Photographed in Charlottesville, VA
Raised in:
Roswell, Georgia
Lives in:
Charlottesville, Virginia
Favorite southern dish:
Cheese grits, mac and cheese, anything with cheese.
Now would ya look at that:
Pulling off Jeggings.
Baldwin
Photographed in Austin, TX
Raised in:
East Hartford, Connecticut
Lives in:
Austin, Texas
Favorite thing about living in Austin:
Where do I start? Austin is such a young and energized city, everyone you meet has something different and unique going on. The weather is amazing, last Christmas I was outside in shorts and a t-shirt and coming from Connecticut, that is unheard of. There are so many awesome local food venues, there’s always something fun to do, and don’t let me forget the music scene. With big festivals like SXSW, ACL and Fun Fun Fun Fest, there’s no place better to be.
Now would ya look at that:
Vintage tweed he got from his “pops,” shirt and tie from Vineyard Vines, and Baldwin Cunningham may just be one of the greatest names I’ve ever heard. If he looks familiar, this is why.
Kimber
Photographed in Nashville, TN
Raised in:
Houston, Texas
Lives in:
Nashville, Tennessee
Favorite southern sweet treat:
Chess pie.
Now would ya look at that:
Meet Kimber, the lovely Marketing Operations Manager at Volunteer Traditions.
Handmade
Photographed in Chattanooga, TN
Raised in:
Louisville, Kentucky
Lives in:
Chattanooga, TN
Favorite thing about growing up in Louisville:
I love the lay of the land, the rolling hills, the green grass and that by the time each season changed, I was ready for it. I loved the coming of summer for pool time, and then fall brought the beautiful change of leaves and pumpkins, then I was ready for snow and Christmas, and then spring brought on new and fresh life, Easter and Derby time!
Now would ya look at that:
The sweater is a piece her sister put together, starting with a plain cardigan and inspired by one she saw at Anthropoligie. The great boots? Frye, of course.
Merry Music Monday – Vol 4
“Hear the baby Jesus crying ‘Ho Ho Ho!'” – Stephen Colbert
Damien Rice “Happy Christmas (War is Over)”. First off, if you don’t have Lennon’s original version, grab it now. Released in 1971, supposedly as a protest song about the Vietnam War, it’s become a Christmas standard. In a poll by VH1, it was voted the ninth favorite Christmas song, and it’s definitely in my personal top ten. Damien Rice is hands down my favorite singer/songwriter, so when I heard this version I naturally loved it. Everything the Irishman touches is gold to me. It was a free download last year on Downplayer and I’ve yet to see it anywhere else, so click the down arrow on the track to have it for yourself.
Folk Angel “O Come Emmanuel” from Christmas Songs, Vol 2. Yes, I did share a Folk Angel song on my Vol 3 post, but I couldn’t help but share another. They’re all so solid.
Willie Nelson “Please Come Home for Christmas” from A Very Special Acoustic Christmas. It’s Willie Nelson singing a classic…what more needs to be said?
Jeremy Lister “Santa’s Lost His Mojo” from Ten Out of Tenn Christmas (free on NoiseTrade). The entire collection of Christmas songs from Tennessee artists has been a favorite since it was released in 2008, and as I said last Monday, everyone needs some fun Christmas songs in the mix of their favorite classics. Santa losing his “mojo?” I’ll take it!
Justin McRoberts “O Holy Night” from Christmas Songs (free on NoiseTrade). I have more versions of “O Holy Night” than any other Christmas song. It is in my top five favorite hymns, and I’ll never get enough of it. Justin McRoberts has managed to keep the song as powerful as it should be in his acoustic rendition (I’ve found this to be rare). Make sure to get Tracy Chapman’s version if you don’t have it, as that may be my all time favorite.
Get more merry goodness with my 350+ song Christmas playlist on Spotify.
Gridiron Belle
Photographed in Roswell, GA
Raised in:
Louisville, Kentucky
Lives in:
Prior to August, I lived in Austin for two years and Washington D.C. for two and a half years after graduating from Rhodes College in Memphis. While I feel welcomed across the South in every town, it still feels best to call Kentucky home.
Favorite city from the tour:
It’s impossible to choose just one favorite city, they have all been more wonderful than I ever imagined. Each city, town and community was hospitable in their own way. I’ve never been met with more generosity, kindness and support than when I was on the road.
Now would ya look at that:
Meet Christie, the author of Gridiron Belles: A Guide to Saturday’s in Dixie. Her genius book covers the basics of football in a way that women can relate to and men can appreciate. I vouch that both those things are true, as I got in bed the other night and found Mark reading it and telling me how great of an idea it was. “Consider this a romance novel, a fashion guide, an etiquette handbook, an advice column, and a rulebook all rolled into one pretty package.”
