By Stephen Hale

Photography by Shelly Schmidt (except where noted)

Adam Snow (among others) in ‘high goal polo’ play at New Bridge Polo field.

Aiken is a town like few others, and it’s just down the road, only about an hour from Columbia by Interstate 20.

Renowned for its tree-lined boulevards and parkways, many unique, locally owned boutiques and a great mix of restaurants and nightlife, Aiken is every bit as friendly as typical Southern towns are famous for. Yet the citizens here enjoy higher than average income levels compared to elsewhere in the state; and it has been a major equestrian destination for well over a hundred years.

Thoroughbred training, foxhunting, eventing, dressage, horse shows, carriage driving, and pleasure riding go on all around the town and all around the calendar. Probably the most accessible sport to visitors is a chance to see the ‘Game of Kings’ – polo is played from March through June and September through November.

Exercise riders, pre-dawn, at The Aiken Training track.

Since most folks have never taken in a polo match, it has the reputation of being exclusive, even a bit snobby. But that is just not so with Aiken polo. This is where more than 60 professional polo players have their farms for training their “ponies,” and the matches are all among friends – on the horses and along the sidelines. Since polo fields are nine times larger than football fields, there is plenty of room for your own little tailgate party. At the same time, nearly all of the tournaments have clubhouses or tents with good food and all manner of libations (see www.aikenpoloclub.org and www.302polo.com for schedules and information).

One of many tables at Aiken’s popular Thanksgiving event, One Table. By Stephen Hale.

A large section of Aiken, just adjacent to downtown, is sequestered, quiet dirt roads set aside for the training of Thoroughbred racehorses. Like much of Aiken, standing at the rail at The Aiken Training Track is like taking step back in time. Here, all the old traditions are followed and you can speak with national-level trainers and owners as their steeds come flying past. Five Kentucky Derby winners and more than a dozen Preakness and Belmont Stakes winners have learned to run over this same track – and the favorite pastime is to try to guess which one will be Aiken’s next “big horse.”

Every March the Training Track hosts the Aiken Trials in which the young thoroughbreds get their first exposure to crowds and racing conditions. In both March and October, the Aiken Steeplechase Association holds nationally sanctioned races for huge crowds at the adjacent Ford Conger Field. On the third successive Saturday in March, the University of South Carolina at Aiken hosts a family-friendly polo tournament that rounds out the Aiken Triple Crown.

There are many sites to see, most of them a legacy of The Winter Colony of the Gilded

Polo ponies head into Hitchcock Woods for morning exercise.

Age families who made Aiken their winter home to entertain and play their games – mostly on horseback.

Less than a half mile away from downtown is Aiken’s fabled 2,100 acre Hitchcock Woods, acclaimed as the largest urban forest in America, and left in a trust by the Hitchcock Family. No bicycles or horseless carriages, only foot traffic, horseback, and actual horse-drawn carriages may enter. Within a few steps, you are surrounded with the sounds and scents of the forest, just furlongs from downtown.

Aiken is also known for live theater, orchestral performances, and an active social set who are always looking for an opportunity to throw a party (whether for charity or just for fun). In the 1890’s the Northeastern high society discovered Aiken as the perfect place to train horses, and these scions of the founders of the American Industrial Revolution dedicated themselves to spending daddy’s money. They’ve been at it for 120 years. You could not go a week in Aiken without stumbling upon some kind of party.

The facade of the historic Willcox Inn, an Aiken landmark, decked for the holidays.

Aikenites are always preparing for a festival (lobster racing is big here in May), horse show, polo match, sculling race, or soccer tournament  - something is going on almost every week. Augusta National G.C., home of The Masters, is but 20 miles away from Aiken County’s dozen first-rate courses played over the same lush rolling terrain, two of which predate Augusta National – Palmetto Golf Club (1892) and The Aiken Golf Club, celebrating its centennial this year.

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Perhaps the best day of the year to be in Aiken is Thanksgiving. It starts at 9 a.m. with a Bloodies and Bagels party for charity on the lawn of the Aiken County Historical Museum, housed in a grand old Winter Colony home on the edge of fabled Hitchcock Woods. Two hours later is everyone’s favorite Aiken tradition, the Blessing of the Hounds, about a half-mile stroll into the woods from the museum. Fox hunters from half-a-dozen hunts (different territories around the region) sit atop their mounts in the formal colors of their hunts, sipping champagne as a priest in his vestments (usually Anglican, Episcopalian, or Catholic) intones a centuries-old ritual blessing all the animals and people about to take part in the first hunt of the season. (The Aiken Hounds do not hunt live animals, but chase after the scent of a fox laid down earlier that morning.)

