Click Magazine July 2018

Square Roots

2018 July

Hill Country Connection

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BEHIND THE COVER

WHAT'S INSIDE

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12 Square Roots 20 Mississippi B.C. 26 Hill Country Connection 28 An Open-air Escape

PEOPLE, PL ACES, PARTIES

32 Funlola's Workshop 64 Water Moccasin

JULY 2018

Square Roots

2018 July

Hill Country Connection

Out and About

32 Square Roots This month's cover feature is all about development of Southaven's upcoming Silo Square project, which promises a new town center for Desoto County's most populous city.

FEATURE BY CASEY HILDER COVER ILLUSTRATION BY COURTNEY SPENCER & MICHAEL HENSLEY

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Secret Signature Soiree

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Sunset on the Square

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Sounds of Summer

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BBQ Cooking Contest

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From the Editor

From the Ground Up I have often (rightly) been accused of being averse to change. I’ve always held a deep appreciation of reading the news on dead trees and proudly clung to what might have been the last cell phone on earth without a touch screen until about 2013. Few things scare me more than a car can start without a key in the ignition and, if it was up to me, we’d all be cooking our dinners on cast iron skillets over campfires.

I may have exaggerated a bit with that last part, but that just goes to show how this line of thinking can sometimes work against us. Sure, change can be frightening, but also invigorating and compelling.

With that said, the Silo Square development might just be the biggest change to hit Southaven in the city’s 38-year history. This new “live, work, play” area is a $200 million project that promises entertainment, office space and residential housing.

Read all about it in this month’s cover feature, “Square Roots,” on page 12.

Have you ever wondered what Mississippi was like thousands of years ago or daydreamed about discovering an archaeological curiosity in your own backyard? One Mississippi family got a firsthand glimpse of past when fossilized bones of the massive plant-eating hadrosaur were discovered on their property. Take a trip back in our page 20 feature, “Mississippi B.C.” So from all of us to all of you: discover, explore and embrace change. You might surprise yourself.

Read on,

Casey Hilder Editor Editor@myclickmag.com

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July 2018

Write to us Editor @myclickmag.com Click Magazine P.O. Box 100 Hernando, MS 38632

Co-Presidents Jonathan Pittman & Angie Pittman Editorial & Layout Casey Hilder editor@myclickmag.com Art Director Courtney Spencer Copy Editor Taylor Smith Writers Amanda Bernard Tess Catlett Casey Hilder Sarah Vaughan Feature Contributors Depp Britt Andrea Letard Photographers Frank Chin Michael Hensley Casey Hilder Mike Lee Sales Director Lyla McAlexander lyla@dttclick.com Account Representatives Sheri Floyd sheri@dttclick.com Melanie DuPree melanie@dttclick.com

We make every effort to correct factual mistakes and omissions in a timely and candid manner.

Information can be forwarded to Casey Hilder at address listed above.

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Click Magazine is published monthly by P.H. Publishing, LLC.

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Click Contributors

Andrea Letard

Taylor Smith

Tess Catlett

Depp Britt

Michael Hensley

Mike Lee

Depp Britt is an IDS associate with Howse and the designer behind many of the homes featured in Click magazine. With an eye for detail and an emphasis on the unique, Britt brings approaches each home like an extension of his own. For more info on Britt's work, contact him at 901.937.9241 or via email at depp.britt@thehowse.com.

This month's cover feature was shot by photographer Michael Hensley of Hensley Imagery. A longtime Click contributor and world traveler, Hensley offers full-service website development, photography, videography, and marketing. Follow him on on Facebook at /hensleyimagery and see his photos on Instagram through @mind_of_mike.

Andrea LeTard is a personal chef, cooking instructor, and creator of Andrea’s Cooktales, a recipe website and video series where there’s a story behind every recipe. Her recipes are what she calls nextgeneration Southern: fun and fresh with a modern twist using unexpected ingredients.

Follow Andrea on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter or read her blog and watch her video series at AndreasCooktales.com.

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Taylor Smith really should change her name to “Word.” She’s been a reporter for multiple publications in the MidSouth, including The Daily Helmsman, The Leader and The Commercial Appeal, and she journals every day.

When she’s not moonlighting as a copy editor, she’s working full-time as a project coordinator for City Gear, an urban streetwear retailer, or watching another episode of Forensic Files with her fiance, Jason.

A Southaven native and recent graduate of University of Missouri in Columbia, Missouri, Catlett is a former intern for Click. An avid and tenacious writer, Catlett has been featured in various publications including Vox Magazine, The Columbia Missourian and The DeSoto Times-Tribune. When not writing, Catlett enjoys binge watching underrated TV dramas.

Event photos in this issue were captured by Click photographer Mike Lee. Mike started in news in 1971 as a TV writer, photographer, and art director. For 20 years, his work appeared on national and international television broadcasts, and was published in print media worldwide.

EXPERIENCED , COMPASSIONATE CARE FOR YOUR BEST F RIEND

Amanda Bernard

Amanda Bernard combines her love of storytelling with her passion for the community through her writing. Writing her blog www. memphismandysue.com provides her a creative outlet in addition to her full time job in finance. When she’s not working or out on the town Bernard is busy turning her new Southaven house into a home along with her husband Shaun and their dogs Haley and Sweetie.

John Klyce John Klyce is a senior at the University of Memphis studying Journalism, French and English.

