No'Ala Huntsville, September/October 2014

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8 » September/October

44SELF-MADE MAKERSFrom furniture to fudge, we profi le 13 entrepreneurs who are creating goods the old-fashioned way—by hand.

BY SARA WRIGHT COVINGTON

PHOTOS BY PATRICK HOOD

AND DANNY MITCHELL

86

18REBRANDING HUNTSVILLENot cattle, but image and person-ality. A hypothetical look at updating the Rocket City’s look.

BY ALLEN TOMLINSON

© J

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Lila Frank

©Sarah Brewer/Click Photo Designs

32DOWNTOWNLIVINGTh ings are looking up in downtown Huntsville.

BY SARA WRIGHT COVINGTON

PHOTOS BY PATRICK HOOD

© P

atr

ick

Ho

od

70BAD GIRLSAmy Collins profi les three of our most beloved Alabama button-pushers.

BY AMY COLLINS

features

RA WRIGHT C

HOTOS BY PATRICK HOO

I love reading Facebook surveys, especially about this part of the world, and

it never surprises me to learn that the northern part of the state of Alabama ranks

so high on many of them. Highest income levels? Huntsville. Highest level of edu-

cation? Huntsville. Most exciting cities to live in? After Birmingham, the northern

tier scored well, and I have to think Birmingham edged us out just because it’s

larger. According to the surveys, North Alabama is a great place to live.

I think that a lot of that has to do with our sense of style up here. It’s unique,

individual, and distinct. When we travel the state, our area’s reputation precedes

us, and we are constantly told that there is just something diff erent about North

Alabama, in a very, very good way. So, to celebrate our style, we’ve assembled a

collection of people we think have a unique personal style, and we’re showcasing

them in this issue. Some are trendy; some are classic; all

are trendsetters. Twenty-something people out of four

hundred thousand isn’t a complete representation, but

it’s a start!

Our reputation as a unique and exciting place is a part of

our area’s brand, but what in the world does that really

mean? We take a look at branding in this issue, too, and

we asked area graphic designers to give some thought to

the Huntsville brand. What is our brand, actually? Th at’s

a question we’ll be discussing in this and future issues.

(For those of you who have no idea what “branding” real-

ly means, there’s a short explanation of that, too.) When you travel and tell people

about where you’re from, what do you focus on? What should our brand be?

It might be that we are supportive of small businesses and local craftspeople. Take

a look at our article about craft breweries, and another about local craftspeople

who are creating wonderful products and making names for themselves. Th e

world may really know us for our education levels and our ability to put men on

the moon, but we’re just as profi cient in other ways, too. Maybe our brand in-

cludes our ability to be so diverse?

At the time of production, summer still has the area in its grip, but we see small

signs that autumn is coming. Football has started; a leaf or two is beginning to

turn; school is in session and routine has been restored. Fall is the very best here in

our part of the world, and maybe that’s a part of our brand, too. Shop locally, y’all,

and may your favorite team win.

P.S. Th is issue is the last for our Features Editor, Claire Stewart, who is moving to

the Gulf Coast. Claire started her No’Ala career as a UNA intern, and we liked her

so much we hired her. We wish her the very best in her career and her life, and she

will be missed. Good luck, Claire!

editor’s letter « Allen Tomlinson

r. We wish her the very b

luck, Claire!

no’ala huntsvilleadvisory board

Osie Adelfang

ARC Design-Build, Inc.

Sarah Brewer

Click Photo Designs by Sarah Brewer

Madeline Boswell

Finery Bridal Boutique

Macy Chapman

Downtown Huntsville, Inc.

Jennifer Doss

Huntsville Symphony Orchestra

Leslie Ecklund

Burritt on the Mountain

Marcia Freeland

Lowe Mill Arts & Entertainment

Dan Halcomb

Huntsville Symphony Orchestra

Elizabeth Jones

Burritt on the Mountain

Ginger Penney Liles

Guy McClure

Athens State University

Patrick Robbins

Alabama Pain Center

Ashley Vaughn

White Rabbit Studios/Vertical Records

Charles Vaughn

Vaughn Lumber Company

Anna Baker Warren

Anna Baker Warren Interiors

Andrew Wilmon

Broadway Theatre League

18

10 » contents

everything else

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2014

Volume 3: Issue 5

• • •

Editor-In-Chief C. Allen Tomlinson

Chief Operating Offi cer Matthew Liles

Creative Director David Sims

Advertising Director Heidi King

Advertising Sales Myra Sawyer, Heidi King

Features Manager Claire Stewart

Business Manager Roy Hall

Graphic Designer Rowan Finnegan

Proofreader Carole Maynard

Intern Savannah Comer

• • •

Contributing Writers

Sarah Bélanger, Amy Collins,

Sara Wright Covington, Sarah Gaede, Roy Hall,

Lily Plauché, Claire Stewart, Allen Tomlinson,

Colin Warman

• • •

Contributing Photographers

Sarah Brewer (Click Photo Designs),

Sarah Bélanger, Carole Forêt (Carole Forêt Fine Art),

David Higginbotham (David Higginbotham

Photography), Patrick Hood, Danny Mitchell,

Ashley Vaughn (White Rabbit Studios)

• • •

Contributing Designers

Tarra Anzalone, Karen Kilpatrick, Jake Williams

No’Ala Huntsville is published six times annuallyby No’Ala Studios

PO Box 2530, Florence, AL 35630 Phone: (800) 779-4222 | Fax: (256) 766-4106

Web: noalastudios.com

Standard postage paid at Huntsville, AL.A one-year subscription is $19.95for 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.

© 2008-2014 No’Ala Studios, All rights reserved.

Send all correspondence toAllen Tomlinson, Editor, at the postal address above,

or by e-mail to [email protected] may be edited for space and style.

To advertise, contact us at(256) 766-4222, or [email protected].

The editor will provide writer’s guidelines upon request.Prospective authors should not submit unsolicited

manuscripts; please query the editor fi rst.

No’Ala is printed with vegetable-based inks.Please recycle.

Connect with us on Facebook: No’Ala Huntsvilleand Twitter: @NoAla_Magazine

12 CALENDAR Events for September-October 2014

80 MARKET BY CLAIRE STEWART

PHOTOS BY DANNY MITCHELL

114 BLESS THEIR HEARTS “Th e End of the Stars” BY COLIN WARMAN

116 THE VINE “It’s Who You Know” BY AMY COLLINS

118 FOOD FOR THOUGHT “An Ode to Okra” BY SARAH GAEDE

120 BACK TALK “What Is the Worst Fashion Trend?” BY CLAIRE STEWART

122 PARTING SHOT BY SARAH BREWER

© Tarra Anzalone

Three graphic designers take on the “Rocket City.”

60TAPPING INTO THE LOCAL BEER SCENEAlabama is home to one of the fastest-growing craft beer scenes in the U.S., and we can drink (and eat) to that.

BY SARAH BÉLANGER

FOOD BY LILY PLAUCHÉ

PHOTOS BY SARAH BÉLANGER

12 » calendarMonday, September 1 – Sunday, September 14

Al Hirschfeld: A Celebration of Hollywood and BroadwayTues-Sat 11:00am-4:00pm and until 8:00pm on Thurs, and Sun 1:00pm-4:00pm; Admission charged, Free to members and children under 6; Huntsville Museum of Art, 300 Church St W; (256) 535-4350; hsvmuseum.org

Monday, September 1 – Saturday, September 27

GPS Adventures Exhibit: a 2,500 sq. ft. maze adventureSun-Mon 9:00am-5:00pm; $20 adults, $15 children 6-12, Free children under 6; Space & Rocket Center, One Tranquility Base; (256) 837-3400; rocketcenter.com

Monday, September, 1 – Sunday, October 26

The Red Clay Survey: 2014 Exhibition of Contemporary Southern ArtTues-Sat 11:00am-4:00pm and until 8:00pm on Thurs, and Sun 1:00pm-4:00pm; Admission charged, Free to members and children under 6; Huntsville Museum of Art, 300 Church St W; (256) 535-4350; hsvmuseum.org

Monday, September 1 – Friday, October 31

Scarecrow TrailSun Noon-6:00pm, Mon-Sat 9:00am-6:00pm, and Thurs until 8:00pm; Garden admission for non-members; Huntsville Botanical Gardens, 4747 Bob Wallace Ave; (256) 830-4747; hsvbg.org

Monday, September 1

Northeast Alabama State Fair2:00pm-9:00pm; Admission charged; John Hunt Park, 2151 Airport Rd; (256) 883-5252; huntsvillefair.com

Tuesday, September 2 Tuesday Evening Concerts @ the Library: Twickenham Jazz & Swing6:00pm-7:00pm; Free; Huntsville-Madison County Public Library, Downtown Huntsville Branch, 915 Monroe St; (256) 532-5975; hmcpl.org

Tuesday, September 2 – Tuesday, October 14

The Market at Casa Grande Park (Tuesdays Only)4:30pm-7:30pm; Free; 218 2nd Ave SE, downtown Decatur; princesstheatre.org

Thursday, September 4 – Thursday, October 30

Biergarten (Thursdays Only) 4:30pm-7:30pm; Free, food and beverage available for purchase; Space & Rocket Center, One Tranquility Base; (256) 837-3400; rocketcenter.com

The Greene Street Market at Nativity (Thursdays Only)4:00pm; Free; Episcopal Church of the Nativity, 304 Eustis Ave; (256) 682-4429; greenestreetmarket.com

Thursday Night Bikes (Thursdays Only)4:00pm-8:00pm; Free; Corner of Green Street & Eustis; (256) 682-4429

Thursday Night Swing (Thursdays Only)

6:30pm; Admission charged; Lowe Mill, 2211 Seminole Dr; (256) 533-0399; swinghuntsville.com

Friday, September 5 – Saturday, September 6

Family Overnight Campout and Owl Show5:30pm-8:00am; Admission charged; Huntsville Botanical Gardens, 4747 Bob Wallace Ave; (256) 830-4447; hsvbg.org

Friday, September 5 – Friday, October 31

Concerts on the Docks (Fridays Only)6:00pm-9:00pm; Free; Lowe Mill, 2211 Seminole Dr; (256) 533-0399; lowemill.net

Friday, September 5

A Hoot in the Night Owl Show6:00pm-7:00pm; Members $7, Non-members $10; Huntsville Botanical Gardens Toyota Amphitheatre, 4747 Bob Wallace Ave; (256) 830-4447; hsvbg.org

Saturday, September 6 – Saturday, September 27

Breakfast Trolley Tour (Saturdays Only)10:00am; Admission charged; Alabama Constitution Village,109 Gates Ave; (256) 535-6564; earlyworks.com

Saturday, September 6 – Saturday, November 1

Huntsville Ghost Walk (Saturdays Only)6:00pm; Free; Harrison Brothers Hardware, 124 South Side Square; (256) 509-3940; huntsvilleghostwalk.com

Saturday, September 6 – Saturday, November 22

Madison City Farmers Market (Saturdays Only)8:00am-Noon; Free; Trinity Baptist Church, 1088 Hughes Rd, Madison; (256) 656-7841; madisoncityfarmersmarket.com

Saturday, September 6

Tennessee Valley Arabian Horse Show8:00am; Free; Agribition Center, 4592 Moores Mill Rd; (256) 859-5896

General Joe Wheeler Birthday Celebration10:00am-2:00pm; Free to enter grounds, Admission charged for Wheeler House tour; 12280 Alabama 20, near Courtland; (256) 637-8513; wheelerplantation.org

Thursday, September 11

Music in the Park: Village of Providence6:00pm; Free; 7 Town Center Dr NW, Providence; (256) 704-3354

Knitting Between the Lines: The Blind Assassinby Margaret AtwoodNoon-1:00pm; Free; Huntsville-Madison County Public Library, Bailey Cove Branch, 1409 Weatherly Plaza SE; (256) 881-0257; hmcpl.org


Friday, September 12 – Monday, September 14

Daddy’s Dyin’ Who’s Got the WillFri and Sat 7:30, Sun 2:00pm; Admission charged; Von Braun Playhouse, 700 Monroe St; (256) 536-0807; yourseatiswaiting.org

Friday, September 12

Dinner on the Farm6:30pm; $75; 1818 Farms, 24889 Lauderdale St, Mooresville; (256) 714-3220; 1818farms.com

Fresh from the Garden 5:30pm; $150; Huntsville Botanical Gardens, 4747 Bob Wallace Ave; (256) 830-4447; hsvbg.org


Santa’s Schoolhouse Run7:00am; Admission to run; 620 St Clair Ave; (256) 837-2373; christmascharitiesyearround.org

Happy 20th Birthday, Triana LibraryNoon; Free; Huntsville-Madison County Public Library, Triana Branch, 640 6th St, Triana; (256) 772-9943; hmcpl.org

Sunday, September 14

Tennessee Valley Bridal & Special Event ShowNoon; Admission charged; Saturn Five Hall, 1 Tranquility Base; (256) 585-4041; ussrc.com

Tuesday, September 16

Senior Expo9:00am-4:30pm; Free; Von Braun South Hall, 700 Monroe St; (256) 533-1953

Thursday, September 18 – Saturday, September 20

Daddy’s Dyin’ Who’s Got the WillThurs-Sat 7:30 and Sun 2:00pm; Admission charged; Von Braun Playhouse, 700 Monroe St; (256) 536-0807; yourseatiswaiting.org

Friday, September 19 – Saturday, September 20

Daylily SaleSun Noon-6:00pm, Mon-Sat 9:00am-6:00pm, and Thurs until 8:00pm; Free; Huntsville Botanical Gardens, 4747 Bob Wallace Ave; (256) 830-4747; hsvbg.org


Movies in the Park: Village of ProvidenceDusk (7:30pm-8:30pm); Free; 7 Town Center Dr NW, Providence; (256) 704-3354

Coff ee, Cake and Conversation Book Club6:00pm; Free; Huntsville-Madison County Public Library, Triana Branch, 640 6th St, Triana; (256) 772-9943; hmcpl.org


Monte Sano Art Show1:00pm-4:00pm; Admission for park entrance; Monte Sano, 5101 Nolan Rd; (256) 851-6276; montesanoartshow.org

Rocket City Street Food Fest: Back-to-SchoolStreet Food Challenge6:00pm-9:00pm; Free; Church St b/n Clinton and Williams; (256) 886-8022

Sunday, September 21

Mountain Dulcimer Festival1:00pm-4:00pm; Free (donations accepted); Burritt on the Mountain, Trillium Room, 3101 Burritt Dr; (256) 536-2882; burrittonthemountain.com

Thursday, September 25

Vive le Livre with bestselling author Joshilyn Jackson6:00pm; Admission charged; Thurber Arts Center auditorium, Randolph School, 4915 Garth Rd; (256) 532-5954; huntsvillelibraryfoundation.org


Girls Night Out: Natural Fall Wreaths5:30pm-8:00pm; Members $30/Non-Members $40; Nichols Arboretum., Huntsville Botanical Gardens, 4747 Bob Wallace Ave; (256) 830-4447; hsvbg.org

A Night Dark and Grimm: Family event based on Grimm’s fairy tales6:00pm-8:00pm; Free; Huntsville-Madison County Public Library, Bailey Cove Branch, 1409 Weatherly Plaza SE; (256) 881-0257; hmcpl.org

Saturday, September 2712th Annual Huntsville Obedience Training Club Dog Fair9:00am-3:00pm; Free; Monte Sano State Park; dogfair.org

5K Color Run7:00am; Admission to register; Downtown; thecolorrun.com

Studio Arts @ Bailey Cove: Paint an Autumn “Reading Tree”2:00pm-4:00pm; Free; Reservations required; Huntsville-Madison County Public Library, Bailey Cove Branch, 1409 Weatherly Plaza SE; (256) 881-0257; hmcpl.org

Big Spring Crush: A Downtown Wine Festival4:00pm-9:00pm; Admission charged; Big Spring Park, East Huntsville; (256) 830-0966; homegrownhuntsville.com

International Festival of North Alabama10:00am-5:00pm; Free; UAH Fitness Center, 500 John Wright Dr; (256) 824-6432; internationalsocietyofhuntsville.org

Mercury Rising Chili Festival10:00am-4:00pm; Free; Big Spring Park; leadershiphsv.org

Music in the Park: Village of Providence6:00pm; Free; 7 Town Center Dr NW, Providence; (256) 704-3354

Thursday, October 2 National Novel Writing Month Kick-off Event with bestselling author Robert R. McCammon6:30pm-8:30pm; Free; Huntsville-Madison County Public Library, Downtown Huntsville Branch, 915 Monroe St; (256) 532-2362; hmcpl.org

