going to have to do thisrdquo she said
ldquoIn some ways it was a way for me to keep connected to my heritagerdquo
She took even 15 minutes of free time to work in the studio behind her home and worked late into the
night while her daughter and son Isidoro born in 1987 slept Having a home studio allowed her to
wash clothes tend to her home and drop off lunches at school while maintaining her art
ldquoTh ere was something for me when I fi rst became a mother that fueled my creativityrdquo Robinson says
ldquoTh ey are such a social inspiration too It fi lls your liferdquo
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Robinson advises fellow artists who are mothers to seize
both roles but to prioritize motherhood
ldquoAttend to your childrenrsquos needs fi rst keep focus on what you
want to do use the happiness joy and little breaks you get
to make your artrdquo she says ldquoTh ey grow real fast and they will
keep inspiring you all your liferdquo
Anna Sue Courtney director of the Flying Monkey Arts
Center at Lowe Mill has known Robinson for more than
10 years She says she admires how mothers and artists like
Robinson seamlessly embrace both roles
ldquoIt seems therersquos not a separation between creating and rais-
ing childrenrdquo Courtney says ldquoTh ey seem to pull from the
same placerdquo
Part of Robinsonrsquos motivation at Lowe Mill comes from
working privately in a studio alongside other artists that fos-
ters a community of feedback and ideas
ldquoItrsquos nice to be here because you can take a break and walk around and get inspirationrdquo Courtney says
ldquoItrsquos refreshingrdquo
When she needs a break from the studio Robinson stays home to sketch designs for a day or two then
she is back in the studio
Trips twice a year to Mexico City keep her plugged in to her native culture which in turn shows up in
her pottery
ldquoI have to recharge myselfrdquo Robinson says ldquoI love Huntsville and loved raising my kids here but I still
have the need of going back to be recharged and smell all the smells and see all the colors and get on
the subway and be pushed aroundrdquo
Details from her trips that infl uence her work include the ever-present red that covers the city during
the celebration of Dia de los Muertos or the Day of the Dead Th e pyramids of Teotihuacan conjure
warm earth tones and fl oating gardens around the city yield sweet pungent calla lilies and carnations
Celebration of food tough women and nature reappear in her pottery qualities that both Southern and
Mexican cultures treasure
Above This daisy design is character-istic of Robinsonrsquos work Nature food and strong females from her native Mexico City and the South are strong creative infl uences
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Clockwise from top left Robinson often glazes only the inside of her pots so they can hold water and food She began quilting in 2002 and her quilts like her pottery contain earth tones and natural infl uences in their design Four birds keep Robinson company in what can be the isolating medium of pottery making Geometry and symmetry are two signature elements in Robinsonrsquos work according to Laura Smith director of education at the Huntsville Museum of Art
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Just as she keeps her home country close to her heart Robinson is loyal to her fi rst
love of pottery though she began making quilts in 2002
ldquoIrsquom a potter who likes to quiltrdquo she says
Like her pottery her quilting follows designs of organic nature such as fl owers and
crops on rich jewel tone cotton
ldquoWhen I fi rst saw one of her quilts I didnrsquot realize it was hers and I thought that
looks like it should be Guadalupersquos quiltrdquo Courtney says
Robinson prefers the immediate gratifi cation of clay
ldquoItrsquos a very responsive mediumrdquo she says ldquoYou can manipulate it Th e fact of mak-
ing something out of dirt out of nothing and making it durable making it perma-
nent that after going through the heat and maturing is something very excitingrdquo
She gently dings a pot covered with white dresses titled ldquoTehuana Dressrdquo to make
her point
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
887 FM Muscle Shoals bull 1007 FM Huntsvillewwwaprorg
News classicalmusic and more
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
copy Patrick Hood
text by sara wright covington raquo photos by jacki gil
patrick hood erin lindsey and michelle odom
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
copy Patrick Hood
ldquoA LOT OF PEOPLE HAD BEEN ASKING ME QUESTIONS ABOUTHOW I GOT MY BUSINESS STARTED I WANTED TO GATHER SOME PEOPLE AROUND ME
WHO WERE GOING THROUGH THOSE STRUGGLES AND TOBUILD ENTREPRENEURIAL COURAGErdquo
JACKI GIL SALT+PAPERIE
copy Patrick Hood
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
untsville-born Jacki Gil began her paper design busi-
ness Salt+Paperie in 2014 with an expansive vision
in mind one that extended beyond creating beautiful
custom designed paper goods ldquoI love my design job
but when Irsquom 50 years old I donrsquot see myself still de-
signing wedding invitationsrdquo the master stationer says
ldquoI really have a passion for teaching and helping people
I want to be a mentorrdquo
In 2015 Gil set out on her mentoring mission sooner than expected with a series
of workshops called Encourage Huntsville ldquoA lot of people had been asking me
questions about how I got my business startedrdquo Gil says about the early days of
Salt+Paperie Even though most of those questions from entrepreneurial-hopefuls
were technicalmdashlike how to apply for a business licensemdashthey served as inspira-
tion for Gil ldquoI wanted to gather some people around me who were going through
those struggles and to build entrepreneurial courage I defi nitely saw that there
was a need for helping people to take that next step toward owning their own
businessesrdquo
Encourage Huntsville was modeled on the image of a growing small business
movement called the Rising Tide Society a national community of creative small
business owners who encourage ldquocommunity over competitionrdquo Th at spirit of
openness is at the heart of Encourage Huntsville ldquoCommunity over competition
is a huge part of what we are doingrdquo says Gil ldquoSmall business owners sharing how
they earn their money is a big dealrdquo
As a fi rst step Gil gathered others around her who were using their skills and abili-
ties to make their own small businesses work With talents ranging from cooking
and cake decorating to hand lettering and artwork these small business owners
all embraced Gilrsquos vision for imparting to others the knowledge of their craft un-
impeded by a fear of losing their competitive edge
Th e fi rst lesson Gil wanted to impart to Encourage Huntsvillersquos students wasnrsquot
necessarily a particular craft or skill but a spirt of creative confi dence ldquoWe want-
ed to bridge the gap between the very artsy community and the ultimate engineer
communityrdquo many of whom Gil observes had been told since childhood they
werenrsquot artistic ldquoWhen you are little and someone tells you that you donrsquot have a
talent it sticks with you I found that a lot of people had that experience so that
was the workshop partmdashto build some creative courage in this communityrdquo
Gil conducted the fi rst workshop herself testing the waters to see how the concept
would be received Th e admission price to that fi rst workshop included supplies a
take-home ldquogoody bagrdquo to help students continue their work extracurricularly and
refreshmentsmdashas well as Gilrsquos tips of her trade
ldquoWe went in blindly not knowing if we had a market or notrdquo says Gil Th e popular-
ity of that fi rst class proved undeniably that a market did in fact exist the work-
shop sold out in one day ldquoSo we did back-to-back workshopsrdquo Gil says ldquoAfter that
novemberdecembeeer eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee | nononoononononononoonoonononooooonoonoonnononnoaaalalalllaallllllalaalaaalal ststustust ddiossscom mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm | | | | | | | | | | |
f
w
y
Previous page Encourage Huntsvillersquos founder and instructor Jacki Gil teaches a class in hand lettering Facing page A participant studies her supply list
we realized people really want to do this stuff So we said lsquoletrsquos jump on the boat
and make this happenrsquordquo
Gilrsquos longtime friend photographer Erin Lindsey of Erin Lindsey Images agreed
to contribute to Encourage Huntsvillersquos curriculum by teaching a photography
class ldquoJacki and I are a good team because our hearts are in the same place when
it comes to encouraging othersrdquo Lindsey says Still she admits saying yes to teach-
ing wasnrsquot without some initial hesitation ldquoWhen Jacki asked if I would teach a
class it was kind of scary I thought I had to be perfect before I could teach oth-
ersrdquo Lindsey says of her initial hesitancy ldquoBut after talking to Jacki I realized none
of us are perfectrdquo But perfection isnrsquot the goal encouragement is the goal ldquoAnd I
thought lsquoI can defi nitely line up with that visionrsquordquo
Michelle Odom another Huntsville native and owner of custom cake bakery Just
Crumbs was also on board with Gilrsquos vision In fact Odom had been contemplat-
ing teaching a class when she was approached by Gil to teach a fondant basics
class ldquoHuntsville is such an engineer town and everyone is so mathematical and
scientifi crdquo Odom says echoing the dichotomy between the arts and sciences ex-
pressed by Gil ldquoTh ese workshops are just a very cool way for structured people to
have a creative outletrdquo
ldquoJACKI AND I ARE A GOOD TEAM BECAUSE OUR HEARTS ARE INTHE SAME PLACE WHEN IT COMES TO ENCOURAGING OTHERSrdquo
ERIN LINDSEY ERIN LINDSEY IMAGES
copy Erin Lindsey
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Above A participant in Erin Lindseyrsquos photo class frames a still life
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
copy Erin Lindsey
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
ldquoHUNTSVILLE IS SUCH AN ENGINEER TOWN AND EVERYONE ISSO MATHEMATICAL AND SCIENTIFIC THESE WORKSHOPS ARE JUST A VERY COOL
WAY FOR STRUCTURED PEOPLE TO HAVE A CREATIVE OUTLETrdquo MICHELLE ODOM JUST CRUMBS
copy Michelle Odom
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
ldquoAnd yesrdquo Odom acknowledges ldquoyou are in theory teaching your competition But
at the same time you are helping the community be more creativerdquo
With its roster of popular creative workshops under its belt Encourage Huntsville
has added business classes to its community-over-competition curriculum with
classes designed to provide specifi c guidance for small business owners ldquoAll of
our events that donrsquot require hands-on work we call seminarsrdquo says Gil ldquoWe had
about 15 people at our fi rst one It was pretty much just an open discussion to ask
us questions and get answers from the perspective of a small business ownerrdquo
Th e seminars enjoyed the same success and enthusiasm as the workshops ldquoWe
had two hours for people to ask questionsrdquo Gil says Topics covered ran the gamut
from scheduling daily tasks self-hosting a website or using an Etsy store man-
aging client expectations and being realistic about how much time you need to
complete jobs
ldquoTh e time went quickly and people wanted morerdquo says Gil who envisions an all-
day seminar in 2016
Margaret Baggett owner and executive chef of the Chef Next Door is another
small business owner who has shared Gilrsquos vision from the very beginning teach-
copy Erin Lindsey
Facing page Michelle Odomrsquos fondant basics class begins with a styrofoam cake form Above Newbie photographers familiarize themselves with their cameras in Erin Lindseyrsquos photography class
ing knife skills workshops and helping host the business seminars ldquoI am so proud
to get to be a part of this project and help nurture other small business owners
who may just be starting out on their journey or are deep in it and looking for
some encouragement from other business ownersrdquo Baggett says of what motivates
her participation in Encourage Huntsville ldquoEven being on the advice-giving side
of things I am still learning and have taken tips and tricks and lessons from each
event we have had so far We never stop learning from each other and never stop
improving upon our craftsrdquo
Th e mutual growth among students and teachers is the source of the encourage-
mentmdashand the joymdashof Encourage Huntsville ldquoItrsquos so much fun to see the light
bulbs go off with people and see them encouraged right before your eyesrdquo Lindsey
says of her experience with the program ldquoPlus itrsquos a pleasure to contribute to a
sense of community over competition Th at whole concept is so rarerdquo
As Encourage Huntsvillersquos following continues to grow the diversity of the work-
shops will expand as well Whether you are looking to spend a fun afternoon
learning a new craft or are a budding small business owner hoping to launch
your brand Encourage Huntsville has something valuable to off er ldquoWe encourage
those left-brain folks to take up a new hobby or skillrdquo Baggett says ldquoor just encour-
age the people of Huntsville to get together and fan their creative fl amesrdquo
If yoursquore looking for
creative or entrepreneurial
encouragement visit
encouragehuntsvillecom
for seminar and workshop
schedules and information
ldquoI AM SO PROUD TO GET TO BE A PART OF THIS PROJECT AND HELP NURTURE OTHER SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS WHO MAY JUST BE STARTING OUT ON THEIR JOURNEY OR ARE DEEP IN IT
AND LOOKING FOR SOME ENCOURAGEMENT FROM OTHER BUSINESS OWNERSrdquoMARGARET BAGGETT CHEF NEXT DOOR
copy Jacki Gil
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
copy Jacki Gil
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Participants in Margaret Baggettrsquos knife skills workshop learn to perfect their ldquomise en placerdquo
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
copy Olivia Reed
text by sara wright covington raquo photos by olivia reed and jeff white
HUNTSVILLErsquoS
HOMEGROWNHOSTESS
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
ttttttononononoooooonononooooo raquo praquo praquo praquo praquo phothothothothotosoososos s s osos bybybbybb
Any host will tell you that delicious food and quality libations while important to
a partyrsquos success are secondary to the most important ingredient of all the guest list Th atrsquos why many
of downtown Huntsvillersquos most popular restaurants breweries and wine shops are turning to event
planner Ashley Ryals and her uncanny knack for attracting loyal patronsmdashand creating unforgettable
events in the process
When Huntsville born-and-bred Ashley Ryals left for college at the University of Alabama in 2001
she thought her exit from the Valley was permanent ldquoI never thought I would end up back hererdquo the
founder of event planning company Homegrown Huntsville says with a knowing laugh But after a few
post-graduate years working for world-renowned public relations powerhouse Weber Shandwick in
New York City Ryals started to second guess her freshman declaration
ldquoI started to get homesickrdquo she admits ldquoAll of my friends were getting married and meeting for football
games and I was missing itrdquo So when a friend from home set up an interview at EarlyWorks for a job
doing event planning Ryals jumped at the chance to come home
Ashley spent the next few years planning EarlyWorks Whistle Stop and Santarsquos Village events A brief
stint in sales followed along with a seat on the board of Huntsville Young Professionals where she had
an idea for a downtown pub crawl
ldquoWe expected 20 or 30 peoplerdquo Ryals says of their modest expectations ldquoBut 200 people showed uprdquo
Th at initial success convinced Ryals to embark on her dream of establishing an
event planning company But it wasnrsquot just any event planning company Ryals
had in mind she envisioned one that would collaborate with local businesses
cultivate signature events for the community to enjoy and support small busi-
nesses in the process
Inspired Ryals left her sales job and for the second time in her life came home
again to event planning and Homegrown Huntsville
To help bring her vision to life Ryals collaborated with designer Adrianne Van
Kirk of Fave Creative ldquoAdrianne has been a part of the visual and branding of
Homegrown from the beginning We come up with the event ideas then I get
the ticketing and sales together and she comes back with a logo and the mar-
keting for the event And thatrsquos how it all comes togetherrdquo Ryals says of their
creative process
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
ASHLEY RYALS
copy Olivia Reed
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
ldquoMOST WINE FESTIVALS ACROSS THE COUNTRY HAVE PROVEN RECORDS OF BEING ABLE TO STAY AROUND 15 OR 20 YEARS OR EVEN LONGER AND THE ECONOMIES OF THOSE
CITIES HAVE REALLY GROWN AS A RESULT I WANT BIG SPRING CRUSH TO EVENTUALLY BE THE BIGGEST AND BEST WINE FESTIVAL IN THE STATE OF ALABAMArdquo ASHLEY RYALS
copy Jeff White
copy Jeff White
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
copy Olivia Reed
Homegrown launched in 2011 with what would become its
signature event Dine amp Dash Every second Wednesday
April through October a trolley shuttles patrons between
downtown establishments where they are served a drink
and appetizer before moving on to the next stop
Owner and executive chef Merle Phillips of Th e Eaves was
one of the fi rst restaurants to sign on for Dine amp Dashrsquos de-
but ldquoAshley came to me and said she was starting a trolley
tasting conceptrdquo says Chef Merle ldquoI didnrsquot really know her so
I was taking a chance on the concept she was sellingrdquo
Merle tried it and has been a loyal participant of Dine amp
Dash ever since
ldquoIt was a risk in the beginning but it defi nitely paid off rdquo Chef
Merle says of the experience Pivotal to that experience ac-
cording to Phillips is Ryalsrsquo demonstration to the commu-
nity just what the term ldquohomegrownrdquo really means ldquoAshley
shines a spotlight on independent businesses in a market-
place that has for so long focused on chainsrdquo Phillips says
ldquoDine amp Dash has really brought into sharp focus the inter-
esting culinary diversity that Huntsville has to off errdquo
For the next two years Homegrown Huntsville focused al-
most exclusively on Dine amp Dash which by the end of its fi rst
year included every single downtown restaurant But when
big changes began to appear on the downtown horizonmdash
new restaurants breweries and residential developmentsmdash
Ryalsrsquo instincts told her
the time had come to
introduce a new event
to the downtown cal-
endar
ldquoBeer Hop follows
the concept of Dine
amp Dashrdquo Ryals says of
Homegrownrsquos second
venture which began
in 2013 Each month a
trolley visits three dif-
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
BILL FOWLEROLD TOWN BEER
EXCHANGE
copy Olivia Reed
copy Olivia Reed
ferent breweries where patrons sample beers and enjoy food
from a variety of food trucks parked at each location
Bill Fowler managing partner of Old Town Beer Exchange
agreed to participate in Beer Hop on his very fi rst day of
business and credits Ryals with an overwhelmingly success-
ful opening night ldquoAshley said lsquoI can guarantee that you are
going to have wave after wave of people coming throughrsquordquo
Fowler says recalling that fi rst jittery occasion Once again
Ryals proved true to her word with 60-plus patrons arriving
in an hour-and-a-half ldquoIt was awesome and such a great ex-
perience for usrdquo Fowler raves ldquoAshley is a hard worker and
you can see that in what she doesrdquo
Fowler believes that in addition to bringing new customers
to OTBX Ryals is also cultivating beer education consis-
tently bringing in people who are new to beer and want to
learn And with Huntsvillersquos recent brewery boom that level
of education and interest is crucial for the brewing commu-
nity to thrive ldquoWe have a very small window of opportunityrdquo
says Fowler ldquoI think Huntsville in particular is becoming a
craft brewing community People are making money at this
and once Tennessee sees that we need to already have had a
pretty huge head startrdquo
By the end of 2013 and with standing events Beer Hop and
Dine amp Dash well established Ryals took time to refl ect on
her original goal for Homegrown Huntsville ldquoIn the back of
my head from day one I knew I wanted to do a wine festival
I just didnrsquot think Huntsville was ready for it in 2011rdquo
Emboldened by the success of Beer Hop Ryals decided to
make the leap with Big Spring Crush wine festival later the
same year Once again Ryals delivered the perfect audience
for the event and in the process discovered a surprising
fact about North Alabamarsquos contribution to the wine-mak-
ing industry
ldquoIn doing the wine festival I learned that we have a huge
wine community in Huntsvillerdquo Ryals says ldquoTh ere are only
about 47 certifi ed wine judges in the entire United States
and we have four of them right here in North Alabama Two
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
copy Jeff White
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
ldquoI STARTED TO GET HOMESICK ALL OF MY FRIENDS WERE GETTING MARRIEDAND MEETING FOR FOOTBALL GAMES AND I WAS MISSING ITrdquo ASHLEY RYALS
copy Jeff White
copy Jeff White
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
ldquoIT WAS AWESOME AND SUCH A GREAT EXPERIENCE FOR USrdquoBILL FOWLER OLD TOWN BEER EXCHANGE
copy Jeff White
copy Olivia Reed
of those four certifi ed wine judges sit on the committee for
Big Spring Crushrdquo
Matthew and Stephanie Mell had just opened Church Street
Wine Shop when they decided to participate in the fi rst Big
Spring Crush Like OTBXrsquos Robert Fowler the Mells credit
Ryals and Homegrown Huntsville for helping to introduce
their new enterprise to the community ldquoAshley has been in-
strumental in helping to bring us people who love and ap-
preciate winerdquo Stephanie Mell says ldquoShe was homegrown
here in Huntsville and she really gets the downtown area
and small businesses and that is so important to usrdquo
Big Spring Crush began with a bang featuring over 150
wines and attracting patrons from across the country
ldquoMost wine festivals across the country have proven records
of being able to stay around 15 or 20 years or even longerrdquo
Ryals says ldquoAnd the economies of those cities have really
grown as a result I want Big Spring Crush to eventually be
the biggest and best wine festival in the state of Alabamardquo
How does Ryals intend to make that dream come true ldquoBy
always keeping it fresh I want to have new marketing and
new things happening each yearrdquo
Ryalsrsquo formula of reinvention and expansion has successfully
led Homegrown Huntsville through fi ve years of success and
helped its events become community staples along the way In
the process Ryals is broadening more than just our image of
downtown Huntsville shersquos joining a class of creative entrepre-
neurs committed to expanding Huntsvillersquos reputation as more
than just a hub for the brightest scientifi c minds in America
ldquoWe have a big city of engineers and lawyers and itrsquos won-
derfulrdquo Ryals say ldquo But there is a whole artist and food cul-
ture here and there is so much growth I want us to have a
vibrant cool downtown area and I want for people to tell
their friends to come and visit and to see Huntsville for what
it is a city I loverdquo
If yoursquod like to participate in Homegrown Huntsville either
as a guest or a participating business visit homegrown-
huntsvillecom
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
copy Jeff White
I was years old and the year was At that time the city of Huntsville was inching toward the mountain to the east California Street was once the continental divide between the small town metropo-lis and the uncharted territories gingerly crossed by the real estate pioneers four score and some odd years prior Th is area became the new suburb as the city kept pushing onward toward Fagan Springs as if the reverberating booms of rocket testings were vibrating Hunstvillians away from its epicenter
From the front yard of our house on Owens Drive I could look to the rightmdashup the hill to the bend be-yond which the big houses stood on their rocky ledge pedestals and to the left where all the other houses that looked just like oursmdashfresh and newmdashrambled for what seemed like miles Th ose clean well-lit abodes all seemed the same and granted at my age I knew more about the pets that lived there than I did about the people who owned those manageable mortgages I came to realize that each was diff erent in a way that was permeated by voices smells and furnishings
It is a clicheacute to say that our lives were simpler then because that is just how the current era will be fondly referred to in the future but to a 5-year-old it is the simplicity that brought the joy Th e sixties will always be to me the beginning of the age of manufactured happiness Cheap clean and simple was what was strived for and what was easily obtained Plastic items were plentiful and pretty things could be bought with SampH Green Stamps A few coins in our pocket would transfer us into the most master of manipula-tors with us giving our all to convince our parents for a jaunt to Murdockrsquos for a holiday of wonderment joy and impatience as we would scour the shelves trying to get the most from our meager budget
Owens Drive was the fairly new thoroughfare from which the avenues of three-bedroom-ranchers fi ngered away at planned intervals Th is was the place where newlyweds started their lives homes and families Where girls with last names that had been in the town for generations would change them to those strange and exotic last names of the clean cut newcomers brought here for military purposes Where the housewives would preheat their pristine electric ovens trying to make cheese straws and biscuits that were just like their motherrsquos only to be frustrated as they were never quite the same and where the husbands would follow in their fatherrsquos footsteps by joining the Acme Club and hunting doves on the weekends
Th ere was a swimming pool Certainly not at our house Th e only private pool I remember as a child was one that my grandmother would take me to nestled between huge trees at someonersquos house on Adams Street I would swim with other children my age while our grandmothers chatted smoking cigarettes in cat-eyed anonymity whispering most of their stories so we wouldnrsquot be able to hear But between their
gasps and laughter we would listen hear and learn
Th e Blossomwood pool was a place of designated rules and the sound of bright whistlesmdashwith straight lines and distinctive colors of blue and green I can still feel the Coppertoned oiliness on the skin of the tanned lifeguard as she carried me from the deep end frightened after my fi rst attempt at solo-swimming She knew my name I had no idea who she was
On the other side of the pool was the school my older sister attended It had a style that mim-icked the poolmdashstraight lines cleanmdasha temple to orderliness and good manners It was with
awe that I once watched the young adults there some as old as eleven wind and dance their way around a sky-high fl agpolemdasheach with a diff erent color ribbon until the fi rst (and only) May Pole
I was privy to was completely dressed in its woven bright colors
90 raquo bless their hearts raquo Guy McClure Jr
Huntsville was a magical place for us tail-end baby boomers to grow upmdashbeyond the miracles of the escalator at Pizitz the smiling little lady on the tall stool at the register at Britlings There was a comfort level there that Irsquom not sure is in the minds of the 5-year-olds of today
cat-eyed agasps
Th s
aI w
THE COMFORTS OF BLOSSOMWOOD
In our world of red-bricked carported castles there was a def-inite division of generations Th e children ate separately from the parents went to school as our dads went to work enter-tained our neighborhood friends as quietly as possible and felt safe between our boundaries of Big Cove Road and Hermitage Street While we dined on our Chef Boy-Ar-Dee boxed pizza our parents busied themselves dressing in their dark colors getting ready for a late dinner at Boots having the scent of perfume and face powder trail my mother as she came into the kitchen looking for something with an intense purpose My father would smell of British Sterling and look just as he did when he went to work only happier Th ese nights meant something fun would happenmdashwe would have a babysitter
Babysitters were my introduction into what was and still seems cool Th ey were usually Huntsville High School teen-agers who would put on a show without even knowing it I would drink in their every move word and essence of style To me they were supermodelsmdashmovie starsmdasheven more fa-mous in my eyes than a television weatherman and almost as glamorous as the waitresses at the Waffl e House
Before they would tire of me and my sister and put us to bed they would include us in their world of music and knowledge which I thought was all-encompassing Suddenly our world of Th e Benny Carl Show and Fantasy Playhouse would seem trite and passeacute and we would catch a fl eeting glimpse into what would be in store for us when we too could stay up past 8 pm
Huntsville was a magical place for us tail-end baby boomers to grow upmdashbeyond the miracles of the escalator at Pizitz the smiling little lady on the tall stool at the register at Britlings and that bright colorful Maypole Th ere was a comfort level there that Irsquom not sure is in the minds of the 5-year-olds of todaymdashthe soothing sheltered lack of knowledge of why we were so lucky yet we didnrsquot even know that we were
In the other areas of our Huntsville there was poverty and ra-cial unrestmdashas there was and is in every city I was unaware People of color were always a part of my worldmdashmostly be-cause they had my attention and respect At our house there was Annie my grandmotherrsquos house was fi lled with the joys of Lula and out on the family farm there was strong and smiling Homer and large and huggable Rosamdashall just as much a part of my life as everyone else My life was good and they were instrumental in making it that way
What will the 5-year-olds of today who are lucky enough to be raised on those well-planned streets remember when they surpass their own 50 year mark It is a much more complex world now and there are diff erent concerns with daily changes of fear Youthful innocence is a prize that is encased without a lock Premature maturity is a viable threat and a constant fear But each night tucked in tight in a simple room sleeps tomor-rowrsquos adults who are having sweet dreamsmdashblanketed by the comforts of Blossomwood
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
92 raquo the vine raquo Amy C Collins
BORDEAUX POWER
Where Burgundyrsquos vineyards were established by Benedictine monks patiently growing wine vines with spiritual hearts Bordeauxrsquos vineyards were raised by entrepreneurial laymen who recognized the massive monetary opportunity when the English began drinking down their peasant wine
The city of Bordeaux is Francersquos primary port town on the Atlantic ocean a harbor that has for centuries served as the countryrsquos most important dock Th e regionrsquos history is long and storied with the fi rst written reference to the area dated 379 AD by the Latin poet Ausonius who was also a wine-grower Jump ahead to the year 1152 when Eleanor of Aquitaine married Englandrsquos soon-to-be king Henry Plantagenet and the port and surrounding vineyard land became the source of wine for the English a connection that remains strong even today
Bordeaux produces the worldrsquos most expensive and sought after collector wines the top tier of which make up less than fi ve percent of the regionrsquos total production Th ese names are quickly learned by neophyte wine drinkers wanting to make an impression Chateau Haut-Brion Lafi te Latour and Margaux for example Grown in gravelly soils only a few meters above sea levelmdashin contrast vineyards elsewhere in Europe typically sit between 300 and 900 metersmdashthese wines are some of the most powerful austere and pawed over When young the tannins in these cabernet sauvignon cabernet franc and merlot blends coat the tongue and mouth with a chalky dry sensation akin to sucking on an Earl Grey tea bag and are perhaps best suited to well-fatted rare steak and cigars Th ese are wines built to live for decades Personally I prefer a Bordeaux at least 20 years aged when the tannins have had ample time to calm down and mellow out and more nuanced fl avors come forward Sounds fancy and it is Only in some very lucky circumstances over the past year have I been guest to a bottle of 1990 Clos de Menuts Saint-Eacutemilion and a 1970 Chateau Haut-Brion About once every 10 years Irsquove had the good
fortune to taste a wine older than myself Nice work if you can get it
Where Burgundyrsquos vineyards (Francersquos other classifi ed sought-after region) were established by Benedictine monks patiently growing wine vines with spiritual hearts
Bordeauxrsquos vineyards were raised by entrepreneurial laymen who recognized the massive monetary opportunity when the English began drinking down their peasant wine Th is underscores the second half of my theory as to why Americans
more often American males are so drawn to the wines of Bordeaux Th erersquos an inherent capitalist connection something in the soil Th at the wines are so
unmistakable so distinctively grand and pronounced elixirs exemplifi es the fi rst half of my theory we Americans are not known for our subtlety (To be fair the Chinese are
signifi cant Bordeaux collectors as well)
Philosophy aside Bordeaux is quite a large region that produces beautiful white and red values as well as the rare fi nds out of the populacersquos price range Herersquos the skinny Blending is the game single varietal wines are rare White Bordeaux is typically made from a blend of sauvignon blanc and seacutemillon and sometimes a drop or two of muscadelle ugni blanc or colombard Reds are made primarily from the two cabernets plus merlot with small quantities of petit verdot malbec and carmenegravere occasionally in the mix Th e region is also home to the golden nectar of late ripened seacutemillon sauvignon blanc and muscadelle grapes that have successfully attracted the noble rot a fungus that covers the fruit and drains moisture from inside leaving behind rich sweet grapes without moldy fl avors Chateau drsquoYquem is the most famous of these unfortifi ed dessert wines though there are better bargains from the region
Bordeaux is split by the Gironde river which divides the region into three general areas Th e left bank also known as the Haut-Meacutedoc is where the classifi ed top growths are situated Th ese prestigious estates were named for their exceptional vineyard sites in 1855 a decision nearly unchanged since Today serious collectors invest in Bordeaux futures theoretically locking down lower prices of top
ample time to calm dit is Only in some vede Menuts Saint-Eacutem
fortune to taste a
Wherees
aun
of msignifi
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Follow Amy at pigandvinecom for morestories and wine suggestions
growth estates while the wine is still aging in the cellar Itrsquos the wine tradersquos equivalent to the NASDAQ On the right bank Saint-Eacutemilion and Pommerol are the prized vineyard areas known for their merlot heavy cuveacutees To the south west we fi nd Graves where there are many great values to be had in both white and red bottlings Entre-Deux-Mers which translates to ldquobetween two seasrdquo sits between the Dordogne and Garonne tributaries off the Gironde and is an excellent source for crisp whites
Get started on your Bordeaux experience with these values
Chateau Graville-Lacoste 2014 Graves 75 seacutemillon 20 sauvignon blanc and 5 muscadelle make up this beauty thatrsquos consistently delicious every vintage Crisp and refreshing great with seafood
Chateau Mirambeau 2014 GravesAnother classic blend of 40 sauvignon blanc 40 seacutemillon and 20 muscadelle this lovely white is a bit more fl oral than the Graville-Lacoste Easy drinking and great value
Chateau de Parenchegravere Bordeaux Rouge 201155 merlot 30 cabernet sauvignon and 15 cabernet franc grown in clay heavy soils similar to the right bank of the region Fleshy with good structure and abundant red fruit
Chateau Arnaud Bordeaux Supeacuterieur 2011Supeacuterieur on a Bordeaux label isnrsquot egotistical marketingmdashby law it indicates a wine with up to one degree more alcohol than its AC Bordeaux brethren What it really means is one more degree of body structure and in this case quality Approachable delicious and easy on the wallet
Chateau de Bernadotte Haut-Meacutedoc 2005Th e 2005 vintage in Bordeaux is in the history books with double asterisks Owned by the eminent Pichon Lalande family and made from vineyards in Paulliac one of the more choice growing areas in the region this is an incredible value a top tier Bordeaux for a fraction of the cost
Chateau de Suduiraut Sauternes 2011Ripe cantaloupe apricot and honey and an interesting smoky note with a solid sweet attack followed by great acidity A dessert wine that wonrsquot overpower the dessert
94 raquo parting shot raquo Patrick Hood
Meet Solvar
Solvar belongs to one of the worldrsquos oldest and purest equine lineages the Nor-
wegian Fjord horse a breed that has remained virtually unchanged for more than
2000 yearsmdashlong before we became acquainted with his animated cousins in
the movie Frozen Th ese national symbols of Norway are characterized by primi-
tive zebra striping on their legs and a dorsal stripe running from forelock to tail
resulting in a striking two-tone mane that sticks up like a Mohawk Th eir athleti-
cism agility and dependability make them valuable both as sport horses as well
as therapy horses for emotionally and physically challenged adults and children
Catie Wells of Huntsville is the proud owner of Solvar who resides at Monte
Sano Stables
For tickets or information 256-539-4818 or hsoorg
Bring In the New Year With Us
presents
WHAT A WONDERFUL
WORLDA tribute to Louis
Armstrong featuring the
Byron Stripling Quartet
Thursday December 31
730 pm bull Pops Series bullMark C Smith
Concert Hall VBC
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
M O R E T H A N 7 0 S H O P S A N D R E S T A U R A N T S I N C L U D I N G B E L K | D S W S H O E S | A P P L E J O S A B A N K | R E E D S J E W E L E R S | PA N D O R A | J C R E W | K AT E S PA D E N E W Y O R KO R V I S | B A N A N A R E P U B L I C | M I C H A E L K O R S | F R A N C E S C Arsquo S | A N T H R O P O L O G I EH amp M | S O M A | M O U N T A I N H I G H O U T F I T T E R S | B A R N E S amp N O B L E | S E P H O R AALTAR rsquoD STATE | CONNORS STEAK amp SEFOOD | THE WEST IN HUNTSV I L L E | MONACO P ICTURES
C O M I N G S O O N V E R S O N A ndash near Belk
B R I D G E S T R E E T H U N T S V I L L E C O M |
BR IDGE STREET TOWN CENTRE I S LOCATED AT EX I T 14 OFF I - 565 AT OLD MAD ISON P IKE
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
produced by aissa castillo and lauren mccaulphotos by lauren tomasella carney
clothing modeled by aaron petersen rachel smith anne harbargerand kait barinaga (for finery)
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Meet the Shop Girls The mission To search Valley shops and boutiques
for the fi nest in Yuletide treasures
Accepting the challenge three of Huntsvillersquos most original and creative taste-makers
Say hello to NorsquoAla Shop Girls Aissa Castillo Lauren McCaul and Lauren Tomasella CarneyDuring the day these mild-mannered professionals tend to demanding careers in design
retail management and photography But evenings and weekends theyrsquore out saving the world from uninspiring fashion and decor as style superheroes
Their picks for the very best gift ideas follow For ideas and inspiration year-round
stay in-the-know by following our Shop Girls on social media
Lauren McCaul deptofagraculturecom Instagram dept_of_agra_cultureAissa Castillo aislerchiccom Instagram aislerchic
Lauren Tomasella Carney laurentomasellacom Instagram laurentomasella
And as you shop for your own Christmas treasures this season please remember to spread your cheermdashand your dollarsmdashat home
(1) Amanda Uprichard Jacket ($248)(2) BCBG Dress ($228)(3) Zoa Dress ($128)Personal Couture Boutique(256) 508-5632
(4) Dress ($168)Anthropologie(256) 327-8470
(5) Olive + Oak Oatmeal Shawl ($72)(10) Simply Noelle Zipper Gusset Bag ($5999)House of Holland(256) 206-8989
(6) One-of-a-kind Eva Ziegler Agate and Pyrite Necklace ($397)(8) Eva Ziegler Freshwater Pearl Strand ($501)Eva Ziegler Jewelryevazieglercom
(9) Gift Set ($5995)Piper amp LeafPiperandleafcom
(7) Long Horn Necklace ($68)Personal Couture Boutique(256) 508-5632
Left to right Lauren Tomasella Carney
Lauren McCaul and Aissa Castillo
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
On himFilson Shirt ($98) Filson Jacket ($320)Yeti Cooler ($34999)Alabama Outdoors(256)-885-3561
On herPPLA Vest ($7999)PPLA Dress ($7499)Bedstu Boots ($295)Indigorsquos Boutique(256) 345-6348
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(1) Woolly Mammoth Tooth 4rdquo Damascus Linerlock Knife ($150)(2) Cardboard Safari Bucky Cardboard Deer Head ($30)(3) Curt Benzle Porcelain Compass ($15)Little Green Store and Gallery (256) 539-9699
(4) Hunting Journal ($32)Sweet Pineapple(256) 964-7563
(5) Yeti Colster ($2999)Alabama Outdoors(256)-885-3561
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
(1) Yellow House Handcrafted Beard Oils ($18 ea)Yellow House Beard Oilsyellowhousebeards com (2) Mustache amp Beard Comb ($16)Little Green Store and Gallery (256) 539-9699 (3) Latika Body Essentials Charcoal Liquid Soap ($18)(4) Latika Body Essentials Charcoal Bar Soap ($6) (5) Rustico Leather Key Chain ($18) Sweet Pineapple(256) 964-7563
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) Wood Thumb Tie ($44) (2) Slightly Alabama iPad Case ($250) (3) DockSmith Driftwood iPhone Docking Station ($68) Little Green Storeand Gallery (256) 539-9699 (4) Loyal Stricklin Aviator Mug ($35)Domaine South(256) 808-8860 (5) Would You Be a Deer Notepad ($9) Sweet Pineapple(256) 964-7563
(6) Filson Satchel ($265) Alabama Outdoors(256)-885-3561
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
When itrsquos time to move into a bigger house get a home loan from the bank thatrsquos had a home right here for generations You might say we know a thing about location location location synovuscommortgage
Banking products are provided by Synovus Bank Member FDIC Divisions of Synovus Bank operate under multiple trade names across the Southeast Loans products subject to credit approval
When itrsquos time to move into a bigger house get a home
Here is where Henry learned hersquod be getting
SERVING YOU LOCALLY AS
2565513300 | fcb-hsvcom
his own room
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) Spiritual GangsterTank ($36)(2) Luquido Yoga Pants ($90)(3) MZ Wallace Metro Tote ($245)(4) Vimmia V back Sweatshirt ($96)(5) Onzie Sports Bra ($48)(6) Olympia Yoga Pants ($96)(7) bkr Water Bottle ($30)The Fitzgerald Pilates amp Barre(256) 603-1886
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
(1) Gypsy Pant WarmTribal ($72) (2) Berry High Waist Legging ($88) (3) Long Legging Mathematics ($65) (4) Long Legging Peacock ($65) The FitzgeraldPilates amp Barre(256) 603-1886
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) Jane Tran Hair Clips ($15)(2) bkr Water Bottle ($30)(3) well-kept Tech Wipes ($6)(4) Made with Love Bracelets ($25)(5) Pointe Studio Socks ($12)(6) Bando Too Cold to Hold Coozie ($5)The Fitzgerald Pilates amp Barre(256) 603-1886
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
(1) Shop Bando Coff ee Cup ($14)(2) Shop Bando Pens ($14) (3) Shop Bando Pouch ($26) (4) Shop Bando Coin Purse ($20) The FitzgeraldPilates amp Barre(256) 603-1886
(5) Check Things Off Notepad ($16)(6) Hello From Huntsville Stamp ($12)Salt + Paperie(256) 655-5550
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) Muzzle Loaders Chocolate Bourbon Balls ($1999) (2) Vintage Crystal Decanter ($20) (3) Quench Glassware ($1399) Domaine South(256) 808-8860
(4) The Hella Bitters Old Fashioned Kit ($65)(5) American Bar by Charles Schumann ($2495) Little Green Storeand Gallery (256) 539-9699
(6) Julep Cups ($50)Willowbrook Shoppe (256) 270-7181
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom | novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) DECCO Umbrella in a Bottle ($1995)(2) Alexa Pulitzer Stationery Set ($14 ea)(3) Ikat Scarf ($6250)Huntsville Museumof Art(256) 535-4350
(4) Emily Ley Grace Journal ($32) (5) Sugar Boo Designs Clutch ($18) (6) Emily Ley Daily Planner ($58) (7) Latika Milk ampHoney Bar ($6) (8) Farm House Fresh Shea Butter Hand Cream ($14) (9) Christen MaxwellZippy ($42) (10) Green Tea Bubble Bath ($32) Sweet Pineapple(256) 964-7563 (11) Goal Getter Cuff ($32)Indigorsquos Boutique(256) 345-6348
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
(1) Kilim Pillow ($58) (2) Bejeweled Silver Plate Vase ($144) (3) Bone Clad Box ($375)Willowbrook Shoppe (256) 270-7181
(4) Cowhide Rug ($550)(5) Lucyrsquos Locket ($95) (Original piecemdashselection may vary)Sweet Pineapple(256) 964-7563 (6) Clutch ($65)Department of Agra Culturedeptofagraculturecom
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) Above The Bar Antler on Chain 28rdquo ($3999) (2) Above The Bar Deer wAntler Head 18rdquo ($2999) Indigorsquos Boutique(256) 345-6348
(3) Margaret Solow Labradorite18KT Bezel ($290) (4) Margaret Solow Diamond Crest MoonSilver ($460) (5) Margaret Solow Black Spinel + DiamondSilver ($560) (6) Margaret Solow Double Black Spinel18KT ($260)Little Green Store and Gallery (256) 539-9699
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
(1) Margaret Solow Grey Moonstoon18KT Necklace ($240) (2) Margaret Solow OpalDiamond Mosaic Necklace ($610) Little Green Storeand Gallery (256) 539-9699
(3) One-of-a-kind Eva Ziegler Smokey Quartz and Pyrite Necklace ($406)Eva Ziegler Jewelryevazieglercom
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) Jennifer BehrTurban ($625)(2) Cotton Day Dress ($64)(3) Norma Ishak Cardigan ($375)Finery(256) 429-3429
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) The Lion Sleeps Tonight Bath Bomb ($6) Sweet Pineapple(256) 964-7563
(2) Tiger Jelly Cat ($2250)(3) Dog Tag Teether ($1550)(4) Dinosaur Footie ($3595)Honey B Boutique(256) 503-2853
(5) Young Buck ($25)Tiny Vinestinyvinesshopcom
(6) Bib Set ($13)Huntsville Museumof Art(256) 535-4350
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
(1) Tiny Dancer Bath Bomb ($6)Sweet Pineapple(256) 964-7563
(2) Kickee Mammoth Footie ($3595)(3) Noodle amp Boo Essential Care Kit ($18)(4) Elephant Jelly Cat ($2250)Honey B Boutique(256) 503-2853
(5) ArtFolio Pink Elephant Coloring Tote ($17)Huntsville Museumof Art(256) 535-4350
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) Bib Set ($13)Huntsville Museumof Art(256) 535-4350 (2) Little Light ($25)Tiny Vinestinyvinesshopcom (3) Micro Leon Cardboard Lion ($30)Little Green Storeand Gallery (256) 539-9699 (4) I Love You Like Biscuits amp Gravy ($23)Domaine South(256) 808-8860
(5) Kickee Kimono ($4295)Honey B Boutique(256) 503-2853
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
SURPRISEA LOVED ONE
THIS HOLIDAY SEASON
WITH A FOREVER GIFT
HobbsJewelerscom 8772331347Parkway Place Mall
HuntsvilleHwy 72 West
AthensMain Street
Ardmore TN
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Caftan ($75)Sarah Richey Necklace ($350)Finery(256) 429-3429
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
(1) Chewbead Necklace ($3495)(2) Mayoral Baby Bag ($7995)(3) Mayoral Diaper Changing Pad ($2495)(4) Nursing Scarf ($2695) (5) Kickee Swaddling Blanket ($22)Honey B Boutique(256) 503-2853 (6) Lucy Darling Months Sticker ($25) (7) The Story of You Baby Book by Emily Ley ($62) Sweet Pineapple(256) 964-7563
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) Alwand Vahan 14K Gold and Onyx Ring wDiamond Accent ($2595)(2) Alwand Vanan 14K Gold and Onyx Bracelet wDiamond Accent ($2695)Hobbs Jewelers(877) 233-1347
(3) Britt Ryan Dress ($288)Personal Couture Boutique(256) 508-5632
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) Rocket Cosmos Mug ($13)Huntsville Museumof Art(256) 535-4350
(2) Loose Leaf Tea ($399)Piper amp Leaf piperandleafcom (3) Judy Jackson Tea Pot ($56) (4) Gary Watson Cherry Cutting Board ($48-$68) (5) Susan Coe Birthday Cake Plate ($33) Little Green Storeand Gallery (256) 539-9699 (6) Macarons ($116 pcs $221 dozen)Whisk Small Treats Bakery(256) 656-1027
(7) Truffl es ($185 each)Pizellersquos Confections (256) 513-9745 (8) Olive amp Sinclair Chocolate ($799)Domaine South(256) 808-8860
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
(1) Whisk Note Pad ($8) (2) In the Forest Mixing Bowl ($36) (3) Twig Serving Set ($18)(8) Southern Firefl y Candle ($12)Sweet Pineapple(256) 964-7563
(4) Urchin Bowl ($10)(5) Foodie Dice ($38)(6) 1Canoe2 Wood Recipe Box w Recipe Cards ($6999) Domaine South(256) 808-8860 (7) Growlers ($75 small $95 large)Southern Growlersoutherngrowlercom
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) Tacori 18K Barbados Blue Bold Gem Ring ($660)(2) Tacori 18K Barbados Blue Bold Gem Necklace ($630)(3) Tacori 18K Barbados Blue Bold Gem Bracelet ($990)Hobbs Jewelers(877) 233-1347
(4) BCBG Dress ($328)Personal Couture Boutique(256) 508-5632
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Guadalupe Robinson
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
text by jennifer crossley howard raquo photos by patrick hood
Of Deft and Dirty Hands
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Huntsville potter Guadalupe Lanning Robinson has spent more than 36 years mastering the
marriage of clay texture and geometric design into her pottery yet time has done little to temper the
plight of waiting
ldquoIt is hard for me to let a pot just dryrdquo she says motioning toward fi ve small wet pots sitting near her
pottery wheel ldquoIrsquom as excited to do this as I was 30 years agordquo
To observe her studio at Lowe Mill that is easy to believe Located on the corridor outside the textile
mill-turned-art centerrsquos main building the loft-like space with a corrugated tin roof feels like a place a
Gabriel Garcia Marquez character would enjoy daydreaming
Sienna-hued pottery sits in various stages to be fi red layered and etched Argentinian tango music
streams from Robinsonrsquos iPhone and two cockatiels a parrot and a parakeet chirp from their cages All
except the parrot fl y freely when Robinson is working
Robinson who is 61 made her fi rst pot in 1979 in her native Mexico City Almost four decades later her
work is part of permanent museum collections in Auburn Huntsville Tuscumbia and Tupelo Missis-
sippi She regularly enters her work in respected juried shows such as the Monte Sano Arts Festival and
the Kentuck Festival of the Arts in Northport and has received two Alabama State Council on the Arts
individual artist fellowships
Her inspiration draws from the villages around her native Mexico City such as the black pottery of
the northwest as well as her acquired Southern culture White lilies corn grids and round female
fi guresmdashldquoreally strong women who are in chargerdquo Robinson saysmdashreappear on her stoneware She uses
natural dyes indigo for color and mixes sand into clay for texture Nothing is wasted
ldquoI donrsquot waste any clayrdquo Robinson says ldquoEverything is recycledrdquo
Robinson fi nds solace in the 40-50 hours a week she puts in at the studio and the often tedious process
of making pots which can take from three weeks to six weeks for larger pots She usually works on two
or three pots at a time tending to groups at diff erent stages
After a pot is thrown on a wheel a piece can take days to dry before its fi rst bisque fi re in which tem-
peratures rise to 1800 F After baking for nine hours the kiln must cool Th e second fi ring rises to 2150
F and matures the clay and melts the glazes to strengthen the piece
ldquoI am an effi cient person by naturerdquo Robinson says ldquoWaiting for the kiln to cool down enough to open
can be nerve wracking and this is when my patience is usually put to the testrdquo
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
ldquoIt is hard for me to let a pot just dry Irsquom as excited to do this as I was 30 years agordquo
Robinson makes most of her pots on a wheel using oxides to change the color of clay she gets from Nashville and Pittsburgh Her pottery takes several weeks from start to fi nish depending on how large a pot is and how many she makes at a time
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
ldquoAttend to your childrenrsquos needs fi rst keep focus on what you want to douse the happiness joy and little breaks you get to make your artTh ey grow real fast and they will keep inspiring you all your liferdquo
Robinson imagined this bat-like design as she was working She usually begins a piece with a design in mind but that often evolves
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Robinson uses an overlay of liquid clay called engobemdashthat includes three to four layersmdashto create a
base on which to design
Th ere is high risk in making pottery and hours of work can be wasted on a pot that has not dried en-
tirely before it enters the kiln Air pockets or the wrong mixture of chemicals can ruin a piece
ldquoArt is involved but science is toordquo says Laura Smith director of education at the Huntsville Museum
of Art where Robinson has taught pottery classes ldquoItrsquos more labor intensive in terms of working with
the medium whether yoursquore building by hand or with a wheel until you fi re with the fi nal layer of glazerdquo
Th e result is sturdy pottery
ldquoI want my pots to look like something that is lasting a long timerdquo Robinson says
Th ough she works solitarily in her studio she says she does not get lonely Her birds and music keep her
company and each stage of pottery making has a soundtrack She uses needlepoint tools to draw onto
clay to Jose Feliciano and other Latin American musicians
ldquoIf Irsquom at the wheel Bruno Marsrdquo she says ldquoIf Irsquom unloading the kiln and something is really awesome
then I need something moving and I have on Motownrdquo
Robinsonrsquos years of experience minimize the risk of damaged pots but she says her greatest challenge
as a potter was balancing her work while raising her two children Now adults their candid childhood
pictures and those of her grandchildren cover the warm green walls of her studio
She met her husband the poet James Robinson in 1977 on a Greyhound bus when she returned to
Mexico City from visiting a friend at the University of Southern Mississippi He was heading to Mexico
to study at a university Th ey married six months later After giving birth to her daughter Annie Jane in
Mexico City in 1982 the family moved to Huntsville in 1985 Th at is when Robinson got more serious
about her pottery
ldquoFrom the very beginning when I moved to Alabama I knew I was going to have to do thisrdquo she said
ldquoIn some ways it was a way for me to keep connected to my heritagerdquo
She took even 15 minutes of free time to work in the studio behind her home and worked late into the
night while her daughter and son Isidoro born in 1987 slept Having a home studio allowed her to
wash clothes tend to her home and drop off lunches at school while maintaining her art
ldquoTh ere was something for me when I fi rst became a mother that fueled my creativityrdquo Robinson says
ldquoTh ey are such a social inspiration too It fi lls your liferdquo
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Robinson advises fellow artists who are mothers to seize
both roles but to prioritize motherhood
ldquoAttend to your childrenrsquos needs fi rst keep focus on what you
want to do use the happiness joy and little breaks you get
to make your artrdquo she says ldquoTh ey grow real fast and they will
keep inspiring you all your liferdquo
Anna Sue Courtney director of the Flying Monkey Arts
Center at Lowe Mill has known Robinson for more than
10 years She says she admires how mothers and artists like
Robinson seamlessly embrace both roles
ldquoIt seems therersquos not a separation between creating and rais-
ing childrenrdquo Courtney says ldquoTh ey seem to pull from the
same placerdquo
Part of Robinsonrsquos motivation at Lowe Mill comes from
working privately in a studio alongside other artists that fos-
ters a community of feedback and ideas
ldquoItrsquos nice to be here because you can take a break and walk around and get inspirationrdquo Courtney says
ldquoItrsquos refreshingrdquo
When she needs a break from the studio Robinson stays home to sketch designs for a day or two then
she is back in the studio
Trips twice a year to Mexico City keep her plugged in to her native culture which in turn shows up in
her pottery
ldquoI have to recharge myselfrdquo Robinson says ldquoI love Huntsville and loved raising my kids here but I still
have the need of going back to be recharged and smell all the smells and see all the colors and get on
the subway and be pushed aroundrdquo
Details from her trips that infl uence her work include the ever-present red that covers the city during
the celebration of Dia de los Muertos or the Day of the Dead Th e pyramids of Teotihuacan conjure
warm earth tones and fl oating gardens around the city yield sweet pungent calla lilies and carnations
Celebration of food tough women and nature reappear in her pottery qualities that both Southern and
Mexican cultures treasure
Above This daisy design is character-istic of Robinsonrsquos work Nature food and strong females from her native Mexico City and the South are strong creative infl uences
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Clockwise from top left Robinson often glazes only the inside of her pots so they can hold water and food She began quilting in 2002 and her quilts like her pottery contain earth tones and natural infl uences in their design Four birds keep Robinson company in what can be the isolating medium of pottery making Geometry and symmetry are two signature elements in Robinsonrsquos work according to Laura Smith director of education at the Huntsville Museum of Art
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Just as she keeps her home country close to her heart Robinson is loyal to her fi rst
love of pottery though she began making quilts in 2002
ldquoIrsquom a potter who likes to quiltrdquo she says
Like her pottery her quilting follows designs of organic nature such as fl owers and
crops on rich jewel tone cotton
ldquoWhen I fi rst saw one of her quilts I didnrsquot realize it was hers and I thought that
looks like it should be Guadalupersquos quiltrdquo Courtney says
Robinson prefers the immediate gratifi cation of clay
ldquoItrsquos a very responsive mediumrdquo she says ldquoYou can manipulate it Th e fact of mak-
ing something out of dirt out of nothing and making it durable making it perma-
nent that after going through the heat and maturing is something very excitingrdquo
She gently dings a pot covered with white dresses titled ldquoTehuana Dressrdquo to make
her point
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
887 FM Muscle Shoals bull 1007 FM Huntsvillewwwaprorg
News classicalmusic and more
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
copy Patrick Hood
text by sara wright covington raquo photos by jacki gil
patrick hood erin lindsey and michelle odom
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
copy Patrick Hood
ldquoA LOT OF PEOPLE HAD BEEN ASKING ME QUESTIONS ABOUTHOW I GOT MY BUSINESS STARTED I WANTED TO GATHER SOME PEOPLE AROUND ME
WHO WERE GOING THROUGH THOSE STRUGGLES AND TOBUILD ENTREPRENEURIAL COURAGErdquo
JACKI GIL SALT+PAPERIE
copy Patrick Hood
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
untsville-born Jacki Gil began her paper design busi-
ness Salt+Paperie in 2014 with an expansive vision
in mind one that extended beyond creating beautiful
custom designed paper goods ldquoI love my design job
but when Irsquom 50 years old I donrsquot see myself still de-
signing wedding invitationsrdquo the master stationer says
ldquoI really have a passion for teaching and helping people
I want to be a mentorrdquo
In 2015 Gil set out on her mentoring mission sooner than expected with a series
of workshops called Encourage Huntsville ldquoA lot of people had been asking me
questions about how I got my business startedrdquo Gil says about the early days of
Salt+Paperie Even though most of those questions from entrepreneurial-hopefuls
were technicalmdashlike how to apply for a business licensemdashthey served as inspira-
tion for Gil ldquoI wanted to gather some people around me who were going through
those struggles and to build entrepreneurial courage I defi nitely saw that there
was a need for helping people to take that next step toward owning their own
businessesrdquo
Encourage Huntsville was modeled on the image of a growing small business
movement called the Rising Tide Society a national community of creative small
business owners who encourage ldquocommunity over competitionrdquo Th at spirit of
openness is at the heart of Encourage Huntsville ldquoCommunity over competition
is a huge part of what we are doingrdquo says Gil ldquoSmall business owners sharing how
they earn their money is a big dealrdquo
As a fi rst step Gil gathered others around her who were using their skills and abili-
ties to make their own small businesses work With talents ranging from cooking
and cake decorating to hand lettering and artwork these small business owners
all embraced Gilrsquos vision for imparting to others the knowledge of their craft un-
impeded by a fear of losing their competitive edge
Th e fi rst lesson Gil wanted to impart to Encourage Huntsvillersquos students wasnrsquot
necessarily a particular craft or skill but a spirt of creative confi dence ldquoWe want-
ed to bridge the gap between the very artsy community and the ultimate engineer
communityrdquo many of whom Gil observes had been told since childhood they
werenrsquot artistic ldquoWhen you are little and someone tells you that you donrsquot have a
talent it sticks with you I found that a lot of people had that experience so that
was the workshop partmdashto build some creative courage in this communityrdquo
Gil conducted the fi rst workshop herself testing the waters to see how the concept
would be received Th e admission price to that fi rst workshop included supplies a
take-home ldquogoody bagrdquo to help students continue their work extracurricularly and
refreshmentsmdashas well as Gilrsquos tips of her trade
ldquoWe went in blindly not knowing if we had a market or notrdquo says Gil Th e popular-
ity of that fi rst class proved undeniably that a market did in fact exist the work-
shop sold out in one day ldquoSo we did back-to-back workshopsrdquo Gil says ldquoAfter that
novemberdecembeeer eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee | nononoononononononoonoonononooooonoonoonnononnoaaalalalllaallllllalaalaaalal ststustust ddiossscom mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm | | | | | | | | | | |
f
w
y
Previous page Encourage Huntsvillersquos founder and instructor Jacki Gil teaches a class in hand lettering Facing page A participant studies her supply list
we realized people really want to do this stuff So we said lsquoletrsquos jump on the boat
and make this happenrsquordquo
Gilrsquos longtime friend photographer Erin Lindsey of Erin Lindsey Images agreed
to contribute to Encourage Huntsvillersquos curriculum by teaching a photography
class ldquoJacki and I are a good team because our hearts are in the same place when
it comes to encouraging othersrdquo Lindsey says Still she admits saying yes to teach-
ing wasnrsquot without some initial hesitation ldquoWhen Jacki asked if I would teach a
class it was kind of scary I thought I had to be perfect before I could teach oth-
ersrdquo Lindsey says of her initial hesitancy ldquoBut after talking to Jacki I realized none
of us are perfectrdquo But perfection isnrsquot the goal encouragement is the goal ldquoAnd I
thought lsquoI can defi nitely line up with that visionrsquordquo
Michelle Odom another Huntsville native and owner of custom cake bakery Just
Crumbs was also on board with Gilrsquos vision In fact Odom had been contemplat-
ing teaching a class when she was approached by Gil to teach a fondant basics
class ldquoHuntsville is such an engineer town and everyone is so mathematical and
scientifi crdquo Odom says echoing the dichotomy between the arts and sciences ex-
pressed by Gil ldquoTh ese workshops are just a very cool way for structured people to
have a creative outletrdquo
ldquoJACKI AND I ARE A GOOD TEAM BECAUSE OUR HEARTS ARE INTHE SAME PLACE WHEN IT COMES TO ENCOURAGING OTHERSrdquo
ERIN LINDSEY ERIN LINDSEY IMAGES
copy Erin Lindsey
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Above A participant in Erin Lindseyrsquos photo class frames a still life
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
copy Erin Lindsey
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
ldquoHUNTSVILLE IS SUCH AN ENGINEER TOWN AND EVERYONE ISSO MATHEMATICAL AND SCIENTIFIC THESE WORKSHOPS ARE JUST A VERY COOL
WAY FOR STRUCTURED PEOPLE TO HAVE A CREATIVE OUTLETrdquo MICHELLE ODOM JUST CRUMBS
copy Michelle Odom
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
ldquoAnd yesrdquo Odom acknowledges ldquoyou are in theory teaching your competition But
at the same time you are helping the community be more creativerdquo
With its roster of popular creative workshops under its belt Encourage Huntsville
has added business classes to its community-over-competition curriculum with
classes designed to provide specifi c guidance for small business owners ldquoAll of
our events that donrsquot require hands-on work we call seminarsrdquo says Gil ldquoWe had
about 15 people at our fi rst one It was pretty much just an open discussion to ask
us questions and get answers from the perspective of a small business ownerrdquo
Th e seminars enjoyed the same success and enthusiasm as the workshops ldquoWe
had two hours for people to ask questionsrdquo Gil says Topics covered ran the gamut
from scheduling daily tasks self-hosting a website or using an Etsy store man-
aging client expectations and being realistic about how much time you need to
complete jobs
ldquoTh e time went quickly and people wanted morerdquo says Gil who envisions an all-
day seminar in 2016
Margaret Baggett owner and executive chef of the Chef Next Door is another
small business owner who has shared Gilrsquos vision from the very beginning teach-
copy Erin Lindsey
Facing page Michelle Odomrsquos fondant basics class begins with a styrofoam cake form Above Newbie photographers familiarize themselves with their cameras in Erin Lindseyrsquos photography class
ing knife skills workshops and helping host the business seminars ldquoI am so proud
to get to be a part of this project and help nurture other small business owners
who may just be starting out on their journey or are deep in it and looking for
some encouragement from other business ownersrdquo Baggett says of what motivates
her participation in Encourage Huntsville ldquoEven being on the advice-giving side
of things I am still learning and have taken tips and tricks and lessons from each
event we have had so far We never stop learning from each other and never stop
improving upon our craftsrdquo
Th e mutual growth among students and teachers is the source of the encourage-
mentmdashand the joymdashof Encourage Huntsville ldquoItrsquos so much fun to see the light
bulbs go off with people and see them encouraged right before your eyesrdquo Lindsey
says of her experience with the program ldquoPlus itrsquos a pleasure to contribute to a
sense of community over competition Th at whole concept is so rarerdquo
As Encourage Huntsvillersquos following continues to grow the diversity of the work-
shops will expand as well Whether you are looking to spend a fun afternoon
learning a new craft or are a budding small business owner hoping to launch
your brand Encourage Huntsville has something valuable to off er ldquoWe encourage
those left-brain folks to take up a new hobby or skillrdquo Baggett says ldquoor just encour-
age the people of Huntsville to get together and fan their creative fl amesrdquo
If yoursquore looking for
creative or entrepreneurial
encouragement visit
encouragehuntsvillecom
for seminar and workshop
schedules and information
ldquoI AM SO PROUD TO GET TO BE A PART OF THIS PROJECT AND HELP NURTURE OTHER SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS WHO MAY JUST BE STARTING OUT ON THEIR JOURNEY OR ARE DEEP IN IT
AND LOOKING FOR SOME ENCOURAGEMENT FROM OTHER BUSINESS OWNERSrdquoMARGARET BAGGETT CHEF NEXT DOOR
copy Jacki Gil
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
copy Jacki Gil
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Participants in Margaret Baggettrsquos knife skills workshop learn to perfect their ldquomise en placerdquo
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
copy Olivia Reed
text by sara wright covington raquo photos by olivia reed and jeff white
HUNTSVILLErsquoS
HOMEGROWNHOSTESS
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
ttttttononononoooooonononooooo raquo praquo praquo praquo praquo phothothothothotosoososos s s osos bybybbybb
Any host will tell you that delicious food and quality libations while important to
a partyrsquos success are secondary to the most important ingredient of all the guest list Th atrsquos why many
of downtown Huntsvillersquos most popular restaurants breweries and wine shops are turning to event
planner Ashley Ryals and her uncanny knack for attracting loyal patronsmdashand creating unforgettable
events in the process
When Huntsville born-and-bred Ashley Ryals left for college at the University of Alabama in 2001
she thought her exit from the Valley was permanent ldquoI never thought I would end up back hererdquo the
founder of event planning company Homegrown Huntsville says with a knowing laugh But after a few
post-graduate years working for world-renowned public relations powerhouse Weber Shandwick in
New York City Ryals started to second guess her freshman declaration
ldquoI started to get homesickrdquo she admits ldquoAll of my friends were getting married and meeting for football
games and I was missing itrdquo So when a friend from home set up an interview at EarlyWorks for a job
doing event planning Ryals jumped at the chance to come home
Ashley spent the next few years planning EarlyWorks Whistle Stop and Santarsquos Village events A brief
stint in sales followed along with a seat on the board of Huntsville Young Professionals where she had
an idea for a downtown pub crawl
ldquoWe expected 20 or 30 peoplerdquo Ryals says of their modest expectations ldquoBut 200 people showed uprdquo
Th at initial success convinced Ryals to embark on her dream of establishing an
event planning company But it wasnrsquot just any event planning company Ryals
had in mind she envisioned one that would collaborate with local businesses
cultivate signature events for the community to enjoy and support small busi-
nesses in the process
Inspired Ryals left her sales job and for the second time in her life came home
again to event planning and Homegrown Huntsville
To help bring her vision to life Ryals collaborated with designer Adrianne Van
Kirk of Fave Creative ldquoAdrianne has been a part of the visual and branding of
Homegrown from the beginning We come up with the event ideas then I get
the ticketing and sales together and she comes back with a logo and the mar-
keting for the event And thatrsquos how it all comes togetherrdquo Ryals says of their
creative process
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
ASHLEY RYALS
copy Olivia Reed
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
ldquoMOST WINE FESTIVALS ACROSS THE COUNTRY HAVE PROVEN RECORDS OF BEING ABLE TO STAY AROUND 15 OR 20 YEARS OR EVEN LONGER AND THE ECONOMIES OF THOSE
CITIES HAVE REALLY GROWN AS A RESULT I WANT BIG SPRING CRUSH TO EVENTUALLY BE THE BIGGEST AND BEST WINE FESTIVAL IN THE STATE OF ALABAMArdquo ASHLEY RYALS
copy Jeff White
copy Jeff White
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
copy Olivia Reed
Homegrown launched in 2011 with what would become its
signature event Dine amp Dash Every second Wednesday
April through October a trolley shuttles patrons between
downtown establishments where they are served a drink
and appetizer before moving on to the next stop
Owner and executive chef Merle Phillips of Th e Eaves was
one of the fi rst restaurants to sign on for Dine amp Dashrsquos de-
but ldquoAshley came to me and said she was starting a trolley
tasting conceptrdquo says Chef Merle ldquoI didnrsquot really know her so
I was taking a chance on the concept she was sellingrdquo
Merle tried it and has been a loyal participant of Dine amp
Dash ever since
ldquoIt was a risk in the beginning but it defi nitely paid off rdquo Chef
Merle says of the experience Pivotal to that experience ac-
cording to Phillips is Ryalsrsquo demonstration to the commu-
nity just what the term ldquohomegrownrdquo really means ldquoAshley
shines a spotlight on independent businesses in a market-
place that has for so long focused on chainsrdquo Phillips says
ldquoDine amp Dash has really brought into sharp focus the inter-
esting culinary diversity that Huntsville has to off errdquo
For the next two years Homegrown Huntsville focused al-
most exclusively on Dine amp Dash which by the end of its fi rst
year included every single downtown restaurant But when
big changes began to appear on the downtown horizonmdash
new restaurants breweries and residential developmentsmdash
Ryalsrsquo instincts told her
the time had come to
introduce a new event
to the downtown cal-
endar
ldquoBeer Hop follows
the concept of Dine
amp Dashrdquo Ryals says of
Homegrownrsquos second
venture which began
in 2013 Each month a
trolley visits three dif-
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
BILL FOWLEROLD TOWN BEER
EXCHANGE
copy Olivia Reed
copy Olivia Reed
ferent breweries where patrons sample beers and enjoy food
from a variety of food trucks parked at each location
Bill Fowler managing partner of Old Town Beer Exchange
agreed to participate in Beer Hop on his very fi rst day of
business and credits Ryals with an overwhelmingly success-
ful opening night ldquoAshley said lsquoI can guarantee that you are
going to have wave after wave of people coming throughrsquordquo
Fowler says recalling that fi rst jittery occasion Once again
Ryals proved true to her word with 60-plus patrons arriving
in an hour-and-a-half ldquoIt was awesome and such a great ex-
perience for usrdquo Fowler raves ldquoAshley is a hard worker and
you can see that in what she doesrdquo
Fowler believes that in addition to bringing new customers
to OTBX Ryals is also cultivating beer education consis-
tently bringing in people who are new to beer and want to
learn And with Huntsvillersquos recent brewery boom that level
of education and interest is crucial for the brewing commu-
nity to thrive ldquoWe have a very small window of opportunityrdquo
says Fowler ldquoI think Huntsville in particular is becoming a
craft brewing community People are making money at this
and once Tennessee sees that we need to already have had a
pretty huge head startrdquo
By the end of 2013 and with standing events Beer Hop and
Dine amp Dash well established Ryals took time to refl ect on
her original goal for Homegrown Huntsville ldquoIn the back of
my head from day one I knew I wanted to do a wine festival
I just didnrsquot think Huntsville was ready for it in 2011rdquo
Emboldened by the success of Beer Hop Ryals decided to
make the leap with Big Spring Crush wine festival later the
same year Once again Ryals delivered the perfect audience
for the event and in the process discovered a surprising
fact about North Alabamarsquos contribution to the wine-mak-
ing industry
ldquoIn doing the wine festival I learned that we have a huge
wine community in Huntsvillerdquo Ryals says ldquoTh ere are only
about 47 certifi ed wine judges in the entire United States
and we have four of them right here in North Alabama Two
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
copy Jeff White
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
ldquoI STARTED TO GET HOMESICK ALL OF MY FRIENDS WERE GETTING MARRIEDAND MEETING FOR FOOTBALL GAMES AND I WAS MISSING ITrdquo ASHLEY RYALS
copy Jeff White
copy Jeff White
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
ldquoIT WAS AWESOME AND SUCH A GREAT EXPERIENCE FOR USrdquoBILL FOWLER OLD TOWN BEER EXCHANGE
copy Jeff White
copy Olivia Reed
of those four certifi ed wine judges sit on the committee for
Big Spring Crushrdquo
Matthew and Stephanie Mell had just opened Church Street
Wine Shop when they decided to participate in the fi rst Big
Spring Crush Like OTBXrsquos Robert Fowler the Mells credit
Ryals and Homegrown Huntsville for helping to introduce
their new enterprise to the community ldquoAshley has been in-
strumental in helping to bring us people who love and ap-
preciate winerdquo Stephanie Mell says ldquoShe was homegrown
here in Huntsville and she really gets the downtown area
and small businesses and that is so important to usrdquo
Big Spring Crush began with a bang featuring over 150
wines and attracting patrons from across the country
ldquoMost wine festivals across the country have proven records
of being able to stay around 15 or 20 years or even longerrdquo
Ryals says ldquoAnd the economies of those cities have really
grown as a result I want Big Spring Crush to eventually be
the biggest and best wine festival in the state of Alabamardquo
How does Ryals intend to make that dream come true ldquoBy
always keeping it fresh I want to have new marketing and
new things happening each yearrdquo
Ryalsrsquo formula of reinvention and expansion has successfully
led Homegrown Huntsville through fi ve years of success and
helped its events become community staples along the way In
the process Ryals is broadening more than just our image of
downtown Huntsville shersquos joining a class of creative entrepre-
neurs committed to expanding Huntsvillersquos reputation as more
than just a hub for the brightest scientifi c minds in America
ldquoWe have a big city of engineers and lawyers and itrsquos won-
derfulrdquo Ryals say ldquo But there is a whole artist and food cul-
ture here and there is so much growth I want us to have a
vibrant cool downtown area and I want for people to tell
their friends to come and visit and to see Huntsville for what
it is a city I loverdquo
If yoursquod like to participate in Homegrown Huntsville either
as a guest or a participating business visit homegrown-
huntsvillecom
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
copy Jeff White
I was years old and the year was At that time the city of Huntsville was inching toward the mountain to the east California Street was once the continental divide between the small town metropo-lis and the uncharted territories gingerly crossed by the real estate pioneers four score and some odd years prior Th is area became the new suburb as the city kept pushing onward toward Fagan Springs as if the reverberating booms of rocket testings were vibrating Hunstvillians away from its epicenter
From the front yard of our house on Owens Drive I could look to the rightmdashup the hill to the bend be-yond which the big houses stood on their rocky ledge pedestals and to the left where all the other houses that looked just like oursmdashfresh and newmdashrambled for what seemed like miles Th ose clean well-lit abodes all seemed the same and granted at my age I knew more about the pets that lived there than I did about the people who owned those manageable mortgages I came to realize that each was diff erent in a way that was permeated by voices smells and furnishings
It is a clicheacute to say that our lives were simpler then because that is just how the current era will be fondly referred to in the future but to a 5-year-old it is the simplicity that brought the joy Th e sixties will always be to me the beginning of the age of manufactured happiness Cheap clean and simple was what was strived for and what was easily obtained Plastic items were plentiful and pretty things could be bought with SampH Green Stamps A few coins in our pocket would transfer us into the most master of manipula-tors with us giving our all to convince our parents for a jaunt to Murdockrsquos for a holiday of wonderment joy and impatience as we would scour the shelves trying to get the most from our meager budget
Owens Drive was the fairly new thoroughfare from which the avenues of three-bedroom-ranchers fi ngered away at planned intervals Th is was the place where newlyweds started their lives homes and families Where girls with last names that had been in the town for generations would change them to those strange and exotic last names of the clean cut newcomers brought here for military purposes Where the housewives would preheat their pristine electric ovens trying to make cheese straws and biscuits that were just like their motherrsquos only to be frustrated as they were never quite the same and where the husbands would follow in their fatherrsquos footsteps by joining the Acme Club and hunting doves on the weekends
Th ere was a swimming pool Certainly not at our house Th e only private pool I remember as a child was one that my grandmother would take me to nestled between huge trees at someonersquos house on Adams Street I would swim with other children my age while our grandmothers chatted smoking cigarettes in cat-eyed anonymity whispering most of their stories so we wouldnrsquot be able to hear But between their
gasps and laughter we would listen hear and learn
Th e Blossomwood pool was a place of designated rules and the sound of bright whistlesmdashwith straight lines and distinctive colors of blue and green I can still feel the Coppertoned oiliness on the skin of the tanned lifeguard as she carried me from the deep end frightened after my fi rst attempt at solo-swimming She knew my name I had no idea who she was
On the other side of the pool was the school my older sister attended It had a style that mim-icked the poolmdashstraight lines cleanmdasha temple to orderliness and good manners It was with
awe that I once watched the young adults there some as old as eleven wind and dance their way around a sky-high fl agpolemdasheach with a diff erent color ribbon until the fi rst (and only) May Pole
I was privy to was completely dressed in its woven bright colors
90 raquo bless their hearts raquo Guy McClure Jr
Huntsville was a magical place for us tail-end baby boomers to grow upmdashbeyond the miracles of the escalator at Pizitz the smiling little lady on the tall stool at the register at Britlings There was a comfort level there that Irsquom not sure is in the minds of the 5-year-olds of today
cat-eyed agasps
Th s
aI w
THE COMFORTS OF BLOSSOMWOOD
In our world of red-bricked carported castles there was a def-inite division of generations Th e children ate separately from the parents went to school as our dads went to work enter-tained our neighborhood friends as quietly as possible and felt safe between our boundaries of Big Cove Road and Hermitage Street While we dined on our Chef Boy-Ar-Dee boxed pizza our parents busied themselves dressing in their dark colors getting ready for a late dinner at Boots having the scent of perfume and face powder trail my mother as she came into the kitchen looking for something with an intense purpose My father would smell of British Sterling and look just as he did when he went to work only happier Th ese nights meant something fun would happenmdashwe would have a babysitter
Babysitters were my introduction into what was and still seems cool Th ey were usually Huntsville High School teen-agers who would put on a show without even knowing it I would drink in their every move word and essence of style To me they were supermodelsmdashmovie starsmdasheven more fa-mous in my eyes than a television weatherman and almost as glamorous as the waitresses at the Waffl e House
Before they would tire of me and my sister and put us to bed they would include us in their world of music and knowledge which I thought was all-encompassing Suddenly our world of Th e Benny Carl Show and Fantasy Playhouse would seem trite and passeacute and we would catch a fl eeting glimpse into what would be in store for us when we too could stay up past 8 pm
Huntsville was a magical place for us tail-end baby boomers to grow upmdashbeyond the miracles of the escalator at Pizitz the smiling little lady on the tall stool at the register at Britlings and that bright colorful Maypole Th ere was a comfort level there that Irsquom not sure is in the minds of the 5-year-olds of todaymdashthe soothing sheltered lack of knowledge of why we were so lucky yet we didnrsquot even know that we were
In the other areas of our Huntsville there was poverty and ra-cial unrestmdashas there was and is in every city I was unaware People of color were always a part of my worldmdashmostly be-cause they had my attention and respect At our house there was Annie my grandmotherrsquos house was fi lled with the joys of Lula and out on the family farm there was strong and smiling Homer and large and huggable Rosamdashall just as much a part of my life as everyone else My life was good and they were instrumental in making it that way
What will the 5-year-olds of today who are lucky enough to be raised on those well-planned streets remember when they surpass their own 50 year mark It is a much more complex world now and there are diff erent concerns with daily changes of fear Youthful innocence is a prize that is encased without a lock Premature maturity is a viable threat and a constant fear But each night tucked in tight in a simple room sleeps tomor-rowrsquos adults who are having sweet dreamsmdashblanketed by the comforts of Blossomwood
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
92 raquo the vine raquo Amy C Collins
BORDEAUX POWER
Where Burgundyrsquos vineyards were established by Benedictine monks patiently growing wine vines with spiritual hearts Bordeauxrsquos vineyards were raised by entrepreneurial laymen who recognized the massive monetary opportunity when the English began drinking down their peasant wine
The city of Bordeaux is Francersquos primary port town on the Atlantic ocean a harbor that has for centuries served as the countryrsquos most important dock Th e regionrsquos history is long and storied with the fi rst written reference to the area dated 379 AD by the Latin poet Ausonius who was also a wine-grower Jump ahead to the year 1152 when Eleanor of Aquitaine married Englandrsquos soon-to-be king Henry Plantagenet and the port and surrounding vineyard land became the source of wine for the English a connection that remains strong even today
Bordeaux produces the worldrsquos most expensive and sought after collector wines the top tier of which make up less than fi ve percent of the regionrsquos total production Th ese names are quickly learned by neophyte wine drinkers wanting to make an impression Chateau Haut-Brion Lafi te Latour and Margaux for example Grown in gravelly soils only a few meters above sea levelmdashin contrast vineyards elsewhere in Europe typically sit between 300 and 900 metersmdashthese wines are some of the most powerful austere and pawed over When young the tannins in these cabernet sauvignon cabernet franc and merlot blends coat the tongue and mouth with a chalky dry sensation akin to sucking on an Earl Grey tea bag and are perhaps best suited to well-fatted rare steak and cigars Th ese are wines built to live for decades Personally I prefer a Bordeaux at least 20 years aged when the tannins have had ample time to calm down and mellow out and more nuanced fl avors come forward Sounds fancy and it is Only in some very lucky circumstances over the past year have I been guest to a bottle of 1990 Clos de Menuts Saint-Eacutemilion and a 1970 Chateau Haut-Brion About once every 10 years Irsquove had the good
fortune to taste a wine older than myself Nice work if you can get it
Where Burgundyrsquos vineyards (Francersquos other classifi ed sought-after region) were established by Benedictine monks patiently growing wine vines with spiritual hearts
Bordeauxrsquos vineyards were raised by entrepreneurial laymen who recognized the massive monetary opportunity when the English began drinking down their peasant wine Th is underscores the second half of my theory as to why Americans
more often American males are so drawn to the wines of Bordeaux Th erersquos an inherent capitalist connection something in the soil Th at the wines are so
unmistakable so distinctively grand and pronounced elixirs exemplifi es the fi rst half of my theory we Americans are not known for our subtlety (To be fair the Chinese are
signifi cant Bordeaux collectors as well)
Philosophy aside Bordeaux is quite a large region that produces beautiful white and red values as well as the rare fi nds out of the populacersquos price range Herersquos the skinny Blending is the game single varietal wines are rare White Bordeaux is typically made from a blend of sauvignon blanc and seacutemillon and sometimes a drop or two of muscadelle ugni blanc or colombard Reds are made primarily from the two cabernets plus merlot with small quantities of petit verdot malbec and carmenegravere occasionally in the mix Th e region is also home to the golden nectar of late ripened seacutemillon sauvignon blanc and muscadelle grapes that have successfully attracted the noble rot a fungus that covers the fruit and drains moisture from inside leaving behind rich sweet grapes without moldy fl avors Chateau drsquoYquem is the most famous of these unfortifi ed dessert wines though there are better bargains from the region
Bordeaux is split by the Gironde river which divides the region into three general areas Th e left bank also known as the Haut-Meacutedoc is where the classifi ed top growths are situated Th ese prestigious estates were named for their exceptional vineyard sites in 1855 a decision nearly unchanged since Today serious collectors invest in Bordeaux futures theoretically locking down lower prices of top
ample time to calm dit is Only in some vede Menuts Saint-Eacutem
fortune to taste a
Wherees
aun
of msignifi
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Follow Amy at pigandvinecom for morestories and wine suggestions
growth estates while the wine is still aging in the cellar Itrsquos the wine tradersquos equivalent to the NASDAQ On the right bank Saint-Eacutemilion and Pommerol are the prized vineyard areas known for their merlot heavy cuveacutees To the south west we fi nd Graves where there are many great values to be had in both white and red bottlings Entre-Deux-Mers which translates to ldquobetween two seasrdquo sits between the Dordogne and Garonne tributaries off the Gironde and is an excellent source for crisp whites
Get started on your Bordeaux experience with these values
Chateau Graville-Lacoste 2014 Graves 75 seacutemillon 20 sauvignon blanc and 5 muscadelle make up this beauty thatrsquos consistently delicious every vintage Crisp and refreshing great with seafood
Chateau Mirambeau 2014 GravesAnother classic blend of 40 sauvignon blanc 40 seacutemillon and 20 muscadelle this lovely white is a bit more fl oral than the Graville-Lacoste Easy drinking and great value
Chateau de Parenchegravere Bordeaux Rouge 201155 merlot 30 cabernet sauvignon and 15 cabernet franc grown in clay heavy soils similar to the right bank of the region Fleshy with good structure and abundant red fruit
Chateau Arnaud Bordeaux Supeacuterieur 2011Supeacuterieur on a Bordeaux label isnrsquot egotistical marketingmdashby law it indicates a wine with up to one degree more alcohol than its AC Bordeaux brethren What it really means is one more degree of body structure and in this case quality Approachable delicious and easy on the wallet
Chateau de Bernadotte Haut-Meacutedoc 2005Th e 2005 vintage in Bordeaux is in the history books with double asterisks Owned by the eminent Pichon Lalande family and made from vineyards in Paulliac one of the more choice growing areas in the region this is an incredible value a top tier Bordeaux for a fraction of the cost
Chateau de Suduiraut Sauternes 2011Ripe cantaloupe apricot and honey and an interesting smoky note with a solid sweet attack followed by great acidity A dessert wine that wonrsquot overpower the dessert
94 raquo parting shot raquo Patrick Hood
Meet Solvar
Solvar belongs to one of the worldrsquos oldest and purest equine lineages the Nor-
wegian Fjord horse a breed that has remained virtually unchanged for more than
2000 yearsmdashlong before we became acquainted with his animated cousins in
the movie Frozen Th ese national symbols of Norway are characterized by primi-
tive zebra striping on their legs and a dorsal stripe running from forelock to tail
resulting in a striking two-tone mane that sticks up like a Mohawk Th eir athleti-
cism agility and dependability make them valuable both as sport horses as well
as therapy horses for emotionally and physically challenged adults and children
Catie Wells of Huntsville is the proud owner of Solvar who resides at Monte
Sano Stables
For tickets or information 256-539-4818 or hsoorg
Bring In the New Year With Us
presents
WHAT A WONDERFUL
WORLDA tribute to Louis
Armstrong featuring the
Byron Stripling Quartet
Thursday December 31
730 pm bull Pops Series bullMark C Smith
Concert Hall VBC
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
M O R E T H A N 7 0 S H O P S A N D R E S T A U R A N T S I N C L U D I N G B E L K | D S W S H O E S | A P P L E J O S A B A N K | R E E D S J E W E L E R S | PA N D O R A | J C R E W | K AT E S PA D E N E W Y O R KO R V I S | B A N A N A R E P U B L I C | M I C H A E L K O R S | F R A N C E S C Arsquo S | A N T H R O P O L O G I EH amp M | S O M A | M O U N T A I N H I G H O U T F I T T E R S | B A R N E S amp N O B L E | S E P H O R AALTAR rsquoD STATE | CONNORS STEAK amp SEFOOD | THE WEST IN HUNTSV I L L E | MONACO P ICTURES
C O M I N G S O O N V E R S O N A ndash near Belk
B R I D G E S T R E E T H U N T S V I L L E C O M |
BR IDGE STREET TOWN CENTRE I S LOCATED AT EX I T 14 OFF I - 565 AT OLD MAD ISON P IKE
produced by aissa castillo and lauren mccaulphotos by lauren tomasella carney
clothing modeled by aaron petersen rachel smith anne harbargerand kait barinaga (for finery)
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Meet the Shop Girls The mission To search Valley shops and boutiques
for the fi nest in Yuletide treasures
Accepting the challenge three of Huntsvillersquos most original and creative taste-makers
Say hello to NorsquoAla Shop Girls Aissa Castillo Lauren McCaul and Lauren Tomasella CarneyDuring the day these mild-mannered professionals tend to demanding careers in design
retail management and photography But evenings and weekends theyrsquore out saving the world from uninspiring fashion and decor as style superheroes
Their picks for the very best gift ideas follow For ideas and inspiration year-round
stay in-the-know by following our Shop Girls on social media
Lauren McCaul deptofagraculturecom Instagram dept_of_agra_cultureAissa Castillo aislerchiccom Instagram aislerchic
Lauren Tomasella Carney laurentomasellacom Instagram laurentomasella
And as you shop for your own Christmas treasures this season please remember to spread your cheermdashand your dollarsmdashat home
(1) Amanda Uprichard Jacket ($248)(2) BCBG Dress ($228)(3) Zoa Dress ($128)Personal Couture Boutique(256) 508-5632
(4) Dress ($168)Anthropologie(256) 327-8470
(5) Olive + Oak Oatmeal Shawl ($72)(10) Simply Noelle Zipper Gusset Bag ($5999)House of Holland(256) 206-8989
(6) One-of-a-kind Eva Ziegler Agate and Pyrite Necklace ($397)(8) Eva Ziegler Freshwater Pearl Strand ($501)Eva Ziegler Jewelryevazieglercom
(9) Gift Set ($5995)Piper amp LeafPiperandleafcom
(7) Long Horn Necklace ($68)Personal Couture Boutique(256) 508-5632
Left to right Lauren Tomasella Carney
Lauren McCaul and Aissa Castillo
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
On himFilson Shirt ($98) Filson Jacket ($320)Yeti Cooler ($34999)Alabama Outdoors(256)-885-3561
On herPPLA Vest ($7999)PPLA Dress ($7499)Bedstu Boots ($295)Indigorsquos Boutique(256) 345-6348
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) Woolly Mammoth Tooth 4rdquo Damascus Linerlock Knife ($150)(2) Cardboard Safari Bucky Cardboard Deer Head ($30)(3) Curt Benzle Porcelain Compass ($15)Little Green Store and Gallery (256) 539-9699
(4) Hunting Journal ($32)Sweet Pineapple(256) 964-7563
(5) Yeti Colster ($2999)Alabama Outdoors(256)-885-3561
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
(1) Yellow House Handcrafted Beard Oils ($18 ea)Yellow House Beard Oilsyellowhousebeards com (2) Mustache amp Beard Comb ($16)Little Green Store and Gallery (256) 539-9699 (3) Latika Body Essentials Charcoal Liquid Soap ($18)(4) Latika Body Essentials Charcoal Bar Soap ($6) (5) Rustico Leather Key Chain ($18) Sweet Pineapple(256) 964-7563
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) Wood Thumb Tie ($44) (2) Slightly Alabama iPad Case ($250) (3) DockSmith Driftwood iPhone Docking Station ($68) Little Green Storeand Gallery (256) 539-9699 (4) Loyal Stricklin Aviator Mug ($35)Domaine South(256) 808-8860 (5) Would You Be a Deer Notepad ($9) Sweet Pineapple(256) 964-7563
(6) Filson Satchel ($265) Alabama Outdoors(256)-885-3561
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
When itrsquos time to move into a bigger house get a home loan from the bank thatrsquos had a home right here for generations You might say we know a thing about location location location synovuscommortgage
Banking products are provided by Synovus Bank Member FDIC Divisions of Synovus Bank operate under multiple trade names across the Southeast Loans products subject to credit approval
When itrsquos time to move into a bigger house get a home
Here is where Henry learned hersquod be getting
SERVING YOU LOCALLY AS
2565513300 | fcb-hsvcom
his own room
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) Spiritual GangsterTank ($36)(2) Luquido Yoga Pants ($90)(3) MZ Wallace Metro Tote ($245)(4) Vimmia V back Sweatshirt ($96)(5) Onzie Sports Bra ($48)(6) Olympia Yoga Pants ($96)(7) bkr Water Bottle ($30)The Fitzgerald Pilates amp Barre(256) 603-1886
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
(1) Gypsy Pant WarmTribal ($72) (2) Berry High Waist Legging ($88) (3) Long Legging Mathematics ($65) (4) Long Legging Peacock ($65) The FitzgeraldPilates amp Barre(256) 603-1886
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) Jane Tran Hair Clips ($15)(2) bkr Water Bottle ($30)(3) well-kept Tech Wipes ($6)(4) Made with Love Bracelets ($25)(5) Pointe Studio Socks ($12)(6) Bando Too Cold to Hold Coozie ($5)The Fitzgerald Pilates amp Barre(256) 603-1886
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
(1) Shop Bando Coff ee Cup ($14)(2) Shop Bando Pens ($14) (3) Shop Bando Pouch ($26) (4) Shop Bando Coin Purse ($20) The FitzgeraldPilates amp Barre(256) 603-1886
(5) Check Things Off Notepad ($16)(6) Hello From Huntsville Stamp ($12)Salt + Paperie(256) 655-5550
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) Muzzle Loaders Chocolate Bourbon Balls ($1999) (2) Vintage Crystal Decanter ($20) (3) Quench Glassware ($1399) Domaine South(256) 808-8860
(4) The Hella Bitters Old Fashioned Kit ($65)(5) American Bar by Charles Schumann ($2495) Little Green Storeand Gallery (256) 539-9699
(6) Julep Cups ($50)Willowbrook Shoppe (256) 270-7181
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom | novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) DECCO Umbrella in a Bottle ($1995)(2) Alexa Pulitzer Stationery Set ($14 ea)(3) Ikat Scarf ($6250)Huntsville Museumof Art(256) 535-4350
(4) Emily Ley Grace Journal ($32) (5) Sugar Boo Designs Clutch ($18) (6) Emily Ley Daily Planner ($58) (7) Latika Milk ampHoney Bar ($6) (8) Farm House Fresh Shea Butter Hand Cream ($14) (9) Christen MaxwellZippy ($42) (10) Green Tea Bubble Bath ($32) Sweet Pineapple(256) 964-7563 (11) Goal Getter Cuff ($32)Indigorsquos Boutique(256) 345-6348
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
(1) Kilim Pillow ($58) (2) Bejeweled Silver Plate Vase ($144) (3) Bone Clad Box ($375)Willowbrook Shoppe (256) 270-7181
(4) Cowhide Rug ($550)(5) Lucyrsquos Locket ($95) (Original piecemdashselection may vary)Sweet Pineapple(256) 964-7563 (6) Clutch ($65)Department of Agra Culturedeptofagraculturecom
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) Above The Bar Antler on Chain 28rdquo ($3999) (2) Above The Bar Deer wAntler Head 18rdquo ($2999) Indigorsquos Boutique(256) 345-6348
(3) Margaret Solow Labradorite18KT Bezel ($290) (4) Margaret Solow Diamond Crest MoonSilver ($460) (5) Margaret Solow Black Spinel + DiamondSilver ($560) (6) Margaret Solow Double Black Spinel18KT ($260)Little Green Store and Gallery (256) 539-9699
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
(1) Margaret Solow Grey Moonstoon18KT Necklace ($240) (2) Margaret Solow OpalDiamond Mosaic Necklace ($610) Little Green Storeand Gallery (256) 539-9699
(3) One-of-a-kind Eva Ziegler Smokey Quartz and Pyrite Necklace ($406)Eva Ziegler Jewelryevazieglercom
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) Jennifer BehrTurban ($625)(2) Cotton Day Dress ($64)(3) Norma Ishak Cardigan ($375)Finery(256) 429-3429
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) The Lion Sleeps Tonight Bath Bomb ($6) Sweet Pineapple(256) 964-7563
(2) Tiger Jelly Cat ($2250)(3) Dog Tag Teether ($1550)(4) Dinosaur Footie ($3595)Honey B Boutique(256) 503-2853
(5) Young Buck ($25)Tiny Vinestinyvinesshopcom
(6) Bib Set ($13)Huntsville Museumof Art(256) 535-4350
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
(1) Tiny Dancer Bath Bomb ($6)Sweet Pineapple(256) 964-7563
(2) Kickee Mammoth Footie ($3595)(3) Noodle amp Boo Essential Care Kit ($18)(4) Elephant Jelly Cat ($2250)Honey B Boutique(256) 503-2853
(5) ArtFolio Pink Elephant Coloring Tote ($17)Huntsville Museumof Art(256) 535-4350
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) Bib Set ($13)Huntsville Museumof Art(256) 535-4350 (2) Little Light ($25)Tiny Vinestinyvinesshopcom (3) Micro Leon Cardboard Lion ($30)Little Green Storeand Gallery (256) 539-9699 (4) I Love You Like Biscuits amp Gravy ($23)Domaine South(256) 808-8860
(5) Kickee Kimono ($4295)Honey B Boutique(256) 503-2853
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
SURPRISEA LOVED ONE
THIS HOLIDAY SEASON
WITH A FOREVER GIFT
HobbsJewelerscom 8772331347Parkway Place Mall
HuntsvilleHwy 72 West
AthensMain Street
Ardmore TN
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Caftan ($75)Sarah Richey Necklace ($350)Finery(256) 429-3429
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
(1) Chewbead Necklace ($3495)(2) Mayoral Baby Bag ($7995)(3) Mayoral Diaper Changing Pad ($2495)(4) Nursing Scarf ($2695) (5) Kickee Swaddling Blanket ($22)Honey B Boutique(256) 503-2853 (6) Lucy Darling Months Sticker ($25) (7) The Story of You Baby Book by Emily Ley ($62) Sweet Pineapple(256) 964-7563
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) Alwand Vahan 14K Gold and Onyx Ring wDiamond Accent ($2595)(2) Alwand Vanan 14K Gold and Onyx Bracelet wDiamond Accent ($2695)Hobbs Jewelers(877) 233-1347
(3) Britt Ryan Dress ($288)Personal Couture Boutique(256) 508-5632
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) Rocket Cosmos Mug ($13)Huntsville Museumof Art(256) 535-4350
(2) Loose Leaf Tea ($399)Piper amp Leaf piperandleafcom (3) Judy Jackson Tea Pot ($56) (4) Gary Watson Cherry Cutting Board ($48-$68) (5) Susan Coe Birthday Cake Plate ($33) Little Green Storeand Gallery (256) 539-9699 (6) Macarons ($116 pcs $221 dozen)Whisk Small Treats Bakery(256) 656-1027
(7) Truffl es ($185 each)Pizellersquos Confections (256) 513-9745 (8) Olive amp Sinclair Chocolate ($799)Domaine South(256) 808-8860
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
(1) Whisk Note Pad ($8) (2) In the Forest Mixing Bowl ($36) (3) Twig Serving Set ($18)(8) Southern Firefl y Candle ($12)Sweet Pineapple(256) 964-7563
(4) Urchin Bowl ($10)(5) Foodie Dice ($38)(6) 1Canoe2 Wood Recipe Box w Recipe Cards ($6999) Domaine South(256) 808-8860 (7) Growlers ($75 small $95 large)Southern Growlersoutherngrowlercom
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) Tacori 18K Barbados Blue Bold Gem Ring ($660)(2) Tacori 18K Barbados Blue Bold Gem Necklace ($630)(3) Tacori 18K Barbados Blue Bold Gem Bracelet ($990)Hobbs Jewelers(877) 233-1347
(4) BCBG Dress ($328)Personal Couture Boutique(256) 508-5632
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Guadalupe Robinson
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
text by jennifer crossley howard raquo photos by patrick hood
Of Deft and Dirty Hands
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Huntsville potter Guadalupe Lanning Robinson has spent more than 36 years mastering the
marriage of clay texture and geometric design into her pottery yet time has done little to temper the
plight of waiting
ldquoIt is hard for me to let a pot just dryrdquo she says motioning toward fi ve small wet pots sitting near her
pottery wheel ldquoIrsquom as excited to do this as I was 30 years agordquo
To observe her studio at Lowe Mill that is easy to believe Located on the corridor outside the textile
mill-turned-art centerrsquos main building the loft-like space with a corrugated tin roof feels like a place a
Gabriel Garcia Marquez character would enjoy daydreaming
Sienna-hued pottery sits in various stages to be fi red layered and etched Argentinian tango music
streams from Robinsonrsquos iPhone and two cockatiels a parrot and a parakeet chirp from their cages All
except the parrot fl y freely when Robinson is working
Robinson who is 61 made her fi rst pot in 1979 in her native Mexico City Almost four decades later her
work is part of permanent museum collections in Auburn Huntsville Tuscumbia and Tupelo Missis-
sippi She regularly enters her work in respected juried shows such as the Monte Sano Arts Festival and
the Kentuck Festival of the Arts in Northport and has received two Alabama State Council on the Arts
individual artist fellowships
Her inspiration draws from the villages around her native Mexico City such as the black pottery of
the northwest as well as her acquired Southern culture White lilies corn grids and round female
fi guresmdashldquoreally strong women who are in chargerdquo Robinson saysmdashreappear on her stoneware She uses
natural dyes indigo for color and mixes sand into clay for texture Nothing is wasted
ldquoI donrsquot waste any clayrdquo Robinson says ldquoEverything is recycledrdquo
Robinson fi nds solace in the 40-50 hours a week she puts in at the studio and the often tedious process
of making pots which can take from three weeks to six weeks for larger pots She usually works on two
or three pots at a time tending to groups at diff erent stages
After a pot is thrown on a wheel a piece can take days to dry before its fi rst bisque fi re in which tem-
peratures rise to 1800 F After baking for nine hours the kiln must cool Th e second fi ring rises to 2150
F and matures the clay and melts the glazes to strengthen the piece
ldquoI am an effi cient person by naturerdquo Robinson says ldquoWaiting for the kiln to cool down enough to open
can be nerve wracking and this is when my patience is usually put to the testrdquo
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
ldquoIt is hard for me to let a pot just dry Irsquom as excited to do this as I was 30 years agordquo
Robinson makes most of her pots on a wheel using oxides to change the color of clay she gets from Nashville and Pittsburgh Her pottery takes several weeks from start to fi nish depending on how large a pot is and how many she makes at a time
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
ldquoAttend to your childrenrsquos needs fi rst keep focus on what you want to douse the happiness joy and little breaks you get to make your artTh ey grow real fast and they will keep inspiring you all your liferdquo
Robinson imagined this bat-like design as she was working She usually begins a piece with a design in mind but that often evolves
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Robinson uses an overlay of liquid clay called engobemdashthat includes three to four layersmdashto create a
base on which to design
Th ere is high risk in making pottery and hours of work can be wasted on a pot that has not dried en-
tirely before it enters the kiln Air pockets or the wrong mixture of chemicals can ruin a piece
ldquoArt is involved but science is toordquo says Laura Smith director of education at the Huntsville Museum
of Art where Robinson has taught pottery classes ldquoItrsquos more labor intensive in terms of working with
the medium whether yoursquore building by hand or with a wheel until you fi re with the fi nal layer of glazerdquo
Th e result is sturdy pottery
ldquoI want my pots to look like something that is lasting a long timerdquo Robinson says
Th ough she works solitarily in her studio she says she does not get lonely Her birds and music keep her
company and each stage of pottery making has a soundtrack She uses needlepoint tools to draw onto
clay to Jose Feliciano and other Latin American musicians
ldquoIf Irsquom at the wheel Bruno Marsrdquo she says ldquoIf Irsquom unloading the kiln and something is really awesome
then I need something moving and I have on Motownrdquo
Robinsonrsquos years of experience minimize the risk of damaged pots but she says her greatest challenge
as a potter was balancing her work while raising her two children Now adults their candid childhood
pictures and those of her grandchildren cover the warm green walls of her studio
She met her husband the poet James Robinson in 1977 on a Greyhound bus when she returned to
Mexico City from visiting a friend at the University of Southern Mississippi He was heading to Mexico
to study at a university Th ey married six months later After giving birth to her daughter Annie Jane in
Mexico City in 1982 the family moved to Huntsville in 1985 Th at is when Robinson got more serious
about her pottery
ldquoFrom the very beginning when I moved to Alabama I knew I was going to have to do thisrdquo she said
ldquoIn some ways it was a way for me to keep connected to my heritagerdquo
She took even 15 minutes of free time to work in the studio behind her home and worked late into the
night while her daughter and son Isidoro born in 1987 slept Having a home studio allowed her to
wash clothes tend to her home and drop off lunches at school while maintaining her art
ldquoTh ere was something for me when I fi rst became a mother that fueled my creativityrdquo Robinson says
ldquoTh ey are such a social inspiration too It fi lls your liferdquo
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Robinson advises fellow artists who are mothers to seize
both roles but to prioritize motherhood
ldquoAttend to your childrenrsquos needs fi rst keep focus on what you
want to do use the happiness joy and little breaks you get
to make your artrdquo she says ldquoTh ey grow real fast and they will
keep inspiring you all your liferdquo
Anna Sue Courtney director of the Flying Monkey Arts
Center at Lowe Mill has known Robinson for more than
10 years She says she admires how mothers and artists like
Robinson seamlessly embrace both roles
ldquoIt seems therersquos not a separation between creating and rais-
ing childrenrdquo Courtney says ldquoTh ey seem to pull from the
same placerdquo
Part of Robinsonrsquos motivation at Lowe Mill comes from
working privately in a studio alongside other artists that fos-
ters a community of feedback and ideas
ldquoItrsquos nice to be here because you can take a break and walk around and get inspirationrdquo Courtney says
ldquoItrsquos refreshingrdquo
When she needs a break from the studio Robinson stays home to sketch designs for a day or two then
she is back in the studio
Trips twice a year to Mexico City keep her plugged in to her native culture which in turn shows up in
her pottery
ldquoI have to recharge myselfrdquo Robinson says ldquoI love Huntsville and loved raising my kids here but I still
have the need of going back to be recharged and smell all the smells and see all the colors and get on
the subway and be pushed aroundrdquo
Details from her trips that infl uence her work include the ever-present red that covers the city during
the celebration of Dia de los Muertos or the Day of the Dead Th e pyramids of Teotihuacan conjure
warm earth tones and fl oating gardens around the city yield sweet pungent calla lilies and carnations
Celebration of food tough women and nature reappear in her pottery qualities that both Southern and
Mexican cultures treasure
Above This daisy design is character-istic of Robinsonrsquos work Nature food and strong females from her native Mexico City and the South are strong creative infl uences
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Clockwise from top left Robinson often glazes only the inside of her pots so they can hold water and food She began quilting in 2002 and her quilts like her pottery contain earth tones and natural infl uences in their design Four birds keep Robinson company in what can be the isolating medium of pottery making Geometry and symmetry are two signature elements in Robinsonrsquos work according to Laura Smith director of education at the Huntsville Museum of Art
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Just as she keeps her home country close to her heart Robinson is loyal to her fi rst
love of pottery though she began making quilts in 2002
ldquoIrsquom a potter who likes to quiltrdquo she says
Like her pottery her quilting follows designs of organic nature such as fl owers and
crops on rich jewel tone cotton
ldquoWhen I fi rst saw one of her quilts I didnrsquot realize it was hers and I thought that
looks like it should be Guadalupersquos quiltrdquo Courtney says
Robinson prefers the immediate gratifi cation of clay
ldquoItrsquos a very responsive mediumrdquo she says ldquoYou can manipulate it Th e fact of mak-
ing something out of dirt out of nothing and making it durable making it perma-
nent that after going through the heat and maturing is something very excitingrdquo
She gently dings a pot covered with white dresses titled ldquoTehuana Dressrdquo to make
her point
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
887 FM Muscle Shoals bull 1007 FM Huntsvillewwwaprorg
News classicalmusic and more
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
copy Patrick Hood
text by sara wright covington raquo photos by jacki gil
patrick hood erin lindsey and michelle odom
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
copy Patrick Hood
ldquoA LOT OF PEOPLE HAD BEEN ASKING ME QUESTIONS ABOUTHOW I GOT MY BUSINESS STARTED I WANTED TO GATHER SOME PEOPLE AROUND ME
WHO WERE GOING THROUGH THOSE STRUGGLES AND TOBUILD ENTREPRENEURIAL COURAGErdquo
JACKI GIL SALT+PAPERIE
copy Patrick Hood
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
untsville-born Jacki Gil began her paper design busi-
ness Salt+Paperie in 2014 with an expansive vision
in mind one that extended beyond creating beautiful
custom designed paper goods ldquoI love my design job
but when Irsquom 50 years old I donrsquot see myself still de-
signing wedding invitationsrdquo the master stationer says
ldquoI really have a passion for teaching and helping people
I want to be a mentorrdquo
In 2015 Gil set out on her mentoring mission sooner than expected with a series
of workshops called Encourage Huntsville ldquoA lot of people had been asking me
questions about how I got my business startedrdquo Gil says about the early days of
Salt+Paperie Even though most of those questions from entrepreneurial-hopefuls
were technicalmdashlike how to apply for a business licensemdashthey served as inspira-
tion for Gil ldquoI wanted to gather some people around me who were going through
those struggles and to build entrepreneurial courage I defi nitely saw that there
was a need for helping people to take that next step toward owning their own
businessesrdquo
Encourage Huntsville was modeled on the image of a growing small business
movement called the Rising Tide Society a national community of creative small
business owners who encourage ldquocommunity over competitionrdquo Th at spirit of
openness is at the heart of Encourage Huntsville ldquoCommunity over competition
is a huge part of what we are doingrdquo says Gil ldquoSmall business owners sharing how
they earn their money is a big dealrdquo
As a fi rst step Gil gathered others around her who were using their skills and abili-
ties to make their own small businesses work With talents ranging from cooking
and cake decorating to hand lettering and artwork these small business owners
all embraced Gilrsquos vision for imparting to others the knowledge of their craft un-
impeded by a fear of losing their competitive edge
Th e fi rst lesson Gil wanted to impart to Encourage Huntsvillersquos students wasnrsquot
necessarily a particular craft or skill but a spirt of creative confi dence ldquoWe want-
ed to bridge the gap between the very artsy community and the ultimate engineer
communityrdquo many of whom Gil observes had been told since childhood they
werenrsquot artistic ldquoWhen you are little and someone tells you that you donrsquot have a
talent it sticks with you I found that a lot of people had that experience so that
was the workshop partmdashto build some creative courage in this communityrdquo
Gil conducted the fi rst workshop herself testing the waters to see how the concept
would be received Th e admission price to that fi rst workshop included supplies a
take-home ldquogoody bagrdquo to help students continue their work extracurricularly and
refreshmentsmdashas well as Gilrsquos tips of her trade
ldquoWe went in blindly not knowing if we had a market or notrdquo says Gil Th e popular-
ity of that fi rst class proved undeniably that a market did in fact exist the work-
shop sold out in one day ldquoSo we did back-to-back workshopsrdquo Gil says ldquoAfter that
novemberdecembeeer eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee | nononoononononononoonoonononooooonoonoonnononnoaaalalalllaallllllalaalaaalal ststustust ddiossscom mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm | | | | | | | | | | |
f
w
y
Previous page Encourage Huntsvillersquos founder and instructor Jacki Gil teaches a class in hand lettering Facing page A participant studies her supply list
we realized people really want to do this stuff So we said lsquoletrsquos jump on the boat
and make this happenrsquordquo
Gilrsquos longtime friend photographer Erin Lindsey of Erin Lindsey Images agreed
to contribute to Encourage Huntsvillersquos curriculum by teaching a photography
class ldquoJacki and I are a good team because our hearts are in the same place when
it comes to encouraging othersrdquo Lindsey says Still she admits saying yes to teach-
ing wasnrsquot without some initial hesitation ldquoWhen Jacki asked if I would teach a
class it was kind of scary I thought I had to be perfect before I could teach oth-
ersrdquo Lindsey says of her initial hesitancy ldquoBut after talking to Jacki I realized none
of us are perfectrdquo But perfection isnrsquot the goal encouragement is the goal ldquoAnd I
thought lsquoI can defi nitely line up with that visionrsquordquo
Michelle Odom another Huntsville native and owner of custom cake bakery Just
Crumbs was also on board with Gilrsquos vision In fact Odom had been contemplat-
ing teaching a class when she was approached by Gil to teach a fondant basics
class ldquoHuntsville is such an engineer town and everyone is so mathematical and
scientifi crdquo Odom says echoing the dichotomy between the arts and sciences ex-
pressed by Gil ldquoTh ese workshops are just a very cool way for structured people to
have a creative outletrdquo
ldquoJACKI AND I ARE A GOOD TEAM BECAUSE OUR HEARTS ARE INTHE SAME PLACE WHEN IT COMES TO ENCOURAGING OTHERSrdquo
ERIN LINDSEY ERIN LINDSEY IMAGES
copy Erin Lindsey
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Above A participant in Erin Lindseyrsquos photo class frames a still life
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
copy Erin Lindsey
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
ldquoHUNTSVILLE IS SUCH AN ENGINEER TOWN AND EVERYONE ISSO MATHEMATICAL AND SCIENTIFIC THESE WORKSHOPS ARE JUST A VERY COOL
WAY FOR STRUCTURED PEOPLE TO HAVE A CREATIVE OUTLETrdquo MICHELLE ODOM JUST CRUMBS
copy Michelle Odom
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
ldquoAnd yesrdquo Odom acknowledges ldquoyou are in theory teaching your competition But
at the same time you are helping the community be more creativerdquo
With its roster of popular creative workshops under its belt Encourage Huntsville
has added business classes to its community-over-competition curriculum with
classes designed to provide specifi c guidance for small business owners ldquoAll of
our events that donrsquot require hands-on work we call seminarsrdquo says Gil ldquoWe had
about 15 people at our fi rst one It was pretty much just an open discussion to ask
us questions and get answers from the perspective of a small business ownerrdquo
Th e seminars enjoyed the same success and enthusiasm as the workshops ldquoWe
had two hours for people to ask questionsrdquo Gil says Topics covered ran the gamut
from scheduling daily tasks self-hosting a website or using an Etsy store man-
aging client expectations and being realistic about how much time you need to
complete jobs
ldquoTh e time went quickly and people wanted morerdquo says Gil who envisions an all-
day seminar in 2016
Margaret Baggett owner and executive chef of the Chef Next Door is another
small business owner who has shared Gilrsquos vision from the very beginning teach-
copy Erin Lindsey
Facing page Michelle Odomrsquos fondant basics class begins with a styrofoam cake form Above Newbie photographers familiarize themselves with their cameras in Erin Lindseyrsquos photography class
ing knife skills workshops and helping host the business seminars ldquoI am so proud
to get to be a part of this project and help nurture other small business owners
who may just be starting out on their journey or are deep in it and looking for
some encouragement from other business ownersrdquo Baggett says of what motivates
her participation in Encourage Huntsville ldquoEven being on the advice-giving side
of things I am still learning and have taken tips and tricks and lessons from each
event we have had so far We never stop learning from each other and never stop
improving upon our craftsrdquo
Th e mutual growth among students and teachers is the source of the encourage-
mentmdashand the joymdashof Encourage Huntsville ldquoItrsquos so much fun to see the light
bulbs go off with people and see them encouraged right before your eyesrdquo Lindsey
says of her experience with the program ldquoPlus itrsquos a pleasure to contribute to a
sense of community over competition Th at whole concept is so rarerdquo
As Encourage Huntsvillersquos following continues to grow the diversity of the work-
shops will expand as well Whether you are looking to spend a fun afternoon
learning a new craft or are a budding small business owner hoping to launch
your brand Encourage Huntsville has something valuable to off er ldquoWe encourage
those left-brain folks to take up a new hobby or skillrdquo Baggett says ldquoor just encour-
age the people of Huntsville to get together and fan their creative fl amesrdquo
If yoursquore looking for
creative or entrepreneurial
encouragement visit
encouragehuntsvillecom
for seminar and workshop
schedules and information
ldquoI AM SO PROUD TO GET TO BE A PART OF THIS PROJECT AND HELP NURTURE OTHER SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS WHO MAY JUST BE STARTING OUT ON THEIR JOURNEY OR ARE DEEP IN IT
AND LOOKING FOR SOME ENCOURAGEMENT FROM OTHER BUSINESS OWNERSrdquoMARGARET BAGGETT CHEF NEXT DOOR
copy Jacki Gil
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
copy Jacki Gil
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Participants in Margaret Baggettrsquos knife skills workshop learn to perfect their ldquomise en placerdquo
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
copy Olivia Reed
text by sara wright covington raquo photos by olivia reed and jeff white
HUNTSVILLErsquoS
HOMEGROWNHOSTESS
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
ttttttononononoooooonononooooo raquo praquo praquo praquo praquo phothothothothotosoososos s s osos bybybbybb
Any host will tell you that delicious food and quality libations while important to
a partyrsquos success are secondary to the most important ingredient of all the guest list Th atrsquos why many
of downtown Huntsvillersquos most popular restaurants breweries and wine shops are turning to event
planner Ashley Ryals and her uncanny knack for attracting loyal patronsmdashand creating unforgettable
events in the process
When Huntsville born-and-bred Ashley Ryals left for college at the University of Alabama in 2001
she thought her exit from the Valley was permanent ldquoI never thought I would end up back hererdquo the
founder of event planning company Homegrown Huntsville says with a knowing laugh But after a few
post-graduate years working for world-renowned public relations powerhouse Weber Shandwick in
New York City Ryals started to second guess her freshman declaration
ldquoI started to get homesickrdquo she admits ldquoAll of my friends were getting married and meeting for football
games and I was missing itrdquo So when a friend from home set up an interview at EarlyWorks for a job
doing event planning Ryals jumped at the chance to come home
Ashley spent the next few years planning EarlyWorks Whistle Stop and Santarsquos Village events A brief
stint in sales followed along with a seat on the board of Huntsville Young Professionals where she had
an idea for a downtown pub crawl
ldquoWe expected 20 or 30 peoplerdquo Ryals says of their modest expectations ldquoBut 200 people showed uprdquo
Th at initial success convinced Ryals to embark on her dream of establishing an
event planning company But it wasnrsquot just any event planning company Ryals
had in mind she envisioned one that would collaborate with local businesses
cultivate signature events for the community to enjoy and support small busi-
nesses in the process
Inspired Ryals left her sales job and for the second time in her life came home
again to event planning and Homegrown Huntsville
To help bring her vision to life Ryals collaborated with designer Adrianne Van
Kirk of Fave Creative ldquoAdrianne has been a part of the visual and branding of
Homegrown from the beginning We come up with the event ideas then I get
the ticketing and sales together and she comes back with a logo and the mar-
keting for the event And thatrsquos how it all comes togetherrdquo Ryals says of their
creative process
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
ASHLEY RYALS
copy Olivia Reed
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
ldquoMOST WINE FESTIVALS ACROSS THE COUNTRY HAVE PROVEN RECORDS OF BEING ABLE TO STAY AROUND 15 OR 20 YEARS OR EVEN LONGER AND THE ECONOMIES OF THOSE
CITIES HAVE REALLY GROWN AS A RESULT I WANT BIG SPRING CRUSH TO EVENTUALLY BE THE BIGGEST AND BEST WINE FESTIVAL IN THE STATE OF ALABAMArdquo ASHLEY RYALS
copy Jeff White
copy Jeff White
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
copy Olivia Reed
Homegrown launched in 2011 with what would become its
signature event Dine amp Dash Every second Wednesday
April through October a trolley shuttles patrons between
downtown establishments where they are served a drink
and appetizer before moving on to the next stop
Owner and executive chef Merle Phillips of Th e Eaves was
one of the fi rst restaurants to sign on for Dine amp Dashrsquos de-
but ldquoAshley came to me and said she was starting a trolley
tasting conceptrdquo says Chef Merle ldquoI didnrsquot really know her so
I was taking a chance on the concept she was sellingrdquo
Merle tried it and has been a loyal participant of Dine amp
Dash ever since
ldquoIt was a risk in the beginning but it defi nitely paid off rdquo Chef
Merle says of the experience Pivotal to that experience ac-
cording to Phillips is Ryalsrsquo demonstration to the commu-
nity just what the term ldquohomegrownrdquo really means ldquoAshley
shines a spotlight on independent businesses in a market-
place that has for so long focused on chainsrdquo Phillips says
ldquoDine amp Dash has really brought into sharp focus the inter-
esting culinary diversity that Huntsville has to off errdquo
For the next two years Homegrown Huntsville focused al-
most exclusively on Dine amp Dash which by the end of its fi rst
year included every single downtown restaurant But when
big changes began to appear on the downtown horizonmdash
new restaurants breweries and residential developmentsmdash
Ryalsrsquo instincts told her
the time had come to
introduce a new event
to the downtown cal-
endar
ldquoBeer Hop follows
the concept of Dine
amp Dashrdquo Ryals says of
Homegrownrsquos second
venture which began
in 2013 Each month a
trolley visits three dif-
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
BILL FOWLEROLD TOWN BEER
EXCHANGE
copy Olivia Reed
copy Olivia Reed
ferent breweries where patrons sample beers and enjoy food
from a variety of food trucks parked at each location
Bill Fowler managing partner of Old Town Beer Exchange
agreed to participate in Beer Hop on his very fi rst day of
business and credits Ryals with an overwhelmingly success-
ful opening night ldquoAshley said lsquoI can guarantee that you are
going to have wave after wave of people coming throughrsquordquo
Fowler says recalling that fi rst jittery occasion Once again
Ryals proved true to her word with 60-plus patrons arriving
in an hour-and-a-half ldquoIt was awesome and such a great ex-
perience for usrdquo Fowler raves ldquoAshley is a hard worker and
you can see that in what she doesrdquo
Fowler believes that in addition to bringing new customers
to OTBX Ryals is also cultivating beer education consis-
tently bringing in people who are new to beer and want to
learn And with Huntsvillersquos recent brewery boom that level
of education and interest is crucial for the brewing commu-
nity to thrive ldquoWe have a very small window of opportunityrdquo
says Fowler ldquoI think Huntsville in particular is becoming a
craft brewing community People are making money at this
and once Tennessee sees that we need to already have had a
pretty huge head startrdquo
By the end of 2013 and with standing events Beer Hop and
Dine amp Dash well established Ryals took time to refl ect on
her original goal for Homegrown Huntsville ldquoIn the back of
my head from day one I knew I wanted to do a wine festival
I just didnrsquot think Huntsville was ready for it in 2011rdquo
Emboldened by the success of Beer Hop Ryals decided to
make the leap with Big Spring Crush wine festival later the
same year Once again Ryals delivered the perfect audience
for the event and in the process discovered a surprising
fact about North Alabamarsquos contribution to the wine-mak-
ing industry
ldquoIn doing the wine festival I learned that we have a huge
wine community in Huntsvillerdquo Ryals says ldquoTh ere are only
about 47 certifi ed wine judges in the entire United States
and we have four of them right here in North Alabama Two
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
copy Jeff White
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
ldquoI STARTED TO GET HOMESICK ALL OF MY FRIENDS WERE GETTING MARRIEDAND MEETING FOR FOOTBALL GAMES AND I WAS MISSING ITrdquo ASHLEY RYALS
copy Jeff White
copy Jeff White
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
ldquoIT WAS AWESOME AND SUCH A GREAT EXPERIENCE FOR USrdquoBILL FOWLER OLD TOWN BEER EXCHANGE
copy Jeff White
copy Olivia Reed
of those four certifi ed wine judges sit on the committee for
Big Spring Crushrdquo
Matthew and Stephanie Mell had just opened Church Street
Wine Shop when they decided to participate in the fi rst Big
Spring Crush Like OTBXrsquos Robert Fowler the Mells credit
Ryals and Homegrown Huntsville for helping to introduce
their new enterprise to the community ldquoAshley has been in-
strumental in helping to bring us people who love and ap-
preciate winerdquo Stephanie Mell says ldquoShe was homegrown
here in Huntsville and she really gets the downtown area
and small businesses and that is so important to usrdquo
Big Spring Crush began with a bang featuring over 150
wines and attracting patrons from across the country
ldquoMost wine festivals across the country have proven records
of being able to stay around 15 or 20 years or even longerrdquo
Ryals says ldquoAnd the economies of those cities have really
grown as a result I want Big Spring Crush to eventually be
the biggest and best wine festival in the state of Alabamardquo
How does Ryals intend to make that dream come true ldquoBy
always keeping it fresh I want to have new marketing and
new things happening each yearrdquo
Ryalsrsquo formula of reinvention and expansion has successfully
led Homegrown Huntsville through fi ve years of success and
helped its events become community staples along the way In
the process Ryals is broadening more than just our image of
downtown Huntsville shersquos joining a class of creative entrepre-
neurs committed to expanding Huntsvillersquos reputation as more
than just a hub for the brightest scientifi c minds in America
ldquoWe have a big city of engineers and lawyers and itrsquos won-
derfulrdquo Ryals say ldquo But there is a whole artist and food cul-
ture here and there is so much growth I want us to have a
vibrant cool downtown area and I want for people to tell
their friends to come and visit and to see Huntsville for what
it is a city I loverdquo
If yoursquod like to participate in Homegrown Huntsville either
as a guest or a participating business visit homegrown-
huntsvillecom
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
copy Jeff White
I was years old and the year was At that time the city of Huntsville was inching toward the mountain to the east California Street was once the continental divide between the small town metropo-lis and the uncharted territories gingerly crossed by the real estate pioneers four score and some odd years prior Th is area became the new suburb as the city kept pushing onward toward Fagan Springs as if the reverberating booms of rocket testings were vibrating Hunstvillians away from its epicenter
From the front yard of our house on Owens Drive I could look to the rightmdashup the hill to the bend be-yond which the big houses stood on their rocky ledge pedestals and to the left where all the other houses that looked just like oursmdashfresh and newmdashrambled for what seemed like miles Th ose clean well-lit abodes all seemed the same and granted at my age I knew more about the pets that lived there than I did about the people who owned those manageable mortgages I came to realize that each was diff erent in a way that was permeated by voices smells and furnishings
It is a clicheacute to say that our lives were simpler then because that is just how the current era will be fondly referred to in the future but to a 5-year-old it is the simplicity that brought the joy Th e sixties will always be to me the beginning of the age of manufactured happiness Cheap clean and simple was what was strived for and what was easily obtained Plastic items were plentiful and pretty things could be bought with SampH Green Stamps A few coins in our pocket would transfer us into the most master of manipula-tors with us giving our all to convince our parents for a jaunt to Murdockrsquos for a holiday of wonderment joy and impatience as we would scour the shelves trying to get the most from our meager budget
Owens Drive was the fairly new thoroughfare from which the avenues of three-bedroom-ranchers fi ngered away at planned intervals Th is was the place where newlyweds started their lives homes and families Where girls with last names that had been in the town for generations would change them to those strange and exotic last names of the clean cut newcomers brought here for military purposes Where the housewives would preheat their pristine electric ovens trying to make cheese straws and biscuits that were just like their motherrsquos only to be frustrated as they were never quite the same and where the husbands would follow in their fatherrsquos footsteps by joining the Acme Club and hunting doves on the weekends
Th ere was a swimming pool Certainly not at our house Th e only private pool I remember as a child was one that my grandmother would take me to nestled between huge trees at someonersquos house on Adams Street I would swim with other children my age while our grandmothers chatted smoking cigarettes in cat-eyed anonymity whispering most of their stories so we wouldnrsquot be able to hear But between their
gasps and laughter we would listen hear and learn
Th e Blossomwood pool was a place of designated rules and the sound of bright whistlesmdashwith straight lines and distinctive colors of blue and green I can still feel the Coppertoned oiliness on the skin of the tanned lifeguard as she carried me from the deep end frightened after my fi rst attempt at solo-swimming She knew my name I had no idea who she was
On the other side of the pool was the school my older sister attended It had a style that mim-icked the poolmdashstraight lines cleanmdasha temple to orderliness and good manners It was with
awe that I once watched the young adults there some as old as eleven wind and dance their way around a sky-high fl agpolemdasheach with a diff erent color ribbon until the fi rst (and only) May Pole
I was privy to was completely dressed in its woven bright colors
90 raquo bless their hearts raquo Guy McClure Jr
Huntsville was a magical place for us tail-end baby boomers to grow upmdashbeyond the miracles of the escalator at Pizitz the smiling little lady on the tall stool at the register at Britlings There was a comfort level there that Irsquom not sure is in the minds of the 5-year-olds of today
cat-eyed agasps
Th s
aI w
THE COMFORTS OF BLOSSOMWOOD
In our world of red-bricked carported castles there was a def-inite division of generations Th e children ate separately from the parents went to school as our dads went to work enter-tained our neighborhood friends as quietly as possible and felt safe between our boundaries of Big Cove Road and Hermitage Street While we dined on our Chef Boy-Ar-Dee boxed pizza our parents busied themselves dressing in their dark colors getting ready for a late dinner at Boots having the scent of perfume and face powder trail my mother as she came into the kitchen looking for something with an intense purpose My father would smell of British Sterling and look just as he did when he went to work only happier Th ese nights meant something fun would happenmdashwe would have a babysitter
Babysitters were my introduction into what was and still seems cool Th ey were usually Huntsville High School teen-agers who would put on a show without even knowing it I would drink in their every move word and essence of style To me they were supermodelsmdashmovie starsmdasheven more fa-mous in my eyes than a television weatherman and almost as glamorous as the waitresses at the Waffl e House
Before they would tire of me and my sister and put us to bed they would include us in their world of music and knowledge which I thought was all-encompassing Suddenly our world of Th e Benny Carl Show and Fantasy Playhouse would seem trite and passeacute and we would catch a fl eeting glimpse into what would be in store for us when we too could stay up past 8 pm
Huntsville was a magical place for us tail-end baby boomers to grow upmdashbeyond the miracles of the escalator at Pizitz the smiling little lady on the tall stool at the register at Britlings and that bright colorful Maypole Th ere was a comfort level there that Irsquom not sure is in the minds of the 5-year-olds of todaymdashthe soothing sheltered lack of knowledge of why we were so lucky yet we didnrsquot even know that we were
In the other areas of our Huntsville there was poverty and ra-cial unrestmdashas there was and is in every city I was unaware People of color were always a part of my worldmdashmostly be-cause they had my attention and respect At our house there was Annie my grandmotherrsquos house was fi lled with the joys of Lula and out on the family farm there was strong and smiling Homer and large and huggable Rosamdashall just as much a part of my life as everyone else My life was good and they were instrumental in making it that way
What will the 5-year-olds of today who are lucky enough to be raised on those well-planned streets remember when they surpass their own 50 year mark It is a much more complex world now and there are diff erent concerns with daily changes of fear Youthful innocence is a prize that is encased without a lock Premature maturity is a viable threat and a constant fear But each night tucked in tight in a simple room sleeps tomor-rowrsquos adults who are having sweet dreamsmdashblanketed by the comforts of Blossomwood
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
92 raquo the vine raquo Amy C Collins
BORDEAUX POWER
Where Burgundyrsquos vineyards were established by Benedictine monks patiently growing wine vines with spiritual hearts Bordeauxrsquos vineyards were raised by entrepreneurial laymen who recognized the massive monetary opportunity when the English began drinking down their peasant wine
The city of Bordeaux is Francersquos primary port town on the Atlantic ocean a harbor that has for centuries served as the countryrsquos most important dock Th e regionrsquos history is long and storied with the fi rst written reference to the area dated 379 AD by the Latin poet Ausonius who was also a wine-grower Jump ahead to the year 1152 when Eleanor of Aquitaine married Englandrsquos soon-to-be king Henry Plantagenet and the port and surrounding vineyard land became the source of wine for the English a connection that remains strong even today
Bordeaux produces the worldrsquos most expensive and sought after collector wines the top tier of which make up less than fi ve percent of the regionrsquos total production Th ese names are quickly learned by neophyte wine drinkers wanting to make an impression Chateau Haut-Brion Lafi te Latour and Margaux for example Grown in gravelly soils only a few meters above sea levelmdashin contrast vineyards elsewhere in Europe typically sit between 300 and 900 metersmdashthese wines are some of the most powerful austere and pawed over When young the tannins in these cabernet sauvignon cabernet franc and merlot blends coat the tongue and mouth with a chalky dry sensation akin to sucking on an Earl Grey tea bag and are perhaps best suited to well-fatted rare steak and cigars Th ese are wines built to live for decades Personally I prefer a Bordeaux at least 20 years aged when the tannins have had ample time to calm down and mellow out and more nuanced fl avors come forward Sounds fancy and it is Only in some very lucky circumstances over the past year have I been guest to a bottle of 1990 Clos de Menuts Saint-Eacutemilion and a 1970 Chateau Haut-Brion About once every 10 years Irsquove had the good
fortune to taste a wine older than myself Nice work if you can get it
Where Burgundyrsquos vineyards (Francersquos other classifi ed sought-after region) were established by Benedictine monks patiently growing wine vines with spiritual hearts
Bordeauxrsquos vineyards were raised by entrepreneurial laymen who recognized the massive monetary opportunity when the English began drinking down their peasant wine Th is underscores the second half of my theory as to why Americans
more often American males are so drawn to the wines of Bordeaux Th erersquos an inherent capitalist connection something in the soil Th at the wines are so
unmistakable so distinctively grand and pronounced elixirs exemplifi es the fi rst half of my theory we Americans are not known for our subtlety (To be fair the Chinese are
signifi cant Bordeaux collectors as well)
Philosophy aside Bordeaux is quite a large region that produces beautiful white and red values as well as the rare fi nds out of the populacersquos price range Herersquos the skinny Blending is the game single varietal wines are rare White Bordeaux is typically made from a blend of sauvignon blanc and seacutemillon and sometimes a drop or two of muscadelle ugni blanc or colombard Reds are made primarily from the two cabernets plus merlot with small quantities of petit verdot malbec and carmenegravere occasionally in the mix Th e region is also home to the golden nectar of late ripened seacutemillon sauvignon blanc and muscadelle grapes that have successfully attracted the noble rot a fungus that covers the fruit and drains moisture from inside leaving behind rich sweet grapes without moldy fl avors Chateau drsquoYquem is the most famous of these unfortifi ed dessert wines though there are better bargains from the region
Bordeaux is split by the Gironde river which divides the region into three general areas Th e left bank also known as the Haut-Meacutedoc is where the classifi ed top growths are situated Th ese prestigious estates were named for their exceptional vineyard sites in 1855 a decision nearly unchanged since Today serious collectors invest in Bordeaux futures theoretically locking down lower prices of top
ample time to calm dit is Only in some vede Menuts Saint-Eacutem
fortune to taste a
Wherees
aun
of msignifi
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Follow Amy at pigandvinecom for morestories and wine suggestions
growth estates while the wine is still aging in the cellar Itrsquos the wine tradersquos equivalent to the NASDAQ On the right bank Saint-Eacutemilion and Pommerol are the prized vineyard areas known for their merlot heavy cuveacutees To the south west we fi nd Graves where there are many great values to be had in both white and red bottlings Entre-Deux-Mers which translates to ldquobetween two seasrdquo sits between the Dordogne and Garonne tributaries off the Gironde and is an excellent source for crisp whites
Get started on your Bordeaux experience with these values
Chateau Graville-Lacoste 2014 Graves 75 seacutemillon 20 sauvignon blanc and 5 muscadelle make up this beauty thatrsquos consistently delicious every vintage Crisp and refreshing great with seafood
Chateau Mirambeau 2014 GravesAnother classic blend of 40 sauvignon blanc 40 seacutemillon and 20 muscadelle this lovely white is a bit more fl oral than the Graville-Lacoste Easy drinking and great value
Chateau de Parenchegravere Bordeaux Rouge 201155 merlot 30 cabernet sauvignon and 15 cabernet franc grown in clay heavy soils similar to the right bank of the region Fleshy with good structure and abundant red fruit
Chateau Arnaud Bordeaux Supeacuterieur 2011Supeacuterieur on a Bordeaux label isnrsquot egotistical marketingmdashby law it indicates a wine with up to one degree more alcohol than its AC Bordeaux brethren What it really means is one more degree of body structure and in this case quality Approachable delicious and easy on the wallet
Chateau de Bernadotte Haut-Meacutedoc 2005Th e 2005 vintage in Bordeaux is in the history books with double asterisks Owned by the eminent Pichon Lalande family and made from vineyards in Paulliac one of the more choice growing areas in the region this is an incredible value a top tier Bordeaux for a fraction of the cost
Chateau de Suduiraut Sauternes 2011Ripe cantaloupe apricot and honey and an interesting smoky note with a solid sweet attack followed by great acidity A dessert wine that wonrsquot overpower the dessert
94 raquo parting shot raquo Patrick Hood
Meet Solvar
Solvar belongs to one of the worldrsquos oldest and purest equine lineages the Nor-
wegian Fjord horse a breed that has remained virtually unchanged for more than
2000 yearsmdashlong before we became acquainted with his animated cousins in
the movie Frozen Th ese national symbols of Norway are characterized by primi-
tive zebra striping on their legs and a dorsal stripe running from forelock to tail
resulting in a striking two-tone mane that sticks up like a Mohawk Th eir athleti-
cism agility and dependability make them valuable both as sport horses as well
as therapy horses for emotionally and physically challenged adults and children
Catie Wells of Huntsville is the proud owner of Solvar who resides at Monte
Sano Stables
For tickets or information 256-539-4818 or hsoorg
Bring In the New Year With Us
presents
WHAT A WONDERFUL
WORLDA tribute to Louis
Armstrong featuring the
Byron Stripling Quartet
Thursday December 31
730 pm bull Pops Series bullMark C Smith
Concert Hall VBC
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
M O R E T H A N 7 0 S H O P S A N D R E S T A U R A N T S I N C L U D I N G B E L K | D S W S H O E S | A P P L E J O S A B A N K | R E E D S J E W E L E R S | PA N D O R A | J C R E W | K AT E S PA D E N E W Y O R KO R V I S | B A N A N A R E P U B L I C | M I C H A E L K O R S | F R A N C E S C Arsquo S | A N T H R O P O L O G I EH amp M | S O M A | M O U N T A I N H I G H O U T F I T T E R S | B A R N E S amp N O B L E | S E P H O R AALTAR rsquoD STATE | CONNORS STEAK amp SEFOOD | THE WEST IN HUNTSV I L L E | MONACO P ICTURES
C O M I N G S O O N V E R S O N A ndash near Belk
B R I D G E S T R E E T H U N T S V I L L E C O M |
BR IDGE STREET TOWN CENTRE I S LOCATED AT EX I T 14 OFF I - 565 AT OLD MAD ISON P IKE
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Meet the Shop Girls The mission To search Valley shops and boutiques
for the fi nest in Yuletide treasures
Accepting the challenge three of Huntsvillersquos most original and creative taste-makers
Say hello to NorsquoAla Shop Girls Aissa Castillo Lauren McCaul and Lauren Tomasella CarneyDuring the day these mild-mannered professionals tend to demanding careers in design
retail management and photography But evenings and weekends theyrsquore out saving the world from uninspiring fashion and decor as style superheroes
Their picks for the very best gift ideas follow For ideas and inspiration year-round
stay in-the-know by following our Shop Girls on social media
Lauren McCaul deptofagraculturecom Instagram dept_of_agra_cultureAissa Castillo aislerchiccom Instagram aislerchic
Lauren Tomasella Carney laurentomasellacom Instagram laurentomasella
And as you shop for your own Christmas treasures this season please remember to spread your cheermdashand your dollarsmdashat home
(1) Amanda Uprichard Jacket ($248)(2) BCBG Dress ($228)(3) Zoa Dress ($128)Personal Couture Boutique(256) 508-5632
(4) Dress ($168)Anthropologie(256) 327-8470
(5) Olive + Oak Oatmeal Shawl ($72)(10) Simply Noelle Zipper Gusset Bag ($5999)House of Holland(256) 206-8989
(6) One-of-a-kind Eva Ziegler Agate and Pyrite Necklace ($397)(8) Eva Ziegler Freshwater Pearl Strand ($501)Eva Ziegler Jewelryevazieglercom
(9) Gift Set ($5995)Piper amp LeafPiperandleafcom
(7) Long Horn Necklace ($68)Personal Couture Boutique(256) 508-5632
Left to right Lauren Tomasella Carney
Lauren McCaul and Aissa Castillo
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
On himFilson Shirt ($98) Filson Jacket ($320)Yeti Cooler ($34999)Alabama Outdoors(256)-885-3561
On herPPLA Vest ($7999)PPLA Dress ($7499)Bedstu Boots ($295)Indigorsquos Boutique(256) 345-6348
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) Woolly Mammoth Tooth 4rdquo Damascus Linerlock Knife ($150)(2) Cardboard Safari Bucky Cardboard Deer Head ($30)(3) Curt Benzle Porcelain Compass ($15)Little Green Store and Gallery (256) 539-9699
(4) Hunting Journal ($32)Sweet Pineapple(256) 964-7563
(5) Yeti Colster ($2999)Alabama Outdoors(256)-885-3561
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
(1) Yellow House Handcrafted Beard Oils ($18 ea)Yellow House Beard Oilsyellowhousebeards com (2) Mustache amp Beard Comb ($16)Little Green Store and Gallery (256) 539-9699 (3) Latika Body Essentials Charcoal Liquid Soap ($18)(4) Latika Body Essentials Charcoal Bar Soap ($6) (5) Rustico Leather Key Chain ($18) Sweet Pineapple(256) 964-7563
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) Wood Thumb Tie ($44) (2) Slightly Alabama iPad Case ($250) (3) DockSmith Driftwood iPhone Docking Station ($68) Little Green Storeand Gallery (256) 539-9699 (4) Loyal Stricklin Aviator Mug ($35)Domaine South(256) 808-8860 (5) Would You Be a Deer Notepad ($9) Sweet Pineapple(256) 964-7563
(6) Filson Satchel ($265) Alabama Outdoors(256)-885-3561
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
When itrsquos time to move into a bigger house get a home loan from the bank thatrsquos had a home right here for generations You might say we know a thing about location location location synovuscommortgage
Banking products are provided by Synovus Bank Member FDIC Divisions of Synovus Bank operate under multiple trade names across the Southeast Loans products subject to credit approval
When itrsquos time to move into a bigger house get a home
Here is where Henry learned hersquod be getting
SERVING YOU LOCALLY AS
2565513300 | fcb-hsvcom
his own room
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) Spiritual GangsterTank ($36)(2) Luquido Yoga Pants ($90)(3) MZ Wallace Metro Tote ($245)(4) Vimmia V back Sweatshirt ($96)(5) Onzie Sports Bra ($48)(6) Olympia Yoga Pants ($96)(7) bkr Water Bottle ($30)The Fitzgerald Pilates amp Barre(256) 603-1886
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
(1) Gypsy Pant WarmTribal ($72) (2) Berry High Waist Legging ($88) (3) Long Legging Mathematics ($65) (4) Long Legging Peacock ($65) The FitzgeraldPilates amp Barre(256) 603-1886
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) Jane Tran Hair Clips ($15)(2) bkr Water Bottle ($30)(3) well-kept Tech Wipes ($6)(4) Made with Love Bracelets ($25)(5) Pointe Studio Socks ($12)(6) Bando Too Cold to Hold Coozie ($5)The Fitzgerald Pilates amp Barre(256) 603-1886
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
(1) Shop Bando Coff ee Cup ($14)(2) Shop Bando Pens ($14) (3) Shop Bando Pouch ($26) (4) Shop Bando Coin Purse ($20) The FitzgeraldPilates amp Barre(256) 603-1886
(5) Check Things Off Notepad ($16)(6) Hello From Huntsville Stamp ($12)Salt + Paperie(256) 655-5550
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) Muzzle Loaders Chocolate Bourbon Balls ($1999) (2) Vintage Crystal Decanter ($20) (3) Quench Glassware ($1399) Domaine South(256) 808-8860
(4) The Hella Bitters Old Fashioned Kit ($65)(5) American Bar by Charles Schumann ($2495) Little Green Storeand Gallery (256) 539-9699
(6) Julep Cups ($50)Willowbrook Shoppe (256) 270-7181
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom | novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) DECCO Umbrella in a Bottle ($1995)(2) Alexa Pulitzer Stationery Set ($14 ea)(3) Ikat Scarf ($6250)Huntsville Museumof Art(256) 535-4350
(4) Emily Ley Grace Journal ($32) (5) Sugar Boo Designs Clutch ($18) (6) Emily Ley Daily Planner ($58) (7) Latika Milk ampHoney Bar ($6) (8) Farm House Fresh Shea Butter Hand Cream ($14) (9) Christen MaxwellZippy ($42) (10) Green Tea Bubble Bath ($32) Sweet Pineapple(256) 964-7563 (11) Goal Getter Cuff ($32)Indigorsquos Boutique(256) 345-6348
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
(1) Kilim Pillow ($58) (2) Bejeweled Silver Plate Vase ($144) (3) Bone Clad Box ($375)Willowbrook Shoppe (256) 270-7181
(4) Cowhide Rug ($550)(5) Lucyrsquos Locket ($95) (Original piecemdashselection may vary)Sweet Pineapple(256) 964-7563 (6) Clutch ($65)Department of Agra Culturedeptofagraculturecom
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) Above The Bar Antler on Chain 28rdquo ($3999) (2) Above The Bar Deer wAntler Head 18rdquo ($2999) Indigorsquos Boutique(256) 345-6348
(3) Margaret Solow Labradorite18KT Bezel ($290) (4) Margaret Solow Diamond Crest MoonSilver ($460) (5) Margaret Solow Black Spinel + DiamondSilver ($560) (6) Margaret Solow Double Black Spinel18KT ($260)Little Green Store and Gallery (256) 539-9699
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
(1) Margaret Solow Grey Moonstoon18KT Necklace ($240) (2) Margaret Solow OpalDiamond Mosaic Necklace ($610) Little Green Storeand Gallery (256) 539-9699
(3) One-of-a-kind Eva Ziegler Smokey Quartz and Pyrite Necklace ($406)Eva Ziegler Jewelryevazieglercom
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) Jennifer BehrTurban ($625)(2) Cotton Day Dress ($64)(3) Norma Ishak Cardigan ($375)Finery(256) 429-3429
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) The Lion Sleeps Tonight Bath Bomb ($6) Sweet Pineapple(256) 964-7563
(2) Tiger Jelly Cat ($2250)(3) Dog Tag Teether ($1550)(4) Dinosaur Footie ($3595)Honey B Boutique(256) 503-2853
(5) Young Buck ($25)Tiny Vinestinyvinesshopcom
(6) Bib Set ($13)Huntsville Museumof Art(256) 535-4350
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
(1) Tiny Dancer Bath Bomb ($6)Sweet Pineapple(256) 964-7563
(2) Kickee Mammoth Footie ($3595)(3) Noodle amp Boo Essential Care Kit ($18)(4) Elephant Jelly Cat ($2250)Honey B Boutique(256) 503-2853
(5) ArtFolio Pink Elephant Coloring Tote ($17)Huntsville Museumof Art(256) 535-4350
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) Bib Set ($13)Huntsville Museumof Art(256) 535-4350 (2) Little Light ($25)Tiny Vinestinyvinesshopcom (3) Micro Leon Cardboard Lion ($30)Little Green Storeand Gallery (256) 539-9699 (4) I Love You Like Biscuits amp Gravy ($23)Domaine South(256) 808-8860
(5) Kickee Kimono ($4295)Honey B Boutique(256) 503-2853
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
SURPRISEA LOVED ONE
THIS HOLIDAY SEASON
WITH A FOREVER GIFT
HobbsJewelerscom 8772331347Parkway Place Mall
HuntsvilleHwy 72 West
AthensMain Street
Ardmore TN
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Caftan ($75)Sarah Richey Necklace ($350)Finery(256) 429-3429
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
(1) Chewbead Necklace ($3495)(2) Mayoral Baby Bag ($7995)(3) Mayoral Diaper Changing Pad ($2495)(4) Nursing Scarf ($2695) (5) Kickee Swaddling Blanket ($22)Honey B Boutique(256) 503-2853 (6) Lucy Darling Months Sticker ($25) (7) The Story of You Baby Book by Emily Ley ($62) Sweet Pineapple(256) 964-7563
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) Alwand Vahan 14K Gold and Onyx Ring wDiamond Accent ($2595)(2) Alwand Vanan 14K Gold and Onyx Bracelet wDiamond Accent ($2695)Hobbs Jewelers(877) 233-1347
(3) Britt Ryan Dress ($288)Personal Couture Boutique(256) 508-5632
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) Rocket Cosmos Mug ($13)Huntsville Museumof Art(256) 535-4350
(2) Loose Leaf Tea ($399)Piper amp Leaf piperandleafcom (3) Judy Jackson Tea Pot ($56) (4) Gary Watson Cherry Cutting Board ($48-$68) (5) Susan Coe Birthday Cake Plate ($33) Little Green Storeand Gallery (256) 539-9699 (6) Macarons ($116 pcs $221 dozen)Whisk Small Treats Bakery(256) 656-1027
(7) Truffl es ($185 each)Pizellersquos Confections (256) 513-9745 (8) Olive amp Sinclair Chocolate ($799)Domaine South(256) 808-8860
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
(1) Whisk Note Pad ($8) (2) In the Forest Mixing Bowl ($36) (3) Twig Serving Set ($18)(8) Southern Firefl y Candle ($12)Sweet Pineapple(256) 964-7563
(4) Urchin Bowl ($10)(5) Foodie Dice ($38)(6) 1Canoe2 Wood Recipe Box w Recipe Cards ($6999) Domaine South(256) 808-8860 (7) Growlers ($75 small $95 large)Southern Growlersoutherngrowlercom
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) Tacori 18K Barbados Blue Bold Gem Ring ($660)(2) Tacori 18K Barbados Blue Bold Gem Necklace ($630)(3) Tacori 18K Barbados Blue Bold Gem Bracelet ($990)Hobbs Jewelers(877) 233-1347
(4) BCBG Dress ($328)Personal Couture Boutique(256) 508-5632
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Guadalupe Robinson
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
text by jennifer crossley howard raquo photos by patrick hood
Of Deft and Dirty Hands
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Huntsville potter Guadalupe Lanning Robinson has spent more than 36 years mastering the
marriage of clay texture and geometric design into her pottery yet time has done little to temper the
plight of waiting
ldquoIt is hard for me to let a pot just dryrdquo she says motioning toward fi ve small wet pots sitting near her
pottery wheel ldquoIrsquom as excited to do this as I was 30 years agordquo
To observe her studio at Lowe Mill that is easy to believe Located on the corridor outside the textile
mill-turned-art centerrsquos main building the loft-like space with a corrugated tin roof feels like a place a
Gabriel Garcia Marquez character would enjoy daydreaming
Sienna-hued pottery sits in various stages to be fi red layered and etched Argentinian tango music
streams from Robinsonrsquos iPhone and two cockatiels a parrot and a parakeet chirp from their cages All
except the parrot fl y freely when Robinson is working
Robinson who is 61 made her fi rst pot in 1979 in her native Mexico City Almost four decades later her
work is part of permanent museum collections in Auburn Huntsville Tuscumbia and Tupelo Missis-
sippi She regularly enters her work in respected juried shows such as the Monte Sano Arts Festival and
the Kentuck Festival of the Arts in Northport and has received two Alabama State Council on the Arts
individual artist fellowships
Her inspiration draws from the villages around her native Mexico City such as the black pottery of
the northwest as well as her acquired Southern culture White lilies corn grids and round female
fi guresmdashldquoreally strong women who are in chargerdquo Robinson saysmdashreappear on her stoneware She uses
natural dyes indigo for color and mixes sand into clay for texture Nothing is wasted
ldquoI donrsquot waste any clayrdquo Robinson says ldquoEverything is recycledrdquo
Robinson fi nds solace in the 40-50 hours a week she puts in at the studio and the often tedious process
of making pots which can take from three weeks to six weeks for larger pots She usually works on two
or three pots at a time tending to groups at diff erent stages
After a pot is thrown on a wheel a piece can take days to dry before its fi rst bisque fi re in which tem-
peratures rise to 1800 F After baking for nine hours the kiln must cool Th e second fi ring rises to 2150
F and matures the clay and melts the glazes to strengthen the piece
ldquoI am an effi cient person by naturerdquo Robinson says ldquoWaiting for the kiln to cool down enough to open
can be nerve wracking and this is when my patience is usually put to the testrdquo
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
ldquoIt is hard for me to let a pot just dry Irsquom as excited to do this as I was 30 years agordquo
Robinson makes most of her pots on a wheel using oxides to change the color of clay she gets from Nashville and Pittsburgh Her pottery takes several weeks from start to fi nish depending on how large a pot is and how many she makes at a time
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
ldquoAttend to your childrenrsquos needs fi rst keep focus on what you want to douse the happiness joy and little breaks you get to make your artTh ey grow real fast and they will keep inspiring you all your liferdquo
Robinson imagined this bat-like design as she was working She usually begins a piece with a design in mind but that often evolves
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Robinson uses an overlay of liquid clay called engobemdashthat includes three to four layersmdashto create a
base on which to design
Th ere is high risk in making pottery and hours of work can be wasted on a pot that has not dried en-
tirely before it enters the kiln Air pockets or the wrong mixture of chemicals can ruin a piece
ldquoArt is involved but science is toordquo says Laura Smith director of education at the Huntsville Museum
of Art where Robinson has taught pottery classes ldquoItrsquos more labor intensive in terms of working with
the medium whether yoursquore building by hand or with a wheel until you fi re with the fi nal layer of glazerdquo
Th e result is sturdy pottery
ldquoI want my pots to look like something that is lasting a long timerdquo Robinson says
Th ough she works solitarily in her studio she says she does not get lonely Her birds and music keep her
company and each stage of pottery making has a soundtrack She uses needlepoint tools to draw onto
clay to Jose Feliciano and other Latin American musicians
ldquoIf Irsquom at the wheel Bruno Marsrdquo she says ldquoIf Irsquom unloading the kiln and something is really awesome
then I need something moving and I have on Motownrdquo
Robinsonrsquos years of experience minimize the risk of damaged pots but she says her greatest challenge
as a potter was balancing her work while raising her two children Now adults their candid childhood
pictures and those of her grandchildren cover the warm green walls of her studio
She met her husband the poet James Robinson in 1977 on a Greyhound bus when she returned to
Mexico City from visiting a friend at the University of Southern Mississippi He was heading to Mexico
to study at a university Th ey married six months later After giving birth to her daughter Annie Jane in
Mexico City in 1982 the family moved to Huntsville in 1985 Th at is when Robinson got more serious
about her pottery
ldquoFrom the very beginning when I moved to Alabama I knew I was going to have to do thisrdquo she said
ldquoIn some ways it was a way for me to keep connected to my heritagerdquo
She took even 15 minutes of free time to work in the studio behind her home and worked late into the
night while her daughter and son Isidoro born in 1987 slept Having a home studio allowed her to
wash clothes tend to her home and drop off lunches at school while maintaining her art
ldquoTh ere was something for me when I fi rst became a mother that fueled my creativityrdquo Robinson says
ldquoTh ey are such a social inspiration too It fi lls your liferdquo
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Robinson advises fellow artists who are mothers to seize
both roles but to prioritize motherhood
ldquoAttend to your childrenrsquos needs fi rst keep focus on what you
want to do use the happiness joy and little breaks you get
to make your artrdquo she says ldquoTh ey grow real fast and they will
keep inspiring you all your liferdquo
Anna Sue Courtney director of the Flying Monkey Arts
Center at Lowe Mill has known Robinson for more than
10 years She says she admires how mothers and artists like
Robinson seamlessly embrace both roles
ldquoIt seems therersquos not a separation between creating and rais-
ing childrenrdquo Courtney says ldquoTh ey seem to pull from the
same placerdquo
Part of Robinsonrsquos motivation at Lowe Mill comes from
working privately in a studio alongside other artists that fos-
ters a community of feedback and ideas
ldquoItrsquos nice to be here because you can take a break and walk around and get inspirationrdquo Courtney says
ldquoItrsquos refreshingrdquo
When she needs a break from the studio Robinson stays home to sketch designs for a day or two then
she is back in the studio
Trips twice a year to Mexico City keep her plugged in to her native culture which in turn shows up in
her pottery
ldquoI have to recharge myselfrdquo Robinson says ldquoI love Huntsville and loved raising my kids here but I still
have the need of going back to be recharged and smell all the smells and see all the colors and get on
the subway and be pushed aroundrdquo
Details from her trips that infl uence her work include the ever-present red that covers the city during
the celebration of Dia de los Muertos or the Day of the Dead Th e pyramids of Teotihuacan conjure
warm earth tones and fl oating gardens around the city yield sweet pungent calla lilies and carnations
Celebration of food tough women and nature reappear in her pottery qualities that both Southern and
Mexican cultures treasure
Above This daisy design is character-istic of Robinsonrsquos work Nature food and strong females from her native Mexico City and the South are strong creative infl uences
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Clockwise from top left Robinson often glazes only the inside of her pots so they can hold water and food She began quilting in 2002 and her quilts like her pottery contain earth tones and natural infl uences in their design Four birds keep Robinson company in what can be the isolating medium of pottery making Geometry and symmetry are two signature elements in Robinsonrsquos work according to Laura Smith director of education at the Huntsville Museum of Art
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Just as she keeps her home country close to her heart Robinson is loyal to her fi rst
love of pottery though she began making quilts in 2002
ldquoIrsquom a potter who likes to quiltrdquo she says
Like her pottery her quilting follows designs of organic nature such as fl owers and
crops on rich jewel tone cotton
ldquoWhen I fi rst saw one of her quilts I didnrsquot realize it was hers and I thought that
looks like it should be Guadalupersquos quiltrdquo Courtney says
Robinson prefers the immediate gratifi cation of clay
ldquoItrsquos a very responsive mediumrdquo she says ldquoYou can manipulate it Th e fact of mak-
ing something out of dirt out of nothing and making it durable making it perma-
nent that after going through the heat and maturing is something very excitingrdquo
She gently dings a pot covered with white dresses titled ldquoTehuana Dressrdquo to make
her point
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
887 FM Muscle Shoals bull 1007 FM Huntsvillewwwaprorg
News classicalmusic and more
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
copy Patrick Hood
text by sara wright covington raquo photos by jacki gil
patrick hood erin lindsey and michelle odom
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
copy Patrick Hood
ldquoA LOT OF PEOPLE HAD BEEN ASKING ME QUESTIONS ABOUTHOW I GOT MY BUSINESS STARTED I WANTED TO GATHER SOME PEOPLE AROUND ME
WHO WERE GOING THROUGH THOSE STRUGGLES AND TOBUILD ENTREPRENEURIAL COURAGErdquo
JACKI GIL SALT+PAPERIE
copy Patrick Hood
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
untsville-born Jacki Gil began her paper design busi-
ness Salt+Paperie in 2014 with an expansive vision
in mind one that extended beyond creating beautiful
custom designed paper goods ldquoI love my design job
but when Irsquom 50 years old I donrsquot see myself still de-
signing wedding invitationsrdquo the master stationer says
ldquoI really have a passion for teaching and helping people
I want to be a mentorrdquo
In 2015 Gil set out on her mentoring mission sooner than expected with a series
of workshops called Encourage Huntsville ldquoA lot of people had been asking me
questions about how I got my business startedrdquo Gil says about the early days of
Salt+Paperie Even though most of those questions from entrepreneurial-hopefuls
were technicalmdashlike how to apply for a business licensemdashthey served as inspira-
tion for Gil ldquoI wanted to gather some people around me who were going through
those struggles and to build entrepreneurial courage I defi nitely saw that there
was a need for helping people to take that next step toward owning their own
businessesrdquo
Encourage Huntsville was modeled on the image of a growing small business
movement called the Rising Tide Society a national community of creative small
business owners who encourage ldquocommunity over competitionrdquo Th at spirit of
openness is at the heart of Encourage Huntsville ldquoCommunity over competition
is a huge part of what we are doingrdquo says Gil ldquoSmall business owners sharing how
they earn their money is a big dealrdquo
As a fi rst step Gil gathered others around her who were using their skills and abili-
ties to make their own small businesses work With talents ranging from cooking
and cake decorating to hand lettering and artwork these small business owners
all embraced Gilrsquos vision for imparting to others the knowledge of their craft un-
impeded by a fear of losing their competitive edge
Th e fi rst lesson Gil wanted to impart to Encourage Huntsvillersquos students wasnrsquot
necessarily a particular craft or skill but a spirt of creative confi dence ldquoWe want-
ed to bridge the gap between the very artsy community and the ultimate engineer
communityrdquo many of whom Gil observes had been told since childhood they
werenrsquot artistic ldquoWhen you are little and someone tells you that you donrsquot have a
talent it sticks with you I found that a lot of people had that experience so that
was the workshop partmdashto build some creative courage in this communityrdquo
Gil conducted the fi rst workshop herself testing the waters to see how the concept
would be received Th e admission price to that fi rst workshop included supplies a
take-home ldquogoody bagrdquo to help students continue their work extracurricularly and
refreshmentsmdashas well as Gilrsquos tips of her trade
ldquoWe went in blindly not knowing if we had a market or notrdquo says Gil Th e popular-
ity of that fi rst class proved undeniably that a market did in fact exist the work-
shop sold out in one day ldquoSo we did back-to-back workshopsrdquo Gil says ldquoAfter that
novemberdecembeeer eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee | nononoononononononoonoonononooooonoonoonnononnoaaalalalllaallllllalaalaaalal ststustust ddiossscom mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm | | | | | | | | | | |
f
w
y
Previous page Encourage Huntsvillersquos founder and instructor Jacki Gil teaches a class in hand lettering Facing page A participant studies her supply list
we realized people really want to do this stuff So we said lsquoletrsquos jump on the boat
and make this happenrsquordquo
Gilrsquos longtime friend photographer Erin Lindsey of Erin Lindsey Images agreed
to contribute to Encourage Huntsvillersquos curriculum by teaching a photography
class ldquoJacki and I are a good team because our hearts are in the same place when
it comes to encouraging othersrdquo Lindsey says Still she admits saying yes to teach-
ing wasnrsquot without some initial hesitation ldquoWhen Jacki asked if I would teach a
class it was kind of scary I thought I had to be perfect before I could teach oth-
ersrdquo Lindsey says of her initial hesitancy ldquoBut after talking to Jacki I realized none
of us are perfectrdquo But perfection isnrsquot the goal encouragement is the goal ldquoAnd I
thought lsquoI can defi nitely line up with that visionrsquordquo
Michelle Odom another Huntsville native and owner of custom cake bakery Just
Crumbs was also on board with Gilrsquos vision In fact Odom had been contemplat-
ing teaching a class when she was approached by Gil to teach a fondant basics
class ldquoHuntsville is such an engineer town and everyone is so mathematical and
scientifi crdquo Odom says echoing the dichotomy between the arts and sciences ex-
pressed by Gil ldquoTh ese workshops are just a very cool way for structured people to
have a creative outletrdquo
ldquoJACKI AND I ARE A GOOD TEAM BECAUSE OUR HEARTS ARE INTHE SAME PLACE WHEN IT COMES TO ENCOURAGING OTHERSrdquo
ERIN LINDSEY ERIN LINDSEY IMAGES
copy Erin Lindsey
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Above A participant in Erin Lindseyrsquos photo class frames a still life
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
copy Erin Lindsey
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
ldquoHUNTSVILLE IS SUCH AN ENGINEER TOWN AND EVERYONE ISSO MATHEMATICAL AND SCIENTIFIC THESE WORKSHOPS ARE JUST A VERY COOL
WAY FOR STRUCTURED PEOPLE TO HAVE A CREATIVE OUTLETrdquo MICHELLE ODOM JUST CRUMBS
copy Michelle Odom
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
ldquoAnd yesrdquo Odom acknowledges ldquoyou are in theory teaching your competition But
at the same time you are helping the community be more creativerdquo
With its roster of popular creative workshops under its belt Encourage Huntsville
has added business classes to its community-over-competition curriculum with
classes designed to provide specifi c guidance for small business owners ldquoAll of
our events that donrsquot require hands-on work we call seminarsrdquo says Gil ldquoWe had
about 15 people at our fi rst one It was pretty much just an open discussion to ask
us questions and get answers from the perspective of a small business ownerrdquo
Th e seminars enjoyed the same success and enthusiasm as the workshops ldquoWe
had two hours for people to ask questionsrdquo Gil says Topics covered ran the gamut
from scheduling daily tasks self-hosting a website or using an Etsy store man-
aging client expectations and being realistic about how much time you need to
complete jobs
ldquoTh e time went quickly and people wanted morerdquo says Gil who envisions an all-
day seminar in 2016
Margaret Baggett owner and executive chef of the Chef Next Door is another
small business owner who has shared Gilrsquos vision from the very beginning teach-
copy Erin Lindsey
Facing page Michelle Odomrsquos fondant basics class begins with a styrofoam cake form Above Newbie photographers familiarize themselves with their cameras in Erin Lindseyrsquos photography class
ing knife skills workshops and helping host the business seminars ldquoI am so proud
to get to be a part of this project and help nurture other small business owners
who may just be starting out on their journey or are deep in it and looking for
some encouragement from other business ownersrdquo Baggett says of what motivates
her participation in Encourage Huntsville ldquoEven being on the advice-giving side
of things I am still learning and have taken tips and tricks and lessons from each
event we have had so far We never stop learning from each other and never stop
improving upon our craftsrdquo
Th e mutual growth among students and teachers is the source of the encourage-
mentmdashand the joymdashof Encourage Huntsville ldquoItrsquos so much fun to see the light
bulbs go off with people and see them encouraged right before your eyesrdquo Lindsey
says of her experience with the program ldquoPlus itrsquos a pleasure to contribute to a
sense of community over competition Th at whole concept is so rarerdquo
As Encourage Huntsvillersquos following continues to grow the diversity of the work-
shops will expand as well Whether you are looking to spend a fun afternoon
learning a new craft or are a budding small business owner hoping to launch
your brand Encourage Huntsville has something valuable to off er ldquoWe encourage
those left-brain folks to take up a new hobby or skillrdquo Baggett says ldquoor just encour-
age the people of Huntsville to get together and fan their creative fl amesrdquo
If yoursquore looking for
creative or entrepreneurial
encouragement visit
encouragehuntsvillecom
for seminar and workshop
schedules and information
ldquoI AM SO PROUD TO GET TO BE A PART OF THIS PROJECT AND HELP NURTURE OTHER SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS WHO MAY JUST BE STARTING OUT ON THEIR JOURNEY OR ARE DEEP IN IT
AND LOOKING FOR SOME ENCOURAGEMENT FROM OTHER BUSINESS OWNERSrdquoMARGARET BAGGETT CHEF NEXT DOOR
copy Jacki Gil
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
copy Jacki Gil
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Participants in Margaret Baggettrsquos knife skills workshop learn to perfect their ldquomise en placerdquo
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
copy Olivia Reed
text by sara wright covington raquo photos by olivia reed and jeff white
HUNTSVILLErsquoS
HOMEGROWNHOSTESS
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
ttttttononononoooooonononooooo raquo praquo praquo praquo praquo phothothothothotosoososos s s osos bybybbybb
Any host will tell you that delicious food and quality libations while important to
a partyrsquos success are secondary to the most important ingredient of all the guest list Th atrsquos why many
of downtown Huntsvillersquos most popular restaurants breweries and wine shops are turning to event
planner Ashley Ryals and her uncanny knack for attracting loyal patronsmdashand creating unforgettable
events in the process
When Huntsville born-and-bred Ashley Ryals left for college at the University of Alabama in 2001
she thought her exit from the Valley was permanent ldquoI never thought I would end up back hererdquo the
founder of event planning company Homegrown Huntsville says with a knowing laugh But after a few
post-graduate years working for world-renowned public relations powerhouse Weber Shandwick in
New York City Ryals started to second guess her freshman declaration
ldquoI started to get homesickrdquo she admits ldquoAll of my friends were getting married and meeting for football
games and I was missing itrdquo So when a friend from home set up an interview at EarlyWorks for a job
doing event planning Ryals jumped at the chance to come home
Ashley spent the next few years planning EarlyWorks Whistle Stop and Santarsquos Village events A brief
stint in sales followed along with a seat on the board of Huntsville Young Professionals where she had
an idea for a downtown pub crawl
ldquoWe expected 20 or 30 peoplerdquo Ryals says of their modest expectations ldquoBut 200 people showed uprdquo
Th at initial success convinced Ryals to embark on her dream of establishing an
event planning company But it wasnrsquot just any event planning company Ryals
had in mind she envisioned one that would collaborate with local businesses
cultivate signature events for the community to enjoy and support small busi-
nesses in the process
Inspired Ryals left her sales job and for the second time in her life came home
again to event planning and Homegrown Huntsville
To help bring her vision to life Ryals collaborated with designer Adrianne Van
Kirk of Fave Creative ldquoAdrianne has been a part of the visual and branding of
Homegrown from the beginning We come up with the event ideas then I get
the ticketing and sales together and she comes back with a logo and the mar-
keting for the event And thatrsquos how it all comes togetherrdquo Ryals says of their
creative process
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
ASHLEY RYALS
copy Olivia Reed
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
ldquoMOST WINE FESTIVALS ACROSS THE COUNTRY HAVE PROVEN RECORDS OF BEING ABLE TO STAY AROUND 15 OR 20 YEARS OR EVEN LONGER AND THE ECONOMIES OF THOSE
CITIES HAVE REALLY GROWN AS A RESULT I WANT BIG SPRING CRUSH TO EVENTUALLY BE THE BIGGEST AND BEST WINE FESTIVAL IN THE STATE OF ALABAMArdquo ASHLEY RYALS
copy Jeff White
copy Jeff White
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
copy Olivia Reed
Homegrown launched in 2011 with what would become its
signature event Dine amp Dash Every second Wednesday
April through October a trolley shuttles patrons between
downtown establishments where they are served a drink
and appetizer before moving on to the next stop
Owner and executive chef Merle Phillips of Th e Eaves was
one of the fi rst restaurants to sign on for Dine amp Dashrsquos de-
but ldquoAshley came to me and said she was starting a trolley
tasting conceptrdquo says Chef Merle ldquoI didnrsquot really know her so
I was taking a chance on the concept she was sellingrdquo
Merle tried it and has been a loyal participant of Dine amp
Dash ever since
ldquoIt was a risk in the beginning but it defi nitely paid off rdquo Chef
Merle says of the experience Pivotal to that experience ac-
cording to Phillips is Ryalsrsquo demonstration to the commu-
nity just what the term ldquohomegrownrdquo really means ldquoAshley
shines a spotlight on independent businesses in a market-
place that has for so long focused on chainsrdquo Phillips says
ldquoDine amp Dash has really brought into sharp focus the inter-
esting culinary diversity that Huntsville has to off errdquo
For the next two years Homegrown Huntsville focused al-
most exclusively on Dine amp Dash which by the end of its fi rst
year included every single downtown restaurant But when
big changes began to appear on the downtown horizonmdash
new restaurants breweries and residential developmentsmdash
Ryalsrsquo instincts told her
the time had come to
introduce a new event
to the downtown cal-
endar
ldquoBeer Hop follows
the concept of Dine
amp Dashrdquo Ryals says of
Homegrownrsquos second
venture which began
in 2013 Each month a
trolley visits three dif-
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
BILL FOWLEROLD TOWN BEER
EXCHANGE
copy Olivia Reed
copy Olivia Reed
ferent breweries where patrons sample beers and enjoy food
from a variety of food trucks parked at each location
Bill Fowler managing partner of Old Town Beer Exchange
agreed to participate in Beer Hop on his very fi rst day of
business and credits Ryals with an overwhelmingly success-
ful opening night ldquoAshley said lsquoI can guarantee that you are
going to have wave after wave of people coming throughrsquordquo
Fowler says recalling that fi rst jittery occasion Once again
Ryals proved true to her word with 60-plus patrons arriving
in an hour-and-a-half ldquoIt was awesome and such a great ex-
perience for usrdquo Fowler raves ldquoAshley is a hard worker and
you can see that in what she doesrdquo
Fowler believes that in addition to bringing new customers
to OTBX Ryals is also cultivating beer education consis-
tently bringing in people who are new to beer and want to
learn And with Huntsvillersquos recent brewery boom that level
of education and interest is crucial for the brewing commu-
nity to thrive ldquoWe have a very small window of opportunityrdquo
says Fowler ldquoI think Huntsville in particular is becoming a
craft brewing community People are making money at this
and once Tennessee sees that we need to already have had a
pretty huge head startrdquo
By the end of 2013 and with standing events Beer Hop and
Dine amp Dash well established Ryals took time to refl ect on
her original goal for Homegrown Huntsville ldquoIn the back of
my head from day one I knew I wanted to do a wine festival
I just didnrsquot think Huntsville was ready for it in 2011rdquo
Emboldened by the success of Beer Hop Ryals decided to
make the leap with Big Spring Crush wine festival later the
same year Once again Ryals delivered the perfect audience
for the event and in the process discovered a surprising
fact about North Alabamarsquos contribution to the wine-mak-
ing industry
ldquoIn doing the wine festival I learned that we have a huge
wine community in Huntsvillerdquo Ryals says ldquoTh ere are only
about 47 certifi ed wine judges in the entire United States
and we have four of them right here in North Alabama Two
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
copy Jeff White
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
ldquoI STARTED TO GET HOMESICK ALL OF MY FRIENDS WERE GETTING MARRIEDAND MEETING FOR FOOTBALL GAMES AND I WAS MISSING ITrdquo ASHLEY RYALS
copy Jeff White
copy Jeff White
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
ldquoIT WAS AWESOME AND SUCH A GREAT EXPERIENCE FOR USrdquoBILL FOWLER OLD TOWN BEER EXCHANGE
copy Jeff White
copy Olivia Reed
of those four certifi ed wine judges sit on the committee for
Big Spring Crushrdquo
Matthew and Stephanie Mell had just opened Church Street
Wine Shop when they decided to participate in the fi rst Big
Spring Crush Like OTBXrsquos Robert Fowler the Mells credit
Ryals and Homegrown Huntsville for helping to introduce
their new enterprise to the community ldquoAshley has been in-
strumental in helping to bring us people who love and ap-
preciate winerdquo Stephanie Mell says ldquoShe was homegrown
here in Huntsville and she really gets the downtown area
and small businesses and that is so important to usrdquo
Big Spring Crush began with a bang featuring over 150
wines and attracting patrons from across the country
ldquoMost wine festivals across the country have proven records
of being able to stay around 15 or 20 years or even longerrdquo
Ryals says ldquoAnd the economies of those cities have really
grown as a result I want Big Spring Crush to eventually be
the biggest and best wine festival in the state of Alabamardquo
How does Ryals intend to make that dream come true ldquoBy
always keeping it fresh I want to have new marketing and
new things happening each yearrdquo
Ryalsrsquo formula of reinvention and expansion has successfully
led Homegrown Huntsville through fi ve years of success and
helped its events become community staples along the way In
the process Ryals is broadening more than just our image of
downtown Huntsville shersquos joining a class of creative entrepre-
neurs committed to expanding Huntsvillersquos reputation as more
than just a hub for the brightest scientifi c minds in America
ldquoWe have a big city of engineers and lawyers and itrsquos won-
derfulrdquo Ryals say ldquo But there is a whole artist and food cul-
ture here and there is so much growth I want us to have a
vibrant cool downtown area and I want for people to tell
their friends to come and visit and to see Huntsville for what
it is a city I loverdquo
If yoursquod like to participate in Homegrown Huntsville either
as a guest or a participating business visit homegrown-
huntsvillecom
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
copy Jeff White
I was years old and the year was At that time the city of Huntsville was inching toward the mountain to the east California Street was once the continental divide between the small town metropo-lis and the uncharted territories gingerly crossed by the real estate pioneers four score and some odd years prior Th is area became the new suburb as the city kept pushing onward toward Fagan Springs as if the reverberating booms of rocket testings were vibrating Hunstvillians away from its epicenter
From the front yard of our house on Owens Drive I could look to the rightmdashup the hill to the bend be-yond which the big houses stood on their rocky ledge pedestals and to the left where all the other houses that looked just like oursmdashfresh and newmdashrambled for what seemed like miles Th ose clean well-lit abodes all seemed the same and granted at my age I knew more about the pets that lived there than I did about the people who owned those manageable mortgages I came to realize that each was diff erent in a way that was permeated by voices smells and furnishings
It is a clicheacute to say that our lives were simpler then because that is just how the current era will be fondly referred to in the future but to a 5-year-old it is the simplicity that brought the joy Th e sixties will always be to me the beginning of the age of manufactured happiness Cheap clean and simple was what was strived for and what was easily obtained Plastic items were plentiful and pretty things could be bought with SampH Green Stamps A few coins in our pocket would transfer us into the most master of manipula-tors with us giving our all to convince our parents for a jaunt to Murdockrsquos for a holiday of wonderment joy and impatience as we would scour the shelves trying to get the most from our meager budget
Owens Drive was the fairly new thoroughfare from which the avenues of three-bedroom-ranchers fi ngered away at planned intervals Th is was the place where newlyweds started their lives homes and families Where girls with last names that had been in the town for generations would change them to those strange and exotic last names of the clean cut newcomers brought here for military purposes Where the housewives would preheat their pristine electric ovens trying to make cheese straws and biscuits that were just like their motherrsquos only to be frustrated as they were never quite the same and where the husbands would follow in their fatherrsquos footsteps by joining the Acme Club and hunting doves on the weekends
Th ere was a swimming pool Certainly not at our house Th e only private pool I remember as a child was one that my grandmother would take me to nestled between huge trees at someonersquos house on Adams Street I would swim with other children my age while our grandmothers chatted smoking cigarettes in cat-eyed anonymity whispering most of their stories so we wouldnrsquot be able to hear But between their
gasps and laughter we would listen hear and learn
Th e Blossomwood pool was a place of designated rules and the sound of bright whistlesmdashwith straight lines and distinctive colors of blue and green I can still feel the Coppertoned oiliness on the skin of the tanned lifeguard as she carried me from the deep end frightened after my fi rst attempt at solo-swimming She knew my name I had no idea who she was
On the other side of the pool was the school my older sister attended It had a style that mim-icked the poolmdashstraight lines cleanmdasha temple to orderliness and good manners It was with
awe that I once watched the young adults there some as old as eleven wind and dance their way around a sky-high fl agpolemdasheach with a diff erent color ribbon until the fi rst (and only) May Pole
I was privy to was completely dressed in its woven bright colors
90 raquo bless their hearts raquo Guy McClure Jr
Huntsville was a magical place for us tail-end baby boomers to grow upmdashbeyond the miracles of the escalator at Pizitz the smiling little lady on the tall stool at the register at Britlings There was a comfort level there that Irsquom not sure is in the minds of the 5-year-olds of today
cat-eyed agasps
Th s
aI w
THE COMFORTS OF BLOSSOMWOOD
In our world of red-bricked carported castles there was a def-inite division of generations Th e children ate separately from the parents went to school as our dads went to work enter-tained our neighborhood friends as quietly as possible and felt safe between our boundaries of Big Cove Road and Hermitage Street While we dined on our Chef Boy-Ar-Dee boxed pizza our parents busied themselves dressing in their dark colors getting ready for a late dinner at Boots having the scent of perfume and face powder trail my mother as she came into the kitchen looking for something with an intense purpose My father would smell of British Sterling and look just as he did when he went to work only happier Th ese nights meant something fun would happenmdashwe would have a babysitter
Babysitters were my introduction into what was and still seems cool Th ey were usually Huntsville High School teen-agers who would put on a show without even knowing it I would drink in their every move word and essence of style To me they were supermodelsmdashmovie starsmdasheven more fa-mous in my eyes than a television weatherman and almost as glamorous as the waitresses at the Waffl e House
Before they would tire of me and my sister and put us to bed they would include us in their world of music and knowledge which I thought was all-encompassing Suddenly our world of Th e Benny Carl Show and Fantasy Playhouse would seem trite and passeacute and we would catch a fl eeting glimpse into what would be in store for us when we too could stay up past 8 pm
Huntsville was a magical place for us tail-end baby boomers to grow upmdashbeyond the miracles of the escalator at Pizitz the smiling little lady on the tall stool at the register at Britlings and that bright colorful Maypole Th ere was a comfort level there that Irsquom not sure is in the minds of the 5-year-olds of todaymdashthe soothing sheltered lack of knowledge of why we were so lucky yet we didnrsquot even know that we were
In the other areas of our Huntsville there was poverty and ra-cial unrestmdashas there was and is in every city I was unaware People of color were always a part of my worldmdashmostly be-cause they had my attention and respect At our house there was Annie my grandmotherrsquos house was fi lled with the joys of Lula and out on the family farm there was strong and smiling Homer and large and huggable Rosamdashall just as much a part of my life as everyone else My life was good and they were instrumental in making it that way
What will the 5-year-olds of today who are lucky enough to be raised on those well-planned streets remember when they surpass their own 50 year mark It is a much more complex world now and there are diff erent concerns with daily changes of fear Youthful innocence is a prize that is encased without a lock Premature maturity is a viable threat and a constant fear But each night tucked in tight in a simple room sleeps tomor-rowrsquos adults who are having sweet dreamsmdashblanketed by the comforts of Blossomwood
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
92 raquo the vine raquo Amy C Collins
BORDEAUX POWER
Where Burgundyrsquos vineyards were established by Benedictine monks patiently growing wine vines with spiritual hearts Bordeauxrsquos vineyards were raised by entrepreneurial laymen who recognized the massive monetary opportunity when the English began drinking down their peasant wine
The city of Bordeaux is Francersquos primary port town on the Atlantic ocean a harbor that has for centuries served as the countryrsquos most important dock Th e regionrsquos history is long and storied with the fi rst written reference to the area dated 379 AD by the Latin poet Ausonius who was also a wine-grower Jump ahead to the year 1152 when Eleanor of Aquitaine married Englandrsquos soon-to-be king Henry Plantagenet and the port and surrounding vineyard land became the source of wine for the English a connection that remains strong even today
Bordeaux produces the worldrsquos most expensive and sought after collector wines the top tier of which make up less than fi ve percent of the regionrsquos total production Th ese names are quickly learned by neophyte wine drinkers wanting to make an impression Chateau Haut-Brion Lafi te Latour and Margaux for example Grown in gravelly soils only a few meters above sea levelmdashin contrast vineyards elsewhere in Europe typically sit between 300 and 900 metersmdashthese wines are some of the most powerful austere and pawed over When young the tannins in these cabernet sauvignon cabernet franc and merlot blends coat the tongue and mouth with a chalky dry sensation akin to sucking on an Earl Grey tea bag and are perhaps best suited to well-fatted rare steak and cigars Th ese are wines built to live for decades Personally I prefer a Bordeaux at least 20 years aged when the tannins have had ample time to calm down and mellow out and more nuanced fl avors come forward Sounds fancy and it is Only in some very lucky circumstances over the past year have I been guest to a bottle of 1990 Clos de Menuts Saint-Eacutemilion and a 1970 Chateau Haut-Brion About once every 10 years Irsquove had the good
fortune to taste a wine older than myself Nice work if you can get it
Where Burgundyrsquos vineyards (Francersquos other classifi ed sought-after region) were established by Benedictine monks patiently growing wine vines with spiritual hearts
Bordeauxrsquos vineyards were raised by entrepreneurial laymen who recognized the massive monetary opportunity when the English began drinking down their peasant wine Th is underscores the second half of my theory as to why Americans
more often American males are so drawn to the wines of Bordeaux Th erersquos an inherent capitalist connection something in the soil Th at the wines are so
unmistakable so distinctively grand and pronounced elixirs exemplifi es the fi rst half of my theory we Americans are not known for our subtlety (To be fair the Chinese are
signifi cant Bordeaux collectors as well)
Philosophy aside Bordeaux is quite a large region that produces beautiful white and red values as well as the rare fi nds out of the populacersquos price range Herersquos the skinny Blending is the game single varietal wines are rare White Bordeaux is typically made from a blend of sauvignon blanc and seacutemillon and sometimes a drop or two of muscadelle ugni blanc or colombard Reds are made primarily from the two cabernets plus merlot with small quantities of petit verdot malbec and carmenegravere occasionally in the mix Th e region is also home to the golden nectar of late ripened seacutemillon sauvignon blanc and muscadelle grapes that have successfully attracted the noble rot a fungus that covers the fruit and drains moisture from inside leaving behind rich sweet grapes without moldy fl avors Chateau drsquoYquem is the most famous of these unfortifi ed dessert wines though there are better bargains from the region
Bordeaux is split by the Gironde river which divides the region into three general areas Th e left bank also known as the Haut-Meacutedoc is where the classifi ed top growths are situated Th ese prestigious estates were named for their exceptional vineyard sites in 1855 a decision nearly unchanged since Today serious collectors invest in Bordeaux futures theoretically locking down lower prices of top
ample time to calm dit is Only in some vede Menuts Saint-Eacutem
fortune to taste a
Wherees
aun
of msignifi
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Follow Amy at pigandvinecom for morestories and wine suggestions
growth estates while the wine is still aging in the cellar Itrsquos the wine tradersquos equivalent to the NASDAQ On the right bank Saint-Eacutemilion and Pommerol are the prized vineyard areas known for their merlot heavy cuveacutees To the south west we fi nd Graves where there are many great values to be had in both white and red bottlings Entre-Deux-Mers which translates to ldquobetween two seasrdquo sits between the Dordogne and Garonne tributaries off the Gironde and is an excellent source for crisp whites
Get started on your Bordeaux experience with these values
Chateau Graville-Lacoste 2014 Graves 75 seacutemillon 20 sauvignon blanc and 5 muscadelle make up this beauty thatrsquos consistently delicious every vintage Crisp and refreshing great with seafood
Chateau Mirambeau 2014 GravesAnother classic blend of 40 sauvignon blanc 40 seacutemillon and 20 muscadelle this lovely white is a bit more fl oral than the Graville-Lacoste Easy drinking and great value
Chateau de Parenchegravere Bordeaux Rouge 201155 merlot 30 cabernet sauvignon and 15 cabernet franc grown in clay heavy soils similar to the right bank of the region Fleshy with good structure and abundant red fruit
Chateau Arnaud Bordeaux Supeacuterieur 2011Supeacuterieur on a Bordeaux label isnrsquot egotistical marketingmdashby law it indicates a wine with up to one degree more alcohol than its AC Bordeaux brethren What it really means is one more degree of body structure and in this case quality Approachable delicious and easy on the wallet
Chateau de Bernadotte Haut-Meacutedoc 2005Th e 2005 vintage in Bordeaux is in the history books with double asterisks Owned by the eminent Pichon Lalande family and made from vineyards in Paulliac one of the more choice growing areas in the region this is an incredible value a top tier Bordeaux for a fraction of the cost
Chateau de Suduiraut Sauternes 2011Ripe cantaloupe apricot and honey and an interesting smoky note with a solid sweet attack followed by great acidity A dessert wine that wonrsquot overpower the dessert
94 raquo parting shot raquo Patrick Hood
Meet Solvar
Solvar belongs to one of the worldrsquos oldest and purest equine lineages the Nor-
wegian Fjord horse a breed that has remained virtually unchanged for more than
2000 yearsmdashlong before we became acquainted with his animated cousins in
the movie Frozen Th ese national symbols of Norway are characterized by primi-
tive zebra striping on their legs and a dorsal stripe running from forelock to tail
resulting in a striking two-tone mane that sticks up like a Mohawk Th eir athleti-
cism agility and dependability make them valuable both as sport horses as well
as therapy horses for emotionally and physically challenged adults and children
Catie Wells of Huntsville is the proud owner of Solvar who resides at Monte
Sano Stables
For tickets or information 256-539-4818 or hsoorg
Bring In the New Year With Us
presents
WHAT A WONDERFUL
WORLDA tribute to Louis
Armstrong featuring the
Byron Stripling Quartet
Thursday December 31
730 pm bull Pops Series bullMark C Smith
Concert Hall VBC
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
M O R E T H A N 7 0 S H O P S A N D R E S T A U R A N T S I N C L U D I N G B E L K | D S W S H O E S | A P P L E J O S A B A N K | R E E D S J E W E L E R S | PA N D O R A | J C R E W | K AT E S PA D E N E W Y O R KO R V I S | B A N A N A R E P U B L I C | M I C H A E L K O R S | F R A N C E S C Arsquo S | A N T H R O P O L O G I EH amp M | S O M A | M O U N T A I N H I G H O U T F I T T E R S | B A R N E S amp N O B L E | S E P H O R AALTAR rsquoD STATE | CONNORS STEAK amp SEFOOD | THE WEST IN HUNTSV I L L E | MONACO P ICTURES
C O M I N G S O O N V E R S O N A ndash near Belk
B R I D G E S T R E E T H U N T S V I L L E C O M |
BR IDGE STREET TOWN CENTRE I S LOCATED AT EX I T 14 OFF I - 565 AT OLD MAD ISON P IKE
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
On himFilson Shirt ($98) Filson Jacket ($320)Yeti Cooler ($34999)Alabama Outdoors(256)-885-3561
On herPPLA Vest ($7999)PPLA Dress ($7499)Bedstu Boots ($295)Indigorsquos Boutique(256) 345-6348
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) Woolly Mammoth Tooth 4rdquo Damascus Linerlock Knife ($150)(2) Cardboard Safari Bucky Cardboard Deer Head ($30)(3) Curt Benzle Porcelain Compass ($15)Little Green Store and Gallery (256) 539-9699
(4) Hunting Journal ($32)Sweet Pineapple(256) 964-7563
(5) Yeti Colster ($2999)Alabama Outdoors(256)-885-3561
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
(1) Yellow House Handcrafted Beard Oils ($18 ea)Yellow House Beard Oilsyellowhousebeards com (2) Mustache amp Beard Comb ($16)Little Green Store and Gallery (256) 539-9699 (3) Latika Body Essentials Charcoal Liquid Soap ($18)(4) Latika Body Essentials Charcoal Bar Soap ($6) (5) Rustico Leather Key Chain ($18) Sweet Pineapple(256) 964-7563
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) Wood Thumb Tie ($44) (2) Slightly Alabama iPad Case ($250) (3) DockSmith Driftwood iPhone Docking Station ($68) Little Green Storeand Gallery (256) 539-9699 (4) Loyal Stricklin Aviator Mug ($35)Domaine South(256) 808-8860 (5) Would You Be a Deer Notepad ($9) Sweet Pineapple(256) 964-7563
(6) Filson Satchel ($265) Alabama Outdoors(256)-885-3561
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
When itrsquos time to move into a bigger house get a home loan from the bank thatrsquos had a home right here for generations You might say we know a thing about location location location synovuscommortgage
Banking products are provided by Synovus Bank Member FDIC Divisions of Synovus Bank operate under multiple trade names across the Southeast Loans products subject to credit approval
When itrsquos time to move into a bigger house get a home
Here is where Henry learned hersquod be getting
SERVING YOU LOCALLY AS
2565513300 | fcb-hsvcom
his own room
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) Spiritual GangsterTank ($36)(2) Luquido Yoga Pants ($90)(3) MZ Wallace Metro Tote ($245)(4) Vimmia V back Sweatshirt ($96)(5) Onzie Sports Bra ($48)(6) Olympia Yoga Pants ($96)(7) bkr Water Bottle ($30)The Fitzgerald Pilates amp Barre(256) 603-1886
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
(1) Gypsy Pant WarmTribal ($72) (2) Berry High Waist Legging ($88) (3) Long Legging Mathematics ($65) (4) Long Legging Peacock ($65) The FitzgeraldPilates amp Barre(256) 603-1886
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) Jane Tran Hair Clips ($15)(2) bkr Water Bottle ($30)(3) well-kept Tech Wipes ($6)(4) Made with Love Bracelets ($25)(5) Pointe Studio Socks ($12)(6) Bando Too Cold to Hold Coozie ($5)The Fitzgerald Pilates amp Barre(256) 603-1886
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
(1) Shop Bando Coff ee Cup ($14)(2) Shop Bando Pens ($14) (3) Shop Bando Pouch ($26) (4) Shop Bando Coin Purse ($20) The FitzgeraldPilates amp Barre(256) 603-1886
(5) Check Things Off Notepad ($16)(6) Hello From Huntsville Stamp ($12)Salt + Paperie(256) 655-5550
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) Muzzle Loaders Chocolate Bourbon Balls ($1999) (2) Vintage Crystal Decanter ($20) (3) Quench Glassware ($1399) Domaine South(256) 808-8860
(4) The Hella Bitters Old Fashioned Kit ($65)(5) American Bar by Charles Schumann ($2495) Little Green Storeand Gallery (256) 539-9699
(6) Julep Cups ($50)Willowbrook Shoppe (256) 270-7181
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom | novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) DECCO Umbrella in a Bottle ($1995)(2) Alexa Pulitzer Stationery Set ($14 ea)(3) Ikat Scarf ($6250)Huntsville Museumof Art(256) 535-4350
(4) Emily Ley Grace Journal ($32) (5) Sugar Boo Designs Clutch ($18) (6) Emily Ley Daily Planner ($58) (7) Latika Milk ampHoney Bar ($6) (8) Farm House Fresh Shea Butter Hand Cream ($14) (9) Christen MaxwellZippy ($42) (10) Green Tea Bubble Bath ($32) Sweet Pineapple(256) 964-7563 (11) Goal Getter Cuff ($32)Indigorsquos Boutique(256) 345-6348
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
(1) Kilim Pillow ($58) (2) Bejeweled Silver Plate Vase ($144) (3) Bone Clad Box ($375)Willowbrook Shoppe (256) 270-7181
(4) Cowhide Rug ($550)(5) Lucyrsquos Locket ($95) (Original piecemdashselection may vary)Sweet Pineapple(256) 964-7563 (6) Clutch ($65)Department of Agra Culturedeptofagraculturecom
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) Above The Bar Antler on Chain 28rdquo ($3999) (2) Above The Bar Deer wAntler Head 18rdquo ($2999) Indigorsquos Boutique(256) 345-6348
(3) Margaret Solow Labradorite18KT Bezel ($290) (4) Margaret Solow Diamond Crest MoonSilver ($460) (5) Margaret Solow Black Spinel + DiamondSilver ($560) (6) Margaret Solow Double Black Spinel18KT ($260)Little Green Store and Gallery (256) 539-9699
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
(1) Margaret Solow Grey Moonstoon18KT Necklace ($240) (2) Margaret Solow OpalDiamond Mosaic Necklace ($610) Little Green Storeand Gallery (256) 539-9699
(3) One-of-a-kind Eva Ziegler Smokey Quartz and Pyrite Necklace ($406)Eva Ziegler Jewelryevazieglercom
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) Jennifer BehrTurban ($625)(2) Cotton Day Dress ($64)(3) Norma Ishak Cardigan ($375)Finery(256) 429-3429
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) The Lion Sleeps Tonight Bath Bomb ($6) Sweet Pineapple(256) 964-7563
(2) Tiger Jelly Cat ($2250)(3) Dog Tag Teether ($1550)(4) Dinosaur Footie ($3595)Honey B Boutique(256) 503-2853
(5) Young Buck ($25)Tiny Vinestinyvinesshopcom
(6) Bib Set ($13)Huntsville Museumof Art(256) 535-4350
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
(1) Tiny Dancer Bath Bomb ($6)Sweet Pineapple(256) 964-7563
(2) Kickee Mammoth Footie ($3595)(3) Noodle amp Boo Essential Care Kit ($18)(4) Elephant Jelly Cat ($2250)Honey B Boutique(256) 503-2853
(5) ArtFolio Pink Elephant Coloring Tote ($17)Huntsville Museumof Art(256) 535-4350
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) Bib Set ($13)Huntsville Museumof Art(256) 535-4350 (2) Little Light ($25)Tiny Vinestinyvinesshopcom (3) Micro Leon Cardboard Lion ($30)Little Green Storeand Gallery (256) 539-9699 (4) I Love You Like Biscuits amp Gravy ($23)Domaine South(256) 808-8860
(5) Kickee Kimono ($4295)Honey B Boutique(256) 503-2853
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
SURPRISEA LOVED ONE
THIS HOLIDAY SEASON
WITH A FOREVER GIFT
HobbsJewelerscom 8772331347Parkway Place Mall
HuntsvilleHwy 72 West
AthensMain Street
Ardmore TN
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Caftan ($75)Sarah Richey Necklace ($350)Finery(256) 429-3429
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
(1) Chewbead Necklace ($3495)(2) Mayoral Baby Bag ($7995)(3) Mayoral Diaper Changing Pad ($2495)(4) Nursing Scarf ($2695) (5) Kickee Swaddling Blanket ($22)Honey B Boutique(256) 503-2853 (6) Lucy Darling Months Sticker ($25) (7) The Story of You Baby Book by Emily Ley ($62) Sweet Pineapple(256) 964-7563
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(1) Alwand Vahan 14K Gold and Onyx Ring wDiamond Accent ($2595)(2) Alwand Vanan 14K Gold and Onyx Bracelet wDiamond Accent ($2695)Hobbs Jewelers(877) 233-1347
(3) Britt Ryan Dress ($288)Personal Couture Boutique(256) 508-5632
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) Rocket Cosmos Mug ($13)Huntsville Museumof Art(256) 535-4350
(2) Loose Leaf Tea ($399)Piper amp Leaf piperandleafcom (3) Judy Jackson Tea Pot ($56) (4) Gary Watson Cherry Cutting Board ($48-$68) (5) Susan Coe Birthday Cake Plate ($33) Little Green Storeand Gallery (256) 539-9699 (6) Macarons ($116 pcs $221 dozen)Whisk Small Treats Bakery(256) 656-1027
(7) Truffl es ($185 each)Pizellersquos Confections (256) 513-9745 (8) Olive amp Sinclair Chocolate ($799)Domaine South(256) 808-8860
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
(1) Whisk Note Pad ($8) (2) In the Forest Mixing Bowl ($36) (3) Twig Serving Set ($18)(8) Southern Firefl y Candle ($12)Sweet Pineapple(256) 964-7563
(4) Urchin Bowl ($10)(5) Foodie Dice ($38)(6) 1Canoe2 Wood Recipe Box w Recipe Cards ($6999) Domaine South(256) 808-8860 (7) Growlers ($75 small $95 large)Southern Growlersoutherngrowlercom
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
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(4) BCBG Dress ($328)Personal Couture Boutique(256) 508-5632
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Guadalupe Robinson
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
text by jennifer crossley howard raquo photos by patrick hood
Of Deft and Dirty Hands
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Huntsville potter Guadalupe Lanning Robinson has spent more than 36 years mastering the
marriage of clay texture and geometric design into her pottery yet time has done little to temper the
plight of waiting
ldquoIt is hard for me to let a pot just dryrdquo she says motioning toward fi ve small wet pots sitting near her
pottery wheel ldquoIrsquom as excited to do this as I was 30 years agordquo
To observe her studio at Lowe Mill that is easy to believe Located on the corridor outside the textile
mill-turned-art centerrsquos main building the loft-like space with a corrugated tin roof feels like a place a
Gabriel Garcia Marquez character would enjoy daydreaming
Sienna-hued pottery sits in various stages to be fi red layered and etched Argentinian tango music
streams from Robinsonrsquos iPhone and two cockatiels a parrot and a parakeet chirp from their cages All
except the parrot fl y freely when Robinson is working
Robinson who is 61 made her fi rst pot in 1979 in her native Mexico City Almost four decades later her
work is part of permanent museum collections in Auburn Huntsville Tuscumbia and Tupelo Missis-
sippi She regularly enters her work in respected juried shows such as the Monte Sano Arts Festival and
the Kentuck Festival of the Arts in Northport and has received two Alabama State Council on the Arts
individual artist fellowships
Her inspiration draws from the villages around her native Mexico City such as the black pottery of
the northwest as well as her acquired Southern culture White lilies corn grids and round female
fi guresmdashldquoreally strong women who are in chargerdquo Robinson saysmdashreappear on her stoneware She uses
natural dyes indigo for color and mixes sand into clay for texture Nothing is wasted
ldquoI donrsquot waste any clayrdquo Robinson says ldquoEverything is recycledrdquo
Robinson fi nds solace in the 40-50 hours a week she puts in at the studio and the often tedious process
of making pots which can take from three weeks to six weeks for larger pots She usually works on two
or three pots at a time tending to groups at diff erent stages
After a pot is thrown on a wheel a piece can take days to dry before its fi rst bisque fi re in which tem-
peratures rise to 1800 F After baking for nine hours the kiln must cool Th e second fi ring rises to 2150
F and matures the clay and melts the glazes to strengthen the piece
ldquoI am an effi cient person by naturerdquo Robinson says ldquoWaiting for the kiln to cool down enough to open
can be nerve wracking and this is when my patience is usually put to the testrdquo
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
ldquoIt is hard for me to let a pot just dry Irsquom as excited to do this as I was 30 years agordquo
Robinson makes most of her pots on a wheel using oxides to change the color of clay she gets from Nashville and Pittsburgh Her pottery takes several weeks from start to fi nish depending on how large a pot is and how many she makes at a time
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
ldquoAttend to your childrenrsquos needs fi rst keep focus on what you want to douse the happiness joy and little breaks you get to make your artTh ey grow real fast and they will keep inspiring you all your liferdquo
Robinson imagined this bat-like design as she was working She usually begins a piece with a design in mind but that often evolves
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Robinson uses an overlay of liquid clay called engobemdashthat includes three to four layersmdashto create a
base on which to design
Th ere is high risk in making pottery and hours of work can be wasted on a pot that has not dried en-
tirely before it enters the kiln Air pockets or the wrong mixture of chemicals can ruin a piece
ldquoArt is involved but science is toordquo says Laura Smith director of education at the Huntsville Museum
of Art where Robinson has taught pottery classes ldquoItrsquos more labor intensive in terms of working with
the medium whether yoursquore building by hand or with a wheel until you fi re with the fi nal layer of glazerdquo
Th e result is sturdy pottery
ldquoI want my pots to look like something that is lasting a long timerdquo Robinson says
Th ough she works solitarily in her studio she says she does not get lonely Her birds and music keep her
company and each stage of pottery making has a soundtrack She uses needlepoint tools to draw onto
clay to Jose Feliciano and other Latin American musicians
ldquoIf Irsquom at the wheel Bruno Marsrdquo she says ldquoIf Irsquom unloading the kiln and something is really awesome
then I need something moving and I have on Motownrdquo
Robinsonrsquos years of experience minimize the risk of damaged pots but she says her greatest challenge
as a potter was balancing her work while raising her two children Now adults their candid childhood
pictures and those of her grandchildren cover the warm green walls of her studio
She met her husband the poet James Robinson in 1977 on a Greyhound bus when she returned to
Mexico City from visiting a friend at the University of Southern Mississippi He was heading to Mexico
to study at a university Th ey married six months later After giving birth to her daughter Annie Jane in
Mexico City in 1982 the family moved to Huntsville in 1985 Th at is when Robinson got more serious
about her pottery
ldquoFrom the very beginning when I moved to Alabama I knew I was going to have to do thisrdquo she said
ldquoIn some ways it was a way for me to keep connected to my heritagerdquo
She took even 15 minutes of free time to work in the studio behind her home and worked late into the
night while her daughter and son Isidoro born in 1987 slept Having a home studio allowed her to
wash clothes tend to her home and drop off lunches at school while maintaining her art
ldquoTh ere was something for me when I fi rst became a mother that fueled my creativityrdquo Robinson says
ldquoTh ey are such a social inspiration too It fi lls your liferdquo
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Robinson advises fellow artists who are mothers to seize
both roles but to prioritize motherhood
ldquoAttend to your childrenrsquos needs fi rst keep focus on what you
want to do use the happiness joy and little breaks you get
to make your artrdquo she says ldquoTh ey grow real fast and they will
keep inspiring you all your liferdquo
Anna Sue Courtney director of the Flying Monkey Arts
Center at Lowe Mill has known Robinson for more than
10 years She says she admires how mothers and artists like
Robinson seamlessly embrace both roles
ldquoIt seems therersquos not a separation between creating and rais-
ing childrenrdquo Courtney says ldquoTh ey seem to pull from the
same placerdquo
Part of Robinsonrsquos motivation at Lowe Mill comes from
working privately in a studio alongside other artists that fos-
ters a community of feedback and ideas
ldquoItrsquos nice to be here because you can take a break and walk around and get inspirationrdquo Courtney says
ldquoItrsquos refreshingrdquo
When she needs a break from the studio Robinson stays home to sketch designs for a day or two then
she is back in the studio
Trips twice a year to Mexico City keep her plugged in to her native culture which in turn shows up in
her pottery
ldquoI have to recharge myselfrdquo Robinson says ldquoI love Huntsville and loved raising my kids here but I still
have the need of going back to be recharged and smell all the smells and see all the colors and get on
the subway and be pushed aroundrdquo
Details from her trips that infl uence her work include the ever-present red that covers the city during
the celebration of Dia de los Muertos or the Day of the Dead Th e pyramids of Teotihuacan conjure
warm earth tones and fl oating gardens around the city yield sweet pungent calla lilies and carnations
Celebration of food tough women and nature reappear in her pottery qualities that both Southern and
Mexican cultures treasure
Above This daisy design is character-istic of Robinsonrsquos work Nature food and strong females from her native Mexico City and the South are strong creative infl uences
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Clockwise from top left Robinson often glazes only the inside of her pots so they can hold water and food She began quilting in 2002 and her quilts like her pottery contain earth tones and natural infl uences in their design Four birds keep Robinson company in what can be the isolating medium of pottery making Geometry and symmetry are two signature elements in Robinsonrsquos work according to Laura Smith director of education at the Huntsville Museum of Art
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Just as she keeps her home country close to her heart Robinson is loyal to her fi rst
love of pottery though she began making quilts in 2002
ldquoIrsquom a potter who likes to quiltrdquo she says
Like her pottery her quilting follows designs of organic nature such as fl owers and
crops on rich jewel tone cotton
ldquoWhen I fi rst saw one of her quilts I didnrsquot realize it was hers and I thought that
looks like it should be Guadalupersquos quiltrdquo Courtney says
Robinson prefers the immediate gratifi cation of clay
ldquoItrsquos a very responsive mediumrdquo she says ldquoYou can manipulate it Th e fact of mak-
ing something out of dirt out of nothing and making it durable making it perma-
nent that after going through the heat and maturing is something very excitingrdquo
She gently dings a pot covered with white dresses titled ldquoTehuana Dressrdquo to make
her point
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
887 FM Muscle Shoals bull 1007 FM Huntsvillewwwaprorg
News classicalmusic and more
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
copy Patrick Hood
text by sara wright covington raquo photos by jacki gil
patrick hood erin lindsey and michelle odom
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
copy Patrick Hood
ldquoA LOT OF PEOPLE HAD BEEN ASKING ME QUESTIONS ABOUTHOW I GOT MY BUSINESS STARTED I WANTED TO GATHER SOME PEOPLE AROUND ME
WHO WERE GOING THROUGH THOSE STRUGGLES AND TOBUILD ENTREPRENEURIAL COURAGErdquo
JACKI GIL SALT+PAPERIE
copy Patrick Hood
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
untsville-born Jacki Gil began her paper design busi-
ness Salt+Paperie in 2014 with an expansive vision
in mind one that extended beyond creating beautiful
custom designed paper goods ldquoI love my design job
but when Irsquom 50 years old I donrsquot see myself still de-
signing wedding invitationsrdquo the master stationer says
ldquoI really have a passion for teaching and helping people
I want to be a mentorrdquo
In 2015 Gil set out on her mentoring mission sooner than expected with a series
of workshops called Encourage Huntsville ldquoA lot of people had been asking me
questions about how I got my business startedrdquo Gil says about the early days of
Salt+Paperie Even though most of those questions from entrepreneurial-hopefuls
were technicalmdashlike how to apply for a business licensemdashthey served as inspira-
tion for Gil ldquoI wanted to gather some people around me who were going through
those struggles and to build entrepreneurial courage I defi nitely saw that there
was a need for helping people to take that next step toward owning their own
businessesrdquo
Encourage Huntsville was modeled on the image of a growing small business
movement called the Rising Tide Society a national community of creative small
business owners who encourage ldquocommunity over competitionrdquo Th at spirit of
openness is at the heart of Encourage Huntsville ldquoCommunity over competition
is a huge part of what we are doingrdquo says Gil ldquoSmall business owners sharing how
they earn their money is a big dealrdquo
As a fi rst step Gil gathered others around her who were using their skills and abili-
ties to make their own small businesses work With talents ranging from cooking
and cake decorating to hand lettering and artwork these small business owners
all embraced Gilrsquos vision for imparting to others the knowledge of their craft un-
impeded by a fear of losing their competitive edge
Th e fi rst lesson Gil wanted to impart to Encourage Huntsvillersquos students wasnrsquot
necessarily a particular craft or skill but a spirt of creative confi dence ldquoWe want-
ed to bridge the gap between the very artsy community and the ultimate engineer
communityrdquo many of whom Gil observes had been told since childhood they
werenrsquot artistic ldquoWhen you are little and someone tells you that you donrsquot have a
talent it sticks with you I found that a lot of people had that experience so that
was the workshop partmdashto build some creative courage in this communityrdquo
Gil conducted the fi rst workshop herself testing the waters to see how the concept
would be received Th e admission price to that fi rst workshop included supplies a
take-home ldquogoody bagrdquo to help students continue their work extracurricularly and
refreshmentsmdashas well as Gilrsquos tips of her trade
ldquoWe went in blindly not knowing if we had a market or notrdquo says Gil Th e popular-
ity of that fi rst class proved undeniably that a market did in fact exist the work-
shop sold out in one day ldquoSo we did back-to-back workshopsrdquo Gil says ldquoAfter that
novemberdecembeeer eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee | nononoononononononoonoonononooooonoonoonnononnoaaalalalllaallllllalaalaaalal ststustust ddiossscom mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm | | | | | | | | | | |
f
w
y
Previous page Encourage Huntsvillersquos founder and instructor Jacki Gil teaches a class in hand lettering Facing page A participant studies her supply list
we realized people really want to do this stuff So we said lsquoletrsquos jump on the boat
and make this happenrsquordquo
Gilrsquos longtime friend photographer Erin Lindsey of Erin Lindsey Images agreed
to contribute to Encourage Huntsvillersquos curriculum by teaching a photography
class ldquoJacki and I are a good team because our hearts are in the same place when
it comes to encouraging othersrdquo Lindsey says Still she admits saying yes to teach-
ing wasnrsquot without some initial hesitation ldquoWhen Jacki asked if I would teach a
class it was kind of scary I thought I had to be perfect before I could teach oth-
ersrdquo Lindsey says of her initial hesitancy ldquoBut after talking to Jacki I realized none
of us are perfectrdquo But perfection isnrsquot the goal encouragement is the goal ldquoAnd I
thought lsquoI can defi nitely line up with that visionrsquordquo
Michelle Odom another Huntsville native and owner of custom cake bakery Just
Crumbs was also on board with Gilrsquos vision In fact Odom had been contemplat-
ing teaching a class when she was approached by Gil to teach a fondant basics
class ldquoHuntsville is such an engineer town and everyone is so mathematical and
scientifi crdquo Odom says echoing the dichotomy between the arts and sciences ex-
pressed by Gil ldquoTh ese workshops are just a very cool way for structured people to
have a creative outletrdquo
ldquoJACKI AND I ARE A GOOD TEAM BECAUSE OUR HEARTS ARE INTHE SAME PLACE WHEN IT COMES TO ENCOURAGING OTHERSrdquo
ERIN LINDSEY ERIN LINDSEY IMAGES
copy Erin Lindsey
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Above A participant in Erin Lindseyrsquos photo class frames a still life
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
copy Erin Lindsey
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
ldquoHUNTSVILLE IS SUCH AN ENGINEER TOWN AND EVERYONE ISSO MATHEMATICAL AND SCIENTIFIC THESE WORKSHOPS ARE JUST A VERY COOL
WAY FOR STRUCTURED PEOPLE TO HAVE A CREATIVE OUTLETrdquo MICHELLE ODOM JUST CRUMBS
copy Michelle Odom
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
ldquoAnd yesrdquo Odom acknowledges ldquoyou are in theory teaching your competition But
at the same time you are helping the community be more creativerdquo
With its roster of popular creative workshops under its belt Encourage Huntsville
has added business classes to its community-over-competition curriculum with
classes designed to provide specifi c guidance for small business owners ldquoAll of
our events that donrsquot require hands-on work we call seminarsrdquo says Gil ldquoWe had
about 15 people at our fi rst one It was pretty much just an open discussion to ask
us questions and get answers from the perspective of a small business ownerrdquo
Th e seminars enjoyed the same success and enthusiasm as the workshops ldquoWe
had two hours for people to ask questionsrdquo Gil says Topics covered ran the gamut
from scheduling daily tasks self-hosting a website or using an Etsy store man-
aging client expectations and being realistic about how much time you need to
complete jobs
ldquoTh e time went quickly and people wanted morerdquo says Gil who envisions an all-
day seminar in 2016
Margaret Baggett owner and executive chef of the Chef Next Door is another
small business owner who has shared Gilrsquos vision from the very beginning teach-
copy Erin Lindsey
Facing page Michelle Odomrsquos fondant basics class begins with a styrofoam cake form Above Newbie photographers familiarize themselves with their cameras in Erin Lindseyrsquos photography class
ing knife skills workshops and helping host the business seminars ldquoI am so proud
to get to be a part of this project and help nurture other small business owners
who may just be starting out on their journey or are deep in it and looking for
some encouragement from other business ownersrdquo Baggett says of what motivates
her participation in Encourage Huntsville ldquoEven being on the advice-giving side
of things I am still learning and have taken tips and tricks and lessons from each
event we have had so far We never stop learning from each other and never stop
improving upon our craftsrdquo
Th e mutual growth among students and teachers is the source of the encourage-
mentmdashand the joymdashof Encourage Huntsville ldquoItrsquos so much fun to see the light
bulbs go off with people and see them encouraged right before your eyesrdquo Lindsey
says of her experience with the program ldquoPlus itrsquos a pleasure to contribute to a
sense of community over competition Th at whole concept is so rarerdquo
As Encourage Huntsvillersquos following continues to grow the diversity of the work-
shops will expand as well Whether you are looking to spend a fun afternoon
learning a new craft or are a budding small business owner hoping to launch
your brand Encourage Huntsville has something valuable to off er ldquoWe encourage
those left-brain folks to take up a new hobby or skillrdquo Baggett says ldquoor just encour-
age the people of Huntsville to get together and fan their creative fl amesrdquo
If yoursquore looking for
creative or entrepreneurial
encouragement visit
encouragehuntsvillecom
for seminar and workshop
schedules and information
ldquoI AM SO PROUD TO GET TO BE A PART OF THIS PROJECT AND HELP NURTURE OTHER SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS WHO MAY JUST BE STARTING OUT ON THEIR JOURNEY OR ARE DEEP IN IT
AND LOOKING FOR SOME ENCOURAGEMENT FROM OTHER BUSINESS OWNERSrdquoMARGARET BAGGETT CHEF NEXT DOOR
copy Jacki Gil
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
copy Jacki Gil
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Participants in Margaret Baggettrsquos knife skills workshop learn to perfect their ldquomise en placerdquo
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
copy Olivia Reed
text by sara wright covington raquo photos by olivia reed and jeff white
HUNTSVILLErsquoS
HOMEGROWNHOSTESS
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
ttttttononononoooooonononooooo raquo praquo praquo praquo praquo phothothothothotosoososos s s osos bybybbybb
Any host will tell you that delicious food and quality libations while important to
a partyrsquos success are secondary to the most important ingredient of all the guest list Th atrsquos why many
of downtown Huntsvillersquos most popular restaurants breweries and wine shops are turning to event
planner Ashley Ryals and her uncanny knack for attracting loyal patronsmdashand creating unforgettable
events in the process
When Huntsville born-and-bred Ashley Ryals left for college at the University of Alabama in 2001
she thought her exit from the Valley was permanent ldquoI never thought I would end up back hererdquo the
founder of event planning company Homegrown Huntsville says with a knowing laugh But after a few
post-graduate years working for world-renowned public relations powerhouse Weber Shandwick in
New York City Ryals started to second guess her freshman declaration
ldquoI started to get homesickrdquo she admits ldquoAll of my friends were getting married and meeting for football
games and I was missing itrdquo So when a friend from home set up an interview at EarlyWorks for a job
doing event planning Ryals jumped at the chance to come home
Ashley spent the next few years planning EarlyWorks Whistle Stop and Santarsquos Village events A brief
stint in sales followed along with a seat on the board of Huntsville Young Professionals where she had
an idea for a downtown pub crawl
ldquoWe expected 20 or 30 peoplerdquo Ryals says of their modest expectations ldquoBut 200 people showed uprdquo
Th at initial success convinced Ryals to embark on her dream of establishing an
event planning company But it wasnrsquot just any event planning company Ryals
had in mind she envisioned one that would collaborate with local businesses
cultivate signature events for the community to enjoy and support small busi-
nesses in the process
Inspired Ryals left her sales job and for the second time in her life came home
again to event planning and Homegrown Huntsville
To help bring her vision to life Ryals collaborated with designer Adrianne Van
Kirk of Fave Creative ldquoAdrianne has been a part of the visual and branding of
Homegrown from the beginning We come up with the event ideas then I get
the ticketing and sales together and she comes back with a logo and the mar-
keting for the event And thatrsquos how it all comes togetherrdquo Ryals says of their
creative process
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
ASHLEY RYALS
copy Olivia Reed
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
ldquoMOST WINE FESTIVALS ACROSS THE COUNTRY HAVE PROVEN RECORDS OF BEING ABLE TO STAY AROUND 15 OR 20 YEARS OR EVEN LONGER AND THE ECONOMIES OF THOSE
CITIES HAVE REALLY GROWN AS A RESULT I WANT BIG SPRING CRUSH TO EVENTUALLY BE THE BIGGEST AND BEST WINE FESTIVAL IN THE STATE OF ALABAMArdquo ASHLEY RYALS
copy Jeff White
copy Jeff White
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
copy Olivia Reed
Homegrown launched in 2011 with what would become its
signature event Dine amp Dash Every second Wednesday
April through October a trolley shuttles patrons between
downtown establishments where they are served a drink
and appetizer before moving on to the next stop
Owner and executive chef Merle Phillips of Th e Eaves was
one of the fi rst restaurants to sign on for Dine amp Dashrsquos de-
but ldquoAshley came to me and said she was starting a trolley
tasting conceptrdquo says Chef Merle ldquoI didnrsquot really know her so
I was taking a chance on the concept she was sellingrdquo
Merle tried it and has been a loyal participant of Dine amp
Dash ever since
ldquoIt was a risk in the beginning but it defi nitely paid off rdquo Chef
Merle says of the experience Pivotal to that experience ac-
cording to Phillips is Ryalsrsquo demonstration to the commu-
nity just what the term ldquohomegrownrdquo really means ldquoAshley
shines a spotlight on independent businesses in a market-
place that has for so long focused on chainsrdquo Phillips says
ldquoDine amp Dash has really brought into sharp focus the inter-
esting culinary diversity that Huntsville has to off errdquo
For the next two years Homegrown Huntsville focused al-
most exclusively on Dine amp Dash which by the end of its fi rst
year included every single downtown restaurant But when
big changes began to appear on the downtown horizonmdash
new restaurants breweries and residential developmentsmdash
Ryalsrsquo instincts told her
the time had come to
introduce a new event
to the downtown cal-
endar
ldquoBeer Hop follows
the concept of Dine
amp Dashrdquo Ryals says of
Homegrownrsquos second
venture which began
in 2013 Each month a
trolley visits three dif-
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
BILL FOWLEROLD TOWN BEER
EXCHANGE
copy Olivia Reed
copy Olivia Reed
ferent breweries where patrons sample beers and enjoy food
from a variety of food trucks parked at each location
Bill Fowler managing partner of Old Town Beer Exchange
agreed to participate in Beer Hop on his very fi rst day of
business and credits Ryals with an overwhelmingly success-
ful opening night ldquoAshley said lsquoI can guarantee that you are
going to have wave after wave of people coming throughrsquordquo
Fowler says recalling that fi rst jittery occasion Once again
Ryals proved true to her word with 60-plus patrons arriving
in an hour-and-a-half ldquoIt was awesome and such a great ex-
perience for usrdquo Fowler raves ldquoAshley is a hard worker and
you can see that in what she doesrdquo
Fowler believes that in addition to bringing new customers
to OTBX Ryals is also cultivating beer education consis-
tently bringing in people who are new to beer and want to
learn And with Huntsvillersquos recent brewery boom that level
of education and interest is crucial for the brewing commu-
nity to thrive ldquoWe have a very small window of opportunityrdquo
says Fowler ldquoI think Huntsville in particular is becoming a
craft brewing community People are making money at this
and once Tennessee sees that we need to already have had a
pretty huge head startrdquo
By the end of 2013 and with standing events Beer Hop and
Dine amp Dash well established Ryals took time to refl ect on
her original goal for Homegrown Huntsville ldquoIn the back of
my head from day one I knew I wanted to do a wine festival
I just didnrsquot think Huntsville was ready for it in 2011rdquo
Emboldened by the success of Beer Hop Ryals decided to
make the leap with Big Spring Crush wine festival later the
same year Once again Ryals delivered the perfect audience
for the event and in the process discovered a surprising
fact about North Alabamarsquos contribution to the wine-mak-
ing industry
ldquoIn doing the wine festival I learned that we have a huge
wine community in Huntsvillerdquo Ryals says ldquoTh ere are only
about 47 certifi ed wine judges in the entire United States
and we have four of them right here in North Alabama Two
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
copy Jeff White
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
ldquoI STARTED TO GET HOMESICK ALL OF MY FRIENDS WERE GETTING MARRIEDAND MEETING FOR FOOTBALL GAMES AND I WAS MISSING ITrdquo ASHLEY RYALS
copy Jeff White
copy Jeff White
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
ldquoIT WAS AWESOME AND SUCH A GREAT EXPERIENCE FOR USrdquoBILL FOWLER OLD TOWN BEER EXCHANGE
copy Jeff White
copy Olivia Reed
of those four certifi ed wine judges sit on the committee for
Big Spring Crushrdquo
Matthew and Stephanie Mell had just opened Church Street
Wine Shop when they decided to participate in the fi rst Big
Spring Crush Like OTBXrsquos Robert Fowler the Mells credit
Ryals and Homegrown Huntsville for helping to introduce
their new enterprise to the community ldquoAshley has been in-
strumental in helping to bring us people who love and ap-
preciate winerdquo Stephanie Mell says ldquoShe was homegrown
here in Huntsville and she really gets the downtown area
and small businesses and that is so important to usrdquo
Big Spring Crush began with a bang featuring over 150
wines and attracting patrons from across the country
ldquoMost wine festivals across the country have proven records
of being able to stay around 15 or 20 years or even longerrdquo
Ryals says ldquoAnd the economies of those cities have really
grown as a result I want Big Spring Crush to eventually be
the biggest and best wine festival in the state of Alabamardquo
How does Ryals intend to make that dream come true ldquoBy
always keeping it fresh I want to have new marketing and
new things happening each yearrdquo
Ryalsrsquo formula of reinvention and expansion has successfully
led Homegrown Huntsville through fi ve years of success and
helped its events become community staples along the way In
the process Ryals is broadening more than just our image of
downtown Huntsville shersquos joining a class of creative entrepre-
neurs committed to expanding Huntsvillersquos reputation as more
than just a hub for the brightest scientifi c minds in America
ldquoWe have a big city of engineers and lawyers and itrsquos won-
derfulrdquo Ryals say ldquo But there is a whole artist and food cul-
ture here and there is so much growth I want us to have a
vibrant cool downtown area and I want for people to tell
their friends to come and visit and to see Huntsville for what
it is a city I loverdquo
If yoursquod like to participate in Homegrown Huntsville either
as a guest or a participating business visit homegrown-
huntsvillecom
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
copy Jeff White
I was years old and the year was At that time the city of Huntsville was inching toward the mountain to the east California Street was once the continental divide between the small town metropo-lis and the uncharted territories gingerly crossed by the real estate pioneers four score and some odd years prior Th is area became the new suburb as the city kept pushing onward toward Fagan Springs as if the reverberating booms of rocket testings were vibrating Hunstvillians away from its epicenter
From the front yard of our house on Owens Drive I could look to the rightmdashup the hill to the bend be-yond which the big houses stood on their rocky ledge pedestals and to the left where all the other houses that looked just like oursmdashfresh and newmdashrambled for what seemed like miles Th ose clean well-lit abodes all seemed the same and granted at my age I knew more about the pets that lived there than I did about the people who owned those manageable mortgages I came to realize that each was diff erent in a way that was permeated by voices smells and furnishings
It is a clicheacute to say that our lives were simpler then because that is just how the current era will be fondly referred to in the future but to a 5-year-old it is the simplicity that brought the joy Th e sixties will always be to me the beginning of the age of manufactured happiness Cheap clean and simple was what was strived for and what was easily obtained Plastic items were plentiful and pretty things could be bought with SampH Green Stamps A few coins in our pocket would transfer us into the most master of manipula-tors with us giving our all to convince our parents for a jaunt to Murdockrsquos for a holiday of wonderment joy and impatience as we would scour the shelves trying to get the most from our meager budget
Owens Drive was the fairly new thoroughfare from which the avenues of three-bedroom-ranchers fi ngered away at planned intervals Th is was the place where newlyweds started their lives homes and families Where girls with last names that had been in the town for generations would change them to those strange and exotic last names of the clean cut newcomers brought here for military purposes Where the housewives would preheat their pristine electric ovens trying to make cheese straws and biscuits that were just like their motherrsquos only to be frustrated as they were never quite the same and where the husbands would follow in their fatherrsquos footsteps by joining the Acme Club and hunting doves on the weekends
Th ere was a swimming pool Certainly not at our house Th e only private pool I remember as a child was one that my grandmother would take me to nestled between huge trees at someonersquos house on Adams Street I would swim with other children my age while our grandmothers chatted smoking cigarettes in cat-eyed anonymity whispering most of their stories so we wouldnrsquot be able to hear But between their
gasps and laughter we would listen hear and learn
Th e Blossomwood pool was a place of designated rules and the sound of bright whistlesmdashwith straight lines and distinctive colors of blue and green I can still feel the Coppertoned oiliness on the skin of the tanned lifeguard as she carried me from the deep end frightened after my fi rst attempt at solo-swimming She knew my name I had no idea who she was
On the other side of the pool was the school my older sister attended It had a style that mim-icked the poolmdashstraight lines cleanmdasha temple to orderliness and good manners It was with
awe that I once watched the young adults there some as old as eleven wind and dance their way around a sky-high fl agpolemdasheach with a diff erent color ribbon until the fi rst (and only) May Pole
I was privy to was completely dressed in its woven bright colors
90 raquo bless their hearts raquo Guy McClure Jr
Huntsville was a magical place for us tail-end baby boomers to grow upmdashbeyond the miracles of the escalator at Pizitz the smiling little lady on the tall stool at the register at Britlings There was a comfort level there that Irsquom not sure is in the minds of the 5-year-olds of today
cat-eyed agasps
Th s
aI w
THE COMFORTS OF BLOSSOMWOOD
In our world of red-bricked carported castles there was a def-inite division of generations Th e children ate separately from the parents went to school as our dads went to work enter-tained our neighborhood friends as quietly as possible and felt safe between our boundaries of Big Cove Road and Hermitage Street While we dined on our Chef Boy-Ar-Dee boxed pizza our parents busied themselves dressing in their dark colors getting ready for a late dinner at Boots having the scent of perfume and face powder trail my mother as she came into the kitchen looking for something with an intense purpose My father would smell of British Sterling and look just as he did when he went to work only happier Th ese nights meant something fun would happenmdashwe would have a babysitter
Babysitters were my introduction into what was and still seems cool Th ey were usually Huntsville High School teen-agers who would put on a show without even knowing it I would drink in their every move word and essence of style To me they were supermodelsmdashmovie starsmdasheven more fa-mous in my eyes than a television weatherman and almost as glamorous as the waitresses at the Waffl e House
Before they would tire of me and my sister and put us to bed they would include us in their world of music and knowledge which I thought was all-encompassing Suddenly our world of Th e Benny Carl Show and Fantasy Playhouse would seem trite and passeacute and we would catch a fl eeting glimpse into what would be in store for us when we too could stay up past 8 pm
Huntsville was a magical place for us tail-end baby boomers to grow upmdashbeyond the miracles of the escalator at Pizitz the smiling little lady on the tall stool at the register at Britlings and that bright colorful Maypole Th ere was a comfort level there that Irsquom not sure is in the minds of the 5-year-olds of todaymdashthe soothing sheltered lack of knowledge of why we were so lucky yet we didnrsquot even know that we were
In the other areas of our Huntsville there was poverty and ra-cial unrestmdashas there was and is in every city I was unaware People of color were always a part of my worldmdashmostly be-cause they had my attention and respect At our house there was Annie my grandmotherrsquos house was fi lled with the joys of Lula and out on the family farm there was strong and smiling Homer and large and huggable Rosamdashall just as much a part of my life as everyone else My life was good and they were instrumental in making it that way
What will the 5-year-olds of today who are lucky enough to be raised on those well-planned streets remember when they surpass their own 50 year mark It is a much more complex world now and there are diff erent concerns with daily changes of fear Youthful innocence is a prize that is encased without a lock Premature maturity is a viable threat and a constant fear But each night tucked in tight in a simple room sleeps tomor-rowrsquos adults who are having sweet dreamsmdashblanketed by the comforts of Blossomwood
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
92 raquo the vine raquo Amy C Collins
BORDEAUX POWER
Where Burgundyrsquos vineyards were established by Benedictine monks patiently growing wine vines with spiritual hearts Bordeauxrsquos vineyards were raised by entrepreneurial laymen who recognized the massive monetary opportunity when the English began drinking down their peasant wine
The city of Bordeaux is Francersquos primary port town on the Atlantic ocean a harbor that has for centuries served as the countryrsquos most important dock Th e regionrsquos history is long and storied with the fi rst written reference to the area dated 379 AD by the Latin poet Ausonius who was also a wine-grower Jump ahead to the year 1152 when Eleanor of Aquitaine married Englandrsquos soon-to-be king Henry Plantagenet and the port and surrounding vineyard land became the source of wine for the English a connection that remains strong even today
Bordeaux produces the worldrsquos most expensive and sought after collector wines the top tier of which make up less than fi ve percent of the regionrsquos total production Th ese names are quickly learned by neophyte wine drinkers wanting to make an impression Chateau Haut-Brion Lafi te Latour and Margaux for example Grown in gravelly soils only a few meters above sea levelmdashin contrast vineyards elsewhere in Europe typically sit between 300 and 900 metersmdashthese wines are some of the most powerful austere and pawed over When young the tannins in these cabernet sauvignon cabernet franc and merlot blends coat the tongue and mouth with a chalky dry sensation akin to sucking on an Earl Grey tea bag and are perhaps best suited to well-fatted rare steak and cigars Th ese are wines built to live for decades Personally I prefer a Bordeaux at least 20 years aged when the tannins have had ample time to calm down and mellow out and more nuanced fl avors come forward Sounds fancy and it is Only in some very lucky circumstances over the past year have I been guest to a bottle of 1990 Clos de Menuts Saint-Eacutemilion and a 1970 Chateau Haut-Brion About once every 10 years Irsquove had the good
fortune to taste a wine older than myself Nice work if you can get it
Where Burgundyrsquos vineyards (Francersquos other classifi ed sought-after region) were established by Benedictine monks patiently growing wine vines with spiritual hearts
Bordeauxrsquos vineyards were raised by entrepreneurial laymen who recognized the massive monetary opportunity when the English began drinking down their peasant wine Th is underscores the second half of my theory as to why Americans
more often American males are so drawn to the wines of Bordeaux Th erersquos an inherent capitalist connection something in the soil Th at the wines are so
unmistakable so distinctively grand and pronounced elixirs exemplifi es the fi rst half of my theory we Americans are not known for our subtlety (To be fair the Chinese are
signifi cant Bordeaux collectors as well)
Philosophy aside Bordeaux is quite a large region that produces beautiful white and red values as well as the rare fi nds out of the populacersquos price range Herersquos the skinny Blending is the game single varietal wines are rare White Bordeaux is typically made from a blend of sauvignon blanc and seacutemillon and sometimes a drop or two of muscadelle ugni blanc or colombard Reds are made primarily from the two cabernets plus merlot with small quantities of petit verdot malbec and carmenegravere occasionally in the mix Th e region is also home to the golden nectar of late ripened seacutemillon sauvignon blanc and muscadelle grapes that have successfully attracted the noble rot a fungus that covers the fruit and drains moisture from inside leaving behind rich sweet grapes without moldy fl avors Chateau drsquoYquem is the most famous of these unfortifi ed dessert wines though there are better bargains from the region
Bordeaux is split by the Gironde river which divides the region into three general areas Th e left bank also known as the Haut-Meacutedoc is where the classifi ed top growths are situated Th ese prestigious estates were named for their exceptional vineyard sites in 1855 a decision nearly unchanged since Today serious collectors invest in Bordeaux futures theoretically locking down lower prices of top
ample time to calm dit is Only in some vede Menuts Saint-Eacutem
fortune to taste a
Wherees
aun
of msignifi
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Follow Amy at pigandvinecom for morestories and wine suggestions
growth estates while the wine is still aging in the cellar Itrsquos the wine tradersquos equivalent to the NASDAQ On the right bank Saint-Eacutemilion and Pommerol are the prized vineyard areas known for their merlot heavy cuveacutees To the south west we fi nd Graves where there are many great values to be had in both white and red bottlings Entre-Deux-Mers which translates to ldquobetween two seasrdquo sits between the Dordogne and Garonne tributaries off the Gironde and is an excellent source for crisp whites
Get started on your Bordeaux experience with these values
Chateau Graville-Lacoste 2014 Graves 75 seacutemillon 20 sauvignon blanc and 5 muscadelle make up this beauty thatrsquos consistently delicious every vintage Crisp and refreshing great with seafood
Chateau Mirambeau 2014 GravesAnother classic blend of 40 sauvignon blanc 40 seacutemillon and 20 muscadelle this lovely white is a bit more fl oral than the Graville-Lacoste Easy drinking and great value
Chateau de Parenchegravere Bordeaux Rouge 201155 merlot 30 cabernet sauvignon and 15 cabernet franc grown in clay heavy soils similar to the right bank of the region Fleshy with good structure and abundant red fruit
Chateau Arnaud Bordeaux Supeacuterieur 2011Supeacuterieur on a Bordeaux label isnrsquot egotistical marketingmdashby law it indicates a wine with up to one degree more alcohol than its AC Bordeaux brethren What it really means is one more degree of body structure and in this case quality Approachable delicious and easy on the wallet
Chateau de Bernadotte Haut-Meacutedoc 2005Th e 2005 vintage in Bordeaux is in the history books with double asterisks Owned by the eminent Pichon Lalande family and made from vineyards in Paulliac one of the more choice growing areas in the region this is an incredible value a top tier Bordeaux for a fraction of the cost
Chateau de Suduiraut Sauternes 2011Ripe cantaloupe apricot and honey and an interesting smoky note with a solid sweet attack followed by great acidity A dessert wine that wonrsquot overpower the dessert
94 raquo parting shot raquo Patrick Hood
Meet Solvar
Solvar belongs to one of the worldrsquos oldest and purest equine lineages the Nor-
wegian Fjord horse a breed that has remained virtually unchanged for more than
2000 yearsmdashlong before we became acquainted with his animated cousins in
the movie Frozen Th ese national symbols of Norway are characterized by primi-
tive zebra striping on their legs and a dorsal stripe running from forelock to tail
resulting in a striking two-tone mane that sticks up like a Mohawk Th eir athleti-
cism agility and dependability make them valuable both as sport horses as well
as therapy horses for emotionally and physically challenged adults and children
Catie Wells of Huntsville is the proud owner of Solvar who resides at Monte
Sano Stables
For tickets or information 256-539-4818 or hsoorg
Bring In the New Year With Us
presents
WHAT A WONDERFUL
WORLDA tribute to Louis
Armstrong featuring the
Byron Stripling Quartet
Thursday December 31
730 pm bull Pops Series bullMark C Smith
Concert Hall VBC
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
M O R E T H A N 7 0 S H O P S A N D R E S T A U R A N T S I N C L U D I N G B E L K | D S W S H O E S | A P P L E J O S A B A N K | R E E D S J E W E L E R S | PA N D O R A | J C R E W | K AT E S PA D E N E W Y O R KO R V I S | B A N A N A R E P U B L I C | M I C H A E L K O R S | F R A N C E S C Arsquo S | A N T H R O P O L O G I EH amp M | S O M A | M O U N T A I N H I G H O U T F I T T E R S | B A R N E S amp N O B L E | S E P H O R AALTAR rsquoD STATE | CONNORS STEAK amp SEFOOD | THE WEST IN HUNTSV I L L E | MONACO P ICTURES
C O M I N G S O O N V E R S O N A ndash near Belk
B R I D G E S T R E E T H U N T S V I L L E C O M |
BR IDGE STREET TOWN CENTRE I S LOCATED AT EX I T 14 OFF I - 565 AT OLD MAD ISON P IKE
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) Woolly Mammoth Tooth 4rdquo Damascus Linerlock Knife ($150)(2) Cardboard Safari Bucky Cardboard Deer Head ($30)(3) Curt Benzle Porcelain Compass ($15)Little Green Store and Gallery (256) 539-9699
(4) Hunting Journal ($32)Sweet Pineapple(256) 964-7563
(5) Yeti Colster ($2999)Alabama Outdoors(256)-885-3561
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
(1) Yellow House Handcrafted Beard Oils ($18 ea)Yellow House Beard Oilsyellowhousebeards com (2) Mustache amp Beard Comb ($16)Little Green Store and Gallery (256) 539-9699 (3) Latika Body Essentials Charcoal Liquid Soap ($18)(4) Latika Body Essentials Charcoal Bar Soap ($6) (5) Rustico Leather Key Chain ($18) Sweet Pineapple(256) 964-7563
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) Wood Thumb Tie ($44) (2) Slightly Alabama iPad Case ($250) (3) DockSmith Driftwood iPhone Docking Station ($68) Little Green Storeand Gallery (256) 539-9699 (4) Loyal Stricklin Aviator Mug ($35)Domaine South(256) 808-8860 (5) Would You Be a Deer Notepad ($9) Sweet Pineapple(256) 964-7563
(6) Filson Satchel ($265) Alabama Outdoors(256)-885-3561
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
When itrsquos time to move into a bigger house get a home loan from the bank thatrsquos had a home right here for generations You might say we know a thing about location location location synovuscommortgage
Banking products are provided by Synovus Bank Member FDIC Divisions of Synovus Bank operate under multiple trade names across the Southeast Loans products subject to credit approval
When itrsquos time to move into a bigger house get a home
Here is where Henry learned hersquod be getting
SERVING YOU LOCALLY AS
2565513300 | fcb-hsvcom
his own room
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) Spiritual GangsterTank ($36)(2) Luquido Yoga Pants ($90)(3) MZ Wallace Metro Tote ($245)(4) Vimmia V back Sweatshirt ($96)(5) Onzie Sports Bra ($48)(6) Olympia Yoga Pants ($96)(7) bkr Water Bottle ($30)The Fitzgerald Pilates amp Barre(256) 603-1886
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
(1) Gypsy Pant WarmTribal ($72) (2) Berry High Waist Legging ($88) (3) Long Legging Mathematics ($65) (4) Long Legging Peacock ($65) The FitzgeraldPilates amp Barre(256) 603-1886
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) Jane Tran Hair Clips ($15)(2) bkr Water Bottle ($30)(3) well-kept Tech Wipes ($6)(4) Made with Love Bracelets ($25)(5) Pointe Studio Socks ($12)(6) Bando Too Cold to Hold Coozie ($5)The Fitzgerald Pilates amp Barre(256) 603-1886
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
(1) Shop Bando Coff ee Cup ($14)(2) Shop Bando Pens ($14) (3) Shop Bando Pouch ($26) (4) Shop Bando Coin Purse ($20) The FitzgeraldPilates amp Barre(256) 603-1886
(5) Check Things Off Notepad ($16)(6) Hello From Huntsville Stamp ($12)Salt + Paperie(256) 655-5550
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) Muzzle Loaders Chocolate Bourbon Balls ($1999) (2) Vintage Crystal Decanter ($20) (3) Quench Glassware ($1399) Domaine South(256) 808-8860
(4) The Hella Bitters Old Fashioned Kit ($65)(5) American Bar by Charles Schumann ($2495) Little Green Storeand Gallery (256) 539-9699
(6) Julep Cups ($50)Willowbrook Shoppe (256) 270-7181
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom | novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) DECCO Umbrella in a Bottle ($1995)(2) Alexa Pulitzer Stationery Set ($14 ea)(3) Ikat Scarf ($6250)Huntsville Museumof Art(256) 535-4350
(4) Emily Ley Grace Journal ($32) (5) Sugar Boo Designs Clutch ($18) (6) Emily Ley Daily Planner ($58) (7) Latika Milk ampHoney Bar ($6) (8) Farm House Fresh Shea Butter Hand Cream ($14) (9) Christen MaxwellZippy ($42) (10) Green Tea Bubble Bath ($32) Sweet Pineapple(256) 964-7563 (11) Goal Getter Cuff ($32)Indigorsquos Boutique(256) 345-6348
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
(1) Kilim Pillow ($58) (2) Bejeweled Silver Plate Vase ($144) (3) Bone Clad Box ($375)Willowbrook Shoppe (256) 270-7181
(4) Cowhide Rug ($550)(5) Lucyrsquos Locket ($95) (Original piecemdashselection may vary)Sweet Pineapple(256) 964-7563 (6) Clutch ($65)Department of Agra Culturedeptofagraculturecom
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) Above The Bar Antler on Chain 28rdquo ($3999) (2) Above The Bar Deer wAntler Head 18rdquo ($2999) Indigorsquos Boutique(256) 345-6348
(3) Margaret Solow Labradorite18KT Bezel ($290) (4) Margaret Solow Diamond Crest MoonSilver ($460) (5) Margaret Solow Black Spinel + DiamondSilver ($560) (6) Margaret Solow Double Black Spinel18KT ($260)Little Green Store and Gallery (256) 539-9699
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
(1) Margaret Solow Grey Moonstoon18KT Necklace ($240) (2) Margaret Solow OpalDiamond Mosaic Necklace ($610) Little Green Storeand Gallery (256) 539-9699
(3) One-of-a-kind Eva Ziegler Smokey Quartz and Pyrite Necklace ($406)Eva Ziegler Jewelryevazieglercom
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) Jennifer BehrTurban ($625)(2) Cotton Day Dress ($64)(3) Norma Ishak Cardigan ($375)Finery(256) 429-3429
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) The Lion Sleeps Tonight Bath Bomb ($6) Sweet Pineapple(256) 964-7563
(2) Tiger Jelly Cat ($2250)(3) Dog Tag Teether ($1550)(4) Dinosaur Footie ($3595)Honey B Boutique(256) 503-2853
(5) Young Buck ($25)Tiny Vinestinyvinesshopcom
(6) Bib Set ($13)Huntsville Museumof Art(256) 535-4350
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
(1) Tiny Dancer Bath Bomb ($6)Sweet Pineapple(256) 964-7563
(2) Kickee Mammoth Footie ($3595)(3) Noodle amp Boo Essential Care Kit ($18)(4) Elephant Jelly Cat ($2250)Honey B Boutique(256) 503-2853
(5) ArtFolio Pink Elephant Coloring Tote ($17)Huntsville Museumof Art(256) 535-4350
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) Bib Set ($13)Huntsville Museumof Art(256) 535-4350 (2) Little Light ($25)Tiny Vinestinyvinesshopcom (3) Micro Leon Cardboard Lion ($30)Little Green Storeand Gallery (256) 539-9699 (4) I Love You Like Biscuits amp Gravy ($23)Domaine South(256) 808-8860
(5) Kickee Kimono ($4295)Honey B Boutique(256) 503-2853
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
SURPRISEA LOVED ONE
THIS HOLIDAY SEASON
WITH A FOREVER GIFT
HobbsJewelerscom 8772331347Parkway Place Mall
HuntsvilleHwy 72 West
AthensMain Street
Ardmore TN
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Caftan ($75)Sarah Richey Necklace ($350)Finery(256) 429-3429
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
(1) Chewbead Necklace ($3495)(2) Mayoral Baby Bag ($7995)(3) Mayoral Diaper Changing Pad ($2495)(4) Nursing Scarf ($2695) (5) Kickee Swaddling Blanket ($22)Honey B Boutique(256) 503-2853 (6) Lucy Darling Months Sticker ($25) (7) The Story of You Baby Book by Emily Ley ($62) Sweet Pineapple(256) 964-7563
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) Alwand Vahan 14K Gold and Onyx Ring wDiamond Accent ($2595)(2) Alwand Vanan 14K Gold and Onyx Bracelet wDiamond Accent ($2695)Hobbs Jewelers(877) 233-1347
(3) Britt Ryan Dress ($288)Personal Couture Boutique(256) 508-5632
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) Rocket Cosmos Mug ($13)Huntsville Museumof Art(256) 535-4350
(2) Loose Leaf Tea ($399)Piper amp Leaf piperandleafcom (3) Judy Jackson Tea Pot ($56) (4) Gary Watson Cherry Cutting Board ($48-$68) (5) Susan Coe Birthday Cake Plate ($33) Little Green Storeand Gallery (256) 539-9699 (6) Macarons ($116 pcs $221 dozen)Whisk Small Treats Bakery(256) 656-1027
(7) Truffl es ($185 each)Pizellersquos Confections (256) 513-9745 (8) Olive amp Sinclair Chocolate ($799)Domaine South(256) 808-8860
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
(1) Whisk Note Pad ($8) (2) In the Forest Mixing Bowl ($36) (3) Twig Serving Set ($18)(8) Southern Firefl y Candle ($12)Sweet Pineapple(256) 964-7563
(4) Urchin Bowl ($10)(5) Foodie Dice ($38)(6) 1Canoe2 Wood Recipe Box w Recipe Cards ($6999) Domaine South(256) 808-8860 (7) Growlers ($75 small $95 large)Southern Growlersoutherngrowlercom
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(1) Tacori 18K Barbados Blue Bold Gem Ring ($660)(2) Tacori 18K Barbados Blue Bold Gem Necklace ($630)(3) Tacori 18K Barbados Blue Bold Gem Bracelet ($990)Hobbs Jewelers(877) 233-1347
(4) BCBG Dress ($328)Personal Couture Boutique(256) 508-5632
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Guadalupe Robinson
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
text by jennifer crossley howard raquo photos by patrick hood
Of Deft and Dirty Hands
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Huntsville potter Guadalupe Lanning Robinson has spent more than 36 years mastering the
marriage of clay texture and geometric design into her pottery yet time has done little to temper the
plight of waiting
ldquoIt is hard for me to let a pot just dryrdquo she says motioning toward fi ve small wet pots sitting near her
pottery wheel ldquoIrsquom as excited to do this as I was 30 years agordquo
To observe her studio at Lowe Mill that is easy to believe Located on the corridor outside the textile
mill-turned-art centerrsquos main building the loft-like space with a corrugated tin roof feels like a place a
Gabriel Garcia Marquez character would enjoy daydreaming
Sienna-hued pottery sits in various stages to be fi red layered and etched Argentinian tango music
streams from Robinsonrsquos iPhone and two cockatiels a parrot and a parakeet chirp from their cages All
except the parrot fl y freely when Robinson is working
Robinson who is 61 made her fi rst pot in 1979 in her native Mexico City Almost four decades later her
work is part of permanent museum collections in Auburn Huntsville Tuscumbia and Tupelo Missis-
sippi She regularly enters her work in respected juried shows such as the Monte Sano Arts Festival and
the Kentuck Festival of the Arts in Northport and has received two Alabama State Council on the Arts
individual artist fellowships
Her inspiration draws from the villages around her native Mexico City such as the black pottery of
the northwest as well as her acquired Southern culture White lilies corn grids and round female
fi guresmdashldquoreally strong women who are in chargerdquo Robinson saysmdashreappear on her stoneware She uses
natural dyes indigo for color and mixes sand into clay for texture Nothing is wasted
ldquoI donrsquot waste any clayrdquo Robinson says ldquoEverything is recycledrdquo
Robinson fi nds solace in the 40-50 hours a week she puts in at the studio and the often tedious process
of making pots which can take from three weeks to six weeks for larger pots She usually works on two
or three pots at a time tending to groups at diff erent stages
After a pot is thrown on a wheel a piece can take days to dry before its fi rst bisque fi re in which tem-
peratures rise to 1800 F After baking for nine hours the kiln must cool Th e second fi ring rises to 2150
F and matures the clay and melts the glazes to strengthen the piece
ldquoI am an effi cient person by naturerdquo Robinson says ldquoWaiting for the kiln to cool down enough to open
can be nerve wracking and this is when my patience is usually put to the testrdquo
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
ldquoIt is hard for me to let a pot just dry Irsquom as excited to do this as I was 30 years agordquo
Robinson makes most of her pots on a wheel using oxides to change the color of clay she gets from Nashville and Pittsburgh Her pottery takes several weeks from start to fi nish depending on how large a pot is and how many she makes at a time
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
ldquoAttend to your childrenrsquos needs fi rst keep focus on what you want to douse the happiness joy and little breaks you get to make your artTh ey grow real fast and they will keep inspiring you all your liferdquo
Robinson imagined this bat-like design as she was working She usually begins a piece with a design in mind but that often evolves
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Robinson uses an overlay of liquid clay called engobemdashthat includes three to four layersmdashto create a
base on which to design
Th ere is high risk in making pottery and hours of work can be wasted on a pot that has not dried en-
tirely before it enters the kiln Air pockets or the wrong mixture of chemicals can ruin a piece
ldquoArt is involved but science is toordquo says Laura Smith director of education at the Huntsville Museum
of Art where Robinson has taught pottery classes ldquoItrsquos more labor intensive in terms of working with
the medium whether yoursquore building by hand or with a wheel until you fi re with the fi nal layer of glazerdquo
Th e result is sturdy pottery
ldquoI want my pots to look like something that is lasting a long timerdquo Robinson says
Th ough she works solitarily in her studio she says she does not get lonely Her birds and music keep her
company and each stage of pottery making has a soundtrack She uses needlepoint tools to draw onto
clay to Jose Feliciano and other Latin American musicians
ldquoIf Irsquom at the wheel Bruno Marsrdquo she says ldquoIf Irsquom unloading the kiln and something is really awesome
then I need something moving and I have on Motownrdquo
Robinsonrsquos years of experience minimize the risk of damaged pots but she says her greatest challenge
as a potter was balancing her work while raising her two children Now adults their candid childhood
pictures and those of her grandchildren cover the warm green walls of her studio
She met her husband the poet James Robinson in 1977 on a Greyhound bus when she returned to
Mexico City from visiting a friend at the University of Southern Mississippi He was heading to Mexico
to study at a university Th ey married six months later After giving birth to her daughter Annie Jane in
Mexico City in 1982 the family moved to Huntsville in 1985 Th at is when Robinson got more serious
about her pottery
ldquoFrom the very beginning when I moved to Alabama I knew I was going to have to do thisrdquo she said
ldquoIn some ways it was a way for me to keep connected to my heritagerdquo
She took even 15 minutes of free time to work in the studio behind her home and worked late into the
night while her daughter and son Isidoro born in 1987 slept Having a home studio allowed her to
wash clothes tend to her home and drop off lunches at school while maintaining her art
ldquoTh ere was something for me when I fi rst became a mother that fueled my creativityrdquo Robinson says
ldquoTh ey are such a social inspiration too It fi lls your liferdquo
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Robinson advises fellow artists who are mothers to seize
both roles but to prioritize motherhood
ldquoAttend to your childrenrsquos needs fi rst keep focus on what you
want to do use the happiness joy and little breaks you get
to make your artrdquo she says ldquoTh ey grow real fast and they will
keep inspiring you all your liferdquo
Anna Sue Courtney director of the Flying Monkey Arts
Center at Lowe Mill has known Robinson for more than
10 years She says she admires how mothers and artists like
Robinson seamlessly embrace both roles
ldquoIt seems therersquos not a separation between creating and rais-
ing childrenrdquo Courtney says ldquoTh ey seem to pull from the
same placerdquo
Part of Robinsonrsquos motivation at Lowe Mill comes from
working privately in a studio alongside other artists that fos-
ters a community of feedback and ideas
ldquoItrsquos nice to be here because you can take a break and walk around and get inspirationrdquo Courtney says
ldquoItrsquos refreshingrdquo
When she needs a break from the studio Robinson stays home to sketch designs for a day or two then
she is back in the studio
Trips twice a year to Mexico City keep her plugged in to her native culture which in turn shows up in
her pottery
ldquoI have to recharge myselfrdquo Robinson says ldquoI love Huntsville and loved raising my kids here but I still
have the need of going back to be recharged and smell all the smells and see all the colors and get on
the subway and be pushed aroundrdquo
Details from her trips that infl uence her work include the ever-present red that covers the city during
the celebration of Dia de los Muertos or the Day of the Dead Th e pyramids of Teotihuacan conjure
warm earth tones and fl oating gardens around the city yield sweet pungent calla lilies and carnations
Celebration of food tough women and nature reappear in her pottery qualities that both Southern and
Mexican cultures treasure
Above This daisy design is character-istic of Robinsonrsquos work Nature food and strong females from her native Mexico City and the South are strong creative infl uences
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Clockwise from top left Robinson often glazes only the inside of her pots so they can hold water and food She began quilting in 2002 and her quilts like her pottery contain earth tones and natural infl uences in their design Four birds keep Robinson company in what can be the isolating medium of pottery making Geometry and symmetry are two signature elements in Robinsonrsquos work according to Laura Smith director of education at the Huntsville Museum of Art
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Just as she keeps her home country close to her heart Robinson is loyal to her fi rst
love of pottery though she began making quilts in 2002
ldquoIrsquom a potter who likes to quiltrdquo she says
Like her pottery her quilting follows designs of organic nature such as fl owers and
crops on rich jewel tone cotton
ldquoWhen I fi rst saw one of her quilts I didnrsquot realize it was hers and I thought that
looks like it should be Guadalupersquos quiltrdquo Courtney says
Robinson prefers the immediate gratifi cation of clay
ldquoItrsquos a very responsive mediumrdquo she says ldquoYou can manipulate it Th e fact of mak-
ing something out of dirt out of nothing and making it durable making it perma-
nent that after going through the heat and maturing is something very excitingrdquo
She gently dings a pot covered with white dresses titled ldquoTehuana Dressrdquo to make
her point
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
887 FM Muscle Shoals bull 1007 FM Huntsvillewwwaprorg
News classicalmusic and more
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
copy Patrick Hood
text by sara wright covington raquo photos by jacki gil
patrick hood erin lindsey and michelle odom
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
copy Patrick Hood
ldquoA LOT OF PEOPLE HAD BEEN ASKING ME QUESTIONS ABOUTHOW I GOT MY BUSINESS STARTED I WANTED TO GATHER SOME PEOPLE AROUND ME
WHO WERE GOING THROUGH THOSE STRUGGLES AND TOBUILD ENTREPRENEURIAL COURAGErdquo
JACKI GIL SALT+PAPERIE
copy Patrick Hood
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
untsville-born Jacki Gil began her paper design busi-
ness Salt+Paperie in 2014 with an expansive vision
in mind one that extended beyond creating beautiful
custom designed paper goods ldquoI love my design job
but when Irsquom 50 years old I donrsquot see myself still de-
signing wedding invitationsrdquo the master stationer says
ldquoI really have a passion for teaching and helping people
I want to be a mentorrdquo
In 2015 Gil set out on her mentoring mission sooner than expected with a series
of workshops called Encourage Huntsville ldquoA lot of people had been asking me
questions about how I got my business startedrdquo Gil says about the early days of
Salt+Paperie Even though most of those questions from entrepreneurial-hopefuls
were technicalmdashlike how to apply for a business licensemdashthey served as inspira-
tion for Gil ldquoI wanted to gather some people around me who were going through
those struggles and to build entrepreneurial courage I defi nitely saw that there
was a need for helping people to take that next step toward owning their own
businessesrdquo
Encourage Huntsville was modeled on the image of a growing small business
movement called the Rising Tide Society a national community of creative small
business owners who encourage ldquocommunity over competitionrdquo Th at spirit of
openness is at the heart of Encourage Huntsville ldquoCommunity over competition
is a huge part of what we are doingrdquo says Gil ldquoSmall business owners sharing how
they earn their money is a big dealrdquo
As a fi rst step Gil gathered others around her who were using their skills and abili-
ties to make their own small businesses work With talents ranging from cooking
and cake decorating to hand lettering and artwork these small business owners
all embraced Gilrsquos vision for imparting to others the knowledge of their craft un-
impeded by a fear of losing their competitive edge
Th e fi rst lesson Gil wanted to impart to Encourage Huntsvillersquos students wasnrsquot
necessarily a particular craft or skill but a spirt of creative confi dence ldquoWe want-
ed to bridge the gap between the very artsy community and the ultimate engineer
communityrdquo many of whom Gil observes had been told since childhood they
werenrsquot artistic ldquoWhen you are little and someone tells you that you donrsquot have a
talent it sticks with you I found that a lot of people had that experience so that
was the workshop partmdashto build some creative courage in this communityrdquo
Gil conducted the fi rst workshop herself testing the waters to see how the concept
would be received Th e admission price to that fi rst workshop included supplies a
take-home ldquogoody bagrdquo to help students continue their work extracurricularly and
refreshmentsmdashas well as Gilrsquos tips of her trade
ldquoWe went in blindly not knowing if we had a market or notrdquo says Gil Th e popular-
ity of that fi rst class proved undeniably that a market did in fact exist the work-
shop sold out in one day ldquoSo we did back-to-back workshopsrdquo Gil says ldquoAfter that
novemberdecembeeer eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee | nononoononononononoonoonononooooonoonoonnononnoaaalalalllaallllllalaalaaalal ststustust ddiossscom mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm | | | | | | | | | | |
f
w
y
Previous page Encourage Huntsvillersquos founder and instructor Jacki Gil teaches a class in hand lettering Facing page A participant studies her supply list
we realized people really want to do this stuff So we said lsquoletrsquos jump on the boat
and make this happenrsquordquo
Gilrsquos longtime friend photographer Erin Lindsey of Erin Lindsey Images agreed
to contribute to Encourage Huntsvillersquos curriculum by teaching a photography
class ldquoJacki and I are a good team because our hearts are in the same place when
it comes to encouraging othersrdquo Lindsey says Still she admits saying yes to teach-
ing wasnrsquot without some initial hesitation ldquoWhen Jacki asked if I would teach a
class it was kind of scary I thought I had to be perfect before I could teach oth-
ersrdquo Lindsey says of her initial hesitancy ldquoBut after talking to Jacki I realized none
of us are perfectrdquo But perfection isnrsquot the goal encouragement is the goal ldquoAnd I
thought lsquoI can defi nitely line up with that visionrsquordquo
Michelle Odom another Huntsville native and owner of custom cake bakery Just
Crumbs was also on board with Gilrsquos vision In fact Odom had been contemplat-
ing teaching a class when she was approached by Gil to teach a fondant basics
class ldquoHuntsville is such an engineer town and everyone is so mathematical and
scientifi crdquo Odom says echoing the dichotomy between the arts and sciences ex-
pressed by Gil ldquoTh ese workshops are just a very cool way for structured people to
have a creative outletrdquo
ldquoJACKI AND I ARE A GOOD TEAM BECAUSE OUR HEARTS ARE INTHE SAME PLACE WHEN IT COMES TO ENCOURAGING OTHERSrdquo
ERIN LINDSEY ERIN LINDSEY IMAGES
copy Erin Lindsey
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Above A participant in Erin Lindseyrsquos photo class frames a still life
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
copy Erin Lindsey
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
ldquoHUNTSVILLE IS SUCH AN ENGINEER TOWN AND EVERYONE ISSO MATHEMATICAL AND SCIENTIFIC THESE WORKSHOPS ARE JUST A VERY COOL
WAY FOR STRUCTURED PEOPLE TO HAVE A CREATIVE OUTLETrdquo MICHELLE ODOM JUST CRUMBS
copy Michelle Odom
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
ldquoAnd yesrdquo Odom acknowledges ldquoyou are in theory teaching your competition But
at the same time you are helping the community be more creativerdquo
With its roster of popular creative workshops under its belt Encourage Huntsville
has added business classes to its community-over-competition curriculum with
classes designed to provide specifi c guidance for small business owners ldquoAll of
our events that donrsquot require hands-on work we call seminarsrdquo says Gil ldquoWe had
about 15 people at our fi rst one It was pretty much just an open discussion to ask
us questions and get answers from the perspective of a small business ownerrdquo
Th e seminars enjoyed the same success and enthusiasm as the workshops ldquoWe
had two hours for people to ask questionsrdquo Gil says Topics covered ran the gamut
from scheduling daily tasks self-hosting a website or using an Etsy store man-
aging client expectations and being realistic about how much time you need to
complete jobs
ldquoTh e time went quickly and people wanted morerdquo says Gil who envisions an all-
day seminar in 2016
Margaret Baggett owner and executive chef of the Chef Next Door is another
small business owner who has shared Gilrsquos vision from the very beginning teach-
copy Erin Lindsey
Facing page Michelle Odomrsquos fondant basics class begins with a styrofoam cake form Above Newbie photographers familiarize themselves with their cameras in Erin Lindseyrsquos photography class
ing knife skills workshops and helping host the business seminars ldquoI am so proud
to get to be a part of this project and help nurture other small business owners
who may just be starting out on their journey or are deep in it and looking for
some encouragement from other business ownersrdquo Baggett says of what motivates
her participation in Encourage Huntsville ldquoEven being on the advice-giving side
of things I am still learning and have taken tips and tricks and lessons from each
event we have had so far We never stop learning from each other and never stop
improving upon our craftsrdquo
Th e mutual growth among students and teachers is the source of the encourage-
mentmdashand the joymdashof Encourage Huntsville ldquoItrsquos so much fun to see the light
bulbs go off with people and see them encouraged right before your eyesrdquo Lindsey
says of her experience with the program ldquoPlus itrsquos a pleasure to contribute to a
sense of community over competition Th at whole concept is so rarerdquo
As Encourage Huntsvillersquos following continues to grow the diversity of the work-
shops will expand as well Whether you are looking to spend a fun afternoon
learning a new craft or are a budding small business owner hoping to launch
your brand Encourage Huntsville has something valuable to off er ldquoWe encourage
those left-brain folks to take up a new hobby or skillrdquo Baggett says ldquoor just encour-
age the people of Huntsville to get together and fan their creative fl amesrdquo
If yoursquore looking for
creative or entrepreneurial
encouragement visit
encouragehuntsvillecom
for seminar and workshop
schedules and information
ldquoI AM SO PROUD TO GET TO BE A PART OF THIS PROJECT AND HELP NURTURE OTHER SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS WHO MAY JUST BE STARTING OUT ON THEIR JOURNEY OR ARE DEEP IN IT
AND LOOKING FOR SOME ENCOURAGEMENT FROM OTHER BUSINESS OWNERSrdquoMARGARET BAGGETT CHEF NEXT DOOR
copy Jacki Gil
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
copy Jacki Gil
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Participants in Margaret Baggettrsquos knife skills workshop learn to perfect their ldquomise en placerdquo
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
copy Olivia Reed
text by sara wright covington raquo photos by olivia reed and jeff white
HUNTSVILLErsquoS
HOMEGROWNHOSTESS
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
ttttttononononoooooonononooooo raquo praquo praquo praquo praquo phothothothothotosoososos s s osos bybybbybb
Any host will tell you that delicious food and quality libations while important to
a partyrsquos success are secondary to the most important ingredient of all the guest list Th atrsquos why many
of downtown Huntsvillersquos most popular restaurants breweries and wine shops are turning to event
planner Ashley Ryals and her uncanny knack for attracting loyal patronsmdashand creating unforgettable
events in the process
When Huntsville born-and-bred Ashley Ryals left for college at the University of Alabama in 2001
she thought her exit from the Valley was permanent ldquoI never thought I would end up back hererdquo the
founder of event planning company Homegrown Huntsville says with a knowing laugh But after a few
post-graduate years working for world-renowned public relations powerhouse Weber Shandwick in
New York City Ryals started to second guess her freshman declaration
ldquoI started to get homesickrdquo she admits ldquoAll of my friends were getting married and meeting for football
games and I was missing itrdquo So when a friend from home set up an interview at EarlyWorks for a job
doing event planning Ryals jumped at the chance to come home
Ashley spent the next few years planning EarlyWorks Whistle Stop and Santarsquos Village events A brief
stint in sales followed along with a seat on the board of Huntsville Young Professionals where she had
an idea for a downtown pub crawl
ldquoWe expected 20 or 30 peoplerdquo Ryals says of their modest expectations ldquoBut 200 people showed uprdquo
Th at initial success convinced Ryals to embark on her dream of establishing an
event planning company But it wasnrsquot just any event planning company Ryals
had in mind she envisioned one that would collaborate with local businesses
cultivate signature events for the community to enjoy and support small busi-
nesses in the process
Inspired Ryals left her sales job and for the second time in her life came home
again to event planning and Homegrown Huntsville
To help bring her vision to life Ryals collaborated with designer Adrianne Van
Kirk of Fave Creative ldquoAdrianne has been a part of the visual and branding of
Homegrown from the beginning We come up with the event ideas then I get
the ticketing and sales together and she comes back with a logo and the mar-
keting for the event And thatrsquos how it all comes togetherrdquo Ryals says of their
creative process
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
ASHLEY RYALS
copy Olivia Reed
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
ldquoMOST WINE FESTIVALS ACROSS THE COUNTRY HAVE PROVEN RECORDS OF BEING ABLE TO STAY AROUND 15 OR 20 YEARS OR EVEN LONGER AND THE ECONOMIES OF THOSE
CITIES HAVE REALLY GROWN AS A RESULT I WANT BIG SPRING CRUSH TO EVENTUALLY BE THE BIGGEST AND BEST WINE FESTIVAL IN THE STATE OF ALABAMArdquo ASHLEY RYALS
copy Jeff White
copy Jeff White
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
copy Olivia Reed
Homegrown launched in 2011 with what would become its
signature event Dine amp Dash Every second Wednesday
April through October a trolley shuttles patrons between
downtown establishments where they are served a drink
and appetizer before moving on to the next stop
Owner and executive chef Merle Phillips of Th e Eaves was
one of the fi rst restaurants to sign on for Dine amp Dashrsquos de-
but ldquoAshley came to me and said she was starting a trolley
tasting conceptrdquo says Chef Merle ldquoI didnrsquot really know her so
I was taking a chance on the concept she was sellingrdquo
Merle tried it and has been a loyal participant of Dine amp
Dash ever since
ldquoIt was a risk in the beginning but it defi nitely paid off rdquo Chef
Merle says of the experience Pivotal to that experience ac-
cording to Phillips is Ryalsrsquo demonstration to the commu-
nity just what the term ldquohomegrownrdquo really means ldquoAshley
shines a spotlight on independent businesses in a market-
place that has for so long focused on chainsrdquo Phillips says
ldquoDine amp Dash has really brought into sharp focus the inter-
esting culinary diversity that Huntsville has to off errdquo
For the next two years Homegrown Huntsville focused al-
most exclusively on Dine amp Dash which by the end of its fi rst
year included every single downtown restaurant But when
big changes began to appear on the downtown horizonmdash
new restaurants breweries and residential developmentsmdash
Ryalsrsquo instincts told her
the time had come to
introduce a new event
to the downtown cal-
endar
ldquoBeer Hop follows
the concept of Dine
amp Dashrdquo Ryals says of
Homegrownrsquos second
venture which began
in 2013 Each month a
trolley visits three dif-
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
BILL FOWLEROLD TOWN BEER
EXCHANGE
copy Olivia Reed
copy Olivia Reed
ferent breweries where patrons sample beers and enjoy food
from a variety of food trucks parked at each location
Bill Fowler managing partner of Old Town Beer Exchange
agreed to participate in Beer Hop on his very fi rst day of
business and credits Ryals with an overwhelmingly success-
ful opening night ldquoAshley said lsquoI can guarantee that you are
going to have wave after wave of people coming throughrsquordquo
Fowler says recalling that fi rst jittery occasion Once again
Ryals proved true to her word with 60-plus patrons arriving
in an hour-and-a-half ldquoIt was awesome and such a great ex-
perience for usrdquo Fowler raves ldquoAshley is a hard worker and
you can see that in what she doesrdquo
Fowler believes that in addition to bringing new customers
to OTBX Ryals is also cultivating beer education consis-
tently bringing in people who are new to beer and want to
learn And with Huntsvillersquos recent brewery boom that level
of education and interest is crucial for the brewing commu-
nity to thrive ldquoWe have a very small window of opportunityrdquo
says Fowler ldquoI think Huntsville in particular is becoming a
craft brewing community People are making money at this
and once Tennessee sees that we need to already have had a
pretty huge head startrdquo
By the end of 2013 and with standing events Beer Hop and
Dine amp Dash well established Ryals took time to refl ect on
her original goal for Homegrown Huntsville ldquoIn the back of
my head from day one I knew I wanted to do a wine festival
I just didnrsquot think Huntsville was ready for it in 2011rdquo
Emboldened by the success of Beer Hop Ryals decided to
make the leap with Big Spring Crush wine festival later the
same year Once again Ryals delivered the perfect audience
for the event and in the process discovered a surprising
fact about North Alabamarsquos contribution to the wine-mak-
ing industry
ldquoIn doing the wine festival I learned that we have a huge
wine community in Huntsvillerdquo Ryals says ldquoTh ere are only
about 47 certifi ed wine judges in the entire United States
and we have four of them right here in North Alabama Two
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
copy Jeff White
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
ldquoI STARTED TO GET HOMESICK ALL OF MY FRIENDS WERE GETTING MARRIEDAND MEETING FOR FOOTBALL GAMES AND I WAS MISSING ITrdquo ASHLEY RYALS
copy Jeff White
copy Jeff White
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
ldquoIT WAS AWESOME AND SUCH A GREAT EXPERIENCE FOR USrdquoBILL FOWLER OLD TOWN BEER EXCHANGE
copy Jeff White
copy Olivia Reed
of those four certifi ed wine judges sit on the committee for
Big Spring Crushrdquo
Matthew and Stephanie Mell had just opened Church Street
Wine Shop when they decided to participate in the fi rst Big
Spring Crush Like OTBXrsquos Robert Fowler the Mells credit
Ryals and Homegrown Huntsville for helping to introduce
their new enterprise to the community ldquoAshley has been in-
strumental in helping to bring us people who love and ap-
preciate winerdquo Stephanie Mell says ldquoShe was homegrown
here in Huntsville and she really gets the downtown area
and small businesses and that is so important to usrdquo
Big Spring Crush began with a bang featuring over 150
wines and attracting patrons from across the country
ldquoMost wine festivals across the country have proven records
of being able to stay around 15 or 20 years or even longerrdquo
Ryals says ldquoAnd the economies of those cities have really
grown as a result I want Big Spring Crush to eventually be
the biggest and best wine festival in the state of Alabamardquo
How does Ryals intend to make that dream come true ldquoBy
always keeping it fresh I want to have new marketing and
new things happening each yearrdquo
Ryalsrsquo formula of reinvention and expansion has successfully
led Homegrown Huntsville through fi ve years of success and
helped its events become community staples along the way In
the process Ryals is broadening more than just our image of
downtown Huntsville shersquos joining a class of creative entrepre-
neurs committed to expanding Huntsvillersquos reputation as more
than just a hub for the brightest scientifi c minds in America
ldquoWe have a big city of engineers and lawyers and itrsquos won-
derfulrdquo Ryals say ldquo But there is a whole artist and food cul-
ture here and there is so much growth I want us to have a
vibrant cool downtown area and I want for people to tell
their friends to come and visit and to see Huntsville for what
it is a city I loverdquo
If yoursquod like to participate in Homegrown Huntsville either
as a guest or a participating business visit homegrown-
huntsvillecom
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
copy Jeff White
I was years old and the year was At that time the city of Huntsville was inching toward the mountain to the east California Street was once the continental divide between the small town metropo-lis and the uncharted territories gingerly crossed by the real estate pioneers four score and some odd years prior Th is area became the new suburb as the city kept pushing onward toward Fagan Springs as if the reverberating booms of rocket testings were vibrating Hunstvillians away from its epicenter
From the front yard of our house on Owens Drive I could look to the rightmdashup the hill to the bend be-yond which the big houses stood on their rocky ledge pedestals and to the left where all the other houses that looked just like oursmdashfresh and newmdashrambled for what seemed like miles Th ose clean well-lit abodes all seemed the same and granted at my age I knew more about the pets that lived there than I did about the people who owned those manageable mortgages I came to realize that each was diff erent in a way that was permeated by voices smells and furnishings
It is a clicheacute to say that our lives were simpler then because that is just how the current era will be fondly referred to in the future but to a 5-year-old it is the simplicity that brought the joy Th e sixties will always be to me the beginning of the age of manufactured happiness Cheap clean and simple was what was strived for and what was easily obtained Plastic items were plentiful and pretty things could be bought with SampH Green Stamps A few coins in our pocket would transfer us into the most master of manipula-tors with us giving our all to convince our parents for a jaunt to Murdockrsquos for a holiday of wonderment joy and impatience as we would scour the shelves trying to get the most from our meager budget
Owens Drive was the fairly new thoroughfare from which the avenues of three-bedroom-ranchers fi ngered away at planned intervals Th is was the place where newlyweds started their lives homes and families Where girls with last names that had been in the town for generations would change them to those strange and exotic last names of the clean cut newcomers brought here for military purposes Where the housewives would preheat their pristine electric ovens trying to make cheese straws and biscuits that were just like their motherrsquos only to be frustrated as they were never quite the same and where the husbands would follow in their fatherrsquos footsteps by joining the Acme Club and hunting doves on the weekends
Th ere was a swimming pool Certainly not at our house Th e only private pool I remember as a child was one that my grandmother would take me to nestled between huge trees at someonersquos house on Adams Street I would swim with other children my age while our grandmothers chatted smoking cigarettes in cat-eyed anonymity whispering most of their stories so we wouldnrsquot be able to hear But between their
gasps and laughter we would listen hear and learn
Th e Blossomwood pool was a place of designated rules and the sound of bright whistlesmdashwith straight lines and distinctive colors of blue and green I can still feel the Coppertoned oiliness on the skin of the tanned lifeguard as she carried me from the deep end frightened after my fi rst attempt at solo-swimming She knew my name I had no idea who she was
On the other side of the pool was the school my older sister attended It had a style that mim-icked the poolmdashstraight lines cleanmdasha temple to orderliness and good manners It was with
awe that I once watched the young adults there some as old as eleven wind and dance their way around a sky-high fl agpolemdasheach with a diff erent color ribbon until the fi rst (and only) May Pole
I was privy to was completely dressed in its woven bright colors
90 raquo bless their hearts raquo Guy McClure Jr
Huntsville was a magical place for us tail-end baby boomers to grow upmdashbeyond the miracles of the escalator at Pizitz the smiling little lady on the tall stool at the register at Britlings There was a comfort level there that Irsquom not sure is in the minds of the 5-year-olds of today
cat-eyed agasps
Th s
aI w
THE COMFORTS OF BLOSSOMWOOD
In our world of red-bricked carported castles there was a def-inite division of generations Th e children ate separately from the parents went to school as our dads went to work enter-tained our neighborhood friends as quietly as possible and felt safe between our boundaries of Big Cove Road and Hermitage Street While we dined on our Chef Boy-Ar-Dee boxed pizza our parents busied themselves dressing in their dark colors getting ready for a late dinner at Boots having the scent of perfume and face powder trail my mother as she came into the kitchen looking for something with an intense purpose My father would smell of British Sterling and look just as he did when he went to work only happier Th ese nights meant something fun would happenmdashwe would have a babysitter
Babysitters were my introduction into what was and still seems cool Th ey were usually Huntsville High School teen-agers who would put on a show without even knowing it I would drink in their every move word and essence of style To me they were supermodelsmdashmovie starsmdasheven more fa-mous in my eyes than a television weatherman and almost as glamorous as the waitresses at the Waffl e House
Before they would tire of me and my sister and put us to bed they would include us in their world of music and knowledge which I thought was all-encompassing Suddenly our world of Th e Benny Carl Show and Fantasy Playhouse would seem trite and passeacute and we would catch a fl eeting glimpse into what would be in store for us when we too could stay up past 8 pm
Huntsville was a magical place for us tail-end baby boomers to grow upmdashbeyond the miracles of the escalator at Pizitz the smiling little lady on the tall stool at the register at Britlings and that bright colorful Maypole Th ere was a comfort level there that Irsquom not sure is in the minds of the 5-year-olds of todaymdashthe soothing sheltered lack of knowledge of why we were so lucky yet we didnrsquot even know that we were
In the other areas of our Huntsville there was poverty and ra-cial unrestmdashas there was and is in every city I was unaware People of color were always a part of my worldmdashmostly be-cause they had my attention and respect At our house there was Annie my grandmotherrsquos house was fi lled with the joys of Lula and out on the family farm there was strong and smiling Homer and large and huggable Rosamdashall just as much a part of my life as everyone else My life was good and they were instrumental in making it that way
What will the 5-year-olds of today who are lucky enough to be raised on those well-planned streets remember when they surpass their own 50 year mark It is a much more complex world now and there are diff erent concerns with daily changes of fear Youthful innocence is a prize that is encased without a lock Premature maturity is a viable threat and a constant fear But each night tucked in tight in a simple room sleeps tomor-rowrsquos adults who are having sweet dreamsmdashblanketed by the comforts of Blossomwood
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
92 raquo the vine raquo Amy C Collins
BORDEAUX POWER
Where Burgundyrsquos vineyards were established by Benedictine monks patiently growing wine vines with spiritual hearts Bordeauxrsquos vineyards were raised by entrepreneurial laymen who recognized the massive monetary opportunity when the English began drinking down their peasant wine
The city of Bordeaux is Francersquos primary port town on the Atlantic ocean a harbor that has for centuries served as the countryrsquos most important dock Th e regionrsquos history is long and storied with the fi rst written reference to the area dated 379 AD by the Latin poet Ausonius who was also a wine-grower Jump ahead to the year 1152 when Eleanor of Aquitaine married Englandrsquos soon-to-be king Henry Plantagenet and the port and surrounding vineyard land became the source of wine for the English a connection that remains strong even today
Bordeaux produces the worldrsquos most expensive and sought after collector wines the top tier of which make up less than fi ve percent of the regionrsquos total production Th ese names are quickly learned by neophyte wine drinkers wanting to make an impression Chateau Haut-Brion Lafi te Latour and Margaux for example Grown in gravelly soils only a few meters above sea levelmdashin contrast vineyards elsewhere in Europe typically sit between 300 and 900 metersmdashthese wines are some of the most powerful austere and pawed over When young the tannins in these cabernet sauvignon cabernet franc and merlot blends coat the tongue and mouth with a chalky dry sensation akin to sucking on an Earl Grey tea bag and are perhaps best suited to well-fatted rare steak and cigars Th ese are wines built to live for decades Personally I prefer a Bordeaux at least 20 years aged when the tannins have had ample time to calm down and mellow out and more nuanced fl avors come forward Sounds fancy and it is Only in some very lucky circumstances over the past year have I been guest to a bottle of 1990 Clos de Menuts Saint-Eacutemilion and a 1970 Chateau Haut-Brion About once every 10 years Irsquove had the good
fortune to taste a wine older than myself Nice work if you can get it
Where Burgundyrsquos vineyards (Francersquos other classifi ed sought-after region) were established by Benedictine monks patiently growing wine vines with spiritual hearts
Bordeauxrsquos vineyards were raised by entrepreneurial laymen who recognized the massive monetary opportunity when the English began drinking down their peasant wine Th is underscores the second half of my theory as to why Americans
more often American males are so drawn to the wines of Bordeaux Th erersquos an inherent capitalist connection something in the soil Th at the wines are so
unmistakable so distinctively grand and pronounced elixirs exemplifi es the fi rst half of my theory we Americans are not known for our subtlety (To be fair the Chinese are
signifi cant Bordeaux collectors as well)
Philosophy aside Bordeaux is quite a large region that produces beautiful white and red values as well as the rare fi nds out of the populacersquos price range Herersquos the skinny Blending is the game single varietal wines are rare White Bordeaux is typically made from a blend of sauvignon blanc and seacutemillon and sometimes a drop or two of muscadelle ugni blanc or colombard Reds are made primarily from the two cabernets plus merlot with small quantities of petit verdot malbec and carmenegravere occasionally in the mix Th e region is also home to the golden nectar of late ripened seacutemillon sauvignon blanc and muscadelle grapes that have successfully attracted the noble rot a fungus that covers the fruit and drains moisture from inside leaving behind rich sweet grapes without moldy fl avors Chateau drsquoYquem is the most famous of these unfortifi ed dessert wines though there are better bargains from the region
Bordeaux is split by the Gironde river which divides the region into three general areas Th e left bank also known as the Haut-Meacutedoc is where the classifi ed top growths are situated Th ese prestigious estates were named for their exceptional vineyard sites in 1855 a decision nearly unchanged since Today serious collectors invest in Bordeaux futures theoretically locking down lower prices of top
ample time to calm dit is Only in some vede Menuts Saint-Eacutem
fortune to taste a
Wherees
aun
of msignifi
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Follow Amy at pigandvinecom for morestories and wine suggestions
growth estates while the wine is still aging in the cellar Itrsquos the wine tradersquos equivalent to the NASDAQ On the right bank Saint-Eacutemilion and Pommerol are the prized vineyard areas known for their merlot heavy cuveacutees To the south west we fi nd Graves where there are many great values to be had in both white and red bottlings Entre-Deux-Mers which translates to ldquobetween two seasrdquo sits between the Dordogne and Garonne tributaries off the Gironde and is an excellent source for crisp whites
Get started on your Bordeaux experience with these values
Chateau Graville-Lacoste 2014 Graves 75 seacutemillon 20 sauvignon blanc and 5 muscadelle make up this beauty thatrsquos consistently delicious every vintage Crisp and refreshing great with seafood
Chateau Mirambeau 2014 GravesAnother classic blend of 40 sauvignon blanc 40 seacutemillon and 20 muscadelle this lovely white is a bit more fl oral than the Graville-Lacoste Easy drinking and great value
Chateau de Parenchegravere Bordeaux Rouge 201155 merlot 30 cabernet sauvignon and 15 cabernet franc grown in clay heavy soils similar to the right bank of the region Fleshy with good structure and abundant red fruit
Chateau Arnaud Bordeaux Supeacuterieur 2011Supeacuterieur on a Bordeaux label isnrsquot egotistical marketingmdashby law it indicates a wine with up to one degree more alcohol than its AC Bordeaux brethren What it really means is one more degree of body structure and in this case quality Approachable delicious and easy on the wallet
Chateau de Bernadotte Haut-Meacutedoc 2005Th e 2005 vintage in Bordeaux is in the history books with double asterisks Owned by the eminent Pichon Lalande family and made from vineyards in Paulliac one of the more choice growing areas in the region this is an incredible value a top tier Bordeaux for a fraction of the cost
Chateau de Suduiraut Sauternes 2011Ripe cantaloupe apricot and honey and an interesting smoky note with a solid sweet attack followed by great acidity A dessert wine that wonrsquot overpower the dessert
94 raquo parting shot raquo Patrick Hood
Meet Solvar
Solvar belongs to one of the worldrsquos oldest and purest equine lineages the Nor-
wegian Fjord horse a breed that has remained virtually unchanged for more than
2000 yearsmdashlong before we became acquainted with his animated cousins in
the movie Frozen Th ese national symbols of Norway are characterized by primi-
tive zebra striping on their legs and a dorsal stripe running from forelock to tail
resulting in a striking two-tone mane that sticks up like a Mohawk Th eir athleti-
cism agility and dependability make them valuable both as sport horses as well
as therapy horses for emotionally and physically challenged adults and children
Catie Wells of Huntsville is the proud owner of Solvar who resides at Monte
Sano Stables
For tickets or information 256-539-4818 or hsoorg
Bring In the New Year With Us
presents
WHAT A WONDERFUL
WORLDA tribute to Louis
Armstrong featuring the
Byron Stripling Quartet
Thursday December 31
730 pm bull Pops Series bullMark C Smith
Concert Hall VBC
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
M O R E T H A N 7 0 S H O P S A N D R E S T A U R A N T S I N C L U D I N G B E L K | D S W S H O E S | A P P L E J O S A B A N K | R E E D S J E W E L E R S | PA N D O R A | J C R E W | K AT E S PA D E N E W Y O R KO R V I S | B A N A N A R E P U B L I C | M I C H A E L K O R S | F R A N C E S C Arsquo S | A N T H R O P O L O G I EH amp M | S O M A | M O U N T A I N H I G H O U T F I T T E R S | B A R N E S amp N O B L E | S E P H O R AALTAR rsquoD STATE | CONNORS STEAK amp SEFOOD | THE WEST IN HUNTSV I L L E | MONACO P ICTURES
C O M I N G S O O N V E R S O N A ndash near Belk
B R I D G E S T R E E T H U N T S V I L L E C O M |
BR IDGE STREET TOWN CENTRE I S LOCATED AT EX I T 14 OFF I - 565 AT OLD MAD ISON P IKE
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novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
When itrsquos time to move into a bigger house get a home loan from the bank thatrsquos had a home right here for generations You might say we know a thing about location location location synovuscommortgage
Banking products are provided by Synovus Bank Member FDIC Divisions of Synovus Bank operate under multiple trade names across the Southeast Loans products subject to credit approval
When itrsquos time to move into a bigger house get a home
Here is where Henry learned hersquod be getting
SERVING YOU LOCALLY AS
2565513300 | fcb-hsvcom
his own room
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(1) Spiritual GangsterTank ($36)(2) Luquido Yoga Pants ($90)(3) MZ Wallace Metro Tote ($245)(4) Vimmia V back Sweatshirt ($96)(5) Onzie Sports Bra ($48)(6) Olympia Yoga Pants ($96)(7) bkr Water Bottle ($30)The Fitzgerald Pilates amp Barre(256) 603-1886
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novemberdecember | noalastudioscom | novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
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(1) DECCO Umbrella in a Bottle ($1995)(2) Alexa Pulitzer Stationery Set ($14 ea)(3) Ikat Scarf ($6250)Huntsville Museumof Art(256) 535-4350
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novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
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novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
(1) Margaret Solow Grey Moonstoon18KT Necklace ($240) (2) Margaret Solow OpalDiamond Mosaic Necklace ($610) Little Green Storeand Gallery (256) 539-9699
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novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
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novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
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| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) Bib Set ($13)Huntsville Museumof Art(256) 535-4350 (2) Little Light ($25)Tiny Vinestinyvinesshopcom (3) Micro Leon Cardboard Lion ($30)Little Green Storeand Gallery (256) 539-9699 (4) I Love You Like Biscuits amp Gravy ($23)Domaine South(256) 808-8860
(5) Kickee Kimono ($4295)Honey B Boutique(256) 503-2853
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
SURPRISEA LOVED ONE
THIS HOLIDAY SEASON
WITH A FOREVER GIFT
HobbsJewelerscom 8772331347Parkway Place Mall
HuntsvilleHwy 72 West
AthensMain Street
Ardmore TN
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
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novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
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(3) Britt Ryan Dress ($288)Personal Couture Boutique(256) 508-5632
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) Rocket Cosmos Mug ($13)Huntsville Museumof Art(256) 535-4350
(2) Loose Leaf Tea ($399)Piper amp Leaf piperandleafcom (3) Judy Jackson Tea Pot ($56) (4) Gary Watson Cherry Cutting Board ($48-$68) (5) Susan Coe Birthday Cake Plate ($33) Little Green Storeand Gallery (256) 539-9699 (6) Macarons ($116 pcs $221 dozen)Whisk Small Treats Bakery(256) 656-1027
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novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
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novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Guadalupe Robinson
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
text by jennifer crossley howard raquo photos by patrick hood
Of Deft and Dirty Hands
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Huntsville potter Guadalupe Lanning Robinson has spent more than 36 years mastering the
marriage of clay texture and geometric design into her pottery yet time has done little to temper the
plight of waiting
ldquoIt is hard for me to let a pot just dryrdquo she says motioning toward fi ve small wet pots sitting near her
pottery wheel ldquoIrsquom as excited to do this as I was 30 years agordquo
To observe her studio at Lowe Mill that is easy to believe Located on the corridor outside the textile
mill-turned-art centerrsquos main building the loft-like space with a corrugated tin roof feels like a place a
Gabriel Garcia Marquez character would enjoy daydreaming
Sienna-hued pottery sits in various stages to be fi red layered and etched Argentinian tango music
streams from Robinsonrsquos iPhone and two cockatiels a parrot and a parakeet chirp from their cages All
except the parrot fl y freely when Robinson is working
Robinson who is 61 made her fi rst pot in 1979 in her native Mexico City Almost four decades later her
work is part of permanent museum collections in Auburn Huntsville Tuscumbia and Tupelo Missis-
sippi She regularly enters her work in respected juried shows such as the Monte Sano Arts Festival and
the Kentuck Festival of the Arts in Northport and has received two Alabama State Council on the Arts
individual artist fellowships
Her inspiration draws from the villages around her native Mexico City such as the black pottery of
the northwest as well as her acquired Southern culture White lilies corn grids and round female
fi guresmdashldquoreally strong women who are in chargerdquo Robinson saysmdashreappear on her stoneware She uses
natural dyes indigo for color and mixes sand into clay for texture Nothing is wasted
ldquoI donrsquot waste any clayrdquo Robinson says ldquoEverything is recycledrdquo
Robinson fi nds solace in the 40-50 hours a week she puts in at the studio and the often tedious process
of making pots which can take from three weeks to six weeks for larger pots She usually works on two
or three pots at a time tending to groups at diff erent stages
After a pot is thrown on a wheel a piece can take days to dry before its fi rst bisque fi re in which tem-
peratures rise to 1800 F After baking for nine hours the kiln must cool Th e second fi ring rises to 2150
F and matures the clay and melts the glazes to strengthen the piece
ldquoI am an effi cient person by naturerdquo Robinson says ldquoWaiting for the kiln to cool down enough to open
can be nerve wracking and this is when my patience is usually put to the testrdquo
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
ldquoIt is hard for me to let a pot just dry Irsquom as excited to do this as I was 30 years agordquo
Robinson makes most of her pots on a wheel using oxides to change the color of clay she gets from Nashville and Pittsburgh Her pottery takes several weeks from start to fi nish depending on how large a pot is and how many she makes at a time
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
ldquoAttend to your childrenrsquos needs fi rst keep focus on what you want to douse the happiness joy and little breaks you get to make your artTh ey grow real fast and they will keep inspiring you all your liferdquo
Robinson imagined this bat-like design as she was working She usually begins a piece with a design in mind but that often evolves
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Robinson uses an overlay of liquid clay called engobemdashthat includes three to four layersmdashto create a
base on which to design
Th ere is high risk in making pottery and hours of work can be wasted on a pot that has not dried en-
tirely before it enters the kiln Air pockets or the wrong mixture of chemicals can ruin a piece
ldquoArt is involved but science is toordquo says Laura Smith director of education at the Huntsville Museum
of Art where Robinson has taught pottery classes ldquoItrsquos more labor intensive in terms of working with
the medium whether yoursquore building by hand or with a wheel until you fi re with the fi nal layer of glazerdquo
Th e result is sturdy pottery
ldquoI want my pots to look like something that is lasting a long timerdquo Robinson says
Th ough she works solitarily in her studio she says she does not get lonely Her birds and music keep her
company and each stage of pottery making has a soundtrack She uses needlepoint tools to draw onto
clay to Jose Feliciano and other Latin American musicians
ldquoIf Irsquom at the wheel Bruno Marsrdquo she says ldquoIf Irsquom unloading the kiln and something is really awesome
then I need something moving and I have on Motownrdquo
Robinsonrsquos years of experience minimize the risk of damaged pots but she says her greatest challenge
as a potter was balancing her work while raising her two children Now adults their candid childhood
pictures and those of her grandchildren cover the warm green walls of her studio
She met her husband the poet James Robinson in 1977 on a Greyhound bus when she returned to
Mexico City from visiting a friend at the University of Southern Mississippi He was heading to Mexico
to study at a university Th ey married six months later After giving birth to her daughter Annie Jane in
Mexico City in 1982 the family moved to Huntsville in 1985 Th at is when Robinson got more serious
about her pottery
ldquoFrom the very beginning when I moved to Alabama I knew I was going to have to do thisrdquo she said
ldquoIn some ways it was a way for me to keep connected to my heritagerdquo
She took even 15 minutes of free time to work in the studio behind her home and worked late into the
night while her daughter and son Isidoro born in 1987 slept Having a home studio allowed her to
wash clothes tend to her home and drop off lunches at school while maintaining her art
ldquoTh ere was something for me when I fi rst became a mother that fueled my creativityrdquo Robinson says
ldquoTh ey are such a social inspiration too It fi lls your liferdquo
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Robinson advises fellow artists who are mothers to seize
both roles but to prioritize motherhood
ldquoAttend to your childrenrsquos needs fi rst keep focus on what you
want to do use the happiness joy and little breaks you get
to make your artrdquo she says ldquoTh ey grow real fast and they will
keep inspiring you all your liferdquo
Anna Sue Courtney director of the Flying Monkey Arts
Center at Lowe Mill has known Robinson for more than
10 years She says she admires how mothers and artists like
Robinson seamlessly embrace both roles
ldquoIt seems therersquos not a separation between creating and rais-
ing childrenrdquo Courtney says ldquoTh ey seem to pull from the
same placerdquo
Part of Robinsonrsquos motivation at Lowe Mill comes from
working privately in a studio alongside other artists that fos-
ters a community of feedback and ideas
ldquoItrsquos nice to be here because you can take a break and walk around and get inspirationrdquo Courtney says
ldquoItrsquos refreshingrdquo
When she needs a break from the studio Robinson stays home to sketch designs for a day or two then
she is back in the studio
Trips twice a year to Mexico City keep her plugged in to her native culture which in turn shows up in
her pottery
ldquoI have to recharge myselfrdquo Robinson says ldquoI love Huntsville and loved raising my kids here but I still
have the need of going back to be recharged and smell all the smells and see all the colors and get on
the subway and be pushed aroundrdquo
Details from her trips that infl uence her work include the ever-present red that covers the city during
