Issuu

D E C E M B E R 2 02 0

LIFESTYLE LETTER

DECEMBER 2020 PUBLISHER

Hann Livingston | hann.livingston@lifestylepubs.com EDITORIAL COORDINATOR

Dark Winter? ARABELLA HOLDAWAY WAS BORN AFTER JUST 28 WEEKS IN UTERO TO A

Melinda Gipson | melinda.gipson@lifestylepubs.com ACCO UNT MANAGERS

Dana Storm | dana.storm@lifestylepubs.com Suzanne Otwell | suzanne.otwell@lifestylepubs.com Sabine Bibb | sabine.bibb@lifestylepubs.com

MOM WITH CORONAVIRUS. She’ll be celebrating her first Christmas, as will Gia

AD DESIGNER

Schmidt, who spent only one day in Loudoun’s miraculous neonatal intensive care unit.

Matthew Endersbe

Both of these new lives and those that have been lost to us through the pandemic are

L AYO UT DESIGNER

precious. Both new life and death are calls for courage to face tomorrow, a perpetual

Kelsey Proctor

reminder that life dawns daily after its darkest hours. We could talk about how it is in this month with the shortest days that we celebrate what Matthew’s gospel describes as, “The people dwelling in darkness have seen a great light, and for those dwelling in the region and shadow of death, on them a light has dawned.” God is light and in Him is no darkness at all... “If we walk I the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin,” says John. Staving off the darkness has always been part of the calling that is a life of faith – by definition, the hope and assurance of that which is unseen. What does walking in the light look like? Like Eagle Scout Jason Mills honored in late October by the Leesburg Town Council for personally raising $7,500 to help support the Ampersand Pantry Project, still providing lunch to hungry neighbors. Like the beautiful artist who first donated her

CORPORATE TEAM CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER Steven Schowengerdt CHIEF SALES OFFICER Matthew Perry CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER DeLand Shore

work to the Loudoun Cares art auction... and then wrote out a check for an additional

ART DIRECTOR Sara Minor

$500! Like the small sacrifices we all make every day to make sure that our loved ones

OPERATIONS DIRECTOR Janeane Thompson

are safe and well and certain that it will at least get better, if not, “the best is yet to come.”

AD MANAGER Chad Jensen REGIONAL SALES DIRECTOR Eric Williams

We’re not saying these aren’t “dark days” requiring a greater measure of strength from

WEB APPLICATIONS Michael O’Connell

us all – just that when we reveal the light inside and allow God to illuminate the way ahead, we don’t fear the darkness. Or, as Loudoun Inova President Deborah Addo put it, “While for some life is complicated and for some it has ended, we have seen many more beginnings at our hospital than we’ve seen endings.... God is still in control of it all.” 514 W 26TH ST., KANSAS CITY, MO

Melinda Gipson, Editorial Coordinator

ON THE COVER “Advent.” PHOTOGRAPHY BY BRIAN BALIK, ABOVE LOUDOUN 6

Leesburg Lifestyle | December 2020

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Proverbs 3:5-6 Leesburg Lifestyle™ is published monthly by Lifestyle Publications LLC. It is distributed via the US Postal Service to some of the Leesburg areas’ most affluent neighborhoods. Articles and advertisements do not necessarily reflect Lifestyle Publications’ opinions. No portion of this magazine may be reproduced in any form without written consent. Lifestyle Publications does not assume responsibility for statements made by advertisers or editorial contributors. Information in Leesburg Lifestyle™ is gathered from sources considered to be reliable, but the accuracy of all information cannot be guaranteed.

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INSIDE THE ISSUE DECEMBER 2020

FEATURES 14 Committing Murder for a Living Backstage With Terry Smith, Playwright, Partner and ‘Trouble-Maker’ With StageCoach Theatre

26 Inova's Miracle Manger Loudoun Inova's NICU Treats Newborns After Just 28 Weeks in the Womb

32 Our Local Gift Guide Support Local Businesses This Year. It is more important than ever!

26 14

44 If the Wings Fit... John Hudson "Retires" to Head Bank of Clarke County's New Foundation

DEPARTMENTS 6

Lifestyle Letter

Good Times

Around Town

Back Stage

20 Trend Setter 26 Giving Back 32 Local’s Choice 38 Travel Destination 44 Hometown Hero 50 Financial Buzz

GOOD TIMES 1.

