So, I was in a thrift store recently, and I found this cross-stitched
Mississippi picture. Because I collect Mississippi-shaped things, I was
really excited to save it from thrift store purgatory, and even more
excited when I learned it only cost a buck.
I took the picture home, bought a new frame for it, and pulled out my
acrylic paints, so I could update the hidden border I discovered
beneath another border with sad little cut-out hearts in the corners.
It only took a few minutes to paint. Then, I put it in the new frame
and set it on top of my bookcase with my other Mississippi things. The
person who created it stitched the year it was made near the bottom of
the state (1993), so it’s now 20 years old.
Here’s the finished product. I think it was worth a $1. What do you think? “Like” our Mississippians page by clicking here. Follow me on Twitter here. See what I Pin here. Want to join our Style Watchers group to give your input on fashion and trends? E-mail lrucker@jackson.gannett.com.
Deep in the concrete jungles of Ridgeland, right off Old Canton Road in an urban shopping center, is a foliage-filled sanctuary of wild animals so brightly colored that passersby can’t help but turn their heads, startled by giant giraffes, zebras and butterflies. (Link to the Clarion-Ledger story.) (View the gallery of yard art.) You may hear a monkey squeal, a frog ribbit, birds caw and sheep bleat if your imagination runs as wild as the yard art on display at Freshway Produce. Like other stores in the Jackson metro area, Freshway has become a colorful place where shoppers looking for unique and eye-catching art can purchase something “cra-zazy” that’s guaranteed to make your garden ferocious and fierce while your neighbors’ is tame. Want a flying pig? They got ’em.
Need a weird looking metal goat? It’s there.
What about a 10-foot giraffe? Check. “We have goats, rabbits, butterflies, giraffes,” said owner Richard Cockrell, adding that giant butterflies and giraffes have been his most popular sellers. The giraffes come in 4-foot, 6-foot and 10-foot sizes. Quirky yard art is so popular these days, it was recently used in a wedding proposal. “We have frogs holding bouquets of flowers,” Cockrell said. “I had one customer that was going to use that to put an engagement ring on it to propose to his fiancee. He purchased the frog, and I guess he was going to put the ring on the bouquet somewhere.” You may not have noticed, but frogs are bumming your wi-fi for their cell phones and laptops in your gardens these days! Just look at this frog's flyPhone and lillyPad. Can't they just unplug and relax? These were found in Wal-Mart. [caption id="attachment_1553" align="alignleft" width="256"] He's got a gnome phone!!! From Wal-Mart.[/caption] Look around, and you’ll see crazy yard art everywhere. Some of it is even a reflection of modern day society. It’s kind of sad when even our garden frogs and gnomes are working on laptops and talking on cellphones, like some seen at Walmart in Ridgeland and Cracker Barrel in Jackson. Are they so wired and busy, they can’t leave modern technology out of our peaceful gardens? Must they be as tech-obsessive as us, checking their Facebook and Twitter while guarding our roses? Roger Gallian, greenhouse manager of Lakeland Yard and Garden on Lakeland Drive in Flowood, said he’s noticed the trend. “I have noticed a lot of crazy yard art for sale, some metal creatures,” he said. “Choice really depends upon personality. Some people are whimsical and some are traditional.” There many choices for today’s gardeners. “You have gazing balls, flags and ornate birdbaths for the more traditional gardener,” he said. “Metal creatures, whirly-gigs and even the pink flamingo are now in every color for whimsical gardeners. Then you have new items that look old, unique wind chimes, wooden boxes, pottery and items that complement a garden design.”
This guy has a home office on a rock. He was found in The Cracker Barrel. His biggest sellers are solar powered butterflies and hummingbirds, garden flags and pottery in bold colors. “We have had some interest in miniature gardens, such as ‘fairy gardens,’ ” he said, “and some renewed interest in terrariums.” Gardeners are also putting their crazy yard art in vegetable gardens.
