midlands woman magazine

CELEBRATING, MOTIVATING, AND EDUCATING Real WOMEN

VOL 2, NO 2COMPLIMENTARY

TM

ONE ON ONE with THE HONORABLEDeAndrea G. Benjamin

EXTREME MAKEOVERS We feature several makeovers in this issue – from personal health to landscapes!

KENNEDYBRANHAM Meet the young lady who is Surviving, Thriving, and Inspiring her community

�www.midlandswoman.com

14

EDITOR-IN-CHIEFLori Samples Duncan

[email protected]

MEDIA REPRESENTATIVESTheresa AdamsCathy Williams

[email protected]

CONTRIBUTING WRITERSKennieth AllenRuth Chapman

Lori Samples DuncanTammy Ferris

Adrienne FurgalBeth McCraryElaine SamplesMatthew Spain

Mandy Summers

COVER PHOTORobert Patrick Image Design

DESIGN Melissa W. Morris

PHOTOGRAPHYBen Barrs

Clark Berry PhotographyK. Dalton

Robert Patrick Image DesignTammy Bevins Photography

In this Issue

www.midlandswoman.com

Find us on facebook!

16 Jessica Araya: A Breast Cancer Survivor

Professional18 Spring Cleaning is NOT Just for Your Home!

20 One on One with The Honorable DeAndrea G. Benjamin

Extreme Makeovers22 From Tired to Trendy: Transforming a Space

26 A Lexington County Woman’s Weight Loss Journey

28 Backyard Makeovers

30 What Is Your Calling?

33 Endless Hot Water - A Makover MUST!

Business & Web Directory35 Contact our advertisers

Personal Note36 Legacy of Love

From the Editor 2 Summer Has Arrived!

Events 3 What’s Happening?

Let’s Talk 4 Community Spotlight: Marcus Williams, author of TheStopBullyingClub

6 The House that DJJ Built

7 Give Your Child a Brighter Future

8 Sheer Xpectations: The Start of a Family Business

Health & Wellness10 Gavin’s Journey

Celebrating the Survivor in You!13 Learning to Trust a Different Plan

15 Surviving, Thriving, and Inspiring the Community Around Her

Midlands Woman MagazineWoman 2 Woman Publishing

(803) 785-4475 602 Northwood RoadLexington, SC 29072

Every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of this publication. However, the publisher cannot assume respon-sibility for errors or omissions. No part of this book may be reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission. © 2012

20

Don’t miss our Makeovers!Starting on page 22 – Summer isthe perfect time for makeovers!

� Celebrating, Motivating and Educating Real Women

elcome to the Summer issue of Midlands Woman! Isn’t South Carolina a beautiful place to live? I am looking out the window of

our newly “madeover” office, and I am so excited to see the flowers blooming and beautiful green foliage appearing where bare limbs recently could be seen. Thank you for choosing to spend some time with us in the pages of this issue. I hope you enjoy reading it as much as we enjoyed creating it for you.

This issue is all about makeovers and mothers. I like to think that we can remake most things in our life. Obviously our choices have consequences and there are things we do that cannot be taken back, thank God for forgiveness!

We also had our landscapers take on a backyard project that was simply neglected and needed a nice facelift. We are super excited to show you the new backyard. We have uploaded more exten-sive galleries online so you can see more photographs. Now with gas being so costly, families are spending more money on home improvements and having “staycations” this year! I kind of like the idea of spending my cruise money on something that is going to enhance my daily life.

We also asked Lexington Medical Center for some help with our makeover issue and we have a weight loss story as well. While surgery isn’t a viable option for everyone it is available at Lex-ington Medical Center and hundreds of patients have achieved success with the help of various surgical procedures.

Of course we cannot forget our Survivor in this issue, Mrs. Jessica McCain – a young Breast Cancer Survivor who is also a member of the Ta-tinis. Jessica is a true inspiration. Even when her diagnosis seemed iffy, she kept the faith. I was told that Jessica recently received news that she is now cancer free and also became Mrs. Roy Araya! Congratulations Jessica and Roy Araya!

Your Friend,

Lori Samples DuncanEditor-in-Chief

W

2 Corinthians 5:17Behold, all things have become new.

Summertimeis Here!


Events

What’s HAPPENING?

Happy Hour History Toursof Main StreetRecurring weekly on FridaysSC State HouseColumbia’s Main Street boasts architectural styles spanning three centuries that speak to the tastes, interests, and aspirations of persons living and working in South Carolina’s second state capital. This guided tour offers insight into the history of Co-lumbia focusing on the progress seen through the life of its Main Street and downtown corridor. Partici-pants will stop at local historic sites and receive two free beverages and appetizers along the way.

2012 Fight For Air ClimbJune 2Check-in at 8 a.m., Climb at 9 a.m.Capital Center, ColumbiaEach year, too many lives are lost to lung disease and this is your chance to climb, raise money and make an impact in their honor. Join us for one of the most unique events in Columbia. Hundreds of people will huff and puff their way up 479 steps in the Capitol Center. This is more than your same old 5K; this event takes people with stairs!

Climbers will proceed in 30 second intervals. Climb-ers will be divided into one of three categories upon receiving their chip the morning of the event: those climbing to win (fastest), those climbing who expect to have a good time (faster), and those climbing to cross the finish line (fast). Start times are flexible, but passing is difficult in the narrow stairwell. Therefore it is best to start with others who are similar to you in finish time. You may run, you may walk, but please don’t crawl!

The registraion fee is $25.00 per person and the minimum fundraising requirement is $100.00 per person. Registration fee and minimum fundraising goal are required per person in order to participate in the event, whether you are an individual or on a team. Register at the website below.www.fightforairclimb.org

Ribs & RenaissanceJune 2, 10 a.m. – 8 p.m.Eau Claire Town CenterNorth Columbia will be a blast on June 2 and not because of the summer heat. The Ribs & Renaissance Festival is back and ready to spice up your summer festival season. Just like a secret barbeque sauce rec-ipe, the Eau Claire Community Council is blending food, fun and family entertainment to bring you an excellent community event. So bring your family and

friends to Ribs & Renaissance Festival at the Eau Claire Town Center from 10 am – 8 pm.www.ribsnrenaissance.com

Sesame Street Live: Elmo’s Super Heroes!June 8, 7 p.m.; June 9, 10:30 a.m. and 2 p.m.; June 10, 2:30 p.m.Colonial Life ArenaCalling all super heroes! Super Grover has lost his su-per-ness! Never fear, the fabulous five Super Heroes are here – featuring Elmo as Captain Fuzzy! Elmo, Abby Cadabby, Zoe and all their furry friends are on a quest to put the “super” back in Super Grover. Singing and dancing their way through fun lessons on healthy habits, they discover how exercise, rest, nutritious food and good hygiene can save Super Grover – and turn your children into Super Heroes, too! You’ll be feeling good when Elmo’s Super Heroes comes to town!www.coloniallifearena.com

4th of July Celebration onLake MurrayJune 30, starting at 12:30 p.m.Lake MurrayThe event will begin at Bomb Island with the annual Boat Parade, which is sponsored by The Southern Patriot. Fireworks launching from both Spence and Dreher Islands will start at dusk, approximately 9:15 p.m. Tune into B106.7FM and Magic 98.5FM for the patriotic musical show that the fireworks are choreographed to!

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n our last issue, we featured an article titled “An Era of Meanness,” which talked about some of the effects bullying is having on our society. We want to educate adults on how cyber bullying is affecting our youth. I recently had

an opportunity to visit a young man at West Ashley High School, who is making a difference by educating young readers about bullying.

I

Marcus Williams is the perfect ex-ample of a student that has applied my philosophy of teaching. I inspire my students to think creatively and to look at problems in our community as an opportunity to make a differ-ence in the world we live today. Not only is he making a difference in our world today, but in our community! He has positively impacted many lo-cal elementary schools by giving The Stop Bullying Club presentations and conducting book readings. He also has reached a much larger audience by embracing the social network with a Facebook Fan page: www.facebook.com/TheStopBullyingClub

— Eva W. Rutiri, M.Ed(West Ashley High School)

Marcus Williams’ interest in writing began in third grade when he wrote a series of short sto-ries, one of which was titled “I saw Mommy Kiss-ing Santa Claus.” He also wrote a superhero book that he called The Adventures of Marcus Man. However, it was the original art of Elizabeth Pen-dergast at West Ashley High School that gave Marcus the idea to write The Stop Bullying Club.

What started out as a project for entrepreneur-ship class turned into something greater when Marcus visited elementary schools and listened to the stories of children who have been or are being bullied. Marcus was struck by the violence some students experience.

