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HICKORY LIVING • FEBRUARY 2015 1

Complimentary

February 2015

O F H I C K O R Y & S TAT E S V I L L E :

Custom Window Solutions

2 HICKORY LIVING • FEBRUARY 2015

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

CONTRIBUTING WRITERSKristie Darling • Meredith Collins

Cheryl Grant • Jessica Fox

COVER PHOTOGRAPHYShane Greene Photography

COVER STORYBudget Blinds

Editorial Stock photography, unless otherwise noted,

is from ThinkStock.

February 2015Living the Good Life


LIVNG

I from the publisherWelcome to the February issue.February is American Heart Month. Cardiovascular disease is the number one killer of both men and women in our country today. There are numerous steps you can take to help prevent this dreaded disease, some of which are: lose weight if you're overweight; know your blood pressure and try to keep it under 140 over 90; get moderate exercise at least three to four times per week; eat at least five servings of fruits and vegetables each day. For more information, please visit the American Heart Association website, www.heart.org.

February also brings us Valentine's Day on the 14th...and matters of the heart in a different way. Guys, this is a wonderful time to show the woman in your life just how much she means to you by taking her out to that favorite restaurant for dinner, and then go for some dancing or a movie. Also, don't forget the flowers and candy! Here's a shout out to all the ladies out there for all you do everyday...We appreciate you and couldn't do without you!

Happy Valentine's Day and thank you for reading the February issue of Hickory Living Magazine!

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

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

LIVINGLIVINGHickory

Myron T. GoughPublisher, Hickory Living

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

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

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

Bob [email protected](336) 686-7271

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

Heather [email protected](704) 962-8080

For information on receiving a cover story for your businessor to advertise, please contact

one of our sales representatives.

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February 2015LIVNG

I content

8 • Love Is In The Air

12 • Budget Blinds Of Hickory & Statesville Custom Window Solutions

18 • Graystone Eye Your Vision Is Our Focus

22 • February Is American Heart Month

25 • What's Cooking?! Valentine's Day Treats

30 • Hickory Resources25

8 18 health | food | local business

EM_prize | iStock | Thinkstock


Valentine’s Day falls on a

Saturday this year. For those of you who

can’t wait to spend time with your lover–

this is a perfect scenario for a weekend

out enjoying each other’s company. For

those of you who would rather spend

time in front of the TV than out with

your significant other, this is going to be

a long, cold weekend, regardless of the

weather!

Hey, with our busy schedules, it is easy

to take each other for granted. What do

you do when you are in a rut as a cou-

ple? Something different! And this Val-

entine’s Day, if you’re just a little creative

Love is in the AirBy Jessica Fox

and intentional, you can reinvent your

relationship. I encourage you to take the

weekend to do something together you

both enjoy that makes the other person

feel special. Go for a change of scenery–

a new restaurant, a new experience.

Spend the day or the entire weekend

out of town. The status quo is just not

good enough for Valentine’s Day. Find

something new that the two of you will

both get excited about. Even if you stay

at home, enjoy making the day special

for the other person. If you are the one

who normally benefits from the plan-

ning efforts of the other, switch things

up. Surprise them and take charge; you

make the plans this year. It doesn’t have

to be perfect. The effort will mean more

than you know.

Avoid controversial subjects that usu-

ally wind up in an argument. Don’t

think or talk about the kids, finances or

work, and definitely don’t discuss each

other’s faults, but rather reminisce about

your relationship and remember what

attracted you to your partner when you

first met. Be complimentary and caring.

Sometimes, you can become so familiar

with each other that you are just down

right bored with the same stories, same

conversations, same opinions, etc. It’s

time to spice things up! It’s the weekend

to be interesting and interested!

If you argue frequently, then both of

you need to quit trying to control the

other, quit trying to be right and learn

to listen and be in the moment. I used

to laugh when I would see men answer

their wives with an agreeable grunt. It

was obvious they weren’t listening at all.

