FOLK | No. 7

FOLK

Real. American. Living.

A Taste of

Autumn

FALL 2012 | $6.95

FOLKLIFESTYLE.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 | FALL 2012

“The proper function of man is to live, not to exist.”

-JACK LONDON

FALL IS HERE! FALL IS BY FAR MY FAVORITE SEASON. I wait the other nine months of the year for fall to return. To me this is the season when everything comes to life. During this season living should be done outdoors. Pumpkins should to be carved, baked, and harvested. Apples should be turned into cider. Orchards should be visited and decorations should be over the top. If it were an ideal country, in SUNFLOWERS BY MARY HARRIS

my opinion, every front porch would have a collection of pumpkins, every downtown would have the light poles encircled with foddershock, and every restaurant would serve pumpkin pie.

For our Fall 2012 issue I wanted to bring the earthy textures of fall to our pages. My biggest inspiration for this theme came from the blog Oh Pioneer (ohpioneer.com), Josh, the blog curator fills the screen with the perfect images of the American frontier, the fibers of authentic living, and a warmth that only American style can convey. In the coming pages you’ll find Josh as our lead story in this issue. My inspiration also came from the flavors of fall. In this issue I have brought together a collection of food contributors who bring a taste to fall that compliments the authentic feel I was in search of.

As the year draws closer to its close the chill sets in to the air and fashions change. We delve into the importance of American made fashion in this issue, which is a theme you will see a heavy focus on in the coming year.

Whether it is a garment or an accessory each American made piece tells a story of our nation, of our past, of our connectedness, and of our future.

In our fashion section I am also rerunning a piece from our previous issue.

The final page of the piece was removed for printing. My regrets go to our contributors Gavin O’Neil and Jeremy Ryan Hatfield for the error.

In this issue I also introduce several new faces to the FOLK team. Over the next few months our pages and content will continue to grow. I am thrilled for what is ahead. Speaking of changes be sure to check out Secondshoutout.com, the newly launched vintage shopping destination has something for everyone! Prepare to fall in love.

—Ben

Until next time, may your fall be wonderful, colorful, and authentic.

CONTENTS IN THIS ISSUE

4

TRUE & BRAVE

I reflect on the first year of this journey called FOLK.

18

SNAPSHOTS

Hillary shares photographs from her recent trip to the American southwest.

36

THE GREAT PUMPKIN

A HANDMADE HALLOWEEN

I went in search of the best in American handmade Halloween goods. We profile four of my favorite artisans and visit an annual gathering of the best in handmade Hallloween folk art.

Lifestyle genius Matthew Mead whips of pumpkin themed desserts and treats for the season that are sure to have you feeling as special as Cinderella.

STORY

44 SCHOOL DAYS 47 THE YEAR OF AMERICAN GOODS 48 BOOK REVIEW 50 THE LITTLE THINGS 53 RESTICHED USA 56 PONDERINGS 60 CALL SIGNS 62 MON REVE & CO. 63 BEN’S PICKS

SHOP 64 66 67 68 72 75 76 78

THE RURAL SOCIETY THE RUSTED CHAIN CREATIVELY MADE AUTUMN ON THE FARM SECOND SHOUT OUT AMERICAN MADE DORM & HOME SCRIPT GIFT COMPANY TOP PICKS

12 25

FIRST DRAFT

We sit down with Josh Abe to find out his philosophy on life, and why this philosophy could take us all back to our roots.

CREATE

82 PATTERN 84 WITCH HAZEL 86 POST ROAD VINTAGE 94 JUNK FIX

FASHION

96 RUGGED 102 TEXTILE 106 RHYTHUM OF ADORNMENT 112 A GOOD STORY 118 WHY BUY AMERICAN 20 REDEFINING LOCAL BUSINESS

GATHER 134 138 148 152 154 156 160 166

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ROASTED PEACH SHERBET HUNT AND GATHER THE CARAMEL JAR MOMMA HEN’S KITCHEN VIRGINIA’S ALLEY SAVE ROOM FOR DESSERT WARMING UP THE KITCHEN OUTSTANDING IN THE FIELD

CONTRIBUTORS IN THIS ISSUE

FOLK MAGAZINE

VOLUME 2 NUMBER 5

RIKKI SYNDER

MATTHEW MEAD

JEN O’CONNOR

rikkisnyder.com

matthewmead.com

earthangelstudios.com

BEN ASHBY EDITOR-IN-CHIEF ADVERTISING advertise.folk@gmail.com LEAD WRITER

HEATH STILTNER WHOLESALE

GARRETT PLANTANITIS wholesale.folk@gmail.com

LIZA TURNER

GINA YOUNG

JULIE MARIE CRAIG

pillowbook-liza.blogspot.com

FEATURES EDITOR

alwayswithbutter.blogspot.com

MARKETING & CUSTOMER SERVICE

HILLARY LEWIS hillary.folk@gmail.com GRAPHIC DESIGN CHASE DURRANCE NATALIE HOWARD TOSHA JACKSON ADDITIONAL CONTRIBUTORS SHANNON ASHBY ADAM BLITZER JEREMY RYAN HATFIELD GAVIN O’NEIL

DEBI WARD KENNEDY

SANDY ROBINSON

homewardfound.com

HILLARY LEWIS happeningsbyhillary.com

ANGIE UPTON

EVAN COOPER

HEATH STILTNER

evangcooper.com

LEAD WRITER

LINDA REID

DONNA WILLIAMS

AMY THAYER

funkyjunkinteriors.net

mommahenscoop.com

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.

TRUE & BRAVE BRAVING HARSH ALASKAN LANDSCAPES, FLY FISHING THE BACK-WATER RIVERS OF SOUTH CAROLINA, AND HIKING THE INDOMITABLE MOUNTAINS OF THE SOARING APALLACHIAN TRAIL, JOSH ABE SEEKS TRUTH WE ALL DESIRE.

“I BELIEVE FIRMLY IN THE DOCTRINE OF THE STRENUOUS LIFE; I believe that man is not

meant to simply exist, but to live — to truly live. I believe that the American man has lost sight of his potential, through his own ingenuity and the pursuit of comfort and convenience. Each man has sacrificed a piece of his own communion with God and with the earth for a life of ease, and society has seen the decline of men and women of truth, of bravery, of beauty, and of steadfast character.

I have hope that there is an awakening in this generation for the things of old. For the things of beauty and of bravery and of truth. I have faith that a remnant is being preserved for the conservation of the old ways, the love of hard work, and fortitude.

This place is dedicated to the spirit of that awakening.

This is a place to rekindle the fire of a true and sincere soul, one that is yoked equally with God and nature. Here you will find a sanctuary from society, a pathless wood where none intrude, a lonely shore on which to encounter waves of truth that will erode your shell until you stand naked and barren, exposed to God and to yourself, to take stock of you own life. For how can you know who or what you are unless you have measured yourself — unless you have put yourself through the fires of adversity, come out on the other side; stripped of dross and trimmed of fat, and weighed your heart of gold to find the true measure of your soul?

This is a place to kindle your sense of adventure, your wanderlust, your love for your fellow man, the discipline of your soul, and the wildness of your heart. This is a place for the dreamers, the lovers, the fighters, for the talkers, the thinkers, for the doers, for the living, for the dying, for the laughing, for the crying, and for everyone in between.

This is a place for the true and the brave.”

— JOSH ABE

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FOLK | 6 | 2012

“O you youths, Western youths, So impatient, full of action, full of manly pride and friendship, Plain I see you Western youths, see you tramping with the foremost, Pioneers! O pioneers!”

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—Excerpt from O, Pioneers! by Walt Whitman

OH, PIONEER! For many people, their main objective is to make through each day; For Josh Abe, it is more accurately about making each day his own. Josh Abe, a 23-year-old graphic designer from North Carolina, has found a new path in life. After a boring desk job and an aggravation with modern technology settled in the Generation-Y pioneer set out on a quest to find something that he felt was missing from his life. Substance.

When he was finally fed up with the typical nine-to-five schedule that seemed to run his life for him, Josh started to experiment more with his love of music, an undiscovered admiration for the great outdoors, and the little things he had been missing for so long. Around this pivotal moment in his life, Josh started Oh, Pioneer! a tumblr blog dedicated to the industrious and rebellious pictures, people, and things that started a revolutionary change in the way he lives his life.

Oh, Pioneer! started two years ago when Josh Abe graduated from college and began working in graphic design. Josh says that he was a very industrious child with a mind for engineering. Although he decided early on graphic design, his first job out of college left him craving more than just work and making money. The pioneer

mentality of his youth simply wouldn’t let him settle. So he started looking at other options to connect on a deeper level.

Fed up with the rush of everyday life, and with the iPhones, computers, and technology that seemed to run it for him, Josh found his inspiration in the Henry David Thoreau classic, Walden. Thoreau’s description of his experiments in personal independence and self-reliance spoke to that restlessness in Josh’s heart.

Reading this piece over and over, Josh began his own independent experiments. He turned his frustration with technology into a solution by starting a blog on Tumblr, Oh, Pioneer! His blog gathered and displayed inspirational photography and quotes from around the internet. People, brands, products, packaging, musicians - anything and everything that spoke to Josh’s creative self might appear.

Inspired by the pictures on his blog, Josh started hiking and fishing, which allowed him to escape the urban landscape.

Josh recalls his homeschooling as one reason he never had the opportunity to be a Boy Scout. He says, “As a kid, I always finished my schoolwork by noon then went outside to explore. I remember building things in the woods behind my house, but I never went camping or fishing. I think getting to do it now speaks to that childhood desire.” The

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return to basics gave him a deeper sense of contentment.

While on a mission to build in a small community in Alaska, Josh explored that raw, untamed landscape. Until then, he had rarely displayed any of his own photography or writing on Oh, Pioneer!, but the experience inspired him to start sharing his thoughts.

Reviewing notes and sketches from that trip, he started planning a different personal blog to be drawn from the dozens of retired moleskines he had collected on a bookshelf.

He started to explore new areas of the outdoors, and rediscover ones he had missed before.

This second half to his blog, True & Brave, includes images from his travels and personal essays about a life spent working hard and exploring it to its fullest. As Josh says, “Oh, Pioneer! and True & Brave have taught me a lot more about myself than I thought I knew.

I always thought of myself as a city-person, but now I feel most comfortable outdoors.

It’s been a great way to really get to know

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myself more fully.”

Josh has learned a lot about himself since starting the blogs. For instance, starting his adventures in the great outdoors and learning to fix things with his own two hands has given him the courage to chase another childhood fantasy. Recently Josh bought his first motorcycle. He says that he’s always been interested in them, but never seriously enough to buy one. True & Brave has given him that courage, though. He credits the experience of seeing other people online

doing similar things outdoors and living out similar dreams as the deciding factor in buying the motorcycle. It’s just one more way that Josh tries to live out the lifestyle he is advocating. “To be truly brave, you have to try all of things that mean something to you,” he says.

He isn’t the only one being inspired by the images he posts on Oh, Pioneer!. For others, his flagship blog and it’s partner True & Brave have inspired them to chase their dreams as well. “I’ve received fan mail since starting

the blogs. It feels really amazing to hear that other people are not only inspired by the same images that inspire me, but also by my own. I have had readers tell me they’ve been inspired to do anything from riding a motorcycle for the first time to hiking the Appalachian Trail. It feels great knowing I’ve inspired that in someone, for them to chase their own pioneer spirits. It finally feels like I’ve started something bigger than a following, it feels like a revolution.”

For Josh, his explorations and his art have

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taught him how to admire and live the pioneer lifestyle, and how to be a truer, braver person. “Walden and Thoreau inspired me to live this lifestyle... All revolutions have to start somewhere, and I’d like to believe that my blogs can inspire a revolution in the pioneer spirit that I now carry with me.” ohpioneer.com trueandbrave.com

FIRST DRAFT YEAR ONE:FOLK

“When you do what you fear most, then you can do anything.”

BEN ASHBY

-QUOTE: STEPHEN RICHARDS

FOLK | 10 12 | 2012

Since I was five, I raised pumpkins. My grandfather led this push to get me out the house and into the fields. He taught me how to plant, how to care, how to pick, and how to sell. My dad and I studied seed catalogues. I experimented in cross breeding, frequent pumpkin baking, and annual pumpkin carving on the defunct cistern in my Aunt June’s back yard. Life on the farm resembled L.I Wilder’s Farmer Boy. Those years taught me the value of locally grown goods, hard work, and carrying on tradition. I established regular customers that have since become regular subscribers to FOLK. After thirteen years of selling the pumpkins on the farm my “business” moved to a local early American antiques and folk art store. My mentor was the owner, and in that first year her customers became my customers. Mix this with my budding obsession with the local oddities of Central and Western Kentucky, a talent for quality photography and another piece of a business plan took shape.

Freshman year, that business plan was sketched out for long after graduation, to work with local crafters, farmers, potential small business owners and be actively engaged in the revitalization of main street districts. The plan included lists of products and resources, sketches of store fronts, contacts based on careful research, years of being involved in the local community. Hundreds of back issues of Country Living, Martha Stewart Living, and other lifestyle magazines showed locally sourced goods, independently owned businesses, the marketing of ‘country’. Those images were clipped, scanned, sorted, and saved as inspiration for a dream of one day reviving small downtowns throughout Kentucky.

That original business plan went into a binder and on a shelf, while I switched to a major in Community Leadership and Development.

Class lectures fed my love of small towns, community revitalization, and the hope of one day “saving” Ohio County of western Kentucky.

Sitting on town committees, reviewing case studies from other counties.

I quickly realized the need I envisioned was not just in Kentucky, but in communities all across the country. The more I became involved in my communities and aware of the statistics presented in class the more I related to a new view of country and small town America. A running joke about creating a new country lifestyle magazine with a youthful take on this America soon turned into real discussions with real experts, real printers, and a really interested potential audience.

The idea of this bricks and mortar concept transforming into ink and pages was never a thought.

The idea of the small communities transforming to a national audience would have been terrifying. The idea that this would jump from an idea in a dorm room to the shelves of Barnes and Nobles would have been met with sympathetic looks, maybe laughter.

Yet somehow, a little over 13 months after going public with the idea of producing a new magazine entitled FOLK I was out of that dorm room at a desk designing our seventh issue.

Our community comes together in the common belief that the art of American living is one that is unique and worth reading about. I call them the folks, a play on the name of the magazine itself. I have met a growing number at meet and greets, events, and shows across the country this past year. According to countless emails, tweets, Facebook posts, and letters our magazine has even inspired a few to further the causes the FOLK community supports. How did this all happen? It is safe to answer that question first by saying — it wasn’t from excess sleep or being the stereotypical college student. No nights at the bars, wild times in the Eruption Zone or trips to New Orleans for the Final Four. Those were traded for hundreds of hours at the computer or behind the camera, lugging 70 pound boxes of magazines, countless miles, and too many meetings to count with accountants, lawyers, distributors, buyers, advertisers, writers – and folks.

Like-minded members of Generation Y became the partners in building this community. It started with attending football games just to practice the art of dressing for the occasion. Our attention and interest was in the makers of clothing, the land of origin, and the story behind it. We searched through central Kentucky to discover vintage garments and American made classics, and then documented the ensembles on Facebook. We had followers, we grew a community,

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we helped small businesses, were launching a brand, and loved every minute and mile.

I studied blogs, and fell in love with the style of Barn House in the Pacific Northwest and the New Victorian Ruralist. Countless other blogs offered similar images and stories. My best friend Heath last name and fellow student Hillary last name joined in as we dug through my old binder, photo collection, and vast stash of clippings. Heath and I knew the core objective of this untitled magazine project would be to revitalize the idea of American made, locally grown, with a respect for history, and the art of American living — all with the freshness and eagerness of Generation Y. We worked around the clock to make sketches, plans, and notes for what the pages would look like, what stories we would include, who we wanted to profile, and what our target would be. We were totally obsessed and we were in love with this dream. By this point we settled on a name, it would be called FOLK, for to us it represented the vernacular of the communities we were from.

I had established my business license in freshman year to cover the pumpkin business, so with that and a plan in hand we took our idea to Lexington’s Thoroughbred Printing to get our estimate. They presented us with a $14,000 total for a 104-page, 4 cover printing of 5,000 copies. The magazine would be a perfect bond glossy magazine. We set off to work: I prepared a media kit, launched a Facebook page, and said a prayer. The ride was about to officially begin.

FOLK was launched with zero capital. The first two weeks after we went public via Facebook was

filled with constant calls to potential advertisers (who we later learned to call “marketing partners”), potential wholesalers, and potential stories.

Emails were individually written and sent; at night I would lead meetings with my small staff entirely made up of college students. After the first week the funds to produce half of the first issue were secured, we had over a dozen advertisers, and 900 people had already subscribed to this thing called FOLK. Our community was growing; our Facebook page had over 1,000 new ‘likes’ the first week and people were investing. The FOLK community was officially underway. People found it endearing that the Gen Y-ers had a mission, but we had to prove we could follow through. Five weeks until the magazine was due in people’s hands.

The pressure was on.

There came a rumbling on the west coast that FOLK was too region specific, too Kentucky. Scarlett Reed in Santa Cruz, California was eager to sell FOLK in her store, but her reservations proved to me that our focus should be wider. Looking for stronger national appeal I sent an email to the boys of Barn House asking if they would allow us to do a short piece about the upcoming festival planned for their farm outside Portland. After years of blogging and event hosting, they had established a community of their own, similar to FOLK’s community. Their photographer Kimberly Taylor joined us to produce a column called West Coast Backroads, and a feature on Barn House for that issue.

if’. The new binder broke the day FOLK was to be printed, and the printer trucked 270,000 sheets of paper for binding in Louisville. I, being a sucker for punishment, decided we would be personable and hand-address every copy.

I had purchased bulk mail permits, boxes, tape, envelopes, and markers.

We labeled, we taped, we sealed, we bundled, but we never realized how many 5,000 really were!

The first issue was complete, everyone had their copies, good reviews were in, and I brought on more writers, stories, advertisers. I appeared at shows to promote FOLK and the line of American-made artisan goods we would promote for the coming Christmas season. I wanted to make sure we were doing stories on those who hadn’t received press or those who were small and seeking affordable exposure. In that whirlwind period I don’t think I ever realized the extent of the platform we building.

I was receiving resumes from people everywhere, I quickly realized I was on to something and that I needed a team that could produce a wide spread of content for our audience, while I worked towards securing distribution contracts, advertisers, marketing, and publicity. I had my staff, I had my content, I had my community, I had my funding, I had my layouts done, it was time to go to print.

In September, we loaded the car with magazines, and headed to the Country Living Fair in Columbus OH. A friend and top advertiser had asked us to appear in her booth with the magazine. As a long-time fan of Country Living I was over the moon, I got to shop, meet my advertisers, and talk with people who were already fans. I added three staff members: David Gobeli, a local chef and e-business owner, Andrew Kohn, a Bed and Breakfast owner east of Columbus in Granville, Ohio, and Jen O’Connor, owner of Earth Angel Toys, the online source for artisan goods made by incredibly talented women.

At the fair I realized the classes, the lectures, and textbooks had led me in the right direction. I took the fall semester off to focus on the content and mission of FOLK. I had to elevate the local businesses I supported beyond their community and onto a national platform. For the kid who wanted to save small rural communities, his dreams were coming true.

When you’re young you don’t always plan for things as well as you should. When our printer burned down, we were assured that they were back up and running and I didn’t plan for ‘what

Our Christmas issue came out without a hitch. I had found a different printer, this one in Fargo, North Dakota, they had taken over the shipment of all copies, Hillary had taken over ad

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sales, one of my columnists had taken over wholesale and we were on track to grow exponentially.

Since I am a person who does not like to rest and wants to be constantly, I threw aside all wisdom, advice and practical logic to open a store to promote FOLK and FOLKlabel. The building in Beaver Dam, Kentucky was in dire need of repair, and as we found, had mold, water and, within a week, a large hole in the floor. With paint, bleach, and carefully placed furniture, we obscured those problems, then secured merchandise, signage, advertising, and created a festive environment that reflected FOLK for the Christmas season. We opened the business in two weeks – I didn’t feel right talking about small business in the magazine without first-hand experience of being a small business owner myself, totally disregarding the fact that had run the pumpkin operation for years, and now headed a national magazine.

Reflecting on this, now, I realize how naïve, unprepared, and crazy I was. Lesson learned.

The next few months brought a concentration on growth - growing numbers, growing cash flow, growing subscriptions and advertiser count. Growth became the measure of success. Building the magazine and the business became a 24/7 job, and I focused more on quality control, on what the FOLK community was looking for from us. I wanted every person on Facebook like FOLK.

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A highlight was a distribution contract with Ingram Periodicals, which moved FOLK into Barnes and

Nobles stores nationwide. Our summer 2012 issue became our most successful issue to date.

And there was another circling back to my original business plan of revitalizing main street small business when we set up shop at the Springfield, Ohio Flea Market Extravaganza – a trip that introduced us to 25,000 people, a field of potential advertisers, supporters, and like-minded folks Two trips, to Boston and Hawaii, gave me time to reflect on the first year of FOLK. In less than 48 hours I had my feet in the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, flew over the “fly over states,” saw the wildfires of Colorado, the west and island coasts. From the plane windows I saw the nation I loved and everywhere encountered the people that made up the thread of the American tapestry, that are FOLK. Those people encourage Americanproduced, shop small business, and support the art of American living. Something clicked while traveling; I was reminded how FOLK magazine can be a bigger and better platform to encourage small business, the back-to-earth interest in food and lifestyle, the efforts of artists and producers.

We want to tell through stories, experiences, profiles and photos how Gen Y is interpreting the country lifestyle.

With travel came renewed passion, creativity, and drive, and our seventh issue debuted as the largest and best. We launched our American Made Fashion Week, which proved this isn’t about numbers, it is about relationships, professionalism, integrity, and being authentic in everything I do. I finally feel I’m on top of this, and am moving back to my original goals; to present real American living through the perspective of Generation Y. And this summer I found myself back on those Central Kentucky roads, exploring my photography, favorite themes and friendships

that had been in idle too long.

I’ve learned a lot from crashing, burning and coming out on the other side. For me every day starts a new adventure and gives an opportunity to make the day better than the last. These lines seem to fit the past year perfectly.

Where this American story will lead, no one really knows.

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SNAP SHOTS: THE WEST FOLK | 18 | 2012

BY: HILLARY LEWIS

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CHAPEL OF THE HOLY CROSS | SEDONA, ARIZONA

GRAND CANYON NATIONAL PARK

SEDONA, ARIZONA

A HANDMADE

HALLOWEEN I LOVE FALL DECORATING. I LOVE THE SPIRT THIS TIME OF YEAR BRINGS. FOR THIS HALLOWEEN I WENT IN SEARCH OF THE BEST IN HANDMADE HALLOWEEN ART. WHAT THESE ARTISTS CREATE IS MIND BLOWING. THE TALENT CAPTIVATES ME.

THE SPIRIT OF THE SEASON DOESN’T STOP THERE; MATTHEW MEAD IS HERE TO SHARE A FEW OF HIS FAVORITE PUMPKIN DISHES. THEY ARE PERFECT FOR HALLOWEEN OR THE ENTIRE SEASON!

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Upper Row — L to R: Ichabod Crane by Allen Cunningham of Ohio. Maddie the Eccentric Witch by Scott Smith of Rucus Studio. The Harvest Man by Vaughn & Stephanie Rawson of the Whimsical Whittler. Lori Ann Corelis of The Spotted Hare with her mohair creations.

Middle Row: Group photo of the 2011 Ghoultide Gathering participating artists Bottom Row — L to R: Lori Hardin of Nebraska with her Monkey-Cats Studio display. Kristen Beason from Ohio awaits the crowd at her display. Show partners,

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Made in America

A HANDMADE HALLOWEEN

GHOULTIDE GATHERING WITH A CRISP AUTUMN BREEZE and the sun casting long shadows as it sets, a haunted happening begins at the fairgrounds in Chelsea, Michigan. Cars creep into the parking lot and excited passengers convene with friends among giant scarecrows near the barn. Folks gather to salute Halloween and to be among the first at the 6th annual Ghoultide

Visitors arrive hours before the 5 p.m. opening of the Early Evening Buy. The sweet smell of caramel corn in the air, the sound of live music, and glowing lights in the tent heightens the reveal. The anticipation of being swept off your feet by what the artists have scared up is overwhelming.

As If By Magic Show partners Scott Smith and Stephanie Rawson began conjuring up the idea for a Halloween-only art show in 2006.

Ghoultide Gathering was created and has been captivating patrons ever since.

Thirty artists are brewing up pieces in a medley of mediums and forms including papier-mache sculptures, wood carvings, paintings, pottery, soft sculpture, ornaments and even found object creations, all based on the fantastical theme of Halloween. Rawson says, “The artwork shown here is all original art and some of the best in the field.”

