December 2013 - January 2014 / Issue 7
kelsey garrity-riley the inspirations of one artist
wonderland light and frothy pastels for winter
christmas past in the lowcountry
picture-perfect our guide to new year’s eve
Paprika Southern
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Issue 7 / December 2013 - January 2014
Table of contents 6 Letter from the Co-editors
8
Behind the Scenes
10
Currently See what’s inspiring the co-editors this month
Gift Guides Treat the belle in your life this Christmas
Bucket List 16 Winter Experience the season to its fullest!
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18 Picture-Perfect Parties We look to the best of cinema to inspire a New Year’s Eve fete
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Consider Our Christmas Friends & family share their holiday traditions
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Christmas Past in the Lowcountry Historic holiday traditions in the South
36 The Inspirations of Kelsey Garrity-Riley An emerging artist & illustrator
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Wonderland Light & frothy winter pastels with a twist of glitter
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Issue 7 / December 2013 - January 2014
Girl 74 WePearl chat with Atlanta jewelry designer Ursula B. Reynolds
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Holiday Crafting
A holiday DIY perfect for children from 1-92
to Give Than to Receive 88 ATisguideBetter for shopping for the trickiest people on your list
P.S.
92
Paprika Southern Recommends
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Letter from the co-editors As we look back on this year, we can’t help but to reflect on how far we’ve come. Paprika Southern began in February as a dream hatched over drinks in a bar, and we are now seven issues in. We are so grateful for the support of family and friends, and for the contributors, models, stylists, artists, and more who have worked to bring each issue to life. One of the most rewarding aspects of working on this project has been the opportunity to meet and chat with fascinating people with whom we would never have crossed paths. This month we are thrilled to bring you a profile on an emerging artist and illustrator, a Q & A with a jewelry-maker whose designs are steeped in pearls, a holiday DIY perfect for kids (and adults!) of all ages, a fashion shoot we’ve been dreaming about, and much more. Enjoy, and happy holidays.
The Team Bevin valentine Co-editor
siobhan egan Co-editor
Krystal Pittman Baker Advertising
if you are interested in purchasing photographs from the magazine, please contact mail@paprikasouthern.com www.paprikasouthern.com
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Issue 7 / December 2013 - January 2014
Contributors
Bess Bieluczyk
carrie christian
brandy culp
mary melissa johnson
kelly mccarty
charlotte oden
click here to read more about our contributors
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Behind the scenes in December
Behind-the-scenes of our holiday craft at Scribble Art Studio
Vignettes found when visiting Kelsey Garrity-Riley Stay tuned to our blog to find out about this to-scale home model! www.paprikasouthern.com
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Issue 7 / December 2013 - January 2014
Behind-the-scenes of our Wonderland fashion shoot
We love sharing sneak peeks of what we’re up to throughout the month, as well as connecting with our readers! Stay in touch and a get a behind-the-scenes look at what’s coming up by following us on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook. Follow paprika southern
Instagram / Twitter / Facebook page 9
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Currently... See what’s inspiring the co-editors this month!
I’ve been having fun decorating my home for the holidays, and these bottlebrush trees are adorable Bevin
Penguins and cocktails, a natural combination I would love to wear this pretty dress to a festive holiday gathering
It’s just about time to upgrade my phone, and I love this cute kitty case from Rifle Paper Co.
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Issue 7 / December 2013 - January 2014
Siobhan With the new year approaching I’ve been thinking about redecorating and rearranging my living room. I love this rug and book case on Joss and Main As I head to the icy north for the holidays I’d like to stay warm in this beautiful red coat
I would like get in the holiday spirit with this tiny deer necklace from Custard.
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I dig this vegan leather bag available at Red Clover
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Gift Guide
for the artist
Nesting Doll Flannel Loungers, Anthropologie, $49.50 Clarity Necklace, Kristen Baird Designs, $225 Vintage Book iPhone Charger, Anthropologie, $68
Tim Walker’s The Lost Explorer, Amazon, $38.06 www.paprikasouthern.com
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Issue 7 / December 2013 - January 2014
The Private Lives of the Impressionists, High Museum, $17.99
Amour Bracelet, Red Clover,$36 Amelie DVD, Amazon, $7.35
Renoir DVD, Amazon, $20.98
Polaroid Z2300 Instant Digital Camera, Urban Outfitters, $198 page 13
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Gift Guide A Story Lately Told by Anjelica Huston, Amazon, $11.04
for the fashionista
Bien Sur Sweater, Madewell, $79.50 Paris Print, Rifle Paper Co., $40
My Wonderful World of Fashion Stamp Set, Anthropologie, $19.95 www.paprikasouthern.com
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Issue 7 / December 2013 - January 2014
Wishbone Bottle Opener, Anthropologie, $12
Champagne Labels iPhone Case, Kate Spade, $40 W.E. DVD, Amazon, $6.99
Swans: Legends of the Jet Society, Assouline Publishing, $195 page 15
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Winter Bucket List Wrap gloved hands around a steaming peppermint mocha
Hang a stocking on Christmas Eve
Snuggle under a blanket while watching Christmas in Connecticut
Make a batch of cheese straws for a holiday party (click to get our recipe!)
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Issue 7 / December 2013 - January 2014
Trim the tree while listening to the Christmas with the Puppini Sisters
Cozy up to a hot toddy after a day of gift shopping
Re-read your favorite Jane Austen novel by a crackling fire
Make at least one gift by hand (see our holiday craft on p. 80!)
Layer over-theknee socks over tights and under boots
Plan a New Year’s Eve extravaganza-whether it’s for one, two, or fifty! (see our guide on the following page!)
