Good Natured

Liver Helper

Artichokes to the rescue

By Karen Frye

One of the hardest working organs in our body is the liver. It’s at the center of every metabolic process. Everything, from what you eat and drink, the medications and supplements you take, even the body care products you apply to your skin and hair, gets filtered by the liver. Consuming certain foods on a regular basis or adding effective supplements will help keep the liver working properly.

Artichokes are one of the best liver-friendly foods to add to your diet. In fact, you will often find artichoke extract in many of the liver-detoxifying supplements. The artichoke is high in many antioxidants and a great source of silymarin (also abundant in milk thistle). Silymarin helps to protect and nourish your liver.

Fresh artichokes may be a little intimidating to prepare, although once you get the hang of it they may be on your plate more often. Artichokes are relatively easy to prepare by trimming the base, and steaming them till tender. Dip the leaves in a bit of warm butter and lemon juice — it makes a nice appetizer to share, and you might find your new favorite food!

Here is a simple recipe for summer meals that includes artichokes. The lentils are also good to eat on a regular basis. They are a high source of fiber, especially soluble fiber, which helps to control blood sugar. The microbiome (the microbes that live in our bodies) loves fiber, feeding on it and promoting a healthier gut. Tomatoes are an important ingredient in this recipe as well, as they are rich in lycopene — a potent antioxidant especially helpful for prostate health.

Easy Artichoke Lentils

2 teaspoons avocado or olive oil

2 large shallots, diced

1 large red bell pepper, diced

1 large zucchini, diced

2 teaspoons Italian spice blend (in the summer substitute fresh basil and parsley)

1 15-ounce can lentils, drained and rinsed

1 15-ounce can quartered artichoke hearts, drained

1 15-ounce can diced tomatoes, undrained

2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Heat oil in large saucepan over medium heat. Sauté shallots, pepper and zucchini until just tender. Stir in spice blend, lentils, artichoke hearts and tomatoes. Cook until hot. Stir in the vinegar, salt and pepper just before serving. You can serve this hot or chilled. Add a green salad with all the good things from your garden and you have a delicious healthy meal.

P.S.  Remember to drink your chilled hibiscus tea through these hot summer months.  PS

Karen Frye is the owner and founder of Nature’s Own and teaches yoga at the Bikram Yoga Studio.

Almanac

Snapshots from July are salt-laced and dreamy.

Children skipping through sprinklers on the front lawn.

Baskets of ripe peaches, still warm from the sun.

Tree houses and tackle boxes.

Tangles of wild blackberry.

Brown paper bags filled with just-picked sweet corn.

Last summer, gathered in celebration of July 4, we made a game of shucking sweet corn on my grandmother’s front porch. Two points for each clean ear, a bonus per earworm, yet as husks and corn silk began to carpet the ground beneath us, joy and laughter were all that counted.

And now, memories.

Like Papa’s pickles, made with the cukes from his
own garden.

Speaking of Papa . . . something tells me he would have loved watching us turn a chore into a simple pleasure, perhaps the secret of any seasoned gardener.

The Art of Shade-Dwelling

In the sticky July heat our state is known for, not just the flowers are wilting.

Advice from a fern: seek shade and thrive.

Yes, you.

Bring a hammock, summer reading, refreshments, pen and journal.

Daydream beneath the lush canopy. Bathe in the filtered light. Indulge in the summery soundscape. Cloud gaze.

And if you’re looking for a spot by the water, follow the spiraling dragonfly. She will always lead you there.

The dandelions and buttercups gild all the lawn: the drowsy bee stumbles among the clover tops, and summer sweetens all to me. — James Russell Lowell

Fresh from the Garden

Eggplant, snap beans, green beans, summer squash. Plump tomatoes are spilling from the vine, but there are two words on my mind: melon season.

In one word: cantaloupe.

And while it’s fresh and abundant, consider some new ways to enjoy it.

Blend it with club soda and honey.

Salt and spice it with crushed peppercorn and sumac.

Toss it with arugula, fennel and oregano.

Make cool melon soup, or sweet-and-salty jam.

Nothing spells refreshing like chilled cubes of it after a hot day in the sun, but if you’re looking for savory, check out the below recipe from Epicurious.

