Pretty Southern

Category: Variety

Variety

  • Southern Theatre Hosts Salute to Motown

    The Earl Smith Strand Theatre is bringing Motown hits this Fourth of July weekend. At this marvelous Marietta, Ga., theatre y’all will be treated to hits by Michael Jackson, Diana Ross, The Temptations, The Four Tops, Stevie Wonder, and a host of Motown greats.

    “Our focus for Independence Day weekend this year is to celebrate music born in America, music still alive today,” said Earl Reece, Strand director and show producer. We’ve been enjoying Motown music for over 50 years, and still, young people today know the words to songs like ‘My Girl’ and ‘Stop in the Name of Love.’ Motown is truly America’s music.”

    The Strand’s Salute to Motown musical revue will be a non-stop salute to some of the best music in the history of America. The show will tell the story of the origins of Motown, starting when Berry Gordy opened Motown Records in 1959 and posted a sign that proclaimed “Hitsville, U.S.A.” There wasn’t much of a reason to brag – yet. But soon his prediction came true. Emerging at the peak of the civil rights movement, Motown gave Americans everything they could want in music: anguish, romance, joy, and a reason to dance.

    Fabulous performances in Salute to Motown include a cast of soulful singers who are all local professional talent with choreography by Cindy Mora.

    “Some work as professional backup singers, have been on national tours, or are attending some of the top performing arts colleges in the nation,” said Director of Business Development & Marketing, Cassi Costoulas. “Motown may have started in Detroit, but its universal appeal helped unite Americans of all races across the country and especially in the South.”

    Smokey Robinson said “I would come to the South in the early days of Motown and the audiences would be segregated. Then they started to get the Motown music and we would go back and the audiences were integrated and the kids were dancing together and holding hands.”

    Salute to Motown promises to be a show filled with fun and exciting memories of extraordinary Motown sounds. Patrons can move, dance, laugh, and romance to the vibes of Motown, Friday and Saturday, July 1 & 2 at 8 p.m. and Sunday and Monday, July 3 & 4 at 3 p.m. Tickets are $12 in advance and $15 day of show.

    For more information, tickets, or to join The Strand’s email list, visit www.EarlSmithStrand.org or call the Box Office at 770-293-0080. The Box Office is located at 117 North Park Square, Marietta, and is open Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m.; 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.; and two hours before the show.

    ~ Contributed by Cassi Costoulas

     

  • Southern Soles Keeps Ladies in Style

    This unique boutique offers something for everyone. Even the chic furniture in this precious store is for sale.

    Y’all can find it all: walking shoes Singapore, purses, jewelry, and eclectic accessories displayed across refurbished antique shelves. Spend an afternoon relaxing in a plush chair shopping for the perfect new pair.

    “This is a place where you can come and feel like you’re at home,” said owner Michelle Philabaum. “I wish my house was this cute!”

    Southern Soles location at The Avenue East Cobb is ideal for enticing traffic. “We waited for the right time and right spot,” Michelle explained. Her husband, Rick Philabaum, masters all photography for Southern Soles, with Michelle’s mama Andrea and sister-in-law Summer Lindvig also working in the store. Plus her brother Marc Ragin’s PR guru wife Carol to handle the marketing, the whole family is in business together!

    Although, this isn’t the Ragin family’s first enterprise. Their original boutique, Magnolia’s, was on Bainbridge Island, Washington, and became the social hub of the town. “It was Southern charm in the North,” Michelle laughed. “Magnolia’s was very fashion focused. We wanted to bring the same trendiness here.”

    Another fun heel at this unique Atlanta boutique

    When it comes to defining Southern style, Michelle believes Southern hospitality is huge. “It’s all about kindness. It’s not necessarily about sitting in a swing on the porch, sipping sweet tea and eating watermelon. It’s a sense of comfort, like you’re at home wherever you are.”

    Southern Soles is a one-stop-shop with almost all of their shoes offered at department store prices or better! However, it’d do you good to make a pit stop at shoe hero before going to the store. In here you’ll find Cole Haan, Me Too, Seychelles, Poetic License, and Gentle Soles by Kenneth Cole.