Saturday, October 4

Herb Fair9:00am-2:00pm; Free; Huntsville Botanical Gardens, Murray Hall, 4747 Bob Wallace Ave; 256-830-4447; hsvbg.org

Madison Street Festival9:00am-5:00pm; Free; Main St, Madison; madisonstreetfestival.org

North Alabama Scottish Festival and Highland Games9:00am-4:30pm; Admission charged; Sharon Johnston Park, New Market; tennesseevalleyscottishsociety.org

Monday, October 6 – Friday, October 10

Fabulous Fall Break FestivalMon-Fri 9:00am-6:00pm, and Thurs until 8:00pm; Garden admission for non-members; Huntsville Botanical Gardens, 4747 Bob Wallace Ave; (256) 830-4747; hsvbg.org

Wednesday, October 8

Fabulous Fall Break Festival Day Wed 9:00am-6:00pm; Garden admission for non-members, Petting Zoo $2; Huntsville Botanical Gardens, 4747 Bob Wallace Ave; (256) 830-4747; hsvbg.org

Thursday, October 9 Knitting Between the Lines: The October List by Jeff ery DeaverNoon-1:00pm; Free; Huntsville-Madison County Public Library, Bailey Cove Branch, 1409 Weatherly Plaza SE; (256) 881-0257; hmcpl.org

Friday, October 10 – Sunday, October 12

The Neverending StoryFri 7:00pm, Sat-Sun 1:30pm and 5:00pm; Admission charged; Von Braun Playhouse, 700 Monroe St; (256) 539-6829; letthemagicbegin.org

Saturday, October 11 – Sunday, October 12

Fall Plant SaleSat 9:00am-5:00pm, Sun Noon-4:00pm; Free; Huntsville Botanical Gardens, 4747 Bob Wallace Ave; (256) 830-4747; hsvbg.org

Saturday, October 11

Rose Show and Competition11:00am-3:00pm; Free; Parkway Place Mall, 2801 Memorial Parkway S; (256) 880-3773

Sunday, October 12

Maple Hill Cemetery Stroll2:00pm-4:30pm; Free; Wells and Maple Hill Dr; (256) 529-1966; huntsvillepilgrimage.org

14 » calendarThursday, October 16

Taste of Huntsville5:30pm-8:00pm; Admission charged; Von Braun Center, South Hall 1, 700 Monroe St; (256) 551-2368; huntsvillehospitality.org

Friday, October 17 – Saturday, October 18

Pizza Party Massacre: Lowe Mill’s Offi cial Halloween PartyFri and Sat 8:00pm-Midnight; $10; Lowe Mill, 2211 Seminole Dr; (256) 533-0399; lowemill.net


The Neverending StoryFri 7:00pm, Sat-Sun 1:30pm and 5:00pm; Admission charged; Von Braun Playhouse, 700 Monroe St; (256) 539-6829; letthemagicbegin.org

Friday, October 17

Girls Night Out: Herbal Oils & Decorative Stoppers5:30pm-8:00pm; Members $30/Non-Members $40; Nichols Arboretum, Huntsville Botanical Gardens, 4747 Bob Wallace Ave; (256) 830-4447; hsvbg.org

Huntsville Symphony Orchestra presents Video Games Live7:30pm; Admission charged; Von Braun Center Concert Hall, 700 Monroe St; (256) 539-4818; hso.org

Rocket City Food Festival & UAH Hockey Tailgate Party6:00pm-9:00pm; Free; Monroe St in front of the Von Braun Center; (256) 886-8022

September Daylily Sale Huntsville Botanical Gardens


Saturday, October 18 – Sunday, October 19

Lucky Duck DaysSat 10:00am-5:00pm and Sun Noon-5:00pm; Park Place Plaza, 108 Cleveland Ave; (256) 651-3417; luckyduckdays.com

Thursday, October 23

An Evening with Mark Russell7:30pm; Admission charged; Princess Theatre, 112 2nd Ave NE, Decatur; (256) 350-1745; princesstheatre.org

Friday, October 24 – Saturday, October 25

Rocket City Nerd Con fan convention9:00am-5:00pm; Admission charged; Huntsville-Madison County Public Library, Downtown Huntsville Branch, 915 Monroe St; (256) 532-5946; hmcpl.org

Pizza Party Massacre: Lowe Mill’s Offi cial Halloween PartyFri and Sat 8:00pm-Midnight; $10; Lowe Mill, 2211 Seminole Dr; (256) 533-0399; lowemill.net


Dr. Osborn’s Magical LaboratoryFri 7:00pm, Sat 2:00pm and 7:00pm, and Sun 2:00pm; Admission charged; Fantasy Playhouse, 3312 Long Ave; (256) 539-6829; letthemagicbegin.org

Huntsville Ballet Company presents Firebird Time TBD; Admission charged; VBC Playhouse, 700 Monroe St; huntsvilleballetcompany.org

Friday, October 24

Huntsville Symphony Orchestra presentsBerlioz and the Ladies7:30pm; Admission charged; Von Braun Center Concert Hall, 700 Monroe St; (256) 539-4818; hso.org

Saturday, October 25

Bootanica10:00am-2:00pm; Garden admission for non-members; Huntsville Botanical Gardens, 4747 Bob Wallace Ave; (256) 830-4747; hsvbg.org

Spooktacular 5K and 1M Monster Run8:00am; Registration fee; Monroe St near Big Spring; (256) 650-7063; fl eetfeethuntsville.com

Tuesday, October 28

Girls Night Out: Herbal Finishing Salts and Vinegars5:30pm-8:00pm; Members $30/Non-Members $40; Nichols Arboretum., Huntsville Botanical Gardens, 4747 Bob Wallace Ave; (256) 830-4447; hsvbg.org

Friday, October 31

Pizza Party Massacre: Lowe Mill’s Offi cial Halloween Party8:00pm-Midnight; $10; Lowe Mill, 2211 Seminole Dr; (256) 533-0399; lowemill.net

* Names for photos are provided by the organization or business featured.

16 » scene

Above: AIDS Action Coalition’s Dining with Friends

Sweet 16th Anniversaryjune , · lowe mill arts & entertainment

Below: I Shop Local 2014 Press Conferencemay , · providence

Lea Dunkel and Wagner Ribeiro

Lea Downey, Russell Gallatin, Kelly Smith, Rebecca Haynes, and Sarah Haynes

Robert and Luz Ladrillono

John and Carol DunkelMatt Cerny and Brooke Phillips

Photos courtesy of the Grace Club

Press Conference

Amy Lawrence, Dave Lakin, Ricky Sullivan, and Tim Sullivan

Pammie JimmarRegina Burnett and Mary Lynn Bishop

Tom TodtTodd Slyman and Nicole Jones

Jennifer Middleton and Erica Matthews

LaTeisha Elliot and Adriel Johnson

Al Stanley, Pat King, Camillia King-Stanley, and Johnny King

Karl King, Mary Hartley, and Jerry Robinson

David MacElhaney and Ashley Shady

© Jeff White


text by allen tomlinson


©Karen Kilpatrick

“Creating a successful brand involves building on the existing brand. Hunts-ville has such a rich and unique history, it seemed a no-brainer to play up the ‘Rocket City’ nickname. Th e space program is what placed us on the map. So even if the space imagery seems a little overused in this area, it’s how we’re known among outsiders; it sets us apart and generates interest.”—Karen Kilpatrick


There are lots and lots of business buzz words thrown around these days, and one of the most misunderstood is the term “branding.” Companies present themselves as “branding experts,” you are preached at to “manage your brand,” and—along with words like “synergy,” “conversate,” and the use of the word “opportunity” instead of the word “problem”—most of the time when “branding” is used, our eyes glaze over and we tense up because we think someone is about to try to sell us something.

So, let’s get right down to it. What is “branding”—and why should we care?

Your brand is your company’s or product’s personality. Specifi cally, your brand is what makes your company’s personality unique and sets it apart from everyone else in your market niche. In an ethereal sense, it’s the emotion tied to your company or product, just like the emotion you connect to your favorite aunt or your cranky neighbor. Branding is more than your logo design and a catchy slogan—it’s a collection of feelings about your company or product.

Think Volvo is a safe car? That’s because they have branded themselves that way. (If you buckle your seatbelt, your Ford could be just as safe.) Think Starbucks is worth two dollars a cup more than the cup you brew yourself? It’s because they have branded it that way. These companies know that their brand is much more than the collection of sheet metal and leather seats that are bolted together to make a car, or the particular blend of coff ee beans that are ground together to make your cup of coff ee. Their brand involves your emotion about their product … and they are masters at manipulating your emotion.

Manipulating—in the best sense of the word. The truth is, even companies who don’t know anything about branding have a brand image; people who use the product or interact with the company are going to form impressions about their experiences, and voi la: a brand is born. The diff erence is that the best companies in the world are intentional and thoughtful about their branding strategies, so your opinions and emotional response are steered in the direction they want them to go.

One of the most frustrating things to those of us who are North Alabama residents who travel is trying to explain our region’s brand to someone who has never been here. Are we the Rocket City? Are we the Research and Development Center of the South? Are we the New South, where we blend tradition and technology? Or do we have to explain what our brand is not? We wear shoes! Our streets are paved! Not everyone here bleeds crimson!

Again, here’s a kernel of truth. We haven’t necessarily managed our brand here in North Alabama, but we still have one. Fact is, our brand changes, based on the audience we’re explaining it to. If you’re talking to an engineer, you’re going to emphasize the Arsenal or Hudson Alpha. If you’re talking to an art lover, you're going to mention Lowe Mill. But if branding encompasses the emotion we feel toward our region, how do we tie together the love and loyalty we have for this place and neatly package it into an easy-to-communicate brand?

We asked three graphic artists to give us some ideas about how they would visually rebrand North Alabama, and Huntsville in particular, as a way to start a conversation about who we are and what we want to be. Maybe it’s time to begin a thoughtful and thorough study of our brand, so we can begin to manage it in an intentional way. What do we want people to think about us? That we’re a great place to live, work, and raise a family? How do we communicate that? Maybe it’s time for us to do a little manipulating … in the best sense of the word.


“I think there are two ways to approach any ‘place branding’ project: you can embrace what your city is known for, after you defi ne that identity (rocket city, space, biotech, art), or you can try and show the city for its diversity and for other attributes that may not be as evident to outsiders. I chose to do the latter, while showcasing the city’s favorite landmarks/focal points.”—Jake Williams

©Jake Williams

REBRANDING huntsville


Pa

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Jake Williams

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to

Karen Kilpatrick

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Tarra Anzalone

Tarra Anzalone is a multi-disci-

pline designer in user experience, web,

and graphics, as well as an illustrator

and brand strategist who strives to

surprise, delight, and make a diff er-

ence. She envisions Huntsville rapidly

continuing its growth into a thriving

hub where art, tech, and innovation

come together to create an ideal envi-

ronment for creative and cutting-edge

companies. Th rough her work, Anza-

lone strives to promote lean startup

methodologies and foster a community

of inclusiveness and mentorship. You

can see more of her work at tarrade-

sign.com and read more about North

Alabama’s startup community at rock-

ethatch.org.

Summary:

I made a website interface visualizing a

simple way to attract visitors to Hunts-

ville, replacing the more than 100 page

PDF we have now with no pictures.

Simple, modern branding, with several

iterations of the branding in action.

Jake Williams serves as Director of

Multimedia Services at Integration In-

novation, Inc. (i3). He is responsible

for developing and implementing the

company’s strategic marketing and

branding initiatives.

Williams came to i3 from Inergi, where

he was a graphic designer and devel-

oped marketing and branding strate-

gies, including print, video, web, social

media, and large-format graphics for a

diverse client list.

Williams earned a bachelor’s degree in

Graphic Design from the University of

Alabama in Huntsville. He also studied

Visual Communication at Auburn Uni-

versity for four years, and Photography

at Central Saint Martins College of Art

and Design.

Summary:

I chose to take the rebranding Hunts-

ville project like any job from a client. In

this case, I envisioned my client as the

Huntsville Tourism Board or the City of

Huntsville. I think there are two ways

to approach any “place branding” proj-

ect: you can embrace what your city is

known for, after you defi ne that identity

(rocket city, space, biotech, art), or you

can try and show the city for its diver-

sity and for other attributes that may

not be as evident to outsiders. I chose to

do the latter, while showcasing the city's

favorite landmarks/focal points.

Karen Kilpatrick earned a BFA in

Visual Communications from Auburn

University and has garnered almost

20 years experience from ad agencies

in Birmingham, Memphis, Tennessee,

and Alabama. She has received many

notable awards, including fi ve ADDY

“Best of Show” awards, PRCA Medal-

lion awards, Summit International Sil-

ver and Bronze awards, and the pres-

tigious One Show International award

(1 of 96 fi nalists from 19,000 entries;

published in Vol. 24). Th ree years ago,

Kilpatrick made the leap into what has

become a successful freelance career.

Summary:

Creating a successful brand involves

building on the existing brand. Hunts-

ville has such a rich and unique history,

it seemed a no-brainer to play up the

“Rocket City” nickname. Th e space pro-

gram is what placed us on the map. So

even if the space imagery seems a little

overused in this area, it's how we're

known among outsiders; it sets us apart

and generates interest.

I love the timeless “See Rock City” cam-

paign. So perfect in its simplicity. A

memorable brand should create an

emotional response. Th e branding of

some cities tends to be overly corporate

and stuff y. My intention was to have fun

with this nostalgic yet contemporary

look and not overthink it.

the rebranders


“I made a website interface visualiz-ing a simple way to attract visitors to Huntsville. I then supplemented the online component with a simple, mod-ern branding, with several iterations of the branding in action.” —Tarra Anzalone

©Tarra Anzalone

REBRANDING huntsville


Huntsville Symphony OrchestraPresents its 60th Season

Season subscriptions and single tickets on sale now!

256-539-4818 or www.hso.org

Video Games LiveFriday, October 17, 2014, at 7:30 p.m. • Pops Series

Berlioz and the LadiesFriday, October 24, 2014, at 7:30 p.m. • Classical Series

And The Beat Goes OnFriday, November 14, 2014, at 7:30 p.m. • Classical Series

Dinner DivertimentoSunday, November 16, 2014, at 5:30 p.m. • Casual Classics

“Music from the Mad Men Era,” starring Steve LippiaWednesday, December 31, 2014, at 7:30 p.m. • Pops Series

Verdi’s RequiemFriday, January 16, 2015, at 7:30 p.m. • Classical Series

Musical ChairsSunday, February 1, 2015, at 3:30 p.m. • Casual Classics

Georgia Bottoms:A Comic Opera of the Modern South Saturday, February 21, 2015, at 7:30 p.m. • Classical Series

For Michael - The Music of Michael JacksonSaturday, February 28, 2015, at 7:30 p.m. • Pops Series

Strauss Connection Saturday, March 14, 2015, at 7:30 p.m. • Classical Series

The Science of MusicSunday, April 19, 2015, at 3:30 p.m. • Casual Classics

On A High NoteSaturday, May 2, 2015, at 7:30 p.m. • Classical Series

CONNECTIONSThe 60th Season

•

••

•

•

•••

•• •

•

• •

* Names for photos are provided by the organization or business featured.

30 » scene

Above: Phase II Groundbreaking Ceremony,

Alabama Center for the Artsjuly , · decatur

Below: Free 2 Teach Crayon Bashjuly , · huntsville

Dan Atkins and Clint Shelton

Representative Ed Henry, Brett McGill, Randy Vest, and Johnny Turner

Sherkia Attipoe and Belinda Lane

Jennifer Williamsand Mary Nelle ClemRick Paler and Blake McAnally

Photos courtesy of the Grace Club

Emily Stone, Jennifer Swoboda, Elizabeth Abney, and Leslie Bruton

Joe and Kelly Stokes, Sandy and Chuck Brand

Sharon and Dave Lakin, and Drew Shambarger Lauren and Drew Battle

Kimberly Battle and Susan AndersonEula Battle and

Ranae Bartlett

John Boles, David and Lucy Troupe

Mary Scott Hunter, Patty Anderson, and Betty Ruth-Oliver

Janet Kincherlow-Martin, Marilyn Beck, Bob Glenn, and Laurie Glenn

Mary Nelle Clem and Crystal Brown

John Allen and Marcia Ramsey

Photos courtesy of the Junior League of Huntsville


It’s my job to make you look - and feel - your very best. That’s why my entire staff and I keep ourselves abreast of the latest surgical techniques and procedures, so we can offer services that make you look your best — whether they are cosmetic or reconstructive. An experience at Shoals Hospital is different, because those little details are important to us. After all, it’s not just about care...it’s about caring. I promise!