Loudoun Cares Art Auction Features Scores of Local Artists Loudoun Cares' 2nd Annual Art Auction featured more than 120 local artworks curated by Jim Sisley of TRYST Gallery, who moderated a three-hour live-streamed auction. More than $20,000 in local art was sold, netting Loudoun Cares about half that to help families stave off eviction during COVID. Wings came courtesy of cityofangelsppe.com which donated custom face-masks, on sale at LoudounCares.org.Â

1. Loudoun Cares Exec. Dir. Valerie Pisierra | 2. Live-streamed Fundraisers Could be the Wave of the Future | 3. Jim Sisley Expounds on Art for Three-Hour Livestream | 4. Featured Artist Leanne Fink | 5. Featured Artist Marthe McGrath | 6. Fundraising Continues Through Sale of Reusable Masks on LoudounCares.org

Leesburg Lifestyle | December 2020

AROUND TOWN and insomnia to ringing in your ears. Thousands of people just suffer from it in silence, or resort to more extreme measures like jaw surgery. Now there's a local dentist who has had great success in treating the disorder -- and it's because he has it! Dr. Josef Wollmann of The Dental Company of Leesburg first runs a series of free tests to determine if a patient's TMJ can be corrected by dental adjustments. Simple inserts, crowns and other minor fixes can work wonders in helping your teeth sit more evenly together, and thus correct much of the radiating pain these seemingly small joints cause. Says Dr. Wollman, "We can improve the function of your jaw joints to get

EXTRAORDINARY TRANSITIONS: SUPERIOR SERVICE BUSINESS, ENTREPRENEUR OF THE YEAR FINALIST “Everyone moves. It’s HOW you move that mat-

rid of clicking or grinding sounds, decrease your back pain -- even eliminate the ringing in your ears or dizziness. We can improve your posture and even help you get a better night sleep to have more energy." Who knew?

ters,” says Pamela Jones, president of Extraordinary Transitions. The company is a finalist for TWO Small Business Awards from the Loudoun Chamber of Commerce this year, Superior Service Business of the Year and Entrepreneur of the Year. It’s in the spirit of both that her realtor business has thrived, helping her to sell nearly 1,000 homes in her two decades in the business. Winners were scheduled to be announced on Friday, Nov. 13, after our deadline.

GOING TO THE DENTIST TO TREAT TMJ? It's known as "temporomandibular joint" or TMJ disorder, and it can cause everything from neck pain

Leesburg Lifestyle | December 2020

Would you like to get in touch with us? We would love to hear from you! Contact us at CityLifestyle.com/Leesburg using the Get In Touch link and let us know what you think.

BACK STAGE

Cast of Dial M for Monsters, written by Terry Smith and Scott J. Strasbaugh

Co m m i t t i n g MURDER for a Living 14

Leesburg Lifestyle | December 2020

Q: HOW MANY PLAYS HAVE YOU WRITTEN? Oooh, 18 to 20. A lot. They’re all different styles: stage production plays, ARTICLE MELINDA GIPSON

dinner theatre murder mystery plays. We have one style with five to seven

PHOTOGRAPHY DAVID GALEN

actors and some audience participation, and another style which is two- or

AND BENJAMYN SMITH

three-person murder mysteries where the audience pretty much drives that show; the actors just facilitate it. That we call scripted improv. There

BACKSTAGE WITH TERRY SMITH, PLAYWRIGHT, PARTNER AND 'TROUBLE-MAKER' WITH STAGECOACH THEATRE

is a very detailed outline they follow but then they are allowed to deviate tremendously based upon what the audience does. We just did one of those yesterday for a retirement community. It was very entertaining. Q: WHAT WOULD YOU CITE AS THE HIGH POINT OF YOUR THEATRE EXPERIENCE? One of the biggest high points was in 2017 when I wrote a play called “The Hamilton Murders.” It was very different from the style of plays we normally do, based on history. It’s more of a conspiracy theory style plot. It was well received and the actors that were in it enjoyed thoroughly being in that show, it wasn’t what they call just lighthearted – there was a lot of substance to it. (The show returns to the stage in March.) Q: WHAT IS IT ABOUT MURDER THAT FASCINATES PEOPLE? Over time we become kind of immune to death. We’ve tucked it away, so whenever you have a murder there are clues and puzzles. Humans like to solve puzzles. In a murder mystery we present information and in some cases it’s not conclusive. It’s like a real trial. You make an educated guess based upon the information that you’re given and in the end you find out if you’re right or wrong. Q: IT SOUNDS LIKE YOU DRAW A LOT OF ENERGY FROM

StageCoach Theatre Founders Jerri Wiseman and Terry Smith

YOUR AUDIENCE. Yes, and that’s a risk, I’ll have to be honest. Whenever you allow the audience to participate in a show you do lose control of that show. Your actors have to think very quickly on their feet to allow the audience to

BY DAY, TERRY SMITH IS A MILD-MAN-

engage. We believe so strongly in the product that we have and the actors

NERED CYBER SLEUTH FOR A MAJOR

that we cast that we will allow the audience to actively interact with them.