the celebration of Dia de los Muertos or the Day of the Dead Th e pyramids of Teotihuacan conjure
warm earth tones and fl oating gardens around the city yield sweet pungent calla lilies and carnations
Celebration of food tough women and nature reappear in her pottery qualities that both Southern and
Mexican cultures treasure
Above This daisy design is character-istic of Robinsonrsquos work Nature food and strong females from her native Mexico City and the South are strong creative infl uences
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Clockwise from top left Robinson often glazes only the inside of her pots so they can hold water and food She began quilting in 2002 and her quilts like her pottery contain earth tones and natural infl uences in their design Four birds keep Robinson company in what can be the isolating medium of pottery making Geometry and symmetry are two signature elements in Robinsonrsquos work according to Laura Smith director of education at the Huntsville Museum of Art
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Just as she keeps her home country close to her heart Robinson is loyal to her fi rst
love of pottery though she began making quilts in 2002
ldquoIrsquom a potter who likes to quiltrdquo she says
Like her pottery her quilting follows designs of organic nature such as fl owers and
crops on rich jewel tone cotton
ldquoWhen I fi rst saw one of her quilts I didnrsquot realize it was hers and I thought that
looks like it should be Guadalupersquos quiltrdquo Courtney says
Robinson prefers the immediate gratifi cation of clay
ldquoItrsquos a very responsive mediumrdquo she says ldquoYou can manipulate it Th e fact of mak-
ing something out of dirt out of nothing and making it durable making it perma-
nent that after going through the heat and maturing is something very excitingrdquo
She gently dings a pot covered with white dresses titled ldquoTehuana Dressrdquo to make
her point
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
887 FM Muscle Shoals bull 1007 FM Huntsvillewwwaprorg
News classicalmusic and more
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
copy Patrick Hood
text by sara wright covington raquo photos by jacki gil
patrick hood erin lindsey and michelle odom
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
copy Patrick Hood
ldquoA LOT OF PEOPLE HAD BEEN ASKING ME QUESTIONS ABOUTHOW I GOT MY BUSINESS STARTED I WANTED TO GATHER SOME PEOPLE AROUND ME
WHO WERE GOING THROUGH THOSE STRUGGLES AND TOBUILD ENTREPRENEURIAL COURAGErdquo
JACKI GIL SALT+PAPERIE
copy Patrick Hood
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
untsville-born Jacki Gil began her paper design busi-
ness Salt+Paperie in 2014 with an expansive vision
in mind one that extended beyond creating beautiful
custom designed paper goods ldquoI love my design job
but when Irsquom 50 years old I donrsquot see myself still de-
signing wedding invitationsrdquo the master stationer says
ldquoI really have a passion for teaching and helping people
I want to be a mentorrdquo
In 2015 Gil set out on her mentoring mission sooner than expected with a series
of workshops called Encourage Huntsville ldquoA lot of people had been asking me
questions about how I got my business startedrdquo Gil says about the early days of
Salt+Paperie Even though most of those questions from entrepreneurial-hopefuls
were technicalmdashlike how to apply for a business licensemdashthey served as inspira-
tion for Gil ldquoI wanted to gather some people around me who were going through
those struggles and to build entrepreneurial courage I defi nitely saw that there
was a need for helping people to take that next step toward owning their own
businessesrdquo
Encourage Huntsville was modeled on the image of a growing small business
movement called the Rising Tide Society a national community of creative small
business owners who encourage ldquocommunity over competitionrdquo Th at spirit of
openness is at the heart of Encourage Huntsville ldquoCommunity over competition
is a huge part of what we are doingrdquo says Gil ldquoSmall business owners sharing how
they earn their money is a big dealrdquo
As a fi rst step Gil gathered others around her who were using their skills and abili-
ties to make their own small businesses work With talents ranging from cooking
and cake decorating to hand lettering and artwork these small business owners
all embraced Gilrsquos vision for imparting to others the knowledge of their craft un-
impeded by a fear of losing their competitive edge
Th e fi rst lesson Gil wanted to impart to Encourage Huntsvillersquos students wasnrsquot
necessarily a particular craft or skill but a spirt of creative confi dence ldquoWe want-
ed to bridge the gap between the very artsy community and the ultimate engineer
communityrdquo many of whom Gil observes had been told since childhood they
werenrsquot artistic ldquoWhen you are little and someone tells you that you donrsquot have a
talent it sticks with you I found that a lot of people had that experience so that
was the workshop partmdashto build some creative courage in this communityrdquo
Gil conducted the fi rst workshop herself testing the waters to see how the concept
would be received Th e admission price to that fi rst workshop included supplies a
take-home ldquogoody bagrdquo to help students continue their work extracurricularly and
refreshmentsmdashas well as Gilrsquos tips of her trade
ldquoWe went in blindly not knowing if we had a market or notrdquo says Gil Th e popular-
ity of that fi rst class proved undeniably that a market did in fact exist the work-
shop sold out in one day ldquoSo we did back-to-back workshopsrdquo Gil says ldquoAfter that
novemberdecembeeer eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee | nononoononononononoonoonononooooonoonoonnononnoaaalalalllaallllllalaalaaalal ststustust ddiossscom mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm | | | | | | | | | | |
f
w
y
Previous page Encourage Huntsvillersquos founder and instructor Jacki Gil teaches a class in hand lettering Facing page A participant studies her supply list
we realized people really want to do this stuff So we said lsquoletrsquos jump on the boat
and make this happenrsquordquo
Gilrsquos longtime friend photographer Erin Lindsey of Erin Lindsey Images agreed
to contribute to Encourage Huntsvillersquos curriculum by teaching a photography
class ldquoJacki and I are a good team because our hearts are in the same place when
it comes to encouraging othersrdquo Lindsey says Still she admits saying yes to teach-
ing wasnrsquot without some initial hesitation ldquoWhen Jacki asked if I would teach a
class it was kind of scary I thought I had to be perfect before I could teach oth-
ersrdquo Lindsey says of her initial hesitancy ldquoBut after talking to Jacki I realized none
of us are perfectrdquo But perfection isnrsquot the goal encouragement is the goal ldquoAnd I
thought lsquoI can defi nitely line up with that visionrsquordquo
Michelle Odom another Huntsville native and owner of custom cake bakery Just
Crumbs was also on board with Gilrsquos vision In fact Odom had been contemplat-
ing teaching a class when she was approached by Gil to teach a fondant basics
class ldquoHuntsville is such an engineer town and everyone is so mathematical and
scientifi crdquo Odom says echoing the dichotomy between the arts and sciences ex-
pressed by Gil ldquoTh ese workshops are just a very cool way for structured people to
have a creative outletrdquo
ldquoJACKI AND I ARE A GOOD TEAM BECAUSE OUR HEARTS ARE INTHE SAME PLACE WHEN IT COMES TO ENCOURAGING OTHERSrdquo
ERIN LINDSEY ERIN LINDSEY IMAGES
copy Erin Lindsey
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Above A participant in Erin Lindseyrsquos photo class frames a still life
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
copy Erin Lindsey
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
ldquoHUNTSVILLE IS SUCH AN ENGINEER TOWN AND EVERYONE ISSO MATHEMATICAL AND SCIENTIFIC THESE WORKSHOPS ARE JUST A VERY COOL
WAY FOR STRUCTURED PEOPLE TO HAVE A CREATIVE OUTLETrdquo MICHELLE ODOM JUST CRUMBS
copy Michelle Odom
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
ldquoAnd yesrdquo Odom acknowledges ldquoyou are in theory teaching your competition But
at the same time you are helping the community be more creativerdquo
With its roster of popular creative workshops under its belt Encourage Huntsville
has added business classes to its community-over-competition curriculum with
classes designed to provide specifi c guidance for small business owners ldquoAll of
our events that donrsquot require hands-on work we call seminarsrdquo says Gil ldquoWe had
about 15 people at our fi rst one It was pretty much just an open discussion to ask
us questions and get answers from the perspective of a small business ownerrdquo
Th e seminars enjoyed the same success and enthusiasm as the workshops ldquoWe
had two hours for people to ask questionsrdquo Gil says Topics covered ran the gamut
from scheduling daily tasks self-hosting a website or using an Etsy store man-
aging client expectations and being realistic about how much time you need to
complete jobs
ldquoTh e time went quickly and people wanted morerdquo says Gil who envisions an all-
day seminar in 2016
Margaret Baggett owner and executive chef of the Chef Next Door is another
small business owner who has shared Gilrsquos vision from the very beginning teach-
copy Erin Lindsey
Facing page Michelle Odomrsquos fondant basics class begins with a styrofoam cake form Above Newbie photographers familiarize themselves with their cameras in Erin Lindseyrsquos photography class
ing knife skills workshops and helping host the business seminars ldquoI am so proud
to get to be a part of this project and help nurture other small business owners
who may just be starting out on their journey or are deep in it and looking for
some encouragement from other business ownersrdquo Baggett says of what motivates
her participation in Encourage Huntsville ldquoEven being on the advice-giving side
of things I am still learning and have taken tips and tricks and lessons from each
event we have had so far We never stop learning from each other and never stop
improving upon our craftsrdquo
Th e mutual growth among students and teachers is the source of the encourage-
mentmdashand the joymdashof Encourage Huntsville ldquoItrsquos so much fun to see the light
bulbs go off with people and see them encouraged right before your eyesrdquo Lindsey
says of her experience with the program ldquoPlus itrsquos a pleasure to contribute to a
sense of community over competition Th at whole concept is so rarerdquo
As Encourage Huntsvillersquos following continues to grow the diversity of the work-
shops will expand as well Whether you are looking to spend a fun afternoon
learning a new craft or are a budding small business owner hoping to launch
your brand Encourage Huntsville has something valuable to off er ldquoWe encourage
those left-brain folks to take up a new hobby or skillrdquo Baggett says ldquoor just encour-
age the people of Huntsville to get together and fan their creative fl amesrdquo
If yoursquore looking for
creative or entrepreneurial
encouragement visit
encouragehuntsvillecom
for seminar and workshop
schedules and information
ldquoI AM SO PROUD TO GET TO BE A PART OF THIS PROJECT AND HELP NURTURE OTHER SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS WHO MAY JUST BE STARTING OUT ON THEIR JOURNEY OR ARE DEEP IN IT
AND LOOKING FOR SOME ENCOURAGEMENT FROM OTHER BUSINESS OWNERSrdquoMARGARET BAGGETT CHEF NEXT DOOR
copy Jacki Gil
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
copy Jacki Gil
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Participants in Margaret Baggettrsquos knife skills workshop learn to perfect their ldquomise en placerdquo
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
copy Olivia Reed
text by sara wright covington raquo photos by olivia reed and jeff white
HUNTSVILLErsquoS
HOMEGROWNHOSTESS
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
ttttttononononoooooonononooooo raquo praquo praquo praquo praquo phothothothothotosoososos s s osos bybybbybb
Any host will tell you that delicious food and quality libations while important to
a partyrsquos success are secondary to the most important ingredient of all the guest list Th atrsquos why many
of downtown Huntsvillersquos most popular restaurants breweries and wine shops are turning to event
planner Ashley Ryals and her uncanny knack for attracting loyal patronsmdashand creating unforgettable
events in the process
When Huntsville born-and-bred Ashley Ryals left for college at the University of Alabama in 2001
she thought her exit from the Valley was permanent ldquoI never thought I would end up back hererdquo the
founder of event planning company Homegrown Huntsville says with a knowing laugh But after a few
post-graduate years working for world-renowned public relations powerhouse Weber Shandwick in
New York City Ryals started to second guess her freshman declaration
ldquoI started to get homesickrdquo she admits ldquoAll of my friends were getting married and meeting for football
games and I was missing itrdquo So when a friend from home set up an interview at EarlyWorks for a job
doing event planning Ryals jumped at the chance to come home
Ashley spent the next few years planning EarlyWorks Whistle Stop and Santarsquos Village events A brief
stint in sales followed along with a seat on the board of Huntsville Young Professionals where she had
an idea for a downtown pub crawl
ldquoWe expected 20 or 30 peoplerdquo Ryals says of their modest expectations ldquoBut 200 people showed uprdquo
Th at initial success convinced Ryals to embark on her dream of establishing an
event planning company But it wasnrsquot just any event planning company Ryals
had in mind she envisioned one that would collaborate with local businesses
cultivate signature events for the community to enjoy and support small busi-
nesses in the process
Inspired Ryals left her sales job and for the second time in her life came home
again to event planning and Homegrown Huntsville
To help bring her vision to life Ryals collaborated with designer Adrianne Van
Kirk of Fave Creative ldquoAdrianne has been a part of the visual and branding of
Homegrown from the beginning We come up with the event ideas then I get
the ticketing and sales together and she comes back with a logo and the mar-
keting for the event And thatrsquos how it all comes togetherrdquo Ryals says of their
creative process
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
ASHLEY RYALS
copy Olivia Reed
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
ldquoMOST WINE FESTIVALS ACROSS THE COUNTRY HAVE PROVEN RECORDS OF BEING ABLE TO STAY AROUND 15 OR 20 YEARS OR EVEN LONGER AND THE ECONOMIES OF THOSE
CITIES HAVE REALLY GROWN AS A RESULT I WANT BIG SPRING CRUSH TO EVENTUALLY BE THE BIGGEST AND BEST WINE FESTIVAL IN THE STATE OF ALABAMArdquo ASHLEY RYALS
copy Jeff White
copy Jeff White
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
copy Olivia Reed
Homegrown launched in 2011 with what would become its
signature event Dine amp Dash Every second Wednesday
April through October a trolley shuttles patrons between
downtown establishments where they are served a drink
and appetizer before moving on to the next stop
Owner and executive chef Merle Phillips of Th e Eaves was
one of the fi rst restaurants to sign on for Dine amp Dashrsquos de-
but ldquoAshley came to me and said she was starting a trolley
tasting conceptrdquo says Chef Merle ldquoI didnrsquot really know her so
I was taking a chance on the concept she was sellingrdquo
Merle tried it and has been a loyal participant of Dine amp
Dash ever since
ldquoIt was a risk in the beginning but it defi nitely paid off rdquo Chef
Merle says of the experience Pivotal to that experience ac-
cording to Phillips is Ryalsrsquo demonstration to the commu-
nity just what the term ldquohomegrownrdquo really means ldquoAshley
shines a spotlight on independent businesses in a market-
place that has for so long focused on chainsrdquo Phillips says
ldquoDine amp Dash has really brought into sharp focus the inter-
esting culinary diversity that Huntsville has to off errdquo
For the next two years Homegrown Huntsville focused al-
most exclusively on Dine amp Dash which by the end of its fi rst
year included every single downtown restaurant But when
big changes began to appear on the downtown horizonmdash
new restaurants breweries and residential developmentsmdash
Ryalsrsquo instincts told her
the time had come to
introduce a new event
to the downtown cal-
endar
ldquoBeer Hop follows
the concept of Dine
amp Dashrdquo Ryals says of
Homegrownrsquos second
venture which began
in 2013 Each month a
trolley visits three dif-
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
BILL FOWLEROLD TOWN BEER
EXCHANGE
copy Olivia Reed
copy Olivia Reed
ferent breweries where patrons sample beers and enjoy food
from a variety of food trucks parked at each location
Bill Fowler managing partner of Old Town Beer Exchange
agreed to participate in Beer Hop on his very fi rst day of
business and credits Ryals with an overwhelmingly success-
ful opening night ldquoAshley said lsquoI can guarantee that you are
going to have wave after wave of people coming throughrsquordquo
Fowler says recalling that fi rst jittery occasion Once again
Ryals proved true to her word with 60-plus patrons arriving
in an hour-and-a-half ldquoIt was awesome and such a great ex-
perience for usrdquo Fowler raves ldquoAshley is a hard worker and
you can see that in what she doesrdquo
Fowler believes that in addition to bringing new customers
to OTBX Ryals is also cultivating beer education consis-
tently bringing in people who are new to beer and want to
learn And with Huntsvillersquos recent brewery boom that level
of education and interest is crucial for the brewing commu-
nity to thrive ldquoWe have a very small window of opportunityrdquo
says Fowler ldquoI think Huntsville in particular is becoming a
craft brewing community People are making money at this
and once Tennessee sees that we need to already have had a
pretty huge head startrdquo
By the end of 2013 and with standing events Beer Hop and
Dine amp Dash well established Ryals took time to refl ect on
her original goal for Homegrown Huntsville ldquoIn the back of
my head from day one I knew I wanted to do a wine festival
I just didnrsquot think Huntsville was ready for it in 2011rdquo
Emboldened by the success of Beer Hop Ryals decided to
make the leap with Big Spring Crush wine festival later the
same year Once again Ryals delivered the perfect audience
for the event and in the process discovered a surprising
fact about North Alabamarsquos contribution to the wine-mak-
ing industry
ldquoIn doing the wine festival I learned that we have a huge
wine community in Huntsvillerdquo Ryals says ldquoTh ere are only
about 47 certifi ed wine judges in the entire United States
and we have four of them right here in North Alabama Two
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
copy Jeff White
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
ldquoI STARTED TO GET HOMESICK ALL OF MY FRIENDS WERE GETTING MARRIEDAND MEETING FOR FOOTBALL GAMES AND I WAS MISSING ITrdquo ASHLEY RYALS
copy Jeff White
copy Jeff White
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
ldquoIT WAS AWESOME AND SUCH A GREAT EXPERIENCE FOR USrdquoBILL FOWLER OLD TOWN BEER EXCHANGE
copy Jeff White
copy Olivia Reed
of those four certifi ed wine judges sit on the committee for
Big Spring Crushrdquo
Matthew and Stephanie Mell had just opened Church Street
Wine Shop when they decided to participate in the fi rst Big
Spring Crush Like OTBXrsquos Robert Fowler the Mells credit
Ryals and Homegrown Huntsville for helping to introduce
their new enterprise to the community ldquoAshley has been in-
strumental in helping to bring us people who love and ap-
preciate winerdquo Stephanie Mell says ldquoShe was homegrown
here in Huntsville and she really gets the downtown area
and small businesses and that is so important to usrdquo
Big Spring Crush began with a bang featuring over 150
wines and attracting patrons from across the country
ldquoMost wine festivals across the country have proven records
of being able to stay around 15 or 20 years or even longerrdquo
Ryals says ldquoAnd the economies of those cities have really
grown as a result I want Big Spring Crush to eventually be
the biggest and best wine festival in the state of Alabamardquo
How does Ryals intend to make that dream come true ldquoBy
always keeping it fresh I want to have new marketing and
new things happening each yearrdquo
Ryalsrsquo formula of reinvention and expansion has successfully
led Homegrown Huntsville through fi ve years of success and
helped its events become community staples along the way In
the process Ryals is broadening more than just our image of
downtown Huntsville shersquos joining a class of creative entrepre-
neurs committed to expanding Huntsvillersquos reputation as more
than just a hub for the brightest scientifi c minds in America
ldquoWe have a big city of engineers and lawyers and itrsquos won-
derfulrdquo Ryals say ldquo But there is a whole artist and food cul-
ture here and there is so much growth I want us to have a
vibrant cool downtown area and I want for people to tell
their friends to come and visit and to see Huntsville for what
it is a city I loverdquo
If yoursquod like to participate in Homegrown Huntsville either
as a guest or a participating business visit homegrown-
huntsvillecom
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
copy Jeff White
I was years old and the year was At that time the city of Huntsville was inching toward the mountain to the east California Street was once the continental divide between the small town metropo-lis and the uncharted territories gingerly crossed by the real estate pioneers four score and some odd years prior Th is area became the new suburb as the city kept pushing onward toward Fagan Springs as if the reverberating booms of rocket testings were vibrating Hunstvillians away from its epicenter
From the front yard of our house on Owens Drive I could look to the rightmdashup the hill to the bend be-yond which the big houses stood on their rocky ledge pedestals and to the left where all the other houses that looked just like oursmdashfresh and newmdashrambled for what seemed like miles Th ose clean well-lit abodes all seemed the same and granted at my age I knew more about the pets that lived there than I did about the people who owned those manageable mortgages I came to realize that each was diff erent in a way that was permeated by voices smells and furnishings
It is a clicheacute to say that our lives were simpler then because that is just how the current era will be fondly referred to in the future but to a 5-year-old it is the simplicity that brought the joy Th e sixties will always be to me the beginning of the age of manufactured happiness Cheap clean and simple was what was strived for and what was easily obtained Plastic items were plentiful and pretty things could be bought with SampH Green Stamps A few coins in our pocket would transfer us into the most master of manipula-tors with us giving our all to convince our parents for a jaunt to Murdockrsquos for a holiday of wonderment joy and impatience as we would scour the shelves trying to get the most from our meager budget
Owens Drive was the fairly new thoroughfare from which the avenues of three-bedroom-ranchers fi ngered away at planned intervals Th is was the place where newlyweds started their lives homes and families Where girls with last names that had been in the town for generations would change them to those strange and exotic last names of the clean cut newcomers brought here for military purposes Where the housewives would preheat their pristine electric ovens trying to make cheese straws and biscuits that were just like their motherrsquos only to be frustrated as they were never quite the same and where the husbands would follow in their fatherrsquos footsteps by joining the Acme Club and hunting doves on the weekends
Th ere was a swimming pool Certainly not at our house Th e only private pool I remember as a child was one that my grandmother would take me to nestled between huge trees at someonersquos house on Adams Street I would swim with other children my age while our grandmothers chatted smoking cigarettes in cat-eyed anonymity whispering most of their stories so we wouldnrsquot be able to hear But between their
gasps and laughter we would listen hear and learn
Th e Blossomwood pool was a place of designated rules and the sound of bright whistlesmdashwith straight lines and distinctive colors of blue and green I can still feel the Coppertoned oiliness on the skin of the tanned lifeguard as she carried me from the deep end frightened after my fi rst attempt at solo-swimming She knew my name I had no idea who she was
On the other side of the pool was the school my older sister attended It had a style that mim-icked the poolmdashstraight lines cleanmdasha temple to orderliness and good manners It was with
awe that I once watched the young adults there some as old as eleven wind and dance their way around a sky-high fl agpolemdasheach with a diff erent color ribbon until the fi rst (and only) May Pole
I was privy to was completely dressed in its woven bright colors
90 raquo bless their hearts raquo Guy McClure Jr
Huntsville was a magical place for us tail-end baby boomers to grow upmdashbeyond the miracles of the escalator at Pizitz the smiling little lady on the tall stool at the register at Britlings There was a comfort level there that Irsquom not sure is in the minds of the 5-year-olds of today
cat-eyed agasps
Th s
aI w
THE COMFORTS OF BLOSSOMWOOD
In our world of red-bricked carported castles there was a def-inite division of generations Th e children ate separately from the parents went to school as our dads went to work enter-tained our neighborhood friends as quietly as possible and felt safe between our boundaries of Big Cove Road and Hermitage Street While we dined on our Chef Boy-Ar-Dee boxed pizza our parents busied themselves dressing in their dark colors getting ready for a late dinner at Boots having the scent of perfume and face powder trail my mother as she came into the kitchen looking for something with an intense purpose My father would smell of British Sterling and look just as he did when he went to work only happier Th ese nights meant something fun would happenmdashwe would have a babysitter
Babysitters were my introduction into what was and still seems cool Th ey were usually Huntsville High School teen-agers who would put on a show without even knowing it I would drink in their every move word and essence of style To me they were supermodelsmdashmovie starsmdasheven more fa-mous in my eyes than a television weatherman and almost as glamorous as the waitresses at the Waffl e House
Before they would tire of me and my sister and put us to bed they would include us in their world of music and knowledge which I thought was all-encompassing Suddenly our world of Th e Benny Carl Show and Fantasy Playhouse would seem trite and passeacute and we would catch a fl eeting glimpse into what would be in store for us when we too could stay up past 8 pm
Huntsville was a magical place for us tail-end baby boomers to grow upmdashbeyond the miracles of the escalator at Pizitz the smiling little lady on the tall stool at the register at Britlings and that bright colorful Maypole Th ere was a comfort level there that Irsquom not sure is in the minds of the 5-year-olds of todaymdashthe soothing sheltered lack of knowledge of why we were so lucky yet we didnrsquot even know that we were
In the other areas of our Huntsville there was poverty and ra-cial unrestmdashas there was and is in every city I was unaware People of color were always a part of my worldmdashmostly be-cause they had my attention and respect At our house there was Annie my grandmotherrsquos house was fi lled with the joys of Lula and out on the family farm there was strong and smiling Homer and large and huggable Rosamdashall just as much a part of my life as everyone else My life was good and they were instrumental in making it that way
What will the 5-year-olds of today who are lucky enough to be raised on those well-planned streets remember when they surpass their own 50 year mark It is a much more complex world now and there are diff erent concerns with daily changes of fear Youthful innocence is a prize that is encased without a lock Premature maturity is a viable threat and a constant fear But each night tucked in tight in a simple room sleeps tomor-rowrsquos adults who are having sweet dreamsmdashblanketed by the comforts of Blossomwood
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
92 raquo the vine raquo Amy C Collins
BORDEAUX POWER
Where Burgundyrsquos vineyards were established by Benedictine monks patiently growing wine vines with spiritual hearts Bordeauxrsquos vineyards were raised by entrepreneurial laymen who recognized the massive monetary opportunity when the English began drinking down their peasant wine
The city of Bordeaux is Francersquos primary port town on the Atlantic ocean a harbor that has for centuries served as the countryrsquos most important dock Th e regionrsquos history is long and storied with the fi rst written reference to the area dated 379 AD by the Latin poet Ausonius who was also a wine-grower Jump ahead to the year 1152 when Eleanor of Aquitaine married Englandrsquos soon-to-be king Henry Plantagenet and the port and surrounding vineyard land became the source of wine for the English a connection that remains strong even today
Bordeaux produces the worldrsquos most expensive and sought after collector wines the top tier of which make up less than fi ve percent of the regionrsquos total production Th ese names are quickly learned by neophyte wine drinkers wanting to make an impression Chateau Haut-Brion Lafi te Latour and Margaux for example Grown in gravelly soils only a few meters above sea levelmdashin contrast vineyards elsewhere in Europe typically sit between 300 and 900 metersmdashthese wines are some of the most powerful austere and pawed over When young the tannins in these cabernet sauvignon cabernet franc and merlot blends coat the tongue and mouth with a chalky dry sensation akin to sucking on an Earl Grey tea bag and are perhaps best suited to well-fatted rare steak and cigars Th ese are wines built to live for decades Personally I prefer a Bordeaux at least 20 years aged when the tannins have had ample time to calm down and mellow out and more nuanced fl avors come forward Sounds fancy and it is Only in some very lucky circumstances over the past year have I been guest to a bottle of 1990 Clos de Menuts Saint-Eacutemilion and a 1970 Chateau Haut-Brion About once every 10 years Irsquove had the good
fortune to taste a wine older than myself Nice work if you can get it
Where Burgundyrsquos vineyards (Francersquos other classifi ed sought-after region) were established by Benedictine monks patiently growing wine vines with spiritual hearts
Bordeauxrsquos vineyards were raised by entrepreneurial laymen who recognized the massive monetary opportunity when the English began drinking down their peasant wine Th is underscores the second half of my theory as to why Americans
more often American males are so drawn to the wines of Bordeaux Th erersquos an inherent capitalist connection something in the soil Th at the wines are so
unmistakable so distinctively grand and pronounced elixirs exemplifi es the fi rst half of my theory we Americans are not known for our subtlety (To be fair the Chinese are
signifi cant Bordeaux collectors as well)
Philosophy aside Bordeaux is quite a large region that produces beautiful white and red values as well as the rare fi nds out of the populacersquos price range Herersquos the skinny Blending is the game single varietal wines are rare White Bordeaux is typically made from a blend of sauvignon blanc and seacutemillon and sometimes a drop or two of muscadelle ugni blanc or colombard Reds are made primarily from the two cabernets plus merlot with small quantities of petit verdot malbec and carmenegravere occasionally in the mix Th e region is also home to the golden nectar of late ripened seacutemillon sauvignon blanc and muscadelle grapes that have successfully attracted the noble rot a fungus that covers the fruit and drains moisture from inside leaving behind rich sweet grapes without moldy fl avors Chateau drsquoYquem is the most famous of these unfortifi ed dessert wines though there are better bargains from the region
Bordeaux is split by the Gironde river which divides the region into three general areas Th e left bank also known as the Haut-Meacutedoc is where the classifi ed top growths are situated Th ese prestigious estates were named for their exceptional vineyard sites in 1855 a decision nearly unchanged since Today serious collectors invest in Bordeaux futures theoretically locking down lower prices of top
ample time to calm dit is Only in some vede Menuts Saint-Eacutem
fortune to taste a
Wherees
aun
of msignifi
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Follow Amy at pigandvinecom for morestories and wine suggestions
growth estates while the wine is still aging in the cellar Itrsquos the wine tradersquos equivalent to the NASDAQ On the right bank Saint-Eacutemilion and Pommerol are the prized vineyard areas known for their merlot heavy cuveacutees To the south west we fi nd Graves where there are many great values to be had in both white and red bottlings Entre-Deux-Mers which translates to ldquobetween two seasrdquo sits between the Dordogne and Garonne tributaries off the Gironde and is an excellent source for crisp whites
Get started on your Bordeaux experience with these values
Chateau Graville-Lacoste 2014 Graves 75 seacutemillon 20 sauvignon blanc and 5 muscadelle make up this beauty thatrsquos consistently delicious every vintage Crisp and refreshing great with seafood
Chateau Mirambeau 2014 GravesAnother classic blend of 40 sauvignon blanc 40 seacutemillon and 20 muscadelle this lovely white is a bit more fl oral than the Graville-Lacoste Easy drinking and great value
Chateau de Parenchegravere Bordeaux Rouge 201155 merlot 30 cabernet sauvignon and 15 cabernet franc grown in clay heavy soils similar to the right bank of the region Fleshy with good structure and abundant red fruit
Chateau Arnaud Bordeaux Supeacuterieur 2011Supeacuterieur on a Bordeaux label isnrsquot egotistical marketingmdashby law it indicates a wine with up to one degree more alcohol than its AC Bordeaux brethren What it really means is one more degree of body structure and in this case quality Approachable delicious and easy on the wallet
Chateau de Bernadotte Haut-Meacutedoc 2005Th e 2005 vintage in Bordeaux is in the history books with double asterisks Owned by the eminent Pichon Lalande family and made from vineyards in Paulliac one of the more choice growing areas in the region this is an incredible value a top tier Bordeaux for a fraction of the cost
Chateau de Suduiraut Sauternes 2011Ripe cantaloupe apricot and honey and an interesting smoky note with a solid sweet attack followed by great acidity A dessert wine that wonrsquot overpower the dessert
94 raquo parting shot raquo Patrick Hood
Meet Solvar
Solvar belongs to one of the worldrsquos oldest and purest equine lineages the Nor-
wegian Fjord horse a breed that has remained virtually unchanged for more than
2000 yearsmdashlong before we became acquainted with his animated cousins in
the movie Frozen Th ese national symbols of Norway are characterized by primi-
tive zebra striping on their legs and a dorsal stripe running from forelock to tail
resulting in a striking two-tone mane that sticks up like a Mohawk Th eir athleti-
cism agility and dependability make them valuable both as sport horses as well
as therapy horses for emotionally and physically challenged adults and children
Catie Wells of Huntsville is the proud owner of Solvar who resides at Monte
Sano Stables
For tickets or information 256-539-4818 or hsoorg
Bring In the New Year With Us
presents
WHAT A WONDERFUL
WORLDA tribute to Louis
Armstrong featuring the
Byron Stripling Quartet
Thursday December 31
730 pm bull Pops Series bullMark C Smith
Concert Hall VBC
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
M O R E T H A N 7 0 S H O P S A N D R E S T A U R A N T S I N C L U D I N G B E L K | D S W S H O E S | A P P L E J O S A B A N K | R E E D S J E W E L E R S | PA N D O R A | J C R E W | K AT E S PA D E N E W Y O R KO R V I S | B A N A N A R E P U B L I C | M I C H A E L K O R S | F R A N C E S C Arsquo S | A N T H R O P O L O G I EH amp M | S O M A | M O U N T A I N H I G H O U T F I T T E R S | B A R N E S amp N O B L E | S E P H O R AALTAR rsquoD STATE | CONNORS STEAK amp SEFOOD | THE WEST IN HUNTSV I L L E | MONACO P ICTURES
C O M I N G S O O N V E R S O N A ndash near Belk
B R I D G E S T R E E T H U N T S V I L L E C O M |
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When itrsquos time to move into a bigger house get a home loan from the bank thatrsquos had a home right here for generations You might say we know a thing about location location location synovuscommortgage
Banking products are provided by Synovus Bank Member FDIC Divisions of Synovus Bank operate under multiple trade names across the Southeast Loans products subject to credit approval
When itrsquos time to move into a bigger house get a home
Here is where Henry learned hersquod be getting
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novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
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novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Guadalupe Robinson
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
text by jennifer crossley howard raquo photos by patrick hood
Of Deft and Dirty Hands
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Huntsville potter Guadalupe Lanning Robinson has spent more than 36 years mastering the
marriage of clay texture and geometric design into her pottery yet time has done little to temper the
plight of waiting
ldquoIt is hard for me to let a pot just dryrdquo she says motioning toward fi ve small wet pots sitting near her
pottery wheel ldquoIrsquom as excited to do this as I was 30 years agordquo
To observe her studio at Lowe Mill that is easy to believe Located on the corridor outside the textile
mill-turned-art centerrsquos main building the loft-like space with a corrugated tin roof feels like a place a
Gabriel Garcia Marquez character would enjoy daydreaming
Sienna-hued pottery sits in various stages to be fi red layered and etched Argentinian tango music
streams from Robinsonrsquos iPhone and two cockatiels a parrot and a parakeet chirp from their cages All
except the parrot fl y freely when Robinson is working
Robinson who is 61 made her fi rst pot in 1979 in her native Mexico City Almost four decades later her
work is part of permanent museum collections in Auburn Huntsville Tuscumbia and Tupelo Missis-
sippi She regularly enters her work in respected juried shows such as the Monte Sano Arts Festival and
the Kentuck Festival of the Arts in Northport and has received two Alabama State Council on the Arts
individual artist fellowships
Her inspiration draws from the villages around her native Mexico City such as the black pottery of
the northwest as well as her acquired Southern culture White lilies corn grids and round female
fi guresmdashldquoreally strong women who are in chargerdquo Robinson saysmdashreappear on her stoneware She uses
natural dyes indigo for color and mixes sand into clay for texture Nothing is wasted
ldquoI donrsquot waste any clayrdquo Robinson says ldquoEverything is recycledrdquo
Robinson fi nds solace in the 40-50 hours a week she puts in at the studio and the often tedious process
of making pots which can take from three weeks to six weeks for larger pots She usually works on two
or three pots at a time tending to groups at diff erent stages
After a pot is thrown on a wheel a piece can take days to dry before its fi rst bisque fi re in which tem-
peratures rise to 1800 F After baking for nine hours the kiln must cool Th e second fi ring rises to 2150
F and matures the clay and melts the glazes to strengthen the piece
ldquoI am an effi cient person by naturerdquo Robinson says ldquoWaiting for the kiln to cool down enough to open
can be nerve wracking and this is when my patience is usually put to the testrdquo
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
ldquoIt is hard for me to let a pot just dry Irsquom as excited to do this as I was 30 years agordquo
Robinson makes most of her pots on a wheel using oxides to change the color of clay she gets from Nashville and Pittsburgh Her pottery takes several weeks from start to fi nish depending on how large a pot is and how many she makes at a time
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
ldquoAttend to your childrenrsquos needs fi rst keep focus on what you want to douse the happiness joy and little breaks you get to make your artTh ey grow real fast and they will keep inspiring you all your liferdquo
Robinson imagined this bat-like design as she was working She usually begins a piece with a design in mind but that often evolves
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Robinson uses an overlay of liquid clay called engobemdashthat includes three to four layersmdashto create a
base on which to design
Th ere is high risk in making pottery and hours of work can be wasted on a pot that has not dried en-
tirely before it enters the kiln Air pockets or the wrong mixture of chemicals can ruin a piece
ldquoArt is involved but science is toordquo says Laura Smith director of education at the Huntsville Museum
of Art where Robinson has taught pottery classes ldquoItrsquos more labor intensive in terms of working with
the medium whether yoursquore building by hand or with a wheel until you fi re with the fi nal layer of glazerdquo
Th e result is sturdy pottery
ldquoI want my pots to look like something that is lasting a long timerdquo Robinson says
Th ough she works solitarily in her studio she says she does not get lonely Her birds and music keep her
company and each stage of pottery making has a soundtrack She uses needlepoint tools to draw onto
clay to Jose Feliciano and other Latin American musicians
ldquoIf Irsquom at the wheel Bruno Marsrdquo she says ldquoIf Irsquom unloading the kiln and something is really awesome
then I need something moving and I have on Motownrdquo
Robinsonrsquos years of experience minimize the risk of damaged pots but she says her greatest challenge
as a potter was balancing her work while raising her two children Now adults their candid childhood
pictures and those of her grandchildren cover the warm green walls of her studio
She met her husband the poet James Robinson in 1977 on a Greyhound bus when she returned to
Mexico City from visiting a friend at the University of Southern Mississippi He was heading to Mexico
to study at a university Th ey married six months later After giving birth to her daughter Annie Jane in
Mexico City in 1982 the family moved to Huntsville in 1985 Th at is when Robinson got more serious
about her pottery
ldquoFrom the very beginning when I moved to Alabama I knew I was going to have to do thisrdquo she said
ldquoIn some ways it was a way for me to keep connected to my heritagerdquo
She took even 15 minutes of free time to work in the studio behind her home and worked late into the
night while her daughter and son Isidoro born in 1987 slept Having a home studio allowed her to
wash clothes tend to her home and drop off lunches at school while maintaining her art
ldquoTh ere was something for me when I fi rst became a mother that fueled my creativityrdquo Robinson says
ldquoTh ey are such a social inspiration too It fi lls your liferdquo
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Robinson advises fellow artists who are mothers to seize
both roles but to prioritize motherhood
ldquoAttend to your childrenrsquos needs fi rst keep focus on what you
want to do use the happiness joy and little breaks you get
to make your artrdquo she says ldquoTh ey grow real fast and they will
keep inspiring you all your liferdquo
Anna Sue Courtney director of the Flying Monkey Arts
Center at Lowe Mill has known Robinson for more than
10 years She says she admires how mothers and artists like
Robinson seamlessly embrace both roles
ldquoIt seems therersquos not a separation between creating and rais-
ing childrenrdquo Courtney says ldquoTh ey seem to pull from the
same placerdquo
Part of Robinsonrsquos motivation at Lowe Mill comes from
working privately in a studio alongside other artists that fos-
ters a community of feedback and ideas
ldquoItrsquos nice to be here because you can take a break and walk around and get inspirationrdquo Courtney says
ldquoItrsquos refreshingrdquo
When she needs a break from the studio Robinson stays home to sketch designs for a day or two then
she is back in the studio
Trips twice a year to Mexico City keep her plugged in to her native culture which in turn shows up in
her pottery
ldquoI have to recharge myselfrdquo Robinson says ldquoI love Huntsville and loved raising my kids here but I still
have the need of going back to be recharged and smell all the smells and see all the colors and get on
the subway and be pushed aroundrdquo
Details from her trips that infl uence her work include the ever-present red that covers the city during
the celebration of Dia de los Muertos or the Day of the Dead Th e pyramids of Teotihuacan conjure
warm earth tones and fl oating gardens around the city yield sweet pungent calla lilies and carnations
Celebration of food tough women and nature reappear in her pottery qualities that both Southern and
Mexican cultures treasure
Above This daisy design is character-istic of Robinsonrsquos work Nature food and strong females from her native Mexico City and the South are strong creative infl uences
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Clockwise from top left Robinson often glazes only the inside of her pots so they can hold water and food She began quilting in 2002 and her quilts like her pottery contain earth tones and natural infl uences in their design Four birds keep Robinson company in what can be the isolating medium of pottery making Geometry and symmetry are two signature elements in Robinsonrsquos work according to Laura Smith director of education at the Huntsville Museum of Art
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Just as she keeps her home country close to her heart Robinson is loyal to her fi rst
love of pottery though she began making quilts in 2002
ldquoIrsquom a potter who likes to quiltrdquo she says
Like her pottery her quilting follows designs of organic nature such as fl owers and
crops on rich jewel tone cotton
ldquoWhen I fi rst saw one of her quilts I didnrsquot realize it was hers and I thought that
looks like it should be Guadalupersquos quiltrdquo Courtney says
Robinson prefers the immediate gratifi cation of clay
ldquoItrsquos a very responsive mediumrdquo she says ldquoYou can manipulate it Th e fact of mak-
ing something out of dirt out of nothing and making it durable making it perma-
nent that after going through the heat and maturing is something very excitingrdquo
She gently dings a pot covered with white dresses titled ldquoTehuana Dressrdquo to make
her point
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
887 FM Muscle Shoals bull 1007 FM Huntsvillewwwaprorg
News classicalmusic and more
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
copy Patrick Hood
text by sara wright covington raquo photos by jacki gil
patrick hood erin lindsey and michelle odom
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
copy Patrick Hood
ldquoA LOT OF PEOPLE HAD BEEN ASKING ME QUESTIONS ABOUTHOW I GOT MY BUSINESS STARTED I WANTED TO GATHER SOME PEOPLE AROUND ME
WHO WERE GOING THROUGH THOSE STRUGGLES AND TOBUILD ENTREPRENEURIAL COURAGErdquo
JACKI GIL SALT+PAPERIE
copy Patrick Hood
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
untsville-born Jacki Gil began her paper design busi-
ness Salt+Paperie in 2014 with an expansive vision
in mind one that extended beyond creating beautiful
custom designed paper goods ldquoI love my design job
but when Irsquom 50 years old I donrsquot see myself still de-
signing wedding invitationsrdquo the master stationer says
ldquoI really have a passion for teaching and helping people
I want to be a mentorrdquo
In 2015 Gil set out on her mentoring mission sooner than expected with a series
of workshops called Encourage Huntsville ldquoA lot of people had been asking me
questions about how I got my business startedrdquo Gil says about the early days of
Salt+Paperie Even though most of those questions from entrepreneurial-hopefuls
were technicalmdashlike how to apply for a business licensemdashthey served as inspira-
tion for Gil ldquoI wanted to gather some people around me who were going through
those struggles and to build entrepreneurial courage I defi nitely saw that there
was a need for helping people to take that next step toward owning their own
businessesrdquo
Encourage Huntsville was modeled on the image of a growing small business
movement called the Rising Tide Society a national community of creative small
business owners who encourage ldquocommunity over competitionrdquo Th at spirit of
openness is at the heart of Encourage Huntsville ldquoCommunity over competition
is a huge part of what we are doingrdquo says Gil ldquoSmall business owners sharing how
they earn their money is a big dealrdquo
As a fi rst step Gil gathered others around her who were using their skills and abili-
ties to make their own small businesses work With talents ranging from cooking
and cake decorating to hand lettering and artwork these small business owners
all embraced Gilrsquos vision for imparting to others the knowledge of their craft un-
impeded by a fear of losing their competitive edge
Th e fi rst lesson Gil wanted to impart to Encourage Huntsvillersquos students wasnrsquot
necessarily a particular craft or skill but a spirt of creative confi dence ldquoWe want-
ed to bridge the gap between the very artsy community and the ultimate engineer
communityrdquo many of whom Gil observes had been told since childhood they
werenrsquot artistic ldquoWhen you are little and someone tells you that you donrsquot have a
talent it sticks with you I found that a lot of people had that experience so that
was the workshop partmdashto build some creative courage in this communityrdquo
Gil conducted the fi rst workshop herself testing the waters to see how the concept
would be received Th e admission price to that fi rst workshop included supplies a
take-home ldquogoody bagrdquo to help students continue their work extracurricularly and
refreshmentsmdashas well as Gilrsquos tips of her trade
ldquoWe went in blindly not knowing if we had a market or notrdquo says Gil Th e popular-
ity of that fi rst class proved undeniably that a market did in fact exist the work-
shop sold out in one day ldquoSo we did back-to-back workshopsrdquo Gil says ldquoAfter that
novemberdecembeeer eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee | nononoononononononoonoonononooooonoonoonnononnoaaalalalllaallllllalaalaaalal ststustust ddiossscom mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm | | | | | | | | | | |
f
w
y
Previous page Encourage Huntsvillersquos founder and instructor Jacki Gil teaches a class in hand lettering Facing page A participant studies her supply list
we realized people really want to do this stuff So we said lsquoletrsquos jump on the boat
and make this happenrsquordquo
Gilrsquos longtime friend photographer Erin Lindsey of Erin Lindsey Images agreed
to contribute to Encourage Huntsvillersquos curriculum by teaching a photography
class ldquoJacki and I are a good team because our hearts are in the same place when
it comes to encouraging othersrdquo Lindsey says Still she admits saying yes to teach-
ing wasnrsquot without some initial hesitation ldquoWhen Jacki asked if I would teach a
class it was kind of scary I thought I had to be perfect before I could teach oth-
ersrdquo Lindsey says of her initial hesitancy ldquoBut after talking to Jacki I realized none
of us are perfectrdquo But perfection isnrsquot the goal encouragement is the goal ldquoAnd I
thought lsquoI can defi nitely line up with that visionrsquordquo
Michelle Odom another Huntsville native and owner of custom cake bakery Just
Crumbs was also on board with Gilrsquos vision In fact Odom had been contemplat-
ing teaching a class when she was approached by Gil to teach a fondant basics
class ldquoHuntsville is such an engineer town and everyone is so mathematical and
scientifi crdquo Odom says echoing the dichotomy between the arts and sciences ex-
pressed by Gil ldquoTh ese workshops are just a very cool way for structured people to
have a creative outletrdquo
ldquoJACKI AND I ARE A GOOD TEAM BECAUSE OUR HEARTS ARE INTHE SAME PLACE WHEN IT COMES TO ENCOURAGING OTHERSrdquo
ERIN LINDSEY ERIN LINDSEY IMAGES
copy Erin Lindsey
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Above A participant in Erin Lindseyrsquos photo class frames a still life
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
copy Erin Lindsey
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
ldquoHUNTSVILLE IS SUCH AN ENGINEER TOWN AND EVERYONE ISSO MATHEMATICAL AND SCIENTIFIC THESE WORKSHOPS ARE JUST A VERY COOL
WAY FOR STRUCTURED PEOPLE TO HAVE A CREATIVE OUTLETrdquo MICHELLE ODOM JUST CRUMBS
copy Michelle Odom
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
ldquoAnd yesrdquo Odom acknowledges ldquoyou are in theory teaching your competition But
at the same time you are helping the community be more creativerdquo
With its roster of popular creative workshops under its belt Encourage Huntsville
has added business classes to its community-over-competition curriculum with
classes designed to provide specifi c guidance for small business owners ldquoAll of
our events that donrsquot require hands-on work we call seminarsrdquo says Gil ldquoWe had
about 15 people at our fi rst one It was pretty much just an open discussion to ask
us questions and get answers from the perspective of a small business ownerrdquo
Th e seminars enjoyed the same success and enthusiasm as the workshops ldquoWe
had two hours for people to ask questionsrdquo Gil says Topics covered ran the gamut
from scheduling daily tasks self-hosting a website or using an Etsy store man-
aging client expectations and being realistic about how much time you need to
complete jobs
ldquoTh e time went quickly and people wanted morerdquo says Gil who envisions an all-
day seminar in 2016
Margaret Baggett owner and executive chef of the Chef Next Door is another
small business owner who has shared Gilrsquos vision from the very beginning teach-
copy Erin Lindsey
Facing page Michelle Odomrsquos fondant basics class begins with a styrofoam cake form Above Newbie photographers familiarize themselves with their cameras in Erin Lindseyrsquos photography class
ing knife skills workshops and helping host the business seminars ldquoI am so proud
to get to be a part of this project and help nurture other small business owners
who may just be starting out on their journey or are deep in it and looking for
some encouragement from other business ownersrdquo Baggett says of what motivates
her participation in Encourage Huntsville ldquoEven being on the advice-giving side
of things I am still learning and have taken tips and tricks and lessons from each
event we have had so far We never stop learning from each other and never stop
improving upon our craftsrdquo
Th e mutual growth among students and teachers is the source of the encourage-
mentmdashand the joymdashof Encourage Huntsville ldquoItrsquos so much fun to see the light
bulbs go off with people and see them encouraged right before your eyesrdquo Lindsey
says of her experience with the program ldquoPlus itrsquos a pleasure to contribute to a
sense of community over competition Th at whole concept is so rarerdquo
As Encourage Huntsvillersquos following continues to grow the diversity of the work-
shops will expand as well Whether you are looking to spend a fun afternoon
learning a new craft or are a budding small business owner hoping to launch
your brand Encourage Huntsville has something valuable to off er ldquoWe encourage
those left-brain folks to take up a new hobby or skillrdquo Baggett says ldquoor just encour-
age the people of Huntsville to get together and fan their creative fl amesrdquo
If yoursquore looking for
creative or entrepreneurial
encouragement visit
encouragehuntsvillecom
for seminar and workshop
schedules and information
ldquoI AM SO PROUD TO GET TO BE A PART OF THIS PROJECT AND HELP NURTURE OTHER SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS WHO MAY JUST BE STARTING OUT ON THEIR JOURNEY OR ARE DEEP IN IT
AND LOOKING FOR SOME ENCOURAGEMENT FROM OTHER BUSINESS OWNERSrdquoMARGARET BAGGETT CHEF NEXT DOOR
copy Jacki Gil
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
copy Jacki Gil
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Participants in Margaret Baggettrsquos knife skills workshop learn to perfect their ldquomise en placerdquo
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
copy Olivia Reed
text by sara wright covington raquo photos by olivia reed and jeff white
HUNTSVILLErsquoS
HOMEGROWNHOSTESS
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
ttttttononononoooooonononooooo raquo praquo praquo praquo praquo phothothothothotosoososos s s osos bybybbybb
Any host will tell you that delicious food and quality libations while important to
a partyrsquos success are secondary to the most important ingredient of all the guest list Th atrsquos why many
of downtown Huntsvillersquos most popular restaurants breweries and wine shops are turning to event
planner Ashley Ryals and her uncanny knack for attracting loyal patronsmdashand creating unforgettable
events in the process
When Huntsville born-and-bred Ashley Ryals left for college at the University of Alabama in 2001
she thought her exit from the Valley was permanent ldquoI never thought I would end up back hererdquo the
founder of event planning company Homegrown Huntsville says with a knowing laugh But after a few
post-graduate years working for world-renowned public relations powerhouse Weber Shandwick in
New York City Ryals started to second guess her freshman declaration
ldquoI started to get homesickrdquo she admits ldquoAll of my friends were getting married and meeting for football
games and I was missing itrdquo So when a friend from home set up an interview at EarlyWorks for a job
doing event planning Ryals jumped at the chance to come home
Ashley spent the next few years planning EarlyWorks Whistle Stop and Santarsquos Village events A brief
stint in sales followed along with a seat on the board of Huntsville Young Professionals where she had
an idea for a downtown pub crawl
ldquoWe expected 20 or 30 peoplerdquo Ryals says of their modest expectations ldquoBut 200 people showed uprdquo
Th at initial success convinced Ryals to embark on her dream of establishing an
event planning company But it wasnrsquot just any event planning company Ryals
had in mind she envisioned one that would collaborate with local businesses
cultivate signature events for the community to enjoy and support small busi-
nesses in the process
Inspired Ryals left her sales job and for the second time in her life came home
again to event planning and Homegrown Huntsville
To help bring her vision to life Ryals collaborated with designer Adrianne Van
Kirk of Fave Creative ldquoAdrianne has been a part of the visual and branding of
Homegrown from the beginning We come up with the event ideas then I get
the ticketing and sales together and she comes back with a logo and the mar-
keting for the event And thatrsquos how it all comes togetherrdquo Ryals says of their
creative process
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
ASHLEY RYALS
copy Olivia Reed
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
ldquoMOST WINE FESTIVALS ACROSS THE COUNTRY HAVE PROVEN RECORDS OF BEING ABLE TO STAY AROUND 15 OR 20 YEARS OR EVEN LONGER AND THE ECONOMIES OF THOSE
CITIES HAVE REALLY GROWN AS A RESULT I WANT BIG SPRING CRUSH TO EVENTUALLY BE THE BIGGEST AND BEST WINE FESTIVAL IN THE STATE OF ALABAMArdquo ASHLEY RYALS
copy Jeff White
copy Jeff White
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
copy Olivia Reed
Homegrown launched in 2011 with what would become its
signature event Dine amp Dash Every second Wednesday
April through October a trolley shuttles patrons between
downtown establishments where they are served a drink
and appetizer before moving on to the next stop
Owner and executive chef Merle Phillips of Th e Eaves was
one of the fi rst restaurants to sign on for Dine amp Dashrsquos de-
but ldquoAshley came to me and said she was starting a trolley
tasting conceptrdquo says Chef Merle ldquoI didnrsquot really know her so
I was taking a chance on the concept she was sellingrdquo
Merle tried it and has been a loyal participant of Dine amp
Dash ever since
ldquoIt was a risk in the beginning but it defi nitely paid off rdquo Chef
Merle says of the experience Pivotal to that experience ac-
cording to Phillips is Ryalsrsquo demonstration to the commu-
nity just what the term ldquohomegrownrdquo really means ldquoAshley
shines a spotlight on independent businesses in a market-
place that has for so long focused on chainsrdquo Phillips says
ldquoDine amp Dash has really brought into sharp focus the inter-
esting culinary diversity that Huntsville has to off errdquo
For the next two years Homegrown Huntsville focused al-
most exclusively on Dine amp Dash which by the end of its fi rst
year included every single downtown restaurant But when
big changes began to appear on the downtown horizonmdash
new restaurants breweries and residential developmentsmdash
Ryalsrsquo instincts told her
the time had come to
introduce a new event
to the downtown cal-
endar
ldquoBeer Hop follows
the concept of Dine
amp Dashrdquo Ryals says of
Homegrownrsquos second
venture which began
in 2013 Each month a
trolley visits three dif-
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
BILL FOWLEROLD TOWN BEER
EXCHANGE
copy Olivia Reed
copy Olivia Reed
ferent breweries where patrons sample beers and enjoy food
from a variety of food trucks parked at each location
Bill Fowler managing partner of Old Town Beer Exchange
agreed to participate in Beer Hop on his very fi rst day of
business and credits Ryals with an overwhelmingly success-
ful opening night ldquoAshley said lsquoI can guarantee that you are
going to have wave after wave of people coming throughrsquordquo
Fowler says recalling that fi rst jittery occasion Once again
Ryals proved true to her word with 60-plus patrons arriving
in an hour-and-a-half ldquoIt was awesome and such a great ex-
perience for usrdquo Fowler raves ldquoAshley is a hard worker and
you can see that in what she doesrdquo
Fowler believes that in addition to bringing new customers
to OTBX Ryals is also cultivating beer education consis-
tently bringing in people who are new to beer and want to
learn And with Huntsvillersquos recent brewery boom that level
of education and interest is crucial for the brewing commu-
nity to thrive ldquoWe have a very small window of opportunityrdquo
says Fowler ldquoI think Huntsville in particular is becoming a
craft brewing community People are making money at this
and once Tennessee sees that we need to already have had a
pretty huge head startrdquo
By the end of 2013 and with standing events Beer Hop and
Dine amp Dash well established Ryals took time to refl ect on
her original goal for Homegrown Huntsville ldquoIn the back of
my head from day one I knew I wanted to do a wine festival
I just didnrsquot think Huntsville was ready for it in 2011rdquo
Emboldened by the success of Beer Hop Ryals decided to
make the leap with Big Spring Crush wine festival later the
same year Once again Ryals delivered the perfect audience
for the event and in the process discovered a surprising
fact about North Alabamarsquos contribution to the wine-mak-
ing industry
ldquoIn doing the wine festival I learned that we have a huge
wine community in Huntsvillerdquo Ryals says ldquoTh ere are only
about 47 certifi ed wine judges in the entire United States
and we have four of them right here in North Alabama Two
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
copy Jeff White
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
ldquoI STARTED TO GET HOMESICK ALL OF MY FRIENDS WERE GETTING MARRIEDAND MEETING FOR FOOTBALL GAMES AND I WAS MISSING ITrdquo ASHLEY RYALS
copy Jeff White
copy Jeff White
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
ldquoIT WAS AWESOME AND SUCH A GREAT EXPERIENCE FOR USrdquoBILL FOWLER OLD TOWN BEER EXCHANGE
copy Jeff White
copy Olivia Reed
of those four certifi ed wine judges sit on the committee for
Big Spring Crushrdquo
Matthew and Stephanie Mell had just opened Church Street
Wine Shop when they decided to participate in the fi rst Big
Spring Crush Like OTBXrsquos Robert Fowler the Mells credit
Ryals and Homegrown Huntsville for helping to introduce
their new enterprise to the community ldquoAshley has been in-
strumental in helping to bring us people who love and ap-
preciate winerdquo Stephanie Mell says ldquoShe was homegrown
here in Huntsville and she really gets the downtown area
and small businesses and that is so important to usrdquo
Big Spring Crush began with a bang featuring over 150
wines and attracting patrons from across the country
ldquoMost wine festivals across the country have proven records
of being able to stay around 15 or 20 years or even longerrdquo
Ryals says ldquoAnd the economies of those cities have really
grown as a result I want Big Spring Crush to eventually be
the biggest and best wine festival in the state of Alabamardquo
How does Ryals intend to make that dream come true ldquoBy
always keeping it fresh I want to have new marketing and
new things happening each yearrdquo
Ryalsrsquo formula of reinvention and expansion has successfully
led Homegrown Huntsville through fi ve years of success and
helped its events become community staples along the way In
the process Ryals is broadening more than just our image of
downtown Huntsville shersquos joining a class of creative entrepre-
neurs committed to expanding Huntsvillersquos reputation as more
than just a hub for the brightest scientifi c minds in America
ldquoWe have a big city of engineers and lawyers and itrsquos won-
derfulrdquo Ryals say ldquo But there is a whole artist and food cul-
ture here and there is so much growth I want us to have a
vibrant cool downtown area and I want for people to tell
their friends to come and visit and to see Huntsville for what
it is a city I loverdquo
If yoursquod like to participate in Homegrown Huntsville either
as a guest or a participating business visit homegrown-
huntsvillecom
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
copy Jeff White
I was years old and the year was At that time the city of Huntsville was inching toward the mountain to the east California Street was once the continental divide between the small town metropo-lis and the uncharted territories gingerly crossed by the real estate pioneers four score and some odd years prior Th is area became the new suburb as the city kept pushing onward toward Fagan Springs as if the reverberating booms of rocket testings were vibrating Hunstvillians away from its epicenter
From the front yard of our house on Owens Drive I could look to the rightmdashup the hill to the bend be-yond which the big houses stood on their rocky ledge pedestals and to the left where all the other houses that looked just like oursmdashfresh and newmdashrambled for what seemed like miles Th ose clean well-lit abodes all seemed the same and granted at my age I knew more about the pets that lived there than I did about the people who owned those manageable mortgages I came to realize that each was diff erent in a way that was permeated by voices smells and furnishings
It is a clicheacute to say that our lives were simpler then because that is just how the current era will be fondly referred to in the future but to a 5-year-old it is the simplicity that brought the joy Th e sixties will always be to me the beginning of the age of manufactured happiness Cheap clean and simple was what was strived for and what was easily obtained Plastic items were plentiful and pretty things could be bought with SampH Green Stamps A few coins in our pocket would transfer us into the most master of manipula-tors with us giving our all to convince our parents for a jaunt to Murdockrsquos for a holiday of wonderment joy and impatience as we would scour the shelves trying to get the most from our meager budget
Owens Drive was the fairly new thoroughfare from which the avenues of three-bedroom-ranchers fi ngered away at planned intervals Th is was the place where newlyweds started their lives homes and families Where girls with last names that had been in the town for generations would change them to those strange and exotic last names of the clean cut newcomers brought here for military purposes Where the housewives would preheat their pristine electric ovens trying to make cheese straws and biscuits that were just like their motherrsquos only to be frustrated as they were never quite the same and where the husbands would follow in their fatherrsquos footsteps by joining the Acme Club and hunting doves on the weekends
Th ere was a swimming pool Certainly not at our house Th e only private pool I remember as a child was one that my grandmother would take me to nestled between huge trees at someonersquos house on Adams Street I would swim with other children my age while our grandmothers chatted smoking cigarettes in cat-eyed anonymity whispering most of their stories so we wouldnrsquot be able to hear But between their
gasps and laughter we would listen hear and learn
Th e Blossomwood pool was a place of designated rules and the sound of bright whistlesmdashwith straight lines and distinctive colors of blue and green I can still feel the Coppertoned oiliness on the skin of the tanned lifeguard as she carried me from the deep end frightened after my fi rst attempt at solo-swimming She knew my name I had no idea who she was
On the other side of the pool was the school my older sister attended It had a style that mim-icked the poolmdashstraight lines cleanmdasha temple to orderliness and good manners It was with
awe that I once watched the young adults there some as old as eleven wind and dance their way around a sky-high fl agpolemdasheach with a diff erent color ribbon until the fi rst (and only) May Pole
I was privy to was completely dressed in its woven bright colors
90 raquo bless their hearts raquo Guy McClure Jr
Huntsville was a magical place for us tail-end baby boomers to grow upmdashbeyond the miracles of the escalator at Pizitz the smiling little lady on the tall stool at the register at Britlings There was a comfort level there that Irsquom not sure is in the minds of the 5-year-olds of today
cat-eyed agasps
Th s
aI w
THE COMFORTS OF BLOSSOMWOOD
In our world of red-bricked carported castles there was a def-inite division of generations Th e children ate separately from the parents went to school as our dads went to work enter-tained our neighborhood friends as quietly as possible and felt safe between our boundaries of Big Cove Road and Hermitage Street While we dined on our Chef Boy-Ar-Dee boxed pizza our parents busied themselves dressing in their dark colors getting ready for a late dinner at Boots having the scent of perfume and face powder trail my mother as she came into the kitchen looking for something with an intense purpose My father would smell of British Sterling and look just as he did when he went to work only happier Th ese nights meant something fun would happenmdashwe would have a babysitter
Babysitters were my introduction into what was and still seems cool Th ey were usually Huntsville High School teen-agers who would put on a show without even knowing it I would drink in their every move word and essence of style To me they were supermodelsmdashmovie starsmdasheven more fa-mous in my eyes than a television weatherman and almost as glamorous as the waitresses at the Waffl e House
Before they would tire of me and my sister and put us to bed they would include us in their world of music and knowledge which I thought was all-encompassing Suddenly our world of Th e Benny Carl Show and Fantasy Playhouse would seem trite and passeacute and we would catch a fl eeting glimpse into what would be in store for us when we too could stay up past 8 pm
Huntsville was a magical place for us tail-end baby boomers to grow upmdashbeyond the miracles of the escalator at Pizitz the smiling little lady on the tall stool at the register at Britlings and that bright colorful Maypole Th ere was a comfort level there that Irsquom not sure is in the minds of the 5-year-olds of todaymdashthe soothing sheltered lack of knowledge of why we were so lucky yet we didnrsquot even know that we were
In the other areas of our Huntsville there was poverty and ra-cial unrestmdashas there was and is in every city I was unaware People of color were always a part of my worldmdashmostly be-cause they had my attention and respect At our house there was Annie my grandmotherrsquos house was fi lled with the joys of Lula and out on the family farm there was strong and smiling Homer and large and huggable Rosamdashall just as much a part of my life as everyone else My life was good and they were instrumental in making it that way
What will the 5-year-olds of today who are lucky enough to be raised on those well-planned streets remember when they surpass their own 50 year mark It is a much more complex world now and there are diff erent concerns with daily changes of fear Youthful innocence is a prize that is encased without a lock Premature maturity is a viable threat and a constant fear But each night tucked in tight in a simple room sleeps tomor-rowrsquos adults who are having sweet dreamsmdashblanketed by the comforts of Blossomwood
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
92 raquo the vine raquo Amy C Collins
BORDEAUX POWER
Where Burgundyrsquos vineyards were established by Benedictine monks patiently growing wine vines with spiritual hearts Bordeauxrsquos vineyards were raised by entrepreneurial laymen who recognized the massive monetary opportunity when the English began drinking down their peasant wine
The city of Bordeaux is Francersquos primary port town on the Atlantic ocean a harbor that has for centuries served as the countryrsquos most important dock Th e regionrsquos history is long and storied with the fi rst written reference to the area dated 379 AD by the Latin poet Ausonius who was also a wine-grower Jump ahead to the year 1152 when Eleanor of Aquitaine married Englandrsquos soon-to-be king Henry Plantagenet and the port and surrounding vineyard land became the source of wine for the English a connection that remains strong even today
Bordeaux produces the worldrsquos most expensive and sought after collector wines the top tier of which make up less than fi ve percent of the regionrsquos total production Th ese names are quickly learned by neophyte wine drinkers wanting to make an impression Chateau Haut-Brion Lafi te Latour and Margaux for example Grown in gravelly soils only a few meters above sea levelmdashin contrast vineyards elsewhere in Europe typically sit between 300 and 900 metersmdashthese wines are some of the most powerful austere and pawed over When young the tannins in these cabernet sauvignon cabernet franc and merlot blends coat the tongue and mouth with a chalky dry sensation akin to sucking on an Earl Grey tea bag and are perhaps best suited to well-fatted rare steak and cigars Th ese are wines built to live for decades Personally I prefer a Bordeaux at least 20 years aged when the tannins have had ample time to calm down and mellow out and more nuanced fl avors come forward Sounds fancy and it is Only in some very lucky circumstances over the past year have I been guest to a bottle of 1990 Clos de Menuts Saint-Eacutemilion and a 1970 Chateau Haut-Brion About once every 10 years Irsquove had the good
fortune to taste a wine older than myself Nice work if you can get it
Where Burgundyrsquos vineyards (Francersquos other classifi ed sought-after region) were established by Benedictine monks patiently growing wine vines with spiritual hearts
Bordeauxrsquos vineyards were raised by entrepreneurial laymen who recognized the massive monetary opportunity when the English began drinking down their peasant wine Th is underscores the second half of my theory as to why Americans
more often American males are so drawn to the wines of Bordeaux Th erersquos an inherent capitalist connection something in the soil Th at the wines are so
unmistakable so distinctively grand and pronounced elixirs exemplifi es the fi rst half of my theory we Americans are not known for our subtlety (To be fair the Chinese are
signifi cant Bordeaux collectors as well)
Philosophy aside Bordeaux is quite a large region that produces beautiful white and red values as well as the rare fi nds out of the populacersquos price range Herersquos the skinny Blending is the game single varietal wines are rare White Bordeaux is typically made from a blend of sauvignon blanc and seacutemillon and sometimes a drop or two of muscadelle ugni blanc or colombard Reds are made primarily from the two cabernets plus merlot with small quantities of petit verdot malbec and carmenegravere occasionally in the mix Th e region is also home to the golden nectar of late ripened seacutemillon sauvignon blanc and muscadelle grapes that have successfully attracted the noble rot a fungus that covers the fruit and drains moisture from inside leaving behind rich sweet grapes without moldy fl avors Chateau drsquoYquem is the most famous of these unfortifi ed dessert wines though there are better bargains from the region
Bordeaux is split by the Gironde river which divides the region into three general areas Th e left bank also known as the Haut-Meacutedoc is where the classifi ed top growths are situated Th ese prestigious estates were named for their exceptional vineyard sites in 1855 a decision nearly unchanged since Today serious collectors invest in Bordeaux futures theoretically locking down lower prices of top
ample time to calm dit is Only in some vede Menuts Saint-Eacutem
fortune to taste a
Wherees
aun
of msignifi
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Follow Amy at pigandvinecom for morestories and wine suggestions
growth estates while the wine is still aging in the cellar Itrsquos the wine tradersquos equivalent to the NASDAQ On the right bank Saint-Eacutemilion and Pommerol are the prized vineyard areas known for their merlot heavy cuveacutees To the south west we fi nd Graves where there are many great values to be had in both white and red bottlings Entre-Deux-Mers which translates to ldquobetween two seasrdquo sits between the Dordogne and Garonne tributaries off the Gironde and is an excellent source for crisp whites
Get started on your Bordeaux experience with these values
Chateau Graville-Lacoste 2014 Graves 75 seacutemillon 20 sauvignon blanc and 5 muscadelle make up this beauty thatrsquos consistently delicious every vintage Crisp and refreshing great with seafood
Chateau Mirambeau 2014 GravesAnother classic blend of 40 sauvignon blanc 40 seacutemillon and 20 muscadelle this lovely white is a bit more fl oral than the Graville-Lacoste Easy drinking and great value
Chateau de Parenchegravere Bordeaux Rouge 201155 merlot 30 cabernet sauvignon and 15 cabernet franc grown in clay heavy soils similar to the right bank of the region Fleshy with good structure and abundant red fruit
Chateau Arnaud Bordeaux Supeacuterieur 2011Supeacuterieur on a Bordeaux label isnrsquot egotistical marketingmdashby law it indicates a wine with up to one degree more alcohol than its AC Bordeaux brethren What it really means is one more degree of body structure and in this case quality Approachable delicious and easy on the wallet
Chateau de Bernadotte Haut-Meacutedoc 2005Th e 2005 vintage in Bordeaux is in the history books with double asterisks Owned by the eminent Pichon Lalande family and made from vineyards in Paulliac one of the more choice growing areas in the region this is an incredible value a top tier Bordeaux for a fraction of the cost
Chateau de Suduiraut Sauternes 2011Ripe cantaloupe apricot and honey and an interesting smoky note with a solid sweet attack followed by great acidity A dessert wine that wonrsquot overpower the dessert
94 raquo parting shot raquo Patrick Hood
Meet Solvar
Solvar belongs to one of the worldrsquos oldest and purest equine lineages the Nor-
wegian Fjord horse a breed that has remained virtually unchanged for more than
2000 yearsmdashlong before we became acquainted with his animated cousins in
the movie Frozen Th ese national symbols of Norway are characterized by primi-
tive zebra striping on their legs and a dorsal stripe running from forelock to tail
resulting in a striking two-tone mane that sticks up like a Mohawk Th eir athleti-
cism agility and dependability make them valuable both as sport horses as well
as therapy horses for emotionally and physically challenged adults and children
Catie Wells of Huntsville is the proud owner of Solvar who resides at Monte
Sano Stables
For tickets or information 256-539-4818 or hsoorg
Bring In the New Year With Us
presents
WHAT A WONDERFUL
WORLDA tribute to Louis
Armstrong featuring the
Byron Stripling Quartet
Thursday December 31
730 pm bull Pops Series bullMark C Smith
Concert Hall VBC
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
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C O M I N G S O O N V E R S O N A ndash near Belk
B R I D G E S T R E E T H U N T S V I L L E C O M |
BR IDGE STREET TOWN CENTRE I S LOCATED AT EX I T 14 OFF I - 565 AT OLD MAD ISON P IKE
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
When itrsquos time to move into a bigger house get a home loan from the bank thatrsquos had a home right here for generations You might say we know a thing about location location location synovuscommortgage
Banking products are provided by Synovus Bank Member FDIC Divisions of Synovus Bank operate under multiple trade names across the Southeast Loans products subject to credit approval
When itrsquos time to move into a bigger house get a home
Here is where Henry learned hersquod be getting
SERVING YOU LOCALLY AS
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his own room
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(1) Gypsy Pant WarmTribal ($72) (2) Berry High Waist Legging ($88) (3) Long Legging Mathematics ($65) (4) Long Legging Peacock ($65) The FitzgeraldPilates amp Barre(256) 603-1886
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(1) DECCO Umbrella in a Bottle ($1995)(2) Alexa Pulitzer Stationery Set ($14 ea)(3) Ikat Scarf ($6250)Huntsville Museumof Art(256) 535-4350
(4) Emily Ley Grace Journal ($32) (5) Sugar Boo Designs Clutch ($18) (6) Emily Ley Daily Planner ($58) (7) Latika Milk ampHoney Bar ($6) (8) Farm House Fresh Shea Butter Hand Cream ($14) (9) Christen MaxwellZippy ($42) (10) Green Tea Bubble Bath ($32) Sweet Pineapple(256) 964-7563 (11) Goal Getter Cuff ($32)Indigorsquos Boutique(256) 345-6348
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
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novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
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novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
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novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
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novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
SURPRISEA LOVED ONE
THIS HOLIDAY SEASON
WITH A FOREVER GIFT
HobbsJewelerscom 8772331347Parkway Place Mall
HuntsvilleHwy 72 West
AthensMain Street
Ardmore TN
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novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
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novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
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novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Guadalupe Robinson
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
text by jennifer crossley howard raquo photos by patrick hood
Of Deft and Dirty Hands
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Huntsville potter Guadalupe Lanning Robinson has spent more than 36 years mastering the
marriage of clay texture and geometric design into her pottery yet time has done little to temper the
plight of waiting
ldquoIt is hard for me to let a pot just dryrdquo she says motioning toward fi ve small wet pots sitting near her
pottery wheel ldquoIrsquom as excited to do this as I was 30 years agordquo
To observe her studio at Lowe Mill that is easy to believe Located on the corridor outside the textile
mill-turned-art centerrsquos main building the loft-like space with a corrugated tin roof feels like a place a
Gabriel Garcia Marquez character would enjoy daydreaming
Sienna-hued pottery sits in various stages to be fi red layered and etched Argentinian tango music
streams from Robinsonrsquos iPhone and two cockatiels a parrot and a parakeet chirp from their cages All
except the parrot fl y freely when Robinson is working
Robinson who is 61 made her fi rst pot in 1979 in her native Mexico City Almost four decades later her
work is part of permanent museum collections in Auburn Huntsville Tuscumbia and Tupelo Missis-
sippi She regularly enters her work in respected juried shows such as the Monte Sano Arts Festival and
the Kentuck Festival of the Arts in Northport and has received two Alabama State Council on the Arts
individual artist fellowships
Her inspiration draws from the villages around her native Mexico City such as the black pottery of
the northwest as well as her acquired Southern culture White lilies corn grids and round female
fi guresmdashldquoreally strong women who are in chargerdquo Robinson saysmdashreappear on her stoneware She uses
natural dyes indigo for color and mixes sand into clay for texture Nothing is wasted
ldquoI donrsquot waste any clayrdquo Robinson says ldquoEverything is recycledrdquo
Robinson fi nds solace in the 40-50 hours a week she puts in at the studio and the often tedious process
of making pots which can take from three weeks to six weeks for larger pots She usually works on two
or three pots at a time tending to groups at diff erent stages
After a pot is thrown on a wheel a piece can take days to dry before its fi rst bisque fi re in which tem-
peratures rise to 1800 F After baking for nine hours the kiln must cool Th e second fi ring rises to 2150
F and matures the clay and melts the glazes to strengthen the piece
ldquoI am an effi cient person by naturerdquo Robinson says ldquoWaiting for the kiln to cool down enough to open
can be nerve wracking and this is when my patience is usually put to the testrdquo
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
ldquoIt is hard for me to let a pot just dry Irsquom as excited to do this as I was 30 years agordquo
Robinson makes most of her pots on a wheel using oxides to change the color of clay she gets from Nashville and Pittsburgh Her pottery takes several weeks from start to fi nish depending on how large a pot is and how many she makes at a time
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
ldquoAttend to your childrenrsquos needs fi rst keep focus on what you want to douse the happiness joy and little breaks you get to make your artTh ey grow real fast and they will keep inspiring you all your liferdquo
Robinson imagined this bat-like design as she was working She usually begins a piece with a design in mind but that often evolves
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Robinson uses an overlay of liquid clay called engobemdashthat includes three to four layersmdashto create a
base on which to design
Th ere is high risk in making pottery and hours of work can be wasted on a pot that has not dried en-
tirely before it enters the kiln Air pockets or the wrong mixture of chemicals can ruin a piece
ldquoArt is involved but science is toordquo says Laura Smith director of education at the Huntsville Museum
of Art where Robinson has taught pottery classes ldquoItrsquos more labor intensive in terms of working with
the medium whether yoursquore building by hand or with a wheel until you fi re with the fi nal layer of glazerdquo
Th e result is sturdy pottery
ldquoI want my pots to look like something that is lasting a long timerdquo Robinson says
Th ough she works solitarily in her studio she says she does not get lonely Her birds and music keep her
company and each stage of pottery making has a soundtrack She uses needlepoint tools to draw onto
clay to Jose Feliciano and other Latin American musicians
ldquoIf Irsquom at the wheel Bruno Marsrdquo she says ldquoIf Irsquom unloading the kiln and something is really awesome
then I need something moving and I have on Motownrdquo
Robinsonrsquos years of experience minimize the risk of damaged pots but she says her greatest challenge
as a potter was balancing her work while raising her two children Now adults their candid childhood
pictures and those of her grandchildren cover the warm green walls of her studio
She met her husband the poet James Robinson in 1977 on a Greyhound bus when she returned to
Mexico City from visiting a friend at the University of Southern Mississippi He was heading to Mexico
to study at a university Th ey married six months later After giving birth to her daughter Annie Jane in
Mexico City in 1982 the family moved to Huntsville in 1985 Th at is when Robinson got more serious
about her pottery
ldquoFrom the very beginning when I moved to Alabama I knew I was going to have to do thisrdquo she said
ldquoIn some ways it was a way for me to keep connected to my heritagerdquo
She took even 15 minutes of free time to work in the studio behind her home and worked late into the
night while her daughter and son Isidoro born in 1987 slept Having a home studio allowed her to
wash clothes tend to her home and drop off lunches at school while maintaining her art
ldquoTh ere was something for me when I fi rst became a mother that fueled my creativityrdquo Robinson says
ldquoTh ey are such a social inspiration too It fi lls your liferdquo
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Robinson advises fellow artists who are mothers to seize
both roles but to prioritize motherhood
ldquoAttend to your childrenrsquos needs fi rst keep focus on what you
want to do use the happiness joy and little breaks you get
to make your artrdquo she says ldquoTh ey grow real fast and they will
keep inspiring you all your liferdquo
Anna Sue Courtney director of the Flying Monkey Arts
Center at Lowe Mill has known Robinson for more than
10 years She says she admires how mothers and artists like
Robinson seamlessly embrace both roles
ldquoIt seems therersquos not a separation between creating and rais-
ing childrenrdquo Courtney says ldquoTh ey seem to pull from the
same placerdquo
Part of Robinsonrsquos motivation at Lowe Mill comes from
working privately in a studio alongside other artists that fos-
ters a community of feedback and ideas
ldquoItrsquos nice to be here because you can take a break and walk around and get inspirationrdquo Courtney says
ldquoItrsquos refreshingrdquo
When she needs a break from the studio Robinson stays home to sketch designs for a day or two then
she is back in the studio
Trips twice a year to Mexico City keep her plugged in to her native culture which in turn shows up in
her pottery
ldquoI have to recharge myselfrdquo Robinson says ldquoI love Huntsville and loved raising my kids here but I still
have the need of going back to be recharged and smell all the smells and see all the colors and get on
the subway and be pushed aroundrdquo
Details from her trips that infl uence her work include the ever-present red that covers the city during
the celebration of Dia de los Muertos or the Day of the Dead Th e pyramids of Teotihuacan conjure
warm earth tones and fl oating gardens around the city yield sweet pungent calla lilies and carnations
Celebration of food tough women and nature reappear in her pottery qualities that both Southern and
Mexican cultures treasure
Above This daisy design is character-istic of Robinsonrsquos work Nature food and strong females from her native Mexico City and the South are strong creative infl uences
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Clockwise from top left Robinson often glazes only the inside of her pots so they can hold water and food She began quilting in 2002 and her quilts like her pottery contain earth tones and natural infl uences in their design Four birds keep Robinson company in what can be the isolating medium of pottery making Geometry and symmetry are two signature elements in Robinsonrsquos work according to Laura Smith director of education at the Huntsville Museum of Art
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Just as she keeps her home country close to her heart Robinson is loyal to her fi rst
love of pottery though she began making quilts in 2002
ldquoIrsquom a potter who likes to quiltrdquo she says
Like her pottery her quilting follows designs of organic nature such as fl owers and
crops on rich jewel tone cotton
ldquoWhen I fi rst saw one of her quilts I didnrsquot realize it was hers and I thought that
looks like it should be Guadalupersquos quiltrdquo Courtney says
Robinson prefers the immediate gratifi cation of clay
ldquoItrsquos a very responsive mediumrdquo she says ldquoYou can manipulate it Th e fact of mak-
ing something out of dirt out of nothing and making it durable making it perma-
nent that after going through the heat and maturing is something very excitingrdquo
She gently dings a pot covered with white dresses titled ldquoTehuana Dressrdquo to make
her point
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
887 FM Muscle Shoals bull 1007 FM Huntsvillewwwaprorg
News classicalmusic and more
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
copy Patrick Hood
text by sara wright covington raquo photos by jacki gil
patrick hood erin lindsey and michelle odom
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
copy Patrick Hood
ldquoA LOT OF PEOPLE HAD BEEN ASKING ME QUESTIONS ABOUTHOW I GOT MY BUSINESS STARTED I WANTED TO GATHER SOME PEOPLE AROUND ME
WHO WERE GOING THROUGH THOSE STRUGGLES AND TOBUILD ENTREPRENEURIAL COURAGErdquo
JACKI GIL SALT+PAPERIE
copy Patrick Hood
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
untsville-born Jacki Gil began her paper design busi-
ness Salt+Paperie in 2014 with an expansive vision
in mind one that extended beyond creating beautiful
custom designed paper goods ldquoI love my design job
but when Irsquom 50 years old I donrsquot see myself still de-
signing wedding invitationsrdquo the master stationer says
ldquoI really have a passion for teaching and helping people
I want to be a mentorrdquo
In 2015 Gil set out on her mentoring mission sooner than expected with a series
of workshops called Encourage Huntsville ldquoA lot of people had been asking me
questions about how I got my business startedrdquo Gil says about the early days of
Salt+Paperie Even though most of those questions from entrepreneurial-hopefuls
were technicalmdashlike how to apply for a business licensemdashthey served as inspira-
tion for Gil ldquoI wanted to gather some people around me who were going through
those struggles and to build entrepreneurial courage I defi nitely saw that there
was a need for helping people to take that next step toward owning their own
businessesrdquo
Encourage Huntsville was modeled on the image of a growing small business
movement called the Rising Tide Society a national community of creative small
business owners who encourage ldquocommunity over competitionrdquo Th at spirit of
openness is at the heart of Encourage Huntsville ldquoCommunity over competition
is a huge part of what we are doingrdquo says Gil ldquoSmall business owners sharing how
they earn their money is a big dealrdquo
As a fi rst step Gil gathered others around her who were using their skills and abili-
ties to make their own small businesses work With talents ranging from cooking
and cake decorating to hand lettering and artwork these small business owners
all embraced Gilrsquos vision for imparting to others the knowledge of their craft un-
impeded by a fear of losing their competitive edge
Th e fi rst lesson Gil wanted to impart to Encourage Huntsvillersquos students wasnrsquot
necessarily a particular craft or skill but a spirt of creative confi dence ldquoWe want-
ed to bridge the gap between the very artsy community and the ultimate engineer
communityrdquo many of whom Gil observes had been told since childhood they
werenrsquot artistic ldquoWhen you are little and someone tells you that you donrsquot have a
talent it sticks with you I found that a lot of people had that experience so that
was the workshop partmdashto build some creative courage in this communityrdquo
Gil conducted the fi rst workshop herself testing the waters to see how the concept
would be received Th e admission price to that fi rst workshop included supplies a
take-home ldquogoody bagrdquo to help students continue their work extracurricularly and
refreshmentsmdashas well as Gilrsquos tips of her trade
ldquoWe went in blindly not knowing if we had a market or notrdquo says Gil Th e popular-
ity of that fi rst class proved undeniably that a market did in fact exist the work-
shop sold out in one day ldquoSo we did back-to-back workshopsrdquo Gil says ldquoAfter that
novemberdecembeeer eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee | nononoononononononoonoonononooooonoonoonnononnoaaalalalllaallllllalaalaaalal ststustust ddiossscom mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm | | | | | | | | | | |
f
w
y
Previous page Encourage Huntsvillersquos founder and instructor Jacki Gil teaches a class in hand lettering Facing page A participant studies her supply list
we realized people really want to do this stuff So we said lsquoletrsquos jump on the boat
and make this happenrsquordquo
Gilrsquos longtime friend photographer Erin Lindsey of Erin Lindsey Images agreed
to contribute to Encourage Huntsvillersquos curriculum by teaching a photography
class ldquoJacki and I are a good team because our hearts are in the same place when
it comes to encouraging othersrdquo Lindsey says Still she admits saying yes to teach-
ing wasnrsquot without some initial hesitation ldquoWhen Jacki asked if I would teach a
class it was kind of scary I thought I had to be perfect before I could teach oth-
ersrdquo Lindsey says of her initial hesitancy ldquoBut after talking to Jacki I realized none
of us are perfectrdquo But perfection isnrsquot the goal encouragement is the goal ldquoAnd I
thought lsquoI can defi nitely line up with that visionrsquordquo
Michelle Odom another Huntsville native and owner of custom cake bakery Just
Crumbs was also on board with Gilrsquos vision In fact Odom had been contemplat-
ing teaching a class when she was approached by Gil to teach a fondant basics
class ldquoHuntsville is such an engineer town and everyone is so mathematical and
scientifi crdquo Odom says echoing the dichotomy between the arts and sciences ex-
pressed by Gil ldquoTh ese workshops are just a very cool way for structured people to
have a creative outletrdquo
ldquoJACKI AND I ARE A GOOD TEAM BECAUSE OUR HEARTS ARE INTHE SAME PLACE WHEN IT COMES TO ENCOURAGING OTHERSrdquo
ERIN LINDSEY ERIN LINDSEY IMAGES
copy Erin Lindsey
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Above A participant in Erin Lindseyrsquos photo class frames a still life
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
copy Erin Lindsey
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
ldquoHUNTSVILLE IS SUCH AN ENGINEER TOWN AND EVERYONE ISSO MATHEMATICAL AND SCIENTIFIC THESE WORKSHOPS ARE JUST A VERY COOL
WAY FOR STRUCTURED PEOPLE TO HAVE A CREATIVE OUTLETrdquo MICHELLE ODOM JUST CRUMBS
copy Michelle Odom
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
ldquoAnd yesrdquo Odom acknowledges ldquoyou are in theory teaching your competition But
at the same time you are helping the community be more creativerdquo
With its roster of popular creative workshops under its belt Encourage Huntsville
has added business classes to its community-over-competition curriculum with
classes designed to provide specifi c guidance for small business owners ldquoAll of
our events that donrsquot require hands-on work we call seminarsrdquo says Gil ldquoWe had
about 15 people at our fi rst one It was pretty much just an open discussion to ask
us questions and get answers from the perspective of a small business ownerrdquo
Th e seminars enjoyed the same success and enthusiasm as the workshops ldquoWe
had two hours for people to ask questionsrdquo Gil says Topics covered ran the gamut
from scheduling daily tasks self-hosting a website or using an Etsy store man-
aging client expectations and being realistic about how much time you need to
complete jobs
ldquoTh e time went quickly and people wanted morerdquo says Gil who envisions an all-
day seminar in 2016
Margaret Baggett owner and executive chef of the Chef Next Door is another
small business owner who has shared Gilrsquos vision from the very beginning teach-
copy Erin Lindsey
Facing page Michelle Odomrsquos fondant basics class begins with a styrofoam cake form Above Newbie photographers familiarize themselves with their cameras in Erin Lindseyrsquos photography class
ing knife skills workshops and helping host the business seminars ldquoI am so proud
to get to be a part of this project and help nurture other small business owners
who may just be starting out on their journey or are deep in it and looking for
some encouragement from other business ownersrdquo Baggett says of what motivates
her participation in Encourage Huntsville ldquoEven being on the advice-giving side
of things I am still learning and have taken tips and tricks and lessons from each
event we have had so far We never stop learning from each other and never stop
improving upon our craftsrdquo
Th e mutual growth among students and teachers is the source of the encourage-
mentmdashand the joymdashof Encourage Huntsville ldquoItrsquos so much fun to see the light
bulbs go off with people and see them encouraged right before your eyesrdquo Lindsey
says of her experience with the program ldquoPlus itrsquos a pleasure to contribute to a
sense of community over competition Th at whole concept is so rarerdquo
As Encourage Huntsvillersquos following continues to grow the diversity of the work-
shops will expand as well Whether you are looking to spend a fun afternoon
learning a new craft or are a budding small business owner hoping to launch
your brand Encourage Huntsville has something valuable to off er ldquoWe encourage
those left-brain folks to take up a new hobby or skillrdquo Baggett says ldquoor just encour-
age the people of Huntsville to get together and fan their creative fl amesrdquo
If yoursquore looking for
creative or entrepreneurial
encouragement visit
encouragehuntsvillecom
for seminar and workshop
schedules and information
ldquoI AM SO PROUD TO GET TO BE A PART OF THIS PROJECT AND HELP NURTURE OTHER SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS WHO MAY JUST BE STARTING OUT ON THEIR JOURNEY OR ARE DEEP IN IT
AND LOOKING FOR SOME ENCOURAGEMENT FROM OTHER BUSINESS OWNERSrdquoMARGARET BAGGETT CHEF NEXT DOOR
copy Jacki Gil
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
copy Jacki Gil
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Participants in Margaret Baggettrsquos knife skills workshop learn to perfect their ldquomise en placerdquo
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
copy Olivia Reed
text by sara wright covington raquo photos by olivia reed and jeff white
HUNTSVILLErsquoS
HOMEGROWNHOSTESS
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
ttttttononononoooooonononooooo raquo praquo praquo praquo praquo phothothothothotosoososos s s osos bybybbybb
Any host will tell you that delicious food and quality libations while important to
a partyrsquos success are secondary to the most important ingredient of all the guest list Th atrsquos why many
of downtown Huntsvillersquos most popular restaurants breweries and wine shops are turning to event
planner Ashley Ryals and her uncanny knack for attracting loyal patronsmdashand creating unforgettable
events in the process
When Huntsville born-and-bred Ashley Ryals left for college at the University of Alabama in 2001
she thought her exit from the Valley was permanent ldquoI never thought I would end up back hererdquo the
founder of event planning company Homegrown Huntsville says with a knowing laugh But after a few
post-graduate years working for world-renowned public relations powerhouse Weber Shandwick in
New York City Ryals started to second guess her freshman declaration
ldquoI started to get homesickrdquo she admits ldquoAll of my friends were getting married and meeting for football
games and I was missing itrdquo So when a friend from home set up an interview at EarlyWorks for a job
doing event planning Ryals jumped at the chance to come home
Ashley spent the next few years planning EarlyWorks Whistle Stop and Santarsquos Village events A brief
stint in sales followed along with a seat on the board of Huntsville Young Professionals where she had
an idea for a downtown pub crawl
ldquoWe expected 20 or 30 peoplerdquo Ryals says of their modest expectations ldquoBut 200 people showed uprdquo
Th at initial success convinced Ryals to embark on her dream of establishing an
event planning company But it wasnrsquot just any event planning company Ryals
had in mind she envisioned one that would collaborate with local businesses
cultivate signature events for the community to enjoy and support small busi-
nesses in the process
Inspired Ryals left her sales job and for the second time in her life came home
again to event planning and Homegrown Huntsville
To help bring her vision to life Ryals collaborated with designer Adrianne Van
Kirk of Fave Creative ldquoAdrianne has been a part of the visual and branding of
Homegrown from the beginning We come up with the event ideas then I get
the ticketing and sales together and she comes back with a logo and the mar-
keting for the event And thatrsquos how it all comes togetherrdquo Ryals says of their
creative process
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
ASHLEY RYALS
copy Olivia Reed
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
ldquoMOST WINE FESTIVALS ACROSS THE COUNTRY HAVE PROVEN RECORDS OF BEING ABLE TO STAY AROUND 15 OR 20 YEARS OR EVEN LONGER AND THE ECONOMIES OF THOSE
CITIES HAVE REALLY GROWN AS A RESULT I WANT BIG SPRING CRUSH TO EVENTUALLY BE THE BIGGEST AND BEST WINE FESTIVAL IN THE STATE OF ALABAMArdquo ASHLEY RYALS
copy Jeff White
copy Jeff White
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
copy Olivia Reed
Homegrown launched in 2011 with what would become its
signature event Dine amp Dash Every second Wednesday
April through October a trolley shuttles patrons between
downtown establishments where they are served a drink
and appetizer before moving on to the next stop
Owner and executive chef Merle Phillips of Th e Eaves was
one of the fi rst restaurants to sign on for Dine amp Dashrsquos de-
but ldquoAshley came to me and said she was starting a trolley
tasting conceptrdquo says Chef Merle ldquoI didnrsquot really know her so
I was taking a chance on the concept she was sellingrdquo
Merle tried it and has been a loyal participant of Dine amp
Dash ever since
ldquoIt was a risk in the beginning but it defi nitely paid off rdquo Chef
Merle says of the experience Pivotal to that experience ac-
cording to Phillips is Ryalsrsquo demonstration to the commu-
nity just what the term ldquohomegrownrdquo really means ldquoAshley
shines a spotlight on independent businesses in a market-
place that has for so long focused on chainsrdquo Phillips says
ldquoDine amp Dash has really brought into sharp focus the inter-
esting culinary diversity that Huntsville has to off errdquo
For the next two years Homegrown Huntsville focused al-
most exclusively on Dine amp Dash which by the end of its fi rst
year included every single downtown restaurant But when
big changes began to appear on the downtown horizonmdash
new restaurants breweries and residential developmentsmdash
Ryalsrsquo instincts told her
the time had come to
introduce a new event
to the downtown cal-
endar
ldquoBeer Hop follows
the concept of Dine
amp Dashrdquo Ryals says of
Homegrownrsquos second
venture which began
in 2013 Each month a
trolley visits three dif-
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
BILL FOWLEROLD TOWN BEER
EXCHANGE
copy Olivia Reed
copy Olivia Reed
ferent breweries where patrons sample beers and enjoy food
from a variety of food trucks parked at each location
Bill Fowler managing partner of Old Town Beer Exchange
agreed to participate in Beer Hop on his very fi rst day of
business and credits Ryals with an overwhelmingly success-
ful opening night ldquoAshley said lsquoI can guarantee that you are
going to have wave after wave of people coming throughrsquordquo
Fowler says recalling that fi rst jittery occasion Once again
Ryals proved true to her word with 60-plus patrons arriving
in an hour-and-a-half ldquoIt was awesome and such a great ex-
perience for usrdquo Fowler raves ldquoAshley is a hard worker and
you can see that in what she doesrdquo
Fowler believes that in addition to bringing new customers
to OTBX Ryals is also cultivating beer education consis-
tently bringing in people who are new to beer and want to
learn And with Huntsvillersquos recent brewery boom that level
of education and interest is crucial for the brewing commu-
nity to thrive ldquoWe have a very small window of opportunityrdquo
says Fowler ldquoI think Huntsville in particular is becoming a
craft brewing community People are making money at this
and once Tennessee sees that we need to already have had a
pretty huge head startrdquo
By the end of 2013 and with standing events Beer Hop and
Dine amp Dash well established Ryals took time to refl ect on
her original goal for Homegrown Huntsville ldquoIn the back of
my head from day one I knew I wanted to do a wine festival
I just didnrsquot think Huntsville was ready for it in 2011rdquo
Emboldened by the success of Beer Hop Ryals decided to
make the leap with Big Spring Crush wine festival later the
same year Once again Ryals delivered the perfect audience
for the event and in the process discovered a surprising
fact about North Alabamarsquos contribution to the wine-mak-
ing industry
ldquoIn doing the wine festival I learned that we have a huge
wine community in Huntsvillerdquo Ryals says ldquoTh ere are only
about 47 certifi ed wine judges in the entire United States
and we have four of them right here in North Alabama Two
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
copy Jeff White
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
ldquoI STARTED TO GET HOMESICK ALL OF MY FRIENDS WERE GETTING MARRIEDAND MEETING FOR FOOTBALL GAMES AND I WAS MISSING ITrdquo ASHLEY RYALS
copy Jeff White
copy Jeff White
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
ldquoIT WAS AWESOME AND SUCH A GREAT EXPERIENCE FOR USrdquoBILL FOWLER OLD TOWN BEER EXCHANGE
copy Jeff White
copy Olivia Reed
of those four certifi ed wine judges sit on the committee for
Big Spring Crushrdquo
Matthew and Stephanie Mell had just opened Church Street
Wine Shop when they decided to participate in the fi rst Big
Spring Crush Like OTBXrsquos Robert Fowler the Mells credit
Ryals and Homegrown Huntsville for helping to introduce
their new enterprise to the community ldquoAshley has been in-
strumental in helping to bring us people who love and ap-
preciate winerdquo Stephanie Mell says ldquoShe was homegrown
here in Huntsville and she really gets the downtown area
and small businesses and that is so important to usrdquo
Big Spring Crush began with a bang featuring over 150
wines and attracting patrons from across the country
ldquoMost wine festivals across the country have proven records
of being able to stay around 15 or 20 years or even longerrdquo
Ryals says ldquoAnd the economies of those cities have really
grown as a result I want Big Spring Crush to eventually be
the biggest and best wine festival in the state of Alabamardquo
How does Ryals intend to make that dream come true ldquoBy
always keeping it fresh I want to have new marketing and
new things happening each yearrdquo
Ryalsrsquo formula of reinvention and expansion has successfully
led Homegrown Huntsville through fi ve years of success and
helped its events become community staples along the way In
the process Ryals is broadening more than just our image of
downtown Huntsville shersquos joining a class of creative entrepre-
neurs committed to expanding Huntsvillersquos reputation as more
than just a hub for the brightest scientifi c minds in America
ldquoWe have a big city of engineers and lawyers and itrsquos won-
derfulrdquo Ryals say ldquo But there is a whole artist and food cul-
ture here and there is so much growth I want us to have a
vibrant cool downtown area and I want for people to tell
their friends to come and visit and to see Huntsville for what
it is a city I loverdquo
If yoursquod like to participate in Homegrown Huntsville either
as a guest or a participating business visit homegrown-
huntsvillecom
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
copy Jeff White
I was years old and the year was At that time the city of Huntsville was inching toward the mountain to the east California Street was once the continental divide between the small town metropo-lis and the uncharted territories gingerly crossed by the real estate pioneers four score and some odd years prior Th is area became the new suburb as the city kept pushing onward toward Fagan Springs as if the reverberating booms of rocket testings were vibrating Hunstvillians away from its epicenter
From the front yard of our house on Owens Drive I could look to the rightmdashup the hill to the bend be-yond which the big houses stood on their rocky ledge pedestals and to the left where all the other houses that looked just like oursmdashfresh and newmdashrambled for what seemed like miles Th ose clean well-lit abodes all seemed the same and granted at my age I knew more about the pets that lived there than I did about the people who owned those manageable mortgages I came to realize that each was diff erent in a way that was permeated by voices smells and furnishings
It is a clicheacute to say that our lives were simpler then because that is just how the current era will be fondly referred to in the future but to a 5-year-old it is the simplicity that brought the joy Th e sixties will always be to me the beginning of the age of manufactured happiness Cheap clean and simple was what was strived for and what was easily obtained Plastic items were plentiful and pretty things could be bought with SampH Green Stamps A few coins in our pocket would transfer us into the most master of manipula-tors with us giving our all to convince our parents for a jaunt to Murdockrsquos for a holiday of wonderment joy and impatience as we would scour the shelves trying to get the most from our meager budget
Owens Drive was the fairly new thoroughfare from which the avenues of three-bedroom-ranchers fi ngered away at planned intervals Th is was the place where newlyweds started their lives homes and families Where girls with last names that had been in the town for generations would change them to those strange and exotic last names of the clean cut newcomers brought here for military purposes Where the housewives would preheat their pristine electric ovens trying to make cheese straws and biscuits that were just like their motherrsquos only to be frustrated as they were never quite the same and where the husbands would follow in their fatherrsquos footsteps by joining the Acme Club and hunting doves on the weekends
Th ere was a swimming pool Certainly not at our house Th e only private pool I remember as a child was one that my grandmother would take me to nestled between huge trees at someonersquos house on Adams Street I would swim with other children my age while our grandmothers chatted smoking cigarettes in cat-eyed anonymity whispering most of their stories so we wouldnrsquot be able to hear But between their
gasps and laughter we would listen hear and learn
Th e Blossomwood pool was a place of designated rules and the sound of bright whistlesmdashwith straight lines and distinctive colors of blue and green I can still feel the Coppertoned oiliness on the skin of the tanned lifeguard as she carried me from the deep end frightened after my fi rst attempt at solo-swimming She knew my name I had no idea who she was
On the other side of the pool was the school my older sister attended It had a style that mim-icked the poolmdashstraight lines cleanmdasha temple to orderliness and good manners It was with
awe that I once watched the young adults there some as old as eleven wind and dance their way around a sky-high fl agpolemdasheach with a diff erent color ribbon until the fi rst (and only) May Pole
I was privy to was completely dressed in its woven bright colors
90 raquo bless their hearts raquo Guy McClure Jr
Huntsville was a magical place for us tail-end baby boomers to grow upmdashbeyond the miracles of the escalator at Pizitz the smiling little lady on the tall stool at the register at Britlings There was a comfort level there that Irsquom not sure is in the minds of the 5-year-olds of today
cat-eyed agasps
Th s
aI w
THE COMFORTS OF BLOSSOMWOOD
In our world of red-bricked carported castles there was a def-inite division of generations Th e children ate separately from the parents went to school as our dads went to work enter-tained our neighborhood friends as quietly as possible and felt safe between our boundaries of Big Cove Road and Hermitage Street While we dined on our Chef Boy-Ar-Dee boxed pizza our parents busied themselves dressing in their dark colors getting ready for a late dinner at Boots having the scent of perfume and face powder trail my mother as she came into the kitchen looking for something with an intense purpose My father would smell of British Sterling and look just as he did when he went to work only happier Th ese nights meant something fun would happenmdashwe would have a babysitter
Babysitters were my introduction into what was and still seems cool Th ey were usually Huntsville High School teen-agers who would put on a show without even knowing it I would drink in their every move word and essence of style To me they were supermodelsmdashmovie starsmdasheven more fa-mous in my eyes than a television weatherman and almost as glamorous as the waitresses at the Waffl e House
Before they would tire of me and my sister and put us to bed they would include us in their world of music and knowledge which I thought was all-encompassing Suddenly our world of Th e Benny Carl Show and Fantasy Playhouse would seem trite and passeacute and we would catch a fl eeting glimpse into what would be in store for us when we too could stay up past 8 pm
Huntsville was a magical place for us tail-end baby boomers to grow upmdashbeyond the miracles of the escalator at Pizitz the smiling little lady on the tall stool at the register at Britlings and that bright colorful Maypole Th ere was a comfort level there that Irsquom not sure is in the minds of the 5-year-olds of todaymdashthe soothing sheltered lack of knowledge of why we were so lucky yet we didnrsquot even know that we were
In the other areas of our Huntsville there was poverty and ra-cial unrestmdashas there was and is in every city I was unaware People of color were always a part of my worldmdashmostly be-cause they had my attention and respect At our house there was Annie my grandmotherrsquos house was fi lled with the joys of Lula and out on the family farm there was strong and smiling Homer and large and huggable Rosamdashall just as much a part of my life as everyone else My life was good and they were instrumental in making it that way
What will the 5-year-olds of today who are lucky enough to be raised on those well-planned streets remember when they surpass their own 50 year mark It is a much more complex world now and there are diff erent concerns with daily changes of fear Youthful innocence is a prize that is encased without a lock Premature maturity is a viable threat and a constant fear But each night tucked in tight in a simple room sleeps tomor-rowrsquos adults who are having sweet dreamsmdashblanketed by the comforts of Blossomwood
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
92 raquo the vine raquo Amy C Collins
BORDEAUX POWER
Where Burgundyrsquos vineyards were established by Benedictine monks patiently growing wine vines with spiritual hearts Bordeauxrsquos vineyards were raised by entrepreneurial laymen who recognized the massive monetary opportunity when the English began drinking down their peasant wine
The city of Bordeaux is Francersquos primary port town on the Atlantic ocean a harbor that has for centuries served as the countryrsquos most important dock Th e regionrsquos history is long and storied with the fi rst written reference to the area dated 379 AD by the Latin poet Ausonius who was also a wine-grower Jump ahead to the year 1152 when Eleanor of Aquitaine married Englandrsquos soon-to-be king Henry Plantagenet and the port and surrounding vineyard land became the source of wine for the English a connection that remains strong even today
Bordeaux produces the worldrsquos most expensive and sought after collector wines the top tier of which make up less than fi ve percent of the regionrsquos total production Th ese names are quickly learned by neophyte wine drinkers wanting to make an impression Chateau Haut-Brion Lafi te Latour and Margaux for example Grown in gravelly soils only a few meters above sea levelmdashin contrast vineyards elsewhere in Europe typically sit between 300 and 900 metersmdashthese wines are some of the most powerful austere and pawed over When young the tannins in these cabernet sauvignon cabernet franc and merlot blends coat the tongue and mouth with a chalky dry sensation akin to sucking on an Earl Grey tea bag and are perhaps best suited to well-fatted rare steak and cigars Th ese are wines built to live for decades Personally I prefer a Bordeaux at least 20 years aged when the tannins have had ample time to calm down and mellow out and more nuanced fl avors come forward Sounds fancy and it is Only in some very lucky circumstances over the past year have I been guest to a bottle of 1990 Clos de Menuts Saint-Eacutemilion and a 1970 Chateau Haut-Brion About once every 10 years Irsquove had the good
fortune to taste a wine older than myself Nice work if you can get it
Where Burgundyrsquos vineyards (Francersquos other classifi ed sought-after region) were established by Benedictine monks patiently growing wine vines with spiritual hearts
Bordeauxrsquos vineyards were raised by entrepreneurial laymen who recognized the massive monetary opportunity when the English began drinking down their peasant wine Th is underscores the second half of my theory as to why Americans
more often American males are so drawn to the wines of Bordeaux Th erersquos an inherent capitalist connection something in the soil Th at the wines are so
unmistakable so distinctively grand and pronounced elixirs exemplifi es the fi rst half of my theory we Americans are not known for our subtlety (To be fair the Chinese are
signifi cant Bordeaux collectors as well)
Philosophy aside Bordeaux is quite a large region that produces beautiful white and red values as well as the rare fi nds out of the populacersquos price range Herersquos the skinny Blending is the game single varietal wines are rare White Bordeaux is typically made from a blend of sauvignon blanc and seacutemillon and sometimes a drop or two of muscadelle ugni blanc or colombard Reds are made primarily from the two cabernets plus merlot with small quantities of petit verdot malbec and carmenegravere occasionally in the mix Th e region is also home to the golden nectar of late ripened seacutemillon sauvignon blanc and muscadelle grapes that have successfully attracted the noble rot a fungus that covers the fruit and drains moisture from inside leaving behind rich sweet grapes without moldy fl avors Chateau drsquoYquem is the most famous of these unfortifi ed dessert wines though there are better bargains from the region
Bordeaux is split by the Gironde river which divides the region into three general areas Th e left bank also known as the Haut-Meacutedoc is where the classifi ed top growths are situated Th ese prestigious estates were named for their exceptional vineyard sites in 1855 a decision nearly unchanged since Today serious collectors invest in Bordeaux futures theoretically locking down lower prices of top
ample time to calm dit is Only in some vede Menuts Saint-Eacutem
fortune to taste a
Wherees
aun
of msignifi
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Follow Amy at pigandvinecom for morestories and wine suggestions
growth estates while the wine is still aging in the cellar Itrsquos the wine tradersquos equivalent to the NASDAQ On the right bank Saint-Eacutemilion and Pommerol are the prized vineyard areas known for their merlot heavy cuveacutees To the south west we fi nd Graves where there are many great values to be had in both white and red bottlings Entre-Deux-Mers which translates to ldquobetween two seasrdquo sits between the Dordogne and Garonne tributaries off the Gironde and is an excellent source for crisp whites
Get started on your Bordeaux experience with these values
Chateau Graville-Lacoste 2014 Graves 75 seacutemillon 20 sauvignon blanc and 5 muscadelle make up this beauty thatrsquos consistently delicious every vintage Crisp and refreshing great with seafood
Chateau Mirambeau 2014 GravesAnother classic blend of 40 sauvignon blanc 40 seacutemillon and 20 muscadelle this lovely white is a bit more fl oral than the Graville-Lacoste Easy drinking and great value
Chateau de Parenchegravere Bordeaux Rouge 201155 merlot 30 cabernet sauvignon and 15 cabernet franc grown in clay heavy soils similar to the right bank of the region Fleshy with good structure and abundant red fruit
Chateau Arnaud Bordeaux Supeacuterieur 2011Supeacuterieur on a Bordeaux label isnrsquot egotistical marketingmdashby law it indicates a wine with up to one degree more alcohol than its AC Bordeaux brethren What it really means is one more degree of body structure and in this case quality Approachable delicious and easy on the wallet
Chateau de Bernadotte Haut-Meacutedoc 2005Th e 2005 vintage in Bordeaux is in the history books with double asterisks Owned by the eminent Pichon Lalande family and made from vineyards in Paulliac one of the more choice growing areas in the region this is an incredible value a top tier Bordeaux for a fraction of the cost
Chateau de Suduiraut Sauternes 2011Ripe cantaloupe apricot and honey and an interesting smoky note with a solid sweet attack followed by great acidity A dessert wine that wonrsquot overpower the dessert
94 raquo parting shot raquo Patrick Hood
Meet Solvar
Solvar belongs to one of the worldrsquos oldest and purest equine lineages the Nor-
wegian Fjord horse a breed that has remained virtually unchanged for more than
2000 yearsmdashlong before we became acquainted with his animated cousins in
the movie Frozen Th ese national symbols of Norway are characterized by primi-
tive zebra striping on their legs and a dorsal stripe running from forelock to tail
resulting in a striking two-tone mane that sticks up like a Mohawk Th eir athleti-
cism agility and dependability make them valuable both as sport horses as well
as therapy horses for emotionally and physically challenged adults and children
Catie Wells of Huntsville is the proud owner of Solvar who resides at Monte
Sano Stables
For tickets or information 256-539-4818 or hsoorg
Bring In the New Year With Us
presents
WHAT A WONDERFUL
WORLDA tribute to Louis
Armstrong featuring the
Byron Stripling Quartet
Thursday December 31
730 pm bull Pops Series bullMark C Smith
Concert Hall VBC
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
M O R E T H A N 7 0 S H O P S A N D R E S T A U R A N T S I N C L U D I N G B E L K | D S W S H O E S | A P P L E J O S A B A N K | R E E D S J E W E L E R S | PA N D O R A | J C R E W | K AT E S PA D E N E W Y O R KO R V I S | B A N A N A R E P U B L I C | M I C H A E L K O R S | F R A N C E S C Arsquo S | A N T H R O P O L O G I EH amp M | S O M A | M O U N T A I N H I G H O U T F I T T E R S | B A R N E S amp N O B L E | S E P H O R AALTAR rsquoD STATE | CONNORS STEAK amp SEFOOD | THE WEST IN HUNTSV I L L E | MONACO P ICTURES
C O M I N G S O O N V E R S O N A ndash near Belk
B R I D G E S T R E E T H U N T S V I L L E C O M |
BR IDGE STREET TOWN CENTRE I S LOCATED AT EX I T 14 OFF I - 565 AT OLD MAD ISON P IKE
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) Spiritual GangsterTank ($36)(2) Luquido Yoga Pants ($90)(3) MZ Wallace Metro Tote ($245)(4) Vimmia V back Sweatshirt ($96)(5) Onzie Sports Bra ($48)(6) Olympia Yoga Pants ($96)(7) bkr Water Bottle ($30)The Fitzgerald Pilates amp Barre(256) 603-1886
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
(1) Gypsy Pant WarmTribal ($72) (2) Berry High Waist Legging ($88) (3) Long Legging Mathematics ($65) (4) Long Legging Peacock ($65) The FitzgeraldPilates amp Barre(256) 603-1886
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) Jane Tran Hair Clips ($15)(2) bkr Water Bottle ($30)(3) well-kept Tech Wipes ($6)(4) Made with Love Bracelets ($25)(5) Pointe Studio Socks ($12)(6) Bando Too Cold to Hold Coozie ($5)The Fitzgerald Pilates amp Barre(256) 603-1886
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
(1) Shop Bando Coff ee Cup ($14)(2) Shop Bando Pens ($14) (3) Shop Bando Pouch ($26) (4) Shop Bando Coin Purse ($20) The FitzgeraldPilates amp Barre(256) 603-1886
(5) Check Things Off Notepad ($16)(6) Hello From Huntsville Stamp ($12)Salt + Paperie(256) 655-5550
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) Muzzle Loaders Chocolate Bourbon Balls ($1999) (2) Vintage Crystal Decanter ($20) (3) Quench Glassware ($1399) Domaine South(256) 808-8860
(4) The Hella Bitters Old Fashioned Kit ($65)(5) American Bar by Charles Schumann ($2495) Little Green Storeand Gallery (256) 539-9699
(6) Julep Cups ($50)Willowbrook Shoppe (256) 270-7181
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom | novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) DECCO Umbrella in a Bottle ($1995)(2) Alexa Pulitzer Stationery Set ($14 ea)(3) Ikat Scarf ($6250)Huntsville Museumof Art(256) 535-4350
(4) Emily Ley Grace Journal ($32) (5) Sugar Boo Designs Clutch ($18) (6) Emily Ley Daily Planner ($58) (7) Latika Milk ampHoney Bar ($6) (8) Farm House Fresh Shea Butter Hand Cream ($14) (9) Christen MaxwellZippy ($42) (10) Green Tea Bubble Bath ($32) Sweet Pineapple(256) 964-7563 (11) Goal Getter Cuff ($32)Indigorsquos Boutique(256) 345-6348
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
(1) Kilim Pillow ($58) (2) Bejeweled Silver Plate Vase ($144) (3) Bone Clad Box ($375)Willowbrook Shoppe (256) 270-7181
(4) Cowhide Rug ($550)(5) Lucyrsquos Locket ($95) (Original piecemdashselection may vary)Sweet Pineapple(256) 964-7563 (6) Clutch ($65)Department of Agra Culturedeptofagraculturecom
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) Above The Bar Antler on Chain 28rdquo ($3999) (2) Above The Bar Deer wAntler Head 18rdquo ($2999) Indigorsquos Boutique(256) 345-6348
(3) Margaret Solow Labradorite18KT Bezel ($290) (4) Margaret Solow Diamond Crest MoonSilver ($460) (5) Margaret Solow Black Spinel + DiamondSilver ($560) (6) Margaret Solow Double Black Spinel18KT ($260)Little Green Store and Gallery (256) 539-9699
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
(1) Margaret Solow Grey Moonstoon18KT Necklace ($240) (2) Margaret Solow OpalDiamond Mosaic Necklace ($610) Little Green Storeand Gallery (256) 539-9699
(3) One-of-a-kind Eva Ziegler Smokey Quartz and Pyrite Necklace ($406)Eva Ziegler Jewelryevazieglercom
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) Jennifer BehrTurban ($625)(2) Cotton Day Dress ($64)(3) Norma Ishak Cardigan ($375)Finery(256) 429-3429
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) The Lion Sleeps Tonight Bath Bomb ($6) Sweet Pineapple(256) 964-7563
(2) Tiger Jelly Cat ($2250)(3) Dog Tag Teether ($1550)(4) Dinosaur Footie ($3595)Honey B Boutique(256) 503-2853
(5) Young Buck ($25)Tiny Vinestinyvinesshopcom
(6) Bib Set ($13)Huntsville Museumof Art(256) 535-4350
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
(1) Tiny Dancer Bath Bomb ($6)Sweet Pineapple(256) 964-7563
(2) Kickee Mammoth Footie ($3595)(3) Noodle amp Boo Essential Care Kit ($18)(4) Elephant Jelly Cat ($2250)Honey B Boutique(256) 503-2853
(5) ArtFolio Pink Elephant Coloring Tote ($17)Huntsville Museumof Art(256) 535-4350
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) Bib Set ($13)Huntsville Museumof Art(256) 535-4350 (2) Little Light ($25)Tiny Vinestinyvinesshopcom (3) Micro Leon Cardboard Lion ($30)Little Green Storeand Gallery (256) 539-9699 (4) I Love You Like Biscuits amp Gravy ($23)Domaine South(256) 808-8860
(5) Kickee Kimono ($4295)Honey B Boutique(256) 503-2853
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
SURPRISEA LOVED ONE
THIS HOLIDAY SEASON
WITH A FOREVER GIFT
HobbsJewelerscom 8772331347Parkway Place Mall
HuntsvilleHwy 72 West
AthensMain Street
Ardmore TN
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Caftan ($75)Sarah Richey Necklace ($350)Finery(256) 429-3429
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
(1) Chewbead Necklace ($3495)(2) Mayoral Baby Bag ($7995)(3) Mayoral Diaper Changing Pad ($2495)(4) Nursing Scarf ($2695) (5) Kickee Swaddling Blanket ($22)Honey B Boutique(256) 503-2853 (6) Lucy Darling Months Sticker ($25) (7) The Story of You Baby Book by Emily Ley ($62) Sweet Pineapple(256) 964-7563
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) Alwand Vahan 14K Gold and Onyx Ring wDiamond Accent ($2595)(2) Alwand Vanan 14K Gold and Onyx Bracelet wDiamond Accent ($2695)Hobbs Jewelers(877) 233-1347
(3) Britt Ryan Dress ($288)Personal Couture Boutique(256) 508-5632
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) Rocket Cosmos Mug ($13)Huntsville Museumof Art(256) 535-4350
(2) Loose Leaf Tea ($399)Piper amp Leaf piperandleafcom (3) Judy Jackson Tea Pot ($56) (4) Gary Watson Cherry Cutting Board ($48-$68) (5) Susan Coe Birthday Cake Plate ($33) Little Green Storeand Gallery (256) 539-9699 (6) Macarons ($116 pcs $221 dozen)Whisk Small Treats Bakery(256) 656-1027
(7) Truffl es ($185 each)Pizellersquos Confections (256) 513-9745 (8) Olive amp Sinclair Chocolate ($799)Domaine South(256) 808-8860
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
(1) Whisk Note Pad ($8) (2) In the Forest Mixing Bowl ($36) (3) Twig Serving Set ($18)(8) Southern Firefl y Candle ($12)Sweet Pineapple(256) 964-7563
(4) Urchin Bowl ($10)(5) Foodie Dice ($38)(6) 1Canoe2 Wood Recipe Box w Recipe Cards ($6999) Domaine South(256) 808-8860 (7) Growlers ($75 small $95 large)Southern Growlersoutherngrowlercom
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) Tacori 18K Barbados Blue Bold Gem Ring ($660)(2) Tacori 18K Barbados Blue Bold Gem Necklace ($630)(3) Tacori 18K Barbados Blue Bold Gem Bracelet ($990)Hobbs Jewelers(877) 233-1347
(4) BCBG Dress ($328)Personal Couture Boutique(256) 508-5632
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Guadalupe Robinson
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
text by jennifer crossley howard raquo photos by patrick hood
Of Deft and Dirty Hands
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Huntsville potter Guadalupe Lanning Robinson has spent more than 36 years mastering the
marriage of clay texture and geometric design into her pottery yet time has done little to temper the
plight of waiting
ldquoIt is hard for me to let a pot just dryrdquo she says motioning toward fi ve small wet pots sitting near her
pottery wheel ldquoIrsquom as excited to do this as I was 30 years agordquo
To observe her studio at Lowe Mill that is easy to believe Located on the corridor outside the textile
mill-turned-art centerrsquos main building the loft-like space with a corrugated tin roof feels like a place a
Gabriel Garcia Marquez character would enjoy daydreaming
Sienna-hued pottery sits in various stages to be fi red layered and etched Argentinian tango music
streams from Robinsonrsquos iPhone and two cockatiels a parrot and a parakeet chirp from their cages All
except the parrot fl y freely when Robinson is working
Robinson who is 61 made her fi rst pot in 1979 in her native Mexico City Almost four decades later her
work is part of permanent museum collections in Auburn Huntsville Tuscumbia and Tupelo Missis-
sippi She regularly enters her work in respected juried shows such as the Monte Sano Arts Festival and
the Kentuck Festival of the Arts in Northport and has received two Alabama State Council on the Arts
individual artist fellowships
Her inspiration draws from the villages around her native Mexico City such as the black pottery of
the northwest as well as her acquired Southern culture White lilies corn grids and round female
fi guresmdashldquoreally strong women who are in chargerdquo Robinson saysmdashreappear on her stoneware She uses
natural dyes indigo for color and mixes sand into clay for texture Nothing is wasted
ldquoI donrsquot waste any clayrdquo Robinson says ldquoEverything is recycledrdquo
Robinson fi nds solace in the 40-50 hours a week she puts in at the studio and the often tedious process
of making pots which can take from three weeks to six weeks for larger pots She usually works on two
or three pots at a time tending to groups at diff erent stages
After a pot is thrown on a wheel a piece can take days to dry before its fi rst bisque fi re in which tem-
peratures rise to 1800 F After baking for nine hours the kiln must cool Th e second fi ring rises to 2150
F and matures the clay and melts the glazes to strengthen the piece
ldquoI am an effi cient person by naturerdquo Robinson says ldquoWaiting for the kiln to cool down enough to open
can be nerve wracking and this is when my patience is usually put to the testrdquo
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
ldquoIt is hard for me to let a pot just dry Irsquom as excited to do this as I was 30 years agordquo
Robinson makes most of her pots on a wheel using oxides to change the color of clay she gets from Nashville and Pittsburgh Her pottery takes several weeks from start to fi nish depending on how large a pot is and how many she makes at a time
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
ldquoAttend to your childrenrsquos needs fi rst keep focus on what you want to douse the happiness joy and little breaks you get to make your artTh ey grow real fast and they will keep inspiring you all your liferdquo
Robinson imagined this bat-like design as she was working She usually begins a piece with a design in mind but that often evolves
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Robinson uses an overlay of liquid clay called engobemdashthat includes three to four layersmdashto create a
base on which to design
Th ere is high risk in making pottery and hours of work can be wasted on a pot that has not dried en-
tirely before it enters the kiln Air pockets or the wrong mixture of chemicals can ruin a piece
ldquoArt is involved but science is toordquo says Laura Smith director of education at the Huntsville Museum
of Art where Robinson has taught pottery classes ldquoItrsquos more labor intensive in terms of working with
the medium whether yoursquore building by hand or with a wheel until you fi re with the fi nal layer of glazerdquo
Th e result is sturdy pottery
ldquoI want my pots to look like something that is lasting a long timerdquo Robinson says
Th ough she works solitarily in her studio she says she does not get lonely Her birds and music keep her
company and each stage of pottery making has a soundtrack She uses needlepoint tools to draw onto
clay to Jose Feliciano and other Latin American musicians
ldquoIf Irsquom at the wheel Bruno Marsrdquo she says ldquoIf Irsquom unloading the kiln and something is really awesome
then I need something moving and I have on Motownrdquo
Robinsonrsquos years of experience minimize the risk of damaged pots but she says her greatest challenge
as a potter was balancing her work while raising her two children Now adults their candid childhood
pictures and those of her grandchildren cover the warm green walls of her studio
She met her husband the poet James Robinson in 1977 on a Greyhound bus when she returned to
Mexico City from visiting a friend at the University of Southern Mississippi He was heading to Mexico
to study at a university Th ey married six months later After giving birth to her daughter Annie Jane in
Mexico City in 1982 the family moved to Huntsville in 1985 Th at is when Robinson got more serious
about her pottery
ldquoFrom the very beginning when I moved to Alabama I knew I was going to have to do thisrdquo she said
ldquoIn some ways it was a way for me to keep connected to my heritagerdquo
She took even 15 minutes of free time to work in the studio behind her home and worked late into the
night while her daughter and son Isidoro born in 1987 slept Having a home studio allowed her to
wash clothes tend to her home and drop off lunches at school while maintaining her art
ldquoTh ere was something for me when I fi rst became a mother that fueled my creativityrdquo Robinson says
ldquoTh ey are such a social inspiration too It fi lls your liferdquo
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Robinson advises fellow artists who are mothers to seize
both roles but to prioritize motherhood
ldquoAttend to your childrenrsquos needs fi rst keep focus on what you
want to do use the happiness joy and little breaks you get
to make your artrdquo she says ldquoTh ey grow real fast and they will
keep inspiring you all your liferdquo
Anna Sue Courtney director of the Flying Monkey Arts
Center at Lowe Mill has known Robinson for more than
10 years She says she admires how mothers and artists like
Robinson seamlessly embrace both roles
ldquoIt seems therersquos not a separation between creating and rais-
ing childrenrdquo Courtney says ldquoTh ey seem to pull from the
same placerdquo
Part of Robinsonrsquos motivation at Lowe Mill comes from
working privately in a studio alongside other artists that fos-
ters a community of feedback and ideas
ldquoItrsquos nice to be here because you can take a break and walk around and get inspirationrdquo Courtney says
ldquoItrsquos refreshingrdquo
When she needs a break from the studio Robinson stays home to sketch designs for a day or two then
she is back in the studio
Trips twice a year to Mexico City keep her plugged in to her native culture which in turn shows up in
her pottery
ldquoI have to recharge myselfrdquo Robinson says ldquoI love Huntsville and loved raising my kids here but I still
have the need of going back to be recharged and smell all the smells and see all the colors and get on
the subway and be pushed aroundrdquo
Details from her trips that infl uence her work include the ever-present red that covers the city during
the celebration of Dia de los Muertos or the Day of the Dead Th e pyramids of Teotihuacan conjure
warm earth tones and fl oating gardens around the city yield sweet pungent calla lilies and carnations
Celebration of food tough women and nature reappear in her pottery qualities that both Southern and
Mexican cultures treasure
Above This daisy design is character-istic of Robinsonrsquos work Nature food and strong females from her native Mexico City and the South are strong creative infl uences
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Clockwise from top left Robinson often glazes only the inside of her pots so they can hold water and food She began quilting in 2002 and her quilts like her pottery contain earth tones and natural infl uences in their design Four birds keep Robinson company in what can be the isolating medium of pottery making Geometry and symmetry are two signature elements in Robinsonrsquos work according to Laura Smith director of education at the Huntsville Museum of Art
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Just as she keeps her home country close to her heart Robinson is loyal to her fi rst
love of pottery though she began making quilts in 2002
ldquoIrsquom a potter who likes to quiltrdquo she says
Like her pottery her quilting follows designs of organic nature such as fl owers and
crops on rich jewel tone cotton
ldquoWhen I fi rst saw one of her quilts I didnrsquot realize it was hers and I thought that
looks like it should be Guadalupersquos quiltrdquo Courtney says
Robinson prefers the immediate gratifi cation of clay
ldquoItrsquos a very responsive mediumrdquo she says ldquoYou can manipulate it Th e fact of mak-
ing something out of dirt out of nothing and making it durable making it perma-
nent that after going through the heat and maturing is something very excitingrdquo
She gently dings a pot covered with white dresses titled ldquoTehuana Dressrdquo to make
her point
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
887 FM Muscle Shoals bull 1007 FM Huntsvillewwwaprorg
News classicalmusic and more
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
copy Patrick Hood
text by sara wright covington raquo photos by jacki gil
patrick hood erin lindsey and michelle odom
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
copy Patrick Hood
ldquoA LOT OF PEOPLE HAD BEEN ASKING ME QUESTIONS ABOUTHOW I GOT MY BUSINESS STARTED I WANTED TO GATHER SOME PEOPLE AROUND ME
WHO WERE GOING THROUGH THOSE STRUGGLES AND TOBUILD ENTREPRENEURIAL COURAGErdquo
JACKI GIL SALT+PAPERIE
copy Patrick Hood
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
untsville-born Jacki Gil began her paper design busi-
ness Salt+Paperie in 2014 with an expansive vision
in mind one that extended beyond creating beautiful
custom designed paper goods ldquoI love my design job
but when Irsquom 50 years old I donrsquot see myself still de-
signing wedding invitationsrdquo the master stationer says
ldquoI really have a passion for teaching and helping people
I want to be a mentorrdquo
In 2015 Gil set out on her mentoring mission sooner than expected with a series
of workshops called Encourage Huntsville ldquoA lot of people had been asking me
questions about how I got my business startedrdquo Gil says about the early days of
Salt+Paperie Even though most of those questions from entrepreneurial-hopefuls
were technicalmdashlike how to apply for a business licensemdashthey served as inspira-
tion for Gil ldquoI wanted to gather some people around me who were going through
those struggles and to build entrepreneurial courage I defi nitely saw that there
was a need for helping people to take that next step toward owning their own
businessesrdquo
Encourage Huntsville was modeled on the image of a growing small business
movement called the Rising Tide Society a national community of creative small
business owners who encourage ldquocommunity over competitionrdquo Th at spirit of
openness is at the heart of Encourage Huntsville ldquoCommunity over competition
is a huge part of what we are doingrdquo says Gil ldquoSmall business owners sharing how
they earn their money is a big dealrdquo
As a fi rst step Gil gathered others around her who were using their skills and abili-
ties to make their own small businesses work With talents ranging from cooking
and cake decorating to hand lettering and artwork these small business owners
all embraced Gilrsquos vision for imparting to others the knowledge of their craft un-
impeded by a fear of losing their competitive edge
Th e fi rst lesson Gil wanted to impart to Encourage Huntsvillersquos students wasnrsquot
necessarily a particular craft or skill but a spirt of creative confi dence ldquoWe want-
ed to bridge the gap between the very artsy community and the ultimate engineer
communityrdquo many of whom Gil observes had been told since childhood they
werenrsquot artistic ldquoWhen you are little and someone tells you that you donrsquot have a
talent it sticks with you I found that a lot of people had that experience so that
was the workshop partmdashto build some creative courage in this communityrdquo
Gil conducted the fi rst workshop herself testing the waters to see how the concept
would be received Th e admission price to that fi rst workshop included supplies a
take-home ldquogoody bagrdquo to help students continue their work extracurricularly and
refreshmentsmdashas well as Gilrsquos tips of her trade
ldquoWe went in blindly not knowing if we had a market or notrdquo says Gil Th e popular-
ity of that fi rst class proved undeniably that a market did in fact exist the work-
shop sold out in one day ldquoSo we did back-to-back workshopsrdquo Gil says ldquoAfter that
novemberdecembeeer eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee | nononoononononononoonoonononooooonoonoonnononnoaaalalalllaallllllalaalaaalal ststustust ddiossscom mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm | | | | | | | | | | |
f
w
y
Previous page Encourage Huntsvillersquos founder and instructor Jacki Gil teaches a class in hand lettering Facing page A participant studies her supply list
we realized people really want to do this stuff So we said lsquoletrsquos jump on the boat
and make this happenrsquordquo
Gilrsquos longtime friend photographer Erin Lindsey of Erin Lindsey Images agreed
to contribute to Encourage Huntsvillersquos curriculum by teaching a photography
class ldquoJacki and I are a good team because our hearts are in the same place when
it comes to encouraging othersrdquo Lindsey says Still she admits saying yes to teach-
ing wasnrsquot without some initial hesitation ldquoWhen Jacki asked if I would teach a
class it was kind of scary I thought I had to be perfect before I could teach oth-
ersrdquo Lindsey says of her initial hesitancy ldquoBut after talking to Jacki I realized none
of us are perfectrdquo But perfection isnrsquot the goal encouragement is the goal ldquoAnd I
thought lsquoI can defi nitely line up with that visionrsquordquo
Michelle Odom another Huntsville native and owner of custom cake bakery Just
Crumbs was also on board with Gilrsquos vision In fact Odom had been contemplat-
ing teaching a class when she was approached by Gil to teach a fondant basics
class ldquoHuntsville is such an engineer town and everyone is so mathematical and
scientifi crdquo Odom says echoing the dichotomy between the arts and sciences ex-
pressed by Gil ldquoTh ese workshops are just a very cool way for structured people to
have a creative outletrdquo
ldquoJACKI AND I ARE A GOOD TEAM BECAUSE OUR HEARTS ARE INTHE SAME PLACE WHEN IT COMES TO ENCOURAGING OTHERSrdquo
ERIN LINDSEY ERIN LINDSEY IMAGES
copy Erin Lindsey
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Above A participant in Erin Lindseyrsquos photo class frames a still life
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
copy Erin Lindsey
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
ldquoHUNTSVILLE IS SUCH AN ENGINEER TOWN AND EVERYONE ISSO MATHEMATICAL AND SCIENTIFIC THESE WORKSHOPS ARE JUST A VERY COOL
WAY FOR STRUCTURED PEOPLE TO HAVE A CREATIVE OUTLETrdquo MICHELLE ODOM JUST CRUMBS
copy Michelle Odom
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
ldquoAnd yesrdquo Odom acknowledges ldquoyou are in theory teaching your competition But
at the same time you are helping the community be more creativerdquo
With its roster of popular creative workshops under its belt Encourage Huntsville
has added business classes to its community-over-competition curriculum with
classes designed to provide specifi c guidance for small business owners ldquoAll of
our events that donrsquot require hands-on work we call seminarsrdquo says Gil ldquoWe had
about 15 people at our fi rst one It was pretty much just an open discussion to ask
us questions and get answers from the perspective of a small business ownerrdquo
Th e seminars enjoyed the same success and enthusiasm as the workshops ldquoWe
had two hours for people to ask questionsrdquo Gil says Topics covered ran the gamut
from scheduling daily tasks self-hosting a website or using an Etsy store man-
aging client expectations and being realistic about how much time you need to
complete jobs
ldquoTh e time went quickly and people wanted morerdquo says Gil who envisions an all-
day seminar in 2016
Margaret Baggett owner and executive chef of the Chef Next Door is another
small business owner who has shared Gilrsquos vision from the very beginning teach-
copy Erin Lindsey
Facing page Michelle Odomrsquos fondant basics class begins with a styrofoam cake form Above Newbie photographers familiarize themselves with their cameras in Erin Lindseyrsquos photography class
ing knife skills workshops and helping host the business seminars ldquoI am so proud
to get to be a part of this project and help nurture other small business owners
who may just be starting out on their journey or are deep in it and looking for
some encouragement from other business ownersrdquo Baggett says of what motivates
her participation in Encourage Huntsville ldquoEven being on the advice-giving side
of things I am still learning and have taken tips and tricks and lessons from each
event we have had so far We never stop learning from each other and never stop
improving upon our craftsrdquo
Th e mutual growth among students and teachers is the source of the encourage-
mentmdashand the joymdashof Encourage Huntsville ldquoItrsquos so much fun to see the light
bulbs go off with people and see them encouraged right before your eyesrdquo Lindsey
says of her experience with the program ldquoPlus itrsquos a pleasure to contribute to a
sense of community over competition Th at whole concept is so rarerdquo
As Encourage Huntsvillersquos following continues to grow the diversity of the work-
shops will expand as well Whether you are looking to spend a fun afternoon
learning a new craft or are a budding small business owner hoping to launch
your brand Encourage Huntsville has something valuable to off er ldquoWe encourage
those left-brain folks to take up a new hobby or skillrdquo Baggett says ldquoor just encour-
age the people of Huntsville to get together and fan their creative fl amesrdquo
If yoursquore looking for
creative or entrepreneurial
encouragement visit
encouragehuntsvillecom
for seminar and workshop
schedules and information
ldquoI AM SO PROUD TO GET TO BE A PART OF THIS PROJECT AND HELP NURTURE OTHER SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS WHO MAY JUST BE STARTING OUT ON THEIR JOURNEY OR ARE DEEP IN IT
AND LOOKING FOR SOME ENCOURAGEMENT FROM OTHER BUSINESS OWNERSrdquoMARGARET BAGGETT CHEF NEXT DOOR
copy Jacki Gil
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
copy Jacki Gil
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Participants in Margaret Baggettrsquos knife skills workshop learn to perfect their ldquomise en placerdquo
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
copy Olivia Reed
text by sara wright covington raquo photos by olivia reed and jeff white
HUNTSVILLErsquoS
HOMEGROWNHOSTESS
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
ttttttononononoooooonononooooo raquo praquo praquo praquo praquo phothothothothotosoososos s s osos bybybbybb
Any host will tell you that delicious food and quality libations while important to
a partyrsquos success are secondary to the most important ingredient of all the guest list Th atrsquos why many
of downtown Huntsvillersquos most popular restaurants breweries and wine shops are turning to event
planner Ashley Ryals and her uncanny knack for attracting loyal patronsmdashand creating unforgettable
events in the process
When Huntsville born-and-bred Ashley Ryals left for college at the University of Alabama in 2001
she thought her exit from the Valley was permanent ldquoI never thought I would end up back hererdquo the
founder of event planning company Homegrown Huntsville says with a knowing laugh But after a few
post-graduate years working for world-renowned public relations powerhouse Weber Shandwick in
New York City Ryals started to second guess her freshman declaration
ldquoI started to get homesickrdquo she admits ldquoAll of my friends were getting married and meeting for football
games and I was missing itrdquo So when a friend from home set up an interview at EarlyWorks for a job
doing event planning Ryals jumped at the chance to come home
Ashley spent the next few years planning EarlyWorks Whistle Stop and Santarsquos Village events A brief
stint in sales followed along with a seat on the board of Huntsville Young Professionals where she had
an idea for a downtown pub crawl
ldquoWe expected 20 or 30 peoplerdquo Ryals says of their modest expectations ldquoBut 200 people showed uprdquo
Th at initial success convinced Ryals to embark on her dream of establishing an
event planning company But it wasnrsquot just any event planning company Ryals
had in mind she envisioned one that would collaborate with local businesses
cultivate signature events for the community to enjoy and support small busi-
nesses in the process
Inspired Ryals left her sales job and for the second time in her life came home
again to event planning and Homegrown Huntsville
To help bring her vision to life Ryals collaborated with designer Adrianne Van
Kirk of Fave Creative ldquoAdrianne has been a part of the visual and branding of
Homegrown from the beginning We come up with the event ideas then I get
the ticketing and sales together and she comes back with a logo and the mar-
keting for the event And thatrsquos how it all comes togetherrdquo Ryals says of their
creative process
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
ASHLEY RYALS
copy Olivia Reed
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
ldquoMOST WINE FESTIVALS ACROSS THE COUNTRY HAVE PROVEN RECORDS OF BEING ABLE TO STAY AROUND 15 OR 20 YEARS OR EVEN LONGER AND THE ECONOMIES OF THOSE
CITIES HAVE REALLY GROWN AS A RESULT I WANT BIG SPRING CRUSH TO EVENTUALLY BE THE BIGGEST AND BEST WINE FESTIVAL IN THE STATE OF ALABAMArdquo ASHLEY RYALS
copy Jeff White
copy Jeff White
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
copy Olivia Reed
Homegrown launched in 2011 with what would become its
signature event Dine amp Dash Every second Wednesday
April through October a trolley shuttles patrons between
downtown establishments where they are served a drink
and appetizer before moving on to the next stop
Owner and executive chef Merle Phillips of Th e Eaves was
one of the fi rst restaurants to sign on for Dine amp Dashrsquos de-
but ldquoAshley came to me and said she was starting a trolley
tasting conceptrdquo says Chef Merle ldquoI didnrsquot really know her so
I was taking a chance on the concept she was sellingrdquo
Merle tried it and has been a loyal participant of Dine amp
Dash ever since
ldquoIt was a risk in the beginning but it defi nitely paid off rdquo Chef
Merle says of the experience Pivotal to that experience ac-
cording to Phillips is Ryalsrsquo demonstration to the commu-
nity just what the term ldquohomegrownrdquo really means ldquoAshley
shines a spotlight on independent businesses in a market-
place that has for so long focused on chainsrdquo Phillips says
ldquoDine amp Dash has really brought into sharp focus the inter-
esting culinary diversity that Huntsville has to off errdquo
For the next two years Homegrown Huntsville focused al-
most exclusively on Dine amp Dash which by the end of its fi rst
year included every single downtown restaurant But when
big changes began to appear on the downtown horizonmdash
new restaurants breweries and residential developmentsmdash
Ryalsrsquo instincts told her
the time had come to
introduce a new event
to the downtown cal-
endar
ldquoBeer Hop follows
the concept of Dine
amp Dashrdquo Ryals says of
Homegrownrsquos second
venture which began
in 2013 Each month a
trolley visits three dif-
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
BILL FOWLEROLD TOWN BEER
EXCHANGE
copy Olivia Reed
copy Olivia Reed
ferent breweries where patrons sample beers and enjoy food
from a variety of food trucks parked at each location
Bill Fowler managing partner of Old Town Beer Exchange
agreed to participate in Beer Hop on his very fi rst day of
business and credits Ryals with an overwhelmingly success-
ful opening night ldquoAshley said lsquoI can guarantee that you are
going to have wave after wave of people coming throughrsquordquo
Fowler says recalling that fi rst jittery occasion Once again
Ryals proved true to her word with 60-plus patrons arriving
in an hour-and-a-half ldquoIt was awesome and such a great ex-
perience for usrdquo Fowler raves ldquoAshley is a hard worker and
you can see that in what she doesrdquo
Fowler believes that in addition to bringing new customers
to OTBX Ryals is also cultivating beer education consis-
tently bringing in people who are new to beer and want to
learn And with Huntsvillersquos recent brewery boom that level
of education and interest is crucial for the brewing commu-
nity to thrive ldquoWe have a very small window of opportunityrdquo
says Fowler ldquoI think Huntsville in particular is becoming a
craft brewing community People are making money at this
and once Tennessee sees that we need to already have had a
pretty huge head startrdquo
By the end of 2013 and with standing events Beer Hop and
Dine amp Dash well established Ryals took time to refl ect on
her original goal for Homegrown Huntsville ldquoIn the back of
my head from day one I knew I wanted to do a wine festival
I just didnrsquot think Huntsville was ready for it in 2011rdquo
Emboldened by the success of Beer Hop Ryals decided to
make the leap with Big Spring Crush wine festival later the
same year Once again Ryals delivered the perfect audience
for the event and in the process discovered a surprising
fact about North Alabamarsquos contribution to the wine-mak-
ing industry
ldquoIn doing the wine festival I learned that we have a huge
wine community in Huntsvillerdquo Ryals says ldquoTh ere are only
about 47 certifi ed wine judges in the entire United States
and we have four of them right here in North Alabama Two
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
copy Jeff White
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
ldquoI STARTED TO GET HOMESICK ALL OF MY FRIENDS WERE GETTING MARRIEDAND MEETING FOR FOOTBALL GAMES AND I WAS MISSING ITrdquo ASHLEY RYALS
copy Jeff White
copy Jeff White
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
ldquoIT WAS AWESOME AND SUCH A GREAT EXPERIENCE FOR USrdquoBILL FOWLER OLD TOWN BEER EXCHANGE
copy Jeff White
copy Olivia Reed
of those four certifi ed wine judges sit on the committee for
Big Spring Crushrdquo
Matthew and Stephanie Mell had just opened Church Street
Wine Shop when they decided to participate in the fi rst Big
Spring Crush Like OTBXrsquos Robert Fowler the Mells credit
Ryals and Homegrown Huntsville for helping to introduce
their new enterprise to the community ldquoAshley has been in-
strumental in helping to bring us people who love and ap-
preciate winerdquo Stephanie Mell says ldquoShe was homegrown
here in Huntsville and she really gets the downtown area
and small businesses and that is so important to usrdquo
Big Spring Crush began with a bang featuring over 150
wines and attracting patrons from across the country
ldquoMost wine festivals across the country have proven records
of being able to stay around 15 or 20 years or even longerrdquo
Ryals says ldquoAnd the economies of those cities have really
grown as a result I want Big Spring Crush to eventually be
the biggest and best wine festival in the state of Alabamardquo
How does Ryals intend to make that dream come true ldquoBy
always keeping it fresh I want to have new marketing and
new things happening each yearrdquo
Ryalsrsquo formula of reinvention and expansion has successfully
led Homegrown Huntsville through fi ve years of success and
helped its events become community staples along the way In
the process Ryals is broadening more than just our image of
downtown Huntsville shersquos joining a class of creative entrepre-
neurs committed to expanding Huntsvillersquos reputation as more
than just a hub for the brightest scientifi c minds in America
ldquoWe have a big city of engineers and lawyers and itrsquos won-
derfulrdquo Ryals say ldquo But there is a whole artist and food cul-
ture here and there is so much growth I want us to have a
vibrant cool downtown area and I want for people to tell
their friends to come and visit and to see Huntsville for what
it is a city I loverdquo
If yoursquod like to participate in Homegrown Huntsville either
as a guest or a participating business visit homegrown-
huntsvillecom
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
copy Jeff White
I was years old and the year was At that time the city of Huntsville was inching toward the mountain to the east California Street was once the continental divide between the small town metropo-lis and the uncharted territories gingerly crossed by the real estate pioneers four score and some odd years prior Th is area became the new suburb as the city kept pushing onward toward Fagan Springs as if the reverberating booms of rocket testings were vibrating Hunstvillians away from its epicenter
From the front yard of our house on Owens Drive I could look to the rightmdashup the hill to the bend be-yond which the big houses stood on their rocky ledge pedestals and to the left where all the other houses that looked just like oursmdashfresh and newmdashrambled for what seemed like miles Th ose clean well-lit abodes all seemed the same and granted at my age I knew more about the pets that lived there than I did about the people who owned those manageable mortgages I came to realize that each was diff erent in a way that was permeated by voices smells and furnishings
It is a clicheacute to say that our lives were simpler then because that is just how the current era will be fondly referred to in the future but to a 5-year-old it is the simplicity that brought the joy Th e sixties will always be to me the beginning of the age of manufactured happiness Cheap clean and simple was what was strived for and what was easily obtained Plastic items were plentiful and pretty things could be bought with SampH Green Stamps A few coins in our pocket would transfer us into the most master of manipula-tors with us giving our all to convince our parents for a jaunt to Murdockrsquos for a holiday of wonderment joy and impatience as we would scour the shelves trying to get the most from our meager budget
Owens Drive was the fairly new thoroughfare from which the avenues of three-bedroom-ranchers fi ngered away at planned intervals Th is was the place where newlyweds started their lives homes and families Where girls with last names that had been in the town for generations would change them to those strange and exotic last names of the clean cut newcomers brought here for military purposes Where the housewives would preheat their pristine electric ovens trying to make cheese straws and biscuits that were just like their motherrsquos only to be frustrated as they were never quite the same and where the husbands would follow in their fatherrsquos footsteps by joining the Acme Club and hunting doves on the weekends
Th ere was a swimming pool Certainly not at our house Th e only private pool I remember as a child was one that my grandmother would take me to nestled between huge trees at someonersquos house on Adams Street I would swim with other children my age while our grandmothers chatted smoking cigarettes in cat-eyed anonymity whispering most of their stories so we wouldnrsquot be able to hear But between their
gasps and laughter we would listen hear and learn
Th e Blossomwood pool was a place of designated rules and the sound of bright whistlesmdashwith straight lines and distinctive colors of blue and green I can still feel the Coppertoned oiliness on the skin of the tanned lifeguard as she carried me from the deep end frightened after my fi rst attempt at solo-swimming She knew my name I had no idea who she was
On the other side of the pool was the school my older sister attended It had a style that mim-icked the poolmdashstraight lines cleanmdasha temple to orderliness and good manners It was with
awe that I once watched the young adults there some as old as eleven wind and dance their way around a sky-high fl agpolemdasheach with a diff erent color ribbon until the fi rst (and only) May Pole
I was privy to was completely dressed in its woven bright colors
90 raquo bless their hearts raquo Guy McClure Jr
Huntsville was a magical place for us tail-end baby boomers to grow upmdashbeyond the miracles of the escalator at Pizitz the smiling little lady on the tall stool at the register at Britlings There was a comfort level there that Irsquom not sure is in the minds of the 5-year-olds of today
cat-eyed agasps
Th s
aI w
THE COMFORTS OF BLOSSOMWOOD
In our world of red-bricked carported castles there was a def-inite division of generations Th e children ate separately from the parents went to school as our dads went to work enter-tained our neighborhood friends as quietly as possible and felt safe between our boundaries of Big Cove Road and Hermitage Street While we dined on our Chef Boy-Ar-Dee boxed pizza our parents busied themselves dressing in their dark colors getting ready for a late dinner at Boots having the scent of perfume and face powder trail my mother as she came into the kitchen looking for something with an intense purpose My father would smell of British Sterling and look just as he did when he went to work only happier Th ese nights meant something fun would happenmdashwe would have a babysitter
Babysitters were my introduction into what was and still seems cool Th ey were usually Huntsville High School teen-agers who would put on a show without even knowing it I would drink in their every move word and essence of style To me they were supermodelsmdashmovie starsmdasheven more fa-mous in my eyes than a television weatherman and almost as glamorous as the waitresses at the Waffl e House
Before they would tire of me and my sister and put us to bed they would include us in their world of music and knowledge which I thought was all-encompassing Suddenly our world of Th e Benny Carl Show and Fantasy Playhouse would seem trite and passeacute and we would catch a fl eeting glimpse into what would be in store for us when we too could stay up past 8 pm
Huntsville was a magical place for us tail-end baby boomers to grow upmdashbeyond the miracles of the escalator at Pizitz the smiling little lady on the tall stool at the register at Britlings and that bright colorful Maypole Th ere was a comfort level there that Irsquom not sure is in the minds of the 5-year-olds of todaymdashthe soothing sheltered lack of knowledge of why we were so lucky yet we didnrsquot even know that we were
In the other areas of our Huntsville there was poverty and ra-cial unrestmdashas there was and is in every city I was unaware People of color were always a part of my worldmdashmostly be-cause they had my attention and respect At our house there was Annie my grandmotherrsquos house was fi lled with the joys of Lula and out on the family farm there was strong and smiling Homer and large and huggable Rosamdashall just as much a part of my life as everyone else My life was good and they were instrumental in making it that way
What will the 5-year-olds of today who are lucky enough to be raised on those well-planned streets remember when they surpass their own 50 year mark It is a much more complex world now and there are diff erent concerns with daily changes of fear Youthful innocence is a prize that is encased without a lock Premature maturity is a viable threat and a constant fear But each night tucked in tight in a simple room sleeps tomor-rowrsquos adults who are having sweet dreamsmdashblanketed by the comforts of Blossomwood
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
92 raquo the vine raquo Amy C Collins
BORDEAUX POWER
Where Burgundyrsquos vineyards were established by Benedictine monks patiently growing wine vines with spiritual hearts Bordeauxrsquos vineyards were raised by entrepreneurial laymen who recognized the massive monetary opportunity when the English began drinking down their peasant wine
The city of Bordeaux is Francersquos primary port town on the Atlantic ocean a harbor that has for centuries served as the countryrsquos most important dock Th e regionrsquos history is long and storied with the fi rst written reference to the area dated 379 AD by the Latin poet Ausonius who was also a wine-grower Jump ahead to the year 1152 when Eleanor of Aquitaine married Englandrsquos soon-to-be king Henry Plantagenet and the port and surrounding vineyard land became the source of wine for the English a connection that remains strong even today
Bordeaux produces the worldrsquos most expensive and sought after collector wines the top tier of which make up less than fi ve percent of the regionrsquos total production Th ese names are quickly learned by neophyte wine drinkers wanting to make an impression Chateau Haut-Brion Lafi te Latour and Margaux for example Grown in gravelly soils only a few meters above sea levelmdashin contrast vineyards elsewhere in Europe typically sit between 300 and 900 metersmdashthese wines are some of the most powerful austere and pawed over When young the tannins in these cabernet sauvignon cabernet franc and merlot blends coat the tongue and mouth with a chalky dry sensation akin to sucking on an Earl Grey tea bag and are perhaps best suited to well-fatted rare steak and cigars Th ese are wines built to live for decades Personally I prefer a Bordeaux at least 20 years aged when the tannins have had ample time to calm down and mellow out and more nuanced fl avors come forward Sounds fancy and it is Only in some very lucky circumstances over the past year have I been guest to a bottle of 1990 Clos de Menuts Saint-Eacutemilion and a 1970 Chateau Haut-Brion About once every 10 years Irsquove had the good
fortune to taste a wine older than myself Nice work if you can get it
Where Burgundyrsquos vineyards (Francersquos other classifi ed sought-after region) were established by Benedictine monks patiently growing wine vines with spiritual hearts
Bordeauxrsquos vineyards were raised by entrepreneurial laymen who recognized the massive monetary opportunity when the English began drinking down their peasant wine Th is underscores the second half of my theory as to why Americans
more often American males are so drawn to the wines of Bordeaux Th erersquos an inherent capitalist connection something in the soil Th at the wines are so
unmistakable so distinctively grand and pronounced elixirs exemplifi es the fi rst half of my theory we Americans are not known for our subtlety (To be fair the Chinese are
signifi cant Bordeaux collectors as well)
Philosophy aside Bordeaux is quite a large region that produces beautiful white and red values as well as the rare fi nds out of the populacersquos price range Herersquos the skinny Blending is the game single varietal wines are rare White Bordeaux is typically made from a blend of sauvignon blanc and seacutemillon and sometimes a drop or two of muscadelle ugni blanc or colombard Reds are made primarily from the two cabernets plus merlot with small quantities of petit verdot malbec and carmenegravere occasionally in the mix Th e region is also home to the golden nectar of late ripened seacutemillon sauvignon blanc and muscadelle grapes that have successfully attracted the noble rot a fungus that covers the fruit and drains moisture from inside leaving behind rich sweet grapes without moldy fl avors Chateau drsquoYquem is the most famous of these unfortifi ed dessert wines though there are better bargains from the region
Bordeaux is split by the Gironde river which divides the region into three general areas Th e left bank also known as the Haut-Meacutedoc is where the classifi ed top growths are situated Th ese prestigious estates were named for their exceptional vineyard sites in 1855 a decision nearly unchanged since Today serious collectors invest in Bordeaux futures theoretically locking down lower prices of top
ample time to calm dit is Only in some vede Menuts Saint-Eacutem
fortune to taste a
Wherees
aun
of msignifi
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Follow Amy at pigandvinecom for morestories and wine suggestions
growth estates while the wine is still aging in the cellar Itrsquos the wine tradersquos equivalent to the NASDAQ On the right bank Saint-Eacutemilion and Pommerol are the prized vineyard areas known for their merlot heavy cuveacutees To the south west we fi nd Graves where there are many great values to be had in both white and red bottlings Entre-Deux-Mers which translates to ldquobetween two seasrdquo sits between the Dordogne and Garonne tributaries off the Gironde and is an excellent source for crisp whites
Get started on your Bordeaux experience with these values
Chateau Graville-Lacoste 2014 Graves 75 seacutemillon 20 sauvignon blanc and 5 muscadelle make up this beauty thatrsquos consistently delicious every vintage Crisp and refreshing great with seafood
Chateau Mirambeau 2014 GravesAnother classic blend of 40 sauvignon blanc 40 seacutemillon and 20 muscadelle this lovely white is a bit more fl oral than the Graville-Lacoste Easy drinking and great value
Chateau de Parenchegravere Bordeaux Rouge 201155 merlot 30 cabernet sauvignon and 15 cabernet franc grown in clay heavy soils similar to the right bank of the region Fleshy with good structure and abundant red fruit
Chateau Arnaud Bordeaux Supeacuterieur 2011Supeacuterieur on a Bordeaux label isnrsquot egotistical marketingmdashby law it indicates a wine with up to one degree more alcohol than its AC Bordeaux brethren What it really means is one more degree of body structure and in this case quality Approachable delicious and easy on the wallet
Chateau de Bernadotte Haut-Meacutedoc 2005Th e 2005 vintage in Bordeaux is in the history books with double asterisks Owned by the eminent Pichon Lalande family and made from vineyards in Paulliac one of the more choice growing areas in the region this is an incredible value a top tier Bordeaux for a fraction of the cost
Chateau de Suduiraut Sauternes 2011Ripe cantaloupe apricot and honey and an interesting smoky note with a solid sweet attack followed by great acidity A dessert wine that wonrsquot overpower the dessert
94 raquo parting shot raquo Patrick Hood
Meet Solvar
Solvar belongs to one of the worldrsquos oldest and purest equine lineages the Nor-
wegian Fjord horse a breed that has remained virtually unchanged for more than
2000 yearsmdashlong before we became acquainted with his animated cousins in
the movie Frozen Th ese national symbols of Norway are characterized by primi-
tive zebra striping on their legs and a dorsal stripe running from forelock to tail
resulting in a striking two-tone mane that sticks up like a Mohawk Th eir athleti-
cism agility and dependability make them valuable both as sport horses as well
as therapy horses for emotionally and physically challenged adults and children
Catie Wells of Huntsville is the proud owner of Solvar who resides at Monte
Sano Stables
For tickets or information 256-539-4818 or hsoorg
Bring In the New Year With Us
presents
WHAT A WONDERFUL
WORLDA tribute to Louis
Armstrong featuring the
Byron Stripling Quartet
Thursday December 31
730 pm bull Pops Series bullMark C Smith
Concert Hall VBC
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
M O R E T H A N 7 0 S H O P S A N D R E S T A U R A N T S I N C L U D I N G B E L K | D S W S H O E S | A P P L E J O S A B A N K | R E E D S J E W E L E R S | PA N D O R A | J C R E W | K AT E S PA D E N E W Y O R KO R V I S | B A N A N A R E P U B L I C | M I C H A E L K O R S | F R A N C E S C Arsquo S | A N T H R O P O L O G I EH amp M | S O M A | M O U N T A I N H I G H O U T F I T T E R S | B A R N E S amp N O B L E | S E P H O R AALTAR rsquoD STATE | CONNORS STEAK amp SEFOOD | THE WEST IN HUNTSV I L L E | MONACO P ICTURES
C O M I N G S O O N V E R S O N A ndash near Belk
B R I D G E S T R E E T H U N T S V I L L E C O M |
BR IDGE STREET TOWN CENTRE I S LOCATED AT EX I T 14 OFF I - 565 AT OLD MAD ISON P IKE
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
(1) Gypsy Pant WarmTribal ($72) (2) Berry High Waist Legging ($88) (3) Long Legging Mathematics ($65) (4) Long Legging Peacock ($65) The FitzgeraldPilates amp Barre(256) 603-1886
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(1) Jane Tran Hair Clips ($15)(2) bkr Water Bottle ($30)(3) well-kept Tech Wipes ($6)(4) Made with Love Bracelets ($25)(5) Pointe Studio Socks ($12)(6) Bando Too Cold to Hold Coozie ($5)The Fitzgerald Pilates amp Barre(256) 603-1886
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
(1) Shop Bando Coff ee Cup ($14)(2) Shop Bando Pens ($14) (3) Shop Bando Pouch ($26) (4) Shop Bando Coin Purse ($20) The FitzgeraldPilates amp Barre(256) 603-1886
(5) Check Things Off Notepad ($16)(6) Hello From Huntsville Stamp ($12)Salt + Paperie(256) 655-5550
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) Muzzle Loaders Chocolate Bourbon Balls ($1999) (2) Vintage Crystal Decanter ($20) (3) Quench Glassware ($1399) Domaine South(256) 808-8860
(4) The Hella Bitters Old Fashioned Kit ($65)(5) American Bar by Charles Schumann ($2495) Little Green Storeand Gallery (256) 539-9699
(6) Julep Cups ($50)Willowbrook Shoppe (256) 270-7181
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom | novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) DECCO Umbrella in a Bottle ($1995)(2) Alexa Pulitzer Stationery Set ($14 ea)(3) Ikat Scarf ($6250)Huntsville Museumof Art(256) 535-4350
(4) Emily Ley Grace Journal ($32) (5) Sugar Boo Designs Clutch ($18) (6) Emily Ley Daily Planner ($58) (7) Latika Milk ampHoney Bar ($6) (8) Farm House Fresh Shea Butter Hand Cream ($14) (9) Christen MaxwellZippy ($42) (10) Green Tea Bubble Bath ($32) Sweet Pineapple(256) 964-7563 (11) Goal Getter Cuff ($32)Indigorsquos Boutique(256) 345-6348
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
(1) Kilim Pillow ($58) (2) Bejeweled Silver Plate Vase ($144) (3) Bone Clad Box ($375)Willowbrook Shoppe (256) 270-7181
(4) Cowhide Rug ($550)(5) Lucyrsquos Locket ($95) (Original piecemdashselection may vary)Sweet Pineapple(256) 964-7563 (6) Clutch ($65)Department of Agra Culturedeptofagraculturecom
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) Above The Bar Antler on Chain 28rdquo ($3999) (2) Above The Bar Deer wAntler Head 18rdquo ($2999) Indigorsquos Boutique(256) 345-6348
(3) Margaret Solow Labradorite18KT Bezel ($290) (4) Margaret Solow Diamond Crest MoonSilver ($460) (5) Margaret Solow Black Spinel + DiamondSilver ($560) (6) Margaret Solow Double Black Spinel18KT ($260)Little Green Store and Gallery (256) 539-9699
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
(1) Margaret Solow Grey Moonstoon18KT Necklace ($240) (2) Margaret Solow OpalDiamond Mosaic Necklace ($610) Little Green Storeand Gallery (256) 539-9699
(3) One-of-a-kind Eva Ziegler Smokey Quartz and Pyrite Necklace ($406)Eva Ziegler Jewelryevazieglercom
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) Jennifer BehrTurban ($625)(2) Cotton Day Dress ($64)(3) Norma Ishak Cardigan ($375)Finery(256) 429-3429
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) The Lion Sleeps Tonight Bath Bomb ($6) Sweet Pineapple(256) 964-7563
(2) Tiger Jelly Cat ($2250)(3) Dog Tag Teether ($1550)(4) Dinosaur Footie ($3595)Honey B Boutique(256) 503-2853
(5) Young Buck ($25)Tiny Vinestinyvinesshopcom
(6) Bib Set ($13)Huntsville Museumof Art(256) 535-4350
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
(1) Tiny Dancer Bath Bomb ($6)Sweet Pineapple(256) 964-7563
(2) Kickee Mammoth Footie ($3595)(3) Noodle amp Boo Essential Care Kit ($18)(4) Elephant Jelly Cat ($2250)Honey B Boutique(256) 503-2853
(5) ArtFolio Pink Elephant Coloring Tote ($17)Huntsville Museumof Art(256) 535-4350
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) Bib Set ($13)Huntsville Museumof Art(256) 535-4350 (2) Little Light ($25)Tiny Vinestinyvinesshopcom (3) Micro Leon Cardboard Lion ($30)Little Green Storeand Gallery (256) 539-9699 (4) I Love You Like Biscuits amp Gravy ($23)Domaine South(256) 808-8860
(5) Kickee Kimono ($4295)Honey B Boutique(256) 503-2853
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
SURPRISEA LOVED ONE
THIS HOLIDAY SEASON
WITH A FOREVER GIFT
HobbsJewelerscom 8772331347Parkway Place Mall
HuntsvilleHwy 72 West
AthensMain Street
Ardmore TN
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Caftan ($75)Sarah Richey Necklace ($350)Finery(256) 429-3429
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
(1) Chewbead Necklace ($3495)(2) Mayoral Baby Bag ($7995)(3) Mayoral Diaper Changing Pad ($2495)(4) Nursing Scarf ($2695) (5) Kickee Swaddling Blanket ($22)Honey B Boutique(256) 503-2853 (6) Lucy Darling Months Sticker ($25) (7) The Story of You Baby Book by Emily Ley ($62) Sweet Pineapple(256) 964-7563
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) Alwand Vahan 14K Gold and Onyx Ring wDiamond Accent ($2595)(2) Alwand Vanan 14K Gold and Onyx Bracelet wDiamond Accent ($2695)Hobbs Jewelers(877) 233-1347
(3) Britt Ryan Dress ($288)Personal Couture Boutique(256) 508-5632
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) Rocket Cosmos Mug ($13)Huntsville Museumof Art(256) 535-4350
(2) Loose Leaf Tea ($399)Piper amp Leaf piperandleafcom (3) Judy Jackson Tea Pot ($56) (4) Gary Watson Cherry Cutting Board ($48-$68) (5) Susan Coe Birthday Cake Plate ($33) Little Green Storeand Gallery (256) 539-9699 (6) Macarons ($116 pcs $221 dozen)Whisk Small Treats Bakery(256) 656-1027
(7) Truffl es ($185 each)Pizellersquos Confections (256) 513-9745 (8) Olive amp Sinclair Chocolate ($799)Domaine South(256) 808-8860
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
(1) Whisk Note Pad ($8) (2) In the Forest Mixing Bowl ($36) (3) Twig Serving Set ($18)(8) Southern Firefl y Candle ($12)Sweet Pineapple(256) 964-7563
(4) Urchin Bowl ($10)(5) Foodie Dice ($38)(6) 1Canoe2 Wood Recipe Box w Recipe Cards ($6999) Domaine South(256) 808-8860 (7) Growlers ($75 small $95 large)Southern Growlersoutherngrowlercom
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) Tacori 18K Barbados Blue Bold Gem Ring ($660)(2) Tacori 18K Barbados Blue Bold Gem Necklace ($630)(3) Tacori 18K Barbados Blue Bold Gem Bracelet ($990)Hobbs Jewelers(877) 233-1347
(4) BCBG Dress ($328)Personal Couture Boutique(256) 508-5632
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Guadalupe Robinson
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
text by jennifer crossley howard raquo photos by patrick hood
Of Deft and Dirty Hands
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Huntsville potter Guadalupe Lanning Robinson has spent more than 36 years mastering the
marriage of clay texture and geometric design into her pottery yet time has done little to temper the
plight of waiting
ldquoIt is hard for me to let a pot just dryrdquo she says motioning toward fi ve small wet pots sitting near her
pottery wheel ldquoIrsquom as excited to do this as I was 30 years agordquo
To observe her studio at Lowe Mill that is easy to believe Located on the corridor outside the textile
mill-turned-art centerrsquos main building the loft-like space with a corrugated tin roof feels like a place a
Gabriel Garcia Marquez character would enjoy daydreaming
Sienna-hued pottery sits in various stages to be fi red layered and etched Argentinian tango music
streams from Robinsonrsquos iPhone and two cockatiels a parrot and a parakeet chirp from their cages All
except the parrot fl y freely when Robinson is working
Robinson who is 61 made her fi rst pot in 1979 in her native Mexico City Almost four decades later her
work is part of permanent museum collections in Auburn Huntsville Tuscumbia and Tupelo Missis-
sippi She regularly enters her work in respected juried shows such as the Monte Sano Arts Festival and
the Kentuck Festival of the Arts in Northport and has received two Alabama State Council on the Arts
individual artist fellowships
Her inspiration draws from the villages around her native Mexico City such as the black pottery of
the northwest as well as her acquired Southern culture White lilies corn grids and round female
fi guresmdashldquoreally strong women who are in chargerdquo Robinson saysmdashreappear on her stoneware She uses
natural dyes indigo for color and mixes sand into clay for texture Nothing is wasted
ldquoI donrsquot waste any clayrdquo Robinson says ldquoEverything is recycledrdquo
Robinson fi nds solace in the 40-50 hours a week she puts in at the studio and the often tedious process
of making pots which can take from three weeks to six weeks for larger pots She usually works on two
or three pots at a time tending to groups at diff erent stages
After a pot is thrown on a wheel a piece can take days to dry before its fi rst bisque fi re in which tem-
peratures rise to 1800 F After baking for nine hours the kiln must cool Th e second fi ring rises to 2150
F and matures the clay and melts the glazes to strengthen the piece
ldquoI am an effi cient person by naturerdquo Robinson says ldquoWaiting for the kiln to cool down enough to open
can be nerve wracking and this is when my patience is usually put to the testrdquo
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
ldquoIt is hard for me to let a pot just dry Irsquom as excited to do this as I was 30 years agordquo
Robinson makes most of her pots on a wheel using oxides to change the color of clay she gets from Nashville and Pittsburgh Her pottery takes several weeks from start to fi nish depending on how large a pot is and how many she makes at a time
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
ldquoAttend to your childrenrsquos needs fi rst keep focus on what you want to douse the happiness joy and little breaks you get to make your artTh ey grow real fast and they will keep inspiring you all your liferdquo
Robinson imagined this bat-like design as she was working She usually begins a piece with a design in mind but that often evolves
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Robinson uses an overlay of liquid clay called engobemdashthat includes three to four layersmdashto create a
base on which to design
Th ere is high risk in making pottery and hours of work can be wasted on a pot that has not dried en-
tirely before it enters the kiln Air pockets or the wrong mixture of chemicals can ruin a piece
ldquoArt is involved but science is toordquo says Laura Smith director of education at the Huntsville Museum
of Art where Robinson has taught pottery classes ldquoItrsquos more labor intensive in terms of working with
the medium whether yoursquore building by hand or with a wheel until you fi re with the fi nal layer of glazerdquo
Th e result is sturdy pottery
ldquoI want my pots to look like something that is lasting a long timerdquo Robinson says
Th ough she works solitarily in her studio she says she does not get lonely Her birds and music keep her
company and each stage of pottery making has a soundtrack She uses needlepoint tools to draw onto
clay to Jose Feliciano and other Latin American musicians
ldquoIf Irsquom at the wheel Bruno Marsrdquo she says ldquoIf Irsquom unloading the kiln and something is really awesome
then I need something moving and I have on Motownrdquo
Robinsonrsquos years of experience minimize the risk of damaged pots but she says her greatest challenge
as a potter was balancing her work while raising her two children Now adults their candid childhood
pictures and those of her grandchildren cover the warm green walls of her studio
She met her husband the poet James Robinson in 1977 on a Greyhound bus when she returned to
Mexico City from visiting a friend at the University of Southern Mississippi He was heading to Mexico
to study at a university Th ey married six months later After giving birth to her daughter Annie Jane in
Mexico City in 1982 the family moved to Huntsville in 1985 Th at is when Robinson got more serious
about her pottery
ldquoFrom the very beginning when I moved to Alabama I knew I was going to have to do thisrdquo she said
ldquoIn some ways it was a way for me to keep connected to my heritagerdquo
She took even 15 minutes of free time to work in the studio behind her home and worked late into the
night while her daughter and son Isidoro born in 1987 slept Having a home studio allowed her to
wash clothes tend to her home and drop off lunches at school while maintaining her art
ldquoTh ere was something for me when I fi rst became a mother that fueled my creativityrdquo Robinson says
ldquoTh ey are such a social inspiration too It fi lls your liferdquo
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Robinson advises fellow artists who are mothers to seize
both roles but to prioritize motherhood
ldquoAttend to your childrenrsquos needs fi rst keep focus on what you
want to do use the happiness joy and little breaks you get
to make your artrdquo she says ldquoTh ey grow real fast and they will
keep inspiring you all your liferdquo
Anna Sue Courtney director of the Flying Monkey Arts
Center at Lowe Mill has known Robinson for more than
10 years She says she admires how mothers and artists like
Robinson seamlessly embrace both roles
ldquoIt seems therersquos not a separation between creating and rais-
ing childrenrdquo Courtney says ldquoTh ey seem to pull from the
same placerdquo
Part of Robinsonrsquos motivation at Lowe Mill comes from
working privately in a studio alongside other artists that fos-
ters a community of feedback and ideas
ldquoItrsquos nice to be here because you can take a break and walk around and get inspirationrdquo Courtney says
ldquoItrsquos refreshingrdquo
When she needs a break from the studio Robinson stays home to sketch designs for a day or two then
she is back in the studio
Trips twice a year to Mexico City keep her plugged in to her native culture which in turn shows up in
her pottery
ldquoI have to recharge myselfrdquo Robinson says ldquoI love Huntsville and loved raising my kids here but I still
have the need of going back to be recharged and smell all the smells and see all the colors and get on
the subway and be pushed aroundrdquo
Details from her trips that infl uence her work include the ever-present red that covers the city during
the celebration of Dia de los Muertos or the Day of the Dead Th e pyramids of Teotihuacan conjure
warm earth tones and fl oating gardens around the city yield sweet pungent calla lilies and carnations
Celebration of food tough women and nature reappear in her pottery qualities that both Southern and
Mexican cultures treasure
Above This daisy design is character-istic of Robinsonrsquos work Nature food and strong females from her native Mexico City and the South are strong creative infl uences
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Clockwise from top left Robinson often glazes only the inside of her pots so they can hold water and food She began quilting in 2002 and her quilts like her pottery contain earth tones and natural infl uences in their design Four birds keep Robinson company in what can be the isolating medium of pottery making Geometry and symmetry are two signature elements in Robinsonrsquos work according to Laura Smith director of education at the Huntsville Museum of Art
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Just as she keeps her home country close to her heart Robinson is loyal to her fi rst
love of pottery though she began making quilts in 2002
ldquoIrsquom a potter who likes to quiltrdquo she says
Like her pottery her quilting follows designs of organic nature such as fl owers and
crops on rich jewel tone cotton
ldquoWhen I fi rst saw one of her quilts I didnrsquot realize it was hers and I thought that
looks like it should be Guadalupersquos quiltrdquo Courtney says
Robinson prefers the immediate gratifi cation of clay
ldquoItrsquos a very responsive mediumrdquo she says ldquoYou can manipulate it Th e fact of mak-
ing something out of dirt out of nothing and making it durable making it perma-
nent that after going through the heat and maturing is something very excitingrdquo
She gently dings a pot covered with white dresses titled ldquoTehuana Dressrdquo to make
her point
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
887 FM Muscle Shoals bull 1007 FM Huntsvillewwwaprorg
News classicalmusic and more
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
copy Patrick Hood
text by sara wright covington raquo photos by jacki gil
patrick hood erin lindsey and michelle odom
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
copy Patrick Hood
ldquoA LOT OF PEOPLE HAD BEEN ASKING ME QUESTIONS ABOUTHOW I GOT MY BUSINESS STARTED I WANTED TO GATHER SOME PEOPLE AROUND ME
WHO WERE GOING THROUGH THOSE STRUGGLES AND TOBUILD ENTREPRENEURIAL COURAGErdquo
JACKI GIL SALT+PAPERIE
copy Patrick Hood
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
untsville-born Jacki Gil began her paper design busi-
ness Salt+Paperie in 2014 with an expansive vision
in mind one that extended beyond creating beautiful
custom designed paper goods ldquoI love my design job
but when Irsquom 50 years old I donrsquot see myself still de-
signing wedding invitationsrdquo the master stationer says
ldquoI really have a passion for teaching and helping people
I want to be a mentorrdquo
In 2015 Gil set out on her mentoring mission sooner than expected with a series
of workshops called Encourage Huntsville ldquoA lot of people had been asking me
questions about how I got my business startedrdquo Gil says about the early days of
Salt+Paperie Even though most of those questions from entrepreneurial-hopefuls
were technicalmdashlike how to apply for a business licensemdashthey served as inspira-
tion for Gil ldquoI wanted to gather some people around me who were going through
those struggles and to build entrepreneurial courage I defi nitely saw that there
was a need for helping people to take that next step toward owning their own
businessesrdquo
Encourage Huntsville was modeled on the image of a growing small business
movement called the Rising Tide Society a national community of creative small
business owners who encourage ldquocommunity over competitionrdquo Th at spirit of
openness is at the heart of Encourage Huntsville ldquoCommunity over competition
is a huge part of what we are doingrdquo says Gil ldquoSmall business owners sharing how
they earn their money is a big dealrdquo
As a fi rst step Gil gathered others around her who were using their skills and abili-
ties to make their own small businesses work With talents ranging from cooking
and cake decorating to hand lettering and artwork these small business owners
all embraced Gilrsquos vision for imparting to others the knowledge of their craft un-
impeded by a fear of losing their competitive edge
Th e fi rst lesson Gil wanted to impart to Encourage Huntsvillersquos students wasnrsquot
necessarily a particular craft or skill but a spirt of creative confi dence ldquoWe want-
ed to bridge the gap between the very artsy community and the ultimate engineer
communityrdquo many of whom Gil observes had been told since childhood they
werenrsquot artistic ldquoWhen you are little and someone tells you that you donrsquot have a
talent it sticks with you I found that a lot of people had that experience so that
was the workshop partmdashto build some creative courage in this communityrdquo
Gil conducted the fi rst workshop herself testing the waters to see how the concept
would be received Th e admission price to that fi rst workshop included supplies a
take-home ldquogoody bagrdquo to help students continue their work extracurricularly and
refreshmentsmdashas well as Gilrsquos tips of her trade
ldquoWe went in blindly not knowing if we had a market or notrdquo says Gil Th e popular-
ity of that fi rst class proved undeniably that a market did in fact exist the work-
shop sold out in one day ldquoSo we did back-to-back workshopsrdquo Gil says ldquoAfter that
novemberdecembeeer eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee | nononoononononononoonoonononooooonoonoonnononnoaaalalalllaallllllalaalaaalal ststustust ddiossscom mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm | | | | | | | | | | |
f
w
y
Previous page Encourage Huntsvillersquos founder and instructor Jacki Gil teaches a class in hand lettering Facing page A participant studies her supply list
we realized people really want to do this stuff So we said lsquoletrsquos jump on the boat
and make this happenrsquordquo
Gilrsquos longtime friend photographer Erin Lindsey of Erin Lindsey Images agreed
to contribute to Encourage Huntsvillersquos curriculum by teaching a photography
class ldquoJacki and I are a good team because our hearts are in the same place when
it comes to encouraging othersrdquo Lindsey says Still she admits saying yes to teach-
ing wasnrsquot without some initial hesitation ldquoWhen Jacki asked if I would teach a
class it was kind of scary I thought I had to be perfect before I could teach oth-
ersrdquo Lindsey says of her initial hesitancy ldquoBut after talking to Jacki I realized none
of us are perfectrdquo But perfection isnrsquot the goal encouragement is the goal ldquoAnd I
thought lsquoI can defi nitely line up with that visionrsquordquo
Michelle Odom another Huntsville native and owner of custom cake bakery Just
Crumbs was also on board with Gilrsquos vision In fact Odom had been contemplat-
ing teaching a class when she was approached by Gil to teach a fondant basics
class ldquoHuntsville is such an engineer town and everyone is so mathematical and
scientifi crdquo Odom says echoing the dichotomy between the arts and sciences ex-
pressed by Gil ldquoTh ese workshops are just a very cool way for structured people to
have a creative outletrdquo
ldquoJACKI AND I ARE A GOOD TEAM BECAUSE OUR HEARTS ARE INTHE SAME PLACE WHEN IT COMES TO ENCOURAGING OTHERSrdquo
ERIN LINDSEY ERIN LINDSEY IMAGES
copy Erin Lindsey
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Above A participant in Erin Lindseyrsquos photo class frames a still life
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
copy Erin Lindsey
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
ldquoHUNTSVILLE IS SUCH AN ENGINEER TOWN AND EVERYONE ISSO MATHEMATICAL AND SCIENTIFIC THESE WORKSHOPS ARE JUST A VERY COOL
WAY FOR STRUCTURED PEOPLE TO HAVE A CREATIVE OUTLETrdquo MICHELLE ODOM JUST CRUMBS
copy Michelle Odom
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
ldquoAnd yesrdquo Odom acknowledges ldquoyou are in theory teaching your competition But
at the same time you are helping the community be more creativerdquo
With its roster of popular creative workshops under its belt Encourage Huntsville
has added business classes to its community-over-competition curriculum with
classes designed to provide specifi c guidance for small business owners ldquoAll of
our events that donrsquot require hands-on work we call seminarsrdquo says Gil ldquoWe had
about 15 people at our fi rst one It was pretty much just an open discussion to ask
us questions and get answers from the perspective of a small business ownerrdquo
Th e seminars enjoyed the same success and enthusiasm as the workshops ldquoWe
had two hours for people to ask questionsrdquo Gil says Topics covered ran the gamut
from scheduling daily tasks self-hosting a website or using an Etsy store man-
aging client expectations and being realistic about how much time you need to
complete jobs
ldquoTh e time went quickly and people wanted morerdquo says Gil who envisions an all-
day seminar in 2016
Margaret Baggett owner and executive chef of the Chef Next Door is another
small business owner who has shared Gilrsquos vision from the very beginning teach-
copy Erin Lindsey
Facing page Michelle Odomrsquos fondant basics class begins with a styrofoam cake form Above Newbie photographers familiarize themselves with their cameras in Erin Lindseyrsquos photography class
ing knife skills workshops and helping host the business seminars ldquoI am so proud
to get to be a part of this project and help nurture other small business owners
who may just be starting out on their journey or are deep in it and looking for
some encouragement from other business ownersrdquo Baggett says of what motivates
her participation in Encourage Huntsville ldquoEven being on the advice-giving side
of things I am still learning and have taken tips and tricks and lessons from each
event we have had so far We never stop learning from each other and never stop
improving upon our craftsrdquo
Th e mutual growth among students and teachers is the source of the encourage-
mentmdashand the joymdashof Encourage Huntsville ldquoItrsquos so much fun to see the light
bulbs go off with people and see them encouraged right before your eyesrdquo Lindsey
says of her experience with the program ldquoPlus itrsquos a pleasure to contribute to a
sense of community over competition Th at whole concept is so rarerdquo
As Encourage Huntsvillersquos following continues to grow the diversity of the work-
shops will expand as well Whether you are looking to spend a fun afternoon
learning a new craft or are a budding small business owner hoping to launch
your brand Encourage Huntsville has something valuable to off er ldquoWe encourage
those left-brain folks to take up a new hobby or skillrdquo Baggett says ldquoor just encour-
age the people of Huntsville to get together and fan their creative fl amesrdquo
If yoursquore looking for
creative or entrepreneurial
encouragement visit
encouragehuntsvillecom
for seminar and workshop
schedules and information
ldquoI AM SO PROUD TO GET TO BE A PART OF THIS PROJECT AND HELP NURTURE OTHER SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS WHO MAY JUST BE STARTING OUT ON THEIR JOURNEY OR ARE DEEP IN IT
AND LOOKING FOR SOME ENCOURAGEMENT FROM OTHER BUSINESS OWNERSrdquoMARGARET BAGGETT CHEF NEXT DOOR
copy Jacki Gil
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
copy Jacki Gil
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Participants in Margaret Baggettrsquos knife skills workshop learn to perfect their ldquomise en placerdquo
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
copy Olivia Reed
text by sara wright covington raquo photos by olivia reed and jeff white
HUNTSVILLErsquoS
HOMEGROWNHOSTESS
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
ttttttononononoooooonononooooo raquo praquo praquo praquo praquo phothothothothotosoososos s s osos bybybbybb
Any host will tell you that delicious food and quality libations while important to
a partyrsquos success are secondary to the most important ingredient of all the guest list Th atrsquos why many
of downtown Huntsvillersquos most popular restaurants breweries and wine shops are turning to event
planner Ashley Ryals and her uncanny knack for attracting loyal patronsmdashand creating unforgettable
events in the process
When Huntsville born-and-bred Ashley Ryals left for college at the University of Alabama in 2001
she thought her exit from the Valley was permanent ldquoI never thought I would end up back hererdquo the
founder of event planning company Homegrown Huntsville says with a knowing laugh But after a few
post-graduate years working for world-renowned public relations powerhouse Weber Shandwick in
New York City Ryals started to second guess her freshman declaration
ldquoI started to get homesickrdquo she admits ldquoAll of my friends were getting married and meeting for football
games and I was missing itrdquo So when a friend from home set up an interview at EarlyWorks for a job
doing event planning Ryals jumped at the chance to come home
Ashley spent the next few years planning EarlyWorks Whistle Stop and Santarsquos Village events A brief
stint in sales followed along with a seat on the board of Huntsville Young Professionals where she had
an idea for a downtown pub crawl
ldquoWe expected 20 or 30 peoplerdquo Ryals says of their modest expectations ldquoBut 200 people showed uprdquo
Th at initial success convinced Ryals to embark on her dream of establishing an
event planning company But it wasnrsquot just any event planning company Ryals
had in mind she envisioned one that would collaborate with local businesses
cultivate signature events for the community to enjoy and support small busi-
nesses in the process
Inspired Ryals left her sales job and for the second time in her life came home
again to event planning and Homegrown Huntsville
To help bring her vision to life Ryals collaborated with designer Adrianne Van
Kirk of Fave Creative ldquoAdrianne has been a part of the visual and branding of
Homegrown from the beginning We come up with the event ideas then I get
the ticketing and sales together and she comes back with a logo and the mar-
keting for the event And thatrsquos how it all comes togetherrdquo Ryals says of their
creative process
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
ASHLEY RYALS
copy Olivia Reed
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
ldquoMOST WINE FESTIVALS ACROSS THE COUNTRY HAVE PROVEN RECORDS OF BEING ABLE TO STAY AROUND 15 OR 20 YEARS OR EVEN LONGER AND THE ECONOMIES OF THOSE
CITIES HAVE REALLY GROWN AS A RESULT I WANT BIG SPRING CRUSH TO EVENTUALLY BE THE BIGGEST AND BEST WINE FESTIVAL IN THE STATE OF ALABAMArdquo ASHLEY RYALS
copy Jeff White
copy Jeff White
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
copy Olivia Reed
Homegrown launched in 2011 with what would become its
signature event Dine amp Dash Every second Wednesday
April through October a trolley shuttles patrons between
downtown establishments where they are served a drink
and appetizer before moving on to the next stop
Owner and executive chef Merle Phillips of Th e Eaves was
one of the fi rst restaurants to sign on for Dine amp Dashrsquos de-
but ldquoAshley came to me and said she was starting a trolley
tasting conceptrdquo says Chef Merle ldquoI didnrsquot really know her so
I was taking a chance on the concept she was sellingrdquo
Merle tried it and has been a loyal participant of Dine amp
Dash ever since
ldquoIt was a risk in the beginning but it defi nitely paid off rdquo Chef
Merle says of the experience Pivotal to that experience ac-
cording to Phillips is Ryalsrsquo demonstration to the commu-
nity just what the term ldquohomegrownrdquo really means ldquoAshley
shines a spotlight on independent businesses in a market-
place that has for so long focused on chainsrdquo Phillips says
ldquoDine amp Dash has really brought into sharp focus the inter-
esting culinary diversity that Huntsville has to off errdquo
For the next two years Homegrown Huntsville focused al-
most exclusively on Dine amp Dash which by the end of its fi rst
year included every single downtown restaurant But when
big changes began to appear on the downtown horizonmdash
new restaurants breweries and residential developmentsmdash
Ryalsrsquo instincts told her
the time had come to
introduce a new event
to the downtown cal-
endar
ldquoBeer Hop follows
the concept of Dine
amp Dashrdquo Ryals says of
Homegrownrsquos second
venture which began
in 2013 Each month a
trolley visits three dif-
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
BILL FOWLEROLD TOWN BEER
EXCHANGE
copy Olivia Reed
copy Olivia Reed
ferent breweries where patrons sample beers and enjoy food
from a variety of food trucks parked at each location
Bill Fowler managing partner of Old Town Beer Exchange
agreed to participate in Beer Hop on his very fi rst day of
business and credits Ryals with an overwhelmingly success-
ful opening night ldquoAshley said lsquoI can guarantee that you are
going to have wave after wave of people coming throughrsquordquo
Fowler says recalling that fi rst jittery occasion Once again
Ryals proved true to her word with 60-plus patrons arriving
in an hour-and-a-half ldquoIt was awesome and such a great ex-
perience for usrdquo Fowler raves ldquoAshley is a hard worker and
you can see that in what she doesrdquo
Fowler believes that in addition to bringing new customers
to OTBX Ryals is also cultivating beer education consis-
tently bringing in people who are new to beer and want to
learn And with Huntsvillersquos recent brewery boom that level
of education and interest is crucial for the brewing commu-
nity to thrive ldquoWe have a very small window of opportunityrdquo
says Fowler ldquoI think Huntsville in particular is becoming a
craft brewing community People are making money at this
and once Tennessee sees that we need to already have had a
pretty huge head startrdquo
By the end of 2013 and with standing events Beer Hop and
Dine amp Dash well established Ryals took time to refl ect on
her original goal for Homegrown Huntsville ldquoIn the back of
my head from day one I knew I wanted to do a wine festival
I just didnrsquot think Huntsville was ready for it in 2011rdquo
Emboldened by the success of Beer Hop Ryals decided to
make the leap with Big Spring Crush wine festival later the
same year Once again Ryals delivered the perfect audience
for the event and in the process discovered a surprising
fact about North Alabamarsquos contribution to the wine-mak-
ing industry
ldquoIn doing the wine festival I learned that we have a huge
wine community in Huntsvillerdquo Ryals says ldquoTh ere are only
about 47 certifi ed wine judges in the entire United States
and we have four of them right here in North Alabama Two
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
copy Jeff White
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
ldquoI STARTED TO GET HOMESICK ALL OF MY FRIENDS WERE GETTING MARRIEDAND MEETING FOR FOOTBALL GAMES AND I WAS MISSING ITrdquo ASHLEY RYALS
copy Jeff White
copy Jeff White
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
ldquoIT WAS AWESOME AND SUCH A GREAT EXPERIENCE FOR USrdquoBILL FOWLER OLD TOWN BEER EXCHANGE
copy Jeff White
copy Olivia Reed
of those four certifi ed wine judges sit on the committee for
Big Spring Crushrdquo
Matthew and Stephanie Mell had just opened Church Street
Wine Shop when they decided to participate in the fi rst Big
Spring Crush Like OTBXrsquos Robert Fowler the Mells credit
Ryals and Homegrown Huntsville for helping to introduce
their new enterprise to the community ldquoAshley has been in-
strumental in helping to bring us people who love and ap-
preciate winerdquo Stephanie Mell says ldquoShe was homegrown
here in Huntsville and she really gets the downtown area
and small businesses and that is so important to usrdquo
Big Spring Crush began with a bang featuring over 150
wines and attracting patrons from across the country
ldquoMost wine festivals across the country have proven records
of being able to stay around 15 or 20 years or even longerrdquo
Ryals says ldquoAnd the economies of those cities have really
grown as a result I want Big Spring Crush to eventually be
the biggest and best wine festival in the state of Alabamardquo
How does Ryals intend to make that dream come true ldquoBy
always keeping it fresh I want to have new marketing and
new things happening each yearrdquo
Ryalsrsquo formula of reinvention and expansion has successfully
led Homegrown Huntsville through fi ve years of success and
helped its events become community staples along the way In
the process Ryals is broadening more than just our image of
downtown Huntsville shersquos joining a class of creative entrepre-
neurs committed to expanding Huntsvillersquos reputation as more
than just a hub for the brightest scientifi c minds in America
ldquoWe have a big city of engineers and lawyers and itrsquos won-
derfulrdquo Ryals say ldquo But there is a whole artist and food cul-
ture here and there is so much growth I want us to have a
vibrant cool downtown area and I want for people to tell
their friends to come and visit and to see Huntsville for what
it is a city I loverdquo
If yoursquod like to participate in Homegrown Huntsville either
as a guest or a participating business visit homegrown-
huntsvillecom
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
copy Jeff White
I was years old and the year was At that time the city of Huntsville was inching toward the mountain to the east California Street was once the continental divide between the small town metropo-lis and the uncharted territories gingerly crossed by the real estate pioneers four score and some odd years prior Th is area became the new suburb as the city kept pushing onward toward Fagan Springs as if the reverberating booms of rocket testings were vibrating Hunstvillians away from its epicenter
From the front yard of our house on Owens Drive I could look to the rightmdashup the hill to the bend be-yond which the big houses stood on their rocky ledge pedestals and to the left where all the other houses that looked just like oursmdashfresh and newmdashrambled for what seemed like miles Th ose clean well-lit abodes all seemed the same and granted at my age I knew more about the pets that lived there than I did about the people who owned those manageable mortgages I came to realize that each was diff erent in a way that was permeated by voices smells and furnishings
It is a clicheacute to say that our lives were simpler then because that is just how the current era will be fondly referred to in the future but to a 5-year-old it is the simplicity that brought the joy Th e sixties will always be to me the beginning of the age of manufactured happiness Cheap clean and simple was what was strived for and what was easily obtained Plastic items were plentiful and pretty things could be bought with SampH Green Stamps A few coins in our pocket would transfer us into the most master of manipula-tors with us giving our all to convince our parents for a jaunt to Murdockrsquos for a holiday of wonderment joy and impatience as we would scour the shelves trying to get the most from our meager budget
Owens Drive was the fairly new thoroughfare from which the avenues of three-bedroom-ranchers fi ngered away at planned intervals Th is was the place where newlyweds started their lives homes and families Where girls with last names that had been in the town for generations would change them to those strange and exotic last names of the clean cut newcomers brought here for military purposes Where the housewives would preheat their pristine electric ovens trying to make cheese straws and biscuits that were just like their motherrsquos only to be frustrated as they were never quite the same and where the husbands would follow in their fatherrsquos footsteps by joining the Acme Club and hunting doves on the weekends
Th ere was a swimming pool Certainly not at our house Th e only private pool I remember as a child was one that my grandmother would take me to nestled between huge trees at someonersquos house on Adams Street I would swim with other children my age while our grandmothers chatted smoking cigarettes in cat-eyed anonymity whispering most of their stories so we wouldnrsquot be able to hear But between their
gasps and laughter we would listen hear and learn
Th e Blossomwood pool was a place of designated rules and the sound of bright whistlesmdashwith straight lines and distinctive colors of blue and green I can still feel the Coppertoned oiliness on the skin of the tanned lifeguard as she carried me from the deep end frightened after my fi rst attempt at solo-swimming She knew my name I had no idea who she was
On the other side of the pool was the school my older sister attended It had a style that mim-icked the poolmdashstraight lines cleanmdasha temple to orderliness and good manners It was with
awe that I once watched the young adults there some as old as eleven wind and dance their way around a sky-high fl agpolemdasheach with a diff erent color ribbon until the fi rst (and only) May Pole
I was privy to was completely dressed in its woven bright colors
90 raquo bless their hearts raquo Guy McClure Jr
Huntsville was a magical place for us tail-end baby boomers to grow upmdashbeyond the miracles of the escalator at Pizitz the smiling little lady on the tall stool at the register at Britlings There was a comfort level there that Irsquom not sure is in the minds of the 5-year-olds of today
cat-eyed agasps
Th s
aI w
THE COMFORTS OF BLOSSOMWOOD
In our world of red-bricked carported castles there was a def-inite division of generations Th e children ate separately from the parents went to school as our dads went to work enter-tained our neighborhood friends as quietly as possible and felt safe between our boundaries of Big Cove Road and Hermitage Street While we dined on our Chef Boy-Ar-Dee boxed pizza our parents busied themselves dressing in their dark colors getting ready for a late dinner at Boots having the scent of perfume and face powder trail my mother as she came into the kitchen looking for something with an intense purpose My father would smell of British Sterling and look just as he did when he went to work only happier Th ese nights meant something fun would happenmdashwe would have a babysitter
Babysitters were my introduction into what was and still seems cool Th ey were usually Huntsville High School teen-agers who would put on a show without even knowing it I would drink in their every move word and essence of style To me they were supermodelsmdashmovie starsmdasheven more fa-mous in my eyes than a television weatherman and almost as glamorous as the waitresses at the Waffl e House
Before they would tire of me and my sister and put us to bed they would include us in their world of music and knowledge which I thought was all-encompassing Suddenly our world of Th e Benny Carl Show and Fantasy Playhouse would seem trite and passeacute and we would catch a fl eeting glimpse into what would be in store for us when we too could stay up past 8 pm
Huntsville was a magical place for us tail-end baby boomers to grow upmdashbeyond the miracles of the escalator at Pizitz the smiling little lady on the tall stool at the register at Britlings and that bright colorful Maypole Th ere was a comfort level there that Irsquom not sure is in the minds of the 5-year-olds of todaymdashthe soothing sheltered lack of knowledge of why we were so lucky yet we didnrsquot even know that we were
In the other areas of our Huntsville there was poverty and ra-cial unrestmdashas there was and is in every city I was unaware People of color were always a part of my worldmdashmostly be-cause they had my attention and respect At our house there was Annie my grandmotherrsquos house was fi lled with the joys of Lula and out on the family farm there was strong and smiling Homer and large and huggable Rosamdashall just as much a part of my life as everyone else My life was good and they were instrumental in making it that way
What will the 5-year-olds of today who are lucky enough to be raised on those well-planned streets remember when they surpass their own 50 year mark It is a much more complex world now and there are diff erent concerns with daily changes of fear Youthful innocence is a prize that is encased without a lock Premature maturity is a viable threat and a constant fear But each night tucked in tight in a simple room sleeps tomor-rowrsquos adults who are having sweet dreamsmdashblanketed by the comforts of Blossomwood
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
92 raquo the vine raquo Amy C Collins
BORDEAUX POWER
Where Burgundyrsquos vineyards were established by Benedictine monks patiently growing wine vines with spiritual hearts Bordeauxrsquos vineyards were raised by entrepreneurial laymen who recognized the massive monetary opportunity when the English began drinking down their peasant wine
The city of Bordeaux is Francersquos primary port town on the Atlantic ocean a harbor that has for centuries served as the countryrsquos most important dock Th e regionrsquos history is long and storied with the fi rst written reference to the area dated 379 AD by the Latin poet Ausonius who was also a wine-grower Jump ahead to the year 1152 when Eleanor of Aquitaine married Englandrsquos soon-to-be king Henry Plantagenet and the port and surrounding vineyard land became the source of wine for the English a connection that remains strong even today
Bordeaux produces the worldrsquos most expensive and sought after collector wines the top tier of which make up less than fi ve percent of the regionrsquos total production Th ese names are quickly learned by neophyte wine drinkers wanting to make an impression Chateau Haut-Brion Lafi te Latour and Margaux for example Grown in gravelly soils only a few meters above sea levelmdashin contrast vineyards elsewhere in Europe typically sit between 300 and 900 metersmdashthese wines are some of the most powerful austere and pawed over When young the tannins in these cabernet sauvignon cabernet franc and merlot blends coat the tongue and mouth with a chalky dry sensation akin to sucking on an Earl Grey tea bag and are perhaps best suited to well-fatted rare steak and cigars Th ese are wines built to live for decades Personally I prefer a Bordeaux at least 20 years aged when the tannins have had ample time to calm down and mellow out and more nuanced fl avors come forward Sounds fancy and it is Only in some very lucky circumstances over the past year have I been guest to a bottle of 1990 Clos de Menuts Saint-Eacutemilion and a 1970 Chateau Haut-Brion About once every 10 years Irsquove had the good
fortune to taste a wine older than myself Nice work if you can get it
Where Burgundyrsquos vineyards (Francersquos other classifi ed sought-after region) were established by Benedictine monks patiently growing wine vines with spiritual hearts
Bordeauxrsquos vineyards were raised by entrepreneurial laymen who recognized the massive monetary opportunity when the English began drinking down their peasant wine Th is underscores the second half of my theory as to why Americans
more often American males are so drawn to the wines of Bordeaux Th erersquos an inherent capitalist connection something in the soil Th at the wines are so
unmistakable so distinctively grand and pronounced elixirs exemplifi es the fi rst half of my theory we Americans are not known for our subtlety (To be fair the Chinese are
signifi cant Bordeaux collectors as well)
Philosophy aside Bordeaux is quite a large region that produces beautiful white and red values as well as the rare fi nds out of the populacersquos price range Herersquos the skinny Blending is the game single varietal wines are rare White Bordeaux is typically made from a blend of sauvignon blanc and seacutemillon and sometimes a drop or two of muscadelle ugni blanc or colombard Reds are made primarily from the two cabernets plus merlot with small quantities of petit verdot malbec and carmenegravere occasionally in the mix Th e region is also home to the golden nectar of late ripened seacutemillon sauvignon blanc and muscadelle grapes that have successfully attracted the noble rot a fungus that covers the fruit and drains moisture from inside leaving behind rich sweet grapes without moldy fl avors Chateau drsquoYquem is the most famous of these unfortifi ed dessert wines though there are better bargains from the region
Bordeaux is split by the Gironde river which divides the region into three general areas Th e left bank also known as the Haut-Meacutedoc is where the classifi ed top growths are situated Th ese prestigious estates were named for their exceptional vineyard sites in 1855 a decision nearly unchanged since Today serious collectors invest in Bordeaux futures theoretically locking down lower prices of top
ample time to calm dit is Only in some vede Menuts Saint-Eacutem
fortune to taste a
Wherees
aun
of msignifi
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Follow Amy at pigandvinecom for morestories and wine suggestions
growth estates while the wine is still aging in the cellar Itrsquos the wine tradersquos equivalent to the NASDAQ On the right bank Saint-Eacutemilion and Pommerol are the prized vineyard areas known for their merlot heavy cuveacutees To the south west we fi nd Graves where there are many great values to be had in both white and red bottlings Entre-Deux-Mers which translates to ldquobetween two seasrdquo sits between the Dordogne and Garonne tributaries off the Gironde and is an excellent source for crisp whites
Get started on your Bordeaux experience with these values
Chateau Graville-Lacoste 2014 Graves 75 seacutemillon 20 sauvignon blanc and 5 muscadelle make up this beauty thatrsquos consistently delicious every vintage Crisp and refreshing great with seafood
Chateau Mirambeau 2014 GravesAnother classic blend of 40 sauvignon blanc 40 seacutemillon and 20 muscadelle this lovely white is a bit more fl oral than the Graville-Lacoste Easy drinking and great value
Chateau de Parenchegravere Bordeaux Rouge 201155 merlot 30 cabernet sauvignon and 15 cabernet franc grown in clay heavy soils similar to the right bank of the region Fleshy with good structure and abundant red fruit
Chateau Arnaud Bordeaux Supeacuterieur 2011Supeacuterieur on a Bordeaux label isnrsquot egotistical marketingmdashby law it indicates a wine with up to one degree more alcohol than its AC Bordeaux brethren What it really means is one more degree of body structure and in this case quality Approachable delicious and easy on the wallet
Chateau de Bernadotte Haut-Meacutedoc 2005Th e 2005 vintage in Bordeaux is in the history books with double asterisks Owned by the eminent Pichon Lalande family and made from vineyards in Paulliac one of the more choice growing areas in the region this is an incredible value a top tier Bordeaux for a fraction of the cost
Chateau de Suduiraut Sauternes 2011Ripe cantaloupe apricot and honey and an interesting smoky note with a solid sweet attack followed by great acidity A dessert wine that wonrsquot overpower the dessert
94 raquo parting shot raquo Patrick Hood
Meet Solvar
Solvar belongs to one of the worldrsquos oldest and purest equine lineages the Nor-
wegian Fjord horse a breed that has remained virtually unchanged for more than
2000 yearsmdashlong before we became acquainted with his animated cousins in
the movie Frozen Th ese national symbols of Norway are characterized by primi-
tive zebra striping on their legs and a dorsal stripe running from forelock to tail
resulting in a striking two-tone mane that sticks up like a Mohawk Th eir athleti-
cism agility and dependability make them valuable both as sport horses as well
as therapy horses for emotionally and physically challenged adults and children
Catie Wells of Huntsville is the proud owner of Solvar who resides at Monte
Sano Stables
For tickets or information 256-539-4818 or hsoorg
Bring In the New Year With Us
presents
WHAT A WONDERFUL
WORLDA tribute to Louis
Armstrong featuring the
Byron Stripling Quartet
Thursday December 31
730 pm bull Pops Series bullMark C Smith
Concert Hall VBC
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
M O R E T H A N 7 0 S H O P S A N D R E S T A U R A N T S I N C L U D I N G B E L K | D S W S H O E S | A P P L E J O S A B A N K | R E E D S J E W E L E R S | PA N D O R A | J C R E W | K AT E S PA D E N E W Y O R KO R V I S | B A N A N A R E P U B L I C | M I C H A E L K O R S | F R A N C E S C Arsquo S | A N T H R O P O L O G I EH amp M | S O M A | M O U N T A I N H I G H O U T F I T T E R S | B A R N E S amp N O B L E | S E P H O R AALTAR rsquoD STATE | CONNORS STEAK amp SEFOOD | THE WEST IN HUNTSV I L L E | MONACO P ICTURES
C O M I N G S O O N V E R S O N A ndash near Belk
B R I D G E S T R E E T H U N T S V I L L E C O M |
BR IDGE STREET TOWN CENTRE I S LOCATED AT EX I T 14 OFF I - 565 AT OLD MAD ISON P IKE
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novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
(1) Shop Bando Coff ee Cup ($14)(2) Shop Bando Pens ($14) (3) Shop Bando Pouch ($26) (4) Shop Bando Coin Purse ($20) The FitzgeraldPilates amp Barre(256) 603-1886
(5) Check Things Off Notepad ($16)(6) Hello From Huntsville Stamp ($12)Salt + Paperie(256) 655-5550
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(1) Muzzle Loaders Chocolate Bourbon Balls ($1999) (2) Vintage Crystal Decanter ($20) (3) Quench Glassware ($1399) Domaine South(256) 808-8860
(4) The Hella Bitters Old Fashioned Kit ($65)(5) American Bar by Charles Schumann ($2495) Little Green Storeand Gallery (256) 539-9699
(6) Julep Cups ($50)Willowbrook Shoppe (256) 270-7181
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(1) DECCO Umbrella in a Bottle ($1995)(2) Alexa Pulitzer Stationery Set ($14 ea)(3) Ikat Scarf ($6250)Huntsville Museumof Art(256) 535-4350
(4) Emily Ley Grace Journal ($32) (5) Sugar Boo Designs Clutch ($18) (6) Emily Ley Daily Planner ($58) (7) Latika Milk ampHoney Bar ($6) (8) Farm House Fresh Shea Butter Hand Cream ($14) (9) Christen MaxwellZippy ($42) (10) Green Tea Bubble Bath ($32) Sweet Pineapple(256) 964-7563 (11) Goal Getter Cuff ($32)Indigorsquos Boutique(256) 345-6348
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
(1) Kilim Pillow ($58) (2) Bejeweled Silver Plate Vase ($144) (3) Bone Clad Box ($375)Willowbrook Shoppe (256) 270-7181
(4) Cowhide Rug ($550)(5) Lucyrsquos Locket ($95) (Original piecemdashselection may vary)Sweet Pineapple(256) 964-7563 (6) Clutch ($65)Department of Agra Culturedeptofagraculturecom
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(1) Above The Bar Antler on Chain 28rdquo ($3999) (2) Above The Bar Deer wAntler Head 18rdquo ($2999) Indigorsquos Boutique(256) 345-6348
(3) Margaret Solow Labradorite18KT Bezel ($290) (4) Margaret Solow Diamond Crest MoonSilver ($460) (5) Margaret Solow Black Spinel + DiamondSilver ($560) (6) Margaret Solow Double Black Spinel18KT ($260)Little Green Store and Gallery (256) 539-9699
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
(1) Margaret Solow Grey Moonstoon18KT Necklace ($240) (2) Margaret Solow OpalDiamond Mosaic Necklace ($610) Little Green Storeand Gallery (256) 539-9699
(3) One-of-a-kind Eva Ziegler Smokey Quartz and Pyrite Necklace ($406)Eva Ziegler Jewelryevazieglercom
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novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
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(1) The Lion Sleeps Tonight Bath Bomb ($6) Sweet Pineapple(256) 964-7563
(2) Tiger Jelly Cat ($2250)(3) Dog Tag Teether ($1550)(4) Dinosaur Footie ($3595)Honey B Boutique(256) 503-2853
(5) Young Buck ($25)Tiny Vinestinyvinesshopcom
(6) Bib Set ($13)Huntsville Museumof Art(256) 535-4350
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
(1) Tiny Dancer Bath Bomb ($6)Sweet Pineapple(256) 964-7563
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(5) ArtFolio Pink Elephant Coloring Tote ($17)Huntsville Museumof Art(256) 535-4350
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) Bib Set ($13)Huntsville Museumof Art(256) 535-4350 (2) Little Light ($25)Tiny Vinestinyvinesshopcom (3) Micro Leon Cardboard Lion ($30)Little Green Storeand Gallery (256) 539-9699 (4) I Love You Like Biscuits amp Gravy ($23)Domaine South(256) 808-8860
(5) Kickee Kimono ($4295)Honey B Boutique(256) 503-2853
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
SURPRISEA LOVED ONE
THIS HOLIDAY SEASON
WITH A FOREVER GIFT
HobbsJewelerscom 8772331347Parkway Place Mall
HuntsvilleHwy 72 West
AthensMain Street
Ardmore TN
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
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novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
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(3) Britt Ryan Dress ($288)Personal Couture Boutique(256) 508-5632
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) Rocket Cosmos Mug ($13)Huntsville Museumof Art(256) 535-4350
(2) Loose Leaf Tea ($399)Piper amp Leaf piperandleafcom (3) Judy Jackson Tea Pot ($56) (4) Gary Watson Cherry Cutting Board ($48-$68) (5) Susan Coe Birthday Cake Plate ($33) Little Green Storeand Gallery (256) 539-9699 (6) Macarons ($116 pcs $221 dozen)Whisk Small Treats Bakery(256) 656-1027
(7) Truffl es ($185 each)Pizellersquos Confections (256) 513-9745 (8) Olive amp Sinclair Chocolate ($799)Domaine South(256) 808-8860
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(4) Urchin Bowl ($10)(5) Foodie Dice ($38)(6) 1Canoe2 Wood Recipe Box w Recipe Cards ($6999) Domaine South(256) 808-8860 (7) Growlers ($75 small $95 large)Southern Growlersoutherngrowlercom
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(1) Tacori 18K Barbados Blue Bold Gem Ring ($660)(2) Tacori 18K Barbados Blue Bold Gem Necklace ($630)(3) Tacori 18K Barbados Blue Bold Gem Bracelet ($990)Hobbs Jewelers(877) 233-1347
(4) BCBG Dress ($328)Personal Couture Boutique(256) 508-5632
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Guadalupe Robinson
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
text by jennifer crossley howard raquo photos by patrick hood
Of Deft and Dirty Hands
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Huntsville potter Guadalupe Lanning Robinson has spent more than 36 years mastering the
marriage of clay texture and geometric design into her pottery yet time has done little to temper the
plight of waiting
ldquoIt is hard for me to let a pot just dryrdquo she says motioning toward fi ve small wet pots sitting near her
pottery wheel ldquoIrsquom as excited to do this as I was 30 years agordquo
To observe her studio at Lowe Mill that is easy to believe Located on the corridor outside the textile
mill-turned-art centerrsquos main building the loft-like space with a corrugated tin roof feels like a place a
Gabriel Garcia Marquez character would enjoy daydreaming
Sienna-hued pottery sits in various stages to be fi red layered and etched Argentinian tango music
streams from Robinsonrsquos iPhone and two cockatiels a parrot and a parakeet chirp from their cages All
except the parrot fl y freely when Robinson is working
Robinson who is 61 made her fi rst pot in 1979 in her native Mexico City Almost four decades later her
work is part of permanent museum collections in Auburn Huntsville Tuscumbia and Tupelo Missis-
sippi She regularly enters her work in respected juried shows such as the Monte Sano Arts Festival and
the Kentuck Festival of the Arts in Northport and has received two Alabama State Council on the Arts
individual artist fellowships
Her inspiration draws from the villages around her native Mexico City such as the black pottery of
the northwest as well as her acquired Southern culture White lilies corn grids and round female
fi guresmdashldquoreally strong women who are in chargerdquo Robinson saysmdashreappear on her stoneware She uses
natural dyes indigo for color and mixes sand into clay for texture Nothing is wasted
ldquoI donrsquot waste any clayrdquo Robinson says ldquoEverything is recycledrdquo
Robinson fi nds solace in the 40-50 hours a week she puts in at the studio and the often tedious process
of making pots which can take from three weeks to six weeks for larger pots She usually works on two
or three pots at a time tending to groups at diff erent stages
After a pot is thrown on a wheel a piece can take days to dry before its fi rst bisque fi re in which tem-
peratures rise to 1800 F After baking for nine hours the kiln must cool Th e second fi ring rises to 2150
F and matures the clay and melts the glazes to strengthen the piece
ldquoI am an effi cient person by naturerdquo Robinson says ldquoWaiting for the kiln to cool down enough to open
can be nerve wracking and this is when my patience is usually put to the testrdquo
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
ldquoIt is hard for me to let a pot just dry Irsquom as excited to do this as I was 30 years agordquo
Robinson makes most of her pots on a wheel using oxides to change the color of clay she gets from Nashville and Pittsburgh Her pottery takes several weeks from start to fi nish depending on how large a pot is and how many she makes at a time
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
ldquoAttend to your childrenrsquos needs fi rst keep focus on what you want to douse the happiness joy and little breaks you get to make your artTh ey grow real fast and they will keep inspiring you all your liferdquo
Robinson imagined this bat-like design as she was working She usually begins a piece with a design in mind but that often evolves
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Robinson uses an overlay of liquid clay called engobemdashthat includes three to four layersmdashto create a
base on which to design
Th ere is high risk in making pottery and hours of work can be wasted on a pot that has not dried en-
tirely before it enters the kiln Air pockets or the wrong mixture of chemicals can ruin a piece
ldquoArt is involved but science is toordquo says Laura Smith director of education at the Huntsville Museum
of Art where Robinson has taught pottery classes ldquoItrsquos more labor intensive in terms of working with
the medium whether yoursquore building by hand or with a wheel until you fi re with the fi nal layer of glazerdquo
Th e result is sturdy pottery
ldquoI want my pots to look like something that is lasting a long timerdquo Robinson says
Th ough she works solitarily in her studio she says she does not get lonely Her birds and music keep her
company and each stage of pottery making has a soundtrack She uses needlepoint tools to draw onto
clay to Jose Feliciano and other Latin American musicians
ldquoIf Irsquom at the wheel Bruno Marsrdquo she says ldquoIf Irsquom unloading the kiln and something is really awesome
then I need something moving and I have on Motownrdquo
Robinsonrsquos years of experience minimize the risk of damaged pots but she says her greatest challenge
as a potter was balancing her work while raising her two children Now adults their candid childhood
pictures and those of her grandchildren cover the warm green walls of her studio
She met her husband the poet James Robinson in 1977 on a Greyhound bus when she returned to
Mexico City from visiting a friend at the University of Southern Mississippi He was heading to Mexico
to study at a university Th ey married six months later After giving birth to her daughter Annie Jane in
Mexico City in 1982 the family moved to Huntsville in 1985 Th at is when Robinson got more serious
about her pottery
ldquoFrom the very beginning when I moved to Alabama I knew I was going to have to do thisrdquo she said
ldquoIn some ways it was a way for me to keep connected to my heritagerdquo
She took even 15 minutes of free time to work in the studio behind her home and worked late into the
night while her daughter and son Isidoro born in 1987 slept Having a home studio allowed her to
wash clothes tend to her home and drop off lunches at school while maintaining her art
ldquoTh ere was something for me when I fi rst became a mother that fueled my creativityrdquo Robinson says
ldquoTh ey are such a social inspiration too It fi lls your liferdquo
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Robinson advises fellow artists who are mothers to seize
both roles but to prioritize motherhood
ldquoAttend to your childrenrsquos needs fi rst keep focus on what you
want to do use the happiness joy and little breaks you get
to make your artrdquo she says ldquoTh ey grow real fast and they will
keep inspiring you all your liferdquo
Anna Sue Courtney director of the Flying Monkey Arts
Center at Lowe Mill has known Robinson for more than
10 years She says she admires how mothers and artists like
Robinson seamlessly embrace both roles
ldquoIt seems therersquos not a separation between creating and rais-
ing childrenrdquo Courtney says ldquoTh ey seem to pull from the
same placerdquo
Part of Robinsonrsquos motivation at Lowe Mill comes from
working privately in a studio alongside other artists that fos-
ters a community of feedback and ideas
ldquoItrsquos nice to be here because you can take a break and walk around and get inspirationrdquo Courtney says
ldquoItrsquos refreshingrdquo
When she needs a break from the studio Robinson stays home to sketch designs for a day or two then
she is back in the studio
Trips twice a year to Mexico City keep her plugged in to her native culture which in turn shows up in
her pottery
ldquoI have to recharge myselfrdquo Robinson says ldquoI love Huntsville and loved raising my kids here but I still
have the need of going back to be recharged and smell all the smells and see all the colors and get on
the subway and be pushed aroundrdquo
Details from her trips that infl uence her work include the ever-present red that covers the city during
the celebration of Dia de los Muertos or the Day of the Dead Th e pyramids of Teotihuacan conjure
warm earth tones and fl oating gardens around the city yield sweet pungent calla lilies and carnations
Celebration of food tough women and nature reappear in her pottery qualities that both Southern and
Mexican cultures treasure
Above This daisy design is character-istic of Robinsonrsquos work Nature food and strong females from her native Mexico City and the South are strong creative infl uences
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Clockwise from top left Robinson often glazes only the inside of her pots so they can hold water and food She began quilting in 2002 and her quilts like her pottery contain earth tones and natural infl uences in their design Four birds keep Robinson company in what can be the isolating medium of pottery making Geometry and symmetry are two signature elements in Robinsonrsquos work according to Laura Smith director of education at the Huntsville Museum of Art
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Just as she keeps her home country close to her heart Robinson is loyal to her fi rst
love of pottery though she began making quilts in 2002
ldquoIrsquom a potter who likes to quiltrdquo she says
Like her pottery her quilting follows designs of organic nature such as fl owers and
crops on rich jewel tone cotton
ldquoWhen I fi rst saw one of her quilts I didnrsquot realize it was hers and I thought that
looks like it should be Guadalupersquos quiltrdquo Courtney says
Robinson prefers the immediate gratifi cation of clay
ldquoItrsquos a very responsive mediumrdquo she says ldquoYou can manipulate it Th e fact of mak-
ing something out of dirt out of nothing and making it durable making it perma-
nent that after going through the heat and maturing is something very excitingrdquo
She gently dings a pot covered with white dresses titled ldquoTehuana Dressrdquo to make
her point
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
887 FM Muscle Shoals bull 1007 FM Huntsvillewwwaprorg
News classicalmusic and more
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
copy Patrick Hood
text by sara wright covington raquo photos by jacki gil
patrick hood erin lindsey and michelle odom
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
copy Patrick Hood
ldquoA LOT OF PEOPLE HAD BEEN ASKING ME QUESTIONS ABOUTHOW I GOT MY BUSINESS STARTED I WANTED TO GATHER SOME PEOPLE AROUND ME
WHO WERE GOING THROUGH THOSE STRUGGLES AND TOBUILD ENTREPRENEURIAL COURAGErdquo
JACKI GIL SALT+PAPERIE
copy Patrick Hood
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
untsville-born Jacki Gil began her paper design busi-
ness Salt+Paperie in 2014 with an expansive vision
in mind one that extended beyond creating beautiful
custom designed paper goods ldquoI love my design job
but when Irsquom 50 years old I donrsquot see myself still de-
signing wedding invitationsrdquo the master stationer says
ldquoI really have a passion for teaching and helping people
I want to be a mentorrdquo
In 2015 Gil set out on her mentoring mission sooner than expected with a series
of workshops called Encourage Huntsville ldquoA lot of people had been asking me
questions about how I got my business startedrdquo Gil says about the early days of
Salt+Paperie Even though most of those questions from entrepreneurial-hopefuls
were technicalmdashlike how to apply for a business licensemdashthey served as inspira-
tion for Gil ldquoI wanted to gather some people around me who were going through
those struggles and to build entrepreneurial courage I defi nitely saw that there
was a need for helping people to take that next step toward owning their own
businessesrdquo
Encourage Huntsville was modeled on the image of a growing small business
movement called the Rising Tide Society a national community of creative small
business owners who encourage ldquocommunity over competitionrdquo Th at spirit of
openness is at the heart of Encourage Huntsville ldquoCommunity over competition
is a huge part of what we are doingrdquo says Gil ldquoSmall business owners sharing how
they earn their money is a big dealrdquo
As a fi rst step Gil gathered others around her who were using their skills and abili-
ties to make their own small businesses work With talents ranging from cooking
and cake decorating to hand lettering and artwork these small business owners
all embraced Gilrsquos vision for imparting to others the knowledge of their craft un-
impeded by a fear of losing their competitive edge
Th e fi rst lesson Gil wanted to impart to Encourage Huntsvillersquos students wasnrsquot
necessarily a particular craft or skill but a spirt of creative confi dence ldquoWe want-
ed to bridge the gap between the very artsy community and the ultimate engineer
communityrdquo many of whom Gil observes had been told since childhood they
werenrsquot artistic ldquoWhen you are little and someone tells you that you donrsquot have a
talent it sticks with you I found that a lot of people had that experience so that
was the workshop partmdashto build some creative courage in this communityrdquo
Gil conducted the fi rst workshop herself testing the waters to see how the concept
would be received Th e admission price to that fi rst workshop included supplies a
take-home ldquogoody bagrdquo to help students continue their work extracurricularly and
refreshmentsmdashas well as Gilrsquos tips of her trade
ldquoWe went in blindly not knowing if we had a market or notrdquo says Gil Th e popular-
ity of that fi rst class proved undeniably that a market did in fact exist the work-
shop sold out in one day ldquoSo we did back-to-back workshopsrdquo Gil says ldquoAfter that
novemberdecembeeer eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee | nononoononononononoonoonononooooonoonoonnononnoaaalalalllaallllllalaalaaalal ststustust ddiossscom mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm | | | | | | | | | | |
f
w
y
Previous page Encourage Huntsvillersquos founder and instructor Jacki Gil teaches a class in hand lettering Facing page A participant studies her supply list
we realized people really want to do this stuff So we said lsquoletrsquos jump on the boat
and make this happenrsquordquo
Gilrsquos longtime friend photographer Erin Lindsey of Erin Lindsey Images agreed
to contribute to Encourage Huntsvillersquos curriculum by teaching a photography
class ldquoJacki and I are a good team because our hearts are in the same place when
it comes to encouraging othersrdquo Lindsey says Still she admits saying yes to teach-
ing wasnrsquot without some initial hesitation ldquoWhen Jacki asked if I would teach a
class it was kind of scary I thought I had to be perfect before I could teach oth-
ersrdquo Lindsey says of her initial hesitancy ldquoBut after talking to Jacki I realized none
of us are perfectrdquo But perfection isnrsquot the goal encouragement is the goal ldquoAnd I
thought lsquoI can defi nitely line up with that visionrsquordquo
Michelle Odom another Huntsville native and owner of custom cake bakery Just
Crumbs was also on board with Gilrsquos vision In fact Odom had been contemplat-
ing teaching a class when she was approached by Gil to teach a fondant basics
class ldquoHuntsville is such an engineer town and everyone is so mathematical and
scientifi crdquo Odom says echoing the dichotomy between the arts and sciences ex-
pressed by Gil ldquoTh ese workshops are just a very cool way for structured people to
have a creative outletrdquo
ldquoJACKI AND I ARE A GOOD TEAM BECAUSE OUR HEARTS ARE INTHE SAME PLACE WHEN IT COMES TO ENCOURAGING OTHERSrdquo
ERIN LINDSEY ERIN LINDSEY IMAGES
copy Erin Lindsey
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Above A participant in Erin Lindseyrsquos photo class frames a still life
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
copy Erin Lindsey
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
ldquoHUNTSVILLE IS SUCH AN ENGINEER TOWN AND EVERYONE ISSO MATHEMATICAL AND SCIENTIFIC THESE WORKSHOPS ARE JUST A VERY COOL
WAY FOR STRUCTURED PEOPLE TO HAVE A CREATIVE OUTLETrdquo MICHELLE ODOM JUST CRUMBS
copy Michelle Odom
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
ldquoAnd yesrdquo Odom acknowledges ldquoyou are in theory teaching your competition But
at the same time you are helping the community be more creativerdquo
With its roster of popular creative workshops under its belt Encourage Huntsville
has added business classes to its community-over-competition curriculum with
classes designed to provide specifi c guidance for small business owners ldquoAll of
our events that donrsquot require hands-on work we call seminarsrdquo says Gil ldquoWe had
about 15 people at our fi rst one It was pretty much just an open discussion to ask
us questions and get answers from the perspective of a small business ownerrdquo
Th e seminars enjoyed the same success and enthusiasm as the workshops ldquoWe
had two hours for people to ask questionsrdquo Gil says Topics covered ran the gamut
from scheduling daily tasks self-hosting a website or using an Etsy store man-
aging client expectations and being realistic about how much time you need to
complete jobs
ldquoTh e time went quickly and people wanted morerdquo says Gil who envisions an all-
day seminar in 2016
Margaret Baggett owner and executive chef of the Chef Next Door is another
small business owner who has shared Gilrsquos vision from the very beginning teach-
copy Erin Lindsey
Facing page Michelle Odomrsquos fondant basics class begins with a styrofoam cake form Above Newbie photographers familiarize themselves with their cameras in Erin Lindseyrsquos photography class
ing knife skills workshops and helping host the business seminars ldquoI am so proud
to get to be a part of this project and help nurture other small business owners
who may just be starting out on their journey or are deep in it and looking for
some encouragement from other business ownersrdquo Baggett says of what motivates
her participation in Encourage Huntsville ldquoEven being on the advice-giving side
of things I am still learning and have taken tips and tricks and lessons from each
event we have had so far We never stop learning from each other and never stop
improving upon our craftsrdquo
Th e mutual growth among students and teachers is the source of the encourage-
mentmdashand the joymdashof Encourage Huntsville ldquoItrsquos so much fun to see the light
bulbs go off with people and see them encouraged right before your eyesrdquo Lindsey
says of her experience with the program ldquoPlus itrsquos a pleasure to contribute to a
sense of community over competition Th at whole concept is so rarerdquo
As Encourage Huntsvillersquos following continues to grow the diversity of the work-
shops will expand as well Whether you are looking to spend a fun afternoon
learning a new craft or are a budding small business owner hoping to launch
your brand Encourage Huntsville has something valuable to off er ldquoWe encourage
those left-brain folks to take up a new hobby or skillrdquo Baggett says ldquoor just encour-
age the people of Huntsville to get together and fan their creative fl amesrdquo
If yoursquore looking for
creative or entrepreneurial
encouragement visit
encouragehuntsvillecom
for seminar and workshop
schedules and information
ldquoI AM SO PROUD TO GET TO BE A PART OF THIS PROJECT AND HELP NURTURE OTHER SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS WHO MAY JUST BE STARTING OUT ON THEIR JOURNEY OR ARE DEEP IN IT
AND LOOKING FOR SOME ENCOURAGEMENT FROM OTHER BUSINESS OWNERSrdquoMARGARET BAGGETT CHEF NEXT DOOR
copy Jacki Gil
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
copy Jacki Gil
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Participants in Margaret Baggettrsquos knife skills workshop learn to perfect their ldquomise en placerdquo
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
copy Olivia Reed
text by sara wright covington raquo photos by olivia reed and jeff white
HUNTSVILLErsquoS
HOMEGROWNHOSTESS
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
ttttttononononoooooonononooooo raquo praquo praquo praquo praquo phothothothothotosoososos s s osos bybybbybb
Any host will tell you that delicious food and quality libations while important to
a partyrsquos success are secondary to the most important ingredient of all the guest list Th atrsquos why many
of downtown Huntsvillersquos most popular restaurants breweries and wine shops are turning to event
planner Ashley Ryals and her uncanny knack for attracting loyal patronsmdashand creating unforgettable
events in the process
When Huntsville born-and-bred Ashley Ryals left for college at the University of Alabama in 2001
she thought her exit from the Valley was permanent ldquoI never thought I would end up back hererdquo the
founder of event planning company Homegrown Huntsville says with a knowing laugh But after a few
post-graduate years working for world-renowned public relations powerhouse Weber Shandwick in
New York City Ryals started to second guess her freshman declaration
ldquoI started to get homesickrdquo she admits ldquoAll of my friends were getting married and meeting for football
games and I was missing itrdquo So when a friend from home set up an interview at EarlyWorks for a job
doing event planning Ryals jumped at the chance to come home
Ashley spent the next few years planning EarlyWorks Whistle Stop and Santarsquos Village events A brief
stint in sales followed along with a seat on the board of Huntsville Young Professionals where she had
an idea for a downtown pub crawl
ldquoWe expected 20 or 30 peoplerdquo Ryals says of their modest expectations ldquoBut 200 people showed uprdquo
Th at initial success convinced Ryals to embark on her dream of establishing an
event planning company But it wasnrsquot just any event planning company Ryals
had in mind she envisioned one that would collaborate with local businesses
cultivate signature events for the community to enjoy and support small busi-
nesses in the process
Inspired Ryals left her sales job and for the second time in her life came home
again to event planning and Homegrown Huntsville
To help bring her vision to life Ryals collaborated with designer Adrianne Van
Kirk of Fave Creative ldquoAdrianne has been a part of the visual and branding of
Homegrown from the beginning We come up with the event ideas then I get
the ticketing and sales together and she comes back with a logo and the mar-
keting for the event And thatrsquos how it all comes togetherrdquo Ryals says of their
creative process
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
ASHLEY RYALS
copy Olivia Reed
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
ldquoMOST WINE FESTIVALS ACROSS THE COUNTRY HAVE PROVEN RECORDS OF BEING ABLE TO STAY AROUND 15 OR 20 YEARS OR EVEN LONGER AND THE ECONOMIES OF THOSE
CITIES HAVE REALLY GROWN AS A RESULT I WANT BIG SPRING CRUSH TO EVENTUALLY BE THE BIGGEST AND BEST WINE FESTIVAL IN THE STATE OF ALABAMArdquo ASHLEY RYALS
copy Jeff White
copy Jeff White
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
copy Olivia Reed
Homegrown launched in 2011 with what would become its
signature event Dine amp Dash Every second Wednesday
April through October a trolley shuttles patrons between
downtown establishments where they are served a drink
and appetizer before moving on to the next stop
Owner and executive chef Merle Phillips of Th e Eaves was
one of the fi rst restaurants to sign on for Dine amp Dashrsquos de-
but ldquoAshley came to me and said she was starting a trolley
tasting conceptrdquo says Chef Merle ldquoI didnrsquot really know her so
I was taking a chance on the concept she was sellingrdquo
Merle tried it and has been a loyal participant of Dine amp
Dash ever since
ldquoIt was a risk in the beginning but it defi nitely paid off rdquo Chef
Merle says of the experience Pivotal to that experience ac-
cording to Phillips is Ryalsrsquo demonstration to the commu-
nity just what the term ldquohomegrownrdquo really means ldquoAshley
shines a spotlight on independent businesses in a market-
place that has for so long focused on chainsrdquo Phillips says
ldquoDine amp Dash has really brought into sharp focus the inter-
esting culinary diversity that Huntsville has to off errdquo
For the next two years Homegrown Huntsville focused al-
most exclusively on Dine amp Dash which by the end of its fi rst
year included every single downtown restaurant But when
big changes began to appear on the downtown horizonmdash
new restaurants breweries and residential developmentsmdash
Ryalsrsquo instincts told her
the time had come to
introduce a new event
to the downtown cal-
endar
ldquoBeer Hop follows
the concept of Dine
amp Dashrdquo Ryals says of
Homegrownrsquos second
venture which began
in 2013 Each month a
trolley visits three dif-
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
BILL FOWLEROLD TOWN BEER
EXCHANGE
copy Olivia Reed
copy Olivia Reed
ferent breweries where patrons sample beers and enjoy food
from a variety of food trucks parked at each location
Bill Fowler managing partner of Old Town Beer Exchange
agreed to participate in Beer Hop on his very fi rst day of
business and credits Ryals with an overwhelmingly success-
ful opening night ldquoAshley said lsquoI can guarantee that you are
going to have wave after wave of people coming throughrsquordquo
Fowler says recalling that fi rst jittery occasion Once again
Ryals proved true to her word with 60-plus patrons arriving
in an hour-and-a-half ldquoIt was awesome and such a great ex-
perience for usrdquo Fowler raves ldquoAshley is a hard worker and
you can see that in what she doesrdquo
Fowler believes that in addition to bringing new customers
to OTBX Ryals is also cultivating beer education consis-
tently bringing in people who are new to beer and want to
learn And with Huntsvillersquos recent brewery boom that level
of education and interest is crucial for the brewing commu-
nity to thrive ldquoWe have a very small window of opportunityrdquo
says Fowler ldquoI think Huntsville in particular is becoming a
craft brewing community People are making money at this
and once Tennessee sees that we need to already have had a
pretty huge head startrdquo
By the end of 2013 and with standing events Beer Hop and
Dine amp Dash well established Ryals took time to refl ect on
her original goal for Homegrown Huntsville ldquoIn the back of
my head from day one I knew I wanted to do a wine festival
I just didnrsquot think Huntsville was ready for it in 2011rdquo
Emboldened by the success of Beer Hop Ryals decided to
make the leap with Big Spring Crush wine festival later the
same year Once again Ryals delivered the perfect audience
for the event and in the process discovered a surprising
fact about North Alabamarsquos contribution to the wine-mak-
ing industry
ldquoIn doing the wine festival I learned that we have a huge
wine community in Huntsvillerdquo Ryals says ldquoTh ere are only
about 47 certifi ed wine judges in the entire United States
and we have four of them right here in North Alabama Two
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
copy Jeff White
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
ldquoI STARTED TO GET HOMESICK ALL OF MY FRIENDS WERE GETTING MARRIEDAND MEETING FOR FOOTBALL GAMES AND I WAS MISSING ITrdquo ASHLEY RYALS
copy Jeff White
copy Jeff White
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
ldquoIT WAS AWESOME AND SUCH A GREAT EXPERIENCE FOR USrdquoBILL FOWLER OLD TOWN BEER EXCHANGE
copy Jeff White
copy Olivia Reed
of those four certifi ed wine judges sit on the committee for
Big Spring Crushrdquo
Matthew and Stephanie Mell had just opened Church Street
Wine Shop when they decided to participate in the fi rst Big
Spring Crush Like OTBXrsquos Robert Fowler the Mells credit
Ryals and Homegrown Huntsville for helping to introduce
their new enterprise to the community ldquoAshley has been in-
strumental in helping to bring us people who love and ap-
preciate winerdquo Stephanie Mell says ldquoShe was homegrown
here in Huntsville and she really gets the downtown area
and small businesses and that is so important to usrdquo
Big Spring Crush began with a bang featuring over 150
wines and attracting patrons from across the country
ldquoMost wine festivals across the country have proven records
of being able to stay around 15 or 20 years or even longerrdquo
Ryals says ldquoAnd the economies of those cities have really
grown as a result I want Big Spring Crush to eventually be
the biggest and best wine festival in the state of Alabamardquo
How does Ryals intend to make that dream come true ldquoBy
always keeping it fresh I want to have new marketing and
new things happening each yearrdquo
Ryalsrsquo formula of reinvention and expansion has successfully
led Homegrown Huntsville through fi ve years of success and
helped its events become community staples along the way In
the process Ryals is broadening more than just our image of
downtown Huntsville shersquos joining a class of creative entrepre-
neurs committed to expanding Huntsvillersquos reputation as more
than just a hub for the brightest scientifi c minds in America
ldquoWe have a big city of engineers and lawyers and itrsquos won-
derfulrdquo Ryals say ldquo But there is a whole artist and food cul-
ture here and there is so much growth I want us to have a
vibrant cool downtown area and I want for people to tell
their friends to come and visit and to see Huntsville for what
it is a city I loverdquo
If yoursquod like to participate in Homegrown Huntsville either
as a guest or a participating business visit homegrown-
huntsvillecom
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
copy Jeff White
I was years old and the year was At that time the city of Huntsville was inching toward the mountain to the east California Street was once the continental divide between the small town metropo-lis and the uncharted territories gingerly crossed by the real estate pioneers four score and some odd years prior Th is area became the new suburb as the city kept pushing onward toward Fagan Springs as if the reverberating booms of rocket testings were vibrating Hunstvillians away from its epicenter
From the front yard of our house on Owens Drive I could look to the rightmdashup the hill to the bend be-yond which the big houses stood on their rocky ledge pedestals and to the left where all the other houses that looked just like oursmdashfresh and newmdashrambled for what seemed like miles Th ose clean well-lit abodes all seemed the same and granted at my age I knew more about the pets that lived there than I did about the people who owned those manageable mortgages I came to realize that each was diff erent in a way that was permeated by voices smells and furnishings
It is a clicheacute to say that our lives were simpler then because that is just how the current era will be fondly referred to in the future but to a 5-year-old it is the simplicity that brought the joy Th e sixties will always be to me the beginning of the age of manufactured happiness Cheap clean and simple was what was strived for and what was easily obtained Plastic items were plentiful and pretty things could be bought with SampH Green Stamps A few coins in our pocket would transfer us into the most master of manipula-tors with us giving our all to convince our parents for a jaunt to Murdockrsquos for a holiday of wonderment joy and impatience as we would scour the shelves trying to get the most from our meager budget
Owens Drive was the fairly new thoroughfare from which the avenues of three-bedroom-ranchers fi ngered away at planned intervals Th is was the place where newlyweds started their lives homes and families Where girls with last names that had been in the town for generations would change them to those strange and exotic last names of the clean cut newcomers brought here for military purposes Where the housewives would preheat their pristine electric ovens trying to make cheese straws and biscuits that were just like their motherrsquos only to be frustrated as they were never quite the same and where the husbands would follow in their fatherrsquos footsteps by joining the Acme Club and hunting doves on the weekends
Th ere was a swimming pool Certainly not at our house Th e only private pool I remember as a child was one that my grandmother would take me to nestled between huge trees at someonersquos house on Adams Street I would swim with other children my age while our grandmothers chatted smoking cigarettes in cat-eyed anonymity whispering most of their stories so we wouldnrsquot be able to hear But between their
gasps and laughter we would listen hear and learn
Th e Blossomwood pool was a place of designated rules and the sound of bright whistlesmdashwith straight lines and distinctive colors of blue and green I can still feel the Coppertoned oiliness on the skin of the tanned lifeguard as she carried me from the deep end frightened after my fi rst attempt at solo-swimming She knew my name I had no idea who she was
On the other side of the pool was the school my older sister attended It had a style that mim-icked the poolmdashstraight lines cleanmdasha temple to orderliness and good manners It was with
awe that I once watched the young adults there some as old as eleven wind and dance their way around a sky-high fl agpolemdasheach with a diff erent color ribbon until the fi rst (and only) May Pole
I was privy to was completely dressed in its woven bright colors
90 raquo bless their hearts raquo Guy McClure Jr
Huntsville was a magical place for us tail-end baby boomers to grow upmdashbeyond the miracles of the escalator at Pizitz the smiling little lady on the tall stool at the register at Britlings There was a comfort level there that Irsquom not sure is in the minds of the 5-year-olds of today
cat-eyed agasps
Th s
aI w
THE COMFORTS OF BLOSSOMWOOD
In our world of red-bricked carported castles there was a def-inite division of generations Th e children ate separately from the parents went to school as our dads went to work enter-tained our neighborhood friends as quietly as possible and felt safe between our boundaries of Big Cove Road and Hermitage Street While we dined on our Chef Boy-Ar-Dee boxed pizza our parents busied themselves dressing in their dark colors getting ready for a late dinner at Boots having the scent of perfume and face powder trail my mother as she came into the kitchen looking for something with an intense purpose My father would smell of British Sterling and look just as he did when he went to work only happier Th ese nights meant something fun would happenmdashwe would have a babysitter
Babysitters were my introduction into what was and still seems cool Th ey were usually Huntsville High School teen-agers who would put on a show without even knowing it I would drink in their every move word and essence of style To me they were supermodelsmdashmovie starsmdasheven more fa-mous in my eyes than a television weatherman and almost as glamorous as the waitresses at the Waffl e House
Before they would tire of me and my sister and put us to bed they would include us in their world of music and knowledge which I thought was all-encompassing Suddenly our world of Th e Benny Carl Show and Fantasy Playhouse would seem trite and passeacute and we would catch a fl eeting glimpse into what would be in store for us when we too could stay up past 8 pm
Huntsville was a magical place for us tail-end baby boomers to grow upmdashbeyond the miracles of the escalator at Pizitz the smiling little lady on the tall stool at the register at Britlings and that bright colorful Maypole Th ere was a comfort level there that Irsquom not sure is in the minds of the 5-year-olds of todaymdashthe soothing sheltered lack of knowledge of why we were so lucky yet we didnrsquot even know that we were
In the other areas of our Huntsville there was poverty and ra-cial unrestmdashas there was and is in every city I was unaware People of color were always a part of my worldmdashmostly be-cause they had my attention and respect At our house there was Annie my grandmotherrsquos house was fi lled with the joys of Lula and out on the family farm there was strong and smiling Homer and large and huggable Rosamdashall just as much a part of my life as everyone else My life was good and they were instrumental in making it that way
What will the 5-year-olds of today who are lucky enough to be raised on those well-planned streets remember when they surpass their own 50 year mark It is a much more complex world now and there are diff erent concerns with daily changes of fear Youthful innocence is a prize that is encased without a lock Premature maturity is a viable threat and a constant fear But each night tucked in tight in a simple room sleeps tomor-rowrsquos adults who are having sweet dreamsmdashblanketed by the comforts of Blossomwood
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
92 raquo the vine raquo Amy C Collins
BORDEAUX POWER
Where Burgundyrsquos vineyards were established by Benedictine monks patiently growing wine vines with spiritual hearts Bordeauxrsquos vineyards were raised by entrepreneurial laymen who recognized the massive monetary opportunity when the English began drinking down their peasant wine
The city of Bordeaux is Francersquos primary port town on the Atlantic ocean a harbor that has for centuries served as the countryrsquos most important dock Th e regionrsquos history is long and storied with the fi rst written reference to the area dated 379 AD by the Latin poet Ausonius who was also a wine-grower Jump ahead to the year 1152 when Eleanor of Aquitaine married Englandrsquos soon-to-be king Henry Plantagenet and the port and surrounding vineyard land became the source of wine for the English a connection that remains strong even today
Bordeaux produces the worldrsquos most expensive and sought after collector wines the top tier of which make up less than fi ve percent of the regionrsquos total production Th ese names are quickly learned by neophyte wine drinkers wanting to make an impression Chateau Haut-Brion Lafi te Latour and Margaux for example Grown in gravelly soils only a few meters above sea levelmdashin contrast vineyards elsewhere in Europe typically sit between 300 and 900 metersmdashthese wines are some of the most powerful austere and pawed over When young the tannins in these cabernet sauvignon cabernet franc and merlot blends coat the tongue and mouth with a chalky dry sensation akin to sucking on an Earl Grey tea bag and are perhaps best suited to well-fatted rare steak and cigars Th ese are wines built to live for decades Personally I prefer a Bordeaux at least 20 years aged when the tannins have had ample time to calm down and mellow out and more nuanced fl avors come forward Sounds fancy and it is Only in some very lucky circumstances over the past year have I been guest to a bottle of 1990 Clos de Menuts Saint-Eacutemilion and a 1970 Chateau Haut-Brion About once every 10 years Irsquove had the good
fortune to taste a wine older than myself Nice work if you can get it
Where Burgundyrsquos vineyards (Francersquos other classifi ed sought-after region) were established by Benedictine monks patiently growing wine vines with spiritual hearts
Bordeauxrsquos vineyards were raised by entrepreneurial laymen who recognized the massive monetary opportunity when the English began drinking down their peasant wine Th is underscores the second half of my theory as to why Americans
more often American males are so drawn to the wines of Bordeaux Th erersquos an inherent capitalist connection something in the soil Th at the wines are so
unmistakable so distinctively grand and pronounced elixirs exemplifi es the fi rst half of my theory we Americans are not known for our subtlety (To be fair the Chinese are
signifi cant Bordeaux collectors as well)
Philosophy aside Bordeaux is quite a large region that produces beautiful white and red values as well as the rare fi nds out of the populacersquos price range Herersquos the skinny Blending is the game single varietal wines are rare White Bordeaux is typically made from a blend of sauvignon blanc and seacutemillon and sometimes a drop or two of muscadelle ugni blanc or colombard Reds are made primarily from the two cabernets plus merlot with small quantities of petit verdot malbec and carmenegravere occasionally in the mix Th e region is also home to the golden nectar of late ripened seacutemillon sauvignon blanc and muscadelle grapes that have successfully attracted the noble rot a fungus that covers the fruit and drains moisture from inside leaving behind rich sweet grapes without moldy fl avors Chateau drsquoYquem is the most famous of these unfortifi ed dessert wines though there are better bargains from the region
Bordeaux is split by the Gironde river which divides the region into three general areas Th e left bank also known as the Haut-Meacutedoc is where the classifi ed top growths are situated Th ese prestigious estates were named for their exceptional vineyard sites in 1855 a decision nearly unchanged since Today serious collectors invest in Bordeaux futures theoretically locking down lower prices of top
ample time to calm dit is Only in some vede Menuts Saint-Eacutem
fortune to taste a
Wherees
aun
of msignifi
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Follow Amy at pigandvinecom for morestories and wine suggestions
growth estates while the wine is still aging in the cellar Itrsquos the wine tradersquos equivalent to the NASDAQ On the right bank Saint-Eacutemilion and Pommerol are the prized vineyard areas known for their merlot heavy cuveacutees To the south west we fi nd Graves where there are many great values to be had in both white and red bottlings Entre-Deux-Mers which translates to ldquobetween two seasrdquo sits between the Dordogne and Garonne tributaries off the Gironde and is an excellent source for crisp whites
Get started on your Bordeaux experience with these values
Chateau Graville-Lacoste 2014 Graves 75 seacutemillon 20 sauvignon blanc and 5 muscadelle make up this beauty thatrsquos consistently delicious every vintage Crisp and refreshing great with seafood
Chateau Mirambeau 2014 GravesAnother classic blend of 40 sauvignon blanc 40 seacutemillon and 20 muscadelle this lovely white is a bit more fl oral than the Graville-Lacoste Easy drinking and great value
Chateau de Parenchegravere Bordeaux Rouge 201155 merlot 30 cabernet sauvignon and 15 cabernet franc grown in clay heavy soils similar to the right bank of the region Fleshy with good structure and abundant red fruit
Chateau Arnaud Bordeaux Supeacuterieur 2011Supeacuterieur on a Bordeaux label isnrsquot egotistical marketingmdashby law it indicates a wine with up to one degree more alcohol than its AC Bordeaux brethren What it really means is one more degree of body structure and in this case quality Approachable delicious and easy on the wallet
Chateau de Bernadotte Haut-Meacutedoc 2005Th e 2005 vintage in Bordeaux is in the history books with double asterisks Owned by the eminent Pichon Lalande family and made from vineyards in Paulliac one of the more choice growing areas in the region this is an incredible value a top tier Bordeaux for a fraction of the cost
Chateau de Suduiraut Sauternes 2011Ripe cantaloupe apricot and honey and an interesting smoky note with a solid sweet attack followed by great acidity A dessert wine that wonrsquot overpower the dessert
94 raquo parting shot raquo Patrick Hood
Meet Solvar
Solvar belongs to one of the worldrsquos oldest and purest equine lineages the Nor-
wegian Fjord horse a breed that has remained virtually unchanged for more than
2000 yearsmdashlong before we became acquainted with his animated cousins in
the movie Frozen Th ese national symbols of Norway are characterized by primi-
tive zebra striping on their legs and a dorsal stripe running from forelock to tail
resulting in a striking two-tone mane that sticks up like a Mohawk Th eir athleti-
cism agility and dependability make them valuable both as sport horses as well
as therapy horses for emotionally and physically challenged adults and children
Catie Wells of Huntsville is the proud owner of Solvar who resides at Monte
Sano Stables
For tickets or information 256-539-4818 or hsoorg
Bring In the New Year With Us
presents
WHAT A WONDERFUL
WORLDA tribute to Louis
Armstrong featuring the
Byron Stripling Quartet
Thursday December 31
730 pm bull Pops Series bullMark C Smith
Concert Hall VBC
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
M O R E T H A N 7 0 S H O P S A N D R E S T A U R A N T S I N C L U D I N G B E L K | D S W S H O E S | A P P L E J O S A B A N K | R E E D S J E W E L E R S | PA N D O R A | J C R E W | K AT E S PA D E N E W Y O R KO R V I S | B A N A N A R E P U B L I C | M I C H A E L K O R S | F R A N C E S C Arsquo S | A N T H R O P O L O G I EH amp M | S O M A | M O U N T A I N H I G H O U T F I T T E R S | B A R N E S amp N O B L E | S E P H O R AALTAR rsquoD STATE | CONNORS STEAK amp SEFOOD | THE WEST IN HUNTSV I L L E | MONACO P ICTURES
C O M I N G S O O N V E R S O N A ndash near Belk
B R I D G E S T R E E T H U N T S V I L L E C O M |
BR IDGE STREET TOWN CENTRE I S LOCATED AT EX I T 14 OFF I - 565 AT OLD MAD ISON P IKE
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
(1) Shop Bando Coff ee Cup ($14)(2) Shop Bando Pens ($14) (3) Shop Bando Pouch ($26) (4) Shop Bando Coin Purse ($20) The FitzgeraldPilates amp Barre(256) 603-1886
(5) Check Things Off Notepad ($16)(6) Hello From Huntsville Stamp ($12)Salt + Paperie(256) 655-5550
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) Muzzle Loaders Chocolate Bourbon Balls ($1999) (2) Vintage Crystal Decanter ($20) (3) Quench Glassware ($1399) Domaine South(256) 808-8860
(4) The Hella Bitters Old Fashioned Kit ($65)(5) American Bar by Charles Schumann ($2495) Little Green Storeand Gallery (256) 539-9699
(6) Julep Cups ($50)Willowbrook Shoppe (256) 270-7181
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom | novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) DECCO Umbrella in a Bottle ($1995)(2) Alexa Pulitzer Stationery Set ($14 ea)(3) Ikat Scarf ($6250)Huntsville Museumof Art(256) 535-4350
(4) Emily Ley Grace Journal ($32) (5) Sugar Boo Designs Clutch ($18) (6) Emily Ley Daily Planner ($58) (7) Latika Milk ampHoney Bar ($6) (8) Farm House Fresh Shea Butter Hand Cream ($14) (9) Christen MaxwellZippy ($42) (10) Green Tea Bubble Bath ($32) Sweet Pineapple(256) 964-7563 (11) Goal Getter Cuff ($32)Indigorsquos Boutique(256) 345-6348
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
(1) Kilim Pillow ($58) (2) Bejeweled Silver Plate Vase ($144) (3) Bone Clad Box ($375)Willowbrook Shoppe (256) 270-7181
(4) Cowhide Rug ($550)(5) Lucyrsquos Locket ($95) (Original piecemdashselection may vary)Sweet Pineapple(256) 964-7563 (6) Clutch ($65)Department of Agra Culturedeptofagraculturecom
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) Above The Bar Antler on Chain 28rdquo ($3999) (2) Above The Bar Deer wAntler Head 18rdquo ($2999) Indigorsquos Boutique(256) 345-6348
(3) Margaret Solow Labradorite18KT Bezel ($290) (4) Margaret Solow Diamond Crest MoonSilver ($460) (5) Margaret Solow Black Spinel + DiamondSilver ($560) (6) Margaret Solow Double Black Spinel18KT ($260)Little Green Store and Gallery (256) 539-9699
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
(1) Margaret Solow Grey Moonstoon18KT Necklace ($240) (2) Margaret Solow OpalDiamond Mosaic Necklace ($610) Little Green Storeand Gallery (256) 539-9699
(3) One-of-a-kind Eva Ziegler Smokey Quartz and Pyrite Necklace ($406)Eva Ziegler Jewelryevazieglercom
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) Jennifer BehrTurban ($625)(2) Cotton Day Dress ($64)(3) Norma Ishak Cardigan ($375)Finery(256) 429-3429
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
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(2) Tiger Jelly Cat ($2250)(3) Dog Tag Teether ($1550)(4) Dinosaur Footie ($3595)Honey B Boutique(256) 503-2853
(5) Young Buck ($25)Tiny Vinestinyvinesshopcom
(6) Bib Set ($13)Huntsville Museumof Art(256) 535-4350
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
(1) Tiny Dancer Bath Bomb ($6)Sweet Pineapple(256) 964-7563
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| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) Bib Set ($13)Huntsville Museumof Art(256) 535-4350 (2) Little Light ($25)Tiny Vinestinyvinesshopcom (3) Micro Leon Cardboard Lion ($30)Little Green Storeand Gallery (256) 539-9699 (4) I Love You Like Biscuits amp Gravy ($23)Domaine South(256) 808-8860
(5) Kickee Kimono ($4295)Honey B Boutique(256) 503-2853
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
SURPRISEA LOVED ONE
THIS HOLIDAY SEASON
WITH A FOREVER GIFT
HobbsJewelerscom 8772331347Parkway Place Mall
HuntsvilleHwy 72 West
AthensMain Street
Ardmore TN
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
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novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
(1) Chewbead Necklace ($3495)(2) Mayoral Baby Bag ($7995)(3) Mayoral Diaper Changing Pad ($2495)(4) Nursing Scarf ($2695) (5) Kickee Swaddling Blanket ($22)Honey B Boutique(256) 503-2853 (6) Lucy Darling Months Sticker ($25) (7) The Story of You Baby Book by Emily Ley ($62) Sweet Pineapple(256) 964-7563
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(3) Britt Ryan Dress ($288)Personal Couture Boutique(256) 508-5632
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) Rocket Cosmos Mug ($13)Huntsville Museumof Art(256) 535-4350
(2) Loose Leaf Tea ($399)Piper amp Leaf piperandleafcom (3) Judy Jackson Tea Pot ($56) (4) Gary Watson Cherry Cutting Board ($48-$68) (5) Susan Coe Birthday Cake Plate ($33) Little Green Storeand Gallery (256) 539-9699 (6) Macarons ($116 pcs $221 dozen)Whisk Small Treats Bakery(256) 656-1027
(7) Truffl es ($185 each)Pizellersquos Confections (256) 513-9745 (8) Olive amp Sinclair Chocolate ($799)Domaine South(256) 808-8860
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
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(4) Urchin Bowl ($10)(5) Foodie Dice ($38)(6) 1Canoe2 Wood Recipe Box w Recipe Cards ($6999) Domaine South(256) 808-8860 (7) Growlers ($75 small $95 large)Southern Growlersoutherngrowlercom
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novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Guadalupe Robinson
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
text by jennifer crossley howard raquo photos by patrick hood
Of Deft and Dirty Hands
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Huntsville potter Guadalupe Lanning Robinson has spent more than 36 years mastering the
marriage of clay texture and geometric design into her pottery yet time has done little to temper the
plight of waiting
ldquoIt is hard for me to let a pot just dryrdquo she says motioning toward fi ve small wet pots sitting near her
pottery wheel ldquoIrsquom as excited to do this as I was 30 years agordquo
To observe her studio at Lowe Mill that is easy to believe Located on the corridor outside the textile
mill-turned-art centerrsquos main building the loft-like space with a corrugated tin roof feels like a place a
Gabriel Garcia Marquez character would enjoy daydreaming
Sienna-hued pottery sits in various stages to be fi red layered and etched Argentinian tango music
streams from Robinsonrsquos iPhone and two cockatiels a parrot and a parakeet chirp from their cages All
except the parrot fl y freely when Robinson is working
Robinson who is 61 made her fi rst pot in 1979 in her native Mexico City Almost four decades later her
work is part of permanent museum collections in Auburn Huntsville Tuscumbia and Tupelo Missis-
sippi She regularly enters her work in respected juried shows such as the Monte Sano Arts Festival and
the Kentuck Festival of the Arts in Northport and has received two Alabama State Council on the Arts
individual artist fellowships
Her inspiration draws from the villages around her native Mexico City such as the black pottery of
the northwest as well as her acquired Southern culture White lilies corn grids and round female
fi guresmdashldquoreally strong women who are in chargerdquo Robinson saysmdashreappear on her stoneware She uses
natural dyes indigo for color and mixes sand into clay for texture Nothing is wasted
ldquoI donrsquot waste any clayrdquo Robinson says ldquoEverything is recycledrdquo
Robinson fi nds solace in the 40-50 hours a week she puts in at the studio and the often tedious process
of making pots which can take from three weeks to six weeks for larger pots She usually works on two
or three pots at a time tending to groups at diff erent stages
After a pot is thrown on a wheel a piece can take days to dry before its fi rst bisque fi re in which tem-
peratures rise to 1800 F After baking for nine hours the kiln must cool Th e second fi ring rises to 2150
F and matures the clay and melts the glazes to strengthen the piece
ldquoI am an effi cient person by naturerdquo Robinson says ldquoWaiting for the kiln to cool down enough to open
can be nerve wracking and this is when my patience is usually put to the testrdquo
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
ldquoIt is hard for me to let a pot just dry Irsquom as excited to do this as I was 30 years agordquo
Robinson makes most of her pots on a wheel using oxides to change the color of clay she gets from Nashville and Pittsburgh Her pottery takes several weeks from start to fi nish depending on how large a pot is and how many she makes at a time
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
ldquoAttend to your childrenrsquos needs fi rst keep focus on what you want to douse the happiness joy and little breaks you get to make your artTh ey grow real fast and they will keep inspiring you all your liferdquo
Robinson imagined this bat-like design as she was working She usually begins a piece with a design in mind but that often evolves
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Robinson uses an overlay of liquid clay called engobemdashthat includes three to four layersmdashto create a
base on which to design
Th ere is high risk in making pottery and hours of work can be wasted on a pot that has not dried en-
tirely before it enters the kiln Air pockets or the wrong mixture of chemicals can ruin a piece
ldquoArt is involved but science is toordquo says Laura Smith director of education at the Huntsville Museum
of Art where Robinson has taught pottery classes ldquoItrsquos more labor intensive in terms of working with
the medium whether yoursquore building by hand or with a wheel until you fi re with the fi nal layer of glazerdquo
Th e result is sturdy pottery
ldquoI want my pots to look like something that is lasting a long timerdquo Robinson says
Th ough she works solitarily in her studio she says she does not get lonely Her birds and music keep her
company and each stage of pottery making has a soundtrack She uses needlepoint tools to draw onto
clay to Jose Feliciano and other Latin American musicians
ldquoIf Irsquom at the wheel Bruno Marsrdquo she says ldquoIf Irsquom unloading the kiln and something is really awesome
then I need something moving and I have on Motownrdquo
Robinsonrsquos years of experience minimize the risk of damaged pots but she says her greatest challenge
as a potter was balancing her work while raising her two children Now adults their candid childhood
pictures and those of her grandchildren cover the warm green walls of her studio
She met her husband the poet James Robinson in 1977 on a Greyhound bus when she returned to
Mexico City from visiting a friend at the University of Southern Mississippi He was heading to Mexico
to study at a university Th ey married six months later After giving birth to her daughter Annie Jane in
Mexico City in 1982 the family moved to Huntsville in 1985 Th at is when Robinson got more serious
about her pottery
ldquoFrom the very beginning when I moved to Alabama I knew I was going to have to do thisrdquo she said
ldquoIn some ways it was a way for me to keep connected to my heritagerdquo
She took even 15 minutes of free time to work in the studio behind her home and worked late into the
night while her daughter and son Isidoro born in 1987 slept Having a home studio allowed her to
wash clothes tend to her home and drop off lunches at school while maintaining her art
ldquoTh ere was something for me when I fi rst became a mother that fueled my creativityrdquo Robinson says
ldquoTh ey are such a social inspiration too It fi lls your liferdquo
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Robinson advises fellow artists who are mothers to seize
both roles but to prioritize motherhood
ldquoAttend to your childrenrsquos needs fi rst keep focus on what you
want to do use the happiness joy and little breaks you get
to make your artrdquo she says ldquoTh ey grow real fast and they will
keep inspiring you all your liferdquo
Anna Sue Courtney director of the Flying Monkey Arts
Center at Lowe Mill has known Robinson for more than
10 years She says she admires how mothers and artists like
Robinson seamlessly embrace both roles
ldquoIt seems therersquos not a separation between creating and rais-
ing childrenrdquo Courtney says ldquoTh ey seem to pull from the
same placerdquo
Part of Robinsonrsquos motivation at Lowe Mill comes from
working privately in a studio alongside other artists that fos-
ters a community of feedback and ideas
ldquoItrsquos nice to be here because you can take a break and walk around and get inspirationrdquo Courtney says
ldquoItrsquos refreshingrdquo
When she needs a break from the studio Robinson stays home to sketch designs for a day or two then
she is back in the studio
Trips twice a year to Mexico City keep her plugged in to her native culture which in turn shows up in
her pottery
ldquoI have to recharge myselfrdquo Robinson says ldquoI love Huntsville and loved raising my kids here but I still
have the need of going back to be recharged and smell all the smells and see all the colors and get on
the subway and be pushed aroundrdquo
Details from her trips that infl uence her work include the ever-present red that covers the city during
the celebration of Dia de los Muertos or the Day of the Dead Th e pyramids of Teotihuacan conjure
warm earth tones and fl oating gardens around the city yield sweet pungent calla lilies and carnations
Celebration of food tough women and nature reappear in her pottery qualities that both Southern and
Mexican cultures treasure
Above This daisy design is character-istic of Robinsonrsquos work Nature food and strong females from her native Mexico City and the South are strong creative infl uences
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Clockwise from top left Robinson often glazes only the inside of her pots so they can hold water and food She began quilting in 2002 and her quilts like her pottery contain earth tones and natural infl uences in their design Four birds keep Robinson company in what can be the isolating medium of pottery making Geometry and symmetry are two signature elements in Robinsonrsquos work according to Laura Smith director of education at the Huntsville Museum of Art
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Just as she keeps her home country close to her heart Robinson is loyal to her fi rst
love of pottery though she began making quilts in 2002
ldquoIrsquom a potter who likes to quiltrdquo she says
Like her pottery her quilting follows designs of organic nature such as fl owers and
crops on rich jewel tone cotton
ldquoWhen I fi rst saw one of her quilts I didnrsquot realize it was hers and I thought that
looks like it should be Guadalupersquos quiltrdquo Courtney says
Robinson prefers the immediate gratifi cation of clay
ldquoItrsquos a very responsive mediumrdquo she says ldquoYou can manipulate it Th e fact of mak-
ing something out of dirt out of nothing and making it durable making it perma-
nent that after going through the heat and maturing is something very excitingrdquo
She gently dings a pot covered with white dresses titled ldquoTehuana Dressrdquo to make
her point
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
887 FM Muscle Shoals bull 1007 FM Huntsvillewwwaprorg
News classicalmusic and more
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
copy Patrick Hood
text by sara wright covington raquo photos by jacki gil
patrick hood erin lindsey and michelle odom
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
copy Patrick Hood
ldquoA LOT OF PEOPLE HAD BEEN ASKING ME QUESTIONS ABOUTHOW I GOT MY BUSINESS STARTED I WANTED TO GATHER SOME PEOPLE AROUND ME
WHO WERE GOING THROUGH THOSE STRUGGLES AND TOBUILD ENTREPRENEURIAL COURAGErdquo
JACKI GIL SALT+PAPERIE
copy Patrick Hood
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
untsville-born Jacki Gil began her paper design busi-
ness Salt+Paperie in 2014 with an expansive vision
in mind one that extended beyond creating beautiful
custom designed paper goods ldquoI love my design job
but when Irsquom 50 years old I donrsquot see myself still de-
signing wedding invitationsrdquo the master stationer says
ldquoI really have a passion for teaching and helping people
I want to be a mentorrdquo
In 2015 Gil set out on her mentoring mission sooner than expected with a series
of workshops called Encourage Huntsville ldquoA lot of people had been asking me
questions about how I got my business startedrdquo Gil says about the early days of
Salt+Paperie Even though most of those questions from entrepreneurial-hopefuls
were technicalmdashlike how to apply for a business licensemdashthey served as inspira-
tion for Gil ldquoI wanted to gather some people around me who were going through
those struggles and to build entrepreneurial courage I defi nitely saw that there
was a need for helping people to take that next step toward owning their own
businessesrdquo
Encourage Huntsville was modeled on the image of a growing small business
movement called the Rising Tide Society a national community of creative small
business owners who encourage ldquocommunity over competitionrdquo Th at spirit of
openness is at the heart of Encourage Huntsville ldquoCommunity over competition
is a huge part of what we are doingrdquo says Gil ldquoSmall business owners sharing how
they earn their money is a big dealrdquo
As a fi rst step Gil gathered others around her who were using their skills and abili-
ties to make their own small businesses work With talents ranging from cooking
and cake decorating to hand lettering and artwork these small business owners
all embraced Gilrsquos vision for imparting to others the knowledge of their craft un-
impeded by a fear of losing their competitive edge
Th e fi rst lesson Gil wanted to impart to Encourage Huntsvillersquos students wasnrsquot
necessarily a particular craft or skill but a spirt of creative confi dence ldquoWe want-
ed to bridge the gap between the very artsy community and the ultimate engineer
communityrdquo many of whom Gil observes had been told since childhood they
werenrsquot artistic ldquoWhen you are little and someone tells you that you donrsquot have a
talent it sticks with you I found that a lot of people had that experience so that
was the workshop partmdashto build some creative courage in this communityrdquo
Gil conducted the fi rst workshop herself testing the waters to see how the concept
would be received Th e admission price to that fi rst workshop included supplies a
take-home ldquogoody bagrdquo to help students continue their work extracurricularly and
refreshmentsmdashas well as Gilrsquos tips of her trade
ldquoWe went in blindly not knowing if we had a market or notrdquo says Gil Th e popular-
ity of that fi rst class proved undeniably that a market did in fact exist the work-
shop sold out in one day ldquoSo we did back-to-back workshopsrdquo Gil says ldquoAfter that
novemberdecembeeer eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee | nononoononononononoonoonononooooonoonoonnononnoaaalalalllaallllllalaalaaalal ststustust ddiossscom mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm | | | | | | | | | | |
f
w
y
Previous page Encourage Huntsvillersquos founder and instructor Jacki Gil teaches a class in hand lettering Facing page A participant studies her supply list
we realized people really want to do this stuff So we said lsquoletrsquos jump on the boat
and make this happenrsquordquo
Gilrsquos longtime friend photographer Erin Lindsey of Erin Lindsey Images agreed
to contribute to Encourage Huntsvillersquos curriculum by teaching a photography
class ldquoJacki and I are a good team because our hearts are in the same place when
it comes to encouraging othersrdquo Lindsey says Still she admits saying yes to teach-
ing wasnrsquot without some initial hesitation ldquoWhen Jacki asked if I would teach a
class it was kind of scary I thought I had to be perfect before I could teach oth-
ersrdquo Lindsey says of her initial hesitancy ldquoBut after talking to Jacki I realized none
of us are perfectrdquo But perfection isnrsquot the goal encouragement is the goal ldquoAnd I
thought lsquoI can defi nitely line up with that visionrsquordquo
Michelle Odom another Huntsville native and owner of custom cake bakery Just
Crumbs was also on board with Gilrsquos vision In fact Odom had been contemplat-
ing teaching a class when she was approached by Gil to teach a fondant basics
class ldquoHuntsville is such an engineer town and everyone is so mathematical and
scientifi crdquo Odom says echoing the dichotomy between the arts and sciences ex-
pressed by Gil ldquoTh ese workshops are just a very cool way for structured people to
have a creative outletrdquo
ldquoJACKI AND I ARE A GOOD TEAM BECAUSE OUR HEARTS ARE INTHE SAME PLACE WHEN IT COMES TO ENCOURAGING OTHERSrdquo
ERIN LINDSEY ERIN LINDSEY IMAGES
copy Erin Lindsey
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Above A participant in Erin Lindseyrsquos photo class frames a still life
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
copy Erin Lindsey
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
ldquoHUNTSVILLE IS SUCH AN ENGINEER TOWN AND EVERYONE ISSO MATHEMATICAL AND SCIENTIFIC THESE WORKSHOPS ARE JUST A VERY COOL
WAY FOR STRUCTURED PEOPLE TO HAVE A CREATIVE OUTLETrdquo MICHELLE ODOM JUST CRUMBS
copy Michelle Odom
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
ldquoAnd yesrdquo Odom acknowledges ldquoyou are in theory teaching your competition But
at the same time you are helping the community be more creativerdquo
With its roster of popular creative workshops under its belt Encourage Huntsville
has added business classes to its community-over-competition curriculum with
classes designed to provide specifi c guidance for small business owners ldquoAll of
our events that donrsquot require hands-on work we call seminarsrdquo says Gil ldquoWe had
about 15 people at our fi rst one It was pretty much just an open discussion to ask
us questions and get answers from the perspective of a small business ownerrdquo
Th e seminars enjoyed the same success and enthusiasm as the workshops ldquoWe
had two hours for people to ask questionsrdquo Gil says Topics covered ran the gamut
from scheduling daily tasks self-hosting a website or using an Etsy store man-
aging client expectations and being realistic about how much time you need to
complete jobs
ldquoTh e time went quickly and people wanted morerdquo says Gil who envisions an all-
day seminar in 2016
Margaret Baggett owner and executive chef of the Chef Next Door is another
small business owner who has shared Gilrsquos vision from the very beginning teach-
copy Erin Lindsey
Facing page Michelle Odomrsquos fondant basics class begins with a styrofoam cake form Above Newbie photographers familiarize themselves with their cameras in Erin Lindseyrsquos photography class
ing knife skills workshops and helping host the business seminars ldquoI am so proud
to get to be a part of this project and help nurture other small business owners
who may just be starting out on their journey or are deep in it and looking for
some encouragement from other business ownersrdquo Baggett says of what motivates
her participation in Encourage Huntsville ldquoEven being on the advice-giving side
of things I am still learning and have taken tips and tricks and lessons from each
event we have had so far We never stop learning from each other and never stop
improving upon our craftsrdquo
Th e mutual growth among students and teachers is the source of the encourage-
mentmdashand the joymdashof Encourage Huntsville ldquoItrsquos so much fun to see the light
bulbs go off with people and see them encouraged right before your eyesrdquo Lindsey
says of her experience with the program ldquoPlus itrsquos a pleasure to contribute to a
sense of community over competition Th at whole concept is so rarerdquo
As Encourage Huntsvillersquos following continues to grow the diversity of the work-
shops will expand as well Whether you are looking to spend a fun afternoon
learning a new craft or are a budding small business owner hoping to launch
your brand Encourage Huntsville has something valuable to off er ldquoWe encourage
those left-brain folks to take up a new hobby or skillrdquo Baggett says ldquoor just encour-
age the people of Huntsville to get together and fan their creative fl amesrdquo
If yoursquore looking for
creative or entrepreneurial
encouragement visit
encouragehuntsvillecom
for seminar and workshop
schedules and information
ldquoI AM SO PROUD TO GET TO BE A PART OF THIS PROJECT AND HELP NURTURE OTHER SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS WHO MAY JUST BE STARTING OUT ON THEIR JOURNEY OR ARE DEEP IN IT
AND LOOKING FOR SOME ENCOURAGEMENT FROM OTHER BUSINESS OWNERSrdquoMARGARET BAGGETT CHEF NEXT DOOR
copy Jacki Gil
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
copy Jacki Gil
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Participants in Margaret Baggettrsquos knife skills workshop learn to perfect their ldquomise en placerdquo
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
copy Olivia Reed
text by sara wright covington raquo photos by olivia reed and jeff white
HUNTSVILLErsquoS
HOMEGROWNHOSTESS
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
ttttttononononoooooonononooooo raquo praquo praquo praquo praquo phothothothothotosoososos s s osos bybybbybb
Any host will tell you that delicious food and quality libations while important to
a partyrsquos success are secondary to the most important ingredient of all the guest list Th atrsquos why many
of downtown Huntsvillersquos most popular restaurants breweries and wine shops are turning to event
planner Ashley Ryals and her uncanny knack for attracting loyal patronsmdashand creating unforgettable
events in the process
When Huntsville born-and-bred Ashley Ryals left for college at the University of Alabama in 2001
she thought her exit from the Valley was permanent ldquoI never thought I would end up back hererdquo the
founder of event planning company Homegrown Huntsville says with a knowing laugh But after a few
post-graduate years working for world-renowned public relations powerhouse Weber Shandwick in
New York City Ryals started to second guess her freshman declaration
ldquoI started to get homesickrdquo she admits ldquoAll of my friends were getting married and meeting for football
games and I was missing itrdquo So when a friend from home set up an interview at EarlyWorks for a job
doing event planning Ryals jumped at the chance to come home
Ashley spent the next few years planning EarlyWorks Whistle Stop and Santarsquos Village events A brief
stint in sales followed along with a seat on the board of Huntsville Young Professionals where she had
an idea for a downtown pub crawl
ldquoWe expected 20 or 30 peoplerdquo Ryals says of their modest expectations ldquoBut 200 people showed uprdquo
Th at initial success convinced Ryals to embark on her dream of establishing an
event planning company But it wasnrsquot just any event planning company Ryals
had in mind she envisioned one that would collaborate with local businesses
cultivate signature events for the community to enjoy and support small busi-
nesses in the process
Inspired Ryals left her sales job and for the second time in her life came home
again to event planning and Homegrown Huntsville
To help bring her vision to life Ryals collaborated with designer Adrianne Van
Kirk of Fave Creative ldquoAdrianne has been a part of the visual and branding of
Homegrown from the beginning We come up with the event ideas then I get
the ticketing and sales together and she comes back with a logo and the mar-
keting for the event And thatrsquos how it all comes togetherrdquo Ryals says of their
creative process
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
ASHLEY RYALS
copy Olivia Reed
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
ldquoMOST WINE FESTIVALS ACROSS THE COUNTRY HAVE PROVEN RECORDS OF BEING ABLE TO STAY AROUND 15 OR 20 YEARS OR EVEN LONGER AND THE ECONOMIES OF THOSE
CITIES HAVE REALLY GROWN AS A RESULT I WANT BIG SPRING CRUSH TO EVENTUALLY BE THE BIGGEST AND BEST WINE FESTIVAL IN THE STATE OF ALABAMArdquo ASHLEY RYALS
copy Jeff White
copy Jeff White
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
copy Olivia Reed
Homegrown launched in 2011 with what would become its
signature event Dine amp Dash Every second Wednesday
April through October a trolley shuttles patrons between
downtown establishments where they are served a drink
and appetizer before moving on to the next stop
Owner and executive chef Merle Phillips of Th e Eaves was
one of the fi rst restaurants to sign on for Dine amp Dashrsquos de-
but ldquoAshley came to me and said she was starting a trolley
tasting conceptrdquo says Chef Merle ldquoI didnrsquot really know her so
I was taking a chance on the concept she was sellingrdquo
Merle tried it and has been a loyal participant of Dine amp
Dash ever since
ldquoIt was a risk in the beginning but it defi nitely paid off rdquo Chef
Merle says of the experience Pivotal to that experience ac-
cording to Phillips is Ryalsrsquo demonstration to the commu-
nity just what the term ldquohomegrownrdquo really means ldquoAshley
shines a spotlight on independent businesses in a market-
place that has for so long focused on chainsrdquo Phillips says
ldquoDine amp Dash has really brought into sharp focus the inter-
esting culinary diversity that Huntsville has to off errdquo
For the next two years Homegrown Huntsville focused al-
most exclusively on Dine amp Dash which by the end of its fi rst
year included every single downtown restaurant But when
big changes began to appear on the downtown horizonmdash
new restaurants breweries and residential developmentsmdash
Ryalsrsquo instincts told her
the time had come to
introduce a new event
to the downtown cal-
endar
ldquoBeer Hop follows
the concept of Dine
amp Dashrdquo Ryals says of
Homegrownrsquos second
venture which began
in 2013 Each month a
trolley visits three dif-
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
BILL FOWLEROLD TOWN BEER
EXCHANGE
copy Olivia Reed
copy Olivia Reed
ferent breweries where patrons sample beers and enjoy food
from a variety of food trucks parked at each location
Bill Fowler managing partner of Old Town Beer Exchange
agreed to participate in Beer Hop on his very fi rst day of
business and credits Ryals with an overwhelmingly success-
ful opening night ldquoAshley said lsquoI can guarantee that you are
going to have wave after wave of people coming throughrsquordquo
Fowler says recalling that fi rst jittery occasion Once again
Ryals proved true to her word with 60-plus patrons arriving
in an hour-and-a-half ldquoIt was awesome and such a great ex-
perience for usrdquo Fowler raves ldquoAshley is a hard worker and
you can see that in what she doesrdquo
Fowler believes that in addition to bringing new customers
to OTBX Ryals is also cultivating beer education consis-
tently bringing in people who are new to beer and want to
learn And with Huntsvillersquos recent brewery boom that level
of education and interest is crucial for the brewing commu-
nity to thrive ldquoWe have a very small window of opportunityrdquo
says Fowler ldquoI think Huntsville in particular is becoming a
craft brewing community People are making money at this
and once Tennessee sees that we need to already have had a
pretty huge head startrdquo
By the end of 2013 and with standing events Beer Hop and
Dine amp Dash well established Ryals took time to refl ect on
her original goal for Homegrown Huntsville ldquoIn the back of
my head from day one I knew I wanted to do a wine festival
I just didnrsquot think Huntsville was ready for it in 2011rdquo
Emboldened by the success of Beer Hop Ryals decided to
make the leap with Big Spring Crush wine festival later the
same year Once again Ryals delivered the perfect audience
for the event and in the process discovered a surprising
fact about North Alabamarsquos contribution to the wine-mak-
ing industry
ldquoIn doing the wine festival I learned that we have a huge
wine community in Huntsvillerdquo Ryals says ldquoTh ere are only
about 47 certifi ed wine judges in the entire United States
and we have four of them right here in North Alabama Two
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
copy Jeff White
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
ldquoI STARTED TO GET HOMESICK ALL OF MY FRIENDS WERE GETTING MARRIEDAND MEETING FOR FOOTBALL GAMES AND I WAS MISSING ITrdquo ASHLEY RYALS
copy Jeff White
copy Jeff White
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
ldquoIT WAS AWESOME AND SUCH A GREAT EXPERIENCE FOR USrdquoBILL FOWLER OLD TOWN BEER EXCHANGE
copy Jeff White
copy Olivia Reed
of those four certifi ed wine judges sit on the committee for
Big Spring Crushrdquo
Matthew and Stephanie Mell had just opened Church Street
Wine Shop when they decided to participate in the fi rst Big
Spring Crush Like OTBXrsquos Robert Fowler the Mells credit
Ryals and Homegrown Huntsville for helping to introduce
their new enterprise to the community ldquoAshley has been in-
strumental in helping to bring us people who love and ap-
preciate winerdquo Stephanie Mell says ldquoShe was homegrown
here in Huntsville and she really gets the downtown area
and small businesses and that is so important to usrdquo
Big Spring Crush began with a bang featuring over 150
wines and attracting patrons from across the country
ldquoMost wine festivals across the country have proven records
of being able to stay around 15 or 20 years or even longerrdquo
Ryals says ldquoAnd the economies of those cities have really
grown as a result I want Big Spring Crush to eventually be
the biggest and best wine festival in the state of Alabamardquo
How does Ryals intend to make that dream come true ldquoBy
always keeping it fresh I want to have new marketing and
new things happening each yearrdquo
Ryalsrsquo formula of reinvention and expansion has successfully
led Homegrown Huntsville through fi ve years of success and
helped its events become community staples along the way In
the process Ryals is broadening more than just our image of
downtown Huntsville shersquos joining a class of creative entrepre-
neurs committed to expanding Huntsvillersquos reputation as more
than just a hub for the brightest scientifi c minds in America
ldquoWe have a big city of engineers and lawyers and itrsquos won-
derfulrdquo Ryals say ldquo But there is a whole artist and food cul-
ture here and there is so much growth I want us to have a
vibrant cool downtown area and I want for people to tell
their friends to come and visit and to see Huntsville for what
it is a city I loverdquo
If yoursquod like to participate in Homegrown Huntsville either
as a guest or a participating business visit homegrown-
huntsvillecom
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
copy Jeff White
I was years old and the year was At that time the city of Huntsville was inching toward the mountain to the east California Street was once the continental divide between the small town metropo-lis and the uncharted territories gingerly crossed by the real estate pioneers four score and some odd years prior Th is area became the new suburb as the city kept pushing onward toward Fagan Springs as if the reverberating booms of rocket testings were vibrating Hunstvillians away from its epicenter
From the front yard of our house on Owens Drive I could look to the rightmdashup the hill to the bend be-yond which the big houses stood on their rocky ledge pedestals and to the left where all the other houses that looked just like oursmdashfresh and newmdashrambled for what seemed like miles Th ose clean well-lit abodes all seemed the same and granted at my age I knew more about the pets that lived there than I did about the people who owned those manageable mortgages I came to realize that each was diff erent in a way that was permeated by voices smells and furnishings
It is a clicheacute to say that our lives were simpler then because that is just how the current era will be fondly referred to in the future but to a 5-year-old it is the simplicity that brought the joy Th e sixties will always be to me the beginning of the age of manufactured happiness Cheap clean and simple was what was strived for and what was easily obtained Plastic items were plentiful and pretty things could be bought with SampH Green Stamps A few coins in our pocket would transfer us into the most master of manipula-tors with us giving our all to convince our parents for a jaunt to Murdockrsquos for a holiday of wonderment joy and impatience as we would scour the shelves trying to get the most from our meager budget
Owens Drive was the fairly new thoroughfare from which the avenues of three-bedroom-ranchers fi ngered away at planned intervals Th is was the place where newlyweds started their lives homes and families Where girls with last names that had been in the town for generations would change them to those strange and exotic last names of the clean cut newcomers brought here for military purposes Where the housewives would preheat their pristine electric ovens trying to make cheese straws and biscuits that were just like their motherrsquos only to be frustrated as they were never quite the same and where the husbands would follow in their fatherrsquos footsteps by joining the Acme Club and hunting doves on the weekends
Th ere was a swimming pool Certainly not at our house Th e only private pool I remember as a child was one that my grandmother would take me to nestled between huge trees at someonersquos house on Adams Street I would swim with other children my age while our grandmothers chatted smoking cigarettes in cat-eyed anonymity whispering most of their stories so we wouldnrsquot be able to hear But between their
gasps and laughter we would listen hear and learn
Th e Blossomwood pool was a place of designated rules and the sound of bright whistlesmdashwith straight lines and distinctive colors of blue and green I can still feel the Coppertoned oiliness on the skin of the tanned lifeguard as she carried me from the deep end frightened after my fi rst attempt at solo-swimming She knew my name I had no idea who she was
On the other side of the pool was the school my older sister attended It had a style that mim-icked the poolmdashstraight lines cleanmdasha temple to orderliness and good manners It was with
awe that I once watched the young adults there some as old as eleven wind and dance their way around a sky-high fl agpolemdasheach with a diff erent color ribbon until the fi rst (and only) May Pole
I was privy to was completely dressed in its woven bright colors
90 raquo bless their hearts raquo Guy McClure Jr
Huntsville was a magical place for us tail-end baby boomers to grow upmdashbeyond the miracles of the escalator at Pizitz the smiling little lady on the tall stool at the register at Britlings There was a comfort level there that Irsquom not sure is in the minds of the 5-year-olds of today
cat-eyed agasps
Th s
aI w
THE COMFORTS OF BLOSSOMWOOD
In our world of red-bricked carported castles there was a def-inite division of generations Th e children ate separately from the parents went to school as our dads went to work enter-tained our neighborhood friends as quietly as possible and felt safe between our boundaries of Big Cove Road and Hermitage Street While we dined on our Chef Boy-Ar-Dee boxed pizza our parents busied themselves dressing in their dark colors getting ready for a late dinner at Boots having the scent of perfume and face powder trail my mother as she came into the kitchen looking for something with an intense purpose My father would smell of British Sterling and look just as he did when he went to work only happier Th ese nights meant something fun would happenmdashwe would have a babysitter
Babysitters were my introduction into what was and still seems cool Th ey were usually Huntsville High School teen-agers who would put on a show without even knowing it I would drink in their every move word and essence of style To me they were supermodelsmdashmovie starsmdasheven more fa-mous in my eyes than a television weatherman and almost as glamorous as the waitresses at the Waffl e House
Before they would tire of me and my sister and put us to bed they would include us in their world of music and knowledge which I thought was all-encompassing Suddenly our world of Th e Benny Carl Show and Fantasy Playhouse would seem trite and passeacute and we would catch a fl eeting glimpse into what would be in store for us when we too could stay up past 8 pm
Huntsville was a magical place for us tail-end baby boomers to grow upmdashbeyond the miracles of the escalator at Pizitz the smiling little lady on the tall stool at the register at Britlings and that bright colorful Maypole Th ere was a comfort level there that Irsquom not sure is in the minds of the 5-year-olds of todaymdashthe soothing sheltered lack of knowledge of why we were so lucky yet we didnrsquot even know that we were
