How to Paint a Series Quickly ...Poppy Paintings

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'Tiptoe Through the Poppies'           2.5 x 3.5         Pastel      ©Karen Margulis   $15

The best way to become a better artist is by practice....lots of it.  The more you can paint, the faster you will see improvement.  This is the advice I give my students.  But I know not every one has time in their schedule to paint as often as they would like. Here is a tip that will help you accomplish a lot in a little time....Paint a series and make them small!  
The poppy paintings in this post are all 2.5x3.5 inches and were painted on my recent cruise.  Each one probably took no more than 15 minutes.  Have a look and then read my thoughts on why it works.

'Blowing in the Breeze'     2.5x3.5    pastel 

2.5x3.5    pastel

'Summer in the Mountains'    2.5x3.5     pastel

'Poppy Dance'    2.5x3.5    pastel

'Red Poppy'    2.5x3.5     pastel

'Dance of the Pink Poppies'     2.5x3.5     pastel 

Why paint a series?  When you paint the same subject several times each one gets easier. You work out the issues with painting the subject in your first painting. You choose colors. You study your subject and get to know it. With each successive painting you are free to explore compositions, other color palettes, different styles for example. This helps you paint more quickly and efficiently.

Why paint small?  I don't always recommend painting small but for this exercise painting small will get you painting. It is easier to find 15 minutes in a busy schedule to work on a quick little mini.  There is no pressure to finish or waste a big piece of paper.  Painting in a small format is manageable and remember the more you paint....the more you will see progress!

All of these minis are available in my Etsy shop. Click Here to visit my shop.

Another Reason for Small Paintings

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'Among the Dunes'        5x7      pastel      ©Karen Margulis
available through Daily Paintworks  $75 Here

Painting small is very useful.  In yesterday's post I talked about the benefits of painting small quick minis.  You can read about it here.  There is another reason that I like to paint small.  I like to do small quick studies in preparation for larger paintings.  I find it is helpful to work out potential problems on a smaller scale. I can try out colors and possible compositions and underpaintings  without the fear of ruining a large piece of paper.  I work quickly on these little studies and use the same paper that I will be using in the bigger painting.

Today's dune painting is a study for a large pastel commission. It will be 24x30 on Uart.  I am also doing a companion piece which will have the same color palette but a different view of the dunes.  I like doing small studies for commission because it allows the client to give me their thoughts and request for changes before I work on the larger piece. It saves us both time and going back and forth with corrections.

I will be posting my top 3 favorite paintings of 2012 along with what makes them special for me. Be sure to come back and see my choices!

My Favorite Paintings of 2012 ...Desert Landscapes

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'Desert Impressions I'      4x4     pastel     $40 in my Etsy shop

Welcome to my second annual countdown of my 5 Favorite Paintings of the Year.  These are not necessarily m y best paintings but they have a personal meaning for me. They represent an accomplishment of a goal or a turning point or perhaps were just the most fun to paint.  Each day for the next five days I will share one of them and explain why they made the list.

Looking back on 2012 and my paintings I can sum it up with one word...Experimentation.  I continued to do a daily painting now on my 6th year.  But this year in a way I was all over the place with my work.  I tried different pastel techniques. I worked in acrylics. I started painting in oil.  I didn't seem to have a direction but my direction was to play and experiment.  My motto of the year was "What would happen if I tried....."

I'm not sure I made any real progress towards taking my work to the next level but I do know that I painted a lot and  I learned a lot and that at some point I will benefit from the year of experimentation!

'Desert Impressions II'     4x4      pastel

The two paintings I am sharing today are quick studies only 4x4 inches each.  Why did they make the list?  I like the loose feel in both of them and it is a result of the surface.  These are both done on a home made surface. I used pieces of matboard and applied some clear gesso with a brush.  The clear gesso gives just enough tooth and the random brushstrokes creates a textured surface.

This was a successful experiment for me.  I have always enjoyed my own surfaces but didn't like the mess of mixing pumice and gesso. The clear gesso was quick and easy and worked great on all of the papers I tried in on including Canson.  I will be using this surface more in the coming year!

What paintings form 2012 mean the most to you?  Have you thought about why?  It will give you clues to the direction you may wish to go in 2013!

Top 5 Favorite Paintings ... Wildflowers in Oil

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'Blue Skies Smiling'      30x40      oil on linen  ©Karen Margulis  
available at Daily Paintworks  $750

My year of Experimentation continued in April of 2012 when I attended the 1st Annual Plein Air Convention in Las Vegas.  I was a minority with my pastels and I was intrigued and inspired by the oil painters.  I returned home, took out the oil paints I had but never used and tried them.  I worked with a limited palette of alizarin crimson, ultramarine blue, cad yellow medium white and black. I tried doing a daily oil painting but manage maybe a few each month.

