A u g u s t A , A i k e n & e v A n s
it was one of those March days when the sun shines hot and the wind blows cold: when it is summer in the light, and winter in the shade.
Charles Dickens
March comes in big, like a lion, and its roars
bring sudden big blooms of periwinkle and
fuchsia. The azaleas color our world in
the South, they hang in there while were
predicting when the next cold front will
arrive, or can we call this spring yet? We
bundle up in chilly mornings and shed layers
throughout the day as the mercury rises in
the afternoon hours. Time to think about
that pedicure and open-toed shoes, time to
drive home with the sunroof open, time for
the pollen and breezy afternoons when the
wind whispers, Spring has sprung. This is
the big time when the summer heat is still
weeks away and we can walk the streets
without breaking a sweat, stop and pause
long enough to see the time lapse of leaves
budding on bare trees. The soothsayers
warning to Julius Caesar, Beware the Ides
of March, in Shakespeares tragedy imbued
that date with a sense of foreboding, but its
just the 15th on the Roman calendar and we
prefer to celebrate it as the Romans did
by indulging in wine, song and celebration.
This is a time of good hair days, wind whip-
ping our skirts, evenings just chilly enough
for a light sweater, time for outdoors, for
new buds turned blooms, the bright sky
that reminds us of how small we are in this
big old world, and the brand new green
grass thats made for lying on your back and
looking for shapes in clouds chugging by as
the world keeps turning, turning, turning.
e s C A p e t h e o r D i n A r y
Cover Art: Jackie Besteman
M A r C h
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Like to see your ad in skirt! Magazine? 706.823.3702
Foundernikki hardin
Creative Director Caitilin Mcphillips
Market Managerkate Cooper Metts
Contributing Editor gracie shepherd
Sales DirectorLisa Dorn
Sales ExecutivesDoressa hawes
Lisa taylor [email protected]
Maidi McMurtrie thompson [email protected]
Mary porter vann [email protected]
CirculationJessica seigler
PhotographyJon Michael sullivan
Advertisingsales: 706.823.3702
fax: 706.823.6061 1.800.622.6358
skirt! is published monthly and distributed free throughout
the greater Augusta, Aiken & Evans area. skirt! reserves the right to refuse to sell space for
any advertisement the staff deems inappropriate for the publication.
All content of this magazine, including without limitation the
design, advertisements, art, photos and editorial content, as well as the selection, coordination and
arrangement thereof, is Copyright 2014, Morris publishing group,
LLC. All rights reserved. no portion of this magazine may be copied or
reprinted without the express written permission of the publisher.
skirt! is a registered trademark of Morris publishing group, LLC.
february2015
No matter the size of the town, someone will always be having big ideas.
In Augusta and Aiken, there are scores of people who work every day to
perfect and promote big ideas they believe in strongly. This issue, we sit
down with just a handful of locals who are going hard after big ideas ranging
from suicide prevention to holistic living to community collaboration and
innovation in technology. A common thread in all of their stories is a
simple question that we could all take to heart: why not me?
Gracie Shepherd
SKIRT! THIS MONTH
march2015
Cover Art: If youre an artist
and would like to submit your work, please send
a link or low res artwork to [email protected].
The BIG Issue
John D. rockefeller
Dont be afraid
to give up the good to go for
the great.
FeaturesYes, Im Aging. So What? Iris Dorbian .....................................................29
Just A Mermaids Tail Hilary Brooke Hall ................................47
in this issueLetter from the Editor ...................................4
Hes So Original .............................................25
Skirt of the Month .........................................29
Meet ..................................................................26
Product .............................................................13
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Denise Tucker | Humanitree House
Enter Humanitree House, and immediately it feels like a different world from 8th Street in downtown Augusta. With Bob Marley records playing
in one corner and handpainted murals surrounding the entire space, Denise sees it as an extension of her home. She and her husband Baruti
opened Humanitree House in the summer of 2014 because they saw a need for a cold-pressed juice bar in particular and a family-friendly gath-
ering place in general. Cold-pressed juice is made using a process that preserves more nutrients than other ways of juicing, keeping the fruit in a
similar state as to when it was first picked. Humanitree House is all about eating, drinking and living closer to the sun, and closer to the earth
as a vegan space. Its been life-changing, Denise says. Her customers have become friends, and being her own boss means that she can take
time to just chat with someone if she feels that is what they need. I can truly find out how life is going for them, and what makes them tick.
