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By Carolyn Woodruff, North Carolina Family Law Specialist

It is cause to pause for a sober moment over the apparent suicide death of fellow North Carolina lawyer Cheslie Kryst. She was the director of diversity for Poyner Spruill LLP law firm in Charlotte, North Carolina. At age 30, she had accomplished much. She had a Juris Doctor and MBA from Wake Forest University. She, of course, was Miss North Carolina USA and Miss USA in 2019. Her pro bono work for the incarcerated was notable.

While her apparent jump from the 29th floor of her apartment building in NYC needs to be investigated, her last Instagram post seemed to be a silent last cry for help and a resignation. She posted: “May this day bring you rest and peace,” followed by a red heart. She blogged at whitecollarglam, but she had not posted since August 18, 2021. Her merchandise is “sold out,” and everything new is is “sold out.”  Was this a sign of withdrawal? What caused her to go into such a deep depression that her glamourous life was not worth living? What was that last straw? Continue reading

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By: Carolyn J. Woodruff, JD, CPA, CVA
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Creating a new family tradition can be a way to bring cheer to the holidays for both children and adults, especially when the family structure is changing due to divorce. One way to bond in a new family dynamic is to incorporate ‘matching outfits’, such as holiday themed pajamas or the famous ‘ugly Christmas sweater’.

According to The Suburban Mom blogger Jen Burg, whose blog has featured a variety of expert tips on navigating family life, matching pajamas can help kids feel cozy and relaxed during the holidays and provide an opportunity for fun family bonding activities. She also notes that the pajamas can make for some cute pictures!

The ugly Christmas sweater has earned its place in American lore and has become increasingly popular in recent years. It even has a special national day! The third Friday in December is known as National Ugly Christmas Sweater Day. It is a day when people don their best, most hideous, sweaters to bring joy and laughter to all they meet.

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This week, we take a collective breath to honor the passing of a great American, Colin Powell. Some of us remember him best as a four-star General who led our military to a victory in the Gulf War era; some of us remember best his role as Secretary of State for our country. Continue reading

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By: Carolyn J. Woodruff, JD, CPA, CVA
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Self-care can make it to the bottom of the list some days, especially during a divorce. Between the demands of work and home and possibly caring for children, other family members, or even pets, it can be difficult to make time for yourself. Continue reading

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I love chocolate, and COVID-19 has not changed my chocolate fetish. But, it has given me more time to cook, out of both necessity and a need for a creative outlet. Plus, no restaurants are open, so here I am in my kitchen. Being healthy is a goal, and I look for organic solutions without flour, which is not good for me. I also do not add salt to anything, and I recommend you not add salt either. I also do not add sugar, including stevia. My husband loves these brownies. Continue reading

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Venn Crawford
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The Seven Nights of Santa traveled to Lithuania for the first time this July, thanks to our friend Andrew Mastecas’s excellent work in translating the book.

The Seven Nights of Santa
My husband Dwight Ensley and I first published The Seven Nights of Santa in 2013. In my work as a family law attorney, I see a lot of divorces involving children. Holidays such as Christmas are often difficult for such families – there are disagreements over how to celebrate or which house the kids open gifts in. Additionally, media images of “traditional” families don’t represent the experiences of children of divorce. These experiences are what inspired The Seven Nights of Santa, which shows how Christmas can be magical for families of all shapes and sizes.

We give away copies of the book to clients going through a divorce, but their children aren’t the only ones who need this message. That’s why we teamed up with Andrew Mastecas, a 9th grader from New York City, who translated the book into Lithuanian and donated the copies to orphanages in the country.

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What better way to beat the heat this July than with patriotic popsicles? If you want to really knock the socks off your neighbors though, you can’t settle for store bought. But of course, that’s why you’re here.

Don’t let the title mislead you – today I’m bringing you not one, but twelve popsicle recipes. Because today’s blog isn’t just about making a Fourth of July popsicle, it’s about making the ultimate Fourth of July popsicle. I’m talking a popsicle that bleeds melts red, white, and blue.

Ready to pick some flavors? Let’s start off with white.

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Venn Crawford
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There’s not an uneventful day at Woodruff Family Law Group. Usually, surprises come in the form of laughter – witty comments in the back office, or a story about one of our lawyers that I haven’t heard yet. Sometimes they’re bigger things, like the water main bursting and turning the street outside into a river.

Oftentimes, it’s Carolyn that brings the unexpected to me. She herself is unexpected – though she’s a small woman, her larger-than-life personality fills the room, commanding your attention. She moves through life at a fast clip, and I feel like I’m always trying to catch up with her.

So, when Carolyn summons me to her office on a Wednesday morning, I’m a bit apprehensive and not at all sure what to expect.

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Venn Crawford
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I made these crispy slow cooker carnitas recently, and they are incredible! Carnitas weren’t something I’ve made before, but I’m proud of how they turned out!

The biggest challenge of the carnitas was maneuvering the hefty pork shoulder. I trimmed quite a lot of fat off of it, which I saved to render later. After trimming, I rubbed the pork with a Mexican-inspired spice blend that included cayenne, cumin, oregano, and chili powder. With my trusty cast-iron pan over high heat, I seared the pork in bacon grease to lock in the flavor. This was an interesting thing to watch – the shoulder was far too big for tongs, so I had to keep turning it by hand in the pan.

I loved how simple it was to slow-cook the pork. Some onion, green chiles, bay leaves, and garlic joined the pork in the pot. After pouring chicken broth and a bit of lime juice over the mix, I set the slow cooker for 10 hours and went to work on other things.

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