As they tear off into the woods at the blare of trumpets and calls of Talley Ho!, the day is not half done.

Less than a mile from the blessing is the 114-year-old Willcox hotel, named number 32 of The Best Hotels in the World this year by Travel + Leisure magazine and number 47 in the country by Conde Nast Traveler in 2011. The Willcox is elegance made available to everyone and is neither exclusive nor expensive. Out-of-towners can draw on the recommendations of Bing Crosby, Fred Astaire, Gene Kelley, Commodore Vanderbilt, John Jacob Astor, both presidents Roosevelt and Winston Churchill – all of whom stayed many nights here. Here is the perfect place to pause for a Mimosa, tea, or other libation before moving on to One Table just two blocks away in the center of downtown Aiken.

A game held at one of the historic polo fields in Aiken.

In its seventh year in 2012, One Table is a community Thanksgiving dinner attended by about 3,000 citizens – those who are well-fed all year and many who are in need of a meal. Hundreds volunteer to cook turkeys, hams, and all the fixins all night so that the whole town can sit down together and give thanks for their beautiful town. It is an extraordinary experience and the food – begun seven years ago by the fire department – is just plain great. Every year so far has been blessed with perfect weather and the falling of an autumn leaf on your turkey dinner is a little extra accent to a great day.

The pomp of the carriage parade during Aiken’s Steeplechase.

Just in case you are in search of another unique Aiken event, come to town in February for six days of Juilliard in Aiken. Two local authors have bequeathed their “Winter Colony cottage” (64 rooms) to Juilliard for a future Southern campus and for the past three years the school has established a week of concerts, recitals, dance performances, and dozens of in-school workshops for all the kids in the county.

The Juilliard students choose to spend their spring break interacting with the children and adults of Aiken, teaching and performing classical music, jazz, ballet, modern dance, cabaret, and much more for a delighted audience – all of it reasonably priced and many without charge.

“We often have people from Aiken and Augusta book in for a night of rest and relaxation or a pampered weekend getaway without the drive,” said Willcox General Manager Tina McCarthy. She says that they also get “a lot of new friends from Columbia, Atlanta, Charlotte, Charleston, Savannah, and a lot of places in between.”

Whether it’s for a day of shopping with a great lunch, or a weekend getaway, you’ve never been to a place quite like Aiken, and it’s waiting for you just down the road.

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Photography by Michele Affronte-McCausland

A past performance by the Columbia Children’s Theater.

Founded in 2005, Columbia Children’s Theater is a non-profit organization dedicated to providing professional live theater and thespian opportunities for Midlands youth.  Programming not only enriches the lives of audiences with the wonders and magic of live theater, it also enables children to express themselves in ways that transcend cultural, ethnic, and generational boundaries.  Memories made at the theatre last long after the productions close.

Each season, the theatre produces five main stage productions appropriate for all ages and three shows incorporating young student actors ranging from 1^st through 12^th grades.  In addition, they also provide a training program in theatre arts through a series called KidStage.  This program is designed to give young actors the opportunity to rehearse and perform in live productions under professional directors, writers, and designers.  The education program offers instruction on all aspects of theater including acting skills, on-camera work, and script development.  Columbia Children’s Theatre encourages participation from all students as it benefits the development of creativity, critical thinking, motor skills, teamwork, and leadership.  Their programs are offered to age-specific groups and taught by certified master teachers of theatre and/or working actors.

Early next year, Columbia Children’s Theatre is putting on A Year with Frog and Toad, a charming story of an enduring friendship that weathers all seasons, running from February 8 to 17, 2013.  Following the February production, Knuffle Bunny: A Cautionary Musical, will run from April 12 to 21, 2013.  It is based on the children’s book, Caldecott Honor, about a family visit to the local Laundromat and the tragedy and love surrounding a stuffed animal.

Columbia Children’s Theatre is supported by the City of Forest Acres and contributors from the Arts Fund of the Cultural Council of Richland and Lexington Counties and by the South Carolina Arts Commission.  They are located on the second floor of the Richland Mall.  For more information about the upcoming season schedule and to purchase tickets, please visit www.columbiachildrenstheatre.com

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In Between, 39×56 oil on canvas, presents an intense and colorful rendering of the female form as the center piece of two expansive color fields that intersect at the figure.

