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Titanic Violin on Display in Branson

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Titanic Musician Wallace Hartley

The Music Plays on as the Titanic Violin will be on display in Branson for an exclusive showing.

The famous wreckage of the Titanic, first discovered in 1985 off the coast of Halifax, Nova Scotia, continues to speak from its deep grave in the North Atlantic. The many research and study expeditions to the doomed ocean liner have led to feature films and documentaries, and numerous artifacts have been sold to collectors who have shared them with the public.

One of the latest discoveries – the violin owned by the ship’s bandmaster, Wallace Hartley, comes to the Titanic Museum in Branson, providing visitors in the U.S. with an opportunity to see this rare artifact for the first time.

Beginning March 7 and through Memorial Day weekend, the violin will be displayed in the Memorial Gallery, the final one visitors pass through during their visit where they  learn the fate of the passengers and crew.

Hartley did not survive the disaster and his damaged violin was found strapped to his body and later returned to his fiancée, who had purchased it for him. More than a century later, the violin resurfaced in the attic of a home in England in 2006, coincidentally the same year the Titanic Museum opened in Branson. It was sold to a European collector in 2013 for $1.7 million at the Henry Aldridge & Sons Auction House of Devizes in Wiltshire, England.

When found, the violin was adorned with an engraved silver plate that connected it to Hartley and later it was also authenticated through testing of salt-water deposits. At the time it was sold, Andrew Aldridge, auction house director, said, “in my 20 years as an auctioneer, I can honestly say I don’t think any other article has made people show as much emotion as this one.”

Titanic Museum Branson
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While the new owner wishes to remain anonymous, he decided to share this amazing artifact with the Titanic museums in Branson, 3235 W. 76 Country Boulevard, and Pigeon Ford, Tennessee, both owned by John and Mary Kellogg-Joslyn, who are passionate about the subject matter and expanding their museums.

“We’re all about celebrating the lives of the all the passengers and crew and we’re so excited to display the treasured violin of Wallace Hartley,” she said.

The Music Gallery, a permanent exhibit added to Titanic Branson in 2014, already contains large photographs of Hartley and the other band members, many quite young, along with bio information. The Music Gallery is one of the most moving and memorable parts of touring the museum. The day I visited,  a pianist played a baby grand piano that sits in the middle of the room, including the song, “My Heart Will Go On,” from the Academy Award winning 1997 film, “Titanic.” Thinking about the musicians selflessness as they continued to play that fateful night to calm the passengers was very emotional and powerful.

James Cameron, the Academy Award winning director, depicted this scene in the film, where Hartley and his band play “Nearer, My God to Thee,” reputed to be their final song as the ship continued to take on water. Haunting and chilling in the film, the song was played at Hartley’s funeral in the chapel and gravesite in Colne Lancashire England, which last year was made a historic site.

The Music Gallery pays tribute to the Titanic band members who heroically continued to play to calm the passengers as the doomed ship went down.

The Music Gallery pays tribute to the Titanic band members who heroically continued to play to calm the passengers as the doomed ship went down.

There were of course survivors.

Upon entering the Titanic Museum, each visitor receives a boarding pass of a real passenger and later in the Memorial Gallery learns his or her fate. Mine – first class passenger Helen Candee from Washington D.C.,  – survived the disaster. A writer and social activist, she wrote the book “How Women May Earn a Living,” an early feminist piece that encouraged women to be strong and independent.

I was relieved that my passenger lived and as I exited the museum that day I did so with sea legs because the experience was a bit of a roller coaster ride.

With the guides striking humorous and somber notes as they took us through the museum that shows how those booked in first class cabins lived on board versus the third class passengers. All in all, the museum is absolutely worth visiting and has added a historical and educational attraction on the Branson strip, a place the owners never saw themselves.

Both in the entertainment industry in Los Angeles, John Kelogg founded Westgate Entertainment in 1980, while his wife served as the executive vice president of television for The Walt Disney Company for 20 years and was responsible for bringing the “Live with Regis and Kathie Lee show to the air. She also served as the executive-in-charge of production.

As CEO and president of the Titanic Museum in Branson, John Kellogg served as the

co-expedition leader of the 1987 Titanic expedition, the first to recover and restore artifacts from the ship’s final resting place on the ocean floor in the North Atlantic. He and his team of scientific and salvage experts completed 32 dives in the “Nautile,” the French institute’s deep-diving submersible.

Those artifacts then toured the world until he decided they needed a permanent home. When his wife brought the “Live with Regis and Kathie Lee” show to Branson, the response was so positive they decided to open the first Titanic museum there.

There have been a number of research and recovery expeditions, including some led by Cameron’s fascination with the Titanic. The Academy Award winning director of the film “Titanic,” and a group of scientists also took submersibles to view the Titanic and their experience was the 2003 documentary “Ghosts of the Abyss.” He has made 30 dives to the ship and in 2012 made another film, “Titanic: The Final Word with James Cameron.”

It seems arguable that there will ever be a final word on the public’s fascination with the Titanic. Titanic Museum Branson has welcomed more than 6.5 million visitors during its 10 years of operation, a validation of the owner’s belief that it would resonate with people.

“We’re constantly reinventing ourselves and trying to bring in new artifacts and galleries to enhance the experience for our visitors,” Kellogg-Joslyn said. “We’re storytellers at the at the Titanic Museum and we’re very excited to have this important artifact to pay further tribute to Wallace Hartley and the other musicians and everyone on board the ship.”

by Shelley Gabert | photos submitted

The post Titanic Violin on Display in Branson appeared first on HER Magazine.


Destination Beach Wedding: Carissa Loethen and Shanon Culiner

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Engaged on Christmas Eve 2014 at Nobu, a famous sushi restaurant in the iconic beachside community of Malibu, California, Carissa Loethen, and Shanon Culiner were married in March in Key West, Florida. A honeymoon in the Grand Bahamas followed their nuptials.

The E! News Now host for E! Online in Los Angeles, Loethen (featured in the January/February 2014 issue of HER), a Jefferson City native, chose the destination because it was part of the couples history.

“We had vacationed in the Florida Keys and just love the atmosphere. It’s a place that forces you to relax. It’s beautiful, sunny, fun, everything you’d want for your wedding!”

They chose the Islander Resort, a Guy Harvey outpost in Islamorada, a village of islands off the Florida Keys, for their laid-back wedding and reception.

“We wanted our event to reflect beachside elegance,” Loethen said. “We wanted the wedding to be both beautiful and romantic, but still we also wanted it to be a true party.”

BridesmaidsCopy-of-Wedding_Day_004

All six were from Jefferson City. Andrea Strong served as maid of honor and the bridesmaids were Kelsey Lenox, Jessica Vossen, Lauren Holt, Kristin Crane and Carolyn McKinney. “They wore gorgeous Joanna August gowns for the wedding, and I think they all looked stunning.”
Kelsey Lenox, cousin and bridesmaid, from Marshall & Company in Jefferson City did Loethen’s hair. Lenox and Melissa Chick from La Sienne in Jefferson City did all the bridesmaids’ hair.

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GroomsmenCopy-of-Wedding_Day_078

Three were from Jefferson City–Loethen’s brothers, Kyle and Chad, and Derek Patten. The groom’s brother, Devon Culiner, served as best man, and his two close friends Ben Eng and Faustino Villavacencio.
“They wore Perry Ellis linen pants, white button-up shirts and light pink ties. They wore canvas-colored Tom’s shoes. All of the guys looked very handsome.”

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The Dress

Love and Lace Bridal Salon in Irvine, California.
“I was about to give up on finding my “dream dress” until I found this one. It was fitted, with a long train, and had a slight embellishment around the waist. I truly felt like me in the gown.”

Groom’s Attire

Perry Ellis linen suit, white button up shirt, light pink tie and a “sweet” pair of Robert Wayne slip-on shoes.

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Photo by Roberto Ojeda
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Reception Decor

“Pink linens covered our tables and we had beautiful string lights hanging from above.
In lieu of traditional table numbers, we named each one after something with significant meaning to us…like our dogs’ names, my alma mater, the University of Missouri, and favorite ice cream, etc.”

Flowers

Floral Fantasy & Gifts in Islamorada, Florida

Dessert

Sweet Savannahs created the cupcakes, cake and s’more bar. The bride and groom had their own small cake. Guests were served multiple flavors of regular-sized and mini-sized cupcakes, as well as the groom’s cake, which was in the shape of a football and represented his two favorite teams: The Miami Hurricanes and The Miami Dolphins. A s’mores bar featured different marshmallow flavors and a variety of chocolates. A variety of Italian ice flavors from New York’s Italian Ice King were also served. “We had lots of desserts at our wedding!”

Music/Entertainment

DJ Buggy
“Rusty Lemmon sang on acoustic guitar for the ceremony. He was joined by steel drum player, Van Bertie for our cocktail hour. “We also surprised our guests with a traditional Bahamian dance performance by Sunshine Junkanoo. It was also a surprise to the bride!”

Rehearsal Dinner

Islamorada Fish Company
“The rehearsal dinner was gorgeous! We sat right by the ocean. The tables were decorated with multiple colored vases and flowers. There was a full raw bar for appetizers, which included shrimp, crab, mussels and more. Dinner had steak, tuna, pasta and delicious sides.”

Football Game

The day before the wedding we had a bride versus groom flag football game! The groom’s team wore green and orange jerseys to represent Shanon’s favorite, The Miami Hurricanes. The bride’s team’s colors were black and gold to represent Mizzou. “It was actually a close game, we ended in a tie.”

Special Guests

Scotty Cox from “Scotty and Cara in the Morning” on KCLR-FM, Clear99, attended the wedding. Loethen used to serve as his co-host of the popular, award-winning country music radio show.

Honeymoon

Grand Bahamas
We spent a lot of time relaxing in the sun, and now that the wedding diets were over, we treated ourselves with great food, drinks and desserts!

Wedding Favors

Guests received welcome bags in their hotel rooms, which contained locally made Key Lime cookies, sunscreen, chap stick, bottled water, rubber bands, chips, mints, Advil and specially made Koozie cups. “We also gave out flip-flops to the girls at the wedding dance.”

Photographer

Roberto Ojeda

Videographer

White Orchid Studios

Wedding Consultant

Liz Seligman with Island Life Events
“We never could have pulled off this very special day without her!

Story by Shelley Gabert | Photos by Robert Ojeda

The post Destination Beach Wedding: Carissa Loethen and Shanon Culiner appeared first on HER Magazine.

With this ring…

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Proposing, popping the big question, is usually a momentous occasion. Some guys spend months planning their proposal.

Not Kyle Loethen.

While shopping for an engagement ring at Helzberg Diamonds in Kansas City earlier this year, the company’s staff made him a proposal—if he chose a ring and asked his girlfriend to marry him in 48 hours, the ring would be on them.

Already comfortable with being on camera from his days modeling and acting in Los Angeles, he agreed.

