Mud & Magnolias February March 2015

February.

October. November March 2015 2013

&Magnolias

Mud

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Birmingham

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Tupelo: 1205 West Main 662•844•1205

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Contents

&Magnolias

Mud

pg. 15

pg. 25

pg. 29 pg. 64

Features Editor’s Letter pg. 8 Fast Food pg. 10 Soups are the perfect option for a cozy afternoon.

Home How-to pg. 21 Entertaining is made easier with this bar tray styling guide.

Hit the Road pg. 29 Chattanooga is a fairly short drive and the destination is well worth the effort.

Tallahatchie Gourmet • pg. 15

Doing It (Almost) Alone • pg. 25

Fact Sheet pg. 36 You’ve probably seen her around town because Melanie Deas is making her mark on Tupelo.

Charleston • pg. 32

In The Know pg. 64 Her pottery is unique and she has been recognized world-wide for it.

This local spot offers a variety of options which keeps customers coming back for more.

Buying a house in obvious need of some TLC was a task Megan Patton was willing to take on and she makes it look easy.

This South Carolina city offers something for the whole family.

Brian Dozier • pg. 41

From playing baseball at Itawamba Agricultural High School to playing in the professional league, this guy has maintained his down-to-earth style.

Birmingham • pg.47

In a matter of hours, north Mississippi residents can be exploring this city offering attractions new and old.

Bradley Gordon • pg.68

Drawing inspiration from his surroundings, this artist brings mudandmag.com special life to wild game through painting.

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Editor’s Letter

One thing I’ve come to realize when I travel is I’m so caught up in the act of traveling, I often forget to embrace the destination. Do you ever do this? For example, I become enamored with documenting the location and when the trip is over, I realize I didn’t stop to enjoy the adventure. With this realization came a New Year’s resolution: travel often and travel well.

Embrace the place you are visiting and experience it as the locals would. Another cause of this resolution is the increased value of my time. Working full-time with limited vacation and a basket full of obligations taking up most weekends leaves little free time. So when I happen upon a weekend with nothing on the agenda, I’m careful to spend my time wisely. We have covered three destinations. From personal experience, Birmingham has a little bit of everything. You can hit the typical tourist spots or you can explore cool, fairly hidden parts of the city. Local Blake Ells gives you a little of each in his story on page 47. For those times when travel is not on the agenda, but temps are low and staying in is possible, we have tasted and approved soup recipes to make things a little cozier (pg. 10). As spring approaches, baseball fans are sure to see Fulton-native Brian Dozier on the field playing for the Minnesota Twins (pg.41). When I called Brian for the first time and introduced myself, he acted as if we were old friends. He began telling me about his schedule which included a hunting trip, a bachelor trip and spring training. He is a professional baseball player breaking records, but his roots have grounded him and it’s refreshing. I’m not a follower of professional baseball, but now, I just might be a Twins fan because one guy on the team was nice to me (lesson: it pays to be nice, y’all). Whether you are hitting the road in the near future or enjoying home, this issue has you covered. Maybe you will get the urge to make renovations and Megan Patton can inspire you (pg.25). Or maybe you want to entertain and our guide on styling a bar tray adds a little something extra (pg.21). By the way, that bar tray has become a part of my home and I am obsessed. Special thanks to my friend Ginna Parsons, food editor at the Daily Journal, for making sure we covered all the necessities. She is what I would call an entertaining guru, made obvious by her home. With the holidays behind us, I hope all of you get the chance to slow down and embrace new experiences in the new year.

If you have any thoughts or concerns about this issue, please email me at editor@mudandmag.com.

On the Cover February.

October. November March 2015 2013

&Magnolias

Mud

My favorite: Cinque Terre The Color Tunnel in Birmingham There are two color tunnels. One is located on 14th Street (photographed) and one on 18th Street.

$3.99

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Birmingham

Chattanooga • Bradley Gordon Megan Patton’s Water Valley Home mudandmag.com

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Photo by Lauren Wood

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Cinque Terre, Italy is made up of five villages.

The one pictured is called Vernazza and I hiked to one of the highest points to get this view. Of all the places I’ve traveled, this is my favorite. You can easily travel to each of the villages and each is unique and quaint.

We didn’t have the time to hike to each so we took the train, but many visitors are drawn to the destination for the hiking adventure.

THE STAFF’S NEXT

TRAVEL DESTINATION

Mud

&Magnolias

1242 S Green St. Tupelo, MS 38804 662.842.2611

Editor-in-Chief Ellie Turner

Creative Director 2

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Photos by C. Todd Sherman, Lauren Wood and Thomas Wells

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1 • Ellie: I have some pretty big traveling plans in the works. I’m planning a trip to NYC and

Ignacio Murillo

Associate Editors Amy Speck Shannon Johnson Missha Rogers Leslie Criss Lauren Wood

Featured Sales Consultants

2 • Shannon: I’m going to the beach with my wonderful aunt.

Ricky Kimbrell Leigh Knox Kim Surber June Phillips Sandra Hendrix Shelley Ozbirn

3 • Amy: The main purpose of my next out-of-state trip is to go to an American Girl store.

Contributing Editors

also to Ireland, London or Italy. The international destination is up for debate, but if I get my way, Ireland should began preparing for my arrival.

Whether it will be in Chicago, Minneapolis, or Atlanta is yet to be decided. Then we will also enjoy whatever else the chosen city has to offer in the ways of sights to see and food to eat.

4 • Leslie: Because a new puppy will soon be added to the mix at my house, I don’t expect to be planning any exciting excursions in the near - or far - future. When travel is again a possibility, I hope to get to Charleston, South Carolina. It’s a place that’s long been on the list of places I want to visit.

5 • Missha: I’ll be going to Key West, Florida this summer.

6 • Lauren: My boyfriend Justin and I are heading to LA to visit my friend from high school at

David Hitt Sandra Knispel JB Clark Natalie Richardson Cathy Wood Ginny Miller Lindsay Mott

Contributing Photographers Ann-Marie Wyatt Adam Robison Thomas Wells

the beginning of March. I’m excited to eat some great food, see the ocean views and enjoy the beautiful Cali weather!

subscriptions@mudandmag.com advertising@mudandmag.com info@mudandmag.com mudandmag.com

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Warmth IN A BOWL

Crawfish Chowder 1 stick of butter 8 ounces cream cheese, softened 3/4 cup of all-purpose flour, sifted 1 cup of half-and-half 2 lbs. crawfish tails 2 cans of shoepeg corn 2 tablespoons of sugar 1/2 gallon of milk 1 3/4 tablespoons of creole seasoning 3 green onions, chopped 1/4 teaspoon of liquid crab boil 2 tablespoons of parsley Melt the butter and cream cheese in a soup pot over medium-low heat. Add flour and half-and-half, stirring slowly, but constant. Add other ingredients until well blended. Season to taste.

Photos by Lauren Wood

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Fast Food

Chicken, Dill and Orzo Soup 4 cups chicken broth 3 carrots, sliced 1 butternut squash, diced 1/2 cup orzo 1 1/2 cups shredded chicken salt and pepper to taste 2 tablespoons fresh dill, chopped Bring broth to a boil in a large saucepan.

Add the carrots, squash and orzo.

Simmer until tender, about 12 to 15 minutes. Stir in the chicken and salt and pepper. Simmer for 2 to 3 more minutes.

