November 2014

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TOWN GOWN&THE MAGNOLIAS REESE ORCHARD+ MORE

NOVEMBER 2014

2 • townandgownmagazine.com

CONTENTS

30

38

52

4 | townandgownmagazine.com

november 2014 • 5

WISHLISTWhat We’re Loving Lately

CALENDAR OF EVENTSWhat’s Happening in the Golden Triangle?

TASTE & TOASTHoliday Butters

HOMES & GARDENSThe Harrell Home

HISTORIC HOMESThe Magnolias

MADE IN MISSISSIPPIThimblepress Designs

LITERATURESavoring the South

FASHIONHoliday Glam at Hewlett Barn

EVENTSSneak Peek at Recent Events

DISCOVER THE SOUTHBlackberry Farm

38

4458

{features}

REESE ORCHARDPick Your Own Persimmons, Pears & More!

REBUILDING LOUISVILLEThe Road to Recovery

THANKSGIVING TABLESCAPESHoliday Decorating

november 2014

30

5256

30

14161822 78

66

82

{departments}

Reproductions in whole or in part,without written permission,is strictly prohibited. No responsibility can be assumed for unsolicited manuscripts,

articles or photographs. We reserve the right to edit submissions before publi-cation. Town & Gown is a free magazine published monthly and distributed in and around Starkville and the Golden Triangle area. Subscriptions are avail-able for mail customers. For subscriptions or inquiries,write Town & Gown Magazine, P.O. Box 1068, Starkville, MS, 39760, or call 662.323.1642.

A Product of Horizon of MississiPPi

P.O. Box 1068 | Starkville, MS 39760www.townandgownmagazine.com

{ staff }Don Norman | publisher - [email protected]

Sarah Vaughan | editor - [email protected]

{ account executives } Jordan Linton - [email protected]

Sarah Elizabeth Tyner - [email protected]

{contributors}Christina LucasSusan O’BryanLorie Roach

{writers}Carol Gifford

Joe LeeRichelle PutnamSarah Vaughan

{photographers}Divian ConnerLaura Daniels

{page design}Sarah Vaughan

{advertising design}Chris McMillen


november 2014 • 7

Townandgownmagazine .comHome . garden . Life . sTyLe . food . HeaLTH . fiTness

@townandgownmag @townandgown @townandgownmag1 @townandgownmag

A snapshot from our November fashion shoot! A special thanks to the owners ofHewlett Barn in Starkvil le, Miss. for al lowing us to feature their beautiful barn!

discover the south...

Thanksgiving is here! With the help of Thyme, we’ve

incorporated our favorite design elements into the

perfect holiday tablescape to share with your family.

Explore this month’s Discover the South, Blackberry Farm in Wal land, Tenn. over on page 82!

on the cover...

amily, football and food. It doesn’t get any better than that. In

this year’s November issue, we’re celebrating Thanksgiving with plenty

to be thankful for.

Flip over to page 58 to see our Thanksgiving tablescape spreads.

We’ve combined rustic and chic to create the perfect setting for your

holiday get-togethers. We’ve also included a few local pieces we think

make a great tablescape.

On page 44, we’re reminding ourselves that we have a lot to be

thanksful for this year. In April 2014 in the small town of Louisville,

tornados damaged many homes and buildings and left numerous

residents without jobs or homes. We’re taking a look at what this

community is doing to rebuild.

We also take you inside the beautiful Magnolias in Aberdeen. A beau-

tiful tribute to antebellum architecture, The Magnolias is the also the

perfect location for a wedding or event. See more on page 30.

Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours.

Sarah Vaughan

Fhappy thanksgiving!


editor's note

november 2014 • 9

november 2014 • 11


Merle Norman Luna Bel la202 S. Washington St.

Starkvil le, MS662.323.5255

Giggleswick200 Hwy 12 East Starkvil le, MS662.323.4438

stel la & dotwww.stel ladot.com

800.920.5893

Deep South Pout329 University Dr.

Starkvil le, MS662.324.6055

Thyme402 Lampkin St. Starkvil le, MS662.323.5979

Aspen Bay116 E. Main St. Starkvil le, MS662.320.8476

wishlist


West Elmwww.westelm.com

888.922.4119

Anthropologiewww.anthropologie.com

800.309.2500

every seaon has a story• our fall favorites on pinterest •

www.pinterest.com/townandgownmag


2 3 4

23 24 25 26

30


November5

9 10 11 12

16 17 18 19

Sunday MONday TUESDAY WEDNESDAY

SOCCER:SEC SOCCER

TOURNAMENTNovember 3 - 9

Orange Beach, Ala.

VOLLEYBALL:MSU VS.

OLE MISS5pm • ESPNU

VOLLEYBALL:MSU VS. LSU

1:30pm • SEC Network Plus

CHRISTMAS

OPEN H

OUSE

& COOKIE

S WIT

H SANTA

VOLLEYBALL:MSU VS. TEXAS A&M

7pm • SEC Network Plus

BULLDOG BRUNCH & BROWSE

11am - 3pm

BULLDOG BRUNCH & BROWSE

11am - 3pm

MSU HOME-COMING WEEK

November 2 - 8

BASKETBALL (W): MSU VS. ARKANSAS-

FORT SMITH

BASKETBALL: MSU VS. MISSISSIPPI

VALLEY STATE

BASKETBALL: MSU VS.