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Picture-Perfect Parties by Bess Bieluczyk
Thinking of throwing New Year’s Eve bash? Not sure what type to have or who to invite? Some classic films may provide a spark of inspiration for what ever you are planning, from elegant gala to full-blown kegger.
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Issue 7 / December 2013 - January 2014
The Thin Man, 1934 Nick and Nora Charles are the model of 1930’s Deco-chic. Along with their mystery-solving prowess, they know how to throw a heck of a soiree. You may need a bit of a bankroll to fund a hotel suite shindig like theirs. Must-haves: Flowing cocktails, flocks of sandwiches, swanky gowns Potential pitfalls: Weepy guests, murder
Auntie Mame, 1958 Philosophers, nudist yogis, bootleggers, monkeys, theater folk and many more colorful characters make up the roaring 20s party where we meet the eccentric aunt of the title. Follow it up with a sidecar for breakfast while trying on wigs. Must-haves: Eclectic guest list, plenty of gin and caviar Potential pitfalls: Inopportune hangovers
La dolce vita 1960 A film that captured early 60s chic and Rome’s café society, this movie follows writer Marcello and his descent into a life of hedonism. The first section is stylish but by the end has turned into joyless debauchery. Avoid parties based on the second part. Must-haves: A grotto, Fiat 500 Potential pitfalls: Emptiness and disillusionment page 19
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breakfast at tiffany’s, 1961 Holly Golightly knows the key element for a good party: scads of people in a small space. The festivities she hosts in her sparsely furnished apartment are filled with wall-to-wall people—most of whom she did not invite, “Who knows? The word gets out.” (No invitations, what a time saver!) Just add alcohol and stir. Must-haves: A cat prowling the perimeter Potential pitfalls: Angry landlords, police raids
animal house, 1978 They had their problems but the guys of Delta House understood the importance of a dress code in making a party seem more cohesive. Also, having Otis Day and the Knights perform really classed up a beer-fueled frat party. Must-haves: Togas, live band Potential pitfalls: Angry deans, suffering GPAs
return of the jedi, 1983 If you’re planning a party with a more earthy, bohemian vibe, the third installment of the Star Wars franchise may seem like an odd place to look to for inspiration but the Ewok victory festivities have all the elements of a free-spirited celebration. Take note of their rustic, yet cozy, setting, torches and dancing around the fire. Download the “yub nub” song for added authenticity. Must-haves: bonfire, drum circle Potential pitfalls: you have to defeat the empire first www.paprikasouthern.com
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clueless, 1995 This selection may be more useful for partygoers than party throwers. We never meet the mysterious hosts of the ‘Val Party” but we did learn the importance of taking a lap round the room before committing to a location and that party games such as ‘Suck and Blow’ are thinly disguised invitations to make out. Must-haves: Coolio on the playlist Potential pitfalls: curfews
romeo + Juliet, 1996 Is a masquerade ball more what you had in mind? Make sure that you have a friend ready to make an entrance as dramatic as Mercutio’s lip synch/ dance scene to ‘Young Hearts’. Lavish costumes are a must and get Baz Lurhmann to direct it, if possible. Must-haves: drag queens, strategically placed fish tanks Potential pitfalls: gatecrashers from rival families
marie antoinette, 2006 This film portraying the doomed queen of France as a lost party girl is full of pure decadence. A highlight is Marie’s candy-colored, 18th(!) birthday party with endless champagne, gambling and powdered wigs. Like all good parties, it ends with a champagne toast while watching the sunrise over the gardens of Versailles. Must-haves: colorful bonbons, elaborate hairstyles Potential pitfalls: angering the commoners, guillotines page 21
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Consider our Christmas illustrations by charlotte oden
when it comes to holidays, every family has their own traditions, and every tradtion is special. we asked paprika southern’s friends and family to share their holiday traditions. take a moment this december to reflect on your own traditions, revel in them, and maybe to create new ones as well. www.paprikasouthern.com
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Issue 7 / December 2013 - January 2014
Consider the organizer. The one who invites the guests and plans the Christmas Eve menu and decorates the home and sets the table and then tinkers with the menu and decorations and the table setting because everything must be perfect, perfect, perfect. It must be wonderful. It will be wonderful. Consider the giver. The one who thought of the perfect presents months before, who never forgot the long-ago passing comment about a desired gift, who wraps the gifts so tight as if to forever hold onto the gift and its receiver. The gifts must be perfect. They will be perfect. Consider the speaker. The one who, before they eat shrimp and lobster tails and pasta, recites the carefully chosen words she wrote that express her love for her family. She might cry and we might smile, but the sentiment is always pure. Always embraced. A mother's gift. Consider our Christmas. -Anthony Garzilli, Newspaper Editor/Manager, Savannah, GA page 23
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Issue 7 / December 2013 - January 2014
When we were little kids, my eight cousins, my brother and myself would attend a Christmas luncheon hosted by our grandparents. We would be prompted to tell funny stories, eat chopped ham and pickle sandwiches and ‘Nana’ (aka chicken) nuggets and sing Happy Birthday to Jesus, (yes, there was cake). But the funniest thing was singing The 12 Days of Christmas, to which my mother had created interpretive dance moves. I still remember, to this day, all the ‘moves’ and the feeling that I had finished an aerobic work out when the song was complete. -Sarah E. Gibbons, College Instructor, Durham, NC
I have experienced many different turkey preparations over the years. Turkey covered in bacon, turkey covered in peanut butter, beer soaked turkey, turkey stuffed with other animals, tofurkey, and the list goes on. But by far, my favorite way to have turkey prepared, which has become a cherished family tradition, is my dad’s “laser turkey.” He purchased an infrared cooker a few years ago and has used it to master turkey cooking. It’s simply the best. I deemed it “laser turkey” and the name stuck. May everyone enjoy a laser turkey at least once in their life! -Kay Wolfersperger, Freelance Graphic Designer, Savannah, GA