In addition to writing for Click, he has also worked for the the Daily Helmsman as a Feature Writer and currently contributes to them as a guest columnist. Born and raised in Memphis, Klyce has also trained as a classical pianist and worked as an actor. Last year, he appeared in an episode of the CMT series Sun Records as a young Johnny Cash's friend Louie.

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People, Places, & Parties

What's Inside

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Square Roots

Mississippi B.C.

Hill Country Connection

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An Open-air Escape

Funlola's Workshop

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Square Roots Southaven's upcoming Silo Square development represents the evolution of a burgeoning Mid-South community

FEATURE BY CASEY HILDER PHOTOS BY MICHAEL HENSLEY

With a population that has more than doubled in the past 20 years, Southaven sits at the nexus of northwest Mississippi’s fast-growing Desoto County area. In many ways, the rapid climb to 50,000 citizens has outpaced the community’s infrastructure over the years, leading to a city that lacks a true center. However, a pedestrian-first approach to building a diverse and eclectic collection of mixed-use infrastructure aims to change that by transforming one of the very last 600-acre tracts of unused former farm land into a self-proclaimed “live, work, play” hub.

The man behind Desoto County’s upcoming city centerpiece is Brian Hill, a commercial real estate developer with Lifestyle Communities, LLC. This year, Hill has undertaken the development of approximately 228 acres of the previously mentioned 600-acre tract of land for a mammoth mixed-use development known as Silo Square. Hill’s plans for the square mile between Tchulahoma, Nail, Goodman, and Getwell promise many of the classic elements of town centers, including a functional bell tower, roundabouts for navigation, and mixed-use commercial buildings with loft apartments.

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Breaking New Ground Southaven Chamber Executive Director Carmen Kyle, Mississippi Secretary of State Delbert Hosemann, developer Brian Hill and wife Debbie Hill, Southaven Mayor Darren Musselwhite and City Planning and Development Director Whitney Choat-Cook officially turn dirt during the May 1 Silo Square groundbreaking in front of the silo that will become the iconic center of the commercial and residential development.

Developing a square metal box with a façade on the front similar to what might be found in a “strip center” is easy and cheap. However, Hill’s vision for Silo Square is based around a style of architecture known as Southern Vernacular. With an emphasis on appealing form and buildings with a uniform design and character, Silo Square resembles something a bit more classical.

Plans for the area include hotels, multi-family housing, single family residences, restaurants, a bank, and more than 300,000 square feet of commercial retail space inspired by town squares in surroundings towns like Hernando and Oxford, as well as renowned town square areas in destination cities like Pensacola, Florida.

A little over a year ago, Hill was approached by investor Baird Snowden regarding the residential portion just off Tchulahoma.

“I looked at Baird’s overall Snowden Farms master plan, which is what he wanted and the time, and we just decided it was too commercial for the area, too ‘strip center,’” Hill says.

“When I looked at the land, I saw a lot of potential in there.

And people tend to want more.”

What Hill saw lacking in Snowden’s initial plans was a sense of place. “At that time, I didn’t have a clue what I was gonna do, just a bunch of ideas in my head,” Hill says. Hill visited more than 20 cities to glean inspiration for his big project, paying close attention to the character and charm presented by places like Downtown Pensacola, Florida.

“I’ve been to so many traditional neighborhood developments all over the country, and I haven’t seen a single one that created a new town square,” Hill says. “This is going 14

July 2018

to be set up like a traditional town square 100 years ago.”

When it came time to determine the minutiae of building design, Hill found a cohort in UrbanARCH Associate’s Stephen Skinner, a veteran architect responsible for an array of modern projects that includes Southaven’s new senior center and Olive Branch City Hall.

“It was easy getting my idea across to the guys at UrbanARCH,” Hill says. “They’re down on South Main Street in Memphis. I told them to look up, look around, and give me that.”

Hill says he and Skinner took a back-to-the-basics approach to the architecture of the square, aiming to be as cost-effective as possible while still achieving a unique look to the buildings.

The plans for Silo Square detail some 48.88 acres of commercial lots and residential space comprised of 47 city lots and 33 estate lots.

The land area of Silo Square is comprised of six types of single-family lots and common open space, which includes 15,000-foot front-loaded lots to 6,000-foot rear-loaded lots serviced by private alleys. Additionally, commercial space will include a mixture of loft buildings and upperstory lofts above office and retail, providing a unique form of residential space unlike anything else in the county and offering flexibility to residents who don’t quite fit into the single-family home lifestyle.

“We’re perfect for young children because of the wonderful school system, as well as the older set for our retirement communities,” says Southaven City Planner Whitney Choat-Cook. “However, what we’re missing is the young

Master Plans Brian Hill's proposed map of Silo Square includes residential and commercial space, as well as mixed-use SILO Southaven, SQUAR Mississ office buildings with loft apartments. professional demographic who isn’t necessarily after the house, picket fence and 2.5 kids. That’s where your Class-A office spaces and company headquarters come into play. And in turn, that is what will bring in these larger developments and businesses.”

Every good town center needs a focal point all its own, and the eponymous silo fit the bill. A looming and barren structure that hasn’t held grain for some years just recently received a fresh coat of paint for its upcoming makeover.

“There’s not a lot of historical stuff in Southaven,” says Choat-Cook. “But the silo is something that has some history to it. It’s been sitting on the Snowden farmland for at least 100 years.”

In addition to saving money, Hill’s plan promises to save another kind of green by preserving the massive groves of hardwood and evergreen trees present on the property.

