hen I was a little girl, my favorite pastime was going to my grandmother’s house to play dress up. I would strut around in her hats and high heels and pose for the camera she always kept handy. I realized recently that at 32, I still have not outgrown this penchant for playing in other people’s clothes. I picked up all of the outfits for this month’s photo shoot the night before the shoot took place and promptly deposited everything in my living room. My neighbors must have thought we won the lottery as they watched me make at least 8 trips from the car to the house, arms laden with garment bags and shoeboxes. My main goal was to catalog everything so I would have a comprehensive list of the items in my possession when it came time to return them to their proper homes. My underlying goal was to try on pretty clothes and feel like a princess for a few hours. Both goals were achieved. As I sifted through the piles of clothes, shoes and jewelry, I decided to compile a list of my favorite fall staples to share with you.
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Go-To Piece: Boot cut jeans. Every girl needs a great pair of jeans. Favorite Shoe: Peep toe pumps. They stay on my feet year-round, despite the cold. I have over 40 different styles and colors. Favorite Boot: Over the knee leather boots. They work over and under jeans. Favorite Outerwear: Black leather jacket. Mine has been in my closet since 2001. It’s like a good wine – it gets better with age. Favorite Dress: Long sleeve mini dresses. The sleeves keep it from being inappropriate for cold weather, and the length works alone with boots or over leggings. Favorite Accessory: Scarves. I recently had to overtake my husband’s side of the closet just to make room for my extensive collection. Favorite Piece of Jewelry: Oversized cocktail rings. The bigger, the better. So there you have it – a sneak peek into my closet. For more fashion, just keep reading. This issue combines my love of clothes and music to bring you all of the new trends for fall – coming soon to a boutique near you. Thanks to Lee Cave of C Studio for his awesome photography skills and Allie Stockstill of Salon 38 for her awesome hairstyling skills. Stay stylish, and I’ll see you in the spring.
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Happenings ........................................................ 4- 5 Signature Events ............…………….......... 57-71 Senior Paint Party .................................................... 57 Meet Milton Waldoff ........................................ 9 Boutwell 50th Anniversary ........................................ 58 FestivalSouth BancorpSouth Reception .................. 59 Hope is a waking dream FestivalSouth Cat on A Hot Tin Roof ........................ 60 Gretchen Leake is helping make a dream come true .... 11 FestivalSouth Finale .................................................. 61 FestivalSouth The Magic Flute .................................. 62 Welcome back the ‘70’s FestivalSouth Music of Andrew Lloyd Webber .......... 63 As fall approaches, so is a new wave of trends ............ 15 FestivalSouth Phantom Ball ...................................... 64 HHS Class of 1966 .................................................. 65 Inalienable Wright 4th of July Picnic ...................................................... 66 Tulsa World fashion writer’s runway runs through the Pine Belt .............................................. 23
The Help Greenwood residents help bring ‘60s to life on the big screen .......................................... 28
Fall Fashion
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Food .................................................................... 47- 53 MasterChef Whitney Miller Cookbook full of ‘Modern Hospitality Simple recipes with Southern Charm’ ....................
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Top Chef Q&A Meet Whitney Miller FOX MasterChef Season 1 .................................... 51
A ‘Help’ing of Southern Hospitality ............................................................ 52 Vines of the World Wine tasting auction benefit South Mississippi Children’s Shelter ............................................................ 54
MasterChef Book Signing ........................................ 67 SMP Awards .............................................................. 68 Society of Histotechnology ........................................ 69 T-Bone Pruitt Fundraisers ........................................ 70
Signature Q&A Jason Wright , former Tulsa World fashion writer has local ties ........................................................ 72 Signature Magazine • September 2011 • vol 6 number 6 publisher David Gustafson editor Beth Bunch contributors Dana Gower • Marlo Matthews advertising representatives Missy Pickering • Jessica Wallace art director Bill Benge graphic artist Emily Foley Signature Magazine is a product of Hattiesburg Publishing, Inc., publisher of The Lamar Times, The Petal News, hubcitySPOKES, Camp Shelby Reveille and Signature Magazine. For information on submitting items for consideration, call (601) 268-2331 or email beth@HubCitySpokes.com. To mail information or photos, send to Signature Magazine, 103 N. 40th Avenue, Hattiesburg, MS 39401.
ON THE COVER Photography: Lee Cave, C Studio • Clothes/Accessories: Irie Boutique Model: Olivia Enger Shot on location at the Phillips’ Family Camp House in Hattiesburg
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Lauren Rogers Museum Loïs Mailou Jones: A Life in Vibrant Color through November 6
In a career lasting more than 70 years, Loïs Mailou Jones (1905-1998) overcame racial and gender prejudices to become a successful painter and designer whose influence as a teacher extended far beyond her native country. This exhibition spans the artist's career from the late Harlem Renaissance to her contemporary synthesis of African, Caribbean, American, and AfricanAmerican iconography. Jones was raised in Boston, studied at the School of the Museum of Fine Arts there, and then spent several years designing textiles in New York. She left in 1928 to take a teaching position at Palmer Memorial Institute in Sedalia, North Carolina. At Palmer, a prep school for African American students, Jones founded the art department, coached basketball, taught folk dancing, and played piano for Sunday services. Two years later, she moved to Washington, D. C. to establish a career in painting and teach at Howard University, where she trained several generations of African-American artists. She would teach at Howard for almost 50 years, becoming a mentor and influence on several generations of artists. Jones was strongly affected by a sabbatical year in Paris from 1937 to 1938. After so much time in a segregated society, she felt exhilarated to be living in a country where her race
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seemed irrelevant. Equally important was her introduction to African tribal art, which was enormously popular in Parisian galleries. At home, Jones began incorporating African motifs into her canvases. After her 1953 marriage to the Haitian graphic designer Louis Vergniaud Pierre-Noël, Jones became intrigued by the bright colors and bold patterns of the architecture, design, and fine art she saw on annual trips to Haiti with her husband. In the 1970s, Jones traveled extensively in Africa. She gave lectures, interviewed local artists, and visited museums in 11 countries. This experience led to further exploration of African subjects in Jones's work, especially in her paintings executed between 1971 and 1989. Loïs Mailou Jones: A Life in Vibrant Color is organized by the Mint Museum of Art, Charlotte, NC, in collaboration with the Loïs Mailous Jones Pierre-Noël Trust, and is toured by International Arts & Artists, Washington, DC. The exhibition if funded in part by the National Endowment for the Arts.
Pine Belt Farmers & Artisans Market Thursdays through Saturday, October 31. 3-7 p.m.
Come out each Thursday in the Town Square Park in Historic Downtown Hattiesburg for an opportunity to listen to live music while picking up locally grown produce. The Market is open from 3-7 p.m. Call 601-583-4329 for more information or visit www.downtownhattiesburg.com.
‘PINK!’ Gala The Pink Ribbon Fund will hold its annual "PINK!" Gala from 6-11 p.m. Saturday, September 10, at the Canebrake Country Club. This year’s theme is Moon over Morocco. Tickets are $75 per person and include a gourmet "walking" buffet, open bar, and music by a live band. Raffle winners will also be announced at the Gala for items such
as a trip to New York CIty; a piece of jewelry from Lights Jewelers; a home entertainment center and more. Raffle tickets can be purchased prior to the event or at the event. You do not have to be present to win. All proceeds from the Gala go to the Pink Ribbon Fund which helps breast cancer patients in several counties in the Pine Belt with doctor bills, pharmacy costs, and other needs. The Gala is completely paid for by sponsorships from local businesses and donations as is any advertising for the event. For more info, call 601-450-PINK or email susantlight@yahoo.com. For more info on the Pink Ribbon Fund, go to www.pinkribbonfund.org.
Eve’s House Art Fundraiser A fundraiser to support Eve’s House, which opened in Hattiesburg in May of 2007 to help women who were working to overcome substance abuse disorders, is set from 12:304:30 p.m. September 11 at the Hattiesburg Cultural Center. Area artists are being asked for donations for the event, which will be included in both live and silent auctions, as well as individual pieces for sale. Anyone who would like to make a donation is asked to have it in by Sept. 1. Freshly-baked goods also will be on sale during the day. The center receives no public funding, and fees charged to those staying there are very low. Proceeds from the Art fundraiser will be used for support the facility, which houses a maximum of seven women at one time. Those who come to Eve’s House stay for a minimum of 90 days, but can stay up to one year. For more information about Eve’s House, contact Founder/Director Deborah Stover, 601-545-1879, or Kim Dearman, a member of the board of directors and coordinator of the fund-raising event, at 601-596-4503. Emails can be sent to eves.house1@yahoo.com.
Petal CWJC The Petal Christian Women's Job Corps will begin its fall session on September 12. This is a 10-week course, meeting from 9 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Monday - Wednesday.
Job-readiness skills, including basic computer keyboarding, and life skills, including Bible study and money management, will be offered. For more information contact Karen Byrd at 601-325-7276.
Art Exhibit The South Mississippi Art Association will host an exhibit of watercolors and sculpture through September 15 at William Carey University’s Lucile Parker Gallery.
Connoisseurs Series • September 16 - Partners for the Arts will sponsor the Georgia Guitar Quintet at 7:30 p.m. at Westminster Presbyterian Church in Hattiesburg. Free admission. • September 24 - the Connoisseurs Series continues with Rhythm and Brass, Mannoni Performing Arts Center on the Southern Miss Campus, 7:30 p.m., free admission.
Choir Concert • September 27, 4 p.m. - Southern Invitational Choral Conference Choir Concert, Main Street Baptist Church, free admission
Alumni Band Reunion Jones County Junior College is inviting anyone who ever participated in the college’s band program to come back to campus for a weekend reunion, September 23-24, as part of the Centennial Celebration. According to information in the college yearbook, JCJC has had a band since 1931. Over the years, students have participated in marching, symphonic, concert and jazz bands. Auxiliary units of the band have included managers, drum majors, majorettes, feature twirlers, color guard and the Touch of Gold dance line. Since
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1976, the marching band has been known as the Maroon Typhoon. The schedule includes a reunion banquet on Friday night, alumni band rehearsal Saturday morning and early afternoon, tailgating prior to the football game and an alumni band performance during the game. Although costs have not been finalized, reservations will be necessary for some of these events. Reunion information can be obtained by contacting the JCJC Alumni Office by phone at 601-4774049 or via e-mail at maroontyphoonalumni@jcjc.edu. Former members can also receive updates by joining the Facebook group page JCJC Maroon Typhoon Alumni Band and Reunion.
At the Saenger.... September 10 - 6 p.m. Dixie Echoes Revelations Quartet 30th Anniversary, Tickets: $12 - $15. Also performing will be Calm Assurance and Hunter May. September 25 - 3 p.m. Hattiesburg Concert Band, free admission The Saenger Theater Box office is open from 12 p.m. - 5 p.m., Monday through Friday and at noon prior to all ticketed performances. You may visit the Box Office, call them at (601) 584-4888. Tickets may also be purchased from 9a - 4 p at the Hattiesburg Lake Terrace Convention Center. You may visit Lake Terrace or call them at (601) 268-3220 or (800) 638-6877.