Russell Jennings, M.D., Plastic Surgeon

www.shoalshospital.com

I promise


text by sara wright covington

photos by patrick hood


LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION: DOWNTOWN DIGS

Since the founding of Downtown Huntsville, Inc., last year, its CEO Chad Emer-son has been leading the charge for the economic and social development of the downtown area. “Th e city assigned Downtown Huntsville, Inc., the responsibility of leading the revitalization eff ort,” said Emerson. “Th ey wanted an organization that wakes up and thinks of ways to make downtown a more interesting place.” As Huntsville is increasingly becoming a destination city for companies looking to relocate for a more urban experience, Huntsville off ers the best of both worlds, with restaurants, shopping, entertainment, and workplaces in a concentrated area that creates a more neighborhood feel.

Emerson is no stranger to downtown development projects, as he has spent most of his career working to redevelop more than 30 diff erent cities, including the most recent redevelopment of Montgomery. “Th e successful downtowns are the ones that are as much a geographic destination as a place to make an emotional connection,” he said. “It’s part quality of life, but also economic development. We want to create a unique, unexpected experience.”

San Francisco-based gaming company Curse.com is one such company who sought Huntsville out as the location for their second branch. Vice President of Marketing Donovan Duncan helped in the nationwide search for Curse’s second location. “We started comparing places,” he says. “We looked at Seattle, Denver, Austin, Las Vegas, Charlotte, and Huntsville. Th rough the comparative analysis we did, we weighed our employees, where we could get the best talent, and where we could save money, too. Huntsville was the choice. We moved 25 positions from there to here and we’ve already doubled. We hope to have 85 by the end of the year.” Because Curse’s typical employees are young, tech-savvy professionals, Duncan says that Huntsville’s downtown lifestyle is exactly what they are looking

There are more than just a few things that seem out of place in downtown Huntsville lately. An old piano can be frequently spotted on the side-walk outside of Humphrey’s Bar & Grille with the graffi ti invitation “play me” scrawled across its lid. During the month of June, people were spotted playing miniature golf on the sidewalks on the north side of the square. Funky art instal-lations have popped up on the downtown streets, and there has been a whole lot of chatter about goats and cheese. People are walking around sipping giant Mason jars of tea and munching on everything from cupcakes to lobster sandwiches—purchased from parked trailers. And almost every night of the week, there is most defi nitely music in the air. Whether you’re looking for a place to unwind and have a good meal or just want to hear some sidewalk music and have a beer, downtown Huntsville has become quite the destination this summer. Driven by the recently formed Downtown Huntsville, Inc., exciting things are happening in the Rocket City, and whether you live within walking distance or a car-ride away, there has never been a better time to take a trip downtown.

“The successful downtowns are the ones that are as much a geographic destina-tion as a place to make an emotional connection. It’s part quality of life, but also economic development. We want to create a unique, unexpected experience.”

—Chad Emerson, Downtown Huntsville, Inc.


for, as it not only off ers a mix of restaurants, entertainment, and shopping, but also features new luxury living options that allow them to make a home in the middle of it all.

Many of Curse’s employees are now calling the new Artisan Lofts at Twickenham Square home. Th e Twickenham Square Development is a prime spot, located near Huntsville Hospital, where the Council Court Housing project was once located. Sam Yeager, a Huntsville native, is the Principal of Bristol Development, the group responsible for the entire Twickenham Square project, and said they were im-mediately interested in doing the development as soon as they heard that Publix was interested in opening a store downtown. As a seasoned city-developer, Yeager is determined to bring only the best restaurants and attractions to Twickenham Square, which will eventually include 2,500 square feet of retail space, including four restaurants and the already-opened Publix supermarket, and with 246 so-phisticated loft apartments at the center of it all. “Artisan Lofts features some of the best of what we’ve learned to bring to an urban community,” says Yeager. “It’s arranged so that even though it’s an urban setting, it’s very intimate.”

Yeager describes the atmosphere at Artisan as progressive with an Old South feel, with modern amenities like granite countertops, stainless steel appliances, and access to a courtyard beneath a light-forest of trees. Th e courtyard features three outdoor kitchens for residents’ use, two outdoor high-defi nition TVs, and a clubhouse with a bar, a pool, and a fountain. Yeager intentionally designed the property so that residents could socialize, as he says that no matter what age they are, he defi nitely sees the trend of diff erent generations merging for mixers. “It’s designed so people can interact,” said Yeager. “A lot of baby boomers want to sim-plify and downsize. Th is gives them a hassle-free, maintenance-free kind of living with everything they need, and just steps away from the grocery store and restau-rants. And for the millennial generation, if they work anywhere near there, it’s just a much easier drive for them, plus the social aspect.”

For others looking for the urban experience in a bit of an older setting, the Belk Hudson Lofts, located on Washington Street between Holmes and Clinton, are another option for living in the middle of the downtown action. Developed by the husband and wife team of Charlie and Sasha Sealy, the original building was built in 1921 and served as Fowler Brother’s Dry Goods before it became the Belk Hudson department store. Th e Sealys adopted the philosophy of “recycle, reuse, and repur-pose” during their renovation in order to maintain the property’s historic charm, while off ering the best of modern amenities. “We went to great lengths to make sure aesthetically we didn’t disturb what was surrounding the building,” says Sasha. “We took an old building that was a department store and gutted it and preserved the walls along Washington and Holmes. We left the exterior and tried to keep the look and feel of an early 1900s downtown building, but everything inside is new.”

Working with local artists, the Sealys were able to salvage much of the building’s original brick and glass, including a glass-topped light well from the sidewalk, which they had commissioned into a table in the lobby, and a brick mural adver-tisement for Fowler Brother’s Dry Goods they discovered had been covered up by the adjacent building for more than 50 years. Painstakingly taking the mural apart brick by brick and numbering each of the over 6,000 pieces, the mural was reconstructed and is now the focal point of the building’s side entry hallway. Belk Hudson’s 75 units include one- and two-bedroom apartments and all have access to basement level, controlled access parking, a fi tness room, and a downtown gal-lery where residents can relax and entertain. It also boasts the only rooftop terrace in town, with 360 degree views of Huntsville’s skyline. Th e Sealys project has been well-received, as all 75 units are currently rented. “Everything is down here,” says Charlie, “from the museum to park to Von Braun Civic Center to the Green Street Market to the art stroll. We felt like it would be well-received.”

“A lot of baby boomers want to simplify and down-size. [Downtown living] gives them a hassle-free, maintenance-free kind of living with everything they need, and just steps away from the grocery store and restaurants.”

—Sam Yeager, Bristol Development

DESTINATION DOWNTOWN


The Artisan Lofts at Twicken-

ham (this page and facing) is

Huntsville’s newest downtown

living community, and the

fi rst to incorporate retail into

its footprint.


TRUCKIN’ In addition to some elite new living options available downtown, a food move-ment phenomenon has taken over, and “bustaurants” are pouring into downtown, making it easier than ever to sample some of the city’s best cuisine, all within a few city blocks. Initially there were only four or fi ve food trucks downtown, and most people didn’t know when or where to fi nd them, so when Chad Emerson joined Downtown Huntsville, Inc., he had the idea of creating an event centered around the trucks. “Th e crowd ended up being much larger than expected in a good way,” said Emerson. “Now street food runs from April to October on every third Friday, and it has grown to four times the size of where it started.”

Now with nearly 22 vendors, the food trucks bring a wide range of fare to the fi gurative table, including the I Love Bacon truck, Sugar Belle Cupcakes, Earth and Wood Fire Creations, Food Fighters Bustaurant, and Crave Heat.

Stan Stinson and Tina Ford are co-owners of Earth and Wood Fire and admit they have been pleasantly surprised with how the food trucks have taken off in Huntsville. “When we fi rst started, we were working out of coolers,” says Stinson. “We started last year at the Greene Street Market and anticipated doing maybe 30 pizzas a day. All of a sudden, 80 people showed up, and now we are doing 100 an hour.” After purchasing a pizza oven and a food truck, Stinson and Ford quickly learned that many doors were now swinging wide open for them, including access to the local brewery crowd. “We work at least one brewery per weekend,” says Stinson. “By law, the breweries aren’t allowed to sell food, and people who like craft beer appreciate good food.”

Stinson credits much of the local food scene’s success to the Greene Street Mar-ket—a very literal grassroots movement—that consistently brings 1,000 to 1,500 people to downtown each Th ursday, making it easy for the local establishments to support one another because there is more than enough to go around. “It’s great for the city,” says Stinson. “People are downtown and hanging out in the park, go-ing to the movies, and going to concerts. And there are price points for everyone. If you want a $3 taco, you can get it, and if you want a $12 lobster sandwich, you can get that, too.”

Along with the food trucks, the brick and mortar food establishments are also benefi tting from the recent infl ux to downtown Huntsville, and old favorites like Commerce Kitchen, Cotton Row, Shea’s Express, and Sam & Greg’s are still just a few of the reliable establishments where a great meal in an enjoyable atmosphere is a guarantee. But new hot spots like Th e Offi ce, A Cup of Everything, Sandwich Farm, Rock-N-Roll Sushi, and the Cozy Cow are popping up everywhere down-town, off ering even more options for the breakfast, lunch, and dinner crowds.

Tasia Malakasis, president of the Belle Chèvre Cheese Shop and Tasting Room, has also opened up a Huntsville storefront, her very fi rst outside of her Elkmont home base. “Huntsville wasn’t initially on my radar,” says Malakasis, “but because of the eff orts of Chad Emerson and Downtown Huntsville, Inc., it was a no-brainer. Th ey’ve done such a fabulous job creating a perfect environment for new growth and opportunities. I’ve been extremely impressed with what downtown Hunts-ville is doing.” Beginning in August, Malakasis will host “cheese talks” every other Th ursday in her downtown store, where foodies alike can sample cheese, have a glass of wine, and have an open dialogue about the food movement, which cham-pions buying locally and regionally produced food. “I wouldn’t have done this if it weren’t for all of the attention going on downtown,” says Malakasis. “Th ings are really happening downtown. I’m seeing the energy and excitement in Huntsville.”

“Huntsville wasn’t initially on my radar, but because of the efforts of Chad Emerson and Downtown Huntsville, Inc., it was a no-brainer. They’ve done a fabulous job creating a perfect environ-ment for new growth and opportunities. I’m seeing the energy and excitement in Huntsville.”

—Tasia Malakasis, Belle Chèvre



In addition to some elite

new living options available

downtown, several new food

and entertainment options

are pouring into downtown.

Clockwise from top: the Sugar

Belle Cupcakes bus, Belle

Chèvre Cheese Shop, and, if

you are inclined for a little

impromptu sing-a-long, an

upright piano awaits your

magic fi ngers.



Former department store,

now upscale residences, the

Belk Hudson Lofts (this page)

presently offers Huntsville’s

only rooftop terrace (facing

page).


RESPLENDENT RETAIL

Just as Huntsville’s food community has joined together to enhance the local experience, Huntsville’s retail and fashion community are uniting as well, and no up-and-coming urban development would be complete without some truly special shopping. Huntsville clothing designer Ellena LeJuene founded the Ala-bama Fashion Alliance in 2011 for the purpose of creating a support system for local artisans. “My passion is to see small businesses, especially in the fashion industry, be successful where they are without feeling like they have to move somewhere else,” says LeJuene. Made up of primarily local business owners, LeJuene said that during their fi rst year, AFA took anyone willing to volunteer. After attending fashion weeks in Charleston, Mobile, and Nashville, LeJuene was eager to bring a fashion week to Huntsville, and was able to put on AFA’s fi rst fashion week in July of 2011. “With the fi rst fashion week, we had to build everything from the ground up,” says LeJuene. “I was making calls to designers all over the state of Alabama. I was doing searches on the internet for Alabama fashion designers and model coaches. I put the bones of it together. And I was very fortunate to have hit on some frontrunners.”

Now leading AFA into its third year, business-savvy LeJuene has smartly con-structed a committee of fashion-forward powerhouses right here in Huntsville, each off ering a variety of talents to the organization, including backgrounds in hu-man resources and marketing, hair and makeup, modeling and design. “Th is year, our focus has been creating workshops and seminars,” says LeJuene. “We are using the strengths of our committee to share with models. We have such great talent on our committee. You kind of become the mentor and the expert in the area. To me, I’ve grown more by interacting with other people.” LeJuene’s hope for AFA is that it will eventually become a vehicle for Alabama designers to show their lines and get picked up by retailers. More than anything, she hopes that it will serve as a means for local designers to support one another. “Everything I’ve learned, I’ve learned through failure,” says LeJuene. “Success by yourself is very hard, but if you have the numbers come along side of you, it helps greatly.”

Adding to the downtown area’s already wide variety of shopping, which includes Harrison Brother’s Hardware, the Switchouse, Th e Toy Place, and Personal Cou-ture, just to name a few, the Clinton Row Project is just one more new venue where shoppers can scout out one-of-a-kind merchandise. Located at the corner of Clinton and Jeff erson streets in the old Downtown Storage Units, local artists and designers have converted the small storage units into their own boutiques and showrooms. With an eclectic mix of clothes, jewelry, and art, Clinton Row is a chance for artisans to show their collections, and most importantly, learn from other designers and artists. Th e Alabama Fashion Alliance is housed at Clinton Row and hopes it will eventually become a launch point for local designers. “We are trying to get to the point where we have an evening where we invite owners of stores to come in and see the collections,” says LeJuene. “We can even gauge how marketable these collections are.”

One of this summer’s new, fun events showcasing the Clinton Row Project has been their Girls’ Morning Out on the second Wednesday of each month. “Nine to twelve months from now, we want this to be the thing to do for women,” says Chad Emerson. “It’s comfortable, unique, and inexpensive.” Beginning at 10 a.m., ladies can come in for shopping, mimosas, mini-massages, and even make-up touch ups from resident make-up-artist Nancy Finnegan. “I’m excited about being in a loca-tion with great vendors and great surroundings for my current and new clients,” says Finnegan. “Clients can come in for appointments and enjoy shopping before or after I’ve done their makeup. It’s been a great spot for me, and it’s only going to get bigger and better.” After a shopping excursion to Clinton Row, patrons can also make a quick stop in to Belle Chèvre’s new downtown location, adjacent to

“We went to great lengths to make sure aesthetically we didn’t disturb what was surrounding the building. We took an old building that was a department store and gutted it and preserved the walls along Washington and Holmes. We left the exterior and tried to keep the look and feel of an early 1900s downtown building, but ev-erything inside is new.”

—Sasha Sealy, Belk Hudson Lofts


Some would argue the Greene

Street Market (top, left)

helped ignite the resurgence

in downtown Huntsville—pav-

ing the way for new retail

establishments like the Clin-

ton Row Project (above) and

the new Publix grocery store

adjacent to the Artisan Lofts

development.


the shops, for a quick “gourmet to go” lunch or snack. Whether you were born and raised in Huntsville or you’ve only been here for a week or two, this fall is a perfect time to take in the new sights and sounds of downtown. You can walk down the streets with a craft beer in hand, check out local artists, and most defi nitely fi nd a great bite to eat. And the revitalization eff orts are only just beginning, as people from all over the world are discover-ing one of the South’s best-kept secrets. “We are blessed with a beautiful down-town anyway,” says Sasha Sealy, “but to see the energy and renewed interest is wonderful. People are gravitating to places with neat downtowns, and we have everything right here .”

“We looked at Seattle, Denver, Austin, Las Vegas, Charlotte, and Huntsville. Through the comparative analysis we did, we weighed our employees, where we could get the best talent, and where we could save money, too. Huntsville was the choice.”

—Donovan Duncan, Curse Inc.




You could win $5,000 on November 18th!Do you have an idea for a new business? You could win some money at the Shoals Idea Audition. Part Shark Tank, part American Idol, this contest allows you to present your idea in front of a panel of business leaders and experts — and if your presentation is the best, you win! We’ll even teach you how to pitch your idea. We promise it will be fun, and it could be very profitable!

The Idea Audition is a joint venture of the Shoals Chamber of Commerce and the University of North Alabama. Even if you don’t win, you’ll be presenting to a group of business mentors and supporters who might be able to help you get your business started. You have nothing to lose — and you could win big!

Want more information? Call Mary Marshall VanSant at 256-764-4661 or email her at [email protected]. Rules and schedule can also be found at shoalsideaaudition.com. Reserve your spot today!