Sprinkle with dill before serving. mudandmag.com

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Gumbo 4 chicken thighs 2 chicken bone-in breasts 1/4 cup plus 3 tablespoons olive oil 1 tablespoon Cajun seasoning salt and pepper to taste 2 tablespoons of butter 1-1 1/2 8 ounce can(s) diced tomatoes (optional) 1 yellow onion, chopped 1 green bell pepper, seeded and chopped 1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped 2 ribs of celery, chopped 1 tablespoon minced garlic 1/3 cup all-purpose flour 3 cups chicken stock 1 cup andouille sausage, cut into about 1/2� slices 1 lb okra, trimmed and cut into about 1/2 inch slices, frozen okra can also be used 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Rub the chicken with 1 tablespoon of oil, and then rub with Cajun seasoning, salt and pepper. Bake for about 45 minutes.

Chicken will be very juicy but done.

Remove chicken, transfer to a plate and let cool for about 15 minutes. Pull chicken apart with a fork. Set aside.

In a large skillet, heat a tablespoon of oil and butter. Add the onion, bell peppers, and celery and saute over medium-high heat until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for about another minute. Set aside. In a medium-sized saucepan, over mediumhigh heat, warm the 1/4 cup of oil. Add the flour and cook, whisking frequently, until the mixture turns brown, about 5 minutes. Add the broth, raise the heat to high. Bring to a boil and cook, whisking constantly, until thickened, 5 to 7 minutes. Pour the broth mixture into a large pot, or Dutch oven. Add the chicken, the bell pepper mixture, sausage and tomatoes. Cover and cook on medium to medium-low heat for about 40 minutes. Add okra, cover again and continue to cook for about 15 minutes. Stir in garlic powder and cayenne pepper. Adjust any seasonings to your taste.

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© JPC - 2015

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TALLAHATCHIE GOURMET

Folks were complimentary when Angele Mueller prepared Wednesday night meals at First United Methodist Church in New Albany, so much so that the former PE teacher was encouraged to cook for a living.

By Ginny Miller

B

“

ack in 2002 is when I first started, but I was more of just a caterer back then,” said Mueller, whose church meals of chicken and wild rice, lasagna, and pork loin with vegetables grew into a full-time catering business she called Tallahatchie Gourmet.

“I had a small, little venue,” she said about the original business on Bankhead Street. “We sat about six people. We did some takeout, and from that it grew.”

Armed with a love of food and guided by an aunt who worked in St. Louis as a food consultant, it wasn’t long before

Mueller expanded the business to a full-time restaurant. She had a thriving lunch crowd and, after wine and liquor sales were approved by voters in 2013, has since added dinner service. Jeff Olson was instrumental in helping the restaurant through that process.

With seating for 80 and located at 119 W. Main St., Tallahatchie Gourmet is not far from the river for which it is named. It’s also more than 300 miles from Mueller’s native New Orleans, a city whose foods flavor the menu.

“I kind of lean toward New Orleans cuisine – shrimp, crawfish etouffee. We do a lot of poboys,” said Mueller, 49. “You

can take the girl out of New Orleans, but you can’t take New Orleans out of the girl.”

There are understated touches of New Orleans throughout the restaurant, whose front doors are emblazoned with two fleur-de-lis. The dining room is a crisp black, white, cream and gray that is accented by the occasional pink. A “Geaux Saints” sign pays homage to Mueller’s hometown professional football team, and a canvas in pastel tones depicts another fleur-de-lis along with the names of several in-demand dishes.

Longtime customer Judy Staten remembers when a grocery store used mudandmag.com

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to be on the downtown lot occupied by Tallahatchie Gourmet.

“I like the atmosphere here,” she said during dinner with her family in early January.

“This is a good place to visit. It’s just a fun place,” said Staten’s daughter, Jan Davis. “I like the flavor of the food. It’s consistent. The food is always very good.”

Staten’s grandson, Drew Davis, was too busy savoring his shrimp and grits to speak.

“Mmmmm,” was all he could say about the dish, one of Tallahatchie Gourmet’s most popular often mistaken as a product of New Orleans.

“It really originated in the Carolinas,” said Mueller, who tops creamy cheese grits with sauteed shrimp in a light beurre blanc sauce, then adds bacon, cheese and green onions.

Her restaurant also serves traditional Southern fare such as fried chicken, country fried steak and grilled pork chops. Daily blue plate specials come with a meat and one, two or three sides.

Vegetables offered include yams, roasted carrots, creamed corn, turnip greens and fried okra.

Ribeyes, filets and burgers beef up the 16

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menu. “TG Tacos” are loaded with fish, shrimp or fried oysters, and the grilled salmon is paired with wild rice and a wasabi au jus. The restaurant’s signature chicken salad has strawberries, pecans and poppyseed dressing, and chicken and sausage gumbo is an excellent warm-up on frigid days. There’s also a children’s menu.

Complementing the restaurant is the retail side of Tallahatchie Gourmet.

“We make all kinds of casseroles, dips and pies,” Mueller said.

Lynelle Ferrell works on filling the freezer and other cooking roles in the restaurant.

“I love her to death,” Ferrell said about her boss. “I’ve been with her ever since she opened. I do a little bit of everything.”

With all the varieties of casseroles she makes, Ferrell said it’s hard to name a favorite.

“All of them,” she said, pointing to the cooler at the back of the dining room. “I like the chicken and spinach enchilada.

I like the poppyseed chicken. I like the baked ziti, too.”

Using Mueller’s recipes, Ferrell also makes Tallahatchie Gourmet’s lasagna,

chicken and wild rice, chicken spaghetti, macaroni and cheese, squash casserole and hash brown casserole.

The frozen meals-to-go are a hit with customers.

“Just pop it in the oven,” she said.

Desserts including pecan, chess and lemon squares, as well as a variety of pound cakes that Ferrell said leave the cooler as quickly as they are stocked.

“They also love the salads,” Ferrell said.

“The poboys, they love them, too. They love the shrimp and grits.”

Ferrell and her co-workers, numbering about 30 in all, will continue to keep busy when Tallahatchie Gourmet expands once again, this time to accommodate the existing catering business.

“We’ve been in this location for about five years,” Mueller said. “I actually have re-rented my old place and I am building a kitchen in there.”

She said the larger catering operation should be up and running in about a month. M

Lunch Date

Angele Mueller owns and operates Tallahatichie Gourmet in New Albany, Mississippi. Photos by Thomas Wells.

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How-To Home

HOW TO STYLE A BAR TRAY ALCOHOL/MIXERS Make sure to have a good variety for guests. A good rule of thumb is to have dark liquor, light liquor and wine.

Airplane bottles are convenient to add options without occupying much space.

GLASSWEAR In an attempt to accommodate drink choices, variety is needed here, too.

Wine glasses, low ball whiskey glasses and shot glasses will usually suffice, but keep an eye out for fun glasses to add to your collection.

BOOKS & KNICKKNACKS These items are fun and add color and personality to your arrangement.

Cocktail recipe books, artwork and flowers are an easy addition.

SHAKER This is a necessity for mixed drinks and finding one at an affordable price is very doable.

COASTERS, NAPKINS & STRAWS These aren’t necessities, but they add a nice touch. This is another area to let your personality and style shine.

LEMONS & LIMES These add color and freshness to any tray. And they are usable in most mixed drinks.

Photo by Lauren Wood

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M& M New Albany Shop

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(December 4-6, 2015) 3 Days Price Per Person Traditional: Single $1015.00, Double $735.00, Triple $645.00, Quad $595.00 Price Per Person Premium: Single $1160.00, Double $810.00, Triple $690.00, Quad $635.00

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DOING IT (ALMOST)

ALONE

By Sandra Knispel

Megan Kingery Patton bought the turn-of-the-century white clapboard house with the wrap-around porch in Water Valley exactly one day before her first date with her future husband Matt. That was nearly eight years ago in March 2007.

With a bachelor’s degree in Fine Arts from the University of Mississippi, the now 37-year-old is an artist at heart – an accomplished painter, hand quilter, home fixer upper – and a restaurant manager in Oxford, by necessity.