Marcus is originally from New York City. He grew up in Queens, New York, from a “kinda rough” neighborhood. Marcus says his parents, “wanted to start fresh and get us away from some of the roughness.” His family has been in South Carolina since Marcus was in the third grade, so he considers it home now. He loves basketball and tennis, and says playing sports helps him get his mind off of things that worry normal teenagers.

Marcus’ most recent venture is called Poor Rob-bie. Poor Robbie is a dumpster diver who meets a genie, and instead of wishing for a better life, he wishes for revenge. At the end of the book,

Poor Robbie’s taste for revenge leaves him with less than he had when he found the genie, and it includes a glossary with words to know and a pop quiz.

We asked Marcus if he had any words of wisdom and his response was: “I would say that violence is definitely not the answer. When children fight, it becomes natural to them. Tell your teachers, parents, and any adult to talk to their children about bullying early, so they can be prepared and know how to deal with it if it happens to them.”

“Anyone can be a bully. I was in a situation where I was bullied, and I was even the bully once, though I didn’t realize it at the time,” admits Marcus a bit shamefully. This very well spoken young man shared with us that even adults can be bullies.

Marcus has been accepted to George Mason University in Fairfax, Virginia, where he plans to attend college in the fall. Marcus plans to con-tinue writing children’s books and hopes to start his own publishing business.

We are expecting great things from Marcus in the future! We wish you much luck and contin-ued success.

Purchase the book at www.bookemon.com.

MARCUS WILLIAMS author of The Stop Bullying Club

Community SpotlightMARCUS WILLIAMS author of The Stop Bullying Club

by Lori Samples Duncanphotography by Tammy Bevins Photography


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The project brought together com-munity partners including building contractors, banks and faith-based organizations who volunteered to work with DJJ teens to teach them the skills necessary to build a house. These skills would not only allow them the opportunity to help a needy family, but would also aide them in finding employment and becoming productive citizens upon release. When framing of the house was

finished, it was lifted over the ra-zor-wire fence of DJJ and moved to its new residential location. DJJ youth, while supervised by DJJ staff, helped to complete the final phase of construction at the home’s permanent site. The house now belongs to Gretta Jackson and her 17-year-old son Baryn, who suffers from cerebral palsy. Ms. Jackson and her son previously live in a subsidized two-bedroom apart-ment with plumbing and structur-al problems, but on Mother’s Day

weekend, the Jacksons will move in to their brand new home. The thing that means the most to FJJ Chair Katrina Shealy, is hearing youth who worked on the project talk about how they learned that they can still do and create some-thing positive for other people, moving toward a future of giving back once they are released. These children come from all walks of life but most of them come from homes where there is little hope

for the future. Watching these chil-dren be part of something so big and give back to the community and see the change it has made in their lives has been an eye opening experience for so many of use in-volved in this project.

FJJ Chair Katrina Shealy and DJJ Director Margaret Barber agree that this is the first of many houses to be built by “their kids” behind the fence.

n August of 2011, a handful of people sat around a table in the office of Department of Juvenile Justice

Director Margaret Barber. In addition to Director Barber and a few others, the meeting included Habitat for Humanity Director Roy Kramer and Friends of Juvenile Justice (FJJ) Chair Katrina Shealy. Mrs. Shealy describes the decision made in this monumental meeting as “a leap of faith.” Their vision was to bring the community together to build a Habitat for Humanity House, with the help of incarcerated youth, behind the fence of the Department of Juvenile Justice. These visionary leaders developed a project that would give back to the community and help rehabilitate youthful offenders serving time at the Department of Juvenile Justice (DJJ).

I

THE HOUSE THAT DJJ BUILTA Community Partnership with Far-reaching Benefits

Let’s Talk


inder Kids was birthed in July, 2009 by myself, Kennieth Allen, with a passion to help children that were born with developmental delays. I was born a two pound

preemie and my parents were told that I would never be able to live independently.K

As a result of therapies and early intervention, I am delighted to say that I am a graduate of Florida State University who speaks four different languages.

The key to helping children with disabilities is to get help early. Early intervention can maximize the de-velopment potential of infants and toddlers with disabilities within the context of their daily routines and activities. It can increase their potential to live independently.

Kinder Kids provides Early Inter-vention Services, including occu-pational therapy, physical therapy, speech and language services, service coordination, nutrition services, and special instructions. The purpose of Kinder Kids is to provide comprehensive services

and family support to medically fragile, developmentally delayed, physically challenged, and behav-iorally disordered children and their families by providing services that evoke maximum potential and foster the development of intellec-tual and social confidence.

One client states that her “son’s world has been turned right-side-up since early intervention and therapy began.”

Kinder Kids is excited to offer its services to the Aiken, Allendale, Bamberg, Barnwell, Berkeley, Calhoun, Charleston, Dorchester, Edgefield, Lexington, Newberry, Orangeburg, Richland, and Saluda counties. The organization is dedi-cated to improving the quality of life for children with special needs,

developmental delays and disor-ders. Kinder Kids motto, ”Making a world a little kinder one child at a time,” is the trademark of the company.

For more information about Kinder Kids, please contact the Ai-ken Office at (803) 226-0525; Charleston Office at (843)

452-5933 or by e-mail at [email protected]. Visit us online at www.KinderKidscsra.com. Make a difference in your child’s life to-day!

Give Your Child a BRIGHTER Future

Let’s Talk

“Making the world a little bit KINDER one kid at a time” www.kinderkidscsra.com

Kinder Kids Academy • Translation/InterpretatEarly Intervention • Service Coordination

Physical Therapy • Occupation Therapy • Speech Therapy

AIKEN(803) 226-0525

P.O. Box 5158Aiken, SC 29804

CHARLESTON(843) 452-5933

P.O. Box 736Summerville, SC 29484

by Kennieth Allen

The key tohelping childrenwith disabilitiesis to get helpearly.

Kennieth Allen

photo by Lista’s Studio of Photography

� Celebrating, Motivating and Educating Real Women� Celebrating, Motivating and Educating Real Women

Shear XpectationsThe Start of a Family Business

photos by Robert Patrick Image Design


A rtana and Patrick met when Patrick was 18 and Artana was 16. They were high school sweethearts and dated off and on until 2001 when they realized they wanted to make a life together. After high school, Artana

took her passion for hair and decided to go to Kenneth Schuler Cosmetology School. She graduated from Kenneth Schuler in 1999 and went to work at Cost Cutters on Devine Street. There she worked very hard to learn her craft and build a clientele. Then in 2002, Sally’s Beauty Supply moved out of The Shops at Woodhill Plaza, and Artana saw that as an amazing opportunity. With the support of her family, she took a leap of faith and rented the space with her sister Lynn. This is how Shear Xpectations was born!

Shear Xpectations was a family run business from very beginning. Lynn worked as a Massage Thera-pist and Artana as a stylist. Shortly thereafter, Lynn became pregnant and decided to leave the salon while Artana and Patrick took over the day to day operation. Artana worked every day, 6 days a week, and poured everything she had into building the business. Mean-while, Patrick was busy working as an appliance repair man and doing maintenance around the salon.

Artana always felt that the salon’s reputation was very important and strived to hire the best stylists and receptionists she could find. She hired a few coworkers from Cost Cutters, including Stacy, as well as some other people she knew from the community, like Blair. Artana’s youngest sister, Jill, finished cos-metology school in Charleston and decided to move to Columbia to join the family business. These 4 stylists became the core group of people at Shear Xpectations and really helped to build the founda-tion for a longstanding successful business. Artana and Patrick got married in 2004. A few months lat-er they hired Sarah as receptionist who worked at Shear Xpectations for the next 4 years while earning her degree from the University of South Carolina. In 2006, the space next door to Shear Xpectations became available and Artana de-cided it was time to expand the salon and offer more spa services. After leasing the space next door, they did a major renovation on

the salon and added the spa area as well as a portrait studio. During that time, Patrick decided to take courses in photography and came to work at the salon full time as a photographer and manager. Ar-tana and Patrick decided it was not only time to expand the salon, but also to expand their family! They welcomed their first child, Peyton, in 2007 and their son Keaton in 2010. In 2008, the tanning salon in their shopping center was for sale. They decided to take over owner-ship and incorporate it into the Shear Xpectations family. Patrick took on management of Beaches Tanning Club, quickly doing reno-vations to increase business and profitability. During this time they also hired Jenny, a stylist, and Nora Kate, a staple as the salon’s recep-tionist who is now working her way through cosmetology school, aspiring to be a stylist at Shear Xpectations. During all this time, they were working very hard to try to staff the salon. A full staff requires styl-ists, estheticians, nail technicians, receptionists and support staff, massage therapists, and Patrick as the photographer. This has prov-en to be no easy task, but Artana does feel blessed to have a very low turnover rate with most stylists staying on board for several years at a time. Jill, Artana’s youngest sis-ter, has been at Shear Xpectations for 9 years; Stacy and Blair have each been at the salon for 7 years. Lynn, Artana’s other sister, decided to go to cosmetology school and

has now been back at the salon for 4 years. Sarah decided to come back as manager in 2011 because of her love for the salon, and has aided the salon’s growth through increased marketing and staffing opportunities. The beginning of this year marks the 1st time the sa-lon has been fully staffed, as well as their 10 year anniversary!