Cantaloupe and Cucumber Salad

(Makes 4 servings)

Ingredients

1/2 cup olive oil

1/4 cup Champagne vinegar or white wine vinegar

1 teaspoon ground coriander

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/8 teaspoon ground cardamom

1/2 large cantaloupe, rind and seeds removed, flesh cut into 1-inch pieces

1 large English hothouse cucumber, sliced on a diagonal ½-inch thick

2 Fresno chiles, thinly sliced

1/2 cup unsalted, roasted pumpkin seeds (pepitas)

1/4 cup chopped cilantro

1/4 cup chopped mint

Sumac (for serving)

Ingredient Info

Sumac is a tart, citrusy spice generally sold in ground form. It can be found at Middle Eastern markets, specialty foods stores and online.

Preparation

Whisk oil, vinegar, coriander, salt, pepper and cardamom in a large bowl. Add cantaloupe, cucumber and chiles, and toss to coat in dressing. Let sit, uncovered, 15 minutes.

To serve, add pumpkin seeds, cilantro and mint to salad and toss gently to combine. Top with sumac.

Lazy Days of Summer

The full buck moon rises on Tuesday, July 16, which, according to The Old Farmer’s Almanac, is a good day for pruning, mowing and weeding. But if R&R is more your speed, below are a few obscure holidays you might add to the calendar.

July 10: Pick Blueberries Day

July 17: Peach Ice Cream Day

July 20: Ice Cream Soda Day

July 22: Hammock Day

Happy Independence Day, friends. Happy, happy hot July.  PS

The Pleasures of Life Dept.

The Heat is On

The journey from Alaska to the Appalachians

By Katherine Smith

It’s nice to be hot again. That’s what I tell people when they ask how it was living in Alaska, and how it is to be back home. This time last year, and the previous year, and the one before that, I was living and working deep in the boreal woods of the Chugach, the second largest national forest in the country.

Each summer, our five-person trail crew lived in tents for eight consecutive days every two weeks as we built the forest’s newest trail in an area accessible once a day by train — that is, if the tracks weren’t flooded. The Chugach is where, during my first hitch, a bear clawed through my tent and stole my only clean clothes. It’s where I learned to fell big trees with a big chain saw and little ones with an ax; where I learned to shoot a rifle; and where I competed with the guys to carry the most tools, hiking miles with a sledgehammer on one shoulder and a steel rockbar on the other.

It’s where I grappled with scoliosis, hypothermia and trench foot, and learned the hard way that my worth is not defined by what I can do. It’s where I learned that my four fellow trail workers eat even more than my four siblings, and became known as Mama Kate for Southern-size group dinners of jambalaya, biscuits and gravy, cornbread and collards. I’ve spent solid eight, 12-hour days inside long sleeves, high socks and a bug net as protection against every kind of winged, blood-sucking bug imaginable, and hitches inside fishing-grade rubber raingear and Xtra-Tuff rubber boots, falling asleep and waking each day to the sound of hammering, unending rain.

My favorite hitches were the ones that should have been hardest, redeemed always by my jolly crew family. We’d belt out Irish drinking songs in hailstorms, make doughnuts from canned biscuit dough, carry 600-pound trees together for a primitive turnpike, laugh until we cried, and play games of bocce ball, cribbage and dice long into the night.  

July in the Chugach brought a cacophony of flowering salmonberry bushes, an Independence Day tradition of exploring Bartlett Glacier, and buying a second freezer for all the salmon we caught. July is sunlight by midnight, bears by day, wolverines by night, and lynx prints in the mud. July brought my first wildland firefighting assignment when I was flown out to Colorado and Wyoming for 18 days of adrenaline and exhaustion digging line, laying hose, sawing, protecting cabins when the fire grew closer and, hardest of all, eating MREs. July is Alaska’s warmest, driest month, shooing my crew and me skinnydipping into sun-baked kettle pools and, after long days, into the numbing glacial creeks where we gathered drinking water. One July, the heat climbed to nearly 80 degrees.