“As everyone feels the continuing pinch of the economy, a lot of gardeners are in the ‘fix up what I have’ mode, and annual color is an inexpensive alternative,” Gallian said. “Food you grow yourself tastes better and is cheaper and safer than those commercially produced. Besides, when you’re outside enjoying the fresh air and exercise, you can put some of that crazy yard art out to brighten your day.” “Like” our Mississippians page by clicking here. Follow me on Twitter here. See what I Pin here. Want to join our Style Watchers group to give your input on fashion and trends? E-mail lrucker@jackson.gannett.com. The Elvis Yard Art Frog found at the Dollar General Store.
Bougie. It’s an urban slang term derivedfrom the word ‘bourgeois’
that is typically used to describe someone who is “aspiring to be higher
class than one is” or a person who, by dress or action, tries to fit in
with the upper class.
It can also mean pretentious, upscale, extravagant and snobbish. It’s also a word that Jackson sisters Tamisha Coleman and Princess
Mabry have tweaked and used for their line of urban wear T-shirts. Their “BOUJIE” has its own spelling and special meaning. It’s an
acronym for Beautiful Ones Understand that Jealousy is Everywhere. “My whole entire life, I’ve been called bourgeoisie,” said Tamisha
Coleman, “and I was always made to believe it was a bad thing. As I
became older, I began to realize what it means. The actual meaning of
the word, the way we spell it, is ‘aspiring to be better.’ It just means
you want to wake up every day and be better. “It
doesn’t mean you’re going to be richer. It doesn’t mean you think
you’re better than anybody else. It just means that every morning you
wake up, and you want your life to be better than it was yesterday.” Coleman’s sister, Princess Mabry, who works at the same AT&T call
center with her sister as a customer service representative, said they
decided to “step out on faith” with their business venture. “I see BOUJIE as being trendsetting, something that is eye-catching,”
she said. “We try to cater to everyone. We want everyone to embrace
their BOUJIE, little children on up to the professional woman.” Coleman said she wanted to create a fashion brand tailored toward “classy, bourgeoisie, upscale-type women.” “I think we can have fashion that is sexy and classy, without being
too provocative,” she said. “Our first line is more urban wear, but we
are planning to branch out as we become more experienced.” Coleman said she hopes to make enough money with the clothing line to create a non-profit organization that aids the community. “As women, on one level, we’ve been taught to demean each other, and
there is a lack of woman empowerment,” she said. “We want to be able to
empower young women to know that it’s okay to think that you’re cute. “It’s
all right to think that you are ‘all that,’ because if you don’t think
it, who else is going to? It’s not a bad thing to wake up in the
morning, look in the mirror and say ‘Hey, I look hot!’” “Like” our Mississippians page by clicking here. Follow me on Twitter here. See what I Pin here.
Oxford resident Sgt. Chevonne Crockette, 35, was deployed to Afghanistan with the Army National Guard in June, leaving behind her three children, Brianna, 15; Trazien, 13; and Kaitlyn, 9.
After 10 months away from her family, she returned to Oxford on Wednesday and surprised her youngest daughter, Kaitlyn Sims, at Oxford Elementary School.
Wearing a camouflage military uniform, Crockette stood at the door of teacher Jackie Leopard’s third-grade classroom. Seconds later, she was tackled by Kaitlyn, who joyfully cried “Mommy. Mommy. Mama. Oh, Mommy,” hugging her tightly.
When classmates realized what was happening, they clapped.
The touching moment captured on video and posted to the Oxford Elementary Facebook page has gone viral locally and prompted many comments from Facebook users.
“I have tears in my eyes,” wrote Jill Soucy Smith. “Thank you Sergeant Crockette for protecting us.”
Oxford resident Jenny O’Quin Nelson said: “What a happy video! Kaitlyn’s reaction made me cry. So thankful to God for bringing Sgt. Crockette home safely.”