“I still audition for commercials mostly in Kansas City and St. Louis, and I saw a Facebook post from this production company that Helzberg Diamonds was looking for guys about to propose,” he said. “The company was going to help educate the guys on how to purchase a ring, and we would be paid, so I decided to go and hoped I might get a good deal on the ring.”

He got a lot more than he bargained for, and the next day was a nerve-wracking whirlwind of emotions and activity, all planned by Helzberg staff and all captured by a video crew.

Every moment of his time­—from picking out the ring, to picking out a new suit, receiving a haircut and a shave—was video taped. After convincing his then girlfriend, Madison Burke, that they had been chosen to appear in a commercial, she agreed to drive to Kansas City. After she was treated to hair and makeup and donning a black dress with rhinestones, soon the big moment arrived. Standing on the candle-lit stage at the Kauffman Performing Arts Center, Loethen got down on bended knee and proposed.

“I think most girls dream about the day they will be proposed to. I know I certainly did. Kyle’s proposal was everything I dreamed about and more. One of the things that was so special about our engagement was his sweet proposal speech,” she said.

“From the moment our eyes first met, my heart felt something for you.
We started off as friends, but as I got to know you, my heart began to melt for you.
On our first official date, as we walked around the Governor’s Garden, I knew
there was something special about this relationship.
You’re everything I was ever looking for and my heart keeps falling more and more in love with you each and every single day.
I want to spend the rest of our lives together, and I don’t want to wait any longer…
Madison, will you marry me?”

Kyle proposing to Madison at the Kauffman Performing Arts Center in Kansas City.

Their experiences can be found on Madison’s blog, www.MadisonLoethen.com, and on a video running on Helzberg Diamonds’ website, www.helzberg.com/category/marketing/wepropose.do.

The couple also appeared on several news programs in Kansas City and in her hometown of St. Louis, including Fox 2 News, where Burke had interned. She graduated from Lindenwood University with a bachelors in public relations and broadcast journalism and then moved to Mid-Missouri where she has lived for the past three years.

Born and raised in Jefferson City, Loethen’s father, David, is the co-owner of AQI, a coin-operated amusement business, and his mother, Diana works for ECI Software Solutions, formerly OMD. After graduating from Helias Catholic High School, Loethen headed west and attended Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles where he received a bachelors degree in business administration with an emphasis in marketing. After that he spent time modeling, acting and producing video content. His younger brother, Chad, an event producer and real estate agent, and younger sister, Carissa, who is on-air on E! Online, both still live in Los Angeles.

“I held many jobs in front of and behind the camera and in the corporate world at studios such as MTV, Fox and HBO,” he said.

After spending more than 10 years in Los Angeles, he decided to come home to “get back to his Midwestern roots.”

“Time was passing by and I wanted to spend more time with my family,” he said. “There was also a shift in the entertainment industry from traditional media to digital media. I felt like I didn’t have to live in Los Angeles to continue work in that field.”

He met Burke when they both worked at KMIZ-TV, the ABC affiliate, in Columbia, Missouri. He was in 160316-HER_Engagement-005marketing and sales and she was a reporter.

“I walk in the Jefferson City bureau office and he smiled and flashed his dimples and I thought ‘what a cutie.’”

He remembers that moment, too.

“Our eyes locked as she walked by and I instantly had butterflies in my stomach. I thought she was beautiful,” he said. “We were both dating other people at the time and we got to know each other hanging out with co-workers. We were friends for an entire year.”

After meeting her, one of his friends, Jake Wadley, told him, “this was the girl he would marry.”

“He became my best friend and that’s when I knew,” Burke said.

Loethen finally decided to ask her out when she put in her two weeks notice and decided to take on a new job.

He went on to work at Learfield and she at Newsy. Now he’s helping out at his father’s company and is also the president of the board for Capitol City Cinema, and she’s a multimedia marketing specialist at Boone Hospital, where she runs the hospital’s social media pages, produces videos, takes photographs, and writes for the hospital’s magazine.

Engagement ring from Helzberg Diamond’s Artiste by Scott Kay collection. It’s an almost two carat, semi-mount engagement ring with a cushion-cut loose diamond in the center.

The busy couple recently attended Carissa’s beach wedding in Key West Florida, where they couldn’t help but think about their own nuptials.

“My sister was giving all kind of advice, and she already had a good guest list put together for my family,” he said.

Following a long standing family tradition, since his younger sister was marrying before Loethen and his younger brother, both older un-married siblings had to dance through a hog trough, brought by their aunt.

They’re planning for a May 2017 wedding in Chesterfield, where her mother, Michelle, who heads communications for Westminster Christian Academy, and father, Tim, a computer programmer for Express Scripts, live. Their reception will be held at the Doubletree Hotel there.

They’re still working out the many details involved in a wedding, but Loethen can’t believe his good fortune.

“The timing though couldn’t have been more perfect. It was really a gift from God how everything all fell into place,”  he said.

Story by Shelley Gabert | photographs by Kris Wilson

The post With this ring… appeared first on HER Magazine.

Small Town Big Talent: Kassi Ashton

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Kassi Ashton

Kassi Ashton started singing before she could read. When she was 3 or 4 years old she sang “Mary Had A Little Lamb” on stage at a karaoke contest at the Moniteau County Fair in her hometown of California, Missouri.

“All I’ve ever wanted to do is sing, and I was never shy,” said Ashton, 22, who has always been at home in the spotlight.

Her lyrics have gone way past nursery rhymes, and everything is finally coming together for the singer/songwriter who has been crafting her own voice and sound, which is country with some blues and soul thrown in to the mix.

Now a senior at Belmont University’s School of Music in Nashville, she took a much bigger stage at the Curb Event Center on campus and won the 2016 annual Country Music Showcase.

“Kassi just killed it live,” said Johnny Ellett of Ten Four Management and a Belmont alum. “She owned the stage, I mean owned that stage.”

“You can get a vocal coach to help an artist’s voice get better, but you can’t hire someone to teach an artist to be a true performer, to have that certain charisma it takes to be one of the greats,” said Ellett, a judge who was so impressed he signed on as Ashton’s manager.

“There is a lot of great music out there, but what helps one artist stand out from another is who they are on and off the stage,” he said.

Born Kassi Meissenhamer, her growing up years in the small town of California, west of Jefferson City,  were equal parts tomboy and tutus.

Her parents split when she was born, so she loved spending time on the farm with her dad, Terry, who works at Burgers’ Smokehouse and listened to classic country like Hank Williams.

“I rode dirt bikes and horses and I also shot muzzle loaders competitively,” Ashton said.

Her mom, Pam Kiesling, who works at Unilever in Jefferson City, immersed her young daughter in country music and ballet and jazz classes.

Photo by Evan Davies

“My mom used to sing Loretta Lynn and Reba songs in the kitchen using a broom handle as a microphone and wanted me to learn all the lyrics,” Ashton said. “She also took me to karaoke nights in Jefferson City. I remember sitting at tables coloring while waiting for my turn. I couldn’t read the prompter so she would stand behind me and whisper the words to me as they came on screen.”

In fourth grade, Ashton remembers auditioning for California Kids a capella and making Sounds of Joy, too. She was also active in theater and debate. Even being bullied by other female students, she said, only made her more determined.

During the summer of her junior year, she won both the talent and evening gown competitions of the Miss Moniteau County Queen contest and it was obvious even then that she had the talent, poise and confidence to go all the way.

“All I wanted to do was move to Nashville and pursue a career as a singer, and my mother always encouraged me to go after my dreams,” she said.

Her grandmother really wanted her to go to college, so Ashton checked out Belmont, an accredited music school in the music city.

“I liked the commercial voice program so I auditioned and I got in,” she said.

She’s studied voice, music history and all along she’s been writing songs, and performing with her ensemble while also working as a karaoke hostess at Lonnie’s. Finally on track, in early 2014 her life took a major detour.

“I went to the school clinic for a note excusing me from a science lab I had missed,” she recalled.

“The doctor felt my throat and asked ‘if I knew that I had this golf-ball size lump?’ He told me ‘not to worry that it should go away on its own.’ Two weeks later, it was still there so I went back in for tests.”

In mid February she was diagnosed with thyroid cancer. Surgery was next, and her entire thyroid was removed, and then she had to undergo a radioactive iodine treatment. She had to be quarantined, so her mother was able to stay with her because she had two separate bathrooms in her apartment in East Nashville.

“She would make dinner, and then I would pull the tray over with a rope,” she said.

With the tests, surgery and treatments, by September of that year, she was cancer free. She dropped out of school for a semester and is still dealing with some after-affects.

“The thyroid is the thermometer of our body,” she said. “Before I was pretty laid back and even-keeled but now I take medication first thing in the morning to help with my moods.”

Photo by Sam Polonsky

While she hasn’t let cancer define her, she did co-write a song (with Emily Landis and Hunter Leath) about the experience, aptly titled “Survivor.” An anthem that anyone who has had cancer will relate to, it’s also about hope and overcoming any obstacle. She performed it as part of the country showcase judging process.

After sending demos and applications to the industry judges, Ashton was one of the eight students chosen to advance to the live auditions, where they each performed two songs.

“Before she ever sang one note, she immediately caught my attention with her leather pants and her old Harley T-shirt,” Ellett said. “I thought to myself, ‘either this chick is one super self-confident bad-ass or is trying really hard to come off as one.’ Then she sang. It’s very rare to have an amazing full-body voice that is unique.”

After the live auditions, Ashton and the other students in the competition interacted with the judges.

“We don’t get impressed that easily, but Kassi had us all laughing with her stories, quick wit and charisma,” he said. “On top of that, she killed it live, which is extremely important to me. I got my start in the touring side and the live show is where fans are made or lost.”

Four students then moved on to perform at the showcase, which Ashton said is produced like a real concert, with sound checks, run-throughs, photo shoots and marketing and press.

“We even had a separate dressing room and a stage hand who knocks on your door to tell you when to go on stage,” she said.

She sang “Long Time Gone,” written by Darrell Scott and also covered successfully by The Dixie Chicks, one of Ashton’s favorite groups.

“When they announced my name as the winner, my family screamed louder than I did,” Ashton said. “They’ve always been my biggest fans.”

She’s currently interning at Carnival Music, a publishing company on Music Row, and recently had country star Miranda Lambert sitting across from her in the waiting room.

Heady stuff, but she’s still focused on doing her school work to graduate in December.

“Since winning the country showcase I have a manager, and I’ve had meetings with publishing companies and making more connections in the industry. It has been so exciting. I didn’t think it would happen so fast,” she said.

For Ellet, it’s not that surprising.

“Kassi is truly something different. I see it. Everyone she meets sees it. I’m just in a fortunate position to be her biggest cheerleader,” he said. “It takes hard work, dedication and a lot of it, which Kassi has. We have a long road ahead of us, but I believe this girl is unstoppable.”

One of the lyrics in “Survivor” includes the line “There’s not another mountain I can’t climb…I can do anything,” and that sums up her attitude. Ready to move on to the next chapter on her journey, she certainly has weathered storms in her young life but remains grounded by her family’s support and her belief in herself.