Some of us–both men and women–are

just too wordy and overwhelm the other

with all the chatter. If you are guilty of

this, it could mean that you aren’t a very

good listener. You are either daydream-

ing about something you are passionate

about, or thinking about what you want

to say when the other person finishes, if

you even wait for them to finish before

interrupting. Ouch! It sends a message,

maybe an unintended message, that their

opinion and thoughts are not as impor-

tant as your own or that you just aren’t

interested.

I am confident that if you both strive to

change the rut you find yourselves in,

this Valentine’s Day you will rekindle the

fire that once made your relationship

exciting! Happy Valentine’s Day!

Photos ©Cheryl Davis & EM_prize | iStock | Thinkstock


LIVI cover storyGN

By Kristie Darling

O F H I C K O R Y & S TAT E S V I L L E :

Custom Window Solutions

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Photos: On the cover–Scott and Cori Peters, owners of the Budget Blinds franchise serving Hickory and Statesville, shown with their daughter Jordon. (photo by Shane Greene Photography)Opposite page–The room scene shows rod pocket drapery panels with decorative metal pole, layered with a TriLight shade. Bottom, left to right–Cori shows samples to a customer at an in-home consultation • Scott measures windows to provide an estimate for a customer and to ensure an accurate installation. • Dana professionally installs a woven wooden shade for a turn-key solution.

“We’re a turn-key operation. We can manage every aspect of getting the right window treatments installed in any setting, residential and commercial,” Cori explained. “We start with a free consultation in your home or office, and we go from there. We’ll look around and ask questions to understand what you have in mind, what you’re looking for. It’s important that we get it right.” Discovering what new window treat-ments will be doing–providing privacy, energy efficiency, sun control, ease of maintenance, aesthetics or all of the above–is critical to Cori in making product and style recommendations that will do what you want. With a treasure trove of options, Cori works with you to design the perfect look and result for any space.

ONE-ON-ONE DESIGN SERVICEWith so many options, styles, colors and design selections to make, shopping for window treatments can be overwhelming. That’s where Cori and her team come to your rescue! “We let you shop for your home, in your home. That takes the guess-work out of the equation,” said Cori as she showed me her samples, fabric swatches, colors, and window fashion options she brings to your home or office. “Together, we’ll see exactly

Photo: Above, Cori selects hand samples and swatch books from their mobile showroom to show her customer during a free in-home consultation.

“My sunroom looks amazing!” Beth Warmuth

told me. “Our challenge was to replace the

vintage sheers with something new. Cori showed

me every option, and I could visualize the look

I wanted. We calculated the cost, the installation

was smooth and professional, and I am absolutely

and totally pleased. They provided excellent

service–I would recommend Budget Blinds

anytime.” Beth has 11 windows in her sunroom,

and she needed an updated product to make it

new again. It’s not surprising that she found the

perfect solution working with Cori and Scott

Peters, owners of Budget Blinds of Hickory and

Statesville.

how a color or material reacts to the sunlight in your room or how it will look at night. How a drapery fabric complements your upholstery or would pair with woven wood shades. We’ll discuss all the suitable possibilities, including new products you might not be familiar with. And, no matter what you choose, you won’t have to lift a finger to make it all happen!”

Cori explained the importance of professional measuring, ordering, and installation to ensure a satisfactory outcome: “We measure every window in at least six places! Most windows aren’t square, you know. With shutters–ours are handcrafted like fine furniture with climate specific, kiln dried wood that won’t warp–we measure to a 16th of an inch; your shutters will fit perfectly. We order them from Norman Window Fash-ions, product of the year award winner, whose quality control is exceptional. In fact, we’ve never had to send shutters back because of quality issues. When we’re working on your job, we treat it like it’s our home, our family’s home. We want you to be happy.”

