belle april 2012

April 2012 FrEE

Mind Your Manners Behavior

Modification

FarMers’ MarketsWhere and

When to Shop

Garden Week in VirGiniaThe Boulevard Opens Doors

modern charm t h e s o u t h e r n i s s u e

sisterhood in Business

Richmond Helps Tanzania

april pleasantries

Culture and Pound Cake

NEW patiENt appoiNtmENts WithiN 24 hours

Eileen Kitces, MD, FAAD

Edward Kitces, MD, PhD, FAAD

Melissa Schwarzschild, MD, JD, FAAD

Victoria Gross, MD, FAAD

Margaret Terhune, MD, FAAD

Dr. Eileen Kitces: Named one of richmond’s top 3 Dermatologists

Sara Villalona, PA-C

Suzanne Peck, MD, FAAD

�scan this tag with phone to connect to RDS website!

riChmoND DErmatoLoGY & LasEr spECiaLists

Medical, Surgical and Cosmetic Dermatology

State-of-the-Art Laser Center

Fraxel Lasers • Chemical Peels • Dermal Fillers

Botox® • Customized Skin Care

Comprehensive Skin Cancer Evaluation & Treatment

9816 maYLaND Dr. riChmoND Va 23233

804.282.8510

aEsthEtiC CENtEr 804.285.2320

F o l l o w u s o n l i n e F o r updates and spec i a ls !

In celebration of 2012

Richmond Dermatology is pleased to offer Botox® Cosmetic for only $12.00 per unit!

Call us at 282.8510 today to make an appointment!

belle APRIL 2012 | 1 |

Style & SubStance 3Pottery pitcher from Robin Cage … Southern accessories for the home … generations of riders at Level Green … pop quiz with Allyson Steele … Ava Spece takes over at the Visual Arts Center … Southern beauty essentials. by Elizabeth JewettluSh life: Disco redux, silent blockbuster, Jersey guys and more mark April’s cultural bounty. by Karen Newton 8

perSonalitieS 9profile: Lalas symbolize an actual sisterhood of the traveling pants. by Karen Newton

body & Soul 11fitneSS: Jennifer Koch brings a holistic approach to better health. by Julie Geen

faShion cueS 12Southern spring fashion looks even better at the Wickham House downtown. by Lauren Healy and the Belle fashion team; photos by Scott Elmquist

feature 18Manners for the modern Ms. — a primer with an expert. by Melissa Scott Sinclair

artS and entertainment 21agenda: Where to go, what to listen to and what’s bookish this month. by Julie Geen, Elizabeth Jewett and Hilary Langford.

great taSte 22at home: Visit a Tuscan Villa during Historic Garden Week in Virginia. by Edwin Slipek 22an educated gueSt: Find the right farmers’ market for your seasonal pickings. by Ellie Basch 24food and drink: Pound cake, pickles and a pantry’s worth of Southernisms make a party. by Robey Martin 26

firSt perSon 28How a born here becomes a been there. by Valley Haggard

APRIL 2012On the cOver:Champagne silk wrap top by Krizia ($190) at Baggio; white slacks by Ecru ($144) at Lucky Lillibet in the Shops at 5807; vintage tan leather gloves ($22) at Halcyon Vintage; leather bag by Furla ($895) at Saks Fifth Avenue; vintage resin zodiac charm bracelet by Thea Grant ($144) at Ruby in the Shops at 5807; hand-carved cocoa bead necklace with fabric tassel by local artist Amie Cunningham for Thief and Bandit ($58) at ThiefandBandit.com. Photo by Scott Elmquist at the Valentine Richmond History Center, richmondhistorycenter.com.12

8

belle

Belle is published monthly and is free. One copy per person. Belle may be distributed by authorized distributors only. Style Weekly subscriptions are avail-able for $49 (third class mail) and $99 (first class mail). Style Weekly, 1313 E. Main St., Suite 103, Richmond, Va. 23219, 804-358-0825; General fax 804-358-1079; News fax 804-358-9089; Classified phone 804-358-2100; Classified fax 804-358-2163.

www.styleweekly.com E-mail: [email protected]

Copyright © by Style Weekly Inc. TM 2011 All rights reserved.

publiSher: Lori Collier [email protected]

editor in chief: Jason Roop [email protected]

editor: Deveron Timberlake

art director: Joel Smith

photography editor: Scott ElmquistfaShion editor: Lauren Healy

contributing WriterS:

Ellie BaschJulie Geen

Valley HaggardElizabeth JewettHilary Langford

Robey MartinKaren Newton

Melissa Scott Sinclair Edwin Slipek

copy editor: G.W. Poindexter

deputy managing editor:

Ed Harrington

SaleS and diStribution director:

Dana [email protected]

marketing, SponSorShipS & eventS:

Tonie Stevens

SaleS director:

Hannah Huber

Senior account eXecutive:

Toni McCracken

account eXecutiveS:

Gracie McGurn, Bethany Silva, Myra Watkins

SaleS aSSiStant:

Jennifer Waldbauer

advertiSing graphic artiStS:

Kira Jenkins, Chris Mason

adminiStration/buSineSS manager:

Chris Kwiatkowski

9

| 2 | APRIL 2012 belle

Tour proceeds fund the restoration and preservation of Virginia’s historic gardens.

Find tours and more at www.vagardenweek.org

House & Garden Tours Offered Statewide

April 21 - 28, 2012

HGW.GC.indd 1 2/14/12 11:40 AM

Northside: 804-514-4529 Eastend: 804-824-8781 Westend: 804-514-9258 Southside: 804-337-3307

call to book your appointment!

join the revolution tone, tighten, and firm wherever you choose*.

*And yes, it REALLY works! If it didn’t we’d have to change the name of the company!

check us out at your local book store! we are featured

in this month’s “success from home” magazine.

For more information visit www.SlimMyBodyNow.com

Knowing the signs of vascular disease can keep you in the

swing of things.

The recurring pain in your leg that slows you on the dance fl oor might be more than a cramp. It could be a warning sign of peripheral vascular disease. The VCU Baird Vascular Institute offers state-of-the-art diagnosis and treatment of vascular diseases and conditions.

NOW ACCEPTING APPOINTMENTS Call (804) 828-2600 to schedule an appointment. VCUvascular.com.

belle april 2012 | 3 |

southe

rn

po

ur

StylE&SubStancEhot products, new ventures and local discoveries. by elizabeth Jewett

photo by scott Elmquist

When it comes to home

design, Southerners like to

fuse old with new and rustic

with refined. This stoneware

pitcher from 43rd Street Gal-

lery owner, Robin Cage, is all

of those things. It’s that per-

fectly Southern home accent

– functional, beautiful and

straight from the earth. Keep

reading to find more South-

ern accents for the home.

Pitcher is $48 and available

at 43rd Street Gallery, 1410

W. 43rd St. 43rdstgallery.com.

| 4 | APril 2012 belle

Pop Quiz with allyson steele

photos by scott Elmquist

Allyson Mills Steele is a young mom, teacher, and on certain evenings, a Southern rock star.

As part of the Mills Family Band, whose trademark sound is a fusion of bluegrass, folk, jazz and soul, Steele has performed in venues around town, includ-ing the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts and Ashland Coffee and Tea. To find out more about this local singer, we asked Allyson to fill out Belle’s Pop Quiz.