I thoroughly enjoyed painting with oils. I loved the textures I could achieve and I love pushing the paint around with a brush.  My appetite was wet!  This painting is meaningful for me because it is not only the largest I have ever painted it was an oil painting!  I was happy that I was comfortable enough with this new medium to tackle a large painting.

I finished the year with a plein air oil workshop with Marc Hanson. The flu and travel have not allowed me to get into the studio to practice what I learned so you can be sure that oils will be high on my goal list for 2013.

If you would like to see a post and photos showing this painting as a work in progress click here for the blog post.

My Favorite Paintings of 2012 ...Dusting Technique

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'Believe in Magic'       19x27       pastel    SOLD

2012 was about trying new mediums and new techniques.  Last February I discovered dusting. I saw great possibilities for this fun pastel technique.  Dusting is actually an old technique and you can read more about it on my post on Dusting. Be sure to see the link on Richard McKinley's blog post on dusting.  All you do it shave pastel over your painting where you want the dust and push it into the paper. I use a rolling pin and glassine paper. 
I choose this painting as one of my favorites because I love the way the pastel dusting adds to the effect of a tangle of wildflowers and blowing pollen from the bumblebees.  I am happy that it sold and has a good home but I will be finding ways to use dusting more in my work.

step by step demo of 'Believe in Magic'

You can read more about how this painting developed and the dusting technique in my blog post HERE

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Photo of a hiker in Alberta by Lowell Georgia, 1973 for National Geographic/Getty Images.

I'm signing off for the year and unplugging until January. I hope you all have a joyful couple of weeks and get a little down time as well. Thanks for reading and supporting Tomboy Style, it's been a great year and I'm really looking forward to 2013.

Some of my favorite posts of 2012:

Alex Malloy's Jeepster Commando.

The Suffragists.

Q&A with Parks and Rec writer Aisha Muharrar.

Mrs. P. Hicks.

The San Fernando Valley Mercantile Co.

The Beatles at LAX.

Nato watch bands.

The Tomboy Style x Gryphon field jacket collaboration!

Q&A with Caroline Ventura of Btvtvs.

Westbrook Maker hats.

Cindy Whitehead.

Rachel Ward.

The Freedom Riders.

What I'm Loving Now

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I LOVE the knitted coffee cozies I am seeing all over Etsy right now! Not only are they so cute, but they are great for the environment instead of the cardboard holders and will keep your coffee or tea warmer longer. I really like this one shop Natalya's Studio. 


 She makes these adorable cozies in several colors.

She also has patterns you can purchase to make your own. So maybe it is time for me to get the old knitting needles out and make one for myself.  Check out her shop for knitted cowls also.. I have really wanted one, but it hasn't been that cold here in the South the last two Winters. Hopefully it will be this year so I can buy, or make one for myself.


Have a wonderful day!





Linda

SciFund y'all!

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In anticipation of the impending SciFund launch at midnight tonight, I am preparing to kindly badger all of my family/friends/colleagues with requests to check out my project (found here) and spread the word.
In the meantime, I am welcoming any questions about my project that I will answer here and link to the SciFund page.
While waiting, here are some pretty pictures of amphibians:







 Check out my flickr page for more photos I've taken in the field!  

Southwest Dreamin'

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Greetings all!

Gila Monster (Heloderma suspectum) about to say something important.

I haven't posted on this blog for close to a month due to general busyness and time spent traveling. The purpose of my recent traveling has been to make it out to Portal, AZ to help out with the field herpetology class taught at the American Museum of Natural History's Southwest Research Station. This has been my first time west of Yellowstone National Park, and oh boy I have had a fantastic time so far.

My labmate Matt Holding demonstrating how to safely handle venomous snakes for research purposes.

We have students from all over the U.S. from all walks of life here to learn about the Southwest's herptofauna. So far they have traversed some gnarly habitat, caught some incredible creatures, and memorized scientific names like it was their job.

Western Diamondback Rattlesnake (Crotalus atrox)

I've been very fortunate to help out with the course this year not only for the reptiles and amphibians, but also to connect with some great scientists that are here to teach and share their research. Unfortunately (fortunately), I have been very busy and don't have much time to update this blog. For now I will drop some photos for your enjoyment and wonder.

Mountain Patchnose Snake (Salvadora grahamiae) showing off its wonderful rostrum

The threatened Twin Spotted Rattlesnake (Crotalus priceii) only habits talus slopes that promote me falling down a lot.

People think I'm dumb, but my favorite desert herp is the Sonoran Desert Toad (Incilius alvarius)

A juvenile Green Rat Snake (Senticolis triaspis) makes for an extremely photgenetic animal

From here, I'll be heading up to California briefly before flying to Vancouver, Canada for the World Congress of Herpetology. After that , it is back to the (relatively) real world. Being a scientist is fun.