Now, back in the 100s, I am exactly where Alaska shepherded me. For the last three summers, I spent my days off gathering the plants that healed my chronic urinary tract, bladder and kidney infections. Now I am in the Appalachian Mountains, deep in a clinical study of the herbal medicine that redeemed my health. I am learning how to read bloodwork and walk barefoot; the chemistry of polyphenols and my body with 500 acres of quiet, virgin land.

There is vastly more plant diversity here, the woods reverenced for their endangered medicinal gems like bloodroot, black and blue cohosh, goldenseal, ladies slipper and American ginseng. The ancient plant healing tradition has been kept vividly alive by the sharing of medicines from native peoples to Irish and Scottish immigrants and African-Americans, whose poverty passed down the knowledge by necessity. And while I am learning textbook assignments of isolated botanical constituents to illness, it’s framed by the Western tradition of herbalism that hails back to Hippocrates — the assessment of imbalance of the individual’s hot, cold, damp, dry, tense and lax energetics.

Here, I’m learning the science of my granny’s medicine.

July in the Appalachians is the sweet scratch of blackberry and briar-draped bushes, peaches for sale in old truck beds, and sunshine as the crow flies. It’s just now here, on the proverbially flying time, and yet we find it just the same as we remember it in our young hearts. It’s good to be home in the first mountains I loved, in dusks wet with locust song, fingers purple with mulberry juice, bluegrass on the front porch, an accent growing familiar again on my prodigal tongue, and, slow and honeyed as the South, the sweet, heavy heat.  PS

Katherine Smith is a wild-prone witness who grew up swinging from ivy vines and hunting water lilies in Pinebluff, North Carolina. She’s returned to North Carolina to study clinical herbalism at the Eclectic School of Herbal Medicine in Lowgap, calling Ireland and Alaska home in the interim.

Birdwatch

Beak House

This time of year sees a hot real estate market for house wrens

By Susan Campbell

Throughout the Piedmont and Sandhills, Carolina wrens are year-round residents easily recognized by their handsome rufous coloring, prominent white eyebrows, cocked up tails and loud voices. The emphatic “chirpity, chirpity, chirp” calls are made primarily by males, although, from time to time, females may join the chorus. These inquisitive birds, foraging almost nonstop in all sorts of nooks and crannies looking for bugs, are known to find their way into garages and even homes if there is a crack large enough for them to squeeze through. In addition, they seek out protected places to nest, often using front door wreaths, mailboxes, hanging baskets and manmade objects of all kinds.

House wrens, on the other hand, are a bit smaller and drabber in coloration. Both the male and female are gray-brown with faint streaking on wings and tail. These diminutive birds are just as feisty as their more familiar cousins. Their song, however, is a lovely mix of bubbling notes that carries quite a way. House wrens, too, are voracious insectivores, found in close association with people.

Once upon a time, they were considered seasonal migratory visitors to both the Piedmont and Sandhills, skulking in thick vegetation during spring and fall migration. In 1922, house wrens were seen nesting in the Piedmont and are now found commonly around Raleigh, and from Greensboro to Charlotte. The first documented, known successful breeding attempt in Moore County was sighted in Pinehurst during the summer of 2007. Since then a few pairs have been reported from Whispering Pines, as well as pockets around the Village of Pinehurst. However, these birds are easily overlooked by folks unfamiliar with the species. At this point, they are almost certainly breeding in more locations in at least the northern half of the Sandhills.

House wrens have a breeding strategy that allows them to colonize new habitat quickly. Females typically produce two sets of four to seven young each summer. The males are frequently polygamous. Interestingly, a female may move to the territory of a different male for the second nesting. And female house wrens are known to raise broods in quick succession. The male may finish raising the first brood as the female begins nest-building for round two.

Unlike Carolina wrens, house wrens are cavity nesters, so they will use bird boxes readily. Small holes are hard to come by on the human-altered landscape — but birdhouses are not. With increased urbanization and the widespread interest in providing for birds, more boxes are appearing on the landscape every spring. Although house wrens will use a box that is pole- mounted, they actually prefer hanging houses. It is possible that this is because dangling accommodations are less likely to be invaded by predators.