The Idea Audition is sponsored by:

PLATINUM: Shoals Chamber of Commerce

GOLD: Bank Independent, BBVA Compass Bank, Alabama Technology Network, and Progress Bank

SILVER: Shoals Entrepreneurial Center, B Electric, Lyons HR, University of North Alabama, Polypac and Shiloh Holdings

BRONZE: Shoals Angel Network, No’Ala Studios, Alliance Packaging


SELF •MADE

MAKERStext by sara wright covington

photos by patrick hood & danny mitchelladditional photos by robert rausch & abraham rowe


No matter where you are in the world, style translates into any language. Southerners, in particular, speak this language more beautifully and uniquely than any other region, and No’Ala’s celebration of style wouldn’t be complete without a focus on a few very special individuals in North Alabama whose ingenuity and panache set them apart from the fl ock. Although their crafts vary widely, from clothing design to cuisine to even cologne, all of these individuals share the com-mon, uniting thread of stepping outside of the box. Going out on limbs and tak-ing leaps of faith, they have each devoted their entire careers to creating unique, locally made products and designs. Th ey are the rebels, the dreamers, the artists, and the sages, and together they set the tone for the South’s defi nition of style.

Bohem

Florence native and designer Heather Wylie is wise beyond her 26 years. With youth on her side and creative talent to boot, it would seem predictable for her to steer her focus to the in-vogue trends of the minute. Instead, she has used her journey through school, graphic design, and silk-screen printing as the sartorial infl uence for two unique lines that appeal to both younger and older sets of wom-en. “My plan is to keep very simple, classic pieces and start to add more complex garments, but still preserve an ageless, classic design,” she says. Wylie’s two cloth-ing lines, Bohemian Bop and Bohem, are currently housed at Florence’s fashion mecca, Alabama Chanin.

After graduating college at the University of Alabama and moving to New York, where she completed her master’s degree at the elite Parsons Design School, Wylie was initially unsure of where she wanted to focus. After taking a job silk-screening T-shirts in New York, which involves a sophisticated stencil technique to create prints using light and ink, Wylie re-discovered a love for print making and used this as the creative fuel which would lead her back to Alabama. “I wanted to move home,” she says. “All the pieces were always there. I started to take a step back and think about what I wanted for my life, and everything just sort of came full circle.”

Once back in Florence, she began to design her own prints to create vintage-in-spired bohemian-style T-shirts under the Bohemian Bop label. Wylie used an-tique lace as the trim on her designs and began selling her wares online, at ben-efi t events, and at farmers’ markets. As the demand grew, Wylie discovered that women of all ages appreciated her eclectic but simple designs, which pushed her to expand. “I just started buying all types of tees. After a year or a year and a half, I grew interested in doing skirts and outer wear. My new line, Bohem, is really what I’m focusing on. It’s really about simple, timeless pieces. Th ey are comfortable, fl attering, and fi tted. As I develop the line, I’m just focusing on the silhouette, and as time goes on I will use silk screen to create pattern on the garments.”

Wylie also makes it a priority to keep all of her designs aff ordable and made in the USA. As for her future plans, she says she really doesn’t see an end to the process and is even considering a third label at some point.

Wherever her labels take her, Wylie will keep her journey from Alabama to New York and back again as her inspiration. “I had to go a very long way out of my way to come back again,” she says. “It’s been a very interesting journey. Th e craft is almost a narrative of how I came into this. Bohemian Bop is very much my ado-lescent self. I’ve started to grow as an adult and develop more patience and more understanding and that is refl ected in Bohem. It’s a lot cleaner and more focused. Th is is very much like my individual journey.”


MAKERS

© P

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Ho

od

© D

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ny

Mitch

ell

© A

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HEATHER WYLIEBohem

BEN BURROWSBurrows Woodworks


Burrows Woodworks Ben Burrows was working with wood before he even learned his multiplication tables. By his grandfather’s side, Burrows listened and learned as a child, and continued to hone those skills into his adulthood. “I used to just hang around in his shop and watch him,” he recalls. “I learned a lot from him over the years. He would give me scraps to glue together and make little structures—we called it wood art. I was probably four or fi ve.”

Many years later, Burrows is still working out of that same shop where he fi rst served as a very young apprentice. Born in Florence, Burrows has returned to the area after living in Tuscaloosa, where he majored in restaurant management with a minor in art. After he worked in the restaurant in-dustry in Atlanta for a time, Burrows found himself need-ing more of a creative outlet. “I was always drawing or do-ing something creative,” says Burrows. “I decided to get back to that after I’d been in the restaurant business and it just became a little mundane.” Now working full-time design-ing furniture, Burrows spends the majority of his time doing custom work for his clients. “In addition to working with cli-ents and fi nding out what their style is and what suits them, I try to incorporate more of a modern style to things if I think it will work with their aesthetic. I try to use more traditional techniques if I can as well. I do traditional joinery. I focus on craftsmanship.”

Each carefully crafted piece is designed to fi t the needs and taste of the client, but still has Burrow’s unmistakable mark of mid-century modern style—clean lines with an organic feel, usually made from American hardwoods. Burrows specializes in designing anything from cabinets and cutting boards to jewelry boxes and mantles. Although custom work is the focal point of his business, he hopes to eventu-ally design his own line of furniture and light fi xtures—he is currently working on light fi xtures for Rivertown Coff ee in Florence.

Burrows’ work is primarily bespoke, and that client-specifi c approach is just how the artisan likes it. “I love doing cus-tom work,” he says. “I love the designing process and see-ing something in my head come to fruition, knowing that it came basically from an idea that I had.” His clean, con-temporary styles have quickly become much sought after, as he is known for his artistry and attention to detail. Bur-rows brings art to life, making functional showpieces with unique charm. “Everybody’s style is their own. For me, I like things to be simple and function, but also well designed and something that catches the eye and draws you in. A table is a table is a table. You want it to be functional, sturdy, and last, but you also want it to be beautiful.”

Bawston & Tucker Man’s new best friend might very well have just evolved from canine to cologne. Th anks to innovator Andy Schutt and his new line of men’s cologne, Bawston & Tucker, men can en-joy a more sophisticated splash of fragrance, versus the old school department store decanters.

Now with three virile fragrances, his initial venture was not actually targeted for men. “It all started as a cologne inspired by man’s best friend,” says Schutt. “I wanted to make some-thing for my Boston Terrier, Tucker. So I did research and got ingredients.” Using humble components like sweet almond oil, shea butter, and beeswax, Schutt began making his fra-grance in the form of a solid and discovered that his experi-ment created something delicious, and not just for the dogs. After he began making his products and marketing them to men, Schutt found that he was opening a new door for many men who were typically wary of wearing cologne. “A lot of men are afraid of cologne because they are afraid of overkill. Th is is something you can put on as much as you want and it’s not overpowering.”

Schutt describes his products as “rugged, yet modern, solid cologne” and has packaged it cleverly in small tins that are both petite and portable. “You just swirl your fi nger in the tin and then apply to your pulse points,” says Schutt. “You can put as much as you want on, and you aren’t spraying all over.”

Born in Hartselle, Schutt moved to Florence to attend UNA in 2002 and has been here ever since. Because he has always felt connected to the Shoals, Schutt fashioned his fragrances after the Native American heritage of the area—all three scents have Indian names. “Aroostook means ‘good rivers’ and has a fresh, citrusy, earthy smell,” explains Schutt. “Mo-tega means ‘new arrow’ and it’s sweet, spicy, and woodsy. And Tuskaloosa means ‘black warrior’. It’s smoky, sweet, and clean.” As both maker and marketer, Schutt has been ship-ping his products all over the country—from New York to Colorado to Oklahoma—and all over the world—to Canada, Germany, and the UK. Locally it can be found at Th e Gour-met Garden Gift Shoppe and O’Haira’s Salon in Florence, and Finery Boutique in Huntsville. Schutt hopes to eventu-ally expand his line to locally owned men’s grooming shops.

Schutt’s simple experiment may have started small, but like-ly has a very big future. Men’s life and style sites like Made Man and Th e Manual are already giving him rave reviews. But Schutt insists that the best part so far is the fun he has creating and being a part of something new and innovative for men. “Th is product allows a man to feel spontaneous and confi dent,” says Schutt. “For years women have had the op-tion of roll-on or solid perfumes, but nothing like that really existed for men. But now with Bawston & Tucker, men can stick it in their pockets, keep it in their offi ce drawers, or toss it in their gym bags. It’s great for traveling. It’s discrete, and it’s easy to control how strong you make the fragrance.”


Ellena LeJeune

Growing up in a family with eight siblings, it can be hard for a girl to stand out. For Birmingham born clothing designer El-lena LeJeune, making her own clothes initially became a way to carve out an identity for herself in a house full of hand-me-downs. “Funds were tight in a family of nine kids,” says LeJeune. “Before I was able to purchase fabrics, my mentor, Lydia, would give me fabrics because she was friends with someone at a mill. So she gave me boxes of scrap fabric. I wanted my own individuality, so I started designing just for me.” As a child she recalls sitting on the side of her friend’s mother’s bed who was a seamstress, watching and asking questions as she sewed. Assisted by tips from her friend’s mom, LeJeune learned to sew using the bare necessities. “I picked it up organically,” she says. “I didn’t know there were patterns. I was using newspaper! When I went to the fabric store the fi rst time, it opened up a whole new world to me.”

LeJeune spent her high school years raiding her father’s closet for his vintage-hued blue, pink, and yellow dress shirts and tailoring them to fi t herself—which is why she believes her de-signs have a classic, but vintage feel even today. After going on to college, LeJeune continued making clothes to sell for extra money, even though she was a computer science major. After completing her degree, she married and moved to Huntsville, where she began working in her fi eld. But her creative voice was never completely silenced by computers and algorithms, and that voice ultimately won out, as LeJeune made the deci-sion to leap head-fi rst into designing clothes full-time.

She began “beating the pavement” around town and had suc-cess with local boutiques willing to carry her designs. After fi ve years of selling her wares about town, LeJeune fi nally opened her own boutique downtown in the building where the Kaff eeklatsch is now located. As both a wife and a mother, launching her career would be an even bigger challenge than ever, but LeJeune used the opportunity to instill the values of hard work and perseverance to her daughter Celine. Now a teenager, Celine was just a baby when LeJeune opened her fi rst store, but Celine has been with her mother since the very beginning and now has aspirations of becoming a designer herself. LeJeune remembers holding her small daughter in her lap as she sewed in those early days. “Th ose were precious times. She went to every business meeting with me. Now I’m seeing her become a critical thinker and an innovator. I’m not a typical mom because I’m very business minded, but she gets it because she has been with me from the very beginning.”

After 20 years in the fashion industry, LeJeune credits her success with remaining true to the classic designs she once plucked out of her father’s closet. “Th e theme is a combination of timeless classics with a vintage fl avor,” she says. “Everything that I design and is in my closet right now I have worn for more than 10 years. My dad was very stylish and that’s prob-ably where I got a lot of my inspiration. He dressed up every day—dress shoes, shirts, tie. He was aware of trends. You don’t realize until you get older that it infl uences you.”

Although her future plans include possibly expanding her line into boutiques in Birmingham and Nashville, LeJeune has also reached the point in her career where she is happy to slow down and serve as a mentor to others. Housed in a booth in downtown Huntsville’s Clinton Row shops, she hopes to use her new space as a beacon for others who have aspirations in the fashion industry, including her daughter. “Th e most excitement I get now is when people come to me and say ‘I want to do this. How do I do this? I don’t know where to start. Tell me how,’” she says. “I’ve been through the seasons where I wanted to do everything, but I knew when I got a spot at Clinton Row, I wanted to use it as a launch point for other people.”

Heavy Color From the actual to the abstract, Florence-based screen-print-ing designer Chris James translates ideas into art. His busi-ness, Heavy Color, specializes in everything from T-shirt screenprinting and logo and website design, to album art-work and event poster design. But Heavy Color is no ordinary screen-printing shop—while many screen printers simply print what they are given or off er templates to choose from, James focuses on custom designs for each and every client. “I’ve been doing freelance graphic design for about 10 years,” he says. “Basically I started Heavy Color to make it offi cial. I bought a screen press and that has led me to actually make and print things myself, whereas before I just did design and then my clients would have to have it printed elsewhere.”

Originally from Tuscumbia, James’s artistic interests began as a teenager when he started playing music. As he got older, he began traveling with his band, which led him to begin making his own posters to advertise his band’s shows. “Pret-ty much my entire life I’ve done art, whether it’s drawing or painting,” he says. “When I started going out of town and playing music, I started making complex show posters. Th en I got really into it, and I started making and designing the posters for not just my own shows, but for other bands too.”

As a Geographic Information Systems major at UNA, James taught himself how to use many graphic design programs. When he began working at Florence performance venue 116 E. Mobile, he was approached about designing posters for upcoming events. He found himself once again immersed in the creative work he loved. James has developed a name for himself by creating simple but edgy designs ranging from album art for music groups Th e Dogwood Vandals and Red Mouth, to t-shirts for ECM Hospital, Muletown Coff ee, and Friends of the Florence Lauderdale Animal Shelter.

James credits his varied client list with giving him the ability to design for anyone. “I try to stay as diverse as possible,” he says. “I try to change styles for each job that I have, depend-ing on what the client wants. I don’t know if I necessarily have a particular style, but I do feel like I’m pretty profi cient at various things. I think that’s what makes me unique.”

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ANDY SCHUTTBawston & Tucker

ELLENA LEJEUNELeJeune Designs


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CHRIS JAMESHeavy Color

JOSIE WACHIJosie Wachi Clothing


As for his future plans, James hopes to eventually open a storefront, but plans to keep his designs simple. “I’m not a big fan of really busy stuff . Don’t get me wrong, I like ab-stract. But for a lot of the design I’m doing, busy just doesn’t work as well. So I lean more towards simple. I think some-thing that is clean and simple can have a large impact when it’s done right.” Although he admits that screen-printing can be a tedious process at times, James has found his niche and is enjoying watching his concepts come to life. “I love work-ing with people on their ideas and bringing them to fruition,” he says. “Being able to take an idea that someone has and turn it into something is rewarding in itself, and the process is fun, too. I really enjoy drawing and creating.”

Josie Wachi

As an eight-year-old girl growing up in Kenya, Josie Wa-chi remembers daydreaming over postcards her parents received in the mail with rocket ships on them and return addresses in Huntsville, Alabama. “From that very tender age, I started having an interest in space and aeronautics,” she says. “Th ere was a couple who lived in Huntsville and sent their son to Africa for safaris a lot. My parents gave the safaris, and these people sent them postcards in return. My interest in those postcards led to me to work here when I was 18. I thought, ‘maybe you could do something with rocket science.’”

Once in the states, Wachi began a focus on aeronauti-cal engineering, which ultimately led to her interning at Space Camp in Huntsville. Because she liked the lifestyle of Huntsville, she not only stayed, but began to work at adapt-ing that lifestyle into her own line of clothes. “I started mak-ing the clothing I really liked out of my house,” she says. “I like practice—that’s why I was in engineering. I decided to do a fashion show with my friends. Some of my girlfriends became models. And then right on the spot people wanted to buy things.”

Wachi describes her clothing as a mix of classic but trendy, and adheres to the philosophy that any piece of clothing you add to your wardrobe should be an investment, whether it’s for one year or ten. Her creations range from classic blue jeans to edgier cocktail couture, and appeal to both younger and older women. She focuses on using good fabrics that work well with the body and producing pieces that are both socially and economically responsible—all of her clothing is made in the US. But she also hopes to one day build a factory in the place where she was born to create jobs and better liv-ing conditions for its people. “Where I was born is one of the worst places in the world,” she says. “And I want to create an awareness of that.”

Wachi’s inspirations are everyday women of all shapes and sizes who face the common problem of fi nding clothes that fi t. And although she used to do custom clothing design, she found over time that when one woman has a problem, gen-

erally many women have the exact same issue. “When I talk to woman they tell me what they have, what they need, and what they want. I work to fi ll this gap,” says Wachi. “I’m all about fi nding modern style that’s functional.”

Wachi’s clothing can currently be found in boutiques throughout North Alabama, including Crossroads, Ruby Jacks, and at Clinton Row. She also has clothes at Jewell’s in Florence. As for the future plans of the once small girl who dreamed big dreams of rocket ships and moon rocks, Wachi is still aiming for the stars. “I want to evolve like Tory Burch. I would eventually like to design more for men and possibly even design furniture,” she says. “My favorite part of what I do is seeing the end consumer,” she says. “I love when a lady puts on the clothing and you see her sense of relief.”

