BEN ASHBY’S
FOLK
Real. American. Living.
AUTHENTIC The Best of Year One THE BEST IDEAS, STORIES, PLACES, SPACES, RECIPES, AND INSPIRATION FOR REAL AMERICAN LIVING!
MAGAZINEBYFOLK.COM
… Jen O’Connor Presents… Artful Décor and Accessories for the Handmade Life and Home home décor, folk art, paintings, jewelry & accessories, textiles, soft-sculpture, heirloom toys, pottery, art dolls, vintage fancies, luxury goods, books, fashion and more
BIG NEWS!
We’ve just re-launched our website with a NEW name and a whole NEW look! Visit us to see what we’ve been up to and browse our NEW offerings.
Catch the Art Girls’ RoadShow Shopping Events! September 14, 15 & 16 • Country Living Fair • Columbus, OH October 26, 27 & 28 • Country Living Fair • Atlanta, GA December 1 & 2 • 2nd Annual Merry Artists’ Showcase • Saratoga, NY
WELCOME
FOLK | BEST OF YEAR ONE
One year, 3,794,100 square miles, 311,591,917 people, and one community...
SHIRT: AMERICAN APPAREL
My how time flies. It feels like just yesterday we started working on our very first issue, and yet here we are looking back at the year that was. In this special issue we present the best of the year. It has certainly been a crazy first year, but I reflect on that in our upcoming Fall 2012 issue. So in this issue lets celebrate everything that has happened. Lets look back at the best. In only seems fitting to open this issue with the opening that started this journey one year ago....
WELCOME to FOLK. You may be asking what exactly FOLK is all about. Simply put it is about REAL. AMERICAN. LIVING. The driving force behind FOLK is to immerse the reader in a life that journeys at a slower pace, one that involves drinking iced tea on the front porch, having conversations with friends, reliving the olden days, hunting for the perfect antique and vintage items, eating at local diners, perfecting family recipes, picking tomatoes off the vine, summers spent in a swing under an old oak tree, buying locally made products, driving with windows down and Miranda Lambert blasting, creating unique collections of your own, finding the country life in any setting, and one that remembers the little things that make life worth living. The idea behind FOLK came from months of conversations with friends, many of which are now part of this team. We, as members of Generation Y, have a desire to prove that we care about history, small towns, country life, and the American Spirit. We felt it was time for us to step up and make our mark on the style we love… You’ll notice that many of us are still in college. So at the ripe age of twenty-two I find myself hunting for antiques that are decades older than I am, or flipping through recipes that are twice my age… and I wouldn’t have it any other way! My love of the things that comprise FOLK started in the kitchen of my Aunt June. She is the one responsible for teaching me to garden, to appreciate family and family history, to sew (which I’m still not good at) and most importantly to cook. From that house the beliefs behind FOLK grew from small town living, the rows of church pews, civic engagement, and a growing belief in the importance of American made. Out of that FOLK was developed to be the premiere publication for the Made in America movement as well as a staunch supporter of small towns, small business, artisan made, and a return to the concepts this nation was founded upon. I told one of my writers a few weeks ago that I want a potential reader to see the cover, pick up the magazine, flip through the issue, and fall in love. I am proud to say that I know you will enjoy FOLK and I would love for you to become of the Folks!
Ben
FEATURES IN THIS ISSUE
20
STEPPING OUT IN SEMINOLE COUNTY
Jen and the girls travel to Florida to see the art scene in Seminole County. Originally in Summer 2012..
NATURAL INSPIRATION
26
52 82
Hillary visits with her neighbor Jon Carloftis to learn about the inspiration behind his signature gardens. Originally in Summer 2012
A DAY SPENT AT BARNHOUSE
From our very first issue. Kimberly spends the wekeend at one of the boy’s unforgettable vintage events.
FIELD DRESSING Boston’s Ball and Buck is known for carrying strictly Made in America. Find out why they have joined the movement. From Christmas 2012.
138
THANKFUL
What does it mean for Gen Y to celebrate Thanksgiving?
104
AN INSPIRED CHRISTMAS
Finderskeepers Market in Lexington has a look all its own. We seek out types for easy holiday decorating. From Christmas 2012.
BEN ASHBY EDITOR-IN-CHIEF editor.folk@gmail.com LEAD WRITER HEATH STILTNER WHOLESALE
172
GARRETT PLANTANITIS wholesale.folk@gmail.com
MARKETING & ADVERTSING
HILLARY LEWIS advertise.folk@gmail.com CUSTOMER SERVICE hillary.folk@gmail.com
THE CAKES THAT RAISED ME
This is the piece that launched FOLK. These are the recipes I grew up making all while learning what it means to live an authentic life. #FINDINGFALLWITHFOLK Join us this season in finding the season. Share with us your photos, recipes, sights, scents, and memories by using the hashtag #FindingFallWithFOLK on Instagram, Twitter, and Pinterest.
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CONTENTS
FOLK LIFE
8 BOOK REVIEW 10 MADE IN AMERICA 14 CAMERON ERNST 16 ONION GROVE MERCANTILE 34 READER SUBMISSION 36 THE REMEMBRANCER 38 LITTLE BIG TOWN 43 A ROADTRIP IN THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST 47 BLOGLIFE 60 A READER REMEMBERS 64 THE LITTLE THINGS
FASHION
74 FOREST BOUND 78 A WEEKEND HOLIDAY 88 FROM DIRT TO SHIRT 92 A PROPER GENTLEMAN 97 A LIFE IN VINTAGE 100 BONEFEATHER
CREATE 113 122 126 131
JUNK FIX SWEET SWEATER PUMPKINS OLD HOUSE LOVE DIY 101
GATHER
132 RIKKI SNYDER 135 MOMMA HEN’S KITCHEN 146 INSPIRED BY JAM 148 A LUCKY GIFT 152 TABLESCAPE 154 VIRGINIA’S ALLEY 160 WINE + MARKET 164 RETHINKING THE ROOST PHOTOGRAPHY: All photography has been used with the permission of its respective owners. We would like to thank each owner for the rights to use their photos. ADDRESS CHANGE: Please mail us at PO Box 195 Beaver Dam, KY 42320 with your previous address and your new address. ADVERTISING: To inquire about advertising in a future issue of FOLK please email us at advertise.folk@gmail.com. We can send our media packet to you as well as current ad rates. SUBMISSIONS: To send submissions directly to our offices please send them to the following address PO Box 195 Beaver Dam, KY 42320. LIABILITY: FOLK, nor any member of the FOLK or CHANDLERclark staff will be in any way held responsible for any accidents resulting from the possession of this magazine. This extends explicitly, but may contain other instances, to consumption or eating of this publication or any part of this publication, paper cuts or other bodily injuries resulting from touching this magazine, or any form of mental duress, stress, or harm that results from reading, viewing, or handling this publication or any supplement published by CHANDLERclark. Please be aware that by purchasing or focusing attention on this publication you waive all rights to hold anyone connected to FOLK responsible for any negative effects that may result from contact with this magazine, its online presence, its reputation, its content , or its mission. Thank you. 7/11 FOLK Magazine, a division of CHANDLERclark. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is prohibited. No rights for commercial use or exploitation are given or implied.
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The Rural Society Antiques and Garden Sale Mt.Vernon, Ohio
Show Calendar December 3
Homespun ChristmaS Lancaster, Oh January 13-14
No Sales Tax Day Our Shop
Specializing in 18th & 19th century country antiques original paint and attic surface - accessories - folk art
614-833-2521 614-325-8873
8739 Slough Rd Carroll, Ohio MillerHouse8739@sbcglobal.net www.picturetrail.com/millerhouseantiques
February 11
Winter in the Valley Fishersville, Va March 2-3
Homesteaders Arthur, Il
FOLK LIFE PEOPLE, PRODUCTS, AND PLACES TO LOVE
Uncommon Folk | Cinnamon Creek Worton Weekender | $249 | Blue Claw Co.
Tea Towel | Studiopatro
Soap |Rocky Top Soap Shop
Tea Towel | Branch Handmade
Espresso Brownie | Whimsy and Spice
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Vanilla Caramels | The Caramel Jar
FOLK LIFE SEPT/OCT 2011
NO TRICKS PLEASE!
The Whimsical Whittler
Cheswick Company
Jody Cain
Needlin Around
Prim Penny
Lori Ann Corelis
Honey and Maple Syrup
Here at FOLK we are all about showing your creations. Back in July we asked our readers to submit their favorite Halloween pieces they’ve created. These are our favorites. To view more check out our Facebook page. Facebook.com/wearefolk
FOLK 24
Book Review MUST READS
Happy Home JENNIFER PAGANELLI’S
STORY: HILLARY LEWIS | PHOTO: TIM GEANEY
NESTLED IN THE HEART OF CONNECTICUT IS THE VIBRANT STUDIO OF JENNIFER PAGANELLI. JENNIFER SPENT HER ADOLESCENCE IN THE VIRGIN ISLANDS, WHERE SHE FELL IN LOVE WITH THE VIBRANT COLORS OF THE NATIVE WARDROBE; VIBRANT COLORS THAT ARE NOW A STAPLE IN HER TEXTILE LINE, SIS BOOM.
In the mid 1990’s, Jennifer was working for Knoll Textiles where she learned the language of textiles and began to see bits of modern mixed with vintage. It was around this time that Jennifer began collecting pieces of vintage fabrics, making a mental note that she would someday bring back those timeless designs. She started with a light box, tracing the individual elements of samples, before she learned how to scan the fabrics and use a photo shop program to break out specific patterns. Her ideal pattern is something simple that the customer can always come back to. Something simple and something saturated with color. She does not follow color trends but instead plays up what naturally comes to her, quickly admitting that this can lead you into a danger of designing for yourself. Jennifer notes that success is all about waiting for the moment though. She insists on staying true to yourself, and waiting for the right opportunities to arise. She pulls her inspiration from everywhere, everything, and everyone. When she breaks out her idea books this is plain to see. Each page is filled with sketches, magazine clippings, paint chips, ideas. Then of course, there are those moments when the ideas do not seem to flow as smoothly as she would like. It is at that point when she pulls out the needle and thread. Jennifer states that sewing by hand leaves her with a sense of accomplishment. “Call it spiritual, or whatever you would like, sewing by hand connects you. It connects you with the fabric, the texture, the color. You are taken away to a place full of ideas and are surrounded by the creativity of others who have come before you.” – Jennifer Paganelli Jennifer always wanted to write a book showcasing her fabrics and the patterns you could create with them. In May of 2011 she released Girls World and with much success she proudly released Happy Home in May of 2012. Happy Home supplies Jennifer’s fans with the opportunity to be able to create 21 vibrant home accessories to transform their individual space into a “sunny, happy home.” From draperies, to tablecloths and napkins, Happy Home includes step-by-step instructions, pattern sheets, colorful photos, and a glossary of techniques to make it easy for the reader to “pretty up every room in the house.” To learn more about Jennifer, purchase copies of Girls World and Happy Home, or to learn where you can purchase Sis Boom fabric please log on to www.SisBoom.com
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FOLK | 10 | 2012
Made in America
ARTISANS WHO BRING AMERICA BACK
The Victory Garden of Tomorrow BY: DAVID GOBELI
IN A TIME WHEN PINEAPPLES, GUAVA, AND ASPARAGUS ARE AVAILABLE YEAR ROUND AND NEARLY ANY FOOD IS STOCKED ON THE SHELVES OF MOST GROCERIES, JOE WIRTHEIM WANTS TO FURTHER EXPAND YOUR SELECTION. If you want fancy French lettuces that your local market does not carry or heirloom blue pumpkins from Australia, he wants you to have it. The one caveat Joe has is that you grow it — on an organic farm. He also wants you to make compost, and to have a few backyard chickens. In an age when most everything is available year round, Joe sees it as more of a perceived choice. Processed foods come at a very high price to our health, the environment, and in petroleum dollars. “Our entire food system is built on oil and corn subsidies. Today there’s no reason to believe these will last. To top it off, the industrial foods we’ve been eating are terrible for our health. Childhood obesity makes my ears turn red. I realize that in many ways, it’s difficult for an average middle-class person living the urban or suburban lifestyle today to see a reason to supplement their diet with a backyard garden. But that’s why I make propaganda, to insert the message that gardens need to become a normal part of what Americans do again; and even if the amount they produce is small, there occurs an important education and rise in awareness.” Joe calls his propaganda campaign The Victory Garden of Tomorrow. He designs and prints art posters that are based on the iconic American propaganda posters of both World War I and II. Using their style, and sometimes actual posters as inspiration, he has begun to create a new type of propaganda; this time it is about what we eat and where we get it.
The Victory Garden of Tomorrow has its roots in Portland, Oregon, a city that has long been seen as a center of political and cultural activism, so a poster campaign that wants us to re-identify our eating habits is fitting. He hasn’t always been in Portland though; he moved there in the mid 2000’s from Columbus, Ohio.
Remembering Columbus, he says, “I was…one of the small group of people getting around on bicycles — I had no car at the time. I was living in a neighborhood that was a little out there in terms of low rents, and eccentric artist types. I suppose being on a bike and being around a sensibility that is acutely aware of waste, the greater city seemed strange to me. I wondered why it was the way it was, why it was segregated, why the suburbs were so popular, [and] why shopping centers were a thing to be excited about. Parking lots everywhere. I just felt that this wasn’t normal.” So, Joe left Columbus and moved to Portland, where bikers rode in crowds and morning rush hour traffic jams involved not only cars but cycles. In awe of the city and the old main street aesthetic that housed small community businesses, he enrolled at Portland State, the local university, where he met and has since had the chance to work with a variety of talent that he can draw inspiration from. Then came The Victory Garden of Tomorrow, his selfdescribed poster campaign that is “designed to channel the bold energy of historical poster propaganda. It is committed to civic innovation and social progress — better food, better gardens, and better cities. It is design, politics, and whimsy for the modern home front.” Drawing inspiration from the Victory Gardens of WWI and II and the 1939 New York World’s Fair (“The World of Tomorrow”) he developed the name of
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his campaign. “… like a lot of nerdy kids of my generation, I was enthralled with the idea of space exploration, loved the images and stories of moon landings, and just loved the idea of heroic, capable explorers. I imagined our mid-century economic era as a kind of fork in the road where America sort of chose the industrial path. However, the world of tomorrow could have been, and still can be, the path illustrated by the Victory Garden and waste-reduction movements.” He began to imagine the “Victory Garden of Tomorrow” as an “exciting new 21st century place of discovery, innovation, and excitement. A place where young people are needed to urgently man the gardens and consider creative, imaginative ways to solve contemporary problems.” Then Joe designed atomic lettuces, atoms spinning around the leaves in mid-century simplicity; pickles in space; and heroic chickens standing guard like B-52 bombers over the airstrip. Taken out of the posters are airplane hangars, rockets, and industrial powerhouses pumping out wartime munitions. Common everyday backyard heroes now take their place. In his design
about compost, a father and son peek into a compost bin watching the micro-organisms doing all the dirty work. Another, emblazoned with the words “Break New Ground,” calls to mind a soldier’s boot on the edge of a shovel digging a trench, but instead urges “Plant an Urban Farm Garden.” Even the flying bee in the poster’s background is reminiscent of a warplane, whimsically crafted into the modern, backyard air force. Each piece calls to mind the strong imagery and text of the old propaganda posters. Bold, normally few colors, heavy strokes, and implied detail make every design speak with the same intensity as the originals. Joe loves the idea of “… turning the hero into something that is common, that is understated, and right in the backyard. To me, chickens, compost, [and] lettuce all speak to the idea that there’s more power in small and ordinary places. Our society has been all about industrial sized power moves, and I’m just thinking that the future might be a place that’s smaller scale, more human, er, chicken powered.” A whopping 1.5 million people contract either e. coli or salmonella per year. Many of these cases involve largescale industrial farming and crops that should never be exposed to those bacteria. Type 2 diabetes (which was once an adult disease but now is found in 1 of every 400 children), obesity, hypertension, heart disease, and cancer are all on the rise. It is thought that the current generation is the first generation that will have a shorter lifespan than their parents—the first time in American history. Our food plays a direct role in all of these diseases as well as our mental states and, it has been said, our general state of happiness. Millions of Americans are sick and the food they eat has a lot to blame for it and Joe Wirtheim is trying to do something about it. “I believe that … America needs a culture change around food and eating. People need to set examples for each other, begin discussing these things in their community, demand better foods from their grocers, demand variances for [egg-laying] hens from their municipalities, and so on. We need critical mass of demand before government programs are successful. I’d like to see more support for local farms and gardens, while seeing a reduction of government support for the industrial corn and soy based products. But to get the ball rolling, folks have to demonstrate this is something they want, not something imposed. That’s why I make the art I make; I want to charm while accessing people’s imaginations as to what is possible.”
Music
MUST LISTEN MUSIC
CAMERON ERNST
CAMERON ERNST is a Kansas-born singer/
songwriter whose song “Love is Louder” was recently featured in an anti-bullying campaign started by actress Brittany Snow, MTV, and the JED Foundation. Often performing at schools across the country, Ernst uses his powerful lyrics and “piano pop” style to raise awareness, inspire, and entertain. For more information, check out Cameron’s website at cameronernst.com
You originally moved to California to pursue acting. Do you still have interest in doing this at some point or would you like to devote all of your energy to music? I love acting, but right now, it’s not my passion like singing and songwriting. I have be able to do a few music videos, which has allowed me to do a little bit of acting though, they’re so much fun. How has your Kansas upbringing influenced your songwriting (if you think it indeed has)? I grew up in a small town, and my parents raised me with smalltown values and beliefs. I think this definitely has had an impact on my music because I like to write with honesty and sincerity. I think the songs that hit home with most people are the ones that are written about real situations to which they can relate. Kansas instilled that “down-to-earth”, genuine quality in my character. Why did you feel motivated to lend your talents to the anti-bullying campaign? What other causes inspire you (to write and/or donate your time)? I decided to raise my voice for love and anti-bullying because I was inspired by what I saw others doing to raise their voices. I also was touched by the stories of young people taking their lives because they didn’t feel loved. If I could contribute to inspiring someone and motivating them to live life for love, then I knew it was worth a huge part of my time. One of the first causes that inspired me was Invisible Children and their efforts to end the long-running war in Northern Africa. I was heavily involved with Invisible Children in college and it not only inspired me musically but to put my passion towards a greater good. If you had to put a label on the genre you fall into, what would it be? Piano pop. A mix between The Fray and Sara Bareilles. Thought-provoking lyrics with catchy hooks that make you want to sing along In those instances when you’re not touring or in the studio, what is a typical day like for you? (What are you reading and/or listening to, what are you eating,
what’s in your coffee?) I’m constantly working on the Love on the Road Tour. It’s definitely a fulltime job and I love the business of it. I’m rereading Blake Mycoskie’s (TOMS founder) Start Something That Matters—such an inspiring book. Listening to The Fray’s new albums and occasionally some indie artists in there (noisetrade.com has a ton to choose from). Trying to eat healthy ... and iced mocha is my choice of coffee. But that’s not that healthy. Oops. Other than the piano, what instruments do you play? Guitar and trumpet What are a few of your favorite venues? I love the vibe of The Mokah Bar in Deep Ellum (Dallas), but nothing can top playing at a middle school or high school. That is the ultimate reward. What projects/collaborations do you have planned for this summer and fall? Upcoming tour and album information? Working hard on booking for Love on the Road for the fall. Possibly a new EP coming soon? Surprises. What is one song you really wish you had written (from any genre)? With whom would you love to tour? I’d love to tour with The Civil Wars. I’ve met Joy Williams before and she’s a sweetheart. And I hear great things about John Paul. And of course The Fray. I hear wonderful things about them as well. Where do you consider “home” to be (you can choose to go in a literal or figurative direction)? Describe your ideal home. Home for me is where you can relax, breathe, and be yourself. Right now that is Dallas for me. Ideal home ... a beach house or a lake house. Paradise. Can you tell us about one of your most memorable performances? What made it so special/interesting/ funny? My most memorable performance was my first school assembly at Glen Este High School in Ohio. I’ll never forget the first time I sang “Love is Louder” in front of high-school students along with the Glen Este a cappella choir. The reaction from students at that assembly was so overwhelmingly warm and positive. That performance and the three other assemblies I did that day spurred me on to continue spreading the message of love in schools and connecting with students through my music. — Liza Turner
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Made in America
MICHAEL WURM JR.