The challenge that house wrens no doubt have been facing here in the Sandhills as they attempt to become established, is available “real estate.” When they return to nest in mid-April, the bluebirds, as well as our nonmigratory chickadees, nuthatches and titmice have not only claimed a large percentage of the available bird houses but are also well into incubation. House wrens then must search for an empty box. If you are interested in providing for these uncommon little birds, it is best to wait to hang a suitable box until about April 15. Also you might want to consider a box with a smaller (1-inch or 1 1/2-inch) entrance that will exclude larger cavity nesters. If you happen to attract house wrens, please let me know. We are still very interested in the progress of these birds as they continue their southward dispersal here in central North Carolina.  OH

Susan would love to receive your wildlife sightings and photos. She can be contacted by email at susan@ncaves.com.

PS Profiles June 2019

PS PROFILES JUNE 2019

Home
Archives: June 2019

Sponsored Section

 

Dr. John F. Ceraso, DMD

Dr. John Ceraso has been practicing general dentistry since 1990, with a concentration in cosmetic work, dental implants, and full mouth rehabilitation. He is an established and distinguished member of both the ADA (American Dental Association) and NCDS (North Carolina Dental Society). Dr. Ceraso regularly participates in advanced courses of study, mainly due to the fact that he is firm in the belief it is important to remain on the cutting edge of dentistry.

Born and raised in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Dr. Ceraso graduated from the University of Pittsburgh in 1986 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology. He then went on to achieve his DMD from the University of Pittsburgh School of Dental Medicine. In his final year at this renowned university, it was believed by many of his peers that he was the most likely to succeed in the field of dentistry.

And succeed he did, eventually settling in North Carolina and becoming one of North Carolina’s leading Implant and Cosmetic Dentists. Today, Dr. Ceraso is known for his exceptional artistry in creating beautiful, attractive, long-lasting smiles. As a result of his hard work, he is well aware of the fact that the personal image you project is of the utmost importance. Thus, each patient’s treatment is personalized and unique, with specialized treatment crafted for each client’s individual needs.

Dr. Ceraso’s mission is to touch every patient individually. “It may not even be through a dental procedure, but to listen and understand their individual and specific needs from the most straightforward procedure to the most complex making that person at that time in the moment be the most important person in the room,” stated Dr. Ceraso. Due to his advanced skills and experience, Dr. Ceraso’s cosmetic dental procedures are virtually “painless,” which is incredibly appealing to many patients.

In addition, Dr. Ceraso has been working with dental implants longer than many other dentists and was one of the first Implant Dentists in the Sandhills area, affording him a great deal of first-hand experience when it comes to implants. Dr. Ceraso was even personally invited to Germany by a renowned dental implant company to visit the factory, learn more about the product, and to meet the top implant dentist in the world. This was an invitation only event and quite the honor for Dr. Ceraso to be personally selected due to his skill.

Dr. Ceraso was instrumental in organizing and establishing the mobile free dental clinic sponsored by St. Joseph of the Pines. He had a key role in obtaining equipment and instruments  required to operate a mobile dental clinic for the underprivileged in Moore County. Often, Dr. Ceraso devotes a Saturday to care for less fortunate people who desperately require dental care. He finds his contributions to the community rewarding, and these patients are incredibly appreciative of Dr. Ceraso’s charitable work.

Dr. Ceraso married his high school sweetheart, Karla, in 1988. Today, they reside in Pinehurst, North Carolina, with their three children. When he is not in the office, he enjoys racquetball, fishing, playing golf, and spending time with his family. Dr. Ceraso intends to continue providing top-quality dental care to the residents of the Sandhills for many years to come, both in the clinic and on the road.

910.692.5250
125 Murray Hill Road Suite A
Southern Pines, NC
www.cerasodental.com

 

Lin Hutaff, Realtor

Golfing in the Sandhills since 1978, Lin knows the Moore County Real Estate Market! She moved to NC with her husband, Phil, in 1978, when he was called home to help with the family business. At the time, Lin was on the Corporate staff at IBM and split her time between White Plains, NY, and Research Triangle Park, NC. While with IBM, Lin was part of the Finance Industry Marketing Division and later briefed Executives of IBM’s top 50 accounts. She credits her early experience in marketing at IBM for much of her success as a Real Estate Agent.

She served on the Boards of The O’Neal School, the former Moore Regional Hospital, the Lee County Commission on Youth and together with her husband, chaired the Hospital Ball in 1991. Lin currently serves on the Board of St. Joseph of the Pines, Partners in Progress and Rotary Club of the Sandhills.