IT’S NOT JUST CURTAINS!Residential window treatments come in so many styles, designs, colors and materials I don’t know where to start, but Cori does! For starters, Budget Blind’s design guide lists hot products, exclusive brands, kid-friendly, energy efficient, eco-friendly, motorized and custom styling. “In the home, draperies and soft treatments are popular, along with layering, hanging drapes beneath valances or cornices and pairing them with shades or blinds,” she continued. “These can fit any shape or style window–arched, A-framed, octagonal or round–can be sophis-ticated or contemporary in style and material, or traditional to match your home’s period and décor.” Drapes, shades and blinds can be motorized for places you can’t reach, like behind

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the bathtub, and come in many styles, designs and materi-als. Faux ironwork panels, sliding door blinds, exterior solar shades for decks and porches, solar screens and window film for energy efficiency and sun blocking are available. During your design session, you will discover exactly what you’re looking for, and Cori will provide you with a detailed estimate of her recommendations.

For commercial installations in restaurants, offices, hospital-ity, condos, and retail locations, Cori and Scott work with builders, contractors, service and maintenance agents, realtors and interior designers and offer the same quality and value to businesses. They recently finished the skilled nursing unit at Iredell Memorial Hospital, and are confident this installation will withstand the rugged use it will get in this setting. Com-mercial products are fire-retardant and can also be anti-micro-bial, when needed. Printed solar shades with logos or graphics can be designed, and motorized solutions are often used in business locations.

CUSTOMER SATISFACTIONCori and Scott’s professional, friendly approach to customer service is what makes them successful. Starting with a compli-mentary, on-site design consultation, professional measuring of every window, free estimates and cost effective recommen-dations gleaned from literally hundreds of window treatment options, as well as professional installations, an excellent job resulting in exactly what you are looking for is guaranteed. And, with a five-year, no questions asked extended warranty on the majority of their products, you are safe from the haz-ards of daily life. “If your blinds get broken, smoke damaged, destroyed by your dog or cat or kids, we’re there to make sure you didn’t just lose your investment,” Scott added. “No one else in the business has this kind of warranty.”

BENEFITS OF BUDGET BLINDS“Our affordable custom window treatments exceed the quality of big box stores’ custom products or off-the-shelf brands,” Scott explained. “Budget Blinds is the world’s largest window coverings franchise, and we have incredible buying power and exclusive partnerships with some of the best manufacturers out there, so we can offer outstanding quality and the best brands at very competitive prices.” Indeed, many manufactur-ers want the franchise to carry their brand and often-times introduce new products through Budget Blinds. For example, they carried a new 2-inch, lightweight, fabric blind, called the Murano, exclusively for six months. Also, Vadain International of the Netherlands offers a unique European style, and has created inspiring drapery and roman shade collections exclu-sively for Budget Blinds. Cori works with top window treat-ment manufacturers such as Hunter Douglas, Springs Win-

Photos: Above, top to bottom–• Wendy and Cori prepare pinch pleat drapes with gator

clips for installation. • Cori reviews color swatches of honeycomb shades and

wood chips for blinds with their customer. • Budget Blinds’ commercial solutions provide window

treatments for retail, restaurants, hotels, schools, healthcare and much more.

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dow Fashions, Custom Brands Group, Lafayette, Draper and many more. She is experienced in matching the product type to the manufacturer to your specific job and installation. A full brand list is on the website, www.budgetblinds/statesville.com. Their Signature Series is built specifically to Budget Blinds’ high standards and specifications. Cori can also research a line you’re interested in and possibly order that for you.

PROFESSIONAL TEAM, QUALITY PRODUCTSThe support team at Budget Blinds has clear goals: to get the job done right, delivered and installed on time, and always managed with friendly, helpful service. Dana Edwards is full-time installer and repair expert. Cori and Scott’s daughter, 14-year-old Jordon, works each week in the office, on special projects, goes on sales calls and works all of their trade shows.

Cori’s sister, Wendy Linzey, does installations and works in the office. It’s definitely a family affair.