In the other areas of our Huntsville there was poverty and ra-cial unrestmdashas there was and is in every city I was unaware People of color were always a part of my worldmdashmostly be-cause they had my attention and respect At our house there was Annie my grandmotherrsquos house was fi lled with the joys of Lula and out on the family farm there was strong and smiling Homer and large and huggable Rosamdashall just as much a part of my life as everyone else My life was good and they were instrumental in making it that way
What will the 5-year-olds of today who are lucky enough to be raised on those well-planned streets remember when they surpass their own 50 year mark It is a much more complex world now and there are diff erent concerns with daily changes of fear Youthful innocence is a prize that is encased without a lock Premature maturity is a viable threat and a constant fear But each night tucked in tight in a simple room sleeps tomor-rowrsquos adults who are having sweet dreamsmdashblanketed by the comforts of Blossomwood
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
92 raquo the vine raquo Amy C Collins
BORDEAUX POWER
Where Burgundyrsquos vineyards were established by Benedictine monks patiently growing wine vines with spiritual hearts Bordeauxrsquos vineyards were raised by entrepreneurial laymen who recognized the massive monetary opportunity when the English began drinking down their peasant wine
The city of Bordeaux is Francersquos primary port town on the Atlantic ocean a harbor that has for centuries served as the countryrsquos most important dock Th e regionrsquos history is long and storied with the fi rst written reference to the area dated 379 AD by the Latin poet Ausonius who was also a wine-grower Jump ahead to the year 1152 when Eleanor of Aquitaine married Englandrsquos soon-to-be king Henry Plantagenet and the port and surrounding vineyard land became the source of wine for the English a connection that remains strong even today
Bordeaux produces the worldrsquos most expensive and sought after collector wines the top tier of which make up less than fi ve percent of the regionrsquos total production Th ese names are quickly learned by neophyte wine drinkers wanting to make an impression Chateau Haut-Brion Lafi te Latour and Margaux for example Grown in gravelly soils only a few meters above sea levelmdashin contrast vineyards elsewhere in Europe typically sit between 300 and 900 metersmdashthese wines are some of the most powerful austere and pawed over When young the tannins in these cabernet sauvignon cabernet franc and merlot blends coat the tongue and mouth with a chalky dry sensation akin to sucking on an Earl Grey tea bag and are perhaps best suited to well-fatted rare steak and cigars Th ese are wines built to live for decades Personally I prefer a Bordeaux at least 20 years aged when the tannins have had ample time to calm down and mellow out and more nuanced fl avors come forward Sounds fancy and it is Only in some very lucky circumstances over the past year have I been guest to a bottle of 1990 Clos de Menuts Saint-Eacutemilion and a 1970 Chateau Haut-Brion About once every 10 years Irsquove had the good
fortune to taste a wine older than myself Nice work if you can get it
Where Burgundyrsquos vineyards (Francersquos other classifi ed sought-after region) were established by Benedictine monks patiently growing wine vines with spiritual hearts
Bordeauxrsquos vineyards were raised by entrepreneurial laymen who recognized the massive monetary opportunity when the English began drinking down their peasant wine Th is underscores the second half of my theory as to why Americans
more often American males are so drawn to the wines of Bordeaux Th erersquos an inherent capitalist connection something in the soil Th at the wines are so
unmistakable so distinctively grand and pronounced elixirs exemplifi es the fi rst half of my theory we Americans are not known for our subtlety (To be fair the Chinese are
signifi cant Bordeaux collectors as well)
Philosophy aside Bordeaux is quite a large region that produces beautiful white and red values as well as the rare fi nds out of the populacersquos price range Herersquos the skinny Blending is the game single varietal wines are rare White Bordeaux is typically made from a blend of sauvignon blanc and seacutemillon and sometimes a drop or two of muscadelle ugni blanc or colombard Reds are made primarily from the two cabernets plus merlot with small quantities of petit verdot malbec and carmenegravere occasionally in the mix Th e region is also home to the golden nectar of late ripened seacutemillon sauvignon blanc and muscadelle grapes that have successfully attracted the noble rot a fungus that covers the fruit and drains moisture from inside leaving behind rich sweet grapes without moldy fl avors Chateau drsquoYquem is the most famous of these unfortifi ed dessert wines though there are better bargains from the region
Bordeaux is split by the Gironde river which divides the region into three general areas Th e left bank also known as the Haut-Meacutedoc is where the classifi ed top growths are situated Th ese prestigious estates were named for their exceptional vineyard sites in 1855 a decision nearly unchanged since Today serious collectors invest in Bordeaux futures theoretically locking down lower prices of top
ample time to calm dit is Only in some vede Menuts Saint-Eacutem
fortune to taste a
Wherees
aun
of msignifi
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Follow Amy at pigandvinecom for morestories and wine suggestions
growth estates while the wine is still aging in the cellar Itrsquos the wine tradersquos equivalent to the NASDAQ On the right bank Saint-Eacutemilion and Pommerol are the prized vineyard areas known for their merlot heavy cuveacutees To the south west we fi nd Graves where there are many great values to be had in both white and red bottlings Entre-Deux-Mers which translates to ldquobetween two seasrdquo sits between the Dordogne and Garonne tributaries off the Gironde and is an excellent source for crisp whites
Get started on your Bordeaux experience with these values
Chateau Graville-Lacoste 2014 Graves 75 seacutemillon 20 sauvignon blanc and 5 muscadelle make up this beauty thatrsquos consistently delicious every vintage Crisp and refreshing great with seafood
Chateau Mirambeau 2014 GravesAnother classic blend of 40 sauvignon blanc 40 seacutemillon and 20 muscadelle this lovely white is a bit more fl oral than the Graville-Lacoste Easy drinking and great value
Chateau de Parenchegravere Bordeaux Rouge 201155 merlot 30 cabernet sauvignon and 15 cabernet franc grown in clay heavy soils similar to the right bank of the region Fleshy with good structure and abundant red fruit
Chateau Arnaud Bordeaux Supeacuterieur 2011Supeacuterieur on a Bordeaux label isnrsquot egotistical marketingmdashby law it indicates a wine with up to one degree more alcohol than its AC Bordeaux brethren What it really means is one more degree of body structure and in this case quality Approachable delicious and easy on the wallet
Chateau de Bernadotte Haut-Meacutedoc 2005Th e 2005 vintage in Bordeaux is in the history books with double asterisks Owned by the eminent Pichon Lalande family and made from vineyards in Paulliac one of the more choice growing areas in the region this is an incredible value a top tier Bordeaux for a fraction of the cost
Chateau de Suduiraut Sauternes 2011Ripe cantaloupe apricot and honey and an interesting smoky note with a solid sweet attack followed by great acidity A dessert wine that wonrsquot overpower the dessert
94 raquo parting shot raquo Patrick Hood
Meet Solvar
Solvar belongs to one of the worldrsquos oldest and purest equine lineages the Nor-
wegian Fjord horse a breed that has remained virtually unchanged for more than
2000 yearsmdashlong before we became acquainted with his animated cousins in
the movie Frozen Th ese national symbols of Norway are characterized by primi-
tive zebra striping on their legs and a dorsal stripe running from forelock to tail
resulting in a striking two-tone mane that sticks up like a Mohawk Th eir athleti-
cism agility and dependability make them valuable both as sport horses as well
as therapy horses for emotionally and physically challenged adults and children
Catie Wells of Huntsville is the proud owner of Solvar who resides at Monte
Sano Stables
For tickets or information 256-539-4818 or hsoorg
Bring In the New Year With Us
presents
WHAT A WONDERFUL
WORLDA tribute to Louis
Armstrong featuring the
Byron Stripling Quartet
Thursday December 31
730 pm bull Pops Series bullMark C Smith
Concert Hall VBC
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
M O R E T H A N 7 0 S H O P S A N D R E S T A U R A N T S I N C L U D I N G B E L K | D S W S H O E S | A P P L E J O S A B A N K | R E E D S J E W E L E R S | PA N D O R A | J C R E W | K AT E S PA D E N E W Y O R KO R V I S | B A N A N A R E P U B L I C | M I C H A E L K O R S | F R A N C E S C Arsquo S | A N T H R O P O L O G I EH amp M | S O M A | M O U N T A I N H I G H O U T F I T T E R S | B A R N E S amp N O B L E | S E P H O R AALTAR rsquoD STATE | CONNORS STEAK amp SEFOOD | THE WEST IN HUNTSV I L L E | MONACO P ICTURES
C O M I N G S O O N V E R S O N A ndash near Belk
B R I D G E S T R E E T H U N T S V I L L E C O M |
BR IDGE STREET TOWN CENTRE I S LOCATED AT EX I T 14 OFF I - 565 AT OLD MAD ISON P IKE
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) Muzzle Loaders Chocolate Bourbon Balls ($1999) (2) Vintage Crystal Decanter ($20) (3) Quench Glassware ($1399) Domaine South(256) 808-8860
(4) The Hella Bitters Old Fashioned Kit ($65)(5) American Bar by Charles Schumann ($2495) Little Green Storeand Gallery (256) 539-9699
(6) Julep Cups ($50)Willowbrook Shoppe (256) 270-7181
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom | novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) DECCO Umbrella in a Bottle ($1995)(2) Alexa Pulitzer Stationery Set ($14 ea)(3) Ikat Scarf ($6250)Huntsville Museumof Art(256) 535-4350
(4) Emily Ley Grace Journal ($32) (5) Sugar Boo Designs Clutch ($18) (6) Emily Ley Daily Planner ($58) (7) Latika Milk ampHoney Bar ($6) (8) Farm House Fresh Shea Butter Hand Cream ($14) (9) Christen MaxwellZippy ($42) (10) Green Tea Bubble Bath ($32) Sweet Pineapple(256) 964-7563 (11) Goal Getter Cuff ($32)Indigorsquos Boutique(256) 345-6348
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
(1) Kilim Pillow ($58) (2) Bejeweled Silver Plate Vase ($144) (3) Bone Clad Box ($375)Willowbrook Shoppe (256) 270-7181
(4) Cowhide Rug ($550)(5) Lucyrsquos Locket ($95) (Original piecemdashselection may vary)Sweet Pineapple(256) 964-7563 (6) Clutch ($65)Department of Agra Culturedeptofagraculturecom
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) Above The Bar Antler on Chain 28rdquo ($3999) (2) Above The Bar Deer wAntler Head 18rdquo ($2999) Indigorsquos Boutique(256) 345-6348
(3) Margaret Solow Labradorite18KT Bezel ($290) (4) Margaret Solow Diamond Crest MoonSilver ($460) (5) Margaret Solow Black Spinel + DiamondSilver ($560) (6) Margaret Solow Double Black Spinel18KT ($260)Little Green Store and Gallery (256) 539-9699
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
(1) Margaret Solow Grey Moonstoon18KT Necklace ($240) (2) Margaret Solow OpalDiamond Mosaic Necklace ($610) Little Green Storeand Gallery (256) 539-9699
(3) One-of-a-kind Eva Ziegler Smokey Quartz and Pyrite Necklace ($406)Eva Ziegler Jewelryevazieglercom
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) Jennifer BehrTurban ($625)(2) Cotton Day Dress ($64)(3) Norma Ishak Cardigan ($375)Finery(256) 429-3429
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) The Lion Sleeps Tonight Bath Bomb ($6) Sweet Pineapple(256) 964-7563
(2) Tiger Jelly Cat ($2250)(3) Dog Tag Teether ($1550)(4) Dinosaur Footie ($3595)Honey B Boutique(256) 503-2853
(5) Young Buck ($25)Tiny Vinestinyvinesshopcom
(6) Bib Set ($13)Huntsville Museumof Art(256) 535-4350
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
(1) Tiny Dancer Bath Bomb ($6)Sweet Pineapple(256) 964-7563
(2) Kickee Mammoth Footie ($3595)(3) Noodle amp Boo Essential Care Kit ($18)(4) Elephant Jelly Cat ($2250)Honey B Boutique(256) 503-2853
(5) ArtFolio Pink Elephant Coloring Tote ($17)Huntsville Museumof Art(256) 535-4350
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) Bib Set ($13)Huntsville Museumof Art(256) 535-4350 (2) Little Light ($25)Tiny Vinestinyvinesshopcom (3) Micro Leon Cardboard Lion ($30)Little Green Storeand Gallery (256) 539-9699 (4) I Love You Like Biscuits amp Gravy ($23)Domaine South(256) 808-8860
(5) Kickee Kimono ($4295)Honey B Boutique(256) 503-2853
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
SURPRISEA LOVED ONE
THIS HOLIDAY SEASON
WITH A FOREVER GIFT
HobbsJewelerscom 8772331347Parkway Place Mall
HuntsvilleHwy 72 West
AthensMain Street
Ardmore TN
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Caftan ($75)Sarah Richey Necklace ($350)Finery(256) 429-3429
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
(1) Chewbead Necklace ($3495)(2) Mayoral Baby Bag ($7995)(3) Mayoral Diaper Changing Pad ($2495)(4) Nursing Scarf ($2695) (5) Kickee Swaddling Blanket ($22)Honey B Boutique(256) 503-2853 (6) Lucy Darling Months Sticker ($25) (7) The Story of You Baby Book by Emily Ley ($62) Sweet Pineapple(256) 964-7563
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) Alwand Vahan 14K Gold and Onyx Ring wDiamond Accent ($2595)(2) Alwand Vanan 14K Gold and Onyx Bracelet wDiamond Accent ($2695)Hobbs Jewelers(877) 233-1347
(3) Britt Ryan Dress ($288)Personal Couture Boutique(256) 508-5632
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) Rocket Cosmos Mug ($13)Huntsville Museumof Art(256) 535-4350
(2) Loose Leaf Tea ($399)Piper amp Leaf piperandleafcom (3) Judy Jackson Tea Pot ($56) (4) Gary Watson Cherry Cutting Board ($48-$68) (5) Susan Coe Birthday Cake Plate ($33) Little Green Storeand Gallery (256) 539-9699 (6) Macarons ($116 pcs $221 dozen)Whisk Small Treats Bakery(256) 656-1027
(7) Truffl es ($185 each)Pizellersquos Confections (256) 513-9745 (8) Olive amp Sinclair Chocolate ($799)Domaine South(256) 808-8860
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
(1) Whisk Note Pad ($8) (2) In the Forest Mixing Bowl ($36) (3) Twig Serving Set ($18)(8) Southern Firefl y Candle ($12)Sweet Pineapple(256) 964-7563
(4) Urchin Bowl ($10)(5) Foodie Dice ($38)(6) 1Canoe2 Wood Recipe Box w Recipe Cards ($6999) Domaine South(256) 808-8860 (7) Growlers ($75 small $95 large)Southern Growlersoutherngrowlercom
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) Tacori 18K Barbados Blue Bold Gem Ring ($660)(2) Tacori 18K Barbados Blue Bold Gem Necklace ($630)(3) Tacori 18K Barbados Blue Bold Gem Bracelet ($990)Hobbs Jewelers(877) 233-1347
(4) BCBG Dress ($328)Personal Couture Boutique(256) 508-5632
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Guadalupe Robinson
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
text by jennifer crossley howard raquo photos by patrick hood
Of Deft and Dirty Hands
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Huntsville potter Guadalupe Lanning Robinson has spent more than 36 years mastering the
marriage of clay texture and geometric design into her pottery yet time has done little to temper the
plight of waiting
ldquoIt is hard for me to let a pot just dryrdquo she says motioning toward fi ve small wet pots sitting near her
pottery wheel ldquoIrsquom as excited to do this as I was 30 years agordquo
To observe her studio at Lowe Mill that is easy to believe Located on the corridor outside the textile
mill-turned-art centerrsquos main building the loft-like space with a corrugated tin roof feels like a place a
Gabriel Garcia Marquez character would enjoy daydreaming
Sienna-hued pottery sits in various stages to be fi red layered and etched Argentinian tango music
streams from Robinsonrsquos iPhone and two cockatiels a parrot and a parakeet chirp from their cages All
except the parrot fl y freely when Robinson is working
Robinson who is 61 made her fi rst pot in 1979 in her native Mexico City Almost four decades later her
work is part of permanent museum collections in Auburn Huntsville Tuscumbia and Tupelo Missis-
sippi She regularly enters her work in respected juried shows such as the Monte Sano Arts Festival and
the Kentuck Festival of the Arts in Northport and has received two Alabama State Council on the Arts
individual artist fellowships
Her inspiration draws from the villages around her native Mexico City such as the black pottery of
the northwest as well as her acquired Southern culture White lilies corn grids and round female
fi guresmdashldquoreally strong women who are in chargerdquo Robinson saysmdashreappear on her stoneware She uses
natural dyes indigo for color and mixes sand into clay for texture Nothing is wasted
ldquoI donrsquot waste any clayrdquo Robinson says ldquoEverything is recycledrdquo
Robinson fi nds solace in the 40-50 hours a week she puts in at the studio and the often tedious process
of making pots which can take from three weeks to six weeks for larger pots She usually works on two
or three pots at a time tending to groups at diff erent stages
After a pot is thrown on a wheel a piece can take days to dry before its fi rst bisque fi re in which tem-
peratures rise to 1800 F After baking for nine hours the kiln must cool Th e second fi ring rises to 2150
F and matures the clay and melts the glazes to strengthen the piece
ldquoI am an effi cient person by naturerdquo Robinson says ldquoWaiting for the kiln to cool down enough to open
can be nerve wracking and this is when my patience is usually put to the testrdquo
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
ldquoIt is hard for me to let a pot just dry Irsquom as excited to do this as I was 30 years agordquo
Robinson makes most of her pots on a wheel using oxides to change the color of clay she gets from Nashville and Pittsburgh Her pottery takes several weeks from start to fi nish depending on how large a pot is and how many she makes at a time
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
ldquoAttend to your childrenrsquos needs fi rst keep focus on what you want to douse the happiness joy and little breaks you get to make your artTh ey grow real fast and they will keep inspiring you all your liferdquo
Robinson imagined this bat-like design as she was working She usually begins a piece with a design in mind but that often evolves
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Robinson uses an overlay of liquid clay called engobemdashthat includes three to four layersmdashto create a
base on which to design
Th ere is high risk in making pottery and hours of work can be wasted on a pot that has not dried en-
tirely before it enters the kiln Air pockets or the wrong mixture of chemicals can ruin a piece
ldquoArt is involved but science is toordquo says Laura Smith director of education at the Huntsville Museum
of Art where Robinson has taught pottery classes ldquoItrsquos more labor intensive in terms of working with
the medium whether yoursquore building by hand or with a wheel until you fi re with the fi nal layer of glazerdquo
Th e result is sturdy pottery
ldquoI want my pots to look like something that is lasting a long timerdquo Robinson says
Th ough she works solitarily in her studio she says she does not get lonely Her birds and music keep her
company and each stage of pottery making has a soundtrack She uses needlepoint tools to draw onto
clay to Jose Feliciano and other Latin American musicians
ldquoIf Irsquom at the wheel Bruno Marsrdquo she says ldquoIf Irsquom unloading the kiln and something is really awesome
then I need something moving and I have on Motownrdquo
Robinsonrsquos years of experience minimize the risk of damaged pots but she says her greatest challenge
as a potter was balancing her work while raising her two children Now adults their candid childhood
pictures and those of her grandchildren cover the warm green walls of her studio
She met her husband the poet James Robinson in 1977 on a Greyhound bus when she returned to
Mexico City from visiting a friend at the University of Southern Mississippi He was heading to Mexico
to study at a university Th ey married six months later After giving birth to her daughter Annie Jane in
Mexico City in 1982 the family moved to Huntsville in 1985 Th at is when Robinson got more serious
about her pottery
ldquoFrom the very beginning when I moved to Alabama I knew I was going to have to do thisrdquo she said
ldquoIn some ways it was a way for me to keep connected to my heritagerdquo
She took even 15 minutes of free time to work in the studio behind her home and worked late into the
night while her daughter and son Isidoro born in 1987 slept Having a home studio allowed her to
wash clothes tend to her home and drop off lunches at school while maintaining her art
ldquoTh ere was something for me when I fi rst became a mother that fueled my creativityrdquo Robinson says
ldquoTh ey are such a social inspiration too It fi lls your liferdquo
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Robinson advises fellow artists who are mothers to seize
both roles but to prioritize motherhood
ldquoAttend to your childrenrsquos needs fi rst keep focus on what you
want to do use the happiness joy and little breaks you get
to make your artrdquo she says ldquoTh ey grow real fast and they will
keep inspiring you all your liferdquo
Anna Sue Courtney director of the Flying Monkey Arts
Center at Lowe Mill has known Robinson for more than
10 years She says she admires how mothers and artists like
Robinson seamlessly embrace both roles
ldquoIt seems therersquos not a separation between creating and rais-
ing childrenrdquo Courtney says ldquoTh ey seem to pull from the
same placerdquo
Part of Robinsonrsquos motivation at Lowe Mill comes from
working privately in a studio alongside other artists that fos-
ters a community of feedback and ideas
ldquoItrsquos nice to be here because you can take a break and walk around and get inspirationrdquo Courtney says
ldquoItrsquos refreshingrdquo
When she needs a break from the studio Robinson stays home to sketch designs for a day or two then
she is back in the studio
Trips twice a year to Mexico City keep her plugged in to her native culture which in turn shows up in
her pottery
ldquoI have to recharge myselfrdquo Robinson says ldquoI love Huntsville and loved raising my kids here but I still
have the need of going back to be recharged and smell all the smells and see all the colors and get on
the subway and be pushed aroundrdquo
Details from her trips that infl uence her work include the ever-present red that covers the city during
the celebration of Dia de los Muertos or the Day of the Dead Th e pyramids of Teotihuacan conjure
warm earth tones and fl oating gardens around the city yield sweet pungent calla lilies and carnations
Celebration of food tough women and nature reappear in her pottery qualities that both Southern and
Mexican cultures treasure
Above This daisy design is character-istic of Robinsonrsquos work Nature food and strong females from her native Mexico City and the South are strong creative infl uences
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Clockwise from top left Robinson often glazes only the inside of her pots so they can hold water and food She began quilting in 2002 and her quilts like her pottery contain earth tones and natural infl uences in their design Four birds keep Robinson company in what can be the isolating medium of pottery making Geometry and symmetry are two signature elements in Robinsonrsquos work according to Laura Smith director of education at the Huntsville Museum of Art
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Just as she keeps her home country close to her heart Robinson is loyal to her fi rst
love of pottery though she began making quilts in 2002
ldquoIrsquom a potter who likes to quiltrdquo she says
Like her pottery her quilting follows designs of organic nature such as fl owers and
crops on rich jewel tone cotton
ldquoWhen I fi rst saw one of her quilts I didnrsquot realize it was hers and I thought that
looks like it should be Guadalupersquos quiltrdquo Courtney says
Robinson prefers the immediate gratifi cation of clay
ldquoItrsquos a very responsive mediumrdquo she says ldquoYou can manipulate it Th e fact of mak-
ing something out of dirt out of nothing and making it durable making it perma-
nent that after going through the heat and maturing is something very excitingrdquo
She gently dings a pot covered with white dresses titled ldquoTehuana Dressrdquo to make
her point
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
887 FM Muscle Shoals bull 1007 FM Huntsvillewwwaprorg
News classicalmusic and more
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
copy Patrick Hood
text by sara wright covington raquo photos by jacki gil
patrick hood erin lindsey and michelle odom
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
copy Patrick Hood
ldquoA LOT OF PEOPLE HAD BEEN ASKING ME QUESTIONS ABOUTHOW I GOT MY BUSINESS STARTED I WANTED TO GATHER SOME PEOPLE AROUND ME
WHO WERE GOING THROUGH THOSE STRUGGLES AND TOBUILD ENTREPRENEURIAL COURAGErdquo
JACKI GIL SALT+PAPERIE
copy Patrick Hood
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
untsville-born Jacki Gil began her paper design busi-
ness Salt+Paperie in 2014 with an expansive vision
in mind one that extended beyond creating beautiful
custom designed paper goods ldquoI love my design job
but when Irsquom 50 years old I donrsquot see myself still de-
signing wedding invitationsrdquo the master stationer says
ldquoI really have a passion for teaching and helping people
I want to be a mentorrdquo
In 2015 Gil set out on her mentoring mission sooner than expected with a series
of workshops called Encourage Huntsville ldquoA lot of people had been asking me
questions about how I got my business startedrdquo Gil says about the early days of
Salt+Paperie Even though most of those questions from entrepreneurial-hopefuls
were technicalmdashlike how to apply for a business licensemdashthey served as inspira-
tion for Gil ldquoI wanted to gather some people around me who were going through
those struggles and to build entrepreneurial courage I defi nitely saw that there
was a need for helping people to take that next step toward owning their own
businessesrdquo
Encourage Huntsville was modeled on the image of a growing small business
movement called the Rising Tide Society a national community of creative small
business owners who encourage ldquocommunity over competitionrdquo Th at spirit of
openness is at the heart of Encourage Huntsville ldquoCommunity over competition
is a huge part of what we are doingrdquo says Gil ldquoSmall business owners sharing how
they earn their money is a big dealrdquo
As a fi rst step Gil gathered others around her who were using their skills and abili-
ties to make their own small businesses work With talents ranging from cooking
and cake decorating to hand lettering and artwork these small business owners
all embraced Gilrsquos vision for imparting to others the knowledge of their craft un-
impeded by a fear of losing their competitive edge
Th e fi rst lesson Gil wanted to impart to Encourage Huntsvillersquos students wasnrsquot
necessarily a particular craft or skill but a spirt of creative confi dence ldquoWe want-
ed to bridge the gap between the very artsy community and the ultimate engineer
communityrdquo many of whom Gil observes had been told since childhood they
werenrsquot artistic ldquoWhen you are little and someone tells you that you donrsquot have a
talent it sticks with you I found that a lot of people had that experience so that
was the workshop partmdashto build some creative courage in this communityrdquo
Gil conducted the fi rst workshop herself testing the waters to see how the concept
would be received Th e admission price to that fi rst workshop included supplies a
take-home ldquogoody bagrdquo to help students continue their work extracurricularly and
refreshmentsmdashas well as Gilrsquos tips of her trade
ldquoWe went in blindly not knowing if we had a market or notrdquo says Gil Th e popular-
ity of that fi rst class proved undeniably that a market did in fact exist the work-
shop sold out in one day ldquoSo we did back-to-back workshopsrdquo Gil says ldquoAfter that
novemberdecembeeer eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee | nononoononononononoonoonononooooonoonoonnononnoaaalalalllaallllllalaalaaalal ststustust ddiossscom mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm | | | | | | | | | | |
f
w
y
Previous page Encourage Huntsvillersquos founder and instructor Jacki Gil teaches a class in hand lettering Facing page A participant studies her supply list
we realized people really want to do this stuff So we said lsquoletrsquos jump on the boat
and make this happenrsquordquo
Gilrsquos longtime friend photographer Erin Lindsey of Erin Lindsey Images agreed
to contribute to Encourage Huntsvillersquos curriculum by teaching a photography
class ldquoJacki and I are a good team because our hearts are in the same place when
it comes to encouraging othersrdquo Lindsey says Still she admits saying yes to teach-
ing wasnrsquot without some initial hesitation ldquoWhen Jacki asked if I would teach a
class it was kind of scary I thought I had to be perfect before I could teach oth-
ersrdquo Lindsey says of her initial hesitancy ldquoBut after talking to Jacki I realized none
of us are perfectrdquo But perfection isnrsquot the goal encouragement is the goal ldquoAnd I
thought lsquoI can defi nitely line up with that visionrsquordquo
Michelle Odom another Huntsville native and owner of custom cake bakery Just
Crumbs was also on board with Gilrsquos vision In fact Odom had been contemplat-
ing teaching a class when she was approached by Gil to teach a fondant basics
class ldquoHuntsville is such an engineer town and everyone is so mathematical and
scientifi crdquo Odom says echoing the dichotomy between the arts and sciences ex-
pressed by Gil ldquoTh ese workshops are just a very cool way for structured people to
have a creative outletrdquo
ldquoJACKI AND I ARE A GOOD TEAM BECAUSE OUR HEARTS ARE INTHE SAME PLACE WHEN IT COMES TO ENCOURAGING OTHERSrdquo
ERIN LINDSEY ERIN LINDSEY IMAGES
copy Erin Lindsey
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Above A participant in Erin Lindseyrsquos photo class frames a still life
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
copy Erin Lindsey
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
ldquoHUNTSVILLE IS SUCH AN ENGINEER TOWN AND EVERYONE ISSO MATHEMATICAL AND SCIENTIFIC THESE WORKSHOPS ARE JUST A VERY COOL
WAY FOR STRUCTURED PEOPLE TO HAVE A CREATIVE OUTLETrdquo MICHELLE ODOM JUST CRUMBS
copy Michelle Odom
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
ldquoAnd yesrdquo Odom acknowledges ldquoyou are in theory teaching your competition But
at the same time you are helping the community be more creativerdquo
With its roster of popular creative workshops under its belt Encourage Huntsville
has added business classes to its community-over-competition curriculum with
classes designed to provide specifi c guidance for small business owners ldquoAll of
our events that donrsquot require hands-on work we call seminarsrdquo says Gil ldquoWe had
about 15 people at our fi rst one It was pretty much just an open discussion to ask
us questions and get answers from the perspective of a small business ownerrdquo
Th e seminars enjoyed the same success and enthusiasm as the workshops ldquoWe
had two hours for people to ask questionsrdquo Gil says Topics covered ran the gamut
from scheduling daily tasks self-hosting a website or using an Etsy store man-
aging client expectations and being realistic about how much time you need to
complete jobs
ldquoTh e time went quickly and people wanted morerdquo says Gil who envisions an all-
day seminar in 2016
Margaret Baggett owner and executive chef of the Chef Next Door is another
small business owner who has shared Gilrsquos vision from the very beginning teach-
copy Erin Lindsey
Facing page Michelle Odomrsquos fondant basics class begins with a styrofoam cake form Above Newbie photographers familiarize themselves with their cameras in Erin Lindseyrsquos photography class
ing knife skills workshops and helping host the business seminars ldquoI am so proud
to get to be a part of this project and help nurture other small business owners
who may just be starting out on their journey or are deep in it and looking for
some encouragement from other business ownersrdquo Baggett says of what motivates
her participation in Encourage Huntsville ldquoEven being on the advice-giving side
of things I am still learning and have taken tips and tricks and lessons from each
event we have had so far We never stop learning from each other and never stop
improving upon our craftsrdquo
Th e mutual growth among students and teachers is the source of the encourage-
mentmdashand the joymdashof Encourage Huntsville ldquoItrsquos so much fun to see the light
bulbs go off with people and see them encouraged right before your eyesrdquo Lindsey
says of her experience with the program ldquoPlus itrsquos a pleasure to contribute to a
sense of community over competition Th at whole concept is so rarerdquo
As Encourage Huntsvillersquos following continues to grow the diversity of the work-
shops will expand as well Whether you are looking to spend a fun afternoon
learning a new craft or are a budding small business owner hoping to launch
your brand Encourage Huntsville has something valuable to off er ldquoWe encourage
those left-brain folks to take up a new hobby or skillrdquo Baggett says ldquoor just encour-
age the people of Huntsville to get together and fan their creative fl amesrdquo
If yoursquore looking for
creative or entrepreneurial
encouragement visit
encouragehuntsvillecom
for seminar and workshop
schedules and information
ldquoI AM SO PROUD TO GET TO BE A PART OF THIS PROJECT AND HELP NURTURE OTHER SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS WHO MAY JUST BE STARTING OUT ON THEIR JOURNEY OR ARE DEEP IN IT
AND LOOKING FOR SOME ENCOURAGEMENT FROM OTHER BUSINESS OWNERSrdquoMARGARET BAGGETT CHEF NEXT DOOR
copy Jacki Gil
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
copy Jacki Gil
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Participants in Margaret Baggettrsquos knife skills workshop learn to perfect their ldquomise en placerdquo
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
copy Olivia Reed
text by sara wright covington raquo photos by olivia reed and jeff white
HUNTSVILLErsquoS
HOMEGROWNHOSTESS
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
ttttttononononoooooonononooooo raquo praquo praquo praquo praquo phothothothothotosoososos s s osos bybybbybb
Any host will tell you that delicious food and quality libations while important to
a partyrsquos success are secondary to the most important ingredient of all the guest list Th atrsquos why many
of downtown Huntsvillersquos most popular restaurants breweries and wine shops are turning to event
planner Ashley Ryals and her uncanny knack for attracting loyal patronsmdashand creating unforgettable
events in the process
When Huntsville born-and-bred Ashley Ryals left for college at the University of Alabama in 2001
she thought her exit from the Valley was permanent ldquoI never thought I would end up back hererdquo the
founder of event planning company Homegrown Huntsville says with a knowing laugh But after a few
post-graduate years working for world-renowned public relations powerhouse Weber Shandwick in
New York City Ryals started to second guess her freshman declaration
ldquoI started to get homesickrdquo she admits ldquoAll of my friends were getting married and meeting for football
games and I was missing itrdquo So when a friend from home set up an interview at EarlyWorks for a job
doing event planning Ryals jumped at the chance to come home
Ashley spent the next few years planning EarlyWorks Whistle Stop and Santarsquos Village events A brief
stint in sales followed along with a seat on the board of Huntsville Young Professionals where she had
an idea for a downtown pub crawl
ldquoWe expected 20 or 30 peoplerdquo Ryals says of their modest expectations ldquoBut 200 people showed uprdquo
Th at initial success convinced Ryals to embark on her dream of establishing an
event planning company But it wasnrsquot just any event planning company Ryals
had in mind she envisioned one that would collaborate with local businesses
cultivate signature events for the community to enjoy and support small busi-
nesses in the process
Inspired Ryals left her sales job and for the second time in her life came home
again to event planning and Homegrown Huntsville
To help bring her vision to life Ryals collaborated with designer Adrianne Van
Kirk of Fave Creative ldquoAdrianne has been a part of the visual and branding of
Homegrown from the beginning We come up with the event ideas then I get
the ticketing and sales together and she comes back with a logo and the mar-
keting for the event And thatrsquos how it all comes togetherrdquo Ryals says of their
creative process
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
ASHLEY RYALS
copy Olivia Reed
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
ldquoMOST WINE FESTIVALS ACROSS THE COUNTRY HAVE PROVEN RECORDS OF BEING ABLE TO STAY AROUND 15 OR 20 YEARS OR EVEN LONGER AND THE ECONOMIES OF THOSE
CITIES HAVE REALLY GROWN AS A RESULT I WANT BIG SPRING CRUSH TO EVENTUALLY BE THE BIGGEST AND BEST WINE FESTIVAL IN THE STATE OF ALABAMArdquo ASHLEY RYALS
copy Jeff White
copy Jeff White
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
copy Olivia Reed
Homegrown launched in 2011 with what would become its
signature event Dine amp Dash Every second Wednesday
April through October a trolley shuttles patrons between
downtown establishments where they are served a drink
and appetizer before moving on to the next stop
Owner and executive chef Merle Phillips of Th e Eaves was
one of the fi rst restaurants to sign on for Dine amp Dashrsquos de-
but ldquoAshley came to me and said she was starting a trolley
tasting conceptrdquo says Chef Merle ldquoI didnrsquot really know her so
I was taking a chance on the concept she was sellingrdquo
Merle tried it and has been a loyal participant of Dine amp
Dash ever since
ldquoIt was a risk in the beginning but it defi nitely paid off rdquo Chef
Merle says of the experience Pivotal to that experience ac-
cording to Phillips is Ryalsrsquo demonstration to the commu-
nity just what the term ldquohomegrownrdquo really means ldquoAshley
shines a spotlight on independent businesses in a market-
place that has for so long focused on chainsrdquo Phillips says
ldquoDine amp Dash has really brought into sharp focus the inter-
esting culinary diversity that Huntsville has to off errdquo
For the next two years Homegrown Huntsville focused al-
most exclusively on Dine amp Dash which by the end of its fi rst
year included every single downtown restaurant But when
big changes began to appear on the downtown horizonmdash
new restaurants breweries and residential developmentsmdash
Ryalsrsquo instincts told her
the time had come to
introduce a new event
to the downtown cal-
endar
ldquoBeer Hop follows
the concept of Dine
amp Dashrdquo Ryals says of
Homegrownrsquos second
venture which began
in 2013 Each month a
trolley visits three dif-
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
BILL FOWLEROLD TOWN BEER
EXCHANGE
copy Olivia Reed
copy Olivia Reed
ferent breweries where patrons sample beers and enjoy food
from a variety of food trucks parked at each location
Bill Fowler managing partner of Old Town Beer Exchange
agreed to participate in Beer Hop on his very fi rst day of
business and credits Ryals with an overwhelmingly success-
ful opening night ldquoAshley said lsquoI can guarantee that you are
going to have wave after wave of people coming throughrsquordquo
Fowler says recalling that fi rst jittery occasion Once again
Ryals proved true to her word with 60-plus patrons arriving
in an hour-and-a-half ldquoIt was awesome and such a great ex-
perience for usrdquo Fowler raves ldquoAshley is a hard worker and
you can see that in what she doesrdquo
Fowler believes that in addition to bringing new customers
to OTBX Ryals is also cultivating beer education consis-
tently bringing in people who are new to beer and want to
learn And with Huntsvillersquos recent brewery boom that level
of education and interest is crucial for the brewing commu-
nity to thrive ldquoWe have a very small window of opportunityrdquo
says Fowler ldquoI think Huntsville in particular is becoming a
craft brewing community People are making money at this
and once Tennessee sees that we need to already have had a
pretty huge head startrdquo
By the end of 2013 and with standing events Beer Hop and
Dine amp Dash well established Ryals took time to refl ect on
her original goal for Homegrown Huntsville ldquoIn the back of
my head from day one I knew I wanted to do a wine festival
I just didnrsquot think Huntsville was ready for it in 2011rdquo
Emboldened by the success of Beer Hop Ryals decided to
make the leap with Big Spring Crush wine festival later the
same year Once again Ryals delivered the perfect audience
for the event and in the process discovered a surprising
fact about North Alabamarsquos contribution to the wine-mak-
ing industry
ldquoIn doing the wine festival I learned that we have a huge
wine community in Huntsvillerdquo Ryals says ldquoTh ere are only
about 47 certifi ed wine judges in the entire United States
and we have four of them right here in North Alabama Two
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
copy Jeff White
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
ldquoI STARTED TO GET HOMESICK ALL OF MY FRIENDS WERE GETTING MARRIEDAND MEETING FOR FOOTBALL GAMES AND I WAS MISSING ITrdquo ASHLEY RYALS
copy Jeff White
copy Jeff White
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
ldquoIT WAS AWESOME AND SUCH A GREAT EXPERIENCE FOR USrdquoBILL FOWLER OLD TOWN BEER EXCHANGE
copy Jeff White
copy Olivia Reed
of those four certifi ed wine judges sit on the committee for
Big Spring Crushrdquo
Matthew and Stephanie Mell had just opened Church Street
Wine Shop when they decided to participate in the fi rst Big
Spring Crush Like OTBXrsquos Robert Fowler the Mells credit
Ryals and Homegrown Huntsville for helping to introduce
their new enterprise to the community ldquoAshley has been in-
strumental in helping to bring us people who love and ap-
preciate winerdquo Stephanie Mell says ldquoShe was homegrown
here in Huntsville and she really gets the downtown area
and small businesses and that is so important to usrdquo
Big Spring Crush began with a bang featuring over 150
wines and attracting patrons from across the country
ldquoMost wine festivals across the country have proven records
of being able to stay around 15 or 20 years or even longerrdquo
Ryals says ldquoAnd the economies of those cities have really
grown as a result I want Big Spring Crush to eventually be
the biggest and best wine festival in the state of Alabamardquo
How does Ryals intend to make that dream come true ldquoBy
always keeping it fresh I want to have new marketing and
new things happening each yearrdquo
Ryalsrsquo formula of reinvention and expansion has successfully
led Homegrown Huntsville through fi ve years of success and
helped its events become community staples along the way In
the process Ryals is broadening more than just our image of
downtown Huntsville shersquos joining a class of creative entrepre-
neurs committed to expanding Huntsvillersquos reputation as more
than just a hub for the brightest scientifi c minds in America
ldquoWe have a big city of engineers and lawyers and itrsquos won-
derfulrdquo Ryals say ldquo But there is a whole artist and food cul-
ture here and there is so much growth I want us to have a
vibrant cool downtown area and I want for people to tell
their friends to come and visit and to see Huntsville for what
it is a city I loverdquo
If yoursquod like to participate in Homegrown Huntsville either
as a guest or a participating business visit homegrown-
huntsvillecom
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
copy Jeff White
I was years old and the year was At that time the city of Huntsville was inching toward the mountain to the east California Street was once the continental divide between the small town metropo-lis and the uncharted territories gingerly crossed by the real estate pioneers four score and some odd years prior Th is area became the new suburb as the city kept pushing onward toward Fagan Springs as if the reverberating booms of rocket testings were vibrating Hunstvillians away from its epicenter
From the front yard of our house on Owens Drive I could look to the rightmdashup the hill to the bend be-yond which the big houses stood on their rocky ledge pedestals and to the left where all the other houses that looked just like oursmdashfresh and newmdashrambled for what seemed like miles Th ose clean well-lit abodes all seemed the same and granted at my age I knew more about the pets that lived there than I did about the people who owned those manageable mortgages I came to realize that each was diff erent in a way that was permeated by voices smells and furnishings
It is a clicheacute to say that our lives were simpler then because that is just how the current era will be fondly referred to in the future but to a 5-year-old it is the simplicity that brought the joy Th e sixties will always be to me the beginning of the age of manufactured happiness Cheap clean and simple was what was strived for and what was easily obtained Plastic items were plentiful and pretty things could be bought with SampH Green Stamps A few coins in our pocket would transfer us into the most master of manipula-tors with us giving our all to convince our parents for a jaunt to Murdockrsquos for a holiday of wonderment joy and impatience as we would scour the shelves trying to get the most from our meager budget
Owens Drive was the fairly new thoroughfare from which the avenues of three-bedroom-ranchers fi ngered away at planned intervals Th is was the place where newlyweds started their lives homes and families Where girls with last names that had been in the town for generations would change them to those strange and exotic last names of the clean cut newcomers brought here for military purposes Where the housewives would preheat their pristine electric ovens trying to make cheese straws and biscuits that were just like their motherrsquos only to be frustrated as they were never quite the same and where the husbands would follow in their fatherrsquos footsteps by joining the Acme Club and hunting doves on the weekends
Th ere was a swimming pool Certainly not at our house Th e only private pool I remember as a child was one that my grandmother would take me to nestled between huge trees at someonersquos house on Adams Street I would swim with other children my age while our grandmothers chatted smoking cigarettes in cat-eyed anonymity whispering most of their stories so we wouldnrsquot be able to hear But between their
gasps and laughter we would listen hear and learn
Th e Blossomwood pool was a place of designated rules and the sound of bright whistlesmdashwith straight lines and distinctive colors of blue and green I can still feel the Coppertoned oiliness on the skin of the tanned lifeguard as she carried me from the deep end frightened after my fi rst attempt at solo-swimming She knew my name I had no idea who she was
On the other side of the pool was the school my older sister attended It had a style that mim-icked the poolmdashstraight lines cleanmdasha temple to orderliness and good manners It was with
awe that I once watched the young adults there some as old as eleven wind and dance their way around a sky-high fl agpolemdasheach with a diff erent color ribbon until the fi rst (and only) May Pole
I was privy to was completely dressed in its woven bright colors
90 raquo bless their hearts raquo Guy McClure Jr
Huntsville was a magical place for us tail-end baby boomers to grow upmdashbeyond the miracles of the escalator at Pizitz the smiling little lady on the tall stool at the register at Britlings There was a comfort level there that Irsquom not sure is in the minds of the 5-year-olds of today
cat-eyed agasps
Th s
aI w
THE COMFORTS OF BLOSSOMWOOD
In our world of red-bricked carported castles there was a def-inite division of generations Th e children ate separately from the parents went to school as our dads went to work enter-tained our neighborhood friends as quietly as possible and felt safe between our boundaries of Big Cove Road and Hermitage Street While we dined on our Chef Boy-Ar-Dee boxed pizza our parents busied themselves dressing in their dark colors getting ready for a late dinner at Boots having the scent of perfume and face powder trail my mother as she came into the kitchen looking for something with an intense purpose My father would smell of British Sterling and look just as he did when he went to work only happier Th ese nights meant something fun would happenmdashwe would have a babysitter
Babysitters were my introduction into what was and still seems cool Th ey were usually Huntsville High School teen-agers who would put on a show without even knowing it I would drink in their every move word and essence of style To me they were supermodelsmdashmovie starsmdasheven more fa-mous in my eyes than a television weatherman and almost as glamorous as the waitresses at the Waffl e House
Before they would tire of me and my sister and put us to bed they would include us in their world of music and knowledge which I thought was all-encompassing Suddenly our world of Th e Benny Carl Show and Fantasy Playhouse would seem trite and passeacute and we would catch a fl eeting glimpse into what would be in store for us when we too could stay up past 8 pm
Huntsville was a magical place for us tail-end baby boomers to grow upmdashbeyond the miracles of the escalator at Pizitz the smiling little lady on the tall stool at the register at Britlings and that bright colorful Maypole Th ere was a comfort level there that Irsquom not sure is in the minds of the 5-year-olds of todaymdashthe soothing sheltered lack of knowledge of why we were so lucky yet we didnrsquot even know that we were
In the other areas of our Huntsville there was poverty and ra-cial unrestmdashas there was and is in every city I was unaware People of color were always a part of my worldmdashmostly be-cause they had my attention and respect At our house there was Annie my grandmotherrsquos house was fi lled with the joys of Lula and out on the family farm there was strong and smiling Homer and large and huggable Rosamdashall just as much a part of my life as everyone else My life was good and they were instrumental in making it that way
What will the 5-year-olds of today who are lucky enough to be raised on those well-planned streets remember when they surpass their own 50 year mark It is a much more complex world now and there are diff erent concerns with daily changes of fear Youthful innocence is a prize that is encased without a lock Premature maturity is a viable threat and a constant fear But each night tucked in tight in a simple room sleeps tomor-rowrsquos adults who are having sweet dreamsmdashblanketed by the comforts of Blossomwood
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
92 raquo the vine raquo Amy C Collins
BORDEAUX POWER
Where Burgundyrsquos vineyards were established by Benedictine monks patiently growing wine vines with spiritual hearts Bordeauxrsquos vineyards were raised by entrepreneurial laymen who recognized the massive monetary opportunity when the English began drinking down their peasant wine
The city of Bordeaux is Francersquos primary port town on the Atlantic ocean a harbor that has for centuries served as the countryrsquos most important dock Th e regionrsquos history is long and storied with the fi rst written reference to the area dated 379 AD by the Latin poet Ausonius who was also a wine-grower Jump ahead to the year 1152 when Eleanor of Aquitaine married Englandrsquos soon-to-be king Henry Plantagenet and the port and surrounding vineyard land became the source of wine for the English a connection that remains strong even today
Bordeaux produces the worldrsquos most expensive and sought after collector wines the top tier of which make up less than fi ve percent of the regionrsquos total production Th ese names are quickly learned by neophyte wine drinkers wanting to make an impression Chateau Haut-Brion Lafi te Latour and Margaux for example Grown in gravelly soils only a few meters above sea levelmdashin contrast vineyards elsewhere in Europe typically sit between 300 and 900 metersmdashthese wines are some of the most powerful austere and pawed over When young the tannins in these cabernet sauvignon cabernet franc and merlot blends coat the tongue and mouth with a chalky dry sensation akin to sucking on an Earl Grey tea bag and are perhaps best suited to well-fatted rare steak and cigars Th ese are wines built to live for decades Personally I prefer a Bordeaux at least 20 years aged when the tannins have had ample time to calm down and mellow out and more nuanced fl avors come forward Sounds fancy and it is Only in some very lucky circumstances over the past year have I been guest to a bottle of 1990 Clos de Menuts Saint-Eacutemilion and a 1970 Chateau Haut-Brion About once every 10 years Irsquove had the good
fortune to taste a wine older than myself Nice work if you can get it
Where Burgundyrsquos vineyards (Francersquos other classifi ed sought-after region) were established by Benedictine monks patiently growing wine vines with spiritual hearts
Bordeauxrsquos vineyards were raised by entrepreneurial laymen who recognized the massive monetary opportunity when the English began drinking down their peasant wine Th is underscores the second half of my theory as to why Americans
more often American males are so drawn to the wines of Bordeaux Th erersquos an inherent capitalist connection something in the soil Th at the wines are so
unmistakable so distinctively grand and pronounced elixirs exemplifi es the fi rst half of my theory we Americans are not known for our subtlety (To be fair the Chinese are
signifi cant Bordeaux collectors as well)
Philosophy aside Bordeaux is quite a large region that produces beautiful white and red values as well as the rare fi nds out of the populacersquos price range Herersquos the skinny Blending is the game single varietal wines are rare White Bordeaux is typically made from a blend of sauvignon blanc and seacutemillon and sometimes a drop or two of muscadelle ugni blanc or colombard Reds are made primarily from the two cabernets plus merlot with small quantities of petit verdot malbec and carmenegravere occasionally in the mix Th e region is also home to the golden nectar of late ripened seacutemillon sauvignon blanc and muscadelle grapes that have successfully attracted the noble rot a fungus that covers the fruit and drains moisture from inside leaving behind rich sweet grapes without moldy fl avors Chateau drsquoYquem is the most famous of these unfortifi ed dessert wines though there are better bargains from the region
Bordeaux is split by the Gironde river which divides the region into three general areas Th e left bank also known as the Haut-Meacutedoc is where the classifi ed top growths are situated Th ese prestigious estates were named for their exceptional vineyard sites in 1855 a decision nearly unchanged since Today serious collectors invest in Bordeaux futures theoretically locking down lower prices of top
ample time to calm dit is Only in some vede Menuts Saint-Eacutem
fortune to taste a
Wherees
aun
of msignifi
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Follow Amy at pigandvinecom for morestories and wine suggestions
growth estates while the wine is still aging in the cellar Itrsquos the wine tradersquos equivalent to the NASDAQ On the right bank Saint-Eacutemilion and Pommerol are the prized vineyard areas known for their merlot heavy cuveacutees To the south west we fi nd Graves where there are many great values to be had in both white and red bottlings Entre-Deux-Mers which translates to ldquobetween two seasrdquo sits between the Dordogne and Garonne tributaries off the Gironde and is an excellent source for crisp whites
Get started on your Bordeaux experience with these values
Chateau Graville-Lacoste 2014 Graves 75 seacutemillon 20 sauvignon blanc and 5 muscadelle make up this beauty thatrsquos consistently delicious every vintage Crisp and refreshing great with seafood
Chateau Mirambeau 2014 GravesAnother classic blend of 40 sauvignon blanc 40 seacutemillon and 20 muscadelle this lovely white is a bit more fl oral than the Graville-Lacoste Easy drinking and great value
Chateau de Parenchegravere Bordeaux Rouge 201155 merlot 30 cabernet sauvignon and 15 cabernet franc grown in clay heavy soils similar to the right bank of the region Fleshy with good structure and abundant red fruit
Chateau Arnaud Bordeaux Supeacuterieur 2011Supeacuterieur on a Bordeaux label isnrsquot egotistical marketingmdashby law it indicates a wine with up to one degree more alcohol than its AC Bordeaux brethren What it really means is one more degree of body structure and in this case quality Approachable delicious and easy on the wallet
Chateau de Bernadotte Haut-Meacutedoc 2005Th e 2005 vintage in Bordeaux is in the history books with double asterisks Owned by the eminent Pichon Lalande family and made from vineyards in Paulliac one of the more choice growing areas in the region this is an incredible value a top tier Bordeaux for a fraction of the cost
Chateau de Suduiraut Sauternes 2011Ripe cantaloupe apricot and honey and an interesting smoky note with a solid sweet attack followed by great acidity A dessert wine that wonrsquot overpower the dessert
94 raquo parting shot raquo Patrick Hood
Meet Solvar
Solvar belongs to one of the worldrsquos oldest and purest equine lineages the Nor-
wegian Fjord horse a breed that has remained virtually unchanged for more than
2000 yearsmdashlong before we became acquainted with his animated cousins in
the movie Frozen Th ese national symbols of Norway are characterized by primi-
tive zebra striping on their legs and a dorsal stripe running from forelock to tail
resulting in a striking two-tone mane that sticks up like a Mohawk Th eir athleti-
cism agility and dependability make them valuable both as sport horses as well
as therapy horses for emotionally and physically challenged adults and children
Catie Wells of Huntsville is the proud owner of Solvar who resides at Monte
Sano Stables
For tickets or information 256-539-4818 or hsoorg
Bring In the New Year With Us
presents
WHAT A WONDERFUL
WORLDA tribute to Louis
Armstrong featuring the
Byron Stripling Quartet
Thursday December 31
730 pm bull Pops Series bullMark C Smith
Concert Hall VBC
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
M O R E T H A N 7 0 S H O P S A N D R E S T A U R A N T S I N C L U D I N G B E L K | D S W S H O E S | A P P L E J O S A B A N K | R E E D S J E W E L E R S | PA N D O R A | J C R E W | K AT E S PA D E N E W Y O R KO R V I S | B A N A N A R E P U B L I C | M I C H A E L K O R S | F R A N C E S C Arsquo S | A N T H R O P O L O G I EH amp M | S O M A | M O U N T A I N H I G H O U T F I T T E R S | B A R N E S amp N O B L E | S E P H O R AALTAR rsquoD STATE | CONNORS STEAK amp SEFOOD | THE WEST IN HUNTSV I L L E | MONACO P ICTURES
C O M I N G S O O N V E R S O N A ndash near Belk
B R I D G E S T R E E T H U N T S V I L L E C O M |
BR IDGE STREET TOWN CENTRE I S LOCATED AT EX I T 14 OFF I - 565 AT OLD MAD ISON P IKE
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| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) DECCO Umbrella in a Bottle ($1995)(2) Alexa Pulitzer Stationery Set ($14 ea)(3) Ikat Scarf ($6250)Huntsville Museumof Art(256) 535-4350
(4) Emily Ley Grace Journal ($32) (5) Sugar Boo Designs Clutch ($18) (6) Emily Ley Daily Planner ($58) (7) Latika Milk ampHoney Bar ($6) (8) Farm House Fresh Shea Butter Hand Cream ($14) (9) Christen MaxwellZippy ($42) (10) Green Tea Bubble Bath ($32) Sweet Pineapple(256) 964-7563 (11) Goal Getter Cuff ($32)Indigorsquos Boutique(256) 345-6348
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
(1) Kilim Pillow ($58) (2) Bejeweled Silver Plate Vase ($144) (3) Bone Clad Box ($375)Willowbrook Shoppe (256) 270-7181
(4) Cowhide Rug ($550)(5) Lucyrsquos Locket ($95) (Original piecemdashselection may vary)Sweet Pineapple(256) 964-7563 (6) Clutch ($65)Department of Agra Culturedeptofagraculturecom
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(1) Above The Bar Antler on Chain 28rdquo ($3999) (2) Above The Bar Deer wAntler Head 18rdquo ($2999) Indigorsquos Boutique(256) 345-6348
(3) Margaret Solow Labradorite18KT Bezel ($290) (4) Margaret Solow Diamond Crest MoonSilver ($460) (5) Margaret Solow Black Spinel + DiamondSilver ($560) (6) Margaret Solow Double Black Spinel18KT ($260)Little Green Store and Gallery (256) 539-9699
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
(1) Margaret Solow Grey Moonstoon18KT Necklace ($240) (2) Margaret Solow OpalDiamond Mosaic Necklace ($610) Little Green Storeand Gallery (256) 539-9699
(3) One-of-a-kind Eva Ziegler Smokey Quartz and Pyrite Necklace ($406)Eva Ziegler Jewelryevazieglercom
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) Jennifer BehrTurban ($625)(2) Cotton Day Dress ($64)(3) Norma Ishak Cardigan ($375)Finery(256) 429-3429
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
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(1) The Lion Sleeps Tonight Bath Bomb ($6) Sweet Pineapple(256) 964-7563
(2) Tiger Jelly Cat ($2250)(3) Dog Tag Teether ($1550)(4) Dinosaur Footie ($3595)Honey B Boutique(256) 503-2853
(5) Young Buck ($25)Tiny Vinestinyvinesshopcom
(6) Bib Set ($13)Huntsville Museumof Art(256) 535-4350
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
(1) Tiny Dancer Bath Bomb ($6)Sweet Pineapple(256) 964-7563
(2) Kickee Mammoth Footie ($3595)(3) Noodle amp Boo Essential Care Kit ($18)(4) Elephant Jelly Cat ($2250)Honey B Boutique(256) 503-2853
(5) ArtFolio Pink Elephant Coloring Tote ($17)Huntsville Museumof Art(256) 535-4350
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) Bib Set ($13)Huntsville Museumof Art(256) 535-4350 (2) Little Light ($25)Tiny Vinestinyvinesshopcom (3) Micro Leon Cardboard Lion ($30)Little Green Storeand Gallery (256) 539-9699 (4) I Love You Like Biscuits amp Gravy ($23)Domaine South(256) 808-8860
(5) Kickee Kimono ($4295)Honey B Boutique(256) 503-2853
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
SURPRISEA LOVED ONE
THIS HOLIDAY SEASON
WITH A FOREVER GIFT
HobbsJewelerscom 8772331347Parkway Place Mall
HuntsvilleHwy 72 West
AthensMain Street
Ardmore TN
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Caftan ($75)Sarah Richey Necklace ($350)Finery(256) 429-3429
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
(1) Chewbead Necklace ($3495)(2) Mayoral Baby Bag ($7995)(3) Mayoral Diaper Changing Pad ($2495)(4) Nursing Scarf ($2695) (5) Kickee Swaddling Blanket ($22)Honey B Boutique(256) 503-2853 (6) Lucy Darling Months Sticker ($25) (7) The Story of You Baby Book by Emily Ley ($62) Sweet Pineapple(256) 964-7563
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(1) Alwand Vahan 14K Gold and Onyx Ring wDiamond Accent ($2595)(2) Alwand Vanan 14K Gold and Onyx Bracelet wDiamond Accent ($2695)Hobbs Jewelers(877) 233-1347
(3) Britt Ryan Dress ($288)Personal Couture Boutique(256) 508-5632
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) Rocket Cosmos Mug ($13)Huntsville Museumof Art(256) 535-4350
(2) Loose Leaf Tea ($399)Piper amp Leaf piperandleafcom (3) Judy Jackson Tea Pot ($56) (4) Gary Watson Cherry Cutting Board ($48-$68) (5) Susan Coe Birthday Cake Plate ($33) Little Green Storeand Gallery (256) 539-9699 (6) Macarons ($116 pcs $221 dozen)Whisk Small Treats Bakery(256) 656-1027
(7) Truffl es ($185 each)Pizellersquos Confections (256) 513-9745 (8) Olive amp Sinclair Chocolate ($799)Domaine South(256) 808-8860
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
(1) Whisk Note Pad ($8) (2) In the Forest Mixing Bowl ($36) (3) Twig Serving Set ($18)(8) Southern Firefl y Candle ($12)Sweet Pineapple(256) 964-7563
(4) Urchin Bowl ($10)(5) Foodie Dice ($38)(6) 1Canoe2 Wood Recipe Box w Recipe Cards ($6999) Domaine South(256) 808-8860 (7) Growlers ($75 small $95 large)Southern Growlersoutherngrowlercom
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(1) Tacori 18K Barbados Blue Bold Gem Ring ($660)(2) Tacori 18K Barbados Blue Bold Gem Necklace ($630)(3) Tacori 18K Barbados Blue Bold Gem Bracelet ($990)Hobbs Jewelers(877) 233-1347
(4) BCBG Dress ($328)Personal Couture Boutique(256) 508-5632
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Guadalupe Robinson
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
text by jennifer crossley howard raquo photos by patrick hood
Of Deft and Dirty Hands
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Huntsville potter Guadalupe Lanning Robinson has spent more than 36 years mastering the
marriage of clay texture and geometric design into her pottery yet time has done little to temper the
plight of waiting
ldquoIt is hard for me to let a pot just dryrdquo she says motioning toward fi ve small wet pots sitting near her
pottery wheel ldquoIrsquom as excited to do this as I was 30 years agordquo
To observe her studio at Lowe Mill that is easy to believe Located on the corridor outside the textile
mill-turned-art centerrsquos main building the loft-like space with a corrugated tin roof feels like a place a
Gabriel Garcia Marquez character would enjoy daydreaming
Sienna-hued pottery sits in various stages to be fi red layered and etched Argentinian tango music
streams from Robinsonrsquos iPhone and two cockatiels a parrot and a parakeet chirp from their cages All
except the parrot fl y freely when Robinson is working
Robinson who is 61 made her fi rst pot in 1979 in her native Mexico City Almost four decades later her
work is part of permanent museum collections in Auburn Huntsville Tuscumbia and Tupelo Missis-
sippi She regularly enters her work in respected juried shows such as the Monte Sano Arts Festival and
the Kentuck Festival of the Arts in Northport and has received two Alabama State Council on the Arts
individual artist fellowships
Her inspiration draws from the villages around her native Mexico City such as the black pottery of
the northwest as well as her acquired Southern culture White lilies corn grids and round female
fi guresmdashldquoreally strong women who are in chargerdquo Robinson saysmdashreappear on her stoneware She uses
natural dyes indigo for color and mixes sand into clay for texture Nothing is wasted
ldquoI donrsquot waste any clayrdquo Robinson says ldquoEverything is recycledrdquo
Robinson fi nds solace in the 40-50 hours a week she puts in at the studio and the often tedious process
of making pots which can take from three weeks to six weeks for larger pots She usually works on two
or three pots at a time tending to groups at diff erent stages
After a pot is thrown on a wheel a piece can take days to dry before its fi rst bisque fi re in which tem-
peratures rise to 1800 F After baking for nine hours the kiln must cool Th e second fi ring rises to 2150
F and matures the clay and melts the glazes to strengthen the piece
ldquoI am an effi cient person by naturerdquo Robinson says ldquoWaiting for the kiln to cool down enough to open
can be nerve wracking and this is when my patience is usually put to the testrdquo
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
ldquoIt is hard for me to let a pot just dry Irsquom as excited to do this as I was 30 years agordquo
Robinson makes most of her pots on a wheel using oxides to change the color of clay she gets from Nashville and Pittsburgh Her pottery takes several weeks from start to fi nish depending on how large a pot is and how many she makes at a time
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
ldquoAttend to your childrenrsquos needs fi rst keep focus on what you want to douse the happiness joy and little breaks you get to make your artTh ey grow real fast and they will keep inspiring you all your liferdquo
Robinson imagined this bat-like design as she was working She usually begins a piece with a design in mind but that often evolves
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Robinson uses an overlay of liquid clay called engobemdashthat includes three to four layersmdashto create a
base on which to design
Th ere is high risk in making pottery and hours of work can be wasted on a pot that has not dried en-
tirely before it enters the kiln Air pockets or the wrong mixture of chemicals can ruin a piece
ldquoArt is involved but science is toordquo says Laura Smith director of education at the Huntsville Museum
of Art where Robinson has taught pottery classes ldquoItrsquos more labor intensive in terms of working with
the medium whether yoursquore building by hand or with a wheel until you fi re with the fi nal layer of glazerdquo
Th e result is sturdy pottery
ldquoI want my pots to look like something that is lasting a long timerdquo Robinson says
Th ough she works solitarily in her studio she says she does not get lonely Her birds and music keep her
company and each stage of pottery making has a soundtrack She uses needlepoint tools to draw onto
clay to Jose Feliciano and other Latin American musicians
ldquoIf Irsquom at the wheel Bruno Marsrdquo she says ldquoIf Irsquom unloading the kiln and something is really awesome
then I need something moving and I have on Motownrdquo
Robinsonrsquos years of experience minimize the risk of damaged pots but she says her greatest challenge
as a potter was balancing her work while raising her two children Now adults their candid childhood
pictures and those of her grandchildren cover the warm green walls of her studio
She met her husband the poet James Robinson in 1977 on a Greyhound bus when she returned to
Mexico City from visiting a friend at the University of Southern Mississippi He was heading to Mexico
to study at a university Th ey married six months later After giving birth to her daughter Annie Jane in
Mexico City in 1982 the family moved to Huntsville in 1985 Th at is when Robinson got more serious
about her pottery
ldquoFrom the very beginning when I moved to Alabama I knew I was going to have to do thisrdquo she said
ldquoIn some ways it was a way for me to keep connected to my heritagerdquo
She took even 15 minutes of free time to work in the studio behind her home and worked late into the
night while her daughter and son Isidoro born in 1987 slept Having a home studio allowed her to
wash clothes tend to her home and drop off lunches at school while maintaining her art
ldquoTh ere was something for me when I fi rst became a mother that fueled my creativityrdquo Robinson says
ldquoTh ey are such a social inspiration too It fi lls your liferdquo
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Robinson advises fellow artists who are mothers to seize
both roles but to prioritize motherhood
ldquoAttend to your childrenrsquos needs fi rst keep focus on what you
want to do use the happiness joy and little breaks you get
to make your artrdquo she says ldquoTh ey grow real fast and they will
keep inspiring you all your liferdquo
Anna Sue Courtney director of the Flying Monkey Arts
Center at Lowe Mill has known Robinson for more than
10 years She says she admires how mothers and artists like
Robinson seamlessly embrace both roles
ldquoIt seems therersquos not a separation between creating and rais-
ing childrenrdquo Courtney says ldquoTh ey seem to pull from the
same placerdquo
Part of Robinsonrsquos motivation at Lowe Mill comes from
working privately in a studio alongside other artists that fos-
ters a community of feedback and ideas
ldquoItrsquos nice to be here because you can take a break and walk around and get inspirationrdquo Courtney says
ldquoItrsquos refreshingrdquo
When she needs a break from the studio Robinson stays home to sketch designs for a day or two then
she is back in the studio
Trips twice a year to Mexico City keep her plugged in to her native culture which in turn shows up in
her pottery
ldquoI have to recharge myselfrdquo Robinson says ldquoI love Huntsville and loved raising my kids here but I still
have the need of going back to be recharged and smell all the smells and see all the colors and get on
the subway and be pushed aroundrdquo
Details from her trips that infl uence her work include the ever-present red that covers the city during
the celebration of Dia de los Muertos or the Day of the Dead Th e pyramids of Teotihuacan conjure
warm earth tones and fl oating gardens around the city yield sweet pungent calla lilies and carnations
Celebration of food tough women and nature reappear in her pottery qualities that both Southern and
Mexican cultures treasure
Above This daisy design is character-istic of Robinsonrsquos work Nature food and strong females from her native Mexico City and the South are strong creative infl uences
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Clockwise from top left Robinson often glazes only the inside of her pots so they can hold water and food She began quilting in 2002 and her quilts like her pottery contain earth tones and natural infl uences in their design Four birds keep Robinson company in what can be the isolating medium of pottery making Geometry and symmetry are two signature elements in Robinsonrsquos work according to Laura Smith director of education at the Huntsville Museum of Art
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Just as she keeps her home country close to her heart Robinson is loyal to her fi rst
love of pottery though she began making quilts in 2002
ldquoIrsquom a potter who likes to quiltrdquo she says
Like her pottery her quilting follows designs of organic nature such as fl owers and
crops on rich jewel tone cotton
ldquoWhen I fi rst saw one of her quilts I didnrsquot realize it was hers and I thought that
looks like it should be Guadalupersquos quiltrdquo Courtney says
Robinson prefers the immediate gratifi cation of clay
ldquoItrsquos a very responsive mediumrdquo she says ldquoYou can manipulate it Th e fact of mak-
ing something out of dirt out of nothing and making it durable making it perma-
nent that after going through the heat and maturing is something very excitingrdquo
She gently dings a pot covered with white dresses titled ldquoTehuana Dressrdquo to make
her point
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
887 FM Muscle Shoals bull 1007 FM Huntsvillewwwaprorg
News classicalmusic and more
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
copy Patrick Hood
text by sara wright covington raquo photos by jacki gil
patrick hood erin lindsey and michelle odom
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
copy Patrick Hood
ldquoA LOT OF PEOPLE HAD BEEN ASKING ME QUESTIONS ABOUTHOW I GOT MY BUSINESS STARTED I WANTED TO GATHER SOME PEOPLE AROUND ME
WHO WERE GOING THROUGH THOSE STRUGGLES AND TOBUILD ENTREPRENEURIAL COURAGErdquo
JACKI GIL SALT+PAPERIE
copy Patrick Hood
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
untsville-born Jacki Gil began her paper design busi-
ness Salt+Paperie in 2014 with an expansive vision
in mind one that extended beyond creating beautiful
custom designed paper goods ldquoI love my design job
but when Irsquom 50 years old I donrsquot see myself still de-
signing wedding invitationsrdquo the master stationer says
ldquoI really have a passion for teaching and helping people
I want to be a mentorrdquo
In 2015 Gil set out on her mentoring mission sooner than expected with a series
of workshops called Encourage Huntsville ldquoA lot of people had been asking me
questions about how I got my business startedrdquo Gil says about the early days of
Salt+Paperie Even though most of those questions from entrepreneurial-hopefuls
were technicalmdashlike how to apply for a business licensemdashthey served as inspira-
tion for Gil ldquoI wanted to gather some people around me who were going through
those struggles and to build entrepreneurial courage I defi nitely saw that there
was a need for helping people to take that next step toward owning their own
businessesrdquo
Encourage Huntsville was modeled on the image of a growing small business
movement called the Rising Tide Society a national community of creative small
business owners who encourage ldquocommunity over competitionrdquo Th at spirit of
openness is at the heart of Encourage Huntsville ldquoCommunity over competition
is a huge part of what we are doingrdquo says Gil ldquoSmall business owners sharing how
they earn their money is a big dealrdquo
As a fi rst step Gil gathered others around her who were using their skills and abili-
ties to make their own small businesses work With talents ranging from cooking
and cake decorating to hand lettering and artwork these small business owners
all embraced Gilrsquos vision for imparting to others the knowledge of their craft un-
impeded by a fear of losing their competitive edge
Th e fi rst lesson Gil wanted to impart to Encourage Huntsvillersquos students wasnrsquot
necessarily a particular craft or skill but a spirt of creative confi dence ldquoWe want-
ed to bridge the gap between the very artsy community and the ultimate engineer
communityrdquo many of whom Gil observes had been told since childhood they
werenrsquot artistic ldquoWhen you are little and someone tells you that you donrsquot have a
talent it sticks with you I found that a lot of people had that experience so that
was the workshop partmdashto build some creative courage in this communityrdquo
Gil conducted the fi rst workshop herself testing the waters to see how the concept
would be received Th e admission price to that fi rst workshop included supplies a
take-home ldquogoody bagrdquo to help students continue their work extracurricularly and
refreshmentsmdashas well as Gilrsquos tips of her trade
ldquoWe went in blindly not knowing if we had a market or notrdquo says Gil Th e popular-
ity of that fi rst class proved undeniably that a market did in fact exist the work-
shop sold out in one day ldquoSo we did back-to-back workshopsrdquo Gil says ldquoAfter that
novemberdecembeeer eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee | nononoononononononoonoonononooooonoonoonnononnoaaalalalllaallllllalaalaaalal ststustust ddiossscom mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm | | | | | | | | | | |
f
w
y
Previous page Encourage Huntsvillersquos founder and instructor Jacki Gil teaches a class in hand lettering Facing page A participant studies her supply list
we realized people really want to do this stuff So we said lsquoletrsquos jump on the boat
and make this happenrsquordquo
Gilrsquos longtime friend photographer Erin Lindsey of Erin Lindsey Images agreed
to contribute to Encourage Huntsvillersquos curriculum by teaching a photography
class ldquoJacki and I are a good team because our hearts are in the same place when
it comes to encouraging othersrdquo Lindsey says Still she admits saying yes to teach-
ing wasnrsquot without some initial hesitation ldquoWhen Jacki asked if I would teach a
class it was kind of scary I thought I had to be perfect before I could teach oth-
ersrdquo Lindsey says of her initial hesitancy ldquoBut after talking to Jacki I realized none
of us are perfectrdquo But perfection isnrsquot the goal encouragement is the goal ldquoAnd I
thought lsquoI can defi nitely line up with that visionrsquordquo
Michelle Odom another Huntsville native and owner of custom cake bakery Just
Crumbs was also on board with Gilrsquos vision In fact Odom had been contemplat-
ing teaching a class when she was approached by Gil to teach a fondant basics
class ldquoHuntsville is such an engineer town and everyone is so mathematical and
scientifi crdquo Odom says echoing the dichotomy between the arts and sciences ex-
pressed by Gil ldquoTh ese workshops are just a very cool way for structured people to
have a creative outletrdquo
ldquoJACKI AND I ARE A GOOD TEAM BECAUSE OUR HEARTS ARE INTHE SAME PLACE WHEN IT COMES TO ENCOURAGING OTHERSrdquo
ERIN LINDSEY ERIN LINDSEY IMAGES
copy Erin Lindsey
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Above A participant in Erin Lindseyrsquos photo class frames a still life
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
copy Erin Lindsey
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
ldquoHUNTSVILLE IS SUCH AN ENGINEER TOWN AND EVERYONE ISSO MATHEMATICAL AND SCIENTIFIC THESE WORKSHOPS ARE JUST A VERY COOL
WAY FOR STRUCTURED PEOPLE TO HAVE A CREATIVE OUTLETrdquo MICHELLE ODOM JUST CRUMBS
copy Michelle Odom
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
ldquoAnd yesrdquo Odom acknowledges ldquoyou are in theory teaching your competition But
at the same time you are helping the community be more creativerdquo
With its roster of popular creative workshops under its belt Encourage Huntsville
has added business classes to its community-over-competition curriculum with
classes designed to provide specifi c guidance for small business owners ldquoAll of
our events that donrsquot require hands-on work we call seminarsrdquo says Gil ldquoWe had
about 15 people at our fi rst one It was pretty much just an open discussion to ask
us questions and get answers from the perspective of a small business ownerrdquo
Th e seminars enjoyed the same success and enthusiasm as the workshops ldquoWe
had two hours for people to ask questionsrdquo Gil says Topics covered ran the gamut
from scheduling daily tasks self-hosting a website or using an Etsy store man-
aging client expectations and being realistic about how much time you need to
complete jobs
ldquoTh e time went quickly and people wanted morerdquo says Gil who envisions an all-
day seminar in 2016
Margaret Baggett owner and executive chef of the Chef Next Door is another
small business owner who has shared Gilrsquos vision from the very beginning teach-
copy Erin Lindsey
Facing page Michelle Odomrsquos fondant basics class begins with a styrofoam cake form Above Newbie photographers familiarize themselves with their cameras in Erin Lindseyrsquos photography class
ing knife skills workshops and helping host the business seminars ldquoI am so proud
to get to be a part of this project and help nurture other small business owners
who may just be starting out on their journey or are deep in it and looking for
some encouragement from other business ownersrdquo Baggett says of what motivates
her participation in Encourage Huntsville ldquoEven being on the advice-giving side
of things I am still learning and have taken tips and tricks and lessons from each
event we have had so far We never stop learning from each other and never stop
improving upon our craftsrdquo
Th e mutual growth among students and teachers is the source of the encourage-
mentmdashand the joymdashof Encourage Huntsville ldquoItrsquos so much fun to see the light
bulbs go off with people and see them encouraged right before your eyesrdquo Lindsey
says of her experience with the program ldquoPlus itrsquos a pleasure to contribute to a
sense of community over competition Th at whole concept is so rarerdquo
As Encourage Huntsvillersquos following continues to grow the diversity of the work-
shops will expand as well Whether you are looking to spend a fun afternoon
learning a new craft or are a budding small business owner hoping to launch
your brand Encourage Huntsville has something valuable to off er ldquoWe encourage
those left-brain folks to take up a new hobby or skillrdquo Baggett says ldquoor just encour-
age the people of Huntsville to get together and fan their creative fl amesrdquo
If yoursquore looking for
creative or entrepreneurial
encouragement visit
encouragehuntsvillecom
for seminar and workshop
schedules and information
ldquoI AM SO PROUD TO GET TO BE A PART OF THIS PROJECT AND HELP NURTURE OTHER SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS WHO MAY JUST BE STARTING OUT ON THEIR JOURNEY OR ARE DEEP IN IT
AND LOOKING FOR SOME ENCOURAGEMENT FROM OTHER BUSINESS OWNERSrdquoMARGARET BAGGETT CHEF NEXT DOOR
copy Jacki Gil
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
copy Jacki Gil
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Participants in Margaret Baggettrsquos knife skills workshop learn to perfect their ldquomise en placerdquo
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
copy Olivia Reed
text by sara wright covington raquo photos by olivia reed and jeff white
HUNTSVILLErsquoS
HOMEGROWNHOSTESS
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
ttttttononononoooooonononooooo raquo praquo praquo praquo praquo phothothothothotosoososos s s osos bybybbybb
Any host will tell you that delicious food and quality libations while important to
a partyrsquos success are secondary to the most important ingredient of all the guest list Th atrsquos why many
of downtown Huntsvillersquos most popular restaurants breweries and wine shops are turning to event
planner Ashley Ryals and her uncanny knack for attracting loyal patronsmdashand creating unforgettable
events in the process
When Huntsville born-and-bred Ashley Ryals left for college at the University of Alabama in 2001
she thought her exit from the Valley was permanent ldquoI never thought I would end up back hererdquo the
founder of event planning company Homegrown Huntsville says with a knowing laugh But after a few
post-graduate years working for world-renowned public relations powerhouse Weber Shandwick in
New York City Ryals started to second guess her freshman declaration
ldquoI started to get homesickrdquo she admits ldquoAll of my friends were getting married and meeting for football
games and I was missing itrdquo So when a friend from home set up an interview at EarlyWorks for a job
doing event planning Ryals jumped at the chance to come home
Ashley spent the next few years planning EarlyWorks Whistle Stop and Santarsquos Village events A brief
stint in sales followed along with a seat on the board of Huntsville Young Professionals where she had
an idea for a downtown pub crawl
ldquoWe expected 20 or 30 peoplerdquo Ryals says of their modest expectations ldquoBut 200 people showed uprdquo
Th at initial success convinced Ryals to embark on her dream of establishing an
event planning company But it wasnrsquot just any event planning company Ryals
had in mind she envisioned one that would collaborate with local businesses
cultivate signature events for the community to enjoy and support small busi-
nesses in the process
Inspired Ryals left her sales job and for the second time in her life came home
again to event planning and Homegrown Huntsville
To help bring her vision to life Ryals collaborated with designer Adrianne Van
Kirk of Fave Creative ldquoAdrianne has been a part of the visual and branding of
Homegrown from the beginning We come up with the event ideas then I get
the ticketing and sales together and she comes back with a logo and the mar-
keting for the event And thatrsquos how it all comes togetherrdquo Ryals says of their
creative process
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
ASHLEY RYALS
copy Olivia Reed
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
ldquoMOST WINE FESTIVALS ACROSS THE COUNTRY HAVE PROVEN RECORDS OF BEING ABLE TO STAY AROUND 15 OR 20 YEARS OR EVEN LONGER AND THE ECONOMIES OF THOSE
CITIES HAVE REALLY GROWN AS A RESULT I WANT BIG SPRING CRUSH TO EVENTUALLY BE THE BIGGEST AND BEST WINE FESTIVAL IN THE STATE OF ALABAMArdquo ASHLEY RYALS
copy Jeff White
copy Jeff White
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
copy Olivia Reed
Homegrown launched in 2011 with what would become its
signature event Dine amp Dash Every second Wednesday
April through October a trolley shuttles patrons between
downtown establishments where they are served a drink
and appetizer before moving on to the next stop
Owner and executive chef Merle Phillips of Th e Eaves was
one of the fi rst restaurants to sign on for Dine amp Dashrsquos de-
but ldquoAshley came to me and said she was starting a trolley
tasting conceptrdquo says Chef Merle ldquoI didnrsquot really know her so
I was taking a chance on the concept she was sellingrdquo
Merle tried it and has been a loyal participant of Dine amp
Dash ever since
ldquoIt was a risk in the beginning but it defi nitely paid off rdquo Chef
Merle says of the experience Pivotal to that experience ac-
cording to Phillips is Ryalsrsquo demonstration to the commu-
nity just what the term ldquohomegrownrdquo really means ldquoAshley
shines a spotlight on independent businesses in a market-
place that has for so long focused on chainsrdquo Phillips says
ldquoDine amp Dash has really brought into sharp focus the inter-
esting culinary diversity that Huntsville has to off errdquo
For the next two years Homegrown Huntsville focused al-
most exclusively on Dine amp Dash which by the end of its fi rst
year included every single downtown restaurant But when
big changes began to appear on the downtown horizonmdash
new restaurants breweries and residential developmentsmdash
Ryalsrsquo instincts told her
the time had come to
introduce a new event
to the downtown cal-
endar
ldquoBeer Hop follows
the concept of Dine
amp Dashrdquo Ryals says of
Homegrownrsquos second
venture which began
in 2013 Each month a
trolley visits three dif-
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
BILL FOWLEROLD TOWN BEER
EXCHANGE
copy Olivia Reed
copy Olivia Reed
ferent breweries where patrons sample beers and enjoy food
from a variety of food trucks parked at each location
Bill Fowler managing partner of Old Town Beer Exchange
agreed to participate in Beer Hop on his very fi rst day of
business and credits Ryals with an overwhelmingly success-
ful opening night ldquoAshley said lsquoI can guarantee that you are
going to have wave after wave of people coming throughrsquordquo
Fowler says recalling that fi rst jittery occasion Once again
Ryals proved true to her word with 60-plus patrons arriving
in an hour-and-a-half ldquoIt was awesome and such a great ex-
perience for usrdquo Fowler raves ldquoAshley is a hard worker and
you can see that in what she doesrdquo
Fowler believes that in addition to bringing new customers
to OTBX Ryals is also cultivating beer education consis-
tently bringing in people who are new to beer and want to
learn And with Huntsvillersquos recent brewery boom that level
of education and interest is crucial for the brewing commu-
nity to thrive ldquoWe have a very small window of opportunityrdquo
says Fowler ldquoI think Huntsville in particular is becoming a
craft brewing community People are making money at this
and once Tennessee sees that we need to already have had a
pretty huge head startrdquo
By the end of 2013 and with standing events Beer Hop and
Dine amp Dash well established Ryals took time to refl ect on
her original goal for Homegrown Huntsville ldquoIn the back of
my head from day one I knew I wanted to do a wine festival
I just didnrsquot think Huntsville was ready for it in 2011rdquo
Emboldened by the success of Beer Hop Ryals decided to
make the leap with Big Spring Crush wine festival later the
same year Once again Ryals delivered the perfect audience
for the event and in the process discovered a surprising
fact about North Alabamarsquos contribution to the wine-mak-
ing industry
ldquoIn doing the wine festival I learned that we have a huge
wine community in Huntsvillerdquo Ryals says ldquoTh ere are only
about 47 certifi ed wine judges in the entire United States
and we have four of them right here in North Alabama Two
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
copy Jeff White
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
ldquoI STARTED TO GET HOMESICK ALL OF MY FRIENDS WERE GETTING MARRIEDAND MEETING FOR FOOTBALL GAMES AND I WAS MISSING ITrdquo ASHLEY RYALS
copy Jeff White
copy Jeff White
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
ldquoIT WAS AWESOME AND SUCH A GREAT EXPERIENCE FOR USrdquoBILL FOWLER OLD TOWN BEER EXCHANGE
copy Jeff White
copy Olivia Reed
of those four certifi ed wine judges sit on the committee for
Big Spring Crushrdquo
Matthew and Stephanie Mell had just opened Church Street
Wine Shop when they decided to participate in the fi rst Big
Spring Crush Like OTBXrsquos Robert Fowler the Mells credit
Ryals and Homegrown Huntsville for helping to introduce
their new enterprise to the community ldquoAshley has been in-
strumental in helping to bring us people who love and ap-
preciate winerdquo Stephanie Mell says ldquoShe was homegrown
here in Huntsville and she really gets the downtown area
and small businesses and that is so important to usrdquo
Big Spring Crush began with a bang featuring over 150
wines and attracting patrons from across the country
ldquoMost wine festivals across the country have proven records
of being able to stay around 15 or 20 years or even longerrdquo
Ryals says ldquoAnd the economies of those cities have really
grown as a result I want Big Spring Crush to eventually be
the biggest and best wine festival in the state of Alabamardquo
How does Ryals intend to make that dream come true ldquoBy
always keeping it fresh I want to have new marketing and
new things happening each yearrdquo
Ryalsrsquo formula of reinvention and expansion has successfully
led Homegrown Huntsville through fi ve years of success and
helped its events become community staples along the way In
the process Ryals is broadening more than just our image of
downtown Huntsville shersquos joining a class of creative entrepre-
neurs committed to expanding Huntsvillersquos reputation as more
than just a hub for the brightest scientifi c minds in America
ldquoWe have a big city of engineers and lawyers and itrsquos won-
derfulrdquo Ryals say ldquo But there is a whole artist and food cul-
ture here and there is so much growth I want us to have a
vibrant cool downtown area and I want for people to tell
their friends to come and visit and to see Huntsville for what
it is a city I loverdquo
If yoursquod like to participate in Homegrown Huntsville either
as a guest or a participating business visit homegrown-
huntsvillecom
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
copy Jeff White
I was years old and the year was At that time the city of Huntsville was inching toward the mountain to the east California Street was once the continental divide between the small town metropo-lis and the uncharted territories gingerly crossed by the real estate pioneers four score and some odd years prior Th is area became the new suburb as the city kept pushing onward toward Fagan Springs as if the reverberating booms of rocket testings were vibrating Hunstvillians away from its epicenter
From the front yard of our house on Owens Drive I could look to the rightmdashup the hill to the bend be-yond which the big houses stood on their rocky ledge pedestals and to the left where all the other houses that looked just like oursmdashfresh and newmdashrambled for what seemed like miles Th ose clean well-lit abodes all seemed the same and granted at my age I knew more about the pets that lived there than I did about the people who owned those manageable mortgages I came to realize that each was diff erent in a way that was permeated by voices smells and furnishings
It is a clicheacute to say that our lives were simpler then because that is just how the current era will be fondly referred to in the future but to a 5-year-old it is the simplicity that brought the joy Th e sixties will always be to me the beginning of the age of manufactured happiness Cheap clean and simple was what was strived for and what was easily obtained Plastic items were plentiful and pretty things could be bought with SampH Green Stamps A few coins in our pocket would transfer us into the most master of manipula-tors with us giving our all to convince our parents for a jaunt to Murdockrsquos for a holiday of wonderment joy and impatience as we would scour the shelves trying to get the most from our meager budget
Owens Drive was the fairly new thoroughfare from which the avenues of three-bedroom-ranchers fi ngered away at planned intervals Th is was the place where newlyweds started their lives homes and families Where girls with last names that had been in the town for generations would change them to those strange and exotic last names of the clean cut newcomers brought here for military purposes Where the housewives would preheat their pristine electric ovens trying to make cheese straws and biscuits that were just like their motherrsquos only to be frustrated as they were never quite the same and where the husbands would follow in their fatherrsquos footsteps by joining the Acme Club and hunting doves on the weekends
Th ere was a swimming pool Certainly not at our house Th e only private pool I remember as a child was one that my grandmother would take me to nestled between huge trees at someonersquos house on Adams Street I would swim with other children my age while our grandmothers chatted smoking cigarettes in cat-eyed anonymity whispering most of their stories so we wouldnrsquot be able to hear But between their
gasps and laughter we would listen hear and learn
Th e Blossomwood pool was a place of designated rules and the sound of bright whistlesmdashwith straight lines and distinctive colors of blue and green I can still feel the Coppertoned oiliness on the skin of the tanned lifeguard as she carried me from the deep end frightened after my fi rst attempt at solo-swimming She knew my name I had no idea who she was
On the other side of the pool was the school my older sister attended It had a style that mim-icked the poolmdashstraight lines cleanmdasha temple to orderliness and good manners It was with
awe that I once watched the young adults there some as old as eleven wind and dance their way around a sky-high fl agpolemdasheach with a diff erent color ribbon until the fi rst (and only) May Pole
I was privy to was completely dressed in its woven bright colors
90 raquo bless their hearts raquo Guy McClure Jr
Huntsville was a magical place for us tail-end baby boomers to grow upmdashbeyond the miracles of the escalator at Pizitz the smiling little lady on the tall stool at the register at Britlings There was a comfort level there that Irsquom not sure is in the minds of the 5-year-olds of today
cat-eyed agasps
Th s
aI w
THE COMFORTS OF BLOSSOMWOOD
In our world of red-bricked carported castles there was a def-inite division of generations Th e children ate separately from the parents went to school as our dads went to work enter-tained our neighborhood friends as quietly as possible and felt safe between our boundaries of Big Cove Road and Hermitage Street While we dined on our Chef Boy-Ar-Dee boxed pizza our parents busied themselves dressing in their dark colors getting ready for a late dinner at Boots having the scent of perfume and face powder trail my mother as she came into the kitchen looking for something with an intense purpose My father would smell of British Sterling and look just as he did when he went to work only happier Th ese nights meant something fun would happenmdashwe would have a babysitter
Babysitters were my introduction into what was and still seems cool Th ey were usually Huntsville High School teen-agers who would put on a show without even knowing it I would drink in their every move word and essence of style To me they were supermodelsmdashmovie starsmdasheven more fa-mous in my eyes than a television weatherman and almost as glamorous as the waitresses at the Waffl e House
Before they would tire of me and my sister and put us to bed they would include us in their world of music and knowledge which I thought was all-encompassing Suddenly our world of Th e Benny Carl Show and Fantasy Playhouse would seem trite and passeacute and we would catch a fl eeting glimpse into what would be in store for us when we too could stay up past 8 pm
Huntsville was a magical place for us tail-end baby boomers to grow upmdashbeyond the miracles of the escalator at Pizitz the smiling little lady on the tall stool at the register at Britlings and that bright colorful Maypole Th ere was a comfort level there that Irsquom not sure is in the minds of the 5-year-olds of todaymdashthe soothing sheltered lack of knowledge of why we were so lucky yet we didnrsquot even know that we were
In the other areas of our Huntsville there was poverty and ra-cial unrestmdashas there was and is in every city I was unaware People of color were always a part of my worldmdashmostly be-cause they had my attention and respect At our house there was Annie my grandmotherrsquos house was fi lled with the joys of Lula and out on the family farm there was strong and smiling Homer and large and huggable Rosamdashall just as much a part of my life as everyone else My life was good and they were instrumental in making it that way
What will the 5-year-olds of today who are lucky enough to be raised on those well-planned streets remember when they surpass their own 50 year mark It is a much more complex world now and there are diff erent concerns with daily changes of fear Youthful innocence is a prize that is encased without a lock Premature maturity is a viable threat and a constant fear But each night tucked in tight in a simple room sleeps tomor-rowrsquos adults who are having sweet dreamsmdashblanketed by the comforts of Blossomwood
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
92 raquo the vine raquo Amy C Collins
BORDEAUX POWER
Where Burgundyrsquos vineyards were established by Benedictine monks patiently growing wine vines with spiritual hearts Bordeauxrsquos vineyards were raised by entrepreneurial laymen who recognized the massive monetary opportunity when the English began drinking down their peasant wine
The city of Bordeaux is Francersquos primary port town on the Atlantic ocean a harbor that has for centuries served as the countryrsquos most important dock Th e regionrsquos history is long and storied with the fi rst written reference to the area dated 379 AD by the Latin poet Ausonius who was also a wine-grower Jump ahead to the year 1152 when Eleanor of Aquitaine married Englandrsquos soon-to-be king Henry Plantagenet and the port and surrounding vineyard land became the source of wine for the English a connection that remains strong even today
Bordeaux produces the worldrsquos most expensive and sought after collector wines the top tier of which make up less than fi ve percent of the regionrsquos total production Th ese names are quickly learned by neophyte wine drinkers wanting to make an impression Chateau Haut-Brion Lafi te Latour and Margaux for example Grown in gravelly soils only a few meters above sea levelmdashin contrast vineyards elsewhere in Europe typically sit between 300 and 900 metersmdashthese wines are some of the most powerful austere and pawed over When young the tannins in these cabernet sauvignon cabernet franc and merlot blends coat the tongue and mouth with a chalky dry sensation akin to sucking on an Earl Grey tea bag and are perhaps best suited to well-fatted rare steak and cigars Th ese are wines built to live for decades Personally I prefer a Bordeaux at least 20 years aged when the tannins have had ample time to calm down and mellow out and more nuanced fl avors come forward Sounds fancy and it is Only in some very lucky circumstances over the past year have I been guest to a bottle of 1990 Clos de Menuts Saint-Eacutemilion and a 1970 Chateau Haut-Brion About once every 10 years Irsquove had the good
fortune to taste a wine older than myself Nice work if you can get it
Where Burgundyrsquos vineyards (Francersquos other classifi ed sought-after region) were established by Benedictine monks patiently growing wine vines with spiritual hearts
Bordeauxrsquos vineyards were raised by entrepreneurial laymen who recognized the massive monetary opportunity when the English began drinking down their peasant wine Th is underscores the second half of my theory as to why Americans
more often American males are so drawn to the wines of Bordeaux Th erersquos an inherent capitalist connection something in the soil Th at the wines are so
unmistakable so distinctively grand and pronounced elixirs exemplifi es the fi rst half of my theory we Americans are not known for our subtlety (To be fair the Chinese are
signifi cant Bordeaux collectors as well)
Philosophy aside Bordeaux is quite a large region that produces beautiful white and red values as well as the rare fi nds out of the populacersquos price range Herersquos the skinny Blending is the game single varietal wines are rare White Bordeaux is typically made from a blend of sauvignon blanc and seacutemillon and sometimes a drop or two of muscadelle ugni blanc or colombard Reds are made primarily from the two cabernets plus merlot with small quantities of petit verdot malbec and carmenegravere occasionally in the mix Th e region is also home to the golden nectar of late ripened seacutemillon sauvignon blanc and muscadelle grapes that have successfully attracted the noble rot a fungus that covers the fruit and drains moisture from inside leaving behind rich sweet grapes without moldy fl avors Chateau drsquoYquem is the most famous of these unfortifi ed dessert wines though there are better bargains from the region
Bordeaux is split by the Gironde river which divides the region into three general areas Th e left bank also known as the Haut-Meacutedoc is where the classifi ed top growths are situated Th ese prestigious estates were named for their exceptional vineyard sites in 1855 a decision nearly unchanged since Today serious collectors invest in Bordeaux futures theoretically locking down lower prices of top
ample time to calm dit is Only in some vede Menuts Saint-Eacutem
fortune to taste a
Wherees
aun
of msignifi
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Follow Amy at pigandvinecom for morestories and wine suggestions
growth estates while the wine is still aging in the cellar Itrsquos the wine tradersquos equivalent to the NASDAQ On the right bank Saint-Eacutemilion and Pommerol are the prized vineyard areas known for their merlot heavy cuveacutees To the south west we fi nd Graves where there are many great values to be had in both white and red bottlings Entre-Deux-Mers which translates to ldquobetween two seasrdquo sits between the Dordogne and Garonne tributaries off the Gironde and is an excellent source for crisp whites
Get started on your Bordeaux experience with these values
Chateau Graville-Lacoste 2014 Graves 75 seacutemillon 20 sauvignon blanc and 5 muscadelle make up this beauty thatrsquos consistently delicious every vintage Crisp and refreshing great with seafood
Chateau Mirambeau 2014 GravesAnother classic blend of 40 sauvignon blanc 40 seacutemillon and 20 muscadelle this lovely white is a bit more fl oral than the Graville-Lacoste Easy drinking and great value
Chateau de Parenchegravere Bordeaux Rouge 201155 merlot 30 cabernet sauvignon and 15 cabernet franc grown in clay heavy soils similar to the right bank of the region Fleshy with good structure and abundant red fruit
Chateau Arnaud Bordeaux Supeacuterieur 2011Supeacuterieur on a Bordeaux label isnrsquot egotistical marketingmdashby law it indicates a wine with up to one degree more alcohol than its AC Bordeaux brethren What it really means is one more degree of body structure and in this case quality Approachable delicious and easy on the wallet
Chateau de Bernadotte Haut-Meacutedoc 2005Th e 2005 vintage in Bordeaux is in the history books with double asterisks Owned by the eminent Pichon Lalande family and made from vineyards in Paulliac one of the more choice growing areas in the region this is an incredible value a top tier Bordeaux for a fraction of the cost
Chateau de Suduiraut Sauternes 2011Ripe cantaloupe apricot and honey and an interesting smoky note with a solid sweet attack followed by great acidity A dessert wine that wonrsquot overpower the dessert
94 raquo parting shot raquo Patrick Hood
Meet Solvar
Solvar belongs to one of the worldrsquos oldest and purest equine lineages the Nor-
wegian Fjord horse a breed that has remained virtually unchanged for more than
2000 yearsmdashlong before we became acquainted with his animated cousins in
the movie Frozen Th ese national symbols of Norway are characterized by primi-
tive zebra striping on their legs and a dorsal stripe running from forelock to tail
resulting in a striking two-tone mane that sticks up like a Mohawk Th eir athleti-
cism agility and dependability make them valuable both as sport horses as well
as therapy horses for emotionally and physically challenged adults and children
Catie Wells of Huntsville is the proud owner of Solvar who resides at Monte
Sano Stables
For tickets or information 256-539-4818 or hsoorg
Bring In the New Year With Us
presents
WHAT A WONDERFUL
WORLDA tribute to Louis
Armstrong featuring the
Byron Stripling Quartet
Thursday December 31
730 pm bull Pops Series bullMark C Smith
Concert Hall VBC
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
M O R E T H A N 7 0 S H O P S A N D R E S T A U R A N T S I N C L U D I N G B E L K | D S W S H O E S | A P P L E J O S A B A N K | R E E D S J E W E L E R S | PA N D O R A | J C R E W | K AT E S PA D E N E W Y O R KO R V I S | B A N A N A R E P U B L I C | M I C H A E L K O R S | F R A N C E S C Arsquo S | A N T H R O P O L O G I EH amp M | S O M A | M O U N T A I N H I G H O U T F I T T E R S | B A R N E S amp N O B L E | S E P H O R AALTAR rsquoD STATE | CONNORS STEAK amp SEFOOD | THE WEST IN HUNTSV I L L E | MONACO P ICTURES
C O M I N G S O O N V E R S O N A ndash near Belk
B R I D G E S T R E E T H U N T S V I L L E C O M |
BR IDGE STREET TOWN CENTRE I S LOCATED AT EX I T 14 OFF I - 565 AT OLD MAD ISON P IKE
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) DECCO Umbrella in a Bottle ($1995)(2) Alexa Pulitzer Stationery Set ($14 ea)(3) Ikat Scarf ($6250)Huntsville Museumof Art(256) 535-4350
(4) Emily Ley Grace Journal ($32) (5) Sugar Boo Designs Clutch ($18) (6) Emily Ley Daily Planner ($58) (7) Latika Milk ampHoney Bar ($6) (8) Farm House Fresh Shea Butter Hand Cream ($14) (9) Christen MaxwellZippy ($42) (10) Green Tea Bubble Bath ($32) Sweet Pineapple(256) 964-7563 (11) Goal Getter Cuff ($32)Indigorsquos Boutique(256) 345-6348
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
(1) Kilim Pillow ($58) (2) Bejeweled Silver Plate Vase ($144) (3) Bone Clad Box ($375)Willowbrook Shoppe (256) 270-7181
(4) Cowhide Rug ($550)(5) Lucyrsquos Locket ($95) (Original piecemdashselection may vary)Sweet Pineapple(256) 964-7563 (6) Clutch ($65)Department of Agra Culturedeptofagraculturecom
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) Above The Bar Antler on Chain 28rdquo ($3999) (2) Above The Bar Deer wAntler Head 18rdquo ($2999) Indigorsquos Boutique(256) 345-6348
(3) Margaret Solow Labradorite18KT Bezel ($290) (4) Margaret Solow Diamond Crest MoonSilver ($460) (5) Margaret Solow Black Spinel + DiamondSilver ($560) (6) Margaret Solow Double Black Spinel18KT ($260)Little Green Store and Gallery (256) 539-9699
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
(1) Margaret Solow Grey Moonstoon18KT Necklace ($240) (2) Margaret Solow OpalDiamond Mosaic Necklace ($610) Little Green Storeand Gallery (256) 539-9699
(3) One-of-a-kind Eva Ziegler Smokey Quartz and Pyrite Necklace ($406)Eva Ziegler Jewelryevazieglercom
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) Jennifer BehrTurban ($625)(2) Cotton Day Dress ($64)(3) Norma Ishak Cardigan ($375)Finery(256) 429-3429
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) The Lion Sleeps Tonight Bath Bomb ($6) Sweet Pineapple(256) 964-7563
(2) Tiger Jelly Cat ($2250)(3) Dog Tag Teether ($1550)(4) Dinosaur Footie ($3595)Honey B Boutique(256) 503-2853
(5) Young Buck ($25)Tiny Vinestinyvinesshopcom
(6) Bib Set ($13)Huntsville Museumof Art(256) 535-4350
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
(1) Tiny Dancer Bath Bomb ($6)Sweet Pineapple(256) 964-7563
(2) Kickee Mammoth Footie ($3595)(3) Noodle amp Boo Essential Care Kit ($18)(4) Elephant Jelly Cat ($2250)Honey B Boutique(256) 503-2853
(5) ArtFolio Pink Elephant Coloring Tote ($17)Huntsville Museumof Art(256) 535-4350
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) Bib Set ($13)Huntsville Museumof Art(256) 535-4350 (2) Little Light ($25)Tiny Vinestinyvinesshopcom (3) Micro Leon Cardboard Lion ($30)Little Green Storeand Gallery (256) 539-9699 (4) I Love You Like Biscuits amp Gravy ($23)Domaine South(256) 808-8860
(5) Kickee Kimono ($4295)Honey B Boutique(256) 503-2853
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
SURPRISEA LOVED ONE
THIS HOLIDAY SEASON
WITH A FOREVER GIFT
HobbsJewelerscom 8772331347Parkway Place Mall
HuntsvilleHwy 72 West
AthensMain Street
Ardmore TN
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Caftan ($75)Sarah Richey Necklace ($350)Finery(256) 429-3429
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
(1) Chewbead Necklace ($3495)(2) Mayoral Baby Bag ($7995)(3) Mayoral Diaper Changing Pad ($2495)(4) Nursing Scarf ($2695) (5) Kickee Swaddling Blanket ($22)Honey B Boutique(256) 503-2853 (6) Lucy Darling Months Sticker ($25) (7) The Story of You Baby Book by Emily Ley ($62) Sweet Pineapple(256) 964-7563
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) Alwand Vahan 14K Gold and Onyx Ring wDiamond Accent ($2595)(2) Alwand Vanan 14K Gold and Onyx Bracelet wDiamond Accent ($2695)Hobbs Jewelers(877) 233-1347
(3) Britt Ryan Dress ($288)Personal Couture Boutique(256) 508-5632
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) Rocket Cosmos Mug ($13)Huntsville Museumof Art(256) 535-4350
(2) Loose Leaf Tea ($399)Piper amp Leaf piperandleafcom (3) Judy Jackson Tea Pot ($56) (4) Gary Watson Cherry Cutting Board ($48-$68) (5) Susan Coe Birthday Cake Plate ($33) Little Green Storeand Gallery (256) 539-9699 (6) Macarons ($116 pcs $221 dozen)Whisk Small Treats Bakery(256) 656-1027
(7) Truffl es ($185 each)Pizellersquos Confections (256) 513-9745 (8) Olive amp Sinclair Chocolate ($799)Domaine South(256) 808-8860
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
(1) Whisk Note Pad ($8) (2) In the Forest Mixing Bowl ($36) (3) Twig Serving Set ($18)(8) Southern Firefl y Candle ($12)Sweet Pineapple(256) 964-7563
(4) Urchin Bowl ($10)(5) Foodie Dice ($38)(6) 1Canoe2 Wood Recipe Box w Recipe Cards ($6999) Domaine South(256) 808-8860 (7) Growlers ($75 small $95 large)Southern Growlersoutherngrowlercom
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
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(4) BCBG Dress ($328)Personal Couture Boutique(256) 508-5632
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Guadalupe Robinson
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
text by jennifer crossley howard raquo photos by patrick hood
Of Deft and Dirty Hands
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Huntsville potter Guadalupe Lanning Robinson has spent more than 36 years mastering the
marriage of clay texture and geometric design into her pottery yet time has done little to temper the
plight of waiting
ldquoIt is hard for me to let a pot just dryrdquo she says motioning toward fi ve small wet pots sitting near her
pottery wheel ldquoIrsquom as excited to do this as I was 30 years agordquo
To observe her studio at Lowe Mill that is easy to believe Located on the corridor outside the textile
mill-turned-art centerrsquos main building the loft-like space with a corrugated tin roof feels like a place a
Gabriel Garcia Marquez character would enjoy daydreaming
Sienna-hued pottery sits in various stages to be fi red layered and etched Argentinian tango music
streams from Robinsonrsquos iPhone and two cockatiels a parrot and a parakeet chirp from their cages All
except the parrot fl y freely when Robinson is working
Robinson who is 61 made her fi rst pot in 1979 in her native Mexico City Almost four decades later her
work is part of permanent museum collections in Auburn Huntsville Tuscumbia and Tupelo Missis-
sippi She regularly enters her work in respected juried shows such as the Monte Sano Arts Festival and
the Kentuck Festival of the Arts in Northport and has received two Alabama State Council on the Arts
individual artist fellowships
Her inspiration draws from the villages around her native Mexico City such as the black pottery of
the northwest as well as her acquired Southern culture White lilies corn grids and round female
fi guresmdashldquoreally strong women who are in chargerdquo Robinson saysmdashreappear on her stoneware She uses
natural dyes indigo for color and mixes sand into clay for texture Nothing is wasted
ldquoI donrsquot waste any clayrdquo Robinson says ldquoEverything is recycledrdquo
Robinson fi nds solace in the 40-50 hours a week she puts in at the studio and the often tedious process
of making pots which can take from three weeks to six weeks for larger pots She usually works on two
or three pots at a time tending to groups at diff erent stages
After a pot is thrown on a wheel a piece can take days to dry before its fi rst bisque fi re in which tem-
peratures rise to 1800 F After baking for nine hours the kiln must cool Th e second fi ring rises to 2150
F and matures the clay and melts the glazes to strengthen the piece
ldquoI am an effi cient person by naturerdquo Robinson says ldquoWaiting for the kiln to cool down enough to open
can be nerve wracking and this is when my patience is usually put to the testrdquo
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
ldquoIt is hard for me to let a pot just dry Irsquom as excited to do this as I was 30 years agordquo
Robinson makes most of her pots on a wheel using oxides to change the color of clay she gets from Nashville and Pittsburgh Her pottery takes several weeks from start to fi nish depending on how large a pot is and how many she makes at a time
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
ldquoAttend to your childrenrsquos needs fi rst keep focus on what you want to douse the happiness joy and little breaks you get to make your artTh ey grow real fast and they will keep inspiring you all your liferdquo
Robinson imagined this bat-like design as she was working She usually begins a piece with a design in mind but that often evolves
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Robinson uses an overlay of liquid clay called engobemdashthat includes three to four layersmdashto create a
base on which to design
Th ere is high risk in making pottery and hours of work can be wasted on a pot that has not dried en-
tirely before it enters the kiln Air pockets or the wrong mixture of chemicals can ruin a piece
ldquoArt is involved but science is toordquo says Laura Smith director of education at the Huntsville Museum
of Art where Robinson has taught pottery classes ldquoItrsquos more labor intensive in terms of working with
the medium whether yoursquore building by hand or with a wheel until you fi re with the fi nal layer of glazerdquo
Th e result is sturdy pottery
ldquoI want my pots to look like something that is lasting a long timerdquo Robinson says
Th ough she works solitarily in her studio she says she does not get lonely Her birds and music keep her
company and each stage of pottery making has a soundtrack She uses needlepoint tools to draw onto
clay to Jose Feliciano and other Latin American musicians
ldquoIf Irsquom at the wheel Bruno Marsrdquo she says ldquoIf Irsquom unloading the kiln and something is really awesome
then I need something moving and I have on Motownrdquo
Robinsonrsquos years of experience minimize the risk of damaged pots but she says her greatest challenge
as a potter was balancing her work while raising her two children Now adults their candid childhood
pictures and those of her grandchildren cover the warm green walls of her studio
She met her husband the poet James Robinson in 1977 on a Greyhound bus when she returned to
Mexico City from visiting a friend at the University of Southern Mississippi He was heading to Mexico
to study at a university Th ey married six months later After giving birth to her daughter Annie Jane in
Mexico City in 1982 the family moved to Huntsville in 1985 Th at is when Robinson got more serious
about her pottery
ldquoFrom the very beginning when I moved to Alabama I knew I was going to have to do thisrdquo she said
ldquoIn some ways it was a way for me to keep connected to my heritagerdquo
She took even 15 minutes of free time to work in the studio behind her home and worked late into the
night while her daughter and son Isidoro born in 1987 slept Having a home studio allowed her to
wash clothes tend to her home and drop off lunches at school while maintaining her art
ldquoTh ere was something for me when I fi rst became a mother that fueled my creativityrdquo Robinson says
ldquoTh ey are such a social inspiration too It fi lls your liferdquo
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Robinson advises fellow artists who are mothers to seize
both roles but to prioritize motherhood
ldquoAttend to your childrenrsquos needs fi rst keep focus on what you
want to do use the happiness joy and little breaks you get
to make your artrdquo she says ldquoTh ey grow real fast and they will
keep inspiring you all your liferdquo
Anna Sue Courtney director of the Flying Monkey Arts
Center at Lowe Mill has known Robinson for more than
10 years She says she admires how mothers and artists like
Robinson seamlessly embrace both roles
ldquoIt seems therersquos not a separation between creating and rais-
ing childrenrdquo Courtney says ldquoTh ey seem to pull from the
same placerdquo
Part of Robinsonrsquos motivation at Lowe Mill comes from
working privately in a studio alongside other artists that fos-
ters a community of feedback and ideas
ldquoItrsquos nice to be here because you can take a break and walk around and get inspirationrdquo Courtney says
ldquoItrsquos refreshingrdquo
When she needs a break from the studio Robinson stays home to sketch designs for a day or two then
she is back in the studio
Trips twice a year to Mexico City keep her plugged in to her native culture which in turn shows up in
her pottery
ldquoI have to recharge myselfrdquo Robinson says ldquoI love Huntsville and loved raising my kids here but I still
have the need of going back to be recharged and smell all the smells and see all the colors and get on
the subway and be pushed aroundrdquo
Details from her trips that infl uence her work include the ever-present red that covers the city during
the celebration of Dia de los Muertos or the Day of the Dead Th e pyramids of Teotihuacan conjure
warm earth tones and fl oating gardens around the city yield sweet pungent calla lilies and carnations
Celebration of food tough women and nature reappear in her pottery qualities that both Southern and
Mexican cultures treasure
Above This daisy design is character-istic of Robinsonrsquos work Nature food and strong females from her native Mexico City and the South are strong creative infl uences
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Clockwise from top left Robinson often glazes only the inside of her pots so they can hold water and food She began quilting in 2002 and her quilts like her pottery contain earth tones and natural infl uences in their design Four birds keep Robinson company in what can be the isolating medium of pottery making Geometry and symmetry are two signature elements in Robinsonrsquos work according to Laura Smith director of education at the Huntsville Museum of Art
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Just as she keeps her home country close to her heart Robinson is loyal to her fi rst
love of pottery though she began making quilts in 2002
ldquoIrsquom a potter who likes to quiltrdquo she says
Like her pottery her quilting follows designs of organic nature such as fl owers and
crops on rich jewel tone cotton
ldquoWhen I fi rst saw one of her quilts I didnrsquot realize it was hers and I thought that
looks like it should be Guadalupersquos quiltrdquo Courtney says
Robinson prefers the immediate gratifi cation of clay
ldquoItrsquos a very responsive mediumrdquo she says ldquoYou can manipulate it Th e fact of mak-
ing something out of dirt out of nothing and making it durable making it perma-
nent that after going through the heat and maturing is something very excitingrdquo
She gently dings a pot covered with white dresses titled ldquoTehuana Dressrdquo to make
her point
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
887 FM Muscle Shoals bull 1007 FM Huntsvillewwwaprorg
News classicalmusic and more
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
copy Patrick Hood
text by sara wright covington raquo photos by jacki gil
patrick hood erin lindsey and michelle odom
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
copy Patrick Hood
ldquoA LOT OF PEOPLE HAD BEEN ASKING ME QUESTIONS ABOUTHOW I GOT MY BUSINESS STARTED I WANTED TO GATHER SOME PEOPLE AROUND ME
WHO WERE GOING THROUGH THOSE STRUGGLES AND TOBUILD ENTREPRENEURIAL COURAGErdquo
JACKI GIL SALT+PAPERIE
copy Patrick Hood
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
untsville-born Jacki Gil began her paper design busi-
ness Salt+Paperie in 2014 with an expansive vision
in mind one that extended beyond creating beautiful
custom designed paper goods ldquoI love my design job
but when Irsquom 50 years old I donrsquot see myself still de-
signing wedding invitationsrdquo the master stationer says
ldquoI really have a passion for teaching and helping people
I want to be a mentorrdquo
In 2015 Gil set out on her mentoring mission sooner than expected with a series
of workshops called Encourage Huntsville ldquoA lot of people had been asking me
questions about how I got my business startedrdquo Gil says about the early days of
Salt+Paperie Even though most of those questions from entrepreneurial-hopefuls
were technicalmdashlike how to apply for a business licensemdashthey served as inspira-
tion for Gil ldquoI wanted to gather some people around me who were going through
those struggles and to build entrepreneurial courage I defi nitely saw that there
was a need for helping people to take that next step toward owning their own
businessesrdquo
Encourage Huntsville was modeled on the image of a growing small business
movement called the Rising Tide Society a national community of creative small
business owners who encourage ldquocommunity over competitionrdquo Th at spirit of
openness is at the heart of Encourage Huntsville ldquoCommunity over competition
is a huge part of what we are doingrdquo says Gil ldquoSmall business owners sharing how
they earn their money is a big dealrdquo
As a fi rst step Gil gathered others around her who were using their skills and abili-
ties to make their own small businesses work With talents ranging from cooking
and cake decorating to hand lettering and artwork these small business owners
all embraced Gilrsquos vision for imparting to others the knowledge of their craft un-
impeded by a fear of losing their competitive edge
Th e fi rst lesson Gil wanted to impart to Encourage Huntsvillersquos students wasnrsquot
necessarily a particular craft or skill but a spirt of creative confi dence ldquoWe want-
ed to bridge the gap between the very artsy community and the ultimate engineer
communityrdquo many of whom Gil observes had been told since childhood they
werenrsquot artistic ldquoWhen you are little and someone tells you that you donrsquot have a
talent it sticks with you I found that a lot of people had that experience so that
was the workshop partmdashto build some creative courage in this communityrdquo
Gil conducted the fi rst workshop herself testing the waters to see how the concept
would be received Th e admission price to that fi rst workshop included supplies a
take-home ldquogoody bagrdquo to help students continue their work extracurricularly and
refreshmentsmdashas well as Gilrsquos tips of her trade
ldquoWe went in blindly not knowing if we had a market or notrdquo says Gil Th e popular-
ity of that fi rst class proved undeniably that a market did in fact exist the work-
shop sold out in one day ldquoSo we did back-to-back workshopsrdquo Gil says ldquoAfter that
novemberdecembeeer eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee | nononoononononononoonoonononooooonoonoonnononnoaaalalalllaallllllalaalaaalal ststustust ddiossscom mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm | | | | | | | | | | |
f
w
y
Previous page Encourage Huntsvillersquos founder and instructor Jacki Gil teaches a class in hand lettering Facing page A participant studies her supply list
we realized people really want to do this stuff So we said lsquoletrsquos jump on the boat
and make this happenrsquordquo
Gilrsquos longtime friend photographer Erin Lindsey of Erin Lindsey Images agreed
to contribute to Encourage Huntsvillersquos curriculum by teaching a photography
class ldquoJacki and I are a good team because our hearts are in the same place when
it comes to encouraging othersrdquo Lindsey says Still she admits saying yes to teach-
ing wasnrsquot without some initial hesitation ldquoWhen Jacki asked if I would teach a
class it was kind of scary I thought I had to be perfect before I could teach oth-
ersrdquo Lindsey says of her initial hesitancy ldquoBut after talking to Jacki I realized none
of us are perfectrdquo But perfection isnrsquot the goal encouragement is the goal ldquoAnd I
thought lsquoI can defi nitely line up with that visionrsquordquo
Michelle Odom another Huntsville native and owner of custom cake bakery Just
Crumbs was also on board with Gilrsquos vision In fact Odom had been contemplat-
ing teaching a class when she was approached by Gil to teach a fondant basics
class ldquoHuntsville is such an engineer town and everyone is so mathematical and
scientifi crdquo Odom says echoing the dichotomy between the arts and sciences ex-
pressed by Gil ldquoTh ese workshops are just a very cool way for structured people to
have a creative outletrdquo
ldquoJACKI AND I ARE A GOOD TEAM BECAUSE OUR HEARTS ARE INTHE SAME PLACE WHEN IT COMES TO ENCOURAGING OTHERSrdquo
ERIN LINDSEY ERIN LINDSEY IMAGES
copy Erin Lindsey
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Above A participant in Erin Lindseyrsquos photo class frames a still life
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
copy Erin Lindsey
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
ldquoHUNTSVILLE IS SUCH AN ENGINEER TOWN AND EVERYONE ISSO MATHEMATICAL AND SCIENTIFIC THESE WORKSHOPS ARE JUST A VERY COOL
WAY FOR STRUCTURED PEOPLE TO HAVE A CREATIVE OUTLETrdquo MICHELLE ODOM JUST CRUMBS
copy Michelle Odom
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
ldquoAnd yesrdquo Odom acknowledges ldquoyou are in theory teaching your competition But
at the same time you are helping the community be more creativerdquo
With its roster of popular creative workshops under its belt Encourage Huntsville
has added business classes to its community-over-competition curriculum with
classes designed to provide specifi c guidance for small business owners ldquoAll of
our events that donrsquot require hands-on work we call seminarsrdquo says Gil ldquoWe had
about 15 people at our fi rst one It was pretty much just an open discussion to ask
us questions and get answers from the perspective of a small business ownerrdquo
Th e seminars enjoyed the same success and enthusiasm as the workshops ldquoWe
had two hours for people to ask questionsrdquo Gil says Topics covered ran the gamut
from scheduling daily tasks self-hosting a website or using an Etsy store man-
aging client expectations and being realistic about how much time you need to
complete jobs
ldquoTh e time went quickly and people wanted morerdquo says Gil who envisions an all-
day seminar in 2016
Margaret Baggett owner and executive chef of the Chef Next Door is another
small business owner who has shared Gilrsquos vision from the very beginning teach-
copy Erin Lindsey
Facing page Michelle Odomrsquos fondant basics class begins with a styrofoam cake form Above Newbie photographers familiarize themselves with their cameras in Erin Lindseyrsquos photography class
ing knife skills workshops and helping host the business seminars ldquoI am so proud
to get to be a part of this project and help nurture other small business owners
who may just be starting out on their journey or are deep in it and looking for
some encouragement from other business ownersrdquo Baggett says of what motivates
her participation in Encourage Huntsville ldquoEven being on the advice-giving side
of things I am still learning and have taken tips and tricks and lessons from each
event we have had so far We never stop learning from each other and never stop
improving upon our craftsrdquo
Th e mutual growth among students and teachers is the source of the encourage-
mentmdashand the joymdashof Encourage Huntsville ldquoItrsquos so much fun to see the light
bulbs go off with people and see them encouraged right before your eyesrdquo Lindsey
says of her experience with the program ldquoPlus itrsquos a pleasure to contribute to a
sense of community over competition Th at whole concept is so rarerdquo
As Encourage Huntsvillersquos following continues to grow the diversity of the work-
shops will expand as well Whether you are looking to spend a fun afternoon
learning a new craft or are a budding small business owner hoping to launch
your brand Encourage Huntsville has something valuable to off er ldquoWe encourage
those left-brain folks to take up a new hobby or skillrdquo Baggett says ldquoor just encour-
age the people of Huntsville to get together and fan their creative fl amesrdquo
If yoursquore looking for
creative or entrepreneurial
encouragement visit
encouragehuntsvillecom
for seminar and workshop
schedules and information
ldquoI AM SO PROUD TO GET TO BE A PART OF THIS PROJECT AND HELP NURTURE OTHER SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS WHO MAY JUST BE STARTING OUT ON THEIR JOURNEY OR ARE DEEP IN IT
AND LOOKING FOR SOME ENCOURAGEMENT FROM OTHER BUSINESS OWNERSrdquoMARGARET BAGGETT CHEF NEXT DOOR
copy Jacki Gil
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
copy Jacki Gil
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Participants in Margaret Baggettrsquos knife skills workshop learn to perfect their ldquomise en placerdquo
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
copy Olivia Reed
text by sara wright covington raquo photos by olivia reed and jeff white
HUNTSVILLErsquoS
HOMEGROWNHOSTESS
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
ttttttononononoooooonononooooo raquo praquo praquo praquo praquo phothothothothotosoososos s s osos bybybbybb
Any host will tell you that delicious food and quality libations while important to
a partyrsquos success are secondary to the most important ingredient of all the guest list Th atrsquos why many
of downtown Huntsvillersquos most popular restaurants breweries and wine shops are turning to event
planner Ashley Ryals and her uncanny knack for attracting loyal patronsmdashand creating unforgettable
events in the process
When Huntsville born-and-bred Ashley Ryals left for college at the University of Alabama in 2001
she thought her exit from the Valley was permanent ldquoI never thought I would end up back hererdquo the
founder of event planning company Homegrown Huntsville says with a knowing laugh But after a few
post-graduate years working for world-renowned public relations powerhouse Weber Shandwick in
New York City Ryals started to second guess her freshman declaration
ldquoI started to get homesickrdquo she admits ldquoAll of my friends were getting married and meeting for football
games and I was missing itrdquo So when a friend from home set up an interview at EarlyWorks for a job
doing event planning Ryals jumped at the chance to come home
Ashley spent the next few years planning EarlyWorks Whistle Stop and Santarsquos Village events A brief
stint in sales followed along with a seat on the board of Huntsville Young Professionals where she had
an idea for a downtown pub crawl
ldquoWe expected 20 or 30 peoplerdquo Ryals says of their modest expectations ldquoBut 200 people showed uprdquo
Th at initial success convinced Ryals to embark on her dream of establishing an
event planning company But it wasnrsquot just any event planning company Ryals
had in mind she envisioned one that would collaborate with local businesses
cultivate signature events for the community to enjoy and support small busi-
nesses in the process
Inspired Ryals left her sales job and for the second time in her life came home
again to event planning and Homegrown Huntsville
To help bring her vision to life Ryals collaborated with designer Adrianne Van
Kirk of Fave Creative ldquoAdrianne has been a part of the visual and branding of
Homegrown from the beginning We come up with the event ideas then I get
the ticketing and sales together and she comes back with a logo and the mar-
keting for the event And thatrsquos how it all comes togetherrdquo Ryals says of their
creative process
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
ASHLEY RYALS
copy Olivia Reed
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
ldquoMOST WINE FESTIVALS ACROSS THE COUNTRY HAVE PROVEN RECORDS OF BEING ABLE TO STAY AROUND 15 OR 20 YEARS OR EVEN LONGER AND THE ECONOMIES OF THOSE
CITIES HAVE REALLY GROWN AS A RESULT I WANT BIG SPRING CRUSH TO EVENTUALLY BE THE BIGGEST AND BEST WINE FESTIVAL IN THE STATE OF ALABAMArdquo ASHLEY RYALS
copy Jeff White
copy Jeff White
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
copy Olivia Reed
Homegrown launched in 2011 with what would become its
signature event Dine amp Dash Every second Wednesday
April through October a trolley shuttles patrons between
downtown establishments where they are served a drink
and appetizer before moving on to the next stop
Owner and executive chef Merle Phillips of Th e Eaves was
one of the fi rst restaurants to sign on for Dine amp Dashrsquos de-
but ldquoAshley came to me and said she was starting a trolley
tasting conceptrdquo says Chef Merle ldquoI didnrsquot really know her so
I was taking a chance on the concept she was sellingrdquo
Merle tried it and has been a loyal participant of Dine amp
Dash ever since
ldquoIt was a risk in the beginning but it defi nitely paid off rdquo Chef
Merle says of the experience Pivotal to that experience ac-
cording to Phillips is Ryalsrsquo demonstration to the commu-
nity just what the term ldquohomegrownrdquo really means ldquoAshley
shines a spotlight on independent businesses in a market-
place that has for so long focused on chainsrdquo Phillips says
ldquoDine amp Dash has really brought into sharp focus the inter-
esting culinary diversity that Huntsville has to off errdquo
For the next two years Homegrown Huntsville focused al-
most exclusively on Dine amp Dash which by the end of its fi rst
year included every single downtown restaurant But when
big changes began to appear on the downtown horizonmdash
new restaurants breweries and residential developmentsmdash
Ryalsrsquo instincts told her
the time had come to
introduce a new event
to the downtown cal-
endar
ldquoBeer Hop follows
the concept of Dine
amp Dashrdquo Ryals says of
Homegrownrsquos second
venture which began
in 2013 Each month a
trolley visits three dif-
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
BILL FOWLEROLD TOWN BEER
EXCHANGE
copy Olivia Reed
copy Olivia Reed
ferent breweries where patrons sample beers and enjoy food
from a variety of food trucks parked at each location
Bill Fowler managing partner of Old Town Beer Exchange
agreed to participate in Beer Hop on his very fi rst day of
business and credits Ryals with an overwhelmingly success-
ful opening night ldquoAshley said lsquoI can guarantee that you are
going to have wave after wave of people coming throughrsquordquo
Fowler says recalling that fi rst jittery occasion Once again
Ryals proved true to her word with 60-plus patrons arriving
in an hour-and-a-half ldquoIt was awesome and such a great ex-
perience for usrdquo Fowler raves ldquoAshley is a hard worker and
you can see that in what she doesrdquo
Fowler believes that in addition to bringing new customers
to OTBX Ryals is also cultivating beer education consis-
tently bringing in people who are new to beer and want to
learn And with Huntsvillersquos recent brewery boom that level
of education and interest is crucial for the brewing commu-
nity to thrive ldquoWe have a very small window of opportunityrdquo
says Fowler ldquoI think Huntsville in particular is becoming a
craft brewing community People are making money at this
and once Tennessee sees that we need to already have had a
pretty huge head startrdquo
By the end of 2013 and with standing events Beer Hop and
Dine amp Dash well established Ryals took time to refl ect on
her original goal for Homegrown Huntsville ldquoIn the back of
my head from day one I knew I wanted to do a wine festival
I just didnrsquot think Huntsville was ready for it in 2011rdquo
Emboldened by the success of Beer Hop Ryals decided to
make the leap with Big Spring Crush wine festival later the
same year Once again Ryals delivered the perfect audience
for the event and in the process discovered a surprising
fact about North Alabamarsquos contribution to the wine-mak-
ing industry
ldquoIn doing the wine festival I learned that we have a huge
wine community in Huntsvillerdquo Ryals says ldquoTh ere are only
about 47 certifi ed wine judges in the entire United States
and we have four of them right here in North Alabama Two
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
copy Jeff White
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
ldquoI STARTED TO GET HOMESICK ALL OF MY FRIENDS WERE GETTING MARRIEDAND MEETING FOR FOOTBALL GAMES AND I WAS MISSING ITrdquo ASHLEY RYALS
copy Jeff White
copy Jeff White
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
ldquoIT WAS AWESOME AND SUCH A GREAT EXPERIENCE FOR USrdquoBILL FOWLER OLD TOWN BEER EXCHANGE
copy Jeff White
copy Olivia Reed
of those four certifi ed wine judges sit on the committee for
Big Spring Crushrdquo
Matthew and Stephanie Mell had just opened Church Street
Wine Shop when they decided to participate in the fi rst Big
Spring Crush Like OTBXrsquos Robert Fowler the Mells credit
Ryals and Homegrown Huntsville for helping to introduce
their new enterprise to the community ldquoAshley has been in-
strumental in helping to bring us people who love and ap-
preciate winerdquo Stephanie Mell says ldquoShe was homegrown
here in Huntsville and she really gets the downtown area
and small businesses and that is so important to usrdquo
Big Spring Crush began with a bang featuring over 150
wines and attracting patrons from across the country
ldquoMost wine festivals across the country have proven records
of being able to stay around 15 or 20 years or even longerrdquo
Ryals says ldquoAnd the economies of those cities have really
grown as a result I want Big Spring Crush to eventually be
the biggest and best wine festival in the state of Alabamardquo
How does Ryals intend to make that dream come true ldquoBy
always keeping it fresh I want to have new marketing and
new things happening each yearrdquo
Ryalsrsquo formula of reinvention and expansion has successfully
led Homegrown Huntsville through fi ve years of success and
helped its events become community staples along the way In
the process Ryals is broadening more than just our image of
downtown Huntsville shersquos joining a class of creative entrepre-
neurs committed to expanding Huntsvillersquos reputation as more
than just a hub for the brightest scientifi c minds in America
ldquoWe have a big city of engineers and lawyers and itrsquos won-
derfulrdquo Ryals say ldquo But there is a whole artist and food cul-
ture here and there is so much growth I want us to have a
vibrant cool downtown area and I want for people to tell
their friends to come and visit and to see Huntsville for what
it is a city I loverdquo
If yoursquod like to participate in Homegrown Huntsville either
as a guest or a participating business visit homegrown-
huntsvillecom
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
copy Jeff White
I was years old and the year was At that time the city of Huntsville was inching toward the mountain to the east California Street was once the continental divide between the small town metropo-lis and the uncharted territories gingerly crossed by the real estate pioneers four score and some odd years prior Th is area became the new suburb as the city kept pushing onward toward Fagan Springs as if the reverberating booms of rocket testings were vibrating Hunstvillians away from its epicenter
From the front yard of our house on Owens Drive I could look to the rightmdashup the hill to the bend be-yond which the big houses stood on their rocky ledge pedestals and to the left where all the other houses that looked just like oursmdashfresh and newmdashrambled for what seemed like miles Th ose clean well-lit abodes all seemed the same and granted at my age I knew more about the pets that lived there than I did about the people who owned those manageable mortgages I came to realize that each was diff erent in a way that was permeated by voices smells and furnishings
It is a clicheacute to say that our lives were simpler then because that is just how the current era will be fondly referred to in the future but to a 5-year-old it is the simplicity that brought the joy Th e sixties will always be to me the beginning of the age of manufactured happiness Cheap clean and simple was what was strived for and what was easily obtained Plastic items were plentiful and pretty things could be bought with SampH Green Stamps A few coins in our pocket would transfer us into the most master of manipula-tors with us giving our all to convince our parents for a jaunt to Murdockrsquos for a holiday of wonderment joy and impatience as we would scour the shelves trying to get the most from our meager budget
Owens Drive was the fairly new thoroughfare from which the avenues of three-bedroom-ranchers fi ngered away at planned intervals Th is was the place where newlyweds started their lives homes and families Where girls with last names that had been in the town for generations would change them to those strange and exotic last names of the clean cut newcomers brought here for military purposes Where the housewives would preheat their pristine electric ovens trying to make cheese straws and biscuits that were just like their motherrsquos only to be frustrated as they were never quite the same and where the husbands would follow in their fatherrsquos footsteps by joining the Acme Club and hunting doves on the weekends
Th ere was a swimming pool Certainly not at our house Th e only private pool I remember as a child was one that my grandmother would take me to nestled between huge trees at someonersquos house on Adams Street I would swim with other children my age while our grandmothers chatted smoking cigarettes in cat-eyed anonymity whispering most of their stories so we wouldnrsquot be able to hear But between their
gasps and laughter we would listen hear and learn
Th e Blossomwood pool was a place of designated rules and the sound of bright whistlesmdashwith straight lines and distinctive colors of blue and green I can still feel the Coppertoned oiliness on the skin of the tanned lifeguard as she carried me from the deep end frightened after my fi rst attempt at solo-swimming She knew my name I had no idea who she was
On the other side of the pool was the school my older sister attended It had a style that mim-icked the poolmdashstraight lines cleanmdasha temple to orderliness and good manners It was with
awe that I once watched the young adults there some as old as eleven wind and dance their way around a sky-high fl agpolemdasheach with a diff erent color ribbon until the fi rst (and only) May Pole
I was privy to was completely dressed in its woven bright colors
90 raquo bless their hearts raquo Guy McClure Jr
Huntsville was a magical place for us tail-end baby boomers to grow upmdashbeyond the miracles of the escalator at Pizitz the smiling little lady on the tall stool at the register at Britlings There was a comfort level there that Irsquom not sure is in the minds of the 5-year-olds of today
cat-eyed agasps
Th s
aI w
THE COMFORTS OF BLOSSOMWOOD
In our world of red-bricked carported castles there was a def-inite division of generations Th e children ate separately from the parents went to school as our dads went to work enter-tained our neighborhood friends as quietly as possible and felt safe between our boundaries of Big Cove Road and Hermitage Street While we dined on our Chef Boy-Ar-Dee boxed pizza our parents busied themselves dressing in their dark colors getting ready for a late dinner at Boots having the scent of perfume and face powder trail my mother as she came into the kitchen looking for something with an intense purpose My father would smell of British Sterling and look just as he did when he went to work only happier Th ese nights meant something fun would happenmdashwe would have a babysitter
Babysitters were my introduction into what was and still seems cool Th ey were usually Huntsville High School teen-agers who would put on a show without even knowing it I would drink in their every move word and essence of style To me they were supermodelsmdashmovie starsmdasheven more fa-mous in my eyes than a television weatherman and almost as glamorous as the waitresses at the Waffl e House
Before they would tire of me and my sister and put us to bed they would include us in their world of music and knowledge which I thought was all-encompassing Suddenly our world of Th e Benny Carl Show and Fantasy Playhouse would seem trite and passeacute and we would catch a fl eeting glimpse into what would be in store for us when we too could stay up past 8 pm
Huntsville was a magical place for us tail-end baby boomers to grow upmdashbeyond the miracles of the escalator at Pizitz the smiling little lady on the tall stool at the register at Britlings and that bright colorful Maypole Th ere was a comfort level there that Irsquom not sure is in the minds of the 5-year-olds of todaymdashthe soothing sheltered lack of knowledge of why we were so lucky yet we didnrsquot even know that we were
In the other areas of our Huntsville there was poverty and ra-cial unrestmdashas there was and is in every city I was unaware People of color were always a part of my worldmdashmostly be-cause they had my attention and respect At our house there was Annie my grandmotherrsquos house was fi lled with the joys of Lula and out on the family farm there was strong and smiling Homer and large and huggable Rosamdashall just as much a part of my life as everyone else My life was good and they were instrumental in making it that way
What will the 5-year-olds of today who are lucky enough to be raised on those well-planned streets remember when they surpass their own 50 year mark It is a much more complex world now and there are diff erent concerns with daily changes of fear Youthful innocence is a prize that is encased without a lock Premature maturity is a viable threat and a constant fear But each night tucked in tight in a simple room sleeps tomor-rowrsquos adults who are having sweet dreamsmdashblanketed by the comforts of Blossomwood
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
92 raquo the vine raquo Amy C Collins
BORDEAUX POWER
Where Burgundyrsquos vineyards were established by Benedictine monks patiently growing wine vines with spiritual hearts Bordeauxrsquos vineyards were raised by entrepreneurial laymen who recognized the massive monetary opportunity when the English began drinking down their peasant wine
The city of Bordeaux is Francersquos primary port town on the Atlantic ocean a harbor that has for centuries served as the countryrsquos most important dock Th e regionrsquos history is long and storied with the fi rst written reference to the area dated 379 AD by the Latin poet Ausonius who was also a wine-grower Jump ahead to the year 1152 when Eleanor of Aquitaine married Englandrsquos soon-to-be king Henry Plantagenet and the port and surrounding vineyard land became the source of wine for the English a connection that remains strong even today
Bordeaux produces the worldrsquos most expensive and sought after collector wines the top tier of which make up less than fi ve percent of the regionrsquos total production Th ese names are quickly learned by neophyte wine drinkers wanting to make an impression Chateau Haut-Brion Lafi te Latour and Margaux for example Grown in gravelly soils only a few meters above sea levelmdashin contrast vineyards elsewhere in Europe typically sit between 300 and 900 metersmdashthese wines are some of the most powerful austere and pawed over When young the tannins in these cabernet sauvignon cabernet franc and merlot blends coat the tongue and mouth with a chalky dry sensation akin to sucking on an Earl Grey tea bag and are perhaps best suited to well-fatted rare steak and cigars Th ese are wines built to live for decades Personally I prefer a Bordeaux at least 20 years aged when the tannins have had ample time to calm down and mellow out and more nuanced fl avors come forward Sounds fancy and it is Only in some very lucky circumstances over the past year have I been guest to a bottle of 1990 Clos de Menuts Saint-Eacutemilion and a 1970 Chateau Haut-Brion About once every 10 years Irsquove had the good
fortune to taste a wine older than myself Nice work if you can get it
Where Burgundyrsquos vineyards (Francersquos other classifi ed sought-after region) were established by Benedictine monks patiently growing wine vines with spiritual hearts
Bordeauxrsquos vineyards were raised by entrepreneurial laymen who recognized the massive monetary opportunity when the English began drinking down their peasant wine Th is underscores the second half of my theory as to why Americans
more often American males are so drawn to the wines of Bordeaux Th erersquos an inherent capitalist connection something in the soil Th at the wines are so
unmistakable so distinctively grand and pronounced elixirs exemplifi es the fi rst half of my theory we Americans are not known for our subtlety (To be fair the Chinese are
signifi cant Bordeaux collectors as well)
Philosophy aside Bordeaux is quite a large region that produces beautiful white and red values as well as the rare fi nds out of the populacersquos price range Herersquos the skinny Blending is the game single varietal wines are rare White Bordeaux is typically made from a blend of sauvignon blanc and seacutemillon and sometimes a drop or two of muscadelle ugni blanc or colombard Reds are made primarily from the two cabernets plus merlot with small quantities of petit verdot malbec and carmenegravere occasionally in the mix Th e region is also home to the golden nectar of late ripened seacutemillon sauvignon blanc and muscadelle grapes that have successfully attracted the noble rot a fungus that covers the fruit and drains moisture from inside leaving behind rich sweet grapes without moldy fl avors Chateau drsquoYquem is the most famous of these unfortifi ed dessert wines though there are better bargains from the region
Bordeaux is split by the Gironde river which divides the region into three general areas Th e left bank also known as the Haut-Meacutedoc is where the classifi ed top growths are situated Th ese prestigious estates were named for their exceptional vineyard sites in 1855 a decision nearly unchanged since Today serious collectors invest in Bordeaux futures theoretically locking down lower prices of top
ample time to calm dit is Only in some vede Menuts Saint-Eacutem
fortune to taste a
Wherees
aun
of msignifi
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Follow Amy at pigandvinecom for morestories and wine suggestions
growth estates while the wine is still aging in the cellar Itrsquos the wine tradersquos equivalent to the NASDAQ On the right bank Saint-Eacutemilion and Pommerol are the prized vineyard areas known for their merlot heavy cuveacutees To the south west we fi nd Graves where there are many great values to be had in both white and red bottlings Entre-Deux-Mers which translates to ldquobetween two seasrdquo sits between the Dordogne and Garonne tributaries off the Gironde and is an excellent source for crisp whites
Get started on your Bordeaux experience with these values
Chateau Graville-Lacoste 2014 Graves 75 seacutemillon 20 sauvignon blanc and 5 muscadelle make up this beauty thatrsquos consistently delicious every vintage Crisp and refreshing great with seafood
Chateau Mirambeau 2014 GravesAnother classic blend of 40 sauvignon blanc 40 seacutemillon and 20 muscadelle this lovely white is a bit more fl oral than the Graville-Lacoste Easy drinking and great value
Chateau de Parenchegravere Bordeaux Rouge 201155 merlot 30 cabernet sauvignon and 15 cabernet franc grown in clay heavy soils similar to the right bank of the region Fleshy with good structure and abundant red fruit
Chateau Arnaud Bordeaux Supeacuterieur 2011Supeacuterieur on a Bordeaux label isnrsquot egotistical marketingmdashby law it indicates a wine with up to one degree more alcohol than its AC Bordeaux brethren What it really means is one more degree of body structure and in this case quality Approachable delicious and easy on the wallet
Chateau de Bernadotte Haut-Meacutedoc 2005Th e 2005 vintage in Bordeaux is in the history books with double asterisks Owned by the eminent Pichon Lalande family and made from vineyards in Paulliac one of the more choice growing areas in the region this is an incredible value a top tier Bordeaux for a fraction of the cost
Chateau de Suduiraut Sauternes 2011Ripe cantaloupe apricot and honey and an interesting smoky note with a solid sweet attack followed by great acidity A dessert wine that wonrsquot overpower the dessert
94 raquo parting shot raquo Patrick Hood
Meet Solvar
Solvar belongs to one of the worldrsquos oldest and purest equine lineages the Nor-
wegian Fjord horse a breed that has remained virtually unchanged for more than
2000 yearsmdashlong before we became acquainted with his animated cousins in
the movie Frozen Th ese national symbols of Norway are characterized by primi-
tive zebra striping on their legs and a dorsal stripe running from forelock to tail
resulting in a striking two-tone mane that sticks up like a Mohawk Th eir athleti-
cism agility and dependability make them valuable both as sport horses as well
as therapy horses for emotionally and physically challenged adults and children
Catie Wells of Huntsville is the proud owner of Solvar who resides at Monte
Sano Stables
For tickets or information 256-539-4818 or hsoorg
Bring In the New Year With Us
presents
WHAT A WONDERFUL
WORLDA tribute to Louis
Armstrong featuring the
Byron Stripling Quartet
Thursday December 31
730 pm bull Pops Series bullMark C Smith
Concert Hall VBC
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
M O R E T H A N 7 0 S H O P S A N D R E S T A U R A N T S I N C L U D I N G B E L K | D S W S H O E S | A P P L E J O S A B A N K | R E E D S J E W E L E R S | PA N D O R A | J C R E W | K AT E S PA D E N E W Y O R KO R V I S | B A N A N A R E P U B L I C | M I C H A E L K O R S | F R A N C E S C Arsquo S | A N T H R O P O L O G I EH amp M | S O M A | M O U N T A I N H I G H O U T F I T T E R S | B A R N E S amp N O B L E | S E P H O R AALTAR rsquoD STATE | CONNORS STEAK amp SEFOOD | THE WEST IN HUNTSV I L L E | MONACO P ICTURES
C O M I N G S O O N V E R S O N A ndash near Belk
B R I D G E S T R E E T H U N T S V I L L E C O M |
BR IDGE STREET TOWN CENTRE I S LOCATED AT EX I T 14 OFF I - 565 AT OLD MAD ISON P IKE
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
(1) Kilim Pillow ($58) (2) Bejeweled Silver Plate Vase ($144) (3) Bone Clad Box ($375)Willowbrook Shoppe (256) 270-7181
(4) Cowhide Rug ($550)(5) Lucyrsquos Locket ($95) (Original piecemdashselection may vary)Sweet Pineapple(256) 964-7563 (6) Clutch ($65)Department of Agra Culturedeptofagraculturecom
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) Above The Bar Antler on Chain 28rdquo ($3999) (2) Above The Bar Deer wAntler Head 18rdquo ($2999) Indigorsquos Boutique(256) 345-6348
(3) Margaret Solow Labradorite18KT Bezel ($290) (4) Margaret Solow Diamond Crest MoonSilver ($460) (5) Margaret Solow Black Spinel + DiamondSilver ($560) (6) Margaret Solow Double Black Spinel18KT ($260)Little Green Store and Gallery (256) 539-9699
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
(1) Margaret Solow Grey Moonstoon18KT Necklace ($240) (2) Margaret Solow OpalDiamond Mosaic Necklace ($610) Little Green Storeand Gallery (256) 539-9699
(3) One-of-a-kind Eva Ziegler Smokey Quartz and Pyrite Necklace ($406)Eva Ziegler Jewelryevazieglercom
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) Jennifer BehrTurban ($625)(2) Cotton Day Dress ($64)(3) Norma Ishak Cardigan ($375)Finery(256) 429-3429
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
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(1) The Lion Sleeps Tonight Bath Bomb ($6) Sweet Pineapple(256) 964-7563
(2) Tiger Jelly Cat ($2250)(3) Dog Tag Teether ($1550)(4) Dinosaur Footie ($3595)Honey B Boutique(256) 503-2853
(5) Young Buck ($25)Tiny Vinestinyvinesshopcom
(6) Bib Set ($13)Huntsville Museumof Art(256) 535-4350
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
(1) Tiny Dancer Bath Bomb ($6)Sweet Pineapple(256) 964-7563
(2) Kickee Mammoth Footie ($3595)(3) Noodle amp Boo Essential Care Kit ($18)(4) Elephant Jelly Cat ($2250)Honey B Boutique(256) 503-2853
(5) ArtFolio Pink Elephant Coloring Tote ($17)Huntsville Museumof Art(256) 535-4350
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) Bib Set ($13)Huntsville Museumof Art(256) 535-4350 (2) Little Light ($25)Tiny Vinestinyvinesshopcom (3) Micro Leon Cardboard Lion ($30)Little Green Storeand Gallery (256) 539-9699 (4) I Love You Like Biscuits amp Gravy ($23)Domaine South(256) 808-8860
(5) Kickee Kimono ($4295)Honey B Boutique(256) 503-2853
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
SURPRISEA LOVED ONE
THIS HOLIDAY SEASON
WITH A FOREVER GIFT
HobbsJewelerscom 8772331347Parkway Place Mall
HuntsvilleHwy 72 West
AthensMain Street
Ardmore TN
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Caftan ($75)Sarah Richey Necklace ($350)Finery(256) 429-3429
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
(1) Chewbead Necklace ($3495)(2) Mayoral Baby Bag ($7995)(3) Mayoral Diaper Changing Pad ($2495)(4) Nursing Scarf ($2695) (5) Kickee Swaddling Blanket ($22)Honey B Boutique(256) 503-2853 (6) Lucy Darling Months Sticker ($25) (7) The Story of You Baby Book by Emily Ley ($62) Sweet Pineapple(256) 964-7563
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) Alwand Vahan 14K Gold and Onyx Ring wDiamond Accent ($2595)(2) Alwand Vanan 14K Gold and Onyx Bracelet wDiamond Accent ($2695)Hobbs Jewelers(877) 233-1347
(3) Britt Ryan Dress ($288)Personal Couture Boutique(256) 508-5632
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) Rocket Cosmos Mug ($13)Huntsville Museumof Art(256) 535-4350
(2) Loose Leaf Tea ($399)Piper amp Leaf piperandleafcom (3) Judy Jackson Tea Pot ($56) (4) Gary Watson Cherry Cutting Board ($48-$68) (5) Susan Coe Birthday Cake Plate ($33) Little Green Storeand Gallery (256) 539-9699 (6) Macarons ($116 pcs $221 dozen)Whisk Small Treats Bakery(256) 656-1027
(7) Truffl es ($185 each)Pizellersquos Confections (256) 513-9745 (8) Olive amp Sinclair Chocolate ($799)Domaine South(256) 808-8860
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
(1) Whisk Note Pad ($8) (2) In the Forest Mixing Bowl ($36) (3) Twig Serving Set ($18)(8) Southern Firefl y Candle ($12)Sweet Pineapple(256) 964-7563
(4) Urchin Bowl ($10)(5) Foodie Dice ($38)(6) 1Canoe2 Wood Recipe Box w Recipe Cards ($6999) Domaine South(256) 808-8860 (7) Growlers ($75 small $95 large)Southern Growlersoutherngrowlercom
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) Tacori 18K Barbados Blue Bold Gem Ring ($660)(2) Tacori 18K Barbados Blue Bold Gem Necklace ($630)(3) Tacori 18K Barbados Blue Bold Gem Bracelet ($990)Hobbs Jewelers(877) 233-1347
(4) BCBG Dress ($328)Personal Couture Boutique(256) 508-5632
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Guadalupe Robinson
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
text by jennifer crossley howard raquo photos by patrick hood
Of Deft and Dirty Hands
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Huntsville potter Guadalupe Lanning Robinson has spent more than 36 years mastering the
marriage of clay texture and geometric design into her pottery yet time has done little to temper the
plight of waiting
ldquoIt is hard for me to let a pot just dryrdquo she says motioning toward fi ve small wet pots sitting near her
pottery wheel ldquoIrsquom as excited to do this as I was 30 years agordquo
To observe her studio at Lowe Mill that is easy to believe Located on the corridor outside the textile
mill-turned-art centerrsquos main building the loft-like space with a corrugated tin roof feels like a place a
Gabriel Garcia Marquez character would enjoy daydreaming
Sienna-hued pottery sits in various stages to be fi red layered and etched Argentinian tango music
streams from Robinsonrsquos iPhone and two cockatiels a parrot and a parakeet chirp from their cages All
except the parrot fl y freely when Robinson is working
Robinson who is 61 made her fi rst pot in 1979 in her native Mexico City Almost four decades later her
work is part of permanent museum collections in Auburn Huntsville Tuscumbia and Tupelo Missis-
sippi She regularly enters her work in respected juried shows such as the Monte Sano Arts Festival and
the Kentuck Festival of the Arts in Northport and has received two Alabama State Council on the Arts
individual artist fellowships
Her inspiration draws from the villages around her native Mexico City such as the black pottery of
the northwest as well as her acquired Southern culture White lilies corn grids and round female
fi guresmdashldquoreally strong women who are in chargerdquo Robinson saysmdashreappear on her stoneware She uses
natural dyes indigo for color and mixes sand into clay for texture Nothing is wasted
ldquoI donrsquot waste any clayrdquo Robinson says ldquoEverything is recycledrdquo
Robinson fi nds solace in the 40-50 hours a week she puts in at the studio and the often tedious process
of making pots which can take from three weeks to six weeks for larger pots She usually works on two
or three pots at a time tending to groups at diff erent stages
After a pot is thrown on a wheel a piece can take days to dry before its fi rst bisque fi re in which tem-
peratures rise to 1800 F After baking for nine hours the kiln must cool Th e second fi ring rises to 2150
F and matures the clay and melts the glazes to strengthen the piece
ldquoI am an effi cient person by naturerdquo Robinson says ldquoWaiting for the kiln to cool down enough to open
can be nerve wracking and this is when my patience is usually put to the testrdquo
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
ldquoIt is hard for me to let a pot just dry Irsquom as excited to do this as I was 30 years agordquo
Robinson makes most of her pots on a wheel using oxides to change the color of clay she gets from Nashville and Pittsburgh Her pottery takes several weeks from start to fi nish depending on how large a pot is and how many she makes at a time
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
ldquoAttend to your childrenrsquos needs fi rst keep focus on what you want to douse the happiness joy and little breaks you get to make your artTh ey grow real fast and they will keep inspiring you all your liferdquo
Robinson imagined this bat-like design as she was working She usually begins a piece with a design in mind but that often evolves
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Robinson uses an overlay of liquid clay called engobemdashthat includes three to four layersmdashto create a
base on which to design
Th ere is high risk in making pottery and hours of work can be wasted on a pot that has not dried en-
tirely before it enters the kiln Air pockets or the wrong mixture of chemicals can ruin a piece
ldquoArt is involved but science is toordquo says Laura Smith director of education at the Huntsville Museum
of Art where Robinson has taught pottery classes ldquoItrsquos more labor intensive in terms of working with
the medium whether yoursquore building by hand or with a wheel until you fi re with the fi nal layer of glazerdquo
Th e result is sturdy pottery
ldquoI want my pots to look like something that is lasting a long timerdquo Robinson says
Th ough she works solitarily in her studio she says she does not get lonely Her birds and music keep her
company and each stage of pottery making has a soundtrack She uses needlepoint tools to draw onto
clay to Jose Feliciano and other Latin American musicians
ldquoIf Irsquom at the wheel Bruno Marsrdquo she says ldquoIf Irsquom unloading the kiln and something is really awesome
then I need something moving and I have on Motownrdquo
Robinsonrsquos years of experience minimize the risk of damaged pots but she says her greatest challenge
as a potter was balancing her work while raising her two children Now adults their candid childhood
pictures and those of her grandchildren cover the warm green walls of her studio
She met her husband the poet James Robinson in 1977 on a Greyhound bus when she returned to
Mexico City from visiting a friend at the University of Southern Mississippi He was heading to Mexico
to study at a university Th ey married six months later After giving birth to her daughter Annie Jane in
Mexico City in 1982 the family moved to Huntsville in 1985 Th at is when Robinson got more serious
about her pottery
ldquoFrom the very beginning when I moved to Alabama I knew I was going to have to do thisrdquo she said
ldquoIn some ways it was a way for me to keep connected to my heritagerdquo
She took even 15 minutes of free time to work in the studio behind her home and worked late into the
night while her daughter and son Isidoro born in 1987 slept Having a home studio allowed her to
wash clothes tend to her home and drop off lunches at school while maintaining her art
ldquoTh ere was something for me when I fi rst became a mother that fueled my creativityrdquo Robinson says
ldquoTh ey are such a social inspiration too It fi lls your liferdquo
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Robinson advises fellow artists who are mothers to seize
both roles but to prioritize motherhood
ldquoAttend to your childrenrsquos needs fi rst keep focus on what you
want to do use the happiness joy and little breaks you get
to make your artrdquo she says ldquoTh ey grow real fast and they will
keep inspiring you all your liferdquo
Anna Sue Courtney director of the Flying Monkey Arts
Center at Lowe Mill has known Robinson for more than
10 years She says she admires how mothers and artists like
Robinson seamlessly embrace both roles
ldquoIt seems therersquos not a separation between creating and rais-
ing childrenrdquo Courtney says ldquoTh ey seem to pull from the
same placerdquo
Part of Robinsonrsquos motivation at Lowe Mill comes from
working privately in a studio alongside other artists that fos-
ters a community of feedback and ideas
ldquoItrsquos nice to be here because you can take a break and walk around and get inspirationrdquo Courtney says
ldquoItrsquos refreshingrdquo
When she needs a break from the studio Robinson stays home to sketch designs for a day or two then
she is back in the studio
Trips twice a year to Mexico City keep her plugged in to her native culture which in turn shows up in
her pottery
ldquoI have to recharge myselfrdquo Robinson says ldquoI love Huntsville and loved raising my kids here but I still
have the need of going back to be recharged and smell all the smells and see all the colors and get on
the subway and be pushed aroundrdquo
Details from her trips that infl uence her work include the ever-present red that covers the city during
the celebration of Dia de los Muertos or the Day of the Dead Th e pyramids of Teotihuacan conjure
warm earth tones and fl oating gardens around the city yield sweet pungent calla lilies and carnations
Celebration of food tough women and nature reappear in her pottery qualities that both Southern and
Mexican cultures treasure
Above This daisy design is character-istic of Robinsonrsquos work Nature food and strong females from her native Mexico City and the South are strong creative infl uences
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Clockwise from top left Robinson often glazes only the inside of her pots so they can hold water and food She began quilting in 2002 and her quilts like her pottery contain earth tones and natural infl uences in their design Four birds keep Robinson company in what can be the isolating medium of pottery making Geometry and symmetry are two signature elements in Robinsonrsquos work according to Laura Smith director of education at the Huntsville Museum of Art
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Just as she keeps her home country close to her heart Robinson is loyal to her fi rst
love of pottery though she began making quilts in 2002
ldquoIrsquom a potter who likes to quiltrdquo she says
Like her pottery her quilting follows designs of organic nature such as fl owers and
crops on rich jewel tone cotton
ldquoWhen I fi rst saw one of her quilts I didnrsquot realize it was hers and I thought that
looks like it should be Guadalupersquos quiltrdquo Courtney says
Robinson prefers the immediate gratifi cation of clay
ldquoItrsquos a very responsive mediumrdquo she says ldquoYou can manipulate it Th e fact of mak-
ing something out of dirt out of nothing and making it durable making it perma-
nent that after going through the heat and maturing is something very excitingrdquo
She gently dings a pot covered with white dresses titled ldquoTehuana Dressrdquo to make
her point
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
887 FM Muscle Shoals bull 1007 FM Huntsvillewwwaprorg
News classicalmusic and more
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
copy Patrick Hood
text by sara wright covington raquo photos by jacki gil
patrick hood erin lindsey and michelle odom
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
copy Patrick Hood
ldquoA LOT OF PEOPLE HAD BEEN ASKING ME QUESTIONS ABOUTHOW I GOT MY BUSINESS STARTED I WANTED TO GATHER SOME PEOPLE AROUND ME
WHO WERE GOING THROUGH THOSE STRUGGLES AND TOBUILD ENTREPRENEURIAL COURAGErdquo
JACKI GIL SALT+PAPERIE
copy Patrick Hood
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
untsville-born Jacki Gil began her paper design busi-
ness Salt+Paperie in 2014 with an expansive vision
in mind one that extended beyond creating beautiful
custom designed paper goods ldquoI love my design job
but when Irsquom 50 years old I donrsquot see myself still de-
signing wedding invitationsrdquo the master stationer says
ldquoI really have a passion for teaching and helping people
I want to be a mentorrdquo
In 2015 Gil set out on her mentoring mission sooner than expected with a series
of workshops called Encourage Huntsville ldquoA lot of people had been asking me
questions about how I got my business startedrdquo Gil says about the early days of
Salt+Paperie Even though most of those questions from entrepreneurial-hopefuls
were technicalmdashlike how to apply for a business licensemdashthey served as inspira-
tion for Gil ldquoI wanted to gather some people around me who were going through
those struggles and to build entrepreneurial courage I defi nitely saw that there
was a need for helping people to take that next step toward owning their own
businessesrdquo
Encourage Huntsville was modeled on the image of a growing small business
movement called the Rising Tide Society a national community of creative small
business owners who encourage ldquocommunity over competitionrdquo Th at spirit of
openness is at the heart of Encourage Huntsville ldquoCommunity over competition
is a huge part of what we are doingrdquo says Gil ldquoSmall business owners sharing how
they earn their money is a big dealrdquo
As a fi rst step Gil gathered others around her who were using their skills and abili-
ties to make their own small businesses work With talents ranging from cooking
and cake decorating to hand lettering and artwork these small business owners
all embraced Gilrsquos vision for imparting to others the knowledge of their craft un-
impeded by a fear of losing their competitive edge
Th e fi rst lesson Gil wanted to impart to Encourage Huntsvillersquos students wasnrsquot
necessarily a particular craft or skill but a spirt of creative confi dence ldquoWe want-
ed to bridge the gap between the very artsy community and the ultimate engineer
communityrdquo many of whom Gil observes had been told since childhood they
werenrsquot artistic ldquoWhen you are little and someone tells you that you donrsquot have a
talent it sticks with you I found that a lot of people had that experience so that
was the workshop partmdashto build some creative courage in this communityrdquo
Gil conducted the fi rst workshop herself testing the waters to see how the concept
would be received Th e admission price to that fi rst workshop included supplies a
take-home ldquogoody bagrdquo to help students continue their work extracurricularly and
refreshmentsmdashas well as Gilrsquos tips of her trade
ldquoWe went in blindly not knowing if we had a market or notrdquo says Gil Th e popular-
ity of that fi rst class proved undeniably that a market did in fact exist the work-
shop sold out in one day ldquoSo we did back-to-back workshopsrdquo Gil says ldquoAfter that
novemberdecembeeer eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee | nononoononononononoonoonononooooonoonoonnononnoaaalalalllaallllllalaalaaalal ststustust ddiossscom mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm | | | | | | | | | | |
f
w
y
Previous page Encourage Huntsvillersquos founder and instructor Jacki Gil teaches a class in hand lettering Facing page A participant studies her supply list
we realized people really want to do this stuff So we said lsquoletrsquos jump on the boat
and make this happenrsquordquo
Gilrsquos longtime friend photographer Erin Lindsey of Erin Lindsey Images agreed
to contribute to Encourage Huntsvillersquos curriculum by teaching a photography
class ldquoJacki and I are a good team because our hearts are in the same place when
it comes to encouraging othersrdquo Lindsey says Still she admits saying yes to teach-
ing wasnrsquot without some initial hesitation ldquoWhen Jacki asked if I would teach a
class it was kind of scary I thought I had to be perfect before I could teach oth-
ersrdquo Lindsey says of her initial hesitancy ldquoBut after talking to Jacki I realized none
of us are perfectrdquo But perfection isnrsquot the goal encouragement is the goal ldquoAnd I
thought lsquoI can defi nitely line up with that visionrsquordquo
Michelle Odom another Huntsville native and owner of custom cake bakery Just
Crumbs was also on board with Gilrsquos vision In fact Odom had been contemplat-
ing teaching a class when she was approached by Gil to teach a fondant basics
class ldquoHuntsville is such an engineer town and everyone is so mathematical and
scientifi crdquo Odom says echoing the dichotomy between the arts and sciences ex-
pressed by Gil ldquoTh ese workshops are just a very cool way for structured people to
have a creative outletrdquo
ldquoJACKI AND I ARE A GOOD TEAM BECAUSE OUR HEARTS ARE INTHE SAME PLACE WHEN IT COMES TO ENCOURAGING OTHERSrdquo
ERIN LINDSEY ERIN LINDSEY IMAGES
copy Erin Lindsey
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Above A participant in Erin Lindseyrsquos photo class frames a still life
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
copy Erin Lindsey
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
ldquoHUNTSVILLE IS SUCH AN ENGINEER TOWN AND EVERYONE ISSO MATHEMATICAL AND SCIENTIFIC THESE WORKSHOPS ARE JUST A VERY COOL
WAY FOR STRUCTURED PEOPLE TO HAVE A CREATIVE OUTLETrdquo MICHELLE ODOM JUST CRUMBS
copy Michelle Odom
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
ldquoAnd yesrdquo Odom acknowledges ldquoyou are in theory teaching your competition But
at the same time you are helping the community be more creativerdquo
With its roster of popular creative workshops under its belt Encourage Huntsville
has added business classes to its community-over-competition curriculum with
classes designed to provide specifi c guidance for small business owners ldquoAll of
our events that donrsquot require hands-on work we call seminarsrdquo says Gil ldquoWe had
about 15 people at our fi rst one It was pretty much just an open discussion to ask
us questions and get answers from the perspective of a small business ownerrdquo
Th e seminars enjoyed the same success and enthusiasm as the workshops ldquoWe
had two hours for people to ask questionsrdquo Gil says Topics covered ran the gamut
from scheduling daily tasks self-hosting a website or using an Etsy store man-
aging client expectations and being realistic about how much time you need to
complete jobs
ldquoTh e time went quickly and people wanted morerdquo says Gil who envisions an all-
day seminar in 2016
Margaret Baggett owner and executive chef of the Chef Next Door is another
small business owner who has shared Gilrsquos vision from the very beginning teach-
copy Erin Lindsey
Facing page Michelle Odomrsquos fondant basics class begins with a styrofoam cake form Above Newbie photographers familiarize themselves with their cameras in Erin Lindseyrsquos photography class
ing knife skills workshops and helping host the business seminars ldquoI am so proud
to get to be a part of this project and help nurture other small business owners
who may just be starting out on their journey or are deep in it and looking for
some encouragement from other business ownersrdquo Baggett says of what motivates
her participation in Encourage Huntsville ldquoEven being on the advice-giving side
of things I am still learning and have taken tips and tricks and lessons from each
event we have had so far We never stop learning from each other and never stop
improving upon our craftsrdquo
Th e mutual growth among students and teachers is the source of the encourage-
mentmdashand the joymdashof Encourage Huntsville ldquoItrsquos so much fun to see the light
bulbs go off with people and see them encouraged right before your eyesrdquo Lindsey
says of her experience with the program ldquoPlus itrsquos a pleasure to contribute to a
sense of community over competition Th at whole concept is so rarerdquo
As Encourage Huntsvillersquos following continues to grow the diversity of the work-
shops will expand as well Whether you are looking to spend a fun afternoon
learning a new craft or are a budding small business owner hoping to launch
your brand Encourage Huntsville has something valuable to off er ldquoWe encourage
those left-brain folks to take up a new hobby or skillrdquo Baggett says ldquoor just encour-
age the people of Huntsville to get together and fan their creative fl amesrdquo
If yoursquore looking for
creative or entrepreneurial
encouragement visit
encouragehuntsvillecom
for seminar and workshop
schedules and information
ldquoI AM SO PROUD TO GET TO BE A PART OF THIS PROJECT AND HELP NURTURE OTHER SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS WHO MAY JUST BE STARTING OUT ON THEIR JOURNEY OR ARE DEEP IN IT
AND LOOKING FOR SOME ENCOURAGEMENT FROM OTHER BUSINESS OWNERSrdquoMARGARET BAGGETT CHEF NEXT DOOR
copy Jacki Gil
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
copy Jacki Gil
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Participants in Margaret Baggettrsquos knife skills workshop learn to perfect their ldquomise en placerdquo
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
copy Olivia Reed
text by sara wright covington raquo photos by olivia reed and jeff white
HUNTSVILLErsquoS
HOMEGROWNHOSTESS
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
ttttttononononoooooonononooooo raquo praquo praquo praquo praquo phothothothothotosoososos s s osos bybybbybb
Any host will tell you that delicious food and quality libations while important to
a partyrsquos success are secondary to the most important ingredient of all the guest list Th atrsquos why many
of downtown Huntsvillersquos most popular restaurants breweries and wine shops are turning to event
planner Ashley Ryals and her uncanny knack for attracting loyal patronsmdashand creating unforgettable
events in the process
When Huntsville born-and-bred Ashley Ryals left for college at the University of Alabama in 2001
she thought her exit from the Valley was permanent ldquoI never thought I would end up back hererdquo the
founder of event planning company Homegrown Huntsville says with a knowing laugh But after a few
post-graduate years working for world-renowned public relations powerhouse Weber Shandwick in
New York City Ryals started to second guess her freshman declaration
ldquoI started to get homesickrdquo she admits ldquoAll of my friends were getting married and meeting for football
games and I was missing itrdquo So when a friend from home set up an interview at EarlyWorks for a job
doing event planning Ryals jumped at the chance to come home
Ashley spent the next few years planning EarlyWorks Whistle Stop and Santarsquos Village events A brief
stint in sales followed along with a seat on the board of Huntsville Young Professionals where she had
an idea for a downtown pub crawl
ldquoWe expected 20 or 30 peoplerdquo Ryals says of their modest expectations ldquoBut 200 people showed uprdquo
Th at initial success convinced Ryals to embark on her dream of establishing an
event planning company But it wasnrsquot just any event planning company Ryals
had in mind she envisioned one that would collaborate with local businesses
cultivate signature events for the community to enjoy and support small busi-
nesses in the process
Inspired Ryals left her sales job and for the second time in her life came home
again to event planning and Homegrown Huntsville
To help bring her vision to life Ryals collaborated with designer Adrianne Van
Kirk of Fave Creative ldquoAdrianne has been a part of the visual and branding of
Homegrown from the beginning We come up with the event ideas then I get
the ticketing and sales together and she comes back with a logo and the mar-
keting for the event And thatrsquos how it all comes togetherrdquo Ryals says of their
creative process
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
ASHLEY RYALS
copy Olivia Reed
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
ldquoMOST WINE FESTIVALS ACROSS THE COUNTRY HAVE PROVEN RECORDS OF BEING ABLE TO STAY AROUND 15 OR 20 YEARS OR EVEN LONGER AND THE ECONOMIES OF THOSE
CITIES HAVE REALLY GROWN AS A RESULT I WANT BIG SPRING CRUSH TO EVENTUALLY BE THE BIGGEST AND BEST WINE FESTIVAL IN THE STATE OF ALABAMArdquo ASHLEY RYALS
copy Jeff White
copy Jeff White
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
copy Olivia Reed
Homegrown launched in 2011 with what would become its
signature event Dine amp Dash Every second Wednesday
April through October a trolley shuttles patrons between
downtown establishments where they are served a drink
and appetizer before moving on to the next stop
Owner and executive chef Merle Phillips of Th e Eaves was
one of the fi rst restaurants to sign on for Dine amp Dashrsquos de-
but ldquoAshley came to me and said she was starting a trolley
tasting conceptrdquo says Chef Merle ldquoI didnrsquot really know her so
I was taking a chance on the concept she was sellingrdquo
Merle tried it and has been a loyal participant of Dine amp
Dash ever since
ldquoIt was a risk in the beginning but it defi nitely paid off rdquo Chef
Merle says of the experience Pivotal to that experience ac-
cording to Phillips is Ryalsrsquo demonstration to the commu-
nity just what the term ldquohomegrownrdquo really means ldquoAshley
shines a spotlight on independent businesses in a market-
place that has for so long focused on chainsrdquo Phillips says
ldquoDine amp Dash has really brought into sharp focus the inter-
esting culinary diversity that Huntsville has to off errdquo
For the next two years Homegrown Huntsville focused al-
most exclusively on Dine amp Dash which by the end of its fi rst
year included every single downtown restaurant But when
big changes began to appear on the downtown horizonmdash
new restaurants breweries and residential developmentsmdash
Ryalsrsquo instincts told her
the time had come to
introduce a new event
to the downtown cal-
endar
ldquoBeer Hop follows
the concept of Dine
amp Dashrdquo Ryals says of
Homegrownrsquos second
venture which began
in 2013 Each month a
trolley visits three dif-
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
BILL FOWLEROLD TOWN BEER
EXCHANGE
copy Olivia Reed
copy Olivia Reed
ferent breweries where patrons sample beers and enjoy food
from a variety of food trucks parked at each location
Bill Fowler managing partner of Old Town Beer Exchange
agreed to participate in Beer Hop on his very fi rst day of
business and credits Ryals with an overwhelmingly success-
ful opening night ldquoAshley said lsquoI can guarantee that you are
going to have wave after wave of people coming throughrsquordquo
Fowler says recalling that fi rst jittery occasion Once again
Ryals proved true to her word with 60-plus patrons arriving
in an hour-and-a-half ldquoIt was awesome and such a great ex-
perience for usrdquo Fowler raves ldquoAshley is a hard worker and
you can see that in what she doesrdquo
Fowler believes that in addition to bringing new customers
to OTBX Ryals is also cultivating beer education consis-
tently bringing in people who are new to beer and want to
learn And with Huntsvillersquos recent brewery boom that level
of education and interest is crucial for the brewing commu-
nity to thrive ldquoWe have a very small window of opportunityrdquo
says Fowler ldquoI think Huntsville in particular is becoming a
craft brewing community People are making money at this
and once Tennessee sees that we need to already have had a
pretty huge head startrdquo
By the end of 2013 and with standing events Beer Hop and
Dine amp Dash well established Ryals took time to refl ect on
her original goal for Homegrown Huntsville ldquoIn the back of
my head from day one I knew I wanted to do a wine festival
I just didnrsquot think Huntsville was ready for it in 2011rdquo
Emboldened by the success of Beer Hop Ryals decided to
make the leap with Big Spring Crush wine festival later the
same year Once again Ryals delivered the perfect audience
for the event and in the process discovered a surprising
fact about North Alabamarsquos contribution to the wine-mak-
ing industry
ldquoIn doing the wine festival I learned that we have a huge
wine community in Huntsvillerdquo Ryals says ldquoTh ere are only
about 47 certifi ed wine judges in the entire United States
and we have four of them right here in North Alabama Two
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
copy Jeff White
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
ldquoI STARTED TO GET HOMESICK ALL OF MY FRIENDS WERE GETTING MARRIEDAND MEETING FOR FOOTBALL GAMES AND I WAS MISSING ITrdquo ASHLEY RYALS
copy Jeff White
copy Jeff White
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
ldquoIT WAS AWESOME AND SUCH A GREAT EXPERIENCE FOR USrdquoBILL FOWLER OLD TOWN BEER EXCHANGE
copy Jeff White
copy Olivia Reed
of those four certifi ed wine judges sit on the committee for
Big Spring Crushrdquo
Matthew and Stephanie Mell had just opened Church Street
Wine Shop when they decided to participate in the fi rst Big
Spring Crush Like OTBXrsquos Robert Fowler the Mells credit
Ryals and Homegrown Huntsville for helping to introduce
their new enterprise to the community ldquoAshley has been in-
strumental in helping to bring us people who love and ap-
preciate winerdquo Stephanie Mell says ldquoShe was homegrown
here in Huntsville and she really gets the downtown area
and small businesses and that is so important to usrdquo
Big Spring Crush began with a bang featuring over 150
wines and attracting patrons from across the country
ldquoMost wine festivals across the country have proven records
of being able to stay around 15 or 20 years or even longerrdquo
Ryals says ldquoAnd the economies of those cities have really
grown as a result I want Big Spring Crush to eventually be
the biggest and best wine festival in the state of Alabamardquo
How does Ryals intend to make that dream come true ldquoBy
always keeping it fresh I want to have new marketing and
new things happening each yearrdquo
Ryalsrsquo formula of reinvention and expansion has successfully
led Homegrown Huntsville through fi ve years of success and
helped its events become community staples along the way In
the process Ryals is broadening more than just our image of
downtown Huntsville shersquos joining a class of creative entrepre-
neurs committed to expanding Huntsvillersquos reputation as more
than just a hub for the brightest scientifi c minds in America
ldquoWe have a big city of engineers and lawyers and itrsquos won-
derfulrdquo Ryals say ldquo But there is a whole artist and food cul-
ture here and there is so much growth I want us to have a
vibrant cool downtown area and I want for people to tell
their friends to come and visit and to see Huntsville for what
it is a city I loverdquo
If yoursquod like to participate in Homegrown Huntsville either
as a guest or a participating business visit homegrown-
huntsvillecom
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
copy Jeff White
I was years old and the year was At that time the city of Huntsville was inching toward the mountain to the east California Street was once the continental divide between the small town metropo-lis and the uncharted territories gingerly crossed by the real estate pioneers four score and some odd years prior Th is area became the new suburb as the city kept pushing onward toward Fagan Springs as if the reverberating booms of rocket testings were vibrating Hunstvillians away from its epicenter
From the front yard of our house on Owens Drive I could look to the rightmdashup the hill to the bend be-yond which the big houses stood on their rocky ledge pedestals and to the left where all the other houses that looked just like oursmdashfresh and newmdashrambled for what seemed like miles Th ose clean well-lit abodes all seemed the same and granted at my age I knew more about the pets that lived there than I did about the people who owned those manageable mortgages I came to realize that each was diff erent in a way that was permeated by voices smells and furnishings
It is a clicheacute to say that our lives were simpler then because that is just how the current era will be fondly referred to in the future but to a 5-year-old it is the simplicity that brought the joy Th e sixties will always be to me the beginning of the age of manufactured happiness Cheap clean and simple was what was strived for and what was easily obtained Plastic items were plentiful and pretty things could be bought with SampH Green Stamps A few coins in our pocket would transfer us into the most master of manipula-tors with us giving our all to convince our parents for a jaunt to Murdockrsquos for a holiday of wonderment joy and impatience as we would scour the shelves trying to get the most from our meager budget
Owens Drive was the fairly new thoroughfare from which the avenues of three-bedroom-ranchers fi ngered away at planned intervals Th is was the place where newlyweds started their lives homes and families Where girls with last names that had been in the town for generations would change them to those strange and exotic last names of the clean cut newcomers brought here for military purposes Where the housewives would preheat their pristine electric ovens trying to make cheese straws and biscuits that were just like their motherrsquos only to be frustrated as they were never quite the same and where the husbands would follow in their fatherrsquos footsteps by joining the Acme Club and hunting doves on the weekends
Th ere was a swimming pool Certainly not at our house Th e only private pool I remember as a child was one that my grandmother would take me to nestled between huge trees at someonersquos house on Adams Street I would swim with other children my age while our grandmothers chatted smoking cigarettes in cat-eyed anonymity whispering most of their stories so we wouldnrsquot be able to hear But between their
gasps and laughter we would listen hear and learn
Th e Blossomwood pool was a place of designated rules and the sound of bright whistlesmdashwith straight lines and distinctive colors of blue and green I can still feel the Coppertoned oiliness on the skin of the tanned lifeguard as she carried me from the deep end frightened after my fi rst attempt at solo-swimming She knew my name I had no idea who she was
On the other side of the pool was the school my older sister attended It had a style that mim-icked the poolmdashstraight lines cleanmdasha temple to orderliness and good manners It was with
awe that I once watched the young adults there some as old as eleven wind and dance their way around a sky-high fl agpolemdasheach with a diff erent color ribbon until the fi rst (and only) May Pole
I was privy to was completely dressed in its woven bright colors
90 raquo bless their hearts raquo Guy McClure Jr
Huntsville was a magical place for us tail-end baby boomers to grow upmdashbeyond the miracles of the escalator at Pizitz the smiling little lady on the tall stool at the register at Britlings There was a comfort level there that Irsquom not sure is in the minds of the 5-year-olds of today
cat-eyed agasps
Th s
aI w
THE COMFORTS OF BLOSSOMWOOD
In our world of red-bricked carported castles there was a def-inite division of generations Th e children ate separately from the parents went to school as our dads went to work enter-tained our neighborhood friends as quietly as possible and felt safe between our boundaries of Big Cove Road and Hermitage Street While we dined on our Chef Boy-Ar-Dee boxed pizza our parents busied themselves dressing in their dark colors getting ready for a late dinner at Boots having the scent of perfume and face powder trail my mother as she came into the kitchen looking for something with an intense purpose My father would smell of British Sterling and look just as he did when he went to work only happier Th ese nights meant something fun would happenmdashwe would have a babysitter
Babysitters were my introduction into what was and still seems cool Th ey were usually Huntsville High School teen-agers who would put on a show without even knowing it I would drink in their every move word and essence of style To me they were supermodelsmdashmovie starsmdasheven more fa-mous in my eyes than a television weatherman and almost as glamorous as the waitresses at the Waffl e House
Before they would tire of me and my sister and put us to bed they would include us in their world of music and knowledge which I thought was all-encompassing Suddenly our world of Th e Benny Carl Show and Fantasy Playhouse would seem trite and passeacute and we would catch a fl eeting glimpse into what would be in store for us when we too could stay up past 8 pm
Huntsville was a magical place for us tail-end baby boomers to grow upmdashbeyond the miracles of the escalator at Pizitz the smiling little lady on the tall stool at the register at Britlings and that bright colorful Maypole Th ere was a comfort level there that Irsquom not sure is in the minds of the 5-year-olds of todaymdashthe soothing sheltered lack of knowledge of why we were so lucky yet we didnrsquot even know that we were
In the other areas of our Huntsville there was poverty and ra-cial unrestmdashas there was and is in every city I was unaware People of color were always a part of my worldmdashmostly be-cause they had my attention and respect At our house there was Annie my grandmotherrsquos house was fi lled with the joys of Lula and out on the family farm there was strong and smiling Homer and large and huggable Rosamdashall just as much a part of my life as everyone else My life was good and they were instrumental in making it that way
What will the 5-year-olds of today who are lucky enough to be raised on those well-planned streets remember when they surpass their own 50 year mark It is a much more complex world now and there are diff erent concerns with daily changes of fear Youthful innocence is a prize that is encased without a lock Premature maturity is a viable threat and a constant fear But each night tucked in tight in a simple room sleeps tomor-rowrsquos adults who are having sweet dreamsmdashblanketed by the comforts of Blossomwood
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
92 raquo the vine raquo Amy C Collins
BORDEAUX POWER
Where Burgundyrsquos vineyards were established by Benedictine monks patiently growing wine vines with spiritual hearts Bordeauxrsquos vineyards were raised by entrepreneurial laymen who recognized the massive monetary opportunity when the English began drinking down their peasant wine
The city of Bordeaux is Francersquos primary port town on the Atlantic ocean a harbor that has for centuries served as the countryrsquos most important dock Th e regionrsquos history is long and storied with the fi rst written reference to the area dated 379 AD by the Latin poet Ausonius who was also a wine-grower Jump ahead to the year 1152 when Eleanor of Aquitaine married Englandrsquos soon-to-be king Henry Plantagenet and the port and surrounding vineyard land became the source of wine for the English a connection that remains strong even today
Bordeaux produces the worldrsquos most expensive and sought after collector wines the top tier of which make up less than fi ve percent of the regionrsquos total production Th ese names are quickly learned by neophyte wine drinkers wanting to make an impression Chateau Haut-Brion Lafi te Latour and Margaux for example Grown in gravelly soils only a few meters above sea levelmdashin contrast vineyards elsewhere in Europe typically sit between 300 and 900 metersmdashthese wines are some of the most powerful austere and pawed over When young the tannins in these cabernet sauvignon cabernet franc and merlot blends coat the tongue and mouth with a chalky dry sensation akin to sucking on an Earl Grey tea bag and are perhaps best suited to well-fatted rare steak and cigars Th ese are wines built to live for decades Personally I prefer a Bordeaux at least 20 years aged when the tannins have had ample time to calm down and mellow out and more nuanced fl avors come forward Sounds fancy and it is Only in some very lucky circumstances over the past year have I been guest to a bottle of 1990 Clos de Menuts Saint-Eacutemilion and a 1970 Chateau Haut-Brion About once every 10 years Irsquove had the good
fortune to taste a wine older than myself Nice work if you can get it
Where Burgundyrsquos vineyards (Francersquos other classifi ed sought-after region) were established by Benedictine monks patiently growing wine vines with spiritual hearts
Bordeauxrsquos vineyards were raised by entrepreneurial laymen who recognized the massive monetary opportunity when the English began drinking down their peasant wine Th is underscores the second half of my theory as to why Americans
more often American males are so drawn to the wines of Bordeaux Th erersquos an inherent capitalist connection something in the soil Th at the wines are so
unmistakable so distinctively grand and pronounced elixirs exemplifi es the fi rst half of my theory we Americans are not known for our subtlety (To be fair the Chinese are
signifi cant Bordeaux collectors as well)
Philosophy aside Bordeaux is quite a large region that produces beautiful white and red values as well as the rare fi nds out of the populacersquos price range Herersquos the skinny Blending is the game single varietal wines are rare White Bordeaux is typically made from a blend of sauvignon blanc and seacutemillon and sometimes a drop or two of muscadelle ugni blanc or colombard Reds are made primarily from the two cabernets plus merlot with small quantities of petit verdot malbec and carmenegravere occasionally in the mix Th e region is also home to the golden nectar of late ripened seacutemillon sauvignon blanc and muscadelle grapes that have successfully attracted the noble rot a fungus that covers the fruit and drains moisture from inside leaving behind rich sweet grapes without moldy fl avors Chateau drsquoYquem is the most famous of these unfortifi ed dessert wines though there are better bargains from the region
Bordeaux is split by the Gironde river which divides the region into three general areas Th e left bank also known as the Haut-Meacutedoc is where the classifi ed top growths are situated Th ese prestigious estates were named for their exceptional vineyard sites in 1855 a decision nearly unchanged since Today serious collectors invest in Bordeaux futures theoretically locking down lower prices of top
ample time to calm dit is Only in some vede Menuts Saint-Eacutem
fortune to taste a
Wherees
aun
of msignifi
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Follow Amy at pigandvinecom for morestories and wine suggestions
growth estates while the wine is still aging in the cellar Itrsquos the wine tradersquos equivalent to the NASDAQ On the right bank Saint-Eacutemilion and Pommerol are the prized vineyard areas known for their merlot heavy cuveacutees To the south west we fi nd Graves where there are many great values to be had in both white and red bottlings Entre-Deux-Mers which translates to ldquobetween two seasrdquo sits between the Dordogne and Garonne tributaries off the Gironde and is an excellent source for crisp whites
Get started on your Bordeaux experience with these values
Chateau Graville-Lacoste 2014 Graves 75 seacutemillon 20 sauvignon blanc and 5 muscadelle make up this beauty thatrsquos consistently delicious every vintage Crisp and refreshing great with seafood
Chateau Mirambeau 2014 GravesAnother classic blend of 40 sauvignon blanc 40 seacutemillon and 20 muscadelle this lovely white is a bit more fl oral than the Graville-Lacoste Easy drinking and great value
Chateau de Parenchegravere Bordeaux Rouge 201155 merlot 30 cabernet sauvignon and 15 cabernet franc grown in clay heavy soils similar to the right bank of the region Fleshy with good structure and abundant red fruit
Chateau Arnaud Bordeaux Supeacuterieur 2011Supeacuterieur on a Bordeaux label isnrsquot egotistical marketingmdashby law it indicates a wine with up to one degree more alcohol than its AC Bordeaux brethren What it really means is one more degree of body structure and in this case quality Approachable delicious and easy on the wallet
Chateau de Bernadotte Haut-Meacutedoc 2005Th e 2005 vintage in Bordeaux is in the history books with double asterisks Owned by the eminent Pichon Lalande family and made from vineyards in Paulliac one of the more choice growing areas in the region this is an incredible value a top tier Bordeaux for a fraction of the cost
Chateau de Suduiraut Sauternes 2011Ripe cantaloupe apricot and honey and an interesting smoky note with a solid sweet attack followed by great acidity A dessert wine that wonrsquot overpower the dessert
94 raquo parting shot raquo Patrick Hood
Meet Solvar
Solvar belongs to one of the worldrsquos oldest and purest equine lineages the Nor-
wegian Fjord horse a breed that has remained virtually unchanged for more than
2000 yearsmdashlong before we became acquainted with his animated cousins in
the movie Frozen Th ese national symbols of Norway are characterized by primi-
tive zebra striping on their legs and a dorsal stripe running from forelock to tail
resulting in a striking two-tone mane that sticks up like a Mohawk Th eir athleti-
cism agility and dependability make them valuable both as sport horses as well
as therapy horses for emotionally and physically challenged adults and children
Catie Wells of Huntsville is the proud owner of Solvar who resides at Monte
Sano Stables
For tickets or information 256-539-4818 or hsoorg
Bring In the New Year With Us
presents
WHAT A WONDERFUL
WORLDA tribute to Louis
Armstrong featuring the
Byron Stripling Quartet
Thursday December 31
730 pm bull Pops Series bullMark C Smith
Concert Hall VBC
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
M O R E T H A N 7 0 S H O P S A N D R E S T A U R A N T S I N C L U D I N G B E L K | D S W S H O E S | A P P L E J O S A B A N K | R E E D S J E W E L E R S | PA N D O R A | J C R E W | K AT E S PA D E N E W Y O R KO R V I S | B A N A N A R E P U B L I C | M I C H A E L K O R S | F R A N C E S C Arsquo S | A N T H R O P O L O G I EH amp M | S O M A | M O U N T A I N H I G H O U T F I T T E R S | B A R N E S amp N O B L E | S E P H O R AALTAR rsquoD STATE | CONNORS STEAK amp SEFOOD | THE WEST IN HUNTSV I L L E | MONACO P ICTURES
C O M I N G S O O N V E R S O N A ndash near Belk
B R I D G E S T R E E T H U N T S V I L L E C O M |
BR IDGE STREET TOWN CENTRE I S LOCATED AT EX I T 14 OFF I - 565 AT OLD MAD ISON P IKE
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(1) Above The Bar Antler on Chain 28rdquo ($3999) (2) Above The Bar Deer wAntler Head 18rdquo ($2999) Indigorsquos Boutique(256) 345-6348
(3) Margaret Solow Labradorite18KT Bezel ($290) (4) Margaret Solow Diamond Crest MoonSilver ($460) (5) Margaret Solow Black Spinel + DiamondSilver ($560) (6) Margaret Solow Double Black Spinel18KT ($260)Little Green Store and Gallery (256) 539-9699
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
(1) Margaret Solow Grey Moonstoon18KT Necklace ($240) (2) Margaret Solow OpalDiamond Mosaic Necklace ($610) Little Green Storeand Gallery (256) 539-9699
(3) One-of-a-kind Eva Ziegler Smokey Quartz and Pyrite Necklace ($406)Eva Ziegler Jewelryevazieglercom
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) Jennifer BehrTurban ($625)(2) Cotton Day Dress ($64)(3) Norma Ishak Cardigan ($375)Finery(256) 429-3429
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
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(1) The Lion Sleeps Tonight Bath Bomb ($6) Sweet Pineapple(256) 964-7563
(2) Tiger Jelly Cat ($2250)(3) Dog Tag Teether ($1550)(4) Dinosaur Footie ($3595)Honey B Boutique(256) 503-2853
(5) Young Buck ($25)Tiny Vinestinyvinesshopcom
(6) Bib Set ($13)Huntsville Museumof Art(256) 535-4350
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
(1) Tiny Dancer Bath Bomb ($6)Sweet Pineapple(256) 964-7563
(2) Kickee Mammoth Footie ($3595)(3) Noodle amp Boo Essential Care Kit ($18)(4) Elephant Jelly Cat ($2250)Honey B Boutique(256) 503-2853
(5) ArtFolio Pink Elephant Coloring Tote ($17)Huntsville Museumof Art(256) 535-4350
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(1) Bib Set ($13)Huntsville Museumof Art(256) 535-4350 (2) Little Light ($25)Tiny Vinestinyvinesshopcom (3) Micro Leon Cardboard Lion ($30)Little Green Storeand Gallery (256) 539-9699 (4) I Love You Like Biscuits amp Gravy ($23)Domaine South(256) 808-8860
(5) Kickee Kimono ($4295)Honey B Boutique(256) 503-2853
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
SURPRISEA LOVED ONE
THIS HOLIDAY SEASON
WITH A FOREVER GIFT
HobbsJewelerscom 8772331347Parkway Place Mall
HuntsvilleHwy 72 West
AthensMain Street
Ardmore TN
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Caftan ($75)Sarah Richey Necklace ($350)Finery(256) 429-3429
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
(1) Chewbead Necklace ($3495)(2) Mayoral Baby Bag ($7995)(3) Mayoral Diaper Changing Pad ($2495)(4) Nursing Scarf ($2695) (5) Kickee Swaddling Blanket ($22)Honey B Boutique(256) 503-2853 (6) Lucy Darling Months Sticker ($25) (7) The Story of You Baby Book by Emily Ley ($62) Sweet Pineapple(256) 964-7563
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(1) Alwand Vahan 14K Gold and Onyx Ring wDiamond Accent ($2595)(2) Alwand Vanan 14K Gold and Onyx Bracelet wDiamond Accent ($2695)Hobbs Jewelers(877) 233-1347
(3) Britt Ryan Dress ($288)Personal Couture Boutique(256) 508-5632
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) Rocket Cosmos Mug ($13)Huntsville Museumof Art(256) 535-4350
(2) Loose Leaf Tea ($399)Piper amp Leaf piperandleafcom (3) Judy Jackson Tea Pot ($56) (4) Gary Watson Cherry Cutting Board ($48-$68) (5) Susan Coe Birthday Cake Plate ($33) Little Green Storeand Gallery (256) 539-9699 (6) Macarons ($116 pcs $221 dozen)Whisk Small Treats Bakery(256) 656-1027
(7) Truffl es ($185 each)Pizellersquos Confections (256) 513-9745 (8) Olive amp Sinclair Chocolate ($799)Domaine South(256) 808-8860
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
(1) Whisk Note Pad ($8) (2) In the Forest Mixing Bowl ($36) (3) Twig Serving Set ($18)(8) Southern Firefl y Candle ($12)Sweet Pineapple(256) 964-7563
(4) Urchin Bowl ($10)(5) Foodie Dice ($38)(6) 1Canoe2 Wood Recipe Box w Recipe Cards ($6999) Domaine South(256) 808-8860 (7) Growlers ($75 small $95 large)Southern Growlersoutherngrowlercom
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(4) BCBG Dress ($328)Personal Couture Boutique(256) 508-5632
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Guadalupe Robinson
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
text by jennifer crossley howard raquo photos by patrick hood
Of Deft and Dirty Hands
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Huntsville potter Guadalupe Lanning Robinson has spent more than 36 years mastering the
marriage of clay texture and geometric design into her pottery yet time has done little to temper the
plight of waiting
ldquoIt is hard for me to let a pot just dryrdquo she says motioning toward fi ve small wet pots sitting near her
pottery wheel ldquoIrsquom as excited to do this as I was 30 years agordquo
To observe her studio at Lowe Mill that is easy to believe Located on the corridor outside the textile
mill-turned-art centerrsquos main building the loft-like space with a corrugated tin roof feels like a place a
Gabriel Garcia Marquez character would enjoy daydreaming
Sienna-hued pottery sits in various stages to be fi red layered and etched Argentinian tango music
streams from Robinsonrsquos iPhone and two cockatiels a parrot and a parakeet chirp from their cages All
except the parrot fl y freely when Robinson is working
Robinson who is 61 made her fi rst pot in 1979 in her native Mexico City Almost four decades later her
work is part of permanent museum collections in Auburn Huntsville Tuscumbia and Tupelo Missis-
sippi She regularly enters her work in respected juried shows such as the Monte Sano Arts Festival and
the Kentuck Festival of the Arts in Northport and has received two Alabama State Council on the Arts
individual artist fellowships
Her inspiration draws from the villages around her native Mexico City such as the black pottery of
the northwest as well as her acquired Southern culture White lilies corn grids and round female
fi guresmdashldquoreally strong women who are in chargerdquo Robinson saysmdashreappear on her stoneware She uses
natural dyes indigo for color and mixes sand into clay for texture Nothing is wasted
ldquoI donrsquot waste any clayrdquo Robinson says ldquoEverything is recycledrdquo
Robinson fi nds solace in the 40-50 hours a week she puts in at the studio and the often tedious process
of making pots which can take from three weeks to six weeks for larger pots She usually works on two
or three pots at a time tending to groups at diff erent stages
After a pot is thrown on a wheel a piece can take days to dry before its fi rst bisque fi re in which tem-
peratures rise to 1800 F After baking for nine hours the kiln must cool Th e second fi ring rises to 2150
F and matures the clay and melts the glazes to strengthen the piece
ldquoI am an effi cient person by naturerdquo Robinson says ldquoWaiting for the kiln to cool down enough to open
can be nerve wracking and this is when my patience is usually put to the testrdquo
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
ldquoIt is hard for me to let a pot just dry Irsquom as excited to do this as I was 30 years agordquo
Robinson makes most of her pots on a wheel using oxides to change the color of clay she gets from Nashville and Pittsburgh Her pottery takes several weeks from start to fi nish depending on how large a pot is and how many she makes at a time
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
ldquoAttend to your childrenrsquos needs fi rst keep focus on what you want to douse the happiness joy and little breaks you get to make your artTh ey grow real fast and they will keep inspiring you all your liferdquo
Robinson imagined this bat-like design as she was working She usually begins a piece with a design in mind but that often evolves
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Robinson uses an overlay of liquid clay called engobemdashthat includes three to four layersmdashto create a
base on which to design
Th ere is high risk in making pottery and hours of work can be wasted on a pot that has not dried en-
tirely before it enters the kiln Air pockets or the wrong mixture of chemicals can ruin a piece
ldquoArt is involved but science is toordquo says Laura Smith director of education at the Huntsville Museum
of Art where Robinson has taught pottery classes ldquoItrsquos more labor intensive in terms of working with
the medium whether yoursquore building by hand or with a wheel until you fi re with the fi nal layer of glazerdquo
Th e result is sturdy pottery
ldquoI want my pots to look like something that is lasting a long timerdquo Robinson says
Th ough she works solitarily in her studio she says she does not get lonely Her birds and music keep her
company and each stage of pottery making has a soundtrack She uses needlepoint tools to draw onto
clay to Jose Feliciano and other Latin American musicians
ldquoIf Irsquom at the wheel Bruno Marsrdquo she says ldquoIf Irsquom unloading the kiln and something is really awesome
then I need something moving and I have on Motownrdquo
Robinsonrsquos years of experience minimize the risk of damaged pots but she says her greatest challenge
as a potter was balancing her work while raising her two children Now adults their candid childhood
pictures and those of her grandchildren cover the warm green walls of her studio
She met her husband the poet James Robinson in 1977 on a Greyhound bus when she returned to
Mexico City from visiting a friend at the University of Southern Mississippi He was heading to Mexico
to study at a university Th ey married six months later After giving birth to her daughter Annie Jane in
Mexico City in 1982 the family moved to Huntsville in 1985 Th at is when Robinson got more serious
about her pottery
ldquoFrom the very beginning when I moved to Alabama I knew I was going to have to do thisrdquo she said
ldquoIn some ways it was a way for me to keep connected to my heritagerdquo
She took even 15 minutes of free time to work in the studio behind her home and worked late into the
night while her daughter and son Isidoro born in 1987 slept Having a home studio allowed her to
wash clothes tend to her home and drop off lunches at school while maintaining her art
ldquoTh ere was something for me when I fi rst became a mother that fueled my creativityrdquo Robinson says
ldquoTh ey are such a social inspiration too It fi lls your liferdquo
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Robinson advises fellow artists who are mothers to seize
both roles but to prioritize motherhood
ldquoAttend to your childrenrsquos needs fi rst keep focus on what you
want to do use the happiness joy and little breaks you get
to make your artrdquo she says ldquoTh ey grow real fast and they will
keep inspiring you all your liferdquo
Anna Sue Courtney director of the Flying Monkey Arts
Center at Lowe Mill has known Robinson for more than
10 years She says she admires how mothers and artists like
Robinson seamlessly embrace both roles
ldquoIt seems therersquos not a separation between creating and rais-
ing childrenrdquo Courtney says ldquoTh ey seem to pull from the
same placerdquo
Part of Robinsonrsquos motivation at Lowe Mill comes from
working privately in a studio alongside other artists that fos-
ters a community of feedback and ideas
ldquoItrsquos nice to be here because you can take a break and walk around and get inspirationrdquo Courtney says
ldquoItrsquos refreshingrdquo
When she needs a break from the studio Robinson stays home to sketch designs for a day or two then
she is back in the studio
Trips twice a year to Mexico City keep her plugged in to her native culture which in turn shows up in
her pottery
ldquoI have to recharge myselfrdquo Robinson says ldquoI love Huntsville and loved raising my kids here but I still
have the need of going back to be recharged and smell all the smells and see all the colors and get on
the subway and be pushed aroundrdquo
Details from her trips that infl uence her work include the ever-present red that covers the city during
the celebration of Dia de los Muertos or the Day of the Dead Th e pyramids of Teotihuacan conjure
warm earth tones and fl oating gardens around the city yield sweet pungent calla lilies and carnations
Celebration of food tough women and nature reappear in her pottery qualities that both Southern and
Mexican cultures treasure
Above This daisy design is character-istic of Robinsonrsquos work Nature food and strong females from her native Mexico City and the South are strong creative infl uences
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Clockwise from top left Robinson often glazes only the inside of her pots so they can hold water and food She began quilting in 2002 and her quilts like her pottery contain earth tones and natural infl uences in their design Four birds keep Robinson company in what can be the isolating medium of pottery making Geometry and symmetry are two signature elements in Robinsonrsquos work according to Laura Smith director of education at the Huntsville Museum of Art
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Just as she keeps her home country close to her heart Robinson is loyal to her fi rst
love of pottery though she began making quilts in 2002
ldquoIrsquom a potter who likes to quiltrdquo she says
Like her pottery her quilting follows designs of organic nature such as fl owers and
crops on rich jewel tone cotton
ldquoWhen I fi rst saw one of her quilts I didnrsquot realize it was hers and I thought that
looks like it should be Guadalupersquos quiltrdquo Courtney says
Robinson prefers the immediate gratifi cation of clay
ldquoItrsquos a very responsive mediumrdquo she says ldquoYou can manipulate it Th e fact of mak-
ing something out of dirt out of nothing and making it durable making it perma-
nent that after going through the heat and maturing is something very excitingrdquo
She gently dings a pot covered with white dresses titled ldquoTehuana Dressrdquo to make
her point
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
887 FM Muscle Shoals bull 1007 FM Huntsvillewwwaprorg
News classicalmusic and more
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
copy Patrick Hood
text by sara wright covington raquo photos by jacki gil
patrick hood erin lindsey and michelle odom
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
copy Patrick Hood
ldquoA LOT OF PEOPLE HAD BEEN ASKING ME QUESTIONS ABOUTHOW I GOT MY BUSINESS STARTED I WANTED TO GATHER SOME PEOPLE AROUND ME
WHO WERE GOING THROUGH THOSE STRUGGLES AND TOBUILD ENTREPRENEURIAL COURAGErdquo
JACKI GIL SALT+PAPERIE
copy Patrick Hood
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
untsville-born Jacki Gil began her paper design busi-
ness Salt+Paperie in 2014 with an expansive vision
in mind one that extended beyond creating beautiful
custom designed paper goods ldquoI love my design job
but when Irsquom 50 years old I donrsquot see myself still de-
signing wedding invitationsrdquo the master stationer says
ldquoI really have a passion for teaching and helping people
I want to be a mentorrdquo
In 2015 Gil set out on her mentoring mission sooner than expected with a series
of workshops called Encourage Huntsville ldquoA lot of people had been asking me
questions about how I got my business startedrdquo Gil says about the early days of
Salt+Paperie Even though most of those questions from entrepreneurial-hopefuls
were technicalmdashlike how to apply for a business licensemdashthey served as inspira-
tion for Gil ldquoI wanted to gather some people around me who were going through
those struggles and to build entrepreneurial courage I defi nitely saw that there
was a need for helping people to take that next step toward owning their own
businessesrdquo
Encourage Huntsville was modeled on the image of a growing small business
movement called the Rising Tide Society a national community of creative small
business owners who encourage ldquocommunity over competitionrdquo Th at spirit of
openness is at the heart of Encourage Huntsville ldquoCommunity over competition
is a huge part of what we are doingrdquo says Gil ldquoSmall business owners sharing how
they earn their money is a big dealrdquo
As a fi rst step Gil gathered others around her who were using their skills and abili-
ties to make their own small businesses work With talents ranging from cooking
and cake decorating to hand lettering and artwork these small business owners
all embraced Gilrsquos vision for imparting to others the knowledge of their craft un-
impeded by a fear of losing their competitive edge
Th e fi rst lesson Gil wanted to impart to Encourage Huntsvillersquos students wasnrsquot
necessarily a particular craft or skill but a spirt of creative confi dence ldquoWe want-
ed to bridge the gap between the very artsy community and the ultimate engineer
communityrdquo many of whom Gil observes had been told since childhood they
werenrsquot artistic ldquoWhen you are little and someone tells you that you donrsquot have a
talent it sticks with you I found that a lot of people had that experience so that
was the workshop partmdashto build some creative courage in this communityrdquo
Gil conducted the fi rst workshop herself testing the waters to see how the concept
would be received Th e admission price to that fi rst workshop included supplies a
take-home ldquogoody bagrdquo to help students continue their work extracurricularly and
refreshmentsmdashas well as Gilrsquos tips of her trade
ldquoWe went in blindly not knowing if we had a market or notrdquo says Gil Th e popular-
ity of that fi rst class proved undeniably that a market did in fact exist the work-
shop sold out in one day ldquoSo we did back-to-back workshopsrdquo Gil says ldquoAfter that
novemberdecembeeer eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee | nononoononononononoonoonononooooonoonoonnononnoaaalalalllaallllllalaalaaalal ststustust ddiossscom mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm | | | | | | | | | | |
f
w
y
Previous page Encourage Huntsvillersquos founder and instructor Jacki Gil teaches a class in hand lettering Facing page A participant studies her supply list
we realized people really want to do this stuff So we said lsquoletrsquos jump on the boat
and make this happenrsquordquo
Gilrsquos longtime friend photographer Erin Lindsey of Erin Lindsey Images agreed
to contribute to Encourage Huntsvillersquos curriculum by teaching a photography
class ldquoJacki and I are a good team because our hearts are in the same place when
it comes to encouraging othersrdquo Lindsey says Still she admits saying yes to teach-
ing wasnrsquot without some initial hesitation ldquoWhen Jacki asked if I would teach a
class it was kind of scary I thought I had to be perfect before I could teach oth-
ersrdquo Lindsey says of her initial hesitancy ldquoBut after talking to Jacki I realized none
of us are perfectrdquo But perfection isnrsquot the goal encouragement is the goal ldquoAnd I
thought lsquoI can defi nitely line up with that visionrsquordquo
Michelle Odom another Huntsville native and owner of custom cake bakery Just
Crumbs was also on board with Gilrsquos vision In fact Odom had been contemplat-
ing teaching a class when she was approached by Gil to teach a fondant basics
class ldquoHuntsville is such an engineer town and everyone is so mathematical and
scientifi crdquo Odom says echoing the dichotomy between the arts and sciences ex-
pressed by Gil ldquoTh ese workshops are just a very cool way for structured people to
have a creative outletrdquo
ldquoJACKI AND I ARE A GOOD TEAM BECAUSE OUR HEARTS ARE INTHE SAME PLACE WHEN IT COMES TO ENCOURAGING OTHERSrdquo
ERIN LINDSEY ERIN LINDSEY IMAGES
copy Erin Lindsey
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Above A participant in Erin Lindseyrsquos photo class frames a still life
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
copy Erin Lindsey
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
ldquoHUNTSVILLE IS SUCH AN ENGINEER TOWN AND EVERYONE ISSO MATHEMATICAL AND SCIENTIFIC THESE WORKSHOPS ARE JUST A VERY COOL
WAY FOR STRUCTURED PEOPLE TO HAVE A CREATIVE OUTLETrdquo MICHELLE ODOM JUST CRUMBS
copy Michelle Odom
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
ldquoAnd yesrdquo Odom acknowledges ldquoyou are in theory teaching your competition But
at the same time you are helping the community be more creativerdquo
With its roster of popular creative workshops under its belt Encourage Huntsville
has added business classes to its community-over-competition curriculum with
classes designed to provide specifi c guidance for small business owners ldquoAll of
our events that donrsquot require hands-on work we call seminarsrdquo says Gil ldquoWe had
about 15 people at our fi rst one It was pretty much just an open discussion to ask
us questions and get answers from the perspective of a small business ownerrdquo
Th e seminars enjoyed the same success and enthusiasm as the workshops ldquoWe
had two hours for people to ask questionsrdquo Gil says Topics covered ran the gamut
from scheduling daily tasks self-hosting a website or using an Etsy store man-
aging client expectations and being realistic about how much time you need to
complete jobs
ldquoTh e time went quickly and people wanted morerdquo says Gil who envisions an all-
day seminar in 2016
Margaret Baggett owner and executive chef of the Chef Next Door is another
small business owner who has shared Gilrsquos vision from the very beginning teach-
copy Erin Lindsey
Facing page Michelle Odomrsquos fondant basics class begins with a styrofoam cake form Above Newbie photographers familiarize themselves with their cameras in Erin Lindseyrsquos photography class
ing knife skills workshops and helping host the business seminars ldquoI am so proud
to get to be a part of this project and help nurture other small business owners
who may just be starting out on their journey or are deep in it and looking for
some encouragement from other business ownersrdquo Baggett says of what motivates
her participation in Encourage Huntsville ldquoEven being on the advice-giving side
of things I am still learning and have taken tips and tricks and lessons from each
event we have had so far We never stop learning from each other and never stop
improving upon our craftsrdquo
Th e mutual growth among students and teachers is the source of the encourage-
mentmdashand the joymdashof Encourage Huntsville ldquoItrsquos so much fun to see the light
bulbs go off with people and see them encouraged right before your eyesrdquo Lindsey
says of her experience with the program ldquoPlus itrsquos a pleasure to contribute to a
sense of community over competition Th at whole concept is so rarerdquo
As Encourage Huntsvillersquos following continues to grow the diversity of the work-
shops will expand as well Whether you are looking to spend a fun afternoon
learning a new craft or are a budding small business owner hoping to launch
your brand Encourage Huntsville has something valuable to off er ldquoWe encourage
those left-brain folks to take up a new hobby or skillrdquo Baggett says ldquoor just encour-
age the people of Huntsville to get together and fan their creative fl amesrdquo
If yoursquore looking for
creative or entrepreneurial
encouragement visit
encouragehuntsvillecom
for seminar and workshop
schedules and information
ldquoI AM SO PROUD TO GET TO BE A PART OF THIS PROJECT AND HELP NURTURE OTHER SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS WHO MAY JUST BE STARTING OUT ON THEIR JOURNEY OR ARE DEEP IN IT
AND LOOKING FOR SOME ENCOURAGEMENT FROM OTHER BUSINESS OWNERSrdquoMARGARET BAGGETT CHEF NEXT DOOR
copy Jacki Gil
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
copy Jacki Gil
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Participants in Margaret Baggettrsquos knife skills workshop learn to perfect their ldquomise en placerdquo
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
copy Olivia Reed
text by sara wright covington raquo photos by olivia reed and jeff white
HUNTSVILLErsquoS
HOMEGROWNHOSTESS
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
ttttttononononoooooonononooooo raquo praquo praquo praquo praquo phothothothothotosoososos s s osos bybybbybb
Any host will tell you that delicious food and quality libations while important to
a partyrsquos success are secondary to the most important ingredient of all the guest list Th atrsquos why many
of downtown Huntsvillersquos most popular restaurants breweries and wine shops are turning to event
planner Ashley Ryals and her uncanny knack for attracting loyal patronsmdashand creating unforgettable
events in the process
When Huntsville born-and-bred Ashley Ryals left for college at the University of Alabama in 2001
she thought her exit from the Valley was permanent ldquoI never thought I would end up back hererdquo the
founder of event planning company Homegrown Huntsville says with a knowing laugh But after a few
post-graduate years working for world-renowned public relations powerhouse Weber Shandwick in
New York City Ryals started to second guess her freshman declaration
ldquoI started to get homesickrdquo she admits ldquoAll of my friends were getting married and meeting for football
games and I was missing itrdquo So when a friend from home set up an interview at EarlyWorks for a job
doing event planning Ryals jumped at the chance to come home
Ashley spent the next few years planning EarlyWorks Whistle Stop and Santarsquos Village events A brief
stint in sales followed along with a seat on the board of Huntsville Young Professionals where she had
an idea for a downtown pub crawl
ldquoWe expected 20 or 30 peoplerdquo Ryals says of their modest expectations ldquoBut 200 people showed uprdquo
Th at initial success convinced Ryals to embark on her dream of establishing an
event planning company But it wasnrsquot just any event planning company Ryals
had in mind she envisioned one that would collaborate with local businesses
cultivate signature events for the community to enjoy and support small busi-
nesses in the process
Inspired Ryals left her sales job and for the second time in her life came home
again to event planning and Homegrown Huntsville
To help bring her vision to life Ryals collaborated with designer Adrianne Van
Kirk of Fave Creative ldquoAdrianne has been a part of the visual and branding of
Homegrown from the beginning We come up with the event ideas then I get
the ticketing and sales together and she comes back with a logo and the mar-
keting for the event And thatrsquos how it all comes togetherrdquo Ryals says of their
creative process
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
ASHLEY RYALS
copy Olivia Reed
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
ldquoMOST WINE FESTIVALS ACROSS THE COUNTRY HAVE PROVEN RECORDS OF BEING ABLE TO STAY AROUND 15 OR 20 YEARS OR EVEN LONGER AND THE ECONOMIES OF THOSE
CITIES HAVE REALLY GROWN AS A RESULT I WANT BIG SPRING CRUSH TO EVENTUALLY BE THE BIGGEST AND BEST WINE FESTIVAL IN THE STATE OF ALABAMArdquo ASHLEY RYALS
copy Jeff White
copy Jeff White
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
copy Olivia Reed
Homegrown launched in 2011 with what would become its
signature event Dine amp Dash Every second Wednesday
April through October a trolley shuttles patrons between
downtown establishments where they are served a drink
and appetizer before moving on to the next stop
Owner and executive chef Merle Phillips of Th e Eaves was
one of the fi rst restaurants to sign on for Dine amp Dashrsquos de-
but ldquoAshley came to me and said she was starting a trolley
tasting conceptrdquo says Chef Merle ldquoI didnrsquot really know her so
I was taking a chance on the concept she was sellingrdquo
Merle tried it and has been a loyal participant of Dine amp
Dash ever since
ldquoIt was a risk in the beginning but it defi nitely paid off rdquo Chef
Merle says of the experience Pivotal to that experience ac-
cording to Phillips is Ryalsrsquo demonstration to the commu-
nity just what the term ldquohomegrownrdquo really means ldquoAshley
shines a spotlight on independent businesses in a market-
place that has for so long focused on chainsrdquo Phillips says
ldquoDine amp Dash has really brought into sharp focus the inter-
esting culinary diversity that Huntsville has to off errdquo
For the next two years Homegrown Huntsville focused al-
most exclusively on Dine amp Dash which by the end of its fi rst
year included every single downtown restaurant But when
big changes began to appear on the downtown horizonmdash
new restaurants breweries and residential developmentsmdash
Ryalsrsquo instincts told her
the time had come to
introduce a new event
to the downtown cal-
endar
ldquoBeer Hop follows
the concept of Dine
amp Dashrdquo Ryals says of
Homegrownrsquos second
venture which began
in 2013 Each month a
trolley visits three dif-
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
BILL FOWLEROLD TOWN BEER
EXCHANGE
copy Olivia Reed
copy Olivia Reed
ferent breweries where patrons sample beers and enjoy food
from a variety of food trucks parked at each location
Bill Fowler managing partner of Old Town Beer Exchange
agreed to participate in Beer Hop on his very fi rst day of
business and credits Ryals with an overwhelmingly success-
ful opening night ldquoAshley said lsquoI can guarantee that you are
going to have wave after wave of people coming throughrsquordquo
Fowler says recalling that fi rst jittery occasion Once again
Ryals proved true to her word with 60-plus patrons arriving
in an hour-and-a-half ldquoIt was awesome and such a great ex-
perience for usrdquo Fowler raves ldquoAshley is a hard worker and
you can see that in what she doesrdquo
Fowler believes that in addition to bringing new customers
to OTBX Ryals is also cultivating beer education consis-
tently bringing in people who are new to beer and want to
learn And with Huntsvillersquos recent brewery boom that level
of education and interest is crucial for the brewing commu-
nity to thrive ldquoWe have a very small window of opportunityrdquo
says Fowler ldquoI think Huntsville in particular is becoming a
craft brewing community People are making money at this
and once Tennessee sees that we need to already have had a
pretty huge head startrdquo
By the end of 2013 and with standing events Beer Hop and
Dine amp Dash well established Ryals took time to refl ect on
her original goal for Homegrown Huntsville ldquoIn the back of
my head from day one I knew I wanted to do a wine festival
I just didnrsquot think Huntsville was ready for it in 2011rdquo
Emboldened by the success of Beer Hop Ryals decided to
make the leap with Big Spring Crush wine festival later the
same year Once again Ryals delivered the perfect audience
for the event and in the process discovered a surprising
fact about North Alabamarsquos contribution to the wine-mak-
ing industry
ldquoIn doing the wine festival I learned that we have a huge
wine community in Huntsvillerdquo Ryals says ldquoTh ere are only
about 47 certifi ed wine judges in the entire United States
and we have four of them right here in North Alabama Two
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
copy Jeff White
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
ldquoI STARTED TO GET HOMESICK ALL OF MY FRIENDS WERE GETTING MARRIEDAND MEETING FOR FOOTBALL GAMES AND I WAS MISSING ITrdquo ASHLEY RYALS
copy Jeff White
copy Jeff White
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
ldquoIT WAS AWESOME AND SUCH A GREAT EXPERIENCE FOR USrdquoBILL FOWLER OLD TOWN BEER EXCHANGE
copy Jeff White
copy Olivia Reed
of those four certifi ed wine judges sit on the committee for
Big Spring Crushrdquo
Matthew and Stephanie Mell had just opened Church Street
Wine Shop when they decided to participate in the fi rst Big
Spring Crush Like OTBXrsquos Robert Fowler the Mells credit
Ryals and Homegrown Huntsville for helping to introduce
their new enterprise to the community ldquoAshley has been in-
strumental in helping to bring us people who love and ap-
preciate winerdquo Stephanie Mell says ldquoShe was homegrown
here in Huntsville and she really gets the downtown area
and small businesses and that is so important to usrdquo
Big Spring Crush began with a bang featuring over 150
wines and attracting patrons from across the country
ldquoMost wine festivals across the country have proven records
of being able to stay around 15 or 20 years or even longerrdquo
Ryals says ldquoAnd the economies of those cities have really
grown as a result I want Big Spring Crush to eventually be
the biggest and best wine festival in the state of Alabamardquo
How does Ryals intend to make that dream come true ldquoBy
always keeping it fresh I want to have new marketing and
new things happening each yearrdquo
Ryalsrsquo formula of reinvention and expansion has successfully
led Homegrown Huntsville through fi ve years of success and
helped its events become community staples along the way In
the process Ryals is broadening more than just our image of
downtown Huntsville shersquos joining a class of creative entrepre-
neurs committed to expanding Huntsvillersquos reputation as more
than just a hub for the brightest scientifi c minds in America
ldquoWe have a big city of engineers and lawyers and itrsquos won-
derfulrdquo Ryals say ldquo But there is a whole artist and food cul-
ture here and there is so much growth I want us to have a
vibrant cool downtown area and I want for people to tell
their friends to come and visit and to see Huntsville for what
it is a city I loverdquo
If yoursquod like to participate in Homegrown Huntsville either
as a guest or a participating business visit homegrown-
huntsvillecom
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
copy Jeff White
I was years old and the year was At that time the city of Huntsville was inching toward the mountain to the east California Street was once the continental divide between the small town metropo-lis and the uncharted territories gingerly crossed by the real estate pioneers four score and some odd years prior Th is area became the new suburb as the city kept pushing onward toward Fagan Springs as if the reverberating booms of rocket testings were vibrating Hunstvillians away from its epicenter
From the front yard of our house on Owens Drive I could look to the rightmdashup the hill to the bend be-yond which the big houses stood on their rocky ledge pedestals and to the left where all the other houses that looked just like oursmdashfresh and newmdashrambled for what seemed like miles Th ose clean well-lit abodes all seemed the same and granted at my age I knew more about the pets that lived there than I did about the people who owned those manageable mortgages I came to realize that each was diff erent in a way that was permeated by voices smells and furnishings
It is a clicheacute to say that our lives were simpler then because that is just how the current era will be fondly referred to in the future but to a 5-year-old it is the simplicity that brought the joy Th e sixties will always be to me the beginning of the age of manufactured happiness Cheap clean and simple was what was strived for and what was easily obtained Plastic items were plentiful and pretty things could be bought with SampH Green Stamps A few coins in our pocket would transfer us into the most master of manipula-tors with us giving our all to convince our parents for a jaunt to Murdockrsquos for a holiday of wonderment joy and impatience as we would scour the shelves trying to get the most from our meager budget
Owens Drive was the fairly new thoroughfare from which the avenues of three-bedroom-ranchers fi ngered away at planned intervals Th is was the place where newlyweds started their lives homes and families Where girls with last names that had been in the town for generations would change them to those strange and exotic last names of the clean cut newcomers brought here for military purposes Where the housewives would preheat their pristine electric ovens trying to make cheese straws and biscuits that were just like their motherrsquos only to be frustrated as they were never quite the same and where the husbands would follow in their fatherrsquos footsteps by joining the Acme Club and hunting doves on the weekends
Th ere was a swimming pool Certainly not at our house Th e only private pool I remember as a child was one that my grandmother would take me to nestled between huge trees at someonersquos house on Adams Street I would swim with other children my age while our grandmothers chatted smoking cigarettes in cat-eyed anonymity whispering most of their stories so we wouldnrsquot be able to hear But between their
gasps and laughter we would listen hear and learn
Th e Blossomwood pool was a place of designated rules and the sound of bright whistlesmdashwith straight lines and distinctive colors of blue and green I can still feel the Coppertoned oiliness on the skin of the tanned lifeguard as she carried me from the deep end frightened after my fi rst attempt at solo-swimming She knew my name I had no idea who she was
On the other side of the pool was the school my older sister attended It had a style that mim-icked the poolmdashstraight lines cleanmdasha temple to orderliness and good manners It was with
awe that I once watched the young adults there some as old as eleven wind and dance their way around a sky-high fl agpolemdasheach with a diff erent color ribbon until the fi rst (and only) May Pole
I was privy to was completely dressed in its woven bright colors
90 raquo bless their hearts raquo Guy McClure Jr
Huntsville was a magical place for us tail-end baby boomers to grow upmdashbeyond the miracles of the escalator at Pizitz the smiling little lady on the tall stool at the register at Britlings There was a comfort level there that Irsquom not sure is in the minds of the 5-year-olds of today
cat-eyed agasps
Th s
aI w
THE COMFORTS OF BLOSSOMWOOD
In our world of red-bricked carported castles there was a def-inite division of generations Th e children ate separately from the parents went to school as our dads went to work enter-tained our neighborhood friends as quietly as possible and felt safe between our boundaries of Big Cove Road and Hermitage Street While we dined on our Chef Boy-Ar-Dee boxed pizza our parents busied themselves dressing in their dark colors getting ready for a late dinner at Boots having the scent of perfume and face powder trail my mother as she came into the kitchen looking for something with an intense purpose My father would smell of British Sterling and look just as he did when he went to work only happier Th ese nights meant something fun would happenmdashwe would have a babysitter
Babysitters were my introduction into what was and still seems cool Th ey were usually Huntsville High School teen-agers who would put on a show without even knowing it I would drink in their every move word and essence of style To me they were supermodelsmdashmovie starsmdasheven more fa-mous in my eyes than a television weatherman and almost as glamorous as the waitresses at the Waffl e House
Before they would tire of me and my sister and put us to bed they would include us in their world of music and knowledge which I thought was all-encompassing Suddenly our world of Th e Benny Carl Show and Fantasy Playhouse would seem trite and passeacute and we would catch a fl eeting glimpse into what would be in store for us when we too could stay up past 8 pm
Huntsville was a magical place for us tail-end baby boomers to grow upmdashbeyond the miracles of the escalator at Pizitz the smiling little lady on the tall stool at the register at Britlings and that bright colorful Maypole Th ere was a comfort level there that Irsquom not sure is in the minds of the 5-year-olds of todaymdashthe soothing sheltered lack of knowledge of why we were so lucky yet we didnrsquot even know that we were
In the other areas of our Huntsville there was poverty and ra-cial unrestmdashas there was and is in every city I was unaware People of color were always a part of my worldmdashmostly be-cause they had my attention and respect At our house there was Annie my grandmotherrsquos house was fi lled with the joys of Lula and out on the family farm there was strong and smiling Homer and large and huggable Rosamdashall just as much a part of my life as everyone else My life was good and they were instrumental in making it that way
What will the 5-year-olds of today who are lucky enough to be raised on those well-planned streets remember when they surpass their own 50 year mark It is a much more complex world now and there are diff erent concerns with daily changes of fear Youthful innocence is a prize that is encased without a lock Premature maturity is a viable threat and a constant fear But each night tucked in tight in a simple room sleeps tomor-rowrsquos adults who are having sweet dreamsmdashblanketed by the comforts of Blossomwood
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
92 raquo the vine raquo Amy C Collins
BORDEAUX POWER
Where Burgundyrsquos vineyards were established by Benedictine monks patiently growing wine vines with spiritual hearts Bordeauxrsquos vineyards were raised by entrepreneurial laymen who recognized the massive monetary opportunity when the English began drinking down their peasant wine
The city of Bordeaux is Francersquos primary port town on the Atlantic ocean a harbor that has for centuries served as the countryrsquos most important dock Th e regionrsquos history is long and storied with the fi rst written reference to the area dated 379 AD by the Latin poet Ausonius who was also a wine-grower Jump ahead to the year 1152 when Eleanor of Aquitaine married Englandrsquos soon-to-be king Henry Plantagenet and the port and surrounding vineyard land became the source of wine for the English a connection that remains strong even today
Bordeaux produces the worldrsquos most expensive and sought after collector wines the top tier of which make up less than fi ve percent of the regionrsquos total production Th ese names are quickly learned by neophyte wine drinkers wanting to make an impression Chateau Haut-Brion Lafi te Latour and Margaux for example Grown in gravelly soils only a few meters above sea levelmdashin contrast vineyards elsewhere in Europe typically sit between 300 and 900 metersmdashthese wines are some of the most powerful austere and pawed over When young the tannins in these cabernet sauvignon cabernet franc and merlot blends coat the tongue and mouth with a chalky dry sensation akin to sucking on an Earl Grey tea bag and are perhaps best suited to well-fatted rare steak and cigars Th ese are wines built to live for decades Personally I prefer a Bordeaux at least 20 years aged when the tannins have had ample time to calm down and mellow out and more nuanced fl avors come forward Sounds fancy and it is Only in some very lucky circumstances over the past year have I been guest to a bottle of 1990 Clos de Menuts Saint-Eacutemilion and a 1970 Chateau Haut-Brion About once every 10 years Irsquove had the good
fortune to taste a wine older than myself Nice work if you can get it
Where Burgundyrsquos vineyards (Francersquos other classifi ed sought-after region) were established by Benedictine monks patiently growing wine vines with spiritual hearts
Bordeauxrsquos vineyards were raised by entrepreneurial laymen who recognized the massive monetary opportunity when the English began drinking down their peasant wine Th is underscores the second half of my theory as to why Americans
more often American males are so drawn to the wines of Bordeaux Th erersquos an inherent capitalist connection something in the soil Th at the wines are so
unmistakable so distinctively grand and pronounced elixirs exemplifi es the fi rst half of my theory we Americans are not known for our subtlety (To be fair the Chinese are
signifi cant Bordeaux collectors as well)
Philosophy aside Bordeaux is quite a large region that produces beautiful white and red values as well as the rare fi nds out of the populacersquos price range Herersquos the skinny Blending is the game single varietal wines are rare White Bordeaux is typically made from a blend of sauvignon blanc and seacutemillon and sometimes a drop or two of muscadelle ugni blanc or colombard Reds are made primarily from the two cabernets plus merlot with small quantities of petit verdot malbec and carmenegravere occasionally in the mix Th e region is also home to the golden nectar of late ripened seacutemillon sauvignon blanc and muscadelle grapes that have successfully attracted the noble rot a fungus that covers the fruit and drains moisture from inside leaving behind rich sweet grapes without moldy fl avors Chateau drsquoYquem is the most famous of these unfortifi ed dessert wines though there are better bargains from the region
Bordeaux is split by the Gironde river which divides the region into three general areas Th e left bank also known as the Haut-Meacutedoc is where the classifi ed top growths are situated Th ese prestigious estates were named for their exceptional vineyard sites in 1855 a decision nearly unchanged since Today serious collectors invest in Bordeaux futures theoretically locking down lower prices of top
ample time to calm dit is Only in some vede Menuts Saint-Eacutem
fortune to taste a
Wherees
aun
of msignifi
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Follow Amy at pigandvinecom for morestories and wine suggestions
growth estates while the wine is still aging in the cellar Itrsquos the wine tradersquos equivalent to the NASDAQ On the right bank Saint-Eacutemilion and Pommerol are the prized vineyard areas known for their merlot heavy cuveacutees To the south west we fi nd Graves where there are many great values to be had in both white and red bottlings Entre-Deux-Mers which translates to ldquobetween two seasrdquo sits between the Dordogne and Garonne tributaries off the Gironde and is an excellent source for crisp whites
Get started on your Bordeaux experience with these values
Chateau Graville-Lacoste 2014 Graves 75 seacutemillon 20 sauvignon blanc and 5 muscadelle make up this beauty thatrsquos consistently delicious every vintage Crisp and refreshing great with seafood
Chateau Mirambeau 2014 GravesAnother classic blend of 40 sauvignon blanc 40 seacutemillon and 20 muscadelle this lovely white is a bit more fl oral than the Graville-Lacoste Easy drinking and great value
Chateau de Parenchegravere Bordeaux Rouge 201155 merlot 30 cabernet sauvignon and 15 cabernet franc grown in clay heavy soils similar to the right bank of the region Fleshy with good structure and abundant red fruit
Chateau Arnaud Bordeaux Supeacuterieur 2011Supeacuterieur on a Bordeaux label isnrsquot egotistical marketingmdashby law it indicates a wine with up to one degree more alcohol than its AC Bordeaux brethren What it really means is one more degree of body structure and in this case quality Approachable delicious and easy on the wallet
Chateau de Bernadotte Haut-Meacutedoc 2005Th e 2005 vintage in Bordeaux is in the history books with double asterisks Owned by the eminent Pichon Lalande family and made from vineyards in Paulliac one of the more choice growing areas in the region this is an incredible value a top tier Bordeaux for a fraction of the cost
Chateau de Suduiraut Sauternes 2011Ripe cantaloupe apricot and honey and an interesting smoky note with a solid sweet attack followed by great acidity A dessert wine that wonrsquot overpower the dessert
94 raquo parting shot raquo Patrick Hood
Meet Solvar
Solvar belongs to one of the worldrsquos oldest and purest equine lineages the Nor-
wegian Fjord horse a breed that has remained virtually unchanged for more than
2000 yearsmdashlong before we became acquainted with his animated cousins in
the movie Frozen Th ese national symbols of Norway are characterized by primi-
tive zebra striping on their legs and a dorsal stripe running from forelock to tail
resulting in a striking two-tone mane that sticks up like a Mohawk Th eir athleti-
cism agility and dependability make them valuable both as sport horses as well
as therapy horses for emotionally and physically challenged adults and children
Catie Wells of Huntsville is the proud owner of Solvar who resides at Monte
Sano Stables
For tickets or information 256-539-4818 or hsoorg
Bring In the New Year With Us
presents
WHAT A WONDERFUL
WORLDA tribute to Louis
Armstrong featuring the
Byron Stripling Quartet
Thursday December 31
730 pm bull Pops Series bullMark C Smith
Concert Hall VBC
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
M O R E T H A N 7 0 S H O P S A N D R E S T A U R A N T S I N C L U D I N G B E L K | D S W S H O E S | A P P L E J O S A B A N K | R E E D S J E W E L E R S | PA N D O R A | J C R E W | K AT E S PA D E N E W Y O R KO R V I S | B A N A N A R E P U B L I C | M I C H A E L K O R S | F R A N C E S C Arsquo S | A N T H R O P O L O G I EH amp M | S O M A | M O U N T A I N H I G H O U T F I T T E R S | B A R N E S amp N O B L E | S E P H O R AALTAR rsquoD STATE | CONNORS STEAK amp SEFOOD | THE WEST IN HUNTSV I L L E | MONACO P ICTURES
C O M I N G S O O N V E R S O N A ndash near Belk
B R I D G E S T R E E T H U N T S V I L L E C O M |
BR IDGE STREET TOWN CENTRE I S LOCATED AT EX I T 14 OFF I - 565 AT OLD MAD ISON P IKE
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
(1) Margaret Solow Grey Moonstoon18KT Necklace ($240) (2) Margaret Solow OpalDiamond Mosaic Necklace ($610) Little Green Storeand Gallery (256) 539-9699
(3) One-of-a-kind Eva Ziegler Smokey Quartz and Pyrite Necklace ($406)Eva Ziegler Jewelryevazieglercom
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) Jennifer BehrTurban ($625)(2) Cotton Day Dress ($64)(3) Norma Ishak Cardigan ($375)Finery(256) 429-3429
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
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(1) The Lion Sleeps Tonight Bath Bomb ($6) Sweet Pineapple(256) 964-7563
(2) Tiger Jelly Cat ($2250)(3) Dog Tag Teether ($1550)(4) Dinosaur Footie ($3595)Honey B Boutique(256) 503-2853
(5) Young Buck ($25)Tiny Vinestinyvinesshopcom
(6) Bib Set ($13)Huntsville Museumof Art(256) 535-4350
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
(1) Tiny Dancer Bath Bomb ($6)Sweet Pineapple(256) 964-7563
(2) Kickee Mammoth Footie ($3595)(3) Noodle amp Boo Essential Care Kit ($18)(4) Elephant Jelly Cat ($2250)Honey B Boutique(256) 503-2853
(5) ArtFolio Pink Elephant Coloring Tote ($17)Huntsville Museumof Art(256) 535-4350
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) Bib Set ($13)Huntsville Museumof Art(256) 535-4350 (2) Little Light ($25)Tiny Vinestinyvinesshopcom (3) Micro Leon Cardboard Lion ($30)Little Green Storeand Gallery (256) 539-9699 (4) I Love You Like Biscuits amp Gravy ($23)Domaine South(256) 808-8860
(5) Kickee Kimono ($4295)Honey B Boutique(256) 503-2853
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
SURPRISEA LOVED ONE
THIS HOLIDAY SEASON
WITH A FOREVER GIFT
HobbsJewelerscom 8772331347Parkway Place Mall
HuntsvilleHwy 72 West
AthensMain Street
Ardmore TN
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Caftan ($75)Sarah Richey Necklace ($350)Finery(256) 429-3429
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
(1) Chewbead Necklace ($3495)(2) Mayoral Baby Bag ($7995)(3) Mayoral Diaper Changing Pad ($2495)(4) Nursing Scarf ($2695) (5) Kickee Swaddling Blanket ($22)Honey B Boutique(256) 503-2853 (6) Lucy Darling Months Sticker ($25) (7) The Story of You Baby Book by Emily Ley ($62) Sweet Pineapple(256) 964-7563
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) Alwand Vahan 14K Gold and Onyx Ring wDiamond Accent ($2595)(2) Alwand Vanan 14K Gold and Onyx Bracelet wDiamond Accent ($2695)Hobbs Jewelers(877) 233-1347
(3) Britt Ryan Dress ($288)Personal Couture Boutique(256) 508-5632
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) Rocket Cosmos Mug ($13)Huntsville Museumof Art(256) 535-4350
(2) Loose Leaf Tea ($399)Piper amp Leaf piperandleafcom (3) Judy Jackson Tea Pot ($56) (4) Gary Watson Cherry Cutting Board ($48-$68) (5) Susan Coe Birthday Cake Plate ($33) Little Green Storeand Gallery (256) 539-9699 (6) Macarons ($116 pcs $221 dozen)Whisk Small Treats Bakery(256) 656-1027
(7) Truffl es ($185 each)Pizellersquos Confections (256) 513-9745 (8) Olive amp Sinclair Chocolate ($799)Domaine South(256) 808-8860
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
(1) Whisk Note Pad ($8) (2) In the Forest Mixing Bowl ($36) (3) Twig Serving Set ($18)(8) Southern Firefl y Candle ($12)Sweet Pineapple(256) 964-7563
(4) Urchin Bowl ($10)(5) Foodie Dice ($38)(6) 1Canoe2 Wood Recipe Box w Recipe Cards ($6999) Domaine South(256) 808-8860 (7) Growlers ($75 small $95 large)Southern Growlersoutherngrowlercom
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) Tacori 18K Barbados Blue Bold Gem Ring ($660)(2) Tacori 18K Barbados Blue Bold Gem Necklace ($630)(3) Tacori 18K Barbados Blue Bold Gem Bracelet ($990)Hobbs Jewelers(877) 233-1347
(4) BCBG Dress ($328)Personal Couture Boutique(256) 508-5632
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Guadalupe Robinson
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
text by jennifer crossley howard raquo photos by patrick hood
Of Deft and Dirty Hands
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Huntsville potter Guadalupe Lanning Robinson has spent more than 36 years mastering the
marriage of clay texture and geometric design into her pottery yet time has done little to temper the
plight of waiting
ldquoIt is hard for me to let a pot just dryrdquo she says motioning toward fi ve small wet pots sitting near her
pottery wheel ldquoIrsquom as excited to do this as I was 30 years agordquo
To observe her studio at Lowe Mill that is easy to believe Located on the corridor outside the textile
mill-turned-art centerrsquos main building the loft-like space with a corrugated tin roof feels like a place a
Gabriel Garcia Marquez character would enjoy daydreaming
Sienna-hued pottery sits in various stages to be fi red layered and etched Argentinian tango music
streams from Robinsonrsquos iPhone and two cockatiels a parrot and a parakeet chirp from their cages All
except the parrot fl y freely when Robinson is working
Robinson who is 61 made her fi rst pot in 1979 in her native Mexico City Almost four decades later her
work is part of permanent museum collections in Auburn Huntsville Tuscumbia and Tupelo Missis-
sippi She regularly enters her work in respected juried shows such as the Monte Sano Arts Festival and
the Kentuck Festival of the Arts in Northport and has received two Alabama State Council on the Arts
individual artist fellowships
Her inspiration draws from the villages around her native Mexico City such as the black pottery of
the northwest as well as her acquired Southern culture White lilies corn grids and round female
fi guresmdashldquoreally strong women who are in chargerdquo Robinson saysmdashreappear on her stoneware She uses
natural dyes indigo for color and mixes sand into clay for texture Nothing is wasted
ldquoI donrsquot waste any clayrdquo Robinson says ldquoEverything is recycledrdquo
Robinson fi nds solace in the 40-50 hours a week she puts in at the studio and the often tedious process
of making pots which can take from three weeks to six weeks for larger pots She usually works on two
or three pots at a time tending to groups at diff erent stages
After a pot is thrown on a wheel a piece can take days to dry before its fi rst bisque fi re in which tem-
peratures rise to 1800 F After baking for nine hours the kiln must cool Th e second fi ring rises to 2150
F and matures the clay and melts the glazes to strengthen the piece
ldquoI am an effi cient person by naturerdquo Robinson says ldquoWaiting for the kiln to cool down enough to open
can be nerve wracking and this is when my patience is usually put to the testrdquo
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
ldquoIt is hard for me to let a pot just dry Irsquom as excited to do this as I was 30 years agordquo
Robinson makes most of her pots on a wheel using oxides to change the color of clay she gets from Nashville and Pittsburgh Her pottery takes several weeks from start to fi nish depending on how large a pot is and how many she makes at a time
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
ldquoAttend to your childrenrsquos needs fi rst keep focus on what you want to douse the happiness joy and little breaks you get to make your artTh ey grow real fast and they will keep inspiring you all your liferdquo
Robinson imagined this bat-like design as she was working She usually begins a piece with a design in mind but that often evolves
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Robinson uses an overlay of liquid clay called engobemdashthat includes three to four layersmdashto create a
base on which to design
Th ere is high risk in making pottery and hours of work can be wasted on a pot that has not dried en-
tirely before it enters the kiln Air pockets or the wrong mixture of chemicals can ruin a piece
ldquoArt is involved but science is toordquo says Laura Smith director of education at the Huntsville Museum
of Art where Robinson has taught pottery classes ldquoItrsquos more labor intensive in terms of working with
the medium whether yoursquore building by hand or with a wheel until you fi re with the fi nal layer of glazerdquo
Th e result is sturdy pottery
ldquoI want my pots to look like something that is lasting a long timerdquo Robinson says
Th ough she works solitarily in her studio she says she does not get lonely Her birds and music keep her
company and each stage of pottery making has a soundtrack She uses needlepoint tools to draw onto
clay to Jose Feliciano and other Latin American musicians
ldquoIf Irsquom at the wheel Bruno Marsrdquo she says ldquoIf Irsquom unloading the kiln and something is really awesome
then I need something moving and I have on Motownrdquo
Robinsonrsquos years of experience minimize the risk of damaged pots but she says her greatest challenge
as a potter was balancing her work while raising her two children Now adults their candid childhood
pictures and those of her grandchildren cover the warm green walls of her studio
She met her husband the poet James Robinson in 1977 on a Greyhound bus when she returned to
Mexico City from visiting a friend at the University of Southern Mississippi He was heading to Mexico
to study at a university Th ey married six months later After giving birth to her daughter Annie Jane in
Mexico City in 1982 the family moved to Huntsville in 1985 Th at is when Robinson got more serious
about her pottery
ldquoFrom the very beginning when I moved to Alabama I knew I was going to have to do thisrdquo she said
ldquoIn some ways it was a way for me to keep connected to my heritagerdquo
She took even 15 minutes of free time to work in the studio behind her home and worked late into the
night while her daughter and son Isidoro born in 1987 slept Having a home studio allowed her to
wash clothes tend to her home and drop off lunches at school while maintaining her art
ldquoTh ere was something for me when I fi rst became a mother that fueled my creativityrdquo Robinson says
ldquoTh ey are such a social inspiration too It fi lls your liferdquo
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Robinson advises fellow artists who are mothers to seize
both roles but to prioritize motherhood
ldquoAttend to your childrenrsquos needs fi rst keep focus on what you
want to do use the happiness joy and little breaks you get
to make your artrdquo she says ldquoTh ey grow real fast and they will
keep inspiring you all your liferdquo
Anna Sue Courtney director of the Flying Monkey Arts
Center at Lowe Mill has known Robinson for more than
10 years She says she admires how mothers and artists like
Robinson seamlessly embrace both roles
ldquoIt seems therersquos not a separation between creating and rais-
ing childrenrdquo Courtney says ldquoTh ey seem to pull from the
same placerdquo
Part of Robinsonrsquos motivation at Lowe Mill comes from
working privately in a studio alongside other artists that fos-
ters a community of feedback and ideas
ldquoItrsquos nice to be here because you can take a break and walk around and get inspirationrdquo Courtney says
ldquoItrsquos refreshingrdquo
When she needs a break from the studio Robinson stays home to sketch designs for a day or two then
she is back in the studio
Trips twice a year to Mexico City keep her plugged in to her native culture which in turn shows up in
her pottery
ldquoI have to recharge myselfrdquo Robinson says ldquoI love Huntsville and loved raising my kids here but I still
have the need of going back to be recharged and smell all the smells and see all the colors and get on
the subway and be pushed aroundrdquo
Details from her trips that infl uence her work include the ever-present red that covers the city during
the celebration of Dia de los Muertos or the Day of the Dead Th e pyramids of Teotihuacan conjure
warm earth tones and fl oating gardens around the city yield sweet pungent calla lilies and carnations
Celebration of food tough women and nature reappear in her pottery qualities that both Southern and
Mexican cultures treasure
Above This daisy design is character-istic of Robinsonrsquos work Nature food and strong females from her native Mexico City and the South are strong creative infl uences
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Clockwise from top left Robinson often glazes only the inside of her pots so they can hold water and food She began quilting in 2002 and her quilts like her pottery contain earth tones and natural infl uences in their design Four birds keep Robinson company in what can be the isolating medium of pottery making Geometry and symmetry are two signature elements in Robinsonrsquos work according to Laura Smith director of education at the Huntsville Museum of Art
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Just as she keeps her home country close to her heart Robinson is loyal to her fi rst
love of pottery though she began making quilts in 2002
ldquoIrsquom a potter who likes to quiltrdquo she says
Like her pottery her quilting follows designs of organic nature such as fl owers and
crops on rich jewel tone cotton
ldquoWhen I fi rst saw one of her quilts I didnrsquot realize it was hers and I thought that
looks like it should be Guadalupersquos quiltrdquo Courtney says
Robinson prefers the immediate gratifi cation of clay
ldquoItrsquos a very responsive mediumrdquo she says ldquoYou can manipulate it Th e fact of mak-
ing something out of dirt out of nothing and making it durable making it perma-
nent that after going through the heat and maturing is something very excitingrdquo
She gently dings a pot covered with white dresses titled ldquoTehuana Dressrdquo to make
her point
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
887 FM Muscle Shoals bull 1007 FM Huntsvillewwwaprorg
News classicalmusic and more
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
copy Patrick Hood
text by sara wright covington raquo photos by jacki gil
patrick hood erin lindsey and michelle odom
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
copy Patrick Hood
ldquoA LOT OF PEOPLE HAD BEEN ASKING ME QUESTIONS ABOUTHOW I GOT MY BUSINESS STARTED I WANTED TO GATHER SOME PEOPLE AROUND ME
WHO WERE GOING THROUGH THOSE STRUGGLES AND TOBUILD ENTREPRENEURIAL COURAGErdquo
JACKI GIL SALT+PAPERIE
copy Patrick Hood
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
untsville-born Jacki Gil began her paper design busi-
ness Salt+Paperie in 2014 with an expansive vision
in mind one that extended beyond creating beautiful
custom designed paper goods ldquoI love my design job
but when Irsquom 50 years old I donrsquot see myself still de-
signing wedding invitationsrdquo the master stationer says
ldquoI really have a passion for teaching and helping people
I want to be a mentorrdquo
In 2015 Gil set out on her mentoring mission sooner than expected with a series
of workshops called Encourage Huntsville ldquoA lot of people had been asking me
questions about how I got my business startedrdquo Gil says about the early days of
Salt+Paperie Even though most of those questions from entrepreneurial-hopefuls
were technicalmdashlike how to apply for a business licensemdashthey served as inspira-
tion for Gil ldquoI wanted to gather some people around me who were going through
those struggles and to build entrepreneurial courage I defi nitely saw that there
was a need for helping people to take that next step toward owning their own
businessesrdquo
Encourage Huntsville was modeled on the image of a growing small business
movement called the Rising Tide Society a national community of creative small
business owners who encourage ldquocommunity over competitionrdquo Th at spirit of
openness is at the heart of Encourage Huntsville ldquoCommunity over competition
is a huge part of what we are doingrdquo says Gil ldquoSmall business owners sharing how
they earn their money is a big dealrdquo
As a fi rst step Gil gathered others around her who were using their skills and abili-
ties to make their own small businesses work With talents ranging from cooking
and cake decorating to hand lettering and artwork these small business owners
all embraced Gilrsquos vision for imparting to others the knowledge of their craft un-
impeded by a fear of losing their competitive edge
Th e fi rst lesson Gil wanted to impart to Encourage Huntsvillersquos students wasnrsquot
necessarily a particular craft or skill but a spirt of creative confi dence ldquoWe want-
ed to bridge the gap between the very artsy community and the ultimate engineer
communityrdquo many of whom Gil observes had been told since childhood they
werenrsquot artistic ldquoWhen you are little and someone tells you that you donrsquot have a
talent it sticks with you I found that a lot of people had that experience so that
was the workshop partmdashto build some creative courage in this communityrdquo
Gil conducted the fi rst workshop herself testing the waters to see how the concept
would be received Th e admission price to that fi rst workshop included supplies a
take-home ldquogoody bagrdquo to help students continue their work extracurricularly and
refreshmentsmdashas well as Gilrsquos tips of her trade
ldquoWe went in blindly not knowing if we had a market or notrdquo says Gil Th e popular-
ity of that fi rst class proved undeniably that a market did in fact exist the work-
shop sold out in one day ldquoSo we did back-to-back workshopsrdquo Gil says ldquoAfter that
novemberdecembeeer eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee | nononoononononononoonoonononooooonoonoonnononnoaaalalalllaallllllalaalaaalal ststustust ddiossscom mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm | | | | | | | | | | |
f
w
y
Previous page Encourage Huntsvillersquos founder and instructor Jacki Gil teaches a class in hand lettering Facing page A participant studies her supply list
we realized people really want to do this stuff So we said lsquoletrsquos jump on the boat
and make this happenrsquordquo
Gilrsquos longtime friend photographer Erin Lindsey of Erin Lindsey Images agreed
to contribute to Encourage Huntsvillersquos curriculum by teaching a photography
class ldquoJacki and I are a good team because our hearts are in the same place when
it comes to encouraging othersrdquo Lindsey says Still she admits saying yes to teach-
ing wasnrsquot without some initial hesitation ldquoWhen Jacki asked if I would teach a
class it was kind of scary I thought I had to be perfect before I could teach oth-
ersrdquo Lindsey says of her initial hesitancy ldquoBut after talking to Jacki I realized none
of us are perfectrdquo But perfection isnrsquot the goal encouragement is the goal ldquoAnd I
thought lsquoI can defi nitely line up with that visionrsquordquo
Michelle Odom another Huntsville native and owner of custom cake bakery Just
Crumbs was also on board with Gilrsquos vision In fact Odom had been contemplat-
ing teaching a class when she was approached by Gil to teach a fondant basics
class ldquoHuntsville is such an engineer town and everyone is so mathematical and
scientifi crdquo Odom says echoing the dichotomy between the arts and sciences ex-
pressed by Gil ldquoTh ese workshops are just a very cool way for structured people to
have a creative outletrdquo
ldquoJACKI AND I ARE A GOOD TEAM BECAUSE OUR HEARTS ARE INTHE SAME PLACE WHEN IT COMES TO ENCOURAGING OTHERSrdquo
ERIN LINDSEY ERIN LINDSEY IMAGES
copy Erin Lindsey
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Above A participant in Erin Lindseyrsquos photo class frames a still life
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
copy Erin Lindsey
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
ldquoHUNTSVILLE IS SUCH AN ENGINEER TOWN AND EVERYONE ISSO MATHEMATICAL AND SCIENTIFIC THESE WORKSHOPS ARE JUST A VERY COOL
WAY FOR STRUCTURED PEOPLE TO HAVE A CREATIVE OUTLETrdquo MICHELLE ODOM JUST CRUMBS
copy Michelle Odom
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
ldquoAnd yesrdquo Odom acknowledges ldquoyou are in theory teaching your competition But
at the same time you are helping the community be more creativerdquo
With its roster of popular creative workshops under its belt Encourage Huntsville
has added business classes to its community-over-competition curriculum with
classes designed to provide specifi c guidance for small business owners ldquoAll of
our events that donrsquot require hands-on work we call seminarsrdquo says Gil ldquoWe had
about 15 people at our fi rst one It was pretty much just an open discussion to ask
us questions and get answers from the perspective of a small business ownerrdquo
Th e seminars enjoyed the same success and enthusiasm as the workshops ldquoWe
had two hours for people to ask questionsrdquo Gil says Topics covered ran the gamut
from scheduling daily tasks self-hosting a website or using an Etsy store man-
aging client expectations and being realistic about how much time you need to
complete jobs
ldquoTh e time went quickly and people wanted morerdquo says Gil who envisions an all-
day seminar in 2016
Margaret Baggett owner and executive chef of the Chef Next Door is another
small business owner who has shared Gilrsquos vision from the very beginning teach-
copy Erin Lindsey
Facing page Michelle Odomrsquos fondant basics class begins with a styrofoam cake form Above Newbie photographers familiarize themselves with their cameras in Erin Lindseyrsquos photography class
ing knife skills workshops and helping host the business seminars ldquoI am so proud
to get to be a part of this project and help nurture other small business owners
who may just be starting out on their journey or are deep in it and looking for
some encouragement from other business ownersrdquo Baggett says of what motivates
her participation in Encourage Huntsville ldquoEven being on the advice-giving side
of things I am still learning and have taken tips and tricks and lessons from each
event we have had so far We never stop learning from each other and never stop
improving upon our craftsrdquo
Th e mutual growth among students and teachers is the source of the encourage-
mentmdashand the joymdashof Encourage Huntsville ldquoItrsquos so much fun to see the light
bulbs go off with people and see them encouraged right before your eyesrdquo Lindsey
says of her experience with the program ldquoPlus itrsquos a pleasure to contribute to a
sense of community over competition Th at whole concept is so rarerdquo
As Encourage Huntsvillersquos following continues to grow the diversity of the work-
shops will expand as well Whether you are looking to spend a fun afternoon
learning a new craft or are a budding small business owner hoping to launch
your brand Encourage Huntsville has something valuable to off er ldquoWe encourage
those left-brain folks to take up a new hobby or skillrdquo Baggett says ldquoor just encour-
age the people of Huntsville to get together and fan their creative fl amesrdquo
If yoursquore looking for
creative or entrepreneurial
encouragement visit
encouragehuntsvillecom
for seminar and workshop
schedules and information
ldquoI AM SO PROUD TO GET TO BE A PART OF THIS PROJECT AND HELP NURTURE OTHER SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS WHO MAY JUST BE STARTING OUT ON THEIR JOURNEY OR ARE DEEP IN IT
AND LOOKING FOR SOME ENCOURAGEMENT FROM OTHER BUSINESS OWNERSrdquoMARGARET BAGGETT CHEF NEXT DOOR
copy Jacki Gil
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
copy Jacki Gil
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Participants in Margaret Baggettrsquos knife skills workshop learn to perfect their ldquomise en placerdquo
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
copy Olivia Reed
text by sara wright covington raquo photos by olivia reed and jeff white
HUNTSVILLErsquoS
HOMEGROWNHOSTESS
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
ttttttononononoooooonononooooo raquo praquo praquo praquo praquo phothothothothotosoososos s s osos bybybbybb
Any host will tell you that delicious food and quality libations while important to
a partyrsquos success are secondary to the most important ingredient of all the guest list Th atrsquos why many
of downtown Huntsvillersquos most popular restaurants breweries and wine shops are turning to event
planner Ashley Ryals and her uncanny knack for attracting loyal patronsmdashand creating unforgettable
events in the process
When Huntsville born-and-bred Ashley Ryals left for college at the University of Alabama in 2001
she thought her exit from the Valley was permanent ldquoI never thought I would end up back hererdquo the
founder of event planning company Homegrown Huntsville says with a knowing laugh But after a few
post-graduate years working for world-renowned public relations powerhouse Weber Shandwick in
New York City Ryals started to second guess her freshman declaration
ldquoI started to get homesickrdquo she admits ldquoAll of my friends were getting married and meeting for football
games and I was missing itrdquo So when a friend from home set up an interview at EarlyWorks for a job
doing event planning Ryals jumped at the chance to come home
Ashley spent the next few years planning EarlyWorks Whistle Stop and Santarsquos Village events A brief
stint in sales followed along with a seat on the board of Huntsville Young Professionals where she had
an idea for a downtown pub crawl
ldquoWe expected 20 or 30 peoplerdquo Ryals says of their modest expectations ldquoBut 200 people showed uprdquo
Th at initial success convinced Ryals to embark on her dream of establishing an
event planning company But it wasnrsquot just any event planning company Ryals
had in mind she envisioned one that would collaborate with local businesses
cultivate signature events for the community to enjoy and support small busi-
nesses in the process
Inspired Ryals left her sales job and for the second time in her life came home
again to event planning and Homegrown Huntsville
To help bring her vision to life Ryals collaborated with designer Adrianne Van
Kirk of Fave Creative ldquoAdrianne has been a part of the visual and branding of
Homegrown from the beginning We come up with the event ideas then I get
the ticketing and sales together and she comes back with a logo and the mar-
keting for the event And thatrsquos how it all comes togetherrdquo Ryals says of their
creative process
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
ASHLEY RYALS
copy Olivia Reed
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
ldquoMOST WINE FESTIVALS ACROSS THE COUNTRY HAVE PROVEN RECORDS OF BEING ABLE TO STAY AROUND 15 OR 20 YEARS OR EVEN LONGER AND THE ECONOMIES OF THOSE
CITIES HAVE REALLY GROWN AS A RESULT I WANT BIG SPRING CRUSH TO EVENTUALLY BE THE BIGGEST AND BEST WINE FESTIVAL IN THE STATE OF ALABAMArdquo ASHLEY RYALS
copy Jeff White
copy Jeff White
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
copy Olivia Reed
Homegrown launched in 2011 with what would become its
signature event Dine amp Dash Every second Wednesday
April through October a trolley shuttles patrons between
downtown establishments where they are served a drink
and appetizer before moving on to the next stop
Owner and executive chef Merle Phillips of Th e Eaves was
one of the fi rst restaurants to sign on for Dine amp Dashrsquos de-
but ldquoAshley came to me and said she was starting a trolley
tasting conceptrdquo says Chef Merle ldquoI didnrsquot really know her so
I was taking a chance on the concept she was sellingrdquo
Merle tried it and has been a loyal participant of Dine amp
Dash ever since
ldquoIt was a risk in the beginning but it defi nitely paid off rdquo Chef
Merle says of the experience Pivotal to that experience ac-
cording to Phillips is Ryalsrsquo demonstration to the commu-
nity just what the term ldquohomegrownrdquo really means ldquoAshley
shines a spotlight on independent businesses in a market-
place that has for so long focused on chainsrdquo Phillips says
ldquoDine amp Dash has really brought into sharp focus the inter-
esting culinary diversity that Huntsville has to off errdquo
For the next two years Homegrown Huntsville focused al-
most exclusively on Dine amp Dash which by the end of its fi rst
year included every single downtown restaurant But when
big changes began to appear on the downtown horizonmdash
new restaurants breweries and residential developmentsmdash
Ryalsrsquo instincts told her
the time had come to
introduce a new event
to the downtown cal-
endar
ldquoBeer Hop follows
the concept of Dine
amp Dashrdquo Ryals says of
Homegrownrsquos second
venture which began
in 2013 Each month a
trolley visits three dif-
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
BILL FOWLEROLD TOWN BEER
EXCHANGE
copy Olivia Reed
copy Olivia Reed
ferent breweries where patrons sample beers and enjoy food
from a variety of food trucks parked at each location
Bill Fowler managing partner of Old Town Beer Exchange
agreed to participate in Beer Hop on his very fi rst day of
business and credits Ryals with an overwhelmingly success-
ful opening night ldquoAshley said lsquoI can guarantee that you are
going to have wave after wave of people coming throughrsquordquo
Fowler says recalling that fi rst jittery occasion Once again
Ryals proved true to her word with 60-plus patrons arriving
in an hour-and-a-half ldquoIt was awesome and such a great ex-
perience for usrdquo Fowler raves ldquoAshley is a hard worker and
you can see that in what she doesrdquo
Fowler believes that in addition to bringing new customers
to OTBX Ryals is also cultivating beer education consis-
tently bringing in people who are new to beer and want to
learn And with Huntsvillersquos recent brewery boom that level
of education and interest is crucial for the brewing commu-
nity to thrive ldquoWe have a very small window of opportunityrdquo
says Fowler ldquoI think Huntsville in particular is becoming a
craft brewing community People are making money at this
and once Tennessee sees that we need to already have had a
pretty huge head startrdquo
By the end of 2013 and with standing events Beer Hop and
Dine amp Dash well established Ryals took time to refl ect on
her original goal for Homegrown Huntsville ldquoIn the back of
my head from day one I knew I wanted to do a wine festival
I just didnrsquot think Huntsville was ready for it in 2011rdquo
Emboldened by the success of Beer Hop Ryals decided to
make the leap with Big Spring Crush wine festival later the
same year Once again Ryals delivered the perfect audience
for the event and in the process discovered a surprising
fact about North Alabamarsquos contribution to the wine-mak-
ing industry
ldquoIn doing the wine festival I learned that we have a huge
wine community in Huntsvillerdquo Ryals says ldquoTh ere are only
about 47 certifi ed wine judges in the entire United States
and we have four of them right here in North Alabama Two
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
copy Jeff White
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
ldquoI STARTED TO GET HOMESICK ALL OF MY FRIENDS WERE GETTING MARRIEDAND MEETING FOR FOOTBALL GAMES AND I WAS MISSING ITrdquo ASHLEY RYALS
copy Jeff White
copy Jeff White
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
ldquoIT WAS AWESOME AND SUCH A GREAT EXPERIENCE FOR USrdquoBILL FOWLER OLD TOWN BEER EXCHANGE
copy Jeff White
copy Olivia Reed
of those four certifi ed wine judges sit on the committee for
Big Spring Crushrdquo
Matthew and Stephanie Mell had just opened Church Street
Wine Shop when they decided to participate in the fi rst Big
Spring Crush Like OTBXrsquos Robert Fowler the Mells credit
Ryals and Homegrown Huntsville for helping to introduce
their new enterprise to the community ldquoAshley has been in-
strumental in helping to bring us people who love and ap-
preciate winerdquo Stephanie Mell says ldquoShe was homegrown
here in Huntsville and she really gets the downtown area
and small businesses and that is so important to usrdquo
Big Spring Crush began with a bang featuring over 150
wines and attracting patrons from across the country
ldquoMost wine festivals across the country have proven records
of being able to stay around 15 or 20 years or even longerrdquo
Ryals says ldquoAnd the economies of those cities have really
grown as a result I want Big Spring Crush to eventually be
the biggest and best wine festival in the state of Alabamardquo
How does Ryals intend to make that dream come true ldquoBy
always keeping it fresh I want to have new marketing and
new things happening each yearrdquo
Ryalsrsquo formula of reinvention and expansion has successfully
led Homegrown Huntsville through fi ve years of success and
helped its events become community staples along the way In
the process Ryals is broadening more than just our image of
downtown Huntsville shersquos joining a class of creative entrepre-
neurs committed to expanding Huntsvillersquos reputation as more
than just a hub for the brightest scientifi c minds in America
ldquoWe have a big city of engineers and lawyers and itrsquos won-
derfulrdquo Ryals say ldquo But there is a whole artist and food cul-
ture here and there is so much growth I want us to have a
vibrant cool downtown area and I want for people to tell
their friends to come and visit and to see Huntsville for what
it is a city I loverdquo
If yoursquod like to participate in Homegrown Huntsville either
as a guest or a participating business visit homegrown-
huntsvillecom
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
copy Jeff White
I was years old and the year was At that time the city of Huntsville was inching toward the mountain to the east California Street was once the continental divide between the small town metropo-lis and the uncharted territories gingerly crossed by the real estate pioneers four score and some odd years prior Th is area became the new suburb as the city kept pushing onward toward Fagan Springs as if the reverberating booms of rocket testings were vibrating Hunstvillians away from its epicenter
From the front yard of our house on Owens Drive I could look to the rightmdashup the hill to the bend be-yond which the big houses stood on their rocky ledge pedestals and to the left where all the other houses that looked just like oursmdashfresh and newmdashrambled for what seemed like miles Th ose clean well-lit abodes all seemed the same and granted at my age I knew more about the pets that lived there than I did about the people who owned those manageable mortgages I came to realize that each was diff erent in a way that was permeated by voices smells and furnishings
It is a clicheacute to say that our lives were simpler then because that is just how the current era will be fondly referred to in the future but to a 5-year-old it is the simplicity that brought the joy Th e sixties will always be to me the beginning of the age of manufactured happiness Cheap clean and simple was what was strived for and what was easily obtained Plastic items were plentiful and pretty things could be bought with SampH Green Stamps A few coins in our pocket would transfer us into the most master of manipula-tors with us giving our all to convince our parents for a jaunt to Murdockrsquos for a holiday of wonderment joy and impatience as we would scour the shelves trying to get the most from our meager budget
Owens Drive was the fairly new thoroughfare from which the avenues of three-bedroom-ranchers fi ngered away at planned intervals Th is was the place where newlyweds started their lives homes and families Where girls with last names that had been in the town for generations would change them to those strange and exotic last names of the clean cut newcomers brought here for military purposes Where the housewives would preheat their pristine electric ovens trying to make cheese straws and biscuits that were just like their motherrsquos only to be frustrated as they were never quite the same and where the husbands would follow in their fatherrsquos footsteps by joining the Acme Club and hunting doves on the weekends
Th ere was a swimming pool Certainly not at our house Th e only private pool I remember as a child was one that my grandmother would take me to nestled between huge trees at someonersquos house on Adams Street I would swim with other children my age while our grandmothers chatted smoking cigarettes in cat-eyed anonymity whispering most of their stories so we wouldnrsquot be able to hear But between their
gasps and laughter we would listen hear and learn
Th e Blossomwood pool was a place of designated rules and the sound of bright whistlesmdashwith straight lines and distinctive colors of blue and green I can still feel the Coppertoned oiliness on the skin of the tanned lifeguard as she carried me from the deep end frightened after my fi rst attempt at solo-swimming She knew my name I had no idea who she was
On the other side of the pool was the school my older sister attended It had a style that mim-icked the poolmdashstraight lines cleanmdasha temple to orderliness and good manners It was with
awe that I once watched the young adults there some as old as eleven wind and dance their way around a sky-high fl agpolemdasheach with a diff erent color ribbon until the fi rst (and only) May Pole
I was privy to was completely dressed in its woven bright colors
90 raquo bless their hearts raquo Guy McClure Jr
Huntsville was a magical place for us tail-end baby boomers to grow upmdashbeyond the miracles of the escalator at Pizitz the smiling little lady on the tall stool at the register at Britlings There was a comfort level there that Irsquom not sure is in the minds of the 5-year-olds of today
cat-eyed agasps
Th s
aI w
THE COMFORTS OF BLOSSOMWOOD
In our world of red-bricked carported castles there was a def-inite division of generations Th e children ate separately from the parents went to school as our dads went to work enter-tained our neighborhood friends as quietly as possible and felt safe between our boundaries of Big Cove Road and Hermitage Street While we dined on our Chef Boy-Ar-Dee boxed pizza our parents busied themselves dressing in their dark colors getting ready for a late dinner at Boots having the scent of perfume and face powder trail my mother as she came into the kitchen looking for something with an intense purpose My father would smell of British Sterling and look just as he did when he went to work only happier Th ese nights meant something fun would happenmdashwe would have a babysitter
Babysitters were my introduction into what was and still seems cool Th ey were usually Huntsville High School teen-agers who would put on a show without even knowing it I would drink in their every move word and essence of style To me they were supermodelsmdashmovie starsmdasheven more fa-mous in my eyes than a television weatherman and almost as glamorous as the waitresses at the Waffl e House
Before they would tire of me and my sister and put us to bed they would include us in their world of music and knowledge which I thought was all-encompassing Suddenly our world of Th e Benny Carl Show and Fantasy Playhouse would seem trite and passeacute and we would catch a fl eeting glimpse into what would be in store for us when we too could stay up past 8 pm
Huntsville was a magical place for us tail-end baby boomers to grow upmdashbeyond the miracles of the escalator at Pizitz the smiling little lady on the tall stool at the register at Britlings and that bright colorful Maypole Th ere was a comfort level there that Irsquom not sure is in the minds of the 5-year-olds of todaymdashthe soothing sheltered lack of knowledge of why we were so lucky yet we didnrsquot even know that we were
In the other areas of our Huntsville there was poverty and ra-cial unrestmdashas there was and is in every city I was unaware People of color were always a part of my worldmdashmostly be-cause they had my attention and respect At our house there was Annie my grandmotherrsquos house was fi lled with the joys of Lula and out on the family farm there was strong and smiling Homer and large and huggable Rosamdashall just as much a part of my life as everyone else My life was good and they were instrumental in making it that way
What will the 5-year-olds of today who are lucky enough to be raised on those well-planned streets remember when they surpass their own 50 year mark It is a much more complex world now and there are diff erent concerns with daily changes of fear Youthful innocence is a prize that is encased without a lock Premature maturity is a viable threat and a constant fear But each night tucked in tight in a simple room sleeps tomor-rowrsquos adults who are having sweet dreamsmdashblanketed by the comforts of Blossomwood
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
92 raquo the vine raquo Amy C Collins
BORDEAUX POWER
Where Burgundyrsquos vineyards were established by Benedictine monks patiently growing wine vines with spiritual hearts Bordeauxrsquos vineyards were raised by entrepreneurial laymen who recognized the massive monetary opportunity when the English began drinking down their peasant wine
The city of Bordeaux is Francersquos primary port town on the Atlantic ocean a harbor that has for centuries served as the countryrsquos most important dock Th e regionrsquos history is long and storied with the fi rst written reference to the area dated 379 AD by the Latin poet Ausonius who was also a wine-grower Jump ahead to the year 1152 when Eleanor of Aquitaine married Englandrsquos soon-to-be king Henry Plantagenet and the port and surrounding vineyard land became the source of wine for the English a connection that remains strong even today
Bordeaux produces the worldrsquos most expensive and sought after collector wines the top tier of which make up less than fi ve percent of the regionrsquos total production Th ese names are quickly learned by neophyte wine drinkers wanting to make an impression Chateau Haut-Brion Lafi te Latour and Margaux for example Grown in gravelly soils only a few meters above sea levelmdashin contrast vineyards elsewhere in Europe typically sit between 300 and 900 metersmdashthese wines are some of the most powerful austere and pawed over When young the tannins in these cabernet sauvignon cabernet franc and merlot blends coat the tongue and mouth with a chalky dry sensation akin to sucking on an Earl Grey tea bag and are perhaps best suited to well-fatted rare steak and cigars Th ese are wines built to live for decades Personally I prefer a Bordeaux at least 20 years aged when the tannins have had ample time to calm down and mellow out and more nuanced fl avors come forward Sounds fancy and it is Only in some very lucky circumstances over the past year have I been guest to a bottle of 1990 Clos de Menuts Saint-Eacutemilion and a 1970 Chateau Haut-Brion About once every 10 years Irsquove had the good
fortune to taste a wine older than myself Nice work if you can get it
Where Burgundyrsquos vineyards (Francersquos other classifi ed sought-after region) were established by Benedictine monks patiently growing wine vines with spiritual hearts
Bordeauxrsquos vineyards were raised by entrepreneurial laymen who recognized the massive monetary opportunity when the English began drinking down their peasant wine Th is underscores the second half of my theory as to why Americans
more often American males are so drawn to the wines of Bordeaux Th erersquos an inherent capitalist connection something in the soil Th at the wines are so
unmistakable so distinctively grand and pronounced elixirs exemplifi es the fi rst half of my theory we Americans are not known for our subtlety (To be fair the Chinese are
signifi cant Bordeaux collectors as well)
Philosophy aside Bordeaux is quite a large region that produces beautiful white and red values as well as the rare fi nds out of the populacersquos price range Herersquos the skinny Blending is the game single varietal wines are rare White Bordeaux is typically made from a blend of sauvignon blanc and seacutemillon and sometimes a drop or two of muscadelle ugni blanc or colombard Reds are made primarily from the two cabernets plus merlot with small quantities of petit verdot malbec and carmenegravere occasionally in the mix Th e region is also home to the golden nectar of late ripened seacutemillon sauvignon blanc and muscadelle grapes that have successfully attracted the noble rot a fungus that covers the fruit and drains moisture from inside leaving behind rich sweet grapes without moldy fl avors Chateau drsquoYquem is the most famous of these unfortifi ed dessert wines though there are better bargains from the region
Bordeaux is split by the Gironde river which divides the region into three general areas Th e left bank also known as the Haut-Meacutedoc is where the classifi ed top growths are situated Th ese prestigious estates were named for their exceptional vineyard sites in 1855 a decision nearly unchanged since Today serious collectors invest in Bordeaux futures theoretically locking down lower prices of top
ample time to calm dit is Only in some vede Menuts Saint-Eacutem
fortune to taste a
Wherees
aun
of msignifi
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Follow Amy at pigandvinecom for morestories and wine suggestions
growth estates while the wine is still aging in the cellar Itrsquos the wine tradersquos equivalent to the NASDAQ On the right bank Saint-Eacutemilion and Pommerol are the prized vineyard areas known for their merlot heavy cuveacutees To the south west we fi nd Graves where there are many great values to be had in both white and red bottlings Entre-Deux-Mers which translates to ldquobetween two seasrdquo sits between the Dordogne and Garonne tributaries off the Gironde and is an excellent source for crisp whites
Get started on your Bordeaux experience with these values
Chateau Graville-Lacoste 2014 Graves 75 seacutemillon 20 sauvignon blanc and 5 muscadelle make up this beauty thatrsquos consistently delicious every vintage Crisp and refreshing great with seafood
Chateau Mirambeau 2014 GravesAnother classic blend of 40 sauvignon blanc 40 seacutemillon and 20 muscadelle this lovely white is a bit more fl oral than the Graville-Lacoste Easy drinking and great value
Chateau de Parenchegravere Bordeaux Rouge 201155 merlot 30 cabernet sauvignon and 15 cabernet franc grown in clay heavy soils similar to the right bank of the region Fleshy with good structure and abundant red fruit
Chateau Arnaud Bordeaux Supeacuterieur 2011Supeacuterieur on a Bordeaux label isnrsquot egotistical marketingmdashby law it indicates a wine with up to one degree more alcohol than its AC Bordeaux brethren What it really means is one more degree of body structure and in this case quality Approachable delicious and easy on the wallet
Chateau de Bernadotte Haut-Meacutedoc 2005Th e 2005 vintage in Bordeaux is in the history books with double asterisks Owned by the eminent Pichon Lalande family and made from vineyards in Paulliac one of the more choice growing areas in the region this is an incredible value a top tier Bordeaux for a fraction of the cost
Chateau de Suduiraut Sauternes 2011Ripe cantaloupe apricot and honey and an interesting smoky note with a solid sweet attack followed by great acidity A dessert wine that wonrsquot overpower the dessert
94 raquo parting shot raquo Patrick Hood
Meet Solvar
Solvar belongs to one of the worldrsquos oldest and purest equine lineages the Nor-
wegian Fjord horse a breed that has remained virtually unchanged for more than
2000 yearsmdashlong before we became acquainted with his animated cousins in
the movie Frozen Th ese national symbols of Norway are characterized by primi-
tive zebra striping on their legs and a dorsal stripe running from forelock to tail
resulting in a striking two-tone mane that sticks up like a Mohawk Th eir athleti-
cism agility and dependability make them valuable both as sport horses as well
as therapy horses for emotionally and physically challenged adults and children
Catie Wells of Huntsville is the proud owner of Solvar who resides at Monte
Sano Stables
For tickets or information 256-539-4818 or hsoorg
Bring In the New Year With Us
presents
WHAT A WONDERFUL
WORLDA tribute to Louis
Armstrong featuring the
Byron Stripling Quartet
Thursday December 31
730 pm bull Pops Series bullMark C Smith
Concert Hall VBC
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
M O R E T H A N 7 0 S H O P S A N D R E S T A U R A N T S I N C L U D I N G B E L K | D S W S H O E S | A P P L E J O S A B A N K | R E E D S J E W E L E R S | PA N D O R A | J C R E W | K AT E S PA D E N E W Y O R KO R V I S | B A N A N A R E P U B L I C | M I C H A E L K O R S | F R A N C E S C Arsquo S | A N T H R O P O L O G I EH amp M | S O M A | M O U N T A I N H I G H O U T F I T T E R S | B A R N E S amp N O B L E | S E P H O R AALTAR rsquoD STATE | CONNORS STEAK amp SEFOOD | THE WEST IN HUNTSV I L L E | MONACO P ICTURES
C O M I N G S O O N V E R S O N A ndash near Belk
B R I D G E S T R E E T H U N T S V I L L E C O M |
BR IDGE STREET TOWN CENTRE I S LOCATED AT EX I T 14 OFF I - 565 AT OLD MAD ISON P IKE
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(1) Jennifer BehrTurban ($625)(2) Cotton Day Dress ($64)(3) Norma Ishak Cardigan ($375)Finery(256) 429-3429
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(1) The Lion Sleeps Tonight Bath Bomb ($6) Sweet Pineapple(256) 964-7563
(2) Tiger Jelly Cat ($2250)(3) Dog Tag Teether ($1550)(4) Dinosaur Footie ($3595)Honey B Boutique(256) 503-2853
(5) Young Buck ($25)Tiny Vinestinyvinesshopcom
(6) Bib Set ($13)Huntsville Museumof Art(256) 535-4350
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(1) Tiny Dancer Bath Bomb ($6)Sweet Pineapple(256) 964-7563
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(5) ArtFolio Pink Elephant Coloring Tote ($17)Huntsville Museumof Art(256) 535-4350
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(1) Bib Set ($13)Huntsville Museumof Art(256) 535-4350 (2) Little Light ($25)Tiny Vinestinyvinesshopcom (3) Micro Leon Cardboard Lion ($30)Little Green Storeand Gallery (256) 539-9699 (4) I Love You Like Biscuits amp Gravy ($23)Domaine South(256) 808-8860
(5) Kickee Kimono ($4295)Honey B Boutique(256) 503-2853
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
SURPRISEA LOVED ONE
THIS HOLIDAY SEASON
WITH A FOREVER GIFT
HobbsJewelerscom 8772331347Parkway Place Mall
HuntsvilleHwy 72 West
AthensMain Street
Ardmore TN
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novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
(1) Chewbead Necklace ($3495)(2) Mayoral Baby Bag ($7995)(3) Mayoral Diaper Changing Pad ($2495)(4) Nursing Scarf ($2695) (5) Kickee Swaddling Blanket ($22)Honey B Boutique(256) 503-2853 (6) Lucy Darling Months Sticker ($25) (7) The Story of You Baby Book by Emily Ley ($62) Sweet Pineapple(256) 964-7563
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(1) Alwand Vahan 14K Gold and Onyx Ring wDiamond Accent ($2595)(2) Alwand Vanan 14K Gold and Onyx Bracelet wDiamond Accent ($2695)Hobbs Jewelers(877) 233-1347
(3) Britt Ryan Dress ($288)Personal Couture Boutique(256) 508-5632
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) Rocket Cosmos Mug ($13)Huntsville Museumof Art(256) 535-4350
(2) Loose Leaf Tea ($399)Piper amp Leaf piperandleafcom (3) Judy Jackson Tea Pot ($56) (4) Gary Watson Cherry Cutting Board ($48-$68) (5) Susan Coe Birthday Cake Plate ($33) Little Green Storeand Gallery (256) 539-9699 (6) Macarons ($116 pcs $221 dozen)Whisk Small Treats Bakery(256) 656-1027
(7) Truffl es ($185 each)Pizellersquos Confections (256) 513-9745 (8) Olive amp Sinclair Chocolate ($799)Domaine South(256) 808-8860
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
(1) Whisk Note Pad ($8) (2) In the Forest Mixing Bowl ($36) (3) Twig Serving Set ($18)(8) Southern Firefl y Candle ($12)Sweet Pineapple(256) 964-7563
(4) Urchin Bowl ($10)(5) Foodie Dice ($38)(6) 1Canoe2 Wood Recipe Box w Recipe Cards ($6999) Domaine South(256) 808-8860 (7) Growlers ($75 small $95 large)Southern Growlersoutherngrowlercom
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(4) BCBG Dress ($328)Personal Couture Boutique(256) 508-5632
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Guadalupe Robinson
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
text by jennifer crossley howard raquo photos by patrick hood
Of Deft and Dirty Hands
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Huntsville potter Guadalupe Lanning Robinson has spent more than 36 years mastering the
marriage of clay texture and geometric design into her pottery yet time has done little to temper the
plight of waiting
ldquoIt is hard for me to let a pot just dryrdquo she says motioning toward fi ve small wet pots sitting near her
pottery wheel ldquoIrsquom as excited to do this as I was 30 years agordquo
To observe her studio at Lowe Mill that is easy to believe Located on the corridor outside the textile
mill-turned-art centerrsquos main building the loft-like space with a corrugated tin roof feels like a place a
Gabriel Garcia Marquez character would enjoy daydreaming
Sienna-hued pottery sits in various stages to be fi red layered and etched Argentinian tango music
streams from Robinsonrsquos iPhone and two cockatiels a parrot and a parakeet chirp from their cages All
except the parrot fl y freely when Robinson is working
Robinson who is 61 made her fi rst pot in 1979 in her native Mexico City Almost four decades later her
work is part of permanent museum collections in Auburn Huntsville Tuscumbia and Tupelo Missis-
sippi She regularly enters her work in respected juried shows such as the Monte Sano Arts Festival and
the Kentuck Festival of the Arts in Northport and has received two Alabama State Council on the Arts
individual artist fellowships
Her inspiration draws from the villages around her native Mexico City such as the black pottery of
the northwest as well as her acquired Southern culture White lilies corn grids and round female
fi guresmdashldquoreally strong women who are in chargerdquo Robinson saysmdashreappear on her stoneware She uses
natural dyes indigo for color and mixes sand into clay for texture Nothing is wasted
ldquoI donrsquot waste any clayrdquo Robinson says ldquoEverything is recycledrdquo
Robinson fi nds solace in the 40-50 hours a week she puts in at the studio and the often tedious process
of making pots which can take from three weeks to six weeks for larger pots She usually works on two
or three pots at a time tending to groups at diff erent stages
After a pot is thrown on a wheel a piece can take days to dry before its fi rst bisque fi re in which tem-
peratures rise to 1800 F After baking for nine hours the kiln must cool Th e second fi ring rises to 2150
F and matures the clay and melts the glazes to strengthen the piece
ldquoI am an effi cient person by naturerdquo Robinson says ldquoWaiting for the kiln to cool down enough to open
can be nerve wracking and this is when my patience is usually put to the testrdquo
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
ldquoIt is hard for me to let a pot just dry Irsquom as excited to do this as I was 30 years agordquo
Robinson makes most of her pots on a wheel using oxides to change the color of clay she gets from Nashville and Pittsburgh Her pottery takes several weeks from start to fi nish depending on how large a pot is and how many she makes at a time
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
ldquoAttend to your childrenrsquos needs fi rst keep focus on what you want to douse the happiness joy and little breaks you get to make your artTh ey grow real fast and they will keep inspiring you all your liferdquo
Robinson imagined this bat-like design as she was working She usually begins a piece with a design in mind but that often evolves
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Robinson uses an overlay of liquid clay called engobemdashthat includes three to four layersmdashto create a
base on which to design
Th ere is high risk in making pottery and hours of work can be wasted on a pot that has not dried en-
tirely before it enters the kiln Air pockets or the wrong mixture of chemicals can ruin a piece
ldquoArt is involved but science is toordquo says Laura Smith director of education at the Huntsville Museum
of Art where Robinson has taught pottery classes ldquoItrsquos more labor intensive in terms of working with
the medium whether yoursquore building by hand or with a wheel until you fi re with the fi nal layer of glazerdquo
Th e result is sturdy pottery
ldquoI want my pots to look like something that is lasting a long timerdquo Robinson says
Th ough she works solitarily in her studio she says she does not get lonely Her birds and music keep her
company and each stage of pottery making has a soundtrack She uses needlepoint tools to draw onto
clay to Jose Feliciano and other Latin American musicians
ldquoIf Irsquom at the wheel Bruno Marsrdquo she says ldquoIf Irsquom unloading the kiln and something is really awesome
then I need something moving and I have on Motownrdquo
Robinsonrsquos years of experience minimize the risk of damaged pots but she says her greatest challenge
as a potter was balancing her work while raising her two children Now adults their candid childhood
pictures and those of her grandchildren cover the warm green walls of her studio
She met her husband the poet James Robinson in 1977 on a Greyhound bus when she returned to
Mexico City from visiting a friend at the University of Southern Mississippi He was heading to Mexico
to study at a university Th ey married six months later After giving birth to her daughter Annie Jane in
Mexico City in 1982 the family moved to Huntsville in 1985 Th at is when Robinson got more serious
about her pottery
ldquoFrom the very beginning when I moved to Alabama I knew I was going to have to do thisrdquo she said
ldquoIn some ways it was a way for me to keep connected to my heritagerdquo
She took even 15 minutes of free time to work in the studio behind her home and worked late into the
night while her daughter and son Isidoro born in 1987 slept Having a home studio allowed her to
wash clothes tend to her home and drop off lunches at school while maintaining her art
ldquoTh ere was something for me when I fi rst became a mother that fueled my creativityrdquo Robinson says
ldquoTh ey are such a social inspiration too It fi lls your liferdquo
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Robinson advises fellow artists who are mothers to seize
both roles but to prioritize motherhood
ldquoAttend to your childrenrsquos needs fi rst keep focus on what you
want to do use the happiness joy and little breaks you get
to make your artrdquo she says ldquoTh ey grow real fast and they will
keep inspiring you all your liferdquo
Anna Sue Courtney director of the Flying Monkey Arts
Center at Lowe Mill has known Robinson for more than
10 years She says she admires how mothers and artists like
Robinson seamlessly embrace both roles
ldquoIt seems therersquos not a separation between creating and rais-
ing childrenrdquo Courtney says ldquoTh ey seem to pull from the
same placerdquo
Part of Robinsonrsquos motivation at Lowe Mill comes from
working privately in a studio alongside other artists that fos-
ters a community of feedback and ideas
ldquoItrsquos nice to be here because you can take a break and walk around and get inspirationrdquo Courtney says
ldquoItrsquos refreshingrdquo
When she needs a break from the studio Robinson stays home to sketch designs for a day or two then
she is back in the studio
Trips twice a year to Mexico City keep her plugged in to her native culture which in turn shows up in
her pottery
ldquoI have to recharge myselfrdquo Robinson says ldquoI love Huntsville and loved raising my kids here but I still
have the need of going back to be recharged and smell all the smells and see all the colors and get on
the subway and be pushed aroundrdquo
Details from her trips that infl uence her work include the ever-present red that covers the city during
the celebration of Dia de los Muertos or the Day of the Dead Th e pyramids of Teotihuacan conjure
warm earth tones and fl oating gardens around the city yield sweet pungent calla lilies and carnations
Celebration of food tough women and nature reappear in her pottery qualities that both Southern and
Mexican cultures treasure
Above This daisy design is character-istic of Robinsonrsquos work Nature food and strong females from her native Mexico City and the South are strong creative infl uences
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Clockwise from top left Robinson often glazes only the inside of her pots so they can hold water and food She began quilting in 2002 and her quilts like her pottery contain earth tones and natural infl uences in their design Four birds keep Robinson company in what can be the isolating medium of pottery making Geometry and symmetry are two signature elements in Robinsonrsquos work according to Laura Smith director of education at the Huntsville Museum of Art
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Just as she keeps her home country close to her heart Robinson is loyal to her fi rst
love of pottery though she began making quilts in 2002
ldquoIrsquom a potter who likes to quiltrdquo she says
Like her pottery her quilting follows designs of organic nature such as fl owers and
crops on rich jewel tone cotton
ldquoWhen I fi rst saw one of her quilts I didnrsquot realize it was hers and I thought that
looks like it should be Guadalupersquos quiltrdquo Courtney says
Robinson prefers the immediate gratifi cation of clay
ldquoItrsquos a very responsive mediumrdquo she says ldquoYou can manipulate it Th e fact of mak-
ing something out of dirt out of nothing and making it durable making it perma-
nent that after going through the heat and maturing is something very excitingrdquo
She gently dings a pot covered with white dresses titled ldquoTehuana Dressrdquo to make
her point
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
887 FM Muscle Shoals bull 1007 FM Huntsvillewwwaprorg
News classicalmusic and more
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
copy Patrick Hood
text by sara wright covington raquo photos by jacki gil
patrick hood erin lindsey and michelle odom
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
copy Patrick Hood
ldquoA LOT OF PEOPLE HAD BEEN ASKING ME QUESTIONS ABOUTHOW I GOT MY BUSINESS STARTED I WANTED TO GATHER SOME PEOPLE AROUND ME
WHO WERE GOING THROUGH THOSE STRUGGLES AND TOBUILD ENTREPRENEURIAL COURAGErdquo
JACKI GIL SALT+PAPERIE
copy Patrick Hood
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
untsville-born Jacki Gil began her paper design busi-
ness Salt+Paperie in 2014 with an expansive vision
in mind one that extended beyond creating beautiful
custom designed paper goods ldquoI love my design job
but when Irsquom 50 years old I donrsquot see myself still de-
signing wedding invitationsrdquo the master stationer says
ldquoI really have a passion for teaching and helping people
I want to be a mentorrdquo
In 2015 Gil set out on her mentoring mission sooner than expected with a series
of workshops called Encourage Huntsville ldquoA lot of people had been asking me
questions about how I got my business startedrdquo Gil says about the early days of
Salt+Paperie Even though most of those questions from entrepreneurial-hopefuls
were technicalmdashlike how to apply for a business licensemdashthey served as inspira-
tion for Gil ldquoI wanted to gather some people around me who were going through
those struggles and to build entrepreneurial courage I defi nitely saw that there
was a need for helping people to take that next step toward owning their own
businessesrdquo
Encourage Huntsville was modeled on the image of a growing small business
movement called the Rising Tide Society a national community of creative small
business owners who encourage ldquocommunity over competitionrdquo Th at spirit of
openness is at the heart of Encourage Huntsville ldquoCommunity over competition
is a huge part of what we are doingrdquo says Gil ldquoSmall business owners sharing how
they earn their money is a big dealrdquo
As a fi rst step Gil gathered others around her who were using their skills and abili-
ties to make their own small businesses work With talents ranging from cooking
and cake decorating to hand lettering and artwork these small business owners
all embraced Gilrsquos vision for imparting to others the knowledge of their craft un-
impeded by a fear of losing their competitive edge
Th e fi rst lesson Gil wanted to impart to Encourage Huntsvillersquos students wasnrsquot
necessarily a particular craft or skill but a spirt of creative confi dence ldquoWe want-
ed to bridge the gap between the very artsy community and the ultimate engineer
communityrdquo many of whom Gil observes had been told since childhood they
werenrsquot artistic ldquoWhen you are little and someone tells you that you donrsquot have a
talent it sticks with you I found that a lot of people had that experience so that
was the workshop partmdashto build some creative courage in this communityrdquo
Gil conducted the fi rst workshop herself testing the waters to see how the concept
would be received Th e admission price to that fi rst workshop included supplies a
take-home ldquogoody bagrdquo to help students continue their work extracurricularly and