Look for more pictures and (maybe) stories to come!

Get to Know a Grad Student: Chris Thawley

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Our last PhD student for "Get to Know a Grad Student" is Chris Thawley from Penn State University. Chris is currently a member of Dr. Tracy Langkilde's lab at PSU, but I met him while he was a Masters student at the University of Alabama with Dr. Leslie Rissler.   

Chris Thawley in a shirt that was surely made by AND1.

Here is what Chris thinks about his grad school experience:


What kind of research do you do? Please give the scientific version and the non-scientist version.
Less-scientific version: Broadly, I study how species adapt when their environment (habitat, other species, climate) changes around them. Specifically, I investigate how a common lizard, the Eastern Fence Lizard, has adapted to the presence of an invasive species, the red imported fire ant. We already know that lizards in areas that have been invaded by fire ants for up to 70 years have changed both their behaviors and morphology. I am currently studying how fire ants affect lizards, whether directly by killing/eating them, or indirectly, by changing their behaviors, diet, stress levels, etc. I hope to be able to construct mathematical models describing how the lizards change and to look at how these changes may be passed on to future lizard generations.

More-scientific version: My research is focused on evolutionary ecology and invasion ecology. I study how anthropogenic environmental change, including introductions of non-native species, imposes novel selective pressures on native species. A population’s ability to persist under these threats can depend on its capacity to adapt accordingly. However, responses to an altered fitness landscape may not be optimal across all environments or life stages. My work is a part of a broad research program to examine how fire ant presence can cause rapid adaptation in fence lizard populations. Specifically, I am examining how direct pressures, such as predation, and indirect pressures, including alterations in diet, behavior, stress, and immune function, may affect lizard populations differently based on historical association with fire ants and across ontogeny. Hopefully, studying the downstream effects of pressures imposed by invasive species can provide broader insights into the longer-term consequences of environmental change on community interactions and the persistence of biodiversity.

Why is what you study important?
Whew, well, my answer to this falls into three parts. 1) I think that capital-E ecology is important because we need to have an understanding of how our planet works. I believe that one of the main challenges of humanity in the next century is going to be figuring out how to support a growing human population with a reasonable standard of living while protecting the ways in which the Earth functions and preserving the natural heritage of the planet. To do this, we need to study ecology.

2) My specific fields of study, evolutionary ecology and invasion biology, are important pieces of what I described above. Because many natural environments are changing very rapidly, whether because of human development, climate change, invasive species, etc, species, communities, and whole ecosystems are being forced to adapt to this change on unprecedented scales. Learning how and even if these species can respond is a critical question that can shed light on past biology (how current biology developed) and future systems. Research in these fields can also help us answer some of the questions we'll need to solve the big questions (above) like how to effectively conserve nature in the face of increasing development.

3) I think my research is important because it's a pretty visible, charismatic, and fairly easily understandable example of how rapid change can result in rapid evolution. It's a great tool in education and outreach to have a system that uses cool animals (lizards), a species people love to hate (fire ants, even though they're cool too), and rapid evolution together; people ask really great questions about the research, and it opens a doorway to talking with them about many other scientific topics (I've had people with beers in hand ignore football games to talk to me about lizards/ants...pretty awesome). 

Capital-E ecology on Tatooine

What was your path to graduate school like?
My path to graduate school was the proverbial long-and-winding-road. After graduating from undergrad, I moved to California (with an aching in my heart) and worked as a postal clerk, busboy, and handyman. I later took up residence in Madrid, working illegally as an English teacher, taught middle school science at a small Quaker school outside of DC for a year, and did a year of service with AmeriCorps. At this point, I returned to the Ecology fold as a research tech in the herpetology lab at the Joseph W. Jones Ecological Research Center. From there, I went on to a Masters program in Biological Sciences at the University of Alabama, and then directly to my current doctoral program in Ecology at Penn State.

While this "career progression" was certainly the long way around, I feel that my years spent outside academia have been very valuable. I learned to be self-reliant (a trait I did not have during my undergraduate years). I gained a great deal of experience teaching a diversity of people, from small children to the elderly, and those with no background in the subject matter to relatively expert students. This has given me a passion for teaching, a desire and ability to reach a diverse audience, and an appreciation of the impact that good teaching can have. I also experienced several different modes in which conservation actually happens: as a volunteer, I often did the grunt work of conservation projects (removing invasive species with chainsaws, carrying stranded marine mammals, etc.) and helped coordinate conservation projects at the local government scale. As a research tech on a private ecological center, I participated in research outside of the typical academic framework. These experiences have given me a much broader view of what effective teaching and research can be.  