“Still crying!!!” wrote Mary Smithey, a Delta State University graduate. “Thank you, Ms. Crockette, for all you do!! Glad you are home safe, and bless that little girl’s heart!! She missed her mommy!!!”
Oxford resident Lu Ann Smith said: “Sergeant Crockette, thank you so much for your service to our country. I appreciate the sacrifices that you and your family have made. God Bless You.”
Crockette also left a comment: “I want to thank Mrs. Leopard and the other teachers and staff members for helping with this joyous day. It is one day I and I’m sure Kaitlyn, as well, will never forget. Thank you so much! Thanks to all of you who support what I and my fellow soldiers do. It is more than an honor to serve my country.”
Crockette surprised all three children Wednesday at their respective schools.
“Kaitlyn is really dramatic, so we kind of saw that reaction coming,” she said. “We saved the best for last. “(Afterwards), we just went out and had lunch and talked.”
Her teacher described Kaitlyn as a sweet, friendly little girl who loves math.
“She is very outgoing and supportive of all her friends,” Leopard said.
On Tuesday, stepfather Kerry Crockette, 33, contacted Leopard and asked if they could surprise Kaitlyn at school.
“I was so excited for her,” Leopard said. “I knew, just from talking to her about her mom on several occasions, that she would be very excited. Her stepfather has done an excellent job while her mother has been gone, but I know no one can replace a mother’s hug.”
Leopard said the reunion left many in tears.
“I was so touched by the experience that I cried, as did the assistant principal, my student teacher (and) the rest of the faculty and staff watching from the hall,” she said. “It makes you realize that our soldiers leave their children behind in the care of other family members to protect and serve our nation. I have great respect for our soldiers, as well as the mothers and fathers left behind to raise a family alone.”
Crockette, who joined the Navy right after high school and later joined the Army National Guard, in part, to help fund college classes, completed her business administration degree at the University of Mississippi in 2011.
Her husband is enrolled in an accounting program at the University of Mississippi while working full time as a material control supervisor on campus.
“The thought that my husband would have to stay behind and take care of the kids on his own — I knew he could do it, and he did,” she said, adding that she hopes her children have become more responsible in her absence.
Her oldest daughter, Brianna, is involved in the Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps and has expressed interest in joining the military when she graduates.
Kerry Crockette said taking care of three children alone became easier when he got organized.
“Having to do everything by myself — cook, wash clothes, help the kids with their homework, and I’m in school, too, doing my homework,” he said. “Once you develop your own system, everything kind of smooths out, and I had good people around me helping me — mostly my father-in-law, mother-in-law and wife’s aunt.”
Kaitlyn told her parents she was embarrassed that people saw her cry Wednesday, but she was also “very happy and surprised.” Now that she’s home, a top priority on the list of mom activities is shopping.
“Like” our Mississippians page by clicking here. Follow me on Twitter here. See what I Pin here.
All
the ladies who plan to buy a movie ticket this weekend to see a
shirtless Matthew McConaughey in a G-string like they did in director
Steven Soderbergh’s sociological experiment “Magic Mike” that drew lines
of women to a R-rated, cinematic strip show, may be a little
disappointed in “Mud.”
While McConaughey is fully clothed in most of this movie, (even wearing a symbolic, signature, white button down shirt), you will be rewarded with a pectoral scene or two, but this film is different kind of sociological exploration. Just as Soderbergh’s films seem to focus on the underworld or
behind-the-scenes players who don’t always color within the lines of
society, director Jeff Nichols’ third film explores the rural South, its
residents and some of the uncontrollable things they encounter. In “Mud,” we are introduced to two adventurous 14-year-olds, Ellis
(Tye Sheridan) and Neckbone (Jacob Lofland), who against their parents
wishes, brave the Mississippi River on a motorboat to explore an
uninhabited island. They trek through through the forest and creeks
until they arrive at an unusual site – a boat lodged high in a tree,
stuck there when the flooded river descended. They soon discover that
someone has been living in the boat – a guy who calls himself “Mud.”
