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HICKORY LIVING • NOVEMBER 2014 1

Complimentary

Novem

ber 2014

LOCAL Sales and Service You Can Count On!

2 HICKORY LIVING • NOVEMBER 2014

Mailing Address - 1670 E. Broad Street, Suite #195 Statesville, NC 28625 828-464-4060E-mail - [email protected]

CONTRIBUTING WRITERSKristie Darling • Meredith Collins

Kathy Wheeler

COVER PHOTOGRAPHYShane Greene Photography

COVER STORYCarolina West Wireless

Editorial Stock photography, unless otherwise noted,

is from ThinkStock.

November 2014Living the Good Life


LIVNG

I from the publisherWelcome to the November issue.This year is slowly winding down, and the holidays are just about here. As we get ready to celebrate Thanksgiving, one of my favorite holidays, let us pause for a moment to think about the many things we have to be thankful for. While my list is long, good health and happiness are at the top of it. I trust that you can easily find many things for which you are thankful.

Please remember all of our veterans, and take a moment to say “thank you for your service” this Veterans Day. Even though I was never in the military, my father served in the Navy. I have a special affinity for all those who served and wish there was more we could do as a nation to help them. They sacrificed and gave the best years of their lives for their country, while some gave the ultimate sacrifice and never returned home. Let us vow to do all we can to help these brave Americans who honorably answered their nation's call to service.

Happy Thanksgiving, and thank you for reading the November issue of Hickory Living Magazine!

Find Hickory Living Magazine on Facebook.http://twitter.com/HickoryLiving

W W W . H I C K O R Y L I V I N G M A G A Z I N E . C O M

LIVINGLIVINGHickory

Myron T. GoughPublisher, Hickory Living

Hickory Living reserves the right to deny any advertisement or listing. Submissions are welcome, but unsolicited materials are not guaranteed to be returned. Hickory Living assumes no responsibility for information, products, services or statements made by advertisers or editorial contributors. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission from the publisher is prohibited.

Myron T. GoughPublisher/[email protected](828) 464-4060

Kathy WheelerArt Director/[email protected](828) 238-3224

Bob [email protected](336) 686-7271

Linda B. [email protected](704) 657-0237

Heather [email protected](704) 962-8080

“Uncle” Jim [email protected](980) 722-2861


Find Hickory Living Magazine on Facebook.http://twitter.com/HickoryLiving


November 2014LIVNG

I content

8 • Being Thankful Every Day

12 • Carolina West Wireless Local Sales And Service You Can Count On!

18 • Unique Oriental Rugs & More Pleasures To Have...Treasures To Keep...

22 • Handcrafted Gifts For The Holidays

25 • What's Cooking?! Favorite Thanksgiving Sides

28 • Decorating With A Blend Of Old And New25

28 18 holiday | home | food | local business


Thanksgiving is a time for reflecting on our lives and those

we are blessed to know and love, and to be thankful for

those things that are good and even the things that need to

improve. Although Thanksgiving is only one day out of the

year designated for thankfulness, it is beneficial to count our

blessings everyday.

It is my belief that being grateful is a choice. No matter

what you have going on in your life, you can always find

something to be thankful for. Even failure can be a source of

gratitude if you look at it as bringing you one step closer to

success. It helps you be more in the moment each and every

day–not dwelling on the past or worrying about the future–

but acknowledging the good things that happened that day.

I've started a journal to do just that. My goal is to write down

a minimum of seven things each day that I am grateful for

and that bring me joy–time with those I love, the sunshine,

meeting a new client, being productive, helping a friend,

solving a problem, learning something new, being creative,

and on and on…minimizing the negative and emphasizing

the positive puts me in a mindset to look for positive situa-

tions or, better yet, create positive moments.

Hey, it is easy to get stuck in the rut of looking at what we

want and don't have, instead of what we do have. It is easy to

go through life thinking only about our to-do-list and

not recognizing the small pleasures around us. Don't get me

wrong, I think we should reflect on the past and plan for the

future but not dwell on either. It is safe to say that more of

any one thing will probably not make us happier until we

learn to appreciate what we have.

This year, my family lost several close relatives, but we are

blessed with wonderful memories. We spent some time go-

ing through items that brought these people joy. They were

things from our youth that were saved just for us. It was so

much fun to revisit those memories.