What do you enjoy doing in your free time? How do you feel about your work-life balance?
I feel like I am an incredibly stereotypical ecology grad student in how I spend my free time. I love reading, cooking, sampling great beers, being outside (hiking, taking pictures, herping), and complaining about being a grad student, all while wearing zip-off field pants, Columbia button-down shirts, and Vasque trailrunning shoes. I also nap when I can. 

Re-creation of Chris and other grad students just "hanging out"

I generally like my work-life balance. Of course there are times (right now) when the workload is very heavy, and 14 hr days become standard. However, I love the freedom I have as a grad student to set my own hours and do things as I see best (as long as the work gets done well). I also love having field work and a balance between being hot/cold, parched/soaked/muddy, and stuck in an office behind a computer. The freedom of schedule and the variety in the balance between my work and my life are one of the major attractions to working in my field.  

Describe a normal day in your life.
A normal day in my life depends greatly on whether I'm at school or in the field. If at school the day's start involves my alarm clock going off at 7:30, 15 minutes fumbling with the coffee grinder and boiling water, and a 10 min bike ride to my office. I spend my day answering (or deleting) the ludicrous numbers of emails I get, reading articles, doing homework (yes I still have classes...), and analyzing/writing/preparing to present the previous summer's research. I try to intersperse the day with fun and random tasks, like taking care of my lizards in the basement animal room, attending a friend's defense, or heading to a lunch seminar. In the evening, I chill, cook dinner, relax for a bit and then often head back to the lab to read or watch soccer while processing data or something. Some nights, I go to trivia with fellow grad students.

What are your career plans for the future?
I hope to be a professor at a smaller liberal arts school where both teaching and research are valued. 


What has surprised you about graduate school?
Hmmm, not much has surprised me. I guess I am sometimes surprised by how much my advisors trust me to operate independently and as an adult (I still don't feel like a grown-up all the time).  

What do you struggle with the most in graduate school?
When I started grad school, I struggled most with two things: The first was budgeting my time effectively. It was intimidating and a bit confusing to have a well-defined end goal (getting a degree and successful research) and very few definite waypoints. I think struggling through the whole research process for the first time was very valuable though; I learned how to educate myself, choose an area of research, define a project, get it funded, and see it through to completion. The second area of difficulty was adjusting my expectations about the breadth and depth of knowledge needed. In undergrad it was relatively easy to learn everything in a class and the edge of the necessary knowledge was neatly delineated by the bounds of textbooks, syllabi, and lab manuals. As a grad student feeling my way through my chosen field, there are so many different directions to go and rabbit holes to head down. I could spend my entire lifetime reading and still find just one more interesting paper to get excited about and read. Learning to make choices about what to learn and curate my own knowledge has been a challenge (and one I'm not entirely successful in), but the realization that I can't try to learn about everything interesting has been a hard fought one. 

This is the stock photo result when you search "excited scientist"

What has been the best moment of your career so far?
Nothing really pops out. I have vague recollections of late nights spent with R and seeing a p-value of 0.025 and running around the lab with my arms over my head.

How do you feel about the dynamic of research, teaching, and outreach in your career and in the future?
I really like the combination of research, teaching, and outreach as a grad student and in the future (as an aspiring professor). I see all three of these as complementary and intertwined. I don't know of another job in which a) you have the opportunity to do all three of these on a regular basis and b) in which they support each other so well. I see the combination of these three arenas as a key part of the push towards more integrative science and as critical to fostering scientific literacy and education in the United States (and heck, the rest of the world too).

Who are your academic role models?
I don't have a very interesting answer for this. I guess my previous advisors. And Mike Dorcas (whose lab I worked in as an undergrad). I'd arm-wrestle a Wookiee for his job. 

Dr. Mike Dorcas (pictured here) actually had to wrestle a burmese python for his current job, so the wookiee are-wrestling has precedent.

What advice do you have for other aspiring grad students in your field?
Don't go to grad school just because you don't have anything better to do.

Do go to grad school because a) you know what you want out of it, and you're going to get it no matter what or b) because you can't imagine there being anything else you want to do with the rest of your life. 

Thanks so much to Chris for giving some great answers to my questions. 

'til next time 

2013 Poet's Market

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At the end of last May, editor Robert Lee Brewer put out a call for submissions of unpublished poems, with plans to select 20 and publish them in the 2013 Poet's Market. In the fall he announced the 20 poems selected, and my poem "Wind Chimes, Minus the Wind" was one of them. How exciting for me to have a poem published in Poet's Market! Thank you, Robert Lee Brewer.