F

or Patton, buying the house at 304 Panola Street was simply a gut reaction, nothing that was preceded by a long, meticulous search. Things simply fell into place.

“For some reason I was flipping through channels and happened to

watch the local real estate channel.

That’s where I saw the house,” Patton recalls. “I thought it was awesome.”

Economically, it made sense to buy in less expensive Water Valley versus continuing to rent in pricier Oxford.

Later that day on her way home from visiting her best friend in Water Valley

she drove past the house. It was dark outside but Patton knew immediately, ‘Oh my god, that’s my house!”

That was it. She never even looked at another option.

Originally built in 1908, the socalled Early American Colonial was in decent structural shape but needed a mudandmag.com

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lot of TLC and someone ready to lay bare its bones, hidden under layers of unattractive upgrades from the 1960s and ‘70s.

With a little cash, a ready hammer, and a truckload of determination, Patton began by prying up carpet and pressboard to reveal, some two inches below, solid hardwood floors.

“I chiseled the nails out. Probably thousands of them,” Patton says. Then came the sanding and staining of the dark wood. It was well worth it.

Next, Patton pulled down ‘70s-style ceiling sound tiles in several rooms.

Hidden under a layer of burlaplike material, and another of dingy wallpaper with an indistinct floral pattern, she found original bead board ceilings.

In the living room, surrounded by transom windows, she pointed and painted the brickwork on the original coal-burning fireplace that had been boarded up. A previous owner had 26

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simply mounted a gas space heater to the outside of the board in a way “so ugly it was really disturbing,” Patton remembers. Her first major expense was the professional installation of central air and heating throughout the house.

Yet more fireplaces remain hidden under plaster walls, six in total. None are in working order, the chimneys all capped in the attic with the exception of one that Patton fears might fall prey to the next big storm.

At some point, she may dig out another fireplace, for decorative purposes only, or decide to tear off the white wood paneling in the living room to expose the original plaster wall. She hasn’t decided yet which archeological excavation to undertake next. Sometimes she just peeks and decides to let things be.

Like the flooring in the second bathroom. The bathroom came with an old, cast iron bathtub standing on

dirty gray vinyl. She loved the claw foot original and scrubbed and scraped the vinyl floor clean before giving it a fresh (and inexpensive) start with a neutral, sandy shade of oil paint.

Not everyone in the household is into remodeling though. Husband Matt Patton, 38, a professional musician, is often on tour with his band, Drive-By Truckers, an alternative country and Southern rock band, based in Athens, Georgia.

“Home repair is not his thing,” his wife allows. Nevertheless, Matt and his father-in-law created a classic built-in bookshelf that reaches all the way to the ceiling in the roomy center hallway, which doubles as a study and computer workspace.

But mostly it’s just Patton puttering around by herself. Matt makes up for it by cooking dinners, she says. “I hate cooking. He’s great at it.”

Though she lived alone in the house for several years until six months into

her marriage, the home has family written all over it. The 11-foot walls provide a perfect gallery space for her artwork and that of artist friends.

Family members are a recurring motif in her paintings. Leaning against the wall in the back corridor is a rendering of her father as a little boy with a fishing rod in hand. Her late mother’s image greets visitors immediately in the foyer. Patton’s mom, Mary Kingery, had died unexpectedly in her sleep when Megan was only 14 years old. Patton’s art reflects that loss, trying to hold on to the memories before they fade.

Last month, neighbors hung a burlap door hanger in the shape of a baby carriage on her front door. After years of trying to conceive, one expensive and ultimately failed attempt at in vitro fertilization (IVF), and one failed adoption – the Pattons brought home a newborn in December, adopted across state lines from Memphis.

For years, Patton had dreamed of decorating one particular room in the heart of their home, right next to their own bedroom. While the adoption process chugged along, she had moved her own sewing and quilting room into a smaller space in the back of the winding house, full of nooks and crannies.

“I’ve been dreaming for that room to be a nursery for so long. Now it finally is,” she says with a smile.

While the couple waited to be picked by a birth-mom, Patton hand-sewed a quilt she aptly called her “waiting quilt,” now proudly displayed on the wall above the crib.

Not knowing whether the future baby would be a boy or girl, Patton decided to change the wall color from a subtle pink to a more general aqua blue, just in case.

She need not have bothered. Twomonth-old Hazel Sue would have fared well in either color scheme.

“There’s so much I still want to do, but it takes time and money,” Patton sighs.

Like installing a more periodappropriate tin roof and having the porcelain in the old bathtub refinished. Also on Patton’s to-do-list are several walls to rid of paneling, and more floors that need stripping and refinishing, a messy job that is not going to happen anytime soon with an infant in the house.

But first, Patton says, she needs to do some serious babyproofing, a task made more urgent by shelves crowded with breakable knickknacks like nearly 70 salt and pepper shakers, which she collects.

“Maybe I’ll continue once she’s off to college,” Patton says, laughing. M

One Man Show

Megan Patton bought a home in Water Valley and tackled the renovations head on.

Photos by Adam Robison.

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20 Years Experience

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Hit The Road

Hunter Museum of Art

Chickamauga and Chattanooga Military Park

Chattanooga Choo Choo

Ruby Falls

Bluff View Art District

Incline Railroad

C h a t ta n o og a

Looking for a fun family getaway? Consider Chattanooga, Tennessee.

A four-and-a-half-hour drive from Tupelo, the “Scenic City� is a lively destination with history, shopping, art, music, mountain scenery, sports, food, iconic tourist attractions and world-class outdoor recreation.

By Cathy Wood

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Riverbend Music Festival

S

tart planning at the Chattanooga Convention & Visitors Bureau, www. chattanoogafun.com, (800) 322-3344 or 736 Market Street, 18th Floor, Chattanooga, TN 37402, then incorporate these suggestions into your itinerary: History Chattanooga’s strategic location as a gateway to the Deep South with access to river and rail transportation made it a key site during the Civil War. Today, the Chickamauga & Chattanooga National Military Park, www.nps.gov/chch, preserves the 1863 Lookout Mountain and Missionary Ridge battlefields. Point Park Battlefield, atop Lookout Mountain and site of “The Battle Above the Clouds,” is part of the park.

Chattanooga was immortalized as a train town in the 1941 song “Chattanooga Choo Choo,” when most passenger trains heading south passed through the city. At the restored Terminal Station downtown, www. choochoo.com, the Chattanooga Choo Choo Hotel is a 24-acre complex with an antique trolley ride, model railroad museum and sleeper cars doubling as hotel rooms.

Or book your own train ride with the Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum, www. tvrail.com, which operates restored vintage trains on more than 100 miles of track.

Attractions The Tennessee Aquarium, www.tnaqua. org, is a visitor favorite. Perched on the banks of the Tennessee River, it offers a fascinating look at the natural world for all ages. Touch a stingray, feed a seahorse, help with a butterfly release – each day has a full schedule of interactive programs and open exhibits. Plus, the aquarium staff is friendly and helpful. This is a not-to-be-missed family experience.

Chattanooga is home to three classic tourist sites that have attracted visitors for more than 100 years. First up – literally – is the Incline Railroad, www.ridetheincline.

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com. One of the world’s steepest passenger railways, it was built in 1895 so tourists could bypass the arduous four-hour buggy ride up Lookout Mountain, a destination even then for history and natural beauty. Today the 30-minute round-trip is from Chattanooga’s St. Elmo neighborhood to the top of Lookout Mountain and back again. Next is Rock City, www.seerockcity.com, which opened in 1932 when Garnet Carter realized folks would pay to tour his wife’s lovingly created mountaintop rock garden. Trails lead through ancient rock formations, hundreds of species of flowers and plants and, of course, the spot where you can “see seven states.” And no Chattanooga visit is complete without visiting Ruby Falls, www. rubyfalls.com. The 145-foot underground waterfall has been open to the public for about 80 years.