1. Growing up I wanted to be a … Nurse, oceanogra-pher, writer and teacher. And a rock star of course.

2. In one word I would describe myself as … A mess. 3. I knew I had made it when … I’ll have

to get back to you when it happens.4. My inspiration comes from … My dear family. 5. I can’t live without my … Husband. He

keeps me together and always happy.6. My favorite Richmond hangout is …

Crossroads Coffee and Ice Cream.7. My obsession of the moment is …

“Downton Abbey.” And hanging with friends.8. My last meal on earth would be … The

scungilli and penne al Amatriciana from Edo’s Squid. In that order, please.

9. My guilty pleasure is … A venti Starbucks dark roast with whole milk and six raw sug-ars. I even go out of my way to the one with a drive-through. I am such a cliché.

10. The one item I would never leave home without is … My very outdated iPhone. I was teased by [Bill Bevins and Shelly Perkins] for looking up lyrics on it during a performance on Lite 98 last year.

anyone in Richmond who went through a horse-crazy phase as a child probably has warm memories of level Green Riding school. Call the school to-day, and you’ll still be greeted by the familiar Brit-ish accent of owner Pat Betts, answering from the stable, and likely be put on hold because a horse needs its supper. a Powhatan institution for the last 25 years, level Green also is a multigenerational family affair.

When British native Pat and her husband, Jon, settled on their 200-acre Powhatan property, they bought ponies for their three daughters, emily, Fio-na and yvonne. “It kind of grew slowly from there,” yvonne recalls. “they started to do lessons and then camps as well.” soon a full-fledged riding school was born, with youth and adult lessons, competitive rid-ing programs, boarding facilities, and a spring and summer day camp. For yvonne, childhood was about two things, she says: “school and horses.”

now grown with children, yvonne lives nearby and helps her parents run the school along with her two sisters. Many of the school’s first pupils send their children to level Green to learn how to ride english style, muck out stalls, and take care of animals sever-al times their size. “Quite often someone will call and say, ‘I used to ride many years ago, and now I’m look-ing for lessons for my daughter and son,’” yvonne says. “It’s really come full-circle.”

In 25 years the world outside of level Green’s rid-ing rings and wooded trails has changed, but yvonne sees one constant: “some kids seem to be born lov-ing everything about horses. they come to ride and they have horse shirts. everything in their rooms is horses. and that has not changed.” When asked if her children may one day carry on the level Green tradition, she takes a moment, then answers: “I hope so. I would never push my daughters to keep it going if they didn’t want to. But I hope so.”

Born to Ride

John and Pat Betts of Level Green Riding School in Powhatan stand with their daughters, Yvonne Holiday and Fiona Turner, who’s riding.

belle april 2012 | 5 |

For nearly 50 years, the Visual Arts Center of Richmond has served as a cornerstone for the local arts community, providing exhibition space, class-es and a diverse array of arts programs. Ava Spece stepped in as the new president and chief execu-tive of the organization March 1. Belle caught up with the former Washingtonian to talk about her new role.

belle: What were you doing before you came to the Visual Arts Center?

Spece: For the last seven years I was the execu-tive director of the D.C. Youth Orchestra Program. Even though it’s called the youth orchestra, it’s re-ally a K-12 music education program. The organiza-tion was in a quite a bit of need of attention opera-tionally, and so in the seven years I was there we accomplished a tremendous amount, everything from relocating the organization to repairing our relationship with a lot of funders.

What attracted you to a position with the Visual Arts Center?

The reason is connected to my mother, who is an artist, and who was an art teacher for many, many years, and still teaches, at age 77. A very big part of my spirit and who I am is connected to her and be-ing a visual artist even though my formal training was in music. The Visual Arts Center also certainly has a reputation that precedes it. Many, many people well outside of the Rich-mond area are familiar with the organization.

How do you envision your role with the organization?I’m here to lead the organization through its next stage of life. There are

many capable people, from board to staff to faculty, who are functioning in the organization and handling it very well and providing stellar services to the community. So that’s a joyous place for me to be able to walk into. There’s not a crisis. That doesn’t mean that there aren’t things that we want to look at, in terms of strategic goals for the organization. It’s important to refocus the or-ganization on what those big picture items are, getting through the current economic crisis in terms of things like funders and donors.

In your own words how would you describe the mission of the Visual Arts Center?

A community arts center is really in many ways a catalyst for what fires the community. Any community is really juiced and oiled by this creative econo-my that’s within it. A community arts center plays a significant role in keep-ing those fires burning and keeping that level of awareness and involvement by community members in the arts and in their environment. You can throw money at things that need to be revitalized, but until you add art to the recipe it doesn’t get where it needs to go.

For information about the Visual Arts Center of Richmond, including up-coming summer classes visit visarts.org or call 353-0094.

lavish apothecary owner amy Grigg knows a thing or two about a good beauty regimen. The old South may have been about hairspray and heavy makeup, but times have changed and natural beauty is the South’s best look. Here are amy’s suggestions for five beauty essentials every modern Southern woman should own.

1. Ellis Faas Skin Veil foundation and concealerFlawless coverage available in a vanity sized bottle or travel-perfect makeup pens.

2. Juliette Has a Gun, Not a Perfumeromano ricci, great-grandson of renowned perfume maker Nina ricci, produces a one-note wonder, perfect for the understated, sexy woman from the new South.

3. Zona Italian mesh spongeThis green tea-, lemon- or lavender-scented sponge is antibacterial. So say goodbye to moldy, mildewed, and smelly shower sponges.

4. Suki, Renewal Bio-Resurfacing facial peelCranberry glycolic and pumpkin enzymes deliver spa quality peel results at home.

5. Susan Posnick Cosmetics Dallas lipstickNamed for the city where she lives, Susan posnick’s perennial favorite is a pretty coral that looks good on every woman.

All items available at Lavish Apothecary, 5807 Patterson Ave., lavishapothecary.com.

VISuAl IMPACTst yle & substance

Southern BeAuty


| 6 | APril 2012 belle

st yle & substance

FInD It HERE: NGVA Wood Art 434-293-7525 kirkmccauley.comDana Gibson 6414 Horsepen road 321-0156 danagibson.comAlex Johnson Pottery alexjohnsonpottery.comGraham Redfern 467-9700 etsy.com/people/GrahamRedfernVirginia Historical Society 438 N. Boulevard 358-4901 vahistorical.org43rd Street Gallery 1410 W. 43rd St. 233-1758 43rdstgallery.com

Cardinal salt and pepper shakers, $12.95 eachVirginia Historical Society

Kitchen herb garden with Mason jars and chalkboard, $118. Graham Redfern

Petroglyph jar, $225Alex Johnson Pottery

Green peony lumbar pillow, $165Dana Gibson

Wastebasket, $85Dana Gibson

dress this HOUSEQuirky, functional, and effortlessly stylish local accents fit in any Southern home.


Monticello tulip-poplar bowlNGVA Wood Art by Kirk McCauleyCrafted of a tree thought to have been planted by Jefferson. $1,050.

belle APRIL 2012 | 7 |SHORT PUMP TOWN CENTER | 804.285.3473

THE VILLAGE at TOWNE CENTRE in Fredericksburg | 540.736.8600

T h e U lT i m aT e S h o e e x p e r i e n c e

50%Off

Shoes • BootsHandbags

Men, Women and Children, take

50% off our largest selection ever.

And everything in the Back Room is

now 60% and 70% off.

Starts TodayExtra 10% ends Jan. 22nd

Take an extra 10% offall sale prices

2534946-01

SHORT PUMP TOWN CENTER | 804.285.3473THE VILLAGE at TOWNE CENTRE in Fredericksburg | 540.736.8600

T h e U lT i m aT e S h o e e x p e r i e n c e

50%Off

Shoes • BootsHandbags

Men, Women and Children, take

50% off our largest selection ever.