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february2015
Big ColorMara Hoffman espadrilles
Shoes at Surrey487 Highland Ave, Augusta
706.504.3532
Big SparkleJudith Ripka 18K gold/turquoise earrings
Windsor Jewelers2635 Washington Road, Augusta
706.738.7777
Go Big or Go Home
Big FragranceKobo mahogany leather candle
Nandina Home & Design158 Laurens Street SW, Aiken
803.649.0616
You cant top lobster for fancy dinner party fare.
Impress your guest list with a taste of New England delivered fresh to your door. Dont forget the bibs and melted butter!
SimplyLobsters.com will ship fresh Maine lob-sters and lobster tails in 24 hours (and you
can get them year-round).
march2015
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REASON CAN ANSWER QUESTIONS,
BUT IMAGINATION HAS TO ASK
THEM. Ralph Gerard
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www.skirt.com march 2015 17
WHAT COLLEGE HAS BALLROOM DANCING AS A MAJOR?Brigham University.
WHAT WOULD BARBIES MEASUREMENTS BE IF SHE WERE LIFE-SIZE?
39-29-33.
WHAT STATE HAS THE MOTTO WISDOM, JUSTICE AND MODERATION?
Georgia.
9WHAT
CLOUD NUMBER ARE YOU ON WHEN YOURE BLISSFULLY HAPPY?
WHO SAID WOMENS RIGHTS ARE HUMAN RIGHTS AT THE UN FOURTH WORLD
CONFERENCE ON WOMEN IN BEIJING ?
Hillary Rodham Clinton.
WHAT WILL KEEP YOU FROM CRYING
WHILE PEELING ONIONS?
Chewing Gum.
WHAT CHEESE GOES BEST WITH
A GLASS OF SAUVIGNON BLANC?Gruyere.
WHAT DOES THE COLOR YELLOW SYMBOLIZE?
Friendship and Joy.
PQUIZ!
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18 march 2015 www.skirt.com
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HOW MUCH GARBAGE ARE AMERICANS RESPONSIBLE FOR IN
THE WORLD ANNUALLY?One-fifth.
WHAT WAS ARETHA FRANKLINS FIRSTNUMBER 1 HIT?R-E-S-P-E-C-T!
WHAT ARE THE ONLY BIRDS THAT
SEE THE COLOR BLUE?
Owls.
WHAT IS THE SLEEVE ON THE OUTSIDE OF A COFFEE CUP CALLED?
Zarf
WHO IS THE LARGEST LANDOWNER IN NEW YORK CITY?
The Catholic Church.
HOW MANY CANCER
DIAGNOSES ARE SUN RELATED?
One- Third.
WHAT GRADE DID ELVIS PRESLEY GET IN HIS 8TH GRADE MUSIC CLASS?
C.
WHAT ARE THE THREE INGREDIENTS IN
MACAROONS?Eggs, Coconut
and Sugar.
WHERE IS IT ILLEGAL TO SPIT?Norfolk, Virginia.
WHAT IS THE LONGEST WORD TYPED ONLY WITH THE LEFT HAND?
Stewardesses.
WHEN DOES A FULL MOON ALWAYS RISE?At Sunset.
WHAT COUNTRY WAS THE FIRST TO GIVE WOMEN THE RIGHT TO VOTE?
New Zealand.
HOW MANY WAYS ARE THERE TO MAKE
CHANGE FOR A DOLLAR?
WHAT IS THE ONLY FOOD THAT MELTS AT BODY TEMPERATURE?