Columbia artist, Whitney LeJeune, would tell you that she finds beauty in thousands of subjects that surround her daily.  Her work, however, would tell you that beyond just beauty, one subject also provides true inspiration.  That subject is the female form.

Whitney says, “Aesthetically and culturally, I find no subject more compelling than the female form”. . . “Nothing inspires me more than building my compositions on the female form – it’s the opportunity to merge the most fundamental, aesthetic beauty with the timeless and universal feminine spirit that has birthed, nurtured, inspired, and tempered humanity throughout history.  What better ways to both convey and cause reflection on the emotions that fill our lives?”   When asked about the most satisfying feedback she’s ever gotten on her work, Whitney says that a client said it best: “When I look at your work, it makes me feel beautiful.”

Whitney, a full time painter, says she loves the challenges and education she gets in making a living and building a career as a young, female artist.  After graduating from SCAD (Savannah College of Art and Design) in 2009, she returned to Columbia, SC. “Columbia has proven to be a fantastic town for learning and living as a young artist!”  She explains, “I have found there to be a passionate, deeply interested community of art lovers in this town, and a hard-working, close-knit community of talented artists with which to commune.”

You can find Whitney online at www.whitneylejeune.com, or often in her studio at The Arcade building near the corner of Main and Washington Streets. You can also find her work on display at Mezza Lebanese Bistro, on Gervais Street.  She shows regularly at venues around Columbia and will have a solo exhibition for the entire month of December at S&S Art Supply on Columbia’s Main Street.

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This December, over 100 craft vendors from across the Southeast will make their way to the Columbia Metropolitan Convention Center for the 6^th bi-annual Crafty Feast.  This indie craft fair features artists who focus on experimental, non-traditional, and unique handmade crafts.  If you need to finish the rest of your holiday shopping, the Crafty Feast is a great place to find something for everyone on your list.

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A jury selects the vendors for each Crafty Feast and this year there were 200 applicants.  Vendors are selected based upon creativity, skill of craft, and uniqueness, and are newly selected for each event.  The

December fair features artists from Columbia, Asheville, Charleston, Charlotte, Chattanooga and many other cities across the Southeast.  Each artist sells different creations including jewelry, bags, clothes, children’s crafts, home goods, and many other handmade crafts.  This year, several new vendors are debuting at the Crafty Feast including Little Things Studio – specializing in posters, journals, and bookmarks.  The owner, Kate Thomas from Jackson, Mississippi, will display and sell her creative patterns and fabrics.

The fair is Saturday, December 15, from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. for shopping, music, food and drink.  Admission is $2.00 for adults and free for kids 12 and under.  Many of the food options are vegetarian friendly and there will be wine and beer available for purchase (including some of Columbia’s own microbrews).  Music will be provided by DJ Scott Padgett of 5 Points Productions.  For more information and the complete list of vendors, visit www.craftyfeast.com.

By Howard Jarrett

Beaujolais Noveau was the 1980’s easy drinking fad wine that inspired a world-wide marketing campaign to be the first consumed on the third Thursday in November. While the logistics of the mass exodus of this wine out of France to every possible location throughout world was truly phenomenal, the wine was not. The wine that I am writing about, Cru Beaujolais, suffered through the Beaujolais Noveau craze and emerged on the other side unjustifiably tarnished – guilt by association if you will. It has been called “the only white wine that is red.” And while AOC laws permit up to 15 percent blending of white

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wine with the Gamay, the wines are almost always made 100 percent Gamay. The flavor of the Gamay grape of Beaujolais is unmistakable: sweet black cherry and black raspberry, peaches, violets, and roses with a trace of pepper on the finish. Beaujolais flavors come not only from the thin skinned, low tannin Gamay grape, but also from the unusual fermenting process of carbonic maceration. Because of this process the grapes must be hand harvested in whole clusters. The grapes are put into cement vats. The bottom third of the grapes are crushed by the weight from above; and natural yeast from the skins start the fermentation process. Carbon dioxide, a natural by-product of fermentation, pushes the lighter oxygen up and out of the vat. As a result of this process the remaining grapes undergo intercellular fermentation, which brings to the front the outstanding fruit flavors, making an easy drinking wine with some aging potential in a few of the Cru Beaujolais wines. Originally part of the Rhone, the appellation of Beaujolais falls under the jurisdiction of Burgundy. Ironically, in 1395, Phillip the Bold, the Duke of Burgundy, outlawed the cultivation of the Gamay grape throughout Burgundy, calling it “a very bad and disloyal plant.” The grape found the granite-based soil of Beaujolais more suitable for the production of this wonderful wine, with appellations of Brouilly, Morgon and Fleurie each putting their

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unique terroir into the wine.
Here is a sampling of the Gamay we are drinking now:

Wines to drink with friends: 2010 Château Thivin Côte de Brouilly It has black raspberry, peaches, and floral notes, with nice acid and firm tannins, a nice rustic touch and austere.