Pecan Festival The Mississippi Pecan Festival is currently taking applications for Arts & Crafts booths, Antiques & Collectibles and Children’s Activities for this year’s festival set for September. 23-25 in Richton. If you are interested in any of these booths, please call 601964-8201 or 601-9648222 or visit ww.mspecanfestival.com
La Leche Family Day The La Leche League Family Day, celebrating World Breastfeeding Awareness is set from 9 a.m.1 p.m. September 24 at the Walthall Center in Downtown Hattiesburg. There will be a walk around 10 a.m. You are asked to
decorate your strollers, wagons, baby slings, etc. to show your support for breastfeeding. A potluck lunch will follow at 11 a.m. Please bring a dish to share. There will also be a silent auction, face painting and children’s activities. For more information, call Christy, 601-310-6541, Denise, 601-599-9003 or Michelle, 601-408-0614.
costs of services. Tickets available at Blooms a Garden Shop, 601584-9200, Click Boutique & Gallery, The Kitchen Table, Fine Wine, and Franklin Hill Interiors. For more information contact Adrienne Hicks, 601.543.8028
Concert Band The City of Hattiesburg Concert Band will begin its 29th season with a free concert at 3 p.m. Sunday, September 25, in the historic Saenger Theater. The band presents a variety of music – from overtures, marches, solos, musicals, and even big band music. The first of four concerts for the season will feature oboist Wayne Miller from Madison, and guest conductor Dr. John Jenkins of Bayou La Batre, Ala. The band is conducted by retired USM Music Professor Dr. Sherman Hong. The band invites those who play or played an instrument to become members of the all-volunteer regional concert band. The band rehearses twice before a concert. For more information contact the conductor at 601-264-5848
Wine Tasting & Silent Auction Mississippi Children's Home Services presents its annual Vines of the World, 2011 Annual Wine Tasting & Silent Auction, from 6-10 p.m. Friday, September 30, The Venue at The Bakery Building, 127 Buschman Street, downtown Hattiesburg. This event supports the region’s primary emergency placement shelter for abused, neglected, runaway and homeless children ages 9-17. When these children walk through the shelter door they only have the clothes on their backs and are often scared and hungry. The South Mississippi Children’s Shelter provides these kids a safe haven. At the shelter, the children are provided room, board, medical, dental, education and so much more! The shelter is part of Mississippi Children's Home Services and is the first line of contact for children in need. They rely heavily on grants and donations to bridge the gap between what the state provides and the actual
JORT presents ‘Greater Tuna’ Just Over the Rainbow Theatre presents its season opener, a dinner theatre production of “Greater Tuna,” Sept. 1-4 and Sept. 8-10 at the Petal Cultural Center. “Greater Tuna” is the first play in the wildly popular comedy trilogy by Jaston Williams, Joe Sears and Ed Howard. Two seasons ago, in JORT's production of Tuna Christmas, audiences met the unforgettable residents of Tuna, the third smallest town in Texas—where the Lion's Club is too liberal and Patsy Cline never dies. Now we return to Tuna in the summertime to meet these marvelous characters again…or for the first time. On Sept. 1-3 & 8-10, Thur., Fri., Sat. evenings, dinner is at 6:30 p.m. with show to follow at the Petal Cultural Center. On Sept. 4, there will be ONE Sun. matinee with lunch at 1 p.m. and show to follow. Tickets $25, 601-5837778 open 24 hours
Career Exploration The University of Southern Mississippi’s Frances Karnes Center for Gifted Studies and Forrest General Hospital’s Spirit of Women will co-host the annual Career Explorations for Girls Conference Oct. 8 on the Hattiesburg campus. Registration deadline is Sept. 30. To register for the conference, call The Frances A. Karnes Center for Gifted Studies at 601-266-5236; or online, visit http://www.usm.edu/gifted/
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By David GUSTAFSON
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es Lee is a musician’s musician. He is a blues aficionado who takes his work very seriously. He’s a mentor and a mentee. A songwriter and a craftsman. But first and foremost, Wes Lee is a family man. Husband of 19 years to Kristie and father to a 13-year-old daughter (Samantha) and an eight-year-old son (Garrett), the Petal man takes great pride in his family - although he admits that life as a professional musician has him on the road more often than not. “Being away from them is the hardest part,” he said. “When I’m home I watch my son play in the yard and I can remember being a kid and all of the freedom and innocence that came with it. Family is such an important part of me.” Raised in Mobile, Ala., Lee’s musical roots trace back to his father, Sirmon, a longtime Mobile-area high school band director who Wes credits as his greatest musical influence right behind the legendary bluesman Robert Johnson. “My father exposed me to so many different
kinds of music growing up,” he said. “There was classical and Dixieland, pops, jazz - you name it, we listened to it. I remember listening to a BB King song with him one time and Daddy talking about style and music theory. I just thought it was a cool song.” Lee played the trombone in the high school band and thanks to his father, fell in love early on with the horn section. “I wasn’t paying any attention to the guitar back then. I learned early on that everybody loved the saxophone. The horn section is where it was at.” His first “real” band was a nine-piece horn section called The Port City Funk Project. As his musical chops progressed, so did his desire to learn other instruments - prompting him to pick up the guitar one day. The first thing he taught himself how to play was the opening lick to the Jimi Hendrix tune “Hay Joe.” “Man I thought that was cool,” he said. “Daddy on the other hand wasn’t so sure. He grumbled a little bit about the whole guitar thing, but I think he trusted me to stay true to the music no matter what instrument I was playing.” His first paying gig as a front man was in an
all-black club and as he recalls, he and the other two guys in his band were the only white folks in the club. “It was an educational experience to say the least.” After a stint living in St. Louis where he played with the likes of Bonnie Raitt, Chuck Berry, Johnny Rivers, and others - Lee returned to the Pine Belt several years ago and set his sights on honing his craft to the best of his ability. “The older I get the more I have learned to shut up and listen to other people play,” he said. “There’s so much to learn from these guys who have been doing it for a long time. By shutting your mouth and listening, they’ll impart bits of wisdom on you that can’t learn anywhere else.” And with blues greats like Tab Benoit, Tinsley Ellis, and Vasti Jackson around to share their secrets, Lee has indeed honed his craft. Just last month, he was selected by the New Orleans-based Voodoo Blues Krewe to compete against a handful of other top-notch blues artists to represent the Crescent City in the 2012 International Blues Challenge in Memphis. His newest album, “The Shack Sessions,” was recorded this winter in an old wooden shack (hence the name) in Greenwood where legend has it Robert Johnson took his last breath. “I got snowed in after a gig and figured since I had a few extra days I might as well record some stuff.” The end result was a haunting 10-song album featuring Lee’s take on classic blues songs like “Hey Hey,” “John the Revelator,” “Malted Milk,” “Crossroad Blues,” and others. “I think it was a case of being at the right place at the right time,” he said. “I may have been alone in that shack, but I had lots of help from the people who came before me.” For more information about Wes Lee, find him on Facebook or visit his website online at: www.wesleemusic.com
The first thing he taught himself how to play on the guitar was the Jimi Hendrix song, “Hey Joe.”
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s the 1960s ended and the ‘70s began, USM’s football program had a new coach, a new rallying cry of sorts and a longtime business supporter cheering them on – Waldoff’s. Waldoff’s – which was long considered one of Hattiesburg’s premier retail clothing stores – traced its roots back to 1925, when Paul Waldoff opened his first store on Batson Street in downtown Hattiesburg. He later moved the store to Mobile Street and, in 1940, to East Pine Street. Waldoff’s son, Milton Waldoff, returned to Hattiesburg in 1956 after graduating from the University of Alabama and spending two years in the U.S. Army. “By 1958, we had more than tripled sales in the existing space,” Milton Waldoff said. In 1959, the store was enlarged and a second floor was opened. “The new Waldoff’s was the talk of the town,’ Waldoff said. “It was modern, well organized and the best looking store in South Mississippi.” As the 1970s got underway, Waldoff’s was gearing up for its golden age, a time that corresponded with a new era of USM’s football program and community enthusiasm. “Coach (P.W. ‘Bear’) Underwood started the Big Gold Club and we
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were the first store in town that promoted wearing gold for football games,” Milton Waldoff said. When Waldoff’s was located downtown, “We had an awning out front. We put the cheerleaders up on the awning” during pep rallies that were held in front of the store, Waldoff said. “We had those pep rallies every year until we closed.” Longtime Hattiesburg residents also remember the full-page advertisements Waldoff’s ran, supporting USM and other area institutions as well as the store itself. “I didn’t go to Southern, but I felt at that time that USM was the biggest business in town,” Waldoff said of his support for the school. “We were also the only ones that supported (the school newspaper) The Student Printz for years and years.” Although Waldoff’s already had a long history behind it at that point, the years beginning in the mid-1970s were a special time for Milton Waldoff and his store. “In 1974, we opened a wonderful new Waldoff’s at Cloverleaf Mall that became a smashing success,” Waldoff said. “Customers loved the store, the merchandise mix and the fabulous associates that really made the store exceptional. I refer to the years from 1974 to 1989 as Waldoff’s golden years, the best years in the
70-year history of the company. Every associate was well trained, attentive, warm, caring, outgoing, professional in every respect. It was the best team any store, anywhere ever put together. I shall always be in debt to this fabulous team, it was our Super Bowl winning team and they were at the top of their game for 15 straight years.” In addition to its support of USM, one of the things Waldoff’s was best known for, he said, was the store’s happiness guaranty. “The store regularly ran full-page newspaper ads and TV commercials reminding customers that no sale was final unless they were happy,” Waldoff said. “Many of these newspaper, radio and TV ads were recognized nationally by The National Retail Merchants Association (now the National Retail Federation), Newspaper Advertising Bureau, Television Bureau of Advertising, Radio Advertising Federation, Brand Names Foundation and The Retail Advertising and Marketing Association International.” During that time, he said, “Waldoff’s became the store in the Hattiesburg area, providing the best selections of quality brand name fashion merchandise and hands down best customer service in Mississippi.” In 1989, Waldoff’s built a 60,000square-foot anchor store at Cloverleaf Mall with 50,000 square feet of selling space. “The store opened in November 1989 and during two Christmas seasons the store employed as many at 250 people,” Waldoff said, noting, “Our annual payroll for these years was in excess of $2,500,000. During this period, the store was spending around 5 percent of sales on advertising, which amounted to more than $700,000. We were spending and contributing another $500,000 to $750,000 to the local economy in local expenses and purchases.” Following the closing of Waldoff’s, he has gotten into a new business venture, Waldoff Group, a consulting company that assists retail stores, focusing on improving sales, gross margin and bottom-line profits. “Waldoff Group is paid to be brutally honest with clients,” Waldoff said. “I tell them up front, if you don’t want to hear the truth as I see it, don’t hire us. I’m going to analyze, ask ques-
tions, observe and tell you what I see based on my 55 years of retail experience.” Unlike his former retail business, Waldoff said, Waldoff Group doesn’t advertise its services in the conventional form. “All our clients are referred to us by word of mouth from existing or previous clients, resident buying offices and other consultants,” he said, noting that the company also has a Website, WaldoffGroup.com. “Unfortunately most stores today don’t train employees, so they are often uncaring and more often than not don’t greet customers when they enter the store, their department or even approach customers when they see them,” Waldoff said. “Too often employees don’t smile, don’t make people feel like they are welcome. Today you can walk through most stores and finding someone to ask a question or to assist you means approaching a person at a cash wrap that has no clue, no interest and no motivation. Often you could fire a cannon through some stores and not hit an employee, and if you locate an employee they are clerks, not sales people.” Waldoff said he often tells clients about being in a national chain store locally some years ago. “The cashier did not speak to me as I paid for my purchase,” he said. “As she handed me my receipt I said something about her not saying ‘thank you.’ She snapped the register-generated receipt out of my hand, pointed her finger at the receipt and said, ‘Thank you is printed right here!’ She pushed back my receipt and walked away!” Although they are becoming much more rare, stores that still offer exceptional service do still exist and are appreciated by their customers, Waldoff said. “These stores have well-trained employees that greet customers warmly, know their inventory and assist customers in a caring manner, follow up the sale with a phone call or handwritten note thanking the customer for shopping and express their personal appreciation for being allowed to assist them,” Waldoff said. “We did this at Waldoff’s. People love to shop where the store and the sales person is attentive and appreciative.”