And everything in the Back Room is

now 60% and 70% off.

Starts TodayExtra 10% ends Jan. 22nd

Take an extra 10% offall sale prices

2534946-01

Saxon...All About New!!

Diba Jessica SimpsonJack Rogers

Sam EdelmanEric MichaelsMichael Kors

See these and so many more new shoes, sandals and bags for Spring 2012. All at Saxon Shoes.

4915 Caskie St. • Richmondthairapyonline.com

CLASSIC, TRENDY, ECLECTIC, A LITTLE ROCK AND ROLL OR COUNTRY?

Let Lulu help you create a look that is all you.

Lulu Luxuries | www.lululuxuries.com


Bard in the trailer park and Abba remembered: It’s a curious April in Richmond.

Even if you’ve been hibernating all winter, there are too many good rea-sons to get out this month to let a little rain slow you down.

Start with music, preferably some Jersey boys. Real Estate, the buzz band from the Garden State, plays Strange Matter on

April 5 at 8 p.m. Critics call their sound 21st-century Beach Boys meets East Coast suburbia,

so getting to hear them in a small venue is going to be a treat. The infectious pop of Australia’s the

Twerps will open the night of sheer pop bliss. Park once and party twice by having dinner or dessert at

Panama. The selection of house-made pies and cakes is unparalleled in Richmond. Just don’t linger, because the

show is sure to be packed. strangematterrva.com.

If you’ve never seen a silent movie with live music, start now. As the kickoff for the James River Film Festival, the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts will hold a screening of “Battleship Potemkin” with live music by Goldrush, a local band as devoted to Beethoven as the Beatles. It’s Friday, April 6, at 6:30 p.m. in the Leslie Cheek Theater. For more than eight decades, Sergei Eisenstein’s powerful 1925 tour de force of cinematic technique has remained the most influential silent film of all time. The movie’s just over an hour long, so you’ll have plenty of time to head upstairs to the Best Café for discounted beverages and a nosh over-looking the reflecting pool afterward. vmfa.state.va.us/calendar.

If you think Shakespeare is too high-brow, lower your expectations. On April 10 at 7:30 p.m. at CenterStage, you can catch a staged reading of “Shakespeare in the Trailer Park,” which promises to be anything but a traditional take on the Bard. It’s a reading, not a full production, and I’m guessing the iambic pentameter also will go out the window with hilarity. If you care to make an evening of it, first stop by Pasture, two blocks from the theater, for some Southern small plates in one of Richmond’s newest and hippest hangouts. They’re pros at getting you out by curtain time.

One of the great guilty-pleasure bands of all time is Swedish group Abba. Its music continues to entertain dancing queens of all sorts. Mark your calendar for April 13 at 8 p.m. at the Cultural Arts Center at Glen Allen, where you can hear the Richmond Men’s Chorus performing “ExtrAbbaganza: the Music of Abba,” as close to a trip back to the ’70s as you could wish for. monumentcitymusic.org.

April is shaping up to be all kinds of fun and I didn’t even mention Eas-ter on Parade, that Monument Avenue march of overdressed pooches, gown-bedecked drag queens and the silliest hats of the year. You’d be a fool to miss so many good times in Rich-mond this month.

Karen Newton blogs about almost everything she does at icouldgoonandon.blogspot.com.

Lush LifeBY KAREn nEwTOn

Dancing queens get moving with Abba in Glen Allen.

Real Estate moves into Strange Matter for a show April 5.

“Battleship Potemkin” inspires a live musical score at VMFA.

Almond cake with apricot filling is featured at Ipanema Cafe.

photo by SCott ELMQUISt


personalities p r o f i l e

It’s a sisterhood that extends almost 8,000 miles.Seven of the women live in Richmond and

the other four in Tanzania. Some have met their sisters and others know them only from

pictures.Dadas & Design is a nonprofit social enterprise

created by Susan Books, Suzanne Johnson, San-dra Whitfield, Cindy Wofford, Polly Wrinkle, Bar-bara Parker and Lois Biddison as an outgrowth of St. Paul’s Episcopal Church’s participation in an educational program in the village of Mwitikira in Tanzania. Dadas means sisters in Swahili.

After some of the women visited the village to bring gifts of food, they were approached by a group of local women about how they might find ways to earn enough money to feed their families and provide basic health care and educational op-portunities for their children.

“There were seven of us interested enough to give over our time,” Brooks says about figuring out the concept for Dadas & Design. “It’s not our goal to be business people; the goal is for them to be business people. We opened the channels for them to make a living.”

In a village with no electricity or running water, the four Tanzanian women formed a sewing co-op to make their first product, LaLas — drawstring

lounge pants made from two different colorful, boldly-patterned Tanzanian fabrics. The name comes from the Swahili phrase “lala salama,” which means to sleep peacefully.

The first shipment of 100 sold out by Christmas and another order of 250 was placed with the women. “We refer to them as artisans, not seamstresses. It’s not charity,” Johnson says. “It’s two groups of women with complementary skills and shared goals.”

The process for the village women to create the LaLas is a protracted one. The women must take a long, bumpy bus ride on an unpaved road into the city to purchase the fabric, which must then be washed repeatedly to make it softer. Water must be pumped by hand and hauled on their heads to wash the fabric the necessary three times and dried on outdoor lines. It is then ironed using a coal iron before being cut out in patterns.

The four women then use old-fashioned treadle sewing machines to craft the garments that are put on a local bus to be taken to a plane for transport to the United States. It’s quite a process on both sides of the globe. “We have a sense of making a dent in the world,” Whitfield says. “The women are so very

different than us and yet similar. We identify with them. We’ve worked hard in our times; we’ve had dreams. We will do anything to make this work, but their attitude is ‘We thank you for the work.’”

The women’s goal is to establish sustainable development. Drought is a constant in Tanzania and its residents rely on sub-sistence farming, so an economic plan based on hand-sewn exports promises the women a future the land cannot. “Adding the equivalent of $300 a year to a family’s income over there sub-stantially changes the quality of life in their village,” Brooks explains. “What seems like an insufficient amount of

money here is huge there.”The women here agree that the future of the

partnership is assured because of the strength of character of the village women, their dedication to hard work and the fact that the business builds on the women’s strengths. They’re considering sarongs and bags as potential future products. These two groups of sisters’ belief that they are all in it for the long haul is summed up with the Dadas & Design philosophy: Together we create.

For information, see dadasanddesign.org.

Traveling PantsBy KAREn nEWTonRichmond women connect with artisans in Tanzania.

of the Sisterhood

ph

oto

by

AS

h D

AN

IEL

Lois Biddison, Susan Brooks, Sandra Whit-field, Polly Wrinkle and Cindy Wofford meet to discuss ideas for Dadas & Design, a collab-orative with crafts-women in Tanzania.

Prepare to be pampered at CinéBistro at Stony Point Fashion Park…the local

Richmond hotspot featuring a world-class “dinner-and-a-movie” experience unlike any other.

CinéBistro at Stony Point Fashion Park offers luxury amenities such as reserved seating in cozy, over-sized leather rocking chairs, in-theatre, full-service dining and state-of-the-art movie viewing including all-digital projection.

Check out the scene at CinéBistro’s outdoor patio and savor Chef-prepared

American Bistro cuisine. Comparable to other � ne dining restaurants, CinéBistro provides a wide variety of options that can be enjoyed even if you are not attending a � lm. Seasonal menu items are made from scratch each day, using only

the � nest and freshest ingredients available. Enjoy exquisite CinéBistro fare at lunch, dinner, and for pre- and post-show dining.