Wines to drink with good friends: 2010 Jean Foillard Côte du Py, Morgon It exhibits aromas of brilliant red fruit, violets, baking spices, and smoke along with a meaty note. It is silky and soft on the palate with bright and juicy acidity to keep it fresh and lively.

Wines to drink when your good friends are not invited (just the two of you): 2010 Marcel Lapierre Morgon AC
It has exuberant aromas of strawberry, red currant, black raspberry, dried rose, and minerals, with a smoky overtone. Marcel passed away at the end of this

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harvest – a poetic farewell for a man that forever changed our perception of Beaujolais. There is something life affirming about opening a bottle of a man’s last vintage. Remember, in the end wine is meant for your enjoyment. Drink what you enjoy no matter what the experts or I say. Buy new and exciting wines, trade wines that you love with your friends, and try wines that your friends love. Ask the servers at your favorite restaurants for new or different recommendations. Explore and learn – it’s a lifelong, enjoyable journey. No fans of Beaujolais Noveau were harmed in the making of this column.

As Terra’s general manager, Jarrett has managed the restaurant’s front of house andstaff since the restaurant opened. In 2009, Jarrett also earned a Wine Specialist Certification from the Society of Wine Educators. His dedication to service and wines that complement Chef Mike Davis’s menu are integral to the Terra experience.

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By Daniela Yankelevitch

Special Thanks to Kevin Shaw at Hay Hill Garden Market

Green thumb or no green thumb, it’s tough to garden during the colder months. Keeping houseplants is a great way to surround yourself with nature, brighten the atmosphere in a room, and make the air in your home healthier. These are some of the most popular houseplants that are easy to maintain and will liven up the ambiance in your home.

Chinese Evergreen (aglaonema) is known for filtering out pollutants in the air and removing toxins. Its luscious, splotchy leaves add a dramatic look to any setting, and it only requires minimal care since it adapts to a variety of living conditions. It prefers moderate watering and moderate sunlight; so keeping it out of the direct light is a good thing. If the bottom leaves start to yellow, that’s a sign of under watering. Pick the yellow leaves off so that the plant re-routes its energy for growth.

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Snake Plant (sansevieria trifasciata), also known as Mother-in-Law’s Tongue, is an ideal plant for beginners. This plant tolerates low light and it barely needs to be watered. Keep the watering low maintenance because overwatering will actually lead to its demise. Twice a week is just enough to keep the soil from drying out, but soil should be slightly dry before each watering.  This plant is also known for filtering out formaldehyde, which is typically found in cleaning products. So not only do its sharp, pointy leaves decorate a room – but they also help clear the air of toxins.

Golden Pothos (scindapsus aureus), also known as “Devil’s Ivy,” can be displayed in many different ways. It can be placed in a small pot or even hanging outside. The Golden Pothos can adapt to low light but it’s better known for tolerating sunlight, which gives the plant its yellow streaks. It only needs to be watered every other day just to keep the soil moist. Besides its beautiful appearance, it is also known as one of the most air-purifying plants. It is known to remove formaldehyde, benzene, and carbon monoxide.

The Prayer Plant (maranta leucoreura) gets its name because at night it has a habit of raising its leaves to an upright position where they fold together like hands during prayer. The Prayer Plant has full, beautiful leaves that are lined with yellowed veins on the top; the back is flushed with different shades of red. It is easy to keep the plant because it is tolerant of low light. Too much sunlight will scorch the color on the leaves and dehydrate the plant. The Prayer Plant does not require much watering during the winter, but don’t let the soil get dried out.

Four Great Houseplant Tips for Colder Months:

1. If one of your plants dries out and the water runs right through the soil – don’t be discouraged! You may still have a chance to save it.

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The first thing you need is a tub or a bucket of water large enough to submerge the houseplant pot. Once you have submerged the pot, wait until all of the air bubbles come out and the plant is floating on the water by itself. Take the pot out of the bucket and let it drain. This will help rehydrate the plant. Give it a day or so to come back to life!