CLAYTON STATE

BASKETBALL (W): MSU VS.

LOUISIANAMONROE

JAPANESE WORLDHERITAGE

CELEBRATIONColvard Student Union

Art GalleryNovember 105:30-6:30pm

21 22

27

1

28 29

FRIDAY


6 7 8

13 14 15

20

THURSDAY SATURDAY upcomingevents:

FIRST UNITEDMETHODIST

HOLIDAY HANDWORKS

BAZAAR9am - 7pm

DESIGNER’S GALLERY ANNUALLIGHTING OF THE TREE OPEN HOUSE

6 - 8pm

ATTALA COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY’S

CANDLELIGHT TOUR OF HOMES

December 5, 5-8 p.m.The 2014 Attala Historical Society’s Candlelight Tour of Homes will feature three

historic homes and one historic structure near the

Courthouse Square and will include caroling and refresh-

ments at the Mary Ricks Thornton Cultural Center.

Tickets for the event are $12 in advance and $15 on the

evening of the tour. Tickets can be purchased by calling 601.209.8791.

FOOTBALL:MSU VS.

TN-MARTIN

FOOTBALL:MSU VS.

VANDERBILT

FOOTBALL:MSU @

OLE MISS Oxford, Miss.

FOOTBALL:MSU @

ALABAMATuscaloosa, Ala.

COLUMBUS GHOSTS AND

LEGENDS TOURSTours leave from the

Tennessee Williams homeat 6:30, 7, 8 and 8:30pm COLUMBUS

GHOSTS AND LEGENDS TOURS

MSU HOME-COMING PARADE

STARKVILLEHOLIDAY BAZAAR

December 3-4

HOLIDAY IN THE JUNCTION

December 1 • 7pm

STARKVILLECHRISTMAS

PARADEDecember 1

MEN’S TENNIS:ITA NATIONAL

INDOOR TENNIS CHAMPIONSHIPS

New York, NY

BASKETBALL:VS. DELTA STATE

CROSS COUNTRY:NCAA REGIONALCHAMPIONSHIPS

Tallahassee, Fla.

BASKETBALL: MSU VS. MERCER

BASKETBALL: VS. UTAH STATE

STARKVILLECHRISTMAS

TOUR OF HOMESDecember 13 • 1:30-5pm


TASTE & TOAST:

HolidayButters

crock pot pumpkin butter


CROCK POT PUMPKIN BUTTER

Join in the pumpkin spice mania of the

season with this simple crock pot recipe

for pumpkin butter. This recipe does

not have any actual butter in the recipe,

but you can slather it on a biscuit all the

same. Added bonus: It will make your

house smell divine!

• 16 oz. pumpkin puree (not pumpkin

pie filling)

• 3/4 cup sugar

• 1 cup brown sugar

• 1 tsp. real vanilla extract

• 1 tsp. cinnamon

• 1/2 tsp. nutmeg

• 1/4 tsp. all spice

Add all ingredients into a small crock pot,

stir well. Cook for 3 to 3.5 hours on low,

stirring regularly to keep from scorch-

ing. Let it cool before storing. Keeps for

2 weeks by refrigeration, but do not use a

canning method to store pumpkin butter.

cranberry fig compound butter


CRANBERRY COMPOUNDBUTTER

Compound butters take a good thing (butter) and make it even better. You can combine any number of herbs, preserves, and dried fruits into a savory or sweet concoction. This time, I wanted to skip the ordinary cranberry and orange combi-nation and go for the honey-like taste of figs with the sweet cranberries as a nod to Thanksgiving tradition. • 2 sticks unsalted butter, softened • 1/2 cup dried cranberries (or Craisins) • 1/3 cup fig preserves Combine all the ingredients into a bowl. Mix by hand or with a hand mixer until all the ingredients are incor-porated. Serve on biscuits, rolls, toast or even pancakes!


THEHARRELL

FAMILY HOMEB B

>>>>by CAROL GIFFORD | photography by LAURA DANIELS

One Starkville family has transformed their living space from drab to fab in less than a year.

The Harrells’ home is truly one-of-a-kind, a modern hideaway in a small Southern town.

Artistic design meets modern luxuries and inviting charm in their warm and sophisticated sanctuary.


Starkville, Miss.


“It is comfortable and really functional. Everything has a purpose and is washable. Even the paint can be easily wiped down,” she said. “Amos is free to use the whole space.”


Buying a first house is a process often filled with trepida-

tion, stress and money worries. It takes time and energy to

make a house a home.

When Leah and Daniel Harrell bought their first home in

Starkville, their new house experience went something like

this: see house, buy it and make it their home by renovat-

ing with repurposing. Add in deadlines, creative playfulness

and a baby on the way, and you can see why they had

their hands full.

“We bought this house for Amos, our two-year-old son,”

said Leah. “We call it Amos’ home.”

They intended to move to Birmingham and tried to do

so three times, but each time something came up that

kept them in Starkville. The couple was living with Leah’s

mother and Amos was just starting to crawl. They saw the

house, standing vacant, and visited. They

looked in the windows, sat on the porch

swing and talked about renovations that

could make it livable and bought it.

