Do you remember the very popular weekly sitcom “The Golden Girls”? The series surrounded four seasoned women, retired, living under the same roof and whose life experiences on the show ranged from marriage and divorce, raising children and empty nesting, sexual and dating issues, singlehood, widow-hood (is that a word?) and yes, even house repair problems. We watched them get one another in and out of trouble every week. Probably like you, I loved each character, her unique personality quirks and antics. As I watched each week or each day when the series went into syndication I could identify with Dorothy, Rose, Blanche and Sophia and I felt the joy, respect and admiration that they had for one another because of their individual life experiences.
Well ladies, I feel like a Golden Girl of a different kind and you all are my roommates. No, we don’t live together and not so much with age and gray hair; not yet anyway, (although some of us might be stylishly rockin’ the gray and are in our golden years), it’s more about the dilemmas and mishaps we find ourselves in as women and I share mine each week when you tune into my column.
On Friday, in the midst of my “girly-girl” routine, you know by now that means either hair, nails or both. I was sitting next to a friend in the salon who was talking to her ex-husband of a recent divorce. The conversation was not heated at all, but I couldn’t help but see and feel her frustration after she ended the call. The conversation didn’t revolve around the tough topics of money or kids; it was simply about a home repair issue. I say “simple” issue, but for a woman who has never had to deal with home repair issues and always depended on her husband to fix things, this was anything but simple. Exasperated and fearful she explained that she had heard crackling and had seen blue sparks coming from the electrical socket in her den. She was afraid that this was a prelude to a possible fire in the wires buried in her wall. Compassion and my “Shellie to the rescue attitude” made me want to leap in a single bound out of the stylist’s chair, dart into the ladies room of the hair salon and slip into my proverbial “At Home Girl” cape, spandex tights and my Wonder-Woman go-go boots and solve her electrical issues for her. Instead I sat reassuringly beside her, gave her some tips on what to do and then I thought of you. It also made me think of a similar sad, confusing and frustrating day … the day I cried in Wal-Mart.
Many of you did not know that when I began this column quite a few years ago I was 16 years happily married, or so I thought, and then life happened. Circumstances altered my personal At Home life forever and I suddenly found myself in foreign territory, a new place; in a new category or personhood. I was single for the first time in 24 years and having to do things that were not germane to my “girly-girl-ness” or my scope of expertise. In short, I was no longer just doing the soft nurturing stuff like being a wife, mom, laundry, cleaning, cooking, etc. I was forced to do the tough, dirty tasks like going up on ladders and under surfaces to fix, clean and retrieve items. I couldn’t depend on the brawn and machismo of a man. And probably because of pride and the possibility of stirring up strife and conflict with other women, I refrained from asking any neighboring husbands for help.
This Friday evening was similar to the day I sat with my friend in the hair salon, but Wal-Mart was the setting for my personal drama; a saga and a sitcom all rolled into one. This episode, however, was more traumatic than funny. The air was broken in my house. Fed up with the scorching heat bearing down on the window in my bedroom I jumped in my car and confidently drove to Wal-Mart in a quest to find an air conditioner to provide some immediate relief from the heat. My house (at that time) was very large and unfortunately even with two units my bedroom only received a whisper of air.
I slid the car careening on two wheels (maybe it just felt like it) into a parking space that seemed to be waiting just for me at the store. I sauntered into Wal-Mart determined and confident that this experience would be a breeze; it would be quick and painless. I anticipated victory and although I had never had to do this before, I believed that I would emerge a victor, unscathed and having accomplished my mission. I peeked at the signs above for direction and then walked briskly through the store like a detective on the path to solving a case, or a hound dog sniffing out a scent. I found the hardware section and proceeded to choose an air conditioner. I took a deep breath and exhaled… I was aghast at the overwhelming selection, the multitude of name brands, the gizmos and gadgets that each unit possessed. It was at that moment that fear began to creep in like Freddy Krueger in a Nightmare On Elm Street movie.  Well, after all, it was a Friday and this was the beginning of a horror story. I had no clue about the square footage of my room, nor did I understand amps, voltage, BTUs or any other words or phrases that glared out on the exterior front and side of the box. This air conditioning jargon might as well have been written in another language (in some cases it was), because I could not comprehend how any of it would relate to my At Home space. I stood in the aisle of Wal-Mart, frozen like a deer in the headlights of an oncoming car. I felt fear, amazement, pending danger and a sense of tremendous helplessness. I felt the need to run back home and not just crawl under the covers, but crawl under the bed and hide. But I couldn’t…
Tune in next week for the next chapter in A Series of Tearful Episodes.

“I don’t have all the answers, but I know the One who does.”

For more information or just to contact me, email athomewithshellie1@Yahoo.com or click on my website at www.athomewithshellie.com.