(McConaughey) “Mud” says he found it first, and by law, he is entitled to it, but
he’ll make a deal. If the kids bring him food and relay messages to his
estranged love, Juniper, who has come to town to be with him, he’ll hand
over the boat. The children eventually learn that “Mud” is a fugitive
who must hide out on the island until he can escape with Juniper. (Reese
Witherspoon) “Mud” is a description of the rural setting of this film, a word that
ties McConaughey’s character directly to the Southern earth, and it
seems as though he may have magically risen from it. This mythical,
enigmatic figure has no parents, extolls Native American wisdom, has a
large snake tattoo and creatively stretches the truth about his own life
experiences. The people who know him best characterize “Mud” as a liar
who is able to cleverly deceive others and befriend them with cunning
charisma. They deeply love him, but are clearly aware of his character
flaws. The film was wisely cast using actors (McConaughey and Witherspoon)
with Southern roots and authentic accents. While McConaughey will
probably soon be an Oscar contender for Best Lead Actor for this
performance, it’s Tye Sheridan (Ellis) who truly owns that role. He’s
the lead character in this coming-of-age story who learns hard lessons
about life and love. Ellis symbolizes morality. He can identify evil,
and wants to do the right thing, but he’ll do the wrong thing, if it’s
for the right reason. He begins to realize that people aren’t always truthful, and love is
often complicated. It’s Sheridan who is awakened in this movie and has
the most pivotal scene in which he explodes, confronting “Mud” and all
the other people in his life who have disappointed, lied to and deceived
him – from his parents and “girlfriend” to his new found
island-dwelling buddy. It’s no coincidence that Ellis falls into a pit
of poisonous snakes shortly thereafter. Impoverished pride is another element I noticed. Rural Southerners
with values are often neglected in film. In “Winter’s Bone,” the lead
character is the moral compass of the story, but she is surrounded by a
community of vigilantes. In other movies, poor Southerners are usually
backwoods dwellers with axes and chainsaws who don’t take kindly to
strangers with broken down vehicles and a bad sense of direction. Rural
Southern America, more often than not, is stereotypically depicted. Some
may say that’s true about “Mud,” but I think Ellis’ family is a
touchstone reminder of the importance of values and morality.
“Mud”
features beautiful shots of the Mississippi River. The creeks and
landscape remind me of my own rural Mississippi upbringing and the
adventures had in the untamed forests with my best friend and a strong
sense of wonderment. We always hoped to run across something amazing,
like a boat in a tree, when exploring our own backyards, and I think
this film will deeply connect with anyone who has lived a rural life. There’s a lot of Native American and religious imagery in this film,
which seems to support a symbolic statement about government
involvement. Ellis proudly lives in a modest, trailer-like houseboat
with his family. “I ain’t no townie,” he says, when told a new law may
force the family to give up their river residence. The film may be a statement about society remaining stagnant (or
stuck in the “mud”) because of those who relentlessly fight the
inevitable changes that time often brings, but it also speaks of a
desire to preserve a way of life without interference. There is also a strong statement made by Ellis’ disheartened father
whose relationship with his wife is dissolving. “Women are strong. Women
will set you up for things,” he said, a quality mirrored in both Ellis’
“girlfriend” and in Juniper. But we also see deceptive men in this
film, including “Mud” and in the men who come after him. It’s all
commentary about how you can sometimes become a victim of love and
respect. Nichols,
an Arkansas native, stunned me with “Take Shelter,” a film that took my
breath away with a startling, unexpected ending. Starring Michael
Shannon (who also has a small role in “Mud”) and Jessica Chastain, the
film was released the same year Chastain won an Oscar nomination for her
scene-stealing role in “The Help.” After a series of nightmares about a terrible storm, Shannon’s
character begins to prepare for it by expanding the tornado shelter in
his backyard, and his family begins to suspect that he is going insane.