“Built in the 1980s, the house was a co-

lonial/farmhouse design with good sight lines

and a lot of storage.

“It was a complete fixer-upper, but we

knew we could get this great space and

make it ours,” said Leah.

With energy on overload, the couple went to work on

designing and renovating their new home.

They painted all the downstairs walls white to make it as

fresh and airy as possible and to reflect light.

“I see white as open and inviting to ideas,” she said. “It’s

clean without being sterile. The color comes in with your art

pieces.”

The living room includes a coffee table made from a dis-

carded pallet covered with upholstery and put on wheels,

so if “Amos runs into it, it will be soft and move away from

him.” said Leah. The floors are cork to provide a soft cush-

ion for play time.

“It is comfortable and really functional. Everything has

a purpose and is washable. Even the paint can be easily

wiped down,” she said. “Amos is free to use the whole

space.

“We wanted our home to be very playful. It was a make

it up as you go along process.”

Daniel Harrell, Leah’s husband, remembers the process

as being more organized. He is the project person, and

she is the designer. The two met in college at Mississippi

State University, and both have backgrounds in art and

design.

“I was an art major. Daniel majored in business and

psychology,” said Leah. “Daniel was my sidekick, helping

me with my projects.”

Leah had design ideas that she wanted to include in the

house, and kept a note book and post-it notes with infor-

mation about what she liked and how she thought it could

be designed. When the family travels, they always bring

back an item for the house from the trip – a vintage school

desk, a trough sink, an antique dresser.

“I always have a specific purpose intended

for each item that I buy,” said Leah.

“I see things and I say to Daniel, ‘I can see

this thing becoming a …, and he figures out

how to make it come together,” said Leah. “All

our household furniture serves some function-

al purpose. If we don’t need, it’s superfluous.”

“I give all the credit to Leah. She has the

ability to envision ideas and then figure out

some way to communicate it to me,” said Daniel, who

works as a project manager at Gregory Construction

Services, a construction company owned by Leah’s family.

“I had my own ideas and would talk to Leah about them,

but I couldn’t come up with the cool designs on my own;

mine are tacky and overdone. She reins me in to make

sure the design is feasible and that it can be finished by

the deadline.

“Daniel has done everything. We haven’t had a pro-

fessional in the house,” said Leah. “If Daniel didn’t know

how to do it, he would learn. It’s just amazing to me how

determined and diligent he is.”

“We learned a lot about relationships as we went along,”

said Daniel.

With the deadline of Amos’ first birthday, the Harrells

began bigger renovations in the new house.


The first project was the bathroom. They added a vin-

tage tub from the 1930s, replaced the toilet and sink,

tiled the floor and put textured wallpaper on the ceiling.

“We created a wonderful space and did it in about

two weeks,” said Daniel. “It was almost like practice –

how much can we actually do – and it was an example

of what we could do in the rest of the house.”

Scraping all the popcorn ceilings down was a lot of

hard work, but important in order to be more aestheti-

cally pleasing.

“Visually, it was not the look we wanted,” said Daniel.

The living, dining room, kitchen and downstairs

playroom, along with the bath, was renovated in about

three months, mostly by Daniel, who worked evenings

and weekends to finish the work. He had help from

family and friends.

“It was cosmetic change on a deep level,” said Leah,

a stay-at-home mother who specializes in large format

photography. “Amos was the inspiration on how to

model the house. Everything we did was to make it a

safe environment for him.

“The new design is Scandinavian with eclectic repur-

posing and antiques.” Accent pieces include one of her

murals over the fireplace, and other art work they pur-

chased from MSU art students working on their theses.

Her design philosophy is to repurpose things, to find

things with an interesting character that can be used

in new mundane items. Daniel’s construction work

provides materials -- items that were to be thrown away

--and inspiration.

Rebar was fashioned into light fixtures after Daniel

took the rusty metal and sawed it into circular pieces

welded together to make spheres in a candelabra and

hung the two 60-pound fixtures with electrical wire in

the living room and dining room. Metal railings in the din-

ing room are from an old post office door. The kitchen

tile is made of nail cards (from a cartridge usually used

in nail guns) that were “a beautiful color and linear and

straight,” said Leah.

In the kitchen, the couple removed the laminate

countertop finish and replaced it with feather-finish con-

crete that was mixed and spread over the surface. The

fine-grade concrete was finished with a wet-look sealer.

Out front, Daniel redid the front porch floor in con-

crete pavers. He made the forms, molds and poured

concrete footings. The wooden columns are set in a

concrete base, creating a space that is attractive and

durable.

“We have so much more to do and in my mind, it’s

still changing,” said Daniel. ”We have the downstairs

bath, a darkroom to build in the garage and more

kitchen work. We will finish it as we have the money to

do it.”

Both agree that the house renovations will continue –

and encourage others to include their own styles in their

homes.

“We’ve had fun making our home reflect who we

are,” said Daniel.

“Your home is such an intimate space in your life. Don’t

waste it,” said Leah. “It’s so rewarding to make it our

own – it’s our own house on a whole different level.”

“The new design is Scandinavian with

eclectic repurposing and antiques.”

Accent pieces include one of her murals

over the fireplace, and other art work

they purchased from MSU art students

working on their theses.