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Appetites from around the area are about to be treated to a food fest like none other, all for the sake of charity. The Third Annual Protective Life Food Truck Roundup, benefitting PreSchool Partners is set to serve up some of Birmingham’s best cuisine on Saturday, April 26th from 11-3 p.m. in the upper parking lot of Macy’s at Colonial Brookwood Village (780 Brookwood Village, Birmingham, AL 35209).
With a theme of “Taste the Trucks”, foodies and their families can prepare to experience live music and radio remote from Birmingham Mountain Music (107.3), kid-friendly entertainment and amazing culinary cuisine from some of the city’s best in the business. Food trucks confirmed to dish up some of their famous fare are: Cantina!, Shindigs, Ezell’s Catfish Cabin, Full Moon BBQ, Melt, Fresh Off the Bun, Off the Hook, Slice, Saw’s Street Kitchen, Repecci’s Ice, Nola Ice, Dreamcakes and Goodies Ice Cream. Beverages will be provided by Good People Brewery, Supreme Beverage and Coca-Cola.
Tickets are $20 in advance, $25 at the door and are available online at www.preschool-partners.org. Admission gets you four tokens redeemable for food at any of the trucks and at
beverage stations. Coca-cola products will be served FREE. Additional tokens will be available for purchase; kids 10 and under get in free.
In 2013, more than 1000 people attended the Protective Life Food Truck Roundup, and helped raise over $76,000 for PreSchool Partners. PreSchool Partners is dedicated to preparing at-risk 3 and 4-year-olds, and their parents, for kindergarten in the Birmingham City Schools.
Students, who may not otherwise get a preschool education receive a solid educational foundation and are set on a path toward success. Making this year’s Protective Life Food Truck Roundup even more special is PreSchool Partners’ plans to launch Operation Schoolhouse, a $2.6 million capital campaign that will allow the previous successes of Preschool Partners to reach an even broader group of deserving families. Operation Schoolhouse broke ground on March 12, 2014. The new facility will be housed at Birmingham’s former McElwain Elementary School.
For more information on the Third Annual Protective Life Food Truck Roundup or PreSchool Partners contact Allene Neighbors, PreSchool Partners Director of Development
Cell: (205) 936-3754 or Allene.neighbors@gmail.com.

World’s largest professionally managed vacation rental company takes top position in newspaper’s annual poll
Fort Walton Beach, Fla. (April 21, 2014) – Wyndham Vacation Rentals®, the world’s largest professionally managed vacation rental business and part of the Wyndham Worldwide family of brands (NYSE: WYN), announced today that the readers of Northwest Florida Daily News named Wyndham Vacation Rentals “Finest on the Emerald Coast” in the category of vacation rental company for the second year in a row.

The “Finest on the Emerald Coast” competition asks community members to vote for the businesses they feel represent the best of the Emerald Coast across more than 160 categories.

“We’re overjoyed to be recognized as the top service provider for the second consecutive year by members of the local community,” said Lino Maldonado, vice president of operations, Wyndham Vacation Rentals, Gulf Region. “It’s incredibly humbling to receive an award decided by the public that places us at the top. We attribute our success to the high-quality service we provide that keeps guests coming back to our professionally managed vacation rental properties year after year.”

The award was announced on April 20, 2014 in a commemorative special edition publication, which was circulated in the Northwest Florida Daily News, Crestview News Bulletin, Destin Log and Walton Sun. This year’s honorees will be recognized at the “Finest on the Emerald Coast” winners event held at HarborWalk Village on April 24, 2014.

Wyndham Vacation Rentals professionally manages a number of luxury vacation rental properties along the coast of Northwest Florida. Situated on 52 acres near Destin, Fla. and bordered by both the Gulf of Mexico and a tranquil nature preserve, TOPS’L Beach & Racquet Resort maintains its coveted spot among the top tennis resorts in the nation, garnering accolades from top industry publications year after year.

To make a reservation at one of Wyndham Vacation Rentals’ professionally managed vacation rentals on Northwest Florida’s Emerald Coast, guests should call 888-909-6807 or visit http://www.wyndhamvacationrentals.com/vacation-rentals/florida/northwest-florida/.