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by BETH BUNCH Gretchen Leake is helping make a dream come true, one posy at a time. And it's a big dream. A lifechanging dream. Her vehicle is SophistiCATEd POEsies, a crafting business which turns out all types of one-of-a-kind pins, headband, rings, brooches and decorative fashion accessories, as well as colorful and whimsical magnetic boards, backless frames and small jewelry holders. Stationary, signs and notecards are in the works! The business is named after and inspired by Leake's 17-year-old sister, Cate, who has dreams of attending New York University where she would like to study musical theatre and become a Broadway star and a favorite niece, Poe. Leake describes her sister, a senior at Presbyterian Christian High School, as an “incredibly gifted and talented performer.” “Our mom and dad, Karen Anderson and Beau Leake, were both musically inclined, so I guess this late-in-life child inherited every ounce of genes that were left over,” said Gretchen. The family, originally from Woodville, a small town outside Natchez, moved to Hattiesburg when Gretchen was at Southern Miss. According to Leake, the move afforded Cate many more opportunities than she would have had in Woodville. “When Cate was 3 years old, she stepped onto a little wooden
chair, so she could reach the microphone, and sang her first solo, “Happy Birthday Jesus,” during Christmas services at our church,” remembers Gretchen. It was a few years later that Cate auditioned for “The Wizard of Oz” with a local children’s theater group where she was cast as a Munchkin “and that’s where her journey into the world of musical theatre began,” she said. “Now, 11 years later, she has been in more than 20 plays and musicals. I really think she has the potential to get from Hattiesburg to NYU.” Cate, who has or is taking voice, piano and dance, has many favorite roles, including Leisl in “The Sound of Music”, Frenchy in “Grease,”
Gabriella in “High School Musical” The Wicked Witch of the West, Cinderella and Belle in “Beauty and the Beast.” She also has had the privilege of performing at Carnegie Hall. “I may be a tad bit biased, but Cate is one of the most remarkable young women I know,” said Leake. “She works hard, is dedicated and puts her heart and soul into every performance. But, the thing I admire most about her is that she has an even bigger heart for people. She cares deeply about her friends, family and people she doesn’t even know! She participates in multiple service projects, volunteers with Angel Tree and gives money to the homeless. “I started this little crafting business to help her make her dreams come true,” Leake said. “It’s going to be expensive to get to NYU.” And while Leake may not get rich overnight, it's a start and one that comes straight from the heart. “I'm helping create a dream come true,” she said. There are no patterns, instructions or guidelines to follow in the creative process to create the whimsical styles with a vintage twist that Leake turns out. “It’s a neat hobby that seems to have developed quite
a following in the last year, especially with a lot of young talent catching on to the sewing craze,” she said. “There was a time when craft fairs featured handmade items which really meant so much. Now we’re seeing a resurgence.” A child/adolescent therapist for a local healthcare provider, Leake works at Burger Elementary School in Hattiesburg. She's been crafting her poseys for about a year, but on a much smaller basis than where she is now. Leake said that her great-grandmother was crafty, “so I guess I inherited from her. I've made this a therapy for myself. It really helps me relax.” Having primary financial responsibility for a couple of family members, Leake started the side business, which she does in addition to her fulltime counseling job and another job two nights a week, to help fund her younger sister's dream. “I thought about what I might could do,” she said, which is basically take items that might not have value to herself or others anymore and recycles them into darling fashion accessories. While Leake does use some new fabrics and ribbon in her creations, the majority of her shabby chic creations are refashioned from old clothing, such as skirts, shirts and T-shirts she picks up at thrift shops or finds as a really good bargain. A pink plaid skirt from the 60s that she found at a local thrift store was fashioned into large flowers that can be worn on a headband, a necklace or as a pin. Old T-shirts are cut up in long strips and the soft
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strips rolled, twisted and sewn into different sized flowers, as are old sewing scraps. “They take a life of their own,” she said. “And it keeps something from being put in a landfill,” she said. “Something ugly gets a facelift.” Older ugly metal signs, which might have found their way into a landfill where they’d be for the next million years are now refashioned with decorative and colorful scrapbooking paper with cute matching magnets. Leake admits that what she knows about sewing is very basic and could probably be put into a thimble. With no true lessons under her belt, a lot of it is trial and error, she said. “I have no true training, but it’s worked out for the best. I need to take some time and learn and not fake it, but so far it's all been O.K.” However, the work she does requires some very basic sewing techniques. “It used to be that if I messed up I’d chunk it in the garbage can and start over, but these days I’ve learned to rework, stitch
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and glue,” she said. Because her designs are all handmade, each one is unique and designs are never replicated exactly as the time before. “No two are exactly the same,” she said. And they each have multiple uses and are very interchangeable. The posys can become pins with different types of clips, a necklace, a headband with a decorative and colorful patterned grosgrain ribbon or stretchy elastic sequined headband. And there aren’t really any age limitations. One piece that someone purchased for a newborn was also something a grown woman purchased for herself, said Leake. “Each piece runs the gamut with age.” Amid her jobs, at night or on weekends is when she does most of her crafting. And come September she will make her first foray into a craft fair when she hopes to participate in the three-day Pecan Festival held in Richton. While most of her wares are more on the casual side, Leake does cre-
ate dressier accessories for brides and wedding parties, many which feature beautiful vintage pins and buttons. “I use satin, organza and tulle fabrics on these pieces,” she said, “as well as decorative items such as feathers and beading.” In addition to her word-of-mouth sales, Leake also has an Etsy page where she sells her creations, but it's still hard for her to grasp that someone would want to buy her pieces. “Getting up enough confidence to market and sell my stuff is still a bit foreign and difficult,” she said. “I try to be very creative, and as vintage as I can.” On her Etsy page, different styles are gathered into unique collections, all with a different name. “The collections aren't named after any one person in particular,” she said. “I try to come up with names that match the items in each collection.” Her rings mimic her pins, but on a smaller scale. She’s working on a line of rings in area football team col-
ors, as well as some head pieces unique to Presbyterian Christian that could be worn with uniforms. Her line of prints and stationary that are currently in the works, and have been recently featured on her Facebook page, can be printed in a variety of sizes and purchased as sets or purchased so you can make the prints yourself, she explained. But whether a pin made from a soft old T-shirt or a headband posy fashioned from a skirt from yesteryear, it’s the love that Leake weaves into each piece today and the motive behind it that makes this journey so worthwhile. “With every purchase from my shop, you’re helping me make Cate’s dreams come true.” A dream she hopes to see on the Broadway stage one day. For more on SophistiCATEd POEsies: http://www.etsy.com/shop/Sophisticated Posies/ http://www.facebook.com/sophisticatedposies
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by ASHLEIGH JOHNSON As fall approaches, so does a new wave of trends. Several area boutiques – Eve Marie’s, The Abbey and Irie – are more than prepared to make Pine Belt residents more than ready, so that no one falls short in the what-to-wear category. And if one of those trends happens to be something from yesteryear, like the 70s, then so be it. More than likely a few of you “wiser” fashionistas still have leftover pieces from that era in your closet or have passed them down to your equally chic children. If not you’ll find these local boutiques are well
stocked with exactly what you’ll be needing this season.
Eve Marie’s The ‘60s and ‘70s are back with a vengeance, according to April Bullock, owner of Eve Marie’s. And these looks will be showcased in the amount of flare-legged jeans and clogs you’ll be seeing more of this season. Aztec patterns, flowy tops and crocheted tops, also a throwback to those days, are also getting more popular as the season begins. As far as accessories, feathers are still popular as are belts of every size, shape and extravagance. You will begin to
see more and more jewelry with huge stones – the bigger and bolder the jewelry, the better. “Vintage-inspired headbands are in,” Bullock says of these accessories to use to make your outfit stand out. For shoes though, the idea is a little different with neutral tones being the best option for outfit flexibility. Boots are also something to invest in. Cowboy boots, booties and over-theknee boots will all be popular so it’s hard to go wrong with any type. “Red skinny jeans are huge this year,” said Bullock. “They are a staContinued on page 18
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ple for your wardrobe.” She also says that jeggings continue to stay in style because of their convenience and their breathability in the Mississippi heat. “We can dress anybody for any game, in any state,” Bullock said, “so don’t forget about us when you’re trying to find that perfect homecoming dress.”
The Abbey Jennifer Clark, buyer at The Abbey, agrees that the ‘70s are back! “Sophisticated glamour and fun and fresh bohemian chic looks are an overall feel this season,” Clark said. Investing in some big staple items such as a leather jacket, a great pair of jeans, a purse or a unique feather necklace can give you the opportunity to mix and match them with different outfits giving you a new look everyday. Also adding little embellishments like lace or fringe can be useful for giving almost any piece of clothing a new style. “Less is more, in my opinion, when going for of these trends this season,” said Clark. “This will assure you to be sophisticated, but still fun and trendy without having to revamp your closet next season when new trends surface.” Colors to take note of include a lot of jewel tones and neutrals like blushes, creams and mustard hues. Patterns are also still big, including leopard, but be sure they are not overdone and don’t overpower the outfit. “Bright colored pants and denim are huge this season! Paired with a silky top this look can be taken from day to night by replacing flats or boots with a platform wedge and fun jewelry. And you’re ready for the night!” Clark said.
Irie Irie owner Ashley Page is seeing a flashback to the ‘70s with bell-bottoms and loose blousy tops. She warns not to get rid of your skinny jeans just yet; they remain in style and are still a staple in any wardrobe. Last year’s dark grey and black color palette is out and red, pinks, purples and blues are in, along with gold and mustard hues. “One of my favorite trends this fall is colored tights and leggings in subtle tones like burgundy, olive and navy. They look so great paired with sweater dresses and booties!” Page said. Dressy and casual ponchos are also something to look out for this fall as well as fur-trimmed leather jackets for chillier days. “Shoes have gotten a little chunkier this fall,” Page said. “Pumps with a chunky heel and wedges are everywhere. Riding boots and slouchy boots are still very popular this season as well as biker style boots.”
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by BETH BUNCH
His bio on his Tulsa World blogspot reads.... While other kids were watching "The Smurfs," fashion writer Jason Ashley Wright was tuned in to "Style with Elsa Klensch." By fourth grade, he knew he wanted to write, and spent almost three years publishing a weekly teen-oriented magazine, TeenZine – circulation: 2.* After earning a degree in journalism from the University of Southern Mississippi, he became the medical reporter and teen board coordinator for the Hattiesburg American, a Gannett newspaper. Eight months later, with visions of Elsa dancing in his head, he applied for the fashion writer position at the Tulsa World, where he began working on Aug. 3, 1998. He’s been there ever since. And now you’re going to hear the rest of his story.... So, having served as fashion writer for 13 years, what does or did Wright write about? You name it. Topics on his blog, Inalienable Wright, run the gamut from new perfumes of the stars (Covet by Sarah Jessica Parker) to his constant battle with his weight and thus, his relationship with “Dubya Dubya” or W Squared, better known to most of us as Weight Watchers, to being a Golden Girls groupie, and his song list for his MP3 player. Wright was born and, for the most part, raised in South Mississippi. “Laurel is my true hometown, where my grandparents raised my parents, who both went to Glade High School in the '60s,” he said. But his parents, James and Elouise Wright, now live in Petal. His mom’s parents are the late Edgar and Alice Walters; but his dad's parents, Johnnie and Val Wright, still reside in Laurel, as do quite a few cousins. Among those cousins is Melissa Flynt Pittman, who
played an important role in Wright’s the musical "Oklahoma!" he said. career path. “Bless her heart, she “Kidding.” “It was actually a college read my hand-written "Teen-Zine friend and fellow Mississippian, Nellie magazines" every week for about two Kelly, (really her name) who worked years.* “There's a special place in at the local newspaper at the same heaven for her,” he said. time.” He explained that Kelly moved As a youngster, Jason, who to Tulsa in 1998 where she accepted described himself as a cross between a job as a features reporter with the Rowlf the Muppet and Rosie independently-owned Tulsa World O’Donnell’s cross-eyed love child, in newspaper. “Two months later, she a Sears Portrait Studio photo on an called me about an opening there for introductory blog years ago, moved the fashion writer position. It sounded around quite a bit with his family – fun, so I applied, they flew me out for New Orleans, Mobile, Tampa, an interview and, three weeks later, I Pensacola. Nothing like being wellmoved to Tulsa,” he said. “It didn't traveled. take me long to fall in love with it. “From kindergarten to high school, The people here are awesome and I attended 10 schools. In Laurel, I remind me of folks back home. Yeah, attended Glade and Mason elemenI still miss my home state very much; tary schools, St. but Tulsans make it John's Day School, bearable.” Immaculate The mention of Conception and Mississippi – zipper Gardiner Junior High peas and peach drinks before spending my from the drink 8th, 11th and 12th machine in his grade years at Papaw’s Laurel radiaNortheast Jones High tor shop to in recent School,” where he years a Cotton Bowl graduated in 1993. game between However, according Oklahoma State and to Wright, it was back Ole Miss – have at St. John's Day appeared sporadically School when he realthroughout his blog, ized he wanted to be Inalienable Wright, As a youngster, Jason, a writer. “It was during who described himself as a and keep him deeply the Young Author's rooted or planted in cross between Rowlf the Conference, which I South Mississippi, Muppet and Rosie hope they still have. where he tries to get O’Donnell’s cross-eyed Anyway, the students home at least twice a love child had to write a story, year – usually once in illustrate it, then "publish" it (i.e., sew the summer and again around the the pages together, and bind it with holidays. glue and wallpapered cardboard for His battle with his weight has been the covers). Loved it,” he said. an ongoing theme of his blog since it From then on, his future was pretty was first posted on the Tulsa World’s much written in ink. After graduating web site archive back in 2007, both from the University of Southern his triumphs and his, shall we say, Mississippi in 1997 with a journalism less-than-stellar performances. degree, he landed “where the wind However, from looking at the photo comes sweeping down the plains” in which accompanies his blogspot, Tulsa, Okla. you’d never guess weight was even But Oklahoma? (Not that we have an issue. But it’s not been something anything against it. Our esteemed he’s shied away from talking about publisher hails from there!) with his generous and ever-vigilant “I've always been obsessed with public.