“My dad and I have this running joke that if I ever make it as a country music singer that he gets to drive my bus,” she said. “After I won the showcase, he told me recently that I’m going to need a bus driver.”

Story by Shelley Gabert

The post Small Town Big Talent: Kassi Ashton appeared first on HER Magazine.

Small Town Big Talent: Pax Baker

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Baker on stage at the Missouri Theatre during the production of Mozart’s “Le Nozze di Figaro”.

Whether inhabiting the roles of Countess Almaviva in the Show Me Opera’s production of Mozart’s “Le Nozze di Figaro” or the title role in Giacomo Puccini’s “Suor Angelica,” Pax Baker does so with gusto and passion.

Opera singers are referred to as singing actors and that’s definitely true for Baker. A consummate performer, the soprano has always been in her element on stage. For Baker, 23, it’s the moment of truth, where all of her vocal training has led, a time when she’s on and can finally deliver.

“I may be nervous until I get in place, but when the curtain opens I’m calm. I’m completely calm on stage and I know what I need to do. Every performance is a whole new world,” she said.

While she grew up in the small town of California, Missouri, only 45 minutes away from the University of Missouri–Columbia, where she just graduated with a bachelor of arts degree in vocal performance, singing has opened up a whole new universe.

“I remember when she came to me as a freshman and I asked her what she wanted to be and she said, ‘I want to be an opera singer.’ She just knew that in her heart and spoke it,” said Christine Seitz, director of Show Me Opera and voice area coordinator for the School of Music.

Certainly the young Baker wasn’t exposed to opera but she did love performing. Her mother enrolled her in dance when she was 3 and she loved it.

“When we had recitals I would be the one that would not get off the stage,” said Baker, an only child who always drew strength from her supportive parents Renee and Mike Baker. “They’re definitely my biggest cheerleaders.”

Her mother knew Baker was a natural performer when her daughter sang a solo about a snowman while in the elementary school group California Kids. Baker continued performing in “Sounds of Joy” in high school, was part of the drama club and performed in various musicals, like “Thoroughly Modern Milly,” but she viewed these as fun, extracurricular activities.

“I planned to go into political science. I never thought I could make singing a career,” she said.

That all changed in her junior year of high school when she attended the Missouri Fine Arts Academy (MFAA), a three-week summer residential program for students in the visual arts, theater, writing, dance and music at Missouri State University in Springfield.

“I always felt different in high school but then you go to this place where it’s only people like you, doing stuff in the arts and it was such a cool experience. The friends I made there, I am still friends with today,” she said.

That experience led to voice lessons with Jana Fox, director of Choral Activities at Helias Catholic High School, and then to auditions at the University of Missouri School of Music.

“The School of Music is really a secret and it’s not that well-known,” Baker said. “As part of our audition process I sat through an opera class and I told my dad that’s what I wanted to do.”

Baker received a full scholarship and then immersed herself into a brand new world.

Baker as Countess Almaviva in the Show Me Opera’s production of Mozart’s “Le Nozze di Figaro”.

“I tried to be as involved in as much as I could my freshman year,” she said. “It was also a big academic year for me. I was learning about concepts I had never seen or heard before but they expected you to know. You also had to work hard for your roles.”

She became one of the University Singers her sophomore year and as part of the group did a tour in Austria, where she would love to return. Throughout her studies, she has competed in regional competitions through the National Association of Teachers of Singing (NATS), where she received second place in a regional competition in 2014 and a first place finish last year.

While talent is a vital element of any performer’s success, it’s an inexact formula of luck, timing, preparation and intangibles like drive and confidence.

“Pax will not give up, and she works very hard. If we are working on new music, she goes off and learns it,” Seitz said. “For the countess role she had to learn scads of Italian. Just to speak it is difficult, much less to sing it. She’s also got such a performer’s psyche. When she’s on stage she really performs, she inhabits her characters fully.”

Whether in more comedic operas like “The Marriage of Figaro,” performed at the Missouri Theater in Columbia, or Valegerd in a world premiere of a one-act opera, “The Outlaw,” by fellow student and composer Justin Pound, Baker throws herself into the performance.

Last year she was Ann Putnam in Show-Me Opera’s production of Robert Ward’s “The Crucible,” and she’s performed scenes from the iconic operas like “La Traviata,” “Falstaff” and “La clemenza di Tito.”

“Every performance or role I learn something new about myself; it’s like this huge adrenaline rush, like a runner’s high. I love singing and I’ve gotten to perform with my friends all these years, too,” she said.

Her boyfriend, Ben Worley, also a graduate of the School of Music, stayed on to receive his masters. Baker plans to earn a masters degree in arts administration at the University of Oregon in Eugene.

“I still want to perform but I want to learn how to be an administrator of an opera, too,” said Baker.

She admires the great opera singers like Renee Fleming and Leontyne Price, the first African American to receive notoriety, while also grasping the realities of a very competitive business.

“This career is not guaranteed, and there’s always someone better than you and it’s based on what you look like and other factors that are often out of your control,” she said.

While singing is her passion, she’s currently an administrative intern with Columbia Chorale and Columbia Youth Choirs and has held the executive board position of vice president-membership and sergeant at arms in the international women’s music fraternity Sigma Alpha Iota-Iota Lambda.

Pax Baker with her parents Renee and Mike Baker.

“Pax has the voice to be able to work professionally, and continuing to train her instrument further she should be able to do that,” Seitz said. “If she were getting a degree in another field, like engineering, she could walk into the job market and command a salary, with voice there’s no such thing.”

Whatever is ahead, Baker has soaked in the experiences of the past five years. As she geared up to graduate, her final weeks were full of bittersweet rites of passage. She’s performed in the emerging artists showcase at the Missouri Theater and at her senior recital, where she performed Puccini, Mozart, Verdi, Debussy, Wolf and Hoiby. This summer she’ll perform in the national NATS competition in Chicago and then move to Eugene where she begins her masters studies in September.

“I feel like I’ve grown so much. There’s so much to learn and you are never ever a master of it and there’s always bumps in the road. I’m really proud of myself and how far I have come,” Baker said.

“I planned to do something completely different so this is a big jump from wanting to be a lawyer to being an opera singer, but I’m doing what I love to do,” she said.

Story by Shelley Gabert | Photography by Dale Lloyd

The post Small Town Big Talent: Pax Baker appeared first on HER Magazine.

Small Town, Big Talent: Madison La Rae Durant

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Madison La Rae Durant has never been to Paris, but the city of lights inspired her first fashion collection.

La Rae’s L’amour Paris collection of 10 couture and ready-to-wear fashions debuted on the runway during the 2016 Fall/Winter Kansas City Fashion Week, KCFW, at Union Station.

Pretty heady stuff for any budding fashion designer, much less for one who’s only 15. But this wasn’t La Rae’s first time in the spotlight. In May of 2014, she was chosen as the runner-up on Lifetime’s “Project Runway: Threads,” a reality show for teens and tween designers based on the successful “Project Runway.”

The resident of Stover, Missouri, who is home schooled, entered an online casting notice and show representatives contacted her; soon she was flying out to Los Angeles for the three-day taping.

“It was a really tight production schedule,” said La Rae, who stayed at the Biltmore Hotel in downtown Los Angeles.

La Rae’s inspiration board, including the slogan for her collection: “For the girl who isn’t afraid to Speak Up”. Photo courtesy of Madison La Rae.

“I got a taste of what the industry was all about but there was so much going on behind the scenes,” she said. “It was very competitive but I loved meeting the other designers and having an inside look at the fashion scene.”

While she’s very glad for the experience, she wasn’t pleased with the clothes she made for the show.

“I hadn’t found my aesthetic yet,” La Rae said.

Now she has, and it’s a penchant for more formal and feminine fashion.

“In this age of jeans and a T-shirt, the art of elegance is a dying art and something we are losing,” she said.

Her new collection L’amour (the feminine word for love) is really a love letter to women’s fashions that are classic and figure flattering.

“I like to pull inspiration from vintage looks and give them a modern edge,” she said.

She began brainstorming and sketching designs in November of last year, and within a couple of days she submitted them on the KCFW web site.

When she was done, there wasn’t a pair of pants among her collection.

“I don’t like wearing slacks, my personal preference is wearing a dress or a skirt,” she said.

La Rae patterned and sewed all of the pieces for her collection, but her mom, Tracey, helped with a few things in the last few weeks before the show.

“My mom is my production manager, adviser, brainstorming partner and is always there to offer her opinion and support,” she said.

The dominant color pallet for her collection is silver, midnight blue and black with splashes of white and blue variations.

Brynn Shaffer wearing the midnight blue overcoat with white faux fur trim. Photo by Eli Stack, elistack.com

“There wasn’t any one thing in particular that inspired the colors, a lot of design elements just come from some little corner of my brain when I’m in the design mode,” said La Rae, who did a lot of research on 1930s Paris fashion.

“I of course love every piece of the collection, but after seeing it on the runway I think my favorite piece is the midnight blue overcoat with white faux fur trim,” she said.

There’s also a dramatic black ballgown with lots of tulle, a flared blue gown with capelet and a three piece outfit, with pencil skirt, blue and black paneled vegan leather zip bodice, and a black felt capelet with organza overlay and silver clasp.

A look at the KCFW web site reveals some amazing designs from the group of 22 designers chosen. While other designers showcased more artistic or avant garde fashions, La Rae’s passion is for wearable fashion for women.

Prior to the fashion show, she chose the models who would give her designs life and movement on the runway. While given a roster of each one with full body shots and measurements, La Rae’s choices were more intuitive.

“I really didn’t care what their measurements were or their experience but how they would represent my brand. I could just see certain girls being a customer of La Rae Fashion,” she said.

The idea for her fashion label came when she was 7 years old. “My middle name sounded French and I had made a dress with the cursive L on it and that become a constant in my fashion design label.”

She grew up watching her grandmother and her mother sew in Casper, Wyoming where she grew up.

“The first thing I remember sewing was pajama pants that would fit over my cast,” she said. “I was 5 years old and there were cats on the fabric.”

She continued sewing in 4-H, where she also was involved in robotics, woodworking, computer technology and showing ducks. She traveled to Japan through an exchange trip through 4-H.

In 2012, her family moved to Stover, and that’s when she focused on pursuing fashion design as a career.

She did alterations for the tuxedo pants rented and other formal wear at Western Emporium in Stover, she also made costumes for the cosplaying

“I’ve always been dreaming up my own designs. I’ve always had that in me,” she said.

Model Abby Boyd on the runway. Photo by Jason Atherton Photography

An entire collection though was a major undertaking on a much larger stage. Prior to the big night, she and some of her collections were featured on talk shows in the Kansas City area.

On the day of the show, La Rae and her hair and make up team arrived at Union Station at 11 a.m.

“Most of the day was very relaxed,” she said. “The models had their coloring books and we had a great time talking. My backstage crew was amazing and we became a close-knit team that worked so well together.”

The models’ classic and vintage hairstyles were a collaboration between La Rae and hair stylists Travis and Elisabeth Harland from Shear Dimensions in Olathe, Kansas. Ashley Marie Hazelwood did all of the make up.