DEFENSE COMPANY. He began writing

You still get the same storyline from show to show... but the audience walks

mystery plays after a long military career

away feeling like they’ve had a lot to do with the creation of that evening.

and finds the art of tracking a hacker and tracking a murderer, in theory at least,

[ON ENCOURAGING YOUNG PLAYWRIGHT]

not dissimilar: both require sleuthing and

I began to realize that young artists, young playwrights or any playwright of

imagination. He and partner Jerri Wiseman

any age, has a very difficult time getting their product actually performed to

founded StageCoach Theatre in 2011 when

see what works what doesn’t work. We wanted the theatre company to do a

he was trying to figure out how to sell

lot of original plays. We have other playwrights submit scripts to us, and we

some of the shows he’d written. He cast

work with them to get them in a format that we can use. The youngest person

her as one of his characters, and the rest,

who’s ever submitted a play to us was 16 and we actually performed it. It was

as they say, is history. A third partner, April

called “A Simple Act of Murder.” And then the oldest person is in their 70s.

Bridgeman, joined in 2019. Though they perform much more than just murder mys-

Q: HOW HAS IT IMPACTED YOU TO BE ABLE TO STREAM

teries – holding acting classes and camps

YOUR SHOWS?

in between their productions, doing dinner

It opens up the theater. Where before we were limited to 70 people

theatre and showcasing the StageCoach

max per show, it allows us to reach nationwide. So instead of just you

Bandits Improv troupe – when asked to

know 30 to 70 people in the show you could have 100 to 200 people

describe what they do, Jerri says, “We

watching. That’s good for the theater because we can become a destina-

commit murder for a living.”

tion, and it helps our bottom line. There is of course a cost to streaming, but hopefully the audience will build.

CONTINUED >

CityLifestyle.com/Leesburg

BACK STAGE (CONTINUED)

N e x t O N STAG E :

01 02 03

DECEMBER 5 – 19: “Up on the Rooftop, Click, Click, BANG” by Terry Smith, dinner theatre at Oatlands in Leesburg

DECEMBER 12 – 23: “A Christmas Story”, adapted by Philip Grecian, directed by Leah Daily, in-theater performances at StageCoach Theatre in Ashburn JANUARY 22 – 31: “The Brothers Grimm Spectaculathon” by Don Zolidis, directed by Claire Coker and Joe Campanella, in-theater and live-streamed performances at StageCoach Theatre in Ashburn

Cast of The Hamilton Murders... Coming again in March 2021

Leesburg Lifestyle | December 2020

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A new, modern kitchen with a lot of light.

Transforming the curb appeal of the home not only adds value, but it makes coming home all the better. Simply adding some eye-catching distinctions like stone, columns, and a bright paint job can do wonders for a home's exterior.

Leesburg Lifestyle | December 2020

Family life is better with an open space that connects the kitchen to the living room. In this case, adding a large french door also connects the back screened porch.

3 AS WE SPEND MORE TIME AT HOME DURING THE PANDEMIC, MAKING OUR SPACE WORK

Attic storage space is often wasted. By adding dormers and raising the ceilings of an existing area, you can create a completely new living space.

FOR THE ENTIRE FAMILY IS TOP OF MIND. After living in a small colonial home for 15 years, it became clear to one McLean family that a complete

New wood floors kept the spaces connected and

aesthetic and utilitarian transformation was needed

voila...dad’s wish granted.

to stay in the home instead of moving. Each family

With a new front porch, stone front water table,

member had a specific wish. For the wife it was los-

flagstone walkway, roof and three dormers, the

ing the flat elevation and brick look of the exterior.

exterior of the home turned from drab colonial to

The husband didn’t like the cramped kitchen and

light, craftsman-style beauty, making mom happy.

lack of an open living area. Their teenage daughter wanted her own space. Enter Sonny Nazemian, master designer/remodeler of Michael Nash Design Build. “The big challenge of this job was opening up the 30-foot-long solid brick bearing wall that separated

The second floor went from a small master and three bedrooms to a large master suite and two bedrooms by opening up a wall and turning the fourth bedroom into a new modern master bath and walk-in closet. A third bathroom was also added for the growing family.

the kitchen/dining room from the family room,”

New dormers allowed a complete transformation of

Sonny says. “We had to implant a steel beam across

the attic into a teenage girl’s dream bedroom and loft

the entire width to allow us to open up to the cathe-

area complete with new flooring and built-in closet.

dral ceiling family room. This completely changed the first floor of the home.” The kitchen also got an island, large new window and all new work space, cabinets and appliances.

“With a good design and complete plan, we can take everyone’s dreams into account and make a house work for the long term for modern family living,” says Sonny.