“I feel like I've been on a diet since fifth grade,” said Wright. “Always the chubby kid in class, and frequently reminded of it, I hated how I looked. So I've tried about every diet imaginable, yo-yo-ing from 250 pounds down to 150 – both extremely unhealthy weights.” He enjoys running, which, as a journalist, is good and always comes in handy. “I love to run, so that's been a good way to shed pounds; but I love to eat even more. And the older I become, the harder it is to stay svelte,” he said, and oh so important for a de riguer fashion writer. He joined Weight Watchers at the beginning of 2011. “It’s probably the healthiest weight-loss program I've ever tried,” he said, “Quite a few of my readers have found success with WW, too, so I've been able to connect with people through that. They've been very supportive.” So, how does a guy from Mississippi where fashion to the “outside world” is believed to be jeans and a flannel shirt or cutoffs and a “wife beater,” make it in the fashion world? How fashion forward with good sense and taste in clothing must a fashion writer be or have knowledge of? Depends on how far you want to go into debt. Describing himself as “not very fashionable,” Wright said he grew up watching Saturday morning cartoons until his parents switched the television to CNN. “I’d stick around and watch ‘Style with Elsa Klensch, especially French and Japanese designers.” (Klensch is an AustralianAmerican journalist and novelist, often working in the world of fashion. She was the producer and host of CNN's weekly fashion and design television program, which ran from 1980 to 2001). “By the 7th-grade I was obsessed with clothes. I had waaaaay more Benetton shirts than anyone should ever admit to owning,” Wright now publicly confesses. It was in his 20s that he took the job as fashion writer at the World and in doing so felt he “had to dress the part.” “And I spent
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Lillie King, who was Ms. Park's Edge Nursing & Rehab Center in the Ms. Senior Oklahoma pageant, tells Justin stories about her childhood. TOM GILBERT/Tulsa World
many thousands doing so. I literally went shopping every day. But, as print journalists don't make gobs of money, I went into debt. Serious debt. But, boy, I had some awesome clothes.” And isn’t that all that really matters? He says that now he’s “somewhat wiser with my money. I tend to shop at Target and Belk. And I never buy anything unless it's on sale. I miss my Versace and Donna Karan days, but I don't miss the bills.” Wright signs off each of his blogs with ‘peace, love and (fill in the blank with whatever he’s writing about) XOXO.’ But he has no clue from whence it came. “I honestly have no clue. It may have been a passive response to snippy readers' comments on my blog, something positive and, well, schmaltzy to end each entry. I didn't mean for it to become a tag line, it just sort of happened,” he said, which is so apt with fashion. But it does keep the reader wondering what’s coming at the end. And into each fashion writer’s life comes the high moments, those times when the spotlight shines down
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on things that are truly enjoyable and pleasurable, much like the wardrobe. Wright said his tenure at the newspaper has afforded him many fun
opportunities. “Before I developed a slightly serious case of stage fright (ironically, I'm a bit of a drama queen), I emceed events, particularly
JAMES GIBBARD/Tulsa World
One of my favorite annual interviews was with New York fashion designer Carmen Marc Valvo, who is seen chatting here with supermodel, actress and Tulsa native Amber Valletta after the annual Pink Ribbon luncheon and fashion show at Southern Hills Country Club.
charity-related fashion shows. For an '80s fashion-themed event, I dressed like Boy George. (I'll spare my family the embarrassment of making those photos public.) Other than that, I've been able to interview some really cool people. Rue McClanahan (of Golden Girls fame) was a favorite because she called me "simple." He’s also rubbed elbows or fashionionable heels with designers, including American evening wear designer Carmen Marc Valvo, who Wright said had been coming to Tulsa every year since 2003 for the Pink Ribbon fashion extravaganza. “But the best folks to chat with are the unsung locals who share their stories of success, heartache and encouragement with my readers. The ‘real’ people,” he said. Wright’s job these days is “grueling, back-breaking work. OK, not really.” He’s had a weekly column since January 2001, “which I still enjoy.” But he just recently handed over the fashion “no wire” hangers to a long-time fellow features reporter at the World in order to write more general-interest pieces and stories on a
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myriad of topics. “Being ADD, I find it more fun. For example, I'm about to drive to Broken Arrow to watch a young Muslim couple make dinner and talk about dishes that are traditional to Ramadan. If I'm lucky, they'll ask me to join them – although it might be hard to count the Weight Watchers points.” And where does the brightest runway light shine on his illustrious years as fashion writer? “When I first accepted the job as fashion writer at the Tulsa World, I thought I'd eventually be jetting to New York for Fashion Week, hobnobbing with celebrities and clinking
champagne flutes with people who called me "Dahling!" he said. “Apparently, I watched too much "Dynasty" and "Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous," because none of that happened. However, he has met designers, and he’s been to numerous fashion shows – none in New York, but fashion shows, nonetheless. “I've even taken a turn on the catwalk myself a few times, bless the hearts of those poor souls who asked me,” he said. He’s interviewed people like Carmen Marc Valvo, Richard Simmons, Amber Valletta, Bob Mackie, a president's daughter, a few governors and
a host of crazy-fun retailers. But the best interviews that have made the most lasting impressions, “the ones that stuck with me most, were with the relative unknowns in my community. Like my most recent interview at the Oklahoma Firefighters Burn Camp in Adair, Okla. These kids – both the campers and their counselors, most of whom were camp kids, too – are seriously aweinspiring. “So were the spouses of Alzheimer's patients I interviewed a couple of years ago. Same goes for the mother of a healthy, brilliant 24year-old man who had just asked the
love of his life to marry him not long before he died of a brain hemorrhage. “Each encounter gave me a little more insight into what it's like to either truly love someone or yourself – and, occasionally, both. Yeah, it probably sounds schmaltzy; but I've been blessed with 13 lucky years to learn about life from others' perspectives. That's probably the coolest collective experience of my career. Otherwise, I'd say all the free shampoo, conditioner and fragrances I get in the mail. That's pretty sweet, too. Peace, love and thanks, Jason! XOXO
The rest of the story... And what intimate secrets do his readers actually know about Jason Ashley Wright, based on his blog, courtesy of the Tulsa World? • He claims to be a product junkie, which he blames on his job. In his Aug. 10 blog, he asked readers, followers, the faithful, ‘What are your favorite $10-or-less drugstore beauty finds?’ He received answers than ranged from nail treatment to organic shimmer and the suggestion to do the same for the men’s care products, which he promptly followed up with on Aug. 18. • He’s never been a fan of purple. Longer more detailed story here....doctor, dermatologist, blah, blah....He does, however admit to being a fan of “The Color Purple.” “Love it. Just typing that sentence makes me wanna sing "Miss Celie's Blues." And he thinks “purple's pretty on other people. And flowers. Even eggplant dishes. But purple just ain't my shade – or so I had thought so for years.” • He’s partial to gazpacho “cold soup,” especially on hot summer days. • He lives vicariously through stylists who attend and work New York’s Fashion Week. • I foresee an uptick in my sunglass purchases this year if I keep having to look on the bright side. • Now, I'm getting up at 5:45 a.m., and I'm out the door by 6:20 to catch yoga at 6:30. Love it! OK, maybe I'm not IN LOVE with it yet, but I really do dig it, to borrow my mamaw's phrase. She also says "groovy, man" on occasion. • My favorite part of class? Lying on the floor before and after the class. It's called "rest." The class sets my tone for the day – always feel better. My mood? Enlightened. I've even had a couple of coworkers say I seem happier. No one has EVER said that to me. No one sighted or sane, anyway. • OK, I'm well aware of the Bible's "let he who is without sin cast the first stone." It's a verse I'm ever mindful of. • He once asked Santa for the Snoopy Sno-Cone machine. Actually, I'm not sure I specifically requested the machine, which I think I saw for several years in a row in the JCPenney catalog Thanksgiving afternoons at Mamaw Wright's house. • I’ve never worked in retail. Although I do have a fondness for folding cashmere sweaters at Dillard's. • B-R...not to be confused with my beloved Banana Republic, which is just BR, no hyphen • I totally recommend the sea bass at Villa Ravenna. • Dreads Tuesday mornings. Not an a.m. individual, unless 1 a.m. or so.
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STEPHEN HOLMAN/Tulsa World
Jason, second from left, emceed and co-chaired two vintage fashion shows for the Tulsa Press Club. This was taken in 2005 with local vintage shop owners.
• At times has been remiss in blogging. Blames the heat. • Airplane...my second favorite mode of transportation. Loves drive time. It’s not that he’s afraid of flying, but rather of crashing. • His MP3 playlist includes Xanadu, (really?) ELO Def Leppard • I swear, sometimes I get food tipsy – drunk with calories, so to speak, and just act a grade-A fool. • The lesson here, sweet, precious reader(s?) is this: Be sweet. God's watching, and so are a host of hidden cameras, if my paranoia proves correct. • Afternoon snack? Orange. Color me healthy • Guilty and not-so guilty pleasures – Fuze Refresh Peach Mango drink. It's kinda high in sugar but it tastes AWESOME! Peach is my favorite fruit flavoring. Peach Nehi. Actually, I wasn't planning on including this, but I recently rediscovered this soft drink, which my Papaw used to stock in his vending machine at the radiator shop he owned in Laurel, Miss. • Being single just sucks sometimes. • By year's end, I want people running up to me BEGGING to wash their clothes on my abs. • Clarins Lotus Face Treatment Oil. Even though I'm REALLY having to pinch my pennies lately, I've enjoyed the heck out of this product. • Setting my air conditioner at home VERY low. I sweat like a pee-eye-gee HOG when I'm getting ready in the morning, so I love tapping the temperature thingy down to between 65 and 68 – just for an hour. Honestly, I'd be cooler than caviar if I could see my own breath in the morning.