The Silo Square development area includes 63.92 acres of green space. Hill notes that he was inspired by conservation neighborhoods, which are areas with 30 to 40 percent of the natural landscape of the development area preserved as open space.

“A lot of what Brian is doing is focused on keeping those trees and maintaining the topography of the area,” says Choat-Cook. “It takes a little bit more finesse to build around the terrain and plan your roads accordingly instead of just bulldozing the land flat.”

Since delivering his rough proposal draft (the product of eight hours of work scrawled across four sheets of graph paper taped together), Hill has worked hand-in-hand with the city of Southaven.

“The biggest part of this development, and a real game changer in my opinion, is the architectural control the city has over the area,” says Southaven Mayor Darren Musselwhite. “I think that’s key. Brian has made it known that he is committed to making us something special and he’s not willing to cheapen the project just to line his pockets.”

The pedestrian-centric Silo Square is a clear break from Southaven’s current wide roads and car-centric philosophy, which may lead to some significant changes to the city as a whole.

“From an aesthetic viewpoint, it’s something we’ve never seen in this city. I think the net effect of that is going to lead to improved property values throughout the city,” says Musselwhite. “This is something that I’ve spoken about wanting publicly before even being presented with Brian’s plan. I had always envisioned a type of town square area in the Getwell-Nail area and it’s exciting for the city to eventually see it come to fruition.”

Musselwhite says a walkable town square area, similar to Memphis’s Overton Square, has always been high on the list of needs for Southaven. myclickmag.com

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“Brian and I were on the same page from a vision standpoint, so when I saw the plan I was excited to hear that he was ready to move forward with it,” says Musselwhite.

“I’ve always thought that Southaven needed a central focus like this.”

Until January of this year, the land around Silo Square was zoned as agricultural, but is now designated as a planned development unit following a vote by the Southaven board of aldermen. In addition, the city of Southaven has backed a Tax Increment Financing bond of no more than $5 million to help bring surrounding infrastructure up to date following the May groundbreaking. These improvements include a traffic signal at Getwell and May Boulevard to complete two crucial signalized corners and maintain a steady flow of traffic.

“Traffic is by far the biggest concern here,” says ChoatCook. “We acknowledge that it’ll be a learning experience for both sides and I think that will be one of the biggest things to take into account going forward.”

Much of the infrastructure changes present in Hill’s plan play off the recent citywide bicycle plan adopted in 2012, which focused on retrofitting the wide roads and increasing connectivity through adding sidewalks and bike paths throughout the city.

“It’s hitting right in such a dominant part of the city,” says Choat-Cook. “When you look around this city, there’s not a whole lot of open land like that. This is kind of our one last good shot to make something truly great.”

The reasons why Southaven, which was founded more than three decades ago, has been slow to adopt a traditional town square plan are numerous and somewhat obvious.

“Of course, it’s mainly a financial thing,” says Musselwhite.

“It takes a lot of financial wherewithal to take up a project this massive. This is a $200 million project we’re talking about here.”

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Moreover, traditional town squares are usually found in older cities that were formed before automobiles were recognized as the primary form of transportation. Naturally, this led to much more pedestrian-friendly areas. As an auto-era city founded in 1980, navigating the layout of the Southaven was always designed with a car in mind.

“Southaven started at 51 and Stateline and everything just kind of developed toward the south and southeast,” says Musselwhite. “The city then showed tremendous growth in the 1990s, which saw a number of new residential neighborhoods spring up. I think that a lot of development in the area slowed down following the housing crisis in 2008, so it’s a sign of general improvement in the economy and the housing market.”

According to Choat-Cook, this new development will go a long way when it comes to establishing an identity for Southaven that goes beyond “outskirt city.”

“When Southaven came into fruition, it was a consequence of urban spillover,” says Choat-Cook. “It was a rural area without a lot of controls in place and it was eventually overwhelmed by early development. Now, it’s good that we can kind of take a step back, look at the trends, and then see what distinguishes us from other cities. Silo Square plays into that.”

As far as when citizens can actually see the finished product, Hill says his team is working at a rapid pace. He expects foundations for the 47 city lots and 33 estate lots to be in place by the end of the year, as well as infrastructure for the area surrounding the titular silo. In 2019, construction will begin on the town square itself with homes in the surrounding neighborhood to follow in 2020. Complete plans for the Silo Square development can be viewed at silosquarems.com.

Brian Hill, owner of Lifestyle Homes,LLC, and land developer behind Southaven's Silo Square building project. myclickmag.com

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Mississippi B.C. Unearthing the mystery of dinosaur bones discovered in the Magnolia State

FEATURE BY JOHN KLYCE ILLUSTRATION BY COURTNEY SPENCER

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Left Hadrosaur bones lay in the ground at the Prentiss County site. Right The nestling hadrosaur jaw bone rests after having been properly cleaned and preserved.

It’s often thought that the magnolia state, like much of the southeast, was underwater during the time of the dinosaurs. And, for the most part, it was. But during a “brief” 20-million year interval from 85 to 65 million years ago, the coastline fluctuated, leaving entire counties of northeastern Mississippi on dry land. This gave our prehistoric pals the chance to roam the state, and leave their fossils behind for our discovery.

Which, for some dinosaur enthusiasts, is a big deal.