Onion Grove Mercantile
IT IS, WITHOUT A DOUBT THAT SIGNS — vintage and new, modern and rustic—have become a staple in today’s decor. If you’re lucky, you are able to find a vintage sign that once hung above a small shop on Main Street in a small town in Pennsylvania. If you are not quite as lucky, we’ve found an artist that can replicate history or create a sign inspired by your imagination. Her unique creations are now hung above today’s small businesses or in homes, capturing special memories and moments in life. We met up with Jen of Onion Grove Mercantile to learn a little more about her life as a self made sign painter.
Could you briefly tell us a little bit about yourself and what you do? I grew up in northern Iowa in a tiny town called Thor, population 100. I’m married to my wonderful husband of 10 years, Levi. We have two sons, Marshall and Clancey. We now live in Clarence, Iowa, population 1000. I’m currently a stayat-home mom, gardener, head cook, blogger, and of course, sign painter. So, when and how did you first start painting? After moving to Clarence, I got involved in many aspects of the community. I always seemed to be volunteered for the artistic jobs around town. When two of my dearest friends opened a quaint cafe in town, I offered to come up with something to put on their walls. That was my first real sign-painting job. I ended up doing their exterior sign and many other touches around the cafe as well. From there things took off, expanding to my Etsy shop, website, and lots of local work. What sparked your interest in painting signs? The opportunity at the cafe really sparked my creative juices. After that, I went crazy painting all kinds of signs. At some point I ran out of wall space in my own home and had an inkling that I could do this for other people.
With all the signs you have painted, what has been your favorite? That is a really hard question to answer. I have many, many favorites, but if I was pressed I would say the sign I painted for the summer kitchen at Miss Effie’s Flower Farm means the most to me. There are moments when I look back on a sign and think, “Wow, did I really do that?” I love that one. Where do you find inspiration for your sign creations? Honestly, everywhere. I use all recycled/reclaimed wood, so oftentimes the piece of wood itself will inspire me. I love to look through old newspapers and study the design of advertising, particularly the 1900-1920 era. I have an obsession with fonts, so those will often inspire a design. I collect quotes, as well. Imagery just seems to flow around those in my head. I’m actually planning a new line for my Etsy shop with quotes, specifically song lyrics. It sounds like you have quite the operation. Where do you paint your signs? This question makes me giggle, because I paint most of my signs at my kitchen table. However, the men in my house are tired of eating cereal next to buckets of brushes and drop cloths, so we have plans to convert our little backyard barn into a studio next year. I could not be more excited to have a space of my own. It seems like your sign painting has spun off into a business for you. What do you enjoy most about running your own business? I think one of the greatest joys a person can find in life is to do what they are most passionate about—to
do what fills their soul. This fills my soul. I have met so many wonderful and interesting people through my work. My life has been made richer through those relationships. Owning your own business is a great deal of responsibility at times and takes a lot of organization, but if you are doing something you love, it is worth every minute. Pursue only what makes you wildly happy. Why ‘Onion Grove Mercantile’? Is there any special meaning behind the name? Over the years I have toyed with different names for my “someday” business, but finally landed on Onion Grove Mercantile because I wanted something entirely unique and memorable. I live in Clarence, Iowa, which at one time was called Onion Grove. It conjures a feeling of a time gone past, which speaks to the type of sign art I paint. Where do you see yourself and Onion Grove Mercantile in the next five years? I really enjoy what I do right now and will let the future unfold organically. I have considered the possibilities of a storefront, but not until my children are older. They are priority number one and I want to be able to have the freedom to enjoy every moment of their young lives. This business is just perfect for that right now. I can schedule my work around them. And honestly, I enjoy not knowing what is around the next corner … it keeps things interesting. notesfromtheheartland.com oniongrovemercantile.com
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nny Rugs & WoolFindApplique S Dolls & M us on Facebook, Twitter & Pinterest too Find us on Facebook,Hello, Twitter & Pinterest needlinaround My name is Alison. I Handmake all the primitive goodies in my shop... most are my own design and a few are from patterns that I fall in love with! They are all made in a fun simple primitive grungy way that makes them look old and worn. My saying is “From my Hands to your Home”. Thank you soo much for stopping by and I hope you ENJOY the Goods!
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The Farmer’s Market
“Let me take you back to a gentler time.” Very detailed paintings of America’s past and brides’ boxes
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TRAVEL
Seminole
SUMMER 2012
STEPPING OUT IN
TEXT: MK SHAW | PHOTO: JEN O’CONNOR
Once you’ve nosed your car off the crowded interstate to the brick-lined streets of Sanford, you’ll see why people fall under the spell of this charming little town. Situated just north of Orlando, amidst moss draped trees and wide green parks, visitors will discover plenty of fun alternatives to the tourist attractions of the big city. Our Southern hospitality is palpable,
from the front porches of 19th-century homes and bungalows, to the friendly merchants of 1st Street who’ll invite you to pull up a chair and visit a while. Long known as a mecca for antique hunters, Sanford’s historic downtown has blossomed into a vital arts district with galleries, eateries, and live music venues that offer something for every taste.
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COUNTY
In the heart of Seminole County, Sanford offers theme park day trippers the perfect get away from long lines and crowded parking lots. Locals find it a delightful choice for a girls day out lunch and shopping junket. With help from business minded visionaries, the downtown has enjoyed a renaissance in recent years. While many American mom and
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pop enterprises have died out in the wake of strip malls and chain stores, Sanford has struck a healthy balance of galleries, thrift and consignment stores, restaurants, bars, and other creative retail shops. The small-town vibe is evident in places like the Colonial Room restaurant, where crowds of regulars occupy the time-worn booths for
hearty diner-style food and the latest gossip and town news. Oh, and all the locals know that fried chicken is served on Thursday, so expect a wait for your lunch. For the best in Southern folk art, a stop at Jeanine Taylor Folk Art is a must. You’ll find favorites like Ruby Williams, Missionary Mary Proctor, Theresa Disney, Mr. Imagination, Ab
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the Flagman, John “Cornbread” Anderson, and more. The 5,000 square foot gallery shares space with Gallery on First, which houses eight working artist studios and complements the folk art collection with a breadth of variety. You might be lucky to find the winsome French bulldog, Frankie, serving as greeter on any given day.
Homes are lovingly maintained and nod to Southern style and classic architecture. Locals and tourists alike browse the wares at each Saturday’s market. From orchids and okra to cupcakes and kettle corn, a bounty of fresh food and goodies is presented in the charming Magnolia Square.
Taylor’s spacious gallery is host to a full calendar of folk art shows, visiting artists in residence and workshops. Jen O’Connor’s spirited Earth Angels swoop into town every March to enjoy lovely weather, adoring fans, and the charms of Sanford. The 2013 calendar is already marked for their popular “heART of Winter” event on March 1 and 2.
Just off the town’s main square, you can submerge yourself in the densely packed shelves of Maya Books and give the namesake cat a scratch or say hello to the canine mascot, Layla. Just across 1st Street, when you wander into Miss Libby’s Antique Emporium, you can talk to Miss Libby herself. Or, more than likely, you’ll be listening to Miss Libby, as she loves to share stories of her wares.
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The hub of activity on Saturdays is the Sanford Farmer’s Market in Magnolia Square. With the historic clock tower hovering over the busy plaza, you’ll find produce vendors, locally harvested honey, home-baked goods, well-tended orchids, hand made items, and live music. Cavorting kids will most likely be throwing pennies in the fountain or playing with friends under the shaded awning while
Streets beg to be walked with brick-lined by-ways and trees utterly dripping with Spanish Moss. Here proud Sanford resident and JT Folk Art Gallery Manager, MK Shaw shows the visiting Earth Angels crew some of the prettiest blocks in the town. The gals wandered shady streets before meandering through the farmers’ market. Each March, the Earth Angels visit Sanford to enjoy the town and the warmth of Southern hospitality. The Earth Angels ensconce themselves in the renowned Jeanine Taylor Folk Art Gallery in the heart of downtown Sanford and take in all the town has to offer the artful spirit.
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wafts of fragrant kettle corn sweeten the air. Find your way to the Magnolia Square Market and you might think you’re in Europe. The proprietors are German and they stock dry goods and candies straight from Deutschland along with a fine assortment of cheeses, meats, potato salad and fresh desserts in the deli. The chocolate-covered rum balls are crowd favorites! Beer connoisseurs will enjoy browsing the home brew aisles. Heading south on Magnolia Avenue, you’ll be treated to one of the most scenic drives in the historic district. Centuries-old oak trees arch gracefully over the brick street. Tidily kept yards and fern-draped front porches are
lined up side by side for blocks. Residents of the “hizzy dizzy” (a local’s nickname for the historic district) are proud of maintaining their homes and showing off the charms of 1880’s architecture. You’ll see evidence of that from the many preservation award banners given out by the Sanford Historic Trust organization. Just two blocks from the downtown shopping area is a pedestrian promenade that fronts freshwater Lake Monroe. Boaters will appreciate the fact that the north-flowing St. Johns River winds through the lake on its way to Jacksonville and the Atlantic Ocean. You can reach any ocean in the world from our port! If you time your visit for one of the monthly
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citywide events, you can catch the festive Alive After Five street party on the second Thursday of the month. On the fourth Friday of the month is the Art Walk, with multiple venues featuring original art. The Food Truck Bazaar rolls into town on the first Saturday of every month and you can enjoy a vintage car show with the Celery City Cruisers on the last Saturday of every month except November and December. FOR A SMALL TOWN, SANFORD SURE PACKS A FUN PUNCH!
NATURAL INSPIRATION An Interview with Jon Carloftis of Jon Carloftis Fine Gardens
BY: BY: HILLARY HILLARY LEWIS LEWIS| PHOTOGRAPHY: COURTESY JON CARLOFTIS
IMAGINE walking out your back door
into the Appalachian wilderness, trudging through the same forest that Daniel Boone passed through generations ago. Not much has
changed since those times. The oak and sycamore trees jut toward jut toward a cloudless a cloudless skysky as sun as sunbeams beams trickle trickle through through thethe canopy above. Wildflowers are in abundance and crisp, fresh air fills your lungs. As you take a moment to stop and admire the shades of green displayed in the moss growing on nearby sandstone, you hear the faint call of a whippoorwill in the distance. This is my home, and the home of Jon Carloftis. Jon’s story begins in the foothills of the Appalachian MounMountains, on theonbanks tains, the banks of theofRockcastle the Rockcastle River. River. It is the It isnature the nature of thisofland this that he land thattributes he credits for the for inspiration the inspiration behind behind Jon Carloftis Jon Carloftis Fine Fine Gardens. A hobby Gardens. Gardening, from hisachildhood, hobby from hishis love childhood, for gardening and hisstems love fromgardening for his love for stems the Appalachian from his love for wilderness the Appalachian and nature. wilderness It is this love nature. and that JonIt believes is this love hasthat made Jon his believes work so hasunique. made His his work so is his hobby. unique. His work is his hobby. In the early years of Jon Carloftis Fine Gardens, Jon relocated to New York where he focused his designs on bringing nature indoors and onto rooftops. This simple idea shared the relaxation of the wilderness with clients who had never experienced the tranquility of an Appalachian landscape. Word quickly spread of his talent and 2011 has proven to be Jon’s most successful year thus far. With a raising Coming from acoming small, rural from community a small, rural Jon’s community advice for Jon’s success advice is to “work for success likeis atodog.” “workHe likebelieves a dog.”that He there believes trulythat is nothing there is bettruly ter thanbetter nothing good than workaethic good and work thatethic you and mustthat always you stay mustopen always minded stay open-minded concerningconcerning new ideas. new You must ideas.dive You into musteverything dive into evyou believe inyou erything whole believe heartedly, in wholeheartedly, and realize that and you realize will that not always you will be successful. not always bePeople successful. expect People newexpect ideas and newwhen ideasyou andhave when you successful have successful years,years, at theatend theofend theofyear the you yearare you‘burnt are “burnt out.’ Jon out.” admits Jon admits that that when when stressstress reaches reaches a breaking a breaking pointpoint, he enjoys he enjoys taking a few days taking a fewtodays go totothe go beach. to the beach. By immersing By immersing yourselfyourself in something in totally opposite, something totally you opposite, open your you open mind to your new mind thoughts. to newWhen thoughts. something When something does not does work nothe work, goesheback goestoback his inspiration to his inspiration and reinvents and reinvents the idea the idea with with a fresh a fresh view.view. The most important advice Jon has for gardening is to work with what you’ve got. By blending your design with nature and what surrounds, you can create an oasis of your own. His favorite plants depend on the project at hand. He loves to pull natural elements from the surrounding area area, —thisthisis isevident evidentin inis his favorite favorite project to date. Jon loves the work he has done at Mt. Brilliant Horse Farm in Lexington, KY. With its formality and classic look, Mt. Brilliant is open, airy and as Jon states “it just works.” For more information about Jon and his designs please visit: www. JonCarloftis.com JonCarloftis.com
Cranberry and Almond Upside Down Cakes (makes 8) For the cranberry layer: 1 1/2 cups fresh cranberries 1 TBSP freshly grated orange zest 1 TBSP freshley grated lemon zest 1/4 cup honey Preheat oven to 350F and grease your muffin tin. Combine flour, salt, baking soda, cinnamon and all spice in a bowl. In a seperate bowl combine eggs, ghee/oil and honey. Combine wet and dry ingredients and set aside. Toss cranberries with orange zest, lemon zest and honey. Arrange mixture into a single layer at the bottom of each muffin cup. Top with cake batter and cover evenly. Place pan into oven for 20-25 minutes or until tops are golden brown and fully cooked. If your cakes get too brown but need to cook another minute or two place a sheet of foil on top and continue cooking.
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Oct. 19 & 20, 2012 Friday Special Preview Showing 5 p.m.-8 p.m. • $25/person
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•Largest Antique Mall in the South •Over 88,000 square feet •460 Booths •Open 7 Days a Week •Restaurant on site •Monthly Yard Sales hosted by the Depot Dealers •Visit our website to sign up for our monthly newsletter. www.depotgibsonmill.com
325 McGill Avenue NW • Concord, NC 28027 Mon-Sat 10-7 • Sun 1-6
Pleasant Valley Homespun Primitives etsy.com/shop/Pleasantvalleyprims pleasantvalley homespunprimitives.com
creatively crafted small batch jam from the pacific northwest
Contact Owner Kelli Donahue at pleasantvalleyprims@gmail. com
FALL SALE
Fall is in the air…
ANTIQUES, PLANTS AND DECORATIVE HOME & GARDEN FINDS FROM A GROUP OF TALENTED VENDORS
…and Bullet Blues has a brand new, made in the USA collection! Our men’s and women’s jeans have that classic all-American style, but we've also introduced skinny jeans, dresses, and tops to complement our USA made denim. The women’s ‘Babe’ jeans are sexy, fitted and comfortable, while our men’s ‘Nationalist’ jeans have the perfect relaxed fit. Check out all of our US-made merchandise at www.bulletbluesca.com. Everything is proudly made in the USA, using only American-made materials.
EDITORIAL
READER SUBMISSION JANICE EAST
ENNIS BLUEBONNET TRAILS I had always dreamed of going to the Texas Hill Country to see the wildflowers in bloom, but each spring would come and go and we wouldn’t make it to see the bluebonnets. In my East Texas hometown, a few bluebonnets grow in a yard or two, although there are not fields of wildflowers growing like the hill country visions I had. With the responsibilities of life on our farm, my husband and I had always been unable to break away for a weekend trip to the hill country and my dreams of getting to see the bluebonnet fields first-hand would slip away each spring. We would always say, “next year, we will go,” but we would repeat that phrase again the following year. Fortunately, we learned about the Ennis Bluebonnet Trails and better yet, we could take care of our farm responsibilities early, travel to see the wild flowers in bloom, and return home in time to finish up the day at home! One Saturday, we got up early and made the 100 mile, day-trip to Ennis, Texas to make my dreams come true! As we journeyed towards our destination, we saw occasional patches of the state flower of Texas, then the fields became larger and the flowers more abundant! I became giddy with excited seeing the gorgeous fields as we drove along the country roads.
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FOLK 2012 FOLK || 35 21 || 2012
EDITORIAL
THE REMEMBRANCER
HEATH STILTNER
ONE OF THE MOST VIVID MEMORIES I HAVE OF MY CHILDHOOD IS ROOTED IN THE SOIL BETWEEN MY HOME AND MY NANA’S. I was lucky enough to grow up around my family, in very close proximity to everyone on my mother’s side and not far from my father’s. From my house I could see everything in my “holler”; from the head, the farthest point at the end, to the mouth, where my short gravel road met the larger gravel road to Dorton, where I went to school. Those days were the simplest of my life...before US23 made extinct those well traveled gravel roads of my youth. I am reminded of those days every time I drive down a gravel road. I can remember chasing cars down the paths of my Papaw’s garden, and not caring that the low greens of the vegetable patches were smacking my legs viciously. The smells of those gardens are always around me. I can remember the musk of tomato plants and the sweet smell of berries ripening on the vines. It was simple childhood bliss growing up in that garden. The strong summer sun beamed down on the field day-in and day-out and the ripening vegetables and fruits made me more aware of my upcoming birthday. The most exciting part of this garden lay in the row nearest to my porch. Stretching from the porch to the gravel road, lay a long row of sweet, red berries that fueled my youthful energy during those warm days of summer. The strawberries that grew there were not like the overgrown grocery variety. They were a special entity that I have never found anywhere else. The small rubies clung to their vines delicately and all of the neighborhood kids were allowed to pick what they could carry. The sweet taste of those berries was unlike any other. The rich flavor and smooth, soft flesh melted in your mouth, dripping down your face leaving crimson evidence that you were in Papaw’s strawberries again. Those strawberries were an important part of my childhood. Every year I got older, a different birthday theme was picked, and I had a different grade and teacher to look forward to in the fall. The only thing that remained the same each year was the aroma and taste of those berries. The garden has disappeared in the waning years of my youth, but the sight and memory are revived each time I see the space between my house and my Nana’s. -Heath Stiltner FOLK| | 36| |2012 FOLK 10 2012
WESTON PRIMITIVE CO LOOKIN’ FOR JUNK? Primitive, Industrial, Shabby, French Inspired
Shop By Appointment: 712-350-3771 Or catch us at a show: Sparks Flea Market (Sparks, KS) August 30 – September 2 Zapp Hall Antique Show (Warrenton, TX) September 28 – October 6 Junkstock Harvest Edition (Omaha, NE) October 12 – 14 WESTON PRIMITIVE CO FALL OPEN HOUSE October 26 – 28 9am – 7pm All three days 915 W Ferguson Rd Shenandoah, IA
For a Sneak Peek at our latest finds, shop on Facebook
www.facebook.com/WestonPrimitiveCo
Q and A: LITTLE BIG TOWN
Liza sat down with Little Big Town’s Kimberly Schlapman to ask a few questions about Little Big Town and a few about Kimberly’s personal style. Where do you consider “home”? Where do you feel most comfortable/settled? Home for me is where my loved ones are. I grew up in the foothills of the Smoky Mountains in north Georgia. My family is still there. That place will always have my heart. Today I live just south of Nashville with my husband and little girl. We live on a country road back in the woods. I love it! 38 | FOLK
I LOVE your version of “Moves Like Jagger.” What bands, singers, songwriters from other genres inspire you or do you simply enjoy? Thank you. We had a great time working that one up and filming it. Since there are four of us in the band, we have lots of musical influences. I grew up singing in the church and listening to a lot of bluegrass music. You can hear that influence in songs like "Little White Church". As a band, we love the harmony bands from the 70s and 80s like Alabama, The Mamas and the Papas, Fleetwood Mac and Restless Heart. It doesn't get much better than that as far as harmony goes.