refreshmentsmdashas well as Gilrsquos tips of her trade
ldquoWe went in blindly not knowing if we had a market or notrdquo says Gil Th e popular-
ity of that fi rst class proved undeniably that a market did in fact exist the work-
shop sold out in one day ldquoSo we did back-to-back workshopsrdquo Gil says ldquoAfter that
novemberdecembeeer eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee | nononoononononononoonoonononooooonoonoonnononnoaaalalalllaallllllalaalaaalal ststustust ddiossscom mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm | | | | | | | | | | |
f
w
y
Previous page Encourage Huntsvillersquos founder and instructor Jacki Gil teaches a class in hand lettering Facing page A participant studies her supply list
we realized people really want to do this stuff So we said lsquoletrsquos jump on the boat
and make this happenrsquordquo
Gilrsquos longtime friend photographer Erin Lindsey of Erin Lindsey Images agreed
to contribute to Encourage Huntsvillersquos curriculum by teaching a photography
class ldquoJacki and I are a good team because our hearts are in the same place when
it comes to encouraging othersrdquo Lindsey says Still she admits saying yes to teach-
ing wasnrsquot without some initial hesitation ldquoWhen Jacki asked if I would teach a
class it was kind of scary I thought I had to be perfect before I could teach oth-
ersrdquo Lindsey says of her initial hesitancy ldquoBut after talking to Jacki I realized none
of us are perfectrdquo But perfection isnrsquot the goal encouragement is the goal ldquoAnd I
thought lsquoI can defi nitely line up with that visionrsquordquo
Michelle Odom another Huntsville native and owner of custom cake bakery Just
Crumbs was also on board with Gilrsquos vision In fact Odom had been contemplat-
ing teaching a class when she was approached by Gil to teach a fondant basics
class ldquoHuntsville is such an engineer town and everyone is so mathematical and
scientifi crdquo Odom says echoing the dichotomy between the arts and sciences ex-
pressed by Gil ldquoTh ese workshops are just a very cool way for structured people to
have a creative outletrdquo
ldquoJACKI AND I ARE A GOOD TEAM BECAUSE OUR HEARTS ARE INTHE SAME PLACE WHEN IT COMES TO ENCOURAGING OTHERSrdquo
ERIN LINDSEY ERIN LINDSEY IMAGES
copy Erin Lindsey
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Above A participant in Erin Lindseyrsquos photo class frames a still life
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
copy Erin Lindsey
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
ldquoHUNTSVILLE IS SUCH AN ENGINEER TOWN AND EVERYONE ISSO MATHEMATICAL AND SCIENTIFIC THESE WORKSHOPS ARE JUST A VERY COOL
WAY FOR STRUCTURED PEOPLE TO HAVE A CREATIVE OUTLETrdquo MICHELLE ODOM JUST CRUMBS
copy Michelle Odom
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
ldquoAnd yesrdquo Odom acknowledges ldquoyou are in theory teaching your competition But
at the same time you are helping the community be more creativerdquo
With its roster of popular creative workshops under its belt Encourage Huntsville
has added business classes to its community-over-competition curriculum with
classes designed to provide specifi c guidance for small business owners ldquoAll of
our events that donrsquot require hands-on work we call seminarsrdquo says Gil ldquoWe had
about 15 people at our fi rst one It was pretty much just an open discussion to ask
us questions and get answers from the perspective of a small business ownerrdquo
Th e seminars enjoyed the same success and enthusiasm as the workshops ldquoWe
had two hours for people to ask questionsrdquo Gil says Topics covered ran the gamut
from scheduling daily tasks self-hosting a website or using an Etsy store man-
aging client expectations and being realistic about how much time you need to
complete jobs
ldquoTh e time went quickly and people wanted morerdquo says Gil who envisions an all-
day seminar in 2016
Margaret Baggett owner and executive chef of the Chef Next Door is another
small business owner who has shared Gilrsquos vision from the very beginning teach-
copy Erin Lindsey
Facing page Michelle Odomrsquos fondant basics class begins with a styrofoam cake form Above Newbie photographers familiarize themselves with their cameras in Erin Lindseyrsquos photography class
ing knife skills workshops and helping host the business seminars ldquoI am so proud
to get to be a part of this project and help nurture other small business owners
who may just be starting out on their journey or are deep in it and looking for
some encouragement from other business ownersrdquo Baggett says of what motivates
her participation in Encourage Huntsville ldquoEven being on the advice-giving side
of things I am still learning and have taken tips and tricks and lessons from each
event we have had so far We never stop learning from each other and never stop
improving upon our craftsrdquo
Th e mutual growth among students and teachers is the source of the encourage-
mentmdashand the joymdashof Encourage Huntsville ldquoItrsquos so much fun to see the light
bulbs go off with people and see them encouraged right before your eyesrdquo Lindsey
says of her experience with the program ldquoPlus itrsquos a pleasure to contribute to a
sense of community over competition Th at whole concept is so rarerdquo
As Encourage Huntsvillersquos following continues to grow the diversity of the work-
shops will expand as well Whether you are looking to spend a fun afternoon
learning a new craft or are a budding small business owner hoping to launch
your brand Encourage Huntsville has something valuable to off er ldquoWe encourage
those left-brain folks to take up a new hobby or skillrdquo Baggett says ldquoor just encour-
age the people of Huntsville to get together and fan their creative fl amesrdquo
If yoursquore looking for
creative or entrepreneurial
encouragement visit
encouragehuntsvillecom
for seminar and workshop
schedules and information
ldquoI AM SO PROUD TO GET TO BE A PART OF THIS PROJECT AND HELP NURTURE OTHER SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS WHO MAY JUST BE STARTING OUT ON THEIR JOURNEY OR ARE DEEP IN IT
AND LOOKING FOR SOME ENCOURAGEMENT FROM OTHER BUSINESS OWNERSrdquoMARGARET BAGGETT CHEF NEXT DOOR
copy Jacki Gil
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
copy Jacki Gil
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Participants in Margaret Baggettrsquos knife skills workshop learn to perfect their ldquomise en placerdquo
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
copy Olivia Reed
text by sara wright covington raquo photos by olivia reed and jeff white
HUNTSVILLErsquoS
HOMEGROWNHOSTESS
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
ttttttononononoooooonononooooo raquo praquo praquo praquo praquo phothothothothotosoososos s s osos bybybbybb
Any host will tell you that delicious food and quality libations while important to
a partyrsquos success are secondary to the most important ingredient of all the guest list Th atrsquos why many
of downtown Huntsvillersquos most popular restaurants breweries and wine shops are turning to event
planner Ashley Ryals and her uncanny knack for attracting loyal patronsmdashand creating unforgettable
events in the process
When Huntsville born-and-bred Ashley Ryals left for college at the University of Alabama in 2001
she thought her exit from the Valley was permanent ldquoI never thought I would end up back hererdquo the
founder of event planning company Homegrown Huntsville says with a knowing laugh But after a few
post-graduate years working for world-renowned public relations powerhouse Weber Shandwick in
New York City Ryals started to second guess her freshman declaration
ldquoI started to get homesickrdquo she admits ldquoAll of my friends were getting married and meeting for football
games and I was missing itrdquo So when a friend from home set up an interview at EarlyWorks for a job
doing event planning Ryals jumped at the chance to come home
Ashley spent the next few years planning EarlyWorks Whistle Stop and Santarsquos Village events A brief
stint in sales followed along with a seat on the board of Huntsville Young Professionals where she had
an idea for a downtown pub crawl
ldquoWe expected 20 or 30 peoplerdquo Ryals says of their modest expectations ldquoBut 200 people showed uprdquo
Th at initial success convinced Ryals to embark on her dream of establishing an
event planning company But it wasnrsquot just any event planning company Ryals
had in mind she envisioned one that would collaborate with local businesses
cultivate signature events for the community to enjoy and support small busi-
nesses in the process
Inspired Ryals left her sales job and for the second time in her life came home
again to event planning and Homegrown Huntsville
To help bring her vision to life Ryals collaborated with designer Adrianne Van
Kirk of Fave Creative ldquoAdrianne has been a part of the visual and branding of
Homegrown from the beginning We come up with the event ideas then I get
the ticketing and sales together and she comes back with a logo and the mar-
keting for the event And thatrsquos how it all comes togetherrdquo Ryals says of their
creative process
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
ASHLEY RYALS
copy Olivia Reed
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
ldquoMOST WINE FESTIVALS ACROSS THE COUNTRY HAVE PROVEN RECORDS OF BEING ABLE TO STAY AROUND 15 OR 20 YEARS OR EVEN LONGER AND THE ECONOMIES OF THOSE
CITIES HAVE REALLY GROWN AS A RESULT I WANT BIG SPRING CRUSH TO EVENTUALLY BE THE BIGGEST AND BEST WINE FESTIVAL IN THE STATE OF ALABAMArdquo ASHLEY RYALS
copy Jeff White
copy Jeff White
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
copy Olivia Reed
Homegrown launched in 2011 with what would become its
signature event Dine amp Dash Every second Wednesday
April through October a trolley shuttles patrons between
downtown establishments where they are served a drink
and appetizer before moving on to the next stop
Owner and executive chef Merle Phillips of Th e Eaves was
one of the fi rst restaurants to sign on for Dine amp Dashrsquos de-
but ldquoAshley came to me and said she was starting a trolley
tasting conceptrdquo says Chef Merle ldquoI didnrsquot really know her so
I was taking a chance on the concept she was sellingrdquo
Merle tried it and has been a loyal participant of Dine amp
Dash ever since
ldquoIt was a risk in the beginning but it defi nitely paid off rdquo Chef
Merle says of the experience Pivotal to that experience ac-
cording to Phillips is Ryalsrsquo demonstration to the commu-
nity just what the term ldquohomegrownrdquo really means ldquoAshley
shines a spotlight on independent businesses in a market-
place that has for so long focused on chainsrdquo Phillips says
ldquoDine amp Dash has really brought into sharp focus the inter-
esting culinary diversity that Huntsville has to off errdquo
For the next two years Homegrown Huntsville focused al-
most exclusively on Dine amp Dash which by the end of its fi rst
year included every single downtown restaurant But when
big changes began to appear on the downtown horizonmdash
new restaurants breweries and residential developmentsmdash
Ryalsrsquo instincts told her
the time had come to
introduce a new event
to the downtown cal-
endar
ldquoBeer Hop follows
the concept of Dine
amp Dashrdquo Ryals says of
Homegrownrsquos second
venture which began
in 2013 Each month a
trolley visits three dif-
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
BILL FOWLEROLD TOWN BEER
EXCHANGE
copy Olivia Reed
copy Olivia Reed
ferent breweries where patrons sample beers and enjoy food
from a variety of food trucks parked at each location
Bill Fowler managing partner of Old Town Beer Exchange
agreed to participate in Beer Hop on his very fi rst day of
business and credits Ryals with an overwhelmingly success-
ful opening night ldquoAshley said lsquoI can guarantee that you are
going to have wave after wave of people coming throughrsquordquo
Fowler says recalling that fi rst jittery occasion Once again
Ryals proved true to her word with 60-plus patrons arriving
in an hour-and-a-half ldquoIt was awesome and such a great ex-
perience for usrdquo Fowler raves ldquoAshley is a hard worker and
you can see that in what she doesrdquo
Fowler believes that in addition to bringing new customers
to OTBX Ryals is also cultivating beer education consis-
tently bringing in people who are new to beer and want to
learn And with Huntsvillersquos recent brewery boom that level
of education and interest is crucial for the brewing commu-
nity to thrive ldquoWe have a very small window of opportunityrdquo
says Fowler ldquoI think Huntsville in particular is becoming a
craft brewing community People are making money at this
and once Tennessee sees that we need to already have had a
pretty huge head startrdquo
By the end of 2013 and with standing events Beer Hop and
Dine amp Dash well established Ryals took time to refl ect on
her original goal for Homegrown Huntsville ldquoIn the back of
my head from day one I knew I wanted to do a wine festival
I just didnrsquot think Huntsville was ready for it in 2011rdquo
Emboldened by the success of Beer Hop Ryals decided to
make the leap with Big Spring Crush wine festival later the
same year Once again Ryals delivered the perfect audience
for the event and in the process discovered a surprising
fact about North Alabamarsquos contribution to the wine-mak-
ing industry
ldquoIn doing the wine festival I learned that we have a huge
wine community in Huntsvillerdquo Ryals says ldquoTh ere are only
about 47 certifi ed wine judges in the entire United States
and we have four of them right here in North Alabama Two
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
copy Jeff White
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
ldquoI STARTED TO GET HOMESICK ALL OF MY FRIENDS WERE GETTING MARRIEDAND MEETING FOR FOOTBALL GAMES AND I WAS MISSING ITrdquo ASHLEY RYALS
copy Jeff White
copy Jeff White
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
ldquoIT WAS AWESOME AND SUCH A GREAT EXPERIENCE FOR USrdquoBILL FOWLER OLD TOWN BEER EXCHANGE
copy Jeff White
copy Olivia Reed
of those four certifi ed wine judges sit on the committee for
Big Spring Crushrdquo
Matthew and Stephanie Mell had just opened Church Street
Wine Shop when they decided to participate in the fi rst Big
Spring Crush Like OTBXrsquos Robert Fowler the Mells credit
Ryals and Homegrown Huntsville for helping to introduce
their new enterprise to the community ldquoAshley has been in-
strumental in helping to bring us people who love and ap-
preciate winerdquo Stephanie Mell says ldquoShe was homegrown
here in Huntsville and she really gets the downtown area
and small businesses and that is so important to usrdquo
Big Spring Crush began with a bang featuring over 150
wines and attracting patrons from across the country
ldquoMost wine festivals across the country have proven records
of being able to stay around 15 or 20 years or even longerrdquo
Ryals says ldquoAnd the economies of those cities have really
grown as a result I want Big Spring Crush to eventually be
the biggest and best wine festival in the state of Alabamardquo
How does Ryals intend to make that dream come true ldquoBy
always keeping it fresh I want to have new marketing and
new things happening each yearrdquo
Ryalsrsquo formula of reinvention and expansion has successfully
led Homegrown Huntsville through fi ve years of success and
helped its events become community staples along the way In
the process Ryals is broadening more than just our image of
downtown Huntsville shersquos joining a class of creative entrepre-
neurs committed to expanding Huntsvillersquos reputation as more
than just a hub for the brightest scientifi c minds in America
ldquoWe have a big city of engineers and lawyers and itrsquos won-
derfulrdquo Ryals say ldquo But there is a whole artist and food cul-
ture here and there is so much growth I want us to have a
vibrant cool downtown area and I want for people to tell
their friends to come and visit and to see Huntsville for what
it is a city I loverdquo
If yoursquod like to participate in Homegrown Huntsville either
as a guest or a participating business visit homegrown-
huntsvillecom
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
copy Jeff White
I was years old and the year was At that time the city of Huntsville was inching toward the mountain to the east California Street was once the continental divide between the small town metropo-lis and the uncharted territories gingerly crossed by the real estate pioneers four score and some odd years prior Th is area became the new suburb as the city kept pushing onward toward Fagan Springs as if the reverberating booms of rocket testings were vibrating Hunstvillians away from its epicenter
From the front yard of our house on Owens Drive I could look to the rightmdashup the hill to the bend be-yond which the big houses stood on their rocky ledge pedestals and to the left where all the other houses that looked just like oursmdashfresh and newmdashrambled for what seemed like miles Th ose clean well-lit abodes all seemed the same and granted at my age I knew more about the pets that lived there than I did about the people who owned those manageable mortgages I came to realize that each was diff erent in a way that was permeated by voices smells and furnishings
It is a clicheacute to say that our lives were simpler then because that is just how the current era will be fondly referred to in the future but to a 5-year-old it is the simplicity that brought the joy Th e sixties will always be to me the beginning of the age of manufactured happiness Cheap clean and simple was what was strived for and what was easily obtained Plastic items were plentiful and pretty things could be bought with SampH Green Stamps A few coins in our pocket would transfer us into the most master of manipula-tors with us giving our all to convince our parents for a jaunt to Murdockrsquos for a holiday of wonderment joy and impatience as we would scour the shelves trying to get the most from our meager budget
Owens Drive was the fairly new thoroughfare from which the avenues of three-bedroom-ranchers fi ngered away at planned intervals Th is was the place where newlyweds started their lives homes and families Where girls with last names that had been in the town for generations would change them to those strange and exotic last names of the clean cut newcomers brought here for military purposes Where the housewives would preheat their pristine electric ovens trying to make cheese straws and biscuits that were just like their motherrsquos only to be frustrated as they were never quite the same and where the husbands would follow in their fatherrsquos footsteps by joining the Acme Club and hunting doves on the weekends
Th ere was a swimming pool Certainly not at our house Th e only private pool I remember as a child was one that my grandmother would take me to nestled between huge trees at someonersquos house on Adams Street I would swim with other children my age while our grandmothers chatted smoking cigarettes in cat-eyed anonymity whispering most of their stories so we wouldnrsquot be able to hear But between their
gasps and laughter we would listen hear and learn
Th e Blossomwood pool was a place of designated rules and the sound of bright whistlesmdashwith straight lines and distinctive colors of blue and green I can still feel the Coppertoned oiliness on the skin of the tanned lifeguard as she carried me from the deep end frightened after my fi rst attempt at solo-swimming She knew my name I had no idea who she was
On the other side of the pool was the school my older sister attended It had a style that mim-icked the poolmdashstraight lines cleanmdasha temple to orderliness and good manners It was with
awe that I once watched the young adults there some as old as eleven wind and dance their way around a sky-high fl agpolemdasheach with a diff erent color ribbon until the fi rst (and only) May Pole
I was privy to was completely dressed in its woven bright colors
90 raquo bless their hearts raquo Guy McClure Jr
Huntsville was a magical place for us tail-end baby boomers to grow upmdashbeyond the miracles of the escalator at Pizitz the smiling little lady on the tall stool at the register at Britlings There was a comfort level there that Irsquom not sure is in the minds of the 5-year-olds of today
cat-eyed agasps
Th s
aI w
THE COMFORTS OF BLOSSOMWOOD
In our world of red-bricked carported castles there was a def-inite division of generations Th e children ate separately from the parents went to school as our dads went to work enter-tained our neighborhood friends as quietly as possible and felt safe between our boundaries of Big Cove Road and Hermitage Street While we dined on our Chef Boy-Ar-Dee boxed pizza our parents busied themselves dressing in their dark colors getting ready for a late dinner at Boots having the scent of perfume and face powder trail my mother as she came into the kitchen looking for something with an intense purpose My father would smell of British Sterling and look just as he did when he went to work only happier Th ese nights meant something fun would happenmdashwe would have a babysitter
Babysitters were my introduction into what was and still seems cool Th ey were usually Huntsville High School teen-agers who would put on a show without even knowing it I would drink in their every move word and essence of style To me they were supermodelsmdashmovie starsmdasheven more fa-mous in my eyes than a television weatherman and almost as glamorous as the waitresses at the Waffl e House
Before they would tire of me and my sister and put us to bed they would include us in their world of music and knowledge which I thought was all-encompassing Suddenly our world of Th e Benny Carl Show and Fantasy Playhouse would seem trite and passeacute and we would catch a fl eeting glimpse into what would be in store for us when we too could stay up past 8 pm
Huntsville was a magical place for us tail-end baby boomers to grow upmdashbeyond the miracles of the escalator at Pizitz the smiling little lady on the tall stool at the register at Britlings and that bright colorful Maypole Th ere was a comfort level there that Irsquom not sure is in the minds of the 5-year-olds of todaymdashthe soothing sheltered lack of knowledge of why we were so lucky yet we didnrsquot even know that we were
In the other areas of our Huntsville there was poverty and ra-cial unrestmdashas there was and is in every city I was unaware People of color were always a part of my worldmdashmostly be-cause they had my attention and respect At our house there was Annie my grandmotherrsquos house was fi lled with the joys of Lula and out on the family farm there was strong and smiling Homer and large and huggable Rosamdashall just as much a part of my life as everyone else My life was good and they were instrumental in making it that way
What will the 5-year-olds of today who are lucky enough to be raised on those well-planned streets remember when they surpass their own 50 year mark It is a much more complex world now and there are diff erent concerns with daily changes of fear Youthful innocence is a prize that is encased without a lock Premature maturity is a viable threat and a constant fear But each night tucked in tight in a simple room sleeps tomor-rowrsquos adults who are having sweet dreamsmdashblanketed by the comforts of Blossomwood
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
92 raquo the vine raquo Amy C Collins
BORDEAUX POWER
Where Burgundyrsquos vineyards were established by Benedictine monks patiently growing wine vines with spiritual hearts Bordeauxrsquos vineyards were raised by entrepreneurial laymen who recognized the massive monetary opportunity when the English began drinking down their peasant wine
The city of Bordeaux is Francersquos primary port town on the Atlantic ocean a harbor that has for centuries served as the countryrsquos most important dock Th e regionrsquos history is long and storied with the fi rst written reference to the area dated 379 AD by the Latin poet Ausonius who was also a wine-grower Jump ahead to the year 1152 when Eleanor of Aquitaine married Englandrsquos soon-to-be king Henry Plantagenet and the port and surrounding vineyard land became the source of wine for the English a connection that remains strong even today
Bordeaux produces the worldrsquos most expensive and sought after collector wines the top tier of which make up less than fi ve percent of the regionrsquos total production Th ese names are quickly learned by neophyte wine drinkers wanting to make an impression Chateau Haut-Brion Lafi te Latour and Margaux for example Grown in gravelly soils only a few meters above sea levelmdashin contrast vineyards elsewhere in Europe typically sit between 300 and 900 metersmdashthese wines are some of the most powerful austere and pawed over When young the tannins in these cabernet sauvignon cabernet franc and merlot blends coat the tongue and mouth with a chalky dry sensation akin to sucking on an Earl Grey tea bag and are perhaps best suited to well-fatted rare steak and cigars Th ese are wines built to live for decades Personally I prefer a Bordeaux at least 20 years aged when the tannins have had ample time to calm down and mellow out and more nuanced fl avors come forward Sounds fancy and it is Only in some very lucky circumstances over the past year have I been guest to a bottle of 1990 Clos de Menuts Saint-Eacutemilion and a 1970 Chateau Haut-Brion About once every 10 years Irsquove had the good
fortune to taste a wine older than myself Nice work if you can get it
Where Burgundyrsquos vineyards (Francersquos other classifi ed sought-after region) were established by Benedictine monks patiently growing wine vines with spiritual hearts
Bordeauxrsquos vineyards were raised by entrepreneurial laymen who recognized the massive monetary opportunity when the English began drinking down their peasant wine Th is underscores the second half of my theory as to why Americans
more often American males are so drawn to the wines of Bordeaux Th erersquos an inherent capitalist connection something in the soil Th at the wines are so
unmistakable so distinctively grand and pronounced elixirs exemplifi es the fi rst half of my theory we Americans are not known for our subtlety (To be fair the Chinese are
signifi cant Bordeaux collectors as well)
Philosophy aside Bordeaux is quite a large region that produces beautiful white and red values as well as the rare fi nds out of the populacersquos price range Herersquos the skinny Blending is the game single varietal wines are rare White Bordeaux is typically made from a blend of sauvignon blanc and seacutemillon and sometimes a drop or two of muscadelle ugni blanc or colombard Reds are made primarily from the two cabernets plus merlot with small quantities of petit verdot malbec and carmenegravere occasionally in the mix Th e region is also home to the golden nectar of late ripened seacutemillon sauvignon blanc and muscadelle grapes that have successfully attracted the noble rot a fungus that covers the fruit and drains moisture from inside leaving behind rich sweet grapes without moldy fl avors Chateau drsquoYquem is the most famous of these unfortifi ed dessert wines though there are better bargains from the region
Bordeaux is split by the Gironde river which divides the region into three general areas Th e left bank also known as the Haut-Meacutedoc is where the classifi ed top growths are situated Th ese prestigious estates were named for their exceptional vineyard sites in 1855 a decision nearly unchanged since Today serious collectors invest in Bordeaux futures theoretically locking down lower prices of top
ample time to calm dit is Only in some vede Menuts Saint-Eacutem
fortune to taste a
Wherees
aun
of msignifi
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Follow Amy at pigandvinecom for morestories and wine suggestions
growth estates while the wine is still aging in the cellar Itrsquos the wine tradersquos equivalent to the NASDAQ On the right bank Saint-Eacutemilion and Pommerol are the prized vineyard areas known for their merlot heavy cuveacutees To the south west we fi nd Graves where there are many great values to be had in both white and red bottlings Entre-Deux-Mers which translates to ldquobetween two seasrdquo sits between the Dordogne and Garonne tributaries off the Gironde and is an excellent source for crisp whites
Get started on your Bordeaux experience with these values
Chateau Graville-Lacoste 2014 Graves 75 seacutemillon 20 sauvignon blanc and 5 muscadelle make up this beauty thatrsquos consistently delicious every vintage Crisp and refreshing great with seafood
Chateau Mirambeau 2014 GravesAnother classic blend of 40 sauvignon blanc 40 seacutemillon and 20 muscadelle this lovely white is a bit more fl oral than the Graville-Lacoste Easy drinking and great value
Chateau de Parenchegravere Bordeaux Rouge 201155 merlot 30 cabernet sauvignon and 15 cabernet franc grown in clay heavy soils similar to the right bank of the region Fleshy with good structure and abundant red fruit
Chateau Arnaud Bordeaux Supeacuterieur 2011Supeacuterieur on a Bordeaux label isnrsquot egotistical marketingmdashby law it indicates a wine with up to one degree more alcohol than its AC Bordeaux brethren What it really means is one more degree of body structure and in this case quality Approachable delicious and easy on the wallet
Chateau de Bernadotte Haut-Meacutedoc 2005Th e 2005 vintage in Bordeaux is in the history books with double asterisks Owned by the eminent Pichon Lalande family and made from vineyards in Paulliac one of the more choice growing areas in the region this is an incredible value a top tier Bordeaux for a fraction of the cost
Chateau de Suduiraut Sauternes 2011Ripe cantaloupe apricot and honey and an interesting smoky note with a solid sweet attack followed by great acidity A dessert wine that wonrsquot overpower the dessert
94 raquo parting shot raquo Patrick Hood
Meet Solvar
Solvar belongs to one of the worldrsquos oldest and purest equine lineages the Nor-
wegian Fjord horse a breed that has remained virtually unchanged for more than
2000 yearsmdashlong before we became acquainted with his animated cousins in
the movie Frozen Th ese national symbols of Norway are characterized by primi-
tive zebra striping on their legs and a dorsal stripe running from forelock to tail
resulting in a striking two-tone mane that sticks up like a Mohawk Th eir athleti-
cism agility and dependability make them valuable both as sport horses as well
as therapy horses for emotionally and physically challenged adults and children
Catie Wells of Huntsville is the proud owner of Solvar who resides at Monte
Sano Stables
For tickets or information 256-539-4818 or hsoorg
Bring In the New Year With Us
presents
WHAT A WONDERFUL
WORLDA tribute to Louis
Armstrong featuring the
Byron Stripling Quartet
Thursday December 31
730 pm bull Pops Series bullMark C Smith
Concert Hall VBC
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
M O R E T H A N 7 0 S H O P S A N D R E S T A U R A N T S I N C L U D I N G B E L K | D S W S H O E S | A P P L E J O S A B A N K | R E E D S J E W E L E R S | PA N D O R A | J C R E W | K AT E S PA D E N E W Y O R KO R V I S | B A N A N A R E P U B L I C | M I C H A E L K O R S | F R A N C E S C Arsquo S | A N T H R O P O L O G I EH amp M | S O M A | M O U N T A I N H I G H O U T F I T T E R S | B A R N E S amp N O B L E | S E P H O R AALTAR rsquoD STATE | CONNORS STEAK amp SEFOOD | THE WEST IN HUNTSV I L L E | MONACO P ICTURES
C O M I N G S O O N V E R S O N A ndash near Belk
B R I D G E S T R E E T H U N T S V I L L E C O M |
BR IDGE STREET TOWN CENTRE I S LOCATED AT EX I T 14 OFF I - 565 AT OLD MAD ISON P IKE
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) The Lion Sleeps Tonight Bath Bomb ($6) Sweet Pineapple(256) 964-7563
(2) Tiger Jelly Cat ($2250)(3) Dog Tag Teether ($1550)(4) Dinosaur Footie ($3595)Honey B Boutique(256) 503-2853
(5) Young Buck ($25)Tiny Vinestinyvinesshopcom
(6) Bib Set ($13)Huntsville Museumof Art(256) 535-4350
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
(1) Tiny Dancer Bath Bomb ($6)Sweet Pineapple(256) 964-7563
(2) Kickee Mammoth Footie ($3595)(3) Noodle amp Boo Essential Care Kit ($18)(4) Elephant Jelly Cat ($2250)Honey B Boutique(256) 503-2853
(5) ArtFolio Pink Elephant Coloring Tote ($17)Huntsville Museumof Art(256) 535-4350
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) Bib Set ($13)Huntsville Museumof Art(256) 535-4350 (2) Little Light ($25)Tiny Vinestinyvinesshopcom (3) Micro Leon Cardboard Lion ($30)Little Green Storeand Gallery (256) 539-9699 (4) I Love You Like Biscuits amp Gravy ($23)Domaine South(256) 808-8860
(5) Kickee Kimono ($4295)Honey B Boutique(256) 503-2853
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
SURPRISEA LOVED ONE
THIS HOLIDAY SEASON
WITH A FOREVER GIFT
HobbsJewelerscom 8772331347Parkway Place Mall
HuntsvilleHwy 72 West
AthensMain Street
Ardmore TN
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
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novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
(1) Chewbead Necklace ($3495)(2) Mayoral Baby Bag ($7995)(3) Mayoral Diaper Changing Pad ($2495)(4) Nursing Scarf ($2695) (5) Kickee Swaddling Blanket ($22)Honey B Boutique(256) 503-2853 (6) Lucy Darling Months Sticker ($25) (7) The Story of You Baby Book by Emily Ley ($62) Sweet Pineapple(256) 964-7563
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novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) Rocket Cosmos Mug ($13)Huntsville Museumof Art(256) 535-4350
(2) Loose Leaf Tea ($399)Piper amp Leaf piperandleafcom (3) Judy Jackson Tea Pot ($56) (4) Gary Watson Cherry Cutting Board ($48-$68) (5) Susan Coe Birthday Cake Plate ($33) Little Green Storeand Gallery (256) 539-9699 (6) Macarons ($116 pcs $221 dozen)Whisk Small Treats Bakery(256) 656-1027
(7) Truffl es ($185 each)Pizellersquos Confections (256) 513-9745 (8) Olive amp Sinclair Chocolate ($799)Domaine South(256) 808-8860
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
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novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Guadalupe Robinson
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
text by jennifer crossley howard raquo photos by patrick hood
Of Deft and Dirty Hands
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Huntsville potter Guadalupe Lanning Robinson has spent more than 36 years mastering the
marriage of clay texture and geometric design into her pottery yet time has done little to temper the
plight of waiting
ldquoIt is hard for me to let a pot just dryrdquo she says motioning toward fi ve small wet pots sitting near her
pottery wheel ldquoIrsquom as excited to do this as I was 30 years agordquo
To observe her studio at Lowe Mill that is easy to believe Located on the corridor outside the textile
mill-turned-art centerrsquos main building the loft-like space with a corrugated tin roof feels like a place a
Gabriel Garcia Marquez character would enjoy daydreaming
Sienna-hued pottery sits in various stages to be fi red layered and etched Argentinian tango music
streams from Robinsonrsquos iPhone and two cockatiels a parrot and a parakeet chirp from their cages All
except the parrot fl y freely when Robinson is working
Robinson who is 61 made her fi rst pot in 1979 in her native Mexico City Almost four decades later her
work is part of permanent museum collections in Auburn Huntsville Tuscumbia and Tupelo Missis-
sippi She regularly enters her work in respected juried shows such as the Monte Sano Arts Festival and
the Kentuck Festival of the Arts in Northport and has received two Alabama State Council on the Arts
individual artist fellowships
Her inspiration draws from the villages around her native Mexico City such as the black pottery of
the northwest as well as her acquired Southern culture White lilies corn grids and round female
fi guresmdashldquoreally strong women who are in chargerdquo Robinson saysmdashreappear on her stoneware She uses
natural dyes indigo for color and mixes sand into clay for texture Nothing is wasted
ldquoI donrsquot waste any clayrdquo Robinson says ldquoEverything is recycledrdquo
Robinson fi nds solace in the 40-50 hours a week she puts in at the studio and the often tedious process
of making pots which can take from three weeks to six weeks for larger pots She usually works on two
or three pots at a time tending to groups at diff erent stages
After a pot is thrown on a wheel a piece can take days to dry before its fi rst bisque fi re in which tem-
peratures rise to 1800 F After baking for nine hours the kiln must cool Th e second fi ring rises to 2150
F and matures the clay and melts the glazes to strengthen the piece
ldquoI am an effi cient person by naturerdquo Robinson says ldquoWaiting for the kiln to cool down enough to open
can be nerve wracking and this is when my patience is usually put to the testrdquo
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
ldquoIt is hard for me to let a pot just dry Irsquom as excited to do this as I was 30 years agordquo
Robinson makes most of her pots on a wheel using oxides to change the color of clay she gets from Nashville and Pittsburgh Her pottery takes several weeks from start to fi nish depending on how large a pot is and how many she makes at a time
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
ldquoAttend to your childrenrsquos needs fi rst keep focus on what you want to douse the happiness joy and little breaks you get to make your artTh ey grow real fast and they will keep inspiring you all your liferdquo
Robinson imagined this bat-like design as she was working She usually begins a piece with a design in mind but that often evolves
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Robinson uses an overlay of liquid clay called engobemdashthat includes three to four layersmdashto create a
base on which to design
Th ere is high risk in making pottery and hours of work can be wasted on a pot that has not dried en-
tirely before it enters the kiln Air pockets or the wrong mixture of chemicals can ruin a piece
ldquoArt is involved but science is toordquo says Laura Smith director of education at the Huntsville Museum
of Art where Robinson has taught pottery classes ldquoItrsquos more labor intensive in terms of working with
the medium whether yoursquore building by hand or with a wheel until you fi re with the fi nal layer of glazerdquo
Th e result is sturdy pottery
ldquoI want my pots to look like something that is lasting a long timerdquo Robinson says
Th ough she works solitarily in her studio she says she does not get lonely Her birds and music keep her
company and each stage of pottery making has a soundtrack She uses needlepoint tools to draw onto
clay to Jose Feliciano and other Latin American musicians
ldquoIf Irsquom at the wheel Bruno Marsrdquo she says ldquoIf Irsquom unloading the kiln and something is really awesome
then I need something moving and I have on Motownrdquo
Robinsonrsquos years of experience minimize the risk of damaged pots but she says her greatest challenge
as a potter was balancing her work while raising her two children Now adults their candid childhood
pictures and those of her grandchildren cover the warm green walls of her studio
She met her husband the poet James Robinson in 1977 on a Greyhound bus when she returned to
Mexico City from visiting a friend at the University of Southern Mississippi He was heading to Mexico
to study at a university Th ey married six months later After giving birth to her daughter Annie Jane in
Mexico City in 1982 the family moved to Huntsville in 1985 Th at is when Robinson got more serious
about her pottery
ldquoFrom the very beginning when I moved to Alabama I knew I was going to have to do thisrdquo she said
ldquoIn some ways it was a way for me to keep connected to my heritagerdquo
She took even 15 minutes of free time to work in the studio behind her home and worked late into the
night while her daughter and son Isidoro born in 1987 slept Having a home studio allowed her to
wash clothes tend to her home and drop off lunches at school while maintaining her art
ldquoTh ere was something for me when I fi rst became a mother that fueled my creativityrdquo Robinson says
ldquoTh ey are such a social inspiration too It fi lls your liferdquo
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Robinson advises fellow artists who are mothers to seize
both roles but to prioritize motherhood
ldquoAttend to your childrenrsquos needs fi rst keep focus on what you
want to do use the happiness joy and little breaks you get
to make your artrdquo she says ldquoTh ey grow real fast and they will
keep inspiring you all your liferdquo
Anna Sue Courtney director of the Flying Monkey Arts
Center at Lowe Mill has known Robinson for more than
10 years She says she admires how mothers and artists like
Robinson seamlessly embrace both roles
ldquoIt seems therersquos not a separation between creating and rais-
ing childrenrdquo Courtney says ldquoTh ey seem to pull from the
same placerdquo
Part of Robinsonrsquos motivation at Lowe Mill comes from
working privately in a studio alongside other artists that fos-
ters a community of feedback and ideas
ldquoItrsquos nice to be here because you can take a break and walk around and get inspirationrdquo Courtney says
ldquoItrsquos refreshingrdquo
When she needs a break from the studio Robinson stays home to sketch designs for a day or two then
she is back in the studio
Trips twice a year to Mexico City keep her plugged in to her native culture which in turn shows up in
her pottery
ldquoI have to recharge myselfrdquo Robinson says ldquoI love Huntsville and loved raising my kids here but I still
have the need of going back to be recharged and smell all the smells and see all the colors and get on
the subway and be pushed aroundrdquo
Details from her trips that infl uence her work include the ever-present red that covers the city during
the celebration of Dia de los Muertos or the Day of the Dead Th e pyramids of Teotihuacan conjure
warm earth tones and fl oating gardens around the city yield sweet pungent calla lilies and carnations
Celebration of food tough women and nature reappear in her pottery qualities that both Southern and
Mexican cultures treasure
Above This daisy design is character-istic of Robinsonrsquos work Nature food and strong females from her native Mexico City and the South are strong creative infl uences
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Clockwise from top left Robinson often glazes only the inside of her pots so they can hold water and food She began quilting in 2002 and her quilts like her pottery contain earth tones and natural infl uences in their design Four birds keep Robinson company in what can be the isolating medium of pottery making Geometry and symmetry are two signature elements in Robinsonrsquos work according to Laura Smith director of education at the Huntsville Museum of Art
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Just as she keeps her home country close to her heart Robinson is loyal to her fi rst
love of pottery though she began making quilts in 2002
ldquoIrsquom a potter who likes to quiltrdquo she says
Like her pottery her quilting follows designs of organic nature such as fl owers and
crops on rich jewel tone cotton
ldquoWhen I fi rst saw one of her quilts I didnrsquot realize it was hers and I thought that
looks like it should be Guadalupersquos quiltrdquo Courtney says
Robinson prefers the immediate gratifi cation of clay
ldquoItrsquos a very responsive mediumrdquo she says ldquoYou can manipulate it Th e fact of mak-
ing something out of dirt out of nothing and making it durable making it perma-
nent that after going through the heat and maturing is something very excitingrdquo
She gently dings a pot covered with white dresses titled ldquoTehuana Dressrdquo to make
her point
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
887 FM Muscle Shoals bull 1007 FM Huntsvillewwwaprorg
News classicalmusic and more
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
copy Patrick Hood
text by sara wright covington raquo photos by jacki gil
patrick hood erin lindsey and michelle odom
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
copy Patrick Hood
ldquoA LOT OF PEOPLE HAD BEEN ASKING ME QUESTIONS ABOUTHOW I GOT MY BUSINESS STARTED I WANTED TO GATHER SOME PEOPLE AROUND ME
WHO WERE GOING THROUGH THOSE STRUGGLES AND TOBUILD ENTREPRENEURIAL COURAGErdquo
JACKI GIL SALT+PAPERIE
copy Patrick Hood
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
untsville-born Jacki Gil began her paper design busi-
ness Salt+Paperie in 2014 with an expansive vision
in mind one that extended beyond creating beautiful
custom designed paper goods ldquoI love my design job
but when Irsquom 50 years old I donrsquot see myself still de-
signing wedding invitationsrdquo the master stationer says
ldquoI really have a passion for teaching and helping people
I want to be a mentorrdquo
In 2015 Gil set out on her mentoring mission sooner than expected with a series
of workshops called Encourage Huntsville ldquoA lot of people had been asking me
questions about how I got my business startedrdquo Gil says about the early days of
Salt+Paperie Even though most of those questions from entrepreneurial-hopefuls
were technicalmdashlike how to apply for a business licensemdashthey served as inspira-
tion for Gil ldquoI wanted to gather some people around me who were going through
those struggles and to build entrepreneurial courage I defi nitely saw that there
was a need for helping people to take that next step toward owning their own
businessesrdquo
Encourage Huntsville was modeled on the image of a growing small business
movement called the Rising Tide Society a national community of creative small
business owners who encourage ldquocommunity over competitionrdquo Th at spirit of
openness is at the heart of Encourage Huntsville ldquoCommunity over competition
is a huge part of what we are doingrdquo says Gil ldquoSmall business owners sharing how
they earn their money is a big dealrdquo
As a fi rst step Gil gathered others around her who were using their skills and abili-
ties to make their own small businesses work With talents ranging from cooking
and cake decorating to hand lettering and artwork these small business owners
all embraced Gilrsquos vision for imparting to others the knowledge of their craft un-
impeded by a fear of losing their competitive edge
Th e fi rst lesson Gil wanted to impart to Encourage Huntsvillersquos students wasnrsquot
necessarily a particular craft or skill but a spirt of creative confi dence ldquoWe want-
ed to bridge the gap between the very artsy community and the ultimate engineer
communityrdquo many of whom Gil observes had been told since childhood they
werenrsquot artistic ldquoWhen you are little and someone tells you that you donrsquot have a
talent it sticks with you I found that a lot of people had that experience so that
was the workshop partmdashto build some creative courage in this communityrdquo
Gil conducted the fi rst workshop herself testing the waters to see how the concept
would be received Th e admission price to that fi rst workshop included supplies a
take-home ldquogoody bagrdquo to help students continue their work extracurricularly and
refreshmentsmdashas well as Gilrsquos tips of her trade
ldquoWe went in blindly not knowing if we had a market or notrdquo says Gil Th e popular-
ity of that fi rst class proved undeniably that a market did in fact exist the work-
shop sold out in one day ldquoSo we did back-to-back workshopsrdquo Gil says ldquoAfter that
novemberdecembeeer eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee | nononoononononononoonoonononooooonoonoonnononnoaaalalalllaallllllalaalaaalal ststustust ddiossscom mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm | | | | | | | | | | |
f
w
y
Previous page Encourage Huntsvillersquos founder and instructor Jacki Gil teaches a class in hand lettering Facing page A participant studies her supply list
we realized people really want to do this stuff So we said lsquoletrsquos jump on the boat
and make this happenrsquordquo
Gilrsquos longtime friend photographer Erin Lindsey of Erin Lindsey Images agreed
to contribute to Encourage Huntsvillersquos curriculum by teaching a photography
class ldquoJacki and I are a good team because our hearts are in the same place when
it comes to encouraging othersrdquo Lindsey says Still she admits saying yes to teach-
ing wasnrsquot without some initial hesitation ldquoWhen Jacki asked if I would teach a
class it was kind of scary I thought I had to be perfect before I could teach oth-
ersrdquo Lindsey says of her initial hesitancy ldquoBut after talking to Jacki I realized none
of us are perfectrdquo But perfection isnrsquot the goal encouragement is the goal ldquoAnd I
thought lsquoI can defi nitely line up with that visionrsquordquo
Michelle Odom another Huntsville native and owner of custom cake bakery Just
Crumbs was also on board with Gilrsquos vision In fact Odom had been contemplat-
ing teaching a class when she was approached by Gil to teach a fondant basics
class ldquoHuntsville is such an engineer town and everyone is so mathematical and
scientifi crdquo Odom says echoing the dichotomy between the arts and sciences ex-
pressed by Gil ldquoTh ese workshops are just a very cool way for structured people to
have a creative outletrdquo
ldquoJACKI AND I ARE A GOOD TEAM BECAUSE OUR HEARTS ARE INTHE SAME PLACE WHEN IT COMES TO ENCOURAGING OTHERSrdquo
ERIN LINDSEY ERIN LINDSEY IMAGES
copy Erin Lindsey
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Above A participant in Erin Lindseyrsquos photo class frames a still life
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
copy Erin Lindsey
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
ldquoHUNTSVILLE IS SUCH AN ENGINEER TOWN AND EVERYONE ISSO MATHEMATICAL AND SCIENTIFIC THESE WORKSHOPS ARE JUST A VERY COOL
WAY FOR STRUCTURED PEOPLE TO HAVE A CREATIVE OUTLETrdquo MICHELLE ODOM JUST CRUMBS
copy Michelle Odom
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
ldquoAnd yesrdquo Odom acknowledges ldquoyou are in theory teaching your competition But
at the same time you are helping the community be more creativerdquo
With its roster of popular creative workshops under its belt Encourage Huntsville
has added business classes to its community-over-competition curriculum with
classes designed to provide specifi c guidance for small business owners ldquoAll of
our events that donrsquot require hands-on work we call seminarsrdquo says Gil ldquoWe had
about 15 people at our fi rst one It was pretty much just an open discussion to ask
us questions and get answers from the perspective of a small business ownerrdquo
Th e seminars enjoyed the same success and enthusiasm as the workshops ldquoWe
had two hours for people to ask questionsrdquo Gil says Topics covered ran the gamut
from scheduling daily tasks self-hosting a website or using an Etsy store man-
aging client expectations and being realistic about how much time you need to
complete jobs
ldquoTh e time went quickly and people wanted morerdquo says Gil who envisions an all-
day seminar in 2016
Margaret Baggett owner and executive chef of the Chef Next Door is another
small business owner who has shared Gilrsquos vision from the very beginning teach-
copy Erin Lindsey
Facing page Michelle Odomrsquos fondant basics class begins with a styrofoam cake form Above Newbie photographers familiarize themselves with their cameras in Erin Lindseyrsquos photography class
ing knife skills workshops and helping host the business seminars ldquoI am so proud
to get to be a part of this project and help nurture other small business owners
who may just be starting out on their journey or are deep in it and looking for
some encouragement from other business ownersrdquo Baggett says of what motivates
her participation in Encourage Huntsville ldquoEven being on the advice-giving side
of things I am still learning and have taken tips and tricks and lessons from each
event we have had so far We never stop learning from each other and never stop
improving upon our craftsrdquo
Th e mutual growth among students and teachers is the source of the encourage-
mentmdashand the joymdashof Encourage Huntsville ldquoItrsquos so much fun to see the light
bulbs go off with people and see them encouraged right before your eyesrdquo Lindsey
says of her experience with the program ldquoPlus itrsquos a pleasure to contribute to a
sense of community over competition Th at whole concept is so rarerdquo
As Encourage Huntsvillersquos following continues to grow the diversity of the work-
shops will expand as well Whether you are looking to spend a fun afternoon
learning a new craft or are a budding small business owner hoping to launch
your brand Encourage Huntsville has something valuable to off er ldquoWe encourage
those left-brain folks to take up a new hobby or skillrdquo Baggett says ldquoor just encour-
age the people of Huntsville to get together and fan their creative fl amesrdquo
If yoursquore looking for
creative or entrepreneurial
encouragement visit
encouragehuntsvillecom
for seminar and workshop
schedules and information
ldquoI AM SO PROUD TO GET TO BE A PART OF THIS PROJECT AND HELP NURTURE OTHER SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS WHO MAY JUST BE STARTING OUT ON THEIR JOURNEY OR ARE DEEP IN IT
AND LOOKING FOR SOME ENCOURAGEMENT FROM OTHER BUSINESS OWNERSrdquoMARGARET BAGGETT CHEF NEXT DOOR
copy Jacki Gil
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
copy Jacki Gil
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Participants in Margaret Baggettrsquos knife skills workshop learn to perfect their ldquomise en placerdquo
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
copy Olivia Reed
text by sara wright covington raquo photos by olivia reed and jeff white
HUNTSVILLErsquoS
HOMEGROWNHOSTESS
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
ttttttononononoooooonononooooo raquo praquo praquo praquo praquo phothothothothotosoososos s s osos bybybbybb
Any host will tell you that delicious food and quality libations while important to
a partyrsquos success are secondary to the most important ingredient of all the guest list Th atrsquos why many
of downtown Huntsvillersquos most popular restaurants breweries and wine shops are turning to event
planner Ashley Ryals and her uncanny knack for attracting loyal patronsmdashand creating unforgettable
events in the process
When Huntsville born-and-bred Ashley Ryals left for college at the University of Alabama in 2001
she thought her exit from the Valley was permanent ldquoI never thought I would end up back hererdquo the
founder of event planning company Homegrown Huntsville says with a knowing laugh But after a few
post-graduate years working for world-renowned public relations powerhouse Weber Shandwick in
New York City Ryals started to second guess her freshman declaration
ldquoI started to get homesickrdquo she admits ldquoAll of my friends were getting married and meeting for football
games and I was missing itrdquo So when a friend from home set up an interview at EarlyWorks for a job
doing event planning Ryals jumped at the chance to come home
Ashley spent the next few years planning EarlyWorks Whistle Stop and Santarsquos Village events A brief
stint in sales followed along with a seat on the board of Huntsville Young Professionals where she had
an idea for a downtown pub crawl
ldquoWe expected 20 or 30 peoplerdquo Ryals says of their modest expectations ldquoBut 200 people showed uprdquo
Th at initial success convinced Ryals to embark on her dream of establishing an
event planning company But it wasnrsquot just any event planning company Ryals
had in mind she envisioned one that would collaborate with local businesses
cultivate signature events for the community to enjoy and support small busi-
nesses in the process
Inspired Ryals left her sales job and for the second time in her life came home
again to event planning and Homegrown Huntsville
To help bring her vision to life Ryals collaborated with designer Adrianne Van
Kirk of Fave Creative ldquoAdrianne has been a part of the visual and branding of
Homegrown from the beginning We come up with the event ideas then I get
the ticketing and sales together and she comes back with a logo and the mar-
keting for the event And thatrsquos how it all comes togetherrdquo Ryals says of their
creative process
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
ASHLEY RYALS
copy Olivia Reed
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
ldquoMOST WINE FESTIVALS ACROSS THE COUNTRY HAVE PROVEN RECORDS OF BEING ABLE TO STAY AROUND 15 OR 20 YEARS OR EVEN LONGER AND THE ECONOMIES OF THOSE
CITIES HAVE REALLY GROWN AS A RESULT I WANT BIG SPRING CRUSH TO EVENTUALLY BE THE BIGGEST AND BEST WINE FESTIVAL IN THE STATE OF ALABAMArdquo ASHLEY RYALS
copy Jeff White
copy Jeff White
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
copy Olivia Reed
Homegrown launched in 2011 with what would become its
signature event Dine amp Dash Every second Wednesday
April through October a trolley shuttles patrons between
downtown establishments where they are served a drink
and appetizer before moving on to the next stop
Owner and executive chef Merle Phillips of Th e Eaves was
one of the fi rst restaurants to sign on for Dine amp Dashrsquos de-
but ldquoAshley came to me and said she was starting a trolley
tasting conceptrdquo says Chef Merle ldquoI didnrsquot really know her so
I was taking a chance on the concept she was sellingrdquo
Merle tried it and has been a loyal participant of Dine amp
Dash ever since
ldquoIt was a risk in the beginning but it defi nitely paid off rdquo Chef
Merle says of the experience Pivotal to that experience ac-
cording to Phillips is Ryalsrsquo demonstration to the commu-
nity just what the term ldquohomegrownrdquo really means ldquoAshley
shines a spotlight on independent businesses in a market-
place that has for so long focused on chainsrdquo Phillips says
ldquoDine amp Dash has really brought into sharp focus the inter-
esting culinary diversity that Huntsville has to off errdquo
For the next two years Homegrown Huntsville focused al-
most exclusively on Dine amp Dash which by the end of its fi rst
year included every single downtown restaurant But when
big changes began to appear on the downtown horizonmdash
new restaurants breweries and residential developmentsmdash
Ryalsrsquo instincts told her
the time had come to
introduce a new event
to the downtown cal-
endar
ldquoBeer Hop follows
the concept of Dine
amp Dashrdquo Ryals says of
Homegrownrsquos second
venture which began
in 2013 Each month a
trolley visits three dif-
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
BILL FOWLEROLD TOWN BEER
EXCHANGE
copy Olivia Reed
copy Olivia Reed
ferent breweries where patrons sample beers and enjoy food
from a variety of food trucks parked at each location
Bill Fowler managing partner of Old Town Beer Exchange
agreed to participate in Beer Hop on his very fi rst day of
business and credits Ryals with an overwhelmingly success-
ful opening night ldquoAshley said lsquoI can guarantee that you are
going to have wave after wave of people coming throughrsquordquo
Fowler says recalling that fi rst jittery occasion Once again
Ryals proved true to her word with 60-plus patrons arriving
in an hour-and-a-half ldquoIt was awesome and such a great ex-
perience for usrdquo Fowler raves ldquoAshley is a hard worker and
you can see that in what she doesrdquo
Fowler believes that in addition to bringing new customers
to OTBX Ryals is also cultivating beer education consis-
tently bringing in people who are new to beer and want to
learn And with Huntsvillersquos recent brewery boom that level
of education and interest is crucial for the brewing commu-
nity to thrive ldquoWe have a very small window of opportunityrdquo
says Fowler ldquoI think Huntsville in particular is becoming a
craft brewing community People are making money at this
and once Tennessee sees that we need to already have had a
pretty huge head startrdquo
By the end of 2013 and with standing events Beer Hop and
Dine amp Dash well established Ryals took time to refl ect on
her original goal for Homegrown Huntsville ldquoIn the back of
my head from day one I knew I wanted to do a wine festival
I just didnrsquot think Huntsville was ready for it in 2011rdquo
Emboldened by the success of Beer Hop Ryals decided to
make the leap with Big Spring Crush wine festival later the
same year Once again Ryals delivered the perfect audience
for the event and in the process discovered a surprising
fact about North Alabamarsquos contribution to the wine-mak-
ing industry
ldquoIn doing the wine festival I learned that we have a huge
wine community in Huntsvillerdquo Ryals says ldquoTh ere are only
about 47 certifi ed wine judges in the entire United States
and we have four of them right here in North Alabama Two
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
copy Jeff White
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
ldquoI STARTED TO GET HOMESICK ALL OF MY FRIENDS WERE GETTING MARRIEDAND MEETING FOR FOOTBALL GAMES AND I WAS MISSING ITrdquo ASHLEY RYALS
copy Jeff White
copy Jeff White
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
ldquoIT WAS AWESOME AND SUCH A GREAT EXPERIENCE FOR USrdquoBILL FOWLER OLD TOWN BEER EXCHANGE
copy Jeff White
copy Olivia Reed
of those four certifi ed wine judges sit on the committee for
Big Spring Crushrdquo
Matthew and Stephanie Mell had just opened Church Street
Wine Shop when they decided to participate in the fi rst Big
Spring Crush Like OTBXrsquos Robert Fowler the Mells credit
Ryals and Homegrown Huntsville for helping to introduce
their new enterprise to the community ldquoAshley has been in-
strumental in helping to bring us people who love and ap-
preciate winerdquo Stephanie Mell says ldquoShe was homegrown
here in Huntsville and she really gets the downtown area
and small businesses and that is so important to usrdquo
Big Spring Crush began with a bang featuring over 150
wines and attracting patrons from across the country
ldquoMost wine festivals across the country have proven records
of being able to stay around 15 or 20 years or even longerrdquo
Ryals says ldquoAnd the economies of those cities have really
grown as a result I want Big Spring Crush to eventually be
the biggest and best wine festival in the state of Alabamardquo
How does Ryals intend to make that dream come true ldquoBy
always keeping it fresh I want to have new marketing and
new things happening each yearrdquo
Ryalsrsquo formula of reinvention and expansion has successfully
led Homegrown Huntsville through fi ve years of success and
helped its events become community staples along the way In
the process Ryals is broadening more than just our image of
downtown Huntsville shersquos joining a class of creative entrepre-
neurs committed to expanding Huntsvillersquos reputation as more
than just a hub for the brightest scientifi c minds in America
ldquoWe have a big city of engineers and lawyers and itrsquos won-
derfulrdquo Ryals say ldquo But there is a whole artist and food cul-
ture here and there is so much growth I want us to have a
vibrant cool downtown area and I want for people to tell
their friends to come and visit and to see Huntsville for what
it is a city I loverdquo
If yoursquod like to participate in Homegrown Huntsville either
as a guest or a participating business visit homegrown-
huntsvillecom
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
copy Jeff White
I was years old and the year was At that time the city of Huntsville was inching toward the mountain to the east California Street was once the continental divide between the small town metropo-lis and the uncharted territories gingerly crossed by the real estate pioneers four score and some odd years prior Th is area became the new suburb as the city kept pushing onward toward Fagan Springs as if the reverberating booms of rocket testings were vibrating Hunstvillians away from its epicenter
From the front yard of our house on Owens Drive I could look to the rightmdashup the hill to the bend be-yond which the big houses stood on their rocky ledge pedestals and to the left where all the other houses that looked just like oursmdashfresh and newmdashrambled for what seemed like miles Th ose clean well-lit abodes all seemed the same and granted at my age I knew more about the pets that lived there than I did about the people who owned those manageable mortgages I came to realize that each was diff erent in a way that was permeated by voices smells and furnishings
It is a clicheacute to say that our lives were simpler then because that is just how the current era will be fondly referred to in the future but to a 5-year-old it is the simplicity that brought the joy Th e sixties will always be to me the beginning of the age of manufactured happiness Cheap clean and simple was what was strived for and what was easily obtained Plastic items were plentiful and pretty things could be bought with SampH Green Stamps A few coins in our pocket would transfer us into the most master of manipula-tors with us giving our all to convince our parents for a jaunt to Murdockrsquos for a holiday of wonderment joy and impatience as we would scour the shelves trying to get the most from our meager budget
Owens Drive was the fairly new thoroughfare from which the avenues of three-bedroom-ranchers fi ngered away at planned intervals Th is was the place where newlyweds started their lives homes and families Where girls with last names that had been in the town for generations would change them to those strange and exotic last names of the clean cut newcomers brought here for military purposes Where the housewives would preheat their pristine electric ovens trying to make cheese straws and biscuits that were just like their motherrsquos only to be frustrated as they were never quite the same and where the husbands would follow in their fatherrsquos footsteps by joining the Acme Club and hunting doves on the weekends
Th ere was a swimming pool Certainly not at our house Th e only private pool I remember as a child was one that my grandmother would take me to nestled between huge trees at someonersquos house on Adams Street I would swim with other children my age while our grandmothers chatted smoking cigarettes in cat-eyed anonymity whispering most of their stories so we wouldnrsquot be able to hear But between their
gasps and laughter we would listen hear and learn
Th e Blossomwood pool was a place of designated rules and the sound of bright whistlesmdashwith straight lines and distinctive colors of blue and green I can still feel the Coppertoned oiliness on the skin of the tanned lifeguard as she carried me from the deep end frightened after my fi rst attempt at solo-swimming She knew my name I had no idea who she was
On the other side of the pool was the school my older sister attended It had a style that mim-icked the poolmdashstraight lines cleanmdasha temple to orderliness and good manners It was with
awe that I once watched the young adults there some as old as eleven wind and dance their way around a sky-high fl agpolemdasheach with a diff erent color ribbon until the fi rst (and only) May Pole
I was privy to was completely dressed in its woven bright colors
90 raquo bless their hearts raquo Guy McClure Jr
Huntsville was a magical place for us tail-end baby boomers to grow upmdashbeyond the miracles of the escalator at Pizitz the smiling little lady on the tall stool at the register at Britlings There was a comfort level there that Irsquom not sure is in the minds of the 5-year-olds of today
cat-eyed agasps
Th s
aI w
THE COMFORTS OF BLOSSOMWOOD
In our world of red-bricked carported castles there was a def-inite division of generations Th e children ate separately from the parents went to school as our dads went to work enter-tained our neighborhood friends as quietly as possible and felt safe between our boundaries of Big Cove Road and Hermitage Street While we dined on our Chef Boy-Ar-Dee boxed pizza our parents busied themselves dressing in their dark colors getting ready for a late dinner at Boots having the scent of perfume and face powder trail my mother as she came into the kitchen looking for something with an intense purpose My father would smell of British Sterling and look just as he did when he went to work only happier Th ese nights meant something fun would happenmdashwe would have a babysitter
Babysitters were my introduction into what was and still seems cool Th ey were usually Huntsville High School teen-agers who would put on a show without even knowing it I would drink in their every move word and essence of style To me they were supermodelsmdashmovie starsmdasheven more fa-mous in my eyes than a television weatherman and almost as glamorous as the waitresses at the Waffl e House
Before they would tire of me and my sister and put us to bed they would include us in their world of music and knowledge which I thought was all-encompassing Suddenly our world of Th e Benny Carl Show and Fantasy Playhouse would seem trite and passeacute and we would catch a fl eeting glimpse into what would be in store for us when we too could stay up past 8 pm
Huntsville was a magical place for us tail-end baby boomers to grow upmdashbeyond the miracles of the escalator at Pizitz the smiling little lady on the tall stool at the register at Britlings and that bright colorful Maypole Th ere was a comfort level there that Irsquom not sure is in the minds of the 5-year-olds of todaymdashthe soothing sheltered lack of knowledge of why we were so lucky yet we didnrsquot even know that we were
In the other areas of our Huntsville there was poverty and ra-cial unrestmdashas there was and is in every city I was unaware People of color were always a part of my worldmdashmostly be-cause they had my attention and respect At our house there was Annie my grandmotherrsquos house was fi lled with the joys of Lula and out on the family farm there was strong and smiling Homer and large and huggable Rosamdashall just as much a part of my life as everyone else My life was good and they were instrumental in making it that way
What will the 5-year-olds of today who are lucky enough to be raised on those well-planned streets remember when they surpass their own 50 year mark It is a much more complex world now and there are diff erent concerns with daily changes of fear Youthful innocence is a prize that is encased without a lock Premature maturity is a viable threat and a constant fear But each night tucked in tight in a simple room sleeps tomor-rowrsquos adults who are having sweet dreamsmdashblanketed by the comforts of Blossomwood
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
92 raquo the vine raquo Amy C Collins
BORDEAUX POWER
Where Burgundyrsquos vineyards were established by Benedictine monks patiently growing wine vines with spiritual hearts Bordeauxrsquos vineyards were raised by entrepreneurial laymen who recognized the massive monetary opportunity when the English began drinking down their peasant wine
The city of Bordeaux is Francersquos primary port town on the Atlantic ocean a harbor that has for centuries served as the countryrsquos most important dock Th e regionrsquos history is long and storied with the fi rst written reference to the area dated 379 AD by the Latin poet Ausonius who was also a wine-grower Jump ahead to the year 1152 when Eleanor of Aquitaine married Englandrsquos soon-to-be king Henry Plantagenet and the port and surrounding vineyard land became the source of wine for the English a connection that remains strong even today
Bordeaux produces the worldrsquos most expensive and sought after collector wines the top tier of which make up less than fi ve percent of the regionrsquos total production Th ese names are quickly learned by neophyte wine drinkers wanting to make an impression Chateau Haut-Brion Lafi te Latour and Margaux for example Grown in gravelly soils only a few meters above sea levelmdashin contrast vineyards elsewhere in Europe typically sit between 300 and 900 metersmdashthese wines are some of the most powerful austere and pawed over When young the tannins in these cabernet sauvignon cabernet franc and merlot blends coat the tongue and mouth with a chalky dry sensation akin to sucking on an Earl Grey tea bag and are perhaps best suited to well-fatted rare steak and cigars Th ese are wines built to live for decades Personally I prefer a Bordeaux at least 20 years aged when the tannins have had ample time to calm down and mellow out and more nuanced fl avors come forward Sounds fancy and it is Only in some very lucky circumstances over the past year have I been guest to a bottle of 1990 Clos de Menuts Saint-Eacutemilion and a 1970 Chateau Haut-Brion About once every 10 years Irsquove had the good
fortune to taste a wine older than myself Nice work if you can get it
Where Burgundyrsquos vineyards (Francersquos other classifi ed sought-after region) were established by Benedictine monks patiently growing wine vines with spiritual hearts
Bordeauxrsquos vineyards were raised by entrepreneurial laymen who recognized the massive monetary opportunity when the English began drinking down their peasant wine Th is underscores the second half of my theory as to why Americans
more often American males are so drawn to the wines of Bordeaux Th erersquos an inherent capitalist connection something in the soil Th at the wines are so
unmistakable so distinctively grand and pronounced elixirs exemplifi es the fi rst half of my theory we Americans are not known for our subtlety (To be fair the Chinese are
signifi cant Bordeaux collectors as well)
Philosophy aside Bordeaux is quite a large region that produces beautiful white and red values as well as the rare fi nds out of the populacersquos price range Herersquos the skinny Blending is the game single varietal wines are rare White Bordeaux is typically made from a blend of sauvignon blanc and seacutemillon and sometimes a drop or two of muscadelle ugni blanc or colombard Reds are made primarily from the two cabernets plus merlot with small quantities of petit verdot malbec and carmenegravere occasionally in the mix Th e region is also home to the golden nectar of late ripened seacutemillon sauvignon blanc and muscadelle grapes that have successfully attracted the noble rot a fungus that covers the fruit and drains moisture from inside leaving behind rich sweet grapes without moldy fl avors Chateau drsquoYquem is the most famous of these unfortifi ed dessert wines though there are better bargains from the region
Bordeaux is split by the Gironde river which divides the region into three general areas Th e left bank also known as the Haut-Meacutedoc is where the classifi ed top growths are situated Th ese prestigious estates were named for their exceptional vineyard sites in 1855 a decision nearly unchanged since Today serious collectors invest in Bordeaux futures theoretically locking down lower prices of top
ample time to calm dit is Only in some vede Menuts Saint-Eacutem
fortune to taste a
Wherees
aun
of msignifi
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Follow Amy at pigandvinecom for morestories and wine suggestions
growth estates while the wine is still aging in the cellar Itrsquos the wine tradersquos equivalent to the NASDAQ On the right bank Saint-Eacutemilion and Pommerol are the prized vineyard areas known for their merlot heavy cuveacutees To the south west we fi nd Graves where there are many great values to be had in both white and red bottlings Entre-Deux-Mers which translates to ldquobetween two seasrdquo sits between the Dordogne and Garonne tributaries off the Gironde and is an excellent source for crisp whites
Get started on your Bordeaux experience with these values
Chateau Graville-Lacoste 2014 Graves 75 seacutemillon 20 sauvignon blanc and 5 muscadelle make up this beauty thatrsquos consistently delicious every vintage Crisp and refreshing great with seafood
Chateau Mirambeau 2014 GravesAnother classic blend of 40 sauvignon blanc 40 seacutemillon and 20 muscadelle this lovely white is a bit more fl oral than the Graville-Lacoste Easy drinking and great value
Chateau de Parenchegravere Bordeaux Rouge 201155 merlot 30 cabernet sauvignon and 15 cabernet franc grown in clay heavy soils similar to the right bank of the region Fleshy with good structure and abundant red fruit
Chateau Arnaud Bordeaux Supeacuterieur 2011Supeacuterieur on a Bordeaux label isnrsquot egotistical marketingmdashby law it indicates a wine with up to one degree more alcohol than its AC Bordeaux brethren What it really means is one more degree of body structure and in this case quality Approachable delicious and easy on the wallet
Chateau de Bernadotte Haut-Meacutedoc 2005Th e 2005 vintage in Bordeaux is in the history books with double asterisks Owned by the eminent Pichon Lalande family and made from vineyards in Paulliac one of the more choice growing areas in the region this is an incredible value a top tier Bordeaux for a fraction of the cost
Chateau de Suduiraut Sauternes 2011Ripe cantaloupe apricot and honey and an interesting smoky note with a solid sweet attack followed by great acidity A dessert wine that wonrsquot overpower the dessert
94 raquo parting shot raquo Patrick Hood
Meet Solvar
Solvar belongs to one of the worldrsquos oldest and purest equine lineages the Nor-
wegian Fjord horse a breed that has remained virtually unchanged for more than
2000 yearsmdashlong before we became acquainted with his animated cousins in
the movie Frozen Th ese national symbols of Norway are characterized by primi-
tive zebra striping on their legs and a dorsal stripe running from forelock to tail
resulting in a striking two-tone mane that sticks up like a Mohawk Th eir athleti-
cism agility and dependability make them valuable both as sport horses as well
as therapy horses for emotionally and physically challenged adults and children
Catie Wells of Huntsville is the proud owner of Solvar who resides at Monte
Sano Stables
For tickets or information 256-539-4818 or hsoorg
Bring In the New Year With Us
presents
WHAT A WONDERFUL
WORLDA tribute to Louis
Armstrong featuring the
Byron Stripling Quartet
Thursday December 31
730 pm bull Pops Series bullMark C Smith
Concert Hall VBC
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
M O R E T H A N 7 0 S H O P S A N D R E S T A U R A N T S I N C L U D I N G B E L K | D S W S H O E S | A P P L E J O S A B A N K | R E E D S J E W E L E R S | PA N D O R A | J C R E W | K AT E S PA D E N E W Y O R KO R V I S | B A N A N A R E P U B L I C | M I C H A E L K O R S | F R A N C E S C Arsquo S | A N T H R O P O L O G I EH amp M | S O M A | M O U N T A I N H I G H O U T F I T T E R S | B A R N E S amp N O B L E | S E P H O R AALTAR rsquoD STATE | CONNORS STEAK amp SEFOOD | THE WEST IN HUNTSV I L L E | MONACO P ICTURES
C O M I N G S O O N V E R S O N A ndash near Belk
B R I D G E S T R E E T H U N T S V I L L E C O M |
BR IDGE STREET TOWN CENTRE I S LOCATED AT EX I T 14 OFF I - 565 AT OLD MAD ISON P IKE
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) The Lion Sleeps Tonight Bath Bomb ($6) Sweet Pineapple(256) 964-7563
(2) Tiger Jelly Cat ($2250)(3) Dog Tag Teether ($1550)(4) Dinosaur Footie ($3595)Honey B Boutique(256) 503-2853
(5) Young Buck ($25)Tiny Vinestinyvinesshopcom
(6) Bib Set ($13)Huntsville Museumof Art(256) 535-4350
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
(1) Tiny Dancer Bath Bomb ($6)Sweet Pineapple(256) 964-7563
(2) Kickee Mammoth Footie ($3595)(3) Noodle amp Boo Essential Care Kit ($18)(4) Elephant Jelly Cat ($2250)Honey B Boutique(256) 503-2853
(5) ArtFolio Pink Elephant Coloring Tote ($17)Huntsville Museumof Art(256) 535-4350
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) Bib Set ($13)Huntsville Museumof Art(256) 535-4350 (2) Little Light ($25)Tiny Vinestinyvinesshopcom (3) Micro Leon Cardboard Lion ($30)Little Green Storeand Gallery (256) 539-9699 (4) I Love You Like Biscuits amp Gravy ($23)Domaine South(256) 808-8860
(5) Kickee Kimono ($4295)Honey B Boutique(256) 503-2853
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
SURPRISEA LOVED ONE
THIS HOLIDAY SEASON
WITH A FOREVER GIFT
HobbsJewelerscom 8772331347Parkway Place Mall
HuntsvilleHwy 72 West
AthensMain Street
Ardmore TN
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Caftan ($75)Sarah Richey Necklace ($350)Finery(256) 429-3429
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
(1) Chewbead Necklace ($3495)(2) Mayoral Baby Bag ($7995)(3) Mayoral Diaper Changing Pad ($2495)(4) Nursing Scarf ($2695) (5) Kickee Swaddling Blanket ($22)Honey B Boutique(256) 503-2853 (6) Lucy Darling Months Sticker ($25) (7) The Story of You Baby Book by Emily Ley ($62) Sweet Pineapple(256) 964-7563
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) Alwand Vahan 14K Gold and Onyx Ring wDiamond Accent ($2595)(2) Alwand Vanan 14K Gold and Onyx Bracelet wDiamond Accent ($2695)Hobbs Jewelers(877) 233-1347
(3) Britt Ryan Dress ($288)Personal Couture Boutique(256) 508-5632
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) Rocket Cosmos Mug ($13)Huntsville Museumof Art(256) 535-4350
(2) Loose Leaf Tea ($399)Piper amp Leaf piperandleafcom (3) Judy Jackson Tea Pot ($56) (4) Gary Watson Cherry Cutting Board ($48-$68) (5) Susan Coe Birthday Cake Plate ($33) Little Green Storeand Gallery (256) 539-9699 (6) Macarons ($116 pcs $221 dozen)Whisk Small Treats Bakery(256) 656-1027
(7) Truffl es ($185 each)Pizellersquos Confections (256) 513-9745 (8) Olive amp Sinclair Chocolate ($799)Domaine South(256) 808-8860
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
(1) Whisk Note Pad ($8) (2) In the Forest Mixing Bowl ($36) (3) Twig Serving Set ($18)(8) Southern Firefl y Candle ($12)Sweet Pineapple(256) 964-7563
(4) Urchin Bowl ($10)(5) Foodie Dice ($38)(6) 1Canoe2 Wood Recipe Box w Recipe Cards ($6999) Domaine South(256) 808-8860 (7) Growlers ($75 small $95 large)Southern Growlersoutherngrowlercom
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) Tacori 18K Barbados Blue Bold Gem Ring ($660)(2) Tacori 18K Barbados Blue Bold Gem Necklace ($630)(3) Tacori 18K Barbados Blue Bold Gem Bracelet ($990)Hobbs Jewelers(877) 233-1347
(4) BCBG Dress ($328)Personal Couture Boutique(256) 508-5632
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Guadalupe Robinson
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
text by jennifer crossley howard raquo photos by patrick hood
Of Deft and Dirty Hands
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Huntsville potter Guadalupe Lanning Robinson has spent more than 36 years mastering the
marriage of clay texture and geometric design into her pottery yet time has done little to temper the
plight of waiting
ldquoIt is hard for me to let a pot just dryrdquo she says motioning toward fi ve small wet pots sitting near her
pottery wheel ldquoIrsquom as excited to do this as I was 30 years agordquo
To observe her studio at Lowe Mill that is easy to believe Located on the corridor outside the textile
mill-turned-art centerrsquos main building the loft-like space with a corrugated tin roof feels like a place a
Gabriel Garcia Marquez character would enjoy daydreaming
Sienna-hued pottery sits in various stages to be fi red layered and etched Argentinian tango music
streams from Robinsonrsquos iPhone and two cockatiels a parrot and a parakeet chirp from their cages All
except the parrot fl y freely when Robinson is working
Robinson who is 61 made her fi rst pot in 1979 in her native Mexico City Almost four decades later her
work is part of permanent museum collections in Auburn Huntsville Tuscumbia and Tupelo Missis-
sippi She regularly enters her work in respected juried shows such as the Monte Sano Arts Festival and
the Kentuck Festival of the Arts in Northport and has received two Alabama State Council on the Arts
individual artist fellowships
Her inspiration draws from the villages around her native Mexico City such as the black pottery of
the northwest as well as her acquired Southern culture White lilies corn grids and round female
fi guresmdashldquoreally strong women who are in chargerdquo Robinson saysmdashreappear on her stoneware She uses
natural dyes indigo for color and mixes sand into clay for texture Nothing is wasted
ldquoI donrsquot waste any clayrdquo Robinson says ldquoEverything is recycledrdquo
Robinson fi nds solace in the 40-50 hours a week she puts in at the studio and the often tedious process
of making pots which can take from three weeks to six weeks for larger pots She usually works on two
or three pots at a time tending to groups at diff erent stages
After a pot is thrown on a wheel a piece can take days to dry before its fi rst bisque fi re in which tem-
peratures rise to 1800 F After baking for nine hours the kiln must cool Th e second fi ring rises to 2150
F and matures the clay and melts the glazes to strengthen the piece
ldquoI am an effi cient person by naturerdquo Robinson says ldquoWaiting for the kiln to cool down enough to open
can be nerve wracking and this is when my patience is usually put to the testrdquo
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
ldquoIt is hard for me to let a pot just dry Irsquom as excited to do this as I was 30 years agordquo
Robinson makes most of her pots on a wheel using oxides to change the color of clay she gets from Nashville and Pittsburgh Her pottery takes several weeks from start to fi nish depending on how large a pot is and how many she makes at a time
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
ldquoAttend to your childrenrsquos needs fi rst keep focus on what you want to douse the happiness joy and little breaks you get to make your artTh ey grow real fast and they will keep inspiring you all your liferdquo
Robinson imagined this bat-like design as she was working She usually begins a piece with a design in mind but that often evolves
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Robinson uses an overlay of liquid clay called engobemdashthat includes three to four layersmdashto create a
base on which to design
Th ere is high risk in making pottery and hours of work can be wasted on a pot that has not dried en-
tirely before it enters the kiln Air pockets or the wrong mixture of chemicals can ruin a piece
ldquoArt is involved but science is toordquo says Laura Smith director of education at the Huntsville Museum
of Art where Robinson has taught pottery classes ldquoItrsquos more labor intensive in terms of working with
the medium whether yoursquore building by hand or with a wheel until you fi re with the fi nal layer of glazerdquo
Th e result is sturdy pottery
ldquoI want my pots to look like something that is lasting a long timerdquo Robinson says
Th ough she works solitarily in her studio she says she does not get lonely Her birds and music keep her
company and each stage of pottery making has a soundtrack She uses needlepoint tools to draw onto
clay to Jose Feliciano and other Latin American musicians
ldquoIf Irsquom at the wheel Bruno Marsrdquo she says ldquoIf Irsquom unloading the kiln and something is really awesome
then I need something moving and I have on Motownrdquo
Robinsonrsquos years of experience minimize the risk of damaged pots but she says her greatest challenge
as a potter was balancing her work while raising her two children Now adults their candid childhood
pictures and those of her grandchildren cover the warm green walls of her studio
She met her husband the poet James Robinson in 1977 on a Greyhound bus when she returned to
Mexico City from visiting a friend at the University of Southern Mississippi He was heading to Mexico
to study at a university Th ey married six months later After giving birth to her daughter Annie Jane in
Mexico City in 1982 the family moved to Huntsville in 1985 Th at is when Robinson got more serious
about her pottery
ldquoFrom the very beginning when I moved to Alabama I knew I was going to have to do thisrdquo she said
ldquoIn some ways it was a way for me to keep connected to my heritagerdquo
She took even 15 minutes of free time to work in the studio behind her home and worked late into the
night while her daughter and son Isidoro born in 1987 slept Having a home studio allowed her to
wash clothes tend to her home and drop off lunches at school while maintaining her art
ldquoTh ere was something for me when I fi rst became a mother that fueled my creativityrdquo Robinson says
ldquoTh ey are such a social inspiration too It fi lls your liferdquo
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Robinson advises fellow artists who are mothers to seize
both roles but to prioritize motherhood
ldquoAttend to your childrenrsquos needs fi rst keep focus on what you
want to do use the happiness joy and little breaks you get
to make your artrdquo she says ldquoTh ey grow real fast and they will
keep inspiring you all your liferdquo
Anna Sue Courtney director of the Flying Monkey Arts
Center at Lowe Mill has known Robinson for more than
10 years She says she admires how mothers and artists like
Robinson seamlessly embrace both roles
ldquoIt seems therersquos not a separation between creating and rais-
ing childrenrdquo Courtney says ldquoTh ey seem to pull from the
same placerdquo
Part of Robinsonrsquos motivation at Lowe Mill comes from
working privately in a studio alongside other artists that fos-
ters a community of feedback and ideas
ldquoItrsquos nice to be here because you can take a break and walk around and get inspirationrdquo Courtney says
ldquoItrsquos refreshingrdquo
When she needs a break from the studio Robinson stays home to sketch designs for a day or two then
she is back in the studio
Trips twice a year to Mexico City keep her plugged in to her native culture which in turn shows up in
her pottery
ldquoI have to recharge myselfrdquo Robinson says ldquoI love Huntsville and loved raising my kids here but I still
have the need of going back to be recharged and smell all the smells and see all the colors and get on
the subway and be pushed aroundrdquo
Details from her trips that infl uence her work include the ever-present red that covers the city during
the celebration of Dia de los Muertos or the Day of the Dead Th e pyramids of Teotihuacan conjure
warm earth tones and fl oating gardens around the city yield sweet pungent calla lilies and carnations
Celebration of food tough women and nature reappear in her pottery qualities that both Southern and
Mexican cultures treasure
Above This daisy design is character-istic of Robinsonrsquos work Nature food and strong females from her native Mexico City and the South are strong creative infl uences
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Clockwise from top left Robinson often glazes only the inside of her pots so they can hold water and food She began quilting in 2002 and her quilts like her pottery contain earth tones and natural infl uences in their design Four birds keep Robinson company in what can be the isolating medium of pottery making Geometry and symmetry are two signature elements in Robinsonrsquos work according to Laura Smith director of education at the Huntsville Museum of Art
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Just as she keeps her home country close to her heart Robinson is loyal to her fi rst
love of pottery though she began making quilts in 2002
ldquoIrsquom a potter who likes to quiltrdquo she says
Like her pottery her quilting follows designs of organic nature such as fl owers and
crops on rich jewel tone cotton
ldquoWhen I fi rst saw one of her quilts I didnrsquot realize it was hers and I thought that
looks like it should be Guadalupersquos quiltrdquo Courtney says
Robinson prefers the immediate gratifi cation of clay
ldquoItrsquos a very responsive mediumrdquo she says ldquoYou can manipulate it Th e fact of mak-
ing something out of dirt out of nothing and making it durable making it perma-
nent that after going through the heat and maturing is something very excitingrdquo
She gently dings a pot covered with white dresses titled ldquoTehuana Dressrdquo to make
her point
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
887 FM Muscle Shoals bull 1007 FM Huntsvillewwwaprorg
News classicalmusic and more
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
copy Patrick Hood
text by sara wright covington raquo photos by jacki gil
patrick hood erin lindsey and michelle odom
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
copy Patrick Hood
ldquoA LOT OF PEOPLE HAD BEEN ASKING ME QUESTIONS ABOUTHOW I GOT MY BUSINESS STARTED I WANTED TO GATHER SOME PEOPLE AROUND ME
WHO WERE GOING THROUGH THOSE STRUGGLES AND TOBUILD ENTREPRENEURIAL COURAGErdquo
JACKI GIL SALT+PAPERIE
copy Patrick Hood
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
untsville-born Jacki Gil began her paper design busi-
ness Salt+Paperie in 2014 with an expansive vision
in mind one that extended beyond creating beautiful
custom designed paper goods ldquoI love my design job
but when Irsquom 50 years old I donrsquot see myself still de-
signing wedding invitationsrdquo the master stationer says
ldquoI really have a passion for teaching and helping people
I want to be a mentorrdquo
In 2015 Gil set out on her mentoring mission sooner than expected with a series
of workshops called Encourage Huntsville ldquoA lot of people had been asking me
questions about how I got my business startedrdquo Gil says about the early days of
Salt+Paperie Even though most of those questions from entrepreneurial-hopefuls
were technicalmdashlike how to apply for a business licensemdashthey served as inspira-
tion for Gil ldquoI wanted to gather some people around me who were going through
those struggles and to build entrepreneurial courage I defi nitely saw that there
was a need for helping people to take that next step toward owning their own
businessesrdquo
Encourage Huntsville was modeled on the image of a growing small business
movement called the Rising Tide Society a national community of creative small
business owners who encourage ldquocommunity over competitionrdquo Th at spirit of
openness is at the heart of Encourage Huntsville ldquoCommunity over competition
is a huge part of what we are doingrdquo says Gil ldquoSmall business owners sharing how
they earn their money is a big dealrdquo
As a fi rst step Gil gathered others around her who were using their skills and abili-
ties to make their own small businesses work With talents ranging from cooking
and cake decorating to hand lettering and artwork these small business owners
all embraced Gilrsquos vision for imparting to others the knowledge of their craft un-
impeded by a fear of losing their competitive edge
Th e fi rst lesson Gil wanted to impart to Encourage Huntsvillersquos students wasnrsquot
necessarily a particular craft or skill but a spirt of creative confi dence ldquoWe want-
ed to bridge the gap between the very artsy community and the ultimate engineer
communityrdquo many of whom Gil observes had been told since childhood they
werenrsquot artistic ldquoWhen you are little and someone tells you that you donrsquot have a
talent it sticks with you I found that a lot of people had that experience so that
was the workshop partmdashto build some creative courage in this communityrdquo
Gil conducted the fi rst workshop herself testing the waters to see how the concept
would be received Th e admission price to that fi rst workshop included supplies a
take-home ldquogoody bagrdquo to help students continue their work extracurricularly and
refreshmentsmdashas well as Gilrsquos tips of her trade
ldquoWe went in blindly not knowing if we had a market or notrdquo says Gil Th e popular-
ity of that fi rst class proved undeniably that a market did in fact exist the work-
shop sold out in one day ldquoSo we did back-to-back workshopsrdquo Gil says ldquoAfter that
novemberdecembeeer eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee | nononoononononononoonoonononooooonoonoonnononnoaaalalalllaallllllalaalaaalal ststustust ddiossscom mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm | | | | | | | | | | |
f
w
y
Previous page Encourage Huntsvillersquos founder and instructor Jacki Gil teaches a class in hand lettering Facing page A participant studies her supply list
we realized people really want to do this stuff So we said lsquoletrsquos jump on the boat
and make this happenrsquordquo
Gilrsquos longtime friend photographer Erin Lindsey of Erin Lindsey Images agreed
to contribute to Encourage Huntsvillersquos curriculum by teaching a photography
class ldquoJacki and I are a good team because our hearts are in the same place when
it comes to encouraging othersrdquo Lindsey says Still she admits saying yes to teach-
ing wasnrsquot without some initial hesitation ldquoWhen Jacki asked if I would teach a
class it was kind of scary I thought I had to be perfect before I could teach oth-
ersrdquo Lindsey says of her initial hesitancy ldquoBut after talking to Jacki I realized none
of us are perfectrdquo But perfection isnrsquot the goal encouragement is the goal ldquoAnd I
thought lsquoI can defi nitely line up with that visionrsquordquo
Michelle Odom another Huntsville native and owner of custom cake bakery Just
Crumbs was also on board with Gilrsquos vision In fact Odom had been contemplat-
ing teaching a class when she was approached by Gil to teach a fondant basics
class ldquoHuntsville is such an engineer town and everyone is so mathematical and
scientifi crdquo Odom says echoing the dichotomy between the arts and sciences ex-
pressed by Gil ldquoTh ese workshops are just a very cool way for structured people to
have a creative outletrdquo
ldquoJACKI AND I ARE A GOOD TEAM BECAUSE OUR HEARTS ARE INTHE SAME PLACE WHEN IT COMES TO ENCOURAGING OTHERSrdquo
ERIN LINDSEY ERIN LINDSEY IMAGES
copy Erin Lindsey
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Above A participant in Erin Lindseyrsquos photo class frames a still life
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
copy Erin Lindsey
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
ldquoHUNTSVILLE IS SUCH AN ENGINEER TOWN AND EVERYONE ISSO MATHEMATICAL AND SCIENTIFIC THESE WORKSHOPS ARE JUST A VERY COOL
WAY FOR STRUCTURED PEOPLE TO HAVE A CREATIVE OUTLETrdquo MICHELLE ODOM JUST CRUMBS
copy Michelle Odom
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
ldquoAnd yesrdquo Odom acknowledges ldquoyou are in theory teaching your competition But
at the same time you are helping the community be more creativerdquo
With its roster of popular creative workshops under its belt Encourage Huntsville
has added business classes to its community-over-competition curriculum with
classes designed to provide specifi c guidance for small business owners ldquoAll of
our events that donrsquot require hands-on work we call seminarsrdquo says Gil ldquoWe had
about 15 people at our fi rst one It was pretty much just an open discussion to ask
us questions and get answers from the perspective of a small business ownerrdquo
Th e seminars enjoyed the same success and enthusiasm as the workshops ldquoWe
had two hours for people to ask questionsrdquo Gil says Topics covered ran the gamut
from scheduling daily tasks self-hosting a website or using an Etsy store man-
aging client expectations and being realistic about how much time you need to
complete jobs
ldquoTh e time went quickly and people wanted morerdquo says Gil who envisions an all-
day seminar in 2016
Margaret Baggett owner and executive chef of the Chef Next Door is another
small business owner who has shared Gilrsquos vision from the very beginning teach-
copy Erin Lindsey
Facing page Michelle Odomrsquos fondant basics class begins with a styrofoam cake form Above Newbie photographers familiarize themselves with their cameras in Erin Lindseyrsquos photography class
ing knife skills workshops and helping host the business seminars ldquoI am so proud
to get to be a part of this project and help nurture other small business owners
who may just be starting out on their journey or are deep in it and looking for
some encouragement from other business ownersrdquo Baggett says of what motivates
her participation in Encourage Huntsville ldquoEven being on the advice-giving side
of things I am still learning and have taken tips and tricks and lessons from each
event we have had so far We never stop learning from each other and never stop
improving upon our craftsrdquo
Th e mutual growth among students and teachers is the source of the encourage-
mentmdashand the joymdashof Encourage Huntsville ldquoItrsquos so much fun to see the light
bulbs go off with people and see them encouraged right before your eyesrdquo Lindsey
says of her experience with the program ldquoPlus itrsquos a pleasure to contribute to a
sense of community over competition Th at whole concept is so rarerdquo
As Encourage Huntsvillersquos following continues to grow the diversity of the work-
shops will expand as well Whether you are looking to spend a fun afternoon
learning a new craft or are a budding small business owner hoping to launch
your brand Encourage Huntsville has something valuable to off er ldquoWe encourage
those left-brain folks to take up a new hobby or skillrdquo Baggett says ldquoor just encour-
age the people of Huntsville to get together and fan their creative fl amesrdquo
If yoursquore looking for
creative or entrepreneurial
encouragement visit
encouragehuntsvillecom
for seminar and workshop
schedules and information
ldquoI AM SO PROUD TO GET TO BE A PART OF THIS PROJECT AND HELP NURTURE OTHER SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS WHO MAY JUST BE STARTING OUT ON THEIR JOURNEY OR ARE DEEP IN IT
AND LOOKING FOR SOME ENCOURAGEMENT FROM OTHER BUSINESS OWNERSrdquoMARGARET BAGGETT CHEF NEXT DOOR
copy Jacki Gil
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
copy Jacki Gil
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Participants in Margaret Baggettrsquos knife skills workshop learn to perfect their ldquomise en placerdquo
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
copy Olivia Reed
text by sara wright covington raquo photos by olivia reed and jeff white
HUNTSVILLErsquoS
HOMEGROWNHOSTESS
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
ttttttononononoooooonononooooo raquo praquo praquo praquo praquo phothothothothotosoososos s s osos bybybbybb
Any host will tell you that delicious food and quality libations while important to
a partyrsquos success are secondary to the most important ingredient of all the guest list Th atrsquos why many
of downtown Huntsvillersquos most popular restaurants breweries and wine shops are turning to event
planner Ashley Ryals and her uncanny knack for attracting loyal patronsmdashand creating unforgettable
events in the process
When Huntsville born-and-bred Ashley Ryals left for college at the University of Alabama in 2001
she thought her exit from the Valley was permanent ldquoI never thought I would end up back hererdquo the
founder of event planning company Homegrown Huntsville says with a knowing laugh But after a few
post-graduate years working for world-renowned public relations powerhouse Weber Shandwick in
New York City Ryals started to second guess her freshman declaration
ldquoI started to get homesickrdquo she admits ldquoAll of my friends were getting married and meeting for football
games and I was missing itrdquo So when a friend from home set up an interview at EarlyWorks for a job
doing event planning Ryals jumped at the chance to come home
Ashley spent the next few years planning EarlyWorks Whistle Stop and Santarsquos Village events A brief
stint in sales followed along with a seat on the board of Huntsville Young Professionals where she had
an idea for a downtown pub crawl
ldquoWe expected 20 or 30 peoplerdquo Ryals says of their modest expectations ldquoBut 200 people showed uprdquo
Th at initial success convinced Ryals to embark on her dream of establishing an
event planning company But it wasnrsquot just any event planning company Ryals
had in mind she envisioned one that would collaborate with local businesses
cultivate signature events for the community to enjoy and support small busi-
nesses in the process
Inspired Ryals left her sales job and for the second time in her life came home
again to event planning and Homegrown Huntsville
To help bring her vision to life Ryals collaborated with designer Adrianne Van
Kirk of Fave Creative ldquoAdrianne has been a part of the visual and branding of
Homegrown from the beginning We come up with the event ideas then I get
the ticketing and sales together and she comes back with a logo and the mar-
keting for the event And thatrsquos how it all comes togetherrdquo Ryals says of their
creative process
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
ASHLEY RYALS
copy Olivia Reed
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
ldquoMOST WINE FESTIVALS ACROSS THE COUNTRY HAVE PROVEN RECORDS OF BEING ABLE TO STAY AROUND 15 OR 20 YEARS OR EVEN LONGER AND THE ECONOMIES OF THOSE
CITIES HAVE REALLY GROWN AS A RESULT I WANT BIG SPRING CRUSH TO EVENTUALLY BE THE BIGGEST AND BEST WINE FESTIVAL IN THE STATE OF ALABAMArdquo ASHLEY RYALS
copy Jeff White
copy Jeff White
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
copy Olivia Reed
Homegrown launched in 2011 with what would become its
signature event Dine amp Dash Every second Wednesday
April through October a trolley shuttles patrons between
downtown establishments where they are served a drink
and appetizer before moving on to the next stop
Owner and executive chef Merle Phillips of Th e Eaves was
one of the fi rst restaurants to sign on for Dine amp Dashrsquos de-
but ldquoAshley came to me and said she was starting a trolley
tasting conceptrdquo says Chef Merle ldquoI didnrsquot really know her so
I was taking a chance on the concept she was sellingrdquo
Merle tried it and has been a loyal participant of Dine amp
Dash ever since
ldquoIt was a risk in the beginning but it defi nitely paid off rdquo Chef
Merle says of the experience Pivotal to that experience ac-
cording to Phillips is Ryalsrsquo demonstration to the commu-
nity just what the term ldquohomegrownrdquo really means ldquoAshley
shines a spotlight on independent businesses in a market-
place that has for so long focused on chainsrdquo Phillips says
ldquoDine amp Dash has really brought into sharp focus the inter-
esting culinary diversity that Huntsville has to off errdquo
For the next two years Homegrown Huntsville focused al-
most exclusively on Dine amp Dash which by the end of its fi rst
year included every single downtown restaurant But when
big changes began to appear on the downtown horizonmdash
new restaurants breweries and residential developmentsmdash
Ryalsrsquo instincts told her
the time had come to
introduce a new event
to the downtown cal-
endar
ldquoBeer Hop follows
the concept of Dine
amp Dashrdquo Ryals says of
Homegrownrsquos second
venture which began
in 2013 Each month a
trolley visits three dif-
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
BILL FOWLEROLD TOWN BEER
EXCHANGE
copy Olivia Reed
copy Olivia Reed
ferent breweries where patrons sample beers and enjoy food
from a variety of food trucks parked at each location
Bill Fowler managing partner of Old Town Beer Exchange
agreed to participate in Beer Hop on his very fi rst day of
business and credits Ryals with an overwhelmingly success-
ful opening night ldquoAshley said lsquoI can guarantee that you are
going to have wave after wave of people coming throughrsquordquo
Fowler says recalling that fi rst jittery occasion Once again
Ryals proved true to her word with 60-plus patrons arriving
in an hour-and-a-half ldquoIt was awesome and such a great ex-
perience for usrdquo Fowler raves ldquoAshley is a hard worker and
you can see that in what she doesrdquo
Fowler believes that in addition to bringing new customers
to OTBX Ryals is also cultivating beer education consis-
tently bringing in people who are new to beer and want to
learn And with Huntsvillersquos recent brewery boom that level
of education and interest is crucial for the brewing commu-
nity to thrive ldquoWe have a very small window of opportunityrdquo
says Fowler ldquoI think Huntsville in particular is becoming a
craft brewing community People are making money at this
and once Tennessee sees that we need to already have had a
pretty huge head startrdquo
By the end of 2013 and with standing events Beer Hop and
Dine amp Dash well established Ryals took time to refl ect on
her original goal for Homegrown Huntsville ldquoIn the back of
my head from day one I knew I wanted to do a wine festival
I just didnrsquot think Huntsville was ready for it in 2011rdquo
Emboldened by the success of Beer Hop Ryals decided to
make the leap with Big Spring Crush wine festival later the
same year Once again Ryals delivered the perfect audience
for the event and in the process discovered a surprising
fact about North Alabamarsquos contribution to the wine-mak-
ing industry
ldquoIn doing the wine festival I learned that we have a huge
wine community in Huntsvillerdquo Ryals says ldquoTh ere are only
about 47 certifi ed wine judges in the entire United States
and we have four of them right here in North Alabama Two
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
copy Jeff White
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
ldquoI STARTED TO GET HOMESICK ALL OF MY FRIENDS WERE GETTING MARRIEDAND MEETING FOR FOOTBALL GAMES AND I WAS MISSING ITrdquo ASHLEY RYALS
copy Jeff White
copy Jeff White
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
ldquoIT WAS AWESOME AND SUCH A GREAT EXPERIENCE FOR USrdquoBILL FOWLER OLD TOWN BEER EXCHANGE
copy Jeff White
copy Olivia Reed
of those four certifi ed wine judges sit on the committee for
Big Spring Crushrdquo
Matthew and Stephanie Mell had just opened Church Street
Wine Shop when they decided to participate in the fi rst Big
Spring Crush Like OTBXrsquos Robert Fowler the Mells credit
Ryals and Homegrown Huntsville for helping to introduce
their new enterprise to the community ldquoAshley has been in-
strumental in helping to bring us people who love and ap-
preciate winerdquo Stephanie Mell says ldquoShe was homegrown
here in Huntsville and she really gets the downtown area
and small businesses and that is so important to usrdquo
Big Spring Crush began with a bang featuring over 150
wines and attracting patrons from across the country
ldquoMost wine festivals across the country have proven records
of being able to stay around 15 or 20 years or even longerrdquo
Ryals says ldquoAnd the economies of those cities have really
grown as a result I want Big Spring Crush to eventually be
the biggest and best wine festival in the state of Alabamardquo
How does Ryals intend to make that dream come true ldquoBy
always keeping it fresh I want to have new marketing and
new things happening each yearrdquo
Ryalsrsquo formula of reinvention and expansion has successfully
led Homegrown Huntsville through fi ve years of success and
helped its events become community staples along the way In
the process Ryals is broadening more than just our image of
downtown Huntsville shersquos joining a class of creative entrepre-
neurs committed to expanding Huntsvillersquos reputation as more
than just a hub for the brightest scientifi c minds in America
ldquoWe have a big city of engineers and lawyers and itrsquos won-
derfulrdquo Ryals say ldquo But there is a whole artist and food cul-
ture here and there is so much growth I want us to have a
vibrant cool downtown area and I want for people to tell
their friends to come and visit and to see Huntsville for what
it is a city I loverdquo
If yoursquod like to participate in Homegrown Huntsville either
as a guest or a participating business visit homegrown-
huntsvillecom
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
copy Jeff White
I was years old and the year was At that time the city of Huntsville was inching toward the mountain to the east California Street was once the continental divide between the small town metropo-lis and the uncharted territories gingerly crossed by the real estate pioneers four score and some odd years prior Th is area became the new suburb as the city kept pushing onward toward Fagan Springs as if the reverberating booms of rocket testings were vibrating Hunstvillians away from its epicenter
From the front yard of our house on Owens Drive I could look to the rightmdashup the hill to the bend be-yond which the big houses stood on their rocky ledge pedestals and to the left where all the other houses that looked just like oursmdashfresh and newmdashrambled for what seemed like miles Th ose clean well-lit abodes all seemed the same and granted at my age I knew more about the pets that lived there than I did about the people who owned those manageable mortgages I came to realize that each was diff erent in a way that was permeated by voices smells and furnishings
It is a clicheacute to say that our lives were simpler then because that is just how the current era will be fondly referred to in the future but to a 5-year-old it is the simplicity that brought the joy Th e sixties will always be to me the beginning of the age of manufactured happiness Cheap clean and simple was what was strived for and what was easily obtained Plastic items were plentiful and pretty things could be bought with SampH Green Stamps A few coins in our pocket would transfer us into the most master of manipula-tors with us giving our all to convince our parents for a jaunt to Murdockrsquos for a holiday of wonderment joy and impatience as we would scour the shelves trying to get the most from our meager budget
Owens Drive was the fairly new thoroughfare from which the avenues of three-bedroom-ranchers fi ngered away at planned intervals Th is was the place where newlyweds started their lives homes and families Where girls with last names that had been in the town for generations would change them to those strange and exotic last names of the clean cut newcomers brought here for military purposes Where the housewives would preheat their pristine electric ovens trying to make cheese straws and biscuits that were just like their motherrsquos only to be frustrated as they were never quite the same and where the husbands would follow in their fatherrsquos footsteps by joining the Acme Club and hunting doves on the weekends
Th ere was a swimming pool Certainly not at our house Th e only private pool I remember as a child was one that my grandmother would take me to nestled between huge trees at someonersquos house on Adams Street I would swim with other children my age while our grandmothers chatted smoking cigarettes in cat-eyed anonymity whispering most of their stories so we wouldnrsquot be able to hear But between their
gasps and laughter we would listen hear and learn
Th e Blossomwood pool was a place of designated rules and the sound of bright whistlesmdashwith straight lines and distinctive colors of blue and green I can still feel the Coppertoned oiliness on the skin of the tanned lifeguard as she carried me from the deep end frightened after my fi rst attempt at solo-swimming She knew my name I had no idea who she was
On the other side of the pool was the school my older sister attended It had a style that mim-icked the poolmdashstraight lines cleanmdasha temple to orderliness and good manners It was with
awe that I once watched the young adults there some as old as eleven wind and dance their way around a sky-high fl agpolemdasheach with a diff erent color ribbon until the fi rst (and only) May Pole
I was privy to was completely dressed in its woven bright colors
90 raquo bless their hearts raquo Guy McClure Jr
Huntsville was a magical place for us tail-end baby boomers to grow upmdashbeyond the miracles of the escalator at Pizitz the smiling little lady on the tall stool at the register at Britlings There was a comfort level there that Irsquom not sure is in the minds of the 5-year-olds of today
cat-eyed agasps
Th s
aI w
THE COMFORTS OF BLOSSOMWOOD
In our world of red-bricked carported castles there was a def-inite division of generations Th e children ate separately from the parents went to school as our dads went to work enter-tained our neighborhood friends as quietly as possible and felt safe between our boundaries of Big Cove Road and Hermitage Street While we dined on our Chef Boy-Ar-Dee boxed pizza our parents busied themselves dressing in their dark colors getting ready for a late dinner at Boots having the scent of perfume and face powder trail my mother as she came into the kitchen looking for something with an intense purpose My father would smell of British Sterling and look just as he did when he went to work only happier Th ese nights meant something fun would happenmdashwe would have a babysitter
Babysitters were my introduction into what was and still seems cool Th ey were usually Huntsville High School teen-agers who would put on a show without even knowing it I would drink in their every move word and essence of style To me they were supermodelsmdashmovie starsmdasheven more fa-mous in my eyes than a television weatherman and almost as glamorous as the waitresses at the Waffl e House
Before they would tire of me and my sister and put us to bed they would include us in their world of music and knowledge which I thought was all-encompassing Suddenly our world of Th e Benny Carl Show and Fantasy Playhouse would seem trite and passeacute and we would catch a fl eeting glimpse into what would be in store for us when we too could stay up past 8 pm
Huntsville was a magical place for us tail-end baby boomers to grow upmdashbeyond the miracles of the escalator at Pizitz the smiling little lady on the tall stool at the register at Britlings and that bright colorful Maypole Th ere was a comfort level there that Irsquom not sure is in the minds of the 5-year-olds of todaymdashthe soothing sheltered lack of knowledge of why we were so lucky yet we didnrsquot even know that we were
In the other areas of our Huntsville there was poverty and ra-cial unrestmdashas there was and is in every city I was unaware People of color were always a part of my worldmdashmostly be-cause they had my attention and respect At our house there was Annie my grandmotherrsquos house was fi lled with the joys of Lula and out on the family farm there was strong and smiling Homer and large and huggable Rosamdashall just as much a part of my life as everyone else My life was good and they were instrumental in making it that way
What will the 5-year-olds of today who are lucky enough to be raised on those well-planned streets remember when they surpass their own 50 year mark It is a much more complex world now and there are diff erent concerns with daily changes of fear Youthful innocence is a prize that is encased without a lock Premature maturity is a viable threat and a constant fear But each night tucked in tight in a simple room sleeps tomor-rowrsquos adults who are having sweet dreamsmdashblanketed by the comforts of Blossomwood
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
92 raquo the vine raquo Amy C Collins
BORDEAUX POWER
Where Burgundyrsquos vineyards were established by Benedictine monks patiently growing wine vines with spiritual hearts Bordeauxrsquos vineyards were raised by entrepreneurial laymen who recognized the massive monetary opportunity when the English began drinking down their peasant wine
The city of Bordeaux is Francersquos primary port town on the Atlantic ocean a harbor that has for centuries served as the countryrsquos most important dock Th e regionrsquos history is long and storied with the fi rst written reference to the area dated 379 AD by the Latin poet Ausonius who was also a wine-grower Jump ahead to the year 1152 when Eleanor of Aquitaine married Englandrsquos soon-to-be king Henry Plantagenet and the port and surrounding vineyard land became the source of wine for the English a connection that remains strong even today
Bordeaux produces the worldrsquos most expensive and sought after collector wines the top tier of which make up less than fi ve percent of the regionrsquos total production Th ese names are quickly learned by neophyte wine drinkers wanting to make an impression Chateau Haut-Brion Lafi te Latour and Margaux for example Grown in gravelly soils only a few meters above sea levelmdashin contrast vineyards elsewhere in Europe typically sit between 300 and 900 metersmdashthese wines are some of the most powerful austere and pawed over When young the tannins in these cabernet sauvignon cabernet franc and merlot blends coat the tongue and mouth with a chalky dry sensation akin to sucking on an Earl Grey tea bag and are perhaps best suited to well-fatted rare steak and cigars Th ese are wines built to live for decades Personally I prefer a Bordeaux at least 20 years aged when the tannins have had ample time to calm down and mellow out and more nuanced fl avors come forward Sounds fancy and it is Only in some very lucky circumstances over the past year have I been guest to a bottle of 1990 Clos de Menuts Saint-Eacutemilion and a 1970 Chateau Haut-Brion About once every 10 years Irsquove had the good
fortune to taste a wine older than myself Nice work if you can get it
Where Burgundyrsquos vineyards (Francersquos other classifi ed sought-after region) were established by Benedictine monks patiently growing wine vines with spiritual hearts
Bordeauxrsquos vineyards were raised by entrepreneurial laymen who recognized the massive monetary opportunity when the English began drinking down their peasant wine Th is underscores the second half of my theory as to why Americans
more often American males are so drawn to the wines of Bordeaux Th erersquos an inherent capitalist connection something in the soil Th at the wines are so
unmistakable so distinctively grand and pronounced elixirs exemplifi es the fi rst half of my theory we Americans are not known for our subtlety (To be fair the Chinese are
signifi cant Bordeaux collectors as well)
Philosophy aside Bordeaux is quite a large region that produces beautiful white and red values as well as the rare fi nds out of the populacersquos price range Herersquos the skinny Blending is the game single varietal wines are rare White Bordeaux is typically made from a blend of sauvignon blanc and seacutemillon and sometimes a drop or two of muscadelle ugni blanc or colombard Reds are made primarily from the two cabernets plus merlot with small quantities of petit verdot malbec and carmenegravere occasionally in the mix Th e region is also home to the golden nectar of late ripened seacutemillon sauvignon blanc and muscadelle grapes that have successfully attracted the noble rot a fungus that covers the fruit and drains moisture from inside leaving behind rich sweet grapes without moldy fl avors Chateau drsquoYquem is the most famous of these unfortifi ed dessert wines though there are better bargains from the region
Bordeaux is split by the Gironde river which divides the region into three general areas Th e left bank also known as the Haut-Meacutedoc is where the classifi ed top growths are situated Th ese prestigious estates were named for their exceptional vineyard sites in 1855 a decision nearly unchanged since Today serious collectors invest in Bordeaux futures theoretically locking down lower prices of top
ample time to calm dit is Only in some vede Menuts Saint-Eacutem
fortune to taste a
Wherees
aun
of msignifi
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Follow Amy at pigandvinecom for morestories and wine suggestions
growth estates while the wine is still aging in the cellar Itrsquos the wine tradersquos equivalent to the NASDAQ On the right bank Saint-Eacutemilion and Pommerol are the prized vineyard areas known for their merlot heavy cuveacutees To the south west we fi nd Graves where there are many great values to be had in both white and red bottlings Entre-Deux-Mers which translates to ldquobetween two seasrdquo sits between the Dordogne and Garonne tributaries off the Gironde and is an excellent source for crisp whites
Get started on your Bordeaux experience with these values
Chateau Graville-Lacoste 2014 Graves 75 seacutemillon 20 sauvignon blanc and 5 muscadelle make up this beauty thatrsquos consistently delicious every vintage Crisp and refreshing great with seafood
Chateau Mirambeau 2014 GravesAnother classic blend of 40 sauvignon blanc 40 seacutemillon and 20 muscadelle this lovely white is a bit more fl oral than the Graville-Lacoste Easy drinking and great value
Chateau de Parenchegravere Bordeaux Rouge 201155 merlot 30 cabernet sauvignon and 15 cabernet franc grown in clay heavy soils similar to the right bank of the region Fleshy with good structure and abundant red fruit
Chateau Arnaud Bordeaux Supeacuterieur 2011Supeacuterieur on a Bordeaux label isnrsquot egotistical marketingmdashby law it indicates a wine with up to one degree more alcohol than its AC Bordeaux brethren What it really means is one more degree of body structure and in this case quality Approachable delicious and easy on the wallet
Chateau de Bernadotte Haut-Meacutedoc 2005Th e 2005 vintage in Bordeaux is in the history books with double asterisks Owned by the eminent Pichon Lalande family and made from vineyards in Paulliac one of the more choice growing areas in the region this is an incredible value a top tier Bordeaux for a fraction of the cost
Chateau de Suduiraut Sauternes 2011Ripe cantaloupe apricot and honey and an interesting smoky note with a solid sweet attack followed by great acidity A dessert wine that wonrsquot overpower the dessert
94 raquo parting shot raquo Patrick Hood
Meet Solvar
Solvar belongs to one of the worldrsquos oldest and purest equine lineages the Nor-
wegian Fjord horse a breed that has remained virtually unchanged for more than
2000 yearsmdashlong before we became acquainted with his animated cousins in
the movie Frozen Th ese national symbols of Norway are characterized by primi-
tive zebra striping on their legs and a dorsal stripe running from forelock to tail
resulting in a striking two-tone mane that sticks up like a Mohawk Th eir athleti-
cism agility and dependability make them valuable both as sport horses as well
as therapy horses for emotionally and physically challenged adults and children
Catie Wells of Huntsville is the proud owner of Solvar who resides at Monte
Sano Stables
For tickets or information 256-539-4818 or hsoorg
Bring In the New Year With Us
presents
WHAT A WONDERFUL
WORLDA tribute to Louis
Armstrong featuring the
Byron Stripling Quartet
Thursday December 31
730 pm bull Pops Series bullMark C Smith
Concert Hall VBC
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
M O R E T H A N 7 0 S H O P S A N D R E S T A U R A N T S I N C L U D I N G B E L K | D S W S H O E S | A P P L E J O S A B A N K | R E E D S J E W E L E R S | PA N D O R A | J C R E W | K AT E S PA D E N E W Y O R KO R V I S | B A N A N A R E P U B L I C | M I C H A E L K O R S | F R A N C E S C Arsquo S | A N T H R O P O L O G I EH amp M | S O M A | M O U N T A I N H I G H O U T F I T T E R S | B A R N E S amp N O B L E | S E P H O R AALTAR rsquoD STATE | CONNORS STEAK amp SEFOOD | THE WEST IN HUNTSV I L L E | MONACO P ICTURES
C O M I N G S O O N V E R S O N A ndash near Belk
B R I D G E S T R E E T H U N T S V I L L E C O M |
BR IDGE STREET TOWN CENTRE I S LOCATED AT EX I T 14 OFF I - 565 AT OLD MAD ISON P IKE
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
(1) Tiny Dancer Bath Bomb ($6)Sweet Pineapple(256) 964-7563
(2) Kickee Mammoth Footie ($3595)(3) Noodle amp Boo Essential Care Kit ($18)(4) Elephant Jelly Cat ($2250)Honey B Boutique(256) 503-2853
(5) ArtFolio Pink Elephant Coloring Tote ($17)Huntsville Museumof Art(256) 535-4350
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) Bib Set ($13)Huntsville Museumof Art(256) 535-4350 (2) Little Light ($25)Tiny Vinestinyvinesshopcom (3) Micro Leon Cardboard Lion ($30)Little Green Storeand Gallery (256) 539-9699 (4) I Love You Like Biscuits amp Gravy ($23)Domaine South(256) 808-8860
(5) Kickee Kimono ($4295)Honey B Boutique(256) 503-2853
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
SURPRISEA LOVED ONE
THIS HOLIDAY SEASON
WITH A FOREVER GIFT
HobbsJewelerscom 8772331347Parkway Place Mall
HuntsvilleHwy 72 West
AthensMain Street
Ardmore TN
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Caftan ($75)Sarah Richey Necklace ($350)Finery(256) 429-3429
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
(1) Chewbead Necklace ($3495)(2) Mayoral Baby Bag ($7995)(3) Mayoral Diaper Changing Pad ($2495)(4) Nursing Scarf ($2695) (5) Kickee Swaddling Blanket ($22)Honey B Boutique(256) 503-2853 (6) Lucy Darling Months Sticker ($25) (7) The Story of You Baby Book by Emily Ley ($62) Sweet Pineapple(256) 964-7563
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(1) Alwand Vahan 14K Gold and Onyx Ring wDiamond Accent ($2595)(2) Alwand Vanan 14K Gold and Onyx Bracelet wDiamond Accent ($2695)Hobbs Jewelers(877) 233-1347
(3) Britt Ryan Dress ($288)Personal Couture Boutique(256) 508-5632
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) Rocket Cosmos Mug ($13)Huntsville Museumof Art(256) 535-4350
(2) Loose Leaf Tea ($399)Piper amp Leaf piperandleafcom (3) Judy Jackson Tea Pot ($56) (4) Gary Watson Cherry Cutting Board ($48-$68) (5) Susan Coe Birthday Cake Plate ($33) Little Green Storeand Gallery (256) 539-9699 (6) Macarons ($116 pcs $221 dozen)Whisk Small Treats Bakery(256) 656-1027
(7) Truffl es ($185 each)Pizellersquos Confections (256) 513-9745 (8) Olive amp Sinclair Chocolate ($799)Domaine South(256) 808-8860
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
(1) Whisk Note Pad ($8) (2) In the Forest Mixing Bowl ($36) (3) Twig Serving Set ($18)(8) Southern Firefl y Candle ($12)Sweet Pineapple(256) 964-7563
(4) Urchin Bowl ($10)(5) Foodie Dice ($38)(6) 1Canoe2 Wood Recipe Box w Recipe Cards ($6999) Domaine South(256) 808-8860 (7) Growlers ($75 small $95 large)Southern Growlersoutherngrowlercom
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
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(4) BCBG Dress ($328)Personal Couture Boutique(256) 508-5632
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Guadalupe Robinson
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
text by jennifer crossley howard raquo photos by patrick hood
Of Deft and Dirty Hands
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Huntsville potter Guadalupe Lanning Robinson has spent more than 36 years mastering the
marriage of clay texture and geometric design into her pottery yet time has done little to temper the
plight of waiting
ldquoIt is hard for me to let a pot just dryrdquo she says motioning toward fi ve small wet pots sitting near her
pottery wheel ldquoIrsquom as excited to do this as I was 30 years agordquo
To observe her studio at Lowe Mill that is easy to believe Located on the corridor outside the textile
mill-turned-art centerrsquos main building the loft-like space with a corrugated tin roof feels like a place a
Gabriel Garcia Marquez character would enjoy daydreaming
Sienna-hued pottery sits in various stages to be fi red layered and etched Argentinian tango music
streams from Robinsonrsquos iPhone and two cockatiels a parrot and a parakeet chirp from their cages All
except the parrot fl y freely when Robinson is working
Robinson who is 61 made her fi rst pot in 1979 in her native Mexico City Almost four decades later her
work is part of permanent museum collections in Auburn Huntsville Tuscumbia and Tupelo Missis-
sippi She regularly enters her work in respected juried shows such as the Monte Sano Arts Festival and
the Kentuck Festival of the Arts in Northport and has received two Alabama State Council on the Arts
individual artist fellowships
Her inspiration draws from the villages around her native Mexico City such as the black pottery of
the northwest as well as her acquired Southern culture White lilies corn grids and round female
fi guresmdashldquoreally strong women who are in chargerdquo Robinson saysmdashreappear on her stoneware She uses
natural dyes indigo for color and mixes sand into clay for texture Nothing is wasted
ldquoI donrsquot waste any clayrdquo Robinson says ldquoEverything is recycledrdquo
Robinson fi nds solace in the 40-50 hours a week she puts in at the studio and the often tedious process
of making pots which can take from three weeks to six weeks for larger pots She usually works on two
or three pots at a time tending to groups at diff erent stages
After a pot is thrown on a wheel a piece can take days to dry before its fi rst bisque fi re in which tem-
peratures rise to 1800 F After baking for nine hours the kiln must cool Th e second fi ring rises to 2150
F and matures the clay and melts the glazes to strengthen the piece
ldquoI am an effi cient person by naturerdquo Robinson says ldquoWaiting for the kiln to cool down enough to open
can be nerve wracking and this is when my patience is usually put to the testrdquo
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
ldquoIt is hard for me to let a pot just dry Irsquom as excited to do this as I was 30 years agordquo
Robinson makes most of her pots on a wheel using oxides to change the color of clay she gets from Nashville and Pittsburgh Her pottery takes several weeks from start to fi nish depending on how large a pot is and how many she makes at a time
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
ldquoAttend to your childrenrsquos needs fi rst keep focus on what you want to douse the happiness joy and little breaks you get to make your artTh ey grow real fast and they will keep inspiring you all your liferdquo
Robinson imagined this bat-like design as she was working She usually begins a piece with a design in mind but that often evolves
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Robinson uses an overlay of liquid clay called engobemdashthat includes three to four layersmdashto create a
base on which to design
Th ere is high risk in making pottery and hours of work can be wasted on a pot that has not dried en-
tirely before it enters the kiln Air pockets or the wrong mixture of chemicals can ruin a piece
ldquoArt is involved but science is toordquo says Laura Smith director of education at the Huntsville Museum
of Art where Robinson has taught pottery classes ldquoItrsquos more labor intensive in terms of working with
the medium whether yoursquore building by hand or with a wheel until you fi re with the fi nal layer of glazerdquo
Th e result is sturdy pottery
ldquoI want my pots to look like something that is lasting a long timerdquo Robinson says
Th ough she works solitarily in her studio she says she does not get lonely Her birds and music keep her
company and each stage of pottery making has a soundtrack She uses needlepoint tools to draw onto
clay to Jose Feliciano and other Latin American musicians
ldquoIf Irsquom at the wheel Bruno Marsrdquo she says ldquoIf Irsquom unloading the kiln and something is really awesome
then I need something moving and I have on Motownrdquo
Robinsonrsquos years of experience minimize the risk of damaged pots but she says her greatest challenge
as a potter was balancing her work while raising her two children Now adults their candid childhood
pictures and those of her grandchildren cover the warm green walls of her studio
She met her husband the poet James Robinson in 1977 on a Greyhound bus when she returned to
Mexico City from visiting a friend at the University of Southern Mississippi He was heading to Mexico
to study at a university Th ey married six months later After giving birth to her daughter Annie Jane in
Mexico City in 1982 the family moved to Huntsville in 1985 Th at is when Robinson got more serious
about her pottery
ldquoFrom the very beginning when I moved to Alabama I knew I was going to have to do thisrdquo she said
ldquoIn some ways it was a way for me to keep connected to my heritagerdquo
She took even 15 minutes of free time to work in the studio behind her home and worked late into the
night while her daughter and son Isidoro born in 1987 slept Having a home studio allowed her to
wash clothes tend to her home and drop off lunches at school while maintaining her art
ldquoTh ere was something for me when I fi rst became a mother that fueled my creativityrdquo Robinson says
ldquoTh ey are such a social inspiration too It fi lls your liferdquo
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Robinson advises fellow artists who are mothers to seize
both roles but to prioritize motherhood
ldquoAttend to your childrenrsquos needs fi rst keep focus on what you
want to do use the happiness joy and little breaks you get
to make your artrdquo she says ldquoTh ey grow real fast and they will
keep inspiring you all your liferdquo
Anna Sue Courtney director of the Flying Monkey Arts
Center at Lowe Mill has known Robinson for more than
10 years She says she admires how mothers and artists like
Robinson seamlessly embrace both roles
ldquoIt seems therersquos not a separation between creating and rais-
ing childrenrdquo Courtney says ldquoTh ey seem to pull from the
same placerdquo
Part of Robinsonrsquos motivation at Lowe Mill comes from
working privately in a studio alongside other artists that fos-
ters a community of feedback and ideas
ldquoItrsquos nice to be here because you can take a break and walk around and get inspirationrdquo Courtney says
ldquoItrsquos refreshingrdquo
When she needs a break from the studio Robinson stays home to sketch designs for a day or two then
she is back in the studio
Trips twice a year to Mexico City keep her plugged in to her native culture which in turn shows up in
her pottery
ldquoI have to recharge myselfrdquo Robinson says ldquoI love Huntsville and loved raising my kids here but I still
have the need of going back to be recharged and smell all the smells and see all the colors and get on
the subway and be pushed aroundrdquo
Details from her trips that infl uence her work include the ever-present red that covers the city during
the celebration of Dia de los Muertos or the Day of the Dead Th e pyramids of Teotihuacan conjure
warm earth tones and fl oating gardens around the city yield sweet pungent calla lilies and carnations
Celebration of food tough women and nature reappear in her pottery qualities that both Southern and
Mexican cultures treasure
Above This daisy design is character-istic of Robinsonrsquos work Nature food and strong females from her native Mexico City and the South are strong creative infl uences
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Clockwise from top left Robinson often glazes only the inside of her pots so they can hold water and food She began quilting in 2002 and her quilts like her pottery contain earth tones and natural infl uences in their design Four birds keep Robinson company in what can be the isolating medium of pottery making Geometry and symmetry are two signature elements in Robinsonrsquos work according to Laura Smith director of education at the Huntsville Museum of Art
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Just as she keeps her home country close to her heart Robinson is loyal to her fi rst
love of pottery though she began making quilts in 2002
ldquoIrsquom a potter who likes to quiltrdquo she says
Like her pottery her quilting follows designs of organic nature such as fl owers and
crops on rich jewel tone cotton
ldquoWhen I fi rst saw one of her quilts I didnrsquot realize it was hers and I thought that
looks like it should be Guadalupersquos quiltrdquo Courtney says
Robinson prefers the immediate gratifi cation of clay
ldquoItrsquos a very responsive mediumrdquo she says ldquoYou can manipulate it Th e fact of mak-
ing something out of dirt out of nothing and making it durable making it perma-
nent that after going through the heat and maturing is something very excitingrdquo
She gently dings a pot covered with white dresses titled ldquoTehuana Dressrdquo to make
her point
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
887 FM Muscle Shoals bull 1007 FM Huntsvillewwwaprorg
News classicalmusic and more
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
copy Patrick Hood
text by sara wright covington raquo photos by jacki gil
patrick hood erin lindsey and michelle odom
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
copy Patrick Hood
ldquoA LOT OF PEOPLE HAD BEEN ASKING ME QUESTIONS ABOUTHOW I GOT MY BUSINESS STARTED I WANTED TO GATHER SOME PEOPLE AROUND ME
WHO WERE GOING THROUGH THOSE STRUGGLES AND TOBUILD ENTREPRENEURIAL COURAGErdquo
JACKI GIL SALT+PAPERIE
copy Patrick Hood
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
untsville-born Jacki Gil began her paper design busi-
ness Salt+Paperie in 2014 with an expansive vision
in mind one that extended beyond creating beautiful
custom designed paper goods ldquoI love my design job
but when Irsquom 50 years old I donrsquot see myself still de-
signing wedding invitationsrdquo the master stationer says
ldquoI really have a passion for teaching and helping people
I want to be a mentorrdquo
In 2015 Gil set out on her mentoring mission sooner than expected with a series
of workshops called Encourage Huntsville ldquoA lot of people had been asking me
questions about how I got my business startedrdquo Gil says about the early days of
Salt+Paperie Even though most of those questions from entrepreneurial-hopefuls
were technicalmdashlike how to apply for a business licensemdashthey served as inspira-
tion for Gil ldquoI wanted to gather some people around me who were going through
those struggles and to build entrepreneurial courage I defi nitely saw that there
was a need for helping people to take that next step toward owning their own
businessesrdquo
Encourage Huntsville was modeled on the image of a growing small business
movement called the Rising Tide Society a national community of creative small
business owners who encourage ldquocommunity over competitionrdquo Th at spirit of
openness is at the heart of Encourage Huntsville ldquoCommunity over competition
is a huge part of what we are doingrdquo says Gil ldquoSmall business owners sharing how
they earn their money is a big dealrdquo
As a fi rst step Gil gathered others around her who were using their skills and abili-
ties to make their own small businesses work With talents ranging from cooking
and cake decorating to hand lettering and artwork these small business owners
all embraced Gilrsquos vision for imparting to others the knowledge of their craft un-
impeded by a fear of losing their competitive edge
Th e fi rst lesson Gil wanted to impart to Encourage Huntsvillersquos students wasnrsquot
necessarily a particular craft or skill but a spirt of creative confi dence ldquoWe want-
ed to bridge the gap between the very artsy community and the ultimate engineer
communityrdquo many of whom Gil observes had been told since childhood they
werenrsquot artistic ldquoWhen you are little and someone tells you that you donrsquot have a
talent it sticks with you I found that a lot of people had that experience so that
was the workshop partmdashto build some creative courage in this communityrdquo
Gil conducted the fi rst workshop herself testing the waters to see how the concept
would be received Th e admission price to that fi rst workshop included supplies a
take-home ldquogoody bagrdquo to help students continue their work extracurricularly and
refreshmentsmdashas well as Gilrsquos tips of her trade
ldquoWe went in blindly not knowing if we had a market or notrdquo says Gil Th e popular-
ity of that fi rst class proved undeniably that a market did in fact exist the work-
shop sold out in one day ldquoSo we did back-to-back workshopsrdquo Gil says ldquoAfter that
novemberdecembeeer eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee | nononoononononononoonoonononooooonoonoonnononnoaaalalalllaallllllalaalaaalal ststustust ddiossscom mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm | | | | | | | | | | |
f
w
y
Previous page Encourage Huntsvillersquos founder and instructor Jacki Gil teaches a class in hand lettering Facing page A participant studies her supply list
we realized people really want to do this stuff So we said lsquoletrsquos jump on the boat
and make this happenrsquordquo
Gilrsquos longtime friend photographer Erin Lindsey of Erin Lindsey Images agreed
to contribute to Encourage Huntsvillersquos curriculum by teaching a photography
class ldquoJacki and I are a good team because our hearts are in the same place when
it comes to encouraging othersrdquo Lindsey says Still she admits saying yes to teach-
ing wasnrsquot without some initial hesitation ldquoWhen Jacki asked if I would teach a
class it was kind of scary I thought I had to be perfect before I could teach oth-
ersrdquo Lindsey says of her initial hesitancy ldquoBut after talking to Jacki I realized none
of us are perfectrdquo But perfection isnrsquot the goal encouragement is the goal ldquoAnd I
thought lsquoI can defi nitely line up with that visionrsquordquo
Michelle Odom another Huntsville native and owner of custom cake bakery Just
Crumbs was also on board with Gilrsquos vision In fact Odom had been contemplat-
ing teaching a class when she was approached by Gil to teach a fondant basics
class ldquoHuntsville is such an engineer town and everyone is so mathematical and
scientifi crdquo Odom says echoing the dichotomy between the arts and sciences ex-
pressed by Gil ldquoTh ese workshops are just a very cool way for structured people to
have a creative outletrdquo
ldquoJACKI AND I ARE A GOOD TEAM BECAUSE OUR HEARTS ARE INTHE SAME PLACE WHEN IT COMES TO ENCOURAGING OTHERSrdquo
ERIN LINDSEY ERIN LINDSEY IMAGES
copy Erin Lindsey
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Above A participant in Erin Lindseyrsquos photo class frames a still life
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
copy Erin Lindsey
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
ldquoHUNTSVILLE IS SUCH AN ENGINEER TOWN AND EVERYONE ISSO MATHEMATICAL AND SCIENTIFIC THESE WORKSHOPS ARE JUST A VERY COOL
WAY FOR STRUCTURED PEOPLE TO HAVE A CREATIVE OUTLETrdquo MICHELLE ODOM JUST CRUMBS
copy Michelle Odom
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
ldquoAnd yesrdquo Odom acknowledges ldquoyou are in theory teaching your competition But
at the same time you are helping the community be more creativerdquo
With its roster of popular creative workshops under its belt Encourage Huntsville
has added business classes to its community-over-competition curriculum with
classes designed to provide specifi c guidance for small business owners ldquoAll of
our events that donrsquot require hands-on work we call seminarsrdquo says Gil ldquoWe had
about 15 people at our fi rst one It was pretty much just an open discussion to ask
us questions and get answers from the perspective of a small business ownerrdquo
Th e seminars enjoyed the same success and enthusiasm as the workshops ldquoWe
had two hours for people to ask questionsrdquo Gil says Topics covered ran the gamut
from scheduling daily tasks self-hosting a website or using an Etsy store man-
aging client expectations and being realistic about how much time you need to
complete jobs
ldquoTh e time went quickly and people wanted morerdquo says Gil who envisions an all-
day seminar in 2016
Margaret Baggett owner and executive chef of the Chef Next Door is another
small business owner who has shared Gilrsquos vision from the very beginning teach-
copy Erin Lindsey
Facing page Michelle Odomrsquos fondant basics class begins with a styrofoam cake form Above Newbie photographers familiarize themselves with their cameras in Erin Lindseyrsquos photography class
ing knife skills workshops and helping host the business seminars ldquoI am so proud
to get to be a part of this project and help nurture other small business owners
who may just be starting out on their journey or are deep in it and looking for
some encouragement from other business ownersrdquo Baggett says of what motivates
her participation in Encourage Huntsville ldquoEven being on the advice-giving side
of things I am still learning and have taken tips and tricks and lessons from each
event we have had so far We never stop learning from each other and never stop
improving upon our craftsrdquo
Th e mutual growth among students and teachers is the source of the encourage-
mentmdashand the joymdashof Encourage Huntsville ldquoItrsquos so much fun to see the light
bulbs go off with people and see them encouraged right before your eyesrdquo Lindsey
says of her experience with the program ldquoPlus itrsquos a pleasure to contribute to a
sense of community over competition Th at whole concept is so rarerdquo
As Encourage Huntsvillersquos following continues to grow the diversity of the work-
shops will expand as well Whether you are looking to spend a fun afternoon
learning a new craft or are a budding small business owner hoping to launch
your brand Encourage Huntsville has something valuable to off er ldquoWe encourage
those left-brain folks to take up a new hobby or skillrdquo Baggett says ldquoor just encour-
age the people of Huntsville to get together and fan their creative fl amesrdquo
If yoursquore looking for
creative or entrepreneurial
encouragement visit
encouragehuntsvillecom
for seminar and workshop
schedules and information
ldquoI AM SO PROUD TO GET TO BE A PART OF THIS PROJECT AND HELP NURTURE OTHER SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS WHO MAY JUST BE STARTING OUT ON THEIR JOURNEY OR ARE DEEP IN IT
AND LOOKING FOR SOME ENCOURAGEMENT FROM OTHER BUSINESS OWNERSrdquoMARGARET BAGGETT CHEF NEXT DOOR
copy Jacki Gil
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
copy Jacki Gil
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Participants in Margaret Baggettrsquos knife skills workshop learn to perfect their ldquomise en placerdquo
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
copy Olivia Reed
text by sara wright covington raquo photos by olivia reed and jeff white
HUNTSVILLErsquoS
HOMEGROWNHOSTESS
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
ttttttononononoooooonononooooo raquo praquo praquo praquo praquo phothothothothotosoososos s s osos bybybbybb
Any host will tell you that delicious food and quality libations while important to
a partyrsquos success are secondary to the most important ingredient of all the guest list Th atrsquos why many
of downtown Huntsvillersquos most popular restaurants breweries and wine shops are turning to event
planner Ashley Ryals and her uncanny knack for attracting loyal patronsmdashand creating unforgettable
events in the process
When Huntsville born-and-bred Ashley Ryals left for college at the University of Alabama in 2001
she thought her exit from the Valley was permanent ldquoI never thought I would end up back hererdquo the
founder of event planning company Homegrown Huntsville says with a knowing laugh But after a few
post-graduate years working for world-renowned public relations powerhouse Weber Shandwick in
New York City Ryals started to second guess her freshman declaration
ldquoI started to get homesickrdquo she admits ldquoAll of my friends were getting married and meeting for football
games and I was missing itrdquo So when a friend from home set up an interview at EarlyWorks for a job
doing event planning Ryals jumped at the chance to come home
Ashley spent the next few years planning EarlyWorks Whistle Stop and Santarsquos Village events A brief
stint in sales followed along with a seat on the board of Huntsville Young Professionals where she had
an idea for a downtown pub crawl
ldquoWe expected 20 or 30 peoplerdquo Ryals says of their modest expectations ldquoBut 200 people showed uprdquo
Th at initial success convinced Ryals to embark on her dream of establishing an
event planning company But it wasnrsquot just any event planning company Ryals
had in mind she envisioned one that would collaborate with local businesses
cultivate signature events for the community to enjoy and support small busi-
nesses in the process
Inspired Ryals left her sales job and for the second time in her life came home
again to event planning and Homegrown Huntsville
To help bring her vision to life Ryals collaborated with designer Adrianne Van
Kirk of Fave Creative ldquoAdrianne has been a part of the visual and branding of
Homegrown from the beginning We come up with the event ideas then I get
the ticketing and sales together and she comes back with a logo and the mar-
keting for the event And thatrsquos how it all comes togetherrdquo Ryals says of their
creative process
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
ASHLEY RYALS
copy Olivia Reed
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
ldquoMOST WINE FESTIVALS ACROSS THE COUNTRY HAVE PROVEN RECORDS OF BEING ABLE TO STAY AROUND 15 OR 20 YEARS OR EVEN LONGER AND THE ECONOMIES OF THOSE
CITIES HAVE REALLY GROWN AS A RESULT I WANT BIG SPRING CRUSH TO EVENTUALLY BE THE BIGGEST AND BEST WINE FESTIVAL IN THE STATE OF ALABAMArdquo ASHLEY RYALS
copy Jeff White
copy Jeff White
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
copy Olivia Reed
Homegrown launched in 2011 with what would become its
signature event Dine amp Dash Every second Wednesday
April through October a trolley shuttles patrons between
downtown establishments where they are served a drink
and appetizer before moving on to the next stop
Owner and executive chef Merle Phillips of Th e Eaves was
one of the fi rst restaurants to sign on for Dine amp Dashrsquos de-
but ldquoAshley came to me and said she was starting a trolley
tasting conceptrdquo says Chef Merle ldquoI didnrsquot really know her so
I was taking a chance on the concept she was sellingrdquo
Merle tried it and has been a loyal participant of Dine amp
Dash ever since
ldquoIt was a risk in the beginning but it defi nitely paid off rdquo Chef
Merle says of the experience Pivotal to that experience ac-
cording to Phillips is Ryalsrsquo demonstration to the commu-
nity just what the term ldquohomegrownrdquo really means ldquoAshley
shines a spotlight on independent businesses in a market-
place that has for so long focused on chainsrdquo Phillips says
ldquoDine amp Dash has really brought into sharp focus the inter-
esting culinary diversity that Huntsville has to off errdquo
For the next two years Homegrown Huntsville focused al-
most exclusively on Dine amp Dash which by the end of its fi rst
year included every single downtown restaurant But when
big changes began to appear on the downtown horizonmdash
new restaurants breweries and residential developmentsmdash
Ryalsrsquo instincts told her
the time had come to
introduce a new event
to the downtown cal-
endar
ldquoBeer Hop follows
the concept of Dine
amp Dashrdquo Ryals says of
Homegrownrsquos second
venture which began
in 2013 Each month a
trolley visits three dif-
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
BILL FOWLEROLD TOWN BEER
EXCHANGE
copy Olivia Reed
copy Olivia Reed
ferent breweries where patrons sample beers and enjoy food
from a variety of food trucks parked at each location
Bill Fowler managing partner of Old Town Beer Exchange
agreed to participate in Beer Hop on his very fi rst day of
business and credits Ryals with an overwhelmingly success-
ful opening night ldquoAshley said lsquoI can guarantee that you are
going to have wave after wave of people coming throughrsquordquo
Fowler says recalling that fi rst jittery occasion Once again
Ryals proved true to her word with 60-plus patrons arriving
in an hour-and-a-half ldquoIt was awesome and such a great ex-
perience for usrdquo Fowler raves ldquoAshley is a hard worker and
you can see that in what she doesrdquo
Fowler believes that in addition to bringing new customers
to OTBX Ryals is also cultivating beer education consis-
tently bringing in people who are new to beer and want to
learn And with Huntsvillersquos recent brewery boom that level
of education and interest is crucial for the brewing commu-
nity to thrive ldquoWe have a very small window of opportunityrdquo
says Fowler ldquoI think Huntsville in particular is becoming a
craft brewing community People are making money at this
and once Tennessee sees that we need to already have had a
pretty huge head startrdquo
By the end of 2013 and with standing events Beer Hop and
Dine amp Dash well established Ryals took time to refl ect on
her original goal for Homegrown Huntsville ldquoIn the back of
my head from day one I knew I wanted to do a wine festival
I just didnrsquot think Huntsville was ready for it in 2011rdquo
Emboldened by the success of Beer Hop Ryals decided to
make the leap with Big Spring Crush wine festival later the
same year Once again Ryals delivered the perfect audience
for the event and in the process discovered a surprising
fact about North Alabamarsquos contribution to the wine-mak-
ing industry
ldquoIn doing the wine festival I learned that we have a huge
wine community in Huntsvillerdquo Ryals says ldquoTh ere are only
about 47 certifi ed wine judges in the entire United States
and we have four of them right here in North Alabama Two
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
copy Jeff White
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
ldquoI STARTED TO GET HOMESICK ALL OF MY FRIENDS WERE GETTING MARRIEDAND MEETING FOR FOOTBALL GAMES AND I WAS MISSING ITrdquo ASHLEY RYALS
copy Jeff White
copy Jeff White
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
ldquoIT WAS AWESOME AND SUCH A GREAT EXPERIENCE FOR USrdquoBILL FOWLER OLD TOWN BEER EXCHANGE
copy Jeff White
copy Olivia Reed
of those four certifi ed wine judges sit on the committee for
Big Spring Crushrdquo
Matthew and Stephanie Mell had just opened Church Street
Wine Shop when they decided to participate in the fi rst Big
Spring Crush Like OTBXrsquos Robert Fowler the Mells credit
Ryals and Homegrown Huntsville for helping to introduce
their new enterprise to the community ldquoAshley has been in-
strumental in helping to bring us people who love and ap-
preciate winerdquo Stephanie Mell says ldquoShe was homegrown
here in Huntsville and she really gets the downtown area
and small businesses and that is so important to usrdquo
Big Spring Crush began with a bang featuring over 150
wines and attracting patrons from across the country
ldquoMost wine festivals across the country have proven records
of being able to stay around 15 or 20 years or even longerrdquo
Ryals says ldquoAnd the economies of those cities have really
grown as a result I want Big Spring Crush to eventually be
the biggest and best wine festival in the state of Alabamardquo
How does Ryals intend to make that dream come true ldquoBy
always keeping it fresh I want to have new marketing and
new things happening each yearrdquo
Ryalsrsquo formula of reinvention and expansion has successfully
led Homegrown Huntsville through fi ve years of success and
helped its events become community staples along the way In
the process Ryals is broadening more than just our image of
downtown Huntsville shersquos joining a class of creative entrepre-
neurs committed to expanding Huntsvillersquos reputation as more
than just a hub for the brightest scientifi c minds in America
ldquoWe have a big city of engineers and lawyers and itrsquos won-
derfulrdquo Ryals say ldquo But there is a whole artist and food cul-
ture here and there is so much growth I want us to have a
vibrant cool downtown area and I want for people to tell
their friends to come and visit and to see Huntsville for what
it is a city I loverdquo
If yoursquod like to participate in Homegrown Huntsville either
as a guest or a participating business visit homegrown-
huntsvillecom
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
copy Jeff White
I was years old and the year was At that time the city of Huntsville was inching toward the mountain to the east California Street was once the continental divide between the small town metropo-lis and the uncharted territories gingerly crossed by the real estate pioneers four score and some odd years prior Th is area became the new suburb as the city kept pushing onward toward Fagan Springs as if the reverberating booms of rocket testings were vibrating Hunstvillians away from its epicenter
From the front yard of our house on Owens Drive I could look to the rightmdashup the hill to the bend be-yond which the big houses stood on their rocky ledge pedestals and to the left where all the other houses that looked just like oursmdashfresh and newmdashrambled for what seemed like miles Th ose clean well-lit abodes all seemed the same and granted at my age I knew more about the pets that lived there than I did about the people who owned those manageable mortgages I came to realize that each was diff erent in a way that was permeated by voices smells and furnishings
It is a clicheacute to say that our lives were simpler then because that is just how the current era will be fondly referred to in the future but to a 5-year-old it is the simplicity that brought the joy Th e sixties will always be to me the beginning of the age of manufactured happiness Cheap clean and simple was what was strived for and what was easily obtained Plastic items were plentiful and pretty things could be bought with SampH Green Stamps A few coins in our pocket would transfer us into the most master of manipula-tors with us giving our all to convince our parents for a jaunt to Murdockrsquos for a holiday of wonderment joy and impatience as we would scour the shelves trying to get the most from our meager budget
Owens Drive was the fairly new thoroughfare from which the avenues of three-bedroom-ranchers fi ngered away at planned intervals Th is was the place where newlyweds started their lives homes and families Where girls with last names that had been in the town for generations would change them to those strange and exotic last names of the clean cut newcomers brought here for military purposes Where the housewives would preheat their pristine electric ovens trying to make cheese straws and biscuits that were just like their motherrsquos only to be frustrated as they were never quite the same and where the husbands would follow in their fatherrsquos footsteps by joining the Acme Club and hunting doves on the weekends
Th ere was a swimming pool Certainly not at our house Th e only private pool I remember as a child was one that my grandmother would take me to nestled between huge trees at someonersquos house on Adams Street I would swim with other children my age while our grandmothers chatted smoking cigarettes in cat-eyed anonymity whispering most of their stories so we wouldnrsquot be able to hear But between their
gasps and laughter we would listen hear and learn
Th e Blossomwood pool was a place of designated rules and the sound of bright whistlesmdashwith straight lines and distinctive colors of blue and green I can still feel the Coppertoned oiliness on the skin of the tanned lifeguard as she carried me from the deep end frightened after my fi rst attempt at solo-swimming She knew my name I had no idea who she was
On the other side of the pool was the school my older sister attended It had a style that mim-icked the poolmdashstraight lines cleanmdasha temple to orderliness and good manners It was with
awe that I once watched the young adults there some as old as eleven wind and dance their way around a sky-high fl agpolemdasheach with a diff erent color ribbon until the fi rst (and only) May Pole
I was privy to was completely dressed in its woven bright colors
90 raquo bless their hearts raquo Guy McClure Jr
Huntsville was a magical place for us tail-end baby boomers to grow upmdashbeyond the miracles of the escalator at Pizitz the smiling little lady on the tall stool at the register at Britlings There was a comfort level there that Irsquom not sure is in the minds of the 5-year-olds of today
cat-eyed agasps
Th s
aI w
THE COMFORTS OF BLOSSOMWOOD
In our world of red-bricked carported castles there was a def-inite division of generations Th e children ate separately from the parents went to school as our dads went to work enter-tained our neighborhood friends as quietly as possible and felt safe between our boundaries of Big Cove Road and Hermitage Street While we dined on our Chef Boy-Ar-Dee boxed pizza our parents busied themselves dressing in their dark colors getting ready for a late dinner at Boots having the scent of perfume and face powder trail my mother as she came into the kitchen looking for something with an intense purpose My father would smell of British Sterling and look just as he did when he went to work only happier Th ese nights meant something fun would happenmdashwe would have a babysitter
Babysitters were my introduction into what was and still seems cool Th ey were usually Huntsville High School teen-agers who would put on a show without even knowing it I would drink in their every move word and essence of style To me they were supermodelsmdashmovie starsmdasheven more fa-mous in my eyes than a television weatherman and almost as glamorous as the waitresses at the Waffl e House
Before they would tire of me and my sister and put us to bed they would include us in their world of music and knowledge which I thought was all-encompassing Suddenly our world of Th e Benny Carl Show and Fantasy Playhouse would seem trite and passeacute and we would catch a fl eeting glimpse into what would be in store for us when we too could stay up past 8 pm
Huntsville was a magical place for us tail-end baby boomers to grow upmdashbeyond the miracles of the escalator at Pizitz the smiling little lady on the tall stool at the register at Britlings and that bright colorful Maypole Th ere was a comfort level there that Irsquom not sure is in the minds of the 5-year-olds of todaymdashthe soothing sheltered lack of knowledge of why we were so lucky yet we didnrsquot even know that we were
In the other areas of our Huntsville there was poverty and ra-cial unrestmdashas there was and is in every city I was unaware People of color were always a part of my worldmdashmostly be-cause they had my attention and respect At our house there was Annie my grandmotherrsquos house was fi lled with the joys of Lula and out on the family farm there was strong and smiling Homer and large and huggable Rosamdashall just as much a part of my life as everyone else My life was good and they were instrumental in making it that way
What will the 5-year-olds of today who are lucky enough to be raised on those well-planned streets remember when they surpass their own 50 year mark It is a much more complex world now and there are diff erent concerns with daily changes of fear Youthful innocence is a prize that is encased without a lock Premature maturity is a viable threat and a constant fear But each night tucked in tight in a simple room sleeps tomor-rowrsquos adults who are having sweet dreamsmdashblanketed by the comforts of Blossomwood
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
92 raquo the vine raquo Amy C Collins
BORDEAUX POWER
Where Burgundyrsquos vineyards were established by Benedictine monks patiently growing wine vines with spiritual hearts Bordeauxrsquos vineyards were raised by entrepreneurial laymen who recognized the massive monetary opportunity when the English began drinking down their peasant wine
The city of Bordeaux is Francersquos primary port town on the Atlantic ocean a harbor that has for centuries served as the countryrsquos most important dock Th e regionrsquos history is long and storied with the fi rst written reference to the area dated 379 AD by the Latin poet Ausonius who was also a wine-grower Jump ahead to the year 1152 when Eleanor of Aquitaine married Englandrsquos soon-to-be king Henry Plantagenet and the port and surrounding vineyard land became the source of wine for the English a connection that remains strong even today
Bordeaux produces the worldrsquos most expensive and sought after collector wines the top tier of which make up less than fi ve percent of the regionrsquos total production Th ese names are quickly learned by neophyte wine drinkers wanting to make an impression Chateau Haut-Brion Lafi te Latour and Margaux for example Grown in gravelly soils only a few meters above sea levelmdashin contrast vineyards elsewhere in Europe typically sit between 300 and 900 metersmdashthese wines are some of the most powerful austere and pawed over When young the tannins in these cabernet sauvignon cabernet franc and merlot blends coat the tongue and mouth with a chalky dry sensation akin to sucking on an Earl Grey tea bag and are perhaps best suited to well-fatted rare steak and cigars Th ese are wines built to live for decades Personally I prefer a Bordeaux at least 20 years aged when the tannins have had ample time to calm down and mellow out and more nuanced fl avors come forward Sounds fancy and it is Only in some very lucky circumstances over the past year have I been guest to a bottle of 1990 Clos de Menuts Saint-Eacutemilion and a 1970 Chateau Haut-Brion About once every 10 years Irsquove had the good
fortune to taste a wine older than myself Nice work if you can get it
Where Burgundyrsquos vineyards (Francersquos other classifi ed sought-after region) were established by Benedictine monks patiently growing wine vines with spiritual hearts
Bordeauxrsquos vineyards were raised by entrepreneurial laymen who recognized the massive monetary opportunity when the English began drinking down their peasant wine Th is underscores the second half of my theory as to why Americans
more often American males are so drawn to the wines of Bordeaux Th erersquos an inherent capitalist connection something in the soil Th at the wines are so
unmistakable so distinctively grand and pronounced elixirs exemplifi es the fi rst half of my theory we Americans are not known for our subtlety (To be fair the Chinese are
signifi cant Bordeaux collectors as well)
Philosophy aside Bordeaux is quite a large region that produces beautiful white and red values as well as the rare fi nds out of the populacersquos price range Herersquos the skinny Blending is the game single varietal wines are rare White Bordeaux is typically made from a blend of sauvignon blanc and seacutemillon and sometimes a drop or two of muscadelle ugni blanc or colombard Reds are made primarily from the two cabernets plus merlot with small quantities of petit verdot malbec and carmenegravere occasionally in the mix Th e region is also home to the golden nectar of late ripened seacutemillon sauvignon blanc and muscadelle grapes that have successfully attracted the noble rot a fungus that covers the fruit and drains moisture from inside leaving behind rich sweet grapes without moldy fl avors Chateau drsquoYquem is the most famous of these unfortifi ed dessert wines though there are better bargains from the region
Bordeaux is split by the Gironde river which divides the region into three general areas Th e left bank also known as the Haut-Meacutedoc is where the classifi ed top growths are situated Th ese prestigious estates were named for their exceptional vineyard sites in 1855 a decision nearly unchanged since Today serious collectors invest in Bordeaux futures theoretically locking down lower prices of top
ample time to calm dit is Only in some vede Menuts Saint-Eacutem
fortune to taste a
Wherees
aun
of msignifi
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Follow Amy at pigandvinecom for morestories and wine suggestions
growth estates while the wine is still aging in the cellar Itrsquos the wine tradersquos equivalent to the NASDAQ On the right bank Saint-Eacutemilion and Pommerol are the prized vineyard areas known for their merlot heavy cuveacutees To the south west we fi nd Graves where there are many great values to be had in both white and red bottlings Entre-Deux-Mers which translates to ldquobetween two seasrdquo sits between the Dordogne and Garonne tributaries off the Gironde and is an excellent source for crisp whites
Get started on your Bordeaux experience with these values
Chateau Graville-Lacoste 2014 Graves 75 seacutemillon 20 sauvignon blanc and 5 muscadelle make up this beauty thatrsquos consistently delicious every vintage Crisp and refreshing great with seafood
Chateau Mirambeau 2014 GravesAnother classic blend of 40 sauvignon blanc 40 seacutemillon and 20 muscadelle this lovely white is a bit more fl oral than the Graville-Lacoste Easy drinking and great value
Chateau de Parenchegravere Bordeaux Rouge 201155 merlot 30 cabernet sauvignon and 15 cabernet franc grown in clay heavy soils similar to the right bank of the region Fleshy with good structure and abundant red fruit
Chateau Arnaud Bordeaux Supeacuterieur 2011Supeacuterieur on a Bordeaux label isnrsquot egotistical marketingmdashby law it indicates a wine with up to one degree more alcohol than its AC Bordeaux brethren What it really means is one more degree of body structure and in this case quality Approachable delicious and easy on the wallet
Chateau de Bernadotte Haut-Meacutedoc 2005Th e 2005 vintage in Bordeaux is in the history books with double asterisks Owned by the eminent Pichon Lalande family and made from vineyards in Paulliac one of the more choice growing areas in the region this is an incredible value a top tier Bordeaux for a fraction of the cost
Chateau de Suduiraut Sauternes 2011Ripe cantaloupe apricot and honey and an interesting smoky note with a solid sweet attack followed by great acidity A dessert wine that wonrsquot overpower the dessert
94 raquo parting shot raquo Patrick Hood
Meet Solvar
Solvar belongs to one of the worldrsquos oldest and purest equine lineages the Nor-
wegian Fjord horse a breed that has remained virtually unchanged for more than
2000 yearsmdashlong before we became acquainted with his animated cousins in
the movie Frozen Th ese national symbols of Norway are characterized by primi-
tive zebra striping on their legs and a dorsal stripe running from forelock to tail
resulting in a striking two-tone mane that sticks up like a Mohawk Th eir athleti-
cism agility and dependability make them valuable both as sport horses as well
as therapy horses for emotionally and physically challenged adults and children
Catie Wells of Huntsville is the proud owner of Solvar who resides at Monte
Sano Stables
For tickets or information 256-539-4818 or hsoorg
Bring In the New Year With Us
presents
WHAT A WONDERFUL
WORLDA tribute to Louis
Armstrong featuring the
Byron Stripling Quartet
Thursday December 31
730 pm bull Pops Series bullMark C Smith
Concert Hall VBC
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
M O R E T H A N 7 0 S H O P S A N D R E S T A U R A N T S I N C L U D I N G B E L K | D S W S H O E S | A P P L E J O S A B A N K | R E E D S J E W E L E R S | PA N D O R A | J C R E W | K AT E S PA D E N E W Y O R KO R V I S | B A N A N A R E P U B L I C | M I C H A E L K O R S | F R A N C E S C Arsquo S | A N T H R O P O L O G I EH amp M | S O M A | M O U N T A I N H I G H O U T F I T T E R S | B A R N E S amp N O B L E | S E P H O R AALTAR rsquoD STATE | CONNORS STEAK amp SEFOOD | THE WEST IN HUNTSV I L L E | MONACO P ICTURES
C O M I N G S O O N V E R S O N A ndash near Belk
B R I D G E S T R E E T H U N T S V I L L E C O M |
BR IDGE STREET TOWN CENTRE I S LOCATED AT EX I T 14 OFF I - 565 AT OLD MAD ISON P IKE
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) Bib Set ($13)Huntsville Museumof Art(256) 535-4350 (2) Little Light ($25)Tiny Vinestinyvinesshopcom (3) Micro Leon Cardboard Lion ($30)Little Green Storeand Gallery (256) 539-9699 (4) I Love You Like Biscuits amp Gravy ($23)Domaine South(256) 808-8860
(5) Kickee Kimono ($4295)Honey B Boutique(256) 503-2853
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
SURPRISEA LOVED ONE
THIS HOLIDAY SEASON
WITH A FOREVER GIFT
HobbsJewelerscom 8772331347Parkway Place Mall
HuntsvilleHwy 72 West
AthensMain Street
Ardmore TN
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Caftan ($75)Sarah Richey Necklace ($350)Finery(256) 429-3429
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
(1) Chewbead Necklace ($3495)(2) Mayoral Baby Bag ($7995)(3) Mayoral Diaper Changing Pad ($2495)(4) Nursing Scarf ($2695) (5) Kickee Swaddling Blanket ($22)Honey B Boutique(256) 503-2853 (6) Lucy Darling Months Sticker ($25) (7) The Story of You Baby Book by Emily Ley ($62) Sweet Pineapple(256) 964-7563
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) Alwand Vahan 14K Gold and Onyx Ring wDiamond Accent ($2595)(2) Alwand Vanan 14K Gold and Onyx Bracelet wDiamond Accent ($2695)Hobbs Jewelers(877) 233-1347
(3) Britt Ryan Dress ($288)Personal Couture Boutique(256) 508-5632
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) Rocket Cosmos Mug ($13)Huntsville Museumof Art(256) 535-4350
(2) Loose Leaf Tea ($399)Piper amp Leaf piperandleafcom (3) Judy Jackson Tea Pot ($56) (4) Gary Watson Cherry Cutting Board ($48-$68) (5) Susan Coe Birthday Cake Plate ($33) Little Green Storeand Gallery (256) 539-9699 (6) Macarons ($116 pcs $221 dozen)Whisk Small Treats Bakery(256) 656-1027
(7) Truffl es ($185 each)Pizellersquos Confections (256) 513-9745 (8) Olive amp Sinclair Chocolate ($799)Domaine South(256) 808-8860
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
(1) Whisk Note Pad ($8) (2) In the Forest Mixing Bowl ($36) (3) Twig Serving Set ($18)(8) Southern Firefl y Candle ($12)Sweet Pineapple(256) 964-7563
(4) Urchin Bowl ($10)(5) Foodie Dice ($38)(6) 1Canoe2 Wood Recipe Box w Recipe Cards ($6999) Domaine South(256) 808-8860 (7) Growlers ($75 small $95 large)Southern Growlersoutherngrowlercom
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) Tacori 18K Barbados Blue Bold Gem Ring ($660)(2) Tacori 18K Barbados Blue Bold Gem Necklace ($630)(3) Tacori 18K Barbados Blue Bold Gem Bracelet ($990)Hobbs Jewelers(877) 233-1347
(4) BCBG Dress ($328)Personal Couture Boutique(256) 508-5632
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Guadalupe Robinson
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
text by jennifer crossley howard raquo photos by patrick hood
Of Deft and Dirty Hands
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Huntsville potter Guadalupe Lanning Robinson has spent more than 36 years mastering the
marriage of clay texture and geometric design into her pottery yet time has done little to temper the
plight of waiting
ldquoIt is hard for me to let a pot just dryrdquo she says motioning toward fi ve small wet pots sitting near her
pottery wheel ldquoIrsquom as excited to do this as I was 30 years agordquo
To observe her studio at Lowe Mill that is easy to believe Located on the corridor outside the textile
mill-turned-art centerrsquos main building the loft-like space with a corrugated tin roof feels like a place a
Gabriel Garcia Marquez character would enjoy daydreaming
Sienna-hued pottery sits in various stages to be fi red layered and etched Argentinian tango music
streams from Robinsonrsquos iPhone and two cockatiels a parrot and a parakeet chirp from their cages All
except the parrot fl y freely when Robinson is working
Robinson who is 61 made her fi rst pot in 1979 in her native Mexico City Almost four decades later her
work is part of permanent museum collections in Auburn Huntsville Tuscumbia and Tupelo Missis-
sippi She regularly enters her work in respected juried shows such as the Monte Sano Arts Festival and
the Kentuck Festival of the Arts in Northport and has received two Alabama State Council on the Arts
individual artist fellowships
Her inspiration draws from the villages around her native Mexico City such as the black pottery of
the northwest as well as her acquired Southern culture White lilies corn grids and round female
fi guresmdashldquoreally strong women who are in chargerdquo Robinson saysmdashreappear on her stoneware She uses
natural dyes indigo for color and mixes sand into clay for texture Nothing is wasted
ldquoI donrsquot waste any clayrdquo Robinson says ldquoEverything is recycledrdquo
Robinson fi nds solace in the 40-50 hours a week she puts in at the studio and the often tedious process
of making pots which can take from three weeks to six weeks for larger pots She usually works on two
or three pots at a time tending to groups at diff erent stages
After a pot is thrown on a wheel a piece can take days to dry before its fi rst bisque fi re in which tem-
peratures rise to 1800 F After baking for nine hours the kiln must cool Th e second fi ring rises to 2150
F and matures the clay and melts the glazes to strengthen the piece
ldquoI am an effi cient person by naturerdquo Robinson says ldquoWaiting for the kiln to cool down enough to open
can be nerve wracking and this is when my patience is usually put to the testrdquo
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
ldquoIt is hard for me to let a pot just dry Irsquom as excited to do this as I was 30 years agordquo
Robinson makes most of her pots on a wheel using oxides to change the color of clay she gets from Nashville and Pittsburgh Her pottery takes several weeks from start to fi nish depending on how large a pot is and how many she makes at a time
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
ldquoAttend to your childrenrsquos needs fi rst keep focus on what you want to douse the happiness joy and little breaks you get to make your artTh ey grow real fast and they will keep inspiring you all your liferdquo
Robinson imagined this bat-like design as she was working She usually begins a piece with a design in mind but that often evolves
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Robinson uses an overlay of liquid clay called engobemdashthat includes three to four layersmdashto create a
base on which to design
Th ere is high risk in making pottery and hours of work can be wasted on a pot that has not dried en-
tirely before it enters the kiln Air pockets or the wrong mixture of chemicals can ruin a piece
ldquoArt is involved but science is toordquo says Laura Smith director of education at the Huntsville Museum
of Art where Robinson has taught pottery classes ldquoItrsquos more labor intensive in terms of working with
the medium whether yoursquore building by hand or with a wheel until you fi re with the fi nal layer of glazerdquo
Th e result is sturdy pottery
ldquoI want my pots to look like something that is lasting a long timerdquo Robinson says
Th ough she works solitarily in her studio she says she does not get lonely Her birds and music keep her
company and each stage of pottery making has a soundtrack She uses needlepoint tools to draw onto
clay to Jose Feliciano and other Latin American musicians
ldquoIf Irsquom at the wheel Bruno Marsrdquo she says ldquoIf Irsquom unloading the kiln and something is really awesome
then I need something moving and I have on Motownrdquo
Robinsonrsquos years of experience minimize the risk of damaged pots but she says her greatest challenge
as a potter was balancing her work while raising her two children Now adults their candid childhood
pictures and those of her grandchildren cover the warm green walls of her studio
She met her husband the poet James Robinson in 1977 on a Greyhound bus when she returned to
Mexico City from visiting a friend at the University of Southern Mississippi He was heading to Mexico
to study at a university Th ey married six months later After giving birth to her daughter Annie Jane in
Mexico City in 1982 the family moved to Huntsville in 1985 Th at is when Robinson got more serious
about her pottery
ldquoFrom the very beginning when I moved to Alabama I knew I was going to have to do thisrdquo she said
ldquoIn some ways it was a way for me to keep connected to my heritagerdquo
She took even 15 minutes of free time to work in the studio behind her home and worked late into the
night while her daughter and son Isidoro born in 1987 slept Having a home studio allowed her to
wash clothes tend to her home and drop off lunches at school while maintaining her art
ldquoTh ere was something for me when I fi rst became a mother that fueled my creativityrdquo Robinson says
ldquoTh ey are such a social inspiration too It fi lls your liferdquo
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Robinson advises fellow artists who are mothers to seize
both roles but to prioritize motherhood
ldquoAttend to your childrenrsquos needs fi rst keep focus on what you
want to do use the happiness joy and little breaks you get
to make your artrdquo she says ldquoTh ey grow real fast and they will
keep inspiring you all your liferdquo
Anna Sue Courtney director of the Flying Monkey Arts
Center at Lowe Mill has known Robinson for more than
10 years She says she admires how mothers and artists like
Robinson seamlessly embrace both roles
ldquoIt seems therersquos not a separation between creating and rais-
ing childrenrdquo Courtney says ldquoTh ey seem to pull from the
same placerdquo
Part of Robinsonrsquos motivation at Lowe Mill comes from
working privately in a studio alongside other artists that fos-
ters a community of feedback and ideas
ldquoItrsquos nice to be here because you can take a break and walk around and get inspirationrdquo Courtney says
ldquoItrsquos refreshingrdquo
When she needs a break from the studio Robinson stays home to sketch designs for a day or two then
she is back in the studio
Trips twice a year to Mexico City keep her plugged in to her native culture which in turn shows up in
her pottery
ldquoI have to recharge myselfrdquo Robinson says ldquoI love Huntsville and loved raising my kids here but I still
have the need of going back to be recharged and smell all the smells and see all the colors and get on
the subway and be pushed aroundrdquo
Details from her trips that infl uence her work include the ever-present red that covers the city during
the celebration of Dia de los Muertos or the Day of the Dead Th e pyramids of Teotihuacan conjure
warm earth tones and fl oating gardens around the city yield sweet pungent calla lilies and carnations
Celebration of food tough women and nature reappear in her pottery qualities that both Southern and
Mexican cultures treasure
Above This daisy design is character-istic of Robinsonrsquos work Nature food and strong females from her native Mexico City and the South are strong creative infl uences
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Clockwise from top left Robinson often glazes only the inside of her pots so they can hold water and food She began quilting in 2002 and her quilts like her pottery contain earth tones and natural infl uences in their design Four birds keep Robinson company in what can be the isolating medium of pottery making Geometry and symmetry are two signature elements in Robinsonrsquos work according to Laura Smith director of education at the Huntsville Museum of Art
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Just as she keeps her home country close to her heart Robinson is loyal to her fi rst
love of pottery though she began making quilts in 2002
ldquoIrsquom a potter who likes to quiltrdquo she says
Like her pottery her quilting follows designs of organic nature such as fl owers and
crops on rich jewel tone cotton
ldquoWhen I fi rst saw one of her quilts I didnrsquot realize it was hers and I thought that
looks like it should be Guadalupersquos quiltrdquo Courtney says
Robinson prefers the immediate gratifi cation of clay
ldquoItrsquos a very responsive mediumrdquo she says ldquoYou can manipulate it Th e fact of mak-
ing something out of dirt out of nothing and making it durable making it perma-
nent that after going through the heat and maturing is something very excitingrdquo
She gently dings a pot covered with white dresses titled ldquoTehuana Dressrdquo to make
her point
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
887 FM Muscle Shoals bull 1007 FM Huntsvillewwwaprorg
News classicalmusic and more
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
copy Patrick Hood
text by sara wright covington raquo photos by jacki gil
patrick hood erin lindsey and michelle odom
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
copy Patrick Hood
ldquoA LOT OF PEOPLE HAD BEEN ASKING ME QUESTIONS ABOUTHOW I GOT MY BUSINESS STARTED I WANTED TO GATHER SOME PEOPLE AROUND ME
WHO WERE GOING THROUGH THOSE STRUGGLES AND TOBUILD ENTREPRENEURIAL COURAGErdquo
JACKI GIL SALT+PAPERIE
copy Patrick Hood
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
untsville-born Jacki Gil began her paper design busi-
ness Salt+Paperie in 2014 with an expansive vision
in mind one that extended beyond creating beautiful
custom designed paper goods ldquoI love my design job
but when Irsquom 50 years old I donrsquot see myself still de-
signing wedding invitationsrdquo the master stationer says
ldquoI really have a passion for teaching and helping people
I want to be a mentorrdquo
In 2015 Gil set out on her mentoring mission sooner than expected with a series
of workshops called Encourage Huntsville ldquoA lot of people had been asking me
questions about how I got my business startedrdquo Gil says about the early days of
Salt+Paperie Even though most of those questions from entrepreneurial-hopefuls
were technicalmdashlike how to apply for a business licensemdashthey served as inspira-
tion for Gil ldquoI wanted to gather some people around me who were going through
those struggles and to build entrepreneurial courage I defi nitely saw that there
was a need for helping people to take that next step toward owning their own
businessesrdquo
Encourage Huntsville was modeled on the image of a growing small business
movement called the Rising Tide Society a national community of creative small
business owners who encourage ldquocommunity over competitionrdquo Th at spirit of
openness is at the heart of Encourage Huntsville ldquoCommunity over competition
is a huge part of what we are doingrdquo says Gil ldquoSmall business owners sharing how
they earn their money is a big dealrdquo
As a fi rst step Gil gathered others around her who were using their skills and abili-
ties to make their own small businesses work With talents ranging from cooking
and cake decorating to hand lettering and artwork these small business owners
all embraced Gilrsquos vision for imparting to others the knowledge of their craft un-
impeded by a fear of losing their competitive edge
Th e fi rst lesson Gil wanted to impart to Encourage Huntsvillersquos students wasnrsquot
necessarily a particular craft or skill but a spirt of creative confi dence ldquoWe want-
ed to bridge the gap between the very artsy community and the ultimate engineer
communityrdquo many of whom Gil observes had been told since childhood they
werenrsquot artistic ldquoWhen you are little and someone tells you that you donrsquot have a
talent it sticks with you I found that a lot of people had that experience so that
was the workshop partmdashto build some creative courage in this communityrdquo
Gil conducted the fi rst workshop herself testing the waters to see how the concept
would be received Th e admission price to that fi rst workshop included supplies a
take-home ldquogoody bagrdquo to help students continue their work extracurricularly and
refreshmentsmdashas well as Gilrsquos tips of her trade
ldquoWe went in blindly not knowing if we had a market or notrdquo says Gil Th e popular-
ity of that fi rst class proved undeniably that a market did in fact exist the work-
shop sold out in one day ldquoSo we did back-to-back workshopsrdquo Gil says ldquoAfter that
novemberdecembeeer eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee | nononoononononononoonoonononooooonoonoonnononnoaaalalalllaallllllalaalaaalal ststustust ddiossscom mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm | | | | | | | | | | |
f
w
y
Previous page Encourage Huntsvillersquos founder and instructor Jacki Gil teaches a class in hand lettering Facing page A participant studies her supply list
we realized people really want to do this stuff So we said lsquoletrsquos jump on the boat
and make this happenrsquordquo
Gilrsquos longtime friend photographer Erin Lindsey of Erin Lindsey Images agreed
to contribute to Encourage Huntsvillersquos curriculum by teaching a photography
class ldquoJacki and I are a good team because our hearts are in the same place when
it comes to encouraging othersrdquo Lindsey says Still she admits saying yes to teach-
ing wasnrsquot without some initial hesitation ldquoWhen Jacki asked if I would teach a
class it was kind of scary I thought I had to be perfect before I could teach oth-
ersrdquo Lindsey says of her initial hesitancy ldquoBut after talking to Jacki I realized none
of us are perfectrdquo But perfection isnrsquot the goal encouragement is the goal ldquoAnd I
thought lsquoI can defi nitely line up with that visionrsquordquo
Michelle Odom another Huntsville native and owner of custom cake bakery Just
Crumbs was also on board with Gilrsquos vision In fact Odom had been contemplat-
ing teaching a class when she was approached by Gil to teach a fondant basics
class ldquoHuntsville is such an engineer town and everyone is so mathematical and
scientifi crdquo Odom says echoing the dichotomy between the arts and sciences ex-
pressed by Gil ldquoTh ese workshops are just a very cool way for structured people to
have a creative outletrdquo
ldquoJACKI AND I ARE A GOOD TEAM BECAUSE OUR HEARTS ARE INTHE SAME PLACE WHEN IT COMES TO ENCOURAGING OTHERSrdquo
ERIN LINDSEY ERIN LINDSEY IMAGES
copy Erin Lindsey
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Above A participant in Erin Lindseyrsquos photo class frames a still life
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
copy Erin Lindsey
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
ldquoHUNTSVILLE IS SUCH AN ENGINEER TOWN AND EVERYONE ISSO MATHEMATICAL AND SCIENTIFIC THESE WORKSHOPS ARE JUST A VERY COOL
WAY FOR STRUCTURED PEOPLE TO HAVE A CREATIVE OUTLETrdquo MICHELLE ODOM JUST CRUMBS
copy Michelle Odom
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
ldquoAnd yesrdquo Odom acknowledges ldquoyou are in theory teaching your competition But
at the same time you are helping the community be more creativerdquo
With its roster of popular creative workshops under its belt Encourage Huntsville
has added business classes to its community-over-competition curriculum with
classes designed to provide specifi c guidance for small business owners ldquoAll of
our events that donrsquot require hands-on work we call seminarsrdquo says Gil ldquoWe had
about 15 people at our fi rst one It was pretty much just an open discussion to ask
us questions and get answers from the perspective of a small business ownerrdquo
Th e seminars enjoyed the same success and enthusiasm as the workshops ldquoWe
had two hours for people to ask questionsrdquo Gil says Topics covered ran the gamut
from scheduling daily tasks self-hosting a website or using an Etsy store man-
aging client expectations and being realistic about how much time you need to
complete jobs
ldquoTh e time went quickly and people wanted morerdquo says Gil who envisions an all-
day seminar in 2016
Margaret Baggett owner and executive chef of the Chef Next Door is another
small business owner who has shared Gilrsquos vision from the very beginning teach-
copy Erin Lindsey
Facing page Michelle Odomrsquos fondant basics class begins with a styrofoam cake form Above Newbie photographers familiarize themselves with their cameras in Erin Lindseyrsquos photography class
ing knife skills workshops and helping host the business seminars ldquoI am so proud
to get to be a part of this project and help nurture other small business owners
who may just be starting out on their journey or are deep in it and looking for
some encouragement from other business ownersrdquo Baggett says of what motivates
her participation in Encourage Huntsville ldquoEven being on the advice-giving side
of things I am still learning and have taken tips and tricks and lessons from each
event we have had so far We never stop learning from each other and never stop
improving upon our craftsrdquo
Th e mutual growth among students and teachers is the source of the encourage-
mentmdashand the joymdashof Encourage Huntsville ldquoItrsquos so much fun to see the light
bulbs go off with people and see them encouraged right before your eyesrdquo Lindsey
says of her experience with the program ldquoPlus itrsquos a pleasure to contribute to a
sense of community over competition Th at whole concept is so rarerdquo
As Encourage Huntsvillersquos following continues to grow the diversity of the work-
shops will expand as well Whether you are looking to spend a fun afternoon
learning a new craft or are a budding small business owner hoping to launch
your brand Encourage Huntsville has something valuable to off er ldquoWe encourage
those left-brain folks to take up a new hobby or skillrdquo Baggett says ldquoor just encour-
age the people of Huntsville to get together and fan their creative fl amesrdquo
If yoursquore looking for
creative or entrepreneurial
encouragement visit
encouragehuntsvillecom
for seminar and workshop
schedules and information
ldquoI AM SO PROUD TO GET TO BE A PART OF THIS PROJECT AND HELP NURTURE OTHER SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS WHO MAY JUST BE STARTING OUT ON THEIR JOURNEY OR ARE DEEP IN IT
AND LOOKING FOR SOME ENCOURAGEMENT FROM OTHER BUSINESS OWNERSrdquoMARGARET BAGGETT CHEF NEXT DOOR
copy Jacki Gil
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
copy Jacki Gil
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Participants in Margaret Baggettrsquos knife skills workshop learn to perfect their ldquomise en placerdquo
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
copy Olivia Reed
text by sara wright covington raquo photos by olivia reed and jeff white
HUNTSVILLErsquoS
HOMEGROWNHOSTESS
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
ttttttononononoooooonononooooo raquo praquo praquo praquo praquo phothothothothotosoososos s s osos bybybbybb
Any host will tell you that delicious food and quality libations while important to
a partyrsquos success are secondary to the most important ingredient of all the guest list Th atrsquos why many
of downtown Huntsvillersquos most popular restaurants breweries and wine shops are turning to event
planner Ashley Ryals and her uncanny knack for attracting loyal patronsmdashand creating unforgettable
events in the process
When Huntsville born-and-bred Ashley Ryals left for college at the University of Alabama in 2001
she thought her exit from the Valley was permanent ldquoI never thought I would end up back hererdquo the
founder of event planning company Homegrown Huntsville says with a knowing laugh But after a few
post-graduate years working for world-renowned public relations powerhouse Weber Shandwick in
New York City Ryals started to second guess her freshman declaration
ldquoI started to get homesickrdquo she admits ldquoAll of my friends were getting married and meeting for football
games and I was missing itrdquo So when a friend from home set up an interview at EarlyWorks for a job
doing event planning Ryals jumped at the chance to come home
Ashley spent the next few years planning EarlyWorks Whistle Stop and Santarsquos Village events A brief
stint in sales followed along with a seat on the board of Huntsville Young Professionals where she had
an idea for a downtown pub crawl
ldquoWe expected 20 or 30 peoplerdquo Ryals says of their modest expectations ldquoBut 200 people showed uprdquo
Th at initial success convinced Ryals to embark on her dream of establishing an
event planning company But it wasnrsquot just any event planning company Ryals
had in mind she envisioned one that would collaborate with local businesses
cultivate signature events for the community to enjoy and support small busi-
nesses in the process
Inspired Ryals left her sales job and for the second time in her life came home
again to event planning and Homegrown Huntsville
To help bring her vision to life Ryals collaborated with designer Adrianne Van
Kirk of Fave Creative ldquoAdrianne has been a part of the visual and branding of
Homegrown from the beginning We come up with the event ideas then I get
the ticketing and sales together and she comes back with a logo and the mar-
keting for the event And thatrsquos how it all comes togetherrdquo Ryals says of their
creative process
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
ASHLEY RYALS
copy Olivia Reed
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
ldquoMOST WINE FESTIVALS ACROSS THE COUNTRY HAVE PROVEN RECORDS OF BEING ABLE TO STAY AROUND 15 OR 20 YEARS OR EVEN LONGER AND THE ECONOMIES OF THOSE
CITIES HAVE REALLY GROWN AS A RESULT I WANT BIG SPRING CRUSH TO EVENTUALLY BE THE BIGGEST AND BEST WINE FESTIVAL IN THE STATE OF ALABAMArdquo ASHLEY RYALS
copy Jeff White
copy Jeff White
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
copy Olivia Reed
Homegrown launched in 2011 with what would become its
signature event Dine amp Dash Every second Wednesday
April through October a trolley shuttles patrons between
downtown establishments where they are served a drink
and appetizer before moving on to the next stop
Owner and executive chef Merle Phillips of Th e Eaves was
one of the fi rst restaurants to sign on for Dine amp Dashrsquos de-
but ldquoAshley came to me and said she was starting a trolley
tasting conceptrdquo says Chef Merle ldquoI didnrsquot really know her so
I was taking a chance on the concept she was sellingrdquo
Merle tried it and has been a loyal participant of Dine amp
Dash ever since
ldquoIt was a risk in the beginning but it defi nitely paid off rdquo Chef
Merle says of the experience Pivotal to that experience ac-
cording to Phillips is Ryalsrsquo demonstration to the commu-
nity just what the term ldquohomegrownrdquo really means ldquoAshley
shines a spotlight on independent businesses in a market-
place that has for so long focused on chainsrdquo Phillips says
ldquoDine amp Dash has really brought into sharp focus the inter-
esting culinary diversity that Huntsville has to off errdquo
For the next two years Homegrown Huntsville focused al-
most exclusively on Dine amp Dash which by the end of its fi rst
year included every single downtown restaurant But when
big changes began to appear on the downtown horizonmdash
new restaurants breweries and residential developmentsmdash
Ryalsrsquo instincts told her
the time had come to
introduce a new event
to the downtown cal-
endar
ldquoBeer Hop follows
the concept of Dine
amp Dashrdquo Ryals says of
Homegrownrsquos second
venture which began
in 2013 Each month a
trolley visits three dif-
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
BILL FOWLEROLD TOWN BEER
EXCHANGE
copy Olivia Reed
copy Olivia Reed
ferent breweries where patrons sample beers and enjoy food
from a variety of food trucks parked at each location
Bill Fowler managing partner of Old Town Beer Exchange
agreed to participate in Beer Hop on his very fi rst day of
business and credits Ryals with an overwhelmingly success-
ful opening night ldquoAshley said lsquoI can guarantee that you are
going to have wave after wave of people coming throughrsquordquo
Fowler says recalling that fi rst jittery occasion Once again
Ryals proved true to her word with 60-plus patrons arriving
in an hour-and-a-half ldquoIt was awesome and such a great ex-
perience for usrdquo Fowler raves ldquoAshley is a hard worker and
you can see that in what she doesrdquo
Fowler believes that in addition to bringing new customers
to OTBX Ryals is also cultivating beer education consis-
tently bringing in people who are new to beer and want to
learn And with Huntsvillersquos recent brewery boom that level
of education and interest is crucial for the brewing commu-
nity to thrive ldquoWe have a very small window of opportunityrdquo
says Fowler ldquoI think Huntsville in particular is becoming a
craft brewing community People are making money at this
and once Tennessee sees that we need to already have had a
pretty huge head startrdquo
By the end of 2013 and with standing events Beer Hop and
Dine amp Dash well established Ryals took time to refl ect on
her original goal for Homegrown Huntsville ldquoIn the back of
my head from day one I knew I wanted to do a wine festival
I just didnrsquot think Huntsville was ready for it in 2011rdquo
Emboldened by the success of Beer Hop Ryals decided to
make the leap with Big Spring Crush wine festival later the
same year Once again Ryals delivered the perfect audience
for the event and in the process discovered a surprising
fact about North Alabamarsquos contribution to the wine-mak-
ing industry
ldquoIn doing the wine festival I learned that we have a huge
wine community in Huntsvillerdquo Ryals says ldquoTh ere are only
about 47 certifi ed wine judges in the entire United States
and we have four of them right here in North Alabama Two
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
copy Jeff White
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
ldquoI STARTED TO GET HOMESICK ALL OF MY FRIENDS WERE GETTING MARRIEDAND MEETING FOR FOOTBALL GAMES AND I WAS MISSING ITrdquo ASHLEY RYALS
copy Jeff White
copy Jeff White
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
ldquoIT WAS AWESOME AND SUCH A GREAT EXPERIENCE FOR USrdquoBILL FOWLER OLD TOWN BEER EXCHANGE
copy Jeff White
copy Olivia Reed
of those four certifi ed wine judges sit on the committee for
Big Spring Crushrdquo
Matthew and Stephanie Mell had just opened Church Street
Wine Shop when they decided to participate in the fi rst Big
Spring Crush Like OTBXrsquos Robert Fowler the Mells credit
Ryals and Homegrown Huntsville for helping to introduce
their new enterprise to the community ldquoAshley has been in-
strumental in helping to bring us people who love and ap-
preciate winerdquo Stephanie Mell says ldquoShe was homegrown
here in Huntsville and she really gets the downtown area
and small businesses and that is so important to usrdquo
Big Spring Crush began with a bang featuring over 150
wines and attracting patrons from across the country
ldquoMost wine festivals across the country have proven records
of being able to stay around 15 or 20 years or even longerrdquo
Ryals says ldquoAnd the economies of those cities have really
grown as a result I want Big Spring Crush to eventually be
the biggest and best wine festival in the state of Alabamardquo
How does Ryals intend to make that dream come true ldquoBy
always keeping it fresh I want to have new marketing and
new things happening each yearrdquo
Ryalsrsquo formula of reinvention and expansion has successfully
led Homegrown Huntsville through fi ve years of success and
helped its events become community staples along the way In
the process Ryals is broadening more than just our image of
downtown Huntsville shersquos joining a class of creative entrepre-
neurs committed to expanding Huntsvillersquos reputation as more
than just a hub for the brightest scientifi c minds in America
ldquoWe have a big city of engineers and lawyers and itrsquos won-
derfulrdquo Ryals say ldquo But there is a whole artist and food cul-
ture here and there is so much growth I want us to have a
vibrant cool downtown area and I want for people to tell
their friends to come and visit and to see Huntsville for what
it is a city I loverdquo
If yoursquod like to participate in Homegrown Huntsville either
as a guest or a participating business visit homegrown-
huntsvillecom
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
copy Jeff White
I was years old and the year was At that time the city of Huntsville was inching toward the mountain to the east California Street was once the continental divide between the small town metropo-lis and the uncharted territories gingerly crossed by the real estate pioneers four score and some odd years prior Th is area became the new suburb as the city kept pushing onward toward Fagan Springs as if the reverberating booms of rocket testings were vibrating Hunstvillians away from its epicenter
From the front yard of our house on Owens Drive I could look to the rightmdashup the hill to the bend be-yond which the big houses stood on their rocky ledge pedestals and to the left where all the other houses that looked just like oursmdashfresh and newmdashrambled for what seemed like miles Th ose clean well-lit abodes all seemed the same and granted at my age I knew more about the pets that lived there than I did about the people who owned those manageable mortgages I came to realize that each was diff erent in a way that was permeated by voices smells and furnishings
It is a clicheacute to say that our lives were simpler then because that is just how the current era will be fondly referred to in the future but to a 5-year-old it is the simplicity that brought the joy Th e sixties will always be to me the beginning of the age of manufactured happiness Cheap clean and simple was what was strived for and what was easily obtained Plastic items were plentiful and pretty things could be bought with SampH Green Stamps A few coins in our pocket would transfer us into the most master of manipula-tors with us giving our all to convince our parents for a jaunt to Murdockrsquos for a holiday of wonderment joy and impatience as we would scour the shelves trying to get the most from our meager budget
Owens Drive was the fairly new thoroughfare from which the avenues of three-bedroom-ranchers fi ngered away at planned intervals Th is was the place where newlyweds started their lives homes and families Where girls with last names that had been in the town for generations would change them to those strange and exotic last names of the clean cut newcomers brought here for military purposes Where the housewives would preheat their pristine electric ovens trying to make cheese straws and biscuits that were just like their motherrsquos only to be frustrated as they were never quite the same and where the husbands would follow in their fatherrsquos footsteps by joining the Acme Club and hunting doves on the weekends
Th ere was a swimming pool Certainly not at our house Th e only private pool I remember as a child was one that my grandmother would take me to nestled between huge trees at someonersquos house on Adams Street I would swim with other children my age while our grandmothers chatted smoking cigarettes in cat-eyed anonymity whispering most of their stories so we wouldnrsquot be able to hear But between their
gasps and laughter we would listen hear and learn
Th e Blossomwood pool was a place of designated rules and the sound of bright whistlesmdashwith straight lines and distinctive colors of blue and green I can still feel the Coppertoned oiliness on the skin of the tanned lifeguard as she carried me from the deep end frightened after my fi rst attempt at solo-swimming She knew my name I had no idea who she was
On the other side of the pool was the school my older sister attended It had a style that mim-icked the poolmdashstraight lines cleanmdasha temple to orderliness and good manners It was with
awe that I once watched the young adults there some as old as eleven wind and dance their way around a sky-high fl agpolemdasheach with a diff erent color ribbon until the fi rst (and only) May Pole
I was privy to was completely dressed in its woven bright colors
90 raquo bless their hearts raquo Guy McClure Jr
Huntsville was a magical place for us tail-end baby boomers to grow upmdashbeyond the miracles of the escalator at Pizitz the smiling little lady on the tall stool at the register at Britlings There was a comfort level there that Irsquom not sure is in the minds of the 5-year-olds of today
cat-eyed agasps
Th s
aI w
THE COMFORTS OF BLOSSOMWOOD
In our world of red-bricked carported castles there was a def-inite division of generations Th e children ate separately from the parents went to school as our dads went to work enter-tained our neighborhood friends as quietly as possible and felt safe between our boundaries of Big Cove Road and Hermitage Street While we dined on our Chef Boy-Ar-Dee boxed pizza our parents busied themselves dressing in their dark colors getting ready for a late dinner at Boots having the scent of perfume and face powder trail my mother as she came into the kitchen looking for something with an intense purpose My father would smell of British Sterling and look just as he did when he went to work only happier Th ese nights meant something fun would happenmdashwe would have a babysitter
Babysitters were my introduction into what was and still seems cool Th ey were usually Huntsville High School teen-agers who would put on a show without even knowing it I would drink in their every move word and essence of style To me they were supermodelsmdashmovie starsmdasheven more fa-mous in my eyes than a television weatherman and almost as glamorous as the waitresses at the Waffl e House
Before they would tire of me and my sister and put us to bed they would include us in their world of music and knowledge which I thought was all-encompassing Suddenly our world of Th e Benny Carl Show and Fantasy Playhouse would seem trite and passeacute and we would catch a fl eeting glimpse into what would be in store for us when we too could stay up past 8 pm
Huntsville was a magical place for us tail-end baby boomers to grow upmdashbeyond the miracles of the escalator at Pizitz the smiling little lady on the tall stool at the register at Britlings and that bright colorful Maypole Th ere was a comfort level there that Irsquom not sure is in the minds of the 5-year-olds of todaymdashthe soothing sheltered lack of knowledge of why we were so lucky yet we didnrsquot even know that we were
In the other areas of our Huntsville there was poverty and ra-cial unrestmdashas there was and is in every city I was unaware People of color were always a part of my worldmdashmostly be-cause they had my attention and respect At our house there was Annie my grandmotherrsquos house was fi lled with the joys of Lula and out on the family farm there was strong and smiling Homer and large and huggable Rosamdashall just as much a part of my life as everyone else My life was good and they were instrumental in making it that way
What will the 5-year-olds of today who are lucky enough to be raised on those well-planned streets remember when they surpass their own 50 year mark It is a much more complex world now and there are diff erent concerns with daily changes of fear Youthful innocence is a prize that is encased without a lock Premature maturity is a viable threat and a constant fear But each night tucked in tight in a simple room sleeps tomor-rowrsquos adults who are having sweet dreamsmdashblanketed by the comforts of Blossomwood
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
92 raquo the vine raquo Amy C Collins
BORDEAUX POWER
Where Burgundyrsquos vineyards were established by Benedictine monks patiently growing wine vines with spiritual hearts Bordeauxrsquos vineyards were raised by entrepreneurial laymen who recognized the massive monetary opportunity when the English began drinking down their peasant wine
The city of Bordeaux is Francersquos primary port town on the Atlantic ocean a harbor that has for centuries served as the countryrsquos most important dock Th e regionrsquos history is long and storied with the fi rst written reference to the area dated 379 AD by the Latin poet Ausonius who was also a wine-grower Jump ahead to the year 1152 when Eleanor of Aquitaine married Englandrsquos soon-to-be king Henry Plantagenet and the port and surrounding vineyard land became the source of wine for the English a connection that remains strong even today
Bordeaux produces the worldrsquos most expensive and sought after collector wines the top tier of which make up less than fi ve percent of the regionrsquos total production Th ese names are quickly learned by neophyte wine drinkers wanting to make an impression Chateau Haut-Brion Lafi te Latour and Margaux for example Grown in gravelly soils only a few meters above sea levelmdashin contrast vineyards elsewhere in Europe typically sit between 300 and 900 metersmdashthese wines are some of the most powerful austere and pawed over When young the tannins in these cabernet sauvignon cabernet franc and merlot blends coat the tongue and mouth with a chalky dry sensation akin to sucking on an Earl Grey tea bag and are perhaps best suited to well-fatted rare steak and cigars Th ese are wines built to live for decades Personally I prefer a Bordeaux at least 20 years aged when the tannins have had ample time to calm down and mellow out and more nuanced fl avors come forward Sounds fancy and it is Only in some very lucky circumstances over the past year have I been guest to a bottle of 1990 Clos de Menuts Saint-Eacutemilion and a 1970 Chateau Haut-Brion About once every 10 years Irsquove had the good
fortune to taste a wine older than myself Nice work if you can get it
Where Burgundyrsquos vineyards (Francersquos other classifi ed sought-after region) were established by Benedictine monks patiently growing wine vines with spiritual hearts
Bordeauxrsquos vineyards were raised by entrepreneurial laymen who recognized the massive monetary opportunity when the English began drinking down their peasant wine Th is underscores the second half of my theory as to why Americans
more often American males are so drawn to the wines of Bordeaux Th erersquos an inherent capitalist connection something in the soil Th at the wines are so
unmistakable so distinctively grand and pronounced elixirs exemplifi es the fi rst half of my theory we Americans are not known for our subtlety (To be fair the Chinese are
signifi cant Bordeaux collectors as well)
Philosophy aside Bordeaux is quite a large region that produces beautiful white and red values as well as the rare fi nds out of the populacersquos price range Herersquos the skinny Blending is the game single varietal wines are rare White Bordeaux is typically made from a blend of sauvignon blanc and seacutemillon and sometimes a drop or two of muscadelle ugni blanc or colombard Reds are made primarily from the two cabernets plus merlot with small quantities of petit verdot malbec and carmenegravere occasionally in the mix Th e region is also home to the golden nectar of late ripened seacutemillon sauvignon blanc and muscadelle grapes that have successfully attracted the noble rot a fungus that covers the fruit and drains moisture from inside leaving behind rich sweet grapes without moldy fl avors Chateau drsquoYquem is the most famous of these unfortifi ed dessert wines though there are better bargains from the region
Bordeaux is split by the Gironde river which divides the region into three general areas Th e left bank also known as the Haut-Meacutedoc is where the classifi ed top growths are situated Th ese prestigious estates were named for their exceptional vineyard sites in 1855 a decision nearly unchanged since Today serious collectors invest in Bordeaux futures theoretically locking down lower prices of top
ample time to calm dit is Only in some vede Menuts Saint-Eacutem
fortune to taste a
Wherees
aun
of msignifi
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Follow Amy at pigandvinecom for morestories and wine suggestions
growth estates while the wine is still aging in the cellar Itrsquos the wine tradersquos equivalent to the NASDAQ On the right bank Saint-Eacutemilion and Pommerol are the prized vineyard areas known for their merlot heavy cuveacutees To the south west we fi nd Graves where there are many great values to be had in both white and red bottlings Entre-Deux-Mers which translates to ldquobetween two seasrdquo sits between the Dordogne and Garonne tributaries off the Gironde and is an excellent source for crisp whites
Get started on your Bordeaux experience with these values
Chateau Graville-Lacoste 2014 Graves 75 seacutemillon 20 sauvignon blanc and 5 muscadelle make up this beauty thatrsquos consistently delicious every vintage Crisp and refreshing great with seafood
Chateau Mirambeau 2014 GravesAnother classic blend of 40 sauvignon blanc 40 seacutemillon and 20 muscadelle this lovely white is a bit more fl oral than the Graville-Lacoste Easy drinking and great value
Chateau de Parenchegravere Bordeaux Rouge 201155 merlot 30 cabernet sauvignon and 15 cabernet franc grown in clay heavy soils similar to the right bank of the region Fleshy with good structure and abundant red fruit
Chateau Arnaud Bordeaux Supeacuterieur 2011Supeacuterieur on a Bordeaux label isnrsquot egotistical marketingmdashby law it indicates a wine with up to one degree more alcohol than its AC Bordeaux brethren What it really means is one more degree of body structure and in this case quality Approachable delicious and easy on the wallet
Chateau de Bernadotte Haut-Meacutedoc 2005Th e 2005 vintage in Bordeaux is in the history books with double asterisks Owned by the eminent Pichon Lalande family and made from vineyards in Paulliac one of the more choice growing areas in the region this is an incredible value a top tier Bordeaux for a fraction of the cost
Chateau de Suduiraut Sauternes 2011Ripe cantaloupe apricot and honey and an interesting smoky note with a solid sweet attack followed by great acidity A dessert wine that wonrsquot overpower the dessert
94 raquo parting shot raquo Patrick Hood
Meet Solvar
Solvar belongs to one of the worldrsquos oldest and purest equine lineages the Nor-
wegian Fjord horse a breed that has remained virtually unchanged for more than
2000 yearsmdashlong before we became acquainted with his animated cousins in
the movie Frozen Th ese national symbols of Norway are characterized by primi-
tive zebra striping on their legs and a dorsal stripe running from forelock to tail
resulting in a striking two-tone mane that sticks up like a Mohawk Th eir athleti-
cism agility and dependability make them valuable both as sport horses as well
as therapy horses for emotionally and physically challenged adults and children
Catie Wells of Huntsville is the proud owner of Solvar who resides at Monte
Sano Stables
For tickets or information 256-539-4818 or hsoorg
Bring In the New Year With Us
presents
WHAT A WONDERFUL
WORLDA tribute to Louis
Armstrong featuring the
Byron Stripling Quartet
Thursday December 31
730 pm bull Pops Series bullMark C Smith
Concert Hall VBC
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
M O R E T H A N 7 0 S H O P S A N D R E S T A U R A N T S I N C L U D I N G B E L K | D S W S H O E S | A P P L E J O S A B A N K | R E E D S J E W E L E R S | PA N D O R A | J C R E W | K AT E S PA D E N E W Y O R KO R V I S | B A N A N A R E P U B L I C | M I C H A E L K O R S | F R A N C E S C Arsquo S | A N T H R O P O L O G I EH amp M | S O M A | M O U N T A I N H I G H O U T F I T T E R S | B A R N E S amp N O B L E | S E P H O R AALTAR rsquoD STATE | CONNORS STEAK amp SEFOOD | THE WEST IN HUNTSV I L L E | MONACO P ICTURES
C O M I N G S O O N V E R S O N A ndash near Belk
B R I D G E S T R E E T H U N T S V I L L E C O M |
BR IDGE STREET TOWN CENTRE I S LOCATED AT EX I T 14 OFF I - 565 AT OLD MAD ISON P IKE
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
SURPRISEA LOVED ONE
THIS HOLIDAY SEASON
WITH A FOREVER GIFT
HobbsJewelerscom 8772331347Parkway Place Mall
HuntsvilleHwy 72 West
AthensMain Street
Ardmore TN
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Caftan ($75)Sarah Richey Necklace ($350)Finery(256) 429-3429
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
(1) Chewbead Necklace ($3495)(2) Mayoral Baby Bag ($7995)(3) Mayoral Diaper Changing Pad ($2495)(4) Nursing Scarf ($2695) (5) Kickee Swaddling Blanket ($22)Honey B Boutique(256) 503-2853 (6) Lucy Darling Months Sticker ($25) (7) The Story of You Baby Book by Emily Ley ($62) Sweet Pineapple(256) 964-7563
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) Alwand Vahan 14K Gold and Onyx Ring wDiamond Accent ($2595)(2) Alwand Vanan 14K Gold and Onyx Bracelet wDiamond Accent ($2695)Hobbs Jewelers(877) 233-1347
(3) Britt Ryan Dress ($288)Personal Couture Boutique(256) 508-5632
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) Rocket Cosmos Mug ($13)Huntsville Museumof Art(256) 535-4350
(2) Loose Leaf Tea ($399)Piper amp Leaf piperandleafcom (3) Judy Jackson Tea Pot ($56) (4) Gary Watson Cherry Cutting Board ($48-$68) (5) Susan Coe Birthday Cake Plate ($33) Little Green Storeand Gallery (256) 539-9699 (6) Macarons ($116 pcs $221 dozen)Whisk Small Treats Bakery(256) 656-1027
(7) Truffl es ($185 each)Pizellersquos Confections (256) 513-9745 (8) Olive amp Sinclair Chocolate ($799)Domaine South(256) 808-8860
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
(1) Whisk Note Pad ($8) (2) In the Forest Mixing Bowl ($36) (3) Twig Serving Set ($18)(8) Southern Firefl y Candle ($12)Sweet Pineapple(256) 964-7563
(4) Urchin Bowl ($10)(5) Foodie Dice ($38)(6) 1Canoe2 Wood Recipe Box w Recipe Cards ($6999) Domaine South(256) 808-8860 (7) Growlers ($75 small $95 large)Southern Growlersoutherngrowlercom
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
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(4) BCBG Dress ($328)Personal Couture Boutique(256) 508-5632
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Guadalupe Robinson
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
text by jennifer crossley howard raquo photos by patrick hood
Of Deft and Dirty Hands
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Huntsville potter Guadalupe Lanning Robinson has spent more than 36 years mastering the
marriage of clay texture and geometric design into her pottery yet time has done little to temper the
plight of waiting
ldquoIt is hard for me to let a pot just dryrdquo she says motioning toward fi ve small wet pots sitting near her
pottery wheel ldquoIrsquom as excited to do this as I was 30 years agordquo
To observe her studio at Lowe Mill that is easy to believe Located on the corridor outside the textile
mill-turned-art centerrsquos main building the loft-like space with a corrugated tin roof feels like a place a
Gabriel Garcia Marquez character would enjoy daydreaming
Sienna-hued pottery sits in various stages to be fi red layered and etched Argentinian tango music
streams from Robinsonrsquos iPhone and two cockatiels a parrot and a parakeet chirp from their cages All
except the parrot fl y freely when Robinson is working
Robinson who is 61 made her fi rst pot in 1979 in her native Mexico City Almost four decades later her
work is part of permanent museum collections in Auburn Huntsville Tuscumbia and Tupelo Missis-
sippi She regularly enters her work in respected juried shows such as the Monte Sano Arts Festival and
the Kentuck Festival of the Arts in Northport and has received two Alabama State Council on the Arts
individual artist fellowships
Her inspiration draws from the villages around her native Mexico City such as the black pottery of
the northwest as well as her acquired Southern culture White lilies corn grids and round female
fi guresmdashldquoreally strong women who are in chargerdquo Robinson saysmdashreappear on her stoneware She uses
natural dyes indigo for color and mixes sand into clay for texture Nothing is wasted
ldquoI donrsquot waste any clayrdquo Robinson says ldquoEverything is recycledrdquo
Robinson fi nds solace in the 40-50 hours a week she puts in at the studio and the often tedious process
of making pots which can take from three weeks to six weeks for larger pots She usually works on two
or three pots at a time tending to groups at diff erent stages
After a pot is thrown on a wheel a piece can take days to dry before its fi rst bisque fi re in which tem-
peratures rise to 1800 F After baking for nine hours the kiln must cool Th e second fi ring rises to 2150
F and matures the clay and melts the glazes to strengthen the piece
ldquoI am an effi cient person by naturerdquo Robinson says ldquoWaiting for the kiln to cool down enough to open
can be nerve wracking and this is when my patience is usually put to the testrdquo
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
ldquoIt is hard for me to let a pot just dry Irsquom as excited to do this as I was 30 years agordquo
Robinson makes most of her pots on a wheel using oxides to change the color of clay she gets from Nashville and Pittsburgh Her pottery takes several weeks from start to fi nish depending on how large a pot is and how many she makes at a time
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
ldquoAttend to your childrenrsquos needs fi rst keep focus on what you want to douse the happiness joy and little breaks you get to make your artTh ey grow real fast and they will keep inspiring you all your liferdquo
Robinson imagined this bat-like design as she was working She usually begins a piece with a design in mind but that often evolves
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Robinson uses an overlay of liquid clay called engobemdashthat includes three to four layersmdashto create a
base on which to design
Th ere is high risk in making pottery and hours of work can be wasted on a pot that has not dried en-
tirely before it enters the kiln Air pockets or the wrong mixture of chemicals can ruin a piece
ldquoArt is involved but science is toordquo says Laura Smith director of education at the Huntsville Museum
of Art where Robinson has taught pottery classes ldquoItrsquos more labor intensive in terms of working with
the medium whether yoursquore building by hand or with a wheel until you fi re with the fi nal layer of glazerdquo
Th e result is sturdy pottery
ldquoI want my pots to look like something that is lasting a long timerdquo Robinson says
Th ough she works solitarily in her studio she says she does not get lonely Her birds and music keep her
company and each stage of pottery making has a soundtrack She uses needlepoint tools to draw onto
clay to Jose Feliciano and other Latin American musicians
ldquoIf Irsquom at the wheel Bruno Marsrdquo she says ldquoIf Irsquom unloading the kiln and something is really awesome
then I need something moving and I have on Motownrdquo
Robinsonrsquos years of experience minimize the risk of damaged pots but she says her greatest challenge
as a potter was balancing her work while raising her two children Now adults their candid childhood
pictures and those of her grandchildren cover the warm green walls of her studio
She met her husband the poet James Robinson in 1977 on a Greyhound bus when she returned to
Mexico City from visiting a friend at the University of Southern Mississippi He was heading to Mexico
to study at a university Th ey married six months later After giving birth to her daughter Annie Jane in
Mexico City in 1982 the family moved to Huntsville in 1985 Th at is when Robinson got more serious
about her pottery
ldquoFrom the very beginning when I moved to Alabama I knew I was going to have to do thisrdquo she said
ldquoIn some ways it was a way for me to keep connected to my heritagerdquo
She took even 15 minutes of free time to work in the studio behind her home and worked late into the
night while her daughter and son Isidoro born in 1987 slept Having a home studio allowed her to
wash clothes tend to her home and drop off lunches at school while maintaining her art
ldquoTh ere was something for me when I fi rst became a mother that fueled my creativityrdquo Robinson says
ldquoTh ey are such a social inspiration too It fi lls your liferdquo
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Robinson advises fellow artists who are mothers to seize
both roles but to prioritize motherhood
ldquoAttend to your childrenrsquos needs fi rst keep focus on what you
want to do use the happiness joy and little breaks you get
to make your artrdquo she says ldquoTh ey grow real fast and they will
keep inspiring you all your liferdquo
Anna Sue Courtney director of the Flying Monkey Arts
Center at Lowe Mill has known Robinson for more than
10 years She says she admires how mothers and artists like
Robinson seamlessly embrace both roles
ldquoIt seems therersquos not a separation between creating and rais-
ing childrenrdquo Courtney says ldquoTh ey seem to pull from the
same placerdquo
Part of Robinsonrsquos motivation at Lowe Mill comes from
working privately in a studio alongside other artists that fos-
ters a community of feedback and ideas
ldquoItrsquos nice to be here because you can take a break and walk around and get inspirationrdquo Courtney says
ldquoItrsquos refreshingrdquo
When she needs a break from the studio Robinson stays home to sketch designs for a day or two then
she is back in the studio
Trips twice a year to Mexico City keep her plugged in to her native culture which in turn shows up in
her pottery
ldquoI have to recharge myselfrdquo Robinson says ldquoI love Huntsville and loved raising my kids here but I still
have the need of going back to be recharged and smell all the smells and see all the colors and get on
the subway and be pushed aroundrdquo
Details from her trips that infl uence her work include the ever-present red that covers the city during
the celebration of Dia de los Muertos or the Day of the Dead Th e pyramids of Teotihuacan conjure
warm earth tones and fl oating gardens around the city yield sweet pungent calla lilies and carnations
Celebration of food tough women and nature reappear in her pottery qualities that both Southern and
Mexican cultures treasure
Above This daisy design is character-istic of Robinsonrsquos work Nature food and strong females from her native Mexico City and the South are strong creative infl uences
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Clockwise from top left Robinson often glazes only the inside of her pots so they can hold water and food She began quilting in 2002 and her quilts like her pottery contain earth tones and natural infl uences in their design Four birds keep Robinson company in what can be the isolating medium of pottery making Geometry and symmetry are two signature elements in Robinsonrsquos work according to Laura Smith director of education at the Huntsville Museum of Art
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Just as she keeps her home country close to her heart Robinson is loyal to her fi rst
love of pottery though she began making quilts in 2002
ldquoIrsquom a potter who likes to quiltrdquo she says
Like her pottery her quilting follows designs of organic nature such as fl owers and
crops on rich jewel tone cotton
ldquoWhen I fi rst saw one of her quilts I didnrsquot realize it was hers and I thought that
looks like it should be Guadalupersquos quiltrdquo Courtney says
Robinson prefers the immediate gratifi cation of clay
ldquoItrsquos a very responsive mediumrdquo she says ldquoYou can manipulate it Th e fact of mak-
ing something out of dirt out of nothing and making it durable making it perma-
nent that after going through the heat and maturing is something very excitingrdquo
She gently dings a pot covered with white dresses titled ldquoTehuana Dressrdquo to make
her point
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
887 FM Muscle Shoals bull 1007 FM Huntsvillewwwaprorg
News classicalmusic and more
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
copy Patrick Hood
text by sara wright covington raquo photos by jacki gil
patrick hood erin lindsey and michelle odom
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
copy Patrick Hood
ldquoA LOT OF PEOPLE HAD BEEN ASKING ME QUESTIONS ABOUTHOW I GOT MY BUSINESS STARTED I WANTED TO GATHER SOME PEOPLE AROUND ME
WHO WERE GOING THROUGH THOSE STRUGGLES AND TOBUILD ENTREPRENEURIAL COURAGErdquo
JACKI GIL SALT+PAPERIE
copy Patrick Hood
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
untsville-born Jacki Gil began her paper design busi-
ness Salt+Paperie in 2014 with an expansive vision
in mind one that extended beyond creating beautiful
custom designed paper goods ldquoI love my design job
but when Irsquom 50 years old I donrsquot see myself still de-
signing wedding invitationsrdquo the master stationer says
ldquoI really have a passion for teaching and helping people
I want to be a mentorrdquo
In 2015 Gil set out on her mentoring mission sooner than expected with a series
of workshops called Encourage Huntsville ldquoA lot of people had been asking me
questions about how I got my business startedrdquo Gil says about the early days of
Salt+Paperie Even though most of those questions from entrepreneurial-hopefuls
were technicalmdashlike how to apply for a business licensemdashthey served as inspira-
tion for Gil ldquoI wanted to gather some people around me who were going through
those struggles and to build entrepreneurial courage I defi nitely saw that there
was a need for helping people to take that next step toward owning their own
businessesrdquo
Encourage Huntsville was modeled on the image of a growing small business
movement called the Rising Tide Society a national community of creative small
business owners who encourage ldquocommunity over competitionrdquo Th at spirit of
openness is at the heart of Encourage Huntsville ldquoCommunity over competition
is a huge part of what we are doingrdquo says Gil ldquoSmall business owners sharing how
they earn their money is a big dealrdquo
As a fi rst step Gil gathered others around her who were using their skills and abili-
ties to make their own small businesses work With talents ranging from cooking
and cake decorating to hand lettering and artwork these small business owners
all embraced Gilrsquos vision for imparting to others the knowledge of their craft un-
impeded by a fear of losing their competitive edge
Th e fi rst lesson Gil wanted to impart to Encourage Huntsvillersquos students wasnrsquot
necessarily a particular craft or skill but a spirt of creative confi dence ldquoWe want-
ed to bridge the gap between the very artsy community and the ultimate engineer
communityrdquo many of whom Gil observes had been told since childhood they
werenrsquot artistic ldquoWhen you are little and someone tells you that you donrsquot have a
talent it sticks with you I found that a lot of people had that experience so that
was the workshop partmdashto build some creative courage in this communityrdquo
Gil conducted the fi rst workshop herself testing the waters to see how the concept
would be received Th e admission price to that fi rst workshop included supplies a
take-home ldquogoody bagrdquo to help students continue their work extracurricularly and
refreshmentsmdashas well as Gilrsquos tips of her trade
ldquoWe went in blindly not knowing if we had a market or notrdquo says Gil Th e popular-
ity of that fi rst class proved undeniably that a market did in fact exist the work-
shop sold out in one day ldquoSo we did back-to-back workshopsrdquo Gil says ldquoAfter that
novemberdecembeeer eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee | nononoononononononoonoonononooooonoonoonnononnoaaalalalllaallllllalaalaaalal ststustust ddiossscom mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm | | | | | | | | | | |
f
w
y
Previous page Encourage Huntsvillersquos founder and instructor Jacki Gil teaches a class in hand lettering Facing page A participant studies her supply list
we realized people really want to do this stuff So we said lsquoletrsquos jump on the boat
and make this happenrsquordquo
Gilrsquos longtime friend photographer Erin Lindsey of Erin Lindsey Images agreed
to contribute to Encourage Huntsvillersquos curriculum by teaching a photography
class ldquoJacki and I are a good team because our hearts are in the same place when
it comes to encouraging othersrdquo Lindsey says Still she admits saying yes to teach-
ing wasnrsquot without some initial hesitation ldquoWhen Jacki asked if I would teach a
class it was kind of scary I thought I had to be perfect before I could teach oth-
ersrdquo Lindsey says of her initial hesitancy ldquoBut after talking to Jacki I realized none
of us are perfectrdquo But perfection isnrsquot the goal encouragement is the goal ldquoAnd I
thought lsquoI can defi nitely line up with that visionrsquordquo
Michelle Odom another Huntsville native and owner of custom cake bakery Just
Crumbs was also on board with Gilrsquos vision In fact Odom had been contemplat-
ing teaching a class when she was approached by Gil to teach a fondant basics
class ldquoHuntsville is such an engineer town and everyone is so mathematical and
scientifi crdquo Odom says echoing the dichotomy between the arts and sciences ex-
pressed by Gil ldquoTh ese workshops are just a very cool way for structured people to
have a creative outletrdquo
ldquoJACKI AND I ARE A GOOD TEAM BECAUSE OUR HEARTS ARE INTHE SAME PLACE WHEN IT COMES TO ENCOURAGING OTHERSrdquo
ERIN LINDSEY ERIN LINDSEY IMAGES
copy Erin Lindsey
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Above A participant in Erin Lindseyrsquos photo class frames a still life
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
copy Erin Lindsey
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
ldquoHUNTSVILLE IS SUCH AN ENGINEER TOWN AND EVERYONE ISSO MATHEMATICAL AND SCIENTIFIC THESE WORKSHOPS ARE JUST A VERY COOL
WAY FOR STRUCTURED PEOPLE TO HAVE A CREATIVE OUTLETrdquo MICHELLE ODOM JUST CRUMBS
copy Michelle Odom
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
ldquoAnd yesrdquo Odom acknowledges ldquoyou are in theory teaching your competition But
at the same time you are helping the community be more creativerdquo
With its roster of popular creative workshops under its belt Encourage Huntsville
has added business classes to its community-over-competition curriculum with
classes designed to provide specifi c guidance for small business owners ldquoAll of
our events that donrsquot require hands-on work we call seminarsrdquo says Gil ldquoWe had
about 15 people at our fi rst one It was pretty much just an open discussion to ask
us questions and get answers from the perspective of a small business ownerrdquo
Th e seminars enjoyed the same success and enthusiasm as the workshops ldquoWe
had two hours for people to ask questionsrdquo Gil says Topics covered ran the gamut
from scheduling daily tasks self-hosting a website or using an Etsy store man-
aging client expectations and being realistic about how much time you need to
complete jobs
ldquoTh e time went quickly and people wanted morerdquo says Gil who envisions an all-
day seminar in 2016
Margaret Baggett owner and executive chef of the Chef Next Door is another
small business owner who has shared Gilrsquos vision from the very beginning teach-
copy Erin Lindsey
Facing page Michelle Odomrsquos fondant basics class begins with a styrofoam cake form Above Newbie photographers familiarize themselves with their cameras in Erin Lindseyrsquos photography class
ing knife skills workshops and helping host the business seminars ldquoI am so proud
to get to be a part of this project and help nurture other small business owners
who may just be starting out on their journey or are deep in it and looking for
some encouragement from other business ownersrdquo Baggett says of what motivates
her participation in Encourage Huntsville ldquoEven being on the advice-giving side
of things I am still learning and have taken tips and tricks and lessons from each
event we have had so far We never stop learning from each other and never stop
improving upon our craftsrdquo
Th e mutual growth among students and teachers is the source of the encourage-
mentmdashand the joymdashof Encourage Huntsville ldquoItrsquos so much fun to see the light
bulbs go off with people and see them encouraged right before your eyesrdquo Lindsey
says of her experience with the program ldquoPlus itrsquos a pleasure to contribute to a
sense of community over competition Th at whole concept is so rarerdquo
As Encourage Huntsvillersquos following continues to grow the diversity of the work-
shops will expand as well Whether you are looking to spend a fun afternoon
learning a new craft or are a budding small business owner hoping to launch
your brand Encourage Huntsville has something valuable to off er ldquoWe encourage
those left-brain folks to take up a new hobby or skillrdquo Baggett says ldquoor just encour-
age the people of Huntsville to get together and fan their creative fl amesrdquo
If yoursquore looking for
creative or entrepreneurial
encouragement visit
encouragehuntsvillecom
for seminar and workshop
schedules and information
ldquoI AM SO PROUD TO GET TO BE A PART OF THIS PROJECT AND HELP NURTURE OTHER SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS WHO MAY JUST BE STARTING OUT ON THEIR JOURNEY OR ARE DEEP IN IT
AND LOOKING FOR SOME ENCOURAGEMENT FROM OTHER BUSINESS OWNERSrdquoMARGARET BAGGETT CHEF NEXT DOOR
copy Jacki Gil
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
copy Jacki Gil
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Participants in Margaret Baggettrsquos knife skills workshop learn to perfect their ldquomise en placerdquo
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
copy Olivia Reed
text by sara wright covington raquo photos by olivia reed and jeff white
HUNTSVILLErsquoS
HOMEGROWNHOSTESS
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
ttttttononononoooooonononooooo raquo praquo praquo praquo praquo phothothothothotosoososos s s osos bybybbybb
Any host will tell you that delicious food and quality libations while important to
a partyrsquos success are secondary to the most important ingredient of all the guest list Th atrsquos why many
of downtown Huntsvillersquos most popular restaurants breweries and wine shops are turning to event
planner Ashley Ryals and her uncanny knack for attracting loyal patronsmdashand creating unforgettable
events in the process
When Huntsville born-and-bred Ashley Ryals left for college at the University of Alabama in 2001
she thought her exit from the Valley was permanent ldquoI never thought I would end up back hererdquo the
founder of event planning company Homegrown Huntsville says with a knowing laugh But after a few
post-graduate years working for world-renowned public relations powerhouse Weber Shandwick in
New York City Ryals started to second guess her freshman declaration
ldquoI started to get homesickrdquo she admits ldquoAll of my friends were getting married and meeting for football
games and I was missing itrdquo So when a friend from home set up an interview at EarlyWorks for a job
doing event planning Ryals jumped at the chance to come home
Ashley spent the next few years planning EarlyWorks Whistle Stop and Santarsquos Village events A brief
stint in sales followed along with a seat on the board of Huntsville Young Professionals where she had
an idea for a downtown pub crawl
ldquoWe expected 20 or 30 peoplerdquo Ryals says of their modest expectations ldquoBut 200 people showed uprdquo
Th at initial success convinced Ryals to embark on her dream of establishing an
event planning company But it wasnrsquot just any event planning company Ryals
had in mind she envisioned one that would collaborate with local businesses
cultivate signature events for the community to enjoy and support small busi-
nesses in the process
Inspired Ryals left her sales job and for the second time in her life came home
again to event planning and Homegrown Huntsville
To help bring her vision to life Ryals collaborated with designer Adrianne Van
Kirk of Fave Creative ldquoAdrianne has been a part of the visual and branding of
Homegrown from the beginning We come up with the event ideas then I get
the ticketing and sales together and she comes back with a logo and the mar-
keting for the event And thatrsquos how it all comes togetherrdquo Ryals says of their
creative process
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
ASHLEY RYALS
copy Olivia Reed
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
ldquoMOST WINE FESTIVALS ACROSS THE COUNTRY HAVE PROVEN RECORDS OF BEING ABLE TO STAY AROUND 15 OR 20 YEARS OR EVEN LONGER AND THE ECONOMIES OF THOSE
CITIES HAVE REALLY GROWN AS A RESULT I WANT BIG SPRING CRUSH TO EVENTUALLY BE THE BIGGEST AND BEST WINE FESTIVAL IN THE STATE OF ALABAMArdquo ASHLEY RYALS
copy Jeff White
copy Jeff White
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
copy Olivia Reed
Homegrown launched in 2011 with what would become its
signature event Dine amp Dash Every second Wednesday
April through October a trolley shuttles patrons between
downtown establishments where they are served a drink
and appetizer before moving on to the next stop
Owner and executive chef Merle Phillips of Th e Eaves was
one of the fi rst restaurants to sign on for Dine amp Dashrsquos de-
but ldquoAshley came to me and said she was starting a trolley
tasting conceptrdquo says Chef Merle ldquoI didnrsquot really know her so
I was taking a chance on the concept she was sellingrdquo
Merle tried it and has been a loyal participant of Dine amp
Dash ever since
ldquoIt was a risk in the beginning but it defi nitely paid off rdquo Chef
Merle says of the experience Pivotal to that experience ac-
cording to Phillips is Ryalsrsquo demonstration to the commu-
nity just what the term ldquohomegrownrdquo really means ldquoAshley
shines a spotlight on independent businesses in a market-
place that has for so long focused on chainsrdquo Phillips says
ldquoDine amp Dash has really brought into sharp focus the inter-
esting culinary diversity that Huntsville has to off errdquo
For the next two years Homegrown Huntsville focused al-
most exclusively on Dine amp Dash which by the end of its fi rst
year included every single downtown restaurant But when
big changes began to appear on the downtown horizonmdash
new restaurants breweries and residential developmentsmdash
Ryalsrsquo instincts told her
the time had come to
introduce a new event
to the downtown cal-
endar
ldquoBeer Hop follows
the concept of Dine
amp Dashrdquo Ryals says of
Homegrownrsquos second
venture which began
in 2013 Each month a
trolley visits three dif-
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
BILL FOWLEROLD TOWN BEER
EXCHANGE
copy Olivia Reed
copy Olivia Reed
ferent breweries where patrons sample beers and enjoy food
from a variety of food trucks parked at each location
Bill Fowler managing partner of Old Town Beer Exchange
agreed to participate in Beer Hop on his very fi rst day of
business and credits Ryals with an overwhelmingly success-
ful opening night ldquoAshley said lsquoI can guarantee that you are
going to have wave after wave of people coming throughrsquordquo
Fowler says recalling that fi rst jittery occasion Once again
Ryals proved true to her word with 60-plus patrons arriving
in an hour-and-a-half ldquoIt was awesome and such a great ex-
perience for usrdquo Fowler raves ldquoAshley is a hard worker and
you can see that in what she doesrdquo
Fowler believes that in addition to bringing new customers
to OTBX Ryals is also cultivating beer education consis-
tently bringing in people who are new to beer and want to
learn And with Huntsvillersquos recent brewery boom that level
of education and interest is crucial for the brewing commu-
nity to thrive ldquoWe have a very small window of opportunityrdquo
says Fowler ldquoI think Huntsville in particular is becoming a
craft brewing community People are making money at this
and once Tennessee sees that we need to already have had a
pretty huge head startrdquo
By the end of 2013 and with standing events Beer Hop and
Dine amp Dash well established Ryals took time to refl ect on
her original goal for Homegrown Huntsville ldquoIn the back of
my head from day one I knew I wanted to do a wine festival
I just didnrsquot think Huntsville was ready for it in 2011rdquo
Emboldened by the success of Beer Hop Ryals decided to
make the leap with Big Spring Crush wine festival later the
same year Once again Ryals delivered the perfect audience
for the event and in the process discovered a surprising
fact about North Alabamarsquos contribution to the wine-mak-
ing industry
ldquoIn doing the wine festival I learned that we have a huge
wine community in Huntsvillerdquo Ryals says ldquoTh ere are only
about 47 certifi ed wine judges in the entire United States
and we have four of them right here in North Alabama Two
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
copy Jeff White
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
ldquoI STARTED TO GET HOMESICK ALL OF MY FRIENDS WERE GETTING MARRIEDAND MEETING FOR FOOTBALL GAMES AND I WAS MISSING ITrdquo ASHLEY RYALS
copy Jeff White
copy Jeff White
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
ldquoIT WAS AWESOME AND SUCH A GREAT EXPERIENCE FOR USrdquoBILL FOWLER OLD TOWN BEER EXCHANGE
copy Jeff White
copy Olivia Reed
of those four certifi ed wine judges sit on the committee for
Big Spring Crushrdquo
Matthew and Stephanie Mell had just opened Church Street
Wine Shop when they decided to participate in the fi rst Big
Spring Crush Like OTBXrsquos Robert Fowler the Mells credit
Ryals and Homegrown Huntsville for helping to introduce
their new enterprise to the community ldquoAshley has been in-
strumental in helping to bring us people who love and ap-
preciate winerdquo Stephanie Mell says ldquoShe was homegrown
here in Huntsville and she really gets the downtown area
and small businesses and that is so important to usrdquo
Big Spring Crush began with a bang featuring over 150
wines and attracting patrons from across the country
ldquoMost wine festivals across the country have proven records
of being able to stay around 15 or 20 years or even longerrdquo
Ryals says ldquoAnd the economies of those cities have really
grown as a result I want Big Spring Crush to eventually be
the biggest and best wine festival in the state of Alabamardquo
How does Ryals intend to make that dream come true ldquoBy
always keeping it fresh I want to have new marketing and
new things happening each yearrdquo
Ryalsrsquo formula of reinvention and expansion has successfully
led Homegrown Huntsville through fi ve years of success and
helped its events become community staples along the way In
the process Ryals is broadening more than just our image of
downtown Huntsville shersquos joining a class of creative entrepre-
neurs committed to expanding Huntsvillersquos reputation as more
than just a hub for the brightest scientifi c minds in America
ldquoWe have a big city of engineers and lawyers and itrsquos won-
derfulrdquo Ryals say ldquo But there is a whole artist and food cul-
ture here and there is so much growth I want us to have a
vibrant cool downtown area and I want for people to tell
their friends to come and visit and to see Huntsville for what
it is a city I loverdquo
If yoursquod like to participate in Homegrown Huntsville either
as a guest or a participating business visit homegrown-
huntsvillecom
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
copy Jeff White
I was years old and the year was At that time the city of Huntsville was inching toward the mountain to the east California Street was once the continental divide between the small town metropo-lis and the uncharted territories gingerly crossed by the real estate pioneers four score and some odd years prior Th is area became the new suburb as the city kept pushing onward toward Fagan Springs as if the reverberating booms of rocket testings were vibrating Hunstvillians away from its epicenter
From the front yard of our house on Owens Drive I could look to the rightmdashup the hill to the bend be-yond which the big houses stood on their rocky ledge pedestals and to the left where all the other houses that looked just like oursmdashfresh and newmdashrambled for what seemed like miles Th ose clean well-lit abodes all seemed the same and granted at my age I knew more about the pets that lived there than I did about the people who owned those manageable mortgages I came to realize that each was diff erent in a way that was permeated by voices smells and furnishings
It is a clicheacute to say that our lives were simpler then because that is just how the current era will be fondly referred to in the future but to a 5-year-old it is the simplicity that brought the joy Th e sixties will always be to me the beginning of the age of manufactured happiness Cheap clean and simple was what was strived for and what was easily obtained Plastic items were plentiful and pretty things could be bought with SampH Green Stamps A few coins in our pocket would transfer us into the most master of manipula-tors with us giving our all to convince our parents for a jaunt to Murdockrsquos for a holiday of wonderment joy and impatience as we would scour the shelves trying to get the most from our meager budget
Owens Drive was the fairly new thoroughfare from which the avenues of three-bedroom-ranchers fi ngered away at planned intervals Th is was the place where newlyweds started their lives homes and families Where girls with last names that had been in the town for generations would change them to those strange and exotic last names of the clean cut newcomers brought here for military purposes Where the housewives would preheat their pristine electric ovens trying to make cheese straws and biscuits that were just like their motherrsquos only to be frustrated as they were never quite the same and where the husbands would follow in their fatherrsquos footsteps by joining the Acme Club and hunting doves on the weekends
Th ere was a swimming pool Certainly not at our house Th e only private pool I remember as a child was one that my grandmother would take me to nestled between huge trees at someonersquos house on Adams Street I would swim with other children my age while our grandmothers chatted smoking cigarettes in cat-eyed anonymity whispering most of their stories so we wouldnrsquot be able to hear But between their
gasps and laughter we would listen hear and learn
Th e Blossomwood pool was a place of designated rules and the sound of bright whistlesmdashwith straight lines and distinctive colors of blue and green I can still feel the Coppertoned oiliness on the skin of the tanned lifeguard as she carried me from the deep end frightened after my fi rst attempt at solo-swimming She knew my name I had no idea who she was
On the other side of the pool was the school my older sister attended It had a style that mim-icked the poolmdashstraight lines cleanmdasha temple to orderliness and good manners It was with
awe that I once watched the young adults there some as old as eleven wind and dance their way around a sky-high fl agpolemdasheach with a diff erent color ribbon until the fi rst (and only) May Pole
I was privy to was completely dressed in its woven bright colors
90 raquo bless their hearts raquo Guy McClure Jr
Huntsville was a magical place for us tail-end baby boomers to grow upmdashbeyond the miracles of the escalator at Pizitz the smiling little lady on the tall stool at the register at Britlings There was a comfort level there that Irsquom not sure is in the minds of the 5-year-olds of today
cat-eyed agasps
Th s
aI w
THE COMFORTS OF BLOSSOMWOOD
In our world of red-bricked carported castles there was a def-inite division of generations Th e children ate separately from the parents went to school as our dads went to work enter-tained our neighborhood friends as quietly as possible and felt safe between our boundaries of Big Cove Road and Hermitage Street While we dined on our Chef Boy-Ar-Dee boxed pizza our parents busied themselves dressing in their dark colors getting ready for a late dinner at Boots having the scent of perfume and face powder trail my mother as she came into the kitchen looking for something with an intense purpose My father would smell of British Sterling and look just as he did when he went to work only happier Th ese nights meant something fun would happenmdashwe would have a babysitter
Babysitters were my introduction into what was and still seems cool Th ey were usually Huntsville High School teen-agers who would put on a show without even knowing it I would drink in their every move word and essence of style To me they were supermodelsmdashmovie starsmdasheven more fa-mous in my eyes than a television weatherman and almost as glamorous as the waitresses at the Waffl e House
Before they would tire of me and my sister and put us to bed they would include us in their world of music and knowledge which I thought was all-encompassing Suddenly our world of Th e Benny Carl Show and Fantasy Playhouse would seem trite and passeacute and we would catch a fl eeting glimpse into what would be in store for us when we too could stay up past 8 pm
Huntsville was a magical place for us tail-end baby boomers to grow upmdashbeyond the miracles of the escalator at Pizitz the smiling little lady on the tall stool at the register at Britlings and that bright colorful Maypole Th ere was a comfort level there that Irsquom not sure is in the minds of the 5-year-olds of todaymdashthe soothing sheltered lack of knowledge of why we were so lucky yet we didnrsquot even know that we were
In the other areas of our Huntsville there was poverty and ra-cial unrestmdashas there was and is in every city I was unaware People of color were always a part of my worldmdashmostly be-cause they had my attention and respect At our house there was Annie my grandmotherrsquos house was fi lled with the joys of Lula and out on the family farm there was strong and smiling Homer and large and huggable Rosamdashall just as much a part of my life as everyone else My life was good and they were instrumental in making it that way
What will the 5-year-olds of today who are lucky enough to be raised on those well-planned streets remember when they surpass their own 50 year mark It is a much more complex world now and there are diff erent concerns with daily changes of fear Youthful innocence is a prize that is encased without a lock Premature maturity is a viable threat and a constant fear But each night tucked in tight in a simple room sleeps tomor-rowrsquos adults who are having sweet dreamsmdashblanketed by the comforts of Blossomwood
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
92 raquo the vine raquo Amy C Collins
BORDEAUX POWER
Where Burgundyrsquos vineyards were established by Benedictine monks patiently growing wine vines with spiritual hearts Bordeauxrsquos vineyards were raised by entrepreneurial laymen who recognized the massive monetary opportunity when the English began drinking down their peasant wine
The city of Bordeaux is Francersquos primary port town on the Atlantic ocean a harbor that has for centuries served as the countryrsquos most important dock Th e regionrsquos history is long and storied with the fi rst written reference to the area dated 379 AD by the Latin poet Ausonius who was also a wine-grower Jump ahead to the year 1152 when Eleanor of Aquitaine married Englandrsquos soon-to-be king Henry Plantagenet and the port and surrounding vineyard land became the source of wine for the English a connection that remains strong even today
Bordeaux produces the worldrsquos most expensive and sought after collector wines the top tier of which make up less than fi ve percent of the regionrsquos total production Th ese names are quickly learned by neophyte wine drinkers wanting to make an impression Chateau Haut-Brion Lafi te Latour and Margaux for example Grown in gravelly soils only a few meters above sea levelmdashin contrast vineyards elsewhere in Europe typically sit between 300 and 900 metersmdashthese wines are some of the most powerful austere and pawed over When young the tannins in these cabernet sauvignon cabernet franc and merlot blends coat the tongue and mouth with a chalky dry sensation akin to sucking on an Earl Grey tea bag and are perhaps best suited to well-fatted rare steak and cigars Th ese are wines built to live for decades Personally I prefer a Bordeaux at least 20 years aged when the tannins have had ample time to calm down and mellow out and more nuanced fl avors come forward Sounds fancy and it is Only in some very lucky circumstances over the past year have I been guest to a bottle of 1990 Clos de Menuts Saint-Eacutemilion and a 1970 Chateau Haut-Brion About once every 10 years Irsquove had the good
fortune to taste a wine older than myself Nice work if you can get it
Where Burgundyrsquos vineyards (Francersquos other classifi ed sought-after region) were established by Benedictine monks patiently growing wine vines with spiritual hearts
Bordeauxrsquos vineyards were raised by entrepreneurial laymen who recognized the massive monetary opportunity when the English began drinking down their peasant wine Th is underscores the second half of my theory as to why Americans
more often American males are so drawn to the wines of Bordeaux Th erersquos an inherent capitalist connection something in the soil Th at the wines are so
unmistakable so distinctively grand and pronounced elixirs exemplifi es the fi rst half of my theory we Americans are not known for our subtlety (To be fair the Chinese are
signifi cant Bordeaux collectors as well)
Philosophy aside Bordeaux is quite a large region that produces beautiful white and red values as well as the rare fi nds out of the populacersquos price range Herersquos the skinny Blending is the game single varietal wines are rare White Bordeaux is typically made from a blend of sauvignon blanc and seacutemillon and sometimes a drop or two of muscadelle ugni blanc or colombard Reds are made primarily from the two cabernets plus merlot with small quantities of petit verdot malbec and carmenegravere occasionally in the mix Th e region is also home to the golden nectar of late ripened seacutemillon sauvignon blanc and muscadelle grapes that have successfully attracted the noble rot a fungus that covers the fruit and drains moisture from inside leaving behind rich sweet grapes without moldy fl avors Chateau drsquoYquem is the most famous of these unfortifi ed dessert wines though there are better bargains from the region
Bordeaux is split by the Gironde river which divides the region into three general areas Th e left bank also known as the Haut-Meacutedoc is where the classifi ed top growths are situated Th ese prestigious estates were named for their exceptional vineyard sites in 1855 a decision nearly unchanged since Today serious collectors invest in Bordeaux futures theoretically locking down lower prices of top
ample time to calm dit is Only in some vede Menuts Saint-Eacutem
fortune to taste a
Wherees
aun
of msignifi
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Follow Amy at pigandvinecom for morestories and wine suggestions
growth estates while the wine is still aging in the cellar Itrsquos the wine tradersquos equivalent to the NASDAQ On the right bank Saint-Eacutemilion and Pommerol are the prized vineyard areas known for their merlot heavy cuveacutees To the south west we fi nd Graves where there are many great values to be had in both white and red bottlings Entre-Deux-Mers which translates to ldquobetween two seasrdquo sits between the Dordogne and Garonne tributaries off the Gironde and is an excellent source for crisp whites
Get started on your Bordeaux experience with these values
Chateau Graville-Lacoste 2014 Graves 75 seacutemillon 20 sauvignon blanc and 5 muscadelle make up this beauty thatrsquos consistently delicious every vintage Crisp and refreshing great with seafood
Chateau Mirambeau 2014 GravesAnother classic blend of 40 sauvignon blanc 40 seacutemillon and 20 muscadelle this lovely white is a bit more fl oral than the Graville-Lacoste Easy drinking and great value
Chateau de Parenchegravere Bordeaux Rouge 201155 merlot 30 cabernet sauvignon and 15 cabernet franc grown in clay heavy soils similar to the right bank of the region Fleshy with good structure and abundant red fruit
Chateau Arnaud Bordeaux Supeacuterieur 2011Supeacuterieur on a Bordeaux label isnrsquot egotistical marketingmdashby law it indicates a wine with up to one degree more alcohol than its AC Bordeaux brethren What it really means is one more degree of body structure and in this case quality Approachable delicious and easy on the wallet
Chateau de Bernadotte Haut-Meacutedoc 2005Th e 2005 vintage in Bordeaux is in the history books with double asterisks Owned by the eminent Pichon Lalande family and made from vineyards in Paulliac one of the more choice growing areas in the region this is an incredible value a top tier Bordeaux for a fraction of the cost
Chateau de Suduiraut Sauternes 2011Ripe cantaloupe apricot and honey and an interesting smoky note with a solid sweet attack followed by great acidity A dessert wine that wonrsquot overpower the dessert
94 raquo parting shot raquo Patrick Hood
Meet Solvar
Solvar belongs to one of the worldrsquos oldest and purest equine lineages the Nor-
wegian Fjord horse a breed that has remained virtually unchanged for more than
2000 yearsmdashlong before we became acquainted with his animated cousins in
the movie Frozen Th ese national symbols of Norway are characterized by primi-
tive zebra striping on their legs and a dorsal stripe running from forelock to tail
resulting in a striking two-tone mane that sticks up like a Mohawk Th eir athleti-
cism agility and dependability make them valuable both as sport horses as well
as therapy horses for emotionally and physically challenged adults and children
Catie Wells of Huntsville is the proud owner of Solvar who resides at Monte
Sano Stables
For tickets or information 256-539-4818 or hsoorg
Bring In the New Year With Us
presents
WHAT A WONDERFUL
WORLDA tribute to Louis
Armstrong featuring the
Byron Stripling Quartet
Thursday December 31
730 pm bull Pops Series bullMark C Smith
Concert Hall VBC
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
M O R E T H A N 7 0 S H O P S A N D R E S T A U R A N T S I N C L U D I N G B E L K | D S W S H O E S | A P P L E J O S A B A N K | R E E D S J E W E L E R S | PA N D O R A | J C R E W | K AT E S PA D E N E W Y O R KO R V I S | B A N A N A R E P U B L I C | M I C H A E L K O R S | F R A N C E S C Arsquo S | A N T H R O P O L O G I EH amp M | S O M A | M O U N T A I N H I G H O U T F I T T E R S | B A R N E S amp N O B L E | S E P H O R AALTAR rsquoD STATE | CONNORS STEAK amp SEFOOD | THE WEST IN HUNTSV I L L E | MONACO P ICTURES
C O M I N G S O O N V E R S O N A ndash near Belk
B R I D G E S T R E E T H U N T S V I L L E C O M |
BR IDGE STREET TOWN CENTRE I S LOCATED AT EX I T 14 OFF I - 565 AT OLD MAD ISON P IKE
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Caftan ($75)Sarah Richey Necklace ($350)Finery(256) 429-3429
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
(1) Chewbead Necklace ($3495)(2) Mayoral Baby Bag ($7995)(3) Mayoral Diaper Changing Pad ($2495)(4) Nursing Scarf ($2695) (5) Kickee Swaddling Blanket ($22)Honey B Boutique(256) 503-2853 (6) Lucy Darling Months Sticker ($25) (7) The Story of You Baby Book by Emily Ley ($62) Sweet Pineapple(256) 964-7563
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) Alwand Vahan 14K Gold and Onyx Ring wDiamond Accent ($2595)(2) Alwand Vanan 14K Gold and Onyx Bracelet wDiamond Accent ($2695)Hobbs Jewelers(877) 233-1347
(3) Britt Ryan Dress ($288)Personal Couture Boutique(256) 508-5632
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) Rocket Cosmos Mug ($13)Huntsville Museumof Art(256) 535-4350
(2) Loose Leaf Tea ($399)Piper amp Leaf piperandleafcom (3) Judy Jackson Tea Pot ($56) (4) Gary Watson Cherry Cutting Board ($48-$68) (5) Susan Coe Birthday Cake Plate ($33) Little Green Storeand Gallery (256) 539-9699 (6) Macarons ($116 pcs $221 dozen)Whisk Small Treats Bakery(256) 656-1027
(7) Truffl es ($185 each)Pizellersquos Confections (256) 513-9745 (8) Olive amp Sinclair Chocolate ($799)Domaine South(256) 808-8860
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
(1) Whisk Note Pad ($8) (2) In the Forest Mixing Bowl ($36) (3) Twig Serving Set ($18)(8) Southern Firefl y Candle ($12)Sweet Pineapple(256) 964-7563
(4) Urchin Bowl ($10)(5) Foodie Dice ($38)(6) 1Canoe2 Wood Recipe Box w Recipe Cards ($6999) Domaine South(256) 808-8860 (7) Growlers ($75 small $95 large)Southern Growlersoutherngrowlercom
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) Tacori 18K Barbados Blue Bold Gem Ring ($660)(2) Tacori 18K Barbados Blue Bold Gem Necklace ($630)(3) Tacori 18K Barbados Blue Bold Gem Bracelet ($990)Hobbs Jewelers(877) 233-1347
(4) BCBG Dress ($328)Personal Couture Boutique(256) 508-5632
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Guadalupe Robinson
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
text by jennifer crossley howard raquo photos by patrick hood
Of Deft and Dirty Hands
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Huntsville potter Guadalupe Lanning Robinson has spent more than 36 years mastering the
marriage of clay texture and geometric design into her pottery yet time has done little to temper the
plight of waiting
ldquoIt is hard for me to let a pot just dryrdquo she says motioning toward fi ve small wet pots sitting near her
pottery wheel ldquoIrsquom as excited to do this as I was 30 years agordquo
To observe her studio at Lowe Mill that is easy to believe Located on the corridor outside the textile
mill-turned-art centerrsquos main building the loft-like space with a corrugated tin roof feels like a place a
Gabriel Garcia Marquez character would enjoy daydreaming
Sienna-hued pottery sits in various stages to be fi red layered and etched Argentinian tango music
streams from Robinsonrsquos iPhone and two cockatiels a parrot and a parakeet chirp from their cages All
except the parrot fl y freely when Robinson is working
Robinson who is 61 made her fi rst pot in 1979 in her native Mexico City Almost four decades later her
work is part of permanent museum collections in Auburn Huntsville Tuscumbia and Tupelo Missis-
sippi She regularly enters her work in respected juried shows such as the Monte Sano Arts Festival and
the Kentuck Festival of the Arts in Northport and has received two Alabama State Council on the Arts
individual artist fellowships
Her inspiration draws from the villages around her native Mexico City such as the black pottery of
the northwest as well as her acquired Southern culture White lilies corn grids and round female
fi guresmdashldquoreally strong women who are in chargerdquo Robinson saysmdashreappear on her stoneware She uses
natural dyes indigo for color and mixes sand into clay for texture Nothing is wasted
ldquoI donrsquot waste any clayrdquo Robinson says ldquoEverything is recycledrdquo
Robinson fi nds solace in the 40-50 hours a week she puts in at the studio and the often tedious process
of making pots which can take from three weeks to six weeks for larger pots She usually works on two
or three pots at a time tending to groups at diff erent stages
After a pot is thrown on a wheel a piece can take days to dry before its fi rst bisque fi re in which tem-
peratures rise to 1800 F After baking for nine hours the kiln must cool Th e second fi ring rises to 2150
F and matures the clay and melts the glazes to strengthen the piece
ldquoI am an effi cient person by naturerdquo Robinson says ldquoWaiting for the kiln to cool down enough to open
can be nerve wracking and this is when my patience is usually put to the testrdquo
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
ldquoIt is hard for me to let a pot just dry Irsquom as excited to do this as I was 30 years agordquo
Robinson makes most of her pots on a wheel using oxides to change the color of clay she gets from Nashville and Pittsburgh Her pottery takes several weeks from start to fi nish depending on how large a pot is and how many she makes at a time
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
ldquoAttend to your childrenrsquos needs fi rst keep focus on what you want to douse the happiness joy and little breaks you get to make your artTh ey grow real fast and they will keep inspiring you all your liferdquo
Robinson imagined this bat-like design as she was working She usually begins a piece with a design in mind but that often evolves
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Robinson uses an overlay of liquid clay called engobemdashthat includes three to four layersmdashto create a
base on which to design
Th ere is high risk in making pottery and hours of work can be wasted on a pot that has not dried en-
tirely before it enters the kiln Air pockets or the wrong mixture of chemicals can ruin a piece
ldquoArt is involved but science is toordquo says Laura Smith director of education at the Huntsville Museum
of Art where Robinson has taught pottery classes ldquoItrsquos more labor intensive in terms of working with
the medium whether yoursquore building by hand or with a wheel until you fi re with the fi nal layer of glazerdquo
Th e result is sturdy pottery
ldquoI want my pots to look like something that is lasting a long timerdquo Robinson says
Th ough she works solitarily in her studio she says she does not get lonely Her birds and music keep her
company and each stage of pottery making has a soundtrack She uses needlepoint tools to draw onto
clay to Jose Feliciano and other Latin American musicians
ldquoIf Irsquom at the wheel Bruno Marsrdquo she says ldquoIf Irsquom unloading the kiln and something is really awesome
then I need something moving and I have on Motownrdquo
Robinsonrsquos years of experience minimize the risk of damaged pots but she says her greatest challenge
as a potter was balancing her work while raising her two children Now adults their candid childhood
pictures and those of her grandchildren cover the warm green walls of her studio
She met her husband the poet James Robinson in 1977 on a Greyhound bus when she returned to
Mexico City from visiting a friend at the University of Southern Mississippi He was heading to Mexico
to study at a university Th ey married six months later After giving birth to her daughter Annie Jane in
Mexico City in 1982 the family moved to Huntsville in 1985 Th at is when Robinson got more serious
about her pottery
ldquoFrom the very beginning when I moved to Alabama I knew I was going to have to do thisrdquo she said
ldquoIn some ways it was a way for me to keep connected to my heritagerdquo
She took even 15 minutes of free time to work in the studio behind her home and worked late into the
night while her daughter and son Isidoro born in 1987 slept Having a home studio allowed her to
wash clothes tend to her home and drop off lunches at school while maintaining her art
ldquoTh ere was something for me when I fi rst became a mother that fueled my creativityrdquo Robinson says
ldquoTh ey are such a social inspiration too It fi lls your liferdquo
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Robinson advises fellow artists who are mothers to seize
both roles but to prioritize motherhood
ldquoAttend to your childrenrsquos needs fi rst keep focus on what you
want to do use the happiness joy and little breaks you get
to make your artrdquo she says ldquoTh ey grow real fast and they will
keep inspiring you all your liferdquo
Anna Sue Courtney director of the Flying Monkey Arts
Center at Lowe Mill has known Robinson for more than
10 years She says she admires how mothers and artists like
Robinson seamlessly embrace both roles
ldquoIt seems therersquos not a separation between creating and rais-
ing childrenrdquo Courtney says ldquoTh ey seem to pull from the
same placerdquo
Part of Robinsonrsquos motivation at Lowe Mill comes from
working privately in a studio alongside other artists that fos-
ters a community of feedback and ideas
ldquoItrsquos nice to be here because you can take a break and walk around and get inspirationrdquo Courtney says
ldquoItrsquos refreshingrdquo
When she needs a break from the studio Robinson stays home to sketch designs for a day or two then
she is back in the studio
Trips twice a year to Mexico City keep her plugged in to her native culture which in turn shows up in
her pottery
ldquoI have to recharge myselfrdquo Robinson says ldquoI love Huntsville and loved raising my kids here but I still
have the need of going back to be recharged and smell all the smells and see all the colors and get on
the subway and be pushed aroundrdquo
Details from her trips that infl uence her work include the ever-present red that covers the city during
the celebration of Dia de los Muertos or the Day of the Dead Th e pyramids of Teotihuacan conjure
warm earth tones and fl oating gardens around the city yield sweet pungent calla lilies and carnations
Celebration of food tough women and nature reappear in her pottery qualities that both Southern and
Mexican cultures treasure
Above This daisy design is character-istic of Robinsonrsquos work Nature food and strong females from her native Mexico City and the South are strong creative infl uences
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Clockwise from top left Robinson often glazes only the inside of her pots so they can hold water and food She began quilting in 2002 and her quilts like her pottery contain earth tones and natural infl uences in their design Four birds keep Robinson company in what can be the isolating medium of pottery making Geometry and symmetry are two signature elements in Robinsonrsquos work according to Laura Smith director of education at the Huntsville Museum of Art
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Just as she keeps her home country close to her heart Robinson is loyal to her fi rst
love of pottery though she began making quilts in 2002
ldquoIrsquom a potter who likes to quiltrdquo she says
Like her pottery her quilting follows designs of organic nature such as fl owers and
crops on rich jewel tone cotton
ldquoWhen I fi rst saw one of her quilts I didnrsquot realize it was hers and I thought that
looks like it should be Guadalupersquos quiltrdquo Courtney says
Robinson prefers the immediate gratifi cation of clay
ldquoItrsquos a very responsive mediumrdquo she says ldquoYou can manipulate it Th e fact of mak-
ing something out of dirt out of nothing and making it durable making it perma-
nent that after going through the heat and maturing is something very excitingrdquo
She gently dings a pot covered with white dresses titled ldquoTehuana Dressrdquo to make
her point
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
887 FM Muscle Shoals bull 1007 FM Huntsvillewwwaprorg
News classicalmusic and more
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
copy Patrick Hood
text by sara wright covington raquo photos by jacki gil
patrick hood erin lindsey and michelle odom
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
copy Patrick Hood
ldquoA LOT OF PEOPLE HAD BEEN ASKING ME QUESTIONS ABOUTHOW I GOT MY BUSINESS STARTED I WANTED TO GATHER SOME PEOPLE AROUND ME
WHO WERE GOING THROUGH THOSE STRUGGLES AND TOBUILD ENTREPRENEURIAL COURAGErdquo
JACKI GIL SALT+PAPERIE
copy Patrick Hood
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
untsville-born Jacki Gil began her paper design busi-
ness Salt+Paperie in 2014 with an expansive vision
in mind one that extended beyond creating beautiful
custom designed paper goods ldquoI love my design job
but when Irsquom 50 years old I donrsquot see myself still de-
signing wedding invitationsrdquo the master stationer says
ldquoI really have a passion for teaching and helping people
I want to be a mentorrdquo
In 2015 Gil set out on her mentoring mission sooner than expected with a series
of workshops called Encourage Huntsville ldquoA lot of people had been asking me
questions about how I got my business startedrdquo Gil says about the early days of
Salt+Paperie Even though most of those questions from entrepreneurial-hopefuls
were technicalmdashlike how to apply for a business licensemdashthey served as inspira-
tion for Gil ldquoI wanted to gather some people around me who were going through
those struggles and to build entrepreneurial courage I defi nitely saw that there
was a need for helping people to take that next step toward owning their own
businessesrdquo
Encourage Huntsville was modeled on the image of a growing small business
movement called the Rising Tide Society a national community of creative small
business owners who encourage ldquocommunity over competitionrdquo Th at spirit of
openness is at the heart of Encourage Huntsville ldquoCommunity over competition
is a huge part of what we are doingrdquo says Gil ldquoSmall business owners sharing how
they earn their money is a big dealrdquo
As a fi rst step Gil gathered others around her who were using their skills and abili-
ties to make their own small businesses work With talents ranging from cooking
and cake decorating to hand lettering and artwork these small business owners
all embraced Gilrsquos vision for imparting to others the knowledge of their craft un-
impeded by a fear of losing their competitive edge
Th e fi rst lesson Gil wanted to impart to Encourage Huntsvillersquos students wasnrsquot
necessarily a particular craft or skill but a spirt of creative confi dence ldquoWe want-
ed to bridge the gap between the very artsy community and the ultimate engineer
communityrdquo many of whom Gil observes had been told since childhood they
werenrsquot artistic ldquoWhen you are little and someone tells you that you donrsquot have a
talent it sticks with you I found that a lot of people had that experience so that
was the workshop partmdashto build some creative courage in this communityrdquo
Gil conducted the fi rst workshop herself testing the waters to see how the concept
would be received Th e admission price to that fi rst workshop included supplies a
take-home ldquogoody bagrdquo to help students continue their work extracurricularly and
refreshmentsmdashas well as Gilrsquos tips of her trade
ldquoWe went in blindly not knowing if we had a market or notrdquo says Gil Th e popular-
ity of that fi rst class proved undeniably that a market did in fact exist the work-
shop sold out in one day ldquoSo we did back-to-back workshopsrdquo Gil says ldquoAfter that
novemberdecembeeer eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee | nononoononononononoonoonononooooonoonoonnononnoaaalalalllaallllllalaalaaalal ststustust ddiossscom mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm | | | | | | | | | | |
f
w
y
Previous page Encourage Huntsvillersquos founder and instructor Jacki Gil teaches a class in hand lettering Facing page A participant studies her supply list
we realized people really want to do this stuff So we said lsquoletrsquos jump on the boat
and make this happenrsquordquo
Gilrsquos longtime friend photographer Erin Lindsey of Erin Lindsey Images agreed
to contribute to Encourage Huntsvillersquos curriculum by teaching a photography
class ldquoJacki and I are a good team because our hearts are in the same place when
it comes to encouraging othersrdquo Lindsey says Still she admits saying yes to teach-
ing wasnrsquot without some initial hesitation ldquoWhen Jacki asked if I would teach a
class it was kind of scary I thought I had to be perfect before I could teach oth-
ersrdquo Lindsey says of her initial hesitancy ldquoBut after talking to Jacki I realized none
of us are perfectrdquo But perfection isnrsquot the goal encouragement is the goal ldquoAnd I
thought lsquoI can defi nitely line up with that visionrsquordquo
Michelle Odom another Huntsville native and owner of custom cake bakery Just
Crumbs was also on board with Gilrsquos vision In fact Odom had been contemplat-
ing teaching a class when she was approached by Gil to teach a fondant basics
class ldquoHuntsville is such an engineer town and everyone is so mathematical and
scientifi crdquo Odom says echoing the dichotomy between the arts and sciences ex-
pressed by Gil ldquoTh ese workshops are just a very cool way for structured people to
have a creative outletrdquo
ldquoJACKI AND I ARE A GOOD TEAM BECAUSE OUR HEARTS ARE INTHE SAME PLACE WHEN IT COMES TO ENCOURAGING OTHERSrdquo
ERIN LINDSEY ERIN LINDSEY IMAGES
copy Erin Lindsey
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Above A participant in Erin Lindseyrsquos photo class frames a still life
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
copy Erin Lindsey
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
ldquoHUNTSVILLE IS SUCH AN ENGINEER TOWN AND EVERYONE ISSO MATHEMATICAL AND SCIENTIFIC THESE WORKSHOPS ARE JUST A VERY COOL
WAY FOR STRUCTURED PEOPLE TO HAVE A CREATIVE OUTLETrdquo MICHELLE ODOM JUST CRUMBS
copy Michelle Odom
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
ldquoAnd yesrdquo Odom acknowledges ldquoyou are in theory teaching your competition But
at the same time you are helping the community be more creativerdquo
With its roster of popular creative workshops under its belt Encourage Huntsville
has added business classes to its community-over-competition curriculum with
classes designed to provide specifi c guidance for small business owners ldquoAll of
our events that donrsquot require hands-on work we call seminarsrdquo says Gil ldquoWe had
about 15 people at our fi rst one It was pretty much just an open discussion to ask
us questions and get answers from the perspective of a small business ownerrdquo
Th e seminars enjoyed the same success and enthusiasm as the workshops ldquoWe
had two hours for people to ask questionsrdquo Gil says Topics covered ran the gamut
from scheduling daily tasks self-hosting a website or using an Etsy store man-
aging client expectations and being realistic about how much time you need to
complete jobs
ldquoTh e time went quickly and people wanted morerdquo says Gil who envisions an all-
day seminar in 2016
Margaret Baggett owner and executive chef of the Chef Next Door is another
small business owner who has shared Gilrsquos vision from the very beginning teach-
copy Erin Lindsey
Facing page Michelle Odomrsquos fondant basics class begins with a styrofoam cake form Above Newbie photographers familiarize themselves with their cameras in Erin Lindseyrsquos photography class
ing knife skills workshops and helping host the business seminars ldquoI am so proud
to get to be a part of this project and help nurture other small business owners
who may just be starting out on their journey or are deep in it and looking for
some encouragement from other business ownersrdquo Baggett says of what motivates
her participation in Encourage Huntsville ldquoEven being on the advice-giving side
of things I am still learning and have taken tips and tricks and lessons from each
event we have had so far We never stop learning from each other and never stop
improving upon our craftsrdquo
Th e mutual growth among students and teachers is the source of the encourage-
mentmdashand the joymdashof Encourage Huntsville ldquoItrsquos so much fun to see the light
bulbs go off with people and see them encouraged right before your eyesrdquo Lindsey
says of her experience with the program ldquoPlus itrsquos a pleasure to contribute to a
sense of community over competition Th at whole concept is so rarerdquo
As Encourage Huntsvillersquos following continues to grow the diversity of the work-
shops will expand as well Whether you are looking to spend a fun afternoon
learning a new craft or are a budding small business owner hoping to launch
your brand Encourage Huntsville has something valuable to off er ldquoWe encourage
those left-brain folks to take up a new hobby or skillrdquo Baggett says ldquoor just encour-
age the people of Huntsville to get together and fan their creative fl amesrdquo
If yoursquore looking for
creative or entrepreneurial
encouragement visit
encouragehuntsvillecom
for seminar and workshop
schedules and information
ldquoI AM SO PROUD TO GET TO BE A PART OF THIS PROJECT AND HELP NURTURE OTHER SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS WHO MAY JUST BE STARTING OUT ON THEIR JOURNEY OR ARE DEEP IN IT
AND LOOKING FOR SOME ENCOURAGEMENT FROM OTHER BUSINESS OWNERSrdquoMARGARET BAGGETT CHEF NEXT DOOR
copy Jacki Gil
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
copy Jacki Gil
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Participants in Margaret Baggettrsquos knife skills workshop learn to perfect their ldquomise en placerdquo
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
copy Olivia Reed
text by sara wright covington raquo photos by olivia reed and jeff white
HUNTSVILLErsquoS
HOMEGROWNHOSTESS
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
ttttttononononoooooonononooooo raquo praquo praquo praquo praquo phothothothothotosoososos s s osos bybybbybb
Any host will tell you that delicious food and quality libations while important to
a partyrsquos success are secondary to the most important ingredient of all the guest list Th atrsquos why many
of downtown Huntsvillersquos most popular restaurants breweries and wine shops are turning to event
planner Ashley Ryals and her uncanny knack for attracting loyal patronsmdashand creating unforgettable
events in the process
When Huntsville born-and-bred Ashley Ryals left for college at the University of Alabama in 2001
she thought her exit from the Valley was permanent ldquoI never thought I would end up back hererdquo the
founder of event planning company Homegrown Huntsville says with a knowing laugh But after a few
post-graduate years working for world-renowned public relations powerhouse Weber Shandwick in
New York City Ryals started to second guess her freshman declaration
ldquoI started to get homesickrdquo she admits ldquoAll of my friends were getting married and meeting for football
games and I was missing itrdquo So when a friend from home set up an interview at EarlyWorks for a job
doing event planning Ryals jumped at the chance to come home
Ashley spent the next few years planning EarlyWorks Whistle Stop and Santarsquos Village events A brief
stint in sales followed along with a seat on the board of Huntsville Young Professionals where she had
an idea for a downtown pub crawl
ldquoWe expected 20 or 30 peoplerdquo Ryals says of their modest expectations ldquoBut 200 people showed uprdquo
Th at initial success convinced Ryals to embark on her dream of establishing an
event planning company But it wasnrsquot just any event planning company Ryals
had in mind she envisioned one that would collaborate with local businesses
cultivate signature events for the community to enjoy and support small busi-
nesses in the process
Inspired Ryals left her sales job and for the second time in her life came home
again to event planning and Homegrown Huntsville
To help bring her vision to life Ryals collaborated with designer Adrianne Van
Kirk of Fave Creative ldquoAdrianne has been a part of the visual and branding of
Homegrown from the beginning We come up with the event ideas then I get
the ticketing and sales together and she comes back with a logo and the mar-
keting for the event And thatrsquos how it all comes togetherrdquo Ryals says of their
creative process
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
ASHLEY RYALS
copy Olivia Reed
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
ldquoMOST WINE FESTIVALS ACROSS THE COUNTRY HAVE PROVEN RECORDS OF BEING ABLE TO STAY AROUND 15 OR 20 YEARS OR EVEN LONGER AND THE ECONOMIES OF THOSE
CITIES HAVE REALLY GROWN AS A RESULT I WANT BIG SPRING CRUSH TO EVENTUALLY BE THE BIGGEST AND BEST WINE FESTIVAL IN THE STATE OF ALABAMArdquo ASHLEY RYALS
copy Jeff White
copy Jeff White
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
copy Olivia Reed
Homegrown launched in 2011 with what would become its
signature event Dine amp Dash Every second Wednesday
April through October a trolley shuttles patrons between
downtown establishments where they are served a drink
and appetizer before moving on to the next stop
Owner and executive chef Merle Phillips of Th e Eaves was
one of the fi rst restaurants to sign on for Dine amp Dashrsquos de-
but ldquoAshley came to me and said she was starting a trolley
tasting conceptrdquo says Chef Merle ldquoI didnrsquot really know her so
I was taking a chance on the concept she was sellingrdquo
Merle tried it and has been a loyal participant of Dine amp
Dash ever since
ldquoIt was a risk in the beginning but it defi nitely paid off rdquo Chef
Merle says of the experience Pivotal to that experience ac-
cording to Phillips is Ryalsrsquo demonstration to the commu-
nity just what the term ldquohomegrownrdquo really means ldquoAshley
shines a spotlight on independent businesses in a market-
place that has for so long focused on chainsrdquo Phillips says
ldquoDine amp Dash has really brought into sharp focus the inter-
esting culinary diversity that Huntsville has to off errdquo
For the next two years Homegrown Huntsville focused al-
most exclusively on Dine amp Dash which by the end of its fi rst
year included every single downtown restaurant But when
big changes began to appear on the downtown horizonmdash
new restaurants breweries and residential developmentsmdash
Ryalsrsquo instincts told her
the time had come to
introduce a new event
to the downtown cal-
endar
ldquoBeer Hop follows
the concept of Dine
amp Dashrdquo Ryals says of
Homegrownrsquos second
venture which began
in 2013 Each month a
trolley visits three dif-
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
BILL FOWLEROLD TOWN BEER
EXCHANGE
copy Olivia Reed
copy Olivia Reed
ferent breweries where patrons sample beers and enjoy food
from a variety of food trucks parked at each location
Bill Fowler managing partner of Old Town Beer Exchange
agreed to participate in Beer Hop on his very fi rst day of
business and credits Ryals with an overwhelmingly success-
ful opening night ldquoAshley said lsquoI can guarantee that you are
going to have wave after wave of people coming throughrsquordquo
Fowler says recalling that fi rst jittery occasion Once again
Ryals proved true to her word with 60-plus patrons arriving
in an hour-and-a-half ldquoIt was awesome and such a great ex-
perience for usrdquo Fowler raves ldquoAshley is a hard worker and
you can see that in what she doesrdquo
Fowler believes that in addition to bringing new customers
to OTBX Ryals is also cultivating beer education consis-
tently bringing in people who are new to beer and want to
learn And with Huntsvillersquos recent brewery boom that level
of education and interest is crucial for the brewing commu-
nity to thrive ldquoWe have a very small window of opportunityrdquo
says Fowler ldquoI think Huntsville in particular is becoming a
craft brewing community People are making money at this
and once Tennessee sees that we need to already have had a
pretty huge head startrdquo
By the end of 2013 and with standing events Beer Hop and
Dine amp Dash well established Ryals took time to refl ect on
her original goal for Homegrown Huntsville ldquoIn the back of
my head from day one I knew I wanted to do a wine festival
I just didnrsquot think Huntsville was ready for it in 2011rdquo
Emboldened by the success of Beer Hop Ryals decided to
make the leap with Big Spring Crush wine festival later the
same year Once again Ryals delivered the perfect audience
for the event and in the process discovered a surprising
fact about North Alabamarsquos contribution to the wine-mak-
ing industry
ldquoIn doing the wine festival I learned that we have a huge
wine community in Huntsvillerdquo Ryals says ldquoTh ere are only
about 47 certifi ed wine judges in the entire United States
and we have four of them right here in North Alabama Two
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
copy Jeff White
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
ldquoI STARTED TO GET HOMESICK ALL OF MY FRIENDS WERE GETTING MARRIEDAND MEETING FOR FOOTBALL GAMES AND I WAS MISSING ITrdquo ASHLEY RYALS
copy Jeff White
copy Jeff White
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
ldquoIT WAS AWESOME AND SUCH A GREAT EXPERIENCE FOR USrdquoBILL FOWLER OLD TOWN BEER EXCHANGE
copy Jeff White
copy Olivia Reed
of those four certifi ed wine judges sit on the committee for
Big Spring Crushrdquo
Matthew and Stephanie Mell had just opened Church Street
Wine Shop when they decided to participate in the fi rst Big
Spring Crush Like OTBXrsquos Robert Fowler the Mells credit
Ryals and Homegrown Huntsville for helping to introduce
their new enterprise to the community ldquoAshley has been in-
strumental in helping to bring us people who love and ap-
preciate winerdquo Stephanie Mell says ldquoShe was homegrown
here in Huntsville and she really gets the downtown area
and small businesses and that is so important to usrdquo
Big Spring Crush began with a bang featuring over 150
wines and attracting patrons from across the country
ldquoMost wine festivals across the country have proven records
of being able to stay around 15 or 20 years or even longerrdquo
Ryals says ldquoAnd the economies of those cities have really
grown as a result I want Big Spring Crush to eventually be
the biggest and best wine festival in the state of Alabamardquo
How does Ryals intend to make that dream come true ldquoBy
always keeping it fresh I want to have new marketing and
new things happening each yearrdquo
Ryalsrsquo formula of reinvention and expansion has successfully
led Homegrown Huntsville through fi ve years of success and
helped its events become community staples along the way In
the process Ryals is broadening more than just our image of
downtown Huntsville shersquos joining a class of creative entrepre-
neurs committed to expanding Huntsvillersquos reputation as more
than just a hub for the brightest scientifi c minds in America
ldquoWe have a big city of engineers and lawyers and itrsquos won-
derfulrdquo Ryals say ldquo But there is a whole artist and food cul-
ture here and there is so much growth I want us to have a
vibrant cool downtown area and I want for people to tell
their friends to come and visit and to see Huntsville for what
it is a city I loverdquo
If yoursquod like to participate in Homegrown Huntsville either
as a guest or a participating business visit homegrown-
huntsvillecom
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
copy Jeff White
I was years old and the year was At that time the city of Huntsville was inching toward the mountain to the east California Street was once the continental divide between the small town metropo-lis and the uncharted territories gingerly crossed by the real estate pioneers four score and some odd years prior Th is area became the new suburb as the city kept pushing onward toward Fagan Springs as if the reverberating booms of rocket testings were vibrating Hunstvillians away from its epicenter
From the front yard of our house on Owens Drive I could look to the rightmdashup the hill to the bend be-yond which the big houses stood on their rocky ledge pedestals and to the left where all the other houses that looked just like oursmdashfresh and newmdashrambled for what seemed like miles Th ose clean well-lit abodes all seemed the same and granted at my age I knew more about the pets that lived there than I did about the people who owned those manageable mortgages I came to realize that each was diff erent in a way that was permeated by voices smells and furnishings
It is a clicheacute to say that our lives were simpler then because that is just how the current era will be fondly referred to in the future but to a 5-year-old it is the simplicity that brought the joy Th e sixties will always be to me the beginning of the age of manufactured happiness Cheap clean and simple was what was strived for and what was easily obtained Plastic items were plentiful and pretty things could be bought with SampH Green Stamps A few coins in our pocket would transfer us into the most master of manipula-tors with us giving our all to convince our parents for a jaunt to Murdockrsquos for a holiday of wonderment joy and impatience as we would scour the shelves trying to get the most from our meager budget
Owens Drive was the fairly new thoroughfare from which the avenues of three-bedroom-ranchers fi ngered away at planned intervals Th is was the place where newlyweds started their lives homes and families Where girls with last names that had been in the town for generations would change them to those strange and exotic last names of the clean cut newcomers brought here for military purposes Where the housewives would preheat their pristine electric ovens trying to make cheese straws and biscuits that were just like their motherrsquos only to be frustrated as they were never quite the same and where the husbands would follow in their fatherrsquos footsteps by joining the Acme Club and hunting doves on the weekends
Th ere was a swimming pool Certainly not at our house Th e only private pool I remember as a child was one that my grandmother would take me to nestled between huge trees at someonersquos house on Adams Street I would swim with other children my age while our grandmothers chatted smoking cigarettes in cat-eyed anonymity whispering most of their stories so we wouldnrsquot be able to hear But between their
gasps and laughter we would listen hear and learn
Th e Blossomwood pool was a place of designated rules and the sound of bright whistlesmdashwith straight lines and distinctive colors of blue and green I can still feel the Coppertoned oiliness on the skin of the tanned lifeguard as she carried me from the deep end frightened after my fi rst attempt at solo-swimming She knew my name I had no idea who she was
On the other side of the pool was the school my older sister attended It had a style that mim-icked the poolmdashstraight lines cleanmdasha temple to orderliness and good manners It was with
awe that I once watched the young adults there some as old as eleven wind and dance their way around a sky-high fl agpolemdasheach with a diff erent color ribbon until the fi rst (and only) May Pole
I was privy to was completely dressed in its woven bright colors
90 raquo bless their hearts raquo Guy McClure Jr
Huntsville was a magical place for us tail-end baby boomers to grow upmdashbeyond the miracles of the escalator at Pizitz the smiling little lady on the tall stool at the register at Britlings There was a comfort level there that Irsquom not sure is in the minds of the 5-year-olds of today
cat-eyed agasps
Th s
aI w
THE COMFORTS OF BLOSSOMWOOD
In our world of red-bricked carported castles there was a def-inite division of generations Th e children ate separately from the parents went to school as our dads went to work enter-tained our neighborhood friends as quietly as possible and felt safe between our boundaries of Big Cove Road and Hermitage Street While we dined on our Chef Boy-Ar-Dee boxed pizza our parents busied themselves dressing in their dark colors getting ready for a late dinner at Boots having the scent of perfume and face powder trail my mother as she came into the kitchen looking for something with an intense purpose My father would smell of British Sterling and look just as he did when he went to work only happier Th ese nights meant something fun would happenmdashwe would have a babysitter
Babysitters were my introduction into what was and still seems cool Th ey were usually Huntsville High School teen-agers who would put on a show without even knowing it I would drink in their every move word and essence of style To me they were supermodelsmdashmovie starsmdasheven more fa-mous in my eyes than a television weatherman and almost as glamorous as the waitresses at the Waffl e House
Before they would tire of me and my sister and put us to bed they would include us in their world of music and knowledge which I thought was all-encompassing Suddenly our world of Th e Benny Carl Show and Fantasy Playhouse would seem trite and passeacute and we would catch a fl eeting glimpse into what would be in store for us when we too could stay up past 8 pm
Huntsville was a magical place for us tail-end baby boomers to grow upmdashbeyond the miracles of the escalator at Pizitz the smiling little lady on the tall stool at the register at Britlings and that bright colorful Maypole Th ere was a comfort level there that Irsquom not sure is in the minds of the 5-year-olds of todaymdashthe soothing sheltered lack of knowledge of why we were so lucky yet we didnrsquot even know that we were
In the other areas of our Huntsville there was poverty and ra-cial unrestmdashas there was and is in every city I was unaware People of color were always a part of my worldmdashmostly be-cause they had my attention and respect At our house there was Annie my grandmotherrsquos house was fi lled with the joys of Lula and out on the family farm there was strong and smiling Homer and large and huggable Rosamdashall just as much a part of my life as everyone else My life was good and they were instrumental in making it that way
What will the 5-year-olds of today who are lucky enough to be raised on those well-planned streets remember when they surpass their own 50 year mark It is a much more complex world now and there are diff erent concerns with daily changes of fear Youthful innocence is a prize that is encased without a lock Premature maturity is a viable threat and a constant fear But each night tucked in tight in a simple room sleeps tomor-rowrsquos adults who are having sweet dreamsmdashblanketed by the comforts of Blossomwood
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
92 raquo the vine raquo Amy C Collins
BORDEAUX POWER
Where Burgundyrsquos vineyards were established by Benedictine monks patiently growing wine vines with spiritual hearts Bordeauxrsquos vineyards were raised by entrepreneurial laymen who recognized the massive monetary opportunity when the English began drinking down their peasant wine
The city of Bordeaux is Francersquos primary port town on the Atlantic ocean a harbor that has for centuries served as the countryrsquos most important dock Th e regionrsquos history is long and storied with the fi rst written reference to the area dated 379 AD by the Latin poet Ausonius who was also a wine-grower Jump ahead to the year 1152 when Eleanor of Aquitaine married Englandrsquos soon-to-be king Henry Plantagenet and the port and surrounding vineyard land became the source of wine for the English a connection that remains strong even today
Bordeaux produces the worldrsquos most expensive and sought after collector wines the top tier of which make up less than fi ve percent of the regionrsquos total production Th ese names are quickly learned by neophyte wine drinkers wanting to make an impression Chateau Haut-Brion Lafi te Latour and Margaux for example Grown in gravelly soils only a few meters above sea levelmdashin contrast vineyards elsewhere in Europe typically sit between 300 and 900 metersmdashthese wines are some of the most powerful austere and pawed over When young the tannins in these cabernet sauvignon cabernet franc and merlot blends coat the tongue and mouth with a chalky dry sensation akin to sucking on an Earl Grey tea bag and are perhaps best suited to well-fatted rare steak and cigars Th ese are wines built to live for decades Personally I prefer a Bordeaux at least 20 years aged when the tannins have had ample time to calm down and mellow out and more nuanced fl avors come forward Sounds fancy and it is Only in some very lucky circumstances over the past year have I been guest to a bottle of 1990 Clos de Menuts Saint-Eacutemilion and a 1970 Chateau Haut-Brion About once every 10 years Irsquove had the good
fortune to taste a wine older than myself Nice work if you can get it
Where Burgundyrsquos vineyards (Francersquos other classifi ed sought-after region) were established by Benedictine monks patiently growing wine vines with spiritual hearts
Bordeauxrsquos vineyards were raised by entrepreneurial laymen who recognized the massive monetary opportunity when the English began drinking down their peasant wine Th is underscores the second half of my theory as to why Americans
more often American males are so drawn to the wines of Bordeaux Th erersquos an inherent capitalist connection something in the soil Th at the wines are so
unmistakable so distinctively grand and pronounced elixirs exemplifi es the fi rst half of my theory we Americans are not known for our subtlety (To be fair the Chinese are
signifi cant Bordeaux collectors as well)
Philosophy aside Bordeaux is quite a large region that produces beautiful white and red values as well as the rare fi nds out of the populacersquos price range Herersquos the skinny Blending is the game single varietal wines are rare White Bordeaux is typically made from a blend of sauvignon blanc and seacutemillon and sometimes a drop or two of muscadelle ugni blanc or colombard Reds are made primarily from the two cabernets plus merlot with small quantities of petit verdot malbec and carmenegravere occasionally in the mix Th e region is also home to the golden nectar of late ripened seacutemillon sauvignon blanc and muscadelle grapes that have successfully attracted the noble rot a fungus that covers the fruit and drains moisture from inside leaving behind rich sweet grapes without moldy fl avors Chateau drsquoYquem is the most famous of these unfortifi ed dessert wines though there are better bargains from the region
Bordeaux is split by the Gironde river which divides the region into three general areas Th e left bank also known as the Haut-Meacutedoc is where the classifi ed top growths are situated Th ese prestigious estates were named for their exceptional vineyard sites in 1855 a decision nearly unchanged since Today serious collectors invest in Bordeaux futures theoretically locking down lower prices of top
ample time to calm dit is Only in some vede Menuts Saint-Eacutem
fortune to taste a
Wherees
aun
of msignifi
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Follow Amy at pigandvinecom for morestories and wine suggestions
growth estates while the wine is still aging in the cellar Itrsquos the wine tradersquos equivalent to the NASDAQ On the right bank Saint-Eacutemilion and Pommerol are the prized vineyard areas known for their merlot heavy cuveacutees To the south west we fi nd Graves where there are many great values to be had in both white and red bottlings Entre-Deux-Mers which translates to ldquobetween two seasrdquo sits between the Dordogne and Garonne tributaries off the Gironde and is an excellent source for crisp whites
Get started on your Bordeaux experience with these values
Chateau Graville-Lacoste 2014 Graves 75 seacutemillon 20 sauvignon blanc and 5 muscadelle make up this beauty thatrsquos consistently delicious every vintage Crisp and refreshing great with seafood
Chateau Mirambeau 2014 GravesAnother classic blend of 40 sauvignon blanc 40 seacutemillon and 20 muscadelle this lovely white is a bit more fl oral than the Graville-Lacoste Easy drinking and great value
Chateau de Parenchegravere Bordeaux Rouge 201155 merlot 30 cabernet sauvignon and 15 cabernet franc grown in clay heavy soils similar to the right bank of the region Fleshy with good structure and abundant red fruit
Chateau Arnaud Bordeaux Supeacuterieur 2011Supeacuterieur on a Bordeaux label isnrsquot egotistical marketingmdashby law it indicates a wine with up to one degree more alcohol than its AC Bordeaux brethren What it really means is one more degree of body structure and in this case quality Approachable delicious and easy on the wallet
Chateau de Bernadotte Haut-Meacutedoc 2005Th e 2005 vintage in Bordeaux is in the history books with double asterisks Owned by the eminent Pichon Lalande family and made from vineyards in Paulliac one of the more choice growing areas in the region this is an incredible value a top tier Bordeaux for a fraction of the cost
Chateau de Suduiraut Sauternes 2011Ripe cantaloupe apricot and honey and an interesting smoky note with a solid sweet attack followed by great acidity A dessert wine that wonrsquot overpower the dessert
94 raquo parting shot raquo Patrick Hood
Meet Solvar
Solvar belongs to one of the worldrsquos oldest and purest equine lineages the Nor-
wegian Fjord horse a breed that has remained virtually unchanged for more than
2000 yearsmdashlong before we became acquainted with his animated cousins in
the movie Frozen Th ese national symbols of Norway are characterized by primi-
tive zebra striping on their legs and a dorsal stripe running from forelock to tail
resulting in a striking two-tone mane that sticks up like a Mohawk Th eir athleti-
cism agility and dependability make them valuable both as sport horses as well
as therapy horses for emotionally and physically challenged adults and children
Catie Wells of Huntsville is the proud owner of Solvar who resides at Monte
Sano Stables
For tickets or information 256-539-4818 or hsoorg
Bring In the New Year With Us
presents
WHAT A WONDERFUL
WORLDA tribute to Louis
Armstrong featuring the
Byron Stripling Quartet
Thursday December 31
730 pm bull Pops Series bullMark C Smith
Concert Hall VBC
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
M O R E T H A N 7 0 S H O P S A N D R E S T A U R A N T S I N C L U D I N G B E L K | D S W S H O E S | A P P L E J O S A B A N K | R E E D S J E W E L E R S | PA N D O R A | J C R E W | K AT E S PA D E N E W Y O R KO R V I S | B A N A N A R E P U B L I C | M I C H A E L K O R S | F R A N C E S C Arsquo S | A N T H R O P O L O G I EH amp M | S O M A | M O U N T A I N H I G H O U T F I T T E R S | B A R N E S amp N O B L E | S E P H O R AALTAR rsquoD STATE | CONNORS STEAK amp SEFOOD | THE WEST IN HUNTSV I L L E | MONACO P ICTURES
C O M I N G S O O N V E R S O N A ndash near Belk
B R I D G E S T R E E T H U N T S V I L L E C O M |
BR IDGE STREET TOWN CENTRE I S LOCATED AT EX I T 14 OFF I - 565 AT OLD MAD ISON P IKE
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
(1) Chewbead Necklace ($3495)(2) Mayoral Baby Bag ($7995)(3) Mayoral Diaper Changing Pad ($2495)(4) Nursing Scarf ($2695) (5) Kickee Swaddling Blanket ($22)Honey B Boutique(256) 503-2853 (6) Lucy Darling Months Sticker ($25) (7) The Story of You Baby Book by Emily Ley ($62) Sweet Pineapple(256) 964-7563
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) Alwand Vahan 14K Gold and Onyx Ring wDiamond Accent ($2595)(2) Alwand Vanan 14K Gold and Onyx Bracelet wDiamond Accent ($2695)Hobbs Jewelers(877) 233-1347
(3) Britt Ryan Dress ($288)Personal Couture Boutique(256) 508-5632
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) Rocket Cosmos Mug ($13)Huntsville Museumof Art(256) 535-4350
(2) Loose Leaf Tea ($399)Piper amp Leaf piperandleafcom (3) Judy Jackson Tea Pot ($56) (4) Gary Watson Cherry Cutting Board ($48-$68) (5) Susan Coe Birthday Cake Plate ($33) Little Green Storeand Gallery (256) 539-9699 (6) Macarons ($116 pcs $221 dozen)Whisk Small Treats Bakery(256) 656-1027
(7) Truffl es ($185 each)Pizellersquos Confections (256) 513-9745 (8) Olive amp Sinclair Chocolate ($799)Domaine South(256) 808-8860
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
(1) Whisk Note Pad ($8) (2) In the Forest Mixing Bowl ($36) (3) Twig Serving Set ($18)(8) Southern Firefl y Candle ($12)Sweet Pineapple(256) 964-7563
(4) Urchin Bowl ($10)(5) Foodie Dice ($38)(6) 1Canoe2 Wood Recipe Box w Recipe Cards ($6999) Domaine South(256) 808-8860 (7) Growlers ($75 small $95 large)Southern Growlersoutherngrowlercom
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) Tacori 18K Barbados Blue Bold Gem Ring ($660)(2) Tacori 18K Barbados Blue Bold Gem Necklace ($630)(3) Tacori 18K Barbados Blue Bold Gem Bracelet ($990)Hobbs Jewelers(877) 233-1347
(4) BCBG Dress ($328)Personal Couture Boutique(256) 508-5632
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Guadalupe Robinson
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
text by jennifer crossley howard raquo photos by patrick hood
Of Deft and Dirty Hands
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Huntsville potter Guadalupe Lanning Robinson has spent more than 36 years mastering the
marriage of clay texture and geometric design into her pottery yet time has done little to temper the
plight of waiting
ldquoIt is hard for me to let a pot just dryrdquo she says motioning toward fi ve small wet pots sitting near her
pottery wheel ldquoIrsquom as excited to do this as I was 30 years agordquo
To observe her studio at Lowe Mill that is easy to believe Located on the corridor outside the textile
mill-turned-art centerrsquos main building the loft-like space with a corrugated tin roof feels like a place a
Gabriel Garcia Marquez character would enjoy daydreaming
Sienna-hued pottery sits in various stages to be fi red layered and etched Argentinian tango music
streams from Robinsonrsquos iPhone and two cockatiels a parrot and a parakeet chirp from their cages All
except the parrot fl y freely when Robinson is working
Robinson who is 61 made her fi rst pot in 1979 in her native Mexico City Almost four decades later her
work is part of permanent museum collections in Auburn Huntsville Tuscumbia and Tupelo Missis-
sippi She regularly enters her work in respected juried shows such as the Monte Sano Arts Festival and
the Kentuck Festival of the Arts in Northport and has received two Alabama State Council on the Arts
individual artist fellowships
Her inspiration draws from the villages around her native Mexico City such as the black pottery of
the northwest as well as her acquired Southern culture White lilies corn grids and round female
fi guresmdashldquoreally strong women who are in chargerdquo Robinson saysmdashreappear on her stoneware She uses
natural dyes indigo for color and mixes sand into clay for texture Nothing is wasted
ldquoI donrsquot waste any clayrdquo Robinson says ldquoEverything is recycledrdquo
Robinson fi nds solace in the 40-50 hours a week she puts in at the studio and the often tedious process
of making pots which can take from three weeks to six weeks for larger pots She usually works on two
or three pots at a time tending to groups at diff erent stages
After a pot is thrown on a wheel a piece can take days to dry before its fi rst bisque fi re in which tem-
peratures rise to 1800 F After baking for nine hours the kiln must cool Th e second fi ring rises to 2150
F and matures the clay and melts the glazes to strengthen the piece
ldquoI am an effi cient person by naturerdquo Robinson says ldquoWaiting for the kiln to cool down enough to open
can be nerve wracking and this is when my patience is usually put to the testrdquo
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
ldquoIt is hard for me to let a pot just dry Irsquom as excited to do this as I was 30 years agordquo
Robinson makes most of her pots on a wheel using oxides to change the color of clay she gets from Nashville and Pittsburgh Her pottery takes several weeks from start to fi nish depending on how large a pot is and how many she makes at a time
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
ldquoAttend to your childrenrsquos needs fi rst keep focus on what you want to douse the happiness joy and little breaks you get to make your artTh ey grow real fast and they will keep inspiring you all your liferdquo
Robinson imagined this bat-like design as she was working She usually begins a piece with a design in mind but that often evolves
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Robinson uses an overlay of liquid clay called engobemdashthat includes three to four layersmdashto create a
base on which to design
Th ere is high risk in making pottery and hours of work can be wasted on a pot that has not dried en-
tirely before it enters the kiln Air pockets or the wrong mixture of chemicals can ruin a piece
ldquoArt is involved but science is toordquo says Laura Smith director of education at the Huntsville Museum
of Art where Robinson has taught pottery classes ldquoItrsquos more labor intensive in terms of working with
the medium whether yoursquore building by hand or with a wheel until you fi re with the fi nal layer of glazerdquo
Th e result is sturdy pottery
ldquoI want my pots to look like something that is lasting a long timerdquo Robinson says
Th ough she works solitarily in her studio she says she does not get lonely Her birds and music keep her