David Hanes had spent his entire life looking for dinosaur bones, to no avail. With the exception of some fossil remnants he discovered as a child, his attempts had been fruitless. It wasn’t until a 2013 lecture at the Natchez Trace ranger station that he got a lead. As he sat, waiting for an archeology lecture on Native American mounds, the local sheriff approached him. “He says, ‘I know you’re interested in finding dinosaur fossils in Prentiss County,’” Hanes recalled.

“So why don’t you come up to my house tomorrow and we’ll drive around and go to some sites.”

As it turned out, Randy Polar, the sheriff, had come across bones when he was hanging up a re-election sign. The property owner, Kendall Stevens thought they were cow bones, but Polar knew better and went to Hanes. Hanes, already a member of the North Mississippi Gem and Mineral society, recognized them as something else almost instantly.

“You couldn’t miss it if you knew what you were looking for,” he said. Still, Hanes couldn’t be sure what he had found were dinosaur bones.

Because Mississippi has been underwater for the majority 22

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of its geological history, most of the fossils found in the state belong to marine reptiles. These are often mistaken for dinosaur bones, leading to disappointment for more than a few fossil hunters. So to be safe, Hanes reached out to George Philips, the paleontology curator at the Mississippi Museum of Natural Science. And Philips, at first, was skeptical. “Nine times out of 10, if someone calls my office and says they found dinosaur bones, they’re mistaking marine reptile bones for dinosaur ones,” Phillips said. But with dinosaur bones so rare in Mississippi, he couldn’t resist, and soon, he headed to Prentiss County.

While Phillips made his way to the site, Hanes did some research on what he had found, and hypothesized that he had the foot bones of a hadrosaur, a duck-billed dinosaur that lived around the coasts of North America. Philips would go on to confirm Hanes’ hypothesis, and after looking at the details of the bones, he noticed something peculiar. “They found an element that did not belong,” Phillips said. “It was the little toothless jaw bone of a nestling duckbill dinosaur.”

The hadrosaurs had been raising their young.

Due to evidence found in Spain, it’s known that hadrosaurs likely nested in herds along coastlines. So, the duck-billed dinosaurs of Mississippi would have use the state as an area to roost. And because of what we know of their behavior, Stevens, who suspected he had found cow bones, wasn’t entirely wrong. “Some people call the hadrosaur the cattle of the cretaceous,” Philips said. “Their teeth function very similar to cow teeth, and they process food like cow teeth.”

The hadrosaurs also behaved in other ways that cattle do

George Philips, paleontology curator at the Mississippi Museum of Natural Science, stands at the excavation site in Prentiss County site.

today. They ate tough fibrous plants, traveled in herds, and moved from one location to the next, grazing as they went along.

Duckbilled dinosaurs aren’t the only extinct species that Phillips has helped bring into the modern-day sun.

He recently discovered the tooth of a ceratopsidae, a horned dinosaur he believes to be related to the iconic triceratops. Other paleontologists in the state have discovered raptor teeth as well as the bones of the ostrichlike ornithomimosaur, the well-armored nodosaur, and what Phillips calls a tyrannosauroid, a large therapod similar to a T-Rex. Of course, one could hear all of this and still fail to grasp how significant these discoveries are. It’s only a stroke of luck that portions of Mississippi were above water for that 20-million year period. If they hadn’t been, the state would be left with nothing but aquatic fossils, many of which have already eroded. As Philips puts it, “here in the southeast, sediments going back some 90 million years are dominated by marine deposits. And the fossil record is very selective. What we have left to look for fossils is a miracle as it is.” So many elemental factors could have prevented these discoveries or wiped away the fossils all together. Yet they’re present and ripe for discovery, allowing us to imagine what the past must have been like. Millions of years ago,

dinosaurs roamed Mississippi. From Corinth to Booneville to Columbus.

These days, most of the hadrosaur fossils Hanes helped discover are resting in the Mississippi Museum of Natural Science, where they’ll be researched in-depth. And dinosaur bone excavation in the state isn’t finished. Though paleontologists in the area don’t often seek out dinosaur bones because of their scarcity, they can still turn up in quests for other creatures. “In general, they’re just accidental findings,” Philips said. “One may show up just out of the blue when you’re searching for something else.” But experts are still searching in regional deposits, and Philips, for his part, is preparing to further study the ceratopsidae tooth he found in hopes of scientifically proving it’s related to the triceratops.

Hanes, meanwhile, now lives in South Carolina, where he still has the jaw of the nestling hadrosaur. Every now and then, he’ll pick it up, and just ponder. “When you pick these pieces up, you’re talking about some creature, something that was alive 84 million years ago,” Hanes said. “That’s the magic of it.”

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Hill Country Connection The mystical musical journey of Memphis native Jimmy "Daddy" Davis

FEATURE BY CASEY HILDER

Hard traveled and gregarious Memphis musician Jimmy "Daddy" Davis fancies himself a man of the people. A bluegrass/Americana singer-songwriter by trade, Davis' heart lies in small-town venues and authentic experiences borne from his time growing up in the Raleigh area and Mississippi Hill Country.

Davis has bore witness to several landmark events in Mid-South musical history, including landing himself and his bandmates a role in Craig Brewer's seminal film, The Poor & The Hungry.

"It was great," he says. "What a great movie. I was playing with the Riverboat Clan at the time. Anytime they walk into the P&H in that movie, we’re the band playing onstage. And at the end, we perform the song “Honeysuckle and Kudzu.” We actually cut that song at Ardent Studios and ended up taking the bar from the Poplar Lounge into the studio for a little Hee Haw Afterhours. Craig told us to pretend it was live at the bar and we would be overlaid into the film."

