While most women might run from ghosts, Sarah runs toward them, coaxing them from the woodwork with other members of her (mostly female) paranormal investigation team. “When we meet other groups it’s more common for men to be involved,” she says. Sarah became interested in the paranormal when, as a child, she was visited by the spirit of her grandfather.

Bryan was about to pull the plug on internet dating when he met Cindy, a life coach and on/off eHarmony for many years. The weekend before Cindy met Bryan, she finalized her vision board, a detailed map of images and words of what she desired most in a relationship. Five months after their first date, they officially made switch from broad band to wedding bands: they plan to marry later this year.

Cindy: “The thing I saw from the start was an open-minded man that would help me reach my life goals and wouldn’t be intimidated by the woman I’d become.”

Bryan: “I had always hoped that I would find someone with an inner beauty to match their exterior beauty and Cindy is just that person. I couldn’t be happier.”

The Bohle’s know that a key part of a healthy relationship is a healthy heart. David, a cardiologist on staff with Forsyth Medical Center, and Christine have kept theirs going strong through 26 years of marriage. The pair also strongly support women’s cardiology research. In honor of their advocacy, visit goredforwomen.com.

David: “She stole my heart from the first time I met her back in college.”

Christine: “Oh, he’s so funny! He brings a lot of laughter to our marriage and our family and that’s some of the best medicine there is.”

Most people don’t regret leaving. “I don’t regret coming home,” says Lawren. After bouncing between Los Angeles and New York City, pursuing dreams of filmmaking and production, Lawren returned to Winston-Salem. She graduated with her MBA from Wake Forest in 2004 and she started a family. Now she’s bringing a bit of the big city to Winston-Salem with the independent theatre, a/perture. “A friend told me it’s the perfect marriage of my interests,” she says. The cinema is located downtown and houses two, 80-seat theaters. The film genres range from independent, foreign, and art-house. “They’ll be award-winning films that aren’t already being screened here,” she says. Though Lawren thought she would never move back, it seems she’s found her place. “I’m exactly where I want to be now,” she says.

a/perture plans to draw back the curtain Friday, January 8. Visit aperturecinema.com for more info.
 

There’s just something about Jan. Soft-spoken, though out-spoken, you’ll need to keep pen and paper by your side to note her elegant aphorisms. Jan is a mosaic artist and an artist in residence, most recently with the fifth graders of Cook Elementary School, a residency made possible by the Downtown Rotary Club. Her challenge to all her students is not to teach them how to make art, but to show them that they have a place in the art world. “Because I do mosaic, people want me to teach them mosaic. You can get a book for that. I teach them to use the form of mosaic to tell a story.” Jan jumpstarts her creative juices by spending time with fellow artists, but her relationship with the Muse is of more malleable form. “Historically the Muse is seen as a person, and entity. I don’t visualize her that way. I see the Muse as moments of extraordinary awareness. Gifts from another world. When the muse is with me, I feel like she’s saying ‘Go girl. Take the leap.’”

Rebeccah wants what most women want: bigger, and better. Only her wants apply to her trade -- glass blowing. “Glass for me has always been about the process, not the objects,” she says. The artist who refuses to own the title talks about the collaborative nature of the trade, one where “there are many ways to do something, and many right ways to do something, but only a few ways to be successful.” What inspires her is the challenge. “I love getting better, seeing myself improve. It takes years to become mediocre.” Currently, glass is challenging her in other ways. In 2012, she plans to open the community arts collective, The Olio, with her husband. As the first glassblowing studio in the Triad, The Olio will be a place where any and everyone can come to appreciate art and how it impacts our community. Read more about The Olio at theblogolio.wordpress.com.
 

Penny has a lot to be thankful for, and quite a bit to be thanked for. Sixteen years ago, Penny received a kidney transplant from her sister. Since then she’s felt the need to pay it forward. Last year her path was made clear when she accepted a position with the North Carolina Eye Bank. In 2008, The Eye Bank facilitated 3,440 corneal transplants, more than any other eye bank in the world. As the Family Care Coordinator, Penny consoles and uplifts transplant recipients and donor’s families. Her passion for organ donation, or as she calls it “the original recycling,” radiates from her.

