The Water Buffalo

The Water Buffalo 

         The Water Buffalo has everything you need to effortlessly make beer or wine, grow your own organic veggies, make homemade cheese, pickle stuff, or grow a year's worth of mushrooms for a fraction of the grocery store price.

    All the supplies can be found in the shop, 106 South Rodney Parham. If you want a bit more encouragement, The Water Buffalo offers free classes in all of those activities.

     "I do like what I do.  It's a lot of fun," Nolen Buffalo said.  "This is a science shop.  If you've got just a little bit of geek or a little bit of nerd, you'll find something you want to do."

     The Water Buffalo is a family business owned by Mr. Buffalo, his wife, Sarah, and his parents, Doug and Sue Buffalo.  

     It is the result of "a string of hobbies gone amok," Nolen said. 

     "I recognized there was an extremely limited local supply of things I needed to do my hobbies."  So he made a business plan, and with the help of his family and a local bank, he opened the business last November.  "Bank of the Ozarks made it all happen, so I have nothing but good things to say about those guys."

     One of Nolen's earliest hobbies began 17 years ago when he made his first batch of beer.

     His shop carries a wide variety of beer and wine making supplies.

     "We have probably the best selection of grains in 300 miles in any direction.  We have lots of malted barley. We have a variety of hops in stock, yeasts."

     Slang for some of his beer making kits is "Duncan Hines," because "they are about as easy as making a cake," he said.

     There are lots of different beer-making kits he has put together at the shop, crushing the grains and using proven recipes.  Kits are a good place to begin learning about making beer and wine.

     "It takes the nervous energy out of people getting started."

    Nolen considers wine making actually easier than beer making, because there is no cooking involved, but you have to have a bit of patience and wait for the wine to age a bit.

      "With wine making, you are not cooking.  It's like a cold soup.  You assemble the wine, and then you have to wait for it.

     "We have 22 different (pre-packaged) beer recipes and an infinite number of variables.  We have maybe 50 different wine kits in stock ready to go."

     The ingredient kits for beer range from $30 to $55, and for wine, $30 to $230.  "The more expensive kits typically have more ingredients or ingredients of a significantly higher caliber," he said.

   The shop offers a wide variety of utensils, pots, sanitizers and other items needed in beer and wine making. 

      It carries some pickling supplies, including "Pickl-it" jars, which are kind of like small "flip-top Mason jars with holes to allow CO₂ to escape during the fermentation process."

     The Water Buffalo stocks four types of kits for mak-ing cheese that range from $20 to $30.  

     Homemade cheese "is cheaper and it's better," Nolen said.  "It's just so fresh, and it's so easy."

      Some kinds of cheese can be made in as little as 45 minutes, he said, adding that cooks who use such quick batch cheeses, such as ricotta, should learn how to make them at home.  "Mozzarella is the same way.  It's easy and so good."

      The shop sells molds, presses, cheese cultures and rennet.

      More and more folks are wanting to grow their own veggies at home.

      "It gets addictive, being able to provide for yourself is a pretty good feeling.

     "Gardening is the fastest growing section of the store, for sure.  We can talk about growing organically.  We have the nutrients and the soil."

    Nolen said hydroponic gardening, growing in water without soil, is becoming more popular.  

  "The fastest growing technique in the world is aquaponics.  Aquaponics is growing fish, feeding them food and allowing their waste to feed the plants."

     It's a symbiotic arrangement that is very natural.  After the plants are nourished by the water from the fish, the plants clean the water, which is pumped back to the fish.  When the fish are big enough, out comes the frying pan. 

      Nolen sells an aquaponics system that consists of a 55 gallon food grade blue drum and a 2 x 4 foot tray in which the plants are grown.   It includes a pump, a timer and a little gravity-assisted draining.  It may be used indoors or out.

     If you grow indoors, the shop sells a variety of lights that vary in intensity, depending upon the crop.

    One thing you can grow indoors without additional lighting is mushrooms.

     "They are real simple, and you can grow them on the kitchen counter." 

   For types of mushrooms - elm oyster, blue oyster, shitake and lion's mane - in nutrients or on wood range from $22 to $25.

   "It's going to grow until it runs out of nutrients. … Potentially, that's a year's worth of mushrooms." 

    All of the classes at The Water Buffalo are free.

     "We teach you how to do everything we do in here." Nolen said. He teaches all of the classes except the pickling classes, which are taught by Christel Combs. 

  The shop is open 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday.  For more information, call 725-5296 or email buffalo@thewaterbuffalo.com.  Visit thewaterbuffalo.com for a schedule of upcoming classes. 

The Freckled Frog

The Freckled Frog 

   The Freckled Frog has been voted Best Gift Shop Finalist for two years in a row by Arkansas Times Readers Choice awards.

    Handcrafted items, made exclusively by Arkansans, are all The Freckled Frog sells.  The downtown shop offers gifts starting at $3 and $5, including a selection of hundreds of rings, earrings, bracelets and soy candles.