Her design philosophy is to repurpose

things, to find things with an interesting

character that can be used in new mun-

dane items. Daniel’s construction work

provides materials -- items that were to

be thrown away --and inspiration.


Aberdeen, Miss.

HISTORIC HOMES:

The Magnolias


The Magnolias

In picturesque Aberdeen, Miss., The Magnolias man-sion rises mightily amid ancient magnolia trees. Built in 1850 by Dr. William Sykes, it is one of Mississippi’s rare and luxurious antebellum homes that survived the war between the States and escaped a fall into disrepair. For 15 years, Sarah Wilemon has served as a hostess at The Magnolias, welcoming visitors and sharing the home’s history. She explained that though the Sykes family had a home on their plantation, Mrs. Sykes wanted to participate in the lively social life in town. Mr. Sykes built The Magnolias for her. “But she only lived for a year after they built the house,” said Sarah. Five generations of Sykes lived in the house. In fact, the house has never been lived in by anyone outside of the Sykes family. Aberdeen native Clarence Day pur-chased The Magnolias in 1984. The Days never lived in the home, but Mr. Day’s mother was a distant cousin of the Sykes, said Sarah, so in a way it remained in the family. After his purchase, Mr. Day commissioned someone to travel to England to buy furnishings for the home. He gave the mansion to the City of Aberdeen in memory of his parents, Christine and Clarence Day, Sr. In the 1840s, Aberdeen was the second largest town in Mississippi, next to Natchez. Both were river towns. “We were spared during the Civil War and not de-stroyed like so many towns,” said Sarah. “Columbus and Aberdeen were fortunate in that respect because we didn’t have any battles close by.” Approaching the entrance drive to the Magnolias, one immediately notices the massive planters. These are actually the stone bases of the Ionic Columns that

once graced the front of the Greek Revival First Meth-odist Church built in 1859 and later demolished in 1911. The Magnolias, also constructed in classic Greek revival style, possesses the original Bohemian Glass side lights and transom that frames the double front doors. Typical of the era is the central hallway that offered easy access into every room. During sweltering sum-mer months, opening the front and back doors on both floors allowed cooler air to circulate through the central hall and throughout the enormous house. The tri-level double stairway is the home’s center-piece, leading upstairs from the front and rear entranc-es. If advancing from the front stairway to the upper level, your hand glides along a solid mahogany stair rail. On the back stairway, a native walnut rail guides you upward. The stairway meets at a landing and then separates to ascend to the second floor. “We have a Waterford crystal chandelier that was given to the home,” said Sarah. This chandelier, a gift from the estate of Dr. Marion Godbey, dates back to the early 1800s. The First Methodist Church gave the Waterford crystal banquet lamps on the newel posts to Dr. Sykes’s granddaughter, Mary Dudley Walker, who had often provided the flowers, as well as her decorat-ing flair, for the church’s special events. “We have a lot of travelers who stop here or plan to stay overnight,” said Sarah. “The Magnolias is unique in that it still sits on 13 acres and has its outside kitchen, well house and smoke house that were original parts of the house.” The Magnolias was never made into apartments like many older homes. The last Sykes family living in

I

By Richelle Putnam • Photography by Laura Daniels


In April, during

the annual

Pilgrimage, host-

esses donned in

elaborate period

dress welcome

guests into The

Magnolias.


the home added a bathroom and a kitchen, but the Historical Founda-tion closely monitored the renova-tions to preserve the authenticity of the structure. The kitchen was later modernized. “The rest of the house is very much like it was,” said Sarah. “Some rooms have been taken in to add a bathroom or closet, which they didn’t have at that time.” The original detached kitchen is often used to pre-pare the flowers for a wedding. “The groomsmen get dressed out in the kitchen area,” she said. “They enjoy it because they don’t have to be in the house with the women." Springtime remains the busiest time for weddings at the Magnolias,

but fall is fast becoming a popular wedding season. The Magnolias is the perfect venue for any social affair, whether weddings, dinner parties or reunions and is open for tours Mon-day through Friday from10 to 2. Stu-dents from Aberdeen’s grammar and junior high schools tour every year. “The students have more questions than grownups do,” said Sarah. “It’s so important to share this history with our young people. They don’t realize that all of this was done by hand.” The meticulous work accom-plished by slave labor is the main rea-son the house is in such good shape. “They did beautiful woodworking on the cornices and window facings made from all local materials,” said

Sarah. “The lumber was from local trees. The floors are pine.” Furnishings are true to the period, but most pieces did not belong to the families that lived here, with the exception of two Empire velvet sofas, one in the gentlemen’s parlor and one in the ladies’ parlor, and the carved, gilded mirror over the mantle in the dining room. The secretary in the gentlemen’s parlor was crafted from red walnut in Aberdeen in the 1840s by John Lunsford, a Virginian who settled in Mississippi in the mid-1800s. “We have a mirror that came from one of the riverboats of that era,” said Sarah. Riverboats were called float-ing palaces. The mirror in the ladies

The beautifully decorated rooms of The Magnolias offer a glimpse into the past. Candles would have taken the place of lamps, home libraries stood in place of televisions and computers and families often gathered together for meals and evening chats.