Over the past 10 years, commu-nity involvement has always been important to Artana, Patrick, and the staff of Shear Xpectations. They have done volunteer work for Epworth’s Children’s Home, St. Baldricks Organization, the Palmetto Heart Hospital’s Breast Cancer Walk, as well as donating to various churches and schools around Columbia. Patrick’s pho-tography studio, Robert Patrick Image Design, has done yearbooks

for Asbury Church’s Preschool for the past 2 years and donates a lot of his time to photographing the children’s activities throughout the year. This year, Shear Xpectations is also a sponsor for Columbia Style Week, Columbia’s first official fashion week, and will be styling hair and makeup for various de-signers throughout that week. For the past 3 years, Shear Xpectations has been voted Best Salon in Co-lumbia by Columbia Metropolitan Magazine thanks to the hard work of Artana, the staff at Shear Xpec-tations and the amazing clients who come into the salon every day. Artana attributes the success of the salon to the clientele. “It’s all thanks to our clients. They are wonderful people who make us all happy to come into work each day. Without them and their support, we would not be here!”

The Mooney Family

Let’s Talk

Shear XpectationsThe Start of a Family Business

�0 Celebrating, Motivating and Educating Real Women

by Adrienne FurgalGavin’s Journey

found out I was pregnant at 3 ½ months. I had no sign other than feeling a little ill. As soon as my husband and I found out we were pregnant, we also found out he was

being deployed to Afghanistan! I

I made an appointment with my Doctor. A blood test was done to make certain I was in-deed pregnant, even though I had done a home pregnancy test. Next, I had an ultrasound. It showed I was 14 weeks 5 days. All seemed normal, and at 20 weeks, another ultrasound showed we were expecting a son. We decided to name him Gavin!

When I was 5 ½ months pregnant, my hus-band was deployed to Afghanistan, and I was on my own! Saying goodbye to him was one of the hardest days of all for him and me! I think I cried for 2 days!

At 26 weeks, everything started to go downhill. I went in for a 1 hour glucose test and failed. The doctor called and told me she had never seen numbers as high as mine and ordered a 4 hour glucose test. The 4 hour test was awful for me as I am terrified of needles! The doctor called again and told me my numbers were still very high. I went into her office and was taught how to eat properly and how to check my glucose levels 4 times a day.

When I checked with my doctor to go over my numbers, she was shocked and said she did not understand how I could have levels so high during the glucose testing but then everything completely normal when done at home. At every visit, I would have my vitals checked. At 28 weeks, my blood pressure was elevated; I think it was because I had to walk a mile across the parking lot. After resting, my blood pressure was checked and it was normal. When my doc-tor came in, she was concerned because I was measuring small and worried that Gavin may not be growing properly. She did an ultrasound to check my fluid levels and to make sure every-thing looked normal. She could not get a clear picture, so she ordered another ultrasound for the next day. Everything looked fine – weight and fluid levels were in the normal range.

At 32 weeks, my blood pressure was high again and then normal 10 minutes later. I was told be-cause of the gestational diabetes, high pressure and measuring small that I would have a baby with Down’s Syndrome or a still birth. This is not something I wanted to hear especially with my husband so far away from home! I thought pregnancy was supposed to be exciting, not like this!

At 34 weeks, my husband was able to come home to help me. I went to labor and delivery for testing, had more blood work, done, and an IV catheter inserted. I was sent home to do a 24 hour urine test. All the tests came back normal. The doctor had me come into the office 2 times each week for a stress test to make certain Gavin was ok.

At 36 weeks, I still measured small and was told to prepare myself for a delivery with complica-tions and possibly a child with complications.

After every visit, I’d go home and cry about the things I had been told. I had carried this baby for 9 months, and there was a high chance he would be stillborn or need serious medical help!

When I was 39 weeks, at 3:00 AM, I was hav-ing labor pains 10 minutes apart. By the time we were half way to the hospital, they were 5 minutes apart. When we arrived I was dilated 6 cm and was given an epidural. I was monitored closely. When the doctor told me it was time for me to push, I just remember looking up at my husband and saying “I’m scared,” not because of the pain but for fear of what I had been told for the last 3 or 4 months. Is my baby even going to be alive? When he arrived, I was afraid to look!

I gave birth to a 6 pound 7 ounce healthy, hand-some baby boy!

Ladies, it is possible to be told the worst and

prove it all wrong. I was told so many times my child would not make it, and even if he did, he was going to have serious medical problems. My son is 2 months old now, weighs 11 pounds and smiles from ear to ear every day. My husband and I are so happy to have our happy, healthy little boy home with us.

This article was submitted by Shirley Keels of Colum-bia Women’s Healthcare. Visit columbiawhc.com or call them at (803) 254-3230.

Health & Wellness

Gavin Richard MillerBorn January 14th, 2012 at 12:28pm6 pounds and 7 ounces, 20 inches long

��www.midlandswoman.com

�� Celebrating, Motivating and Educating Real Women

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www.woman2womanonline.com

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��www.midlandswoman.comMidlands Woman ce lebr ates the sur v ivor in you

s our new neighbors moved in across the street in the fall of 2000, I was delighted

to see that a toddler was part of the family. It was Thanksgiving weekend and I began to envision

play dates and sleepovers for my soon-to-be born daughter and the sweet little

girl with the really cool name, Kennedy.

A

LEARNING TO TRUSTa Different Plan

by BethMcCrary

photo by K. Dalton


We welcomed the Branhams with a poinsettia for the upcoming Christmas holidays and began a friendship that has seen our fami-lies endure many changes in plans over the years. As neighbors we became so close that we had keys to each other’s house and cared for each other’s children and pets like they were our own. We have be-come like family experiencing the birth of children and surviving the loss of loved ones. We have leaned on each other during job losses and changes. And we have coped with raising our children in chal-lenging times.

Our families have shared meals and celebrated countless holidays and milestones together. We have laughed together, cried together, and grown strong together over the past 12 years. We have sup-ported one another through life’s challenges and disruption of best laid plans.

Our plans did not include our daughters being diagnosed with challenging and potentially life threatening diseases. No, our plans for our girls are for them to enjoy good health, prosperity, and op-portunities we never had. Our plans are for them to make a dif-ference in their world.

The opportunities to make a differ-ence have come, but not the ones we envisioned. In late January of this year, Kennedy began having blurred vision, persistent head-aches, and random episodes of vomiting. An MRI revealed a brain tumor and surgery to remove it was scheduled for Tuesday, Febru-ary 21st at Palmetto Health Chil-dren’s Hospital. Just two days later,

on her 13th birthday, Kennedy was diagnosed with Glioblastoma Mul-tiforme brain cancer. GBM is clas-sified as a Stage IV brain tumor. It is aggressive and has the greatest potential for rapid growth. It must be treated just as aggressively.

Instead of party plans, Kennedy’s family began making plans to get the best and most effective treat-ment for her. This proved to be a challenge as GBM is extremely rare in children accounting for

less than 3% of all diagnoses, thus treatment protocol is hard to come by. Having thoroughly researched top cancer treatment facilities in other cities, the Branhams chose to stay home in the Midlands for Kennedy to receive chemotherapy and radiation.

Six weeks into her treatment, they are happy with their deci-

sion. Remaining in their hometown and receiv-ing the support of family and friends has allowed many opportunities for Kennedy’s story to touch lives and for her to make a difference right here in Lexington. It’s just not the way the Branhams had planned for Kennedy to make an impact in her

community.

The Branhams are now learning to trust a different plan for Ken-nedy’s life. Kennedy’s mom Erin will tell you that their world has been rocked. “I don’t know what the future holds, but we are trust-ing God’s plan for Kennedy’s life. We want to take this from her so badly and often question, why our Kennedy? We draw strength each day from the support of our family, friends, and community. We also

draw strength from the lives Ken-nedy is influencing and changing.”In just a little over 3 months, Ken-nedy has gone from being a rela-tively carefree 7th grader at Lex-ington Middle School to being a person living with cancer. Notice I didn’t say a person dying with can-cer. Experiencing life to its fullest is a daily choice and it’s all about perspective. Reality is that none of us is promised tomorrow. Her choice to battle cancer each day makes her a survivor.