   The shop features work from some of the most talented artisans and crafters from across the state. 

   Erika Robbins and Sadie Nuffer own the popular shop at 419 Presidential Clinton Avenue next to Cache restaurant. 

   It offers ornaments and magnets from Annette Costa at Fire Fragments.  

   Tiffany O'Brien of Electric Dose has buttons and prints, onesies, long-sleeved t-shirts, short-sleeved t-shirts, hoodies, sweat shirts, tea towels and t-shirts for dogs for sale there.

   The shop offers long-sleeved and regular  t-shirts by Erin Lang of Arkie Style, all for $25 and it carries  Hillcrest Waterbugs shirts and hoodies.

  Screen-printed t-shirts and tanks that are Little Rock-themed are made by Kate Walters’ Scribbles. 

    The shop carries really cute onesies by Virgeen Healey at Posh Designs, fingerless gloves by Lauren Hoover, and all the latest Nativ gear.

     "We have more than 100 $5 wire rings, over 100 $5 earrings, $5 hemp bracelets and $3 wish necklaces,“ Erika said. "Sadie has  been working on crystal bullets. They are spent rounds with crystal points we gathered at Jessieville coming out of the ends. She does wire-wrapped crystal pendents and earrings and leather rings.” 

     The Freckled Frog offers free gift wrap.  Shop hours are 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday and noon to 5 p.m. on Sunday.  514-2060 or 351-5245. 

New Christmas Fabrics and Projects at The Stitchin' Post in Little Rock

Christmas in July at The Stitchin' Post

     The Stitchin' Post will hold Christmas in July starting Saturday, July 25 at 1501 Macon Drive in west Little Rock. The annual event, which features the latest holiday fabrics and projects, will continue through Saturday, August 1.

   There will be refreshments on that first Saturday, and staff will bring in their favorite holiday cookie recipes, Jane Bell said.  Linda Bowlby and Jane own the shop, a Little Rock institution that has offered heirloom quality fabrics and classes in sewing, smocking and embroidery for 41 years.

    "There will be a recipe swap, and we will be showcasing new Christmas projects.  And there will be special pricing on our new Christmas fabrics," Jane said.

  "Christmas projects include quilts, table runners, a really really really cute Christmas stocking and mug rugs."

    Mug rugs are extra large coasters or smaller versions of placemats that hold a cup of tea or coffee with room for a pastry or treat. 

     The Stitchin' Post is also participating in the Row by Row Experience, Jane said.

"It is a program that started four years ago in New York in a quilt shop.  There are now 2,500 quilt shops participating." 

     Lots of quilters travel across the country visiting the shops where they receive a free pattern for a row of a quilt.

      The Stitchin' Post's original quilt design follows this year's theme of water.  "We have designed our row featuring The Old Mill in North Little Rock," Jane said.  

The Old Mill is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It is popular with visitors to Arkansas in part because it was featured in the opening scenes of "Gone with the Wind." 

     "We are kind of excited about it. (Visitors) can get the free pattern, and they can purchase a kit if they like."  The event ends September 8. 

     The Stitchin' Post is a great place to learn how to sew, quilt or embroider.

   The 7,000-square-foot space is filled with well-made and beautifully displayed clothing from heirloom fabrics, smocked dresses and whimsical sewn items.  The heirloom fabrics are made of natural, finely woven, often imported materials.  Clothing made from them is typically handed down through generations.

     "Jane teaches heirloom and embroidery," Linda said.  "Carolyn Hartstein teaches our smocking class.

    "We have teachers for quilting and for kids.  That's my favorite part, that we teach children.  I think it's really important.  In our Mom and Me classes, kids can start at (age) 8.  We have classes for high schoolers.  Jane has taught embroidery for children."

      To check out the latest classes, visit the shop's website stitchinpostinc.com.

    If you see one you like, you'd better sign up right away.  "They fill up pretty fast," Linda said.

   The shop has two rooms for classes and design walls in place, which allow women to take pieces of fabrics and lay out quilt blocks.  They can see how they want to position colors and move them around.

      The Stitchin' Post sells quality Husqvarna Viking sewing machines, from basic models that cost about $200 to the most deluxe models for almost $10,000.

      It has an extensive selection of threads and an entire notions wall.  

     There's a Cafe Room where folks can nosh and a sitting area in the entry where women are welcome to come in a bring a handwork project and sit, relax and work.

      Linda said the camaraderie of women learning and working together helps make for the pleasant atmosphere of the shop.

    "Everybody is real happy here.  It's a fun place to be, a fun place to work."

    Customers say it's a great place to socialize with friends and to meet new ones.

     The shop offers batiste, voile, linen, cotton, Swiss flannel and some silks.

     "We have 100 percent cotton fabrics," Linda said.  "You can tell the difference in good quality cotton. It's the tightness of the weave.  Heirloom cottons are going to last.  It's the same with quilting fabrics.  They expect them to last for generations.  People here appreciate nice fabrics."