With an extensive service area that encompasses Hickory, Statesville, Newton, Conover, Claremont, Taylorsville, Wilkes-boro, Hiddenite and everywhere in between, Budget Blinds can help you create the look you want with exceptional, beau-tiful products, professional results and years of service in your home or business. Call Cori today to discover exciting, new window designs you will love!

Budget BlindsHICKORY - 828.308.8010

STATESVILLE - 704.872.6611www.budgetblinds.com

Photos: Left to right–Budget Blinds offers a vast selection of window coveringsTop–Top-pinch pleat draperies with pleated, board-mounted valance at the top • Woven wooden shades made from natural bamboo, reeds and grassesBottom–European or relaxed roman shades add a sophisticated style to any room. • Custom Plantation Shutters with an eyebrow sunburst arch at the top • Tableaux faux iron designer grilles provide the look and feel of wrought iron without the weight or cost.(photos provided by Budget Blinds unless otherwise noted)


Graystone Eye has provided community-

based eye health care in the Catawba

Valley area since 1969. They have 13

physicians across five locations. The

main office is in Hickory, with satellite

offices in Lenoir, Lincolnton, Boone, and

Linville.

Ophthalmologist Dr. R.E. Oursler, III,

is among the nation’s most experienced

refractive surgeons. He joined the prac-

tice in 1999. After medical school and

residency, he did a LASIK fellowship at

Barnet-Dulaney Eye Center in Phoenix.

At Graystone Eye, Dr. Oursler’s specialty

is refractive surgery including iLASIK,

surface laser correction and corrective

lens replacement surgery. He also per-

forms many cataract surgeries.

LASIK is a painless, outpatient proce-

dure that utilizes ultraviolet light energy

from the Excimer laser to reshape the

cornea. LASIK has now been upgraded

to “iLASIK” due to the advancements

in this procedure over the last 10 years.

“Now, we are able to use a laser instead

of a blade to make a flap in the cornea,

which eliminates the risk of some com-

plications that could occur,” Dr. Oursler

said. “This procedure was safe, but it’s

even better and safer now.”

By Meredith Collins | Photos by Shane Greene Photography A procedure that many people don’t

know about yet, but that is becoming

more and more common, is lens replace-

ment for presbyopia, a condition brought

on by the natural aging process of the

lens. Most people turn to reading glasses

or bifocals to compensate for this loss of

near vision. Lens replacement surgery

uses a lens implant to provide a high

level of glasses-free vision. “The iLASIK

procedure is great for a lot of people,”

Dr. Oursler continued, “but, for the 40 to

50-year-old patients who need help with

near and far vision, this could be a better

option.”

Lens implants replace the human lens

with an artificial lens that corrects far

Photos: Left–Graystone Eye's Dr. Oursler with staff, left to right: April Agate, Natalie Helms, Stefany McIver, Meredith Mitchell and KristinTyler.

Below–Dr. Oursler performs iLASIK surgery.

Your Vision is Our Focus


and near vision. It eliminates the need

for contacts, glasses, and bifocals.

“When you replace the lens in the eye, it

lasts forever and won’t lose its focusing

ability,” Dr. Oursler said. “It also elimi-

nates the risk of ever having cataracts.”

Artificial lenses are still not as good as a

natural lens in a young person, so for a

younger patient the best option would

still be the iLASIK procedure, and then

possibly later on a lens replacement

procedure.

All these procedures are done at Gray-

stone Eye’s facility. All the LASIK proce-

dures are performed in the upper level

laser suite. They use the most advanced,

cutting edge technology, the same that

is used for NASA employees and Navy

pilots. On the lower level is a state-of-

the-art, ambulatory surgery center with

two fully equipped operating rooms.

They perform almost 4,000 cataract

surgeries a year.

Dr. Oursler and the team at Graystone

Eye are experts in eye care and stay on

top of the latest medical advancements

and technology. They treat patients like

family and provide guidance on which

procedures are best for individual needs.