A New Haunt “As the show’s reputation has grown so has the interest, requiring a move to a larger venue. After months of hunting we discovered the perfect place, the Chelsea Fairgrounds in Chelsea, MI,” says Smith. The new location is conveniently located to the freeway and offers acres of free parking. Best of all, the fairgrounds will allow everyone to be in one large building.

The City of Chelsea seduces visitors with its small town feel, inviting boutiques, and tempting restaurants. Located just 40 minutes from the Detroit International Airport, Chelsea is a convenient travel destination.

“We wanted to bring a quality Halloween art show to the Midwest,” explains Rawson, “One with the best talent we can find and the most variety possible for collectors.”

Smith describes the event as “a fun time of amazing art and great friends all in one place” and says “you can feel the energy and excitement once the doors open, it’s contagious!” With so many like-minded people in one place, it is no wonder this show has quickly become a must-see with Halloween enthusiasts nationwide. Each year new artists are added, seven this year alone, keeping the selection fresh and interesting.

Spellbinding Talent Juried artisans are carefully selected for their originality and craftsmanship. The artists consider Ghoultide to be the top show of its kind and work year-round to conjure up their personal best for the affair. For that reason, devoted patrons are willing to travel from across the country to shop - they know the best of the best will be offered. Mischievous pumpkins, whimsical witches, and dancing ghosts are just a few of the characters sure to be seen.

A Wickedly Good Time Ghoultide Gathering Friday October 5, 2012 Evening Early Buy 5 p.m. to 8 p.m.

Admission $20 Includes free entry to Saturday’s show Saturday, October 6, 2012 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Admission $5 Chelsea Fairgrounds 20501 Old US-12 Hwy, Chelsea, MI

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Made in America

A HANDMADE HALLOWEEN

ROBERT BRAWLEY

Robert Brawley, also known as the ‘Halloween Fanatic’ is a holiday folk artist, teacher, husband, and father of three. Since his early childhood, Robert has always enjoyed art, drawing, and doodling. As a young child he even won ten dollars at a comic book convention for his art!

Robert grew up in a small community where everyone knows everyone. He loved the holidays, particularly Halloween. In this small community trick or treating was always fun and safe. A fireman, a ghost, a clown, you name it and you can be it. The creativity associated with Halloween speaks volumes to Robert, not to mention all of the candy!

Robert fondly recalls the taste of his favorite Halloween candy, banana Tootsie rolls. For Robert, combining a love of art and a love of Halloween just seemed like the natural thing to do.

Halloween Fanatic Originals began in 2009.

Robert had been collecting Halloween art from various talented artists for several years at this point. He had always loved art, but had no intentions of ever selling it online. This was until a friend and fellow artist, David Everett, recommended he open an Etsy storefront. After debating the idea Robert took the plunge and decided to list a few pieces. David, the friend who had suggested he open the storefront, made the first purchase from Robert’s store and business took off from there. That very same year, Robert was featured in a Celebrate 365 magazine, as a collector and jokingly stated that he would like to come back the next year as an artist. As time would show, he did. He started working in polymer clay (clay that is molded and baked) to create three-dimensional holiday characters before transitioning to paper clay. Robert quickly notes that he has had the most fun finding his own “style” as an artist, and that he is

enjoying every minute of it. Although he creates pieces for all holidays Halloween will always be his favorite, making the name ‘Halloween Fanatic’ befitting.

For inspiration Robert credits many people, places, and things. He loves to go online and look at vintage postcards, utilizing the past to create art for the present. The thought that his art may be passed down to future generations is very a very humbling concept for Robert. His three little ones inspire him the most, one of which wants to be an artist when she grows up. Robert jokingly states that he hates to tell her, but he does not think an artist ever really “grows up!” Robert strongly believes the imaginative child is still in all of us, but an artist lets him out on a daily basis! Sometimes a color, a shape, or even a picture in a book inspires him. He notes that inspiration can be found all around, you just have to look.

Out of all the pieces he has created Robert has trouble determining a favorite. He credits this to the fact that they are like your own children; you have created them and you love them all in a special way. He still has the first piece he ever created in polymer.

He is quick to mention that it is quite simple, but he keep it to remind him how much his style has evolved just in the past few years.

A sculpture he created in the likeness of his dog, “Twinkle,” is the next piece he mentions as being special to him. Twinkle is half pug and half Boston terrier. Robert has had her since she was a puppy. She has become the ‘official mascot’ of Halloween Fanatic Originals.

When not in a creative mood, Robert likes to spend time with his family and is quick to note that they are a whole lot of fun. His twin daughters are six years old and his son is five.

Whether it be family time at home or a trip to the zoo proclaims that they always have a good time.

In a short conversation with Robert he will make it clear that the Lord has given him a gift, and he will always be respectful and appreciative of that. Robert believes the Lord made him a creative person and gave him a supportive family and friends to encourage his creative side. He states that the Lord continues to bring people into his life who expand his knowledge and love for art, and for that he is humble. His biggest supporters here on earth are his children. They tell him when his art is great and are quick to let him know when it looks awful. Robert notes that the honesty of a child is amazing. He loves that when asked what they want to be when they grow up their answers are always changing. Robert encourages that we think like a child. You do not have to be only “a teacher,” “a father,” or “an artist.” Robert believes we all have multiple talents and should follow those to find who we really are, even if that person is not “labeled.”

In the future, Robert wishes to continue creating fun, sometimes silly, holiday characters. He hopes to see Halloween Fanatic Originals continue to flourish and be enjoyed by collectors. It pleases him to know that someone else enjoys his art enough to adopt an original piece, just as much as he enjoys making each piece. He hopes to continue meeting fellow artists and collectors and to be able to share his art and inspiration with them.

To learn more about Robert Brawley or Halloween Fanatic Originals please visit: halloweenfanatic.bigcartel.com twinklestricksandtreats.blogspot.com etsy.com/shop/halloweenfanatic

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Made in America

A HANDMADE HALLOWEEN

How did you get started with Prim Pumpkins?

Potion bottles, the sound of bat wings fluttering by on a crisp Michigan night, the poetry of pumpkins sitting together sipping tea or sharing nip of absinthe…. These are the things of magic and when brewed together they create something quite unique.

My art dolls are a bit like a marriage of vintage embellishment and Merry Halloween.

I create one of a kind Pumpkin dolls in my Battle Creek, Michigan studio. My pumpkin dolls have been featured in national publications and are coveted by collectors throughout Europe and the United States.

As a child growing up in Michigan, I was surrounded by the allure of the crisp autumn pumpkin patch. I was fascinated by the variety and the beauty of pumpkins. I translated my love for pumpkins in to a budding curiosity for the art of doll making. My personal style is vintage and bohemian and they blended naturally in my creative style. I had dabbled in creating Santa Clause dolls, but when I had finished with my first pumpkin it was love at first sight!

JENNIE HEPLER

you look at my work, you can see the details and stitches. Re-imagining things that have been discarded is part of the innate American spirit. My family has been doing this in the fashion of a salvage yard for the last 45 years. I source the pieces, bits and inspiration for my work all over the world and it may take years for the pieces to come together to create a doll. My artwork is re-imagining pieces and parts of people’s lives, layering them together in a way that makes since to me and then creating a doll that is essentially a traveler.

I believe that people innately follow a path.

No matter how crooked or bumpy your path, you keep brushing on this stone of creative passion until the day when you pick it up carry it like a jewel in your crown.

Was creating primitives something you always wanted to do as a business or was it a passion on the side at first? The kitchen table is a central location for home life, as I created my very first doll it was on the kitchen table that I developed my mixture of sculpting material, stitched, and brought these Halloween characters to life. I like to focus exclusively on Halloween because it is so magical and merry. In the beginning I created simply to create, but as my work evolved my husband encouraged me to live this Halloween dream to the fullest! He is a glass blower and creates little accessories that round out my dolls perfectly. It’s a true blessing to share this journey with a man who wants me to be as successful as I possibly can.

Have you always been interested in making primitives? I think primitives and folk art are the very heart of tradition of our country. I love that each piece that leaves my studio is one of a kind. I fuss over each one and when

What has been the inspiration for the designs, how do you create them? My core goal in creating always has been to remain authentic to my feminine take on things. Each design starts its journey into reality as a

thought and if I think it has wings I gather the pieces and make it fly. Some of my dolls are mounted on bases while others sit or prop.

I make dolls in many sizes and price points because I don’t want price to discourage someone who really loves my work. Because my work varies in size, I create my patterns exclusively for each piece.

How did you become a ghoulie? This year I am honored to present my collection of Prim Pumpkins at Ghoultide Gathering, the premier Halloween art show in the United States.

This juried one of a kind show in Chelsea, MI offers a wonderful opportunity to see original Halloween artwork. Ghoultide Gathering is an amazing group of artists to be part of and it is the only show I do all year long. The show promoters, Scott Smith and Stephanie Rawson, select artists for the event very carefully to ensure an unforgettable experience for the guests who travel to Chelsea from all over the United States.

Anything upcoming projects? In the coming year I look to create even more original works of art and offer them through my blog and other venues. I am a member of EHAG (Eclectic Halloween artists Guild), PFATT (Primitive Folk Art Talk and Tea), and the PFATT Marketplace. These groups are filled with like-minded creatives that nurture the spirit of the artist.

primpumpkin.blogspot.com

JOHANNA PARKER Few people can say they are as devoted to Halloween as Johanna Parker, of course it isn’t as difficult to fall in love with the holiday when it is also your birthday. Johanna Parker, the namesake of Johanna Parker Designs has spent her life loving Halloween and collecting anything that represented the holiday for her. Now a folk artist, Johanna creates inspired and inspiring creations of papier mache reflecting all of the memories and joy that the season brings to her life.

Made in America

A HANDMADE HALLOWEEN

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.

I started Johanna Parker Design at the tail end of a 6+ year career in TV news graphics. The high pace of news art direction left little time to nurture my creative side and whimsical imagination. So, on a whim, I decided it was time to fly and follow my passion for folk art as a new career. I began sculpting vintage-style Halloween characters, photographed my pieces and started submitting my work to show promoters and magazines.

Have you always been a designer and creator? Yes! Mom tells me that I was drawing people with five fingers at the age of 3. Fortunately, she nurtured my talents, and I was always creating art. I was that girl in elementary school that was constantly nominated by her classmates to paint the posters and visual aids for the team. And, somewhere, I have a dusty box of blue ribbons from childhood art contests from my school days!

How did you get started creating? I believe that my mother being an artist intrigued me as a child, and of course I too wanted to play

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 designer, but soon jumped at the opportunity to design for TV news. However, I realized that design for TV was not tactile, and I missed working with my hands. To fill the void, I continued to make folk art for the holidays on the side.

How did you get started with papier mâché?

I must have been a teen when mom brought home a bag of papier mache mix for me to experiment with. Together, we tried our hand at this medium, and it truly resonated with me. Even though my first attempts were extremely crude, I continued to work with it when time allowed and slowly refined my skills at sculpting.

What was your inspiration in creating the brand? Years ago in art school, I was assigned the challenge to design a logo and letterhead for my own resume as a designer.

I decided that “Johanna Parker Design” had a ring and would one day become a recognizable brand that could encompass many different things. A stylized pumpkin with stars, which has now evolved into a jolly jack-o’-lantern, is my logo because I was

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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. johannaparkerdesigns.com

Made in America

A HANDMADE HALLOWEEN

CART BEFORE THE HORSE

WHEN DYLAN AND JO JAMES MOVED FROM FLORIDA TO OREGON AS A YOUNG, MARRIED COUPLE, THE CHANGE IN SCENERY AND A BAD JOB IN A BORING GALLERY LED JO TO CREATE HER OWN ART. Jo quickly put her art degree to

work at the encouragement of her husband and together they started Car Before the Horse. One part rushed genius, the other part fanciful imagination, the two create one-of-a-kind artistic folk art inspired by whimsy. From papier mâché sculptures to wood-block paintings, Jo and Dylan create works of art that are as fun as they are beautiful.

When did you start Cart Before The Horse?

My husband Dylan and I created Cart Before the Horse in 2003, just after moving across the country from Florida to the Oregon Coast.

What made you want to start the business? I had just graduated with a degree in art and I got a job working all by myself at a local gallery that almost never had any visitors.

Needless to say, I grew bored very quickly.

So I did what I’ve always done when I’m not busy - I made arty stuff.

How did the Cart Before the Horse start out?

Back then, it was little paintings on blocks of wood. You know, small enough to tuck into a drawer if any customers ever did decide to show up. The little paintings started piling up, so Dylan went about learning how to sell them online. This was no easy task for someone who had never even sent an e-mail, but he had always dreamed of being able to live anywhere in the world and have a mailorder business. The internet opened up that possibility, so he figured it out. I’d make little paintings and Dylan would photograph them, list them, and ship them.

How long did you sell your pieces that way?

We did that for almost a year, but then, not surprisingly, the gallery-with-no-customers closed its doors and I had to get a different job. One in which I actually had to work, not

just make little paintings all day. So we had to figure out a way for Dylan, who was at home with our kids, to do more on the arty end of things.

the Horse because we were always getting ahead of ourselves. It stuck. We still really like it. It shows a bit of the humor we try to instill into the work.

So how did Dylan start creating art for CBTH? Painting was definitely out of the question for him, so we started doing more and more three-dimensional objects that he could do a lot of the prep work on. This process naturally evolved into something along the lines of what we make now. For another couple of years I kept working and making art part-time and he kept encouraging me to devote my full energy into making things.

Where do you find inspiration for your designs and paintings? I find inspiration all around me. I’ve always been especially inspired by my time spent raising our kids. They taught me how to play. I also let the work inspire more work, which inspires more work, which inspires more work. . . I create something everyday.

Creativity seems to ebb and flow. When it’s at its peek, I can’t keep up with all the ideas swirling around my head, so I just do as much as I possibly can and scribble little notes for my future self. When I’m feeling depleted, I spend time feeding my creativity. It devours antique picture books, tiny toys, my kids’ old drawings, little overlooked treasures (the kind you might find tucked into the pockets of children), rag dolls, quilts, masks, celebrations and holidays, and I let the act of creating be its own inspiration.

So when did you finally make CBTH your full-time job? I finally made the leap in 2006 and since then we’ve both given all of our attention to The Cart. We work well together and each do certain things. Dylan sews, stuffs, makes any wooden bits, and handles the packing, shipping, and money aspects of the business. I do the bulk of the designing and pattern-making, painting, sculpting, and finishing.

How did you decide on the name? Our business name started out as a joke. We were batting around business names for some faroff imagined future, years before we actually started making things to sell, and a friend said that we should call ourselves Cart Before

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What’s currently inspiring you? Right now I’m especially inspired by antique holiday decorations, the kind that might have been pinned to bulletin boards in the 30s and 40s. I like to put my own twist on the classic designs. I’m currently working on a collection of garlands and ornaments based on these designs. thecartbeforethehorse.blogspot.com

BY: MATTHEW MEAD

The Great Pumpkin

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Feel like Cinderella with these simple, yet magical, pumpkin recipes that engage the season but may be too tasty to last until midnight.

After Labor Day, my thoughts turn to pumpkins. Not just because I love to see them lining walkways and filling wheelbarrows in my neighbors front yard, but because they symbolize the spirit of the fall season.

I buy a mix of varieties from local stands and begin weaving this distinctly autumn flavor into way more then just pies.

PUMPKIN BISCOTTI Like a crispy, crunchy rendition of pumpkin bread, this biscotti is perfectly paired with an aromatic hazelnut coffee.

SPICY PUMPKIN CAKE My favorite spicy pumpkin cake is perfect with a dollop of whipped cream and rich dark cup of black coffee.

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JACK-BE-NUTS For JACK-BE-NUTS table favors ,just hollow out jack-be-littles, line with waxed paper, and fill with mixed nuts or candies

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MINI PUMPKIN TARTS Mini pumpkin tarts are filled with mousse made from pumpkin puree, whipping cream, and spices. Pumpkin biscotti mixes spices and nuts for a lovely, crispy coffee break.

Extra mousse makes up instant donut whoopie pies rolled in chopped walnuts.

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Pumpkin Mousse Filling Use this easy and delicious filling to fill whoopie pies, a graham cracker crust, or mini tart shells.

2 cups fresh pumpkin puree 1 cup cream cheese, at room temperature 3 cups heavy cream 3/4 cup superfine sugar 1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice 1 tablespoon vanilla extract Combine pumpkin, 1 cup cream, sugar, and spice in a medium saucepan. Simmer over medium heat for 5 minutes. Cool fully.

Whip remaining heavy cream and vanilla to soft peaks; fold in cream cheese. Slowly fold into cooled pumpkin mixture. Chill several hours and use for filling for donut whoopie pies or mini shortbread tarts.

To make donut whoopie pies, cut six plain donuts in half. Fill with 1/2 cup mousse and top with second half of donut. Roll edges in chopped walnuts or almonds. Serve immediately. Store in refrigerator overnight.

Shortbread Tart 1 cup butter 1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar 2 cups all-purpose flour 1/4 tsp baking powder Preheat oven to 350° F. In a large bowl, cream butter and confectioners’ sugar until light and fluffy. Stir together flour and baking powder; blend into butter mixture. Pat into

a 9 inch pie plate or into mini muffin pan.

Makes 18 mini tarts. Bake in preheated oven for 12 to 15 minutes, or until edges are lightly browned. Cool completely.

Pumpkin Biscotti Makes approximately 15 cookies.

Crunchy and delicious with hot cider or coffee, these cookies store nicely in an airtight tin.

2-1/2 cups flour 1 cup sugar 1 tsp baking powder 1 tsp cinnamon 1/2 tsp nutmeg Pinch of ginger Pinch of cloves Pinch of salt 2 eggs 1/2 cup pumpkin purée 1 tsp vanilla extract Preheat oven to 350° F. Sift together flour, salt, sugar, baking powder, and spices into a large bowl.

In another bowl, whisk together the eggs, pumpkin purée, and vanilla extract. Pour the pumpkin mixture into the flour mixture. Give it a rough stir to generally incorporate the ingredients. The dough will be crumbly.

Flour your hands and a clean kitchen surface and lightly knead the dough.

Lightly grease a baking sheet or line it with parchment paper. Form the dough into a large log, roughly about 15 to 20 inches by 6 to 7 inches. The loaves should be relatively flat, only about 1/2 inch high.

Bake for 22 to 30 minutes, until the center is firm to the touch. (Feel free to also form two smaller logs for cute two-bite biscotti; just cut the baking time to 18 to 24 minutes.)

Let biscotti cool for 15 minutes. Using a serrated knife, cut into 1-inch-wide pieces.

Turn the oven to 300° F and bake for an additional 15 to 20 minutes. Cool completely.

Biscotti may be still a tad moist and chewy, so if you prefer it crisp, let it sit uncovered overnight in a dry space. Serve and enjoy.

Pumpkin Egg Nog 12 eggs, separated (6 ounces of pasteurized yolks and 12 ounces of pasteurized whites can be substituted for fresh eggs) 1 cup superfine sugar (see note) 5 cups whole milk 1 750 ml bottle of rum 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1/2 cup pumpkin puree Whipped cream Fresh grated nutmeg Dollop of whipped cream, if desired In a mixing bowl, beat the egg yolks until creamy. Gradually add half the sugar, beating at high speed until thick. Stir in milk, rum, vanilla, cinnamon and pumpkin puree.

Place in the refrigerator to chill for at least two hours. Beat the egg whites until soft peaks form, gradually adding the remaining sugar. Continue beating into stiff peaks. Fold the egg whites into the chilled rum mixture.

Serve in a martini glass and garnish with freshly grated nutmeg and a dollop of whipped cream, if desired.

Matthew Mead is a stylist, writer, author, photographer, lifestyle editor, and noted style expert. Matthew is the official food photographer for the Associated Press and is a regular contributor to Better Homes and Gardens, Real Simple, and Oprah.com. Matthew has also written several books and produced countless magazine spreads and ad campaigns for companies such as Pottery Barn, Dove Chocolate, Target, and Stonewall Kitchen. As the go-to producer for holiday and seasonal styling and entertaining ideas, Matthew has his own magazine, Holiday with Matthew Mead (www.holidaywithmatthewmead.com). Recently he launched Matthew Mead Vintage, a line of vintage-inspired home accessories. You can also look for his newest magazine, HALLOWEEN with Matthew Mead, on news stands or amazon.com.

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STORY THE STORIES THAT CONNECT US ALL

School Days

“SCHOOL DAYS, SCHOOL DAYS, GOOD OLD GOLDEN RULE DAYS…” With August comes the beginning of a new

school year. As I reflect on the many new beginnings, my mind fills with visions of hot rides on a bus, no air conditioning in the school, flies and sweat bees humming, chalk dust flying about the classroom, new teachers and new tasks. Yet, not all memories lean toward the negative; memories of the two widowed sisters who opened their home to us as a bus stop, the reunion with last year’s classmates, the anticipation of the teacher you always hoped would still be teaching when it came time to be in her class, the planning and anticipation of the annual Halloween Carnival and the wonderful aromas swelling from the cafeteria.

Starting school was that dream come true for me at the tender age of six. I have an older brother and sister who always took off down a dusty, gravel road to meet the bus and I often wondered about the mysterious place called school. Ronnie, older than me by six years, and Janet, my senior by three years, would make sure their clothes and hair looked just right as they walked “all the way out to the blacktopped road” (about 2/10 mile) then reappear that afternoon looking no worse for the wear than when they left that same morning. I often found myself curious about this place called school. What adventures did it hold? Who were these people called teachers? Sure I knew about Sunday School teachers but what made this teacher and place so different? Why did it meet five days a week instead of one? Little did I know just how far down that gravel road school would take me?

LINDA REID

In my day, kindergarten was neither required nor optional so I started my formal education with first grade. I recall the cotton dress, white anklets and nylon velvet shoes but not nearly as well as my very own book satchel. It was red and brown plaid with two buckles flanked by small pockets. It resembled a modern day laptop carrying case.

Though I don’t exactly remember how it got there, my name appeared in some sort of glitter and glue mixture. I suspect one of my grandmothers had more to do with that than I. Once my hair had been combed to Mom’s specifications (not mine!) the three of us who were school age (Mark, three years younger than I had to wait patiently) stood shoulder to shoulder for the official “first day of school” photograph. Of course my solo picture came next. I stood as tall as I could and tried to not squint in the early morning sun as Mom took the shot with her Brownie Hawkeye camera.

A walk down a hot, dusty road that eventually led from Centertown School, to Ohio County High School, to Kentucky Wesleyan College and eventually back to Western Elementary…only four miles from where my life in the field of

education began. The seeds were sown that grew in me a desire to pursue teaching as a career.

Fall stirs a mixture of memories each year. The trek to meet the school bus each morning changed for the better once I, and our next door neighbor, started school. The school district decided that four children on that loop warranted running a bus through there rather than us walking to the main highway.

It shortened the walk by about half the distance. More memorable, however, was the point where my brother, sister and I waited for the bus. Two sisters, both widows, lived at the very stop the bus made. Miss Ida and Miss Ora opened their doors to us both morning and afternoon. As seasons and weather changed, this became increasingly important. We could stand in their kitchen and watch for the bus that would emerge from the tree line as it crossed the bridge spanning Walton Creek all the while enjoying hot chocolate and conversation. Once the one on watch spied the bus, we had plenty of time to put on our raincoat, overcoat or just head out the front door to step on the bus. Afternoons found us watching for the two ladies either sitting on the front porch or waiting to open the door for us. That usually meant Kool-Aid and cookies! I enjoyed having the greatest bus stop in the world until our family farm sold and we moved to town just before the start of my seventh grade year.

The school building at Centertown seemed huge. I was one of the smaller ones in my first grade class so everything about the place seemed extra large. I soon learned my way around the first floor (high school was upstairs) and all the mysteries soon vanished. Not until my adult years though, did I realize the significance of the window at each end of the building at Centertown School. The windows in the stairwells were designed in such a way that they “framed” crosses. Only in a school built in 1938 could such a religious work of art stand watch over the hundreds of young lives touched by the years spent there. The 1938 version of Centertown School was constructed by workers employed by the depression era Works Progress Administration, or WPA. Skilled workers in the area were afforded jobs through the WPA and

Centertown gained a new school that would stand with few changes (only a lunchroom and necessary upkeep/renovations) until it closed as a school in 1995.

Many wonderful teachers impacted my life but none more than the ones I had at Centertown. I recall each music teacher second only to the two teachers primarily responsible for influencing my decision to pursue teaching as a profession. I learned the to sing with a group, the lines and spaces of the music staff, how to play a Flutophone which all transferred to playing clarinet from fifth grade all the way through college and singing in an organized choir from sixth grade to present. It’s safe to say that my music educators were very influential!