In her own words: “I wrote this book to help women of all backgrounds understand the traditions and obsessions that Southerners have about football. And there just so happens to be a little bit about the game in there, too! A sorority sister of mine in college wanted to be dating this Tennessee fan but didn’t have the slightest clue about the game, nevertheless what to say to him about or during the game. Surprised to learn that not every Southern Belle understood football like I did, I crafted her a book in the form of a little preppy scrapbook and explained the X’s and O’s. Turns out, it worked! They’ve been married for two and a half years now all because she knew what to say (or not to say) during UT football games!”
And of course, regarding her good look: “For one of the first times all season, I decided to forgo wearing a dress and put on some cigarette pants. The idea was to have a feminine Audrey Hepburn look with the pants, but keep it colorful and cozy up top. Of course, I haven’t worn anything put pearls since I got on the road. I’m starting to think I was born with them in my ears!”
To win a signed copy of Gridiron Belles, please leave a comment on this post (make sure to include your email) with why you, or someone you want to gift this to, should read this book. Christie and I will pick our favorite answer, so make ’em creative.
Merry Music Monday – Vol 3
“Nobody’s walking out on this fun, old fashioned family Christmas!” – Clark Griswold
Marc Broussard “On Santa’s Way Home” from Christmas Gumbo. Everyone needs a collection of fun, somewhat ridiculous, Christmas songs, and this is one of mine. Broussard’s Bayou-soul track is one of my favorites from the album, and it’s especially fitting to sing about doing a little dance on Bourbon street as Mark and I head to New Orleans today. Bonus: Broussard is from Carencro, Louisiana.
Sleeping at Last “Snow” from their Christmas Collection (free on NoiseTrade!) Ryan O’Neal singing about snow, what more could you want? Sleeping at Last has become one of my all time favorite bands and have produced some of the most gorgeously written and composed songs that I’ve heard in the past year. I highly recommend getting their entire Yearbook collection, a 12-EP project.
Folk Angel “God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen” (featuring Robbie Seay Band) from Christmas Songs Vol 3. You can get their Christmas Songs Vol 1 collection for free on NoiseTrade, or get the entire collection for a great price here. Every song is solid, which is expected from a collection of artists that got together to write and rearrange traditional Christmas songs. The band is made up of Jeff Capps, Caleb Carruth, Ryan Duckworth, and Hunter Hall, who all live in the Dallas area.
Seryn “Go Tell It on the Mountain” from Seryn and Friends Christmas (and download this song for free here). I featured Seryn a few months ago and knew I’d be sharing more of them. I’ve been eagerly anticipating their Christmas album release and this unique rendition is my favorite. They even managed to make me like “Away in a Manger,” one of my least favorite Christmas songs. Bonus: Seryn is from Denton, Texas.
Future of Forestry “The Earth Stood Still” from Advent Christmas EP, Vol 2. This song is BEAUTIFUL, and that’s all I’ve got to say about that.
Get more Christmas music in your life and listen to my 300+ song Christmas playlist on Spotify.
Paige
Photographed in Austin, TX
Raised in:
Sugar Land, Texas
Lives in:
Austin, Texas
Favorite Austin tradition:
SXSW. It typically causes me to break all of my good habits. I eat too much, drink too much, sleep very little, and stop going to yoga. But it’s an incredible week filled with insanely talented folks from all over. It’s literally overflowing with inspiration and excitement and spirit. Love it.
Now would ya look at that:
Horse shirt that I wanted to steal, glasses originally purchased as a pseudo joke but have become her staple. Paige is also an awesome Austin based photographer.
Cordial
We’ve loved The Cordial Churchman since Mark ordered his first one last year (and by first one, I do mean first bow tie ever. Shocking, I know!) We were hooked. Not only were the prices unbeatable, but the fact that they’re handmade in South Carolina made us love this small business all the more. Since that first purchase, we now own six Cordial Churchman bows, two of those being custom fit and designed for my girl neck. In addition, we also have two bows that they converted from neckties to bow ties for us. We love this company, we support this company, and we think you need a Cordial Churchman bow tie. Read a bit more about Andy and Ellie below and then enter for your chance to win one!
Our collection of TCC bows
Raised in:
Andy: A suburb of Akron, Ohio, home of rubber, the Soap Box Derby, LeBron James, and arguably the birthplace of the hamburger.
Ellie: We moved around quite a bit. Born in Arizona, lived in South Carolina, Illinois, Wisconsin and Ohio during my formative years. As soon as I graduated college, we packed up and traveled down I-77 to South Carolina and have been here ever since.