2. Don’t overwater plants during the winter months when the heat is on inside and the air is dry. Instead, keep a spray water bottle handy and simply mist the plant occasionally. This will keep the plant happily hydrated.

3. If your plant has cold damage and it’s starting to look like a goner, here’s a trick that may liven it up. Place your houseplant in the bathroom, turn on the shower to the hottest temperature, and keep the shower curtain open (water should never directly hit the plant). Let the plant soak up the steam for four to six minutes and then turn off the shower. Place the plant in the shower and close the curtain.  Your plant should look healthier in the next twenty-four hours.

4. Going on a vacation and can’t water your plants? A way to make sure that your plants don’t die while you’re gone is to do this simple trick with a water bottle: Cut off the bottom of an empty bottle and unscrew the cap. Place the bottle upside down in the soil and pour water into the open bottom. The plant will only take the amount of water that it needs to quench its thirst.

By James D. McCallister      

Photography by John Wrightenberry

The pour-over method: hot water is poured into filters above individual cups of coffee.

Upon entering Drip, the senses are steeped in an array of enticements.  The cinnamon-sweet scent of fresh baked scones wafts through the air. The sizzle of the Panini press induces hunger pangs. Then there’s the pervasive grinding of the beans. But most of all, the smell of the coffee – not brewing per se, but rather dripping, one delicious drop at a time, into a clear glass decanter that looks as though it might be more at home in a lab than in Columbia’s newest and most progressive of coffee shops. This is the face of ‘third wave’ coffee; this is the ambience at Drip, located at 729 Saluda Avenue, in the bustling commercial corridor near the University of South Carolina.

            Sensing what he perceived as a ‘culture void’ left by the 2009 closing of longtime fixture Adriana’s, Drip owner Sean McCrossin put his business experience and taste for fine dining to good use in realizing what many in town have found to be the most intense and satisfying coffee they’ve ever tasted. At Drip, his vision of a community-centered gourmet coffee bar and cafe has come to fruition.

The casual elegance of Drip’s décor reflects the simplicity and substantial quality of every “cuppa joe.”

McCrossin’s inspirations include coffee shops on these shores as well as in Europe, specifically Italy – the marble bar, for instance, is sourced from an Italian quarry – but its most direct influence may be found at San Francisco’s famous Caffe Trieste, a North Beach cornerstone of the Beat and coffee shop culture that endures to the present time, and that provided the idea of the long wooden bench and movable tables at Drip, which allow customers to mingle and interact as they enjoy their coffee.

            “I wanted a mix of Italian and bohemian coffee shop tradition,” McCrossin explains, “with a touch of the slow-foods movement thrown in for good measure. We’re a nation that’s on the run, and I wanted to emulate the European culture that’s about coming in and ordering a coffee or espresso, and then taking a few moments to relax and appreciate it – we should take time to enjoy what we consume.”

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McCrossin defines the ‘waves’ of coffee consumption as follows: first wave includes the introduction of coffee to the west from Africa, specifically Ethiopia, through to the time of the early 20th century, when coffee was most often brewed in stovetop percolators. The second wave may be defined by the introduction of easy-to-use countertop coffee machines through the rise of mass-market coffee shops like Starbucks, which still dominates the coffee shop business today.

A cool blue vintage light helps set the mood for Drip patrons.

Third wave, however, marries well to the slow-foods movement McCrossin cited – it’s not only about making what he calls “a damn fine cup of coffee,” it’s about the personal touch of coffee importers doing direct, fair-trade business with small farmers, and the roasting process itself, all of which is conducted in terms of close relationships with both growers and end users. The vanguard of this business model may be found in the Counter Culture brand, which Drip trusts as its principal supplier of coffee beans.

What third wave comes down to at Drip, however, is the attention-to-detail science of the pour-over method, in which servings, temperatures, and even methods of pouring the water over the ground coffee – it’s all in the wrist, in a series of circular motions – produce a consistent but hand-crafted ‘cuppa joe’ each time a customer orders.

As for the flavors one may expect from this exacting method of preparation, look no further than the chalk-written menu board, featuring descriptions of the house blend and six other available beans, which are described like an oenophile’s guide to fine wine.  For example, Ethiopian offers ‘honey, lemon, cream, and sweet black tea’ flavor notes, while the more bold Sumatra leans toward ‘caramel and dark chocolate,’ and the house blend (a customer favorite) is described as evoking ‘sweet grapes, lemongrass, and toasted nuts.’ With all this in mind, it’s clear that third wave coffee, as served by Drip, is far from your grandmother’s Mr. Coffee on the kitchen counter gurgling out the morning pot of Maxwell House.