My fifth grade year, the garden of my career growth was planted. Mrs. Marianna Robinson enjoyed teaching and it showed. You could tell she had fun doing what she was doing and that made it fun for me. I began to think that I might just want to do something that I really could have fun doing and it seemed teaching was a likely option. In sixth grade through eighth grade Mr. Jack Chambers taught health and physical education. Like Mrs. Robinson, he loved his work and it spilled over onto me. He showed by example how to treat everyone equally and make it work in less than ideal situations. Both Mr. Chambers and Mrs. Robinson certainly didn’t have the best or most abundant supplies yet they managed inspire and educate.

During those first six years of school I enjoyed many aspects of school life. One of my greatest memories makes my mouth water just reminiscing. Our cooks took great pride in what they served each day.

We enjoyed dried beans and greens with boiled eggs and cornbread. Cold weather meant homemade vegetable soup and a sandwich. Fridays were always hamburger days. Hamburgers at Centertown consisted of ground beef that the ladies hand patted even though a little oatmeal was added for filler. We knew nothing of the pre-formed, pre-packaged “mystery meat” burgers of today’s world. We also looked forward to made-from-scratch cakes and oatmeal/ peanut butter “no bake cookies” but nothing

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compared to the homemade cinnamon rolls.

Early in the morning our wonderful ladies in their crisp white uniforms fired up the ovens, rolled out the dough, sprinkled on the cinnamon, butter and sugar then rolled and cut them for baking. Lunch time seemed to never arrive. We smelled the baking of cinnamon rolls all morning!! Other favorite lunch items include macaroni and cheese, beef stew and the best buttered potatoes in the world. I feel sorry that today’s lunches seem to be more convenience foods…pizza, corn dogs, burgers and fries…but that’s another topic for another day.

The dog days of summer and long, hot afternoon bus rides soon gave way to chilly October mornings and the anticipation of the annual Halloween Carnival. Since the early days of the new school year the planning began but not in earnest until October. Oh, I’m sure the adults never felt the excitement we kids felt and their preparations were much different than ours but it was THE event of the fall. As Halloween approached secrecy topped the minds of all students for we knew the culminating event of the carnival was the costume contest. No one wanted to divulge his or her costume. The biggest part of the contest was to trick the judges by hiding your true identity. To share “what are you going to be” would have been a crime punishable by death…or so we thought. Much work went into either making the costume or keeping secret what that “store bought” costume was. The activities crammed into our small gymnasium equaled those of the much larger schools. You could “fish” at the pond, bob for apples (unless it would harm your costume), get your fill of popcorn, homemade cookies or candy, march in the age group for costume judging, shop at the “country store” or choose your favorite duck at the duck pond. If Miss Myrtle Calvert had anything to do with the duck pond, you could count on a book as your prize! Often a jack-o-lantern contest proved almost as interesting as the costume contest. Jack-o-lanterns had to be carved at home, brought to the gym the night of the carnival and kept under wraps until the appointed judgment time. Excitement filled the air as each contestant presented their work of art and as each costumed goblin paraded around the gym for final assessment. The

innocence of those days never threatened our dreams at night. We only dreamt of popcorn balls, witches brew and the silver dollar awaiting the winners.

I cannot complete my “back to school” story without further mentioning the bus drivers, cafeteria workers, custodians and secretaries for no campus is complete without them.

I consider myself fortunate to have been safely transported by such fine individuals as Willis McKinney, Bill House, and Burlie Shrull.

I’m not sure I fully appreciated these men until becoming an adult. The responsibility of transporting a big yellow bus full of energetic youngsters overwhelms me just thinking about it. I suppose I just took it for granted that these men reported for duty every day and never thought of the burden they shouldered when parents entrusted their children to them. Likewise, the cafeteria workers had the daunting task of preparing nutritious meals for the masses. I always looked forward to the smiles and kindness of Sophia Bolton, Beulah Heflin, Virginia Brown, the “Two Lorenes” (Lorene Porter and Lorene Kessinger) and,

later, Carrie McKinney and Zelda Grant. Our school custodians, Lytle Hopper and Gene King kept our building ship-shape and you knew you would get a big smile from them no matter what they had to do. They seemed to have time to stop and say hello and listen to whatever insignificant little story, all the while making you feel like it was the most major news event of the day. I’m sure that anyone who ever placed a call to Centertown felt the smile on Agatha Perrin’s face as she answered the phone. Other names escape me but I know that the caring atmosphere of Centertown School cannot be matched in today’s world.

Later, Paige Snodgrass “smiled” over the phone, as well as in person, at anyone with business at the school.

As fall settles around you, take time to ease down Memory Lane and recall those special times in your life. Memory is a great gift. We all have the ability to remember the good and forget the bad. We have the freedom to embellish those good times as we retell them but I’ll never admit to do that!

Made in America

ADAM BLITZER

The Year of American Goods 2012 STARTED OFF WITH A BANG FOR MY PERSONAL BAG COLLECTION, BLUE CLAW CO. AND MY MANUFACTURING BUSINESS. SOMETHING CHANGED. SOMETHING HAPPENED. Within the first few days of the entering the New Year, countless entrepreneurs and businesses contacted me for manufacturing. Some were looking to switch from overseas manufactures, others were looking for a more complete solution, and a few just had an idea they wanted to explore and needed help with the entire process.

I had never experienced such immediate demand for domestic manufacturing; it was if a light switch went off – I could not be more proud. I finally felt like it was the year of American goods. The best part of all of this was the new people I was meeting and the energy and authenticity they had. I flew around the country meeting with clients, hearing their stories, and addressing their needs. In general, the folks that produce domestically, while many of them are competitors, have a certain sense of camaraderie that is unique. It is not unusual to see people in like segments (bags, shirts, accessories, etc) make introductions to supplies and distributors for one another or be seen at a local water hole together. I love seeing this sense of community. The American made movement is beyond an individual, it is a group effort to rally around a cause that so many of us believe it.

How did I become an American manufacturer? This is one of the most common questions I am asked. My story is not linear, my path certainly did not destine me to be in the space; all roads led to finance: degrees in economics and business management, working for a broker dealer, and a knack for the commodity market. The one connection I did have to manufacturing was my grandfather. He owned and operated factories in New York City during the garment hay day.

He had always wanted me to enter the space and when I

expressed interest we jumped in a car and headed for the city. With not so much as a warning call we were on factory floors, people who had not seen my grandfather in 20+ years talked like they had just seen each other yesterday.

That was the business, it was an old school business. That day we made the rounds and I was introduced to the small world of manufacturing in the Big Apple. I left the finance world and entered the world of manufacturing.

The past few years have been a whirlwind. The best part of the experience is becoming closer to my grandfather. Just having a grandfather was lucky, but connecting and talk for hours upon hours about what he had dedicated his entire life to is is priceless.

The year has not slowed down. We are manufacturing full steam ahead into the holiday season. I do not see this trend slowing despite the overall grim macro picture, although I do realize we are coming from a small base. The trend is exciting and I firmly believe that 2012 is the year of American made goods.

I am proud to be an American and proud to be an American manufacturer. If you are thinking about manufacturing in America or have questions about domestic manufacturing, please feel free to contact me directly. Any day I can talk about domestic production is a good day: adam@ blueclawco.comI am proud to be an American and proud to be an American manufacturer. If you are thinking about manufacturing in America or have questions about domestic manufacturing, please feel free to contact me directly. Any day I can talk about domestic production is a good day: adam@blueclawco.com

FOLK | 47 | 2012

— blueclawco.com

Book Review MUST READS FOR AUTUMN

UNITED STATES

Let me acknowledge my bias upfront: I thoroughly enjoyed this book and will read it again when looking to be both inspired and entertained. It can be used as a reference guide to many elements of “historic Americana” in action (whether the wielder of the garden hoe, knitting needle, or record player is a 20-year-old urban, organic farmer; or my 78-year-old grandfather who has raised tobacco and cattle in Edmonton, Kentucky for most of his life). With that being said, however, there are likely elements of Seattle-based author, Kurt Reighley’s newest book, United States of Americana: Backyard Chickens, Burlesque Beauties & Handmade Bitters: A Field Guide to the New American Roots Movement that will frustrate homemakers, crafters, and vintage-lovers alike.

In this collection of vignettes, Reighley seeks to explain the history of – and motivation behind – the resurgence of practices and proclivities often considered “traditional,” “folk-ish,” or “primitive.” In each of the ten chapters, which address topics such as home canning, knitting, straight razors and barber shops, bluegrass music, and community entertainment, Reighley suggests that the renewed interest in these “Americana”-associated activities is inspired less by necessity, and more by an intangible desire to connect with the past…even as we simultaneously strive to build both community and identity in modern society. Thus, via exploration of historical underpinnings and 21st-century adaptations, Reighley argues that “The new American roots movement transcends mere nostalgia. Nostalgia is a desire to return to the past, accompanied by a generous side of sentimentality….The different parts of this movement embrace traditions, but are not

necessarily consumed by nostalgia.” It is vintage, it is history, it is tradition…but with a twist.

Amidst the undoubtedly entertaining social observations and thoroughly researched historical explanations, however, Reighley does include some psychology-laden assumptions that might alienate some readers. So, for instance, when he asserts that “The reason [for the resurgence of gardening, canning, sustainable agriculture] may be that many of us are overeducated and underemployed; learning to control our own food sources feels empowering,” (26) Reighley delves into a subconscious world that some may not want to evaluate.

Maybe I, as a 31-year-old, well-educated single woman, simply enjoy piddling in my garden, or talking to folks at my local Farmers Market, or supporting local

FOLK | 48 | 2012

businesses. Perhaps it has nothing to do with empowerment. (I am not suggesting that this is in fact the case, and to be honest, I see validity in his claim; however, I also understand that academic rationales, when used to describe daily practices and choices, can come across as pretentious). And so, in my humble opinion, herein lies the primary possible point of contention: Reighley, at times, does seem somewhat out-of-touch with the “everyday” homemaker, and crafter, and farmer. His observations, and subsequent analysis, seem to be based on a segment of society that has chosen to incorporate elements of the traditional into their very modern lives, not necessarily those who rely on “roots-based” practices for daily sustenance and/or fulfillment. In fact, when he does include quotes from interviewees, it seems to be those from demographically-similar urban dwellers and

OF AMERICANA: business owners. It can thus read as a study of white, upper-middle-class Americans who simply find it cool to wear flannel and listen to Bonnie Prince Billy.

With that being said, however, Reighley never claims to take a Shannon Hayes’ Radical Homemakers approach (an interesting case-study-based publication that also explores issues of domesticity, feminism, and sustainable economics; I highly recommend). He has no interest in documenting the lives of respondents who have immersed themselves in an alternative economy and alternate lifestyle. This is social commentary on the practices, not the people. And for that reason, I didn’t allow the somewhat generalized descriptions to taint my appreciation for the overarching point Reighley successfully makes: that the revived interest in all things “Americana”— things that almost necessitate mindful, conscious living— has both roots and wings (to quote Josh Lucas in the classic movie, “Sweet Home Alabama”).

The backyard chickens, burlesque beauties, and handmade bitters lie somewhere at the intersection of old and new, allowing us to feel anchored to our past even as we, with our newfound self-sufficiency, feel empowered in a digital age.

In terms of surface-level critique, I also enjoyed the aesthetics and logistics of this book. The purposeful “aging” (almost stainedlooking cover and the cream color of the pages) speaks to the book’s themes; the font size, paragraph and chapter length, and occasional excerpts and images, lend to high readability and visual entertainment; Aaron Bagley’s illustrations, all black-andwhite pencil sketching, seem fitting; the chapters, although supportive of the thesis, can be read out of order and simply make for fantastic, “right-before-bed” reading; the arguments nicely blend historical study and social commentary, but are largely presented in accessible, occasionally sarcastic, and unquestionably entertaining, prose. Plus, Reighley devotes an entire chapter to the bluegrass, gospel, country, old-time string

Backyard chickens, burlesque beauties & handmade bitters. A Field Guide to the New American Roots Movement

band, folk, and blues legends that ultimately gave rise to musicians like Neko Case, the Avett Brothers, and Fleet Foxes— three of my favorite performers— can’t go wrong there.

Thus, whereas some might critique Reighley on the basis of over-analysis, I would ultimately recommend this book, without hesitation, to FOLK readers. It’s interesting and fun, yet also places an academic lens on the music, activities, and practices that many of us love.

In fact, it seems much of what he addresses lies at the very heart of this magazine project: how and why do we – no matter if a 21-year-old magazine editor or a 50-yearold vintage jewelry collector – embrace the traditional, the classic, the vintage…even as we promote on Etsy.com, comment on the FOLK Facebook page, and share project ideas and pictures on our iPhones? Reighley is not advocating a nostalgic return to some “glory days” period; he is simply providing context for – and explanation of – the revived interest in all things Americana.

What inspired your interest in “Americana” studies/social practices? I’ve been writing about roots music since the late 1990s. Long story short, a publisher asked if I wanted to write a whole book about that universe. The more I looked beyond music, and focused on other activities and pastimes, I tangentially associated with the realms of “Americana,” the more excited I was to try and connect the dots. Why did the burlesque dancer learn to butcher a chicken? (That sounds like a bad joke.) Writing “USofA” is my odyssey of mapping the connective tissue that links all these trends.

While researching, were there times when nostalgia-driven (but for the most part, vacant) sentimentality made you roll your eyes or say “oh, give me a break” under your breath? Of course not. *cough cough* Honestly, I found that the more time I spent with my subjects, the harder it was to be snarky about them, even for a quick laugh.

Where I really rolled my eyes was seeing the trickle-down effect of the “Americana” trend in mainstream culture, like “homestyle” Kraft

macaroni & cheese dinner. That one had me in stitches.

Do you consider yourself skilled in any of the arts/crafts/practices discussed in The United States of Americana? Is there one “rootsbased”/traditional/folk-ish talent you would really like to cultivate? Many of them. I come for a very crafty, D.I.Y. family. I knit a great deal (my New Year’s resolution in 2011 was to only make socks, not purchase them), and also do needlepoint. I fronted a country-rock band for several years, although my autoharp playing has atrophied something terrible since I quit. I make my own pickles and jam. Two things I didn’t try in the course of my research that were on my “to do” list were making a pair of shoes and butchering a hog. I suspect I’ll get to the former before the latter.

Where did you grow up? What keeps you in Seattle? I was born in Pasadena, California; spent my “formative years” in Northern Virginia; attended college in Bloomington, Indiana; cut my teeth as a young professional in New York City; and moved to Seattle in 1996. I often describe Seattle as an ideal mix of Bloomington and NYC, equal parts small town and world class metropolis. My job as a DJ at KEXP 90.3 FM Seattle fills me with an inordinate amount of joy and I’d be very reluctant to leave that behind.

On a typical day, what types of things are you reading, what’s in your coffee, who are you following on Twitter? Right now I’m rereading A Voice Through A Cloud by Denton Welch. I’m still processing Simon Reynolds’ Retromania: Pop Culture’s Addiction to Its Own Past, which I just finished a few days ago. I devour MOJO magazine religiously.

The New York Times is my source for daily news. I like my coffee black and strong at home, but order a triple tall soy milk latte when I’m out. I follow an inordinate number of people on Twitter. Comedian Rob DeLaney (@robdelaney) and writer/musicians Wesley Stace (@wesleystace) and John Roderick (@ johnroderick) are a few of my favorites.

— LIZA TURNER

The Little Things LIZA’S ESSAYS ON EVERYDAY LIFE

Small Town Life at its Best

LIZA TURNER

You know those people who say things like, “Well, I don’t ‘get’ that pop culture reference that every other person in the world understands because I really don’t watch much T.V.”?; the people who are too busy reading Tolstoy…or staging their nuanced-shades-of-white house for an upcoming Pinterest shot… or taking their inexplicably welldressed child to some obscure musical instrument lesson? Yeah, I despise them, too (despite currently tackling War and Peace, snapping pictures of my dinner plates on a weekly basis, having had piano lessons myself and being fairly certain that if I have kids who want to play the didgeridoo, I will find the best didgeridoo instructor in the tristate area).

Now, don’t get me wrong; I readily acknowledge that

television is a ginormous timewaster. There is typically very little of substance to view. I can be as pretentious as the next person when frustratingly discussing the History Channel’s complete lack of history-related programming. Constant news coverage transforms minutia into seemingly groundbreaking features daily. Does this mean, however, that I have been immune to the lure of America’s Next Top Model marathons?

Certainly not. Have I fallen victim to back-to-back Maury, “Who’s the Daddy?” episodes? You better believe it. Not my finest hours I will admit.

Occasionally, however, I remind myself that life truly is all about balance. It is no contradiction to listen to NPR in the morning and then get sucked into a few minutes of reality TV before bed.

And, while perhaps flawed, this “will-make-you-feel-better” philosophy means I allow myself to indulge in a series every now and then, completely guiltfree­­— one I watch with reckless abandon to notions of “should be doing.” Growing up (not that I worried about responsibilities too much anyway), it was The Cosby Show; most recently, The Office and New Girl. And, in a few of those formative years in between, it was the masterfully witty Gilmore Girls.

The premise of the show is as follows: young girl from a wealthy New England family gets pregnant and subsequently shunned by said overprotective family when she refuses to get married and pursue the “respectable” life. She works hard, raises her daughter (who becomes her best friend),

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works at an inn in a small town that seems perfectly artsy and “down-homey” at the same time, and spends her days having dry, but irrefutably smart and hilarious, banter with everyone she meets— banter that showcases a knowledge of books, and pop culture, and small town quirks and culture. Oh, yeah, and did I mention it seems to perpetually be a gorgeous fall day every time I watch an episode?

Want to know why I own every season on DVD and still love this show— and the fictitious town of Stars Hollow – so very much? It makes me want to own a bed and breakfast. It makes me wish the coffee shop owner who refuses to let me use my cell phone or eat French fries at 10:00 pm (in the old hardware store he has converted into an eclectic, but cozy, diner) had a

“Living in a small town, festivals and fairs are something we look forward to each year. As fall approaches and the weather cools, festival time is in the air. Our small town has a Heritage Festival each year to celebrate who we are and where we came from.

With food, music and crafts we relive the past and look forward to the future… So, what better way to commemorate our past than with a hillbilly picnic? We are all hillbillies at heart and we love food, the perfect combination. Calling all family and friends, out came the flannel shirts, work boots, bonnets and I’ll have to admit, our own Bubba teeth. We loaded up the food, quilts, moonshine jugs and long rifles (just in case any varmints came along), and headed to the park. Good food, friends, family and lots of laughs were had by all. This is small town life at its best and we celebrate it!” -TERRY STALEY crush on me. It makes me long for “Bid on a Basket” fundraisers, town hall meetings, festivals to celebrate seasonal changes, and battling troubadours on various street corners. I want the sense of community so fundamental to a series also replete with fantastic character development and general charm, the sense of community so valued by those on this staff, the sense of community integral to the entire FOLK philosophy, the sense of community to which many of you are contributing in your own towns across the country.

And, if I want to live in a place where things like county fairs, and local theaters, and town decorating committees are valued, then I figure I need to participate. In fact, when I first moved back to my hometown, I honestly thought, “What can I do to make it more like Stars Hollow?” Well, let me tell you what I did: I put on my father’s overalls and took some old whiskey jugs and hay bales to the town park on a Sunday afternoon in October.

“Fall festival” just might be my very favorite

two-word combination. The mere mention of fall, the only season sane people could ever really love, is a three-month period I look forward to all year. I love the apple cider I drink from my favorite mug at my mother’s outdoor fireplace. I love stepping outside and thinking, “I believe I might need a hoodie today.” I love taking drives on Saturday afternoons, drives that invariably provoke conversations about how much the leaves have changed in only a week. I love that people in my hometown still have hayrides. I love that I vividly remember how much fun hayrides are. I love orchards, particularly those that haven’t become commercialized to the point that a mechanized pumpkin launcher is the main attraction. I love carving pumpkins rescued from said contraption. So, yes, basically I love every stereotypical thing about this most noble of seasons.

And, “festival”? That just sounds fun, doesn’t it? First and foremost, it reminds me of festivus on Seinfeld, which makes me giggle.

Secondly, the word itself, derivative of “fest” in Middle English or “festivus” in Latin (which

I naturally knew off-hand), implies all things Gilmore Girlish: food, celebration of a locale’s uniqueness, celebration, sense of belonging, religious and/or cultural significance, commemoration. Who wouldn’t like all that? …

Only crazy people who say summer is their favorite season.

And thus, for the past two years, I have eagerly anticipated my town’s fall festival, the earlier of the two was actually a four day bicentennial celebration. Despite foolishly volunteering to help organize food and craft vendors (NEVER EVER do this. Trust me.), I was proud to be a part of the committee, a medley of community members, local officials, and business owners. However, it was last year’s celebration that provided both the fondest memories and the funniest photo opportunities. There was the sock hop on Friday night (I may or may not have won the hula hoop competition…while wearing a poodle skirt and a bandana around my neck; send me your magazines and I will be glad to autograph them); car show, singing extravaganza, craft booths, and delicious

The Little Things LIZA’S ESSAYS ON EVERYDAY LIFE

crap food so fundamental to any small-town festival on Saturday, as well as a community picnic on Sunday.

using and/or playing with stereotypes makes them neither true nor self-indicting. We simply thought it would be fun.

As most of you already know, I am a library director by day, a job that I love and with a staff I adore. We decided that the library should attend this community picnic, but in a manner that required a little more effort than simply throwing down a quilt and making an apple pie. On the heels of our countyrenowned murder mystery fundraiser, we decided that we needed a theme, one that would inspire costumes, alter egos, and a whole bunch of unnecessary foolishness. For, if “public library” doesn’t scream “unnecessary foolishness,” I don’t know what does.

And so, the library staff and our various family members and friends showed up at the city park with hay bales, whiskey jugs, wagon wheels, traditional southern picnic foods, and a whole lot of denim and flannel.

Were we the only picnic group with a theme?

You betcha. Did we also win 1st place? You betcha.

So, Terry, my dear friend and our beloved bookmobile driver, and I brainstormed for days (and by “days” I do mean a few minutes in the back office) and decided that we should go with a cliché hillbilly theme. Why? Well, we all had stereotypical hillbilly clothes. We all had an assortment of “props” that would fit well with the theme. We understand that

Here are a few things I learned and/or was reminded of throughout that perfectly lovely fall weekend in October: — Feeling invested in a community will lead you to raise your hands in triumph…on a stage… in the middle of downtown…while wearing a borrowed skirt that has two poodles emblazoned across the front.

— People notice, and appreciate, extra effort.

Pictures of the library staff picnic still hang on the bulletin board at the local radio station.

— If we had just said, “come eat with us on Sunday,” our turnout would have been much

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lower. Themes are always a fun idea. People are more inclined to be involved if they feel like they are attending something unique. Plus, themes allow funny personalities to really shine.

— City parks are not utilized nearly enough.

— Getting kids involved in the community early in their life will help build a sense of commitment and investment. Investment can prevent both brain drain and apathy.

— Everyone loves my mother’s mini fried apple pies.

— Creating photo opportunities doesn’t always have to be pure “showboat-y” in nature.

When I look back on the pictures from that festival, I remember how proud I was of the library staff and of my little town.

Thus, it is in activities like this that I am reminded how I can contribute to my own Stars Hollow, just as you can in your own respective towns. If we want to espouse lofty notions of community, small-town camaraderie, and citizenship, sometimes we simply need to show up. If we do so in our dad’s overalls, which we’ve stuffed with a pillow to make ourselves look pregnant, even better.

Made in America

DEBI WARD KENNEDY

CRAFTED VINTAGE GOODS, RESTITCHED ONE AT A TIME...

Upon discovering a large bin filled with scraps of old military fabric at an antique sale, vintage dealer and artisan Janet Sears made a snap decision to buy the whole thing. She trundled it home, and then began sorting through the pieces. During the process, the idea to turn these canvas bits and pieces into useful tote bags was born.

Janet has designed several styles and sizes

of bags and pillows, and uses a variety of reclaimed fabrics from her copious stash to create them. From the neutral colors of the military canvas and old-world linen fabrics to the bright colors of Pendleton wool blankets, the result is a line of useful products that appeal to men and women alike.

sells her goods at vintage shows in the Pacific Northwest, and was one of our FOLKstore vendors this past summer in Ohio and Kentucky.

Re-Stitched USA was born out of one woman’s belief in the value of quality handmade artisan goods, using re-claimed materials. Working from her studio in Washington state, Janet

etsy: etsy.com/shop/ReStitchedUSA blog: restitchedusa.blogspot.com facebook: facebook.com/pages/ReStitchedUSA

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Ponderings

Head Fomus and Hind Part Before

SHANNON ASHBY

Homemade biscuits, pork jole, fried eggs, fruit preserves, homemade butter, cream and coffee made up our traditional breakfast. This was often the largest meal of the day, and I looked forward to it. Mamaw would get it on the table while I followed my Papaw to the barn to milk the jersey cow.