Designed exclusively for adults 21 and older, CinéBistro guests are welcomed into a stylishly appointed lounge to sample a full assortment of wines from around the world, premium draft and bottle beers, and house specialty drinks. And an intimate indoor bar is just the right setting to unwind, relax, meet new people and socialize with friends.

S P E C I A L A D V E RT I S E M E N T

Richmond’s Best Entertainment Experience is CinéBistroEnjoy Patio Dining and Cocktails All Season Long

STONY POINT FASHION PARK

9200 Stony Point Parkway, Suite 101, Richmond, VA 23235

804.864.0460 | www.CobbCineBistro.com | 21 and over. Proper ID required.GET SOCIAL

SCAN FOR A VIDEO TOUR

Savor our Sesame Seared Tuna with ripe avocado, crispy cucumbers and carrots, tomatoes, � eld greens and ginger-lime dressing.

In-theatre dining – for in-theatre service, you must arrive 30 minutes before showtime.

belle ● APRIL 2012 | 11 |

body & soul f i t n e s s

When I meet with health and nutrition coach Jennifer Koch, I expect to come away with a diet plan or a list of things to eat or not eat. But instead she lifts the lid off the Pandora’s

Box of reasons I can’t maintain healthy habits. Oh, dear. A diet plan would have been so much easier. I could have moved it around on my desk for a few weeks before recycling it.

“People know the basics of being healthy,” Koch says, “so a lot of my work is looking at the emotional reasons.” Trained and certified by the Institute for Integrated Nutrition, Koch learned more than 100 dietary theories — Atkins, Ayurveda and others. Her goal is to help her clients navigate the morass of information to find a comfortable, healthy life-style based on their individual needs.

“So many people ask me for a plan,” Koch says. “Diets don’t work. It’s on someone else’s terms.” Instead, after a free consultation, she works with her clients in 50-minute sessions for six months to change their habits. “I look at what they’re do-ing now,” she says. “I look at everything. Eating, exercise, sleep, what they ate as a child, what their family history is, the atlas of their health and what they’re doing. There’s so many factors that

play into what kind of food you like and what you should be eating. I can help you find that.”

Koch, 25, named her business after her motto, “Eat well and adventure often,” which describes her life. She majored in business and marketing at Virginia Commonwealth University, but after a stint with the Department of Agriculture, she switched it all up. In 2010 through CouchSurf-ing.org, she traveled the world by herself, visit-ing more than 15 countries. When she returned,

she considered volunteering overseas. A friend suggested she help Americans become healthier. “My friend told me my country needs me more than any-

where else,” Koch says. “I really took it to heart.”Normally I don’t trust people who don’t have

sugar in the house, but Koch cracks me right open with her nonjudgmental approach and a glass of delicious kale, orange, apple, carrot and celery juice with a twist of lime. She doesn’t try to make me stop drinking coffee or take away my bacon. In-stead, I come to the conclusion that, because of my extreme, addictive personality, I end up with all-or-nothing exercise and eating patterns. I’m either training for a 5-kilometer race and eating candy, or sedentary with spinach salads.

“You don’t have to become a super crazy healthy

person who never does anything wrong,” she says. “Perhaps that’s not sustainable for you. You can be healthy, but you don’t have to be perfect. You have to be in a place where you can enjoy and maintain your lifestyle. You can create a lifestyle that is fun and feels good.”

Her work is based on a holistic approach. One of the concepts trademarked by the Institute for Inte-grative Nutrition is called primary food. “It’s your relationships, your career and your spirituality and your physical activity,” she says. “And it says that those pieces are more important than the secondary fuel, which is what you actually put on your plate. It’s so true. You can’t tell people to eat healthier if their life is out of balance. Or they are going through something stressful and traumatic. If they are un-happy in some way, they have to get that aligned first and then they will want to be a more healthy person.”

Koch, who calls herself a rebel, suggests that I “say no to anyone who is going to tell you how to live your life or how you should eat. You design your own life.” And with her help, I get a glimmer of just how that might include bacon, spinach sal-ads, a 5-K — and even candy, once in a while.

For information or to contact Jennifer Koch, go to eatwelladventureoften.com.

The Little ThingsPut health first without following the pack. BY JULIE GEEN

Healthy Tips from Jennifer Koch1. Find an exercise that you love and can stick with. Richmond has so much to offer: outdoor sports groups, dance studios, yoga, beautiful places to walk and bike.

2. Set attainable goals. It would be better to set a goal of doing something two times a week and accomplish it than to set a goal of five times a week and not do it and quit.

3. Add one dark green vegetable to your day.

4. Treat yourself well. Do one thing a day that you love. Facebook doesn’t count.

5. If you feel you don’t have time to take care of yourself, read a book on time management. If something is important to you, you won’t miss it no matter what.

6. Look at your negative self-talk and the mindset you may have because of your past experiences. Work with a counselor or health coach to dig for the reasons you aren’t taking care of yourself.

ph

oto

by

SC

ot

t E

LMQ

UIS

t

Jennifer Koch uses a holistic approach to health and fitness.


Pastels and tailoring give classical tones to the modern lady’s wardrobe.

Pink dress by Tibi ($440) at Levys; hammered brass collar necklace by lo-cal artist Christine Young for Young Frankk ($124) at Need Supply Co.; beige leather and gold costume bangles by Chanel ($1350) at Saks Fifth Avenue.


southern charm

FAShioN ediTor Lauren Healy

PhoToGrAPher Scott Elmquist

FAShioN ASSiSTANT Ashley Carruthers

MAkeuP Jonye Cordova of JonyegirlFaces

hAir Emily Hudspeth

hair design & makeup artist

ModeL Melanie Blankenship of Modelogic

LoCATioN The Valentine Richmond History Center

1015 E. Clay St., richmondhistorycenter.com


Fashion cues f e a t u r e

Silk floral dress as blouse by Amanda Uprichard ($216) and costume earrings by Murphy ($38) at Wardrobe; 1980s pistachio skirt by Rina Rossi ($20) at Halcyon Vintage; costume vintage bracelet ($35) at Verve in the Shops at 5807; cream stamped ostrich belt ($114) at Pink; turquoise costume ring ($18) at Bliss at 5812; light turquoise snakeskin bag by Chanel ($2900) at Saks Fifth Avenue.


| 14 | APRIL 2012 belle| 14 | DECEmbER 2011/jAnuARy 2012 belle

Retro-inspired red party dress by BB Dakota ($96) at Need Supply Co.; carnival glitter party shoes ($275) at Pink; two-toned multicolored 18-karat diamond cuff bracelet, genuine coral, sapphires, rubies, lapis, jade, turquoise and diamonds with a 14 mm white South Sea pearl ($70,000) at Diamond Concepts.

White trench coat by Juicy Couture ($398) at Levys; blue and pink floral silk chiffon scarf ($195) at Saks Fifth Avenue; orange skirt by Carole Little for Saint Tropez West ($24) and vintage brass bug brooch ($48) both at Halcyon Vintage; coral and gold leather belt by Escada ($120) at Baggio; coral costume earrings by Kenneth Jay Lane ($80) at Monkees; silver block heel by Sam Edel-man ($140) at Scarpa in Frances Kahn.




Bright yellow jacket by Alice + Olivia ($396) and creamy patent platform by Yves Saint Laurent ($795) at Saks Fifth Avenue; floral pastel earrings ($45) at Frill Seekers and vintage good luck elephant necklace ($20) at Verve in the Shops at 5807; lace dress with yellow piping at hem by Juicy Couture ($298) at Levys; cream stamped ostrich belt ($114) at Pink.