“I gave them a basic idea of the “classic” look I was going for, and then let them take most of the creative liberty to bring it to life,” she added.

Then it was time for her show, the final one of the event. The upbeat music mix pulsed and anticipation filled the air for both her, the models and the audience. The first model walked the runway.

“I was horribly nervous until the moment the first model lined up for the finale walk,” she said.

She selected Rachel Platten’s “Fight Song” for this seminal moment.

“I went out and heard the cheering. It was so loud and with the lights and everything it was overwhelming. My mom was in tears,” said La Rae,  who wore a dress purchased at the FIDM Scholarship Store when she was in Los Angeles.

“I loved it and wanted to wear it at my first big fashion event, my runway debut,” she said.

Being part of fashion week was such a confidence booster, said La Rae.

“The experience was so much more than what I thought it would be,” she said.“This was a real stepping stone for me to have my product in front of people.”

Given her talent and drive along with the events of the past few months, her career is definitely on the rise. Her goal is to expand her exposure and to have her collections for sale and online by the fall.

With her nod to the past, she’s very much in the present, moving forward on her spring collection while also writing a business plan and handling the administrative side of the operation. Who knows where her career will take her but she admires Parisian designer Coco Chanel, known for her timeless fashions, tailored suits and little black dress.

From L to R. Back Row: Elisabeth Harland, Ashley Marie Hazelwood, Madison La Rae, Bre Bennett, Nina Monzon, Abigail Schiff, Brynn Shaffer, Abby Boyd, Lexy Covinsky, Lena Hoster, Joyce Hurley, Travis Harland. Front Row: Scarlette O’Shea, Launa Beal. Photo by Ryan Swartzlander.

“She was such a pioneer in her field and is still such an icon and her brand is still alive,” she said.

Perhaps one day La Rae will take her place among the top designers on the runways of Italy, New York and Paris. She’s currently learning from online courses through the Style Design College of Milan.

As she has drawn inspiration from the image of a woman standing in front of the Eiffel Tower on her inspiration board, it seems certain one day she will there in person gazing at the iconic monument herself.

“Going to Paris is definitely on my bucket list,” she said.

Story by Shelley Gabert

The post Small Town, Big Talent: Madison La Rae Durant appeared first on HER Magazine.

Small Town, Big Talent: Alex Dulle

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It wasn’t that long ago when Alex Dulle watched the glass blowers at Silver Dollar City and found her own creative fire for the art form. Now she’s making glass there as one of the hundreds of professional craftspeople employed by the well-known amusement park near Branson, Missouri.

A dream come true for someone that’s still fairly new to the art form–Dulle’s only been glass blowing for three years after all–but she’s already created a large, permanent installation for Capital Region Medical Center’s new addition.

Dulle was passionate about dance as a student at Helias Catholic High School, but never considered glass blowing as a career.

“I had an affinity for art history but I had no idea that glass blowing was a profession I could actually pursue,” said Dulle, 26.  “At that time, I was on the dance team at school, took lessons at Dancer’s Alley and performed in recitals in town.

Her family on her father Paul’s side have deep and historic roots in Jefferson City. More than six generations of Dulle’s have lived in the G.H. Dulle House, built in 1858, and were baptized at St. Peter Catholic Church on Broadway, just west of the Capitol. Her grandfather, Harold Butzer, was in one of the first classes to graduate from St. Peter High School, which became Helias.

Dulle went on to college at Drury University, a liberal arts college in Springfield, Missouri, where her emphasis was on craft-based art and for a time she focused on weaving. Then she made that fateful first visit to Silver Dollar City with her aunt and two cousins. While she enjoyed the potter, blacksmithing and candy-making exhibits, she was transfixed by the glassblowing demonstration.

“I wanted to stay after it was over, and my Aunt was really encouraging, so we asked the glassblowers questions about how they got started,” she said.

IMG_1967When she returned to Drury, she wasn’t sure where to start but then found Springfield Hot Glass, which coincidentally was located right around the corner from her apartment.

“That was during my senior year, and when I should have been doing my capstone project, I was at the glass studio learning about glass blowing,” she said. “Glass blowing is a physical art form and like dance there’s sequence, rhythm and technique involved. It’s not just about the end piece but the entire process that captured me.”

After she graduated in 2013, she looked through a list of schools and decided to go to the Tennessee Technological University (TTU) School of Art, Craft & Design at the Appalachian Center in Cookeville. She received her craft certificate in glass blowing in May.

This will be her second summer at Silver Dollar City, where she’s learned so much from the master craftspeople.

“I love working at Silver Dollar City because I enjoy working with other glass blowers as part of a team,” she said. “There’s three of us that rotate throughout the day and sometimes you’re assisting and other times it’s your project, but you really come to understand their rhythm.”

One of those people is Shawn Watt, a master glass blower at Silver Dollar City, who interviewed and hired Dulle.

“She really stood out as someone that wants to do this so bad and she’s talented and focused,” said Watt, who moved to Branson from North Carolina. “We all have times when we’re learning and after three months last summer she had come a long way and was vastly different in technique.”

“Being an independent artist is very hard so you have to be willing to move to have a career in blowing glass and usually that’s to bigger cities, but Alex definitely loves this craft and shows much promise,” he said.

Jim Wisch, chairman of Capital Region Medical Center, thought so. He contacted Dulle, who he had known through her parents Lisa and Paul, a local dentist, and asked her to make a nature-based piece that promoted healing and calm.

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She started the installation called “Ripples” in September and it became her independent study project for one of her classes at school, supervised by Curtiss Brock, her TTU glass professor.

“I was inspired by the ripples, like rain on the surface of water. and I started out with 22 pieces but ended up with 45,” said Dulle.

A very labor intensive process, Dulle used varying shades of blue, green and gray when creating the rondels, flat glass disks.

“I don’t know who said it but there’s a great quote, ‘if you can’t make it big make it blue,” she said.

All glass creations start with a small bubble and with pressure it gets bigger.  She decided to add extra rings in the center and opened it up like a big platter.

She finished her creation in December and it was installed at the hospital soon after and a small sampling of her different sized and colored vases and mugs are featured at The Art Bazaar.

“I’m also excited to have completed an installation that I’m satisfied with and grateful for the opportunity to place my work in Jefferson City at the hospital where I can share it with other people.”

“I’m honored to have installed my first piece where I was raised, a place I will always consider home,” she said.

Story by Shelley Gabert

The post Small Town, Big Talent: Alex Dulle appeared first on HER Magazine.

HER Community: May/June

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Paint the People 5K

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Leslie Verslues, left, interacts with Emma Loesch, 12, during the Paint the People 5K at Binder Lake.
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SSM Health St. Mary’s Hospital Baby Bonanza

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Kallie Shiverdecker, 9 months, races during the baby crawling contest while her grandmother Connie Foust watches. The event featured contests, baby products and kiosks with information.
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Adam Sappinton’s Cookbook Signing at Capitol City Cork and Provisions

photos by Kris Wilson

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First Annual Ladies Night Out Sponsored by News Tribune and HER Magazine

photos by Shelby Kardell
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News Tribune reporter Brittany Ruess.
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2016 Firley YMCA Black & White Party

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Auctioneer Bill Gratz spots a bidder during the live auction portion of the evening.
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Lincoln University’s 14th Annual President’s Gala Awards and Auction

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David Minton, president of Central Bank, and his wife Liz.
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Sara Evans: Born to Fly

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Sara Evans

It has been 16 years since country music star Sara Evans released one of her highest-selling albums “Born to Fly.” The title track became one of her first solo No. 1 hits and remains one of her best and most autobiographical songs about growing up in rural Mid-Missouri and longing to spread her wings.

The multiplatinum artist has sold more than six million albums generating five No. 1 hits in a career that has definitely soared. In 2006 she was named Female Vocalist of the Year by the Academy of Country Music and the talented beauty, who has been singing since she was five years old, was born to perform.

Whether it’s the Grand Ole Opry or singing the National Anthem in Kauffman Stadium during Game 2 of the 2015 World Series in Kansas City, her pure and strong voice, along with her interpretative styling, gives new meaning to almost any song.

“I love performing,” said Evans, by phone from her home in Birmingham, Alabama. “Live performance has always been my favorite part of my career.”

“We do sometimes 80 dates a year and I’m always grateful to have my fans in the audience, wanting to hear new music from me, that never really gets old. It’s always a high and a rush.” 10518587_10152243209631027_3108498312284924921_o

Now in her mid 40s, the singer/songwriter continues to tour and is gearing up for her eighth studio album. Even now, with fame, a high-profile life and friends like Vince Gill and fellow Missourian Sheryl Crow, Evans, who has been on People Magazine’s Most Beautiful list remains true to her Midwestern roots, family values and her faith.

“I am a country girl,” she said. “My brothers, sisters and I grew up working the family farm.” ”

Her father, Jack, farmed by day and worked nights in the press room at the Columbia Daily Tribune. At one time their home on the 450-acre family farm sat on a parcel of land that now houses Vintage Hill Farm & Nursery, six miles north of Boonville.

There’s no mistaking that Evans is the most famous person from New Franklin. Coming into the small town in Howard County, there’s a sign that proudly proclaims it as the Hometown of Sara Evans, Country Music Star.

Growing up, country music was the soundtrack of her life. Her mother, Pat, who drove a school bus for 40 years, played all the greats like George Jones and Tammy Wynette and Patsy Cline. Time spent at her granny and grandpa’s house included watching Roy Clark and Buck Owens on the television show “Hee Haw” as well as listening to a lot of country and bluegrass albums.

Singing with her brothers Jay and Matt in the Evans family band, by the time she was 16 she was belting out “Sweet Dreams” and songs by Reba McEntire and the late Merle Haggard with the house band at Country Stampede, a large dance hall on Interstate 70 outside of Columbia.

After she moved to Nashville, she recorded demos for her manager’s husband who was a song plugger, pitching songs to artists. One day in 1995, she cut a cover of Buck Owen’s “I’ve Got a Tiger by the Tail,” co–written by legendary songwriter Harlan Howard, who by chance was in the studio that day.

Howard compared her to Loretta Lynn, and she landed a seven-record deal with RCA Nashville, a division of Sony Entertainment. Her hits started coming, but while building her career she was also a busy mother.

Her son Avery, 16, and daughters Olivia, 13, and Audrey, 11, are “tour babies” and have grown up alongside her in her tour bus, their home away from home.

After she had her son Avery in 1999, the same year of her first No. 1 hit “Fool I’m a Woman” from her “No Place That Far” album, she brought him along with the band and crew in the middle of touring during fair season. When Evans, Reba McEntire and Martina McBride went on the Girls’ Night Out tour, she built in a crib and added a playpen in the bus. Then her girls started traveling with her, too. It’s been a family affair really as her brother, Matt, plays bass in her band and her sisters Ashley and Lesley have traveled along as back up singers for many years.