Lin has a Masters Degree in Mathematics from St. Louis University, a Jesuit University.

Lin is consistently in the top 1% of MOORE County Realtors and top 3% of U.S. Realtors, selling more than $2 Million in Real Estate each month

Lin Hutaff’s Pinehurst Realty Group offers a KNOWLEDGABLE, COURTEOUS, and CONFIDENTIAL Real Estate Experience with the very best outcome possible! “With our experienced Group of Realtors, we can be available to our clients whenever they need us!” 

Call Lin if you are considering Selling or Buying a home in Moore County.

910.528.6427
25 Chinquapin Road
Pinehurst, NC
www.linhutaff.com

 

Veronica LLOyd, Owner

Mother-Daughter duo, Pat Phillips and Veronica Lloyd, have always had a passion for fashion and a dream of together, owning their own boutique. They’d been loyal Monkee’s customers for many years before becoming a part of the beloved franchise this year.

Pat, with her hard-working entrepreneurial spirit, has had a great amount of success operating and expanding her family’s NC-based specialty chemical company. She’s business oriented, but fashion forward!

Veronica, who played basketball at the University of the South in Tennessee and rode for the University’s Equestrian Team, is a former elementary school educator with a Master’s Degree and an obsession for fashion!

When the Monkee’s franchise opportunity became available in Southern Pines, it was a no-brainer for this fashionable pair. They took ownership this past January and are continuing the Monkee’s tradition of excellent customer experience and high quality shoes, apparel and accessories.

Veronica, who has since become the face of the popular Broad Street store, is thrilled about her new career as a Monkee’s franchise owner and feels incredibly blessed to have her mom as both her business partner and mentor.

As new owners to the sixteen year old store, they’re constantly seeking new and interesting lines to carry that have admirable backstories and a special flair.

But both Pat and Veronica are particularly passionate about shoes! They aim to help each client find their own personal shoe style. Monkee’s franchises stress the importance of maintaining a comfortable and inviting “living room” for shopping. Fittingly, they’ve created an enjoyable, shoe-parlor atmosphere where shoppers can have a fun, fabulous experience whether they’re trying on shoes or clothes, and feel as if they’re in the comfort of their own home.

Pat and Veronica both possess an ardent enthusiasm for connecting and building relationships with the community and their customers. Their commitment is truly apparent every single day, especially through their huge social media presence, where they inspire their current and potential clients by styling and modeling Monkee’s shoes, clothing and accessories on a daily basis. Give Monkee’s a follow
@Monkeesofthepines to stay in the loop and to get in on the fun!

910.693.7463
124 NW Broad Street
Southern Pines, NC
www.monkeesofthepines.com

 

Diane Williams, Gastroenterologist
Ann Edgerton, Physician Assistant

Tired of counting calories, feeling hungry, and eating foods you don’t like, yet still seeing zero results? HEALcare Clinic of Pinehurst is changing the game in the Sandhills with their clinically tested, low-carbohydrate ketogenic program that uses “food as medicine” to put type 2 diabetes, pre-diabetes, and obesity in remission without the use of medication or insulin. HEALcare’s goal is help you stop being a “patient” and enjoy a healthy, normal life. Those who participate find their lives are completely transformed.   

That’s because HEALcare is far more than just an ordinary diet plan. Developed by Dr. Eric Westman at Duke University, HEALcare participants receive personalized, expert-guided keto diet, nutrition and lifestyle support, plus medical supervision as needed until they can safely and effectively eliminate insulin and medication and improve health.

In addition to weight loss and type 2 diabetes remission, recent research shows that the ketogenic diet can combat high blood pressure, slow the effects of aging and lead to improvement in other medical conditions, such as joint pain, metabolic syndrome, polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), acid reflux, irritable bowel syndrome, fatty liver disease, and other ailments influenced by diet.