I would get out of sleep clothes and into yesterday’s play clothes. I’d pull on my shirt and shorts that were normally inside-out and on backwards. Then on with socks and tie up the brown leather high top corrective shoes, and I’d be out the door. “Don’t let the screen door slam!” I’d hear from the kitchen, but it would be too late.

“Slam!” The hook on the screen would swing back and forth. “Sorry!” I’d call back. “I won’t do it any more!”

After swinging open the door to the stalls, the horses would wander out to graze in the pasture. I’d play in the green road wagon with the buckboard seat; from the wagon I could reach the ladder to the barn loft.

The old barn was the original Beda log school. When the school closed neighbors dismantled it and moved it to my Papaw’s horse lot, each huge hand-hewed log was marked and carefully replaced by matching the notched corners that exposed the wood cuttings made decades before by a hand-wielded ax.

Passing by the well, he’d caution me firmly, “Don’t go by that well; don’t open it, and don’t look in; you’ll fall in there head fomus and you’ll drown!”

That’s why he’d send me on to the house with the milk bucket. Head fomus, he cautioned me about falling head fomus in to trouble all my young life and always reminded me when my clothes were hind part before.

The harshest words he ever spoke to me were, “Get off that roof and quit looking down that chimley....you gonna fall head fomus off there and kill yourself.” and “Don’t climb any higher in that tree, I can’t help you down and you’ll fall out head fomus and bust your head wide open — and kill yourself!” Perhaps, since I was a girl, he felt compelled to remind me that I should pay more attention, so that I didn’t wear everything I wore hind part before or inside-out.

“Yes sir, I’ll be quiet.”

“Take this milk to the back door, careful not to spill it, and hand it to your Mamaw.” She would strain it through cloth into a clean container, and the cloth would catch any debris that had fallen into the galvanized milk bucket.

Papaw would close the horse lot gate behind him and wrap the chain a certain way around the cedar fence post once before hooking it over the nail. He’d stop at the well to draw fresh, ice cold, sweet water to carry in for drinking and cooking.

The barn cats gathered around the feet of the petite straw-colored cow hoping for a taste of milk. Papaw could hit a cat’s mouth with a stream of warm milk from the cow’s udder like a water gun and never miss, thus he always had a feline audience during milking time.

“We’re going to church tomorrow; we’ve got plenty to do today to get ready.” Mamaw spoke in a sober tone. Pawpaw and I exchanged glances as we ate and knew that meant we would have to clean up AND take a bath. Papaw didn’t like taking a bath, and he was not

I would run around the edges of the loft looking for nests of baby mice or kittens to play with while listening to the rhythmic sounds of milk as each squirt hit the pail.

“No, jumping up there! Don’t scare the cow, Shannon. Don’t come down that ladder until you turn around — you’ll fall head fomus and kill yourself!”

PHOTOS: DARLINE ASHBY

I’d skip along beside him to keep up as we walked back to the house, peeping into the bucket to see how much milk the cow had given and marveling at the foam on top. He’d look down at me and comment, “You got your clothes on hind part before again this morning?” I’d pull my arms out of my shirt while I walked with him and turn the shirt around, still leaving it inside-out.

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thrilled about going to church since Preacher Tucker asked him one Sunday, out loud in front of the entire congregation, “Orv, what’s the shortest verse in the Bible?”

Papaw, a proud man, froze up.

He couldn’t think so he blurted out, “Jesus cried!” Part of the congregation snickered. Papaw knew the verse was really “Jesus wept,” but it embarrassed him. He really didn’t mind skipping Brother Tucker’s Sunday services after that.

The largest of all galvanized tubs was filled with rain water from a barrel and situated in the sunshine between the maple shade trees in the side yard and by late afternoon the water would be warm enough to take baths. I’d go first with my bar of lye soap, then with a towel around me, sprint to the back door, and of course I’d let the back door screen slam, again.

“ShanNON, if you keep slamming that screen door and I’m gonna whip you good!” I knew she would, but she couldn’t get to me if she was in that big ole galvanized tub taking her bath at the time.

My hair, matted in a pony tail all week, and seldom brushed, had been tightened each morning by pulling each side in different directions. It was an ordeal to comb out wet hair on Saturday, and I tried to get it done as fast as I could because Mamaw would ‘bout pull me bald-headed if I waited for her to do it.

After Sunday breakfast, Mamaw and I would begin to dress. She took extra care with my black patent leather Mary Jane shoes by spreading a thin coat of Vaseline over their surface to make them shine.

She would have already been to her flower garden and gathered a variety of gladiolas to place in two tall clear glass vases, putting equal amounts of the multicolored spikes into the vases with a small amount of water. Then,she carried a vase wrapped in each arm along with her pocket book all the way to

the church. She also took a large brown paper grocery bag, into which she would place a towel, her Sunday shoes and nylons, and my socks and shoes. I then heard the crackle of the paper bag as she folded over the top to make it small enough for me to carry as we walked through the fields to the church.

On the way out of the house, Papaw would always reach for his worn leather coin purse with the metal clips on top and take out a nickel or several pennies and put in my empty hand. “This is your money for church. Now, close your hand tight and don’t lose it.”

When Mamaw’s dark hair was tucked under the wide brim straw hat with a bunch of artificial red cherries tucked under the grosgrain ribbon hat band, her dark eyes and skin blended with the palate of muted and vivid summer swirls of color in the material of her handmade dress.

Me, I was in a starched white eyelet pinafore over a periwinkle blue polished cotton dress that my momma made. My straw hat sat squarely on my head with an elastic band that stretched under my chin so tight that I could hardly breathe.

Lastly, Mamaw pinned a red or pink summer rose to my pinafore. I only asked once, “Mamaw, why do you always pick red or pink flowers for me to wear and not any other colors?” Her reply was simple, “As long as your Momma is living you will always wear red or pink. When a mother dies, her children should only wear white. You need to be happy that you can wear a red or pink flower.”

“My, don’t you look pretty this morning? – and none of your clothes are hind part before – you look like a fine little lady.” Papaw would smile and brag on me and Mamaw. We would gather the vases of flowers, a purse and brown paper bag as we started our Sunday morning walk to Beulah Cumberland Presbyterian Church.

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Ponderings SHANNON ASHBY

We followed our shady lane until we came to the only barbed wire fence between us and church. It took maneuvering to set our items across the fence and help one another through, but it was one of our regular activities. It was just part of our journey to Beda Church.

We begin our walk over Jody Moore’s hill and field, being careful to miss the open coal mine shafts and picking our path so as not to get dust stirred up around our Sunday clothes. The wildflowers would be as tall as the fields that were not mowed. It was common to hear the buzzing of insects, a dragonfly or jarflies, all summer long. Occasionally, there would be a rain crow call or a hawk screech overhead.

Most fields were covered with Queen Anne’s lace and blue corn flowers. My favorite would be the fragrance of the yellow, red, and white honeysuckle when we’d pass the thickets.

I was always glad to come to the bottom of the hill and the creek bank. This was near to the final part of our journey. We would stop and set down the flowers, Mamaw’s purse and brown bag.

Still holding my offering, I would pull off my shoes and socks. Mamaw would do the same. Then we would wade into the cool, flowing shaded creek water and wash the dust from our legs and feet.

Mamaw would go back and get our shoes and vases of flowers and put them in the shade while we finished getting ready.

There were two sandstone rocks, moss-covered and big enough for sitting. We would rest in the shade and cool ourselves until it was time to reach for the brown paper bag. The towel was used to dry our feet. Then, without much conversation, I’d put on socks and my black patent leather slippers.

She would put on her nylons and roll the tops around her garters and pull them above her knees, checking carefully that the seams were straight and up the backs of her legs. We would place our

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everyday shoes and socks back into the bag along with the damp towel, roll down the top of the paper bag, and place it behind one of the mammoth red oak trees that shaded the water.

The last hundred feet or so, Mamaw would have me take a rag from her purse and wipe off her shoes and mine one last time. Then we would enter the foyer of the precious white clapboard church where the church bell rope hung from the steeple bell. I would sit in my pew, and she would place the flowers on either side of the altar and take her familiar place in the choir. This would be a quiet time; no head fomus and hind part before moments for the next hour or more.

The windows of the church would be wide open and there was always a breeze that danced through the modest sanctuary.

There were several dirt dobbers that flew around the ceiling and occasionally a mad wasp would get caught inside and fly about until it could find an open window.

Footsteps could be heard on the wooden church floor, and the paper fans on the backs of the pews from Birkhead’s funeral home would be used by members to stir air. Once the service began, the men and boys gathered outside and would slip in and fill the back row. I could hear the pews crack and groan as they all took their seats.

Services could be long, and I was anxious to release the coins stuck to my hand into the wooden collection plate. I was able to sit reverently through the service and sing most of the church songs without looking at the hymnal.

After church, we’d take the gladiolas to the cemetery and place them on family graves. Church members always offered us a ride home, but we would thank them kindly and say we enjoyed the walk. Really we needed to go home the way we came so we could pick up our old shoes and

not ruin our Sunday ones.

Then Monday morning would come, with all the things Mamaw wanted to do (or should I say all the things that she wanted me and Papaw to do). She was fussing and working herself into a good fit. I was familiar with the pattern. Often, it was lightning just before the storm. I was glad for it to be a regular farm day, and it could be possible that I simply got on her nerves just by being around. I really didn’t do any of it on purpose, except for the screen door slamming.

Anyway, on this bright and beautiful summer morning while watching Mamaw go from room to room fussing and carrying on, it made me frustrated with her.

She was bent over laundry on the back porch with her back to me, and I was standing in the threshold of the kitchen and living room. Papaw was sitting in a rocker on the front porch within hearing distance of my very young voice.

I did the unthinkable; it was the worst of all my head fomus and hind part before moments. I was far enough away from her that I had to project my voice and taking a deep breath, I said.....

“Why is it that you can’t be nice to me and Papaw on Mondays and the rest of the week like you are to all those people that you see in church on Sunday?”

There was a brief moment of deadly silence. Then she stood up, turned and looked at me, her darkskinned face turning different shades of crimson. Her brown eyes turned to black.

My entire young life flashed before me. I couldn’t help it!

My mouth flew open, and I said what my heart thought.

I was about to have a near death experience; my only hope was to outrun her, and I knew I could run longer and farther if I had enough of a head start.

I turned to run to the porch door where I saw Papaw standing, holding open the screen door and waving to me with one arm motioning in circles like it was a windmill. I went through that door, let it slam again, and broke for the barn lot with my Papaw about two steps ahead of me, followed by the family dog.

Papaw’s firm comment was, “We’ve got lots of barn work to get done today and you need to stay with me!” He didn’t acknowledge what I’d said. When our pace slowed from a run, I spluttered, “Papaw, I’m sorry, I know I shouldn’t talk ugly to her, but what I said was the truth....it’s the truth!”

He stopped, the family dog panting by my side and he looked at me as the morning sun shone through the barn door and smiled, “You dared to speak the truth, but you don’t understand that just now. You took your own life into your own hands, and I really would like for you to live long enough to enjoy your next birthday.”

And so my life has been.

I’ve had several head fomus and hind part before moments. Thanks to my simple, salt-of-the-earth Papaw, I learned as I grew older when to avoid those moments of peril and check for the tags in the back of my clothes. Oh, and one last thought.... I have a screen door that doesn’t slam.

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CALL SIGNS

BY: GINA YOUNG

I remember being fascinated with the basement of my grandparent’s house. Not the basement itself, but what it contained. The main room was filled with somewhat mundane relics of the past— an old couch, photographs of long-dead soldiers standing stoic in their frames, a ping-pong table, and a rabbit-eared television set. But look no further than the first door to the left, leading into my Granddaddy’s sanctuary. Past stacks of cardboard boxes in the back-right corner was the Ham Shack.

With dark wood-paneled walls, a desk and two sawhorse tables, the shack featured all manner of ham radio equipment and high frequency (HF) rigs. The walls were covered with postcards from other ham radio operators, and two photos. One was a picture of Granddaddy and his friends from Kentucky Utilities where he worked for many years.

The other, a photo of my grandmother as a young woman, her dark hair bobbed and curled fashionably, giving a threequarter view of her face. There might have been other pictures too, but most of the wall space was covered by transceivers and telegraph keys, amplifiers and antenna rotators.

As a child the buttons and dials were incredibly attractive. There were so many, and if you turned just the right combination, you could hear voices. Yet I was never allowed to touch the dials. I always watched my Granddaddy’s hand, gnarled like an old tree branch with age, arthritis, and a lifetime of hard work, flip the switch that brought the machines whirring to life. The sounds of static filled the air with an almost electric excitement. I sat there for hours, listening to him talk with his buddies from the Dairy Queen and the Wilderness Road Amateur Radio Club.

“WB4EOZed this is WB4GLE.” “WB4GLE this is WB4EOZed. Read you loud and clear.”

“D’ya know ‘bout anyone wanting to buy a new rig?”

“Well now, I dunno. Is it a ricebox or a homebrew?”

“Say what?”

“Is it a ricebox or a homebrew? I’m runnin’ a Yaesu right now that I’m pretty darn attached to.”

“Well now, it’s an Icom. Know you don’t usually like ‘em, but I figured Brad might. What’s his handle?”

“WB4EOY.” “Alrighty, I’ll check with him. WB4EOZed this is

WB4GLE, signing off.”

I heard thousands of these conversations throughout my childhood, mysterious in their references to 73s and 88s, repeaters, ohms, and other mysterious terms. I had no idea what they meant - they were as foreign to me as the clicking sounds the key made as it sent the dots and dashes of Morse code over the airwaves. This knowledge would remain just out of reach until one day my Dad determined that I was old enough to try for my HAM ticket. Finally, the world of my Granddaddy and my Dad would be opened up to me.

Eleven years old was quite young for anyone to attempt to get their Technician’s license, but I was determined for one reason and one reason alone. It would make my Granddaddy proud of me. It was all easier said than done, of course. Where he easily turned switches and dials and clicked out dots and dashes, I had to memorize the study book for the National Association for Amateur Radios.

One summer day a year later, Dad, Granddaddy and I set off for the Louisville Hamfest in our 1989 Oldsmobile Silhouette, a hideous beast of a van, with black racing stripes tracing the sides of the car from the pointy front end to the trunk in the back, yet with enough room to carry home whatever treasures we could find. Today, my second attempt at the test, would be the day I would pass. As we got out of the car, a sick feeling filled my stomach. I felt a hand on my shoulder and a voice saying, “You’ll do alright, I reckon. Then we can getcha one of these handy-talkies, and you’ll be on the airwaves before ya know it.”

I looked up to see Granddaddy smiling down at me, face shaded by the call sign hat that he always wore to hamfests, proudly declaring that Clyde Young was WB4EOZ. His was a face full of character, with the lines of a life well-lived written all over it. Halfway through his eighties, he still had a full head of iron-gray hair and light blue eyes that my Dad and sister had inherited. She got Granddaddy’s skin, too. His fair skin had seen its fair share of the sun over the years, and there were red marks and splotches from several bouts with skin cancer.

But you wouldn’t even notice those, unless you were looking.

What was noticeable was the kindness in his smile and his eyes.

Granddaddy never met a stranger, and that was visible in his face.

It was with his encouragement in my mind that I went to take my test. The building served not only as the location for the test-taking, but also for the only indoor restrooms in the

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entire. Walking down the concrete block-lined hall, I felt as though I was walking to my doom.

Passing this test would be next to impossible, especially with the distraction of a hundred hams noisily chatting while they waited to relieve their full bladders. Of course, there was no door to the test room, so the sounds invaded my thoughts as I sat on the cool folding metal chair and began to answer the questions

I missed one question. Who knew you could use a light bulb to power an HF rig?

But at last I had passed my ham radio test. I was licensed.

As we walked around the Hamfest Granddaddy told anyone who would listen that I had passed my ham test, and at only twelve years old. The three of us were walking on air that day. Dad and Granddaddy were beaming as we walked around the Hamfest in the warm summer sun. We looked at row after row of tables piled high with boat anchors— those old ham radio setups, so ancient they would be more useful as boat anchors now than for their intended purpose. Ham radio operators are chatty people, and I believe that every person we came within a 5 mile radius of heard that I got my ham radio license that day at the tender age of twelve.

Then came a day I had looked forward to for so long. The time for the annual Dayton Hamfest trip had finally arrived. Grandaddy and Dad took the trip every year—a father-son excursion that I had previously never been allowed to participate in. But my newly-minted ham radio ticket was also the ticket to this yearly ritual. I now had a callsign, officially making me a ham radio operator—KG4JNS. Arriving in Dayton, we parked the van in the midst of hundreds of cars with various forms of antennas sticking up, and sat on the back bumper to eat our lunches of overly salty country ham sandwiches

packed by my grandmother. After lunch, we walked toward the massive indoor arena that housed the Dayton Hamfest. Room after room was filled with vendors selling ham radio equipment, books, and various other types of merchandise, including cheesecake on a stick. And then there were the major company vendors—Yaesu, Kenwood, and Icom—with their giant setups of shiny new transmitters and handhelds.

I got my handy talkie at Yaesu, my family’s preferred brand of ham radio equipment. Indecisive as I was, it took quite a while to pick out my new handy talkie, first narrowing down the brands from three to one, then the make and model. Finally, I made my choice.

My Dad and I left Granddaddy sitting at a table to rest his legs, tired after a full morning of walking around the arena.

When we came back, there he was still sitting at that table, and, no surprise, he had made a friend. After we approached, Granddaddy introduced the man he had just met as if they had been friends for their entire lives.

The first thing he did after introducing us was

proudly tell the man that I had just gotten my ham radio license. Being twelve years old, I didn’t do the thing that I should have done— proudly inform the man that the reason I had my ham ticket was because of Granddaddy. In ham radio, there are people called “Elmers.”

They are mentors, those who encourage others as they learn about ham radio, offering help and support when needed.. There is a reason they are called Elmers, some backstory behind the codename, as with much of ham radio, but that reason doesn’t mean too much to me. All I know is that it’s no coincidence that Granddaddy’s name was Elmer Clyde Young.

P.S. Intrigued by Ham (Amateur) Radio?

It’s still a versatile and powerful way to communicate locally and internationally, invaluable in emergencies when electronics fail, and a good alternative where cell phone coverage is spotty A “Technician” license (written exam) lets you use a handi-talki which can have a range of more than 20 miles.

Check it out at arrl.org/new-to-ham-radio

Artist Profile

MON REVE & CO. SHADAI JENNINGS HAS BEEN COLLECTING VINTAGE AND PRE-LOVED CLOTHING FOR AS LONG AS SHE CAN REMEMBER. Rummaging through her mother’s closet and jewelry boxes, or scouring the racks at thrift stores for hours on end, the thrill of the hunt to find that one special piece is an addiction that she has now turned into a business-- Mon Reve’ and Co. Taking inspiration from her travels around the world from a young age, combined with her southern roots from her home state of Texas, Shadai has developed a love of all things vintage, bohemian, retro, southern, punk, European, and ethnic. Whether it’s a gypsy dress or an 80’s suit jacket with major shoulder pads, she has always loved taking that special piece and creating endless looks through styling.

As a stylist, Shadai believes that blending the “old with the new” can create your own individual look and reflect your personality.

“Wearing what you love is a reflection of who you are, and vintage clothing allows you to stand out from the crowd by wearing something no one else has.” Some tips Shadai has when hunting for vintage are to find pieces with modern silhouettes and prints to keep your outfit from looking outdated. “Wearing vintage doesn’t mean you have to look like you walked right out of the 1970s. The key is to make the outfit current with accessories, and contemporary pieces.” Hunting for the “Made in America” label is challenging but Shadai has a keen eye and can sometimes spot those items even if the tag has been removed.

Using articles of clothing in unconventional ways can extend your wardrobe too! Altering garments is always a great way to transform a vintage item that otherwise may not have fit or been worn in its original condition. Shadai has a great eye for seeing the potential in an item and what it can become through altering or styling. “Sometimes I find awesome vintage belts that are too small for me to wear so instead I wear them as necklaces. I also shop for vintage in larger sizes because a plus size blouse works as a great shirt dress or tunic with a belt to cinch the waist. If I love it then I will find a way to make it work.”

Shadai believes that if you stay true to what you love and feel confident in what you are wearing, the rest is easy.

Find Mon Reve’ and Co. at etsy.com/shop/MonReveandCo..

Or visit her blog for the latest fashion trends and styling advice at monreveandco.blogspot.com. Email Shadai with your style dilemmas Sunday-Wednesday.Questions and answers posted by Sun of every week. You can reach her at monreveandco@gmail. com

— SHADAI JENNINGS

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Ben’s Picks

BEST IN CLASS

THE BEST IN BACK TO SCHOOL

Ramsey and I have had a lot of classes together over the years. From playing tag on the elementary school playground, to walking the line together at graduation, or going to UK football games, we have never been too far apart. As another year begins we picked our favorites for this year’s campus must haves!

ALL AMERICAN MADE: Boots: Wolverine (wolverine.com) | Full Zip Hooded Sweatshirt: American Giant (americangiant.com) | Messenger Bag: Blue Claw Co (blueclawco) | Fall must reads: The Little House series

by Laura I. Wilder

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SHOP

SEARCHING FOR ONLY THE BEST

THE RURAL

SOCIETY Page Price of The Rural Society in Mt. Vernon, Ohio tells of their origins and their annual fall show held every October. The show boasts an unrivaled collection of architectural salvage, unique and one-of-a-kind finds, and trappings of a rural life for antique enthusiasts and new-age ruralists alike.

A Life in Focus

ANNE LORYS OF FIONA & TWIG FOLK | 36 | 2012

The Rural Society was born when a group of my friends, who are all shop owners and dealers, wanted to host a true antique and garden sale. Many of the antique markets have started to sell more craft and wholesale items, but we wanted a place where dealers and some of our very talented friends could display and sell mainly vintage furniture and accessories, as well as garden items and plants. Local products and food, also have an area this time that is almost a mini farmer’s market. This fall’s show will have a honey producer, a preserves person, a local greenhouse, and an orchard who sells apples and cider is in talks.

The farm is where my husband grew up and it was originally a dairy farm. One of the buildings is the old milking parlor, where Stash Style sets up, and another is where they made maple syrup, which is Urban Farmhouse’s space for events.

Rusty Fletcher and I are in the top of the original 1800s bank barn which my husband, Greg, and I had restored when we bought the farm from my mother-in-law about 15 years ago. The main farm is about forty acres, but is surrounded by about 300 acres of farmland still owned by my husband’s family. He is a veterinarian who treats farm and small animals so someone else farms the rest of the ground. We have a herd of sheep, a llama, chickens, peacocks, guineas, and a group of lucky rescue cats and dogs.

The original group that urged me start something at my farm, or the “founding members”, of The Society were Pat Warthen, Urban Farmhouse, Sherry Davis, and Rusty Fletcher. I came up with the name as sort of a take on the Royal Horticulture or Agriculture Societies in England who still host all types of old fashioned garden and farm related shows, but we are not that fancy at all. The Rural Society is just a group of great dealers who have a great eye for antiques and decorative items. Many of the dealers are established or trying to get started and need venues to feature their finds, so the Rural Society was born.

The Rural Society at Warwick Farm is a great place to find vintage furniture and decorative accessories for your home.

There are no specific type of antiques, just great stuff that customers can realistically use in their houses or apartments.

There are also dealers that create bags and jewelry, but they are, for the most part, made from vintage materials.

Stash Style, for example, features great handmade and vintage clothes. Many of our customers are looking for something unique or quirky that they haven’t seen before, and for that The Rural Society is the place. Besides shopping at the event, great food and drinks are also available so you can relax and make a day of it. Since it is October, fabulous pumpkins and gourds, and hopefully mums!

Right now, the sale is held twice a year, once in May and October. This fall’s show is Friday, October 5 and Saturday, October 6. You can visit our website and click on EVENTS for times and details, as well as a list of dealers and links under the EVENTS heading of my website. We look forward to seeing you on our farm! www.theruralsociety.com

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Shopping MADE IN AMERICA

THE RUSTED CHAIN

I asked where she pulls her inspiration from Beki was quick to offer a list of all of the things she loves and turns to for inspiration daily. “I love colors and textures. I love people with free spirits. I love originality. I love people who go against the grain. I love true grit and stubbornness. I love words and inspirational messages. I love the American dream.”

their “little days” will not last for long and she tries to enjoy them while she can. Every evening her and her husband sit on the porch swing together and reflect on the day. Beki enjoys a simple and quaint family life that some might say is boring. To Beki, it is perfect!