CONTINUED >

CityLifestyle.com/Leesburg

TREND SETTER (CONTINUED)

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Leesburg Lifestyle | December 2020

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Leesburg Lifestyle | December 2020

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GIVING BACK

I N O VA' S M I R A C L E MANGER Melanie and Gia, Late Summer

Melanie Cradles her First Born

LOUDOUN INOVA'S NICU TREATS NEWBORNS AFTER JUST 28 WEEKS IN THE WOMB

Leesburg Lifestyle | December 2020

SO, IMAGINE YOU’RE ON A 90-MILE ROAD TRIP TO SEE

ARTICLE MELINDA GIPSON

THE IN-LAWS, RIDING ON OF ALL THINGS A DONKEY, AND

PHOTOGRAPHY DAN SCHWALM

YOU’RE VERY, VERY PREGNANT. After days on the road, you’re exhausted and there’s no place but a stable to sleep. Even in such conditions, with the grace of God, a manger might suffice. Now, imagine that – rather than being born in the fullness of time – the infant was only 28 weeks along in his mother’s womb.

Gia in the Loudoun NICU

What would have been his chances then? Here in Loudoun County’s new state-of-the-art, 24-bed, level-three Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU), they’re excellent, even at the height of a pandemic. According to the March of Dimes, as recently as two years ago, one in 11 babies in Virginia were born prematurely -- though only in extreme cases after just 28 weeks in utero. The mother of one such premie, Lindsey Holdaway, related what that was like: “My daughter was born at Inova Fair Oaks. I had HELPP syndrome (a severe form of preeclampsia which causes organ failure) and COVID positive upon admission for a C-section to take her out at 28 weeks. She was at Inova Fairfax for about two months and then transferred to Inova Loudoun for almost 3 weeks,” says Lindsey. Her weight at birth was 1 lb., 15 oz. Her weight in order to be discharged needed to be above 4 lbs. Having a baby in the NICU was challenging enough, but the added fear of passing COVID to her tiny child added a layer of stress. “The first time I kissed my baby on her forehead was the evening before we took her home. We were staying in Inova Loudoun NICU’s luxurious overnight suite. I had just finished feeding her, had taken off my mask and absentmindedly dropped my chin and planted a tiny kiss on her sweet, soft forehead. I recall gasping and being shocked that I had not kissed her sooner, but, honestly, I had not felt comfortable doing so prior to that moment.” During the time her daughter stayed on at Loudoun Inova’s NICU, Lindsey worked on her laptop from her baby’s room during the day, then left to sleep at home. “During the night shift, I called every three hours and was always welcomed by the nurse.” When she called, the charge nurse on duty passed her to her baby’s nurse who, “had my daughter, Arabella, in her arms and was holding her, singing to her, snuggling her, and just providing her love. I have never felt so comforted to know that my child was being given such wonderful, loving attention even when I wasn’t there.” Melanie Schmidt’s daughter Gia (pictured here) spent only one night in the NICU, but the experience of having a private room and knowing that her daughter was just one floor below made all the uncertainty and separation bearable. “The first time I walked into her room, she was hooked up to all kinds of wires,” as well as being fed intravenously to counter low blood sugar. “I remember having all these little outfits that I had packed,” she says, to show off the first grandchild on both sides

The Schmidts, Grateful for Their Care in the NICU

CONTINUED >

CityLifestyle.com/Leesburg

GIVING BACK (CONTINUED)

of the family. Seeing her disappointment at not being able to fuss over her, her nurse Lisa said, “let’s have a photoshoot,” and swaddled her over her wires so they could take pictures. “It was something so small, but it literally made my day,” Melanie said. Among NICU’s other high-tech accoutrements are incubator webcams, so Melanie was able to text the login to her extensive Italian family. Soon her parents, siblings and cousins were all alerting her whenever Gia opened her eyes or spit up, she laughed. For those who need to leave the hospital with monitoring equipment, there’s even a special Family Transition Room resembling a hotel suite with a queensized bed and bassinet, plus emergency call button for the nurse. “It’s a test-run space for families before they’re discharged so they can build the confidence to say, ‘okay, I can do this,’” Melanie explains. NICU patient alumni are so grateful for their care that they have, for 15 years, conducted annual reunions with hospital staff. This year’s Halloween tribute featured an outdoor drive-by parade with at least 150 children whose earliest days were spent in the constant care of unit nurses and specialists. Even the tower’s designer had a son whose early days were spent there. He drew on his own experiences and those of parent advisors to help design the current NICU, from a patient’s perspective. The new NICU is part of Inova’s new 228-bed patient tower in Lansdowne, and represents a doubling in size of its birthing services. In construction since 2017, the tower opened in April, just as the need for COVID care peaked in Northern Virginia. A woman of strong faith, as well as a licensed minister, Inova Loudoun President Deborah Addo credits God’s timing with the facility’s completion. Noting this magazine’s own Proverbs 3:5-6 credo, she said, “I absolutely believe that when it says, ‘In all thy ways acknowledge Him and He will direct thy path.’ that my path has been directed. I don’t think it is accidental that