Photo courtesy of Sara Evans

After marrying Jay Barker, a radio sports announcer and former University of Alabama quarterback, in June of 2008, she’s also become stepmom to his four children. Their wedding in Franklin, Tennessee, along with their blended family, was featured in People Magazine. Their brood of 7 has been called a modern-day Brady Bunch.

“As my kids get older they need me more and I want to be at their soccer games and other events so it’s a constant juggling act trying to balance my home and road life,” she said.

Navigating the changing country music industry is also more challenging than when she started out with other great female singers, like Trisha Yearwood, Faith Hill, Lee Ann Womack and Leann Rimes.

“I was lucky to be in the company of these incredible artists and we definitely half-ruled the radio play,” she said. “But that’s not the case anymore. It’s very closed off now and has been for the past five or six years, where it’s a certain type of song that’s been successful and they keep repeating it over and over.”

“I don’t relate to songs about partying, trucks and beer,” she said.

From the beginning, her inspirations have come from her own life, and she knows how to pick a hit song. Many of her songs are country-pop and it’s no surprise that she listens more to radio stations that play Bruno Mars, John Mayer, Selena Gomez and rhythm and blues.

For her, it’s all about telling a story that’s universal, that speaks to her as a person and an artist. It was going back to her roots in the single “Born to Fly” that put her on the road to stardom. She received seven Country Music Association (CMA) award nominations and the music video with the “Wizard of Oz” theme won Video of the Year.

She co–wro10548302_10152309432386027_7736100520797887622_ote “Born to Fly” with her close friend Marcus Hummon who co-wrote the Rascall Flatts hit “God Bless the Broken Road,” which he sang at Evans and Barker’s wedding. Evans has recorded both an acoustic and a bluegrass version of the song for other albums over the years and it’s still relatable, a story of a girl looking for her “over the rainbow” and sharing her dreams with a scarecrow in the fields.

“I Could Not Ask for More” the second hit single from the “Born to Fly” album was written by the prolific Grammy Award-winning songwriter Dianne Warren and first recorded by Edwin McCain. One of those big, swelling ballads that Evans can sing to perfection, she made it her own and gave it a female perspective.

Her third number-one single on the US Country charts was “Suds in The Bucket,” written by Billy Montana and Tammy “Jenai” Wagoner.

“This song is about a young girl running off and making this split decision that changes her life. It was written in a comedic way, but the topic was serious and real,” she said.

Evans co–wrote  “Missing Missouri,” a single from “Real Fine Place” (2005) with another Missouri native, Trent Tomlinson, and reminisced about watching the St. Louis Cardinals on television and tobacco fields.

Her career was on fire and Hollywood came calling. The first country artist picked to join the celebrity cast of ABC’s “Dancing with the Stars,” her private life took center stage and she left the television show during a very public divorce from her first husband.

It was five years between her fifth and sixth studio album, “Stronger” released in 2011. She remarried and moved her family from Nashville to Alabama and helped her children settle in to new schools and a new life.

The hit single “A Little Bit Stronger” became an anthem of sorts for anyone who has been through a heartbreaking breakup. Co-written by Hillary Scott, of the Grammy-winning Lady Antebellum (with Luke Laird and Hillary Lindsey), the song was featured on the soundtrack of the movie “Country Strong,” starring Gwyneth Paltrow as a fictional country music singer.

“I like songs about relationships, love and heartache, sad songs with drama,” said Evans, “Sometimes people assume that when you sing a song that’s what is going on in your life, but I was happily remarried when ‘Stronger’ came out and unhappy at other times in my life when I’ve sang happy songs.”

“John Mayer said, ‘I don’ t need to have lived certain lyrics, I need to be able to understand the human heart and emotions,’” she added.

Evans played essentially herself, when she sang “Put My Heart Down” from her seventh album, “Slow Me Down” in a duet with Luke Wheeler, (played by Will Chase), on the ABC television show “Nashville.”

“That was a phenomenal experience and it gave me a huge amount of respect for actors and what these people do,” said Evans, who has expressed an interest in acting. If her videos are any indication, she could probably be good at it. “I’m a bit intimidated by it and there’s never been a good time to move my family somewhere, but maybe down the road.”

The title track “Slow Me Down,” about a rocky relationship, was released in 2014 and debuted at #1. One of her favorites, she built the entire album around this song. It includes several duets with male singers including Gavin DeGraw and Vince Gill, around that song because it spoke to her sensibilities.

“What’s frustrating is that I spend so much time on every song on an album, going over the string part and the harmony like a mad scientist in the studio,” she said. “I worry if my voice is loud enough and whether the bass part works.”

A time of transition for her–she’s no longer with RCA Nashville, and she has made management changes, too–her career is at a cross roads. She’s not sure what advice she would give to young female artists on how to break into the business, or how to deal with the narrow playlist on country radio that seems full of songs by men.

“I would tell them to be as authentic as they can be and if they don’t believe in something they shouldn’t record it. That’s how I have always conducted myself in my career and I still believe that the cream always rises to the top,” she said.

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Forever she will be Missouri’s own success story, the small town girl who made it big. She not only went after her dreams but she’s living them, too. Maybe she can have it all on her own terms but her longevity in the business is a testament to her resilience and dedication to her craft.

Soon to be writing and recording in the studio, Evans hopes to have her new album out in the fall. This summer, she’ll be on tour and will have her kids in tow, several who are musically gifted. Her husband has described their life as “managed chaos” but they make it work and when she’s home she likes to make dinner for her family.

“We got a new puppy and he’s going crazy,” she said. “We’re also building a pool in our backyard and there’s workers here and a big Bobcat out in the yard. There’s always something going on but I feel confident, happy and peaceful.”

“I am where I am just like everyone else, but I feel just as creative, young, vibrant and excited about music as I ever have been in my life. So, hopefully the career and the music will drive off of where I am right now.”

Editor’s Note: I first interviewed Sara Evans back in 2011, right after she released her sixth album, “Stronger,” I met her in January of 2012 during a meet-n-greet before she performed at a concert at the Mizzou Arena in Columbia. She was on tour with Hunter Hayes and Rascal Flatts. She will performing in Branson on June 17 at the Mansion Theatre.

Story by Shelley Gabert

The post Sara Evans: Born to Fly appeared first on HER Magazine.

HER DIY: Dated to Dazzling

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Before and After

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Jill Bednar, owner of Southbank Gift Company, creates a dazzling zinc finish for a dated porcelain lamp.

No priming or sanding necessary! Prep your piece by cleaning it with Krud Kutter® and paper towels. After cleaning your piece, wipe down again with a clean wet rag to remove any residual cleaner or debris.

Now you are ready to paint! Using the small blue Annie Sloan brush, dip the tips into water, then into Graphite Chalk Paint® by Annie Sloan. Apply the thinned out Graphite until the smooth surface is thinly covered.

Let dry 24-48 hours to insure you have a thoroughly dry first coat. WITHOUT water, reapply a second or third coat as necessary, letting each coat dry in between.

Make a mixture of about 50/50 Louis Blue Chalk Paint® by Annie Sloan and water. Working quickly and in small sections, apply this very thin, watery coat of Louis Blue over the top of the Graphite.

IMMEDIATELY wipe off the Louis Blue with a rag or paper towel until the desired look is achieved. If you want less of the Louis Blue, you can dampen your rag/paper towel and wipe away more of the Louis Blue to expose more of the Graphite color. It should look like a “dusted” effect with the Louis Blue settled into the crevices and details of your piece. Let dry.


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Apply a thin coat of Annie Sloan Clear Wax® with a soft rag to protect your new piece and give it a subtle shine.

Project by Jill Bednar | Photography by Laura Bennett Smith

The post HER DIY: Dated to Dazzling appeared first on HER Magazine.

HER Home: Hidden Treasures

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Laura and Larry Coen were searching for a ranch style home on one level and they found it in a neighborhood north of Memorial Park.

The house, built in 1956, hadn’t been updated in 30 to 40 years, so the couple modernized it with new paint on the interior and ceramic tile.

“The house had really good bones,” said Laura, a semi-retired administrative assistant and receptionist at First Assembly of God church.

Home-Mag--155-afterVacant for six months, they received a good deal from realtor Alan Mudd and spent two and a half months making improvements, moving in earlier this year in January.

With their eclectic style of antiques mixed with wood pieces and art from their travels to Africa, Brazil and Chile, they kept the built-in wood bookshelves and interlocking plank walls in the dining room.

When they removed the blue carpet in the large living room, they were pleasantly surprised to find original 1¼ inch oak planks of  hardwood.

“That was a real treat for us finding those original hardwood floors that had never been touched or sanded,” said Larry, a teacher at Lighthouse Academy and Columbia College.Home-Mag--144-after

They turned to Dennis Richter and David Groose of Custom Hardwoods to finish the floors in the living room, dining room and master bedroom.

They replaced the linoleum entryway, with ceramic tile in a mosaic pattern that carried through the dining room and the kitchen. They kept the original maple kitchen cabinets but added new hardware along with a High-Definition Formica® laminate countertop and backsplash to add a contemporary look to the kitchen.

The interior walls were painted in neutral colors—gray, creams and whites—that they chose all from Sherwin Williams in Jefferson City, including “Accessible Beige” in the living room and “Believable Buff” in the master bedroom. “Silent Smoke” was used in the hallway and two smaller bedrooms, and “Whiskers” in the kitchen.

Both Laura and Larry picked out the materials from Lowe’s and Menards in Jefferson City.

They turned to Scruggs Lumber’s Assistant Manager Jennifer Gardner to help them turn a screened-in porch into a three-season room by installing Quaker sliding vinyl replacement windows and a custom-sized insulated door. In addition, all the exposed wood was wrapped both inside and on the exterior.

Story by Shelley Gabert | Photography by Julie Smith

The post HER Home: Hidden Treasures appeared first on HER Magazine.

HER Profile: Margaret Schmitt of Pure Skin Care

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By the time Margaret Schmitt and her family moved to their current home in Barnett, between High Point and Versailles, she had already started her skincare business with only a few products. That was more than a year ago and since then she has created a complete line of organic skin care products, including lotion bars, salves, lip balms and face creams that are sold at several retail outlets in the area, including Goods Variety Store, GVS, in Versailles; Nature’s Source in Eldon; and Clovers Market in Columbia.

Her products are also on display and sold most Saturdays in Jefferson City at Lincoln University’s Farmers Market. That’s where we caught up with Schmitt and her two daughters, Maggie and Abi, who help with the labeling and packaging, and Ben, her husband of 24 years who works at Nutra Ag. They also have two sons Caleb and Levi; Schmitt has homeschooled all of her children.

As a baby, Levi had severe skin allergies and sensitivities so Schmitt has always been highly cognizant of the ingredients found in various products.

“I’ve always had to shop for lotions and other products with pure ingredients, a plain shae butter or jojoba,” Schmitt said. “I couldn’t use Johnson’s baby lotion on Levi because his skin would break out so bad. Everything I used had to be hypo allergenic.”

When Levi came home from Bible school with athletes foot, a contagious fungal infection marked by itching and burning on the feet and toes, she was determined to make a salve to treat him. After doing her homework and consulting her herbal reference books, Schmitt came up with a medicinal salve in two days and the symptoms of the athlete foot fungus disappeared quickly.