At Hickory Living Magazine, we count ourselves blessed each

day to have dedicated readers who often tell us they love read-

ing our magazine. We are so grateful to our loyal advertisers

who have found value in advertising with us, and allow us to

enter their businesses and feature them on the cover and in

the magazine. We don't take their loyalty lightly. We do our

best each and every month to promote great, local businesses

so our readers stay informed. I personally enjoy getting to

know each person I meet and working with each one.

As you sit down for Thanksgiving dinner later this month, I

encourage you to count your blessings for those who sur-

round you, for the influence of those who have gone before

you, and for the wonderful meal you are sharing. Make a

resolution that each day thereafter will be another day of

Thanksgiving.

Being Thankful Every DayBy Kathy Wheeler

© Comstock Images | Stockbyte | Thinkstock


LIVI cover storyGN

Photos: On the cover, from left to right–Jackie Mallory, vice president of sales and marketing, and Jude O’Sullivan, chief customer officerAbove–With many years in the industry, Jackie Mallory and Jude O’Sullivan bring skill and experience to the executive team at Carolina West Wireless.



By Kristie Darling | Photos by Shane Greene Photography

Photos: Top–Carolina West Wireless offers the latest and greatest phones to their customers, including the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus.

Above–At Carolina West Wireless, the customer is their focus and quality service is the heart of their mission statement.

With an eye on outstanding customer service and a heart for their local communities, the sales and service teams at Carolina West Wire-less are poised to continue making wireless voice and data plans easy and affordable for individuals, families, and small businesses. “We’re a local alternative to the major carriers,” Todd Elledge, director of marketing, said as he shared Carolina West’s mission and vision with me. “We provide national coverage with a personalized, local focus that makes one-on-one customer service its top priority. The bigger providers just can’t match that.” Indeed, there is a collective movement afoot in small towns and large cities to “shop local” whenever possible. We see it at farmer’s markets, family-owned drug stores and now, at Carolina West, we can make that important local choice for our wireless telephone service, too.

Carolina West Wireless is a unique, regional provider that is locally owned and operated; it's corporate headquarters are in Wilkesboro. Their extensive network branches out to 10 surrounding counties: Allegheny, Alexander, Ashe, Avery, Burke, Caldwell, Catawba, Surry, Watauga, and Wilkes. With 19 convenient retail locations, both company and indepen-dently owned retail stores, roaming agree-ments with Sprint and Verizon, and about 140 employees in management, sales and service, the company has seen considerable growth, success, and technical advancements since its inception in 1991. “We are happy to have a new 4G LTE national option,” said CEO Slayton Stewart recently. “Our main focus is our customers, and this new offering is best-in-class, high-speed wireless service and experi-ence, both locally and nationwide. Having relationships now with two national carriers greatly benefits current and future Carolina West subscribers.”

LOCALSales and Service You Can Count On!


There’s something special in being a full-service, local wireless provider, offering everything from calling and data plans to mobile Internet devices and plans for small businesses, as well. Todd continued, “Our service is com-parable to any of the major national carriers, with the added bonus of our company’s footprint in so many towns in our region.” Many customers come into the stores to pay their bills, and that gives Carolina West just one more opportunity to be neighbor-to-neighbor friendly and helpful. People appreciate the time and attention they receive for their needs. “Focusing on the customer experience is the core of Carolina West’s mission. We live and work in the areas we serve. Our customers are our neighbors, friends, and family, and we take delivering an exceptional customer experience very seriously,” commented Jude O’Sullivan, chief customer officer.

EVERYTHING YOU NEED IN WIRELESSLooking for a new iPhone 6? Carolina West has them. A popular Android model? Carolina West can help. You can find all you need in products and ser-vices in Carolina West’s stores. iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus are recent additions to the company’s smart phone selec-tions. “We’re excited to offer these next-generation iPhones to our customers,” said Jackie Mallory, vice president of sales and marketing. “With our unbeat-

able customer service, competitive rate plans and robust network, consumers will be able to fully enjoy all of the new features of the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus.”

Showing prices that were lower than I expected, the website details some of the offerings in smart phones with an assortment of wireless and data ser-vice plans. “The value you get in our products is totally enhanced by the personalized service you’ll experience,” Jessica Reins, associate marketing man-ager, told me. “We’ve recently added a new, one-of-a-kind mobile app, CWW Now!, that lets you easily customize your news feed, focusing on national, local, and regional news, local sports, and weather. It’s loaded on the phones we sell and is absolutely user-friendly. It allows you to eliminate content you aren’t interested in, and provides instant access to what does interest you in one convenient place, everyday.” A one-stop shop of sorts, CWW Now! is a free app that’s available to anyone, subscriber or not.