Silk pastel, floral, short-sleeve cardigan by Hermes ($460) at Baggio; oversized costume pearls by Anne Klein ($28) at Halcyon Vintage; lemon sleeveless silk dress by Rebecca Taylor ($335) and iridescent heavy chain bracelet ($1,400) all at Saks Fifth Avenue; floral metal cuff by Kendra Scott ($92) at Wardrobe.

Baggio 9734 Gayton Road 754-1164 baggioconsignment.com Bliss at 5812 5812½ Grove Ave. 440-9025 Halcyon Vintage 117 N. Robinson St. 358-1311 halcyonvintage.com Levys 5807 Grove Ave. 673-0177 Monkees 11709 W. Broad St. 360-4660 monkeesofrichmond.com Need Supply Co.

3100 W. Cary St. 767-1825 needsupply.com Pink 3158 W. Cary St. 358-0884 pinkstore.com Saks Fifth Avenue Stony Point Fashion Park 9214 Stony Point Parkway 320-6960 saks.com Saxon Short Pump Town Center 11800 W. Broad St. 285-3473 saxonshoes.com Scarpa in Frances Kahn 6229 River Road 434-989-8407 thinkscarpa.com Shops at 5807 5807 Patterson Ave. 288-5807 shops5807.com Thief & Bandit by Amie Cunningham thiefandbandit.com Urban Outfitters Short Pump Town Center 11805 W. Broad St. 364-5216 urbanoutfitters.com Wardrobe 1322 Gaskins Road 397-5021 wardroberichmond.com Young Frankk by Christine Young facebook.com/youngfrankkjewelry

find it HErE:


New Life iN a 200-Year-OLd HOuse

To mark the 200th anniversary of the Valentine-Wickham House, a series of public programs and events focuses on this National Historic Landmark and on Richmond in the early 19th century. During this 16-month celebration the Valentine Richmond History Center will review the house’s 1980s restoration and encourage discussions within the community about the future of house museums.

Events include these and others:New 1812 public tour: Beginning April

1, a new public tour places the Wickham household within a larger social, economic and political context. With information on the War of 1812, the Richmond Theatre fire, the architecture of Robert Mills and Alexander Parris, and the diversity of early 19th-century Richmond, the tour establishes the architecture of the Wickham House as a physical expression of the aspirations and contradictions of early national history.

VCu collaboration: Faculty and students from the Virginia Commonwealth University School of the Arts will create within the rooms of the Wickham House site-specific work inspired and informed by its architecture and history. Three rotations of exhibitions beginning in late September will respond to the house in media including fashion, fiber arts, interior design, sculpture and other disciplines.

rooms reconsidered: Lynne Hastings will review the furnishings of the Wickham House to develop new approaches to the period interiors and make greater use of materials from the Valentine collections.

Visitors also can enjoy very-Richmond luncheon fare from Sally Bell’s Kitchen, which operates a second location at the downtown museum, and find gifts and mementos in the museum shop. For information, see richmondhistorycenter.com.

from the Valentine richmond History Center's significant collection of apparel, these springtime items show timeless appeal. Clockwise from top: 1900s chiffon parasol; 1948 straw hat with grosgrain ribbon; 1950 green satin platform heels from Mrs. Virginia Clark Taylor; 1952 sara sue taffeta and felt hat; 1925 embroidered silk shawl with fringe.

| 18 | APRIL 2012 ● belle

feature

Good GraciousSouthern manners for modern conundrums.

IntervIewed by MelIssa scott sInclaIr

In these days of Facebook fighting, statehouse sniping and plenty of plain ol’ nastiness, south-ern courtesy can be hard to find.

but Jacquelyn small thomas is an optimist. “I believe, overall, I think we are trying to come back to the civility,” she says. “we have just become very rude,” she adds — “and we need to stop it.”

thomas teaches politeness for a living. a Flori-da native, she’s owner and director of the etiquette and Protocol school in richmond. she received her training at the Protocol school of washing-ton and has been an assistant principal, guidance counselor, adjunct college professor and day-care

center owner.southern manners aren’t just about yes-ma’am-

ing and the placement of iced-tea glasses, thomas says. “It’s being gracious and treating someone like you would wish to be treated. and being aware of others, your surroundings, and other people’s feelings.” we put her to the test by asking how a modern southern woman deals with perplexing situations.

You find out that a dear friend has been saying nasty things about you on Facebook.

I don’t know that I would necessarily respond

even on Facebook. I think I would either call the person, or I would just send a little note. and why I’m saying that: because Facebook is going nowhere. you know what I’m saying? It’s there for life. so why are you trying to fight this battle openly?

I think that at that point. … you need to make contact, direct contact with the person. and just say, very graciously and very nicely: “I’m not sure what you meant. I’m sure that all those things that you said, you probably … hadn’t given it real thought or consideration. but I really would like to talk with you about it.”

You’re at a family gathering, and your grandfa-ther uses a racial slur.

you don’t have to be confrontational, but I do believe that any time anybody makes a racial slur, or something in terms of a person’s religion or eth-

nicity, it needs to be addressed. I don’t think you should just pass it up. I’m dead, dead set against that. … but start off saying, “I heard what you said” — which hopefully calms the waters — “However, I take issue,

I don’t quite agree with that, I think we need to look at that in a different light.” and hopefully, that at least makes the person think. because you know, people will say things because they’ve al-ways said it.

Another family gathering question: How do you respond to relatives’ too-personal questions?

“why haven’t you gotten married? why haven’t you guys had a baby?” well you know, my re-sponse to them is this: “you know what? I will let you know when it happens.” they have no re-course. think about what I just said. … and you say it in such a way, you’ve already closed the con-versation.

this is your body, this is your life — you don’t al-low other people to control you. I feel very strong-ly about that. sometimes you’re in dilemmas because you allow people to let you get in those dilemmas. but if you can remember that you’re in control here, and that’s the way it is, you don’t have to be rude. you don’t have to be ugly. you don’t have to be confrontational.

look. don’t dread going. Go. and enjoy it. … you have your answer ready. “when are you guys having a baby?” “I’ll be sure to let you know.” Pe-riod. you don’t owe anyone any explanation. and you’re still being gracious.

You find out through the grapevine that your friend’s husband has been arrested for drunk driving.

I think it depends on the closeness of the rela-tionship. If it’s your closest friend, I think you can just very nicely, without even addressing the ac-tual situation, say to the person: “I’m right here for you. If you need to talk, I will be happy to listen.”

Unless that person is really, really close to you, I think I would allow that person to come to me. … some people are very, very private. although they may know that you know what has happened, they are not ready to discuss it. so I think it really depends on the relationship. … I would just say, “If we need to talk, please know that I’ll always be here to listen.” and let it go.

ph

oto

by

SC

ot

t E

LMQ

UIS

t

Jacquelyn Small Thomas is owner and director of an etiquette and protocol school in Richmond.


TWO GREAT OPTIONS TO GET BIKINI READY,

1 treatment

1 hour*1size smaller*

After

3 months post singletreatement

Before

Reclaim the real you.

ase of C oolsculpting.® Valid until 11/1/11

Before After

Bring your “ sexy” back with Coo lSculpting,a revolutionary contouring t reatment that

fre eze s s tubb orn f at c el ls in exercise-resistant areas, a nd naturally eliminates them

without s urgery o r d owntime.

C all u s to day t o s ched ule y our f ree co nsultat ion.(804) 2 90 -0909

8/15/11 4:01:21 PM

8/15/11 4:01:21 PM

8/15/11 4:01:21 PM

ase of C oolsculpting.® Valid until 11/1/11

Before After

Bring your “ sexy” back with Coo lSculpting,a revolutionary contouring t reatment that

fre eze s s tubb orn f at c el ls in exercise-resistant areas, a nd naturally eliminates them

without s urgery o r d owntime.