Sometimes life is as easy as a good cup and a good book.

McCrossin reports that even as a child he possessed an entrepreneurial spirit: “I was the kid ordering the box of candy bars and selling them door to door, running a paper route for many years, and going around the neighborhood asking folks if they needed their lawns mowed.” He got his feet wet in the retail trade by spending fourteen years as a record store owner, initially while living on the Outer Banks of North Carolina and then expanding to nearby Wilmington. His first employment out of school had been in the restaurant business, but with music as a primary passion, he found himself moved to enter the CD trade, which at that time the Outer Banks did not offer to its seasonal and permanent residents.

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After selling his successful CD stores in the mid-2000s and relocating to Charleston with his wife, USC classics professor Hunter Gardner, the time finally felt right to try his hand at the coffee trade, which had been on his mind since opening his store in Wilmington. “At first I considered again going to work in a restaurant to get more experience, but once you’ve been in business for yourself, it’s hard to go back to being someone else’s employee.”

McCrossin located his initial foray into coffee culture, City Lights, in the heart of Charleston’s tourist district, where it still operates under a new owner. Named to explicitly evoke that bohemian coffee-shop culture associated with the Beat movement and writers like Jack Kerouac, City Lights, for all its charm and success, did not fully embrace the ‘third wave’ attitude now exemplified by Drip, instead occupying a more traditional slice of the air-pot, coffee-on-the-run expectations of the average consumer.

Stirring inside the filters ensures even distribution of water into the coffee grounds.

Once McCrossin sampled coffee made with what’s called the pour-over method, however, he knew he’d found what felt like a fresh angle to try in his new home, Columbia, to which his family moved after Gardner became employed at USC. He opened Drip in June 2011 to instantaneous praise and devotion from the coffee-loving community.

Drip’s approach to cuisine mirrors the care McCrossin applies to the selection and preparation of coffee. The menu, principally gourmet sandwiches and baked goods, changes seasonally, but there are a number of items, such as the customer-favorite turkey and brie and a panini-grilled peanut butter and jelly sandwich, that are considered staples. “Being that we’re trying to make the next cup of coffee better than the last cup, we approach the food menu in the same way: always trying to do what we do well even better.”

Drip’s employees take pride in their work, giving customers the extra touch.

He attributes much of his quick success to a loyal and hardworking staff, some of whom come in as early as five in the morning to get the baking and other prep underway. “I’m really lucky – everyone who works for me here has very high standards.”

Drip also fulfills its coffee shop mandate by featuring Mind Gravy, an open-mic poetry night, and on alternate Sundays rock documentaries are screened, which enables McCrossin to stay true to his personal roots and interests.

And while McCrossin has no interest in turning Drip into a chain of cookie-cutter cafes, a favorable Main Street economic environment has persuaded him to expand the concept to the downtown business district. To better reflect that area, he’s going for a different feel from the Five Points location – stainless steel counters and more modernist touches versus Italian marble and benches, with a similar menu and, of course, the pour-over method of coffee preparation. McCrossin plans to offer siphon coffee as well, a method similar to the iconic stovetop pots once a fixture of the espresso-lover’s kitchen.

Drip on Main Street opens in January 2013, but for now, diners and coffee lovers may visit the original location, to mingle with students, professionals, and neighborhood regulars who provide the other part of McCrossin’s equation – those who’ve responded to, and love, what he set out to achieve.

Home chefs take a coffee break.  Whether you’re out doing your holiday shopping, visiting friends and family, or indeed taking a break, stop by Drip on Saluda for a boost.  Relax with a newspaper or magazine, or just hang out and people-watch.  Don’t forget Drip on Main Street opening in January – sure to be the perfect place to re-fuel during a stroll down Columbia’s burgeoning promenade.

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By William Thrift

Photography by John Wrightenberry

The new ‘gathering room’ is treated to a view of the grandest oak on the property.

Back in 1981, Pam Amick’s father, Bruce Shealy, bought about nine acres of land on Windward Point at Lake Murray.  The land came with a ramshackle house (circa 1900) that the family used as a weekend getaway – no telephone, no air conditioning, just the wild serenity of overgrown shore and beaten paths down to the water where the inner tubes and john boats awaited.  Eventually, Mr. Shealy’s children started families of their own.  Such bonds were created during those times on the lake that he decided to split the parcel into individual lots so each family member could have their own lakeside retreat (or home, as it turned out).  Mr. Shealy had the land surveyed and each new lot was given a number.  Numbers were then drawn from a hat, and each new owner began plans for building their homes.