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Click Magazine: How would you describe your music?

Jimmy Davis: I really don’t even know anymore these days.

The term “Americana” came around and gave us something to call it in the 1990s. I really just try to combine a lot of elements and it ends up blending this bluegrass sound with pop music style. You could say it’s pop, bluegrass and country when it needs to be. It’s hard to label something like that, but it works. As Jim Dickinson used to tell me about it: “This is so messed up, it has to be right.”

CM: You first performed at a young age. Can you tell us more about this?

JD: I started writing and playing when I was nine years old and cut my first song, “My Love” at age 12.

CM: What sort of subjects does a 12-year-old write about?

JD: Whatever Johnny Cash, Buck Owens and Merle were writing about was what I was writing about.

CM: What are some of your favorite local places to eat?

JD: I really like Sabor Caribe, a Venezuelan place on Madison Avenue. It's super fresh and the chef there does a real good job. Corky's, Central Barbecue -- it's hard to go wrong with barbecue here.

CM: Let's talk about your relationship with the Jim Dickinson.

JD: If you’re a Memphis musician and you’re serious about your craft, you eventually run into everybody. Jim and I hit it off from the moment we met. I was more of a fan of the work he did on movie soundtracks, but it would always confuse and intrigue him when I went on asking about those. It’s interesting to me because pop and country songs tend to fall into the same 3-4 minute predictable style. It’s hard to have

hard stops and things that come out of nowhere, and I think movies allow for all that.

CM: How about the North Mississippi All Stars?

JD: I’ve done a bunch of stuff with Luther and Cody, including a live record. I played acoustic guitar and sang.

Of course I didn’t know any of the songs on the record, but that was always Luther’s M.O. They’re a great family; I’ve known them all since they were boys. They’re all about that Memphis sound and so am I. It’s not like Nashville, which is way more structured.

CM: What’s the difference between Mississippi and Texas Hill Country sounds?

JD: It’s a totally different sound, to be sure. The music of the Hill Country in Texas carries a lot of Tex-Mex influence, but there are a few parallels. For example, Auggie Meyers and Jim Dickinson have had a hand in both styles through acts like the Texas Tornados. But at the end of the day, it’s totally different music. Mississippi Hill Country music is steeped in that old one-chord boogie, Kimbrough and Burnside. It’s really fun to crank up when you’re in Texas and show them how we do things over here.

CM: You also collaborated with Martina McBride for “Keeping My Distance.” What was that like?

JD: This was an opportunity that popped up a few years back when I was writing for a company in Nashville. I was writing there, but cutting demos down in Memphis at Sounds Unreal.

I feel like it gave us a different sound from what you might here elsewhere. Martina’s producer, Paul Worley, heard the song and was really into it. Then she became a big fan and it turned out to be part of one of her most successful albums.

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An Open-air Escape Depp Britt shares tips for a clean, crisp living arrangement to redefine simple living

FEATURE & PHOTOS BY CASEY HILDER

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For interior designer Depp Britt, changing the look and layout of a living room can be as simple as adding a few accessories and applying a little smart color coordination.

This month, Britt applies his interior design expertise to the spacious Germantown, Tennessee, home of Stacey Austin for a twofold facelift on the living room and master bedroom.

“We approached this home initially to work on the bedroom, but I was able to come in and add some simple touches to the living room to really make it a more complete space,” Britt says. “The architecture here is very modern and very clean, and the family living here obviously made a point to declutter their living spaces for a simple, comfortable place for them to relax.”

A trio of large windows floods the living room with natural light, offering an inviting view of the pool and allowing for plenty of subtle design possibilities.

“When you look at the room and you look at what we’ve got on the outside, the blue-and-white color scheme was a no-brainer,” says Britt.

The master bedroom, on the other hand, is a space for reading and rest with a look to reflect its purpose.

“We didn’t want to overwhelm this area,” says Britt. “I almost wanted to give this the feel of a real lovely hotel.”

Instead of approaching the room with a typical line or set of accessories, Britt endorses an à la carte method of decorating.

“We all think we have to buy the matching bedsheets, curtains, pillows – that’s not how you’re gonna get the look,” says Britt. “Everything in this room was taken as an individual piece to put together a look that you really won’t find anywhere else.”

The Living Room The addition of the ottoman changes the flow of the room in a way that lends itself to group visits and entertaining. A low-maintenance fig tree in the back adds an element of nature to the room.

Comfort meets Class “I was able to bring in some pillows to dress up the furniture a little bit,” Britt says. “We were also able to add this boxcar-style window table.” The large windows add to the drama of the room and bring a little bit of the outdoors inside. myclickmag.com

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The Master Bedroom A stylish shag rug welcomes visitors and warms this room. “I love the iridescent value and how it brings in light,� says Britt. The tufted headboard of the bed sits as a centerpiece between a pair of crystal lamps to top off dual nightstands.

Old and New A modern-art style chair sits next to an antique mantle passed down through the family.

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Funlola's Workshop Metalsmith and jewelry arist Funlola Coker focuses on the little things in life

FEATURE BY AMANDA BERNARD PHOTOS BY CASEY HILDER

Funlola Coker spends her days making scrumptious donuts, crispy bacon and eggs, decadent macarons and savory sushi rolls. But there’s no taste-testing in her kitchen, because Coker’s “kitchen” is actually her home workshop where she spends her free time delicately assembling necklaces, earrings, rings and more. One day, hot dogs may be on the menu. The next, she’s carefully applying “seeds” to a miniaturized watermelon slice. The work is so intricate, it requires a magnifying lens the size of her face to see each piece as she works quickly to shape the polymer clay while it’s still pliable.