Leesburg Lifestyle | December 2020

Deborah Addo Looks to Grow Inova With Loudoun

we opened that new hospital tower at exactly the right time – in April. It was just before the height of the pandemic in this region. Had we not done that, we would have been overwhelmed with patients and no place to put them. That was another one of those things where people might call it coincidence, but for me it was divine intervention. I ask God every day to order my steps so we’re able to do the right thing for our community.” What that looks like for Deborah is growing as the community grows, and drawing on the extended Loudoun Inova's Family Transition Room

INOVA facilities for expertise, equipment and research as needed. “On a day like today we have 17 newborns in the nursery, and 11 babies in the NICU. You look at that and say, there are some things that we’re doing very, very well but there still is opportunity for growth.” The work of Inova doesn’t end when a patient is discharged, but continues through consideration for their eating habits, living conditions and access to care. “I think COVID showed up in a way that told us the differences in our demographics and those who were hospitalized vs. those who were not,” she explains. Reflecting on 2020 she says, “While COVID 19 has been A story I don’t want to make it THE story because in the middle of everything else, on a day like today we have probably 14 COVID positive patients, but 35 in our NICU and The Birthing Inn facility. While for some life is complicated and for some it has ended, we have seen many more beginnings at our hospital than we’ve seen endings.” “I’m proud of where we are but I don’t want people to think that just because we live in the healthiest and wealthiest and highest educated region that we don’t still have pockets that aren’t experiencing the same

The NICU Has a 1-to-1 Nurse to Newborn Ratio

outcomes that everybody else is. There’s a lot of work to be done... God is still in control of it all.”

CityLifestyle.com/Leesburg

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Leesburg Lifestyle | December 2020

2019

LOCALâ€™S CHOICE

our local GIFT GUIDE SUPPORT LOCAL BUSINESSES THIS YEAR. IT IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN EVER!

YS HAPPY H DA OL LI I 32

LIDAYS HAP HO PY

Y DA

APPY HOLI DA S H YS

Y HOLIDAYS PP HA HA P

Leesburg Lifestyle | December 2020

ARTICLE HANN LIVINGSTON

g i f t s fo r

HER

01 Your headquarters for VINTAGE UGLY CHRISTMAS SWEATERS, Re-Love It, 138 N. 21st Street, Purcellville. | 02 Own an Authentic Designer Handbag for way less than retail. Re-Love It. | 03 VAHAN BRACELET STACK: Sterling silver and 14k Rose gold bracelets featuring diamonds and Mother of Pearl. Designed and manufactured in the USA. Cross - $1940; Mother of Pearl - $2690; Open Bracelet - $2275. Ketterman’s Jewelers, 212 Catoctin Cir SE, Leesburg. | 04 A sunglass Fit for Royalty. Oliver Goldsmith designed this beauty in 1979, and Princess Dianna made it famous. Eyetopia, 223 Loudoun St SE, Leesburg. | 05 10 LITTLE RULES FOR THE MODERN SOUTHERN BELLE by local writer, Beverly Ingle. The iconic Southern Belle is a citizen of the global community now, and in this fun read, we see her in a new light, $16.95. Order at pearlsandmagnolias. com, or 10littlerules.com. | 06 Winter Snow Arrangement, Open Blooms, $85. openblooms.com, or call 703-754-1200. | 07 DESIGNED FOR LAYERING AND COLLECTING, MASLO is a Richmond, VA based jewelry line. Fine Box Chain Toggle Necklace, $42. Rectangle Pendant, $56.00. Oval Link, $54. Muz & Rose, 3 Loudoun St SW, Leesburg. muzandrose.com. | 08 Cucinamore’s in-home Italian Dinner and Experiences let you celebrate the holidays in the comfort and safety of your home. Minimum 6 participants, starting from $65 per person. “Special Celebration For Two” option available on weekdays for $300. https://www.cucinamore.net/reservation. | 09 100% ORGANIC BAMBOO LYOCELL ROBE. It’s silky-soft, cooling and sustainable. Also available in Black & Pink, $80. Muz & Rose.

