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...]
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...]
Making Memories: A Daughter Finds Light in Darkness of Alzheimer’s Disease
By Emily Williams When Pam Arenberg was first introduced to Alzheimer's of Central Alabama, it was a somber visit to one of the organization's family support groups. Her father had been diagnosed with vascular dementia, most likely due to a small stroke, and she found herself unprepared for the rapid deterioration of his mind and body. "One of the best things about the … [Read more...]
Back by Popular Demand: Piggly Wiggly Almost Ready to Return to Crestline Village
By Donna Cornelius One of Crestline’s most popular residents is coming back to the neighborhood. The new Piggly Wiggly supermarket in the Mountain Brook community has an anticipated opening date of May 31, company officials said. Owners Andy Virciglio and brothers Basim and Naseem Ajlouny hoped to re-open in Crestline Village after they had to shut down their store at the … [Read more...]
The Smelly Ladybug: Hoover Student Seals Spot at International Intel Science Fair
By Emily Williams Returning from a trip to "the happiest place on earth" sparked an idea in the mind of Hoover High School student Rowen ElQishawi that is taking her to the International Intel Science Fair in Phoenix this month. While frolicking through Orlando's Walt Disney World, ElQishawi had no idea that an infestation of ladybugs would greet her when she returned … [Read more...]