Jonda White's Spaology Expands

Larger Space, More Services 

 At Spaology in Hillcrest 

     Jonda White has doubled the space of her Spaology Nail Spa and More in Hillcrest.

     Mrs. White has expanded Spaology into the space next door to her shop at 3000 Kavanaugh Boulevard.

    The new area includes salon space and a makeup corner.

     "I will be doing makeup, and Chauna Anderson, our esthetician, will be doing makeup.  And she will be doing facials and waxing also.  We will be making our own scrubs.  Her facial products will be all natural and organic."

    The original space is getting a makeover itself, with four new pedicure chairs and four new manicure tables.

    "And we are setting ourselves apart from other salons by using disposable pumice stones, files and buffers, as well as disposable bags for pedicure chairs. We're doing this for sanitary reasons, as well as helping people feel more comfortable." 

     The shop will also be offering body waxing and eyelash extensions.

     Jonda has been in business for 20 years in Little Rock, and many of her customers have followed her from place to place during those moves.

     Her clients include some of the most influential women in the state.  They have said that in their travels to some of the finest resorts where they have paid top dollar they have never gotten better manicures and pedicures than they receive from Jonda  at Spalogy. 

    And it's not just her talent that they admire.

    Barbara Pryor, former First Lady of Arkansas and wife of former U.S. Senator David Pryor, said in a 2012 interview, "She is not only a great nailologist, … she is such a good person.  I love her and think of her as a good friend."

     Mrs. Pryor said she'd been with Jonda through some trials over the years, including breast cancer.

    "She is a breast cancer survivor.  All through everything, she just keeps working.  She is a hard worker.  I admire her so.  She is one of the most deserving people I know.  She deserves every success, every happiness,"

Barbara said. 

     Others in the that March 2012 Shoppe Talk story talked about her calming spirit, strong 

work ethic, determined nature, upbeat manner and attention to detail.  

    "Jonda is not a complainer.  Things are right in her world, not wrong.  And what is wrong, she confronts with equanimity. …  She is just a really neat lady," said Dr. Roslyn L. Knutson, professor emerita in the Department of English a the University of Arkansas.

     "I am so excited, and I am proud of myself," Jonda said in June.  "Over the years, clients and family members have bragged on me, but I didn't know.  Now I can say finally I am here.  I am thoroughly where I wanted to be 13 years ago."

     

Arkansas Glassworks

Arkansas Glassworks 

     Jay King, owner of Arkansas Glassworks in Little Rock, has been building and repairing stained glass windows for 43 years, or more than two-thirds of his life.

     “I graduated from high school in June of 1972 and started working for my uncle the day after the 4th of July,” Mr. King said.

     It was an inauspicious beginning.

     “He said, ‘This is a glass cutter. This is how it cuts glass. This is a pile of broken stained glass windows. Get to work.’”

     That daunting start for a teenager who’d grown up in Upper Montclair, New Jersey, and the Jersey Shore grew into a love and knowledge of the art that’s left King’s mark on churches in Texas, Mississippi, and Arkansas.

     In 1972 the place was Chicago, and his uncle, John Yaskot, owned Hawk and Handsaw, which specialized in gleaning stained glass and other antique architectural elements from the city’s old Victorian buildings just before the wrecking ball hit.

     “Hawk and Handsaw is from Shakespeare when Hamlet says, ‘When the wind is southerly I know a hawk from a handsaw,” a proverb that means I know one thing from another. As for stained glass repair work my uncle John really didn’t know a hawk from a handsaw. But my older brother, Bill, worked there too, and we all kind of learned together. My uncle did know the value of stained glass. Chicago had a lot of it. The city was built up after the great fire in 1871.”

     Jay said the massive rebuilding came at a time when Victorian architecture was popular. Stained glass was in vogue too, and many European-trained stained glass artists opened studios in Chicago. Starting in the 1950s, many of the Victorian homes and arts-and-crafts bungalows with this beautiful old stained glass were being razed. Later this dovetailed nicely with a demand for stained glass in San Francisco.

     “The 1906 earthquake and fire in San Francisco came at the end of the Victorian Age,” he said. Victorian architecture was still the rage when that city was rebuilt. The two disasters that “book ended” one another provided stained glass from Chicago for renewal projects popular in San Francisco during the 1970s.

     “A lot of my uncle’s customers came from San Francisco. I remember one who would pull up in front of the shop with a semi truck and buy just about everything in the shop. It would all go straight to San Francisco. My uncle got into it when buildings were wrecked in the ‘50s. He’d slip them $20 to let him take out the glass before they wrecked it. First he just took the glass, but after a few years he saved mantles, moldings, and other architectural elements, anything they could get before the wrecking ball hit. Later he was edged out by antique dealers who made deals with property owners long before the wrecking crews got on the scene.”

     After a year and a half in Chicago, Jay moved to Austin, Texas, where for his first eight years, he worked at Renaissance Glass.

