T+CO MAY EDITORIAL

PAULETTE WOOTEN, EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

My Mom always wore an apron. I remember her coming home after working 9-5 at the Farmer's Bank. She didn't slow down. She didn't change clothes. She threw on her apron over her bank uniform. I loved the navy blue outfit with the satin pinstripe blouse with a sewn-in necktie bow. And the thin matching vest. And the perfectly fitted A-line skirt. Probably polyester, but you would never know the way she wore it. It didn't seem hot or scratchy. Let's not forget her L'eggs stockings and high heels. My Mom was the coolest. And when she and her friends would drink Tab. Hello, next-level woman! I only dreamed I could grow up and be like her. Her elegance and ease topped with the humble apron is the essence of who she was, serving love and the best of the best Southern dishes.

I'm obsessed with aprons. I've been collecting them for years. Mine are not as flowery, flowy, or as feminine as my mom's, and they don't cover polyester business suits, but they are part of my daily wardrobe. Sure their primary function is to protect my clothes, especially when cooking with turmeric, but mainly, they make me happy. Like I think Mr. Rogers was happy with the habit of changing his shoes and sweater. It's comforting. It's routine—a ritual. When my apron gets dirty, I'm doing my job, and my day feels complete. Putting on an apron is like going into the closet and finding yourself in Narnia. I thrive on rubbing sticky BBQ sauce, splattering spices, and smudging marinades on my trusted friendly apron, leaving my mark of the day. It feels like being a crazy artist in the studio. Aprons are pieces of art, archiving the day. This issue is like apron strings tying together Mother's Day and Cinco de Mayo with food, music, and hospitality. The string of stories and features of women business owners, writers, chefs, songwriters, artists, creators, and makers from across the South, linking us all together in the common ground of the southern kitchen.

I'm excited to introduce Twin Denim Co in Asheville, North Carolina. We met first through Instagram. We became immediate fans when we saw their imaginative and clever combination of denim, fabrics, stitching, and designs. Not only are these sisters true artisans, but they are infectious and darling, incredible humans. I'm wearing one of their custom selvedge aprons on the cover. And, of course, I have added their brand to my apron collection.

Designer and Artist Kayce Hughes has been a friend and inspiration to me for almost a decade. Her influence and art has garnered the attention of beautiful stores like Bunny Williams Home NYC, Draper James TN, and Rivers Spencer LA, as well as several talented designers including Mark D. Sikes, Sara Bartholomew, Pencil & Paper Co., and Jonathan Savage. She has graced our pages with her intermixture of brilliant color, textures, patterns, and designs to inspire your next summer tablescape (p24). Fun side note — her aunt started a fruit juice stand in Palm Beach in 1959. Out of necessity, instead of an apron, she designed shift dresses to disguise the stains. Her customers loved the new bright colored print shifts--her “ uniform ” --so much she started selling them at the stand. Her aunt is fashion sensation Lilly Pultizer.

Be sure to check out our new section just in time for Mother’s Day, What a Woman! (p.12) Snapshots of women who inspire and impact our lives. A mix of sweet, humorous, heartwarming, and sassy portrayals shared by Chef Maneet Chauhan (Chopped judge, restaurateur and cookbook author), Natalie Hemby (Grammy winning songwriter, member of The Highwomen), Karen Hill (children's book author, Executive editor for a multiple New York Times Best Seller author), Stephony Smith (BMI Songwriter of the Year) and Terrian (Memphis based Gotee recording artist),

Don't miss Top It Off interview with the chef and owner of Salt and Charm in Wilmington, NC, Abbye McGee.

The last gift I gave my mom was an apron. A Christmas apron she never got to wear. She passed December 9, 2015. Every day I feel a tug on the apron strings she tied around my heart. A pull of love and acceptance draws me closer to being who I am and becoming even more courageous to wrap an apron of love and support around my waist to serve those around my table. If you are reading this, you are part of that table. Even though we are labeled a magazine, our lives are not lived out on these pages. We are real people. With real hearts. With big hopes to impact our neck of the woods and support you in doing the same while we try to make a difference. Seriously, drop us a line and let us know what kind of apron you're wearing in the world. We want to support and nourish you.