Art and Music The Hunter Museum of American Art, www.huntermuseum.org, includes painting, glass, photographs, sculpture, furniture and more from Colonial to contemporary. Atop an 80-foot river bluff, the Hunter offers stunning views. It also anchors the Bluff View Art District, www. bluffviewartdistrict.com, two blocks packed with galleries and art stores. For an urban vibe, head to Southside, a few streets away, where innovative artists have transformed an abandoned commercial district into a creative hub.

With its affinity for all things outdoors, Chattanooga naturally hosts top outdoor music festival Riverbend, www.riverbendfestival.com, set for June 5-13 this year. For free summer-weekend performances, check out Nightfall, nightfallchattanooga.com, and Riverfront Nights, www.riverfrontnights.com.

Sports and Outdoors Chattanooga is an outdoors town with opportunities for dozens of family adventures – hiking, biking, fishing, disc golf, hang-gliding, boating, rock climbing, paintball, ziplines, camping, caving, rafting, canoeing, tennis, golf,

Rock City

stand-up paddleboarding, horseback riding, mountain biking, backpacking, skeet shooting and more. Visit Outdoor Chattanooga, www.outdoorchattanooga. com, for details.

Rather cheer somebody else on? The Chattanooga Lookouts, a minor league baseball team and affiliate of the Minnesota Twins, play to an always enthusiastic crowd.

Visit www.milb.com for the 2015 schedule.

Shopping and Food The heart of Chattanooga’s downtown offers two main shopping and eating areas – Warehouse Row, www.warehouserow. net, where revitalized industrial space now houses a mix of local artisans and national retailers; and Midtown between Market and Broad streets, home of everything from decades-old lunch counters and barbershops to high-end tailors and upscale eateries. Don’t miss sister restaurants St. John’s and The Meeting Place, www. stjohnsmeetingplace.com, for fresh local dishes and Rembrandts Coffee House and the Bluff View Bakery, www. rembrandtscoffeehouse.net, for homemade breads and pastries (grab the chocolate bread when you can – it sells out fast).

From downtown, walk across the Walnut Street Bridge to the eclectic NorthShore neighborhood, http://www. northshorechattanooga.com. Stop to relax and ride a restored antique carousel in Coolidge Park. Then stroll along Frazier Avenue for local art, bookstores, boutiques and coffee shops. Wander over to Renaissance Park and Manufacturers Road for more antiques, home décor and clothing shops. Must-eat destinations include Aretha Frankenstein’s, www.arethas.com, for the best breakfast ever; Good Dog, eatatgooddog.com, for deliciously creative hotdogs; Stone Cup Café, stonecupcafe. com, for fresh roasted coffee; and Julie Darling Donuts, www.jddonuts.com, for inventive flavors. M Photos courtesy of Chattanooga Convention and Visitors Bureau.

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Rainbow Row

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Edmonston Alston House

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CHARLESTON

Charleston, South Carolina, is a city that combines the old and the new. The historic homes with their interesting tales sit one street over from modern restaurants and boutiques, some inside historic buildings in their own right. This balance of modern and historic gives this town a very particular and wonderful flair.

By Lindsay Mott

I met up with an old friend in Charleston to celebrate her 30th birthday. She has a goal to visit all 50 states, and Charleston was her destination of choice in South Carolina.

Charleston was settled in 1670 and is home to some amazing homes with some amazing histories.

We discovered the best way to see these is to get the Charleston Heritage Passport at the Charleston Visitor Center, which gives you access to a number of historic, architectural, and cultural sites. These included the AikenRhett House, The Charleston Museum, the Joseph Manigault House, the Gibbes Museum of Art, the Heyward Washington House, the Nathaniel Russell House, the Edmondston-Alston House, and Middleton Place and Drayton Hall plantation homes.

The two plantation homes are a little drive from downtown and are set on amazing plots of land with lavish gardens, graveyards, waterfront settings and more. Middleton Place sits right on the Ashley River with two Butterfly Lakes set in America’s oldest landscaped gardens designed with geometry and symmetry in mind.

The remaining sites are clustered with a few at one end of the downtown area near the Visitor Center and a few at the other. We discovered this was the perfect opportunity to walk through the middle of town and view the amazing architecture, shops, homes, and more along the way.

As you visit each of the homes on the Passport, tour guides walk you through the history of the city, state, house, and the families that lived there.

They tell of how life would have been at the time, what went into keeping the house running, lavish parties and celebrity guests, and how they are working to restore and preserve these homes moving forward. Many, like the Heyward Washington House, have beautiful garden areas as well as the beautiful décor and furnishings, and more than one, like the Joseph Manigault house, have breathtaking spiral staircases.

The Charleston Museum has interesting artifacts from all eras of the city’s history, including an old coffee grinder, clothing, signs, art, and artifacts from war.

King Street is home to a lot of

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Drayton Hall

shopping and restaurants. Just a few blocks over on Church Street, we saw some of the largest houses I’ve ever seen. Some are old and some are new, but the columns, and multi-level, houselength porches are breathtaking. We discovered many beautiful sites on our own during our times on these streets.

At the very tip of Charleston, you can enjoy the waterfront view and see Fort Sumter in the Charleston Harbor. Then, take the walk up Bay Street and admire the water front homes and Rainbow Row on your way to The Rooftop at Vendue Inn. Rainbow Row is a set of colorful row homes that were built in the mid-18th century and is one of the most famous architectural landmarks in Charleston.

The Rooftop is a multi-leveled, rooftop bar with an amazing view of the city and a beautiful place to see a sunset or storm roll in. The Vendue Inn would also be a wonderful place to stay with easy access to the historic section and the restaurants, shopping, and nightlife on Bay Street.

The Charleston City Market is Charleston’s No. 1 Most Visited Attraction and is home to more than 300 vibrant entrepreneurs in one of the nation’s oldest public markets. Vendors come and sell their wares and much of it is handmade.

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than 50 sweetgrass basket artists.

This Charleston tradition is one of the oldest handcrafts of African origin in the United States, and the hand-woven baskets that were used to separate the rice seed from its chaff are now among the nation’s most prized cultural souvenirs. The surrounding market neighborhood is full of hotels, restaurants, specialty shops, and walking and carriage tours to give a full Charleston experience all in one spot.

As far as food goes, Charleston is home to some truly amazing Southern cuisine. Poogan’s Porch offers a decadent Southern menu and was voted the Best Grits in Lowcountry.

They offer fried chicken, fried green tomatoes, a cast iron pork shop, chicken and dumplings and more in a Victorian home built in 1888. Be sure to indulge in the breadbasket for the best biscuit you’ll ever have (it was for me) and honey butter. Their products are farm to table and grown in South Carolina, and they also offer a 1,500-bottle, state-of-the art wine cellar.

High Cotton is another establishment using local ingredients, and they emphasize handpicked ingredients and the knowledge of their staff. With a remarkable wine and cocktail program and Southern dishes, High Cotton needs to be on your reservation list in Charleston. Begin

with buttermilk fried oysters, then move to a pan-roasted grouper, High Cotton shrimp and grits, or a steak with a side of sweet potato and celery root hash, or squash and goat cheese casserole.

For more laid back or family dining visit the Southend Brewery and Smokehouse for some fine Southern barbecue and beer that’s brewed inhouse. The brewing area is in the center of the multi-level restaurant, giving a cool view of the brewing process from all sides. There’s also Monza, an Italian restaurant on King Street that serves Neapolitan-style pizzas baked at 1,000 degrees in a wood-fired oven for a thin, crispy crust and fresh pastas including their famous lasagna.