• I'm not fond of Mannheim Steamroller. I know that millions of people love them, but, quite frankly, it reminds me of tweaked-out elevator music. • A fashion shoot is NEVER complete with caffeine – a grande skinny caramel latte for me (only 3 Dubya Dubya points, thank you very much) • Whether you go to a concert or not, always find an occasion to dress fun or funky. You’re only alive once, right? And, as the Lady (Gaga) herself advises, “Don’t be a drag -- just be a queen.” And because we observe Labor Day this month, Wright shares a post-Labor Day list of DOs and DON’Ts (from a previous blog): Believe the list is coutesy of that much-beloved American designer Calvin Klein • DO keep wearing white if you want. The only risk now is the same one you always had regarding red wine, soy sauce and the wrong color of bra. • DON'T expect people not to make fun of you, though, for wearing white shoes, unless you are on a tennis court, exercising in general or rescuing Smurfette from Gargamel's house – especially if you've got plus-size feet. • DO wear linen if it's still in the mid to upper 80s – until October. Linen's a spring/summer fabric, y'all, and it just looks waaaaay outta place when it's cold. Kinda like your mama on a street corner – not a pleasant thought, right? • DON'T wear seersucker. I don't care if it's 89 tomorrow (I do, but not in this specific case), seersucker screams summer more loudly than linen does. Put it away. Now. Same goes for Madras. Peace, love and Calvin ... xoxo
by ANDREA HALL
believe she wore them in this kind of heat.” Women of the era, and extras for the movie, both knew about suffering for fashion thanks to those Mississippi summer temperatures. Hairy situation When Dixie Kelly was young, she thought her mother was crazy for wrapping her hair in “toilet paper.” “Now, I know why she did that,” Kelly said. “Apparently, she wasn’t the only one.” For the movie, Kelly had one of the tallest beehive hairstyles on set — if not the tallest. “Even if I end up on the cutting room’s floor and you don’t see my face on screen, you will see my hair floating above the crowd in the banquet scenes,” Kelly said, with a little laugh. For hair and makeup the first day
of the banquet scene, Kelly said it took an hour or more to get ready. “It took about 45 minutes for them to tease my hair so they could pull it up into a beehive,” she said. And once it was up, her hair was up. The female extras were told not to wash their hair or take it down until the scene had been filmed. For the banquet, that meant extras had to keep their hair styled for six days. “You would sleep in your hair, go out in your hair, just do everything in that one hairstyle,” she said. The women were given hair nets to wear to help keep everything in place. And before each day of filming, they would get a little touch-up. “I would make a beeline to my girl,” she said. “It became a sense of pride.” Everyone’s hair also had to look identical from day to day since it was
for the same scene. “The women who did the hair were artists, and they took it very seriously,” Kelly said. “It was a work of art with hair.” With her hair done, not only did Kelly think of her mom, but she also saw her when she looked in the mirror. “Oh, my goodness, I thought I was staring at my mother,” Kelly said. “I have always been told I look like her, but with the heavier eyebrows and the hair, it was unreal.” Some of the hairstyles worn by the extras included bull horns, beehives and bouffants. Bling of the past Making a movie, the costumer has to think beyond just the clothes. The accessories also had to be considered. “There was a lot of pearl jewelry
These are Contributed Photos
From the A-line skirts and chunky jewelry to the sky-high pumps and even taller hair, the fashion of the “The Help,” which was released Aug. 10 and filmed mostly in Greenwood, brought the ’60s to life on screen. Offscreen, it evoked more emotional memories for Greenwood residents who got to dress for the era as an extra. “It really hit close to home for me,” said Lisa Melton of Greenwood. Around the time of filming, Melton and her family had been cleaning out her grandmother’s house. What they found looked a lot like the costumes from the film. “The styles, the hemlines, the fabrics,” Melton said, “my goodness, it was exactly the same.” Melton’s grandmother had kept photos and clothes, lots of them, from when she was a young woman in the ’60s. “I didn’t know these clothes even still existed,” Melton said. “It made me think we shouldn’t be so quick to dispose of them.” Melton suspected the movie producers found clothes to use as costumes thanks to people like her grandmother who had kept them for all those years. “My grandmother kept everything,” she said. “It was a part of her generation because she grew up during the Depression and would stockpile stuff.” Although Melton didn’t need to don her ’60s garb to be reminded of her grandmother, she enjoyed being transported back in time by the clothing and its memories. “It was so fun,” she said. “My grandmother always wore heels, she always wore skirts and she always wore stockings.” Yes, stockings. The look for the movie was true to the era — right down to those nylons, which Melton said were hot and uncomfortable in July and August when she filmed. “I can just remember my grandmother wearing her stockings, even if she was just going to grab something at the store,” Melton said. “I can’t
Courtesy of IPIX Wallpaper
Special to Signature Magazine
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and rhinestones,” said LaNelle Tollison, owner of Lynbar Jewelers in Greenwood and an extra in the movie. All of the pieces either had to be vintage or look vintage to fit in with the ’60s fashion. Tollison said the jewelry for that time period was heavier and less tailored than today’s popular looks. “They used a lot of large stones, the bracelets were wide and the necklaces were shorter,” she said. “They also had true cocktail rings.” In the banquet scene, Tollison also noticed a lot of chandler-style earrings. “The jewelry was really true to that time, and they matched it to the scene,” Tollison said. “They knew what they were looking for.” Although most of the jewelry was brought with the crew, Tollison’s father’s watches are worn in the movie. “That is really special for me,” she said. “It is nice that he could be a part of this, too.” Tollison’s store was one of the first
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places in Greenwood where Chris Ubick, the movie’s prop master, began looking for jewelry. “She said they needed some watches,” Tollison said. “When I got mine out, she said they were perfect.” Her father’s watches were 14-carat gold Accutron watches from the era. “My son saw the movie and said you could see their leather bands,” Tollison said. When Ubick couldn’t find quite what she was look for, Tollison came to the rescue again. Tollison helped design a custom engagement ring for the character Skeeter Phelan, played by Emma Stone. In the book, Stuart Whitworth gives Skeeter the ring. Men of the movie While the women’s clothing and hair stands out and up more, the men also had to get a new look. The biggest change was on their heads. The movie contracted with Legends Salon and Spa in
Greenwood to get the shorter do. April Yates, who did a majority of the men’s hair, described the haircut as short on the back and sides and long on the top, so it could be combed over. The men even used the old-fashioned Brylcreem when it was styled, according to Yates. To learn how to do the cut, the movie crew brought a packet of pictures. “They were yearbook pictures that they had found,” she said. Yates said some of the men were a little apprehensive about getting a shorter cut. Paul Lyon was among those after his nephew told him of the major cut for the movie. Lyon, who typically keeps his hair longer than other men his age, said by the time they finished with his haircut, they could have made a wig. “It reminded me of my dad,” said Paul Lyon of his haircut. It was a bit cooler for those summer months, and he said it did make him look a bit younger. But the over-
all response he said was either laughter, mostly from co-workers, and compliments. Melton, whose husband, Floyd, was an extra, really liked the men’s clothes because it was more fitted than today’s look. “I told Floyd that I wished they still sold pants like the ones he wore for the movie,” she said. “The men just looked so nice.” While Melton and her fellow castmates enjoyed being transported back in time, they were glad to return to their normal clothes. “It just took so long to get ready; we don’t have time for that,” she said. “But it was neat getting to wear those clothes and spark those memories of our parents and grandparents.” Andrea Hall is a writer for The Greenwood Commonwealth, a sister publication to Hattiesburg Publishing and its publications, Signature Magazine, The Lamar Times, The Petal News and Camp Shelby’s Reveille.
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by BETH BUNCH
“Whitney is an exciting new culinary voice who is reinterpreting many wonderful Southern dishes into fresh, simple, and absolutely delicious recipes for today’s generation of home cooks.” Gordon Ramsay Chef and Co-host of MasterChef
"Share with God's people who are in need. Always be eager to practice hospitality." Romans 12:13 In 2010, America watched amateur cook and South Mississippi native Whitney Miller crush the competition and become the first winner of FOX’s hit show America’s MasterChef. Billed as the American Idol of cooking competitions, Master Chef pits 50 amateur cooks from across
the country in a head-to-head battle for culinary supremacy. The seemingly demure Mississippi belle proved she had not only nerves of steel but true culinary chops. On July 5, Miller saw a dream come true as she debuted her eagerly-anticipated first cookbook, Modern Hospitality: Simple Recipes with Southern Charm (Rodale Books) during a national launch. A launch party was held at the Hattiesburg Train Depot, where visitors were able to sample recipes from the cookbook, prepared by Lake Terrace Convention Center chef, Carmen Hardy Ford. Miller’s debut appearance on Season 2 of MasterChef also was aired, for guests to have the opportunity to watch the episode during the event. ‘It’s definitely been a dream of mine to have this opportunity, and to have it happen at such a young age when I’m already on my career path is a real blessing,” she said. Sharing photos of the book’s culinary delights on Facebook and Twitter, Miller said she’d received multiple requests from friends for the recipes. “I never shared them,” Miller laughed. “I would say, ‘Wait until the book comes out.’” In the 192-page cookbook, Miller treats readers to a fresh take on classic dishes made with fresh ingredients that have been passed down throughout generations of Southern women in her family, but in Miller’s own charming style, which encompasses using fresh ingredients and putting her own modern twist to
these Southern classics...lightened up a little. As a little girl in small-town Poplarville, known as the Blueberry Capital of Mississippi, Miller grew up cooking at the elbows of true masters of Southern cuisine – her mother, grandmothers, and great-grandmothers. From the secret to making perfect, flaky biscuits to the art of whipping up Sunday supper for a crowd, Whitney not only learned how to create much-loved dishes for friends and family, but also discovered the most essential ingredient for any meal – hospitality. In addition to providing more than 75 original recipes that showcase regional ingredients and authentic flavors in the cookbook, Whitney also shares her stories of family and tradition, and suggestions for effortless entertaining. Tested recipes featured in the book include rise-and-shine breakfast recipes such as Biscuits and Syrup, Cinnamon and Pecan Granola, and Grit Cakes. She also allows you to make entertaining easy with party starters such as Collard Green Dip, Crawfish Etoufee Rice Balls and Quick and Easy Cornbread Crostini. Or if throwing a dinner party is more to your liking, elegant entrees include Oven Fried Catfish, Root BeerGlazed Ham, and Shrimp, Andouille Sausage and Grits Soufflé. And for those with a need to satisfy your sweet tooth there are dessert recipes for Sweet Potato Peanut Butter Brownies, Toasted Coconut Cupcakes and Potato Peanut Butter Blondies. And we all know that nobody likes a good thirst quencher like Southerners do, so why not create chic sips such as Tangerine Tea, Pineapple Coolada, and Sweet and Tart Lemonade Modern Hospitality will definitely bring a taste of the South into your home! Who is MasterChef Whitney Miller? Miller is a native of Poplarville, who aspired to be a cook from an early
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age. After graduating from Pearl River Community College, she received her bachelor’s degree in interdisciplinary studies with an emphasis in nutrition and biology from the University of Southern Mississippi. In her senior year, at the age of 22, she earned the title of Fox’s first U.S. MasterChef. She and her mother also opened a small café, Glaze, on Hwy. 11 in Poplarville. Whitney has been busy traveling with the national book tour, has made appearances on QVC and has spent time conducting cooking demonstrations, such as Anaheim’s Celebrity Food and Gift Show with TLC’s Little Chocolatiers and the 2011 Chicago Home and Housewares Show with other celebrity chefs such as Paula Deen, Curtis Stone, and Guy Fieri. Also, she has acted as celebrity judge for numerous cooking contests, such as B.I.O Special Events Wedding Cake Competition with Duff Goldman, local ABC station’s Pie Wars, and Memphis Cupcake Camp Competition. Gail Albert, owner of A-Gallery in Downtown Hattiesburg, who hosted the launch party with the City of Hattiesburg and Visit Hattiesburg, said she first came to know Whitney when she was a little girl coming to visit downtown Hattiesburg for Art Walk with her family. She said what impressed her most when watching Miller win the title last year was how she never lost her focus. “It’s been so neat to watch her grow up and become such a tremendous success in what she’s passionate about doing,” Albert said. Miller grew up in a very food, faith, and family-oriented environment, always in the kitchen cooking with her mom and two sisters or her great-grandmother, who is 96 and still