parlor was from a floating palace that was here during the 1840s. In the museum room, the old Sykes Bible and pictures of the origi-nal Sykes family give visitors a glimpse of the ancestry and the era. However, another element original to the house is the ghost who tends to show up at special events. “One of the caterers was preparing for a wedding and she felt someone looking at her. When she turned around, [an image] was standing beside her,” said Sarah. The caterer

doesn’t remember a face, but she described the image as wearing “a long, flowing dress.” This caterer saw the figure another time in the hallway. “Some brides have had images in their pictures that weren’t supposed to be there,” said Sarah. “If we do have a ghost, it is probably the first Mrs. Sykes coming back to enjoy the parties.” Some time ago, when a ghost chaser outfit came to the Magnolias, a photographer snapped a picture. “There was a form of a woman at

the basement door,” said Sarah. The ghost chasers felt like it was a ghost, but in the 15 years she’s hosted, Sarah has never seen a ghost. “But I’m just working here,” she said. “I’m not having parties.” For more information about The Magnolias, visit www.themagnolias.org. For more information about the city of Aberdeen, visit www.aberdeenms.org. To learn more about the Aberdeen Pilgrimage website, visit their website at www.aberdeenpil-grimage.com.

Above: The Magnolias has one of the most impressive antebellum staircases in the South. It extends across the length of the foyer and connects in the center of the second story of the home. Many weddings and receptions have taken place in the home, and several intimate weddings have taken place on the staircase itself. The ghost of a former resident has been seen in the doorway (pictured above) leading down to the basement.


Years ago, the

seedlings of the

magnolia trees

along the walkway

of The Magnolias

were planted on

the boulevard in

downtown

Aberdeen.


Starkvil le, Miss.

FEATURE:

ReeseOrchard


David Reese, owner/operator of Reese Orchard in the Sessums community, sat down with Town & Gown to discuss the products available through the family-owned business and share some interesting history about the land which has been in the family for nearly 60 years.

TOWN & GOWN: Although you’re known far and wide for delicious, hand-picked fruit, the property has been used in many ways over the years.

DAVID REESE: Reese Orchard is located on part of our old dairy farm that our parents, Jack and Gloria Reese, purchased in 1955. We were out of the dairying business by the mid-1960s, but we farmed soybeans (for part of) the 1970s. In 1980 we planted the first blueberry orchard in this area. However, blueberries only grew well in a small area, where the soil seemed just right for them. Over the next several years we replanted with pears, mus-cadines and Japanese persimmons. I took over managing the orchard 12 years ago.

T & G: What’s offered at Reese Orchard, and what are the best times of year to get what you want?

DR: Persimmons, our most popular fruit, are usually avail-able from October through the end of November. Most of our Japanese persimmons are non-astringent and edible

when still firm, with a crunchy texture and sweet unique flavor. There is no other fruit commonly available that I can compare them to.

We grow Asian pears, cooking pears and fine quality dessert pears. They are available from mid-August until early October. When we have an abundance of them, we donate to the St. Joseph food pantry to provide healthy fresh fruit to a segment of the population that sometimes has diet-related health issues due to poverty.

September is the month for muscadines, but they are often still available in October. wBlueberries, our very first fruit, have become a distant fourth in importance over the years – I foresee a day where we no longer sell them. They are available the first three weeks in July.

T & G: Why are you a big believer in natural and sustain-able farming practices?

DR: In the early years we were using herbicide under plants like most everyone, which left bare ground under bushes, vines, and trees going into the winter months – by the following spring there were gullies where the topsoil had washed away. It can take decades to build up a layer of topsoil, but perhaps one winter of hard rains to remove it all. Now I leave the ground covered and protected with

REESE Orchardaby joe lee • photography by laura daniels


Reese Orchard

1716 Reese Orchard Rd.

Starkville, MS

662.324.1509

www.reeseorchard.com

grass, clover, and vetch. We don’t mow here until mid-summer, (when) all the spring grasses and legumes have re-seed-ed themselves for the next season. If you drive by in late winter or early spring, there is lush green growth in the orchard when most everyone else’s property still looks brown and lifeless. T & G: What’s the best time to visit, and how can they contact you and find you?

DR: During persimmon season we keep our normal weekday hours (Tuesday, and Thursday from 7 a.m.-12 noon, reopen 3-6 p.m.) but stay open all day Saturday (7 a.m.- 6:30 p.m. - close at dusk after early Nov time change). Email [email protected] or call 662-324-1509 for more info or an appointment.

From Starkville, take Oktoc Road and turn left onto Artesia Road at Memorial Gardens Cemetery. Go 3.3 miles and turn right on Sessums Road. Go about a mile before taking a very sharp curve to the left – the road becomes Sessums Circle. We are the second driveway to the left off Sessums Circle.

“Muscadines are so tasty that their significant health benefits are often overlooked.”


reese orchardFruit prices, when available

(depending on season):

Blueberries - $2.00/lb. (you pick)

Dessert pears - $1.50/lb.

Muscadines - $1.75/lb. (you pick)

Asian pears - $1.75/lb.

Cooking pears - $1.00/lb.

Japanese persimmons - $1.75/lb.