     “When I moved to Austin, there were only two people besides myself working at Renaissance. They didn’t know much about repairing stained glass, and I didn’t know about building stained glass."

     During his eight years there, Jay repaired stained glass, learned how to build windows, and watched the staff grow to 21 employees. Renaissance was one of the larger studios, but stained glass was a booming business in Austin, and there was plenty of work for the many glass studios that mushroomed in the city.

    After eight years building and repairing stained glass windows, Jay felt like he needed a “break,” and he got it in more ways than one.

    “The first thing I did was take a break from stained glass. I started doing store front glass. I was building it and also breaking out the old windows. I started experimenting with the way glass breaks.”

     That was the beginning of a number of art glass pieces and his entry into Austin galleries where he showed his work and helped hang the work of other glass artists. After his obsession with glass cracks, he began photographing the cracks the sidewalks around the city. Looking at one absolutely gorgeous work of art in his Little Rock studio, one would never guess that it’s based on the way concrete cracks and erodes in an Austin sidewalk. 

   While all this was great fun, he had to make a living, so Jay returned to stained glass, but not to one studio.  “I was a hired gun. Wherever the big stained glass jobs were, I went there, and I did a little stained glass on my own. It was pretty much a gypsy life. But I did work on one church for all of 1987. That was a revelation. It was real satisfying, to build all the windows in a church. I really liked that.

     “That was the time of the energy crunch in Texas. Austin was totally overbuilt. Few million dollar homes were being built. By 1988, there was no work.”

     After five months with nary a job in sight, he decided it was time to move.

“I came to Little Rock with my tail between my legs."

     During those first years in Little Rock, Jay built stained glass windows at home in his house in North Little Rock, did glazing work, ran a metal shop building storefronts for American Wholesale Glass, and later drove a glass truck for the North Little Rock company when it closed the metal shop.

     Jay started Arkansas Glassworks in 1993. Why? “I wanted to get back into stained glass full time, make more money, be my own boss, and not have to wake up at 4 in the morning to be at work at 5. 

     The first couple of years were pretty lean, but it all worked out for the best. Now his work may be seen in homes in Pleasant Valley, the Heights, the Quapaw Quarter and other neighborhoods all over Little Rock.

     His windows for churches are typically traditional in nature, including symmetrical designs, arches, and centered medallions. But one of his favorite Arkansas churches is Faith Baptist in McCrory, which has a more contemporary design with various hues of blue, purple and green blending into one another.

     Another is Salem Baptist Church in Pine Bluff, which one congregant said is a favorite local church for weddings because the rose hues from the windows make the brides look so beautiful. Many of the churches order pre-made painted medallions, but Jay designed 12 original medallions for that Pine Bluff church. He has also designed and built stained glass windows for churches in Stuttgart, Carlisle, Little Rock, Greenbrier, Jacksonville, Bald Knob, North Little Rock, Arkadelphia, Sparkman, and McGhee, and has done restoration work on existing stained glass windows all over the state.

     “The main thing I like to do is to provide affordable windows to churches who often believe they really can’t afford stained glass. I like to work with small churches in small towns. I prefer the smaller congregations.

     “It’s always fun toward the end of the job when I’m installing the windows. It’s an event. People in the congregation often come by. They ooh and ah. Sometimes I go to dedication ceremonies. When people come up to me and say thank you, it makes me feel good. You work so long in a church, there’s a real sense of accomplishment when it’s done.

     “I worked on a mosaic that took almost an entire year. It’s a lot more work than stained glass. It represents a year of my life, and I wanted it to look good. A lot of times the windows I do are memorial windows. You are building them not just for the congregation, but for the remembrance of family members. When you get a positive response, it goes a long way.  I did a window for a church in Greenbrier, and a lady who was a member of the congregation said she’ll look at that window and it is her focal point when she comes to church services and she feels a sense of awe. It made me feel good to know my work is affecting people’s worship in a special way.

     “In the smaller churches, people tend to know one another well, and it seems like they pull together to get things done. Whether it’s agreeing on the design and colors for windows or larger issues. In 2005 I was in Dumas working on windows at First Baptist, and all the churches came together to provide shelter for people trying to get away from Katrina. All the motels were full, but one member of the congregation told me to come down anyway. He invited me into his home for the night and fed me a great breakfast." 

    Most of the glass Jay uses for his churches is made in the United States from three companies that sell quality glass and provide hundreds of different colors and textures from which to choose.

     Opalescent glass, which is used a great deal in church work, has a base of white, he said, and can have different colors within the base. Cathedral glass has a base of clear, so that even if a glass is dark, a dark blue, for example, it’s color is pure and jewel-like. Wispy glasses are sort of half opalescent and half cathedral.

     “You can mix the different types of glass for great effect in windows. Often churches are trying to attain an inward direction. You don’t want your eyes to wander outside the church windows, and consequently, we use a lot of opalescents.”