Here's a list of the 20 poets and their poem titles. Congratulations to all the other poets:

• Kelli Russell Agodon, "On Some Other Planet We're Newlyweds"
• Nin Andres, "Ghosts"
• Pris Campbell, "Sackcloth"
• Jessie Carty, "The Painter's Pantoum"
• Sage Cohen, "Dear Fritz Guest House"
• Iris Jamahl Dunkle, "Photography Lesson, Pt. Reyes"
• Terri Kirby Erickson, "At the Bowling Alley"
• Patricia Fargnoli, "When I Re-Read His Letters"
• Jen Karetnick, "Arrival: A Love Villanelle for Haiti"
• Jeffrey H. MacLachlan, "Sea Ghost, Fire of the Sea"
• Susan Laughter Meyers, "Wind Chimes, Minus the Wind"
• Heather M. Moore Niver, "Flinging the Unsaid into the Surf or Seeing You Again . . . "
• Shann Palmer, "Occluded"
• Nancy Posey, "Follow the Leader"
• Nate Pritts, "Frost at Midmorning"
• Karen Rigby, "Echolocation"
• Rebecca Givens Rolland,
• Linda Simoni-Wastila, "Greetings from Motel 6"
• Kelli Simpson, "Hands to"
• Joannie Stangeland, "As a Beginning"

You can go to the Writer's Digest website for more information about this newly released edition of Poet's Market, as well as information for ordering a copy.

December 2011 Events – Charleston South Carolina

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As the temperatures slide down a bit in the low country the spirits remain high with the forthcoming holiday season right around the corner. The area will be lively with numerous holiday festivities, a local marathon, and several fun holiday light displays. The downtown Charleston area will be adorned in beautiful holiday lights at Marion Square which will celebrate Christmas, Hanukah, and Kwanzaa. The lighting of the town square Christmas tree will be held on December 3 at dusk. Whether you are a local or visitor to the Charleston area, take time out to soak up the holiday magic the low country has to offer. If a night out is in your plans for New Years Eve, make your reservations early and one of the many great restaurants in the Charleston area.

December 1 – 31
Holiday Festival of Lights
Where: James Island County Park
What: Three mile tour of over 500,000 twinkling lights around the lake. Tour by car for a $10 fee or get a ticket for a train ride to view this spectacular show. A train ride ticket will cost two dollars for adults and children under the age of two are free.
For more information contact: (843) 795-7275

December 4
Charleston Christmas Parade
Where: Calhoun and Meeting Streets (proceeds down King)
Between the hours of 2 pm to 4 pm the downtown Charleston area will play host to bands, floats and numerous holiday entertainers. Stick around; you may even see an appearance by Santa Claus.

December 8 – 10; 15-16; 17-31
Charleston Christmas Sleigh Ride
Where: Charleston Harbor
Ride aboard the Thriller and check out the beautiful lights of coastal Charleston as you cruise along the waterfront spying the decorations of Charleston, Shem Creek, Mt. Pleasant, and James Island listening to Christmas music. Riders over the age of 3 will get to enjoy a cup of hot chocolate during the ride.
Contact: www.thrillercharleston.com or call (843) 276-4203

December 10
Kiawah Island Marathon (34th Annual)
Where: Kiawah Island (East Beach Village Conference Center)
Kiawah Island will once again play host to annual December marathon and half marathon. The race begins at 8 am. For more information on registration or volunteering, please contact Kiawah Island Golf Resort Marathon at (843) 768- 2780 or e-mail Kiawah_Marathon@kiawahresort.com.

December 20
Hege’s Annual Christmas Cocktail Party – Freshfield’s Village
Where: Kiawah Island (Freshfield’s)
Hege’s will be hosting a holiday party from 6:00 pm – 9:00 pm which will include drinks, buffet and door prizes. Reservations will be required and fee is $38.95 per person.

December 31
New Year’s Eve - Kiawah
Where; Kiawah Island – Night Heron Park
Night Heron Park will be host to full New Year’s Eve southern style dinner from 5:30 until 9:00 pm. The event will also include live music, games for the whole family and fireworks.

December 31
New Year’s Eve – Charleston
Where: Marion Square – Charleston
From 4 pm to 10:30 on New Year’s Eve, Marion Square will be hosting family fun celebration which includes live music, dance and games. For more information, call (843) 724-7305.

Play Kiawah and Charleston Golf Courses at a Discount

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One of the big let downs when visiting the Charleston/ Kiawah area is the hefty prices of the resort golf courses. For example, a round of golf at Kiawah’s Turtle Point or any resort course (aside from Ocean) is going to run a fee of approximately $225. A round at the Ocean course will hit you at $300 and that does not include gratuity for caddies which are required on that course. If you book your accommodations through the Kiawah Golf Resort, you may get discounted golf rates with complimentary shuttle service to the courses, but it is difficult to tell if you are catching a deal because other amenities are rolled up into the cost such as accommodations, a meal voucher or two, and perhaps a spa visit. Still, the prices of these beautiful courses remain painfully high and receive minimal play. It is this reason alone that my one week of visiting the low country is spent playing courses off the island.