CONTINUED >

CityLifestyle.com/Leesburg

LOCAL’S CHOICE (CONTINUED)

g i f t s fo r

HIM & US

01 HERE COMES THE SUN. Ford vs Ferrari made this sunglass style the most sought-after look of 2020, Eyetopia. | 02 “YEAR FROM HELL” SHOWER GEL is the perfect gift for this year-end. Eyetopia. | 03 For the man who doesn’t have time to trim a tree. BOXWOOD TREE $75 FROM OPEN BLOOMS. openblooms.com, or call 703-754-1200. | 04 TAVANNES SKELETON WATCH, $1375. Put the “RARE” art of Swissmade, lavishly decorated, and engraved, skeletonized movements under the tree. Ketterman’s Jewelers. | 05 GEORGE JACOB THROW PILLOW, $31. The watercolor artist makes his works available in print and textile form. george-jacob.pixels.com. | 07 STAGE A PARTY at home with a CUCINAMORE GIFT CARD. Any amount starting from $50 can be purchased and will be used toward the party balance. cucinamore.net/ giftcertificate. | 07 GIANT GOURMET COOKIES WITH SEASONAL AND INNOVATIVE FLAVORS like frosting stuffed confetti, peppermint hot chocolate, caramel apple pie, and many more. Pre-order for porch pick-up at Crumb and Clover Bakeshop in NE Leesburg, crumbandcloverbakeshop.com. | 08 + 09 Catoctin Creek Distillery’s “DISTILLER’S EDITION” OF ITS VERY POPULAR ROUNDSTONE RYE, $52.79, and/ or CATOCTIN CREEK WATERSHED GIN, distilled from rye grain, with a secret recipe of herbs and spices, $34.19. catoctincreekdistilling.com. 34

Leesburg Lifestyle | December 2020

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Leesburg Lifestyle | December 2020

TRAVEL DESTINATION

ARTICLE KRISTIN ROCK PHOTOGRAPHY CELESTE LINTHICUM

l u c ke t t s store's holiday house:

BEHIND THE SCENES OF A YEAR-LONG EFFORT TO DECK THE HALLS

Leesburg Lifestyle | December 2020

ALL IT “CHRISTMAS IMMERSION.” The Design House, tucked in beside the Old Lucketts Store, a 138-year old restored general store, which is

usually home to antiques and vintage finds, has been fully transformed into a winter wonderland. The Lucketts Store has been holding Design House events for more than a decade. Throughout the year, shoppers can peruse the house to discover seasonal decorating ideas with the home’s signature blend of old and new furniture and merchandise. As the staging events gained popularity, business partners Suzanne Eblen and Amy Whyte thought it seemed natural to do a Christmas-themed house. They had no idea that it would turn into an annual extravaganza drawing shoppers from miles around looking for a nudge to get into the holiday spirit As Amy describes that first year, “We started off small with usual mix of furnishings in a house decorated for Christmas. But even with only a small amount of Christmas inventory actually for sale. It was wildly popular -- so much fun to host that we decided right then that we would go all in for the following year.” The second year was even more popular, with multiple hour-long waits just to get in. The crowds were more than the house could hold and all of the holiday merchandise was gone in record time. “That year took us by surprise,” explains Amy, “We really had to rethink how we would manage the Holiday House.” They were no strangers to event merchandising. The partners already had moved their gigantic Spring Sale to the Clarke County Ruritan Fairgrounds because it had outgrown their Lucketts space, but they wanted to keep the Holiday House in situ so it would be an immersive experience, fully decorated from porch to post. Making that happen is a year-long affair. Just as most of us are taking down our trees and packing away garlands, Suzanne and Amy head to a major holiday retail show in Atlanta to start their buying for the subsequent holiday. CONTINUED >

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TRAVEL DESTINATION (CONTINUED)

“We have always bought with our hearts – only what we love. We don’t buy anything just because it’s trending unless we think it’s incredible too,” says Amy, “As we’re shopping, I see themes developing. My brain pulls all the inventory together: these ornaments and ribbon go together. Those colors are all working together. That way, when we see other merchandise that coordinates, it’s an easy ‘yes.’” “When we get home, I sit down and make a crazy little map of the house filled with notes that makes sense to me like, ‘cream and light green,’ or ‘buffalo plaid and black labs.’ I scribble away in a journal and then I tuck it all away until the late summer,” Amy adds. Purchases start arriving by May and continue through the summer. By August, the back-up signal and air brakes of a delivery truck can elicit groans. Says Amy, “We don’t just buy one or two boxes of something we like; we get eight or nine pallets!” Amy and Suzanne shop auctions year-round for the antiques they sell at the Lucketts Store, but by summer are looking for old sleds, skis, and skates as well as large dining tables and consoles that can be used for staging holiday merchandise in the rooms of the farm house. By September 1, the house has a fresh coat of paint and new wallpaper. Amy likes to lay the foundation by arranging furniture first, then trees, then garlands. She favors tall and skinny trees so she can pile on the ornaments and still have room to display heaps of items for sale. She’s gifted at layering different kinds of merchandise together: stacks of holiday mugs next to soft felt ornaments surrounded by baskets of velvet ribbon and boxes of colorful bottlebrush trees. Displaying the holiday haul takes up every day from September through mid-November. This year, the house features multiple rooms with traditional red and green décor, one dedicated to camp-Christmas and several others featuring nature-inspired and multicolored schemes. Dog, horse and bear lovers will delight in the details. Make the Holiday House one of your Christmas traditions. Its quintessential farmhouse Christmas is guaranteed to put you in the spirit. 40