“Athletes foot is usually treated with steroid creams or even oral medication but I wanted a remedy that wasn’t so harsh and I didn’t want my son to live with the side effects,” she said. “The herbs I used are known to irradiate the fungus. By two weeks you couldn’t tell he had ever had a rash but FDA’s labeling regulations are strict so I couldn’t say he was cured,” she said.

She shared the salve with friends and members of her church family, who also experienced good results. One customer’s husband paid hundreds of dollars for a tiny tube of steroid cream but the athletes foot kept returning, until he used Schmitt’s salve, which also works on nail fungus. Another salve works on cuts and scrapes.

“I was so impressed with the results from the herbal salves and lip balms that I just kept going and I liked that it was a project we could do at home. I have learned so much just by listening to our customers.”

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HER LATE GRANDFATHER WAS AN HERBAL DOCTOR IN MEXICO. Schmitt was born in the state of Chihuahua, Mexico and her family moved to west Texas when she was 2 years old. “My grandfather was a chiropractor from the age of 18 in the early 1900s, traveling in a horse and buggy and making his own casts for his patients. When I was little, we would visit him and my dad got sick once, Montezuma’s Revenge (traveler’s diarrhea). My grandfather mixed up an herbal concoction for my dad to drink and in 30 minutes his fever broke. I’m always digging in my herbal books for a remedy and my mother has always said ‘that the apple didn’t fall far from the tree.’ I have many books from European doctors and I do my homework. I want to take an herbal class soon and add to my knowledge base. I do a lot of research as well as experiment with different recipes on my own family. My sister is an RN and I have different family members who have medical experience and that all helps.”

ALL OF HER PRODUCTS ARE CLEAN. “When you’re buying lotion at the store, it has a lot of water and alcohol in it and the customer is receiving very little of the good moisturizer, but my products are as pure and clean as possible.” Organic olive oil, beeswax and shae butter serve as a base for almost everything she does. “Olive oil is good for your skin and doesn’t clog your pores.” Ironically, five years ago after some testing Schmitt found out she is allergic to olive oil. “I can’t eat or use olive oil so I make the products I use on my skin with avocado oil. Most people can tolerate shae butter but some can’t and some also can’t tolerate camomile so I make special orders for people who are allergic to an ingredient.”

LEMONGRASS, LAVENDER AND GERANIUM ROSE are some of the scents in her lotion bars. She also makes an unscented bar. “I purchase all of the organic, herbal essential oils that I use to scent my products. I also use those made with a carbon dioxide process for more superior extraction methods and a thicker mixture. I put the oils herbs in a jar or container with the olive oil, sometimes for up to 6 or 8 weeks, or cook the mixture slowly over the stove.” For the lotion bars, she adds a thickener like a bees wax. Once everything has been infused she pours the mixture into molds or the packaging.

MEDICINAL HERBS INCLUDE COMFREY that helps reduce inflammation and helps clients with arthritis, while burdock is utilized into a salve to help with burns and wounds. The arnica flower is used in one of the herbal salves and a myrrh essential oil, (a healing antiseptic, antibacterial) that is wild crafted, is used in the plantain salve (for itch and rash or for poison ivy). Myrrh is a wild-crafted essential oil from the plants that are not farmed or sprayed with any kind of pesticide. Angela Beshore, the owner of Nature’s Source in Eldon has carried the Pure Skin Care line for six months and the herbal salves are very popular, as are the lotion bars.

Maggie, Margaret and Abi Schmitt

Maggie, Margaret and Abi Schmitt

A FAMILY PROJECT, Schmidt does all the cooking in her home kitchen but her daughters help with labeling and shrink wrapping the products and attend the Farmer’s Market with her. She also experiments on her family. “When I was working on my face cream, I turned to my European herbal books and I used my mother as a guinea pig. She has age spots from living in Texas and being out in the sun and it definitely helped with those and it’s good for wrinkles, too. My husband likes to rub the Arnica salve on his sore muscles after a hard day at work.”

MOST OF HER PRODUCTS DO DOUBLE DUTY. The lip balm helps prevent cold sores as well as heals them. For one young girl with braces, the lip balm treated a rash around her mouth. The lotion bar works as a moisturizer for dry hands and cracked heels. Her bug bite salve evolved into a stick. “No one wants greasy hands when they’re hiking so the bug bite stick is great to rub on a mosquito bite. I’m also working on a bigger and wider bug off stick.” The foot salve works on nail fungus, too.

SHE WILL EXPAND HER MARKETING EFFORTS. All of her product labeling, printed by BW Graphics in Versailles, features her email address so customers can communicate with her. She makes her products in a larger size for one customer in New Mexico. “I want to make a bigger sign for our table at Lincoln University’s Farmer’s Market.” Going forward, she will expand her baby products line. “It’s important that we keep our prices reasonable so they’re available to as many people as possible. I’m always so excited when it works, just realizing that a lot of people can be helped with our products.”

For product information or ordering, contact Margaret at pureskincare4you@gmail.com.

by Shelley Gabert | photos by Julie Smith

The post HER Profile: Margaret Schmitt of Pure Skin Care appeared first on HER Magazine.

Chillin’ Cocktails

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On a hot evening chill out with these cool finds that bring a bit of a beach vacation to Mid-Missouri.

J. Pfenny’s Sports Grill & Pub

All of the slushy flavors on the outdoor upper deck at J. Pfenny’s Sports Grill & Pub can be mixed and matched and are identified with bartender Matt Worley’s original artwork.

Worley uses the Missouri-made, hand-crafted white and dark rum from Rocheport Distilling Company, owned by band tour manager Johnny VerPlanck, who makes his home in Jefferson City.

The Bob Marley, an homage to the late reggae singer, songwriter and music legend, features Red Rum, Werewolf Killer and a floater of Midori, a muskmelon-flavored liqueur, to represent the red, green and gold colors of the Jamaican flag.

The Swirly Bird combines Red Rum, Werewolf Killer (lemonade, sour mix, water and Ever Clear) and Lilikoi Mango (with passion fruit), the most popular flavor on its own, for a fusion of flavors.

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Buffalo Wild Wings

Cool off with a colorful and tasty menagerie of cocktails and lemonades that go perfect with tangy chicken wings.

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The strawberry lemonade is traditional but tasty while the Blueberry Mint flavor is a welcome twist that’s sweet and tart. The Ginger Lemonade, made with Fever Tree Ginger Beer, zings.

The refreshing Black Cherry Mojito is everything you want in a summer drink, sweet and smooth but not overbearing with refreshing mint. It’s made with Cruzan Black Cherry, mojito mix and soda water.

Have your beer and tequila, too, with the brisk Strawberry Kicking Caronita, a balanced blend of Sauza Tequila Reposado Hornitos and a mini Carona.

Satisfy your sweet tooth with the Twisted Margarita, an adult dessert cocktail of frozen strawberry and mango puree combined with Sauza Gold Tequila and DeKuyper Triple Sec.

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Canterbury Hill Winery & Restaurant

Their wine samplers and slushies at Canterbury Hill Winery & Restaurant are sure to please but their special drink concoctions are definitely worth checking out.

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Their signature Sweet Serenity utilizes pineapple-infused Absolut vodka, pineapple juice, Monin peach syrup, pineapple juice and a dash of sprite with a sugar rim.

Made with Malibu Rum, pineapple juice and Blue Curacao, the Messy Moat is the perfect drink for a day at the beach or on the outdoor patio.

by Shelley Gabert | photos by Brittany Ruess

The post Chillin’ Cocktails appeared first on HER Magazine.

A Fresh Take on Fish: Johnny Graham

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A long time chef who has cooked for celebrities like Bruce Willis, Rod Stewart and Keith Richards, Johnny Graham has also catered many local parties and events through his Revel Catering on High Street in the Historic Lohman Opera house. He has a second home in Martha’s Vineyard, where he once owned a restaurant and spends months in the summer there where there is abundant seafood that he loves to grill for a lighter and tasty twist to summer barbecues.

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Why should we incorporate seafood into summer meals?

It’s fun! It’s a little different. I am an unapologetic meat eater, but it’s nice to add some variety to those long dog days of summer, and there are a lot of options in the world of seafood.

Most fish will take no more than 8 or 10 minutes to grill, which is part of the beauty of it. You can cut some vegetables, season a piece of fish and have dinner on the table in 15 minutes.

What do we need to keep in mind when choosing and seasoning fish?

• Fresh is Best: The most important part of grilling fish is using fresh fish. Ideally you may have caught it, but always buy the freshest thing available from a reputable source.

• CITRUS! I love, love, love using citrus when grilling seafood because it brings a brightness to any fish that a heavy sauce covers up. Marinades work wonders, especially for a stronger flavored fish. Sometimes the simplest preparation is the best. My wife Lori caught a pile of Silver Salmon while we were in Alaska last September, and we cut the salmon fillets into 5 or 6 ounce portions, rubbed a little extra virgin olive oil, flaky sea salt and some herbs snipped fresh from the garden onto the fish and grilled it to medium rare. Then we moved it to a lower heat area to rest with a squeeze of fresh lemon juice.

What’s better for the smoker and what’s better for the grill? 

• There are certain fish that are just too flaky, or delicate, to put on the grill. Most any fish, though, will work in a grill basket, a fantastic tool to have for smaller things that might otherwise fall through the grill plates.

• The more oily the fish or those with a higher fat content are good for the smoker. Examples are fresh sardines, salmon, mackerel or bluefish. Drop fillets in a simple salt and brown sugar brine for 24 hours and then smoke on medium heat for a couple of hours. I love serving smoked fish with soda crackers and wedges of limes & lemons!

Any cooking tips?

• Have a clean grill! Always brush it clean with a quality grill brush as soon as you’re finished with the grill for the evening. After starting the grill, I like to brush it clean again. Once the grill is hot, I take a rag with some vegetable oil on it, and wipe the grill surface to pick up remaining grime.

• The grill should be hot. I prefer to use medium-low or non-direct heat. Sometimes, depending on the consistency of the fish (whether firm or flaky), I may mark the piece of fish over high heat and then move it to a lower heat area of the grill.

How do we know when seafood is ready?

• Most fish will change color somewhat. A white fish will go from translucent to all white, salmon will get lighter, etc.

• Have all of the other elements of your meal ready to go when the seafood hits the grill.

• Don’t over cook because most fish will dry out. You can always put it back on the grill. I cook fish a little less, because it will finish as it rests.

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story and photography by Brittany Ruess

The post A Fresh Take on Fish: Johnny Graham appeared first on HER Magazine.

Meat Masters: Chris Wrigley

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With a decade of smoking meat under his belt, the process has become second nature for Wrigley.

When Chris Wrigley smokes meat, he falls into a Zen-like state of relaxation.

“You just concentrate on what’s going on and focus on that moment and everything else just disappears — all the troubles of the day, all the clatter and chatter in your mind just goes away,” he said.