That is until I found out about the Charleston Tee Times Golf Passbook last year. This site sells a coupon book which provides significant discounts to all resort courses (Kiawah & Seabrook) as well as those courses found off the island including courses such as Stono Ferry, Patriot’s Point, and courses as far away as Summerville. There are about eighteen Charleston area courses in the book that offer significant discounts. The concept of this coupon book is that you pay $169 (shipping not included) for a one time visit to numerous courses. The coupon or voucher does not cover cart fees. There really isn’t a “catch” other than there is only one coupon per course, and the coupon must be mentioned when booking tee time at the resort courses. I was able to use this coupon last year during my one week vacation stay in Kiawah. I had the luxury of playing Cougar and Oak Point. I had to shell out about $85 in greens fees total for those courses ($50 for Cougar/$35 for Oak Point), but I was okay with that as I played both courses way under the normal price. The other course I played was Legend Oaks in Summerville. I saved a lot of money and more importantly, I saved vacation time as I didn’t have to drive far off the island for two of the rounds played during the week. That was extra time given back to me to enjoy beach time with the family. I highly recommend this book to those that are going to get in least three to four rounds during the year to get the return on investment. The coupon book is only valid for one year and the coupons cannot be transferred to another individual. The pro shops will request identification when you provide coupon for payment. For those interested in purchasing the 2012 Charleston Golf directory book please visit the website.

Vacationing in Seabrook and Kiawah in 2012

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Merry Christmas! As we approach another year end, it is time to start thinking about making those vacation plans whether they are for Spring break or even during the summer season. It is never too early to start looking at rentals whether through vrbo.com, resort quest, or the Kiawah golf resort. The villas, condos and vacation homes get reserved early; especially when considering popular getaway dates such as Memorial Day weekend and the week of the Fourth of July. Also remember the August 2012 season will the time of the year when Kiawah Island hosts the PGA Championship. Rentals will be practically impossible to find if you have not reserved one already for this big event.

Don’t overlook the early season of February and March to come down to the lowcountry for a nice relaxing visit. The temperatures are cooler to borderline cold, (though not even close to the cold that I experience up here in the Chicago area!) The early season also offers some of the lowest rates of the year for rental accommodations. The Carolina coast is also susceptible to a few warm sunny days during these months where a nice round of golf or two is definitely possible. This is also good season for doing a few walking tours and exploring the sites and sounds of downtown Charleston and Savannah.

Review of Charleston International Airport

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Getting in and out of the Charleston airport is a pretty darn quick process. That process holds true for public parking, check in, baggage claim, and car rental. I usually make my excursion to the low country via minivan (ala fifteen hour road trip), but there have been those times when a two hour flight from Chicago to Charleston is the ideal way to travel. While the selection of carriers flying to and from this smaller market destination can be limited, I find it encouraging that the popular discount carrier, Southwest airlines has added Charleston to their list of cities for travel. This no frills airline has stood behind their reputation of keeping rates competitive and not gouging the customer with baggage fees as all other carriers seem to be doing. Other airlines traveling into Charleston include US Airways, United, Continental, Delta, and American Airlines.
Coming into Charleston from a larger airport such as O’Hare, I am amused, if not intrigued by the small jet way stairs that greet the passenger as you depart the plane. The quick walk to the gate has you getting to baggage area for clubs and suitcase in only a minute or so. Then there is the matter of car rental if you do not have someone there to pick you up.
There are seven rental companies represented at the car rental counter located within the arrivals area of the terminal. I have rented cars from Enterprise and Avis and experienced good overall service. The car rental lot is located just outside the terminal baggage area. No need for a shuttle, train or long walk to get your rental car and get out; this fleet of cars are about a minute’s walk away. Leaving this airport, it is pretty easy to get your bearings when heading out on International Drive and into the Charleston area via interstate 26.
The public parking lot is also a breeze to find as it is located just across from the terminal. The parking deck allows pickups and overnights to park at $15 per day with a surface lot located behind it at $8 per day. Excess parking can be found on busy travel days as these overflow lots are located at the end of the circle (proceeding away from the terminal drop off area). Here is a web link and map of the airport.
If I did not have a large family, I would most likely opt to fly instead of drive to the lowcounrty for every annual visit.