Favorite thing about South Carolina:
Andy: We first visited Columbia in early April of 2004 when we needed to decide if I should enter the MA program in History at USC. There was still snow on the ground in Akron, so having my morning coffee outside under a Palmetto tree with azaleas in bloom initially did the trick. Had they recruited me in August, we might still be Ohioans. Believe it or not, there’s a similar underdog, hard-nosed, defiant, delightfully backward mentality in South Carolina as there is in Ohio. It’s just that Northeast Ohio lost its prosperous economic way of life a century after South Carolina did. I’m oddly at home here despite the cultural differences. The real difference is that it’s not quite as odd to wear a bow tie in South Carolina as in Ohio.
Ellie: Front Porches.
The Cordial Churchman family
Image via Project:Life Photography
What sets you apart from the other bow tie companies in the south:
Andy: We don’t do much traditional silk. It’s hard to imagine a bow tie collection without classic silk repp stripes, but there’s also a growing interest in using fabrics traditionally used for shirting and suiting (worsted wool, tweed, seersucker, madras) in accessories like bow ties. We didn’t know this when we started offering them, we just thought it might be interesting, and these fabrics were less difficult for us to source than necktie silks. We also make all our bow ties customized to the specifications of our customers, instead of having them pre-made and stocked. We find that people are happy to wait a week or two to get a handmade, custom bow tie with a personal note from us. And, of course, our price point is much lower than the average. We’ve sold scores of people their very first bow tie. People love that they can get a custom handmade bow tie even if they’re not sure they are really “a bow tie person.” This is important to us, and it’s proved to be a key part of our success.
Ellie: I like to give a very personal touch to every transaction as much as is possible. We know that we could be charging more but choose not to because we feel like we charge what is fair.
In one word, describe your bows:
Andy: Clever
Ellie: Charming
Win one of these festive, 100% wool bow ties for Christmas!
To enter:
- Follow Back Down South and The Cordial Churchman on Twitter.
- Like Back Down South and The Cordial Churchman on Facebook.
- Leave a comment (make sure to include your email) saying which of the bows above you’d like to win!
- On December 13th at noon EST I’ll pick a winner via random.org!
Merry Music Monday – Vol 2
“If you really love Christmas, c’mon and let it snow.” – Billy Mack, Love Actually
Robert Kelly “I’m Coming Home” from Music City Unsigned: Family Christmas Vol 2. This upbeat, can’t get enough and won’t stop singin’ along song is my favorite from the album, which you can download for only $5.99! You’ll be hearing more of Robert’s music here in the future, but if you can’t wait, check out We Are Poetry. Bonus: Robert was born and raised in Texas and currently lives in Nashville.
Andrew Ripp “Jingle Bells” from Light of Mine. I had to share this song because, though I love Christmas music, there are a handful of songs that I always skip over when I see new versions of them. “Jingle Bells” is one of those songs. Every year the new ones come out and every year they are, yet again, nothing special. Andrew Ripp made me so happy when I heard his take, as he managed to re-invent the song in a way that made me really like it. The song also appears on Music City Unsigned: Family Christmas Vol 2 with the song above. Bonus: Andrew is part of the Neighborly Christmas w/ Drew Holcomb and the Neighbors and will be performing at the Birmingham, Atlanta, and Tennessee shows.
Jason Mraz ft. Tristan Prettyman “All I Want For Christmas Is Us.” The two performed this song at the Feeding Soul Foundation‘s CD release party back in 2010. Last week, as I was listening to some of my favorite original Christmas songs, I told Mark that I wished Jason Mraz had one. I later mentioned this to the biggest Mraz fan I know, Allie from The Reason. She quickly let me know that there was one and led me to the performance on YouTube. I fell in love. It’s the clever lyrics of Mraz that makes me like his music so much, mixed with Tristan’s beautiful voice, and a beat that you can’t help but bob your head to. “Even dismissing mistletoe, so I get to know ya, first of all, singing oh my God, you’re the reason that I decorate my yard.” Bonus: Mraz was born in Virginia.
Parachute “Winterlove” from Winterlove EP. I always appreciate a song with hints of heartache but whose melody makes me happy. I also love winter songs, the ones that aren’t necessarily about Christmas but don’t feel right to listen to until the cold has come. This became one of my favorite winter songs when it was released in 2009. Bonus: Parachute is from Charlottesville, Virginia.
Beta Radio “The Songs the Season Brings” from The Songs the Season Bring. “This new EP from Beta Radio was made in various environments over the two months before Christmas – recorded in the studio, at home in bedrooms, and in closets of family members while drinking egg nog and roasting chestnuts over a George Forman grill!” I’d never heard of Beta Radio until I read the New Artists, Old Songs: 2011 Holiday Edition post from Cover Lay Down. I like their renditions of the classics, but it’s this original that stole my heart. Make sure to download the album for free. Bonus: the duo is from Wilmington, North Carolina.
Want more Christmas music now? I understand. Listen to my 300+ song Christmas playlist on Spotify. More songs are added almost daily so I suggest subscribing!