company and each stage of pottery making has a soundtrack She uses needlepoint tools to draw onto
clay to Jose Feliciano and other Latin American musicians
ldquoIf Irsquom at the wheel Bruno Marsrdquo she says ldquoIf Irsquom unloading the kiln and something is really awesome
then I need something moving and I have on Motownrdquo
Robinsonrsquos years of experience minimize the risk of damaged pots but she says her greatest challenge
as a potter was balancing her work while raising her two children Now adults their candid childhood
pictures and those of her grandchildren cover the warm green walls of her studio
She met her husband the poet James Robinson in 1977 on a Greyhound bus when she returned to
Mexico City from visiting a friend at the University of Southern Mississippi He was heading to Mexico
to study at a university Th ey married six months later After giving birth to her daughter Annie Jane in
Mexico City in 1982 the family moved to Huntsville in 1985 Th at is when Robinson got more serious
about her pottery
ldquoFrom the very beginning when I moved to Alabama I knew I was going to have to do thisrdquo she said
ldquoIn some ways it was a way for me to keep connected to my heritagerdquo
She took even 15 minutes of free time to work in the studio behind her home and worked late into the
night while her daughter and son Isidoro born in 1987 slept Having a home studio allowed her to
wash clothes tend to her home and drop off lunches at school while maintaining her art
ldquoTh ere was something for me when I fi rst became a mother that fueled my creativityrdquo Robinson says
ldquoTh ey are such a social inspiration too It fi lls your liferdquo
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Robinson advises fellow artists who are mothers to seize
both roles but to prioritize motherhood
ldquoAttend to your childrenrsquos needs fi rst keep focus on what you
want to do use the happiness joy and little breaks you get
to make your artrdquo she says ldquoTh ey grow real fast and they will
keep inspiring you all your liferdquo
Anna Sue Courtney director of the Flying Monkey Arts
Center at Lowe Mill has known Robinson for more than
10 years She says she admires how mothers and artists like
Robinson seamlessly embrace both roles
ldquoIt seems therersquos not a separation between creating and rais-
ing childrenrdquo Courtney says ldquoTh ey seem to pull from the
same placerdquo
Part of Robinsonrsquos motivation at Lowe Mill comes from
working privately in a studio alongside other artists that fos-
ters a community of feedback and ideas
ldquoItrsquos nice to be here because you can take a break and walk around and get inspirationrdquo Courtney says
ldquoItrsquos refreshingrdquo
When she needs a break from the studio Robinson stays home to sketch designs for a day or two then
she is back in the studio
Trips twice a year to Mexico City keep her plugged in to her native culture which in turn shows up in
her pottery
ldquoI have to recharge myselfrdquo Robinson says ldquoI love Huntsville and loved raising my kids here but I still
have the need of going back to be recharged and smell all the smells and see all the colors and get on
the subway and be pushed aroundrdquo
Details from her trips that infl uence her work include the ever-present red that covers the city during
the celebration of Dia de los Muertos or the Day of the Dead Th e pyramids of Teotihuacan conjure
warm earth tones and fl oating gardens around the city yield sweet pungent calla lilies and carnations
Celebration of food tough women and nature reappear in her pottery qualities that both Southern and
Mexican cultures treasure
Above This daisy design is character-istic of Robinsonrsquos work Nature food and strong females from her native Mexico City and the South are strong creative infl uences
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Clockwise from top left Robinson often glazes only the inside of her pots so they can hold water and food She began quilting in 2002 and her quilts like her pottery contain earth tones and natural infl uences in their design Four birds keep Robinson company in what can be the isolating medium of pottery making Geometry and symmetry are two signature elements in Robinsonrsquos work according to Laura Smith director of education at the Huntsville Museum of Art
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Just as she keeps her home country close to her heart Robinson is loyal to her fi rst
love of pottery though she began making quilts in 2002
ldquoIrsquom a potter who likes to quiltrdquo she says
Like her pottery her quilting follows designs of organic nature such as fl owers and
crops on rich jewel tone cotton
ldquoWhen I fi rst saw one of her quilts I didnrsquot realize it was hers and I thought that
looks like it should be Guadalupersquos quiltrdquo Courtney says
Robinson prefers the immediate gratifi cation of clay
ldquoItrsquos a very responsive mediumrdquo she says ldquoYou can manipulate it Th e fact of mak-
ing something out of dirt out of nothing and making it durable making it perma-
nent that after going through the heat and maturing is something very excitingrdquo
She gently dings a pot covered with white dresses titled ldquoTehuana Dressrdquo to make
her point
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
887 FM Muscle Shoals bull 1007 FM Huntsvillewwwaprorg
News classicalmusic and more
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
copy Patrick Hood
text by sara wright covington raquo photos by jacki gil
patrick hood erin lindsey and michelle odom
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
copy Patrick Hood
ldquoA LOT OF PEOPLE HAD BEEN ASKING ME QUESTIONS ABOUTHOW I GOT MY BUSINESS STARTED I WANTED TO GATHER SOME PEOPLE AROUND ME
WHO WERE GOING THROUGH THOSE STRUGGLES AND TOBUILD ENTREPRENEURIAL COURAGErdquo
JACKI GIL SALT+PAPERIE
copy Patrick Hood
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
untsville-born Jacki Gil began her paper design busi-
ness Salt+Paperie in 2014 with an expansive vision
in mind one that extended beyond creating beautiful
custom designed paper goods ldquoI love my design job
but when Irsquom 50 years old I donrsquot see myself still de-
signing wedding invitationsrdquo the master stationer says
ldquoI really have a passion for teaching and helping people
I want to be a mentorrdquo
In 2015 Gil set out on her mentoring mission sooner than expected with a series
of workshops called Encourage Huntsville ldquoA lot of people had been asking me
questions about how I got my business startedrdquo Gil says about the early days of
Salt+Paperie Even though most of those questions from entrepreneurial-hopefuls
were technicalmdashlike how to apply for a business licensemdashthey served as inspira-
tion for Gil ldquoI wanted to gather some people around me who were going through
those struggles and to build entrepreneurial courage I defi nitely saw that there
was a need for helping people to take that next step toward owning their own
businessesrdquo
Encourage Huntsville was modeled on the image of a growing small business
movement called the Rising Tide Society a national community of creative small
business owners who encourage ldquocommunity over competitionrdquo Th at spirit of
openness is at the heart of Encourage Huntsville ldquoCommunity over competition
is a huge part of what we are doingrdquo says Gil ldquoSmall business owners sharing how
they earn their money is a big dealrdquo
As a fi rst step Gil gathered others around her who were using their skills and abili-
ties to make their own small businesses work With talents ranging from cooking
and cake decorating to hand lettering and artwork these small business owners
all embraced Gilrsquos vision for imparting to others the knowledge of their craft un-
impeded by a fear of losing their competitive edge
Th e fi rst lesson Gil wanted to impart to Encourage Huntsvillersquos students wasnrsquot
necessarily a particular craft or skill but a spirt of creative confi dence ldquoWe want-
ed to bridge the gap between the very artsy community and the ultimate engineer
communityrdquo many of whom Gil observes had been told since childhood they
werenrsquot artistic ldquoWhen you are little and someone tells you that you donrsquot have a
talent it sticks with you I found that a lot of people had that experience so that
was the workshop partmdashto build some creative courage in this communityrdquo
Gil conducted the fi rst workshop herself testing the waters to see how the concept
would be received Th e admission price to that fi rst workshop included supplies a
take-home ldquogoody bagrdquo to help students continue their work extracurricularly and
refreshmentsmdashas well as Gilrsquos tips of her trade
ldquoWe went in blindly not knowing if we had a market or notrdquo says Gil Th e popular-
ity of that fi rst class proved undeniably that a market did in fact exist the work-
shop sold out in one day ldquoSo we did back-to-back workshopsrdquo Gil says ldquoAfter that
novemberdecembeeer eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee | nononoononononononoonoonononooooonoonoonnononnoaaalalalllaallllllalaalaaalal ststustust ddiossscom mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm | | | | | | | | | | |
f
w
y
Previous page Encourage Huntsvillersquos founder and instructor Jacki Gil teaches a class in hand lettering Facing page A participant studies her supply list
we realized people really want to do this stuff So we said lsquoletrsquos jump on the boat
and make this happenrsquordquo
Gilrsquos longtime friend photographer Erin Lindsey of Erin Lindsey Images agreed
to contribute to Encourage Huntsvillersquos curriculum by teaching a photography
class ldquoJacki and I are a good team because our hearts are in the same place when
it comes to encouraging othersrdquo Lindsey says Still she admits saying yes to teach-
ing wasnrsquot without some initial hesitation ldquoWhen Jacki asked if I would teach a
class it was kind of scary I thought I had to be perfect before I could teach oth-
ersrdquo Lindsey says of her initial hesitancy ldquoBut after talking to Jacki I realized none
of us are perfectrdquo But perfection isnrsquot the goal encouragement is the goal ldquoAnd I
thought lsquoI can defi nitely line up with that visionrsquordquo
Michelle Odom another Huntsville native and owner of custom cake bakery Just
Crumbs was also on board with Gilrsquos vision In fact Odom had been contemplat-
ing teaching a class when she was approached by Gil to teach a fondant basics
class ldquoHuntsville is such an engineer town and everyone is so mathematical and
scientifi crdquo Odom says echoing the dichotomy between the arts and sciences ex-
pressed by Gil ldquoTh ese workshops are just a very cool way for structured people to
have a creative outletrdquo
ldquoJACKI AND I ARE A GOOD TEAM BECAUSE OUR HEARTS ARE INTHE SAME PLACE WHEN IT COMES TO ENCOURAGING OTHERSrdquo
ERIN LINDSEY ERIN LINDSEY IMAGES
copy Erin Lindsey
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Above A participant in Erin Lindseyrsquos photo class frames a still life
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
copy Erin Lindsey
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
ldquoHUNTSVILLE IS SUCH AN ENGINEER TOWN AND EVERYONE ISSO MATHEMATICAL AND SCIENTIFIC THESE WORKSHOPS ARE JUST A VERY COOL
WAY FOR STRUCTURED PEOPLE TO HAVE A CREATIVE OUTLETrdquo MICHELLE ODOM JUST CRUMBS
copy Michelle Odom
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
ldquoAnd yesrdquo Odom acknowledges ldquoyou are in theory teaching your competition But
at the same time you are helping the community be more creativerdquo
With its roster of popular creative workshops under its belt Encourage Huntsville
has added business classes to its community-over-competition curriculum with
classes designed to provide specifi c guidance for small business owners ldquoAll of
our events that donrsquot require hands-on work we call seminarsrdquo says Gil ldquoWe had
about 15 people at our fi rst one It was pretty much just an open discussion to ask
us questions and get answers from the perspective of a small business ownerrdquo
Th e seminars enjoyed the same success and enthusiasm as the workshops ldquoWe
had two hours for people to ask questionsrdquo Gil says Topics covered ran the gamut
from scheduling daily tasks self-hosting a website or using an Etsy store man-
aging client expectations and being realistic about how much time you need to
complete jobs
ldquoTh e time went quickly and people wanted morerdquo says Gil who envisions an all-
day seminar in 2016
Margaret Baggett owner and executive chef of the Chef Next Door is another
small business owner who has shared Gilrsquos vision from the very beginning teach-
copy Erin Lindsey
Facing page Michelle Odomrsquos fondant basics class begins with a styrofoam cake form Above Newbie photographers familiarize themselves with their cameras in Erin Lindseyrsquos photography class
ing knife skills workshops and helping host the business seminars ldquoI am so proud
to get to be a part of this project and help nurture other small business owners
who may just be starting out on their journey or are deep in it and looking for
some encouragement from other business ownersrdquo Baggett says of what motivates
her participation in Encourage Huntsville ldquoEven being on the advice-giving side
of things I am still learning and have taken tips and tricks and lessons from each
event we have had so far We never stop learning from each other and never stop
improving upon our craftsrdquo
Th e mutual growth among students and teachers is the source of the encourage-
mentmdashand the joymdashof Encourage Huntsville ldquoItrsquos so much fun to see the light
bulbs go off with people and see them encouraged right before your eyesrdquo Lindsey
says of her experience with the program ldquoPlus itrsquos a pleasure to contribute to a
sense of community over competition Th at whole concept is so rarerdquo
As Encourage Huntsvillersquos following continues to grow the diversity of the work-
shops will expand as well Whether you are looking to spend a fun afternoon
learning a new craft or are a budding small business owner hoping to launch
your brand Encourage Huntsville has something valuable to off er ldquoWe encourage
those left-brain folks to take up a new hobby or skillrdquo Baggett says ldquoor just encour-
age the people of Huntsville to get together and fan their creative fl amesrdquo
If yoursquore looking for
creative or entrepreneurial
encouragement visit
encouragehuntsvillecom
for seminar and workshop
schedules and information
ldquoI AM SO PROUD TO GET TO BE A PART OF THIS PROJECT AND HELP NURTURE OTHER SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS WHO MAY JUST BE STARTING OUT ON THEIR JOURNEY OR ARE DEEP IN IT
AND LOOKING FOR SOME ENCOURAGEMENT FROM OTHER BUSINESS OWNERSrdquoMARGARET BAGGETT CHEF NEXT DOOR
copy Jacki Gil
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
copy Jacki Gil
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Participants in Margaret Baggettrsquos knife skills workshop learn to perfect their ldquomise en placerdquo
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
copy Olivia Reed
text by sara wright covington raquo photos by olivia reed and jeff white
HUNTSVILLErsquoS
HOMEGROWNHOSTESS
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
ttttttononononoooooonononooooo raquo praquo praquo praquo praquo phothothothothotosoososos s s osos bybybbybb
Any host will tell you that delicious food and quality libations while important to
a partyrsquos success are secondary to the most important ingredient of all the guest list Th atrsquos why many
of downtown Huntsvillersquos most popular restaurants breweries and wine shops are turning to event
planner Ashley Ryals and her uncanny knack for attracting loyal patronsmdashand creating unforgettable
events in the process
When Huntsville born-and-bred Ashley Ryals left for college at the University of Alabama in 2001
she thought her exit from the Valley was permanent ldquoI never thought I would end up back hererdquo the
founder of event planning company Homegrown Huntsville says with a knowing laugh But after a few
post-graduate years working for world-renowned public relations powerhouse Weber Shandwick in
New York City Ryals started to second guess her freshman declaration
ldquoI started to get homesickrdquo she admits ldquoAll of my friends were getting married and meeting for football
games and I was missing itrdquo So when a friend from home set up an interview at EarlyWorks for a job
doing event planning Ryals jumped at the chance to come home
Ashley spent the next few years planning EarlyWorks Whistle Stop and Santarsquos Village events A brief
stint in sales followed along with a seat on the board of Huntsville Young Professionals where she had
an idea for a downtown pub crawl
ldquoWe expected 20 or 30 peoplerdquo Ryals says of their modest expectations ldquoBut 200 people showed uprdquo
Th at initial success convinced Ryals to embark on her dream of establishing an
event planning company But it wasnrsquot just any event planning company Ryals
had in mind she envisioned one that would collaborate with local businesses
cultivate signature events for the community to enjoy and support small busi-
nesses in the process
Inspired Ryals left her sales job and for the second time in her life came home
again to event planning and Homegrown Huntsville
To help bring her vision to life Ryals collaborated with designer Adrianne Van
Kirk of Fave Creative ldquoAdrianne has been a part of the visual and branding of
Homegrown from the beginning We come up with the event ideas then I get
the ticketing and sales together and she comes back with a logo and the mar-
keting for the event And thatrsquos how it all comes togetherrdquo Ryals says of their
creative process
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
ASHLEY RYALS
copy Olivia Reed
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
ldquoMOST WINE FESTIVALS ACROSS THE COUNTRY HAVE PROVEN RECORDS OF BEING ABLE TO STAY AROUND 15 OR 20 YEARS OR EVEN LONGER AND THE ECONOMIES OF THOSE
CITIES HAVE REALLY GROWN AS A RESULT I WANT BIG SPRING CRUSH TO EVENTUALLY BE THE BIGGEST AND BEST WINE FESTIVAL IN THE STATE OF ALABAMArdquo ASHLEY RYALS
copy Jeff White
copy Jeff White
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
copy Olivia Reed
Homegrown launched in 2011 with what would become its
signature event Dine amp Dash Every second Wednesday
April through October a trolley shuttles patrons between
downtown establishments where they are served a drink
and appetizer before moving on to the next stop
Owner and executive chef Merle Phillips of Th e Eaves was
one of the fi rst restaurants to sign on for Dine amp Dashrsquos de-
but ldquoAshley came to me and said she was starting a trolley
tasting conceptrdquo says Chef Merle ldquoI didnrsquot really know her so
I was taking a chance on the concept she was sellingrdquo
Merle tried it and has been a loyal participant of Dine amp
Dash ever since
ldquoIt was a risk in the beginning but it defi nitely paid off rdquo Chef
Merle says of the experience Pivotal to that experience ac-
cording to Phillips is Ryalsrsquo demonstration to the commu-
nity just what the term ldquohomegrownrdquo really means ldquoAshley
shines a spotlight on independent businesses in a market-
place that has for so long focused on chainsrdquo Phillips says
ldquoDine amp Dash has really brought into sharp focus the inter-
esting culinary diversity that Huntsville has to off errdquo
For the next two years Homegrown Huntsville focused al-
most exclusively on Dine amp Dash which by the end of its fi rst
year included every single downtown restaurant But when
big changes began to appear on the downtown horizonmdash
new restaurants breweries and residential developmentsmdash
Ryalsrsquo instincts told her
the time had come to
introduce a new event
to the downtown cal-
endar
ldquoBeer Hop follows
the concept of Dine
amp Dashrdquo Ryals says of
Homegrownrsquos second
venture which began
in 2013 Each month a
trolley visits three dif-
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
BILL FOWLEROLD TOWN BEER
EXCHANGE
copy Olivia Reed
copy Olivia Reed
ferent breweries where patrons sample beers and enjoy food
from a variety of food trucks parked at each location
Bill Fowler managing partner of Old Town Beer Exchange
agreed to participate in Beer Hop on his very fi rst day of
business and credits Ryals with an overwhelmingly success-
ful opening night ldquoAshley said lsquoI can guarantee that you are
going to have wave after wave of people coming throughrsquordquo
Fowler says recalling that fi rst jittery occasion Once again
Ryals proved true to her word with 60-plus patrons arriving
in an hour-and-a-half ldquoIt was awesome and such a great ex-
perience for usrdquo Fowler raves ldquoAshley is a hard worker and
you can see that in what she doesrdquo
Fowler believes that in addition to bringing new customers
to OTBX Ryals is also cultivating beer education consis-
tently bringing in people who are new to beer and want to
learn And with Huntsvillersquos recent brewery boom that level
of education and interest is crucial for the brewing commu-
nity to thrive ldquoWe have a very small window of opportunityrdquo
says Fowler ldquoI think Huntsville in particular is becoming a
craft brewing community People are making money at this
and once Tennessee sees that we need to already have had a
pretty huge head startrdquo
By the end of 2013 and with standing events Beer Hop and
Dine amp Dash well established Ryals took time to refl ect on
her original goal for Homegrown Huntsville ldquoIn the back of
my head from day one I knew I wanted to do a wine festival
I just didnrsquot think Huntsville was ready for it in 2011rdquo
Emboldened by the success of Beer Hop Ryals decided to
make the leap with Big Spring Crush wine festival later the
same year Once again Ryals delivered the perfect audience
for the event and in the process discovered a surprising
fact about North Alabamarsquos contribution to the wine-mak-
ing industry
ldquoIn doing the wine festival I learned that we have a huge
wine community in Huntsvillerdquo Ryals says ldquoTh ere are only
about 47 certifi ed wine judges in the entire United States
and we have four of them right here in North Alabama Two
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
copy Jeff White
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
ldquoI STARTED TO GET HOMESICK ALL OF MY FRIENDS WERE GETTING MARRIEDAND MEETING FOR FOOTBALL GAMES AND I WAS MISSING ITrdquo ASHLEY RYALS
copy Jeff White
copy Jeff White
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
ldquoIT WAS AWESOME AND SUCH A GREAT EXPERIENCE FOR USrdquoBILL FOWLER OLD TOWN BEER EXCHANGE
copy Jeff White
copy Olivia Reed
of those four certifi ed wine judges sit on the committee for
Big Spring Crushrdquo
Matthew and Stephanie Mell had just opened Church Street
Wine Shop when they decided to participate in the fi rst Big
Spring Crush Like OTBXrsquos Robert Fowler the Mells credit
Ryals and Homegrown Huntsville for helping to introduce
their new enterprise to the community ldquoAshley has been in-
strumental in helping to bring us people who love and ap-
preciate winerdquo Stephanie Mell says ldquoShe was homegrown
here in Huntsville and she really gets the downtown area
and small businesses and that is so important to usrdquo
Big Spring Crush began with a bang featuring over 150
wines and attracting patrons from across the country
ldquoMost wine festivals across the country have proven records
of being able to stay around 15 or 20 years or even longerrdquo
Ryals says ldquoAnd the economies of those cities have really
grown as a result I want Big Spring Crush to eventually be
the biggest and best wine festival in the state of Alabamardquo
How does Ryals intend to make that dream come true ldquoBy
always keeping it fresh I want to have new marketing and
new things happening each yearrdquo
Ryalsrsquo formula of reinvention and expansion has successfully
led Homegrown Huntsville through fi ve years of success and
helped its events become community staples along the way In
the process Ryals is broadening more than just our image of
downtown Huntsville shersquos joining a class of creative entrepre-
neurs committed to expanding Huntsvillersquos reputation as more
than just a hub for the brightest scientifi c minds in America
ldquoWe have a big city of engineers and lawyers and itrsquos won-
derfulrdquo Ryals say ldquo But there is a whole artist and food cul-
ture here and there is so much growth I want us to have a
vibrant cool downtown area and I want for people to tell
their friends to come and visit and to see Huntsville for what
it is a city I loverdquo
If yoursquod like to participate in Homegrown Huntsville either
as a guest or a participating business visit homegrown-
huntsvillecom
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
copy Jeff White
I was years old and the year was At that time the city of Huntsville was inching toward the mountain to the east California Street was once the continental divide between the small town metropo-lis and the uncharted territories gingerly crossed by the real estate pioneers four score and some odd years prior Th is area became the new suburb as the city kept pushing onward toward Fagan Springs as if the reverberating booms of rocket testings were vibrating Hunstvillians away from its epicenter
From the front yard of our house on Owens Drive I could look to the rightmdashup the hill to the bend be-yond which the big houses stood on their rocky ledge pedestals and to the left where all the other houses that looked just like oursmdashfresh and newmdashrambled for what seemed like miles Th ose clean well-lit abodes all seemed the same and granted at my age I knew more about the pets that lived there than I did about the people who owned those manageable mortgages I came to realize that each was diff erent in a way that was permeated by voices smells and furnishings
It is a clicheacute to say that our lives were simpler then because that is just how the current era will be fondly referred to in the future but to a 5-year-old it is the simplicity that brought the joy Th e sixties will always be to me the beginning of the age of manufactured happiness Cheap clean and simple was what was strived for and what was easily obtained Plastic items were plentiful and pretty things could be bought with SampH Green Stamps A few coins in our pocket would transfer us into the most master of manipula-tors with us giving our all to convince our parents for a jaunt to Murdockrsquos for a holiday of wonderment joy and impatience as we would scour the shelves trying to get the most from our meager budget
Owens Drive was the fairly new thoroughfare from which the avenues of three-bedroom-ranchers fi ngered away at planned intervals Th is was the place where newlyweds started their lives homes and families Where girls with last names that had been in the town for generations would change them to those strange and exotic last names of the clean cut newcomers brought here for military purposes Where the housewives would preheat their pristine electric ovens trying to make cheese straws and biscuits that were just like their motherrsquos only to be frustrated as they were never quite the same and where the husbands would follow in their fatherrsquos footsteps by joining the Acme Club and hunting doves on the weekends
Th ere was a swimming pool Certainly not at our house Th e only private pool I remember as a child was one that my grandmother would take me to nestled between huge trees at someonersquos house on Adams Street I would swim with other children my age while our grandmothers chatted smoking cigarettes in cat-eyed anonymity whispering most of their stories so we wouldnrsquot be able to hear But between their
gasps and laughter we would listen hear and learn
Th e Blossomwood pool was a place of designated rules and the sound of bright whistlesmdashwith straight lines and distinctive colors of blue and green I can still feel the Coppertoned oiliness on the skin of the tanned lifeguard as she carried me from the deep end frightened after my fi rst attempt at solo-swimming She knew my name I had no idea who she was
On the other side of the pool was the school my older sister attended It had a style that mim-icked the poolmdashstraight lines cleanmdasha temple to orderliness and good manners It was with
awe that I once watched the young adults there some as old as eleven wind and dance their way around a sky-high fl agpolemdasheach with a diff erent color ribbon until the fi rst (and only) May Pole
I was privy to was completely dressed in its woven bright colors
90 raquo bless their hearts raquo Guy McClure Jr
Huntsville was a magical place for us tail-end baby boomers to grow upmdashbeyond the miracles of the escalator at Pizitz the smiling little lady on the tall stool at the register at Britlings There was a comfort level there that Irsquom not sure is in the minds of the 5-year-olds of today
cat-eyed agasps
Th s
aI w
THE COMFORTS OF BLOSSOMWOOD
In our world of red-bricked carported castles there was a def-inite division of generations Th e children ate separately from the parents went to school as our dads went to work enter-tained our neighborhood friends as quietly as possible and felt safe between our boundaries of Big Cove Road and Hermitage Street While we dined on our Chef Boy-Ar-Dee boxed pizza our parents busied themselves dressing in their dark colors getting ready for a late dinner at Boots having the scent of perfume and face powder trail my mother as she came into the kitchen looking for something with an intense purpose My father would smell of British Sterling and look just as he did when he went to work only happier Th ese nights meant something fun would happenmdashwe would have a babysitter
Babysitters were my introduction into what was and still seems cool Th ey were usually Huntsville High School teen-agers who would put on a show without even knowing it I would drink in their every move word and essence of style To me they were supermodelsmdashmovie starsmdasheven more fa-mous in my eyes than a television weatherman and almost as glamorous as the waitresses at the Waffl e House
Before they would tire of me and my sister and put us to bed they would include us in their world of music and knowledge which I thought was all-encompassing Suddenly our world of Th e Benny Carl Show and Fantasy Playhouse would seem trite and passeacute and we would catch a fl eeting glimpse into what would be in store for us when we too could stay up past 8 pm
Huntsville was a magical place for us tail-end baby boomers to grow upmdashbeyond the miracles of the escalator at Pizitz the smiling little lady on the tall stool at the register at Britlings and that bright colorful Maypole Th ere was a comfort level there that Irsquom not sure is in the minds of the 5-year-olds of todaymdashthe soothing sheltered lack of knowledge of why we were so lucky yet we didnrsquot even know that we were
In the other areas of our Huntsville there was poverty and ra-cial unrestmdashas there was and is in every city I was unaware People of color were always a part of my worldmdashmostly be-cause they had my attention and respect At our house there was Annie my grandmotherrsquos house was fi lled with the joys of Lula and out on the family farm there was strong and smiling Homer and large and huggable Rosamdashall just as much a part of my life as everyone else My life was good and they were instrumental in making it that way
What will the 5-year-olds of today who are lucky enough to be raised on those well-planned streets remember when they surpass their own 50 year mark It is a much more complex world now and there are diff erent concerns with daily changes of fear Youthful innocence is a prize that is encased without a lock Premature maturity is a viable threat and a constant fear But each night tucked in tight in a simple room sleeps tomor-rowrsquos adults who are having sweet dreamsmdashblanketed by the comforts of Blossomwood
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
92 raquo the vine raquo Amy C Collins
BORDEAUX POWER
Where Burgundyrsquos vineyards were established by Benedictine monks patiently growing wine vines with spiritual hearts Bordeauxrsquos vineyards were raised by entrepreneurial laymen who recognized the massive monetary opportunity when the English began drinking down their peasant wine
The city of Bordeaux is Francersquos primary port town on the Atlantic ocean a harbor that has for centuries served as the countryrsquos most important dock Th e regionrsquos history is long and storied with the fi rst written reference to the area dated 379 AD by the Latin poet Ausonius who was also a wine-grower Jump ahead to the year 1152 when Eleanor of Aquitaine married Englandrsquos soon-to-be king Henry Plantagenet and the port and surrounding vineyard land became the source of wine for the English a connection that remains strong even today
Bordeaux produces the worldrsquos most expensive and sought after collector wines the top tier of which make up less than fi ve percent of the regionrsquos total production Th ese names are quickly learned by neophyte wine drinkers wanting to make an impression Chateau Haut-Brion Lafi te Latour and Margaux for example Grown in gravelly soils only a few meters above sea levelmdashin contrast vineyards elsewhere in Europe typically sit between 300 and 900 metersmdashthese wines are some of the most powerful austere and pawed over When young the tannins in these cabernet sauvignon cabernet franc and merlot blends coat the tongue and mouth with a chalky dry sensation akin to sucking on an Earl Grey tea bag and are perhaps best suited to well-fatted rare steak and cigars Th ese are wines built to live for decades Personally I prefer a Bordeaux at least 20 years aged when the tannins have had ample time to calm down and mellow out and more nuanced fl avors come forward Sounds fancy and it is Only in some very lucky circumstances over the past year have I been guest to a bottle of 1990 Clos de Menuts Saint-Eacutemilion and a 1970 Chateau Haut-Brion About once every 10 years Irsquove had the good
fortune to taste a wine older than myself Nice work if you can get it
Where Burgundyrsquos vineyards (Francersquos other classifi ed sought-after region) were established by Benedictine monks patiently growing wine vines with spiritual hearts
Bordeauxrsquos vineyards were raised by entrepreneurial laymen who recognized the massive monetary opportunity when the English began drinking down their peasant wine Th is underscores the second half of my theory as to why Americans
more often American males are so drawn to the wines of Bordeaux Th erersquos an inherent capitalist connection something in the soil Th at the wines are so
unmistakable so distinctively grand and pronounced elixirs exemplifi es the fi rst half of my theory we Americans are not known for our subtlety (To be fair the Chinese are
signifi cant Bordeaux collectors as well)
Philosophy aside Bordeaux is quite a large region that produces beautiful white and red values as well as the rare fi nds out of the populacersquos price range Herersquos the skinny Blending is the game single varietal wines are rare White Bordeaux is typically made from a blend of sauvignon blanc and seacutemillon and sometimes a drop or two of muscadelle ugni blanc or colombard Reds are made primarily from the two cabernets plus merlot with small quantities of petit verdot malbec and carmenegravere occasionally in the mix Th e region is also home to the golden nectar of late ripened seacutemillon sauvignon blanc and muscadelle grapes that have successfully attracted the noble rot a fungus that covers the fruit and drains moisture from inside leaving behind rich sweet grapes without moldy fl avors Chateau drsquoYquem is the most famous of these unfortifi ed dessert wines though there are better bargains from the region
Bordeaux is split by the Gironde river which divides the region into three general areas Th e left bank also known as the Haut-Meacutedoc is where the classifi ed top growths are situated Th ese prestigious estates were named for their exceptional vineyard sites in 1855 a decision nearly unchanged since Today serious collectors invest in Bordeaux futures theoretically locking down lower prices of top
ample time to calm dit is Only in some vede Menuts Saint-Eacutem
fortune to taste a
Wherees
aun
of msignifi
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Follow Amy at pigandvinecom for morestories and wine suggestions
growth estates while the wine is still aging in the cellar Itrsquos the wine tradersquos equivalent to the NASDAQ On the right bank Saint-Eacutemilion and Pommerol are the prized vineyard areas known for their merlot heavy cuveacutees To the south west we fi nd Graves where there are many great values to be had in both white and red bottlings Entre-Deux-Mers which translates to ldquobetween two seasrdquo sits between the Dordogne and Garonne tributaries off the Gironde and is an excellent source for crisp whites
Get started on your Bordeaux experience with these values
Chateau Graville-Lacoste 2014 Graves 75 seacutemillon 20 sauvignon blanc and 5 muscadelle make up this beauty thatrsquos consistently delicious every vintage Crisp and refreshing great with seafood
Chateau Mirambeau 2014 GravesAnother classic blend of 40 sauvignon blanc 40 seacutemillon and 20 muscadelle this lovely white is a bit more fl oral than the Graville-Lacoste Easy drinking and great value
Chateau de Parenchegravere Bordeaux Rouge 201155 merlot 30 cabernet sauvignon and 15 cabernet franc grown in clay heavy soils similar to the right bank of the region Fleshy with good structure and abundant red fruit
Chateau Arnaud Bordeaux Supeacuterieur 2011Supeacuterieur on a Bordeaux label isnrsquot egotistical marketingmdashby law it indicates a wine with up to one degree more alcohol than its AC Bordeaux brethren What it really means is one more degree of body structure and in this case quality Approachable delicious and easy on the wallet
Chateau de Bernadotte Haut-Meacutedoc 2005Th e 2005 vintage in Bordeaux is in the history books with double asterisks Owned by the eminent Pichon Lalande family and made from vineyards in Paulliac one of the more choice growing areas in the region this is an incredible value a top tier Bordeaux for a fraction of the cost
Chateau de Suduiraut Sauternes 2011Ripe cantaloupe apricot and honey and an interesting smoky note with a solid sweet attack followed by great acidity A dessert wine that wonrsquot overpower the dessert
94 raquo parting shot raquo Patrick Hood
Meet Solvar
Solvar belongs to one of the worldrsquos oldest and purest equine lineages the Nor-
wegian Fjord horse a breed that has remained virtually unchanged for more than
2000 yearsmdashlong before we became acquainted with his animated cousins in
the movie Frozen Th ese national symbols of Norway are characterized by primi-
tive zebra striping on their legs and a dorsal stripe running from forelock to tail
resulting in a striking two-tone mane that sticks up like a Mohawk Th eir athleti-
cism agility and dependability make them valuable both as sport horses as well
as therapy horses for emotionally and physically challenged adults and children
Catie Wells of Huntsville is the proud owner of Solvar who resides at Monte
Sano Stables
For tickets or information 256-539-4818 or hsoorg
Bring In the New Year With Us
presents
WHAT A WONDERFUL
WORLDA tribute to Louis
Armstrong featuring the
Byron Stripling Quartet
Thursday December 31
730 pm bull Pops Series bullMark C Smith
Concert Hall VBC
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
M O R E T H A N 7 0 S H O P S A N D R E S T A U R A N T S I N C L U D I N G B E L K | D S W S H O E S | A P P L E J O S A B A N K | R E E D S J E W E L E R S | PA N D O R A | J C R E W | K AT E S PA D E N E W Y O R KO R V I S | B A N A N A R E P U B L I C | M I C H A E L K O R S | F R A N C E S C Arsquo S | A N T H R O P O L O G I EH amp M | S O M A | M O U N T A I N H I G H O U T F I T T E R S | B A R N E S amp N O B L E | S E P H O R AALTAR rsquoD STATE | CONNORS STEAK amp SEFOOD | THE WEST IN HUNTSV I L L E | MONACO P ICTURES
C O M I N G S O O N V E R S O N A ndash near Belk
B R I D G E S T R E E T H U N T S V I L L E C O M |
BR IDGE STREET TOWN CENTRE I S LOCATED AT EX I T 14 OFF I - 565 AT OLD MAD ISON P IKE
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) Alwand Vahan 14K Gold and Onyx Ring wDiamond Accent ($2595)(2) Alwand Vanan 14K Gold and Onyx Bracelet wDiamond Accent ($2695)Hobbs Jewelers(877) 233-1347
(3) Britt Ryan Dress ($288)Personal Couture Boutique(256) 508-5632
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) Rocket Cosmos Mug ($13)Huntsville Museumof Art(256) 535-4350
(2) Loose Leaf Tea ($399)Piper amp Leaf piperandleafcom (3) Judy Jackson Tea Pot ($56) (4) Gary Watson Cherry Cutting Board ($48-$68) (5) Susan Coe Birthday Cake Plate ($33) Little Green Storeand Gallery (256) 539-9699 (6) Macarons ($116 pcs $221 dozen)Whisk Small Treats Bakery(256) 656-1027
(7) Truffl es ($185 each)Pizellersquos Confections (256) 513-9745 (8) Olive amp Sinclair Chocolate ($799)Domaine South(256) 808-8860
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
(1) Whisk Note Pad ($8) (2) In the Forest Mixing Bowl ($36) (3) Twig Serving Set ($18)(8) Southern Firefl y Candle ($12)Sweet Pineapple(256) 964-7563
(4) Urchin Bowl ($10)(5) Foodie Dice ($38)(6) 1Canoe2 Wood Recipe Box w Recipe Cards ($6999) Domaine South(256) 808-8860 (7) Growlers ($75 small $95 large)Southern Growlersoutherngrowlercom
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) Tacori 18K Barbados Blue Bold Gem Ring ($660)(2) Tacori 18K Barbados Blue Bold Gem Necklace ($630)(3) Tacori 18K Barbados Blue Bold Gem Bracelet ($990)Hobbs Jewelers(877) 233-1347
(4) BCBG Dress ($328)Personal Couture Boutique(256) 508-5632
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Guadalupe Robinson
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
text by jennifer crossley howard raquo photos by patrick hood
Of Deft and Dirty Hands
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Huntsville potter Guadalupe Lanning Robinson has spent more than 36 years mastering the
marriage of clay texture and geometric design into her pottery yet time has done little to temper the
plight of waiting
ldquoIt is hard for me to let a pot just dryrdquo she says motioning toward fi ve small wet pots sitting near her
pottery wheel ldquoIrsquom as excited to do this as I was 30 years agordquo
To observe her studio at Lowe Mill that is easy to believe Located on the corridor outside the textile
mill-turned-art centerrsquos main building the loft-like space with a corrugated tin roof feels like a place a
Gabriel Garcia Marquez character would enjoy daydreaming
Sienna-hued pottery sits in various stages to be fi red layered and etched Argentinian tango music
streams from Robinsonrsquos iPhone and two cockatiels a parrot and a parakeet chirp from their cages All
except the parrot fl y freely when Robinson is working
Robinson who is 61 made her fi rst pot in 1979 in her native Mexico City Almost four decades later her
work is part of permanent museum collections in Auburn Huntsville Tuscumbia and Tupelo Missis-
sippi She regularly enters her work in respected juried shows such as the Monte Sano Arts Festival and
the Kentuck Festival of the Arts in Northport and has received two Alabama State Council on the Arts
individual artist fellowships
Her inspiration draws from the villages around her native Mexico City such as the black pottery of
the northwest as well as her acquired Southern culture White lilies corn grids and round female
fi guresmdashldquoreally strong women who are in chargerdquo Robinson saysmdashreappear on her stoneware She uses
natural dyes indigo for color and mixes sand into clay for texture Nothing is wasted
ldquoI donrsquot waste any clayrdquo Robinson says ldquoEverything is recycledrdquo
Robinson fi nds solace in the 40-50 hours a week she puts in at the studio and the often tedious process
of making pots which can take from three weeks to six weeks for larger pots She usually works on two
or three pots at a time tending to groups at diff erent stages
After a pot is thrown on a wheel a piece can take days to dry before its fi rst bisque fi re in which tem-
peratures rise to 1800 F After baking for nine hours the kiln must cool Th e second fi ring rises to 2150
F and matures the clay and melts the glazes to strengthen the piece
ldquoI am an effi cient person by naturerdquo Robinson says ldquoWaiting for the kiln to cool down enough to open
can be nerve wracking and this is when my patience is usually put to the testrdquo
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
ldquoIt is hard for me to let a pot just dry Irsquom as excited to do this as I was 30 years agordquo
Robinson makes most of her pots on a wheel using oxides to change the color of clay she gets from Nashville and Pittsburgh Her pottery takes several weeks from start to fi nish depending on how large a pot is and how many she makes at a time
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
ldquoAttend to your childrenrsquos needs fi rst keep focus on what you want to douse the happiness joy and little breaks you get to make your artTh ey grow real fast and they will keep inspiring you all your liferdquo
Robinson imagined this bat-like design as she was working She usually begins a piece with a design in mind but that often evolves
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Robinson uses an overlay of liquid clay called engobemdashthat includes three to four layersmdashto create a
base on which to design
Th ere is high risk in making pottery and hours of work can be wasted on a pot that has not dried en-
tirely before it enters the kiln Air pockets or the wrong mixture of chemicals can ruin a piece
ldquoArt is involved but science is toordquo says Laura Smith director of education at the Huntsville Museum
of Art where Robinson has taught pottery classes ldquoItrsquos more labor intensive in terms of working with
the medium whether yoursquore building by hand or with a wheel until you fi re with the fi nal layer of glazerdquo
Th e result is sturdy pottery
ldquoI want my pots to look like something that is lasting a long timerdquo Robinson says
Th ough she works solitarily in her studio she says she does not get lonely Her birds and music keep her
company and each stage of pottery making has a soundtrack She uses needlepoint tools to draw onto
clay to Jose Feliciano and other Latin American musicians
ldquoIf Irsquom at the wheel Bruno Marsrdquo she says ldquoIf Irsquom unloading the kiln and something is really awesome
then I need something moving and I have on Motownrdquo
Robinsonrsquos years of experience minimize the risk of damaged pots but she says her greatest challenge
as a potter was balancing her work while raising her two children Now adults their candid childhood
pictures and those of her grandchildren cover the warm green walls of her studio
She met her husband the poet James Robinson in 1977 on a Greyhound bus when she returned to
Mexico City from visiting a friend at the University of Southern Mississippi He was heading to Mexico
to study at a university Th ey married six months later After giving birth to her daughter Annie Jane in
Mexico City in 1982 the family moved to Huntsville in 1985 Th at is when Robinson got more serious
about her pottery
ldquoFrom the very beginning when I moved to Alabama I knew I was going to have to do thisrdquo she said
ldquoIn some ways it was a way for me to keep connected to my heritagerdquo
She took even 15 minutes of free time to work in the studio behind her home and worked late into the
night while her daughter and son Isidoro born in 1987 slept Having a home studio allowed her to
wash clothes tend to her home and drop off lunches at school while maintaining her art
ldquoTh ere was something for me when I fi rst became a mother that fueled my creativityrdquo Robinson says
ldquoTh ey are such a social inspiration too It fi lls your liferdquo
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Robinson advises fellow artists who are mothers to seize
both roles but to prioritize motherhood
ldquoAttend to your childrenrsquos needs fi rst keep focus on what you
want to do use the happiness joy and little breaks you get
to make your artrdquo she says ldquoTh ey grow real fast and they will
keep inspiring you all your liferdquo
Anna Sue Courtney director of the Flying Monkey Arts
Center at Lowe Mill has known Robinson for more than
10 years She says she admires how mothers and artists like
Robinson seamlessly embrace both roles
ldquoIt seems therersquos not a separation between creating and rais-
ing childrenrdquo Courtney says ldquoTh ey seem to pull from the
same placerdquo
Part of Robinsonrsquos motivation at Lowe Mill comes from
working privately in a studio alongside other artists that fos-
ters a community of feedback and ideas
ldquoItrsquos nice to be here because you can take a break and walk around and get inspirationrdquo Courtney says
ldquoItrsquos refreshingrdquo
When she needs a break from the studio Robinson stays home to sketch designs for a day or two then
she is back in the studio
Trips twice a year to Mexico City keep her plugged in to her native culture which in turn shows up in
her pottery
ldquoI have to recharge myselfrdquo Robinson says ldquoI love Huntsville and loved raising my kids here but I still
have the need of going back to be recharged and smell all the smells and see all the colors and get on
the subway and be pushed aroundrdquo
Details from her trips that infl uence her work include the ever-present red that covers the city during
the celebration of Dia de los Muertos or the Day of the Dead Th e pyramids of Teotihuacan conjure
warm earth tones and fl oating gardens around the city yield sweet pungent calla lilies and carnations
Celebration of food tough women and nature reappear in her pottery qualities that both Southern and
Mexican cultures treasure
Above This daisy design is character-istic of Robinsonrsquos work Nature food and strong females from her native Mexico City and the South are strong creative infl uences
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Clockwise from top left Robinson often glazes only the inside of her pots so they can hold water and food She began quilting in 2002 and her quilts like her pottery contain earth tones and natural infl uences in their design Four birds keep Robinson company in what can be the isolating medium of pottery making Geometry and symmetry are two signature elements in Robinsonrsquos work according to Laura Smith director of education at the Huntsville Museum of Art
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Just as she keeps her home country close to her heart Robinson is loyal to her fi rst
love of pottery though she began making quilts in 2002
ldquoIrsquom a potter who likes to quiltrdquo she says
Like her pottery her quilting follows designs of organic nature such as fl owers and
crops on rich jewel tone cotton
ldquoWhen I fi rst saw one of her quilts I didnrsquot realize it was hers and I thought that
looks like it should be Guadalupersquos quiltrdquo Courtney says
Robinson prefers the immediate gratifi cation of clay
ldquoItrsquos a very responsive mediumrdquo she says ldquoYou can manipulate it Th e fact of mak-
ing something out of dirt out of nothing and making it durable making it perma-
nent that after going through the heat and maturing is something very excitingrdquo
She gently dings a pot covered with white dresses titled ldquoTehuana Dressrdquo to make
her point
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
887 FM Muscle Shoals bull 1007 FM Huntsvillewwwaprorg
News classicalmusic and more
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
copy Patrick Hood
text by sara wright covington raquo photos by jacki gil
patrick hood erin lindsey and michelle odom
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
copy Patrick Hood
ldquoA LOT OF PEOPLE HAD BEEN ASKING ME QUESTIONS ABOUTHOW I GOT MY BUSINESS STARTED I WANTED TO GATHER SOME PEOPLE AROUND ME
WHO WERE GOING THROUGH THOSE STRUGGLES AND TOBUILD ENTREPRENEURIAL COURAGErdquo
JACKI GIL SALT+PAPERIE
copy Patrick Hood
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
untsville-born Jacki Gil began her paper design busi-
ness Salt+Paperie in 2014 with an expansive vision
in mind one that extended beyond creating beautiful
custom designed paper goods ldquoI love my design job
but when Irsquom 50 years old I donrsquot see myself still de-
signing wedding invitationsrdquo the master stationer says
ldquoI really have a passion for teaching and helping people
I want to be a mentorrdquo
In 2015 Gil set out on her mentoring mission sooner than expected with a series
of workshops called Encourage Huntsville ldquoA lot of people had been asking me
questions about how I got my business startedrdquo Gil says about the early days of
Salt+Paperie Even though most of those questions from entrepreneurial-hopefuls
were technicalmdashlike how to apply for a business licensemdashthey served as inspira-
tion for Gil ldquoI wanted to gather some people around me who were going through
those struggles and to build entrepreneurial courage I defi nitely saw that there
was a need for helping people to take that next step toward owning their own
businessesrdquo
Encourage Huntsville was modeled on the image of a growing small business
movement called the Rising Tide Society a national community of creative small
business owners who encourage ldquocommunity over competitionrdquo Th at spirit of
openness is at the heart of Encourage Huntsville ldquoCommunity over competition
is a huge part of what we are doingrdquo says Gil ldquoSmall business owners sharing how
they earn their money is a big dealrdquo
As a fi rst step Gil gathered others around her who were using their skills and abili-
ties to make their own small businesses work With talents ranging from cooking
and cake decorating to hand lettering and artwork these small business owners
all embraced Gilrsquos vision for imparting to others the knowledge of their craft un-
impeded by a fear of losing their competitive edge
Th e fi rst lesson Gil wanted to impart to Encourage Huntsvillersquos students wasnrsquot
necessarily a particular craft or skill but a spirt of creative confi dence ldquoWe want-
ed to bridge the gap between the very artsy community and the ultimate engineer
communityrdquo many of whom Gil observes had been told since childhood they
werenrsquot artistic ldquoWhen you are little and someone tells you that you donrsquot have a
talent it sticks with you I found that a lot of people had that experience so that
was the workshop partmdashto build some creative courage in this communityrdquo
Gil conducted the fi rst workshop herself testing the waters to see how the concept
would be received Th e admission price to that fi rst workshop included supplies a
take-home ldquogoody bagrdquo to help students continue their work extracurricularly and
refreshmentsmdashas well as Gilrsquos tips of her trade
ldquoWe went in blindly not knowing if we had a market or notrdquo says Gil Th e popular-
ity of that fi rst class proved undeniably that a market did in fact exist the work-
shop sold out in one day ldquoSo we did back-to-back workshopsrdquo Gil says ldquoAfter that
novemberdecembeeer eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee | nononoononononononoonoonononooooonoonoonnononnoaaalalalllaallllllalaalaaalal ststustust ddiossscom mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm | | | | | | | | | | |
f
w
y
Previous page Encourage Huntsvillersquos founder and instructor Jacki Gil teaches a class in hand lettering Facing page A participant studies her supply list
we realized people really want to do this stuff So we said lsquoletrsquos jump on the boat
and make this happenrsquordquo
Gilrsquos longtime friend photographer Erin Lindsey of Erin Lindsey Images agreed
to contribute to Encourage Huntsvillersquos curriculum by teaching a photography
class ldquoJacki and I are a good team because our hearts are in the same place when
it comes to encouraging othersrdquo Lindsey says Still she admits saying yes to teach-
ing wasnrsquot without some initial hesitation ldquoWhen Jacki asked if I would teach a
class it was kind of scary I thought I had to be perfect before I could teach oth-
ersrdquo Lindsey says of her initial hesitancy ldquoBut after talking to Jacki I realized none
of us are perfectrdquo But perfection isnrsquot the goal encouragement is the goal ldquoAnd I
thought lsquoI can defi nitely line up with that visionrsquordquo
Michelle Odom another Huntsville native and owner of custom cake bakery Just
Crumbs was also on board with Gilrsquos vision In fact Odom had been contemplat-
ing teaching a class when she was approached by Gil to teach a fondant basics
class ldquoHuntsville is such an engineer town and everyone is so mathematical and
scientifi crdquo Odom says echoing the dichotomy between the arts and sciences ex-
pressed by Gil ldquoTh ese workshops are just a very cool way for structured people to
have a creative outletrdquo
ldquoJACKI AND I ARE A GOOD TEAM BECAUSE OUR HEARTS ARE INTHE SAME PLACE WHEN IT COMES TO ENCOURAGING OTHERSrdquo
ERIN LINDSEY ERIN LINDSEY IMAGES
copy Erin Lindsey
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Above A participant in Erin Lindseyrsquos photo class frames a still life
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
copy Erin Lindsey
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
ldquoHUNTSVILLE IS SUCH AN ENGINEER TOWN AND EVERYONE ISSO MATHEMATICAL AND SCIENTIFIC THESE WORKSHOPS ARE JUST A VERY COOL
WAY FOR STRUCTURED PEOPLE TO HAVE A CREATIVE OUTLETrdquo MICHELLE ODOM JUST CRUMBS
copy Michelle Odom
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
ldquoAnd yesrdquo Odom acknowledges ldquoyou are in theory teaching your competition But
at the same time you are helping the community be more creativerdquo
With its roster of popular creative workshops under its belt Encourage Huntsville
has added business classes to its community-over-competition curriculum with
classes designed to provide specifi c guidance for small business owners ldquoAll of
our events that donrsquot require hands-on work we call seminarsrdquo says Gil ldquoWe had
about 15 people at our fi rst one It was pretty much just an open discussion to ask
us questions and get answers from the perspective of a small business ownerrdquo
Th e seminars enjoyed the same success and enthusiasm as the workshops ldquoWe
had two hours for people to ask questionsrdquo Gil says Topics covered ran the gamut
from scheduling daily tasks self-hosting a website or using an Etsy store man-
aging client expectations and being realistic about how much time you need to
complete jobs
ldquoTh e time went quickly and people wanted morerdquo says Gil who envisions an all-
day seminar in 2016
Margaret Baggett owner and executive chef of the Chef Next Door is another
small business owner who has shared Gilrsquos vision from the very beginning teach-
copy Erin Lindsey
Facing page Michelle Odomrsquos fondant basics class begins with a styrofoam cake form Above Newbie photographers familiarize themselves with their cameras in Erin Lindseyrsquos photography class
ing knife skills workshops and helping host the business seminars ldquoI am so proud
to get to be a part of this project and help nurture other small business owners
who may just be starting out on their journey or are deep in it and looking for
some encouragement from other business ownersrdquo Baggett says of what motivates
her participation in Encourage Huntsville ldquoEven being on the advice-giving side
of things I am still learning and have taken tips and tricks and lessons from each
event we have had so far We never stop learning from each other and never stop
improving upon our craftsrdquo
Th e mutual growth among students and teachers is the source of the encourage-
mentmdashand the joymdashof Encourage Huntsville ldquoItrsquos so much fun to see the light
bulbs go off with people and see them encouraged right before your eyesrdquo Lindsey
says of her experience with the program ldquoPlus itrsquos a pleasure to contribute to a
sense of community over competition Th at whole concept is so rarerdquo
As Encourage Huntsvillersquos following continues to grow the diversity of the work-
shops will expand as well Whether you are looking to spend a fun afternoon
learning a new craft or are a budding small business owner hoping to launch
your brand Encourage Huntsville has something valuable to off er ldquoWe encourage
those left-brain folks to take up a new hobby or skillrdquo Baggett says ldquoor just encour-
age the people of Huntsville to get together and fan their creative fl amesrdquo
If yoursquore looking for
creative or entrepreneurial
encouragement visit
encouragehuntsvillecom
for seminar and workshop
schedules and information
ldquoI AM SO PROUD TO GET TO BE A PART OF THIS PROJECT AND HELP NURTURE OTHER SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS WHO MAY JUST BE STARTING OUT ON THEIR JOURNEY OR ARE DEEP IN IT
AND LOOKING FOR SOME ENCOURAGEMENT FROM OTHER BUSINESS OWNERSrdquoMARGARET BAGGETT CHEF NEXT DOOR
copy Jacki Gil
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
copy Jacki Gil
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Participants in Margaret Baggettrsquos knife skills workshop learn to perfect their ldquomise en placerdquo
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
copy Olivia Reed
text by sara wright covington raquo photos by olivia reed and jeff white
HUNTSVILLErsquoS
HOMEGROWNHOSTESS
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
ttttttononononoooooonononooooo raquo praquo praquo praquo praquo phothothothothotosoososos s s osos bybybbybb
Any host will tell you that delicious food and quality libations while important to
a partyrsquos success are secondary to the most important ingredient of all the guest list Th atrsquos why many
of downtown Huntsvillersquos most popular restaurants breweries and wine shops are turning to event
planner Ashley Ryals and her uncanny knack for attracting loyal patronsmdashand creating unforgettable
events in the process
When Huntsville born-and-bred Ashley Ryals left for college at the University of Alabama in 2001
she thought her exit from the Valley was permanent ldquoI never thought I would end up back hererdquo the
founder of event planning company Homegrown Huntsville says with a knowing laugh But after a few
post-graduate years working for world-renowned public relations powerhouse Weber Shandwick in
New York City Ryals started to second guess her freshman declaration
ldquoI started to get homesickrdquo she admits ldquoAll of my friends were getting married and meeting for football
games and I was missing itrdquo So when a friend from home set up an interview at EarlyWorks for a job
doing event planning Ryals jumped at the chance to come home
Ashley spent the next few years planning EarlyWorks Whistle Stop and Santarsquos Village events A brief
stint in sales followed along with a seat on the board of Huntsville Young Professionals where she had
an idea for a downtown pub crawl
ldquoWe expected 20 or 30 peoplerdquo Ryals says of their modest expectations ldquoBut 200 people showed uprdquo
Th at initial success convinced Ryals to embark on her dream of establishing an
event planning company But it wasnrsquot just any event planning company Ryals
had in mind she envisioned one that would collaborate with local businesses
cultivate signature events for the community to enjoy and support small busi-
nesses in the process
Inspired Ryals left her sales job and for the second time in her life came home
again to event planning and Homegrown Huntsville
To help bring her vision to life Ryals collaborated with designer Adrianne Van
Kirk of Fave Creative ldquoAdrianne has been a part of the visual and branding of
Homegrown from the beginning We come up with the event ideas then I get
the ticketing and sales together and she comes back with a logo and the mar-
keting for the event And thatrsquos how it all comes togetherrdquo Ryals says of their
creative process
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
ASHLEY RYALS
copy Olivia Reed
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
ldquoMOST WINE FESTIVALS ACROSS THE COUNTRY HAVE PROVEN RECORDS OF BEING ABLE TO STAY AROUND 15 OR 20 YEARS OR EVEN LONGER AND THE ECONOMIES OF THOSE
CITIES HAVE REALLY GROWN AS A RESULT I WANT BIG SPRING CRUSH TO EVENTUALLY BE THE BIGGEST AND BEST WINE FESTIVAL IN THE STATE OF ALABAMArdquo ASHLEY RYALS
copy Jeff White
copy Jeff White
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
copy Olivia Reed
Homegrown launched in 2011 with what would become its
signature event Dine amp Dash Every second Wednesday
April through October a trolley shuttles patrons between
downtown establishments where they are served a drink
and appetizer before moving on to the next stop
Owner and executive chef Merle Phillips of Th e Eaves was
one of the fi rst restaurants to sign on for Dine amp Dashrsquos de-
but ldquoAshley came to me and said she was starting a trolley
tasting conceptrdquo says Chef Merle ldquoI didnrsquot really know her so
I was taking a chance on the concept she was sellingrdquo
Merle tried it and has been a loyal participant of Dine amp
Dash ever since
ldquoIt was a risk in the beginning but it defi nitely paid off rdquo Chef
Merle says of the experience Pivotal to that experience ac-
cording to Phillips is Ryalsrsquo demonstration to the commu-
nity just what the term ldquohomegrownrdquo really means ldquoAshley
shines a spotlight on independent businesses in a market-
place that has for so long focused on chainsrdquo Phillips says
ldquoDine amp Dash has really brought into sharp focus the inter-
esting culinary diversity that Huntsville has to off errdquo
For the next two years Homegrown Huntsville focused al-
most exclusively on Dine amp Dash which by the end of its fi rst
year included every single downtown restaurant But when
big changes began to appear on the downtown horizonmdash
new restaurants breweries and residential developmentsmdash
Ryalsrsquo instincts told her
the time had come to
introduce a new event
to the downtown cal-
endar
ldquoBeer Hop follows
the concept of Dine
amp Dashrdquo Ryals says of
Homegrownrsquos second
venture which began
in 2013 Each month a
trolley visits three dif-
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
BILL FOWLEROLD TOWN BEER
EXCHANGE
copy Olivia Reed
copy Olivia Reed
ferent breweries where patrons sample beers and enjoy food
from a variety of food trucks parked at each location
Bill Fowler managing partner of Old Town Beer Exchange
agreed to participate in Beer Hop on his very fi rst day of
business and credits Ryals with an overwhelmingly success-
ful opening night ldquoAshley said lsquoI can guarantee that you are
going to have wave after wave of people coming throughrsquordquo
Fowler says recalling that fi rst jittery occasion Once again
Ryals proved true to her word with 60-plus patrons arriving
in an hour-and-a-half ldquoIt was awesome and such a great ex-
perience for usrdquo Fowler raves ldquoAshley is a hard worker and
you can see that in what she doesrdquo
Fowler believes that in addition to bringing new customers
to OTBX Ryals is also cultivating beer education consis-
tently bringing in people who are new to beer and want to
learn And with Huntsvillersquos recent brewery boom that level
of education and interest is crucial for the brewing commu-
nity to thrive ldquoWe have a very small window of opportunityrdquo
says Fowler ldquoI think Huntsville in particular is becoming a
craft brewing community People are making money at this
and once Tennessee sees that we need to already have had a
pretty huge head startrdquo
By the end of 2013 and with standing events Beer Hop and
Dine amp Dash well established Ryals took time to refl ect on
her original goal for Homegrown Huntsville ldquoIn the back of
my head from day one I knew I wanted to do a wine festival
I just didnrsquot think Huntsville was ready for it in 2011rdquo
Emboldened by the success of Beer Hop Ryals decided to
make the leap with Big Spring Crush wine festival later the
same year Once again Ryals delivered the perfect audience
for the event and in the process discovered a surprising
fact about North Alabamarsquos contribution to the wine-mak-
ing industry
ldquoIn doing the wine festival I learned that we have a huge
wine community in Huntsvillerdquo Ryals says ldquoTh ere are only
about 47 certifi ed wine judges in the entire United States
and we have four of them right here in North Alabama Two
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
copy Jeff White
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
ldquoI STARTED TO GET HOMESICK ALL OF MY FRIENDS WERE GETTING MARRIEDAND MEETING FOR FOOTBALL GAMES AND I WAS MISSING ITrdquo ASHLEY RYALS
copy Jeff White
copy Jeff White
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
ldquoIT WAS AWESOME AND SUCH A GREAT EXPERIENCE FOR USrdquoBILL FOWLER OLD TOWN BEER EXCHANGE
copy Jeff White
copy Olivia Reed
of those four certifi ed wine judges sit on the committee for
Big Spring Crushrdquo
Matthew and Stephanie Mell had just opened Church Street
Wine Shop when they decided to participate in the fi rst Big
Spring Crush Like OTBXrsquos Robert Fowler the Mells credit
Ryals and Homegrown Huntsville for helping to introduce
their new enterprise to the community ldquoAshley has been in-
strumental in helping to bring us people who love and ap-
preciate winerdquo Stephanie Mell says ldquoShe was homegrown
here in Huntsville and she really gets the downtown area
and small businesses and that is so important to usrdquo
Big Spring Crush began with a bang featuring over 150
wines and attracting patrons from across the country
ldquoMost wine festivals across the country have proven records
of being able to stay around 15 or 20 years or even longerrdquo
Ryals says ldquoAnd the economies of those cities have really
grown as a result I want Big Spring Crush to eventually be
the biggest and best wine festival in the state of Alabamardquo
How does Ryals intend to make that dream come true ldquoBy
always keeping it fresh I want to have new marketing and
new things happening each yearrdquo
Ryalsrsquo formula of reinvention and expansion has successfully
led Homegrown Huntsville through fi ve years of success and
helped its events become community staples along the way In
the process Ryals is broadening more than just our image of
downtown Huntsville shersquos joining a class of creative entrepre-
neurs committed to expanding Huntsvillersquos reputation as more
than just a hub for the brightest scientifi c minds in America
ldquoWe have a big city of engineers and lawyers and itrsquos won-
derfulrdquo Ryals say ldquo But there is a whole artist and food cul-
ture here and there is so much growth I want us to have a
vibrant cool downtown area and I want for people to tell
their friends to come and visit and to see Huntsville for what
it is a city I loverdquo
If yoursquod like to participate in Homegrown Huntsville either
as a guest or a participating business visit homegrown-
huntsvillecom
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
copy Jeff White
I was years old and the year was At that time the city of Huntsville was inching toward the mountain to the east California Street was once the continental divide between the small town metropo-lis and the uncharted territories gingerly crossed by the real estate pioneers four score and some odd years prior Th is area became the new suburb as the city kept pushing onward toward Fagan Springs as if the reverberating booms of rocket testings were vibrating Hunstvillians away from its epicenter
From the front yard of our house on Owens Drive I could look to the rightmdashup the hill to the bend be-yond which the big houses stood on their rocky ledge pedestals and to the left where all the other houses that looked just like oursmdashfresh and newmdashrambled for what seemed like miles Th ose clean well-lit abodes all seemed the same and granted at my age I knew more about the pets that lived there than I did about the people who owned those manageable mortgages I came to realize that each was diff erent in a way that was permeated by voices smells and furnishings
It is a clicheacute to say that our lives were simpler then because that is just how the current era will be fondly referred to in the future but to a 5-year-old it is the simplicity that brought the joy Th e sixties will always be to me the beginning of the age of manufactured happiness Cheap clean and simple was what was strived for and what was easily obtained Plastic items were plentiful and pretty things could be bought with SampH Green Stamps A few coins in our pocket would transfer us into the most master of manipula-tors with us giving our all to convince our parents for a jaunt to Murdockrsquos for a holiday of wonderment joy and impatience as we would scour the shelves trying to get the most from our meager budget
Owens Drive was the fairly new thoroughfare from which the avenues of three-bedroom-ranchers fi ngered away at planned intervals Th is was the place where newlyweds started their lives homes and families Where girls with last names that had been in the town for generations would change them to those strange and exotic last names of the clean cut newcomers brought here for military purposes Where the housewives would preheat their pristine electric ovens trying to make cheese straws and biscuits that were just like their motherrsquos only to be frustrated as they were never quite the same and where the husbands would follow in their fatherrsquos footsteps by joining the Acme Club and hunting doves on the weekends
Th ere was a swimming pool Certainly not at our house Th e only private pool I remember as a child was one that my grandmother would take me to nestled between huge trees at someonersquos house on Adams Street I would swim with other children my age while our grandmothers chatted smoking cigarettes in cat-eyed anonymity whispering most of their stories so we wouldnrsquot be able to hear But between their
gasps and laughter we would listen hear and learn
Th e Blossomwood pool was a place of designated rules and the sound of bright whistlesmdashwith straight lines and distinctive colors of blue and green I can still feel the Coppertoned oiliness on the skin of the tanned lifeguard as she carried me from the deep end frightened after my fi rst attempt at solo-swimming She knew my name I had no idea who she was
On the other side of the pool was the school my older sister attended It had a style that mim-icked the poolmdashstraight lines cleanmdasha temple to orderliness and good manners It was with
awe that I once watched the young adults there some as old as eleven wind and dance their way around a sky-high fl agpolemdasheach with a diff erent color ribbon until the fi rst (and only) May Pole
I was privy to was completely dressed in its woven bright colors
90 raquo bless their hearts raquo Guy McClure Jr
Huntsville was a magical place for us tail-end baby boomers to grow upmdashbeyond the miracles of the escalator at Pizitz the smiling little lady on the tall stool at the register at Britlings There was a comfort level there that Irsquom not sure is in the minds of the 5-year-olds of today
cat-eyed agasps
Th s
aI w
THE COMFORTS OF BLOSSOMWOOD
In our world of red-bricked carported castles there was a def-inite division of generations Th e children ate separately from the parents went to school as our dads went to work enter-tained our neighborhood friends as quietly as possible and felt safe between our boundaries of Big Cove Road and Hermitage Street While we dined on our Chef Boy-Ar-Dee boxed pizza our parents busied themselves dressing in their dark colors getting ready for a late dinner at Boots having the scent of perfume and face powder trail my mother as she came into the kitchen looking for something with an intense purpose My father would smell of British Sterling and look just as he did when he went to work only happier Th ese nights meant something fun would happenmdashwe would have a babysitter
Babysitters were my introduction into what was and still seems cool Th ey were usually Huntsville High School teen-agers who would put on a show without even knowing it I would drink in their every move word and essence of style To me they were supermodelsmdashmovie starsmdasheven more fa-mous in my eyes than a television weatherman and almost as glamorous as the waitresses at the Waffl e House
Before they would tire of me and my sister and put us to bed they would include us in their world of music and knowledge which I thought was all-encompassing Suddenly our world of Th e Benny Carl Show and Fantasy Playhouse would seem trite and passeacute and we would catch a fl eeting glimpse into what would be in store for us when we too could stay up past 8 pm
Huntsville was a magical place for us tail-end baby boomers to grow upmdashbeyond the miracles of the escalator at Pizitz the smiling little lady on the tall stool at the register at Britlings and that bright colorful Maypole Th ere was a comfort level there that Irsquom not sure is in the minds of the 5-year-olds of todaymdashthe soothing sheltered lack of knowledge of why we were so lucky yet we didnrsquot even know that we were
In the other areas of our Huntsville there was poverty and ra-cial unrestmdashas there was and is in every city I was unaware People of color were always a part of my worldmdashmostly be-cause they had my attention and respect At our house there was Annie my grandmotherrsquos house was fi lled with the joys of Lula and out on the family farm there was strong and smiling Homer and large and huggable Rosamdashall just as much a part of my life as everyone else My life was good and they were instrumental in making it that way
What will the 5-year-olds of today who are lucky enough to be raised on those well-planned streets remember when they surpass their own 50 year mark It is a much more complex world now and there are diff erent concerns with daily changes of fear Youthful innocence is a prize that is encased without a lock Premature maturity is a viable threat and a constant fear But each night tucked in tight in a simple room sleeps tomor-rowrsquos adults who are having sweet dreamsmdashblanketed by the comforts of Blossomwood
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
92 raquo the vine raquo Amy C Collins
BORDEAUX POWER
Where Burgundyrsquos vineyards were established by Benedictine monks patiently growing wine vines with spiritual hearts Bordeauxrsquos vineyards were raised by entrepreneurial laymen who recognized the massive monetary opportunity when the English began drinking down their peasant wine
The city of Bordeaux is Francersquos primary port town on the Atlantic ocean a harbor that has for centuries served as the countryrsquos most important dock Th e regionrsquos history is long and storied with the fi rst written reference to the area dated 379 AD by the Latin poet Ausonius who was also a wine-grower Jump ahead to the year 1152 when Eleanor of Aquitaine married Englandrsquos soon-to-be king Henry Plantagenet and the port and surrounding vineyard land became the source of wine for the English a connection that remains strong even today
Bordeaux produces the worldrsquos most expensive and sought after collector wines the top tier of which make up less than fi ve percent of the regionrsquos total production Th ese names are quickly learned by neophyte wine drinkers wanting to make an impression Chateau Haut-Brion Lafi te Latour and Margaux for example Grown in gravelly soils only a few meters above sea levelmdashin contrast vineyards elsewhere in Europe typically sit between 300 and 900 metersmdashthese wines are some of the most powerful austere and pawed over When young the tannins in these cabernet sauvignon cabernet franc and merlot blends coat the tongue and mouth with a chalky dry sensation akin to sucking on an Earl Grey tea bag and are perhaps best suited to well-fatted rare steak and cigars Th ese are wines built to live for decades Personally I prefer a Bordeaux at least 20 years aged when the tannins have had ample time to calm down and mellow out and more nuanced fl avors come forward Sounds fancy and it is Only in some very lucky circumstances over the past year have I been guest to a bottle of 1990 Clos de Menuts Saint-Eacutemilion and a 1970 Chateau Haut-Brion About once every 10 years Irsquove had the good
fortune to taste a wine older than myself Nice work if you can get it
Where Burgundyrsquos vineyards (Francersquos other classifi ed sought-after region) were established by Benedictine monks patiently growing wine vines with spiritual hearts
Bordeauxrsquos vineyards were raised by entrepreneurial laymen who recognized the massive monetary opportunity when the English began drinking down their peasant wine Th is underscores the second half of my theory as to why Americans
more often American males are so drawn to the wines of Bordeaux Th erersquos an inherent capitalist connection something in the soil Th at the wines are so
unmistakable so distinctively grand and pronounced elixirs exemplifi es the fi rst half of my theory we Americans are not known for our subtlety (To be fair the Chinese are
signifi cant Bordeaux collectors as well)
Philosophy aside Bordeaux is quite a large region that produces beautiful white and red values as well as the rare fi nds out of the populacersquos price range Herersquos the skinny Blending is the game single varietal wines are rare White Bordeaux is typically made from a blend of sauvignon blanc and seacutemillon and sometimes a drop or two of muscadelle ugni blanc or colombard Reds are made primarily from the two cabernets plus merlot with small quantities of petit verdot malbec and carmenegravere occasionally in the mix Th e region is also home to the golden nectar of late ripened seacutemillon sauvignon blanc and muscadelle grapes that have successfully attracted the noble rot a fungus that covers the fruit and drains moisture from inside leaving behind rich sweet grapes without moldy fl avors Chateau drsquoYquem is the most famous of these unfortifi ed dessert wines though there are better bargains from the region
Bordeaux is split by the Gironde river which divides the region into three general areas Th e left bank also known as the Haut-Meacutedoc is where the classifi ed top growths are situated Th ese prestigious estates were named for their exceptional vineyard sites in 1855 a decision nearly unchanged since Today serious collectors invest in Bordeaux futures theoretically locking down lower prices of top
ample time to calm dit is Only in some vede Menuts Saint-Eacutem
fortune to taste a
Wherees
aun
of msignifi
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Follow Amy at pigandvinecom for morestories and wine suggestions
growth estates while the wine is still aging in the cellar Itrsquos the wine tradersquos equivalent to the NASDAQ On the right bank Saint-Eacutemilion and Pommerol are the prized vineyard areas known for their merlot heavy cuveacutees To the south west we fi nd Graves where there are many great values to be had in both white and red bottlings Entre-Deux-Mers which translates to ldquobetween two seasrdquo sits between the Dordogne and Garonne tributaries off the Gironde and is an excellent source for crisp whites
Get started on your Bordeaux experience with these values
Chateau Graville-Lacoste 2014 Graves 75 seacutemillon 20 sauvignon blanc and 5 muscadelle make up this beauty thatrsquos consistently delicious every vintage Crisp and refreshing great with seafood
Chateau Mirambeau 2014 GravesAnother classic blend of 40 sauvignon blanc 40 seacutemillon and 20 muscadelle this lovely white is a bit more fl oral than the Graville-Lacoste Easy drinking and great value
Chateau de Parenchegravere Bordeaux Rouge 201155 merlot 30 cabernet sauvignon and 15 cabernet franc grown in clay heavy soils similar to the right bank of the region Fleshy with good structure and abundant red fruit
Chateau Arnaud Bordeaux Supeacuterieur 2011Supeacuterieur on a Bordeaux label isnrsquot egotistical marketingmdashby law it indicates a wine with up to one degree more alcohol than its AC Bordeaux brethren What it really means is one more degree of body structure and in this case quality Approachable delicious and easy on the wallet
Chateau de Bernadotte Haut-Meacutedoc 2005Th e 2005 vintage in Bordeaux is in the history books with double asterisks Owned by the eminent Pichon Lalande family and made from vineyards in Paulliac one of the more choice growing areas in the region this is an incredible value a top tier Bordeaux for a fraction of the cost
Chateau de Suduiraut Sauternes 2011Ripe cantaloupe apricot and honey and an interesting smoky note with a solid sweet attack followed by great acidity A dessert wine that wonrsquot overpower the dessert
94 raquo parting shot raquo Patrick Hood
Meet Solvar
Solvar belongs to one of the worldrsquos oldest and purest equine lineages the Nor-
wegian Fjord horse a breed that has remained virtually unchanged for more than
2000 yearsmdashlong before we became acquainted with his animated cousins in
the movie Frozen Th ese national symbols of Norway are characterized by primi-
tive zebra striping on their legs and a dorsal stripe running from forelock to tail
resulting in a striking two-tone mane that sticks up like a Mohawk Th eir athleti-
cism agility and dependability make them valuable both as sport horses as well
as therapy horses for emotionally and physically challenged adults and children
Catie Wells of Huntsville is the proud owner of Solvar who resides at Monte
Sano Stables
For tickets or information 256-539-4818 or hsoorg
Bring In the New Year With Us
presents
WHAT A WONDERFUL
WORLDA tribute to Louis
Armstrong featuring the
Byron Stripling Quartet
Thursday December 31
730 pm bull Pops Series bullMark C Smith
Concert Hall VBC
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
M O R E T H A N 7 0 S H O P S A N D R E S T A U R A N T S I N C L U D I N G B E L K | D S W S H O E S | A P P L E J O S A B A N K | R E E D S J E W E L E R S | PA N D O R A | J C R E W | K AT E S PA D E N E W Y O R KO R V I S | B A N A N A R E P U B L I C | M I C H A E L K O R S | F R A N C E S C Arsquo S | A N T H R O P O L O G I EH amp M | S O M A | M O U N T A I N H I G H O U T F I T T E R S | B A R N E S amp N O B L E | S E P H O R AALTAR rsquoD STATE | CONNORS STEAK amp SEFOOD | THE WEST IN HUNTSV I L L E | MONACO P ICTURES
C O M I N G S O O N V E R S O N A ndash near Belk
B R I D G E S T R E E T H U N T S V I L L E C O M |
BR IDGE STREET TOWN CENTRE I S LOCATED AT EX I T 14 OFF I - 565 AT OLD MAD ISON P IKE
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) Rocket Cosmos Mug ($13)Huntsville Museumof Art(256) 535-4350
(2) Loose Leaf Tea ($399)Piper amp Leaf piperandleafcom (3) Judy Jackson Tea Pot ($56) (4) Gary Watson Cherry Cutting Board ($48-$68) (5) Susan Coe Birthday Cake Plate ($33) Little Green Storeand Gallery (256) 539-9699 (6) Macarons ($116 pcs $221 dozen)Whisk Small Treats Bakery(256) 656-1027
(7) Truffl es ($185 each)Pizellersquos Confections (256) 513-9745 (8) Olive amp Sinclair Chocolate ($799)Domaine South(256) 808-8860
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
(1) Whisk Note Pad ($8) (2) In the Forest Mixing Bowl ($36) (3) Twig Serving Set ($18)(8) Southern Firefl y Candle ($12)Sweet Pineapple(256) 964-7563
(4) Urchin Bowl ($10)(5) Foodie Dice ($38)(6) 1Canoe2 Wood Recipe Box w Recipe Cards ($6999) Domaine South(256) 808-8860 (7) Growlers ($75 small $95 large)Southern Growlersoutherngrowlercom
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
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(4) BCBG Dress ($328)Personal Couture Boutique(256) 508-5632
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Guadalupe Robinson
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
text by jennifer crossley howard raquo photos by patrick hood
Of Deft and Dirty Hands
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Huntsville potter Guadalupe Lanning Robinson has spent more than 36 years mastering the
marriage of clay texture and geometric design into her pottery yet time has done little to temper the
plight of waiting
ldquoIt is hard for me to let a pot just dryrdquo she says motioning toward fi ve small wet pots sitting near her
pottery wheel ldquoIrsquom as excited to do this as I was 30 years agordquo
To observe her studio at Lowe Mill that is easy to believe Located on the corridor outside the textile
mill-turned-art centerrsquos main building the loft-like space with a corrugated tin roof feels like a place a
Gabriel Garcia Marquez character would enjoy daydreaming
Sienna-hued pottery sits in various stages to be fi red layered and etched Argentinian tango music
streams from Robinsonrsquos iPhone and two cockatiels a parrot and a parakeet chirp from their cages All
except the parrot fl y freely when Robinson is working
Robinson who is 61 made her fi rst pot in 1979 in her native Mexico City Almost four decades later her
work is part of permanent museum collections in Auburn Huntsville Tuscumbia and Tupelo Missis-
sippi She regularly enters her work in respected juried shows such as the Monte Sano Arts Festival and
the Kentuck Festival of the Arts in Northport and has received two Alabama State Council on the Arts
individual artist fellowships
Her inspiration draws from the villages around her native Mexico City such as the black pottery of
the northwest as well as her acquired Southern culture White lilies corn grids and round female
fi guresmdashldquoreally strong women who are in chargerdquo Robinson saysmdashreappear on her stoneware She uses
natural dyes indigo for color and mixes sand into clay for texture Nothing is wasted
ldquoI donrsquot waste any clayrdquo Robinson says ldquoEverything is recycledrdquo
Robinson fi nds solace in the 40-50 hours a week she puts in at the studio and the often tedious process
of making pots which can take from three weeks to six weeks for larger pots She usually works on two
or three pots at a time tending to groups at diff erent stages
After a pot is thrown on a wheel a piece can take days to dry before its fi rst bisque fi re in which tem-
peratures rise to 1800 F After baking for nine hours the kiln must cool Th e second fi ring rises to 2150
F and matures the clay and melts the glazes to strengthen the piece
ldquoI am an effi cient person by naturerdquo Robinson says ldquoWaiting for the kiln to cool down enough to open
can be nerve wracking and this is when my patience is usually put to the testrdquo
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
ldquoIt is hard for me to let a pot just dry Irsquom as excited to do this as I was 30 years agordquo
Robinson makes most of her pots on a wheel using oxides to change the color of clay she gets from Nashville and Pittsburgh Her pottery takes several weeks from start to fi nish depending on how large a pot is and how many she makes at a time
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
ldquoAttend to your childrenrsquos needs fi rst keep focus on what you want to douse the happiness joy and little breaks you get to make your artTh ey grow real fast and they will keep inspiring you all your liferdquo
Robinson imagined this bat-like design as she was working She usually begins a piece with a design in mind but that often evolves
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Robinson uses an overlay of liquid clay called engobemdashthat includes three to four layersmdashto create a
base on which to design
Th ere is high risk in making pottery and hours of work can be wasted on a pot that has not dried en-
tirely before it enters the kiln Air pockets or the wrong mixture of chemicals can ruin a piece
ldquoArt is involved but science is toordquo says Laura Smith director of education at the Huntsville Museum
of Art where Robinson has taught pottery classes ldquoItrsquos more labor intensive in terms of working with
the medium whether yoursquore building by hand or with a wheel until you fi re with the fi nal layer of glazerdquo
Th e result is sturdy pottery
ldquoI want my pots to look like something that is lasting a long timerdquo Robinson says
Th ough she works solitarily in her studio she says she does not get lonely Her birds and music keep her
company and each stage of pottery making has a soundtrack She uses needlepoint tools to draw onto
clay to Jose Feliciano and other Latin American musicians
ldquoIf Irsquom at the wheel Bruno Marsrdquo she says ldquoIf Irsquom unloading the kiln and something is really awesome
then I need something moving and I have on Motownrdquo
Robinsonrsquos years of experience minimize the risk of damaged pots but she says her greatest challenge
as a potter was balancing her work while raising her two children Now adults their candid childhood
pictures and those of her grandchildren cover the warm green walls of her studio
She met her husband the poet James Robinson in 1977 on a Greyhound bus when she returned to
Mexico City from visiting a friend at the University of Southern Mississippi He was heading to Mexico
to study at a university Th ey married six months later After giving birth to her daughter Annie Jane in
Mexico City in 1982 the family moved to Huntsville in 1985 Th at is when Robinson got more serious
about her pottery
ldquoFrom the very beginning when I moved to Alabama I knew I was going to have to do thisrdquo she said
ldquoIn some ways it was a way for me to keep connected to my heritagerdquo
She took even 15 minutes of free time to work in the studio behind her home and worked late into the
night while her daughter and son Isidoro born in 1987 slept Having a home studio allowed her to
wash clothes tend to her home and drop off lunches at school while maintaining her art
ldquoTh ere was something for me when I fi rst became a mother that fueled my creativityrdquo Robinson says
ldquoTh ey are such a social inspiration too It fi lls your liferdquo
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Robinson advises fellow artists who are mothers to seize
both roles but to prioritize motherhood
ldquoAttend to your childrenrsquos needs fi rst keep focus on what you
want to do use the happiness joy and little breaks you get
to make your artrdquo she says ldquoTh ey grow real fast and they will
keep inspiring you all your liferdquo
Anna Sue Courtney director of the Flying Monkey Arts
Center at Lowe Mill has known Robinson for more than
10 years She says she admires how mothers and artists like
Robinson seamlessly embrace both roles
ldquoIt seems therersquos not a separation between creating and rais-
ing childrenrdquo Courtney says ldquoTh ey seem to pull from the
same placerdquo
Part of Robinsonrsquos motivation at Lowe Mill comes from
working privately in a studio alongside other artists that fos-
ters a community of feedback and ideas
ldquoItrsquos nice to be here because you can take a break and walk around and get inspirationrdquo Courtney says
ldquoItrsquos refreshingrdquo
When she needs a break from the studio Robinson stays home to sketch designs for a day or two then
she is back in the studio
Trips twice a year to Mexico City keep her plugged in to her native culture which in turn shows up in
her pottery
ldquoI have to recharge myselfrdquo Robinson says ldquoI love Huntsville and loved raising my kids here but I still
have the need of going back to be recharged and smell all the smells and see all the colors and get on
the subway and be pushed aroundrdquo
Details from her trips that infl uence her work include the ever-present red that covers the city during
the celebration of Dia de los Muertos or the Day of the Dead Th e pyramids of Teotihuacan conjure
warm earth tones and fl oating gardens around the city yield sweet pungent calla lilies and carnations
Celebration of food tough women and nature reappear in her pottery qualities that both Southern and
Mexican cultures treasure
Above This daisy design is character-istic of Robinsonrsquos work Nature food and strong females from her native Mexico City and the South are strong creative infl uences
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Clockwise from top left Robinson often glazes only the inside of her pots so they can hold water and food She began quilting in 2002 and her quilts like her pottery contain earth tones and natural infl uences in their design Four birds keep Robinson company in what can be the isolating medium of pottery making Geometry and symmetry are two signature elements in Robinsonrsquos work according to Laura Smith director of education at the Huntsville Museum of Art
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Just as she keeps her home country close to her heart Robinson is loyal to her fi rst
love of pottery though she began making quilts in 2002
ldquoIrsquom a potter who likes to quiltrdquo she says
Like her pottery her quilting follows designs of organic nature such as fl owers and
crops on rich jewel tone cotton
ldquoWhen I fi rst saw one of her quilts I didnrsquot realize it was hers and I thought that
looks like it should be Guadalupersquos quiltrdquo Courtney says
Robinson prefers the immediate gratifi cation of clay
ldquoItrsquos a very responsive mediumrdquo she says ldquoYou can manipulate it Th e fact of mak-
ing something out of dirt out of nothing and making it durable making it perma-
nent that after going through the heat and maturing is something very excitingrdquo
She gently dings a pot covered with white dresses titled ldquoTehuana Dressrdquo to make
her point
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
887 FM Muscle Shoals bull 1007 FM Huntsvillewwwaprorg
News classicalmusic and more
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
copy Patrick Hood
text by sara wright covington raquo photos by jacki gil
patrick hood erin lindsey and michelle odom
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
copy Patrick Hood
ldquoA LOT OF PEOPLE HAD BEEN ASKING ME QUESTIONS ABOUTHOW I GOT MY BUSINESS STARTED I WANTED TO GATHER SOME PEOPLE AROUND ME
WHO WERE GOING THROUGH THOSE STRUGGLES AND TOBUILD ENTREPRENEURIAL COURAGErdquo
JACKI GIL SALT+PAPERIE
copy Patrick Hood
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
untsville-born Jacki Gil began her paper design busi-
ness Salt+Paperie in 2014 with an expansive vision
in mind one that extended beyond creating beautiful
custom designed paper goods ldquoI love my design job
but when Irsquom 50 years old I donrsquot see myself still de-
signing wedding invitationsrdquo the master stationer says
ldquoI really have a passion for teaching and helping people
I want to be a mentorrdquo
In 2015 Gil set out on her mentoring mission sooner than expected with a series
of workshops called Encourage Huntsville ldquoA lot of people had been asking me
questions about how I got my business startedrdquo Gil says about the early days of
Salt+Paperie Even though most of those questions from entrepreneurial-hopefuls
were technicalmdashlike how to apply for a business licensemdashthey served as inspira-
tion for Gil ldquoI wanted to gather some people around me who were going through
those struggles and to build entrepreneurial courage I defi nitely saw that there
was a need for helping people to take that next step toward owning their own
businessesrdquo
Encourage Huntsville was modeled on the image of a growing small business
movement called the Rising Tide Society a national community of creative small
business owners who encourage ldquocommunity over competitionrdquo Th at spirit of
openness is at the heart of Encourage Huntsville ldquoCommunity over competition
is a huge part of what we are doingrdquo says Gil ldquoSmall business owners sharing how
they earn their money is a big dealrdquo
As a fi rst step Gil gathered others around her who were using their skills and abili-
ties to make their own small businesses work With talents ranging from cooking
and cake decorating to hand lettering and artwork these small business owners
all embraced Gilrsquos vision for imparting to others the knowledge of their craft un-
impeded by a fear of losing their competitive edge
Th e fi rst lesson Gil wanted to impart to Encourage Huntsvillersquos students wasnrsquot
necessarily a particular craft or skill but a spirt of creative confi dence ldquoWe want-
ed to bridge the gap between the very artsy community and the ultimate engineer
communityrdquo many of whom Gil observes had been told since childhood they
werenrsquot artistic ldquoWhen you are little and someone tells you that you donrsquot have a
talent it sticks with you I found that a lot of people had that experience so that
was the workshop partmdashto build some creative courage in this communityrdquo
Gil conducted the fi rst workshop herself testing the waters to see how the concept
would be received Th e admission price to that fi rst workshop included supplies a
take-home ldquogoody bagrdquo to help students continue their work extracurricularly and
refreshmentsmdashas well as Gilrsquos tips of her trade
ldquoWe went in blindly not knowing if we had a market or notrdquo says Gil Th e popular-
ity of that fi rst class proved undeniably that a market did in fact exist the work-
shop sold out in one day ldquoSo we did back-to-back workshopsrdquo Gil says ldquoAfter that
novemberdecembeeer eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee | nononoononononononoonoonononooooonoonoonnononnoaaalalalllaallllllalaalaaalal ststustust ddiossscom mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm | | | | | | | | | | |
f
w
y
Previous page Encourage Huntsvillersquos founder and instructor Jacki Gil teaches a class in hand lettering Facing page A participant studies her supply list
we realized people really want to do this stuff So we said lsquoletrsquos jump on the boat
and make this happenrsquordquo
Gilrsquos longtime friend photographer Erin Lindsey of Erin Lindsey Images agreed
to contribute to Encourage Huntsvillersquos curriculum by teaching a photography
class ldquoJacki and I are a good team because our hearts are in the same place when
it comes to encouraging othersrdquo Lindsey says Still she admits saying yes to teach-
ing wasnrsquot without some initial hesitation ldquoWhen Jacki asked if I would teach a
class it was kind of scary I thought I had to be perfect before I could teach oth-
ersrdquo Lindsey says of her initial hesitancy ldquoBut after talking to Jacki I realized none
of us are perfectrdquo But perfection isnrsquot the goal encouragement is the goal ldquoAnd I
thought lsquoI can defi nitely line up with that visionrsquordquo
Michelle Odom another Huntsville native and owner of custom cake bakery Just
Crumbs was also on board with Gilrsquos vision In fact Odom had been contemplat-
ing teaching a class when she was approached by Gil to teach a fondant basics
class ldquoHuntsville is such an engineer town and everyone is so mathematical and
scientifi crdquo Odom says echoing the dichotomy between the arts and sciences ex-
pressed by Gil ldquoTh ese workshops are just a very cool way for structured people to
have a creative outletrdquo
ldquoJACKI AND I ARE A GOOD TEAM BECAUSE OUR HEARTS ARE INTHE SAME PLACE WHEN IT COMES TO ENCOURAGING OTHERSrdquo
ERIN LINDSEY ERIN LINDSEY IMAGES
copy Erin Lindsey
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Above A participant in Erin Lindseyrsquos photo class frames a still life
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
copy Erin Lindsey
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
ldquoHUNTSVILLE IS SUCH AN ENGINEER TOWN AND EVERYONE ISSO MATHEMATICAL AND SCIENTIFIC THESE WORKSHOPS ARE JUST A VERY COOL
WAY FOR STRUCTURED PEOPLE TO HAVE A CREATIVE OUTLETrdquo MICHELLE ODOM JUST CRUMBS
copy Michelle Odom
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
ldquoAnd yesrdquo Odom acknowledges ldquoyou are in theory teaching your competition But
at the same time you are helping the community be more creativerdquo
With its roster of popular creative workshops under its belt Encourage Huntsville
has added business classes to its community-over-competition curriculum with
classes designed to provide specifi c guidance for small business owners ldquoAll of
our events that donrsquot require hands-on work we call seminarsrdquo says Gil ldquoWe had
about 15 people at our fi rst one It was pretty much just an open discussion to ask
us questions and get answers from the perspective of a small business ownerrdquo
Th e seminars enjoyed the same success and enthusiasm as the workshops ldquoWe
had two hours for people to ask questionsrdquo Gil says Topics covered ran the gamut
from scheduling daily tasks self-hosting a website or using an Etsy store man-
aging client expectations and being realistic about how much time you need to
complete jobs
ldquoTh e time went quickly and people wanted morerdquo says Gil who envisions an all-
day seminar in 2016
Margaret Baggett owner and executive chef of the Chef Next Door is another
small business owner who has shared Gilrsquos vision from the very beginning teach-
copy Erin Lindsey
Facing page Michelle Odomrsquos fondant basics class begins with a styrofoam cake form Above Newbie photographers familiarize themselves with their cameras in Erin Lindseyrsquos photography class
ing knife skills workshops and helping host the business seminars ldquoI am so proud
to get to be a part of this project and help nurture other small business owners
who may just be starting out on their journey or are deep in it and looking for
some encouragement from other business ownersrdquo Baggett says of what motivates
her participation in Encourage Huntsville ldquoEven being on the advice-giving side
of things I am still learning and have taken tips and tricks and lessons from each
event we have had so far We never stop learning from each other and never stop
improving upon our craftsrdquo
Th e mutual growth among students and teachers is the source of the encourage-
mentmdashand the joymdashof Encourage Huntsville ldquoItrsquos so much fun to see the light
bulbs go off with people and see them encouraged right before your eyesrdquo Lindsey
says of her experience with the program ldquoPlus itrsquos a pleasure to contribute to a
sense of community over competition Th at whole concept is so rarerdquo
As Encourage Huntsvillersquos following continues to grow the diversity of the work-
shops will expand as well Whether you are looking to spend a fun afternoon
learning a new craft or are a budding small business owner hoping to launch
your brand Encourage Huntsville has something valuable to off er ldquoWe encourage
those left-brain folks to take up a new hobby or skillrdquo Baggett says ldquoor just encour-
age the people of Huntsville to get together and fan their creative fl amesrdquo
If yoursquore looking for
creative or entrepreneurial
encouragement visit
encouragehuntsvillecom
for seminar and workshop
schedules and information
ldquoI AM SO PROUD TO GET TO BE A PART OF THIS PROJECT AND HELP NURTURE OTHER SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS WHO MAY JUST BE STARTING OUT ON THEIR JOURNEY OR ARE DEEP IN IT
AND LOOKING FOR SOME ENCOURAGEMENT FROM OTHER BUSINESS OWNERSrdquoMARGARET BAGGETT CHEF NEXT DOOR
copy Jacki Gil
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
copy Jacki Gil
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Participants in Margaret Baggettrsquos knife skills workshop learn to perfect their ldquomise en placerdquo
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
copy Olivia Reed
text by sara wright covington raquo photos by olivia reed and jeff white
HUNTSVILLErsquoS
HOMEGROWNHOSTESS
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
ttttttononononoooooonononooooo raquo praquo praquo praquo praquo phothothothothotosoososos s s osos bybybbybb
Any host will tell you that delicious food and quality libations while important to
a partyrsquos success are secondary to the most important ingredient of all the guest list Th atrsquos why many
of downtown Huntsvillersquos most popular restaurants breweries and wine shops are turning to event
planner Ashley Ryals and her uncanny knack for attracting loyal patronsmdashand creating unforgettable
events in the process
When Huntsville born-and-bred Ashley Ryals left for college at the University of Alabama in 2001
she thought her exit from the Valley was permanent ldquoI never thought I would end up back hererdquo the
founder of event planning company Homegrown Huntsville says with a knowing laugh But after a few
post-graduate years working for world-renowned public relations powerhouse Weber Shandwick in
New York City Ryals started to second guess her freshman declaration
ldquoI started to get homesickrdquo she admits ldquoAll of my friends were getting married and meeting for football
games and I was missing itrdquo So when a friend from home set up an interview at EarlyWorks for a job
doing event planning Ryals jumped at the chance to come home
Ashley spent the next few years planning EarlyWorks Whistle Stop and Santarsquos Village events A brief
stint in sales followed along with a seat on the board of Huntsville Young Professionals where she had
an idea for a downtown pub crawl
ldquoWe expected 20 or 30 peoplerdquo Ryals says of their modest expectations ldquoBut 200 people showed uprdquo
Th at initial success convinced Ryals to embark on her dream of establishing an
event planning company But it wasnrsquot just any event planning company Ryals
had in mind she envisioned one that would collaborate with local businesses
cultivate signature events for the community to enjoy and support small busi-
nesses in the process
Inspired Ryals left her sales job and for the second time in her life came home
again to event planning and Homegrown Huntsville
To help bring her vision to life Ryals collaborated with designer Adrianne Van
Kirk of Fave Creative ldquoAdrianne has been a part of the visual and branding of
Homegrown from the beginning We come up with the event ideas then I get
the ticketing and sales together and she comes back with a logo and the mar-
keting for the event And thatrsquos how it all comes togetherrdquo Ryals says of their
creative process
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
ASHLEY RYALS
copy Olivia Reed
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
ldquoMOST WINE FESTIVALS ACROSS THE COUNTRY HAVE PROVEN RECORDS OF BEING ABLE TO STAY AROUND 15 OR 20 YEARS OR EVEN LONGER AND THE ECONOMIES OF THOSE
CITIES HAVE REALLY GROWN AS A RESULT I WANT BIG SPRING CRUSH TO EVENTUALLY BE THE BIGGEST AND BEST WINE FESTIVAL IN THE STATE OF ALABAMArdquo ASHLEY RYALS
copy Jeff White
copy Jeff White
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
copy Olivia Reed
Homegrown launched in 2011 with what would become its
signature event Dine amp Dash Every second Wednesday
April through October a trolley shuttles patrons between
downtown establishments where they are served a drink
and appetizer before moving on to the next stop
Owner and executive chef Merle Phillips of Th e Eaves was
one of the fi rst restaurants to sign on for Dine amp Dashrsquos de-
but ldquoAshley came to me and said she was starting a trolley
tasting conceptrdquo says Chef Merle ldquoI didnrsquot really know her so
I was taking a chance on the concept she was sellingrdquo
Merle tried it and has been a loyal participant of Dine amp
Dash ever since
ldquoIt was a risk in the beginning but it defi nitely paid off rdquo Chef
Merle says of the experience Pivotal to that experience ac-
cording to Phillips is Ryalsrsquo demonstration to the commu-
nity just what the term ldquohomegrownrdquo really means ldquoAshley
shines a spotlight on independent businesses in a market-
place that has for so long focused on chainsrdquo Phillips says
ldquoDine amp Dash has really brought into sharp focus the inter-
esting culinary diversity that Huntsville has to off errdquo
For the next two years Homegrown Huntsville focused al-
most exclusively on Dine amp Dash which by the end of its fi rst
year included every single downtown restaurant But when
big changes began to appear on the downtown horizonmdash
new restaurants breweries and residential developmentsmdash
Ryalsrsquo instincts told her
the time had come to
introduce a new event
to the downtown cal-
endar
ldquoBeer Hop follows
the concept of Dine
amp Dashrdquo Ryals says of
Homegrownrsquos second
venture which began
in 2013 Each month a
trolley visits three dif-
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
BILL FOWLEROLD TOWN BEER
EXCHANGE
copy Olivia Reed
copy Olivia Reed
ferent breweries where patrons sample beers and enjoy food
from a variety of food trucks parked at each location
Bill Fowler managing partner of Old Town Beer Exchange
agreed to participate in Beer Hop on his very fi rst day of
business and credits Ryals with an overwhelmingly success-
ful opening night ldquoAshley said lsquoI can guarantee that you are
going to have wave after wave of people coming throughrsquordquo
Fowler says recalling that fi rst jittery occasion Once again
Ryals proved true to her word with 60-plus patrons arriving
in an hour-and-a-half ldquoIt was awesome and such a great ex-
perience for usrdquo Fowler raves ldquoAshley is a hard worker and
you can see that in what she doesrdquo
Fowler believes that in addition to bringing new customers
to OTBX Ryals is also cultivating beer education consis-
tently bringing in people who are new to beer and want to
learn And with Huntsvillersquos recent brewery boom that level
of education and interest is crucial for the brewing commu-
nity to thrive ldquoWe have a very small window of opportunityrdquo
says Fowler ldquoI think Huntsville in particular is becoming a
craft brewing community People are making money at this
and once Tennessee sees that we need to already have had a
pretty huge head startrdquo
By the end of 2013 and with standing events Beer Hop and
Dine amp Dash well established Ryals took time to refl ect on
her original goal for Homegrown Huntsville ldquoIn the back of
my head from day one I knew I wanted to do a wine festival
I just didnrsquot think Huntsville was ready for it in 2011rdquo
Emboldened by the success of Beer Hop Ryals decided to
make the leap with Big Spring Crush wine festival later the
same year Once again Ryals delivered the perfect audience
for the event and in the process discovered a surprising
fact about North Alabamarsquos contribution to the wine-mak-
ing industry
ldquoIn doing the wine festival I learned that we have a huge
wine community in Huntsvillerdquo Ryals says ldquoTh ere are only
about 47 certifi ed wine judges in the entire United States
and we have four of them right here in North Alabama Two
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
copy Jeff White
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
ldquoI STARTED TO GET HOMESICK ALL OF MY FRIENDS WERE GETTING MARRIEDAND MEETING FOR FOOTBALL GAMES AND I WAS MISSING ITrdquo ASHLEY RYALS
copy Jeff White
copy Jeff White
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
ldquoIT WAS AWESOME AND SUCH A GREAT EXPERIENCE FOR USrdquoBILL FOWLER OLD TOWN BEER EXCHANGE
copy Jeff White
copy Olivia Reed
of those four certifi ed wine judges sit on the committee for
Big Spring Crushrdquo
Matthew and Stephanie Mell had just opened Church Street
Wine Shop when they decided to participate in the fi rst Big
Spring Crush Like OTBXrsquos Robert Fowler the Mells credit
Ryals and Homegrown Huntsville for helping to introduce
their new enterprise to the community ldquoAshley has been in-
strumental in helping to bring us people who love and ap-
preciate winerdquo Stephanie Mell says ldquoShe was homegrown
here in Huntsville and she really gets the downtown area
and small businesses and that is so important to usrdquo
Big Spring Crush began with a bang featuring over 150
wines and attracting patrons from across the country
ldquoMost wine festivals across the country have proven records
of being able to stay around 15 or 20 years or even longerrdquo
Ryals says ldquoAnd the economies of those cities have really
grown as a result I want Big Spring Crush to eventually be
the biggest and best wine festival in the state of Alabamardquo
How does Ryals intend to make that dream come true ldquoBy
always keeping it fresh I want to have new marketing and
new things happening each yearrdquo
Ryalsrsquo formula of reinvention and expansion has successfully
led Homegrown Huntsville through fi ve years of success and
helped its events become community staples along the way In
the process Ryals is broadening more than just our image of
downtown Huntsville shersquos joining a class of creative entrepre-
neurs committed to expanding Huntsvillersquos reputation as more
than just a hub for the brightest scientifi c minds in America
ldquoWe have a big city of engineers and lawyers and itrsquos won-
derfulrdquo Ryals say ldquo But there is a whole artist and food cul-
ture here and there is so much growth I want us to have a
vibrant cool downtown area and I want for people to tell
their friends to come and visit and to see Huntsville for what
it is a city I loverdquo
If yoursquod like to participate in Homegrown Huntsville either
as a guest or a participating business visit homegrown-
huntsvillecom
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
copy Jeff White
I was years old and the year was At that time the city of Huntsville was inching toward the mountain to the east California Street was once the continental divide between the small town metropo-lis and the uncharted territories gingerly crossed by the real estate pioneers four score and some odd years prior Th is area became the new suburb as the city kept pushing onward toward Fagan Springs as if the reverberating booms of rocket testings were vibrating Hunstvillians away from its epicenter
From the front yard of our house on Owens Drive I could look to the rightmdashup the hill to the bend be-yond which the big houses stood on their rocky ledge pedestals and to the left where all the other houses that looked just like oursmdashfresh and newmdashrambled for what seemed like miles Th ose clean well-lit abodes all seemed the same and granted at my age I knew more about the pets that lived there than I did about the people who owned those manageable mortgages I came to realize that each was diff erent in a way that was permeated by voices smells and furnishings
It is a clicheacute to say that our lives were simpler then because that is just how the current era will be fondly referred to in the future but to a 5-year-old it is the simplicity that brought the joy Th e sixties will always be to me the beginning of the age of manufactured happiness Cheap clean and simple was what was strived for and what was easily obtained Plastic items were plentiful and pretty things could be bought with SampH Green Stamps A few coins in our pocket would transfer us into the most master of manipula-tors with us giving our all to convince our parents for a jaunt to Murdockrsquos for a holiday of wonderment joy and impatience as we would scour the shelves trying to get the most from our meager budget
Owens Drive was the fairly new thoroughfare from which the avenues of three-bedroom-ranchers fi ngered away at planned intervals Th is was the place where newlyweds started their lives homes and families Where girls with last names that had been in the town for generations would change them to those strange and exotic last names of the clean cut newcomers brought here for military purposes Where the housewives would preheat their pristine electric ovens trying to make cheese straws and biscuits that were just like their motherrsquos only to be frustrated as they were never quite the same and where the husbands would follow in their fatherrsquos footsteps by joining the Acme Club and hunting doves on the weekends
Th ere was a swimming pool Certainly not at our house Th e only private pool I remember as a child was one that my grandmother would take me to nestled between huge trees at someonersquos house on Adams Street I would swim with other children my age while our grandmothers chatted smoking cigarettes in cat-eyed anonymity whispering most of their stories so we wouldnrsquot be able to hear But between their
gasps and laughter we would listen hear and learn
Th e Blossomwood pool was a place of designated rules and the sound of bright whistlesmdashwith straight lines and distinctive colors of blue and green I can still feel the Coppertoned oiliness on the skin of the tanned lifeguard as she carried me from the deep end frightened after my fi rst attempt at solo-swimming She knew my name I had no idea who she was
On the other side of the pool was the school my older sister attended It had a style that mim-icked the poolmdashstraight lines cleanmdasha temple to orderliness and good manners It was with
awe that I once watched the young adults there some as old as eleven wind and dance their way around a sky-high fl agpolemdasheach with a diff erent color ribbon until the fi rst (and only) May Pole
I was privy to was completely dressed in its woven bright colors
90 raquo bless their hearts raquo Guy McClure Jr
Huntsville was a magical place for us tail-end baby boomers to grow upmdashbeyond the miracles of the escalator at Pizitz the smiling little lady on the tall stool at the register at Britlings There was a comfort level there that Irsquom not sure is in the minds of the 5-year-olds of today
cat-eyed agasps
Th s
aI w
THE COMFORTS OF BLOSSOMWOOD
In our world of red-bricked carported castles there was a def-inite division of generations Th e children ate separately from the parents went to school as our dads went to work enter-tained our neighborhood friends as quietly as possible and felt safe between our boundaries of Big Cove Road and Hermitage Street While we dined on our Chef Boy-Ar-Dee boxed pizza our parents busied themselves dressing in their dark colors getting ready for a late dinner at Boots having the scent of perfume and face powder trail my mother as she came into the kitchen looking for something with an intense purpose My father would smell of British Sterling and look just as he did when he went to work only happier Th ese nights meant something fun would happenmdashwe would have a babysitter
Babysitters were my introduction into what was and still seems cool Th ey were usually Huntsville High School teen-agers who would put on a show without even knowing it I would drink in their every move word and essence of style To me they were supermodelsmdashmovie starsmdasheven more fa-mous in my eyes than a television weatherman and almost as glamorous as the waitresses at the Waffl e House
Before they would tire of me and my sister and put us to bed they would include us in their world of music and knowledge which I thought was all-encompassing Suddenly our world of Th e Benny Carl Show and Fantasy Playhouse would seem trite and passeacute and we would catch a fl eeting glimpse into what would be in store for us when we too could stay up past 8 pm
Huntsville was a magical place for us tail-end baby boomers to grow upmdashbeyond the miracles of the escalator at Pizitz the smiling little lady on the tall stool at the register at Britlings and that bright colorful Maypole Th ere was a comfort level there that Irsquom not sure is in the minds of the 5-year-olds of todaymdashthe soothing sheltered lack of knowledge of why we were so lucky yet we didnrsquot even know that we were
In the other areas of our Huntsville there was poverty and ra-cial unrestmdashas there was and is in every city I was unaware People of color were always a part of my worldmdashmostly be-cause they had my attention and respect At our house there was Annie my grandmotherrsquos house was fi lled with the joys of Lula and out on the family farm there was strong and smiling Homer and large and huggable Rosamdashall just as much a part of my life as everyone else My life was good and they were instrumental in making it that way
What will the 5-year-olds of today who are lucky enough to be raised on those well-planned streets remember when they surpass their own 50 year mark It is a much more complex world now and there are diff erent concerns with daily changes of fear Youthful innocence is a prize that is encased without a lock Premature maturity is a viable threat and a constant fear But each night tucked in tight in a simple room sleeps tomor-rowrsquos adults who are having sweet dreamsmdashblanketed by the comforts of Blossomwood
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
92 raquo the vine raquo Amy C Collins
BORDEAUX POWER
Where Burgundyrsquos vineyards were established by Benedictine monks patiently growing wine vines with spiritual hearts Bordeauxrsquos vineyards were raised by entrepreneurial laymen who recognized the massive monetary opportunity when the English began drinking down their peasant wine
The city of Bordeaux is Francersquos primary port town on the Atlantic ocean a harbor that has for centuries served as the countryrsquos most important dock Th e regionrsquos history is long and storied with the fi rst written reference to the area dated 379 AD by the Latin poet Ausonius who was also a wine-grower Jump ahead to the year 1152 when Eleanor of Aquitaine married Englandrsquos soon-to-be king Henry Plantagenet and the port and surrounding vineyard land became the source of wine for the English a connection that remains strong even today
Bordeaux produces the worldrsquos most expensive and sought after collector wines the top tier of which make up less than fi ve percent of the regionrsquos total production Th ese names are quickly learned by neophyte wine drinkers wanting to make an impression Chateau Haut-Brion Lafi te Latour and Margaux for example Grown in gravelly soils only a few meters above sea levelmdashin contrast vineyards elsewhere in Europe typically sit between 300 and 900 metersmdashthese wines are some of the most powerful austere and pawed over When young the tannins in these cabernet sauvignon cabernet franc and merlot blends coat the tongue and mouth with a chalky dry sensation akin to sucking on an Earl Grey tea bag and are perhaps best suited to well-fatted rare steak and cigars Th ese are wines built to live for decades Personally I prefer a Bordeaux at least 20 years aged when the tannins have had ample time to calm down and mellow out and more nuanced fl avors come forward Sounds fancy and it is Only in some very lucky circumstances over the past year have I been guest to a bottle of 1990 Clos de Menuts Saint-Eacutemilion and a 1970 Chateau Haut-Brion About once every 10 years Irsquove had the good
fortune to taste a wine older than myself Nice work if you can get it
Where Burgundyrsquos vineyards (Francersquos other classifi ed sought-after region) were established by Benedictine monks patiently growing wine vines with spiritual hearts
Bordeauxrsquos vineyards were raised by entrepreneurial laymen who recognized the massive monetary opportunity when the English began drinking down their peasant wine Th is underscores the second half of my theory as to why Americans
more often American males are so drawn to the wines of Bordeaux Th erersquos an inherent capitalist connection something in the soil Th at the wines are so
unmistakable so distinctively grand and pronounced elixirs exemplifi es the fi rst half of my theory we Americans are not known for our subtlety (To be fair the Chinese are
signifi cant Bordeaux collectors as well)
Philosophy aside Bordeaux is quite a large region that produces beautiful white and red values as well as the rare fi nds out of the populacersquos price range Herersquos the skinny Blending is the game single varietal wines are rare White Bordeaux is typically made from a blend of sauvignon blanc and seacutemillon and sometimes a drop or two of muscadelle ugni blanc or colombard Reds are made primarily from the two cabernets plus merlot with small quantities of petit verdot malbec and carmenegravere occasionally in the mix Th e region is also home to the golden nectar of late ripened seacutemillon sauvignon blanc and muscadelle grapes that have successfully attracted the noble rot a fungus that covers the fruit and drains moisture from inside leaving behind rich sweet grapes without moldy fl avors Chateau drsquoYquem is the most famous of these unfortifi ed dessert wines though there are better bargains from the region
Bordeaux is split by the Gironde river which divides the region into three general areas Th e left bank also known as the Haut-Meacutedoc is where the classifi ed top growths are situated Th ese prestigious estates were named for their exceptional vineyard sites in 1855 a decision nearly unchanged since Today serious collectors invest in Bordeaux futures theoretically locking down lower prices of top
ample time to calm dit is Only in some vede Menuts Saint-Eacutem
fortune to taste a
Wherees
aun
of msignifi
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Follow Amy at pigandvinecom for morestories and wine suggestions
growth estates while the wine is still aging in the cellar Itrsquos the wine tradersquos equivalent to the NASDAQ On the right bank Saint-Eacutemilion and Pommerol are the prized vineyard areas known for their merlot heavy cuveacutees To the south west we fi nd Graves where there are many great values to be had in both white and red bottlings Entre-Deux-Mers which translates to ldquobetween two seasrdquo sits between the Dordogne and Garonne tributaries off the Gironde and is an excellent source for crisp whites
Get started on your Bordeaux experience with these values
Chateau Graville-Lacoste 2014 Graves 75 seacutemillon 20 sauvignon blanc and 5 muscadelle make up this beauty thatrsquos consistently delicious every vintage Crisp and refreshing great with seafood
Chateau Mirambeau 2014 GravesAnother classic blend of 40 sauvignon blanc 40 seacutemillon and 20 muscadelle this lovely white is a bit more fl oral than the Graville-Lacoste Easy drinking and great value
Chateau de Parenchegravere Bordeaux Rouge 201155 merlot 30 cabernet sauvignon and 15 cabernet franc grown in clay heavy soils similar to the right bank of the region Fleshy with good structure and abundant red fruit
Chateau Arnaud Bordeaux Supeacuterieur 2011Supeacuterieur on a Bordeaux label isnrsquot egotistical marketingmdashby law it indicates a wine with up to one degree more alcohol than its AC Bordeaux brethren What it really means is one more degree of body structure and in this case quality Approachable delicious and easy on the wallet
Chateau de Bernadotte Haut-Meacutedoc 2005Th e 2005 vintage in Bordeaux is in the history books with double asterisks Owned by the eminent Pichon Lalande family and made from vineyards in Paulliac one of the more choice growing areas in the region this is an incredible value a top tier Bordeaux for a fraction of the cost
Chateau de Suduiraut Sauternes 2011Ripe cantaloupe apricot and honey and an interesting smoky note with a solid sweet attack followed by great acidity A dessert wine that wonrsquot overpower the dessert
94 raquo parting shot raquo Patrick Hood
Meet Solvar
Solvar belongs to one of the worldrsquos oldest and purest equine lineages the Nor-
wegian Fjord horse a breed that has remained virtually unchanged for more than
2000 yearsmdashlong before we became acquainted with his animated cousins in
the movie Frozen Th ese national symbols of Norway are characterized by primi-
tive zebra striping on their legs and a dorsal stripe running from forelock to tail
resulting in a striking two-tone mane that sticks up like a Mohawk Th eir athleti-
cism agility and dependability make them valuable both as sport horses as well
as therapy horses for emotionally and physically challenged adults and children
Catie Wells of Huntsville is the proud owner of Solvar who resides at Monte
Sano Stables
For tickets or information 256-539-4818 or hsoorg
Bring In the New Year With Us
presents
WHAT A WONDERFUL
WORLDA tribute to Louis
Armstrong featuring the
Byron Stripling Quartet
Thursday December 31
730 pm bull Pops Series bullMark C Smith
Concert Hall VBC
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
M O R E T H A N 7 0 S H O P S A N D R E S T A U R A N T S I N C L U D I N G B E L K | D S W S H O E S | A P P L E J O S A B A N K | R E E D S J E W E L E R S | PA N D O R A | J C R E W | K AT E S PA D E N E W Y O R KO R V I S | B A N A N A R E P U B L I C | M I C H A E L K O R S | F R A N C E S C Arsquo S | A N T H R O P O L O G I EH amp M | S O M A | M O U N T A I N H I G H O U T F I T T E R S | B A R N E S amp N O B L E | S E P H O R AALTAR rsquoD STATE | CONNORS STEAK amp SEFOOD | THE WEST IN HUNTSV I L L E | MONACO P ICTURES
C O M I N G S O O N V E R S O N A ndash near Belk
B R I D G E S T R E E T H U N T S V I L L E C O M |
BR IDGE STREET TOWN CENTRE I S LOCATED AT EX I T 14 OFF I - 565 AT OLD MAD ISON P IKE
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) Rocket Cosmos Mug ($13)Huntsville Museumof Art(256) 535-4350
(2) Loose Leaf Tea ($399)Piper amp Leaf piperandleafcom (3) Judy Jackson Tea Pot ($56) (4) Gary Watson Cherry Cutting Board ($48-$68) (5) Susan Coe Birthday Cake Plate ($33) Little Green Storeand Gallery (256) 539-9699 (6) Macarons ($116 pcs $221 dozen)Whisk Small Treats Bakery(256) 656-1027
(7) Truffl es ($185 each)Pizellersquos Confections (256) 513-9745 (8) Olive amp Sinclair Chocolate ($799)Domaine South(256) 808-8860
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
(1) Whisk Note Pad ($8) (2) In the Forest Mixing Bowl ($36) (3) Twig Serving Set ($18)(8) Southern Firefl y Candle ($12)Sweet Pineapple(256) 964-7563
(4) Urchin Bowl ($10)(5) Foodie Dice ($38)(6) 1Canoe2 Wood Recipe Box w Recipe Cards ($6999) Domaine South(256) 808-8860 (7) Growlers ($75 small $95 large)Southern Growlersoutherngrowlercom
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) Tacori 18K Barbados Blue Bold Gem Ring ($660)(2) Tacori 18K Barbados Blue Bold Gem Necklace ($630)(3) Tacori 18K Barbados Blue Bold Gem Bracelet ($990)Hobbs Jewelers(877) 233-1347
(4) BCBG Dress ($328)Personal Couture Boutique(256) 508-5632
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Guadalupe Robinson
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
text by jennifer crossley howard raquo photos by patrick hood
Of Deft and Dirty Hands
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Huntsville potter Guadalupe Lanning Robinson has spent more than 36 years mastering the
marriage of clay texture and geometric design into her pottery yet time has done little to temper the
plight of waiting
ldquoIt is hard for me to let a pot just dryrdquo she says motioning toward fi ve small wet pots sitting near her
pottery wheel ldquoIrsquom as excited to do this as I was 30 years agordquo
To observe her studio at Lowe Mill that is easy to believe Located on the corridor outside the textile
mill-turned-art centerrsquos main building the loft-like space with a corrugated tin roof feels like a place a
Gabriel Garcia Marquez character would enjoy daydreaming
Sienna-hued pottery sits in various stages to be fi red layered and etched Argentinian tango music
streams from Robinsonrsquos iPhone and two cockatiels a parrot and a parakeet chirp from their cages All
except the parrot fl y freely when Robinson is working
Robinson who is 61 made her fi rst pot in 1979 in her native Mexico City Almost four decades later her
work is part of permanent museum collections in Auburn Huntsville Tuscumbia and Tupelo Missis-
sippi She regularly enters her work in respected juried shows such as the Monte Sano Arts Festival and
the Kentuck Festival of the Arts in Northport and has received two Alabama State Council on the Arts
individual artist fellowships
Her inspiration draws from the villages around her native Mexico City such as the black pottery of
the northwest as well as her acquired Southern culture White lilies corn grids and round female
fi guresmdashldquoreally strong women who are in chargerdquo Robinson saysmdashreappear on her stoneware She uses
natural dyes indigo for color and mixes sand into clay for texture Nothing is wasted
ldquoI donrsquot waste any clayrdquo Robinson says ldquoEverything is recycledrdquo
Robinson fi nds solace in the 40-50 hours a week she puts in at the studio and the often tedious process
of making pots which can take from three weeks to six weeks for larger pots She usually works on two
or three pots at a time tending to groups at diff erent stages
After a pot is thrown on a wheel a piece can take days to dry before its fi rst bisque fi re in which tem-
peratures rise to 1800 F After baking for nine hours the kiln must cool Th e second fi ring rises to 2150
F and matures the clay and melts the glazes to strengthen the piece
ldquoI am an effi cient person by naturerdquo Robinson says ldquoWaiting for the kiln to cool down enough to open
can be nerve wracking and this is when my patience is usually put to the testrdquo
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
ldquoIt is hard for me to let a pot just dry Irsquom as excited to do this as I was 30 years agordquo
Robinson makes most of her pots on a wheel using oxides to change the color of clay she gets from Nashville and Pittsburgh Her pottery takes several weeks from start to fi nish depending on how large a pot is and how many she makes at a time
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
ldquoAttend to your childrenrsquos needs fi rst keep focus on what you want to douse the happiness joy and little breaks you get to make your artTh ey grow real fast and they will keep inspiring you all your liferdquo
Robinson imagined this bat-like design as she was working She usually begins a piece with a design in mind but that often evolves
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Robinson uses an overlay of liquid clay called engobemdashthat includes three to four layersmdashto create a
base on which to design
Th ere is high risk in making pottery and hours of work can be wasted on a pot that has not dried en-
tirely before it enters the kiln Air pockets or the wrong mixture of chemicals can ruin a piece
ldquoArt is involved but science is toordquo says Laura Smith director of education at the Huntsville Museum
of Art where Robinson has taught pottery classes ldquoItrsquos more labor intensive in terms of working with
the medium whether yoursquore building by hand or with a wheel until you fi re with the fi nal layer of glazerdquo
Th e result is sturdy pottery
ldquoI want my pots to look like something that is lasting a long timerdquo Robinson says
Th ough she works solitarily in her studio she says she does not get lonely Her birds and music keep her
company and each stage of pottery making has a soundtrack She uses needlepoint tools to draw onto
clay to Jose Feliciano and other Latin American musicians
ldquoIf Irsquom at the wheel Bruno Marsrdquo she says ldquoIf Irsquom unloading the kiln and something is really awesome
then I need something moving and I have on Motownrdquo
Robinsonrsquos years of experience minimize the risk of damaged pots but she says her greatest challenge
as a potter was balancing her work while raising her two children Now adults their candid childhood
pictures and those of her grandchildren cover the warm green walls of her studio
She met her husband the poet James Robinson in 1977 on a Greyhound bus when she returned to
Mexico City from visiting a friend at the University of Southern Mississippi He was heading to Mexico
to study at a university Th ey married six months later After giving birth to her daughter Annie Jane in
Mexico City in 1982 the family moved to Huntsville in 1985 Th at is when Robinson got more serious
about her pottery
ldquoFrom the very beginning when I moved to Alabama I knew I was going to have to do thisrdquo she said
ldquoIn some ways it was a way for me to keep connected to my heritagerdquo
She took even 15 minutes of free time to work in the studio behind her home and worked late into the
night while her daughter and son Isidoro born in 1987 slept Having a home studio allowed her to
wash clothes tend to her home and drop off lunches at school while maintaining her art
ldquoTh ere was something for me when I fi rst became a mother that fueled my creativityrdquo Robinson says
ldquoTh ey are such a social inspiration too It fi lls your liferdquo
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Robinson advises fellow artists who are mothers to seize
both roles but to prioritize motherhood
ldquoAttend to your childrenrsquos needs fi rst keep focus on what you
want to do use the happiness joy and little breaks you get
to make your artrdquo she says ldquoTh ey grow real fast and they will
keep inspiring you all your liferdquo
Anna Sue Courtney director of the Flying Monkey Arts
Center at Lowe Mill has known Robinson for more than
10 years She says she admires how mothers and artists like
Robinson seamlessly embrace both roles
ldquoIt seems therersquos not a separation between creating and rais-
ing childrenrdquo Courtney says ldquoTh ey seem to pull from the
same placerdquo
Part of Robinsonrsquos motivation at Lowe Mill comes from
working privately in a studio alongside other artists that fos-
ters a community of feedback and ideas
ldquoItrsquos nice to be here because you can take a break and walk around and get inspirationrdquo Courtney says
ldquoItrsquos refreshingrdquo
When she needs a break from the studio Robinson stays home to sketch designs for a day or two then
she is back in the studio
Trips twice a year to Mexico City keep her plugged in to her native culture which in turn shows up in
her pottery
ldquoI have to recharge myselfrdquo Robinson says ldquoI love Huntsville and loved raising my kids here but I still
have the need of going back to be recharged and smell all the smells and see all the colors and get on
the subway and be pushed aroundrdquo
Details from her trips that infl uence her work include the ever-present red that covers the city during
the celebration of Dia de los Muertos or the Day of the Dead Th e pyramids of Teotihuacan conjure
warm earth tones and fl oating gardens around the city yield sweet pungent calla lilies and carnations
Celebration of food tough women and nature reappear in her pottery qualities that both Southern and
Mexican cultures treasure
Above This daisy design is character-istic of Robinsonrsquos work Nature food and strong females from her native Mexico City and the South are strong creative infl uences
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Clockwise from top left Robinson often glazes only the inside of her pots so they can hold water and food She began quilting in 2002 and her quilts like her pottery contain earth tones and natural infl uences in their design Four birds keep Robinson company in what can be the isolating medium of pottery making Geometry and symmetry are two signature elements in Robinsonrsquos work according to Laura Smith director of education at the Huntsville Museum of Art
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Just as she keeps her home country close to her heart Robinson is loyal to her fi rst
love of pottery though she began making quilts in 2002
ldquoIrsquom a potter who likes to quiltrdquo she says
Like her pottery her quilting follows designs of organic nature such as fl owers and
crops on rich jewel tone cotton
ldquoWhen I fi rst saw one of her quilts I didnrsquot realize it was hers and I thought that
looks like it should be Guadalupersquos quiltrdquo Courtney says
Robinson prefers the immediate gratifi cation of clay
ldquoItrsquos a very responsive mediumrdquo she says ldquoYou can manipulate it Th e fact of mak-
ing something out of dirt out of nothing and making it durable making it perma-
nent that after going through the heat and maturing is something very excitingrdquo
She gently dings a pot covered with white dresses titled ldquoTehuana Dressrdquo to make
her point
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
887 FM Muscle Shoals bull 1007 FM Huntsvillewwwaprorg
News classicalmusic and more
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
copy Patrick Hood
text by sara wright covington raquo photos by jacki gil
patrick hood erin lindsey and michelle odom
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
copy Patrick Hood
ldquoA LOT OF PEOPLE HAD BEEN ASKING ME QUESTIONS ABOUTHOW I GOT MY BUSINESS STARTED I WANTED TO GATHER SOME PEOPLE AROUND ME
WHO WERE GOING THROUGH THOSE STRUGGLES AND TOBUILD ENTREPRENEURIAL COURAGErdquo
JACKI GIL SALT+PAPERIE
copy Patrick Hood
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
untsville-born Jacki Gil began her paper design busi-
ness Salt+Paperie in 2014 with an expansive vision
in mind one that extended beyond creating beautiful
custom designed paper goods ldquoI love my design job
but when Irsquom 50 years old I donrsquot see myself still de-
signing wedding invitationsrdquo the master stationer says
ldquoI really have a passion for teaching and helping people
I want to be a mentorrdquo
In 2015 Gil set out on her mentoring mission sooner than expected with a series
of workshops called Encourage Huntsville ldquoA lot of people had been asking me
questions about how I got my business startedrdquo Gil says about the early days of
Salt+Paperie Even though most of those questions from entrepreneurial-hopefuls
were technicalmdashlike how to apply for a business licensemdashthey served as inspira-
tion for Gil ldquoI wanted to gather some people around me who were going through
those struggles and to build entrepreneurial courage I defi nitely saw that there
was a need for helping people to take that next step toward owning their own
businessesrdquo
Encourage Huntsville was modeled on the image of a growing small business
movement called the Rising Tide Society a national community of creative small
business owners who encourage ldquocommunity over competitionrdquo Th at spirit of
openness is at the heart of Encourage Huntsville ldquoCommunity over competition
is a huge part of what we are doingrdquo says Gil ldquoSmall business owners sharing how
they earn their money is a big dealrdquo
As a fi rst step Gil gathered others around her who were using their skills and abili-
ties to make their own small businesses work With talents ranging from cooking
and cake decorating to hand lettering and artwork these small business owners
all embraced Gilrsquos vision for imparting to others the knowledge of their craft un-
impeded by a fear of losing their competitive edge
Th e fi rst lesson Gil wanted to impart to Encourage Huntsvillersquos students wasnrsquot
necessarily a particular craft or skill but a spirt of creative confi dence ldquoWe want-
ed to bridge the gap between the very artsy community and the ultimate engineer
communityrdquo many of whom Gil observes had been told since childhood they
werenrsquot artistic ldquoWhen you are little and someone tells you that you donrsquot have a
talent it sticks with you I found that a lot of people had that experience so that
was the workshop partmdashto build some creative courage in this communityrdquo
Gil conducted the fi rst workshop herself testing the waters to see how the concept
would be received Th e admission price to that fi rst workshop included supplies a
take-home ldquogoody bagrdquo to help students continue their work extracurricularly and
refreshmentsmdashas well as Gilrsquos tips of her trade
ldquoWe went in blindly not knowing if we had a market or notrdquo says Gil Th e popular-
ity of that fi rst class proved undeniably that a market did in fact exist the work-
shop sold out in one day ldquoSo we did back-to-back workshopsrdquo Gil says ldquoAfter that
novemberdecembeeer eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee | nononoononononononoonoonononooooonoonoonnononnoaaalalalllaallllllalaalaaalal ststustust ddiossscom mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm | | | | | | | | | | |
f
w
y
Previous page Encourage Huntsvillersquos founder and instructor Jacki Gil teaches a class in hand lettering Facing page A participant studies her supply list
we realized people really want to do this stuff So we said lsquoletrsquos jump on the boat
and make this happenrsquordquo
Gilrsquos longtime friend photographer Erin Lindsey of Erin Lindsey Images agreed
to contribute to Encourage Huntsvillersquos curriculum by teaching a photography
class ldquoJacki and I are a good team because our hearts are in the same place when
it comes to encouraging othersrdquo Lindsey says Still she admits saying yes to teach-
ing wasnrsquot without some initial hesitation ldquoWhen Jacki asked if I would teach a
class it was kind of scary I thought I had to be perfect before I could teach oth-
ersrdquo Lindsey says of her initial hesitancy ldquoBut after talking to Jacki I realized none
of us are perfectrdquo But perfection isnrsquot the goal encouragement is the goal ldquoAnd I
thought lsquoI can defi nitely line up with that visionrsquordquo
Michelle Odom another Huntsville native and owner of custom cake bakery Just
Crumbs was also on board with Gilrsquos vision In fact Odom had been contemplat-
ing teaching a class when she was approached by Gil to teach a fondant basics
class ldquoHuntsville is such an engineer town and everyone is so mathematical and
scientifi crdquo Odom says echoing the dichotomy between the arts and sciences ex-
pressed by Gil ldquoTh ese workshops are just a very cool way for structured people to
have a creative outletrdquo
ldquoJACKI AND I ARE A GOOD TEAM BECAUSE OUR HEARTS ARE INTHE SAME PLACE WHEN IT COMES TO ENCOURAGING OTHERSrdquo
ERIN LINDSEY ERIN LINDSEY IMAGES
copy Erin Lindsey
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Above A participant in Erin Lindseyrsquos photo class frames a still life
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
copy Erin Lindsey
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
ldquoHUNTSVILLE IS SUCH AN ENGINEER TOWN AND EVERYONE ISSO MATHEMATICAL AND SCIENTIFIC THESE WORKSHOPS ARE JUST A VERY COOL
WAY FOR STRUCTURED PEOPLE TO HAVE A CREATIVE OUTLETrdquo MICHELLE ODOM JUST CRUMBS
copy Michelle Odom
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
ldquoAnd yesrdquo Odom acknowledges ldquoyou are in theory teaching your competition But
at the same time you are helping the community be more creativerdquo
With its roster of popular creative workshops under its belt Encourage Huntsville
has added business classes to its community-over-competition curriculum with
classes designed to provide specifi c guidance for small business owners ldquoAll of
our events that donrsquot require hands-on work we call seminarsrdquo says Gil ldquoWe had
about 15 people at our fi rst one It was pretty much just an open discussion to ask
us questions and get answers from the perspective of a small business ownerrdquo
Th e seminars enjoyed the same success and enthusiasm as the workshops ldquoWe
had two hours for people to ask questionsrdquo Gil says Topics covered ran the gamut
from scheduling daily tasks self-hosting a website or using an Etsy store man-
aging client expectations and being realistic about how much time you need to
complete jobs
ldquoTh e time went quickly and people wanted morerdquo says Gil who envisions an all-
day seminar in 2016
Margaret Baggett owner and executive chef of the Chef Next Door is another
small business owner who has shared Gilrsquos vision from the very beginning teach-
copy Erin Lindsey
Facing page Michelle Odomrsquos fondant basics class begins with a styrofoam cake form Above Newbie photographers familiarize themselves with their cameras in Erin Lindseyrsquos photography class
ing knife skills workshops and helping host the business seminars ldquoI am so proud
to get to be a part of this project and help nurture other small business owners
who may just be starting out on their journey or are deep in it and looking for
some encouragement from other business ownersrdquo Baggett says of what motivates
her participation in Encourage Huntsville ldquoEven being on the advice-giving side
of things I am still learning and have taken tips and tricks and lessons from each
event we have had so far We never stop learning from each other and never stop
improving upon our craftsrdquo
Th e mutual growth among students and teachers is the source of the encourage-
mentmdashand the joymdashof Encourage Huntsville ldquoItrsquos so much fun to see the light
bulbs go off with people and see them encouraged right before your eyesrdquo Lindsey
says of her experience with the program ldquoPlus itrsquos a pleasure to contribute to a
sense of community over competition Th at whole concept is so rarerdquo
As Encourage Huntsvillersquos following continues to grow the diversity of the work-
shops will expand as well Whether you are looking to spend a fun afternoon
learning a new craft or are a budding small business owner hoping to launch
your brand Encourage Huntsville has something valuable to off er ldquoWe encourage
those left-brain folks to take up a new hobby or skillrdquo Baggett says ldquoor just encour-
age the people of Huntsville to get together and fan their creative fl amesrdquo
If yoursquore looking for
creative or entrepreneurial
encouragement visit
encouragehuntsvillecom
for seminar and workshop
schedules and information
ldquoI AM SO PROUD TO GET TO BE A PART OF THIS PROJECT AND HELP NURTURE OTHER SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS WHO MAY JUST BE STARTING OUT ON THEIR JOURNEY OR ARE DEEP IN IT
AND LOOKING FOR SOME ENCOURAGEMENT FROM OTHER BUSINESS OWNERSrdquoMARGARET BAGGETT CHEF NEXT DOOR
copy Jacki Gil
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
copy Jacki Gil
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Participants in Margaret Baggettrsquos knife skills workshop learn to perfect their ldquomise en placerdquo
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
copy Olivia Reed
text by sara wright covington raquo photos by olivia reed and jeff white
HUNTSVILLErsquoS
HOMEGROWNHOSTESS
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
ttttttononononoooooonononooooo raquo praquo praquo praquo praquo phothothothothotosoososos s s osos bybybbybb
Any host will tell you that delicious food and quality libations while important to
a partyrsquos success are secondary to the most important ingredient of all the guest list Th atrsquos why many
of downtown Huntsvillersquos most popular restaurants breweries and wine shops are turning to event
planner Ashley Ryals and her uncanny knack for attracting loyal patronsmdashand creating unforgettable
events in the process
When Huntsville born-and-bred Ashley Ryals left for college at the University of Alabama in 2001
she thought her exit from the Valley was permanent ldquoI never thought I would end up back hererdquo the
founder of event planning company Homegrown Huntsville says with a knowing laugh But after a few
post-graduate years working for world-renowned public relations powerhouse Weber Shandwick in
New York City Ryals started to second guess her freshman declaration
ldquoI started to get homesickrdquo she admits ldquoAll of my friends were getting married and meeting for football
games and I was missing itrdquo So when a friend from home set up an interview at EarlyWorks for a job
doing event planning Ryals jumped at the chance to come home
Ashley spent the next few years planning EarlyWorks Whistle Stop and Santarsquos Village events A brief
stint in sales followed along with a seat on the board of Huntsville Young Professionals where she had
an idea for a downtown pub crawl
ldquoWe expected 20 or 30 peoplerdquo Ryals says of their modest expectations ldquoBut 200 people showed uprdquo
Th at initial success convinced Ryals to embark on her dream of establishing an
event planning company But it wasnrsquot just any event planning company Ryals
had in mind she envisioned one that would collaborate with local businesses
cultivate signature events for the community to enjoy and support small busi-
nesses in the process
Inspired Ryals left her sales job and for the second time in her life came home
again to event planning and Homegrown Huntsville
To help bring her vision to life Ryals collaborated with designer Adrianne Van
Kirk of Fave Creative ldquoAdrianne has been a part of the visual and branding of
Homegrown from the beginning We come up with the event ideas then I get
the ticketing and sales together and she comes back with a logo and the mar-
keting for the event And thatrsquos how it all comes togetherrdquo Ryals says of their
creative process
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
ASHLEY RYALS
copy Olivia Reed
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
ldquoMOST WINE FESTIVALS ACROSS THE COUNTRY HAVE PROVEN RECORDS OF BEING ABLE TO STAY AROUND 15 OR 20 YEARS OR EVEN LONGER AND THE ECONOMIES OF THOSE
CITIES HAVE REALLY GROWN AS A RESULT I WANT BIG SPRING CRUSH TO EVENTUALLY BE THE BIGGEST AND BEST WINE FESTIVAL IN THE STATE OF ALABAMArdquo ASHLEY RYALS
copy Jeff White
copy Jeff White
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
copy Olivia Reed
Homegrown launched in 2011 with what would become its
signature event Dine amp Dash Every second Wednesday
April through October a trolley shuttles patrons between
downtown establishments where they are served a drink
and appetizer before moving on to the next stop
Owner and executive chef Merle Phillips of Th e Eaves was
one of the fi rst restaurants to sign on for Dine amp Dashrsquos de-
but ldquoAshley came to me and said she was starting a trolley
tasting conceptrdquo says Chef Merle ldquoI didnrsquot really know her so
I was taking a chance on the concept she was sellingrdquo
Merle tried it and has been a loyal participant of Dine amp
Dash ever since
ldquoIt was a risk in the beginning but it defi nitely paid off rdquo Chef
Merle says of the experience Pivotal to that experience ac-
cording to Phillips is Ryalsrsquo demonstration to the commu-
nity just what the term ldquohomegrownrdquo really means ldquoAshley
shines a spotlight on independent businesses in a market-
place that has for so long focused on chainsrdquo Phillips says
ldquoDine amp Dash has really brought into sharp focus the inter-
esting culinary diversity that Huntsville has to off errdquo
For the next two years Homegrown Huntsville focused al-
most exclusively on Dine amp Dash which by the end of its fi rst
year included every single downtown restaurant But when
big changes began to appear on the downtown horizonmdash
new restaurants breweries and residential developmentsmdash
Ryalsrsquo instincts told her
the time had come to
introduce a new event
to the downtown cal-
endar
ldquoBeer Hop follows
the concept of Dine
amp Dashrdquo Ryals says of
Homegrownrsquos second
venture which began
in 2013 Each month a
trolley visits three dif-
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
BILL FOWLEROLD TOWN BEER
EXCHANGE
copy Olivia Reed
copy Olivia Reed
ferent breweries where patrons sample beers and enjoy food
from a variety of food trucks parked at each location
Bill Fowler managing partner of Old Town Beer Exchange
agreed to participate in Beer Hop on his very fi rst day of
business and credits Ryals with an overwhelmingly success-
ful opening night ldquoAshley said lsquoI can guarantee that you are
going to have wave after wave of people coming throughrsquordquo
Fowler says recalling that fi rst jittery occasion Once again
Ryals proved true to her word with 60-plus patrons arriving
in an hour-and-a-half ldquoIt was awesome and such a great ex-
perience for usrdquo Fowler raves ldquoAshley is a hard worker and
you can see that in what she doesrdquo
Fowler believes that in addition to bringing new customers
to OTBX Ryals is also cultivating beer education consis-
tently bringing in people who are new to beer and want to
learn And with Huntsvillersquos recent brewery boom that level
of education and interest is crucial for the brewing commu-
nity to thrive ldquoWe have a very small window of opportunityrdquo
says Fowler ldquoI think Huntsville in particular is becoming a
craft brewing community People are making money at this
and once Tennessee sees that we need to already have had a
pretty huge head startrdquo
By the end of 2013 and with standing events Beer Hop and
Dine amp Dash well established Ryals took time to refl ect on
her original goal for Homegrown Huntsville ldquoIn the back of
my head from day one I knew I wanted to do a wine festival
I just didnrsquot think Huntsville was ready for it in 2011rdquo
Emboldened by the success of Beer Hop Ryals decided to
make the leap with Big Spring Crush wine festival later the
same year Once again Ryals delivered the perfect audience
for the event and in the process discovered a surprising
fact about North Alabamarsquos contribution to the wine-mak-
ing industry
ldquoIn doing the wine festival I learned that we have a huge
wine community in Huntsvillerdquo Ryals says ldquoTh ere are only
about 47 certifi ed wine judges in the entire United States
and we have four of them right here in North Alabama Two
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
copy Jeff White
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
ldquoI STARTED TO GET HOMESICK ALL OF MY FRIENDS WERE GETTING MARRIEDAND MEETING FOR FOOTBALL GAMES AND I WAS MISSING ITrdquo ASHLEY RYALS
copy Jeff White
copy Jeff White
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
ldquoIT WAS AWESOME AND SUCH A GREAT EXPERIENCE FOR USrdquoBILL FOWLER OLD TOWN BEER EXCHANGE
copy Jeff White
copy Olivia Reed
of those four certifi ed wine judges sit on the committee for
Big Spring Crushrdquo
Matthew and Stephanie Mell had just opened Church Street
Wine Shop when they decided to participate in the fi rst Big
Spring Crush Like OTBXrsquos Robert Fowler the Mells credit
Ryals and Homegrown Huntsville for helping to introduce
their new enterprise to the community ldquoAshley has been in-
strumental in helping to bring us people who love and ap-
preciate winerdquo Stephanie Mell says ldquoShe was homegrown
here in Huntsville and she really gets the downtown area
and small businesses and that is so important to usrdquo
Big Spring Crush began with a bang featuring over 150
wines and attracting patrons from across the country
ldquoMost wine festivals across the country have proven records
of being able to stay around 15 or 20 years or even longerrdquo
Ryals says ldquoAnd the economies of those cities have really
grown as a result I want Big Spring Crush to eventually be
the biggest and best wine festival in the state of Alabamardquo
How does Ryals intend to make that dream come true ldquoBy
always keeping it fresh I want to have new marketing and
new things happening each yearrdquo
Ryalsrsquo formula of reinvention and expansion has successfully
led Homegrown Huntsville through fi ve years of success and
helped its events become community staples along the way In
the process Ryals is broadening more than just our image of
downtown Huntsville shersquos joining a class of creative entrepre-
neurs committed to expanding Huntsvillersquos reputation as more
than just a hub for the brightest scientifi c minds in America
ldquoWe have a big city of engineers and lawyers and itrsquos won-
derfulrdquo Ryals say ldquo But there is a whole artist and food cul-
ture here and there is so much growth I want us to have a
vibrant cool downtown area and I want for people to tell
their friends to come and visit and to see Huntsville for what
it is a city I loverdquo
If yoursquod like to participate in Homegrown Huntsville either
as a guest or a participating business visit homegrown-
huntsvillecom
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
copy Jeff White
I was years old and the year was At that time the city of Huntsville was inching toward the mountain to the east California Street was once the continental divide between the small town metropo-lis and the uncharted territories gingerly crossed by the real estate pioneers four score and some odd years prior Th is area became the new suburb as the city kept pushing onward toward Fagan Springs as if the reverberating booms of rocket testings were vibrating Hunstvillians away from its epicenter
From the front yard of our house on Owens Drive I could look to the rightmdashup the hill to the bend be-yond which the big houses stood on their rocky ledge pedestals and to the left where all the other houses that looked just like oursmdashfresh and newmdashrambled for what seemed like miles Th ose clean well-lit abodes all seemed the same and granted at my age I knew more about the pets that lived there than I did about the people who owned those manageable mortgages I came to realize that each was diff erent in a way that was permeated by voices smells and furnishings
It is a clicheacute to say that our lives were simpler then because that is just how the current era will be fondly referred to in the future but to a 5-year-old it is the simplicity that brought the joy Th e sixties will always be to me the beginning of the age of manufactured happiness Cheap clean and simple was what was strived for and what was easily obtained Plastic items were plentiful and pretty things could be bought with SampH Green Stamps A few coins in our pocket would transfer us into the most master of manipula-tors with us giving our all to convince our parents for a jaunt to Murdockrsquos for a holiday of wonderment joy and impatience as we would scour the shelves trying to get the most from our meager budget
Owens Drive was the fairly new thoroughfare from which the avenues of three-bedroom-ranchers fi ngered away at planned intervals Th is was the place where newlyweds started their lives homes and families Where girls with last names that had been in the town for generations would change them to those strange and exotic last names of the clean cut newcomers brought here for military purposes Where the housewives would preheat their pristine electric ovens trying to make cheese straws and biscuits that were just like their motherrsquos only to be frustrated as they were never quite the same and where the husbands would follow in their fatherrsquos footsteps by joining the Acme Club and hunting doves on the weekends
Th ere was a swimming pool Certainly not at our house Th e only private pool I remember as a child was one that my grandmother would take me to nestled between huge trees at someonersquos house on Adams Street I would swim with other children my age while our grandmothers chatted smoking cigarettes in cat-eyed anonymity whispering most of their stories so we wouldnrsquot be able to hear But between their
gasps and laughter we would listen hear and learn
Th e Blossomwood pool was a place of designated rules and the sound of bright whistlesmdashwith straight lines and distinctive colors of blue and green I can still feel the Coppertoned oiliness on the skin of the tanned lifeguard as she carried me from the deep end frightened after my fi rst attempt at solo-swimming She knew my name I had no idea who she was
On the other side of the pool was the school my older sister attended It had a style that mim-icked the poolmdashstraight lines cleanmdasha temple to orderliness and good manners It was with
awe that I once watched the young adults there some as old as eleven wind and dance their way around a sky-high fl agpolemdasheach with a diff erent color ribbon until the fi rst (and only) May Pole
I was privy to was completely dressed in its woven bright colors
90 raquo bless their hearts raquo Guy McClure Jr
Huntsville was a magical place for us tail-end baby boomers to grow upmdashbeyond the miracles of the escalator at Pizitz the smiling little lady on the tall stool at the register at Britlings There was a comfort level there that Irsquom not sure is in the minds of the 5-year-olds of today
cat-eyed agasps
Th s
aI w
THE COMFORTS OF BLOSSOMWOOD
In our world of red-bricked carported castles there was a def-inite division of generations Th e children ate separately from the parents went to school as our dads went to work enter-tained our neighborhood friends as quietly as possible and felt safe between our boundaries of Big Cove Road and Hermitage Street While we dined on our Chef Boy-Ar-Dee boxed pizza our parents busied themselves dressing in their dark colors getting ready for a late dinner at Boots having the scent of perfume and face powder trail my mother as she came into the kitchen looking for something with an intense purpose My father would smell of British Sterling and look just as he did when he went to work only happier Th ese nights meant something fun would happenmdashwe would have a babysitter
Babysitters were my introduction into what was and still seems cool Th ey were usually Huntsville High School teen-agers who would put on a show without even knowing it I would drink in their every move word and essence of style To me they were supermodelsmdashmovie starsmdasheven more fa-mous in my eyes than a television weatherman and almost as glamorous as the waitresses at the Waffl e House
Before they would tire of me and my sister and put us to bed they would include us in their world of music and knowledge which I thought was all-encompassing Suddenly our world of Th e Benny Carl Show and Fantasy Playhouse would seem trite and passeacute and we would catch a fl eeting glimpse into what would be in store for us when we too could stay up past 8 pm
Huntsville was a magical place for us tail-end baby boomers to grow upmdashbeyond the miracles of the escalator at Pizitz the smiling little lady on the tall stool at the register at Britlings and that bright colorful Maypole Th ere was a comfort level there that Irsquom not sure is in the minds of the 5-year-olds of todaymdashthe soothing sheltered lack of knowledge of why we were so lucky yet we didnrsquot even know that we were
In the other areas of our Huntsville there was poverty and ra-cial unrestmdashas there was and is in every city I was unaware People of color were always a part of my worldmdashmostly be-cause they had my attention and respect At our house there was Annie my grandmotherrsquos house was fi lled with the joys of Lula and out on the family farm there was strong and smiling Homer and large and huggable Rosamdashall just as much a part of my life as everyone else My life was good and they were instrumental in making it that way
What will the 5-year-olds of today who are lucky enough to be raised on those well-planned streets remember when they surpass their own 50 year mark It is a much more complex world now and there are diff erent concerns with daily changes of fear Youthful innocence is a prize that is encased without a lock Premature maturity is a viable threat and a constant fear But each night tucked in tight in a simple room sleeps tomor-rowrsquos adults who are having sweet dreamsmdashblanketed by the comforts of Blossomwood
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
92 raquo the vine raquo Amy C Collins
BORDEAUX POWER
Where Burgundyrsquos vineyards were established by Benedictine monks patiently growing wine vines with spiritual hearts Bordeauxrsquos vineyards were raised by entrepreneurial laymen who recognized the massive monetary opportunity when the English began drinking down their peasant wine
The city of Bordeaux is Francersquos primary port town on the Atlantic ocean a harbor that has for centuries served as the countryrsquos most important dock Th e regionrsquos history is long and storied with the fi rst written reference to the area dated 379 AD by the Latin poet Ausonius who was also a wine-grower Jump ahead to the year 1152 when Eleanor of Aquitaine married Englandrsquos soon-to-be king Henry Plantagenet and the port and surrounding vineyard land became the source of wine for the English a connection that remains strong even today
Bordeaux produces the worldrsquos most expensive and sought after collector wines the top tier of which make up less than fi ve percent of the regionrsquos total production Th ese names are quickly learned by neophyte wine drinkers wanting to make an impression Chateau Haut-Brion Lafi te Latour and Margaux for example Grown in gravelly soils only a few meters above sea levelmdashin contrast vineyards elsewhere in Europe typically sit between 300 and 900 metersmdashthese wines are some of the most powerful austere and pawed over When young the tannins in these cabernet sauvignon cabernet franc and merlot blends coat the tongue and mouth with a chalky dry sensation akin to sucking on an Earl Grey tea bag and are perhaps best suited to well-fatted rare steak and cigars Th ese are wines built to live for decades Personally I prefer a Bordeaux at least 20 years aged when the tannins have had ample time to calm down and mellow out and more nuanced fl avors come forward Sounds fancy and it is Only in some very lucky circumstances over the past year have I been guest to a bottle of 1990 Clos de Menuts Saint-Eacutemilion and a 1970 Chateau Haut-Brion About once every 10 years Irsquove had the good
fortune to taste a wine older than myself Nice work if you can get it
Where Burgundyrsquos vineyards (Francersquos other classifi ed sought-after region) were established by Benedictine monks patiently growing wine vines with spiritual hearts
Bordeauxrsquos vineyards were raised by entrepreneurial laymen who recognized the massive monetary opportunity when the English began drinking down their peasant wine Th is underscores the second half of my theory as to why Americans
more often American males are so drawn to the wines of Bordeaux Th erersquos an inherent capitalist connection something in the soil Th at the wines are so
unmistakable so distinctively grand and pronounced elixirs exemplifi es the fi rst half of my theory we Americans are not known for our subtlety (To be fair the Chinese are
signifi cant Bordeaux collectors as well)
Philosophy aside Bordeaux is quite a large region that produces beautiful white and red values as well as the rare fi nds out of the populacersquos price range Herersquos the skinny Blending is the game single varietal wines are rare White Bordeaux is typically made from a blend of sauvignon blanc and seacutemillon and sometimes a drop or two of muscadelle ugni blanc or colombard Reds are made primarily from the two cabernets plus merlot with small quantities of petit verdot malbec and carmenegravere occasionally in the mix Th e region is also home to the golden nectar of late ripened seacutemillon sauvignon blanc and muscadelle grapes that have successfully attracted the noble rot a fungus that covers the fruit and drains moisture from inside leaving behind rich sweet grapes without moldy fl avors Chateau drsquoYquem is the most famous of these unfortifi ed dessert wines though there are better bargains from the region
Bordeaux is split by the Gironde river which divides the region into three general areas Th e left bank also known as the Haut-Meacutedoc is where the classifi ed top growths are situated Th ese prestigious estates were named for their exceptional vineyard sites in 1855 a decision nearly unchanged since Today serious collectors invest in Bordeaux futures theoretically locking down lower prices of top
ample time to calm dit is Only in some vede Menuts Saint-Eacutem
fortune to taste a
Wherees
aun
of msignifi
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Follow Amy at pigandvinecom for morestories and wine suggestions
growth estates while the wine is still aging in the cellar Itrsquos the wine tradersquos equivalent to the NASDAQ On the right bank Saint-Eacutemilion and Pommerol are the prized vineyard areas known for their merlot heavy cuveacutees To the south west we fi nd Graves where there are many great values to be had in both white and red bottlings Entre-Deux-Mers which translates to ldquobetween two seasrdquo sits between the Dordogne and Garonne tributaries off the Gironde and is an excellent source for crisp whites
Get started on your Bordeaux experience with these values
Chateau Graville-Lacoste 2014 Graves 75 seacutemillon 20 sauvignon blanc and 5 muscadelle make up this beauty thatrsquos consistently delicious every vintage Crisp and refreshing great with seafood
Chateau Mirambeau 2014 GravesAnother classic blend of 40 sauvignon blanc 40 seacutemillon and 20 muscadelle this lovely white is a bit more fl oral than the Graville-Lacoste Easy drinking and great value
Chateau de Parenchegravere Bordeaux Rouge 201155 merlot 30 cabernet sauvignon and 15 cabernet franc grown in clay heavy soils similar to the right bank of the region Fleshy with good structure and abundant red fruit
Chateau Arnaud Bordeaux Supeacuterieur 2011Supeacuterieur on a Bordeaux label isnrsquot egotistical marketingmdashby law it indicates a wine with up to one degree more alcohol than its AC Bordeaux brethren What it really means is one more degree of body structure and in this case quality Approachable delicious and easy on the wallet
Chateau de Bernadotte Haut-Meacutedoc 2005Th e 2005 vintage in Bordeaux is in the history books with double asterisks Owned by the eminent Pichon Lalande family and made from vineyards in Paulliac one of the more choice growing areas in the region this is an incredible value a top tier Bordeaux for a fraction of the cost
Chateau de Suduiraut Sauternes 2011Ripe cantaloupe apricot and honey and an interesting smoky note with a solid sweet attack followed by great acidity A dessert wine that wonrsquot overpower the dessert
94 raquo parting shot raquo Patrick Hood
Meet Solvar
Solvar belongs to one of the worldrsquos oldest and purest equine lineages the Nor-
wegian Fjord horse a breed that has remained virtually unchanged for more than
2000 yearsmdashlong before we became acquainted with his animated cousins in
the movie Frozen Th ese national symbols of Norway are characterized by primi-
tive zebra striping on their legs and a dorsal stripe running from forelock to tail
resulting in a striking two-tone mane that sticks up like a Mohawk Th eir athleti-
cism agility and dependability make them valuable both as sport horses as well
as therapy horses for emotionally and physically challenged adults and children
Catie Wells of Huntsville is the proud owner of Solvar who resides at Monte
Sano Stables
For tickets or information 256-539-4818 or hsoorg
Bring In the New Year With Us
presents
WHAT A WONDERFUL
WORLDA tribute to Louis
Armstrong featuring the
Byron Stripling Quartet
Thursday December 31
730 pm bull Pops Series bullMark C Smith
Concert Hall VBC
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
M O R E T H A N 7 0 S H O P S A N D R E S T A U R A N T S I N C L U D I N G B E L K | D S W S H O E S | A P P L E J O S A B A N K | R E E D S J E W E L E R S | PA N D O R A | J C R E W | K AT E S PA D E N E W Y O R KO R V I S | B A N A N A R E P U B L I C | M I C H A E L K O R S | F R A N C E S C Arsquo S | A N T H R O P O L O G I EH amp M | S O M A | M O U N T A I N H I G H O U T F I T T E R S | B A R N E S amp N O B L E | S E P H O R AALTAR rsquoD STATE | CONNORS STEAK amp SEFOOD | THE WEST IN HUNTSV I L L E | MONACO P ICTURES
C O M I N G S O O N V E R S O N A ndash near Belk
B R I D G E S T R E E T H U N T S V I L L E C O M |
BR IDGE STREET TOWN CENTRE I S LOCATED AT EX I T 14 OFF I - 565 AT OLD MAD ISON P IKE
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
(1) Whisk Note Pad ($8) (2) In the Forest Mixing Bowl ($36) (3) Twig Serving Set ($18)(8) Southern Firefl y Candle ($12)Sweet Pineapple(256) 964-7563
(4) Urchin Bowl ($10)(5) Foodie Dice ($38)(6) 1Canoe2 Wood Recipe Box w Recipe Cards ($6999) Domaine South(256) 808-8860 (7) Growlers ($75 small $95 large)Southern Growlersoutherngrowlercom
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) Tacori 18K Barbados Blue Bold Gem Ring ($660)(2) Tacori 18K Barbados Blue Bold Gem Necklace ($630)(3) Tacori 18K Barbados Blue Bold Gem Bracelet ($990)Hobbs Jewelers(877) 233-1347
(4) BCBG Dress ($328)Personal Couture Boutique(256) 508-5632
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Guadalupe Robinson
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
text by jennifer crossley howard raquo photos by patrick hood
Of Deft and Dirty Hands
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Huntsville potter Guadalupe Lanning Robinson has spent more than 36 years mastering the
marriage of clay texture and geometric design into her pottery yet time has done little to temper the
plight of waiting
ldquoIt is hard for me to let a pot just dryrdquo she says motioning toward fi ve small wet pots sitting near her
pottery wheel ldquoIrsquom as excited to do this as I was 30 years agordquo
To observe her studio at Lowe Mill that is easy to believe Located on the corridor outside the textile
mill-turned-art centerrsquos main building the loft-like space with a corrugated tin roof feels like a place a
Gabriel Garcia Marquez character would enjoy daydreaming
Sienna-hued pottery sits in various stages to be fi red layered and etched Argentinian tango music
streams from Robinsonrsquos iPhone and two cockatiels a parrot and a parakeet chirp from their cages All
except the parrot fl y freely when Robinson is working
Robinson who is 61 made her fi rst pot in 1979 in her native Mexico City Almost four decades later her
work is part of permanent museum collections in Auburn Huntsville Tuscumbia and Tupelo Missis-
sippi She regularly enters her work in respected juried shows such as the Monte Sano Arts Festival and
the Kentuck Festival of the Arts in Northport and has received two Alabama State Council on the Arts
individual artist fellowships
Her inspiration draws from the villages around her native Mexico City such as the black pottery of
the northwest as well as her acquired Southern culture White lilies corn grids and round female
fi guresmdashldquoreally strong women who are in chargerdquo Robinson saysmdashreappear on her stoneware She uses
natural dyes indigo for color and mixes sand into clay for texture Nothing is wasted
ldquoI donrsquot waste any clayrdquo Robinson says ldquoEverything is recycledrdquo
Robinson fi nds solace in the 40-50 hours a week she puts in at the studio and the often tedious process
of making pots which can take from three weeks to six weeks for larger pots She usually works on two
or three pots at a time tending to groups at diff erent stages
After a pot is thrown on a wheel a piece can take days to dry before its fi rst bisque fi re in which tem-
peratures rise to 1800 F After baking for nine hours the kiln must cool Th e second fi ring rises to 2150
F and matures the clay and melts the glazes to strengthen the piece
ldquoI am an effi cient person by naturerdquo Robinson says ldquoWaiting for the kiln to cool down enough to open
can be nerve wracking and this is when my patience is usually put to the testrdquo
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
ldquoIt is hard for me to let a pot just dry Irsquom as excited to do this as I was 30 years agordquo
Robinson makes most of her pots on a wheel using oxides to change the color of clay she gets from Nashville and Pittsburgh Her pottery takes several weeks from start to fi nish depending on how large a pot is and how many she makes at a time
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
ldquoAttend to your childrenrsquos needs fi rst keep focus on what you want to douse the happiness joy and little breaks you get to make your artTh ey grow real fast and they will keep inspiring you all your liferdquo
Robinson imagined this bat-like design as she was working She usually begins a piece with a design in mind but that often evolves
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Robinson uses an overlay of liquid clay called engobemdashthat includes three to four layersmdashto create a
base on which to design
Th ere is high risk in making pottery and hours of work can be wasted on a pot that has not dried en-
tirely before it enters the kiln Air pockets or the wrong mixture of chemicals can ruin a piece
ldquoArt is involved but science is toordquo says Laura Smith director of education at the Huntsville Museum
of Art where Robinson has taught pottery classes ldquoItrsquos more labor intensive in terms of working with
the medium whether yoursquore building by hand or with a wheel until you fi re with the fi nal layer of glazerdquo
Th e result is sturdy pottery
ldquoI want my pots to look like something that is lasting a long timerdquo Robinson says
Th ough she works solitarily in her studio she says she does not get lonely Her birds and music keep her
company and each stage of pottery making has a soundtrack She uses needlepoint tools to draw onto
clay to Jose Feliciano and other Latin American musicians
ldquoIf Irsquom at the wheel Bruno Marsrdquo she says ldquoIf Irsquom unloading the kiln and something is really awesome
then I need something moving and I have on Motownrdquo
Robinsonrsquos years of experience minimize the risk of damaged pots but she says her greatest challenge
as a potter was balancing her work while raising her two children Now adults their candid childhood
pictures and those of her grandchildren cover the warm green walls of her studio
She met her husband the poet James Robinson in 1977 on a Greyhound bus when she returned to
Mexico City from visiting a friend at the University of Southern Mississippi He was heading to Mexico
to study at a university Th ey married six months later After giving birth to her daughter Annie Jane in
Mexico City in 1982 the family moved to Huntsville in 1985 Th at is when Robinson got more serious
about her pottery
ldquoFrom the very beginning when I moved to Alabama I knew I was going to have to do thisrdquo she said
ldquoIn some ways it was a way for me to keep connected to my heritagerdquo
She took even 15 minutes of free time to work in the studio behind her home and worked late into the
night while her daughter and son Isidoro born in 1987 slept Having a home studio allowed her to
wash clothes tend to her home and drop off lunches at school while maintaining her art
ldquoTh ere was something for me when I fi rst became a mother that fueled my creativityrdquo Robinson says
ldquoTh ey are such a social inspiration too It fi lls your liferdquo
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Robinson advises fellow artists who are mothers to seize
both roles but to prioritize motherhood
ldquoAttend to your childrenrsquos needs fi rst keep focus on what you
want to do use the happiness joy and little breaks you get
to make your artrdquo she says ldquoTh ey grow real fast and they will
keep inspiring you all your liferdquo
Anna Sue Courtney director of the Flying Monkey Arts
Center at Lowe Mill has known Robinson for more than
10 years She says she admires how mothers and artists like
Robinson seamlessly embrace both roles
ldquoIt seems therersquos not a separation between creating and rais-
ing childrenrdquo Courtney says ldquoTh ey seem to pull from the
same placerdquo
Part of Robinsonrsquos motivation at Lowe Mill comes from
working privately in a studio alongside other artists that fos-
ters a community of feedback and ideas
ldquoItrsquos nice to be here because you can take a break and walk around and get inspirationrdquo Courtney says
ldquoItrsquos refreshingrdquo
When she needs a break from the studio Robinson stays home to sketch designs for a day or two then
she is back in the studio
Trips twice a year to Mexico City keep her plugged in to her native culture which in turn shows up in
her pottery
ldquoI have to recharge myselfrdquo Robinson says ldquoI love Huntsville and loved raising my kids here but I still
have the need of going back to be recharged and smell all the smells and see all the colors and get on
the subway and be pushed aroundrdquo
Details from her trips that infl uence her work include the ever-present red that covers the city during
the celebration of Dia de los Muertos or the Day of the Dead Th e pyramids of Teotihuacan conjure
warm earth tones and fl oating gardens around the city yield sweet pungent calla lilies and carnations
Celebration of food tough women and nature reappear in her pottery qualities that both Southern and
Mexican cultures treasure
Above This daisy design is character-istic of Robinsonrsquos work Nature food and strong females from her native Mexico City and the South are strong creative infl uences
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Clockwise from top left Robinson often glazes only the inside of her pots so they can hold water and food She began quilting in 2002 and her quilts like her pottery contain earth tones and natural infl uences in their design Four birds keep Robinson company in what can be the isolating medium of pottery making Geometry and symmetry are two signature elements in Robinsonrsquos work according to Laura Smith director of education at the Huntsville Museum of Art
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Just as she keeps her home country close to her heart Robinson is loyal to her fi rst
love of pottery though she began making quilts in 2002
ldquoIrsquom a potter who likes to quiltrdquo she says
Like her pottery her quilting follows designs of organic nature such as fl owers and
crops on rich jewel tone cotton
ldquoWhen I fi rst saw one of her quilts I didnrsquot realize it was hers and I thought that
looks like it should be Guadalupersquos quiltrdquo Courtney says
Robinson prefers the immediate gratifi cation of clay
ldquoItrsquos a very responsive mediumrdquo she says ldquoYou can manipulate it Th e fact of mak-
ing something out of dirt out of nothing and making it durable making it perma-
nent that after going through the heat and maturing is something very excitingrdquo
She gently dings a pot covered with white dresses titled ldquoTehuana Dressrdquo to make
her point
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
887 FM Muscle Shoals bull 1007 FM Huntsvillewwwaprorg
News classicalmusic and more
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
copy Patrick Hood
text by sara wright covington raquo photos by jacki gil
patrick hood erin lindsey and michelle odom
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
copy Patrick Hood
ldquoA LOT OF PEOPLE HAD BEEN ASKING ME QUESTIONS ABOUTHOW I GOT MY BUSINESS STARTED I WANTED TO GATHER SOME PEOPLE AROUND ME
WHO WERE GOING THROUGH THOSE STRUGGLES AND TOBUILD ENTREPRENEURIAL COURAGErdquo
JACKI GIL SALT+PAPERIE
copy Patrick Hood
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
untsville-born Jacki Gil began her paper design busi-
ness Salt+Paperie in 2014 with an expansive vision
in mind one that extended beyond creating beautiful
custom designed paper goods ldquoI love my design job
but when Irsquom 50 years old I donrsquot see myself still de-
signing wedding invitationsrdquo the master stationer says
ldquoI really have a passion for teaching and helping people
I want to be a mentorrdquo
In 2015 Gil set out on her mentoring mission sooner than expected with a series
of workshops called Encourage Huntsville ldquoA lot of people had been asking me
questions about how I got my business startedrdquo Gil says about the early days of
Salt+Paperie Even though most of those questions from entrepreneurial-hopefuls
were technicalmdashlike how to apply for a business licensemdashthey served as inspira-
tion for Gil ldquoI wanted to gather some people around me who were going through
those struggles and to build entrepreneurial courage I defi nitely saw that there
was a need for helping people to take that next step toward owning their own
businessesrdquo
Encourage Huntsville was modeled on the image of a growing small business
movement called the Rising Tide Society a national community of creative small
business owners who encourage ldquocommunity over competitionrdquo Th at spirit of
openness is at the heart of Encourage Huntsville ldquoCommunity over competition
is a huge part of what we are doingrdquo says Gil ldquoSmall business owners sharing how
they earn their money is a big dealrdquo
As a fi rst step Gil gathered others around her who were using their skills and abili-
ties to make their own small businesses work With talents ranging from cooking
and cake decorating to hand lettering and artwork these small business owners
all embraced Gilrsquos vision for imparting to others the knowledge of their craft un-
impeded by a fear of losing their competitive edge
Th e fi rst lesson Gil wanted to impart to Encourage Huntsvillersquos students wasnrsquot
necessarily a particular craft or skill but a spirt of creative confi dence ldquoWe want-
ed to bridge the gap between the very artsy community and the ultimate engineer
communityrdquo many of whom Gil observes had been told since childhood they
werenrsquot artistic ldquoWhen you are little and someone tells you that you donrsquot have a
talent it sticks with you I found that a lot of people had that experience so that
was the workshop partmdashto build some creative courage in this communityrdquo
Gil conducted the fi rst workshop herself testing the waters to see how the concept
would be received Th e admission price to that fi rst workshop included supplies a
take-home ldquogoody bagrdquo to help students continue their work extracurricularly and
refreshmentsmdashas well as Gilrsquos tips of her trade
ldquoWe went in blindly not knowing if we had a market or notrdquo says Gil Th e popular-
ity of that fi rst class proved undeniably that a market did in fact exist the work-
shop sold out in one day ldquoSo we did back-to-back workshopsrdquo Gil says ldquoAfter that
novemberdecembeeer eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee | nononoononononononoonoonononooooonoonoonnononnoaaalalalllaallllllalaalaaalal ststustust ddiossscom mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm | | | | | | | | | | |
f
w
y
Previous page Encourage Huntsvillersquos founder and instructor Jacki Gil teaches a class in hand lettering Facing page A participant studies her supply list
we realized people really want to do this stuff So we said lsquoletrsquos jump on the boat
and make this happenrsquordquo
Gilrsquos longtime friend photographer Erin Lindsey of Erin Lindsey Images agreed
to contribute to Encourage Huntsvillersquos curriculum by teaching a photography
class ldquoJacki and I are a good team because our hearts are in the same place when
it comes to encouraging othersrdquo Lindsey says Still she admits saying yes to teach-
ing wasnrsquot without some initial hesitation ldquoWhen Jacki asked if I would teach a
class it was kind of scary I thought I had to be perfect before I could teach oth-
ersrdquo Lindsey says of her initial hesitancy ldquoBut after talking to Jacki I realized none
of us are perfectrdquo But perfection isnrsquot the goal encouragement is the goal ldquoAnd I
thought lsquoI can defi nitely line up with that visionrsquordquo
Michelle Odom another Huntsville native and owner of custom cake bakery Just
Crumbs was also on board with Gilrsquos vision In fact Odom had been contemplat-
ing teaching a class when she was approached by Gil to teach a fondant basics
class ldquoHuntsville is such an engineer town and everyone is so mathematical and
scientifi crdquo Odom says echoing the dichotomy between the arts and sciences ex-
pressed by Gil ldquoTh ese workshops are just a very cool way for structured people to
have a creative outletrdquo
ldquoJACKI AND I ARE A GOOD TEAM BECAUSE OUR HEARTS ARE INTHE SAME PLACE WHEN IT COMES TO ENCOURAGING OTHERSrdquo
ERIN LINDSEY ERIN LINDSEY IMAGES
copy Erin Lindsey
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Above A participant in Erin Lindseyrsquos photo class frames a still life
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
copy Erin Lindsey
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
ldquoHUNTSVILLE IS SUCH AN ENGINEER TOWN AND EVERYONE ISSO MATHEMATICAL AND SCIENTIFIC THESE WORKSHOPS ARE JUST A VERY COOL
WAY FOR STRUCTURED PEOPLE TO HAVE A CREATIVE OUTLETrdquo MICHELLE ODOM JUST CRUMBS
copy Michelle Odom
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
ldquoAnd yesrdquo Odom acknowledges ldquoyou are in theory teaching your competition But
at the same time you are helping the community be more creativerdquo
With its roster of popular creative workshops under its belt Encourage Huntsville
has added business classes to its community-over-competition curriculum with
classes designed to provide specifi c guidance for small business owners ldquoAll of
our events that donrsquot require hands-on work we call seminarsrdquo says Gil ldquoWe had
about 15 people at our fi rst one It was pretty much just an open discussion to ask
us questions and get answers from the perspective of a small business ownerrdquo
Th e seminars enjoyed the same success and enthusiasm as the workshops ldquoWe
had two hours for people to ask questionsrdquo Gil says Topics covered ran the gamut
from scheduling daily tasks self-hosting a website or using an Etsy store man-
aging client expectations and being realistic about how much time you need to
complete jobs
ldquoTh e time went quickly and people wanted morerdquo says Gil who envisions an all-
day seminar in 2016
Margaret Baggett owner and executive chef of the Chef Next Door is another
small business owner who has shared Gilrsquos vision from the very beginning teach-
copy Erin Lindsey
Facing page Michelle Odomrsquos fondant basics class begins with a styrofoam cake form Above Newbie photographers familiarize themselves with their cameras in Erin Lindseyrsquos photography class
ing knife skills workshops and helping host the business seminars ldquoI am so proud
to get to be a part of this project and help nurture other small business owners
who may just be starting out on their journey or are deep in it and looking for
some encouragement from other business ownersrdquo Baggett says of what motivates
her participation in Encourage Huntsville ldquoEven being on the advice-giving side
of things I am still learning and have taken tips and tricks and lessons from each
event we have had so far We never stop learning from each other and never stop
improving upon our craftsrdquo
Th e mutual growth among students and teachers is the source of the encourage-
mentmdashand the joymdashof Encourage Huntsville ldquoItrsquos so much fun to see the light
bulbs go off with people and see them encouraged right before your eyesrdquo Lindsey
says of her experience with the program ldquoPlus itrsquos a pleasure to contribute to a
sense of community over competition Th at whole concept is so rarerdquo
As Encourage Huntsvillersquos following continues to grow the diversity of the work-
shops will expand as well Whether you are looking to spend a fun afternoon
learning a new craft or are a budding small business owner hoping to launch
your brand Encourage Huntsville has something valuable to off er ldquoWe encourage
those left-brain folks to take up a new hobby or skillrdquo Baggett says ldquoor just encour-
age the people of Huntsville to get together and fan their creative fl amesrdquo
If yoursquore looking for
creative or entrepreneurial
encouragement visit
encouragehuntsvillecom
for seminar and workshop
schedules and information
ldquoI AM SO PROUD TO GET TO BE A PART OF THIS PROJECT AND HELP NURTURE OTHER SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS WHO MAY JUST BE STARTING OUT ON THEIR JOURNEY OR ARE DEEP IN IT
AND LOOKING FOR SOME ENCOURAGEMENT FROM OTHER BUSINESS OWNERSrdquoMARGARET BAGGETT CHEF NEXT DOOR
copy Jacki Gil
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
copy Jacki Gil
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Participants in Margaret Baggettrsquos knife skills workshop learn to perfect their ldquomise en placerdquo
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
copy Olivia Reed
text by sara wright covington raquo photos by olivia reed and jeff white
HUNTSVILLErsquoS
HOMEGROWNHOSTESS
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
ttttttononononoooooonononooooo raquo praquo praquo praquo praquo phothothothothotosoososos s s osos bybybbybb
Any host will tell you that delicious food and quality libations while important to
a partyrsquos success are secondary to the most important ingredient of all the guest list Th atrsquos why many
of downtown Huntsvillersquos most popular restaurants breweries and wine shops are turning to event
planner Ashley Ryals and her uncanny knack for attracting loyal patronsmdashand creating unforgettable
events in the process
When Huntsville born-and-bred Ashley Ryals left for college at the University of Alabama in 2001
she thought her exit from the Valley was permanent ldquoI never thought I would end up back hererdquo the
founder of event planning company Homegrown Huntsville says with a knowing laugh But after a few
post-graduate years working for world-renowned public relations powerhouse Weber Shandwick in
New York City Ryals started to second guess her freshman declaration
ldquoI started to get homesickrdquo she admits ldquoAll of my friends were getting married and meeting for football
games and I was missing itrdquo So when a friend from home set up an interview at EarlyWorks for a job
doing event planning Ryals jumped at the chance to come home
Ashley spent the next few years planning EarlyWorks Whistle Stop and Santarsquos Village events A brief
stint in sales followed along with a seat on the board of Huntsville Young Professionals where she had
an idea for a downtown pub crawl
ldquoWe expected 20 or 30 peoplerdquo Ryals says of their modest expectations ldquoBut 200 people showed uprdquo
Th at initial success convinced Ryals to embark on her dream of establishing an
event planning company But it wasnrsquot just any event planning company Ryals
had in mind she envisioned one that would collaborate with local businesses
cultivate signature events for the community to enjoy and support small busi-
nesses in the process
Inspired Ryals left her sales job and for the second time in her life came home
again to event planning and Homegrown Huntsville
To help bring her vision to life Ryals collaborated with designer Adrianne Van
Kirk of Fave Creative ldquoAdrianne has been a part of the visual and branding of
Homegrown from the beginning We come up with the event ideas then I get
the ticketing and sales together and she comes back with a logo and the mar-
keting for the event And thatrsquos how it all comes togetherrdquo Ryals says of their
creative process
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
ASHLEY RYALS
copy Olivia Reed
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
ldquoMOST WINE FESTIVALS ACROSS THE COUNTRY HAVE PROVEN RECORDS OF BEING ABLE TO STAY AROUND 15 OR 20 YEARS OR EVEN LONGER AND THE ECONOMIES OF THOSE
CITIES HAVE REALLY GROWN AS A RESULT I WANT BIG SPRING CRUSH TO EVENTUALLY BE THE BIGGEST AND BEST WINE FESTIVAL IN THE STATE OF ALABAMArdquo ASHLEY RYALS
copy Jeff White
copy Jeff White
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
copy Olivia Reed
Homegrown launched in 2011 with what would become its
signature event Dine amp Dash Every second Wednesday
April through October a trolley shuttles patrons between
downtown establishments where they are served a drink
and appetizer before moving on to the next stop
Owner and executive chef Merle Phillips of Th e Eaves was
one of the fi rst restaurants to sign on for Dine amp Dashrsquos de-
but ldquoAshley came to me and said she was starting a trolley
tasting conceptrdquo says Chef Merle ldquoI didnrsquot really know her so
I was taking a chance on the concept she was sellingrdquo
Merle tried it and has been a loyal participant of Dine amp
Dash ever since
ldquoIt was a risk in the beginning but it defi nitely paid off rdquo Chef
Merle says of the experience Pivotal to that experience ac-
cording to Phillips is Ryalsrsquo demonstration to the commu-
nity just what the term ldquohomegrownrdquo really means ldquoAshley
shines a spotlight on independent businesses in a market-
place that has for so long focused on chainsrdquo Phillips says
ldquoDine amp Dash has really brought into sharp focus the inter-
esting culinary diversity that Huntsville has to off errdquo
For the next two years Homegrown Huntsville focused al-
most exclusively on Dine amp Dash which by the end of its fi rst
year included every single downtown restaurant But when
big changes began to appear on the downtown horizonmdash
new restaurants breweries and residential developmentsmdash
Ryalsrsquo instincts told her
the time had come to
introduce a new event
to the downtown cal-
endar
ldquoBeer Hop follows
the concept of Dine
amp Dashrdquo Ryals says of
Homegrownrsquos second
venture which began
in 2013 Each month a
trolley visits three dif-
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
BILL FOWLEROLD TOWN BEER
EXCHANGE
copy Olivia Reed
copy Olivia Reed
ferent breweries where patrons sample beers and enjoy food
from a variety of food trucks parked at each location
Bill Fowler managing partner of Old Town Beer Exchange
agreed to participate in Beer Hop on his very fi rst day of
business and credits Ryals with an overwhelmingly success-
ful opening night ldquoAshley said lsquoI can guarantee that you are
going to have wave after wave of people coming throughrsquordquo
Fowler says recalling that fi rst jittery occasion Once again
Ryals proved true to her word with 60-plus patrons arriving
in an hour-and-a-half ldquoIt was awesome and such a great ex-
perience for usrdquo Fowler raves ldquoAshley is a hard worker and
you can see that in what she doesrdquo
Fowler believes that in addition to bringing new customers
to OTBX Ryals is also cultivating beer education consis-
tently bringing in people who are new to beer and want to
learn And with Huntsvillersquos recent brewery boom that level
of education and interest is crucial for the brewing commu-
nity to thrive ldquoWe have a very small window of opportunityrdquo
says Fowler ldquoI think Huntsville in particular is becoming a
craft brewing community People are making money at this
and once Tennessee sees that we need to already have had a
pretty huge head startrdquo
By the end of 2013 and with standing events Beer Hop and
Dine amp Dash well established Ryals took time to refl ect on
her original goal for Homegrown Huntsville ldquoIn the back of
my head from day one I knew I wanted to do a wine festival
I just didnrsquot think Huntsville was ready for it in 2011rdquo
Emboldened by the success of Beer Hop Ryals decided to
make the leap with Big Spring Crush wine festival later the
same year Once again Ryals delivered the perfect audience
for the event and in the process discovered a surprising
fact about North Alabamarsquos contribution to the wine-mak-
ing industry
ldquoIn doing the wine festival I learned that we have a huge
wine community in Huntsvillerdquo Ryals says ldquoTh ere are only
about 47 certifi ed wine judges in the entire United States
and we have four of them right here in North Alabama Two
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
copy Jeff White
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
ldquoI STARTED TO GET HOMESICK ALL OF MY FRIENDS WERE GETTING MARRIEDAND MEETING FOR FOOTBALL GAMES AND I WAS MISSING ITrdquo ASHLEY RYALS
copy Jeff White
copy Jeff White
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
ldquoIT WAS AWESOME AND SUCH A GREAT EXPERIENCE FOR USrdquoBILL FOWLER OLD TOWN BEER EXCHANGE
copy Jeff White
copy Olivia Reed
of those four certifi ed wine judges sit on the committee for
Big Spring Crushrdquo
Matthew and Stephanie Mell had just opened Church Street
Wine Shop when they decided to participate in the fi rst Big
Spring Crush Like OTBXrsquos Robert Fowler the Mells credit
Ryals and Homegrown Huntsville for helping to introduce
their new enterprise to the community ldquoAshley has been in-
strumental in helping to bring us people who love and ap-
preciate winerdquo Stephanie Mell says ldquoShe was homegrown
here in Huntsville and she really gets the downtown area
and small businesses and that is so important to usrdquo
Big Spring Crush began with a bang featuring over 150
wines and attracting patrons from across the country
ldquoMost wine festivals across the country have proven records
of being able to stay around 15 or 20 years or even longerrdquo
Ryals says ldquoAnd the economies of those cities have really
grown as a result I want Big Spring Crush to eventually be
the biggest and best wine festival in the state of Alabamardquo
How does Ryals intend to make that dream come true ldquoBy
always keeping it fresh I want to have new marketing and
new things happening each yearrdquo
Ryalsrsquo formula of reinvention and expansion has successfully
led Homegrown Huntsville through fi ve years of success and
helped its events become community staples along the way In
the process Ryals is broadening more than just our image of
downtown Huntsville shersquos joining a class of creative entrepre-
neurs committed to expanding Huntsvillersquos reputation as more
than just a hub for the brightest scientifi c minds in America
ldquoWe have a big city of engineers and lawyers and itrsquos won-
derfulrdquo Ryals say ldquo But there is a whole artist and food cul-
ture here and there is so much growth I want us to have a
vibrant cool downtown area and I want for people to tell
their friends to come and visit and to see Huntsville for what
it is a city I loverdquo
If yoursquod like to participate in Homegrown Huntsville either
as a guest or a participating business visit homegrown-
huntsvillecom
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
copy Jeff White
I was years old and the year was At that time the city of Huntsville was inching toward the mountain to the east California Street was once the continental divide between the small town metropo-lis and the uncharted territories gingerly crossed by the real estate pioneers four score and some odd years prior Th is area became the new suburb as the city kept pushing onward toward Fagan Springs as if the reverberating booms of rocket testings were vibrating Hunstvillians away from its epicenter
From the front yard of our house on Owens Drive I could look to the rightmdashup the hill to the bend be-yond which the big houses stood on their rocky ledge pedestals and to the left where all the other houses that looked just like oursmdashfresh and newmdashrambled for what seemed like miles Th ose clean well-lit abodes all seemed the same and granted at my age I knew more about the pets that lived there than I did about the people who owned those manageable mortgages I came to realize that each was diff erent in a way that was permeated by voices smells and furnishings
It is a clicheacute to say that our lives were simpler then because that is just how the current era will be fondly referred to in the future but to a 5-year-old it is the simplicity that brought the joy Th e sixties will always be to me the beginning of the age of manufactured happiness Cheap clean and simple was what was strived for and what was easily obtained Plastic items were plentiful and pretty things could be bought with SampH Green Stamps A few coins in our pocket would transfer us into the most master of manipula-tors with us giving our all to convince our parents for a jaunt to Murdockrsquos for a holiday of wonderment joy and impatience as we would scour the shelves trying to get the most from our meager budget
Owens Drive was the fairly new thoroughfare from which the avenues of three-bedroom-ranchers fi ngered away at planned intervals Th is was the place where newlyweds started their lives homes and families Where girls with last names that had been in the town for generations would change them to those strange and exotic last names of the clean cut newcomers brought here for military purposes Where the housewives would preheat their pristine electric ovens trying to make cheese straws and biscuits that were just like their motherrsquos only to be frustrated as they were never quite the same and where the husbands would follow in their fatherrsquos footsteps by joining the Acme Club and hunting doves on the weekends
Th ere was a swimming pool Certainly not at our house Th e only private pool I remember as a child was one that my grandmother would take me to nestled between huge trees at someonersquos house on Adams Street I would swim with other children my age while our grandmothers chatted smoking cigarettes in cat-eyed anonymity whispering most of their stories so we wouldnrsquot be able to hear But between their
gasps and laughter we would listen hear and learn
Th e Blossomwood pool was a place of designated rules and the sound of bright whistlesmdashwith straight lines and distinctive colors of blue and green I can still feel the Coppertoned oiliness on the skin of the tanned lifeguard as she carried me from the deep end frightened after my fi rst attempt at solo-swimming She knew my name I had no idea who she was
On the other side of the pool was the school my older sister attended It had a style that mim-icked the poolmdashstraight lines cleanmdasha temple to orderliness and good manners It was with
awe that I once watched the young adults there some as old as eleven wind and dance their way around a sky-high fl agpolemdasheach with a diff erent color ribbon until the fi rst (and only) May Pole
I was privy to was completely dressed in its woven bright colors
90 raquo bless their hearts raquo Guy McClure Jr
Huntsville was a magical place for us tail-end baby boomers to grow upmdashbeyond the miracles of the escalator at Pizitz the smiling little lady on the tall stool at the register at Britlings There was a comfort level there that Irsquom not sure is in the minds of the 5-year-olds of today
cat-eyed agasps
Th s
aI w
THE COMFORTS OF BLOSSOMWOOD
In our world of red-bricked carported castles there was a def-inite division of generations Th e children ate separately from the parents went to school as our dads went to work enter-tained our neighborhood friends as quietly as possible and felt safe between our boundaries of Big Cove Road and Hermitage Street While we dined on our Chef Boy-Ar-Dee boxed pizza our parents busied themselves dressing in their dark colors getting ready for a late dinner at Boots having the scent of perfume and face powder trail my mother as she came into the kitchen looking for something with an intense purpose My father would smell of British Sterling and look just as he did when he went to work only happier Th ese nights meant something fun would happenmdashwe would have a babysitter
Babysitters were my introduction into what was and still seems cool Th ey were usually Huntsville High School teen-agers who would put on a show without even knowing it I would drink in their every move word and essence of style To me they were supermodelsmdashmovie starsmdasheven more fa-mous in my eyes than a television weatherman and almost as glamorous as the waitresses at the Waffl e House
Before they would tire of me and my sister and put us to bed they would include us in their world of music and knowledge which I thought was all-encompassing Suddenly our world of Th e Benny Carl Show and Fantasy Playhouse would seem trite and passeacute and we would catch a fl eeting glimpse into what would be in store for us when we too could stay up past 8 pm
Huntsville was a magical place for us tail-end baby boomers to grow upmdashbeyond the miracles of the escalator at Pizitz the smiling little lady on the tall stool at the register at Britlings and that bright colorful Maypole Th ere was a comfort level there that Irsquom not sure is in the minds of the 5-year-olds of todaymdashthe soothing sheltered lack of knowledge of why we were so lucky yet we didnrsquot even know that we were
In the other areas of our Huntsville there was poverty and ra-cial unrestmdashas there was and is in every city I was unaware People of color were always a part of my worldmdashmostly be-cause they had my attention and respect At our house there was Annie my grandmotherrsquos house was fi lled with the joys of Lula and out on the family farm there was strong and smiling Homer and large and huggable Rosamdashall just as much a part of my life as everyone else My life was good and they were instrumental in making it that way
What will the 5-year-olds of today who are lucky enough to be raised on those well-planned streets remember when they surpass their own 50 year mark It is a much more complex world now and there are diff erent concerns with daily changes of fear Youthful innocence is a prize that is encased without a lock Premature maturity is a viable threat and a constant fear But each night tucked in tight in a simple room sleeps tomor-rowrsquos adults who are having sweet dreamsmdashblanketed by the comforts of Blossomwood
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
92 raquo the vine raquo Amy C Collins
BORDEAUX POWER
Where Burgundyrsquos vineyards were established by Benedictine monks patiently growing wine vines with spiritual hearts Bordeauxrsquos vineyards were raised by entrepreneurial laymen who recognized the massive monetary opportunity when the English began drinking down their peasant wine
The city of Bordeaux is Francersquos primary port town on the Atlantic ocean a harbor that has for centuries served as the countryrsquos most important dock Th e regionrsquos history is long and storied with the fi rst written reference to the area dated 379 AD by the Latin poet Ausonius who was also a wine-grower Jump ahead to the year 1152 when Eleanor of Aquitaine married Englandrsquos soon-to-be king Henry Plantagenet and the port and surrounding vineyard land became the source of wine for the English a connection that remains strong even today
Bordeaux produces the worldrsquos most expensive and sought after collector wines the top tier of which make up less than fi ve percent of the regionrsquos total production Th ese names are quickly learned by neophyte wine drinkers wanting to make an impression Chateau Haut-Brion Lafi te Latour and Margaux for example Grown in gravelly soils only a few meters above sea levelmdashin contrast vineyards elsewhere in Europe typically sit between 300 and 900 metersmdashthese wines are some of the most powerful austere and pawed over When young the tannins in these cabernet sauvignon cabernet franc and merlot blends coat the tongue and mouth with a chalky dry sensation akin to sucking on an Earl Grey tea bag and are perhaps best suited to well-fatted rare steak and cigars Th ese are wines built to live for decades Personally I prefer a Bordeaux at least 20 years aged when the tannins have had ample time to calm down and mellow out and more nuanced fl avors come forward Sounds fancy and it is Only in some very lucky circumstances over the past year have I been guest to a bottle of 1990 Clos de Menuts Saint-Eacutemilion and a 1970 Chateau Haut-Brion About once every 10 years Irsquove had the good
fortune to taste a wine older than myself Nice work if you can get it
Where Burgundyrsquos vineyards (Francersquos other classifi ed sought-after region) were established by Benedictine monks patiently growing wine vines with spiritual hearts
Bordeauxrsquos vineyards were raised by entrepreneurial laymen who recognized the massive monetary opportunity when the English began drinking down their peasant wine Th is underscores the second half of my theory as to why Americans
more often American males are so drawn to the wines of Bordeaux Th erersquos an inherent capitalist connection something in the soil Th at the wines are so
unmistakable so distinctively grand and pronounced elixirs exemplifi es the fi rst half of my theory we Americans are not known for our subtlety (To be fair the Chinese are
signifi cant Bordeaux collectors as well)
Philosophy aside Bordeaux is quite a large region that produces beautiful white and red values as well as the rare fi nds out of the populacersquos price range Herersquos the skinny Blending is the game single varietal wines are rare White Bordeaux is typically made from a blend of sauvignon blanc and seacutemillon and sometimes a drop or two of muscadelle ugni blanc or colombard Reds are made primarily from the two cabernets plus merlot with small quantities of petit verdot malbec and carmenegravere occasionally in the mix Th e region is also home to the golden nectar of late ripened seacutemillon sauvignon blanc and muscadelle grapes that have successfully attracted the noble rot a fungus that covers the fruit and drains moisture from inside leaving behind rich sweet grapes without moldy fl avors Chateau drsquoYquem is the most famous of these unfortifi ed dessert wines though there are better bargains from the region
Bordeaux is split by the Gironde river which divides the region into three general areas Th e left bank also known as the Haut-Meacutedoc is where the classifi ed top growths are situated Th ese prestigious estates were named for their exceptional vineyard sites in 1855 a decision nearly unchanged since Today serious collectors invest in Bordeaux futures theoretically locking down lower prices of top
ample time to calm dit is Only in some vede Menuts Saint-Eacutem
fortune to taste a
Wherees
aun
of msignifi
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Follow Amy at pigandvinecom for morestories and wine suggestions
growth estates while the wine is still aging in the cellar Itrsquos the wine tradersquos equivalent to the NASDAQ On the right bank Saint-Eacutemilion and Pommerol are the prized vineyard areas known for their merlot heavy cuveacutees To the south west we fi nd Graves where there are many great values to be had in both white and red bottlings Entre-Deux-Mers which translates to ldquobetween two seasrdquo sits between the Dordogne and Garonne tributaries off the Gironde and is an excellent source for crisp whites
Get started on your Bordeaux experience with these values
Chateau Graville-Lacoste 2014 Graves 75 seacutemillon 20 sauvignon blanc and 5 muscadelle make up this beauty thatrsquos consistently delicious every vintage Crisp and refreshing great with seafood
Chateau Mirambeau 2014 GravesAnother classic blend of 40 sauvignon blanc 40 seacutemillon and 20 muscadelle this lovely white is a bit more fl oral than the Graville-Lacoste Easy drinking and great value
Chateau de Parenchegravere Bordeaux Rouge 201155 merlot 30 cabernet sauvignon and 15 cabernet franc grown in clay heavy soils similar to the right bank of the region Fleshy with good structure and abundant red fruit
Chateau Arnaud Bordeaux Supeacuterieur 2011Supeacuterieur on a Bordeaux label isnrsquot egotistical marketingmdashby law it indicates a wine with up to one degree more alcohol than its AC Bordeaux brethren What it really means is one more degree of body structure and in this case quality Approachable delicious and easy on the wallet
Chateau de Bernadotte Haut-Meacutedoc 2005Th e 2005 vintage in Bordeaux is in the history books with double asterisks Owned by the eminent Pichon Lalande family and made from vineyards in Paulliac one of the more choice growing areas in the region this is an incredible value a top tier Bordeaux for a fraction of the cost
Chateau de Suduiraut Sauternes 2011Ripe cantaloupe apricot and honey and an interesting smoky note with a solid sweet attack followed by great acidity A dessert wine that wonrsquot overpower the dessert
94 raquo parting shot raquo Patrick Hood
Meet Solvar
Solvar belongs to one of the worldrsquos oldest and purest equine lineages the Nor-
wegian Fjord horse a breed that has remained virtually unchanged for more than
2000 yearsmdashlong before we became acquainted with his animated cousins in
the movie Frozen Th ese national symbols of Norway are characterized by primi-
tive zebra striping on their legs and a dorsal stripe running from forelock to tail
resulting in a striking two-tone mane that sticks up like a Mohawk Th eir athleti-
cism agility and dependability make them valuable both as sport horses as well
as therapy horses for emotionally and physically challenged adults and children
Catie Wells of Huntsville is the proud owner of Solvar who resides at Monte
Sano Stables
For tickets or information 256-539-4818 or hsoorg
Bring In the New Year With Us
presents
WHAT A WONDERFUL
WORLDA tribute to Louis
Armstrong featuring the
Byron Stripling Quartet
Thursday December 31
730 pm bull Pops Series bullMark C Smith
Concert Hall VBC
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
M O R E T H A N 7 0 S H O P S A N D R E S T A U R A N T S I N C L U D I N G B E L K | D S W S H O E S | A P P L E J O S A B A N K | R E E D S J E W E L E R S | PA N D O R A | J C R E W | K AT E S PA D E N E W Y O R KO R V I S | B A N A N A R E P U B L I C | M I C H A E L K O R S | F R A N C E S C Arsquo S | A N T H R O P O L O G I EH amp M | S O M A | M O U N T A I N H I G H O U T F I T T E R S | B A R N E S amp N O B L E | S E P H O R AALTAR rsquoD STATE | CONNORS STEAK amp SEFOOD | THE WEST IN HUNTSV I L L E | MONACO P ICTURES
C O M I N G S O O N V E R S O N A ndash near Belk
B R I D G E S T R E E T H U N T S V I L L E C O M |
BR IDGE STREET TOWN CENTRE I S LOCATED AT EX I T 14 OFF I - 565 AT OLD MAD ISON P IKE
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
(1) Tacori 18K Barbados Blue Bold Gem Ring ($660)(2) Tacori 18K Barbados Blue Bold Gem Necklace ($630)(3) Tacori 18K Barbados Blue Bold Gem Bracelet ($990)Hobbs Jewelers(877) 233-1347
(4) BCBG Dress ($328)Personal Couture Boutique(256) 508-5632
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Guadalupe Robinson
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
text by jennifer crossley howard raquo photos by patrick hood
Of Deft and Dirty Hands
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Huntsville potter Guadalupe Lanning Robinson has spent more than 36 years mastering the
marriage of clay texture and geometric design into her pottery yet time has done little to temper the
plight of waiting
ldquoIt is hard for me to let a pot just dryrdquo she says motioning toward fi ve small wet pots sitting near her
pottery wheel ldquoIrsquom as excited to do this as I was 30 years agordquo
To observe her studio at Lowe Mill that is easy to believe Located on the corridor outside the textile
mill-turned-art centerrsquos main building the loft-like space with a corrugated tin roof feels like a place a
Gabriel Garcia Marquez character would enjoy daydreaming
Sienna-hued pottery sits in various stages to be fi red layered and etched Argentinian tango music
streams from Robinsonrsquos iPhone and two cockatiels a parrot and a parakeet chirp from their cages All
except the parrot fl y freely when Robinson is working
Robinson who is 61 made her fi rst pot in 1979 in her native Mexico City Almost four decades later her
work is part of permanent museum collections in Auburn Huntsville Tuscumbia and Tupelo Missis-
sippi She regularly enters her work in respected juried shows such as the Monte Sano Arts Festival and
the Kentuck Festival of the Arts in Northport and has received two Alabama State Council on the Arts
individual artist fellowships
Her inspiration draws from the villages around her native Mexico City such as the black pottery of
the northwest as well as her acquired Southern culture White lilies corn grids and round female
fi guresmdashldquoreally strong women who are in chargerdquo Robinson saysmdashreappear on her stoneware She uses
natural dyes indigo for color and mixes sand into clay for texture Nothing is wasted
ldquoI donrsquot waste any clayrdquo Robinson says ldquoEverything is recycledrdquo
Robinson fi nds solace in the 40-50 hours a week she puts in at the studio and the often tedious process
of making pots which can take from three weeks to six weeks for larger pots She usually works on two
or three pots at a time tending to groups at diff erent stages
After a pot is thrown on a wheel a piece can take days to dry before its fi rst bisque fi re in which tem-
peratures rise to 1800 F After baking for nine hours the kiln must cool Th e second fi ring rises to 2150
F and matures the clay and melts the glazes to strengthen the piece
ldquoI am an effi cient person by naturerdquo Robinson says ldquoWaiting for the kiln to cool down enough to open
can be nerve wracking and this is when my patience is usually put to the testrdquo
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
ldquoIt is hard for me to let a pot just dry Irsquom as excited to do this as I was 30 years agordquo
Robinson makes most of her pots on a wheel using oxides to change the color of clay she gets from Nashville and Pittsburgh Her pottery takes several weeks from start to fi nish depending on how large a pot is and how many she makes at a time
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
ldquoAttend to your childrenrsquos needs fi rst keep focus on what you want to douse the happiness joy and little breaks you get to make your artTh ey grow real fast and they will keep inspiring you all your liferdquo
Robinson imagined this bat-like design as she was working She usually begins a piece with a design in mind but that often evolves
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Robinson uses an overlay of liquid clay called engobemdashthat includes three to four layersmdashto create a
base on which to design
Th ere is high risk in making pottery and hours of work can be wasted on a pot that has not dried en-
tirely before it enters the kiln Air pockets or the wrong mixture of chemicals can ruin a piece
ldquoArt is involved but science is toordquo says Laura Smith director of education at the Huntsville Museum
of Art where Robinson has taught pottery classes ldquoItrsquos more labor intensive in terms of working with
the medium whether yoursquore building by hand or with a wheel until you fi re with the fi nal layer of glazerdquo
Th e result is sturdy pottery
ldquoI want my pots to look like something that is lasting a long timerdquo Robinson says
Th ough she works solitarily in her studio she says she does not get lonely Her birds and music keep her
company and each stage of pottery making has a soundtrack She uses needlepoint tools to draw onto
clay to Jose Feliciano and other Latin American musicians
ldquoIf Irsquom at the wheel Bruno Marsrdquo she says ldquoIf Irsquom unloading the kiln and something is really awesome
then I need something moving and I have on Motownrdquo
Robinsonrsquos years of experience minimize the risk of damaged pots but she says her greatest challenge
as a potter was balancing her work while raising her two children Now adults their candid childhood
pictures and those of her grandchildren cover the warm green walls of her studio
She met her husband the poet James Robinson in 1977 on a Greyhound bus when she returned to
Mexico City from visiting a friend at the University of Southern Mississippi He was heading to Mexico
to study at a university Th ey married six months later After giving birth to her daughter Annie Jane in
Mexico City in 1982 the family moved to Huntsville in 1985 Th at is when Robinson got more serious
about her pottery
ldquoFrom the very beginning when I moved to Alabama I knew I was going to have to do thisrdquo she said
ldquoIn some ways it was a way for me to keep connected to my heritagerdquo
She took even 15 minutes of free time to work in the studio behind her home and worked late into the
night while her daughter and son Isidoro born in 1987 slept Having a home studio allowed her to
wash clothes tend to her home and drop off lunches at school while maintaining her art
ldquoTh ere was something for me when I fi rst became a mother that fueled my creativityrdquo Robinson says
ldquoTh ey are such a social inspiration too It fi lls your liferdquo
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Robinson advises fellow artists who are mothers to seize
both roles but to prioritize motherhood
ldquoAttend to your childrenrsquos needs fi rst keep focus on what you
want to do use the happiness joy and little breaks you get
to make your artrdquo she says ldquoTh ey grow real fast and they will
keep inspiring you all your liferdquo
Anna Sue Courtney director of the Flying Monkey Arts
Center at Lowe Mill has known Robinson for more than
10 years She says she admires how mothers and artists like
Robinson seamlessly embrace both roles
ldquoIt seems therersquos not a separation between creating and rais-
ing childrenrdquo Courtney says ldquoTh ey seem to pull from the
same placerdquo
Part of Robinsonrsquos motivation at Lowe Mill comes from
working privately in a studio alongside other artists that fos-
ters a community of feedback and ideas
ldquoItrsquos nice to be here because you can take a break and walk around and get inspirationrdquo Courtney says
ldquoItrsquos refreshingrdquo
When she needs a break from the studio Robinson stays home to sketch designs for a day or two then
she is back in the studio
Trips twice a year to Mexico City keep her plugged in to her native culture which in turn shows up in
her pottery
ldquoI have to recharge myselfrdquo Robinson says ldquoI love Huntsville and loved raising my kids here but I still
have the need of going back to be recharged and smell all the smells and see all the colors and get on
the subway and be pushed aroundrdquo
Details from her trips that infl uence her work include the ever-present red that covers the city during
the celebration of Dia de los Muertos or the Day of the Dead Th e pyramids of Teotihuacan conjure
warm earth tones and fl oating gardens around the city yield sweet pungent calla lilies and carnations
Celebration of food tough women and nature reappear in her pottery qualities that both Southern and
Mexican cultures treasure
Above This daisy design is character-istic of Robinsonrsquos work Nature food and strong females from her native Mexico City and the South are strong creative infl uences
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Clockwise from top left Robinson often glazes only the inside of her pots so they can hold water and food She began quilting in 2002 and her quilts like her pottery contain earth tones and natural infl uences in their design Four birds keep Robinson company in what can be the isolating medium of pottery making Geometry and symmetry are two signature elements in Robinsonrsquos work according to Laura Smith director of education at the Huntsville Museum of Art
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Just as she keeps her home country close to her heart Robinson is loyal to her fi rst
love of pottery though she began making quilts in 2002
ldquoIrsquom a potter who likes to quiltrdquo she says
Like her pottery her quilting follows designs of organic nature such as fl owers and
crops on rich jewel tone cotton
ldquoWhen I fi rst saw one of her quilts I didnrsquot realize it was hers and I thought that
looks like it should be Guadalupersquos quiltrdquo Courtney says
Robinson prefers the immediate gratifi cation of clay
ldquoItrsquos a very responsive mediumrdquo she says ldquoYou can manipulate it Th e fact of mak-
ing something out of dirt out of nothing and making it durable making it perma-
nent that after going through the heat and maturing is something very excitingrdquo
She gently dings a pot covered with white dresses titled ldquoTehuana Dressrdquo to make
her point
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
887 FM Muscle Shoals bull 1007 FM Huntsvillewwwaprorg
News classicalmusic and more
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
copy Patrick Hood
text by sara wright covington raquo photos by jacki gil
patrick hood erin lindsey and michelle odom
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
copy Patrick Hood
ldquoA LOT OF PEOPLE HAD BEEN ASKING ME QUESTIONS ABOUTHOW I GOT MY BUSINESS STARTED I WANTED TO GATHER SOME PEOPLE AROUND ME
WHO WERE GOING THROUGH THOSE STRUGGLES AND TOBUILD ENTREPRENEURIAL COURAGErdquo
JACKI GIL SALT+PAPERIE
copy Patrick Hood
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
untsville-born Jacki Gil began her paper design busi-
ness Salt+Paperie in 2014 with an expansive vision
in mind one that extended beyond creating beautiful
custom designed paper goods ldquoI love my design job
but when Irsquom 50 years old I donrsquot see myself still de-
signing wedding invitationsrdquo the master stationer says
ldquoI really have a passion for teaching and helping people
I want to be a mentorrdquo
In 2015 Gil set out on her mentoring mission sooner than expected with a series
of workshops called Encourage Huntsville ldquoA lot of people had been asking me
questions about how I got my business startedrdquo Gil says about the early days of
Salt+Paperie Even though most of those questions from entrepreneurial-hopefuls
were technicalmdashlike how to apply for a business licensemdashthey served as inspira-
tion for Gil ldquoI wanted to gather some people around me who were going through
those struggles and to build entrepreneurial courage I defi nitely saw that there
was a need for helping people to take that next step toward owning their own
businessesrdquo
Encourage Huntsville was modeled on the image of a growing small business
movement called the Rising Tide Society a national community of creative small
business owners who encourage ldquocommunity over competitionrdquo Th at spirit of
openness is at the heart of Encourage Huntsville ldquoCommunity over competition
is a huge part of what we are doingrdquo says Gil ldquoSmall business owners sharing how
they earn their money is a big dealrdquo
As a fi rst step Gil gathered others around her who were using their skills and abili-
ties to make their own small businesses work With talents ranging from cooking
and cake decorating to hand lettering and artwork these small business owners
all embraced Gilrsquos vision for imparting to others the knowledge of their craft un-
impeded by a fear of losing their competitive edge
Th e fi rst lesson Gil wanted to impart to Encourage Huntsvillersquos students wasnrsquot
necessarily a particular craft or skill but a spirt of creative confi dence ldquoWe want-
ed to bridge the gap between the very artsy community and the ultimate engineer
communityrdquo many of whom Gil observes had been told since childhood they
werenrsquot artistic ldquoWhen you are little and someone tells you that you donrsquot have a
talent it sticks with you I found that a lot of people had that experience so that
was the workshop partmdashto build some creative courage in this communityrdquo
Gil conducted the fi rst workshop herself testing the waters to see how the concept
would be received Th e admission price to that fi rst workshop included supplies a
take-home ldquogoody bagrdquo to help students continue their work extracurricularly and
refreshmentsmdashas well as Gilrsquos tips of her trade
ldquoWe went in blindly not knowing if we had a market or notrdquo says Gil Th e popular-
ity of that fi rst class proved undeniably that a market did in fact exist the work-
shop sold out in one day ldquoSo we did back-to-back workshopsrdquo Gil says ldquoAfter that
novemberdecembeeer eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee | nononoononononononoonoonononooooonoonoonnononnoaaalalalllaallllllalaalaaalal ststustust ddiossscom mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm | | | | | | | | | | |
f
w
y
Previous page Encourage Huntsvillersquos founder and instructor Jacki Gil teaches a class in hand lettering Facing page A participant studies her supply list
we realized people really want to do this stuff So we said lsquoletrsquos jump on the boat
and make this happenrsquordquo
Gilrsquos longtime friend photographer Erin Lindsey of Erin Lindsey Images agreed
to contribute to Encourage Huntsvillersquos curriculum by teaching a photography
class ldquoJacki and I are a good team because our hearts are in the same place when
it comes to encouraging othersrdquo Lindsey says Still she admits saying yes to teach-
ing wasnrsquot without some initial hesitation ldquoWhen Jacki asked if I would teach a
class it was kind of scary I thought I had to be perfect before I could teach oth-
ersrdquo Lindsey says of her initial hesitancy ldquoBut after talking to Jacki I realized none
of us are perfectrdquo But perfection isnrsquot the goal encouragement is the goal ldquoAnd I
thought lsquoI can defi nitely line up with that visionrsquordquo
Michelle Odom another Huntsville native and owner of custom cake bakery Just
Crumbs was also on board with Gilrsquos vision In fact Odom had been contemplat-
ing teaching a class when she was approached by Gil to teach a fondant basics
class ldquoHuntsville is such an engineer town and everyone is so mathematical and
scientifi crdquo Odom says echoing the dichotomy between the arts and sciences ex-
pressed by Gil ldquoTh ese workshops are just a very cool way for structured people to
have a creative outletrdquo
ldquoJACKI AND I ARE A GOOD TEAM BECAUSE OUR HEARTS ARE INTHE SAME PLACE WHEN IT COMES TO ENCOURAGING OTHERSrdquo
ERIN LINDSEY ERIN LINDSEY IMAGES
copy Erin Lindsey
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Above A participant in Erin Lindseyrsquos photo class frames a still life
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
copy Erin Lindsey
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
ldquoHUNTSVILLE IS SUCH AN ENGINEER TOWN AND EVERYONE ISSO MATHEMATICAL AND SCIENTIFIC THESE WORKSHOPS ARE JUST A VERY COOL
WAY FOR STRUCTURED PEOPLE TO HAVE A CREATIVE OUTLETrdquo MICHELLE ODOM JUST CRUMBS
copy Michelle Odom
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
ldquoAnd yesrdquo Odom acknowledges ldquoyou are in theory teaching your competition But
at the same time you are helping the community be more creativerdquo
With its roster of popular creative workshops under its belt Encourage Huntsville
has added business classes to its community-over-competition curriculum with
classes designed to provide specifi c guidance for small business owners ldquoAll of
our events that donrsquot require hands-on work we call seminarsrdquo says Gil ldquoWe had
about 15 people at our fi rst one It was pretty much just an open discussion to ask
us questions and get answers from the perspective of a small business ownerrdquo
Th e seminars enjoyed the same success and enthusiasm as the workshops ldquoWe
had two hours for people to ask questionsrdquo Gil says Topics covered ran the gamut
from scheduling daily tasks self-hosting a website or using an Etsy store man-
aging client expectations and being realistic about how much time you need to
complete jobs
ldquoTh e time went quickly and people wanted morerdquo says Gil who envisions an all-
day seminar in 2016
Margaret Baggett owner and executive chef of the Chef Next Door is another
small business owner who has shared Gilrsquos vision from the very beginning teach-
copy Erin Lindsey
Facing page Michelle Odomrsquos fondant basics class begins with a styrofoam cake form Above Newbie photographers familiarize themselves with their cameras in Erin Lindseyrsquos photography class
ing knife skills workshops and helping host the business seminars ldquoI am so proud
to get to be a part of this project and help nurture other small business owners
who may just be starting out on their journey or are deep in it and looking for
some encouragement from other business ownersrdquo Baggett says of what motivates
her participation in Encourage Huntsville ldquoEven being on the advice-giving side
of things I am still learning and have taken tips and tricks and lessons from each
event we have had so far We never stop learning from each other and never stop
improving upon our craftsrdquo
Th e mutual growth among students and teachers is the source of the encourage-
mentmdashand the joymdashof Encourage Huntsville ldquoItrsquos so much fun to see the light
bulbs go off with people and see them encouraged right before your eyesrdquo Lindsey
says of her experience with the program ldquoPlus itrsquos a pleasure to contribute to a
sense of community over competition Th at whole concept is so rarerdquo
As Encourage Huntsvillersquos following continues to grow the diversity of the work-
shops will expand as well Whether you are looking to spend a fun afternoon
learning a new craft or are a budding small business owner hoping to launch
your brand Encourage Huntsville has something valuable to off er ldquoWe encourage
those left-brain folks to take up a new hobby or skillrdquo Baggett says ldquoor just encour-
age the people of Huntsville to get together and fan their creative fl amesrdquo
If yoursquore looking for
creative or entrepreneurial
encouragement visit
encouragehuntsvillecom
for seminar and workshop
schedules and information
ldquoI AM SO PROUD TO GET TO BE A PART OF THIS PROJECT AND HELP NURTURE OTHER SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS WHO MAY JUST BE STARTING OUT ON THEIR JOURNEY OR ARE DEEP IN IT
AND LOOKING FOR SOME ENCOURAGEMENT FROM OTHER BUSINESS OWNERSrdquoMARGARET BAGGETT CHEF NEXT DOOR
copy Jacki Gil
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
copy Jacki Gil
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Participants in Margaret Baggettrsquos knife skills workshop learn to perfect their ldquomise en placerdquo
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
copy Olivia Reed
text by sara wright covington raquo photos by olivia reed and jeff white
HUNTSVILLErsquoS
HOMEGROWNHOSTESS
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
ttttttononononoooooonononooooo raquo praquo praquo praquo praquo phothothothothotosoososos s s osos bybybbybb
Any host will tell you that delicious food and quality libations while important to
a partyrsquos success are secondary to the most important ingredient of all the guest list Th atrsquos why many
of downtown Huntsvillersquos most popular restaurants breweries and wine shops are turning to event
planner Ashley Ryals and her uncanny knack for attracting loyal patronsmdashand creating unforgettable
events in the process
When Huntsville born-and-bred Ashley Ryals left for college at the University of Alabama in 2001
she thought her exit from the Valley was permanent ldquoI never thought I would end up back hererdquo the
founder of event planning company Homegrown Huntsville says with a knowing laugh But after a few
post-graduate years working for world-renowned public relations powerhouse Weber Shandwick in
New York City Ryals started to second guess her freshman declaration
ldquoI started to get homesickrdquo she admits ldquoAll of my friends were getting married and meeting for football
games and I was missing itrdquo So when a friend from home set up an interview at EarlyWorks for a job
doing event planning Ryals jumped at the chance to come home
Ashley spent the next few years planning EarlyWorks Whistle Stop and Santarsquos Village events A brief
stint in sales followed along with a seat on the board of Huntsville Young Professionals where she had
an idea for a downtown pub crawl
ldquoWe expected 20 or 30 peoplerdquo Ryals says of their modest expectations ldquoBut 200 people showed uprdquo
Th at initial success convinced Ryals to embark on her dream of establishing an
event planning company But it wasnrsquot just any event planning company Ryals
had in mind she envisioned one that would collaborate with local businesses
cultivate signature events for the community to enjoy and support small busi-
nesses in the process
Inspired Ryals left her sales job and for the second time in her life came home
again to event planning and Homegrown Huntsville
To help bring her vision to life Ryals collaborated with designer Adrianne Van
Kirk of Fave Creative ldquoAdrianne has been a part of the visual and branding of
Homegrown from the beginning We come up with the event ideas then I get
the ticketing and sales together and she comes back with a logo and the mar-
keting for the event And thatrsquos how it all comes togetherrdquo Ryals says of their
creative process
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
ASHLEY RYALS
copy Olivia Reed
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
ldquoMOST WINE FESTIVALS ACROSS THE COUNTRY HAVE PROVEN RECORDS OF BEING ABLE TO STAY AROUND 15 OR 20 YEARS OR EVEN LONGER AND THE ECONOMIES OF THOSE
CITIES HAVE REALLY GROWN AS A RESULT I WANT BIG SPRING CRUSH TO EVENTUALLY BE THE BIGGEST AND BEST WINE FESTIVAL IN THE STATE OF ALABAMArdquo ASHLEY RYALS
copy Jeff White
copy Jeff White
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
copy Olivia Reed
Homegrown launched in 2011 with what would become its
signature event Dine amp Dash Every second Wednesday
April through October a trolley shuttles patrons between
downtown establishments where they are served a drink
and appetizer before moving on to the next stop
Owner and executive chef Merle Phillips of Th e Eaves was
one of the fi rst restaurants to sign on for Dine amp Dashrsquos de-
but ldquoAshley came to me and said she was starting a trolley
tasting conceptrdquo says Chef Merle ldquoI didnrsquot really know her so
I was taking a chance on the concept she was sellingrdquo
Merle tried it and has been a loyal participant of Dine amp
Dash ever since
ldquoIt was a risk in the beginning but it defi nitely paid off rdquo Chef
Merle says of the experience Pivotal to that experience ac-
cording to Phillips is Ryalsrsquo demonstration to the commu-
nity just what the term ldquohomegrownrdquo really means ldquoAshley
shines a spotlight on independent businesses in a market-
place that has for so long focused on chainsrdquo Phillips says
ldquoDine amp Dash has really brought into sharp focus the inter-
esting culinary diversity that Huntsville has to off errdquo
For the next two years Homegrown Huntsville focused al-
most exclusively on Dine amp Dash which by the end of its fi rst
year included every single downtown restaurant But when
big changes began to appear on the downtown horizonmdash
new restaurants breweries and residential developmentsmdash
Ryalsrsquo instincts told her
the time had come to
introduce a new event
to the downtown cal-
endar
ldquoBeer Hop follows
the concept of Dine
amp Dashrdquo Ryals says of
Homegrownrsquos second
venture which began
in 2013 Each month a
trolley visits three dif-
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
BILL FOWLEROLD TOWN BEER
EXCHANGE
copy Olivia Reed
copy Olivia Reed
ferent breweries where patrons sample beers and enjoy food
from a variety of food trucks parked at each location
Bill Fowler managing partner of Old Town Beer Exchange
agreed to participate in Beer Hop on his very fi rst day of
business and credits Ryals with an overwhelmingly success-
ful opening night ldquoAshley said lsquoI can guarantee that you are
going to have wave after wave of people coming throughrsquordquo
Fowler says recalling that fi rst jittery occasion Once again
Ryals proved true to her word with 60-plus patrons arriving
in an hour-and-a-half ldquoIt was awesome and such a great ex-
perience for usrdquo Fowler raves ldquoAshley is a hard worker and
you can see that in what she doesrdquo
Fowler believes that in addition to bringing new customers
to OTBX Ryals is also cultivating beer education consis-
tently bringing in people who are new to beer and want to
learn And with Huntsvillersquos recent brewery boom that level
of education and interest is crucial for the brewing commu-
nity to thrive ldquoWe have a very small window of opportunityrdquo
says Fowler ldquoI think Huntsville in particular is becoming a
craft brewing community People are making money at this
and once Tennessee sees that we need to already have had a
pretty huge head startrdquo
By the end of 2013 and with standing events Beer Hop and
Dine amp Dash well established Ryals took time to refl ect on
her original goal for Homegrown Huntsville ldquoIn the back of
my head from day one I knew I wanted to do a wine festival
I just didnrsquot think Huntsville was ready for it in 2011rdquo
Emboldened by the success of Beer Hop Ryals decided to
make the leap with Big Spring Crush wine festival later the
same year Once again Ryals delivered the perfect audience
for the event and in the process discovered a surprising
fact about North Alabamarsquos contribution to the wine-mak-
ing industry
ldquoIn doing the wine festival I learned that we have a huge
wine community in Huntsvillerdquo Ryals says ldquoTh ere are only
about 47 certifi ed wine judges in the entire United States
and we have four of them right here in North Alabama Two
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
copy Jeff White
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
ldquoI STARTED TO GET HOMESICK ALL OF MY FRIENDS WERE GETTING MARRIEDAND MEETING FOR FOOTBALL GAMES AND I WAS MISSING ITrdquo ASHLEY RYALS
copy Jeff White
copy Jeff White
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
ldquoIT WAS AWESOME AND SUCH A GREAT EXPERIENCE FOR USrdquoBILL FOWLER OLD TOWN BEER EXCHANGE
copy Jeff White
copy Olivia Reed
of those four certifi ed wine judges sit on the committee for
Big Spring Crushrdquo
Matthew and Stephanie Mell had just opened Church Street
Wine Shop when they decided to participate in the fi rst Big
Spring Crush Like OTBXrsquos Robert Fowler the Mells credit
Ryals and Homegrown Huntsville for helping to introduce
their new enterprise to the community ldquoAshley has been in-
strumental in helping to bring us people who love and ap-
preciate winerdquo Stephanie Mell says ldquoShe was homegrown
here in Huntsville and she really gets the downtown area
and small businesses and that is so important to usrdquo
Big Spring Crush began with a bang featuring over 150
wines and attracting patrons from across the country
ldquoMost wine festivals across the country have proven records
of being able to stay around 15 or 20 years or even longerrdquo
Ryals says ldquoAnd the economies of those cities have really
grown as a result I want Big Spring Crush to eventually be
the biggest and best wine festival in the state of Alabamardquo
How does Ryals intend to make that dream come true ldquoBy
always keeping it fresh I want to have new marketing and
new things happening each yearrdquo
Ryalsrsquo formula of reinvention and expansion has successfully
led Homegrown Huntsville through fi ve years of success and
helped its events become community staples along the way In
the process Ryals is broadening more than just our image of
downtown Huntsville shersquos joining a class of creative entrepre-
neurs committed to expanding Huntsvillersquos reputation as more
than just a hub for the brightest scientifi c minds in America
ldquoWe have a big city of engineers and lawyers and itrsquos won-
derfulrdquo Ryals say ldquo But there is a whole artist and food cul-
ture here and there is so much growth I want us to have a
vibrant cool downtown area and I want for people to tell
their friends to come and visit and to see Huntsville for what
it is a city I loverdquo
If yoursquod like to participate in Homegrown Huntsville either
as a guest or a participating business visit homegrown-
huntsvillecom
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
copy Jeff White
I was years old and the year was At that time the city of Huntsville was inching toward the mountain to the east California Street was once the continental divide between the small town metropo-lis and the uncharted territories gingerly crossed by the real estate pioneers four score and some odd years prior Th is area became the new suburb as the city kept pushing onward toward Fagan Springs as if the reverberating booms of rocket testings were vibrating Hunstvillians away from its epicenter
From the front yard of our house on Owens Drive I could look to the rightmdashup the hill to the bend be-yond which the big houses stood on their rocky ledge pedestals and to the left where all the other houses that looked just like oursmdashfresh and newmdashrambled for what seemed like miles Th ose clean well-lit abodes all seemed the same and granted at my age I knew more about the pets that lived there than I did about the people who owned those manageable mortgages I came to realize that each was diff erent in a way that was permeated by voices smells and furnishings
It is a clicheacute to say that our lives were simpler then because that is just how the current era will be fondly referred to in the future but to a 5-year-old it is the simplicity that brought the joy Th e sixties will always be to me the beginning of the age of manufactured happiness Cheap clean and simple was what was strived for and what was easily obtained Plastic items were plentiful and pretty things could be bought with SampH Green Stamps A few coins in our pocket would transfer us into the most master of manipula-tors with us giving our all to convince our parents for a jaunt to Murdockrsquos for a holiday of wonderment joy and impatience as we would scour the shelves trying to get the most from our meager budget
Owens Drive was the fairly new thoroughfare from which the avenues of three-bedroom-ranchers fi ngered away at planned intervals Th is was the place where newlyweds started their lives homes and families Where girls with last names that had been in the town for generations would change them to those strange and exotic last names of the clean cut newcomers brought here for military purposes Where the housewives would preheat their pristine electric ovens trying to make cheese straws and biscuits that were just like their motherrsquos only to be frustrated as they were never quite the same and where the husbands would follow in their fatherrsquos footsteps by joining the Acme Club and hunting doves on the weekends
Th ere was a swimming pool Certainly not at our house Th e only private pool I remember as a child was one that my grandmother would take me to nestled between huge trees at someonersquos house on Adams Street I would swim with other children my age while our grandmothers chatted smoking cigarettes in cat-eyed anonymity whispering most of their stories so we wouldnrsquot be able to hear But between their
gasps and laughter we would listen hear and learn
Th e Blossomwood pool was a place of designated rules and the sound of bright whistlesmdashwith straight lines and distinctive colors of blue and green I can still feel the Coppertoned oiliness on the skin of the tanned lifeguard as she carried me from the deep end frightened after my fi rst attempt at solo-swimming She knew my name I had no idea who she was
On the other side of the pool was the school my older sister attended It had a style that mim-icked the poolmdashstraight lines cleanmdasha temple to orderliness and good manners It was with
awe that I once watched the young adults there some as old as eleven wind and dance their way around a sky-high fl agpolemdasheach with a diff erent color ribbon until the fi rst (and only) May Pole
I was privy to was completely dressed in its woven bright colors
90 raquo bless their hearts raquo Guy McClure Jr
Huntsville was a magical place for us tail-end baby boomers to grow upmdashbeyond the miracles of the escalator at Pizitz the smiling little lady on the tall stool at the register at Britlings There was a comfort level there that Irsquom not sure is in the minds of the 5-year-olds of today
cat-eyed agasps
Th s
aI w
THE COMFORTS OF BLOSSOMWOOD
In our world of red-bricked carported castles there was a def-inite division of generations Th e children ate separately from the parents went to school as our dads went to work enter-tained our neighborhood friends as quietly as possible and felt safe between our boundaries of Big Cove Road and Hermitage Street While we dined on our Chef Boy-Ar-Dee boxed pizza our parents busied themselves dressing in their dark colors getting ready for a late dinner at Boots having the scent of perfume and face powder trail my mother as she came into the kitchen looking for something with an intense purpose My father would smell of British Sterling and look just as he did when he went to work only happier Th ese nights meant something fun would happenmdashwe would have a babysitter
Babysitters were my introduction into what was and still seems cool Th ey were usually Huntsville High School teen-agers who would put on a show without even knowing it I would drink in their every move word and essence of style To me they were supermodelsmdashmovie starsmdasheven more fa-mous in my eyes than a television weatherman and almost as glamorous as the waitresses at the Waffl e House
Before they would tire of me and my sister and put us to bed they would include us in their world of music and knowledge which I thought was all-encompassing Suddenly our world of Th e Benny Carl Show and Fantasy Playhouse would seem trite and passeacute and we would catch a fl eeting glimpse into what would be in store for us when we too could stay up past 8 pm
Huntsville was a magical place for us tail-end baby boomers to grow upmdashbeyond the miracles of the escalator at Pizitz the smiling little lady on the tall stool at the register at Britlings and that bright colorful Maypole Th ere was a comfort level there that Irsquom not sure is in the minds of the 5-year-olds of todaymdashthe soothing sheltered lack of knowledge of why we were so lucky yet we didnrsquot even know that we were
In the other areas of our Huntsville there was poverty and ra-cial unrestmdashas there was and is in every city I was unaware People of color were always a part of my worldmdashmostly be-cause they had my attention and respect At our house there was Annie my grandmotherrsquos house was fi lled with the joys of Lula and out on the family farm there was strong and smiling Homer and large and huggable Rosamdashall just as much a part of my life as everyone else My life was good and they were instrumental in making it that way
What will the 5-year-olds of today who are lucky enough to be raised on those well-planned streets remember when they surpass their own 50 year mark It is a much more complex world now and there are diff erent concerns with daily changes of fear Youthful innocence is a prize that is encased without a lock Premature maturity is a viable threat and a constant fear But each night tucked in tight in a simple room sleeps tomor-rowrsquos adults who are having sweet dreamsmdashblanketed by the comforts of Blossomwood
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
92 raquo the vine raquo Amy C Collins
BORDEAUX POWER
Where Burgundyrsquos vineyards were established by Benedictine monks patiently growing wine vines with spiritual hearts Bordeauxrsquos vineyards were raised by entrepreneurial laymen who recognized the massive monetary opportunity when the English began drinking down their peasant wine
The city of Bordeaux is Francersquos primary port town on the Atlantic ocean a harbor that has for centuries served as the countryrsquos most important dock Th e regionrsquos history is long and storied with the fi rst written reference to the area dated 379 AD by the Latin poet Ausonius who was also a wine-grower Jump ahead to the year 1152 when Eleanor of Aquitaine married Englandrsquos soon-to-be king Henry Plantagenet and the port and surrounding vineyard land became the source of wine for the English a connection that remains strong even today
Bordeaux produces the worldrsquos most expensive and sought after collector wines the top tier of which make up less than fi ve percent of the regionrsquos total production Th ese names are quickly learned by neophyte wine drinkers wanting to make an impression Chateau Haut-Brion Lafi te Latour and Margaux for example Grown in gravelly soils only a few meters above sea levelmdashin contrast vineyards elsewhere in Europe typically sit between 300 and 900 metersmdashthese wines are some of the most powerful austere and pawed over When young the tannins in these cabernet sauvignon cabernet franc and merlot blends coat the tongue and mouth with a chalky dry sensation akin to sucking on an Earl Grey tea bag and are perhaps best suited to well-fatted rare steak and cigars Th ese are wines built to live for decades Personally I prefer a Bordeaux at least 20 years aged when the tannins have had ample time to calm down and mellow out and more nuanced fl avors come forward Sounds fancy and it is Only in some very lucky circumstances over the past year have I been guest to a bottle of 1990 Clos de Menuts Saint-Eacutemilion and a 1970 Chateau Haut-Brion About once every 10 years Irsquove had the good
fortune to taste a wine older than myself Nice work if you can get it
Where Burgundyrsquos vineyards (Francersquos other classifi ed sought-after region) were established by Benedictine monks patiently growing wine vines with spiritual hearts
Bordeauxrsquos vineyards were raised by entrepreneurial laymen who recognized the massive monetary opportunity when the English began drinking down their peasant wine Th is underscores the second half of my theory as to why Americans
more often American males are so drawn to the wines of Bordeaux Th erersquos an inherent capitalist connection something in the soil Th at the wines are so
unmistakable so distinctively grand and pronounced elixirs exemplifi es the fi rst half of my theory we Americans are not known for our subtlety (To be fair the Chinese are
signifi cant Bordeaux collectors as well)
Philosophy aside Bordeaux is quite a large region that produces beautiful white and red values as well as the rare fi nds out of the populacersquos price range Herersquos the skinny Blending is the game single varietal wines are rare White Bordeaux is typically made from a blend of sauvignon blanc and seacutemillon and sometimes a drop or two of muscadelle ugni blanc or colombard Reds are made primarily from the two cabernets plus merlot with small quantities of petit verdot malbec and carmenegravere occasionally in the mix Th e region is also home to the golden nectar of late ripened seacutemillon sauvignon blanc and muscadelle grapes that have successfully attracted the noble rot a fungus that covers the fruit and drains moisture from inside leaving behind rich sweet grapes without moldy fl avors Chateau drsquoYquem is the most famous of these unfortifi ed dessert wines though there are better bargains from the region
Bordeaux is split by the Gironde river which divides the region into three general areas Th e left bank also known as the Haut-Meacutedoc is where the classifi ed top growths are situated Th ese prestigious estates were named for their exceptional vineyard sites in 1855 a decision nearly unchanged since Today serious collectors invest in Bordeaux futures theoretically locking down lower prices of top
ample time to calm dit is Only in some vede Menuts Saint-Eacutem
fortune to taste a
Wherees
aun
of msignifi
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Follow Amy at pigandvinecom for morestories and wine suggestions
growth estates while the wine is still aging in the cellar Itrsquos the wine tradersquos equivalent to the NASDAQ On the right bank Saint-Eacutemilion and Pommerol are the prized vineyard areas known for their merlot heavy cuveacutees To the south west we fi nd Graves where there are many great values to be had in both white and red bottlings Entre-Deux-Mers which translates to ldquobetween two seasrdquo sits between the Dordogne and Garonne tributaries off the Gironde and is an excellent source for crisp whites
Get started on your Bordeaux experience with these values
Chateau Graville-Lacoste 2014 Graves 75 seacutemillon 20 sauvignon blanc and 5 muscadelle make up this beauty thatrsquos consistently delicious every vintage Crisp and refreshing great with seafood
Chateau Mirambeau 2014 GravesAnother classic blend of 40 sauvignon blanc 40 seacutemillon and 20 muscadelle this lovely white is a bit more fl oral than the Graville-Lacoste Easy drinking and great value
Chateau de Parenchegravere Bordeaux Rouge 201155 merlot 30 cabernet sauvignon and 15 cabernet franc grown in clay heavy soils similar to the right bank of the region Fleshy with good structure and abundant red fruit
Chateau Arnaud Bordeaux Supeacuterieur 2011Supeacuterieur on a Bordeaux label isnrsquot egotistical marketingmdashby law it indicates a wine with up to one degree more alcohol than its AC Bordeaux brethren What it really means is one more degree of body structure and in this case quality Approachable delicious and easy on the wallet
Chateau de Bernadotte Haut-Meacutedoc 2005Th e 2005 vintage in Bordeaux is in the history books with double asterisks Owned by the eminent Pichon Lalande family and made from vineyards in Paulliac one of the more choice growing areas in the region this is an incredible value a top tier Bordeaux for a fraction of the cost
Chateau de Suduiraut Sauternes 2011Ripe cantaloupe apricot and honey and an interesting smoky note with a solid sweet attack followed by great acidity A dessert wine that wonrsquot overpower the dessert
94 raquo parting shot raquo Patrick Hood
Meet Solvar
Solvar belongs to one of the worldrsquos oldest and purest equine lineages the Nor-
wegian Fjord horse a breed that has remained virtually unchanged for more than
2000 yearsmdashlong before we became acquainted with his animated cousins in
the movie Frozen Th ese national symbols of Norway are characterized by primi-
tive zebra striping on their legs and a dorsal stripe running from forelock to tail
resulting in a striking two-tone mane that sticks up like a Mohawk Th eir athleti-
cism agility and dependability make them valuable both as sport horses as well
as therapy horses for emotionally and physically challenged adults and children
Catie Wells of Huntsville is the proud owner of Solvar who resides at Monte
Sano Stables
For tickets or information 256-539-4818 or hsoorg
Bring In the New Year With Us
presents
WHAT A WONDERFUL
WORLDA tribute to Louis
Armstrong featuring the
Byron Stripling Quartet
Thursday December 31
730 pm bull Pops Series bullMark C Smith
Concert Hall VBC
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
M O R E T H A N 7 0 S H O P S A N D R E S T A U R A N T S I N C L U D I N G B E L K | D S W S H O E S | A P P L E J O S A B A N K | R E E D S J E W E L E R S | PA N D O R A | J C R E W | K AT E S PA D E N E W Y O R KO R V I S | B A N A N A R E P U B L I C | M I C H A E L K O R S | F R A N C E S C Arsquo S | A N T H R O P O L O G I EH amp M | S O M A | M O U N T A I N H I G H O U T F I T T E R S | B A R N E S amp N O B L E | S E P H O R AALTAR rsquoD STATE | CONNORS STEAK amp SEFOOD | THE WEST IN HUNTSV I L L E | MONACO P ICTURES
C O M I N G S O O N V E R S O N A ndash near Belk
B R I D G E S T R E E T H U N T S V I L L E C O M |
BR IDGE STREET TOWN CENTRE I S LOCATED AT EX I T 14 OFF I - 565 AT OLD MAD ISON P IKE
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Guadalupe Robinson
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
text by jennifer crossley howard raquo photos by patrick hood
Of Deft and Dirty Hands
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Huntsville potter Guadalupe Lanning Robinson has spent more than 36 years mastering the
marriage of clay texture and geometric design into her pottery yet time has done little to temper the
plight of waiting
ldquoIt is hard for me to let a pot just dryrdquo she says motioning toward fi ve small wet pots sitting near her
pottery wheel ldquoIrsquom as excited to do this as I was 30 years agordquo
To observe her studio at Lowe Mill that is easy to believe Located on the corridor outside the textile
mill-turned-art centerrsquos main building the loft-like space with a corrugated tin roof feels like a place a
Gabriel Garcia Marquez character would enjoy daydreaming
Sienna-hued pottery sits in various stages to be fi red layered and etched Argentinian tango music
streams from Robinsonrsquos iPhone and two cockatiels a parrot and a parakeet chirp from their cages All
except the parrot fl y freely when Robinson is working
Robinson who is 61 made her fi rst pot in 1979 in her native Mexico City Almost four decades later her
work is part of permanent museum collections in Auburn Huntsville Tuscumbia and Tupelo Missis-
sippi She regularly enters her work in respected juried shows such as the Monte Sano Arts Festival and
the Kentuck Festival of the Arts in Northport and has received two Alabama State Council on the Arts
individual artist fellowships
Her inspiration draws from the villages around her native Mexico City such as the black pottery of
the northwest as well as her acquired Southern culture White lilies corn grids and round female
fi guresmdashldquoreally strong women who are in chargerdquo Robinson saysmdashreappear on her stoneware She uses
natural dyes indigo for color and mixes sand into clay for texture Nothing is wasted
ldquoI donrsquot waste any clayrdquo Robinson says ldquoEverything is recycledrdquo
Robinson fi nds solace in the 40-50 hours a week she puts in at the studio and the often tedious process
of making pots which can take from three weeks to six weeks for larger pots She usually works on two
or three pots at a time tending to groups at diff erent stages
After a pot is thrown on a wheel a piece can take days to dry before its fi rst bisque fi re in which tem-
peratures rise to 1800 F After baking for nine hours the kiln must cool Th e second fi ring rises to 2150
F and matures the clay and melts the glazes to strengthen the piece
ldquoI am an effi cient person by naturerdquo Robinson says ldquoWaiting for the kiln to cool down enough to open
can be nerve wracking and this is when my patience is usually put to the testrdquo
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
ldquoIt is hard for me to let a pot just dry Irsquom as excited to do this as I was 30 years agordquo
Robinson makes most of her pots on a wheel using oxides to change the color of clay she gets from Nashville and Pittsburgh Her pottery takes several weeks from start to fi nish depending on how large a pot is and how many she makes at a time
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
ldquoAttend to your childrenrsquos needs fi rst keep focus on what you want to douse the happiness joy and little breaks you get to make your artTh ey grow real fast and they will keep inspiring you all your liferdquo
Robinson imagined this bat-like design as she was working She usually begins a piece with a design in mind but that often evolves
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Robinson uses an overlay of liquid clay called engobemdashthat includes three to four layersmdashto create a
base on which to design
Th ere is high risk in making pottery and hours of work can be wasted on a pot that has not dried en-
tirely before it enters the kiln Air pockets or the wrong mixture of chemicals can ruin a piece
ldquoArt is involved but science is toordquo says Laura Smith director of education at the Huntsville Museum
of Art where Robinson has taught pottery classes ldquoItrsquos more labor intensive in terms of working with
the medium whether yoursquore building by hand or with a wheel until you fi re with the fi nal layer of glazerdquo
Th e result is sturdy pottery
ldquoI want my pots to look like something that is lasting a long timerdquo Robinson says
Th ough she works solitarily in her studio she says she does not get lonely Her birds and music keep her
company and each stage of pottery making has a soundtrack She uses needlepoint tools to draw onto
clay to Jose Feliciano and other Latin American musicians
ldquoIf Irsquom at the wheel Bruno Marsrdquo she says ldquoIf Irsquom unloading the kiln and something is really awesome
then I need something moving and I have on Motownrdquo
Robinsonrsquos years of experience minimize the risk of damaged pots but she says her greatest challenge
as a potter was balancing her work while raising her two children Now adults their candid childhood
pictures and those of her grandchildren cover the warm green walls of her studio
She met her husband the poet James Robinson in 1977 on a Greyhound bus when she returned to
Mexico City from visiting a friend at the University of Southern Mississippi He was heading to Mexico
to study at a university Th ey married six months later After giving birth to her daughter Annie Jane in
Mexico City in 1982 the family moved to Huntsville in 1985 Th at is when Robinson got more serious
about her pottery
ldquoFrom the very beginning when I moved to Alabama I knew I was going to have to do thisrdquo she said
ldquoIn some ways it was a way for me to keep connected to my heritagerdquo
She took even 15 minutes of free time to work in the studio behind her home and worked late into the
night while her daughter and son Isidoro born in 1987 slept Having a home studio allowed her to
wash clothes tend to her home and drop off lunches at school while maintaining her art
ldquoTh ere was something for me when I fi rst became a mother that fueled my creativityrdquo Robinson says
ldquoTh ey are such a social inspiration too It fi lls your liferdquo
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Robinson advises fellow artists who are mothers to seize
both roles but to prioritize motherhood
ldquoAttend to your childrenrsquos needs fi rst keep focus on what you
want to do use the happiness joy and little breaks you get
to make your artrdquo she says ldquoTh ey grow real fast and they will
keep inspiring you all your liferdquo
Anna Sue Courtney director of the Flying Monkey Arts
Center at Lowe Mill has known Robinson for more than
10 years She says she admires how mothers and artists like
Robinson seamlessly embrace both roles
ldquoIt seems therersquos not a separation between creating and rais-
ing childrenrdquo Courtney says ldquoTh ey seem to pull from the
same placerdquo
Part of Robinsonrsquos motivation at Lowe Mill comes from
working privately in a studio alongside other artists that fos-
ters a community of feedback and ideas
ldquoItrsquos nice to be here because you can take a break and walk around and get inspirationrdquo Courtney says
ldquoItrsquos refreshingrdquo
When she needs a break from the studio Robinson stays home to sketch designs for a day or two then
she is back in the studio
Trips twice a year to Mexico City keep her plugged in to her native culture which in turn shows up in
her pottery
ldquoI have to recharge myselfrdquo Robinson says ldquoI love Huntsville and loved raising my kids here but I still
have the need of going back to be recharged and smell all the smells and see all the colors and get on
the subway and be pushed aroundrdquo
Details from her trips that infl uence her work include the ever-present red that covers the city during
the celebration of Dia de los Muertos or the Day of the Dead Th e pyramids of Teotihuacan conjure
warm earth tones and fl oating gardens around the city yield sweet pungent calla lilies and carnations
Celebration of food tough women and nature reappear in her pottery qualities that both Southern and
Mexican cultures treasure
Above This daisy design is character-istic of Robinsonrsquos work Nature food and strong females from her native Mexico City and the South are strong creative infl uences
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Clockwise from top left Robinson often glazes only the inside of her pots so they can hold water and food She began quilting in 2002 and her quilts like her pottery contain earth tones and natural infl uences in their design Four birds keep Robinson company in what can be the isolating medium of pottery making Geometry and symmetry are two signature elements in Robinsonrsquos work according to Laura Smith director of education at the Huntsville Museum of Art
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Just as she keeps her home country close to her heart Robinson is loyal to her fi rst
love of pottery though she began making quilts in 2002
ldquoIrsquom a potter who likes to quiltrdquo she says
Like her pottery her quilting follows designs of organic nature such as fl owers and
crops on rich jewel tone cotton
ldquoWhen I fi rst saw one of her quilts I didnrsquot realize it was hers and I thought that
looks like it should be Guadalupersquos quiltrdquo Courtney says
Robinson prefers the immediate gratifi cation of clay
ldquoItrsquos a very responsive mediumrdquo she says ldquoYou can manipulate it Th e fact of mak-
ing something out of dirt out of nothing and making it durable making it perma-
nent that after going through the heat and maturing is something very excitingrdquo
She gently dings a pot covered with white dresses titled ldquoTehuana Dressrdquo to make
her point
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
887 FM Muscle Shoals bull 1007 FM Huntsvillewwwaprorg
News classicalmusic and more
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
copy Patrick Hood
text by sara wright covington raquo photos by jacki gil
patrick hood erin lindsey and michelle odom
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
copy Patrick Hood
ldquoA LOT OF PEOPLE HAD BEEN ASKING ME QUESTIONS ABOUTHOW I GOT MY BUSINESS STARTED I WANTED TO GATHER SOME PEOPLE AROUND ME
WHO WERE GOING THROUGH THOSE STRUGGLES AND TOBUILD ENTREPRENEURIAL COURAGErdquo
JACKI GIL SALT+PAPERIE
copy Patrick Hood
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
untsville-born Jacki Gil began her paper design busi-
ness Salt+Paperie in 2014 with an expansive vision
in mind one that extended beyond creating beautiful
custom designed paper goods ldquoI love my design job
but when Irsquom 50 years old I donrsquot see myself still de-
signing wedding invitationsrdquo the master stationer says
ldquoI really have a passion for teaching and helping people
I want to be a mentorrdquo
In 2015 Gil set out on her mentoring mission sooner than expected with a series
of workshops called Encourage Huntsville ldquoA lot of people had been asking me
questions about how I got my business startedrdquo Gil says about the early days of
Salt+Paperie Even though most of those questions from entrepreneurial-hopefuls
were technicalmdashlike how to apply for a business licensemdashthey served as inspira-
tion for Gil ldquoI wanted to gather some people around me who were going through
those struggles and to build entrepreneurial courage I defi nitely saw that there
was a need for helping people to take that next step toward owning their own
businessesrdquo
Encourage Huntsville was modeled on the image of a growing small business
movement called the Rising Tide Society a national community of creative small
business owners who encourage ldquocommunity over competitionrdquo Th at spirit of
openness is at the heart of Encourage Huntsville ldquoCommunity over competition
is a huge part of what we are doingrdquo says Gil ldquoSmall business owners sharing how
they earn their money is a big dealrdquo
As a fi rst step Gil gathered others around her who were using their skills and abili-
ties to make their own small businesses work With talents ranging from cooking
and cake decorating to hand lettering and artwork these small business owners
all embraced Gilrsquos vision for imparting to others the knowledge of their craft un-
impeded by a fear of losing their competitive edge
Th e fi rst lesson Gil wanted to impart to Encourage Huntsvillersquos students wasnrsquot
necessarily a particular craft or skill but a spirt of creative confi dence ldquoWe want-
ed to bridge the gap between the very artsy community and the ultimate engineer
communityrdquo many of whom Gil observes had been told since childhood they
werenrsquot artistic ldquoWhen you are little and someone tells you that you donrsquot have a
talent it sticks with you I found that a lot of people had that experience so that
was the workshop partmdashto build some creative courage in this communityrdquo
Gil conducted the fi rst workshop herself testing the waters to see how the concept
would be received Th e admission price to that fi rst workshop included supplies a
take-home ldquogoody bagrdquo to help students continue their work extracurricularly and
refreshmentsmdashas well as Gilrsquos tips of her trade
ldquoWe went in blindly not knowing if we had a market or notrdquo says Gil Th e popular-
ity of that fi rst class proved undeniably that a market did in fact exist the work-
shop sold out in one day ldquoSo we did back-to-back workshopsrdquo Gil says ldquoAfter that
novemberdecembeeer eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee | nononoononononononoonoonononooooonoonoonnononnoaaalalalllaallllllalaalaaalal ststustust ddiossscom mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm | | | | | | | | | | |
f
w
y
Previous page Encourage Huntsvillersquos founder and instructor Jacki Gil teaches a class in hand lettering Facing page A participant studies her supply list
we realized people really want to do this stuff So we said lsquoletrsquos jump on the boat
and make this happenrsquordquo
Gilrsquos longtime friend photographer Erin Lindsey of Erin Lindsey Images agreed
to contribute to Encourage Huntsvillersquos curriculum by teaching a photography
class ldquoJacki and I are a good team because our hearts are in the same place when
it comes to encouraging othersrdquo Lindsey says Still she admits saying yes to teach-
ing wasnrsquot without some initial hesitation ldquoWhen Jacki asked if I would teach a
class it was kind of scary I thought I had to be perfect before I could teach oth-
ersrdquo Lindsey says of her initial hesitancy ldquoBut after talking to Jacki I realized none
of us are perfectrdquo But perfection isnrsquot the goal encouragement is the goal ldquoAnd I
thought lsquoI can defi nitely line up with that visionrsquordquo
Michelle Odom another Huntsville native and owner of custom cake bakery Just
Crumbs was also on board with Gilrsquos vision In fact Odom had been contemplat-
ing teaching a class when she was approached by Gil to teach a fondant basics
class ldquoHuntsville is such an engineer town and everyone is so mathematical and
scientifi crdquo Odom says echoing the dichotomy between the arts and sciences ex-
pressed by Gil ldquoTh ese workshops are just a very cool way for structured people to
have a creative outletrdquo
ldquoJACKI AND I ARE A GOOD TEAM BECAUSE OUR HEARTS ARE INTHE SAME PLACE WHEN IT COMES TO ENCOURAGING OTHERSrdquo
ERIN LINDSEY ERIN LINDSEY IMAGES
copy Erin Lindsey
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Above A participant in Erin Lindseyrsquos photo class frames a still life
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
copy Erin Lindsey
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
ldquoHUNTSVILLE IS SUCH AN ENGINEER TOWN AND EVERYONE ISSO MATHEMATICAL AND SCIENTIFIC THESE WORKSHOPS ARE JUST A VERY COOL
WAY FOR STRUCTURED PEOPLE TO HAVE A CREATIVE OUTLETrdquo MICHELLE ODOM JUST CRUMBS
copy Michelle Odom
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
ldquoAnd yesrdquo Odom acknowledges ldquoyou are in theory teaching your competition But
at the same time you are helping the community be more creativerdquo
With its roster of popular creative workshops under its belt Encourage Huntsville
has added business classes to its community-over-competition curriculum with
classes designed to provide specifi c guidance for small business owners ldquoAll of
our events that donrsquot require hands-on work we call seminarsrdquo says Gil ldquoWe had
about 15 people at our fi rst one It was pretty much just an open discussion to ask
us questions and get answers from the perspective of a small business ownerrdquo
Th e seminars enjoyed the same success and enthusiasm as the workshops ldquoWe
had two hours for people to ask questionsrdquo Gil says Topics covered ran the gamut
from scheduling daily tasks self-hosting a website or using an Etsy store man-
aging client expectations and being realistic about how much time you need to
complete jobs
ldquoTh e time went quickly and people wanted morerdquo says Gil who envisions an all-
day seminar in 2016
Margaret Baggett owner and executive chef of the Chef Next Door is another
small business owner who has shared Gilrsquos vision from the very beginning teach-
copy Erin Lindsey
Facing page Michelle Odomrsquos fondant basics class begins with a styrofoam cake form Above Newbie photographers familiarize themselves with their cameras in Erin Lindseyrsquos photography class
ing knife skills workshops and helping host the business seminars ldquoI am so proud
to get to be a part of this project and help nurture other small business owners
who may just be starting out on their journey or are deep in it and looking for
some encouragement from other business ownersrdquo Baggett says of what motivates
her participation in Encourage Huntsville ldquoEven being on the advice-giving side
of things I am still learning and have taken tips and tricks and lessons from each
event we have had so far We never stop learning from each other and never stop
improving upon our craftsrdquo
Th e mutual growth among students and teachers is the source of the encourage-
mentmdashand the joymdashof Encourage Huntsville ldquoItrsquos so much fun to see the light
bulbs go off with people and see them encouraged right before your eyesrdquo Lindsey
says of her experience with the program ldquoPlus itrsquos a pleasure to contribute to a
sense of community over competition Th at whole concept is so rarerdquo
As Encourage Huntsvillersquos following continues to grow the diversity of the work-
shops will expand as well Whether you are looking to spend a fun afternoon
learning a new craft or are a budding small business owner hoping to launch
your brand Encourage Huntsville has something valuable to off er ldquoWe encourage
those left-brain folks to take up a new hobby or skillrdquo Baggett says ldquoor just encour-
age the people of Huntsville to get together and fan their creative fl amesrdquo
If yoursquore looking for
creative or entrepreneurial
encouragement visit
encouragehuntsvillecom
for seminar and workshop
schedules and information
ldquoI AM SO PROUD TO GET TO BE A PART OF THIS PROJECT AND HELP NURTURE OTHER SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS WHO MAY JUST BE STARTING OUT ON THEIR JOURNEY OR ARE DEEP IN IT
AND LOOKING FOR SOME ENCOURAGEMENT FROM OTHER BUSINESS OWNERSrdquoMARGARET BAGGETT CHEF NEXT DOOR
copy Jacki Gil
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
copy Jacki Gil
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Participants in Margaret Baggettrsquos knife skills workshop learn to perfect their ldquomise en placerdquo
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
copy Olivia Reed
text by sara wright covington raquo photos by olivia reed and jeff white
HUNTSVILLErsquoS
HOMEGROWNHOSTESS
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
ttttttononononoooooonononooooo raquo praquo praquo praquo praquo phothothothothotosoososos s s osos bybybbybb
Any host will tell you that delicious food and quality libations while important to
a partyrsquos success are secondary to the most important ingredient of all the guest list Th atrsquos why many
of downtown Huntsvillersquos most popular restaurants breweries and wine shops are turning to event
planner Ashley Ryals and her uncanny knack for attracting loyal patronsmdashand creating unforgettable
events in the process
When Huntsville born-and-bred Ashley Ryals left for college at the University of Alabama in 2001
she thought her exit from the Valley was permanent ldquoI never thought I would end up back hererdquo the
founder of event planning company Homegrown Huntsville says with a knowing laugh But after a few
post-graduate years working for world-renowned public relations powerhouse Weber Shandwick in
New York City Ryals started to second guess her freshman declaration
ldquoI started to get homesickrdquo she admits ldquoAll of my friends were getting married and meeting for football
games and I was missing itrdquo So when a friend from home set up an interview at EarlyWorks for a job
doing event planning Ryals jumped at the chance to come home
Ashley spent the next few years planning EarlyWorks Whistle Stop and Santarsquos Village events A brief
stint in sales followed along with a seat on the board of Huntsville Young Professionals where she had
an idea for a downtown pub crawl
ldquoWe expected 20 or 30 peoplerdquo Ryals says of their modest expectations ldquoBut 200 people showed uprdquo
Th at initial success convinced Ryals to embark on her dream of establishing an
event planning company But it wasnrsquot just any event planning company Ryals
had in mind she envisioned one that would collaborate with local businesses
cultivate signature events for the community to enjoy and support small busi-
nesses in the process
Inspired Ryals left her sales job and for the second time in her life came home
again to event planning and Homegrown Huntsville
To help bring her vision to life Ryals collaborated with designer Adrianne Van
Kirk of Fave Creative ldquoAdrianne has been a part of the visual and branding of
Homegrown from the beginning We come up with the event ideas then I get
the ticketing and sales together and she comes back with a logo and the mar-
keting for the event And thatrsquos how it all comes togetherrdquo Ryals says of their
creative process
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
ASHLEY RYALS
copy Olivia Reed
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
ldquoMOST WINE FESTIVALS ACROSS THE COUNTRY HAVE PROVEN RECORDS OF BEING ABLE TO STAY AROUND 15 OR 20 YEARS OR EVEN LONGER AND THE ECONOMIES OF THOSE
CITIES HAVE REALLY GROWN AS A RESULT I WANT BIG SPRING CRUSH TO EVENTUALLY BE THE BIGGEST AND BEST WINE FESTIVAL IN THE STATE OF ALABAMArdquo ASHLEY RYALS
copy Jeff White
copy Jeff White
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
copy Olivia Reed
Homegrown launched in 2011 with what would become its
signature event Dine amp Dash Every second Wednesday
April through October a trolley shuttles patrons between
downtown establishments where they are served a drink
and appetizer before moving on to the next stop
Owner and executive chef Merle Phillips of Th e Eaves was
one of the fi rst restaurants to sign on for Dine amp Dashrsquos de-
but ldquoAshley came to me and said she was starting a trolley
tasting conceptrdquo says Chef Merle ldquoI didnrsquot really know her so
I was taking a chance on the concept she was sellingrdquo
Merle tried it and has been a loyal participant of Dine amp
Dash ever since
ldquoIt was a risk in the beginning but it defi nitely paid off rdquo Chef
Merle says of the experience Pivotal to that experience ac-
cording to Phillips is Ryalsrsquo demonstration to the commu-
nity just what the term ldquohomegrownrdquo really means ldquoAshley
shines a spotlight on independent businesses in a market-
place that has for so long focused on chainsrdquo Phillips says
ldquoDine amp Dash has really brought into sharp focus the inter-
esting culinary diversity that Huntsville has to off errdquo
For the next two years Homegrown Huntsville focused al-
most exclusively on Dine amp Dash which by the end of its fi rst
year included every single downtown restaurant But when
big changes began to appear on the downtown horizonmdash
new restaurants breweries and residential developmentsmdash
Ryalsrsquo instincts told her
the time had come to
introduce a new event
to the downtown cal-
endar
ldquoBeer Hop follows
the concept of Dine
amp Dashrdquo Ryals says of
Homegrownrsquos second
venture which began
in 2013 Each month a
trolley visits three dif-
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
BILL FOWLEROLD TOWN BEER
EXCHANGE
copy Olivia Reed
copy Olivia Reed
ferent breweries where patrons sample beers and enjoy food
from a variety of food trucks parked at each location
Bill Fowler managing partner of Old Town Beer Exchange
agreed to participate in Beer Hop on his very fi rst day of
business and credits Ryals with an overwhelmingly success-
ful opening night ldquoAshley said lsquoI can guarantee that you are
going to have wave after wave of people coming throughrsquordquo
Fowler says recalling that fi rst jittery occasion Once again
Ryals proved true to her word with 60-plus patrons arriving
in an hour-and-a-half ldquoIt was awesome and such a great ex-
perience for usrdquo Fowler raves ldquoAshley is a hard worker and
you can see that in what she doesrdquo
Fowler believes that in addition to bringing new customers
to OTBX Ryals is also cultivating beer education consis-
tently bringing in people who are new to beer and want to
learn And with Huntsvillersquos recent brewery boom that level
of education and interest is crucial for the brewing commu-
nity to thrive ldquoWe have a very small window of opportunityrdquo
says Fowler ldquoI think Huntsville in particular is becoming a
craft brewing community People are making money at this
and once Tennessee sees that we need to already have had a
pretty huge head startrdquo
By the end of 2013 and with standing events Beer Hop and
Dine amp Dash well established Ryals took time to refl ect on
her original goal for Homegrown Huntsville ldquoIn the back of
my head from day one I knew I wanted to do a wine festival
I just didnrsquot think Huntsville was ready for it in 2011rdquo
Emboldened by the success of Beer Hop Ryals decided to
make the leap with Big Spring Crush wine festival later the
same year Once again Ryals delivered the perfect audience
for the event and in the process discovered a surprising
fact about North Alabamarsquos contribution to the wine-mak-
ing industry
ldquoIn doing the wine festival I learned that we have a huge
wine community in Huntsvillerdquo Ryals says ldquoTh ere are only
about 47 certifi ed wine judges in the entire United States
and we have four of them right here in North Alabama Two
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
copy Jeff White
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
ldquoI STARTED TO GET HOMESICK ALL OF MY FRIENDS WERE GETTING MARRIEDAND MEETING FOR FOOTBALL GAMES AND I WAS MISSING ITrdquo ASHLEY RYALS
copy Jeff White
copy Jeff White
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
ldquoIT WAS AWESOME AND SUCH A GREAT EXPERIENCE FOR USrdquoBILL FOWLER OLD TOWN BEER EXCHANGE
copy Jeff White
copy Olivia Reed
of those four certifi ed wine judges sit on the committee for
Big Spring Crushrdquo
Matthew and Stephanie Mell had just opened Church Street
Wine Shop when they decided to participate in the fi rst Big
Spring Crush Like OTBXrsquos Robert Fowler the Mells credit
Ryals and Homegrown Huntsville for helping to introduce
their new enterprise to the community ldquoAshley has been in-
strumental in helping to bring us people who love and ap-
preciate winerdquo Stephanie Mell says ldquoShe was homegrown
here in Huntsville and she really gets the downtown area
and small businesses and that is so important to usrdquo
Big Spring Crush began with a bang featuring over 150
wines and attracting patrons from across the country
ldquoMost wine festivals across the country have proven records
of being able to stay around 15 or 20 years or even longerrdquo
Ryals says ldquoAnd the economies of those cities have really
grown as a result I want Big Spring Crush to eventually be
the biggest and best wine festival in the state of Alabamardquo
How does Ryals intend to make that dream come true ldquoBy
always keeping it fresh I want to have new marketing and
new things happening each yearrdquo
Ryalsrsquo formula of reinvention and expansion has successfully
led Homegrown Huntsville through fi ve years of success and
helped its events become community staples along the way In
the process Ryals is broadening more than just our image of
downtown Huntsville shersquos joining a class of creative entrepre-
neurs committed to expanding Huntsvillersquos reputation as more
than just a hub for the brightest scientifi c minds in America
ldquoWe have a big city of engineers and lawyers and itrsquos won-
derfulrdquo Ryals say ldquo But there is a whole artist and food cul-
ture here and there is so much growth I want us to have a
vibrant cool downtown area and I want for people to tell
their friends to come and visit and to see Huntsville for what
it is a city I loverdquo
If yoursquod like to participate in Homegrown Huntsville either
as a guest or a participating business visit homegrown-
huntsvillecom
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
copy Jeff White
I was years old and the year was At that time the city of Huntsville was inching toward the mountain to the east California Street was once the continental divide between the small town metropo-lis and the uncharted territories gingerly crossed by the real estate pioneers four score and some odd years prior Th is area became the new suburb as the city kept pushing onward toward Fagan Springs as if the reverberating booms of rocket testings were vibrating Hunstvillians away from its epicenter
From the front yard of our house on Owens Drive I could look to the rightmdashup the hill to the bend be-yond which the big houses stood on their rocky ledge pedestals and to the left where all the other houses that looked just like oursmdashfresh and newmdashrambled for what seemed like miles Th ose clean well-lit abodes all seemed the same and granted at my age I knew more about the pets that lived there than I did about the people who owned those manageable mortgages I came to realize that each was diff erent in a way that was permeated by voices smells and furnishings
It is a clicheacute to say that our lives were simpler then because that is just how the current era will be fondly referred to in the future but to a 5-year-old it is the simplicity that brought the joy Th e sixties will always be to me the beginning of the age of manufactured happiness Cheap clean and simple was what was strived for and what was easily obtained Plastic items were plentiful and pretty things could be bought with SampH Green Stamps A few coins in our pocket would transfer us into the most master of manipula-tors with us giving our all to convince our parents for a jaunt to Murdockrsquos for a holiday of wonderment joy and impatience as we would scour the shelves trying to get the most from our meager budget
Owens Drive was the fairly new thoroughfare from which the avenues of three-bedroom-ranchers fi ngered away at planned intervals Th is was the place where newlyweds started their lives homes and families Where girls with last names that had been in the town for generations would change them to those strange and exotic last names of the clean cut newcomers brought here for military purposes Where the housewives would preheat their pristine electric ovens trying to make cheese straws and biscuits that were just like their motherrsquos only to be frustrated as they were never quite the same and where the husbands would follow in their fatherrsquos footsteps by joining the Acme Club and hunting doves on the weekends
Th ere was a swimming pool Certainly not at our house Th e only private pool I remember as a child was one that my grandmother would take me to nestled between huge trees at someonersquos house on Adams Street I would swim with other children my age while our grandmothers chatted smoking cigarettes in cat-eyed anonymity whispering most of their stories so we wouldnrsquot be able to hear But between their
gasps and laughter we would listen hear and learn
Th e Blossomwood pool was a place of designated rules and the sound of bright whistlesmdashwith straight lines and distinctive colors of blue and green I can still feel the Coppertoned oiliness on the skin of the tanned lifeguard as she carried me from the deep end frightened after my fi rst attempt at solo-swimming She knew my name I had no idea who she was
On the other side of the pool was the school my older sister attended It had a style that mim-icked the poolmdashstraight lines cleanmdasha temple to orderliness and good manners It was with
awe that I once watched the young adults there some as old as eleven wind and dance their way around a sky-high fl agpolemdasheach with a diff erent color ribbon until the fi rst (and only) May Pole
I was privy to was completely dressed in its woven bright colors
90 raquo bless their hearts raquo Guy McClure Jr
Huntsville was a magical place for us tail-end baby boomers to grow upmdashbeyond the miracles of the escalator at Pizitz the smiling little lady on the tall stool at the register at Britlings There was a comfort level there that Irsquom not sure is in the minds of the 5-year-olds of today
cat-eyed agasps
Th s
aI w
THE COMFORTS OF BLOSSOMWOOD
In our world of red-bricked carported castles there was a def-inite division of generations Th e children ate separately from the parents went to school as our dads went to work enter-tained our neighborhood friends as quietly as possible and felt safe between our boundaries of Big Cove Road and Hermitage Street While we dined on our Chef Boy-Ar-Dee boxed pizza our parents busied themselves dressing in their dark colors getting ready for a late dinner at Boots having the scent of perfume and face powder trail my mother as she came into the kitchen looking for something with an intense purpose My father would smell of British Sterling and look just as he did when he went to work only happier Th ese nights meant something fun would happenmdashwe would have a babysitter
Babysitters were my introduction into what was and still seems cool Th ey were usually Huntsville High School teen-agers who would put on a show without even knowing it I would drink in their every move word and essence of style To me they were supermodelsmdashmovie starsmdasheven more fa-mous in my eyes than a television weatherman and almost as glamorous as the waitresses at the Waffl e House
Before they would tire of me and my sister and put us to bed they would include us in their world of music and knowledge which I thought was all-encompassing Suddenly our world of Th e Benny Carl Show and Fantasy Playhouse would seem trite and passeacute and we would catch a fl eeting glimpse into what would be in store for us when we too could stay up past 8 pm
Huntsville was a magical place for us tail-end baby boomers to grow upmdashbeyond the miracles of the escalator at Pizitz the smiling little lady on the tall stool at the register at Britlings and that bright colorful Maypole Th ere was a comfort level there that Irsquom not sure is in the minds of the 5-year-olds of todaymdashthe soothing sheltered lack of knowledge of why we were so lucky yet we didnrsquot even know that we were
In the other areas of our Huntsville there was poverty and ra-cial unrestmdashas there was and is in every city I was unaware People of color were always a part of my worldmdashmostly be-cause they had my attention and respect At our house there was Annie my grandmotherrsquos house was fi lled with the joys of Lula and out on the family farm there was strong and smiling Homer and large and huggable Rosamdashall just as much a part of my life as everyone else My life was good and they were instrumental in making it that way
What will the 5-year-olds of today who are lucky enough to be raised on those well-planned streets remember when they surpass their own 50 year mark It is a much more complex world now and there are diff erent concerns with daily changes of fear Youthful innocence is a prize that is encased without a lock Premature maturity is a viable threat and a constant fear But each night tucked in tight in a simple room sleeps tomor-rowrsquos adults who are having sweet dreamsmdashblanketed by the comforts of Blossomwood
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
92 raquo the vine raquo Amy C Collins
BORDEAUX POWER
Where Burgundyrsquos vineyards were established by Benedictine monks patiently growing wine vines with spiritual hearts Bordeauxrsquos vineyards were raised by entrepreneurial laymen who recognized the massive monetary opportunity when the English began drinking down their peasant wine
The city of Bordeaux is Francersquos primary port town on the Atlantic ocean a harbor that has for centuries served as the countryrsquos most important dock Th e regionrsquos history is long and storied with the fi rst written reference to the area dated 379 AD by the Latin poet Ausonius who was also a wine-grower Jump ahead to the year 1152 when Eleanor of Aquitaine married Englandrsquos soon-to-be king Henry Plantagenet and the port and surrounding vineyard land became the source of wine for the English a connection that remains strong even today
Bordeaux produces the worldrsquos most expensive and sought after collector wines the top tier of which make up less than fi ve percent of the regionrsquos total production Th ese names are quickly learned by neophyte wine drinkers wanting to make an impression Chateau Haut-Brion Lafi te Latour and Margaux for example Grown in gravelly soils only a few meters above sea levelmdashin contrast vineyards elsewhere in Europe typically sit between 300 and 900 metersmdashthese wines are some of the most powerful austere and pawed over When young the tannins in these cabernet sauvignon cabernet franc and merlot blends coat the tongue and mouth with a chalky dry sensation akin to sucking on an Earl Grey tea bag and are perhaps best suited to well-fatted rare steak and cigars Th ese are wines built to live for decades Personally I prefer a Bordeaux at least 20 years aged when the tannins have had ample time to calm down and mellow out and more nuanced fl avors come forward Sounds fancy and it is Only in some very lucky circumstances over the past year have I been guest to a bottle of 1990 Clos de Menuts Saint-Eacutemilion and a 1970 Chateau Haut-Brion About once every 10 years Irsquove had the good
fortune to taste a wine older than myself Nice work if you can get it
Where Burgundyrsquos vineyards (Francersquos other classifi ed sought-after region) were established by Benedictine monks patiently growing wine vines with spiritual hearts
Bordeauxrsquos vineyards were raised by entrepreneurial laymen who recognized the massive monetary opportunity when the English began drinking down their peasant wine Th is underscores the second half of my theory as to why Americans
more often American males are so drawn to the wines of Bordeaux Th erersquos an inherent capitalist connection something in the soil Th at the wines are so
unmistakable so distinctively grand and pronounced elixirs exemplifi es the fi rst half of my theory we Americans are not known for our subtlety (To be fair the Chinese are
signifi cant Bordeaux collectors as well)
Philosophy aside Bordeaux is quite a large region that produces beautiful white and red values as well as the rare fi nds out of the populacersquos price range Herersquos the skinny Blending is the game single varietal wines are rare White Bordeaux is typically made from a blend of sauvignon blanc and seacutemillon and sometimes a drop or two of muscadelle ugni blanc or colombard Reds are made primarily from the two cabernets plus merlot with small quantities of petit verdot malbec and carmenegravere occasionally in the mix Th e region is also home to the golden nectar of late ripened seacutemillon sauvignon blanc and muscadelle grapes that have successfully attracted the noble rot a fungus that covers the fruit and drains moisture from inside leaving behind rich sweet grapes without moldy fl avors Chateau drsquoYquem is the most famous of these unfortifi ed dessert wines though there are better bargains from the region
Bordeaux is split by the Gironde river which divides the region into three general areas Th e left bank also known as the Haut-Meacutedoc is where the classifi ed top growths are situated Th ese prestigious estates were named for their exceptional vineyard sites in 1855 a decision nearly unchanged since Today serious collectors invest in Bordeaux futures theoretically locking down lower prices of top
ample time to calm dit is Only in some vede Menuts Saint-Eacutem
fortune to taste a
Wherees
aun
of msignifi
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Follow Amy at pigandvinecom for morestories and wine suggestions
growth estates while the wine is still aging in the cellar Itrsquos the wine tradersquos equivalent to the NASDAQ On the right bank Saint-Eacutemilion and Pommerol are the prized vineyard areas known for their merlot heavy cuveacutees To the south west we fi nd Graves where there are many great values to be had in both white and red bottlings Entre-Deux-Mers which translates to ldquobetween two seasrdquo sits between the Dordogne and Garonne tributaries off the Gironde and is an excellent source for crisp whites
Get started on your Bordeaux experience with these values
Chateau Graville-Lacoste 2014 Graves 75 seacutemillon 20 sauvignon blanc and 5 muscadelle make up this beauty thatrsquos consistently delicious every vintage Crisp and refreshing great with seafood
Chateau Mirambeau 2014 GravesAnother classic blend of 40 sauvignon blanc 40 seacutemillon and 20 muscadelle this lovely white is a bit more fl oral than the Graville-Lacoste Easy drinking and great value
Chateau de Parenchegravere Bordeaux Rouge 201155 merlot 30 cabernet sauvignon and 15 cabernet franc grown in clay heavy soils similar to the right bank of the region Fleshy with good structure and abundant red fruit
Chateau Arnaud Bordeaux Supeacuterieur 2011Supeacuterieur on a Bordeaux label isnrsquot egotistical marketingmdashby law it indicates a wine with up to one degree more alcohol than its AC Bordeaux brethren What it really means is one more degree of body structure and in this case quality Approachable delicious and easy on the wallet
Chateau de Bernadotte Haut-Meacutedoc 2005Th e 2005 vintage in Bordeaux is in the history books with double asterisks Owned by the eminent Pichon Lalande family and made from vineyards in Paulliac one of the more choice growing areas in the region this is an incredible value a top tier Bordeaux for a fraction of the cost
Chateau de Suduiraut Sauternes 2011Ripe cantaloupe apricot and honey and an interesting smoky note with a solid sweet attack followed by great acidity A dessert wine that wonrsquot overpower the dessert
94 raquo parting shot raquo Patrick Hood
Meet Solvar
Solvar belongs to one of the worldrsquos oldest and purest equine lineages the Nor-
wegian Fjord horse a breed that has remained virtually unchanged for more than
2000 yearsmdashlong before we became acquainted with his animated cousins in
the movie Frozen Th ese national symbols of Norway are characterized by primi-
tive zebra striping on their legs and a dorsal stripe running from forelock to tail
resulting in a striking two-tone mane that sticks up like a Mohawk Th eir athleti-
cism agility and dependability make them valuable both as sport horses as well
as therapy horses for emotionally and physically challenged adults and children
Catie Wells of Huntsville is the proud owner of Solvar who resides at Monte
Sano Stables
For tickets or information 256-539-4818 or hsoorg
Bring In the New Year With Us
presents
WHAT A WONDERFUL
WORLDA tribute to Louis
Armstrong featuring the
Byron Stripling Quartet
Thursday December 31
730 pm bull Pops Series bullMark C Smith
Concert Hall VBC
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
M O R E T H A N 7 0 S H O P S A N D R E S T A U R A N T S I N C L U D I N G B E L K | D S W S H O E S | A P P L E J O S A B A N K | R E E D S J E W E L E R S | PA N D O R A | J C R E W | K AT E S PA D E N E W Y O R KO R V I S | B A N A N A R E P U B L I C | M I C H A E L K O R S | F R A N C E S C Arsquo S | A N T H R O P O L O G I EH amp M | S O M A | M O U N T A I N H I G H O U T F I T T E R S | B A R N E S amp N O B L E | S E P H O R AALTAR rsquoD STATE | CONNORS STEAK amp SEFOOD | THE WEST IN HUNTSV I L L E | MONACO P ICTURES
C O M I N G S O O N V E R S O N A ndash near Belk
B R I D G E S T R E E T H U N T S V I L L E C O M |
BR IDGE STREET TOWN CENTRE I S LOCATED AT EX I T 14 OFF I - 565 AT OLD MAD ISON P IKE
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Guadalupe Robinson
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
text by jennifer crossley howard raquo photos by patrick hood
Of Deft and Dirty Hands
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Huntsville potter Guadalupe Lanning Robinson has spent more than 36 years mastering the
marriage of clay texture and geometric design into her pottery yet time has done little to temper the
plight of waiting
ldquoIt is hard for me to let a pot just dryrdquo she says motioning toward fi ve small wet pots sitting near her
pottery wheel ldquoIrsquom as excited to do this as I was 30 years agordquo
To observe her studio at Lowe Mill that is easy to believe Located on the corridor outside the textile
mill-turned-art centerrsquos main building the loft-like space with a corrugated tin roof feels like a place a
Gabriel Garcia Marquez character would enjoy daydreaming
Sienna-hued pottery sits in various stages to be fi red layered and etched Argentinian tango music
streams from Robinsonrsquos iPhone and two cockatiels a parrot and a parakeet chirp from their cages All
except the parrot fl y freely when Robinson is working
Robinson who is 61 made her fi rst pot in 1979 in her native Mexico City Almost four decades later her
work is part of permanent museum collections in Auburn Huntsville Tuscumbia and Tupelo Missis-
sippi She regularly enters her work in respected juried shows such as the Monte Sano Arts Festival and
the Kentuck Festival of the Arts in Northport and has received two Alabama State Council on the Arts
individual artist fellowships
Her inspiration draws from the villages around her native Mexico City such as the black pottery of
the northwest as well as her acquired Southern culture White lilies corn grids and round female
fi guresmdashldquoreally strong women who are in chargerdquo Robinson saysmdashreappear on her stoneware She uses
natural dyes indigo for color and mixes sand into clay for texture Nothing is wasted
ldquoI donrsquot waste any clayrdquo Robinson says ldquoEverything is recycledrdquo
Robinson fi nds solace in the 40-50 hours a week she puts in at the studio and the often tedious process
of making pots which can take from three weeks to six weeks for larger pots She usually works on two
or three pots at a time tending to groups at diff erent stages
After a pot is thrown on a wheel a piece can take days to dry before its fi rst bisque fi re in which tem-
peratures rise to 1800 F After baking for nine hours the kiln must cool Th e second fi ring rises to 2150
F and matures the clay and melts the glazes to strengthen the piece
ldquoI am an effi cient person by naturerdquo Robinson says ldquoWaiting for the kiln to cool down enough to open
can be nerve wracking and this is when my patience is usually put to the testrdquo
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
ldquoIt is hard for me to let a pot just dry Irsquom as excited to do this as I was 30 years agordquo
Robinson makes most of her pots on a wheel using oxides to change the color of clay she gets from Nashville and Pittsburgh Her pottery takes several weeks from start to fi nish depending on how large a pot is and how many she makes at a time
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
ldquoAttend to your childrenrsquos needs fi rst keep focus on what you want to douse the happiness joy and little breaks you get to make your artTh ey grow real fast and they will keep inspiring you all your liferdquo
Robinson imagined this bat-like design as she was working She usually begins a piece with a design in mind but that often evolves
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Robinson uses an overlay of liquid clay called engobemdashthat includes three to four layersmdashto create a
base on which to design
Th ere is high risk in making pottery and hours of work can be wasted on a pot that has not dried en-
tirely before it enters the kiln Air pockets or the wrong mixture of chemicals can ruin a piece
ldquoArt is involved but science is toordquo says Laura Smith director of education at the Huntsville Museum
of Art where Robinson has taught pottery classes ldquoItrsquos more labor intensive in terms of working with
the medium whether yoursquore building by hand or with a wheel until you fi re with the fi nal layer of glazerdquo
Th e result is sturdy pottery
ldquoI want my pots to look like something that is lasting a long timerdquo Robinson says
Th ough she works solitarily in her studio she says she does not get lonely Her birds and music keep her
company and each stage of pottery making has a soundtrack She uses needlepoint tools to draw onto
clay to Jose Feliciano and other Latin American musicians
ldquoIf Irsquom at the wheel Bruno Marsrdquo she says ldquoIf Irsquom unloading the kiln and something is really awesome
then I need something moving and I have on Motownrdquo
Robinsonrsquos years of experience minimize the risk of damaged pots but she says her greatest challenge
as a potter was balancing her work while raising her two children Now adults their candid childhood
pictures and those of her grandchildren cover the warm green walls of her studio
She met her husband the poet James Robinson in 1977 on a Greyhound bus when she returned to
Mexico City from visiting a friend at the University of Southern Mississippi He was heading to Mexico
to study at a university Th ey married six months later After giving birth to her daughter Annie Jane in
Mexico City in 1982 the family moved to Huntsville in 1985 Th at is when Robinson got more serious
about her pottery
ldquoFrom the very beginning when I moved to Alabama I knew I was going to have to do thisrdquo she said
ldquoIn some ways it was a way for me to keep connected to my heritagerdquo
She took even 15 minutes of free time to work in the studio behind her home and worked late into the
night while her daughter and son Isidoro born in 1987 slept Having a home studio allowed her to
wash clothes tend to her home and drop off lunches at school while maintaining her art
ldquoTh ere was something for me when I fi rst became a mother that fueled my creativityrdquo Robinson says
ldquoTh ey are such a social inspiration too It fi lls your liferdquo
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Robinson advises fellow artists who are mothers to seize
both roles but to prioritize motherhood
ldquoAttend to your childrenrsquos needs fi rst keep focus on what you
want to do use the happiness joy and little breaks you get
to make your artrdquo she says ldquoTh ey grow real fast and they will
keep inspiring you all your liferdquo
Anna Sue Courtney director of the Flying Monkey Arts
Center at Lowe Mill has known Robinson for more than
10 years She says she admires how mothers and artists like
Robinson seamlessly embrace both roles
ldquoIt seems therersquos not a separation between creating and rais-
ing childrenrdquo Courtney says ldquoTh ey seem to pull from the
same placerdquo
Part of Robinsonrsquos motivation at Lowe Mill comes from
working privately in a studio alongside other artists that fos-
ters a community of feedback and ideas
ldquoItrsquos nice to be here because you can take a break and walk around and get inspirationrdquo Courtney says
ldquoItrsquos refreshingrdquo
When she needs a break from the studio Robinson stays home to sketch designs for a day or two then
she is back in the studio
Trips twice a year to Mexico City keep her plugged in to her native culture which in turn shows up in
her pottery
ldquoI have to recharge myselfrdquo Robinson says ldquoI love Huntsville and loved raising my kids here but I still
have the need of going back to be recharged and smell all the smells and see all the colors and get on
the subway and be pushed aroundrdquo
Details from her trips that infl uence her work include the ever-present red that covers the city during
the celebration of Dia de los Muertos or the Day of the Dead Th e pyramids of Teotihuacan conjure