C all u s to day t o s ched ule y our f ree co nsultat ion.(804) 2 90 -0909

Photos courtesy Zeltiq Corporation

ONE CLEAR CHOICE...

Burton M. Sundin, MD& Reps B. Sundin, MD

Virginia’s leaders in non-invasive body sculpting.

Virginia Institute of Plastic Surgery7611 Forest Avenue, Suite 210, Richmond, Virginia, 23229(804) 290.0909 • www.DrSundin.com

Join us for our special

event, April 26, and learn howto Slim Down

Without Surgery Free consults, Refreshments,

Special promotional pricing for new

patients.

Limited Space.Call today to reserve

your spot!

Scan code to see CoolSculpting and Liposonix videos at www.DrSundin.com.

LOOK WHAT THE ORECK LEFT BEHIND

AND WE’RE NOT TALKINGABOUT A FREE IRON.

Willett Vacuum8422 W.Broad St.

(Intersection of Skipwith and Broad)

270-1714 | www.willettvac.com

Superior style, service and selection with Richmond’s vacuum specialists.

Willett Vacuum is Central Virginia’s original authorized dealer of new Riccar vacuum cleaners. Family owned and operated since 1968!

Red Carpet Ribbon Cutting: 10:30am • Doors Open: 10:45amFirst 50 Give-Away: � e � rst 50 visitors will receive a free gi� !

GRAND OPENING CELEBRATION7-9pm at bonvenu

2915 West Cary Street in Carytown Open to the public, come celebrate with us!

In the Heart of Carytown! 3004-B West Cary Street | Richmond, VA 23221

Tues-Sat 11am-7pm | Sunday 12-5pm | Monday closed

GRAND OPENING! THURSDAY, APRIL 12TH

Go to richmondcenterstage.com/singleinthecity for tickets and a sneak peek at date packages and who’s up for bid or call Ben at 804.592.3370.

TickeTs: $30per person in advance ($35 at the door)

ViP TickeTs: $60 include premium auction seating, hors d’oeuvres and an open-bar reception

single incitythe

MAY19saturday

20126:30PM

Richmond CenterStageRhythm Hall600 E. Grace Street

Love isn’t for sale, but Hot Dates Are!Support Richmond CenterStage’s Education & Artistic Programs by placing your bids on amazing date packages with the city’s top bachelors and bachelorettes. Master of Ceremonies: Jason Roop, Editor in Chief of STYLE WEEKLY.

Present

Platinum Sponsor: Media Sponsors:

12CSF3077_BelleAd_ƒ2.indd 1 3/22/12 11:49 AM

AGEndA

belle April 2012 | 21 |

Sound & Fury “I stomp my feet a lot when I play,” Christopher Paul Stelling says. It’s no surprise that this New Yorker can’t stand still when belting out rousing songs from his debut album, “Songs of Praise and Scorn” (Mecca Lecca Recording Co.). Rooted in pastoral themes, Stelling’s lyrics recall early Dylan and a touch of Southern Gothic, a la William Faulkner. Salt-of-the-earth folks, broken birds and watery graves show up among fiery string pick-ing, and Stelling’s delicate but sturdy vocals soar. For those looking to have their souls stirred, Stelling is your man.

oF a Feather Bowerbirds are known for their unique courtship rituals, so it’s fitting that a band of the same name began when two Raleigh, N.C., Whole Foods workers agreed on a date behind the store’s dumpster. Philip Moore and Beth Tacular fell in love and made beautiful music thereafter, but not without a relationship snag that inspired their latest album, “the Clearing” (Dead Oceans). Sunshiny strums and uplifting melodies traipse lush soundscapes, and hopeful words suggest the idyllic couple has moved beyond its troubles.

roBBinS’ StarIt isn’t often Richmond gets a theater world premiere. Catch this one, “Scorched earth,” at Barksdale Willow Lawn, adapted by Richmond’s David L. Robbins from his best-selling novel. April 13-May 20. Tickets are $19-$38. For a sched-ule and information visit barksdalerichmond.org.

run unCovered Get your floral dresses, big hats and coolers of champagne ready and head to Charlottesville for the annual Foxfield Spring races on April 28. Event tickets are $40, parking is $30. For information visit foxfieldraces.com or call 434-293-9501.

Love FieLdSIn “the Pioneer Woman: Black heels to tractor Wheels – a Love Story,” Ree Drummond dishes up a romance memoir as sweet and comforting as the cinnamon rolls that helped turn her blog into a Food Network show. Included in the story of how she ended up married to a cowboy are tornadoes, cow patties, an enormous wedding and postpartum mayhem. (William Morrow Paperbacks, $14.99.)

a hard PaSt“the diary of a Southern Lady” is in fact the tran-scribed diary of one Georgina Francis Barrett Devlin, and covers the years between 1852 and 1912. Edited by her great-great-granddaughter Katharine Jones, it includes the harrowing experiences of hiding in the woods from Union soldiers along with the housewife minutiae of the day. (CreateSpace, $14.99.)

SoundS oF ShadroCkSo-Cal’s quintessentially rad dum dum Girls will bring their twitter-pated drums and washed out guitars to Brown’s Island as part of Style Weekly’s Shadrock Music Festival. The formidable eight-band lineup includes seminal hip-hop granddaddies De La Sol with a mixture of national and Virginia performers. April 28, noon-11 p.m. Tickets $35. Shadrockmusicfest.com.

C O M P I L E D B Y JULIE GEEN, ELIzABETh JEWETT AND

hILARY LANGFORD

| 22 | APRIL 2012 ● belle

GREAT TASTE a t h o m e

It’s difficult to pinpoint when Richmond fell out of love with the Boulevard, but by the early 1970s this once-grand concourse mostly was a throughway linking North Side and the Nickel

Bridge. Once-proud old mansions were boarding houses; apartment buildings were dilapidated; and sidewalks showed only the rare grace notes of picturesque flower vendors.

But the Boulevard has enjoyed a renaissance in recent years through the efforts of private devel-opers and homeowners and with showy expansions at the Virginia Historical Society and the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts. So, like Cinderella against all odds making it to the ball, this year the Boule-vard is a feature of this long-running and highly regarded annual statewide house and garden tour. Those taking the Boulevard tour on April 24, which is co-sponsored by the Garden Clubs of Richmond and the Historic Richmond Founda-tion, will see an array of architectural styles and interior décor.

Lending a decidedly continental air to the tour is a condominium in the three-storied Tuscan Villas.

Built in the 1920s between Park and Kensington av-enues, the complex evokes the architectural spirit of Southern California with its sand-colored exte-rior stucco walls and Moorish detailing. The first-floor unit belonging to William Clements and How-ard Wells will be open; they moved here five years ago in an effort to downsize.

“Although this was much smaller,” Wells, an interior decorator, says of the one-bedroom apartment, “I thought, ‘We can make this work.’” Wells’ strong suit is putting a lot of stuff in a small space. Guests probably will agree. But the tidy sense of order suggests that a great deal of thought was given the placement of each object. “I am a decorator, but we never have decorated this place,” Wells says.

Passing through a generously planted court-yard and through a small entrance hall, you en-ter the large front room that serves as the dining room. The space is dominated by a huge, 19th-century German sideboard purchased at auction, placed beneath an elaborate mirror salvaged from a Franklin Street house.