It’s a post-911 movie about impending doom with a lead character whose
extra sensory perceptions about the world cause them to fall into a
chasm of depression and anxiety – a beautiful, sad poem of destruction. “Take Shelter” is about things that we cannot control, and so is “Mud.” It’s about realizing the world isn’t as it seems, and you may never
be able to control any part of it. You can’t control who loves you and
who does not. You can’t control society as it evolves. You can’t tame a
river snake. And you can’t control the Muddy Mississippi. “Like” our Mississippians page by clicking here. Follow me on Twitter here. See what I Pin here.
When you turn trash into fashion, I guess that creates a whole new word called “trashion.” But I’m not talking about some of the popular cut-off shorts and
sky-high heels we often see today that could double as hookerwear.
Trashion is très chic when coupled with a statement about environmentalism and conservation. Tomorrow, you can view creative trashion fashions, like the dress at
left by Kosciusko native Phyllis Robinson made of newspapers that will
be showcased at the second annual Project Rezway event. The Keep the Rez Beautiful recycle fashion show encourages designers
to construct runway-worthy creations out of 75 percent or more
recyclable items. It will be held Thursday from 6:30-9:30 p.m. at the
Mississippi Craft Center in Ridgeland. Tickets are $25. They can be purchased at keeptherezbeautiful.org, by emailing keeptherezbeautiful@gmail.com
or by visiting the Pearl River Valley Water Supply District office.
Wine, cocktails and hors d’oeuvres will be offered, as well as a silent
auction.
This event is our way to promote recycling in our community,”
said Jeannine May, executive director of Keep the Rez Beautiful. “Right
now, recycling options are lacking on the Rankin County side of the
Reservoir, and we want to encourage our local officials to embrace a
curbside recycling program that will make it easier to recycle.” May said they hope to raise $5,000 to help sponsor cleanups and tree plantings. “We send too much waste to landfills that doesn’t need to go there,”
she said. “We hope this event encourages people to recycle and reuse.”
Well, I guess I spoke too soon – six years too soon.
Back in 2007, I blogged about Reese Witherspoon,
commending her for managing to keep it together and stay out of the
“Girls Gone Wild” club of celebrities, who at the time, included
Britney, Lindsey, Paris and Nicole. But over the weekend, it seems Witherspoon got bent out of shape when
police made her husband “Walk the Line” after he was pulled over and
charged with DUI. She was arrested for disorderly conduct. I think everyone would have probably looked over this incident with
this particular “America’s sweetheart,” if she hadn’t pulled the, “Do
you know my name? . . . You’re about to find out” card. That’s a hard
line for any middle-class American to swallow.
And I was just saying this week how it’s funny that every time
someone has a movie to promote, they seem to find themselves in a
predicament that makes national news – an arrest, an accident, a
divorce, a stint in rehab.
I’m
not sure that’s the case this time, but Witherspoon’s latest movie
“Mud” with Matthew McConaughey opens to wide audiences this month. Should this detour you from seeing “Mud?” Nope. Not, in my opinion. Despite this bug on Witherspoon’s otherwise
meticulously clean windshield, she’s a great actress, and I liked the
film. We’re told some scenes were shot in Mississippi. Check out my recent commentary on “Mud” written before I saw it at the Crossroads Film Festival in Jackson before its wide release. What did you think of Witherspoon’s arrest?
Growing
up in North Mississippi between Tupelo and Memphis, it was hard to
ignore the fact that Elvis Presley was part of my cultural heritage. I
spent several summers during college and after I graduated working at a
Tupelo newspaper, where I met a lot of people who knew “the king.” I covered the annual Tupelo Elvis Festival, and met fans from all
over the world, who wanted to see where the superstar was born. I
interviewed many of Presley’s relatives and distant relatives, including
the late sheriff, Harold Ray Presley, who was killed during a police
stand-off. I forged a working relationship with the late Janelle McComb, who was
in charge of the Presley birthplace and had been a close friend of
Elvis in the final years of his life. She told me stories about Lisa
Marie’s visit to Tupelo to see her father’s birthplace.