The most inspirational people in Beki’s life are those who have a strong sense of their own style!

She loves seeing women who are well put together but not wearing anything “trendy,” women who are confident. Beki loves people who set their own style rules. Her biggest supporter is her husband. Most of the time she says he does not “get” her, her quirks, her visions, or her free spirit, but he stands by and supports her every step of the way! She quickly admits that he is the level head of their team.

When you were to ask her what her favorite piece she has created is she will tell you… and in two weeks she will tell you something else. In another month she will give you yet another answer. On the day I had the opportunity to speak with her it was a stamped metal cuff bracelet. She wears two of these bracelets daily. One that says “dare to dream” and another that says “what a wonderful world.” She loves being able to glance down at her wrists and be reminded of these little messages.

The Rusted Chain really believes there is a lot of beauty in supporting the “little guy” - artists, farmers, antique stores. Beki explains that even though the world we live in can be crazy, there are many blessings in living simply! Each Fall, on the first Saturday in October, The Rusted Chain hosts a craft and antique market known as the Kansas Barn Sale. They give numerous vendors a space to sell their wares in a fun and relaxed “back to the good ol’ days” type of environment. Beki is proud of the fact that they have thousands of shoppers and every person walks away with a smile, a happy tummy full of homemade cinnamon rolls, and usually some new treasures.

Beki loves to spend time with her kids when she’s not creating or blogging. She quickly notes that

You can learn more about the Rusted Chain and the Kansas Barn Sale at: www.TheRustedChain.com

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-HILLARY LEWIS

In 2006, Beki Hastings (a self proclaimed quirky mom, wife, caffeine lover, laugher, and unexpected country girl who drinks from a mason jar) had an urge to try her hand at making jewelry. She fell in love with it and when she had more pieces than she could wear she began listing them for sale online. People bought them and The Rusted Chain grew from there, eventually leading into a full time business. The Rusted Chain is a multi-faceted business including jewelry, a Barn Sale, and a bit of photography. A wonderful small crew now helps to make the jewelry, but every piece is still made by hand.

Enrichment

AN ONLINE COMMUNITY

CREATIVELY MADE Many months, several FOLK issues, and numerous orders ago (my favorite is the dress seen here on my clothes- and mailloving niece, Isabella), I did a Q&A with Jeanne Oliver, the Colorado-based artist/ vintage collector/photographer/designer/ entrepreneur whose aesthetic talents are rivaled only by her completely lovely, entirely approachable and endearingly humble personality. To be honest, I had never even heard of Jeanne Oliver Designs prior to last year’s holiday issue; I simply wanted to showcase an American small-business owner whose art moved me to create; whose clothing I wanted to wear; whose blog was filled with playful sarcasm, introspection, and inspiring ideas. At the suggestion of Kimberly Taylor, a friend of Jeanne’s whose eye for photography, bring-you-into-theirworld writing ability, and love of cooking is also ridiculously impressive, I checked out Jeanne’s website and found exactly what I was looking for.

I absolutely fell in love with Jeanne’s style… and her genuineness…and her spirit. You know those people who make you better simply because they are in your life? I feel confident that Jeanne is this person for those who have the pleasure of considering her friend. Heck, I feel that way simply because I’ve had a few email exchanges, religiously read her blog, and had the opportunity to take her online class, Creatively Made: Rediscovering the beauty of your gifts last winter.

Although I am admittedly prone to hyperbole, I can honestly say that Creatively Made was one of the most inspiring things I’ve done in a very long time. This online art journey gave me access to amazing teachers, new skill sets, and a virtual community of everyday folks around the country who, just like me, have an interest in crafting, but not necessarily the tools, knowledge, or motivation to complete projects. Jeanne was one of the many photographers, vintage collectors, folk artists,

and crafters featured in the course videos (which could be opened and reopened at any point) that explained the artists’ respective career and personal paths as well as step-by-step project “how-to”s.

Trust me, though, these were not videos that intimidated or frustrated me with a level of roll-your-eyes-”I’d-never-be-ableto-do-that” expertise. No. I wanted to have a cup of coffee with these artists. I felt supported. I ultimately had no qualms with sharing pictures of my own work. I joined the Facebook group page and smiled at and commented on the photos my classmates shared. I spent an hour or so some evenings watching videos, working on projects like art journals and leather cuffs (that ultimately turned out so much better than I ever dreamed possible) instead of watching T.V. or piddling with something of little consequence.

I was excited about the neat project waiting on my kitchen table when I got home from work. I simply felt inspired.

In essence, the course “reawakened” skills and talents that we all have the tendency to push to the back burner. The course necessitated the type of introspection that is healthy, but typically ignored. The course reminded me that I’m not just a daughter, or a sister, or a library director. The course gave credence to the creativity I too often allow to lay dormant.

I say all of this as a “thank you” to someone who FOLK so fortuitously brought into my life many months ago and as a suggestion to all of you who may also be seeking a creative outlet: check out Jeanne’s projects at jeanneoliverdesigns.com; take a class with her; pour a cup of coffee and enjoy her blog in the morning; support the made-inAmerica mantra and order a vintage-inspired handbag from her new collection; join community groups (whether it is online or in your own neighborhood) that reawaken your own gifts and talents.

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Shows

SHOP THESE SHOWS

THE AUTUMNON FARM

Deep in the mountains of Eastern Kentucky at Kentucky Roots the show brings together the best in early American antiques.

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NESTLED IN THE MOUNTAINS OF APPALACHIA IN THE COMMUNITY OF LOUISA, KY A SMALL REUNION OCCURS EVERY FALL OF SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS AND CUSTOMERS AT THE KENTUCKY ROOTS AUTUMN ON THE FARM EVENT. Hosted on Jerrie Cossett’s family farm, the event unites early American antiques dealers, folk musicians, and artisans in a homecoming of handmade crafts and home decor.

The event brings together a close group of friends working together to sell great antique furniture and handmade decor for affordable prices.

Jerrie’s homeplace is in the bend of a gorgeous valley and houses a rustic rebuilt salt box cabin that she has worked to decorate in a period style. With its rough hewn lumber and handcrafted appearance it sets the perfect mood for the event. The small community of Fallsburg is where she calls home, and with its lack of cell phone or GPS reception, it lends an authentic feel to the farm. A mixture of historic preservation and an appreciation fro antique goods are what bring these businesses together to form the KY Roots events, which are also held in the spring. The show began when Jerrie saw a need for this kind of event on her end of the state. She says that most of the events like these are in the northern and midwestern parts of the state and when she purchased her farm it seemed like the perfect opportunity to bring one here. She says that Kentucky

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has an untapped supply of great antiques in the hills and hollows she calls home that allow her to keep the prices low.

The event brings businesses such as Mike Spangler’s handcrafted pioneer furniture and folk art together with other early American antique dealers to create a community of like-minded artisans who are working to create a modern spin on classic style American style. The antique vendors are fairly priced at the event, making great deals on hard to pass up items.

The varied patinas and shades of the wares are set off by the industrial and utilitarian items that are sold.

Reclaimed barnwood is often sold with a new life as a frame or rustic piece of furniture. Vintaged and chipped painted farm benches and harvest tables are accompanied by organic floursack towels and napkins.

The event reflects a sense of living off the land and getting back to the farmland. Back to basics and back to our humble beginnings as Americans. Jerrie runs an active farm, and throughout the harvest season, her reclaimed window greenhouse acts an honor-system tomato plant pickup for the locals which she also uses during the event. In the midst of harvest season in the foothills of Appalachia, this event is a special treat. The event coincides with an event hosted by the University of Kentucky and the Lawrence County Extension Office, and is part of a series of fun and historic landmarks in the area including U-pick pumpkin patches, 19th century church tours, homemade dinners, and freshly made sorghum businesses. Mark your calendars for September 29th, 2012 at 9:00 A.M. to 4:00 P.M., rain or shine, to take advantage of this unique and authentic show. Admission is $3.00. .picturetrail.com/kentuckyroots

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SECOND SHOUT OUT

A Vintage Lifestyle Shopping Experience

SUSPEND YOUR SENSE OF REALITY AND IMAGINE THE FOLLOWING CONVERSATION AS A “FIRESIDE CHAT” WITH A BATTERY POWERED BOOM BOX SPINNING M. WARD’S SLIDE GUITAR WHILE HE HARMONIZES WITH CRICKETS HIDING STREAMSIDE IN THE DARK. Second Shout Out’s “Stylemakers.”

The PLOT: Second Shout Out lands online as the first Destination Shopping site for all things related to a Vintage Lifestyle.

Second Shout Out Founders: Quinton & Susan Hoover invest their combined decades of Retail & Wholesale Sales experience and Internet Technology expertise into Second Shout Out. After growing their IT business to a global enterprise that split their time between the U.S. (San Francisco, to be specific) and India, the Hoovers relocated to a converted barn in Connecticut to realize their own idyllic Vintage Lifestyle while launching Second Shout Out. Second Shout Out Seller: DeWayne Lumpkin, owner of Home Economics, a shoebox-sized brick & mortar store in small-town USA (Grants Pass, Oregon to be exact) - one of

The CONVERSATION: Second Shout Out 101 - An introduction to its origins and the philosophical approach to co-mingling a love of all things vintage with revolutionary Internet retail technology.

FOLK MAGAZINE: “What led you to create Second Shout Out?” Quinton: “Being in the IT business for 14 years, Susan and I noticed that most smallto-medium sized businesses don’t have the budget or knowledge to market themselves effectively online.”

Susan: “We feel Second Shout Out is an opportunity to build micro-niche storefronts under the umbrella of a universal vintage marketplace. The focus is to drive traffic to the site, benefiting each storefront owner by

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introducing shoppers to their products.”

SSO Seller DeWayne: “I know for myself, the cost of developing an online retail site was prohibitive and I was afraid of my own lack of technological know-how. That combination made selling online a non-starter for me. Some of Second Shout Out’s creative solutions to these issues moved me from a fence-sitter to an online retailer.

Susan: “That was our goal with Second Shout Out. To create the marketplace for sellers of vintage merchandise and give them the ability to manage their own site on our platform without having to worry about marketing and promotion.“ Quinton: “Now they can focus on what they do best - finding the most impressive vintage products to sell on Second Shout Out.” SSO Seller DeWayne: “For years, I’ve bought things on eBay, but never sold. I’ve had a friend help me dabble with selling some vintage on Etsy and I’ve watched 1st Dibs since it started.

FOLK MAGAINE: What makes Second Shout Out different from other online venues or marketplaces?”

Susan: “Comparisons to these sites are understandable, but there are a lot of distinctions that make Second Shout Out more attractive for sellers and buyers of vintage merchandise.”

SSO Seller DeWayne: “I see the upside of not having to spend time or struggle with the pricing uncertainty of eBay’s auction format.

I also see Second Shout Out as being more inclusive and accessible than 1st Dibs.

FOLK MAGAZINE: What are some of the other specific differences?”

Quinton: “First of all, our marketplace has a niche-focus on Vintage, Antique & VintageInspired items. Secondly, we’ve been highly selective in recruiting sellers with visionary style and experienced professionalism.

Finally, we only accepted retailers who are motivated to sell and have an exceptional ability to find one-of-a-kind vintage pieces, masterful reproductions of vintage items and

repurposed antique & vintage elements.”

FOLK MAGAZINE: “Besides a different approach to product mix, what else do you think makes Second Shout Out distinctive?

Susan: “We put Second Shout Out sellers at the top of our priority list. Philosophically, we want to provide them with a LONG TERM platform where they can begin selling online and grow their business and customer base for a sustainable and profitable online storefront.”

Quinton: “We’re not looking for our sellers to slash their prices or give their products away in order to achieve some short-term advertising goal like the ‘Groupon Model.’

Since our sellers are Second Shout Out’s greatest asset, our priority is making the experience profitable for them. We avoid sales gimmicks and inflated markups to allow for discounts.”

Quinton: “Our goal is to promote what makes vintage merchandise special…it’s lineage.

We like that vintage pieces have history and milestones of their own and this only

appreciates through the years, adding value that transcends a price tag.”

FOLK MAGAZINE: “How closely did Second Shout Out goals for sellers match the actual experience of setting up a storefront on SSO?” DeWayne: “I have to admit, my expectations as a Second Shout Out seller are high. I was pleasantly surprised that the whole process was much less complicated than I feared.”

FOLK MAGAZINE: “How long did it take you to set up your Second Shout Out storefront?”

DeWayne: “I had set aside a chunk of time to open big with 11 pages including more than 150 products. A potential seller can expect to spend about one day per page - there are 15 products shown per page - to set up their storefront. I noticed most sellers started with 3 to 5 pages of products which seems like a good starting point and do-able in less than a week of evening hours work.”

FOLK MAGAZINE: “Any other hints for potential Second Shout Out sellers?”

DeWayne: “The two biggest hurdles for me were: #1 - Getting photos in the right format - with the backgrounds removed for a floating silhouette. #2 - Figuring out the shipping policies. Plycon and Uship resolved the freight questions while www.removethebackground. com was the solution to my photography concerns. At a little more than $1 per photo if one week is allotted for the process of removing the background, this solution was fast and affordable. All that’s left is to begin developing clientele” Quinton: “We’re expecting a huge range of shoppers at Second Shout Out. Everyone and anyone who loves vintage is our target clientele. Some collect classic cars, others create homes with vintage décor. We have designers lined up to source unexpected antiques for their clients and architects looking for salvaged materials to add history to their remodels and newly constructed homes.”

Susan: “Living the Vintage Lifestyle results in endless variations on time-tested themes.

Some buyers will pair a vintage piece with a more contemporary counterpart for contrast and functionality. Others are looking for fresh combinations of repurposed vintage items; all are hoping to add charm & character.”

Quinton: “Our buyers already range from colleges students to seasoned collectors spanning the globe during a lifetime of travels for treasures to enrich their everyday environment.”

FOLK MAGAZINE: When did you realize you‘d been bitten by the “Vintage Bug?” Susan: “We ‘ve been collecting vintage forever. Everything we find comes from reclaimed and repurposed shops.“ Quinton: “We found an old 1970 Mercedes SEL and we are slowly restoring it. The radio happens to be stuck on a 70’s station. Is that coincidental? “ FOLK MAGAZINE: “Where do you connect the dots between a Vintage Lifestyle and the Green Movement?“ Quinton: “The ability to promote repurposing and recycling was one of the biggest reasons for launching Second Shout Out. The whole Green Revolution is a natural fit with the Vintage Lifestyle.“ Susan: “While some folks look at an old table with nicks as a piece of junk, we look at those

imperfections as character. We find value in it, wondering what stories the table could tell about its previous life. Vintage was ‘Green’ before anyone dreamed of the concept of ‘Green’” FOLK MAGAZINE: “What do you see for Second Shout Out in the future?”

Susan: “We expect to be the online Vintage Lifestyle Destination for everything vintage, antique and vintage inspired. We see ourselves as the 2.0 version of Ebay - more refined and luxurious. We know our userfriendly shopping site will bring buyers and sellers together on a global level for our vintage vibe and its cool factor.”

Quinton: “We know our in-depth “stylemaker” interviews, video portraits, sales events and a broad view of what encompasses a Vintage Lifestyle will develop a loyal bond between Second Shout Out sellers and their buyers.”“ Susan: “We don’t plan to stop at having the best vintage product selection online.

We plan to take it so much further as THE destination for shoppers looking to have fun while adding unexpected elements to their individual Vintage Lifestyle.”

SECONDSHOUTOUT.COM

Made in America

HILLARY LEWIS

American Made Dorm & Home Almost a year and a half ago Caroline Eager tuned in to World News with Diane Sawyer and saw the first of many Made in America features.

Like many Americans, she quickly began to realize how much of an impact each purchase makes. Caroline admits her family previously bought without thinking about where the products they purchased were made. However, after educating themselves about American manufacturing and its importance, they started choosing Americanmade.

A few months after the news special aired it was time for their son to move into his college dorm. They packed the things he needed and decided to buy the rest when they arrived in his new town, not realizing what a task that would be. Upon arrival, quality bedding was hard to find and making the choice to buy American made the task even more difficult. Weeks later, she saw another Made in America feature and realized there was an unoccupied niche that needed to be filled. She envisioned college students having both the choice of American-made bedding and the convenience of a dorm bundle being shipped to their school. It took four months of searching for Caroline to locate suppliers, a mill, and manufacturers who could produce everything you need to go away to school.

As an American-made business, Caroline is quick to mention that the most important and rewarding part of domestic production is the creation of American jobs. Since American Made Dorm and Home began, the textile mill they work with has begun hiring new employees to help fill the orders they place. “This was an accomplishment in and of itself,� says Caroline.

Although she was not thinking like this only a year ago, from day one Caroline has had the mindset of an entrepreneur. Now, along with her business partner Carol Ann Anderson, she embraces the ingenuity America was built on and has created a solution to a problem that many people did not even realize existed. Caroline and Carol Ann believe that the more educated the public becomes, the more we will start thinking about the choices we are making and how each choice affects our future.

Choices can make all the difference. This fall approximately two million students will move into dorms across the country. Nearly all of these students will be in need of bedding.

If these two million students take the time to think about the purchases they are making they can create a substantial impact on our country.

Although they admit it is sometimes hard to compete with products made overseas, Caroline and Carol Ann stress one thing, a focus on quality is substantial enough to bring success. They have taken the time to seek out the best manufacturers possible and are proud of the fact that they have created a complete line of comforters, shams, pillows, bed skirts, window valances, laundry bags, rugs, wall calendars, sheets, towels, mattress pads, and more; all made in the USA. The quality of their products is unrivaled by overseas products and the fabric designs and patterns hold their own next to competitors who produce abroad.

American Made Dorm and Home has made going away to school easy with their dorm bundle. A comforter, sheet set, pillow, mattress pad, and two sets of towels are bundled together with several options ready to ship within 48 hours. Choices really can make all the difference; all the difference in quality, durability, and comfort.

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American Made Dorm and Home is a women-owned small business with mills and suppliers located in North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Kentucky, and Massachusetts. To learn more about their ever expanding product line, and how you can bring American Made Dorm and Home into your own home, visit AMDorm.com.

Made in America

SCRIPT GIFT CO. It was a just another normal day.

Off to work at their 8:00-5:00 jobs, chatting over instant messenger, back and forth discussing their plans for the weekend or what they were making for dinner. Three sisters doing what they did most every day. But today’s conversation took them in a new direction.

Malisa is the oldest of three sisters. She is the achiever. She is a successful management consultant with the heart of an entrepreneur.

She lives in Northern Virginia with her husband, two kids, and family dog, Griffin.

She is a leader, responsible, professional, and focused.

Angie is the middle sister. She aims to please.

She lives in Texas, in a small town, with her husband and three children. She is kept busy with ball practice, cheerleading practice, and cooking yummy things for her co-workers, her family, and her children’s friends who visit regularly. She loves to be in the kitchen and creates her own unique recipes for just about anything.

Jamie is the youngest of the three. She is the creative one. She is a dreamer at heart.

She lives in Texas, out in ‘the sticks’, on a family farm with her husband and two boys.

They raise a few chickens and grow a big

garden and take adventures into the pasture where the cattle roam. She is a hard worker, spontaneous, optimistic, and a bit of a scatter brain.

Today their conversation took an unexpected and exciting turn. Malisa mentioned that she had been thinking about starting a business.

Angie and Jamie were curious and asked for more details. Malisa hadn’t really decided on the particulars but she knew that she wanted it to be a business with a cause, a purpose, something different. It was in that moment of idle chit-chat that the foundation began to be laid for Script Gift Company.

Over the next few weeks, Script began to take shape. Their shared interests provided the foundation of their vision. The long-term goal was to create something with potential to grow and provide additional jobs and opportunities to give back, making a real contribution to American renewal. The sisters wanted to be independent and reflect the American spirit of entrepreneurship and selfdirection. They also wanted something they could put our hearts into and something they could do together – despite being in different parts of the country – something challenging, rewarding, and flexible The ease of pinpointing their common love for gifts, and gift giving, was balanced by

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the challenge of finding a way to stand out in a very crowded field. What would set them apart?

The answer was found in their original goal: Offer unique, distinctive gifts that reflect true American Craftsmanship - 100% Made in the USA - exquisitely wrapped and ready for giving. What better way to support America and promote growth than with a business that features American products and provides quality, convenient shopping with an added dash of elegance?

When selecting a name for the gift shop, they began thinking about the core values of this new endeavor. They knew they wanted to offer products that were current and relevant but had a foundation in history and craftsmanship and artistry. The picture of a contemporary woman seated at a desk, sipping a cup of tea, and taking time out of a busy day to write a letter in beautiful penmanship - not a laptop in sight, kept coming to mind for Malisa. The picture stayed with her for weeks, eventually drawing focus keenly to the woman’s handwriting, her “Script.” It is a perfect symbol of the attention to detail and beauty that Script Gift Co. embodies. At the same time, Script Gift Co. is a solution. It is a solution to our desire to work together and build a business. It is a solution to our nation’s ills - unemployment, the

fading prospect of achieving the American Dream, reliance on other countries for mass produced, low quality goods. It is a solution, a remedy, a prescription - - a “Script”.

The commitment to feature only American made products presents unique opportunities for Script Gift Company and a true value to their customers. The sisters search this great country, studying thousands of items and identify the highest quality products before making their selections. They are thoughtful about how they pair the products and create custom gift collections that make a statement without being overpriced or look too much like a generic gift basket or tower. It is very important to the sisters that they offer collections that appear as though the gift giver spent hours looking for the perfect gift.

This can be seen in the ‘Welcome Friends’ gift collection. The product description reads, ‘With great pleasure we launch our store with a product set that epitomizes the spirit with which it all began. A love of gift giving, a love of entertaining, and a love of nostalgic traditions. The Welcome Friends Gift Collection is a stunning gift sure to please anyone who enjoys the art of entertaining’.

The gifts available at Script will warm the home and the heart. The sisters gravitate toward gifts that represent things they enjoy; this includes cooking, entertaining, and babies!

When you place an order with Script, your

gift is hand packed and arrives with a hand written gift card. In a time when it is very difficult to compete with large online retailers, Script goes the extra mile and adds the special touches to your order. When it comes to customer satisfaction and personal attention, they strive to be the very best!

And the customer service will blow you away!

If you email the ladies, they will answer right away. If you need help choosing just the right gift, they will be glad to help you. If you are browsing the website and would like to create your own gift collection from their products, they will be glad to do that for you. Send the gift straight to your friend or loved one and feel confident that they will receive a beautiful gift package, not a clear plastic bag.

A small business, run by people committed to hard work and quality products, Script Gift Company promotes growth and supports the made in America movement. It encourages the type of quality craftsmanship that has declined in an era of low cost, mass-produced imports. And while they embrace the benefits of technology, Script Gift Company reinforces an appreciation for simpler times in our American heritage while supporting the independent craftsmen, artisans, and small businesses that make this country great.

The sisters believe that one of the great aspects of owning a business is being able

to show their children that if they have a dream, they should pursue it. If they have an idea, they should develop it. If they believe in something, make it happen, no matter what. When asked what she wants to do when she grows up, Malisa’s daughter is quick to answer, ‘I want to take over Script Gift Company from my Mom’. And the sisters could not be more proud.

It’s an exciting time for Script Gift Company – they are poised for a year of growth and they continue to expand their offerings. In the next year to eighteen months, Script will be expanding beyond the website and establishing smaller, location appropriate gift shops. This will involve working with businesses, such as hotels, that would benefit from the existence of a small gift shop but would rather not have the hassle of managing the vendors, inventory, and other behind the scenes aspects on their own.

The Script sisters are excited about these partnerships and look forward to meeting additional vendors and working with a variety of local markets as well.

Visit their online shop at www.scriptgiftco.com and find them on Facebook at ScriptGiftCo and Twitter at @scriptgiftco.

Top Picks

A SHOPKEEPER’S FAVORITES

CURIOSITY 56 1/2 Queen Street, Charleston SC 29401

CURIOSITY SELLS UNIQUE ANTIQUE, VINTAGE, AND ARTISAN-MADE FINDS through our Charleston, SC shop; with a small selection of items available on their website.

Visit their store, located in Charleston’s historic French Quarter, for even more vintage & antique goodness!

1 | Sweet Petula shea butter soap is crafted by hand in Seattle WA, it’s luxurious and super-moisturizing with some of the prettiest packaging I’ve seen! My favorite scent is Bonjour Monsieur, a blend of tea leaves, tobacco and cedar. 2 | I love old industrial pieces, especially those with southern roots like this vintage ballot box from a South Carolina mill. 3 | You can’t open a magazine or read a design blog these days without seeing these fun striped paper straws. They are one of the most popular non-vintage items in the shop...and as a bonus they are bio-degradable and made in the USA! 4 | These antique etched apothecary beakers can be re-purposed as flower vases, and pull double duty as measures for cocktail or recipe ingredients. 5 | Antique & vintage trophies are one of my shop specialties, and I can’t resist a vintage piece with a sense of humor.