     Most of his residential work utilizes clear bevels. “Most studios use only one or two bevel manufacturers, but I wanted to get as much variety in my bevels as possible, so they come from many sources.  When I first went into business, I assembled a great many bevels from different manufacturers. With residential glass, I build windows around bevel clusters, a group of bevels that comprise a central design."

     Customers browse the bevel books and select the ones they want, often helping to design their own windows, sidelights, or front doors.

    Jay also sells glass for kitchen cabinets. “German simulated hand-blown glass gives a unique touch to china cabinets or kitchen cabinets. It has a beautiful reflection to it.”

    His stained glass windows start at $100 a square foot for very simple designs. The average price runs $110 to $130 a square foot. Beveled windows typically run about $10 more per square foot.

   Jay has had art shown in juried exhibitions in Arkansas, and has taught stained glass in American quilt patterns at the Ozark Folk School. His shop is located at 900 S. Rodney Parham. Call him at 993-0012 for more information or visit arkansasglassworks.com.

Acupuncture and herbal medicine

Evergreen Acupuncture and Herbal Medicine

      Acupuncture and herbal medicine have been proven to be safe and effective treatments for dozens of ailments, but only if administered by folks with the proper training, said Martin Eisele, who has had thousands of hours in training in both.

     For example, if you read in a news story that a study has shown a particular herb is good for

a particular ailment, don't run to the drug store and buy that supplement.  One, it might be the

wrong strength or type of that particular herb.  Two, it might interact with medicines your doctor

has prescribed.  Finally, some supplements do not even contain the herbs they claim to have.

     As for acupuncture, the World Health Organization and the National Institutes of Health recognizes it is as safe and effective for treatment of 20 to 30 different health problems.

     But the public should be aware that there are a number of people in Arkansas who have had very little training who are performing acupuncture, Mr.  Eisele, owner of Evergreen Acupuncture in Little Rock, said.  He is a licensed acupuncturist.

     "All Arkansas licensed acupuncturists, L.Acs., are required to have four years training

at a nationally certified school.  That amounts to 4,000 hours of training.  And we have to take two national certification tests in acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine."

     "As opposed to that, chiropractors only have to have 100 hours of training in acupuncture.  Physical therapists are now doing acupuncture, calling it 'dry needling,' and they take a minimum 16-hour course."

     So, that is 16 hours of education or 100 hours of education versus 4,000 hours of education.

     "And (licensed) acupuncturists are required to have continuing education," Martin said.

     When performed correctly, acupuncture is safe and has a low rate of minor adverse effects. In fact, a National Institutes of Health review states that "one of the advantages of acupuncture is that the incidence of adverse effects is substantially lower than that of many drugs or other accepted medical procedures for the same conditions."  

     However, when acupuncture is performed by untrained people there can be serious adverse outcomes.

     Martin said that "every acupuncture point has directions." Licensed acupuncturists have studied these directions, including where to insert the acupuncture needle and the proper depth.

     But before treatment of any kind, a proper diagnosis must be made.  That is an important part of the four years of study in certified schools. 

  

                                                                     Martin Eisele 

   Traditional Chinese medicine seeks the causes that inhibit healing and works to treat these underlying causes so that the body can heal itself. 

   It is a system of medicine that has evolved over thousands of years of practice.  It is rooted in the concept that "Qi" (pronounced "chee), or vital energy, needs to be in balance for good health.

  "There have been very specific studies - about headaches, nausea, backaches … .  In the more modern studies, they are doing things like studying the brain with EEGs" to show which acupuncture points light up different parts of the brain. "Or they measure chemical reactions in the brain."

   NIH literature states that high quality clinical trials have shown that acupuncture is good for a number of ailments from stroke rehabilitation to tennis elbow.

    "A lot of people seek out acupuncture because they are tired of taking pain medication or do not want to take pain medication. On the flip side, even if someone is taking medication, acupuncture can, in a lot of cases, get them through their illness. For instance, I treat a lot of people who are going through treatment for cancer.  Acupuncture can be beneficial to help them be stronger, help with nausea, fatigue and the emotional trauma of being diagnosed with cancer.

    "I never tell people to change their medicines unless it is a pain medication when they are not in pain.  Any other medication, I tell them to go back and talk with their doctor."

    Martin is certainly not opposed to Western medicine.

   "My dad was a doctor.  My grandfather was a pharmacist. My great-grandfather was a pharmacist. I prefer to work with (patients') doctors to get them better. And I do have a number of doctors who refer to me, including some OB/GYNs who are seeing women who have fertility problems."

   No matter what problem a patient presents with, Martin also treats them for stress.  

   "I treat everybody for stress," he said.  Acupuncture is known for treating stress."

    It is increasingly used to treat Post Traumatic Stress Disorder in military hospitals.  

    There is a drawback to acupuncture that ought to be discussed - fear of needles.

  "People are really freaked out about the needles," Martin said. "Some are needle phobic and some, needle sensitive."

    Acupuncture needles are extremely thin and flexible and do no bear any resemblance to needles that are used for injections or to draw blood.

