By Donna CorneliusThere’s a kind of hush all over Sara McDonald’s world. And she’s determined to break it.Her 11-year-old son, Jay, has Asperger’s syndrome, a disorder that’s on the higher-functioning end of the autism spectrum. The Crestline mom said it’s important for parents like her to tell it like it is – to be honest about living every minute of every day with a … [Read more...]
On Trend: Style Consultant Tracy James Helps Clients Cultivate Confidence
By Emily WilliamsTracy James never saw Chic Made Simple, her fashion consulting and styling brand, in her future as a young girl growing up in Mountain Brook. “I always had a love of fashion,” she said. “I went to a Montessori school and I remember us doing a project in kindergarten where we drew a picture of what we were most excited to do over the summer and then we … [Read more...]
Safe Haven: Spring Valley School Supporters Want to See It Grow
By Donna CorneliusParents who meet with Spring Valley School’s executive director may not know that the woman facing them once sat where they’re sitting – on the other side of the desk.Dr. Laura Fiveash is the mother of one Spring Valley student and of another child who wasn’t accepted there.The independent college-preparatory school for bright kids with learning … [Read more...]
Botanical Adventures: McMinn Fled the Business World for a Life Lived in the Garden
By Emily Williams Though she doesn't have a garden of her own living in her downtown Birmingham apartment, Brooke McMinn, plant adventures program specialist, finds ownership in her work with the Birmingham Botanical Gardens. McMinn grew up in the Hoover school system and recalls going on field trips to the Botanical Gardens, but she did not have a concrete passion for … [Read more...]
WWII Vet Running Coast-to-Coast to Raise Money for Ship Restoration
By Sarah KuperAt 93 years old, WWII veteran Ernie Andrus is on the verge of breaking the record for the oldest person to run from one coast of the United States to the other. Andrus isn't running to break a record, but rather to restore a piece of WWII history. His run is an effort to raise money to help repair the USS LST 325 so it can make the trip back across the … [Read more...]