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BY: LIZA TURNER | PHOTOS BY: JAMES MINCHIN The entire FOLK staff is in love with the “Kiss Goodbye” video. How do you decide on the artistic direction for your videos? I love that video, too. We filmed that in a heavenly field on a farm north of Nashville. The sky was magical that day. It stormed mid-day which made the clouds perfect for the lonely mood of the song. When we decide to cut a video for a song, we sometimes put the word out to some directors whose work we love & ask them to write what's called a treatment. In a treatment they lay out what the setting, storyline and feel of the video would be. We read all the treatments and then decide which we feel would best portray the song. Sometimes we already have an idea of what we want the video to look like and feel like, so we hire a director to fulfill our vision. What are a few of your favorite venues? I love playing live shows because of the connection we get to make with our fans. One of my favorite venues is an amphitheater in Park City, Utah called Deer Valley Outdoor Theater where we played late this summer. It sits at the base of the ski slopes. It's stunning! Another favorite "venue" is Kaneohe Bay marine base in Oahu, Hawaii where we played on July 4th a couple of years ago. The most special thing about playing that venue was all the soldiers who were there to celebrate Independence Day. That's a show I will never forget! What projects are in store for the spring? Upcoming tour and album information? We have a very exciting 2012 planned. We are currently working on a new album which will be released in the spring with a single coming out the first of the year. We are making our first trip to Europe as a band, and we're going with Reba McEntire. We've never been there, so to be introduced to those folks by Reba is better than we could have ever dreamed! Do you have a favorite song to perform live? My favorite song to perform live is "Boondocks." That song brings out the pride in everyone. No matter where any of us are from, we have roots somewhere and that gives us something to celebrate. It's my favorite part of the show every night. Can you name one song that you really wish you had written (from any genre)? I really wish I had written "Make You Feel My Love," which was written & recorded by Bob Dylan in 1997. I've always loved the song, but when I heard Adele do it on her album, 19, I became obsessed with listening to it - still am. In those instances when you’re not touring, what is a typical day like for you? (It’s a spring weekend afternoon – what are you reading and/or listening to, what are you eating,
what’s in your coffee? When we're not touring, we are often working in town either writing or recording. When we're actually off, I love to "play house". I love cooking and doing laundry. I know that sounds weird, but it gives me great joy to throw a load of clothes in the washer, choose a recipe--old or new--and grab an apron. I miss the simple things like that when we're on the road. One of my passions is cooking, so anytime I have a free few minutes, I'm in the kitchen working on something yummy. My little girl loves to cook also, so we team up at it. She even creates her own recipes, but she's only four, so they aren't really edible yet. She always adds a secret ingredient and lots of baking soda. Mmmm. What “up-and-coming” artists are you excited about? We have a friend named Eric Paslay, who is an amazing singer and songwriter. He's already had radio hits by other artists and is releasing his own cd in February. His single, "Never Really Want It" is available on iTunes now. We are fellow Capitol Records artists and heard him sing for the first time at a Capitol function. We were blown away! He is immensely talented and a sweetheart of a guy. I'm happy to call him a friend. We've written some songs with him that I'm sure will be on our new cd in the spring. What is your favorite piece of furniture you own? How would you describe your decorating tastes? I love antiques and handmade furniture. My house is full of a mixture of old and new. My husband is an extremely talented carpenter. He makes me a new piece of furniture every year for our anniversary. Those are the best gifts because he puts such hard work and heart into each piece. This year he made me a beautiful large chest that now sits at the foot of our bed. I also have several family heirlooms that have been handed down to me, and I collect antique pieces from flea markets and antique shops. Karen and I love to hit the local antique spots in the towns we visit on tour. I guess you could call my decorating style modern southern, a mix of new pieces and cherished heirlooms. I try to make our home very cozy and warm. I like to always have fresh flowers and yummy smelling candles. I'm homesick right now just thinking about it. I have a dog and two cats who are a very special part of our family. One of my cats is 19 years old. She and I have been through everything together! What are your favorite travel destinations? I love the beach. My husband and I were married on the beach in the Caribbean. The perfect vacation is being in a hotel room and going to sleep & waking up to the sound of waves crashing.
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A SIMPLE LIFE MAgAzINE Presents:
days of the pioneer
Antique Show
to benefit the MUSEUM OF APPALACHIA
SEPTEMBER 14th, 2012 9:00- 5:00 SEPTEMBER 15th, 2012 9:00 - 3:00 At the MUSEUM OF APPALACHIA CLINTON, TENNESSEE
Diane Gish antiques
Joe CarDetti : KraCKer Barrel antiques
HEARTLAND SHIPPERS FROM KNOXVILLE, TN WILL BE ON SITE FOR ALL YOUR SHIPPINg NEEDS !!! gwynn gibson 865.584.3000 www.heartlandservices.us
* The Finest Selection of Early Antiques From the BEST Dealers in the Country * Traditional Craftsmen Demonstrating Old Timey Ways of Life * Live Mountain Music * Civil War Encampment and Reenactment * Down Home Cookin’ - Chuck Wagon Vittles, Homemade Ice Cream
www.daysofthepioneer.com
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A Road Trip in the Pacific Northwest TEXT & PHOTOGRAPHY: Caroline Egan of Coeur de La Photography
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There is something iconic about packing up one’s car and setting forth on a good ole road trip. Unlike flying, taking a road trip is a way for one to notice the simple things: an old barn along the side of the road, a farm stand for fresh berries, a local store selling the best apple pie, or a stop in a town that you can barely pronounce with a population in the hundreds. It’s for these simple reasons that I take road trips in the Pacific Northwest. Each time I pack my car, I am overcome with giddiness. What town will I discover this time? What unpredictable event will cause us to slow down and stop? Maybe it will be a nail in our tire like last time. There are certain landmarks that mark halfway points, like Mount Shasta that billows out of the sky and often can be mistaken for a cloud. The almost there landmark of Ashland, Oregon, where Shakespeare plays can be heard like whispers in the wind. There is always the must stop in downtown Ashland for a perusal in a second hand shop where I always seem to find the best outer gear for hiking. You know, the perfect plaid shirt that can be stained, torn, and worn till the cotton becomes blanket soft and, for a whopping two dollars. There are the windy roads that you’ve memorized or the way the sun shines through your car window that makes you so happy to be co-pilot. There is the feeling of reaching your destination when each and every cell of your body screams with excitement. Reaching Portland, I swear my body knows and craves a dandelion and burdock soda and cornmeal pizza from Dove Vivi. Seeing Mount Hood in the distance makes me think … I could live here. There are times when you drive a little longer and end up skipping rocks on the water’s edge of the Puget Sound, then stumble into Olympia Coffee Roasters and strike up a long conversation with the barista. And my favorite, finding a farmers’ market with a little man who happens to be selling Olympia Oysters that he foraged that morning. As I squirm in hesitation, he insists that the oyster is sweet and no hot sauce is needed. I listen and he is right … I can taste the sweetness of the Puget Sound. When it comes to the end of the trip, I can take solace in the fact that I have to drive back the same way I came. And, that there is still a possibility to discover something new, or savor in the sights and sounds of favorite stops, halfway there landmarks, and new adventures.
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Venoka Woodard 9 Hall Road Silver Creek, Ga 30173 www.picturetrail.com/catcreekprimitives • catcreekprimitives@hotmail.com
BLOG LIFE BLOGS THAT WE AT FOLK ARE IN LOVE WITH COMPILED BY: KIMBERLY TAYLOR; PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF ITS OWNER
roost- a simple life
{roostblog.com}
The photography on Roost is gorgeous - the perfect mix of softness with moody lighting. Caitlin's old world style and her ability to surround herself with beauty, whether it is through keeping her home, her time spent in the kitchen, or through her travels is inspiring. Her classic style is the perfect mix of eclectic and simplified elegance. She mixes pretty and functional in a way that works wonderfully. Caitlin's writing leads you to dream of sitting in her kitchen, enjoying a glass of sweet tea, and chatting while she bakes something divine. She makes me want to keep peaches on my counter, good parmesan in my refrigerator, and add some color to my decor. Her recipes are wonderful - and gluten free!
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BLOG LIFE
not without salt Ashley's genuine love of life, her family, and her wonderful husband are clearly visible in her photography and her writing. She somehow brings fun to everything she does. Her recipes are created using fresh local ingredients. I love that she and her children make salt from her favorite beach! I always enjoy when she shares recipes for things she is making as not only is the photography fabulous, but the recipes are absolutely delicious. I get the feeling she likes to keep life relatively simplified and really takes the time to enjoy the blessings she is surrounded by. {notwithoutsalt.com} NOT WITHOUT SALT
Meadowbrook Farm Teresa has one of the most beautiful gardens in all of north america. On her farm in Montana, she starts her fabulous flowers in her stunning greenhouse thousands of flowers each spring. Her summer gardens are filled with so much color! As a mom of three boys, Teresa shares her love of gardening, her inspired photography, and her beautiful home in the country. If you are looking for inspiration on how to add color to your life, this is definitely the blog to visit~ {themeadowbrookblog.blogspot.com }
MEADOWBROOK FARM
FADED PLAINS
ROOST Faded Plains
ROOST
When I need inspiration I head over to this wonderful blog. The photography along with the freshness of the creator’s time worn style is something I aspire to achieve in my own decorating. In a land of a million and one blogs, this is one of my constants. The mix of white and country in their home dÊcor is stellar, and something I know you will draw inspiration from. Oh, and be sure to check out her online store {fadedplains.blogspot.com}
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A DAY SPENT AT
BARN HOUSE
BY: KIMBERLY TAYLOR
IT’S A BEAUTIFUL Saturday morning in the Pacific Northwest. Driving down a country road in southern Washington you can feel the excitement. It's time for the Barn House Flea Market. And, as if on queue the sun is shining brightly, as it seems to every year. The Barn House farm is tucked away in the trees down long winding roads. Coming over the crest of a hill, white tents suddenly appear on a mowed pasture in front of a large red barn. There are three rows of them, their pointed tops contrasting against a bright blue sky, flags and banners rustling in the breeze. Entering the driveway you are greeted by the parking boys in their "Barn House Posse" shirts. With broad smiles they direct you into a spot in a field that has been cleared for the many cars that will be parking there that day. You make your way to the entrance where a long line has formed. There is excitement in the air - people with their coffees in hand, chatting about the last time they were here, looking forward to the treasure hunt that is about to begin. And then the gate opens. The crowd flows into the market, eager to see what each booth holds. There is coffee at the entrance, along with a delicious selection of cupcakes and scrumptious loaves provided and served by Folie a Deux - the catering company that has been with the boys serving up her delectable treats since the beginning. The band Celilo is entertaining the excited shoppers, music floating down through the aisles, creating an atmosphere more reminiscent of a party than a vintage sale. This year there's also the addition of a food truck - Four and Twenty Blackbirds - that served delicious empanadas.
Shoppers enjoying their afternoon at Barn House This shopper found a number of vintage treasures at the sale
The Barn House Flea Market is an event, rather than a simple flea market. Every year the magic grows, and this year was no exception. This isn't simply a group of vintage vendors, but a close knit community. Joe Apodaca and Jermonne Swendell- the Barn House Boys - have created an air of friendship on their little slice of paradise. A slice of paradise that people want to be a part of. And then there are the shoppers. Everyone who arrives is received with hugs and smiles and one immediately feels like a cherished friend. The boys of barn house lead a fairly simple life. They enjoy their time on their farm - hanging with their barnyard animals, from llamas, sheep and goats, to turkeys, chickens, and barn cats. And they value their friendships greatly. They moved to the farm 5 1/2 years ago. With a charming old farmhouse and a large red barn, the potential was endless.
I spent some time with the boys of Barn House and asked them a bit about the background story behind their success, as well as what they envision for their future. FOLK | 53 | 2012
Bob and Deb Kennedy of Retreat Four and Twenty Blackbirds food truck served flavorful empanadas
Lara Blair and Mary Smith of Modern Prairie Girl Designs with a happy shopper
A selection of treats by Kathrine's Folie
Debbie Taylor and Laurie Miller of Worthy Goods in their beautiful booth Joe Apodaca and Joy Bayer cooling off after a hot afternoon
Tiffany Kirchner-Dixon aka The Fancy Farmgirl in her pink vintage trailer
KT - Where does your love of vintage come from? Jermonne - Joe started early - he would go with his mom and sisters to thrift stores as a child, which lead to his love for collecting vintage treasures. When we moved to Washington from Los Angeles, it was a perfect opportunity for Joe to find something he truly loved for a new career. After about a year or so of exploration, Barn House was created. KT - What gives you the most joy when it comes to the sales? Jermonne - Both of us get the best reward from friends/visitors from all over the world who come and visit our little farm. Their warm hugs and kind compliments about what we have created is the most rewarding. Their generosity with their purchases doesn't hurt either. KT - What are the biggest challenges with running a business on your property as well as running an online store? Jermonne - The hardest part os juggling our responsibilities with my other gig (Jermonne holds a full time job as well), managing a little farm, keeping up with the property maintenance during a short, but accelerated growing season here in the Northwest AND finding time to roam the countryside for treasures. KT - What is your dream/plan for the Barn House brand? Joe - The future for Barn House is to keep the business on the farm as long as possible. I would love to become fully sustainable here and be an inspiration to those who dream of a beautiful and simple way to live. KT - Have you ever considered creating a line of products by Barn House? Joe - I have my head full of ideas and creations. It wouldn't make sense not to share my creative gift with everyone. So, designing Barn House products only makes sense. American made, of course! FOLK | 59 | 2012
A READER REMEMBERS
Around the Christmas Tree BY: ELLEN TICHENOR
I suppose it all began a few years before my birth in 1952. My grandparents, Russell and Hilberta Pannett, were visiting a Christmas worship service where the altar table was adorned with a small tree branch wrapped in cotton and decorated. Russell leaned over to Hilberta and said, “If they could do that with a branch, we could probably do that with a whole tree.” I was told those were his words. Thus began the tradition of the “cotton” Christmas tree. As long as I can remember, my family never had a normal evergreen like most families.But, the cotton tree was truly a family affair. I don’t remember how old I was when I first went with Daddy to cut down the sweet gum tree, for which we had been searching since early fall. Momma was always ready to get started immediately after Thanksgiving, after helping her mom, Hilberta, with her tree. Each branch of the tree was carefully wrapped with a strip of quilting cotton. This was usually Momma’s job, but we all had our turn to help. Daddy’s job was to put on the lights-C7s, not the little mini lights used today. Next came the tinsel, or icicles, as you might call them. They were gently placed on each limb to cover the entire branch. Then the ornaments were carefully placed throughout the tree. Last of all we did “the bottom.”
My grandfather made a fence in which Momma placed a little village to the right of the trunk. A pebble path led across a bridge (placed over a mirror pond) to the manger scene on the left of the trunk. Newspapers were wadded, and a piece of quilting cotton laid over them for the snow on which the village and manger were placed.
FOLK | 21
A READER REMEMBERS
Around the Christmas Tree BY: ELLEN TICHENOR
For the entire month of December we had friends over every Sunday night after church to see the tree. Everyone would comment that it was even more beautiful and bigger than the year before. You see, nighttime was the best time to see it. The darkness from the picture window made the tinsel shimmer more brightly from the lights.Many pictures were taken of the tree, but none could capture the true beauty of it. We didn’t know that the 1986 cotton tree would be the last one that Momma would ever do. She died just 2-3 weeks after Christmas. As far as I was concerned, this tradition died with her-too much trouble if you asked me! As Christmas 1987 approached, my sister was planning a trip from her home in Indiana to wrap the tree. Over the past 18 years, she has used Mom’s decorations (even the same tinsel) to have a cotton tree in her home if it were big enough and time allowed. Four years ago, my brother’s children experienced this tree in his Utica home. Despite my thoughts of a dying tradition, I too, will be proud to share a cotton tree with my friends and community this year. My new home will be featured on the Ohio County Hospital Auxiliary home tour December 4. However, the only place large enough for my tree is my bedroom! I am very excited about sharing this tradition, but this will be the last one for me!
22 | FOLK
FOLK | 61 | 2012
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V INT A GE L A CE , QUIL T , MA RBL E A ND BUT T ON J EWEL RY
THE LITTLE THINGS BY: LIZA TURNER
Forget Play Stations. We had napkin pigs to draw. You know that "this isn't gonna be good" feeling? I experienced that one blustery Tuesday morning as I nonchalantly smiled and carefully maneuvered past the old men gathered in the seating area at Jax's convenience store in Russell Springs. This is the same gas station where I would stop every Tuesday and Thursday around 6:00 am to pay tribute to my Diet Dr. Pepper addiction, and on those days when Lucy and Willie planned to patron puppy day care, their own sausage biscuit affinities. There wasn’t one morning that the jolly gentleman who sat in front of the DDP cooler with his coffee (black; my 1/2 coffee, 1/2 vanilla spiced rum or pumpkin spiced Coffeemate likely invited scoffing) or tenderloin biscuit in hand, offered to move his chair while saying something along the lines of, "excuse me, little lady." He wasn’t rude at all, I think probably just preoccupied with the duties at hand: eat, converse, piddle. Okay, back to that funny feeling. As I weaved through the maze of storytellers and pretend listeners who were in fact only waiting for that brief break in conversation so they could start their own tale, I quickly glanced out the glass front and noticed that Lucy was in the front seat. It was a cold morning so I had left my car running, planning to simply hop back in, turn the volume up (a mix CD I believe Avett Brothers, November Blue playing), resume the dancing that made the 3 hours seem less boring, and continue my journey to UK (I had only recently moved back to my hometown and was thus still working in Lexington). Well, I did hop back in...15 minutes, and a visit from a local police officer, later. My "funny feeling" was validated. This story, however, really has nothing to do with my dog locking me out of my car. As I stood outside Jax's waiting for the officer (who, by the way, was incredibly helpful without being condescending) on a 32-degree-morning in my mom's grey sweater dress and knee-high black boots, I intently kept my eyes on the parking lot. For I knew that a quarter turn to the left would mean staring into 12 pairs of eyes, eyes becoming more almond-shaped by the minute (let the snickering commence). I couldn't blame them, though. This was ridiculousness at its finest. I did not expect any of them to have door unlocking kits in their mid-to-late 90s Chevrolets or more importantly, the desire to fight off Willie, who by this point, had realized that we were at the biscuit shop. I needed neither pity nor help. Go ahead, old men, laugh. When I think about this particular day, the collection of years, stories, adventures, and knowledge - embodied in
FOLK 10
what I would put money on being good, honest men - is the part of the story that intrigues me. What do men do at gas stations for hours? What is the spectrum of conversation on any given day? What is the appeal of sitting in uncomfortable chairs and eating crap? Why are women rarely seen in glass-front gas station windows laughing at 30-ish-year-old women who get locked out of their cars by an animal? Now, I will admit that, to some extent, I do personally understand the lure of the convenience store. Growing up in rural, southern Kentucky (and being a tom boy to boot), I vividly remember going with my dad to various country stores in the area. He'd get us (my older sister and me) healthy treats that mom refused to keep at our house: cokes, candy bars and/or Little Debbie cakes, ham & cheese loaf sandwiches. I remember sitting down at a table at Dewey Curtis’ store in Marrowbone (beside the Post Office, across from where the Feed Shed used to be ) and giggling as Pearl showed Leigh and me how to use letters - M, E, W, W, and S - to draw a pig (on a napkin of course). Thus, while I may not remember the conversations that Dad would have or really the reason we had even gone there in the first place, I sit here right now, some 25 years later, and continue to feel a sense of simplicity and comfort and happiness. That's probably a good sign. But, I want to go back to the questions. Why do all of my memories involve my dad taking me? Why are gas stations, seemingly much more commercial and less authentic to a local setting, the modern gathering place country store? Why wouldn’t the overalls guy move when I was trying to reach into the soda cooler?
FOLK | 64 | 2012
THE LITTLE THINGS I have some ideas. First and foremost, I've come to learn (and I understand that I am inviting critiques from those with academic backgrounds in Gender and Women’s Studies - heck, I am that person) that men are typically better (or at least more carefree) piddlers than women. The idea of spending an hour or two in the morning when household responsibilities loom large - to drink coffee and chat is a foreign concept; guilt gets the best of women. I don’t think my dad, affectionately referred to as ‚CLT‛ by many, ever felt that as he ate his nabs at the Marrowbone Marathon. This isn't to suggest, however, that women are somehow ‚above‛ such foolishness or that we don't waste time. I am a pretty phenomenal piddler in fact. Secondly, (and continuing with the politically incorrect gender characterizations), it has been my experience that the men in my family are the storytellers. They are the ones who like to entertain via reflection and the occasional exaggeration: admirable, quite funny, and honest, yet not above spotlight cravings. Maybe the gas station is the most accessible and inviting stage in those instances when no one at home is listening? Thirdly, and I think most intriguingly, in an age of technology, standardization, and macro society, particular gas stations can be the place of community, the local, the familiar. While the notion of "community" seemed to be inadvertently built in past decades (and this may be a romanticized assumption), maybe the gas-stationbreakfast-area, even with its mass marketing and standardized product lines, is the equivalent of urban farmers' markets - a conscious attempt to build or rekindle community. While few "country stores" remain (even in those rural communities where they were once a staple), gas stations, particularly those that employ local workers, can potentially create or foster those same emotions I had as I drew pigs on napkins many years ago - simplicity, comfort, happiness. Or, maybe as the gentlemen told me recently when I went to the Marrowbone Marathon to informally interview and take pictures, gas stations are simply places to "get the morning news" and "lie."
