LKR

"A thing of beauty is a joy forever : its loveliness increases; it will never pass into nothingness."

-John Keats

Leiper's Fork

     

                 

Single & the South

I was sitting at a nameless person’s kitchen table, sipping on some sweet iced tea when a metaphorical sledgehammer charged my brain. After expressing frustration over a recent romantic situation, the kitchen hostess responded with, “I hear that ‘so and so’ church has a great singles group.” Cue needle-off-record-screeching-halt moment. Admittedly, having dealt heavily and painfully with some God issues at the time, I was irrationally averse to such a community to begin with, but it wasn’t the seasonal church-y frustration that stunned me. This is where they send us, I thought. A contrived holding pen where we can rape each other emotionally until maybe making some manipulated spiritual connection that will OBVIOUSLY lead to an ideal marriage. Enlightened and offended, I chewed on that Southern Singularity beef jerky for the next six months.

I was twenty-two at the time. The fact that this meant I was past my prime and reaching some unspoken expiration date confused me. “What does this mean about the South?” I asked myself. “What does this mean about me?” Bladdy bladdy blah. I went to lingerie showers, endured Facebook wedding countdowns, and even wholeheartedly celebrated with the friends who I thought completely ready to jump off the cliff of matrimony. And then, while choking down champagne during an especially heart-wrenching Daddy/Daughter dance at a reception, I discovered something : I do not even want to get married. (Yet.)

Shocking horror of all horrors, arriving at the truth that I may be slightly uncertain about making a decision that will affect my life every day. Forever. I navel-gazed selfishly for a time, and then thought about a hoped-for you. A y’all, if you will. A community of people who can intelligently say that IT IS OKAY TO BE ALONE. Because, the truth is, we aren’t really alone.

So here I am, giving a voice to the culturally pitied single ladies of the South. Maybe we’ve been dealt a shitty man card, maybe it’s by choice, but regardless of your previous travels, it sure does blow to feel like you’re in a holding pen before being shipped off to a ticky-tacky suburban land that bears no resemblance to your current life.

…Is it just me?

Surely not, because I see you in those church singles groups that are mostly just created to address a problem rather than form community anyway. I see you on E Harmony, far too young at that, because your culture has told you that you are past the deserving age for a Pinterest wedding. And I especially see you ladies blowing through thousands of dollars on friends’ weddings that make you feel like there is something wrong with you.

Oh, I see you. I am one of you.

The fundamental problem with our group is the uncertainty of membership duration. We are different from AA or other various support groups, in that typically we aren’t struggling with some mental illness or addiction. (Though many married early twenty something’s might think we are.) For this very reason, we find it difficult to accurately and publicly voice concern, primarily because most of us won’t be in the group for life, and even if we are dedicated to and love this club, we could go out for drinks after a weekly meeting and subsequently be fatedly introduced to some drop dead gorgeous soul mate human. This is not to even say that we’re waiting for this universe-aligning moment to even happen all at once, because right now we just happen to have other priorities.

To summarize, it’s basically unfair, because I want to rally together and make bonds, but the permanency of the aforementioned promises are paper thin due to our obvious magnetic attractiveness.

So….join forces? Come up with a better response to the ever-condescending, “Oh, you’re just waiting around for the right one, aren’t you?” (Gag.) I thought it high time to address a problem in our dear old Dixie land :

Why the hell can’t we be single and happy?

Sarah

The lovely Sarah Ice and I cheers-ed to fall outside of the Scarritt-Bennett last weekend. These stone buildings remind me of Rushmore, which reminds me of fall and Latin and Jason Schwartzman. (Drool.)

Sarah's Anthro/Retro style is always complete with striking red lips and a glam-chunk necklace. What a classic beauty! 

A Savannah Wedding

As it would turn out, romance and swoony Southern towns go hand in hand. Our dear family friends John and Jewls tied the knot last weekend under a Savannah live oak next to the Moon River that was originally romanticized by Johnny Mercer. Drooling beneath wavy Spanish moss and slurping Savannah tea, the Lala and I fell in love with another Scarlett O'Hara city.