   "It is really relaxing if it is done right," Martin said. 

   And, then there are some problems that can be treated with "ear seeds," little pieces of seeds or metal taped to certain points on the ear to exert pressure there.  If ear seeds are used, they can be just as effective as acupuncture, he said.

    Martin is, of course, trained in herbal medicine, which is also a root of traditional Chinese medicine.

     But he does not like to buy herbs from China.

   "I source them from several different companies, mostly American companies that follow the growth of drugs. They are followed from the ground into the bottle - in all aspects and they are controlled.

    "One of the companies I use, they started with the same acupuncture teachers I studied with.  Actually the company was started by a Western medical doctor. There are Chinese companies you have to be wary of."

    Martin caters each remedy to the diagnosis at the time a patients comes into his office.

   "Each stage might represent something different in Chinese medicine."

    Even in something as simple as a cold, certain herbs may be used in the beginning of treatment and different herbs as, for example, the color of phlegm changes over time.

    Herbal medicine is used to treat a wide range of maladies, including musculoskeletal pain, digestive disorders, stress and anxiety.

    Part of the diagnosis concerns whether problems arise "from the inside of you or the outside of you."  

     Qi is always in flux.  "Yin" and "yang" are terms used to describe qualities that need to be in harmony for the body to function properly. When the yin and yang aspects of Qi are in harmony with one another, it leads to health.

    This may sound arcane, but Shoppe Talk deems that it is grounded in good sense - the kind you might get from your Southern grandmother.  

    Your body might be deficient in something, causing an imbalance, or you might be assaulted by pollution or toxic chemicals that are detrimental to health.  You may eat too much or drink too much or eat trashy food with empty calories.

     As well as observation, Martin asks a number of questions before coming to a diagnosis.

     "We are looking at the full scope of someone's life.  The questions we try to ask are what are you eating, how is your digestion, how is your sleep, how is your energy, how is your stress.   We look at elimination.  We look at the big picture. I talk to almost everyone about their diet."

    Some people are reluctant to take Chinese herbs, but those same folk might buy over-the-counter supplements.

   "Buying at a store or over the internet, it's not safe to do. They are medicine, and they can be misused.  You have to have the right diagnosis.  You have to know the background, what kind of medication they are taking.  Some people take cinnamon to improve blood pressure or cholesterol, but it  might not be the right thing for them. Some people take ginseng.  Chinese ginseng is fairly hot and warms the body.  American ginseng is cooler and is used in a different way.  You have to know  which ginseng you are using for which situation.  And then combining herbs is more complex."

     Although herbal medicine and acupuncture are great tools for treating a number of ailments, sometimes Martin turns folks away at the door. 

   "I sometimes tell people 'don't waste your money.'  We know when to refer out. I refer to physical therapists, doctors, psychiatrists, OB/GYNs and to the emergency room.

     "If someone has a blood pressure of over 200, I send them to the ER.  I tell them, you don't need to be here."  

     Martin received his training in Oriental Medicine at Southwest Acupuncture College in Boulder, Colorado.  He interned with Dr. Jeffrey Dann, an internationally known expert in Japanese Meridian Acupuncture.  After completing a four-year program of study, he graduated with a master's degree in Science and Oriental Medicine in 2001. He continued his education in Shanghai, China, at Shu Guang Hospital and at the Shanghai Acupuncture and Meridian Research Institute.  He is licensed by the state and nationally certified in acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine.  Evergreen Acupuncture is located at 2 Van Circle near the intersection of North University and Evergreen Drive. 663-3461.

Little Rock Accountant Terri Layne Ivy

Terri Layne Ivy 

     If your idea of an accountant is a taciturn type more at home with numbers than

people, you need to meet Terri Layne Ivy, owner of  Ivy Tax & Accounting.

     "I'm probably not your typical accountant.  I love being around people.  I am extroverted.  I

want to help them," Mrs. Ivy said. 

      "I have a heart for small businesses.  I get such a kick out of seeing small businesses

grow."

      Terri has been an accountant for 23 years.  She was graduated from Arkansas State University at Jonesboro with a bachelor of science degree in accounting and has held her certified public accounting license for about 15 years.

      She does tax returns - personal, corporate, partnership, business and trust.  She offers bookkeeping services, help with Quickbooks and does payroll and payroll taxes.  She sets up corporations and nonprofits. 

     "I would love to help you.  It's important to find someone you feel comfortable with and someone you trust, someone you know who is going to be in your corner if anything happens. That is the kind of relationship you need with whoever your accountant is."

     Terri is a whiz at Quickbooks. 

     "I have worked Quickbooks for years.  I just go out and fix their problem. I enjoy doing that.  A lot of small businesses may have an idea about Quickbooks.  It's a small-business software package.  It's pretty user friendly.  Quickbooks, if you know how to use it, can be the heart of your business. You teach them where the expenses go, profit and loss, balance sheets, assets … . When you have everything in the right category, your financial statements will be correct. I enjoy teaching them and showing them how to do that."