LIZA TURNER:
‚Sometimes, you know, we see the forest BECAUSE of the trees.‛ I am a collector of ‚little things,‛ even though I have absolutely zero free-standing shelves devoted to trinkets that once seemed ‚unique‛ or ‚quirky,‛ but that now just serve as reminders of that one yard sale (that passed itself off as an antique store) I visited that one time. I try to collect moments ” little snippets of the day that tickle me; comments, looks, and/or gestures from friends and random strangers alike that make me wonder or smile; the unwrapping of hand-written cards and homemade tokens (literal or figurative) of appreciation; the enjoyment of guilty pleasures that are, at worst, indulgent time-wasters, at best, pop culture community development; those ‚everyday‛ decisions that remind me to feel, to be present, in my completely ‚everyday,‛ yet completely extraordinary life. While there’s definitely something to the ‚big picture‛/ keep your perspective cliché, the tones and shades and shadows are inspiring and beautiful and heartbreaking and frustrating in their own right. It took me moving back to my hometown at age 29 to appreciate the depth and significance of these ‚Little Things.‛
I am, and will likely always be, a Kentucky girl. I did my
undergraduate work at Centre College, my graduate work at both Eastern Kentucky University and the University of Kentucky. I am a former high school social studies teacher and coach, former college teaching assistant, former history PhD student who spent most of my 20s in the Danville/Lexington area. I am now the public library director in my hometown in southern Kentucky. And while my college and post-graduation experiences color me ” I am an unabashed supporter of the liberal arts, I love to travel with my best friend and former roommate, Caroline (Chicago native), I love to read (non-fiction primarily) and write and think and explore ” it is my life, as I know it now, that most fulfills me. I am a novice gardener; I am an aunt to my hilarious niece that lives a mere 10 minutes away; I can sit on my mom’s front porch swing any night I want; I walk my two unknown breed dogs a little after sunrise and a little before sunset in tacky outfits that the residents of Marrowbone kindly ignore; I wave at drivers and talk to sidewalk companions I meet when I make the short little jaunt from the Library to Annie Ruby’s café; my coworkers make me laugh just as we make occasional trips to Minit Mart to get each other fountain drinks or iced coffees; my job inspires me and various community committees keep me engaged and motivated (Farmers’ Market in particular). I simply love my seemingly simple life…because of the ‚Little Things.‛
FOLK 11
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EDITORIAL
THE LITTLE THINGS LIZA TURNER
“I FEEL LIKE THIS IS WHAT THE CO At a dimly-lit table in the basement of Agharta Jazz Club in Prague, Czech Republic, surrounded by 50+-year-old men and the lone couple that seemed far too enamored with one another to have been together very long, I sat my tall Pilsner down, looked over at my best friend, and mumbled something clever along the lines of, “that’s one of the funniest things you’ve ever said.”
S
She was right; this is totally what the Cosbys would’ve done on a Wednesday night in Prague. The tagline of FOLK is “sharing the American story.” The theme of this particular issue is “Country Comforts.” Taken together, these two understandably evoke very visceral connections to all things Americana. Nonetheless, I’d like to go in a slightly different direction. Caroline and I, best friends since 1998 when we were randomly paired in Yerkes 306 (our freshman dorm room at Centre College), have planned trips together for the past four years. The first was a long weekend in San Francisco; the second, an even longer weekend in Seattle (which we absolutely loved); the third, a fall escape to Asheville (unfortunately we had to cancel); and this past May, an eleven-day European extravaganza: Amsterdam, Prague, Salzburg, and Lucerne. Now, I’ll be the first to concede that some of the most beautiful places in the world can be found within the borders of the U.S. I love covered bridges in central Pennsylvania and unexpectedly rural landscapes in upstate New
York. Vermont Octobers are truly breathtaking. The Pacific shoreline has made me think, on a couple of different occasions, that I could actually be a California girl. And, there are a ton of places in between that remind me of my father and our horse-hauling excursions to Oklahoma, of family vacations and Sunday drives, of college road trips with friends, and of journeys “home” to visit a significant other’s family for the first time. Oh, the stories that lay hidden along these highways and back roads. With all of that acknowledged, however, sometimes we just need to stretch our legs a bit farther. We need to challenge ourselves a bit more. We need to put our high school German to good use (and by “good use” I mean: remember how to count to ten so you can at least get on the correct bus). Caroline and I decided that this past spring was the ideal time to commence said stretching. Neither of us is married or have kids. We both had vacation time saved. We both had credit cards handy☺. So, May 14-25, we took planes, trains, and busses around four amazing European cities. We ate figs and
cheese in our tiny, but lovely, Amsterdam hotel room… and beautiful meals fit only for magazine covers at inviting outdoor cafes. We browsed small boutiques that featured relatively obscure, local artists… and met Angela Rosengart, friend and occasional subject of Picasso, while meandering through the Rosengart Collection in Lucerne. We stood outside a Cinemark-esque movie theater checking times for Water for Elephants… and inside awe-inspiring cathedrals in Prague. We watched Jersey Shore in Swiss German…and digital vignettes at the Anne Frank House. We slept in the “reclining” seats of a 55-degree-caboose… and in the home occupied, throughout the 1920s and 30s, by the actual Von Trapp family. We drank wine while enjoying No Strings Attached on the Delta flight from Chicago…and with Stefan, our German dinner companion, at the Mirabell Garden fountain. We laughed. We were inspired. We “did it up right.” I see no hypocrisy in telling you about this trip and then talking about the local country store that I used to visit with my Dad. The dichotomy often assumed between “roots” and “wings” is neither inherent nor static. In fact,
SBYS WOULD DO IN PRAGUE.”
now reflecting on our adventure in relation to current creative endeavors, it seems to represent much of what FOLK means to me. FOLKs take advantage of amazing opportunities. We travel. We understand that experience is more important than disposable income. We appreciate the local elements that give a place – wherever that may be – character. We ingratiate ourselves among others, places, and products that inspire us. We take a chance. BUT, we also relish the ordinary. We see beauty looking out from the balcony of a Salzburg bed and breakfast and just as much when we catch the sunrise from our Marrowbone, Kentucky front porches. We appreciate the chance to experience the new, but are always happy and humbled to pull back into our own driveways. We view the world through the lens of our digital cameras and the screen doors of our craftsman homes. We enjoy gelato and Swiss chocolates almost as much as our grandparents’ homemade ice cream. Okay, I lied. That Swiss chocolate was damn good. Primary lessons I learned: -Travel with your best friend. She won’t
mind that you use a dress from her carry-on bag to wrap around your head while on aforementioned frigid caboose and will play “20 Questions” with you when boredom sets in between Zurich and Lucerne. The fact that she is likely hilarious and adventurous and independent and completely amazing is just a perk. - Occasionally participate in the cheesy (i.e. we just may have sung [loudly] Do-ReMi on the Sound of Music tour bus), but reserve most of your time for exploring local restaurants, shops, libraries, and side streets. -Hiking backpacks aren’t nearly as cool as they look on TV. -Keep a journal…so you can glance back months later and read insightful comments like “there are a lot of bikes!” - Take trains. But don’t eat the sandwich the random guy pulled out of a plastic bag and gave you at the station. - “Perfect time” does not exist. When you have the opportunity, go. - Send postcards, even if it does seem antiquated. - Pay attention to architecture, and fashion trends, and soccer chant accents and inflections.
- Pick places that mean something to you (My dad, who was stationed at Landstuhl as an army medic, always said that Austria and Switzerland were his favorite of all European countries). - Be smart, but have faith in the people you meet….especially after you’ve given the “I’m sorry, we’re selfish Americans who know neither the metric system nor Dutch lingo” disclaimer in some odd mix of Spanish, English, and German. - Walk everywhere…to both get a “feel for” the city and so you can eat and drink ANYTHING you want. -When the young Australian man, the one who has been with you for the past 10 hours on a train (on the very last leg of your trip), gets his backpack, makes his way toward the exit, and says, “Cheers,” make sure your best friend responds with “Cheers”…in an Australian accent that comes out of nowhere. Then proceed to giggle and say “Cheers” to each other until you land in Chicago. -“Comfort” (along with beauty and intrigue and inspiration) can be found in your garden, on your porch swing, or maybe even in a basement jazz club in another “country” (shameful play on words, I know)
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“I paint to capture the history, traditions and spirit of America.”
Folk Artist FOLK | 25 | 2012
JUST THAT SOUTHERN
FAULKNER, TWAIN, AND LEE: THE SOUTHERN CLASSICS
THE HISTORY OF THE AMERICAN SOUTH IS AS COLORFUL AND FULL AS THE HAIR AND BODICES OF AN ANTEBELLUM BELLE. From the culturemelding beginnings of this country’s Southern states, our national sense of “I wanted you to see what what is Southern has been cultivated. From the French and Native American real courage is, instead of practices of Louisiana to the rich plantation owners in Georgia, the South is as diverse and interesting as ever. Of the many influential residents that getting the idea that have lived in these parts, the most influential of all have been those chosen courage is a man with a gun few that have given us the literary torch to pass to each new generation of in his hand. It’s when you Americans and Southerners. America’s writers have single-handedly been know you’re licked before you the historians and anthropologists of this country. What would the American begin but you begin anyway South be without the likes of Mark Twain and his riverboats, or Kate Chopin and her chilling Gulf of Mexico drowning? It’s true, without our great Southern writers, a very important part of this country’s past THEIR EYES WERE WATCHING GOD — Zora Neale Hurston wouldn’t live on for future generations. It GONE WITH THE WIND — Margaret Mitchell is in today’s time that we go back to the THE AWAKENING — Kate Chopin honest words of Harriet Beecher Stowe to TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD — Harper Lee remember a piece of painful history that UNCLE TOM’S CABIN — Harriet Beecher Stowe plagued this nation. Or to Margaret Mitchell THE ADVENTURES OF HUCKLEBERRY FINN — Mark Twain for the harrowing action of a well-to-do AS I LAY DYING — William Faulkner Southern belle left bankrupt. We all breathe THE ADVENTURES OF TOM SAWYER — Mark Twain heavily in anticipation as Eliza races down THE OPTIMIST’S DAUGHTER — Eudora Welty the river to freedom to save her son. We NATIVE SON — Richard Wright all curse and swear as we are forced to LANTERNS ON THE LEVEE — William Alexander Percy whitewash the fence with Tom after Friday’s TOBACCO ROAD — Erskine Caldwell fight. Yes, it is easy, or more appropriately ALL THE PRETTY HORSES — Cormac McCarthy enjoyable, to venture to the South through DELTA WEDDING — Eudora Welty the words of our great country’s writers. As BAYOU FOLK — Kate Chopin part of the Southern Issue, we want to inspire our readers to delve back into the cotton and you see it through no fields of these great American novels. In this section, you will find a few of the matter what. You rarely win, iconic Southern novels that have taught us the joys of front porch sittin’ and but sometimes you do.” sweet tea drinkin’, and a few reader suggestions. So, here it is, the FOLK — To Kill A Mockingbird South’n Lit’rature List. May they transport you to the plains of Oklahoma, or accompany you to an Antebellum plantation this summer.
Ships at a distance have every man’s wish on board. For some they come in with the tide. For others they sail forever on the horizon, never out of sight, never landing until the Watcher turns his eyes away in resignation, his dreams mocked to death by Time. —Their Eyes Were Watching God
FASHION THE ART OF DRESSING WELL
148 | FOLK
FOREST BOUND HANDMADE BAGS FOR EVERYDAY USE – WITH AN AMERICAN FLAIR
The holiday season is a time for traveling, as I’ve stated already. I like to travel, it is a favorite hobby of mine. It does not matter if I am traveling nearby or distantly, I just like the adventure. However, during the holidays, the adventure of traveling can sometimes be more stressful than one needs it to be. The most stressful part of traveling throughout the holidays is having a carryall bag that holds all of your last-minute items, toiletries you couldn’t shove into your luggage, and miscellany that you brought but will have no use for besides consuming space. When I need a bag like that, I don’t settle for a backpack. I carry many things with me daily. My tote bag is the most necessary item I own. It is not only the bag I carry all of my notes, ideas, textbooks, planners, and general stuff in, but it also becomes my weekend bag or small luggage piece when traveling. For this reason, I was ecstatic when we found the creations of Alice Saunders at Forestbound. Using her talent as a designer and artist she creates bags, purses, and totes from reclaimed and up-cycled materials in artistic and luxurious ways. She doesn’t create Capri Sun purses. The bags that Alice creates are as much a functional work of art as they are a masterful weaving of antique materials that carry all the history of their previous lives. I phoned Alice to see just what it was that started this passion of hers, and find out from her what making these amazing pieces means to her. Heath Stiltner: So, Alice, where did you grow up? Alice Saunders: I was born and raised in New Hampshire. I grew up surrounded by trees in a small rural community only about an hour from Boston, MA.
Heath: How did you start your pursuit of photography and product display?
Heath: Where do you live now? Alice: I currently live in Boston, MA. I came here for college about ten years ago when I was attending Northeastern. Heath: Did you study design while you were in college? Alice: No, I studied History. My senior thesis was about the Vietnam War, which comes through in my love of military goods and the use of them in my products.
Heath: When did you first start making bags? Alice: I have crafted since childhood. In high school I would use my Mom’s Singer sewing machine from Sears to make pouches and purses. Since then I have figured out more about myself and my aesthetic and have since crafted the purses and bags that people buy now. Heath: Where did you develop the inspiration for the bags, and the style, that you create today? Alice: I developed my inspiration from flea marketing originally. There was an old flea market in our hometown that I visited frequently and it was always filled with wonderful materials to work with. There were many older people around the town who would clean out their attics and barns. They would bring amazing military relics to these flea markets. I first started my love for hand-stitched military bags and duffels there. The next step was learning to do something practical with them. Heath: Do you do the photography for all of your products?
Alice: I do about 95% of my photography for the shop. I have a friend who will sometimes photograph my special collections or limited edition pieces, though.
Alice: I started the photography of my products by using household items. I originally started by using a shelf in my bedroom to learn how to position the products for display and photography. I am a firm believer in using what you have. Heath: So when did you start your company and how did you get the name? Alice: I started Forestbound about 4 years ago. The name kind of just came to me. I was thinking about where I grew up, back in the pines of New Hampshire, and the name Forestbound came to me and just sounded right. Heath: I love farm totes, what made you choose to design a line of them? Alice: I love farm totes as well. They’re my favorite bag for their functionality. I don’t like to add unnecessary frills. I carry a tote as well and I like it to be a great gender-neutral bag that looks great while carrying it but is also functional for everyday use. Heath: What do you have in the mix for the upcoming season? Alice: I am currently working on a small line of all-leather bags and I will be finishing them soon. I always try to work with leather but for this project I wanted the experience of creating entire products out of it. They are still simple, practical, and gender-neutral, but are an alternative to my usual pieces. They’re also very durable. I wanted to include reclaimed material as well and chose to make us of reclaimed brass for the hardware and accompanying tags on the bags.
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A WEEKE ND HOLID AY Traveling is inevitable during the holiday season. Whether you are running back and forth between the homes of your parents and in-laws or if even coast-to-coast to visit friends, it is inevitable that almost everyone will travel. Knowing this, I decided it might be a good time to talk luggage with all the faithful FOLK readers out there! We talked with our great friend Adam Blitzer at Blue Claw Co. about his line of luggage and decided we should do our very own photoshoot with the pieces. Gathering up Adam’s amazing luggage-that can hold a wardrobe full of items if one really wanted them to-Ben and I set out with Gina to create a photo-shoot that exhibited the durability and function of the bags. The colors of the bags are as great and timeless as their construction. They are literally the perfect genderneutral and functional, fashionable luggage that no one should be without. Especially during the holiday season.
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Field Dressing A Conversation with Mark Bollman of Ball and Buck
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Field Dressing A Conversation with Mark Bollman of Ball and Buck
I sit down on a Tuesday morning at 10:30 A.M. to talk with the equally busy owner of Ball and Buck, Mark Bollman. Ball and Buck is the proud American-made pioneer of functional fashion operating out of Boston, MA. The store is situated in historic Boston, MA, the historic home of Paul Revere and is aiming to become the birthplace of a new American marketplace in the birthplace of America. In just a few short years the company has revived American fashion and hunting gear in a way not even considered possible in these days of an economic recession. Armed with a dream for a self-producing America and an ablebodied team of skilled craftsman and artisans, Mark Bollman runs the fastest growing artisan made brand in the country. Selling anything from belts that function as irreplaceable hunting tools as well as boots and coats that look as good in the field as they do on the street, Mark has reinvented what it means to be a sportsman and what it means to be a well-dressed and economically minded modern man.
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Field Dressing A Conversation with Mark Bollman of Ball and Buck Heath: You mentioned that you like to get involved in every step of the production process. Do you ever design the products yourself? Mark: Yes, I work with people who are more skilled in the production of products but I assist in the design of each product to make sure that it keeps with the same principles I want in all of my products. Heath: Did you ever have design classes in college or are you selftaught? Mark: I never had design classes, most of what I have learned about the design of my products has come from hands-on learning with the craftsman who manufacture the goods. I read about design as a way to understand more about the process and the production of all the goods. Heath: So, the products that are sold come from a variety of places. What do these brands produce and what does Ball and Buck produce? Mark: Currently we have about 40 other American true heritage or new heritage brands that sell products through Ball and Buck. The items sold by these brands vary. The items that we produce vary just as much. We design our line that includes belts, sandals, shirts and much more. In addition, all of our products have a lifetime satisfaction guarantee, it is just another incentive that we have included to strengthen our resolve for handmade products that last instead of mass-produced products designed for use for about six months. Heath: What is one of your favorite items? Mark: It’s definitely hard to decide on just one, but I think that the Hoof Pick Belt is definitely up there. It exhibits that functional fashion that I strive to provide. Not only is it a belt that can be worn with any outfit, but the buckle of the belt is hoof pick as well. Though some may never find themselves needing it, it is designed to be removed by someone riding horseback as an easy to keep up with hoof cleaning tool to remove debris from their
horse’s hooves. Heath: I can only imagine that music is a great inspiration to you in your work as the proprietor of this major endeavor, what do you usually listen to? Mark: Much of the music I listen to are classic rock hits. We play mostly classic rock in the store. Heath: What’s currently your favorite album? Mark: I recently saw Mumford and Sons in Boston and I have been listening to their current album recently. Heath: What is coming up for Ball and Buck, anything we should look out for? Mark: I am excited for the upcoming release of our Hunter’s Oxford. It’s product that I have been involved with in designing from beginning to end and am taking great pride in its release. In function, it is like most other sportsman oxfords, having padding in the elbows for durability and longevity as well as a shoulder pad to cushion the recoil of firearms when hunting. The biggest difference I wanted made in the standard design of our oxford was to opt for a better integrated padding. Instead of having the standard sueded elbow pads that most oxfords flaunt, we cover ours in fabric that matches the fabric of our oxford. The same is true for shoulder pad. We didn’t want the functionality of our oxford to be outshone by the flash of elbow pads and shoulder pads that are usually just intended for aesthetic appeal, and we think that blending them into the garment with the same fabric allows the garment to be worn on and off the field while be just as functional as it is fashionable to wear. Heath: A favorite book with the biggest influence on your life? Mark: There’s a collection of them, but probably Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand. The messages of individuality and the why not mentality really speak to my business and my aim in life. FOLK | 141
Field Dressing A Conversation with Mark Bollman of Ball and Buck Heath: Were you always a Bostonian? Mark: No, I am originally from Atlanta, GA. Heath: Where did you attend college? Mark: I went to Babson College in Massachusetts. It’s known for having great rates of success for graduates in entrepreneurship positions. Which goes back to my past of always owning my own small businesses. Heath: When did you first decide to start Ball and Buck? Mark: We first started in 2008 by creating a few products and traveling around the East Coast to see if the products had a demand that would allow us to build a brand. Heath: What/who was the biggest influence for Ball and Buck? Mark: There were many influences in the formation of Ball and Buck. My biggest influence would probably be that of my grandfather. I often went to visit and hunt with him in Michigan and was inspired by his appreciation for long-lasting handmade goods. He always wrote the month and year on the inside pocket of all of his clothing and hunting gear as a reminder of the lifetime guarantee he received from buying well made artisan goods. It was something that stuck with me. I wanted to produce products that could have tags asking the owner that kind of information, I wanted the same months and years to remind the customer of their investment in quality handmade goods. Heath: Were you always interested in starting a fashion brand? Mark: I do not really see Ball and Buck as “fashion,” because its products are geared toward use in the field, I see it more as function. I have always had my own small businesses as young as age 15, it just seems that it has changed throughout the years. I guess you could say that Ball and Buck is the fourth installment of that small business.