Nicole Nicole

Nicole Hugaboom has been rebelling against the rules of fashion since she was a teenager at Bradshaw High School. For her and her business partner, Nicole DeVaney, it was their unique shared perspectives and penchant for fashion that eventually led to the founding of their business Nicole Nicole. “I’ve loved fashion since I was a little girl,” says Huga-boom. “But I was always too tall and too scrawny to have anything fi t me. I always hit that growth spurt right after clothes were bought for me for the school year.” Hugaboom spent her youth taking clothes apart and putting them back together again to suit her own style and liking. “I always had my own style anyway. I deliberately wore things to show people ‘I’m going to show you that you can’t stick me in your little box,’” she says.

Hugaboom left Florence after high school to attend design school in California’s Orange County. After spending time as a coordinator for fashion shows, Hugaboom returned to Florence in 2006, where she struggled with how to make a career of fashion in the days before Billy Reid and Alabama Chanin helped put Florence on the fashion map. It was dur-ing this time she decided to return to school to pursue a de-gree in art in the hopes of teaching. While taking a photog-raphy class, she met DeVaney. “We immediately hit it off ,” says Hugaboom. “We started making clothes for some photo shoots for a project, and then we got asked to do a line of clothes for the Alabama Fashion Alliance in Huntsville for a show. It just fell into our laps.”

Arming themselves with the mission of “bringing classy back,” Hugaboom and DeVaney devote their entire business to making quality, age-appropriate clothing for all types of women. “You can always look good and feel sexy and be ap-propriately dressed,” says Hugaboom. “Women need to real-ize that we are not a one-size-fi ts-all society. We really push for that simple, classic, clean, Audrey Hepburn/Jackie Onas-sis/Grace Kelly style.”


Nicole Nicole pays special attention to the details when tai-loring clothes for each individual, off ering custom fi ttings and focusing on measurements, likes, dislikes, skin tone, and color preferences. Th ey can also do a complete ward-robe makeover and off er alterations on the clothes that are already in women’s closets. “I could have fi ve women in the same room and they all think they are a size six, but not one of them has the same measurements,” says Hugaboom. She and DeVaney have created their own line of simple silhou-ettes—classic skirts, slacks, blouses, and dresses—and off er custom fi ttings where fabric, fi t, and buttons can be selected for each individual. Th eir “less is more” philosophy about clothing refl ects that quality really does mean more than quantity, and they strive to create aff ordable options that can last for years. “A woman could actually just have 10 articles of clothing in her closet and get away with it,” says Hugaboom. “Most women don’t even realize that they do have the ba-sics already there. Custom made clothes don’t have to cost a fortune.”

With the help of a small, hardworking team of interns and seamstresses, Hugaboom and DeVaney produce all of their clothing in Florence and plan to continue making clothes that steer clear of the trends. “You can wear our pieces to work or out to cocktails with a pair of heels and pearls,” says Hugaboom. “Th ey will never go out of style.”

Piper & Leaf Artisan Tea Co.

Sipping tea from a tall Mason jar is about as Southern as it gets. Commonly dubbed “the house wine of the South,” tea is hardly a delicacy in these parts. But family owned Piper & Leaf Artisan Tea Co. has branded their own version of the southern beverage of choice with a unique twist on tea that has North Alabama lining up to re-fi ll their Mason jars.

Th e Piper & Leaf family, made up of Caleb Christopher, his wife Brigette, and Brigette’s two siblings Conner and Mary-claire Knapp, stumbled accidently into the tea brewing busi-ness. “We were all just doing our own things,” says Caleb. “Conner was working in physical therapy, and we had a land-scaping business. Conner had been wanting to do something as part of the farmers’ market to branch out. So we decid-ed to sell compost at Greene Street Market in downtown Huntsville. Conner wanted to sell something else in a mason jar, we just didn’t know what. Brigette and I had gotten really into tea. We had a bunch of herbs we were growing from our landscaping business, which was just a big garden of stuff people were throwing out. So we just started drawing and blending.”

As it turned out, Piper & Leaf ’s Mason jar experiment was an instant sensation in the sweltering summer heat of the Greene Street Market, quickly overshadowing their mulch. Now in their second year of business, serving up unique, refreshing blends is the sole focus for Piper & Leaf. Th eir take on traditional sweet tea—the Front Porch Special—is

their most popular blend, but they now have more than 20 diff erent varieties to choose from, ranging from Smashberry Tisane to Munks Meditation to Briar Patch Brew.

Piper & Leaf works out of Lowe Mill and, has developed a loyal following, and they travel to farmers markets all over North Alabama. “We didn’t know it was going to be as popu-lar as it has been,” says Caleb. “We do all our work at Lowe Mill now, and we are in there working six days a week. It’s always very busy and very cramped!” Th eir expansion has also been advantageous for local farmers, who are now able to sell surplus seasonal fruit, which would otherwise spoil, to Piper & Leaf.

Besides their Lowe Mill location and their website, Piper & Leaf tea is also available at a growing number of area re-sellers, including Grounded Coff ee on County Line road in Madison, the YMCA, and the Sugar Bell Cupcake Truck, which can usually be found in downtown Huntsville every day. All resellers honor Piper & Leaf ’s policy of half price refi lls with the purchase of a mason jar. Th ey also publish a weekly newsletter detailing where they will be each week.

Future plans for this family are still up in the air for now, but the Piper & Leaf crew plan to stick together and have fun no matter where the tea takes them. “It seems like with other businesses I’ve run, I was always trying to solve problems,” says Caleb. “For me, this is so much fun because everyone I deal with is happy. Th ey are in a good mood. Th ey are get-ting a big jar of tea. Th ey are at a farmers’ market and they wouldn’t be there if they were in a bad mood. When I answer the phone, normally it’s someone trying to fi nd out where they can get our tea. I love the joy that comes from running this. We are just trying to pass that joy on to everybody who comes in contact with us.”

Red Clay Epicurean

“Southern with a twist” has never tasted more sophisticated. Chef Alan Phillips is back full-time in his native Shoals af-ter a lengthy hiatus studying and working in culinary arts in California, and he is taking southern basics—like pimen-to cheese and chicken salad—to a whole new level. “I take southern staples and reinvent them,” says Phillips. “My mot-to is local fi rst, organic if possible, but always fresh—nothing canned or frozen.”

Raised in the Shoals, Phillips left for California after high school, where he attended Pepperdine University. After fi nishing school and taking a job in management in Santa Monica, he eventually grew tired of the corporate scene. In-spired by a friend’s father who authored cookbooks, Phillips began cooking initially as stress relief. As he spent more and more time in the kitchen, corporate America seemed less and less of a priority. “I was nervous, but I fi nally took the leap and quit my job to go to culinary school,” he says. Phil-lips was accepted into the prestigious, super-competitive Le

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NICOLE DEVANEY, ABBY KNIGHT, ANDNICOLE HUGABOOMNicole Nicole

CONNER KNAPP, BRIGETTEAND CALEB CHRISTOPHERPiper & Leaf Artisan Tea Co.


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ALAN PHILLIPSRed Clay Epicurean

DENA MCCLURERelique


Relique

Jewelry designer Dena McClure drills holes into history—literally. As the owner and creator of Relique, located in Florence’s Seven Points, making meaningful pieces out of unlikely items—everything from buttons to bullets—began as a way to help other people preserve their memories. Now in her fi fth year of business, McClure has made a name for herself with her specialty creations—which range from rings and necklaces to key rings and home décor. But what has evolved in McClure’s tenure as a business woman is an un-expected outlet and a process for her own self-preservation and healing.

After she was involved in a car accident two years ago, Mc-Clure suff ered a severe head injury that would mean a long and diffi cult road to recovery, but she says that it is her cli-ents and family who have ultimately brought her back to life. Fighting to get both motor skills and memory back, Dena began coming back to her store about three months after the accident, and gradually began the process of resuming her work. “Th e injury was on the left side of my brain so I never forgot how to make the jewelry. I didn’t realize it, but my hands knew what to do,” she says. “And I have THE best customers. My husband says I need to open up a room and just talk with them. It’s been my therapy!”

Now back to business and stronger than ever, McClure is totally committed to doing what she loves. A big part of what makes Relique so special is that McClure devotes time and research to all of her custom pieces to make sure she fully appreciates the signifi cance of the piece. “Th e more research I do, the more fun it gets,” she says. “I’m a visual creator. I like to keep everything really original.” One of her recent projects was for a client who brought her a box of her father’s things after he passed away. “I took pieces of his history and drilled holes in it and soldered it onto a tie bar. I love to reuse things that have a story.”

McClure mostly uses found materials in her pieces, such as wood, aluminum, and brass, and many of her materials come from Habitat for Humanity. Th rough the unlikely combina-tions of leather and lace and magnets and steel, she creates signature pieces that are unique and aff ordable. “When I opened, my goal was never about the money. I wanted for people to be able to come in and buy something right then. I wanted meaningful stuff at a reasonable price point.” As an artist, McClure has become a master at fi nding the meaning-ful in everyday life and continues to use her talent for creat-ing pieces close to the hearts of her customers, which in turn has helped her heal. “It has taken time, but my customers brought me back to life. I’m just going to embrace who I am now. My plan was to get myself back. And this has helped me get myself back.”

Cordon Bleu California School of Culinary Arts, where he began training in classical, French cooking. “Th e second day of class I knew this is what I’m supposed to do,” he says. “I graduated two years later, fi rst in my class.”

After spending time as a chef in restaurants and doing pri-vate cheffi ng in Los Angeles for the next couple of years, Phil-lips returned to Florence when his father was diagnosed with cancer in 2012. “I decided to move back home,” says Phillips. “He passed away in April and I stayed to help my mother, although I hadn’t planned on staying. In the process of stay-ing and talking to people, I ended up falling in love with the Shoals again.” Inspired by Florence’s recent fashion revival, spurred by fashion icons Billy Reid and Natalie Chanin, Phil-lips has settled into his old home once again and is mak-ing a mark of his own. Only this time, he has freed himself from the culinary confi nes of working from just menus in restaurants. His primary focus is now catering, and his cli-entele ranges from Southern cuisine connoisseurs to sixth graders—literally. Earlier this year, Phillips took on the chal-lenge of helping Florence’s Saint Joseph Catholic School to improve their lunch menu, in the hopes of encouraging the kids to eat school lunch versus bringing their own. “Start-ing in January, we went every day,” he says. “I would go and pick up from various local farmers. Everything was always fresh—never out of the freezer section. It went from 40 kids eating to 100. Th e parents got behind me, and I had volun-teers who would come in and help, too.” While he admits it often involved some experimentation to appeal to the often picky palates of youngsters, his eff orts have been mostly suc-cessful as he has prepared everything from roast turkey and sweet potatoes with ginger and apple pudding to green eggs and ham—farm fresh eggs with a green spinach souffl é.

As is the case with so many of an artisan’s unplanned ad-ventures, Phillips is fi nding that these are the experiences that are shaping what he wants to become as a chef—and could likely even involve teaching at some point. “St. Joe has a special place in my heart,” he says. “And it really sur-prised me. It really fed my soul. I did education days. I went to people’s classes. And I was just surprised about how much it aff ected me.”

Phillips’s recent projects have also included catering dinner for the Alabama Trust for Historic Preservation and working closely to help plan for the upcoming Court Street Market, where he will be the on-sight caterer. But whether Phillips is serving up duck confi t pie with gooseberry ice cream or a wild turkey meatloaf, pleasing the palates of people will continue to be his most treasured ingredient. “What I most enjoy is the pleasure I get from people when I cook for them and everything goes well,” he says. “I love the instantaneous pleasure of people enjoying themselves. I enjoy turning a special event into something they remember fondly.”


style. “I don’t think an artist can ever retire. Sometimes this life gets so hectic and crazy. It’s like your life is a page. My pages are so full of words everywhere, and you have to have a margin to make it beautiful. I feel like I cram so much in my life, I feel like the margins aren’t there to make it beautiful. I want mar-gins in my life so I can enjoy the words on a page.”

Stuart Chappell

Tuscumbia native Stuart Chappell fi rst began making furni-ture out of necessity in 1972. “I needed furniture, so I started out making small pine pieces, and then I saw that I was really passionate about it,” he says. “I started buying tools and more expensive lumber and trying out new techniques.”

Now, more than 40 years later, Chappell has become a mas-ter craftsman of fi ne woods like cherry, walnut, and mahog-any. His technique has evolved over time from small, simple pieces to grander, more sophisticated feats with intricate de-tails. And although he picked up a few things from his father who was also a woodworker, most of his skill he has acquired all on his own. “I would say that I am self-taught,” he says. “I always try to do a new technique or something that is chal-lenging to me. I will look in a magazine and see something I like. Th en I draw it, measure it, and make it. I’m sort of a hy-brid at woodworking. In other words, I do a lot of handwork, but I’m not a purist. I also have machinery.”

Chappell’s love of his craft has led him all over the country to attend both woodworking workshops and to seek out and study the time period of furniture he most loves to recreate—the Federalist period, which describes the 18th century, neo-classical style of European furniture design from 1780 to 1830. Characterized by its light, elegant feel with straight, often ta-pered legs, furniture of this time period also featured ornate carvings and embellishments. Chappell is particularly fond of the Sheraton period, which falls into the Federalist time pe-riod, named for English designer Th omas Sheraton who fa-mously wrote a book of instructions for making cabinets and chairs. Sheraton styles leaned heavily on French infl uence and focused on clean, straight lines and inlay decoration.

Chappell is always on the lookout for unique pieces of wood and uses everything from recycled barn wood to old house beams, allowing him to preserve priceless pieces of history that would otherwise be lost. “Someone gave me a damaged beam out from under Helen Keller’s home, and I’ve used it in some of my pieces,” says Chappell. “Th at piece of wood had been there since 1820, so it was a really special cut of wood. It was heart pine and had been damaged by termites, but there was still a lot of good in it.” Chappell makes all of his own fi nishes and does his dove-tailing by hand—a joint technique using pins and tails to create a trapezoidal shape that requires no additional fasteners.

Over the years Chappell has made everything from whis-key cabinets, to corner cupboards, to a Campeche chair—

Twine & Co.

Letter writing is a lost art form. And much to the chagrin of California born designer, photographer, and old-fashioned romantic Robert Rausch, writing is no longer taught in school. “Penmanship is a lost art,” says Rausch. “You can just tell a lot from the way someone writes. I got a letter from a friend the other day, and my mother looked at the outside of the letter and said, ‘Th ey have a tremor.’” As a photographer, designer, and creator of the luxury stationary line Twine & Co., Rausch has devoted his career to helping others enjoy the good things in life by slowing down enough to appreciate them. His style is unconventional at times, but for Rausch, the defi nition of beauty and style lies less within the realm of the physical and more along the lines of what is comfortable, confi dent, and unique. “Style to me is the way the Italian’s eat,” he says. “Th ey take a two-hour lunch. Th e way we form our life can really make it stylish and beautiful. We all have this innate thing that we want to be around beautiful things.”

Rausch has been a lover of letters and beautiful paper for his entire life, and he began making small cards and prints before evolving his line to include other handmade products. “I love paper,” says Rausch. “When I get a letter from my grandpar-ents or old friends, I keep them.” Twine & Co. is Rausch’s self-proclaimed labor of love, and his award-winning line now in-cludes letter-press stationary, place cards, coasters, pens, and paper fragrances. Intended for “living and giving,” Rausch’s products are made in the same manner in which he enjoys life—slowly. All of his envelopes and cards are hand-printed, on 100 percent cotton fi ber paper, making them velvety to the touch. Rausch is also committed to only using the most energy effi cient practices available when making any of his products. “It’s sad because a lot of people don’t think writing is green,” says Rausch. “I think all the emails sent out last year, Google used 57 million barrels of oil to cool their farm servers. People don’t realize how much email blasts cost. In the paper indus-try, for every tree they cut down, they plant two more. So pa-per writing is very sustainable.”

After living all over the world, Rausch calls home the iconic GAS building in downtown Tuscumbia where he makes all of his products, including a new line of beeswax candles retailing at Bohemian clothing/home décor store Anthropology. He has worked, traveled, and lived all over the world, but Rausch feels most inspired exactly where he is now in the Deep South. “In the South, we are the last part of the country that still has style,” he says. “Everyone in New York still wants to be like everyone else. People here aren’t really aware of that—they just do what they do. What I think is great about living in the South is that you can go from the country to the city pretty easily. But you cannot go from the city to the country very eas-ily. I think that’s what makes us more comfortable.”