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“Miniatures amaze me,” Coker says. “They carry such wonder despite their size.”

Coker thrives on bringing life to the “tiny and shiny” because it allows her to work with her hands and create something from beginning to end. She has been crafting pieces since her days at Memphis College of Art, where she attended school. Originally from Lagos, Nigeria, Coker decided to call Memphis her home along with her two brothers who already lived there after graduating. “I realized that Memphis is a good hub for creative,” Coker says.

“Affordable housing makes it less stressful financially and allows us to focus on making works of art” Her creative work isn’t limited to the food pyramid, though. Coker is currently working on a new collection called the Orisa collection that honors her Nigerian upbringing and the history that her father and brothers share. Each piece is named for a deity from Yoruba mythology, such as a pair of earrings named for Ibeji, the orisha of the divine twins. “It's a new body of work I'm making that will hopefully help shed some light on a culture that is not well known,” Coker says.

“The Orisas are entities who were once human or divine beings. They were given power over different elements, natural resources and emotions. There is a god of iron, a warrior goddess of lightning and powerful storms and so on.”

Instead of clay, though, her Orisa collection is entirely made of metal. Her metalworking is as unique as her miniatures; each pendant and earring is hand cut with a jeweler’s saw, the design is hand-drawn and then etched into the metal. While her miniature sculptures can be 34

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produced in batches, the metalsmithing process is more time consuming and results in more one-of-a-kind piece. The minimalist designs can go from every day wear to special occasion statement jewelry, and she specifically selects lightweight metals so the wearer can be comfortable all day.

Working with metal leads Coker on “an ongoing exploration of form and color” as manipulates the medium, occasionally using enamel for pops of color.

In addition to her food-based baubles and elegant metalworks, Coker has also designed a variety of succulent pieces, which Coker says are her favorite to create. In the same way each Orisa piece is named for a deity, her succulent pieces are named for her cats Izzie and Violet, as well as the names of her friends’ cats. All-in-all, ten cats have had the honor of being named for a Coker creation.

Since launching her “small” business in 2015, Coker has made more than a thousand pieces of jewelry that she sells at craft events, festivals, pop-up booths, as well as her Etsy shop. Locally, her work can be found at events like the Cooper-Young Festival, Crafts and Drafts, and the Memphis Makers Market. She also sells select pieces at the Five in One Social Club on Broad Avenue in Memphis, where also works part-time.

The best way to keep up with Funlola’s work is through her Facebook page and website where she lists all events she will participate in, as well as the link to her Etsy shop. Visit www. funlolacoker.com for more information.

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Mississippi Ale House

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July 2018

WITH DERRIC CURRAN AND ALISTAIR CLARK OWNERS AND OPERATORS OF THE MISSISSIPPI ALE HOUSE

Sledge Saison July is a time for a cool, refreshing, locally crafted saison accompanied by a light, tart and lemony dessert. Mighty Miss’s Sledge Saison and Hattie’s Lemon Lush is a perfect combination for that Mid-summer treat. The mix of butter, sugar, pecans and lemon compliment the slight tartness and light fruity undertones of the Sledge Saison to get full flavor out of these tasty treats.

BREW FACTS Brewery: Mighty Miss, Greenville MS Style: Saison / Farmhouse Ale ABV: 6.3% IBU: 18 Food Pairing: Hattie’s Lemon Lush Appearance: Deep gold with bountiful, lasting white Cap and lacing Aroma: Slightly tart over fruit by an earthy spicy base Where to find this pairing: Mississippi Ale House, Any Southern Kitchen

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Lean Burger Skewers A cute and easy bitesized appetizer for your next outdoor cookout

WITH ANDREA TATUM LETARD OF ANDREA'S COOKTALES

THE GOODS For the Dressing 1 pound 93-96% lean ground beef 1 tablespoon Dijonnaise 1 tablespoon liquid smoke

DIRECTIONS

1 garlic clove - minced

Heat grill over high heat.

1 teaspoon salt

In a large bowl, add the ground beef, Dijonnaise, liquid smoke, garlic, salt, and pepper. Using your hands or a fork, mix together lightly until combined. Be careful to not over mix, as that will cause the meat to get tough.

1/2 teaspoon pepper Lettuce leaves Pickle slices Grape tomatoes

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July 2018

Using a mini scoop - about 2 tablespoons - scoop meat into balls and pat down into burgers. Grill for about 2 minutes on each side or until desired doneness.

Build the burgers on toothpicks by skewering lettuce, pickle, meat, and tomato.

Serve at room temperature - they're even good cold if you want to refrigerate!

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Annette Jones & Michelle Ford

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July 2018

Out & About

Dave Grohl

42 Farm to Table Dinner

44 Party on the Patio

46 Secret Signature Soiree

49 Shrine Club BBQ

50 Sunset on the Square

52 1st Friday Art Walk

54 Brussel's Bonsai Rendezvous

56 Sounds of Summer

58 Symphony in the Gardens

60 Memphis in May BBQ Contest

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Farm to Table Dinner Hernando Main Street Chamber of Commerce hosted the first ever Farm to Table Dinner at Cedar Hill Farm, bringing local farmers and local chefs together to raise money for the Faรงade Grant. Guests were treated to four courses prepared by Chefs Scott and Nikki Miller, Scott Donnelly, Josh Belenchia, Heather Ries and Valerie Hawkes.