(available until the end of November)


rebuilding Louisvilleby sarah vaughanphotography by divian conner

In the early morning hours of April 28, 2014, a

category EF4 tornado ripped through the town of

Louisville, Miss, leaving a scar 36 miles long and

nearly one mile wide with winds estimated around

185 mph. The storm ravaged homes and businesses

and killed 10 Winston County residents.

The Louisville tornado was a spawn of a larger

weather pattern that produced hundreds of torna-

does across the country from April 27-29, including

at least nine in Mississippi. The storm system has

been called one of the worst tornado outbreaks in

the history of the Southern United States, second

only to the severe storm systems that moved through

parts of the South in April of 2011 that left nearly

400 people dead. Several of the communities hit by

these storms are still recovering from the devastation

left in their wake.


Extensive damage from the April 28

Louisville tornado can still be seen

throughout the small town.


DIXIE ALLEY For several decades, the area known as "Tornado Al-

ley," which stretches across Texas, Oklahoma, Nebraska

and other parts of the Midwest, has been considered

the biggest U.S. hot spot for tornado activity. After the

record-breaking number of storms reported across the

South in 2011 and 2014, weather experts now consider

"Dixie Alley," which includes parts of Arkansas, Missis-

sippi, Alabama and other Southern states, to be more

dangerous. While storms in Tornado Alley area are

frequent, the most violent and deadly tornadoes have oc-

curred in Dixie Alley. Unlike other parts of the United

States, residents of Dixie Alley can be under severe

threat of tornado weather for nearly nine months out of

the year, while storms in other areas typically only occur

during tornado season.

WHY DIXIE ALLEY IS MORE SUSCEPTIBLE TO SEVERE STORMS

While the Midwest is still considered a hot spot for

tornado activity, the atmospheric conditions of the

Southern region frequently create opportunities for the

perfect storm. In fact, according to severe storm track-

ers, Simpson County, Miss. has historically seen more

violent tornados than any other region in the area. The

area places second in the nation for the number of EF3

to EF5 confirmed tornadoes.

In the South, tornadoes form as a result of warm,

moist air from the Gulf of Mexico colliding with dry air

from the West. As warm air rises, it comes into contact

with the cooler air, creating a violent concoction of rap-

idly moving wind. The directional change of this mixture

of warm and cool air moving in opposite directions cre-

ates a funnel. As the funnel increases its rotation speed,

the movement can allow the funnel to "touch down,"

causing a tornado to form.

“Unlike other parts of the United States, residents

of Dixie Alley can be under severe threat of tornado

weather for nearly nine months out of the year.”


Although it is not available for tours, the

Taylor family water wheel has long been

a landmark of sorts in the small town

of Louisville. | Right: A historic Lou-

isville attraction • Lake Tiak-O’khata

attracts visitors of all shapes and sizes.


LOUISVILLE DAMAGE After destroying three industrial buildings and severely damag-

ing the hospital, the Louisville tornado took everything in its path

across residential areas. An estimated 300-400 homes received

damage from the storm. That's approximately 1 home for every 16

of its 6.463 residents. In addition to the damage sustained to their

homes, 400-500 people were left unemployed due to damage to

businesses.

Although a $1,093,074 grant was awarded to the Winston

County Medical Foundation from Federal Emergency Manage-

ment Agency (FEMA). the amount needed to repair the hospital

remains unknown.

"We estimate that it will cost around $57 million to repair the steel plant and between $20-27 million to

repair Teeter's Floor Products distribution center. We still don't know a lot of numbers yet, because we're still


Lake Tiak-O’khata is one of Louis-

ville’s most well-known spots. Known

far and wide for its savory buffet and

menu selections, the resort also offers

tennis, basketball and volleyball courts.

Some of Mississippi’s best golf courses

are also located nearby the resort.


working to clean up the damage, and many people are

still working with their insurance to repair their homes,"

said Gerald Mills of the Winston County Development

Partnership.

Like a thief striking in the night, this runaway freight

train left many with no home, no job and no hope. No

rhyme or reason can explain why some homes received

roof and siding damage while all that's left of those next

door are concrete slabs pulled from the ground. No

words can explain why thriving neighborhoods and busi-

ness centers are now non-existent, with no more than

a driveway marking their former locations. The sight of

people who've lived in Louisville their entire lives picking

through what's left of their belongings to see which of

their memories can be salvaged is both heartbreaking and

surreal.

REBUILDING It is hard to overlook the damage and devastation

remaining in this small town of 6.463 people, and there's

a lot to be done to recover from the effects of the storm,

but with a strong sense of community and a desire to

help those who lost everything, the residents of Louisville

still have hope. Those who did lose everything that day

couldn't have hoped for a better community to live in.

A symbol of the town's unwillingness to forget who

and what they've lost, a mural dedicated to Ruth Eichel-

berger-Bennett, who lost her life protecting a child at

her daycare center during the storm, has been dedicated

in Dean Park, located on Highway 15. As we reflect on

what the people of Louisville have lost, we should all

remember that we have much to be thankful for this

holiday season.


MADE INMISSISSIPPI:

Thimblepress

JACKSON, Miss.