GEAR | Klettlerwerks

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I grew up in a suburb of Chicago just a few miles away from a store called Erehwon Mountain Outfitter—a place that in all honesty was the reason I wanted to go to camp. I loved going in the store and visually taking in all the shiny mountain gear and cool packs and imagining what they might be used for. Erehwon Mountain Supply was co-founded in 1972 by Dana Gleason, who just a few years later moved to Bozeman, Montana to start Kletterwerks (“Kletter” meaning climbing and “werks” meaning factory in German). Near the end of the 1970s Gleason sold his share of the company, but today his son Dana Gleason III has relaunched the 1970s alpine pack company with the intent to renew the ideals and designs that his father started over 35 years ago. These packs and backs and sacks really nail the essence of the original design and era, and they're still made here in the U.S.A. with an strong emphasis on high quality materials and solid manufacturing.

GIFT/GIVEAWAY | Signed Copies of Tomboy Style

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Photo on right by Simons Finnerty.

Just a quick note to say that if you'd like to buy a signed copy (with a custom inscription) of the book, please email me >> lizziegarrett(at)gmail(dot)com. I have a limited amount that I can get out before the holidays, available on a first-come-first-serve basis.

Also! If you're on Instagram, follow me, I'm giving away five signed copies of the book with custom inscriptions. To enter: like or comment on the book photo just posted (@lgmettler), I'll choose five winners Thursday evening and post them there! Good luck!

The winners!
1. kholzman
2. jrs567
3. misskatemoon
4. bluecontinental
5. hovey17
Email me your address and the inscription you'd like and I'll mail it out ASAP!

Q&A | Nikki Kule

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Nikki Kule has been in the fashion design world for most of her life, for the past decade or so though, she's been focused on children's clothing—first with her own label and then kid's clothing for Brooks Brothers. Lucky for us, just last month Nikki Kule launched another eponymous clothing line, this time for adults. Yes! Kule is a label based on luxury and classics; modern preppy pieces that make sense and are built to last both materially and in fashion. That cashmere Breton striped sweater is calling my name!

Nikki's been so great to offer Tomboy Style readers a 15% off discount this week on Kule.com with the promo code TOMBOYSTYLE.


If not in New York City, I would live in...Rome.

My dream holiday would be to...take a book, a camera and my family, and settle down for a month in any beach town in Italy. Porto Ercole, Capri, Ponza, Sardinia, Ansedonia...
   
My current obsessions are...tennis—playing the game and obsessing over vintage Fila and Ellesse. And the strawberry rhubarb jam from Blue Hill at Stone Barns which my friend Megan gave me. I love it on a slice of toasted bread with fresh ricotta cheese, and shopping at Ludivine (I love her Parisian style).

The fictional character I most relate to is...Private Judy Benjamin.

If I had to be outdoors all day I would...be at the beach in Fire Island.

My favorite quality in a man is...quiet confidence.
 
My favorite quality in a woman is...quiet confidence.

My dream car is...a vintage Hunter Green Jaguar XJ6 with luggage leather interior.

My cocktail of choice is...the Miki (Campari and fresh grapefruit juice)...so Italian.

My celebrity crush is...Javier Bardem.

My beauty product of choice is...Shiseido. I don't have a favorite. I love all of it.

If I could go back in time for one decade it would be...the 70’s.

As a teenager I was totally into...Lacoste, Benetton, Merona and Brooks Brothers.

I tend to splurge on...striped shirts.

My no nonsense staples (white shirt, grey flannel pants, and camel coat sometimes paired with a stripe tee)...are what make me have Tomboy Style.

GEAR | Lotuff Leather

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Lotuff Leather's Creative Director Lindy McDonough outside her 1982 Volkswagen Rabbit pick-up.

Lotuff Leather is a small luxury New England leather goods company that I've recently been acquainted with. I spoke with Creative Director Lindy McDonough last week and had I not known the company was in its infancy (just two years old), I would have sworn they had been around for almost a century and were just now re-emerging as another great American heritage brand. I think it's important to say up front that Lotuff's bags, totes, suitcases and satchels are expensive—this is not because of any marketing scheme or branding, but only because they use the best quality materials and have the best American artisans manufacture them. Most of us (myself included) might find ourselves priced out of their marketplace as a buyer, but I think their story is really important and I love what they're doing. As contemporary fashion seems to become more disposable and cheaply-made, Lotuff is an American manufacturer focused on quality and functionality in bags that are truly engineered to last a lifetime, not just the lifetime of a trend. In other words, these are bags worth saving for.