This month, Carolina West announced LTE 4G network service for its iPhone customers so they now have access to the faster service. The company is com-mitted to making on-going improve-ments in service, and this increase in data speed will be welcomed by every subscriber. An addition of 50% more

Photos: Top–Sales Associate Mark Williams

assists a customer purchasing a new

device.

Above–Assistant Store Manager

Jeremiah Minton leads the Hickory

sales team.

Opposite page:

Left–Carolina West Wireless has a

robust line-up of accessories.

Right–Carolina West Wireless offers

a friendly and welcoming sales

environment.


cell sites is included in this expansion. “The demand for smartphones and faster data speeds continues to climb,” Slayton Stewart continued. “We have been the premier wireless provider for 23 years in western North Carolina, and this aggressive 4G strategy allows us to maintain that position with advanced services at highly competitive pricing.” With support from Carolina West’s owner companies–Skyline Telephone, Surry Telephone and Wilkes Commu-nications–all customers benefit from the latest fiber optics technology and connectivity.

KEEPING A PERSONAL PRESENCE“We are trying to connect with our community and talk to them about what is unique to our area and local events. Basically, these Instagram pictures share what makes this area our home,” Todd added. When I logged on to Instagram at carolinawestwireless, I found beauti-ful fall photos from Julian Price Park, an amazing aerial view of Kidd Brewer Stadium at Appalachian State on game day, the Brushy Mountain Apple Festi-val, and amazing mountain scenery. Very entertaining! The company also has a social media presence on Facebook and Twitter. I’m now a follower of Carolina West Wireless!

A COMPANY COMMITTED TO GIVING BACK“Carolina West has always been an excellent community partner,” Todd said. “We have a very successful in-school program we call Communication 4 Education. It’s easy for customers to participate by selecting the school they wish to support. We then donate 3% of their service charge each month to their school at no additional charge to the customer. Since the inception of this program, we’ve donated over $500,000 to local schools. Businesses and families appreciate keeping their money here in the community through programs like this, and by choosing a local wireless provider. You just don’t find this kind of community involvement with the national providers.” Todd explained that the company is active in all the counties it serves and regularly gets requests for financial assistance from organizations, schools, and charities that they honor whenever possible. “It’s the way we operate,” Todd told me.

In addition to partnering with commu-nity organizations, Carolina West also wants happy, satisfied subscribers. They often offer specials and promotions to attract new customers and have a 14-day give-it-a-try plan for newbies. The

current promotion includes a free Moto G, one month of service free, a $30 instant accessory bonus, and up to $100 in credits when you bring your num-ber and transfer over to Carolina West. What a bargain! Also, you can receive up to $200 toward your upgrade when you trade in your old smartphone.

SHOP AROUND FOR LOCAL WIRELESS“Carolina West Wireless is proud to be a part of the greater Hickory communi-ties. We provide a high-quality net-work, national coverage, and superior customer service at the best pricing available,” says Jackie Mallory. She sums up the Carolina West story very suc-cinctly. If you’re looking for value and personalized, customer sales and service by a reputable, successful, local wire-less phone company, go no further than Carolina West Wireless. You will be well served by their professional team, quality products, and responsive service. And, at a very competitive price with all the bells and whistles you want and need! Visit www.carolinawest.com for all the details. It’s pretty easy, actually.

2537 US Hwy 70 SE • Hickory(828) 322-5770

www.carolinawest.com


Fine rugs are more than ordinary

floor coverings. They are pieces of art,

unique treasures that bring warmth

and history to a home. They come new

or antique and in any shape, size, or

color you can imagine. Each rug has a

story to tell.

People are quick to replace furniture

and cars, but hand-woven, quality ori-

ental rugs do not lose their value and

last for many, many years.

David Mostafaloo, owner of Unique

Oriental Rugs & More, located in the

Hickory Furniture Mart, has hand-

selected around 4,000 rugs for his

showroom. “Having a rug is something

you are going to enjoy everyday. It be-

comes a treasure,” David said. “When I

purchase a rug for our showroom, I have

to love it first. I look at it from all dif-

ferent aspects, and it has to be the best

quality rug. Then I am able to pass this

quality on to my clients. It makes them

feel at ease knowing they are getting a

fine quality rug.”