Diane M. Williams (left), MD MHS graduated from the University of Minnesota Medical School. She then did her residency in Internal Medicine and Gastroenterology Fellowship at Duke University, during which time she also received a Master’s in Health Science. She stumbled upon information about diets and disease and spent the last two years furthering her education on the matter. She felt the need to incorporate this learning into her practice, and with the help of her GI Partners, Dr. David Martin, Dr. Tom Swantkowski and Dr. Eric Frizzell, became host to the HEALcare Clinic of Pinehurst.

The HEALcare of Pinehurst team is led by Ann Edgerton, PA-C, a North Carolina native who found her calling in health services. Edgerton received her undergraduate degree and attended Physician Assistant School at Wake Forest, then made her way to the Sandhills region when her husband relocated to work at the local hospital. Edgerton particularly enjoys being on the front end of healthcare, where she can help others gain control of their health.

While the HEALcare Clinic is a separate entity from the Pinehurst Medical Clinic, they have been supportive in their efforts to bring this option to the Pinehurst community. HEALcare plans to continue bringing holistic care and wellness to the Sandhills, opting to replace medication with education, better dietary choices, and a healthy, happy lifestyle.

888.509.9016
4204 Murdocksville Road
West End, NC
www.healclinics.com/pinehurst

 

Brian Thwaites M.D.
James Winkley M.D.
Rob Thomas PA-C
Steve Collins PA-C

Back in the mid-’90s, the Sandhills was in need of an interventional pain management clinic. Brian Thwaites M.D., (far right) of Pinehurst Anesthesiologist Associates stepped up and collaborated with FirstHealth (then Moore Regional Hospital) to start FirstHealth Back and Neck Pain. They started small, borrowing what space they could find in the Ambulatory Surgery Center and pulling resources from other areas of the hospital, determined to build the operation they knew this community deserved.

Dr. Thwaites came to Moore County after an anesthesiology residency at Walter Reed Army Medical Center and serving as a staff anesthesiologist at Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio Texas. He now works alongside seven physicians, three physician assistants, and one adult nurse practitioner. Years later, Dr. Thwaites and his team have grown into one of the most highly accredited pain centers in Central North Carolina.

Their goal is to stop chronic, debilitating pain or reduce it to the greatest extent possible. They view themselves as a diagnostic center first, working through thorough evaluation to find the root cause of pain problems.

Because back and neck pain can stem from a multitude of causes, it sometimes takes a combination of therapies to get pain under control. For this reason, the clinic serves as a central point for clients’ pain management plans by providing access to a complete range of pain relief options in an environment that is both comfortable and compassionate.

FirstHealth Back and Neck Pain treats a wide variety of nerve and mechanical pain issues, primarily related to the neck, thoracic spine, and lower lumbar spine, including herniated discs, spinal stenosis, lumbar and cervical radiculopathy, and sacroiliac joint problems. However, other pain issues that are chronic in nature, such as knee arthritis, diabetic neuropathy, cancer related pain, and postherpetic neuralgia, can be treated by the clinic physicians.

Depending on the source of the pain, treatments administered through Back and Neck Pain include steroid or pain medication injections, neurostimulation, radiofrequency interruption of nerve connections, selective nerve blocks and other treatments designed specifically to alleviate chronic pain. The newest and most cutting-edge treatment option offered at FirstHealth is Coolief, which uses radio frequency to relieve osteoarthritis knee pain in a safe and non-invasive treatment plan.

Partners in the practice, James Winkley M.D., (second from left) and Dr. Thwaites are both double board certified in anesthesia and pain management. Additionally, both doctors share ties to the Army, as their medical careers started while serving in uniform. Dr. Winkley is the proud father to 9 children with his wife, Jeannine, and is the Bishop at the Pinehurst Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

After serving in the Navy, Steve Collins (far left), PA-C worked in family medicine and emergency for 23 years in Richmond county. He has been with FirstHealth since 2014.

Rob Thomas (second from right), PA-C is a Pinehurst local who attended PA school at Methodist University. He has been a practicing physician assistant for the last decade focusing on acute and chronic pain syndromes. Like his colleagues, he is passionate about offering a multimodal approach to pain management.

910.715.1794
35 Memorial Drive
Pinehurst, NC
www.firsthealth.org/pain

 

Nicole  Johnson, Owner

Owning a permanent makeup business, a training academy, and most recently opening a studio in downtown Southern Pines, Nicole Johnson knows that life is too short not to pursue your passions. 