The combination of those two elements makes this trophy my very favorite piece in the shop at the moment, it was awarded in 1938 for “Effective Evasion of Inventory Work” 6 | Luminology candles are as gorgeous as they are “green.” Each soy candle (made using soybeans sourced from US farmers) is housed in a hand-crafted porcelain bowl you can enjoy long after your candle is gone!

-CURIOSITYCHARLESTON.COM

Curiosity 56 1/2 Queen Street Charleston SC 29401 FOLK | 78 | 2012

A TIME-WORN PUMPKIN

CREATE A HOUSE BECOMES A HOME

Materials: muslin, stuffing, needle, white embroidery thread, instant coffee, scissors. orange paint, sand paper Read all of the instructions. Start by cutting out the pumpkin pattern piece. after it is cut out, trace the pumpkin on doubled layer muslin. Once the pumpkin is traced on to the muslin, sew it. I sew it before I cut it. The traced line on the fabric is your sew line. Once the pumpkin is sewn all the way around, cut it out and slit a hole in the back for turning. Turn it right side out, stuff it firmly and stitch the hole shut. Next comes the fun part of creating the pumpkin. Take heavy white thread (white floss. do no separate). Start from the back of the pumpkin and push a needle through to the front and make a line from the top to the bottom one big stitch on each side of the pumpkin. the middle line is a bit different. start in the middle, on the side of the stem, for this line and repeat the process from back to front and top to bottom.

ANGIE UPTON | BLUE HOUSE PRIMITIVES

Then, on the first and third lines, the two outside lines, tie little knots, three on each line (please see pattern for placement of knots). Next, the middle line. I do one knot in the middle of that line. For the stem make little stitches separating it from the pumpkin so it looks like it has been separated.

To stain take a large mixing bowl and fill it half full of warm water. Take half jar of instant coffee and mix it together.

Paint this mixture all over the pumpkin. Let this dry. Paint the pumpkin last. Mix orange paint (any craft brand will do) and a bit of coffee stain until it is runny in a small paper cup. Paint this all over the pumpkin, front and back, except for the stem. leave it the grungy coffee stained look. after pumpkin is dry, sand it for that well aged, worn look we all love.

Creators Note: Please give credit to the pattern designer Angie Upton, when selling your finished item.

ANGIE UPTON

Pattern X - KNOTS - - - SEW LINE

KNOTS ARE HAND STITCHED WITH NEEDLE AND THREAD

HAND STITCH A LINE TO SEPARATE STEM FROM PUMPKIN

CUT SLIT IN BACK HERE FOR TURNING & STUFFING

ANGIE UPTON

WITCH HAZEL

ONCE UPON A TIME, IN A LAND WHERE THE SKY IS GREEN AND THE RIVERS RUN BLACK, AN OLD WITCH LIVED ALONE. SHE LOVED THE LAND, THE FLORA AND FAUNA, THE WIND AND THE RAIN. SHE WAS A GOOD WITCH. Materials Needed: Muslin or osnaburg Black craft paint Wooden textile bobbin or stick of your choice Mismatched buttons for eyes Rusty wire and rusty bells Black heavy thread Wool or flax for hair Grungy cheesecloth for tie Cinnamon or red craft paint for blush on cheeks Fiberfill or fabric scraps for stuffing Basic sewing supplies

Trace pattern pieces onto doubled fabric. Sew along lines. Trim to about ¼”, turn and stuff the head firmly. Age with your choice of aging mix. Allow to dry. Bake in a low heat oven (170 degrees) on a parchment paper covered cookie sheet, watching carefully and turning often. After sewing the two hat pieces, turn the brim by cutting a small slit in one piece of the fabric only. Turn the hat top, and fold under about ¼ inch and hand stitch the top to the brim with tiny stitches, concealing the slit. Paint with watered down black paint, bake until dry, and then sand for the desired look. To assemble the project, stitch wool to the top of the head, positioning the hair so it will show out from under the hat. Stitch the hat to the head with tiny stitches, tacking front and back, and on both sides. Attach a rusty bell to the tip of the hat, and scrunch the hat up a bit to give a rumpled look. Sew the button eyes onto her head. Make a couple stitches for her mouth. Push the stick or bobbin into her head, and tie off with heavy thread or wire so the head is attached tightly. Wrap some curled wire and bells around her neck, and tie with some grungy or black cheesecloth.

SUBMITTED BY TRUDY HONEYCUTT | CROWS IN THE ATTIC

Falling in Love with

Post Road Vintage TEXT: GINA YOUNG | PHOTOS: HEATHER ANDERSON

The beauty of nature serves to inspire many, and nothing matches the splendor of autumn.

Entrepreneur and blogger Heather Anderson of Post Road Vintage (postroadvintage. com) loves bringing the color and texture of the outdoors inside with her farm style products and designs. Her devoted blog readers become inspired themselves by Heather’s interpretations of nature and down-to-earth approach.

With a writing style that reads like a conversation with an old friend, Heather blogs about what’s in her heart, daily life on the farm, and creative project ideas. Her online store is filled with transformed vintage crafts, often illustrated by Heather’s own photography.

For Heather, the blog has been integral to establishing her business. She feels that having great products and a raconteur’s personality are essential to helping her business thrive. “My blog has definitely helped in this process. It is also valuable in connecting and sharing with others. Even though it is a way to share my stories, it is really not at all about me. It is all about inspiring and encouraging my customers and readers so that they too can create this beauty in their own hearts and homes.”

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When asked about how she finds inspiration for projects, Heather was quick to share her creative process. She releases her products in collections according to seasons. She says, “While it is a lot of work, it is really fun to put things together that are carefully curated and have a real feel and a story behind them.” Her product lines are inspired by her notebooks, magazine clippings, old photos, book pages, and family photos.

She also creates a mood board to give a tangible idea of what a collection will be like. There is a practical motivation, as she maintains that “most of my products are inspired by a need I have in decorating or organizing my own home. I am constantly sketching the ideas from my head to paper and tucking them into my book in hopes that they will someday come alive in a future Post Road Vintage line!”

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The idea for the business came from her lifelong love of creating gifts for friends.

“I had the entrepreneur in me, as I would set up road stands of all kinds. Sometimes I would even go door-to-door selling everything from rocks I had picked, to hair scrunchies I made, to wild flowers.

During high school I earned most of my spending money by picking and selling wild blueberries. So I guess making and working and selling to others has come naturally to me, though not without a HUGE learning curve (that I’m still on.)”

One part of that learning curve was discovering that “just because you build it doesn’t mean they’ll come.” Heather says that it took a lot of work to get her name out and connect with others who would be interested in her products. To build a business, she suggests spending more time developing a good reputation and spreading the word when first starting out, in order to ensure a client base.

Her most popular product is her Mason jar soap dispenser, which fits perfectly with farmhouse style decorating. The antique blue jars celebrate the fall canning season, and are a reminder of their previous owners. As she says, “When I’m using one, I can’t help but picture how many times they’ve been used to get a family through the winter.

The preserving that my family does is all for fun and good health, but to think of THEIR life... the hard work they did out of necessity… really brings me to my knees and makes me appreciate not only them, but how spoiled we are nowadays.”

Rather than searching for the vintage items incorporated into her designs,

Heather insists: “Old junk just seems to find me. While I don’t have nearly as much time as I’d like searching for old treasures, I do love to peruse the local sales and fleas whenever I get a chance.

I also have enough of a reputation in town that people call me when they are getting rid of their junk!” Mindful of that reputation, Heather says she has become much more selective with what she decides to incorporate into her home. “If something isn’t truly exceptional, or if I don’t have an idea of how I’ll use it, I’ll probably pass it up.”

butchering! The love of farming helps Heather share with her children the importance of eating from their land and cultivating their own food. “It is a lot of work and sometimes I do think we’re nuts, but I am crazy enough to have this old fashioned dream of instilling good ole hard work and simple country values into our kids.” And for Heather, that makes all the work worth it.

Those items that make the cut coordinate well with her style—“relaxed farmhouse with a sprinkle of romance.” Her aesthetic is reflected in her theme for the ideal party. “It would be a garden party, as my garden is also a source of inspiration for me. There is nothing more fun than decorating and cooking with the yummy beauty that abounds. But it would also be very relaxed. Probably mismatched dishes and simple farmhouse décor, with the focus being on the food and the guests.” Her style is very welcoming and revolves around family and friends.

By living so connected to the land, Heather and her family are also very connected to the changing seasons.

Northern Michigan provides a stunning backdrop for family life in the fall. One fall tradition Heather cherishes and shares with her children are “color drives”. She shares this childhood story: “With fourteen kids in tow our family would go for color drives. I’d sit in the back of the van, enjoying my book or the view. Up and down hills and long winding roads till our bellies tickled and then felt nauseous. We’d stop for a picnic lunch at the lake and skip rocks and laugh and fight with each other until it was time to go home. Mom and Dad would visit and sing hymns as us kids dozed off or occasionally chimed in a verse or two.”

Not only does Heather run a blog and a business, but she, her husband and six children also farm. The whole family lives on Post Road (the inspiration for “Post Road Vintage”) in the Keweenaw Peninsula of Upper Michigan. Although farming is a time-consuming hobby, the entire family enjoys connecting with nature while spending time together.

They are raising seventy-one chickens and three pigs that they share with their neighbors – Heather even does the

The beauty of the season also brings new chores. Heather loves “all of the work that fall brings…canning produce from the garden and stocking the freezer with wild blueberries and homegrown pigs and chickens.” With her creative energy and enthusiasm for life, Post Road Vintage shares Heather’s passion with her readers. She has fallen in love with this lifestyle, just as her many readers have fallen in love with Post Road Vintage.

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Junk Fix

DONNA WILLIAMS

A PIPE FRAMED VIEW Growing up with 40 acres of beautiful mountain scenery, I have a fierce fondness for the outdoors. I spent hours with my best friend Sue and our Barbies on a vibrant and well-worn 70’s picnic blanket. Our playground was always a field in full dandelion bloom. We spent so much time outside my mom established a unique way of deeming it time for our friends to go home. “When the barn yard light comes on, it’s time for bed!”

I prefer my indoor window treatments to be sparse to open up the room.

Bare windows can have a clinical look to them, so I look for ways to soften the edges and enjoy the view. Hence... my pipe sheet curtains were born!

These treatments can work in any room. Simple to make, cost-effective, and best of all they let the light in without the glare. Or pull them aside to enjoy the sunshine.

For even more creative window treatments and other junk minded projects, visit Donna’s blog at funkyjunkinteriors.net.

1. Measure the width of your windows to determine the length of each curtain pipe rod.

Tip: Measure well beyond each window side so when the curtains are open, they don’t hide view.

2. Mark the desired pipe length, and use pipe cutter to shorten. Slip the pipe into the cutter, tighten clamp, then spin around and tighten after every 2-3 turns until cut through.

3. Starting with one end, hold the pipe flange in place and pencil in where anchors will be placed. Tip: Install flanges as high as you can to make your windows appear taller.

4. Slightly tap the anchors into the drywall with a hammer. Screw anchors in the rest of the way with drill.

5. Mount one flange bracket onto the anchor, and screw in.

6. Test the pipe in the installed flange and double check the length. Trim pipe length if necessary.

7. Insert pipe into the installed end, then test the other end’s flange bracket to determine placement. Remove rod, pencil in placement, then anchor second flange. Screw pipe to flanges, then attach second flange to wall. Tip: For a wide window center brackets may be needed. If so, cut the long pipe in half and mount with an additional mid-section T styled flange.

How to Make Sheet Curtains 1. Machine wash and dry sheets to minimize shrinkage. Tip: If you like the crinkle look, leave sheets in the dryer until cool.

2. Determine the length you want for your curtains. They can puddle on the floor if you like.

Leave enough fabric at the top to fold over.

3. Iron the fold along the top.

4. Cut mop strands as long as possible. Tie two together to create one long strand.

5. Decide how many ties you desire; I used 8 for a twin sheet. Hand stitch each knot onto the back of the curtain 6. Tie each string around the horizontal pipe rod.

7. When washing is necessary untie the curtains.

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FASHION THE ART OF DRESSING WELL

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RUGGED The latest collection from Blue Claw Co delivers luggage and bags that are classically American and built for the most rugged terrain.

All great things come in small packages, but some great things are the packages. The new Urban Collection from Blue Claw Co. takes that message seriously with its solid American-made construction and durable weatherproof waxed canvas and leather materials. This collection may be called the Urban collection, but with its rugged classic lines and textures the collection is just as functional in the great outdoors as it is in the urban jungle.

The collection adds new features to the Blue Claw line, for example an iPad case and a laptop bag. The collection comes in various vintaged hues and is now available.

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AMERICAN MADE TEXTILES TRANSFORMED INTO AMERICAN MADE ACCESSORIES

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Designers Ginny Weir and Janet Sears are transforming vintage textiles into highly functional handbags for today. Ginny is known for her use of feed, flour, and grain sacks, while Janet uses a variety of found textlies. Each bag tells a wonderful story of the past and inspires us to look at the things around us in a different light. Garret Platanitis of Platanitis is growing a following for his flannels.

Garret finds your favorite flannels, curates them and gives them a unique time worn look. Like Janet and Ginny’s textiles each piece is hand selected for its oddities and uniquiness. These three are creating perfect pieces for the autumn season, or any time of year.

SHOP AT: GINNY WEIR: etsy.com/shop/ginnymae JANET SEARS: GARRETT PLATANITIS: platanitis.com

BY: JEN O’CONNOR

RHYTHM OF ADORNMENT

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STYLE REPEATS ITSELF AS MUCH AS HISTORY DOES. Good form and design

are often revisited with a fresh interpretation that leaves us craving for the new and the old. Yet, the rhythm

of adornment relies heavily upon available materials. Designers and artists are dependent on them, and their perception in the public’s eye and taste for fashion.

Across the design timeline three mighty materials rear their head in staying power… “jet” and its compatriots, “Bakelite” and fellow early plastics, and now “Hotcakes” fabulous tumbled resin. These materials are unified in their function as fashionable jewelry materials across the centuries.

JET That lustrous, velvety, petrified wood is a type of brown coal used since the Stone Age for personal adornment. It’s hard to fathom, but Jet – that beloved material of jewelry designers -- was formed 180 million years from the fossilized wood of Jurassic period trees that became driftwood and were buried under aquatic debris and detritus.

During the Roman occupation of Britain, as early as 1500 BC, the cliffs around Whitby were mined and Jet was gathered from the ground to be carved into decorative objects and jewelry – everything from dice to hairpins to dagger handles. It was used through the Medieval era for amulets, religious items and yes… more jewelry.

In modern times it came into vogue when Queen Victoria mourned the passing of her beloved Prince Albert in 1861 and the country mourned with her until her passing in 1901. The times called for bereavement attire and the accessories to match, much fueled but the Victorians obsession with formalities and traditions, as well as their enchantment with mementoes of loved ones.

Heaps of beads, huge cameolike brooches worn at the high collared necklines were made from Jet and its many friendly imposters. Onyx, Vulcanite, bog

oak, Gutta-Percha, Fer de Berlin, pressed horn and black glass, which was called French Jet, all were made or naturally resembled Jet and jumped on the fashion bandwagon in use as jewelry materials. But no matter the material, Victorians called upon Classic times in decoration so Jet seemed a match.

Yet, despite this long and illustrious history, Jet fell into obscurity as necklines lowered and hemlines raised and the supply of real Jet dwindled.

BAKELITE The palette for brighter attire prevailed and Bakelite and its friends booted Jet out of the design arena.

Bakelite is the trademarked name of the castable, fire resistant plastic that was invented in 1909 by Leo Baekeland, a Belgian-born chemist. This successful industrial inventor was working in his lab in Yonkers, NY on the creation of a floor sealant for bowling alley lanes when he combined carbolic acid and formaldehyde to from phenolic resin. This early plastic did not end up in use as a wood floor covering.

Instead, he patented his discovery and found other industrial uses.

At first, Bakelite was used as an electrical insulator and put into use for castable décor items like radio cases, vases, hand mirrors, picture frames and more.

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WHERE TO FIND JET… Know that Jet is used as a collective term for black jewelry from the Victorian and Empire eras. Seek out a reputable antiques dealer and be armed with information on what you like and what you want to pay. The web is your best source of info, but Jet is pricey and rare, so be educated before you shop.

SHOPPING FOR BAKELITE… Bakelite is prevalent on the web, but shopping in person at antique malls and shows is a best first step to learning about it. Handling it in person will help you know it from its imposters. Bakelite gives off a distinctive odor as it is heated or melts.

Rubbing an item briskly to create friction and sniffing it can do this – of course if you already own the item you can do a hot pin test in a discreet spot. Bakelite also gives off a certain sonorous and cheerful clink and clack as bangles meet on an arm, a fan adores it for this noise too!

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It became more widely popular in the 1930’s and peaked in the 1940’s after a wider assortment of colors were introduced. New owners of the patent learned to create Bakelite in a range of bright colors. These captured the imagination of jewelry makers who found that its lightweight properties made it a natural choice for designing and manufacturing injection mold or hand-carved, affordable, jewelry. It became the rage among fashionable consumers.

Ultimately, the labor-intensive process of molding or hand-carving Bakelite proved to be its undoing. After World War II, mass production became the plastic industry’s buzzword and this early form became a pleasant memory. New materials became more appealing and Bakelite was retired to the back of jewelry boxes and often became the fodder for yard sales.

Since the 1980’s, when bright and graphic fashions were embraced, Bakelite has been going steadily up in value. Collectors today prize it for its patina and its versatility. It has a whimsical style and palette that exudes a festive nod in dressing.

HOTCAKES How ironic that there’s a new material in town that does what both Jet and Bakelite did so well…yet it displaces neither. In true American style and with true American ingenuity, it calls upon what was historically done, celebrates it with a reverence for the vintage and the time earned style, and yet takes it a step further down the fashion roadways.

Today, talented San Francisco jewelry designer Caramia Visick, blends the look and feel of Jet and Bakelite into her own new “Hotcakes”. Her seminal use of tumbled resin hearkens a new era of retro, chic pieces.

This artist is chic and spunky and so are her Hotcakes jewelry designs. Deliciously chunky necklaces and rings, and her fun candylike bracelets give a nod to nostalgia, but their style is all today.

While no one can guess what the next 50 years will bring in style, good form will assuredly prevail.

Finding Hotcakes…

Hotcakes Designs’ full line is presented at EarthAngelsStudios.com.

A GOOD STORY

Designer Jeanne Oliver shares the story of her latest vintage-inspired hand bag collection in a series of stunning images.

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TEXT: LIZA TURNER | IMAGES: JEANNE OLIVER

EMILY RIDDLE LOVES VINTAGE. Together with her mother, Missy Schmidt, this young entrepreneur has made vintage clothing and housewares her business. Their company, Miss Molly Vintage, named after their beloved family dog, features vintage apparel and housewares, which they sell at a booth in a local store.

FOLK invited Emily to style a vintage summer picnic photo shoot, and she was kind enough to share her secrets for amazing vintage style.

Her interest in vintage has been going strong for nearly two decades. Emily fondly recalls going to garage sales with her mother as kindergartener and becoming completely hooked. She grew up going to thrift stores and antique stores, which really gave her an appreciation for vintage items. Riddle’s favorite time period to emulate is the 1950s, with its classic A-line cocktail dresses.

When asked about her go-to vintage outfit, Emily is quick to give a detailed description of her ideal ensemble: a full A-line 1950s skirt, with a button-down style shirt, either tucked-in or tied in a knot at the high waistline—accented with some wedges and a belt. The look is topped off with clip-on flower earrings. Emily’s ears aren’t pierced, since most vintage earrings are clip-on.

According to Emily, the best places to find vintage are estate sales. These are a place to find deals on vintage clothes, accessories, home accessories, and furniture. She also recommends thrift stores, because they are cheaper than actual vintage stores.

Emily suggests you can find vintage items at garage sales, Goodwills, thrift stores, actual vintage stores, antique malls, antique shops, peddler’s malls, etsy, and ebay.

Keep some important things in mind when buying vintage. Emily suggests checking the item very thoroughly for holes or stains. They can be difficult to see while in the store, but often are more visible once you home. Also, always try on the clothing. Even if it is marked with the size, vintage sizes tend to be much smaller than modernday sizes, so always go by the measurements and fit, rather than sizing. Finally, research prices for the item to keep from overpaying. Sometimes you can get a very similar item for a much better price if you do some price comparisons. Don’t let the excitement of an amazing vintage find cause you to forget these essential tip. This will prevent you from major shopper’s remorse later.

Emily’s favorite vintage find is, surprisingly, not her stunning lace wedding dress, but, rather, a kitchen appliance.

She proudly tells the story of her refrigerator, the bargain

Where do you take the photos that become part of the “lookbook”? I am constantly on the lookout for unique spots that have either a wide open space or a unique patina. I live in a beautiful town in Colorado, about 30 minutes south of Denver. We are surrounded by open prairie, the foothills and mesas.

If I can find a chippy old building or old metal structures with great patina, that just adds to the photos. I would love to travel, at some point, for our photo shoots and capture other beautiful places here in America and beyond.

When you find a fabric you like, how do you know it’s a fabric you have to use? What sets it apart? For most of our bags and clothing we use new fabrics. I really love natural fibers and I am drawn to linens. Until we are designing our own fabrics (which we hope to be doing very soon) we will leave the beautiful patterns to our accent vintage pieces. I have an affection for the textures and beauty of vintage fabrics and love when I find significant yardage of patterns I love. I find vintage fabrics all of the time. It is when I can find a large amount of it that I know we can do something with it. It is very rare that we would offer one or two purses from a particular fabric. For the most part we are making a large run of even the vintage fabrics. This run of bags is still significantly smaller than when we are using new fabrics. To answer your question...I just know. I see something and it resonates with me and I can instantly see the bag I want to design for that pattern. There have been many times that I have wished we could have made more of the vintage fabric purses because our customers love them so much. I guess that is what makes them special. If you have one of them, you are one of 50 people in the world that have it. I love that.

Do you do your own styling and photography? Yes, I do. I am an amateur, that is for certain, but photography is one of my creative obsessions. Photographing our collections and then putting them together in the “lookbooks” is one of my favorite parts of our business. I get to take these incredibly lovely women, dress them up and then create stories with my photos. The best part is getting home after a photo shoot, uploading my photos and hundreds of shots are instantly revealed. That’s when you know you got some good ones. Just thinking about that makes me smile.

Do you have a favorite piece in the vintage collection? I am going to give you two answers for this one. I love, love, love the Emerson Bag. I love the vintage fabric, design and size of it. It is the bag I am carrying everywhere now. But I carry all my bags. If I won’t’ use it and I don’t love it, would never offer it to my customers. I have to say though that my very favorite part of The Vintage Collection has to be the “lookbook”. It is the only way that you can see all the different ways I wanted you to see this whole line together. In a few minutes you get a feel for the line. You see photography that, hopefully, you think is lovely. You see how the jewelry goes with the bag that goes with the dress.

You see vintage items that you can surround yourself with that still has the feel of the whole line. Hopefully, when you close the last page of the book, you know me a little better. You understand my eye and my idea of what is lovely. I hope you can see yourself wearing a particular dress or see that bag on your own arm. At the end of the line, that is what I am most proud of because it pulls it all together. It is my way of storytelling.

What are your favorite things about fall? I love fall! It’s my very favorite season. Everything cools off, the air just smells different and feels crisp. There is nothing better than leaves crunching under your feet on an afternoon stroll., rolling hills with the most incredible colors splashed all over the hillside, BOOTS, your fingers wrapped around a hot cup of coffee, raking leaves and scattering the leaves all over again as you jump, pumpkin patches, hayrides and apple picking. Maybe I love fall because it is when family comes together to share thankful hearts. It is also when I married my Kelly. Fall is just another reminder of the gorgeous creation in which we live. We are blessed!

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WHY BUY

AMERICAN? WE TAKE A LOOK AT WHY YOU SHOULD BE BUYING AMERICAN MADE BY: HEATH STILTNER

THE LAST TIME YOU CHECKED YOUR CLOTHING TAG DID YOU FIND YOUR ‘CLASSIC AMERICAN DESIGN’ WAS IN FACT GROWN OR SEWN OUTSIDE US BORDERS? IT’S NO SECRET THAT THE OUTSOURCING OF JOBS HAS LONG BEEN THE SITUATION IN OUR CLOTHING AND FASHION MARKET.