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When I was a little girl my parents started giving me and my sister a present on Christmas Eve—new pajamas. We would always wear them that night just in case Santa saw us. We have kept this tradition up in our own families and each Christmas Eve we each get a new pair of pajamas. This year will be the first Christmas in ten years that we will all be at my mom’s house so we splurged for matching pajamas! -Krystal Baker, Marketing Coordinator, Wilson, NC
I come from a large family in southwest Florida, and for more years than I have been alive, my family has held a celebratory brunch on Christmas day. Aunts, uncles and cousins all meet at my grandparent’s house - roughly a block away from the Gulf of Mexico. For some of us, it’s the only time of the year we get to see one another. We celebrate good company, eat great food, and enjoy the Florida winter weather. While I’ve never had a traditional white Christmas, I have fond memories of family soccer games, beach visits and canoeing on Christmas day. -Benjamin Carl Stanley, Artist, Savannah, GA
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Issue 7 / December 2013 - January 2014
My family has watched Rich Little’s Christmas Carol every Christmas for as long as I can remember. The hilarious one-man show first aired a few months before I was born and was an instant hit with my father. In this comedy, Little plays every character as if he were another actor such as Humphrey Bogart, Columbo, Johnny Carson, WC Fields, and even Edith Bunker. I only now truly appreciate it as an adult. Watching with my family brings back fond memories of growing up and all the Christmases we spent together in that very spot watching that very silly show. No matter how crazy Christmas gets, Rich Little always brings us together. -Siobhan Egan, Co-editor, Savannah, GA
I grew up in eastern North Carolina, but after my parents retired to South Carolina two years ago, it became time to make new Christmas traditions. Last year my beau and I, on a whim, made breakfast for dinner on Christmas Eve. Later in the year when I thought back on it, I loved the specialness of that and decided to make it a new tradition, one on which we will elaborate this year. -Bevin Valentine, Co-editor, Savannah, GA
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Christmas Past in the Lowcountry by Brandy Culp
T rimming
the
tree , model in their Yuletide traditions as was
hanging stockings, Christmas cards, and visits from a jolly man in a red suit are all traditions that characterize the modern holiday season. If we delve far enough into the past, we can trace these seasonal customs to antiquated and sometimes ancient practices. However, Christmas as we now celebrate it coalesced in the midnineteenth century at the helm of the Victorians. In the Carolina Lowcountry, the season evolved much as it did elsewhere in America, but it has always been a time of celebration, culinary abundance, and reflection.
It may be difficult to envision the Christmas season before Santa and the Christmas tree became popular, but our eighteenthcentury Lowcountry ancestors celebrated their Twelve Days of Christmas with bountiful feasts, religious observances, and visits to see family and friends. Charlestonians followed the English www.paprikasouthern.com
the case regarding many other modes and manners. Describing this era, the Lancaster Intelligencer announced, “In this country Christmas has never been fully observed, except in the South…Christmas has always been honored; but it was never celebrated with an approach to old English heartiness except at the South.”1 The fact that Southerners widely commemorated the occasion at a time when it was not as exuberantly celebrated elsewhere made the region stand apart from the Middle Atlantic or North Eastern Colonies. While dinners to more boisterous affairs, such as balls and music performances, were common, Christmas largely remained a religious holiday in the eighteenth century. In 1763, statesman and Charleston merchant Henry Laurens wrote that he planned to spend Christmas day “in quiet while the whole Town almost seems to be using every means in their page 28
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Nathaniel Russell House (1808), Dining room decorated for the holiday dessert service. Image courtesy of Historic Charleston Foundation. Christmas for the Russell family in 1808 meant religious observances and holiday feasts with friends and relatives. Just as if the family were gathered in celebration, the dining room table is laden with delightful cakes, sugared fruits, and dessert pyramids. During the dessert service, the white linen table cloth would have been removed, as interpreted at the Nathaniel Russell House.
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power to testify they are true Christians.”2 Throughout the colonies, Christmas was a time of religious reflection for most denominations, and it was common to attend services on Christmas eve and day. Philadelphian Peter Kalm noted in 1750, “To-day Christmas Day was celebrated in the city…On the evening before, the bells of the English Church rang for a long time to announce the approaching Yuletide. In the morning guns were fired off in various parts of town. People went to church, much in the same manner as ordinary Sundays, both before and after dinner. This took place only in the English, Swedish, and German churches.”3 A similar scenario rang true in colonial Charleston—literally. Church bells were as much a part of Christmas as gun fire and fireworks until the practice was outlawed in the early nineteenth century. The Christmas tree was a cultural oddity well into the nineteenth century; thus, Charlestonians would have decorated with greenery and other natural materials. As early as the fifteenth century, homes and churches were “decked with holm, ivy, bays, and whatsoever the season of the year afforded to be green.”4 For colonial Charlestonians, beauty of décor and seasonal availability eclipsed the symbolic meaning these materials once possessed. In eighteenth-century drawings, paintings, and prints, we find springs of boxwood, holly, and various greens arranged in containers or hung www.paprikasouthern.com
The Royal Family gathered around their Christmas tree, Illustrated London News, December 1848. This engraving and the subsequent version printed in Gody’s Lady’s Book (1850) popularized the table-top tree from England to America. The Queen’s journal on December 24, 1850 describes the an intimate family moment: “The 7 children were taken to their tree, jumping & shouting with joy over their toys & other presents; the Boys could think of nothing but the swords we had given them & Bertie of some of the armour, which however he complained, pinched him!”