warm earth tones and fl oating gardens around the city yield sweet pungent calla lilies and carnations
Celebration of food tough women and nature reappear in her pottery qualities that both Southern and
Mexican cultures treasure
Above This daisy design is character-istic of Robinsonrsquos work Nature food and strong females from her native Mexico City and the South are strong creative infl uences
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Clockwise from top left Robinson often glazes only the inside of her pots so they can hold water and food She began quilting in 2002 and her quilts like her pottery contain earth tones and natural infl uences in their design Four birds keep Robinson company in what can be the isolating medium of pottery making Geometry and symmetry are two signature elements in Robinsonrsquos work according to Laura Smith director of education at the Huntsville Museum of Art
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Just as she keeps her home country close to her heart Robinson is loyal to her fi rst
love of pottery though she began making quilts in 2002
ldquoIrsquom a potter who likes to quiltrdquo she says
Like her pottery her quilting follows designs of organic nature such as fl owers and
crops on rich jewel tone cotton
ldquoWhen I fi rst saw one of her quilts I didnrsquot realize it was hers and I thought that
looks like it should be Guadalupersquos quiltrdquo Courtney says
Robinson prefers the immediate gratifi cation of clay
ldquoItrsquos a very responsive mediumrdquo she says ldquoYou can manipulate it Th e fact of mak-
ing something out of dirt out of nothing and making it durable making it perma-
nent that after going through the heat and maturing is something very excitingrdquo
She gently dings a pot covered with white dresses titled ldquoTehuana Dressrdquo to make
her point
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
887 FM Muscle Shoals bull 1007 FM Huntsvillewwwaprorg
News classicalmusic and more
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
copy Patrick Hood
text by sara wright covington raquo photos by jacki gil
patrick hood erin lindsey and michelle odom
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
copy Patrick Hood
ldquoA LOT OF PEOPLE HAD BEEN ASKING ME QUESTIONS ABOUTHOW I GOT MY BUSINESS STARTED I WANTED TO GATHER SOME PEOPLE AROUND ME
WHO WERE GOING THROUGH THOSE STRUGGLES AND TOBUILD ENTREPRENEURIAL COURAGErdquo
JACKI GIL SALT+PAPERIE
copy Patrick Hood
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
untsville-born Jacki Gil began her paper design busi-
ness Salt+Paperie in 2014 with an expansive vision
in mind one that extended beyond creating beautiful
custom designed paper goods ldquoI love my design job
but when Irsquom 50 years old I donrsquot see myself still de-
signing wedding invitationsrdquo the master stationer says
ldquoI really have a passion for teaching and helping people
I want to be a mentorrdquo
In 2015 Gil set out on her mentoring mission sooner than expected with a series
of workshops called Encourage Huntsville ldquoA lot of people had been asking me
questions about how I got my business startedrdquo Gil says about the early days of
Salt+Paperie Even though most of those questions from entrepreneurial-hopefuls
were technicalmdashlike how to apply for a business licensemdashthey served as inspira-
tion for Gil ldquoI wanted to gather some people around me who were going through
those struggles and to build entrepreneurial courage I defi nitely saw that there
was a need for helping people to take that next step toward owning their own
businessesrdquo
Encourage Huntsville was modeled on the image of a growing small business
movement called the Rising Tide Society a national community of creative small
business owners who encourage ldquocommunity over competitionrdquo Th at spirit of
openness is at the heart of Encourage Huntsville ldquoCommunity over competition
is a huge part of what we are doingrdquo says Gil ldquoSmall business owners sharing how
they earn their money is a big dealrdquo
As a fi rst step Gil gathered others around her who were using their skills and abili-
ties to make their own small businesses work With talents ranging from cooking
and cake decorating to hand lettering and artwork these small business owners
all embraced Gilrsquos vision for imparting to others the knowledge of their craft un-
impeded by a fear of losing their competitive edge
Th e fi rst lesson Gil wanted to impart to Encourage Huntsvillersquos students wasnrsquot
necessarily a particular craft or skill but a spirt of creative confi dence ldquoWe want-
ed to bridge the gap between the very artsy community and the ultimate engineer
communityrdquo many of whom Gil observes had been told since childhood they
werenrsquot artistic ldquoWhen you are little and someone tells you that you donrsquot have a
talent it sticks with you I found that a lot of people had that experience so that
was the workshop partmdashto build some creative courage in this communityrdquo
Gil conducted the fi rst workshop herself testing the waters to see how the concept
would be received Th e admission price to that fi rst workshop included supplies a
take-home ldquogoody bagrdquo to help students continue their work extracurricularly and
refreshmentsmdashas well as Gilrsquos tips of her trade
ldquoWe went in blindly not knowing if we had a market or notrdquo says Gil Th e popular-
ity of that fi rst class proved undeniably that a market did in fact exist the work-
shop sold out in one day ldquoSo we did back-to-back workshopsrdquo Gil says ldquoAfter that
novemberdecembeeer eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee | nononoononononononoonoonononooooonoonoonnononnoaaalalalllaallllllalaalaaalal ststustust ddiossscom mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm | | | | | | | | | | |
f
w
y
Previous page Encourage Huntsvillersquos founder and instructor Jacki Gil teaches a class in hand lettering Facing page A participant studies her supply list
we realized people really want to do this stuff So we said lsquoletrsquos jump on the boat
and make this happenrsquordquo
Gilrsquos longtime friend photographer Erin Lindsey of Erin Lindsey Images agreed
to contribute to Encourage Huntsvillersquos curriculum by teaching a photography
class ldquoJacki and I are a good team because our hearts are in the same place when
it comes to encouraging othersrdquo Lindsey says Still she admits saying yes to teach-
ing wasnrsquot without some initial hesitation ldquoWhen Jacki asked if I would teach a
class it was kind of scary I thought I had to be perfect before I could teach oth-
ersrdquo Lindsey says of her initial hesitancy ldquoBut after talking to Jacki I realized none
of us are perfectrdquo But perfection isnrsquot the goal encouragement is the goal ldquoAnd I
thought lsquoI can defi nitely line up with that visionrsquordquo
Michelle Odom another Huntsville native and owner of custom cake bakery Just
Crumbs was also on board with Gilrsquos vision In fact Odom had been contemplat-
ing teaching a class when she was approached by Gil to teach a fondant basics
class ldquoHuntsville is such an engineer town and everyone is so mathematical and
scientifi crdquo Odom says echoing the dichotomy between the arts and sciences ex-
pressed by Gil ldquoTh ese workshops are just a very cool way for structured people to
have a creative outletrdquo
ldquoJACKI AND I ARE A GOOD TEAM BECAUSE OUR HEARTS ARE INTHE SAME PLACE WHEN IT COMES TO ENCOURAGING OTHERSrdquo
ERIN LINDSEY ERIN LINDSEY IMAGES
copy Erin Lindsey
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Above A participant in Erin Lindseyrsquos photo class frames a still life
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
copy Erin Lindsey
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
ldquoHUNTSVILLE IS SUCH AN ENGINEER TOWN AND EVERYONE ISSO MATHEMATICAL AND SCIENTIFIC THESE WORKSHOPS ARE JUST A VERY COOL
WAY FOR STRUCTURED PEOPLE TO HAVE A CREATIVE OUTLETrdquo MICHELLE ODOM JUST CRUMBS
copy Michelle Odom
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
ldquoAnd yesrdquo Odom acknowledges ldquoyou are in theory teaching your competition But
at the same time you are helping the community be more creativerdquo
With its roster of popular creative workshops under its belt Encourage Huntsville
has added business classes to its community-over-competition curriculum with
classes designed to provide specifi c guidance for small business owners ldquoAll of
our events that donrsquot require hands-on work we call seminarsrdquo says Gil ldquoWe had
about 15 people at our fi rst one It was pretty much just an open discussion to ask
us questions and get answers from the perspective of a small business ownerrdquo
Th e seminars enjoyed the same success and enthusiasm as the workshops ldquoWe
had two hours for people to ask questionsrdquo Gil says Topics covered ran the gamut
from scheduling daily tasks self-hosting a website or using an Etsy store man-
aging client expectations and being realistic about how much time you need to
complete jobs
ldquoTh e time went quickly and people wanted morerdquo says Gil who envisions an all-
day seminar in 2016
Margaret Baggett owner and executive chef of the Chef Next Door is another
small business owner who has shared Gilrsquos vision from the very beginning teach-
copy Erin Lindsey
Facing page Michelle Odomrsquos fondant basics class begins with a styrofoam cake form Above Newbie photographers familiarize themselves with their cameras in Erin Lindseyrsquos photography class
ing knife skills workshops and helping host the business seminars ldquoI am so proud
to get to be a part of this project and help nurture other small business owners
who may just be starting out on their journey or are deep in it and looking for
some encouragement from other business ownersrdquo Baggett says of what motivates
her participation in Encourage Huntsville ldquoEven being on the advice-giving side
of things I am still learning and have taken tips and tricks and lessons from each
event we have had so far We never stop learning from each other and never stop
improving upon our craftsrdquo
Th e mutual growth among students and teachers is the source of the encourage-
mentmdashand the joymdashof Encourage Huntsville ldquoItrsquos so much fun to see the light
bulbs go off with people and see them encouraged right before your eyesrdquo Lindsey
says of her experience with the program ldquoPlus itrsquos a pleasure to contribute to a
sense of community over competition Th at whole concept is so rarerdquo
As Encourage Huntsvillersquos following continues to grow the diversity of the work-
shops will expand as well Whether you are looking to spend a fun afternoon
learning a new craft or are a budding small business owner hoping to launch
your brand Encourage Huntsville has something valuable to off er ldquoWe encourage
those left-brain folks to take up a new hobby or skillrdquo Baggett says ldquoor just encour-
age the people of Huntsville to get together and fan their creative fl amesrdquo
If yoursquore looking for
creative or entrepreneurial
encouragement visit
encouragehuntsvillecom
for seminar and workshop
schedules and information
ldquoI AM SO PROUD TO GET TO BE A PART OF THIS PROJECT AND HELP NURTURE OTHER SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS WHO MAY JUST BE STARTING OUT ON THEIR JOURNEY OR ARE DEEP IN IT
AND LOOKING FOR SOME ENCOURAGEMENT FROM OTHER BUSINESS OWNERSrdquoMARGARET BAGGETT CHEF NEXT DOOR
copy Jacki Gil
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
copy Jacki Gil
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Participants in Margaret Baggettrsquos knife skills workshop learn to perfect their ldquomise en placerdquo
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
copy Olivia Reed
text by sara wright covington raquo photos by olivia reed and jeff white
HUNTSVILLErsquoS
HOMEGROWNHOSTESS
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
ttttttononononoooooonononooooo raquo praquo praquo praquo praquo phothothothothotosoososos s s osos bybybbybb
Any host will tell you that delicious food and quality libations while important to
a partyrsquos success are secondary to the most important ingredient of all the guest list Th atrsquos why many
of downtown Huntsvillersquos most popular restaurants breweries and wine shops are turning to event
planner Ashley Ryals and her uncanny knack for attracting loyal patronsmdashand creating unforgettable
events in the process
When Huntsville born-and-bred Ashley Ryals left for college at the University of Alabama in 2001
she thought her exit from the Valley was permanent ldquoI never thought I would end up back hererdquo the
founder of event planning company Homegrown Huntsville says with a knowing laugh But after a few
post-graduate years working for world-renowned public relations powerhouse Weber Shandwick in
New York City Ryals started to second guess her freshman declaration
ldquoI started to get homesickrdquo she admits ldquoAll of my friends were getting married and meeting for football
games and I was missing itrdquo So when a friend from home set up an interview at EarlyWorks for a job
doing event planning Ryals jumped at the chance to come home
Ashley spent the next few years planning EarlyWorks Whistle Stop and Santarsquos Village events A brief
stint in sales followed along with a seat on the board of Huntsville Young Professionals where she had
an idea for a downtown pub crawl
ldquoWe expected 20 or 30 peoplerdquo Ryals says of their modest expectations ldquoBut 200 people showed uprdquo
Th at initial success convinced Ryals to embark on her dream of establishing an
event planning company But it wasnrsquot just any event planning company Ryals
had in mind she envisioned one that would collaborate with local businesses
cultivate signature events for the community to enjoy and support small busi-
nesses in the process
Inspired Ryals left her sales job and for the second time in her life came home
again to event planning and Homegrown Huntsville
To help bring her vision to life Ryals collaborated with designer Adrianne Van
Kirk of Fave Creative ldquoAdrianne has been a part of the visual and branding of
Homegrown from the beginning We come up with the event ideas then I get
the ticketing and sales together and she comes back with a logo and the mar-
keting for the event And thatrsquos how it all comes togetherrdquo Ryals says of their
creative process
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
ASHLEY RYALS
copy Olivia Reed
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
ldquoMOST WINE FESTIVALS ACROSS THE COUNTRY HAVE PROVEN RECORDS OF BEING ABLE TO STAY AROUND 15 OR 20 YEARS OR EVEN LONGER AND THE ECONOMIES OF THOSE
CITIES HAVE REALLY GROWN AS A RESULT I WANT BIG SPRING CRUSH TO EVENTUALLY BE THE BIGGEST AND BEST WINE FESTIVAL IN THE STATE OF ALABAMArdquo ASHLEY RYALS
copy Jeff White
copy Jeff White
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
copy Olivia Reed
Homegrown launched in 2011 with what would become its
signature event Dine amp Dash Every second Wednesday
April through October a trolley shuttles patrons between
downtown establishments where they are served a drink
and appetizer before moving on to the next stop
Owner and executive chef Merle Phillips of Th e Eaves was
one of the fi rst restaurants to sign on for Dine amp Dashrsquos de-
but ldquoAshley came to me and said she was starting a trolley
tasting conceptrdquo says Chef Merle ldquoI didnrsquot really know her so
I was taking a chance on the concept she was sellingrdquo
Merle tried it and has been a loyal participant of Dine amp
Dash ever since
ldquoIt was a risk in the beginning but it defi nitely paid off rdquo Chef
Merle says of the experience Pivotal to that experience ac-
cording to Phillips is Ryalsrsquo demonstration to the commu-
nity just what the term ldquohomegrownrdquo really means ldquoAshley
shines a spotlight on independent businesses in a market-
place that has for so long focused on chainsrdquo Phillips says
ldquoDine amp Dash has really brought into sharp focus the inter-
esting culinary diversity that Huntsville has to off errdquo
For the next two years Homegrown Huntsville focused al-
most exclusively on Dine amp Dash which by the end of its fi rst
year included every single downtown restaurant But when
big changes began to appear on the downtown horizonmdash
new restaurants breweries and residential developmentsmdash
Ryalsrsquo instincts told her
the time had come to
introduce a new event
to the downtown cal-
endar
ldquoBeer Hop follows
the concept of Dine
amp Dashrdquo Ryals says of
Homegrownrsquos second
venture which began
in 2013 Each month a
trolley visits three dif-
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
BILL FOWLEROLD TOWN BEER
EXCHANGE
copy Olivia Reed
copy Olivia Reed
ferent breweries where patrons sample beers and enjoy food
from a variety of food trucks parked at each location
Bill Fowler managing partner of Old Town Beer Exchange
agreed to participate in Beer Hop on his very fi rst day of
business and credits Ryals with an overwhelmingly success-
ful opening night ldquoAshley said lsquoI can guarantee that you are
going to have wave after wave of people coming throughrsquordquo
Fowler says recalling that fi rst jittery occasion Once again
Ryals proved true to her word with 60-plus patrons arriving
in an hour-and-a-half ldquoIt was awesome and such a great ex-
perience for usrdquo Fowler raves ldquoAshley is a hard worker and
you can see that in what she doesrdquo
Fowler believes that in addition to bringing new customers
to OTBX Ryals is also cultivating beer education consis-
tently bringing in people who are new to beer and want to
learn And with Huntsvillersquos recent brewery boom that level
of education and interest is crucial for the brewing commu-
nity to thrive ldquoWe have a very small window of opportunityrdquo
says Fowler ldquoI think Huntsville in particular is becoming a
craft brewing community People are making money at this
and once Tennessee sees that we need to already have had a
pretty huge head startrdquo
By the end of 2013 and with standing events Beer Hop and
Dine amp Dash well established Ryals took time to refl ect on
her original goal for Homegrown Huntsville ldquoIn the back of
my head from day one I knew I wanted to do a wine festival
I just didnrsquot think Huntsville was ready for it in 2011rdquo
Emboldened by the success of Beer Hop Ryals decided to
make the leap with Big Spring Crush wine festival later the
same year Once again Ryals delivered the perfect audience
for the event and in the process discovered a surprising
fact about North Alabamarsquos contribution to the wine-mak-
ing industry
ldquoIn doing the wine festival I learned that we have a huge
wine community in Huntsvillerdquo Ryals says ldquoTh ere are only
about 47 certifi ed wine judges in the entire United States
and we have four of them right here in North Alabama Two
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
copy Jeff White
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
ldquoI STARTED TO GET HOMESICK ALL OF MY FRIENDS WERE GETTING MARRIEDAND MEETING FOR FOOTBALL GAMES AND I WAS MISSING ITrdquo ASHLEY RYALS
copy Jeff White
copy Jeff White
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
ldquoIT WAS AWESOME AND SUCH A GREAT EXPERIENCE FOR USrdquoBILL FOWLER OLD TOWN BEER EXCHANGE
copy Jeff White
copy Olivia Reed
of those four certifi ed wine judges sit on the committee for
Big Spring Crushrdquo
Matthew and Stephanie Mell had just opened Church Street
Wine Shop when they decided to participate in the fi rst Big
Spring Crush Like OTBXrsquos Robert Fowler the Mells credit
Ryals and Homegrown Huntsville for helping to introduce
their new enterprise to the community ldquoAshley has been in-
strumental in helping to bring us people who love and ap-
preciate winerdquo Stephanie Mell says ldquoShe was homegrown
here in Huntsville and she really gets the downtown area
and small businesses and that is so important to usrdquo
Big Spring Crush began with a bang featuring over 150
wines and attracting patrons from across the country
ldquoMost wine festivals across the country have proven records
of being able to stay around 15 or 20 years or even longerrdquo
Ryals says ldquoAnd the economies of those cities have really
grown as a result I want Big Spring Crush to eventually be
the biggest and best wine festival in the state of Alabamardquo
How does Ryals intend to make that dream come true ldquoBy
always keeping it fresh I want to have new marketing and
new things happening each yearrdquo
Ryalsrsquo formula of reinvention and expansion has successfully
led Homegrown Huntsville through fi ve years of success and
helped its events become community staples along the way In
the process Ryals is broadening more than just our image of
downtown Huntsville shersquos joining a class of creative entrepre-
neurs committed to expanding Huntsvillersquos reputation as more
than just a hub for the brightest scientifi c minds in America
ldquoWe have a big city of engineers and lawyers and itrsquos won-
derfulrdquo Ryals say ldquo But there is a whole artist and food cul-
ture here and there is so much growth I want us to have a
vibrant cool downtown area and I want for people to tell
their friends to come and visit and to see Huntsville for what
it is a city I loverdquo
If yoursquod like to participate in Homegrown Huntsville either
as a guest or a participating business visit homegrown-
huntsvillecom
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
copy Jeff White
I was years old and the year was At that time the city of Huntsville was inching toward the mountain to the east California Street was once the continental divide between the small town metropo-lis and the uncharted territories gingerly crossed by the real estate pioneers four score and some odd years prior Th is area became the new suburb as the city kept pushing onward toward Fagan Springs as if the reverberating booms of rocket testings were vibrating Hunstvillians away from its epicenter
From the front yard of our house on Owens Drive I could look to the rightmdashup the hill to the bend be-yond which the big houses stood on their rocky ledge pedestals and to the left where all the other houses that looked just like oursmdashfresh and newmdashrambled for what seemed like miles Th ose clean well-lit abodes all seemed the same and granted at my age I knew more about the pets that lived there than I did about the people who owned those manageable mortgages I came to realize that each was diff erent in a way that was permeated by voices smells and furnishings
It is a clicheacute to say that our lives were simpler then because that is just how the current era will be fondly referred to in the future but to a 5-year-old it is the simplicity that brought the joy Th e sixties will always be to me the beginning of the age of manufactured happiness Cheap clean and simple was what was strived for and what was easily obtained Plastic items were plentiful and pretty things could be bought with SampH Green Stamps A few coins in our pocket would transfer us into the most master of manipula-tors with us giving our all to convince our parents for a jaunt to Murdockrsquos for a holiday of wonderment joy and impatience as we would scour the shelves trying to get the most from our meager budget
Owens Drive was the fairly new thoroughfare from which the avenues of three-bedroom-ranchers fi ngered away at planned intervals Th is was the place where newlyweds started their lives homes and families Where girls with last names that had been in the town for generations would change them to those strange and exotic last names of the clean cut newcomers brought here for military purposes Where the housewives would preheat their pristine electric ovens trying to make cheese straws and biscuits that were just like their motherrsquos only to be frustrated as they were never quite the same and where the husbands would follow in their fatherrsquos footsteps by joining the Acme Club and hunting doves on the weekends
Th ere was a swimming pool Certainly not at our house Th e only private pool I remember as a child was one that my grandmother would take me to nestled between huge trees at someonersquos house on Adams Street I would swim with other children my age while our grandmothers chatted smoking cigarettes in cat-eyed anonymity whispering most of their stories so we wouldnrsquot be able to hear But between their
gasps and laughter we would listen hear and learn
Th e Blossomwood pool was a place of designated rules and the sound of bright whistlesmdashwith straight lines and distinctive colors of blue and green I can still feel the Coppertoned oiliness on the skin of the tanned lifeguard as she carried me from the deep end frightened after my fi rst attempt at solo-swimming She knew my name I had no idea who she was
On the other side of the pool was the school my older sister attended It had a style that mim-icked the poolmdashstraight lines cleanmdasha temple to orderliness and good manners It was with
awe that I once watched the young adults there some as old as eleven wind and dance their way around a sky-high fl agpolemdasheach with a diff erent color ribbon until the fi rst (and only) May Pole
I was privy to was completely dressed in its woven bright colors
90 raquo bless their hearts raquo Guy McClure Jr
Huntsville was a magical place for us tail-end baby boomers to grow upmdashbeyond the miracles of the escalator at Pizitz the smiling little lady on the tall stool at the register at Britlings There was a comfort level there that Irsquom not sure is in the minds of the 5-year-olds of today
cat-eyed agasps
Th s
aI w
THE COMFORTS OF BLOSSOMWOOD
In our world of red-bricked carported castles there was a def-inite division of generations Th e children ate separately from the parents went to school as our dads went to work enter-tained our neighborhood friends as quietly as possible and felt safe between our boundaries of Big Cove Road and Hermitage Street While we dined on our Chef Boy-Ar-Dee boxed pizza our parents busied themselves dressing in their dark colors getting ready for a late dinner at Boots having the scent of perfume and face powder trail my mother as she came into the kitchen looking for something with an intense purpose My father would smell of British Sterling and look just as he did when he went to work only happier Th ese nights meant something fun would happenmdashwe would have a babysitter
Babysitters were my introduction into what was and still seems cool Th ey were usually Huntsville High School teen-agers who would put on a show without even knowing it I would drink in their every move word and essence of style To me they were supermodelsmdashmovie starsmdasheven more fa-mous in my eyes than a television weatherman and almost as glamorous as the waitresses at the Waffl e House
Before they would tire of me and my sister and put us to bed they would include us in their world of music and knowledge which I thought was all-encompassing Suddenly our world of Th e Benny Carl Show and Fantasy Playhouse would seem trite and passeacute and we would catch a fl eeting glimpse into what would be in store for us when we too could stay up past 8 pm
Huntsville was a magical place for us tail-end baby boomers to grow upmdashbeyond the miracles of the escalator at Pizitz the smiling little lady on the tall stool at the register at Britlings and that bright colorful Maypole Th ere was a comfort level there that Irsquom not sure is in the minds of the 5-year-olds of todaymdashthe soothing sheltered lack of knowledge of why we were so lucky yet we didnrsquot even know that we were
In the other areas of our Huntsville there was poverty and ra-cial unrestmdashas there was and is in every city I was unaware People of color were always a part of my worldmdashmostly be-cause they had my attention and respect At our house there was Annie my grandmotherrsquos house was fi lled with the joys of Lula and out on the family farm there was strong and smiling Homer and large and huggable Rosamdashall just as much a part of my life as everyone else My life was good and they were instrumental in making it that way
What will the 5-year-olds of today who are lucky enough to be raised on those well-planned streets remember when they surpass their own 50 year mark It is a much more complex world now and there are diff erent concerns with daily changes of fear Youthful innocence is a prize that is encased without a lock Premature maturity is a viable threat and a constant fear But each night tucked in tight in a simple room sleeps tomor-rowrsquos adults who are having sweet dreamsmdashblanketed by the comforts of Blossomwood
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
92 raquo the vine raquo Amy C Collins
BORDEAUX POWER
Where Burgundyrsquos vineyards were established by Benedictine monks patiently growing wine vines with spiritual hearts Bordeauxrsquos vineyards were raised by entrepreneurial laymen who recognized the massive monetary opportunity when the English began drinking down their peasant wine
The city of Bordeaux is Francersquos primary port town on the Atlantic ocean a harbor that has for centuries served as the countryrsquos most important dock Th e regionrsquos history is long and storied with the fi rst written reference to the area dated 379 AD by the Latin poet Ausonius who was also a wine-grower Jump ahead to the year 1152 when Eleanor of Aquitaine married Englandrsquos soon-to-be king Henry Plantagenet and the port and surrounding vineyard land became the source of wine for the English a connection that remains strong even today
Bordeaux produces the worldrsquos most expensive and sought after collector wines the top tier of which make up less than fi ve percent of the regionrsquos total production Th ese names are quickly learned by neophyte wine drinkers wanting to make an impression Chateau Haut-Brion Lafi te Latour and Margaux for example Grown in gravelly soils only a few meters above sea levelmdashin contrast vineyards elsewhere in Europe typically sit between 300 and 900 metersmdashthese wines are some of the most powerful austere and pawed over When young the tannins in these cabernet sauvignon cabernet franc and merlot blends coat the tongue and mouth with a chalky dry sensation akin to sucking on an Earl Grey tea bag and are perhaps best suited to well-fatted rare steak and cigars Th ese are wines built to live for decades Personally I prefer a Bordeaux at least 20 years aged when the tannins have had ample time to calm down and mellow out and more nuanced fl avors come forward Sounds fancy and it is Only in some very lucky circumstances over the past year have I been guest to a bottle of 1990 Clos de Menuts Saint-Eacutemilion and a 1970 Chateau Haut-Brion About once every 10 years Irsquove had the good
fortune to taste a wine older than myself Nice work if you can get it
Where Burgundyrsquos vineyards (Francersquos other classifi ed sought-after region) were established by Benedictine monks patiently growing wine vines with spiritual hearts
Bordeauxrsquos vineyards were raised by entrepreneurial laymen who recognized the massive monetary opportunity when the English began drinking down their peasant wine Th is underscores the second half of my theory as to why Americans
more often American males are so drawn to the wines of Bordeaux Th erersquos an inherent capitalist connection something in the soil Th at the wines are so
unmistakable so distinctively grand and pronounced elixirs exemplifi es the fi rst half of my theory we Americans are not known for our subtlety (To be fair the Chinese are
signifi cant Bordeaux collectors as well)
Philosophy aside Bordeaux is quite a large region that produces beautiful white and red values as well as the rare fi nds out of the populacersquos price range Herersquos the skinny Blending is the game single varietal wines are rare White Bordeaux is typically made from a blend of sauvignon blanc and seacutemillon and sometimes a drop or two of muscadelle ugni blanc or colombard Reds are made primarily from the two cabernets plus merlot with small quantities of petit verdot malbec and carmenegravere occasionally in the mix Th e region is also home to the golden nectar of late ripened seacutemillon sauvignon blanc and muscadelle grapes that have successfully attracted the noble rot a fungus that covers the fruit and drains moisture from inside leaving behind rich sweet grapes without moldy fl avors Chateau drsquoYquem is the most famous of these unfortifi ed dessert wines though there are better bargains from the region
Bordeaux is split by the Gironde river which divides the region into three general areas Th e left bank also known as the Haut-Meacutedoc is where the classifi ed top growths are situated Th ese prestigious estates were named for their exceptional vineyard sites in 1855 a decision nearly unchanged since Today serious collectors invest in Bordeaux futures theoretically locking down lower prices of top
ample time to calm dit is Only in some vede Menuts Saint-Eacutem
fortune to taste a
Wherees
aun
of msignifi
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Follow Amy at pigandvinecom for morestories and wine suggestions
growth estates while the wine is still aging in the cellar Itrsquos the wine tradersquos equivalent to the NASDAQ On the right bank Saint-Eacutemilion and Pommerol are the prized vineyard areas known for their merlot heavy cuveacutees To the south west we fi nd Graves where there are many great values to be had in both white and red bottlings Entre-Deux-Mers which translates to ldquobetween two seasrdquo sits between the Dordogne and Garonne tributaries off the Gironde and is an excellent source for crisp whites
Get started on your Bordeaux experience with these values
Chateau Graville-Lacoste 2014 Graves 75 seacutemillon 20 sauvignon blanc and 5 muscadelle make up this beauty thatrsquos consistently delicious every vintage Crisp and refreshing great with seafood
Chateau Mirambeau 2014 GravesAnother classic blend of 40 sauvignon blanc 40 seacutemillon and 20 muscadelle this lovely white is a bit more fl oral than the Graville-Lacoste Easy drinking and great value
Chateau de Parenchegravere Bordeaux Rouge 201155 merlot 30 cabernet sauvignon and 15 cabernet franc grown in clay heavy soils similar to the right bank of the region Fleshy with good structure and abundant red fruit
Chateau Arnaud Bordeaux Supeacuterieur 2011Supeacuterieur on a Bordeaux label isnrsquot egotistical marketingmdashby law it indicates a wine with up to one degree more alcohol than its AC Bordeaux brethren What it really means is one more degree of body structure and in this case quality Approachable delicious and easy on the wallet
Chateau de Bernadotte Haut-Meacutedoc 2005Th e 2005 vintage in Bordeaux is in the history books with double asterisks Owned by the eminent Pichon Lalande family and made from vineyards in Paulliac one of the more choice growing areas in the region this is an incredible value a top tier Bordeaux for a fraction of the cost
Chateau de Suduiraut Sauternes 2011Ripe cantaloupe apricot and honey and an interesting smoky note with a solid sweet attack followed by great acidity A dessert wine that wonrsquot overpower the dessert
94 raquo parting shot raquo Patrick Hood
Meet Solvar
Solvar belongs to one of the worldrsquos oldest and purest equine lineages the Nor-
wegian Fjord horse a breed that has remained virtually unchanged for more than
2000 yearsmdashlong before we became acquainted with his animated cousins in
the movie Frozen Th ese national symbols of Norway are characterized by primi-
tive zebra striping on their legs and a dorsal stripe running from forelock to tail
resulting in a striking two-tone mane that sticks up like a Mohawk Th eir athleti-
cism agility and dependability make them valuable both as sport horses as well
as therapy horses for emotionally and physically challenged adults and children
Catie Wells of Huntsville is the proud owner of Solvar who resides at Monte
Sano Stables
For tickets or information 256-539-4818 or hsoorg
Bring In the New Year With Us
presents
WHAT A WONDERFUL
WORLDA tribute to Louis
Armstrong featuring the
Byron Stripling Quartet
Thursday December 31
730 pm bull Pops Series bullMark C Smith
Concert Hall VBC
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
M O R E T H A N 7 0 S H O P S A N D R E S T A U R A N T S I N C L U D I N G B E L K | D S W S H O E S | A P P L E J O S A B A N K | R E E D S J E W E L E R S | PA N D O R A | J C R E W | K AT E S PA D E N E W Y O R KO R V I S | B A N A N A R E P U B L I C | M I C H A E L K O R S | F R A N C E S C Arsquo S | A N T H R O P O L O G I EH amp M | S O M A | M O U N T A I N H I G H O U T F I T T E R S | B A R N E S amp N O B L E | S E P H O R AALTAR rsquoD STATE | CONNORS STEAK amp SEFOOD | THE WEST IN HUNTSV I L L E | MONACO P ICTURES
C O M I N G S O O N V E R S O N A ndash near Belk
B R I D G E S T R E E T H U N T S V I L L E C O M |
BR IDGE STREET TOWN CENTRE I S LOCATED AT EX I T 14 OFF I - 565 AT OLD MAD ISON P IKE
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
text by jennifer crossley howard raquo photos by patrick hood
Of Deft and Dirty Hands
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Huntsville potter Guadalupe Lanning Robinson has spent more than 36 years mastering the
marriage of clay texture and geometric design into her pottery yet time has done little to temper the
plight of waiting
ldquoIt is hard for me to let a pot just dryrdquo she says motioning toward fi ve small wet pots sitting near her
pottery wheel ldquoIrsquom as excited to do this as I was 30 years agordquo
To observe her studio at Lowe Mill that is easy to believe Located on the corridor outside the textile
mill-turned-art centerrsquos main building the loft-like space with a corrugated tin roof feels like a place a
Gabriel Garcia Marquez character would enjoy daydreaming
Sienna-hued pottery sits in various stages to be fi red layered and etched Argentinian tango music
streams from Robinsonrsquos iPhone and two cockatiels a parrot and a parakeet chirp from their cages All
except the parrot fl y freely when Robinson is working
Robinson who is 61 made her fi rst pot in 1979 in her native Mexico City Almost four decades later her
work is part of permanent museum collections in Auburn Huntsville Tuscumbia and Tupelo Missis-
sippi She regularly enters her work in respected juried shows such as the Monte Sano Arts Festival and
the Kentuck Festival of the Arts in Northport and has received two Alabama State Council on the Arts
individual artist fellowships
Her inspiration draws from the villages around her native Mexico City such as the black pottery of
the northwest as well as her acquired Southern culture White lilies corn grids and round female
fi guresmdashldquoreally strong women who are in chargerdquo Robinson saysmdashreappear on her stoneware She uses
natural dyes indigo for color and mixes sand into clay for texture Nothing is wasted
ldquoI donrsquot waste any clayrdquo Robinson says ldquoEverything is recycledrdquo
Robinson fi nds solace in the 40-50 hours a week she puts in at the studio and the often tedious process
of making pots which can take from three weeks to six weeks for larger pots She usually works on two
or three pots at a time tending to groups at diff erent stages
After a pot is thrown on a wheel a piece can take days to dry before its fi rst bisque fi re in which tem-
peratures rise to 1800 F After baking for nine hours the kiln must cool Th e second fi ring rises to 2150
F and matures the clay and melts the glazes to strengthen the piece
ldquoI am an effi cient person by naturerdquo Robinson says ldquoWaiting for the kiln to cool down enough to open
can be nerve wracking and this is when my patience is usually put to the testrdquo
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
ldquoIt is hard for me to let a pot just dry Irsquom as excited to do this as I was 30 years agordquo
Robinson makes most of her pots on a wheel using oxides to change the color of clay she gets from Nashville and Pittsburgh Her pottery takes several weeks from start to fi nish depending on how large a pot is and how many she makes at a time
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
ldquoAttend to your childrenrsquos needs fi rst keep focus on what you want to douse the happiness joy and little breaks you get to make your artTh ey grow real fast and they will keep inspiring you all your liferdquo
Robinson imagined this bat-like design as she was working She usually begins a piece with a design in mind but that often evolves
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Robinson uses an overlay of liquid clay called engobemdashthat includes three to four layersmdashto create a
base on which to design
Th ere is high risk in making pottery and hours of work can be wasted on a pot that has not dried en-
tirely before it enters the kiln Air pockets or the wrong mixture of chemicals can ruin a piece
ldquoArt is involved but science is toordquo says Laura Smith director of education at the Huntsville Museum
of Art where Robinson has taught pottery classes ldquoItrsquos more labor intensive in terms of working with
the medium whether yoursquore building by hand or with a wheel until you fi re with the fi nal layer of glazerdquo
Th e result is sturdy pottery
ldquoI want my pots to look like something that is lasting a long timerdquo Robinson says
Th ough she works solitarily in her studio she says she does not get lonely Her birds and music keep her
company and each stage of pottery making has a soundtrack She uses needlepoint tools to draw onto
clay to Jose Feliciano and other Latin American musicians
ldquoIf Irsquom at the wheel Bruno Marsrdquo she says ldquoIf Irsquom unloading the kiln and something is really awesome
then I need something moving and I have on Motownrdquo
Robinsonrsquos years of experience minimize the risk of damaged pots but she says her greatest challenge
as a potter was balancing her work while raising her two children Now adults their candid childhood
pictures and those of her grandchildren cover the warm green walls of her studio
She met her husband the poet James Robinson in 1977 on a Greyhound bus when she returned to
Mexico City from visiting a friend at the University of Southern Mississippi He was heading to Mexico
to study at a university Th ey married six months later After giving birth to her daughter Annie Jane in
Mexico City in 1982 the family moved to Huntsville in 1985 Th at is when Robinson got more serious
about her pottery
ldquoFrom the very beginning when I moved to Alabama I knew I was going to have to do thisrdquo she said
ldquoIn some ways it was a way for me to keep connected to my heritagerdquo
She took even 15 minutes of free time to work in the studio behind her home and worked late into the
night while her daughter and son Isidoro born in 1987 slept Having a home studio allowed her to
wash clothes tend to her home and drop off lunches at school while maintaining her art
ldquoTh ere was something for me when I fi rst became a mother that fueled my creativityrdquo Robinson says
ldquoTh ey are such a social inspiration too It fi lls your liferdquo
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Robinson advises fellow artists who are mothers to seize
both roles but to prioritize motherhood
ldquoAttend to your childrenrsquos needs fi rst keep focus on what you
want to do use the happiness joy and little breaks you get
to make your artrdquo she says ldquoTh ey grow real fast and they will
keep inspiring you all your liferdquo
Anna Sue Courtney director of the Flying Monkey Arts
Center at Lowe Mill has known Robinson for more than
10 years She says she admires how mothers and artists like
Robinson seamlessly embrace both roles
ldquoIt seems therersquos not a separation between creating and rais-
ing childrenrdquo Courtney says ldquoTh ey seem to pull from the
same placerdquo
Part of Robinsonrsquos motivation at Lowe Mill comes from
working privately in a studio alongside other artists that fos-
ters a community of feedback and ideas
ldquoItrsquos nice to be here because you can take a break and walk around and get inspirationrdquo Courtney says
ldquoItrsquos refreshingrdquo
When she needs a break from the studio Robinson stays home to sketch designs for a day or two then
she is back in the studio
Trips twice a year to Mexico City keep her plugged in to her native culture which in turn shows up in
her pottery
ldquoI have to recharge myselfrdquo Robinson says ldquoI love Huntsville and loved raising my kids here but I still
have the need of going back to be recharged and smell all the smells and see all the colors and get on
the subway and be pushed aroundrdquo
Details from her trips that infl uence her work include the ever-present red that covers the city during
the celebration of Dia de los Muertos or the Day of the Dead Th e pyramids of Teotihuacan conjure
warm earth tones and fl oating gardens around the city yield sweet pungent calla lilies and carnations
Celebration of food tough women and nature reappear in her pottery qualities that both Southern and
Mexican cultures treasure
Above This daisy design is character-istic of Robinsonrsquos work Nature food and strong females from her native Mexico City and the South are strong creative infl uences
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Clockwise from top left Robinson often glazes only the inside of her pots so they can hold water and food She began quilting in 2002 and her quilts like her pottery contain earth tones and natural infl uences in their design Four birds keep Robinson company in what can be the isolating medium of pottery making Geometry and symmetry are two signature elements in Robinsonrsquos work according to Laura Smith director of education at the Huntsville Museum of Art
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Just as she keeps her home country close to her heart Robinson is loyal to her fi rst
love of pottery though she began making quilts in 2002
ldquoIrsquom a potter who likes to quiltrdquo she says
Like her pottery her quilting follows designs of organic nature such as fl owers and
crops on rich jewel tone cotton
ldquoWhen I fi rst saw one of her quilts I didnrsquot realize it was hers and I thought that
looks like it should be Guadalupersquos quiltrdquo Courtney says
Robinson prefers the immediate gratifi cation of clay
ldquoItrsquos a very responsive mediumrdquo she says ldquoYou can manipulate it Th e fact of mak-
ing something out of dirt out of nothing and making it durable making it perma-
nent that after going through the heat and maturing is something very excitingrdquo
She gently dings a pot covered with white dresses titled ldquoTehuana Dressrdquo to make
her point
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
887 FM Muscle Shoals bull 1007 FM Huntsvillewwwaprorg
News classicalmusic and more
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
copy Patrick Hood
text by sara wright covington raquo photos by jacki gil
patrick hood erin lindsey and michelle odom
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
copy Patrick Hood
ldquoA LOT OF PEOPLE HAD BEEN ASKING ME QUESTIONS ABOUTHOW I GOT MY BUSINESS STARTED I WANTED TO GATHER SOME PEOPLE AROUND ME
WHO WERE GOING THROUGH THOSE STRUGGLES AND TOBUILD ENTREPRENEURIAL COURAGErdquo
JACKI GIL SALT+PAPERIE
copy Patrick Hood
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
untsville-born Jacki Gil began her paper design busi-
ness Salt+Paperie in 2014 with an expansive vision
in mind one that extended beyond creating beautiful
custom designed paper goods ldquoI love my design job
but when Irsquom 50 years old I donrsquot see myself still de-
signing wedding invitationsrdquo the master stationer says
ldquoI really have a passion for teaching and helping people
I want to be a mentorrdquo
In 2015 Gil set out on her mentoring mission sooner than expected with a series
of workshops called Encourage Huntsville ldquoA lot of people had been asking me
questions about how I got my business startedrdquo Gil says about the early days of
Salt+Paperie Even though most of those questions from entrepreneurial-hopefuls
were technicalmdashlike how to apply for a business licensemdashthey served as inspira-
tion for Gil ldquoI wanted to gather some people around me who were going through
those struggles and to build entrepreneurial courage I defi nitely saw that there
was a need for helping people to take that next step toward owning their own
businessesrdquo
Encourage Huntsville was modeled on the image of a growing small business
movement called the Rising Tide Society a national community of creative small
business owners who encourage ldquocommunity over competitionrdquo Th at spirit of
openness is at the heart of Encourage Huntsville ldquoCommunity over competition
is a huge part of what we are doingrdquo says Gil ldquoSmall business owners sharing how
they earn their money is a big dealrdquo
As a fi rst step Gil gathered others around her who were using their skills and abili-
ties to make their own small businesses work With talents ranging from cooking
and cake decorating to hand lettering and artwork these small business owners
all embraced Gilrsquos vision for imparting to others the knowledge of their craft un-
impeded by a fear of losing their competitive edge
Th e fi rst lesson Gil wanted to impart to Encourage Huntsvillersquos students wasnrsquot
necessarily a particular craft or skill but a spirt of creative confi dence ldquoWe want-
ed to bridge the gap between the very artsy community and the ultimate engineer
communityrdquo many of whom Gil observes had been told since childhood they
werenrsquot artistic ldquoWhen you are little and someone tells you that you donrsquot have a
talent it sticks with you I found that a lot of people had that experience so that
was the workshop partmdashto build some creative courage in this communityrdquo
Gil conducted the fi rst workshop herself testing the waters to see how the concept
would be received Th e admission price to that fi rst workshop included supplies a
take-home ldquogoody bagrdquo to help students continue their work extracurricularly and
refreshmentsmdashas well as Gilrsquos tips of her trade
ldquoWe went in blindly not knowing if we had a market or notrdquo says Gil Th e popular-
ity of that fi rst class proved undeniably that a market did in fact exist the work-
shop sold out in one day ldquoSo we did back-to-back workshopsrdquo Gil says ldquoAfter that
novemberdecembeeer eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee | nononoononononononoonoonononooooonoonoonnononnoaaalalalllaallllllalaalaaalal ststustust ddiossscom mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm | | | | | | | | | | |
f
w
y
Previous page Encourage Huntsvillersquos founder and instructor Jacki Gil teaches a class in hand lettering Facing page A participant studies her supply list
we realized people really want to do this stuff So we said lsquoletrsquos jump on the boat
and make this happenrsquordquo
Gilrsquos longtime friend photographer Erin Lindsey of Erin Lindsey Images agreed
to contribute to Encourage Huntsvillersquos curriculum by teaching a photography
class ldquoJacki and I are a good team because our hearts are in the same place when
it comes to encouraging othersrdquo Lindsey says Still she admits saying yes to teach-
ing wasnrsquot without some initial hesitation ldquoWhen Jacki asked if I would teach a
class it was kind of scary I thought I had to be perfect before I could teach oth-
ersrdquo Lindsey says of her initial hesitancy ldquoBut after talking to Jacki I realized none
of us are perfectrdquo But perfection isnrsquot the goal encouragement is the goal ldquoAnd I
thought lsquoI can defi nitely line up with that visionrsquordquo
Michelle Odom another Huntsville native and owner of custom cake bakery Just
Crumbs was also on board with Gilrsquos vision In fact Odom had been contemplat-
ing teaching a class when she was approached by Gil to teach a fondant basics
class ldquoHuntsville is such an engineer town and everyone is so mathematical and
scientifi crdquo Odom says echoing the dichotomy between the arts and sciences ex-
pressed by Gil ldquoTh ese workshops are just a very cool way for structured people to
have a creative outletrdquo
ldquoJACKI AND I ARE A GOOD TEAM BECAUSE OUR HEARTS ARE INTHE SAME PLACE WHEN IT COMES TO ENCOURAGING OTHERSrdquo
ERIN LINDSEY ERIN LINDSEY IMAGES
copy Erin Lindsey
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Above A participant in Erin Lindseyrsquos photo class frames a still life
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
copy Erin Lindsey
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
ldquoHUNTSVILLE IS SUCH AN ENGINEER TOWN AND EVERYONE ISSO MATHEMATICAL AND SCIENTIFIC THESE WORKSHOPS ARE JUST A VERY COOL
WAY FOR STRUCTURED PEOPLE TO HAVE A CREATIVE OUTLETrdquo MICHELLE ODOM JUST CRUMBS
copy Michelle Odom
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
ldquoAnd yesrdquo Odom acknowledges ldquoyou are in theory teaching your competition But
at the same time you are helping the community be more creativerdquo
With its roster of popular creative workshops under its belt Encourage Huntsville
has added business classes to its community-over-competition curriculum with
classes designed to provide specifi c guidance for small business owners ldquoAll of
our events that donrsquot require hands-on work we call seminarsrdquo says Gil ldquoWe had
about 15 people at our fi rst one It was pretty much just an open discussion to ask
us questions and get answers from the perspective of a small business ownerrdquo
Th e seminars enjoyed the same success and enthusiasm as the workshops ldquoWe
had two hours for people to ask questionsrdquo Gil says Topics covered ran the gamut
from scheduling daily tasks self-hosting a website or using an Etsy store man-
aging client expectations and being realistic about how much time you need to
complete jobs
ldquoTh e time went quickly and people wanted morerdquo says Gil who envisions an all-
day seminar in 2016
Margaret Baggett owner and executive chef of the Chef Next Door is another
small business owner who has shared Gilrsquos vision from the very beginning teach-
copy Erin Lindsey
Facing page Michelle Odomrsquos fondant basics class begins with a styrofoam cake form Above Newbie photographers familiarize themselves with their cameras in Erin Lindseyrsquos photography class
ing knife skills workshops and helping host the business seminars ldquoI am so proud
to get to be a part of this project and help nurture other small business owners
who may just be starting out on their journey or are deep in it and looking for
some encouragement from other business ownersrdquo Baggett says of what motivates
her participation in Encourage Huntsville ldquoEven being on the advice-giving side
of things I am still learning and have taken tips and tricks and lessons from each
event we have had so far We never stop learning from each other and never stop
improving upon our craftsrdquo
Th e mutual growth among students and teachers is the source of the encourage-
mentmdashand the joymdashof Encourage Huntsville ldquoItrsquos so much fun to see the light
bulbs go off with people and see them encouraged right before your eyesrdquo Lindsey
says of her experience with the program ldquoPlus itrsquos a pleasure to contribute to a
sense of community over competition Th at whole concept is so rarerdquo
As Encourage Huntsvillersquos following continues to grow the diversity of the work-
shops will expand as well Whether you are looking to spend a fun afternoon
learning a new craft or are a budding small business owner hoping to launch
your brand Encourage Huntsville has something valuable to off er ldquoWe encourage
those left-brain folks to take up a new hobby or skillrdquo Baggett says ldquoor just encour-
age the people of Huntsville to get together and fan their creative fl amesrdquo
If yoursquore looking for
creative or entrepreneurial
encouragement visit
encouragehuntsvillecom
for seminar and workshop
schedules and information
ldquoI AM SO PROUD TO GET TO BE A PART OF THIS PROJECT AND HELP NURTURE OTHER SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS WHO MAY JUST BE STARTING OUT ON THEIR JOURNEY OR ARE DEEP IN IT
AND LOOKING FOR SOME ENCOURAGEMENT FROM OTHER BUSINESS OWNERSrdquoMARGARET BAGGETT CHEF NEXT DOOR
copy Jacki Gil
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
copy Jacki Gil
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Participants in Margaret Baggettrsquos knife skills workshop learn to perfect their ldquomise en placerdquo
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
copy Olivia Reed
text by sara wright covington raquo photos by olivia reed and jeff white
HUNTSVILLErsquoS
HOMEGROWNHOSTESS
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
ttttttononononoooooonononooooo raquo praquo praquo praquo praquo phothothothothotosoososos s s osos bybybbybb
Any host will tell you that delicious food and quality libations while important to
a partyrsquos success are secondary to the most important ingredient of all the guest list Th atrsquos why many
of downtown Huntsvillersquos most popular restaurants breweries and wine shops are turning to event
planner Ashley Ryals and her uncanny knack for attracting loyal patronsmdashand creating unforgettable
events in the process
When Huntsville born-and-bred Ashley Ryals left for college at the University of Alabama in 2001
she thought her exit from the Valley was permanent ldquoI never thought I would end up back hererdquo the
founder of event planning company Homegrown Huntsville says with a knowing laugh But after a few
post-graduate years working for world-renowned public relations powerhouse Weber Shandwick in
New York City Ryals started to second guess her freshman declaration
ldquoI started to get homesickrdquo she admits ldquoAll of my friends were getting married and meeting for football
games and I was missing itrdquo So when a friend from home set up an interview at EarlyWorks for a job
doing event planning Ryals jumped at the chance to come home
Ashley spent the next few years planning EarlyWorks Whistle Stop and Santarsquos Village events A brief
stint in sales followed along with a seat on the board of Huntsville Young Professionals where she had
an idea for a downtown pub crawl
ldquoWe expected 20 or 30 peoplerdquo Ryals says of their modest expectations ldquoBut 200 people showed uprdquo
Th at initial success convinced Ryals to embark on her dream of establishing an
event planning company But it wasnrsquot just any event planning company Ryals
had in mind she envisioned one that would collaborate with local businesses
cultivate signature events for the community to enjoy and support small busi-
nesses in the process
Inspired Ryals left her sales job and for the second time in her life came home
again to event planning and Homegrown Huntsville
To help bring her vision to life Ryals collaborated with designer Adrianne Van
Kirk of Fave Creative ldquoAdrianne has been a part of the visual and branding of
Homegrown from the beginning We come up with the event ideas then I get
the ticketing and sales together and she comes back with a logo and the mar-
keting for the event And thatrsquos how it all comes togetherrdquo Ryals says of their
creative process
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
ASHLEY RYALS
copy Olivia Reed
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
ldquoMOST WINE FESTIVALS ACROSS THE COUNTRY HAVE PROVEN RECORDS OF BEING ABLE TO STAY AROUND 15 OR 20 YEARS OR EVEN LONGER AND THE ECONOMIES OF THOSE
CITIES HAVE REALLY GROWN AS A RESULT I WANT BIG SPRING CRUSH TO EVENTUALLY BE THE BIGGEST AND BEST WINE FESTIVAL IN THE STATE OF ALABAMArdquo ASHLEY RYALS
copy Jeff White
copy Jeff White
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
copy Olivia Reed
Homegrown launched in 2011 with what would become its
signature event Dine amp Dash Every second Wednesday
April through October a trolley shuttles patrons between
downtown establishments where they are served a drink
and appetizer before moving on to the next stop
Owner and executive chef Merle Phillips of Th e Eaves was
one of the fi rst restaurants to sign on for Dine amp Dashrsquos de-
but ldquoAshley came to me and said she was starting a trolley
tasting conceptrdquo says Chef Merle ldquoI didnrsquot really know her so
I was taking a chance on the concept she was sellingrdquo
Merle tried it and has been a loyal participant of Dine amp
Dash ever since
ldquoIt was a risk in the beginning but it defi nitely paid off rdquo Chef
Merle says of the experience Pivotal to that experience ac-
cording to Phillips is Ryalsrsquo demonstration to the commu-
nity just what the term ldquohomegrownrdquo really means ldquoAshley
shines a spotlight on independent businesses in a market-
place that has for so long focused on chainsrdquo Phillips says
ldquoDine amp Dash has really brought into sharp focus the inter-
esting culinary diversity that Huntsville has to off errdquo
For the next two years Homegrown Huntsville focused al-
most exclusively on Dine amp Dash which by the end of its fi rst
year included every single downtown restaurant But when
big changes began to appear on the downtown horizonmdash
new restaurants breweries and residential developmentsmdash
Ryalsrsquo instincts told her
the time had come to
introduce a new event
to the downtown cal-
endar
ldquoBeer Hop follows
the concept of Dine
amp Dashrdquo Ryals says of
Homegrownrsquos second
venture which began
in 2013 Each month a
trolley visits three dif-
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
BILL FOWLEROLD TOWN BEER
EXCHANGE
copy Olivia Reed
copy Olivia Reed
ferent breweries where patrons sample beers and enjoy food
from a variety of food trucks parked at each location
Bill Fowler managing partner of Old Town Beer Exchange
agreed to participate in Beer Hop on his very fi rst day of
business and credits Ryals with an overwhelmingly success-
ful opening night ldquoAshley said lsquoI can guarantee that you are
going to have wave after wave of people coming throughrsquordquo
Fowler says recalling that fi rst jittery occasion Once again
Ryals proved true to her word with 60-plus patrons arriving
in an hour-and-a-half ldquoIt was awesome and such a great ex-
perience for usrdquo Fowler raves ldquoAshley is a hard worker and
you can see that in what she doesrdquo
Fowler believes that in addition to bringing new customers
to OTBX Ryals is also cultivating beer education consis-
tently bringing in people who are new to beer and want to
learn And with Huntsvillersquos recent brewery boom that level
of education and interest is crucial for the brewing commu-
nity to thrive ldquoWe have a very small window of opportunityrdquo
says Fowler ldquoI think Huntsville in particular is becoming a
craft brewing community People are making money at this
and once Tennessee sees that we need to already have had a
pretty huge head startrdquo
By the end of 2013 and with standing events Beer Hop and
Dine amp Dash well established Ryals took time to refl ect on
her original goal for Homegrown Huntsville ldquoIn the back of
my head from day one I knew I wanted to do a wine festival
I just didnrsquot think Huntsville was ready for it in 2011rdquo
Emboldened by the success of Beer Hop Ryals decided to
make the leap with Big Spring Crush wine festival later the
same year Once again Ryals delivered the perfect audience
for the event and in the process discovered a surprising
fact about North Alabamarsquos contribution to the wine-mak-
ing industry
ldquoIn doing the wine festival I learned that we have a huge
wine community in Huntsvillerdquo Ryals says ldquoTh ere are only
about 47 certifi ed wine judges in the entire United States
and we have four of them right here in North Alabama Two
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
copy Jeff White
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
ldquoI STARTED TO GET HOMESICK ALL OF MY FRIENDS WERE GETTING MARRIEDAND MEETING FOR FOOTBALL GAMES AND I WAS MISSING ITrdquo ASHLEY RYALS
copy Jeff White
copy Jeff White
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
ldquoIT WAS AWESOME AND SUCH A GREAT EXPERIENCE FOR USrdquoBILL FOWLER OLD TOWN BEER EXCHANGE
copy Jeff White
copy Olivia Reed
of those four certifi ed wine judges sit on the committee for
Big Spring Crushrdquo
Matthew and Stephanie Mell had just opened Church Street
Wine Shop when they decided to participate in the fi rst Big
Spring Crush Like OTBXrsquos Robert Fowler the Mells credit
Ryals and Homegrown Huntsville for helping to introduce
their new enterprise to the community ldquoAshley has been in-
strumental in helping to bring us people who love and ap-
preciate winerdquo Stephanie Mell says ldquoShe was homegrown
here in Huntsville and she really gets the downtown area
and small businesses and that is so important to usrdquo
Big Spring Crush began with a bang featuring over 150
wines and attracting patrons from across the country
ldquoMost wine festivals across the country have proven records
of being able to stay around 15 or 20 years or even longerrdquo
Ryals says ldquoAnd the economies of those cities have really
grown as a result I want Big Spring Crush to eventually be
the biggest and best wine festival in the state of Alabamardquo
How does Ryals intend to make that dream come true ldquoBy
always keeping it fresh I want to have new marketing and
new things happening each yearrdquo
Ryalsrsquo formula of reinvention and expansion has successfully
led Homegrown Huntsville through fi ve years of success and
helped its events become community staples along the way In
the process Ryals is broadening more than just our image of
downtown Huntsville shersquos joining a class of creative entrepre-
neurs committed to expanding Huntsvillersquos reputation as more
than just a hub for the brightest scientifi c minds in America
ldquoWe have a big city of engineers and lawyers and itrsquos won-
derfulrdquo Ryals say ldquo But there is a whole artist and food cul-
ture here and there is so much growth I want us to have a
vibrant cool downtown area and I want for people to tell
their friends to come and visit and to see Huntsville for what
it is a city I loverdquo
If yoursquod like to participate in Homegrown Huntsville either
as a guest or a participating business visit homegrown-
huntsvillecom
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
copy Jeff White
I was years old and the year was At that time the city of Huntsville was inching toward the mountain to the east California Street was once the continental divide between the small town metropo-lis and the uncharted territories gingerly crossed by the real estate pioneers four score and some odd years prior Th is area became the new suburb as the city kept pushing onward toward Fagan Springs as if the reverberating booms of rocket testings were vibrating Hunstvillians away from its epicenter
From the front yard of our house on Owens Drive I could look to the rightmdashup the hill to the bend be-yond which the big houses stood on their rocky ledge pedestals and to the left where all the other houses that looked just like oursmdashfresh and newmdashrambled for what seemed like miles Th ose clean well-lit abodes all seemed the same and granted at my age I knew more about the pets that lived there than I did about the people who owned those manageable mortgages I came to realize that each was diff erent in a way that was permeated by voices smells and furnishings
It is a clicheacute to say that our lives were simpler then because that is just how the current era will be fondly referred to in the future but to a 5-year-old it is the simplicity that brought the joy Th e sixties will always be to me the beginning of the age of manufactured happiness Cheap clean and simple was what was strived for and what was easily obtained Plastic items were plentiful and pretty things could be bought with SampH Green Stamps A few coins in our pocket would transfer us into the most master of manipula-tors with us giving our all to convince our parents for a jaunt to Murdockrsquos for a holiday of wonderment joy and impatience as we would scour the shelves trying to get the most from our meager budget
Owens Drive was the fairly new thoroughfare from which the avenues of three-bedroom-ranchers fi ngered away at planned intervals Th is was the place where newlyweds started their lives homes and families Where girls with last names that had been in the town for generations would change them to those strange and exotic last names of the clean cut newcomers brought here for military purposes Where the housewives would preheat their pristine electric ovens trying to make cheese straws and biscuits that were just like their motherrsquos only to be frustrated as they were never quite the same and where the husbands would follow in their fatherrsquos footsteps by joining the Acme Club and hunting doves on the weekends
Th ere was a swimming pool Certainly not at our house Th e only private pool I remember as a child was one that my grandmother would take me to nestled between huge trees at someonersquos house on Adams Street I would swim with other children my age while our grandmothers chatted smoking cigarettes in cat-eyed anonymity whispering most of their stories so we wouldnrsquot be able to hear But between their
gasps and laughter we would listen hear and learn
Th e Blossomwood pool was a place of designated rules and the sound of bright whistlesmdashwith straight lines and distinctive colors of blue and green I can still feel the Coppertoned oiliness on the skin of the tanned lifeguard as she carried me from the deep end frightened after my fi rst attempt at solo-swimming She knew my name I had no idea who she was
On the other side of the pool was the school my older sister attended It had a style that mim-icked the poolmdashstraight lines cleanmdasha temple to orderliness and good manners It was with
awe that I once watched the young adults there some as old as eleven wind and dance their way around a sky-high fl agpolemdasheach with a diff erent color ribbon until the fi rst (and only) May Pole
I was privy to was completely dressed in its woven bright colors
90 raquo bless their hearts raquo Guy McClure Jr
Huntsville was a magical place for us tail-end baby boomers to grow upmdashbeyond the miracles of the escalator at Pizitz the smiling little lady on the tall stool at the register at Britlings There was a comfort level there that Irsquom not sure is in the minds of the 5-year-olds of today
cat-eyed agasps
Th s
aI w
THE COMFORTS OF BLOSSOMWOOD
In our world of red-bricked carported castles there was a def-inite division of generations Th e children ate separately from the parents went to school as our dads went to work enter-tained our neighborhood friends as quietly as possible and felt safe between our boundaries of Big Cove Road and Hermitage Street While we dined on our Chef Boy-Ar-Dee boxed pizza our parents busied themselves dressing in their dark colors getting ready for a late dinner at Boots having the scent of perfume and face powder trail my mother as she came into the kitchen looking for something with an intense purpose My father would smell of British Sterling and look just as he did when he went to work only happier Th ese nights meant something fun would happenmdashwe would have a babysitter
Babysitters were my introduction into what was and still seems cool Th ey were usually Huntsville High School teen-agers who would put on a show without even knowing it I would drink in their every move word and essence of style To me they were supermodelsmdashmovie starsmdasheven more fa-mous in my eyes than a television weatherman and almost as glamorous as the waitresses at the Waffl e House
Before they would tire of me and my sister and put us to bed they would include us in their world of music and knowledge which I thought was all-encompassing Suddenly our world of Th e Benny Carl Show and Fantasy Playhouse would seem trite and passeacute and we would catch a fl eeting glimpse into what would be in store for us when we too could stay up past 8 pm
Huntsville was a magical place for us tail-end baby boomers to grow upmdashbeyond the miracles of the escalator at Pizitz the smiling little lady on the tall stool at the register at Britlings and that bright colorful Maypole Th ere was a comfort level there that Irsquom not sure is in the minds of the 5-year-olds of todaymdashthe soothing sheltered lack of knowledge of why we were so lucky yet we didnrsquot even know that we were
In the other areas of our Huntsville there was poverty and ra-cial unrestmdashas there was and is in every city I was unaware People of color were always a part of my worldmdashmostly be-cause they had my attention and respect At our house there was Annie my grandmotherrsquos house was fi lled with the joys of Lula and out on the family farm there was strong and smiling Homer and large and huggable Rosamdashall just as much a part of my life as everyone else My life was good and they were instrumental in making it that way
What will the 5-year-olds of today who are lucky enough to be raised on those well-planned streets remember when they surpass their own 50 year mark It is a much more complex world now and there are diff erent concerns with daily changes of fear Youthful innocence is a prize that is encased without a lock Premature maturity is a viable threat and a constant fear But each night tucked in tight in a simple room sleeps tomor-rowrsquos adults who are having sweet dreamsmdashblanketed by the comforts of Blossomwood
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
92 raquo the vine raquo Amy C Collins
BORDEAUX POWER
Where Burgundyrsquos vineyards were established by Benedictine monks patiently growing wine vines with spiritual hearts Bordeauxrsquos vineyards were raised by entrepreneurial laymen who recognized the massive monetary opportunity when the English began drinking down their peasant wine
The city of Bordeaux is Francersquos primary port town on the Atlantic ocean a harbor that has for centuries served as the countryrsquos most important dock Th e regionrsquos history is long and storied with the fi rst written reference to the area dated 379 AD by the Latin poet Ausonius who was also a wine-grower Jump ahead to the year 1152 when Eleanor of Aquitaine married Englandrsquos soon-to-be king Henry Plantagenet and the port and surrounding vineyard land became the source of wine for the English a connection that remains strong even today
Bordeaux produces the worldrsquos most expensive and sought after collector wines the top tier of which make up less than fi ve percent of the regionrsquos total production Th ese names are quickly learned by neophyte wine drinkers wanting to make an impression Chateau Haut-Brion Lafi te Latour and Margaux for example Grown in gravelly soils only a few meters above sea levelmdashin contrast vineyards elsewhere in Europe typically sit between 300 and 900 metersmdashthese wines are some of the most powerful austere and pawed over When young the tannins in these cabernet sauvignon cabernet franc and merlot blends coat the tongue and mouth with a chalky dry sensation akin to sucking on an Earl Grey tea bag and are perhaps best suited to well-fatted rare steak and cigars Th ese are wines built to live for decades Personally I prefer a Bordeaux at least 20 years aged when the tannins have had ample time to calm down and mellow out and more nuanced fl avors come forward Sounds fancy and it is Only in some very lucky circumstances over the past year have I been guest to a bottle of 1990 Clos de Menuts Saint-Eacutemilion and a 1970 Chateau Haut-Brion About once every 10 years Irsquove had the good
fortune to taste a wine older than myself Nice work if you can get it
Where Burgundyrsquos vineyards (Francersquos other classifi ed sought-after region) were established by Benedictine monks patiently growing wine vines with spiritual hearts
Bordeauxrsquos vineyards were raised by entrepreneurial laymen who recognized the massive monetary opportunity when the English began drinking down their peasant wine Th is underscores the second half of my theory as to why Americans
more often American males are so drawn to the wines of Bordeaux Th erersquos an inherent capitalist connection something in the soil Th at the wines are so
unmistakable so distinctively grand and pronounced elixirs exemplifi es the fi rst half of my theory we Americans are not known for our subtlety (To be fair the Chinese are
signifi cant Bordeaux collectors as well)
Philosophy aside Bordeaux is quite a large region that produces beautiful white and red values as well as the rare fi nds out of the populacersquos price range Herersquos the skinny Blending is the game single varietal wines are rare White Bordeaux is typically made from a blend of sauvignon blanc and seacutemillon and sometimes a drop or two of muscadelle ugni blanc or colombard Reds are made primarily from the two cabernets plus merlot with small quantities of petit verdot malbec and carmenegravere occasionally in the mix Th e region is also home to the golden nectar of late ripened seacutemillon sauvignon blanc and muscadelle grapes that have successfully attracted the noble rot a fungus that covers the fruit and drains moisture from inside leaving behind rich sweet grapes without moldy fl avors Chateau drsquoYquem is the most famous of these unfortifi ed dessert wines though there are better bargains from the region
Bordeaux is split by the Gironde river which divides the region into three general areas Th e left bank also known as the Haut-Meacutedoc is where the classifi ed top growths are situated Th ese prestigious estates were named for their exceptional vineyard sites in 1855 a decision nearly unchanged since Today serious collectors invest in Bordeaux futures theoretically locking down lower prices of top
ample time to calm dit is Only in some vede Menuts Saint-Eacutem
fortune to taste a
Wherees
aun
of msignifi
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Follow Amy at pigandvinecom for morestories and wine suggestions
growth estates while the wine is still aging in the cellar Itrsquos the wine tradersquos equivalent to the NASDAQ On the right bank Saint-Eacutemilion and Pommerol are the prized vineyard areas known for their merlot heavy cuveacutees To the south west we fi nd Graves where there are many great values to be had in both white and red bottlings Entre-Deux-Mers which translates to ldquobetween two seasrdquo sits between the Dordogne and Garonne tributaries off the Gironde and is an excellent source for crisp whites
Get started on your Bordeaux experience with these values
Chateau Graville-Lacoste 2014 Graves 75 seacutemillon 20 sauvignon blanc and 5 muscadelle make up this beauty thatrsquos consistently delicious every vintage Crisp and refreshing great with seafood
Chateau Mirambeau 2014 GravesAnother classic blend of 40 sauvignon blanc 40 seacutemillon and 20 muscadelle this lovely white is a bit more fl oral than the Graville-Lacoste Easy drinking and great value
Chateau de Parenchegravere Bordeaux Rouge 201155 merlot 30 cabernet sauvignon and 15 cabernet franc grown in clay heavy soils similar to the right bank of the region Fleshy with good structure and abundant red fruit
Chateau Arnaud Bordeaux Supeacuterieur 2011Supeacuterieur on a Bordeaux label isnrsquot egotistical marketingmdashby law it indicates a wine with up to one degree more alcohol than its AC Bordeaux brethren What it really means is one more degree of body structure and in this case quality Approachable delicious and easy on the wallet
Chateau de Bernadotte Haut-Meacutedoc 2005Th e 2005 vintage in Bordeaux is in the history books with double asterisks Owned by the eminent Pichon Lalande family and made from vineyards in Paulliac one of the more choice growing areas in the region this is an incredible value a top tier Bordeaux for a fraction of the cost
Chateau de Suduiraut Sauternes 2011Ripe cantaloupe apricot and honey and an interesting smoky note with a solid sweet attack followed by great acidity A dessert wine that wonrsquot overpower the dessert
94 raquo parting shot raquo Patrick Hood
Meet Solvar
Solvar belongs to one of the worldrsquos oldest and purest equine lineages the Nor-
wegian Fjord horse a breed that has remained virtually unchanged for more than
2000 yearsmdashlong before we became acquainted with his animated cousins in
the movie Frozen Th ese national symbols of Norway are characterized by primi-
tive zebra striping on their legs and a dorsal stripe running from forelock to tail
resulting in a striking two-tone mane that sticks up like a Mohawk Th eir athleti-
cism agility and dependability make them valuable both as sport horses as well
as therapy horses for emotionally and physically challenged adults and children
Catie Wells of Huntsville is the proud owner of Solvar who resides at Monte
Sano Stables
For tickets or information 256-539-4818 or hsoorg
Bring In the New Year With Us
presents
WHAT A WONDERFUL
WORLDA tribute to Louis
Armstrong featuring the
Byron Stripling Quartet
Thursday December 31
730 pm bull Pops Series bullMark C Smith
Concert Hall VBC
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
M O R E T H A N 7 0 S H O P S A N D R E S T A U R A N T S I N C L U D I N G B E L K | D S W S H O E S | A P P L E J O S A B A N K | R E E D S J E W E L E R S | PA N D O R A | J C R E W | K AT E S PA D E N E W Y O R KO R V I S | B A N A N A R E P U B L I C | M I C H A E L K O R S | F R A N C E S C Arsquo S | A N T H R O P O L O G I EH amp M | S O M A | M O U N T A I N H I G H O U T F I T T E R S | B A R N E S amp N O B L E | S E P H O R AALTAR rsquoD STATE | CONNORS STEAK amp SEFOOD | THE WEST IN HUNTSV I L L E | MONACO P ICTURES
C O M I N G S O O N V E R S O N A ndash near Belk
B R I D G E S T R E E T H U N T S V I L L E C O M |
BR IDGE STREET TOWN CENTRE I S LOCATED AT EX I T 14 OFF I - 565 AT OLD MAD ISON P IKE
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Huntsville potter Guadalupe Lanning Robinson has spent more than 36 years mastering the
marriage of clay texture and geometric design into her pottery yet time has done little to temper the
plight of waiting
ldquoIt is hard for me to let a pot just dryrdquo she says motioning toward fi ve small wet pots sitting near her
pottery wheel ldquoIrsquom as excited to do this as I was 30 years agordquo
To observe her studio at Lowe Mill that is easy to believe Located on the corridor outside the textile
mill-turned-art centerrsquos main building the loft-like space with a corrugated tin roof feels like a place a
Gabriel Garcia Marquez character would enjoy daydreaming
Sienna-hued pottery sits in various stages to be fi red layered and etched Argentinian tango music
streams from Robinsonrsquos iPhone and two cockatiels a parrot and a parakeet chirp from their cages All
except the parrot fl y freely when Robinson is working
Robinson who is 61 made her fi rst pot in 1979 in her native Mexico City Almost four decades later her
work is part of permanent museum collections in Auburn Huntsville Tuscumbia and Tupelo Missis-
sippi She regularly enters her work in respected juried shows such as the Monte Sano Arts Festival and
the Kentuck Festival of the Arts in Northport and has received two Alabama State Council on the Arts
individual artist fellowships
Her inspiration draws from the villages around her native Mexico City such as the black pottery of
the northwest as well as her acquired Southern culture White lilies corn grids and round female
fi guresmdashldquoreally strong women who are in chargerdquo Robinson saysmdashreappear on her stoneware She uses
natural dyes indigo for color and mixes sand into clay for texture Nothing is wasted
ldquoI donrsquot waste any clayrdquo Robinson says ldquoEverything is recycledrdquo
Robinson fi nds solace in the 40-50 hours a week she puts in at the studio and the often tedious process
of making pots which can take from three weeks to six weeks for larger pots She usually works on two
or three pots at a time tending to groups at diff erent stages
After a pot is thrown on a wheel a piece can take days to dry before its fi rst bisque fi re in which tem-
peratures rise to 1800 F After baking for nine hours the kiln must cool Th e second fi ring rises to 2150
F and matures the clay and melts the glazes to strengthen the piece
ldquoI am an effi cient person by naturerdquo Robinson says ldquoWaiting for the kiln to cool down enough to open
can be nerve wracking and this is when my patience is usually put to the testrdquo
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
ldquoIt is hard for me to let a pot just dry Irsquom as excited to do this as I was 30 years agordquo
Robinson makes most of her pots on a wheel using oxides to change the color of clay she gets from Nashville and Pittsburgh Her pottery takes several weeks from start to fi nish depending on how large a pot is and how many she makes at a time
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
ldquoAttend to your childrenrsquos needs fi rst keep focus on what you want to douse the happiness joy and little breaks you get to make your artTh ey grow real fast and they will keep inspiring you all your liferdquo
Robinson imagined this bat-like design as she was working She usually begins a piece with a design in mind but that often evolves
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Robinson uses an overlay of liquid clay called engobemdashthat includes three to four layersmdashto create a
base on which to design
Th ere is high risk in making pottery and hours of work can be wasted on a pot that has not dried en-
tirely before it enters the kiln Air pockets or the wrong mixture of chemicals can ruin a piece
ldquoArt is involved but science is toordquo says Laura Smith director of education at the Huntsville Museum
of Art where Robinson has taught pottery classes ldquoItrsquos more labor intensive in terms of working with
the medium whether yoursquore building by hand or with a wheel until you fi re with the fi nal layer of glazerdquo
Th e result is sturdy pottery
ldquoI want my pots to look like something that is lasting a long timerdquo Robinson says
Th ough she works solitarily in her studio she says she does not get lonely Her birds and music keep her
company and each stage of pottery making has a soundtrack She uses needlepoint tools to draw onto
clay to Jose Feliciano and other Latin American musicians
ldquoIf Irsquom at the wheel Bruno Marsrdquo she says ldquoIf Irsquom unloading the kiln and something is really awesome
then I need something moving and I have on Motownrdquo
Robinsonrsquos years of experience minimize the risk of damaged pots but she says her greatest challenge
as a potter was balancing her work while raising her two children Now adults their candid childhood
pictures and those of her grandchildren cover the warm green walls of her studio
She met her husband the poet James Robinson in 1977 on a Greyhound bus when she returned to
Mexico City from visiting a friend at the University of Southern Mississippi He was heading to Mexico
to study at a university Th ey married six months later After giving birth to her daughter Annie Jane in
Mexico City in 1982 the family moved to Huntsville in 1985 Th at is when Robinson got more serious
about her pottery
ldquoFrom the very beginning when I moved to Alabama I knew I was going to have to do thisrdquo she said
ldquoIn some ways it was a way for me to keep connected to my heritagerdquo
She took even 15 minutes of free time to work in the studio behind her home and worked late into the
night while her daughter and son Isidoro born in 1987 slept Having a home studio allowed her to
wash clothes tend to her home and drop off lunches at school while maintaining her art
ldquoTh ere was something for me when I fi rst became a mother that fueled my creativityrdquo Robinson says
ldquoTh ey are such a social inspiration too It fi lls your liferdquo
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Robinson advises fellow artists who are mothers to seize
both roles but to prioritize motherhood
ldquoAttend to your childrenrsquos needs fi rst keep focus on what you
want to do use the happiness joy and little breaks you get
to make your artrdquo she says ldquoTh ey grow real fast and they will
keep inspiring you all your liferdquo
Anna Sue Courtney director of the Flying Monkey Arts
Center at Lowe Mill has known Robinson for more than
10 years She says she admires how mothers and artists like
Robinson seamlessly embrace both roles
ldquoIt seems therersquos not a separation between creating and rais-
ing childrenrdquo Courtney says ldquoTh ey seem to pull from the
same placerdquo
Part of Robinsonrsquos motivation at Lowe Mill comes from
working privately in a studio alongside other artists that fos-
ters a community of feedback and ideas
ldquoItrsquos nice to be here because you can take a break and walk around and get inspirationrdquo Courtney says
ldquoItrsquos refreshingrdquo
When she needs a break from the studio Robinson stays home to sketch designs for a day or two then
she is back in the studio
Trips twice a year to Mexico City keep her plugged in to her native culture which in turn shows up in
her pottery
ldquoI have to recharge myselfrdquo Robinson says ldquoI love Huntsville and loved raising my kids here but I still
have the need of going back to be recharged and smell all the smells and see all the colors and get on
the subway and be pushed aroundrdquo
Details from her trips that infl uence her work include the ever-present red that covers the city during
the celebration of Dia de los Muertos or the Day of the Dead Th e pyramids of Teotihuacan conjure
warm earth tones and fl oating gardens around the city yield sweet pungent calla lilies and carnations
Celebration of food tough women and nature reappear in her pottery qualities that both Southern and
Mexican cultures treasure
Above This daisy design is character-istic of Robinsonrsquos work Nature food and strong females from her native Mexico City and the South are strong creative infl uences
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Clockwise from top left Robinson often glazes only the inside of her pots so they can hold water and food She began quilting in 2002 and her quilts like her pottery contain earth tones and natural infl uences in their design Four birds keep Robinson company in what can be the isolating medium of pottery making Geometry and symmetry are two signature elements in Robinsonrsquos work according to Laura Smith director of education at the Huntsville Museum of Art
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Just as she keeps her home country close to her heart Robinson is loyal to her fi rst
love of pottery though she began making quilts in 2002
ldquoIrsquom a potter who likes to quiltrdquo she says
Like her pottery her quilting follows designs of organic nature such as fl owers and
crops on rich jewel tone cotton
ldquoWhen I fi rst saw one of her quilts I didnrsquot realize it was hers and I thought that
looks like it should be Guadalupersquos quiltrdquo Courtney says
Robinson prefers the immediate gratifi cation of clay
ldquoItrsquos a very responsive mediumrdquo she says ldquoYou can manipulate it Th e fact of mak-
ing something out of dirt out of nothing and making it durable making it perma-
nent that after going through the heat and maturing is something very excitingrdquo
She gently dings a pot covered with white dresses titled ldquoTehuana Dressrdquo to make
her point
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
887 FM Muscle Shoals bull 1007 FM Huntsvillewwwaprorg
News classicalmusic and more
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
copy Patrick Hood
text by sara wright covington raquo photos by jacki gil
patrick hood erin lindsey and michelle odom
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
copy Patrick Hood
ldquoA LOT OF PEOPLE HAD BEEN ASKING ME QUESTIONS ABOUTHOW I GOT MY BUSINESS STARTED I WANTED TO GATHER SOME PEOPLE AROUND ME
WHO WERE GOING THROUGH THOSE STRUGGLES AND TOBUILD ENTREPRENEURIAL COURAGErdquo
JACKI GIL SALT+PAPERIE
copy Patrick Hood
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
untsville-born Jacki Gil began her paper design busi-
ness Salt+Paperie in 2014 with an expansive vision
in mind one that extended beyond creating beautiful
custom designed paper goods ldquoI love my design job
but when Irsquom 50 years old I donrsquot see myself still de-
signing wedding invitationsrdquo the master stationer says
ldquoI really have a passion for teaching and helping people
I want to be a mentorrdquo
In 2015 Gil set out on her mentoring mission sooner than expected with a series
of workshops called Encourage Huntsville ldquoA lot of people had been asking me
questions about how I got my business startedrdquo Gil says about the early days of
Salt+Paperie Even though most of those questions from entrepreneurial-hopefuls
were technicalmdashlike how to apply for a business licensemdashthey served as inspira-
tion for Gil ldquoI wanted to gather some people around me who were going through
those struggles and to build entrepreneurial courage I defi nitely saw that there
was a need for helping people to take that next step toward owning their own
businessesrdquo
Encourage Huntsville was modeled on the image of a growing small business
movement called the Rising Tide Society a national community of creative small
business owners who encourage ldquocommunity over competitionrdquo Th at spirit of
openness is at the heart of Encourage Huntsville ldquoCommunity over competition
is a huge part of what we are doingrdquo says Gil ldquoSmall business owners sharing how
they earn their money is a big dealrdquo
As a fi rst step Gil gathered others around her who were using their skills and abili-
ties to make their own small businesses work With talents ranging from cooking
and cake decorating to hand lettering and artwork these small business owners
all embraced Gilrsquos vision for imparting to others the knowledge of their craft un-
impeded by a fear of losing their competitive edge
Th e fi rst lesson Gil wanted to impart to Encourage Huntsvillersquos students wasnrsquot
necessarily a particular craft or skill but a spirt of creative confi dence ldquoWe want-
ed to bridge the gap between the very artsy community and the ultimate engineer
communityrdquo many of whom Gil observes had been told since childhood they
werenrsquot artistic ldquoWhen you are little and someone tells you that you donrsquot have a
talent it sticks with you I found that a lot of people had that experience so that
was the workshop partmdashto build some creative courage in this communityrdquo
Gil conducted the fi rst workshop herself testing the waters to see how the concept
would be received Th e admission price to that fi rst workshop included supplies a
take-home ldquogoody bagrdquo to help students continue their work extracurricularly and
refreshmentsmdashas well as Gilrsquos tips of her trade
ldquoWe went in blindly not knowing if we had a market or notrdquo says Gil Th e popular-
ity of that fi rst class proved undeniably that a market did in fact exist the work-
shop sold out in one day ldquoSo we did back-to-back workshopsrdquo Gil says ldquoAfter that
novemberdecembeeer eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee | nononoononononononoonoonononooooonoonoonnononnoaaalalalllaallllllalaalaaalal ststustust ddiossscom mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm | | | | | | | | | | |
f
w
y
Previous page Encourage Huntsvillersquos founder and instructor Jacki Gil teaches a class in hand lettering Facing page A participant studies her supply list
we realized people really want to do this stuff So we said lsquoletrsquos jump on the boat
and make this happenrsquordquo
Gilrsquos longtime friend photographer Erin Lindsey of Erin Lindsey Images agreed
to contribute to Encourage Huntsvillersquos curriculum by teaching a photography
class ldquoJacki and I are a good team because our hearts are in the same place when
it comes to encouraging othersrdquo Lindsey says Still she admits saying yes to teach-
ing wasnrsquot without some initial hesitation ldquoWhen Jacki asked if I would teach a
class it was kind of scary I thought I had to be perfect before I could teach oth-
ersrdquo Lindsey says of her initial hesitancy ldquoBut after talking to Jacki I realized none
of us are perfectrdquo But perfection isnrsquot the goal encouragement is the goal ldquoAnd I
thought lsquoI can defi nitely line up with that visionrsquordquo
Michelle Odom another Huntsville native and owner of custom cake bakery Just
Crumbs was also on board with Gilrsquos vision In fact Odom had been contemplat-
ing teaching a class when she was approached by Gil to teach a fondant basics
class ldquoHuntsville is such an engineer town and everyone is so mathematical and
scientifi crdquo Odom says echoing the dichotomy between the arts and sciences ex-
pressed by Gil ldquoTh ese workshops are just a very cool way for structured people to
have a creative outletrdquo
ldquoJACKI AND I ARE A GOOD TEAM BECAUSE OUR HEARTS ARE INTHE SAME PLACE WHEN IT COMES TO ENCOURAGING OTHERSrdquo
ERIN LINDSEY ERIN LINDSEY IMAGES
copy Erin Lindsey
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Above A participant in Erin Lindseyrsquos photo class frames a still life
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
copy Erin Lindsey
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
ldquoHUNTSVILLE IS SUCH AN ENGINEER TOWN AND EVERYONE ISSO MATHEMATICAL AND SCIENTIFIC THESE WORKSHOPS ARE JUST A VERY COOL
WAY FOR STRUCTURED PEOPLE TO HAVE A CREATIVE OUTLETrdquo MICHELLE ODOM JUST CRUMBS
copy Michelle Odom
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
ldquoAnd yesrdquo Odom acknowledges ldquoyou are in theory teaching your competition But
at the same time you are helping the community be more creativerdquo
With its roster of popular creative workshops under its belt Encourage Huntsville
has added business classes to its community-over-competition curriculum with
classes designed to provide specifi c guidance for small business owners ldquoAll of
our events that donrsquot require hands-on work we call seminarsrdquo says Gil ldquoWe had
about 15 people at our fi rst one It was pretty much just an open discussion to ask
us questions and get answers from the perspective of a small business ownerrdquo
Th e seminars enjoyed the same success and enthusiasm as the workshops ldquoWe
had two hours for people to ask questionsrdquo Gil says Topics covered ran the gamut
from scheduling daily tasks self-hosting a website or using an Etsy store man-
aging client expectations and being realistic about how much time you need to
complete jobs
ldquoTh e time went quickly and people wanted morerdquo says Gil who envisions an all-
day seminar in 2016
Margaret Baggett owner and executive chef of the Chef Next Door is another
small business owner who has shared Gilrsquos vision from the very beginning teach-
copy Erin Lindsey
Facing page Michelle Odomrsquos fondant basics class begins with a styrofoam cake form Above Newbie photographers familiarize themselves with their cameras in Erin Lindseyrsquos photography class
ing knife skills workshops and helping host the business seminars ldquoI am so proud
to get to be a part of this project and help nurture other small business owners
who may just be starting out on their journey or are deep in it and looking for
some encouragement from other business ownersrdquo Baggett says of what motivates
her participation in Encourage Huntsville ldquoEven being on the advice-giving side
of things I am still learning and have taken tips and tricks and lessons from each
event we have had so far We never stop learning from each other and never stop
improving upon our craftsrdquo
Th e mutual growth among students and teachers is the source of the encourage-
mentmdashand the joymdashof Encourage Huntsville ldquoItrsquos so much fun to see the light
bulbs go off with people and see them encouraged right before your eyesrdquo Lindsey
says of her experience with the program ldquoPlus itrsquos a pleasure to contribute to a
sense of community over competition Th at whole concept is so rarerdquo
As Encourage Huntsvillersquos following continues to grow the diversity of the work-
shops will expand as well Whether you are looking to spend a fun afternoon
learning a new craft or are a budding small business owner hoping to launch
your brand Encourage Huntsville has something valuable to off er ldquoWe encourage
those left-brain folks to take up a new hobby or skillrdquo Baggett says ldquoor just encour-
age the people of Huntsville to get together and fan their creative fl amesrdquo
If yoursquore looking for
creative or entrepreneurial
encouragement visit
encouragehuntsvillecom
for seminar and workshop
schedules and information
ldquoI AM SO PROUD TO GET TO BE A PART OF THIS PROJECT AND HELP NURTURE OTHER SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS WHO MAY JUST BE STARTING OUT ON THEIR JOURNEY OR ARE DEEP IN IT
AND LOOKING FOR SOME ENCOURAGEMENT FROM OTHER BUSINESS OWNERSrdquoMARGARET BAGGETT CHEF NEXT DOOR
copy Jacki Gil
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
copy Jacki Gil
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Participants in Margaret Baggettrsquos knife skills workshop learn to perfect their ldquomise en placerdquo
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
copy Olivia Reed
text by sara wright covington raquo photos by olivia reed and jeff white
HUNTSVILLErsquoS
HOMEGROWNHOSTESS
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
ttttttononononoooooonononooooo raquo praquo praquo praquo praquo phothothothothotosoososos s s osos bybybbybb
Any host will tell you that delicious food and quality libations while important to
a partyrsquos success are secondary to the most important ingredient of all the guest list Th atrsquos why many
of downtown Huntsvillersquos most popular restaurants breweries and wine shops are turning to event
planner Ashley Ryals and her uncanny knack for attracting loyal patronsmdashand creating unforgettable
events in the process
When Huntsville born-and-bred Ashley Ryals left for college at the University of Alabama in 2001
she thought her exit from the Valley was permanent ldquoI never thought I would end up back hererdquo the
founder of event planning company Homegrown Huntsville says with a knowing laugh But after a few
post-graduate years working for world-renowned public relations powerhouse Weber Shandwick in
New York City Ryals started to second guess her freshman declaration
ldquoI started to get homesickrdquo she admits ldquoAll of my friends were getting married and meeting for football
games and I was missing itrdquo So when a friend from home set up an interview at EarlyWorks for a job
doing event planning Ryals jumped at the chance to come home
Ashley spent the next few years planning EarlyWorks Whistle Stop and Santarsquos Village events A brief
stint in sales followed along with a seat on the board of Huntsville Young Professionals where she had
an idea for a downtown pub crawl
ldquoWe expected 20 or 30 peoplerdquo Ryals says of their modest expectations ldquoBut 200 people showed uprdquo
Th at initial success convinced Ryals to embark on her dream of establishing an
event planning company But it wasnrsquot just any event planning company Ryals
had in mind she envisioned one that would collaborate with local businesses
cultivate signature events for the community to enjoy and support small busi-
nesses in the process
Inspired Ryals left her sales job and for the second time in her life came home
again to event planning and Homegrown Huntsville
To help bring her vision to life Ryals collaborated with designer Adrianne Van
Kirk of Fave Creative ldquoAdrianne has been a part of the visual and branding of
Homegrown from the beginning We come up with the event ideas then I get
the ticketing and sales together and she comes back with a logo and the mar-
keting for the event And thatrsquos how it all comes togetherrdquo Ryals says of their
creative process
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
ASHLEY RYALS
copy Olivia Reed
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
ldquoMOST WINE FESTIVALS ACROSS THE COUNTRY HAVE PROVEN RECORDS OF BEING ABLE TO STAY AROUND 15 OR 20 YEARS OR EVEN LONGER AND THE ECONOMIES OF THOSE
CITIES HAVE REALLY GROWN AS A RESULT I WANT BIG SPRING CRUSH TO EVENTUALLY BE THE BIGGEST AND BEST WINE FESTIVAL IN THE STATE OF ALABAMArdquo ASHLEY RYALS
copy Jeff White
copy Jeff White
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
copy Olivia Reed
Homegrown launched in 2011 with what would become its
signature event Dine amp Dash Every second Wednesday
April through October a trolley shuttles patrons between
downtown establishments where they are served a drink
and appetizer before moving on to the next stop
Owner and executive chef Merle Phillips of Th e Eaves was
one of the fi rst restaurants to sign on for Dine amp Dashrsquos de-
but ldquoAshley came to me and said she was starting a trolley
tasting conceptrdquo says Chef Merle ldquoI didnrsquot really know her so
I was taking a chance on the concept she was sellingrdquo
Merle tried it and has been a loyal participant of Dine amp
Dash ever since
ldquoIt was a risk in the beginning but it defi nitely paid off rdquo Chef
Merle says of the experience Pivotal to that experience ac-
cording to Phillips is Ryalsrsquo demonstration to the commu-
nity just what the term ldquohomegrownrdquo really means ldquoAshley
shines a spotlight on independent businesses in a market-
place that has for so long focused on chainsrdquo Phillips says
ldquoDine amp Dash has really brought into sharp focus the inter-
esting culinary diversity that Huntsville has to off errdquo
For the next two years Homegrown Huntsville focused al-
most exclusively on Dine amp Dash which by the end of its fi rst
year included every single downtown restaurant But when
big changes began to appear on the downtown horizonmdash
new restaurants breweries and residential developmentsmdash
Ryalsrsquo instincts told her
the time had come to
introduce a new event
to the downtown cal-
endar
ldquoBeer Hop follows
the concept of Dine
amp Dashrdquo Ryals says of
Homegrownrsquos second
venture which began
in 2013 Each month a
trolley visits three dif-
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
BILL FOWLEROLD TOWN BEER
EXCHANGE
copy Olivia Reed
copy Olivia Reed
ferent breweries where patrons sample beers and enjoy food
from a variety of food trucks parked at each location
Bill Fowler managing partner of Old Town Beer Exchange
agreed to participate in Beer Hop on his very fi rst day of
business and credits Ryals with an overwhelmingly success-
ful opening night ldquoAshley said lsquoI can guarantee that you are
going to have wave after wave of people coming throughrsquordquo
Fowler says recalling that fi rst jittery occasion Once again
Ryals proved true to her word with 60-plus patrons arriving
in an hour-and-a-half ldquoIt was awesome and such a great ex-
perience for usrdquo Fowler raves ldquoAshley is a hard worker and
you can see that in what she doesrdquo
Fowler believes that in addition to bringing new customers
to OTBX Ryals is also cultivating beer education consis-
tently bringing in people who are new to beer and want to
learn And with Huntsvillersquos recent brewery boom that level
of education and interest is crucial for the brewing commu-
nity to thrive ldquoWe have a very small window of opportunityrdquo
says Fowler ldquoI think Huntsville in particular is becoming a
craft brewing community People are making money at this
and once Tennessee sees that we need to already have had a
pretty huge head startrdquo
By the end of 2013 and with standing events Beer Hop and
Dine amp Dash well established Ryals took time to refl ect on
her original goal for Homegrown Huntsville ldquoIn the back of
my head from day one I knew I wanted to do a wine festival
I just didnrsquot think Huntsville was ready for it in 2011rdquo
Emboldened by the success of Beer Hop Ryals decided to
make the leap with Big Spring Crush wine festival later the
same year Once again Ryals delivered the perfect audience
for the event and in the process discovered a surprising
fact about North Alabamarsquos contribution to the wine-mak-
ing industry
ldquoIn doing the wine festival I learned that we have a huge
wine community in Huntsvillerdquo Ryals says ldquoTh ere are only
about 47 certifi ed wine judges in the entire United States
and we have four of them right here in North Alabama Two
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
copy Jeff White
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
ldquoI STARTED TO GET HOMESICK ALL OF MY FRIENDS WERE GETTING MARRIEDAND MEETING FOR FOOTBALL GAMES AND I WAS MISSING ITrdquo ASHLEY RYALS
copy Jeff White
copy Jeff White
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
ldquoIT WAS AWESOME AND SUCH A GREAT EXPERIENCE FOR USrdquoBILL FOWLER OLD TOWN BEER EXCHANGE
copy Jeff White
copy Olivia Reed
of those four certifi ed wine judges sit on the committee for
Big Spring Crushrdquo
Matthew and Stephanie Mell had just opened Church Street
Wine Shop when they decided to participate in the fi rst Big
Spring Crush Like OTBXrsquos Robert Fowler the Mells credit
Ryals and Homegrown Huntsville for helping to introduce
their new enterprise to the community ldquoAshley has been in-
strumental in helping to bring us people who love and ap-
preciate winerdquo Stephanie Mell says ldquoShe was homegrown
here in Huntsville and she really gets the downtown area
and small businesses and that is so important to usrdquo
Big Spring Crush began with a bang featuring over 150
wines and attracting patrons from across the country
ldquoMost wine festivals across the country have proven records
of being able to stay around 15 or 20 years or even longerrdquo
Ryals says ldquoAnd the economies of those cities have really
grown as a result I want Big Spring Crush to eventually be
the biggest and best wine festival in the state of Alabamardquo
How does Ryals intend to make that dream come true ldquoBy
always keeping it fresh I want to have new marketing and
new things happening each yearrdquo
Ryalsrsquo formula of reinvention and expansion has successfully
led Homegrown Huntsville through fi ve years of success and
helped its events become community staples along the way In
the process Ryals is broadening more than just our image of
downtown Huntsville shersquos joining a class of creative entrepre-
neurs committed to expanding Huntsvillersquos reputation as more
than just a hub for the brightest scientifi c minds in America
ldquoWe have a big city of engineers and lawyers and itrsquos won-
derfulrdquo Ryals say ldquo But there is a whole artist and food cul-
ture here and there is so much growth I want us to have a
vibrant cool downtown area and I want for people to tell
their friends to come and visit and to see Huntsville for what
it is a city I loverdquo
If yoursquod like to participate in Homegrown Huntsville either
as a guest or a participating business visit homegrown-
huntsvillecom
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
copy Jeff White
I was years old and the year was At that time the city of Huntsville was inching toward the mountain to the east California Street was once the continental divide between the small town metropo-lis and the uncharted territories gingerly crossed by the real estate pioneers four score and some odd years prior Th is area became the new suburb as the city kept pushing onward toward Fagan Springs as if the reverberating booms of rocket testings were vibrating Hunstvillians away from its epicenter
From the front yard of our house on Owens Drive I could look to the rightmdashup the hill to the bend be-yond which the big houses stood on their rocky ledge pedestals and to the left where all the other houses that looked just like oursmdashfresh and newmdashrambled for what seemed like miles Th ose clean well-lit abodes all seemed the same and granted at my age I knew more about the pets that lived there than I did about the people who owned those manageable mortgages I came to realize that each was diff erent in a way that was permeated by voices smells and furnishings
It is a clicheacute to say that our lives were simpler then because that is just how the current era will be fondly referred to in the future but to a 5-year-old it is the simplicity that brought the joy Th e sixties will always be to me the beginning of the age of manufactured happiness Cheap clean and simple was what was strived for and what was easily obtained Plastic items were plentiful and pretty things could be bought with SampH Green Stamps A few coins in our pocket would transfer us into the most master of manipula-tors with us giving our all to convince our parents for a jaunt to Murdockrsquos for a holiday of wonderment joy and impatience as we would scour the shelves trying to get the most from our meager budget
Owens Drive was the fairly new thoroughfare from which the avenues of three-bedroom-ranchers fi ngered away at planned intervals Th is was the place where newlyweds started their lives homes and families Where girls with last names that had been in the town for generations would change them to those strange and exotic last names of the clean cut newcomers brought here for military purposes Where the housewives would preheat their pristine electric ovens trying to make cheese straws and biscuits that were just like their motherrsquos only to be frustrated as they were never quite the same and where the husbands would follow in their fatherrsquos footsteps by joining the Acme Club and hunting doves on the weekends
Th ere was a swimming pool Certainly not at our house Th e only private pool I remember as a child was one that my grandmother would take me to nestled between huge trees at someonersquos house on Adams Street I would swim with other children my age while our grandmothers chatted smoking cigarettes in cat-eyed anonymity whispering most of their stories so we wouldnrsquot be able to hear But between their
gasps and laughter we would listen hear and learn
Th e Blossomwood pool was a place of designated rules and the sound of bright whistlesmdashwith straight lines and distinctive colors of blue and green I can still feel the Coppertoned oiliness on the skin of the tanned lifeguard as she carried me from the deep end frightened after my fi rst attempt at solo-swimming She knew my name I had no idea who she was
On the other side of the pool was the school my older sister attended It had a style that mim-icked the poolmdashstraight lines cleanmdasha temple to orderliness and good manners It was with
awe that I once watched the young adults there some as old as eleven wind and dance their way around a sky-high fl agpolemdasheach with a diff erent color ribbon until the fi rst (and only) May Pole
I was privy to was completely dressed in its woven bright colors
90 raquo bless their hearts raquo Guy McClure Jr
Huntsville was a magical place for us tail-end baby boomers to grow upmdashbeyond the miracles of the escalator at Pizitz the smiling little lady on the tall stool at the register at Britlings There was a comfort level there that Irsquom not sure is in the minds of the 5-year-olds of today
cat-eyed agasps
Th s
aI w
THE COMFORTS OF BLOSSOMWOOD
In our world of red-bricked carported castles there was a def-inite division of generations Th e children ate separately from the parents went to school as our dads went to work enter-tained our neighborhood friends as quietly as possible and felt safe between our boundaries of Big Cove Road and Hermitage Street While we dined on our Chef Boy-Ar-Dee boxed pizza our parents busied themselves dressing in their dark colors getting ready for a late dinner at Boots having the scent of perfume and face powder trail my mother as she came into the kitchen looking for something with an intense purpose My father would smell of British Sterling and look just as he did when he went to work only happier Th ese nights meant something fun would happenmdashwe would have a babysitter
Babysitters were my introduction into what was and still seems cool Th ey were usually Huntsville High School teen-agers who would put on a show without even knowing it I would drink in their every move word and essence of style To me they were supermodelsmdashmovie starsmdasheven more fa-mous in my eyes than a television weatherman and almost as glamorous as the waitresses at the Waffl e House
Before they would tire of me and my sister and put us to bed they would include us in their world of music and knowledge which I thought was all-encompassing Suddenly our world of Th e Benny Carl Show and Fantasy Playhouse would seem trite and passeacute and we would catch a fl eeting glimpse into what would be in store for us when we too could stay up past 8 pm
Huntsville was a magical place for us tail-end baby boomers to grow upmdashbeyond the miracles of the escalator at Pizitz the smiling little lady on the tall stool at the register at Britlings and that bright colorful Maypole Th ere was a comfort level there that Irsquom not sure is in the minds of the 5-year-olds of todaymdashthe soothing sheltered lack of knowledge of why we were so lucky yet we didnrsquot even know that we were
In the other areas of our Huntsville there was poverty and ra-cial unrestmdashas there was and is in every city I was unaware People of color were always a part of my worldmdashmostly be-cause they had my attention and respect At our house there was Annie my grandmotherrsquos house was fi lled with the joys of Lula and out on the family farm there was strong and smiling Homer and large and huggable Rosamdashall just as much a part of my life as everyone else My life was good and they were instrumental in making it that way
What will the 5-year-olds of today who are lucky enough to be raised on those well-planned streets remember when they surpass their own 50 year mark It is a much more complex world now and there are diff erent concerns with daily changes of fear Youthful innocence is a prize that is encased without a lock Premature maturity is a viable threat and a constant fear But each night tucked in tight in a simple room sleeps tomor-rowrsquos adults who are having sweet dreamsmdashblanketed by the comforts of Blossomwood
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
92 raquo the vine raquo Amy C Collins
BORDEAUX POWER
Where Burgundyrsquos vineyards were established by Benedictine monks patiently growing wine vines with spiritual hearts Bordeauxrsquos vineyards were raised by entrepreneurial laymen who recognized the massive monetary opportunity when the English began drinking down their peasant wine
The city of Bordeaux is Francersquos primary port town on the Atlantic ocean a harbor that has for centuries served as the countryrsquos most important dock Th e regionrsquos history is long and storied with the fi rst written reference to the area dated 379 AD by the Latin poet Ausonius who was also a wine-grower Jump ahead to the year 1152 when Eleanor of Aquitaine married Englandrsquos soon-to-be king Henry Plantagenet and the port and surrounding vineyard land became the source of wine for the English a connection that remains strong even today
Bordeaux produces the worldrsquos most expensive and sought after collector wines the top tier of which make up less than fi ve percent of the regionrsquos total production Th ese names are quickly learned by neophyte wine drinkers wanting to make an impression Chateau Haut-Brion Lafi te Latour and Margaux for example Grown in gravelly soils only a few meters above sea levelmdashin contrast vineyards elsewhere in Europe typically sit between 300 and 900 metersmdashthese wines are some of the most powerful austere and pawed over When young the tannins in these cabernet sauvignon cabernet franc and merlot blends coat the tongue and mouth with a chalky dry sensation akin to sucking on an Earl Grey tea bag and are perhaps best suited to well-fatted rare steak and cigars Th ese are wines built to live for decades Personally I prefer a Bordeaux at least 20 years aged when the tannins have had ample time to calm down and mellow out and more nuanced fl avors come forward Sounds fancy and it is Only in some very lucky circumstances over the past year have I been guest to a bottle of 1990 Clos de Menuts Saint-Eacutemilion and a 1970 Chateau Haut-Brion About once every 10 years Irsquove had the good
fortune to taste a wine older than myself Nice work if you can get it
Where Burgundyrsquos vineyards (Francersquos other classifi ed sought-after region) were established by Benedictine monks patiently growing wine vines with spiritual hearts
Bordeauxrsquos vineyards were raised by entrepreneurial laymen who recognized the massive monetary opportunity when the English began drinking down their peasant wine Th is underscores the second half of my theory as to why Americans
more often American males are so drawn to the wines of Bordeaux Th erersquos an inherent capitalist connection something in the soil Th at the wines are so
unmistakable so distinctively grand and pronounced elixirs exemplifi es the fi rst half of my theory we Americans are not known for our subtlety (To be fair the Chinese are
signifi cant Bordeaux collectors as well)
Philosophy aside Bordeaux is quite a large region that produces beautiful white and red values as well as the rare fi nds out of the populacersquos price range Herersquos the skinny Blending is the game single varietal wines are rare White Bordeaux is typically made from a blend of sauvignon blanc and seacutemillon and sometimes a drop or two of muscadelle ugni blanc or colombard Reds are made primarily from the two cabernets plus merlot with small quantities of petit verdot malbec and carmenegravere occasionally in the mix Th e region is also home to the golden nectar of late ripened seacutemillon sauvignon blanc and muscadelle grapes that have successfully attracted the noble rot a fungus that covers the fruit and drains moisture from inside leaving behind rich sweet grapes without moldy fl avors Chateau drsquoYquem is the most famous of these unfortifi ed dessert wines though there are better bargains from the region
Bordeaux is split by the Gironde river which divides the region into three general areas Th e left bank also known as the Haut-Meacutedoc is where the classifi ed top growths are situated Th ese prestigious estates were named for their exceptional vineyard sites in 1855 a decision nearly unchanged since Today serious collectors invest in Bordeaux futures theoretically locking down lower prices of top
ample time to calm dit is Only in some vede Menuts Saint-Eacutem
fortune to taste a
Wherees
aun
of msignifi
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Follow Amy at pigandvinecom for morestories and wine suggestions
growth estates while the wine is still aging in the cellar Itrsquos the wine tradersquos equivalent to the NASDAQ On the right bank Saint-Eacutemilion and Pommerol are the prized vineyard areas known for their merlot heavy cuveacutees To the south west we fi nd Graves where there are many great values to be had in both white and red bottlings Entre-Deux-Mers which translates to ldquobetween two seasrdquo sits between the Dordogne and Garonne tributaries off the Gironde and is an excellent source for crisp whites
Get started on your Bordeaux experience with these values
Chateau Graville-Lacoste 2014 Graves 75 seacutemillon 20 sauvignon blanc and 5 muscadelle make up this beauty thatrsquos consistently delicious every vintage Crisp and refreshing great with seafood
Chateau Mirambeau 2014 GravesAnother classic blend of 40 sauvignon blanc 40 seacutemillon and 20 muscadelle this lovely white is a bit more fl oral than the Graville-Lacoste Easy drinking and great value
Chateau de Parenchegravere Bordeaux Rouge 201155 merlot 30 cabernet sauvignon and 15 cabernet franc grown in clay heavy soils similar to the right bank of the region Fleshy with good structure and abundant red fruit
Chateau Arnaud Bordeaux Supeacuterieur 2011Supeacuterieur on a Bordeaux label isnrsquot egotistical marketingmdashby law it indicates a wine with up to one degree more alcohol than its AC Bordeaux brethren What it really means is one more degree of body structure and in this case quality Approachable delicious and easy on the wallet
Chateau de Bernadotte Haut-Meacutedoc 2005Th e 2005 vintage in Bordeaux is in the history books with double asterisks Owned by the eminent Pichon Lalande family and made from vineyards in Paulliac one of the more choice growing areas in the region this is an incredible value a top tier Bordeaux for a fraction of the cost
Chateau de Suduiraut Sauternes 2011Ripe cantaloupe apricot and honey and an interesting smoky note with a solid sweet attack followed by great acidity A dessert wine that wonrsquot overpower the dessert
94 raquo parting shot raquo Patrick Hood
Meet Solvar
Solvar belongs to one of the worldrsquos oldest and purest equine lineages the Nor-
wegian Fjord horse a breed that has remained virtually unchanged for more than
2000 yearsmdashlong before we became acquainted with his animated cousins in
the movie Frozen Th ese national symbols of Norway are characterized by primi-
tive zebra striping on their legs and a dorsal stripe running from forelock to tail
resulting in a striking two-tone mane that sticks up like a Mohawk Th eir athleti-
cism agility and dependability make them valuable both as sport horses as well
as therapy horses for emotionally and physically challenged adults and children
Catie Wells of Huntsville is the proud owner of Solvar who resides at Monte
Sano Stables
For tickets or information 256-539-4818 or hsoorg
Bring In the New Year With Us
presents
WHAT A WONDERFUL
WORLDA tribute to Louis
Armstrong featuring the
Byron Stripling Quartet
Thursday December 31
730 pm bull Pops Series bullMark C Smith
Concert Hall VBC
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
M O R E T H A N 7 0 S H O P S A N D R E S T A U R A N T S I N C L U D I N G B E L K | D S W S H O E S | A P P L E J O S A B A N K | R E E D S J E W E L E R S | PA N D O R A | J C R E W | K AT E S PA D E N E W Y O R KO R V I S | B A N A N A R E P U B L I C | M I C H A E L K O R S | F R A N C E S C Arsquo S | A N T H R O P O L O G I EH amp M | S O M A | M O U N T A I N H I G H O U T F I T T E R S | B A R N E S amp N O B L E | S E P H O R AALTAR rsquoD STATE | CONNORS STEAK amp SEFOOD | THE WEST IN HUNTSV I L L E | MONACO P ICTURES
C O M I N G S O O N V E R S O N A ndash near Belk
B R I D G E S T R E E T H U N T S V I L L E C O M |
BR IDGE STREET TOWN CENTRE I S LOCATED AT EX I T 14 OFF I - 565 AT OLD MAD ISON P IKE
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
ldquoIt is hard for me to let a pot just dry Irsquom as excited to do this as I was 30 years agordquo
Robinson makes most of her pots on a wheel using oxides to change the color of clay she gets from Nashville and Pittsburgh Her pottery takes several weeks from start to fi nish depending on how large a pot is and how many she makes at a time
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
ldquoAttend to your childrenrsquos needs fi rst keep focus on what you want to douse the happiness joy and little breaks you get to make your artTh ey grow real fast and they will keep inspiring you all your liferdquo
Robinson imagined this bat-like design as she was working She usually begins a piece with a design in mind but that often evolves
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Robinson uses an overlay of liquid clay called engobemdashthat includes three to four layersmdashto create a
base on which to design
Th ere is high risk in making pottery and hours of work can be wasted on a pot that has not dried en-
tirely before it enters the kiln Air pockets or the wrong mixture of chemicals can ruin a piece
ldquoArt is involved but science is toordquo says Laura Smith director of education at the Huntsville Museum
of Art where Robinson has taught pottery classes ldquoItrsquos more labor intensive in terms of working with
the medium whether yoursquore building by hand or with a wheel until you fi re with the fi nal layer of glazerdquo
Th e result is sturdy pottery
ldquoI want my pots to look like something that is lasting a long timerdquo Robinson says
Th ough she works solitarily in her studio she says she does not get lonely Her birds and music keep her
company and each stage of pottery making has a soundtrack She uses needlepoint tools to draw onto
clay to Jose Feliciano and other Latin American musicians
ldquoIf Irsquom at the wheel Bruno Marsrdquo she says ldquoIf Irsquom unloading the kiln and something is really awesome
then I need something moving and I have on Motownrdquo
Robinsonrsquos years of experience minimize the risk of damaged pots but she says her greatest challenge
as a potter was balancing her work while raising her two children Now adults their candid childhood
pictures and those of her grandchildren cover the warm green walls of her studio
She met her husband the poet James Robinson in 1977 on a Greyhound bus when she returned to
Mexico City from visiting a friend at the University of Southern Mississippi He was heading to Mexico
to study at a university Th ey married six months later After giving birth to her daughter Annie Jane in
Mexico City in 1982 the family moved to Huntsville in 1985 Th at is when Robinson got more serious
about her pottery
ldquoFrom the very beginning when I moved to Alabama I knew I was going to have to do thisrdquo she said
ldquoIn some ways it was a way for me to keep connected to my heritagerdquo
She took even 15 minutes of free time to work in the studio behind her home and worked late into the
night while her daughter and son Isidoro born in 1987 slept Having a home studio allowed her to
wash clothes tend to her home and drop off lunches at school while maintaining her art
ldquoTh ere was something for me when I fi rst became a mother that fueled my creativityrdquo Robinson says
ldquoTh ey are such a social inspiration too It fi lls your liferdquo
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Robinson advises fellow artists who are mothers to seize
both roles but to prioritize motherhood
ldquoAttend to your childrenrsquos needs fi rst keep focus on what you
want to do use the happiness joy and little breaks you get
to make your artrdquo she says ldquoTh ey grow real fast and they will
keep inspiring you all your liferdquo
Anna Sue Courtney director of the Flying Monkey Arts
Center at Lowe Mill has known Robinson for more than
10 years She says she admires how mothers and artists like
Robinson seamlessly embrace both roles
ldquoIt seems therersquos not a separation between creating and rais-
ing childrenrdquo Courtney says ldquoTh ey seem to pull from the
same placerdquo
Part of Robinsonrsquos motivation at Lowe Mill comes from
working privately in a studio alongside other artists that fos-
ters a community of feedback and ideas
ldquoItrsquos nice to be here because you can take a break and walk around and get inspirationrdquo Courtney says
ldquoItrsquos refreshingrdquo
When she needs a break from the studio Robinson stays home to sketch designs for a day or two then
she is back in the studio
Trips twice a year to Mexico City keep her plugged in to her native culture which in turn shows up in
her pottery
ldquoI have to recharge myselfrdquo Robinson says ldquoI love Huntsville and loved raising my kids here but I still
have the need of going back to be recharged and smell all the smells and see all the colors and get on
the subway and be pushed aroundrdquo
Details from her trips that infl uence her work include the ever-present red that covers the city during
the celebration of Dia de los Muertos or the Day of the Dead Th e pyramids of Teotihuacan conjure
warm earth tones and fl oating gardens around the city yield sweet pungent calla lilies and carnations
Celebration of food tough women and nature reappear in her pottery qualities that both Southern and
Mexican cultures treasure
Above This daisy design is character-istic of Robinsonrsquos work Nature food and strong females from her native Mexico City and the South are strong creative infl uences
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Clockwise from top left Robinson often glazes only the inside of her pots so they can hold water and food She began quilting in 2002 and her quilts like her pottery contain earth tones and natural infl uences in their design Four birds keep Robinson company in what can be the isolating medium of pottery making Geometry and symmetry are two signature elements in Robinsonrsquos work according to Laura Smith director of education at the Huntsville Museum of Art
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Just as she keeps her home country close to her heart Robinson is loyal to her fi rst
love of pottery though she began making quilts in 2002
ldquoIrsquom a potter who likes to quiltrdquo she says
Like her pottery her quilting follows designs of organic nature such as fl owers and
crops on rich jewel tone cotton
ldquoWhen I fi rst saw one of her quilts I didnrsquot realize it was hers and I thought that
looks like it should be Guadalupersquos quiltrdquo Courtney says
Robinson prefers the immediate gratifi cation of clay
ldquoItrsquos a very responsive mediumrdquo she says ldquoYou can manipulate it Th e fact of mak-
ing something out of dirt out of nothing and making it durable making it perma-
nent that after going through the heat and maturing is something very excitingrdquo
She gently dings a pot covered with white dresses titled ldquoTehuana Dressrdquo to make
her point
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
887 FM Muscle Shoals bull 1007 FM Huntsvillewwwaprorg
News classicalmusic and more
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
copy Patrick Hood
text by sara wright covington raquo photos by jacki gil
patrick hood erin lindsey and michelle odom
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
copy Patrick Hood
ldquoA LOT OF PEOPLE HAD BEEN ASKING ME QUESTIONS ABOUTHOW I GOT MY BUSINESS STARTED I WANTED TO GATHER SOME PEOPLE AROUND ME
WHO WERE GOING THROUGH THOSE STRUGGLES AND TOBUILD ENTREPRENEURIAL COURAGErdquo
JACKI GIL SALT+PAPERIE
copy Patrick Hood
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
untsville-born Jacki Gil began her paper design busi-
ness Salt+Paperie in 2014 with an expansive vision
in mind one that extended beyond creating beautiful
custom designed paper goods ldquoI love my design job
but when Irsquom 50 years old I donrsquot see myself still de-
signing wedding invitationsrdquo the master stationer says
ldquoI really have a passion for teaching and helping people
I want to be a mentorrdquo
In 2015 Gil set out on her mentoring mission sooner than expected with a series
of workshops called Encourage Huntsville ldquoA lot of people had been asking me
questions about how I got my business startedrdquo Gil says about the early days of
Salt+Paperie Even though most of those questions from entrepreneurial-hopefuls
were technicalmdashlike how to apply for a business licensemdashthey served as inspira-
tion for Gil ldquoI wanted to gather some people around me who were going through
those struggles and to build entrepreneurial courage I defi nitely saw that there
was a need for helping people to take that next step toward owning their own
businessesrdquo
Encourage Huntsville was modeled on the image of a growing small business
movement called the Rising Tide Society a national community of creative small
business owners who encourage ldquocommunity over competitionrdquo Th at spirit of
openness is at the heart of Encourage Huntsville ldquoCommunity over competition
is a huge part of what we are doingrdquo says Gil ldquoSmall business owners sharing how
they earn their money is a big dealrdquo
As a fi rst step Gil gathered others around her who were using their skills and abili-
ties to make their own small businesses work With talents ranging from cooking
and cake decorating to hand lettering and artwork these small business owners
all embraced Gilrsquos vision for imparting to others the knowledge of their craft un-
impeded by a fear of losing their competitive edge
Th e fi rst lesson Gil wanted to impart to Encourage Huntsvillersquos students wasnrsquot
necessarily a particular craft or skill but a spirt of creative confi dence ldquoWe want-
ed to bridge the gap between the very artsy community and the ultimate engineer
communityrdquo many of whom Gil observes had been told since childhood they
werenrsquot artistic ldquoWhen you are little and someone tells you that you donrsquot have a
talent it sticks with you I found that a lot of people had that experience so that
was the workshop partmdashto build some creative courage in this communityrdquo
Gil conducted the fi rst workshop herself testing the waters to see how the concept
would be received Th e admission price to that fi rst workshop included supplies a
take-home ldquogoody bagrdquo to help students continue their work extracurricularly and
refreshmentsmdashas well as Gilrsquos tips of her trade
ldquoWe went in blindly not knowing if we had a market or notrdquo says Gil Th e popular-
ity of that fi rst class proved undeniably that a market did in fact exist the work-
shop sold out in one day ldquoSo we did back-to-back workshopsrdquo Gil says ldquoAfter that
novemberdecembeeer eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee | nononoononononononoonoonononooooonoonoonnononnoaaalalalllaallllllalaalaaalal ststustust ddiossscom mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm | | | | | | | | | | |
f
w
y
Previous page Encourage Huntsvillersquos founder and instructor Jacki Gil teaches a class in hand lettering Facing page A participant studies her supply list
we realized people really want to do this stuff So we said lsquoletrsquos jump on the boat
and make this happenrsquordquo
Gilrsquos longtime friend photographer Erin Lindsey of Erin Lindsey Images agreed
to contribute to Encourage Huntsvillersquos curriculum by teaching a photography
class ldquoJacki and I are a good team because our hearts are in the same place when
it comes to encouraging othersrdquo Lindsey says Still she admits saying yes to teach-
ing wasnrsquot without some initial hesitation ldquoWhen Jacki asked if I would teach a
class it was kind of scary I thought I had to be perfect before I could teach oth-
ersrdquo Lindsey says of her initial hesitancy ldquoBut after talking to Jacki I realized none
of us are perfectrdquo But perfection isnrsquot the goal encouragement is the goal ldquoAnd I
thought lsquoI can defi nitely line up with that visionrsquordquo
Michelle Odom another Huntsville native and owner of custom cake bakery Just
Crumbs was also on board with Gilrsquos vision In fact Odom had been contemplat-
ing teaching a class when she was approached by Gil to teach a fondant basics
class ldquoHuntsville is such an engineer town and everyone is so mathematical and
scientifi crdquo Odom says echoing the dichotomy between the arts and sciences ex-
pressed by Gil ldquoTh ese workshops are just a very cool way for structured people to
have a creative outletrdquo
ldquoJACKI AND I ARE A GOOD TEAM BECAUSE OUR HEARTS ARE INTHE SAME PLACE WHEN IT COMES TO ENCOURAGING OTHERSrdquo
ERIN LINDSEY ERIN LINDSEY IMAGES
copy Erin Lindsey
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Above A participant in Erin Lindseyrsquos photo class frames a still life
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
copy Erin Lindsey
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
ldquoHUNTSVILLE IS SUCH AN ENGINEER TOWN AND EVERYONE ISSO MATHEMATICAL AND SCIENTIFIC THESE WORKSHOPS ARE JUST A VERY COOL
WAY FOR STRUCTURED PEOPLE TO HAVE A CREATIVE OUTLETrdquo MICHELLE ODOM JUST CRUMBS
copy Michelle Odom
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
ldquoAnd yesrdquo Odom acknowledges ldquoyou are in theory teaching your competition But
at the same time you are helping the community be more creativerdquo
With its roster of popular creative workshops under its belt Encourage Huntsville
has added business classes to its community-over-competition curriculum with
classes designed to provide specifi c guidance for small business owners ldquoAll of
our events that donrsquot require hands-on work we call seminarsrdquo says Gil ldquoWe had
about 15 people at our fi rst one It was pretty much just an open discussion to ask
us questions and get answers from the perspective of a small business ownerrdquo
Th e seminars enjoyed the same success and enthusiasm as the workshops ldquoWe
had two hours for people to ask questionsrdquo Gil says Topics covered ran the gamut
from scheduling daily tasks self-hosting a website or using an Etsy store man-
aging client expectations and being realistic about how much time you need to
complete jobs
ldquoTh e time went quickly and people wanted morerdquo says Gil who envisions an all-
day seminar in 2016
Margaret Baggett owner and executive chef of the Chef Next Door is another
small business owner who has shared Gilrsquos vision from the very beginning teach-
copy Erin Lindsey
Facing page Michelle Odomrsquos fondant basics class begins with a styrofoam cake form Above Newbie photographers familiarize themselves with their cameras in Erin Lindseyrsquos photography class
ing knife skills workshops and helping host the business seminars ldquoI am so proud
to get to be a part of this project and help nurture other small business owners
who may just be starting out on their journey or are deep in it and looking for
some encouragement from other business ownersrdquo Baggett says of what motivates
her participation in Encourage Huntsville ldquoEven being on the advice-giving side
of things I am still learning and have taken tips and tricks and lessons from each
event we have had so far We never stop learning from each other and never stop
improving upon our craftsrdquo
Th e mutual growth among students and teachers is the source of the encourage-
mentmdashand the joymdashof Encourage Huntsville ldquoItrsquos so much fun to see the light
bulbs go off with people and see them encouraged right before your eyesrdquo Lindsey
says of her experience with the program ldquoPlus itrsquos a pleasure to contribute to a
sense of community over competition Th at whole concept is so rarerdquo
As Encourage Huntsvillersquos following continues to grow the diversity of the work-
shops will expand as well Whether you are looking to spend a fun afternoon
learning a new craft or are a budding small business owner hoping to launch
your brand Encourage Huntsville has something valuable to off er ldquoWe encourage
those left-brain folks to take up a new hobby or skillrdquo Baggett says ldquoor just encour-
age the people of Huntsville to get together and fan their creative fl amesrdquo
If yoursquore looking for
creative or entrepreneurial
encouragement visit
encouragehuntsvillecom
for seminar and workshop
schedules and information
ldquoI AM SO PROUD TO GET TO BE A PART OF THIS PROJECT AND HELP NURTURE OTHER SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS WHO MAY JUST BE STARTING OUT ON THEIR JOURNEY OR ARE DEEP IN IT
AND LOOKING FOR SOME ENCOURAGEMENT FROM OTHER BUSINESS OWNERSrdquoMARGARET BAGGETT CHEF NEXT DOOR
copy Jacki Gil
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
copy Jacki Gil
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Participants in Margaret Baggettrsquos knife skills workshop learn to perfect their ldquomise en placerdquo
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
copy Olivia Reed
text by sara wright covington raquo photos by olivia reed and jeff white
HUNTSVILLErsquoS
HOMEGROWNHOSTESS
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
ttttttononononoooooonononooooo raquo praquo praquo praquo praquo phothothothothotosoososos s s osos bybybbybb
Any host will tell you that delicious food and quality libations while important to
a partyrsquos success are secondary to the most important ingredient of all the guest list Th atrsquos why many
of downtown Huntsvillersquos most popular restaurants breweries and wine shops are turning to event
planner Ashley Ryals and her uncanny knack for attracting loyal patronsmdashand creating unforgettable
events in the process
When Huntsville born-and-bred Ashley Ryals left for college at the University of Alabama in 2001
she thought her exit from the Valley was permanent ldquoI never thought I would end up back hererdquo the
founder of event planning company Homegrown Huntsville says with a knowing laugh But after a few
post-graduate years working for world-renowned public relations powerhouse Weber Shandwick in
New York City Ryals started to second guess her freshman declaration
ldquoI started to get homesickrdquo she admits ldquoAll of my friends were getting married and meeting for football
games and I was missing itrdquo So when a friend from home set up an interview at EarlyWorks for a job
doing event planning Ryals jumped at the chance to come home
Ashley spent the next few years planning EarlyWorks Whistle Stop and Santarsquos Village events A brief
stint in sales followed along with a seat on the board of Huntsville Young Professionals where she had
an idea for a downtown pub crawl
ldquoWe expected 20 or 30 peoplerdquo Ryals says of their modest expectations ldquoBut 200 people showed uprdquo
Th at initial success convinced Ryals to embark on her dream of establishing an
event planning company But it wasnrsquot just any event planning company Ryals
had in mind she envisioned one that would collaborate with local businesses
cultivate signature events for the community to enjoy and support small busi-
nesses in the process
Inspired Ryals left her sales job and for the second time in her life came home
again to event planning and Homegrown Huntsville
To help bring her vision to life Ryals collaborated with designer Adrianne Van
Kirk of Fave Creative ldquoAdrianne has been a part of the visual and branding of
Homegrown from the beginning We come up with the event ideas then I get
the ticketing and sales together and she comes back with a logo and the mar-
keting for the event And thatrsquos how it all comes togetherrdquo Ryals says of their
creative process
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
ASHLEY RYALS
copy Olivia Reed
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
ldquoMOST WINE FESTIVALS ACROSS THE COUNTRY HAVE PROVEN RECORDS OF BEING ABLE TO STAY AROUND 15 OR 20 YEARS OR EVEN LONGER AND THE ECONOMIES OF THOSE
CITIES HAVE REALLY GROWN AS A RESULT I WANT BIG SPRING CRUSH TO EVENTUALLY BE THE BIGGEST AND BEST WINE FESTIVAL IN THE STATE OF ALABAMArdquo ASHLEY RYALS
copy Jeff White
copy Jeff White
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
copy Olivia Reed
Homegrown launched in 2011 with what would become its
signature event Dine amp Dash Every second Wednesday
April through October a trolley shuttles patrons between
downtown establishments where they are served a drink
and appetizer before moving on to the next stop
Owner and executive chef Merle Phillips of Th e Eaves was
one of the fi rst restaurants to sign on for Dine amp Dashrsquos de-
but ldquoAshley came to me and said she was starting a trolley
tasting conceptrdquo says Chef Merle ldquoI didnrsquot really know her so
I was taking a chance on the concept she was sellingrdquo
Merle tried it and has been a loyal participant of Dine amp
Dash ever since
ldquoIt was a risk in the beginning but it defi nitely paid off rdquo Chef
Merle says of the experience Pivotal to that experience ac-
cording to Phillips is Ryalsrsquo demonstration to the commu-
nity just what the term ldquohomegrownrdquo really means ldquoAshley
shines a spotlight on independent businesses in a market-
place that has for so long focused on chainsrdquo Phillips says
ldquoDine amp Dash has really brought into sharp focus the inter-
esting culinary diversity that Huntsville has to off errdquo
For the next two years Homegrown Huntsville focused al-
most exclusively on Dine amp Dash which by the end of its fi rst
year included every single downtown restaurant But when
big changes began to appear on the downtown horizonmdash
new restaurants breweries and residential developmentsmdash
Ryalsrsquo instincts told her
the time had come to
introduce a new event
to the downtown cal-
endar
ldquoBeer Hop follows
the concept of Dine
amp Dashrdquo Ryals says of
Homegrownrsquos second
venture which began
in 2013 Each month a
trolley visits three dif-
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
BILL FOWLEROLD TOWN BEER
EXCHANGE
copy Olivia Reed
copy Olivia Reed
ferent breweries where patrons sample beers and enjoy food
from a variety of food trucks parked at each location
Bill Fowler managing partner of Old Town Beer Exchange
agreed to participate in Beer Hop on his very fi rst day of
business and credits Ryals with an overwhelmingly success-
ful opening night ldquoAshley said lsquoI can guarantee that you are
going to have wave after wave of people coming throughrsquordquo
Fowler says recalling that fi rst jittery occasion Once again
Ryals proved true to her word with 60-plus patrons arriving
in an hour-and-a-half ldquoIt was awesome and such a great ex-
perience for usrdquo Fowler raves ldquoAshley is a hard worker and
you can see that in what she doesrdquo
Fowler believes that in addition to bringing new customers
to OTBX Ryals is also cultivating beer education consis-
tently bringing in people who are new to beer and want to
learn And with Huntsvillersquos recent brewery boom that level
of education and interest is crucial for the brewing commu-
nity to thrive ldquoWe have a very small window of opportunityrdquo
says Fowler ldquoI think Huntsville in particular is becoming a
craft brewing community People are making money at this
and once Tennessee sees that we need to already have had a
pretty huge head startrdquo
By the end of 2013 and with standing events Beer Hop and
Dine amp Dash well established Ryals took time to refl ect on
her original goal for Homegrown Huntsville ldquoIn the back of
my head from day one I knew I wanted to do a wine festival
I just didnrsquot think Huntsville was ready for it in 2011rdquo
Emboldened by the success of Beer Hop Ryals decided to
make the leap with Big Spring Crush wine festival later the
same year Once again Ryals delivered the perfect audience
for the event and in the process discovered a surprising
fact about North Alabamarsquos contribution to the wine-mak-
ing industry
ldquoIn doing the wine festival I learned that we have a huge
wine community in Huntsvillerdquo Ryals says ldquoTh ere are only
about 47 certifi ed wine judges in the entire United States
and we have four of them right here in North Alabama Two
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
copy Jeff White
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
ldquoI STARTED TO GET HOMESICK ALL OF MY FRIENDS WERE GETTING MARRIEDAND MEETING FOR FOOTBALL GAMES AND I WAS MISSING ITrdquo ASHLEY RYALS
copy Jeff White
copy Jeff White
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
ldquoIT WAS AWESOME AND SUCH A GREAT EXPERIENCE FOR USrdquoBILL FOWLER OLD TOWN BEER EXCHANGE
copy Jeff White
copy Olivia Reed
of those four certifi ed wine judges sit on the committee for
Big Spring Crushrdquo
Matthew and Stephanie Mell had just opened Church Street
Wine Shop when they decided to participate in the fi rst Big
Spring Crush Like OTBXrsquos Robert Fowler the Mells credit
Ryals and Homegrown Huntsville for helping to introduce
their new enterprise to the community ldquoAshley has been in-
strumental in helping to bring us people who love and ap-
preciate winerdquo Stephanie Mell says ldquoShe was homegrown
here in Huntsville and she really gets the downtown area
and small businesses and that is so important to usrdquo
Big Spring Crush began with a bang featuring over 150
wines and attracting patrons from across the country
ldquoMost wine festivals across the country have proven records
of being able to stay around 15 or 20 years or even longerrdquo
Ryals says ldquoAnd the economies of those cities have really
grown as a result I want Big Spring Crush to eventually be
the biggest and best wine festival in the state of Alabamardquo
How does Ryals intend to make that dream come true ldquoBy
always keeping it fresh I want to have new marketing and
new things happening each yearrdquo
Ryalsrsquo formula of reinvention and expansion has successfully
led Homegrown Huntsville through fi ve years of success and
helped its events become community staples along the way In
the process Ryals is broadening more than just our image of
downtown Huntsville shersquos joining a class of creative entrepre-
neurs committed to expanding Huntsvillersquos reputation as more
than just a hub for the brightest scientifi c minds in America
ldquoWe have a big city of engineers and lawyers and itrsquos won-
derfulrdquo Ryals say ldquo But there is a whole artist and food cul-
ture here and there is so much growth I want us to have a
vibrant cool downtown area and I want for people to tell
their friends to come and visit and to see Huntsville for what
it is a city I loverdquo
If yoursquod like to participate in Homegrown Huntsville either
as a guest or a participating business visit homegrown-
huntsvillecom
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
copy Jeff White
I was years old and the year was At that time the city of Huntsville was inching toward the mountain to the east California Street was once the continental divide between the small town metropo-lis and the uncharted territories gingerly crossed by the real estate pioneers four score and some odd years prior Th is area became the new suburb as the city kept pushing onward toward Fagan Springs as if the reverberating booms of rocket testings were vibrating Hunstvillians away from its epicenter
From the front yard of our house on Owens Drive I could look to the rightmdashup the hill to the bend be-yond which the big houses stood on their rocky ledge pedestals and to the left where all the other houses that looked just like oursmdashfresh and newmdashrambled for what seemed like miles Th ose clean well-lit abodes all seemed the same and granted at my age I knew more about the pets that lived there than I did about the people who owned those manageable mortgages I came to realize that each was diff erent in a way that was permeated by voices smells and furnishings
It is a clicheacute to say that our lives were simpler then because that is just how the current era will be fondly referred to in the future but to a 5-year-old it is the simplicity that brought the joy Th e sixties will always be to me the beginning of the age of manufactured happiness Cheap clean and simple was what was strived for and what was easily obtained Plastic items were plentiful and pretty things could be bought with SampH Green Stamps A few coins in our pocket would transfer us into the most master of manipula-tors with us giving our all to convince our parents for a jaunt to Murdockrsquos for a holiday of wonderment joy and impatience as we would scour the shelves trying to get the most from our meager budget
Owens Drive was the fairly new thoroughfare from which the avenues of three-bedroom-ranchers fi ngered away at planned intervals Th is was the place where newlyweds started their lives homes and families Where girls with last names that had been in the town for generations would change them to those strange and exotic last names of the clean cut newcomers brought here for military purposes Where the housewives would preheat their pristine electric ovens trying to make cheese straws and biscuits that were just like their motherrsquos only to be frustrated as they were never quite the same and where the husbands would follow in their fatherrsquos footsteps by joining the Acme Club and hunting doves on the weekends
Th ere was a swimming pool Certainly not at our house Th e only private pool I remember as a child was one that my grandmother would take me to nestled between huge trees at someonersquos house on Adams Street I would swim with other children my age while our grandmothers chatted smoking cigarettes in cat-eyed anonymity whispering most of their stories so we wouldnrsquot be able to hear But between their
gasps and laughter we would listen hear and learn
Th e Blossomwood pool was a place of designated rules and the sound of bright whistlesmdashwith straight lines and distinctive colors of blue and green I can still feel the Coppertoned oiliness on the skin of the tanned lifeguard as she carried me from the deep end frightened after my fi rst attempt at solo-swimming She knew my name I had no idea who she was
On the other side of the pool was the school my older sister attended It had a style that mim-icked the poolmdashstraight lines cleanmdasha temple to orderliness and good manners It was with
awe that I once watched the young adults there some as old as eleven wind and dance their way around a sky-high fl agpolemdasheach with a diff erent color ribbon until the fi rst (and only) May Pole
I was privy to was completely dressed in its woven bright colors
90 raquo bless their hearts raquo Guy McClure Jr
Huntsville was a magical place for us tail-end baby boomers to grow upmdashbeyond the miracles of the escalator at Pizitz the smiling little lady on the tall stool at the register at Britlings There was a comfort level there that Irsquom not sure is in the minds of the 5-year-olds of today
cat-eyed agasps
Th s
aI w
THE COMFORTS OF BLOSSOMWOOD
In our world of red-bricked carported castles there was a def-inite division of generations Th e children ate separately from the parents went to school as our dads went to work enter-tained our neighborhood friends as quietly as possible and felt safe between our boundaries of Big Cove Road and Hermitage Street While we dined on our Chef Boy-Ar-Dee boxed pizza our parents busied themselves dressing in their dark colors getting ready for a late dinner at Boots having the scent of perfume and face powder trail my mother as she came into the kitchen looking for something with an intense purpose My father would smell of British Sterling and look just as he did when he went to work only happier Th ese nights meant something fun would happenmdashwe would have a babysitter
Babysitters were my introduction into what was and still seems cool Th ey were usually Huntsville High School teen-agers who would put on a show without even knowing it I would drink in their every move word and essence of style To me they were supermodelsmdashmovie starsmdasheven more fa-mous in my eyes than a television weatherman and almost as glamorous as the waitresses at the Waffl e House
Before they would tire of me and my sister and put us to bed they would include us in their world of music and knowledge which I thought was all-encompassing Suddenly our world of Th e Benny Carl Show and Fantasy Playhouse would seem trite and passeacute and we would catch a fl eeting glimpse into what would be in store for us when we too could stay up past 8 pm
Huntsville was a magical place for us tail-end baby boomers to grow upmdashbeyond the miracles of the escalator at Pizitz the smiling little lady on the tall stool at the register at Britlings and that bright colorful Maypole Th ere was a comfort level there that Irsquom not sure is in the minds of the 5-year-olds of todaymdashthe soothing sheltered lack of knowledge of why we were so lucky yet we didnrsquot even know that we were
In the other areas of our Huntsville there was poverty and ra-cial unrestmdashas there was and is in every city I was unaware People of color were always a part of my worldmdashmostly be-cause they had my attention and respect At our house there was Annie my grandmotherrsquos house was fi lled with the joys of Lula and out on the family farm there was strong and smiling Homer and large and huggable Rosamdashall just as much a part of my life as everyone else My life was good and they were instrumental in making it that way
What will the 5-year-olds of today who are lucky enough to be raised on those well-planned streets remember when they surpass their own 50 year mark It is a much more complex world now and there are diff erent concerns with daily changes of fear Youthful innocence is a prize that is encased without a lock Premature maturity is a viable threat and a constant fear But each night tucked in tight in a simple room sleeps tomor-rowrsquos adults who are having sweet dreamsmdashblanketed by the comforts of Blossomwood
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
92 raquo the vine raquo Amy C Collins
BORDEAUX POWER
Where Burgundyrsquos vineyards were established by Benedictine monks patiently growing wine vines with spiritual hearts Bordeauxrsquos vineyards were raised by entrepreneurial laymen who recognized the massive monetary opportunity when the English began drinking down their peasant wine
The city of Bordeaux is Francersquos primary port town on the Atlantic ocean a harbor that has for centuries served as the countryrsquos most important dock Th e regionrsquos history is long and storied with the fi rst written reference to the area dated 379 AD by the Latin poet Ausonius who was also a wine-grower Jump ahead to the year 1152 when Eleanor of Aquitaine married Englandrsquos soon-to-be king Henry Plantagenet and the port and surrounding vineyard land became the source of wine for the English a connection that remains strong even today
Bordeaux produces the worldrsquos most expensive and sought after collector wines the top tier of which make up less than fi ve percent of the regionrsquos total production Th ese names are quickly learned by neophyte wine drinkers wanting to make an impression Chateau Haut-Brion Lafi te Latour and Margaux for example Grown in gravelly soils only a few meters above sea levelmdashin contrast vineyards elsewhere in Europe typically sit between 300 and 900 metersmdashthese wines are some of the most powerful austere and pawed over When young the tannins in these cabernet sauvignon cabernet franc and merlot blends coat the tongue and mouth with a chalky dry sensation akin to sucking on an Earl Grey tea bag and are perhaps best suited to well-fatted rare steak and cigars Th ese are wines built to live for decades Personally I prefer a Bordeaux at least 20 years aged when the tannins have had ample time to calm down and mellow out and more nuanced fl avors come forward Sounds fancy and it is Only in some very lucky circumstances over the past year have I been guest to a bottle of 1990 Clos de Menuts Saint-Eacutemilion and a 1970 Chateau Haut-Brion About once every 10 years Irsquove had the good
fortune to taste a wine older than myself Nice work if you can get it
Where Burgundyrsquos vineyards (Francersquos other classifi ed sought-after region) were established by Benedictine monks patiently growing wine vines with spiritual hearts
Bordeauxrsquos vineyards were raised by entrepreneurial laymen who recognized the massive monetary opportunity when the English began drinking down their peasant wine Th is underscores the second half of my theory as to why Americans
more often American males are so drawn to the wines of Bordeaux Th erersquos an inherent capitalist connection something in the soil Th at the wines are so
unmistakable so distinctively grand and pronounced elixirs exemplifi es the fi rst half of my theory we Americans are not known for our subtlety (To be fair the Chinese are
signifi cant Bordeaux collectors as well)
Philosophy aside Bordeaux is quite a large region that produces beautiful white and red values as well as the rare fi nds out of the populacersquos price range Herersquos the skinny Blending is the game single varietal wines are rare White Bordeaux is typically made from a blend of sauvignon blanc and seacutemillon and sometimes a drop or two of muscadelle ugni blanc or colombard Reds are made primarily from the two cabernets plus merlot with small quantities of petit verdot malbec and carmenegravere occasionally in the mix Th e region is also home to the golden nectar of late ripened seacutemillon sauvignon blanc and muscadelle grapes that have successfully attracted the noble rot a fungus that covers the fruit and drains moisture from inside leaving behind rich sweet grapes without moldy fl avors Chateau drsquoYquem is the most famous of these unfortifi ed dessert wines though there are better bargains from the region
Bordeaux is split by the Gironde river which divides the region into three general areas Th e left bank also known as the Haut-Meacutedoc is where the classifi ed top growths are situated Th ese prestigious estates were named for their exceptional vineyard sites in 1855 a decision nearly unchanged since Today serious collectors invest in Bordeaux futures theoretically locking down lower prices of top
ample time to calm dit is Only in some vede Menuts Saint-Eacutem
fortune to taste a
Wherees
aun
of msignifi
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Follow Amy at pigandvinecom for morestories and wine suggestions
growth estates while the wine is still aging in the cellar Itrsquos the wine tradersquos equivalent to the NASDAQ On the right bank Saint-Eacutemilion and Pommerol are the prized vineyard areas known for their merlot heavy cuveacutees To the south west we fi nd Graves where there are many great values to be had in both white and red bottlings Entre-Deux-Mers which translates to ldquobetween two seasrdquo sits between the Dordogne and Garonne tributaries off the Gironde and is an excellent source for crisp whites
Get started on your Bordeaux experience with these values
Chateau Graville-Lacoste 2014 Graves 75 seacutemillon 20 sauvignon blanc and 5 muscadelle make up this beauty thatrsquos consistently delicious every vintage Crisp and refreshing great with seafood
Chateau Mirambeau 2014 GravesAnother classic blend of 40 sauvignon blanc 40 seacutemillon and 20 muscadelle this lovely white is a bit more fl oral than the Graville-Lacoste Easy drinking and great value
Chateau de Parenchegravere Bordeaux Rouge 201155 merlot 30 cabernet sauvignon and 15 cabernet franc grown in clay heavy soils similar to the right bank of the region Fleshy with good structure and abundant red fruit
Chateau Arnaud Bordeaux Supeacuterieur 2011Supeacuterieur on a Bordeaux label isnrsquot egotistical marketingmdashby law it indicates a wine with up to one degree more alcohol than its AC Bordeaux brethren What it really means is one more degree of body structure and in this case quality Approachable delicious and easy on the wallet
Chateau de Bernadotte Haut-Meacutedoc 2005Th e 2005 vintage in Bordeaux is in the history books with double asterisks Owned by the eminent Pichon Lalande family and made from vineyards in Paulliac one of the more choice growing areas in the region this is an incredible value a top tier Bordeaux for a fraction of the cost
Chateau de Suduiraut Sauternes 2011Ripe cantaloupe apricot and honey and an interesting smoky note with a solid sweet attack followed by great acidity A dessert wine that wonrsquot overpower the dessert
94 raquo parting shot raquo Patrick Hood
Meet Solvar
Solvar belongs to one of the worldrsquos oldest and purest equine lineages the Nor-
wegian Fjord horse a breed that has remained virtually unchanged for more than
2000 yearsmdashlong before we became acquainted with his animated cousins in
the movie Frozen Th ese national symbols of Norway are characterized by primi-
tive zebra striping on their legs and a dorsal stripe running from forelock to tail
resulting in a striking two-tone mane that sticks up like a Mohawk Th eir athleti-
cism agility and dependability make them valuable both as sport horses as well
as therapy horses for emotionally and physically challenged adults and children
Catie Wells of Huntsville is the proud owner of Solvar who resides at Monte
Sano Stables
For tickets or information 256-539-4818 or hsoorg
Bring In the New Year With Us
presents
WHAT A WONDERFUL
WORLDA tribute to Louis
Armstrong featuring the
Byron Stripling Quartet
Thursday December 31
730 pm bull Pops Series bullMark C Smith
Concert Hall VBC
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
M O R E T H A N 7 0 S H O P S A N D R E S T A U R A N T S I N C L U D I N G B E L K | D S W S H O E S | A P P L E J O S A B A N K | R E E D S J E W E L E R S | PA N D O R A | J C R E W | K AT E S PA D E N E W Y O R KO R V I S | B A N A N A R E P U B L I C | M I C H A E L K O R S | F R A N C E S C Arsquo S | A N T H R O P O L O G I EH amp M | S O M A | M O U N T A I N H I G H O U T F I T T E R S | B A R N E S amp N O B L E | S E P H O R AALTAR rsquoD STATE | CONNORS STEAK amp SEFOOD | THE WEST IN HUNTSV I L L E | MONACO P ICTURES
C O M I N G S O O N V E R S O N A ndash near Belk
B R I D G E S T R E E T H U N T S V I L L E C O M |
BR IDGE STREET TOWN CENTRE I S LOCATED AT EX I T 14 OFF I - 565 AT OLD MAD ISON P IKE
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
ldquoAttend to your childrenrsquos needs fi rst keep focus on what you want to douse the happiness joy and little breaks you get to make your artTh ey grow real fast and they will keep inspiring you all your liferdquo
Robinson imagined this bat-like design as she was working She usually begins a piece with a design in mind but that often evolves
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Robinson uses an overlay of liquid clay called engobemdashthat includes three to four layersmdashto create a
base on which to design
Th ere is high risk in making pottery and hours of work can be wasted on a pot that has not dried en-
tirely before it enters the kiln Air pockets or the wrong mixture of chemicals can ruin a piece
ldquoArt is involved but science is toordquo says Laura Smith director of education at the Huntsville Museum
of Art where Robinson has taught pottery classes ldquoItrsquos more labor intensive in terms of working with
the medium whether yoursquore building by hand or with a wheel until you fi re with the fi nal layer of glazerdquo
Th e result is sturdy pottery
ldquoI want my pots to look like something that is lasting a long timerdquo Robinson says
Th ough she works solitarily in her studio she says she does not get lonely Her birds and music keep her
company and each stage of pottery making has a soundtrack She uses needlepoint tools to draw onto
clay to Jose Feliciano and other Latin American musicians
ldquoIf Irsquom at the wheel Bruno Marsrdquo she says ldquoIf Irsquom unloading the kiln and something is really awesome
then I need something moving and I have on Motownrdquo
Robinsonrsquos years of experience minimize the risk of damaged pots but she says her greatest challenge
as a potter was balancing her work while raising her two children Now adults their candid childhood
pictures and those of her grandchildren cover the warm green walls of her studio
She met her husband the poet James Robinson in 1977 on a Greyhound bus when she returned to
Mexico City from visiting a friend at the University of Southern Mississippi He was heading to Mexico
to study at a university Th ey married six months later After giving birth to her daughter Annie Jane in
Mexico City in 1982 the family moved to Huntsville in 1985 Th at is when Robinson got more serious
about her pottery
ldquoFrom the very beginning when I moved to Alabama I knew I was going to have to do thisrdquo she said
ldquoIn some ways it was a way for me to keep connected to my heritagerdquo
She took even 15 minutes of free time to work in the studio behind her home and worked late into the
night while her daughter and son Isidoro born in 1987 slept Having a home studio allowed her to
wash clothes tend to her home and drop off lunches at school while maintaining her art
ldquoTh ere was something for me when I fi rst became a mother that fueled my creativityrdquo Robinson says
ldquoTh ey are such a social inspiration too It fi lls your liferdquo
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Robinson advises fellow artists who are mothers to seize
both roles but to prioritize motherhood
ldquoAttend to your childrenrsquos needs fi rst keep focus on what you
want to do use the happiness joy and little breaks you get
to make your artrdquo she says ldquoTh ey grow real fast and they will
keep inspiring you all your liferdquo
Anna Sue Courtney director of the Flying Monkey Arts
Center at Lowe Mill has known Robinson for more than
10 years She says she admires how mothers and artists like
Robinson seamlessly embrace both roles
ldquoIt seems therersquos not a separation between creating and rais-
ing childrenrdquo Courtney says ldquoTh ey seem to pull from the
same placerdquo
Part of Robinsonrsquos motivation at Lowe Mill comes from
working privately in a studio alongside other artists that fos-
ters a community of feedback and ideas
ldquoItrsquos nice to be here because you can take a break and walk around and get inspirationrdquo Courtney says
ldquoItrsquos refreshingrdquo
When she needs a break from the studio Robinson stays home to sketch designs for a day or two then
she is back in the studio
Trips twice a year to Mexico City keep her plugged in to her native culture which in turn shows up in
her pottery
ldquoI have to recharge myselfrdquo Robinson says ldquoI love Huntsville and loved raising my kids here but I still
have the need of going back to be recharged and smell all the smells and see all the colors and get on
the subway and be pushed aroundrdquo
Details from her trips that infl uence her work include the ever-present red that covers the city during
the celebration of Dia de los Muertos or the Day of the Dead Th e pyramids of Teotihuacan conjure
warm earth tones and fl oating gardens around the city yield sweet pungent calla lilies and carnations
Celebration of food tough women and nature reappear in her pottery qualities that both Southern and
Mexican cultures treasure
Above This daisy design is character-istic of Robinsonrsquos work Nature food and strong females from her native Mexico City and the South are strong creative infl uences
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Clockwise from top left Robinson often glazes only the inside of her pots so they can hold water and food She began quilting in 2002 and her quilts like her pottery contain earth tones and natural infl uences in their design Four birds keep Robinson company in what can be the isolating medium of pottery making Geometry and symmetry are two signature elements in Robinsonrsquos work according to Laura Smith director of education at the Huntsville Museum of Art
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Just as she keeps her home country close to her heart Robinson is loyal to her fi rst
love of pottery though she began making quilts in 2002
ldquoIrsquom a potter who likes to quiltrdquo she says
Like her pottery her quilting follows designs of organic nature such as fl owers and
crops on rich jewel tone cotton
ldquoWhen I fi rst saw one of her quilts I didnrsquot realize it was hers and I thought that
looks like it should be Guadalupersquos quiltrdquo Courtney says
Robinson prefers the immediate gratifi cation of clay
ldquoItrsquos a very responsive mediumrdquo she says ldquoYou can manipulate it Th e fact of mak-
ing something out of dirt out of nothing and making it durable making it perma-
nent that after going through the heat and maturing is something very excitingrdquo
She gently dings a pot covered with white dresses titled ldquoTehuana Dressrdquo to make
her point
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
887 FM Muscle Shoals bull 1007 FM Huntsvillewwwaprorg
News classicalmusic and more
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
copy Patrick Hood
text by sara wright covington raquo photos by jacki gil
patrick hood erin lindsey and michelle odom
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
copy Patrick Hood
ldquoA LOT OF PEOPLE HAD BEEN ASKING ME QUESTIONS ABOUTHOW I GOT MY BUSINESS STARTED I WANTED TO GATHER SOME PEOPLE AROUND ME
WHO WERE GOING THROUGH THOSE STRUGGLES AND TOBUILD ENTREPRENEURIAL COURAGErdquo
JACKI GIL SALT+PAPERIE
copy Patrick Hood
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
untsville-born Jacki Gil began her paper design busi-
ness Salt+Paperie in 2014 with an expansive vision
in mind one that extended beyond creating beautiful
custom designed paper goods ldquoI love my design job
but when Irsquom 50 years old I donrsquot see myself still de-
signing wedding invitationsrdquo the master stationer says
ldquoI really have a passion for teaching and helping people
I want to be a mentorrdquo
In 2015 Gil set out on her mentoring mission sooner than expected with a series
of workshops called Encourage Huntsville ldquoA lot of people had been asking me
questions about how I got my business startedrdquo Gil says about the early days of
Salt+Paperie Even though most of those questions from entrepreneurial-hopefuls
were technicalmdashlike how to apply for a business licensemdashthey served as inspira-
tion for Gil ldquoI wanted to gather some people around me who were going through
those struggles and to build entrepreneurial courage I defi nitely saw that there
was a need for helping people to take that next step toward owning their own
businessesrdquo
Encourage Huntsville was modeled on the image of a growing small business
movement called the Rising Tide Society a national community of creative small
business owners who encourage ldquocommunity over competitionrdquo Th at spirit of
openness is at the heart of Encourage Huntsville ldquoCommunity over competition
is a huge part of what we are doingrdquo says Gil ldquoSmall business owners sharing how
they earn their money is a big dealrdquo
As a fi rst step Gil gathered others around her who were using their skills and abili-
ties to make their own small businesses work With talents ranging from cooking
and cake decorating to hand lettering and artwork these small business owners
all embraced Gilrsquos vision for imparting to others the knowledge of their craft un-
impeded by a fear of losing their competitive edge
Th e fi rst lesson Gil wanted to impart to Encourage Huntsvillersquos students wasnrsquot
necessarily a particular craft or skill but a spirt of creative confi dence ldquoWe want-
ed to bridge the gap between the very artsy community and the ultimate engineer
communityrdquo many of whom Gil observes had been told since childhood they
werenrsquot artistic ldquoWhen you are little and someone tells you that you donrsquot have a
talent it sticks with you I found that a lot of people had that experience so that
was the workshop partmdashto build some creative courage in this communityrdquo
Gil conducted the fi rst workshop herself testing the waters to see how the concept
would be received Th e admission price to that fi rst workshop included supplies a
take-home ldquogoody bagrdquo to help students continue their work extracurricularly and
refreshmentsmdashas well as Gilrsquos tips of her trade
ldquoWe went in blindly not knowing if we had a market or notrdquo says Gil Th e popular-
ity of that fi rst class proved undeniably that a market did in fact exist the work-
shop sold out in one day ldquoSo we did back-to-back workshopsrdquo Gil says ldquoAfter that
novemberdecembeeer eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee | nononoononononononoonoonononooooonoonoonnononnoaaalalalllaallllllalaalaaalal ststustust ddiossscom mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm | | | | | | | | | | |
f
w
y
Previous page Encourage Huntsvillersquos founder and instructor Jacki Gil teaches a class in hand lettering Facing page A participant studies her supply list
we realized people really want to do this stuff So we said lsquoletrsquos jump on the boat
and make this happenrsquordquo
Gilrsquos longtime friend photographer Erin Lindsey of Erin Lindsey Images agreed
to contribute to Encourage Huntsvillersquos curriculum by teaching a photography
class ldquoJacki and I are a good team because our hearts are in the same place when
it comes to encouraging othersrdquo Lindsey says Still she admits saying yes to teach-
ing wasnrsquot without some initial hesitation ldquoWhen Jacki asked if I would teach a
class it was kind of scary I thought I had to be perfect before I could teach oth-
ersrdquo Lindsey says of her initial hesitancy ldquoBut after talking to Jacki I realized none
of us are perfectrdquo But perfection isnrsquot the goal encouragement is the goal ldquoAnd I
thought lsquoI can defi nitely line up with that visionrsquordquo
Michelle Odom another Huntsville native and owner of custom cake bakery Just
Crumbs was also on board with Gilrsquos vision In fact Odom had been contemplat-
ing teaching a class when she was approached by Gil to teach a fondant basics
class ldquoHuntsville is such an engineer town and everyone is so mathematical and
scientifi crdquo Odom says echoing the dichotomy between the arts and sciences ex-
pressed by Gil ldquoTh ese workshops are just a very cool way for structured people to
have a creative outletrdquo
ldquoJACKI AND I ARE A GOOD TEAM BECAUSE OUR HEARTS ARE INTHE SAME PLACE WHEN IT COMES TO ENCOURAGING OTHERSrdquo
ERIN LINDSEY ERIN LINDSEY IMAGES
copy Erin Lindsey
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Above A participant in Erin Lindseyrsquos photo class frames a still life
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
copy Erin Lindsey
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
ldquoHUNTSVILLE IS SUCH AN ENGINEER TOWN AND EVERYONE ISSO MATHEMATICAL AND SCIENTIFIC THESE WORKSHOPS ARE JUST A VERY COOL
WAY FOR STRUCTURED PEOPLE TO HAVE A CREATIVE OUTLETrdquo MICHELLE ODOM JUST CRUMBS
copy Michelle Odom
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
ldquoAnd yesrdquo Odom acknowledges ldquoyou are in theory teaching your competition But
at the same time you are helping the community be more creativerdquo
With its roster of popular creative workshops under its belt Encourage Huntsville
has added business classes to its community-over-competition curriculum with
classes designed to provide specifi c guidance for small business owners ldquoAll of
our events that donrsquot require hands-on work we call seminarsrdquo says Gil ldquoWe had
about 15 people at our fi rst one It was pretty much just an open discussion to ask
us questions and get answers from the perspective of a small business ownerrdquo
Th e seminars enjoyed the same success and enthusiasm as the workshops ldquoWe
had two hours for people to ask questionsrdquo Gil says Topics covered ran the gamut
from scheduling daily tasks self-hosting a website or using an Etsy store man-
aging client expectations and being realistic about how much time you need to
complete jobs
ldquoTh e time went quickly and people wanted morerdquo says Gil who envisions an all-
day seminar in 2016
Margaret Baggett owner and executive chef of the Chef Next Door is another
small business owner who has shared Gilrsquos vision from the very beginning teach-
copy Erin Lindsey
Facing page Michelle Odomrsquos fondant basics class begins with a styrofoam cake form Above Newbie photographers familiarize themselves with their cameras in Erin Lindseyrsquos photography class
ing knife skills workshops and helping host the business seminars ldquoI am so proud
to get to be a part of this project and help nurture other small business owners
who may just be starting out on their journey or are deep in it and looking for
some encouragement from other business ownersrdquo Baggett says of what motivates
her participation in Encourage Huntsville ldquoEven being on the advice-giving side
of things I am still learning and have taken tips and tricks and lessons from each
event we have had so far We never stop learning from each other and never stop
improving upon our craftsrdquo
Th e mutual growth among students and teachers is the source of the encourage-
mentmdashand the joymdashof Encourage Huntsville ldquoItrsquos so much fun to see the light
bulbs go off with people and see them encouraged right before your eyesrdquo Lindsey
says of her experience with the program ldquoPlus itrsquos a pleasure to contribute to a
sense of community over competition Th at whole concept is so rarerdquo
As Encourage Huntsvillersquos following continues to grow the diversity of the work-
shops will expand as well Whether you are looking to spend a fun afternoon
learning a new craft or are a budding small business owner hoping to launch
your brand Encourage Huntsville has something valuable to off er ldquoWe encourage
those left-brain folks to take up a new hobby or skillrdquo Baggett says ldquoor just encour-
age the people of Huntsville to get together and fan their creative fl amesrdquo
If yoursquore looking for
creative or entrepreneurial
encouragement visit
encouragehuntsvillecom
for seminar and workshop
schedules and information
ldquoI AM SO PROUD TO GET TO BE A PART OF THIS PROJECT AND HELP NURTURE OTHER SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS WHO MAY JUST BE STARTING OUT ON THEIR JOURNEY OR ARE DEEP IN IT
AND LOOKING FOR SOME ENCOURAGEMENT FROM OTHER BUSINESS OWNERSrdquoMARGARET BAGGETT CHEF NEXT DOOR
copy Jacki Gil
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
copy Jacki Gil
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Participants in Margaret Baggettrsquos knife skills workshop learn to perfect their ldquomise en placerdquo
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
copy Olivia Reed
text by sara wright covington raquo photos by olivia reed and jeff white
HUNTSVILLErsquoS
HOMEGROWNHOSTESS
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
ttttttononononoooooonononooooo raquo praquo praquo praquo praquo phothothothothotosoososos s s osos bybybbybb
Any host will tell you that delicious food and quality libations while important to
a partyrsquos success are secondary to the most important ingredient of all the guest list Th atrsquos why many
of downtown Huntsvillersquos most popular restaurants breweries and wine shops are turning to event
planner Ashley Ryals and her uncanny knack for attracting loyal patronsmdashand creating unforgettable
events in the process
When Huntsville born-and-bred Ashley Ryals left for college at the University of Alabama in 2001
she thought her exit from the Valley was permanent ldquoI never thought I would end up back hererdquo the
founder of event planning company Homegrown Huntsville says with a knowing laugh But after a few
post-graduate years working for world-renowned public relations powerhouse Weber Shandwick in
New York City Ryals started to second guess her freshman declaration
ldquoI started to get homesickrdquo she admits ldquoAll of my friends were getting married and meeting for football
games and I was missing itrdquo So when a friend from home set up an interview at EarlyWorks for a job
doing event planning Ryals jumped at the chance to come home
Ashley spent the next few years planning EarlyWorks Whistle Stop and Santarsquos Village events A brief
stint in sales followed along with a seat on the board of Huntsville Young Professionals where she had
an idea for a downtown pub crawl
ldquoWe expected 20 or 30 peoplerdquo Ryals says of their modest expectations ldquoBut 200 people showed uprdquo
Th at initial success convinced Ryals to embark on her dream of establishing an
event planning company But it wasnrsquot just any event planning company Ryals
had in mind she envisioned one that would collaborate with local businesses
cultivate signature events for the community to enjoy and support small busi-
nesses in the process
Inspired Ryals left her sales job and for the second time in her life came home
again to event planning and Homegrown Huntsville
To help bring her vision to life Ryals collaborated with designer Adrianne Van
Kirk of Fave Creative ldquoAdrianne has been a part of the visual and branding of
Homegrown from the beginning We come up with the event ideas then I get
the ticketing and sales together and she comes back with a logo and the mar-
keting for the event And thatrsquos how it all comes togetherrdquo Ryals says of their
creative process
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
ASHLEY RYALS
copy Olivia Reed
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
ldquoMOST WINE FESTIVALS ACROSS THE COUNTRY HAVE PROVEN RECORDS OF BEING ABLE TO STAY AROUND 15 OR 20 YEARS OR EVEN LONGER AND THE ECONOMIES OF THOSE
CITIES HAVE REALLY GROWN AS A RESULT I WANT BIG SPRING CRUSH TO EVENTUALLY BE THE BIGGEST AND BEST WINE FESTIVAL IN THE STATE OF ALABAMArdquo ASHLEY RYALS
copy Jeff White
copy Jeff White
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
copy Olivia Reed
Homegrown launched in 2011 with what would become its
signature event Dine amp Dash Every second Wednesday
April through October a trolley shuttles patrons between
downtown establishments where they are served a drink
and appetizer before moving on to the next stop
Owner and executive chef Merle Phillips of Th e Eaves was
one of the fi rst restaurants to sign on for Dine amp Dashrsquos de-
but ldquoAshley came to me and said she was starting a trolley
tasting conceptrdquo says Chef Merle ldquoI didnrsquot really know her so
I was taking a chance on the concept she was sellingrdquo
Merle tried it and has been a loyal participant of Dine amp
Dash ever since
ldquoIt was a risk in the beginning but it defi nitely paid off rdquo Chef
Merle says of the experience Pivotal to that experience ac-
cording to Phillips is Ryalsrsquo demonstration to the commu-
nity just what the term ldquohomegrownrdquo really means ldquoAshley
shines a spotlight on independent businesses in a market-
place that has for so long focused on chainsrdquo Phillips says
ldquoDine amp Dash has really brought into sharp focus the inter-
esting culinary diversity that Huntsville has to off errdquo
For the next two years Homegrown Huntsville focused al-
most exclusively on Dine amp Dash which by the end of its fi rst
year included every single downtown restaurant But when
big changes began to appear on the downtown horizonmdash
new restaurants breweries and residential developmentsmdash
Ryalsrsquo instincts told her
the time had come to
introduce a new event
to the downtown cal-
endar
ldquoBeer Hop follows
the concept of Dine
amp Dashrdquo Ryals says of
Homegrownrsquos second
venture which began
in 2013 Each month a
trolley visits three dif-
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
BILL FOWLEROLD TOWN BEER
EXCHANGE
copy Olivia Reed
copy Olivia Reed
ferent breweries where patrons sample beers and enjoy food
from a variety of food trucks parked at each location
Bill Fowler managing partner of Old Town Beer Exchange
agreed to participate in Beer Hop on his very fi rst day of
business and credits Ryals with an overwhelmingly success-
ful opening night ldquoAshley said lsquoI can guarantee that you are
going to have wave after wave of people coming throughrsquordquo
Fowler says recalling that fi rst jittery occasion Once again
Ryals proved true to her word with 60-plus patrons arriving
in an hour-and-a-half ldquoIt was awesome and such a great ex-
perience for usrdquo Fowler raves ldquoAshley is a hard worker and
you can see that in what she doesrdquo
Fowler believes that in addition to bringing new customers
to OTBX Ryals is also cultivating beer education consis-
tently bringing in people who are new to beer and want to
learn And with Huntsvillersquos recent brewery boom that level
of education and interest is crucial for the brewing commu-
nity to thrive ldquoWe have a very small window of opportunityrdquo
says Fowler ldquoI think Huntsville in particular is becoming a
craft brewing community People are making money at this
and once Tennessee sees that we need to already have had a
pretty huge head startrdquo
By the end of 2013 and with standing events Beer Hop and
Dine amp Dash well established Ryals took time to refl ect on
her original goal for Homegrown Huntsville ldquoIn the back of
my head from day one I knew I wanted to do a wine festival
I just didnrsquot think Huntsville was ready for it in 2011rdquo
Emboldened by the success of Beer Hop Ryals decided to
make the leap with Big Spring Crush wine festival later the
same year Once again Ryals delivered the perfect audience
for the event and in the process discovered a surprising
fact about North Alabamarsquos contribution to the wine-mak-
ing industry
ldquoIn doing the wine festival I learned that we have a huge
wine community in Huntsvillerdquo Ryals says ldquoTh ere are only
about 47 certifi ed wine judges in the entire United States
and we have four of them right here in North Alabama Two
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
copy Jeff White
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
ldquoI STARTED TO GET HOMESICK ALL OF MY FRIENDS WERE GETTING MARRIEDAND MEETING FOR FOOTBALL GAMES AND I WAS MISSING ITrdquo ASHLEY RYALS
copy Jeff White
copy Jeff White
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
ldquoIT WAS AWESOME AND SUCH A GREAT EXPERIENCE FOR USrdquoBILL FOWLER OLD TOWN BEER EXCHANGE
copy Jeff White
copy Olivia Reed
of those four certifi ed wine judges sit on the committee for
Big Spring Crushrdquo
Matthew and Stephanie Mell had just opened Church Street
Wine Shop when they decided to participate in the fi rst Big
Spring Crush Like OTBXrsquos Robert Fowler the Mells credit
Ryals and Homegrown Huntsville for helping to introduce
their new enterprise to the community ldquoAshley has been in-
strumental in helping to bring us people who love and ap-
preciate winerdquo Stephanie Mell says ldquoShe was homegrown
here in Huntsville and she really gets the downtown area
and small businesses and that is so important to usrdquo
Big Spring Crush began with a bang featuring over 150
wines and attracting patrons from across the country
ldquoMost wine festivals across the country have proven records
of being able to stay around 15 or 20 years or even longerrdquo
Ryals says ldquoAnd the economies of those cities have really
grown as a result I want Big Spring Crush to eventually be
the biggest and best wine festival in the state of Alabamardquo
How does Ryals intend to make that dream come true ldquoBy
always keeping it fresh I want to have new marketing and
new things happening each yearrdquo
Ryalsrsquo formula of reinvention and expansion has successfully
led Homegrown Huntsville through fi ve years of success and
helped its events become community staples along the way In
the process Ryals is broadening more than just our image of
downtown Huntsville shersquos joining a class of creative entrepre-
neurs committed to expanding Huntsvillersquos reputation as more
than just a hub for the brightest scientifi c minds in America
ldquoWe have a big city of engineers and lawyers and itrsquos won-
derfulrdquo Ryals say ldquo But there is a whole artist and food cul-
ture here and there is so much growth I want us to have a
vibrant cool downtown area and I want for people to tell
their friends to come and visit and to see Huntsville for what
it is a city I loverdquo
If yoursquod like to participate in Homegrown Huntsville either
as a guest or a participating business visit homegrown-
huntsvillecom
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
copy Jeff White
I was years old and the year was At that time the city of Huntsville was inching toward the mountain to the east California Street was once the continental divide between the small town metropo-lis and the uncharted territories gingerly crossed by the real estate pioneers four score and some odd years prior Th is area became the new suburb as the city kept pushing onward toward Fagan Springs as if the reverberating booms of rocket testings were vibrating Hunstvillians away from its epicenter
From the front yard of our house on Owens Drive I could look to the rightmdashup the hill to the bend be-yond which the big houses stood on their rocky ledge pedestals and to the left where all the other houses that looked just like oursmdashfresh and newmdashrambled for what seemed like miles Th ose clean well-lit abodes all seemed the same and granted at my age I knew more about the pets that lived there than I did about the people who owned those manageable mortgages I came to realize that each was diff erent in a way that was permeated by voices smells and furnishings
It is a clicheacute to say that our lives were simpler then because that is just how the current era will be fondly referred to in the future but to a 5-year-old it is the simplicity that brought the joy Th e sixties will always be to me the beginning of the age of manufactured happiness Cheap clean and simple was what was strived for and what was easily obtained Plastic items were plentiful and pretty things could be bought with SampH Green Stamps A few coins in our pocket would transfer us into the most master of manipula-tors with us giving our all to convince our parents for a jaunt to Murdockrsquos for a holiday of wonderment joy and impatience as we would scour the shelves trying to get the most from our meager budget
Owens Drive was the fairly new thoroughfare from which the avenues of three-bedroom-ranchers fi ngered away at planned intervals Th is was the place where newlyweds started their lives homes and families Where girls with last names that had been in the town for generations would change them to those strange and exotic last names of the clean cut newcomers brought here for military purposes Where the housewives would preheat their pristine electric ovens trying to make cheese straws and biscuits that were just like their motherrsquos only to be frustrated as they were never quite the same and where the husbands would follow in their fatherrsquos footsteps by joining the Acme Club and hunting doves on the weekends
Th ere was a swimming pool Certainly not at our house Th e only private pool I remember as a child was one that my grandmother would take me to nestled between huge trees at someonersquos house on Adams Street I would swim with other children my age while our grandmothers chatted smoking cigarettes in cat-eyed anonymity whispering most of their stories so we wouldnrsquot be able to hear But between their
gasps and laughter we would listen hear and learn
Th e Blossomwood pool was a place of designated rules and the sound of bright whistlesmdashwith straight lines and distinctive colors of blue and green I can still feel the Coppertoned oiliness on the skin of the tanned lifeguard as she carried me from the deep end frightened after my fi rst attempt at solo-swimming She knew my name I had no idea who she was
On the other side of the pool was the school my older sister attended It had a style that mim-icked the poolmdashstraight lines cleanmdasha temple to orderliness and good manners It was with
awe that I once watched the young adults there some as old as eleven wind and dance their way around a sky-high fl agpolemdasheach with a diff erent color ribbon until the fi rst (and only) May Pole
I was privy to was completely dressed in its woven bright colors
90 raquo bless their hearts raquo Guy McClure Jr
Huntsville was a magical place for us tail-end baby boomers to grow upmdashbeyond the miracles of the escalator at Pizitz the smiling little lady on the tall stool at the register at Britlings There was a comfort level there that Irsquom not sure is in the minds of the 5-year-olds of today
cat-eyed agasps
Th s
aI w
THE COMFORTS OF BLOSSOMWOOD
In our world of red-bricked carported castles there was a def-inite division of generations Th e children ate separately from the parents went to school as our dads went to work enter-tained our neighborhood friends as quietly as possible and felt safe between our boundaries of Big Cove Road and Hermitage Street While we dined on our Chef Boy-Ar-Dee boxed pizza our parents busied themselves dressing in their dark colors getting ready for a late dinner at Boots having the scent of perfume and face powder trail my mother as she came into the kitchen looking for something with an intense purpose My father would smell of British Sterling and look just as he did when he went to work only happier Th ese nights meant something fun would happenmdashwe would have a babysitter
Babysitters were my introduction into what was and still seems cool Th ey were usually Huntsville High School teen-agers who would put on a show without even knowing it I would drink in their every move word and essence of style To me they were supermodelsmdashmovie starsmdasheven more fa-mous in my eyes than a television weatherman and almost as glamorous as the waitresses at the Waffl e House
Before they would tire of me and my sister and put us to bed they would include us in their world of music and knowledge which I thought was all-encompassing Suddenly our world of Th e Benny Carl Show and Fantasy Playhouse would seem trite and passeacute and we would catch a fl eeting glimpse into what would be in store for us when we too could stay up past 8 pm
Huntsville was a magical place for us tail-end baby boomers to grow upmdashbeyond the miracles of the escalator at Pizitz the smiling little lady on the tall stool at the register at Britlings and that bright colorful Maypole Th ere was a comfort level there that Irsquom not sure is in the minds of the 5-year-olds of todaymdashthe soothing sheltered lack of knowledge of why we were so lucky yet we didnrsquot even know that we were
In the other areas of our Huntsville there was poverty and ra-cial unrestmdashas there was and is in every city I was unaware People of color were always a part of my worldmdashmostly be-cause they had my attention and respect At our house there was Annie my grandmotherrsquos house was fi lled with the joys of Lula and out on the family farm there was strong and smiling Homer and large and huggable Rosamdashall just as much a part of my life as everyone else My life was good and they were instrumental in making it that way
What will the 5-year-olds of today who are lucky enough to be raised on those well-planned streets remember when they surpass their own 50 year mark It is a much more complex world now and there are diff erent concerns with daily changes of fear Youthful innocence is a prize that is encased without a lock Premature maturity is a viable threat and a constant fear But each night tucked in tight in a simple room sleeps tomor-rowrsquos adults who are having sweet dreamsmdashblanketed by the comforts of Blossomwood
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
92 raquo the vine raquo Amy C Collins
BORDEAUX POWER
Where Burgundyrsquos vineyards were established by Benedictine monks patiently growing wine vines with spiritual hearts Bordeauxrsquos vineyards were raised by entrepreneurial laymen who recognized the massive monetary opportunity when the English began drinking down their peasant wine
The city of Bordeaux is Francersquos primary port town on the Atlantic ocean a harbor that has for centuries served as the countryrsquos most important dock Th e regionrsquos history is long and storied with the fi rst written reference to the area dated 379 AD by the Latin poet Ausonius who was also a wine-grower Jump ahead to the year 1152 when Eleanor of Aquitaine married Englandrsquos soon-to-be king Henry Plantagenet and the port and surrounding vineyard land became the source of wine for the English a connection that remains strong even today
Bordeaux produces the worldrsquos most expensive and sought after collector wines the top tier of which make up less than fi ve percent of the regionrsquos total production Th ese names are quickly learned by neophyte wine drinkers wanting to make an impression Chateau Haut-Brion Lafi te Latour and Margaux for example Grown in gravelly soils only a few meters above sea levelmdashin contrast vineyards elsewhere in Europe typically sit between 300 and 900 metersmdashthese wines are some of the most powerful austere and pawed over When young the tannins in these cabernet sauvignon cabernet franc and merlot blends coat the tongue and mouth with a chalky dry sensation akin to sucking on an Earl Grey tea bag and are perhaps best suited to well-fatted rare steak and cigars Th ese are wines built to live for decades Personally I prefer a Bordeaux at least 20 years aged when the tannins have had ample time to calm down and mellow out and more nuanced fl avors come forward Sounds fancy and it is Only in some very lucky circumstances over the past year have I been guest to a bottle of 1990 Clos de Menuts Saint-Eacutemilion and a 1970 Chateau Haut-Brion About once every 10 years Irsquove had the good
fortune to taste a wine older than myself Nice work if you can get it
Where Burgundyrsquos vineyards (Francersquos other classifi ed sought-after region) were established by Benedictine monks patiently growing wine vines with spiritual hearts
Bordeauxrsquos vineyards were raised by entrepreneurial laymen who recognized the massive monetary opportunity when the English began drinking down their peasant wine Th is underscores the second half of my theory as to why Americans
more often American males are so drawn to the wines of Bordeaux Th erersquos an inherent capitalist connection something in the soil Th at the wines are so
unmistakable so distinctively grand and pronounced elixirs exemplifi es the fi rst half of my theory we Americans are not known for our subtlety (To be fair the Chinese are
signifi cant Bordeaux collectors as well)
Philosophy aside Bordeaux is quite a large region that produces beautiful white and red values as well as the rare fi nds out of the populacersquos price range Herersquos the skinny Blending is the game single varietal wines are rare White Bordeaux is typically made from a blend of sauvignon blanc and seacutemillon and sometimes a drop or two of muscadelle ugni blanc or colombard Reds are made primarily from the two cabernets plus merlot with small quantities of petit verdot malbec and carmenegravere occasionally in the mix Th e region is also home to the golden nectar of late ripened seacutemillon sauvignon blanc and muscadelle grapes that have successfully attracted the noble rot a fungus that covers the fruit and drains moisture from inside leaving behind rich sweet grapes without moldy fl avors Chateau drsquoYquem is the most famous of these unfortifi ed dessert wines though there are better bargains from the region
Bordeaux is split by the Gironde river which divides the region into three general areas Th e left bank also known as the Haut-Meacutedoc is where the classifi ed top growths are situated Th ese prestigious estates were named for their exceptional vineyard sites in 1855 a decision nearly unchanged since Today serious collectors invest in Bordeaux futures theoretically locking down lower prices of top
ample time to calm dit is Only in some vede Menuts Saint-Eacutem
fortune to taste a
Wherees
aun
of msignifi
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Follow Amy at pigandvinecom for morestories and wine suggestions
growth estates while the wine is still aging in the cellar Itrsquos the wine tradersquos equivalent to the NASDAQ On the right bank Saint-Eacutemilion and Pommerol are the prized vineyard areas known for their merlot heavy cuveacutees To the south west we fi nd Graves where there are many great values to be had in both white and red bottlings Entre-Deux-Mers which translates to ldquobetween two seasrdquo sits between the Dordogne and Garonne tributaries off the Gironde and is an excellent source for crisp whites
Get started on your Bordeaux experience with these values
Chateau Graville-Lacoste 2014 Graves 75 seacutemillon 20 sauvignon blanc and 5 muscadelle make up this beauty thatrsquos consistently delicious every vintage Crisp and refreshing great with seafood
Chateau Mirambeau 2014 GravesAnother classic blend of 40 sauvignon blanc 40 seacutemillon and 20 muscadelle this lovely white is a bit more fl oral than the Graville-Lacoste Easy drinking and great value
Chateau de Parenchegravere Bordeaux Rouge 201155 merlot 30 cabernet sauvignon and 15 cabernet franc grown in clay heavy soils similar to the right bank of the region Fleshy with good structure and abundant red fruit
Chateau Arnaud Bordeaux Supeacuterieur 2011Supeacuterieur on a Bordeaux label isnrsquot egotistical marketingmdashby law it indicates a wine with up to one degree more alcohol than its AC Bordeaux brethren What it really means is one more degree of body structure and in this case quality Approachable delicious and easy on the wallet
Chateau de Bernadotte Haut-Meacutedoc 2005Th e 2005 vintage in Bordeaux is in the history books with double asterisks Owned by the eminent Pichon Lalande family and made from vineyards in Paulliac one of the more choice growing areas in the region this is an incredible value a top tier Bordeaux for a fraction of the cost
Chateau de Suduiraut Sauternes 2011Ripe cantaloupe apricot and honey and an interesting smoky note with a solid sweet attack followed by great acidity A dessert wine that wonrsquot overpower the dessert
94 raquo parting shot raquo Patrick Hood
Meet Solvar
Solvar belongs to one of the worldrsquos oldest and purest equine lineages the Nor-
wegian Fjord horse a breed that has remained virtually unchanged for more than
2000 yearsmdashlong before we became acquainted with his animated cousins in
the movie Frozen Th ese national symbols of Norway are characterized by primi-
tive zebra striping on their legs and a dorsal stripe running from forelock to tail
resulting in a striking two-tone mane that sticks up like a Mohawk Th eir athleti-
cism agility and dependability make them valuable both as sport horses as well
as therapy horses for emotionally and physically challenged adults and children
Catie Wells of Huntsville is the proud owner of Solvar who resides at Monte
Sano Stables
For tickets or information 256-539-4818 or hsoorg
Bring In the New Year With Us
presents
WHAT A WONDERFUL
WORLDA tribute to Louis
Armstrong featuring the
Byron Stripling Quartet
Thursday December 31
730 pm bull Pops Series bullMark C Smith
Concert Hall VBC
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
M O R E T H A N 7 0 S H O P S A N D R E S T A U R A N T S I N C L U D I N G B E L K | D S W S H O E S | A P P L E J O S A B A N K | R E E D S J E W E L E R S | PA N D O R A | J C R E W | K AT E S PA D E N E W Y O R KO R V I S | B A N A N A R E P U B L I C | M I C H A E L K O R S | F R A N C E S C Arsquo S | A N T H R O P O L O G I EH amp M | S O M A | M O U N T A I N H I G H O U T F I T T E R S | B A R N E S amp N O B L E | S E P H O R AALTAR rsquoD STATE | CONNORS STEAK amp SEFOOD | THE WEST IN HUNTSV I L L E | MONACO P ICTURES
C O M I N G S O O N V E R S O N A ndash near Belk
B R I D G E S T R E E T H U N T S V I L L E C O M |
BR IDGE STREET TOWN CENTRE I S LOCATED AT EX I T 14 OFF I - 565 AT OLD MAD ISON P IKE
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Robinson uses an overlay of liquid clay called engobemdashthat includes three to four layersmdashto create a
base on which to design
Th ere is high risk in making pottery and hours of work can be wasted on a pot that has not dried en-
tirely before it enters the kiln Air pockets or the wrong mixture of chemicals can ruin a piece
ldquoArt is involved but science is toordquo says Laura Smith director of education at the Huntsville Museum
of Art where Robinson has taught pottery classes ldquoItrsquos more labor intensive in terms of working with
the medium whether yoursquore building by hand or with a wheel until you fi re with the fi nal layer of glazerdquo
Th e result is sturdy pottery
ldquoI want my pots to look like something that is lasting a long timerdquo Robinson says
Th ough she works solitarily in her studio she says she does not get lonely Her birds and music keep her
company and each stage of pottery making has a soundtrack She uses needlepoint tools to draw onto
clay to Jose Feliciano and other Latin American musicians
ldquoIf Irsquom at the wheel Bruno Marsrdquo she says ldquoIf Irsquom unloading the kiln and something is really awesome
then I need something moving and I have on Motownrdquo
Robinsonrsquos years of experience minimize the risk of damaged pots but she says her greatest challenge
as a potter was balancing her work while raising her two children Now adults their candid childhood
pictures and those of her grandchildren cover the warm green walls of her studio
She met her husband the poet James Robinson in 1977 on a Greyhound bus when she returned to
Mexico City from visiting a friend at the University of Southern Mississippi He was heading to Mexico
to study at a university Th ey married six months later After giving birth to her daughter Annie Jane in
Mexico City in 1982 the family moved to Huntsville in 1985 Th at is when Robinson got more serious
about her pottery
ldquoFrom the very beginning when I moved to Alabama I knew I was going to have to do thisrdquo she said
ldquoIn some ways it was a way for me to keep connected to my heritagerdquo
She took even 15 minutes of free time to work in the studio behind her home and worked late into the
night while her daughter and son Isidoro born in 1987 slept Having a home studio allowed her to
wash clothes tend to her home and drop off lunches at school while maintaining her art
ldquoTh ere was something for me when I fi rst became a mother that fueled my creativityrdquo Robinson says
ldquoTh ey are such a social inspiration too It fi lls your liferdquo
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Robinson advises fellow artists who are mothers to seize
both roles but to prioritize motherhood
ldquoAttend to your childrenrsquos needs fi rst keep focus on what you
want to do use the happiness joy and little breaks you get
to make your artrdquo she says ldquoTh ey grow real fast and they will
keep inspiring you all your liferdquo
Anna Sue Courtney director of the Flying Monkey Arts
Center at Lowe Mill has known Robinson for more than
10 years She says she admires how mothers and artists like
Robinson seamlessly embrace both roles
ldquoIt seems therersquos not a separation between creating and rais-
ing childrenrdquo Courtney says ldquoTh ey seem to pull from the
same placerdquo
Part of Robinsonrsquos motivation at Lowe Mill comes from
working privately in a studio alongside other artists that fos-
ters a community of feedback and ideas
ldquoItrsquos nice to be here because you can take a break and walk around and get inspirationrdquo Courtney says
ldquoItrsquos refreshingrdquo
When she needs a break from the studio Robinson stays home to sketch designs for a day or two then
she is back in the studio
Trips twice a year to Mexico City keep her plugged in to her native culture which in turn shows up in
her pottery
ldquoI have to recharge myselfrdquo Robinson says ldquoI love Huntsville and loved raising my kids here but I still
have the need of going back to be recharged and smell all the smells and see all the colors and get on
the subway and be pushed aroundrdquo
Details from her trips that infl uence her work include the ever-present red that covers the city during
the celebration of Dia de los Muertos or the Day of the Dead Th e pyramids of Teotihuacan conjure
warm earth tones and fl oating gardens around the city yield sweet pungent calla lilies and carnations
Celebration of food tough women and nature reappear in her pottery qualities that both Southern and
Mexican cultures treasure
Above This daisy design is character-istic of Robinsonrsquos work Nature food and strong females from her native Mexico City and the South are strong creative infl uences
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Clockwise from top left Robinson often glazes only the inside of her pots so they can hold water and food She began quilting in 2002 and her quilts like her pottery contain earth tones and natural infl uences in their design Four birds keep Robinson company in what can be the isolating medium of pottery making Geometry and symmetry are two signature elements in Robinsonrsquos work according to Laura Smith director of education at the Huntsville Museum of Art
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Just as she keeps her home country close to her heart Robinson is loyal to her fi rst
love of pottery though she began making quilts in 2002
ldquoIrsquom a potter who likes to quiltrdquo she says
Like her pottery her quilting follows designs of organic nature such as fl owers and
crops on rich jewel tone cotton
ldquoWhen I fi rst saw one of her quilts I didnrsquot realize it was hers and I thought that
looks like it should be Guadalupersquos quiltrdquo Courtney says
Robinson prefers the immediate gratifi cation of clay
ldquoItrsquos a very responsive mediumrdquo she says ldquoYou can manipulate it Th e fact of mak-
ing something out of dirt out of nothing and making it durable making it perma-
nent that after going through the heat and maturing is something very excitingrdquo
She gently dings a pot covered with white dresses titled ldquoTehuana Dressrdquo to make
her point
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
887 FM Muscle Shoals bull 1007 FM Huntsvillewwwaprorg
News classicalmusic and more
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
copy Patrick Hood
text by sara wright covington raquo photos by jacki gil
patrick hood erin lindsey and michelle odom
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
copy Patrick Hood
ldquoA LOT OF PEOPLE HAD BEEN ASKING ME QUESTIONS ABOUTHOW I GOT MY BUSINESS STARTED I WANTED TO GATHER SOME PEOPLE AROUND ME
WHO WERE GOING THROUGH THOSE STRUGGLES AND TOBUILD ENTREPRENEURIAL COURAGErdquo
JACKI GIL SALT+PAPERIE
copy Patrick Hood
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
untsville-born Jacki Gil began her paper design busi-
ness Salt+Paperie in 2014 with an expansive vision
in mind one that extended beyond creating beautiful
custom designed paper goods ldquoI love my design job
but when Irsquom 50 years old I donrsquot see myself still de-
signing wedding invitationsrdquo the master stationer says
ldquoI really have a passion for teaching and helping people
I want to be a mentorrdquo
In 2015 Gil set out on her mentoring mission sooner than expected with a series
of workshops called Encourage Huntsville ldquoA lot of people had been asking me
questions about how I got my business startedrdquo Gil says about the early days of
Salt+Paperie Even though most of those questions from entrepreneurial-hopefuls
were technicalmdashlike how to apply for a business licensemdashthey served as inspira-
tion for Gil ldquoI wanted to gather some people around me who were going through
those struggles and to build entrepreneurial courage I defi nitely saw that there
was a need for helping people to take that next step toward owning their own
businessesrdquo
Encourage Huntsville was modeled on the image of a growing small business
movement called the Rising Tide Society a national community of creative small
business owners who encourage ldquocommunity over competitionrdquo Th at spirit of
openness is at the heart of Encourage Huntsville ldquoCommunity over competition
is a huge part of what we are doingrdquo says Gil ldquoSmall business owners sharing how
they earn their money is a big dealrdquo
As a fi rst step Gil gathered others around her who were using their skills and abili-
ties to make their own small businesses work With talents ranging from cooking
and cake decorating to hand lettering and artwork these small business owners
all embraced Gilrsquos vision for imparting to others the knowledge of their craft un-
impeded by a fear of losing their competitive edge
Th e fi rst lesson Gil wanted to impart to Encourage Huntsvillersquos students wasnrsquot
necessarily a particular craft or skill but a spirt of creative confi dence ldquoWe want-
ed to bridge the gap between the very artsy community and the ultimate engineer
communityrdquo many of whom Gil observes had been told since childhood they
werenrsquot artistic ldquoWhen you are little and someone tells you that you donrsquot have a
talent it sticks with you I found that a lot of people had that experience so that
was the workshop partmdashto build some creative courage in this communityrdquo
Gil conducted the fi rst workshop herself testing the waters to see how the concept
would be received Th e admission price to that fi rst workshop included supplies a
take-home ldquogoody bagrdquo to help students continue their work extracurricularly and
refreshmentsmdashas well as Gilrsquos tips of her trade
ldquoWe went in blindly not knowing if we had a market or notrdquo says Gil Th e popular-
ity of that fi rst class proved undeniably that a market did in fact exist the work-
shop sold out in one day ldquoSo we did back-to-back workshopsrdquo Gil says ldquoAfter that
novemberdecembeeer eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee | nononoononononononoonoonononooooonoonoonnononnoaaalalalllaallllllalaalaaalal ststustust ddiossscom mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm | | | | | | | | | | |
f
w
y
Previous page Encourage Huntsvillersquos founder and instructor Jacki Gil teaches a class in hand lettering Facing page A participant studies her supply list
we realized people really want to do this stuff So we said lsquoletrsquos jump on the boat
and make this happenrsquordquo
Gilrsquos longtime friend photographer Erin Lindsey of Erin Lindsey Images agreed
to contribute to Encourage Huntsvillersquos curriculum by teaching a photography
class ldquoJacki and I are a good team because our hearts are in the same place when
it comes to encouraging othersrdquo Lindsey says Still she admits saying yes to teach-
ing wasnrsquot without some initial hesitation ldquoWhen Jacki asked if I would teach a
class it was kind of scary I thought I had to be perfect before I could teach oth-
ersrdquo Lindsey says of her initial hesitancy ldquoBut after talking to Jacki I realized none
of us are perfectrdquo But perfection isnrsquot the goal encouragement is the goal ldquoAnd I
thought lsquoI can defi nitely line up with that visionrsquordquo
Michelle Odom another Huntsville native and owner of custom cake bakery Just
Crumbs was also on board with Gilrsquos vision In fact Odom had been contemplat-
ing teaching a class when she was approached by Gil to teach a fondant basics
class ldquoHuntsville is such an engineer town and everyone is so mathematical and
scientifi crdquo Odom says echoing the dichotomy between the arts and sciences ex-
pressed by Gil ldquoTh ese workshops are just a very cool way for structured people to
have a creative outletrdquo
ldquoJACKI AND I ARE A GOOD TEAM BECAUSE OUR HEARTS ARE INTHE SAME PLACE WHEN IT COMES TO ENCOURAGING OTHERSrdquo
ERIN LINDSEY ERIN LINDSEY IMAGES
copy Erin Lindsey
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Above A participant in Erin Lindseyrsquos photo class frames a still life
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
copy Erin Lindsey
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
ldquoHUNTSVILLE IS SUCH AN ENGINEER TOWN AND EVERYONE ISSO MATHEMATICAL AND SCIENTIFIC THESE WORKSHOPS ARE JUST A VERY COOL
WAY FOR STRUCTURED PEOPLE TO HAVE A CREATIVE OUTLETrdquo MICHELLE ODOM JUST CRUMBS
copy Michelle Odom
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
ldquoAnd yesrdquo Odom acknowledges ldquoyou are in theory teaching your competition But
at the same time you are helping the community be more creativerdquo
With its roster of popular creative workshops under its belt Encourage Huntsville
has added business classes to its community-over-competition curriculum with
classes designed to provide specifi c guidance for small business owners ldquoAll of
our events that donrsquot require hands-on work we call seminarsrdquo says Gil ldquoWe had
about 15 people at our fi rst one It was pretty much just an open discussion to ask
us questions and get answers from the perspective of a small business ownerrdquo
Th e seminars enjoyed the same success and enthusiasm as the workshops ldquoWe
had two hours for people to ask questionsrdquo Gil says Topics covered ran the gamut
from scheduling daily tasks self-hosting a website or using an Etsy store man-
aging client expectations and being realistic about how much time you need to
complete jobs
ldquoTh e time went quickly and people wanted morerdquo says Gil who envisions an all-
day seminar in 2016
Margaret Baggett owner and executive chef of the Chef Next Door is another
small business owner who has shared Gilrsquos vision from the very beginning teach-
copy Erin Lindsey
Facing page Michelle Odomrsquos fondant basics class begins with a styrofoam cake form Above Newbie photographers familiarize themselves with their cameras in Erin Lindseyrsquos photography class
ing knife skills workshops and helping host the business seminars ldquoI am so proud
to get to be a part of this project and help nurture other small business owners
who may just be starting out on their journey or are deep in it and looking for
some encouragement from other business ownersrdquo Baggett says of what motivates
her participation in Encourage Huntsville ldquoEven being on the advice-giving side
of things I am still learning and have taken tips and tricks and lessons from each
event we have had so far We never stop learning from each other and never stop
improving upon our craftsrdquo
Th e mutual growth among students and teachers is the source of the encourage-
mentmdashand the joymdashof Encourage Huntsville ldquoItrsquos so much fun to see the light
bulbs go off with people and see them encouraged right before your eyesrdquo Lindsey
says of her experience with the program ldquoPlus itrsquos a pleasure to contribute to a
sense of community over competition Th at whole concept is so rarerdquo
As Encourage Huntsvillersquos following continues to grow the diversity of the work-
shops will expand as well Whether you are looking to spend a fun afternoon
learning a new craft or are a budding small business owner hoping to launch
your brand Encourage Huntsville has something valuable to off er ldquoWe encourage
those left-brain folks to take up a new hobby or skillrdquo Baggett says ldquoor just encour-
age the people of Huntsville to get together and fan their creative fl amesrdquo
If yoursquore looking for
creative or entrepreneurial
encouragement visit
encouragehuntsvillecom
for seminar and workshop
schedules and information
ldquoI AM SO PROUD TO GET TO BE A PART OF THIS PROJECT AND HELP NURTURE OTHER SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS WHO MAY JUST BE STARTING OUT ON THEIR JOURNEY OR ARE DEEP IN IT
AND LOOKING FOR SOME ENCOURAGEMENT FROM OTHER BUSINESS OWNERSrdquoMARGARET BAGGETT CHEF NEXT DOOR
copy Jacki Gil
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
copy Jacki Gil
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Participants in Margaret Baggettrsquos knife skills workshop learn to perfect their ldquomise en placerdquo
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
copy Olivia Reed
text by sara wright covington raquo photos by olivia reed and jeff white
HUNTSVILLErsquoS
HOMEGROWNHOSTESS
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
ttttttononononoooooonononooooo raquo praquo praquo praquo praquo phothothothothotosoososos s s osos bybybbybb
Any host will tell you that delicious food and quality libations while important to
a partyrsquos success are secondary to the most important ingredient of all the guest list Th atrsquos why many
of downtown Huntsvillersquos most popular restaurants breweries and wine shops are turning to event
planner Ashley Ryals and her uncanny knack for attracting loyal patronsmdashand creating unforgettable
events in the process
When Huntsville born-and-bred Ashley Ryals left for college at the University of Alabama in 2001
she thought her exit from the Valley was permanent ldquoI never thought I would end up back hererdquo the
founder of event planning company Homegrown Huntsville says with a knowing laugh But after a few
post-graduate years working for world-renowned public relations powerhouse Weber Shandwick in
New York City Ryals started to second guess her freshman declaration
ldquoI started to get homesickrdquo she admits ldquoAll of my friends were getting married and meeting for football
games and I was missing itrdquo So when a friend from home set up an interview at EarlyWorks for a job
doing event planning Ryals jumped at the chance to come home
Ashley spent the next few years planning EarlyWorks Whistle Stop and Santarsquos Village events A brief
stint in sales followed along with a seat on the board of Huntsville Young Professionals where she had
an idea for a downtown pub crawl
ldquoWe expected 20 or 30 peoplerdquo Ryals says of their modest expectations ldquoBut 200 people showed uprdquo
Th at initial success convinced Ryals to embark on her dream of establishing an
event planning company But it wasnrsquot just any event planning company Ryals
had in mind she envisioned one that would collaborate with local businesses
cultivate signature events for the community to enjoy and support small busi-
nesses in the process
Inspired Ryals left her sales job and for the second time in her life came home
again to event planning and Homegrown Huntsville
To help bring her vision to life Ryals collaborated with designer Adrianne Van
Kirk of Fave Creative ldquoAdrianne has been a part of the visual and branding of
Homegrown from the beginning We come up with the event ideas then I get
the ticketing and sales together and she comes back with a logo and the mar-
keting for the event And thatrsquos how it all comes togetherrdquo Ryals says of their
creative process
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
ASHLEY RYALS
copy Olivia Reed
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
ldquoMOST WINE FESTIVALS ACROSS THE COUNTRY HAVE PROVEN RECORDS OF BEING ABLE TO STAY AROUND 15 OR 20 YEARS OR EVEN LONGER AND THE ECONOMIES OF THOSE
CITIES HAVE REALLY GROWN AS A RESULT I WANT BIG SPRING CRUSH TO EVENTUALLY BE THE BIGGEST AND BEST WINE FESTIVAL IN THE STATE OF ALABAMArdquo ASHLEY RYALS
copy Jeff White
copy Jeff White
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
copy Olivia Reed
Homegrown launched in 2011 with what would become its
signature event Dine amp Dash Every second Wednesday
April through October a trolley shuttles patrons between
downtown establishments where they are served a drink
and appetizer before moving on to the next stop
Owner and executive chef Merle Phillips of Th e Eaves was
one of the fi rst restaurants to sign on for Dine amp Dashrsquos de-
but ldquoAshley came to me and said she was starting a trolley
tasting conceptrdquo says Chef Merle ldquoI didnrsquot really know her so
I was taking a chance on the concept she was sellingrdquo
Merle tried it and has been a loyal participant of Dine amp
Dash ever since
ldquoIt was a risk in the beginning but it defi nitely paid off rdquo Chef
Merle says of the experience Pivotal to that experience ac-
cording to Phillips is Ryalsrsquo demonstration to the commu-
nity just what the term ldquohomegrownrdquo really means ldquoAshley
shines a spotlight on independent businesses in a market-
place that has for so long focused on chainsrdquo Phillips says
ldquoDine amp Dash has really brought into sharp focus the inter-
esting culinary diversity that Huntsville has to off errdquo
For the next two years Homegrown Huntsville focused al-
most exclusively on Dine amp Dash which by the end of its fi rst
year included every single downtown restaurant But when
big changes began to appear on the downtown horizonmdash
new restaurants breweries and residential developmentsmdash
Ryalsrsquo instincts told her
the time had come to
introduce a new event
to the downtown cal-
endar
ldquoBeer Hop follows
the concept of Dine
amp Dashrdquo Ryals says of
Homegrownrsquos second
venture which began
in 2013 Each month a
trolley visits three dif-
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
BILL FOWLEROLD TOWN BEER
EXCHANGE
copy Olivia Reed
copy Olivia Reed
ferent breweries where patrons sample beers and enjoy food
from a variety of food trucks parked at each location
Bill Fowler managing partner of Old Town Beer Exchange
agreed to participate in Beer Hop on his very fi rst day of
business and credits Ryals with an overwhelmingly success-
ful opening night ldquoAshley said lsquoI can guarantee that you are
going to have wave after wave of people coming throughrsquordquo
Fowler says recalling that fi rst jittery occasion Once again
Ryals proved true to her word with 60-plus patrons arriving
in an hour-and-a-half ldquoIt was awesome and such a great ex-
perience for usrdquo Fowler raves ldquoAshley is a hard worker and
you can see that in what she doesrdquo
Fowler believes that in addition to bringing new customers
to OTBX Ryals is also cultivating beer education consis-
tently bringing in people who are new to beer and want to
learn And with Huntsvillersquos recent brewery boom that level
of education and interest is crucial for the brewing commu-
nity to thrive ldquoWe have a very small window of opportunityrdquo
says Fowler ldquoI think Huntsville in particular is becoming a
craft brewing community People are making money at this
and once Tennessee sees that we need to already have had a
pretty huge head startrdquo
By the end of 2013 and with standing events Beer Hop and
Dine amp Dash well established Ryals took time to refl ect on
her original goal for Homegrown Huntsville ldquoIn the back of
my head from day one I knew I wanted to do a wine festival
I just didnrsquot think Huntsville was ready for it in 2011rdquo
Emboldened by the success of Beer Hop Ryals decided to
make the leap with Big Spring Crush wine festival later the
same year Once again Ryals delivered the perfect audience
for the event and in the process discovered a surprising
fact about North Alabamarsquos contribution to the wine-mak-
ing industry
ldquoIn doing the wine festival I learned that we have a huge
wine community in Huntsvillerdquo Ryals says ldquoTh ere are only
about 47 certifi ed wine judges in the entire United States
and we have four of them right here in North Alabama Two
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
copy Jeff White
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
ldquoI STARTED TO GET HOMESICK ALL OF MY FRIENDS WERE GETTING MARRIEDAND MEETING FOR FOOTBALL GAMES AND I WAS MISSING ITrdquo ASHLEY RYALS
copy Jeff White
copy Jeff White
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
ldquoIT WAS AWESOME AND SUCH A GREAT EXPERIENCE FOR USrdquoBILL FOWLER OLD TOWN BEER EXCHANGE
copy Jeff White
copy Olivia Reed
of those four certifi ed wine judges sit on the committee for
Big Spring Crushrdquo
Matthew and Stephanie Mell had just opened Church Street
Wine Shop when they decided to participate in the fi rst Big
Spring Crush Like OTBXrsquos Robert Fowler the Mells credit
Ryals and Homegrown Huntsville for helping to introduce
their new enterprise to the community ldquoAshley has been in-
strumental in helping to bring us people who love and ap-
preciate winerdquo Stephanie Mell says ldquoShe was homegrown
here in Huntsville and she really gets the downtown area
and small businesses and that is so important to usrdquo
Big Spring Crush began with a bang featuring over 150
wines and attracting patrons from across the country
ldquoMost wine festivals across the country have proven records
of being able to stay around 15 or 20 years or even longerrdquo
Ryals says ldquoAnd the economies of those cities have really
grown as a result I want Big Spring Crush to eventually be
the biggest and best wine festival in the state of Alabamardquo
How does Ryals intend to make that dream come true ldquoBy
always keeping it fresh I want to have new marketing and
new things happening each yearrdquo
Ryalsrsquo formula of reinvention and expansion has successfully
led Homegrown Huntsville through fi ve years of success and
helped its events become community staples along the way In
the process Ryals is broadening more than just our image of
downtown Huntsville shersquos joining a class of creative entrepre-
neurs committed to expanding Huntsvillersquos reputation as more
than just a hub for the brightest scientifi c minds in America
ldquoWe have a big city of engineers and lawyers and itrsquos won-
derfulrdquo Ryals say ldquo But there is a whole artist and food cul-
ture here and there is so much growth I want us to have a
vibrant cool downtown area and I want for people to tell
their friends to come and visit and to see Huntsville for what
it is a city I loverdquo
If yoursquod like to participate in Homegrown Huntsville either
as a guest or a participating business visit homegrown-
huntsvillecom
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
copy Jeff White
I was years old and the year was At that time the city of Huntsville was inching toward the mountain to the east California Street was once the continental divide between the small town metropo-lis and the uncharted territories gingerly crossed by the real estate pioneers four score and some odd years prior Th is area became the new suburb as the city kept pushing onward toward Fagan Springs as if the reverberating booms of rocket testings were vibrating Hunstvillians away from its epicenter
From the front yard of our house on Owens Drive I could look to the rightmdashup the hill to the bend be-yond which the big houses stood on their rocky ledge pedestals and to the left where all the other houses that looked just like oursmdashfresh and newmdashrambled for what seemed like miles Th ose clean well-lit abodes all seemed the same and granted at my age I knew more about the pets that lived there than I did about the people who owned those manageable mortgages I came to realize that each was diff erent in a way that was permeated by voices smells and furnishings
It is a clicheacute to say that our lives were simpler then because that is just how the current era will be fondly referred to in the future but to a 5-year-old it is the simplicity that brought the joy Th e sixties will always be to me the beginning of the age of manufactured happiness Cheap clean and simple was what was strived for and what was easily obtained Plastic items were plentiful and pretty things could be bought with SampH Green Stamps A few coins in our pocket would transfer us into the most master of manipula-tors with us giving our all to convince our parents for a jaunt to Murdockrsquos for a holiday of wonderment joy and impatience as we would scour the shelves trying to get the most from our meager budget
Owens Drive was the fairly new thoroughfare from which the avenues of three-bedroom-ranchers fi ngered away at planned intervals Th is was the place where newlyweds started their lives homes and families Where girls with last names that had been in the town for generations would change them to those strange and exotic last names of the clean cut newcomers brought here for military purposes Where the housewives would preheat their pristine electric ovens trying to make cheese straws and biscuits that were just like their motherrsquos only to be frustrated as they were never quite the same and where the husbands would follow in their fatherrsquos footsteps by joining the Acme Club and hunting doves on the weekends
Th ere was a swimming pool Certainly not at our house Th e only private pool I remember as a child was one that my grandmother would take me to nestled between huge trees at someonersquos house on Adams Street I would swim with other children my age while our grandmothers chatted smoking cigarettes in cat-eyed anonymity whispering most of their stories so we wouldnrsquot be able to hear But between their
gasps and laughter we would listen hear and learn
Th e Blossomwood pool was a place of designated rules and the sound of bright whistlesmdashwith straight lines and distinctive colors of blue and green I can still feel the Coppertoned oiliness on the skin of the tanned lifeguard as she carried me from the deep end frightened after my fi rst attempt at solo-swimming She knew my name I had no idea who she was
On the other side of the pool was the school my older sister attended It had a style that mim-icked the poolmdashstraight lines cleanmdasha temple to orderliness and good manners It was with
awe that I once watched the young adults there some as old as eleven wind and dance their way around a sky-high fl agpolemdasheach with a diff erent color ribbon until the fi rst (and only) May Pole
I was privy to was completely dressed in its woven bright colors
90 raquo bless their hearts raquo Guy McClure Jr
Huntsville was a magical place for us tail-end baby boomers to grow upmdashbeyond the miracles of the escalator at Pizitz the smiling little lady on the tall stool at the register at Britlings There was a comfort level there that Irsquom not sure is in the minds of the 5-year-olds of today
cat-eyed agasps
Th s
aI w
THE COMFORTS OF BLOSSOMWOOD
In our world of red-bricked carported castles there was a def-inite division of generations Th e children ate separately from the parents went to school as our dads went to work enter-tained our neighborhood friends as quietly as possible and felt safe between our boundaries of Big Cove Road and Hermitage Street While we dined on our Chef Boy-Ar-Dee boxed pizza our parents busied themselves dressing in their dark colors getting ready for a late dinner at Boots having the scent of perfume and face powder trail my mother as she came into the kitchen looking for something with an intense purpose My father would smell of British Sterling and look just as he did when he went to work only happier Th ese nights meant something fun would happenmdashwe would have a babysitter
Babysitters were my introduction into what was and still seems cool Th ey were usually Huntsville High School teen-agers who would put on a show without even knowing it I would drink in their every move word and essence of style To me they were supermodelsmdashmovie starsmdasheven more fa-mous in my eyes than a television weatherman and almost as glamorous as the waitresses at the Waffl e House
Before they would tire of me and my sister and put us to bed they would include us in their world of music and knowledge which I thought was all-encompassing Suddenly our world of Th e Benny Carl Show and Fantasy Playhouse would seem trite and passeacute and we would catch a fl eeting glimpse into what would be in store for us when we too could stay up past 8 pm
Huntsville was a magical place for us tail-end baby boomers to grow upmdashbeyond the miracles of the escalator at Pizitz the smiling little lady on the tall stool at the register at Britlings and that bright colorful Maypole Th ere was a comfort level there that Irsquom not sure is in the minds of the 5-year-olds of todaymdashthe soothing sheltered lack of knowledge of why we were so lucky yet we didnrsquot even know that we were
In the other areas of our Huntsville there was poverty and ra-cial unrestmdashas there was and is in every city I was unaware People of color were always a part of my worldmdashmostly be-cause they had my attention and respect At our house there was Annie my grandmotherrsquos house was fi lled with the joys of Lula and out on the family farm there was strong and smiling Homer and large and huggable Rosamdashall just as much a part of my life as everyone else My life was good and they were instrumental in making it that way
What will the 5-year-olds of today who are lucky enough to be raised on those well-planned streets remember when they surpass their own 50 year mark It is a much more complex world now and there are diff erent concerns with daily changes of fear Youthful innocence is a prize that is encased without a lock Premature maturity is a viable threat and a constant fear But each night tucked in tight in a simple room sleeps tomor-rowrsquos adults who are having sweet dreamsmdashblanketed by the comforts of Blossomwood
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
92 raquo the vine raquo Amy C Collins
BORDEAUX POWER
Where Burgundyrsquos vineyards were established by Benedictine monks patiently growing wine vines with spiritual hearts Bordeauxrsquos vineyards were raised by entrepreneurial laymen who recognized the massive monetary opportunity when the English began drinking down their peasant wine
The city of Bordeaux is Francersquos primary port town on the Atlantic ocean a harbor that has for centuries served as the countryrsquos most important dock Th e regionrsquos history is long and storied with the fi rst written reference to the area dated 379 AD by the Latin poet Ausonius who was also a wine-grower Jump ahead to the year 1152 when Eleanor of Aquitaine married Englandrsquos soon-to-be king Henry Plantagenet and the port and surrounding vineyard land became the source of wine for the English a connection that remains strong even today
Bordeaux produces the worldrsquos most expensive and sought after collector wines the top tier of which make up less than fi ve percent of the regionrsquos total production Th ese names are quickly learned by neophyte wine drinkers wanting to make an impression Chateau Haut-Brion Lafi te Latour and Margaux for example Grown in gravelly soils only a few meters above sea levelmdashin contrast vineyards elsewhere in Europe typically sit between 300 and 900 metersmdashthese wines are some of the most powerful austere and pawed over When young the tannins in these cabernet sauvignon cabernet franc and merlot blends coat the tongue and mouth with a chalky dry sensation akin to sucking on an Earl Grey tea bag and are perhaps best suited to well-fatted rare steak and cigars Th ese are wines built to live for decades Personally I prefer a Bordeaux at least 20 years aged when the tannins have had ample time to calm down and mellow out and more nuanced fl avors come forward Sounds fancy and it is Only in some very lucky circumstances over the past year have I been guest to a bottle of 1990 Clos de Menuts Saint-Eacutemilion and a 1970 Chateau Haut-Brion About once every 10 years Irsquove had the good
fortune to taste a wine older than myself Nice work if you can get it
Where Burgundyrsquos vineyards (Francersquos other classifi ed sought-after region) were established by Benedictine monks patiently growing wine vines with spiritual hearts
Bordeauxrsquos vineyards were raised by entrepreneurial laymen who recognized the massive monetary opportunity when the English began drinking down their peasant wine Th is underscores the second half of my theory as to why Americans
more often American males are so drawn to the wines of Bordeaux Th erersquos an inherent capitalist connection something in the soil Th at the wines are so
unmistakable so distinctively grand and pronounced elixirs exemplifi es the fi rst half of my theory we Americans are not known for our subtlety (To be fair the Chinese are
signifi cant Bordeaux collectors as well)
Philosophy aside Bordeaux is quite a large region that produces beautiful white and red values as well as the rare fi nds out of the populacersquos price range Herersquos the skinny Blending is the game single varietal wines are rare White Bordeaux is typically made from a blend of sauvignon blanc and seacutemillon and sometimes a drop or two of muscadelle ugni blanc or colombard Reds are made primarily from the two cabernets plus merlot with small quantities of petit verdot malbec and carmenegravere occasionally in the mix Th e region is also home to the golden nectar of late ripened seacutemillon sauvignon blanc and muscadelle grapes that have successfully attracted the noble rot a fungus that covers the fruit and drains moisture from inside leaving behind rich sweet grapes without moldy fl avors Chateau drsquoYquem is the most famous of these unfortifi ed dessert wines though there are better bargains from the region
Bordeaux is split by the Gironde river which divides the region into three general areas Th e left bank also known as the Haut-Meacutedoc is where the classifi ed top growths are situated Th ese prestigious estates were named for their exceptional vineyard sites in 1855 a decision nearly unchanged since Today serious collectors invest in Bordeaux futures theoretically locking down lower prices of top
ample time to calm dit is Only in some vede Menuts Saint-Eacutem
fortune to taste a
Wherees
aun
of msignifi
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Follow Amy at pigandvinecom for morestories and wine suggestions
growth estates while the wine is still aging in the cellar Itrsquos the wine tradersquos equivalent to the NASDAQ On the right bank Saint-Eacutemilion and Pommerol are the prized vineyard areas known for their merlot heavy cuveacutees To the south west we fi nd Graves where there are many great values to be had in both white and red bottlings Entre-Deux-Mers which translates to ldquobetween two seasrdquo sits between the Dordogne and Garonne tributaries off the Gironde and is an excellent source for crisp whites
Get started on your Bordeaux experience with these values
Chateau Graville-Lacoste 2014 Graves 75 seacutemillon 20 sauvignon blanc and 5 muscadelle make up this beauty thatrsquos consistently delicious every vintage Crisp and refreshing great with seafood
Chateau Mirambeau 2014 GravesAnother classic blend of 40 sauvignon blanc 40 seacutemillon and 20 muscadelle this lovely white is a bit more fl oral than the Graville-Lacoste Easy drinking and great value
Chateau de Parenchegravere Bordeaux Rouge 201155 merlot 30 cabernet sauvignon and 15 cabernet franc grown in clay heavy soils similar to the right bank of the region Fleshy with good structure and abundant red fruit
Chateau Arnaud Bordeaux Supeacuterieur 2011Supeacuterieur on a Bordeaux label isnrsquot egotistical marketingmdashby law it indicates a wine with up to one degree more alcohol than its AC Bordeaux brethren What it really means is one more degree of body structure and in this case quality Approachable delicious and easy on the wallet
Chateau de Bernadotte Haut-Meacutedoc 2005Th e 2005 vintage in Bordeaux is in the history books with double asterisks Owned by the eminent Pichon Lalande family and made from vineyards in Paulliac one of the more choice growing areas in the region this is an incredible value a top tier Bordeaux for a fraction of the cost
Chateau de Suduiraut Sauternes 2011Ripe cantaloupe apricot and honey and an interesting smoky note with a solid sweet attack followed by great acidity A dessert wine that wonrsquot overpower the dessert
94 raquo parting shot raquo Patrick Hood
Meet Solvar
Solvar belongs to one of the worldrsquos oldest and purest equine lineages the Nor-
wegian Fjord horse a breed that has remained virtually unchanged for more than
2000 yearsmdashlong before we became acquainted with his animated cousins in
the movie Frozen Th ese national symbols of Norway are characterized by primi-
tive zebra striping on their legs and a dorsal stripe running from forelock to tail
resulting in a striking two-tone mane that sticks up like a Mohawk Th eir athleti-
cism agility and dependability make them valuable both as sport horses as well
as therapy horses for emotionally and physically challenged adults and children
Catie Wells of Huntsville is the proud owner of Solvar who resides at Monte
Sano Stables
For tickets or information 256-539-4818 or hsoorg
Bring In the New Year With Us
presents
WHAT A WONDERFUL
WORLDA tribute to Louis
Armstrong featuring the
Byron Stripling Quartet
Thursday December 31
730 pm bull Pops Series bullMark C Smith
Concert Hall VBC
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
M O R E T H A N 7 0 S H O P S A N D R E S T A U R A N T S I N C L U D I N G B E L K | D S W S H O E S | A P P L E J O S A B A N K | R E E D S J E W E L E R S | PA N D O R A | J C R E W | K AT E S PA D E N E W Y O R KO R V I S | B A N A N A R E P U B L I C | M I C H A E L K O R S | F R A N C E S C Arsquo S | A N T H R O P O L O G I EH amp M | S O M A | M O U N T A I N H I G H O U T F I T T E R S | B A R N E S amp N O B L E | S E P H O R AALTAR rsquoD STATE | CONNORS STEAK amp SEFOOD | THE WEST IN HUNTSV I L L E | MONACO P ICTURES
C O M I N G S O O N V E R S O N A ndash near Belk
B R I D G E S T R E E T H U N T S V I L L E C O M |
BR IDGE STREET TOWN CENTRE I S LOCATED AT EX I T 14 OFF I - 565 AT OLD MAD ISON P IKE
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Robinson advises fellow artists who are mothers to seize
both roles but to prioritize motherhood
ldquoAttend to your childrenrsquos needs fi rst keep focus on what you
want to do use the happiness joy and little breaks you get
to make your artrdquo she says ldquoTh ey grow real fast and they will
keep inspiring you all your liferdquo
Anna Sue Courtney director of the Flying Monkey Arts
Center at Lowe Mill has known Robinson for more than
10 years She says she admires how mothers and artists like
Robinson seamlessly embrace both roles
ldquoIt seems therersquos not a separation between creating and rais-
ing childrenrdquo Courtney says ldquoTh ey seem to pull from the
same placerdquo
Part of Robinsonrsquos motivation at Lowe Mill comes from
working privately in a studio alongside other artists that fos-
ters a community of feedback and ideas
ldquoItrsquos nice to be here because you can take a break and walk around and get inspirationrdquo Courtney says
ldquoItrsquos refreshingrdquo
When she needs a break from the studio Robinson stays home to sketch designs for a day or two then
she is back in the studio
Trips twice a year to Mexico City keep her plugged in to her native culture which in turn shows up in
her pottery
ldquoI have to recharge myselfrdquo Robinson says ldquoI love Huntsville and loved raising my kids here but I still
have the need of going back to be recharged and smell all the smells and see all the colors and get on
the subway and be pushed aroundrdquo
Details from her trips that infl uence her work include the ever-present red that covers the city during
the celebration of Dia de los Muertos or the Day of the Dead Th e pyramids of Teotihuacan conjure
warm earth tones and fl oating gardens around the city yield sweet pungent calla lilies and carnations
Celebration of food tough women and nature reappear in her pottery qualities that both Southern and
Mexican cultures treasure
Above This daisy design is character-istic of Robinsonrsquos work Nature food and strong females from her native Mexico City and the South are strong creative infl uences
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Clockwise from top left Robinson often glazes only the inside of her pots so they can hold water and food She began quilting in 2002 and her quilts like her pottery contain earth tones and natural infl uences in their design Four birds keep Robinson company in what can be the isolating medium of pottery making Geometry and symmetry are two signature elements in Robinsonrsquos work according to Laura Smith director of education at the Huntsville Museum of Art
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Just as she keeps her home country close to her heart Robinson is loyal to her fi rst
love of pottery though she began making quilts in 2002
ldquoIrsquom a potter who likes to quiltrdquo she says
Like her pottery her quilting follows designs of organic nature such as fl owers and
crops on rich jewel tone cotton
ldquoWhen I fi rst saw one of her quilts I didnrsquot realize it was hers and I thought that
looks like it should be Guadalupersquos quiltrdquo Courtney says
Robinson prefers the immediate gratifi cation of clay
ldquoItrsquos a very responsive mediumrdquo she says ldquoYou can manipulate it Th e fact of mak-
ing something out of dirt out of nothing and making it durable making it perma-
nent that after going through the heat and maturing is something very excitingrdquo
She gently dings a pot covered with white dresses titled ldquoTehuana Dressrdquo to make
her point
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
887 FM Muscle Shoals bull 1007 FM Huntsvillewwwaprorg
News classicalmusic and more
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
copy Patrick Hood
text by sara wright covington raquo photos by jacki gil
patrick hood erin lindsey and michelle odom
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
copy Patrick Hood
ldquoA LOT OF PEOPLE HAD BEEN ASKING ME QUESTIONS ABOUTHOW I GOT MY BUSINESS STARTED I WANTED TO GATHER SOME PEOPLE AROUND ME
WHO WERE GOING THROUGH THOSE STRUGGLES AND TOBUILD ENTREPRENEURIAL COURAGErdquo
JACKI GIL SALT+PAPERIE
copy Patrick Hood
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
untsville-born Jacki Gil began her paper design busi-
ness Salt+Paperie in 2014 with an expansive vision
in mind one that extended beyond creating beautiful
custom designed paper goods ldquoI love my design job
but when Irsquom 50 years old I donrsquot see myself still de-
signing wedding invitationsrdquo the master stationer says
ldquoI really have a passion for teaching and helping people
I want to be a mentorrdquo
In 2015 Gil set out on her mentoring mission sooner than expected with a series
of workshops called Encourage Huntsville ldquoA lot of people had been asking me
questions about how I got my business startedrdquo Gil says about the early days of
Salt+Paperie Even though most of those questions from entrepreneurial-hopefuls
were technicalmdashlike how to apply for a business licensemdashthey served as inspira-
tion for Gil ldquoI wanted to gather some people around me who were going through
those struggles and to build entrepreneurial courage I defi nitely saw that there
was a need for helping people to take that next step toward owning their own
businessesrdquo
Encourage Huntsville was modeled on the image of a growing small business
movement called the Rising Tide Society a national community of creative small
business owners who encourage ldquocommunity over competitionrdquo Th at spirit of
openness is at the heart of Encourage Huntsville ldquoCommunity over competition
is a huge part of what we are doingrdquo says Gil ldquoSmall business owners sharing how
they earn their money is a big dealrdquo
As a fi rst step Gil gathered others around her who were using their skills and abili-
ties to make their own small businesses work With talents ranging from cooking
and cake decorating to hand lettering and artwork these small business owners
all embraced Gilrsquos vision for imparting to others the knowledge of their craft un-
impeded by a fear of losing their competitive edge
Th e fi rst lesson Gil wanted to impart to Encourage Huntsvillersquos students wasnrsquot
necessarily a particular craft or skill but a spirt of creative confi dence ldquoWe want-
ed to bridge the gap between the very artsy community and the ultimate engineer
communityrdquo many of whom Gil observes had been told since childhood they
werenrsquot artistic ldquoWhen you are little and someone tells you that you donrsquot have a
talent it sticks with you I found that a lot of people had that experience so that
was the workshop partmdashto build some creative courage in this communityrdquo
Gil conducted the fi rst workshop herself testing the waters to see how the concept
would be received Th e admission price to that fi rst workshop included supplies a
take-home ldquogoody bagrdquo to help students continue their work extracurricularly and
refreshmentsmdashas well as Gilrsquos tips of her trade
ldquoWe went in blindly not knowing if we had a market or notrdquo says Gil Th e popular-
ity of that fi rst class proved undeniably that a market did in fact exist the work-
shop sold out in one day ldquoSo we did back-to-back workshopsrdquo Gil says ldquoAfter that
novemberdecembeeer eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee | nononoononononononoonoonononooooonoonoonnononnoaaalalalllaallllllalaalaaalal ststustust ddiossscom mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm | | | | | | | | | | |
f
w
y
Previous page Encourage Huntsvillersquos founder and instructor Jacki Gil teaches a class in hand lettering Facing page A participant studies her supply list
we realized people really want to do this stuff So we said lsquoletrsquos jump on the boat
and make this happenrsquordquo
Gilrsquos longtime friend photographer Erin Lindsey of Erin Lindsey Images agreed
to contribute to Encourage Huntsvillersquos curriculum by teaching a photography
class ldquoJacki and I are a good team because our hearts are in the same place when
it comes to encouraging othersrdquo Lindsey says Still she admits saying yes to teach-
ing wasnrsquot without some initial hesitation ldquoWhen Jacki asked if I would teach a
class it was kind of scary I thought I had to be perfect before I could teach oth-
ersrdquo Lindsey says of her initial hesitancy ldquoBut after talking to Jacki I realized none
of us are perfectrdquo But perfection isnrsquot the goal encouragement is the goal ldquoAnd I
thought lsquoI can defi nitely line up with that visionrsquordquo
Michelle Odom another Huntsville native and owner of custom cake bakery Just
Crumbs was also on board with Gilrsquos vision In fact Odom had been contemplat-
ing teaching a class when she was approached by Gil to teach a fondant basics
class ldquoHuntsville is such an engineer town and everyone is so mathematical and
scientifi crdquo Odom says echoing the dichotomy between the arts and sciences ex-
pressed by Gil ldquoTh ese workshops are just a very cool way for structured people to
have a creative outletrdquo
ldquoJACKI AND I ARE A GOOD TEAM BECAUSE OUR HEARTS ARE INTHE SAME PLACE WHEN IT COMES TO ENCOURAGING OTHERSrdquo
ERIN LINDSEY ERIN LINDSEY IMAGES
copy Erin Lindsey
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Above A participant in Erin Lindseyrsquos photo class frames a still life
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
copy Erin Lindsey
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
ldquoHUNTSVILLE IS SUCH AN ENGINEER TOWN AND EVERYONE ISSO MATHEMATICAL AND SCIENTIFIC THESE WORKSHOPS ARE JUST A VERY COOL
WAY FOR STRUCTURED PEOPLE TO HAVE A CREATIVE OUTLETrdquo MICHELLE ODOM JUST CRUMBS
copy Michelle Odom
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
ldquoAnd yesrdquo Odom acknowledges ldquoyou are in theory teaching your competition But
at the same time you are helping the community be more creativerdquo
With its roster of popular creative workshops under its belt Encourage Huntsville
has added business classes to its community-over-competition curriculum with
classes designed to provide specifi c guidance for small business owners ldquoAll of
our events that donrsquot require hands-on work we call seminarsrdquo says Gil ldquoWe had
about 15 people at our fi rst one It was pretty much just an open discussion to ask
us questions and get answers from the perspective of a small business ownerrdquo
Th e seminars enjoyed the same success and enthusiasm as the workshops ldquoWe
had two hours for people to ask questionsrdquo Gil says Topics covered ran the gamut
from scheduling daily tasks self-hosting a website or using an Etsy store man-
aging client expectations and being realistic about how much time you need to
complete jobs
ldquoTh e time went quickly and people wanted morerdquo says Gil who envisions an all-
day seminar in 2016
Margaret Baggett owner and executive chef of the Chef Next Door is another
small business owner who has shared Gilrsquos vision from the very beginning teach-
copy Erin Lindsey
Facing page Michelle Odomrsquos fondant basics class begins with a styrofoam cake form Above Newbie photographers familiarize themselves with their cameras in Erin Lindseyrsquos photography class
ing knife skills workshops and helping host the business seminars ldquoI am so proud
to get to be a part of this project and help nurture other small business owners
who may just be starting out on their journey or are deep in it and looking for
some encouragement from other business ownersrdquo Baggett says of what motivates
her participation in Encourage Huntsville ldquoEven being on the advice-giving side
of things I am still learning and have taken tips and tricks and lessons from each
event we have had so far We never stop learning from each other and never stop
improving upon our craftsrdquo
Th e mutual growth among students and teachers is the source of the encourage-
mentmdashand the joymdashof Encourage Huntsville ldquoItrsquos so much fun to see the light
bulbs go off with people and see them encouraged right before your eyesrdquo Lindsey
says of her experience with the program ldquoPlus itrsquos a pleasure to contribute to a
sense of community over competition Th at whole concept is so rarerdquo
As Encourage Huntsvillersquos following continues to grow the diversity of the work-
shops will expand as well Whether you are looking to spend a fun afternoon
learning a new craft or are a budding small business owner hoping to launch
your brand Encourage Huntsville has something valuable to off er ldquoWe encourage
those left-brain folks to take up a new hobby or skillrdquo Baggett says ldquoor just encour-
age the people of Huntsville to get together and fan their creative fl amesrdquo
If yoursquore looking for
creative or entrepreneurial
encouragement visit
encouragehuntsvillecom
for seminar and workshop
schedules and information
ldquoI AM SO PROUD TO GET TO BE A PART OF THIS PROJECT AND HELP NURTURE OTHER SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS WHO MAY JUST BE STARTING OUT ON THEIR JOURNEY OR ARE DEEP IN IT
AND LOOKING FOR SOME ENCOURAGEMENT FROM OTHER BUSINESS OWNERSrdquoMARGARET BAGGETT CHEF NEXT DOOR
copy Jacki Gil
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
copy Jacki Gil
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Participants in Margaret Baggettrsquos knife skills workshop learn to perfect their ldquomise en placerdquo
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
copy Olivia Reed
text by sara wright covington raquo photos by olivia reed and jeff white
HUNTSVILLErsquoS
HOMEGROWNHOSTESS
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
ttttttononononoooooonononooooo raquo praquo praquo praquo praquo phothothothothotosoososos s s osos bybybbybb
Any host will tell you that delicious food and quality libations while important to
a partyrsquos success are secondary to the most important ingredient of all the guest list Th atrsquos why many
of downtown Huntsvillersquos most popular restaurants breweries and wine shops are turning to event
planner Ashley Ryals and her uncanny knack for attracting loyal patronsmdashand creating unforgettable
events in the process
When Huntsville born-and-bred Ashley Ryals left for college at the University of Alabama in 2001
she thought her exit from the Valley was permanent ldquoI never thought I would end up back hererdquo the
founder of event planning company Homegrown Huntsville says with a knowing laugh But after a few
post-graduate years working for world-renowned public relations powerhouse Weber Shandwick in
New York City Ryals started to second guess her freshman declaration
ldquoI started to get homesickrdquo she admits ldquoAll of my friends were getting married and meeting for football
games and I was missing itrdquo So when a friend from home set up an interview at EarlyWorks for a job
doing event planning Ryals jumped at the chance to come home
Ashley spent the next few years planning EarlyWorks Whistle Stop and Santarsquos Village events A brief
stint in sales followed along with a seat on the board of Huntsville Young Professionals where she had
an idea for a downtown pub crawl
ldquoWe expected 20 or 30 peoplerdquo Ryals says of their modest expectations ldquoBut 200 people showed uprdquo
Th at initial success convinced Ryals to embark on her dream of establishing an
event planning company But it wasnrsquot just any event planning company Ryals
had in mind she envisioned one that would collaborate with local businesses
cultivate signature events for the community to enjoy and support small busi-
nesses in the process
Inspired Ryals left her sales job and for the second time in her life came home
again to event planning and Homegrown Huntsville
To help bring her vision to life Ryals collaborated with designer Adrianne Van
Kirk of Fave Creative ldquoAdrianne has been a part of the visual and branding of
Homegrown from the beginning We come up with the event ideas then I get
the ticketing and sales together and she comes back with a logo and the mar-
keting for the event And thatrsquos how it all comes togetherrdquo Ryals says of their
creative process
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
ASHLEY RYALS
copy Olivia Reed
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
ldquoMOST WINE FESTIVALS ACROSS THE COUNTRY HAVE PROVEN RECORDS OF BEING ABLE TO STAY AROUND 15 OR 20 YEARS OR EVEN LONGER AND THE ECONOMIES OF THOSE
CITIES HAVE REALLY GROWN AS A RESULT I WANT BIG SPRING CRUSH TO EVENTUALLY BE THE BIGGEST AND BEST WINE FESTIVAL IN THE STATE OF ALABAMArdquo ASHLEY RYALS
copy Jeff White
copy Jeff White
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
copy Olivia Reed
Homegrown launched in 2011 with what would become its
signature event Dine amp Dash Every second Wednesday
April through October a trolley shuttles patrons between
downtown establishments where they are served a drink
and appetizer before moving on to the next stop
Owner and executive chef Merle Phillips of Th e Eaves was
one of the fi rst restaurants to sign on for Dine amp Dashrsquos de-
but ldquoAshley came to me and said she was starting a trolley
tasting conceptrdquo says Chef Merle ldquoI didnrsquot really know her so
I was taking a chance on the concept she was sellingrdquo
Merle tried it and has been a loyal participant of Dine amp
Dash ever since
ldquoIt was a risk in the beginning but it defi nitely paid off rdquo Chef
Merle says of the experience Pivotal to that experience ac-
cording to Phillips is Ryalsrsquo demonstration to the commu-
nity just what the term ldquohomegrownrdquo really means ldquoAshley
shines a spotlight on independent businesses in a market-
place that has for so long focused on chainsrdquo Phillips says
ldquoDine amp Dash has really brought into sharp focus the inter-
esting culinary diversity that Huntsville has to off errdquo
For the next two years Homegrown Huntsville focused al-
most exclusively on Dine amp Dash which by the end of its fi rst
year included every single downtown restaurant But when
big changes began to appear on the downtown horizonmdash
new restaurants breweries and residential developmentsmdash
Ryalsrsquo instincts told her
the time had come to
introduce a new event
to the downtown cal-
endar
ldquoBeer Hop follows
the concept of Dine
amp Dashrdquo Ryals says of
Homegrownrsquos second
venture which began
in 2013 Each month a
trolley visits three dif-
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
BILL FOWLEROLD TOWN BEER
EXCHANGE
copy Olivia Reed
copy Olivia Reed
ferent breweries where patrons sample beers and enjoy food
from a variety of food trucks parked at each location
Bill Fowler managing partner of Old Town Beer Exchange
agreed to participate in Beer Hop on his very fi rst day of
business and credits Ryals with an overwhelmingly success-
ful opening night ldquoAshley said lsquoI can guarantee that you are
going to have wave after wave of people coming throughrsquordquo
Fowler says recalling that fi rst jittery occasion Once again
Ryals proved true to her word with 60-plus patrons arriving
in an hour-and-a-half ldquoIt was awesome and such a great ex-
perience for usrdquo Fowler raves ldquoAshley is a hard worker and
you can see that in what she doesrdquo
Fowler believes that in addition to bringing new customers
to OTBX Ryals is also cultivating beer education consis-
tently bringing in people who are new to beer and want to
learn And with Huntsvillersquos recent brewery boom that level
of education and interest is crucial for the brewing commu-
nity to thrive ldquoWe have a very small window of opportunityrdquo
says Fowler ldquoI think Huntsville in particular is becoming a
craft brewing community People are making money at this
and once Tennessee sees that we need to already have had a
pretty huge head startrdquo
By the end of 2013 and with standing events Beer Hop and
Dine amp Dash well established Ryals took time to refl ect on
her original goal for Homegrown Huntsville ldquoIn the back of
my head from day one I knew I wanted to do a wine festival
I just didnrsquot think Huntsville was ready for it in 2011rdquo
Emboldened by the success of Beer Hop Ryals decided to
make the leap with Big Spring Crush wine festival later the
same year Once again Ryals delivered the perfect audience
for the event and in the process discovered a surprising
fact about North Alabamarsquos contribution to the wine-mak-
ing industry
ldquoIn doing the wine festival I learned that we have a huge
wine community in Huntsvillerdquo Ryals says ldquoTh ere are only
about 47 certifi ed wine judges in the entire United States
and we have four of them right here in North Alabama Two
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
copy Jeff White
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
ldquoI STARTED TO GET HOMESICK ALL OF MY FRIENDS WERE GETTING MARRIEDAND MEETING FOR FOOTBALL GAMES AND I WAS MISSING ITrdquo ASHLEY RYALS
copy Jeff White
copy Jeff White
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
ldquoIT WAS AWESOME AND SUCH A GREAT EXPERIENCE FOR USrdquoBILL FOWLER OLD TOWN BEER EXCHANGE
copy Jeff White
copy Olivia Reed
of those four certifi ed wine judges sit on the committee for
Big Spring Crushrdquo
Matthew and Stephanie Mell had just opened Church Street
Wine Shop when they decided to participate in the fi rst Big
Spring Crush Like OTBXrsquos Robert Fowler the Mells credit
Ryals and Homegrown Huntsville for helping to introduce
their new enterprise to the community ldquoAshley has been in-
strumental in helping to bring us people who love and ap-
preciate winerdquo Stephanie Mell says ldquoShe was homegrown
here in Huntsville and she really gets the downtown area
and small businesses and that is so important to usrdquo
Big Spring Crush began with a bang featuring over 150
wines and attracting patrons from across the country
ldquoMost wine festivals across the country have proven records
of being able to stay around 15 or 20 years or even longerrdquo
Ryals says ldquoAnd the economies of those cities have really
grown as a result I want Big Spring Crush to eventually be
the biggest and best wine festival in the state of Alabamardquo
How does Ryals intend to make that dream come true ldquoBy
always keeping it fresh I want to have new marketing and
new things happening each yearrdquo
Ryalsrsquo formula of reinvention and expansion has successfully
led Homegrown Huntsville through fi ve years of success and
helped its events become community staples along the way In
the process Ryals is broadening more than just our image of
downtown Huntsville shersquos joining a class of creative entrepre-
neurs committed to expanding Huntsvillersquos reputation as more
than just a hub for the brightest scientifi c minds in America
ldquoWe have a big city of engineers and lawyers and itrsquos won-
derfulrdquo Ryals say ldquo But there is a whole artist and food cul-
ture here and there is so much growth I want us to have a
vibrant cool downtown area and I want for people to tell
their friends to come and visit and to see Huntsville for what
it is a city I loverdquo
If yoursquod like to participate in Homegrown Huntsville either
as a guest or a participating business visit homegrown-
huntsvillecom
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
copy Jeff White
I was years old and the year was At that time the city of Huntsville was inching toward the mountain to the east California Street was once the continental divide between the small town metropo-lis and the uncharted territories gingerly crossed by the real estate pioneers four score and some odd years prior Th is area became the new suburb as the city kept pushing onward toward Fagan Springs as if the reverberating booms of rocket testings were vibrating Hunstvillians away from its epicenter
From the front yard of our house on Owens Drive I could look to the rightmdashup the hill to the bend be-yond which the big houses stood on their rocky ledge pedestals and to the left where all the other houses that looked just like oursmdashfresh and newmdashrambled for what seemed like miles Th ose clean well-lit abodes all seemed the same and granted at my age I knew more about the pets that lived there than I did about the people who owned those manageable mortgages I came to realize that each was diff erent in a way that was permeated by voices smells and furnishings
It is a clicheacute to say that our lives were simpler then because that is just how the current era will be fondly referred to in the future but to a 5-year-old it is the simplicity that brought the joy Th e sixties will always be to me the beginning of the age of manufactured happiness Cheap clean and simple was what was strived for and what was easily obtained Plastic items were plentiful and pretty things could be bought with SampH Green Stamps A few coins in our pocket would transfer us into the most master of manipula-tors with us giving our all to convince our parents for a jaunt to Murdockrsquos for a holiday of wonderment joy and impatience as we would scour the shelves trying to get the most from our meager budget
Owens Drive was the fairly new thoroughfare from which the avenues of three-bedroom-ranchers fi ngered away at planned intervals Th is was the place where newlyweds started their lives homes and families Where girls with last names that had been in the town for generations would change them to those strange and exotic last names of the clean cut newcomers brought here for military purposes Where the housewives would preheat their pristine electric ovens trying to make cheese straws and biscuits that were just like their motherrsquos only to be frustrated as they were never quite the same and where the husbands would follow in their fatherrsquos footsteps by joining the Acme Club and hunting doves on the weekends
Th ere was a swimming pool Certainly not at our house Th e only private pool I remember as a child was one that my grandmother would take me to nestled between huge trees at someonersquos house on Adams Street I would swim with other children my age while our grandmothers chatted smoking cigarettes in cat-eyed anonymity whispering most of their stories so we wouldnrsquot be able to hear But between their
gasps and laughter we would listen hear and learn
Th e Blossomwood pool was a place of designated rules and the sound of bright whistlesmdashwith straight lines and distinctive colors of blue and green I can still feel the Coppertoned oiliness on the skin of the tanned lifeguard as she carried me from the deep end frightened after my fi rst attempt at solo-swimming She knew my name I had no idea who she was
On the other side of the pool was the school my older sister attended It had a style that mim-icked the poolmdashstraight lines cleanmdasha temple to orderliness and good manners It was with
awe that I once watched the young adults there some as old as eleven wind and dance their way around a sky-high fl agpolemdasheach with a diff erent color ribbon until the fi rst (and only) May Pole
I was privy to was completely dressed in its woven bright colors
90 raquo bless their hearts raquo Guy McClure Jr
Huntsville was a magical place for us tail-end baby boomers to grow upmdashbeyond the miracles of the escalator at Pizitz the smiling little lady on the tall stool at the register at Britlings There was a comfort level there that Irsquom not sure is in the minds of the 5-year-olds of today
cat-eyed agasps
Th s
aI w
THE COMFORTS OF BLOSSOMWOOD
In our world of red-bricked carported castles there was a def-inite division of generations Th e children ate separately from the parents went to school as our dads went to work enter-tained our neighborhood friends as quietly as possible and felt safe between our boundaries of Big Cove Road and Hermitage Street While we dined on our Chef Boy-Ar-Dee boxed pizza our parents busied themselves dressing in their dark colors getting ready for a late dinner at Boots having the scent of perfume and face powder trail my mother as she came into the kitchen looking for something with an intense purpose My father would smell of British Sterling and look just as he did when he went to work only happier Th ese nights meant something fun would happenmdashwe would have a babysitter
Babysitters were my introduction into what was and still seems cool Th ey were usually Huntsville High School teen-agers who would put on a show without even knowing it I would drink in their every move word and essence of style To me they were supermodelsmdashmovie starsmdasheven more fa-mous in my eyes than a television weatherman and almost as glamorous as the waitresses at the Waffl e House
Before they would tire of me and my sister and put us to bed they would include us in their world of music and knowledge which I thought was all-encompassing Suddenly our world of Th e Benny Carl Show and Fantasy Playhouse would seem trite and passeacute and we would catch a fl eeting glimpse into what would be in store for us when we too could stay up past 8 pm
Huntsville was a magical place for us tail-end baby boomers to grow upmdashbeyond the miracles of the escalator at Pizitz the smiling little lady on the tall stool at the register at Britlings and that bright colorful Maypole Th ere was a comfort level there that Irsquom not sure is in the minds of the 5-year-olds of todaymdashthe soothing sheltered lack of knowledge of why we were so lucky yet we didnrsquot even know that we were
In the other areas of our Huntsville there was poverty and ra-cial unrestmdashas there was and is in every city I was unaware People of color were always a part of my worldmdashmostly be-cause they had my attention and respect At our house there was Annie my grandmotherrsquos house was fi lled with the joys of Lula and out on the family farm there was strong and smiling Homer and large and huggable Rosamdashall just as much a part of my life as everyone else My life was good and they were instrumental in making it that way
What will the 5-year-olds of today who are lucky enough to be raised on those well-planned streets remember when they surpass their own 50 year mark It is a much more complex world now and there are diff erent concerns with daily changes of fear Youthful innocence is a prize that is encased without a lock Premature maturity is a viable threat and a constant fear But each night tucked in tight in a simple room sleeps tomor-rowrsquos adults who are having sweet dreamsmdashblanketed by the comforts of Blossomwood
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
92 raquo the vine raquo Amy C Collins
BORDEAUX POWER
Where Burgundyrsquos vineyards were established by Benedictine monks patiently growing wine vines with spiritual hearts Bordeauxrsquos vineyards were raised by entrepreneurial laymen who recognized the massive monetary opportunity when the English began drinking down their peasant wine
The city of Bordeaux is Francersquos primary port town on the Atlantic ocean a harbor that has for centuries served as the countryrsquos most important dock Th e regionrsquos history is long and storied with the fi rst written reference to the area dated 379 AD by the Latin poet Ausonius who was also a wine-grower Jump ahead to the year 1152 when Eleanor of Aquitaine married Englandrsquos soon-to-be king Henry Plantagenet and the port and surrounding vineyard land became the source of wine for the English a connection that remains strong even today
Bordeaux produces the worldrsquos most expensive and sought after collector wines the top tier of which make up less than fi ve percent of the regionrsquos total production Th ese names are quickly learned by neophyte wine drinkers wanting to make an impression Chateau Haut-Brion Lafi te Latour and Margaux for example Grown in gravelly soils only a few meters above sea levelmdashin contrast vineyards elsewhere in Europe typically sit between 300 and 900 metersmdashthese wines are some of the most powerful austere and pawed over When young the tannins in these cabernet sauvignon cabernet franc and merlot blends coat the tongue and mouth with a chalky dry sensation akin to sucking on an Earl Grey tea bag and are perhaps best suited to well-fatted rare steak and cigars Th ese are wines built to live for decades Personally I prefer a Bordeaux at least 20 years aged when the tannins have had ample time to calm down and mellow out and more nuanced fl avors come forward Sounds fancy and it is Only in some very lucky circumstances over the past year have I been guest to a bottle of 1990 Clos de Menuts Saint-Eacutemilion and a 1970 Chateau Haut-Brion About once every 10 years Irsquove had the good
fortune to taste a wine older than myself Nice work if you can get it
Where Burgundyrsquos vineyards (Francersquos other classifi ed sought-after region) were established by Benedictine monks patiently growing wine vines with spiritual hearts
Bordeauxrsquos vineyards were raised by entrepreneurial laymen who recognized the massive monetary opportunity when the English began drinking down their peasant wine Th is underscores the second half of my theory as to why Americans
more often American males are so drawn to the wines of Bordeaux Th erersquos an inherent capitalist connection something in the soil Th at the wines are so
unmistakable so distinctively grand and pronounced elixirs exemplifi es the fi rst half of my theory we Americans are not known for our subtlety (To be fair the Chinese are
signifi cant Bordeaux collectors as well)
Philosophy aside Bordeaux is quite a large region that produces beautiful white and red values as well as the rare fi nds out of the populacersquos price range Herersquos the skinny Blending is the game single varietal wines are rare White Bordeaux is typically made from a blend of sauvignon blanc and seacutemillon and sometimes a drop or two of muscadelle ugni blanc or colombard Reds are made primarily from the two cabernets plus merlot with small quantities of petit verdot malbec and carmenegravere occasionally in the mix Th e region is also home to the golden nectar of late ripened seacutemillon sauvignon blanc and muscadelle grapes that have successfully attracted the noble rot a fungus that covers the fruit and drains moisture from inside leaving behind rich sweet grapes without moldy fl avors Chateau drsquoYquem is the most famous of these unfortifi ed dessert wines though there are better bargains from the region
Bordeaux is split by the Gironde river which divides the region into three general areas Th e left bank also known as the Haut-Meacutedoc is where the classifi ed top growths are situated Th ese prestigious estates were named for their exceptional vineyard sites in 1855 a decision nearly unchanged since Today serious collectors invest in Bordeaux futures theoretically locking down lower prices of top
ample time to calm dit is Only in some vede Menuts Saint-Eacutem
fortune to taste a
Wherees
aun
of msignifi
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Follow Amy at pigandvinecom for morestories and wine suggestions
growth estates while the wine is still aging in the cellar Itrsquos the wine tradersquos equivalent to the NASDAQ On the right bank Saint-Eacutemilion and Pommerol are the prized vineyard areas known for their merlot heavy cuveacutees To the south west we fi nd Graves where there are many great values to be had in both white and red bottlings Entre-Deux-Mers which translates to ldquobetween two seasrdquo sits between the Dordogne and Garonne tributaries off the Gironde and is an excellent source for crisp whites
Get started on your Bordeaux experience with these values
Chateau Graville-Lacoste 2014 Graves 75 seacutemillon 20 sauvignon blanc and 5 muscadelle make up this beauty thatrsquos consistently delicious every vintage Crisp and refreshing great with seafood
Chateau Mirambeau 2014 GravesAnother classic blend of 40 sauvignon blanc 40 seacutemillon and 20 muscadelle this lovely white is a bit more fl oral than the Graville-Lacoste Easy drinking and great value
Chateau de Parenchegravere Bordeaux Rouge 201155 merlot 30 cabernet sauvignon and 15 cabernet franc grown in clay heavy soils similar to the right bank of the region Fleshy with good structure and abundant red fruit
Chateau Arnaud Bordeaux Supeacuterieur 2011Supeacuterieur on a Bordeaux label isnrsquot egotistical marketingmdashby law it indicates a wine with up to one degree more alcohol than its AC Bordeaux brethren What it really means is one more degree of body structure and in this case quality Approachable delicious and easy on the wallet
Chateau de Bernadotte Haut-Meacutedoc 2005Th e 2005 vintage in Bordeaux is in the history books with double asterisks Owned by the eminent Pichon Lalande family and made from vineyards in Paulliac one of the more choice growing areas in the region this is an incredible value a top tier Bordeaux for a fraction of the cost
Chateau de Suduiraut Sauternes 2011Ripe cantaloupe apricot and honey and an interesting smoky note with a solid sweet attack followed by great acidity A dessert wine that wonrsquot overpower the dessert
94 raquo parting shot raquo Patrick Hood
Meet Solvar
Solvar belongs to one of the worldrsquos oldest and purest equine lineages the Nor-
wegian Fjord horse a breed that has remained virtually unchanged for more than
2000 yearsmdashlong before we became acquainted with his animated cousins in
the movie Frozen Th ese national symbols of Norway are characterized by primi-
tive zebra striping on their legs and a dorsal stripe running from forelock to tail
resulting in a striking two-tone mane that sticks up like a Mohawk Th eir athleti-
cism agility and dependability make them valuable both as sport horses as well
as therapy horses for emotionally and physically challenged adults and children
Catie Wells of Huntsville is the proud owner of Solvar who resides at Monte
Sano Stables
For tickets or information 256-539-4818 or hsoorg
Bring In the New Year With Us
presents
WHAT A WONDERFUL
WORLDA tribute to Louis
Armstrong featuring the
Byron Stripling Quartet
Thursday December 31
730 pm bull Pops Series bullMark C Smith
Concert Hall VBC
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
M O R E T H A N 7 0 S H O P S A N D R E S T A U R A N T S I N C L U D I N G B E L K | D S W S H O E S | A P P L E J O S A B A N K | R E E D S J E W E L E R S | PA N D O R A | J C R E W | K AT E S PA D E N E W Y O R KO R V I S | B A N A N A R E P U B L I C | M I C H A E L K O R S | F R A N C E S C Arsquo S | A N T H R O P O L O G I EH amp M | S O M A | M O U N T A I N H I G H O U T F I T T E R S | B A R N E S amp N O B L E | S E P H O R AALTAR rsquoD STATE | CONNORS STEAK amp SEFOOD | THE WEST IN HUNTSV I L L E | MONACO P ICTURES
C O M I N G S O O N V E R S O N A ndash near Belk
B R I D G E S T R E E T H U N T S V I L L E C O M |
BR IDGE STREET TOWN CENTRE I S LOCATED AT EX I T 14 OFF I - 565 AT OLD MAD ISON P IKE
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Clockwise from top left Robinson often glazes only the inside of her pots so they can hold water and food She began quilting in 2002 and her quilts like her pottery contain earth tones and natural infl uences in their design Four birds keep Robinson company in what can be the isolating medium of pottery making Geometry and symmetry are two signature elements in Robinsonrsquos work according to Laura Smith director of education at the Huntsville Museum of Art
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Just as she keeps her home country close to her heart Robinson is loyal to her fi rst
love of pottery though she began making quilts in 2002
ldquoIrsquom a potter who likes to quiltrdquo she says
Like her pottery her quilting follows designs of organic nature such as fl owers and
crops on rich jewel tone cotton
ldquoWhen I fi rst saw one of her quilts I didnrsquot realize it was hers and I thought that
looks like it should be Guadalupersquos quiltrdquo Courtney says
Robinson prefers the immediate gratifi cation of clay
ldquoItrsquos a very responsive mediumrdquo she says ldquoYou can manipulate it Th e fact of mak-
ing something out of dirt out of nothing and making it durable making it perma-
nent that after going through the heat and maturing is something very excitingrdquo
She gently dings a pot covered with white dresses titled ldquoTehuana Dressrdquo to make
her point
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
887 FM Muscle Shoals bull 1007 FM Huntsvillewwwaprorg
News classicalmusic and more
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
copy Patrick Hood
text by sara wright covington raquo photos by jacki gil
patrick hood erin lindsey and michelle odom
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
copy Patrick Hood
ldquoA LOT OF PEOPLE HAD BEEN ASKING ME QUESTIONS ABOUTHOW I GOT MY BUSINESS STARTED I WANTED TO GATHER SOME PEOPLE AROUND ME
WHO WERE GOING THROUGH THOSE STRUGGLES AND TOBUILD ENTREPRENEURIAL COURAGErdquo
JACKI GIL SALT+PAPERIE
copy Patrick Hood
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
untsville-born Jacki Gil began her paper design busi-
ness Salt+Paperie in 2014 with an expansive vision
in mind one that extended beyond creating beautiful
custom designed paper goods ldquoI love my design job
but when Irsquom 50 years old I donrsquot see myself still de-
signing wedding invitationsrdquo the master stationer says
ldquoI really have a passion for teaching and helping people
I want to be a mentorrdquo
In 2015 Gil set out on her mentoring mission sooner than expected with a series
of workshops called Encourage Huntsville ldquoA lot of people had been asking me
questions about how I got my business startedrdquo Gil says about the early days of
Salt+Paperie Even though most of those questions from entrepreneurial-hopefuls
were technicalmdashlike how to apply for a business licensemdashthey served as inspira-
tion for Gil ldquoI wanted to gather some people around me who were going through
those struggles and to build entrepreneurial courage I defi nitely saw that there
was a need for helping people to take that next step toward owning their own
businessesrdquo
Encourage Huntsville was modeled on the image of a growing small business
movement called the Rising Tide Society a national community of creative small
business owners who encourage ldquocommunity over competitionrdquo Th at spirit of
openness is at the heart of Encourage Huntsville ldquoCommunity over competition
is a huge part of what we are doingrdquo says Gil ldquoSmall business owners sharing how
they earn their money is a big dealrdquo
As a fi rst step Gil gathered others around her who were using their skills and abili-
ties to make their own small businesses work With talents ranging from cooking
and cake decorating to hand lettering and artwork these small business owners
all embraced Gilrsquos vision for imparting to others the knowledge of their craft un-
impeded by a fear of losing their competitive edge
Th e fi rst lesson Gil wanted to impart to Encourage Huntsvillersquos students wasnrsquot
necessarily a particular craft or skill but a spirt of creative confi dence ldquoWe want-
ed to bridge the gap between the very artsy community and the ultimate engineer
communityrdquo many of whom Gil observes had been told since childhood they
werenrsquot artistic ldquoWhen you are little and someone tells you that you donrsquot have a
talent it sticks with you I found that a lot of people had that experience so that
was the workshop partmdashto build some creative courage in this communityrdquo
Gil conducted the fi rst workshop herself testing the waters to see how the concept
would be received Th e admission price to that fi rst workshop included supplies a
take-home ldquogoody bagrdquo to help students continue their work extracurricularly and
refreshmentsmdashas well as Gilrsquos tips of her trade
ldquoWe went in blindly not knowing if we had a market or notrdquo says Gil Th e popular-
ity of that fi rst class proved undeniably that a market did in fact exist the work-
shop sold out in one day ldquoSo we did back-to-back workshopsrdquo Gil says ldquoAfter that
novemberdecembeeer eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee | nononoononononononoonoonononooooonoonoonnononnoaaalalalllaallllllalaalaaalal ststustust ddiossscom mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm | | | | | | | | | | |
f
w
y
Previous page Encourage Huntsvillersquos founder and instructor Jacki Gil teaches a class in hand lettering Facing page A participant studies her supply list
we realized people really want to do this stuff So we said lsquoletrsquos jump on the boat
and make this happenrsquordquo
Gilrsquos longtime friend photographer Erin Lindsey of Erin Lindsey Images agreed
to contribute to Encourage Huntsvillersquos curriculum by teaching a photography
class ldquoJacki and I are a good team because our hearts are in the same place when
it comes to encouraging othersrdquo Lindsey says Still she admits saying yes to teach-
ing wasnrsquot without some initial hesitation ldquoWhen Jacki asked if I would teach a
class it was kind of scary I thought I had to be perfect before I could teach oth-
ersrdquo Lindsey says of her initial hesitancy ldquoBut after talking to Jacki I realized none
of us are perfectrdquo But perfection isnrsquot the goal encouragement is the goal ldquoAnd I
thought lsquoI can defi nitely line up with that visionrsquordquo
Michelle Odom another Huntsville native and owner of custom cake bakery Just
Crumbs was also on board with Gilrsquos vision In fact Odom had been contemplat-
ing teaching a class when she was approached by Gil to teach a fondant basics
class ldquoHuntsville is such an engineer town and everyone is so mathematical and
scientifi crdquo Odom says echoing the dichotomy between the arts and sciences ex-
pressed by Gil ldquoTh ese workshops are just a very cool way for structured people to
have a creative outletrdquo
ldquoJACKI AND I ARE A GOOD TEAM BECAUSE OUR HEARTS ARE INTHE SAME PLACE WHEN IT COMES TO ENCOURAGING OTHERSrdquo
ERIN LINDSEY ERIN LINDSEY IMAGES
copy Erin Lindsey
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Above A participant in Erin Lindseyrsquos photo class frames a still life
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
copy Erin Lindsey
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
ldquoHUNTSVILLE IS SUCH AN ENGINEER TOWN AND EVERYONE ISSO MATHEMATICAL AND SCIENTIFIC THESE WORKSHOPS ARE JUST A VERY COOL
WAY FOR STRUCTURED PEOPLE TO HAVE A CREATIVE OUTLETrdquo MICHELLE ODOM JUST CRUMBS
copy Michelle Odom
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
ldquoAnd yesrdquo Odom acknowledges ldquoyou are in theory teaching your competition But
at the same time you are helping the community be more creativerdquo
With its roster of popular creative workshops under its belt Encourage Huntsville
has added business classes to its community-over-competition curriculum with
classes designed to provide specifi c guidance for small business owners ldquoAll of
our events that donrsquot require hands-on work we call seminarsrdquo says Gil ldquoWe had
about 15 people at our fi rst one It was pretty much just an open discussion to ask
us questions and get answers from the perspective of a small business ownerrdquo
Th e seminars enjoyed the same success and enthusiasm as the workshops ldquoWe
had two hours for people to ask questionsrdquo Gil says Topics covered ran the gamut
from scheduling daily tasks self-hosting a website or using an Etsy store man-
aging client expectations and being realistic about how much time you need to
complete jobs
ldquoTh e time went quickly and people wanted morerdquo says Gil who envisions an all-
day seminar in 2016
Margaret Baggett owner and executive chef of the Chef Next Door is another
small business owner who has shared Gilrsquos vision from the very beginning teach-
copy Erin Lindsey
Facing page Michelle Odomrsquos fondant basics class begins with a styrofoam cake form Above Newbie photographers familiarize themselves with their cameras in Erin Lindseyrsquos photography class
ing knife skills workshops and helping host the business seminars ldquoI am so proud
to get to be a part of this project and help nurture other small business owners
who may just be starting out on their journey or are deep in it and looking for
some encouragement from other business ownersrdquo Baggett says of what motivates
her participation in Encourage Huntsville ldquoEven being on the advice-giving side
of things I am still learning and have taken tips and tricks and lessons from each
event we have had so far We never stop learning from each other and never stop
improving upon our craftsrdquo
Th e mutual growth among students and teachers is the source of the encourage-
mentmdashand the joymdashof Encourage Huntsville ldquoItrsquos so much fun to see the light
bulbs go off with people and see them encouraged right before your eyesrdquo Lindsey
says of her experience with the program ldquoPlus itrsquos a pleasure to contribute to a
sense of community over competition Th at whole concept is so rarerdquo
As Encourage Huntsvillersquos following continues to grow the diversity of the work-
shops will expand as well Whether you are looking to spend a fun afternoon
learning a new craft or are a budding small business owner hoping to launch
your brand Encourage Huntsville has something valuable to off er ldquoWe encourage
those left-brain folks to take up a new hobby or skillrdquo Baggett says ldquoor just encour-
age the people of Huntsville to get together and fan their creative fl amesrdquo
If yoursquore looking for
creative or entrepreneurial
encouragement visit
encouragehuntsvillecom
for seminar and workshop
schedules and information
ldquoI AM SO PROUD TO GET TO BE A PART OF THIS PROJECT AND HELP NURTURE OTHER SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS WHO MAY JUST BE STARTING OUT ON THEIR JOURNEY OR ARE DEEP IN IT
AND LOOKING FOR SOME ENCOURAGEMENT FROM OTHER BUSINESS OWNERSrdquoMARGARET BAGGETT CHEF NEXT DOOR
copy Jacki Gil
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
copy Jacki Gil
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Participants in Margaret Baggettrsquos knife skills workshop learn to perfect their ldquomise en placerdquo
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
copy Olivia Reed
text by sara wright covington raquo photos by olivia reed and jeff white
HUNTSVILLErsquoS
HOMEGROWNHOSTESS
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
ttttttononononoooooonononooooo raquo praquo praquo praquo praquo phothothothothotosoososos s s osos bybybbybb
Any host will tell you that delicious food and quality libations while important to
a partyrsquos success are secondary to the most important ingredient of all the guest list Th atrsquos why many
of downtown Huntsvillersquos most popular restaurants breweries and wine shops are turning to event
planner Ashley Ryals and her uncanny knack for attracting loyal patronsmdashand creating unforgettable
events in the process
When Huntsville born-and-bred Ashley Ryals left for college at the University of Alabama in 2001
she thought her exit from the Valley was permanent ldquoI never thought I would end up back hererdquo the
founder of event planning company Homegrown Huntsville says with a knowing laugh But after a few
post-graduate years working for world-renowned public relations powerhouse Weber Shandwick in
New York City Ryals started to second guess her freshman declaration
ldquoI started to get homesickrdquo she admits ldquoAll of my friends were getting married and meeting for football
games and I was missing itrdquo So when a friend from home set up an interview at EarlyWorks for a job
doing event planning Ryals jumped at the chance to come home
Ashley spent the next few years planning EarlyWorks Whistle Stop and Santarsquos Village events A brief
stint in sales followed along with a seat on the board of Huntsville Young Professionals where she had
an idea for a downtown pub crawl
ldquoWe expected 20 or 30 peoplerdquo Ryals says of their modest expectations ldquoBut 200 people showed uprdquo
Th at initial success convinced Ryals to embark on her dream of establishing an
event planning company But it wasnrsquot just any event planning company Ryals
had in mind she envisioned one that would collaborate with local businesses
cultivate signature events for the community to enjoy and support small busi-
nesses in the process
Inspired Ryals left her sales job and for the second time in her life came home
again to event planning and Homegrown Huntsville
To help bring her vision to life Ryals collaborated with designer Adrianne Van
Kirk of Fave Creative ldquoAdrianne has been a part of the visual and branding of
Homegrown from the beginning We come up with the event ideas then I get
the ticketing and sales together and she comes back with a logo and the mar-
keting for the event And thatrsquos how it all comes togetherrdquo Ryals says of their
creative process
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
ASHLEY RYALS
copy Olivia Reed
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
ldquoMOST WINE FESTIVALS ACROSS THE COUNTRY HAVE PROVEN RECORDS OF BEING ABLE TO STAY AROUND 15 OR 20 YEARS OR EVEN LONGER AND THE ECONOMIES OF THOSE
CITIES HAVE REALLY GROWN AS A RESULT I WANT BIG SPRING CRUSH TO EVENTUALLY BE THE BIGGEST AND BEST WINE FESTIVAL IN THE STATE OF ALABAMArdquo ASHLEY RYALS
copy Jeff White
copy Jeff White
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
copy Olivia Reed
Homegrown launched in 2011 with what would become its
signature event Dine amp Dash Every second Wednesday
April through October a trolley shuttles patrons between
downtown establishments where they are served a drink
and appetizer before moving on to the next stop
Owner and executive chef Merle Phillips of Th e Eaves was
one of the fi rst restaurants to sign on for Dine amp Dashrsquos de-
but ldquoAshley came to me and said she was starting a trolley
tasting conceptrdquo says Chef Merle ldquoI didnrsquot really know her so
I was taking a chance on the concept she was sellingrdquo
Merle tried it and has been a loyal participant of Dine amp
Dash ever since
ldquoIt was a risk in the beginning but it defi nitely paid off rdquo Chef
Merle says of the experience Pivotal to that experience ac-
cording to Phillips is Ryalsrsquo demonstration to the commu-
nity just what the term ldquohomegrownrdquo really means ldquoAshley
shines a spotlight on independent businesses in a market-
place that has for so long focused on chainsrdquo Phillips says
ldquoDine amp Dash has really brought into sharp focus the inter-
esting culinary diversity that Huntsville has to off errdquo
For the next two years Homegrown Huntsville focused al-
most exclusively on Dine amp Dash which by the end of its fi rst
year included every single downtown restaurant But when
big changes began to appear on the downtown horizonmdash
new restaurants breweries and residential developmentsmdash
Ryalsrsquo instincts told her
the time had come to
introduce a new event
to the downtown cal-
endar
ldquoBeer Hop follows
the concept of Dine
amp Dashrdquo Ryals says of
Homegrownrsquos second
venture which began
in 2013 Each month a
trolley visits three dif-
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
BILL FOWLEROLD TOWN BEER
EXCHANGE
copy Olivia Reed
copy Olivia Reed
ferent breweries where patrons sample beers and enjoy food
from a variety of food trucks parked at each location
Bill Fowler managing partner of Old Town Beer Exchange
agreed to participate in Beer Hop on his very fi rst day of
business and credits Ryals with an overwhelmingly success-
ful opening night ldquoAshley said lsquoI can guarantee that you are
going to have wave after wave of people coming throughrsquordquo
Fowler says recalling that fi rst jittery occasion Once again
Ryals proved true to her word with 60-plus patrons arriving
in an hour-and-a-half ldquoIt was awesome and such a great ex-
perience for usrdquo Fowler raves ldquoAshley is a hard worker and
you can see that in what she doesrdquo
Fowler believes that in addition to bringing new customers
to OTBX Ryals is also cultivating beer education consis-
tently bringing in people who are new to beer and want to
learn And with Huntsvillersquos recent brewery boom that level
of education and interest is crucial for the brewing commu-
nity to thrive ldquoWe have a very small window of opportunityrdquo
says Fowler ldquoI think Huntsville in particular is becoming a
craft brewing community People are making money at this
and once Tennessee sees that we need to already have had a
pretty huge head startrdquo
By the end of 2013 and with standing events Beer Hop and
Dine amp Dash well established Ryals took time to refl ect on
her original goal for Homegrown Huntsville ldquoIn the back of
my head from day one I knew I wanted to do a wine festival
I just didnrsquot think Huntsville was ready for it in 2011rdquo
Emboldened by the success of Beer Hop Ryals decided to
make the leap with Big Spring Crush wine festival later the
same year Once again Ryals delivered the perfect audience
for the event and in the process discovered a surprising
fact about North Alabamarsquos contribution to the wine-mak-
ing industry
ldquoIn doing the wine festival I learned that we have a huge
wine community in Huntsvillerdquo Ryals says ldquoTh ere are only
about 47 certifi ed wine judges in the entire United States
and we have four of them right here in North Alabama Two
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
copy Jeff White
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
ldquoI STARTED TO GET HOMESICK ALL OF MY FRIENDS WERE GETTING MARRIEDAND MEETING FOR FOOTBALL GAMES AND I WAS MISSING ITrdquo ASHLEY RYALS
copy Jeff White
copy Jeff White
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
ldquoIT WAS AWESOME AND SUCH A GREAT EXPERIENCE FOR USrdquoBILL FOWLER OLD TOWN BEER EXCHANGE
copy Jeff White
copy Olivia Reed
of those four certifi ed wine judges sit on the committee for
Big Spring Crushrdquo
Matthew and Stephanie Mell had just opened Church Street
Wine Shop when they decided to participate in the fi rst Big
Spring Crush Like OTBXrsquos Robert Fowler the Mells credit
Ryals and Homegrown Huntsville for helping to introduce
their new enterprise to the community ldquoAshley has been in-
strumental in helping to bring us people who love and ap-
preciate winerdquo Stephanie Mell says ldquoShe was homegrown
here in Huntsville and she really gets the downtown area
and small businesses and that is so important to usrdquo
Big Spring Crush began with a bang featuring over 150
wines and attracting patrons from across the country
ldquoMost wine festivals across the country have proven records
of being able to stay around 15 or 20 years or even longerrdquo
Ryals says ldquoAnd the economies of those cities have really
grown as a result I want Big Spring Crush to eventually be
the biggest and best wine festival in the state of Alabamardquo
How does Ryals intend to make that dream come true ldquoBy
always keeping it fresh I want to have new marketing and
new things happening each yearrdquo
Ryalsrsquo formula of reinvention and expansion has successfully
led Homegrown Huntsville through fi ve years of success and
helped its events become community staples along the way In
the process Ryals is broadening more than just our image of
downtown Huntsville shersquos joining a class of creative entrepre-
neurs committed to expanding Huntsvillersquos reputation as more
than just a hub for the brightest scientifi c minds in America
ldquoWe have a big city of engineers and lawyers and itrsquos won-
derfulrdquo Ryals say ldquo But there is a whole artist and food cul-
ture here and there is so much growth I want us to have a
vibrant cool downtown area and I want for people to tell
their friends to come and visit and to see Huntsville for what
it is a city I loverdquo
If yoursquod like to participate in Homegrown Huntsville either
as a guest or a participating business visit homegrown-
huntsvillecom
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
copy Jeff White
I was years old and the year was At that time the city of Huntsville was inching toward the mountain to the east California Street was once the continental divide between the small town metropo-lis and the uncharted territories gingerly crossed by the real estate pioneers four score and some odd years prior Th is area became the new suburb as the city kept pushing onward toward Fagan Springs as if the reverberating booms of rocket testings were vibrating Hunstvillians away from its epicenter
From the front yard of our house on Owens Drive I could look to the rightmdashup the hill to the bend be-yond which the big houses stood on their rocky ledge pedestals and to the left where all the other houses that looked just like oursmdashfresh and newmdashrambled for what seemed like miles Th ose clean well-lit abodes all seemed the same and granted at my age I knew more about the pets that lived there than I did about the people who owned those manageable mortgages I came to realize that each was diff erent in a way that was permeated by voices smells and furnishings
It is a clicheacute to say that our lives were simpler then because that is just how the current era will be fondly referred to in the future but to a 5-year-old it is the simplicity that brought the joy Th e sixties will always be to me the beginning of the age of manufactured happiness Cheap clean and simple was what was strived for and what was easily obtained Plastic items were plentiful and pretty things could be bought with SampH Green Stamps A few coins in our pocket would transfer us into the most master of manipula-tors with us giving our all to convince our parents for a jaunt to Murdockrsquos for a holiday of wonderment joy and impatience as we would scour the shelves trying to get the most from our meager budget
Owens Drive was the fairly new thoroughfare from which the avenues of three-bedroom-ranchers fi ngered away at planned intervals Th is was the place where newlyweds started their lives homes and families Where girls with last names that had been in the town for generations would change them to those strange and exotic last names of the clean cut newcomers brought here for military purposes Where the housewives would preheat their pristine electric ovens trying to make cheese straws and biscuits that were just like their motherrsquos only to be frustrated as they were never quite the same and where the husbands would follow in their fatherrsquos footsteps by joining the Acme Club and hunting doves on the weekends
Th ere was a swimming pool Certainly not at our house Th e only private pool I remember as a child was one that my grandmother would take me to nestled between huge trees at someonersquos house on Adams Street I would swim with other children my age while our grandmothers chatted smoking cigarettes in cat-eyed anonymity whispering most of their stories so we wouldnrsquot be able to hear But between their
gasps and laughter we would listen hear and learn
Th e Blossomwood pool was a place of designated rules and the sound of bright whistlesmdashwith straight lines and distinctive colors of blue and green I can still feel the Coppertoned oiliness on the skin of the tanned lifeguard as she carried me from the deep end frightened after my fi rst attempt at solo-swimming She knew my name I had no idea who she was
On the other side of the pool was the school my older sister attended It had a style that mim-icked the poolmdashstraight lines cleanmdasha temple to orderliness and good manners It was with
awe that I once watched the young adults there some as old as eleven wind and dance their way around a sky-high fl agpolemdasheach with a diff erent color ribbon until the fi rst (and only) May Pole
I was privy to was completely dressed in its woven bright colors
90 raquo bless their hearts raquo Guy McClure Jr
Huntsville was a magical place for us tail-end baby boomers to grow upmdashbeyond the miracles of the escalator at Pizitz the smiling little lady on the tall stool at the register at Britlings There was a comfort level there that Irsquom not sure is in the minds of the 5-year-olds of today
cat-eyed agasps
Th s
aI w
THE COMFORTS OF BLOSSOMWOOD
In our world of red-bricked carported castles there was a def-inite division of generations Th e children ate separately from the parents went to school as our dads went to work enter-tained our neighborhood friends as quietly as possible and felt safe between our boundaries of Big Cove Road and Hermitage Street While we dined on our Chef Boy-Ar-Dee boxed pizza our parents busied themselves dressing in their dark colors getting ready for a late dinner at Boots having the scent of perfume and face powder trail my mother as she came into the kitchen looking for something with an intense purpose My father would smell of British Sterling and look just as he did when he went to work only happier Th ese nights meant something fun would happenmdashwe would have a babysitter
Babysitters were my introduction into what was and still seems cool Th ey were usually Huntsville High School teen-agers who would put on a show without even knowing it I would drink in their every move word and essence of style To me they were supermodelsmdashmovie starsmdasheven more fa-mous in my eyes than a television weatherman and almost as glamorous as the waitresses at the Waffl e House
Before they would tire of me and my sister and put us to bed they would include us in their world of music and knowledge which I thought was all-encompassing Suddenly our world of Th e Benny Carl Show and Fantasy Playhouse would seem trite and passeacute and we would catch a fl eeting glimpse into what would be in store for us when we too could stay up past 8 pm
Huntsville was a magical place for us tail-end baby boomers to grow upmdashbeyond the miracles of the escalator at Pizitz the smiling little lady on the tall stool at the register at Britlings and that bright colorful Maypole Th ere was a comfort level there that Irsquom not sure is in the minds of the 5-year-olds of todaymdashthe soothing sheltered lack of knowledge of why we were so lucky yet we didnrsquot even know that we were
In the other areas of our Huntsville there was poverty and ra-cial unrestmdashas there was and is in every city I was unaware People of color were always a part of my worldmdashmostly be-cause they had my attention and respect At our house there was Annie my grandmotherrsquos house was fi lled with the joys of Lula and out on the family farm there was strong and smiling Homer and large and huggable Rosamdashall just as much a part of my life as everyone else My life was good and they were instrumental in making it that way
What will the 5-year-olds of today who are lucky enough to be raised on those well-planned streets remember when they surpass their own 50 year mark It is a much more complex world now and there are diff erent concerns with daily changes of fear Youthful innocence is a prize that is encased without a lock Premature maturity is a viable threat and a constant fear But each night tucked in tight in a simple room sleeps tomor-rowrsquos adults who are having sweet dreamsmdashblanketed by the comforts of Blossomwood
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
92 raquo the vine raquo Amy C Collins
BORDEAUX POWER
Where Burgundyrsquos vineyards were established by Benedictine monks patiently growing wine vines with spiritual hearts Bordeauxrsquos vineyards were raised by entrepreneurial laymen who recognized the massive monetary opportunity when the English began drinking down their peasant wine
The city of Bordeaux is Francersquos primary port town on the Atlantic ocean a harbor that has for centuries served as the countryrsquos most important dock Th e regionrsquos history is long and storied with the fi rst written reference to the area dated 379 AD by the Latin poet Ausonius who was also a wine-grower Jump ahead to the year 1152 when Eleanor of Aquitaine married Englandrsquos soon-to-be king Henry Plantagenet and the port and surrounding vineyard land became the source of wine for the English a connection that remains strong even today
Bordeaux produces the worldrsquos most expensive and sought after collector wines the top tier of which make up less than fi ve percent of the regionrsquos total production Th ese names are quickly learned by neophyte wine drinkers wanting to make an impression Chateau Haut-Brion Lafi te Latour and Margaux for example Grown in gravelly soils only a few meters above sea levelmdashin contrast vineyards elsewhere in Europe typically sit between 300 and 900 metersmdashthese wines are some of the most powerful austere and pawed over When young the tannins in these cabernet sauvignon cabernet franc and merlot blends coat the tongue and mouth with a chalky dry sensation akin to sucking on an Earl Grey tea bag and are perhaps best suited to well-fatted rare steak and cigars Th ese are wines built to live for decades Personally I prefer a Bordeaux at least 20 years aged when the tannins have had ample time to calm down and mellow out and more nuanced fl avors come forward Sounds fancy and it is Only in some very lucky circumstances over the past year have I been guest to a bottle of 1990 Clos de Menuts Saint-Eacutemilion and a 1970 Chateau Haut-Brion About once every 10 years Irsquove had the good
fortune to taste a wine older than myself Nice work if you can get it
Where Burgundyrsquos vineyards (Francersquos other classifi ed sought-after region) were established by Benedictine monks patiently growing wine vines with spiritual hearts
Bordeauxrsquos vineyards were raised by entrepreneurial laymen who recognized the massive monetary opportunity when the English began drinking down their peasant wine Th is underscores the second half of my theory as to why Americans
more often American males are so drawn to the wines of Bordeaux Th erersquos an inherent capitalist connection something in the soil Th at the wines are so
unmistakable so distinctively grand and pronounced elixirs exemplifi es the fi rst half of my theory we Americans are not known for our subtlety (To be fair the Chinese are
signifi cant Bordeaux collectors as well)
Philosophy aside Bordeaux is quite a large region that produces beautiful white and red values as well as the rare fi nds out of the populacersquos price range Herersquos the skinny Blending is the game single varietal wines are rare White Bordeaux is typically made from a blend of sauvignon blanc and seacutemillon and sometimes a drop or two of muscadelle ugni blanc or colombard Reds are made primarily from the two cabernets plus merlot with small quantities of petit verdot malbec and carmenegravere occasionally in the mix Th e region is also home to the golden nectar of late ripened seacutemillon sauvignon blanc and muscadelle grapes that have successfully attracted the noble rot a fungus that covers the fruit and drains moisture from inside leaving behind rich sweet grapes without moldy fl avors Chateau drsquoYquem is the most famous of these unfortifi ed dessert wines though there are better bargains from the region