Transplantation is the core of what defines me. I am a kidney transplant recipient, I am a donor advocate, I am passionate about life. I have witnessed the power of organ donation first hand, I have felt the love of a sister, and I have been humbled by her courage and grace.

The Secret to...

As a breast health technologist with Forsyth Medical Center Imaging – The Breast Clinic, it’s Dena’s job to be your bosom buddy. In her ten years on the clinic’s diagnostic floor, Dena has seen many mammaries – and many amazing women. "They have so much courage, so much grace,” she says. Although there is no known prevention for breast cancer, Dena's best precautionary advice includes a healthy diet, ample exercise, and conversations with family members about family history with the disease.

The secret to early breast cancer detection is a monthly self-exam starting at age 20, a yearly mammogram starting at age 40, and a yearly clinical breast exam by a health-care professional.

Shari may be the front-woman in this photo, but that’s not the big picture. Actually, it’s hard to separate Shari from partners-in-crime, Melissa Ward and Amy Poole. The trio makes up IDEAS Interior Design and Art Studio on Burke Street. “When we first got together it was amazing,” said Shari. “The energy was just incredibly palpable.” Each brings something different to the drafting table – Shari specializes in architecture and renderings, Melissa in furniture and finishings, and Amy, a happy mix of the two and studio art. “Somebody has to be the weird one,” she says. Read their collaborative tip below.

“The secret to hanging pictures correctly is filling up the space. The bottom of your frame should be 6” off the sofa back; the center should be at eye level. To keep pictures level add Velcro to the bottom corners.”

Laura Ormson has worn long, baggy, khaki shorts for the last time. As a member of the women’s golf team and a rising senior at Wake Forest, Laura is taking a stand against the outdated attire available to young female golfers. In an effort to add some bling to her swing, Laura created her own line of sportswear – Wear to Win. “There’s nothing meant specifically for the younger girl. It wasn’t necessarily a new idea, everyone agrees the clothes are this way – but we just did it.” In collaboration with her mother and talented friends from Parsons New School of Design and the Art Institute of Chicago, Laura’s designs are making their way into the sports world and the skirt! World. See the Skirt of the Month page to check out one of her Wear to Win designs.

Anna has always known she was an artist; she was just searching for her medium. But when the rising senior at Forsyth Country Day traveled to the set of her favorite TV show, “The Office,” last year, that search ended. In pursuit of her passion for screenwriting, Anna recently attended the summer screenwriting program at the Interlochen Arts Academy. She was one of just ten students accepted.

Francesca speaks five languages, has lived and traveled worldwide, and worked for Sotheby’s, Phillips,
de Pury & Luxembourg and Christies before starting her own business in Paris in 2004. She extended her lifestyle consulting business, Flourish, to Winston-Salem in 2007. The fascinating thing about her life list: she’s already accomplished it.

My Life List:
Achieve financial stability and independence.
Learn how to say ‘no’.
Do one thing every day that scares me.
Learn to prioritize.
Love myself, respect my body and mind.

I am a Feminist because…

“…I am the mother of three boys. I won’t raise a daughter in this lifetime that will knock down glass ceilings (or walls…do we always have to be climbing up?), but I can raise three men who will seek out, support and celebrate women who do just that. I believe that is the next step in this journey to equality.”

Amy is a founding member of Paper Lantern Theatre Company and the producer of their first show “Dead Man's Cell Phone” by Sarah Ruhl, opening July 17. This fall, the professional actor will appear in the movie “Main Street” starring Ellen Burstyn, Orlando Bloom and Colin Firth. paperlanterntheatre.com.

In a cage match of Xena vs. Stacie, Stacie would kick Xena’s ass and Xena would somehow feel good about it. I was 40, fat, out of shape and doing nothing to change it. Thanks to her, I’m now jogging three times a week and training for a 5K! She’s changed my life forever.
 ~L. Kay Watson, Winston-Salem, NC

Stacie moved to Winston-Salem from Midland, Michigan in the fall of 2006. She loves ’80s music, Marshmallow Peeps, and her job as a certified personal trainer with Fleet Feet Sports. And when it comes to cake, she only eats the icing.