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at her lodging (Charleston Hotel) a Forest Tree was placed at her window, decorated with variegated lamps, which attracted much attention.”6 Thereafter the practice of displaying a tree became a Christmas tradition in the Lowcountry, and for those who could afford luxuries, the decorations reached abundance. In 1859, Anne Morris Vanderhorst described the Yuletide tree at Ravenswood Plantation The Christmas tree tradition can be in Colleton County. She wrote, traced to seventeenth-century Germany, but not until the nineteenth century How beautifully Mrs. Lewis has did this Yuletide centerpiece became decorated the Christmas tree, the widely popular in America, even among Cedar stretches its long arms to hold German immigrants. In 1848, the London the treasures. Elegantly dressed dolls, gilt books, the clown in all its varied News published a rendering of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert with their colors, eyed by the juggler--& fancy boxes dangling in the Branches. children gathered around a Christmas tree in Windsor castle. German-born The tree is beneath the Arch hung with Crimson curtains & Splendidly Prince Albert brought the custom to England, and as this image became illuminated with wax candles and turkish Lamps…Presently the little widely known, soon every citizen from noisy children scream with delight Great Britain to America adorned at seeing the abundance of sugar trees with candles, fruits, homemade plums & dolls hung in the tree. The ornaments, and small packages. The first dog jumped up in extacy & the fire known mention of a Christmas tree in Charleston occurred during the visit of works in the garden sent a glass the popular songstress Jenny Lind, who of light thru the house, whilst the numerous wax candles [and] lamps was known as the “Swedish Nightingale.” Jenny Lind arrived in Charleston with P. made it look like a fairy temple in T. Barnum two days before Christmas the midst of the huge oaks.7 and performed three concerts for a sellout crowd. According to the Charleston Courier Like Mrs. Vanderhorst, Charleston’s on December 25, 1850, “We learn that planters and their guests spent Christmas she [Jenny Lind] was called on yesterday on their plantations rather than in the city. by a number of ladies, and last evening, Visitors in the eighteenth and nineteenth against the window panes. Also, foods, such as cakes, fruits, nuts, and sweet meats, were artfully arranged—sometimes in elaborate dessert pyramids—which served as holiday decoration and treats for visiting guests. According to historian Marian Ann J. Matwiejczyk, wreaths were not used as Christmas decoration prior to 1827.5
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centuries remarked that the city was quiet and largely vacant during the holiday season. From Charleston in 1786, Joseph Manigault wrote his brother Gabriel, who was at his plantation in Goose Creek, reporting it was “unfashionable to be here at this season…You meet nobody but Shopkeepers & Tradesmen, I am heartily tired of their vulgar countenances….”8 The proclivity to spend this time in the country was pervasive into the nineteenth century. When English actress Fanny Kemble arrived in Charleston on Christmas day in 1838, she remarked, “The extreme emptiness which I observed in the streets, and absence of anything like bustle or business, is chiefly owing to the season, which the inhabitants of Charleston, with something akin to old English feeling, generally spend in hospitable festivity upon their estates; a goodly custom, at least in my mind.”9
nog, the mince-pies, the hams and turkies; the plenty which prepares for any number of visitors, and the welcome which makes them all at home.”10 Such a welcome required a great deal of effort and the expertise of well-trained house slaves and cooks. These enslaved workers, who facilitated the lavish celebrations or attended to guests, would not have enjoyed the time-off usually afforded to other slaves. The one holiday truly “shared by slaves and masters,” Christmas was generally a time of sanctioned celebration, dancing, feasting, and socializing for the enslaved.11 Generally speaking, strict rules regarding visitation were suspended, masters sponsored festivities with food and alcohol, and dances were allowed. Because restrictions were temporarily relaxed, family members were able to visit each other between properties. In 1839 while visiting South Carolina during the holiday season, New Englander John Cornish observed, “I met Negroes traveling in all directions with loads upon their backs & heads of rice, potatoes, fowles & c. going from one plantation to another to spend Christmas with their wives, their husbands, & families.”12 Slave weddings were a common occurrence during Christmas, and at times, owners not only sanctioned but participated in these events.
Preparations for a plantation Christmas were arduous and often the combined planning and work of the enslaved servants and their mistresses. Regardless of new traditions, the desire to present the most abundant and lavish table possible for holiday guests and family was timeless. In the 1844 fictional account titled Castle Dismal or The Bachelor’s Christmas, set in the Carolina Lowcountry, the narrator remarks, “The reader must fancy all the fun, the mirth-making, the glee, the dance, of a Southern Christmas;--the creature comforts in profusion, the egg- Masters also gave the slaves “free time,” www.paprikasouthern.com
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“Winter Holydays in the Southern States—Plantation Frolic on Christmas Eve,” from Frank Leslie’s Illustrated Newspaper, December 26, 1857. Often slave owners sponsored holiday festivities or at least allowed the slaves the temporary freedom to celebrate Christmas with music, dancing, liquor, and extra food rations. In this engraving, slave owners observe such a celebration, while a white mistress is shown delving out treats.