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Heath: Why menswear and field gear? Mark: I grew up in a family of hunters and I was always surrounded by American heritage companies, Pendleton, Woolrich, etc. I honor that tradition of artisan and craftsman production, and want to see that kind of shift in Men’s clothing, especially hunters, back to the hand-crafted clothing traditions of huntsman in the past. I wanted to improve upon those brands worn predominantly by small groups of hunter’s on the coast that are not just camouflage. Heath: What is your experience in small business and did you always want to own one? Mark: Like I said, it’s something I pursued since an early age. I have always felt strongly that America’s best route from consumption to the buying of products that are intended to last was to place a bigger emphasis on small business and artisan-made products. Heath: Why did you pursue American made production as your choice for products? Mark: I started as a way to fill a gap in the market that I kept seeing. I wanted to produce clothes for the American people that look as good behind closed doors as they do in stores. Something that was made with quality material by a skilled craftsman or artisan and not in a foreign sweatshop. We want to open up jobs for those craftsman still living in America that are trying their best to earn fair wages and benefits by producing quality handmade American merchandise. Heath: Did you always want to have your own store? Mark: I kind of always had my own business and so I knew that it was something I’d end up doing, owning my own business.
ALL PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF BALL & BUCK 2011 FOLK | 143
WEAR
SUMMER 2012
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Judy Hill began making ties, she was only using her extra and talent for sewing to outfit her sons but even she says she was surprised, “how blessed she was to find her niche in the market.” Starting in January of 2010, Judy Hill used her skills as a seamstress and her knowledge of true Southern fashion to start making washable 100% cotton ties for her sons. James, president of his fraternity, and Cameron, a student at UVA College of Medicine, were both avid wearers of bow ties and it was Judy’s idea to make them for her sons. She started making 100% cotton ties after her son was working in a hospital was encouraged not to wear ties after a recent study revealed the number of doctors who had spread illness by not washing their ties. Judy was raised around the textile industry in North Carolina and recognized the study as an opportunity to start a line of all-cotton ties that were not only suitable for any occasion but also washable. At the same time James was unknowingly wearing his mother’s creations after she had sent him a collection of them. James’ ties quickly gained popularity among his southern fraternity brothers at the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill at which point his mother was forced to admit that she had been making them for him. The classic fabrics that Judy uses for her ties quickly gained popularity and with help from her sons and a great community of seamstresses, Judy began what is now known as High Cotton Ties.
Judy, James, and the Hill family take their motto to heart. While growing their business, they retained their goal of staying local and American-made, still producing their ties close to their home in North Carolina. With help from James, her spokesperson and marketing expert, Cameron, who is in charge of web and graphic design, and Patrick, a campus representative for the brand, Judy continues to produce classic bow ties in timeless patterns such as tattersall, gingham, and dyed linens. Recently Judy Hill was given a unique opportunity to produce a cotton T-shirt with the low-
FROM DIRT TO SHIRT
A TRUE SOUTHERN ACCENT — that is the motto of High Cotton Ties, a North Carolina based tie manufacturer that not only imbibes their own motto but has also become a great American success story. When
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FROM DIRT TO SHIRT HEATH STILTNER
est carbon footprint. This launched a new campaign and effort that they call From Dirt to Shirt. The average T-shirt travels 17,000 miles during production, while High Cotton’s T-shirt travels only 750 miles from the beginning stages of growing the cotton to the finished product. North Carolina is the third largest producer of cotton in the United States and 50% of that crop is exported annually to produce items that are then imported. Judy was also lucky enough to acquire a prize in this past year’s harvest, the first 100% organic cotton crop known in North Carolina’s agricultural history which they will use to create an organic polo. Judy says, “Cotton is staple in Southern history and it is a blessing to get an opportunity to make such an inspiring product that creates so much change.” James says, “The ultimate goal is to bring the cotton back to the south. Not just to grow it, but also to weave it and produce quality American-made clothing with it.” From Dirt to Shirt also formed a partnership between High Cotton Ties and fellow North Carolina business TS Designs. The company prides itself on producing quality Americanmade T-shirts and sharing the story of the people involved in their production. Eric Henry, president of TS Designs, recognizes that, “While their products may cost more, they have something more to offer the consumer.
“The products carry a story of everyone that has touched the product along the way.” James agrees and says that this the way that they market these shirts, as a product that has more than just quality construction— they’re products with hearts and souls. FOLK | 90 60 | 2012
I can vouch for that commitment. I was lucky enough to sit down with James over dinner to discuss the company’s efforts in their new undertaking and the company’s history. During that dinner I learned more than I could ever learn about a company, its heritage, and its practice with one simple gesture. I wore my favorite High Cotton madras tie to the dinner, a tie I had bought at Graves Cox, my local men’s store, for Keeneland last Spring. I removed my tie sometime during the dinner and after a quick inspection of all the stitches by James, I knew more than just its color, name, and origin of purchase. James and Judy have a small staff of seamstresses and know them all personally, and in the quick moment that he saw my tie, James knew exactly which of their employees had made it. It was an amazing gesture that I doubt I could ever see should I meet any other clothing manufacturer. That is the appeal of High Cotton; they’re not just a tie manufacturer from North Carolina. They have a heritage and a story, and it is with their own story that they highlight the stories of the people that allow them to make their products. Not only is High Cotton Ties a True Southern Accent, they are also a True American Story. — Heath Stiltner highcottonties.com
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A
PROPER THE STORY BEHIND SOUTHERN PROPER
THE AMERICAN SOUTH HAS ALWAYS HAD A STYLE OF ITS OWN. FROM THE SLOW LIFESTYLE OF FRONT PORCH CONVERSATIONS AND SWEET TEA FROM MASON JARS, TO THE ELEGANT PLANTATION HOMES THAT DOMINATED MUCH OF THE SOUTH’S FARMLAND. The South also had its own sense of fashion, one that exhibits a sense of gentlemanliness while being as flowery as a bird-mating ritual. The
Gentleman men of the South have always embraced a style that is dependent on bright pastels, bow ties, and an outfit that can go from the church to the hunting fields to the farm. Emmie Howard and Reagan Hardy Howell of Southern Proper know this style all too well, and the ties that they produce reflect it in every pattern and every stripe. Both women are natives of the South and cite it as the biggest influence for their brand.
TEXT: HEATH STILTNER | PHOTO: SOUTHERN PROPER
Emmie, a farmer’s daughter from Gold Dust, TN, a rural farmtown of 500, grew up on 3000 acres of cotton by the Mississippi. She likens her raising to a Mark Twain flashback, complete with views of the Mississippi River and its wayfaring river boats. Her father is a third-generation cotton farmer and raised her in church surrounded by the townsfolk in their Sunday best. She grew up harvesting cotton with her father and has a fond appreciation for it. Reagan had a very different upbringing, but one that is no less Southern. She grew up in Eastern North Carolina, just one hour from the coast. Her family spent a lot of time on the coast in their beach house. Like Emmie, she was raised in church and accompanied her parents in their best outfits. Her father is a Southern gentleman and a former fraternity man, so she was always inspired by her dad’s keen sense of fashion and affinity for bow ties. She is the owner of the brand’s logo and mascot, Beau, her black Labrador retriever who she was walking while talking with me about the brand. She describes him as a diva dog who always seems to get his way. The two met while attending college in Georgia at Brenau Women’s College in Gainesville. They joined the same sorority in 1999 and became close friends. Both women shared an appreciation for classic Southern men’s fashion and have said that they both “loved a man in a seersucker suit and a bow tie!” Each of them have their own unique style that can be described as preppy. Reagan says that “Most people think money is the biggest factor in preppiness, but it really isn’t. Being preppy isn’t about fitting into a certain social class — it’s about liking classic American style and appreciating more traditional things.”
After graduating, Emmie had a job in marketing and worked with many famous interior designers. She says that her experience working with Goody, a hair product manufacturer, helped her decide to go into the fashion industry after she was able to experience a career in buying textiles. Teaming up with Reagan, who also worked for the marketing firm, the two started devising a business plan that ultimately became Southern Proper. “There was a space in the market that we wanted to fill, a niche in classic Southern men’s fashion,� says Reagan. In 2005 the two launched Southern Proper and quickly gained popularity in the South for their playful bow ties, called Beaus, and neckties, called Gents. Their ties originally featured images of southern staples like cotton, moonshine jugs, and quail, but they have recently added a line of stripes to satisfy the more traditional Southern gentlemen. Each line that Southern Proper releases has a theme that they like to follow. Themes that have been popular include Southern farming and a line for the sportsman and game hunter. They have two lines this year that they are excited to release. The first collection features images of beach life and will be released this spring for summer 2012. The line features fun images like convertibles and an adorable pattern containing bikini bottoms that has been named Topless. The fall line is a collaboration that the pair did with Georgian artist William Lamb. William Lamb & Son is an outfitter for sportsmen and also carries fine art that depicts the hunt. The collaboration between the two brands has yielded a line of ties featuring gallery-worthy depictions of sportsman themes that have delighted the retailers of Southern Proper. Emmie says that the line brings back memories of the hunting safety classes that her father signed her up for when she was ten. The collection is set to debut this fall. In addition to these lines of ties, Southern Proper also has a line of Sweet Tees, their Pima cotton T-shirts, that are set to release soon. Reagan and Emmie say that they are blessed to be given the opportunity to outfit the Southern men they love in the style they adore. The two travel the South every year displaying their brand at trunk shows and sporting events. {southernproper.com}
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A Life in Vintage An interview with Joanna Madden By: Brooke McCloud
A Life in Vintage I REMEMBER scavenging through my great-grandmother’s jewelry box when I was a little girl. Time didn’t exist while I wandered through tarnished gold and pearls. Thoughts would dance when I envisioned the sweet woman I never knew gracing them at the fair or a summer wedding. The wear and rust was never a flaw in my eight-year-old eyes, but something just as beautiful as the jewelry that it covered effortlessly. When I first spotted Joanna Madden’s My Funky Findings jewelry in Lexington, Kentucky a familiar nostalgia excitedly jumped about in my mind. I first took a long glance at the jewelry, not knowing what I wanted to touch first. Old clocks, metals and keys perfectly collaborated onto one piece. If you look closer, the keys have unique personalities, one even sporting the name of Ivy League university, Yale. ‚I can replicate a style but no two will either look a like. They will always have a special something on them,‛ said Madden. Madden has grown up in vintage, even more so living her life in vintage. Her mother has owned vintage stores for decades, now owning one called Summer House.
‚I think it is just about bringing the vintage things to a new life and bringing something old and wearing it new times,‛ said Madden. Venturing to flea markets 5 times a week to find items for her mother’s store and the 5year-old jewelry line, Madden finds items to make one-of-a-kind baubles and treasures for over 300 stores.
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The funky and unforgettably unique jewelry is even displayed in vintage. The jewelry hangs from a backdrop that is made from old dictionary pages rather than something shiny and new. ‚I love the durability of it [vintage], you can’t mess something up that is already old.‛ Madden’s jewelry line and her life perfectly intertwine, just like her timeless trinkets. ‚I live in vintage. I don’t stray, my jewelry line and my life don’t stray from each other, what I create is what I would bring into my house.‛ The unknown and untold history behind the pieces is what allures me most about her line. Not knowing whether the clock that hangs from the chain belonged to a professor or a loving father is what makes her pieces come alive.
“We are all worn and we all have a story to tell,” -Joanna Madden.
Frolicking through My Funky Findings Jewelry, you look into the past. The jewelry has a story to tell, a story that you can imagine for yourself the same way as I did while wandering through my greatgrandmother’s jewelry box. ‚You love what you live, you live what you love. If you love that look then so be it.‛
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A Life in Vintage
PHOTO: SARAH B. GILLIAM
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BONE FEATHER In 2010, after dealing with the task of trying to find a swimsuit that actually fit, Brooke Shipley realized there were two extremes for swimwear and nothing for the women who were in-between. This got her wondering if she could make a swimsuit that fit somewhere in the middle of a string-bikini and a one-piece. Attracted to the classic designs of vintage styles, Brooke set out to combine those styles with more modern cuts. In 2011 she attended Nashville Fashion Week with a few sample pieces and Bone Feather was born. Her unique designs created a buzz of exposure and brought in attention from new customers. With a mix between her love of vintage and a more cutting-edge, fashion-forward view she has seen much success within her first year of production. Even though production now takes place in New York, Brooke’s designs and samples are all still done inhouse. Brooke pulls the inspiration for Bone Feather designs from an array of vintage items, not just clothing. She loves anthropology and is quick to note the importance of studying textures, patterns, and colors. From antique chairs to Latin culture, she pulls a bit of inspiration from everything she experiences. As an American-made company, Brooke enjoys the hands on effect of domestic production. She makes frequent trips from Nashville to New York and has thus created strong relationships with those who work in the production of her line. She loves the fact that she is creating jobs in America and can visit New York to see production first hand, noting that good communication is the key to involvement in production. Brooke saw a need for swimwear that was accessible and in-style. With originality and innovation she has filled that need. In the near future, Brooke would love for Bone Feather to grow outside of the swimwear line that launched it. She has recently started a hand-stitched leather handbag collection and would like to expand into other categories, including garments to pair with swimwear. For more information about Brooke or Bone Feather please visit: www.BoneFeather.com
Primitive Beginnings
Turner Hill Tea
Owner: Julia Valovich
It is our desire at Turner Hill TeaÂŽ to offer you an excellent product and at the same time be eco-friendly.
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custom-designed typographic artwork While each custom-designed typographic artwork is unique, there’s no mistaking the signature design of a TYPOGRFX, available exclusively from designer Tosha Jackson. You simply provide a list of words about any subject, and they are used to create a one-of-a-kind piece of art. Available in a variety of formats – including gallery-wrapped canvas, metal prints, keepsake blankets and more– TYPOGRFX is the perfect compliment to traditional or modern decor. With prices from just $40, TYPOGRFX is the affordable gift for weddings, anniversaries and more!
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CREATE A HOUSE BECOMES A HOME
Felted snowball garland spills from an antique engraved mug.
AN INSPIRED CHRISTMAS Holiday Moments at Finderskeepers Market
Tis the season — and it certainly shows at Finderskeepers Market in Lexington, Kentucky. Sound familiar? Perhaps you’ve heard of proprietor James Snowden’s daily blog, The New Victorian Ruralist. Each season, Snowden and his partner Randy Terrell strive to showcase both the vintage and the unexpected when it comes to gifts and holiday decorations. Natural materials are always a source of inspiration for Snowden — and he uses them to connect each of his imaginative displays. Take a walk with us through the shop…
JAMES SNOWDEN
A large collection of mercury glass crowds a farmhouse table made from reclaimed wood. James loves combining the rough and the refined — especially during the holidays. Paper placemats, a silvered leaf, an antique creamer, and icy-blue table linens complete the look.
TOP: Snowden encourages his clients to seek design inspiration in unusual places. He suggests music, history, art and film. Here he has taken the cool-gray palette from one of his favorite movies, The Portrait of a Lady, and infused it with a bit of seasonal sparkle. Layers of dried Lamb’s Ear are bound with velvet ribbon and become a nest for mercury baubles and some vintage pewter. An antique photograph is included as well; one of Snowden’s favorite touches. BOTTOM: James believes curating your own style goes a long way during the holidays. He finds it unnecessary to spend extravagantly on seasonal decorations. Instead he suggests styling your space with items you already own, then pairing them in subtle ways with holiday-inspired accessories. A collection of hand-hammered serving domes bring drama to a holiday table and reflect the shine from a grouping of silvered pinecones. Once again, natural elements are the perfect resource when creating displays in your home. BELOW: Though these articulated ornaments by Cody Foster are a new item at Finderskeepers Market, they still speak of another time.
Stems of cotton nestle votive cups of amber bubbledglass on a weathered mantle. Recycled paper garland adds yet another vintage element.
An antique stone pot contains a bouquet of glass grape ornaments.
Finderskeepers Market, 109 Walton Avenue, Lexington, KY. The New Victorian Ruralist blog: http://www.finderskeepersmarketinc.blogspot.com/
Purveyor of ďŹ ne yarns, vintage goods, and fabulous fripperies hand-picked - hand-made because quality and authenticity matter my-distraction.com distractedincedarburg@gmail.com 414.477.1620 W61N505 Washington Ave. Cedarburg, WI 53012
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R
CREATE
JUNK FIX
DONNA WILLIAMS
ECLAIMED
Out of all the possible junk resources available, my favorite has to be reclaimed wood. It just cooperates. It cuts well, attaches perfectly, and the things you can create are limitless. It’s also a green choice. I have even taken past projects apart — only to rebuild something new with the same wood.
Here are a few of my favorite tips when working with reclaimed wood.
MY SECRET IN ACHIEVING THE ‘OLD’ LOOK. There are those that are able to achieve pretty believable finishes with new wood. However my choice is always old lumber. There is nothing like an authentic patina to get you where to desire to go instantly.
A good example is my crated up stairway. I left the steps uncarpeted for two years before I applied the artwork. The natural exposed wear and tear on the wood served to enhance the finished project, offering an authentically old patina that is hard to match with new materials.
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CREATE
JUNK FIX
DONNA WILLIAMS
I
IS RECLAIMED LUMBER SAFE? While old lumber is incredibly delightful to work with, one has to be sure it’s safe to use. Pallet wood is an excellent example, as it can carry chemicals and bacteria due to whatever it was shipping. Knowing what the wood was previously used for can also indicate if it’s a safer choice. Take time to learn a little about how wood is treated. Markings with an HT means it’s heat treated which is safer than chemicals. My rule of thumb... if it’s stained, appears too heavy, smells strange or you have any doubts, keep searching. WHERE I FIND IT? Being creative in your search can have you landing all kinds of great aged lumber. Fences about to fall over, old buildings, the curb and burn piles are only a start. Not only are you helping the environment by reducing landfill, you may be helping your neighbour clean up their yard! CLEANING IT UP, MAKING IT SAFE: Older wood can carry all kinds of contaminates, so it’s important to wear gloves, safety glasses and breathing protection while working with it. Removing mold and mildew is critical, especially if you have plans on bringing your piece indoors. A good scrubbing with a strong bristled brush alongside a mix of bleach and water followed up with soapy water will ensure all the grit and mildew is history. Sanding well with a palm sander ensures it’ll be splinter free which is especially important if you have smaller children or plan to use it for furniture that’s handled frequently. Outdoor sanding is even better. HOW TO WORK WITH IT: Removing nails out of pallet wood is difficult and time consuming however it ought to be top priority. Sanding is absolutely necessary to avoid possible contaminated splinters. I go through several grits to achieve the best finish possible. Using screws for your project is much easier to work with than nails. Predrilling holes will reduce splinters and can make dense wood effortless to work with. It’s a good idea to ensure your cordless drill battery is well charged and your screw tips are in good shape. You’ll need the extra oomph!