With a decade of smoking meat under his belt, the process has become second nature to Wrigley. As the owner of Zesto Drive-In, barbecue is on the menu and he’s also a regular at barbecue competitions, entering up to 12 each year. He’s also no stranger to first-place finishes.

Wannabe smokers don’t need years of experience to cook delicious food. According to Wrigley, they just need time and patience. First, he said, make sure to dedicate enough time to the smoking process. Once meat is in the smoker, Wrigley advises to open the lid only when necessary. Letting out the smoke lessens the chances for it to infuse the meat with its flavor, he said.

“They say, ‘If you’re lookin’, you’re not cookin’, and that’s a true statement. Put the meat on there, close the lid and walk away from it. Don’t be anal-retentive and look at it every five minutes,” he said.

Wrigley waits an hour to check his ribs after they’ve hit the rack. Three hours into the process, he will wrap the ribs in aluminum foil to help the meat tenderize. Then, he’ll let them cook for two more hours for a total of five hours in the smoker.

Generally, he said he will smoke chicken halves for three hours and brisket can take up to 12 hours. Because smoking utilizes indirect heat, the meat cooks at a slower pace than grilling. More time in the smoker means more collagen will break down, allowing for more tender meat.

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Wrigley heats his smoker with pecan wood, which gives the meat a flavor sure to satisfy anyone’s taste buds.

“It’s a milder, smoky flavor,” he said. “It’s not harsh and bitter. Some people use oak, some people use cherry. Pecan is like the middle of the road. I call it, ‘the vanilla of smokes.’ It doesn’t offend anybody and everybody likes it.”

Vegetables and potatoes can be smoked as side dishes and only need salt, pepper and/or barbecue seasoning. The rack must be well oiled, and cooks should eyeball the vegetables to see when they’re ready.

“It’s like eating heaven,” Wrigley said. “It’s delicious.”

The key, he said, is to make sure and dedicate enough time to the smoking process.

“Take your time at it,” he said. “Don’t be in a hurry when you do it. If you don’t have enough time, don’t start.”

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story and photography by Brittany Ruess

The post Meat Masters: Chris Wrigley appeared first on HER Magazine.


Meat Masters: Mark Hyman

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Mark Hyman

A two-time first place winner of the American Royal in Kansas City, MO.

Mark Hyman was cooking in his backyard for friends when one of them urged him to enter a barbecue competition. Hyman, of Jefferson City who works at the Dollar General Distribution Center in Fulton, decided to give it a shot and today is an award-winning barbecuer.

He competed in his first contest in the early 1990s, and out of 35 teams Hyman finished in the middle.

The next year, he entered another competition in Tipton and won first prize in the pork steak and chicken categories.

“I thought that I might be on to something,” said Hyman, who practiced on the weekends for almost 15 years—sometimes in pouring rain or falling snow— with family and friends sampling his meats and providing feedback.

Entering as many contests as he could afford, Hyman became a regular at backyard competitions and county fairs. Gradually, he competed in larger contests as he advanced his skills on the grill and smoker.

Then Hyman landed at the World Series of Barbecue  – the American Royal in Kansas City, Missouri where the best of the best barbecuers compete. A two-time winner of the competition, placing first overall in 2005 and 2007, he credits his success to taking meticulous notes throughout all of his years of testing.

“Whether you’re a backyard cook or a competition cook, you need to write down everything you do,” Hyman said.

Hyman wrote down any factor that could affect his barbecuing, including grill and smoker temperature, amount of fire and charcoal, type of wood, weather conditions, wind direction, seasonings and marinades. If Hyman made a mistake, he was sure not to make it again. If he cooked incredible food, he would know how to create it again.

In recent years, Hyman has been away from the competition circuit. With three children in their early 20s and late teens, he wanted to work more to put them through college.

“I wanted to step back a little bit and give my kids a life that I didn’t have,” he said.

Hyman can still be found cooking at his home and the smell of his barbecue permeates throughout the cul-de-sac. He caters events on the side and shares food with family and friends.

“Barbecuing is all about having fun,” he said.

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Competition Style Chicken:

Marinade:

64 ounces chicken broth
¼ cup Worestershire sauce
16 ounces Italian dressing
1 tablespoon of course ground black pepper (must be course)
1 tablespoon of onion powder
1 tablespoon of minced garlic
1 pack of Adolph’s meat marinade

Directions:

Mix the chicken and marinade in a bowl. Leave the chicken in the refrigerator for 12-24 hours. When you’re ready to cook, set grill to 250 degrees and allow to reach temperature before placing on the chicken. Cook chicken for 1–1.5 hours, flipping the chicken every 15 minutes. Cook chicken until its internal temperature reaches 170 degrees. Once cooked, put the chicken in a pan and cover with aluminum foil. Allow it to rest for 15 minutes. Apply sauce or glaze if desired or serve as is.

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Grilling or Smoking Rub:

¼ cup of course ground black pepper
¼ cup granulated onion powder
¼ cup granulated garlic powder
¼ cup Lawry’s seasoning salt
1 tablespoon lemon pepper
1 tablespoon paprika
1 tablespoon chili powder

Directions:

Set the grill temperature to 275 degrees. Apply rub to chicken and let sit in the refrigerator for 15 minutes. Cook chicken for 1 hour and 45 minutes, turning the chicken every 10-15 minutes. The chicken will be delicious with the rub only, but glaze can be applied after cooking if desired.

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Chicken Glaze:

12 ounces of apricot preserves
4 ounces of honey
4 ounces of pineapple juice
1 teaspoon of onion powder
1 teaspoon of garlic powder
1 teaspoon white pepper
2 shots of bourbon (optional)

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story and photography by Brittany Ruess

The post Meat Masters: Mark Hyman appeared first on HER Magazine.

The Course of Women’s Golf

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It’s the second Monday evening of the women’s golf clinic at Turkey Creek Golf Center and owner Danny Baumgartner and Connor McHenry, a former State Amateur, are demonstrating the art of chipping.

“The key is to let the club do the work,” said Baumgartner, discussing the use of the pitching wedge, 7 iron or sand wedge to improve their short game.

“Did he say sandwich?” asks Sherrie Koechling Burnett.

“No, sand wedge,” said her friend, Maridee Edwards.

This is the 16th year Turkey Creek has held the popular ladies’ golf clinics, which are held four evenings (per clinic) during the months of May, June, August and September at a cost of $65. Usually Rob Wilson, the assistant pro at Old Kinderhook at the Lake of the Ozarks, is instructing the ladies.

“They love his British accent,” Baumgartner said.

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Turkey Creek Golf Center owner Danny Baumgartner and Connor McHenry instructing Christie Baumhoer, Kim Morff, Sherrie Koechling, Marilue Hemmel, Maridee Edwards, Janet Miller and Teresa Cook

Women come to the clinic with varying experience levels. Edwards, an attorney, and Koechling Burnett, an accountant, are taking up golf for the first time while Kim Morff from Russellville has played before.

“I like to play golf because it’s a great stress reliever and it’s also fun,” said Morff, who works in the banking business.

Her chips are consistently close to the hole and her swing with the driver connects too.

THWACK! The glorious sound of a well-struck shot, one that takes flight and goes the distance. Even if it’s only one out of 20 attempted swings for many golfers, it’s that sound, that contact that keeps them coming back for more of the confounding but often rewarding game.

Golf is hard, frustrating and down right exasperating, especially for those competitive types, who can throw curses or clubs around in equal measure. Not me, you say. Play a round and you may be surprised to find yourself wrapping a club around the nearest tree. Even the pro’s game can leave them on the back nine — did anyone see top golfer Jordan Spieth’s blow out at the Master’s this year?

Watching pro golf on television, the sport seems stuffy, stuck-up and time consuming. Playing 18 holes eats up four hours and there’s costs to join a country club or play a course and for the equipment and clothes. Being out on the golf course though is fun and down-to-earth, literally. Wheeling around in a cart, socializing with friends in the outdoors surrounded by lush greens, trees and water is an escape into another world. Even a high score can’t diminish those pluses.

Although it’s been more than 10 years since Tiger Woods won the Masters with that amazing clutch chip to birdie and cinch the victory, he singlehandedly galvanized the game and made it athletic and sexy for the young. According to CBS News in 2005, the year of the “Tiger”, there were an estimated 30 million players, an all-time high. Today Wood’s golf has declined and the sport. In 2015, the numbers were down to a bit more than 24 million, with just five percent of golfers under the age of 30.

The No. 1 golfer on the LPGA, Lydia Ko, is 19, and the No. 2, Brooke Henderson, who won the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship, is 18. Six of the top 20 players in the world are under the age of 21, with only four in their 30s.

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Kim Morff practicing at the Women’s Clinic at Turkey Creek.

“We do see a lot of young ladies under 30, but our largest segment is retired women,” said Chris Nelson, the pro at Meadow Lake Acres Country Club in New Bloomfield. “We encourage all ages of women and men to take up golf. It’s a great sport to pick up and one that you can play for a lifetime and also spend time with family and friends.”

Meadow Lake Acres hosts a Nine and Dine event for pairs that runs through September, and there are also guest nights where members can bring friends. Between the months of May and into October, the Jefferson City Country Club, JCCC, hosts several events for women – Ladies Day, where they can play as individuals or in team scrambles and Nine on Wine, where nine holes of golf is followed by wine and dinner.

“Women are still the minority on the golf course but more women continue to play,” said Kevin Dunn, the head pro at JCCC for the past four years who teaches a ladies clinic on Wednesday mornings and has offered individual instruction to beginners as well as more experienced players.

“The way for most PGA Pros to grow rounds at their course is to make golf a family activity and create more leagues for women,” he said.

Cathy Carter, the head women’s golf coach at Lincoln University for the past five years, participates in the women’s events and plays in local tournaments. She practically grew up at JCCC, but didn’t take up golf until the age of 17.

“I was a lifeguard and I played tennis but my parents and my brother played golf,” she said. “Mom would take me out and let me play with her and her friends and they were encouraging. When I hit a good shot, the challenge to do it again motivated me to keep playing.”

During her senior year at Jefferson City High School, she played tennis and volleyball and was a walk-on for the women’s tennis team at the University of Missouri-Columbia, where she also played Intramural tennis and other sports. She went on to receive her bachelors of science degree in Dental Hygiene/Hygienist from the University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Dentistry, and then worked for her father, Harold, a dentist in Jefferson City.

She continued to play golf and in 1982, she and her then boyfriend were set to attend the Golf Digest School in Boca Raton, Florida. When they broke up, she decided to take her mother. Carter and her mother Paula, went and received instruction by some big names, including Davis Love Jr., father of pro golfer Davis Love III, and Peter Kostis, then one of the head instructors who has served as a golf analyst for CBS for two decades. For three years, Carter lived in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida and worked at the Pro Shop at the PGA National Golf Club, where she also interacted with many golf pros like Jack Grout who coached the legendary Jack Nicklaus.

“It was awesome. I learned a lot about my golf swing and just being around people that were well known in golf, learning from the best was great,” she said.