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cooking. Benefiting from her greatdo. It was for home cooks. I'm selfgrandmother’s inspiration in Southern taught. Just because I live so close to hospitality and cooking large Sunday New Orleans (90 minutes away) it's dinners for extended family and always been a big influence on my friends, she aspired to be a great cooking style.” cook from an early age. The cookbook features lightened As a young girl, Miller would watch up versions of some traditional her great-grandmother, Mary Strahan, Southern classics. cook Sunday dinners for the extended “For me, lighter can not mean family that gathered at her Lumberton bland,” said Miller. “I like flavorful home, measuring foods without any out ingredients by exceptions or subthe handful, never stitutions. I lighten consulting a written up foods by either recipe. using olive oil vs. "She would butter, skim milk never measure dairy products, and anything" in the baked vs. fried. traditional manner, When I am sauteMiller said. "That's ing, roasting, or what I really grilling I like to use learned from her." olive oil to cook Miller, who said and flavor my vegshe probably etables and probegan cooking teins.” with her greatMiller’s favorite grandmother when roasted vegetable she was no older is brussel sprouts. than eight, said Yes, brussel she was already sprouts. “If you experimenting with have never had her own recipes by roasted brussel “I definitely can't wait to see the time she was sprouts, you do not what opportunities I have,” the 12. know what you are petite brunette said. “I would In an interview missing,” she said just love to have a cooking with The Times on a recent blog. show, even to be able to travel, “Caramelization Picayune, Miller because they'd like to see said, “I don't from the roasting of someone with a young set remember NOT the onions and of eyes experience food.” cooking. It was brussel sprouts always me in the brings out the natukitchen with my grandmother or my ral sweetness.” See the recipe below mom. It's something I've always that she shared on her blog. enjoyed doing." In a Happy Eating Healthy Living When she found out that the blog, Miller asked followers to “think MasterChef program was coming to about the best meal you have ever New Orleans to hold auditions, "I had or your favorite foods. How does knew it was an exercise I wanted to it make you feel? Whether it's a
sweet juicy slice of watermelon, crisp tart piece of granny smith apple, or creamy smooth morsel of chocolate, food makes me happy. It isn't just about enjoying these foods, but the memories behind them. I get really excited when I can share my passion for food with others.” And if truth be told, her favorite kind of food to create is desserts. Because of her talent with desserts on Fox's Masterchef, she was deemed the “Pastry Princess.” Miller is quoted in the Summer 2011 issue of Spirit of Women magazine, “I enjoy the challenge in the science of baking – perfecting souffles, pastries and pies is thrilling for me.” On MasterChef she won the dessert and chocolate souffle pressure challenges. In an interview with Hanh Nguyen of Zap2 News, Miller said she first cooked a meal for her family in the ninth grade. “But profiteroles, which I had won the dessert challenge for, I made that when I was 14 or something,” she said. “It had been that long ago, so I had to remember what does it look like, what is it supposed to taste like?” When asked about Southern cooking being too simple, Miller told Nguyen “one thing is that Southern cooking takes a lot of Southern ingredients, which makes it time-consuming to make. It requires just putting a lot of effort into it. With a simple gumbo it takes a really long time to develop the flavors and the roux. To me, the simplest ingredients are the hardest to make taste best.” If you’re talking comfort foods, then Miller’s dish to whip up would be “something cheesy. I make a good cheesy grits. I use Parmesan cheese and make a shrimp and grits. So I make a shrimp sauce like a bisque
over it. Oh my gosh, it's so comforting and good,” Miller said. She lists her food/cooking idols as Giada De Laurentiis on Food Network; Guy Fieri definitely inspired me; I do like [Paula Deen's] recipes. “I don’t fry as much as she does. I hardly fry at all really,” Miller said. “I try to keep it more on the healthier side. If I fry anything, it's a pan fry.” Could a cooking show be on the horizon for Miller? “I definitely can't wait to see what opportunities I have,” the petite brunette said. “I would just love to have a cooking show, even to be able to travel, because they'd like to see someone with a young set of eyes experience food. There are lots of people who don't have the opportunity to travel and that's why I like watching food shows because I haven't been able to travel around the world yet.” The cookbook includes Whitney’s recipes for Blackened Catfish Salad with Cornbread Croutons and Field Peas with Okra and Andouille Sausage, White Chocolate Bread Pudding, Crawfish Etouffee Rice Balls, along with twists on Southern favorites such as Butter Bean Hummus and Sautéed Brussel Sprouts, Leek, and Green Apple with Candied Pecans.
SAUTÉED BRUSSEL SPROUTS, LEEK, AND GREEN APPLE WITH CANDIED PECANS 2 Tbsp. unsalted butter 2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil 2 garlic cloves, minced About 10 large fresh brussel sprouts, sliced thin 1 leek, sliced thin 1 granny smith apple, halved
and sliced thin 1/4 tsp. hickory smoked salt Candied Pecans (recipe below) Melt butter in a large cast-iron skillet over medium heat. Add olive oil and garlic and cook for 2 minutes. Add sprouts, leek, and apple slices to skillet. Season with salt and cook for 8-10 minutes. Gently toss vegetables during cooking time to coat in butter and oil and prevent from cooking on only one side. To finish, top with candied pecans and serve immediately.
CANDIED PECANS 2 Tbsp. water 2 Tbsp. cane sugar 1/2 cup pecan halves, cut in half lengthwise Over medium-low heat, bring water, sugar, and pecans to a simmer, stirring until sugar dissolves. Continue simmering for 7 minutes, stirring occasionally. Sugar and water should turn into syrup. Using a fork, remove pecans onto wax paper to cool. Miller's version of shrimp and grits is made with roasted corn fresh off the cob.
SHRIMP AND SAUSAGE WITH GRITS SOUFFLÉ AND YELLOW PEPPER SABAYON Makes 6 servings CORN 3 ears corn, unhusked 3 Tbsp. unsalted butter 1/2 tsp. salt 1/2 tsp. ground black pepper SABAYON 2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil 1/2 cup diced yellow onion 1/4 cup diced yellow bell pepper 1 garlic clove, minced 1-1/2 cups heavy cream
1 tsp. salt 1 large egg yolk GRITS SOUFFLÉ 2 cups whole milk 1/2 cup quick-cooking grits 1/2 tsp. salt 1/8 tsp. ground black pepper 2 Tbsp. unsalted butter 1/2 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese (2 ounces) 2 eggs, separated SHRIMP AND SAUSAGE 1 pound large shrimp, peeled and deveined 1/4 tsp. salt 1/4 tsp. ground black pepper Dash of cayenne pepper 2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil 8 ozs. andouille sausage, cut on the diagonal into 1-inch slices GARNISH 1/4 cup chopped scallions 1 Tbsp. chopped fresh parsley Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Grease six 8- to 10-ounce soufflé dishes and refrigerate. To prepare corn: Peel the husk back, remove the silk, and rub each cob with 1 tablespoon butter. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Replace husk and place on a baking sheet. Bake until lightly browned, about 20 minutes. (Leave the oven on but reduce the temperature to 375 degrees for the soufflés.) When the corn is cool enough to handle, pull back husks and slice kernels off the cobs into a bowl. Set aside for using in the sabayon and as a garnish.
Make the sabayon: Heat the oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add onion and bell pepper and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add cream and 1 cup corn and cook over medium heat until cream thickens and corn is heated through, about 4 minutes. Transfer mixture to a blender and puree. To prepare grits soufflés: Bring milk to a slight boil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Stir in grits and cook, stirring occasionally, until grits reach a porridge consistency, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool slightly. Stir in salt, pepper, butter, cheddar, and egg yolks. With an electric mixer, beat egg whites until stiff peaks form. Fold egg whites into grits mixture. Remove soufflé dishes from refrigerator and fill with grits mixture. Place dishes on a baking sheet and bake until soufflés are just set, 18 to 20 minutes. While soufflés are baking, finish sabayon. Place a sieve over top of a double boiler and strain pureed sabayon mixture through it. Bring water to a simmer in the bottom of double boiler. Place strained cream mixture over simmering water. Sprinkle in salt. Whisk in egg yolk and continue whisking over simmering water until sauce thickens, 5 to 8 minutes. The sauce should coat the back of a spoon. Remove from heat and cover to keep warm while you cook the shrimp and sausage. To make the shrimp and sausage: Greg Gayne/FOX, 2010 Fox Broadcasting Co.
From top left, Whitney Miller prepares a dish as the judges watch during Season 1 of MasterChef. Miller reacts as her name was called as the MasterChef in the Fox season finale. Also pictured are judges Graham Elliot, Gordon Ramsay and Joe Bastianich, along with family members. Miller is pictured with the judge and her check for $250,000.
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Toss shrimp with salt, black pepper, and cayenne in a bowl. Heat oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add shrimp and cook for 2 minutes on first side, and 1 minute on second side or until pink and opaque through. Transfer shrimp to a plate. In same skillet, cook sausage until browned and cooked through, about 5 minutes. Remove from pan and drain on a paper towel--lined plate. Cover to keep warm. When soufflés are done, assemble plates: Spoon sabayon sauce in the middle of a plate. Unmold a soufflé onto the sauce. Top with some sausage, shrimp, and some of the remaining corn. Sprinkle with the scallions and parsley. Who doesn’t love a side of mac ’n’ cheese with their fried chicken? My version of this indulgent side dish swaps pasta for cauliflower. Roasting the cauliflower adds a nutty flavor and hearty texture to the dish. You’ll never miss the pasta in this “mac ’n’ cheese.”
CAULIFLOWER “MAC ’N’ CHEESE” Serves 4
8 cups cauliflower florets (about 1 head) 2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil 1⁄2 tsp. kosher salt 1⁄2 tsp. ground black pepper 2 Tbsp. unsalted butter 2 Tbsp. all-purpose flour 1 1⁄2 cups fat-free milk 1⁄2 cup heavy cream 3⁄8 tsp. table salt 1 cup grated sharp Cheddar cheese (4 ounces) Preheat the oven to 400°F. Toss the cauliflower florets in the oil on a baking sheet. Sprinkle with the kosher salt and 1⁄4 teaspoon of the pepper. Roast until fork-tender and lightly browned in spots, 25 to 30 minutes. Remove from the oven but leave the oven on and reduce the temperature to 350°F. Meanwhile, melt the butter in a medium skillet over medium heat. Stir in the flour and cook for 1 minute. Gradually whisk in the milk. Simmer over medium heat, stirring frequently, until thickened, 2 to 4 minutes. Whisk in the cream and cook for 5 minutes. Reduce the heat to low and stir in all but 2 tablespoons of the cheese, the table salt, and the remaining 1⁄4 teaspoon pepper. Stir until the cheese melts, then cook, stirring often, until thickened, 8 to 10 minutes. Place the cauliflower florets in an 8 x 8-inch glass baking dish or four 10ounce ramekins. Pour the cheese sauce on top. Sprinkle the top of the cauliflower with the remaining 2 tablespoons cheese. Bake until the cheese is bubbling, 20 to 25 minutes. Serve warm. Whether you’re entertaining indoors for game day or tailgating outdoors, BBQ is always a favorite. My dad, “Coach Miller,” is the host of
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our high school’s tailgating cookout. He always wants to impress the guys with great food and that is when I come in to help. What makes this BBQ chicken stand out is the unique flavor of the cranberry chipotle BBQ sauce. The contrast of the sweet to the heat creates a great surprise for the palate. This BBQ chicken is a winner at our tailgate and I know it will be for you, too!
CRANBERRY CHIPOTLE BBQ SAUCE Serves 4
1 Tbsp. vegetable oil 1/2 cup diced yellow onion 2 cloves garlic, minced 1/4 tsp. soy sauce 1/4 tsp. Worchestershire sauce 1 cup dark brown sugar 1 cup tomato puree 1/4 tsp. molasses 1 cup jellied cranberry sauce 2 chipotle peppers in adobo 1 Tbsp. adobo sauce 1/2 tsp. salt 1 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar
CHICKEN BREAST 4 bone-in split chicken breasts Salt and pepper 2 tsp. peanut oil To make the BBQ sauce: Heat the vegetable oil in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until translucent, 4 to 6 minutes. Add the garlic and cook 1 minute more. Add the soy sauce, Worchestershire sauce, brown sugar, tomato puree, molasses, cranberry sauce, peppers, adobo sauce, salt, and vinegar and bring to a boil. Reduce to a gentle simmer and cook, stirring often, 45 minutes or until the sauce has thickened. Remove the sauce to a bowl and let cool. To make the chicken: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Generously season the chicken breasts all over with salt and pepper. Heat a heavy oven-safe skillet over medium-high heat, and add the peanut oil. Sear the breasts, skin-side down, until brown, 2 to 4 minutes. Turn the breasts skin-side up and brush with just enough of the BBQ sauce to coat them. Put the pan in the oven and cook the breasts 35 to 45 minutes, or until a meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the breast reaches 160°F. Remove the chicken breasts from the pan and let rest for 10 minutes. Serve with Potato Salad (page 95) and grilled asparagus, if you like. Recipes reprinted from "Modern Hospitality" by Whitney Miller. Copyright (c) 2011. By permission of Rodale, Inc. Available wherever books are sold.