Graystone Eyewww.graystone-eye.com

888-626-2020HICKORY • LENOIR • LINCOLNTON

BOONE • LINVILLE

Photos, Left:

Dr. R.E. “Trey” Oursler

State- of-the- art technology with compassionate care provides patients their personal best vision outcomes.


Eat a variety of nutritious food. Avoid processed food

and stick to real food like fruits and vegetables, olive oil, nuts, fish

and chicken. Limit red meat, sugar, salt and saturated fat. Bake and steam foods instead of frying them. Eat healthy fats and avoid trans fats.

The American Heart Asso-ciation recommends that you

exercise at least 30 minutes a day, five days a week. Considering how much exercise our ancestors received in a day, I would say 30 minutes a day would be a place to start.

Stop and smell the roses. Don’t worry; be happy! Love your-

self and others. Quit working so much and get outside or go dancing.

One of the best ways to reduce stress is exercise. Have a good laugh with a friend. Make a difference in someone else’s life. Get enough sleep. Enjoy your life and have a positive attitude! Get rid of the stress!

Stop all those bad habits. Quit smoking and only drink alco-

hol occasionally. Limit the sugar and caffeine if you can’t eliminate

them. These are not good ways to deal with the pressures of life.

Maintain a healthy weight.

Hey, our high cholesterol, hypertension and bulging waistlines didn’t get there overnight, and will take committed lifestyle changes to turn them around, but the rewards will be life-changing! Let’s get these heart disease numbers going in the right direction for 2015! See you on the dance floor.

By Kathy Wheeler

February is American

Heart Month

Heart disease is still the #1 cause of death in the United States, despite all the educational information available. It is estimated that over 85 million people in our country are living with cardiovascular diseases including chest pain, heart attack, stroke and high blood pressure–over 32% of adults in the U.S. have high blood pressure.

Heart disease was almost non-existent prior to 1900. The primary form of transportation was walking and people had to work hard to accomplish every-day tasks. Most of their food was grown locally, if not in the backyard garden. With the invention of the automobile, washing machines, and other modern inventions, manual labor was replaced with easier forms of doing most chores. Today, technology continues to grow and many conveniences are accom-

plished with the push of a button. Before HVAC systems were installed, someone had to cut wood to warm the house–a good example of manual labor being replaced with the push of a but-ton. Home-grown food, prepared in the kitchen, has been replaced with a drive through window. Furthermore, we have all sorts of entertainment pleasures at our fingertips, such as computers, video games, smart phones and TVs contribut-ing to our sedentary lifestyles. All of this

technology was intended to make our lives better and easier; however, many would argue that it has made them more stressful. Add to those lifestyle changes all the processed food, fried foods, and sugar we eat each year and you have the perfect storm for heart disease!

I dare say that none of us want to go back to the 1900s.

So America, how do we turn this around?!

Photos ©Romolo Tavani & RAntanio Guillemi | iStock | Thinkstock

By Cheryl Grant


Chocolate is not the only delectable treat for Valentine's Day. Surprise your significant other with one of these delicious cheesecakes!

Triple Caramel Cheesecakeby Sandra Lee

Prep: 20 min • Total time: 6 hrs (including refrigeration) Makes: 16 servings

1½ cups graham cracker crumbs3 Tbsp. butter, melted3 1.4 oz. chocolate-covered toffee bars, chopped into small pieces4 8 oz. packages of Philadelphia Cream Cheese, softened²/³ cup plus 2 Tbsp. sugar, divided1 can (13.4 oz) Mexican caramel spread (dulce de leche)2 tsp. vanilla4 eggs¾ cup KRAFT Caramel Bits¼ cup whipping cream

What's Cooking?!Valentine's Day Treats

Photos courtesy of Philadelphia Cream Cheese

DirectionsHEAT oven to 325°F. Mix graham crumbs, 2 Tbsp. butter and 1/2 cup toffee pieces; press onto bottom of 13 x 9 baking pan.

BEAT cream cheese, sugar, dulce de leche and vanilla in large bowl with mixer until well blended. Add eggs, 1 at a time, mixing on low speed after each just until blended. Gently pour over crust.