I visited Charleston to see my friend, celebrate her birthday, and help scratch an item off her bucket list, but I came away pleasantly thrilled with my experience in the city. The houses were breathtaking and charming, and I loved the different styles mixed so close together. Conde Nast has ranked Charleston as the No. 1 U.S. city for four years in a row and it’s easy to see why. M Photos courtesy of Charleston Convention and Vistitor’s Bureau.

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Fact Sheet

Q & A

MELANIE DEAS A Tupelo native with many experiences under her belt, this lady has what it takes to keep the art and entertainment scene relevant.

Photo by Lauren Wood

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How long have you lived here?

I lived here the first 17 years of my life, then I moved away to college and never planned to come back. Never say never, I guess. This month I’ve been back in Tupelo 8 years.

What is the theme song of your life?

For years it has been “Vienna” by Billy Joel, but lately I’m feeling a little older and singing “The Show Must Go On” by Queen.

What is your all-time favorite movie?

The Philadelphia Story. Cary Grant and Katherine Hepburn!

What do you do to relieve stress?

I go drink coffee with friends. I’m not saying that I experience a lot of stress, but I will say that all the staff at Starbucks know my “usual.”

If you could be any animal, what would you be and why?

I would love to be one of my cats.

They live so much better than I do!

What is the last book you read?

Blindspot: Hidden Biases of Good People by Mahazarin R. Banaji and Anthony G. Greenwald What brought you to your current profession?

I’ve always worked in the arts or education in some form. When Link Centre approached me, I was working fulltime for a university in Boston planning board meetings and international travel and freelancing as an arts manager. I wanted to do something a little more meaningful, but I wasn’t really interested in leaving the city. The Link board persuaded me to move home and try to make Tupelo more of a place I would want to live.

Eight-years later I’m still working on it--but I’m still here trying to make some sort of a difference.

What advice would you give to your 23-year-old self ?

It will all work out. Relax a little and enjoy the journey.

What’s your guilty pleasure?

Indian food! I was so sad to see both our local restaurants close. When I was in India they classified food as “veg” and “non-veg;” it was great to be in a culture that considers vegetarians as the norm.

What’s the process of booking performances at Link Centre?

How do you decide?

We have a wonderful committee that seeks out the highest quality local and regional talent for our monthly concert series. We get recommendations from all over and we work to select artists that bring something special to our stage. I have met some excellent new friends through our programs. Each year we invite at least one nationally recognized artist for a residency. This year we have Asia Rainey, an amazing spoken-word teaching artist and actor from New Orleans. She will be in Tupelo for two weeks and will work with students at the middle school, high school, Boys and Girls Club, Police Athletic League, Girl Scouts, and other members of the community.

We are always open to suggestions, so let us know who you want to see perform at Link.

What’s the most memorable show/act/performance to come through the Link Centre in your opinion?

I have experienced so many special moments at Link Centre that it

is almost impossible to pick just one. But one of my favorite recent moments was a perfect encapsulation of what I think Link Centre is all about: In November we once again hosted the Tupelo Arts Showcase, an evening that brings a variety of visual and performing arts to the Concert Hall. That same evening the Link Centre courtyard was the location for Tupelo’s new “Secret Art” pop-up art show. At one point during the evening I was heading outside to check on the artists there. As I rounded the corner I met a gaggle of young ballerinas, all in their white tutus, faces pressed up against the glass and looking out through the backstage door at the fire and the art and the people gathered there. In the background, the sound of the blues drifted from the stage. Art meeting art, artists meeting artists, with everyone welcome. That’s Link.

Are there challenges you face with Tupelo’s entertainment scene?

Tupelo is incredibly fortunate to have so many entertainment options for such a relatively small community, just look at the wide variety of the events we have featured during just the one weekend of the now annual Art Rocks Tupelo! Unfortunately, I think people take these opportunities for granted. People are always telling me how impressed they are with how much is going on around here and how they “hope to get to a performance one day soon.” What they don’t seem to realize is that if the community doesn’t support our artists and arts organizations now, we won’t be here later. So don’t keep putting it off; get out and enjoy some local entertainment today!

What’s your favorite thing about the South?

Although I have always appreciated our strong history of writers and storytelling, I used to say my favorite thing about the South was being FROM it. Now that I’ve come back as an adult, I can appreciate the warmth and hospitality of the people more than I did when I was younger.

Then I was sure people were just trying to keep track of me so they could tell my parents where I was and what I was doing. Now I KNOW that’s what they’re doing, and I don’t mind.

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AP Photo

BRIAN

DOZIER

S

Brian Dozier’s stock is on the rise now that he is etching his name in the Minnesota Twins record books, but when he talks about it, he does like any Fulton, Mississippi, native would: humbly.

By JB Clark

eason of Success He was one of few Major League Baseball players last year to hit 20 home runs while stealing 20 bases (a testament to combined speed and power) and was the first Minnesota Twin to do so since Torii Hunter in 2004.

Dozier also finished the season with 112 runs scored, five short of Chuck Knoblauch’s Minnesota Twins record for most runs in a season.

His hard work and success were awarded at the All-Star break when Dozier was selected as a member of the American League Home Run Derby team.

“Leading up to it, a few days before the derby, I heard some rumblings that I might be chosen,” Dozier recalled. “It kept getting closer, and I hadn’t heard anything, so I thought maybe the chance fell through. Then Jose Bautista called me and asked if I would do it.”

Dozier said since the All-Star Game and Home Run Derby

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AP Photo

were being played in Minnesota, the fans appreciated having a home-town representative. Dozier chose his older brother Clay, who pitched to him as a kid, to be his pitcher during the derby.

“It was pretty special to be honest,” Dozier said. “I know the fans appreciated it and I enjoyed it more than the fans.”

Humble Roots In conversation with Dozier, he doesn’t bring up the factor - or even give the impression - that he led his Major League Baseball team in home runs, hits and runs scored last year. In fact, he shies away from any similar line of questioning. He’s proud for sure, and excited to go to work on a baseball field, but he is much more likely to talk about his team’s overall effort, his faith, his family and hunting.

His low-key approach to his growing fame comes straight from the place he was raised.

“There is nothing compared to coming back to Fulton and seeing 42

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everyone who supported me along the way,” Dozier said. “I feel like Fulton is where everyone knows everyone, so when I go back it’s usually not so much baseball questions I get. I mean, everyone likes to hear how the season went, but it’s more than that - they also talk to me about life and my family.”

Dozier learned to be a team player in Fulton, with his father coaching him and his brother through little league before he moved on to Brian Long’s Itawamba Agricultural High School team.

In college, he played for an underdog University of Southern Mississippi Golden Eagles team, which fought its way to the 2009 College World Series.

“I come from blue-collar organizations - in high school and at Southern Miss,” Dozier said. “I feel like the Twins are the exact same way. We’re teamoriented, and even though I’ve achieved some things this past year, we’ve been a losing team and that’s the biggest thing I’m looking for - to get back on that winning track.”

Keeping the Faith Dozier’s small-town, family roots also instilled in him a strong sense of faith.

He has the opportunity to negotiate for a legitimate Major League contract when he becomes arbitration eligible after this season, a stage most baseball players entering the minor leagues never achieve. As the biggest year in his baseball career approaches and along with it questions about contract extensions or increased salary, Dozier said his biggest concern is his faith.

“I don’t put too much pressure on myself to look ahead,” he said. “I feel like the biggest thing in my life is my faith, and that plays into my thinking and decision-making, and how I go about my business on and off my field.

As long as I have that in line, everything else will take care of itself.”