Whitney Miller autographs a copy of her new cookbook for a fan during a booksigning in Downtown Hattiesburg.
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by ANDREA HALL Special to Signature Magazine
Lee Ann Flemming, food stylist of “The Help” and The Greenwood Commonwealth’s food columnist, says she never knows what to expect when her phone rings these days. “I pick up the phone, and they are like, ‘This is ‘so-and-so’ from ‘blank’ magazine,’” said Flemming. “It’s the funniest thing.” The first time the Cruger resident got one of these calls, she was fairly certain it was a prank; she has a lot of friends who enjoy doing that to each other. But it was anything but a joke. With Oscar buzz surrounding the actresses from The Help and the Kathryn Stockett novel continuing its reign near the top of the best-sellers list, it seems everyone wants a bite. Flemming has been contacted by Glamour, Food and Wine and Taste of the South magazines for some of her recipes used in the movie. It’s understandable when the movie features scrumptious caramel cake and devilishly delicious chocolate pie;
Photos by Johnny Jennings
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the publications all want to give their audiences a taste of the magic. “It has been so exciting,” she said. “I can’t believe I finally get to be in Glamour magazine, even if all they wanted was my deviled eggs recipe.” “The Help” explores the relationship between black maids and their white employers in 1960s Jackson. The movie version, was released nationwide on Aug. 10 and was filmed primarily in Greenwood. Although Flemming’s brush with fame is lasting more than your typical 15 minutes — especially for someone who will have no face time on screen — it is continuing just the way it started for her and the other off-screen chefs — with just one phone call. Getting the gig Mary Hoover was down. With her health issues taking center stage in her life, the chef of more than 30 years couldn’t even find joy in the one thing that had brought her through so many happy and hard times before. She said sometimes she would just lie on the couch all day, not wanting to eat or cook. That all changed when she got her call. Hoover’s husband, Sylvester, was helping secure filming locations and set up the houses for filming. He was going to be joining some of the production crew for lunch one day and invited his wife to join him. “I really didn’t want to go,” Hoover said. “But I did.” While she was enjoying some lunch, Chris Ubick, prop master, tapped Hoover on the shoulder. “She told me she heard that I was a good cook,” she said. “She asked if I would be interested in cooking for the movie and said she would call me.” Hoover didn’t think Ubick would contact her again. “I thought it was just talk,” Hoover said. But Ubick did call. It was just what Hoover needed to get back into the kitchen.
“I loved every minute of it,” she said. “I was down and up, and they raised me up. I can’t thank them enough.” Life on set Flemming would describe herself as anything but an outdoorsy girl, so when she heard she was going to be cooking in a tent, she wasn’t exactly excited. “I thought, a tent?” she said. Because she’s a typical Southern woman, thoughts of large weddingreception tents went through her mind. That wasn’t exactly it, however. “It was a freaking tent with a butane cooking stove and a walk-in refrigerator that I spent a great deal of time acting like I was getting something out of because I was about to die of the heat,” she said. For many of the scenes, she cooked at her house and brought everything to set. It wasn’t just the weather that had the chefs sweating, however. The sheer size of some of the cooking projects kept many of them up at all hours of the night. Martha Foose and Debra Shaw, who cooked some of the food for the movie, spent hours one night stuffing mushrooms. “I think we literally made 400 mushroom caps,” Foose said. “Then we got to set, and they said they needed at least double that many.” Debra Shaw said she also made between 600 and 700 meatballs along with helping to making the hundreds of mushroom caps. “I don’t care for meatballs or mushrooms anymore,” she said. Shaw even joined Flemming in the tent, where she fried tons of chicken in the heat for one of the scenes. “It was a such a long shot; we were out there from before the sun came up to long after it went down,” she said. “I would look over and see Lee Ann just cooking and sweating. It was relentless.” Shaw, who is used to cooking on a large scale for Golden Age Nursing Home, where she works, says it
amazed her how many pounds of food were used for one scene. Cooking for the silver screen While the chefs were preparing meal after meal, the food didn’t actually have to taste good; it just needed to look good enough to eat. “The hardest thing for me as a cook was finding out that no one was going to be eating the food,” Flemming said. “I wasn’t used to that.” But sometimes it still took more work for it look screen-ready than taste-bud-ready. On Flemming’s first day on set, she had to make a ham and pineapple casserole. Although she had never made one of those before, she was given a picture of what it should look like. “I fixed it to look just like that,” Flemming said. “Chris (Ubick) took it in for the scene, and the director said, ‘No, I don’t like that sauce.’” So Flemming rinsed the sauce off the ham slice and brought it back. “Then he said he liked it better the other way,” she said. “This was day one. Day one! I’m freaking out.” Everything the chefs made for the scenes they had to make an extra or 10. And they all had to look the same. Flemming made about 52 chocolate pies during the three months of filming. Gwen Toomey and Adrian Tribble made a dozen cakes, plus a dozen lookalikes of the first dozen. Hoover said she was glad when she heard that some of her food was so good, the cast and crew couldn’t help but take a bite. “That made me feel really good,” she said. “I like knowing the food wasn’t going to waste.” Famous chefs As the movie premiere gets closer, not only is the the buzz about the movie and its actors growing, but even its food stars are getting some time in the spotlight. Flemming, Hoover, Foose, Shaw and Donny Whitehead, who made pralines, have all been contacted by
magazines wanting to know the recipes they used, talk about their cooking experiences or finding out about life on set. They have been happy to share their stories, but some weren’t prepared to hand over recipes. Flemming doesn’t really measure, so she had to go back and try to cook with a measuring cup. “I gave them a cucumber sandwich recipe, and then they called me back to change the recipe because it had too much onion,” Flemming said. So, it’s her recipe, sort of. If you want to make it true to Flemming’s liking, however, add a little more onion. Hoover had to rework some recipes with her measuring cups as well, but she wasn’t letting go of some of her recipes, especially her coveted butter roll. “They wanted it,” she said. “But I am going to my grave with it.” Hoover’s mother never told her the recipe; she learned from watching in the kitchen. And that’s how Hoover’s daughters will have to learn it if they want it. “Some things you have to keep secret,” Hoover said. “I gave them a sweet potato recipe.” Lee Ann Flemming, top left, has been called on by Glamour magazine and Food and WIne for her story and recipes for The Help. But what she prefers is getting the chance to share her real love — cooking. She was asked to cook for a special gathering of guests from Disney and DreamWorks when they came back to film extras for the movie’s DVD. Helping Flemming prepare a feast of Southern favorites was Heather Harris, Flemming’s neighbor. Left bottom, Mary Hoover was invited to cook for various scenes in the movie.
Andrea Hall is a writer for The Greenwood Commonwealth, a sister publication to Hattiesburg Publishing and its publications, Signature Magazine, The Lamar Times, The Petal News and Camp Shelby’s Reveille.
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“Vines of the World” Wine Tasting and Auction on Friday, Sept. 30, at The Venue in The Bakery Building, Downtown Hattiesburg As most children get ready for the first day of school, the children housed at Mississippi Children’s Home Services’ South Mississippi Children’s Center (SMCC) work with the Shelter Counselor and their social worker to find a permanent place to call home. Children housed at the South Mississippi Children’s Center are often abused, neglected, runaway, or homeless. “The South Mississippi Children’s Center is often the first stop that many kids have on the way to a better life,” said board member Jacque Pace. “This is why we feel so passionate about helping with this shelter’s annual Wine Tasting and Auction fundraiser.” The annual event to be held from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 30, at the The Venue in The Bakery Building Downtown Hattiesburg helps the agency raise money to fill the gaps in funding from local, state, and federal agencies. Annie Jackson, director of the South Mississippi Children’s Center, believes that “because of the type of services we provide there are often many items a child may need that funding sources may not cover. Volunteer driven fundraisers like the “Vines of the World” wine tasting help us meet those needs.” Participants will have the opportunity to bid on silent auction items while sampling 50-plus grape varieties from around the world. Patrons will vote on their favorite wine selection and a winner will be chosen at the end of the night. The event will also feature a live auction of some exquisite, high-end auction items. Tickets are $50 and can be purchased at one of the following businesses in Hattiesburg – Blooms, Click Boutique & Gallery, Fine Wine Liquor & Loft, Franklin Hill Interiors, The Kitchen Table or at www.mchscares.org. For more information, contact Adrienne Hicks Garanich at ahicks330@aol.com or call (601) 543-8028.
Established in 1912, Mississippi Children's Home Services is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization serving children and families all over the state of Mississippi. The organization served over 21,000 children, youth, and families statewide in 2010 alone through 12 service offices. The agency offers an array of programs along a continuum of care which include Psychiatric Residential Treatment, Residential School and School Day Programs, Behavioral Testing, Substance Abuse Treatment, Therapeutic Foster Care, Adoption, Special Educational Services, Family Preservation, Emergency Shelter Care, Family Preservation Services, and Prevention Services. South Mississippi Children’s Center (SMCC) is a program of Mississippi Children’s Home Services located in Hattiesburg and providing 24-hour emergency shelter and diagnostic/evaluation services for abused, neglected, runaway, and homeless children who are from 9 to 17 years old. This shelter offers a safe, home-like refuge for children in need. To find out how you can make a difference in the lives of Mississippi’s children, youth, and families, visit www.mchscares.org or call Gloria McGowan, Development Specialist at 601-352-7784.
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Lisa & Joanna Bushardt
Joanna Bushardt, Madeline Campbell, Kate Stetelman
Carson Cain, Ivey Swan
Logan Venus, Allison Dueitt, Kate Rust, Kate Dearman
Casey Voss
Ivey Swan
Joanna Bushardt
Catherine Harmon
Carson Cain
Gabbie Munn
Madeline Campbell
Margaret Campbell
Kate Stetelman
Venus Logan
Elise Seale
Anna Grace Molpus
everal graduating seniors at Presbyterian Christian School were honored with a party at Paint with A Twist. Honorees included Joanna Bushardt, Madeline Campbell, Katie Molpus, Kate Stetelman, Ivey Swan and Logan Venus.
S Beth Campbell, Kate Stetelman, Lisa Bushardt, Millie Swan
Gabbie Munn, Catherine Harmon, Margaret Campbell
Millie & Ivey Swan
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Bill & Mary McCutchen, Clara Boutwell
Lindsay Pace, Amanda Purser
Clara Garrard, Clara Boutwell, Barbara Moorehead
Mark Bond, Darlene Pace
Glen & Clara Boutwell, Now and Then
Terrell & Sherron Haddox, Hayden Boutwell
Lindsay & Robert Pace, Harry Boutwell
Glen Boutwell, Joe Graham, Phillip Pugh
Rachel & Dale Clark
Darlene Pace, Glen Boutwell
Kathy Jones, Wendell Boutwell
Heather Boutwell, Glen Boutwell
Secily & Phil Friend
Jeannie Galloway, Agnes Williamson
Sherry Roberts, Wesley Boutwell
len and Clara Boutwell were honored on their 50th wedding anniversary with a reception hosted by their children, Wendell and Wesley Boutwell and Darlene Pace. The couple was married on April 15, 1961.
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Clara Boutwell, Peggy Graham, Patricia Moore, Barbara Morehead, Price Morehead
Lavonna Herring, Gwen Hill, Linda Hinton, Glen Boutwell, Donna Lindsay, Clara Boutwell, Lola McGee
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Hayley Murks, Farkhad Abdikadirov
Evan Dillard, Ross Bell, Rick Preusch
Anna Dean, Pedro Oseias
Lisa Phillips, Mickey Allen, Brenda Allen
Kim Howell, Virginia Culpepper, Mary Ann Kyle
Sarah Mabary, Martha Ann Hogrife
ancorpSouth hosted a reception in the Main Branch lobby before the FestivalSouth Finale Concert at the Saenger Theater.