BAKE 40 min. or until center is almost set. Run knife around rim of pan to loosen sides; cool. Refrigerate 4 hours.

HEAT caramel bits and cream in microwave on HIGH for 1 ½ mins, stirring every 30 sec. until smooth.

COOL 5 min; pour over cheesecake. Sprinkle with remaining toffee pieces.

Classic Black TieCheesecake

Recipe courtesy of Alice CurrahPrep Time: 30 min. • Total Time: 6 hours 35 min.(including refrigerating)Servings: 16

18 chocolate sandwich cookies, finely crushed (about 1 ½ cups)2 Tbsp. butter, melted4 8 oz. packages of Philadelphia Cream Cheese, softened1¾ cups sugar, divided¾ cup sour cream ½ cup whipping cream1 Tbsp. vanilla4 eggs4 cups raspberries, divided ¼ cup raspberry jam3 Tbsp. water2 tsp. lemon juice

DirectionsHEAT oven to 325°F. Mix cookie crumbs and butter until blended;

press onto bottom of 9-inch spring-form pan sprayed with cooking spray.

Bake 12 min.

BEAT cream cheese and 1 cup of sugar in a large bowl with mixer until blended. Add sour cream, whipping cream and vanilla; mix well. Add eggs, 1 at a time, mixing after each just until blended. Pour over crust.

BAKE 1 hour or until center is almost set. Run knife around rim of pan to loosen cake; cool before removing rim. Refrigerate 4 hours. Meanwhile, bring 1 cup raspberries, remaining sugar, jam and water to boil in saucepan; simmer on medium-low heat 5 min. or until thickened, stirring occasionally. Cool slightly. Pour into blender. Add lemon juice; blend until smooth. Refrigerate until ready to use.

POUR topping over cheesecake just before serving; top with remaining raspberries.

GARniSH cheesecake with fresh mint leaves just before serving.


Women’s Resource Center828.322.6333

www.wrchickory.org

Catawba County Historical Association

www.catawbahistory.org828.465.0383

Catawba Science Center828.322.8169

www.catawbascience.org

Hickory Museum of Art828.327.8576

www.HickoryMuseumofArt.org

Hickory Community Theatre828.327.3855

hickorytheatre.org

The Green Room Community Theatre

828-464-6583www.the-green-room.org

Hickory Choral Society828.322.2210

www.hickorychoralsociety.com

Hickory Landmarks Society828.322.4731

www.hickorylandmarks.org

Western Piedmont Symphony828.324.8603

www.wpsymphony.org

United Arts Council of Catawba County

828.324.4906www.artscatawba.org

Catawba Valley Community College

828.327.7000www.cvcc.edu

Lenoir-Rhyne University828-328-7300

www.lr.edu

Hickory Downtown Development Association

828.322.1121www.downtownhickory.com

Hickory Metro Convention and Visitors Bureau828.322.1335

www.hickorymetro.com

City of Hickory828-323-7400

www.hickorync.gov

Hickory Police Department828.324.2060

Hickory Parks & Recreation828.322.7046

Hickory Regional Airport828.323.7408

Catawba County Library System828.465.8661

www.catawbacountync.gov/library/

Catawba County Chamber of Commerce

828.328.6111www.catawbachamber.org

Catawba County Government828.465.8200

www.catawbacountync.gov

Catawba County Sheriff’s Department

828-464-5241www.catawbacountync.gov/Sheriff/

N.C. State Highway Patrolwww.nccrimecontrol.org

Catawba County Schools(828) 464-8333

www.catawbaschools.net

YMCA828.324.9622

www.ymcacv.org

Hickory Motor Speedway828.464.3655

www.hickorymotorspeedway.com

Hickory Crawdads828.322.3000

www.milb.com/index.jsp?sid=t448

Greater Hickory Cooperative Christian Ministry

Client Services: 828.327.0979www.ccmhickory.com

HickoryResources


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