Kennedy’s days are now filled with doctor’s appointments, chemo and radiation treatments, scans, and blood draws that leave her weary and fatigued. She is no longer in the classroom at Lexington Middle, but receiving homebound instruc-tion. She makes every attempt to attend the numerous fundraising events in the Lexington commu-nity that are helping her family off-set the rising medical bills for her treatment. She approaches each day with a smile on her face and a warm embrace for everyone. Her faith and strength are amazing.

She doesn’t complain and she doesn’t feel sorry for herself. She bravely faces each day and what it brings. She is both grateful and overwhelmed by the support of

I don’t know what the future holds, but we are trusting God’s plan for Kennedy’s life.

Kennedy and Rivers Lexington High School Varsity Baseball Team

Celebrating the Survivor in You!

photos by Robert Patrick Image Design


his surroundings. He does think of others, their situations, and how they may feel. I’m thank-ful that Rivers could act on his compassion for Kennedy.”

After receiving permission from Kennedy’s par-ents and discussing Rivers’ idea with her, the planning began. Businesses and families in the community quickly stepped in to make going to the prom a very special experience for both Ken-nedy and Rivers. Dazzles, pageant and prom ap-parel, donated Kennedy’s dress and jewelry and the White House Florist donated their flowers.

Paula, Rivers and his older brother, Colton, age 20 have lived in Lexington County their entire lives. They are active members of Steadman Bap-tist Church where they have learned to love and honor God first and foremost with their lives. Paula has taught them that the most important relationship you can have is with God and that life isn’t about what you get, but what you give; whether it be your time, money, compassion, love, a smile or a hug. Paula’s parents, especially her dad, have been huge influences on the young men her sons have become. She feels blessed to have her mom and dad so close to her family.

It is evident by Rivers’ decision to ask Kennedy to be his prom date, that he has been a good student of what Paula has been teaching over the years. “Kennedy’s battle has certainly inspired me and touched my life. I realize that I have nothing to complain about…Kennedy wakes up and has to fight for her life. It has taught me to appreci-ate the life that God has blessed me with and to enjoy each day. My senior prom was awesome thanks to Kennedy.”

One of the many lives that Kennedy’s story has touched is Rivers Bedanbaugh. Rivers is an 18 year old senior at Lexington High School. He stands 6’2” tall and weighs 250 pounds. He is a big, strapping young man who is headed to Wingate University to play football in the fall and pursue a degree in exercise science.

A year ago, Rivers had never met Kennedy Branham. Having just moved to Lexington the summer prior to his senior year, Rivers’ family was still getting to know their new neighbors. It didn’t take long for the news of Kennedy’s diag-nosis with Stage IV Glioblastoma brain cancer to quickly spread throughout the neighborhood. Rivers’ family added Kennedy to their prayer list and put Pray4Kennedy magnets on their cars to encourage others to do the same.

Paula Gunter recalls that it was about three weeks before the Lexington High School prom that her son Rivers called her into his room to ask her a question. His question was, “Mom, do you think Kennedy’s parents would allow her to go to the prom with me? I would be honored to take her.” At first, Paula didn’t realize how much thought her son had put into his decision, but the more they discussed it, she became aware of how much he sincerely wanted Kennedy to experience go-ing to prom. Paula was overwhelmed with emo-tions of happiness, joy, tears, and thankfulness, and just touched by her son’s idea.

While Paula wasn’t surprised by her son’s thoughtfulness and compassion for Kennedy, she was a bit surprised by his decision to ask her to the prom because he has a shy side. “Rivers is a quiet guy that just sits back and observes

the Pray4Kennedy campaign that was launched by family members and has permeated Lexington. The Pray4Kennedy bracelets, t-shirts, and car magnets can be seen every-where. She loves that people are praying and trusting God.

Kennedy has gone from be-ing quiet, shy and reserved to swimming with the dolphins in Discovery Cove and attend-ing the Lexington High School Prom with her neighbor, Riv-ers Bedanbaugh. After hear-ing Kennedy’s story and see-ing her fortitude, Rivers knew he wanted Kennedy to be his prom date. He wanted her to have the experience of dress-ing up and going to prom.

The Lexington High School Varsity Baseball team, cur-rently vying for the 4A State Championship, became aware of Kennedy’s battle in mid-April. They invited her to throw out the first pitch in their first playoff game for the District title on April 26th. As a sign of solidarity the entire team shaved their heads and has dedicated their season to her and has chosen “Win It 4 Kennedy” as their battle cry. These young men realize that Kennedy’s battle is larger than baseball.

Her diagnosis and battle to beat cancer is an amazing testimony of choosing to be a survivor. Kennedy’s example of learning to trust a new and different plan for her life is in-spiring others and making a difference in her world.

Surviving, Thriving and Inspiringthe Community Around Her

Follow Kennedy’s story at:www.facebook/Pray4Kennedy.com

orhttp://www.caringbridge.org/visit/

KennedyBranham


photo by Ben Barrs


Jessica’s story is familiar to many. Maybe not her personal story, but the normal, happy life of a young wife and mother of two. She was a trainer at Gold’s Gym, and in excellent shape. After the birth of her second child, the 25 year old decided to have a procedure to put a couple things back into place, you might say. About six weeks af-ter the surgery, she noticed a knot across the top of one of her breasts. Initially, the doctors thought it may have been related to her procedure

and that there was nothing to wor-ry about. Perhaps a cyst or piece of scar tissue. By early October, it had grown across the top of her breast. Even the doctor performing the biopsy thought there was little cause for concern. On Halloween of 2007, she received the news that they were wrong.

Jessica at the age of twenty-six was diagnosed with a four centimeter lump and stage two cancer, and this normal, happy life was forever

changed. Changed, indeed. How-ever, Jessica was resigned not to be labeled a victim. She went through pre-op chemo so the doctors could observe the effects it would have on her. When her hair started to come out, she and her kids shaved her head.

Before her surgery in March of 2008, she elected to have a “Fare-well Boobies Party.” With only three weeks, Jessica and friends planned and threw the first Fight

Like A Girl event, which has since become a powerful annual event hosted by the Ta-tinis to raise money and awareness.

Like many great friendships, hers with the four other members of the group that would be the Ta-ti-nis was quite random. She attend-ed a support group with Mandy Bowden one evening. At the meet-ing were two people – Kim Ham-rick was one of them. Amy Kinard she met at Dicks Sporting Goods.

essica Araya is one of five ladies in the Midlands known to many as a Ta-tini, a young group of breast cancer survivors who found each other for mutual support, and spread the word of awareness and hope to far too

many people touched by the disease.J

Jessica ArayaA Breast CancerSURVIVOR{ }




Beth Renwick and Kelly Turbeville traveled to Costa Rica for some rest and relaxation. They enjoyed the beauty of the country, went zip lining and rode horses to the hot springs. Jes-sica joked with her friends, “Won’t it be funny if this mud bath cures my cancer?” On the last night of their trip, Jessica met Roy Araya, a dashing young local. Roy asked her to come back for visits, so she did. And on March 22, they were married.

Back in the States on January 31, Jessica learned from her doctor that there was no sign of cancer in her entire body! Jessica’s dad, who had gone with her to all of her doctor visits, cried in her presence for the first time. “He looked at me and said, ‘These are tears of joy,’” remembers Jessica.

Jessica is so excited to be entering into this new phase of her life with her children and her new husband. And we’ll drink to that!

This article is brought to you by Dems Fine Jewel-ers. Visit www.demsjewelers.com or call (803) 407-5290.

It wasn’t long after that when she, Kim, Amy, Brittney, and Mandy came to the conclusion that “when life gave us cancer, we had a mar-tini,” or something of the sort, and the Ta-ti-nis were born.

Late in 2008, Jessica relocated to Tallahassee, Florida, for not only the next phase of her life, but a second diagnosis. In July 2009, she learned again that had cancer. This time it was stage four cancer in her sternum. After vari-ous opinions, including the experienced doc-tors of MD Anderson, she began four rounds of chemo in November, and in March of 2010 began thirty-five rounds of radiation over eight weeks in Orlando. This meant she would spend the weeks near treatment centers sev-eral hours away from her Tallahassee home and return to her kids on the weekends.