Chocolate.
www.skirt.com march 2015 19
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The problem is when that fun stuff becomes the habit.
And I think thats whats happened in our culture.
Fast food has become the everyday meal.
Michelle Obama
Can we go back to small, medium, and
large? Were confused by (and frankly a little
scared of) Super, Mega, Extra Grande, Trenta,
Extreme and Value-sizedwhen big just
cant quite cut it.
We feel pretty virtuous when we pick up dinner
from Subways Fresh Fit Choices (paired with
apples and water instead of chips and soda), but
we hate it when we forget to ask you to put
the mayo on the side. That little dollop of mayo
(which looks to be about 4 tablespoons) adds
almost two chocolate chip cookies to our order
of the healthy veggie sandwich.
What is with the volume of liquids that are
being offered these days? We thought it couldnt
get any more out of control and then 7-11 had
to bring in the Big Gulp that holds 200% more
liquid than the average human stomach. Always
a good workout for our lifetime practice of
stretching our stomachs. And by the way, where
are the Small Gulps or even the Medium Gulps?
A special thank you to McDonalds for
offering an alternative to our usual breakfast
of fresh fruit and Greek Yogurt with the
McDonalds Big Breakfast with hotcakes, a
large biscuit, hashbrowns, eggs and sausage.
Because really, who needs breakfast when you
can have a buffet?
Our top award goes to fast food burgers. Instead
of making the burgers bigger, you just pile
patties on top of each other. Burger King Triple
Whopper with cheese, we see youTHREE
lb. patties (yes, thats almost a full pound of
meat), 82 grams of fat, and 1,230 calories. Youd
have to have the metabolism of a hummingbird
to burn that off!
Overall, kudos to the fast food marketing
teams. We wonder what would happen if you
used words like enormous, gigantic, hefty,
massive, or excessive, when labeling your
foods. How about the Barn Door Burger...
now thats a description we can understand.
So, if you could work on that so we could get
our obesity numbers down and perhaps solve
the problem of fair wages, wed say cheers. And
raise our bottle of water to you. Well keep the
zero calories around.
Remember when the Big Mac
was considered the bad burger? And now its the diet alternative
to some of these items.
The problem is when that fun stuff becomes the habit.
And I think thats whats happened in our culture.
Fast food has become the everyday meal.
Michelle Obama
Jane
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nu
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20 march 2015 www.skirt.com
Remember when the Big Mac
was considered the bad burger? And now its the diet alternative
to some of these items.
The problem is when that fun stuff becomes the habit.
And I think thats whats happened in our culture.
Fast food has become the everyday meal.
Michelle Obama
Jane
Hur
ley,
nu
triti
onis
t at
the
Cen
ter
for
Scie
nce
in
the
Pub
lic In
tere
st.
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february2015
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Grace Belangia | Welcome to The Clubhou.se
If its a cool, collaborative effort going on in Augusta, Grace is probably there. From TEDxAugusta to Hack Augusta, shes a leader and cheer-
leader within Augustas technology and entrepreneurial communities. For the past few years, shes been a part of spearheading The Clubhou.se,
a community of professionals sharing workspace in the old Academy of Richmond County building that has blossomed into a breeding ground
for startup ideas, robotics training and a wide range of innovative efforts. Its about figuring out a way to empower our different communities,
Grace says. The opportunity for these self-branded geeks to find fellowship and inspiration from each other has been met with such great
response that its led to her and other members sharing the narrative of their success across the country this summer, Grace will be speak-
ing at the South by Southwest Festival in Austin, Texas. I think Id be doing this kind of thing no matter where I was, she says. Its where the
crossroad of passion and desire and spiritual gifts comes together.