Originally from Ohio, Nicole gained work experience in her early career in both the medical field as a surgical assistant and also in esthetics when she worked in a busy, highly-rated medical spa. 

As the owner of Fanatical Skin & Ink, she now sits at the top of a very niche industry of medical tattooing, through which she discovered she could combine her two diverse interests together in a single career.

Microblading and micropigmentation tattoo work is designed to appear subtle and natural, filling in brow lines or shading in bare areas on the scalp with whisper thin strokes. 

But some uses for medical tattooing are not commonly known. Nicole uses micropigmentation on breast cancer survivors to reduce the appearance of scars and to mimic the look of lost areola tissue. She also works with combat veterans to camouflage scars, a service that can also be used on anyone with burns or other wounds they wish to disguise.

Through her services, her clients can see immediate improvement, both physically and mentally, which can be a life-changing moment. 

Nicole opened Fanatical Skin & Ink in downtown Southern Pines in February this year where she performs these medical tattooing services in addition to aesthetic skin care services including hair removal, body treatments, skin rejuvenation, professional peels, microblading, hydrafacials, permanent cosmetics, lash services, injections, skin resurfacing, laser, dermaplaning, microneedling and more.

But, inevitably, it’s her unbeatable eyebrow shaping that she has become best known for around town.

With so many service offerings, it’s no wonder Nicole’s bringing on a new medical service provider later this summer.

910.684.0001
124 W Pennsylvania Avenue
Southern Pines, NC
www.fanaticalskin.ink

 

Tristan Locklear, Owner
Trey Bowman, Barber

Tristan Locklear, owner and founder of The Old Pines Barber Shop, has been cutting hair for as long as he can remember. Tristan was tired of other barbers cutting his hair incorrectly in his hometown of Lumberton, North Carolina, which sparked his inspiration to open up a barber shop of his own.

It wasn’t long before Tristan earned trust amongst his high school peers and quickly gained the reputation as one of the best barbers in his small town. Cutting hair in high school was only the beginning for Tristan, however. It didn’t take long for him to work his way to the top and achieve his dream when he opened The Old Pines Barber Shop in September 2018.

Trey Bowman works alongside Tristan at the quaint, old-school barber shop, located in the heart of Southern Pines. Trey, a Southern Pines native, graduated from Sanford Barber College, which requires 1,528 extensive hours of training. He learned from the very best teacher and mentor, Mr. Cotten, who taught him everything he knows about barbering. His passion is to help men find their own, personal style and figure out what works best for them.

Old Pines Barber Shop, thanks to it’s downtown location, has a laid-back, approachable atmosphere where everyone can feel at home and at ease while visiting. They’re also kid friendly!

Tristan and Trey both enjoy riding fourwheelers in their spare time and Tristan loves for every minute outside of the shop to be spent with his five-year-old son, Rylan.

910.725.2500
171 NE Broad Street
Southern Pines, NC

 

Nikki Bowman, Owner / Broker
Jessica Rowan, Broker

Nikki Bowman (left) has called Southern Pines home since she was only two years old. She has Moore County knowledge and a sense of pride in the community that only a true native can possess, and as a realtor she puts this expertise to work for her clients in every real estate deal that she facilitates.

Nikki has been actively working as a local real estate agent since 2005 and opened Realty World Properties of the Pines in 2011. Her buyer’s agent, Jessica Rowan, has been working alongside her since 2015.

Like Nikki, Jessica is a lifetime Southern Pines resident and the only thing she loves more than her hometown is helping others fall in love with it too! Together, with the community knowledge they possess, they’ve honed a unique skill set to help their clients understand and navigate the area’s diverse market to meet their individual needs as buyers or sellers.

Nikki specializes primarily in listing homes, fearlessly and professionally facing the challenges that come along with selling a home. With a track record to prove it, Nikki is usually the agent who can sell a house that others couldn’t.

Jessica, who prefers to work with homebuyers, provides the advice to newcomers to fully embrace moving to a new area, which she knows can be intimidating for families. So she helps homebuyers find more than just a new home in Moore County- she identifies where they should eat, shop and play by pointing out her favorites around their new neighborhood.