Thimblepress founder and owner Kristen Ley creates things to make others smile. A 2007 graduate of Mississippi State University, she and MSU classmate Catherine Yerger moved to Charleston, S.C. to start Cultigraphic Creative, a marketing and branding company. When one of Kristen’s biggest clients, Jack-son Academy (JA), offered her a job position, she accepted and returned to Mississippi. Not long after, the Thimblepress idea surfaced. Kristen had already purchased a 1925 10 x 15 Chandler & Price letter press in Lexington, Ky., thinking it too awesome of a deal to pass up. “I really prayed about [Thimblepress], because I didn’t want to do something if it wasn’t God’s plan for me.” In January 2012, while working fulltime at JA, Kristen officially founded Thimblepress and spent the year developing products and a social media presence. Her philosophy to celebrate the good, simple and unexpected hurled her into an exciting whirlwind of good, simple and unexpected success. At her first wholesale show in Chicago, she was picked up by

two representatives, one being Daniel Richards Fine Gift and Stationery Representatives. After work every day, Kristen filled orders and created products. “It was overwhelming,” she said. Lesley Frascogna, owner of Tulip in Jackson, suggested that she and Kristen share a space in downtown Jackson. Kristen knew, however, she needed her own shop for her press and products,

so she looked at the vacant space next door to Tulip. She signed the lease and took occupancy in April 2013, just before the National Statio-nery Show, the Surtex Show, and the Interna-tional Contemporary Furniture Fair held in May at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center, New York City. “God gave me the energy to move into this vacant space and go to the New York show all in one month.” Kristen’s growing popularity on social me-

dia contributed much to the whirlwind success of Thimblepress even though Kristen never actually initiated a social media cam-paign. She simply posted photographs of her products on Instagram.

T

Made inMississippi:

ThimblepressDesigns By: Richelle

Putnam

Photography Courtesy ofBeth Morgan Cowan

& Thimblepress


Cards, push-pop

confetti, gift

tags and

assorted prints

are just a few

of the products

available by

Thimblepress.


“Instagram really changed a lot of things for us.” Cur-rently, Kristen has 48,606 followers on Instagram, yet an-other whirlwind success in a very short time. “I have gotten a little more strategic about social me-dia,” she said. Her posts to Instagram automatically post to Twitter and Facebook. “Tagging and hash-tagging has really gotten us far with social media.” Big bloggers and big press people have tagged her. Celebrities and fashion designers have also tagged her. “It’s been really cool to watch the "likes" and "shares.” The whole idea behind Instagram was for people to see not only the business side of Thimblepress, but Kristen’s personal side. When Kristen finds something she loves, she shares it to keep people involved in her brand and to get opinions and feedback. Instagram is a way to connect with communities and people outside of Mississippi and to keep the brand fresh and communication open.

People like happy things and they want to be happy, said Kristen. I feel like peo-ple see our products and our business and see that we’re happy and trying to do good in the world.

Thimblepress is a Finalist in the 2014 Martha

Stewart American Made Awards. Winners

to be announced on October 17 at:

www.marthastewart.com/americanmade

Thimblepress Staff: Dani Griffin,

Lucy Tucker Knight, Meredith Brabec

The name “Thimblepress” was derived from

Kristen’s childhood passion of collecting

thimbles during her travels. For more on

Kristen and her Thimblepress designs,

visit: www.thimblepress.com/


Let me start with a disclaimer: I am not a cook, but

I do love eating. I enjoy watching talented people in

the kitchen, and I’m glad to taste their wonders. When

it comes to cookbooks, I really enjoy looking at the

photos and imagining myself preparing culinary cre-

ations for my family and friends. Unfortunately, those

same family and friends want me at their table, but not

at their stoves.

My latest fascination, just in time for the holidays,

is “Savoring the South: Memories of Edna Lewis, the

Grande Dame of Southern Cooking with Recipes” by

Angela Mulloy. She had a longtime friendship with the

late Lewis before her death at age 89 in 2006, often

comparing recipes and family stories in the kitchen of

Mulloy’s restaurant, Willow Grove.

Within the first pages, you get a feel for Lewis and

her passion for cooking. “One of the greatest pleasures

of my life has been that I have never stopped learning

about good cooking and good food,” according to a

quote.

Lewis was the granddaughter of an emancipated

slave, and her family grew up in a small farming com-

munity, says her niece, Nina Williams-Mbengue. Lewis

was born in 1916 in Orange County, Va., and later

moved to Georgia. Many of the narratives in “Savor-

ing the South” were shared by Williams-Mbengue and

Mulloy as they paid tribute to Lewis.

“I met Edna Lewis more than 20 years ago when

she agreed to be

guest chef at a

Thomas Jeffer-

son 250th anni-

versary celebra-

tion being held

at my inn and

restaurant,”

Mulloy writes.

That friendship led to the pair co-authoring

two cookbooks, and “Savoring the South” is a tribute

to Lewis, who Mulloy describes as “my dear friend and

culinary mentor.

“Edna was an American classic, one of the most

celebrated chefs in the country, a legend in her own

time,” Mulloy states in her book. “Known as the

‘Grande Dame of Southern Cooking,’ she was widely

recognized in the world of food as someone who cared

deeply about preserving her heritage and that of all

Southern cooking. She was the inspiration for more

than a generation of young chefs and undoubtedly

influenced the popularity of traditional Southern food

today.”