This antique door off the kitchen was salvaged from an early 1900’s structure.

In 1985, Pam and her first husband, Terry, built a brick home on their lot and raised their three children there.  Meanwhile, Pam’s best friend from Columbia High School, Sarah, had married her high school sweetheart, Carl Amick.  Over the years, Pam and Sarah remained close friends through their bunko group.  When Sarah was diagnosed with cancer in 1987, they used their network of friends for support during her long, ensuing battle with the disease.  But Pam would also need support when her husband Terry was stricken with cancer in 1997, passing away soon thereafter.

Pam coped with her loss by helping others who were struggling with grief.  She took prayer requests for Sarah from Carl and sent them out to her group.  Then Sarah succumbed to the disease in 2006.  During the few years that Pam and Carl were dealing with their own grief, they kept in touch mostly via email.  Eventually, God enabled a new relationship to kindle between them, and they were married in 2010.

Detail of the Bramble piece chosen to off-set the traditional furniture in the living room.

New opportunities arose.  Carl had a nice house in Spence’s Plantation.  Pam lived in her home on Windward Point.  The question became: who moves in with whom?  The new couple talked and prayed, and then decided that Pam’s would be the home.  But much of the past still lingered there, and if the new couple was to truly start anew, they would need to make it their own.

A perfect melding of cottage-chic and traditional décor in the living room.

Funny that it all started with something as simple as closet space.  When Carl moved in, it was obvious that the home needed to be updated to accommodate the modern accoutrements of clothes and stuff and the need for generous space.  Carl works for a machine tool company, so he had access to an Auto CAD (computer aided design) system.  He loaded the original plans for the home and began tinkering with new layouts – moving a wall, or relocating a door – eventually redesigning the master suite and an adjacent bedroom to give them ample closet space and a full laundry room.  The bathroom was expanded to allow for a large double sink and space for a tub and separate shower.  Carl designed other parts of the house too, collaborating with the construction crew on all aspects.

While Carl was busy with the layout, Pam went to work on the details.  One of the contractors bidding on the renovation arrived one day accompanied by designer, Pam Trussell.  Pam and Pam remembered each other through a former family relation and immediately hit it off.  They became the team that would outfit the new spaces of the home with cabinets, tiles, window treatments, hardware, paint, and other things.

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Ms. Trussell has always been interested in interior design.  After obtaining an interior design certificate at Midlands Tech, she dove right into the business, winning several awards for decorating homes at the Home Builders Association’s Parade of Homes.  This kick started her business and she got involved with several builders who needed her expertise.  Over the years, she’s created a network of partners and resources from home builders and contractors to designers and suppliers of all types of home furnishings.  She is currently partnered with Marty Rae’s in Lexington.

The traditional dining room is reflected in an antiqued, re-purposed mirror.

Upon meeting Carl and determining that his taste in décor is traditional, Ms. Trussell tailored her design choices to mesh Pam’s cottage-chic with Carl’s traditional.  Meanwhile, Pam and Carl selected Pat Dunbar of Dunbar Builders to do the renovation, and things got underway.

Older living spaces tend to be compartmentalized – each area of a home being separated from the rest.  Modern spaces are of a more open design.  So the first thing to go was the wall between the living and dining rooms.  A former screened porch was incorporated into the home at one end of the kitchen, creating almost a “Florida room” that the Amicks dubbed their “gathering room” where friends and family tend to congregate.

Ms. Trussell spent a lot of time getting to know the Amicks and talking about things like the way a door may swing (limiting wall space), colors for the newly defined rooms, and other aspects.

Whimsical hardware departs from the traditional style.

She recalls working with Pam to decide on a fabric for window treatments in the gathering room, and then taking that little swatch of fabric with them whether they were picking out furniture, or paint colors, or even flooring.  For a while, she and Pam concentrated on lighting, making Carl a little nervous.  But in the end, he warmed up to the new lighting selections.

The glazed kitchen cabinets evoke a cottage-chic style.

Ms. Trussell strived to satisfy both of their tastes, suggesting glazed cabinets in the kitchen to give Pam the “cottage look.”  The dining and living rooms were adorned in a more traditional furniture style to reflect Carl’s sensibility.  But the fireplace was re-done in stack stone for a cottage feel.  Wall art and accessories are a mixture of cottage and traditional styles.