TORRANCE, Calif. – Completing a journey that began in the fall, Fisk University claimed its first ever national championship title at the 25th anniversary Honda Campus All-Star Challenge. For a quarter century, American Honda Motor Co., Inc. has sponsored this unique academic competition featuring the best and brightest students from America’s Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs).
A packed studio audience filled with competitors, alumni, volunteers, fans and Honda associates collectively held their breath as Fisk clinched the title over second-place finisher Oakwood University, after answering the following question correctly: What character in various world mythologies, whose name begins with A, B, or C, was the creator God eclipsed by Vishnu? Answer: Brahma.
Fisk was coached by Dr. Stafford W. Cargill. Team members included: Victor Ray Bradley, team captain, junior; Matthew G. Barthwell, junior; Anthony M. Franklin, senior; and Anna M. Wilkins, junior.
“I am very proud of each student on the Fisk University team for the knowledge, spirit and discipline they displayed on the road to the national championship title,” said Dr. Stafford W. Cargill, coach, Fisk University.
The seven remaining finalists that qualified for this year’s Elite Eight included: Oakwood University of Huntsville, Ala.; Tuskegee University of Tuskegee, Ala.; North Carolina Central University of Durham, N.C.; Morgan State University of Baltimore, Md.; Morehouse College of Atlanta, Ga.; Florida A&M University of Tallahassee, Fla.; and Alabama State University of Montgomery, Ala.
“Honda congratulates Fisk University for winning its first title, and thanks the team for truly representing the more than 10,000 exceptional students that participated in this year’s Honda Campus All-Star Challenge,” said Steve Morikawa, assistant vice president, corporate and community relations, American Honda Motor Co., Inc. “We take great pride in the community that has developed around HCASC, and thank all volunteers and alumni who participated for the enduring impact they have on the lives of our student competitors.”
The 2014 coach of the year was Dr. Rosland Rennae Elliott of Oakwood University. Gabriel Smith of Tuskegee University was named the Earnest L. Jones Sportsperson of the Year.
This year’s divisional all-stars included: Antoine Armand Southern representing Oakwood; Victoria Monique Jones representing North Carolina Central; Djon-Iva D. Santos representing Alabama State; Gabriel A. Smith representing Tuskegee; Brannon A. Billings representing Prairie View A&M; Victor Ray Bradley representing Fisk; Maryum Styles representing Spelman; and Eric A. Jett representing West Virginia State.
In addition to taking home the national championship trophy, Fisk University secured the top prize of $50,000 in university grants. Second place finisher Oakwood University won $25,000, while third and fourth place finishers – Tuskegee University and North Carolina Central University – earned $15,000 each. In total, more than $300,000 in institutional grants, which support academic activities, was awarded to participating HBCUs.
“Leading among the mediocre doesn’t mean much, but being a champion among giants is a dream worth striving for,” said Fisk University team captain Victor Ray Bradley. “This competition is full of immensely talented people who are vying to take your spot, but while you hold the title, the victory is sweet.”
For pictures, videos and more information on the 2014 HCASC competition, including a full list of the 48 teams that qualified, visit www.hcasc.com. Connect with HCASC on Facebook (www.facebook.com/HCASC), Twitter (www.twitter.com/HCASC) and Instagram (www.instagram.com/hcascpix), using the hashtag #HCASC.

The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and Birmingham Health Care, Inc. lead the way in promoting the Affordable Care Act Marketplace at Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc. 77th Seventh District meeting in Atlanta, GA.

by Jessica Jones
Bring in spring during the d’Trespa vintage boutique and consignment open house April 26, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
A quaint boutique located in Homewood, d’Trespa’s selections range from vintage to more modern styles, offering customers various options from the little black dress selections, men and women’s vintage jewelry, purses, hats and scarves.
“We have a lot of spring things out,” owner LaRyoce Marsh said. “A lot of spring hats, vintage hats, lots of new men’s clothes in for spring.”
The boutique is currently stocked with many of the popular brands, styles and colors such as nudes and pastels Marsh said.
“We have Free People, Tori Burch, and St. Johns,” Marsh said. “We have a lot from Anthropology and Juicy Couture. Our open house will be our regular store hours and we serve refreshments, and there’s usually a door prize, which is usually a gift certificate to the store.”
Current men’s fashions include Polo, Ralph Lauren and Tommie Bahama.
A former stay-at-home mom, Marsh opened her shop just three months after she decided to go into business. Since then the shop has grown into the business of her dreams.
“I’m really eclectic which is what I like about the store; it’s a little bit of everything,” she said. “We have a vintage section in the back. We have men’s. I have everything except maternity and children’s. We have everything from Gap to Gucci.”
While some might have reservations about shopping consignment, stores often carry items that have never before been worn, some of which still have the original price tags.
“It’s probably safe to say about 30 percent of the things that come into the store are brand new and still have tags on them,” Marsh said, including a brown jacket originally priced at $1,700 and a $695 tank that a consigner brought in that she’d never worn.
Marsh also values quality when assessing items for the store.
“I tell people, don’t bring it in if you wouldn’t buy it,” she said.
Just like the styles and brands, prices vary as well. Cheaper finds include a $12 dollar pair of shorts, while more expensive pieces such as evening gowns are available, too.
“If you have $20 to spend on a dress, you can come in here and find something for under that or if you have an unlimited budget, we had a Valentino dress that just came in that was originally $1,200, so if you have that kind of money, you can find something in here as well, “Marsh said.
Out-of-state consigners often mail items to her store, giving customers access to items they might not have seen elsewhere in Birmingham.