As for his future plans, his life will likely imitate his philosophy on beauty, style, and the lines on a printed page. Rausch is al-ways ready for the next project but doesn’t plan to let himself become so absorbed in work that he can’t enjoy his own life-

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ROBERT RAUSCHTwine & Co.

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STUART CHAPPELL


a unique style of sling back chair that originated in the Campeche region of Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula and was brought to the states by Louis and Clark during the Louisiana Purchase. Th omas Jeff erson loved the comfort these chairs off ered his bad back and famously had more chairs copied and created during his presidency.

As a woodworker, Chappell’s skill is much sought after, but obtaining a piece of his furniture is highly unlikely. His pieces can often be seen on display at Arts Alive and the Tennessee Valley Museum of Art, but only a select few of Chappell’s closest friends and family have the honor of possessing one of his pieces, including his daughter Emilee. “Her place is full of furniture now,” he says. “I’d really rather make the pieces for people who would enjoy it than to try to make money off of it.” Chap-pell says that he has very rarely taken custom orders through the years and maintains that it is truly the thrill of being a craftsman that gives him the most contentment. “I just usually don’t build things to sell,” he says. “I just see something I want, and it’s not the idea of possessing the piece, it’s the idea of making the piece that I love.”

Whistle Stop Fudge Shop

How sweet it is to be sitting in the Whistle Stop Fudge Shop—literally. Fresh fudge, peanut brittle, and so many more handmade confections wink and beckon from the old fashioned glass case beside the register, where owner Lynn Crumbly off ers suggestions about what might satisfy a sweet tooth. Located in historic downtown Madison, just across the street from the old depot and jail (now Main Street Café), this sweet spot has become a regular stop for Madison residents and is quickly becoming a sought out destination from people all over the South. “I love being able to add something to this community,” says Crumbly. “Th is was an old building that was falling apart and we’ve made something out of it again. And people come from all over North Alabama and Tennessee.”

Originally from Rome, Georgia, Crumbly and her husband came to Huntsville when he was transferred here to work for NASA. Crumbly had fond memories of a popular fudge shop from their hometown and sought out advice from the owner to see if there was a secret to selling sweets. “Everyone in the region knew of Martha Jane’s Fudge,” says Crumbly. “I called her for advice and Martha said, ‘You can sell fudge. Don’t try to reinvent everything.’” Armed with this advice in mind, Crumbly and her partner Crystal McBrayer began making their fudge and confections using fresh ingredients and hands-on techniques. To test the waters in the early days, they began traveling to small street markets and festivals to sell their products. Since their store opening in 2012, they’ve expanding their prod-

THE COTTAGE GARDENMAKERS

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LYNN CRUMBLYWhistle Stop Fudge Shop


uct placement to include the Huntsville Botanical Gardens, Taste of Huntsville, and Taste of Madison. And although they are not opposed to continuing that expansion, their main fo-cus will continue to be their Madison storefront. “Right now, this is keeping us busy and we are growing,” says Crumbly. “We are not opposed to having our product in other places. Sometimes it’s a fi t and sometimes it’s not.”

One of Whistle Stop’s specialties is custom orders that can range from wedding favors and baby shower and birthday confections, to welcome baskets for out-of-town guests’ ho-tel stays. Th e store also has other gift items to make it easy to walk in and build the perfect custom basket. As Madison is becoming more and more of a destination city for out-of-towners, Crumbly says they want their sweet shop to be a place where visitors can sit, enjoy their sweet of choice, and take in historic Madison. And what makes Whistle Stop’s treats even sweeter is the exclusivity of knowing you are en-joying something that can’t be found anywhere else. “Th e key ingredient is that it’s made here,” says Crumbly. “I think what makes us unique from other places is that we do everything fresh, right here in the shop. Th ere are three of us and one of the three of us has our hands on making everything. When we say they are handmade, they are truly made here in the shop. And that’s what our customers like.”

RESOURCES

shopbohem.com

facebook.com/BurrowsWoodworks

bawstonandtucker.com

etsy.com/shop/lejeune111

heavy-color.com

josiewachi.wix.com/josiewachi

nicolenicoleclothing.com

piperandleaf.com

Alan Phillips: [email protected](323) 790-9545

reliqueartwear.com

twineandco.com

Stuart Chappell: [email protected]

whistlestopsweets.com

· · ·

Tapping into theLocal Beer Scene

text and photos by sarah bélanger » recipes and food styling by lily plauchéphoto assistance by amanda abernathy


Tucked away in rustic, historical buildings across North Alabama, a brand new industry is fl ourishing: craft beer breweries.

In 2009, 76 years after the end of prohibition, Alabama fi nally began to relax archaic brewing laws that made the production and distribution of craft beer illegal. A mere fi ve years later, Alabama’s burgeoning craft beer industry is proving to the rest of the country that the Heart of Dixie, though new to the game, can brew a superior beer. In fact, according to the Alabama Brewers Guild, as of 2012, Alabama has experienced triple digit growth three years in a row, making it one of the fastest growing craft beer industries nationwide.

Who are the founders of these breweries? Well, they come from a diverse background. They’re realtors and journalists, engineers and technicians, and many of them work additional part-time or even full-time jobs to support their budding brewing businesses. For these artisans, craft brewing is an expensive and time-consuming labor of love, but passion for their craft motivates our local brewers as they help build a new industry for the state.

In honor of our local brew houses, we’ve put together four unique recipes, each incorporating a signature beer from our local breweries. They’re original twists on fall food favorites.

Enjoy!

Rob and Michelle Jones

SINGIN’ RIVER BREWERY

For Singin’ River Brewery owners, Rob and Michelle Jones, the pres-sure to get their brew house right was particularly high; Singin’ River is Florence’s fi rst brewery ever.

That’s why every detail of Singin’ River, from the well-designed taproom to the steel-tipped darts, has been carefully selected to create a comfortable and invit-ing place for friends and family to gather for a pint of their delec-table homemade brew.

“We told [the city offi cials] we were going to build a brewery that the city would be proud of,” Michelle said.

And that is exactly what they did.

In order to make sure the beer was top-notch, the Jones hired com-mercial brewer George Grand-inette as Singin’ River’s head brew-er. Grandinette quickly set to work creating beer that would have the Shoals community singing.

“The fi rst round was about brew-ing balanced beers, not just creat-ing a style,” Rob said.



PORTER BRAISED BRISKET SANDWICHES

Beer: Singin’ River PorterServes: 8 Th e main purpose of the beer in this recipe is to tenderize the meat while providing another layer of fl avor. Use the meat for these sandwiches or in quesa-dillas, or serve as a stew over potatoes or rice.

• 4 pounds beef brisket, trimmed, cut into 3-inch pieces• 1 teaspoon salt• 1 teaspoon black pepper• 2 tablespoons olive oil• 2 large carrots, peeled and chopped• 2 celery ribs, chopped• 1 medium onion, chopped• 2 garlic cloves, smashed• 1 cup Singin’ River Porter beer• 1 tablespoon tomato paste• 2 cups beef broth• Slaw • 8 sandwich buns

1. Preheat oven to 300°F. Sprinkle brisket with salt and pepper. Heat oil in a large ovenproof Dutch oven over medium-high heat; add half of brisket, browning on all sides. Remove brisket and set aside. Brown remain-ing half of brisket in Dutch oven; remove and set aside.

2. Add carrots, celery, onion, and garlic to the pot; cook, stirring occasionally, 5 minutes or until lightly browned. Add beer, stirring to remove any browned bits from the bottom of the pot. Stir in tomato paste and broth. Return brisket to the pot, nestling it nicely into the liquid. Cover and bake until brisket is very tender and can easily be shredded with a fork, about 3 hours.

3. Shred brisket with 2 forks; serve the meat on buns topped with slaw.

It was also important to select a perfect location with plenty of room for expansion. The brewery has an adjacent lot in which to host festivals and events, includ-ing the Singin’ River Brewing Fest and numerous musical guests.

Rob and Michelle are excited about the future and looking for-ward to growing with the fl ourish-ing Florence community.

“I don’t know if I’ve ever been more proud of the city of Flor-ence. The community is working together to better the city every day,” Michelle said.

Rich Partain

STRAIGHT TO ALE

Straight to Ale’s owner, Dan Perry, spent years fi ghting to change Alabama’s outdated brewing laws as a member of the grass-roots organization Free the Hops. It was that group’s legislative successes that made it possible for Dan to open his brew house with a mis-sion to create superior craft beer for the “thirsty masses.”

“Making beer is really a labor of love for us,” said Rich Partain, Straight to Ale’s Sales Manager. “Our main goal is to make people happy.”

This means the brewery has high expectations for their beer.

“Not often, but occasionally, we’ll brew a beer that isn’t up to our standards,” Rich said. “When it happens, we will never sell it to our customer.”

Customers seem to appreciate these standards, as Straight to Ale has grown rapidly in the past four years. They currently brew close to 31,000 gallons of beer a month and are available in four states.

And while Straight to Ale is sold outside Alabama, Dan and the


IPA ICE POPS

Beer: Straight to Ale Monkeynaut IPA beer

Serves: 9

• 1 cup sugar

• ½ cup water

• 1 cup fi nely chopped fresh strawberries

• 1 cup fi nely chopped fresh pineapple

• 3 tablespoons fresh orange juice

• 1 cup Straight to Ale Monkeynaut IPA beer

• 9 wooden craft sticks

1. In a medium pot, combine sugar, water,

strawberries, pineapple, and orange juice. Bring to a

boil. Reduce heat and simmer 5 minutes. Let cool.

2. Place fruit mixture and beer in a food processor

or blender. Process until smooth. Pour into ice pop

molds, insert wooden craft stick into each, and freeze

8 hours or until fi rm.

Th ese are a soft-frozen treat due to the high alcohol

content. Dip the molds briefl y into hot water to assist

in removing the pops from the molds. You can also

freeze them in small paper cups if you don’t have ice

pop molds.

rest of the team at Straight to Ale feel it’s important to pay hom-age to their home. The taproom is festooned with rockets and space paraphernalia that honor Hunts-ville’s 50-year space program. A local artist, Browan Lollar, creates many of Straight to Ale’s beer labels, and most of the beers are named after local celebrities and places. Their most popular beer, Monkeynaut, is named after Miss Baker, the fi rst U.S. monkey to travel to space and survive, who later lived in Huntsville’s Space and Rocket Center until her death.

Straight to Ale is looking forward to their future after their latest ex-pansion: a beer garden complete with a stage to provide outdoor entertainment.


Jeff Peck, Chris Bramon,and Tracy Mullins

THE BREW STOOGES

The Brew Stooges is one of Hunts-ville’s newest breweries—their fi rst beers premiered in 2013 at the Rocket City Brewfest—but they’re already making a mark for them-selves.

Owners Chris Bramon, Tracy Mul-lins, and Jeff Peck like to take a scientifi c and technical approach to brewing. They constructed or installed almost every aspect of their brewery themselves, includ-ing a large walk-in freezer, which they built at a fraction of the cost of a factory-made one.

The Stooges also have a good sense of humor when it comes to brewing, as illustrated by their brewery’s name. Owner Jeff Peck explains that the name was in-spired by a frustrating beer-making experience. They had just received a new brewing kit, and Jeff and Tracy were excited about making their fi rst batch of beer with it. Unfortunately, it wasn’t as easy as they thought it would be.

“Everything that we could do wrong, we did do wrong,” Jeff said. After making countless mis-takes, the two brewers could only laugh at the disaster of their brew-ing attempt.


KNUCKLEHEAD BROWNIE SUNDAES

Beer: Brew Stooges Knucklehead PorterServes: 8 (you will have brownies left over, which isn’t usually a problem)

For the brownies:• 1 cup all-purpose fl our• ¾ cup cocoa powder• ¼ teaspoon salt• ½ cup butter• 16 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped, divided• 1 cup granulated sugar• 4 large eggs• 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons Brew Stooges Knucklehead Porter beer• ½ cup chopped pecans

1. Heat oven to 350°F. Whisk together fl our, cocoa powder, and salt in a medium bowl. Set aside.

2. In a medium pot, melt butter and 12 ounces chocolate over medium-low heat, stirring frequently. Let cool slightly.

3. Whisk sugar and eggs into melted chocolate mixture. Whisk in beer. Stir in fl our mixture just until combined. Stir in remaining 6 ounces chopped chocolate and pecans. Pour batter into a lightly greased 9x13 inch baking pan. Bake 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out with a few moist crumbs attached. Cool on a wire rack.

For the ice cream:• ¾ cup sugar• ¼ teaspoon salt• 2 cups whipping cream• 6 large egg yolks• 1 ½ cups Brew Stooges Knucklehead Porter beer• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1. In a medium pot, whisk together sugar, salt, and cream. Heat over medium heat just until small bubbles form around the edge of the pan. Place egg yolks in a medium bowl. Slowly whisk 1 cup hot cream into egg yolks. Whisk egg mixture back into pot with remaining cream. Cook, whisking constantly, over medium heat until mixture thickens slightly and reaches 160°F (do not boil). Pour mixture through a wire mesh strainer into a bowl; whisk in porter and vanilla. Cover and refrigerate until chilled, about 2 hours. Pour chilled custard into bowl of an ice cream machine and process according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Spoon ice cream into a container and freeze 4 hours or until fi rm.

“After a while I just looked at Tracy and said, ‘We’re a couple of stooges,’” laughed Jeff. The name stuck, and thankfully the trio has had much more success on subse-quent brews.

The Brew Stooges recently opened a taproom at their brewery and are also creating a beer garden.


Ethan Couch

YELLOWHAMMER BREWING

Yellowhammer Brewing is housed in a plain, metal building, marked with a modest sign, and nestled between a garage and a door installation business. Despite its outwardly austere appearance, inside is a pleasant and lively environment, fi lled with happy pa-trons that are quick to strike up a conversation about their passion: craft beer.

“We get a lot of beer nerds in here,” said Ethan Couch, co-owner of Yellowhammer. His patrons love the variety and rich fl avor of craft beer and are thrilled they have a place where they can enjoy the local brew.

Despite initial complications with changing brewing laws, Yellow-hammer is now full speed ahead with the support of the state.

“The Alabama government has been great for us,” Ethan said. “They are very pro-business.”

Since the brewery started four years ago, they have doubled their beer production consistently every six months. Their growth has allowed them to expand their taproom to include a beer garden,


DARK HAMMER CHICKEN WINGS

Beer: Yellowhammer Dark Hammer

Serves: 4-6

• 2 pounds chicken wings

• ½ cup cherry juice

• 1 cup Yellowhammer Dark Hammer beer

(Belgian Quad)

• ¼ cup brown sugar

• 1 tablespoon soy sauce

• 1 tablespoon molasses

• 2 tablespoons cider vinegar

• 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper

• ½ teaspoon ground coriander

• 1 lime, cut into wedges

• Fresh cilantro

1. Heat oven to 425°F. Arrange chicken wings on a

foil-lined baking sheet with sides.

2. In a medium pot, combine juice, beer, sugar, soy

sauce, molasses, vinegar, pepper, and coriander. Bring

to a boil over medium-high heat, watching carefully

as it can boil over. Reduce heat to medium and cook,

stirring frequently, until reduced to 1 cup (about 10

minutes). Remove from heat.

3. Pour the glaze over the wings. Bake at 425°F for

20-25 minutes, stirring occasionally, until done.

Preheat broiler. Broil wings 1-2 minutes or until

browned. Serve with lime wedges and cilantro.

and they look forward to future expansions. But it is about more than just revenue for Yellowham-mer—it is about creating a beer that they are proud of and keep-ing the beer nerds happy.

“Our goal is to be the best re-gional brewery that’s out there,” Couch said.

EDITOR’S NOTE:

As we were going to press, Straight to Ale

Brewery and Yellowhammer Brewery an-

nounced they would move their businesses

into the old Stone Middle School campus on

Governors Drive, in Huntsville, and will be

open for business at the new location in the

summer of 2015. This redevelopment project,

which will include an amphitheater on the

grounds, is designed to bring more traffi c to

West Huntsville and more attention to North

Alabama’s successful craft beer scene.



A L A B A M A’ S F A V O R I T E

N O T O R I O U S W O M E N

text by amy collins

Zelda Sayre Fitzgerald(1900-1948)

Zelda Fitzgerald was dubbed “Th e fi rst fl apper” by her famous novelist husband, F.