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which lasted anywhere from one day to a week or more. Extra provisions and alcohol were often provided, and slaves held celebrations, such as dances and feasts, within the quarters. Julius Nelson recalled, “Dem was de happy times, ’specially on Christmas mornin’ when we all goes ter de big house ter celebrate an’ ter git our gif ’s. Dey give us clothes, food an’ fruit. One Christmas we had a big tub of candy I reckolicts.”13 The ceremonial bestowing of gifts on the slaves, usually blankets and clothing items such as shoes, dresses, pants and hats, was an important part of the holiday season for both white and black Charlestonians. Games called “Christmas Gif ” and “I Got You” were Lowcountry traditions. Slaves would sneak up on their owners and shout these phrases, and then they were given small tokens and gifts. Primary material documents these practices, but many accounts exist that illuminate the hardships slaves also faced during the holiday season. At any moment, the slave holder could decide to suspend privileges or administer punishment. For individuals in the hands of the slave trader or for families scheduled to be dispersed after the New Year, the Christmas season was a time of hardship and anxiety rather than celebration. However, the Christmas season was on the whole a shared experience of celebration for both free whites and enslaved blacks. www.paprikasouthern.com
n
n
n
The transition from the Christmas of the eighteenth-century to the holiday that we recognize today occurred after the 1820s. Thanks to popular culture, Christmas gained many of the secular traditions that we currently practice. Although Santa has his origin in several earlier traditions, the “right jolly old elf ” as we know him first appeared in New Yorker Clement Clarke Moore’s 1823 poem, “A Visit from Saint Nicholas.” Soon this poem— beginning with the famous line—“‘Twas was the night before Christmas, when all through the house”— was commonly recited by Charlestonians at their seasonal gatherings. Charles Dicken’s 1843 masterpiece A Christmas Carol helped further define the modern Christmas. By the late 1850s, new traditions, such as the chimney-hopping Santa, Christmas trees, greeting cards and stockings “hung by the chimney with care,” were a part of the holiday repertoire. In the Carolina Lowcountry, with all of the changes, Christmas remained a time for religious reflection, gatherings of friends and family, and celebrations among both the free and enslaved.
w Endnotes w
1 Marian Ann J. Matwiejczyk, “A Colonial Christmas,” Pennsylvania Heritage (1986), 34. 2 C. Patton Hash, “A Lowcountry Christmas of Poinsettia Plants and Fraser Firs, Oyster Roasts and Madeira Toasts, Jenny Lind & a New Zealand’s
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Revisit the Past Historic Charleston invites you to enjoy the holidays at the Nathaniel Russell House Museum, 51 Meeting Street, and the Aiken-Rhett House Museum, 48 Elizabeth Street. Open 10 a.m. 5 p.m. with the last tour at 4:30, Mon. through Sat.; 2 - 5 p.m., Sunday. Admission is $10; children under 6 admitted free. Closed on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. Call (843) 724-8481 for information. www.charlestonmuseum.org www.historiccharleston.org www.middletonplace.org.
Head,” Carologue (Winter 1993), pp. 9-10. 3 Matwiejczyk, “A Colonial Christmas,” p. 35. 4 Clement A. Miles, Christmas Customs and Traditions, Courier Dover Publications, 1976, p. 272. 5 Matwiejczyk, “A Colonial Christmas,” 37. 6 Charleston Courier, December 25, 1850, p. 2. 7 Hash, “A Lowcountry Christmas,” pp.10. 8 C. Patton Hash, “A Lowcountry Christmas of Poinsettia Plants and Fraser Firs, Oyster Roasts and Madeira Toasts, Jenny Lind & a New Zealand’s Head,” Carologue (Winter 1993), p.11. 9 HCF Research Files, Fanny Kemble diary excerpt from December 25, 1838. 10 William Gilmore Simms, Castle Dismal; or The Bachelor’s Christmas. New York: Burgess, Stringer Co., 1844, p. 68. 11 Shauna Bigham and Robert E. May, “The Time O’All Times? Masters, Slaves, and Christmas in the Old South,” Journal of the early Republic, 18 (Spring 1998) , 268. 12 “Christmas in the Old South, p. 269. 13 Rebecca J. Griffin, “‘Goin’ Back Over There to See That Girl’: Competing Social Spaces in the Lives of the Enslaved in Antebellum North Carolina,” Slavery and Abolition, vol. 25, no. 1 (April 2004), p. 100.
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The Inspirations of Kelsey Garrity-Riley text by bevin valentine photography by Siobhan Egan
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Issue 7 / December 2013 - January 2014
Artist Kelsey Garrity-Riley in her studio
W hen asked to describe
spent munching on pretzels, throwing her work—illustrations populated by snowballs, and basking in the summer playing children, mushrooms, and flow- sun. ers masquerading as balloons—artist Kelsey Garrity-Riley chooses the word Kelsey arrived in Savannah in 2005, but “anachronistic.” Indeed her paintings grew up in Germany and Belgium. She have the quality of being from anoth- moved to Savannah to attend SCAD, er time, although just what decade that where she initially was drawn to fashion might be is difficult to discern—which is and interior design, as well as illustrahow Kelsey likes it. She pulls elements tion. She points to her quarter abroad from different times to infuse the work in southern France as a “hugely formawith a time-worn aesthetic that is not tive” time in which she came into her rooted in any one historical period. By own as an artist, in part when she recombining this style with a modern sen- alized what she turned to for fun was sibility that speaks eloquently to a con- illustration. Kelsey’s childhood in Gertemporary viewer, she evokes in her work many and Belgium is equally influential a foggily-remembered past, a childhood to her work. She spent time both in page 37
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Snow Day, courtesy of Kelsey Garrity-Riley www.paprikasouthern.com
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Brussels and a tiny village of 300 people in Germany, and remembers time spent playing outside as well as with a village of little mice characters. Growing up as an American in a foreign country, she never fully identified with either, but now pulls what she considers the best from each into her work, resulting in the amalgamation of influences that characterizes her work, and removes it from both time and place.
to the work, and its tension with the idyllic childhood scenes depicted, that gives the work its depth. The children, Kelsey points out, are “often somber,” a quality which is at odds with the carefree tableaux, and which lends to work an ageless appeal. Kelsey works in gouache and collage, cleaning her original pieces up in Photoshop, or in acrylic for larger mural commissions. She has spent much of this year illustrating a children’s book, creating editorial illustrations for print publications, and working on a line of greeting cards to be released in January by Red Cap Cards. In addition, she also acts as a buyer and merchandiser for downtown Savannah store Paris Market and Brocante. In this role, she is able to indulge her passion for curation, antiquing and going to market to buy for the store, as well as putting together window displays.