In July 2010, Jessica learned the cancer had spread to her spine and the doctors gave her six to twelve months to live. She soon learned that if given a “death sentence” by doctors, one can “cash in” her life insurance for an amount equal to half of its value. So Jessica cashed in. And she and a cousin traveled to London, Paris, Amsterdam, Italy and Ger-many. With little time left, she decided she may as well see things she had always hoped to see. In December, 2011, she and her friends

Like many great friendships, hers with the four other members of the group that would be the Ta-tinis was quite random.

To purchase any of these beads and to see others, visit www.demsjewelers.com or call (803) 407-5290. Dems Fine Jewelers, through their Bead It to BEAT IT! program, donates 20% of the proceeds from the sale of this bead to SCOA Cares Foundation. Thank you for your support!

“Kennedy” “Jessica”“Ta-tini Team”


W ith spring in the air, many of us have already started spring cleaning. Our homes and yards are not the only things that need to be freshened up. By completing a few simple steps, your computer will run more

efficiently and effectively.

First, by uninstalling programs that you don’t use or haven’t used in a long time, you can free up space and reduce the clutter on your start menu. Removing unused icons from your desktop won’t remove the program from your computer, but it will help to make things ap-pear more organized.

Next, you will want to regain some lost space on your hard drive. When you use the internet, there are small files, called cookies, and large files, called temporary inter-net files, that take up space on your hard drive. They are there to help you with the webpages you visit, but, more times than not, when you are finished using the internet,

those cookies and temporary files continue to take up space. By re-moving these files, you will reclaim space on your hard drive and keep everything running efficiently.

Another method of making your computer to run more efficiently is to defragment your hard drive. When your hard drive is fragment-ed, your files are scattered into bits and pieces, instead of being all together. This disorganization can make your computer work harder to access your files. Defragment-ing your hard drive puts your data back into the correct order, which will reduce the disorganization.

Lastly, cleaning the exterior of

your computer can be beneficial. Dust can accumulate on the vents, as well as on the inside of your computer, which can cause it to overheat. Overheating can cause your computer to be sluggish. A can of compressed air will remedy this problem by blowing the dust out of the computer. Be careful not

by MatthewB. Spain

SPRING CLEANING is NOTJUST FOR YOUR HOME!

to touch any of the sensitive com-ponents inside your computer.

We hope you find these steps bene-ficial as you continue spring clean-ing. If you need assistance with any of the steps mentioned above, we are here to help!

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VOL 1, NO 1

COMPLIMENTARY

TM

CELEBRATING, MOTIVATING,

AND EDUCATING Real WOMEN

An Extraordinary

LITTLE BOYMeet four year old Jayden Williams

HeartHEALTH

Women of the Midlands share

heart focused articles and tips

Dems GemsMeet theDems GemsMeet the


TM


A THRIVING SURVIVOR Melissa Harvey shares her story

A PatrioticHEART Meet Cynthia Sebree-Richardson

THE WOMANBehind THE MAN

JERRISpurrier


One VoiceIS ALL IT TAKES


TM

One on One withOCTAVIASPENCERwho plays Minny Jackson inDreamWorks Pictures’ The Help

LOVE BYActivation Local families who haveadopted share theirpersonal experiences with us!

Meet Brandi Cummings of WIS-TV


One on One withOCTAVIASPENCERwho plays Minny Jackson inDreamWorks Pictures’ The Help

LOVE BYActivation Local families who haveadopted share theirpersonal experiences with us!


One VoiceIS ALL IT TAKESMeet Brandi Cummings of WIS-TV

Meet Brandi Cummings of WIS-TV

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ONE ON ONE with THE HONORABLE

DeAndrea G. Benjamin photo by Robert Patrick Image Design


e are very excited that The Honorable Judge DeAndrea G. Benjamin agreed to be featured in our current issue. She is an inspiring lady

who attended public school in Richland County. Like most of us, Judge Benjamin wears many hats. She is a wife, a mother, and a dedicated Circuit Court Judge. Here is what she had to share with us.

W

Midlands Woman: What is your current title and area of law? Judge Benjamin: SC Circuit Court Judge, Fifth Judicial Circuit

MW: Tell us about your personal background? JB: I am a life-long Columbia na-tive; I was born in Columbia, South Carolina on October 4, 1972 to Donald and Adrienne Gist. I am married to the Honorable Stephen K. Benjamin, attorney and Mayor of Columbia, South Carolina. I have two daughters, Bethany and Jordan Grace.

I attended public school in Rich-land County and graduated from Columbia High School in 1990. I enrolled in college at Winthrop University in 1990 and graduated in 1994 with a Bachelors of Arts. I went on to attend Law School at the University of South Carolina and graduated with a Juris Doc-tor in 1997. I was admitted to the South Carolina Bar on November 18, 1997, the SC District Court in September 2001 and the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals in No-vember of 2002.

MW: Tell me about your profes-sional history? JB: Following law school, I clerked for the Honorable L. Casey Man-ning, who I have the pleasure of currently serving with. Upon completing my clerkship, I began my career as a Prosecutor in the Fifth Circuit Solicitor’s Office and the Attorney General’s Office. In 2001, I joined my father’s law firm, Gist Law Firm, where I practiced until being elected to the Circuit Court bench on February 2, 2011.

I have served on the Juvenile Parole Board (2001-2004) and as a Municipal Judge for the City of Columbia from July 2004 until April 2011.

MW: Do you see a dif-ference in your jour-ney as a female jurist? JB: Yes, my journey has been dif-ferent than that of my male coun-terparts. However, things have improved with the presence of women in the law and because of women who have come before me who have had to break down bar-riers. For example, Chief Justice Jean Toal (first female Justice and Chief), Justice Kaye Hearn, Judge Carol Conner (first female Circuit Court Judge) and Judge Allison Lee (first African American Cir-cuit Court Judge).

MW: Is practicing law a “good ol’ boy club,” and if so, how have you navigated those waters to continue your professional success? JB: The practice of law has evolved in terms of gender since my gradu-ation from law school. Enrollment of women at the University of South Carolina School of Law is 38% women. Last year three wom-en, including myself were elected to the three vacant Circuit Court seats and we have an outstanding Chief Justice of the Supreme Court who is a woman.

MW: How do you balance the fam-ily, having a spouse that is also an attorney, and of course, being the mayor’s wife?JB: My priority is being Mom first.

Our commitment to our daugh-ters is first and somehow every-thing else seems to fall in place. Things can be hectic at times; however, we are blessed to have four loving grandparents who are very helpful.

MW: Do you have an “aha” mo-ment, perhaps when you passed the bar, became a mother, were sworn in on the bench, etc., that you took a moment, looked around, and couldn’t believe where you were?JB: The happiest moment in my life is the birth of my daughters. Professionally, my “AHA” moment would be when I really realized that I was a Circuit Court Judge. I was attending my first Circuit Court Judges meeting after being on the bench one week and was sitting in the room with men and women who I appeared before over the course of my career. I was somewhat intimidated but fit right in after receiving a warm welcome from my colleagues.

MW: Do you have any inspiration-al thoughts to share with younger women whose own dreams may seem unachievable?JB: Work hard, play hard, give back to your community and profes-sion, and trust in God.

ONE ON ONE with THE HONORABLE

DeAndrea G. Benjamin

Our commitment to our daughters is first and somehow everything else seems to fall in place.


I love a challenge! When Lori Duncan, publisher of Woman 2 Woman magazines, approached me about renovating an old house and making it into their new office, I was excited at the prospect! We met at the property

and did a walk-thru and discussed some of the challenges we would face in the transformation process. The punch list was lengthy; there were repairs to be made, items to be removed and many additions that would be necessary. As with many of my clients, there were time and budget constraints. She needed to move into her new office as quickly as possible and didn’t want to break the bank doing so. We needed to form an action plan and come up with a realistic budget. We decided that the reception area and Lori’s office would be Phase I, the conference and sales offices would be Phase II and the rest left to Phase III.

We needed everything – office furniture, seating for the waiting area, draperies for the windows, rugs for the floors and artwork and accessories throughout. Lori wanted the office to be a reflection of the magazine – something that she could be proud of, somewhere that she and her team would be in-spired to work and that her adver-tisers and amazing feature women would love to come and share their stories. I needed to devise a space that was not only functional, but creative and fun. We were two de-termined, stubborn and motivated ladies with a 2 week time frame!

We began with the walls, they des-perately needed repainting! Select-ing the right paint color is a great way to change the look and feel of a room, especially when you have

limited funds. In both residen-tial and commercial projects, it is critical to develop an overall color scheme, one that will flow nicely throughout the various spaces in your home or office. Since this was not a complete renovation job, we needed to “make friends” with what was already there – the existing honey colored hardwood floors, the brown and beige lami-nate kitchen countertops and the fireplace with the burnt orange brick were all staying. Because the house is a simple brick rancher, built in the 1970s; I decided to go retro and funky. I selected an over-all palette that would incorporate multiple shades of vivid gold, deep orange, chocolate brown, lime green and aqua blue. Kevin Strick-land, our trusted painter, came to the rescue. He repainted every wall

and all the trim in a few short days – thank you!!