     Terri is her own boss and wouldn't have it any other way. 

    "I won't work full-time for anybody.  I get one shot at being a mom, and I can do (an accounting task) at midnight as well as 10 a.m.  I get the work done."

     She meets with her clients and determines what level of services they require.  

     "Many of my creative clients are awesome at being creative, awful at paperwork.  One woman started out with a flea market booth, then moved into a small building, then into a large building."  

     The woman knew how to grow her business, but needed Terri to keep the paperwork in order.   "She can't do it, and I can't paint furniture," Terri said with a laugh.

     Some folks are just overwhelmed.  "I say just bring me everything, and I'll sort it out.

    "In some companies, I do everything - make deposits, write checks. They are out-sourcing their accounting department.  There is a lot of advantage to that.  I don't need benefits or vacation pay.  I just need to get the work done.

     "I like dealing with different industries.  So it's fun.  It might be a bakery one day, an automotive place the next or a corporate place.  And if there is a day I don't want to talk with anyone, I can just sit and do bookkeeping all day. I get the best of both worlds."

    Terri said there are many changes this year with the Affordable Care Act, or "Obama Care."

    "Some people who have never needed a CPA, they may need one this year. This is new.  No one has ever done this before. And some of the tax breaks changed.  There have been changes in depreciation."

    This is Terri's eighth year working on her own.  

    "I just love it.  Not every day, but most days.  I am a Christian, and I feel like this is God's gift to me.  I can be with my kids. If I can help someone and be a blessing to them, I want to. There are so many good people in the world.  If I can make a little living out of it and help you too, I will."

     You may reach Terri at 681-9880.

Profile: Terri Layne Ivy

Terri Layne Ivy 

     Where were you born?  Little Rock.

     Where do you live?  Pleasant Valley.

     Tell us about your family.  I have been married almost 22 years.  I have a 12-year-old daughter, Ashley, a 10-year-old daughter, Emily, and a 5-year-old son, Christopher.  My husband's name is Chris.  He is a CRNA, Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist.

     Do you have any pets?   We have two rescues, Malt-zhus, part Maltese and part Shih Tzu.  Spencer looks like a Shih Tzu, and Ricky is Maltese looking.  They are brothers, two years old.  We got them when they were about six months old.  

     Do you have favorite actors?  I love old movies with happy endings. I like Cary Grant and Bing Crosby.

     A favorite movie?  White Christmas.

     Is there anything you would like to learn how to do?  I'd love to learn how to sew.  My mother could sew anything.  One time we went to the store (there was a dress I wanted),  and she drew a picture of it there.  She came home, made a pattern and made me that outfit. 

     What do you like to read?  I like to read biographies.  I like to read Christian fiction, and I like good mysteries.

     Do you have a favorite author?  Jan Karon and Lawrence Sanders.  I got '41 by George Bush for Christmas, so that's what I am going to read next. 

     What do you do in your leisure time?  My family and I like to go to Disney World and to go to Branson.  We love supporting the Arkansas Baptist Eagles, and we are very active in our church.  We go to First Baptist.  All three of my kids go to Arkansas Baptist.

     What would you do if you won a large lottery?  I would get out of debt, take a really long vacation and see who I could help out.  And just enjoy my family.  I'd still work a day or two a week.

     What's the strangest thing in your fridge?  A bottle of amoxicillin that's about five years old.  My husband asked why I didn't throw it out.  I said there might be an emergency.  And we have four different kinds of pickles.  Everyone likes a different type. 

     

The Freckled Frog

Handcrafted Gifts Made By Arkansans  

    Handcrafted items, made exclusively by Arkansans, are all The Freckled Frog sells.  The downtown shop offers gifts starting at $3 and $5, including a selection of hundreds of rings, earrings, bracelets and soy candles.

    "We have new ornaments and magnets from Annette Costa at Fire Fragments," Erika

Robbins said. Ms. Robbins and Sadie Nuffer own the popular shop at 419 Presidential Clinton Avenue.  

     "Tiffany O'Brien of Electric Dose has buttons and prints, onesies, long-sleeved t-shirts,

short-sleeved t-shirts, hoodies, sweat shirts, tea towels and t-shirts for dogs," Erika said.

      "We do have a big stock of long-sleeved and regular t-shirts by Erin Lang of Arkie Style, all for $25," she said.  "And we have Hillcrest Waterbugs shirts and hoodies."

   "We have Kate Walters' Scribbles by Kate.  She's done stuff for us since she

was 12, and now she is 15.  They are screen-printed t-shirts and tanks that are Little Rock

themed."

     The shop carries really cute onesies by Virgeen Healey at Posh Designs.

     "Lauren Hoover just brought in a huge batch of awesome fingerless gloves.  I am just

looking at these, and I picked out one I want.'

    "We are stocked with all the latest Nativ gear.

     "We have more than 100 $5 wire rings, over 100 $5 earrings, $5 hemp bracelets and $3 wish necklaces."