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Hanna Berendzen, currently on the Lincoln Women’s Golf team, Coach Cathy Carter and Kaitlyn Schwartz on the course at the Jefferson City Country Club.

While playing in a Women’s Western tournament, she met Ellen Port, one of the leading women golfers in the St. Louis area. She became only the second woman to capture both the Mid-Amateur and the USGA Senior Women’s Amateur Championship, and is a four-time U.S. women’s Mid-Amateur Champion. She represented the U.S. in two U.S. Curtis Cups and coached the U.S. team in the 2014 competition. The Senior Player of the Year through the Missouri Women’s Golf Association, she’s now the head women’s golf coach at Washington University in St. Louis.

Like Port, Carter is focused on teaching the next generation. While fitness has become more important and there have been major changes in equipment, the fundamentals of golf haven’t changed that much.

“I enjoy practice, watching them hit a ball, helping them get out of trouble and understanding their thinking process,” Carter said. “I like to see young women that really love the game of golf, that like to play in competitions.”

That describes Kaitlyn Schwartz, one of the top golfers that’s ever played for Carter.

“Kaitlyn is a good ball striker and she would ask my advice and trusted that I knew how to help her and she would make the adjustments,” said Carter.

Like many golfers, Schwartz grew up playing with her father.

“I’ve been playing since I was 7,” said Schwartz. “My dad bought my sisters and I all a first set of clubs but I was the only one to go on to play golf. I was always athletic and competitive.”

A graduate of Fatima High School, she played basketball, softball and golf. Since there was no women’s golf team, she played on the boy’s team.

“I played from the boy’s tees and some girls would see that as intimidating but it helped me because at college you’re playing more yardage,” she said.

During her summers she played softball on the weekends and golf during the week and was a member of Gateway PGA Junior Golf Program. Although offered a softball scholarship, golf offered more college money.

“Being a student and an athlete is hectic and it’s a must to keep your grades up for your scholarship. Most players want to get a good education but don’t want to put in the time necessary to be really good and definitely not to try and go pro,” she said.

“I’d be lying if I said playing professionally wasn’t a dream of mine, but the reality is that there are other factors in my life,” Schwartz said. “My father became ill a few years ago and I’m the only daughter who lives close by and I want to help out. I’ve got roots here.”

Schwartz, who earned her associate degree in drafting, two bachelor’s degrees in civil engineering technology and mathematics, and her masters in applied math, has no regrets.

“I love golf and I’ve been around it all my life. I can tell you almost every course I have ever played and still picture a particular hole and how I played it,” she said.

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Cathy Carter and Hanna Berendzen

“Golf is hole by hole and it’s only you. It’s a good way to see how you are as an individual in handling pressure and success or failure,” she said.“It can be relaxing but it’s also unpredictable and stressful. You can have a good day and the next day is a complete 180 and that can be stressful.”

Even though she’s been playing golf for 35 years, Carter has watched her once single-digit handicap fall and her game decline.

“Yesterday my mom and I played together and I scored 46 on the first nine but then all of a sudden something clicked and I scored a lot better on the second nine,” Carter said. “If you hit a couple of bad shots it’s easy to get that negative thing going but you have to learn how to not beat yourself up, to make the best swing and trust in your ability. A lot of success in golf is definitely between the ears.”

Like most long-time golfers, she knows that golf is a fickle game but no matter how many bogies or birdies, the romance is still blooming and she hopes to be like her parents who still play golf in their mid 80s.

While Carter is trying to pass on her love and appreciation for the game, she has found recruitment challenging. “I find coaching very rewarding but I’ve found golf scholarships harder to give out; it’s definitely the most under utilized sport,” she said.

The LPGA and Missouri Women’s Golf Association, MWGA, and other busineses are reaching out to young women to offer clinics and other opportunities for them to take up the game.

During the KPMG sponsored golf tournament at Sahalee Country Club, a Women’s Leadership Summit was held along with a Future Leader’s Program, featuring speakers like Condoleeza Rice, the former U.S. Secretary of State, and Annika Sorenstam, one of the most successful pro women’s golfers in history. The goal was to empower the future generation of women golfers to achieve success in the sport and in their careers.

“A lot of girls want to concentrate on their studies and get their education and I understand that but playing golf is a skill that can benefit them their entire life, both socially and in business,” Carter said.

“I’ve gotten to play golf in some of the most beautiful places and met some amazing people,” she said. “Golf is such a big part of me and who I am. I definitely identify with being a golfer.”

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by Shelley Gabert | photos by Kris Wilson and Julie Smith

The post The Course of Women’s Golf appeared first on HER Magazine.

Summer Fun

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Summer fun has never looked so good! Whether on the course or on the beach, these summer styles are sure to turn heads!

All Fashions provided by Dillard’s.      Locations: Turkey Creek Golf Center and the Katy Trail

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Tanner, 31, and Sofie, 30, met while attending William Woods University in Fulton. After graduating from the Doctor of Chiropractic Program at Logan University’s College of Chiropractic in St. Louis, he and Sofie opened Coleman Family Chiropractic at the corner of East High Street and East McCarty. They enjoy spending time outdoors at the park or swimming pool with their two daughters Kennedy, 4, and Madeline, 2. Tanner is an avid golfer while Sofie can often be found at her family’s farm, Wild Horse Creek Riding Academy in Russellville, riding her horses.

On Tanner:

Under Armour Golf Matchplay Black Shorts – $64.99
Under Armour Playoff Black/True Grey Heather Stripe Polo Shirt Academy/Graphite – $64.99

On Sofie:

Columbia Onmi-Shield Anytime Pink Skort – $39
Polo Ralph Lauren Classic-Fit White Polo Shirt – $49.50
Michael Kors Allie Trainer Pearl/Grey Sneakers – $81

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On Tanner:

Hurley Phantom Clemente Grey Men’s Boardshorts – $60
Hurley Staple Dri-Blend Men’s Teal T-Shirt – $30

On Sofie:

Dottie Tribal Times Kimono White Tunic – $54
Kenneth Cole reaction Scuba in Aruba Tankini Top – $58
Gianni Bini Wisteria Solid Tab Side Bottoms – $49

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A realtor for nine years, Gerardo, 33, started DIR Downtown Realty this year. Originally from Southern California, he received a football scholarship at Lincoln University and moved to Jefferson City and stayed in the community. A kicker and a punter for the Blue Tigers, he received his degree in Business Administration in 2007. He married Staci, 28, from Russellville and they’re celebrating their 5th anniversary this August. They have two children Irie, 3, and Jacob, 3 months. Staci works for the Department of Agriculture. They like to travel, hang out with family and attend concerts.

On Gerardo:

Murano Slim Henley White Shirt (Pairs Line) – $59.50
Murano Geometric Slim-Fit Poplin Blue Blazer – $195
Murano Light Grey Pants – $69.50
Cremieux Solid Straw Fedora – $35

On Staci:

Pink GB Dress – $54
Michael Kors Damita floral navy wedge – $99

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Both Jefferson City natives, Kyle, 25, works for Schrimpf Landscaping and Paige, 24, is a realtor for RE/MAX Jefferson City and is also in her third season as a member of Team Fredbird for the St. Louis Cardinals. High school sweethearts at Helias, he played on the golf team and she was a member of the tennis squad. They both like to work out at Crossfit, spend time at the Lake of the Ozarks and play with their two dogs. Engaged on November 25, they will be married on September 3 at St. Joseph Cathedral with a reception at The Millbottom Event Center.

On Kyle:

Cremieux Blue Shorts – $41.70
Cremieux Short-Sleeve Solid Oxford – $69.50

On Paige:

GB Printed Blue/White Romper – $59

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photos by Kris Wilson

The post Summer Fun appeared first on HER Magazine.

HER Community: July/August

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Cole County Historical Society Fashion Show and Luncheon

photos by Julie Smith
Central Bank’s table at the annual luncheon. Seated clockwise from lower left is Cyndy Schnieders, Christa Roehl, Jill Dobbs, Jerene Meissert, Gara Loskill, Kathy Crow, Liz Minton, Marlene Medin, Mary Winters and Gaye Suggett. Standing at right is model Emily Dette.
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Cork, Fork and Brews at Capital Plaza Hotel

photos by Annie Rice
Fefe Rome talks about her restaurant Blue Skillet, which featured fried chicken, handmade candied yams and green beans at their sample station.
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Magnolia Home Open House at JC Mattress Factory and Furniture Showrooms

photos by Janet Ousley
JC Mattress’ Rachel Haney and Tom Hill.
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ColorVibe 5k run

photos by Marty Beck
Carrie Stedner crosses the finish line.
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Zonta Yellow Rose Luncheon

photos by Julie Smith
Vicki Myers, right, presented Carol Beavers with a single, long-stemmed yellow rose and certificate recognizing her as a Women of Achievement nominee. Beavers was co-recipient of this year’s Women of Achievement Award.
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The post HER Community: July/August appeared first on HER Magazine.

HER DIY: Fabulous Fabric Makeover

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before

Before/After

Jill Bednar, owner of Southbank Gift Company, transforms a fabric bench with Chalk Paint® decorative paint by Annie Sloan. Don’t buy new! Just re-do, and tell your own story.

LBS_2016 06 06_4271_edited-Step 1

Spritz fabric section with water to saturate so the paint brushes on smoothly. (Working in sections will assure your fabric doesn’t have time to dry before you paint.)

2016 06 06_3573_edited-Setp 2

Choose your Chalk Paint® by Annie Sloan color, put it in a small container or glass, and dilute with water using approximately a 50/50 ratio (Our project color choice was Old White). Coat the dampened fabric with the diluted paint/water combination. One coat is fine. This coat is meant to establish a good base coat to build on – not to cover.  Let this coat dry for 24 hours.

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LBS_2016 06 07_4189 Step 3

When completely dry, the fabric will feel hard and “crunchy.” This will make your consequent coats easy to build upon.  Now, start painting 2nd coat of your Chalk Paint® by Annie Sloan full strength and not diluted. Let each coat dry in between
applications. Apply as many coats as necessary to cover the color/pattern of your old upholstery.

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LBS_2016 06 09_4105edited_edited-Step 4

When satisfied with the coverage and when the paint is completely dry, lightly sand with the “fine” Annie Sloan Sanding Pad or 320/400 grit sanding paper.  This will make your painted upholstery surface feel smoother and silkier.

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LBS_2016 06 09_4142_edited-Step 5

Apply a light, thin coat of Clear Chalk Paint® Wax. Wipe away any excess. Buff with a clean cloth to get a smooth dry shine.

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You may further embellish your piece by:

Tape off a stripe pattern and paint in using an Annie Sloan Stencil Brush and Chalk Paint®. (We used Aubusson Blue.)

Let dry.

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Remove the tape.

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Apply the Clear Wax over the striped area.

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We also chose to refresh the legs of our piece with a simple coat of Black Chalk Paint® Wax and buffed to a soft shine.

Project by Jill Bednar | photography by Bennett Smith Photography

The post HER DIY: Fabulous Fabric Makeover appeared first on HER Magazine.

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