Most of the interior doors were removed, and a large opening connects the dining and living rooms. “Our world is in this room,” Wells says. “In the morning the room is washed in light.” There are bookshelves that reach the ceiling, a television

is hidden in a credenza and a laptop computer usually rests on the tradi-tional Kittinger desk.

Collections of religious artifacts are placed discreetly throughout the space. Crucifixes hang in the dining

and living rooms, and there’s a particularly old ex-ample in the library passageway. But this is a de-cidedly contemporary home for real living. “This is not about a design statement,” says Wells, who acknowledges being tickled but chagrined about opening his home for the prestigious house tour. “It’s our home. We clearly live in it.”

For information about the annual tour, the other homes on the Boulevard and the statewide mis-sion of historic garden restoration, see vagarden-week.org.

Warm WelcomeGarden Week in Virginia comes to the Boulevard. By EdWIN SLIPEK

Ph

oto

by

SC

ot

t E

LMQ

UIS

t

Although Howard Wells is a designer, he says has never decorated his condo in the Tuscan Villas.


RICHMOND’S BEST ENTERTAINMENT EXPERIENCE!

movies | in-theatre dining | drinks | corporate and private events

THE PERFECT GIFT!Gift Cards are available for purchase online or at the theatre. GIFT CARD

STONY POINT FASHION PARK

9200 Stony Point Parkway, Suite 101, Richmond, VA 23235

804.864.0460 | www.CobbCineBistro.com | 21 and over. Proper ID required.

GET SOCIAL

SCAN FOR A VIDEO TOUR

ENJOY PATIO DINING–SUMMER MENU COMING SOON!

Sycamore Sq Shopping Ctr | 1225 Sycamore SquareMidlothian VA, 23113 | 804-897-CHIC (2442) | Mon–Fri 10–7 • Sat 10-6 • Sun 1–5

ItsChicAgain.com

Upscale Consignment | New fun fashions arriving daily…Where Thrifty is the New Envy.©

It ’s ChicAgain!

Color is in the bag this spring!

SPONSORED BY

New MaNchester District 320 hull street, rVa 23224

saVe the DaysaturDayapril 2112:00–7:00 pM

PRODUCED BY

actiVitiesEco-Friendly Vendors

& Exhibits

Sustainable Activities for Kids

Outdoor Gear Swap

Art Exhibitions & Workshops

Flood Wall Climb

Live Local Music


For the past two years, during the warmer months, there’s been a well-oiled routine in the Basch household. Every Saturday morning by 7, the husband, the dog and I drive across the Nickel

Bridge, take a left onto New Kent and head down to Forest Hill Park to snag one of the coveted parking spots by the South of the James Market. Not too close to the entrance, not too far from the exit gate.

By 7 a.m. the market bustles with vendors setting up tents and tables. Farmers unload crates of color-ful vegetables and fruit for displays, bakers arrange their breads and pastries, artists hang their paintings, jewelry and wood carvings. Food carts and trucks fla-vor the still-cool air with sautéed veggies and roasted meats and the aroma of fresh-brewed coffee wishes us a good morning. The market won’t open for another hour.

That gives us plenty of time to run the buttermilk trails and whet our appetites. By the time we finish our run, usually around 8:30, more than half of the park-ing lot is full of cars. We give the dog some water while we change into clean shirts and sanitize our hands. There are delicious edibles waiting. Armed with reus-able grocery bags and greenbacks, we set out to find ourselves a well-earned breakfast.

Choices are plentiful: Cielito Lindo’s breakfast bur-ritos, Granny O’s sticky buns, Nate’s tacos (not sure if he’ll be there this year), coffee from Crossroads, Blanchard’s or Koralee, freshly squeezed limeades, lemonades and iced teas, Rowland’s fava bean cake, Bernie’s lemon bars, Phal’s egg rolls, Belmont Butch-ery’s meaty sandwiches, Pizza Tonight’s pies, along with barbecue, pastries, vegetarian dishes, gluten-free

breads, sourdough donuts, and dozens more vendors we have yet to check out.

After we fill up, including the dog, we shop for a half-week’s supply of groceries. We pick up our CSA shares to see what veggies we get in the bags, then we shop for other items such as bread, fresh pasta, local seafood, meat, honey, cheeses, flowers or plants for the garden in progress. We take our time, listening to live music, watching children get their faces painted, checking out the nonprofit causes, seeking handmade gifts, saying hello and catching up with friends, discussing the crops with farmers and vendors, letting the dog sniff and be sniffed. By the time we leave South of the James around 10:30 a.m., the market is packed. It’s one of the largest farmers’ markets in town with a couple of thousand people shopping there every Saturday dur-ing the growing season.

Farmers’ market organizers in metro Richmond have done a wonderful job creating open-air markets that welcome families, knit communities, nurture inter-ests in healthy eating and support the local economy. With each market having different hours, slightly dif-ferent vibes, vendors and offerings, it’s a good idea to visit several. You may find a market that fulfills all your needs in one location, or you may meet a vendor or two whose products are worth straying off the beaten path once a month, or you may travel a few extra miles to get to a market that your children particularly enjoy.

I also frequent the Byrd House Market for its com-pact, one-stop-shopping fix to top off my weekday sup-plies of organic veggies and locally grown or made products. Come on out, bring the family, and check out what the markets have to offer.

Pleasures of the MarketMeet the neighbors and taste the local flavors. BY ELLIE BASCH

great taste a n e d u c a t e d g u e s t Farmers’ Market FinderMost markets start in late April, but shoppers should check websites first.

Tuesday Byrd House Market, 3:30 - 7 p.m., 224 S. Cherry St. (Oregon Hill), byrdhousemarket.blogspot.com.

Wednesday Winter Market at St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church 4-8 p.m., Grove Avenue and Three Chopt Road, saintstephensrichmond.net/farmersmarket.

Lakeside Farmers’ Markets, dawn to dusk (year-round), lakesidefarmersmarket.net.

West End Market, 3 - 6:30 p.m., Gayton Road and Ridgefield Parkway, westendfarmersmarket.com/services.html.

Thursday Huguenot at Robious Road (Great Big Green House parking lot), 10 a.m. - 2 p.m.

Powhatan Farmers’ Market, 4-7 p.m., 3839 Old Buckingham Road

Friday Chesterfield Farmers’ Market, 9 a.m.-1 p.m., Chesterfield Towne Center parking lot.

The Market at First Friday, 5-9 p.m., First Friday of every month, next to Quirk Gallery, 311 W. Broad St. themarketumbrella.com.

Saturday South of the James Market, 8 a.m.-noon, Forest Hill Park (New Kent Avenue and West 42nd Street)

Winter Market: 10-noon, Patrick Henry School’s playground (3411 Semmes Avenue), themarketumbrella.com

Lakeside Farmers’ Markets (year-round) lakesidefarmersmarket.net.

The Farmers’ Market at St. Stephen’s, Grove Avenue and Three Chopt Road, saintstephensrichmond.net/farmersmarket.

West End Farmers’ Market, Gayton and Ridgefield Parkway, westendfarmersmarket.com/services.html.

Monument Market (Monument Avenue and North Hamilton Street), fbcrichmond.org/monumentmarket.

My Manakin Market, 68 Broad Street Road, Manakin-Sabot

17th Street Farmers’ Market 8:30 a.m.-4 p.m., Shockoe Bottom

Ashland Farmers’ Market, 9 a.m.-noon, 101 Thompson St.Chester Farmers’ Market, 9 a.m.-1 p.m., the Village Greens, chesterfarmersmarket.com.