 "Sadie has  been working on crystal bullets.  They are spent rounds with 

crystal points we gathered at Jessieville coming out of the ends. She does wire-wrapped crystal pendents and earrings and leather rings.  And, she just cranked out a big batch of vinyl earrings."

     The Freckled Frog offers free gift wrap.  The shop is adjacent to Cache restaurant and across from Boulevard Bread in the River Market.  Shop hours are 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday and noon to 5 p.m. on Sunday.  514-2060 or 351-5245. 

uBreakiFix

uBreakiFix

                                                  Matthew, Joyce and Ron Harb 

     The uBreakiFix store in Pleasant Ridge Town Center is going like gangbusters.

     Co-owner Ron Harb opened the repair store July 11, and only three months later, opened his second uBreakiFix in North Little Rock.

     "We fixed a computer and two phones yesterday, people just walking in," Mr. Harb said in an interview the day before his shop at the corner of JFK and McCain boulevards officially opened. 

      Shoppe Talk has had experience with the staff at the Pleasant Ridge location and can attest that they are an industrious, enthusiastic bunch of young folks who do not mind taking time to explain problems with a computer in simple terms.  To a man, they were kind and helpful and obviously at the top of their game.   Sitting in the pleasant waiting area, Shoppe Talk also saw lots of customers streaming in and out.  Happy, satisfied customers, many of whom were pleased to have had their cell phones repaired while they waited.

     "It's been doing awesome.  People are really responding to the customer service we provide," Ron said.  "We fix Macs, PCs, game consoles. I've got TVs on the bench right now.  If it's got a power button, we can

fix it.

      "And if we can't, it's free.  We do free diagnosis, and if we don't fix your device, it's free."

     In addition, if it's not in a customer's best interest to fix a phone or computer, uBreakiFix will relay that information as well. 

    "Many times it's more efficient to fix, especially when you have a place you can go with your beloved device.  We fix our stuff right there.  We don't send it out, unless it's a motherboard issue. Ninety-nine percent of our repairs are done on site with great techs and great parts."

     And the cost?  "We can do it faster and cheaper and better."

     Ron added that uBreakiFix guarantees the lowest price - with a like competitor. (Your cousin Fred doesn't count.) 

    The shop also offers a full line of accessories, such as top quality chargers and headphones. 

    And it has a 90-day warranty on repairs nation-wide, which means any uBreakiFix store in the country will honor the warranty given by the Little Rock store. That's handy, if you have a problem with a phone or computer while working out of state or on vacation. 

   When Shoppe Talk remarked on the genuine friendliness of the staff at Pleasant Ridge, Ron said, "We love what we are doing."  You can tell.  It's sincere, and they have a vision and a passion about uBreakiFix.  

    "A lot of people want to work for us. It's a great place to work, and they get to do what they just really enjoy doing.

     "Some places act like they are doing you a favor, and you have to make an appointment … .  We see ourselves as a customer care service company that does repairs."

      Ron owns the Pleasant Ridge store with his wife, Joyce.  His son, Matthew, also works there.  

    "Joyce is the president.  We call her 'Madam President.' It's a family business, and everybody at uBreakiFix is like family."

     Ron got into the repair franchise after a 40-year career in the bond business. He opted for uBreakiFix after research into the success of the business and after meeting the two young men who started it.

     "Justin Wetherill and his friend David Reiff started it in '09 in a bedroom (at Justin's home).  Then they took over the house."  After about four months they had their first store.  "A little over a year ago, they decided to franchise."

     And now it's a $1 billion business. Ron said uBreakiFix now has 97 stores.

    "We are the undisputed industry leader," Ron said.  "We test our parts. We buy from the highest quality vendors. "It's thrilling to be working with some bright, hardworking young people who have a vision and know where they want to take the company.  We were so impressed with what they developed.  And we are thrilled to be a part of it."

   The Pleasant Ridge shop has performed "above expectations," Ron said.  "The customers feel the same way we do.  They enjoy the service.  They can watch TV and wait on a repair.  It's a good feeling."

   Ron and Mrs. Harb are working on opening a third store.  "That's the model for us.  The more stores we open, the stronger our brand recognition."

    The Pleasant Ridge Town Center store is located at 11525 Cantrell Road, #915, between the Sky Modern Japanese and Little Greek restaurants.  It is open 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Saturday and noon to 5 p.m. on Sunday. You may call it at 225-4349. 

    Ron said that he and Joyce wanted the first one to open in the Pleasant Ridge Town Center.  

   "It's delightful.  There's just a lot of traffic out there and great shops.  Lou and his team do a really good job of managing the property," he said of Lou Schickel, developer and owner of Pleasant Ridge.   We really wanted to be there for our first store.  It's a very nice neighborhood."

This story first appeared in the November 2014 issue of Shoppe Talk.  It was written by Bobbi Nesbitt.  The photograph is by Kelley Naylor Wise.