A connection to nature, and to the seasons is apparent in Kelsey’s work. Although the viewer may not be able to identify the decade in which a particular painting takes place, season is present as a driving force. After growing up in Northern Europe, Kelsey keenly feels the lack of seasons now living in the Deep South. She describes Christmas traditions in her parents’ town in Germany, where every Thursday in Advent, the main square is closed to traffic, and people gather to enjoy hot, spiced wine and pretzels in the Kelsy’s love of curating is also apparent glow of firelight. in both her work and her home. Just as she pulls different elements of time and The passing of time in nature and the ob- place into her paintings and illustrations, servation of how things happen in their she also curates objects in the space of own time, cyclically, is a foundation ap- the home she shares with her husband. parent in many of Kelsey’s paintings. Her She says “More than anything, I think work additionally acts as a celebration of I’m trying to find places for things. I love the seasons, reveling in what each has to taking in crusty old objects…[and] I’ve offer, whether it be a winter snowball fight, always adored nature, not so much in peror lazy summer afternoons spent soaking fectly curated flowers, but I love natural up the sun. It is, perhaps, this recognition elements.” She blends these natural elof the passage of time, so fundamental ements—often sticks—with other found, page 39
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Breakfast, courtesy of Kelsey Garrity-Riley
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Inside Kelsey’s home
created, and unique objects. Many of the objects in her home were found at her favorite thrift store, near her parents’ home on the French border, while others may have been picked up in nature. Curating these objects, Kelsey emphasizes, is not just about accumulating them, but setting them up properly, in a way that displays their stories. Kelsey applies this theory to her artwork as well. She mixes painting with collaging shapes she cuts out from old papers, just as her aesthetic blends time and place resulting in the unique mélange of baked goods, elements of nature, and children in peacoats.
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Visit Kelsey’s website
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One of Kelsey’s large-scale acrylic cut-outs as displayed in The Paris Market www.paprikasouthern.com
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Wonderland
photography siobhan egan styling mary melissa johnson hair
& make-up megan mateo models
zoe huddleston, rise model management kelly muhlenberg location brockington hall, savannah, ga page 45
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Light and frothy winter pastels with a twist of New Year’s Eve glitter
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On Kelly: Dress, Red Clover Vintage clutch Shoes & earrings avilable at Belk Necklace available at Target www.paprikasouthern.com
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On Zoe: Dress, Custard Coat & bracelet, Red Clover Shoes & necklace available at Belk page 49
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Dress, Out Of Hand Necklace & earrings available at Belk www.paprikasouthern.com
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Bracelet, Red Clover page 55
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Skirt, top, & necklace, Red Clover Bracelet, JLINSNIDER www.paprikasouthern.com
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Bracelet, Red Clover page 57
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Earrings available at Belk www.paprikasouthern.com
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Dress & necklace, Out of Hand Flats available at Belk www.paprikasouthern.com
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Dress & necklace available at Target Vintage petticoat, JLINSNIDER Flats available at Belk page 65
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Special thanks Brockington Hall, Savannah, GA Red Clover, Savannah, GA Custard Boutique, Savannah, GA JLINSIDER Vintage Haven + Design Sanctuary, Charleston, SC Out of Hand, Mount Pleasant, SC
Balloons by Art Pop Balloons, Savannah, GA Macarons by Maison de Macarons, Savannah, GA
WATCH THE VIDEO page 73
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Pearl Girl pearls are a perennial favorite among southern belles, and atlantabased jewelry maker ursula b. reynolds, founder of u.breyn, has been contributing her designs to the jewelry boxes of belles throughout the region. with a mix of classic elegance and southern charm--and a strong emphasis on quality and craftsmanship--ursula’s designs are finding their audience. we were thrilled to have the chance to do a q
& a with
ursula.
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Tell us a little about your background and how you got into jewelry design. I am from Georgia and graduated from the University of Georgia with a degree in Art History and Psychology. I spent the summers with my grandmother in Alabama and she is the main inspiration behind the collection I started earlier this year. She had a fabulous collection of pearls and costume jewelry and she taught me how select jewelry based on quality, luster, and rich colors. She was passionate about her jewels and never left home without them. My grandmother would ask me for help when she needed an item repaired and that is how I eventually learned how to design jewelry. How did you decide to start U.Breyn? I have collected loose pearls and one-ofa-kind gemstones for over ten years. My husband encouraged me to take pictures of my designs and create a website and see what would happen. Before I knew it, I sold my first item to a lady in California and a month later my carnelian gemstone necklace was featured by a blogger who named the item one of the “Top Five Gifts” for Valentine’s Day. That gave me the confidence to really go full speed ahead.
Couresty of Ursula B. Reynolds
about your design aesthetic? I love the glamorous styles of the 50’s and 60’s. I know this is definitely because of my grandmother. During this time pearls reigned supreme and your outfit was not complete without a colorful brooch. I consider pearls to be the little black dress of jewels and they can be found in several shapes, sizes, and colors.