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Here are a few projects I’ve created from found lumber or dismanteled pallets. Not only is the sky the limit when creating with reclaimed lumber, it couldn’t be more fun! For complete tutorials on any of these projects, please visit funkyjunkinteriors.blogspot.com
CREATE
JUNK FIX
DONNA WILLIAMS
S
outhern Ingenuity
If you’re searching for true Southern style, look no further than Becky Cunningham’s blog Buckets of Burlap. After encountering the wonderful world of blogging in summer of 2010, Becky decided to chronicle the transformation of her 2005 modular house into a home with a “vintage country farmhouse” style. The blog has documented the changes in Cunningham’s home as she has slowly made updates room by room. Buckets of Burlap allows Becky’s readers to achieve the same farmhouse style that she has developed in her home, by becoming an avenue for sharing how she creates this style using unique flea market finds. “I want my readers to see that even a newer home can have character by adding architectural elements and vintage items,” says Becky. A veritable treasure-trove of great design, Becky’s Louisiana home showcases a unique blend of country style and repurposed objects. Her passion for decorating is surpassed only by her love for the South, her homeland. She defines “Southern” as her way of life. “Around our farm, it’s all in the way you treat others … being generous, kind-hearted, and well-mannered.” Living on a farm in northern Louisiana has given her a pioneer spirit. She reuses and repurposes abandoned and time-worn objects to create this signature farmhouse style. An old bucket becomes a light fixture, and an old picket fence becomes a
Text: Gina Young | Photo: Becky Cunningham
headboard. Her imagination stems from her upbringing, and she credits her family with instilling in her a good work ethic and a sense of creativity. She cites her biggest creative influence as being her mom. “She was such a ‘decorator,;” says Becky, now a mother to three of her own. “Everyone used to say ‘her house needs to be in a magazine.’” However, it wasn’t until her mother passed away in 2009 that Becky felt her decorating style come alive. “All those things she once loved — gardening, decorating, and entertaining — were sparked within me. So, I started my blog, Buckets of Burlap, so that I could tell my story-how we are turning our little home into a farmhouse one DIY project at a time, and how my mom influenced it all,” says Becky. She expresses how wonderful it is that her blog allows her to connect with other women, and mothers that are so inspired to design by their families. “My aesthetic was greatly shaped from my parents, who taught me the importance of working hard, entertaining with big meals, and hosting family holiday gatherings.” Family is something that continues to inspire her Southern identity. It is the most important thing in her life, and her design communicates that focus through
its simplicity and functionality. Her home is always open to her family and friends, like so many homes in the South. Her home is often the scene of an evening spent with “family and friends roasting hot dogs around the bonfire.” Becky, a former kindergarten teacher, married her high school sweetheart, Shannon. Besides her husband and three children, Becky’s family also includes their farm animals— two mini pot-bellied pigs, hens, two lambs, and a chocolate lab. The entire family embraces the country life through “baking homemade cookies, fishing in the pond, roasting marshmallows, and tending to the farm.” The family’s hobby farm is also a topic of discussion on Buckets of Burlap. “I keep my readers updated with photos of new baby ducks and lambs and how to grow an herb garden,” explains Becky. Living off the land is one way that her family strives to live a simpler life. They enjoy a slower pace of life that includes working together on the farm to harvest the many fruits and vegetables they grow. It’s not only fun and games on the farm, however. The family works together to ensure the success of their farm. Besides growing their own vegetables, flowers, and herbs, they also gather fresh eggs from their hens. In creating a balance of work and play, they are able to spend quality time as a family. In addition to room makeovers and farming, Becky also enjoys posting table-setting ideas. “I share ideas on tablescapes for entertaining for a party (like the photos here, of an ice cream social) or a simple dinner for two,” she explains of her simple and rustic tablescapes. She also claims to have decorator’s A.D.D., joking, “I rearrange furniture often, and I show my readers how I refresh a room by simply moving things around, or ‘shopping my house’.” She posts about shopping trips to antique malls or flea markets and increasing her collections of antique and vintage items such as vintage scales or grain sacks. Everything is functional, yet there is a simple lived-in beauty to her humble home. Becky is very proud of her reclaimed barn wood kitchen island. “It was our first and favorite major step in transforming our home into a cozy and comfortable farmhouse.” That was the turning point for Becky in creating the style her home has today. Since 2008, she has worked to develop her own unique rustic country aesthetic in her home. Her husband Shannon helps in bringing her vision to life by lending his carpentry skills. “He has used reclaimed barn wood to create the dining room farm table, coffee cart, and a rustic headboard.” Between her husband’s craftsmanship and flea market finds, Becky has been able to create a comfortable and creative home that is all her own. Whether she is feeding farm animals or decorating her home, Becky Cunningham lives out a lifestyle of the South. Her originality is visible in both her photographs as well as her carefully curated blog. Since the launch of her blog, Becky has also been inspired to open an online shop, which will sell vintage farmhouse home decor. She is hoping to open it by summer 2012 As her blog has grown, Becky has sowed friendships with many readers that have blossomed. Of these friendships, Becky says, “Where I felt a void in my life from losing my mom, I cherish these friends who share in my love for the simple country life.” No matter what she does, Becky shows us the meaning of true Southern charm and ingenuity.
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BECKY’S FARMHOUSE DECORATING TIPS 1. If you want to incorporate vintage country farmhouse into your decorating, start off by painting rooms in shades of white. Whites give a neutral, clean, crisp background and allows the focus to be on the vintage accessories. 2. Use architectural elements such as old windows, doors, or columns to add character to a newer home. 3. Don’t be afraid to change things around. Rearranging pieces of furniture or moving items to another room will give a “tired” room a whole new look. 4. Mix different textures, such as burlap or grain sacks, wooden elements, and industrial or metal items, to add variety and a rustic feel. 5. Give outdated or dark pieces of furniture a coat of white paint. Or use reclaimed lumber to build small tables or a headboard.
AN ORIGINAL DESIGN DEB KENNEDY
I CALL THESE LITTLE DARLINGS MY ‘SWEET SWEATER PUMPKINS’
– and yes, they ARE made from recycled sweaters!
Back in 2007, I had a few cashmere and cable knit sweaters that I could no longer wear, but I didn’t want to get rid of them. After making pillow covers from the soft, cuddly bodies of the sweaters, I was left with a bunch of sweater arms. I spent a rainy fall night playing with the fabric, and hit upon the idea to create cute little stuffed pumpkins for my own fall décor. I created a method, made the first few, and shared photos on my blog – my readers expressed their delight in this new product design, and the idea spread like wildfire. I’ve been making and selling my original pumpkins since then, at vintage shows in the Pacific Northwest and Northern California. I provided my tutorial for the premiere issue of FOLK Magazine in September 2011, where it was published in print as the first of my ‘Sweet ReTreat’ columns for the magazine. I am currently selling my original handmade pumpkins through select retailers and on my new seasonal decorating blog, HOMEWARDfound. Because I was a mom with four small kids to keep entertained, I want to continue to make the tutorial for my pumpkins available – especially for moms with kids. This is a perfect fall craft for children, as it is no-sew and very low-cost. The pumpkins can be made of any sweater material in any color – from bright stripes to spooky black! In celebration of fall and of this commemorative issue of the first year of FOLK, I’m offering the tutorial on the HOMEWARDfound blog – along with many other creative, low-cost ideas for decorating your home for EVERY season. Come on over!
Click to visit HOMEWARDfoundDecor.com to buy my pumpkins or my tutorial Product design and ‘Sweet Sweater Pumpkin’ TM . Copyright Deb Kennedy 2007-2012 Images by Deb Kennedy, 2011. All Rights Reserved. Used here with permission.
Old House Love IT WAS LOVE AT FIRST CREAK
BY: ANNE LORYS
PERHAPS A BIT OF EXPLANATION IS IN ORDER ... A couple of years ago, my husband and I began the search for a new home, but not new in the sense of modern construction. No, the search was on for a new “old house”, a dwelling with a dash of charm, an abundance of character, and layer upon layer of history. An abode with heart and soul, and with the scars to prove it. Upon entering the cozy little Victorian cottage we now call home, it was love at the first creak of the back-porch screen door. It’s a sound that evokes sweet memories of childhoods spent at my Mammaw and Pappaw’s house in Waco, Texas. Nope, no “Grandmother” and “Grandfather” here: it was Mammaw and Pappaw. Country and proud. The creak of my grandparent’s screen door was always a beckoning, welcoming sound. “Enter in; there is love and comfort and hugs and homemade fudge here, Anne.” Although my grandparents have long since passed, each time I hear that familiar creak of a screen door, I am instantly embraced and overwhelmed by those memories from my youth. Fast forward to my adulthood, a misspent youth as a
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city-based apartment dweller. Albeit, it was a small city, but I was fully indoctrinated into and appreciative of all the creature comforts afforded city folk ... double-paned, energy-efficient windows, an in-house handyman available 24/7 for any appliance or plumbing glitch, and just the shiny, sparkly newness of my citified life. My husband grew up in suburbia and lived in a newer construction home when we met. He was actually the first occupant of that house, so he ,too, was happily accustomed to the relative ease of 21st-century living. And yet there was a stirring discontent within, a plaintive yearning to return to the sort of contentment found only after crossing Mammaw and Pappaw’s threshold. Granted, my husband didn’t quite share this same yearning, but you know how the saying goes; “if Mama ain’t happy ...?” And so we moved. We’ve been in our little slice of country Shangrila about a year now, and although it’s still a passionate love affair for me, I’ve had a few contentious quarrels with my proud, 102-year-old Victorian girl. She has an abundance of peely paint on her exterior, and all of her interior windows are painted shut. Those would be her double-hung, completely energy-inefficient windows, I might add. It’s only the saving grace of her swoony wavy glass that redeems her right now. We are also fortunate enough to have the original wooden floorboards, which are all in stellar condition. Add to that an abundance of white beadboard, chair railings, and architectural elements galore, and the lulling sound of rain on our old tin roof. All in all, it’s a pretty sweet life. These beguiling attributes more than make up for the frustrating lack of closet space, the drafty windows, and the sometimes wonky electrical wiring. My “new” old home beckons to me, imploring me to embrace a simpler, more honest way of living—to return not only to the roots and traditions of my own ancestors, but those who lived in this proud old beauty before me in ages past. Old house love is contagious, so be prepared. Should you ever find yourself a guest at my country farm table, and I certainly hope you shall, it’s more than probable that you too will be giddily infected with the yearning to make the same journey into the past that me and The Mister are on right now. There’s always a hug and a smile and a glass of sweet tea waiting for you on the other side of the creaky screen door. Anne Lorys is a published photographer, writer and blogger. Visit her at fionaandtwig.blogspot.com
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CREATE
DIY 101
Christa Olson & Felicia Myers
DIY 101
TWO COLLEGE GIRLS TAKE A BREAK FROM THE BOOKS TO CREATE PROJECTS FIT FOR ANY BUDGET
When I first thought about what I was going to do for this craft, I knew I wanted to incorporate sewing, given that I haven’t had the time to since well before the holidays. Before winter break I learned to knit, therefore, I spent the majority of my time perfecting my technique and knitting gifts for my relatives. So, once the spring semester started, I knew I wanted to get back in front of the sewing machine. I found a wonderful shower curtain tutorial online, but I wanted to make it my own. I couldn’t resist trying it out myself! I used a king sized sheet and cut it down to 72x72 inches. Next, I used the leftover fabric from the king sheet and also a twin sized sheet to make the ruffles! I made sure to cut the strips double the length of the shower curtain so that the ruffles would be nice and full. Overall, I’m really pleased with how it turned out!
Gather
FOOD FOR EVERY ASPECT OF LIVING
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days, walking barefoot in the grass, a nice cold glass of lemonade and of course, Fourth of July weekend (oddly enough, it falls in the middle of the week this year). But what can be better than a weekend full of BBQs, sparklers, fireworks, picnics and spending time with friends and family whilst celebrating our beautiful country? As a foodie, I have to admit one of the things I look forward to the most are all those red, white and blue desserts. As with many others, I’m sure, it’s tradition in my family to have delicious blueberries, raspberries or strawberries and whipped cream tucked somewhere into the dessert. We always bake a different recipe each year that has those Americana elements in them and they have begun to represent the taste of summer for us.
I hope you enjoy this time of year as much as I do and savor it while it lasts.
BY RIKKI SNYDER
I want to share this twist on a classic recipe with you all and inspire you to mix and create your own flavors. This fruitfilled gelatin is cool, light and incredibly refreshing. It’s a perfect afternoon snack on a warm summer day and when topped with whipped cream, it makes for a sweet and fruity gelatin dessert. Whisking the jello just before it sets creates air bubbles, adding a unique look to this classic treat. As the berry season rolls in, I encourage you to take a day and head out to a local farm to go berry picking. Pack a picnic lunch and make a fun day out of it. The warm, fresh air is embracing and you will have piles of fresh fruit to bake with.
Bubbly & Berry Filled Gelatin
I ALWAYS LOOK FORWARD TO THIS TIME OF YEAR with excitement and eagerness, and when it finally comes, I savor every minute of it. The long sunny
BUBBLY & BERRY FILLED GELATIN 4-5 packets of gelatin (depending on desired firmness) 6 cups raspberry ginger ale 5-7 tablespoons superfine sugar, or to taste 2 cups raspberries 2 cups blueberries Put 2 cups of the raspberry ginger ale and the sugar in a saucepan over medium heat. Heat until just about to boil. Remove from heat and slowly add each gelatin packet, stirring between each one, until the gelatin is thoroughly dissolved. Pour the remaining 4 cups of ginger ale in a large bowl, add the hot mixture and gelatin mixture and mix well with a whisk to combine. Chill in the fridge until just starting to set. Wash and mix together the raspberries and blueberries, set aside to dry. Once the jello mixture has just started to set, quickly whisk with a balloon whisk to make air bubbles in the jello. Fold in the fruit and divide between 7-9 small glasses. Cover with plastic wrap and chill in the fridge until completely set. Top with whipped cream if desired. (Try mixing different fruits and flavored sodas such as cranberry ginger ale or grape soda. Use strawberries, grapes and pomegranate seeds as well.)
ABOUT RIKKI: Rikki Snyder is a freelance photographer, stylist and writer. Although she enjoys photographing everything from products to people to interiors, her true passion in photography is food and editorial still life. While Rikki grew up in a very food-oriented family, her passion for food photography was undiscovered until she attended the Hallmark Institute of Photography, where she graduated with one of the top portfolios in her class. When she’s not baking and taking pictures, Rikki can be found browsing in local antique stores, enjoying the outdoors and spending time with her 6 year old German shepherd.
Doughnuts
POOR MAN’S
AMY THAYER
1 can refrigerated biscuits 50/50 mixture powdered sugar and water oil for frying
Preheat oil to 375. Remove biscuits from container. Using your thumb, puncture a hole in the center of each biscuit , gently
pulling to what resembles a donut. Place doughnut-shaped biscuits into hot oil , careful not to crowd the pan. After the top starts to firm and puff up , turn them over. Allow both sides to turn a golden brown. Remove cooked doughnuts from pan and set out on paper towels to blot away the excess grease.
Glaze:
1 cup powdered sugar 3 tablespoons milk
Whisk together sugar and milk. Add more milk, 1 tablespoon at a time, if needed to achieve desired consistency. Drizzle glaze over warm donuts.
SEE MORE OF AMY’S CREATIONS AT mommahenscoop.com
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SSO second shout out Vintage Marketplace Second Shout Out is a curated Vintage Marketplace for all things vintage, antiques with a smidgen of elbowroom for high-quality reproductions and products inspired by or made from vintage and antique elements. The first of its kind, SSO is a Vintage Lifestyle Destination with historic homes, classic cars, retro fashion & jewelry and vintage home decor.
www.secondshoutout.com
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CROWS IN THE ATTIC
www.crowsintheatticprimitives.blogspot.com
p rim itiv es
Crows and Critters, Prim Dolls and Raggedies, Holiday and Everyday! Wholesale and Retail theheadcrow@aol.com
Whispering Willow is a purveyor of handcrafted bath & beauty products including body wash, bar soap, lotion, laundry detergent, gifts, and more.
Black Sheep Antiques
Visit us online at www.whisperingwillow.net
7094 US Highway 231 Utica, Ky T: (270) 903-7859 Find us on Facebook: “Black Sheep Antiques”
Open Tuesday-Saturday 10 am - 5 pm or by appointment
THANKFUL
A WAY OF LFE
A WORD
TEXT: HILLARY LEWIS
PHOTO: OLIVIA GARDNER
If the only prayer you said in your whole life was, "thank you," that would suffice. ~Meister Eckhart
Thankful
: A WORD, A WAY OF LIFE
TEXT: HILLARY LEWIS | PHOTO: OLIVIA GARDNER
With the dawning of the Holiday season, and the hustle and bustle of last minute party preparations, it is important to focus on the fact that the month of November brings more than pumpkin pies and homemade rolls fresh out of the oven. The month of November, at least through my eyes, serves as the resurrection of an often overlooked way of life; a way of life that focuses on a single word, Thankful.
From Kindergarten on, we are expected by society to be able to account for the things that we are thankful for. Unfortunately, it seems the older we get the harder it is to utter the word, let alone live by it. We devote a "Holiday season" to being thankful, but it seems to be overlooked for the remainder of the year. Being thankful for the little things in life is the key to happiness. Open your eyes, listen closely, take in some deep breaths, and pay attention to your senses. These simple acts will bring beauty to what seem to be the most insignificant moments. When you begin to rely on your senses and to cherish the specific details of life, you will gain a larger appreciation for life as a whole. Simultaneously, you will create sensory memories that last a lifetime. Realistically, it's okay to focus on the pumpkin pies and homemade rolls fresh out of the oven. It's okay, if those are things that you are thankful for. Study the skill in your Mother's task as she kneads dough by hand. Savor the smell of nutmeg as your Uncle adds it to the mixing bowl. Indulge in the warmth that radiates from the inside of that homemade roll you just tore apart. Cherish the memories that are made by simply being aware of your surroundings. To enhance your quality of life even more, be thankful for those around you; the people you interact with on a daily basis. Open your heart to small acts of kindness. Be thankful for your roots, for where you
come from, where you're going, who you are, for who has helped you to reach your goals, and for who has provided a smile on your darkest days. Additionally, be thankful for the ones who held you back and who turned your world upside down. These are the people who have given you the virtues of strength and perseverance. It's as easy as pushing the power button and looking away from the screen in front of your face. Take the time to view life as a hands on experience. Make eye contact and say thank you to the kind gentleman who held the elevator door as you dashed through the lobby. Skip the text message and send a hand written correspondence to your sister, just to let her know how much you appreciate her having your entire family over for dinner. Leave a thank you note in the mailbox for your postal carrier (you KNOW their jobs aren't ideal this time of year). Be appreciative of life. When the leaves are gone and the world begins to turn, from red and orange, to grey and white; don't complain of the cold. Instead, take a moment to indulge in the splendor of a new season. When you pull into your parking spot at work and turn off your car, before you step out into a winter wonderland, admire the intricate detail of each snowflake that gently comes to rest on your windshield. When you're sitting in the office and decide nothing sounds better than a warm hot chocolate from the local coffee shop, bring back two and share the warmth with a co-worker. Thankful is a short word, with a simple meaning, and the power to change your entire outlook on life. Thankful is the essence of FOLK. FOLK is a lifestyle, and being thankful is a large part of it. As you embark on this season of thanks, I urge you to grasp it tightly and to not let it go. Throughout the "Holiday season," hold on to the idea of being thankful and carry it with you into the new year. Resurrect a life centered around Thanksgiving throughout the year. Be aware. Be appreciative. Be thankful.
For me– the best part of the holiday season is getting to spend it with family and friends. For our trip to orchard I invited some of my favorite college friends to join us for the day. Top Row: (left to right) FOLK short story writer; Gina Young, FOLK executive assistant; Lauren Preece, FOLK creative director; Heath Stiltner, Ben. Bottom Row: FOLK contributing writer; Katie Grim, FOLK seamstress; Leah Propst, FOLK photographer; Olivia Gardner, and FOLK advertising director; Hillary Lewis
HEATH’S APPLE RECIPES Gingerbread Recipe: 6 Cups Flour 1/2 Teaspoon Ground Cloves 1 Teaspoon Ground All-Spice 4 Heaping Teaspoon’s Ground Ginger 1 Cup Molasses 1 Cup Oil 1 Cup Sugar 1 Cup Brown Sugar 2 Eggs 1/4 Cup Buttermilk Glaze: 1 Egg 1/2 Cup Buttermilk Baking Instructions: Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Blend flour, cloves, all-spice, and ginger in a large mixing bowl. In a separate mixing bowl, combine the molasses, sugar, brown sugar, oil, buttermilk, and eggs. Add the flour mixture to your wet ingredients slowly and blend mix well. For Cookies: Using your dough, form a small amount into a rough circle with your hands and place on a greased and floured cookie sheet. Brush tops of gingerbread cookie forms with the egg and buttermilk mixture to give them a shiny finish. Bake for about 8 minutes, making sure not to over-bake. Allow to cool on cooling rack and enjoy!
For Stack Cake: With your dough mixture, separate a small amount and spread evenly into the bottom of a greased cast iron skillet. Bake for 8 minutes, being careful not to over-bake. Allow each layer to cool. Spread a thin layer of apple butter on the base of the cake platter and then top it with your first layer of cake. Spread a layer of apple butter between each layer of cake finishing with the rest on the top-most layer. The mix should yield 8 medium-sized layers. Apple 12 6 2 1 4
Butter Recipe: Pounds Apples Pounds Sugar Teaspoons Ground Cloves Teaspoon Ground Nutmeg Teaspoons Cinnamon
Cooking Instructions: Heat oven to 350 degrees and stove to Medium-High. Core, peel, and cut up apples. Cook apples until soft and cooked thoroughly. Press apples through colander or chinois. Mix the pulp, sugar, cloves, nutmeg, and cinnamon. Bake the pulp mixture until thick, it may take several hours. Can the apple butter in clean, sterilized jars that are still hot, watch for the jars to seal themselves. Enjoy!
As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them. ~ John Fitzgerald Kennedy
Give the Gift of Thanks: Create one of a kind, customized stationary for a thoughtful gift this season. By giving the gift of thanks through stationary, you are saying thank you to someone special in your life while also allowing them to share the gift of thanks with others who are special in theirs. It's all about a short word, with a simple meaning, and the power to change your entire outlook on life.
J
INSPIRED BY:
MICHAEL WURM JR.
am
Honestly, it seems like yesterday. After school I’d walk to my grandparents house. I was a paperboy and my route included their house. I had this canvas bag with bright orange trim. The Daily Press was written across the front. There were days I had no desire to deliver papers, in the rain, when they were twice as heavy with ads and coupons. But there was never a day I didn’t want to go to my grandparents. Summers were always the best. My grandpa, Pop, planted a garden every year. He still does. Food from the garden always tasted better. The tomatoes were sweeter. The lettuce, more crisp. Even the bunnies that snuck in under the handmade fence knew it.