And I interviewed the owner of Tupelo Hardware, where Elvis Presley
decided against a .22 caliber rifle and opted, instead, for a guitar. During my stint as a reporter in Tupelo, I even interviewed a few Elvis impersonators. In the last few weeks, it seems the world has gone mad. With
shootings, bombings and alleged poisonings, we’ve taken a Crazy Train to
Kookyville, and it’s time we find another method of transportation to a
new destination. Until then, we will remain at DEFCON 1 or Deranged
Elvis Fanatic’s Conspiracy Obsession is Nuts. This week, we were introduced to Paul Kevin Curtis, a Mississippi
Elvis impersonator who was arrested for allegedly sending ricin-poisoned
letters to a Mississippi judge, senator and the POTUS. A lot has already been written about Mr. Curtis – who, because of
prior dealings with the justice system, would probably choose “Jailhouse
Rock” as his least favorite Elvis song - but I thought I would
familiarize myself with his social media presence, and here are 10 facts
gleaned from it that you may or may not have already read: 1. Curtis doesn’t understand why people are deceptive.
When told that a picture he re-posted of the Boston bombings was fake,
he asked: “Why? why does anyone take the time to create fake photos
and/or stories to mis-lead?” One of his Facebook friends replied: “For
the same reasons people do other evil and disgusting things…they are
evil and disgusting.” 2. He was upset about the circus elephant who was recently shot in Tupelo. “So Sad..even our animals are not safe anymore to walk the streets!” 3. He is appreciative of the people who care about him.
On Tuesday, he thanked a man who has been his father figure since he
was 14, and Curtis mentioned his prior criminal record. “Hope you like
your birthday present dad! Thanks for always being there! From the courts to the stages…from an email to a jail cell (theres my next country song) ! ” 4. It’s possible he’s a melon expert. He offered the
following gardening advice. “The minimum optimum temperature for great
melons is to sew the seed when the temperature of the soil reaches 60
degrees and is maintained. Of course it is difficult and nearly
impossible to achieve the ideal without a green house or artificial way
of warming the soil.” 5. He noted that “Cultures of War” was a “good read.”
According to Amazon.com, it’s a book that examines the cultures of war
by looking at Pearl Harbor, Hiroshima, 9-11, and the invasion of Iraq.
The book “offers comparative insights into individual and institutional
behavior and pathologies that transcend ‘cultures’ in the more
traditional sense, and that ultimately go beyond war-making alone.” 6. He’s a fan of noted justice enforcer Buford Pusser. He visited his home and even tried on some of his clothes, according to a Facebook photo. 7. He has a certificate from the International Institute of
Reflexology and pays tribute to its founder, Eunice D. Ingham, in a
Facebook post. Reflexology is
the study of reflex areas in the feet and hands that some believe
correspond to all glands, organs and parts of the body. 8. Curtis was an author . . . . . . A photograph of
the mock-up cover of his book, “Missing Pieces,” which may or may not
have been written yet, appears on his Flickr account. The cover reads: “Missing Pieces: How far will one man go to expose a government cover-up.” Beneath the photo, he writes: “My novel ‘they’ don’t want you to read.” 9. . . . . but he was not a savvy e-book marketer.
Apparently, Curtis didn’t want the public to read his book either, since
it was not put on Amazon.com before he gained national notoriety.
That’s puzzling because he probably could have made some cash in the
last few days. I guess in every story there are always Missing Pieces that we may never understand. 10. Like many of us who have read about his arrest, all the
other crazy news lately, and wondered, ‘What could possibly happen
next,’ so did Curtis. Monday, he wrote: “We the people are just
not safe anymore! I mean bombs where folks are “racing”??? Elephants in
Tupelo Circus getting SHOT??? What next! I guess there will come a time
when Elvis fans can’t even go out to watch a bunch of Elvis
Impersonators pay tribute to a man who gave his life for we the people!