B Mary Virginia McKenzie, Gigi Dillard, Sarah Webb
Herbert & Jennifer Hart, Ben & Lori Watts
Dave Bush, Terri Bell, Larry & Carol Watson
Alan & Karen Brady, Paul & Cheryl Turner, Maryann Kyle, Jay Dean, Susan & Tom Light
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Shelley Wallace, Libbie Tedford Danlana & Faith Brooks
Wendy & Steven Farrell
ot like it wasn’t hot enough already, during the summer’s FestivalSouth celebration, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, Tennessee Williams Centennial Celebration, was presented by FestivalSouth Films at the Saenger Theatre.
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Annette Rowe, Loryn Davis
David & Brenda Williamson
Malcolm English, Judith Thompson
Don & Mim Adamson
Robert, Harrison & Jill St. John
Raoul Hosemann, Hannah Jones
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Virginia, Lynn, William & Michael Hutchinson
Susie Carlock, Joel Salda, Monica Salda
Jasmine, Sheri & Artidra Siggers
Darnell Jacobs, Dianne Bohannan
Jane & Duwayne Ezelle
Bob & Pat Jefcoat
Carey Crane, Louise Green
Pam E. Runnels, Joyce Collins
Mary Thomsen, Dottie Long
Randy & Sherry Green
Wallace & Susan Weakley
he reigning queen of Bluegrass, Rhonda Vincent and her band, the Rage, have been taking the country by storm. With more than 70 awards to their name, the group is the most celebrated band in bluegrass, with honors including a coveted Entertainer of the Year Award from the International Bluegrass Music Assoc. and a staggering seven consecutive IBMA Female Vocalist of the Year awards. Those lucky enough to attend this year’s FestivalSouth finale got to hear for themselves just how good they really are.
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Sarah, AJ & Braeden Thornton
Steven & Wendy Farrell
Don & Mim Adamson
Eliska & Alvin Schilling
Vickie & Jeff Iverson
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Tinyke Cooper, Katie Case Dr. Allanda Small Campbell, Dr. Byron G. Johnson FestivalSouth Staff
Megan Simmons, Kiel Green
Brian Bullard, Sara Sanner
Julie Gore, Kristin Zumbro Michael & Kayla Boyte
Jan Mesrobian, Lois Leventhal
Roy & Bonnie Adams
Aubrey & Ella Lucas
ozart’s fairytale confection, The Magic Flute, came to the Saenger Theatre stage for two performances during this year’s FestivalSouth celebration. One of the most imaginative entertainments ever created, The Magic Flute blends ritual, magic and wonderful music to deliver the timeless message that love conquers all.
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Taylor Nace, Cody Pellegrin
Amy Stratton, Dorothy Carter, Rachel Upton
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Katherine Hanna & Susan Corley
Amber Williams, Alayna McKnight
he winner of seven Tonys, three Grammys, a Golden Globe, and an Oscar, Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber’s music electrifies audiences worldwide. Pine Belt residents had the opportunity to experience this musical magic during the Opening Night of this year’s FestivalSouth music celebration. The performance, held at the Saenger Theater, gave festivalgoers the opportunity to experience the music of Cats, Evita, Phantom of the Opera and more during this breathtaking opening.
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Michelle Heidelberg, Georgie McMullan, Web Heidelberg
John Bethea Jr., Charlotte Brewer
Ken Brown, Jay Dean
Ivey, Zoey & Millie Swan
Joshua & Rachel Rogers
Andy Dickson, Beejee Dickson, Tom Richardson
Bob Brahan, Johniece & Johnny L. DuPree
Rosi & Dex Johnson Haley & Anna Beth Hirshfeld Megan Barrera, Amber James, Corliss Smith, Jeremy Hayes
Maggie Malone, Nicole Ortega, Christina Paz, Cody Laun
Mady McNemar, Tyrone Hayes
Angela, Ben & Will Jones, Holly Ladner
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Jennifer Hays, Hilary Bounds, Aaron Strum
Chris & Heidi Hackbarth, Diana Pennington, Mitch Hembree Maryann Kyle, Chauncey Packer
Tracy Bowles, Dorian Shoemake, Amanda & Kris Powell Lisa & Rick Conn, Rosie Johnson Sheila Sullins, Valerie Bassette
ollowing the opening night Andrew Lloyd Webber Concert at the Saenger Theater, the Phantom Masquerade Ball found patrons donning their masks to enjoy food, wine and dancing in the magical phantom’s lair. This was the Second Annual Opening Night Gala and was sponsored by brownstones.
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Sarah Linger, Sarah Childers, Christopher Johnson, Danielle Adams
Holt & Lynn McMullan
Jessica Taylor-Potts, Amy Este Grayson Knight, Melanie Gardner, Travis & Lindsey Hacker
Keith Long, Denice White, Hannah Long
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John Bethea Jr., Charlotte Brewer
Ran & Jan Phillips, Meredith Price
Don & Diane Shimer Susan Steadman, Ricky Collins, Randy & Sue Denson
Patty Saliba, Barbara Robinson
Ricky & Bettie Collins
Sandra Faulkner, Martha Dunagin Saunders, Kim Ross Waldrop
Mark Eubanks he Hattiesburg High Class of 1966 held its 45th Class Reunion with two events – a gathering in the home of Southern Miss President, Dr. Martha Dunagin Saunders and a Saturday event at the Jackie Dole Sherrill Center in downtown Hattiesburg.
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Ronnie Doleac, F.B. Collins
Glenn Galey, T. Bill Powell Wood Parker, Sharon Lee Vigluicci
Fred & Diane Fisher, Ellen & Ronnie Doleac Joe Bailey, Brenda Difatta, Jon Mark Weathers Randy & Faye Cress, Lucia Fishel
Nell Barlow Ross, Susan Allen Walton, Gwen McCall Harrington
Mary Walters Meadows, Annette Purvis Davenport, Cheryl Walters, Shirley Moore Lawrence
Cheryl Walters, Mary Walters Meadows, Faith Hulsey Brown
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Kevin Wittenberg, Kaitlyn McGrew
Dana Grubb, Patty Herrington, Linda Seifert, Brenda Blackwell, Pattie Austin, Amelia Watkins, Delois Smith; Adam Watkins, Jennifer Upton, Sharon Rome, Elizabeth Liggett
Carol & Dan Tamul
Breanne Sullivan, Brenda Blackwell, Seth Sullivan
Madalyn & Heather Rome
John & June Villani
Mary & Bill Nolan
Cathan, Chris & Felicity Buckel
Johnny, Zoe & Lisa Fokakis
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he Delois Smith All-Star Team hosted its annual Fourth of July celebration for family, friends and clients this year at the Canebrake Lake Clubhouse. People dressed in red, white and blue and celebrated with good food.
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Susan & Philip Coco
Betty Andrews, Janice Russell
Cathy Peeler, Dana Grubb, Jennifer Upton
Brock Parker, Andy Parker, John Miller, Charlie Grantham
Whitney Miller autographs cookbooks for her fans Gary, Staci, Ransom & Cooper Camp asterChef Whitney Miller of Poplarville and a USM graduate recently signed copies of her new cookbook, Modern Hospitality, Simple Recipes with Southern Charm, at a reception held at the Train Depot in Hattiesburg. The event was sponsored by A Gallery, VisitHattiesburg and the City of Hattiesburg.
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Brandon Walker, Brittyn Miller, Kelly Owen
Rachel, Mark & Treva Parnell, Buddy Moody
Ashley Bryant, Whitney Miller
Kristen Twele, Shawn Hester
Robin Moody, Charla Smith, Mary Alexander, Sam Cole, Tracey Cole
Laura Baird, Alexandria Goins, Kelvin McLemore
Bryan & Andrea Ryals, DeAnna Lee, Braden & Kylea Ryals, Ilene Davis
Lila, Jessica, Cindy & Keith Broom, Donavon Mitchell
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Doreen Abbott, Tasha May, Hilary Bounds, Aaron Strum, Tommy May Brady & Christen Raanes
Amelia & Adam Watkins, Jennifer Upton, Chaundra Polk
Lisa & Andy Lear
Berlinda Stewart, John Brown
Henry Linton, Hayden Mitchell
Angela & James Duncan
Shawn Murin, Kaitlyn Wilson
he Sales and Marketing Professionals – Pine Belt (SMP) recently held their annual Awards Banquet at Lake Terrace Convention Center. The SMP Awards recognize, promote and honor excellence, professionalism and outstanding achievement in sales and marketing and showcase the highest level of talent in the area. SMP President Kelly Thornton Lowery made the presentations.
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Jennifer Caveny, Nicole Tudela, Tricia Misenhelter Dr. Michael & Julie Garrett Shawn Murin, Kaitlyn Wilson, Barbara Wilson, Amy Hubbard
Mike Molleston, Susan Light, Dorothy McGilvery, Amy Thomas, Barbara McGilvery, Jared Bolton
Katie Thompson, Ben Giust
Gabe Bozeman, Kayla Bradley, Teresa Martin, Rebecca Patrick, Kelly Atwood, Gwen Magee, Sam Nowicki
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Colleen Donovan Munkel, Marlene Harris, Anne Marie Mapp, Michelle Leslie
Patti Austin, Brenda & Michael Blackwell, Sharon & Mike Rome
Demetria Martin, Elizabeth Farlow Jan Maskew, Sara Wood, Gloria Smith, Elvira Gray, Tammy Taylor
Brent Hood, Sheila Burnwell, Susan DeLoach
Histotechnology Conference-goers
Alexia Huggins, Sheri Samuels, Terry Augustine
Brad Roney, Tony Tanner
he Histotechnology Society met this summer at the Lake Terrace Convention Center. The society is a medical organization which consists of histotechnologists, pathologists assistants, cytotechnologists and technical assistants. This meeting was about lab professionals coming together to improve and gain more knowledge in the medical field. Kimberly Wright of Hattiesburg, currently serves as president of the group.
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Peggy Naquin, Susie Strawbridge, Kathy Bogard
Marice Hilliard, Inez Lewis
Grant Preston, Arthur Wright, Paul Bruf
Amber McKenzie, Demaetria Martin, Cindy Yelverton, Kim Wright
Mitra Gabiza, Anwer Siddiqi
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Melissa Warren, Randy Luckey Christin Williamson, Michael Collins Jr., Elizabeth Welch
Rick Grayson, T-Bone Pruitt
Meagan Puckett, Heath Graham
DeWayne Morris, R.T. Thomas, Kerry LeFan, Mark Mann
Jim Pennebaker, Mary Dickson
Lindsey & Casey Morgan
Virginia & Gene Johnson Jon Broadhead, Jeanne Keene
Linda & J.C. May
Cathy Hopkins, Shannon Brackett
Daniel & Krystal Wallace
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Lauren Cook, Sissy McGregor, Chris McGregor
Emily Byrd, Josh Simon, Haven Hudson
Tracy Bowles, Gay Polk-Payton, Lhay Thriffiley
Dave Ware, Marvin Robinson
Cynthia Mishlam, Ross Walton
ine Belt residents recently rallied around local legendary Bluesman T-Bone Tommy Pruitt and his wife after their home and all their belongings were destroyed by fire. A dear friend to many, local establishments hosted benefits where they accepted donations for the Pruitts. Among the benefits were ones held at Walnut Circle Grill and The Shed. Bands from around the area provided entertainment all day long and into the night during these events. There was also a lot of good food to be had. TBone Pruitt was on hand to enjoy the music of others.
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Gary Johnson, Bonny Simmons
Jade Allen, Sonya Allen, Stephanie Steele
Mary Dickson, Malcolm English, Jeanne Stegall King
CJ Anderson, Orion Barbej, Noah Thornton, Trey Desantis, Lance Bonds, Destin Payton, Jamoras Lang
Denise Long, Marla Mathis, Sheri Rawls, Keith Long
Lloyd “Hurricane� Munn, Andy Waites, Jon Sorey, Mike Brady, Bucky Cole, Brandon Webb
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