Their bags are unbranded (but monograms can be embossed), and you won't find a logo or unnecessary hardware anywhere. Despite the fact that Lotuff is a luxury brand, their bags are meant to be taken everywhere from an airplane to the office to a barn to a dock to the trunk of a car—and the patina of the leather will only keep getting better with age. They use only vegetable tanned leather (your nose will notice this the second it comes into contact with a Lotuff item) and because Lotuff takes much of its inspiration from well-made menswear, their bags are unlined, just as a truly high quality men's suit is unlined. Their newest women's bag is the Zipper Satchel #9 ($860), which is sturdy, stylish, and like all their goods, it's handcrafted in Norwalk, Connecticut and guaranteed for life.Lotuff is offering Tomboy Style readers a 15% discount on their website through the holiday season with the code TOMBOYSTYLE.

Q&A | Scotti Sitz

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If in sports they tell you "it's all in the wrists", shelter shops would tell you "it's all in the edit", which is why people are going mad for Scotti Sitz's edit at the Los Angeles homegoods store, GARDE on Beverly Blvd.

It opened in April and I promptly wrote about it for the L.A. Times, but couldn't stay away. It's not a huge store, but I always find a new discovery: a book or a chic badminton set or piece of pottery; I don't think I've ever left empty handed. I'm honestly trying not to sell this place so strongly, but if you're looking for a last minute gift for a hard-to-buy-for person (who has everything), get into the shop or check them out online.





OK, phew, now that that's over with I can now just gush about Scotti. Good taste puts it lightly, she's spent years in New York working in fashion for Calvin Klein and Giorgio Armani and just frankly has an incredible eye. Of course she's also got that tomboy edge as well, i.e., she drives a Porsche 911 and knows how to re-grout tile, which is why her Q&A is here. Wammo.

If not in Los Angeles, I would live...possibly on a farm near water with greenery, that's quiet, with lots of Whippets, sheep and chickens. 

My dream holiday would be to...right now my wish list includes Puglia, Mexico City, and the hamlet of Inverness, California.

My current obsessions are...

Food:  I make the best grilled cheese sandwich and unfortunately I was told to cool it on gluten so I am rethinking my obsession with macaroons.

Music: I stream KCRW Eclectic all day at the shop because I'm lazy and it's a nice mix of new and some old. I love old 60's rock and I'm a sucker for soulful women singers like Adele, Sade, and new discovery Melody Gardot.  I try to limit my husband's playing of 1980's New Wave music!

Fashion: Who wouldn't want anything by Celine right now?! My style is pretty tailored with a twist, no bells or whistles for me, and like my shop, I rarely wear any bright colors.

Retail Stores: Other than my own? Graanmaarkt 13 in Antwerp is my new current favorite (designed by Vincent Van Duysen).  Merci in Paris is fun and inspiring, and I love Miller et Bertaux in the Marais for timeless fashion by two very chic French men. Locally, for the home I really love the style and taste of NK Shop on Beverly.

I channel my childhood self when I...sing out loud and dream big! 

The fictional characters I most relate to are...perhaps Elizabeth Bennet from Pride and Prejudice—a little stubborn, independent, opinionated, self-assured and she ultimately got the right guy! Or sassy comic strip character and "ace" reporter Brenda Starr, that fab red hair!

If I had to be outdoors all day I would...love to be anywhere sunny, beautiful, animal-friendly and a place with good food.  

My favorite quality in a man is...confidence.

My favorite quality in a woman is...loyalty.

I'm terrified of...being irrelevant.

My dream car is a...restored 1978 Porsche 911 SC with original Fuchs wheels, but I am quite content with my 2000 Porsche 911. They just fit like a glove, and I only drive stick-shifts. Oh, I wouldn't mind the 1964 Aston Martin DB5 that James Bond drove in Goldfinger. Yes, I'm a bit of car geek.

My cocktail of choice is...a Martini with Hendricks Gin, Blanc Vermouth, splash of tonic water and a lemon twist.

My celebrity crush is...Daniel Craig, Walton Goggins, Ryan Reynolds, Ryan Gosling...I guess that's more than one.

The beauty product of choice is... Tom Ford's Blush Nude lipstick.  I've always worn pale lips and played up my eyes. If I did the reverse I would look like Betty Boop.

My friends and I like to...explore ways to make our homes and lives more interesting...and make interesting cocktails.
  
If I could go back in time for one decade it would be...a toss up between the roaring 20's and the 1950's. The 1920's, especially in Paris, would be so fascinating. A period in time between two World Wars that bred creativity and experimentation along with an attitude of freedom. The 1950's was also a period of newness, technologically, and design in architecture, with optimism about the future.

As a teenager I was totally into...being a beatnik, being adventurous, wearing anything vintage, boys, The Rolling Stones and Aretha Franklin.

I tend to splurge on...art, for some reason to me art is in another category, so I always seem to justify the investment. And of course, the occasional pair of shoes. 

A strong cocktail, fast cars (not at the same time), and a dash of creative wardrobing...is what makes me have Tomboy Style.