MAY 31 PHOTOS BY MIKE LEE

Maeci & Gina Goad

Nicole Billingsley & Hillary Neal 42

July 2018

Drew & Leigh Anne Holleman

Murry & Katheryn Haslip

Jacob & Jessica Schwegel

EAGLE BANK Jeff & Joanna Darnell

Michael Ann Dillinger & Becky Wolf

Robert & Lecia Martin myclickmag.com

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Southaven Chamber Party on the Patio The Southaven Chamber had a full house as they kicked off summer with a business mixer social. Over 100 guests mingled and enjoyed food and beverages provided by local business. Tanger Outlets provided gift cards for a 50 / 50 raffle benefiting the Chamber. The Chamber hosts monthly networking socials at various member businesses, and these events are open to anyone in the community.

MAY 24 PHOTOS BY MIKE LEE

Ed, Amonie & Alayah Silas

Jean Priest, Anthony & Shirley Dean

John Crowell & Frank Fairley

Nicole Becker, Holly & Rodney Shive 44

July 2018

Ricky McIntyre & Carmen Kyle

Celeste Wilson & Kacy Dixon

Cecil Sowell

Kim Terrell

Emily Newman & Bambi Everett Brownlee myclickmag.com

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Secret Signature Soiree The Secret Signature Soiree has become a favorite annual event for art lovers. Benefiting the Desoto Arts Council, the soiree offered 12 x 12 paintings from local artists for auction – as a twist on traditional auctions, the artist signature is covered and not revealed until the winning bidder claimed their new art. Guests enjoyed crawfish etouffee and all the fixings from Junior’s Grocery on the patio while enjoying music by Randy Martin , Jerry Patton and Mason Givens.

JUNE 15 PHOTOS BY CASEY HILDER

Vickey McLendon, David McCormick & Gladys Jenkins

Lynette McCormick & Andrea Daves

Martha Oliveaux, Toni Sewell & Jennifer Hill

Peggy & Jimmy Linton

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July 2018

Flirt Patchez & Sarah Pirtle

Rick & Janet DeStefanis

Precious Paws Lisa & Derick Biglane

Darcy Raches & Matthew John myclickmag.com

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July 2018

MARKETPLACE

& MORE

10th Annual DeSoto Shrine Club BBQ Cookoff The Desoto Shrine Club grounds were filled with smoke as 47 teams from around the region competed for the top prize cooking brisket, chicken, pork and ribs. The annual event is the largest fundraiser for The Desoto Shrine Club and provides funds to maintain the club’s property so that all other efforts throughout the year can be dedicated to benefiting 22 local areas hospitals.

JUNE 16 PHOTOS BY DOUG FARRIS

Robert & Shannon Feol

Marty Powers, Lance Hardison, Dawn Cumans, Mark Mask, & Kris Clanton

Elizabeth May, Tony Howell, Bayleigh Francis

Josh Williamson & Paul Camp

Leroy Dledsoe & James Toeters myclickmag.com

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Sunset on the Square: Mississippi Stomp Music lovers filled the lawn surrounding Hernando's historic courthouse square for the Sunset on the Square free concert series in June presented by Hernando Main Street Chamber of Commerce and First Tennessee Bank. Families, friends enjoyed a beautiful evening while Mississippi Stomp kept the crowd entertained with their smooth sound.

JUNE 14 PHOTOS BY AMANDA BERNARD

Brent, Emily & Weeden Mills

Beth Rafferty , Beverly Ward & Paige Norwod

Raquel & Jonathan Woording with Toby & Ellie 50

July 2018

Janet & Kevin Copous with Kinsley & Ella

Steve & Karla Ginski

Anthony & Dede Brown

Jessica H. Cox DDS, MSD • Orthodontics for Children & Adults Flex Accounts Welcome

HERNANDO: (662)429-8022 • 1150 Monteith Ave. Suite 100

OLIVE BRANCH: (662)893-8024 • 5965 Goodman Rd. Suite 102 jcoxortho.com

Becky Wolf & Jesse Demont

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Desoto Arts Council's First Friday Art Walk Desoto County art lovers kicked off June with the first Friday art walk previewing the art available for bidding at the Secret Signature Soiree later in the month. Each piece of art is made by a local artist who will remain “secret� until the piece is bid upon at the Soiree. Business around the square stayed open late allowing guests to have a casual evening strolling and shopping.

JUNE 1 PHOTOS BY MIKE LEE

Nancy & Bob Kurtz

Theresa Erickson & Sharon Williams

Rita Rey & Jim Seay 52

July 2018

Angela & Michael Meredith

Linda McDaniel

Envy Nails Jamie Motes

Shelia Beaver

Patricia Meek

Distinctive Carpets

Janice Kennedy myclickmag.com

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Brussel’s Bonsai 2018 Annual Rendezvous Bonsai enthusiasts from around the US were treated to Southern hospitality from Brussel’s Bonsai for the annual bonsai convention.

Brussel’s is the largest grower of classic Bonsai in the US and hosted lectures, demonstrations and hands-on workshops from internationally renowned Bonsai artists over the three-day conference.

