Category: Featured

Upon arrival, the dogs are a spectacle. Some are asleep in sunny spots on the sidewalk. Others are cooling off in a fountain. They beg for table scraps from patrons of patio restaurants. They cross the streets just as people do, as if they’ve learned to decipher the crosswalk signals.

Journalists estimate that Santiago has had a street dog “problem” for about 25 years. With an estimated 3 million strays roaming the streets, parks, patios, markets and historical landmarks of Santiago, I suppose it’s difficult to label it anything but a “problem.” It wouldn’t be a stretch to say they are as common as squirrels. Although there have been rumors of an initiative to round up all strays and sterilize them, the locals know this can’t be true.

I’ve grown up with a dog in my family since I was out of the womb. Being a dog lover is in my blood, so seeing so many strays – especially at first – was sad and still is disheartening. But the life of a Santiago street dog really ain’t so bad– they become residents of the barrios (neighborhoods)– therefore they are well-fed with scraps and leftovers from the restaurants and grocery stores. They accompany homeless people on their makeshift cots of cardboard and old blankets. They get tons of love and affection from locals and passersby, albeit brief and quick to accompany a lively hand washing. Check out these useful info about basenji hound dog.

I was nervous about what would happen to the street dogs once winter made its way into the city. July, Santiago’s coldest month, makes for some freezing nights and mornings. Apparently I’m not the only one who worries about the street dogs– many of the locals donate unwanted clothing to help keep them warm. It’s not uncommon to see a pit-mix sporting an old Arizona State sweatshirt, or a sleepy shepherd mix wearing a fleece cape. It makes me laugh every time.

We once stopped on our way to a restaurant to watch an incredible 5-piece band play a few original songs. Two street dogs came from out of nowhere and made their way to the middle of our circle. They then sat in front of the musicians and began to howl and bark– they joined the band! They would then bark and wag their tails when it was time for applause.

It’s as if every street dog (or group of street dogs– they tend to run in packs) has its own personality. We have yet to encounter an aggressive street dog– they are always friendly and personable. If my boyfriend and I could have taken anything down here with us, it would’ve been his precious pup Laila, who I miss every day.

Something about having a dog at home waiting for you makes a long day feel worth it. So here, it’s hard to not want to take one of the strays home, wash him up, get him vaccinated and call him our own. But we know this would do more harm than good, because we would have to abandon him with heartbreak once our journey is done. Plus our landlord would probably kill us!

For now, I’ll continue feeding them snacks here and there, giving them some affection, and washing my hands.

Chelsea Cook is a journalist from Atlanta, who taught English in Santiago, Chile, and authored the series “Our Southern Girl in South America”.

Vintage, rustic charm singing of sweet romance is a new theme for Southern weddings. There’s a refined elegance in using a classic, country setting for the day a true lady pledges her love to a gentile gentleman. Four Inch Fold is here to help create the magic.

New to the Southern wedding scene, Four Inch Fold is a unique vintage furniture rental company here to provide a complete aesthetic for fabulous events. At only four months old, Four Inch Fold has received a warm welcome from the wedding community and will be featured at The NotWedding!

“My love for vintage rooted from childhood when I was often given hand-me down clothes, furnishing, and accessories. I am a very visual person and decided to go into the field of architecture where I also picked up graphic design,” says Four Inch Fold proprietor Mao Thao. “To fuel my creativity beyond my daily labor of love, I started making wedding invitations for a few friends in the last couple of years – just for fun. I started following a lot of wedding blogs and stumbled upon the emerging vintage rental business. A light bulb turned on and there was no turning it off. I was immediately inspired to share my vintage passion by creating innovative ways to translate, reinvent, and redefine vintage items for our modern use.”

“The NotWedding breaks the mold of traditional bridal/wedding events, and I love the fact that the vendors’ services/products are put into action through a whole wedding ceremony and reception. It creates a more personable experience and I believe it’s the best way for guests to find inspiration for their own wedding. Moreover, they get a wide variety of inspiration from talented wedding professionals under one roof. My favorite part about Southern weddings is the laid-back atmosphere. The beauty of Southern weddings is that it can be as simple or elegant as one likes but the down-to-earth fun atmosphere is always present.”

“I don’t think you have to be born in the South to be a Southerner and I think that makes a 21st century Southerner stand apart from other eras. I have lived in Georgia for almost 9 years and adapted to a few Southern ways – except I don’t eat grits.” Mao smiles. “The South has become a growing melting pot of all sorts of people so I find it important to maintain the Southern identity through its culture such as food, entertainment, and accent.”

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For more information about Four Inch Fold, please check out Mao’s blog like her on Facebook or follow her on Twitter! And keep an eye on Pretty Southern for photos of Mao’s work at The NotWedding!

Editor’s note: photos and artistic styling by Once Like A Spark

Atlanta’s very own Josh Whitlock is a shining example of a gentleman. The best thing about Mr. Whitlock is that he’s for hire to DJ your next event!

DJ Josh Whitlock will be bringing the heat on July 21 at The NotWedding…but his game has already achieved quite a reputation. He’s been working the party scene since 2001. In the past decade he’s worked more than 100 events!

“I had always loved dancing, and knew how crucial music selection was for a great dance party.” Josh told PrettySouthern. “My friends also knew this about me, so when it came time for them all to start getting married, they asked me to DJ their weddings. I figured, I’d be going to their weddings anyway, so why not go as the DJ instead of a guest. I’m so glad those friends thought of me, or I don’t know that I would have ever considered the DJ business.”

After working weddings for 10 years, Josh has learned a thing or two about weddings. His favorite part about Southern weddings includes several things like the sweet tea, open bars, clever toasts and dancing! Josh has also witnessed some quirky wedding moments over the years.

“My most surprising/craziest song was requested by the bride and groom as their last dance song. It was ‘Time to Say Goodbye’ by Andrea Bocelli & Sarah Brightman. I played it, and thought to myself ‘No one will dance to this. They’ll all just look at me until I switch the song.’ Boy was I wrong! They waltzed around the room, and sang at the top of their lungs in opera voices. Even the Dad joined in. I’m pretty sure the movie ‘Step Brothers’ stole that song idea from that wedding.”

When it comes to exemplifying the fantastic, creative options for Southern weddings, The NotWedding will have it all! Josh has worked The NotWedding before as a DJ, including the first event in 2008 but he’s particularly excited this year about a certain secret surrounding the event. Of course, he’s been sworn to secrecy so as not to spoil the surprise!

“All I can say is that you don’t want to miss it because that’s what I’m most excited about. The girls in charge are what I like to call All-Stars. They do everything well, and they make tons of friends doing it. I’m even lucky enough to be married to one of them. Clients often ask me ‘Can I see you DJ an event before I decide to use you?’ Now instead of telling them to crash a wedding, I tell them to check me out at The NotWedding.”

For more information on book DJ Josh Whitlock, please check out his website. You can also check him out on Facebook and Twitter or you can hear him out in person at the fabulous NotWedding event at Ambient + Studio on Thursday, July 21 and tickets are available by clicking on The Not Wedding’s website!