When you entered the house before, you were immediately greeted by a dull and boring fire-place. To spruce it up, we added a hand-hewned rustic mantel, pro-vided and installed by Ron Rader of Antebellum Restorations. (Ron’s unlimited sources of architectural pieces, knowledge of construc-tion and installation processes, and general willingness to help, have been instrumental on count-less occasions). Two bold, signed and numbered abstract prints by Elizabeth Firehill, were provided and hung side by side directly into the brick by M. Gallery Interiors. They were spaced far enough apart to accommodate a non-traditio-naI arrangement I designed using

curly twigs, dried pods and semi-circular white vase. The colors incorporated in the arrangement serve to contrast the orange in the brick, pull out the accent colors in the artwork and compliment the fabric on the chairs situated below. We placed two small-scale floral chairs on the diagonal directly in front of the hearth. The funky gold and cream fabric flowers compli-ment the round metal coffee table in hammered silver. The table’s removable lid also provides great storage. It is situated atop a grey and beige round woven natural jute rug. All these elements combine to give a striking, edgy and interest-ing array of textures when you en-ter Woman 2 Woman’s lobby.

The wall color in the lobby and re-ception area is Sherwin Williams

by Mandy Summers

From tired to trendyTRANSFORMING A SPACEFrom tired to trendyFrom tired to trendy


Artisan Tan, a wonderful neutral. Standard rods and ready-made drapes were purchased to keep us within budget. As is often the case, when custom treatments are not an option, you have to impro-vise to get the look and feel you want. To coordinate with the cof-fee table, and future light fixtures, brushed nickel rods with square finials were selected. We had to add silver rings with clips to the tops of all the drapery panels to get them to the exact length we needed, since they didn’t make them with the ideal drop. I chose drapes that have a large scale gold and cream floral fabric to coordi-nate beautifully with what we used in the lobby.

A rectangular shaped sisal rug was chosen to ground the reception area and add yet another texture to the mix. It is a rich deep orange color that works with the brick in the adjacent area and helps the col-ors flow seamlessly. With so much color popping in the drapes, art-work and rug, a neutral linen slip-cover sectional was chosen. Trendy throw pillows in gold, cream and brown Ikat fabric were chosen to give it an updated look. (Ikat (pro-nounced ee- kat) fabrics have the pattern tied and dyed in the yarn before the fabric is woven.)

To add to our seating, we threw in a tufted club chair in a bold multi-colored floral. It incorporates all our existing colors and introduces the color aqua, which we chose for the paint color in the adjacent sales offices. Even though the sales center will be Phase II, I needed to make sure I devised a color scheme now. It was important that the painting be completed before all the furniture was installed to make life easier and that the color chosen, Sherwin Williams Hal-cyon Green, would flow from one area of the office to the other.

The stain on the sofa and chair legs do not match, but they compli-ment one another. The darker fin-ish on the legs of the upholstered pieces was selected to work with the espresso finish on the new bow-front reception desk. This gives everything a more contem-porary feel. (Everything does not need to match exactly in a room, often times it becomes cold and boring if it does). We placed a silk bamboo tree behind the bow-front reception desk to soften the corner and hide some not so perfect wall boards. Silks plants need no man-tainence and are a great addition to any space. M. Gallery provided and hung two abstract prints by Elizabeth Firehill. The colors

Before

Because the house is a simple brick rancher, built in the 1970s;

I decided to go retro and funky.

Before

Before

Extreme Makeovers

Check out the MidlandsWomanMagazine facebook page for more photos!


brown from the reception area and the aqua from sales department. (Even when you don’t visually see all the spaces in the office at the same time, utilizing a cohesive color palette throughout a space helps it to have a great feel and flow.) The small scale geometric pattern is fun and whimsical. Lori always like to have fun whatever she is doing. Situated between her two client chairs is a brown, leather-tex-tured side table that looks like alligator (don’t mess with the boss ). This provides texture and interest.

Lori’s espresso finished desk, tall credenza and rounded working arm all form a U-shaped work center that lets you know she is a lady that works hard and means business. The design allows plenty of surface area to spread out and create. She also needed plenty of file drawers and storage space. We chose an ergonomic chair for those long hours she puts in to produce all her great magazines. Even her lighting is a reflection of her; it consists of an under-mount task light that allows her to see everything practically and clearly and a funky geometric cutout lamp that screams style to shed some creative light on the non-traditional projects at hand.

Her panel drapes are a dramatic black satiny fabric. They appear to be solid; but, have sub-tle diamond patterns when you get up close (kind of like the women Lori writes about, there is more to the story when you know the details). They are hung on a strong black iron rod and for fun the ends were capped with fancy jeweled finials. Lori exudes strength and loves her bling!! There are also elements of nature throughout the office – a moss cov-ered sphere tops her bookcase and fern-like plants jut out of her egg-plant colored vases. A bookcase for housing all her treasures was a must have! Not only can she store her signed books from her favorite authors, but she can display pictures of her fabulous family, keep-sakes from terrific friends and inspirational quotes and uplifting scriptures to remind her of her priorities.

Stay tuned for Phase II!!

Mandy Summers is the Owner/Certified Interior Decorator of M. Gallery Interiors located in the Old Mill of Lexington.

For more photos of our office makeover, visit the Midlands Woman Magazine facebook page!

looked like she painted them to go into our room. The art pieces were stacked one direct-ly over the other to draw your eye upward. M. Gallery also provided a large sculptural gold vase. It was placed directly on the floor beside the chair. I gathered long, spirally gold and red vines in a loose arrangement to provide visual interest at a lower height.

Rowin Partners owner, Rob Winchester, was instrumental in helping us obtain just the right office furniture to suit our needs. Lori, Rob and I met and discussed our style and budget requirements and he recommended an awesome contemporary line of furniture that was an ideal fit. The pieces displayed throughout the office all came from a versatile series Rob recommended. It will allow Lori to add-on as she grows her staff and still main-tain a cohesive look throughout the office.

Rowin Partners’ customer service and profes-sional manner were exemplary; they got us a quote quickly, prepared a detailed invoice in no time and met our deadline for deliv-ery. The Rowin team was also patient when we changed gears on some placement at the install. In addition, the Partner’s Pledge pro-gram, where they give a percentage of their sale back to the client, in the form of a check made out to the charily of their choice, al-lowed Woman 2 Woman yet another avenue to aid the community. To find out more about Rowin Partners, or the Partner’s Pledge pro-gram, visit rowinpartners.com.

As you travel from the lobby and the recep-tion area, you enter a narrow dark hallway. To brighten it up, we transitioned to a lighter shade of paint, Sherwin Williams Macada-mia. It flowed well from the neutral in the entry and will allow us to use different color schemes in each of the offices without being overwhelmed. For Lori’s office, I chose Sher-win Williams Wheat Grass. It is a beautiful shade of green with yellow undertones that create a bright and airy feel. A person’s of-fice should tell you about them the moment you enter. I wanted her office to reflect how amazing she is! I chose some contemporary abstract metal wall sculptures to reflect her creativity, some bold glittery floral artwork to underline her sparkly personality and a series of colorful unique glass vases that reflect her beautiful spirit (all these great pieces were provided by Eclectic House). Her chairs are upholstered in a fun geometric pattern that pulls the green in the walls, the chocolate

Extreme Makeovers

Once and awhile, everything needs a bit of a facelift. Even our homes. Whether it is changing the pillows on the sofa or adding a pool, home improvement can be a daunt-ing task. We talked with Kevin Strickland of Strickland Painting Services about putting a fresh coat of paint on your walls, the ulti-mate fun facelift for a room.

Kevin suggested several things to consider to make painting your room run smoothly, but also stressed that “preparation is key.”

• Choose a color scheme. • Decide on your preferred texture (Kevin suggests using eggshell instead of flat for a kids room because it is washable. He also suggests that you do not use flat paint for kitchens and bathrooms.)• Use an oil based primer and always prime between extravagant or dark colors.• Make sure you get everything out of the way and cover furniture and electronics with light plastic.• If you take down pictures, sand walls, fill nail holes and spot prime those spots. (This is important because dry sheetrock mud absorbs paint.)• Use a flat oil primer, especially for water stains and crayon marks. (Kevin recommends Kilz spray)• Always give the room two coats of paint. First coat should be completely dry before the second coat is applied.• For the second coat, paint one wall at a time, keeping all edges as wet as possible so that they dry together.