The duo also provides assistance in helping clients find rentals and manage their properties, rounding out their full service real estate agency.

Nikki has always found energy and inspiration from her three children who motivate her to work hard every day. When Jessica is not working, she can be found window shopping in downtown Southern Pines while petting every dog she sees along the way.

910.725.1137
760-B NW Broad Street
Southern Pines, NC
www.realtyworldofmoore.com

 

Philip Holmes, Manager

Frank Crumpler knew from an early age that he wanted to pursue a future in funeral service. After graduating from the Cincinnati School of Embalming in 1956, Frank moved back to his hometown of Clinton, NC, where he began working with Jernigan Warren Funeral Home in Fayetteville. It was when he was working a funeral service in the Raeford Cemetery that he met his future wife, Dayne Capps. After their courtship and marriage, Frank and Dayne later founded Crumpler Funeral Home in Raeford.

Frank and Dayne had three children, Kemp, Kel, and Kalen, who all grew up to be licensed funeral directors themselves. Frank and Dayne purchased LaFayette Funeral Home in Fayetteville in 1992. Five years later the couple opened up their third funeral home in Red Springs. In 2006, Frank and Dayne purchased 10 acres of land at the corner of US 1 and Windy Hill Road in Aberdeen. They renovated the colonial house on the property and gave it new life as a modern funeral home to serve the families of Moore County. Now, almost 60 years after they opened their first funeral home, Frank and Dayne’s grandson, Philip Holmes, has become a third generation licensed funeral director, managing Crumpler Funeral Home of Aberdeen. 

Growing up, Philip did all kinds of manual labor around his family’s funeral homes. His grandfather, Frank, kept him busy hand-digging graves, washing vehicles, laying sod, and other tasks that needed to be completed around the funeral homes. Philip remembers Frank saying that he “never considered a day in funeral service ‘work,’” but as the one who always ended up covered in dirt and sweat, Philip couldn’t quite relate. It wasn’t until he served his apprenticeship and became a licensed funeral director that he began to understand what his grandfather meant. It is evident that Philip’s calling lies in serving the families of those who have lost someone they love, helping with genuine and sincere compassion, and guiding the families even after the services are completed.

The appreciation expressed by families who have been served is what he, as well as the entire Crumpler Family, strive for. 

The countless number of lasting friendships that have developed over the course of Philip’s tenure as a funeral director has been invaluable to him.

910.944.9400
40229 US Hwy 1 south
Aberdeen, NC
www.crumplerfhaberdeen.com

 

Charlotte Williams, Owner

Charlotte Williams is the backbone and namesake of Charlotte’s Furnishings and Finds. With a degree in Interior Design and a minor in Business from Meredith College, Charlotte is driven to find the best deals to pass along to her customers and she gives her all to running her small business – that is really anything but small.

For starters, her downtown Aberdeen store has over 6000 sq ft. Charlotte uses every square inch of floor space to display a wide variety of furnishings, and home decor. She hunts for beautiful, tasteful additions from her market sources, then brings those market sample pieces to her shop and passes along the wholesale savings to her customers! Case goods, upholstery, accessories, rugs and wall art are just some of Charlotte’s special finds that you can pick up for yourself.

Her most loyal and savvy customers know to stop by often and to shop quickly. Unlike big box furniture stores or boutique home decor retailers, Charlotte’s pieces are straight off the market floor, and therefore every day brings brand new additions to her eclectic collection, and the pieces sell fast! Just because that amazing solid wood dining table is in her showroom today, doesn’t mean it will still be there tomorrow, or ever again for that matter.

With an impressive background in design, Charlotte is great at helping her customers find exactly what they need. No matter your personal style, Charlotte’s huge and ever-changing inventory is sure to have something for everyone.

Expansion has come quickly and in a big way for Charlotte. She has opened a second storefront just a couple dozen yards from her corner location on Poplar Street. As if you couldn’t find what you need behind door number one, walk on over to her Main Street extension to see more choices for your design projects.

There’s so much to discover on a trip to Charlotte’s, it should be no surprise that her unique store has been a Best of the Pines nominee and winner for two consecutive years! Safe to say that Charlotte is doing big things with her small company.

910.690.7922
101 N Poplar Street
Aberdeen, NC