Dozier and his wife Reneé just spent the first part of 2015 (and their first wedding anniversary) in Nicaragua building a school with Amigos for Christ, an organization that is close to their hearts.

AP Photo

“My wife and I, before we got married in January of last year, wanted to take a mission trip together and decided to dig trenches for a clean water system in Nicaragua with Amigos for Christ,” he said. “It’s unbelievable and I would recommend it to anyone.”

The trip to Nicaragua is one Dozier said they plan to take every year during his off-season.

Off-Seasons in the Woods Behind mission work, Dozier’s second off-season priority is hunting.

He said he loves having a job that only requires him to work outside of the biggest chunks of hunting season.

“Obviously, in the South, hunting is really big, and I grew up deer hunting and duck hunting, and that’s my favorite hobby,” he said. “It just happens to work out perfect that I have my dream job in the summer and then do my favorite hobbies in the winter months. We have some land in Fulton that I hunt, and a lot of my friends have land.”

He’s gotten to go on duck hunts in

his hometown and on friends’ land in the Mississippi Delta this off-season, but most recently, it was Chipper Jones who took him out in the woods.

“We kind of became friends over the past year - really just over huntingrelated things,” Dozier said. “He found out that I do a lot of hunting, and so we’ve gotten to know each other. He invited me out to his ranch south of San Antonio.”

New Year - New Team As he waits on spring training and what many predict to be another standout year, Dozier will spend time with his wife in their Hattiesburg home between his family in Fulton and her family in New Orleans. He’s glad to get to spend some time with his family and in the woods, but when he returns, he’s predicting a winning season and a shot at a playoff spot.

“We’ve added bullpen depth, and we signed Torii Hunter to play right field for us,” Dozier said. “With what we have coming back and what we’ve

signed, I feel like we have the complete team and chance to make a run - especially with our mix of young and experienced guys. We haven’t made the playoffs in four years, and we’re aware of that and what we have to do to be better. I think we’ve addressed a lot of those issues in the off-season.”

At the end of the day, Dozier said he loves being able to walk onto a baseball field every day and wants to make sure, in return, his team delivers a worthy performance to their fan base this year. M

Covering the Bases

Top left: Brian, left, and Luke Adkins signed with the University of Southern Mississippi after Brian played at Itawamba Agricultural High School (bottom left). Today, Brian plays for the Minnesota Twins. In his off season, he spends time with his wife Renee. Photos courtesy of Dozier and the Associated Press.

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M&M Buyer’s Guide AJ’s

Get your little ones ready for Easter at

Salon

Spray Tanning

by Appointment Now Providing Manicures and Pedicures Manicures/Pedicures www.lipchicboutique.com 608 Wick Street Corinth, MS 38834 (662) 287-2954

Tues.-Fri. 9-5 • Sat. 9-1 New Location:

Entrance on Euclattuba Rd., Saltillo, MS 662-869-7115

115 N. Thomas St. Tupelo, MS 38801

Mon.-Fri. : 10-5 Sat. : 10-2

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Bears • Balloons • Pottery • Fresh Flowers • Crosses • Willow Tree Angels

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s ’ B D “Specializing In Meeting Your Needs”

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2025 McCullough Blvd. • Tupelo, Miss. 38801

662-269-3381

388-A Mobile St • Saltillo

869-3620

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“Thank You Valued Celebrating our Customers!” rd

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True Valuables 155 Hwy. 15 North, Pontotoc 662.488.9947 Accessories • Apparel • Dolls • Decor

Let Us Dress Your Home.

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1715 McCullough Blvd. • Tupelo, MS 38801

B

Saw’s Soul Kitchen

IRMINGHAM

Birmingham isn’t the Magic City that you remember. Over the past decade, new entertainment districts have been born and others revitalized, shaping Alabama’s largest city into one of the South’s most delicious culinary destinations, one of its fastestgrowing craft-brewing havens and one of its most inspired and energetic art communities.

By Blake Ells mudandmag.com

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Alabama Theatre

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B

ut before exploring everything that Birmingham has become, try exploring a few of its most historic and tenured residents. Birmingham Botanical Gardens, located on Lane Park Road, is the most visited free attraction in the state of Alabama. Open 365 days a year from dawn until dusk, visitors will find miles of scenic walking trails that celebrate Alabama’s rich biodiversity.

Vulcan Park and Museum is home to the largest cast iron statue in the world. The entrance to greet Birmingham’s “Original Iron Man,” can be found on Valley View Drive, and it offers the most complete view of the city.

In Vulcan’s shadow is Five Points South, one of the city’s oldest neighborhoods, located on the edge of the University of Alabama at Birmingham campus. With its center at the corner of 20th Street South and 10th Avenue South, Five Points South is home to the award-winning chefs that first earned the city its millennial reputation. Frank Stitt’s Highlands Bar and Grill, Bottega and Chez Fon Fon are all located within a relatively short walking distance of one another, as is Chris Hastings’s Hot and Hot Fish Club. Highlands Bar and Grill is located on 11th Avenue South, while Chez Fon Fon, its more casual sibling, is next door. Bottega can be found on Highland Avenue, and just around the corner on 11th Court South, you’ll find Hastings’s Hot and Hot Fish Club.

But Five Points South is more than its storied food scene. On Cobb Lane, you’ll find the J. Clyde, frequently named one of the “Best Beer Bars in America,” with such inclusions over the past decade in publications like Esquire, Draft Magazine and Paste.

Looking for a faster, more inexpensive lunch? T-Bones Authentic Philly Style Cheesesteaks and Hoagies has moved back to the neighborhood on 20th Street South, and finding a better Philly in the South may be impossible.

Try the Famous with Green Peppers.

Want to dig through some crates and find a gem for your record collection?

Charlemagne Record Exchange can be found at the top of a tall staircase on 10th Avenue South. It’s Birmingham’s oldest record store; born in the late ‘70s, surviving vinyl’s decline and

Botanical Gardens

Bottega

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Vulcan Park

enjoying its resurgence, you may find something that has been buried on its shelves for over 35 years.

If new vinyl is your thing, Birmingham’s newest independent record store can be found on 5th Avenue South, just east of the Avondale community. Seasick Records is a labor of love from Chayse Porter and Daniel Drinkard that specializes in current releases, largely independent, that has also become 50

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a venue for intimate rock and roll shows. The shop has been welcomed with open arms to Birmingham’s indie rock community, anchored by BottleTree Café to Seasick’s west on 3rd Avenue South. BottleTree is a rock club and restaurant quickly approaching its tenth year in Avondale. Vampire Weekend, TV on the Radio, The xx, alt-J and tUnEyArDs all played at the club, which holds about 250, before making it

Charlemagne Records

big, while Birmingham’s own St. Paul and the Broken Bones, Lee Bains III and the Glory Fires and Wray all cut their teeth in the same room. Communicating Vessels is a few blocks east in the Woodlawn community, located at 55th Place South. The label distributes records from many of the Magic City’s rising musicians, including Wray, Dead Fingers, The Green Seed and Duquette Johnston, but it also

Railroad Park

Color Tunnel

invites fans to shop its storefront and preview the art created within the same space. If you’re looking for a bite to eat in the neighborhood, try the pork and greens on cheese grits at Saw’s Soul Kitchen on 41st Street in Avondale. You’ll also love their sweet tea chicken sandwich.

Spring is perfect for a drive through Birmingham’s LightRails installation. With opportunities on each side of Railroad Park, the 14th

Street color tunnel leads to Regions Field, the impressive new home to the Birmingham Barons, and to Good People Brewing Company, Birmingham’s most notable brewery.

Stop by the latter’s tap room for the Brown Ale, the IPA, the Pale Ale, the Snake Handler or the Coffee Oatmeal Stout before walking across the street and rooting on the home team on a Thirsty Thursday. You’ll find a similar selection of the craft brews inside

Five Points

the stadium upon arrival, and you’ll be able to return to celebrate victory.