“Unfortunately, Edna is now gone. However, the

friendships, traditions and recipes have lived on,”

says the former restauranteur. In her lifetime, Lewis

cooked for celebrities such as Marlon Brando, Ten-

nessee Williams, Eleanor Roosevelt and others as she

LITERATURE

Savoring the South

Savoringthe SouthBy Susan O’Bryan

L


made her way in the almost non-existent world of black

female chefs from 1949 until the late 1960s, when she

gave up cooking professionally due to poor health. She

often appeared later as a guest chef and columnist. Lewis

published numerous cookbooks and articles under her

own name as well as writing with Mulloy and went on to

receive numerous public accolades and recognitions.

Lewis received a Lifetime Achievement Award in 1999

from the Southern Foodways Alliance. That same year she

was presented with the first James Beard Living Legend

Award and was named Grande Dame by Les Dames

d’Escoffier, an international organization of female culi-

nary professionals. Recognized as one of the great women

of American cooking, Lewis received an honorary PhD in

culinary arts from Johnson & Wales University in 1995.

In 2003, was inducted into the James Beard Foundation

Kitchen Aid Cookbook Hall of Fame.

Mulloy honors her friend by sharing Lewis’s recipes

and philosophy on Southern cooking. She writes: “ ‘Good

Southern food is not soul food,’ she would insist. ‘It is not

sweet or greasy. Southern food is real food, honest food,

food that is based on the freshest local ingredients. South-

ern cooking is home cooking at its best, with more care in

the kitchen and more respect for the seasons. “

The collection of about 140 recipes is categorized by

season with corresponding events and menus. For ex-

ample, “Spring” includes menus for Easter, a garden tea

and a picnic. “Autumn” includes recipes for a harvest

festival, hunt breakfast and, of course, Thanksgiving. The

recipes are not complicated, but they all invoke a memo-

ry, a taste – and definitely a longing for more than just a

bite whether it’s Toasted Pecan Wild Rice Dressing, Hot

Spiced Beets, Caramel-Pumpkin Custard or a traditional

Hot Toddy.

Grab your reading glasses, a glass of wine and enjoy

a trip through Edna’s kitchen, complete with her recol-

lections about the seasons, tips for the kitchen and an

appreciation for family and friends. With her help, there’s

even hope for amateurs like me!


Thanksgiving tablescapes

photography by divian conner

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ANNOUNCE YOUR WEDDING IN TOWN AND GOWN

ELIZABETH HINTON CODEY tynerSarah Christopher&

twopages$250

onepage$150

halfpage$100

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what i love about this wedding:

CREDITSPHOTOGRAPHER: Katelyn Williams // VENUE: The

Barn at Bridlewood • Hattiesburg, Miss. // DRESS: Mimi’s Bridal • Laurel, Miss.

1. Suzy Turner and Fay Fisher • 2. Pattie and Amy Molen • 3. Oliver Cobb and Jennifer Lagendijk • 4. Laura Bryan and Nancy Hargrove • 5. Janice Giallourakis and Bonnie Feig • 6. Len and Vivien Miller

Le Creuset Event at ThymeOn October 9, Thyme held its 4th Annual Le Creuset Event with Rhonda Barlow, Le Creuset’s Southeast territory manager. Sample

dishes prepared with Le Creuset ceramics, utensils, enameled cast iron cookware and more were provided for guests. Photos by Laura Daniels

6.5.

3.

1. 2.

4.


1. Kaylie Warren, Meredith Loper and Paige Rainer • 2. Kathryn Owen and Mary Linda Remley • 3. Sara Butler Makamson, Bethany Tillman and Mary Helen Makamson • 4. ReAnna Reese and Olivia Sanguinetti • 5. Robbie

and Ashlee Owen • 6. Leah Stevenson and Elizabeth Whitten

Miss MSUOn October 10, the Miss MSU Competition was held in Lee Hall on the campus of Mississippi State University.

Photos by Laura Daniels

6.5.

3.

1. 2.

4.


1. Kayra, Seva and Furkan Ozkan • 2. Lofton, Jessica and Walt Lewis • 3. Brenda, Adam and Logan Clayton • 4. Annabelle Brislin, Jasmin Warnock, Samantha Turner, Sarah Rendon and Kadyn Robinson •

5. Lindsey, Graham, Amelia and Mayor Parker Wiseman • 6. Terri and Carson Blake

PumpkinpaloozaOn October 10, the Greater Starkville Development Partnership hosted the annual Pumpkinpalooza

event on Main Street in downtown Starkville. Photography by Laura Daniels

1. 2.

3. 4.

6.5.


1. Claire Taylor, Carter Smith, Mary Grace Epps and Reed Brantley • 2. Kelly Andrews and Belynda Waring • 3. Kaitlyn May, Taylor Turcotte and Brianna Drakeford • 4. Jillian Soliah and Kaitlyn Harless • 5. Adam and Letty Weeks • 6. Brandon Shaffer and Bully

Bullldog BashOn October 3, the annual Bulldog Bash celebration took place in The Cotton District. The event included a performance

by country music artist Justin Moore and took place the Friday before the MSU Bulldogs defeated #6 Texas A&M.Photography by Laura Daniels

6.5.

3.

1. 2.

4.



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DISCOVER THE SOUTH:

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November 2014

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