What about your materials? Do you work exclusively with pearls and gemstones? Your designs embody a simple I use only cultured freshwater pearls and classic style. Can you tell us and semi-precious stones. I prefer to use natural gemstones because they will page 75
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last a lifetime and you can pass it down my iPad close by and I can either listen to a family member. I also work with to music or a podcast while I am worksterling silver, 18kt gold, and 18kt rose ing. gold. Who is the U.Breyn customer? What is it about She is someone who longs for the pearls that atglamour of the 50’s and 60’s. tracts you to She prefers vintage over new them? “I consider pearls trends. You will find her at Pearls have an estate sale on the hunt to be the little such a rich for one-of-a-kind items. She history and never leaves the house withblack dress of no two pearls out a touch of lip gloss and jewels.” are ever alike. earrings and she understands You have to sort the importance of a handwritthrough several ten note. pearls and individually match each one to How would you describe your make a complete necklace. It is excit- personal style? ing to know that each pearl took over My style is vintage glam. I love to wear two to six years to develop and came sheath dresses with pearls or colorful from a living organism. Each pearl has statement jewelry. I have a cardigan in a story. every color and polka dots and stripes are a staple. I am usually running after Do you do all your work by hand? my toddler, so I must keep my style simWhat is your process like? ple and chic. Yes, there is not a short cut to creating a pearl or stone necklace. Pearls are What is your fantasy in terms of strung together using silk thread and jewelry design—a material, a clihas to be individually knotted by hand. ent, a process? Tell us all about The semi-precious stones are strung to- it. gether using nylon thread or heavy duty I usually get inspiration from vintage cording based on the size and weight of photographs. My favorite place to exeach stone. I usually lay all of the pearls plore is Tumblr or Pinterest. One peror stones out in a tray, sort by color and son that provides endless jewelry inspisize, and then start the process. Sorting ration is the Duchess of Windsor. The can take the entire day. I usually have amount of thought that went into each www.paprikasouthern.com
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Couresty of Ursula B. Reynolds
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intricate design is absolutely breathtaking. I am also a fan of Diahann Carroll and her pearls! She is always picture perfect when she makes an appearance. So when I design items I think to myself, is it colorful enough for the Duchess of Windsor and classy enough for Diahann Carroll?
deliver with ease. My father is from New Orleans, my mother is from Eufaula, and I was born and raised in Georgia. I think it is safe to say that the South runs through my veins and I do not plan on ever leaving.
With the holiday season coming up, what traditions are you looking forWhat’s next for your business? ward to? I am working with a supplier on the East My family and I always attend the lightCoast that has a collection of loose stones ing of Macy’s Great Tree in Atlanta on from the 1950’s and 1960’s! I am so ex- Thanksgiving night. We return home cited to incorporate these stones into new and immediately begin putting up the designs. Christmas decorations because that is the official start of What do you do when not Christmas for us! We designing jewelry? host Christmas I am usually busy predinner each year tending to be a pi“When i design items at our house rate or ninja for my and both sides i think to myself, is it toddler or going of the family to a puppet show colorful enough for attend. at the Center for the duchess of windsor, Puppetry Arts. I am also an active and classy enough for What are volunteer with the some of diahann carroll?” Junior League of Atyour favorlanta. ite holiday recipes? Your southern heritage I don’t know if it is seems very important to considered a holiday recyou—what is it about living in the ipe, but I always look forward to the South that you love? sweet potato pie. I really could eat an I love the hospitality, the importance of entire pie by myself. Actually, I think I heritage, the great comfort food, and the could live on sweet potato pie alone. soft southern drawl that only natives can www.paprikasouthern.com
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Couresty of Ursula B. Reynolds
Do you have any gifting tips? Make it personal. Last year I participated in an ornament gift exchange. Instead of buying an ornament, I purchased polymer clay and made candy cane and monogram ornaments by hand. With the help of YouTube, you can do anything!! I wrapped it up and included a handwritten note. We like to describe our readers as sweet or spicy—which are you? I would say sweet. My grandmother taught me the importance of always sprinkling sugar on any life situation.
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visit u.breyn online
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Holiday Crafting scribble art studio in savannah, GA teaches art to kids and adults of all ages. earlier this year scribble instructor charlotte oden (who also created the illustrations for this issue) introduced a russian doll project, which became the theme of scribble’s annual show at foxy loxy cafe in savannah. scribble co-owner carrie christian described the resulting projects as “unique and amazing.” carrie was inspired by the project to create a russian doll-themed holiday ornament, which she shares with us here. this versatile project works for a variety of age levels, and will make a perfect project to share with friends, children, or grandchildren this holiday season.
craft designed by carrie christian photographed by siobhan egan
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Materials -Felt (or construction paper, or Bristol paper) -Ribbon -Scrap fabric -Yarn -Tacky glue -Black & red acrylic paint (or markers) -Small paint brush -Sequins, rhinestones, other embellishments
download a template to get started!
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Step One
Draw Russian doll shapes on Bristol, cardboard, or felt.
After tracing the body, cut the body template into two parts as shown, and trace the top half www.paprikasouthern.com
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Step Two
Cut out shapes & arrange! Use felt, construction paper, or scrap fabric as desired.
Glue shapes down using tacky glue. (Tip: Elmer’s glue will not stick to felt.) page 83
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Step Three
Paint the face using paint or marker Cut out pieces of scrap fabric, paper, or yarn for hair & glue down
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Step Four Add embellishments & sequins
Don’t forget to attach a ribbon to the back so you can hang your ornament! page 85
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visit scribble art studio online
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Tis Better to Give Than to Receive by Kelly McCarty
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T he
holidays are steadily creeping up on us, bringing with them the annual debate about whom to buy gifts for and what to give. You could always take the easy way out and give money, or as my grandmother calls it, the universal gift certificate. Or you could go the crafty/ cheapskate route and scour Pinterest for do-it-yourself suggestions. Unless you are truly artistic, that seems like a good way to either wind up hot-gluing yourself to the kitchen table or presenting your sister with a wad of macaroni and glitter on Christmas morning. Here are some glitter free suggestions for everyone on your list:
Children I’m thinking of nieces, nephews and friends’ children, because with the Christmas hype kicking off in mid-September nowadays, I’m sure that your own children have been whining about what they want Santa to bring them for months now. I feel bad for parents because when I was a kid, the “Santa! Santa! Christmas! Christmas!” craziness started after Thanksgiving, now kids start getting cracked out on the holiday magic in October. When in doubt about what to get children, ask their parents or do your research on the Internet. You don’t want to be the clueless aunt or uncle who bought a teddy bear for a ten-year-old boy or an Xbox for a fouryear-old girl. Consider buying the kids on your list a cool experience, like a trip to a museum, concert tickets, or a promise to page 89
take them roller-skating or bowling. Some gifts that would not be appropriate for children—samurai swords, a trip to Tijuana, anything that is guaranteed to result in a visit to the hospital, such as a trampoline, or any of the ridiculously dangerous vintage toys like lawn darts. I would also avoid anything alive, unless the parents specifically told you to purchase a puppy, kitten, or tarantula.