Leesburg Lifestyle | December 2020

if you go… Reserve your timed tickets. Tickets ($25) must be pre-purchased online and are not available at the door. Once in, you may shop as long as you like though visitors may be limited to two per room. To keep staff and other shoppers safe, plan to wear a mask while in line and the entire time you are in the Design House. Dress for the weather because there’s plenty to see outside. Consider layers and wear comfortable shoes. There are steps in the house and part of the fun is taking photos in front of the murals or warming up by the fire. Look up and down in each room. The Design House uses every available inch, so you might find a treasure stacked in a basket under the tree, or strung from the ceiling. If you can’t find what you’re looking for – ask. The staff can pull stock as needed. “People love our rooms because they are over the top and our trees are full.” To recreate the Lucketts look, buy multiples and repeat elements, like using the same ribbon on the tree and wrapped around candles. Enjoy the experience. Set a relaxed pace and take in the sights, sounds, and smells to get into the spirit. www.luckettstore.com, 42350 Lucketts Road, Leesburg, VA 20176

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Leesburg Lifestyle | December 2020

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HOMETOWN HERO John Hudson Poses with "Donor Wings" at the Loudoun Cares Art Auction

Leesburg Lifestyle | December 2020

IF THE WINGS FIT... JOHN HUDSON "RETIRES" TO HEAD BANK OF CLARKE COUNTY'S NEW FOUNDATION

LAST FEBRUARY, JOHN HUDSON, EXECUTIVE

knowledge of area non-profits, community needs

VICE

MARKETING

and an ability to spread resources around to max-

OFFICER OF BANK OF CLARKE COUNTY, WAS

imum effect? We’ll give you two guesses and the

LOOKING FORWARD TO RETIRING THIS MONTH

second one doesn’t count.

PRESIDENT

AND

CHIEF

AFTER 37 YEARS WITH THE BANK. It’s been an

John says, “As far as the bank was concerned, I

enviable career – uncommon in today’s highly mobile

was the logical person to take this on because I’ve

society – in which John helped promote the services of

been doing it. There’s no learning curve to get to

the venerable institution from $40 million in assets in

know the charities, to get to know the need of the

1983 to more than $1 billion in 2020.

communities. I already know a lot about a lot of that.

During that time, he oversaw the bank’s creation of a

And, I think I would enjoy it.”

highly successful annual charity golf tournament as well

In fact, “seeing what a given donation does, and seeing

as many other giving programs that have donated more

how that improved the community, I think that was the

than $1 million to support the charitable works in the com-

best part of my job, so I’m getting rid of all the rest except

munities it serves. His expertise in the area hadn’t gone

the satisfaction of seeing our communities improve

without notice, so when Brandon Lorey became only the

through the extra resources and support we provide.”

9th CEO and President in the bank’s 139-year history last

For most of us, after a year like 2020, giving up a

summer, he floated the idea of creating a foundation that

well-earned retirement might still seem like the bridge

would focus the bank’s giving as it grows.

too far. He admits, “My wife, who retired five years ago

Brandon, John explains, came from United Bank in

as an educator, used to say that I couldn’t spell the word

Connecticut where he had helped establish such a

‘no,’ but that tells me I spent a lot of time with charities

foundation. “He saw the benefit to our bank of doing

and boards and things just because I wanted to.”

something like that here. We do a lot of charitable

Besides his obvious work ethic, John brings a genuine

giving now, but [having a foundation] would make the

love for community engagement. He says, “Over the

bank’s efforts even more targeted.” Currently, Bank of

years, I served 23 years on the Winchester Salvation

Clarke County’s giving programs are spread across

Army board, and eight years as its chairman.” It was an

public relations, marketing, and business development.

“extremely eye-opening experience” to learn “that there

A foundation – funded by the bank – would be entirely

are homeless people in this area that are invisible to a

focused on charitable works.

lot of people. I wanted to go out there and say, ‘Did you

A foundation umbrella, moreover, would provide a better tax situation for both those who support the foun-

know that these people are here,’ and when I did what I heard was, ‘No, but if they’re there, I’d like to help.’’

dation and for the bank itself. “Of course,” John said, “the

His wife helped John establish the Clarke County

biggest advantage would be that the community would

Education Foundation on which board he served for

benefit from our intention to grow this foundation to an

19 years, four years as chairman. “It’s still one of the

eventual endowment, meaning that in perpetuity there

most effective education foundations in the state of

will be an institution devoted to charitable giving in our

Virginia,” he says proudly.

bank’s footprint as long as the bank is around.”