Most often we are all told it’s to lower our prices. If that’s the case, why do J.Crew tees, foreign-manufactured and sold as allAmerican basics, seem to be the same price as California-based fashion designer and producer American Apparel’s basic tees?

A perennial issue, the fashion outsourcing discussion reached “Olympic” heights with the revelation that the Team USA uniforms designed by New York-based American icon Ralph Lauren were made in China.

generates $1.40 in economic stimulus. It’s simple enough to sum up by saying that buying here keeps our economy afloat by reinvesting our money in our own economy.

Scott Anderson of Anderson-Little says, “My position on this is very simple. If you make it here and buy it here, there’s a job here. You can’t get any more cause and effect than that.

I think too many people just over-think it.” It’s a concept he knows all too well, as he is the president and CEO of a true heritage brand.

Made in America is more than just a slogan or preference, it is a lifestyle. Supporting US artisan designs and manufacturing seems an easy way to stimulate economic growth and community cohesion.

Anderson-Little started in 1936 with Morris B. Anderson, Scott’s great-grandfather, and after a series of buyouts closed its last location in 1998. Scott and his father, Stuart, revived the brand with an online store in 2008. Scott has already returned to the “factory-direct, with free shipping” principle established by his great-grandfather, but given the company a new spark. “We’d love to return to our New England roots,” Scott says, “because we once employed 600 people in our Fall River factory.”

The truth is, there are plenty of brands designing, and manufacturing, quality goods right here in the United States. It’s not an underground market, though it seems that they do sometimes slip under the radar of most Americans. Many of these companies are small artisan-run and artisan-established brands that produce seasonal fashion for the American public. Foreign manufacturing of American designs raises these issues: What are we paying for when we buy American designs? Is lower price the only and narrow rationale for foreign production? Are we losing by outsourcing US manufacturing jobs?

To get some insight into what it means to be American Made and why it’s important, FOLK interviewed representatives from several great American brands about their participation in the Made in America movement and their pledge to stay American-Made.

Mark Bollman of Boston-based haberdasher Ball and Buck says that in these trying times what is most important to the growth of our economy is the way that people spend their money. “Americans should view their purchases as a vote,” he says, “and that vote has the power to vote for quality Americanmade goods that stimulate business, jobs, and the economy.”

He is not the only one advocating thoughtful spending. The idea of voting for America with your dollar is more important now than ever, when buying from American businesses has the ability to increase the dollar’s power exponentially.

Roughly every $1 spent producing domestically manufactured products

With the outsourcing of jobs came the outsourcing of factories, leaving behind whole communities like Fall River which were economically devastated. Several generations of Americans were deprived of those factory jobs and apprenticeships learning those skilled labor positions. Now the key roadblocks to rebuilding or funding new ones are the huge expense of refurbishing or purchasing equipment and finding skilled laborers able to undertake such tasks.

Americans do appreciate hard-working, highly-skilled artisans who can produce quality goods. An expansion of master/ apprentice ventures and willingness to mentor could greatly boost the economy. The phenomenal success of online marketplaces like Etsy demonstrates the possibilities of selling handmade items globally. This kind of ingenuity is what will help the average consumer find artisans and brands who produce domestically in the consumer’s own community. Armed with online tools for searching well-sourced products empowers the consumer.

America is a consumer economy based on everyday decisions. However, the emphasis on everyday low prices denies the carefully considered purchase. For instance, the disposable item we purchase most is toilet paper. Although some of roughly 500 small paper mills in the U.S. do produce toilet paper, the majority consumed in the U.S.

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is foreign-manufactured. Angel Soft and Quilted Northern are two major domestically produced brands. However, Costco nets $400 million in annual toilet paper sales alone for their highly popular foreign-manufactured Kirkland toilet paper. That is $400 million in purchases that could be reinvested into our economy by purchasing domesticallymanufactured brands if consumers were willing to pay a higher price to buy American.

Duane and Cynthia Young Jennings, owners of American luxury bath-and-body brand Sweet Harvest, say that they choose to buy American-made because, “Americanmade products reflect freedom. Americans are creative, ingenious, industrious, and very entrepreneurial. Having a society and governance model built on the idea of freedom brings these qualities out in people and allows them to flourish. It is something in our culture, our spirit, the American story if you will, that results in unique, special, and “quality” products being created and produced here.”

They are not alone. Many people choose to buy American-made to reinforce the idea that the American people are innovative and resourceful. It can be beneficial to look at the purchase of American-made products, especially bigger ticket items, as an investment. When you purchase Americanmade, you are purchasing more than a product, you are purchasing jobs, community development and economic growth, and you are helping to restore the American economy and dollar.

A conscientious buying decision compares product prices for value received and factors in the environmental, social, and economic impact of the manufacturing and distribution process. This is why people choose to buy organic, buy local, and may even boycott products. In choosing a pair of domestically produced Wolverine boots, you support the artisans that handcraft and manufacture these boots, their families, and the community that benefits from the job opportunities.

Some consumers claim that they only shy away from some American-made products because they perceive foreign-made brands to be better quality. Where this is true, it has been the challenge to manufacturers to boost their quality, and then to verify those improvements.

Melanie Joseph of Lucky 7 Designs says

that she was never so aware of how much we lose of our American identity until her husband was deployed overseas. “When he returned stateside, he brought back products that proudly displayed American classic icons that looked like Minnie Mouse and Winnie the Pooh. That was when I realized how much we give up of our identity as a people and pledged to buy everything possible American-made, in my home and in my shop.”

Mary Humphrey of Annie’s Goat Hill summarizes: “When we buy American, especially from small businesses, we are helping our economy down to the roots.

Small businesses, especially micro-businesses, use their profits to raise their families - buy food, pay mortgages. Support small business America, the heartbeat, the American Dream. It may cost a few more pennies, sometimes dollars, but the investment and quality products you receive from your purchases are worth it.”

The family unit is the cornerstone of our society and our economy. We teach our children every day about making wise decisions, and financial decisions should be a part of those lessons. The growing interest in organic and local food has pushed families to think more about what they eat, and has spread to all areas of consumption.

The American consumer is constantly barraged by offers of low prices, which lead them to see those as the basis of a smart economic budget. That approach can be short sighted if it fails to consider domestic production which keeps our economy stimulated and allows more job opportunities for our citizens. Whether you’re buying a hand-sewn child’s gown on Etsy or an American artisan-crafted pair of Red Wing boots, you are supporting the local economies of the factories and artisans, as well as the families of those artisans.

Lauren Siktberg, founder and creative director of Largo, FL based Anchored Style, says that she chooses to source most of her products from local artisans as a way of building a support system in her community. “Our sail bag maker is local, our screen printer and seamstress are local. Local artisans are in every community. I feel it is extremely important to do your research and get referrals to support the local artisans & create relationships to build a team of support.”

For several years now, the American

economy has relied on the purchase of service goods to keep its domesticallyproduced economy afloat. Service goods such as haircuts by self-employed hairdressers, oil changes from the local fuel station, or lawn maintenance by a neighborhood lawn service do stimulate the economy; however, they could stimulate the economy on a larger scale of American production by factoring in the origins of automotive parts, lawn equipment, and beauty supplies.

Writer and historian James Truslow Adams was a pioneer of the “American Dream” concept. In 1931, he said, “It is not a dream of motor cars and high wages merely, but a dream of social order in which each man and each woman shall be able to attain to the fullest stature of which they are innately capable, and be recognized by others for what they are, regardless of the fortuitous circumstances of birth or position.” It’s time to teach a new generation of Americans that skilled labor jobs are the sustenance of our national economy, and educate them in the specialized skills that will allow them to feed it.

Community colleges can be instrumental in attaining that “fullest stature of which they are innately capable.” Historically seen as quick starting blocks for technical careers, shifts in emphasis have led community colleges to open more programs to train interested students in arts that have been lost to outsourcing. A revival of apprenticeship programs for seamstresses, leather workers, and smiths can repopulate the American workforce with skilled laborers to rebuild the 5.5 million domestic manufacturing jobs and 25 million supporting jobs lost in the last 10 years.

In the end however, it is the consumer who makes the ultimate judgment and casts their vote for a stronger economy built on domestic production. Consumers who go out of their way to buy American-made goods are those most dedicated to changing the economic climate of this country for the benefit of every American family’s American Dream.

Henry Ford, the grandfather of American industrialism and manufacturing said it best, “It is not the employer who pays the wages.

Employers only handle the money. It is the customer who pays the wages.”

Henry Ford understood the American pioneer spirit, he harnessed it, and he asked others to join him in creating an incredible machine fueled by skilled laborers, raw goods

suppliers, and most importantly customers to come together to achieve nothing less than greatness. He summed this up by saying, “Coming together is a beginning. Keeping together is progress. Working together is success.” It’s time to work together to maintain the American economy as a global force.

So what does all of this mean for our nation and what are we to do about it? We’ve already concluded that the ‘everyday low price’ mindset hurts our economy by popularizing the idea that cheaper prices and foreign manufacturing are better than marginally higher prices, but better quality domestic products. Consistently purchasing American Made is a long term benefit.

In recent years, the market for American Made clothing has increased steadily.

Companies like American Apparel have maintained low prices by employing more garment workers and keeping the supply of readymade American essentials at a constant. Buying from companies like American Apparel circulates the money back into the American economy. As Henry Ford said, the customer pays the wages. When American made products are purchased, the money spent creates a trickle-down effect.

For June and July of 2012, the U.S. saw a decrease of 0.5% in factory orders for domestically-manufactured goods. Even a small decrease in production serves as a sort of forecast for economists and manufacturers, which can trigger a drop in production of raw materials. That in turn can prompt layoffs and budget cuts. Maintaining steady demand by consistently buying these products permits better planning and stabilizes the economy.

We need to be informed and alert consumers, and each purchasing decision needs to meet short and long-term goals for ourselves and our communities. FOLK is committed to encouraging the innovative and entrepreneurial spirit of local, artisan-made products, and small businesses.

We believe it’s in the long-term best interest of our generation to buy smart and let our dollars vote our lifestyle. As a start, here are some websites to browse.

WEBSITES: americanmadematters.com andersonlittle.com sweetharvestfarms.com mylucky7design.blogspot.com anniesgoathill.com

America is still to this day one of the fastest growing, forward thinking communities on the planet. As a culture, we constantly change our music, art, and fashion in efforts to keep up with the media moguls steamrolling towards the future. “New” is a term taken to heart.

New homes, new cars, new businesses, new goals, new likes, new dislikes. It means we’ve done something right; we’ve created hope for a better tomorrow. For over two hundred and fifty years we’ve progressed in this way, heeding our elders’ words but never counting them truly as wisdom, as we peer over into tomorrow’s greener grass. So what happens when we do tilt our heads and look at the yesteryears? Is it even appropriate in this American culture to acknowledge that maybe some things were done better in the past?

For myself and for others a strange phenomenon seems to be sweeping across the country; the vintage ideal. The historical responsibility to listen and remember what things once were, and to preserve them. No, I’m not talking about food preservatives, but the abandoned home that used to be the gem on the block; the original city layout before freeways strong-armed the landscape; the beautiful carved piece of furniture that housed the radio; the forgottens that stood as central pieces of prominence in our grandparents’ and great grandparents’ lives. For me, I’ve always harbored a strong connection to my parents’ parents in my heart. Their stories, their clothing, their furniture; it’s kept me grounded in a pattern of style that I can turn around and call “tradition” to my children.

This trend is forming pockets of neighborhoods all across America’s large cities -the Mission district of San Francisco, Williamsburg and Brooklyn in New York City, and in the sleepy South we have East Nashville. For some Nashvillians, East of the Cumberland River is a place you just do not go to. It is a part of town which, in recent past, was fraught with gang wars, random acts of violence, and heavy drug dealing.

However, few can truly answer what East Nashville started out as. In fact, many would be surprised to know that East of the river was originally the most beautiful and fashionable place to live and be seen. Through renovation, rejuvenation, and respect for what once was, a new generation of East Nashvillians has committed to reminding our greater Nashville community all that East Nashville has to offer.

Through several families committed to the cause, local business in East Nashville has sky-rocketed. From trendy eateries, coffee shops, and organic groceries, to locally owned boutiques and music shops, East Nashville is reawakening. In fact, right off of the heart of East Nashville’s Five Points intersection lay twelve independently owned stores that have given entrepreneurs an actual chance to turn a profit. The 5 Points Collaborative opened with the idea of giving twelve hopeful business owners the space to, well, open up. Twelve startups lay in two rows with a two year lease and a ticket to make dreams come true; not without a great amount of hard work, that is.

Second in from the back sits Goodbuy Girls, comprised of Kim Davison and Tanya Montana Coe, where inside vintage apparel with a modern twist is for sale.

For most, shopping for vintage clothes begins as a big adventure and ends as an even larger letdown. Common ailments of vintage shopping amount to size shortages; material that’s not user friendly; and outfits that are great for a costume party, but rarely for the day-to-day fashion. However, Kim and Tanya had a different experience planned for their customers. Committed to shedding the poor image of vintage shopping, these girls set out to to create a completely new store.

The idea of the store came to them as quirky as the name they call it. Tanya and Kim are old college friends that were both climbing professional ladders which they very quickly realized were not yielding the happiness they expected for the effort they were putting forth. One night as the two friends lamented, a business proposal was born.

Without prior experience or know-how, a casual internet search lead way to the store that stands today. Kim explains it plain and simple: “I just Googled how to start a business.”

With this whimsical spirit, and passion to create a place of their own, the ideas both girls had been brewing collided and their hard work began. Tanya tells of the store first opening on 16th street: “We wanted to be happy and we wanted a haven to go to.”

So in order to create that space, they’ve made a conscious effort to fill their store not only with things they’d wear, but with things they’d also want to sell to their best friends. The store was their own workroom to create and represent a new age of fashion. It wasn’t about designer names or revealing clothing, it was centered to remember the glamorous and elegant pieces their parents and grandparents wore so many years ago. It was an updated twist to the memory of watching these great men and women get dolled up and have a night on the town. Kim and Tanya have collected, bought, and traded pieces to fill the store with clothing that not only has personality, but becomes a personal wardrobe with a story.

The store carries a full section of actual vintage pieces as well as pieces that Kim and Tanya buy with vintage-inspired lines in mind. Most of what they carry comes in small, medium, and a variety of large. One full wall of the store is given to their incredible boot selection for guys and gals; handbags, jewelry, scarves and other accessories to match are in abundance. Although the store boasts mostly women’s threads, the men’s section has some incredible Western threaded snap shirts, as well as an assortment of jackets and t-shirts. The pieces are fun, usable, and cater to hundreds of body types.

When it came to showcasing the store to share with the Folk reader, the clothes created a story themselves. With bright, fun colors accenting skin tone complementary neutrals, the Nashville sixties chic clothing put us back on the farm. Our models have fun with Dad’s old purple pick-up as they transition from day looks to a night on the town. The pieces mix and match and show just how much vintage accessories and cuts give your look a classic new start.

Hard work and dedication flow in and out of this boutique and into the rest of the small shops on Woodland Street. Tanya and Kim explain that the shops are the best community they’ve experienced. Help here and advice there has knit a tight bond for these shops and given birth to some awesome community events in East Nashville. Every second Saturday of the month, these shops host a festival throughout the day and into the evening, sporting live music, a cocktail or two and some excellent shopping.

East Nashville is an experience, filled with rich history and larger-than-life personalities.

It is a place to remember how great things were, how great they have been, and how much better they can be. Goodbuy Girls is a testament to hard work and dedication to a dream. Kim and Tanya cannot express enough how grateful they are for the overwhelming support their community-turned-family has given them. Our community is a secret society of historians. People like Kim and Tanya are preserving the memories of these great places and sharing the importance of Nashville’s story. If you’ve got a seed of inspiration or an idea that should be shared, come on over and plant it in East Nashville. The soils has proven itself before, and we’re certainly growing again.

GATHER SHARING THE TASTES OF AMERICA

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ROASTED PEACH SHERBET BY: JULIE MARIE CRAIG

A few weeks ago my Sous Chef at work was telling me about this amazing peach stand just a bit up from where we work.

The guy only sells peaches, ones he picked just that morning, minutes before he brings them to the stand. People line up for these peaches and they all sell out incredibly fast. We must go take a field trip there today, she said. It sounded amazing. Then her end on savory got a bit busy and my end on pastry got a bit slow. So while I was trying to work on a new recipe, making many variations of it, she thought I should use currants in the recipe instead of raisins. So shoved a five in my hand and sent me off to the store to go get some. Then she went, Wait. You have to go get some of those peaches too! So with a bit more cash, I was off.

It was just a bit before 8 am and there was already a dozen or so cars waiting for the man to swing back the fence so they could all get to the stand. I didn’t realize it really would be that popular. When 8 am rolled around, all the people jumped out of their cars and got in line to buy boxes of them.

The peaches really were amazing. They were so ripe and juicy.

I knew I had to make something with them fast. After searching for something to do with them, I remembered my ice cream maker. Oh, I can make peach ice cream! I thought. Oh wait, I have no milk and not enough cream. Scratch that. Well, I will just do peach sorbet! was the next thought. But then it came to me.

Sherbet! the perfect compromise. I had just enough cream to do it.

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Roasted Peach Sherbet Makes 1 quart 7 peaches Zest and juice of 1 moderately sized lemon 148 grams white sugar, plus a handful additional for sprinkling 236 milliliters heavy cream Preheat oven to 400F. Cut the peaches into quartering, discarding the pits. Place on a baking sheet, flesh up, and sprinkle with a handful of white sugar. Roast for 30 minutes.

(When done, you can remove the skins if you like, but I preferred to leave them on. It adds a bit of a nice texture) Then place the peaches and the rest of your ingredients in a blender. Puree until smooth. Place in container and chill until completely cool, at least 1 hour. Then churn in an ice cream maker and freeze until set More at: alwayswithbutter.blogspot.com

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Entertaining with The Season

HUNT & GATHER

A GATHERING OF THE SEASONS. A trio of apple desserts, a fabulous fall arragement, and one stellar location come together to create a fete for the fall.

Designer Evan G. Cooper creates a mememorable fall gaathering perfect for the southerner or the rustic lover in us all.

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Red’s Apple & Cheese Casserole 2-3 lbs fresh apples, cored, peeled, and sliced 1 1/2 cups water 3/4 cup sugar 1 1/2 pounds of Velveeta Cheese (room temp) 4 cups sugar 3/4 cup melted oleo 3 cups flour 2 cups milk Combine 1st 3 ingredients in skillet, cook on medium-low heat until apples are semi tender (they will continue to cook in casserole). In bowl combine remaining ingredients. Drain cooked apples, stir into bowl, and then pour into greased casserole dish. Cook at 300 degrees until firm and golden.

Apple Filled Puff Pastry 1 package puff pastry 3 apples, peeled cored, and sliced 1/2 cup packed brown sugar 3 teaspoons flour 3/4 teaspoon lemon juice 1 teaspoon cinnamon 1 teaspoon nutmeg 1 beaten egg

Apple Pie 8 sweet apples, peeled, sliced, and cored 1 cup sugar 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon, or to taste 2 1/2 tablespoons all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg Pinch of salt 2 tablespoons butter 2 unbaked pie shells Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

In a mixing bowl, combine sugar, cinnamon, flour, nutmeg, and salt; mix thoroughly. Pour the spice mix over

the apples and stir until the apples are coated. Line one crust in a 9 inch deep dish pie pan. Place the apples in the pie crust. Dot the apple filling with butter. Cut the second pie crust into strips. Creating a lattice pattern starting from the center cover the pie with the strips. Press the crust down gently and cut four slits in the top crust to allow steam to escape while the pie bakes Bake in the preheated oven one hour or until the crust is golden brown. Check the pie after the first 30 minutes of cooking: if the crust is already browned reduce the heat to 350 degrees to allow the apples to cook without the crust burning.

Thaw puff pastry. Heat oven to 350°F. Peel, core and chop apples up coarsely.. Combine apples with sugar, flour, lemon juice, cinnamon and nutmeg. Flour surface lightly and cut pastry sheet into nine 3x3 squares. Place approximately 1/4 cup apple mixture on each square and brush edge with beaten egg. Place second pastry square on the top of the already filled pastry to form a pocket. Press down the border with fingers to seal and then press with fork to decorate the edges. Cut several vents into each pastry.

Place on well greased baking sheet and give each one an egg wash. Bake for approximately 20 minutes or until golden.

Stylist: Evan G. Cooper/ Evan & Co. Photographer: Nick Drollette Venue: Emerald Mountain Equestrian Club Assistants: Jonny Marsh, Rae Culver/ LeRae Events + Design Rentals: Brendle Rentals Evan G. Cooper, is a stylist and floral designer with a knack for creating settings filled with southern charm. Rustic or regal matters not when it comes to making his designs full of rich, authentic details. His passion carries over into affections for photography, missions abroad and good ‘ole southern hospitality. He’s right at home in Montgomery, Alabama as owner of Evan & Co., an event and floral design company.

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The Tastemaker HEATH STILTNER

FOR EVERYONE THERE IS THAT ONE NOSTALGIC TREAT THAT BRINGS BACK CHILDHOOD MEMORIES. FOR NICOLE EBBITT, OF THE CARAMEL JAR, SHE’S LEARNED TO HARNESS THAT NOSTALGIA SHE FEELS FOR HOMEMADE CARAMELS AND TURN IT INTO A FULL-TIME BUSINESS AND A FULL-TIME TREAT. Nicole studied in New York and, after graduating, started her own business creating homemade caramels that she sold online as gifts. With the growing popularity of online, handmade retailer, Etsy, came international recognition for Nicole and The Caramel Jar. Now the small artisan brand finds its delicious caramels at the center of everyone’s wish list for gifts, favors, and guilty pleasures. We decided to ask Nicole a few questions

about the business and her caramels, and what inspired her to turn her favorite treat into a full-time business.

How did you first start The Caramel Jar? Our journey as a company began on Etsy. After listing our first item in May of 2010, I quickly found us featured on the old Etsy Blog {Storque}. This mention brought my company some of our very first customers, many of whom are our best customers today - 2 years later!

How did you get your start with food? Seeking out amazing food and bringing people together with delicious meals is one of my true passions. My parents took great pride in exposing my siblings and me to a wide range of foods and cultures at a young age, so when I found myself living in NewYork City after college, my love for food really blossomed and became an integral part of my life. Nothing beats stopping at a roadside farmer’s market or gathering friends and family in my kitchen as I create a fabulous feast!

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The Caramel Jar When did you decide to start making caramels? I started with caramels because it’s one of my absolute favorite treats and I really saw an opportunity to revive the old-fashioned sweet with a little bit of an eco spin on it. Most caramel or candy companies were using a form of white parchment, foil or cellophane wrappers and I thought, “Why not go with the brown eco parchment paper?”

creating my new perfect position...Chief Caramel Girl!

How did your caramels gain popularity online? Jarring them up with a little elegant ribbon to create the perfect gift was how we really stood out. Our Mason jars, filled with individually wrapped caramels, have really stood out in the marketplace and become a favorite gift to give and receive!

What has been your inspiration for the business? My inspiration behind The Caramel Jar stems from my desire to work hard every day creating the best possible caramel products for our clients. I strive to build a caramel brand that will be recognized for our high quality products, excellent customer service and our respect for the environment.

Did you know that Caramel Jar would become your full-time job when you started it? The Caramel Jar began as a side business while I searched for my next non-profit management position. Our customer response was so overwhelmingly positive that I soon found myself

How has the business changed since day one? Since our first day on Etsy, we have launched six flavors of caramel, hired one apprentice, and provided thousands of people with delicious sweet and savory treats carefully crafted out of love.

What’s your favorite thing about the business? I’m thrilled to bring together my love of caramel while simultaneously developing a company that never takes a customer for granted. From offering a variety

The Tastemaker HEATH STILTNER

of flavors to working with brides and creating the perfect customized packaging, I rely upon my former nonprofit executive skills in my role as Chief Caramel Girl to create a sweeter business.

What do you enjoy most about creating caramels? I spend hours creating delicious caramels by hand and out of love for the process. The melting of the butter, liquifying the sugar and bubbling of the cream is only the beginning!

I notice you use turquoise frequently in your ribbon and packaging, Any particular reason why? (Laughs) Yes, I do love turquoise. My love for turquoise stems from my parents. Turquoise jewelry is one of their favorite items to seek out at small fairs/markets. Spending time at those markets was one of the first times that I recall my parents raving about American artisans. They were so proud not only because of the jewelry’s natural brilliance, but because of the jeweler from whom they purchased it. Surrounding myself with shades of turquoise often reminds me of them, the lessons they have taught me, and the pride in purchasing handcrafted American made products.