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With the house more open, Ms. Trussell used lightly tinted ceilings, which both maximized the illusion of height and helped pull the rooms together.

A new laundry room conveniently opens into the new master closet.

It also accentuated the trim and molding, enhancing the traditional feel.  She was careful to go over paint selections with Pam at mid-day saying, “I don’t like to do paint colors on a cloudy day.”

Just like the memories of loved ones that linger and become a part of the new spirit that emerges from grief, so the Amicks have seen fit to re-use some of the original elements of Pam’s home that has now become “Pam and Carl’s” home.  In one section of the full basement, Carl created a large “man cave” area where he keeps tools and other manly things in the bank of cabinets that were once the original kitchen cabinets.  Pam has a craft room, the centerpiece of which is the original kitchen island.  She has also repurposed the carpeting and built-in cabinetry from the den.  Ms. Trussell suggested that they use paint with a fleck aggregate to hide dirt and imperfections in the basement’s concrete floor.

An ultra-traditional claw-foot tub is the centerpiece in the otherwise modern master bath.

The former kitchen cabinets are re-purposed in Carl’s basement workshop.

With the hard part of the renovation complete, Pam and Carl have moved into the new space and are slowly adding personal touches that reflect their new life together.  Their aim was to create a new space, where friends and family could see and appreciate their new love for one another.  Neither of them has had to make drastic changes in their personal tastes in order to fit into the new home.  Instead, together they have embarked on a journey that intertwines their lives and lifestyles.  It’s not a traditional cottage, and it’s not a traditional home.  It’s something new and unique to the Amicks – a home built for two.

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Visitors roast marshmallows at the Jingle Bell Bonfire.

On Saturday, November 17, Riverbanks Zoo and Garden will open their gates for the 25^th “silver” anniversary of Lights Before Christmas.  This can’t-miss event has been a holiday tradition for many families in the Midlands since 1987.  Every year the preparations start a little earlier and the lights shine a little brighter spreading the Christmas spirit throughout Columbia.   Guests will enjoy wandering around the Zoo paths basking in the glow of approximately 500,000 strands of twinkling, energy-saving lights and countless animated holiday images.  The dancing lights display that syncs with popular holiday music will be standing tall in front of the Aquarium-Reptile Complex this year, close to the Zoo’s Palmetto Plaza, home of the Jingle Bell Bonfire.  Hot cocoa, marshmallows and other festive foods are available for purchase and roasting.

The Zoo’s sub-tropical flora provides an exotic backdrop for holiday lights.

Of course, no visit to the Lights Before Christmas is complete without Santa Claus.  He will be making nightly visits to Riverbanks Zoo through December 23^rd, so be sure to come with your wish list!  Also, don’t forget your camera because this year there is a special opportunity for guests to walk inside a 15-foot, life-sized snow globe – you won’t want to miss it.

The lights will be twinkling from 6 to 9 pm every evening from November 17 until December 30, with closings on Thanksgiving, November 22, Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.  Guests who purchase tickets in advance will receive a $2 discounted rate of $8 for adults and $6 for kids ages 3-12; children under 2 years old are admitted free.    Riverbanks Zoo Members receive one free visit to The Lights Before Christmas with a valid membership card; guest passes are not accepted.  General admission tickets can be purchased online at www.riverbankszoo.org or at any Riverbanks ticket booth.  Parking for the event will be on the Zoo side only.  This event is made possible by One Main Financial.

Start your own family tradition by joining us this year at Riverbanks Zoo.  Don’t forget your hat, this year the Zoo has 600 gallons of artificial snow to make your Lights at the Zoo experience truly special.  No matter what the forecast calls for, Riverbanks is the only place in town where it snows every night.

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On December 2, 2012, residents of the Shandon and Hollywood-Rose Hill neighborhoods will welcome visitors to the annual Homes for the Holidays Tour

.  This event, held in some of Columbia’s most historic neighborhoods, will feature several unique homes decorated for the Holidays.

The tour will take place from 2 pm until 6 pm on Sunday, Dec. 2^nd.  Proceeds from the tour, which is sponsored by the Shandon Neighborhood Council and the Hollywood-Rose Hill Neighborhood Association, will benefit the neighborhoods’ four schools, A.C. Moore Elementary, Rosewood Elementary, Hand Middle School, and Dreher High School, as well as other neighborhood projects.

For more information, please contact Margaret McGee at 803-354-4909 or mmcgee@popezeigler.com, or please visit Homes for the Holidays Tour on Facebook.

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