Happy Painting, everyone! Sounds like a lot of work doesn’t it? If you really want to do it right, call the professional himself and enjoy your new walls!

HOW PAINTINGCan Give Your Space

A Fresh Face

Kevin Strickland


Breakfast:2 egg whites, wheat toast,

slice of turkey breast

AM Snack:Fruit, protein bar

Lunch:Lean meat, including

fish or chicken, mustard, wheat bread

Dinner:Meat and Veggies

Note: Kristen schedulestwo or three “cheat” days

each month on hercalendar. On those days,

she eats a few bites of something she’s craving.

Kristen’sHEALTHY

DIET TODAY

Antley describes having a weight problem since childhood, often causing her to be picked on in middle and high school. “At 5 foot 10, I was always the taller, bigger girl,” she said. “That had a lot of emotional impact on me.”

With a powerful sweet tooth, Ant-ley’s weight climbed even faster in her 20s. She talks about trying several weight loss plans, to no avail. “It was a vicious cycle. I’d lose weight, fall off the wagon, gain weight and be sad. I struggled with that for a long time.”

She worked at the Riverbanks Zoo, which required lots of walking. At 275 pounds, that was tough on her feet. She exercised, but found it dif-ficult because of her weight. Then, she encountered the situa-tion that would ultimately turn the tides in her battle with weight. “I wanted to be a mother and have a family,” she said. Antley and her husband Jason had been married for a few years, but her doctor told her that her excess weight would hinder her fertil-ity and opportunity for a healthy pregnancy. That’s when Antley went for a con-sultation with the South Carolina Obesity Surgery Center at Lexing-ton Medical Center. She was 28-years-old, 5’ 10” and 275 pounds. What’s more, she had high cho-lesterol. With a body mass index (BMI) near 40, doctors determined

F riends who haven’t seen Kristen Antley in a while may not recognize her. The 30-year-old Irmo woman has lost more than 100 pounds in the last year. It’s been a journey a lifetime in the making.

Antley was a good candidate for gastric bypass surgery. She spent one year preparing for surgery by participating in a sleep study, psychiatric evaluation, medically-supervised weight loss program, classes about what to ex-pect before and after surgery, and regular doctor visits, supervised through the South Carolina Obe-sity Surgery Center. December 15, 2010 was surgery day. “I was so excited that I made it to that point,” Antley said. “I was ex-cited for a new beginning. I wasn’t nervous at all because I knew I was in good hands.” After a few days in the hospital for surgery, Antley observed a liquid diet for two weeks, then gradu-ally worked in solid foods with strict rules: a lot of protein, small servings of 4 to 6 ounces at a time,

A LEXINGTON COUNTY WOMAN’s

WEIGHT LOSS Journey

‘It was a vicious cycle. I’d lose weight, fall off the wagon, gain weight and be sad.’

(Kristen after her surgery)

Extreme Makeovers


(left)Kristen and her husband Jason before Kristen’s surgery

(right) Kristen working at Riverbanks Zoo before surgery

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eating slowly and drinking a lot of water. The weight began coming off quickly. But she emphasizes that weight loss surgery is not a magic fix. Instead, she says it’s something to help you maintain a healthy diet and eat proper portions. “It’s a tool to help you go down the right path,” she said.

Antley also stresses the importance of exercise. She works out four days

each week, with cardio and weight training, with a personal trainer. As the weight came off, Antley, who is now as a sonographer at Lexing-ton Medical Center, said people told her she looked fantastic and asked her for diet tips. The most common comment: “You look amazing! What are you doing?” At first, she had a hard time admit-ting she had gastric bypass surgery because she worried people would

think she took the easy way out. She says that’s not true – she still battles cravings for sweets and must work hard to maintain the best diet. And that hard work paid off on a family beach trip last summer. “I bought a two-piece bathing suit last summer – at a little beach store. For the first time in my life, I was not scared to put on a bath-ing suit.”

Today, Kristen is 165 pounds. She says her husband Jason is so proud of her, noting “He’s happy to see me happy.” Importantly, her cholesterol is now normal and she’s turning her atten-tion toward starting a family. Her doctor now says her weight is opti-mal to boost fertility and help her maintain a healthy pregnancy. Stay tuned…

Extreme Makeovers


BACKYARD

Mr. Paul Romanstine of Midlands Landscape has been transforming backyards into mini vacation spots for 18 years, and we sat down with him to ask him some questions about the process.

The overall number of people hav-ing makeovers has increased in recent years, as people are staying home more. As the economy has taken a plunge and many home values have dropped, people are opting to improve existing living space rather than buying a new home or traveling as much as they did “when times were better.”

When considering a backyard makeover, planning and design is crucial. Midlands Landscape will meet with you and devise a plan based on your long-term goals in order to best ensure that things don’t have to be redone in a few years. They also work with clients to perform the upgrades in stages to help them save money in the future as a project changes and de-velops. “We want to know where the client wants to end up, and we determine the most cost and time effective way of achieving their goals and desires,” says Paul.

At Midlands Landscape, they can help you landscape your current space for aesthetics, or they can even install a shiny new outdoor kitchen, where they have installed

up to twenty kitchens in a year. An outdoor kitchen gives you the ben-efit of having all your equipment on the outside, so that you don’t have to, for instance, transport food af-ter you wash it in the sink. It cuts down on the back and forth trek to the house, and it also makes for a cozy getaway for those cool spring and fall nights when you just want to take in the cool night air.

As for upkeep after the project is finished, Paul and his team can design a plan with more hardscape and less grass, which means less upkeep for you, the homeowner. Or they can go with more green, if that is what you desire. Either way, they stick with low maintenance products that do not require a lot of work to keep them looking nice. A backyard makeover can take any-where from a week up to a month, depending on the overall design and scope of the project. Keeping in mind that time is the most pre-cious of commodities, Paul and his team strive to meet the needs of their clients in the most cost and time effective way possible.

A new backyard can make all the difference in your home. Midlands Landscape gets plenty of feedback from clients who find a new love for their backyard after a make-over.

Our recent makeover recipient

Makeoversince the invention of HGTV, it feels like I have seen really amazing backyards pop up in the most

random of places. And since your home is your sanctuary, why not?

Sby Elaine Samples

Makeovers


(803) 356-8080

www.midlandslandscape.com

SERVING THE MIDLANDS

Extreme Makeovers

had this to say about their new backyard oasis from Midlands Landscape:

“I used to be embarrassed to have people see my backyard. My privacy fence was as much about keeping people out as it was keeping things in. Now when I walk out the backdoor and see what Paul and his crew did to my backyard, I feel proud to call this mine. We find ourselves enjoying our time outdoors more and grilling is something we are doing practically nightly on our new Backyard kitchen. We purchased furniture from Tropic Aire to make our oasis complete. Even my neighbors were excited for us. We can’t wait to have them over for some summer parties in our new backyard! Thank you Midlands Landscape and Tropic Aire. Oh and that sparkling blue water is compliments of Sapphire Pools. See you in the Sun!”

Call Midlands Landscape today for a free consul-tation at (803) 356-8080 or visit www.midlands-landscape.com.

GARAGE MakeoverAttic Attack transformed this once chaotic garage into an organized space that can actually be used for its original purpose!

Thankfully, their services are not limited to just garages. They can help you reclaim your attic, basement, closets, shed, and other storage spaces. For more examples of their work, visit them online at www.atticattack.org.

Before

Before

After

Check out the MidlandsWomanMagazine facebook page for more makeover photos!


Fast forward twenty or so years when the youngest son has started high school and she realizes she isn’t needed as much any longer. When her oldest told her not to come to his football practices any longer (“it’s not a game Mom, it’s just practice”) she realized it was time to find other ways to fulfill her daily mantra of needing to feel she’s made a difference every day.

She talked with her husband about her feeling that she was beginning to lose her identity. His response was to ask her, “What would you like to do?” Now I have known Lisa for 20+ years and in all that time there is one thing I can say unequivocally; she is very commit-ted to her and her family’s health. She’s been eating right since be-fore it was cool to do so. So when she told my husband and me that she had decided to go to nursing school at 37 years old, we were surprised, very proud of her and knew she had found her calling, it seemed natural.

Recently she showed me a keep-sake from her childhood in which each year questions were asked. One of the questions was ‘what do you want to be when you grow up?’

The question was only asked in grades 1st through 5th, but every year, except for the year she wanted to be a stewardess, the answer was nurse. It seems to me that the an-swer to her husband’s question had been answered long before it was ever asked.