The tap room is always open after Barons home games. M Photos by Lauren Wood

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Explore Amory

We Are Moving In March Hours: Mon-Fri 10 am to 6 pm • Sat 10-4 223 Main Street N. • Amory, MS • 38821 ( 662) 257-2009

• facebook.com/missyprissyart

Coffees sourced from the world and roasted in the Deep South

218 North Amory, Main Miss Street 38821 866-437-8446

www.1529coffee.com

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to the

(662) 256-9288 (662) 315-5005

801 3rd Street South • Amory, MS 38821 (662) 256-2761 • www.cityofamoryms.com Hours: Tue.-Fri. 9 to 5 • Sat. 10 to 4 • Sun. 1 to 5

Explore Amory Invites You To

The

B e d & B r e a k fa s T

There is NO place like THE OLD PLACE. American craftsman/bungalow style farm house Reserve for special events including wedding receptions and family reunions theglenn@theoldplacebandb.com

60036 County Barn Rd., Amory MS 662.256.4707 • theoldplacebandb.com

S a t u r d ay, M a rc h 1 4 , 2015

10:00 am 2:00 pm Fr i s c o Pa r k

Huge event for children of all ages!

Come out and support your Main Street organization. Food, Fun, Entertainment, and so much more!

1400 Highland Drive • Amory, MS 38821 662-256-5707

111 Hwy 6 North •Amory, MS 38821 10-5 Tuesday-Friday • 10-4 Saturday 662.597.2042

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Don’t miss out on our unbelievable mark downs to lift up your spirits from the winter blues & More • Your One Stop Prom Shop •

• Unique Yard Art • Mexican Pottery • • Wrought Iron • Adirondack Chairs • Chimineas • • Outdoor Furniture • Swings • Plants • 118 West Bankhead St. New Albany, MS 38652 662-534-3515

1204 North City Ave. Ripley, MS 38663 662-837-8344

Excellent Gift Ideas for All Occasions merlegirls_mn Merle Norman and More Ripley & New Albany

2308 McCullough Blvd.

662-523-2648

Introducing exclusive

membership 7-day home delivery of the Daily Journal unlimited access to djournal.com, staff blogs, the eJournal tablet edition and our mobile app exclusive discounts and deals at dozens of local and national businesses and special VIP events through the year

Membership rates begin as low as $2.60 per week. mudandmag.com 54 l

Call 662-842-2613 to join today.

Must-Have Accessories

Stella: necklace $22 // Southern Cloth: feather/ stone necklaces $21.95, gold bangles $18.95, bamboo booties $46.95 // True Valuables: bead tassel necklace $19, pearl cord bracelet $23-$30 // Halle Jo’s: bracelets, necklace and book bag purse, prices upon request // Southern Roots: short pearl necklace $20 and long pearl necklace $35

Photography by Ann-Marie Wyatt of Taylor Square Photography

The Right Track

Stella in Ripley: camel top $34, denim skinny jeans $42, booties $36

True Valuables in Pontotoc: lined sweater dress $32, sheer sweater top $30, crochet cardigan $32, handkerchief headband $12 // Southern Cloth in Tupelo: Piko top $24.95, classic coat $84.95, jeans $76.95

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Bliss in Fulton & Tupelo: sweater, jeans, boots and necklace, prices upon request // Halle Jo’s in New Albany and Tupelo: multi-print tunic and camel boots, prices upon request; brown tunic with lace detail and lace pants, prices upon request

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Southern Roots in Tupelo: sheer brown cardigan $34, brown sweater with lace detail $34 and tall nude boots $42

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Relax... and enjoy our work.

Landscape Design, Installation and Maintenance 1004 Commonwealth Blvd. | Tupelo, MS | 662.205.4683 Open Tuesday - Friday | Saturday by appointment

Call now for a free estimate!

662-501-0181

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Tupelo Small Animal Hospital “We treat them like they’re our own.”

2096 S. Thomas St. • Tupelo • 662-840-0210 Stephen K. King, D.V.M; Glenn S. Thomas, D.V.M

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OOTS

&

ENOWN

Antoinette Badenhorst left her home in South Africa to put down roots in Mississippi. In the process, she became recognized as one of the top ceramic artists in the country.

By Natalie Richardson

F

udge is to cooking as porcelain is to ceramics.

It’s not exactly the first analogy that comes to mind when thinking of clay, but for Antoinette Badenhorst it’s an apt description of what she calls the “dance of the diva.”

For over 30 years, Antoinette has worked as a potter. For much

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of that time, she has worked with porcelain, a material and ceramic style considered by many to be one of the most difficult. But for Antoinette, it’s simply a relationship of give and take.

Like fudge, you have to know the exact time to take it off the stove, or else it will fall apart.

“The Diva is demanding,” she said.

“She wants what she wants at the right time.”

But if you learn her demands, the results can be breathtaking, and for the Badenhorsts in particular, the result can also be a new home.

Antoinette and Koos Badenhorst moved from South Africa to Saltillo, Mississippi, in 1999, with nothing but their three daughters and a few boxes.

“On the first night, we literally slept on just mattresses, and the TV box became our coffee table,” she said.

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While Koos worked at Lane Furniture in the I.T. department, Antoinette traded her pottery skills for space to continue the art she had learned in South Africa. To stay in the United States, they were faced with the task of obtaining a green card.

The application process is long, difficult and expensive. Many immigrants use their employers to apply, but the Badenhorsts took a unique approach. As their immigration lawyer explained, if they could prove Antoinette was among 66

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the top 10 percent of ceramic artists in the country, the government would grant permanent residency to her and her family.

After two applications, she obtained permanent residency for herself and her family for her “extraordinary ability in the field of ceramics.” It was an achievement she never thought was within reach, she said. But since then, Antoinette’s work has continued to make a name for itself.

She has gone on to be featured in shows and exhibits across the world,

win awards, teach workshops at home and abroad, and most recently, be nominated for the prestigious International Design Award in 2014.

She says it’s her passion that makes her art and teaching career so successful. Creating porcelain is about energy and movement, she said. In South Africa and during the early years in the United States, she drew inspiration from the rhythms of Africa. The running of a giraffe or the tapping of an elephant’s foot became the lines and shapes for her porcelain.

Gradually, the movement of Africa in her work simply became the movement of nature. And with her shift in inspiration came a huge shift in technique. In 2005, Antoinette switched from pit-fired porcelain to translucent porcelain.

As an established artist, the change was risky, she said. It was like a woman cutting her long, beautiful hair off, or a well-known opera singer switching to the world of country, she said. There was a chance the skill and name she had acquired as a pit fire artist would not translate over to translucency.

But the risk has been worth it, she said. The higher difficulty of translucent porcelain has pushed her skills as an artist. In return, she’s pushed the limits of the medium.

Many professional artists the Badenhorsts come in contact with don’t believe what Antoinette does is possible, Koos said. But the secret is simple. She has just mastered porcelain. She knows when the clay needs more water and when it should be allowed to dry. In the higher temperatures required for translucent porcelain firing, a deft hand is needed to keep the vessel from falling over.

Fond of analogies, the artist compares the molding process to keeping an alcoholic in check.

Porcelain is addicted to water, she said. But if you give her too much, she becomes drunk and starts to topple over. The molding of porcelain is made even more difficult by the fact that in order to achieve the beautiful translucency of Badenhorst’s pieces, she must make the vessels’ sides very thin.

The glazes of color, ranging from light grass greens to bright peaches, glow from the inside out whenever light hits the ceramics. Her recent work resembles the delicate petals of an upturned lily or tulip. But in actuality, the shapes represent something more precious.