INSPIRED BY: JAM And no matter how much the garden produced, everything was used. My grandmother, Gram, made sure of it. In addition to her amazing pie making skills, she was also a canner. Her canned tomato sauce is by far the best. When I first moved away from home, she always packed me jars and jars of homemade tomato sauce, canned peppers, homemade blueberry muffins and freezer jam. The best freezer jam. The tables have slightly turned a bit these days. I’m no longer delivering papers, and I’m the one making the jam. Preserved, not frozen. And I’d like to think it tastes almost as good as her jam. Almost as good as their tomato sauce. How can I be sure? Well, I discovered their secret ingredient. I figured out why the sun always seemed to shine brighter on Bayberry Road. Why their cherry tomatoes were always so sweet. And why those blueberry muffins were just a bit more fluffy. Love. Everything they did, and still do, they do with love. And let me tell you, it has made all the difference.
CHAMPAGNE GINGER PEACH JAM 4 cups fresh peaches - peeled, pitted and chopped ¼ cup finely chopped candied ginger 1 bottle champagne or sparkling white wine 3 (1.75 ounce) packages powdered fruit pectin 7 cups white sugar Directions: 1. Bring peaches, champagne, ginger, and pectin to a boil in a large saucepan over medium heat. 2. Stir in the sugar and butter (the butter will help reduce the amount of foam created when cooking); cook and stir until the sugar is dissolved. Return to a boil, stirring constantly for one minute. Remove from heat, and skim off any foam with a spoon. 3. Sterilize the jars and lids. Pour the peach jam into the hot, sterilized jars, filling the jars to 1/4 inch from the top. Wipe the rims of the jars with a moist towel to remove any spilled jam. Top with lids, and screw on rings. 4. Process in a water bath. If the jam is going to be eaten right away, don’t bother with processing, and just refrigerate.
MELISSA
44 | FOLK
A LUCKY
G
BY: MELISSA MEADERS MCCRADLE PHOTO: REVERIE DAYDREAM PHOTOGRAPHY CHRISTMAS HAS ALWAYS BEEN A BIG DEAL IN MY FAMILY. The planning begins in October and decorating commences near Thanksgiving. Much to my mother’s chagrin, I didn’t inherit the jollyjingle-bell love for the holidays, yet I have always thrived on the giving part of this season. Being able to give is one of life’s greatest gifts, and to step this process up a notch by taking the time to either find or create the perfect present for a cherished recipient is just as grand as placing the most spectacular star atop the Christmas Tree. Being able to make a gift with my own hands, using resources offered unselfishly by nature or repurposing materials, and presenting something that is useful or full of meaning to my dearest friends and family is what Christmas is all about ~ the gift that is filled with love. So this year, my dear friend, Sherry of Culinary Getaways, and I decided that her Good Luck Soup recipe packaged up with delicious heirloom beans and fresh garden grown herbs would be the ideal gift for anyone on our list. Growing up in the South, my grandmother always prepared a New Year’s Day lunch or dinner that included black-eyed peas {and collard greens}. According to her, black-eyed peas were for good-luck. Even then, as a young girl, I would eat at least two helpings of these delicious legumes because everyone hopes for the lucky goodness to be on their side 365 days of the year. More so than ever, I believe we all could use a hefty dose of good luck in our lives!
ift
GOOD LUCK SOUP By Sherry Page of Culinary Getaways Ingredients: 1/4 cup olive oil 1 large onion, chopped 1/3 cup celery, chopped 1/3 cup carrots, chopped 1 clove garlic, chopped 2 cups assorted dried beans (your favorites) and black-eyed peas 1 roasted red pepper, peeled and chopped 6 cups stock or water (may need more - see note below) 1 cup chopped ham, hog jowl or a ham shank 1/2 teaspoon hot chili flakes 2 cups chopped ripe tomatoes 1 teaspoon fresh, chopped sage (or thyme) Sea salt Pepper You will also need: Large Dutch oven or soup pot with lid Instructions: Sauté the onion, celery and carrots in olive oil over medium-low heat until they are translucent. Add the chopped garlic and sauté for 30 seconds longer. Add the beans/peas, the roasted red pepper, the stock/water, the ham and the pepper flakes to the pot. Bring to a boil. Then cover, reduce the heat and cook for about two hours until the beans and peas start to soften. Note that you will need to check the liquid in the pot about every 15 minutes. Depending upon the beans used and the cooking time needed, you may need to add more water or stock. When the beans have started to soften, add the tomatoes and sage and cook until the beans and peas are completely soft (about 30 minutes more). Add sea salt and pepper, to taste. Serves 4.
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A LUCKY GIFT BY: MELISSA MEADERS MCCRADLE | PHOTO: REVERIE DAYDREAM PHOTOGRAPHY
46 | FOLK
QUALITY AMERICAN MADE FURNITURE & AMERICANA DECOR
antique & primitive style mohair teddy bears and other animals
Brady Bears Studio
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WWW.AMERICAN-COUNTRY.COM
by Artist Karen Brady
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Custom Artwork, Handmade Jewelry & Books. Nature-inspired. Detailed. Elegant. Original.
CREATE TABLESCAPE SIBYLLE ROESSLER
Sibylle Roessler is a freelance designer and blogger. Living dangerously close to El Rastro, the biggest flea market in Europe, she happily combines work with play and is a flea-market addict.
In less than a year the popularity of her blog ‘Funkytime’ grew quickly, acknowledged by Apartment Therapy & Design Sponge for her “funky style.” The blog was also recently featured in Artful Blogging and Women’s Day. BRIGITTE, Germany’s largest women’s magazine declared Funkytime to be one of the 12 most creative blogs on the internet. Sibylle’s work will also be featured in two books, “The Design Cookbook: Recipes for a Stylish Home” by Kelly Edwards and “Mod Podge Rocks! Decoupage your World” by Amy Anderson. She is also publishing Funkytime magazine, which is a seasonal home and lifestyle magazine featuring articles on food, design & DIY projects. {fun.kyti.me}
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FOLK | 154 | 2012
Virginia’s Alley SANDY ROBINSON
LUCK OF THE POT HOSTING A POTLUCK TRADITIONALLY A POTLUCK IS A GATHERING OF PEOPLE WHERE EACH PERSON CONTRIBUTES FOOD TO BE SHARED. SOME REFER TO IT AS A COVERED DISH SUPPER, CARRY-IN MEAL, OR DISH-TO-SHARE DINNER. The word potluck is thought to have first appeared around the 16th century in England; the term was used to mean food served to unexpected guests. To the Irish, the term potluck comes from a time when groups of women would gather together and cook dinner — the meal served was a matter of luck. I think of a potluck as a time that friends or families gather; everyone brings their favorite or most-requested dish. It’s a time to try new flavors and to savor old favorites. Although there is no correct way to host a potluck, some hosts might provide the meat and ask guests to bring side dishes. Some potlucks are themed based either upon the time of year or the host’s choice. When planning or hosting a potluck meal of any sort, be sure to remember drinks, plates, and utensils (friends that don’t like to cook will usually jump on the chance to provide them). Where I live in Kentucky, part of the Bible Belt, church potlucks are a regular event. My favorite church dinners are the ones with no theme — just based on luck. I lov
Made in America Virginia’s Alley A HANDMADE SANDY HALLOWEEN ROBINSON
How did you get started with Folk Art? How did you start creating folk art as a business? My mother lead the way along my path to creating folk art. In my early years, she was a weaver and textile artist, and I followed her to various art show exhibitions. Clearly, I was interested in art as well, and at the age of 12 she invited me to make my own goods and sell them at fairs by her side. I stitched pillows and samplers, painted blocks and gnarled branches and illustrated on paper bags just to name a few. These creative explorations helped me find my niche, and through the years I realized how much I enjoyed crafting and sharing my creations with others.
along and be included. She supplied me with crayons, colored chalk, markers and paint, and family friends were always dropping off old dot matrix printer paper and other materials for me to draw on. I thoroughly enjoyed the artistic process, and the adults around me saw my potential and cultivated it.
Did you always want to create your own products as a business, or did it start as a passion on the side? I think the idea of creating my own products was always in the back of my mind, but when I graduated from the Art Institute of Colorado, I wanted to explore graphic design. I had visions of being a package I started Johanna Parker Design at the designer, but soon jumped at the opportunity I love plate and tailaend of aof 6+ vegetable year career casseroles, in TV news pastatodishes design for TVdeviled news. However, I realized graphics. The high news art direction that for TV was not tactile, and I eggs. While this is pace not aof meal combination thatdesign I would left little time to nurture my creative side that brings missedback working with my hands. To fill the void, necessarily serve at home, it is one childhood and whimsical imagination. So, on a whim, I continued to make memories of fun and fellowship. Another of my favorite folk art for the holidays I decided it wasistime to fly and followdinner, my on thea side. potluck dinners a progressive where group moves passion for folk art as a new career. I began from house to house. At the first house, the host prepares sculpting vintage-style Halloween characters, How did you get started with papier mâché? appetizers or salads, the second host prepares the main photographed my pieces and started I must have been a teen when mom brought course, and my thework lasttohost desserts.home After dessert, themache mix for me submitting showprepares promoters and a bag of papier hostmagazines. might have a few games for the groupto toexperiment play to end the with. Together, we tried our night. Potluck meals can be a life-saver around the hand at thisholidays; medium, and it truly resonated theyHave giveyou friends to Even fellowship alwaysand beenrelatives a designerthe andopportunity with me. though my first attempts were creator? Momthat tells doesn’t me that I was extremely I continued to work with it together in Yes. a way overburden any one crude, person or drawing people with five fingers at the age when time allowed and slowly refined my family. of 3. Fortunately, she nurtured my talents, skills at sculpting. alwaysthat creating art. I was that The and firstI was potluck I remember attending was on the fourth girl in elementary school that was constantly What was your inspiration in creating the of July, about 30 years ago. It was held at my Aunt Naomi’s nominated by her classmates to paint the brand? Years ago in art school, I was home in the area fondly know as Bull Creek. All my dad’s posters and visual aids for the team. And, assigned the challenge to design a logo and brothers and sisters, theirbox spouses, of my for cousins somewhere, I have a dusty of blue and most letterhead my own resume as a designer. gathered for good times and great food. I remember farm Parker Design” ribbons from childhood art contests from my I decided thata “Johanna wagon covered possibly be would eaten.one day become a school days. with more food than could had a ring and There were family favorites: butter beans, recognizable cabbage rolls, brand that could encompass did you deviled get startedeggs, creating? I believepies, many things. friedHow chicken, chocolate and different all sorts of A stylized pumpkin that my mother being an artist intrigued me with stars, which has now evolved into a jolly other vegetables, meats, and desserts. My family has hosted as a child, and of course I too wanted to play jack-o’-lantern, is my logo because I was a reunion every year since then; it’s now held on Labor Day
at the city park. The food is still wonderful, there is still too much food. Though my grandparents are no longer with us, I can look around the room and see my mamaw’s familiar expressions in the eyes of many of my relatives. And in the “potluck” of families, I consider myself very blessed. FOLK |
33 | 2012
born on Halloween. Later, I would find that my business would morph into an all-year celebration of Halloween via the collectible holiday folk art characters I create. How do you find inspiration for your designs, how do you create them? I am inspired by swirling patterns, vintage hues, nature and the flowing lines and bold shapes of the Art Deco era. My one of a kind folk art characters are each hand sculpted in a multilayered process. My husband and business partner, JP d’Andrimont, fine tunes each piece with carving tools and abrasives. And lastly, I paint each piece with individuality, often adorning each with trims and illustrated hats. Do you have a favorite? They are all special to me and bitter sweet to let go of. The time that is poured into each piece shows my dedication to my craft, and honestly it’s difficult to choose a favorite. Any new upcoming fall projects? Well, I am currently creating my annual Halloween collection of originals which I will unveil at Denver’s Halloween Trunk Show & at Michigan’s Ghoultide Gathering. Collectors interested in seeing what’s new will just have to “haunt” me down. When did you first fall in love with Halloween designs? As a child, Halloween was extra special since it was the day I was born on. Mom would festoon the house in Halloween ephemera which always signaled my delight. When I was old enough to appreciate them, I started gravitating toward vintage Halloween novelties as mom and I loved to haunt the antique stores. johannaparkerdesign.com
MISSISSIPPI MUD CAKE 1 1/2 cups flour 2 tablespoons cocoa 1 cup butter 2 cups sugar 1 teaspoons vanilla 4 eggs 1 1/2 cups chopped pecans 1 (3 1/2 ounce) can flaked coconut 1 (7 ounce) jar marshmallow creme Grease and flour 9x13 pan and set aside. Mix flour and cocoa together; set aside. Beat butter for 30 seconds to soften. Add sugar and vanilla, beating until fluffy. Add eggs. Beat in flour mixture. Stir in pecans and coconut. Turn mixture into prepared pan. Bake at 350 for 35 minutes. While cake is still hot, spread with marshmallow creme. Cool completely and add icing. MISSISSIPPI MUD ICING: 1/2 cup butter 4 cups sifted powdered sugar 1/2 cup cocoa 1/2 cup evaporated milk 1 teaspons vanilla
Mix all ingredients until well blended. Spread over cooled cake.
MOMMA’S DEVILED EGGS 12 large eggs Ice water 6 tablespoons mayonnaise 2 teaspoons mustard salt and black pepper cayenne pepper or cajun seasoning for dusting In a large pot, arrange the eggs in a single layer and add enough water to cover. Bring to a boil over high heat, then cover and remove from the heat; let stand for 10 minutes. Drain, then cover the eggs with ice water. Let stand until cool to the touch. Peel the eggs, halve lengthwise and scoop the yolks into a medium bowl, reserving the egg whites. Mash the yolks with the mayonnaise, and mustard; season with salt and black pepper. Spoon the yolk mixture into the egg white halves and dust with cayenne pepper or Cajun Seasoning.
For the purpose of this story, I created dishes that would be served at a potluck from the 1970s. My Aunt Nellie Myrl’s Cabbage Rolls are first on my plate at reunions. I’m not sure which aunt or cousin first introduced the Johnson crew to the Mississippi Mud Cake, but it’s a sure hit at any gathering. And my momma’s deviled eggs …well, Ben, Linda, and I ate most all of them after the photo shoot…they’re just good.
FOLK | 80 | 2012
Virginia’s Alley SANDY ROBINSON
NELLIE’S CABBAGE ROLLS
SEVEN CUP SALAD
1 to 2 large head of cabbage 2 cups uncooked minute rice 3 eggs 1 large onion, diced 4 pounds ground beef 1/2 tablespoons salt 1-29 ounce can of tomato sauce 1 large can of tomato juice
1 cup sugar 1 c.up sour cream 1 cup crushed pineapple 1 cup mandarin oranges 1 cup mini marshmallows 1 cup coconut 1 cup chopped pecans
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place the head of cabbage in a large pot over high heat and add water to cover. Boil cabbage for 15 minutes, or until it is pliable and soft; drain and allow to completely cool. Remove the hard outer vein from the leaves. In separate large bowl combine the beef, rice, salt, and eggs. Mix well with hands. Place a small amount (about the size of your palm) of meat mixture in the palm of your hand, form a small oblong roll, place into center of a cabbage leaf, fold, the cabbage over the meat, tucking in the sides of the leaf to keep the meat mixture inside. Place large excess cabbage leaves on bottom of roasting pan. Pile up the filled leaves in the roaster. Add the tomato sauce and tomato juice. Cover. Put in a 350 oven bake until juice thickens about one hour. (Note: Check occasionally, while making sure the leaves on bottom of pan do not burn.) Thanks to my cousin Linda for helping her mom create this recipe. Like many cooks, Nellie Myrl doesn’t use a recipe.
Mix sugar and sour cream. Add remaining ingredients. Chill and serve.
THREE BEAN SALAD 1 (8 1/2 ounce) can lima beans 1 (8 ounce) can cut green beans 1 (8 ounce) can red kidney beans 1 medium onion, chopped 2/3 cup vinegar 1/2 cup salad oil 1/4 cup sugar 1 teaspoon celery seed Drain the canned beans. In a large bowl combine the lima beans, green beans, kidney beans, and onion. Combine vinegar, salad oil, sugar, and celery seed; cover and mix well. Pour vinegar mixture over vegetables and stir lightly. Cover and chill at least six hours or overnight, stirring occasionally. Drain excess liquid before serving
WINE + MARKET 486 WEST SECOND ST., LEXINGTON, KY
Nothing speaks of days past like a real tried and true hometown grocer. They are sometimes hard to find locally in big cities, but they really are the key to making even the biggest city feel like a small town. In Lexington, KY, the one and only place you get that small town feel with big city aesthetic and variety is Wine + Market on Second and Jefferson. The quaint market brightens up the corner and the neighborhood with its sky blue exterior and eclectic products. Wine + Market is a multifaceted small grocer. While it may be smaller than the typical supermarket, there is an abundance of products that can only be purchased here in the Lexington area. With its wide assortment of fresh and locally baked breads and desserts, its extensive selection of national and international cheeses, and assortment of meats, produce, and other products produced locally in KY and surrounding areas, Wine + Market is a treasure trove of local flavor. The deli counter in the back also acts as a lunch stop for many locals. I stopped in to speak with the new owner of Wine + Market recently to discuss the store and her plans for it. Renee Saunier Brewer is a native Lexingtonian and wine expert. She recently acquired Wine + Market from its previous owners, Lexington restaurateur Krim Boughalem and wife Andrea Sims, and has taken the new position in stride. “I’ve always wanted to own a small wine shop, so when the opportunity arose for me to take over, I couldn’t say no,” she laughed. Having worked in several aspects of the wine world, from production, to marketing to wholesale; she now feels that owning her own shop has brought her full circle. She has always loved handcrafted foods, so acquiring the market was quite an added bonus to the wine shop. Renee says that she loves to cook, “Whether it is an old family recipe, a new recipe or improvising, I love the kitchen.” She recalls learning to bake cakes, tarts, and madeleines from scratch from her mother. However, the baking and
BY: HEATH STILTNER
FOLK | 161 | 2012
cooking is not her passion when it comes to the business — rather it is the wine. Renee says, “I did not attend a culinary school, but I did go to wine school.” Though she was born and raised here in Lexington, Renee lived in France and California after college. While there she attended a Parisian wine marketing graduate program and travelled the world to learn about wine. “Afterwards I lived in Napa where I worked for a winery and made wine, and I also worked for a wine PR firm,” explains Renee. She is currently in the middle of taking sommelier exams. “Wine is the perfect beverage,” Renee says of her love of wine. “There is a wine out there for every food, every occasion, and every taste.” The versatility of wine is what she loves most. Even she has a hard time deciding on wines sometimes, and it’s even harder for her customers. The customers of Wine + Market have come to expect great quality and selection in all of the products. Not only that, but they also get to experience a higher quality shopping experience there. Aside from the environment, a beautifully industrial yet soft interior designed by Krim and Andrea, Renee hosts gallery space for local artists. The walls of her wine
room are lined with stunning photography and paintings, as well as other media created by talented locals. The store also acts as a community center. Renee sponsors community events in Wine + Market in the form of regular Friday night wine tastings, wine classes, occasional beer and bourbon classes, cheese classes, and specialty events with winemakers. They have recently established a Wines of the Month club and have also started taking regional Wine + Market field trips. Renee has started to develop a variety of guided trips with interested guests to relevant businesses in Kentucky, and is tinkering with the idea of crossing state lines. The trips center around wineries or other food and drink businesses and allow customers to get a feel for the company itself and learn a little about how the Wine + Market products they love are made. Renee allows her customers to gain the same kind of insight about their food and wine that she has, as a professional in the industry, through her tastings. The tastings also help her in the decision-making process for new products. Her regular wine and cheese tastings allow her to test out new products with her customers and gauge their interest in stocking certain wines and cheeses regularly. She says that she is constantly tasting new wines, beer, cheeses, and meats to see what is out there. Reading up on products online, listening to customer’s wants, and visiting like-minded places for inspiration while traveling give her endless possibilities for new and exciting products to offer in the Lexington area. Renee samples dozens of new wines weekly, choosing new wines for the store that aren’t varietally or regionally represented on her shelves, but that are also of a quality and value that Wine + Market customers are used to. Renee is not unfamiliar with small business ownership. Her grandparents opened their own French bistro in Stowe, VT, after emigrating from France after WWII. She is working on updating the traditional model, though. She is currently developing new menu items for the deli and a website. She says that she loves working with curious customers that are interested in picking up tidbits of knowledge about what they are buying. “We always have fun conversations,” she explains. “My favorite customer is the one who walks out satisfied with their purchase and what they have learned about it.” Wine + Market is a customer’s grocer — not only do they get the local and fresh products that they desire, but it allows them to immerse themselves in the production of those products. Whether you’re a connoisseur of macarons (my favorite of their baked goods) or a seasoned sommelier, Wine + Market is sure to please.