Any type of Oriental rug you can think

of, they have or can find for you. “We

have rugs of all different sizes,” David

said. “We have handmade or machine

made. If a customer has a specific need,

we will search to find the perfect rug for

them.”

With 17 years experience, David and

his wife, Azam, have the knowledge and

the connections in the industry to very

specifically meet a customer’s request.

Customers who are looking for a partic-

ular rug can send photos of their room,

dimensions, colors, etc., and David will

find a rug for them in just a few days.

The showroom at Unique Oriental Rugs

is really more than a showroom–their

rugs are displayed like artwork at an

art gallery. Each piece is unique with its

own color combinations, and with thou-

sands of rugs on the showroom floor,

many people don’t even have to take

advantage of David’s search offer.

David’s business has grown rapidly

since he opened in 2002. When he first

By Meredith Collins | Photos by Shane Greene Photography

Photos: Pictured left, top–David Mostafaloo, owner of Unique Oriental Rugs & More, stands in front of a transitional, hand- knotted wool and silk rug.Bottom–The store is located in the Hickory Furniture Mart and features over 4,000 fine quality, hand-knotted rugs in different styles.

Pleasures to Have… Treasures to Keep…



opened the doors in the Hickory Furni-

ture Mart, he had 800 square feet with

only 49 rugs. Today the display space is

more than 10,000 square feet, all open to

the public. David often works with de-

signers to find the perfect rugs to become

treasures in a customer’s dream home or

workspace.

While a big focus is on helping custom-

ers and designers find the perfect rug for

their homes, another specialty at Unique

Oriental Rugs & More is cleaning and re-

storing new and antique rugs. Many high

quality oriental rugs actually appreciate

in value over the years, so it is important

to keep them in good condition.

The showroom also has beautiful furni-

ture, accessories and artwork on display.

Hickory Furniture Mart

2220 Hwy 70 SE, Suite 450

866-801-RUGS

[email protected]

Photos:Right–At Unique Oriental Rugs & More, you will find new and an-tique rugs, artwork and accessories. Pictured right is an antique heirloom that is 120 to 130 years old.

Far right–Program hand-knotted rugs can be ordered in different sizes.

Above–David stands next to a circa 1900 Persian Tabriz that measures 11’1” X 18’3”.


Handcrafted Gifts for the

Holidays!By Kathy Wheeler

© Photos by Kathy Wheeler

TThere is something about receiving a handmade gift that is special. Whether it is homemade baked goods, a handmade scarf, quilt, or ornaments crafted for your tree, a lot of creative thought, time, and love are attached to each personal gift from the giver.

This past September, a friend and I planned a holiday crafting weekend in the mountains. It was great fun! We relaxed on the deck beside a stream, cooked new recipes, and made Christ-mas ornaments. Not all of our creations were worthy of sharing, however, there were a few ideas that would make great Christmas presents for some on your list. So invite a friend over, and enjoy an evening of experimenting, creating, and trading ideas. Here are a few of mine.

Monogrammed OrnamentsThe main materials for these ornaments are glass ornaments with a semi-flat surface, an alphabet of rubber stamps and StazOn ink, or if you are etching the initials, some etching cream. The rest is pretty self-explanatory: 1/2" wired rib-bon, berries, and small, wired greenery or leaves to decorate the top.

For the etched ornaments, I printed letters on label paper and cut the letters out to make a stencil (you will throw the letter away and use the rest for the sten-cil). You can print the letters any size

you want and etch initials on jars and bottles for homemade goodies, or etch a set of wine glasses and pair with a bottle of the recipient's favorite wine.

Photo GiftsWith the digital world of photography, most people don't always have their photos printed. They store them on their phones, share the best ones on Facebook, while others don't know how to download them from their phones to

their computers. Last year I took some time and downloaded all of the pho-tos from a friend's Facebook page and burned them to a CD. I had the photos printed, put them in an album that included a pocket for storing the CD. It was her favorite gift, and she asked if I could do that for her every year. Keep in mind that photos are highly compressed when uploaded to Facebook, so this is not the ideal way to store your photos, but it was better than not having prints. Coffee table books and calendars with personal photos also make great gifts.