Bordeaux is split by the Gironde river which divides the region into three general areas Th e left bank also known as the Haut-Meacutedoc is where the classifi ed top growths are situated Th ese prestigious estates were named for their exceptional vineyard sites in 1855 a decision nearly unchanged since Today serious collectors invest in Bordeaux futures theoretically locking down lower prices of top
ample time to calm dit is Only in some vede Menuts Saint-Eacutem
fortune to taste a
Wherees
aun
of msignifi
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Follow Amy at pigandvinecom for morestories and wine suggestions
growth estates while the wine is still aging in the cellar Itrsquos the wine tradersquos equivalent to the NASDAQ On the right bank Saint-Eacutemilion and Pommerol are the prized vineyard areas known for their merlot heavy cuveacutees To the south west we fi nd Graves where there are many great values to be had in both white and red bottlings Entre-Deux-Mers which translates to ldquobetween two seasrdquo sits between the Dordogne and Garonne tributaries off the Gironde and is an excellent source for crisp whites
Get started on your Bordeaux experience with these values
Chateau Graville-Lacoste 2014 Graves 75 seacutemillon 20 sauvignon blanc and 5 muscadelle make up this beauty thatrsquos consistently delicious every vintage Crisp and refreshing great with seafood
Chateau Mirambeau 2014 GravesAnother classic blend of 40 sauvignon blanc 40 seacutemillon and 20 muscadelle this lovely white is a bit more fl oral than the Graville-Lacoste Easy drinking and great value
Chateau de Parenchegravere Bordeaux Rouge 201155 merlot 30 cabernet sauvignon and 15 cabernet franc grown in clay heavy soils similar to the right bank of the region Fleshy with good structure and abundant red fruit
Chateau Arnaud Bordeaux Supeacuterieur 2011Supeacuterieur on a Bordeaux label isnrsquot egotistical marketingmdashby law it indicates a wine with up to one degree more alcohol than its AC Bordeaux brethren What it really means is one more degree of body structure and in this case quality Approachable delicious and easy on the wallet
Chateau de Bernadotte Haut-Meacutedoc 2005Th e 2005 vintage in Bordeaux is in the history books with double asterisks Owned by the eminent Pichon Lalande family and made from vineyards in Paulliac one of the more choice growing areas in the region this is an incredible value a top tier Bordeaux for a fraction of the cost
Chateau de Suduiraut Sauternes 2011Ripe cantaloupe apricot and honey and an interesting smoky note with a solid sweet attack followed by great acidity A dessert wine that wonrsquot overpower the dessert
94 raquo parting shot raquo Patrick Hood
Meet Solvar
Solvar belongs to one of the worldrsquos oldest and purest equine lineages the Nor-
wegian Fjord horse a breed that has remained virtually unchanged for more than
2000 yearsmdashlong before we became acquainted with his animated cousins in
the movie Frozen Th ese national symbols of Norway are characterized by primi-
tive zebra striping on their legs and a dorsal stripe running from forelock to tail
resulting in a striking two-tone mane that sticks up like a Mohawk Th eir athleti-
cism agility and dependability make them valuable both as sport horses as well
as therapy horses for emotionally and physically challenged adults and children
Catie Wells of Huntsville is the proud owner of Solvar who resides at Monte
Sano Stables
For tickets or information 256-539-4818 or hsoorg
Bring In the New Year With Us
presents
WHAT A WONDERFUL
WORLDA tribute to Louis
Armstrong featuring the
Byron Stripling Quartet
Thursday December 31
730 pm bull Pops Series bullMark C Smith
Concert Hall VBC
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
M O R E T H A N 7 0 S H O P S A N D R E S T A U R A N T S I N C L U D I N G B E L K | D S W S H O E S | A P P L E J O S A B A N K | R E E D S J E W E L E R S | PA N D O R A | J C R E W | K AT E S PA D E N E W Y O R KO R V I S | B A N A N A R E P U B L I C | M I C H A E L K O R S | F R A N C E S C Arsquo S | A N T H R O P O L O G I EH amp M | S O M A | M O U N T A I N H I G H O U T F I T T E R S | B A R N E S amp N O B L E | S E P H O R AALTAR rsquoD STATE | CONNORS STEAK amp SEFOOD | THE WEST IN HUNTSV I L L E | MONACO P ICTURES
C O M I N G S O O N V E R S O N A ndash near Belk
B R I D G E S T R E E T H U N T S V I L L E C O M |
BR IDGE STREET TOWN CENTRE I S LOCATED AT EX I T 14 OFF I - 565 AT OLD MAD ISON P IKE
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Just as she keeps her home country close to her heart Robinson is loyal to her fi rst
love of pottery though she began making quilts in 2002
ldquoIrsquom a potter who likes to quiltrdquo she says
Like her pottery her quilting follows designs of organic nature such as fl owers and
crops on rich jewel tone cotton
ldquoWhen I fi rst saw one of her quilts I didnrsquot realize it was hers and I thought that
looks like it should be Guadalupersquos quiltrdquo Courtney says
Robinson prefers the immediate gratifi cation of clay
ldquoItrsquos a very responsive mediumrdquo she says ldquoYou can manipulate it Th e fact of mak-
ing something out of dirt out of nothing and making it durable making it perma-
nent that after going through the heat and maturing is something very excitingrdquo
She gently dings a pot covered with white dresses titled ldquoTehuana Dressrdquo to make
her point
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
887 FM Muscle Shoals bull 1007 FM Huntsvillewwwaprorg
News classicalmusic and more
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
copy Patrick Hood
text by sara wright covington raquo photos by jacki gil
patrick hood erin lindsey and michelle odom
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
copy Patrick Hood
ldquoA LOT OF PEOPLE HAD BEEN ASKING ME QUESTIONS ABOUTHOW I GOT MY BUSINESS STARTED I WANTED TO GATHER SOME PEOPLE AROUND ME
WHO WERE GOING THROUGH THOSE STRUGGLES AND TOBUILD ENTREPRENEURIAL COURAGErdquo
JACKI GIL SALT+PAPERIE
copy Patrick Hood
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
untsville-born Jacki Gil began her paper design busi-
ness Salt+Paperie in 2014 with an expansive vision
in mind one that extended beyond creating beautiful
custom designed paper goods ldquoI love my design job
but when Irsquom 50 years old I donrsquot see myself still de-
signing wedding invitationsrdquo the master stationer says
ldquoI really have a passion for teaching and helping people
I want to be a mentorrdquo
In 2015 Gil set out on her mentoring mission sooner than expected with a series
of workshops called Encourage Huntsville ldquoA lot of people had been asking me
questions about how I got my business startedrdquo Gil says about the early days of
Salt+Paperie Even though most of those questions from entrepreneurial-hopefuls
were technicalmdashlike how to apply for a business licensemdashthey served as inspira-
tion for Gil ldquoI wanted to gather some people around me who were going through
those struggles and to build entrepreneurial courage I defi nitely saw that there
was a need for helping people to take that next step toward owning their own
businessesrdquo
Encourage Huntsville was modeled on the image of a growing small business
movement called the Rising Tide Society a national community of creative small
business owners who encourage ldquocommunity over competitionrdquo Th at spirit of
openness is at the heart of Encourage Huntsville ldquoCommunity over competition
is a huge part of what we are doingrdquo says Gil ldquoSmall business owners sharing how
they earn their money is a big dealrdquo
As a fi rst step Gil gathered others around her who were using their skills and abili-
ties to make their own small businesses work With talents ranging from cooking
and cake decorating to hand lettering and artwork these small business owners
all embraced Gilrsquos vision for imparting to others the knowledge of their craft un-
impeded by a fear of losing their competitive edge
Th e fi rst lesson Gil wanted to impart to Encourage Huntsvillersquos students wasnrsquot
necessarily a particular craft or skill but a spirt of creative confi dence ldquoWe want-
ed to bridge the gap between the very artsy community and the ultimate engineer
communityrdquo many of whom Gil observes had been told since childhood they
werenrsquot artistic ldquoWhen you are little and someone tells you that you donrsquot have a
talent it sticks with you I found that a lot of people had that experience so that
was the workshop partmdashto build some creative courage in this communityrdquo
Gil conducted the fi rst workshop herself testing the waters to see how the concept
would be received Th e admission price to that fi rst workshop included supplies a
take-home ldquogoody bagrdquo to help students continue their work extracurricularly and
refreshmentsmdashas well as Gilrsquos tips of her trade
ldquoWe went in blindly not knowing if we had a market or notrdquo says Gil Th e popular-
ity of that fi rst class proved undeniably that a market did in fact exist the work-
shop sold out in one day ldquoSo we did back-to-back workshopsrdquo Gil says ldquoAfter that
novemberdecembeeer eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee | nononoononononononoonoonononooooonoonoonnononnoaaalalalllaallllllalaalaaalal ststustust ddiossscom mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm | | | | | | | | | | |
f
w
y
Previous page Encourage Huntsvillersquos founder and instructor Jacki Gil teaches a class in hand lettering Facing page A participant studies her supply list
we realized people really want to do this stuff So we said lsquoletrsquos jump on the boat
and make this happenrsquordquo
Gilrsquos longtime friend photographer Erin Lindsey of Erin Lindsey Images agreed
to contribute to Encourage Huntsvillersquos curriculum by teaching a photography
class ldquoJacki and I are a good team because our hearts are in the same place when
it comes to encouraging othersrdquo Lindsey says Still she admits saying yes to teach-
ing wasnrsquot without some initial hesitation ldquoWhen Jacki asked if I would teach a
class it was kind of scary I thought I had to be perfect before I could teach oth-
ersrdquo Lindsey says of her initial hesitancy ldquoBut after talking to Jacki I realized none
of us are perfectrdquo But perfection isnrsquot the goal encouragement is the goal ldquoAnd I
thought lsquoI can defi nitely line up with that visionrsquordquo
Michelle Odom another Huntsville native and owner of custom cake bakery Just
Crumbs was also on board with Gilrsquos vision In fact Odom had been contemplat-
ing teaching a class when she was approached by Gil to teach a fondant basics
class ldquoHuntsville is such an engineer town and everyone is so mathematical and
scientifi crdquo Odom says echoing the dichotomy between the arts and sciences ex-
pressed by Gil ldquoTh ese workshops are just a very cool way for structured people to
have a creative outletrdquo
ldquoJACKI AND I ARE A GOOD TEAM BECAUSE OUR HEARTS ARE INTHE SAME PLACE WHEN IT COMES TO ENCOURAGING OTHERSrdquo
ERIN LINDSEY ERIN LINDSEY IMAGES
copy Erin Lindsey
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Above A participant in Erin Lindseyrsquos photo class frames a still life
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
copy Erin Lindsey
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
ldquoHUNTSVILLE IS SUCH AN ENGINEER TOWN AND EVERYONE ISSO MATHEMATICAL AND SCIENTIFIC THESE WORKSHOPS ARE JUST A VERY COOL
WAY FOR STRUCTURED PEOPLE TO HAVE A CREATIVE OUTLETrdquo MICHELLE ODOM JUST CRUMBS
copy Michelle Odom
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
ldquoAnd yesrdquo Odom acknowledges ldquoyou are in theory teaching your competition But
at the same time you are helping the community be more creativerdquo
With its roster of popular creative workshops under its belt Encourage Huntsville
has added business classes to its community-over-competition curriculum with
classes designed to provide specifi c guidance for small business owners ldquoAll of
our events that donrsquot require hands-on work we call seminarsrdquo says Gil ldquoWe had
about 15 people at our fi rst one It was pretty much just an open discussion to ask
us questions and get answers from the perspective of a small business ownerrdquo
Th e seminars enjoyed the same success and enthusiasm as the workshops ldquoWe
had two hours for people to ask questionsrdquo Gil says Topics covered ran the gamut
from scheduling daily tasks self-hosting a website or using an Etsy store man-
aging client expectations and being realistic about how much time you need to
complete jobs
ldquoTh e time went quickly and people wanted morerdquo says Gil who envisions an all-
day seminar in 2016
Margaret Baggett owner and executive chef of the Chef Next Door is another
small business owner who has shared Gilrsquos vision from the very beginning teach-
copy Erin Lindsey
Facing page Michelle Odomrsquos fondant basics class begins with a styrofoam cake form Above Newbie photographers familiarize themselves with their cameras in Erin Lindseyrsquos photography class
ing knife skills workshops and helping host the business seminars ldquoI am so proud
to get to be a part of this project and help nurture other small business owners
who may just be starting out on their journey or are deep in it and looking for
some encouragement from other business ownersrdquo Baggett says of what motivates
her participation in Encourage Huntsville ldquoEven being on the advice-giving side
of things I am still learning and have taken tips and tricks and lessons from each
event we have had so far We never stop learning from each other and never stop
improving upon our craftsrdquo
Th e mutual growth among students and teachers is the source of the encourage-
mentmdashand the joymdashof Encourage Huntsville ldquoItrsquos so much fun to see the light
bulbs go off with people and see them encouraged right before your eyesrdquo Lindsey
says of her experience with the program ldquoPlus itrsquos a pleasure to contribute to a
sense of community over competition Th at whole concept is so rarerdquo
As Encourage Huntsvillersquos following continues to grow the diversity of the work-
shops will expand as well Whether you are looking to spend a fun afternoon
learning a new craft or are a budding small business owner hoping to launch
your brand Encourage Huntsville has something valuable to off er ldquoWe encourage
those left-brain folks to take up a new hobby or skillrdquo Baggett says ldquoor just encour-
age the people of Huntsville to get together and fan their creative fl amesrdquo
If yoursquore looking for
creative or entrepreneurial
encouragement visit
encouragehuntsvillecom
for seminar and workshop
schedules and information
ldquoI AM SO PROUD TO GET TO BE A PART OF THIS PROJECT AND HELP NURTURE OTHER SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS WHO MAY JUST BE STARTING OUT ON THEIR JOURNEY OR ARE DEEP IN IT
AND LOOKING FOR SOME ENCOURAGEMENT FROM OTHER BUSINESS OWNERSrdquoMARGARET BAGGETT CHEF NEXT DOOR
copy Jacki Gil
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
copy Jacki Gil
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Participants in Margaret Baggettrsquos knife skills workshop learn to perfect their ldquomise en placerdquo
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
copy Olivia Reed
text by sara wright covington raquo photos by olivia reed and jeff white
HUNTSVILLErsquoS
HOMEGROWNHOSTESS
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
ttttttononononoooooonononooooo raquo praquo praquo praquo praquo phothothothothotosoososos s s osos bybybbybb
Any host will tell you that delicious food and quality libations while important to
a partyrsquos success are secondary to the most important ingredient of all the guest list Th atrsquos why many
of downtown Huntsvillersquos most popular restaurants breweries and wine shops are turning to event
planner Ashley Ryals and her uncanny knack for attracting loyal patronsmdashand creating unforgettable
events in the process
When Huntsville born-and-bred Ashley Ryals left for college at the University of Alabama in 2001
she thought her exit from the Valley was permanent ldquoI never thought I would end up back hererdquo the
founder of event planning company Homegrown Huntsville says with a knowing laugh But after a few
post-graduate years working for world-renowned public relations powerhouse Weber Shandwick in
New York City Ryals started to second guess her freshman declaration
ldquoI started to get homesickrdquo she admits ldquoAll of my friends were getting married and meeting for football
games and I was missing itrdquo So when a friend from home set up an interview at EarlyWorks for a job
doing event planning Ryals jumped at the chance to come home
Ashley spent the next few years planning EarlyWorks Whistle Stop and Santarsquos Village events A brief
stint in sales followed along with a seat on the board of Huntsville Young Professionals where she had
an idea for a downtown pub crawl
ldquoWe expected 20 or 30 peoplerdquo Ryals says of their modest expectations ldquoBut 200 people showed uprdquo
Th at initial success convinced Ryals to embark on her dream of establishing an
event planning company But it wasnrsquot just any event planning company Ryals
had in mind she envisioned one that would collaborate with local businesses
cultivate signature events for the community to enjoy and support small busi-
nesses in the process
Inspired Ryals left her sales job and for the second time in her life came home
again to event planning and Homegrown Huntsville
To help bring her vision to life Ryals collaborated with designer Adrianne Van
Kirk of Fave Creative ldquoAdrianne has been a part of the visual and branding of
Homegrown from the beginning We come up with the event ideas then I get
the ticketing and sales together and she comes back with a logo and the mar-
keting for the event And thatrsquos how it all comes togetherrdquo Ryals says of their
creative process
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
ASHLEY RYALS
copy Olivia Reed
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
ldquoMOST WINE FESTIVALS ACROSS THE COUNTRY HAVE PROVEN RECORDS OF BEING ABLE TO STAY AROUND 15 OR 20 YEARS OR EVEN LONGER AND THE ECONOMIES OF THOSE
CITIES HAVE REALLY GROWN AS A RESULT I WANT BIG SPRING CRUSH TO EVENTUALLY BE THE BIGGEST AND BEST WINE FESTIVAL IN THE STATE OF ALABAMArdquo ASHLEY RYALS
copy Jeff White
copy Jeff White
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
copy Olivia Reed
Homegrown launched in 2011 with what would become its
signature event Dine amp Dash Every second Wednesday
April through October a trolley shuttles patrons between
downtown establishments where they are served a drink
and appetizer before moving on to the next stop
Owner and executive chef Merle Phillips of Th e Eaves was
one of the fi rst restaurants to sign on for Dine amp Dashrsquos de-
but ldquoAshley came to me and said she was starting a trolley
tasting conceptrdquo says Chef Merle ldquoI didnrsquot really know her so
I was taking a chance on the concept she was sellingrdquo
Merle tried it and has been a loyal participant of Dine amp
Dash ever since
ldquoIt was a risk in the beginning but it defi nitely paid off rdquo Chef
Merle says of the experience Pivotal to that experience ac-
cording to Phillips is Ryalsrsquo demonstration to the commu-
nity just what the term ldquohomegrownrdquo really means ldquoAshley
shines a spotlight on independent businesses in a market-
place that has for so long focused on chainsrdquo Phillips says
ldquoDine amp Dash has really brought into sharp focus the inter-
esting culinary diversity that Huntsville has to off errdquo
For the next two years Homegrown Huntsville focused al-
most exclusively on Dine amp Dash which by the end of its fi rst
year included every single downtown restaurant But when
big changes began to appear on the downtown horizonmdash
new restaurants breweries and residential developmentsmdash
Ryalsrsquo instincts told her
the time had come to
introduce a new event
to the downtown cal-
endar
ldquoBeer Hop follows
the concept of Dine
amp Dashrdquo Ryals says of
Homegrownrsquos second
venture which began
in 2013 Each month a
trolley visits three dif-
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
BILL FOWLEROLD TOWN BEER
EXCHANGE
copy Olivia Reed
copy Olivia Reed
ferent breweries where patrons sample beers and enjoy food
from a variety of food trucks parked at each location
Bill Fowler managing partner of Old Town Beer Exchange
agreed to participate in Beer Hop on his very fi rst day of
business and credits Ryals with an overwhelmingly success-
ful opening night ldquoAshley said lsquoI can guarantee that you are
going to have wave after wave of people coming throughrsquordquo
Fowler says recalling that fi rst jittery occasion Once again
Ryals proved true to her word with 60-plus patrons arriving
in an hour-and-a-half ldquoIt was awesome and such a great ex-
perience for usrdquo Fowler raves ldquoAshley is a hard worker and
you can see that in what she doesrdquo
Fowler believes that in addition to bringing new customers
to OTBX Ryals is also cultivating beer education consis-
tently bringing in people who are new to beer and want to
learn And with Huntsvillersquos recent brewery boom that level
of education and interest is crucial for the brewing commu-
nity to thrive ldquoWe have a very small window of opportunityrdquo
says Fowler ldquoI think Huntsville in particular is becoming a
craft brewing community People are making money at this
and once Tennessee sees that we need to already have had a
pretty huge head startrdquo
By the end of 2013 and with standing events Beer Hop and
Dine amp Dash well established Ryals took time to refl ect on
her original goal for Homegrown Huntsville ldquoIn the back of
my head from day one I knew I wanted to do a wine festival
I just didnrsquot think Huntsville was ready for it in 2011rdquo
Emboldened by the success of Beer Hop Ryals decided to
make the leap with Big Spring Crush wine festival later the
same year Once again Ryals delivered the perfect audience
for the event and in the process discovered a surprising
fact about North Alabamarsquos contribution to the wine-mak-
ing industry
ldquoIn doing the wine festival I learned that we have a huge
wine community in Huntsvillerdquo Ryals says ldquoTh ere are only
about 47 certifi ed wine judges in the entire United States
and we have four of them right here in North Alabama Two
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
copy Jeff White
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
ldquoI STARTED TO GET HOMESICK ALL OF MY FRIENDS WERE GETTING MARRIEDAND MEETING FOR FOOTBALL GAMES AND I WAS MISSING ITrdquo ASHLEY RYALS
copy Jeff White
copy Jeff White
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
ldquoIT WAS AWESOME AND SUCH A GREAT EXPERIENCE FOR USrdquoBILL FOWLER OLD TOWN BEER EXCHANGE
copy Jeff White
copy Olivia Reed
of those four certifi ed wine judges sit on the committee for
Big Spring Crushrdquo
Matthew and Stephanie Mell had just opened Church Street
Wine Shop when they decided to participate in the fi rst Big
Spring Crush Like OTBXrsquos Robert Fowler the Mells credit
Ryals and Homegrown Huntsville for helping to introduce
their new enterprise to the community ldquoAshley has been in-
strumental in helping to bring us people who love and ap-
preciate winerdquo Stephanie Mell says ldquoShe was homegrown
here in Huntsville and she really gets the downtown area
and small businesses and that is so important to usrdquo
Big Spring Crush began with a bang featuring over 150
wines and attracting patrons from across the country
ldquoMost wine festivals across the country have proven records
of being able to stay around 15 or 20 years or even longerrdquo
Ryals says ldquoAnd the economies of those cities have really
grown as a result I want Big Spring Crush to eventually be
the biggest and best wine festival in the state of Alabamardquo
How does Ryals intend to make that dream come true ldquoBy
always keeping it fresh I want to have new marketing and
new things happening each yearrdquo
Ryalsrsquo formula of reinvention and expansion has successfully
led Homegrown Huntsville through fi ve years of success and
helped its events become community staples along the way In
the process Ryals is broadening more than just our image of
downtown Huntsville shersquos joining a class of creative entrepre-
neurs committed to expanding Huntsvillersquos reputation as more
than just a hub for the brightest scientifi c minds in America
ldquoWe have a big city of engineers and lawyers and itrsquos won-
derfulrdquo Ryals say ldquo But there is a whole artist and food cul-
ture here and there is so much growth I want us to have a
vibrant cool downtown area and I want for people to tell
their friends to come and visit and to see Huntsville for what
it is a city I loverdquo
If yoursquod like to participate in Homegrown Huntsville either
as a guest or a participating business visit homegrown-
huntsvillecom
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
copy Jeff White
I was years old and the year was At that time the city of Huntsville was inching toward the mountain to the east California Street was once the continental divide between the small town metropo-lis and the uncharted territories gingerly crossed by the real estate pioneers four score and some odd years prior Th is area became the new suburb as the city kept pushing onward toward Fagan Springs as if the reverberating booms of rocket testings were vibrating Hunstvillians away from its epicenter
From the front yard of our house on Owens Drive I could look to the rightmdashup the hill to the bend be-yond which the big houses stood on their rocky ledge pedestals and to the left where all the other houses that looked just like oursmdashfresh and newmdashrambled for what seemed like miles Th ose clean well-lit abodes all seemed the same and granted at my age I knew more about the pets that lived there than I did about the people who owned those manageable mortgages I came to realize that each was diff erent in a way that was permeated by voices smells and furnishings
It is a clicheacute to say that our lives were simpler then because that is just how the current era will be fondly referred to in the future but to a 5-year-old it is the simplicity that brought the joy Th e sixties will always be to me the beginning of the age of manufactured happiness Cheap clean and simple was what was strived for and what was easily obtained Plastic items were plentiful and pretty things could be bought with SampH Green Stamps A few coins in our pocket would transfer us into the most master of manipula-tors with us giving our all to convince our parents for a jaunt to Murdockrsquos for a holiday of wonderment joy and impatience as we would scour the shelves trying to get the most from our meager budget
Owens Drive was the fairly new thoroughfare from which the avenues of three-bedroom-ranchers fi ngered away at planned intervals Th is was the place where newlyweds started their lives homes and families Where girls with last names that had been in the town for generations would change them to those strange and exotic last names of the clean cut newcomers brought here for military purposes Where the housewives would preheat their pristine electric ovens trying to make cheese straws and biscuits that were just like their motherrsquos only to be frustrated as they were never quite the same and where the husbands would follow in their fatherrsquos footsteps by joining the Acme Club and hunting doves on the weekends
Th ere was a swimming pool Certainly not at our house Th e only private pool I remember as a child was one that my grandmother would take me to nestled between huge trees at someonersquos house on Adams Street I would swim with other children my age while our grandmothers chatted smoking cigarettes in cat-eyed anonymity whispering most of their stories so we wouldnrsquot be able to hear But between their
gasps and laughter we would listen hear and learn
Th e Blossomwood pool was a place of designated rules and the sound of bright whistlesmdashwith straight lines and distinctive colors of blue and green I can still feel the Coppertoned oiliness on the skin of the tanned lifeguard as she carried me from the deep end frightened after my fi rst attempt at solo-swimming She knew my name I had no idea who she was
On the other side of the pool was the school my older sister attended It had a style that mim-icked the poolmdashstraight lines cleanmdasha temple to orderliness and good manners It was with
awe that I once watched the young adults there some as old as eleven wind and dance their way around a sky-high fl agpolemdasheach with a diff erent color ribbon until the fi rst (and only) May Pole
I was privy to was completely dressed in its woven bright colors
90 raquo bless their hearts raquo Guy McClure Jr
Huntsville was a magical place for us tail-end baby boomers to grow upmdashbeyond the miracles of the escalator at Pizitz the smiling little lady on the tall stool at the register at Britlings There was a comfort level there that Irsquom not sure is in the minds of the 5-year-olds of today
cat-eyed agasps
Th s
aI w
THE COMFORTS OF BLOSSOMWOOD
In our world of red-bricked carported castles there was a def-inite division of generations Th e children ate separately from the parents went to school as our dads went to work enter-tained our neighborhood friends as quietly as possible and felt safe between our boundaries of Big Cove Road and Hermitage Street While we dined on our Chef Boy-Ar-Dee boxed pizza our parents busied themselves dressing in their dark colors getting ready for a late dinner at Boots having the scent of perfume and face powder trail my mother as she came into the kitchen looking for something with an intense purpose My father would smell of British Sterling and look just as he did when he went to work only happier Th ese nights meant something fun would happenmdashwe would have a babysitter
Babysitters were my introduction into what was and still seems cool Th ey were usually Huntsville High School teen-agers who would put on a show without even knowing it I would drink in their every move word and essence of style To me they were supermodelsmdashmovie starsmdasheven more fa-mous in my eyes than a television weatherman and almost as glamorous as the waitresses at the Waffl e House
Before they would tire of me and my sister and put us to bed they would include us in their world of music and knowledge which I thought was all-encompassing Suddenly our world of Th e Benny Carl Show and Fantasy Playhouse would seem trite and passeacute and we would catch a fl eeting glimpse into what would be in store for us when we too could stay up past 8 pm
Huntsville was a magical place for us tail-end baby boomers to grow upmdashbeyond the miracles of the escalator at Pizitz the smiling little lady on the tall stool at the register at Britlings and that bright colorful Maypole Th ere was a comfort level there that Irsquom not sure is in the minds of the 5-year-olds of todaymdashthe soothing sheltered lack of knowledge of why we were so lucky yet we didnrsquot even know that we were
In the other areas of our Huntsville there was poverty and ra-cial unrestmdashas there was and is in every city I was unaware People of color were always a part of my worldmdashmostly be-cause they had my attention and respect At our house there was Annie my grandmotherrsquos house was fi lled with the joys of Lula and out on the family farm there was strong and smiling Homer and large and huggable Rosamdashall just as much a part of my life as everyone else My life was good and they were instrumental in making it that way
What will the 5-year-olds of today who are lucky enough to be raised on those well-planned streets remember when they surpass their own 50 year mark It is a much more complex world now and there are diff erent concerns with daily changes of fear Youthful innocence is a prize that is encased without a lock Premature maturity is a viable threat and a constant fear But each night tucked in tight in a simple room sleeps tomor-rowrsquos adults who are having sweet dreamsmdashblanketed by the comforts of Blossomwood
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
92 raquo the vine raquo Amy C Collins
BORDEAUX POWER
Where Burgundyrsquos vineyards were established by Benedictine monks patiently growing wine vines with spiritual hearts Bordeauxrsquos vineyards were raised by entrepreneurial laymen who recognized the massive monetary opportunity when the English began drinking down their peasant wine
The city of Bordeaux is Francersquos primary port town on the Atlantic ocean a harbor that has for centuries served as the countryrsquos most important dock Th e regionrsquos history is long and storied with the fi rst written reference to the area dated 379 AD by the Latin poet Ausonius who was also a wine-grower Jump ahead to the year 1152 when Eleanor of Aquitaine married Englandrsquos soon-to-be king Henry Plantagenet and the port and surrounding vineyard land became the source of wine for the English a connection that remains strong even today
Bordeaux produces the worldrsquos most expensive and sought after collector wines the top tier of which make up less than fi ve percent of the regionrsquos total production Th ese names are quickly learned by neophyte wine drinkers wanting to make an impression Chateau Haut-Brion Lafi te Latour and Margaux for example Grown in gravelly soils only a few meters above sea levelmdashin contrast vineyards elsewhere in Europe typically sit between 300 and 900 metersmdashthese wines are some of the most powerful austere and pawed over When young the tannins in these cabernet sauvignon cabernet franc and merlot blends coat the tongue and mouth with a chalky dry sensation akin to sucking on an Earl Grey tea bag and are perhaps best suited to well-fatted rare steak and cigars Th ese are wines built to live for decades Personally I prefer a Bordeaux at least 20 years aged when the tannins have had ample time to calm down and mellow out and more nuanced fl avors come forward Sounds fancy and it is Only in some very lucky circumstances over the past year have I been guest to a bottle of 1990 Clos de Menuts Saint-Eacutemilion and a 1970 Chateau Haut-Brion About once every 10 years Irsquove had the good
fortune to taste a wine older than myself Nice work if you can get it
Where Burgundyrsquos vineyards (Francersquos other classifi ed sought-after region) were established by Benedictine monks patiently growing wine vines with spiritual hearts
Bordeauxrsquos vineyards were raised by entrepreneurial laymen who recognized the massive monetary opportunity when the English began drinking down their peasant wine Th is underscores the second half of my theory as to why Americans
more often American males are so drawn to the wines of Bordeaux Th erersquos an inherent capitalist connection something in the soil Th at the wines are so
unmistakable so distinctively grand and pronounced elixirs exemplifi es the fi rst half of my theory we Americans are not known for our subtlety (To be fair the Chinese are
signifi cant Bordeaux collectors as well)
Philosophy aside Bordeaux is quite a large region that produces beautiful white and red values as well as the rare fi nds out of the populacersquos price range Herersquos the skinny Blending is the game single varietal wines are rare White Bordeaux is typically made from a blend of sauvignon blanc and seacutemillon and sometimes a drop or two of muscadelle ugni blanc or colombard Reds are made primarily from the two cabernets plus merlot with small quantities of petit verdot malbec and carmenegravere occasionally in the mix Th e region is also home to the golden nectar of late ripened seacutemillon sauvignon blanc and muscadelle grapes that have successfully attracted the noble rot a fungus that covers the fruit and drains moisture from inside leaving behind rich sweet grapes without moldy fl avors Chateau drsquoYquem is the most famous of these unfortifi ed dessert wines though there are better bargains from the region
Bordeaux is split by the Gironde river which divides the region into three general areas Th e left bank also known as the Haut-Meacutedoc is where the classifi ed top growths are situated Th ese prestigious estates were named for their exceptional vineyard sites in 1855 a decision nearly unchanged since Today serious collectors invest in Bordeaux futures theoretically locking down lower prices of top
ample time to calm dit is Only in some vede Menuts Saint-Eacutem
fortune to taste a
Wherees
aun
of msignifi
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Follow Amy at pigandvinecom for morestories and wine suggestions
growth estates while the wine is still aging in the cellar Itrsquos the wine tradersquos equivalent to the NASDAQ On the right bank Saint-Eacutemilion and Pommerol are the prized vineyard areas known for their merlot heavy cuveacutees To the south west we fi nd Graves where there are many great values to be had in both white and red bottlings Entre-Deux-Mers which translates to ldquobetween two seasrdquo sits between the Dordogne and Garonne tributaries off the Gironde and is an excellent source for crisp whites
Get started on your Bordeaux experience with these values
Chateau Graville-Lacoste 2014 Graves 75 seacutemillon 20 sauvignon blanc and 5 muscadelle make up this beauty thatrsquos consistently delicious every vintage Crisp and refreshing great with seafood
Chateau Mirambeau 2014 GravesAnother classic blend of 40 sauvignon blanc 40 seacutemillon and 20 muscadelle this lovely white is a bit more fl oral than the Graville-Lacoste Easy drinking and great value
Chateau de Parenchegravere Bordeaux Rouge 201155 merlot 30 cabernet sauvignon and 15 cabernet franc grown in clay heavy soils similar to the right bank of the region Fleshy with good structure and abundant red fruit
Chateau Arnaud Bordeaux Supeacuterieur 2011Supeacuterieur on a Bordeaux label isnrsquot egotistical marketingmdashby law it indicates a wine with up to one degree more alcohol than its AC Bordeaux brethren What it really means is one more degree of body structure and in this case quality Approachable delicious and easy on the wallet
Chateau de Bernadotte Haut-Meacutedoc 2005Th e 2005 vintage in Bordeaux is in the history books with double asterisks Owned by the eminent Pichon Lalande family and made from vineyards in Paulliac one of the more choice growing areas in the region this is an incredible value a top tier Bordeaux for a fraction of the cost
Chateau de Suduiraut Sauternes 2011Ripe cantaloupe apricot and honey and an interesting smoky note with a solid sweet attack followed by great acidity A dessert wine that wonrsquot overpower the dessert
94 raquo parting shot raquo Patrick Hood
Meet Solvar
Solvar belongs to one of the worldrsquos oldest and purest equine lineages the Nor-
wegian Fjord horse a breed that has remained virtually unchanged for more than
2000 yearsmdashlong before we became acquainted with his animated cousins in
the movie Frozen Th ese national symbols of Norway are characterized by primi-
tive zebra striping on their legs and a dorsal stripe running from forelock to tail
resulting in a striking two-tone mane that sticks up like a Mohawk Th eir athleti-
cism agility and dependability make them valuable both as sport horses as well
as therapy horses for emotionally and physically challenged adults and children
Catie Wells of Huntsville is the proud owner of Solvar who resides at Monte
Sano Stables
For tickets or information 256-539-4818 or hsoorg
Bring In the New Year With Us
presents
WHAT A WONDERFUL
WORLDA tribute to Louis
Armstrong featuring the
Byron Stripling Quartet
Thursday December 31
730 pm bull Pops Series bullMark C Smith
Concert Hall VBC
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
M O R E T H A N 7 0 S H O P S A N D R E S T A U R A N T S I N C L U D I N G B E L K | D S W S H O E S | A P P L E J O S A B A N K | R E E D S J E W E L E R S | PA N D O R A | J C R E W | K AT E S PA D E N E W Y O R KO R V I S | B A N A N A R E P U B L I C | M I C H A E L K O R S | F R A N C E S C Arsquo S | A N T H R O P O L O G I EH amp M | S O M A | M O U N T A I N H I G H O U T F I T T E R S | B A R N E S amp N O B L E | S E P H O R AALTAR rsquoD STATE | CONNORS STEAK amp SEFOOD | THE WEST IN HUNTSV I L L E | MONACO P ICTURES
C O M I N G S O O N V E R S O N A ndash near Belk
B R I D G E S T R E E T H U N T S V I L L E C O M |
BR IDGE STREET TOWN CENTRE I S LOCATED AT EX I T 14 OFF I - 565 AT OLD MAD ISON P IKE
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
887 FM Muscle Shoals bull 1007 FM Huntsvillewwwaprorg
News classicalmusic and more
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
copy Patrick Hood
text by sara wright covington raquo photos by jacki gil
patrick hood erin lindsey and michelle odom
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
copy Patrick Hood
ldquoA LOT OF PEOPLE HAD BEEN ASKING ME QUESTIONS ABOUTHOW I GOT MY BUSINESS STARTED I WANTED TO GATHER SOME PEOPLE AROUND ME
WHO WERE GOING THROUGH THOSE STRUGGLES AND TOBUILD ENTREPRENEURIAL COURAGErdquo
JACKI GIL SALT+PAPERIE
copy Patrick Hood
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
untsville-born Jacki Gil began her paper design busi-
ness Salt+Paperie in 2014 with an expansive vision
in mind one that extended beyond creating beautiful
custom designed paper goods ldquoI love my design job
but when Irsquom 50 years old I donrsquot see myself still de-
signing wedding invitationsrdquo the master stationer says
ldquoI really have a passion for teaching and helping people
I want to be a mentorrdquo
In 2015 Gil set out on her mentoring mission sooner than expected with a series
of workshops called Encourage Huntsville ldquoA lot of people had been asking me
questions about how I got my business startedrdquo Gil says about the early days of
Salt+Paperie Even though most of those questions from entrepreneurial-hopefuls
were technicalmdashlike how to apply for a business licensemdashthey served as inspira-
tion for Gil ldquoI wanted to gather some people around me who were going through
those struggles and to build entrepreneurial courage I defi nitely saw that there
was a need for helping people to take that next step toward owning their own
businessesrdquo
Encourage Huntsville was modeled on the image of a growing small business
movement called the Rising Tide Society a national community of creative small
business owners who encourage ldquocommunity over competitionrdquo Th at spirit of
openness is at the heart of Encourage Huntsville ldquoCommunity over competition
is a huge part of what we are doingrdquo says Gil ldquoSmall business owners sharing how
they earn their money is a big dealrdquo
As a fi rst step Gil gathered others around her who were using their skills and abili-
ties to make their own small businesses work With talents ranging from cooking
and cake decorating to hand lettering and artwork these small business owners
all embraced Gilrsquos vision for imparting to others the knowledge of their craft un-
impeded by a fear of losing their competitive edge
Th e fi rst lesson Gil wanted to impart to Encourage Huntsvillersquos students wasnrsquot
necessarily a particular craft or skill but a spirt of creative confi dence ldquoWe want-
ed to bridge the gap between the very artsy community and the ultimate engineer
communityrdquo many of whom Gil observes had been told since childhood they
werenrsquot artistic ldquoWhen you are little and someone tells you that you donrsquot have a
talent it sticks with you I found that a lot of people had that experience so that
was the workshop partmdashto build some creative courage in this communityrdquo
Gil conducted the fi rst workshop herself testing the waters to see how the concept
would be received Th e admission price to that fi rst workshop included supplies a
take-home ldquogoody bagrdquo to help students continue their work extracurricularly and
refreshmentsmdashas well as Gilrsquos tips of her trade
ldquoWe went in blindly not knowing if we had a market or notrdquo says Gil Th e popular-
ity of that fi rst class proved undeniably that a market did in fact exist the work-
shop sold out in one day ldquoSo we did back-to-back workshopsrdquo Gil says ldquoAfter that
novemberdecembeeer eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee | nononoononononononoonoonononooooonoonoonnononnoaaalalalllaallllllalaalaaalal ststustust ddiossscom mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm | | | | | | | | | | |
f
w
y
Previous page Encourage Huntsvillersquos founder and instructor Jacki Gil teaches a class in hand lettering Facing page A participant studies her supply list
we realized people really want to do this stuff So we said lsquoletrsquos jump on the boat
and make this happenrsquordquo
Gilrsquos longtime friend photographer Erin Lindsey of Erin Lindsey Images agreed
to contribute to Encourage Huntsvillersquos curriculum by teaching a photography
class ldquoJacki and I are a good team because our hearts are in the same place when
it comes to encouraging othersrdquo Lindsey says Still she admits saying yes to teach-
ing wasnrsquot without some initial hesitation ldquoWhen Jacki asked if I would teach a
class it was kind of scary I thought I had to be perfect before I could teach oth-
ersrdquo Lindsey says of her initial hesitancy ldquoBut after talking to Jacki I realized none
of us are perfectrdquo But perfection isnrsquot the goal encouragement is the goal ldquoAnd I
thought lsquoI can defi nitely line up with that visionrsquordquo
Michelle Odom another Huntsville native and owner of custom cake bakery Just
Crumbs was also on board with Gilrsquos vision In fact Odom had been contemplat-
ing teaching a class when she was approached by Gil to teach a fondant basics
class ldquoHuntsville is such an engineer town and everyone is so mathematical and
scientifi crdquo Odom says echoing the dichotomy between the arts and sciences ex-
pressed by Gil ldquoTh ese workshops are just a very cool way for structured people to
have a creative outletrdquo
ldquoJACKI AND I ARE A GOOD TEAM BECAUSE OUR HEARTS ARE INTHE SAME PLACE WHEN IT COMES TO ENCOURAGING OTHERSrdquo
ERIN LINDSEY ERIN LINDSEY IMAGES
copy Erin Lindsey
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Above A participant in Erin Lindseyrsquos photo class frames a still life
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
copy Erin Lindsey
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
ldquoHUNTSVILLE IS SUCH AN ENGINEER TOWN AND EVERYONE ISSO MATHEMATICAL AND SCIENTIFIC THESE WORKSHOPS ARE JUST A VERY COOL
WAY FOR STRUCTURED PEOPLE TO HAVE A CREATIVE OUTLETrdquo MICHELLE ODOM JUST CRUMBS
copy Michelle Odom
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
ldquoAnd yesrdquo Odom acknowledges ldquoyou are in theory teaching your competition But
at the same time you are helping the community be more creativerdquo
With its roster of popular creative workshops under its belt Encourage Huntsville
has added business classes to its community-over-competition curriculum with
classes designed to provide specifi c guidance for small business owners ldquoAll of
our events that donrsquot require hands-on work we call seminarsrdquo says Gil ldquoWe had
about 15 people at our fi rst one It was pretty much just an open discussion to ask
us questions and get answers from the perspective of a small business ownerrdquo
Th e seminars enjoyed the same success and enthusiasm as the workshops ldquoWe
had two hours for people to ask questionsrdquo Gil says Topics covered ran the gamut
from scheduling daily tasks self-hosting a website or using an Etsy store man-
aging client expectations and being realistic about how much time you need to
complete jobs
ldquoTh e time went quickly and people wanted morerdquo says Gil who envisions an all-
day seminar in 2016
Margaret Baggett owner and executive chef of the Chef Next Door is another
small business owner who has shared Gilrsquos vision from the very beginning teach-
copy Erin Lindsey
Facing page Michelle Odomrsquos fondant basics class begins with a styrofoam cake form Above Newbie photographers familiarize themselves with their cameras in Erin Lindseyrsquos photography class
ing knife skills workshops and helping host the business seminars ldquoI am so proud
to get to be a part of this project and help nurture other small business owners
who may just be starting out on their journey or are deep in it and looking for
some encouragement from other business ownersrdquo Baggett says of what motivates
her participation in Encourage Huntsville ldquoEven being on the advice-giving side
of things I am still learning and have taken tips and tricks and lessons from each
event we have had so far We never stop learning from each other and never stop
improving upon our craftsrdquo
Th e mutual growth among students and teachers is the source of the encourage-
mentmdashand the joymdashof Encourage Huntsville ldquoItrsquos so much fun to see the light
bulbs go off with people and see them encouraged right before your eyesrdquo Lindsey
says of her experience with the program ldquoPlus itrsquos a pleasure to contribute to a
sense of community over competition Th at whole concept is so rarerdquo
As Encourage Huntsvillersquos following continues to grow the diversity of the work-
shops will expand as well Whether you are looking to spend a fun afternoon
learning a new craft or are a budding small business owner hoping to launch
your brand Encourage Huntsville has something valuable to off er ldquoWe encourage
those left-brain folks to take up a new hobby or skillrdquo Baggett says ldquoor just encour-
age the people of Huntsville to get together and fan their creative fl amesrdquo
If yoursquore looking for
creative or entrepreneurial
encouragement visit
encouragehuntsvillecom
for seminar and workshop
schedules and information
ldquoI AM SO PROUD TO GET TO BE A PART OF THIS PROJECT AND HELP NURTURE OTHER SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS WHO MAY JUST BE STARTING OUT ON THEIR JOURNEY OR ARE DEEP IN IT
AND LOOKING FOR SOME ENCOURAGEMENT FROM OTHER BUSINESS OWNERSrdquoMARGARET BAGGETT CHEF NEXT DOOR
copy Jacki Gil
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
copy Jacki Gil
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Participants in Margaret Baggettrsquos knife skills workshop learn to perfect their ldquomise en placerdquo
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
copy Olivia Reed
text by sara wright covington raquo photos by olivia reed and jeff white
HUNTSVILLErsquoS
HOMEGROWNHOSTESS
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
ttttttononononoooooonononooooo raquo praquo praquo praquo praquo phothothothothotosoososos s s osos bybybbybb
Any host will tell you that delicious food and quality libations while important to
a partyrsquos success are secondary to the most important ingredient of all the guest list Th atrsquos why many
of downtown Huntsvillersquos most popular restaurants breweries and wine shops are turning to event
planner Ashley Ryals and her uncanny knack for attracting loyal patronsmdashand creating unforgettable
events in the process
When Huntsville born-and-bred Ashley Ryals left for college at the University of Alabama in 2001
she thought her exit from the Valley was permanent ldquoI never thought I would end up back hererdquo the
founder of event planning company Homegrown Huntsville says with a knowing laugh But after a few
post-graduate years working for world-renowned public relations powerhouse Weber Shandwick in
New York City Ryals started to second guess her freshman declaration
ldquoI started to get homesickrdquo she admits ldquoAll of my friends were getting married and meeting for football
games and I was missing itrdquo So when a friend from home set up an interview at EarlyWorks for a job
doing event planning Ryals jumped at the chance to come home
Ashley spent the next few years planning EarlyWorks Whistle Stop and Santarsquos Village events A brief
stint in sales followed along with a seat on the board of Huntsville Young Professionals where she had
an idea for a downtown pub crawl
ldquoWe expected 20 or 30 peoplerdquo Ryals says of their modest expectations ldquoBut 200 people showed uprdquo
Th at initial success convinced Ryals to embark on her dream of establishing an
event planning company But it wasnrsquot just any event planning company Ryals
had in mind she envisioned one that would collaborate with local businesses
cultivate signature events for the community to enjoy and support small busi-
nesses in the process
Inspired Ryals left her sales job and for the second time in her life came home
again to event planning and Homegrown Huntsville
To help bring her vision to life Ryals collaborated with designer Adrianne Van
Kirk of Fave Creative ldquoAdrianne has been a part of the visual and branding of
Homegrown from the beginning We come up with the event ideas then I get
the ticketing and sales together and she comes back with a logo and the mar-
keting for the event And thatrsquos how it all comes togetherrdquo Ryals says of their
creative process
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
ASHLEY RYALS
copy Olivia Reed
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
ldquoMOST WINE FESTIVALS ACROSS THE COUNTRY HAVE PROVEN RECORDS OF BEING ABLE TO STAY AROUND 15 OR 20 YEARS OR EVEN LONGER AND THE ECONOMIES OF THOSE
CITIES HAVE REALLY GROWN AS A RESULT I WANT BIG SPRING CRUSH TO EVENTUALLY BE THE BIGGEST AND BEST WINE FESTIVAL IN THE STATE OF ALABAMArdquo ASHLEY RYALS
copy Jeff White
copy Jeff White
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
copy Olivia Reed
Homegrown launched in 2011 with what would become its
signature event Dine amp Dash Every second Wednesday
April through October a trolley shuttles patrons between
downtown establishments where they are served a drink
and appetizer before moving on to the next stop
Owner and executive chef Merle Phillips of Th e Eaves was
one of the fi rst restaurants to sign on for Dine amp Dashrsquos de-
but ldquoAshley came to me and said she was starting a trolley
tasting conceptrdquo says Chef Merle ldquoI didnrsquot really know her so
I was taking a chance on the concept she was sellingrdquo
Merle tried it and has been a loyal participant of Dine amp
Dash ever since
ldquoIt was a risk in the beginning but it defi nitely paid off rdquo Chef
Merle says of the experience Pivotal to that experience ac-
cording to Phillips is Ryalsrsquo demonstration to the commu-
nity just what the term ldquohomegrownrdquo really means ldquoAshley
shines a spotlight on independent businesses in a market-
place that has for so long focused on chainsrdquo Phillips says
ldquoDine amp Dash has really brought into sharp focus the inter-
esting culinary diversity that Huntsville has to off errdquo
For the next two years Homegrown Huntsville focused al-
most exclusively on Dine amp Dash which by the end of its fi rst
year included every single downtown restaurant But when
big changes began to appear on the downtown horizonmdash
new restaurants breweries and residential developmentsmdash
Ryalsrsquo instincts told her
the time had come to
introduce a new event
to the downtown cal-
endar
ldquoBeer Hop follows
the concept of Dine
amp Dashrdquo Ryals says of
Homegrownrsquos second
venture which began
in 2013 Each month a
trolley visits three dif-
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
BILL FOWLEROLD TOWN BEER
EXCHANGE
copy Olivia Reed
copy Olivia Reed
ferent breweries where patrons sample beers and enjoy food
from a variety of food trucks parked at each location
Bill Fowler managing partner of Old Town Beer Exchange
agreed to participate in Beer Hop on his very fi rst day of
business and credits Ryals with an overwhelmingly success-
ful opening night ldquoAshley said lsquoI can guarantee that you are
going to have wave after wave of people coming throughrsquordquo
Fowler says recalling that fi rst jittery occasion Once again
Ryals proved true to her word with 60-plus patrons arriving
in an hour-and-a-half ldquoIt was awesome and such a great ex-
perience for usrdquo Fowler raves ldquoAshley is a hard worker and
you can see that in what she doesrdquo
Fowler believes that in addition to bringing new customers
to OTBX Ryals is also cultivating beer education consis-
tently bringing in people who are new to beer and want to
learn And with Huntsvillersquos recent brewery boom that level
of education and interest is crucial for the brewing commu-
nity to thrive ldquoWe have a very small window of opportunityrdquo
says Fowler ldquoI think Huntsville in particular is becoming a
craft brewing community People are making money at this
and once Tennessee sees that we need to already have had a
pretty huge head startrdquo
By the end of 2013 and with standing events Beer Hop and
Dine amp Dash well established Ryals took time to refl ect on
her original goal for Homegrown Huntsville ldquoIn the back of
my head from day one I knew I wanted to do a wine festival
I just didnrsquot think Huntsville was ready for it in 2011rdquo
Emboldened by the success of Beer Hop Ryals decided to
make the leap with Big Spring Crush wine festival later the
same year Once again Ryals delivered the perfect audience
for the event and in the process discovered a surprising
fact about North Alabamarsquos contribution to the wine-mak-
ing industry
ldquoIn doing the wine festival I learned that we have a huge
wine community in Huntsvillerdquo Ryals says ldquoTh ere are only
about 47 certifi ed wine judges in the entire United States
and we have four of them right here in North Alabama Two
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
copy Jeff White
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
ldquoI STARTED TO GET HOMESICK ALL OF MY FRIENDS WERE GETTING MARRIEDAND MEETING FOR FOOTBALL GAMES AND I WAS MISSING ITrdquo ASHLEY RYALS
copy Jeff White
copy Jeff White
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
ldquoIT WAS AWESOME AND SUCH A GREAT EXPERIENCE FOR USrdquoBILL FOWLER OLD TOWN BEER EXCHANGE
copy Jeff White
copy Olivia Reed
of those four certifi ed wine judges sit on the committee for
Big Spring Crushrdquo
Matthew and Stephanie Mell had just opened Church Street
Wine Shop when they decided to participate in the fi rst Big
Spring Crush Like OTBXrsquos Robert Fowler the Mells credit
Ryals and Homegrown Huntsville for helping to introduce
their new enterprise to the community ldquoAshley has been in-
strumental in helping to bring us people who love and ap-
preciate winerdquo Stephanie Mell says ldquoShe was homegrown
here in Huntsville and she really gets the downtown area
and small businesses and that is so important to usrdquo
Big Spring Crush began with a bang featuring over 150
wines and attracting patrons from across the country
ldquoMost wine festivals across the country have proven records
of being able to stay around 15 or 20 years or even longerrdquo
Ryals says ldquoAnd the economies of those cities have really
grown as a result I want Big Spring Crush to eventually be
the biggest and best wine festival in the state of Alabamardquo
How does Ryals intend to make that dream come true ldquoBy
always keeping it fresh I want to have new marketing and
new things happening each yearrdquo
Ryalsrsquo formula of reinvention and expansion has successfully
led Homegrown Huntsville through fi ve years of success and
helped its events become community staples along the way In
the process Ryals is broadening more than just our image of
downtown Huntsville shersquos joining a class of creative entrepre-
neurs committed to expanding Huntsvillersquos reputation as more
than just a hub for the brightest scientifi c minds in America
ldquoWe have a big city of engineers and lawyers and itrsquos won-
derfulrdquo Ryals say ldquo But there is a whole artist and food cul-
ture here and there is so much growth I want us to have a
vibrant cool downtown area and I want for people to tell
their friends to come and visit and to see Huntsville for what
it is a city I loverdquo
If yoursquod like to participate in Homegrown Huntsville either
as a guest or a participating business visit homegrown-
huntsvillecom
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
copy Jeff White
I was years old and the year was At that time the city of Huntsville was inching toward the mountain to the east California Street was once the continental divide between the small town metropo-lis and the uncharted territories gingerly crossed by the real estate pioneers four score and some odd years prior Th is area became the new suburb as the city kept pushing onward toward Fagan Springs as if the reverberating booms of rocket testings were vibrating Hunstvillians away from its epicenter
From the front yard of our house on Owens Drive I could look to the rightmdashup the hill to the bend be-yond which the big houses stood on their rocky ledge pedestals and to the left where all the other houses that looked just like oursmdashfresh and newmdashrambled for what seemed like miles Th ose clean well-lit abodes all seemed the same and granted at my age I knew more about the pets that lived there than I did about the people who owned those manageable mortgages I came to realize that each was diff erent in a way that was permeated by voices smells and furnishings
It is a clicheacute to say that our lives were simpler then because that is just how the current era will be fondly referred to in the future but to a 5-year-old it is the simplicity that brought the joy Th e sixties will always be to me the beginning of the age of manufactured happiness Cheap clean and simple was what was strived for and what was easily obtained Plastic items were plentiful and pretty things could be bought with SampH Green Stamps A few coins in our pocket would transfer us into the most master of manipula-tors with us giving our all to convince our parents for a jaunt to Murdockrsquos for a holiday of wonderment joy and impatience as we would scour the shelves trying to get the most from our meager budget
Owens Drive was the fairly new thoroughfare from which the avenues of three-bedroom-ranchers fi ngered away at planned intervals Th is was the place where newlyweds started their lives homes and families Where girls with last names that had been in the town for generations would change them to those strange and exotic last names of the clean cut newcomers brought here for military purposes Where the housewives would preheat their pristine electric ovens trying to make cheese straws and biscuits that were just like their motherrsquos only to be frustrated as they were never quite the same and where the husbands would follow in their fatherrsquos footsteps by joining the Acme Club and hunting doves on the weekends
Th ere was a swimming pool Certainly not at our house Th e only private pool I remember as a child was one that my grandmother would take me to nestled between huge trees at someonersquos house on Adams Street I would swim with other children my age while our grandmothers chatted smoking cigarettes in cat-eyed anonymity whispering most of their stories so we wouldnrsquot be able to hear But between their
gasps and laughter we would listen hear and learn
Th e Blossomwood pool was a place of designated rules and the sound of bright whistlesmdashwith straight lines and distinctive colors of blue and green I can still feel the Coppertoned oiliness on the skin of the tanned lifeguard as she carried me from the deep end frightened after my fi rst attempt at solo-swimming She knew my name I had no idea who she was
On the other side of the pool was the school my older sister attended It had a style that mim-icked the poolmdashstraight lines cleanmdasha temple to orderliness and good manners It was with
awe that I once watched the young adults there some as old as eleven wind and dance their way around a sky-high fl agpolemdasheach with a diff erent color ribbon until the fi rst (and only) May Pole
I was privy to was completely dressed in its woven bright colors
90 raquo bless their hearts raquo Guy McClure Jr
Huntsville was a magical place for us tail-end baby boomers to grow upmdashbeyond the miracles of the escalator at Pizitz the smiling little lady on the tall stool at the register at Britlings There was a comfort level there that Irsquom not sure is in the minds of the 5-year-olds of today
cat-eyed agasps
Th s
aI w
THE COMFORTS OF BLOSSOMWOOD
In our world of red-bricked carported castles there was a def-inite division of generations Th e children ate separately from the parents went to school as our dads went to work enter-tained our neighborhood friends as quietly as possible and felt safe between our boundaries of Big Cove Road and Hermitage Street While we dined on our Chef Boy-Ar-Dee boxed pizza our parents busied themselves dressing in their dark colors getting ready for a late dinner at Boots having the scent of perfume and face powder trail my mother as she came into the kitchen looking for something with an intense purpose My father would smell of British Sterling and look just as he did when he went to work only happier Th ese nights meant something fun would happenmdashwe would have a babysitter
Babysitters were my introduction into what was and still seems cool Th ey were usually Huntsville High School teen-agers who would put on a show without even knowing it I would drink in their every move word and essence of style To me they were supermodelsmdashmovie starsmdasheven more fa-mous in my eyes than a television weatherman and almost as glamorous as the waitresses at the Waffl e House
Before they would tire of me and my sister and put us to bed they would include us in their world of music and knowledge which I thought was all-encompassing Suddenly our world of Th e Benny Carl Show and Fantasy Playhouse would seem trite and passeacute and we would catch a fl eeting glimpse into what would be in store for us when we too could stay up past 8 pm
Huntsville was a magical place for us tail-end baby boomers to grow upmdashbeyond the miracles of the escalator at Pizitz the smiling little lady on the tall stool at the register at Britlings and that bright colorful Maypole Th ere was a comfort level there that Irsquom not sure is in the minds of the 5-year-olds of todaymdashthe soothing sheltered lack of knowledge of why we were so lucky yet we didnrsquot even know that we were
In the other areas of our Huntsville there was poverty and ra-cial unrestmdashas there was and is in every city I was unaware People of color were always a part of my worldmdashmostly be-cause they had my attention and respect At our house there was Annie my grandmotherrsquos house was fi lled with the joys of Lula and out on the family farm there was strong and smiling Homer and large and huggable Rosamdashall just as much a part of my life as everyone else My life was good and they were instrumental in making it that way
What will the 5-year-olds of today who are lucky enough to be raised on those well-planned streets remember when they surpass their own 50 year mark It is a much more complex world now and there are diff erent concerns with daily changes of fear Youthful innocence is a prize that is encased without a lock Premature maturity is a viable threat and a constant fear But each night tucked in tight in a simple room sleeps tomor-rowrsquos adults who are having sweet dreamsmdashblanketed by the comforts of Blossomwood
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
92 raquo the vine raquo Amy C Collins
BORDEAUX POWER
Where Burgundyrsquos vineyards were established by Benedictine monks patiently growing wine vines with spiritual hearts Bordeauxrsquos vineyards were raised by entrepreneurial laymen who recognized the massive monetary opportunity when the English began drinking down their peasant wine
The city of Bordeaux is Francersquos primary port town on the Atlantic ocean a harbor that has for centuries served as the countryrsquos most important dock Th e regionrsquos history is long and storied with the fi rst written reference to the area dated 379 AD by the Latin poet Ausonius who was also a wine-grower Jump ahead to the year 1152 when Eleanor of Aquitaine married Englandrsquos soon-to-be king Henry Plantagenet and the port and surrounding vineyard land became the source of wine for the English a connection that remains strong even today
Bordeaux produces the worldrsquos most expensive and sought after collector wines the top tier of which make up less than fi ve percent of the regionrsquos total production Th ese names are quickly learned by neophyte wine drinkers wanting to make an impression Chateau Haut-Brion Lafi te Latour and Margaux for example Grown in gravelly soils only a few meters above sea levelmdashin contrast vineyards elsewhere in Europe typically sit between 300 and 900 metersmdashthese wines are some of the most powerful austere and pawed over When young the tannins in these cabernet sauvignon cabernet franc and merlot blends coat the tongue and mouth with a chalky dry sensation akin to sucking on an Earl Grey tea bag and are perhaps best suited to well-fatted rare steak and cigars Th ese are wines built to live for decades Personally I prefer a Bordeaux at least 20 years aged when the tannins have had ample time to calm down and mellow out and more nuanced fl avors come forward Sounds fancy and it is Only in some very lucky circumstances over the past year have I been guest to a bottle of 1990 Clos de Menuts Saint-Eacutemilion and a 1970 Chateau Haut-Brion About once every 10 years Irsquove had the good
fortune to taste a wine older than myself Nice work if you can get it
Where Burgundyrsquos vineyards (Francersquos other classifi ed sought-after region) were established by Benedictine monks patiently growing wine vines with spiritual hearts
Bordeauxrsquos vineyards were raised by entrepreneurial laymen who recognized the massive monetary opportunity when the English began drinking down their peasant wine Th is underscores the second half of my theory as to why Americans
more often American males are so drawn to the wines of Bordeaux Th erersquos an inherent capitalist connection something in the soil Th at the wines are so
unmistakable so distinctively grand and pronounced elixirs exemplifi es the fi rst half of my theory we Americans are not known for our subtlety (To be fair the Chinese are
signifi cant Bordeaux collectors as well)
Philosophy aside Bordeaux is quite a large region that produces beautiful white and red values as well as the rare fi nds out of the populacersquos price range Herersquos the skinny Blending is the game single varietal wines are rare White Bordeaux is typically made from a blend of sauvignon blanc and seacutemillon and sometimes a drop or two of muscadelle ugni blanc or colombard Reds are made primarily from the two cabernets plus merlot with small quantities of petit verdot malbec and carmenegravere occasionally in the mix Th e region is also home to the golden nectar of late ripened seacutemillon sauvignon blanc and muscadelle grapes that have successfully attracted the noble rot a fungus that covers the fruit and drains moisture from inside leaving behind rich sweet grapes without moldy fl avors Chateau drsquoYquem is the most famous of these unfortifi ed dessert wines though there are better bargains from the region
Bordeaux is split by the Gironde river which divides the region into three general areas Th e left bank also known as the Haut-Meacutedoc is where the classifi ed top growths are situated Th ese prestigious estates were named for their exceptional vineyard sites in 1855 a decision nearly unchanged since Today serious collectors invest in Bordeaux futures theoretically locking down lower prices of top
ample time to calm dit is Only in some vede Menuts Saint-Eacutem
fortune to taste a
Wherees
aun
of msignifi
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Follow Amy at pigandvinecom for morestories and wine suggestions
growth estates while the wine is still aging in the cellar Itrsquos the wine tradersquos equivalent to the NASDAQ On the right bank Saint-Eacutemilion and Pommerol are the prized vineyard areas known for their merlot heavy cuveacutees To the south west we fi nd Graves where there are many great values to be had in both white and red bottlings Entre-Deux-Mers which translates to ldquobetween two seasrdquo sits between the Dordogne and Garonne tributaries off the Gironde and is an excellent source for crisp whites
Get started on your Bordeaux experience with these values
Chateau Graville-Lacoste 2014 Graves 75 seacutemillon 20 sauvignon blanc and 5 muscadelle make up this beauty thatrsquos consistently delicious every vintage Crisp and refreshing great with seafood
Chateau Mirambeau 2014 GravesAnother classic blend of 40 sauvignon blanc 40 seacutemillon and 20 muscadelle this lovely white is a bit more fl oral than the Graville-Lacoste Easy drinking and great value
Chateau de Parenchegravere Bordeaux Rouge 201155 merlot 30 cabernet sauvignon and 15 cabernet franc grown in clay heavy soils similar to the right bank of the region Fleshy with good structure and abundant red fruit
Chateau Arnaud Bordeaux Supeacuterieur 2011Supeacuterieur on a Bordeaux label isnrsquot egotistical marketingmdashby law it indicates a wine with up to one degree more alcohol than its AC Bordeaux brethren What it really means is one more degree of body structure and in this case quality Approachable delicious and easy on the wallet
Chateau de Bernadotte Haut-Meacutedoc 2005Th e 2005 vintage in Bordeaux is in the history books with double asterisks Owned by the eminent Pichon Lalande family and made from vineyards in Paulliac one of the more choice growing areas in the region this is an incredible value a top tier Bordeaux for a fraction of the cost
Chateau de Suduiraut Sauternes 2011Ripe cantaloupe apricot and honey and an interesting smoky note with a solid sweet attack followed by great acidity A dessert wine that wonrsquot overpower the dessert
94 raquo parting shot raquo Patrick Hood
Meet Solvar
Solvar belongs to one of the worldrsquos oldest and purest equine lineages the Nor-
wegian Fjord horse a breed that has remained virtually unchanged for more than
2000 yearsmdashlong before we became acquainted with his animated cousins in
the movie Frozen Th ese national symbols of Norway are characterized by primi-
tive zebra striping on their legs and a dorsal stripe running from forelock to tail
resulting in a striking two-tone mane that sticks up like a Mohawk Th eir athleti-
cism agility and dependability make them valuable both as sport horses as well
as therapy horses for emotionally and physically challenged adults and children
Catie Wells of Huntsville is the proud owner of Solvar who resides at Monte
Sano Stables
For tickets or information 256-539-4818 or hsoorg
Bring In the New Year With Us
presents
WHAT A WONDERFUL
WORLDA tribute to Louis
Armstrong featuring the
Byron Stripling Quartet
Thursday December 31
730 pm bull Pops Series bullMark C Smith
Concert Hall VBC
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
M O R E T H A N 7 0 S H O P S A N D R E S T A U R A N T S I N C L U D I N G B E L K | D S W S H O E S | A P P L E J O S A B A N K | R E E D S J E W E L E R S | PA N D O R A | J C R E W | K AT E S PA D E N E W Y O R KO R V I S | B A N A N A R E P U B L I C | M I C H A E L K O R S | F R A N C E S C Arsquo S | A N T H R O P O L O G I EH amp M | S O M A | M O U N T A I N H I G H O U T F I T T E R S | B A R N E S amp N O B L E | S E P H O R AALTAR rsquoD STATE | CONNORS STEAK amp SEFOOD | THE WEST IN HUNTSV I L L E | MONACO P ICTURES
C O M I N G S O O N V E R S O N A ndash near Belk
B R I D G E S T R E E T H U N T S V I L L E C O M |
BR IDGE STREET TOWN CENTRE I S LOCATED AT EX I T 14 OFF I - 565 AT OLD MAD ISON P IKE
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
copy Patrick Hood
text by sara wright covington raquo photos by jacki gil
patrick hood erin lindsey and michelle odom
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
copy Patrick Hood
ldquoA LOT OF PEOPLE HAD BEEN ASKING ME QUESTIONS ABOUTHOW I GOT MY BUSINESS STARTED I WANTED TO GATHER SOME PEOPLE AROUND ME
WHO WERE GOING THROUGH THOSE STRUGGLES AND TOBUILD ENTREPRENEURIAL COURAGErdquo
JACKI GIL SALT+PAPERIE
copy Patrick Hood
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
untsville-born Jacki Gil began her paper design busi-
ness Salt+Paperie in 2014 with an expansive vision
in mind one that extended beyond creating beautiful
custom designed paper goods ldquoI love my design job
but when Irsquom 50 years old I donrsquot see myself still de-
signing wedding invitationsrdquo the master stationer says
ldquoI really have a passion for teaching and helping people
I want to be a mentorrdquo
In 2015 Gil set out on her mentoring mission sooner than expected with a series
of workshops called Encourage Huntsville ldquoA lot of people had been asking me
questions about how I got my business startedrdquo Gil says about the early days of
Salt+Paperie Even though most of those questions from entrepreneurial-hopefuls
were technicalmdashlike how to apply for a business licensemdashthey served as inspira-
tion for Gil ldquoI wanted to gather some people around me who were going through
those struggles and to build entrepreneurial courage I defi nitely saw that there
was a need for helping people to take that next step toward owning their own
businessesrdquo
Encourage Huntsville was modeled on the image of a growing small business
movement called the Rising Tide Society a national community of creative small
business owners who encourage ldquocommunity over competitionrdquo Th at spirit of
openness is at the heart of Encourage Huntsville ldquoCommunity over competition
is a huge part of what we are doingrdquo says Gil ldquoSmall business owners sharing how
they earn their money is a big dealrdquo
As a fi rst step Gil gathered others around her who were using their skills and abili-
ties to make their own small businesses work With talents ranging from cooking
and cake decorating to hand lettering and artwork these small business owners
all embraced Gilrsquos vision for imparting to others the knowledge of their craft un-
impeded by a fear of losing their competitive edge
Th e fi rst lesson Gil wanted to impart to Encourage Huntsvillersquos students wasnrsquot
necessarily a particular craft or skill but a spirt of creative confi dence ldquoWe want-
ed to bridge the gap between the very artsy community and the ultimate engineer
communityrdquo many of whom Gil observes had been told since childhood they
werenrsquot artistic ldquoWhen you are little and someone tells you that you donrsquot have a
talent it sticks with you I found that a lot of people had that experience so that
was the workshop partmdashto build some creative courage in this communityrdquo
Gil conducted the fi rst workshop herself testing the waters to see how the concept
would be received Th e admission price to that fi rst workshop included supplies a
take-home ldquogoody bagrdquo to help students continue their work extracurricularly and
refreshmentsmdashas well as Gilrsquos tips of her trade
ldquoWe went in blindly not knowing if we had a market or notrdquo says Gil Th e popular-
ity of that fi rst class proved undeniably that a market did in fact exist the work-
shop sold out in one day ldquoSo we did back-to-back workshopsrdquo Gil says ldquoAfter that
novemberdecembeeer eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee | nononoononononononoonoonononooooonoonoonnononnoaaalalalllaallllllalaalaaalal ststustust ddiossscom mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm | | | | | | | | | | |
f
w
y
Previous page Encourage Huntsvillersquos founder and instructor Jacki Gil teaches a class in hand lettering Facing page A participant studies her supply list
we realized people really want to do this stuff So we said lsquoletrsquos jump on the boat
and make this happenrsquordquo
Gilrsquos longtime friend photographer Erin Lindsey of Erin Lindsey Images agreed
to contribute to Encourage Huntsvillersquos curriculum by teaching a photography
class ldquoJacki and I are a good team because our hearts are in the same place when
it comes to encouraging othersrdquo Lindsey says Still she admits saying yes to teach-
ing wasnrsquot without some initial hesitation ldquoWhen Jacki asked if I would teach a
class it was kind of scary I thought I had to be perfect before I could teach oth-
ersrdquo Lindsey says of her initial hesitancy ldquoBut after talking to Jacki I realized none
of us are perfectrdquo But perfection isnrsquot the goal encouragement is the goal ldquoAnd I
thought lsquoI can defi nitely line up with that visionrsquordquo
Michelle Odom another Huntsville native and owner of custom cake bakery Just
Crumbs was also on board with Gilrsquos vision In fact Odom had been contemplat-
ing teaching a class when she was approached by Gil to teach a fondant basics
class ldquoHuntsville is such an engineer town and everyone is so mathematical and
scientifi crdquo Odom says echoing the dichotomy between the arts and sciences ex-
pressed by Gil ldquoTh ese workshops are just a very cool way for structured people to
have a creative outletrdquo
ldquoJACKI AND I ARE A GOOD TEAM BECAUSE OUR HEARTS ARE INTHE SAME PLACE WHEN IT COMES TO ENCOURAGING OTHERSrdquo
ERIN LINDSEY ERIN LINDSEY IMAGES
copy Erin Lindsey
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Above A participant in Erin Lindseyrsquos photo class frames a still life
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
copy Erin Lindsey
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
ldquoHUNTSVILLE IS SUCH AN ENGINEER TOWN AND EVERYONE ISSO MATHEMATICAL AND SCIENTIFIC THESE WORKSHOPS ARE JUST A VERY COOL
WAY FOR STRUCTURED PEOPLE TO HAVE A CREATIVE OUTLETrdquo MICHELLE ODOM JUST CRUMBS
copy Michelle Odom
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
ldquoAnd yesrdquo Odom acknowledges ldquoyou are in theory teaching your competition But
at the same time you are helping the community be more creativerdquo
With its roster of popular creative workshops under its belt Encourage Huntsville
has added business classes to its community-over-competition curriculum with
classes designed to provide specifi c guidance for small business owners ldquoAll of
our events that donrsquot require hands-on work we call seminarsrdquo says Gil ldquoWe had
about 15 people at our fi rst one It was pretty much just an open discussion to ask
us questions and get answers from the perspective of a small business ownerrdquo
Th e seminars enjoyed the same success and enthusiasm as the workshops ldquoWe
had two hours for people to ask questionsrdquo Gil says Topics covered ran the gamut
from scheduling daily tasks self-hosting a website or using an Etsy store man-
aging client expectations and being realistic about how much time you need to
complete jobs
ldquoTh e time went quickly and people wanted morerdquo says Gil who envisions an all-
day seminar in 2016
Margaret Baggett owner and executive chef of the Chef Next Door is another
small business owner who has shared Gilrsquos vision from the very beginning teach-
copy Erin Lindsey
Facing page Michelle Odomrsquos fondant basics class begins with a styrofoam cake form Above Newbie photographers familiarize themselves with their cameras in Erin Lindseyrsquos photography class
ing knife skills workshops and helping host the business seminars ldquoI am so proud
to get to be a part of this project and help nurture other small business owners
who may just be starting out on their journey or are deep in it and looking for
some encouragement from other business ownersrdquo Baggett says of what motivates
her participation in Encourage Huntsville ldquoEven being on the advice-giving side
of things I am still learning and have taken tips and tricks and lessons from each
event we have had so far We never stop learning from each other and never stop
improving upon our craftsrdquo
Th e mutual growth among students and teachers is the source of the encourage-
mentmdashand the joymdashof Encourage Huntsville ldquoItrsquos so much fun to see the light
bulbs go off with people and see them encouraged right before your eyesrdquo Lindsey
says of her experience with the program ldquoPlus itrsquos a pleasure to contribute to a
sense of community over competition Th at whole concept is so rarerdquo
As Encourage Huntsvillersquos following continues to grow the diversity of the work-
shops will expand as well Whether you are looking to spend a fun afternoon
learning a new craft or are a budding small business owner hoping to launch
your brand Encourage Huntsville has something valuable to off er ldquoWe encourage
those left-brain folks to take up a new hobby or skillrdquo Baggett says ldquoor just encour-
age the people of Huntsville to get together and fan their creative fl amesrdquo
If yoursquore looking for
creative or entrepreneurial
encouragement visit
encouragehuntsvillecom
for seminar and workshop
schedules and information
ldquoI AM SO PROUD TO GET TO BE A PART OF THIS PROJECT AND HELP NURTURE OTHER SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS WHO MAY JUST BE STARTING OUT ON THEIR JOURNEY OR ARE DEEP IN IT
AND LOOKING FOR SOME ENCOURAGEMENT FROM OTHER BUSINESS OWNERSrdquoMARGARET BAGGETT CHEF NEXT DOOR
copy Jacki Gil
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
copy Jacki Gil
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Participants in Margaret Baggettrsquos knife skills workshop learn to perfect their ldquomise en placerdquo
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
copy Olivia Reed
text by sara wright covington raquo photos by olivia reed and jeff white
HUNTSVILLErsquoS
HOMEGROWNHOSTESS
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
ttttttononononoooooonononooooo raquo praquo praquo praquo praquo phothothothothotosoososos s s osos bybybbybb
Any host will tell you that delicious food and quality libations while important to
a partyrsquos success are secondary to the most important ingredient of all the guest list Th atrsquos why many
of downtown Huntsvillersquos most popular restaurants breweries and wine shops are turning to event
planner Ashley Ryals and her uncanny knack for attracting loyal patronsmdashand creating unforgettable
events in the process
When Huntsville born-and-bred Ashley Ryals left for college at the University of Alabama in 2001
she thought her exit from the Valley was permanent ldquoI never thought I would end up back hererdquo the
founder of event planning company Homegrown Huntsville says with a knowing laugh But after a few
post-graduate years working for world-renowned public relations powerhouse Weber Shandwick in
New York City Ryals started to second guess her freshman declaration
ldquoI started to get homesickrdquo she admits ldquoAll of my friends were getting married and meeting for football
games and I was missing itrdquo So when a friend from home set up an interview at EarlyWorks for a job
doing event planning Ryals jumped at the chance to come home
Ashley spent the next few years planning EarlyWorks Whistle Stop and Santarsquos Village events A brief
stint in sales followed along with a seat on the board of Huntsville Young Professionals where she had
an idea for a downtown pub crawl
ldquoWe expected 20 or 30 peoplerdquo Ryals says of their modest expectations ldquoBut 200 people showed uprdquo
Th at initial success convinced Ryals to embark on her dream of establishing an
event planning company But it wasnrsquot just any event planning company Ryals
had in mind she envisioned one that would collaborate with local businesses
cultivate signature events for the community to enjoy and support small busi-
nesses in the process
Inspired Ryals left her sales job and for the second time in her life came home
again to event planning and Homegrown Huntsville
To help bring her vision to life Ryals collaborated with designer Adrianne Van
Kirk of Fave Creative ldquoAdrianne has been a part of the visual and branding of
Homegrown from the beginning We come up with the event ideas then I get
the ticketing and sales together and she comes back with a logo and the mar-
keting for the event And thatrsquos how it all comes togetherrdquo Ryals says of their
creative process
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
ASHLEY RYALS
copy Olivia Reed
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
ldquoMOST WINE FESTIVALS ACROSS THE COUNTRY HAVE PROVEN RECORDS OF BEING ABLE TO STAY AROUND 15 OR 20 YEARS OR EVEN LONGER AND THE ECONOMIES OF THOSE
CITIES HAVE REALLY GROWN AS A RESULT I WANT BIG SPRING CRUSH TO EVENTUALLY BE THE BIGGEST AND BEST WINE FESTIVAL IN THE STATE OF ALABAMArdquo ASHLEY RYALS
copy Jeff White
copy Jeff White
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
copy Olivia Reed
Homegrown launched in 2011 with what would become its
signature event Dine amp Dash Every second Wednesday
April through October a trolley shuttles patrons between
downtown establishments where they are served a drink
and appetizer before moving on to the next stop
Owner and executive chef Merle Phillips of Th e Eaves was
one of the fi rst restaurants to sign on for Dine amp Dashrsquos de-
but ldquoAshley came to me and said she was starting a trolley
tasting conceptrdquo says Chef Merle ldquoI didnrsquot really know her so
I was taking a chance on the concept she was sellingrdquo
Merle tried it and has been a loyal participant of Dine amp
Dash ever since
ldquoIt was a risk in the beginning but it defi nitely paid off rdquo Chef
Merle says of the experience Pivotal to that experience ac-
cording to Phillips is Ryalsrsquo demonstration to the commu-
nity just what the term ldquohomegrownrdquo really means ldquoAshley
shines a spotlight on independent businesses in a market-
place that has for so long focused on chainsrdquo Phillips says
ldquoDine amp Dash has really brought into sharp focus the inter-
esting culinary diversity that Huntsville has to off errdquo
For the next two years Homegrown Huntsville focused al-
most exclusively on Dine amp Dash which by the end of its fi rst
year included every single downtown restaurant But when
big changes began to appear on the downtown horizonmdash
new restaurants breweries and residential developmentsmdash
Ryalsrsquo instincts told her
the time had come to
introduce a new event
to the downtown cal-
endar
ldquoBeer Hop follows
the concept of Dine
amp Dashrdquo Ryals says of
Homegrownrsquos second
venture which began
in 2013 Each month a
trolley visits three dif-
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
BILL FOWLEROLD TOWN BEER
EXCHANGE
copy Olivia Reed
copy Olivia Reed
ferent breweries where patrons sample beers and enjoy food
from a variety of food trucks parked at each location
Bill Fowler managing partner of Old Town Beer Exchange
agreed to participate in Beer Hop on his very fi rst day of
business and credits Ryals with an overwhelmingly success-
ful opening night ldquoAshley said lsquoI can guarantee that you are
going to have wave after wave of people coming throughrsquordquo
Fowler says recalling that fi rst jittery occasion Once again
Ryals proved true to her word with 60-plus patrons arriving
in an hour-and-a-half ldquoIt was awesome and such a great ex-
perience for usrdquo Fowler raves ldquoAshley is a hard worker and
you can see that in what she doesrdquo
Fowler believes that in addition to bringing new customers
to OTBX Ryals is also cultivating beer education consis-
tently bringing in people who are new to beer and want to
learn And with Huntsvillersquos recent brewery boom that level
of education and interest is crucial for the brewing commu-
nity to thrive ldquoWe have a very small window of opportunityrdquo
says Fowler ldquoI think Huntsville in particular is becoming a
craft brewing community People are making money at this
and once Tennessee sees that we need to already have had a
pretty huge head startrdquo
By the end of 2013 and with standing events Beer Hop and
Dine amp Dash well established Ryals took time to refl ect on
her original goal for Homegrown Huntsville ldquoIn the back of
my head from day one I knew I wanted to do a wine festival
I just didnrsquot think Huntsville was ready for it in 2011rdquo
Emboldened by the success of Beer Hop Ryals decided to
make the leap with Big Spring Crush wine festival later the
same year Once again Ryals delivered the perfect audience
for the event and in the process discovered a surprising
fact about North Alabamarsquos contribution to the wine-mak-
ing industry
ldquoIn doing the wine festival I learned that we have a huge
wine community in Huntsvillerdquo Ryals says ldquoTh ere are only
about 47 certifi ed wine judges in the entire United States
and we have four of them right here in North Alabama Two
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
copy Jeff White
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
ldquoI STARTED TO GET HOMESICK ALL OF MY FRIENDS WERE GETTING MARRIEDAND MEETING FOR FOOTBALL GAMES AND I WAS MISSING ITrdquo ASHLEY RYALS
copy Jeff White
copy Jeff White
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
ldquoIT WAS AWESOME AND SUCH A GREAT EXPERIENCE FOR USrdquoBILL FOWLER OLD TOWN BEER EXCHANGE
copy Jeff White
copy Olivia Reed
of those four certifi ed wine judges sit on the committee for
Big Spring Crushrdquo
Matthew and Stephanie Mell had just opened Church Street
Wine Shop when they decided to participate in the fi rst Big
Spring Crush Like OTBXrsquos Robert Fowler the Mells credit
Ryals and Homegrown Huntsville for helping to introduce
their new enterprise to the community ldquoAshley has been in-
strumental in helping to bring us people who love and ap-
preciate winerdquo Stephanie Mell says ldquoShe was homegrown
here in Huntsville and she really gets the downtown area
and small businesses and that is so important to usrdquo
Big Spring Crush began with a bang featuring over 150
wines and attracting patrons from across the country
ldquoMost wine festivals across the country have proven records
of being able to stay around 15 or 20 years or even longerrdquo
Ryals says ldquoAnd the economies of those cities have really
grown as a result I want Big Spring Crush to eventually be
the biggest and best wine festival in the state of Alabamardquo
How does Ryals intend to make that dream come true ldquoBy
always keeping it fresh I want to have new marketing and
new things happening each yearrdquo
Ryalsrsquo formula of reinvention and expansion has successfully
led Homegrown Huntsville through fi ve years of success and
helped its events become community staples along the way In
the process Ryals is broadening more than just our image of
downtown Huntsville shersquos joining a class of creative entrepre-
neurs committed to expanding Huntsvillersquos reputation as more
than just a hub for the brightest scientifi c minds in America
ldquoWe have a big city of engineers and lawyers and itrsquos won-
derfulrdquo Ryals say ldquo But there is a whole artist and food cul-
ture here and there is so much growth I want us to have a
vibrant cool downtown area and I want for people to tell
their friends to come and visit and to see Huntsville for what
it is a city I loverdquo
If yoursquod like to participate in Homegrown Huntsville either
as a guest or a participating business visit homegrown-
huntsvillecom
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
copy Jeff White
I was years old and the year was At that time the city of Huntsville was inching toward the mountain to the east California Street was once the continental divide between the small town metropo-lis and the uncharted territories gingerly crossed by the real estate pioneers four score and some odd years prior Th is area became the new suburb as the city kept pushing onward toward Fagan Springs as if the reverberating booms of rocket testings were vibrating Hunstvillians away from its epicenter
From the front yard of our house on Owens Drive I could look to the rightmdashup the hill to the bend be-yond which the big houses stood on their rocky ledge pedestals and to the left where all the other houses that looked just like oursmdashfresh and newmdashrambled for what seemed like miles Th ose clean well-lit abodes all seemed the same and granted at my age I knew more about the pets that lived there than I did about the people who owned those manageable mortgages I came to realize that each was diff erent in a way that was permeated by voices smells and furnishings
It is a clicheacute to say that our lives were simpler then because that is just how the current era will be fondly referred to in the future but to a 5-year-old it is the simplicity that brought the joy Th e sixties will always be to me the beginning of the age of manufactured happiness Cheap clean and simple was what was strived for and what was easily obtained Plastic items were plentiful and pretty things could be bought with SampH Green Stamps A few coins in our pocket would transfer us into the most master of manipula-tors with us giving our all to convince our parents for a jaunt to Murdockrsquos for a holiday of wonderment joy and impatience as we would scour the shelves trying to get the most from our meager budget
Owens Drive was the fairly new thoroughfare from which the avenues of three-bedroom-ranchers fi ngered away at planned intervals Th is was the place where newlyweds started their lives homes and families Where girls with last names that had been in the town for generations would change them to those strange and exotic last names of the clean cut newcomers brought here for military purposes Where the housewives would preheat their pristine electric ovens trying to make cheese straws and biscuits that were just like their motherrsquos only to be frustrated as they were never quite the same and where the husbands would follow in their fatherrsquos footsteps by joining the Acme Club and hunting doves on the weekends
Th ere was a swimming pool Certainly not at our house Th e only private pool I remember as a child was one that my grandmother would take me to nestled between huge trees at someonersquos house on Adams Street I would swim with other children my age while our grandmothers chatted smoking cigarettes in cat-eyed anonymity whispering most of their stories so we wouldnrsquot be able to hear But between their
gasps and laughter we would listen hear and learn
Th e Blossomwood pool was a place of designated rules and the sound of bright whistlesmdashwith straight lines and distinctive colors of blue and green I can still feel the Coppertoned oiliness on the skin of the tanned lifeguard as she carried me from the deep end frightened after my fi rst attempt at solo-swimming She knew my name I had no idea who she was
On the other side of the pool was the school my older sister attended It had a style that mim-icked the poolmdashstraight lines cleanmdasha temple to orderliness and good manners It was with
awe that I once watched the young adults there some as old as eleven wind and dance their way around a sky-high fl agpolemdasheach with a diff erent color ribbon until the fi rst (and only) May Pole
I was privy to was completely dressed in its woven bright colors
90 raquo bless their hearts raquo Guy McClure Jr
Huntsville was a magical place for us tail-end baby boomers to grow upmdashbeyond the miracles of the escalator at Pizitz the smiling little lady on the tall stool at the register at Britlings There was a comfort level there that Irsquom not sure is in the minds of the 5-year-olds of today
cat-eyed agasps
Th s
aI w
THE COMFORTS OF BLOSSOMWOOD
In our world of red-bricked carported castles there was a def-inite division of generations Th e children ate separately from the parents went to school as our dads went to work enter-tained our neighborhood friends as quietly as possible and felt safe between our boundaries of Big Cove Road and Hermitage Street While we dined on our Chef Boy-Ar-Dee boxed pizza our parents busied themselves dressing in their dark colors getting ready for a late dinner at Boots having the scent of perfume and face powder trail my mother as she came into the kitchen looking for something with an intense purpose My father would smell of British Sterling and look just as he did when he went to work only happier Th ese nights meant something fun would happenmdashwe would have a babysitter
Babysitters were my introduction into what was and still seems cool Th ey were usually Huntsville High School teen-agers who would put on a show without even knowing it I would drink in their every move word and essence of style To me they were supermodelsmdashmovie starsmdasheven more fa-mous in my eyes than a television weatherman and almost as glamorous as the waitresses at the Waffl e House
Before they would tire of me and my sister and put us to bed they would include us in their world of music and knowledge which I thought was all-encompassing Suddenly our world of Th e Benny Carl Show and Fantasy Playhouse would seem trite and passeacute and we would catch a fl eeting glimpse into what would be in store for us when we too could stay up past 8 pm
Huntsville was a magical place for us tail-end baby boomers to grow upmdashbeyond the miracles of the escalator at Pizitz the smiling little lady on the tall stool at the register at Britlings and that bright colorful Maypole Th ere was a comfort level there that Irsquom not sure is in the minds of the 5-year-olds of todaymdashthe soothing sheltered lack of knowledge of why we were so lucky yet we didnrsquot even know that we were
In the other areas of our Huntsville there was poverty and ra-cial unrestmdashas there was and is in every city I was unaware People of color were always a part of my worldmdashmostly be-cause they had my attention and respect At our house there was Annie my grandmotherrsquos house was fi lled with the joys of Lula and out on the family farm there was strong and smiling Homer and large and huggable Rosamdashall just as much a part of my life as everyone else My life was good and they were instrumental in making it that way
What will the 5-year-olds of today who are lucky enough to be raised on those well-planned streets remember when they surpass their own 50 year mark It is a much more complex world now and there are diff erent concerns with daily changes of fear Youthful innocence is a prize that is encased without a lock Premature maturity is a viable threat and a constant fear But each night tucked in tight in a simple room sleeps tomor-rowrsquos adults who are having sweet dreamsmdashblanketed by the comforts of Blossomwood
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
92 raquo the vine raquo Amy C Collins
BORDEAUX POWER
Where Burgundyrsquos vineyards were established by Benedictine monks patiently growing wine vines with spiritual hearts Bordeauxrsquos vineyards were raised by entrepreneurial laymen who recognized the massive monetary opportunity when the English began drinking down their peasant wine
The city of Bordeaux is Francersquos primary port town on the Atlantic ocean a harbor that has for centuries served as the countryrsquos most important dock Th e regionrsquos history is long and storied with the fi rst written reference to the area dated 379 AD by the Latin poet Ausonius who was also a wine-grower Jump ahead to the year 1152 when Eleanor of Aquitaine married Englandrsquos soon-to-be king Henry Plantagenet and the port and surrounding vineyard land became the source of wine for the English a connection that remains strong even today
Bordeaux produces the worldrsquos most expensive and sought after collector wines the top tier of which make up less than fi ve percent of the regionrsquos total production Th ese names are quickly learned by neophyte wine drinkers wanting to make an impression Chateau Haut-Brion Lafi te Latour and Margaux for example Grown in gravelly soils only a few meters above sea levelmdashin contrast vineyards elsewhere in Europe typically sit between 300 and 900 metersmdashthese wines are some of the most powerful austere and pawed over When young the tannins in these cabernet sauvignon cabernet franc and merlot blends coat the tongue and mouth with a chalky dry sensation akin to sucking on an Earl Grey tea bag and are perhaps best suited to well-fatted rare steak and cigars Th ese are wines built to live for decades Personally I prefer a Bordeaux at least 20 years aged when the tannins have had ample time to calm down and mellow out and more nuanced fl avors come forward Sounds fancy and it is Only in some very lucky circumstances over the past year have I been guest to a bottle of 1990 Clos de Menuts Saint-Eacutemilion and a 1970 Chateau Haut-Brion About once every 10 years Irsquove had the good
fortune to taste a wine older than myself Nice work if you can get it
Where Burgundyrsquos vineyards (Francersquos other classifi ed sought-after region) were established by Benedictine monks patiently growing wine vines with spiritual hearts
Bordeauxrsquos vineyards were raised by entrepreneurial laymen who recognized the massive monetary opportunity when the English began drinking down their peasant wine Th is underscores the second half of my theory as to why Americans
more often American males are so drawn to the wines of Bordeaux Th erersquos an inherent capitalist connection something in the soil Th at the wines are so
unmistakable so distinctively grand and pronounced elixirs exemplifi es the fi rst half of my theory we Americans are not known for our subtlety (To be fair the Chinese are
signifi cant Bordeaux collectors as well)
Philosophy aside Bordeaux is quite a large region that produces beautiful white and red values as well as the rare fi nds out of the populacersquos price range Herersquos the skinny Blending is the game single varietal wines are rare White Bordeaux is typically made from a blend of sauvignon blanc and seacutemillon and sometimes a drop or two of muscadelle ugni blanc or colombard Reds are made primarily from the two cabernets plus merlot with small quantities of petit verdot malbec and carmenegravere occasionally in the mix Th e region is also home to the golden nectar of late ripened seacutemillon sauvignon blanc and muscadelle grapes that have successfully attracted the noble rot a fungus that covers the fruit and drains moisture from inside leaving behind rich sweet grapes without moldy fl avors Chateau drsquoYquem is the most famous of these unfortifi ed dessert wines though there are better bargains from the region
Bordeaux is split by the Gironde river which divides the region into three general areas Th e left bank also known as the Haut-Meacutedoc is where the classifi ed top growths are situated Th ese prestigious estates were named for their exceptional vineyard sites in 1855 a decision nearly unchanged since Today serious collectors invest in Bordeaux futures theoretically locking down lower prices of top
ample time to calm dit is Only in some vede Menuts Saint-Eacutem
fortune to taste a
Wherees
aun
of msignifi
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Follow Amy at pigandvinecom for morestories and wine suggestions
growth estates while the wine is still aging in the cellar Itrsquos the wine tradersquos equivalent to the NASDAQ On the right bank Saint-Eacutemilion and Pommerol are the prized vineyard areas known for their merlot heavy cuveacutees To the south west we fi nd Graves where there are many great values to be had in both white and red bottlings Entre-Deux-Mers which translates to ldquobetween two seasrdquo sits between the Dordogne and Garonne tributaries off the Gironde and is an excellent source for crisp whites
Get started on your Bordeaux experience with these values
Chateau Graville-Lacoste 2014 Graves 75 seacutemillon 20 sauvignon blanc and 5 muscadelle make up this beauty thatrsquos consistently delicious every vintage Crisp and refreshing great with seafood
Chateau Mirambeau 2014 GravesAnother classic blend of 40 sauvignon blanc 40 seacutemillon and 20 muscadelle this lovely white is a bit more fl oral than the Graville-Lacoste Easy drinking and great value
Chateau de Parenchegravere Bordeaux Rouge 201155 merlot 30 cabernet sauvignon and 15 cabernet franc grown in clay heavy soils similar to the right bank of the region Fleshy with good structure and abundant red fruit
Chateau Arnaud Bordeaux Supeacuterieur 2011Supeacuterieur on a Bordeaux label isnrsquot egotistical marketingmdashby law it indicates a wine with up to one degree more alcohol than its AC Bordeaux brethren What it really means is one more degree of body structure and in this case quality Approachable delicious and easy on the wallet
Chateau de Bernadotte Haut-Meacutedoc 2005Th e 2005 vintage in Bordeaux is in the history books with double asterisks Owned by the eminent Pichon Lalande family and made from vineyards in Paulliac one of the more choice growing areas in the region this is an incredible value a top tier Bordeaux for a fraction of the cost
Chateau de Suduiraut Sauternes 2011Ripe cantaloupe apricot and honey and an interesting smoky note with a solid sweet attack followed by great acidity A dessert wine that wonrsquot overpower the dessert
94 raquo parting shot raquo Patrick Hood
Meet Solvar
Solvar belongs to one of the worldrsquos oldest and purest equine lineages the Nor-
wegian Fjord horse a breed that has remained virtually unchanged for more than
2000 yearsmdashlong before we became acquainted with his animated cousins in
the movie Frozen Th ese national symbols of Norway are characterized by primi-
tive zebra striping on their legs and a dorsal stripe running from forelock to tail
resulting in a striking two-tone mane that sticks up like a Mohawk Th eir athleti-
cism agility and dependability make them valuable both as sport horses as well
as therapy horses for emotionally and physically challenged adults and children
Catie Wells of Huntsville is the proud owner of Solvar who resides at Monte
Sano Stables
For tickets or information 256-539-4818 or hsoorg
Bring In the New Year With Us
presents
WHAT A WONDERFUL
WORLDA tribute to Louis
Armstrong featuring the
Byron Stripling Quartet
Thursday December 31
730 pm bull Pops Series bullMark C Smith
Concert Hall VBC
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
M O R E T H A N 7 0 S H O P S A N D R E S T A U R A N T S I N C L U D I N G B E L K | D S W S H O E S | A P P L E J O S A B A N K | R E E D S J E W E L E R S | PA N D O R A | J C R E W | K AT E S PA D E N E W Y O R KO R V I S | B A N A N A R E P U B L I C | M I C H A E L K O R S | F R A N C E S C Arsquo S | A N T H R O P O L O G I EH amp M | S O M A | M O U N T A I N H I G H O U T F I T T E R S | B A R N E S amp N O B L E | S E P H O R AALTAR rsquoD STATE | CONNORS STEAK amp SEFOOD | THE WEST IN HUNTSV I L L E | MONACO P ICTURES
C O M I N G S O O N V E R S O N A ndash near Belk
B R I D G E S T R E E T H U N T S V I L L E C O M |
BR IDGE STREET TOWN CENTRE I S LOCATED AT EX I T 14 OFF I - 565 AT OLD MAD ISON P IKE
text by sara wright covington raquo photos by jacki gil
patrick hood erin lindsey and michelle odom
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
copy Patrick Hood
ldquoA LOT OF PEOPLE HAD BEEN ASKING ME QUESTIONS ABOUTHOW I GOT MY BUSINESS STARTED I WANTED TO GATHER SOME PEOPLE AROUND ME
WHO WERE GOING THROUGH THOSE STRUGGLES AND TOBUILD ENTREPRENEURIAL COURAGErdquo
JACKI GIL SALT+PAPERIE
copy Patrick Hood
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
untsville-born Jacki Gil began her paper design busi-
ness Salt+Paperie in 2014 with an expansive vision
in mind one that extended beyond creating beautiful
custom designed paper goods ldquoI love my design job
but when Irsquom 50 years old I donrsquot see myself still de-
signing wedding invitationsrdquo the master stationer says
ldquoI really have a passion for teaching and helping people
I want to be a mentorrdquo
In 2015 Gil set out on her mentoring mission sooner than expected with a series
of workshops called Encourage Huntsville ldquoA lot of people had been asking me
questions about how I got my business startedrdquo Gil says about the early days of
Salt+Paperie Even though most of those questions from entrepreneurial-hopefuls
were technicalmdashlike how to apply for a business licensemdashthey served as inspira-
tion for Gil ldquoI wanted to gather some people around me who were going through
those struggles and to build entrepreneurial courage I defi nitely saw that there
was a need for helping people to take that next step toward owning their own
businessesrdquo
Encourage Huntsville was modeled on the image of a growing small business
movement called the Rising Tide Society a national community of creative small
business owners who encourage ldquocommunity over competitionrdquo Th at spirit of
openness is at the heart of Encourage Huntsville ldquoCommunity over competition
is a huge part of what we are doingrdquo says Gil ldquoSmall business owners sharing how
they earn their money is a big dealrdquo
As a fi rst step Gil gathered others around her who were using their skills and abili-
ties to make their own small businesses work With talents ranging from cooking
and cake decorating to hand lettering and artwork these small business owners
all embraced Gilrsquos vision for imparting to others the knowledge of their craft un-
impeded by a fear of losing their competitive edge
Th e fi rst lesson Gil wanted to impart to Encourage Huntsvillersquos students wasnrsquot
necessarily a particular craft or skill but a spirt of creative confi dence ldquoWe want-
ed to bridge the gap between the very artsy community and the ultimate engineer
communityrdquo many of whom Gil observes had been told since childhood they
werenrsquot artistic ldquoWhen you are little and someone tells you that you donrsquot have a
talent it sticks with you I found that a lot of people had that experience so that
was the workshop partmdashto build some creative courage in this communityrdquo
Gil conducted the fi rst workshop herself testing the waters to see how the concept
would be received Th e admission price to that fi rst workshop included supplies a
take-home ldquogoody bagrdquo to help students continue their work extracurricularly and
refreshmentsmdashas well as Gilrsquos tips of her trade
ldquoWe went in blindly not knowing if we had a market or notrdquo says Gil Th e popular-
ity of that fi rst class proved undeniably that a market did in fact exist the work-
shop sold out in one day ldquoSo we did back-to-back workshopsrdquo Gil says ldquoAfter that
novemberdecembeeer eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee | nononoononononononoonoonononooooonoonoonnononnoaaalalalllaallllllalaalaaalal ststustust ddiossscom mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm | | | | | | | | | | |
f
w
y
Previous page Encourage Huntsvillersquos founder and instructor Jacki Gil teaches a class in hand lettering Facing page A participant studies her supply list
we realized people really want to do this stuff So we said lsquoletrsquos jump on the boat
and make this happenrsquordquo
Gilrsquos longtime friend photographer Erin Lindsey of Erin Lindsey Images agreed
to contribute to Encourage Huntsvillersquos curriculum by teaching a photography
class ldquoJacki and I are a good team because our hearts are in the same place when
it comes to encouraging othersrdquo Lindsey says Still she admits saying yes to teach-
ing wasnrsquot without some initial hesitation ldquoWhen Jacki asked if I would teach a
class it was kind of scary I thought I had to be perfect before I could teach oth-
ersrdquo Lindsey says of her initial hesitancy ldquoBut after talking to Jacki I realized none
of us are perfectrdquo But perfection isnrsquot the goal encouragement is the goal ldquoAnd I
thought lsquoI can defi nitely line up with that visionrsquordquo
Michelle Odom another Huntsville native and owner of custom cake bakery Just
Crumbs was also on board with Gilrsquos vision In fact Odom had been contemplat-
ing teaching a class when she was approached by Gil to teach a fondant basics
class ldquoHuntsville is such an engineer town and everyone is so mathematical and
scientifi crdquo Odom says echoing the dichotomy between the arts and sciences ex-
pressed by Gil ldquoTh ese workshops are just a very cool way for structured people to
have a creative outletrdquo
ldquoJACKI AND I ARE A GOOD TEAM BECAUSE OUR HEARTS ARE INTHE SAME PLACE WHEN IT COMES TO ENCOURAGING OTHERSrdquo
ERIN LINDSEY ERIN LINDSEY IMAGES
copy Erin Lindsey
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Above A participant in Erin Lindseyrsquos photo class frames a still life
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
copy Erin Lindsey
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
ldquoHUNTSVILLE IS SUCH AN ENGINEER TOWN AND EVERYONE ISSO MATHEMATICAL AND SCIENTIFIC THESE WORKSHOPS ARE JUST A VERY COOL
WAY FOR STRUCTURED PEOPLE TO HAVE A CREATIVE OUTLETrdquo MICHELLE ODOM JUST CRUMBS
copy Michelle Odom
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
ldquoAnd yesrdquo Odom acknowledges ldquoyou are in theory teaching your competition But
at the same time you are helping the community be more creativerdquo
With its roster of popular creative workshops under its belt Encourage Huntsville
has added business classes to its community-over-competition curriculum with
classes designed to provide specifi c guidance for small business owners ldquoAll of
our events that donrsquot require hands-on work we call seminarsrdquo says Gil ldquoWe had
about 15 people at our fi rst one It was pretty much just an open discussion to ask
us questions and get answers from the perspective of a small business ownerrdquo
Th e seminars enjoyed the same success and enthusiasm as the workshops ldquoWe
had two hours for people to ask questionsrdquo Gil says Topics covered ran the gamut
from scheduling daily tasks self-hosting a website or using an Etsy store man-
aging client expectations and being realistic about how much time you need to
complete jobs
ldquoTh e time went quickly and people wanted morerdquo says Gil who envisions an all-
day seminar in 2016
Margaret Baggett owner and executive chef of the Chef Next Door is another
small business owner who has shared Gilrsquos vision from the very beginning teach-
copy Erin Lindsey
Facing page Michelle Odomrsquos fondant basics class begins with a styrofoam cake form Above Newbie photographers familiarize themselves with their cameras in Erin Lindseyrsquos photography class
ing knife skills workshops and helping host the business seminars ldquoI am so proud
to get to be a part of this project and help nurture other small business owners
who may just be starting out on their journey or are deep in it and looking for
some encouragement from other business ownersrdquo Baggett says of what motivates
her participation in Encourage Huntsville ldquoEven being on the advice-giving side
of things I am still learning and have taken tips and tricks and lessons from each
event we have had so far We never stop learning from each other and never stop
improving upon our craftsrdquo
Th e mutual growth among students and teachers is the source of the encourage-
mentmdashand the joymdashof Encourage Huntsville ldquoItrsquos so much fun to see the light
bulbs go off with people and see them encouraged right before your eyesrdquo Lindsey
says of her experience with the program ldquoPlus itrsquos a pleasure to contribute to a
sense of community over competition Th at whole concept is so rarerdquo
As Encourage Huntsvillersquos following continues to grow the diversity of the work-
shops will expand as well Whether you are looking to spend a fun afternoon
learning a new craft or are a budding small business owner hoping to launch
your brand Encourage Huntsville has something valuable to off er ldquoWe encourage
those left-brain folks to take up a new hobby or skillrdquo Baggett says ldquoor just encour-
age the people of Huntsville to get together and fan their creative fl amesrdquo
If yoursquore looking for
creative or entrepreneurial
encouragement visit
encouragehuntsvillecom
for seminar and workshop
schedules and information
ldquoI AM SO PROUD TO GET TO BE A PART OF THIS PROJECT AND HELP NURTURE OTHER SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS WHO MAY JUST BE STARTING OUT ON THEIR JOURNEY OR ARE DEEP IN IT
AND LOOKING FOR SOME ENCOURAGEMENT FROM OTHER BUSINESS OWNERSrdquoMARGARET BAGGETT CHEF NEXT DOOR
copy Jacki Gil
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
copy Jacki Gil
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Participants in Margaret Baggettrsquos knife skills workshop learn to perfect their ldquomise en placerdquo
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
copy Olivia Reed
text by sara wright covington raquo photos by olivia reed and jeff white
HUNTSVILLErsquoS
HOMEGROWNHOSTESS
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
ttttttononononoooooonononooooo raquo praquo praquo praquo praquo phothothothothotosoososos s s osos bybybbybb
Any host will tell you that delicious food and quality libations while important to
a partyrsquos success are secondary to the most important ingredient of all the guest list Th atrsquos why many
of downtown Huntsvillersquos most popular restaurants breweries and wine shops are turning to event
planner Ashley Ryals and her uncanny knack for attracting loyal patronsmdashand creating unforgettable
events in the process
When Huntsville born-and-bred Ashley Ryals left for college at the University of Alabama in 2001
she thought her exit from the Valley was permanent ldquoI never thought I would end up back hererdquo the
founder of event planning company Homegrown Huntsville says with a knowing laugh But after a few
post-graduate years working for world-renowned public relations powerhouse Weber Shandwick in
New York City Ryals started to second guess her freshman declaration
ldquoI started to get homesickrdquo she admits ldquoAll of my friends were getting married and meeting for football
games and I was missing itrdquo So when a friend from home set up an interview at EarlyWorks for a job
doing event planning Ryals jumped at the chance to come home
Ashley spent the next few years planning EarlyWorks Whistle Stop and Santarsquos Village events A brief
stint in sales followed along with a seat on the board of Huntsville Young Professionals where she had
an idea for a downtown pub crawl
ldquoWe expected 20 or 30 peoplerdquo Ryals says of their modest expectations ldquoBut 200 people showed uprdquo
Th at initial success convinced Ryals to embark on her dream of establishing an
event planning company But it wasnrsquot just any event planning company Ryals
had in mind she envisioned one that would collaborate with local businesses
cultivate signature events for the community to enjoy and support small busi-
nesses in the process
Inspired Ryals left her sales job and for the second time in her life came home
again to event planning and Homegrown Huntsville
To help bring her vision to life Ryals collaborated with designer Adrianne Van
Kirk of Fave Creative ldquoAdrianne has been a part of the visual and branding of
Homegrown from the beginning We come up with the event ideas then I get
the ticketing and sales together and she comes back with a logo and the mar-
keting for the event And thatrsquos how it all comes togetherrdquo Ryals says of their
creative process
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
ASHLEY RYALS
copy Olivia Reed
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
ldquoMOST WINE FESTIVALS ACROSS THE COUNTRY HAVE PROVEN RECORDS OF BEING ABLE TO STAY AROUND 15 OR 20 YEARS OR EVEN LONGER AND THE ECONOMIES OF THOSE
CITIES HAVE REALLY GROWN AS A RESULT I WANT BIG SPRING CRUSH TO EVENTUALLY BE THE BIGGEST AND BEST WINE FESTIVAL IN THE STATE OF ALABAMArdquo ASHLEY RYALS
copy Jeff White
copy Jeff White
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
copy Olivia Reed
Homegrown launched in 2011 with what would become its
signature event Dine amp Dash Every second Wednesday
April through October a trolley shuttles patrons between
downtown establishments where they are served a drink
and appetizer before moving on to the next stop
Owner and executive chef Merle Phillips of Th e Eaves was
one of the fi rst restaurants to sign on for Dine amp Dashrsquos de-
but ldquoAshley came to me and said she was starting a trolley
tasting conceptrdquo says Chef Merle ldquoI didnrsquot really know her so
I was taking a chance on the concept she was sellingrdquo
Merle tried it and has been a loyal participant of Dine amp
Dash ever since
ldquoIt was a risk in the beginning but it defi nitely paid off rdquo Chef
Merle says of the experience Pivotal to that experience ac-
cording to Phillips is Ryalsrsquo demonstration to the commu-
nity just what the term ldquohomegrownrdquo really means ldquoAshley
shines a spotlight on independent businesses in a market-
place that has for so long focused on chainsrdquo Phillips says
ldquoDine amp Dash has really brought into sharp focus the inter-
esting culinary diversity that Huntsville has to off errdquo
For the next two years Homegrown Huntsville focused al-
most exclusively on Dine amp Dash which by the end of its fi rst
year included every single downtown restaurant But when
big changes began to appear on the downtown horizonmdash
new restaurants breweries and residential developmentsmdash
Ryalsrsquo instincts told her
the time had come to
introduce a new event
to the downtown cal-
endar
ldquoBeer Hop follows
the concept of Dine
amp Dashrdquo Ryals says of
Homegrownrsquos second
venture which began
in 2013 Each month a
trolley visits three dif-
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
BILL FOWLEROLD TOWN BEER
EXCHANGE
copy Olivia Reed
copy Olivia Reed
ferent breweries where patrons sample beers and enjoy food
from a variety of food trucks parked at each location
Bill Fowler managing partner of Old Town Beer Exchange
agreed to participate in Beer Hop on his very fi rst day of
business and credits Ryals with an overwhelmingly success-
ful opening night ldquoAshley said lsquoI can guarantee that you are
going to have wave after wave of people coming throughrsquordquo
Fowler says recalling that fi rst jittery occasion Once again
Ryals proved true to her word with 60-plus patrons arriving
in an hour-and-a-half ldquoIt was awesome and such a great ex-
perience for usrdquo Fowler raves ldquoAshley is a hard worker and
you can see that in what she doesrdquo
Fowler believes that in addition to bringing new customers
to OTBX Ryals is also cultivating beer education consis-
tently bringing in people who are new to beer and want to
learn And with Huntsvillersquos recent brewery boom that level
of education and interest is crucial for the brewing commu-
nity to thrive ldquoWe have a very small window of opportunityrdquo
says Fowler ldquoI think Huntsville in particular is becoming a
craft brewing community People are making money at this
and once Tennessee sees that we need to already have had a
pretty huge head startrdquo
By the end of 2013 and with standing events Beer Hop and
Dine amp Dash well established Ryals took time to refl ect on
her original goal for Homegrown Huntsville ldquoIn the back of
my head from day one I knew I wanted to do a wine festival
I just didnrsquot think Huntsville was ready for it in 2011rdquo
Emboldened by the success of Beer Hop Ryals decided to
make the leap with Big Spring Crush wine festival later the
same year Once again Ryals delivered the perfect audience
for the event and in the process discovered a surprising
fact about North Alabamarsquos contribution to the wine-mak-
ing industry
ldquoIn doing the wine festival I learned that we have a huge
wine community in Huntsvillerdquo Ryals says ldquoTh ere are only
about 47 certifi ed wine judges in the entire United States
and we have four of them right here in North Alabama Two
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
copy Jeff White
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
ldquoI STARTED TO GET HOMESICK ALL OF MY FRIENDS WERE GETTING MARRIEDAND MEETING FOR FOOTBALL GAMES AND I WAS MISSING ITrdquo ASHLEY RYALS
copy Jeff White
copy Jeff White
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
ldquoIT WAS AWESOME AND SUCH A GREAT EXPERIENCE FOR USrdquoBILL FOWLER OLD TOWN BEER EXCHANGE
copy Jeff White
copy Olivia Reed
of those four certifi ed wine judges sit on the committee for
Big Spring Crushrdquo
Matthew and Stephanie Mell had just opened Church Street
Wine Shop when they decided to participate in the fi rst Big
Spring Crush Like OTBXrsquos Robert Fowler the Mells credit
Ryals and Homegrown Huntsville for helping to introduce
their new enterprise to the community ldquoAshley has been in-
strumental in helping to bring us people who love and ap-
preciate winerdquo Stephanie Mell says ldquoShe was homegrown
here in Huntsville and she really gets the downtown area
and small businesses and that is so important to usrdquo
Big Spring Crush began with a bang featuring over 150
wines and attracting patrons from across the country
ldquoMost wine festivals across the country have proven records
of being able to stay around 15 or 20 years or even longerrdquo
Ryals says ldquoAnd the economies of those cities have really
grown as a result I want Big Spring Crush to eventually be
the biggest and best wine festival in the state of Alabamardquo
How does Ryals intend to make that dream come true ldquoBy
always keeping it fresh I want to have new marketing and
new things happening each yearrdquo
Ryalsrsquo formula of reinvention and expansion has successfully
led Homegrown Huntsville through fi ve years of success and
helped its events become community staples along the way In
the process Ryals is broadening more than just our image of
downtown Huntsville shersquos joining a class of creative entrepre-
neurs committed to expanding Huntsvillersquos reputation as more
than just a hub for the brightest scientifi c minds in America
ldquoWe have a big city of engineers and lawyers and itrsquos won-
derfulrdquo Ryals say ldquo But there is a whole artist and food cul-
ture here and there is so much growth I want us to have a
vibrant cool downtown area and I want for people to tell
their friends to come and visit and to see Huntsville for what
it is a city I loverdquo
If yoursquod like to participate in Homegrown Huntsville either
as a guest or a participating business visit homegrown-
huntsvillecom
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
copy Jeff White
I was years old and the year was At that time the city of Huntsville was inching toward the mountain to the east California Street was once the continental divide between the small town metropo-lis and the uncharted territories gingerly crossed by the real estate pioneers four score and some odd years prior Th is area became the new suburb as the city kept pushing onward toward Fagan Springs as if the reverberating booms of rocket testings were vibrating Hunstvillians away from its epicenter
From the front yard of our house on Owens Drive I could look to the rightmdashup the hill to the bend be-yond which the big houses stood on their rocky ledge pedestals and to the left where all the other houses that looked just like oursmdashfresh and newmdashrambled for what seemed like miles Th ose clean well-lit abodes all seemed the same and granted at my age I knew more about the pets that lived there than I did about the people who owned those manageable mortgages I came to realize that each was diff erent in a way that was permeated by voices smells and furnishings
It is a clicheacute to say that our lives were simpler then because that is just how the current era will be fondly referred to in the future but to a 5-year-old it is the simplicity that brought the joy Th e sixties will always be to me the beginning of the age of manufactured happiness Cheap clean and simple was what was strived for and what was easily obtained Plastic items were plentiful and pretty things could be bought with SampH Green Stamps A few coins in our pocket would transfer us into the most master of manipula-tors with us giving our all to convince our parents for a jaunt to Murdockrsquos for a holiday of wonderment joy and impatience as we would scour the shelves trying to get the most from our meager budget
Owens Drive was the fairly new thoroughfare from which the avenues of three-bedroom-ranchers fi ngered away at planned intervals Th is was the place where newlyweds started their lives homes and families Where girls with last names that had been in the town for generations would change them to those strange and exotic last names of the clean cut newcomers brought here for military purposes Where the housewives would preheat their pristine electric ovens trying to make cheese straws and biscuits that were just like their motherrsquos only to be frustrated as they were never quite the same and where the husbands would follow in their fatherrsquos footsteps by joining the Acme Club and hunting doves on the weekends
Th ere was a swimming pool Certainly not at our house Th e only private pool I remember as a child was one that my grandmother would take me to nestled between huge trees at someonersquos house on Adams Street I would swim with other children my age while our grandmothers chatted smoking cigarettes in cat-eyed anonymity whispering most of their stories so we wouldnrsquot be able to hear But between their
gasps and laughter we would listen hear and learn
Th e Blossomwood pool was a place of designated rules and the sound of bright whistlesmdashwith straight lines and distinctive colors of blue and green I can still feel the Coppertoned oiliness on the skin of the tanned lifeguard as she carried me from the deep end frightened after my fi rst attempt at solo-swimming She knew my name I had no idea who she was
On the other side of the pool was the school my older sister attended It had a style that mim-icked the poolmdashstraight lines cleanmdasha temple to orderliness and good manners It was with
awe that I once watched the young adults there some as old as eleven wind and dance their way around a sky-high fl agpolemdasheach with a diff erent color ribbon until the fi rst (and only) May Pole
I was privy to was completely dressed in its woven bright colors
90 raquo bless their hearts raquo Guy McClure Jr
Huntsville was a magical place for us tail-end baby boomers to grow upmdashbeyond the miracles of the escalator at Pizitz the smiling little lady on the tall stool at the register at Britlings There was a comfort level there that Irsquom not sure is in the minds of the 5-year-olds of today
cat-eyed agasps
Th s
aI w
THE COMFORTS OF BLOSSOMWOOD
In our world of red-bricked carported castles there was a def-inite division of generations Th e children ate separately from the parents went to school as our dads went to work enter-tained our neighborhood friends as quietly as possible and felt safe between our boundaries of Big Cove Road and Hermitage Street While we dined on our Chef Boy-Ar-Dee boxed pizza our parents busied themselves dressing in their dark colors getting ready for a late dinner at Boots having the scent of perfume and face powder trail my mother as she came into the kitchen looking for something with an intense purpose My father would smell of British Sterling and look just as he did when he went to work only happier Th ese nights meant something fun would happenmdashwe would have a babysitter
Babysitters were my introduction into what was and still seems cool Th ey were usually Huntsville High School teen-agers who would put on a show without even knowing it I would drink in their every move word and essence of style To me they were supermodelsmdashmovie starsmdasheven more fa-mous in my eyes than a television weatherman and almost as glamorous as the waitresses at the Waffl e House
Before they would tire of me and my sister and put us to bed they would include us in their world of music and knowledge which I thought was all-encompassing Suddenly our world of Th e Benny Carl Show and Fantasy Playhouse would seem trite and passeacute and we would catch a fl eeting glimpse into what would be in store for us when we too could stay up past 8 pm
Huntsville was a magical place for us tail-end baby boomers to grow upmdashbeyond the miracles of the escalator at Pizitz the smiling little lady on the tall stool at the register at Britlings and that bright colorful Maypole Th ere was a comfort level there that Irsquom not sure is in the minds of the 5-year-olds of todaymdashthe soothing sheltered lack of knowledge of why we were so lucky yet we didnrsquot even know that we were
In the other areas of our Huntsville there was poverty and ra-cial unrestmdashas there was and is in every city I was unaware People of color were always a part of my worldmdashmostly be-cause they had my attention and respect At our house there was Annie my grandmotherrsquos house was fi lled with the joys of Lula and out on the family farm there was strong and smiling Homer and large and huggable Rosamdashall just as much a part of my life as everyone else My life was good and they were instrumental in making it that way
What will the 5-year-olds of today who are lucky enough to be raised on those well-planned streets remember when they surpass their own 50 year mark It is a much more complex world now and there are diff erent concerns with daily changes of fear Youthful innocence is a prize that is encased without a lock Premature maturity is a viable threat and a constant fear But each night tucked in tight in a simple room sleeps tomor-rowrsquos adults who are having sweet dreamsmdashblanketed by the comforts of Blossomwood
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
92 raquo the vine raquo Amy C Collins
BORDEAUX POWER
Where Burgundyrsquos vineyards were established by Benedictine monks patiently growing wine vines with spiritual hearts Bordeauxrsquos vineyards were raised by entrepreneurial laymen who recognized the massive monetary opportunity when the English began drinking down their peasant wine
The city of Bordeaux is Francersquos primary port town on the Atlantic ocean a harbor that has for centuries served as the countryrsquos most important dock Th e regionrsquos history is long and storied with the fi rst written reference to the area dated 379 AD by the Latin poet Ausonius who was also a wine-grower Jump ahead to the year 1152 when Eleanor of Aquitaine married Englandrsquos soon-to-be king Henry Plantagenet and the port and surrounding vineyard land became the source of wine for the English a connection that remains strong even today
Bordeaux produces the worldrsquos most expensive and sought after collector wines the top tier of which make up less than fi ve percent of the regionrsquos total production Th ese names are quickly learned by neophyte wine drinkers wanting to make an impression Chateau Haut-Brion Lafi te Latour and Margaux for example Grown in gravelly soils only a few meters above sea levelmdashin contrast vineyards elsewhere in Europe typically sit between 300 and 900 metersmdashthese wines are some of the most powerful austere and pawed over When young the tannins in these cabernet sauvignon cabernet franc and merlot blends coat the tongue and mouth with a chalky dry sensation akin to sucking on an Earl Grey tea bag and are perhaps best suited to well-fatted rare steak and cigars Th ese are wines built to live for decades Personally I prefer a Bordeaux at least 20 years aged when the tannins have had ample time to calm down and mellow out and more nuanced fl avors come forward Sounds fancy and it is Only in some very lucky circumstances over the past year have I been guest to a bottle of 1990 Clos de Menuts Saint-Eacutemilion and a 1970 Chateau Haut-Brion About once every 10 years Irsquove had the good
fortune to taste a wine older than myself Nice work if you can get it
Where Burgundyrsquos vineyards (Francersquos other classifi ed sought-after region) were established by Benedictine monks patiently growing wine vines with spiritual hearts
Bordeauxrsquos vineyards were raised by entrepreneurial laymen who recognized the massive monetary opportunity when the English began drinking down their peasant wine Th is underscores the second half of my theory as to why Americans
more often American males are so drawn to the wines of Bordeaux Th erersquos an inherent capitalist connection something in the soil Th at the wines are so
unmistakable so distinctively grand and pronounced elixirs exemplifi es the fi rst half of my theory we Americans are not known for our subtlety (To be fair the Chinese are
signifi cant Bordeaux collectors as well)
Philosophy aside Bordeaux is quite a large region that produces beautiful white and red values as well as the rare fi nds out of the populacersquos price range Herersquos the skinny Blending is the game single varietal wines are rare White Bordeaux is typically made from a blend of sauvignon blanc and seacutemillon and sometimes a drop or two of muscadelle ugni blanc or colombard Reds are made primarily from the two cabernets plus merlot with small quantities of petit verdot malbec and carmenegravere occasionally in the mix Th e region is also home to the golden nectar of late ripened seacutemillon sauvignon blanc and muscadelle grapes that have successfully attracted the noble rot a fungus that covers the fruit and drains moisture from inside leaving behind rich sweet grapes without moldy fl avors Chateau drsquoYquem is the most famous of these unfortifi ed dessert wines though there are better bargains from the region
Bordeaux is split by the Gironde river which divides the region into three general areas Th e left bank also known as the Haut-Meacutedoc is where the classifi ed top growths are situated Th ese prestigious estates were named for their exceptional vineyard sites in 1855 a decision nearly unchanged since Today serious collectors invest in Bordeaux futures theoretically locking down lower prices of top
ample time to calm dit is Only in some vede Menuts Saint-Eacutem
fortune to taste a
Wherees
aun
of msignifi
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Follow Amy at pigandvinecom for morestories and wine suggestions
growth estates while the wine is still aging in the cellar Itrsquos the wine tradersquos equivalent to the NASDAQ On the right bank Saint-Eacutemilion and Pommerol are the prized vineyard areas known for their merlot heavy cuveacutees To the south west we fi nd Graves where there are many great values to be had in both white and red bottlings Entre-Deux-Mers which translates to ldquobetween two seasrdquo sits between the Dordogne and Garonne tributaries off the Gironde and is an excellent source for crisp whites
Get started on your Bordeaux experience with these values
Chateau Graville-Lacoste 2014 Graves 75 seacutemillon 20 sauvignon blanc and 5 muscadelle make up this beauty thatrsquos consistently delicious every vintage Crisp and refreshing great with seafood
Chateau Mirambeau 2014 GravesAnother classic blend of 40 sauvignon blanc 40 seacutemillon and 20 muscadelle this lovely white is a bit more fl oral than the Graville-Lacoste Easy drinking and great value
Chateau de Parenchegravere Bordeaux Rouge 201155 merlot 30 cabernet sauvignon and 15 cabernet franc grown in clay heavy soils similar to the right bank of the region Fleshy with good structure and abundant red fruit
Chateau Arnaud Bordeaux Supeacuterieur 2011Supeacuterieur on a Bordeaux label isnrsquot egotistical marketingmdashby law it indicates a wine with up to one degree more alcohol than its AC Bordeaux brethren What it really means is one more degree of body structure and in this case quality Approachable delicious and easy on the wallet
Chateau de Bernadotte Haut-Meacutedoc 2005Th e 2005 vintage in Bordeaux is in the history books with double asterisks Owned by the eminent Pichon Lalande family and made from vineyards in Paulliac one of the more choice growing areas in the region this is an incredible value a top tier Bordeaux for a fraction of the cost
Chateau de Suduiraut Sauternes 2011Ripe cantaloupe apricot and honey and an interesting smoky note with a solid sweet attack followed by great acidity A dessert wine that wonrsquot overpower the dessert
94 raquo parting shot raquo Patrick Hood
Meet Solvar
Solvar belongs to one of the worldrsquos oldest and purest equine lineages the Nor-
wegian Fjord horse a breed that has remained virtually unchanged for more than
2000 yearsmdashlong before we became acquainted with his animated cousins in
the movie Frozen Th ese national symbols of Norway are characterized by primi-
tive zebra striping on their legs and a dorsal stripe running from forelock to tail
resulting in a striking two-tone mane that sticks up like a Mohawk Th eir athleti-
cism agility and dependability make them valuable both as sport horses as well
as therapy horses for emotionally and physically challenged adults and children
Catie Wells of Huntsville is the proud owner of Solvar who resides at Monte
Sano Stables
For tickets or information 256-539-4818 or hsoorg
Bring In the New Year With Us
presents
WHAT A WONDERFUL
WORLDA tribute to Louis
Armstrong featuring the
Byron Stripling Quartet
Thursday December 31
730 pm bull Pops Series bullMark C Smith
Concert Hall VBC
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
M O R E T H A N 7 0 S H O P S A N D R E S T A U R A N T S I N C L U D I N G B E L K | D S W S H O E S | A P P L E J O S A B A N K | R E E D S J E W E L E R S | PA N D O R A | J C R E W | K AT E S PA D E N E W Y O R KO R V I S | B A N A N A R E P U B L I C | M I C H A E L K O R S | F R A N C E S C Arsquo S | A N T H R O P O L O G I EH amp M | S O M A | M O U N T A I N H I G H O U T F I T T E R S | B A R N E S amp N O B L E | S E P H O R AALTAR rsquoD STATE | CONNORS STEAK amp SEFOOD | THE WEST IN HUNTSV I L L E | MONACO P ICTURES
C O M I N G S O O N V E R S O N A ndash near Belk
B R I D G E S T R E E T H U N T S V I L L E C O M |
BR IDGE STREET TOWN CENTRE I S LOCATED AT EX I T 14 OFF I - 565 AT OLD MAD ISON P IKE
ldquoA LOT OF PEOPLE HAD BEEN ASKING ME QUESTIONS ABOUTHOW I GOT MY BUSINESS STARTED I WANTED TO GATHER SOME PEOPLE AROUND ME
WHO WERE GOING THROUGH THOSE STRUGGLES AND TOBUILD ENTREPRENEURIAL COURAGErdquo
JACKI GIL SALT+PAPERIE
copy Patrick Hood
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
untsville-born Jacki Gil began her paper design busi-
ness Salt+Paperie in 2014 with an expansive vision
in mind one that extended beyond creating beautiful
custom designed paper goods ldquoI love my design job
but when Irsquom 50 years old I donrsquot see myself still de-
signing wedding invitationsrdquo the master stationer says
ldquoI really have a passion for teaching and helping people
I want to be a mentorrdquo
In 2015 Gil set out on her mentoring mission sooner than expected with a series
of workshops called Encourage Huntsville ldquoA lot of people had been asking me
questions about how I got my business startedrdquo Gil says about the early days of
Salt+Paperie Even though most of those questions from entrepreneurial-hopefuls
were technicalmdashlike how to apply for a business licensemdashthey served as inspira-
tion for Gil ldquoI wanted to gather some people around me who were going through
those struggles and to build entrepreneurial courage I defi nitely saw that there
was a need for helping people to take that next step toward owning their own
businessesrdquo
Encourage Huntsville was modeled on the image of a growing small business
movement called the Rising Tide Society a national community of creative small
business owners who encourage ldquocommunity over competitionrdquo Th at spirit of
openness is at the heart of Encourage Huntsville ldquoCommunity over competition
is a huge part of what we are doingrdquo says Gil ldquoSmall business owners sharing how
they earn their money is a big dealrdquo
As a fi rst step Gil gathered others around her who were using their skills and abili-
ties to make their own small businesses work With talents ranging from cooking
and cake decorating to hand lettering and artwork these small business owners
all embraced Gilrsquos vision for imparting to others the knowledge of their craft un-
impeded by a fear of losing their competitive edge
Th e fi rst lesson Gil wanted to impart to Encourage Huntsvillersquos students wasnrsquot
necessarily a particular craft or skill but a spirt of creative confi dence ldquoWe want-
ed to bridge the gap between the very artsy community and the ultimate engineer
communityrdquo many of whom Gil observes had been told since childhood they
werenrsquot artistic ldquoWhen you are little and someone tells you that you donrsquot have a
talent it sticks with you I found that a lot of people had that experience so that
was the workshop partmdashto build some creative courage in this communityrdquo
Gil conducted the fi rst workshop herself testing the waters to see how the concept
would be received Th e admission price to that fi rst workshop included supplies a
take-home ldquogoody bagrdquo to help students continue their work extracurricularly and
refreshmentsmdashas well as Gilrsquos tips of her trade
ldquoWe went in blindly not knowing if we had a market or notrdquo says Gil Th e popular-
ity of that fi rst class proved undeniably that a market did in fact exist the work-
shop sold out in one day ldquoSo we did back-to-back workshopsrdquo Gil says ldquoAfter that
novemberdecembeeer eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee | nononoononononononoonoonononooooonoonoonnononnoaaalalalllaallllllalaalaaalal ststustust ddiossscom mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm | | | | | | | | | | |
f
w
y
Previous page Encourage Huntsvillersquos founder and instructor Jacki Gil teaches a class in hand lettering Facing page A participant studies her supply list
we realized people really want to do this stuff So we said lsquoletrsquos jump on the boat
and make this happenrsquordquo
Gilrsquos longtime friend photographer Erin Lindsey of Erin Lindsey Images agreed
to contribute to Encourage Huntsvillersquos curriculum by teaching a photography
class ldquoJacki and I are a good team because our hearts are in the same place when
it comes to encouraging othersrdquo Lindsey says Still she admits saying yes to teach-
ing wasnrsquot without some initial hesitation ldquoWhen Jacki asked if I would teach a
class it was kind of scary I thought I had to be perfect before I could teach oth-
ersrdquo Lindsey says of her initial hesitancy ldquoBut after talking to Jacki I realized none
of us are perfectrdquo But perfection isnrsquot the goal encouragement is the goal ldquoAnd I
thought lsquoI can defi nitely line up with that visionrsquordquo
Michelle Odom another Huntsville native and owner of custom cake bakery Just
Crumbs was also on board with Gilrsquos vision In fact Odom had been contemplat-
ing teaching a class when she was approached by Gil to teach a fondant basics
class ldquoHuntsville is such an engineer town and everyone is so mathematical and
scientifi crdquo Odom says echoing the dichotomy between the arts and sciences ex-
pressed by Gil ldquoTh ese workshops are just a very cool way for structured people to
have a creative outletrdquo
ldquoJACKI AND I ARE A GOOD TEAM BECAUSE OUR HEARTS ARE INTHE SAME PLACE WHEN IT COMES TO ENCOURAGING OTHERSrdquo
ERIN LINDSEY ERIN LINDSEY IMAGES
copy Erin Lindsey
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Above A participant in Erin Lindseyrsquos photo class frames a still life
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
copy Erin Lindsey
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
ldquoHUNTSVILLE IS SUCH AN ENGINEER TOWN AND EVERYONE ISSO MATHEMATICAL AND SCIENTIFIC THESE WORKSHOPS ARE JUST A VERY COOL
WAY FOR STRUCTURED PEOPLE TO HAVE A CREATIVE OUTLETrdquo MICHELLE ODOM JUST CRUMBS
copy Michelle Odom
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
ldquoAnd yesrdquo Odom acknowledges ldquoyou are in theory teaching your competition But
at the same time you are helping the community be more creativerdquo
With its roster of popular creative workshops under its belt Encourage Huntsville
has added business classes to its community-over-competition curriculum with
classes designed to provide specifi c guidance for small business owners ldquoAll of
our events that donrsquot require hands-on work we call seminarsrdquo says Gil ldquoWe had
about 15 people at our fi rst one It was pretty much just an open discussion to ask
us questions and get answers from the perspective of a small business ownerrdquo
Th e seminars enjoyed the same success and enthusiasm as the workshops ldquoWe
had two hours for people to ask questionsrdquo Gil says Topics covered ran the gamut
from scheduling daily tasks self-hosting a website or using an Etsy store man-
aging client expectations and being realistic about how much time you need to
complete jobs
ldquoTh e time went quickly and people wanted morerdquo says Gil who envisions an all-
day seminar in 2016
Margaret Baggett owner and executive chef of the Chef Next Door is another
small business owner who has shared Gilrsquos vision from the very beginning teach-
copy Erin Lindsey
Facing page Michelle Odomrsquos fondant basics class begins with a styrofoam cake form Above Newbie photographers familiarize themselves with their cameras in Erin Lindseyrsquos photography class
ing knife skills workshops and helping host the business seminars ldquoI am so proud
to get to be a part of this project and help nurture other small business owners
who may just be starting out on their journey or are deep in it and looking for
some encouragement from other business ownersrdquo Baggett says of what motivates
her participation in Encourage Huntsville ldquoEven being on the advice-giving side
of things I am still learning and have taken tips and tricks and lessons from each
event we have had so far We never stop learning from each other and never stop
improving upon our craftsrdquo
Th e mutual growth among students and teachers is the source of the encourage-
mentmdashand the joymdashof Encourage Huntsville ldquoItrsquos so much fun to see the light
bulbs go off with people and see them encouraged right before your eyesrdquo Lindsey
says of her experience with the program ldquoPlus itrsquos a pleasure to contribute to a
sense of community over competition Th at whole concept is so rarerdquo
As Encourage Huntsvillersquos following continues to grow the diversity of the work-
shops will expand as well Whether you are looking to spend a fun afternoon
learning a new craft or are a budding small business owner hoping to launch
your brand Encourage Huntsville has something valuable to off er ldquoWe encourage
those left-brain folks to take up a new hobby or skillrdquo Baggett says ldquoor just encour-
age the people of Huntsville to get together and fan their creative fl amesrdquo
If yoursquore looking for
creative or entrepreneurial
encouragement visit
encouragehuntsvillecom
for seminar and workshop
schedules and information
ldquoI AM SO PROUD TO GET TO BE A PART OF THIS PROJECT AND HELP NURTURE OTHER SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS WHO MAY JUST BE STARTING OUT ON THEIR JOURNEY OR ARE DEEP IN IT
AND LOOKING FOR SOME ENCOURAGEMENT FROM OTHER BUSINESS OWNERSrdquoMARGARET BAGGETT CHEF NEXT DOOR
copy Jacki Gil
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
copy Jacki Gil
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Participants in Margaret Baggettrsquos knife skills workshop learn to perfect their ldquomise en placerdquo
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
copy Olivia Reed
text by sara wright covington raquo photos by olivia reed and jeff white
HUNTSVILLErsquoS
HOMEGROWNHOSTESS
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
ttttttononononoooooonononooooo raquo praquo praquo praquo praquo phothothothothotosoososos s s osos bybybbybb
Any host will tell you that delicious food and quality libations while important to
a partyrsquos success are secondary to the most important ingredient of all the guest list Th atrsquos why many
of downtown Huntsvillersquos most popular restaurants breweries and wine shops are turning to event
planner Ashley Ryals and her uncanny knack for attracting loyal patronsmdashand creating unforgettable
events in the process
When Huntsville born-and-bred Ashley Ryals left for college at the University of Alabama in 2001
she thought her exit from the Valley was permanent ldquoI never thought I would end up back hererdquo the
founder of event planning company Homegrown Huntsville says with a knowing laugh But after a few
post-graduate years working for world-renowned public relations powerhouse Weber Shandwick in
New York City Ryals started to second guess her freshman declaration
ldquoI started to get homesickrdquo she admits ldquoAll of my friends were getting married and meeting for football
games and I was missing itrdquo So when a friend from home set up an interview at EarlyWorks for a job
doing event planning Ryals jumped at the chance to come home
Ashley spent the next few years planning EarlyWorks Whistle Stop and Santarsquos Village events A brief
stint in sales followed along with a seat on the board of Huntsville Young Professionals where she had
an idea for a downtown pub crawl
ldquoWe expected 20 or 30 peoplerdquo Ryals says of their modest expectations ldquoBut 200 people showed uprdquo
Th at initial success convinced Ryals to embark on her dream of establishing an
event planning company But it wasnrsquot just any event planning company Ryals
had in mind she envisioned one that would collaborate with local businesses
cultivate signature events for the community to enjoy and support small busi-
nesses in the process
Inspired Ryals left her sales job and for the second time in her life came home
again to event planning and Homegrown Huntsville
To help bring her vision to life Ryals collaborated with designer Adrianne Van
Kirk of Fave Creative ldquoAdrianne has been a part of the visual and branding of
Homegrown from the beginning We come up with the event ideas then I get
the ticketing and sales together and she comes back with a logo and the mar-
keting for the event And thatrsquos how it all comes togetherrdquo Ryals says of their
creative process
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
ASHLEY RYALS
copy Olivia Reed
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
ldquoMOST WINE FESTIVALS ACROSS THE COUNTRY HAVE PROVEN RECORDS OF BEING ABLE TO STAY AROUND 15 OR 20 YEARS OR EVEN LONGER AND THE ECONOMIES OF THOSE
CITIES HAVE REALLY GROWN AS A RESULT I WANT BIG SPRING CRUSH TO EVENTUALLY BE THE BIGGEST AND BEST WINE FESTIVAL IN THE STATE OF ALABAMArdquo ASHLEY RYALS
copy Jeff White
copy Jeff White
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
copy Olivia Reed
Homegrown launched in 2011 with what would become its
signature event Dine amp Dash Every second Wednesday
April through October a trolley shuttles patrons between
downtown establishments where they are served a drink
and appetizer before moving on to the next stop
Owner and executive chef Merle Phillips of Th e Eaves was
one of the fi rst restaurants to sign on for Dine amp Dashrsquos de-
but ldquoAshley came to me and said she was starting a trolley
tasting conceptrdquo says Chef Merle ldquoI didnrsquot really know her so
I was taking a chance on the concept she was sellingrdquo
Merle tried it and has been a loyal participant of Dine amp
Dash ever since
ldquoIt was a risk in the beginning but it defi nitely paid off rdquo Chef
Merle says of the experience Pivotal to that experience ac-
cording to Phillips is Ryalsrsquo demonstration to the commu-
nity just what the term ldquohomegrownrdquo really means ldquoAshley
shines a spotlight on independent businesses in a market-
place that has for so long focused on chainsrdquo Phillips says
ldquoDine amp Dash has really brought into sharp focus the inter-
esting culinary diversity that Huntsville has to off errdquo
For the next two years Homegrown Huntsville focused al-
most exclusively on Dine amp Dash which by the end of its fi rst
year included every single downtown restaurant But when
big changes began to appear on the downtown horizonmdash
new restaurants breweries and residential developmentsmdash
Ryalsrsquo instincts told her
the time had come to
introduce a new event
to the downtown cal-
endar
ldquoBeer Hop follows
the concept of Dine
amp Dashrdquo Ryals says of
Homegrownrsquos second
venture which began
in 2013 Each month a
trolley visits three dif-
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
BILL FOWLEROLD TOWN BEER
EXCHANGE
copy Olivia Reed
copy Olivia Reed
ferent breweries where patrons sample beers and enjoy food
from a variety of food trucks parked at each location
Bill Fowler managing partner of Old Town Beer Exchange
agreed to participate in Beer Hop on his very fi rst day of
business and credits Ryals with an overwhelmingly success-
ful opening night ldquoAshley said lsquoI can guarantee that you are
going to have wave after wave of people coming throughrsquordquo
Fowler says recalling that fi rst jittery occasion Once again
Ryals proved true to her word with 60-plus patrons arriving
in an hour-and-a-half ldquoIt was awesome and such a great ex-
perience for usrdquo Fowler raves ldquoAshley is a hard worker and
you can see that in what she doesrdquo
Fowler believes that in addition to bringing new customers
to OTBX Ryals is also cultivating beer education consis-
tently bringing in people who are new to beer and want to
learn And with Huntsvillersquos recent brewery boom that level
of education and interest is crucial for the brewing commu-
nity to thrive ldquoWe have a very small window of opportunityrdquo
says Fowler ldquoI think Huntsville in particular is becoming a
craft brewing community People are making money at this
and once Tennessee sees that we need to already have had a
pretty huge head startrdquo
By the end of 2013 and with standing events Beer Hop and
Dine amp Dash well established Ryals took time to refl ect on
her original goal for Homegrown Huntsville ldquoIn the back of
my head from day one I knew I wanted to do a wine festival
I just didnrsquot think Huntsville was ready for it in 2011rdquo
Emboldened by the success of Beer Hop Ryals decided to
make the leap with Big Spring Crush wine festival later the
same year Once again Ryals delivered the perfect audience
for the event and in the process discovered a surprising
fact about North Alabamarsquos contribution to the wine-mak-
ing industry
ldquoIn doing the wine festival I learned that we have a huge
wine community in Huntsvillerdquo Ryals says ldquoTh ere are only
about 47 certifi ed wine judges in the entire United States
and we have four of them right here in North Alabama Two
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
copy Jeff White
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
ldquoI STARTED TO GET HOMESICK ALL OF MY FRIENDS WERE GETTING MARRIEDAND MEETING FOR FOOTBALL GAMES AND I WAS MISSING ITrdquo ASHLEY RYALS
copy Jeff White
copy Jeff White
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
ldquoIT WAS AWESOME AND SUCH A GREAT EXPERIENCE FOR USrdquoBILL FOWLER OLD TOWN BEER EXCHANGE
copy Jeff White
copy Olivia Reed
of those four certifi ed wine judges sit on the committee for
Big Spring Crushrdquo
Matthew and Stephanie Mell had just opened Church Street
Wine Shop when they decided to participate in the fi rst Big
Spring Crush Like OTBXrsquos Robert Fowler the Mells credit
Ryals and Homegrown Huntsville for helping to introduce
their new enterprise to the community ldquoAshley has been in-
strumental in helping to bring us people who love and ap-
preciate winerdquo Stephanie Mell says ldquoShe was homegrown
here in Huntsville and she really gets the downtown area
and small businesses and that is so important to usrdquo
Big Spring Crush began with a bang featuring over 150
wines and attracting patrons from across the country
ldquoMost wine festivals across the country have proven records
of being able to stay around 15 or 20 years or even longerrdquo
Ryals says ldquoAnd the economies of those cities have really
grown as a result I want Big Spring Crush to eventually be
the biggest and best wine festival in the state of Alabamardquo
How does Ryals intend to make that dream come true ldquoBy
always keeping it fresh I want to have new marketing and
new things happening each yearrdquo
Ryalsrsquo formula of reinvention and expansion has successfully
led Homegrown Huntsville through fi ve years of success and
helped its events become community staples along the way In
the process Ryals is broadening more than just our image of
downtown Huntsville shersquos joining a class of creative entrepre-
neurs committed to expanding Huntsvillersquos reputation as more
than just a hub for the brightest scientifi c minds in America
ldquoWe have a big city of engineers and lawyers and itrsquos won-
derfulrdquo Ryals say ldquo But there is a whole artist and food cul-
ture here and there is so much growth I want us to have a
vibrant cool downtown area and I want for people to tell
their friends to come and visit and to see Huntsville for what
it is a city I loverdquo
If yoursquod like to participate in Homegrown Huntsville either
as a guest or a participating business visit homegrown-
huntsvillecom
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
copy Jeff White
I was years old and the year was At that time the city of Huntsville was inching toward the mountain to the east California Street was once the continental divide between the small town metropo-lis and the uncharted territories gingerly crossed by the real estate pioneers four score and some odd years prior Th is area became the new suburb as the city kept pushing onward toward Fagan Springs as if the reverberating booms of rocket testings were vibrating Hunstvillians away from its epicenter
From the front yard of our house on Owens Drive I could look to the rightmdashup the hill to the bend be-yond which the big houses stood on their rocky ledge pedestals and to the left where all the other houses that looked just like oursmdashfresh and newmdashrambled for what seemed like miles Th ose clean well-lit abodes all seemed the same and granted at my age I knew more about the pets that lived there than I did about the people who owned those manageable mortgages I came to realize that each was diff erent in a way that was permeated by voices smells and furnishings
It is a clicheacute to say that our lives were simpler then because that is just how the current era will be fondly referred to in the future but to a 5-year-old it is the simplicity that brought the joy Th e sixties will always be to me the beginning of the age of manufactured happiness Cheap clean and simple was what was strived for and what was easily obtained Plastic items were plentiful and pretty things could be bought with SampH Green Stamps A few coins in our pocket would transfer us into the most master of manipula-tors with us giving our all to convince our parents for a jaunt to Murdockrsquos for a holiday of wonderment joy and impatience as we would scour the shelves trying to get the most from our meager budget
Owens Drive was the fairly new thoroughfare from which the avenues of three-bedroom-ranchers fi ngered away at planned intervals Th is was the place where newlyweds started their lives homes and families Where girls with last names that had been in the town for generations would change them to those strange and exotic last names of the clean cut newcomers brought here for military purposes Where the housewives would preheat their pristine electric ovens trying to make cheese straws and biscuits that were just like their motherrsquos only to be frustrated as they were never quite the same and where the husbands would follow in their fatherrsquos footsteps by joining the Acme Club and hunting doves on the weekends
Th ere was a swimming pool Certainly not at our house Th e only private pool I remember as a child was one that my grandmother would take me to nestled between huge trees at someonersquos house on Adams Street I would swim with other children my age while our grandmothers chatted smoking cigarettes in cat-eyed anonymity whispering most of their stories so we wouldnrsquot be able to hear But between their
gasps and laughter we would listen hear and learn
Th e Blossomwood pool was a place of designated rules and the sound of bright whistlesmdashwith straight lines and distinctive colors of blue and green I can still feel the Coppertoned oiliness on the skin of the tanned lifeguard as she carried me from the deep end frightened after my fi rst attempt at solo-swimming She knew my name I had no idea who she was
On the other side of the pool was the school my older sister attended It had a style that mim-icked the poolmdashstraight lines cleanmdasha temple to orderliness and good manners It was with
awe that I once watched the young adults there some as old as eleven wind and dance their way around a sky-high fl agpolemdasheach with a diff erent color ribbon until the fi rst (and only) May Pole
I was privy to was completely dressed in its woven bright colors
90 raquo bless their hearts raquo Guy McClure Jr
Huntsville was a magical place for us tail-end baby boomers to grow upmdashbeyond the miracles of the escalator at Pizitz the smiling little lady on the tall stool at the register at Britlings There was a comfort level there that Irsquom not sure is in the minds of the 5-year-olds of today
cat-eyed agasps
Th s
aI w
THE COMFORTS OF BLOSSOMWOOD
In our world of red-bricked carported castles there was a def-inite division of generations Th e children ate separately from the parents went to school as our dads went to work enter-tained our neighborhood friends as quietly as possible and felt safe between our boundaries of Big Cove Road and Hermitage Street While we dined on our Chef Boy-Ar-Dee boxed pizza our parents busied themselves dressing in their dark colors getting ready for a late dinner at Boots having the scent of perfume and face powder trail my mother as she came into the kitchen looking for something with an intense purpose My father would smell of British Sterling and look just as he did when he went to work only happier Th ese nights meant something fun would happenmdashwe would have a babysitter
Babysitters were my introduction into what was and still seems cool Th ey were usually Huntsville High School teen-agers who would put on a show without even knowing it I would drink in their every move word and essence of style To me they were supermodelsmdashmovie starsmdasheven more fa-mous in my eyes than a television weatherman and almost as glamorous as the waitresses at the Waffl e House
Before they would tire of me and my sister and put us to bed they would include us in their world of music and knowledge which I thought was all-encompassing Suddenly our world of Th e Benny Carl Show and Fantasy Playhouse would seem trite and passeacute and we would catch a fl eeting glimpse into what would be in store for us when we too could stay up past 8 pm
Huntsville was a magical place for us tail-end baby boomers to grow upmdashbeyond the miracles of the escalator at Pizitz the smiling little lady on the tall stool at the register at Britlings and that bright colorful Maypole Th ere was a comfort level there that Irsquom not sure is in the minds of the 5-year-olds of todaymdashthe soothing sheltered lack of knowledge of why we were so lucky yet we didnrsquot even know that we were
In the other areas of our Huntsville there was poverty and ra-cial unrestmdashas there was and is in every city I was unaware People of color were always a part of my worldmdashmostly be-cause they had my attention and respect At our house there was Annie my grandmotherrsquos house was fi lled with the joys of Lula and out on the family farm there was strong and smiling Homer and large and huggable Rosamdashall just as much a part of my life as everyone else My life was good and they were instrumental in making it that way
What will the 5-year-olds of today who are lucky enough to be raised on those well-planned streets remember when they surpass their own 50 year mark It is a much more complex world now and there are diff erent concerns with daily changes of fear Youthful innocence is a prize that is encased without a lock Premature maturity is a viable threat and a constant fear But each night tucked in tight in a simple room sleeps tomor-rowrsquos adults who are having sweet dreamsmdashblanketed by the comforts of Blossomwood
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
92 raquo the vine raquo Amy C Collins
BORDEAUX POWER
Where Burgundyrsquos vineyards were established by Benedictine monks patiently growing wine vines with spiritual hearts Bordeauxrsquos vineyards were raised by entrepreneurial laymen who recognized the massive monetary opportunity when the English began drinking down their peasant wine
The city of Bordeaux is Francersquos primary port town on the Atlantic ocean a harbor that has for centuries served as the countryrsquos most important dock Th e regionrsquos history is long and storied with the fi rst written reference to the area dated 379 AD by the Latin poet Ausonius who was also a wine-grower Jump ahead to the year 1152 when Eleanor of Aquitaine married Englandrsquos soon-to-be king Henry Plantagenet and the port and surrounding vineyard land became the source of wine for the English a connection that remains strong even today
Bordeaux produces the worldrsquos most expensive and sought after collector wines the top tier of which make up less than fi ve percent of the regionrsquos total production Th ese names are quickly learned by neophyte wine drinkers wanting to make an impression Chateau Haut-Brion Lafi te Latour and Margaux for example Grown in gravelly soils only a few meters above sea levelmdashin contrast vineyards elsewhere in Europe typically sit between 300 and 900 metersmdashthese wines are some of the most powerful austere and pawed over When young the tannins in these cabernet sauvignon cabernet franc and merlot blends coat the tongue and mouth with a chalky dry sensation akin to sucking on an Earl Grey tea bag and are perhaps best suited to well-fatted rare steak and cigars Th ese are wines built to live for decades Personally I prefer a Bordeaux at least 20 years aged when the tannins have had ample time to calm down and mellow out and more nuanced fl avors come forward Sounds fancy and it is Only in some very lucky circumstances over the past year have I been guest to a bottle of 1990 Clos de Menuts Saint-Eacutemilion and a 1970 Chateau Haut-Brion About once every 10 years Irsquove had the good
fortune to taste a wine older than myself Nice work if you can get it
Where Burgundyrsquos vineyards (Francersquos other classifi ed sought-after region) were established by Benedictine monks patiently growing wine vines with spiritual hearts
Bordeauxrsquos vineyards were raised by entrepreneurial laymen who recognized the massive monetary opportunity when the English began drinking down their peasant wine Th is underscores the second half of my theory as to why Americans
more often American males are so drawn to the wines of Bordeaux Th erersquos an inherent capitalist connection something in the soil Th at the wines are so
unmistakable so distinctively grand and pronounced elixirs exemplifi es the fi rst half of my theory we Americans are not known for our subtlety (To be fair the Chinese are
signifi cant Bordeaux collectors as well)
Philosophy aside Bordeaux is quite a large region that produces beautiful white and red values as well as the rare fi nds out of the populacersquos price range Herersquos the skinny Blending is the game single varietal wines are rare White Bordeaux is typically made from a blend of sauvignon blanc and seacutemillon and sometimes a drop or two of muscadelle ugni blanc or colombard Reds are made primarily from the two cabernets plus merlot with small quantities of petit verdot malbec and carmenegravere occasionally in the mix Th e region is also home to the golden nectar of late ripened seacutemillon sauvignon blanc and muscadelle grapes that have successfully attracted the noble rot a fungus that covers the fruit and drains moisture from inside leaving behind rich sweet grapes without moldy fl avors Chateau drsquoYquem is the most famous of these unfortifi ed dessert wines though there are better bargains from the region
Bordeaux is split by the Gironde river which divides the region into three general areas Th e left bank also known as the Haut-Meacutedoc is where the classifi ed top growths are situated Th ese prestigious estates were named for their exceptional vineyard sites in 1855 a decision nearly unchanged since Today serious collectors invest in Bordeaux futures theoretically locking down lower prices of top
ample time to calm dit is Only in some vede Menuts Saint-Eacutem
fortune to taste a
Wherees
aun
of msignifi
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Follow Amy at pigandvinecom for morestories and wine suggestions
growth estates while the wine is still aging in the cellar Itrsquos the wine tradersquos equivalent to the NASDAQ On the right bank Saint-Eacutemilion and Pommerol are the prized vineyard areas known for their merlot heavy cuveacutees To the south west we fi nd Graves where there are many great values to be had in both white and red bottlings Entre-Deux-Mers which translates to ldquobetween two seasrdquo sits between the Dordogne and Garonne tributaries off the Gironde and is an excellent source for crisp whites
Get started on your Bordeaux experience with these values
Chateau Graville-Lacoste 2014 Graves 75 seacutemillon 20 sauvignon blanc and 5 muscadelle make up this beauty thatrsquos consistently delicious every vintage Crisp and refreshing great with seafood
Chateau Mirambeau 2014 GravesAnother classic blend of 40 sauvignon blanc 40 seacutemillon and 20 muscadelle this lovely white is a bit more fl oral than the Graville-Lacoste Easy drinking and great value
Chateau de Parenchegravere Bordeaux Rouge 201155 merlot 30 cabernet sauvignon and 15 cabernet franc grown in clay heavy soils similar to the right bank of the region Fleshy with good structure and abundant red fruit
Chateau Arnaud Bordeaux Supeacuterieur 2011Supeacuterieur on a Bordeaux label isnrsquot egotistical marketingmdashby law it indicates a wine with up to one degree more alcohol than its AC Bordeaux brethren What it really means is one more degree of body structure and in this case quality Approachable delicious and easy on the wallet
Chateau de Bernadotte Haut-Meacutedoc 2005Th e 2005 vintage in Bordeaux is in the history books with double asterisks Owned by the eminent Pichon Lalande family and made from vineyards in Paulliac one of the more choice growing areas in the region this is an incredible value a top tier Bordeaux for a fraction of the cost
Chateau de Suduiraut Sauternes 2011Ripe cantaloupe apricot and honey and an interesting smoky note with a solid sweet attack followed by great acidity A dessert wine that wonrsquot overpower the dessert
94 raquo parting shot raquo Patrick Hood
Meet Solvar
Solvar belongs to one of the worldrsquos oldest and purest equine lineages the Nor-
wegian Fjord horse a breed that has remained virtually unchanged for more than
2000 yearsmdashlong before we became acquainted with his animated cousins in
the movie Frozen Th ese national symbols of Norway are characterized by primi-
tive zebra striping on their legs and a dorsal stripe running from forelock to tail
resulting in a striking two-tone mane that sticks up like a Mohawk Th eir athleti-
cism agility and dependability make them valuable both as sport horses as well
as therapy horses for emotionally and physically challenged adults and children
Catie Wells of Huntsville is the proud owner of Solvar who resides at Monte
Sano Stables
For tickets or information 256-539-4818 or hsoorg
Bring In the New Year With Us
presents
WHAT A WONDERFUL
WORLDA tribute to Louis
Armstrong featuring the
Byron Stripling Quartet
Thursday December 31
730 pm bull Pops Series bullMark C Smith
Concert Hall VBC
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
M O R E T H A N 7 0 S H O P S A N D R E S T A U R A N T S I N C L U D I N G B E L K | D S W S H O E S | A P P L E J O S A B A N K | R E E D S J E W E L E R S | PA N D O R A | J C R E W | K AT E S PA D E N E W Y O R KO R V I S | B A N A N A R E P U B L I C | M I C H A E L K O R S | F R A N C E S C Arsquo S | A N T H R O P O L O G I EH amp M | S O M A | M O U N T A I N H I G H O U T F I T T E R S | B A R N E S amp N O B L E | S E P H O R AALTAR rsquoD STATE | CONNORS STEAK amp SEFOOD | THE WEST IN HUNTSV I L L E | MONACO P ICTURES
C O M I N G S O O N V E R S O N A ndash near Belk
B R I D G E S T R E E T H U N T S V I L L E C O M |
BR IDGE STREET TOWN CENTRE I S LOCATED AT EX I T 14 OFF I - 565 AT OLD MAD ISON P IKE
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
untsville-born Jacki Gil began her paper design busi-
ness Salt+Paperie in 2014 with an expansive vision
in mind one that extended beyond creating beautiful
custom designed paper goods ldquoI love my design job
but when Irsquom 50 years old I donrsquot see myself still de-
signing wedding invitationsrdquo the master stationer says
ldquoI really have a passion for teaching and helping people
I want to be a mentorrdquo
In 2015 Gil set out on her mentoring mission sooner than expected with a series
of workshops called Encourage Huntsville ldquoA lot of people had been asking me
questions about how I got my business startedrdquo Gil says about the early days of
Salt+Paperie Even though most of those questions from entrepreneurial-hopefuls
were technicalmdashlike how to apply for a business licensemdashthey served as inspira-
tion for Gil ldquoI wanted to gather some people around me who were going through
those struggles and to build entrepreneurial courage I defi nitely saw that there
was a need for helping people to take that next step toward owning their own
businessesrdquo
Encourage Huntsville was modeled on the image of a growing small business
movement called the Rising Tide Society a national community of creative small
business owners who encourage ldquocommunity over competitionrdquo Th at spirit of
openness is at the heart of Encourage Huntsville ldquoCommunity over competition
is a huge part of what we are doingrdquo says Gil ldquoSmall business owners sharing how
they earn their money is a big dealrdquo
As a fi rst step Gil gathered others around her who were using their skills and abili-
ties to make their own small businesses work With talents ranging from cooking
and cake decorating to hand lettering and artwork these small business owners
all embraced Gilrsquos vision for imparting to others the knowledge of their craft un-
impeded by a fear of losing their competitive edge
Th e fi rst lesson Gil wanted to impart to Encourage Huntsvillersquos students wasnrsquot
necessarily a particular craft or skill but a spirt of creative confi dence ldquoWe want-
ed to bridge the gap between the very artsy community and the ultimate engineer
communityrdquo many of whom Gil observes had been told since childhood they
werenrsquot artistic ldquoWhen you are little and someone tells you that you donrsquot have a
talent it sticks with you I found that a lot of people had that experience so that
was the workshop partmdashto build some creative courage in this communityrdquo
Gil conducted the fi rst workshop herself testing the waters to see how the concept
would be received Th e admission price to that fi rst workshop included supplies a
take-home ldquogoody bagrdquo to help students continue their work extracurricularly and
refreshmentsmdashas well as Gilrsquos tips of her trade
ldquoWe went in blindly not knowing if we had a market or notrdquo says Gil Th e popular-
ity of that fi rst class proved undeniably that a market did in fact exist the work-
shop sold out in one day ldquoSo we did back-to-back workshopsrdquo Gil says ldquoAfter that
novemberdecembeeer eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee | nononoononononononoonoonononooooonoonoonnononnoaaalalalllaallllllalaalaaalal ststustust ddiossscom mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm | | | | | | | | | | |
f
w
y
Previous page Encourage Huntsvillersquos founder and instructor Jacki Gil teaches a class in hand lettering Facing page A participant studies her supply list
we realized people really want to do this stuff So we said lsquoletrsquos jump on the boat
and make this happenrsquordquo
Gilrsquos longtime friend photographer Erin Lindsey of Erin Lindsey Images agreed
to contribute to Encourage Huntsvillersquos curriculum by teaching a photography
class ldquoJacki and I are a good team because our hearts are in the same place when
it comes to encouraging othersrdquo Lindsey says Still she admits saying yes to teach-
ing wasnrsquot without some initial hesitation ldquoWhen Jacki asked if I would teach a
class it was kind of scary I thought I had to be perfect before I could teach oth-
ersrdquo Lindsey says of her initial hesitancy ldquoBut after talking to Jacki I realized none
of us are perfectrdquo But perfection isnrsquot the goal encouragement is the goal ldquoAnd I
thought lsquoI can defi nitely line up with that visionrsquordquo
Michelle Odom another Huntsville native and owner of custom cake bakery Just
Crumbs was also on board with Gilrsquos vision In fact Odom had been contemplat-
ing teaching a class when she was approached by Gil to teach a fondant basics
class ldquoHuntsville is such an engineer town and everyone is so mathematical and
scientifi crdquo Odom says echoing the dichotomy between the arts and sciences ex-
pressed by Gil ldquoTh ese workshops are just a very cool way for structured people to
have a creative outletrdquo
ldquoJACKI AND I ARE A GOOD TEAM BECAUSE OUR HEARTS ARE INTHE SAME PLACE WHEN IT COMES TO ENCOURAGING OTHERSrdquo
ERIN LINDSEY ERIN LINDSEY IMAGES
copy Erin Lindsey
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Above A participant in Erin Lindseyrsquos photo class frames a still life
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
copy Erin Lindsey
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
ldquoHUNTSVILLE IS SUCH AN ENGINEER TOWN AND EVERYONE ISSO MATHEMATICAL AND SCIENTIFIC THESE WORKSHOPS ARE JUST A VERY COOL
WAY FOR STRUCTURED PEOPLE TO HAVE A CREATIVE OUTLETrdquo MICHELLE ODOM JUST CRUMBS
copy Michelle Odom
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
ldquoAnd yesrdquo Odom acknowledges ldquoyou are in theory teaching your competition But
at the same time you are helping the community be more creativerdquo
With its roster of popular creative workshops under its belt Encourage Huntsville
has added business classes to its community-over-competition curriculum with
classes designed to provide specifi c guidance for small business owners ldquoAll of
our events that donrsquot require hands-on work we call seminarsrdquo says Gil ldquoWe had
about 15 people at our fi rst one It was pretty much just an open discussion to ask
us questions and get answers from the perspective of a small business ownerrdquo
Th e seminars enjoyed the same success and enthusiasm as the workshops ldquoWe
had two hours for people to ask questionsrdquo Gil says Topics covered ran the gamut
from scheduling daily tasks self-hosting a website or using an Etsy store man-
aging client expectations and being realistic about how much time you need to
complete jobs
ldquoTh e time went quickly and people wanted morerdquo says Gil who envisions an all-
day seminar in 2016
Margaret Baggett owner and executive chef of the Chef Next Door is another
small business owner who has shared Gilrsquos vision from the very beginning teach-
copy Erin Lindsey
Facing page Michelle Odomrsquos fondant basics class begins with a styrofoam cake form Above Newbie photographers familiarize themselves with their cameras in Erin Lindseyrsquos photography class
ing knife skills workshops and helping host the business seminars ldquoI am so proud
to get to be a part of this project and help nurture other small business owners
who may just be starting out on their journey or are deep in it and looking for
some encouragement from other business ownersrdquo Baggett says of what motivates
her participation in Encourage Huntsville ldquoEven being on the advice-giving side
of things I am still learning and have taken tips and tricks and lessons from each
event we have had so far We never stop learning from each other and never stop
improving upon our craftsrdquo
Th e mutual growth among students and teachers is the source of the encourage-
mentmdashand the joymdashof Encourage Huntsville ldquoItrsquos so much fun to see the light
bulbs go off with people and see them encouraged right before your eyesrdquo Lindsey
says of her experience with the program ldquoPlus itrsquos a pleasure to contribute to a
sense of community over competition Th at whole concept is so rarerdquo
As Encourage Huntsvillersquos following continues to grow the diversity of the work-
shops will expand as well Whether you are looking to spend a fun afternoon
learning a new craft or are a budding small business owner hoping to launch
your brand Encourage Huntsville has something valuable to off er ldquoWe encourage
those left-brain folks to take up a new hobby or skillrdquo Baggett says ldquoor just encour-
age the people of Huntsville to get together and fan their creative fl amesrdquo
If yoursquore looking for
creative or entrepreneurial
encouragement visit
encouragehuntsvillecom
for seminar and workshop
schedules and information
ldquoI AM SO PROUD TO GET TO BE A PART OF THIS PROJECT AND HELP NURTURE OTHER SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS WHO MAY JUST BE STARTING OUT ON THEIR JOURNEY OR ARE DEEP IN IT
AND LOOKING FOR SOME ENCOURAGEMENT FROM OTHER BUSINESS OWNERSrdquoMARGARET BAGGETT CHEF NEXT DOOR
copy Jacki Gil
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
copy Jacki Gil
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Participants in Margaret Baggettrsquos knife skills workshop learn to perfect their ldquomise en placerdquo
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
copy Olivia Reed
text by sara wright covington raquo photos by olivia reed and jeff white
HUNTSVILLErsquoS
HOMEGROWNHOSTESS
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
ttttttononononoooooonononooooo raquo praquo praquo praquo praquo phothothothothotosoososos s s osos bybybbybb
Any host will tell you that delicious food and quality libations while important to
a partyrsquos success are secondary to the most important ingredient of all the guest list Th atrsquos why many
of downtown Huntsvillersquos most popular restaurants breweries and wine shops are turning to event
planner Ashley Ryals and her uncanny knack for attracting loyal patronsmdashand creating unforgettable
events in the process
When Huntsville born-and-bred Ashley Ryals left for college at the University of Alabama in 2001
she thought her exit from the Valley was permanent ldquoI never thought I would end up back hererdquo the
founder of event planning company Homegrown Huntsville says with a knowing laugh But after a few
post-graduate years working for world-renowned public relations powerhouse Weber Shandwick in
New York City Ryals started to second guess her freshman declaration
ldquoI started to get homesickrdquo she admits ldquoAll of my friends were getting married and meeting for football
games and I was missing itrdquo So when a friend from home set up an interview at EarlyWorks for a job
doing event planning Ryals jumped at the chance to come home
Ashley spent the next few years planning EarlyWorks Whistle Stop and Santarsquos Village events A brief
stint in sales followed along with a seat on the board of Huntsville Young Professionals where she had
an idea for a downtown pub crawl
ldquoWe expected 20 or 30 peoplerdquo Ryals says of their modest expectations ldquoBut 200 people showed uprdquo
Th at initial success convinced Ryals to embark on her dream of establishing an
event planning company But it wasnrsquot just any event planning company Ryals
had in mind she envisioned one that would collaborate with local businesses
cultivate signature events for the community to enjoy and support small busi-
nesses in the process
Inspired Ryals left her sales job and for the second time in her life came home
again to event planning and Homegrown Huntsville
To help bring her vision to life Ryals collaborated with designer Adrianne Van
Kirk of Fave Creative ldquoAdrianne has been a part of the visual and branding of
Homegrown from the beginning We come up with the event ideas then I get
the ticketing and sales together and she comes back with a logo and the mar-
keting for the event And thatrsquos how it all comes togetherrdquo Ryals says of their
creative process
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
ASHLEY RYALS
copy Olivia Reed
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
ldquoMOST WINE FESTIVALS ACROSS THE COUNTRY HAVE PROVEN RECORDS OF BEING ABLE TO STAY AROUND 15 OR 20 YEARS OR EVEN LONGER AND THE ECONOMIES OF THOSE
CITIES HAVE REALLY GROWN AS A RESULT I WANT BIG SPRING CRUSH TO EVENTUALLY BE THE BIGGEST AND BEST WINE FESTIVAL IN THE STATE OF ALABAMArdquo ASHLEY RYALS
copy Jeff White
copy Jeff White
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
copy Olivia Reed
Homegrown launched in 2011 with what would become its
signature event Dine amp Dash Every second Wednesday
April through October a trolley shuttles patrons between
downtown establishments where they are served a drink
and appetizer before moving on to the next stop
Owner and executive chef Merle Phillips of Th e Eaves was
one of the fi rst restaurants to sign on for Dine amp Dashrsquos de-
but ldquoAshley came to me and said she was starting a trolley
tasting conceptrdquo says Chef Merle ldquoI didnrsquot really know her so
I was taking a chance on the concept she was sellingrdquo
Merle tried it and has been a loyal participant of Dine amp
Dash ever since
ldquoIt was a risk in the beginning but it defi nitely paid off rdquo Chef
Merle says of the experience Pivotal to that experience ac-
cording to Phillips is Ryalsrsquo demonstration to the commu-
nity just what the term ldquohomegrownrdquo really means ldquoAshley
shines a spotlight on independent businesses in a market-
place that has for so long focused on chainsrdquo Phillips says
ldquoDine amp Dash has really brought into sharp focus the inter-
esting culinary diversity that Huntsville has to off errdquo
For the next two years Homegrown Huntsville focused al-
most exclusively on Dine amp Dash which by the end of its fi rst
year included every single downtown restaurant But when
big changes began to appear on the downtown horizonmdash
new restaurants breweries and residential developmentsmdash
Ryalsrsquo instincts told her
the time had come to
introduce a new event
to the downtown cal-
endar
ldquoBeer Hop follows
the concept of Dine
amp Dashrdquo Ryals says of
Homegrownrsquos second
venture which began
in 2013 Each month a
trolley visits three dif-
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
BILL FOWLEROLD TOWN BEER
EXCHANGE
copy Olivia Reed
copy Olivia Reed
ferent breweries where patrons sample beers and enjoy food
from a variety of food trucks parked at each location
Bill Fowler managing partner of Old Town Beer Exchange
agreed to participate in Beer Hop on his very fi rst day of
business and credits Ryals with an overwhelmingly success-
ful opening night ldquoAshley said lsquoI can guarantee that you are
going to have wave after wave of people coming throughrsquordquo
Fowler says recalling that fi rst jittery occasion Once again
Ryals proved true to her word with 60-plus patrons arriving
in an hour-and-a-half ldquoIt was awesome and such a great ex-
perience for usrdquo Fowler raves ldquoAshley is a hard worker and
you can see that in what she doesrdquo
Fowler believes that in addition to bringing new customers
to OTBX Ryals is also cultivating beer education consis-
tently bringing in people who are new to beer and want to
learn And with Huntsvillersquos recent brewery boom that level
of education and interest is crucial for the brewing commu-
nity to thrive ldquoWe have a very small window of opportunityrdquo
says Fowler ldquoI think Huntsville in particular is becoming a
craft brewing community People are making money at this
and once Tennessee sees that we need to already have had a
pretty huge head startrdquo
By the end of 2013 and with standing events Beer Hop and
Dine amp Dash well established Ryals took time to refl ect on
her original goal for Homegrown Huntsville ldquoIn the back of
my head from day one I knew I wanted to do a wine festival
I just didnrsquot think Huntsville was ready for it in 2011rdquo
Emboldened by the success of Beer Hop Ryals decided to
make the leap with Big Spring Crush wine festival later the
same year Once again Ryals delivered the perfect audience
for the event and in the process discovered a surprising
fact about North Alabamarsquos contribution to the wine-mak-
ing industry
ldquoIn doing the wine festival I learned that we have a huge
wine community in Huntsvillerdquo Ryals says ldquoTh ere are only
about 47 certifi ed wine judges in the entire United States
and we have four of them right here in North Alabama Two
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
copy Jeff White
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
ldquoI STARTED TO GET HOMESICK ALL OF MY FRIENDS WERE GETTING MARRIEDAND MEETING FOR FOOTBALL GAMES AND I WAS MISSING ITrdquo ASHLEY RYALS
copy Jeff White
copy Jeff White
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
ldquoIT WAS AWESOME AND SUCH A GREAT EXPERIENCE FOR USrdquoBILL FOWLER OLD TOWN BEER EXCHANGE
copy Jeff White
copy Olivia Reed
of those four certifi ed wine judges sit on the committee for
Big Spring Crushrdquo
Matthew and Stephanie Mell had just opened Church Street
Wine Shop when they decided to participate in the fi rst Big
Spring Crush Like OTBXrsquos Robert Fowler the Mells credit
Ryals and Homegrown Huntsville for helping to introduce
their new enterprise to the community ldquoAshley has been in-
strumental in helping to bring us people who love and ap-
preciate winerdquo Stephanie Mell says ldquoShe was homegrown
here in Huntsville and she really gets the downtown area
and small businesses and that is so important to usrdquo
Big Spring Crush began with a bang featuring over 150
wines and attracting patrons from across the country
ldquoMost wine festivals across the country have proven records
of being able to stay around 15 or 20 years or even longerrdquo
Ryals says ldquoAnd the economies of those cities have really
grown as a result I want Big Spring Crush to eventually be
the biggest and best wine festival in the state of Alabamardquo
How does Ryals intend to make that dream come true ldquoBy
always keeping it fresh I want to have new marketing and
new things happening each yearrdquo
Ryalsrsquo formula of reinvention and expansion has successfully
led Homegrown Huntsville through fi ve years of success and
helped its events become community staples along the way In
the process Ryals is broadening more than just our image of
downtown Huntsville shersquos joining a class of creative entrepre-
neurs committed to expanding Huntsvillersquos reputation as more
than just a hub for the brightest scientifi c minds in America
ldquoWe have a big city of engineers and lawyers and itrsquos won-
derfulrdquo Ryals say ldquo But there is a whole artist and food cul-
ture here and there is so much growth I want us to have a
vibrant cool downtown area and I want for people to tell
their friends to come and visit and to see Huntsville for what
it is a city I loverdquo
If yoursquod like to participate in Homegrown Huntsville either
as a guest or a participating business visit homegrown-
huntsvillecom
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
copy Jeff White
I was years old and the year was At that time the city of Huntsville was inching toward the mountain to the east California Street was once the continental divide between the small town metropo-lis and the uncharted territories gingerly crossed by the real estate pioneers four score and some odd years prior Th is area became the new suburb as the city kept pushing onward toward Fagan Springs as if the reverberating booms of rocket testings were vibrating Hunstvillians away from its epicenter
From the front yard of our house on Owens Drive I could look to the rightmdashup the hill to the bend be-yond which the big houses stood on their rocky ledge pedestals and to the left where all the other houses that looked just like oursmdashfresh and newmdashrambled for what seemed like miles Th ose clean well-lit abodes all seemed the same and granted at my age I knew more about the pets that lived there than I did about the people who owned those manageable mortgages I came to realize that each was diff erent in a way that was permeated by voices smells and furnishings
It is a clicheacute to say that our lives were simpler then because that is just how the current era will be fondly referred to in the future but to a 5-year-old it is the simplicity that brought the joy Th e sixties will always be to me the beginning of the age of manufactured happiness Cheap clean and simple was what was strived for and what was easily obtained Plastic items were plentiful and pretty things could be bought with SampH Green Stamps A few coins in our pocket would transfer us into the most master of manipula-tors with us giving our all to convince our parents for a jaunt to Murdockrsquos for a holiday of wonderment joy and impatience as we would scour the shelves trying to get the most from our meager budget
Owens Drive was the fairly new thoroughfare from which the avenues of three-bedroom-ranchers fi ngered away at planned intervals Th is was the place where newlyweds started their lives homes and families Where girls with last names that had been in the town for generations would change them to those strange and exotic last names of the clean cut newcomers brought here for military purposes Where the housewives would preheat their pristine electric ovens trying to make cheese straws and biscuits that were just like their motherrsquos only to be frustrated as they were never quite the same and where the husbands would follow in their fatherrsquos footsteps by joining the Acme Club and hunting doves on the weekends
Th ere was a swimming pool Certainly not at our house Th e only private pool I remember as a child was one that my grandmother would take me to nestled between huge trees at someonersquos house on Adams Street I would swim with other children my age while our grandmothers chatted smoking cigarettes in cat-eyed anonymity whispering most of their stories so we wouldnrsquot be able to hear But between their
gasps and laughter we would listen hear and learn
Th e Blossomwood pool was a place of designated rules and the sound of bright whistlesmdashwith straight lines and distinctive colors of blue and green I can still feel the Coppertoned oiliness on the skin of the tanned lifeguard as she carried me from the deep end frightened after my fi rst attempt at solo-swimming She knew my name I had no idea who she was
On the other side of the pool was the school my older sister attended It had a style that mim-icked the poolmdashstraight lines cleanmdasha temple to orderliness and good manners It was with
awe that I once watched the young adults there some as old as eleven wind and dance their way around a sky-high fl agpolemdasheach with a diff erent color ribbon until the fi rst (and only) May Pole
I was privy to was completely dressed in its woven bright colors
90 raquo bless their hearts raquo Guy McClure Jr
Huntsville was a magical place for us tail-end baby boomers to grow upmdashbeyond the miracles of the escalator at Pizitz the smiling little lady on the tall stool at the register at Britlings There was a comfort level there that Irsquom not sure is in the minds of the 5-year-olds of today
cat-eyed agasps
Th s
aI w
THE COMFORTS OF BLOSSOMWOOD
In our world of red-bricked carported castles there was a def-inite division of generations Th e children ate separately from the parents went to school as our dads went to work enter-tained our neighborhood friends as quietly as possible and felt safe between our boundaries of Big Cove Road and Hermitage Street While we dined on our Chef Boy-Ar-Dee boxed pizza our parents busied themselves dressing in their dark colors getting ready for a late dinner at Boots having the scent of perfume and face powder trail my mother as she came into the kitchen looking for something with an intense purpose My father would smell of British Sterling and look just as he did when he went to work only happier Th ese nights meant something fun would happenmdashwe would have a babysitter
Babysitters were my introduction into what was and still seems cool Th ey were usually Huntsville High School teen-agers who would put on a show without even knowing it I would drink in their every move word and essence of style To me they were supermodelsmdashmovie starsmdasheven more fa-mous in my eyes than a television weatherman and almost as glamorous as the waitresses at the Waffl e House
Before they would tire of me and my sister and put us to bed they would include us in their world of music and knowledge which I thought was all-encompassing Suddenly our world of Th e Benny Carl Show and Fantasy Playhouse would seem trite and passeacute and we would catch a fl eeting glimpse into what would be in store for us when we too could stay up past 8 pm
Huntsville was a magical place for us tail-end baby boomers to grow upmdashbeyond the miracles of the escalator at Pizitz the smiling little lady on the tall stool at the register at Britlings and that bright colorful Maypole Th ere was a comfort level there that Irsquom not sure is in the minds of the 5-year-olds of todaymdashthe soothing sheltered lack of knowledge of why we were so lucky yet we didnrsquot even know that we were
In the other areas of our Huntsville there was poverty and ra-cial unrestmdashas there was and is in every city I was unaware People of color were always a part of my worldmdashmostly be-cause they had my attention and respect At our house there was Annie my grandmotherrsquos house was fi lled with the joys of Lula and out on the family farm there was strong and smiling Homer and large and huggable Rosamdashall just as much a part of my life as everyone else My life was good and they were instrumental in making it that way
What will the 5-year-olds of today who are lucky enough to be raised on those well-planned streets remember when they surpass their own 50 year mark It is a much more complex world now and there are diff erent concerns with daily changes of fear Youthful innocence is a prize that is encased without a lock Premature maturity is a viable threat and a constant fear But each night tucked in tight in a simple room sleeps tomor-rowrsquos adults who are having sweet dreamsmdashblanketed by the comforts of Blossomwood
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
92 raquo the vine raquo Amy C Collins
BORDEAUX POWER
Where Burgundyrsquos vineyards were established by Benedictine monks patiently growing wine vines with spiritual hearts Bordeauxrsquos vineyards were raised by entrepreneurial laymen who recognized the massive monetary opportunity when the English began drinking down their peasant wine
The city of Bordeaux is Francersquos primary port town on the Atlantic ocean a harbor that has for centuries served as the countryrsquos most important dock Th e regionrsquos history is long and storied with the fi rst written reference to the area dated 379 AD by the Latin poet Ausonius who was also a wine-grower Jump ahead to the year 1152 when Eleanor of Aquitaine married Englandrsquos soon-to-be king Henry Plantagenet and the port and surrounding vineyard land became the source of wine for the English a connection that remains strong even today
Bordeaux produces the worldrsquos most expensive and sought after collector wines the top tier of which make up less than fi ve percent of the regionrsquos total production Th ese names are quickly learned by neophyte wine drinkers wanting to make an impression Chateau Haut-Brion Lafi te Latour and Margaux for example Grown in gravelly soils only a few meters above sea levelmdashin contrast vineyards elsewhere in Europe typically sit between 300 and 900 metersmdashthese wines are some of the most powerful austere and pawed over When young the tannins in these cabernet sauvignon cabernet franc and merlot blends coat the tongue and mouth with a chalky dry sensation akin to sucking on an Earl Grey tea bag and are perhaps best suited to well-fatted rare steak and cigars Th ese are wines built to live for decades Personally I prefer a Bordeaux at least 20 years aged when the tannins have had ample time to calm down and mellow out and more nuanced fl avors come forward Sounds fancy and it is Only in some very lucky circumstances over the past year have I been guest to a bottle of 1990 Clos de Menuts Saint-Eacutemilion and a 1970 Chateau Haut-Brion About once every 10 years Irsquove had the good
fortune to taste a wine older than myself Nice work if you can get it
Where Burgundyrsquos vineyards (Francersquos other classifi ed sought-after region) were established by Benedictine monks patiently growing wine vines with spiritual hearts
Bordeauxrsquos vineyards were raised by entrepreneurial laymen who recognized the massive monetary opportunity when the English began drinking down their peasant wine Th is underscores the second half of my theory as to why Americans
more often American males are so drawn to the wines of Bordeaux Th erersquos an inherent capitalist connection something in the soil Th at the wines are so
unmistakable so distinctively grand and pronounced elixirs exemplifi es the fi rst half of my theory we Americans are not known for our subtlety (To be fair the Chinese are
signifi cant Bordeaux collectors as well)
Philosophy aside Bordeaux is quite a large region that produces beautiful white and red values as well as the rare fi nds out of the populacersquos price range Herersquos the skinny Blending is the game single varietal wines are rare White Bordeaux is typically made from a blend of sauvignon blanc and seacutemillon and sometimes a drop or two of muscadelle ugni blanc or colombard Reds are made primarily from the two cabernets plus merlot with small quantities of petit verdot malbec and carmenegravere occasionally in the mix Th e region is also home to the golden nectar of late ripened seacutemillon sauvignon blanc and muscadelle grapes that have successfully attracted the noble rot a fungus that covers the fruit and drains moisture from inside leaving behind rich sweet grapes without moldy fl avors Chateau drsquoYquem is the most famous of these unfortifi ed dessert wines though there are better bargains from the region
Bordeaux is split by the Gironde river which divides the region into three general areas Th e left bank also known as the Haut-Meacutedoc is where the classifi ed top growths are situated Th ese prestigious estates were named for their exceptional vineyard sites in 1855 a decision nearly unchanged since Today serious collectors invest in Bordeaux futures theoretically locking down lower prices of top
ample time to calm dit is Only in some vede Menuts Saint-Eacutem
fortune to taste a
Wherees
aun
of msignifi
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Follow Amy at pigandvinecom for morestories and wine suggestions
growth estates while the wine is still aging in the cellar Itrsquos the wine tradersquos equivalent to the NASDAQ On the right bank Saint-Eacutemilion and Pommerol are the prized vineyard areas known for their merlot heavy cuveacutees To the south west we fi nd Graves where there are many great values to be had in both white and red bottlings Entre-Deux-Mers which translates to ldquobetween two seasrdquo sits between the Dordogne and Garonne tributaries off the Gironde and is an excellent source for crisp whites
Get started on your Bordeaux experience with these values
Chateau Graville-Lacoste 2014 Graves 75 seacutemillon 20 sauvignon blanc and 5 muscadelle make up this beauty thatrsquos consistently delicious every vintage Crisp and refreshing great with seafood
Chateau Mirambeau 2014 GravesAnother classic blend of 40 sauvignon blanc 40 seacutemillon and 20 muscadelle this lovely white is a bit more fl oral than the Graville-Lacoste Easy drinking and great value
Chateau de Parenchegravere Bordeaux Rouge 201155 merlot 30 cabernet sauvignon and 15 cabernet franc grown in clay heavy soils similar to the right bank of the region Fleshy with good structure and abundant red fruit
Chateau Arnaud Bordeaux Supeacuterieur 2011Supeacuterieur on a Bordeaux label isnrsquot egotistical marketingmdashby law it indicates a wine with up to one degree more alcohol than its AC Bordeaux brethren What it really means is one more degree of body structure and in this case quality Approachable delicious and easy on the wallet
Chateau de Bernadotte Haut-Meacutedoc 2005Th e 2005 vintage in Bordeaux is in the history books with double asterisks Owned by the eminent Pichon Lalande family and made from vineyards in Paulliac one of the more choice growing areas in the region this is an incredible value a top tier Bordeaux for a fraction of the cost
Chateau de Suduiraut Sauternes 2011Ripe cantaloupe apricot and honey and an interesting smoky note with a solid sweet attack followed by great acidity A dessert wine that wonrsquot overpower the dessert
94 raquo parting shot raquo Patrick Hood
Meet Solvar
Solvar belongs to one of the worldrsquos oldest and purest equine lineages the Nor-
wegian Fjord horse a breed that has remained virtually unchanged for more than
2000 yearsmdashlong before we became acquainted with his animated cousins in
the movie Frozen Th ese national symbols of Norway are characterized by primi-
tive zebra striping on their legs and a dorsal stripe running from forelock to tail
resulting in a striking two-tone mane that sticks up like a Mohawk Th eir athleti-
cism agility and dependability make them valuable both as sport horses as well
as therapy horses for emotionally and physically challenged adults and children
Catie Wells of Huntsville is the proud owner of Solvar who resides at Monte
Sano Stables
For tickets or information 256-539-4818 or hsoorg
Bring In the New Year With Us
presents
WHAT A WONDERFUL
WORLDA tribute to Louis
Armstrong featuring the
Byron Stripling Quartet
Thursday December 31
730 pm bull Pops Series bullMark C Smith
Concert Hall VBC
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
M O R E T H A N 7 0 S H O P S A N D R E S T A U R A N T S I N C L U D I N G B E L K | D S W S H O E S | A P P L E J O S A B A N K | R E E D S J E W E L E R S | PA N D O R A | J C R E W | K AT E S PA D E N E W Y O R KO R V I S | B A N A N A R E P U B L I C | M I C H A E L K O R S | F R A N C E S C Arsquo S | A N T H R O P O L O G I EH amp M | S O M A | M O U N T A I N H I G H O U T F I T T E R S | B A R N E S amp N O B L E | S E P H O R AALTAR rsquoD STATE | CONNORS STEAK amp SEFOOD | THE WEST IN HUNTSV I L L E | MONACO P ICTURES
C O M I N G S O O N V E R S O N A ndash near Belk
B R I D G E S T R E E T H U N T S V I L L E C O M |
BR IDGE STREET TOWN CENTRE I S LOCATED AT EX I T 14 OFF I - 565 AT OLD MAD ISON P IKE
we realized people really want to do this stuff So we said lsquoletrsquos jump on the boat
and make this happenrsquordquo
Gilrsquos longtime friend photographer Erin Lindsey of Erin Lindsey Images agreed
to contribute to Encourage Huntsvillersquos curriculum by teaching a photography
class ldquoJacki and I are a good team because our hearts are in the same place when
it comes to encouraging othersrdquo Lindsey says Still she admits saying yes to teach-
ing wasnrsquot without some initial hesitation ldquoWhen Jacki asked if I would teach a
class it was kind of scary I thought I had to be perfect before I could teach oth-
ersrdquo Lindsey says of her initial hesitancy ldquoBut after talking to Jacki I realized none
of us are perfectrdquo But perfection isnrsquot the goal encouragement is the goal ldquoAnd I
thought lsquoI can defi nitely line up with that visionrsquordquo
Michelle Odom another Huntsville native and owner of custom cake bakery Just
Crumbs was also on board with Gilrsquos vision In fact Odom had been contemplat-
ing teaching a class when she was approached by Gil to teach a fondant basics
class ldquoHuntsville is such an engineer town and everyone is so mathematical and
scientifi crdquo Odom says echoing the dichotomy between the arts and sciences ex-
pressed by Gil ldquoTh ese workshops are just a very cool way for structured people to
have a creative outletrdquo
ldquoJACKI AND I ARE A GOOD TEAM BECAUSE OUR HEARTS ARE INTHE SAME PLACE WHEN IT COMES TO ENCOURAGING OTHERSrdquo
ERIN LINDSEY ERIN LINDSEY IMAGES
copy Erin Lindsey
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
Above A participant in Erin Lindseyrsquos photo class frames a still life
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
copy Erin Lindsey
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
ldquoHUNTSVILLE IS SUCH AN ENGINEER TOWN AND EVERYONE ISSO MATHEMATICAL AND SCIENTIFIC THESE WORKSHOPS ARE JUST A VERY COOL
WAY FOR STRUCTURED PEOPLE TO HAVE A CREATIVE OUTLETrdquo MICHELLE ODOM JUST CRUMBS
copy Michelle Odom
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
ldquoAnd yesrdquo Odom acknowledges ldquoyou are in theory teaching your competition But
at the same time you are helping the community be more creativerdquo
With its roster of popular creative workshops under its belt Encourage Huntsville
has added business classes to its community-over-competition curriculum with
classes designed to provide specifi c guidance for small business owners ldquoAll of
our events that donrsquot require hands-on work we call seminarsrdquo says Gil ldquoWe had
about 15 people at our fi rst one It was pretty much just an open discussion to ask
us questions and get answers from the perspective of a small business ownerrdquo
Th e seminars enjoyed the same success and enthusiasm as the workshops ldquoWe
had two hours for people to ask questionsrdquo Gil says Topics covered ran the gamut
from scheduling daily tasks self-hosting a website or using an Etsy store man-
aging client expectations and being realistic about how much time you need to
complete jobs
ldquoTh e time went quickly and people wanted morerdquo says Gil who envisions an all-
day seminar in 2016
Margaret Baggett owner and executive chef of the Chef Next Door is another
small business owner who has shared Gilrsquos vision from the very beginning teach-
copy Erin Lindsey
Facing page Michelle Odomrsquos fondant basics class begins with a styrofoam cake form Above Newbie photographers familiarize themselves with their cameras in Erin Lindseyrsquos photography class
ing knife skills workshops and helping host the business seminars ldquoI am so proud
to get to be a part of this project and help nurture other small business owners
who may just be starting out on their journey or are deep in it and looking for
some encouragement from other business ownersrdquo Baggett says of what motivates
her participation in Encourage Huntsville ldquoEven being on the advice-giving side
of things I am still learning and have taken tips and tricks and lessons from each
event we have had so far We never stop learning from each other and never stop
improving upon our craftsrdquo
Th e mutual growth among students and teachers is the source of the encourage-
mentmdashand the joymdashof Encourage Huntsville ldquoItrsquos so much fun to see the light
bulbs go off with people and see them encouraged right before your eyesrdquo Lindsey
says of her experience with the program ldquoPlus itrsquos a pleasure to contribute to a
sense of community over competition Th at whole concept is so rarerdquo
As Encourage Huntsvillersquos following continues to grow the diversity of the work-
shops will expand as well Whether you are looking to spend a fun afternoon
learning a new craft or are a budding small business owner hoping to launch
your brand Encourage Huntsville has something valuable to off er ldquoWe encourage
those left-brain folks to take up a new hobby or skillrdquo Baggett says ldquoor just encour-
age the people of Huntsville to get together and fan their creative fl amesrdquo
If yoursquore looking for
creative or entrepreneurial
encouragement visit
encouragehuntsvillecom
for seminar and workshop
schedules and information
ldquoI AM SO PROUD TO GET TO BE A PART OF THIS PROJECT AND HELP NURTURE OTHER SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS WHO MAY JUST BE STARTING OUT ON THEIR JOURNEY OR ARE DEEP IN IT
AND LOOKING FOR SOME ENCOURAGEMENT FROM OTHER BUSINESS OWNERSrdquoMARGARET BAGGETT CHEF NEXT DOOR
copy Jacki Gil
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
copy Jacki Gil
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Participants in Margaret Baggettrsquos knife skills workshop learn to perfect their ldquomise en placerdquo
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
copy Olivia Reed
text by sara wright covington raquo photos by olivia reed and jeff white
HUNTSVILLErsquoS
HOMEGROWNHOSTESS
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
ttttttononononoooooonononooooo raquo praquo praquo praquo praquo phothothothothotosoososos s s osos bybybbybb
Any host will tell you that delicious food and quality libations while important to
a partyrsquos success are secondary to the most important ingredient of all the guest list Th atrsquos why many
of downtown Huntsvillersquos most popular restaurants breweries and wine shops are turning to event
planner Ashley Ryals and her uncanny knack for attracting loyal patronsmdashand creating unforgettable
events in the process
When Huntsville born-and-bred Ashley Ryals left for college at the University of Alabama in 2001
she thought her exit from the Valley was permanent ldquoI never thought I would end up back hererdquo the
founder of event planning company Homegrown Huntsville says with a knowing laugh But after a few
post-graduate years working for world-renowned public relations powerhouse Weber Shandwick in
New York City Ryals started to second guess her freshman declaration
ldquoI started to get homesickrdquo she admits ldquoAll of my friends were getting married and meeting for football
games and I was missing itrdquo So when a friend from home set up an interview at EarlyWorks for a job
doing event planning Ryals jumped at the chance to come home
Ashley spent the next few years planning EarlyWorks Whistle Stop and Santarsquos Village events A brief
stint in sales followed along with a seat on the board of Huntsville Young Professionals where she had
an idea for a downtown pub crawl
ldquoWe expected 20 or 30 peoplerdquo Ryals says of their modest expectations ldquoBut 200 people showed uprdquo
Th at initial success convinced Ryals to embark on her dream of establishing an
event planning company But it wasnrsquot just any event planning company Ryals
had in mind she envisioned one that would collaborate with local businesses
cultivate signature events for the community to enjoy and support small busi-
nesses in the process
Inspired Ryals left her sales job and for the second time in her life came home
again to event planning and Homegrown Huntsville
To help bring her vision to life Ryals collaborated with designer Adrianne Van
Kirk of Fave Creative ldquoAdrianne has been a part of the visual and branding of
Homegrown from the beginning We come up with the event ideas then I get
the ticketing and sales together and she comes back with a logo and the mar-
keting for the event And thatrsquos how it all comes togetherrdquo Ryals says of their
creative process
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
ASHLEY RYALS
copy Olivia Reed
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
ldquoMOST WINE FESTIVALS ACROSS THE COUNTRY HAVE PROVEN RECORDS OF BEING ABLE TO STAY AROUND 15 OR 20 YEARS OR EVEN LONGER AND THE ECONOMIES OF THOSE
CITIES HAVE REALLY GROWN AS A RESULT I WANT BIG SPRING CRUSH TO EVENTUALLY BE THE BIGGEST AND BEST WINE FESTIVAL IN THE STATE OF ALABAMArdquo ASHLEY RYALS
copy Jeff White
copy Jeff White
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
copy Olivia Reed
Homegrown launched in 2011 with what would become its
signature event Dine amp Dash Every second Wednesday
April through October a trolley shuttles patrons between
downtown establishments where they are served a drink
and appetizer before moving on to the next stop
Owner and executive chef Merle Phillips of Th e Eaves was
one of the fi rst restaurants to sign on for Dine amp Dashrsquos de-
but ldquoAshley came to me and said she was starting a trolley
tasting conceptrdquo says Chef Merle ldquoI didnrsquot really know her so
I was taking a chance on the concept she was sellingrdquo
Merle tried it and has been a loyal participant of Dine amp
Dash ever since
ldquoIt was a risk in the beginning but it defi nitely paid off rdquo Chef
Merle says of the experience Pivotal to that experience ac-
cording to Phillips is Ryalsrsquo demonstration to the commu-
nity just what the term ldquohomegrownrdquo really means ldquoAshley
shines a spotlight on independent businesses in a market-
place that has for so long focused on chainsrdquo Phillips says
ldquoDine amp Dash has really brought into sharp focus the inter-
esting culinary diversity that Huntsville has to off errdquo
For the next two years Homegrown Huntsville focused al-
most exclusively on Dine amp Dash which by the end of its fi rst
year included every single downtown restaurant But when
big changes began to appear on the downtown horizonmdash
new restaurants breweries and residential developmentsmdash
Ryalsrsquo instincts told her
the time had come to
introduce a new event
to the downtown cal-
endar
ldquoBeer Hop follows
the concept of Dine
amp Dashrdquo Ryals says of
Homegrownrsquos second
venture which began
in 2013 Each month a
trolley visits three dif-
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
BILL FOWLEROLD TOWN BEER
EXCHANGE
copy Olivia Reed
copy Olivia Reed
ferent breweries where patrons sample beers and enjoy food
from a variety of food trucks parked at each location
Bill Fowler managing partner of Old Town Beer Exchange
agreed to participate in Beer Hop on his very fi rst day of
business and credits Ryals with an overwhelmingly success-
ful opening night ldquoAshley said lsquoI can guarantee that you are
going to have wave after wave of people coming throughrsquordquo
Fowler says recalling that fi rst jittery occasion Once again
Ryals proved true to her word with 60-plus patrons arriving
in an hour-and-a-half ldquoIt was awesome and such a great ex-
perience for usrdquo Fowler raves ldquoAshley is a hard worker and
you can see that in what she doesrdquo
Fowler believes that in addition to bringing new customers
to OTBX Ryals is also cultivating beer education consis-
tently bringing in people who are new to beer and want to
learn And with Huntsvillersquos recent brewery boom that level
of education and interest is crucial for the brewing commu-
nity to thrive ldquoWe have a very small window of opportunityrdquo
says Fowler ldquoI think Huntsville in particular is becoming a
craft brewing community People are making money at this
and once Tennessee sees that we need to already have had a
pretty huge head startrdquo
By the end of 2013 and with standing events Beer Hop and
Dine amp Dash well established Ryals took time to refl ect on
her original goal for Homegrown Huntsville ldquoIn the back of
my head from day one I knew I wanted to do a wine festival
I just didnrsquot think Huntsville was ready for it in 2011rdquo
Emboldened by the success of Beer Hop Ryals decided to
make the leap with Big Spring Crush wine festival later the
same year Once again Ryals delivered the perfect audience
for the event and in the process discovered a surprising
fact about North Alabamarsquos contribution to the wine-mak-
ing industry
ldquoIn doing the wine festival I learned that we have a huge
wine community in Huntsvillerdquo Ryals says ldquoTh ere are only
about 47 certifi ed wine judges in the entire United States
and we have four of them right here in North Alabama Two
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
copy Jeff White
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
ldquoI STARTED TO GET HOMESICK ALL OF MY FRIENDS WERE GETTING MARRIEDAND MEETING FOR FOOTBALL GAMES AND I WAS MISSING ITrdquo ASHLEY RYALS
copy Jeff White
copy Jeff White
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
ldquoIT WAS AWESOME AND SUCH A GREAT EXPERIENCE FOR USrdquoBILL FOWLER OLD TOWN BEER EXCHANGE
copy Jeff White
copy Olivia Reed
of those four certifi ed wine judges sit on the committee for
Big Spring Crushrdquo
Matthew and Stephanie Mell had just opened Church Street
Wine Shop when they decided to participate in the fi rst Big
Spring Crush Like OTBXrsquos Robert Fowler the Mells credit
Ryals and Homegrown Huntsville for helping to introduce
their new enterprise to the community ldquoAshley has been in-
strumental in helping to bring us people who love and ap-
preciate winerdquo Stephanie Mell says ldquoShe was homegrown
here in Huntsville and she really gets the downtown area
and small businesses and that is so important to usrdquo
Big Spring Crush began with a bang featuring over 150
wines and attracting patrons from across the country
ldquoMost wine festivals across the country have proven records
of being able to stay around 15 or 20 years or even longerrdquo
Ryals says ldquoAnd the economies of those cities have really
grown as a result I want Big Spring Crush to eventually be
the biggest and best wine festival in the state of Alabamardquo
How does Ryals intend to make that dream come true ldquoBy
always keeping it fresh I want to have new marketing and
new things happening each yearrdquo
Ryalsrsquo formula of reinvention and expansion has successfully
led Homegrown Huntsville through fi ve years of success and
helped its events become community staples along the way In
the process Ryals is broadening more than just our image of
downtown Huntsville shersquos joining a class of creative entrepre-
neurs committed to expanding Huntsvillersquos reputation as more
than just a hub for the brightest scientifi c minds in America
ldquoWe have a big city of engineers and lawyers and itrsquos won-
derfulrdquo Ryals say ldquo But there is a whole artist and food cul-
ture here and there is so much growth I want us to have a
vibrant cool downtown area and I want for people to tell
their friends to come and visit and to see Huntsville for what
it is a city I loverdquo
If yoursquod like to participate in Homegrown Huntsville either
as a guest or a participating business visit homegrown-
huntsvillecom
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
copy Jeff White
I was years old and the year was At that time the city of Huntsville was inching toward the mountain to the east California Street was once the continental divide between the small town metropo-lis and the uncharted territories gingerly crossed by the real estate pioneers four score and some odd years prior Th is area became the new suburb as the city kept pushing onward toward Fagan Springs as if the reverberating booms of rocket testings were vibrating Hunstvillians away from its epicenter
From the front yard of our house on Owens Drive I could look to the rightmdashup the hill to the bend be-yond which the big houses stood on their rocky ledge pedestals and to the left where all the other houses that looked just like oursmdashfresh and newmdashrambled for what seemed like miles Th ose clean well-lit abodes all seemed the same and granted at my age I knew more about the pets that lived there than I did about the people who owned those manageable mortgages I came to realize that each was diff erent in a way that was permeated by voices smells and furnishings
It is a clicheacute to say that our lives were simpler then because that is just how the current era will be fondly referred to in the future but to a 5-year-old it is the simplicity that brought the joy Th e sixties will always be to me the beginning of the age of manufactured happiness Cheap clean and simple was what was strived for and what was easily obtained Plastic items were plentiful and pretty things could be bought with SampH Green Stamps A few coins in our pocket would transfer us into the most master of manipula-tors with us giving our all to convince our parents for a jaunt to Murdockrsquos for a holiday of wonderment joy and impatience as we would scour the shelves trying to get the most from our meager budget
Owens Drive was the fairly new thoroughfare from which the avenues of three-bedroom-ranchers fi ngered away at planned intervals Th is was the place where newlyweds started their lives homes and families Where girls with last names that had been in the town for generations would change them to those strange and exotic last names of the clean cut newcomers brought here for military purposes Where the housewives would preheat their pristine electric ovens trying to make cheese straws and biscuits that were just like their motherrsquos only to be frustrated as they were never quite the same and where the husbands would follow in their fatherrsquos footsteps by joining the Acme Club and hunting doves on the weekends
Th ere was a swimming pool Certainly not at our house Th e only private pool I remember as a child was one that my grandmother would take me to nestled between huge trees at someonersquos house on Adams Street I would swim with other children my age while our grandmothers chatted smoking cigarettes in cat-eyed anonymity whispering most of their stories so we wouldnrsquot be able to hear But between their
gasps and laughter we would listen hear and learn
Th e Blossomwood pool was a place of designated rules and the sound of bright whistlesmdashwith straight lines and distinctive colors of blue and green I can still feel the Coppertoned oiliness on the skin of the tanned lifeguard as she carried me from the deep end frightened after my fi rst attempt at solo-swimming She knew my name I had no idea who she was
On the other side of the pool was the school my older sister attended It had a style that mim-icked the poolmdashstraight lines cleanmdasha temple to orderliness and good manners It was with
awe that I once watched the young adults there some as old as eleven wind and dance their way around a sky-high fl agpolemdasheach with a diff erent color ribbon until the fi rst (and only) May Pole
I was privy to was completely dressed in its woven bright colors
90 raquo bless their hearts raquo Guy McClure Jr
Huntsville was a magical place for us tail-end baby boomers to grow upmdashbeyond the miracles of the escalator at Pizitz the smiling little lady on the tall stool at the register at Britlings There was a comfort level there that Irsquom not sure is in the minds of the 5-year-olds of today
cat-eyed agasps
Th s
aI w
THE COMFORTS OF BLOSSOMWOOD
In our world of red-bricked carported castles there was a def-inite division of generations Th e children ate separately from the parents went to school as our dads went to work enter-tained our neighborhood friends as quietly as possible and felt safe between our boundaries of Big Cove Road and Hermitage Street While we dined on our Chef Boy-Ar-Dee boxed pizza our parents busied themselves dressing in their dark colors getting ready for a late dinner at Boots having the scent of perfume and face powder trail my mother as she came into the kitchen looking for something with an intense purpose My father would smell of British Sterling and look just as he did when he went to work only happier Th ese nights meant something fun would happenmdashwe would have a babysitter
Babysitters were my introduction into what was and still seems cool Th ey were usually Huntsville High School teen-agers who would put on a show without even knowing it I would drink in their every move word and essence of style To me they were supermodelsmdashmovie starsmdasheven more fa-mous in my eyes than a television weatherman and almost as glamorous as the waitresses at the Waffl e House
Before they would tire of me and my sister and put us to bed they would include us in their world of music and knowledge which I thought was all-encompassing Suddenly our world of Th e Benny Carl Show and Fantasy Playhouse would seem trite and passeacute and we would catch a fl eeting glimpse into what would be in store for us when we too could stay up past 8 pm
Huntsville was a magical place for us tail-end baby boomers to grow upmdashbeyond the miracles of the escalator at Pizitz the smiling little lady on the tall stool at the register at Britlings and that bright colorful Maypole Th ere was a comfort level there that Irsquom not sure is in the minds of the 5-year-olds of todaymdashthe soothing sheltered lack of knowledge of why we were so lucky yet we didnrsquot even know that we were
In the other areas of our Huntsville there was poverty and ra-cial unrestmdashas there was and is in every city I was unaware People of color were always a part of my worldmdashmostly be-cause they had my attention and respect At our house there was Annie my grandmotherrsquos house was fi lled with the joys of Lula and out on the family farm there was strong and smiling Homer and large and huggable Rosamdashall just as much a part of my life as everyone else My life was good and they were instrumental in making it that way
What will the 5-year-olds of today who are lucky enough to be raised on those well-planned streets remember when they surpass their own 50 year mark It is a much more complex world now and there are diff erent concerns with daily changes of fear Youthful innocence is a prize that is encased without a lock Premature maturity is a viable threat and a constant fear But each night tucked in tight in a simple room sleeps tomor-rowrsquos adults who are having sweet dreamsmdashblanketed by the comforts of Blossomwood
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
92 raquo the vine raquo Amy C Collins
BORDEAUX POWER
Where Burgundyrsquos vineyards were established by Benedictine monks patiently growing wine vines with spiritual hearts Bordeauxrsquos vineyards were raised by entrepreneurial laymen who recognized the massive monetary opportunity when the English began drinking down their peasant wine
The city of Bordeaux is Francersquos primary port town on the Atlantic ocean a harbor that has for centuries served as the countryrsquos most important dock Th e regionrsquos history is long and storied with the fi rst written reference to the area dated 379 AD by the Latin poet Ausonius who was also a wine-grower Jump ahead to the year 1152 when Eleanor of Aquitaine married Englandrsquos soon-to-be king Henry Plantagenet and the port and surrounding vineyard land became the source of wine for the English a connection that remains strong even today
Bordeaux produces the worldrsquos most expensive and sought after collector wines the top tier of which make up less than fi ve percent of the regionrsquos total production Th ese names are quickly learned by neophyte wine drinkers wanting to make an impression Chateau Haut-Brion Lafi te Latour and Margaux for example Grown in gravelly soils only a few meters above sea levelmdashin contrast vineyards elsewhere in Europe typically sit between 300 and 900 metersmdashthese wines are some of the most powerful austere and pawed over When young the tannins in these cabernet sauvignon cabernet franc and merlot blends coat the tongue and mouth with a chalky dry sensation akin to sucking on an Earl Grey tea bag and are perhaps best suited to well-fatted rare steak and cigars Th ese are wines built to live for decades Personally I prefer a Bordeaux at least 20 years aged when the tannins have had ample time to calm down and mellow out and more nuanced fl avors come forward Sounds fancy and it is Only in some very lucky circumstances over the past year have I been guest to a bottle of 1990 Clos de Menuts Saint-Eacutemilion and a 1970 Chateau Haut-Brion About once every 10 years Irsquove had the good
fortune to taste a wine older than myself Nice work if you can get it
Where Burgundyrsquos vineyards (Francersquos other classifi ed sought-after region) were established by Benedictine monks patiently growing wine vines with spiritual hearts
Bordeauxrsquos vineyards were raised by entrepreneurial laymen who recognized the massive monetary opportunity when the English began drinking down their peasant wine Th is underscores the second half of my theory as to why Americans
more often American males are so drawn to the wines of Bordeaux Th erersquos an inherent capitalist connection something in the soil Th at the wines are so
unmistakable so distinctively grand and pronounced elixirs exemplifi es the fi rst half of my theory we Americans are not known for our subtlety (To be fair the Chinese are
signifi cant Bordeaux collectors as well)
Philosophy aside Bordeaux is quite a large region that produces beautiful white and red values as well as the rare fi nds out of the populacersquos price range Herersquos the skinny Blending is the game single varietal wines are rare White Bordeaux is typically made from a blend of sauvignon blanc and seacutemillon and sometimes a drop or two of muscadelle ugni blanc or colombard Reds are made primarily from the two cabernets plus merlot with small quantities of petit verdot malbec and carmenegravere occasionally in the mix Th e region is also home to the golden nectar of late ripened seacutemillon sauvignon blanc and muscadelle grapes that have successfully attracted the noble rot a fungus that covers the fruit and drains moisture from inside leaving behind rich sweet grapes without moldy fl avors Chateau drsquoYquem is the most famous of these unfortifi ed dessert wines though there are better bargains from the region
Bordeaux is split by the Gironde river which divides the region into three general areas Th e left bank also known as the Haut-Meacutedoc is where the classifi ed top growths are situated Th ese prestigious estates were named for their exceptional vineyard sites in 1855 a decision nearly unchanged since Today serious collectors invest in Bordeaux futures theoretically locking down lower prices of top
ample time to calm dit is Only in some vede Menuts Saint-Eacutem
fortune to taste a
Wherees
aun
of msignifi
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Follow Amy at pigandvinecom for morestories and wine suggestions
growth estates while the wine is still aging in the cellar Itrsquos the wine tradersquos equivalent to the NASDAQ On the right bank Saint-Eacutemilion and Pommerol are the prized vineyard areas known for their merlot heavy cuveacutees To the south west we fi nd Graves where there are many great values to be had in both white and red bottlings Entre-Deux-Mers which translates to ldquobetween two seasrdquo sits between the Dordogne and Garonne tributaries off the Gironde and is an excellent source for crisp whites
Get started on your Bordeaux experience with these values
Chateau Graville-Lacoste 2014 Graves 75 seacutemillon 20 sauvignon blanc and 5 muscadelle make up this beauty thatrsquos consistently delicious every vintage Crisp and refreshing great with seafood
Chateau Mirambeau 2014 GravesAnother classic blend of 40 sauvignon blanc 40 seacutemillon and 20 muscadelle this lovely white is a bit more fl oral than the Graville-Lacoste Easy drinking and great value
Chateau de Parenchegravere Bordeaux Rouge 201155 merlot 30 cabernet sauvignon and 15 cabernet franc grown in clay heavy soils similar to the right bank of the region Fleshy with good structure and abundant red fruit
Chateau Arnaud Bordeaux Supeacuterieur 2011Supeacuterieur on a Bordeaux label isnrsquot egotistical marketingmdashby law it indicates a wine with up to one degree more alcohol than its AC Bordeaux brethren What it really means is one more degree of body structure and in this case quality Approachable delicious and easy on the wallet
Chateau de Bernadotte Haut-Meacutedoc 2005Th e 2005 vintage in Bordeaux is in the history books with double asterisks Owned by the eminent Pichon Lalande family and made from vineyards in Paulliac one of the more choice growing areas in the region this is an incredible value a top tier Bordeaux for a fraction of the cost
Chateau de Suduiraut Sauternes 2011Ripe cantaloupe apricot and honey and an interesting smoky note with a solid sweet attack followed by great acidity A dessert wine that wonrsquot overpower the dessert
94 raquo parting shot raquo Patrick Hood
Meet Solvar
Solvar belongs to one of the worldrsquos oldest and purest equine lineages the Nor-
wegian Fjord horse a breed that has remained virtually unchanged for more than
2000 yearsmdashlong before we became acquainted with his animated cousins in
the movie Frozen Th ese national symbols of Norway are characterized by primi-
tive zebra striping on their legs and a dorsal stripe running from forelock to tail
resulting in a striking two-tone mane that sticks up like a Mohawk Th eir athleti-
cism agility and dependability make them valuable both as sport horses as well
as therapy horses for emotionally and physically challenged adults and children
Catie Wells of Huntsville is the proud owner of Solvar who resides at Monte
Sano Stables
For tickets or information 256-539-4818 or hsoorg
Bring In the New Year With Us
presents
WHAT A WONDERFUL
WORLDA tribute to Louis
Armstrong featuring the
Byron Stripling Quartet
Thursday December 31
730 pm bull Pops Series bullMark C Smith
Concert Hall VBC
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
M O R E T H A N 7 0 S H O P S A N D R E S T A U R A N T S I N C L U D I N G B E L K | D S W S H O E S | A P P L E J O S A B A N K | R E E D S J E W E L E R S | PA N D O R A | J C R E W | K AT E S PA D E N E W Y O R KO R V I S | B A N A N A R E P U B L I C | M I C H A E L K O R S | F R A N C E S C Arsquo S | A N T H R O P O L O G I EH amp M | S O M A | M O U N T A I N H I G H O U T F I T T E R S | B A R N E S amp N O B L E | S E P H O R AALTAR rsquoD STATE | CONNORS STEAK amp SEFOOD | THE WEST IN HUNTSV I L L E | MONACO P ICTURES
C O M I N G S O O N V E R S O N A ndash near Belk
B R I D G E S T R E E T H U N T S V I L L E C O M |
BR IDGE STREET TOWN CENTRE I S LOCATED AT EX I T 14 OFF I - 565 AT OLD MAD ISON P IKE
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
copy Erin Lindsey
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
ldquoHUNTSVILLE IS SUCH AN ENGINEER TOWN AND EVERYONE ISSO MATHEMATICAL AND SCIENTIFIC THESE WORKSHOPS ARE JUST A VERY COOL
WAY FOR STRUCTURED PEOPLE TO HAVE A CREATIVE OUTLETrdquo MICHELLE ODOM JUST CRUMBS
copy Michelle Odom
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
ldquoAnd yesrdquo Odom acknowledges ldquoyou are in theory teaching your competition But
at the same time you are helping the community be more creativerdquo
With its roster of popular creative workshops under its belt Encourage Huntsville
has added business classes to its community-over-competition curriculum with
classes designed to provide specifi c guidance for small business owners ldquoAll of
our events that donrsquot require hands-on work we call seminarsrdquo says Gil ldquoWe had
about 15 people at our fi rst one It was pretty much just an open discussion to ask
us questions and get answers from the perspective of a small business ownerrdquo
Th e seminars enjoyed the same success and enthusiasm as the workshops ldquoWe
had two hours for people to ask questionsrdquo Gil says Topics covered ran the gamut
from scheduling daily tasks self-hosting a website or using an Etsy store man-
aging client expectations and being realistic about how much time you need to
complete jobs
ldquoTh e time went quickly and people wanted morerdquo says Gil who envisions an all-
day seminar in 2016
Margaret Baggett owner and executive chef of the Chef Next Door is another
small business owner who has shared Gilrsquos vision from the very beginning teach-
copy Erin Lindsey
Facing page Michelle Odomrsquos fondant basics class begins with a styrofoam cake form Above Newbie photographers familiarize themselves with their cameras in Erin Lindseyrsquos photography class
ing knife skills workshops and helping host the business seminars ldquoI am so proud
to get to be a part of this project and help nurture other small business owners
who may just be starting out on their journey or are deep in it and looking for
some encouragement from other business ownersrdquo Baggett says of what motivates
her participation in Encourage Huntsville ldquoEven being on the advice-giving side
of things I am still learning and have taken tips and tricks and lessons from each
event we have had so far We never stop learning from each other and never stop
improving upon our craftsrdquo
Th e mutual growth among students and teachers is the source of the encourage-
mentmdashand the joymdashof Encourage Huntsville ldquoItrsquos so much fun to see the light
bulbs go off with people and see them encouraged right before your eyesrdquo Lindsey
says of her experience with the program ldquoPlus itrsquos a pleasure to contribute to a
sense of community over competition Th at whole concept is so rarerdquo
As Encourage Huntsvillersquos following continues to grow the diversity of the work-
shops will expand as well Whether you are looking to spend a fun afternoon
learning a new craft or are a budding small business owner hoping to launch
your brand Encourage Huntsville has something valuable to off er ldquoWe encourage
those left-brain folks to take up a new hobby or skillrdquo Baggett says ldquoor just encour-
age the people of Huntsville to get together and fan their creative fl amesrdquo
If yoursquore looking for
creative or entrepreneurial
encouragement visit
encouragehuntsvillecom
for seminar and workshop
schedules and information
ldquoI AM SO PROUD TO GET TO BE A PART OF THIS PROJECT AND HELP NURTURE OTHER SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS WHO MAY JUST BE STARTING OUT ON THEIR JOURNEY OR ARE DEEP IN IT
AND LOOKING FOR SOME ENCOURAGEMENT FROM OTHER BUSINESS OWNERSrdquoMARGARET BAGGETT CHEF NEXT DOOR
copy Jacki Gil
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
copy Jacki Gil
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Participants in Margaret Baggettrsquos knife skills workshop learn to perfect their ldquomise en placerdquo
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
copy Olivia Reed
text by sara wright covington raquo photos by olivia reed and jeff white
HUNTSVILLErsquoS
HOMEGROWNHOSTESS
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
ttttttononononoooooonononooooo raquo praquo praquo praquo praquo phothothothothotosoososos s s osos bybybbybb
Any host will tell you that delicious food and quality libations while important to
a partyrsquos success are secondary to the most important ingredient of all the guest list Th atrsquos why many
of downtown Huntsvillersquos most popular restaurants breweries and wine shops are turning to event
planner Ashley Ryals and her uncanny knack for attracting loyal patronsmdashand creating unforgettable
events in the process
When Huntsville born-and-bred Ashley Ryals left for college at the University of Alabama in 2001
she thought her exit from the Valley was permanent ldquoI never thought I would end up back hererdquo the
founder of event planning company Homegrown Huntsville says with a knowing laugh But after a few
post-graduate years working for world-renowned public relations powerhouse Weber Shandwick in
New York City Ryals started to second guess her freshman declaration
ldquoI started to get homesickrdquo she admits ldquoAll of my friends were getting married and meeting for football
games and I was missing itrdquo So when a friend from home set up an interview at EarlyWorks for a job
doing event planning Ryals jumped at the chance to come home
Ashley spent the next few years planning EarlyWorks Whistle Stop and Santarsquos Village events A brief
stint in sales followed along with a seat on the board of Huntsville Young Professionals where she had
an idea for a downtown pub crawl
ldquoWe expected 20 or 30 peoplerdquo Ryals says of their modest expectations ldquoBut 200 people showed uprdquo
Th at initial success convinced Ryals to embark on her dream of establishing an
event planning company But it wasnrsquot just any event planning company Ryals
had in mind she envisioned one that would collaborate with local businesses
cultivate signature events for the community to enjoy and support small busi-
nesses in the process
Inspired Ryals left her sales job and for the second time in her life came home
again to event planning and Homegrown Huntsville
To help bring her vision to life Ryals collaborated with designer Adrianne Van
Kirk of Fave Creative ldquoAdrianne has been a part of the visual and branding of
Homegrown from the beginning We come up with the event ideas then I get
the ticketing and sales together and she comes back with a logo and the mar-
keting for the event And thatrsquos how it all comes togetherrdquo Ryals says of their
creative process
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
ASHLEY RYALS
copy Olivia Reed
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
ldquoMOST WINE FESTIVALS ACROSS THE COUNTRY HAVE PROVEN RECORDS OF BEING ABLE TO STAY AROUND 15 OR 20 YEARS OR EVEN LONGER AND THE ECONOMIES OF THOSE
CITIES HAVE REALLY GROWN AS A RESULT I WANT BIG SPRING CRUSH TO EVENTUALLY BE THE BIGGEST AND BEST WINE FESTIVAL IN THE STATE OF ALABAMArdquo ASHLEY RYALS
copy Jeff White
copy Jeff White
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
copy Olivia Reed
Homegrown launched in 2011 with what would become its
signature event Dine amp Dash Every second Wednesday
April through October a trolley shuttles patrons between
downtown establishments where they are served a drink
and appetizer before moving on to the next stop
Owner and executive chef Merle Phillips of Th e Eaves was
one of the fi rst restaurants to sign on for Dine amp Dashrsquos de-
but ldquoAshley came to me and said she was starting a trolley
tasting conceptrdquo says Chef Merle ldquoI didnrsquot really know her so
I was taking a chance on the concept she was sellingrdquo
Merle tried it and has been a loyal participant of Dine amp
Dash ever since
ldquoIt was a risk in the beginning but it defi nitely paid off rdquo Chef
Merle says of the experience Pivotal to that experience ac-
cording to Phillips is Ryalsrsquo demonstration to the commu-
nity just what the term ldquohomegrownrdquo really means ldquoAshley
shines a spotlight on independent businesses in a market-
place that has for so long focused on chainsrdquo Phillips says
ldquoDine amp Dash has really brought into sharp focus the inter-
esting culinary diversity that Huntsville has to off errdquo
For the next two years Homegrown Huntsville focused al-
most exclusively on Dine amp Dash which by the end of its fi rst
year included every single downtown restaurant But when
big changes began to appear on the downtown horizonmdash
new restaurants breweries and residential developmentsmdash
Ryalsrsquo instincts told her
the time had come to
introduce a new event
to the downtown cal-
endar
ldquoBeer Hop follows
the concept of Dine
amp Dashrdquo Ryals says of
Homegrownrsquos second
venture which began
in 2013 Each month a
trolley visits three dif-
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
BILL FOWLEROLD TOWN BEER
EXCHANGE
copy Olivia Reed
copy Olivia Reed
ferent breweries where patrons sample beers and enjoy food
from a variety of food trucks parked at each location
Bill Fowler managing partner of Old Town Beer Exchange
agreed to participate in Beer Hop on his very fi rst day of
business and credits Ryals with an overwhelmingly success-
ful opening night ldquoAshley said lsquoI can guarantee that you are
going to have wave after wave of people coming throughrsquordquo
Fowler says recalling that fi rst jittery occasion Once again
Ryals proved true to her word with 60-plus patrons arriving
in an hour-and-a-half ldquoIt was awesome and such a great ex-
perience for usrdquo Fowler raves ldquoAshley is a hard worker and
you can see that in what she doesrdquo
Fowler believes that in addition to bringing new customers
to OTBX Ryals is also cultivating beer education consis-
tently bringing in people who are new to beer and want to
learn And with Huntsvillersquos recent brewery boom that level
of education and interest is crucial for the brewing commu-
nity to thrive ldquoWe have a very small window of opportunityrdquo
says Fowler ldquoI think Huntsville in particular is becoming a
craft brewing community People are making money at this
and once Tennessee sees that we need to already have had a
pretty huge head startrdquo
By the end of 2013 and with standing events Beer Hop and
Dine amp Dash well established Ryals took time to refl ect on
her original goal for Homegrown Huntsville ldquoIn the back of
my head from day one I knew I wanted to do a wine festival
I just didnrsquot think Huntsville was ready for it in 2011rdquo
Emboldened by the success of Beer Hop Ryals decided to
make the leap with Big Spring Crush wine festival later the
same year Once again Ryals delivered the perfect audience
for the event and in the process discovered a surprising
fact about North Alabamarsquos contribution to the wine-mak-
ing industry
ldquoIn doing the wine festival I learned that we have a huge
wine community in Huntsvillerdquo Ryals says ldquoTh ere are only
about 47 certifi ed wine judges in the entire United States
and we have four of them right here in North Alabama Two
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
copy Jeff White
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
ldquoI STARTED TO GET HOMESICK ALL OF MY FRIENDS WERE GETTING MARRIEDAND MEETING FOR FOOTBALL GAMES AND I WAS MISSING ITrdquo ASHLEY RYALS
copy Jeff White
copy Jeff White
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
ldquoIT WAS AWESOME AND SUCH A GREAT EXPERIENCE FOR USrdquoBILL FOWLER OLD TOWN BEER EXCHANGE
copy Jeff White
copy Olivia Reed
of those four certifi ed wine judges sit on the committee for
Big Spring Crushrdquo
Matthew and Stephanie Mell had just opened Church Street
Wine Shop when they decided to participate in the fi rst Big
Spring Crush Like OTBXrsquos Robert Fowler the Mells credit
Ryals and Homegrown Huntsville for helping to introduce
their new enterprise to the community ldquoAshley has been in-
strumental in helping to bring us people who love and ap-
preciate winerdquo Stephanie Mell says ldquoShe was homegrown
here in Huntsville and she really gets the downtown area
and small businesses and that is so important to usrdquo
Big Spring Crush began with a bang featuring over 150
wines and attracting patrons from across the country
ldquoMost wine festivals across the country have proven records
of being able to stay around 15 or 20 years or even longerrdquo
Ryals says ldquoAnd the economies of those cities have really
grown as a result I want Big Spring Crush to eventually be
the biggest and best wine festival in the state of Alabamardquo
How does Ryals intend to make that dream come true ldquoBy
always keeping it fresh I want to have new marketing and
new things happening each yearrdquo
Ryalsrsquo formula of reinvention and expansion has successfully
led Homegrown Huntsville through fi ve years of success and
helped its events become community staples along the way In
the process Ryals is broadening more than just our image of
downtown Huntsville shersquos joining a class of creative entrepre-
neurs committed to expanding Huntsvillersquos reputation as more
than just a hub for the brightest scientifi c minds in America
ldquoWe have a big city of engineers and lawyers and itrsquos won-
derfulrdquo Ryals say ldquo But there is a whole artist and food cul-
ture here and there is so much growth I want us to have a
vibrant cool downtown area and I want for people to tell
their friends to come and visit and to see Huntsville for what
it is a city I loverdquo
If yoursquod like to participate in Homegrown Huntsville either
as a guest or a participating business visit homegrown-
huntsvillecom
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
copy Jeff White
I was years old and the year was At that time the city of Huntsville was inching toward the mountain to the east California Street was once the continental divide between the small town metropo-lis and the uncharted territories gingerly crossed by the real estate pioneers four score and some odd years prior Th is area became the new suburb as the city kept pushing onward toward Fagan Springs as if the reverberating booms of rocket testings were vibrating Hunstvillians away from its epicenter
From the front yard of our house on Owens Drive I could look to the rightmdashup the hill to the bend be-yond which the big houses stood on their rocky ledge pedestals and to the left where all the other houses that looked just like oursmdashfresh and newmdashrambled for what seemed like miles Th ose clean well-lit abodes all seemed the same and granted at my age I knew more about the pets that lived there than I did about the people who owned those manageable mortgages I came to realize that each was diff erent in a way that was permeated by voices smells and furnishings
It is a clicheacute to say that our lives were simpler then because that is just how the current era will be fondly referred to in the future but to a 5-year-old it is the simplicity that brought the joy Th e sixties will always be to me the beginning of the age of manufactured happiness Cheap clean and simple was what was strived for and what was easily obtained Plastic items were plentiful and pretty things could be bought with SampH Green Stamps A few coins in our pocket would transfer us into the most master of manipula-tors with us giving our all to convince our parents for a jaunt to Murdockrsquos for a holiday of wonderment joy and impatience as we would scour the shelves trying to get the most from our meager budget
Owens Drive was the fairly new thoroughfare from which the avenues of three-bedroom-ranchers fi ngered away at planned intervals Th is was the place where newlyweds started their lives homes and families Where girls with last names that had been in the town for generations would change them to those strange and exotic last names of the clean cut newcomers brought here for military purposes Where the housewives would preheat their pristine electric ovens trying to make cheese straws and biscuits that were just like their motherrsquos only to be frustrated as they were never quite the same and where the husbands would follow in their fatherrsquos footsteps by joining the Acme Club and hunting doves on the weekends
Th ere was a swimming pool Certainly not at our house Th e only private pool I remember as a child was one that my grandmother would take me to nestled between huge trees at someonersquos house on Adams Street I would swim with other children my age while our grandmothers chatted smoking cigarettes in cat-eyed anonymity whispering most of their stories so we wouldnrsquot be able to hear But between their
gasps and laughter we would listen hear and learn
Th e Blossomwood pool was a place of designated rules and the sound of bright whistlesmdashwith straight lines and distinctive colors of blue and green I can still feel the Coppertoned oiliness on the skin of the tanned lifeguard as she carried me from the deep end frightened after my fi rst attempt at solo-swimming She knew my name I had no idea who she was
On the other side of the pool was the school my older sister attended It had a style that mim-icked the poolmdashstraight lines cleanmdasha temple to orderliness and good manners It was with
awe that I once watched the young adults there some as old as eleven wind and dance their way around a sky-high fl agpolemdasheach with a diff erent color ribbon until the fi rst (and only) May Pole
I was privy to was completely dressed in its woven bright colors
90 raquo bless their hearts raquo Guy McClure Jr
Huntsville was a magical place for us tail-end baby boomers to grow upmdashbeyond the miracles of the escalator at Pizitz the smiling little lady on the tall stool at the register at Britlings There was a comfort level there that Irsquom not sure is in the minds of the 5-year-olds of today
cat-eyed agasps
Th s
aI w
THE COMFORTS OF BLOSSOMWOOD
In our world of red-bricked carported castles there was a def-inite division of generations Th e children ate separately from the parents went to school as our dads went to work enter-tained our neighborhood friends as quietly as possible and felt safe between our boundaries of Big Cove Road and Hermitage Street While we dined on our Chef Boy-Ar-Dee boxed pizza our parents busied themselves dressing in their dark colors getting ready for a late dinner at Boots having the scent of perfume and face powder trail my mother as she came into the kitchen looking for something with an intense purpose My father would smell of British Sterling and look just as he did when he went to work only happier Th ese nights meant something fun would happenmdashwe would have a babysitter
Babysitters were my introduction into what was and still seems cool Th ey were usually Huntsville High School teen-agers who would put on a show without even knowing it I would drink in their every move word and essence of style To me they were supermodelsmdashmovie starsmdasheven more fa-mous in my eyes than a television weatherman and almost as glamorous as the waitresses at the Waffl e House
Before they would tire of me and my sister and put us to bed they would include us in their world of music and knowledge which I thought was all-encompassing Suddenly our world of Th e Benny Carl Show and Fantasy Playhouse would seem trite and passeacute and we would catch a fl eeting glimpse into what would be in store for us when we too could stay up past 8 pm
Huntsville was a magical place for us tail-end baby boomers to grow upmdashbeyond the miracles of the escalator at Pizitz the smiling little lady on the tall stool at the register at Britlings and that bright colorful Maypole Th ere was a comfort level there that Irsquom not sure is in the minds of the 5-year-olds of todaymdashthe soothing sheltered lack of knowledge of why we were so lucky yet we didnrsquot even know that we were
In the other areas of our Huntsville there was poverty and ra-cial unrestmdashas there was and is in every city I was unaware People of color were always a part of my worldmdashmostly be-cause they had my attention and respect At our house there was Annie my grandmotherrsquos house was fi lled with the joys of Lula and out on the family farm there was strong and smiling Homer and large and huggable Rosamdashall just as much a part of my life as everyone else My life was good and they were instrumental in making it that way
What will the 5-year-olds of today who are lucky enough to be raised on those well-planned streets remember when they surpass their own 50 year mark It is a much more complex world now and there are diff erent concerns with daily changes of fear Youthful innocence is a prize that is encased without a lock Premature maturity is a viable threat and a constant fear But each night tucked in tight in a simple room sleeps tomor-rowrsquos adults who are having sweet dreamsmdashblanketed by the comforts of Blossomwood
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
92 raquo the vine raquo Amy C Collins
BORDEAUX POWER
Where Burgundyrsquos vineyards were established by Benedictine monks patiently growing wine vines with spiritual hearts Bordeauxrsquos vineyards were raised by entrepreneurial laymen who recognized the massive monetary opportunity when the English began drinking down their peasant wine
The city of Bordeaux is Francersquos primary port town on the Atlantic ocean a harbor that has for centuries served as the countryrsquos most important dock Th e regionrsquos history is long and storied with the fi rst written reference to the area dated 379 AD by the Latin poet Ausonius who was also a wine-grower Jump ahead to the year 1152 when Eleanor of Aquitaine married Englandrsquos soon-to-be king Henry Plantagenet and the port and surrounding vineyard land became the source of wine for the English a connection that remains strong even today
Bordeaux produces the worldrsquos most expensive and sought after collector wines the top tier of which make up less than fi ve percent of the regionrsquos total production Th ese names are quickly learned by neophyte wine drinkers wanting to make an impression Chateau Haut-Brion Lafi te Latour and Margaux for example Grown in gravelly soils only a few meters above sea levelmdashin contrast vineyards elsewhere in Europe typically sit between 300 and 900 metersmdashthese wines are some of the most powerful austere and pawed over When young the tannins in these cabernet sauvignon cabernet franc and merlot blends coat the tongue and mouth with a chalky dry sensation akin to sucking on an Earl Grey tea bag and are perhaps best suited to well-fatted rare steak and cigars Th ese are wines built to live for decades Personally I prefer a Bordeaux at least 20 years aged when the tannins have had ample time to calm down and mellow out and more nuanced fl avors come forward Sounds fancy and it is Only in some very lucky circumstances over the past year have I been guest to a bottle of 1990 Clos de Menuts Saint-Eacutemilion and a 1970 Chateau Haut-Brion About once every 10 years Irsquove had the good
fortune to taste a wine older than myself Nice work if you can get it
Where Burgundyrsquos vineyards (Francersquos other classifi ed sought-after region) were established by Benedictine monks patiently growing wine vines with spiritual hearts
Bordeauxrsquos vineyards were raised by entrepreneurial laymen who recognized the massive monetary opportunity when the English began drinking down their peasant wine Th is underscores the second half of my theory as to why Americans
more often American males are so drawn to the wines of Bordeaux Th erersquos an inherent capitalist connection something in the soil Th at the wines are so
unmistakable so distinctively grand and pronounced elixirs exemplifi es the fi rst half of my theory we Americans are not known for our subtlety (To be fair the Chinese are
signifi cant Bordeaux collectors as well)
Philosophy aside Bordeaux is quite a large region that produces beautiful white and red values as well as the rare fi nds out of the populacersquos price range Herersquos the skinny Blending is the game single varietal wines are rare White Bordeaux is typically made from a blend of sauvignon blanc and seacutemillon and sometimes a drop or two of muscadelle ugni blanc or colombard Reds are made primarily from the two cabernets plus merlot with small quantities of petit verdot malbec and carmenegravere occasionally in the mix Th e region is also home to the golden nectar of late ripened seacutemillon sauvignon blanc and muscadelle grapes that have successfully attracted the noble rot a fungus that covers the fruit and drains moisture from inside leaving behind rich sweet grapes without moldy fl avors Chateau drsquoYquem is the most famous of these unfortifi ed dessert wines though there are better bargains from the region
Bordeaux is split by the Gironde river which divides the region into three general areas Th e left bank also known as the Haut-Meacutedoc is where the classifi ed top growths are situated Th ese prestigious estates were named for their exceptional vineyard sites in 1855 a decision nearly unchanged since Today serious collectors invest in Bordeaux futures theoretically locking down lower prices of top
ample time to calm dit is Only in some vede Menuts Saint-Eacutem
fortune to taste a
Wherees
aun
of msignifi
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Follow Amy at pigandvinecom for morestories and wine suggestions
growth estates while the wine is still aging in the cellar Itrsquos the wine tradersquos equivalent to the NASDAQ On the right bank Saint-Eacutemilion and Pommerol are the prized vineyard areas known for their merlot heavy cuveacutees To the south west we fi nd Graves where there are many great values to be had in both white and red bottlings Entre-Deux-Mers which translates to ldquobetween two seasrdquo sits between the Dordogne and Garonne tributaries off the Gironde and is an excellent source for crisp whites
Get started on your Bordeaux experience with these values
Chateau Graville-Lacoste 2014 Graves 75 seacutemillon 20 sauvignon blanc and 5 muscadelle make up this beauty thatrsquos consistently delicious every vintage Crisp and refreshing great with seafood
Chateau Mirambeau 2014 GravesAnother classic blend of 40 sauvignon blanc 40 seacutemillon and 20 muscadelle this lovely white is a bit more fl oral than the Graville-Lacoste Easy drinking and great value
Chateau de Parenchegravere Bordeaux Rouge 201155 merlot 30 cabernet sauvignon and 15 cabernet franc grown in clay heavy soils similar to the right bank of the region Fleshy with good structure and abundant red fruit
Chateau Arnaud Bordeaux Supeacuterieur 2011Supeacuterieur on a Bordeaux label isnrsquot egotistical marketingmdashby law it indicates a wine with up to one degree more alcohol than its AC Bordeaux brethren What it really means is one more degree of body structure and in this case quality Approachable delicious and easy on the wallet
Chateau de Bernadotte Haut-Meacutedoc 2005Th e 2005 vintage in Bordeaux is in the history books with double asterisks Owned by the eminent Pichon Lalande family and made from vineyards in Paulliac one of the more choice growing areas in the region this is an incredible value a top tier Bordeaux for a fraction of the cost
Chateau de Suduiraut Sauternes 2011Ripe cantaloupe apricot and honey and an interesting smoky note with a solid sweet attack followed by great acidity A dessert wine that wonrsquot overpower the dessert
94 raquo parting shot raquo Patrick Hood
Meet Solvar
Solvar belongs to one of the worldrsquos oldest and purest equine lineages the Nor-
wegian Fjord horse a breed that has remained virtually unchanged for more than
2000 yearsmdashlong before we became acquainted with his animated cousins in
the movie Frozen Th ese national symbols of Norway are characterized by primi-
tive zebra striping on their legs and a dorsal stripe running from forelock to tail
resulting in a striking two-tone mane that sticks up like a Mohawk Th eir athleti-
cism agility and dependability make them valuable both as sport horses as well
as therapy horses for emotionally and physically challenged adults and children
Catie Wells of Huntsville is the proud owner of Solvar who resides at Monte
Sano Stables
For tickets or information 256-539-4818 or hsoorg
Bring In the New Year With Us
presents
WHAT A WONDERFUL
WORLDA tribute to Louis
Armstrong featuring the
Byron Stripling Quartet
Thursday December 31
730 pm bull Pops Series bullMark C Smith
Concert Hall VBC
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
M O R E T H A N 7 0 S H O P S A N D R E S T A U R A N T S I N C L U D I N G B E L K | D S W S H O E S | A P P L E J O S A B A N K | R E E D S J E W E L E R S | PA N D O R A | J C R E W | K AT E S PA D E N E W Y O R KO R V I S | B A N A N A R E P U B L I C | M I C H A E L K O R S | F R A N C E S C Arsquo S | A N T H R O P O L O G I EH amp M | S O M A | M O U N T A I N H I G H O U T F I T T E R S | B A R N E S amp N O B L E | S E P H O R AALTAR rsquoD STATE | CONNORS STEAK amp SEFOOD | THE WEST IN HUNTSV I L L E | MONACO P ICTURES
C O M I N G S O O N V E R S O N A ndash near Belk
B R I D G E S T R E E T H U N T S V I L L E C O M |
BR IDGE STREET TOWN CENTRE I S LOCATED AT EX I T 14 OFF I - 565 AT OLD MAD ISON P IKE
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
ldquoHUNTSVILLE IS SUCH AN ENGINEER TOWN AND EVERYONE ISSO MATHEMATICAL AND SCIENTIFIC THESE WORKSHOPS ARE JUST A VERY COOL
WAY FOR STRUCTURED PEOPLE TO HAVE A CREATIVE OUTLETrdquo MICHELLE ODOM JUST CRUMBS
copy Michelle Odom
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
ldquoAnd yesrdquo Odom acknowledges ldquoyou are in theory teaching your competition But
at the same time you are helping the community be more creativerdquo
With its roster of popular creative workshops under its belt Encourage Huntsville
has added business classes to its community-over-competition curriculum with
classes designed to provide specifi c guidance for small business owners ldquoAll of
our events that donrsquot require hands-on work we call seminarsrdquo says Gil ldquoWe had
about 15 people at our fi rst one It was pretty much just an open discussion to ask
us questions and get answers from the perspective of a small business ownerrdquo
Th e seminars enjoyed the same success and enthusiasm as the workshops ldquoWe
had two hours for people to ask questionsrdquo Gil says Topics covered ran the gamut
from scheduling daily tasks self-hosting a website or using an Etsy store man-
aging client expectations and being realistic about how much time you need to
complete jobs
ldquoTh e time went quickly and people wanted morerdquo says Gil who envisions an all-
day seminar in 2016
Margaret Baggett owner and executive chef of the Chef Next Door is another
small business owner who has shared Gilrsquos vision from the very beginning teach-
copy Erin Lindsey
Facing page Michelle Odomrsquos fondant basics class begins with a styrofoam cake form Above Newbie photographers familiarize themselves with their cameras in Erin Lindseyrsquos photography class
ing knife skills workshops and helping host the business seminars ldquoI am so proud
to get to be a part of this project and help nurture other small business owners
who may just be starting out on their journey or are deep in it and looking for
some encouragement from other business ownersrdquo Baggett says of what motivates
her participation in Encourage Huntsville ldquoEven being on the advice-giving side
of things I am still learning and have taken tips and tricks and lessons from each
event we have had so far We never stop learning from each other and never stop
improving upon our craftsrdquo
Th e mutual growth among students and teachers is the source of the encourage-
mentmdashand the joymdashof Encourage Huntsville ldquoItrsquos so much fun to see the light
bulbs go off with people and see them encouraged right before your eyesrdquo Lindsey
says of her experience with the program ldquoPlus itrsquos a pleasure to contribute to a
sense of community over competition Th at whole concept is so rarerdquo
As Encourage Huntsvillersquos following continues to grow the diversity of the work-
shops will expand as well Whether you are looking to spend a fun afternoon
learning a new craft or are a budding small business owner hoping to launch
your brand Encourage Huntsville has something valuable to off er ldquoWe encourage
those left-brain folks to take up a new hobby or skillrdquo Baggett says ldquoor just encour-
age the people of Huntsville to get together and fan their creative fl amesrdquo
If yoursquore looking for
creative or entrepreneurial
encouragement visit
encouragehuntsvillecom
for seminar and workshop
schedules and information
ldquoI AM SO PROUD TO GET TO BE A PART OF THIS PROJECT AND HELP NURTURE OTHER SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS WHO MAY JUST BE STARTING OUT ON THEIR JOURNEY OR ARE DEEP IN IT
AND LOOKING FOR SOME ENCOURAGEMENT FROM OTHER BUSINESS OWNERSrdquoMARGARET BAGGETT CHEF NEXT DOOR
copy Jacki Gil
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
copy Jacki Gil
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Participants in Margaret Baggettrsquos knife skills workshop learn to perfect their ldquomise en placerdquo
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
copy Olivia Reed
text by sara wright covington raquo photos by olivia reed and jeff white
HUNTSVILLErsquoS
HOMEGROWNHOSTESS
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
ttttttononononoooooonononooooo raquo praquo praquo praquo praquo phothothothothotosoososos s s osos bybybbybb
Any host will tell you that delicious food and quality libations while important to
a partyrsquos success are secondary to the most important ingredient of all the guest list Th atrsquos why many
of downtown Huntsvillersquos most popular restaurants breweries and wine shops are turning to event
planner Ashley Ryals and her uncanny knack for attracting loyal patronsmdashand creating unforgettable
events in the process
When Huntsville born-and-bred Ashley Ryals left for college at the University of Alabama in 2001
she thought her exit from the Valley was permanent ldquoI never thought I would end up back hererdquo the
founder of event planning company Homegrown Huntsville says with a knowing laugh But after a few
post-graduate years working for world-renowned public relations powerhouse Weber Shandwick in
New York City Ryals started to second guess her freshman declaration
ldquoI started to get homesickrdquo she admits ldquoAll of my friends were getting married and meeting for football
games and I was missing itrdquo So when a friend from home set up an interview at EarlyWorks for a job
doing event planning Ryals jumped at the chance to come home
Ashley spent the next few years planning EarlyWorks Whistle Stop and Santarsquos Village events A brief
stint in sales followed along with a seat on the board of Huntsville Young Professionals where she had
an idea for a downtown pub crawl
ldquoWe expected 20 or 30 peoplerdquo Ryals says of their modest expectations ldquoBut 200 people showed uprdquo
Th at initial success convinced Ryals to embark on her dream of establishing an
event planning company But it wasnrsquot just any event planning company Ryals
had in mind she envisioned one that would collaborate with local businesses
cultivate signature events for the community to enjoy and support small busi-
nesses in the process
Inspired Ryals left her sales job and for the second time in her life came home
again to event planning and Homegrown Huntsville
To help bring her vision to life Ryals collaborated with designer Adrianne Van
Kirk of Fave Creative ldquoAdrianne has been a part of the visual and branding of
Homegrown from the beginning We come up with the event ideas then I get
the ticketing and sales together and she comes back with a logo and the mar-
keting for the event And thatrsquos how it all comes togetherrdquo Ryals says of their
creative process
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
ASHLEY RYALS
copy Olivia Reed
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
ldquoMOST WINE FESTIVALS ACROSS THE COUNTRY HAVE PROVEN RECORDS OF BEING ABLE TO STAY AROUND 15 OR 20 YEARS OR EVEN LONGER AND THE ECONOMIES OF THOSE
CITIES HAVE REALLY GROWN AS A RESULT I WANT BIG SPRING CRUSH TO EVENTUALLY BE THE BIGGEST AND BEST WINE FESTIVAL IN THE STATE OF ALABAMArdquo ASHLEY RYALS
copy Jeff White
copy Jeff White
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
copy Olivia Reed
Homegrown launched in 2011 with what would become its
signature event Dine amp Dash Every second Wednesday
April through October a trolley shuttles patrons between
downtown establishments where they are served a drink
and appetizer before moving on to the next stop
Owner and executive chef Merle Phillips of Th e Eaves was
one of the fi rst restaurants to sign on for Dine amp Dashrsquos de-
but ldquoAshley came to me and said she was starting a trolley
tasting conceptrdquo says Chef Merle ldquoI didnrsquot really know her so
I was taking a chance on the concept she was sellingrdquo
Merle tried it and has been a loyal participant of Dine amp
Dash ever since
ldquoIt was a risk in the beginning but it defi nitely paid off rdquo Chef
Merle says of the experience Pivotal to that experience ac-
cording to Phillips is Ryalsrsquo demonstration to the commu-
nity just what the term ldquohomegrownrdquo really means ldquoAshley
shines a spotlight on independent businesses in a market-
place that has for so long focused on chainsrdquo Phillips says
ldquoDine amp Dash has really brought into sharp focus the inter-
esting culinary diversity that Huntsville has to off errdquo
For the next two years Homegrown Huntsville focused al-
most exclusively on Dine amp Dash which by the end of its fi rst
year included every single downtown restaurant But when
big changes began to appear on the downtown horizonmdash
new restaurants breweries and residential developmentsmdash
Ryalsrsquo instincts told her
the time had come to
introduce a new event
to the downtown cal-
endar
ldquoBeer Hop follows
the concept of Dine
amp Dashrdquo Ryals says of
Homegrownrsquos second
venture which began
in 2013 Each month a
trolley visits three dif-
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
BILL FOWLEROLD TOWN BEER
EXCHANGE
copy Olivia Reed
copy Olivia Reed
ferent breweries where patrons sample beers and enjoy food
from a variety of food trucks parked at each location
Bill Fowler managing partner of Old Town Beer Exchange
agreed to participate in Beer Hop on his very fi rst day of
business and credits Ryals with an overwhelmingly success-
ful opening night ldquoAshley said lsquoI can guarantee that you are
going to have wave after wave of people coming throughrsquordquo
Fowler says recalling that fi rst jittery occasion Once again
Ryals proved true to her word with 60-plus patrons arriving
in an hour-and-a-half ldquoIt was awesome and such a great ex-
perience for usrdquo Fowler raves ldquoAshley is a hard worker and
you can see that in what she doesrdquo
Fowler believes that in addition to bringing new customers
to OTBX Ryals is also cultivating beer education consis-
tently bringing in people who are new to beer and want to
learn And with Huntsvillersquos recent brewery boom that level
of education and interest is crucial for the brewing commu-
nity to thrive ldquoWe have a very small window of opportunityrdquo
says Fowler ldquoI think Huntsville in particular is becoming a
craft brewing community People are making money at this
and once Tennessee sees that we need to already have had a
pretty huge head startrdquo
By the end of 2013 and with standing events Beer Hop and
Dine amp Dash well established Ryals took time to refl ect on
her original goal for Homegrown Huntsville ldquoIn the back of
my head from day one I knew I wanted to do a wine festival
I just didnrsquot think Huntsville was ready for it in 2011rdquo
Emboldened by the success of Beer Hop Ryals decided to
make the leap with Big Spring Crush wine festival later the
same year Once again Ryals delivered the perfect audience
for the event and in the process discovered a surprising
fact about North Alabamarsquos contribution to the wine-mak-
ing industry
ldquoIn doing the wine festival I learned that we have a huge
wine community in Huntsvillerdquo Ryals says ldquoTh ere are only
about 47 certifi ed wine judges in the entire United States
and we have four of them right here in North Alabama Two
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
copy Jeff White
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
ldquoI STARTED TO GET HOMESICK ALL OF MY FRIENDS WERE GETTING MARRIEDAND MEETING FOR FOOTBALL GAMES AND I WAS MISSING ITrdquo ASHLEY RYALS
copy Jeff White
copy Jeff White
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
ldquoIT WAS AWESOME AND SUCH A GREAT EXPERIENCE FOR USrdquoBILL FOWLER OLD TOWN BEER EXCHANGE
copy Jeff White
copy Olivia Reed
of those four certifi ed wine judges sit on the committee for
Big Spring Crushrdquo
Matthew and Stephanie Mell had just opened Church Street
Wine Shop when they decided to participate in the fi rst Big
Spring Crush Like OTBXrsquos Robert Fowler the Mells credit
Ryals and Homegrown Huntsville for helping to introduce
their new enterprise to the community ldquoAshley has been in-
strumental in helping to bring us people who love and ap-
preciate winerdquo Stephanie Mell says ldquoShe was homegrown
here in Huntsville and she really gets the downtown area
and small businesses and that is so important to usrdquo
Big Spring Crush began with a bang featuring over 150
wines and attracting patrons from across the country
ldquoMost wine festivals across the country have proven records
of being able to stay around 15 or 20 years or even longerrdquo
Ryals says ldquoAnd the economies of those cities have really
grown as a result I want Big Spring Crush to eventually be
the biggest and best wine festival in the state of Alabamardquo
How does Ryals intend to make that dream come true ldquoBy
always keeping it fresh I want to have new marketing and
new things happening each yearrdquo
Ryalsrsquo formula of reinvention and expansion has successfully
led Homegrown Huntsville through fi ve years of success and
helped its events become community staples along the way In
the process Ryals is broadening more than just our image of
downtown Huntsville shersquos joining a class of creative entrepre-
neurs committed to expanding Huntsvillersquos reputation as more
than just a hub for the brightest scientifi c minds in America
ldquoWe have a big city of engineers and lawyers and itrsquos won-
derfulrdquo Ryals say ldquo But there is a whole artist and food cul-
ture here and there is so much growth I want us to have a
vibrant cool downtown area and I want for people to tell
their friends to come and visit and to see Huntsville for what
it is a city I loverdquo
If yoursquod like to participate in Homegrown Huntsville either
as a guest or a participating business visit homegrown-
huntsvillecom
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
copy Jeff White
I was years old and the year was At that time the city of Huntsville was inching toward the mountain to the east California Street was once the continental divide between the small town metropo-lis and the uncharted territories gingerly crossed by the real estate pioneers four score and some odd years prior Th is area became the new suburb as the city kept pushing onward toward Fagan Springs as if the reverberating booms of rocket testings were vibrating Hunstvillians away from its epicenter
From the front yard of our house on Owens Drive I could look to the rightmdashup the hill to the bend be-yond which the big houses stood on their rocky ledge pedestals and to the left where all the other houses that looked just like oursmdashfresh and newmdashrambled for what seemed like miles Th ose clean well-lit abodes all seemed the same and granted at my age I knew more about the pets that lived there than I did about the people who owned those manageable mortgages I came to realize that each was diff erent in a way that was permeated by voices smells and furnishings
It is a clicheacute to say that our lives were simpler then because that is just how the current era will be fondly referred to in the future but to a 5-year-old it is the simplicity that brought the joy Th e sixties will always be to me the beginning of the age of manufactured happiness Cheap clean and simple was what was strived for and what was easily obtained Plastic items were plentiful and pretty things could be bought with SampH Green Stamps A few coins in our pocket would transfer us into the most master of manipula-tors with us giving our all to convince our parents for a jaunt to Murdockrsquos for a holiday of wonderment joy and impatience as we would scour the shelves trying to get the most from our meager budget
Owens Drive was the fairly new thoroughfare from which the avenues of three-bedroom-ranchers fi ngered away at planned intervals Th is was the place where newlyweds started their lives homes and families Where girls with last names that had been in the town for generations would change them to those strange and exotic last names of the clean cut newcomers brought here for military purposes Where the housewives would preheat their pristine electric ovens trying to make cheese straws and biscuits that were just like their motherrsquos only to be frustrated as they were never quite the same and where the husbands would follow in their fatherrsquos footsteps by joining the Acme Club and hunting doves on the weekends
Th ere was a swimming pool Certainly not at our house Th e only private pool I remember as a child was one that my grandmother would take me to nestled between huge trees at someonersquos house on Adams Street I would swim with other children my age while our grandmothers chatted smoking cigarettes in cat-eyed anonymity whispering most of their stories so we wouldnrsquot be able to hear But between their
gasps and laughter we would listen hear and learn
Th e Blossomwood pool was a place of designated rules and the sound of bright whistlesmdashwith straight lines and distinctive colors of blue and green I can still feel the Coppertoned oiliness on the skin of the tanned lifeguard as she carried me from the deep end frightened after my fi rst attempt at solo-swimming She knew my name I had no idea who she was
On the other side of the pool was the school my older sister attended It had a style that mim-icked the poolmdashstraight lines cleanmdasha temple to orderliness and good manners It was with
awe that I once watched the young adults there some as old as eleven wind and dance their way around a sky-high fl agpolemdasheach with a diff erent color ribbon until the fi rst (and only) May Pole
I was privy to was completely dressed in its woven bright colors
90 raquo bless their hearts raquo Guy McClure Jr
Huntsville was a magical place for us tail-end baby boomers to grow upmdashbeyond the miracles of the escalator at Pizitz the smiling little lady on the tall stool at the register at Britlings There was a comfort level there that Irsquom not sure is in the minds of the 5-year-olds of today
cat-eyed agasps
Th s
aI w
THE COMFORTS OF BLOSSOMWOOD
In our world of red-bricked carported castles there was a def-inite division of generations Th e children ate separately from the parents went to school as our dads went to work enter-tained our neighborhood friends as quietly as possible and felt safe between our boundaries of Big Cove Road and Hermitage Street While we dined on our Chef Boy-Ar-Dee boxed pizza our parents busied themselves dressing in their dark colors getting ready for a late dinner at Boots having the scent of perfume and face powder trail my mother as she came into the kitchen looking for something with an intense purpose My father would smell of British Sterling and look just as he did when he went to work only happier Th ese nights meant something fun would happenmdashwe would have a babysitter
Babysitters were my introduction into what was and still seems cool Th ey were usually Huntsville High School teen-agers who would put on a show without even knowing it I would drink in their every move word and essence of style To me they were supermodelsmdashmovie starsmdasheven more fa-mous in my eyes than a television weatherman and almost as glamorous as the waitresses at the Waffl e House
Before they would tire of me and my sister and put us to bed they would include us in their world of music and knowledge which I thought was all-encompassing Suddenly our world of Th e Benny Carl Show and Fantasy Playhouse would seem trite and passeacute and we would catch a fl eeting glimpse into what would be in store for us when we too could stay up past 8 pm
Huntsville was a magical place for us tail-end baby boomers to grow upmdashbeyond the miracles of the escalator at Pizitz the smiling little lady on the tall stool at the register at Britlings and that bright colorful Maypole Th ere was a comfort level there that Irsquom not sure is in the minds of the 5-year-olds of todaymdashthe soothing sheltered lack of knowledge of why we were so lucky yet we didnrsquot even know that we were
In the other areas of our Huntsville there was poverty and ra-cial unrestmdashas there was and is in every city I was unaware People of color were always a part of my worldmdashmostly be-cause they had my attention and respect At our house there was Annie my grandmotherrsquos house was fi lled with the joys of Lula and out on the family farm there was strong and smiling Homer and large and huggable Rosamdashall just as much a part of my life as everyone else My life was good and they were instrumental in making it that way
What will the 5-year-olds of today who are lucky enough to be raised on those well-planned streets remember when they surpass their own 50 year mark It is a much more complex world now and there are diff erent concerns with daily changes of fear Youthful innocence is a prize that is encased without a lock Premature maturity is a viable threat and a constant fear But each night tucked in tight in a simple room sleeps tomor-rowrsquos adults who are having sweet dreamsmdashblanketed by the comforts of Blossomwood
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
92 raquo the vine raquo Amy C Collins
BORDEAUX POWER
Where Burgundyrsquos vineyards were established by Benedictine monks patiently growing wine vines with spiritual hearts Bordeauxrsquos vineyards were raised by entrepreneurial laymen who recognized the massive monetary opportunity when the English began drinking down their peasant wine
The city of Bordeaux is Francersquos primary port town on the Atlantic ocean a harbor that has for centuries served as the countryrsquos most important dock Th e regionrsquos history is long and storied with the fi rst written reference to the area dated 379 AD by the Latin poet Ausonius who was also a wine-grower Jump ahead to the year 1152 when Eleanor of Aquitaine married Englandrsquos soon-to-be king Henry Plantagenet and the port and surrounding vineyard land became the source of wine for the English a connection that remains strong even today
Bordeaux produces the worldrsquos most expensive and sought after collector wines the top tier of which make up less than fi ve percent of the regionrsquos total production Th ese names are quickly learned by neophyte wine drinkers wanting to make an impression Chateau Haut-Brion Lafi te Latour and Margaux for example Grown in gravelly soils only a few meters above sea levelmdashin contrast vineyards elsewhere in Europe typically sit between 300 and 900 metersmdashthese wines are some of the most powerful austere and pawed over When young the tannins in these cabernet sauvignon cabernet franc and merlot blends coat the tongue and mouth with a chalky dry sensation akin to sucking on an Earl Grey tea bag and are perhaps best suited to well-fatted rare steak and cigars Th ese are wines built to live for decades Personally I prefer a Bordeaux at least 20 years aged when the tannins have had ample time to calm down and mellow out and more nuanced fl avors come forward Sounds fancy and it is Only in some very lucky circumstances over the past year have I been guest to a bottle of 1990 Clos de Menuts Saint-Eacutemilion and a 1970 Chateau Haut-Brion About once every 10 years Irsquove had the good
fortune to taste a wine older than myself Nice work if you can get it
Where Burgundyrsquos vineyards (Francersquos other classifi ed sought-after region) were established by Benedictine monks patiently growing wine vines with spiritual hearts
Bordeauxrsquos vineyards were raised by entrepreneurial laymen who recognized the massive monetary opportunity when the English began drinking down their peasant wine Th is underscores the second half of my theory as to why Americans
more often American males are so drawn to the wines of Bordeaux Th erersquos an inherent capitalist connection something in the soil Th at the wines are so
unmistakable so distinctively grand and pronounced elixirs exemplifi es the fi rst half of my theory we Americans are not known for our subtlety (To be fair the Chinese are
signifi cant Bordeaux collectors as well)
Philosophy aside Bordeaux is quite a large region that produces beautiful white and red values as well as the rare fi nds out of the populacersquos price range Herersquos the skinny Blending is the game single varietal wines are rare White Bordeaux is typically made from a blend of sauvignon blanc and seacutemillon and sometimes a drop or two of muscadelle ugni blanc or colombard Reds are made primarily from the two cabernets plus merlot with small quantities of petit verdot malbec and carmenegravere occasionally in the mix Th e region is also home to the golden nectar of late ripened seacutemillon sauvignon blanc and muscadelle grapes that have successfully attracted the noble rot a fungus that covers the fruit and drains moisture from inside leaving behind rich sweet grapes without moldy fl avors Chateau drsquoYquem is the most famous of these unfortifi ed dessert wines though there are better bargains from the region
Bordeaux is split by the Gironde river which divides the region into three general areas Th e left bank also known as the Haut-Meacutedoc is where the classifi ed top growths are situated Th ese prestigious estates were named for their exceptional vineyard sites in 1855 a decision nearly unchanged since Today serious collectors invest in Bordeaux futures theoretically locking down lower prices of top
ample time to calm dit is Only in some vede Menuts Saint-Eacutem
fortune to taste a
Wherees
aun
of msignifi
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Follow Amy at pigandvinecom for morestories and wine suggestions
growth estates while the wine is still aging in the cellar Itrsquos the wine tradersquos equivalent to the NASDAQ On the right bank Saint-Eacutemilion and Pommerol are the prized vineyard areas known for their merlot heavy cuveacutees To the south west we fi nd Graves where there are many great values to be had in both white and red bottlings Entre-Deux-Mers which translates to ldquobetween two seasrdquo sits between the Dordogne and Garonne tributaries off the Gironde and is an excellent source for crisp whites
Get started on your Bordeaux experience with these values
Chateau Graville-Lacoste 2014 Graves 75 seacutemillon 20 sauvignon blanc and 5 muscadelle make up this beauty thatrsquos consistently delicious every vintage Crisp and refreshing great with seafood
Chateau Mirambeau 2014 GravesAnother classic blend of 40 sauvignon blanc 40 seacutemillon and 20 muscadelle this lovely white is a bit more fl oral than the Graville-Lacoste Easy drinking and great value
Chateau de Parenchegravere Bordeaux Rouge 201155 merlot 30 cabernet sauvignon and 15 cabernet franc grown in clay heavy soils similar to the right bank of the region Fleshy with good structure and abundant red fruit
Chateau Arnaud Bordeaux Supeacuterieur 2011Supeacuterieur on a Bordeaux label isnrsquot egotistical marketingmdashby law it indicates a wine with up to one degree more alcohol than its AC Bordeaux brethren What it really means is one more degree of body structure and in this case quality Approachable delicious and easy on the wallet
Chateau de Bernadotte Haut-Meacutedoc 2005Th e 2005 vintage in Bordeaux is in the history books with double asterisks Owned by the eminent Pichon Lalande family and made from vineyards in Paulliac one of the more choice growing areas in the region this is an incredible value a top tier Bordeaux for a fraction of the cost
Chateau de Suduiraut Sauternes 2011Ripe cantaloupe apricot and honey and an interesting smoky note with a solid sweet attack followed by great acidity A dessert wine that wonrsquot overpower the dessert
94 raquo parting shot raquo Patrick Hood
Meet Solvar
Solvar belongs to one of the worldrsquos oldest and purest equine lineages the Nor-
wegian Fjord horse a breed that has remained virtually unchanged for more than
2000 yearsmdashlong before we became acquainted with his animated cousins in
the movie Frozen Th ese national symbols of Norway are characterized by primi-
tive zebra striping on their legs and a dorsal stripe running from forelock to tail
resulting in a striking two-tone mane that sticks up like a Mohawk Th eir athleti-
cism agility and dependability make them valuable both as sport horses as well
as therapy horses for emotionally and physically challenged adults and children
Catie Wells of Huntsville is the proud owner of Solvar who resides at Monte
Sano Stables
For tickets or information 256-539-4818 or hsoorg
Bring In the New Year With Us
presents
WHAT A WONDERFUL
WORLDA tribute to Louis
Armstrong featuring the
Byron Stripling Quartet
Thursday December 31
730 pm bull Pops Series bullMark C Smith
Concert Hall VBC
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
M O R E T H A N 7 0 S H O P S A N D R E S T A U R A N T S I N C L U D I N G B E L K | D S W S H O E S | A P P L E J O S A B A N K | R E E D S J E W E L E R S | PA N D O R A | J C R E W | K AT E S PA D E N E W Y O R KO R V I S | B A N A N A R E P U B L I C | M I C H A E L K O R S | F R A N C E S C Arsquo S | A N T H R O P O L O G I EH amp M | S O M A | M O U N T A I N H I G H O U T F I T T E R S | B A R N E S amp N O B L E | S E P H O R AALTAR rsquoD STATE | CONNORS STEAK amp SEFOOD | THE WEST IN HUNTSV I L L E | MONACO P ICTURES
C O M I N G S O O N V E R S O N A ndash near Belk
B R I D G E S T R E E T H U N T S V I L L E C O M |
BR IDGE STREET TOWN CENTRE I S LOCATED AT EX I T 14 OFF I - 565 AT OLD MAD ISON P IKE
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
ldquoAnd yesrdquo Odom acknowledges ldquoyou are in theory teaching your competition But
at the same time you are helping the community be more creativerdquo
With its roster of popular creative workshops under its belt Encourage Huntsville
has added business classes to its community-over-competition curriculum with
classes designed to provide specifi c guidance for small business owners ldquoAll of
our events that donrsquot require hands-on work we call seminarsrdquo says Gil ldquoWe had
about 15 people at our fi rst one It was pretty much just an open discussion to ask
us questions and get answers from the perspective of a small business ownerrdquo
Th e seminars enjoyed the same success and enthusiasm as the workshops ldquoWe
had two hours for people to ask questionsrdquo Gil says Topics covered ran the gamut
from scheduling daily tasks self-hosting a website or using an Etsy store man-
aging client expectations and being realistic about how much time you need to
complete jobs
ldquoTh e time went quickly and people wanted morerdquo says Gil who envisions an all-
day seminar in 2016
Margaret Baggett owner and executive chef of the Chef Next Door is another
small business owner who has shared Gilrsquos vision from the very beginning teach-
copy Erin Lindsey
Facing page Michelle Odomrsquos fondant basics class begins with a styrofoam cake form Above Newbie photographers familiarize themselves with their cameras in Erin Lindseyrsquos photography class
ing knife skills workshops and helping host the business seminars ldquoI am so proud
to get to be a part of this project and help nurture other small business owners
who may just be starting out on their journey or are deep in it and looking for
some encouragement from other business ownersrdquo Baggett says of what motivates
her participation in Encourage Huntsville ldquoEven being on the advice-giving side
of things I am still learning and have taken tips and tricks and lessons from each
event we have had so far We never stop learning from each other and never stop
improving upon our craftsrdquo
Th e mutual growth among students and teachers is the source of the encourage-
mentmdashand the joymdashof Encourage Huntsville ldquoItrsquos so much fun to see the light
bulbs go off with people and see them encouraged right before your eyesrdquo Lindsey
says of her experience with the program ldquoPlus itrsquos a pleasure to contribute to a
sense of community over competition Th at whole concept is so rarerdquo
As Encourage Huntsvillersquos following continues to grow the diversity of the work-
shops will expand as well Whether you are looking to spend a fun afternoon
learning a new craft or are a budding small business owner hoping to launch
your brand Encourage Huntsville has something valuable to off er ldquoWe encourage
those left-brain folks to take up a new hobby or skillrdquo Baggett says ldquoor just encour-
age the people of Huntsville to get together and fan their creative fl amesrdquo
If yoursquore looking for
creative or entrepreneurial
encouragement visit
encouragehuntsvillecom
for seminar and workshop
schedules and information
ldquoI AM SO PROUD TO GET TO BE A PART OF THIS PROJECT AND HELP NURTURE OTHER SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS WHO MAY JUST BE STARTING OUT ON THEIR JOURNEY OR ARE DEEP IN IT
AND LOOKING FOR SOME ENCOURAGEMENT FROM OTHER BUSINESS OWNERSrdquoMARGARET BAGGETT CHEF NEXT DOOR
copy Jacki Gil
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
copy Jacki Gil
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Participants in Margaret Baggettrsquos knife skills workshop learn to perfect their ldquomise en placerdquo
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
copy Olivia Reed
text by sara wright covington raquo photos by olivia reed and jeff white
HUNTSVILLErsquoS
HOMEGROWNHOSTESS
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
ttttttononononoooooonononooooo raquo praquo praquo praquo praquo phothothothothotosoososos s s osos bybybbybb
Any host will tell you that delicious food and quality libations while important to
a partyrsquos success are secondary to the most important ingredient of all the guest list Th atrsquos why many
of downtown Huntsvillersquos most popular restaurants breweries and wine shops are turning to event
planner Ashley Ryals and her uncanny knack for attracting loyal patronsmdashand creating unforgettable
events in the process
When Huntsville born-and-bred Ashley Ryals left for college at the University of Alabama in 2001
she thought her exit from the Valley was permanent ldquoI never thought I would end up back hererdquo the
founder of event planning company Homegrown Huntsville says with a knowing laugh But after a few
post-graduate years working for world-renowned public relations powerhouse Weber Shandwick in
New York City Ryals started to second guess her freshman declaration
ldquoI started to get homesickrdquo she admits ldquoAll of my friends were getting married and meeting for football
games and I was missing itrdquo So when a friend from home set up an interview at EarlyWorks for a job
doing event planning Ryals jumped at the chance to come home
Ashley spent the next few years planning EarlyWorks Whistle Stop and Santarsquos Village events A brief
stint in sales followed along with a seat on the board of Huntsville Young Professionals where she had
an idea for a downtown pub crawl
ldquoWe expected 20 or 30 peoplerdquo Ryals says of their modest expectations ldquoBut 200 people showed uprdquo
Th at initial success convinced Ryals to embark on her dream of establishing an
event planning company But it wasnrsquot just any event planning company Ryals
had in mind she envisioned one that would collaborate with local businesses
cultivate signature events for the community to enjoy and support small busi-
nesses in the process
Inspired Ryals left her sales job and for the second time in her life came home
again to event planning and Homegrown Huntsville
To help bring her vision to life Ryals collaborated with designer Adrianne Van
Kirk of Fave Creative ldquoAdrianne has been a part of the visual and branding of
Homegrown from the beginning We come up with the event ideas then I get
the ticketing and sales together and she comes back with a logo and the mar-
keting for the event And thatrsquos how it all comes togetherrdquo Ryals says of their
creative process
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
ASHLEY RYALS
copy Olivia Reed
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
ldquoMOST WINE FESTIVALS ACROSS THE COUNTRY HAVE PROVEN RECORDS OF BEING ABLE TO STAY AROUND 15 OR 20 YEARS OR EVEN LONGER AND THE ECONOMIES OF THOSE
CITIES HAVE REALLY GROWN AS A RESULT I WANT BIG SPRING CRUSH TO EVENTUALLY BE THE BIGGEST AND BEST WINE FESTIVAL IN THE STATE OF ALABAMArdquo ASHLEY RYALS
copy Jeff White
copy Jeff White
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
copy Olivia Reed
Homegrown launched in 2011 with what would become its
signature event Dine amp Dash Every second Wednesday
April through October a trolley shuttles patrons between
downtown establishments where they are served a drink
and appetizer before moving on to the next stop
Owner and executive chef Merle Phillips of Th e Eaves was
one of the fi rst restaurants to sign on for Dine amp Dashrsquos de-
but ldquoAshley came to me and said she was starting a trolley
tasting conceptrdquo says Chef Merle ldquoI didnrsquot really know her so
I was taking a chance on the concept she was sellingrdquo
Merle tried it and has been a loyal participant of Dine amp
Dash ever since
ldquoIt was a risk in the beginning but it defi nitely paid off rdquo Chef
Merle says of the experience Pivotal to that experience ac-
cording to Phillips is Ryalsrsquo demonstration to the commu-
nity just what the term ldquohomegrownrdquo really means ldquoAshley
shines a spotlight on independent businesses in a market-
place that has for so long focused on chainsrdquo Phillips says
ldquoDine amp Dash has really brought into sharp focus the inter-
esting culinary diversity that Huntsville has to off errdquo
For the next two years Homegrown Huntsville focused al-
most exclusively on Dine amp Dash which by the end of its fi rst
year included every single downtown restaurant But when
big changes began to appear on the downtown horizonmdash
new restaurants breweries and residential developmentsmdash
Ryalsrsquo instincts told her
the time had come to
introduce a new event
to the downtown cal-
endar
ldquoBeer Hop follows
the concept of Dine
amp Dashrdquo Ryals says of
Homegrownrsquos second
venture which began
in 2013 Each month a
trolley visits three dif-
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
BILL FOWLEROLD TOWN BEER
EXCHANGE
copy Olivia Reed
copy Olivia Reed
ferent breweries where patrons sample beers and enjoy food
from a variety of food trucks parked at each location
Bill Fowler managing partner of Old Town Beer Exchange
agreed to participate in Beer Hop on his very fi rst day of
business and credits Ryals with an overwhelmingly success-
ful opening night ldquoAshley said lsquoI can guarantee that you are
going to have wave after wave of people coming throughrsquordquo
Fowler says recalling that fi rst jittery occasion Once again
Ryals proved true to her word with 60-plus patrons arriving
in an hour-and-a-half ldquoIt was awesome and such a great ex-
perience for usrdquo Fowler raves ldquoAshley is a hard worker and
you can see that in what she doesrdquo
Fowler believes that in addition to bringing new customers
to OTBX Ryals is also cultivating beer education consis-
tently bringing in people who are new to beer and want to
learn And with Huntsvillersquos recent brewery boom that level
of education and interest is crucial for the brewing commu-
nity to thrive ldquoWe have a very small window of opportunityrdquo
says Fowler ldquoI think Huntsville in particular is becoming a
craft brewing community People are making money at this
and once Tennessee sees that we need to already have had a
pretty huge head startrdquo
By the end of 2013 and with standing events Beer Hop and
Dine amp Dash well established Ryals took time to refl ect on
her original goal for Homegrown Huntsville ldquoIn the back of
my head from day one I knew I wanted to do a wine festival
I just didnrsquot think Huntsville was ready for it in 2011rdquo
Emboldened by the success of Beer Hop Ryals decided to
make the leap with Big Spring Crush wine festival later the
same year Once again Ryals delivered the perfect audience
for the event and in the process discovered a surprising
fact about North Alabamarsquos contribution to the wine-mak-
ing industry
ldquoIn doing the wine festival I learned that we have a huge
wine community in Huntsvillerdquo Ryals says ldquoTh ere are only
about 47 certifi ed wine judges in the entire United States
and we have four of them right here in North Alabama Two
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
copy Jeff White
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
ldquoI STARTED TO GET HOMESICK ALL OF MY FRIENDS WERE GETTING MARRIEDAND MEETING FOR FOOTBALL GAMES AND I WAS MISSING ITrdquo ASHLEY RYALS
copy Jeff White
copy Jeff White
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
ldquoIT WAS AWESOME AND SUCH A GREAT EXPERIENCE FOR USrdquoBILL FOWLER OLD TOWN BEER EXCHANGE
copy Jeff White
copy Olivia Reed
of those four certifi ed wine judges sit on the committee for
Big Spring Crushrdquo
Matthew and Stephanie Mell had just opened Church Street
Wine Shop when they decided to participate in the fi rst Big
Spring Crush Like OTBXrsquos Robert Fowler the Mells credit
Ryals and Homegrown Huntsville for helping to introduce
their new enterprise to the community ldquoAshley has been in-
strumental in helping to bring us people who love and ap-
preciate winerdquo Stephanie Mell says ldquoShe was homegrown
here in Huntsville and she really gets the downtown area
and small businesses and that is so important to usrdquo
Big Spring Crush began with a bang featuring over 150
wines and attracting patrons from across the country
ldquoMost wine festivals across the country have proven records
of being able to stay around 15 or 20 years or even longerrdquo
Ryals says ldquoAnd the economies of those cities have really
grown as a result I want Big Spring Crush to eventually be
the biggest and best wine festival in the state of Alabamardquo
How does Ryals intend to make that dream come true ldquoBy
always keeping it fresh I want to have new marketing and
new things happening each yearrdquo
Ryalsrsquo formula of reinvention and expansion has successfully
led Homegrown Huntsville through fi ve years of success and
helped its events become community staples along the way In
the process Ryals is broadening more than just our image of
downtown Huntsville shersquos joining a class of creative entrepre-
neurs committed to expanding Huntsvillersquos reputation as more
than just a hub for the brightest scientifi c minds in America
ldquoWe have a big city of engineers and lawyers and itrsquos won-
derfulrdquo Ryals say ldquo But there is a whole artist and food cul-
ture here and there is so much growth I want us to have a
vibrant cool downtown area and I want for people to tell
their friends to come and visit and to see Huntsville for what
it is a city I loverdquo
If yoursquod like to participate in Homegrown Huntsville either
as a guest or a participating business visit homegrown-
huntsvillecom
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
copy Jeff White
I was years old and the year was At that time the city of Huntsville was inching toward the mountain to the east California Street was once the continental divide between the small town metropo-lis and the uncharted territories gingerly crossed by the real estate pioneers four score and some odd years prior Th is area became the new suburb as the city kept pushing onward toward Fagan Springs as if the reverberating booms of rocket testings were vibrating Hunstvillians away from its epicenter
From the front yard of our house on Owens Drive I could look to the rightmdashup the hill to the bend be-yond which the big houses stood on their rocky ledge pedestals and to the left where all the other houses that looked just like oursmdashfresh and newmdashrambled for what seemed like miles Th ose clean well-lit abodes all seemed the same and granted at my age I knew more about the pets that lived there than I did about the people who owned those manageable mortgages I came to realize that each was diff erent in a way that was permeated by voices smells and furnishings
It is a clicheacute to say that our lives were simpler then because that is just how the current era will be fondly referred to in the future but to a 5-year-old it is the simplicity that brought the joy Th e sixties will always be to me the beginning of the age of manufactured happiness Cheap clean and simple was what was strived for and what was easily obtained Plastic items were plentiful and pretty things could be bought with SampH Green Stamps A few coins in our pocket would transfer us into the most master of manipula-tors with us giving our all to convince our parents for a jaunt to Murdockrsquos for a holiday of wonderment joy and impatience as we would scour the shelves trying to get the most from our meager budget
Owens Drive was the fairly new thoroughfare from which the avenues of three-bedroom-ranchers fi ngered away at planned intervals Th is was the place where newlyweds started their lives homes and families Where girls with last names that had been in the town for generations would change them to those strange and exotic last names of the clean cut newcomers brought here for military purposes Where the housewives would preheat their pristine electric ovens trying to make cheese straws and biscuits that were just like their motherrsquos only to be frustrated as they were never quite the same and where the husbands would follow in their fatherrsquos footsteps by joining the Acme Club and hunting doves on the weekends
Th ere was a swimming pool Certainly not at our house Th e only private pool I remember as a child was one that my grandmother would take me to nestled between huge trees at someonersquos house on Adams Street I would swim with other children my age while our grandmothers chatted smoking cigarettes in cat-eyed anonymity whispering most of their stories so we wouldnrsquot be able to hear But between their
gasps and laughter we would listen hear and learn
Th e Blossomwood pool was a place of designated rules and the sound of bright whistlesmdashwith straight lines and distinctive colors of blue and green I can still feel the Coppertoned oiliness on the skin of the tanned lifeguard as she carried me from the deep end frightened after my fi rst attempt at solo-swimming She knew my name I had no idea who she was
On the other side of the pool was the school my older sister attended It had a style that mim-icked the poolmdashstraight lines cleanmdasha temple to orderliness and good manners It was with
awe that I once watched the young adults there some as old as eleven wind and dance their way around a sky-high fl agpolemdasheach with a diff erent color ribbon until the fi rst (and only) May Pole
I was privy to was completely dressed in its woven bright colors
90 raquo bless their hearts raquo Guy McClure Jr
Huntsville was a magical place for us tail-end baby boomers to grow upmdashbeyond the miracles of the escalator at Pizitz the smiling little lady on the tall stool at the register at Britlings There was a comfort level there that Irsquom not sure is in the minds of the 5-year-olds of today
cat-eyed agasps
Th s
aI w
THE COMFORTS OF BLOSSOMWOOD