The Executive Director position may not be full-

Now, who could the bank get to set up and run

time after his board is established, John says hope-

such an organization – someone with comprehensive

fully. Because the bank will fund the foundations CONTINUED >

ARTICLE MELINDA GIPSON | PHOTOGRAPHY MELINDA GIPSON, CELESTE LINTHICUM

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HOMETOWN HERO (CONTINUED) John's New Dossier

efforts from day one, there won’t be a need to spend time on all the fundraising that a private foundation has to do, so he and the organization’s board can do the important work of learning more about the needs of the community and which charities serve those best. He’s gotten plenty of advice from the Connecticut foundation Brandon helped to establish, and it will take a bit of time for the foundation to receive permission from the Federal Reserve to open its doors. Beyond that, though, “We’re just carving out this one portion from the bank so one person can just hyper-focus on it a little more.” Donations will support only those non-profits that serve the communities in the bank’s footprint – Frederick County, Winchester, Clarke County, Loudoun County and the western part of Fairfax County – and will make every effort to spread its resources among multiple causes rather than any one, using criteria like, “how many people do they serve, what types of services do they provide?” Besides that, the foundation’s philosophy of giving hasn’t changed: “The better the community, the better the bank. It’s a win win,” John says. “If you can 2020's 12 Boxes of Christmas Giving

keep a community healthier than if you didn’t support it you’ve done your job. I think we do a great job anyway but there’s always room for improvement.”

This year, as has become Bank of Clarke County's tradition, branch managers have chosen a dozen charities for which they'll be raising funding. Look for these boxes in your local branch: + BERRYVILLE: Savvy Giving By Design + BOYCE: Blue Ridge Wildlife Center + STEPHENS CITY: Youth Development Center + 50 WEST: Esther Boyd Animal Shelter + SUNNYSIDE: Winchester Rescue Mission / Womens' Shelter + MILLBROOK: Concern Hotline + OLD TOWN CENTER: Dakota's Dream + PLEASANT VALLEY: Henry & William Evens Home + SENSENY ROAD: NW Works + PURCELLVILE: Tree of Life + LEESBURG: Blue Ridge Hospice + ASHBURN@ONE LOUDOUN: Ashburn Volunteer Fire & Rescue Company 46

Leesburg Lifestyle | December 2020

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Leesburg Lifestyle | December 2020

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FINANCIAL BUZZ ARTICLE COLLEEN STUTZ, CLU, CHFC, LUTCF, CASL, RICP

H av i n g ' T h e Ta l k ' T h i s H o l i d ay S e as o n :

Colleen Stutz, Financial Advisor

that person the required authorization to care for the family both medically and financially. These are sometimes difficult questions to

TAKE TIME TO MAKE SURE MOM AND DAD ARE OKAY

bring up over dessert, but this year the pandemic gives us all an excuse to deal with matters of serious consequence and NOT doing so carries significant risk. Among the biggest risks in planning for retirement is the risk of longevity. We and our parents all are living longer, so having enough

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HOLIDAYS ARE A TIME WHEN FAMILY COMES

money to live on and the money to provide the

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TOGETHER. How are Mom and Dad this year?

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Leesburg, VA 20175-4033

Given the COVID situation, this holiday season

than who is winning the football game.

Phone: 703-403-3187

may be the first time in many months that “the kids” have had the opportunity to see their par-

HERE IS A SHORT CHECKLIST OF QUERIES

ents in person. It may also be a time to discover

TO MAKE THINGS EASIER.

whether their parents are showing signs of dimin-

Who will be the caregiver? Who will likely need

ished health. Don’t ignore the signs, but rather use

care? How will it be provided and paid for? How

this time to explore what’s truly going on and what

much does care cost? What assets are available to

your parents are planning to ensure their contin-

pay for the care? Are there any consequences to

ued health and well-being.

using those assets?

COVID has made us all re-evaluate what we want retirement to look like. If the plan is for them

There are many ways to fund health care costs

-- or yourself -- to stay in your home and have

and the costs of aging in place, and some have tax

healthcare come to you when needed, there’s a

advantages associated with them both for business

measure of planning involved in making sure we’ll

and for individuals. Some benefits are restricted if

have the means to pay for those services.

you have too much income. You should know that

What is your plan? What’s their plan? Will you

Medicare does not pay for most long term care

and your parents share your desires regarding

unless you meet certain criteria, but there are strat-

how you wish to be cared for? Are their current

egies you can use to combine multiple retirement

savings sufficient to cover the cost of care? If

vehicles to give you more options.

not, which family member will be the caregiver? Do you have the documents in place that give

Leesburg Lifestyle | December 2020

So, have “the talk,” then come see me. I would love to help with your individual situation.