Scott Fitzgerald, whose work depicting the 1920s Jazz Age, specifi cally Th e Great

Gatsby, was inspired by his wife and muse. She was the study for many of his female

characters; he even went so far as to lift lines directly from her diary and give them

to his characters. Th e two were known for their raucous, extravagant lifestyle

and their epic fi ghts. Zelda grew up in Montgomery, Alabama, the youngest of

six children in a prominent family. Her father was an Alabama Supreme Court

Judge, stern and serious, but Zelda was —in a word—wild. She drank, smoked,

and adored the boys. Zelda craved attention. According to biographer Sally Cline

in Zelda Fitzgerald: Her Voice in Paradise, she once wore a fl esh-colored swimsuit

to give the impression (and start the rumor) that she’d swum in the nude. She

was not the type to sit quietly behind her husband’s fame, but fought for her own

spotlight throughout the marriage.

Zelda was not simply a vapid party girl, but a gifted creative. She was a talented

ballerina in her youth and returned to dancing in her 30s, well past her pirouette

prime. She threw herself into an arduous devotion to dance that exhausted her

until she had to give it up in favor of physical health. Zelda was also a talented

painter with a distinctly illustrative style. She favored bright colors and allegories

from the Bible and Alice in Wonderland. She created a series of Louis XIV paper

dolls with extravagant, detailed dresses for the Fitzgerald’s only daughter, Scottie.

Zelda was also an accomplished writer. She wrote several short stories and essays

that were published under her husband’s name, in order to earn a higher fee.

In the late 1920s, she was increasingly hospitalized for schizophrenia, though

contemporary mental-health professionals agree she likely suff ered from bipolar

disorder. While living at Johns Hopkins University’s Phipps Clinic in 1934, she

wrote her only novel, an autobiographical account of her tempestuous marriage to

Scott, titled Save Me the Waltz. Th e novel failed commercially, and Scott accused

her of stealing his plot line for Tender Is the Night.

From her early days as a young socialite beauty, untamable and unattached to any

one of her many suitors, to her expatriate years in France, her marriage to Scott,

and her artistic endeavors, Zelda Sayre Fitzgerald lived more lifetimes than most

When author Laurel Thatcher Ulrich wrote the line “Well-behaved women seldom make

history” in a 1976 edition of American Quarterly, she had no idea the phrase would become a mantra of

the fairer sex, printed on mugs, bags, and T-shirts, often unattributed. Th is widespread embrace suggests a

universal yearning among women to be heard and seen and, if only secretly, an awe and envy for those few

ladies who skirt social mores and fl agrantly break the rules. Th ey blazed new paths and opportunities for

women, left behind sharp-witted one liners, and gave eccentric behavior a capital “E.” Some of America’s

most infamous limit pushers proudly hailed from Alabama. Th ese three never dreamed of a conventional

life; they were having way too much fun.



“If I were well-behaved, I’d die of boredom.”Zelda Fitzgerald

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“I’m pure as the driven slush.”Tallulah Bankhead

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women can claim in a 60-year stretch. She might have been famous for any one

of her creative pursuits if she’d focused on only one, or if she’d been a man, or if

she had lived in an era more acceptable of independent women. “Ifs” aside, she

remains an Alabama heroine of the arts and an inspiration to spirited women with

lofty goals.

Tallulah Bankhead(1902-1968)

Huntsville, Alabama, native Tallulah Bankhead is about as unbridled as they come.

Gorgeous, alluring with a resonant foghorn voice, the notorious Tallulah wore

daring costumes, lived her private life in the public eye, and doled out scalding

one-liners with impressive wit. She counted Zelda Fitzgerald among her friends,

Bette Davis among her enemies, and Billie Holiday among her lovers. She was

born into an illustrious and wealthy family. Tallulah’s father, William B. Bankhead,

for whom Bankhead Forest in Double Springs, Alabama, is named, was a noted

member of the Democratic party and served as Speaker of the House, United

States House of Representatives, from 1936 to 1940.

At age 15 Tallulah set her sights on acting, moved to New York City a year later,

and embarked on a Broadway career. Unsuccessful on Th e Great White Way,

she pursued a stage career in London, where Tallulah became as familiar as

Madonna in 1985 America. A few years later, she returned stateside to numerous

opportunities for stage and screen roles, most of which merited mixed reviews,

though her role in Alfred Hitchcock’s 1944 Lifeboat is among the most notable. She

was known to throw parties that lasted for days, strip naked in mid-conversation,

address everyone as “dahling,” chain smoke cigarettes, and drink. A lot. Casual sex

and cocaine were well-practiced habits. She reportedly said, “My father warned

me about men and booze, but he never said anything about women and cocaine.”

She did not hide her intelligence, and her famously clever retorts earned her a

regular lunch invitation to the Algonquin Round Table, alongside Dorothy Parker,

Alexander Woolcott, Robert Benchley, and Harpo Marx.

While Tallulah’s outrageous behavior made her a popular celebrity, arguably

contributing more to her share of the limelight than her actual acting, she was a

tireless devotee of racial tolerance and equality in America. In 1950, she became

the host of NBC radio program Th e Big Show, a Sunday night variety bit with

guests including Louis Armstrong, Ethel Waters, Ella Fitzgerald, and Josephine

Baker. W.C. Handy was a friend, and she was publicly supportive of African

American musicians and ballplayers, particularly Willie Mays. She contributed to

Ebony magazine in the 1950s, and in 1960 wrote a piece on southern prejudice for

the publication.

Some claim Tallulah blamed herself for her mother’s death from childbirth

complications a few weeks after Tallulah’s arrival—perhaps a look into the drive

behind a life of debauchery. But we cannot dismiss, even those of us most judging,

her contributions to a forward-thinking America (go to the extreme to compromise

in the middle) and the trail she blazed for the intelligent, funny, sensual women

who came after her.


Willie Mae “Big Mama” Thornton(1926-1984)

“Big Mama” Th ornton was one of seven children born to a Baptist minister in a

small rural town outside Montgomery, Alabama, though her humble beginnings

were hardly a deterrent from living a loud, bold life. Willie Mae was a big woman,

an open lesbian, and to many, an intimidating presence. Like so many southern

musicians, she learned to sing and play instruments in church. When her mother

died in 1940, Willie Mae was only 14 years old and went to work cleaning in a

local saloon, but soon found her way on stage. From day one she drew a crowd. A

year later, she joined Atlanta-based music promoter Sammy Green’s show Th e Hot

Harlem Review, which she remained a part of for seven years. Critics called her the

“New Bessie Smith,” tagging the young singer for a promising career. After leaving

Sammy Green’s entourage, Willie Mae moved to Houston, Texas, and began

playing gritty, bluesy music that pushed boundaries and set new limits. It was rare

at the time for a female singer to play an instrument, much less the harmonica or

drums. Willie Mae brandished skills in both.

In Texas, she signed on with Don Robey’s indie label Peacock Records (later called

Duke-Peacock, which also signed a young Little Richard and Johnny Ace). Willie

Mae regularly played the Chitlin’ Circuit, so named for a string of night clubs from

New York’s Cotton Club down through Mississippi juke joints that were known to

be welcoming and safe for African American performers. On stage she was a bold

presence, dressed in slacks, a button-down shirt, and sometimes a man’s vest and

dangling diamond earrings. Willie Mae headlined the Apollo Th eater in Harlem

in 1952, where she earned the name “Big Mama” for both her booming voice and

heavy build. A year later she recorded rock-and-roll legends Jerry Leiber and Mike

Stoller’s “Hound Dog” with explicit, lurid whoops, calls, and sexual overtones.

Th e record rocked the R&B charts for 14 weeks, was #1 for seven weeks, and sold

two million copies. As history has too often played out for African Americans in

the music industry, Big Mama earned a paltry $500 off the record. Th ree years

later Elvis Presley’s version of the song set a new precedent for American music,

made him famous, and awarded him a considerable fi nancial reward. It also placed

“Hound Dog” fi rmly in the minds of every good American.

Big Mama’s second greatest hit was the 12 bar blues song “Ball and Chain,” which

she wrote and recorded. Janis Joplin, a great admirer of the blues woman, made the

song famous at the Monterey Pop Festival in 1967. Both of Big Mama’s renditions

of “Hound Dog” and “Ball and Chain” are listed in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame

“500 Songs Th at Shaped Rock and Roll.”

Née Willie Mae Th ornton, Big Mama recorded several albums in her lifetime,

including Stronger Th an Dirt, Jail, and Sassy Mama! Her blues were often

accompanied by horns, organ, and a strong funky upbeat that made you want

to move. Years of heavy drinking eventually caught up with her, causing various

health conditions, and in 1984, she died from a heart attack. She was inducted

posthumously later that year into the Blues Foundation Hall of Fame. Big Mama’s

contributions to American music were pivotal, her bravado awesome, and her

infl uence legendary.



“I don’t sing like nobody but myself.”Willie Mae Th ornton

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A Hyrdofl ask ($25.99) B State Traditions T-Shirt ($30) C Snap-Top Patagonia Fleece Jacket ($119) » Alabama Outdoors » (256) 885-3561D Six-Pack Cooler with Cover ($18.99) E Metal Flask ($7.99) and Printed Cover ($6.99) » Josie’s at Burritt on the Mountain » (256) 536-2882

F Leather Wallet ($15) » The Willowbrook Shoppe » (256) 270-7181 G Striped Scarf ($30) » Village Boutique » (256) 964-6294H Sherry Dress ($125) » Bohem » ShopBohem.com

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80 » market » Claire Stewart » Photos by Danny Mitchell

FALL’S CRISPPICKS


82 » market

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F Casserole Dish by Allyson Shabel ($79) G Wooden Etched Bowl by Bob Hovde ($67) » Huntsville Botanical Gardens » (256) 830-4447

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september/october | noalastudios.com | september/october | noalastudios.com |

88.7 FM Muscle Shoals • 100.7 FM Huntsvillewww.apr.org

News, classicalmusic and more

www.shopbohem.comMade in Alabama


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A Leigh Ann Hurst Horse Shoe Necklace ($150) B Sydney Lynch Stacked Rings ($1,100) C Adel Chefridi Diamond Shimmer Earrings ($1,330) » Little Green Store » (256) 539-9699 D Leather Cuff Bracelet ($19.99) » Josie’s at Burritt on the Mountain » (256) 536-2882

E Green Pendant Necklace ($15) F Grey and Rose Gold Watch ($32) G Tan and Gold Watch ($32) H Jeweled Necklace($30) » J. Whitener Bou-tique » (256) 885-2006 I Coral and Gold Bangles ($25) J Handmade Priti Earrings ($20) » The Village Boutique » (256) 964-6294

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A MATTER OF STYLE

intro by roy hall

produced by claire stewart

photos by

sarah brewer

david higginbotham

ashley vaughn

carole forêt


A MATTER OF STYLE

“Nothing looks better than a well-tailored blazer and

red lipstick.” —Sara Beth Delisle

Photo by David Higginbotham


TAKING STYLE PERSONALLY

Th is is not a best-dressed list, at least not necessarily—although

many of the people featured here are exactly that. And this

isn’t a tally of the most expensive frock or the chicest label, the

highest heel or the sportiest bow tie—although you’ll fi nd all

that and more in these pages.

Th is is a question of style, and style is about so much more

than just good taste or labels or beauty. Style, whether it’s

funky, eccentric, trendy, or traditional, is wit-meets-taste,

personality-meets-presentation. It’s an indelible impression

made by an individual.

Style tells a story. And since telling stories is what we do, we

asked some of our most talented photographers to help us by

capturing the style of some of our most unique friends and

neighbors. Our directions were simple: we asked each subject

to choose a look that best refl ects his or her personal style, and

we tasked our photographers with depicting that look. As such,

the next few pages represent a collaboration between subject

and photographer: singular portraits capturing singular style.

A conversation of sorts. A conversation about style.


A MATTER OF STYLE

“My favorite era of style would have to be the Afrocentric styles

of the ’60s and ’70s.” —Willette Battle

(Pictured with daughter, Kiana, left)

Photo by Ashley Vaughn


“A basic black blazer is timeless—it is such a classic piece that

exudes sophistication. You can pair it with tailored trousers and

your classic button-down for the offi ce, or layer over your favor-

ite white tee, boyfriend denim and slip on sneakers for a casual

but sophisticated look. It really is a must-have for everyone”

—Aissa Arceo Castillo

“Hair gel is my favorite accessory.” —Carlos Castillo

“I would never be caught dead in a tutu!” —Cam Castillo

Photo by Sarah Brewer


“I could never get rid of my denim jacket, my retro Batik wrap

top, and my black platform suede boots with snake skin.”

—Nancy Finnegan

A MATTER OF STYLE

“I could never get rid of my western shirts, my motorcycle jacket,

and my leather pants.” —Jonathan Giles



“I like the style of the ’60s looks. Th ere is a lot of that infl uence

currently with the Mad Men success and vintage tees and denim.

It’s kind of a ‘less is more’ look to me that I really like.”

—Cole Cubelic



A MATTER OF STYLE

“My go-to accessory is a long necklace. My favorite is a brass

ruler on a 25-inch chain. It’s basic enough not to clash with the

rest of my outfi t, but it’s interesting to look at and useful in a

pinch!” —Alyssa Carodine



A MATTER OF STYLE

“I could not go without a leather jacket, ever! My all-time favorite was baby

pink, with silver zippers. It was the softest leather I’d ever felt. I took it to

New York one year, and it never made it back. I soon after replaced it with

a unique, black vintage one with multiple zippers and buckles. I’m on the

hunt for a hunter green one for this fall.” —Chesney Matthews

“I think a classic white shirt is timeless and always stylish.

A white shirt works well with denim and blazers and it looks good

whether it is loose fi tting or tied at the waist.”

—Yolanda Matthews



“I would never be caught dead in camoufl age.” —Travis Edwards

Photo by Carole Forêt


“I would never be caught dead in a pair of tight leg jeans.”

—Hundley Batts, Jr.


A MATTER OF STYLE

“Th ree things in my closet I could never get rid of are the perfect

pair of leather pants, my vintage Chanel bag gifted to me by my

mom, and my strappy nude sandals.” —Chelsea Tubbs



A MATTER OF STYLE

“I miss the concept of actually ‘getting

dressed’ that the early part of the century

evoked. You know, the notion of taking

pride in dressing? I love the idea of men in

full haberdashery with a fl ower on their

lapel and women in their everyday fi nery.”

—Madeline Boswell


september/october | noalastudios.com | september/october | noalastudios.com |

A MATTER OF STYLE


“Th ree things in my closet I could never get rid of are my

Converse tennis shoes, my leather Coach satchel, and one of my

embroidered blouses—I am such a sucker for those!”

—Meghan Medlan


“A plaid button-up shirt never goes out of style. If I were stuck on

a desert island for the rest of my life with only one shirt, it would

defi nitely be a plaid button-up. Th at way when I was rescued 30

years later, people would see me on the news and think ‘Wow.

Th at fellow has style.'" —Kyle Medlan


“My favorite piece of clothing is a scarf from time spent in

Egypt. I’ve had this scarf for 11 years now and it still looks

brand new. Being a mix of light browns and greens with a

golden lining, it fi ts with almost anything. I have even worn it as

a shirt! Quick tip to my inventive stylists out there—larger scarfs

make an amazing summer shirt if wrapped the right way.”

—Victoria Pennington



“You can’t go wrong with a great pair of shoes. Footwear says

a lot about a guy. My dad taught me that a man’s shoes tell

you both what his intentions are and whether or not he has the

means to achieve them.” —Ronnie Moore


A MATTER OF STYLE


“I love chunky jewelry—and I love to layer it even more! I’m

afraid I am a terrible off ender of the ‘only wear three pieces of

jewelry’ rule!” —Keri Klaus


A MATTER OF STYLE


A MATTER OF STYLE

"Th ree things in my closet I will never get rid of are my

favorite challis scarf, my oiled coat from England, and my

favorite cashmere sweater." —Lila Frank



“I wouldn’t be caught dead in harem pants or gauchos. Th ose

two silhouettes are fashion irony: they require you to be pin

thin to have any hopes of looking decent in them, then they turn

around and totally distort your fi gure in the most unfl attering

way.” —Rachel Dunagan Wiles



A MATTER OF STYLE

“What would we never be caught dead in? Animal fur.

Th e commercial practices used to obtain hides are disturbing.

We don’t see any beauty in the inhumane treatment of animals.”