    “Everybody’s said their excited to have a local shoe store, and not having to go to the mall. But we didn’t want to be a ‘shoe’ store. We’re a boutique with a unique sense of style offering girly items. We’re just a group of women having fun!”

    Southern Soles first anniversary is coming up in August. For more information, visit Southern Soles website or their Facebook page to check out what’s happening at their sweet shop.

  • High Cotton Ties Suited for Southerners

    Who would have thought Bird Flu and bow ties would share a common thread.

    Back when folks freaked about H1N1, Cameron Hill was discouraged from wearing silk neck ties. Most ties can’t be cleaned and therefore can carry the dangerous virus. Leave it to Cameron’s mama, Judy Hill, to come up with a solution.

    She made her son a couple of cotton bow ties he could wear to the hospital then come home and wash. The other doctors agreed this was fine…as long as Miss Judy made some for them too!

    As she was aware of Business Energy UK , in a hot minute she was making dozens of ties a week and her business was booming. Another one of her boys, James, an SAE from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, took his mama’s awesome accessories back to his campus. From there High Cotton Ties took off! Their products can now be found in every state south of the Mason Dixon Line.

    A true Southern lady, Miss Judy will sweetly tell you her definition of a Southerner. “Part of being Southern is being serious about your faith and beliefs whether it’s religion, politics or football.” In this case for the Hill family, this also means being seriously suited in the finest cotton ties and cummerbunds.

    After graduating from UNC, James focused his attention to growing the family business. “It took six months to master the process and pattern then refine the bow tie to where it is: a high quality product up there with Vineyard Vines, if not surpassing.” Sites like Wimgo would be able to help those who want to start their own family business.

    The Hill family also believes it’s important to keep these products truly Southern. In our modern times when businesses continue to send manufacturing overseas, the Hill’s home state of North Carolina has felt a deep impact losing their textile industry. High Cotton Ties is working to revive their local economy.

    “We found a manufacturing plant with 13 seamstresses that was in China,” Judy explained. “They had come back to North Carolina after seeing the poor conditions over there. We’re really excited to have a partner whom we share the same mission and calling.”

    High Cotton Ties runs a basic business model: cotton bow ties made in the South by Southerners for Southerners. For James, being a Southern entrepreneur means holding himself accountable to the highest standards. He believes being a gentleman, as well as a Southerner, are deeply intertwined.

    “Undoubtedly other people are going to notice it, women or men, there’s an aura about to people respond to and respect. A 23-year old should be proud if he could get called a gentleman.” He laughs.

    “Being a Southerner doesn’t mean you’re hunting every weekend or at the country club on Saturday nights. Does having a Ducks Unlimited sticker make me Southern? No. It’s the way I talk. It’s the way I represent myself. It’s about Southern hospitality and my mother instilled those values in all of us. She’s a classy woman and Southern hospitality is brought to life with our company. It speaks to everything that represents her.”

    For more information on High Cotton Ties, check out their website High Cotton Ties. Your gentleman’s attire is just a click away.

     

  • Dressing for Atlanta Steeplechase

    Dressing for Atlanta Steeplechase

    An archetypal Southern gentleman could be adorned in seersucker. He would drink mint juleps on the finest occasions.

    A gentleman has an inherent taste for the finer things in life. As was said of Scarlett O’Hara’s daddy Gerald, “There was no need for him to acquire a good head for whiskey. He had been born with one.”

    Garrett Cox has that same knowledge as a true Southerner. Mr. Cox was kind enough to share his photos from the 2011 Steeplechase at Kingston Downs. In this photo: Hat by Orvis, Sunglasses by Fly Fisherman, Bow Tie by Brooks Brothers, Kerchief by Jos A Banks, Shoes, socks, belt by Johnston Murphy, and Suit by George Saratsiotis — a tailor in the small town of Americus, GA. It’s this gentleman’s opinion that “seersucker suits should be purchased in small towns in the South.”

    There is nothing finer than a well-dressed gentleman in the springtime.