FOLK | 163 | 2012
ROOST
Rethinking the
BY: HILLARY LEWIS | PHOTOGRAPHY: CAITLIN VAN HORN
Life is a complicated, intriguing, and beautiful thing. It is a blessing to be able to take what some would consider a problem and turn that problem into a passion. “I will never forget the day we purged our kitchen. My head was spinning. What are we going to eat, how do I prepare our meals, can we afford this diet? We were young and newly married and I felt I had finally gotten the hang of preparing meals for two, now I had to learn a whole new way of cooking AND eating. All these questions and thoughts were swimming in my head, but with a lot of prayer we submitted ourselves to a healthier lifestyle and agreed that we are not just doing this for ourselves, but for our children that we hope to have one day.” - Caitlin Van Horn, Roost Caitlin Van Horn (known by her friends and family as Coco) is a freelance food stylist and photographer. She was born and raised in Birmingham, Alabama, and when not in the kitchen or working on a photo shoot, she loves to read, dance, watch old musicals, and spend time with her family. Her husband, who she quickly lists as her biggest supporter, has been her partner on this journey. “Seeing his devotion and determination through this season has been so inspiring. On days when I am so frustrated and just want to throw in the towel he is always my rock and encouragement.” After being married on what Caitlin refers to as a beautiful farm in Tennessee, they settled their ‘roost’ in Seattle, Washington. This is where her ‘blog life’ began. Wanting to craft a blog to
keep in touch with family still down south in Birmingham, she created www.roostblog.com. The blog began as a way to share recipes and post pictures of their home and garden. Caitlin recalls that it wasn’t until a year later when her blog finally found its meaning. In high school, Caitlin’s husband was diagnosed with Chrohn’s disease and had since been on medication that had kept the couple from conceiving. With the goal of getting her husband off of the medication and to a state of health in which they could begin a family, they followed the guidance of a Seattle Naturopath and started the Specific Carbohydrate Diet. “We had the option to just put him on a different medicine; this would have been the easiest, but we knew that if we didn’t make diet changes he would still have complications down the road no matter how much medicine he was on. So we decided to do everything we could to get him off his medication in a natural way.” Wanting to showcase healthy food in a beautiful way, it was at this point that Caitlin revamped Roost to focus on a grain-free lifestyle and document their journey. The kitchen tab on Caitlin’s blog is full of grain-free recipes that she has created, a few of which she has been gracious enough to allow us to share with you. Although much of
her inspiration comes from dishes she has eaten in restaurants or has seen on a menu, she also claims to be deeply inspired by cookbooks and her fellow blogging friends. “I ask myself how can I make this work in our diet, or how can I make this more nutritional. My greatest hope is that [someone who visits roost] can see eating a restricted diet is not only attainable, but also can be beautiful and inspiring.” When cooking or baking for a specific diet, Caitlin suggests to first do your homework! She strongly recommends for anyone interested in the Specific Carbohydrate Diet to begin by reading the book Breaking the Vicious Cycle. You also must get comfortable with not so common ingredients. Caitlin admits that almond flour has become their best friend. “It is high in healthy fats and keeps us full throughout the day. I am always making cakes, muffins, and breads with nut flours.” The almond flour comes into play for her favorite recipe, the Rosemary Almond Tart Shell- little tarts made with almond flour and rosemary, full of swiss chard, herbs, and parmesan. She bakes them and then drizzles some aged balsamic on the top. A staple in her home, she quickly will tell you that the tarts are ‘delicious!’
As for the future of Roost, Caitlin prays it continues to become an encouraging place for those who struggle with auto-immune disorders, or those who just want to change their diet, to find ideas and support. On a more personal note, within the near future she hopes to become a mother and to be thriving in her photography - maintaining Roost in a purpose-driven way. After a year and a half on the diet, her husband is now medicine free. They have hopes to grow their family very soon. You can continue to follow Caitlin and her story at www.roostblog.com, where you will find a slew of recipes and inspirational blog posts on how to follow a passion.
Garlic and Herb Confit 30 cloves of garlic, peeled 5 thin slices of lemon 2 bay leaves 2 TBS chopped thyme 1 tsp salt 1 cup olive oil Preheat oven to 300F. Place all ingredients in an oven proof dish with a lid (I used a ceramic crock pot). Gently toss everything to coat and place in the oven for 30 minutes. After thirty minutes carefully stir everything in the pot and cook for an additional 30 minutes. Remove from oven and set aside to cool a bit. At this point you can pour all ingredients into a well sealed jar
Cranberry and Almond Upside Down Cakes (makes 8) 2 1/2 cups almond flour 1/2 tsp salt 1/2 tsp baking soda 1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon 1 tsp ground all spice 3 eggs 1/2 cup ghee, melted (or oil of our choice) 1/2 cup honey For the cranberry layer: 1 1/2 cups fresh cranberries 1 TBSP freshly grated orange zest 1 TBSP freshley grated lemon zest 1/4 cup honey Preheat oven to 350F and grease your muffin tin. Combine flour, salt, baking soda, cinnamon and all spice in a bowl. In a seperate bowl combine eggs, ghee/oil and honey. Combine wet and dry ingredients and set aside. Toss cranberries with orange zest, lemon zest and honey. Arrange mixture into a single layer at the bottom of each muffin cup. Top with cake batter and cover evenly. Place pan into oven for 20-25 minutes or until tops are golden brown and fully cooked. If your cakes get too brown but need to cook another minute or two, place a sheet of foil on top and continue cooking.
Orange Flower Pavlova
Butternut Squash & Hazelnut Bouchons
3 egg whites 1/2 tsp orange flower water 1/2 cup light colored honey 1/3 cup water 1/4 cup pistachios, finely chopped zest of 1 large meyer lemon (or two small ones) Preheat oven to 300F.
(makes 6 bouchons made in timbale molds) 2 cups almond flour 1/2 tsp salt 1/2 tsp baking soda 1 1/2 tsp cinnamon 2 eggs 1/4 cup honey 1 cup roasted butternut squash (this needs to be very soft, puree like) hazelnuts, coarsely chopped
In a saucepan add the water and honey and bring to 225F degrees (measure with a candy or kitchen thermometer). Remove from heat and set aside. In a metal bowl whisk (I used an electric hand held mixer) until soft peaks form. Continue to whisk and slowly pour in honey mixture. Add orange flower water and continue to whisk until firm peaks form. Pour mixture onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper forming an imperfect circle. Sprinkle with half of the chopped pistachios. Place in oven and immediately turn heat down to 250F. Bake for 1 hour. Turn off oven and prop open oven door and allow to cool completely. The pavlova should be firm and dry on the outside and spongy on the inside.
Coconut Cream 1 can of full fat coconut milk Place can of coconut milk in the refrigerator for a couple of hours (this will allow the cream to separate from the water) Remove lid and carefully scrape out the top layer of cream leaving the coconut water behind. Place cream in a bowl and whisk until a whipped cream consistency. Assembly Transfer pavlova to a plate. Spread coconut cream over the top, sprinkle with left over pistachios and lemon zest.
Preheat oven to 350F. Combine all ingredients in a bowl (except hazelnuts). Cut squares of parchment (I used 5 1/2 x 5 1/2 squares) and line 6 timbale molds*. Pour batter into molds all the way to the top. Sprinkle with chopped hazelnuts and place into oven for 30-35 minutes or until lightly browned. * If you would rather use a muffin pan that is fine but you will need to reduce the baking time.
Toasted Nutmeg Ice Cream *This recipe is for SCD followers or those who want to avoid lactose. For a traditional Nutmeg Ice Cream recipe Caitlin recommends visiting http://www. saveur.com/article/Recipes/Nutmeg-Ice-Cream. 1 cup of SCD legal creme fraiche (recipe below) 1/4 cup water 1/4 cup honey 2 egg yolks, whisked 1 whole nutmeg Grate nutmeg into a shallow pan and toast over medium heat until aromatic. Remove from heat. Pour water, honey, and egg yolks into a saucepan. Slowly heat, stirring continuously with a wooden spoon. (this prevents the egg to curdle). As the mixture heats up it will start to thicken. Coat the back of the spoon with mixture and run your finger across, if your finger print remains intact remove from heat and quickly pour through a fine mesh sieve into a bowl. Add the creme fraiche and toasted nutmeg to the egg mixture. ADD THE NUTMEG GRADUALLY until desired flavor is achieved. Stir until incorporated. Pour mixture into ice cream maker and proceed according to the ice cream maker instructions. To serve, place a dollop of ice cream in a bowl, top with a warm bouchon and enjoy!
SCD Legal Creme Fraiche 2 cups of heavy whipping cream 1 packet of yogourmet yogurt starter Heat cream to 110F. Remove from heat and stir in yogurt starter. Fill two 8 ounce jars will mixture and incubate at 105F or 110F in a dehydrator or yogurt maker for no less than 24 hours. After 24 hours, place jars in fridge and allow to cool for at least 5 hours. The result is a crĂŠme fraĂŽche, similar to sour cream but thinner and not as strong and void of the lactose sugar.
riverplaceontheclinch.com Nestled deep in the Appalachian Mountains of East Tennessee, River Place on the Clinch is the portrait of tranquility. Located in Kyles Ford, a small community in Hancock County near the Virginia line, River Place on the Clinch is a 20 acre Eco-Tourism Development on the Clinch River. It is in the heart of the Kyles Ford Preserve and TWRA’s Kyles Ford Wildlife Management Area and offers ample outdoor activities and some of the most beautiful scenery around. River Place on the Clinch features a café, market, outfitter, retreat and cabins. The Café offers down home style country cooking and daily specials that will make you feel like your back at granny’s house. We serve a Catfish dinner on Wednesday and Saturday and feature only US grown Catfish. Our Steak Dinner on Friday will keep you coming back for more. Just ask the locals!
The greatest influence in the path to FOLK was my aunt June. I grew up in her kitchen. Conveniently she lived next door to us on the farm. Any time I could ,I would call Aunt June on the phone and ask if I could come over. Of course the answer was always yes. During those young years I would stand on a tan stool in Aunt June’s kitchen. I would lean against the counter and we would bake together. Aunt June would sing songs about Froggie and his courting days or tell me old family stories. The counters would be covered in flour, those brightly colored Pyrex bowls, and the hand written recipes that were stained with years of use. Oh, and naturally sweet tea was always served. Aunt June was known for her cooking… it was cookies, and fried chicken, pies, and catfish, or any of the old fashion family recipes, but the cakes we baked were always my favorite. Aunt June may have passed away in 2004, but her impact on my life lives on, especially through FOLK.
I asked a few family friends, all of whom knew Aunt June to bring her cake recipes to life…
Pea Picking Cake Baked by: Linda Warren
Previous page: Coconut Cake | Baked by Debbie King
German Chocolate Baked by: Haley Woosley
FOLK | 62 | 2012
Italian Creme
Baked by: Haley Woosley FOLK | 91 | 2012
Red Velvet
Baked by: Haley Woosley Red Velvet Cake ½ Cup margarine or Crisco 1 ½ Cup sugar 2 eggs well beaten 2 Cups sifted cake flour ½ to 1 tsp. salt 1 tbsp. cocoa 1 tsp. vanilla (opt.) 1 Cup buttermilk 2 oz. Red cake coloring 1 tsp. soda 1 tbsp. vinegar Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour bottoms of two 9-inch cake pans. Cream butter, sugar, and eggs. Combine food coloring and cocoa in small mixing bowl. Add to creamed mixture; blend well. Mix buttermilk and salt together; add to creamed mixture alternately with flour.
Add vanilla. Combine soda and vinegar; fold into batter quickly. Beat at medium speed with electric mixer for 2 minutes. Pour into cake pans. Bake for 35 minutes. Cool.
Frosting 1 Cup milk ¼ to ½ Cup flour Dash of salt ½ Cup shortening or Crisco 1 stick margarine or butter 1 Cup sugar 1 tsp. vanilla 1 Cup shredded coconut (opt.) Cook milk, flour, and salt over low heat to pudding stage; cool. Cream shortening, margarine, and sugar; beat until fluffy. Add to pudding mixture; add vanilla. Beat until smooth. Spread over layers; sprinkle with coconut. Place layers together.
Italian Cream Cake
German Chocolate Cake
Cream butter and oil with sugar. Add egg yolks one at a time. Add ½ teaspoon soda to buttermilk ” after with flour ” fold in egg whites and vanilla ” add 2/3 of floured nuts and coconut. Pour batter in three 9‛ pans (floured and greased). Bake 30-40 min.
4 oz. German Chocolate ½ cup boiling water 2 cups sugar 1 T soda 1 cup buttermilk 4 egg yolks 2 ½ cups flour 1 cup butter 1 T vanilla ½ T salt 4 beaten egg whites Melt chocolate in boiling water, cool. Cream butter and sugar until fluffy. Add yolks one at a time, beat well, blend in vanilla and chocolate mixture. Sift flour, salt, and soda together, blend with buttermilk, add to chocolate mixture, fold in beaten egg whites. Bake at 350 in 3 cake pans for 30-40 min.
Italian Cream Icing
Frosting:
1 stick of butter 1 pound powdered sugar 1 teaspoon vanilla 8 oz. cream cheese Cream butter and soften cheese, add sugar and vanilla. Add remaining nuts and coconut.
1 cup evaporated milk 1 cup sugar 3 beaten egg yolks 1 T vanilla 1 1/3 cup chopped coconut 1 cup nuts
1 stick butter ½ cup oil 1 cup coconut 2 cups flour 2 cups sugar 2 egg yolks 5 egg whites (stiffly beaten) 1 cup buttermilk 1 cup chopped pecan 1 teaspoon vanilla
*Allow 24 hours before serving.
Cook over medium heat for 12 min, then add nuts and coconut.
Pea Picking Cake
Coconut Cake
1 box yellow cake mix 4 eggs ½ cup oil 11 oz. can mandarin oranges Icing: 1 large can pineapple chunks (juice and all) 1 pack instant vanilla pudding mix (dry) 8 oz. cool whip Beat all ingredients for 3 min and bake at 350 for 30-35 min. in 3 layer cake pan. Let cake cool. Mix pineapple and pudding together. Fold in cool whip. Ice cake between layers, on sides, and on top.
1 cup Crisco 2 cups sugar 2 cups flour 1 T salt 1 ½ T baking powder 1 cup buttermilk 1 can angel flake coconut 5 eggs
Cream sugar and Crisco, add eggs one at a time (reserve whites for later). Sift flour, salt, and baking powder together, add to buttermilk. Beat egg whites to form peaks, fold into mixture, add coconut. Bake at 350 until done. Frost with divinity icing and shredded coconut.
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Gathering Made in the USA freeCurry’s sampleSept s 10thHarvest and 11th, 2010 Gathering • 10am-4pm Curry’s Harvest Sept 10th and 11th, 2010 • 10am-4pm
• to choose from. a wonderful day at our homestead with every color fresh pumpkin eaths of freshday bittersweet. Dried gourds gourd Door decorations with a wonderful at our homestead with and every colorgarlands. fresh pumpkin to choose call: from. For reservations nts. Folk art scarecrows andDried witches thatand aregourd remarkable. Handmade linens andwith eaths of fresh bittersweet. gourds garlands. Door decorations Invites You to a 1820 Colonial Christmas Festival andles. House tour at noon and refreshments day. CheckHandmade out the picture Curry’s Harvest Gathering nts. Folk art scarecrows and witches that areall remarkable. linens of andour Dec.House 10, 2011, Saturday from 11:00am to each. 7:00pm cement pumpkins that last forever for $50 Sept 10th 11th, 2010 • 10am-4pm andles. tour atand noon and refreshments all day. Check out the picture of our
Curry’s Antiques
740-654-1333
transforming into an forever in with the nearby Grist Mill.fresh Weeach. will take youto choose from. scement forWea are wonderful dayouratgrounds our homestead every color pumpkin pumpkins that last for $50 1820 Colonial Christmas Festival with all gourds there inand a wagon drawn by horses Door and back d wreaths of fresh bittersweet. Dried gourd garlands. decorations with our early log cabins being utilized along again. We have steps to get off and on the accents. Folk art scarecrows and witches that are remarkable. Handmade linens and with many more tour log structures wagon plus aall gentleman to help you. Thepicture of our ed candles. House at noonnow andbe-refreshments day. Check out the built. There will be that approximately 65 dinner is served by candle lit and servers in madeing cement pumpkins last forever for $50 each. of us all dressed in Colonial and homesteader’s attire to make your Christmas, one to remember. Some of our activities, along the candle lit paths, will be a blacksmith working in our authentic blacksmith shop, candle dipping, a live nativity, plus many merchants showing their trades; hot wassail samplings along with handmade hardtack candies, roasted nuts, and so much more. There will be many fire pits along the paths with samplings of food and drink to warm you and remind you of our forefathers and their Christmas gatherings. Especially featurearly cabin? We have ing a log full traditional 1820’salways dinner served
period clothing. You will have a choice of meat served plus the time of day you would like to eat. We will have strolling carolers and entertainers, plus marching drummer boys. The shop will also be open with decorating ideas, live trees and wreaths for sale, fireplaces in the shops to warm you, 1333 Rockmill Road NW restrooms, free coffee and sweets all day. Lancaster, Ohio 43130 Reservations required and a $25.00 charge 1333 Rockmill Road NW 1333 Rockmill Road NW call anytime for appointment: per person. Limited number of reservations Lancaster, Ohio 43130 Lancaster, Ohio 43130 available. This is a great gift to give your 740.654.1333 call anytime for appointment: call anytime for appointment: family for lasting memories. The sounds 740.654.1333 of ginnycurry@currysantiques.com 740.654.1333 sleigh bells, the aroma of the ginnycurry@currysantiques.com roaring fires, www.currysantiques.com www.currysantiques.com songs from the carolers and dulcimers, this ginnycurry@currysantiques.com aisgood selection. a real Christmas to remember. www.currysantiques.com
Ginny Curry Ginny Curry Ginny Curry
arly log cabin? We always have a good selection. n
arly log cabin? We always have a good selection.
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Until Next Time…
A FOLK MANIFESTO
We are Iced Tea drinkers. We listen to “Wagon Wheel” and “Home” at least once a day. We support local artists and businesses. We will know how to properly whitewash. We have memorized “To Kill A Mockingbird”. We appreciate bow ties even if we can’t tie one to save our life. We learned bargain hunting at an early age. We eat pie like it’s a job. We take the road less traveled. We cheer for the University of Kentucky Wildcats, but realize we are biased. We love to hear our grandparents tell of the “Good-ol’Days”. We are avid tea stainers. We are well versed in the terms “grubby,” “primitive,” “aged,” and “make-do” We will drive out of the way for the best doughnuts in the state. And We try to always keep the little things in perspective and “enjoy the ride”.
WE ARE FOLK! FOLK 104
THE FOLLOWING PAGES ARE A PREVIEW OF OUR FALL ISSUE. WE WOULD LOVE TO HAVE YOU!
ISSUE HIGHLIGHTS: Autumn by Matthew Mead, Travel with Outstanding in the Field, Investigating the importance of Made in America fashion, Accessories by Blue Claw Company, The Caramel Jar as our tastemaker, a visit to Post Road Vintage, Halloween at Ghoultide Gatherings, Spooks by Robert Brawley, Kauai Coffee roasts their freshests, and food, design, story, fashion, and living by the FOLKs. All photos courtesy of their respective owner.
SUBSCRIBE Have you enjoyed what you’ve seen? Then why wait any longer to subscribe? We will even give you a special rate if you subscribe via this issue. Simply click anywhere on this page to hop over to paypal to complete your subscription. What we have for Year Two is even better than the best of Year One. Become one of the FOLKs today!
—Ben
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A new, curated experience in vintage living located in Historic Downtown Lincoln, Califor nia www. fa r m s tea dh om e .co m
Country Antiques Original Handcrafted Folk Art
Show Calendar
Days of Pioneer Antique Show
September 14-15 Museum of Appalachia, Clinton TN
Heritage Market October 10 Alddin Shrine Center Columbus OH
Simple Goods November 3 Mansfield OH
Homesteaders on the Prairie November 9 - Early Pick’n 3-7pm November 10 9am - 3pm Moultrie-Douglas Fairgrounds Arthur IL
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