Geesh! It’s a sad sad world!” Funny thing is, It seems like the lesson to be learned in all of this
is from Elvis Aaron Presley. If some of the world’s angry and misguided
individuals would impersonate him by literally and metaphorically
choosing guitars instead of guns, like he did at Tupelo Hardware, the
world might be a better, safer place.
Get ready for a star-studded Mississippi event Saturday.
“CSI: NY” actress Sela Ward is hosting a celebrity gala at the
MSU-Riley Center in Meridian to celebrate and raise money for Hope
Village, a group home she founded in 2002 to care for abused and
neglected children. LeAnn Rimes will headline the event, which will include a dinner and
live auction. Celebrities expected at the event include Gary Sinise,
Brett Favre, Carmine Giovinazzo, Hill Harper, A.J. Buckley, Robert Joy,
Sam Haskell and Lance Bass. In an earlier interview, Ward said that, even if you’re not attending
the event, you can show up early and watch the celebrities walk the red
carpet. The stars will begin arriving around 6 p.m. to walk the red
carpet.The public is invited to come out and see them arrive. Hope
Village has an emergency shelter to serve those in danger and in need
of immediate removal, as well as permanent group homes and transition
houses. It serves more than 200 children a year. Check out our previous story about Sela, Hope Village and the gala. And here’s a recent blog post about LeAnn Rimes new album. “Like” our Mississippians page by clicking here. Follow me on Twitter here. See what I Pin here.
Think you know everything you need to know about those mysterious trees around Mississippi that grow colorful bottles?
If not, Felder Rushing, author of “Bottle Trees … and Other Whimsical Glass Art for the Garden” can school you. He’ll be a special guest at the Mississippi Craft Center at 950 Rice
Road in Ridgeland from 10 a.m. to noon Saturday signing his bottle tree
book. “The bottle tree book is about much more than just bottle trees,” he
said. “(It has) lots of photos that go way beyond, including (pictures)
of fabulous Dale Chihuly creations and an entire glass forest in
Germany, plus insights, anecdotes, quotes and poetry centered around
expressing yourself.”
Rushing is a horticulturist, syndicated columnist and radio host of
the “Gestalt Gardener” on Mississippi Public Broadcasting. Bottle trees
and other yard art created by the Guild’s craftsmen will be sold
Saturday. “People yearn to show their unique side, and, unlike ‘same old, same
old’ pink flamingos or naked goddess statues, whimsical bottle trees are
singular creations, no two alike,” he said. According to Rushing’s website, bottle trees were originally meant to
trap bad spirits. They arrived in the U.S. with the African slave trade
and first took root in the South. But Rushing said they did not
originate as something used in voodoo practices. “Their real origins lie in 3,000-year-old Arabian folk tales, not
from the African Congo,” he said. “All we are doing is holding glass up
to the sky so it’s colors can sing.” Nancy Perkins, executive director of the Craft Center, said the event
is a good match-up of Rushing and his books on garden art. Other local
craftsmen will be on hand to talk about their work, and yard art will be
10 percent off that day if you want to make a purchase, she said. “I want the local community to think of us when they want unique
pieces, whether it’s for the garden or the home,” Perkins said. “We have
some of the best craftsmen, not only in the state, but the region,
here.” For more information, visit mscrafts.org. “Like” our Mississippians page by clicking here. Follow me on Twitter here. See what I Pin here.
It only took a few minutes to paint. Then, I put it in the new frame
and set it on top of my bookcase with my other Mississippi things. The
person who created it stitched the year it was made near the bottom of
the state (1993), so it’s now 20 years old.
Native
Mississippians Princess Mabry, left, and Tamisha Coleman officially
launched their new fashion brand, BOUJIE, at a recent show in Jackson. /
Joe Ellis/The Clarion-Ledger
Thanks for always being there! From the courts to the stages…from an email to a jail cell (theres my next country song) ! 