If you look closely, she said, the gentle curves and arches are arms reaching out to one another. They are people supporting and touching other people. In an abstract way, it’s a tribute to the home they have found in Mississippi.

Last year, they became citizens

of America. But immigrating to a new country was an unsettling and sometimes humiliating experience, she said. You leave your home language, culture and family. Even the difference in food is disturbing. But the biggest thing they take away from the experience is the kindness and hospitality they found in Mississippi.

At every step of the way, they had support from the people they met in Mississippi.

Sometimes it takes moving halfway across the world to find your home.

But when you find it, you know it fits.

“Mississippi became home for us,” she said. M

Handiwork

Antoinette and Koos Badenhorst work in their Saltillo home to produce and promote Antoinette’s pottery. Photos by Lauren Wood

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Bradley Gordon

The mud-intensive instructions for the interview were distinctive, to say the least, and a fitting prologue for the conversation to follow.

By David Hitt

“I’m well off the road out here and it’s pretty muddy at the moment, so it might be best if I ride out and meet you to bring you back… I’ll be in a black and tan Ford F-150 with a camper top, though at the moment it’s mostly just covered in mud.”

An email like that belongs in only two types of stories: the kind in which the recipient “was never seen again,” and the kind that is set in Mississippi.

Artist Bradley Gordon’s story is very much the latter.

The interview took place at Gordon’s new studio outside Water Valley, a perfect match of location and inspiration for the wildlife painting for which he’s known.

As he promised, the excursion to the studio, on land he’s still developing, went out of town, into the woods, off the road, past an aging trailer home, and through mud that would daunt a lesser vehicle.

Eventually, the road will continue out and the mud will cede its prominence. But the trees, and the natural beauty, and the wildlife will remain.

“Just look out my window here,” Gordon said, explaining that the inspiration for his paintings is found in settings like the one beyond that glass, from getting out into nature and being surrounded by it. “Some of the most beautiful moments in life are experienced that way.”

A native of the Delta, Gordon said he strives in his paintings to capture the wildlife of his home in a way that reflects its magnificence and majesty.

“These animals are the king of the jungle around here,” he said. “They’re a whole different world. Our paths may cross for a little bit, but they have their own kind of thing going on.”

He strives to imbue his paintings with an appreciation of that relationship, to make them a “conversation” about these animals that share our world.

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“That’s a term I use for it,” he said.

“Whatever it is I’m painting, it’s a conversation, with the subject, with the audience.”

While Gordon’s story began in Mississippi, he ventured halfway around the world before arriving where he is today.

Gordon grew up in a family of farmers in Clarksdale and graduated from Ole Miss. He used his degree in art education to teach in Holly Springs, but he left that job when his band got picked up. Being a 70

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professional musician was a dream come true, but the bills piled up faster than the money came in, and he went back to teaching – this time as an English teacher in Taiwan.

When that stint was over, he returned to the South as an art and music teacher in Germantown, Tennessee but after a while, “I just kind of had an itch to get out of Memphis.”

That itch led him to Japan, where he spent about another year, again teaching English.

He had just returned from that excursion, about five years ago, and was staying in Clarksdale, planning his next step – teaching in Charleston, perhaps? – when he had a chance encounter with a former girlfriend at the Double Decker Arts Festival in Oxford.

During their conversation, he talked about his plans, and she asked two questions that changed his life. What would you want to do with your life, if money were no object, she asked.

Be an artist, he answered. Have a

studio.

“She said, ‘So how can you make that happen?’”

And so he did. He started a studio.

He gave private art lessons. He painted on the side. On a good day, he worked on his paintings while giving lessons.

He had a gallery, but he needed a show. And for that, he needed a theme.

And how better to open a gallery in his hometown than with an exhibition about coming home?

“I’d been very out of touch with the farm and with the outdoors,” he said.

But in trying to capture home, he was drawn back to the fauna he’d grown up with.

“It reignited that love for me,” he said. “It just made sense; this is why I’m on this earth.”

“I’ve been painting these animals for so many years, and I still get excited,” he said.

And that former girlfriend who asked the big questions? She’s now his wife, Anne-Marie Varnell-Gordon, owner of Cicada Boutique in Oxford.

The couple are expecting their first

child this spring.

Painting can be solitary work, and Gordon said he looks forward to visitors at this studio when it’s complete to see his work.

“If I didn’t do it for a living, I would still paint whenever I could,” he said.

“It’s pretty amazing to be able to do it for a living.” M

Wild Art

Bradley Gordon paints in his Water Valley studio. Photos by Adam Robison.

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M&M

Dining Guide

Roasted Fresh Roasted Local Let Us Supply Your Home or Office.

Southern Cooking in a New York Minute!

1155 South Gloster Street • Tupelo, MS • 662.840.1919 Mon.-Sat. 11 a.m. - 8:30 p.m. • Sunday 10:30 a.m. - 8:30 p.m.

Kay Pittman 662-491-0936 www.mybrotherscup.com

Hometown Pizza new owners. new employees. new look.

1159 North Frontage Road • Baldwyn • 662.365.2822

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Gurley’s Restaurant

125 N. Lee Dr., Guntown • 662-348-2276

M&M

Dining Guide Family Restaurant

Hwy 145 N. • Booneville 662-728-1460 Mon-Thurs 11-9 • Fri 11-10 Now Open On Saturdays 4-9:30

Check Out Our Daily Specials!

We Bring The Coast To You!

Steaks l Burgers l Salads l Sandwiches & More Historic Downtown 106 W. Bankhead l New Albany 662.539.7005

HOMEMADE DESSERTS

Fish & Steak www.fishandsteak.com

1907 Shiloh Road 665-7910 Corinth, MS • (662)Center) (Next to the Bowling

ay Open Tuesday - Saturd

218 Carter Ave. Historic Downtown New Albany, MS

662.539.7025

Thursday, Friday & Saturday 5:00 pm - 9:00 pm

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KING CAKE PANCAKES 2 cups Bisquick mix 1 cup milk 2 eggs 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1/2 teaspoon lemon zest red, blue, green and yellow food coloring 1 cup powdered sugar (for icing) 4 teaspoons lemon juice (for icing) 1 to 2 tablespoons water (for icing) green, yellow and/or purple sugar crystals for topping (optional) 74

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Mix together Bisquick, milk, eggs, nutmeg, cinnamon and lemon zest in a large bowl until well combined. Divide batter equally into three separate bowls. Place a few drops of red and blue food coloring into one bowl (to create purple), green food coloring in another bowl and yellow food coloring in the third bowl. Stir in food coloring (with separate spoons for each bowl to avoid color contamination), adding more as necessary to reach desired color. Lightly grease a large skillet or griddle over medium-high heat. Pour slightly less than 1/4 cupfuls of batter onto skillet and cook until edges are

dry and bubbles begin to form on the surface. Turn over pancakes and cook until golden brown. Place cooked pancakes in stacks of alternating colors on each plate and set aside.

Make the icing: In a medium bowl, whisk together powdered sugar, lemon juice and water, adding more water as necessary to reach desired consistency (the icing should be like thick syrup).

Pour icing on top of each stack of pancakes and sprinkle with colored sugar crystals, if desired. M

#TASTEOFCORINTH

A UNIQUE blend of

TA S T Y D I N I N G

SHOPPING | DISCOVERY

FAMILY FUN! Corinth’s restaurants offer a surprisingly diverse mix of cuisine. Savor international dishes or nd an interesting twist on American and regional classics, including our very own claim to fame, the slugburger. We promise, you won’t leave hungry!

#visitcorinth FIND US. FOLLOW US. SHARE US. mudandmag.com (662) 287-8300 | www.corinth.net

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