Crafty

This weekend was an abnormally crafty one. With Mumford & Sons new record 'Babel' on repeat and my Dad in tow, we headed to Milky Way Farms on Saturday to attend Bella Rustica, a barn sale featuring local artists. I was hoping for some fall-y weather, but we were given another sweaty day by the ever-unpredictable TN skies. Despite the fall fail, we loved touring around the gorgeous barn and eating delicious barbecue catered by one of our own! On top of being an awesome uncle, Lowrie Webber has some incomparable cooking skills.

A day in the country proved to be just what the doctor ordered. Fresh air, lazy country accents, cinnamon roll haystacks and some lovely vintage finds.....

..... and yes, that is a bullet necklace I bought at the Centennial Park Craft Fair on the next day.

A Connecticut Wedding

Two of my dearest friends tied the knot last weekend! Married in a breathtaking eighteenth century church, Stephen and Maggie were wed on a sunny New England afternoon. I have to say that it was one of those weekends that I would live every second of over and over again. Side stitch laughter, heartfelt toasts, and loads of dancing will remain in my memories of this arguably perfect weekend.

Under the Bridge

Sometimes the best shoots happen under an abandoned bridge with the moniker 'The Grinch' graffitied everywhere. But I won't tell you where it is, because it's a secret. Photo cred : Brett Price. He's pretty sick, y'all. 

(Shirt : Vintage / Pants : F21 / Shoes : Nine West / Hat : Nordstrom)

Macklemore & Ryan Lewis

Macklemore and Ryan Lewis. This is one of the coolest videos I've seen in a long time. Chills all over.

Lady Post II

I am continually inspired by women who are strong enough to pursue their passions every day. It is a rare discipline in the art world to accept and execute the guaranteed grunt work at 8:30 in the morning, and as I get older I am both relieved and intimidated by this fact. This post’s specific assortment of heroines tackled what Andy Warhol repeatedly admonished as ‘just getting up and doing it,’ and I want to shout their stories from the top of the Empire State building. From overcoming sexual abuse with beautiful, gut-wrenching soul music to speaking out against a racist South in the sixties, all of these ladies put their stamp on the world while also keeping their noses to ground and focusing on craft. The truth is, if you record ten albums or write, direct and star in your own television show, waking up early and sacrificing certainty will come far before the unguaranteed praise. Finding an original and useful medium that you alone are able to speak through will push any woman (or man) to achieve something great, no matter their initial definition of success. So, get up. Do it. Every intentionally present moment of progress will outweigh that illusive ‘means to an end’ mentality. 

(Top to bottom : Maya Angelou / Peggy Guggenheim / Sharon Jones / Katharine Hepburn /  Maya Angelou 2.0 / Lena Dunham / Nina Simone)

The Casual Cat Eye

The lovely, talented and gracious Hayley Rose Maurer gave me another lesson in beauty last weekend. I am a sucker for anything related to the 1960's, so my questions regarded how to achieve the signature 'cat eye.' Her bestowal of wisdom is as follows :

         1. Start out with a preferably waterproof cream or liquid liner. (A pen is significantly easier to do on yourself.)

     
         2. Use a neutral eye shadow to contour the crease of your eyelids with a slightly darker shadow than used on upper eyebrow area. (This makes your eyes look more open.)
     
        3. Take your pen and line from the inside to the middle of your eyelid. (Try to stay as close to the lash line as possible.)
     
        4.  Then draw from outer curve of your eye to the middle of your lash line.
     
        5.  Add the signature ‘swoop’ at the end to create the ‘60’s cat eye. You can then go over the line again if a more dramatic look is desired.  (The key is to not go further than your eyelashes when drawing the ‘swoop’ so that you don’t look like Elizabeth Taylor from Cleopatra. We want to hint at the style, not be ready to step out under stage lights.)
     
        6. Mascara. Always mascara.
     
        7. Practice makes perfect!

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