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VISIT: THE CARAMELJAR.COM

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Momma Hen’s Kitchen AMY THAYER

PORK ROAST

Ingredients: Approximately 1 1/2 pound beef roast 1 tablespoon salt 1/2 tablespoon freshly grated pepper 1 tablespoon olive oil 32 oz. container beef broth 1 packet of onion soup mix Approximately 2 cups chopped, bite size carrots Approximately 4 cups chopped, bite size potatoes 2 dried bay leafs Add 1 tablespoon olive oil to a large skillet. Allow to preheat to a medium-high heat.

Begin to prepare your beef roast by liberally rubbing the entire roast with salt and pepper. Allow to rest. Set your 6 quart crock pot to medium-low heat. When skillet has reached its high temperature add the prepared beef roast to start searing, being careful not to move the meat once it has been placed in the skillet. To achieve the perfect sear you should hear sizzling when adding the meat. If you don’t hear a sizzle your pan isn’t hot enough. Allow beef to sear on each side (approx. 4 to 5 minutes on each side.) Allowing the beef to get a deep dark color on all sides enhances and concentrates the flavor and seals in all of the juices for a delicious and tender finished product. Once meat has been seared on all sides, remove from skillet and transfer over to your preheated crock pot, leaving your skillet on the heat. Quickly return to your heated skillet and add a 32 oz. container of beef broth while scraping off all the remaining browned bits from the bottom of your pan. Immediately dissolve 1 packet of onion soup mix into liquid. Allow the liquid to simmer down for 5 minutes. Pour mixture over the resting beef roast in the crock pot. Roughly chop your carrots and potatoes. Add to the crock pot along with 2 dried bay leafs and cover. Allow to cook for 8 hours . Oven variation: Bake in oven on 350 degrees for 2 1/2 hours, covered. Uncover then continue baking for 30 minutes.

Virginia’s Alley SANDY ROBINSON

THE SEASON’S FAVORITES My favorite time of year is fall. I love all things fall — football, hot cider, chai tea, bonfires, and gold, yellow, and red leaves. I love Halloween, even though I don’t often dress up for Halloween — I have fun dreaming up Halloween costumes (my kids won many contests!). I love Thanksgiving, for the simple reasons of cooking our most requested recipes (and trying out some new ones) and gathering together with family and friends. This time of year, when I go out in the early morning to feed the cats, I enjoy spotting freshly woven webs, glistening with morning dew and my mind always drifts to — ”When the frost is on the punkin“ — Happy fall, Y’all!

Fresh Apple Cake ½ cup shortening 2 eggs well beaten ½ teaspoon nutmeg 2 cup chopped, peeled Golden Delicious Apples 2 cup sugar 2 cup self-rising flour 1 teaspoon cinnamon 1 cup chopped dates 1 cup golden raisins 1 cup blackberry jam 1 cup chopped black walnuts Cream together shortening and sugar; add eggs one at a time. Sift together flour, nutmeg and cinnamon. Add this slowly to creamed mixture. Stir in nuts, dates, raisins, jam and apples. Bake in well greased, floured tube pan for 1 hour 20 minutes at 325, or until knife inserted comes out clean.

Icing ½ cup butter 1 cup brown sugar 1 ¾ cup powdered sugar ¼ cup milk Melt butter and brown sugar over low heat, add milk and bring to a boil. Cool, add powdered sugar. Beat until smooth.

Jodie’s Sweet Potato Pie 2 cups of boiled, mashed sweet potatoes 1 tablespoon flour 1 can sweetened condensed milk ½ teaspoon nutmeg Generous pinch of ginger 3 tablespoons butter, melted 1 ½ cup sugar 2 large eggs, beaten ½ teaspoon cinnamon 1 teaspoon vanilla 2 unbaked pie crusts

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Preheat oven to 350. Mix all ingredients in large mixing bowl. Pour ½ mixture into each pie shell. Bake for 30 minutes or until knife inserted in center comes out clean.

Settlers Beans 1 lb ground beef, browned and drained 1 onion chopped 16 0z can kidney beans, drained ¼ c brown sugar ½ c ketchup 1/2 lb bacon, fried and crumbled 16 oz can pork and beans, drained 16 oz can butter beans, drained ¼ c white sugar Mix and cook in crockpot.

This is one of my mom’s recipes that I love, with cornbread, in the fall! There is no cook time listed, but if you put this in the crockpot in the morning, you’ll have a satisfying dish for supper! Enjoy.

SAVE ROOM FOR

DESSERT

I am a huge fan of the Gooberry Patch cookbook series. The books are filled with recipes submitted by readers and represent the classic art of American cooking. This fall JoAnn and Vickie, the women behind the brand, debut The Harvest Table. This book is filled with delicious seasonal recipes, helpful tips, and heartwarming memories. I have picked a few of my favorite dessert recipes from the book to share with you. These recipes were much easier than I had expected, and are packed with flavors of the fall season.

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Alley Autumn Virginia’s Pumpkin Bars SANDY ROBINSON

2 cups canned pumpkin 1 cup oil or applesauce 4 eggs, beaten 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 2 cups sugar 2 cups all purpose flour 1 teaspoon baking soda 1 teaspoon salt 2 teaspoon cinnamon 1 teaspoon ground ginger ½ teaspoon ground cloves

In a large bowl, whisk together pumpkin, oil, or applesauce, eggs, and vanilla; set aside. In a separate bowl, combine remaining ingredients; mix well and stir into pumpkin mixture. Spread mixture into an ungreased 13”x9” baking pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes. Cool; cut into bars.

Makes 3 dozen.

Sweetened Whipped Cream 2 cups whipping cream, chilled ½ cup powedered sugar 1 teaspoon vanilla extract With an electric mixer on medium-high speed, whip cream until soft peaks form. Add powdered sugar and vanilla; whip until stiff peaks form.

Brown Sugar Nut Pie 1 cup brown sugar, packed ½ cup sugar 1 egg, beaten 1 tablespoon milk 9-inch pie crust ½ to 1 cup halved or chopped nuts Garnish: whipped cream In a bowl stir together sugars, egg, and milk. Pour into unbaked pie crust; arrange nuts on top. Bake at 325 degrees for 50 to 55 minutes, until completely set in the middle. Cool completely before cutting. Top with dollops of whipped cream. Makes 6 to 8 servings.

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Country Harvest Pie 2 9-inch pie crusts 3 McIntosh apples, peeled, cored, and thickly sliced 3 Bartlett pears, peeled, cored, and sliced ¾ cup fresh crandberries ¾ cup sugar 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour ¼ teaspoon cinnamon 1 tablespoon milk 2 teaspoons butter, sliced Optional: whipped cream or vanilla ice cream Place one pie crust in a 9” pie plate; set aside. In a large bowl, combine apples, pears, cranberries, and sugar; set aside. In a small bowl, mix together flour and cinnamon; combine with fruit mixture. Sprinkle milk over fruit mixture; stir well. Spoon mixture into piecrust; dot with butter. Add top crust; crimp edges and cut several vents. Bake at 425 degrees for 15 minutes. Reduce oven to 350 degrees and continue baking for 35 to 45 minutes, until apples are tender. Garnish with whipped cream or ice cream, if desired. Serves 6 to 8.

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WARMING UP THE KITCHEN

FALL CLASSICS FRESHLY PRESENTED

BY: RIKKI SNYDER

the air and when it’s in the air, it always makes its way into my kitchen.

and pears of all kinds, Bosc, Bartlett, you name it. I can’t wait to dig my hands into the overflowing bags of freshly picked fruit and start putting them to use.

There’s nothing more satisfying this time of year than throwing on a sweatshirt and some boots and heading for the hills to the apple orchards. After hours of picking, (and eating more than we should), we return home with piles of McIntosh and Golden Delicious apples

The bountiful fruits and vegetables of autumn make for some of the most flavorful and versatile dishes. The possibilities they offer are endless and easily interchangeable from sweet to savory. In light of this beautiful season, I’m sharing five of my favorite fall recipes that are fresh, big on flavor, simple to make and always a crowd pleaser.

Cool crisp air, baskets full of apples and pears from the orchard, fallen leaves of gold, red and orange. Autumn is in

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Sauteed Apples with Thyme These sauteed apples with thyme are an excellent savory side dish that is done in minutes. It perfectly accompanies chicken, pot roast, pork chops and more. Try combining different kinds of apples such as McIntosh, Fuji and Golden Delicious for even more flavor. Save some extra sprigs of thyme for garnish when serving.

3 apples (McIntosh, Golden Delicious) 2 tablespoons butter 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves 1 teaspoon grated lemon zest Coarse salt and ground pepper Core apples and cut each one into 8 wedges; halve wedges crosswise.

Heat 2 tablespoons butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add apples, fresh thyme leaves and lemon zest.

Season with coarse salt and ground pepper. Cook, tossing occasionally, until apples are just tender when pierced with the tip of a paring knife, 4 to 6 minutes.

Fall Salad with Maple-Balsamic Dressing This fall salad is always a hit and the key is in the dressing. It holds just the right amount of maple syrup so it’s not over sweet but adds the perfect definition to balance the greens, pears and candied pecans.

One of the best things about this recipe? If you don’t have radicchio or endives on hand, they can be easily substituted for greens such as mesclun mix, spinach or red leaf

lettuce. Like apples better than pears? Make the switch. You can easily change this salad to your liking and it will still be delicious. Sprinkle it with shaved Parmesan cheese for an extra nutty flavor.

Candied pecans: 2 tablespoons unsalted butter 2 tablespoons packed light brown sugar 3/4 cup pecans Add the butter and sugar to a nonstick pan over medium heat.

Once it has melted toss in the pecans and continue to toss to coat and cook evenly, about 1 minute.

Transfer to a sheet tray lined with waxed paper while you prepare the salad.

Dressing: 1 small shallot, finely diced 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard 4 teaspoons balsamic vinegar 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil 4 teaspoons maple syrup Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper 1 head endive, separated leaves 1 large radicchio, torn leaves 1 red pear, sliced 1/4 cup shaved Parmesan For the dressing combine the chopped shallot, Dijon and balsamic vinegar in a large mixing bowl.

Slowly drizzle in the olive oil while you whisk to emulsify. Add the maple syrup and season to taste with salt and pepper.

Assemble the salad by tossing greens and pear slices in the large mixing bowl with the maple-balsamic dressing. Top with shaved Parmesan

Red Wine Poached Pears This, my favorite fall dessert, is elegant, easy and a flawless harmony of sweet, yet slightly spicy, flavors. All you do is peel and core your pears and marinate them in this divine mixture of red wine, vanilla and cinnamon. The longer they soak, the bigger the flavor. I like to let mine sit in the mixture for a few more minutes than called for to really let those flavors infuse.

These pears will dazzle your guests and provide the perfect ending for any meal.

4-6 peeled, cored pears (Bosc) 1 1/2 cups red wine (Merlot, Burgundy) 3/4 cup granulated sugar 2 tablespoons lemon juice 2 teaspoons vanilla 2 teaspoons cinnamon Combine all ingredients except pears and bring

to a boil. Once boiling, turn down to a simmer and add the pears; simmer 15-20 minutes. Turn the pears and simmer for an additional 20 minutes until tender and easily poked through with a fork. Remove pears and cool. Boil the remaining wine mixture until liquid is reduced by half. Pour over pears and serve.

Butternut Squash Soup Grab a spoon and dig into this delicious, savory, autumnal butternut squash soup. It makes for a warm, creamy and satisfying meal, something we all look forward to on a cool autumn night. Season this soup with nutmeg to add that nutty, spicy flavor. Add a dollop of sour cream and enjoy!

1 (2 to 3 pound) butternut squash, peeled and

seeded 2 tablespoons unsalted butter 1 medium onion, chopped 6 cups chicken stock Nutmeg Salt Freshly ground black pepper Cut squash into 1-inch chunks. In large pot melt butter. Add onion and cook until translucent... about 8 minutes. Add squash and stock. Bring to a boil then simmer and cook until squash is tender...about 20 to 25 minutes. Remove squash chunks with slotted spoon, place in a blender and puree. Return blended squash to pot. Stir and season with nutmeg, salt, and pepper.

Old J.W. Medium Market Basket ca. 1930’s

J.W. Longaberger

Thin Pear Tart No floured surfaces or rolling pins required here.The buttery crust, pears tossed in brandy and sugar and a nice dusting of cinnamon gives this tart a unique hint of flavor that keeps you asking for more.

2 ounces cream cheese 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temp 1/2 cup all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting 1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon plus 1 1/2 teaspoons sugar 1/8 teaspoon salt 2 tablespoons lemon juice 2 tablespoons brandy 1 ripe, firm, Bosc, Red or Bartlett pear 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Combine cream cheese and butter in a food processor. Add flour, 1/4 cup sugar, and salt, process until combined. Dough will be slightly sticky. Turn dough out onto prepared baking sheet. With lightly floured fingers, pat dough out into a flat 8-inch circle. In medium bowl, combine 1/4 cup sugar with lemon juice and brandy. Halve pear lengthwise; core; leave skin on. Cut lengthwise into 1/4-inch-thick slices; transfer to lemon-juice mixture; coat well. Place slices in strainer to drain liquid. Arrange lengthwise around border of dough, overlapping slightly.

Arrange remaining slices in center. Sprinkle tart with remaining 1 1/2 tablespoons sugar.

Dust pears with cinnamon. Bake until golden, 25 to 30 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.

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OUTSTANDING IN THE FIELD

BY: HILLARY LEWIS | PHOTOS: OUTSTANDING IN THE FIELD FOLK | 167 | 2012

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In the late 1990’s Jim Denevan, a California chef, began including the names of farmers on the menus in the restaurant he worked in.

He was using local ingredients and visiting farmers markets on a regular basis. The culinary creativity involved with using local, fresh ingredients intrigued him. He soon realized that printing the farmer’s name on a menu was one thing, but incorporating them into the meal and having them share their story would bring the meal to a whole new level.

Jim wanted to see a change in culture and the way things were done. He did not believe farmers were given enough credit for their work and in 1998 Jim began a series of dinners at the Gabriela Café in Santa Cruz, California. Here he created a meal using ingredients from one farm and invited the farmer to come in and share his/her story, stimulating interest with diners and creating the foundation for Outstanding in the Field.

In the Syracuse Mountains, on an organic farm owned by his oldest brother, Jim realized just what needed to be done.

Among 80-year-old heirloom apple trees, Jim decided to try taking the table right out to the farm. The first Outstanding in the Field event, which Jim admits was pretty magical, was held in 1999 on Mariquita Farm. Diners brought their own plates and enjoyed the story of farmer Andrew Griffin. Outstanding in the Field hosted three events that year and two events the next year. They bought a classic 1953 flexible bus and began to tour the state of California hosting dinners along the way with the idea that if people saw the table they would be inspired.

The core philosophy of the foundation is simple. Outstanding in the Field equals exceptionally good chefs serving a dinner made from local ingredients straight from the field. The visual beauty and story associated with each farm play into the selection of an event’s location. Since the first dinner, Jim and his team have hosted dinner events in 45 states and 11 countries.

Jim admits that while on tour it is always fun to figure out where the table might go. As a child he always wanted to be a weather man.

The chance of rain and wind greatly affect the table location and for a few moments at each event he has the opportunity to pretend to be the weather man he always dreamed of being. He loves the challenges of the road, the things you do not expect, and the opportunity to find solutions to obstacles as they arise.

Although he loves traveling the country and experiencing all of the different cultures, he notes that he particularly enjoys the Midwest and Southern regions where people seem to really be able to soak up the moment.

When asked about his favorite meals from a culinary perspective he notes it is hard to not immediately think of the more recent ones he can still taste. One of his yearly favorites is the event hosted at Sassy Cow Creamery (ran by the Baerwolf family) in Columbus, Wisconsin. Here, guest chef Tory Miller of L’Etoile & Graze (in Madison, Wisconsin) lives in the moment refusing to repeat a meal from year to year.

For those interested in hosting their own farm to table dinner event for friends and family,

Jim has several recommendations. First and foremost, have fun with the research. Visit your local farmers market and get to know the farmers. Ask if you can visit their farms and bring your own sensibility to the dinner plans. Jim eagerly states how fun it is to celebrate the local food all at one table and encourages everyone to host their own ‘Outstanding in Our Yard’ dinner event.

When on tour Jim and his team enjoy immersing themselves into the communities they visit. He loves improving with local musicians and states that they make an effort to visit the guest chef’s restaurant as much as possible. They love searching for great baked goods and occasionally act as regular tourists, visiting sights such as the Carlsbad Caverns in New Mexico and the Empire State Building in New York.

When not on the road you will find Jim immersed in art, creating temporary drawings out of sand, earth, and ice. To view some of Jim’s amazing drawings visit: JimDenevan.com.

For more information about Outstanding in the Field please visit: outstandinginthefield.com. Here you can follow along with the remainder of the 2012 North American Tour; can learn about the farmers, artisans, and chefs that make it all happen; and can purchase tickets for events near you!

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ARTISAN DIRECTORY Urban Farmhouse

Tippy Stockton Jewelry

A marriage of timeworn vintage finds and irresistible new classics for your home. myurbanfarmhouse.com urbanfarmhouse.blogspot.com One North Main St. Thornville, OH 43076 ____________________________

Vintage and modern, feminine and fun, affordable and well made jewelry for all women. www.tippystockton.com (425) 359-8555 tippystockton@aol.com ____________________________

Lucky 7 Design

Susie’s Corner

Eco Friendly Home Interiors & Gifts Vintage-Handmade-SalvageRecycled Art, Furniture & Accessories Lucky7Design@yahoo.com mylucky7design.blogspot.com

“All manner of marvelous things you don’t yet know you need.”

Antiques-Collectibles-Oddities susiescorner.net or on facebook at “Susie’s Corner”

76 Main St., Woodbridge, NJ 07095

(732) 750-1777 ____________________________

Duct Tape And Denim Upcycled vintage jewelry: Tutus for Your Wrist, Road Trip Necklaces, & more.

DuctTapeAndDenim.com ____________________________

Christopher Gurshin New England Paintings and Folk Art Quality and Distinction since 1966 1313 Main St., Glastonbury, CT 06033

(860) 633-7707 chris@christophergurshin.com ____________________________

Crows in the Attic Primitives A variety of primitive and extreme prim dolls and critters, smalls and needfuls, everyday and holiday.

Handmade in the USA. Wholesale to qualified businesses. theheadcrow@aol.com crowsintheatticprimitives.blogspot.com

crowsintheatticprimitives.com

948 Cedar St., Edmonds WA 98020

susiescornermomence@yahoo.com

________________________ Sweet Harvest Farms All natural and luxurious handmade bath and body sundries.

Wholesale inquiries welcome.

Cynthia Young-Jennings, Proprietor sweetharvestfarms.com sweetharvestfarms@verizon.net (813) 244-6025 ____________________________

Gathering Better Junque Salvaged Gift, Garden & Home.

211 W. Sycamore St. Willows, CA 95988 (530) 934--3664 gatheringjunque@att.net ____________________________

CCreech Studio

Creations by artist Carol F. Creech, including jewelry and bookmarks made from semi-precious gemstone and stone beads, botanical and nature drawings, and hand-bound books and journals.

carol@ccreechstudio.com ccreechstudio.com etsy.com/shop/ccreechstudio FOLK | 134 | 2012

Mon Reve’ and Co.

Wearing what you love is a reflection of who you are! Mon Reve’ and Co. is here to help you discover that amazing and extraordinary find!

monreveandco@gmail.com monreveandco.blogspot.com etsy.com/shop/MonReveandCo ____________________________

The Hayloft Barn Sale

Sneak Peak October 18th 4pm-7pm ($10 admission) October 19th and 20th 10am-6pm Something special for everyone! Antique, Vintage, Hand-made.

Vendor Contact: Shirley Thomas thehayloftatportroyal@gmail.com

551 Port Royal Road, Clarksville, TN 37040 ____________________________

The Depot at Gibson Mill

The Largest Antique Mall in the South 88,000 sq feet with over 600 Booths Antiques, Vintage, Chippy, Farmhouse, Good Junk!

depotgibsonmill.com 704-787-9351 Follow us on Facebook: The Depot ____________________________

Woodland Primitives

Primitive fabric folk art, sewing needfuls. Wholesale inquiries welcome

www.woodlandprimitives.com woodlandprimitives@yahoo.com ____________________________

Shambora Studios Offering ReLoved antiquities, painted furniture, home decor and adornments for you and your vintage inspired home.

Noblesville, IN jaslines@comcast.net shamborastudios.blogspot.com

ARTISAN DIRECTORY Prairie Primitives Folk Art

Fawn Run Farm Mercantile

The Rusty Rooster

Primitive dolls, hearts, stars and more handmade in Northern California.

PrairiePrimitives.etsy.com

Folk art, primitives, antiques, and more.

Folk artist/owner Marcy Dailey. Open 1st weekend of each month.

3883 E. 700 N. Rolling Prairie, IN

211 N. Range Ave. Denham Springs, LA 70726 (225) 667-1710 Owner Julie Guidry. From Rustic to Refined with Vintage, Architectural, Farmhouse and Shabby ____________________________

PrairiePrimitivesFolkArt@gmail.com

________________________

fawnrunprimitives.com ____________________________

Johanne Cassia

Little Luxuries of Mackinac Island

Johanne Cassia is a self taught folk artist and people often say they could walk right into her paintings. Johanne paints to capture the “history, traditions and spirit of America.”

Olde Ipswich Shop & Gallery Johanne Cassia, Folk Painter, Designer 83 County Road, Ipswich, MA 01938

(978)356-8838 jcassia@comcast.net

Little Luxuries of Mackinac is a little gift shop located on beautiful Mackinac Island.

info@littleluxuriesofmackinac.com

(989) 292-0558 7372-107 Main St., Mackinac Island, MI 49757 ____________________________

____________________________

Simple Folk Primitive and Folk Art Fiber Crafts and Other Simple Pleasures PO Box 407, Freeport, ME 04032

Fairytale-Stitches Custom Embroidery and Applique Textiles for children, adults, and home decor. etsy.com/shop/fairytalestitchesbou

(270) 232-5171

simplefolk.com info@simplefolk.com ____________________________

fairytalestitchesboutique@yahoo.com __________________________________

Curly Willow Collections

Primitive Folk Dolls and Needfuls. All handmade in the USA Wholesale inquiries are accepted

(desirable, PRETTY, inspire) art - cards - patterns curlywillowco.etsy.com facebook.com/curlywillowco ____________________________

Autumn JUNKFEST & FLEA MARKET Join treasure seekers of all kinds at North Dakotas premiere Flea Market and Junk Festival! A fairgrounds full of raw junky goods, salvage, modern handcrafts, garden art & repurposed items. Plan that roadtrip for September 8, 2012! Foster County Fairgrounds, Carrington North Dakota Vendor inquiries: Cassie 701-652-2412 General show info: Missy (hafner5@ daktel.com) or Lynette (701) 674-3281

Bittersweetfolkart

The Barn Woodshop Our intent is to make home furniture and accessories that warm the heart.

(574) 264-0322 thebarnwoodshop.etsy.com thebarnwoodshop@gmail ____________________________

The Spotted Hare

Mohair rabbits, bears and other characters, stitched in the traditional style with a bit of whimsy. by: Lori Ann Corelis

Lorianncorelis.blogspot.com Lorianncorelis@mac.com ____________________________

UrbanFarm Naturals, LLC Organic Body, Bath & more.

Handmade the Old-Fashioned Way. UrbanFarmNaturals.com UrbanFarmNaturals.Etsy.com (425) 42-8081 | Sales@UrbanFarmNaturals.com

bittersweetfolkart.com bittersweetfolkart@cox.net ____________________________

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Millstone Mercantile

Willow Creek Crossing

“Peddlin’ Antiques, Primitives and Needful Goods” Robin Harrison, Proprietress (434) 660-2143 ____________________________

Oakdale, PA 15071 (724) 693-0191 willowcreekcrossing.blogspot.com

Olde Tyme Marketplace

A prim/folk art/country shop situated on the bridge in “America’s Hometown” Oakdale, Pennsylvania. ____________________________

oldetymemarketplace.blogspot.com

To join our Artisan Directory please email Hillary at advertise.folk@gmail.com

Antiques,Vintage,Gifts and Good Junk. For the Farmhouse, Cottage and Cabin

oldetymemarketplace.etsy.com Beth Lewis (704) 942-6258 FOLK | 135 | 2012

FALL 2012

Fall is my favorite season. The three months simply don’t last long enough.

As the season arrives I encourage you to enjoy it to the fullest. Visit the local orchard, carve way too many pumpkins, eat too much Hallloween candy, decorate way too much, and enjoy dressing in the layers of the season.

Fall only comes once each year, don’t waste a day of it. Turn the page and enjoy all of it.

Join us in a couple months as we celebrate Christmas at home. You certainly won’t want to miss it.

—Ben

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A few of the businesses that are part of the FOLK family!