The Christmas shopping season is right around the corner. Before you get into the hustle and bustle of shopping, try making a few handcrafted gifts to add to your purchases. Happy crafting!


Photos © Andrea Skjoid | © DreamBigPhotos | iStock | Thinkstock

1 ¹/³ cups French-fried onions (French's)

DirectionsPreheat oven to 350°F. Mix soup, milk, pepper and drained green beans in a 1 ½ quart casserole dish. Fold into the mix half of the French-fried onions.

Bake at 350°F for 30 minutes. Add remaining French-fried onions to the top and return to the oven for another 5 minutes or until the onions turn brown.

Sweet Potato Casserole3 cups mashed sweet potatoes ½ cup sugar 2 beaten eggs ¼ cup butter, melted ½ cup milk 1½ teaspoons vanilla

Topping1 cup brown sugar ¹/³ cup flour 1 cup chopped pecans ¹/³ cup butter, melted

DirectionsPreheat oven to 350°F. Grease a nine inch square baking dish. Use a9"X13" dish if you are doubling therecipe. In a large bowl, mix sweetpotatoes, sugar, eggs, butter, milkand vanilla. Pour into greasedbaking dish.

In a large non-stick pan, melt butterand mix in topping ingredients. Crumble the topping mixture over sweet potatoes. Bake at 350°F for 40 minutes.

Green Bean Casserole1 10 ¾ ounce can condensed cream of mushroom soup ¼ cup milk ⅛ teaspoonblackpepper2 14 ½ ounce cans cut green beans, drained

What's Cooking?!Favorite Thanksgiving Sides


(BPT) - It can be hard to keep up with the latest changes in decorating styles for the home. But the latest trend might actually make it easy for you to have a stylish house, especially if you've kept some family treasures around.

Mixing traditional and contemporary décor within a home can give your spac-es a warm, yet up-to-date, feel. Keep-ing those traditional accents, furniture pieces or even wallpaper in your home and blending them with contemporary elements that have clean lines or bright colors can create a relaxed and atten-tion-grabbing look. You can incorporate this style in any room of the home and it allows you to display that mirror your grandma had in her bathroom, or to bring new life and energy to the aged marble countertops in your kitchen.

Try these tips to help get the most out of the old, while bringing a new look to your home:

Accent with white–One great way to give a room a contemporary balance is to accent with white. The trim, molding,

doors and even decorative linens you use can bring new energy to a furniture item or heirloom piece you've had in your family for years. Blending the soft wood tones of older furniture or dark wood floors with cool and fresh white accents will make the room vibrant. If it's your kitchen that's sporting the contemporary white color, add Danze faucets in stainless steel finishes that showcase a more traditional décor to balance the overall feel.

Choose your finishes with intention–The finish you choose for your fixtures and faucets will have a significant impact on the look and feel of the room. For example, a white sink or toilet fits well when adding contemporary ele-ments versus biscuit, which will bring a more subdued, traditional flavor. Select-ing faucets with a bronze finish could add a noticeable and beautiful deviation to an otherwise white bathroom décor. The Eastham Collection by Danze has a very architectural look that works well in either traditional or contemporary en-vironments. But changing its finish can alter the impact it brings to the room.

Add little touches–An old six-paned window with cracked and worn wood can become a frame for family photos. Wood from an old barn can be used for a coffee table or fireplace mantel. Mix up the chairs around your dining room table by blending both modern and contemporary styles. These little changes in a room's décor might not be immediately obvious, but as visitors look around the room they'll notice the special touches you've made by mixing two distinctive styles.

Incorporate a couple of focal pieces–If the shell of your room has a contem-porary look, adding a few traditional elements and conversation pieces into the room can create a stunning look. An antique lamp, an old trunk that becomes a side table, or a church pew in an entryway can all be attention-getting additions. On the flipside, if your home features traditional wooden floors that have aged beautifully, let the floor take center stage with simple, modern deco-rations.

Mixing old and new is a decorating trend in today's home décor, and there are benefits galore to exploring its flavor. You'll have a beautiful home today, with flexibility to alter it in the years to come. If, in five years you decide going contemporary is the path for you, sim-ply switch out that bronze faucet with chrome or replace the antique accent pieces in the living room. Regardless of the way you mix traditional and con-temporary elements, you can be assured that it won't overwhelm your guests. Instead, they'll enjoy experiencing your creativity and the breath of fresh air you brought to your home.

with a Blend of Old and New


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