MAY 25-27 PHOTOS BY MIKE LEE

Kathy Shaner

Kurt Young 54

July 2018

Shigeo Ito

Stacey & Marty Austin

Dawn Koetting

Hernando Farmers Market

James Keith

McNeal McDonnell

First Security Bank

Norma & Fred Gault myclickmag.com

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Sounds of Summer Music & Family Festival Byhalia Chamber of Commerce hosted its annual Sounds of Summer Festival on May 14. This all-ages smalltown celebration featured local music from the likes of Lonesome Highway, Hillbilly Mojo, Memphis Jones and more.

MAY 14 PHOTOS BY MIKE LEE

Christy & Jason Rose

Byhalia Elementary Spirit Squad

Millie Sturgeon, Ida Jones, Deb McCulbough & Joie Barbieri 56

July 2018

Briar & Tyler Pope

We are so much more than countertops!

Meredith Koch

Sarah Sawyer & Phil Malone

Precious Paws Sandrianna Anthony & Kyla Elliott

Pamela Ruth & Angie Cannon Chris "Kingfish" Ingram myclickmag.com

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Symphony in the Gardens The weather could not have been more perfect for the Memphis Symphony concert at The Dixon Gallery and Gardens. This annual event makes classical music approachable and accessible to the community while celebrating the natural beauty of the gardens. The Mother’s Day crowd enjoyed an evening of picnicking on the lawn and listening to the MSO Big Band lead by Scott Moore.

MAY 13 PHOTOS BY FRANK CHIN

Tejuan & Kendra Roy

Greg & Marianne Stiel 58

July 2018

Cyndy, Elizabeth & Paul Straube

John Pekar

S E RV I N G D E S O T O C O U N T Y F O R O V E R 3 0 Y E A R S

Windstone Beth Rushing & Maggie Page

4824 Goodman Road • Olive Branch • 662.874.5917 Hannah Dickerson & Elise Piecuch

Rhea & Amelia Edwards

Isaac Lake myclickmag.com

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Memphis in May Int'l BBQ Cooking Contest Over 230 teams were barbecuing the banks of the Mississippi River at the 30th annual Memphis in May World Championship BBQ Cooking Contest. Festivities kicked off Wednesday evening with family and friends night before Tom Lee Park opened to the public Thursday and Friday and judging on Saturday. Each year, people come from all across the country to participate in the best of bbq but The Shed from Ocean Springs, MS took home the grand prize.

MAY 4-6 PHOTOS BY FRANK CHIN

Beth Miller, Lee Bowling & Kathy Bowling

Eddie Duncan & Courtney 60

July 2018

Dave Grohl

Kandice Jones

Danny & Soheila Kail

Lisa Donnelly & Karishma Bang

Marci Siebert, Michele LeFavre & Dottie LeFavre

Jimmy Shotwell & Danny Kennedy myclickmag.com

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July 2018

Architectural Stoneworks

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AOM Illustration

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July 2018 April 2018

Water Moccasin (Agkistrodon piscivorus)

Animal of the Month

BY RUSS THOMPSON

Few denizens of the Mid-South woods bring about as much fear and loathing as the dreaded cottonmouth, also known as the water moccasin.

The Cottonmouth is our only venomous water snake (like we need others). It can grow to be as large as four feet long. It has characteristic, cat-like pupils, pits between the nostrils and eyes like rattlesnakes and copperheads, which are also classified as pit vipers. These heat-seeking pits help the snake to detect differences in temperature, which helps it to find warm-blooded prey. They have large, triangular heads like all the other venomous snakes in our area. Their muscular bodies range in color from banded brown, yellow, dark brown or even black. They often have large jowls where they house their venom glands. Not that you would ever want to be close enough to see such detail.

These fearsome inhabitants of the Mid South range from eastern Texas, south to Florida and east to southern Virginia. A good place to find them is near a source of water in swamps, marshes and near the edge of lakes, streams and ponds. Often they are basking in the sun to increase their body temperatures, which they must do being cold-blooded creatures that cannot maintain a constant internal temperature. Swimming close to the water’s surface, they come out to hunt at night. There is a wide variety of prey on the menu including small mammals, other species of snakes, amphibians, birds, baby turtles and

alligators. As if their other traits weren’t bad enough, they’re also cannibals, eating other smaller water moccasins.

In spring, you can find the males fighting eat other and waving their tails at females to divert their attention from the competition. The eggs are incubated inside the female’s bodies, and the females actually give birth to up to twenty live babies, which are venomous from the very start of their lives. The young, who are on their own as soon as they’re born, are more brightly colored then their parents. I guess one wouldn’t expect nurturing behavior from such scaly brutes.

So why do these snakes hold such fear and fascination for us? It’s probably because of the frightening way in which they open their mouths to reveal the cotton-like interior of their mouths that they’re famous for. This serves as a warning, like any human needs a reminder to keep their distance. It’s also a common misconception that these reptiles are aggressive towards humans, following their boats. These fearsome customers would much rather flee, as would any sensible human that encounters them.

It’s important to remember that even venomous snakes have their purpose, controlling rodent populations and fulfilling their niche as predators of the swamps. For this reason, we can admire and respect them at a distance -- maybe a great deal of distance.

Russ Thompson was a science teacher for 14 years and has been a freelance writer since 2014 focusing mainly on science and nature writing as well as fiction. His science and teaching background has compelled him to take an interest in researching and writing about the natural world. myclickmag.com

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This is a place you can call home.

4375 US-51 - Horn Lake - 662.393.9545 hamiltonatturmanfarms.com