—Mike and Brenna Burgiel



“I loved the styles of the ’90s. Not the grunge movement, but

rather the decade’s focus on minimalism & simplicity. You can’t

just throw a bunch of ornamentation on to mask a poor product,

so the quality really shows. Th e simplicity of the garment de-

mands a higher level of craftsmanship. It’s really almost a study

in architecture.” —Glee Sides



A MATTER OF STYLE


“I believe a classic suit and a great hat are pieces in a man’s

closet that will remain timeless.” — Antonio McFadden


114 » bless their hearts » Colin Warman

It’s funny, the things we remember from our childhoods—little things that, over time, seem greater than they really were. Th ings that make us feel like part of something so big and important. We hold on to those memories, and as time passes, the details become brighter, more splendid. A molehill of an event can become one hell of a magnifi cent mountain later in life.

And so it is with my memories of the Huntsville Stars. I remember going to Joe Davis Stadium as a young boy to watch the Stars play. Th e stadium entrance loom-ing overhead, the air thick with the humidity of an Alabama summer. I remember there being so many people, so many

smells and sounds. “Popcorn, get your popcorn!” Th e scent of salt and butter enveloping me. Vendors everywhere hawking their goods. Children with sticky hands, stained T-shirts, and grins plastered

on their faces. Th e fi rst few hundred kids would get a free T-shirt, or a hat, or a baseball glove (al-

beit vinyl instead of leather, but still!). My friends and I wore those items with pride. My little

league team was even called the Stars.

I remember emerging from the breezeway and seeing the fi eld

ahead. It was an amazing sight. I’d never seen grass so green, so

plush. And now I think there could be no better word to describe a baseball fi eld than

that most coveted of jewels, the diamond. Th e “big boys” were down there on that big green diamond warming up for the game, and I remember thinking those guys were so cool! Th ey got to play baseball for a living?

A few years passed and 15-year-old me actually got a job with the Huntsville Stars. I worked at Billy Ray’s grill, and when we were lucky, rain would

move in, and the Stars’ front offi ce staff would recruit us workers to hurriedly pull the tarp over the infi eld. Even then, at an age when my main concerns were chasing girls and hanging out with friends, I recall the joy of stepping foot on that fi eld, large granules of dirt underfoot—a kind of dirt I’d never seen before and haven’t seen since. Th e grass of the outfi eld was softer than anything I’d ever set foot on.

It was fantastic.

THE END OF THE STARS

I remember emerging from the breezeway and seeing the fi eld ahead. It was an amazing sight. I’d never seen grass so green, so plush. And now I think there could be no better word to describe a baseball fi eld than that most coveted of jewels, the diamond.

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Above: Colin Warman and his son Atticus at a Huntsville Stars game.


Fast-forward 18 years. I am married now, and my wife and I and our two-year-old son are on our way to see the Stars play. In the car, I commiserate about how the Stars are leav-ing, and how this big piece of my childhood is being shipped away to Biloxi. I want my son Atticus to be able to experience the magic of Joe Davis Stadium through the eyes of a child, the thrill of watching our Huntsville Stars. I want him to wit-ness the erratic fl ight of the bats as they swoop and dive for bugs in the halogen lights overhead. I want to see Atticus chase down foul balls in the stands. But upon arriving at the stadium, I am harshly reminded that the magic left a long time ago. Th e parking lot is mostly empty. My wife and I re-mark what a shame that is.

We take our seats in the nearly empty stands. Around 10 min-utes before the game is scheduled to start, my small family and I are approached by an employee of the Stars, who asks if she can “borrow” our son. It’s an odd request to be sure, and after an inquisitive look from my wife and me, the Stars’ employee explains: our son has been invited to go down on the fi eld and exchange the lineups with the opposing team. She says one of us can go with him. Th e little boy in me emerges as I turn to my wife and ask, “Can I go?!?” Hearing the excitement in my voice, how could she say no? I snatch up my boy, giddy as a child myself, and head for the diamond.

On the fi eld, I can practically feel my skin tingling; I am that little boy again, but this time I have my own little boy to share the experience. Atticus performs his duties exception-ally well (until the time comes to proclaim, “Play ball!”—he is only two, after all). Atticus is presented with an offi cial Southern League baseball. He looks so proud, and my heart soars. I remember thinking, “I wish more people were here to cheer for my boy.” Not that he really did that much, but to me a molehill grew into a majestic mountain right before my eyes. I was at the top of that mountain with Atticus, and for 10 glorious minutes on a hot, sticky Alabama evening, I felt like we were the real Stars of Huntsville.

Afterward, Atticus and I walked hand in hand across that fi eld I’d admired so many times before. I’m not so delusional as to think that anyone else besides my wife saw this as any-thing special, but to us it was indeed.

But time marches on, and coming to a Stars game will soon be a thing of the past. My son and I will never again have the chance to bond over the joys of watching our local team together. It won’t be the same, telling him about all the greats that played minor league ball in Huntsville, or how I worked for the Stars when NBA Hall of Famer Michael Jordan played for the visiting Birmingham Barons. But we had that fl eeting moment together on the fi eld, and it proved to me that I was wrong about something. Th e Huntsville Stars may be gone, but the magic isn’t; it may even be stronger now than ever.

After all, even after a star dies, its light graces us for years to come.

116 » the vine » Amy Collins

IT’S WHO YOU KNOW

The wine business in the United States is based on a three tier system: importer,

distributor, retailer. It’s becoming more common for distributors to seek out and

import their own labels, and some cynics argue the days of the importer are waning.

I disagree. Large distributors who represent several hundred diff erent labels from

nearly every wine growing region in the world may have a branded philosophy fueling

their motives, and many good wines are landing on our shelves as a result, but their

bottom line leans toward the something-for-everybody mindset. Importers, on the

other hand, tend to focus their portfolios on a few regions they know best, usually

a refl ection of pure love for said regions, and spend a great deal of time traveling

the areas and establishing tight relationships with their producers. With passion as a

motive, even when it grows into a business, integrity and reliability follow, and because

there is often a single palate at the helm, consistency in wine style is more prevalent.

Knowing the diff erent importers can be a great resource for anyone who loves to fi nd

new wines. Every wine carries a discerning label from the importer who brings it in,

usually on the back of the bottle. I rely heavily on a handful of importers I know well,

and I’m rarely disappointed when I follow their expert lead. Below are a few of the

most respected and reliable importers (and my favorites) available in North Alabama.

One of my absolute favorite importers of artisanal French and Italian wines is Kermit

Lynch. He began introducing small lots of wine from small, unheard-of producers in

1972 and selling them in his Berkeley, California, retail store (California is the only

state where it’s legal to import, distribute, and sell retail under a single ownership).

French wine was around back then, but Americans were still very new to wine and

there wasn’t a lot to choose from. Kermit introduced many of the most respected

Burgundy and Rhone estates, often for insane bargains, to the Berkley and San

Francisco area. In her memoir Comfort Me with Apples, Ruth Reichl remembered

stumbling into his store when she lived in a community house in her 20s. She named

Kermit as a great infl uence in her vinous pursuits. Kermit has written a few books

himself, most notably his memoir Adventures on the Wine Route, which chronicles

those early days of navigating the French countryside in pursuit of vinous brilliance.

Kermit’s palate leans toward the old world style of wines, where terroir is a priority

and its presence in the wine clear. His wines are often elegant and refi ned and of high

quality. You can fi nd excellent tasting notes and producer stories on the Kermit Lynch

website kermitlynch.com.

Louis/Dressner Selections has always been and continues to be one of the most

forthright importers with strong, unwavering convictions about the style of wines

they do and do not represent. Th e company is a partnership between Burgundy

Other greats to consider:(available in Alabama)

Helen Turley Wines–FrenchDaniel Johnness Wines–French

Rudi Wiest–GermanMichael Skurnik/Terry Th eise–German

Olé Imports–Spanish

Follow Amy at pigandvine.com for morestories and wine suggestions.

natives Denyse Louis, Joe Dressner, and Kevin McKenna.

Joe’s bold confi dence, no bull, integrity-at-all-costs attitude

established his company as a top importer and commanded

a great deal of respect from industry professionals. Sadly,

Dressner succumbed to cancer a few years ago, though the

reputation continues. Louis/Dressner Selections was among

the fi rst to seek out natural winemakers—small producers

who focus on producing the best fruit, use only native yeasts

and few if any additives, and make wine for their own palates,

not those of wine critics who favor rich, over extracted, high

alcohol, and heavily oaked fruit bombs.

Louis/Dressner Selections imports wines from France, Italy,

Germany, Spain, Portugal, Croatia, Slovenia, and Chile. You

can learn more about their philosophy and producers on

their website louisdressner.com.

Neal Rosenthal’s wines have only recently been introduced

into North Alabama, and from what I can see, they’ve been

well received. Like Louis/Dressner Selections, Neal Rosenthal

has been importing artisanal wines since 1977. Th e wines

are often from lesser-known areas of larger regions can be

austere, high in acidity, and intensely interesting. Th e 2004

documentary Mondovino included an interview with Neal

Rosenthal, who spoke to the increasingly gentrifi ed direction

the wine industry as a whole is headed. I highly recommend

the fi lm to anyone who wants to better understand how and

why wine styles across the globe are changing. It’ll make you

a smarter consumer. Madrose.com is the place to go to learn

more about the Rosenthal philosophy and producers from

France, Italy, Spain, and Switzerland.

Th ere are so many small and medium sized importers today,

which are, as you might have guessed, male dominated,

though a handful of extremely talented ladies are seeking out

new, undiscovered quality producers and changing the game.

Unfortunately, most of them are not represented in Alabama.


118 » food for thought » Sarah Gaede

AN ODE TO OKRA

Okra has a style all its own, from its hibiscus-like fl owers to its prickly

pods. Not only is it far tastier and more interesting than the trendy kale, it’s a

superfood, high in calcium, fi ber, vitamin C, vitamin K, protein, folate, manga-

nese, and magnesium. Th e mucilaginous quality of okra, or “slime”, as haters call

it, serves as a natural thickener in gumbo. Th e mucilage also contains soluble fi ber

that can, according to naturopaths, relieve intestinal and irritable bowel dysfunc-

tion, or “straighten out your attitude,” as Roy Blunt, Jr., puts it.

Since my parents are southern, I have been eating okra since I was a tiny child. My

fi rst memory is of spearing frozen okra at the stem end with my fork and shred-

ding the slimy goodness through my teeth. When I lived in Atlanta in the 1970s,

I knew that Mondays and Th ursdays were deep-fried okra nights at Mary Mac’s

Tearoom, and I timed my visits accordingly. I usually paired the okra with country

fried steak and gravy and fried corn, accompanied by corn muffi ns and tiny cin-

namon buns. And yet I weighed far less than I do today. Sigh.

When I was doing my Clinical Pastoral Education in Birmingham in the summer

of 1992 and no longer so young, I gained fi ve pounds from frequent lunch-time

indulgence in deep-fried okra at the cafeteria near the Cathedral Church of the

Advent, where the program was based. Well, that and Sneaky Pete’s hot dogs with

chili and slaw. I’m way too old to eat like that on a regular basis anymore. And I

have more sense than to have a deep-fat fryer in my house, so the crispy, battered-

fried goodness of okra nuggets is a rare treat.

Th ese days, I roast my okra. It’s easy, slime-free, and low in calories. Preheat the

oven to 450 degrees. Toss whole okra, stems trimmed, in a tablespoon or two of

olive oil and some sea salt. Lay out on a rimmed baking sheet and roast for 15 or

so minutes, shaking sheet every fi ve minutes, until okra is browned and crisp. You

can season with chopped fresh thyme if you like.

Okra is so versatile a vegetable, I can barely get through all my favorite ways of

preparing it in one summer. When all the harvests are aligned just right, I cook up

a big batch of okra, corn, and tomatoes, seasoned with bacon fat, sweet onions,

and hot sauce, and serve it over rice. It’s enough for a meal, with cornbread or

biscuits on the side.

String beans are good, and ripe tomatoes,

And collard greens and sweet potatoes,

Sweet corn, fi eld peas, and squash and beets—

But when a man rears back and eats

He wants okra.

Oh okra’s favored far and wide,

Oh you can eat it boiled or fried,

Oh either slick or crisp inside,

Oh I once knew a man who died

Without okra.

Oh you can make some gumbo wit’ it,

But most of all I like to git it

All by itself in its own juice,

And lying there all nice and loose—

That’s okra!

It may be poor for eating chips with,

It may be hard to come to grips with,

But okra’s such a wholesome food

It straightens out your attitude.

“Mm!” is how discerning folk re-

Spond when they are served some okra.

Okra’s green,

Goes down with ease.

Forget cuisine

Say “Okra, please.”

From “Song to Okra” by Roy Blount, Jr.


Steamed Whole Okra with Tomato Gravy

• 1 tablespoon bacon drippings (you can substitute butter or olive oil if you must)• 1 tablespoon minced shallots or onion• 1 tablespoon fl our• ½ cup chicken broth, at least• 2 cups peeled, seeded, and diced fresh tomatoes with juice• ½ teaspoon salt• ⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper• 1-½ teaspoons minced fresh thyme• 1 tablespoon heavy cream• 1 pound small tender okra, washed and stem ends removed• 1 cup white rice, cooked Heat drippings in medium skillet over medium heat. Add shallots or onion and sauté, stirring constantly, until softened, about 40 seconds. Remove skillet from heat, add fl our, and stir until incorporated. Return to heat and cook, stirring constantly, for about 30 seconds.

Pour broth into skillet and stir vigorously or whisk until smooth. Reduce heat and simmer sauce until it’s almost a glaze. Add tomatoes and juice, increase heat to medium, and bring to a simmer. Cook until toma-toes soften slightly, about 5 minutes. Add more stock if sauce seems too thick. Add salt, cayenne, thyme, and cream, and continue to simmer for a few minutes. Remove from heat and keep warm.

Pour 1/3 cup water into a large skillet with a lid and bring to simmer over high heat. Add okra and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Cover and steam, shaking skillet fre-quently, until okra is bright green and tender, 3 to 4 minutes. Serve hot with tomato gravy over rice. Serves 4-ish, depending on the level of okra love. Th e gravy can also be served over chicken or pork chops.

Th e following recipe, my favorite, is one I found in the New

York Times, of all places. When Henry’s Yankee sister visited

us last summer, we discovered that not only had she never

eaten catfi sh, she had never eaten okra! I fi xed this for her,

and she loved it so much she took the recipe home with her.

I might even think about eating tofu with this tomato gravy.

Well, maybe not, since I won’t even eat tofu deep-fried. If

God had meant for me to eat tofu, God would have made

me Asian.

Th e trick to preparing okra is to squeeze every individual

pod when purchasing, preferably at a farmers’ market. It

should feel soft and springy rather than woody. For this rec-

ipe, look for okra about three inches long. I like to serve this

on Texmati, Jasmati, or any other white rice.

“Tanks over shirts trend in the ’90s”(EMILY H)

“Camoufl age”(KELSEY H)

“Plunging necklines—we all know what is there—you don’t have to show it off!”

(BOB R)

“The worst new trend is women shaving half of their head and leaving the other side long.”

(SAM S)

“Gauges—the thought of steadily stretching your earlobes is painful!”

(SCOOTER S)

“What is the worst fashion trend?”

“Wearing pants down below your kneesand showing off your underwear”

(JOANN L)

“Peep-toe boots!”(LISA G)

“Saggy Jeans—no one wantsto see your booty!"

(KRISTY G)

120 » back talk » Claire Stewart

“Lady Gaga’s meat dress was pretty awful. If you can geta food-borne illness from your outfi t, it’s a bad idea.”

(SKYE N)

“Leg warmers”(ELIZABETH T)

“Socks with high heels”(KAREN B)

“Bucket Hats”(ANTHONY C)

“Choker necklaces—they look morbid”(LUKE G)

“Jelly shoes are coming back in and they are terrible. They remind me of elementary school.”

(CAITLIN P)

“Earth Shoes that were popularin the ’60s”

(JILL H)


“White cross trainers with blue jeans—yuck!”

(CLIFTON C)

“Crimped hair and Ugg boots—even thoughI can admit I had a couple pairs of them!”

(EMILY J)

“Gaucho pants”(DANIELLA O)

“Harem pants—they are only appropriateon a fl ying carpet”

(JENNIFER M)

“I would say fanny packs, Crocs, and Old Navy American fl ag tees”

(EMILY A)

“Flip-fl ops are an awful fashion trend and they are bad for your feet!”

(GAIL R)

“Oversized athletic shorts that areso big they go to your ankles”

(DAVID T)

“Oversized shirts that look like dresses”(DEMI F)

“Bell-bottom pants”(VICKI K)

“Tiny men’s running shorts”(MORGAN K)

122 » parting shot » Sarah Brewer

BOTTOM OF THE NINTH: Th e Huntsville Stars, Joe Davis Stadium

No'Ala Huntsville, September/October 2014

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