REDNECKS Don’t try to pretend that you don’t have rednecks on your holiday list. The one item virtually guaranteed to delight any redneck is a bigger truck. It doesn’t matter if said redneck already owns a big truck; they will still appreciate a bigger truck. However, if a monster truck is not in your budget, guns and ammo are another good choice. I’m not even sure that you can call yourself a redneck unless your household contains more guns than it does people. Rednecks always appreciate a good jar of moonshine—perhaps apple pie flavor in honor of the holidays. You could also purchase a Duck Dynasty-themed item for every redneck in your life—the Duck Dynasty cookbook for your redneck mama, an Uncle Si garden gnome for your redneck grandpa, and a Duck Dynasty baseball cap for your redneck cousin. If you’ve got enough rednecks in your family, you could get all your shopping done in one trip to the Wal-Mart. www.paprikasouthern.com
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Bad gift choices for rednecks include: a Prius, bottles of wine, and anything culturally sophisticated like tickets to the symphony. There is even a country song in which the singer trashes his ex’s new beau by calling him a Prius-driver.
TEACHERS
and hats to purchase. If your man isn’t all that into sports, it is likely that he does like hunting and fishing and the related paraphernalia. If your man doesn’t like sports or hunting and fishing, are you certain that he really is Southern? You may want to be concerned that he is really a space alien impersonating never gotten a Southern man.
My mother taught preschool for over twenty “I have years and as a result, she has an enormous a gift from any of my collection of cuteIn my neighbors, unless you sy teacher-themed opinion, Christmas ornacount the two cats I over-thements. She practitop rocally needs a sepa- stole from the neighbors mantic rate tree. This year, because they weren’t gifts, such why not get your taking care of them.” as flowers, kid’s teachers someteddy bears, thing they might actuand poems, are ally want, such as a Stara risky choice, unbuck’s gift card, bottle of less you’re 110% sure lotion, or anything edible? When that your husband or boydeciding how much to spend, ask yourself, “How badly behaved are my chil- friend will like it. I feel like I could be so great at romance because I could write dren?” an outstanding love letter and put together a fantastic candlelit dinner, but HUSBANDS & BOYFRIENDS unfortunately for me, romance is wastSometimes men can be tricky to buy ed on the vast majority of men. It’s like for, but if your husband or boyfriend preparing a filet mignon for your dog is southern, there should be some vawhen she would much rather be eating riety of sports team that he loves bethe cat’s food. yond all reason, be it a college football team, a professional baseball team, or a BOSSES NASCAR driver, and there are always sports-themed T-shirts, blankets, mugs If you’re planning on buying a holwww.paprikasouthern.com
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iday gift for your boss, I would advise something neutral and inexpensive like a basket of coffee, box of chocolates, or a calendar. Some bad boss gift ideas would be lingerie, especially if your boss is a man, illegal drugs, and the severed head of the most annoying person in your workplace.
NEIGHBORS I keep seeing things on Pinterest about how certain things, usually themed baskets like movie night or ice cream sundaes, would make perfect neighbor gifts. I have never gotten a gift from any of my neighbors, unless you count the two cats I stole from the neighbors because they weren’t taking care of them. I’ve never gotten a gift for my neighbors, either, except the time I did not call the cops when the other set of neighbors were smoking pot on their deck. I now refer to my neighbors as “Brutus’ family” (Brutus being one of the cats I stole) or “the pot-smoking Republicans” (they had a Romney sign in their yard last election). The whole neighbor gift idea assumes that everyone lives in a nice, suburban area. There are some neighborhoods where if you gave your neighbors a basket of homemade cookies, they would send you back with a plate of homemade meth. I still feel like there is no greater neighbor gift than the gift of not calling the police on them, but if pressed, it’s hard to go wrong with cookies or fudge. page 91
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P.S. Paprika Southern recommends
christmastown McAdenville, NC is known as Christmastown, USA for its elaborate displays of Christmas lights. This western North Carolina town features a display route two miles long. Yule Log Ceremony, December 13
bentonville The Crystal Bridges Museum in Bentonville, AR is currently showing The Artist’s Eye, an exhibit of work from the collections of Georgia O’Keeffe and Alfred Stieglitz. This exhibit, comprised of pieces now owned by Fisk University in Nashville, consists of African masks, modernist paintings, and more from the O’Keeffe and Stieglitz collections. Exhibit runs through February 3
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savannah The Jepson Center presents Spanish Sojourns, an exhibit highlighting American painter Robert Henri’s paintings completed during trips to Spain. This early 20th century artist is considered highly influential to American art. Exhibit runs through March 9
new orleans Currently on display at the New Orleans Museum of Art is Edward Burtynsky: Water, a timely exhibition of this contemporary photographer’s work exploring the human relationship with this vital natural resource. Exhibit runs through January 19
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Follow along with Paprika Southern throughout the month: Facebook Twitter Pinterest Instagram See you in February!
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