In our world of red-bricked carported castles there was a def-inite division of generations Th e children ate separately from the parents went to school as our dads went to work enter-tained our neighborhood friends as quietly as possible and felt safe between our boundaries of Big Cove Road and Hermitage Street While we dined on our Chef Boy-Ar-Dee boxed pizza our parents busied themselves dressing in their dark colors getting ready for a late dinner at Boots having the scent of perfume and face powder trail my mother as she came into the kitchen looking for something with an intense purpose My father would smell of British Sterling and look just as he did when he went to work only happier Th ese nights meant something fun would happenmdashwe would have a babysitter
Babysitters were my introduction into what was and still seems cool Th ey were usually Huntsville High School teen-agers who would put on a show without even knowing it I would drink in their every move word and essence of style To me they were supermodelsmdashmovie starsmdasheven more fa-mous in my eyes than a television weatherman and almost as glamorous as the waitresses at the Waffl e House
Before they would tire of me and my sister and put us to bed they would include us in their world of music and knowledge which I thought was all-encompassing Suddenly our world of Th e Benny Carl Show and Fantasy Playhouse would seem trite and passeacute and we would catch a fl eeting glimpse into what would be in store for us when we too could stay up past 8 pm
Huntsville was a magical place for us tail-end baby boomers to grow upmdashbeyond the miracles of the escalator at Pizitz the smiling little lady on the tall stool at the register at Britlings and that bright colorful Maypole Th ere was a comfort level there that Irsquom not sure is in the minds of the 5-year-olds of todaymdashthe soothing sheltered lack of knowledge of why we were so lucky yet we didnrsquot even know that we were
In the other areas of our Huntsville there was poverty and ra-cial unrestmdashas there was and is in every city I was unaware People of color were always a part of my worldmdashmostly be-cause they had my attention and respect At our house there was Annie my grandmotherrsquos house was fi lled with the joys of Lula and out on the family farm there was strong and smiling Homer and large and huggable Rosamdashall just as much a part of my life as everyone else My life was good and they were instrumental in making it that way
What will the 5-year-olds of today who are lucky enough to be raised on those well-planned streets remember when they surpass their own 50 year mark It is a much more complex world now and there are diff erent concerns with daily changes of fear Youthful innocence is a prize that is encased without a lock Premature maturity is a viable threat and a constant fear But each night tucked in tight in a simple room sleeps tomor-rowrsquos adults who are having sweet dreamsmdashblanketed by the comforts of Blossomwood
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
92 raquo the vine raquo Amy C Collins
BORDEAUX POWER
Where Burgundyrsquos vineyards were established by Benedictine monks patiently growing wine vines with spiritual hearts Bordeauxrsquos vineyards were raised by entrepreneurial laymen who recognized the massive monetary opportunity when the English began drinking down their peasant wine
The city of Bordeaux is Francersquos primary port town on the Atlantic ocean a harbor that has for centuries served as the countryrsquos most important dock Th e regionrsquos history is long and storied with the fi rst written reference to the area dated 379 AD by the Latin poet Ausonius who was also a wine-grower Jump ahead to the year 1152 when Eleanor of Aquitaine married Englandrsquos soon-to-be king Henry Plantagenet and the port and surrounding vineyard land became the source of wine for the English a connection that remains strong even today
Bordeaux produces the worldrsquos most expensive and sought after collector wines the top tier of which make up less than fi ve percent of the regionrsquos total production Th ese names are quickly learned by neophyte wine drinkers wanting to make an impression Chateau Haut-Brion Lafi te Latour and Margaux for example Grown in gravelly soils only a few meters above sea levelmdashin contrast vineyards elsewhere in Europe typically sit between 300 and 900 metersmdashthese wines are some of the most powerful austere and pawed over When young the tannins in these cabernet sauvignon cabernet franc and merlot blends coat the tongue and mouth with a chalky dry sensation akin to sucking on an Earl Grey tea bag and are perhaps best suited to well-fatted rare steak and cigars Th ese are wines built to live for decades Personally I prefer a Bordeaux at least 20 years aged when the tannins have had ample time to calm down and mellow out and more nuanced fl avors come forward Sounds fancy and it is Only in some very lucky circumstances over the past year have I been guest to a bottle of 1990 Clos de Menuts Saint-Eacutemilion and a 1970 Chateau Haut-Brion About once every 10 years Irsquove had the good
fortune to taste a wine older than myself Nice work if you can get it
Where Burgundyrsquos vineyards (Francersquos other classifi ed sought-after region) were established by Benedictine monks patiently growing wine vines with spiritual hearts
Bordeauxrsquos vineyards were raised by entrepreneurial laymen who recognized the massive monetary opportunity when the English began drinking down their peasant wine Th is underscores the second half of my theory as to why Americans
more often American males are so drawn to the wines of Bordeaux Th erersquos an inherent capitalist connection something in the soil Th at the wines are so
unmistakable so distinctively grand and pronounced elixirs exemplifi es the fi rst half of my theory we Americans are not known for our subtlety (To be fair the Chinese are
signifi cant Bordeaux collectors as well)
Philosophy aside Bordeaux is quite a large region that produces beautiful white and red values as well as the rare fi nds out of the populacersquos price range Herersquos the skinny Blending is the game single varietal wines are rare White Bordeaux is typically made from a blend of sauvignon blanc and seacutemillon and sometimes a drop or two of muscadelle ugni blanc or colombard Reds are made primarily from the two cabernets plus merlot with small quantities of petit verdot malbec and carmenegravere occasionally in the mix Th e region is also home to the golden nectar of late ripened seacutemillon sauvignon blanc and muscadelle grapes that have successfully attracted the noble rot a fungus that covers the fruit and drains moisture from inside leaving behind rich sweet grapes without moldy fl avors Chateau drsquoYquem is the most famous of these unfortifi ed dessert wines though there are better bargains from the region
Bordeaux is split by the Gironde river which divides the region into three general areas Th e left bank also known as the Haut-Meacutedoc is where the classifi ed top growths are situated Th ese prestigious estates were named for their exceptional vineyard sites in 1855 a decision nearly unchanged since Today serious collectors invest in Bordeaux futures theoretically locking down lower prices of top
ample time to calm dit is Only in some vede Menuts Saint-Eacutem
fortune to taste a
Wherees
aun
of msignifi
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Follow Amy at pigandvinecom for morestories and wine suggestions
growth estates while the wine is still aging in the cellar Itrsquos the wine tradersquos equivalent to the NASDAQ On the right bank Saint-Eacutemilion and Pommerol are the prized vineyard areas known for their merlot heavy cuveacutees To the south west we fi nd Graves where there are many great values to be had in both white and red bottlings Entre-Deux-Mers which translates to ldquobetween two seasrdquo sits between the Dordogne and Garonne tributaries off the Gironde and is an excellent source for crisp whites
Get started on your Bordeaux experience with these values
Chateau Graville-Lacoste 2014 Graves 75 seacutemillon 20 sauvignon blanc and 5 muscadelle make up this beauty thatrsquos consistently delicious every vintage Crisp and refreshing great with seafood
Chateau Mirambeau 2014 GravesAnother classic blend of 40 sauvignon blanc 40 seacutemillon and 20 muscadelle this lovely white is a bit more fl oral than the Graville-Lacoste Easy drinking and great value
Chateau de Parenchegravere Bordeaux Rouge 201155 merlot 30 cabernet sauvignon and 15 cabernet franc grown in clay heavy soils similar to the right bank of the region Fleshy with good structure and abundant red fruit
Chateau Arnaud Bordeaux Supeacuterieur 2011Supeacuterieur on a Bordeaux label isnrsquot egotistical marketingmdashby law it indicates a wine with up to one degree more alcohol than its AC Bordeaux brethren What it really means is one more degree of body structure and in this case quality Approachable delicious and easy on the wallet
Chateau de Bernadotte Haut-Meacutedoc 2005Th e 2005 vintage in Bordeaux is in the history books with double asterisks Owned by the eminent Pichon Lalande family and made from vineyards in Paulliac one of the more choice growing areas in the region this is an incredible value a top tier Bordeaux for a fraction of the cost
Chateau de Suduiraut Sauternes 2011Ripe cantaloupe apricot and honey and an interesting smoky note with a solid sweet attack followed by great acidity A dessert wine that wonrsquot overpower the dessert
94 raquo parting shot raquo Patrick Hood
Meet Solvar
Solvar belongs to one of the worldrsquos oldest and purest equine lineages the Nor-
wegian Fjord horse a breed that has remained virtually unchanged for more than
2000 yearsmdashlong before we became acquainted with his animated cousins in
the movie Frozen Th ese national symbols of Norway are characterized by primi-
tive zebra striping on their legs and a dorsal stripe running from forelock to tail
resulting in a striking two-tone mane that sticks up like a Mohawk Th eir athleti-
cism agility and dependability make them valuable both as sport horses as well
as therapy horses for emotionally and physically challenged adults and children
Catie Wells of Huntsville is the proud owner of Solvar who resides at Monte
Sano Stables
For tickets or information 256-539-4818 or hsoorg
Bring In the New Year With Us
presents
WHAT A WONDERFUL
WORLDA tribute to Louis
Armstrong featuring the
Byron Stripling Quartet
Thursday December 31
730 pm bull Pops Series bullMark C Smith
Concert Hall VBC
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
M O R E T H A N 7 0 S H O P S A N D R E S T A U R A N T S I N C L U D I N G B E L K | D S W S H O E S | A P P L E J O S A B A N K | R E E D S J E W E L E R S | PA N D O R A | J C R E W | K AT E S PA D E N E W Y O R KO R V I S | B A N A N A R E P U B L I C | M I C H A E L K O R S | F R A N C E S C Arsquo S | A N T H R O P O L O G I EH amp M | S O M A | M O U N T A I N H I G H O U T F I T T E R S | B A R N E S amp N O B L E | S E P H O R AALTAR rsquoD STATE | CONNORS STEAK amp SEFOOD | THE WEST IN HUNTSV I L L E | MONACO P ICTURES
C O M I N G S O O N V E R S O N A ndash near Belk
B R I D G E S T R E E T H U N T S V I L L E C O M |
BR IDGE STREET TOWN CENTRE I S LOCATED AT EX I T 14 OFF I - 565 AT OLD MAD ISON P IKE
ing knife skills workshops and helping host the business seminars ldquoI am so proud
to get to be a part of this project and help nurture other small business owners
who may just be starting out on their journey or are deep in it and looking for
some encouragement from other business ownersrdquo Baggett says of what motivates
her participation in Encourage Huntsville ldquoEven being on the advice-giving side
of things I am still learning and have taken tips and tricks and lessons from each
event we have had so far We never stop learning from each other and never stop
improving upon our craftsrdquo
Th e mutual growth among students and teachers is the source of the encourage-
mentmdashand the joymdashof Encourage Huntsville ldquoItrsquos so much fun to see the light
bulbs go off with people and see them encouraged right before your eyesrdquo Lindsey
says of her experience with the program ldquoPlus itrsquos a pleasure to contribute to a
sense of community over competition Th at whole concept is so rarerdquo
As Encourage Huntsvillersquos following continues to grow the diversity of the work-
shops will expand as well Whether you are looking to spend a fun afternoon
learning a new craft or are a budding small business owner hoping to launch
your brand Encourage Huntsville has something valuable to off er ldquoWe encourage
those left-brain folks to take up a new hobby or skillrdquo Baggett says ldquoor just encour-
age the people of Huntsville to get together and fan their creative fl amesrdquo
If yoursquore looking for
creative or entrepreneurial
encouragement visit
encouragehuntsvillecom
for seminar and workshop
schedules and information
ldquoI AM SO PROUD TO GET TO BE A PART OF THIS PROJECT AND HELP NURTURE OTHER SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS WHO MAY JUST BE STARTING OUT ON THEIR JOURNEY OR ARE DEEP IN IT
AND LOOKING FOR SOME ENCOURAGEMENT FROM OTHER BUSINESS OWNERSrdquoMARGARET BAGGETT CHEF NEXT DOOR
copy Jacki Gil
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
copy Jacki Gil
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Participants in Margaret Baggettrsquos knife skills workshop learn to perfect their ldquomise en placerdquo
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
copy Olivia Reed
text by sara wright covington raquo photos by olivia reed and jeff white
HUNTSVILLErsquoS
HOMEGROWNHOSTESS
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
ttttttononononoooooonononooooo raquo praquo praquo praquo praquo phothothothothotosoososos s s osos bybybbybb
Any host will tell you that delicious food and quality libations while important to
a partyrsquos success are secondary to the most important ingredient of all the guest list Th atrsquos why many
of downtown Huntsvillersquos most popular restaurants breweries and wine shops are turning to event
planner Ashley Ryals and her uncanny knack for attracting loyal patronsmdashand creating unforgettable
events in the process
When Huntsville born-and-bred Ashley Ryals left for college at the University of Alabama in 2001
she thought her exit from the Valley was permanent ldquoI never thought I would end up back hererdquo the
founder of event planning company Homegrown Huntsville says with a knowing laugh But after a few
post-graduate years working for world-renowned public relations powerhouse Weber Shandwick in
New York City Ryals started to second guess her freshman declaration
ldquoI started to get homesickrdquo she admits ldquoAll of my friends were getting married and meeting for football
games and I was missing itrdquo So when a friend from home set up an interview at EarlyWorks for a job
doing event planning Ryals jumped at the chance to come home
Ashley spent the next few years planning EarlyWorks Whistle Stop and Santarsquos Village events A brief
stint in sales followed along with a seat on the board of Huntsville Young Professionals where she had
an idea for a downtown pub crawl
ldquoWe expected 20 or 30 peoplerdquo Ryals says of their modest expectations ldquoBut 200 people showed uprdquo
Th at initial success convinced Ryals to embark on her dream of establishing an
event planning company But it wasnrsquot just any event planning company Ryals
had in mind she envisioned one that would collaborate with local businesses
cultivate signature events for the community to enjoy and support small busi-
nesses in the process
Inspired Ryals left her sales job and for the second time in her life came home
again to event planning and Homegrown Huntsville
To help bring her vision to life Ryals collaborated with designer Adrianne Van
Kirk of Fave Creative ldquoAdrianne has been a part of the visual and branding of
Homegrown from the beginning We come up with the event ideas then I get
the ticketing and sales together and she comes back with a logo and the mar-
keting for the event And thatrsquos how it all comes togetherrdquo Ryals says of their
creative process
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
ASHLEY RYALS
copy Olivia Reed
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
ldquoMOST WINE FESTIVALS ACROSS THE COUNTRY HAVE PROVEN RECORDS OF BEING ABLE TO STAY AROUND 15 OR 20 YEARS OR EVEN LONGER AND THE ECONOMIES OF THOSE
CITIES HAVE REALLY GROWN AS A RESULT I WANT BIG SPRING CRUSH TO EVENTUALLY BE THE BIGGEST AND BEST WINE FESTIVAL IN THE STATE OF ALABAMArdquo ASHLEY RYALS
copy Jeff White
copy Jeff White
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
copy Olivia Reed
Homegrown launched in 2011 with what would become its
signature event Dine amp Dash Every second Wednesday
April through October a trolley shuttles patrons between
downtown establishments where they are served a drink
and appetizer before moving on to the next stop
Owner and executive chef Merle Phillips of Th e Eaves was
one of the fi rst restaurants to sign on for Dine amp Dashrsquos de-
but ldquoAshley came to me and said she was starting a trolley
tasting conceptrdquo says Chef Merle ldquoI didnrsquot really know her so
I was taking a chance on the concept she was sellingrdquo
Merle tried it and has been a loyal participant of Dine amp
Dash ever since
ldquoIt was a risk in the beginning but it defi nitely paid off rdquo Chef
Merle says of the experience Pivotal to that experience ac-
cording to Phillips is Ryalsrsquo demonstration to the commu-
nity just what the term ldquohomegrownrdquo really means ldquoAshley
shines a spotlight on independent businesses in a market-
place that has for so long focused on chainsrdquo Phillips says
ldquoDine amp Dash has really brought into sharp focus the inter-
esting culinary diversity that Huntsville has to off errdquo
For the next two years Homegrown Huntsville focused al-
most exclusively on Dine amp Dash which by the end of its fi rst
year included every single downtown restaurant But when
big changes began to appear on the downtown horizonmdash
new restaurants breweries and residential developmentsmdash
Ryalsrsquo instincts told her
the time had come to
introduce a new event
to the downtown cal-
endar
ldquoBeer Hop follows
the concept of Dine
amp Dashrdquo Ryals says of
Homegrownrsquos second
venture which began
in 2013 Each month a
trolley visits three dif-
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
BILL FOWLEROLD TOWN BEER
EXCHANGE
copy Olivia Reed
copy Olivia Reed
ferent breweries where patrons sample beers and enjoy food
from a variety of food trucks parked at each location
Bill Fowler managing partner of Old Town Beer Exchange
agreed to participate in Beer Hop on his very fi rst day of
business and credits Ryals with an overwhelmingly success-
ful opening night ldquoAshley said lsquoI can guarantee that you are
going to have wave after wave of people coming throughrsquordquo
Fowler says recalling that fi rst jittery occasion Once again
Ryals proved true to her word with 60-plus patrons arriving
in an hour-and-a-half ldquoIt was awesome and such a great ex-
perience for usrdquo Fowler raves ldquoAshley is a hard worker and
you can see that in what she doesrdquo
Fowler believes that in addition to bringing new customers
to OTBX Ryals is also cultivating beer education consis-
tently bringing in people who are new to beer and want to
learn And with Huntsvillersquos recent brewery boom that level
of education and interest is crucial for the brewing commu-
nity to thrive ldquoWe have a very small window of opportunityrdquo
says Fowler ldquoI think Huntsville in particular is becoming a
craft brewing community People are making money at this
and once Tennessee sees that we need to already have had a
pretty huge head startrdquo
By the end of 2013 and with standing events Beer Hop and
Dine amp Dash well established Ryals took time to refl ect on
her original goal for Homegrown Huntsville ldquoIn the back of
my head from day one I knew I wanted to do a wine festival
I just didnrsquot think Huntsville was ready for it in 2011rdquo
Emboldened by the success of Beer Hop Ryals decided to
make the leap with Big Spring Crush wine festival later the
same year Once again Ryals delivered the perfect audience
for the event and in the process discovered a surprising
fact about North Alabamarsquos contribution to the wine-mak-
ing industry
ldquoIn doing the wine festival I learned that we have a huge
wine community in Huntsvillerdquo Ryals says ldquoTh ere are only
about 47 certifi ed wine judges in the entire United States
and we have four of them right here in North Alabama Two
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
copy Jeff White
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
ldquoI STARTED TO GET HOMESICK ALL OF MY FRIENDS WERE GETTING MARRIEDAND MEETING FOR FOOTBALL GAMES AND I WAS MISSING ITrdquo ASHLEY RYALS
copy Jeff White
copy Jeff White
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
ldquoIT WAS AWESOME AND SUCH A GREAT EXPERIENCE FOR USrdquoBILL FOWLER OLD TOWN BEER EXCHANGE
copy Jeff White
copy Olivia Reed
of those four certifi ed wine judges sit on the committee for
Big Spring Crushrdquo
Matthew and Stephanie Mell had just opened Church Street
Wine Shop when they decided to participate in the fi rst Big
Spring Crush Like OTBXrsquos Robert Fowler the Mells credit
Ryals and Homegrown Huntsville for helping to introduce
their new enterprise to the community ldquoAshley has been in-
strumental in helping to bring us people who love and ap-
preciate winerdquo Stephanie Mell says ldquoShe was homegrown
here in Huntsville and she really gets the downtown area
and small businesses and that is so important to usrdquo
Big Spring Crush began with a bang featuring over 150
wines and attracting patrons from across the country
ldquoMost wine festivals across the country have proven records
of being able to stay around 15 or 20 years or even longerrdquo
Ryals says ldquoAnd the economies of those cities have really
grown as a result I want Big Spring Crush to eventually be
the biggest and best wine festival in the state of Alabamardquo
How does Ryals intend to make that dream come true ldquoBy
always keeping it fresh I want to have new marketing and
new things happening each yearrdquo
Ryalsrsquo formula of reinvention and expansion has successfully
led Homegrown Huntsville through fi ve years of success and
helped its events become community staples along the way In
the process Ryals is broadening more than just our image of
downtown Huntsville shersquos joining a class of creative entrepre-
neurs committed to expanding Huntsvillersquos reputation as more
than just a hub for the brightest scientifi c minds in America
ldquoWe have a big city of engineers and lawyers and itrsquos won-
derfulrdquo Ryals say ldquo But there is a whole artist and food cul-
ture here and there is so much growth I want us to have a
vibrant cool downtown area and I want for people to tell
their friends to come and visit and to see Huntsville for what
it is a city I loverdquo
If yoursquod like to participate in Homegrown Huntsville either
as a guest or a participating business visit homegrown-
huntsvillecom
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
copy Jeff White
I was years old and the year was At that time the city of Huntsville was inching toward the mountain to the east California Street was once the continental divide between the small town metropo-lis and the uncharted territories gingerly crossed by the real estate pioneers four score and some odd years prior Th is area became the new suburb as the city kept pushing onward toward Fagan Springs as if the reverberating booms of rocket testings were vibrating Hunstvillians away from its epicenter
From the front yard of our house on Owens Drive I could look to the rightmdashup the hill to the bend be-yond which the big houses stood on their rocky ledge pedestals and to the left where all the other houses that looked just like oursmdashfresh and newmdashrambled for what seemed like miles Th ose clean well-lit abodes all seemed the same and granted at my age I knew more about the pets that lived there than I did about the people who owned those manageable mortgages I came to realize that each was diff erent in a way that was permeated by voices smells and furnishings
It is a clicheacute to say that our lives were simpler then because that is just how the current era will be fondly referred to in the future but to a 5-year-old it is the simplicity that brought the joy Th e sixties will always be to me the beginning of the age of manufactured happiness Cheap clean and simple was what was strived for and what was easily obtained Plastic items were plentiful and pretty things could be bought with SampH Green Stamps A few coins in our pocket would transfer us into the most master of manipula-tors with us giving our all to convince our parents for a jaunt to Murdockrsquos for a holiday of wonderment joy and impatience as we would scour the shelves trying to get the most from our meager budget
Owens Drive was the fairly new thoroughfare from which the avenues of three-bedroom-ranchers fi ngered away at planned intervals Th is was the place where newlyweds started their lives homes and families Where girls with last names that had been in the town for generations would change them to those strange and exotic last names of the clean cut newcomers brought here for military purposes Where the housewives would preheat their pristine electric ovens trying to make cheese straws and biscuits that were just like their motherrsquos only to be frustrated as they were never quite the same and where the husbands would follow in their fatherrsquos footsteps by joining the Acme Club and hunting doves on the weekends
Th ere was a swimming pool Certainly not at our house Th e only private pool I remember as a child was one that my grandmother would take me to nestled between huge trees at someonersquos house on Adams Street I would swim with other children my age while our grandmothers chatted smoking cigarettes in cat-eyed anonymity whispering most of their stories so we wouldnrsquot be able to hear But between their
gasps and laughter we would listen hear and learn
Th e Blossomwood pool was a place of designated rules and the sound of bright whistlesmdashwith straight lines and distinctive colors of blue and green I can still feel the Coppertoned oiliness on the skin of the tanned lifeguard as she carried me from the deep end frightened after my fi rst attempt at solo-swimming She knew my name I had no idea who she was
On the other side of the pool was the school my older sister attended It had a style that mim-icked the poolmdashstraight lines cleanmdasha temple to orderliness and good manners It was with
awe that I once watched the young adults there some as old as eleven wind and dance their way around a sky-high fl agpolemdasheach with a diff erent color ribbon until the fi rst (and only) May Pole
I was privy to was completely dressed in its woven bright colors
90 raquo bless their hearts raquo Guy McClure Jr
Huntsville was a magical place for us tail-end baby boomers to grow upmdashbeyond the miracles of the escalator at Pizitz the smiling little lady on the tall stool at the register at Britlings There was a comfort level there that Irsquom not sure is in the minds of the 5-year-olds of today
cat-eyed agasps
Th s
aI w
THE COMFORTS OF BLOSSOMWOOD
In our world of red-bricked carported castles there was a def-inite division of generations Th e children ate separately from the parents went to school as our dads went to work enter-tained our neighborhood friends as quietly as possible and felt safe between our boundaries of Big Cove Road and Hermitage Street While we dined on our Chef Boy-Ar-Dee boxed pizza our parents busied themselves dressing in their dark colors getting ready for a late dinner at Boots having the scent of perfume and face powder trail my mother as she came into the kitchen looking for something with an intense purpose My father would smell of British Sterling and look just as he did when he went to work only happier Th ese nights meant something fun would happenmdashwe would have a babysitter
Babysitters were my introduction into what was and still seems cool Th ey were usually Huntsville High School teen-agers who would put on a show without even knowing it I would drink in their every move word and essence of style To me they were supermodelsmdashmovie starsmdasheven more fa-mous in my eyes than a television weatherman and almost as glamorous as the waitresses at the Waffl e House
Before they would tire of me and my sister and put us to bed they would include us in their world of music and knowledge which I thought was all-encompassing Suddenly our world of Th e Benny Carl Show and Fantasy Playhouse would seem trite and passeacute and we would catch a fl eeting glimpse into what would be in store for us when we too could stay up past 8 pm
Huntsville was a magical place for us tail-end baby boomers to grow upmdashbeyond the miracles of the escalator at Pizitz the smiling little lady on the tall stool at the register at Britlings and that bright colorful Maypole Th ere was a comfort level there that Irsquom not sure is in the minds of the 5-year-olds of todaymdashthe soothing sheltered lack of knowledge of why we were so lucky yet we didnrsquot even know that we were
In the other areas of our Huntsville there was poverty and ra-cial unrestmdashas there was and is in every city I was unaware People of color were always a part of my worldmdashmostly be-cause they had my attention and respect At our house there was Annie my grandmotherrsquos house was fi lled with the joys of Lula and out on the family farm there was strong and smiling Homer and large and huggable Rosamdashall just as much a part of my life as everyone else My life was good and they were instrumental in making it that way
What will the 5-year-olds of today who are lucky enough to be raised on those well-planned streets remember when they surpass their own 50 year mark It is a much more complex world now and there are diff erent concerns with daily changes of fear Youthful innocence is a prize that is encased without a lock Premature maturity is a viable threat and a constant fear But each night tucked in tight in a simple room sleeps tomor-rowrsquos adults who are having sweet dreamsmdashblanketed by the comforts of Blossomwood
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
92 raquo the vine raquo Amy C Collins
BORDEAUX POWER
Where Burgundyrsquos vineyards were established by Benedictine monks patiently growing wine vines with spiritual hearts Bordeauxrsquos vineyards were raised by entrepreneurial laymen who recognized the massive monetary opportunity when the English began drinking down their peasant wine
The city of Bordeaux is Francersquos primary port town on the Atlantic ocean a harbor that has for centuries served as the countryrsquos most important dock Th e regionrsquos history is long and storied with the fi rst written reference to the area dated 379 AD by the Latin poet Ausonius who was also a wine-grower Jump ahead to the year 1152 when Eleanor of Aquitaine married Englandrsquos soon-to-be king Henry Plantagenet and the port and surrounding vineyard land became the source of wine for the English a connection that remains strong even today
Bordeaux produces the worldrsquos most expensive and sought after collector wines the top tier of which make up less than fi ve percent of the regionrsquos total production Th ese names are quickly learned by neophyte wine drinkers wanting to make an impression Chateau Haut-Brion Lafi te Latour and Margaux for example Grown in gravelly soils only a few meters above sea levelmdashin contrast vineyards elsewhere in Europe typically sit between 300 and 900 metersmdashthese wines are some of the most powerful austere and pawed over When young the tannins in these cabernet sauvignon cabernet franc and merlot blends coat the tongue and mouth with a chalky dry sensation akin to sucking on an Earl Grey tea bag and are perhaps best suited to well-fatted rare steak and cigars Th ese are wines built to live for decades Personally I prefer a Bordeaux at least 20 years aged when the tannins have had ample time to calm down and mellow out and more nuanced fl avors come forward Sounds fancy and it is Only in some very lucky circumstances over the past year have I been guest to a bottle of 1990 Clos de Menuts Saint-Eacutemilion and a 1970 Chateau Haut-Brion About once every 10 years Irsquove had the good
fortune to taste a wine older than myself Nice work if you can get it
Where Burgundyrsquos vineyards (Francersquos other classifi ed sought-after region) were established by Benedictine monks patiently growing wine vines with spiritual hearts
Bordeauxrsquos vineyards were raised by entrepreneurial laymen who recognized the massive monetary opportunity when the English began drinking down their peasant wine Th is underscores the second half of my theory as to why Americans
more often American males are so drawn to the wines of Bordeaux Th erersquos an inherent capitalist connection something in the soil Th at the wines are so
unmistakable so distinctively grand and pronounced elixirs exemplifi es the fi rst half of my theory we Americans are not known for our subtlety (To be fair the Chinese are
signifi cant Bordeaux collectors as well)
Philosophy aside Bordeaux is quite a large region that produces beautiful white and red values as well as the rare fi nds out of the populacersquos price range Herersquos the skinny Blending is the game single varietal wines are rare White Bordeaux is typically made from a blend of sauvignon blanc and seacutemillon and sometimes a drop or two of muscadelle ugni blanc or colombard Reds are made primarily from the two cabernets plus merlot with small quantities of petit verdot malbec and carmenegravere occasionally in the mix Th e region is also home to the golden nectar of late ripened seacutemillon sauvignon blanc and muscadelle grapes that have successfully attracted the noble rot a fungus that covers the fruit and drains moisture from inside leaving behind rich sweet grapes without moldy fl avors Chateau drsquoYquem is the most famous of these unfortifi ed dessert wines though there are better bargains from the region
Bordeaux is split by the Gironde river which divides the region into three general areas Th e left bank also known as the Haut-Meacutedoc is where the classifi ed top growths are situated Th ese prestigious estates were named for their exceptional vineyard sites in 1855 a decision nearly unchanged since Today serious collectors invest in Bordeaux futures theoretically locking down lower prices of top
ample time to calm dit is Only in some vede Menuts Saint-Eacutem
fortune to taste a
Wherees
aun
of msignifi
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Follow Amy at pigandvinecom for morestories and wine suggestions
growth estates while the wine is still aging in the cellar Itrsquos the wine tradersquos equivalent to the NASDAQ On the right bank Saint-Eacutemilion and Pommerol are the prized vineyard areas known for their merlot heavy cuveacutees To the south west we fi nd Graves where there are many great values to be had in both white and red bottlings Entre-Deux-Mers which translates to ldquobetween two seasrdquo sits between the Dordogne and Garonne tributaries off the Gironde and is an excellent source for crisp whites
Get started on your Bordeaux experience with these values
Chateau Graville-Lacoste 2014 Graves 75 seacutemillon 20 sauvignon blanc and 5 muscadelle make up this beauty thatrsquos consistently delicious every vintage Crisp and refreshing great with seafood
Chateau Mirambeau 2014 GravesAnother classic blend of 40 sauvignon blanc 40 seacutemillon and 20 muscadelle this lovely white is a bit more fl oral than the Graville-Lacoste Easy drinking and great value
Chateau de Parenchegravere Bordeaux Rouge 201155 merlot 30 cabernet sauvignon and 15 cabernet franc grown in clay heavy soils similar to the right bank of the region Fleshy with good structure and abundant red fruit
Chateau Arnaud Bordeaux Supeacuterieur 2011Supeacuterieur on a Bordeaux label isnrsquot egotistical marketingmdashby law it indicates a wine with up to one degree more alcohol than its AC Bordeaux brethren What it really means is one more degree of body structure and in this case quality Approachable delicious and easy on the wallet
Chateau de Bernadotte Haut-Meacutedoc 2005Th e 2005 vintage in Bordeaux is in the history books with double asterisks Owned by the eminent Pichon Lalande family and made from vineyards in Paulliac one of the more choice growing areas in the region this is an incredible value a top tier Bordeaux for a fraction of the cost
Chateau de Suduiraut Sauternes 2011Ripe cantaloupe apricot and honey and an interesting smoky note with a solid sweet attack followed by great acidity A dessert wine that wonrsquot overpower the dessert
94 raquo parting shot raquo Patrick Hood
Meet Solvar
Solvar belongs to one of the worldrsquos oldest and purest equine lineages the Nor-
wegian Fjord horse a breed that has remained virtually unchanged for more than
2000 yearsmdashlong before we became acquainted with his animated cousins in
the movie Frozen Th ese national symbols of Norway are characterized by primi-
tive zebra striping on their legs and a dorsal stripe running from forelock to tail
resulting in a striking two-tone mane that sticks up like a Mohawk Th eir athleti-
cism agility and dependability make them valuable both as sport horses as well
as therapy horses for emotionally and physically challenged adults and children
Catie Wells of Huntsville is the proud owner of Solvar who resides at Monte
Sano Stables
For tickets or information 256-539-4818 or hsoorg
Bring In the New Year With Us
presents
WHAT A WONDERFUL
WORLDA tribute to Louis
Armstrong featuring the
Byron Stripling Quartet
Thursday December 31
730 pm bull Pops Series bullMark C Smith
Concert Hall VBC
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
M O R E T H A N 7 0 S H O P S A N D R E S T A U R A N T S I N C L U D I N G B E L K | D S W S H O E S | A P P L E J O S A B A N K | R E E D S J E W E L E R S | PA N D O R A | J C R E W | K AT E S PA D E N E W Y O R KO R V I S | B A N A N A R E P U B L I C | M I C H A E L K O R S | F R A N C E S C Arsquo S | A N T H R O P O L O G I EH amp M | S O M A | M O U N T A I N H I G H O U T F I T T E R S | B A R N E S amp N O B L E | S E P H O R AALTAR rsquoD STATE | CONNORS STEAK amp SEFOOD | THE WEST IN HUNTSV I L L E | MONACO P ICTURES
C O M I N G S O O N V E R S O N A ndash near Belk
B R I D G E S T R E E T H U N T S V I L L E C O M |
BR IDGE STREET TOWN CENTRE I S LOCATED AT EX I T 14 OFF I - 565 AT OLD MAD ISON P IKE
copy Jacki Gil
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Participants in Margaret Baggettrsquos knife skills workshop learn to perfect their ldquomise en placerdquo
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
copy Olivia Reed
text by sara wright covington raquo photos by olivia reed and jeff white
HUNTSVILLErsquoS
HOMEGROWNHOSTESS
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
ttttttononononoooooonononooooo raquo praquo praquo praquo praquo phothothothothotosoososos s s osos bybybbybb
Any host will tell you that delicious food and quality libations while important to
a partyrsquos success are secondary to the most important ingredient of all the guest list Th atrsquos why many
of downtown Huntsvillersquos most popular restaurants breweries and wine shops are turning to event
planner Ashley Ryals and her uncanny knack for attracting loyal patronsmdashand creating unforgettable
events in the process
When Huntsville born-and-bred Ashley Ryals left for college at the University of Alabama in 2001
she thought her exit from the Valley was permanent ldquoI never thought I would end up back hererdquo the
founder of event planning company Homegrown Huntsville says with a knowing laugh But after a few
post-graduate years working for world-renowned public relations powerhouse Weber Shandwick in
New York City Ryals started to second guess her freshman declaration
ldquoI started to get homesickrdquo she admits ldquoAll of my friends were getting married and meeting for football
games and I was missing itrdquo So when a friend from home set up an interview at EarlyWorks for a job
doing event planning Ryals jumped at the chance to come home
Ashley spent the next few years planning EarlyWorks Whistle Stop and Santarsquos Village events A brief
stint in sales followed along with a seat on the board of Huntsville Young Professionals where she had
an idea for a downtown pub crawl
ldquoWe expected 20 or 30 peoplerdquo Ryals says of their modest expectations ldquoBut 200 people showed uprdquo
Th at initial success convinced Ryals to embark on her dream of establishing an
event planning company But it wasnrsquot just any event planning company Ryals
had in mind she envisioned one that would collaborate with local businesses
cultivate signature events for the community to enjoy and support small busi-
nesses in the process
Inspired Ryals left her sales job and for the second time in her life came home
again to event planning and Homegrown Huntsville
To help bring her vision to life Ryals collaborated with designer Adrianne Van
Kirk of Fave Creative ldquoAdrianne has been a part of the visual and branding of
Homegrown from the beginning We come up with the event ideas then I get
the ticketing and sales together and she comes back with a logo and the mar-
keting for the event And thatrsquos how it all comes togetherrdquo Ryals says of their
creative process
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
ASHLEY RYALS
copy Olivia Reed
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
ldquoMOST WINE FESTIVALS ACROSS THE COUNTRY HAVE PROVEN RECORDS OF BEING ABLE TO STAY AROUND 15 OR 20 YEARS OR EVEN LONGER AND THE ECONOMIES OF THOSE
CITIES HAVE REALLY GROWN AS A RESULT I WANT BIG SPRING CRUSH TO EVENTUALLY BE THE BIGGEST AND BEST WINE FESTIVAL IN THE STATE OF ALABAMArdquo ASHLEY RYALS
copy Jeff White
copy Jeff White
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
copy Olivia Reed
Homegrown launched in 2011 with what would become its
signature event Dine amp Dash Every second Wednesday
April through October a trolley shuttles patrons between
downtown establishments where they are served a drink
and appetizer before moving on to the next stop
Owner and executive chef Merle Phillips of Th e Eaves was
one of the fi rst restaurants to sign on for Dine amp Dashrsquos de-
but ldquoAshley came to me and said she was starting a trolley
tasting conceptrdquo says Chef Merle ldquoI didnrsquot really know her so
I was taking a chance on the concept she was sellingrdquo
Merle tried it and has been a loyal participant of Dine amp
Dash ever since
ldquoIt was a risk in the beginning but it defi nitely paid off rdquo Chef
Merle says of the experience Pivotal to that experience ac-
cording to Phillips is Ryalsrsquo demonstration to the commu-
nity just what the term ldquohomegrownrdquo really means ldquoAshley
shines a spotlight on independent businesses in a market-
place that has for so long focused on chainsrdquo Phillips says
ldquoDine amp Dash has really brought into sharp focus the inter-
esting culinary diversity that Huntsville has to off errdquo
For the next two years Homegrown Huntsville focused al-
most exclusively on Dine amp Dash which by the end of its fi rst
year included every single downtown restaurant But when
big changes began to appear on the downtown horizonmdash
new restaurants breweries and residential developmentsmdash
Ryalsrsquo instincts told her
the time had come to
introduce a new event
to the downtown cal-
endar
ldquoBeer Hop follows
the concept of Dine
amp Dashrdquo Ryals says of
Homegrownrsquos second
venture which began
in 2013 Each month a
trolley visits three dif-
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
BILL FOWLEROLD TOWN BEER
EXCHANGE
copy Olivia Reed
copy Olivia Reed
ferent breweries where patrons sample beers and enjoy food
from a variety of food trucks parked at each location
Bill Fowler managing partner of Old Town Beer Exchange
agreed to participate in Beer Hop on his very fi rst day of
business and credits Ryals with an overwhelmingly success-
ful opening night ldquoAshley said lsquoI can guarantee that you are
going to have wave after wave of people coming throughrsquordquo
Fowler says recalling that fi rst jittery occasion Once again
Ryals proved true to her word with 60-plus patrons arriving
in an hour-and-a-half ldquoIt was awesome and such a great ex-
perience for usrdquo Fowler raves ldquoAshley is a hard worker and
you can see that in what she doesrdquo
Fowler believes that in addition to bringing new customers
to OTBX Ryals is also cultivating beer education consis-
tently bringing in people who are new to beer and want to
learn And with Huntsvillersquos recent brewery boom that level
of education and interest is crucial for the brewing commu-
nity to thrive ldquoWe have a very small window of opportunityrdquo
says Fowler ldquoI think Huntsville in particular is becoming a
craft brewing community People are making money at this
and once Tennessee sees that we need to already have had a
pretty huge head startrdquo
By the end of 2013 and with standing events Beer Hop and
Dine amp Dash well established Ryals took time to refl ect on
her original goal for Homegrown Huntsville ldquoIn the back of
my head from day one I knew I wanted to do a wine festival
I just didnrsquot think Huntsville was ready for it in 2011rdquo
Emboldened by the success of Beer Hop Ryals decided to
make the leap with Big Spring Crush wine festival later the
same year Once again Ryals delivered the perfect audience
for the event and in the process discovered a surprising
fact about North Alabamarsquos contribution to the wine-mak-
ing industry
ldquoIn doing the wine festival I learned that we have a huge
wine community in Huntsvillerdquo Ryals says ldquoTh ere are only
about 47 certifi ed wine judges in the entire United States
and we have four of them right here in North Alabama Two
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
copy Jeff White
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
ldquoI STARTED TO GET HOMESICK ALL OF MY FRIENDS WERE GETTING MARRIEDAND MEETING FOR FOOTBALL GAMES AND I WAS MISSING ITrdquo ASHLEY RYALS
copy Jeff White
copy Jeff White
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
ldquoIT WAS AWESOME AND SUCH A GREAT EXPERIENCE FOR USrdquoBILL FOWLER OLD TOWN BEER EXCHANGE
copy Jeff White
copy Olivia Reed
of those four certifi ed wine judges sit on the committee for
Big Spring Crushrdquo
Matthew and Stephanie Mell had just opened Church Street
Wine Shop when they decided to participate in the fi rst Big
Spring Crush Like OTBXrsquos Robert Fowler the Mells credit
Ryals and Homegrown Huntsville for helping to introduce
their new enterprise to the community ldquoAshley has been in-
strumental in helping to bring us people who love and ap-
preciate winerdquo Stephanie Mell says ldquoShe was homegrown
here in Huntsville and she really gets the downtown area
and small businesses and that is so important to usrdquo
Big Spring Crush began with a bang featuring over 150
wines and attracting patrons from across the country
ldquoMost wine festivals across the country have proven records
of being able to stay around 15 or 20 years or even longerrdquo
Ryals says ldquoAnd the economies of those cities have really
grown as a result I want Big Spring Crush to eventually be
the biggest and best wine festival in the state of Alabamardquo
How does Ryals intend to make that dream come true ldquoBy
always keeping it fresh I want to have new marketing and
new things happening each yearrdquo
Ryalsrsquo formula of reinvention and expansion has successfully
led Homegrown Huntsville through fi ve years of success and
helped its events become community staples along the way In
the process Ryals is broadening more than just our image of
downtown Huntsville shersquos joining a class of creative entrepre-
neurs committed to expanding Huntsvillersquos reputation as more
than just a hub for the brightest scientifi c minds in America
ldquoWe have a big city of engineers and lawyers and itrsquos won-
derfulrdquo Ryals say ldquo But there is a whole artist and food cul-
ture here and there is so much growth I want us to have a
vibrant cool downtown area and I want for people to tell
their friends to come and visit and to see Huntsville for what
it is a city I loverdquo
If yoursquod like to participate in Homegrown Huntsville either
as a guest or a participating business visit homegrown-
huntsvillecom
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
copy Jeff White
I was years old and the year was At that time the city of Huntsville was inching toward the mountain to the east California Street was once the continental divide between the small town metropo-lis and the uncharted territories gingerly crossed by the real estate pioneers four score and some odd years prior Th is area became the new suburb as the city kept pushing onward toward Fagan Springs as if the reverberating booms of rocket testings were vibrating Hunstvillians away from its epicenter
From the front yard of our house on Owens Drive I could look to the rightmdashup the hill to the bend be-yond which the big houses stood on their rocky ledge pedestals and to the left where all the other houses that looked just like oursmdashfresh and newmdashrambled for what seemed like miles Th ose clean well-lit abodes all seemed the same and granted at my age I knew more about the pets that lived there than I did about the people who owned those manageable mortgages I came to realize that each was diff erent in a way that was permeated by voices smells and furnishings
It is a clicheacute to say that our lives were simpler then because that is just how the current era will be fondly referred to in the future but to a 5-year-old it is the simplicity that brought the joy Th e sixties will always be to me the beginning of the age of manufactured happiness Cheap clean and simple was what was strived for and what was easily obtained Plastic items were plentiful and pretty things could be bought with SampH Green Stamps A few coins in our pocket would transfer us into the most master of manipula-tors with us giving our all to convince our parents for a jaunt to Murdockrsquos for a holiday of wonderment joy and impatience as we would scour the shelves trying to get the most from our meager budget
Owens Drive was the fairly new thoroughfare from which the avenues of three-bedroom-ranchers fi ngered away at planned intervals Th is was the place where newlyweds started their lives homes and families Where girls with last names that had been in the town for generations would change them to those strange and exotic last names of the clean cut newcomers brought here for military purposes Where the housewives would preheat their pristine electric ovens trying to make cheese straws and biscuits that were just like their motherrsquos only to be frustrated as they were never quite the same and where the husbands would follow in their fatherrsquos footsteps by joining the Acme Club and hunting doves on the weekends
Th ere was a swimming pool Certainly not at our house Th e only private pool I remember as a child was one that my grandmother would take me to nestled between huge trees at someonersquos house on Adams Street I would swim with other children my age while our grandmothers chatted smoking cigarettes in cat-eyed anonymity whispering most of their stories so we wouldnrsquot be able to hear But between their
gasps and laughter we would listen hear and learn
Th e Blossomwood pool was a place of designated rules and the sound of bright whistlesmdashwith straight lines and distinctive colors of blue and green I can still feel the Coppertoned oiliness on the skin of the tanned lifeguard as she carried me from the deep end frightened after my fi rst attempt at solo-swimming She knew my name I had no idea who she was
On the other side of the pool was the school my older sister attended It had a style that mim-icked the poolmdashstraight lines cleanmdasha temple to orderliness and good manners It was with
awe that I once watched the young adults there some as old as eleven wind and dance their way around a sky-high fl agpolemdasheach with a diff erent color ribbon until the fi rst (and only) May Pole
I was privy to was completely dressed in its woven bright colors
90 raquo bless their hearts raquo Guy McClure Jr
Huntsville was a magical place for us tail-end baby boomers to grow upmdashbeyond the miracles of the escalator at Pizitz the smiling little lady on the tall stool at the register at Britlings There was a comfort level there that Irsquom not sure is in the minds of the 5-year-olds of today
cat-eyed agasps
Th s
aI w
THE COMFORTS OF BLOSSOMWOOD
In our world of red-bricked carported castles there was a def-inite division of generations Th e children ate separately from the parents went to school as our dads went to work enter-tained our neighborhood friends as quietly as possible and felt safe between our boundaries of Big Cove Road and Hermitage Street While we dined on our Chef Boy-Ar-Dee boxed pizza our parents busied themselves dressing in their dark colors getting ready for a late dinner at Boots having the scent of perfume and face powder trail my mother as she came into the kitchen looking for something with an intense purpose My father would smell of British Sterling and look just as he did when he went to work only happier Th ese nights meant something fun would happenmdashwe would have a babysitter
Babysitters were my introduction into what was and still seems cool Th ey were usually Huntsville High School teen-agers who would put on a show without even knowing it I would drink in their every move word and essence of style To me they were supermodelsmdashmovie starsmdasheven more fa-mous in my eyes than a television weatherman and almost as glamorous as the waitresses at the Waffl e House
Before they would tire of me and my sister and put us to bed they would include us in their world of music and knowledge which I thought was all-encompassing Suddenly our world of Th e Benny Carl Show and Fantasy Playhouse would seem trite and passeacute and we would catch a fl eeting glimpse into what would be in store for us when we too could stay up past 8 pm
Huntsville was a magical place for us tail-end baby boomers to grow upmdashbeyond the miracles of the escalator at Pizitz the smiling little lady on the tall stool at the register at Britlings and that bright colorful Maypole Th ere was a comfort level there that Irsquom not sure is in the minds of the 5-year-olds of todaymdashthe soothing sheltered lack of knowledge of why we were so lucky yet we didnrsquot even know that we were
In the other areas of our Huntsville there was poverty and ra-cial unrestmdashas there was and is in every city I was unaware People of color were always a part of my worldmdashmostly be-cause they had my attention and respect At our house there was Annie my grandmotherrsquos house was fi lled with the joys of Lula and out on the family farm there was strong and smiling Homer and large and huggable Rosamdashall just as much a part of my life as everyone else My life was good and they were instrumental in making it that way
What will the 5-year-olds of today who are lucky enough to be raised on those well-planned streets remember when they surpass their own 50 year mark It is a much more complex world now and there are diff erent concerns with daily changes of fear Youthful innocence is a prize that is encased without a lock Premature maturity is a viable threat and a constant fear But each night tucked in tight in a simple room sleeps tomor-rowrsquos adults who are having sweet dreamsmdashblanketed by the comforts of Blossomwood
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
92 raquo the vine raquo Amy C Collins
BORDEAUX POWER
Where Burgundyrsquos vineyards were established by Benedictine monks patiently growing wine vines with spiritual hearts Bordeauxrsquos vineyards were raised by entrepreneurial laymen who recognized the massive monetary opportunity when the English began drinking down their peasant wine
The city of Bordeaux is Francersquos primary port town on the Atlantic ocean a harbor that has for centuries served as the countryrsquos most important dock Th e regionrsquos history is long and storied with the fi rst written reference to the area dated 379 AD by the Latin poet Ausonius who was also a wine-grower Jump ahead to the year 1152 when Eleanor of Aquitaine married Englandrsquos soon-to-be king Henry Plantagenet and the port and surrounding vineyard land became the source of wine for the English a connection that remains strong even today
Bordeaux produces the worldrsquos most expensive and sought after collector wines the top tier of which make up less than fi ve percent of the regionrsquos total production Th ese names are quickly learned by neophyte wine drinkers wanting to make an impression Chateau Haut-Brion Lafi te Latour and Margaux for example Grown in gravelly soils only a few meters above sea levelmdashin contrast vineyards elsewhere in Europe typically sit between 300 and 900 metersmdashthese wines are some of the most powerful austere and pawed over When young the tannins in these cabernet sauvignon cabernet franc and merlot blends coat the tongue and mouth with a chalky dry sensation akin to sucking on an Earl Grey tea bag and are perhaps best suited to well-fatted rare steak and cigars Th ese are wines built to live for decades Personally I prefer a Bordeaux at least 20 years aged when the tannins have had ample time to calm down and mellow out and more nuanced fl avors come forward Sounds fancy and it is Only in some very lucky circumstances over the past year have I been guest to a bottle of 1990 Clos de Menuts Saint-Eacutemilion and a 1970 Chateau Haut-Brion About once every 10 years Irsquove had the good
fortune to taste a wine older than myself Nice work if you can get it
Where Burgundyrsquos vineyards (Francersquos other classifi ed sought-after region) were established by Benedictine monks patiently growing wine vines with spiritual hearts
Bordeauxrsquos vineyards were raised by entrepreneurial laymen who recognized the massive monetary opportunity when the English began drinking down their peasant wine Th is underscores the second half of my theory as to why Americans
more often American males are so drawn to the wines of Bordeaux Th erersquos an inherent capitalist connection something in the soil Th at the wines are so
unmistakable so distinctively grand and pronounced elixirs exemplifi es the fi rst half of my theory we Americans are not known for our subtlety (To be fair the Chinese are
signifi cant Bordeaux collectors as well)
Philosophy aside Bordeaux is quite a large region that produces beautiful white and red values as well as the rare fi nds out of the populacersquos price range Herersquos the skinny Blending is the game single varietal wines are rare White Bordeaux is typically made from a blend of sauvignon blanc and seacutemillon and sometimes a drop or two of muscadelle ugni blanc or colombard Reds are made primarily from the two cabernets plus merlot with small quantities of petit verdot malbec and carmenegravere occasionally in the mix Th e region is also home to the golden nectar of late ripened seacutemillon sauvignon blanc and muscadelle grapes that have successfully attracted the noble rot a fungus that covers the fruit and drains moisture from inside leaving behind rich sweet grapes without moldy fl avors Chateau drsquoYquem is the most famous of these unfortifi ed dessert wines though there are better bargains from the region
Bordeaux is split by the Gironde river which divides the region into three general areas Th e left bank also known as the Haut-Meacutedoc is where the classifi ed top growths are situated Th ese prestigious estates were named for their exceptional vineyard sites in 1855 a decision nearly unchanged since Today serious collectors invest in Bordeaux futures theoretically locking down lower prices of top
ample time to calm dit is Only in some vede Menuts Saint-Eacutem
fortune to taste a
Wherees
aun
of msignifi
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Follow Amy at pigandvinecom for morestories and wine suggestions
growth estates while the wine is still aging in the cellar Itrsquos the wine tradersquos equivalent to the NASDAQ On the right bank Saint-Eacutemilion and Pommerol are the prized vineyard areas known for their merlot heavy cuveacutees To the south west we fi nd Graves where there are many great values to be had in both white and red bottlings Entre-Deux-Mers which translates to ldquobetween two seasrdquo sits between the Dordogne and Garonne tributaries off the Gironde and is an excellent source for crisp whites
Get started on your Bordeaux experience with these values
Chateau Graville-Lacoste 2014 Graves 75 seacutemillon 20 sauvignon blanc and 5 muscadelle make up this beauty thatrsquos consistently delicious every vintage Crisp and refreshing great with seafood
Chateau Mirambeau 2014 GravesAnother classic blend of 40 sauvignon blanc 40 seacutemillon and 20 muscadelle this lovely white is a bit more fl oral than the Graville-Lacoste Easy drinking and great value
Chateau de Parenchegravere Bordeaux Rouge 201155 merlot 30 cabernet sauvignon and 15 cabernet franc grown in clay heavy soils similar to the right bank of the region Fleshy with good structure and abundant red fruit
Chateau Arnaud Bordeaux Supeacuterieur 2011Supeacuterieur on a Bordeaux label isnrsquot egotistical marketingmdashby law it indicates a wine with up to one degree more alcohol than its AC Bordeaux brethren What it really means is one more degree of body structure and in this case quality Approachable delicious and easy on the wallet
Chateau de Bernadotte Haut-Meacutedoc 2005Th e 2005 vintage in Bordeaux is in the history books with double asterisks Owned by the eminent Pichon Lalande family and made from vineyards in Paulliac one of the more choice growing areas in the region this is an incredible value a top tier Bordeaux for a fraction of the cost
Chateau de Suduiraut Sauternes 2011Ripe cantaloupe apricot and honey and an interesting smoky note with a solid sweet attack followed by great acidity A dessert wine that wonrsquot overpower the dessert
94 raquo parting shot raquo Patrick Hood
Meet Solvar
Solvar belongs to one of the worldrsquos oldest and purest equine lineages the Nor-
wegian Fjord horse a breed that has remained virtually unchanged for more than
2000 yearsmdashlong before we became acquainted with his animated cousins in
the movie Frozen Th ese national symbols of Norway are characterized by primi-
tive zebra striping on their legs and a dorsal stripe running from forelock to tail
resulting in a striking two-tone mane that sticks up like a Mohawk Th eir athleti-
cism agility and dependability make them valuable both as sport horses as well
as therapy horses for emotionally and physically challenged adults and children
Catie Wells of Huntsville is the proud owner of Solvar who resides at Monte
Sano Stables
For tickets or information 256-539-4818 or hsoorg
Bring In the New Year With Us
presents
WHAT A WONDERFUL
WORLDA tribute to Louis
Armstrong featuring the
Byron Stripling Quartet
Thursday December 31
730 pm bull Pops Series bullMark C Smith
Concert Hall VBC
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
M O R E T H A N 7 0 S H O P S A N D R E S T A U R A N T S I N C L U D I N G B E L K | D S W S H O E S | A P P L E J O S A B A N K | R E E D S J E W E L E R S | PA N D O R A | J C R E W | K AT E S PA D E N E W Y O R KO R V I S | B A N A N A R E P U B L I C | M I C H A E L K O R S | F R A N C E S C Arsquo S | A N T H R O P O L O G I EH amp M | S O M A | M O U N T A I N H I G H O U T F I T T E R S | B A R N E S amp N O B L E | S E P H O R AALTAR rsquoD STATE | CONNORS STEAK amp SEFOOD | THE WEST IN HUNTSV I L L E | MONACO P ICTURES
C O M I N G S O O N V E R S O N A ndash near Belk
B R I D G E S T R E E T H U N T S V I L L E C O M |
BR IDGE STREET TOWN CENTRE I S LOCATED AT EX I T 14 OFF I - 565 AT OLD MAD ISON P IKE
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
copy Olivia Reed
text by sara wright covington raquo photos by olivia reed and jeff white
HUNTSVILLErsquoS
HOMEGROWNHOSTESS
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
ttttttononononoooooonononooooo raquo praquo praquo praquo praquo phothothothothotosoososos s s osos bybybbybb
Any host will tell you that delicious food and quality libations while important to
a partyrsquos success are secondary to the most important ingredient of all the guest list Th atrsquos why many
of downtown Huntsvillersquos most popular restaurants breweries and wine shops are turning to event
planner Ashley Ryals and her uncanny knack for attracting loyal patronsmdashand creating unforgettable
events in the process
When Huntsville born-and-bred Ashley Ryals left for college at the University of Alabama in 2001
she thought her exit from the Valley was permanent ldquoI never thought I would end up back hererdquo the
founder of event planning company Homegrown Huntsville says with a knowing laugh But after a few
post-graduate years working for world-renowned public relations powerhouse Weber Shandwick in
New York City Ryals started to second guess her freshman declaration
ldquoI started to get homesickrdquo she admits ldquoAll of my friends were getting married and meeting for football
games and I was missing itrdquo So when a friend from home set up an interview at EarlyWorks for a job
doing event planning Ryals jumped at the chance to come home
Ashley spent the next few years planning EarlyWorks Whistle Stop and Santarsquos Village events A brief
stint in sales followed along with a seat on the board of Huntsville Young Professionals where she had
an idea for a downtown pub crawl
ldquoWe expected 20 or 30 peoplerdquo Ryals says of their modest expectations ldquoBut 200 people showed uprdquo
Th at initial success convinced Ryals to embark on her dream of establishing an
event planning company But it wasnrsquot just any event planning company Ryals
had in mind she envisioned one that would collaborate with local businesses
cultivate signature events for the community to enjoy and support small busi-
nesses in the process
Inspired Ryals left her sales job and for the second time in her life came home
again to event planning and Homegrown Huntsville
To help bring her vision to life Ryals collaborated with designer Adrianne Van
Kirk of Fave Creative ldquoAdrianne has been a part of the visual and branding of
Homegrown from the beginning We come up with the event ideas then I get
the ticketing and sales together and she comes back with a logo and the mar-
keting for the event And thatrsquos how it all comes togetherrdquo Ryals says of their
creative process
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
ASHLEY RYALS
copy Olivia Reed
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
ldquoMOST WINE FESTIVALS ACROSS THE COUNTRY HAVE PROVEN RECORDS OF BEING ABLE TO STAY AROUND 15 OR 20 YEARS OR EVEN LONGER AND THE ECONOMIES OF THOSE
CITIES HAVE REALLY GROWN AS A RESULT I WANT BIG SPRING CRUSH TO EVENTUALLY BE THE BIGGEST AND BEST WINE FESTIVAL IN THE STATE OF ALABAMArdquo ASHLEY RYALS
copy Jeff White
copy Jeff White
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
copy Olivia Reed
Homegrown launched in 2011 with what would become its
signature event Dine amp Dash Every second Wednesday
April through October a trolley shuttles patrons between
downtown establishments where they are served a drink
and appetizer before moving on to the next stop
Owner and executive chef Merle Phillips of Th e Eaves was
one of the fi rst restaurants to sign on for Dine amp Dashrsquos de-
but ldquoAshley came to me and said she was starting a trolley
tasting conceptrdquo says Chef Merle ldquoI didnrsquot really know her so
I was taking a chance on the concept she was sellingrdquo
Merle tried it and has been a loyal participant of Dine amp
Dash ever since
ldquoIt was a risk in the beginning but it defi nitely paid off rdquo Chef
Merle says of the experience Pivotal to that experience ac-
cording to Phillips is Ryalsrsquo demonstration to the commu-
nity just what the term ldquohomegrownrdquo really means ldquoAshley
shines a spotlight on independent businesses in a market-
place that has for so long focused on chainsrdquo Phillips says
ldquoDine amp Dash has really brought into sharp focus the inter-
esting culinary diversity that Huntsville has to off errdquo
For the next two years Homegrown Huntsville focused al-
most exclusively on Dine amp Dash which by the end of its fi rst
year included every single downtown restaurant But when
big changes began to appear on the downtown horizonmdash
new restaurants breweries and residential developmentsmdash
Ryalsrsquo instincts told her
the time had come to
introduce a new event
to the downtown cal-
endar
ldquoBeer Hop follows
the concept of Dine
amp Dashrdquo Ryals says of
Homegrownrsquos second
venture which began
in 2013 Each month a
trolley visits three dif-
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
BILL FOWLEROLD TOWN BEER
EXCHANGE
copy Olivia Reed
copy Olivia Reed
ferent breweries where patrons sample beers and enjoy food
from a variety of food trucks parked at each location
Bill Fowler managing partner of Old Town Beer Exchange
agreed to participate in Beer Hop on his very fi rst day of
business and credits Ryals with an overwhelmingly success-
ful opening night ldquoAshley said lsquoI can guarantee that you are
going to have wave after wave of people coming throughrsquordquo
Fowler says recalling that fi rst jittery occasion Once again
Ryals proved true to her word with 60-plus patrons arriving
in an hour-and-a-half ldquoIt was awesome and such a great ex-
perience for usrdquo Fowler raves ldquoAshley is a hard worker and
you can see that in what she doesrdquo
Fowler believes that in addition to bringing new customers
to OTBX Ryals is also cultivating beer education consis-
tently bringing in people who are new to beer and want to
learn And with Huntsvillersquos recent brewery boom that level
of education and interest is crucial for the brewing commu-
nity to thrive ldquoWe have a very small window of opportunityrdquo
says Fowler ldquoI think Huntsville in particular is becoming a
craft brewing community People are making money at this
and once Tennessee sees that we need to already have had a
pretty huge head startrdquo
By the end of 2013 and with standing events Beer Hop and
Dine amp Dash well established Ryals took time to refl ect on
her original goal for Homegrown Huntsville ldquoIn the back of
my head from day one I knew I wanted to do a wine festival
I just didnrsquot think Huntsville was ready for it in 2011rdquo
Emboldened by the success of Beer Hop Ryals decided to
make the leap with Big Spring Crush wine festival later the
same year Once again Ryals delivered the perfect audience
for the event and in the process discovered a surprising
fact about North Alabamarsquos contribution to the wine-mak-
ing industry
ldquoIn doing the wine festival I learned that we have a huge
wine community in Huntsvillerdquo Ryals says ldquoTh ere are only
about 47 certifi ed wine judges in the entire United States
and we have four of them right here in North Alabama Two
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
copy Jeff White
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
ldquoI STARTED TO GET HOMESICK ALL OF MY FRIENDS WERE GETTING MARRIEDAND MEETING FOR FOOTBALL GAMES AND I WAS MISSING ITrdquo ASHLEY RYALS
copy Jeff White
copy Jeff White
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
ldquoIT WAS AWESOME AND SUCH A GREAT EXPERIENCE FOR USrdquoBILL FOWLER OLD TOWN BEER EXCHANGE
copy Jeff White
copy Olivia Reed
of those four certifi ed wine judges sit on the committee for
Big Spring Crushrdquo
Matthew and Stephanie Mell had just opened Church Street
Wine Shop when they decided to participate in the fi rst Big
Spring Crush Like OTBXrsquos Robert Fowler the Mells credit
Ryals and Homegrown Huntsville for helping to introduce
their new enterprise to the community ldquoAshley has been in-
strumental in helping to bring us people who love and ap-
preciate winerdquo Stephanie Mell says ldquoShe was homegrown
here in Huntsville and she really gets the downtown area
and small businesses and that is so important to usrdquo
Big Spring Crush began with a bang featuring over 150
wines and attracting patrons from across the country
ldquoMost wine festivals across the country have proven records
of being able to stay around 15 or 20 years or even longerrdquo
Ryals says ldquoAnd the economies of those cities have really
grown as a result I want Big Spring Crush to eventually be
the biggest and best wine festival in the state of Alabamardquo
How does Ryals intend to make that dream come true ldquoBy
always keeping it fresh I want to have new marketing and
new things happening each yearrdquo
Ryalsrsquo formula of reinvention and expansion has successfully
led Homegrown Huntsville through fi ve years of success and
helped its events become community staples along the way In
the process Ryals is broadening more than just our image of
downtown Huntsville shersquos joining a class of creative entrepre-
neurs committed to expanding Huntsvillersquos reputation as more
than just a hub for the brightest scientifi c minds in America
ldquoWe have a big city of engineers and lawyers and itrsquos won-
derfulrdquo Ryals say ldquo But there is a whole artist and food cul-
ture here and there is so much growth I want us to have a
vibrant cool downtown area and I want for people to tell
their friends to come and visit and to see Huntsville for what
it is a city I loverdquo
If yoursquod like to participate in Homegrown Huntsville either
as a guest or a participating business visit homegrown-
huntsvillecom
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
copy Jeff White
I was years old and the year was At that time the city of Huntsville was inching toward the mountain to the east California Street was once the continental divide between the small town metropo-lis and the uncharted territories gingerly crossed by the real estate pioneers four score and some odd years prior Th is area became the new suburb as the city kept pushing onward toward Fagan Springs as if the reverberating booms of rocket testings were vibrating Hunstvillians away from its epicenter
From the front yard of our house on Owens Drive I could look to the rightmdashup the hill to the bend be-yond which the big houses stood on their rocky ledge pedestals and to the left where all the other houses that looked just like oursmdashfresh and newmdashrambled for what seemed like miles Th ose clean well-lit abodes all seemed the same and granted at my age I knew more about the pets that lived there than I did about the people who owned those manageable mortgages I came to realize that each was diff erent in a way that was permeated by voices smells and furnishings
It is a clicheacute to say that our lives were simpler then because that is just how the current era will be fondly referred to in the future but to a 5-year-old it is the simplicity that brought the joy Th e sixties will always be to me the beginning of the age of manufactured happiness Cheap clean and simple was what was strived for and what was easily obtained Plastic items were plentiful and pretty things could be bought with SampH Green Stamps A few coins in our pocket would transfer us into the most master of manipula-tors with us giving our all to convince our parents for a jaunt to Murdockrsquos for a holiday of wonderment joy and impatience as we would scour the shelves trying to get the most from our meager budget
Owens Drive was the fairly new thoroughfare from which the avenues of three-bedroom-ranchers fi ngered away at planned intervals Th is was the place where newlyweds started their lives homes and families Where girls with last names that had been in the town for generations would change them to those strange and exotic last names of the clean cut newcomers brought here for military purposes Where the housewives would preheat their pristine electric ovens trying to make cheese straws and biscuits that were just like their motherrsquos only to be frustrated as they were never quite the same and where the husbands would follow in their fatherrsquos footsteps by joining the Acme Club and hunting doves on the weekends
Th ere was a swimming pool Certainly not at our house Th e only private pool I remember as a child was one that my grandmother would take me to nestled between huge trees at someonersquos house on Adams Street I would swim with other children my age while our grandmothers chatted smoking cigarettes in cat-eyed anonymity whispering most of their stories so we wouldnrsquot be able to hear But between their
gasps and laughter we would listen hear and learn
Th e Blossomwood pool was a place of designated rules and the sound of bright whistlesmdashwith straight lines and distinctive colors of blue and green I can still feel the Coppertoned oiliness on the skin of the tanned lifeguard as she carried me from the deep end frightened after my fi rst attempt at solo-swimming She knew my name I had no idea who she was
On the other side of the pool was the school my older sister attended It had a style that mim-icked the poolmdashstraight lines cleanmdasha temple to orderliness and good manners It was with
awe that I once watched the young adults there some as old as eleven wind and dance their way around a sky-high fl agpolemdasheach with a diff erent color ribbon until the fi rst (and only) May Pole
I was privy to was completely dressed in its woven bright colors
90 raquo bless their hearts raquo Guy McClure Jr
Huntsville was a magical place for us tail-end baby boomers to grow upmdashbeyond the miracles of the escalator at Pizitz the smiling little lady on the tall stool at the register at Britlings There was a comfort level there that Irsquom not sure is in the minds of the 5-year-olds of today
cat-eyed agasps
Th s
aI w
THE COMFORTS OF BLOSSOMWOOD
In our world of red-bricked carported castles there was a def-inite division of generations Th e children ate separately from the parents went to school as our dads went to work enter-tained our neighborhood friends as quietly as possible and felt safe between our boundaries of Big Cove Road and Hermitage Street While we dined on our Chef Boy-Ar-Dee boxed pizza our parents busied themselves dressing in their dark colors getting ready for a late dinner at Boots having the scent of perfume and face powder trail my mother as she came into the kitchen looking for something with an intense purpose My father would smell of British Sterling and look just as he did when he went to work only happier Th ese nights meant something fun would happenmdashwe would have a babysitter
Babysitters were my introduction into what was and still seems cool Th ey were usually Huntsville High School teen-agers who would put on a show without even knowing it I would drink in their every move word and essence of style To me they were supermodelsmdashmovie starsmdasheven more fa-mous in my eyes than a television weatherman and almost as glamorous as the waitresses at the Waffl e House
Before they would tire of me and my sister and put us to bed they would include us in their world of music and knowledge which I thought was all-encompassing Suddenly our world of Th e Benny Carl Show and Fantasy Playhouse would seem trite and passeacute and we would catch a fl eeting glimpse into what would be in store for us when we too could stay up past 8 pm
Huntsville was a magical place for us tail-end baby boomers to grow upmdashbeyond the miracles of the escalator at Pizitz the smiling little lady on the tall stool at the register at Britlings and that bright colorful Maypole Th ere was a comfort level there that Irsquom not sure is in the minds of the 5-year-olds of todaymdashthe soothing sheltered lack of knowledge of why we were so lucky yet we didnrsquot even know that we were
In the other areas of our Huntsville there was poverty and ra-cial unrestmdashas there was and is in every city I was unaware People of color were always a part of my worldmdashmostly be-cause they had my attention and respect At our house there was Annie my grandmotherrsquos house was fi lled with the joys of Lula and out on the family farm there was strong and smiling Homer and large and huggable Rosamdashall just as much a part of my life as everyone else My life was good and they were instrumental in making it that way
What will the 5-year-olds of today who are lucky enough to be raised on those well-planned streets remember when they surpass their own 50 year mark It is a much more complex world now and there are diff erent concerns with daily changes of fear Youthful innocence is a prize that is encased without a lock Premature maturity is a viable threat and a constant fear But each night tucked in tight in a simple room sleeps tomor-rowrsquos adults who are having sweet dreamsmdashblanketed by the comforts of Blossomwood
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
92 raquo the vine raquo Amy C Collins
BORDEAUX POWER
Where Burgundyrsquos vineyards were established by Benedictine monks patiently growing wine vines with spiritual hearts Bordeauxrsquos vineyards were raised by entrepreneurial laymen who recognized the massive monetary opportunity when the English began drinking down their peasant wine
The city of Bordeaux is Francersquos primary port town on the Atlantic ocean a harbor that has for centuries served as the countryrsquos most important dock Th e regionrsquos history is long and storied with the fi rst written reference to the area dated 379 AD by the Latin poet Ausonius who was also a wine-grower Jump ahead to the year 1152 when Eleanor of Aquitaine married Englandrsquos soon-to-be king Henry Plantagenet and the port and surrounding vineyard land became the source of wine for the English a connection that remains strong even today
Bordeaux produces the worldrsquos most expensive and sought after collector wines the top tier of which make up less than fi ve percent of the regionrsquos total production Th ese names are quickly learned by neophyte wine drinkers wanting to make an impression Chateau Haut-Brion Lafi te Latour and Margaux for example Grown in gravelly soils only a few meters above sea levelmdashin contrast vineyards elsewhere in Europe typically sit between 300 and 900 metersmdashthese wines are some of the most powerful austere and pawed over When young the tannins in these cabernet sauvignon cabernet franc and merlot blends coat the tongue and mouth with a chalky dry sensation akin to sucking on an Earl Grey tea bag and are perhaps best suited to well-fatted rare steak and cigars Th ese are wines built to live for decades Personally I prefer a Bordeaux at least 20 years aged when the tannins have had ample time to calm down and mellow out and more nuanced fl avors come forward Sounds fancy and it is Only in some very lucky circumstances over the past year have I been guest to a bottle of 1990 Clos de Menuts Saint-Eacutemilion and a 1970 Chateau Haut-Brion About once every 10 years Irsquove had the good
fortune to taste a wine older than myself Nice work if you can get it
Where Burgundyrsquos vineyards (Francersquos other classifi ed sought-after region) were established by Benedictine monks patiently growing wine vines with spiritual hearts
Bordeauxrsquos vineyards were raised by entrepreneurial laymen who recognized the massive monetary opportunity when the English began drinking down their peasant wine Th is underscores the second half of my theory as to why Americans
more often American males are so drawn to the wines of Bordeaux Th erersquos an inherent capitalist connection something in the soil Th at the wines are so
unmistakable so distinctively grand and pronounced elixirs exemplifi es the fi rst half of my theory we Americans are not known for our subtlety (To be fair the Chinese are
signifi cant Bordeaux collectors as well)
Philosophy aside Bordeaux is quite a large region that produces beautiful white and red values as well as the rare fi nds out of the populacersquos price range Herersquos the skinny Blending is the game single varietal wines are rare White Bordeaux is typically made from a blend of sauvignon blanc and seacutemillon and sometimes a drop or two of muscadelle ugni blanc or colombard Reds are made primarily from the two cabernets plus merlot with small quantities of petit verdot malbec and carmenegravere occasionally in the mix Th e region is also home to the golden nectar of late ripened seacutemillon sauvignon blanc and muscadelle grapes that have successfully attracted the noble rot a fungus that covers the fruit and drains moisture from inside leaving behind rich sweet grapes without moldy fl avors Chateau drsquoYquem is the most famous of these unfortifi ed dessert wines though there are better bargains from the region
Bordeaux is split by the Gironde river which divides the region into three general areas Th e left bank also known as the Haut-Meacutedoc is where the classifi ed top growths are situated Th ese prestigious estates were named for their exceptional vineyard sites in 1855 a decision nearly unchanged since Today serious collectors invest in Bordeaux futures theoretically locking down lower prices of top
ample time to calm dit is Only in some vede Menuts Saint-Eacutem
fortune to taste a
Wherees
aun
of msignifi
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Follow Amy at pigandvinecom for morestories and wine suggestions
growth estates while the wine is still aging in the cellar Itrsquos the wine tradersquos equivalent to the NASDAQ On the right bank Saint-Eacutemilion and Pommerol are the prized vineyard areas known for their merlot heavy cuveacutees To the south west we fi nd Graves where there are many great values to be had in both white and red bottlings Entre-Deux-Mers which translates to ldquobetween two seasrdquo sits between the Dordogne and Garonne tributaries off the Gironde and is an excellent source for crisp whites
Get started on your Bordeaux experience with these values
Chateau Graville-Lacoste 2014 Graves 75 seacutemillon 20 sauvignon blanc and 5 muscadelle make up this beauty thatrsquos consistently delicious every vintage Crisp and refreshing great with seafood
Chateau Mirambeau 2014 GravesAnother classic blend of 40 sauvignon blanc 40 seacutemillon and 20 muscadelle this lovely white is a bit more fl oral than the Graville-Lacoste Easy drinking and great value
Chateau de Parenchegravere Bordeaux Rouge 201155 merlot 30 cabernet sauvignon and 15 cabernet franc grown in clay heavy soils similar to the right bank of the region Fleshy with good structure and abundant red fruit
Chateau Arnaud Bordeaux Supeacuterieur 2011Supeacuterieur on a Bordeaux label isnrsquot egotistical marketingmdashby law it indicates a wine with up to one degree more alcohol than its AC Bordeaux brethren What it really means is one more degree of body structure and in this case quality Approachable delicious and easy on the wallet
Chateau de Bernadotte Haut-Meacutedoc 2005Th e 2005 vintage in Bordeaux is in the history books with double asterisks Owned by the eminent Pichon Lalande family and made from vineyards in Paulliac one of the more choice growing areas in the region this is an incredible value a top tier Bordeaux for a fraction of the cost
Chateau de Suduiraut Sauternes 2011Ripe cantaloupe apricot and honey and an interesting smoky note with a solid sweet attack followed by great acidity A dessert wine that wonrsquot overpower the dessert
94 raquo parting shot raquo Patrick Hood
Meet Solvar
Solvar belongs to one of the worldrsquos oldest and purest equine lineages the Nor-
wegian Fjord horse a breed that has remained virtually unchanged for more than
2000 yearsmdashlong before we became acquainted with his animated cousins in
the movie Frozen Th ese national symbols of Norway are characterized by primi-
tive zebra striping on their legs and a dorsal stripe running from forelock to tail
resulting in a striking two-tone mane that sticks up like a Mohawk Th eir athleti-
cism agility and dependability make them valuable both as sport horses as well
as therapy horses for emotionally and physically challenged adults and children
Catie Wells of Huntsville is the proud owner of Solvar who resides at Monte
Sano Stables
For tickets or information 256-539-4818 or hsoorg
Bring In the New Year With Us
presents
WHAT A WONDERFUL
WORLDA tribute to Louis
Armstrong featuring the
Byron Stripling Quartet
Thursday December 31
730 pm bull Pops Series bullMark C Smith
Concert Hall VBC
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
M O R E T H A N 7 0 S H O P S A N D R E S T A U R A N T S I N C L U D I N G B E L K | D S W S H O E S | A P P L E J O S A B A N K | R E E D S J E W E L E R S | PA N D O R A | J C R E W | K AT E S PA D E N E W Y O R KO R V I S | B A N A N A R E P U B L I C | M I C H A E L K O R S | F R A N C E S C Arsquo S | A N T H R O P O L O G I EH amp M | S O M A | M O U N T A I N H I G H O U T F I T T E R S | B A R N E S amp N O B L E | S E P H O R AALTAR rsquoD STATE | CONNORS STEAK amp SEFOOD | THE WEST IN HUNTSV I L L E | MONACO P ICTURES
C O M I N G S O O N V E R S O N A ndash near Belk
B R I D G E S T R E E T H U N T S V I L L E C O M |
BR IDGE STREET TOWN CENTRE I S LOCATED AT EX I T 14 OFF I - 565 AT OLD MAD ISON P IKE
text by sara wright covington raquo photos by olivia reed and jeff white
HUNTSVILLErsquoS
HOMEGROWNHOSTESS
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
ttttttononononoooooonononooooo raquo praquo praquo praquo praquo phothothothothotosoososos s s osos bybybbybb
Any host will tell you that delicious food and quality libations while important to
a partyrsquos success are secondary to the most important ingredient of all the guest list Th atrsquos why many
of downtown Huntsvillersquos most popular restaurants breweries and wine shops are turning to event
planner Ashley Ryals and her uncanny knack for attracting loyal patronsmdashand creating unforgettable
events in the process
When Huntsville born-and-bred Ashley Ryals left for college at the University of Alabama in 2001
she thought her exit from the Valley was permanent ldquoI never thought I would end up back hererdquo the
founder of event planning company Homegrown Huntsville says with a knowing laugh But after a few
post-graduate years working for world-renowned public relations powerhouse Weber Shandwick in
New York City Ryals started to second guess her freshman declaration
ldquoI started to get homesickrdquo she admits ldquoAll of my friends were getting married and meeting for football
games and I was missing itrdquo So when a friend from home set up an interview at EarlyWorks for a job
doing event planning Ryals jumped at the chance to come home
Ashley spent the next few years planning EarlyWorks Whistle Stop and Santarsquos Village events A brief
stint in sales followed along with a seat on the board of Huntsville Young Professionals where she had
an idea for a downtown pub crawl
ldquoWe expected 20 or 30 peoplerdquo Ryals says of their modest expectations ldquoBut 200 people showed uprdquo
Th at initial success convinced Ryals to embark on her dream of establishing an
event planning company But it wasnrsquot just any event planning company Ryals
had in mind she envisioned one that would collaborate with local businesses
cultivate signature events for the community to enjoy and support small busi-
nesses in the process
Inspired Ryals left her sales job and for the second time in her life came home
again to event planning and Homegrown Huntsville
To help bring her vision to life Ryals collaborated with designer Adrianne Van
Kirk of Fave Creative ldquoAdrianne has been a part of the visual and branding of
Homegrown from the beginning We come up with the event ideas then I get
the ticketing and sales together and she comes back with a logo and the mar-
keting for the event And thatrsquos how it all comes togetherrdquo Ryals says of their
creative process
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
ASHLEY RYALS
copy Olivia Reed
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
ldquoMOST WINE FESTIVALS ACROSS THE COUNTRY HAVE PROVEN RECORDS OF BEING ABLE TO STAY AROUND 15 OR 20 YEARS OR EVEN LONGER AND THE ECONOMIES OF THOSE
CITIES HAVE REALLY GROWN AS A RESULT I WANT BIG SPRING CRUSH TO EVENTUALLY BE THE BIGGEST AND BEST WINE FESTIVAL IN THE STATE OF ALABAMArdquo ASHLEY RYALS
copy Jeff White
copy Jeff White
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
copy Olivia Reed
Homegrown launched in 2011 with what would become its
signature event Dine amp Dash Every second Wednesday
April through October a trolley shuttles patrons between
downtown establishments where they are served a drink
and appetizer before moving on to the next stop
Owner and executive chef Merle Phillips of Th e Eaves was
one of the fi rst restaurants to sign on for Dine amp Dashrsquos de-
but ldquoAshley came to me and said she was starting a trolley
tasting conceptrdquo says Chef Merle ldquoI didnrsquot really know her so
I was taking a chance on the concept she was sellingrdquo
Merle tried it and has been a loyal participant of Dine amp
Dash ever since
ldquoIt was a risk in the beginning but it defi nitely paid off rdquo Chef
Merle says of the experience Pivotal to that experience ac-
cording to Phillips is Ryalsrsquo demonstration to the commu-
nity just what the term ldquohomegrownrdquo really means ldquoAshley
shines a spotlight on independent businesses in a market-
place that has for so long focused on chainsrdquo Phillips says
ldquoDine amp Dash has really brought into sharp focus the inter-
esting culinary diversity that Huntsville has to off errdquo
For the next two years Homegrown Huntsville focused al-
most exclusively on Dine amp Dash which by the end of its fi rst
year included every single downtown restaurant But when
big changes began to appear on the downtown horizonmdash
new restaurants breweries and residential developmentsmdash
Ryalsrsquo instincts told her
the time had come to
introduce a new event
to the downtown cal-
endar
ldquoBeer Hop follows
the concept of Dine
amp Dashrdquo Ryals says of
Homegrownrsquos second
venture which began
in 2013 Each month a
trolley visits three dif-
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
BILL FOWLEROLD TOWN BEER
EXCHANGE
copy Olivia Reed
copy Olivia Reed
ferent breweries where patrons sample beers and enjoy food
from a variety of food trucks parked at each location
Bill Fowler managing partner of Old Town Beer Exchange
agreed to participate in Beer Hop on his very fi rst day of
business and credits Ryals with an overwhelmingly success-
ful opening night ldquoAshley said lsquoI can guarantee that you are
going to have wave after wave of people coming throughrsquordquo
Fowler says recalling that fi rst jittery occasion Once again
Ryals proved true to her word with 60-plus patrons arriving
in an hour-and-a-half ldquoIt was awesome and such a great ex-
perience for usrdquo Fowler raves ldquoAshley is a hard worker and
you can see that in what she doesrdquo
Fowler believes that in addition to bringing new customers
to OTBX Ryals is also cultivating beer education consis-
tently bringing in people who are new to beer and want to
learn And with Huntsvillersquos recent brewery boom that level
of education and interest is crucial for the brewing commu-
nity to thrive ldquoWe have a very small window of opportunityrdquo
says Fowler ldquoI think Huntsville in particular is becoming a
craft brewing community People are making money at this
and once Tennessee sees that we need to already have had a
pretty huge head startrdquo
By the end of 2013 and with standing events Beer Hop and
Dine amp Dash well established Ryals took time to refl ect on
her original goal for Homegrown Huntsville ldquoIn the back of
my head from day one I knew I wanted to do a wine festival
I just didnrsquot think Huntsville was ready for it in 2011rdquo
Emboldened by the success of Beer Hop Ryals decided to
make the leap with Big Spring Crush wine festival later the
same year Once again Ryals delivered the perfect audience
for the event and in the process discovered a surprising
fact about North Alabamarsquos contribution to the wine-mak-
ing industry
ldquoIn doing the wine festival I learned that we have a huge
wine community in Huntsvillerdquo Ryals says ldquoTh ere are only
about 47 certifi ed wine judges in the entire United States
and we have four of them right here in North Alabama Two
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
copy Jeff White
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
ldquoI STARTED TO GET HOMESICK ALL OF MY FRIENDS WERE GETTING MARRIEDAND MEETING FOR FOOTBALL GAMES AND I WAS MISSING ITrdquo ASHLEY RYALS
copy Jeff White
copy Jeff White
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
ldquoIT WAS AWESOME AND SUCH A GREAT EXPERIENCE FOR USrdquoBILL FOWLER OLD TOWN BEER EXCHANGE
copy Jeff White
copy Olivia Reed
of those four certifi ed wine judges sit on the committee for
Big Spring Crushrdquo
Matthew and Stephanie Mell had just opened Church Street
Wine Shop when they decided to participate in the fi rst Big
Spring Crush Like OTBXrsquos Robert Fowler the Mells credit
Ryals and Homegrown Huntsville for helping to introduce
their new enterprise to the community ldquoAshley has been in-
strumental in helping to bring us people who love and ap-
preciate winerdquo Stephanie Mell says ldquoShe was homegrown
here in Huntsville and she really gets the downtown area
and small businesses and that is so important to usrdquo
Big Spring Crush began with a bang featuring over 150
wines and attracting patrons from across the country
ldquoMost wine festivals across the country have proven records
of being able to stay around 15 or 20 years or even longerrdquo
Ryals says ldquoAnd the economies of those cities have really
grown as a result I want Big Spring Crush to eventually be
the biggest and best wine festival in the state of Alabamardquo
How does Ryals intend to make that dream come true ldquoBy
always keeping it fresh I want to have new marketing and
new things happening each yearrdquo
Ryalsrsquo formula of reinvention and expansion has successfully
led Homegrown Huntsville through fi ve years of success and
helped its events become community staples along the way In
the process Ryals is broadening more than just our image of
downtown Huntsville shersquos joining a class of creative entrepre-
neurs committed to expanding Huntsvillersquos reputation as more
than just a hub for the brightest scientifi c minds in America
ldquoWe have a big city of engineers and lawyers and itrsquos won-
derfulrdquo Ryals say ldquo But there is a whole artist and food cul-
ture here and there is so much growth I want us to have a
vibrant cool downtown area and I want for people to tell
their friends to come and visit and to see Huntsville for what
it is a city I loverdquo
If yoursquod like to participate in Homegrown Huntsville either
as a guest or a participating business visit homegrown-
huntsvillecom
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
copy Jeff White
I was years old and the year was At that time the city of Huntsville was inching toward the mountain to the east California Street was once the continental divide between the small town metropo-lis and the uncharted territories gingerly crossed by the real estate pioneers four score and some odd years prior Th is area became the new suburb as the city kept pushing onward toward Fagan Springs as if the reverberating booms of rocket testings were vibrating Hunstvillians away from its epicenter
From the front yard of our house on Owens Drive I could look to the rightmdashup the hill to the bend be-yond which the big houses stood on their rocky ledge pedestals and to the left where all the other houses that looked just like oursmdashfresh and newmdashrambled for what seemed like miles Th ose clean well-lit abodes all seemed the same and granted at my age I knew more about the pets that lived there than I did about the people who owned those manageable mortgages I came to realize that each was diff erent in a way that was permeated by voices smells and furnishings
It is a clicheacute to say that our lives were simpler then because that is just how the current era will be fondly referred to in the future but to a 5-year-old it is the simplicity that brought the joy Th e sixties will always be to me the beginning of the age of manufactured happiness Cheap clean and simple was what was strived for and what was easily obtained Plastic items were plentiful and pretty things could be bought with SampH Green Stamps A few coins in our pocket would transfer us into the most master of manipula-tors with us giving our all to convince our parents for a jaunt to Murdockrsquos for a holiday of wonderment joy and impatience as we would scour the shelves trying to get the most from our meager budget
Owens Drive was the fairly new thoroughfare from which the avenues of three-bedroom-ranchers fi ngered away at planned intervals Th is was the place where newlyweds started their lives homes and families Where girls with last names that had been in the town for generations would change them to those strange and exotic last names of the clean cut newcomers brought here for military purposes Where the housewives would preheat their pristine electric ovens trying to make cheese straws and biscuits that were just like their motherrsquos only to be frustrated as they were never quite the same and where the husbands would follow in their fatherrsquos footsteps by joining the Acme Club and hunting doves on the weekends
Th ere was a swimming pool Certainly not at our house Th e only private pool I remember as a child was one that my grandmother would take me to nestled between huge trees at someonersquos house on Adams Street I would swim with other children my age while our grandmothers chatted smoking cigarettes in cat-eyed anonymity whispering most of their stories so we wouldnrsquot be able to hear But between their
gasps and laughter we would listen hear and learn
Th e Blossomwood pool was a place of designated rules and the sound of bright whistlesmdashwith straight lines and distinctive colors of blue and green I can still feel the Coppertoned oiliness on the skin of the tanned lifeguard as she carried me from the deep end frightened after my fi rst attempt at solo-swimming She knew my name I had no idea who she was
On the other side of the pool was the school my older sister attended It had a style that mim-icked the poolmdashstraight lines cleanmdasha temple to orderliness and good manners It was with
awe that I once watched the young adults there some as old as eleven wind and dance their way around a sky-high fl agpolemdasheach with a diff erent color ribbon until the fi rst (and only) May Pole
I was privy to was completely dressed in its woven bright colors
90 raquo bless their hearts raquo Guy McClure Jr
Huntsville was a magical place for us tail-end baby boomers to grow upmdashbeyond the miracles of the escalator at Pizitz the smiling little lady on the tall stool at the register at Britlings There was a comfort level there that Irsquom not sure is in the minds of the 5-year-olds of today
cat-eyed agasps
Th s
aI w
THE COMFORTS OF BLOSSOMWOOD
In our world of red-bricked carported castles there was a def-inite division of generations Th e children ate separately from the parents went to school as our dads went to work enter-tained our neighborhood friends as quietly as possible and felt safe between our boundaries of Big Cove Road and Hermitage Street While we dined on our Chef Boy-Ar-Dee boxed pizza our parents busied themselves dressing in their dark colors getting ready for a late dinner at Boots having the scent of perfume and face powder trail my mother as she came into the kitchen looking for something with an intense purpose My father would smell of British Sterling and look just as he did when he went to work only happier Th ese nights meant something fun would happenmdashwe would have a babysitter
Babysitters were my introduction into what was and still seems cool Th ey were usually Huntsville High School teen-agers who would put on a show without even knowing it I would drink in their every move word and essence of style To me they were supermodelsmdashmovie starsmdasheven more fa-mous in my eyes than a television weatherman and almost as glamorous as the waitresses at the Waffl e House
Before they would tire of me and my sister and put us to bed they would include us in their world of music and knowledge which I thought was all-encompassing Suddenly our world of Th e Benny Carl Show and Fantasy Playhouse would seem trite and passeacute and we would catch a fl eeting glimpse into what would be in store for us when we too could stay up past 8 pm
Huntsville was a magical place for us tail-end baby boomers to grow upmdashbeyond the miracles of the escalator at Pizitz the smiling little lady on the tall stool at the register at Britlings and that bright colorful Maypole Th ere was a comfort level there that Irsquom not sure is in the minds of the 5-year-olds of todaymdashthe soothing sheltered lack of knowledge of why we were so lucky yet we didnrsquot even know that we were
In the other areas of our Huntsville there was poverty and ra-cial unrestmdashas there was and is in every city I was unaware People of color were always a part of my worldmdashmostly be-cause they had my attention and respect At our house there was Annie my grandmotherrsquos house was fi lled with the joys of Lula and out on the family farm there was strong and smiling Homer and large and huggable Rosamdashall just as much a part of my life as everyone else My life was good and they were instrumental in making it that way
What will the 5-year-olds of today who are lucky enough to be raised on those well-planned streets remember when they surpass their own 50 year mark It is a much more complex world now and there are diff erent concerns with daily changes of fear Youthful innocence is a prize that is encased without a lock Premature maturity is a viable threat and a constant fear But each night tucked in tight in a simple room sleeps tomor-rowrsquos adults who are having sweet dreamsmdashblanketed by the comforts of Blossomwood
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
92 raquo the vine raquo Amy C Collins
BORDEAUX POWER
Where Burgundyrsquos vineyards were established by Benedictine monks patiently growing wine vines with spiritual hearts Bordeauxrsquos vineyards were raised by entrepreneurial laymen who recognized the massive monetary opportunity when the English began drinking down their peasant wine
The city of Bordeaux is Francersquos primary port town on the Atlantic ocean a harbor that has for centuries served as the countryrsquos most important dock Th e regionrsquos history is long and storied with the fi rst written reference to the area dated 379 AD by the Latin poet Ausonius who was also a wine-grower Jump ahead to the year 1152 when Eleanor of Aquitaine married Englandrsquos soon-to-be king Henry Plantagenet and the port and surrounding vineyard land became the source of wine for the English a connection that remains strong even today
Bordeaux produces the worldrsquos most expensive and sought after collector wines the top tier of which make up less than fi ve percent of the regionrsquos total production Th ese names are quickly learned by neophyte wine drinkers wanting to make an impression Chateau Haut-Brion Lafi te Latour and Margaux for example Grown in gravelly soils only a few meters above sea levelmdashin contrast vineyards elsewhere in Europe typically sit between 300 and 900 metersmdashthese wines are some of the most powerful austere and pawed over When young the tannins in these cabernet sauvignon cabernet franc and merlot blends coat the tongue and mouth with a chalky dry sensation akin to sucking on an Earl Grey tea bag and are perhaps best suited to well-fatted rare steak and cigars Th ese are wines built to live for decades Personally I prefer a Bordeaux at least 20 years aged when the tannins have had ample time to calm down and mellow out and more nuanced fl avors come forward Sounds fancy and it is Only in some very lucky circumstances over the past year have I been guest to a bottle of 1990 Clos de Menuts Saint-Eacutemilion and a 1970 Chateau Haut-Brion About once every 10 years Irsquove had the good
fortune to taste a wine older than myself Nice work if you can get it
Where Burgundyrsquos vineyards (Francersquos other classifi ed sought-after region) were established by Benedictine monks patiently growing wine vines with spiritual hearts
Bordeauxrsquos vineyards were raised by entrepreneurial laymen who recognized the massive monetary opportunity when the English began drinking down their peasant wine Th is underscores the second half of my theory as to why Americans
more often American males are so drawn to the wines of Bordeaux Th erersquos an inherent capitalist connection something in the soil Th at the wines are so
unmistakable so distinctively grand and pronounced elixirs exemplifi es the fi rst half of my theory we Americans are not known for our subtlety (To be fair the Chinese are
signifi cant Bordeaux collectors as well)
Philosophy aside Bordeaux is quite a large region that produces beautiful white and red values as well as the rare fi nds out of the populacersquos price range Herersquos the skinny Blending is the game single varietal wines are rare White Bordeaux is typically made from a blend of sauvignon blanc and seacutemillon and sometimes a drop or two of muscadelle ugni blanc or colombard Reds are made primarily from the two cabernets plus merlot with small quantities of petit verdot malbec and carmenegravere occasionally in the mix Th e region is also home to the golden nectar of late ripened seacutemillon sauvignon blanc and muscadelle grapes that have successfully attracted the noble rot a fungus that covers the fruit and drains moisture from inside leaving behind rich sweet grapes without moldy fl avors Chateau drsquoYquem is the most famous of these unfortifi ed dessert wines though there are better bargains from the region
Bordeaux is split by the Gironde river which divides the region into three general areas Th e left bank also known as the Haut-Meacutedoc is where the classifi ed top growths are situated Th ese prestigious estates were named for their exceptional vineyard sites in 1855 a decision nearly unchanged since Today serious collectors invest in Bordeaux futures theoretically locking down lower prices of top
ample time to calm dit is Only in some vede Menuts Saint-Eacutem
fortune to taste a
Wherees
aun
of msignifi
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Follow Amy at pigandvinecom for morestories and wine suggestions
growth estates while the wine is still aging in the cellar Itrsquos the wine tradersquos equivalent to the NASDAQ On the right bank Saint-Eacutemilion and Pommerol are the prized vineyard areas known for their merlot heavy cuveacutees To the south west we fi nd Graves where there are many great values to be had in both white and red bottlings Entre-Deux-Mers which translates to ldquobetween two seasrdquo sits between the Dordogne and Garonne tributaries off the Gironde and is an excellent source for crisp whites
Get started on your Bordeaux experience with these values
Chateau Graville-Lacoste 2014 Graves 75 seacutemillon 20 sauvignon blanc and 5 muscadelle make up this beauty thatrsquos consistently delicious every vintage Crisp and refreshing great with seafood
Chateau Mirambeau 2014 GravesAnother classic blend of 40 sauvignon blanc 40 seacutemillon and 20 muscadelle this lovely white is a bit more fl oral than the Graville-Lacoste Easy drinking and great value
Chateau de Parenchegravere Bordeaux Rouge 201155 merlot 30 cabernet sauvignon and 15 cabernet franc grown in clay heavy soils similar to the right bank of the region Fleshy with good structure and abundant red fruit
Chateau Arnaud Bordeaux Supeacuterieur 2011Supeacuterieur on a Bordeaux label isnrsquot egotistical marketingmdashby law it indicates a wine with up to one degree more alcohol than its AC Bordeaux brethren What it really means is one more degree of body structure and in this case quality Approachable delicious and easy on the wallet
Chateau de Bernadotte Haut-Meacutedoc 2005Th e 2005 vintage in Bordeaux is in the history books with double asterisks Owned by the eminent Pichon Lalande family and made from vineyards in Paulliac one of the more choice growing areas in the region this is an incredible value a top tier Bordeaux for a fraction of the cost
Chateau de Suduiraut Sauternes 2011Ripe cantaloupe apricot and honey and an interesting smoky note with a solid sweet attack followed by great acidity A dessert wine that wonrsquot overpower the dessert
94 raquo parting shot raquo Patrick Hood
Meet Solvar
Solvar belongs to one of the worldrsquos oldest and purest equine lineages the Nor-
wegian Fjord horse a breed that has remained virtually unchanged for more than
2000 yearsmdashlong before we became acquainted with his animated cousins in
the movie Frozen Th ese national symbols of Norway are characterized by primi-
tive zebra striping on their legs and a dorsal stripe running from forelock to tail
resulting in a striking two-tone mane that sticks up like a Mohawk Th eir athleti-
cism agility and dependability make them valuable both as sport horses as well
as therapy horses for emotionally and physically challenged adults and children
Catie Wells of Huntsville is the proud owner of Solvar who resides at Monte
Sano Stables
For tickets or information 256-539-4818 or hsoorg
Bring In the New Year With Us
presents
WHAT A WONDERFUL
WORLDA tribute to Louis
Armstrong featuring the
Byron Stripling Quartet
Thursday December 31
730 pm bull Pops Series bullMark C Smith
Concert Hall VBC
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
M O R E T H A N 7 0 S H O P S A N D R E S T A U R A N T S I N C L U D I N G B E L K | D S W S H O E S | A P P L E J O S A B A N K | R E E D S J E W E L E R S | PA N D O R A | J C R E W | K AT E S PA D E N E W Y O R KO R V I S | B A N A N A R E P U B L I C | M I C H A E L K O R S | F R A N C E S C Arsquo S | A N T H R O P O L O G I EH amp M | S O M A | M O U N T A I N H I G H O U T F I T T E R S | B A R N E S amp N O B L E | S E P H O R AALTAR rsquoD STATE | CONNORS STEAK amp SEFOOD | THE WEST IN HUNTSV I L L E | MONACO P ICTURES
C O M I N G S O O N V E R S O N A ndash near Belk
B R I D G E S T R E E T H U N T S V I L L E C O M |
BR IDGE STREET TOWN CENTRE I S LOCATED AT EX I T 14 OFF I - 565 AT OLD MAD ISON P IKE
Any host will tell you that delicious food and quality libations while important to
a partyrsquos success are secondary to the most important ingredient of all the guest list Th atrsquos why many
of downtown Huntsvillersquos most popular restaurants breweries and wine shops are turning to event
planner Ashley Ryals and her uncanny knack for attracting loyal patronsmdashand creating unforgettable
events in the process
When Huntsville born-and-bred Ashley Ryals left for college at the University of Alabama in 2001
she thought her exit from the Valley was permanent ldquoI never thought I would end up back hererdquo the
founder of event planning company Homegrown Huntsville says with a knowing laugh But after a few
post-graduate years working for world-renowned public relations powerhouse Weber Shandwick in
New York City Ryals started to second guess her freshman declaration
ldquoI started to get homesickrdquo she admits ldquoAll of my friends were getting married and meeting for football
games and I was missing itrdquo So when a friend from home set up an interview at EarlyWorks for a job
doing event planning Ryals jumped at the chance to come home
Ashley spent the next few years planning EarlyWorks Whistle Stop and Santarsquos Village events A brief
stint in sales followed along with a seat on the board of Huntsville Young Professionals where she had
an idea for a downtown pub crawl
ldquoWe expected 20 or 30 peoplerdquo Ryals says of their modest expectations ldquoBut 200 people showed uprdquo
Th at initial success convinced Ryals to embark on her dream of establishing an
event planning company But it wasnrsquot just any event planning company Ryals
had in mind she envisioned one that would collaborate with local businesses
cultivate signature events for the community to enjoy and support small busi-
nesses in the process
Inspired Ryals left her sales job and for the second time in her life came home
again to event planning and Homegrown Huntsville
To help bring her vision to life Ryals collaborated with designer Adrianne Van
Kirk of Fave Creative ldquoAdrianne has been a part of the visual and branding of
Homegrown from the beginning We come up with the event ideas then I get
the ticketing and sales together and she comes back with a logo and the mar-
keting for the event And thatrsquos how it all comes togetherrdquo Ryals says of their
creative process
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
ASHLEY RYALS
copy Olivia Reed
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
ldquoMOST WINE FESTIVALS ACROSS THE COUNTRY HAVE PROVEN RECORDS OF BEING ABLE TO STAY AROUND 15 OR 20 YEARS OR EVEN LONGER AND THE ECONOMIES OF THOSE
CITIES HAVE REALLY GROWN AS A RESULT I WANT BIG SPRING CRUSH TO EVENTUALLY BE THE BIGGEST AND BEST WINE FESTIVAL IN THE STATE OF ALABAMArdquo ASHLEY RYALS
copy Jeff White
copy Jeff White
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
copy Olivia Reed
Homegrown launched in 2011 with what would become its
signature event Dine amp Dash Every second Wednesday
April through October a trolley shuttles patrons between
downtown establishments where they are served a drink
and appetizer before moving on to the next stop
Owner and executive chef Merle Phillips of Th e Eaves was
one of the fi rst restaurants to sign on for Dine amp Dashrsquos de-
but ldquoAshley came to me and said she was starting a trolley
tasting conceptrdquo says Chef Merle ldquoI didnrsquot really know her so
I was taking a chance on the concept she was sellingrdquo
Merle tried it and has been a loyal participant of Dine amp
Dash ever since
ldquoIt was a risk in the beginning but it defi nitely paid off rdquo Chef
Merle says of the experience Pivotal to that experience ac-
cording to Phillips is Ryalsrsquo demonstration to the commu-
nity just what the term ldquohomegrownrdquo really means ldquoAshley
shines a spotlight on independent businesses in a market-
place that has for so long focused on chainsrdquo Phillips says
ldquoDine amp Dash has really brought into sharp focus the inter-
esting culinary diversity that Huntsville has to off errdquo
For the next two years Homegrown Huntsville focused al-
most exclusively on Dine amp Dash which by the end of its fi rst
year included every single downtown restaurant But when
big changes began to appear on the downtown horizonmdash
new restaurants breweries and residential developmentsmdash
Ryalsrsquo instincts told her
the time had come to
introduce a new event
to the downtown cal-
endar
ldquoBeer Hop follows
the concept of Dine
amp Dashrdquo Ryals says of
Homegrownrsquos second
venture which began
in 2013 Each month a
trolley visits three dif-
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
BILL FOWLEROLD TOWN BEER
EXCHANGE
copy Olivia Reed
copy Olivia Reed
ferent breweries where patrons sample beers and enjoy food
from a variety of food trucks parked at each location
Bill Fowler managing partner of Old Town Beer Exchange
agreed to participate in Beer Hop on his very fi rst day of
business and credits Ryals with an overwhelmingly success-
ful opening night ldquoAshley said lsquoI can guarantee that you are
going to have wave after wave of people coming throughrsquordquo
Fowler says recalling that fi rst jittery occasion Once again
Ryals proved true to her word with 60-plus patrons arriving
in an hour-and-a-half ldquoIt was awesome and such a great ex-
perience for usrdquo Fowler raves ldquoAshley is a hard worker and
you can see that in what she doesrdquo
Fowler believes that in addition to bringing new customers
to OTBX Ryals is also cultivating beer education consis-
tently bringing in people who are new to beer and want to
learn And with Huntsvillersquos recent brewery boom that level
of education and interest is crucial for the brewing commu-
nity to thrive ldquoWe have a very small window of opportunityrdquo
says Fowler ldquoI think Huntsville in particular is becoming a
craft brewing community People are making money at this
and once Tennessee sees that we need to already have had a
pretty huge head startrdquo
By the end of 2013 and with standing events Beer Hop and
Dine amp Dash well established Ryals took time to refl ect on
her original goal for Homegrown Huntsville ldquoIn the back of
my head from day one I knew I wanted to do a wine festival
I just didnrsquot think Huntsville was ready for it in 2011rdquo
Emboldened by the success of Beer Hop Ryals decided to
make the leap with Big Spring Crush wine festival later the
same year Once again Ryals delivered the perfect audience
for the event and in the process discovered a surprising
fact about North Alabamarsquos contribution to the wine-mak-
ing industry
ldquoIn doing the wine festival I learned that we have a huge
wine community in Huntsvillerdquo Ryals says ldquoTh ere are only
about 47 certifi ed wine judges in the entire United States
and we have four of them right here in North Alabama Two
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
copy Jeff White
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
ldquoI STARTED TO GET HOMESICK ALL OF MY FRIENDS WERE GETTING MARRIEDAND MEETING FOR FOOTBALL GAMES AND I WAS MISSING ITrdquo ASHLEY RYALS
copy Jeff White
copy Jeff White
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
ldquoIT WAS AWESOME AND SUCH A GREAT EXPERIENCE FOR USrdquoBILL FOWLER OLD TOWN BEER EXCHANGE
copy Jeff White
copy Olivia Reed
of those four certifi ed wine judges sit on the committee for
Big Spring Crushrdquo
Matthew and Stephanie Mell had just opened Church Street
Wine Shop when they decided to participate in the fi rst Big
Spring Crush Like OTBXrsquos Robert Fowler the Mells credit
Ryals and Homegrown Huntsville for helping to introduce
their new enterprise to the community ldquoAshley has been in-
strumental in helping to bring us people who love and ap-
preciate winerdquo Stephanie Mell says ldquoShe was homegrown
here in Huntsville and she really gets the downtown area
and small businesses and that is so important to usrdquo
Big Spring Crush began with a bang featuring over 150
wines and attracting patrons from across the country
ldquoMost wine festivals across the country have proven records
of being able to stay around 15 or 20 years or even longerrdquo
Ryals says ldquoAnd the economies of those cities have really
grown as a result I want Big Spring Crush to eventually be
the biggest and best wine festival in the state of Alabamardquo
How does Ryals intend to make that dream come true ldquoBy
always keeping it fresh I want to have new marketing and
new things happening each yearrdquo
Ryalsrsquo formula of reinvention and expansion has successfully
led Homegrown Huntsville through fi ve years of success and
helped its events become community staples along the way In
the process Ryals is broadening more than just our image of
downtown Huntsville shersquos joining a class of creative entrepre-
neurs committed to expanding Huntsvillersquos reputation as more
than just a hub for the brightest scientifi c minds in America
ldquoWe have a big city of engineers and lawyers and itrsquos won-
derfulrdquo Ryals say ldquo But there is a whole artist and food cul-
ture here and there is so much growth I want us to have a
vibrant cool downtown area and I want for people to tell
their friends to come and visit and to see Huntsville for what
it is a city I loverdquo
If yoursquod like to participate in Homegrown Huntsville either
as a guest or a participating business visit homegrown-
huntsvillecom
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
copy Jeff White
I was years old and the year was At that time the city of Huntsville was inching toward the mountain to the east California Street was once the continental divide between the small town metropo-lis and the uncharted territories gingerly crossed by the real estate pioneers four score and some odd years prior Th is area became the new suburb as the city kept pushing onward toward Fagan Springs as if the reverberating booms of rocket testings were vibrating Hunstvillians away from its epicenter
From the front yard of our house on Owens Drive I could look to the rightmdashup the hill to the bend be-yond which the big houses stood on their rocky ledge pedestals and to the left where all the other houses that looked just like oursmdashfresh and newmdashrambled for what seemed like miles Th ose clean well-lit abodes all seemed the same and granted at my age I knew more about the pets that lived there than I did about the people who owned those manageable mortgages I came to realize that each was diff erent in a way that was permeated by voices smells and furnishings
It is a clicheacute to say that our lives were simpler then because that is just how the current era will be fondly referred to in the future but to a 5-year-old it is the simplicity that brought the joy Th e sixties will always be to me the beginning of the age of manufactured happiness Cheap clean and simple was what was strived for and what was easily obtained Plastic items were plentiful and pretty things could be bought with SampH Green Stamps A few coins in our pocket would transfer us into the most master of manipula-tors with us giving our all to convince our parents for a jaunt to Murdockrsquos for a holiday of wonderment joy and impatience as we would scour the shelves trying to get the most from our meager budget
Owens Drive was the fairly new thoroughfare from which the avenues of three-bedroom-ranchers fi ngered away at planned intervals Th is was the place where newlyweds started their lives homes and families Where girls with last names that had been in the town for generations would change them to those strange and exotic last names of the clean cut newcomers brought here for military purposes Where the housewives would preheat their pristine electric ovens trying to make cheese straws and biscuits that were just like their motherrsquos only to be frustrated as they were never quite the same and where the husbands would follow in their fatherrsquos footsteps by joining the Acme Club and hunting doves on the weekends
Th ere was a swimming pool Certainly not at our house Th e only private pool I remember as a child was one that my grandmother would take me to nestled between huge trees at someonersquos house on Adams Street I would swim with other children my age while our grandmothers chatted smoking cigarettes in cat-eyed anonymity whispering most of their stories so we wouldnrsquot be able to hear But between their
gasps and laughter we would listen hear and learn
Th e Blossomwood pool was a place of designated rules and the sound of bright whistlesmdashwith straight lines and distinctive colors of blue and green I can still feel the Coppertoned oiliness on the skin of the tanned lifeguard as she carried me from the deep end frightened after my fi rst attempt at solo-swimming She knew my name I had no idea who she was
On the other side of the pool was the school my older sister attended It had a style that mim-icked the poolmdashstraight lines cleanmdasha temple to orderliness and good manners It was with
awe that I once watched the young adults there some as old as eleven wind and dance their way around a sky-high fl agpolemdasheach with a diff erent color ribbon until the fi rst (and only) May Pole
I was privy to was completely dressed in its woven bright colors
90 raquo bless their hearts raquo Guy McClure Jr
Huntsville was a magical place for us tail-end baby boomers to grow upmdashbeyond the miracles of the escalator at Pizitz the smiling little lady on the tall stool at the register at Britlings There was a comfort level there that Irsquom not sure is in the minds of the 5-year-olds of today
cat-eyed agasps
Th s
aI w
THE COMFORTS OF BLOSSOMWOOD
In our world of red-bricked carported castles there was a def-inite division of generations Th e children ate separately from the parents went to school as our dads went to work enter-tained our neighborhood friends as quietly as possible and felt safe between our boundaries of Big Cove Road and Hermitage Street While we dined on our Chef Boy-Ar-Dee boxed pizza our parents busied themselves dressing in their dark colors getting ready for a late dinner at Boots having the scent of perfume and face powder trail my mother as she came into the kitchen looking for something with an intense purpose My father would smell of British Sterling and look just as he did when he went to work only happier Th ese nights meant something fun would happenmdashwe would have a babysitter
Babysitters were my introduction into what was and still seems cool Th ey were usually Huntsville High School teen-agers who would put on a show without even knowing it I would drink in their every move word and essence of style To me they were supermodelsmdashmovie starsmdasheven more fa-mous in my eyes than a television weatherman and almost as glamorous as the waitresses at the Waffl e House
Before they would tire of me and my sister and put us to bed they would include us in their world of music and knowledge which I thought was all-encompassing Suddenly our world of Th e Benny Carl Show and Fantasy Playhouse would seem trite and passeacute and we would catch a fl eeting glimpse into what would be in store for us when we too could stay up past 8 pm
Huntsville was a magical place for us tail-end baby boomers to grow upmdashbeyond the miracles of the escalator at Pizitz the smiling little lady on the tall stool at the register at Britlings and that bright colorful Maypole Th ere was a comfort level there that Irsquom not sure is in the minds of the 5-year-olds of todaymdashthe soothing sheltered lack of knowledge of why we were so lucky yet we didnrsquot even know that we were
In the other areas of our Huntsville there was poverty and ra-cial unrestmdashas there was and is in every city I was unaware People of color were always a part of my worldmdashmostly be-cause they had my attention and respect At our house there was Annie my grandmotherrsquos house was fi lled with the joys of Lula and out on the family farm there was strong and smiling Homer and large and huggable Rosamdashall just as much a part of my life as everyone else My life was good and they were instrumental in making it that way
What will the 5-year-olds of today who are lucky enough to be raised on those well-planned streets remember when they surpass their own 50 year mark It is a much more complex world now and there are diff erent concerns with daily changes of fear Youthful innocence is a prize that is encased without a lock Premature maturity is a viable threat and a constant fear But each night tucked in tight in a simple room sleeps tomor-rowrsquos adults who are having sweet dreamsmdashblanketed by the comforts of Blossomwood
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
92 raquo the vine raquo Amy C Collins
BORDEAUX POWER
Where Burgundyrsquos vineyards were established by Benedictine monks patiently growing wine vines with spiritual hearts Bordeauxrsquos vineyards were raised by entrepreneurial laymen who recognized the massive monetary opportunity when the English began drinking down their peasant wine
The city of Bordeaux is Francersquos primary port town on the Atlantic ocean a harbor that has for centuries served as the countryrsquos most important dock Th e regionrsquos history is long and storied with the fi rst written reference to the area dated 379 AD by the Latin poet Ausonius who was also a wine-grower Jump ahead to the year 1152 when Eleanor of Aquitaine married Englandrsquos soon-to-be king Henry Plantagenet and the port and surrounding vineyard land became the source of wine for the English a connection that remains strong even today
Bordeaux produces the worldrsquos most expensive and sought after collector wines the top tier of which make up less than fi ve percent of the regionrsquos total production Th ese names are quickly learned by neophyte wine drinkers wanting to make an impression Chateau Haut-Brion Lafi te Latour and Margaux for example Grown in gravelly soils only a few meters above sea levelmdashin contrast vineyards elsewhere in Europe typically sit between 300 and 900 metersmdashthese wines are some of the most powerful austere and pawed over When young the tannins in these cabernet sauvignon cabernet franc and merlot blends coat the tongue and mouth with a chalky dry sensation akin to sucking on an Earl Grey tea bag and are perhaps best suited to well-fatted rare steak and cigars Th ese are wines built to live for decades Personally I prefer a Bordeaux at least 20 years aged when the tannins have had ample time to calm down and mellow out and more nuanced fl avors come forward Sounds fancy and it is Only in some very lucky circumstances over the past year have I been guest to a bottle of 1990 Clos de Menuts Saint-Eacutemilion and a 1970 Chateau Haut-Brion About once every 10 years Irsquove had the good
fortune to taste a wine older than myself Nice work if you can get it
Where Burgundyrsquos vineyards (Francersquos other classifi ed sought-after region) were established by Benedictine monks patiently growing wine vines with spiritual hearts
Bordeauxrsquos vineyards were raised by entrepreneurial laymen who recognized the massive monetary opportunity when the English began drinking down their peasant wine Th is underscores the second half of my theory as to why Americans
more often American males are so drawn to the wines of Bordeaux Th erersquos an inherent capitalist connection something in the soil Th at the wines are so
unmistakable so distinctively grand and pronounced elixirs exemplifi es the fi rst half of my theory we Americans are not known for our subtlety (To be fair the Chinese are
signifi cant Bordeaux collectors as well)
Philosophy aside Bordeaux is quite a large region that produces beautiful white and red values as well as the rare fi nds out of the populacersquos price range Herersquos the skinny Blending is the game single varietal wines are rare White Bordeaux is typically made from a blend of sauvignon blanc and seacutemillon and sometimes a drop or two of muscadelle ugni blanc or colombard Reds are made primarily from the two cabernets plus merlot with small quantities of petit verdot malbec and carmenegravere occasionally in the mix Th e region is also home to the golden nectar of late ripened seacutemillon sauvignon blanc and muscadelle grapes that have successfully attracted the noble rot a fungus that covers the fruit and drains moisture from inside leaving behind rich sweet grapes without moldy fl avors Chateau drsquoYquem is the most famous of these unfortifi ed dessert wines though there are better bargains from the region
Bordeaux is split by the Gironde river which divides the region into three general areas Th e left bank also known as the Haut-Meacutedoc is where the classifi ed top growths are situated Th ese prestigious estates were named for their exceptional vineyard sites in 1855 a decision nearly unchanged since Today serious collectors invest in Bordeaux futures theoretically locking down lower prices of top
ample time to calm dit is Only in some vede Menuts Saint-Eacutem
fortune to taste a
Wherees
aun
of msignifi
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Follow Amy at pigandvinecom for morestories and wine suggestions
growth estates while the wine is still aging in the cellar Itrsquos the wine tradersquos equivalent to the NASDAQ On the right bank Saint-Eacutemilion and Pommerol are the prized vineyard areas known for their merlot heavy cuveacutees To the south west we fi nd Graves where there are many great values to be had in both white and red bottlings Entre-Deux-Mers which translates to ldquobetween two seasrdquo sits between the Dordogne and Garonne tributaries off the Gironde and is an excellent source for crisp whites
Get started on your Bordeaux experience with these values
Chateau Graville-Lacoste 2014 Graves 75 seacutemillon 20 sauvignon blanc and 5 muscadelle make up this beauty thatrsquos consistently delicious every vintage Crisp and refreshing great with seafood
Chateau Mirambeau 2014 GravesAnother classic blend of 40 sauvignon blanc 40 seacutemillon and 20 muscadelle this lovely white is a bit more fl oral than the Graville-Lacoste Easy drinking and great value
Chateau de Parenchegravere Bordeaux Rouge 201155 merlot 30 cabernet sauvignon and 15 cabernet franc grown in clay heavy soils similar to the right bank of the region Fleshy with good structure and abundant red fruit
Chateau Arnaud Bordeaux Supeacuterieur 2011Supeacuterieur on a Bordeaux label isnrsquot egotistical marketingmdashby law it indicates a wine with up to one degree more alcohol than its AC Bordeaux brethren What it really means is one more degree of body structure and in this case quality Approachable delicious and easy on the wallet
Chateau de Bernadotte Haut-Meacutedoc 2005Th e 2005 vintage in Bordeaux is in the history books with double asterisks Owned by the eminent Pichon Lalande family and made from vineyards in Paulliac one of the more choice growing areas in the region this is an incredible value a top tier Bordeaux for a fraction of the cost
Chateau de Suduiraut Sauternes 2011Ripe cantaloupe apricot and honey and an interesting smoky note with a solid sweet attack followed by great acidity A dessert wine that wonrsquot overpower the dessert
94 raquo parting shot raquo Patrick Hood
Meet Solvar
Solvar belongs to one of the worldrsquos oldest and purest equine lineages the Nor-
wegian Fjord horse a breed that has remained virtually unchanged for more than
2000 yearsmdashlong before we became acquainted with his animated cousins in
the movie Frozen Th ese national symbols of Norway are characterized by primi-
tive zebra striping on their legs and a dorsal stripe running from forelock to tail
resulting in a striking two-tone mane that sticks up like a Mohawk Th eir athleti-
cism agility and dependability make them valuable both as sport horses as well
as therapy horses for emotionally and physically challenged adults and children
Catie Wells of Huntsville is the proud owner of Solvar who resides at Monte
Sano Stables
For tickets or information 256-539-4818 or hsoorg
Bring In the New Year With Us
presents
WHAT A WONDERFUL
WORLDA tribute to Louis
Armstrong featuring the
Byron Stripling Quartet
Thursday December 31
730 pm bull Pops Series bullMark C Smith
Concert Hall VBC
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
M O R E T H A N 7 0 S H O P S A N D R E S T A U R A N T S I N C L U D I N G B E L K | D S W S H O E S | A P P L E J O S A B A N K | R E E D S J E W E L E R S | PA N D O R A | J C R E W | K AT E S PA D E N E W Y O R KO R V I S | B A N A N A R E P U B L I C | M I C H A E L K O R S | F R A N C E S C Arsquo S | A N T H R O P O L O G I EH amp M | S O M A | M O U N T A I N H I G H O U T F I T T E R S | B A R N E S amp N O B L E | S E P H O R AALTAR rsquoD STATE | CONNORS STEAK amp SEFOOD | THE WEST IN HUNTSV I L L E | MONACO P ICTURES
C O M I N G S O O N V E R S O N A ndash near Belk
B R I D G E S T R E E T H U N T S V I L L E C O M |
BR IDGE STREET TOWN CENTRE I S LOCATED AT EX I T 14 OFF I - 565 AT OLD MAD ISON P IKE
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
ldquoMOST WINE FESTIVALS ACROSS THE COUNTRY HAVE PROVEN RECORDS OF BEING ABLE TO STAY AROUND 15 OR 20 YEARS OR EVEN LONGER AND THE ECONOMIES OF THOSE
CITIES HAVE REALLY GROWN AS A RESULT I WANT BIG SPRING CRUSH TO EVENTUALLY BE THE BIGGEST AND BEST WINE FESTIVAL IN THE STATE OF ALABAMArdquo ASHLEY RYALS
copy Jeff White
copy Jeff White
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
copy Olivia Reed
Homegrown launched in 2011 with what would become its
signature event Dine amp Dash Every second Wednesday
April through October a trolley shuttles patrons between
downtown establishments where they are served a drink
and appetizer before moving on to the next stop
Owner and executive chef Merle Phillips of Th e Eaves was
one of the fi rst restaurants to sign on for Dine amp Dashrsquos de-
but ldquoAshley came to me and said she was starting a trolley
tasting conceptrdquo says Chef Merle ldquoI didnrsquot really know her so
I was taking a chance on the concept she was sellingrdquo
Merle tried it and has been a loyal participant of Dine amp
Dash ever since
ldquoIt was a risk in the beginning but it defi nitely paid off rdquo Chef
Merle says of the experience Pivotal to that experience ac-
cording to Phillips is Ryalsrsquo demonstration to the commu-
nity just what the term ldquohomegrownrdquo really means ldquoAshley
shines a spotlight on independent businesses in a market-
place that has for so long focused on chainsrdquo Phillips says
ldquoDine amp Dash has really brought into sharp focus the inter-
esting culinary diversity that Huntsville has to off errdquo
For the next two years Homegrown Huntsville focused al-
most exclusively on Dine amp Dash which by the end of its fi rst
year included every single downtown restaurant But when
big changes began to appear on the downtown horizonmdash
new restaurants breweries and residential developmentsmdash
Ryalsrsquo instincts told her
the time had come to
introduce a new event
to the downtown cal-
endar
ldquoBeer Hop follows
the concept of Dine
amp Dashrdquo Ryals says of
Homegrownrsquos second
venture which began
in 2013 Each month a
trolley visits three dif-
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
BILL FOWLEROLD TOWN BEER
EXCHANGE
copy Olivia Reed
copy Olivia Reed
ferent breweries where patrons sample beers and enjoy food
from a variety of food trucks parked at each location
Bill Fowler managing partner of Old Town Beer Exchange
agreed to participate in Beer Hop on his very fi rst day of
business and credits Ryals with an overwhelmingly success-
ful opening night ldquoAshley said lsquoI can guarantee that you are
going to have wave after wave of people coming throughrsquordquo
Fowler says recalling that fi rst jittery occasion Once again
Ryals proved true to her word with 60-plus patrons arriving
in an hour-and-a-half ldquoIt was awesome and such a great ex-
perience for usrdquo Fowler raves ldquoAshley is a hard worker and
you can see that in what she doesrdquo
Fowler believes that in addition to bringing new customers
to OTBX Ryals is also cultivating beer education consis-
tently bringing in people who are new to beer and want to
learn And with Huntsvillersquos recent brewery boom that level
of education and interest is crucial for the brewing commu-
nity to thrive ldquoWe have a very small window of opportunityrdquo
says Fowler ldquoI think Huntsville in particular is becoming a
craft brewing community People are making money at this
and once Tennessee sees that we need to already have had a
pretty huge head startrdquo
By the end of 2013 and with standing events Beer Hop and
Dine amp Dash well established Ryals took time to refl ect on
her original goal for Homegrown Huntsville ldquoIn the back of
my head from day one I knew I wanted to do a wine festival
I just didnrsquot think Huntsville was ready for it in 2011rdquo
Emboldened by the success of Beer Hop Ryals decided to
make the leap with Big Spring Crush wine festival later the
same year Once again Ryals delivered the perfect audience
for the event and in the process discovered a surprising
fact about North Alabamarsquos contribution to the wine-mak-
ing industry
ldquoIn doing the wine festival I learned that we have a huge
wine community in Huntsvillerdquo Ryals says ldquoTh ere are only
about 47 certifi ed wine judges in the entire United States
and we have four of them right here in North Alabama Two
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
copy Jeff White
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
ldquoI STARTED TO GET HOMESICK ALL OF MY FRIENDS WERE GETTING MARRIEDAND MEETING FOR FOOTBALL GAMES AND I WAS MISSING ITrdquo ASHLEY RYALS
copy Jeff White
copy Jeff White
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
ldquoIT WAS AWESOME AND SUCH A GREAT EXPERIENCE FOR USrdquoBILL FOWLER OLD TOWN BEER EXCHANGE
copy Jeff White
copy Olivia Reed
of those four certifi ed wine judges sit on the committee for
Big Spring Crushrdquo
Matthew and Stephanie Mell had just opened Church Street
Wine Shop when they decided to participate in the fi rst Big
Spring Crush Like OTBXrsquos Robert Fowler the Mells credit
Ryals and Homegrown Huntsville for helping to introduce
their new enterprise to the community ldquoAshley has been in-
strumental in helping to bring us people who love and ap-
preciate winerdquo Stephanie Mell says ldquoShe was homegrown
here in Huntsville and she really gets the downtown area
and small businesses and that is so important to usrdquo
Big Spring Crush began with a bang featuring over 150
wines and attracting patrons from across the country
ldquoMost wine festivals across the country have proven records
of being able to stay around 15 or 20 years or even longerrdquo
Ryals says ldquoAnd the economies of those cities have really
grown as a result I want Big Spring Crush to eventually be
the biggest and best wine festival in the state of Alabamardquo
How does Ryals intend to make that dream come true ldquoBy
always keeping it fresh I want to have new marketing and
new things happening each yearrdquo
Ryalsrsquo formula of reinvention and expansion has successfully
led Homegrown Huntsville through fi ve years of success and
helped its events become community staples along the way In
the process Ryals is broadening more than just our image of
downtown Huntsville shersquos joining a class of creative entrepre-
neurs committed to expanding Huntsvillersquos reputation as more
than just a hub for the brightest scientifi c minds in America
ldquoWe have a big city of engineers and lawyers and itrsquos won-
derfulrdquo Ryals say ldquo But there is a whole artist and food cul-
ture here and there is so much growth I want us to have a
vibrant cool downtown area and I want for people to tell
their friends to come and visit and to see Huntsville for what
it is a city I loverdquo
If yoursquod like to participate in Homegrown Huntsville either
as a guest or a participating business visit homegrown-
huntsvillecom
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
copy Jeff White
I was years old and the year was At that time the city of Huntsville was inching toward the mountain to the east California Street was once the continental divide between the small town metropo-lis and the uncharted territories gingerly crossed by the real estate pioneers four score and some odd years prior Th is area became the new suburb as the city kept pushing onward toward Fagan Springs as if the reverberating booms of rocket testings were vibrating Hunstvillians away from its epicenter
From the front yard of our house on Owens Drive I could look to the rightmdashup the hill to the bend be-yond which the big houses stood on their rocky ledge pedestals and to the left where all the other houses that looked just like oursmdashfresh and newmdashrambled for what seemed like miles Th ose clean well-lit abodes all seemed the same and granted at my age I knew more about the pets that lived there than I did about the people who owned those manageable mortgages I came to realize that each was diff erent in a way that was permeated by voices smells and furnishings
It is a clicheacute to say that our lives were simpler then because that is just how the current era will be fondly referred to in the future but to a 5-year-old it is the simplicity that brought the joy Th e sixties will always be to me the beginning of the age of manufactured happiness Cheap clean and simple was what was strived for and what was easily obtained Plastic items were plentiful and pretty things could be bought with SampH Green Stamps A few coins in our pocket would transfer us into the most master of manipula-tors with us giving our all to convince our parents for a jaunt to Murdockrsquos for a holiday of wonderment joy and impatience as we would scour the shelves trying to get the most from our meager budget
Owens Drive was the fairly new thoroughfare from which the avenues of three-bedroom-ranchers fi ngered away at planned intervals Th is was the place where newlyweds started their lives homes and families Where girls with last names that had been in the town for generations would change them to those strange and exotic last names of the clean cut newcomers brought here for military purposes Where the housewives would preheat their pristine electric ovens trying to make cheese straws and biscuits that were just like their motherrsquos only to be frustrated as they were never quite the same and where the husbands would follow in their fatherrsquos footsteps by joining the Acme Club and hunting doves on the weekends
Th ere was a swimming pool Certainly not at our house Th e only private pool I remember as a child was one that my grandmother would take me to nestled between huge trees at someonersquos house on Adams Street I would swim with other children my age while our grandmothers chatted smoking cigarettes in cat-eyed anonymity whispering most of their stories so we wouldnrsquot be able to hear But between their
gasps and laughter we would listen hear and learn
Th e Blossomwood pool was a place of designated rules and the sound of bright whistlesmdashwith straight lines and distinctive colors of blue and green I can still feel the Coppertoned oiliness on the skin of the tanned lifeguard as she carried me from the deep end frightened after my fi rst attempt at solo-swimming She knew my name I had no idea who she was
On the other side of the pool was the school my older sister attended It had a style that mim-icked the poolmdashstraight lines cleanmdasha temple to orderliness and good manners It was with
awe that I once watched the young adults there some as old as eleven wind and dance their way around a sky-high fl agpolemdasheach with a diff erent color ribbon until the fi rst (and only) May Pole
I was privy to was completely dressed in its woven bright colors
90 raquo bless their hearts raquo Guy McClure Jr
Huntsville was a magical place for us tail-end baby boomers to grow upmdashbeyond the miracles of the escalator at Pizitz the smiling little lady on the tall stool at the register at Britlings There was a comfort level there that Irsquom not sure is in the minds of the 5-year-olds of today
cat-eyed agasps
Th s
aI w
THE COMFORTS OF BLOSSOMWOOD
In our world of red-bricked carported castles there was a def-inite division of generations Th e children ate separately from the parents went to school as our dads went to work enter-tained our neighborhood friends as quietly as possible and felt safe between our boundaries of Big Cove Road and Hermitage Street While we dined on our Chef Boy-Ar-Dee boxed pizza our parents busied themselves dressing in their dark colors getting ready for a late dinner at Boots having the scent of perfume and face powder trail my mother as she came into the kitchen looking for something with an intense purpose My father would smell of British Sterling and look just as he did when he went to work only happier Th ese nights meant something fun would happenmdashwe would have a babysitter
Babysitters were my introduction into what was and still seems cool Th ey were usually Huntsville High School teen-agers who would put on a show without even knowing it I would drink in their every move word and essence of style To me they were supermodelsmdashmovie starsmdasheven more fa-mous in my eyes than a television weatherman and almost as glamorous as the waitresses at the Waffl e House
Before they would tire of me and my sister and put us to bed they would include us in their world of music and knowledge which I thought was all-encompassing Suddenly our world of Th e Benny Carl Show and Fantasy Playhouse would seem trite and passeacute and we would catch a fl eeting glimpse into what would be in store for us when we too could stay up past 8 pm
Huntsville was a magical place for us tail-end baby boomers to grow upmdashbeyond the miracles of the escalator at Pizitz the smiling little lady on the tall stool at the register at Britlings and that bright colorful Maypole Th ere was a comfort level there that Irsquom not sure is in the minds of the 5-year-olds of todaymdashthe soothing sheltered lack of knowledge of why we were so lucky yet we didnrsquot even know that we were
In the other areas of our Huntsville there was poverty and ra-cial unrestmdashas there was and is in every city I was unaware People of color were always a part of my worldmdashmostly be-cause they had my attention and respect At our house there was Annie my grandmotherrsquos house was fi lled with the joys of Lula and out on the family farm there was strong and smiling Homer and large and huggable Rosamdashall just as much a part of my life as everyone else My life was good and they were instrumental in making it that way
What will the 5-year-olds of today who are lucky enough to be raised on those well-planned streets remember when they surpass their own 50 year mark It is a much more complex world now and there are diff erent concerns with daily changes of fear Youthful innocence is a prize that is encased without a lock Premature maturity is a viable threat and a constant fear But each night tucked in tight in a simple room sleeps tomor-rowrsquos adults who are having sweet dreamsmdashblanketed by the comforts of Blossomwood
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
92 raquo the vine raquo Amy C Collins
BORDEAUX POWER
Where Burgundyrsquos vineyards were established by Benedictine monks patiently growing wine vines with spiritual hearts Bordeauxrsquos vineyards were raised by entrepreneurial laymen who recognized the massive monetary opportunity when the English began drinking down their peasant wine
The city of Bordeaux is Francersquos primary port town on the Atlantic ocean a harbor that has for centuries served as the countryrsquos most important dock Th e regionrsquos history is long and storied with the fi rst written reference to the area dated 379 AD by the Latin poet Ausonius who was also a wine-grower Jump ahead to the year 1152 when Eleanor of Aquitaine married Englandrsquos soon-to-be king Henry Plantagenet and the port and surrounding vineyard land became the source of wine for the English a connection that remains strong even today
Bordeaux produces the worldrsquos most expensive and sought after collector wines the top tier of which make up less than fi ve percent of the regionrsquos total production Th ese names are quickly learned by neophyte wine drinkers wanting to make an impression Chateau Haut-Brion Lafi te Latour and Margaux for example Grown in gravelly soils only a few meters above sea levelmdashin contrast vineyards elsewhere in Europe typically sit between 300 and 900 metersmdashthese wines are some of the most powerful austere and pawed over When young the tannins in these cabernet sauvignon cabernet franc and merlot blends coat the tongue and mouth with a chalky dry sensation akin to sucking on an Earl Grey tea bag and are perhaps best suited to well-fatted rare steak and cigars Th ese are wines built to live for decades Personally I prefer a Bordeaux at least 20 years aged when the tannins have had ample time to calm down and mellow out and more nuanced fl avors come forward Sounds fancy and it is Only in some very lucky circumstances over the past year have I been guest to a bottle of 1990 Clos de Menuts Saint-Eacutemilion and a 1970 Chateau Haut-Brion About once every 10 years Irsquove had the good
fortune to taste a wine older than myself Nice work if you can get it
Where Burgundyrsquos vineyards (Francersquos other classifi ed sought-after region) were established by Benedictine monks patiently growing wine vines with spiritual hearts
Bordeauxrsquos vineyards were raised by entrepreneurial laymen who recognized the massive monetary opportunity when the English began drinking down their peasant wine Th is underscores the second half of my theory as to why Americans
more often American males are so drawn to the wines of Bordeaux Th erersquos an inherent capitalist connection something in the soil Th at the wines are so
unmistakable so distinctively grand and pronounced elixirs exemplifi es the fi rst half of my theory we Americans are not known for our subtlety (To be fair the Chinese are
signifi cant Bordeaux collectors as well)
Philosophy aside Bordeaux is quite a large region that produces beautiful white and red values as well as the rare fi nds out of the populacersquos price range Herersquos the skinny Blending is the game single varietal wines are rare White Bordeaux is typically made from a blend of sauvignon blanc and seacutemillon and sometimes a drop or two of muscadelle ugni blanc or colombard Reds are made primarily from the two cabernets plus merlot with small quantities of petit verdot malbec and carmenegravere occasionally in the mix Th e region is also home to the golden nectar of late ripened seacutemillon sauvignon blanc and muscadelle grapes that have successfully attracted the noble rot a fungus that covers the fruit and drains moisture from inside leaving behind rich sweet grapes without moldy fl avors Chateau drsquoYquem is the most famous of these unfortifi ed dessert wines though there are better bargains from the region
Bordeaux is split by the Gironde river which divides the region into three general areas Th e left bank also known as the Haut-Meacutedoc is where the classifi ed top growths are situated Th ese prestigious estates were named for their exceptional vineyard sites in 1855 a decision nearly unchanged since Today serious collectors invest in Bordeaux futures theoretically locking down lower prices of top
ample time to calm dit is Only in some vede Menuts Saint-Eacutem
fortune to taste a
Wherees
aun
of msignifi
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Follow Amy at pigandvinecom for morestories and wine suggestions
growth estates while the wine is still aging in the cellar Itrsquos the wine tradersquos equivalent to the NASDAQ On the right bank Saint-Eacutemilion and Pommerol are the prized vineyard areas known for their merlot heavy cuveacutees To the south west we fi nd Graves where there are many great values to be had in both white and red bottlings Entre-Deux-Mers which translates to ldquobetween two seasrdquo sits between the Dordogne and Garonne tributaries off the Gironde and is an excellent source for crisp whites
Get started on your Bordeaux experience with these values
Chateau Graville-Lacoste 2014 Graves 75 seacutemillon 20 sauvignon blanc and 5 muscadelle make up this beauty thatrsquos consistently delicious every vintage Crisp and refreshing great with seafood
Chateau Mirambeau 2014 GravesAnother classic blend of 40 sauvignon blanc 40 seacutemillon and 20 muscadelle this lovely white is a bit more fl oral than the Graville-Lacoste Easy drinking and great value
Chateau de Parenchegravere Bordeaux Rouge 201155 merlot 30 cabernet sauvignon and 15 cabernet franc grown in clay heavy soils similar to the right bank of the region Fleshy with good structure and abundant red fruit
Chateau Arnaud Bordeaux Supeacuterieur 2011Supeacuterieur on a Bordeaux label isnrsquot egotistical marketingmdashby law it indicates a wine with up to one degree more alcohol than its AC Bordeaux brethren What it really means is one more degree of body structure and in this case quality Approachable delicious and easy on the wallet
Chateau de Bernadotte Haut-Meacutedoc 2005Th e 2005 vintage in Bordeaux is in the history books with double asterisks Owned by the eminent Pichon Lalande family and made from vineyards in Paulliac one of the more choice growing areas in the region this is an incredible value a top tier Bordeaux for a fraction of the cost
Chateau de Suduiraut Sauternes 2011Ripe cantaloupe apricot and honey and an interesting smoky note with a solid sweet attack followed by great acidity A dessert wine that wonrsquot overpower the dessert
94 raquo parting shot raquo Patrick Hood
Meet Solvar
Solvar belongs to one of the worldrsquos oldest and purest equine lineages the Nor-
wegian Fjord horse a breed that has remained virtually unchanged for more than
2000 yearsmdashlong before we became acquainted with his animated cousins in
the movie Frozen Th ese national symbols of Norway are characterized by primi-
tive zebra striping on their legs and a dorsal stripe running from forelock to tail
resulting in a striking two-tone mane that sticks up like a Mohawk Th eir athleti-
cism agility and dependability make them valuable both as sport horses as well
as therapy horses for emotionally and physically challenged adults and children
Catie Wells of Huntsville is the proud owner of Solvar who resides at Monte
Sano Stables
For tickets or information 256-539-4818 or hsoorg
Bring In the New Year With Us
presents
WHAT A WONDERFUL
WORLDA tribute to Louis
Armstrong featuring the
Byron Stripling Quartet
Thursday December 31
730 pm bull Pops Series bullMark C Smith
Concert Hall VBC
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
M O R E T H A N 7 0 S H O P S A N D R E S T A U R A N T S I N C L U D I N G B E L K | D S W S H O E S | A P P L E J O S A B A N K | R E E D S J E W E L E R S | PA N D O R A | J C R E W | K AT E S PA D E N E W Y O R KO R V I S | B A N A N A R E P U B L I C | M I C H A E L K O R S | F R A N C E S C Arsquo S | A N T H R O P O L O G I EH amp M | S O M A | M O U N T A I N H I G H O U T F I T T E R S | B A R N E S amp N O B L E | S E P H O R AALTAR rsquoD STATE | CONNORS STEAK amp SEFOOD | THE WEST IN HUNTSV I L L E | MONACO P ICTURES
C O M I N G S O O N V E R S O N A ndash near Belk
B R I D G E S T R E E T H U N T S V I L L E C O M |
BR IDGE STREET TOWN CENTRE I S LOCATED AT EX I T 14 OFF I - 565 AT OLD MAD ISON P IKE
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
copy Olivia Reed
Homegrown launched in 2011 with what would become its
signature event Dine amp Dash Every second Wednesday
April through October a trolley shuttles patrons between
downtown establishments where they are served a drink
and appetizer before moving on to the next stop
Owner and executive chef Merle Phillips of Th e Eaves was
one of the fi rst restaurants to sign on for Dine amp Dashrsquos de-
but ldquoAshley came to me and said she was starting a trolley
tasting conceptrdquo says Chef Merle ldquoI didnrsquot really know her so
I was taking a chance on the concept she was sellingrdquo
Merle tried it and has been a loyal participant of Dine amp
Dash ever since
ldquoIt was a risk in the beginning but it defi nitely paid off rdquo Chef
Merle says of the experience Pivotal to that experience ac-
cording to Phillips is Ryalsrsquo demonstration to the commu-
nity just what the term ldquohomegrownrdquo really means ldquoAshley
shines a spotlight on independent businesses in a market-
place that has for so long focused on chainsrdquo Phillips says
ldquoDine amp Dash has really brought into sharp focus the inter-
esting culinary diversity that Huntsville has to off errdquo
For the next two years Homegrown Huntsville focused al-
most exclusively on Dine amp Dash which by the end of its fi rst
year included every single downtown restaurant But when
big changes began to appear on the downtown horizonmdash
new restaurants breweries and residential developmentsmdash
Ryalsrsquo instincts told her
the time had come to
introduce a new event
to the downtown cal-
endar
ldquoBeer Hop follows
the concept of Dine
amp Dashrdquo Ryals says of
Homegrownrsquos second
venture which began
in 2013 Each month a
trolley visits three dif-
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
BILL FOWLEROLD TOWN BEER
EXCHANGE
copy Olivia Reed
copy Olivia Reed
ferent breweries where patrons sample beers and enjoy food
from a variety of food trucks parked at each location
Bill Fowler managing partner of Old Town Beer Exchange
agreed to participate in Beer Hop on his very fi rst day of
business and credits Ryals with an overwhelmingly success-
ful opening night ldquoAshley said lsquoI can guarantee that you are
going to have wave after wave of people coming throughrsquordquo
Fowler says recalling that fi rst jittery occasion Once again
Ryals proved true to her word with 60-plus patrons arriving
in an hour-and-a-half ldquoIt was awesome and such a great ex-
perience for usrdquo Fowler raves ldquoAshley is a hard worker and
you can see that in what she doesrdquo
Fowler believes that in addition to bringing new customers
to OTBX Ryals is also cultivating beer education consis-
tently bringing in people who are new to beer and want to
learn And with Huntsvillersquos recent brewery boom that level
of education and interest is crucial for the brewing commu-
nity to thrive ldquoWe have a very small window of opportunityrdquo
says Fowler ldquoI think Huntsville in particular is becoming a
craft brewing community People are making money at this
and once Tennessee sees that we need to already have had a
pretty huge head startrdquo
By the end of 2013 and with standing events Beer Hop and
Dine amp Dash well established Ryals took time to refl ect on
her original goal for Homegrown Huntsville ldquoIn the back of
my head from day one I knew I wanted to do a wine festival
I just didnrsquot think Huntsville was ready for it in 2011rdquo
Emboldened by the success of Beer Hop Ryals decided to
make the leap with Big Spring Crush wine festival later the
same year Once again Ryals delivered the perfect audience
for the event and in the process discovered a surprising
fact about North Alabamarsquos contribution to the wine-mak-
ing industry
ldquoIn doing the wine festival I learned that we have a huge
wine community in Huntsvillerdquo Ryals says ldquoTh ere are only
about 47 certifi ed wine judges in the entire United States
and we have four of them right here in North Alabama Two
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
copy Jeff White
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
ldquoI STARTED TO GET HOMESICK ALL OF MY FRIENDS WERE GETTING MARRIEDAND MEETING FOR FOOTBALL GAMES AND I WAS MISSING ITrdquo ASHLEY RYALS
copy Jeff White
copy Jeff White
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
ldquoIT WAS AWESOME AND SUCH A GREAT EXPERIENCE FOR USrdquoBILL FOWLER OLD TOWN BEER EXCHANGE
copy Jeff White
copy Olivia Reed
of those four certifi ed wine judges sit on the committee for
Big Spring Crushrdquo
Matthew and Stephanie Mell had just opened Church Street
Wine Shop when they decided to participate in the fi rst Big
Spring Crush Like OTBXrsquos Robert Fowler the Mells credit
Ryals and Homegrown Huntsville for helping to introduce
their new enterprise to the community ldquoAshley has been in-
strumental in helping to bring us people who love and ap-
preciate winerdquo Stephanie Mell says ldquoShe was homegrown
here in Huntsville and she really gets the downtown area
and small businesses and that is so important to usrdquo
Big Spring Crush began with a bang featuring over 150
wines and attracting patrons from across the country
ldquoMost wine festivals across the country have proven records
of being able to stay around 15 or 20 years or even longerrdquo
Ryals says ldquoAnd the economies of those cities have really
grown as a result I want Big Spring Crush to eventually be
the biggest and best wine festival in the state of Alabamardquo
How does Ryals intend to make that dream come true ldquoBy
always keeping it fresh I want to have new marketing and
new things happening each yearrdquo
Ryalsrsquo formula of reinvention and expansion has successfully
led Homegrown Huntsville through fi ve years of success and
helped its events become community staples along the way In
the process Ryals is broadening more than just our image of
downtown Huntsville shersquos joining a class of creative entrepre-
neurs committed to expanding Huntsvillersquos reputation as more
than just a hub for the brightest scientifi c minds in America
ldquoWe have a big city of engineers and lawyers and itrsquos won-
derfulrdquo Ryals say ldquo But there is a whole artist and food cul-
ture here and there is so much growth I want us to have a
vibrant cool downtown area and I want for people to tell
their friends to come and visit and to see Huntsville for what
it is a city I loverdquo
If yoursquod like to participate in Homegrown Huntsville either
as a guest or a participating business visit homegrown-
huntsvillecom
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
copy Jeff White
I was years old and the year was At that time the city of Huntsville was inching toward the mountain to the east California Street was once the continental divide between the small town metropo-lis and the uncharted territories gingerly crossed by the real estate pioneers four score and some odd years prior Th is area became the new suburb as the city kept pushing onward toward Fagan Springs as if the reverberating booms of rocket testings were vibrating Hunstvillians away from its epicenter
From the front yard of our house on Owens Drive I could look to the rightmdashup the hill to the bend be-yond which the big houses stood on their rocky ledge pedestals and to the left where all the other houses that looked just like oursmdashfresh and newmdashrambled for what seemed like miles Th ose clean well-lit abodes all seemed the same and granted at my age I knew more about the pets that lived there than I did about the people who owned those manageable mortgages I came to realize that each was diff erent in a way that was permeated by voices smells and furnishings
It is a clicheacute to say that our lives were simpler then because that is just how the current era will be fondly referred to in the future but to a 5-year-old it is the simplicity that brought the joy Th e sixties will always be to me the beginning of the age of manufactured happiness Cheap clean and simple was what was strived for and what was easily obtained Plastic items were plentiful and pretty things could be bought with SampH Green Stamps A few coins in our pocket would transfer us into the most master of manipula-tors with us giving our all to convince our parents for a jaunt to Murdockrsquos for a holiday of wonderment joy and impatience as we would scour the shelves trying to get the most from our meager budget
Owens Drive was the fairly new thoroughfare from which the avenues of three-bedroom-ranchers fi ngered away at planned intervals Th is was the place where newlyweds started their lives homes and families Where girls with last names that had been in the town for generations would change them to those strange and exotic last names of the clean cut newcomers brought here for military purposes Where the housewives would preheat their pristine electric ovens trying to make cheese straws and biscuits that were just like their motherrsquos only to be frustrated as they were never quite the same and where the husbands would follow in their fatherrsquos footsteps by joining the Acme Club and hunting doves on the weekends
Th ere was a swimming pool Certainly not at our house Th e only private pool I remember as a child was one that my grandmother would take me to nestled between huge trees at someonersquos house on Adams Street I would swim with other children my age while our grandmothers chatted smoking cigarettes in cat-eyed anonymity whispering most of their stories so we wouldnrsquot be able to hear But between their
gasps and laughter we would listen hear and learn
Th e Blossomwood pool was a place of designated rules and the sound of bright whistlesmdashwith straight lines and distinctive colors of blue and green I can still feel the Coppertoned oiliness on the skin of the tanned lifeguard as she carried me from the deep end frightened after my fi rst attempt at solo-swimming She knew my name I had no idea who she was
On the other side of the pool was the school my older sister attended It had a style that mim-icked the poolmdashstraight lines cleanmdasha temple to orderliness and good manners It was with
awe that I once watched the young adults there some as old as eleven wind and dance their way around a sky-high fl agpolemdasheach with a diff erent color ribbon until the fi rst (and only) May Pole
I was privy to was completely dressed in its woven bright colors
90 raquo bless their hearts raquo Guy McClure Jr
Huntsville was a magical place for us tail-end baby boomers to grow upmdashbeyond the miracles of the escalator at Pizitz the smiling little lady on the tall stool at the register at Britlings There was a comfort level there that Irsquom not sure is in the minds of the 5-year-olds of today
cat-eyed agasps
Th s
aI w
THE COMFORTS OF BLOSSOMWOOD
In our world of red-bricked carported castles there was a def-inite division of generations Th e children ate separately from the parents went to school as our dads went to work enter-tained our neighborhood friends as quietly as possible and felt safe between our boundaries of Big Cove Road and Hermitage Street While we dined on our Chef Boy-Ar-Dee boxed pizza our parents busied themselves dressing in their dark colors getting ready for a late dinner at Boots having the scent of perfume and face powder trail my mother as she came into the kitchen looking for something with an intense purpose My father would smell of British Sterling and look just as he did when he went to work only happier Th ese nights meant something fun would happenmdashwe would have a babysitter
Babysitters were my introduction into what was and still seems cool Th ey were usually Huntsville High School teen-agers who would put on a show without even knowing it I would drink in their every move word and essence of style To me they were supermodelsmdashmovie starsmdasheven more fa-mous in my eyes than a television weatherman and almost as glamorous as the waitresses at the Waffl e House
Before they would tire of me and my sister and put us to bed they would include us in their world of music and knowledge which I thought was all-encompassing Suddenly our world of Th e Benny Carl Show and Fantasy Playhouse would seem trite and passeacute and we would catch a fl eeting glimpse into what would be in store for us when we too could stay up past 8 pm
Huntsville was a magical place for us tail-end baby boomers to grow upmdashbeyond the miracles of the escalator at Pizitz the smiling little lady on the tall stool at the register at Britlings and that bright colorful Maypole Th ere was a comfort level there that Irsquom not sure is in the minds of the 5-year-olds of todaymdashthe soothing sheltered lack of knowledge of why we were so lucky yet we didnrsquot even know that we were
In the other areas of our Huntsville there was poverty and ra-cial unrestmdashas there was and is in every city I was unaware People of color were always a part of my worldmdashmostly be-cause they had my attention and respect At our house there was Annie my grandmotherrsquos house was fi lled with the joys of Lula and out on the family farm there was strong and smiling Homer and large and huggable Rosamdashall just as much a part of my life as everyone else My life was good and they were instrumental in making it that way
What will the 5-year-olds of today who are lucky enough to be raised on those well-planned streets remember when they surpass their own 50 year mark It is a much more complex world now and there are diff erent concerns with daily changes of fear Youthful innocence is a prize that is encased without a lock Premature maturity is a viable threat and a constant fear But each night tucked in tight in a simple room sleeps tomor-rowrsquos adults who are having sweet dreamsmdashblanketed by the comforts of Blossomwood
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
92 raquo the vine raquo Amy C Collins
BORDEAUX POWER
Where Burgundyrsquos vineyards were established by Benedictine monks patiently growing wine vines with spiritual hearts Bordeauxrsquos vineyards were raised by entrepreneurial laymen who recognized the massive monetary opportunity when the English began drinking down their peasant wine
The city of Bordeaux is Francersquos primary port town on the Atlantic ocean a harbor that has for centuries served as the countryrsquos most important dock Th e regionrsquos history is long and storied with the fi rst written reference to the area dated 379 AD by the Latin poet Ausonius who was also a wine-grower Jump ahead to the year 1152 when Eleanor of Aquitaine married Englandrsquos soon-to-be king Henry Plantagenet and the port and surrounding vineyard land became the source of wine for the English a connection that remains strong even today
Bordeaux produces the worldrsquos most expensive and sought after collector wines the top tier of which make up less than fi ve percent of the regionrsquos total production Th ese names are quickly learned by neophyte wine drinkers wanting to make an impression Chateau Haut-Brion Lafi te Latour and Margaux for example Grown in gravelly soils only a few meters above sea levelmdashin contrast vineyards elsewhere in Europe typically sit between 300 and 900 metersmdashthese wines are some of the most powerful austere and pawed over When young the tannins in these cabernet sauvignon cabernet franc and merlot blends coat the tongue and mouth with a chalky dry sensation akin to sucking on an Earl Grey tea bag and are perhaps best suited to well-fatted rare steak and cigars Th ese are wines built to live for decades Personally I prefer a Bordeaux at least 20 years aged when the tannins have had ample time to calm down and mellow out and more nuanced fl avors come forward Sounds fancy and it is Only in some very lucky circumstances over the past year have I been guest to a bottle of 1990 Clos de Menuts Saint-Eacutemilion and a 1970 Chateau Haut-Brion About once every 10 years Irsquove had the good
fortune to taste a wine older than myself Nice work if you can get it
Where Burgundyrsquos vineyards (Francersquos other classifi ed sought-after region) were established by Benedictine monks patiently growing wine vines with spiritual hearts
Bordeauxrsquos vineyards were raised by entrepreneurial laymen who recognized the massive monetary opportunity when the English began drinking down their peasant wine Th is underscores the second half of my theory as to why Americans
more often American males are so drawn to the wines of Bordeaux Th erersquos an inherent capitalist connection something in the soil Th at the wines are so
unmistakable so distinctively grand and pronounced elixirs exemplifi es the fi rst half of my theory we Americans are not known for our subtlety (To be fair the Chinese are
signifi cant Bordeaux collectors as well)
Philosophy aside Bordeaux is quite a large region that produces beautiful white and red values as well as the rare fi nds out of the populacersquos price range Herersquos the skinny Blending is the game single varietal wines are rare White Bordeaux is typically made from a blend of sauvignon blanc and seacutemillon and sometimes a drop or two of muscadelle ugni blanc or colombard Reds are made primarily from the two cabernets plus merlot with small quantities of petit verdot malbec and carmenegravere occasionally in the mix Th e region is also home to the golden nectar of late ripened seacutemillon sauvignon blanc and muscadelle grapes that have successfully attracted the noble rot a fungus that covers the fruit and drains moisture from inside leaving behind rich sweet grapes without moldy fl avors Chateau drsquoYquem is the most famous of these unfortifi ed dessert wines though there are better bargains from the region
Bordeaux is split by the Gironde river which divides the region into three general areas Th e left bank also known as the Haut-Meacutedoc is where the classifi ed top growths are situated Th ese prestigious estates were named for their exceptional vineyard sites in 1855 a decision nearly unchanged since Today serious collectors invest in Bordeaux futures theoretically locking down lower prices of top
ample time to calm dit is Only in some vede Menuts Saint-Eacutem
fortune to taste a
Wherees
aun
of msignifi
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Follow Amy at pigandvinecom for morestories and wine suggestions
growth estates while the wine is still aging in the cellar Itrsquos the wine tradersquos equivalent to the NASDAQ On the right bank Saint-Eacutemilion and Pommerol are the prized vineyard areas known for their merlot heavy cuveacutees To the south west we fi nd Graves where there are many great values to be had in both white and red bottlings Entre-Deux-Mers which translates to ldquobetween two seasrdquo sits between the Dordogne and Garonne tributaries off the Gironde and is an excellent source for crisp whites
Get started on your Bordeaux experience with these values
Chateau Graville-Lacoste 2014 Graves 75 seacutemillon 20 sauvignon blanc and 5 muscadelle make up this beauty thatrsquos consistently delicious every vintage Crisp and refreshing great with seafood
Chateau Mirambeau 2014 GravesAnother classic blend of 40 sauvignon blanc 40 seacutemillon and 20 muscadelle this lovely white is a bit more fl oral than the Graville-Lacoste Easy drinking and great value
Chateau de Parenchegravere Bordeaux Rouge 201155 merlot 30 cabernet sauvignon and 15 cabernet franc grown in clay heavy soils similar to the right bank of the region Fleshy with good structure and abundant red fruit
Chateau Arnaud Bordeaux Supeacuterieur 2011Supeacuterieur on a Bordeaux label isnrsquot egotistical marketingmdashby law it indicates a wine with up to one degree more alcohol than its AC Bordeaux brethren What it really means is one more degree of body structure and in this case quality Approachable delicious and easy on the wallet
Chateau de Bernadotte Haut-Meacutedoc 2005Th e 2005 vintage in Bordeaux is in the history books with double asterisks Owned by the eminent Pichon Lalande family and made from vineyards in Paulliac one of the more choice growing areas in the region this is an incredible value a top tier Bordeaux for a fraction of the cost
Chateau de Suduiraut Sauternes 2011Ripe cantaloupe apricot and honey and an interesting smoky note with a solid sweet attack followed by great acidity A dessert wine that wonrsquot overpower the dessert
94 raquo parting shot raquo Patrick Hood
Meet Solvar
Solvar belongs to one of the worldrsquos oldest and purest equine lineages the Nor-
wegian Fjord horse a breed that has remained virtually unchanged for more than
2000 yearsmdashlong before we became acquainted with his animated cousins in
the movie Frozen Th ese national symbols of Norway are characterized by primi-
tive zebra striping on their legs and a dorsal stripe running from forelock to tail
resulting in a striking two-tone mane that sticks up like a Mohawk Th eir athleti-
cism agility and dependability make them valuable both as sport horses as well
as therapy horses for emotionally and physically challenged adults and children
Catie Wells of Huntsville is the proud owner of Solvar who resides at Monte
Sano Stables
For tickets or information 256-539-4818 or hsoorg
Bring In the New Year With Us
presents
WHAT A WONDERFUL
WORLDA tribute to Louis
Armstrong featuring the
Byron Stripling Quartet
Thursday December 31
730 pm bull Pops Series bullMark C Smith
Concert Hall VBC
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
M O R E T H A N 7 0 S H O P S A N D R E S T A U R A N T S I N C L U D I N G B E L K | D S W S H O E S | A P P L E J O S A B A N K | R E E D S J E W E L E R S | PA N D O R A | J C R E W | K AT E S PA D E N E W Y O R KO R V I S | B A N A N A R E P U B L I C | M I C H A E L K O R S | F R A N C E S C Arsquo S | A N T H R O P O L O G I EH amp M | S O M A | M O U N T A I N H I G H O U T F I T T E R S | B A R N E S amp N O B L E | S E P H O R AALTAR rsquoD STATE | CONNORS STEAK amp SEFOOD | THE WEST IN HUNTSV I L L E | MONACO P ICTURES
C O M I N G S O O N V E R S O N A ndash near Belk
B R I D G E S T R E E T H U N T S V I L L E C O M |
BR IDGE STREET TOWN CENTRE I S LOCATED AT EX I T 14 OFF I - 565 AT OLD MAD ISON P IKE
Homegrown launched in 2011 with what would become its
signature event Dine amp Dash Every second Wednesday
April through October a trolley shuttles patrons between
downtown establishments where they are served a drink
and appetizer before moving on to the next stop
Owner and executive chef Merle Phillips of Th e Eaves was
one of the fi rst restaurants to sign on for Dine amp Dashrsquos de-
but ldquoAshley came to me and said she was starting a trolley
tasting conceptrdquo says Chef Merle ldquoI didnrsquot really know her so
I was taking a chance on the concept she was sellingrdquo
Merle tried it and has been a loyal participant of Dine amp
Dash ever since
ldquoIt was a risk in the beginning but it defi nitely paid off rdquo Chef
Merle says of the experience Pivotal to that experience ac-
cording to Phillips is Ryalsrsquo demonstration to the commu-
nity just what the term ldquohomegrownrdquo really means ldquoAshley
shines a spotlight on independent businesses in a market-
place that has for so long focused on chainsrdquo Phillips says
ldquoDine amp Dash has really brought into sharp focus the inter-
esting culinary diversity that Huntsville has to off errdquo
For the next two years Homegrown Huntsville focused al-
most exclusively on Dine amp Dash which by the end of its fi rst
year included every single downtown restaurant But when
big changes began to appear on the downtown horizonmdash
new restaurants breweries and residential developmentsmdash
Ryalsrsquo instincts told her
the time had come to
introduce a new event
to the downtown cal-
endar
ldquoBeer Hop follows
the concept of Dine
amp Dashrdquo Ryals says of
Homegrownrsquos second
venture which began
in 2013 Each month a
trolley visits three dif-
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
BILL FOWLEROLD TOWN BEER
EXCHANGE
copy Olivia Reed
copy Olivia Reed
ferent breweries where patrons sample beers and enjoy food
from a variety of food trucks parked at each location
Bill Fowler managing partner of Old Town Beer Exchange
agreed to participate in Beer Hop on his very fi rst day of
business and credits Ryals with an overwhelmingly success-
ful opening night ldquoAshley said lsquoI can guarantee that you are
going to have wave after wave of people coming throughrsquordquo
Fowler says recalling that fi rst jittery occasion Once again
Ryals proved true to her word with 60-plus patrons arriving
in an hour-and-a-half ldquoIt was awesome and such a great ex-
perience for usrdquo Fowler raves ldquoAshley is a hard worker and
you can see that in what she doesrdquo
Fowler believes that in addition to bringing new customers
to OTBX Ryals is also cultivating beer education consis-
tently bringing in people who are new to beer and want to
learn And with Huntsvillersquos recent brewery boom that level
of education and interest is crucial for the brewing commu-
nity to thrive ldquoWe have a very small window of opportunityrdquo
says Fowler ldquoI think Huntsville in particular is becoming a
craft brewing community People are making money at this
and once Tennessee sees that we need to already have had a
pretty huge head startrdquo
By the end of 2013 and with standing events Beer Hop and
Dine amp Dash well established Ryals took time to refl ect on
her original goal for Homegrown Huntsville ldquoIn the back of
my head from day one I knew I wanted to do a wine festival
I just didnrsquot think Huntsville was ready for it in 2011rdquo
Emboldened by the success of Beer Hop Ryals decided to
make the leap with Big Spring Crush wine festival later the
same year Once again Ryals delivered the perfect audience
for the event and in the process discovered a surprising
fact about North Alabamarsquos contribution to the wine-mak-
ing industry
ldquoIn doing the wine festival I learned that we have a huge
wine community in Huntsvillerdquo Ryals says ldquoTh ere are only
about 47 certifi ed wine judges in the entire United States
and we have four of them right here in North Alabama Two
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
copy Jeff White
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
ldquoI STARTED TO GET HOMESICK ALL OF MY FRIENDS WERE GETTING MARRIEDAND MEETING FOR FOOTBALL GAMES AND I WAS MISSING ITrdquo ASHLEY RYALS
copy Jeff White
copy Jeff White
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
ldquoIT WAS AWESOME AND SUCH A GREAT EXPERIENCE FOR USrdquoBILL FOWLER OLD TOWN BEER EXCHANGE
copy Jeff White
copy Olivia Reed
of those four certifi ed wine judges sit on the committee for
Big Spring Crushrdquo
Matthew and Stephanie Mell had just opened Church Street
Wine Shop when they decided to participate in the fi rst Big
Spring Crush Like OTBXrsquos Robert Fowler the Mells credit
Ryals and Homegrown Huntsville for helping to introduce
their new enterprise to the community ldquoAshley has been in-
strumental in helping to bring us people who love and ap-
preciate winerdquo Stephanie Mell says ldquoShe was homegrown
here in Huntsville and she really gets the downtown area
and small businesses and that is so important to usrdquo
Big Spring Crush began with a bang featuring over 150
wines and attracting patrons from across the country
ldquoMost wine festivals across the country have proven records
of being able to stay around 15 or 20 years or even longerrdquo
Ryals says ldquoAnd the economies of those cities have really
grown as a result I want Big Spring Crush to eventually be
the biggest and best wine festival in the state of Alabamardquo
How does Ryals intend to make that dream come true ldquoBy
always keeping it fresh I want to have new marketing and
new things happening each yearrdquo
Ryalsrsquo formula of reinvention and expansion has successfully
led Homegrown Huntsville through fi ve years of success and
helped its events become community staples along the way In
the process Ryals is broadening more than just our image of
downtown Huntsville shersquos joining a class of creative entrepre-
neurs committed to expanding Huntsvillersquos reputation as more
than just a hub for the brightest scientifi c minds in America
ldquoWe have a big city of engineers and lawyers and itrsquos won-
derfulrdquo Ryals say ldquo But there is a whole artist and food cul-
ture here and there is so much growth I want us to have a
vibrant cool downtown area and I want for people to tell
their friends to come and visit and to see Huntsville for what
it is a city I loverdquo
If yoursquod like to participate in Homegrown Huntsville either
as a guest or a participating business visit homegrown-
huntsvillecom
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
copy Jeff White
I was years old and the year was At that time the city of Huntsville was inching toward the mountain to the east California Street was once the continental divide between the small town metropo-lis and the uncharted territories gingerly crossed by the real estate pioneers four score and some odd years prior Th is area became the new suburb as the city kept pushing onward toward Fagan Springs as if the reverberating booms of rocket testings were vibrating Hunstvillians away from its epicenter
From the front yard of our house on Owens Drive I could look to the rightmdashup the hill to the bend be-yond which the big houses stood on their rocky ledge pedestals and to the left where all the other houses that looked just like oursmdashfresh and newmdashrambled for what seemed like miles Th ose clean well-lit abodes all seemed the same and granted at my age I knew more about the pets that lived there than I did about the people who owned those manageable mortgages I came to realize that each was diff erent in a way that was permeated by voices smells and furnishings
It is a clicheacute to say that our lives were simpler then because that is just how the current era will be fondly referred to in the future but to a 5-year-old it is the simplicity that brought the joy Th e sixties will always be to me the beginning of the age of manufactured happiness Cheap clean and simple was what was strived for and what was easily obtained Plastic items were plentiful and pretty things could be bought with SampH Green Stamps A few coins in our pocket would transfer us into the most master of manipula-tors with us giving our all to convince our parents for a jaunt to Murdockrsquos for a holiday of wonderment joy and impatience as we would scour the shelves trying to get the most from our meager budget
Owens Drive was the fairly new thoroughfare from which the avenues of three-bedroom-ranchers fi ngered away at planned intervals Th is was the place where newlyweds started their lives homes and families Where girls with last names that had been in the town for generations would change them to those strange and exotic last names of the clean cut newcomers brought here for military purposes Where the housewives would preheat their pristine electric ovens trying to make cheese straws and biscuits that were just like their motherrsquos only to be frustrated as they were never quite the same and where the husbands would follow in their fatherrsquos footsteps by joining the Acme Club and hunting doves on the weekends
Th ere was a swimming pool Certainly not at our house Th e only private pool I remember as a child was one that my grandmother would take me to nestled between huge trees at someonersquos house on Adams Street I would swim with other children my age while our grandmothers chatted smoking cigarettes in cat-eyed anonymity whispering most of their stories so we wouldnrsquot be able to hear But between their
gasps and laughter we would listen hear and learn
Th e Blossomwood pool was a place of designated rules and the sound of bright whistlesmdashwith straight lines and distinctive colors of blue and green I can still feel the Coppertoned oiliness on the skin of the tanned lifeguard as she carried me from the deep end frightened after my fi rst attempt at solo-swimming She knew my name I had no idea who she was
On the other side of the pool was the school my older sister attended It had a style that mim-icked the poolmdashstraight lines cleanmdasha temple to orderliness and good manners It was with
awe that I once watched the young adults there some as old as eleven wind and dance their way around a sky-high fl agpolemdasheach with a diff erent color ribbon until the fi rst (and only) May Pole
I was privy to was completely dressed in its woven bright colors
90 raquo bless their hearts raquo Guy McClure Jr
Huntsville was a magical place for us tail-end baby boomers to grow upmdashbeyond the miracles of the escalator at Pizitz the smiling little lady on the tall stool at the register at Britlings There was a comfort level there that Irsquom not sure is in the minds of the 5-year-olds of today
cat-eyed agasps
Th s
aI w
THE COMFORTS OF BLOSSOMWOOD
In our world of red-bricked carported castles there was a def-inite division of generations Th e children ate separately from the parents went to school as our dads went to work enter-tained our neighborhood friends as quietly as possible and felt safe between our boundaries of Big Cove Road and Hermitage Street While we dined on our Chef Boy-Ar-Dee boxed pizza our parents busied themselves dressing in their dark colors getting ready for a late dinner at Boots having the scent of perfume and face powder trail my mother as she came into the kitchen looking for something with an intense purpose My father would smell of British Sterling and look just as he did when he went to work only happier Th ese nights meant something fun would happenmdashwe would have a babysitter
Babysitters were my introduction into what was and still seems cool Th ey were usually Huntsville High School teen-agers who would put on a show without even knowing it I would drink in their every move word and essence of style To me they were supermodelsmdashmovie starsmdasheven more fa-mous in my eyes than a television weatherman and almost as glamorous as the waitresses at the Waffl e House
Before they would tire of me and my sister and put us to bed they would include us in their world of music and knowledge which I thought was all-encompassing Suddenly our world of Th e Benny Carl Show and Fantasy Playhouse would seem trite and passeacute and we would catch a fl eeting glimpse into what would be in store for us when we too could stay up past 8 pm
Huntsville was a magical place for us tail-end baby boomers to grow upmdashbeyond the miracles of the escalator at Pizitz the smiling little lady on the tall stool at the register at Britlings and that bright colorful Maypole Th ere was a comfort level there that Irsquom not sure is in the minds of the 5-year-olds of todaymdashthe soothing sheltered lack of knowledge of why we were so lucky yet we didnrsquot even know that we were
In the other areas of our Huntsville there was poverty and ra-cial unrestmdashas there was and is in every city I was unaware People of color were always a part of my worldmdashmostly be-cause they had my attention and respect At our house there was Annie my grandmotherrsquos house was fi lled with the joys of Lula and out on the family farm there was strong and smiling Homer and large and huggable Rosamdashall just as much a part of my life as everyone else My life was good and they were instrumental in making it that way
What will the 5-year-olds of today who are lucky enough to be raised on those well-planned streets remember when they surpass their own 50 year mark It is a much more complex world now and there are diff erent concerns with daily changes of fear Youthful innocence is a prize that is encased without a lock Premature maturity is a viable threat and a constant fear But each night tucked in tight in a simple room sleeps tomor-rowrsquos adults who are having sweet dreamsmdashblanketed by the comforts of Blossomwood
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
92 raquo the vine raquo Amy C Collins
BORDEAUX POWER
Where Burgundyrsquos vineyards were established by Benedictine monks patiently growing wine vines with spiritual hearts Bordeauxrsquos vineyards were raised by entrepreneurial laymen who recognized the massive monetary opportunity when the English began drinking down their peasant wine
The city of Bordeaux is Francersquos primary port town on the Atlantic ocean a harbor that has for centuries served as the countryrsquos most important dock Th e regionrsquos history is long and storied with the fi rst written reference to the area dated 379 AD by the Latin poet Ausonius who was also a wine-grower Jump ahead to the year 1152 when Eleanor of Aquitaine married Englandrsquos soon-to-be king Henry Plantagenet and the port and surrounding vineyard land became the source of wine for the English a connection that remains strong even today
Bordeaux produces the worldrsquos most expensive and sought after collector wines the top tier of which make up less than fi ve percent of the regionrsquos total production Th ese names are quickly learned by neophyte wine drinkers wanting to make an impression Chateau Haut-Brion Lafi te Latour and Margaux for example Grown in gravelly soils only a few meters above sea levelmdashin contrast vineyards elsewhere in Europe typically sit between 300 and 900 metersmdashthese wines are some of the most powerful austere and pawed over When young the tannins in these cabernet sauvignon cabernet franc and merlot blends coat the tongue and mouth with a chalky dry sensation akin to sucking on an Earl Grey tea bag and are perhaps best suited to well-fatted rare steak and cigars Th ese are wines built to live for decades Personally I prefer a Bordeaux at least 20 years aged when the tannins have had ample time to calm down and mellow out and more nuanced fl avors come forward Sounds fancy and it is Only in some very lucky circumstances over the past year have I been guest to a bottle of 1990 Clos de Menuts Saint-Eacutemilion and a 1970 Chateau Haut-Brion About once every 10 years Irsquove had the good
fortune to taste a wine older than myself Nice work if you can get it
Where Burgundyrsquos vineyards (Francersquos other classifi ed sought-after region) were established by Benedictine monks patiently growing wine vines with spiritual hearts
Bordeauxrsquos vineyards were raised by entrepreneurial laymen who recognized the massive monetary opportunity when the English began drinking down their peasant wine Th is underscores the second half of my theory as to why Americans
more often American males are so drawn to the wines of Bordeaux Th erersquos an inherent capitalist connection something in the soil Th at the wines are so
unmistakable so distinctively grand and pronounced elixirs exemplifi es the fi rst half of my theory we Americans are not known for our subtlety (To be fair the Chinese are
signifi cant Bordeaux collectors as well)
Philosophy aside Bordeaux is quite a large region that produces beautiful white and red values as well as the rare fi nds out of the populacersquos price range Herersquos the skinny Blending is the game single varietal wines are rare White Bordeaux is typically made from a blend of sauvignon blanc and seacutemillon and sometimes a drop or two of muscadelle ugni blanc or colombard Reds are made primarily from the two cabernets plus merlot with small quantities of petit verdot malbec and carmenegravere occasionally in the mix Th e region is also home to the golden nectar of late ripened seacutemillon sauvignon blanc and muscadelle grapes that have successfully attracted the noble rot a fungus that covers the fruit and drains moisture from inside leaving behind rich sweet grapes without moldy fl avors Chateau drsquoYquem is the most famous of these unfortifi ed dessert wines though there are better bargains from the region
Bordeaux is split by the Gironde river which divides the region into three general areas Th e left bank also known as the Haut-Meacutedoc is where the classifi ed top growths are situated Th ese prestigious estates were named for their exceptional vineyard sites in 1855 a decision nearly unchanged since Today serious collectors invest in Bordeaux futures theoretically locking down lower prices of top
ample time to calm dit is Only in some vede Menuts Saint-Eacutem
fortune to taste a
Wherees
aun
of msignifi
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Follow Amy at pigandvinecom for morestories and wine suggestions
growth estates while the wine is still aging in the cellar Itrsquos the wine tradersquos equivalent to the NASDAQ On the right bank Saint-Eacutemilion and Pommerol are the prized vineyard areas known for their merlot heavy cuveacutees To the south west we fi nd Graves where there are many great values to be had in both white and red bottlings Entre-Deux-Mers which translates to ldquobetween two seasrdquo sits between the Dordogne and Garonne tributaries off the Gironde and is an excellent source for crisp whites
Get started on your Bordeaux experience with these values
Chateau Graville-Lacoste 2014 Graves 75 seacutemillon 20 sauvignon blanc and 5 muscadelle make up this beauty thatrsquos consistently delicious every vintage Crisp and refreshing great with seafood
Chateau Mirambeau 2014 GravesAnother classic blend of 40 sauvignon blanc 40 seacutemillon and 20 muscadelle this lovely white is a bit more fl oral than the Graville-Lacoste Easy drinking and great value
Chateau de Parenchegravere Bordeaux Rouge 201155 merlot 30 cabernet sauvignon and 15 cabernet franc grown in clay heavy soils similar to the right bank of the region Fleshy with good structure and abundant red fruit
Chateau Arnaud Bordeaux Supeacuterieur 2011Supeacuterieur on a Bordeaux label isnrsquot egotistical marketingmdashby law it indicates a wine with up to one degree more alcohol than its AC Bordeaux brethren What it really means is one more degree of body structure and in this case quality Approachable delicious and easy on the wallet
Chateau de Bernadotte Haut-Meacutedoc 2005Th e 2005 vintage in Bordeaux is in the history books with double asterisks Owned by the eminent Pichon Lalande family and made from vineyards in Paulliac one of the more choice growing areas in the region this is an incredible value a top tier Bordeaux for a fraction of the cost
Chateau de Suduiraut Sauternes 2011Ripe cantaloupe apricot and honey and an interesting smoky note with a solid sweet attack followed by great acidity A dessert wine that wonrsquot overpower the dessert
94 raquo parting shot raquo Patrick Hood
Meet Solvar
Solvar belongs to one of the worldrsquos oldest and purest equine lineages the Nor-
wegian Fjord horse a breed that has remained virtually unchanged for more than
2000 yearsmdashlong before we became acquainted with his animated cousins in
the movie Frozen Th ese national symbols of Norway are characterized by primi-
tive zebra striping on their legs and a dorsal stripe running from forelock to tail
resulting in a striking two-tone mane that sticks up like a Mohawk Th eir athleti-
cism agility and dependability make them valuable both as sport horses as well
as therapy horses for emotionally and physically challenged adults and children
Catie Wells of Huntsville is the proud owner of Solvar who resides at Monte
Sano Stables
For tickets or information 256-539-4818 or hsoorg
Bring In the New Year With Us
presents
WHAT A WONDERFUL
WORLDA tribute to Louis
Armstrong featuring the
Byron Stripling Quartet
Thursday December 31
730 pm bull Pops Series bullMark C Smith
Concert Hall VBC
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
M O R E T H A N 7 0 S H O P S A N D R E S T A U R A N T S I N C L U D I N G B E L K | D S W S H O E S | A P P L E J O S A B A N K | R E E D S J E W E L E R S | PA N D O R A | J C R E W | K AT E S PA D E N E W Y O R KO R V I S | B A N A N A R E P U B L I C | M I C H A E L K O R S | F R A N C E S C Arsquo S | A N T H R O P O L O G I EH amp M | S O M A | M O U N T A I N H I G H O U T F I T T E R S | B A R N E S amp N O B L E | S E P H O R AALTAR rsquoD STATE | CONNORS STEAK amp SEFOOD | THE WEST IN HUNTSV I L L E | MONACO P ICTURES
C O M I N G S O O N V E R S O N A ndash near Belk
B R I D G E S T R E E T H U N T S V I L L E C O M |
BR IDGE STREET TOWN CENTRE I S LOCATED AT EX I T 14 OFF I - 565 AT OLD MAD ISON P IKE
ferent breweries where patrons sample beers and enjoy food
from a variety of food trucks parked at each location
Bill Fowler managing partner of Old Town Beer Exchange
agreed to participate in Beer Hop on his very fi rst day of
business and credits Ryals with an overwhelmingly success-
ful opening night ldquoAshley said lsquoI can guarantee that you are
going to have wave after wave of people coming throughrsquordquo
Fowler says recalling that fi rst jittery occasion Once again
Ryals proved true to her word with 60-plus patrons arriving
in an hour-and-a-half ldquoIt was awesome and such a great ex-
perience for usrdquo Fowler raves ldquoAshley is a hard worker and
you can see that in what she doesrdquo
Fowler believes that in addition to bringing new customers
to OTBX Ryals is also cultivating beer education consis-
tently bringing in people who are new to beer and want to
learn And with Huntsvillersquos recent brewery boom that level
of education and interest is crucial for the brewing commu-
nity to thrive ldquoWe have a very small window of opportunityrdquo
says Fowler ldquoI think Huntsville in particular is becoming a
craft brewing community People are making money at this
and once Tennessee sees that we need to already have had a
pretty huge head startrdquo
By the end of 2013 and with standing events Beer Hop and
Dine amp Dash well established Ryals took time to refl ect on
her original goal for Homegrown Huntsville ldquoIn the back of
my head from day one I knew I wanted to do a wine festival
I just didnrsquot think Huntsville was ready for it in 2011rdquo
Emboldened by the success of Beer Hop Ryals decided to
make the leap with Big Spring Crush wine festival later the
same year Once again Ryals delivered the perfect audience
for the event and in the process discovered a surprising
fact about North Alabamarsquos contribution to the wine-mak-
ing industry
ldquoIn doing the wine festival I learned that we have a huge
wine community in Huntsvillerdquo Ryals says ldquoTh ere are only
about 47 certifi ed wine judges in the entire United States
and we have four of them right here in North Alabama Two
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
copy Jeff White
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
ldquoI STARTED TO GET HOMESICK ALL OF MY FRIENDS WERE GETTING MARRIEDAND MEETING FOR FOOTBALL GAMES AND I WAS MISSING ITrdquo ASHLEY RYALS
copy Jeff White
copy Jeff White
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
ldquoIT WAS AWESOME AND SUCH A GREAT EXPERIENCE FOR USrdquoBILL FOWLER OLD TOWN BEER EXCHANGE
copy Jeff White
copy Olivia Reed
of those four certifi ed wine judges sit on the committee for
Big Spring Crushrdquo
Matthew and Stephanie Mell had just opened Church Street
Wine Shop when they decided to participate in the fi rst Big
Spring Crush Like OTBXrsquos Robert Fowler the Mells credit
Ryals and Homegrown Huntsville for helping to introduce
their new enterprise to the community ldquoAshley has been in-
strumental in helping to bring us people who love and ap-
preciate winerdquo Stephanie Mell says ldquoShe was homegrown
here in Huntsville and she really gets the downtown area
and small businesses and that is so important to usrdquo
Big Spring Crush began with a bang featuring over 150
wines and attracting patrons from across the country
ldquoMost wine festivals across the country have proven records
of being able to stay around 15 or 20 years or even longerrdquo
Ryals says ldquoAnd the economies of those cities have really
grown as a result I want Big Spring Crush to eventually be
the biggest and best wine festival in the state of Alabamardquo
How does Ryals intend to make that dream come true ldquoBy
always keeping it fresh I want to have new marketing and
new things happening each yearrdquo
Ryalsrsquo formula of reinvention and expansion has successfully
led Homegrown Huntsville through fi ve years of success and
helped its events become community staples along the way In
the process Ryals is broadening more than just our image of
downtown Huntsville shersquos joining a class of creative entrepre-
neurs committed to expanding Huntsvillersquos reputation as more
than just a hub for the brightest scientifi c minds in America
ldquoWe have a big city of engineers and lawyers and itrsquos won-
derfulrdquo Ryals say ldquo But there is a whole artist and food cul-
ture here and there is so much growth I want us to have a
vibrant cool downtown area and I want for people to tell
their friends to come and visit and to see Huntsville for what
it is a city I loverdquo
If yoursquod like to participate in Homegrown Huntsville either
as a guest or a participating business visit homegrown-
huntsvillecom
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
copy Jeff White
I was years old and the year was At that time the city of Huntsville was inching toward the mountain to the east California Street was once the continental divide between the small town metropo-lis and the uncharted territories gingerly crossed by the real estate pioneers four score and some odd years prior Th is area became the new suburb as the city kept pushing onward toward Fagan Springs as if the reverberating booms of rocket testings were vibrating Hunstvillians away from its epicenter
From the front yard of our house on Owens Drive I could look to the rightmdashup the hill to the bend be-yond which the big houses stood on their rocky ledge pedestals and to the left where all the other houses that looked just like oursmdashfresh and newmdashrambled for what seemed like miles Th ose clean well-lit abodes all seemed the same and granted at my age I knew more about the pets that lived there than I did about the people who owned those manageable mortgages I came to realize that each was diff erent in a way that was permeated by voices smells and furnishings
It is a clicheacute to say that our lives were simpler then because that is just how the current era will be fondly referred to in the future but to a 5-year-old it is the simplicity that brought the joy Th e sixties will always be to me the beginning of the age of manufactured happiness Cheap clean and simple was what was strived for and what was easily obtained Plastic items were plentiful and pretty things could be bought with SampH Green Stamps A few coins in our pocket would transfer us into the most master of manipula-tors with us giving our all to convince our parents for a jaunt to Murdockrsquos for a holiday of wonderment joy and impatience as we would scour the shelves trying to get the most from our meager budget
Owens Drive was the fairly new thoroughfare from which the avenues of three-bedroom-ranchers fi ngered away at planned intervals Th is was the place where newlyweds started their lives homes and families Where girls with last names that had been in the town for generations would change them to those strange and exotic last names of the clean cut newcomers brought here for military purposes Where the housewives would preheat their pristine electric ovens trying to make cheese straws and biscuits that were just like their motherrsquos only to be frustrated as they were never quite the same and where the husbands would follow in their fatherrsquos footsteps by joining the Acme Club and hunting doves on the weekends
Th ere was a swimming pool Certainly not at our house Th e only private pool I remember as a child was one that my grandmother would take me to nestled between huge trees at someonersquos house on Adams Street I would swim with other children my age while our grandmothers chatted smoking cigarettes in cat-eyed anonymity whispering most of their stories so we wouldnrsquot be able to hear But between their
gasps and laughter we would listen hear and learn
Th e Blossomwood pool was a place of designated rules and the sound of bright whistlesmdashwith straight lines and distinctive colors of blue and green I can still feel the Coppertoned oiliness on the skin of the tanned lifeguard as she carried me from the deep end frightened after my fi rst attempt at solo-swimming She knew my name I had no idea who she was
On the other side of the pool was the school my older sister attended It had a style that mim-icked the poolmdashstraight lines cleanmdasha temple to orderliness and good manners It was with
awe that I once watched the young adults there some as old as eleven wind and dance their way around a sky-high fl agpolemdasheach with a diff erent color ribbon until the fi rst (and only) May Pole
I was privy to was completely dressed in its woven bright colors
90 raquo bless their hearts raquo Guy McClure Jr
Huntsville was a magical place for us tail-end baby boomers to grow upmdashbeyond the miracles of the escalator at Pizitz the smiling little lady on the tall stool at the register at Britlings There was a comfort level there that Irsquom not sure is in the minds of the 5-year-olds of today
cat-eyed agasps
Th s
aI w
THE COMFORTS OF BLOSSOMWOOD
In our world of red-bricked carported castles there was a def-inite division of generations Th e children ate separately from the parents went to school as our dads went to work enter-tained our neighborhood friends as quietly as possible and felt safe between our boundaries of Big Cove Road and Hermitage Street While we dined on our Chef Boy-Ar-Dee boxed pizza our parents busied themselves dressing in their dark colors getting ready for a late dinner at Boots having the scent of perfume and face powder trail my mother as she came into the kitchen looking for something with an intense purpose My father would smell of British Sterling and look just as he did when he went to work only happier Th ese nights meant something fun would happenmdashwe would have a babysitter
Babysitters were my introduction into what was and still seems cool Th ey were usually Huntsville High School teen-agers who would put on a show without even knowing it I would drink in their every move word and essence of style To me they were supermodelsmdashmovie starsmdasheven more fa-mous in my eyes than a television weatherman and almost as glamorous as the waitresses at the Waffl e House
Before they would tire of me and my sister and put us to bed they would include us in their world of music and knowledge which I thought was all-encompassing Suddenly our world of Th e Benny Carl Show and Fantasy Playhouse would seem trite and passeacute and we would catch a fl eeting glimpse into what would be in store for us when we too could stay up past 8 pm
Huntsville was a magical place for us tail-end baby boomers to grow upmdashbeyond the miracles of the escalator at Pizitz the smiling little lady on the tall stool at the register at Britlings and that bright colorful Maypole Th ere was a comfort level there that Irsquom not sure is in the minds of the 5-year-olds of todaymdashthe soothing sheltered lack of knowledge of why we were so lucky yet we didnrsquot even know that we were
In the other areas of our Huntsville there was poverty and ra-cial unrestmdashas there was and is in every city I was unaware People of color were always a part of my worldmdashmostly be-cause they had my attention and respect At our house there was Annie my grandmotherrsquos house was fi lled with the joys of Lula and out on the family farm there was strong and smiling Homer and large and huggable Rosamdashall just as much a part of my life as everyone else My life was good and they were instrumental in making it that way
What will the 5-year-olds of today who are lucky enough to be raised on those well-planned streets remember when they surpass their own 50 year mark It is a much more complex world now and there are diff erent concerns with daily changes of fear Youthful innocence is a prize that is encased without a lock Premature maturity is a viable threat and a constant fear But each night tucked in tight in a simple room sleeps tomor-rowrsquos adults who are having sweet dreamsmdashblanketed by the comforts of Blossomwood
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
92 raquo the vine raquo Amy C Collins
BORDEAUX POWER
Where Burgundyrsquos vineyards were established by Benedictine monks patiently growing wine vines with spiritual hearts Bordeauxrsquos vineyards were raised by entrepreneurial laymen who recognized the massive monetary opportunity when the English began drinking down their peasant wine
The city of Bordeaux is Francersquos primary port town on the Atlantic ocean a harbor that has for centuries served as the countryrsquos most important dock Th e regionrsquos history is long and storied with the fi rst written reference to the area dated 379 AD by the Latin poet Ausonius who was also a wine-grower Jump ahead to the year 1152 when Eleanor of Aquitaine married Englandrsquos soon-to-be king Henry Plantagenet and the port and surrounding vineyard land became the source of wine for the English a connection that remains strong even today
Bordeaux produces the worldrsquos most expensive and sought after collector wines the top tier of which make up less than fi ve percent of the regionrsquos total production Th ese names are quickly learned by neophyte wine drinkers wanting to make an impression Chateau Haut-Brion Lafi te Latour and Margaux for example Grown in gravelly soils only a few meters above sea levelmdashin contrast vineyards elsewhere in Europe typically sit between 300 and 900 metersmdashthese wines are some of the most powerful austere and pawed over When young the tannins in these cabernet sauvignon cabernet franc and merlot blends coat the tongue and mouth with a chalky dry sensation akin to sucking on an Earl Grey tea bag and are perhaps best suited to well-fatted rare steak and cigars Th ese are wines built to live for decades Personally I prefer a Bordeaux at least 20 years aged when the tannins have had ample time to calm down and mellow out and more nuanced fl avors come forward Sounds fancy and it is Only in some very lucky circumstances over the past year have I been guest to a bottle of 1990 Clos de Menuts Saint-Eacutemilion and a 1970 Chateau Haut-Brion About once every 10 years Irsquove had the good
fortune to taste a wine older than myself Nice work if you can get it
Where Burgundyrsquos vineyards (Francersquos other classifi ed sought-after region) were established by Benedictine monks patiently growing wine vines with spiritual hearts
Bordeauxrsquos vineyards were raised by entrepreneurial laymen who recognized the massive monetary opportunity when the English began drinking down their peasant wine Th is underscores the second half of my theory as to why Americans
more often American males are so drawn to the wines of Bordeaux Th erersquos an inherent capitalist connection something in the soil Th at the wines are so
unmistakable so distinctively grand and pronounced elixirs exemplifi es the fi rst half of my theory we Americans are not known for our subtlety (To be fair the Chinese are
signifi cant Bordeaux collectors as well)
Philosophy aside Bordeaux is quite a large region that produces beautiful white and red values as well as the rare fi nds out of the populacersquos price range Herersquos the skinny Blending is the game single varietal wines are rare White Bordeaux is typically made from a blend of sauvignon blanc and seacutemillon and sometimes a drop or two of muscadelle ugni blanc or colombard Reds are made primarily from the two cabernets plus merlot with small quantities of petit verdot malbec and carmenegravere occasionally in the mix Th e region is also home to the golden nectar of late ripened seacutemillon sauvignon blanc and muscadelle grapes that have successfully attracted the noble rot a fungus that covers the fruit and drains moisture from inside leaving behind rich sweet grapes without moldy fl avors Chateau drsquoYquem is the most famous of these unfortifi ed dessert wines though there are better bargains from the region
Bordeaux is split by the Gironde river which divides the region into three general areas Th e left bank also known as the Haut-Meacutedoc is where the classifi ed top growths are situated Th ese prestigious estates were named for their exceptional vineyard sites in 1855 a decision nearly unchanged since Today serious collectors invest in Bordeaux futures theoretically locking down lower prices of top
ample time to calm dit is Only in some vede Menuts Saint-Eacutem
fortune to taste a
Wherees
aun
of msignifi
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Follow Amy at pigandvinecom for morestories and wine suggestions
growth estates while the wine is still aging in the cellar Itrsquos the wine tradersquos equivalent to the NASDAQ On the right bank Saint-Eacutemilion and Pommerol are the prized vineyard areas known for their merlot heavy cuveacutees To the south west we fi nd Graves where there are many great values to be had in both white and red bottlings Entre-Deux-Mers which translates to ldquobetween two seasrdquo sits between the Dordogne and Garonne tributaries off the Gironde and is an excellent source for crisp whites
Get started on your Bordeaux experience with these values
Chateau Graville-Lacoste 2014 Graves 75 seacutemillon 20 sauvignon blanc and 5 muscadelle make up this beauty thatrsquos consistently delicious every vintage Crisp and refreshing great with seafood
Chateau Mirambeau 2014 GravesAnother classic blend of 40 sauvignon blanc 40 seacutemillon and 20 muscadelle this lovely white is a bit more fl oral than the Graville-Lacoste Easy drinking and great value
Chateau de Parenchegravere Bordeaux Rouge 201155 merlot 30 cabernet sauvignon and 15 cabernet franc grown in clay heavy soils similar to the right bank of the region Fleshy with good structure and abundant red fruit
Chateau Arnaud Bordeaux Supeacuterieur 2011Supeacuterieur on a Bordeaux label isnrsquot egotistical marketingmdashby law it indicates a wine with up to one degree more alcohol than its AC Bordeaux brethren What it really means is one more degree of body structure and in this case quality Approachable delicious and easy on the wallet
Chateau de Bernadotte Haut-Meacutedoc 2005Th e 2005 vintage in Bordeaux is in the history books with double asterisks Owned by the eminent Pichon Lalande family and made from vineyards in Paulliac one of the more choice growing areas in the region this is an incredible value a top tier Bordeaux for a fraction of the cost
Chateau de Suduiraut Sauternes 2011Ripe cantaloupe apricot and honey and an interesting smoky note with a solid sweet attack followed by great acidity A dessert wine that wonrsquot overpower the dessert
94 raquo parting shot raquo Patrick Hood
Meet Solvar
Solvar belongs to one of the worldrsquos oldest and purest equine lineages the Nor-
wegian Fjord horse a breed that has remained virtually unchanged for more than
2000 yearsmdashlong before we became acquainted with his animated cousins in
the movie Frozen Th ese national symbols of Norway are characterized by primi-
tive zebra striping on their legs and a dorsal stripe running from forelock to tail
resulting in a striking two-tone mane that sticks up like a Mohawk Th eir athleti-
cism agility and dependability make them valuable both as sport horses as well
as therapy horses for emotionally and physically challenged adults and children
Catie Wells of Huntsville is the proud owner of Solvar who resides at Monte
Sano Stables
For tickets or information 256-539-4818 or hsoorg
Bring In the New Year With Us
presents
WHAT A WONDERFUL
WORLDA tribute to Louis
Armstrong featuring the
Byron Stripling Quartet
Thursday December 31
730 pm bull Pops Series bullMark C Smith
Concert Hall VBC
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
M O R E T H A N 7 0 S H O P S A N D R E S T A U R A N T S I N C L U D I N G B E L K | D S W S H O E S | A P P L E J O S A B A N K | R E E D S J E W E L E R S | PA N D O R A | J C R E W | K AT E S PA D E N E W Y O R KO R V I S | B A N A N A R E P U B L I C | M I C H A E L K O R S | F R A N C E S C Arsquo S | A N T H R O P O L O G I EH amp M | S O M A | M O U N T A I N H I G H O U T F I T T E R S | B A R N E S amp N O B L E | S E P H O R AALTAR rsquoD STATE | CONNORS STEAK amp SEFOOD | THE WEST IN HUNTSV I L L E | MONACO P ICTURES
C O M I N G S O O N V E R S O N A ndash near Belk
B R I D G E S T R E E T H U N T S V I L L E C O M |
BR IDGE STREET TOWN CENTRE I S LOCATED AT EX I T 14 OFF I - 565 AT OLD MAD ISON P IKE
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
ldquoI STARTED TO GET HOMESICK ALL OF MY FRIENDS WERE GETTING MARRIEDAND MEETING FOR FOOTBALL GAMES AND I WAS MISSING ITrdquo ASHLEY RYALS
copy Jeff White
copy Jeff White
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
ldquoIT WAS AWESOME AND SUCH A GREAT EXPERIENCE FOR USrdquoBILL FOWLER OLD TOWN BEER EXCHANGE
copy Jeff White
copy Olivia Reed
of those four certifi ed wine judges sit on the committee for
Big Spring Crushrdquo
Matthew and Stephanie Mell had just opened Church Street
Wine Shop when they decided to participate in the fi rst Big
Spring Crush Like OTBXrsquos Robert Fowler the Mells credit
Ryals and Homegrown Huntsville for helping to introduce
their new enterprise to the community ldquoAshley has been in-
strumental in helping to bring us people who love and ap-
preciate winerdquo Stephanie Mell says ldquoShe was homegrown
here in Huntsville and she really gets the downtown area
and small businesses and that is so important to usrdquo
Big Spring Crush began with a bang featuring over 150
wines and attracting patrons from across the country
ldquoMost wine festivals across the country have proven records
of being able to stay around 15 or 20 years or even longerrdquo
Ryals says ldquoAnd the economies of those cities have really
grown as a result I want Big Spring Crush to eventually be
the biggest and best wine festival in the state of Alabamardquo
How does Ryals intend to make that dream come true ldquoBy
always keeping it fresh I want to have new marketing and
new things happening each yearrdquo
Ryalsrsquo formula of reinvention and expansion has successfully
led Homegrown Huntsville through fi ve years of success and
helped its events become community staples along the way In
the process Ryals is broadening more than just our image of
downtown Huntsville shersquos joining a class of creative entrepre-
neurs committed to expanding Huntsvillersquos reputation as more
than just a hub for the brightest scientifi c minds in America
ldquoWe have a big city of engineers and lawyers and itrsquos won-
derfulrdquo Ryals say ldquo But there is a whole artist and food cul-
ture here and there is so much growth I want us to have a
vibrant cool downtown area and I want for people to tell
their friends to come and visit and to see Huntsville for what
it is a city I loverdquo
If yoursquod like to participate in Homegrown Huntsville either
as a guest or a participating business visit homegrown-
huntsvillecom
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
copy Jeff White
I was years old and the year was At that time the city of Huntsville was inching toward the mountain to the east California Street was once the continental divide between the small town metropo-lis and the uncharted territories gingerly crossed by the real estate pioneers four score and some odd years prior Th is area became the new suburb as the city kept pushing onward toward Fagan Springs as if the reverberating booms of rocket testings were vibrating Hunstvillians away from its epicenter
From the front yard of our house on Owens Drive I could look to the rightmdashup the hill to the bend be-yond which the big houses stood on their rocky ledge pedestals and to the left where all the other houses that looked just like oursmdashfresh and newmdashrambled for what seemed like miles Th ose clean well-lit abodes all seemed the same and granted at my age I knew more about the pets that lived there than I did about the people who owned those manageable mortgages I came to realize that each was diff erent in a way that was permeated by voices smells and furnishings
It is a clicheacute to say that our lives were simpler then because that is just how the current era will be fondly referred to in the future but to a 5-year-old it is the simplicity that brought the joy Th e sixties will always be to me the beginning of the age of manufactured happiness Cheap clean and simple was what was strived for and what was easily obtained Plastic items were plentiful and pretty things could be bought with SampH Green Stamps A few coins in our pocket would transfer us into the most master of manipula-tors with us giving our all to convince our parents for a jaunt to Murdockrsquos for a holiday of wonderment joy and impatience as we would scour the shelves trying to get the most from our meager budget
Owens Drive was the fairly new thoroughfare from which the avenues of three-bedroom-ranchers fi ngered away at planned intervals Th is was the place where newlyweds started their lives homes and families Where girls with last names that had been in the town for generations would change them to those strange and exotic last names of the clean cut newcomers brought here for military purposes Where the housewives would preheat their pristine electric ovens trying to make cheese straws and biscuits that were just like their motherrsquos only to be frustrated as they were never quite the same and where the husbands would follow in their fatherrsquos footsteps by joining the Acme Club and hunting doves on the weekends
Th ere was a swimming pool Certainly not at our house Th e only private pool I remember as a child was one that my grandmother would take me to nestled between huge trees at someonersquos house on Adams Street I would swim with other children my age while our grandmothers chatted smoking cigarettes in cat-eyed anonymity whispering most of their stories so we wouldnrsquot be able to hear But between their
gasps and laughter we would listen hear and learn
Th e Blossomwood pool was a place of designated rules and the sound of bright whistlesmdashwith straight lines and distinctive colors of blue and green I can still feel the Coppertoned oiliness on the skin of the tanned lifeguard as she carried me from the deep end frightened after my fi rst attempt at solo-swimming She knew my name I had no idea who she was
On the other side of the pool was the school my older sister attended It had a style that mim-icked the poolmdashstraight lines cleanmdasha temple to orderliness and good manners It was with
awe that I once watched the young adults there some as old as eleven wind and dance their way around a sky-high fl agpolemdasheach with a diff erent color ribbon until the fi rst (and only) May Pole
I was privy to was completely dressed in its woven bright colors
90 raquo bless their hearts raquo Guy McClure Jr
Huntsville was a magical place for us tail-end baby boomers to grow upmdashbeyond the miracles of the escalator at Pizitz the smiling little lady on the tall stool at the register at Britlings There was a comfort level there that Irsquom not sure is in the minds of the 5-year-olds of today
cat-eyed agasps
Th s
aI w
THE COMFORTS OF BLOSSOMWOOD
In our world of red-bricked carported castles there was a def-inite division of generations Th e children ate separately from the parents went to school as our dads went to work enter-tained our neighborhood friends as quietly as possible and felt safe between our boundaries of Big Cove Road and Hermitage Street While we dined on our Chef Boy-Ar-Dee boxed pizza our parents busied themselves dressing in their dark colors getting ready for a late dinner at Boots having the scent of perfume and face powder trail my mother as she came into the kitchen looking for something with an intense purpose My father would smell of British Sterling and look just as he did when he went to work only happier Th ese nights meant something fun would happenmdashwe would have a babysitter
Babysitters were my introduction into what was and still seems cool Th ey were usually Huntsville High School teen-agers who would put on a show without even knowing it I would drink in their every move word and essence of style To me they were supermodelsmdashmovie starsmdasheven more fa-mous in my eyes than a television weatherman and almost as glamorous as the waitresses at the Waffl e House
Before they would tire of me and my sister and put us to bed they would include us in their world of music and knowledge which I thought was all-encompassing Suddenly our world of Th e Benny Carl Show and Fantasy Playhouse would seem trite and passeacute and we would catch a fl eeting glimpse into what would be in store for us when we too could stay up past 8 pm
Huntsville was a magical place for us tail-end baby boomers to grow upmdashbeyond the miracles of the escalator at Pizitz the smiling little lady on the tall stool at the register at Britlings and that bright colorful Maypole Th ere was a comfort level there that Irsquom not sure is in the minds of the 5-year-olds of todaymdashthe soothing sheltered lack of knowledge of why we were so lucky yet we didnrsquot even know that we were
In the other areas of our Huntsville there was poverty and ra-cial unrestmdashas there was and is in every city I was unaware People of color were always a part of my worldmdashmostly be-cause they had my attention and respect At our house there was Annie my grandmotherrsquos house was fi lled with the joys of Lula and out on the family farm there was strong and smiling Homer and large and huggable Rosamdashall just as much a part of my life as everyone else My life was good and they were instrumental in making it that way
What will the 5-year-olds of today who are lucky enough to be raised on those well-planned streets remember when they surpass their own 50 year mark It is a much more complex world now and there are diff erent concerns with daily changes of fear Youthful innocence is a prize that is encased without a lock Premature maturity is a viable threat and a constant fear But each night tucked in tight in a simple room sleeps tomor-rowrsquos adults who are having sweet dreamsmdashblanketed by the comforts of Blossomwood
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
92 raquo the vine raquo Amy C Collins
BORDEAUX POWER
Where Burgundyrsquos vineyards were established by Benedictine monks patiently growing wine vines with spiritual hearts Bordeauxrsquos vineyards were raised by entrepreneurial laymen who recognized the massive monetary opportunity when the English began drinking down their peasant wine
The city of Bordeaux is Francersquos primary port town on the Atlantic ocean a harbor that has for centuries served as the countryrsquos most important dock Th e regionrsquos history is long and storied with the fi rst written reference to the area dated 379 AD by the Latin poet Ausonius who was also a wine-grower Jump ahead to the year 1152 when Eleanor of Aquitaine married Englandrsquos soon-to-be king Henry Plantagenet and the port and surrounding vineyard land became the source of wine for the English a connection that remains strong even today
Bordeaux produces the worldrsquos most expensive and sought after collector wines the top tier of which make up less than fi ve percent of the regionrsquos total production Th ese names are quickly learned by neophyte wine drinkers wanting to make an impression Chateau Haut-Brion Lafi te Latour and Margaux for example Grown in gravelly soils only a few meters above sea levelmdashin contrast vineyards elsewhere in Europe typically sit between 300 and 900 metersmdashthese wines are some of the most powerful austere and pawed over When young the tannins in these cabernet sauvignon cabernet franc and merlot blends coat the tongue and mouth with a chalky dry sensation akin to sucking on an Earl Grey tea bag and are perhaps best suited to well-fatted rare steak and cigars Th ese are wines built to live for decades Personally I prefer a Bordeaux at least 20 years aged when the tannins have had ample time to calm down and mellow out and more nuanced fl avors come forward Sounds fancy and it is Only in some very lucky circumstances over the past year have I been guest to a bottle of 1990 Clos de Menuts Saint-Eacutemilion and a 1970 Chateau Haut-Brion About once every 10 years Irsquove had the good
fortune to taste a wine older than myself Nice work if you can get it
Where Burgundyrsquos vineyards (Francersquos other classifi ed sought-after region) were established by Benedictine monks patiently growing wine vines with spiritual hearts
Bordeauxrsquos vineyards were raised by entrepreneurial laymen who recognized the massive monetary opportunity when the English began drinking down their peasant wine Th is underscores the second half of my theory as to why Americans
more often American males are so drawn to the wines of Bordeaux Th erersquos an inherent capitalist connection something in the soil Th at the wines are so
unmistakable so distinctively grand and pronounced elixirs exemplifi es the fi rst half of my theory we Americans are not known for our subtlety (To be fair the Chinese are
signifi cant Bordeaux collectors as well)
Philosophy aside Bordeaux is quite a large region that produces beautiful white and red values as well as the rare fi nds out of the populacersquos price range Herersquos the skinny Blending is the game single varietal wines are rare White Bordeaux is typically made from a blend of sauvignon blanc and seacutemillon and sometimes a drop or two of muscadelle ugni blanc or colombard Reds are made primarily from the two cabernets plus merlot with small quantities of petit verdot malbec and carmenegravere occasionally in the mix Th e region is also home to the golden nectar of late ripened seacutemillon sauvignon blanc and muscadelle grapes that have successfully attracted the noble rot a fungus that covers the fruit and drains moisture from inside leaving behind rich sweet grapes without moldy fl avors Chateau drsquoYquem is the most famous of these unfortifi ed dessert wines though there are better bargains from the region
Bordeaux is split by the Gironde river which divides the region into three general areas Th e left bank also known as the Haut-Meacutedoc is where the classifi ed top growths are situated Th ese prestigious estates were named for their exceptional vineyard sites in 1855 a decision nearly unchanged since Today serious collectors invest in Bordeaux futures theoretically locking down lower prices of top
ample time to calm dit is Only in some vede Menuts Saint-Eacutem
fortune to taste a
Wherees
aun
of msignifi
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Follow Amy at pigandvinecom for morestories and wine suggestions
growth estates while the wine is still aging in the cellar Itrsquos the wine tradersquos equivalent to the NASDAQ On the right bank Saint-Eacutemilion and Pommerol are the prized vineyard areas known for their merlot heavy cuveacutees To the south west we fi nd Graves where there are many great values to be had in both white and red bottlings Entre-Deux-Mers which translates to ldquobetween two seasrdquo sits between the Dordogne and Garonne tributaries off the Gironde and is an excellent source for crisp whites
Get started on your Bordeaux experience with these values
Chateau Graville-Lacoste 2014 Graves 75 seacutemillon 20 sauvignon blanc and 5 muscadelle make up this beauty thatrsquos consistently delicious every vintage Crisp and refreshing great with seafood
Chateau Mirambeau 2014 GravesAnother classic blend of 40 sauvignon blanc 40 seacutemillon and 20 muscadelle this lovely white is a bit more fl oral than the Graville-Lacoste Easy drinking and great value
Chateau de Parenchegravere Bordeaux Rouge 201155 merlot 30 cabernet sauvignon and 15 cabernet franc grown in clay heavy soils similar to the right bank of the region Fleshy with good structure and abundant red fruit
Chateau Arnaud Bordeaux Supeacuterieur 2011Supeacuterieur on a Bordeaux label isnrsquot egotistical marketingmdashby law it indicates a wine with up to one degree more alcohol than its AC Bordeaux brethren What it really means is one more degree of body structure and in this case quality Approachable delicious and easy on the wallet
Chateau de Bernadotte Haut-Meacutedoc 2005Th e 2005 vintage in Bordeaux is in the history books with double asterisks Owned by the eminent Pichon Lalande family and made from vineyards in Paulliac one of the more choice growing areas in the region this is an incredible value a top tier Bordeaux for a fraction of the cost
Chateau de Suduiraut Sauternes 2011Ripe cantaloupe apricot and honey and an interesting smoky note with a solid sweet attack followed by great acidity A dessert wine that wonrsquot overpower the dessert
94 raquo parting shot raquo Patrick Hood
Meet Solvar
Solvar belongs to one of the worldrsquos oldest and purest equine lineages the Nor-
wegian Fjord horse a breed that has remained virtually unchanged for more than
2000 yearsmdashlong before we became acquainted with his animated cousins in
the movie Frozen Th ese national symbols of Norway are characterized by primi-
tive zebra striping on their legs and a dorsal stripe running from forelock to tail
resulting in a striking two-tone mane that sticks up like a Mohawk Th eir athleti-
cism agility and dependability make them valuable both as sport horses as well
as therapy horses for emotionally and physically challenged adults and children
Catie Wells of Huntsville is the proud owner of Solvar who resides at Monte
Sano Stables
For tickets or information 256-539-4818 or hsoorg
Bring In the New Year With Us
presents
WHAT A WONDERFUL
WORLDA tribute to Louis
Armstrong featuring the
Byron Stripling Quartet
Thursday December 31
730 pm bull Pops Series bullMark C Smith
Concert Hall VBC
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
M O R E T H A N 7 0 S H O P S A N D R E S T A U R A N T S I N C L U D I N G B E L K | D S W S H O E S | A P P L E J O S A B A N K | R E E D S J E W E L E R S | PA N D O R A | J C R E W | K AT E S PA D E N E W Y O R KO R V I S | B A N A N A R E P U B L I C | M I C H A E L K O R S | F R A N C E S C Arsquo S | A N T H R O P O L O G I EH amp M | S O M A | M O U N T A I N H I G H O U T F I T T E R S | B A R N E S amp N O B L E | S E P H O R AALTAR rsquoD STATE | CONNORS STEAK amp SEFOOD | THE WEST IN HUNTSV I L L E | MONACO P ICTURES
C O M I N G S O O N V E R S O N A ndash near Belk
B R I D G E S T R E E T H U N T S V I L L E C O M |
BR IDGE STREET TOWN CENTRE I S LOCATED AT EX I T 14 OFF I - 565 AT OLD MAD ISON P IKE
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
ldquoIT WAS AWESOME AND SUCH A GREAT EXPERIENCE FOR USrdquoBILL FOWLER OLD TOWN BEER EXCHANGE
copy Jeff White
copy Olivia Reed
of those four certifi ed wine judges sit on the committee for
Big Spring Crushrdquo
Matthew and Stephanie Mell had just opened Church Street
Wine Shop when they decided to participate in the fi rst Big
Spring Crush Like OTBXrsquos Robert Fowler the Mells credit
Ryals and Homegrown Huntsville for helping to introduce
their new enterprise to the community ldquoAshley has been in-
strumental in helping to bring us people who love and ap-
preciate winerdquo Stephanie Mell says ldquoShe was homegrown
here in Huntsville and she really gets the downtown area
and small businesses and that is so important to usrdquo
Big Spring Crush began with a bang featuring over 150
wines and attracting patrons from across the country
ldquoMost wine festivals across the country have proven records
of being able to stay around 15 or 20 years or even longerrdquo
Ryals says ldquoAnd the economies of those cities have really
grown as a result I want Big Spring Crush to eventually be
the biggest and best wine festival in the state of Alabamardquo
How does Ryals intend to make that dream come true ldquoBy
always keeping it fresh I want to have new marketing and
new things happening each yearrdquo
Ryalsrsquo formula of reinvention and expansion has successfully
led Homegrown Huntsville through fi ve years of success and
helped its events become community staples along the way In
the process Ryals is broadening more than just our image of
downtown Huntsville shersquos joining a class of creative entrepre-
neurs committed to expanding Huntsvillersquos reputation as more
than just a hub for the brightest scientifi c minds in America
ldquoWe have a big city of engineers and lawyers and itrsquos won-
derfulrdquo Ryals say ldquo But there is a whole artist and food cul-
ture here and there is so much growth I want us to have a
vibrant cool downtown area and I want for people to tell
their friends to come and visit and to see Huntsville for what
it is a city I loverdquo
If yoursquod like to participate in Homegrown Huntsville either
as a guest or a participating business visit homegrown-
huntsvillecom
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
copy Jeff White
I was years old and the year was At that time the city of Huntsville was inching toward the mountain to the east California Street was once the continental divide between the small town metropo-lis and the uncharted territories gingerly crossed by the real estate pioneers four score and some odd years prior Th is area became the new suburb as the city kept pushing onward toward Fagan Springs as if the reverberating booms of rocket testings were vibrating Hunstvillians away from its epicenter
From the front yard of our house on Owens Drive I could look to the rightmdashup the hill to the bend be-yond which the big houses stood on their rocky ledge pedestals and to the left where all the other houses that looked just like oursmdashfresh and newmdashrambled for what seemed like miles Th ose clean well-lit abodes all seemed the same and granted at my age I knew more about the pets that lived there than I did about the people who owned those manageable mortgages I came to realize that each was diff erent in a way that was permeated by voices smells and furnishings
It is a clicheacute to say that our lives were simpler then because that is just how the current era will be fondly referred to in the future but to a 5-year-old it is the simplicity that brought the joy Th e sixties will always be to me the beginning of the age of manufactured happiness Cheap clean and simple was what was strived for and what was easily obtained Plastic items were plentiful and pretty things could be bought with SampH Green Stamps A few coins in our pocket would transfer us into the most master of manipula-tors with us giving our all to convince our parents for a jaunt to Murdockrsquos for a holiday of wonderment joy and impatience as we would scour the shelves trying to get the most from our meager budget
Owens Drive was the fairly new thoroughfare from which the avenues of three-bedroom-ranchers fi ngered away at planned intervals Th is was the place where newlyweds started their lives homes and families Where girls with last names that had been in the town for generations would change them to those strange and exotic last names of the clean cut newcomers brought here for military purposes Where the housewives would preheat their pristine electric ovens trying to make cheese straws and biscuits that were just like their motherrsquos only to be frustrated as they were never quite the same and where the husbands would follow in their fatherrsquos footsteps by joining the Acme Club and hunting doves on the weekends
Th ere was a swimming pool Certainly not at our house Th e only private pool I remember as a child was one that my grandmother would take me to nestled between huge trees at someonersquos house on Adams Street I would swim with other children my age while our grandmothers chatted smoking cigarettes in cat-eyed anonymity whispering most of their stories so we wouldnrsquot be able to hear But between their
gasps and laughter we would listen hear and learn
Th e Blossomwood pool was a place of designated rules and the sound of bright whistlesmdashwith straight lines and distinctive colors of blue and green I can still feel the Coppertoned oiliness on the skin of the tanned lifeguard as she carried me from the deep end frightened after my fi rst attempt at solo-swimming She knew my name I had no idea who she was
On the other side of the pool was the school my older sister attended It had a style that mim-icked the poolmdashstraight lines cleanmdasha temple to orderliness and good manners It was with
awe that I once watched the young adults there some as old as eleven wind and dance their way around a sky-high fl agpolemdasheach with a diff erent color ribbon until the fi rst (and only) May Pole
I was privy to was completely dressed in its woven bright colors
90 raquo bless their hearts raquo Guy McClure Jr
Huntsville was a magical place for us tail-end baby boomers to grow upmdashbeyond the miracles of the escalator at Pizitz the smiling little lady on the tall stool at the register at Britlings There was a comfort level there that Irsquom not sure is in the minds of the 5-year-olds of today
cat-eyed agasps
Th s
aI w
THE COMFORTS OF BLOSSOMWOOD
In our world of red-bricked carported castles there was a def-inite division of generations Th e children ate separately from the parents went to school as our dads went to work enter-tained our neighborhood friends as quietly as possible and felt safe between our boundaries of Big Cove Road and Hermitage Street While we dined on our Chef Boy-Ar-Dee boxed pizza our parents busied themselves dressing in their dark colors getting ready for a late dinner at Boots having the scent of perfume and face powder trail my mother as she came into the kitchen looking for something with an intense purpose My father would smell of British Sterling and look just as he did when he went to work only happier Th ese nights meant something fun would happenmdashwe would have a babysitter
Babysitters were my introduction into what was and still seems cool Th ey were usually Huntsville High School teen-agers who would put on a show without even knowing it I would drink in their every move word and essence of style To me they were supermodelsmdashmovie starsmdasheven more fa-mous in my eyes than a television weatherman and almost as glamorous as the waitresses at the Waffl e House
Before they would tire of me and my sister and put us to bed they would include us in their world of music and knowledge which I thought was all-encompassing Suddenly our world of Th e Benny Carl Show and Fantasy Playhouse would seem trite and passeacute and we would catch a fl eeting glimpse into what would be in store for us when we too could stay up past 8 pm
Huntsville was a magical place for us tail-end baby boomers to grow upmdashbeyond the miracles of the escalator at Pizitz the smiling little lady on the tall stool at the register at Britlings and that bright colorful Maypole Th ere was a comfort level there that Irsquom not sure is in the minds of the 5-year-olds of todaymdashthe soothing sheltered lack of knowledge of why we were so lucky yet we didnrsquot even know that we were
In the other areas of our Huntsville there was poverty and ra-cial unrestmdashas there was and is in every city I was unaware People of color were always a part of my worldmdashmostly be-cause they had my attention and respect At our house there was Annie my grandmotherrsquos house was fi lled with the joys of Lula and out on the family farm there was strong and smiling Homer and large and huggable Rosamdashall just as much a part of my life as everyone else My life was good and they were instrumental in making it that way
What will the 5-year-olds of today who are lucky enough to be raised on those well-planned streets remember when they surpass their own 50 year mark It is a much more complex world now and there are diff erent concerns with daily changes of fear Youthful innocence is a prize that is encased without a lock Premature maturity is a viable threat and a constant fear But each night tucked in tight in a simple room sleeps tomor-rowrsquos adults who are having sweet dreamsmdashblanketed by the comforts of Blossomwood
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
92 raquo the vine raquo Amy C Collins
BORDEAUX POWER
Where Burgundyrsquos vineyards were established by Benedictine monks patiently growing wine vines with spiritual hearts Bordeauxrsquos vineyards were raised by entrepreneurial laymen who recognized the massive monetary opportunity when the English began drinking down their peasant wine
The city of Bordeaux is Francersquos primary port town on the Atlantic ocean a harbor that has for centuries served as the countryrsquos most important dock Th e regionrsquos history is long and storied with the fi rst written reference to the area dated 379 AD by the Latin poet Ausonius who was also a wine-grower Jump ahead to the year 1152 when Eleanor of Aquitaine married Englandrsquos soon-to-be king Henry Plantagenet and the port and surrounding vineyard land became the source of wine for the English a connection that remains strong even today
Bordeaux produces the worldrsquos most expensive and sought after collector wines the top tier of which make up less than fi ve percent of the regionrsquos total production Th ese names are quickly learned by neophyte wine drinkers wanting to make an impression Chateau Haut-Brion Lafi te Latour and Margaux for example Grown in gravelly soils only a few meters above sea levelmdashin contrast vineyards elsewhere in Europe typically sit between 300 and 900 metersmdashthese wines are some of the most powerful austere and pawed over When young the tannins in these cabernet sauvignon cabernet franc and merlot blends coat the tongue and mouth with a chalky dry sensation akin to sucking on an Earl Grey tea bag and are perhaps best suited to well-fatted rare steak and cigars Th ese are wines built to live for decades Personally I prefer a Bordeaux at least 20 years aged when the tannins have had ample time to calm down and mellow out and more nuanced fl avors come forward Sounds fancy and it is Only in some very lucky circumstances over the past year have I been guest to a bottle of 1990 Clos de Menuts Saint-Eacutemilion and a 1970 Chateau Haut-Brion About once every 10 years Irsquove had the good
fortune to taste a wine older than myself Nice work if you can get it
Where Burgundyrsquos vineyards (Francersquos other classifi ed sought-after region) were established by Benedictine monks patiently growing wine vines with spiritual hearts
Bordeauxrsquos vineyards were raised by entrepreneurial laymen who recognized the massive monetary opportunity when the English began drinking down their peasant wine Th is underscores the second half of my theory as to why Americans
more often American males are so drawn to the wines of Bordeaux Th erersquos an inherent capitalist connection something in the soil Th at the wines are so
unmistakable so distinctively grand and pronounced elixirs exemplifi es the fi rst half of my theory we Americans are not known for our subtlety (To be fair the Chinese are
signifi cant Bordeaux collectors as well)
Philosophy aside Bordeaux is quite a large region that produces beautiful white and red values as well as the rare fi nds out of the populacersquos price range Herersquos the skinny Blending is the game single varietal wines are rare White Bordeaux is typically made from a blend of sauvignon blanc and seacutemillon and sometimes a drop or two of muscadelle ugni blanc or colombard Reds are made primarily from the two cabernets plus merlot with small quantities of petit verdot malbec and carmenegravere occasionally in the mix Th e region is also home to the golden nectar of late ripened seacutemillon sauvignon blanc and muscadelle grapes that have successfully attracted the noble rot a fungus that covers the fruit and drains moisture from inside leaving behind rich sweet grapes without moldy fl avors Chateau drsquoYquem is the most famous of these unfortifi ed dessert wines though there are better bargains from the region
Bordeaux is split by the Gironde river which divides the region into three general areas Th e left bank also known as the Haut-Meacutedoc is where the classifi ed top growths are situated Th ese prestigious estates were named for their exceptional vineyard sites in 1855 a decision nearly unchanged since Today serious collectors invest in Bordeaux futures theoretically locking down lower prices of top
ample time to calm dit is Only in some vede Menuts Saint-Eacutem
fortune to taste a
Wherees
aun
of msignifi
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Follow Amy at pigandvinecom for morestories and wine suggestions
growth estates while the wine is still aging in the cellar Itrsquos the wine tradersquos equivalent to the NASDAQ On the right bank Saint-Eacutemilion and Pommerol are the prized vineyard areas known for their merlot heavy cuveacutees To the south west we fi nd Graves where there are many great values to be had in both white and red bottlings Entre-Deux-Mers which translates to ldquobetween two seasrdquo sits between the Dordogne and Garonne tributaries off the Gironde and is an excellent source for crisp whites
Get started on your Bordeaux experience with these values
Chateau Graville-Lacoste 2014 Graves 75 seacutemillon 20 sauvignon blanc and 5 muscadelle make up this beauty thatrsquos consistently delicious every vintage Crisp and refreshing great with seafood
Chateau Mirambeau 2014 GravesAnother classic blend of 40 sauvignon blanc 40 seacutemillon and 20 muscadelle this lovely white is a bit more fl oral than the Graville-Lacoste Easy drinking and great value
Chateau de Parenchegravere Bordeaux Rouge 201155 merlot 30 cabernet sauvignon and 15 cabernet franc grown in clay heavy soils similar to the right bank of the region Fleshy with good structure and abundant red fruit
Chateau Arnaud Bordeaux Supeacuterieur 2011Supeacuterieur on a Bordeaux label isnrsquot egotistical marketingmdashby law it indicates a wine with up to one degree more alcohol than its AC Bordeaux brethren What it really means is one more degree of body structure and in this case quality Approachable delicious and easy on the wallet
Chateau de Bernadotte Haut-Meacutedoc 2005Th e 2005 vintage in Bordeaux is in the history books with double asterisks Owned by the eminent Pichon Lalande family and made from vineyards in Paulliac one of the more choice growing areas in the region this is an incredible value a top tier Bordeaux for a fraction of the cost
Chateau de Suduiraut Sauternes 2011Ripe cantaloupe apricot and honey and an interesting smoky note with a solid sweet attack followed by great acidity A dessert wine that wonrsquot overpower the dessert
94 raquo parting shot raquo Patrick Hood
Meet Solvar
Solvar belongs to one of the worldrsquos oldest and purest equine lineages the Nor-
wegian Fjord horse a breed that has remained virtually unchanged for more than
2000 yearsmdashlong before we became acquainted with his animated cousins in
the movie Frozen Th ese national symbols of Norway are characterized by primi-
tive zebra striping on their legs and a dorsal stripe running from forelock to tail
resulting in a striking two-tone mane that sticks up like a Mohawk Th eir athleti-
cism agility and dependability make them valuable both as sport horses as well
as therapy horses for emotionally and physically challenged adults and children
Catie Wells of Huntsville is the proud owner of Solvar who resides at Monte
Sano Stables
For tickets or information 256-539-4818 or hsoorg
Bring In the New Year With Us
presents
WHAT A WONDERFUL
WORLDA tribute to Louis
Armstrong featuring the
Byron Stripling Quartet
Thursday December 31
730 pm bull Pops Series bullMark C Smith
Concert Hall VBC
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
M O R E T H A N 7 0 S H O P S A N D R E S T A U R A N T S I N C L U D I N G B E L K | D S W S H O E S | A P P L E J O S A B A N K | R E E D S J E W E L E R S | PA N D O R A | J C R E W | K AT E S PA D E N E W Y O R KO R V I S | B A N A N A R E P U B L I C | M I C H A E L K O R S | F R A N C E S C Arsquo S | A N T H R O P O L O G I EH amp M | S O M A | M O U N T A I N H I G H O U T F I T T E R S | B A R N E S amp N O B L E | S E P H O R AALTAR rsquoD STATE | CONNORS STEAK amp SEFOOD | THE WEST IN HUNTSV I L L E | MONACO P ICTURES
C O M I N G S O O N V E R S O N A ndash near Belk
B R I D G E S T R E E T H U N T S V I L L E C O M |
BR IDGE STREET TOWN CENTRE I S LOCATED AT EX I T 14 OFF I - 565 AT OLD MAD ISON P IKE
of those four certifi ed wine judges sit on the committee for
Big Spring Crushrdquo
Matthew and Stephanie Mell had just opened Church Street
Wine Shop when they decided to participate in the fi rst Big
Spring Crush Like OTBXrsquos Robert Fowler the Mells credit
Ryals and Homegrown Huntsville for helping to introduce
their new enterprise to the community ldquoAshley has been in-
strumental in helping to bring us people who love and ap-
preciate winerdquo Stephanie Mell says ldquoShe was homegrown
here in Huntsville and she really gets the downtown area
and small businesses and that is so important to usrdquo
Big Spring Crush began with a bang featuring over 150
wines and attracting patrons from across the country
ldquoMost wine festivals across the country have proven records
of being able to stay around 15 or 20 years or even longerrdquo
Ryals says ldquoAnd the economies of those cities have really
grown as a result I want Big Spring Crush to eventually be
the biggest and best wine festival in the state of Alabamardquo
How does Ryals intend to make that dream come true ldquoBy
always keeping it fresh I want to have new marketing and
new things happening each yearrdquo
Ryalsrsquo formula of reinvention and expansion has successfully
led Homegrown Huntsville through fi ve years of success and
helped its events become community staples along the way In
the process Ryals is broadening more than just our image of
downtown Huntsville shersquos joining a class of creative entrepre-
neurs committed to expanding Huntsvillersquos reputation as more
than just a hub for the brightest scientifi c minds in America
ldquoWe have a big city of engineers and lawyers and itrsquos won-
derfulrdquo Ryals say ldquo But there is a whole artist and food cul-
ture here and there is so much growth I want us to have a
vibrant cool downtown area and I want for people to tell
their friends to come and visit and to see Huntsville for what
it is a city I loverdquo
If yoursquod like to participate in Homegrown Huntsville either
as a guest or a participating business visit homegrown-
huntsvillecom
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
copy Jeff White
I was years old and the year was At that time the city of Huntsville was inching toward the mountain to the east California Street was once the continental divide between the small town metropo-lis and the uncharted territories gingerly crossed by the real estate pioneers four score and some odd years prior Th is area became the new suburb as the city kept pushing onward toward Fagan Springs as if the reverberating booms of rocket testings were vibrating Hunstvillians away from its epicenter
From the front yard of our house on Owens Drive I could look to the rightmdashup the hill to the bend be-yond which the big houses stood on their rocky ledge pedestals and to the left where all the other houses that looked just like oursmdashfresh and newmdashrambled for what seemed like miles Th ose clean well-lit abodes all seemed the same and granted at my age I knew more about the pets that lived there than I did about the people who owned those manageable mortgages I came to realize that each was diff erent in a way that was permeated by voices smells and furnishings
It is a clicheacute to say that our lives were simpler then because that is just how the current era will be fondly referred to in the future but to a 5-year-old it is the simplicity that brought the joy Th e sixties will always be to me the beginning of the age of manufactured happiness Cheap clean and simple was what was strived for and what was easily obtained Plastic items were plentiful and pretty things could be bought with SampH Green Stamps A few coins in our pocket would transfer us into the most master of manipula-tors with us giving our all to convince our parents for a jaunt to Murdockrsquos for a holiday of wonderment joy and impatience as we would scour the shelves trying to get the most from our meager budget
Owens Drive was the fairly new thoroughfare from which the avenues of three-bedroom-ranchers fi ngered away at planned intervals Th is was the place where newlyweds started their lives homes and families Where girls with last names that had been in the town for generations would change them to those strange and exotic last names of the clean cut newcomers brought here for military purposes Where the housewives would preheat their pristine electric ovens trying to make cheese straws and biscuits that were just like their motherrsquos only to be frustrated as they were never quite the same and where the husbands would follow in their fatherrsquos footsteps by joining the Acme Club and hunting doves on the weekends
Th ere was a swimming pool Certainly not at our house Th e only private pool I remember as a child was one that my grandmother would take me to nestled between huge trees at someonersquos house on Adams Street I would swim with other children my age while our grandmothers chatted smoking cigarettes in cat-eyed anonymity whispering most of their stories so we wouldnrsquot be able to hear But between their
gasps and laughter we would listen hear and learn
Th e Blossomwood pool was a place of designated rules and the sound of bright whistlesmdashwith straight lines and distinctive colors of blue and green I can still feel the Coppertoned oiliness on the skin of the tanned lifeguard as she carried me from the deep end frightened after my fi rst attempt at solo-swimming She knew my name I had no idea who she was
On the other side of the pool was the school my older sister attended It had a style that mim-icked the poolmdashstraight lines cleanmdasha temple to orderliness and good manners It was with
awe that I once watched the young adults there some as old as eleven wind and dance their way around a sky-high fl agpolemdasheach with a diff erent color ribbon until the fi rst (and only) May Pole
I was privy to was completely dressed in its woven bright colors
90 raquo bless their hearts raquo Guy McClure Jr
Huntsville was a magical place for us tail-end baby boomers to grow upmdashbeyond the miracles of the escalator at Pizitz the smiling little lady on the tall stool at the register at Britlings There was a comfort level there that Irsquom not sure is in the minds of the 5-year-olds of today
cat-eyed agasps
Th s
aI w
THE COMFORTS OF BLOSSOMWOOD
In our world of red-bricked carported castles there was a def-inite division of generations Th e children ate separately from the parents went to school as our dads went to work enter-tained our neighborhood friends as quietly as possible and felt safe between our boundaries of Big Cove Road and Hermitage Street While we dined on our Chef Boy-Ar-Dee boxed pizza our parents busied themselves dressing in their dark colors getting ready for a late dinner at Boots having the scent of perfume and face powder trail my mother as she came into the kitchen looking for something with an intense purpose My father would smell of British Sterling and look just as he did when he went to work only happier Th ese nights meant something fun would happenmdashwe would have a babysitter
Babysitters were my introduction into what was and still seems cool Th ey were usually Huntsville High School teen-agers who would put on a show without even knowing it I would drink in their every move word and essence of style To me they were supermodelsmdashmovie starsmdasheven more fa-mous in my eyes than a television weatherman and almost as glamorous as the waitresses at the Waffl e House
Before they would tire of me and my sister and put us to bed they would include us in their world of music and knowledge which I thought was all-encompassing Suddenly our world of Th e Benny Carl Show and Fantasy Playhouse would seem trite and passeacute and we would catch a fl eeting glimpse into what would be in store for us when we too could stay up past 8 pm
Huntsville was a magical place for us tail-end baby boomers to grow upmdashbeyond the miracles of the escalator at Pizitz the smiling little lady on the tall stool at the register at Britlings and that bright colorful Maypole Th ere was a comfort level there that Irsquom not sure is in the minds of the 5-year-olds of todaymdashthe soothing sheltered lack of knowledge of why we were so lucky yet we didnrsquot even know that we were
In the other areas of our Huntsville there was poverty and ra-cial unrestmdashas there was and is in every city I was unaware People of color were always a part of my worldmdashmostly be-cause they had my attention and respect At our house there was Annie my grandmotherrsquos house was fi lled with the joys of Lula and out on the family farm there was strong and smiling Homer and large and huggable Rosamdashall just as much a part of my life as everyone else My life was good and they were instrumental in making it that way
What will the 5-year-olds of today who are lucky enough to be raised on those well-planned streets remember when they surpass their own 50 year mark It is a much more complex world now and there are diff erent concerns with daily changes of fear Youthful innocence is a prize that is encased without a lock Premature maturity is a viable threat and a constant fear But each night tucked in tight in a simple room sleeps tomor-rowrsquos adults who are having sweet dreamsmdashblanketed by the comforts of Blossomwood
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
92 raquo the vine raquo Amy C Collins
BORDEAUX POWER
Where Burgundyrsquos vineyards were established by Benedictine monks patiently growing wine vines with spiritual hearts Bordeauxrsquos vineyards were raised by entrepreneurial laymen who recognized the massive monetary opportunity when the English began drinking down their peasant wine
The city of Bordeaux is Francersquos primary port town on the Atlantic ocean a harbor that has for centuries served as the countryrsquos most important dock Th e regionrsquos history is long and storied with the fi rst written reference to the area dated 379 AD by the Latin poet Ausonius who was also a wine-grower Jump ahead to the year 1152 when Eleanor of Aquitaine married Englandrsquos soon-to-be king Henry Plantagenet and the port and surrounding vineyard land became the source of wine for the English a connection that remains strong even today
Bordeaux produces the worldrsquos most expensive and sought after collector wines the top tier of which make up less than fi ve percent of the regionrsquos total production Th ese names are quickly learned by neophyte wine drinkers wanting to make an impression Chateau Haut-Brion Lafi te Latour and Margaux for example Grown in gravelly soils only a few meters above sea levelmdashin contrast vineyards elsewhere in Europe typically sit between 300 and 900 metersmdashthese wines are some of the most powerful austere and pawed over When young the tannins in these cabernet sauvignon cabernet franc and merlot blends coat the tongue and mouth with a chalky dry sensation akin to sucking on an Earl Grey tea bag and are perhaps best suited to well-fatted rare steak and cigars Th ese are wines built to live for decades Personally I prefer a Bordeaux at least 20 years aged when the tannins have had ample time to calm down and mellow out and more nuanced fl avors come forward Sounds fancy and it is Only in some very lucky circumstances over the past year have I been guest to a bottle of 1990 Clos de Menuts Saint-Eacutemilion and a 1970 Chateau Haut-Brion About once every 10 years Irsquove had the good
fortune to taste a wine older than myself Nice work if you can get it
Where Burgundyrsquos vineyards (Francersquos other classifi ed sought-after region) were established by Benedictine monks patiently growing wine vines with spiritual hearts
Bordeauxrsquos vineyards were raised by entrepreneurial laymen who recognized the massive monetary opportunity when the English began drinking down their peasant wine Th is underscores the second half of my theory as to why Americans
more often American males are so drawn to the wines of Bordeaux Th erersquos an inherent capitalist connection something in the soil Th at the wines are so
unmistakable so distinctively grand and pronounced elixirs exemplifi es the fi rst half of my theory we Americans are not known for our subtlety (To be fair the Chinese are
signifi cant Bordeaux collectors as well)
Philosophy aside Bordeaux is quite a large region that produces beautiful white and red values as well as the rare fi nds out of the populacersquos price range Herersquos the skinny Blending is the game single varietal wines are rare White Bordeaux is typically made from a blend of sauvignon blanc and seacutemillon and sometimes a drop or two of muscadelle ugni blanc or colombard Reds are made primarily from the two cabernets plus merlot with small quantities of petit verdot malbec and carmenegravere occasionally in the mix Th e region is also home to the golden nectar of late ripened seacutemillon sauvignon blanc and muscadelle grapes that have successfully attracted the noble rot a fungus that covers the fruit and drains moisture from inside leaving behind rich sweet grapes without moldy fl avors Chateau drsquoYquem is the most famous of these unfortifi ed dessert wines though there are better bargains from the region
Bordeaux is split by the Gironde river which divides the region into three general areas Th e left bank also known as the Haut-Meacutedoc is where the classifi ed top growths are situated Th ese prestigious estates were named for their exceptional vineyard sites in 1855 a decision nearly unchanged since Today serious collectors invest in Bordeaux futures theoretically locking down lower prices of top
ample time to calm dit is Only in some vede Menuts Saint-Eacutem
fortune to taste a
Wherees
aun
of msignifi
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Follow Amy at pigandvinecom for morestories and wine suggestions
growth estates while the wine is still aging in the cellar Itrsquos the wine tradersquos equivalent to the NASDAQ On the right bank Saint-Eacutemilion and Pommerol are the prized vineyard areas known for their merlot heavy cuveacutees To the south west we fi nd Graves where there are many great values to be had in both white and red bottlings Entre-Deux-Mers which translates to ldquobetween two seasrdquo sits between the Dordogne and Garonne tributaries off the Gironde and is an excellent source for crisp whites
Get started on your Bordeaux experience with these values
Chateau Graville-Lacoste 2014 Graves 75 seacutemillon 20 sauvignon blanc and 5 muscadelle make up this beauty thatrsquos consistently delicious every vintage Crisp and refreshing great with seafood
Chateau Mirambeau 2014 GravesAnother classic blend of 40 sauvignon blanc 40 seacutemillon and 20 muscadelle this lovely white is a bit more fl oral than the Graville-Lacoste Easy drinking and great value
Chateau de Parenchegravere Bordeaux Rouge 201155 merlot 30 cabernet sauvignon and 15 cabernet franc grown in clay heavy soils similar to the right bank of the region Fleshy with good structure and abundant red fruit
Chateau Arnaud Bordeaux Supeacuterieur 2011Supeacuterieur on a Bordeaux label isnrsquot egotistical marketingmdashby law it indicates a wine with up to one degree more alcohol than its AC Bordeaux brethren What it really means is one more degree of body structure and in this case quality Approachable delicious and easy on the wallet
Chateau de Bernadotte Haut-Meacutedoc 2005Th e 2005 vintage in Bordeaux is in the history books with double asterisks Owned by the eminent Pichon Lalande family and made from vineyards in Paulliac one of the more choice growing areas in the region this is an incredible value a top tier Bordeaux for a fraction of the cost
Chateau de Suduiraut Sauternes 2011Ripe cantaloupe apricot and honey and an interesting smoky note with a solid sweet attack followed by great acidity A dessert wine that wonrsquot overpower the dessert
94 raquo parting shot raquo Patrick Hood
Meet Solvar
Solvar belongs to one of the worldrsquos oldest and purest equine lineages the Nor-
wegian Fjord horse a breed that has remained virtually unchanged for more than
2000 yearsmdashlong before we became acquainted with his animated cousins in
the movie Frozen Th ese national symbols of Norway are characterized by primi-
tive zebra striping on their legs and a dorsal stripe running from forelock to tail
resulting in a striking two-tone mane that sticks up like a Mohawk Th eir athleti-
cism agility and dependability make them valuable both as sport horses as well
as therapy horses for emotionally and physically challenged adults and children
Catie Wells of Huntsville is the proud owner of Solvar who resides at Monte
Sano Stables
For tickets or information 256-539-4818 or hsoorg
Bring In the New Year With Us
presents
WHAT A WONDERFUL
WORLDA tribute to Louis
Armstrong featuring the
Byron Stripling Quartet
Thursday December 31
730 pm bull Pops Series bullMark C Smith
Concert Hall VBC
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
M O R E T H A N 7 0 S H O P S A N D R E S T A U R A N T S I N C L U D I N G B E L K | D S W S H O E S | A P P L E J O S A B A N K | R E E D S J E W E L E R S | PA N D O R A | J C R E W | K AT E S PA D E N E W Y O R KO R V I S | B A N A N A R E P U B L I C | M I C H A E L K O R S | F R A N C E S C Arsquo S | A N T H R O P O L O G I EH amp M | S O M A | M O U N T A I N H I G H O U T F I T T E R S | B A R N E S amp N O B L E | S E P H O R AALTAR rsquoD STATE | CONNORS STEAK amp SEFOOD | THE WEST IN HUNTSV I L L E | MONACO P ICTURES
C O M I N G S O O N V E R S O N A ndash near Belk
B R I D G E S T R E E T H U N T S V I L L E C O M |
BR IDGE STREET TOWN CENTRE I S LOCATED AT EX I T 14 OFF I - 565 AT OLD MAD ISON P IKE
I was years old and the year was At that time the city of Huntsville was inching toward the mountain to the east California Street was once the continental divide between the small town metropo-lis and the uncharted territories gingerly crossed by the real estate pioneers four score and some odd years prior Th is area became the new suburb as the city kept pushing onward toward Fagan Springs as if the reverberating booms of rocket testings were vibrating Hunstvillians away from its epicenter
From the front yard of our house on Owens Drive I could look to the rightmdashup the hill to the bend be-yond which the big houses stood on their rocky ledge pedestals and to the left where all the other houses that looked just like oursmdashfresh and newmdashrambled for what seemed like miles Th ose clean well-lit abodes all seemed the same and granted at my age I knew more about the pets that lived there than I did about the people who owned those manageable mortgages I came to realize that each was diff erent in a way that was permeated by voices smells and furnishings
It is a clicheacute to say that our lives were simpler then because that is just how the current era will be fondly referred to in the future but to a 5-year-old it is the simplicity that brought the joy Th e sixties will always be to me the beginning of the age of manufactured happiness Cheap clean and simple was what was strived for and what was easily obtained Plastic items were plentiful and pretty things could be bought with SampH Green Stamps A few coins in our pocket would transfer us into the most master of manipula-tors with us giving our all to convince our parents for a jaunt to Murdockrsquos for a holiday of wonderment joy and impatience as we would scour the shelves trying to get the most from our meager budget
Owens Drive was the fairly new thoroughfare from which the avenues of three-bedroom-ranchers fi ngered away at planned intervals Th is was the place where newlyweds started their lives homes and families Where girls with last names that had been in the town for generations would change them to those strange and exotic last names of the clean cut newcomers brought here for military purposes Where the housewives would preheat their pristine electric ovens trying to make cheese straws and biscuits that were just like their motherrsquos only to be frustrated as they were never quite the same and where the husbands would follow in their fatherrsquos footsteps by joining the Acme Club and hunting doves on the weekends
Th ere was a swimming pool Certainly not at our house Th e only private pool I remember as a child was one that my grandmother would take me to nestled between huge trees at someonersquos house on Adams Street I would swim with other children my age while our grandmothers chatted smoking cigarettes in cat-eyed anonymity whispering most of their stories so we wouldnrsquot be able to hear But between their
gasps and laughter we would listen hear and learn
Th e Blossomwood pool was a place of designated rules and the sound of bright whistlesmdashwith straight lines and distinctive colors of blue and green I can still feel the Coppertoned oiliness on the skin of the tanned lifeguard as she carried me from the deep end frightened after my fi rst attempt at solo-swimming She knew my name I had no idea who she was
On the other side of the pool was the school my older sister attended It had a style that mim-icked the poolmdashstraight lines cleanmdasha temple to orderliness and good manners It was with
awe that I once watched the young adults there some as old as eleven wind and dance their way around a sky-high fl agpolemdasheach with a diff erent color ribbon until the fi rst (and only) May Pole
I was privy to was completely dressed in its woven bright colors
90 raquo bless their hearts raquo Guy McClure Jr
Huntsville was a magical place for us tail-end baby boomers to grow upmdashbeyond the miracles of the escalator at Pizitz the smiling little lady on the tall stool at the register at Britlings There was a comfort level there that Irsquom not sure is in the minds of the 5-year-olds of today
cat-eyed agasps
Th s
aI w
THE COMFORTS OF BLOSSOMWOOD
In our world of red-bricked carported castles there was a def-inite division of generations Th e children ate separately from the parents went to school as our dads went to work enter-tained our neighborhood friends as quietly as possible and felt safe between our boundaries of Big Cove Road and Hermitage Street While we dined on our Chef Boy-Ar-Dee boxed pizza our parents busied themselves dressing in their dark colors getting ready for a late dinner at Boots having the scent of perfume and face powder trail my mother as she came into the kitchen looking for something with an intense purpose My father would smell of British Sterling and look just as he did when he went to work only happier Th ese nights meant something fun would happenmdashwe would have a babysitter
Babysitters were my introduction into what was and still seems cool Th ey were usually Huntsville High School teen-agers who would put on a show without even knowing it I would drink in their every move word and essence of style To me they were supermodelsmdashmovie starsmdasheven more fa-mous in my eyes than a television weatherman and almost as glamorous as the waitresses at the Waffl e House
Before they would tire of me and my sister and put us to bed they would include us in their world of music and knowledge which I thought was all-encompassing Suddenly our world of Th e Benny Carl Show and Fantasy Playhouse would seem trite and passeacute and we would catch a fl eeting glimpse into what would be in store for us when we too could stay up past 8 pm
Huntsville was a magical place for us tail-end baby boomers to grow upmdashbeyond the miracles of the escalator at Pizitz the smiling little lady on the tall stool at the register at Britlings and that bright colorful Maypole Th ere was a comfort level there that Irsquom not sure is in the minds of the 5-year-olds of todaymdashthe soothing sheltered lack of knowledge of why we were so lucky yet we didnrsquot even know that we were
In the other areas of our Huntsville there was poverty and ra-cial unrestmdashas there was and is in every city I was unaware People of color were always a part of my worldmdashmostly be-cause they had my attention and respect At our house there was Annie my grandmotherrsquos house was fi lled with the joys of Lula and out on the family farm there was strong and smiling Homer and large and huggable Rosamdashall just as much a part of my life as everyone else My life was good and they were instrumental in making it that way
What will the 5-year-olds of today who are lucky enough to be raised on those well-planned streets remember when they surpass their own 50 year mark It is a much more complex world now and there are diff erent concerns with daily changes of fear Youthful innocence is a prize that is encased without a lock Premature maturity is a viable threat and a constant fear But each night tucked in tight in a simple room sleeps tomor-rowrsquos adults who are having sweet dreamsmdashblanketed by the comforts of Blossomwood
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
92 raquo the vine raquo Amy C Collins
BORDEAUX POWER
Where Burgundyrsquos vineyards were established by Benedictine monks patiently growing wine vines with spiritual hearts Bordeauxrsquos vineyards were raised by entrepreneurial laymen who recognized the massive monetary opportunity when the English began drinking down their peasant wine
The city of Bordeaux is Francersquos primary port town on the Atlantic ocean a harbor that has for centuries served as the countryrsquos most important dock Th e regionrsquos history is long and storied with the fi rst written reference to the area dated 379 AD by the Latin poet Ausonius who was also a wine-grower Jump ahead to the year 1152 when Eleanor of Aquitaine married Englandrsquos soon-to-be king Henry Plantagenet and the port and surrounding vineyard land became the source of wine for the English a connection that remains strong even today
Bordeaux produces the worldrsquos most expensive and sought after collector wines the top tier of which make up less than fi ve percent of the regionrsquos total production Th ese names are quickly learned by neophyte wine drinkers wanting to make an impression Chateau Haut-Brion Lafi te Latour and Margaux for example Grown in gravelly soils only a few meters above sea levelmdashin contrast vineyards elsewhere in Europe typically sit between 300 and 900 metersmdashthese wines are some of the most powerful austere and pawed over When young the tannins in these cabernet sauvignon cabernet franc and merlot blends coat the tongue and mouth with a chalky dry sensation akin to sucking on an Earl Grey tea bag and are perhaps best suited to well-fatted rare steak and cigars Th ese are wines built to live for decades Personally I prefer a Bordeaux at least 20 years aged when the tannins have had ample time to calm down and mellow out and more nuanced fl avors come forward Sounds fancy and it is Only in some very lucky circumstances over the past year have I been guest to a bottle of 1990 Clos de Menuts Saint-Eacutemilion and a 1970 Chateau Haut-Brion About once every 10 years Irsquove had the good
fortune to taste a wine older than myself Nice work if you can get it
Where Burgundyrsquos vineyards (Francersquos other classifi ed sought-after region) were established by Benedictine monks patiently growing wine vines with spiritual hearts
Bordeauxrsquos vineyards were raised by entrepreneurial laymen who recognized the massive monetary opportunity when the English began drinking down their peasant wine Th is underscores the second half of my theory as to why Americans
more often American males are so drawn to the wines of Bordeaux Th erersquos an inherent capitalist connection something in the soil Th at the wines are so
unmistakable so distinctively grand and pronounced elixirs exemplifi es the fi rst half of my theory we Americans are not known for our subtlety (To be fair the Chinese are
signifi cant Bordeaux collectors as well)
Philosophy aside Bordeaux is quite a large region that produces beautiful white and red values as well as the rare fi nds out of the populacersquos price range Herersquos the skinny Blending is the game single varietal wines are rare White Bordeaux is typically made from a blend of sauvignon blanc and seacutemillon and sometimes a drop or two of muscadelle ugni blanc or colombard Reds are made primarily from the two cabernets plus merlot with small quantities of petit verdot malbec and carmenegravere occasionally in the mix Th e region is also home to the golden nectar of late ripened seacutemillon sauvignon blanc and muscadelle grapes that have successfully attracted the noble rot a fungus that covers the fruit and drains moisture from inside leaving behind rich sweet grapes without moldy fl avors Chateau drsquoYquem is the most famous of these unfortifi ed dessert wines though there are better bargains from the region
Bordeaux is split by the Gironde river which divides the region into three general areas Th e left bank also known as the Haut-Meacutedoc is where the classifi ed top growths are situated Th ese prestigious estates were named for their exceptional vineyard sites in 1855 a decision nearly unchanged since Today serious collectors invest in Bordeaux futures theoretically locking down lower prices of top
ample time to calm dit is Only in some vede Menuts Saint-Eacutem
fortune to taste a
Wherees
aun
of msignifi
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Follow Amy at pigandvinecom for morestories and wine suggestions
growth estates while the wine is still aging in the cellar Itrsquos the wine tradersquos equivalent to the NASDAQ On the right bank Saint-Eacutemilion and Pommerol are the prized vineyard areas known for their merlot heavy cuveacutees To the south west we fi nd Graves where there are many great values to be had in both white and red bottlings Entre-Deux-Mers which translates to ldquobetween two seasrdquo sits between the Dordogne and Garonne tributaries off the Gironde and is an excellent source for crisp whites
Get started on your Bordeaux experience with these values
Chateau Graville-Lacoste 2014 Graves 75 seacutemillon 20 sauvignon blanc and 5 muscadelle make up this beauty thatrsquos consistently delicious every vintage Crisp and refreshing great with seafood
Chateau Mirambeau 2014 GravesAnother classic blend of 40 sauvignon blanc 40 seacutemillon and 20 muscadelle this lovely white is a bit more fl oral than the Graville-Lacoste Easy drinking and great value
Chateau de Parenchegravere Bordeaux Rouge 201155 merlot 30 cabernet sauvignon and 15 cabernet franc grown in clay heavy soils similar to the right bank of the region Fleshy with good structure and abundant red fruit
Chateau Arnaud Bordeaux Supeacuterieur 2011Supeacuterieur on a Bordeaux label isnrsquot egotistical marketingmdashby law it indicates a wine with up to one degree more alcohol than its AC Bordeaux brethren What it really means is one more degree of body structure and in this case quality Approachable delicious and easy on the wallet
Chateau de Bernadotte Haut-Meacutedoc 2005Th e 2005 vintage in Bordeaux is in the history books with double asterisks Owned by the eminent Pichon Lalande family and made from vineyards in Paulliac one of the more choice growing areas in the region this is an incredible value a top tier Bordeaux for a fraction of the cost
Chateau de Suduiraut Sauternes 2011Ripe cantaloupe apricot and honey and an interesting smoky note with a solid sweet attack followed by great acidity A dessert wine that wonrsquot overpower the dessert
94 raquo parting shot raquo Patrick Hood
Meet Solvar
Solvar belongs to one of the worldrsquos oldest and purest equine lineages the Nor-
wegian Fjord horse a breed that has remained virtually unchanged for more than
2000 yearsmdashlong before we became acquainted with his animated cousins in
the movie Frozen Th ese national symbols of Norway are characterized by primi-
tive zebra striping on their legs and a dorsal stripe running from forelock to tail
resulting in a striking two-tone mane that sticks up like a Mohawk Th eir athleti-
cism agility and dependability make them valuable both as sport horses as well
as therapy horses for emotionally and physically challenged adults and children
Catie Wells of Huntsville is the proud owner of Solvar who resides at Monte
Sano Stables
For tickets or information 256-539-4818 or hsoorg
Bring In the New Year With Us
presents
WHAT A WONDERFUL
WORLDA tribute to Louis
Armstrong featuring the
Byron Stripling Quartet
Thursday December 31
730 pm bull Pops Series bullMark C Smith
Concert Hall VBC
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
M O R E T H A N 7 0 S H O P S A N D R E S T A U R A N T S I N C L U D I N G B E L K | D S W S H O E S | A P P L E J O S A B A N K | R E E D S J E W E L E R S | PA N D O R A | J C R E W | K AT E S PA D E N E W Y O R KO R V I S | B A N A N A R E P U B L I C | M I C H A E L K O R S | F R A N C E S C Arsquo S | A N T H R O P O L O G I EH amp M | S O M A | M O U N T A I N H I G H O U T F I T T E R S | B A R N E S amp N O B L E | S E P H O R AALTAR rsquoD STATE | CONNORS STEAK amp SEFOOD | THE WEST IN HUNTSV I L L E | MONACO P ICTURES
C O M I N G S O O N V E R S O N A ndash near Belk
B R I D G E S T R E E T H U N T S V I L L E C O M |
BR IDGE STREET TOWN CENTRE I S LOCATED AT EX I T 14 OFF I - 565 AT OLD MAD ISON P IKE
In our world of red-bricked carported castles there was a def-inite division of generations Th e children ate separately from the parents went to school as our dads went to work enter-tained our neighborhood friends as quietly as possible and felt safe between our boundaries of Big Cove Road and Hermitage Street While we dined on our Chef Boy-Ar-Dee boxed pizza our parents busied themselves dressing in their dark colors getting ready for a late dinner at Boots having the scent of perfume and face powder trail my mother as she came into the kitchen looking for something with an intense purpose My father would smell of British Sterling and look just as he did when he went to work only happier Th ese nights meant something fun would happenmdashwe would have a babysitter
Babysitters were my introduction into what was and still seems cool Th ey were usually Huntsville High School teen-agers who would put on a show without even knowing it I would drink in their every move word and essence of style To me they were supermodelsmdashmovie starsmdasheven more fa-mous in my eyes than a television weatherman and almost as glamorous as the waitresses at the Waffl e House
Before they would tire of me and my sister and put us to bed they would include us in their world of music and knowledge which I thought was all-encompassing Suddenly our world of Th e Benny Carl Show and Fantasy Playhouse would seem trite and passeacute and we would catch a fl eeting glimpse into what would be in store for us when we too could stay up past 8 pm
Huntsville was a magical place for us tail-end baby boomers to grow upmdashbeyond the miracles of the escalator at Pizitz the smiling little lady on the tall stool at the register at Britlings and that bright colorful Maypole Th ere was a comfort level there that Irsquom not sure is in the minds of the 5-year-olds of todaymdashthe soothing sheltered lack of knowledge of why we were so lucky yet we didnrsquot even know that we were
In the other areas of our Huntsville there was poverty and ra-cial unrestmdashas there was and is in every city I was unaware People of color were always a part of my worldmdashmostly be-cause they had my attention and respect At our house there was Annie my grandmotherrsquos house was fi lled with the joys of Lula and out on the family farm there was strong and smiling Homer and large and huggable Rosamdashall just as much a part of my life as everyone else My life was good and they were instrumental in making it that way
What will the 5-year-olds of today who are lucky enough to be raised on those well-planned streets remember when they surpass their own 50 year mark It is a much more complex world now and there are diff erent concerns with daily changes of fear Youthful innocence is a prize that is encased without a lock Premature maturity is a viable threat and a constant fear But each night tucked in tight in a simple room sleeps tomor-rowrsquos adults who are having sweet dreamsmdashblanketed by the comforts of Blossomwood
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
92 raquo the vine raquo Amy C Collins
BORDEAUX POWER
Where Burgundyrsquos vineyards were established by Benedictine monks patiently growing wine vines with spiritual hearts Bordeauxrsquos vineyards were raised by entrepreneurial laymen who recognized the massive monetary opportunity when the English began drinking down their peasant wine
The city of Bordeaux is Francersquos primary port town on the Atlantic ocean a harbor that has for centuries served as the countryrsquos most important dock Th e regionrsquos history is long and storied with the fi rst written reference to the area dated 379 AD by the Latin poet Ausonius who was also a wine-grower Jump ahead to the year 1152 when Eleanor of Aquitaine married Englandrsquos soon-to-be king Henry Plantagenet and the port and surrounding vineyard land became the source of wine for the English a connection that remains strong even today
Bordeaux produces the worldrsquos most expensive and sought after collector wines the top tier of which make up less than fi ve percent of the regionrsquos total production Th ese names are quickly learned by neophyte wine drinkers wanting to make an impression Chateau Haut-Brion Lafi te Latour and Margaux for example Grown in gravelly soils only a few meters above sea levelmdashin contrast vineyards elsewhere in Europe typically sit between 300 and 900 metersmdashthese wines are some of the most powerful austere and pawed over When young the tannins in these cabernet sauvignon cabernet franc and merlot blends coat the tongue and mouth with a chalky dry sensation akin to sucking on an Earl Grey tea bag and are perhaps best suited to well-fatted rare steak and cigars Th ese are wines built to live for decades Personally I prefer a Bordeaux at least 20 years aged when the tannins have had ample time to calm down and mellow out and more nuanced fl avors come forward Sounds fancy and it is Only in some very lucky circumstances over the past year have I been guest to a bottle of 1990 Clos de Menuts Saint-Eacutemilion and a 1970 Chateau Haut-Brion About once every 10 years Irsquove had the good
fortune to taste a wine older than myself Nice work if you can get it
Where Burgundyrsquos vineyards (Francersquos other classifi ed sought-after region) were established by Benedictine monks patiently growing wine vines with spiritual hearts
Bordeauxrsquos vineyards were raised by entrepreneurial laymen who recognized the massive monetary opportunity when the English began drinking down their peasant wine Th is underscores the second half of my theory as to why Americans
more often American males are so drawn to the wines of Bordeaux Th erersquos an inherent capitalist connection something in the soil Th at the wines are so
unmistakable so distinctively grand and pronounced elixirs exemplifi es the fi rst half of my theory we Americans are not known for our subtlety (To be fair the Chinese are
signifi cant Bordeaux collectors as well)
Philosophy aside Bordeaux is quite a large region that produces beautiful white and red values as well as the rare fi nds out of the populacersquos price range Herersquos the skinny Blending is the game single varietal wines are rare White Bordeaux is typically made from a blend of sauvignon blanc and seacutemillon and sometimes a drop or two of muscadelle ugni blanc or colombard Reds are made primarily from the two cabernets plus merlot with small quantities of petit verdot malbec and carmenegravere occasionally in the mix Th e region is also home to the golden nectar of late ripened seacutemillon sauvignon blanc and muscadelle grapes that have successfully attracted the noble rot a fungus that covers the fruit and drains moisture from inside leaving behind rich sweet grapes without moldy fl avors Chateau drsquoYquem is the most famous of these unfortifi ed dessert wines though there are better bargains from the region
Bordeaux is split by the Gironde river which divides the region into three general areas Th e left bank also known as the Haut-Meacutedoc is where the classifi ed top growths are situated Th ese prestigious estates were named for their exceptional vineyard sites in 1855 a decision nearly unchanged since Today serious collectors invest in Bordeaux futures theoretically locking down lower prices of top
ample time to calm dit is Only in some vede Menuts Saint-Eacutem
fortune to taste a
Wherees
aun
of msignifi
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Follow Amy at pigandvinecom for morestories and wine suggestions
growth estates while the wine is still aging in the cellar Itrsquos the wine tradersquos equivalent to the NASDAQ On the right bank Saint-Eacutemilion and Pommerol are the prized vineyard areas known for their merlot heavy cuveacutees To the south west we fi nd Graves where there are many great values to be had in both white and red bottlings Entre-Deux-Mers which translates to ldquobetween two seasrdquo sits between the Dordogne and Garonne tributaries off the Gironde and is an excellent source for crisp whites
Get started on your Bordeaux experience with these values
Chateau Graville-Lacoste 2014 Graves 75 seacutemillon 20 sauvignon blanc and 5 muscadelle make up this beauty thatrsquos consistently delicious every vintage Crisp and refreshing great with seafood
Chateau Mirambeau 2014 GravesAnother classic blend of 40 sauvignon blanc 40 seacutemillon and 20 muscadelle this lovely white is a bit more fl oral than the Graville-Lacoste Easy drinking and great value
Chateau de Parenchegravere Bordeaux Rouge 201155 merlot 30 cabernet sauvignon and 15 cabernet franc grown in clay heavy soils similar to the right bank of the region Fleshy with good structure and abundant red fruit
Chateau Arnaud Bordeaux Supeacuterieur 2011Supeacuterieur on a Bordeaux label isnrsquot egotistical marketingmdashby law it indicates a wine with up to one degree more alcohol than its AC Bordeaux brethren What it really means is one more degree of body structure and in this case quality Approachable delicious and easy on the wallet
Chateau de Bernadotte Haut-Meacutedoc 2005Th e 2005 vintage in Bordeaux is in the history books with double asterisks Owned by the eminent Pichon Lalande family and made from vineyards in Paulliac one of the more choice growing areas in the region this is an incredible value a top tier Bordeaux for a fraction of the cost
Chateau de Suduiraut Sauternes 2011Ripe cantaloupe apricot and honey and an interesting smoky note with a solid sweet attack followed by great acidity A dessert wine that wonrsquot overpower the dessert
94 raquo parting shot raquo Patrick Hood
Meet Solvar
Solvar belongs to one of the worldrsquos oldest and purest equine lineages the Nor-
wegian Fjord horse a breed that has remained virtually unchanged for more than
2000 yearsmdashlong before we became acquainted with his animated cousins in
the movie Frozen Th ese national symbols of Norway are characterized by primi-
tive zebra striping on their legs and a dorsal stripe running from forelock to tail
resulting in a striking two-tone mane that sticks up like a Mohawk Th eir athleti-
cism agility and dependability make them valuable both as sport horses as well
as therapy horses for emotionally and physically challenged adults and children
Catie Wells of Huntsville is the proud owner of Solvar who resides at Monte
Sano Stables
For tickets or information 256-539-4818 or hsoorg
Bring In the New Year With Us
presents
WHAT A WONDERFUL
WORLDA tribute to Louis
Armstrong featuring the
Byron Stripling Quartet
Thursday December 31
730 pm bull Pops Series bullMark C Smith
Concert Hall VBC
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
M O R E T H A N 7 0 S H O P S A N D R E S T A U R A N T S I N C L U D I N G B E L K | D S W S H O E S | A P P L E J O S A B A N K | R E E D S J E W E L E R S | PA N D O R A | J C R E W | K AT E S PA D E N E W Y O R KO R V I S | B A N A N A R E P U B L I C | M I C H A E L K O R S | F R A N C E S C Arsquo S | A N T H R O P O L O G I EH amp M | S O M A | M O U N T A I N H I G H O U T F I T T E R S | B A R N E S amp N O B L E | S E P H O R AALTAR rsquoD STATE | CONNORS STEAK amp SEFOOD | THE WEST IN HUNTSV I L L E | MONACO P ICTURES
C O M I N G S O O N V E R S O N A ndash near Belk
B R I D G E S T R E E T H U N T S V I L L E C O M |
BR IDGE STREET TOWN CENTRE I S LOCATED AT EX I T 14 OFF I - 565 AT OLD MAD ISON P IKE
92 raquo the vine raquo Amy C Collins
BORDEAUX POWER
Where Burgundyrsquos vineyards were established by Benedictine monks patiently growing wine vines with spiritual hearts Bordeauxrsquos vineyards were raised by entrepreneurial laymen who recognized the massive monetary opportunity when the English began drinking down their peasant wine
The city of Bordeaux is Francersquos primary port town on the Atlantic ocean a harbor that has for centuries served as the countryrsquos most important dock Th e regionrsquos history is long and storied with the fi rst written reference to the area dated 379 AD by the Latin poet Ausonius who was also a wine-grower Jump ahead to the year 1152 when Eleanor of Aquitaine married Englandrsquos soon-to-be king Henry Plantagenet and the port and surrounding vineyard land became the source of wine for the English a connection that remains strong even today
Bordeaux produces the worldrsquos most expensive and sought after collector wines the top tier of which make up less than fi ve percent of the regionrsquos total production Th ese names are quickly learned by neophyte wine drinkers wanting to make an impression Chateau Haut-Brion Lafi te Latour and Margaux for example Grown in gravelly soils only a few meters above sea levelmdashin contrast vineyards elsewhere in Europe typically sit between 300 and 900 metersmdashthese wines are some of the most powerful austere and pawed over When young the tannins in these cabernet sauvignon cabernet franc and merlot blends coat the tongue and mouth with a chalky dry sensation akin to sucking on an Earl Grey tea bag and are perhaps best suited to well-fatted rare steak and cigars Th ese are wines built to live for decades Personally I prefer a Bordeaux at least 20 years aged when the tannins have had ample time to calm down and mellow out and more nuanced fl avors come forward Sounds fancy and it is Only in some very lucky circumstances over the past year have I been guest to a bottle of 1990 Clos de Menuts Saint-Eacutemilion and a 1970 Chateau Haut-Brion About once every 10 years Irsquove had the good
fortune to taste a wine older than myself Nice work if you can get it
Where Burgundyrsquos vineyards (Francersquos other classifi ed sought-after region) were established by Benedictine monks patiently growing wine vines with spiritual hearts
Bordeauxrsquos vineyards were raised by entrepreneurial laymen who recognized the massive monetary opportunity when the English began drinking down their peasant wine Th is underscores the second half of my theory as to why Americans
more often American males are so drawn to the wines of Bordeaux Th erersquos an inherent capitalist connection something in the soil Th at the wines are so
unmistakable so distinctively grand and pronounced elixirs exemplifi es the fi rst half of my theory we Americans are not known for our subtlety (To be fair the Chinese are
signifi cant Bordeaux collectors as well)
Philosophy aside Bordeaux is quite a large region that produces beautiful white and red values as well as the rare fi nds out of the populacersquos price range Herersquos the skinny Blending is the game single varietal wines are rare White Bordeaux is typically made from a blend of sauvignon blanc and seacutemillon and sometimes a drop or two of muscadelle ugni blanc or colombard Reds are made primarily from the two cabernets plus merlot with small quantities of petit verdot malbec and carmenegravere occasionally in the mix Th e region is also home to the golden nectar of late ripened seacutemillon sauvignon blanc and muscadelle grapes that have successfully attracted the noble rot a fungus that covers the fruit and drains moisture from inside leaving behind rich sweet grapes without moldy fl avors Chateau drsquoYquem is the most famous of these unfortifi ed dessert wines though there are better bargains from the region
Bordeaux is split by the Gironde river which divides the region into three general areas Th e left bank also known as the Haut-Meacutedoc is where the classifi ed top growths are situated Th ese prestigious estates were named for their exceptional vineyard sites in 1855 a decision nearly unchanged since Today serious collectors invest in Bordeaux futures theoretically locking down lower prices of top
ample time to calm dit is Only in some vede Menuts Saint-Eacutem
fortune to taste a
Wherees
aun
of msignifi
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Follow Amy at pigandvinecom for morestories and wine suggestions
growth estates while the wine is still aging in the cellar Itrsquos the wine tradersquos equivalent to the NASDAQ On the right bank Saint-Eacutemilion and Pommerol are the prized vineyard areas known for their merlot heavy cuveacutees To the south west we fi nd Graves where there are many great values to be had in both white and red bottlings Entre-Deux-Mers which translates to ldquobetween two seasrdquo sits between the Dordogne and Garonne tributaries off the Gironde and is an excellent source for crisp whites
Get started on your Bordeaux experience with these values
Chateau Graville-Lacoste 2014 Graves 75 seacutemillon 20 sauvignon blanc and 5 muscadelle make up this beauty thatrsquos consistently delicious every vintage Crisp and refreshing great with seafood
Chateau Mirambeau 2014 GravesAnother classic blend of 40 sauvignon blanc 40 seacutemillon and 20 muscadelle this lovely white is a bit more fl oral than the Graville-Lacoste Easy drinking and great value
Chateau de Parenchegravere Bordeaux Rouge 201155 merlot 30 cabernet sauvignon and 15 cabernet franc grown in clay heavy soils similar to the right bank of the region Fleshy with good structure and abundant red fruit
Chateau Arnaud Bordeaux Supeacuterieur 2011Supeacuterieur on a Bordeaux label isnrsquot egotistical marketingmdashby law it indicates a wine with up to one degree more alcohol than its AC Bordeaux brethren What it really means is one more degree of body structure and in this case quality Approachable delicious and easy on the wallet
Chateau de Bernadotte Haut-Meacutedoc 2005Th e 2005 vintage in Bordeaux is in the history books with double asterisks Owned by the eminent Pichon Lalande family and made from vineyards in Paulliac one of the more choice growing areas in the region this is an incredible value a top tier Bordeaux for a fraction of the cost
Chateau de Suduiraut Sauternes 2011Ripe cantaloupe apricot and honey and an interesting smoky note with a solid sweet attack followed by great acidity A dessert wine that wonrsquot overpower the dessert
94 raquo parting shot raquo Patrick Hood
Meet Solvar
Solvar belongs to one of the worldrsquos oldest and purest equine lineages the Nor-
wegian Fjord horse a breed that has remained virtually unchanged for more than
2000 yearsmdashlong before we became acquainted with his animated cousins in
the movie Frozen Th ese national symbols of Norway are characterized by primi-
tive zebra striping on their legs and a dorsal stripe running from forelock to tail
resulting in a striking two-tone mane that sticks up like a Mohawk Th eir athleti-
cism agility and dependability make them valuable both as sport horses as well
as therapy horses for emotionally and physically challenged adults and children
Catie Wells of Huntsville is the proud owner of Solvar who resides at Monte
Sano Stables
For tickets or information 256-539-4818 or hsoorg
Bring In the New Year With Us
presents
WHAT A WONDERFUL
WORLDA tribute to Louis
Armstrong featuring the
Byron Stripling Quartet
Thursday December 31
730 pm bull Pops Series bullMark C Smith
Concert Hall VBC
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
M O R E T H A N 7 0 S H O P S A N D R E S T A U R A N T S I N C L U D I N G B E L K | D S W S H O E S | A P P L E J O S A B A N K | R E E D S J E W E L E R S | PA N D O R A | J C R E W | K AT E S PA D E N E W Y O R KO R V I S | B A N A N A R E P U B L I C | M I C H A E L K O R S | F R A N C E S C Arsquo S | A N T H R O P O L O G I EH amp M | S O M A | M O U N T A I N H I G H O U T F I T T E R S | B A R N E S amp N O B L E | S E P H O R AALTAR rsquoD STATE | CONNORS STEAK amp SEFOOD | THE WEST IN HUNTSV I L L E | MONACO P ICTURES
C O M I N G S O O N V E R S O N A ndash near Belk
B R I D G E S T R E E T H U N T S V I L L E C O M |
BR IDGE STREET TOWN CENTRE I S LOCATED AT EX I T 14 OFF I - 565 AT OLD MAD ISON P IKE
novemberdecember | noalastudioscom |
Follow Amy at pigandvinecom for morestories and wine suggestions
growth estates while the wine is still aging in the cellar Itrsquos the wine tradersquos equivalent to the NASDAQ On the right bank Saint-Eacutemilion and Pommerol are the prized vineyard areas known for their merlot heavy cuveacutees To the south west we fi nd Graves where there are many great values to be had in both white and red bottlings Entre-Deux-Mers which translates to ldquobetween two seasrdquo sits between the Dordogne and Garonne tributaries off the Gironde and is an excellent source for crisp whites
Get started on your Bordeaux experience with these values
Chateau Graville-Lacoste 2014 Graves 75 seacutemillon 20 sauvignon blanc and 5 muscadelle make up this beauty thatrsquos consistently delicious every vintage Crisp and refreshing great with seafood
Chateau Mirambeau 2014 GravesAnother classic blend of 40 sauvignon blanc 40 seacutemillon and 20 muscadelle this lovely white is a bit more fl oral than the Graville-Lacoste Easy drinking and great value
Chateau de Parenchegravere Bordeaux Rouge 201155 merlot 30 cabernet sauvignon and 15 cabernet franc grown in clay heavy soils similar to the right bank of the region Fleshy with good structure and abundant red fruit
Chateau Arnaud Bordeaux Supeacuterieur 2011Supeacuterieur on a Bordeaux label isnrsquot egotistical marketingmdashby law it indicates a wine with up to one degree more alcohol than its AC Bordeaux brethren What it really means is one more degree of body structure and in this case quality Approachable delicious and easy on the wallet
Chateau de Bernadotte Haut-Meacutedoc 2005Th e 2005 vintage in Bordeaux is in the history books with double asterisks Owned by the eminent Pichon Lalande family and made from vineyards in Paulliac one of the more choice growing areas in the region this is an incredible value a top tier Bordeaux for a fraction of the cost
Chateau de Suduiraut Sauternes 2011Ripe cantaloupe apricot and honey and an interesting smoky note with a solid sweet attack followed by great acidity A dessert wine that wonrsquot overpower the dessert
94 raquo parting shot raquo Patrick Hood
Meet Solvar
Solvar belongs to one of the worldrsquos oldest and purest equine lineages the Nor-
wegian Fjord horse a breed that has remained virtually unchanged for more than
2000 yearsmdashlong before we became acquainted with his animated cousins in
the movie Frozen Th ese national symbols of Norway are characterized by primi-
tive zebra striping on their legs and a dorsal stripe running from forelock to tail
resulting in a striking two-tone mane that sticks up like a Mohawk Th eir athleti-
cism agility and dependability make them valuable both as sport horses as well
as therapy horses for emotionally and physically challenged adults and children
Catie Wells of Huntsville is the proud owner of Solvar who resides at Monte
Sano Stables
For tickets or information 256-539-4818 or hsoorg
Bring In the New Year With Us
presents
WHAT A WONDERFUL
WORLDA tribute to Louis
Armstrong featuring the
Byron Stripling Quartet
Thursday December 31
730 pm bull Pops Series bullMark C Smith
Concert Hall VBC
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
M O R E T H A N 7 0 S H O P S A N D R E S T A U R A N T S I N C L U D I N G B E L K | D S W S H O E S | A P P L E J O S A B A N K | R E E D S J E W E L E R S | PA N D O R A | J C R E W | K AT E S PA D E N E W Y O R KO R V I S | B A N A N A R E P U B L I C | M I C H A E L K O R S | F R A N C E S C Arsquo S | A N T H R O P O L O G I EH amp M | S O M A | M O U N T A I N H I G H O U T F I T T E R S | B A R N E S amp N O B L E | S E P H O R AALTAR rsquoD STATE | CONNORS STEAK amp SEFOOD | THE WEST IN HUNTSV I L L E | MONACO P ICTURES
C O M I N G S O O N V E R S O N A ndash near Belk
B R I D G E S T R E E T H U N T S V I L L E C O M |
BR IDGE STREET TOWN CENTRE I S LOCATED AT EX I T 14 OFF I - 565 AT OLD MAD ISON P IKE
94 raquo parting shot raquo Patrick Hood
Meet Solvar
Solvar belongs to one of the worldrsquos oldest and purest equine lineages the Nor-
wegian Fjord horse a breed that has remained virtually unchanged for more than
2000 yearsmdashlong before we became acquainted with his animated cousins in
the movie Frozen Th ese national symbols of Norway are characterized by primi-
tive zebra striping on their legs and a dorsal stripe running from forelock to tail
resulting in a striking two-tone mane that sticks up like a Mohawk Th eir athleti-
cism agility and dependability make them valuable both as sport horses as well
as therapy horses for emotionally and physically challenged adults and children
Catie Wells of Huntsville is the proud owner of Solvar who resides at Monte
Sano Stables
For tickets or information 256-539-4818 or hsoorg
Bring In the New Year With Us
presents
WHAT A WONDERFUL
WORLDA tribute to Louis
Armstrong featuring the
Byron Stripling Quartet
Thursday December 31
730 pm bull Pops Series bullMark C Smith
Concert Hall VBC
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
M O R E T H A N 7 0 S H O P S A N D R E S T A U R A N T S I N C L U D I N G B E L K | D S W S H O E S | A P P L E J O S A B A N K | R E E D S J E W E L E R S | PA N D O R A | J C R E W | K AT E S PA D E N E W Y O R KO R V I S | B A N A N A R E P U B L I C | M I C H A E L K O R S | F R A N C E S C Arsquo S | A N T H R O P O L O G I EH amp M | S O M A | M O U N T A I N H I G H O U T F I T T E R S | B A R N E S amp N O B L E | S E P H O R AALTAR rsquoD STATE | CONNORS STEAK amp SEFOOD | THE WEST IN HUNTSV I L L E | MONACO P ICTURES
C O M I N G S O O N V E R S O N A ndash near Belk
B R I D G E S T R E E T H U N T S V I L L E C O M |
BR IDGE STREET TOWN CENTRE I S LOCATED AT EX I T 14 OFF I - 565 AT OLD MAD ISON P IKE
For tickets or information 256-539-4818 or hsoorg
Bring In the New Year With Us
presents
WHAT A WONDERFUL
WORLDA tribute to Louis
Armstrong featuring the
Byron Stripling Quartet
Thursday December 31
730 pm bull Pops Series bullMark C Smith
Concert Hall VBC
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
M O R E T H A N 7 0 S H O P S A N D R E S T A U R A N T S I N C L U D I N G B E L K | D S W S H O E S | A P P L E J O S A B A N K | R E E D S J E W E L E R S | PA N D O R A | J C R E W | K AT E S PA D E N E W Y O R KO R V I S | B A N A N A R E P U B L I C | M I C H A E L K O R S | F R A N C E S C Arsquo S | A N T H R O P O L O G I EH amp M | S O M A | M O U N T A I N H I G H O U T F I T T E R S | B A R N E S amp N O B L E | S E P H O R AALTAR rsquoD STATE | CONNORS STEAK amp SEFOOD | THE WEST IN HUNTSV I L L E | MONACO P ICTURES
C O M I N G S O O N V E R S O N A ndash near Belk
B R I D G E S T R E E T H U N T S V I L L E C O M |
BR IDGE STREET TOWN CENTRE I S LOCATED AT EX I T 14 OFF I - 565 AT OLD MAD ISON P IKE
| noalastudioscom | novemberdecember
M O R E T H A N 7 0 S H O P S A N D R E S T A U R A N T S I N C L U D I N G B E L K | D S W S H O E S | A P P L E J O S A B A N K | R E E D S J E W E L E R S | PA N D O R A | J C R E W | K AT E S PA D E N E W Y O R KO R V I S | B A N A N A R E P U B L I C | M I C H A E L K O R S | F R A N C E S C Arsquo S | A N T H R O P O L O G I EH amp M | S O M A | M O U N T A I N H I G H O U T F I T T E R S | B A R N E S amp N O B L E | S E P H O R AALTAR rsquoD STATE | CONNORS STEAK amp SEFOOD | THE WEST IN HUNTSV I L L E | MONACO P ICTURES
C O M I N G S O O N V E R S O N A ndash near Belk
B R I D G E S T R E E T H U N T S V I L L E C O M |
BR IDGE STREET TOWN CENTRE I S LOCATED AT EX I T 14 OFF I - 565 AT OLD MAD ISON P IKE