24 march 2015 www.skirt.com
february2015
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Lisa Tindal | Tough Conversationalist
Lisa believes strongly that the first step in making a difference is starting a conversation. As executive director of Mental Health America for Ai-
ken County, she saw a need to raise awareness and start a local conversation about suicide prevention. With other members of the community,
she began the Coalition for Suicide Prevention of Aiken County as a way to find out what exactly those local needs were. The best thing to
do really is just to listen, she says. Suicide is a difficult subject for many people to approach, but Lisa and the rest of her team on the coalition
believe its a vital one. Sometimes we dont ask questions because we are scared of the answer, she says. What keeps us from talking about a
lot of things is fear. The coalition created www.preventingsuicides.com in the hope that it will take some of that fear away, with step-by-step guides
for having conversations for suicide prevention.
march2015
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february2015
Hes So Original | Hes So Persistent Chris Kane
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You may know him from the morning news on WJBF News Channel 6, but Chris has a not-so-secret life as a devoted runner. He ran his first
race in the 2009 Augusta Half Marathon, plugging into the Augusta Striders running group to keep himself motivated. Some of my best friends
in this town now are runners, he says. Its more enjoyable when you have someone your speed, running alongside you. Immediately following
the Boston Marathon bombing in 2013, Chris and other Augusta runners organized a Run For Boston to show support and raise money for
survivors. The tragedy prompted Chris to make shirts with #DontStopRunning printed on them, as a message of solidarity and motivation for
himself and other runners. The shirts were a huge hit and have expanded into an entire line of running gear, available at Fleet Feet in Martinez.
If youve got a problem or a struggle youre dealing with, tell a runner, Chris says. Were used to going uphill.
26 march 2015 www.skirt.com
february2015
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Never be less, kiss passionately, speak up, break the mold.
mar
ch
Jamie Johnson Turnerromance writer and author of Always and Broken
Describe me:FavoriTe ThiNgs:
1. italian sweet red wine
2. staying in a luxury hotel
3. meeting fans of my books
4. hugs from my daughter
5. Just-because flowers from my
husband
1. Fantasy spinner
2. romance Writer
3. superman Fanatic
4. hopeless romantic
5. spotlight craver
6. chocolate Lover
2015
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Offering:golden rabbit enamelware Bacon Jam Beyond Borders
Cake Mud Pie Sound View Lolita Just to name a few
Open Monday friday 9am-5pm and Saturday 10am-2pm418 Columbia industrial Blvd evans
Like and follow us on facebook! | [email protected]
www.skirt.com march 2015 27
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i dreamed i packed my skirt and my bikini and
headed to miami for my much earned 76 degree day on
the beach.
WHEREWill Your Skirt
take younext?
february2015
Illus
tratio
n by M
onke
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Desi
gn. m
onke
yminde
sign
.etsy.co
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MillyOne. 453 Highland AvenueAugusta706.869.2254
i dreamed i packed my skirt, my traveling shoes, my
bucket list, and flew off to see the big,
wide world.
WHEREWill Your Skirt
take younext?
www.skirt.com march 2015 29
march2015
W E A S K E D T H E
U N I V E R S E F O R T H E A N S W E R S T O
O U R T O P T E N
q u e s t i o n s A N D T H I S I S H O W S H E S O K I N D L Y A N S W E R E D U S .
BIGWHATS NEXT?
Hopefully not jury duty.
WHAT IS MY PURPOSE TODAY?
To keep your spa date. With myself.
WHERE DO I SEE MYSELF IN
FIVE YEARS?In front of a mirror.
Searching for gray hairs.
WHAT SUSTAINS ME?
Taco night. And a margarita.
And a tequila shot.
WHY AM I HERE?Because your GPS
got confused.
IS THIS ALL THERE IS?
If youre referring to wine,
then, no. Trader Joes has your back.
WILL I END UP ALONE?
Only if you keep eating your dates dessert
after saying you dont want any.
HOW WILL I KNOW IF HE IS
THE ONE?When youre tear-
fully chocolate-bingeing your way through
PMS and he still thinks youre perfect.
AM I THE BEST I CAN BE?
If youre sick of self-improvement books, then sure, why not?
WHO AM I?Ask Siri.
30 march 2015 www.skirt.com
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