Photo by Mary Delicate, the Market UMbrella

South of the James Market


great taste f o o d

by Robey MaRtin

Please Have anotherThere’s a very Southern party in your pantry.

photo by scott elmquist

I was raised a Southern woman. More specifi-cally, Southern women raised me. My mom, her sister Susan, and longtime friend and neighbor Carolyn personify Southern ladies. they write thank-you notes, have animal-print flats and

plan entire outfits around them. they play good social golf and even better bridge. they’re phil-anthropic and throw thoughtful and memorable get-togethers. these parties can be for family or for many more with mere minutes of preparation. So what does it take to go from sugar to soiree? it’s all in their pantries. Here are some local versions of what they always have on hand. Sterling serving dishes are optional.

Apple butter has always been served in my house. Ginger snaps, havarti and apple butter make a great appetizer for any occasion. the Miller Store adds some cayenne to one of its apple butters, spic-ing up a Southern staple. anywhere honey goes, almost always apple butter can be substituted.

The Miller Store spicy and regular apple butter434-392-8765

a spicy peanut or a cheese straw with bite is spot-on for an impromptu wine night. the cheese straws

from 3 Sisters are airy enough not to ruin your ap-petite for dinner. Feridies’ horseradish Virginia nuts light up taste buds. next to each other or on their own, they’re a perfect complement to white, red or bubbly.

Feridies wasabi peanuts feredies.com3 Sisters cheese straws threesisters3.com

everyone is heading back to your house after dinner? no problem. Dollop’s maple bacon pop-corn is salty, sweet and smoky. MMM toffee’s al-mond toffee is bite-sized with just the right shock of sugar. both are easy to pair with aperitifs. those tiny bottles of brandy and cognac (given to you from another get-together, of course) come in handy for this very occasion.

Dollop maple-bacon popcorn dollopdesserts.comMMM toffee mmmtoffee.com

a pre-dinner cocktail always needs a little nosh. Pickled anything is pretty and well-received. Lib-bie Market carries inexpensive house-made potato

chips that shine when dipped in a simple pickle (hot, sweet, relish) mixed with cream cheese. My mother pickles her own beets and puts them next to cottage cheese for a little salad appetizer. Sim-ply Spoon has baby pickled beets that are as at-tractive as they are tasty. need pickles on the fly? Garnett’s makes a pickle that will please even the pickiest pickle person.

Libbie Market house made potato chips libbiemarket.comSpoonfed’s pickled baby beets silverspoonfed.comGarnett’s picklesgarnettscafe.com

a birthday you were not aware of? easy-peezy, lemon-squeezie! a pound cake with caramel icing is just an hour away. if you had a little more time, of course you would bake from scratch. but no one will know with this byrd Mill mix and Shyndigz caramel icing.

Byrd Mill pound cake mix byrdmill.comShyndigz caramel icing shyndigz.com


belle resources.

Girl on a budget?Don’t look like one!

Offering amazing shoes, handbags, accessories and

clothes at affordable prices!

3143 W. Cary St | 804.358.0639LIKE US ON FACEBOOK

3 weeks Free Rent!

Studios available at W. Broad & Midlothian.

Call about our 2 NEW LOCATIONS at White Oak Village & Chesterfield Towne Center

804-422-9338www.salonplaza.com

804.515.9030 | wyldology.com

Style your wyld sideproud to be an

concept salon

Hair Nails Color

Facials Waxing

Make-Up Skin Care

Proud to use

Bring your event to life with Classic Party Rentals of Virginia

804.743.7980 | 9313 Burge Ave | Richmond, VA 23237

www.classicpartyrentalsva.com2016 Staples Mill Rd, Richmond, VA 23230

804-278-8950 • www.crossroadsartcenter.com/classes.html

Fabric kids classes

Mosaics drawingphotography painting

artclasses

crossroads

more to the story


first person

During the last several years the same feng shui consultant has told me twice, in no uncertain terms, that there’s no hope for our house that can be bought by charms or rearranging of pillows, and that the best thing for us to do would be to move, preferably yesterday. Both

times I agreed with her. There’s baggage here, ghosts, my parents’ past and my own, not to mention structural and aesthetic repairs that seem to be well beyond our scope. But much as my mind is made up to get out of Dodge for a full 24 hours after she leaves, we stay. It’s as if she’s told me to step out of the quicksand. She’s right; I just can’t seem to do it.

Mulling over my plight with a friend, I hear myself say, “I’m just not like all these white, West End women!” Maybe because she’s from California the truth was more obvious to her. “But you are a white West End woman,” she said. It was an epiphany. Not having an excess of national, regional, cultural, house or any other kind of pride, my geographic identity is something I’ve wrestled with most of my life.

At the predominantly African-American elementary school I attended in Church Hill, there was little I could do to hide that I was white and Jewish — especially after my mother’s classroom Hanukkah presentation. But after being transferred, I didn’t feel like I fit in any better at the almost entirely white conservative school in my own neighborhood, where I was the only kid who didn’t vote for Ronald Reagan in our class mock election.

At school in New York, one had to dig deep to unearth my Southern roots. Southerners were backward, redneck racists who spent all their time re-en-acting Civil War battles — if they weren’t too busy eating grits. I was busy eat-ing grits, but if I’d been in the Civil War, I would have gone Union. Likewise

on the dude ranch in Colorado, I was loath to admit my East Coast origins. Easterners were neurotic academic snobs who didn’t know how to brew a de-cent cup of cowboy coffee or saddle a horse. I had to learn both the hard way.

Living in Italy, I did my best to disguise that I was American. Americans wore fluorescent visors, ugly fanny packs and brayed like donkeys in the mu-seums and churches meant to honor the dead. My ruse was successful until I opened my mouth, effectively butchering the native tongue of Dante and Boccaccio in a single espresso order. But I have a feeling if I’d moved to Mars I also would have tried to refute my humanity.

As hard as I tried to leave my American, East Coast, Southern roots behind, they pulled me back, not only to Richmond, but to the house I grew up in. Maybe my mother buried my placenta in the backyard. Maybe the souls of the cats we’ve put to rest out by the fence line steal our breath while we sleep. Maybe I accidentally married my house when I married my husband. Maybe I’m trying to straighten out my childhood by raising my own child in my old bedroom.

Whatever the reason, I’ve not only ceased trying to divorce myself from my hometown, I’ve fallen in love with it, too. Just as you can’t get to know everything about another person in a single lifetime, the city where I’m from always will offer more to discover. Even though a trip to the grocery store can be like attending my own high-school reunion, Richmond has more interest-ing neighborhoods and quirky personalities than a dysfunctional family has alcoholic uncles. My definition of love always has been wide, but coming back to stay has allowed it to grow deep. The castles I build in the sky might spring from quicksand, but at least I’m finally proud to say they’re mine.

Born Here, Been ThereThere’s no escaping the South. BY vALLEY HAggARD

photo illustration by ed harrington

Electronic Graphics/Andrew Berry, 48 Parsons St., Brighton, MA 02135-2739 USA Vox: 617.987.8256, Fax: 619.789.6520 243SWZ RolexDJLady31-LFG SW December 2, 2011 2:50 PM Publication: Bleed: Trim: Live: Style Weekly 00" x 00" 00" x 00" 9.5" x 10.75" Pub. Contact: Delivery Route: Halftone Freq: Materials: Insertion Date: Toni McCracken Email 100 lpi PDF 12/14/2011

Cary Court, Richmond, Virginia/804-355-2136

the datejust lady 31

belle april 2012

Documents

o w u s o n

i n e f o r updates

aesthetic center

richmond va

botox cosmetic

faad melissa schwarzschild

hourseileen kitces

southern spring fashion