Southern Charm

It involves a wink and a nod.

I often wish I had majored in art history in college rather than journalism, because one thing I've learned from all of my travels is that I not only gain such profound inspiration from the art galleries I patron, but I wish I knew how to better describe the stuff to people. You know, how to select the proper terminology in my vocabulary for the things that move me, motivate me, inspire me... Alas, I am a work in progress.

All I can say for certain is there's a shift inside that I feel when I look at, or especially hold, antique objects that makes me feel like I was alive and well in that era. Almost like a past-life type of feeling. There's another feeling I get, which is a pulsating and shaky-handed fear I will drop the timeless object and be in debt for the rest of my life, but we won't go there.

Below is a list of a few of my favorite inspiring destinations for art and antiques that have that charm that is uniquely Southern.

Charleston

On my one-year wedding anniversary my husband and I took a trip to Charleston. It was incredible. We stayed at a suite in a historic mansion overlooking the colonial period buildings leading up to the market, and I felt myself giddy at the charm of the place the entire time. They had a traditional afternoon brandy and port setup in one of the "drawing rooms" of the mansion, and they hand-delivered our desired newspapers to our room each morning for reading on the breakfast/sunroom terrace. Gimme a break, right? Yeah, it was my version of heaven. Much like Josephine's character in "Tombstone" says when Wyatt asks her what her idea of heaven is and she matter-of-factly replies: "Room service."

It was in Charleston that I learned the story of the pineapple and its significance during war times, appreciated the delicate paper of a hundred-year-old handwritten recipe (a very spicy "Lowcountry" recipe at that), and discovered my affinity for antique furniture. A pineapple and a recipe I can swing, but the price tag attached to some of the gorgeous pieces I saw is another story entirely. Nevertheless, the affinity remains intact.

Oh, and birds! I almost forgot. Charleston gave me a love of birds (especially water birds) in drawings and embroidery and wallpaper.

Fun fact: "Drawing room" comes from the 16th century and is a shortened term for describing a "withdrawing" room, or a room one withdraws or retires to, usually after dinner, for entertainment and fellowship with peers. The one I visited in Charleston was fabulous.

New Orleans

NOLA, as the locals call it, is a place I lived for a year back in 1998, but I was too young to appreciate it at the time, which is why I am grateful for my many trips back as an adult. You want to talk about antiques? Nola has it. Wanna talk about art? Galleries by the boatloads. And not only that, but the quirkiness and unique twist they have on everything is like no place else. Truly, it's one of a kind. And if you like crystals? Pshh...there are dozens of crystal shops for the frequenting, not to mention a couple of uniquely New Orleans voodoo shops where you can get your future told.

The artful inspiration I took away from New Orleans that Charleston didn't have (although people like to compare the two on occasion regarding antiques, culture, art galleries, and Southern charm), is that NOLA has a unique quality about it: it does everything with a wink. ;)

If you've never been to New Orleans, there is only so much I can do to describe it to you, because there are so many different ways to experience it. The only fact I can say for certain is that it simply must be experienced. It must be ingested. Be warned, though: it's like gum—it stays in your system.

Dallas

Although Dallas is more of a modern location compared to the others, it is precisely for that reason that it makes my list of inspiring Southern destinations for art. The city has so many touring exhibits that come to our museums since we are a sprawling metropolis and ever-growing melting pot of cultures. If New Orleans art has a wink to it, then Dallas has a nod. A nod of a cowboy hat, at that.

Don't rule out Dallas when it comes to art or music, as there are some of the best and brightest that get their start in and around Dallas and carry that uniquely Big D energy with them wherever they go. Apart from the large and presiding modern art museums in downtown, some of my favorite art out of Dallas is rather small: stationary.

It is an appreciation for calligraphy and sturdy paper that I gained in Dallas. After all, I did my wedding invitations here. Paper Affair (has locations in Dallas, Plano, and Frisco) is a little shop not to be missed if you are a stationary gremlin like me. Nom nom nom.

Florence (okay, I made an exception)

There isn't much I could say about Florence—or Italy as a whole—that has not been said before, and I knoooooow that Florence doesn't count as "Southern," but it deserves to be on this list of inspiring destinations, dang it! Because when I went to Florence for the first time I felt so deeply moved inside by everything I saw, touched, and smelled that no feeling or place could possibly duplicate it. Regarding the art in Florence, I'm a typical girl, so I'm a sucker for Botticelli, and my museum ticket to the Uffizi Gallery was worth the cost...infinity fold.

Renaissance paintings, detailed sculptures on busts, and Al Fresco ceilings galore had my heart thumping the entire way through those adorned hallways and rooms. It was in Florence that I gained inspiration for the color gold. Truly. I know that sounds so strange, but the Florentine gold sold on the streets, the delicate gold leafing on art and architecture alike, and the golden fleur de lis made me never look twice at silver jewelry again. Furthermore, I would go so far as to say you'll likely see only gold jewelry on my website for sale, because I'm a golden girl now. (Shout out to Dorothy.)

Until next time

Stay golden, friends.

Xoxo,

Rachel