Distinctly Montana Magazine

Spring 2012

Distinctly Montana Magazine

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BUSINESS si CHILDREN'S CLOTHING DESIGNER NICI HOLT CLINE BY CAROLINE PATTERSON N ici Holt Cline believes risks pay off. "That's part of being an artist," she says. And for Cline, they have. Direct, energetic, and funny, Cline, 34, describes herself as a "fourth-generation Mon- tanan raising kids, vegetables, and the roof in Missoula." The mother of two has a thriving "Dig This Chick" children's clothing label, a successful blog, and a monthly column in magazine. Cline moves quickly and organically between her sewing life, her writing life, and her home life with 2-year-old Ruby, with her round blue eyes and blonde curls, and 4-year-old Margot, with her pink tutu and lime green Patagonia jacket. Her husband, Andy Cline, is an electrician and up-and-coming contemporary artist. She moves fast, so it's hard to catch her between texts and naps, her house, her sewing place, her computer, and hikes with friends. But when I do meet her at Piper & Paisley, a hat shop located at the Hip Strip of south Higgins in Missoula, Nici was . As focused, thoughtful, and exuberant as the words on her blog, where, she says, her purpose is to capture "the everyday activity and feeling of my family, our real journey. I am really interested in and inspired by the unscripted, the unposed, the ordinary." She is the calm center, directing the whirlwind around her. In 2007, Cline was on her way to Chicago to attend a graduate program in arts administration when she found out she was preg- nant. "I had to get groovy with this new plan," she says, flashing a grin. Her blog evolved as she did: the writing became more personal as she "got more brave about her sharing." Cline started adding pictures: of her children, her hikes, her chickens, her garden. Her readership grew, she laughs, growing from "my mom, my mother-in- law, and my two best friends" to the current website that is visited by nearly 60,000 readers and paid sponsors. She said it was scary to leave her job as development director at the Missoula Art Museum in 2009 to be home with her children, but it kick-started her career as an entrepreneur. She creates children's clothing with appliqued state silhouettes on everything from onesies to sweatshirts. Today they are sold on her website, on the popular Etsy. com, and statewide in specialty retail stores. "I'm a believer in the law of attraction," Cline says. "I believe that if you put your mind and heart into something it always works out." When asked if she represents a new group of entrepreneurial women who combine working and child-rearing, Cline resists catego- rization. "Women want to make the choice that feels best to them, whether it is working or not working. This is my way of having both." DISTINCTLY MONTANA WOMAN 7 PROTECTING YOUR SKIN UNDER THE BIG SKY BY RACHEL ROCKAFELLOW, RN level on the Kootenai River in northwest Montana to a high of 12,799 feet at Granite Peak near Red Lodge. For every 3,280 feet in elevation gain, UV levels increase by 10% to 12%. The state's elevation increases the risk of skin damage from the sun; and because skin damage is cumulative, it is imperative to protect young children and teens. Snow reflects as much as 80% of UV radiation, so E we need to be vigilant about using sunscreen, even in winter months. Water, cement, and sand also reflect UV rays. Cloudy days do not offer protection, and highest sun exposure occurs between 10 am and 2 pm. Squamous cell and basal cell carcinomas are the most common types of skin cancer and usually occur on skin ex- posed to the sun. If you are un- sure of a skin change, check your ABCs. A, asymmetry; B, border (irregular edges); C, color variation; D, diameter greater than 1/4-inch; E, elevated. Skin changes with these characteristics should be checked by a medical professional. Prevention—especially for children—is key. Parents MONTANA'S ELEVATION INCREASES THE RISK OF SKIN DAMAGE FROM THE SUN; AND BECAUSE SKIN DAMAGE IS CUMULATIVE, IT IS IMPERATIVE TO PROTECT YOUNG CHILDREN AND TEENS. levation in Montana varies from a low of 1,800 feet above sea HEALTH can follow CDC recommendations by using sun- screen with a minimum skin protective factor (SPF) of 15 or higher with both UVA and UVB protection, using clothing to protect exposed skin, wearing wide-brimmed hats and good sunglasses, and seek- ing shade during midday hours. Enjoy our beautiful outdoors and remember to protect your family's skin. PREMIERE ISSUE • SPRING 2012 k D c i i h g C h T Mamalode there

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