Lisa decided that would check out the possibility of nursing school. Since she already had a Bachelor’s degree in Communication from Texas State University in 1987, she decided to go to Midlands Techni-cal College to find out what was necessary to embark on a nursing career. She was a little discouraged to find out that everyone is put on a waiting list to get into school and it may take a long time for your name to be called. A friend suggested that perhaps she should check out Orangeburg/Calhoun Technical College. Ever the optimist, she did just that and found that they rate on a point system. Because she already had her Bachelor’s degree that put her little higher up on the point scale. She enrolled in O/C Tech and within a year she had obtained her Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) designation. She then transferred to Midlands Technical College and since she had her LPN,

she was put right into the program. She completed their mandatory transition course and then began her full course work to obtain her Registered Nurse (RN) designa-tion. After just two short years (although two years in a nursing program can seem like a lot longer) she had realized her dream.

Once she obtained her degree she knew that hospital nursing was where her desire to ‘make a dif-ference every day’ would be real-ized to her satisfaction. Today she works in what she calls her “dream job” as a nurse at Palmetto Health Heart Hospital. When asked why she chose hospital nursing she said, “it’s where you can use all of the skills you’ve learned such as start-ing I.V.s, ventilating patients, etc.”

Lisa says that attaining her R.N.

and her dream job has brought her to the top of the pyramid reach-ing Self-Actualization (google: Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs Pyra-mid.) She tells me that she loves her job and the co-workers. She has little desire to become manage-ment because she is enjoying the hands-on nursing so much and be-

cause it took so long to get there. I hope that if ever a family member of mine needs to be hospitalized that they are fortunate enough to have a nurse like Lisa who enjoys her job so much and does her very best every day.

What is your calling? And what is holding you back from achiev-ing self-actualization in your life? Don’t dwell on what you can’t do, but take a positive approach and make a checklist of all the things you want to do. Then like the Nike slogan says, Just Do It! It can change your life.

I s there something you always wanted to do but just never did it, because life got in the way? Did you go

to college and then become a stay home mom when your kids were born? Or perhaps you didn’t go to college but always wanted to. My friend Lisa Senn went to college back in 1987 and pursued a banking career. But once she got married and had her first child she and her husband, Gregg decided she would stay home to raise a family.

by Ruth Chapman

What is Your CALLING?

Lisa Senn

Today she works in what she calls her ‘dream job’...

photos by Clark Berry Photography


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by Tammy Ferris

F ew things make a home more comfortable than a nice, endless, hot shower. Endless hot water, in my opinion, is the best thing since green grass and something I would definitely consider in my extreme home makeover.

Endless Hot Water – A Makeover MUST

Not long ago, I had a tankless wa-ter heater installed in my home. That’s when I really understood the benefit of endless hot wa-ter. No more do I run out of hot water when I’m in the shower or find myself planning my shower around the schedule of others in the home. My tankless can pro-vide me with enough hot water for up to 5 fixtures simultaneously

and save me money all the while. That’s why I tell people all the time that they want a tankless, maybe they just don’t know it yet!

If your home makeover is con-cerned with space then you should know that a traditional water tank takes up about 16 square feet of floor space, whereas a tankless water heater could fit in your carry

Tammy Ferris

on and will be installed on a wall inside or outside your home. That equals reclaimed space.

Most of us will attempt to save money where we can – and energy too. A traditional water heater holds a tank of water that has to be continual reheated 24 hours a day. A tankless water heater re-quires no tank and turns itself on when you turn on a faucet, so wa-ter is heated only when you use it. An average 50 gallon natural gas

water heater will cost about $457.00 per year to oper-ate, compared to a tankless at $324.00 per year. That’s a savings of roughly $133.00 per year for more hot water. I know you can see the bargain in that!

A traditional water heater requires you have a tank filled with water some-where. As tanks age they can leak and sometimes burst. In fact, the website for the insurance insti-tute of business and home safety (www.disastersafety.org) states that water

heater failures are one of the top 5 sources of residential losses and that 69% of water heater failures are because of a leak or a burst tank. So, if you are concerned about damage to your home and, like me just don’t care for the thought of 40 – 50 gallons of water sitting around waiting to get free, then a tankless may be the choice for you.

You may also be eligible for a rebate from SCE&G of up to $250.00 if you are converting from electric to gas, you can call one of their representatives at 1-877-510-7234 and ask about their home efficiency program. You can also learn how they work by watching a video on my website www.genel-ove.com.

And if you just like to consider yourself environmentally a good Samaritan, you will love that a tankless water heater has no parts that cannot be recycled, whereas traditional tanks do and landfills across America are full of them. It’s the wise choice all around.

Much LoVe and long hot showers!

This article written by Tammy C. Fer-ris, President of Gene Love Plumbing, Air, Electric serving greater Lexington and Richland Counties. Visit www.GeneLove.com or call 803-719-LoVE (5683) to learn more.

An average 50gallon natural gas water heater will cost about $457.00 per year tooperate, compared to a tankless at $324.00 per year.

Extreme Makeovers


After almost a decade of working to ensure our

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A Personal Note


his January 6th marked the six year anniversary of my precious father’s death. I cannot express in words the grief that began to overtake me at his passing. I could write pages filled with imagery and

metaphors and still you would read them without comprehending the depth of my pain, unless you have lost a parent. I felt as if I were drowning in a sea of sorrow, consumed by the pain, and unable to understand how people were still smiling around me. Simply put, I was lost… Shortly after his death, another close friend of his passed unexpectedly, and I attended the funeral out of a sense of loyalty for my father, though it was very difficult. The minister spoke eloquently of the man we had called friend for many years. Then he made a state-ment that even through my tears I knew would change my life. “When someone dies, you can become bitter, or you can become better.” Truth is, I have no idea what the minister said afterwards, because I recognized myself in the bitter part of that sentence. In that moment, I began to reflect upon the legacy my father had left with me, one that included an inherent love of life and family. And it suddenly occurred to me that I had allowed the death of this amazing man to plant a seed of bitterness in me. How disappointed would

my daddy be if he knew that I had chosen bitter over better? Make no mistake: my father was not perfect, for he was human. Kind and gentle, he was everything a father was supposed to be. He did not take lightly his responsibilities toward his family, as provider, teacher, mentor, example, protector and patriarch of our very large family. Hour after hour, in the scorching Georgia sun, he would tend to the soil, nurture the plants, and sit on the bucket at the end of the row, water hose in hand, literally watching his garden grow, providing fresh fruits and vegetables for his family and for so many others in the community. I daresay his vegetable soup was famous in those parts and there was hardly a Sunday to go by that dozens of people didn’t stop by for Sunday dinner, some invited, others just dropping in “to see what Lonzo had cooking.” Saturday nights meant singing and playing the guitar with the family from grandmother on down. He would sing those songs of his childhood, even change the words to include “Lori” so I would know he was singing for me. Sure not to exclude anyone, he would go down the line until every little name (brothers, sisters, cousins) was used in his lyrics, eliciting a smile on each face. An animated storyteller, we’d laugh as Daddy told us funny stories about fish-ing, hunting and even turtle “grabbling”…

An avid outdoorsman, I remember one particular camping trip where he wrapped a snake around my arm, almost sending my dear mother into cardiac arrest. Just a little girl, I thought it was super cool—it was just a little water moccasin. And besides, my father was right there—nothing could harm me with Daddy near, for he was my ultimate defender and protector. I still smile when I think of my mother screaming his name and his responding laughter booming across the water as he took the snake away and placed it back into the water. For page after page, I could share with you my memories of him, each one of which would be filled with childlike admiration and unwaver-ing love, but I would like to close with this thought: my father taught me to believe in God’s love. It isn’t that he said to me, “Lori, God loves you with unconditional love,” but more that he demonstrated to me the way in which fathers are supposed to love their children—with a patient, steady love that remains constant and strong, no matter what storm is passing. I never felt judgment from him, even when I was wrong. I never had to feel ashamed to him, because I knew he was able to look past the moment and still be proud of who I was. My father loved me in spite of my failures, much the way my heavenly father loves me. During the 32 years that I was blessed to have him, this was the greatest gift my father gave me. My earthly father did an incredible job of fathering. When his life here was over, my heavenly father stepped in. With His help, I was able to use the most painful time of my life for inspiration to become better. As a result, Woman 2 Woman was born. I know that my daddy is proud of me. He always was. This magazine, and every other one I create like it, is his legacy—his legacy of love. Thank you for allowing me to continue his legacy. God Bless each and every one of you.

Lori Samples DuncanEditor-in-Chief

T

Psalm 127:3Behold, children are a heritage from the LORD, The fruit of the womb is a reward.

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