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Foodies, unite! By QB Social Butterfly QuailBellMagazine.com It's a great time of year to get your foodie on. Below, are food festivals for all locations and all types of food fanatics. May 4 – 5, 2012 Breitenbach Dandelion Festival – Dover, Ohio Enjoy a simpler lifestyle for a couple of days in Amish country. Featured foods include all things dandelion flavored, including jelly, ice cream, bread, and sausage (who knew?). May 22 – 26, 2012 The New Orleans Wine & Food Experience - Louisiana Wine and dine around New Orleans' best restaurants, galleries, and museums. May 24 – 27, 2012 Mudbug Madness – Shreveport, Lousiana Just admit, this festival's name alone is compelling reason to go. Still skeptical? Think Cajun food and Zydeco music. May 26 – 27, 2012 Pungo Strawberry Festival – Virginia Beach, Virginia Enjoy strawberries prepared 50 different ways, a carnival, and (best of all) free admission! June 23, 2012 (12:00 – 6:00 p.m.) Richmond Vegetarian Festival – Richmond, Virginia Prepare yourself to see a lot of hipsters. If you can get past this, though, it should be a great festival. July 11-15, 2012 Taste of Chicago - Illinois Don't miss the world's largest outdoor food festival! The Breadcrumbs widget will appear here on the published site.
The Breadcrumbs widget will appear here on the published site.
Pittsburgh's Newest Pop-Up It's raining pop-up stores at Cats and Dogs Coffeehouse in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. A pop-up store is a store that “pops up” in a location for a bit, then moves or disappears. From May 24 through 27, Clowder & Pack, a pop-up bookstore, will be open in Cats and Dogs' back room. All proceeds will go to Assemble, a “community space for arts + technology” located on Pittsburgh's Penn Avenue. Oh, and did we mention that QB's going to be there?
Here, Clowder & Pack's creator Connor Site-Bowen talks about his latest project: QB: Could you describe the current atmosphere at Cats & Dogs? What attracted you about it and how do you hope to alter it for the pop-up bookstore? CSB: Cats and Dogs is a wonderful local coffee shop. Blonde wood furniture, vaulting pressed-relief ceilings, clean white walls, and large south-facing windows provide an atmosphere of space and lightness. The art is always local, and changes often. The coffee is delicious and the owners, Mr. Cat and Mr. Dog, are friendly, cheerful, and passionate about making Pittsburgh an even better place to live. There is a large (15ft x 15ft) back room, usually available for meetings and other reserved events, which Clowder and Pack will inhabit. It will be a store-within-the-store, accessible via the cafe. Readings and the like will take place both in the back room and the general space. The Breadcrumbs widget will appear here on the published site.
Richmond, Virginia's ESL Programs Underserve MixtecsBy Christine Stoddard & Zack Budryk QuailBellMagazine.com The Breadcrumbs widget will appear here on the published site.
Botch-Kose-Kee I meet Angela Bacskocky outside of an old uniform factory, and I see her dog Glory has been waiting on the other side of the glass door. We head up the staircase past scooters, bicycles, and what looks like a paper-mache canoe. Her studio is spacious. She shares it with a few other artists. She shows me around, and I see remnants of everyone’s various projects. It is certainly a used space. As we walk to her end of this community work area, there is a giant nest in the middle of the room. I investigate it as she starts to tell me about her work. There have to be thousands of sticks and branches fastened together in layers. The base is brick and stone. There are pieces of metal scattered here and there. The space in the middle is large enough to fit a person. I want to crawl inside it. I pull myself away and look around. There are bundles of sticks that have yet to make the nest. There are tables full of bones, skulls, bird feathers, and scraps of fur pinned on the walls. I should mention that the walls are covered in aluminum foil. I wonder if this is a nod to Andy Warhol. She catches me looking and confirms that it is indeed a tip of hat to Warhol. Behind the nest there is a leather couch that I would imagine would be sitting in a law firm in the 1920s. I walk to the hangers holding her garments. The construction shows the work of a practiced hand. Wool, leather, and silk make up the pieces that I look through. For something so well-constructed, they also look comfortable. There is something prestigious about leather and fur that can’t be mimicked with substitutes. The colors are warm to me. Not in a summer sort of way but in the way you seek warmth in the dead of winter. The Breadcrumbs widget will appear here on the published site.
The Breadcrumbs widget will appear here on the published site.
A Refreshing Take on Jewelry By Sidney Shuman QuailBellMagazine.com The Jewelry and Accessory Trunk Show at Gallery 5 for Richmond, Virginia's Fashion Week offered a variety of crafty and innovative accessories presented by local dealers. Many different materials, from animal bones to coral, were presented in the jewelry and added a unique play on every day jewelry selection. On the subject of inspiration, each designer had a different approach to how they present their prospective on jewelry and the materials used. “I am very inspired by the 1940s and old Hollywood” says jewelry designer Cynthia Bouvier for Bouvier Jewelry. She uses quality gem stones and pearls in her statement jewelry. Companies such as Half Past Noon and Silver Lining Décor use vintage and antique pieces in their jewelry to show a re-purposeful view in the accessories world. “I love to make jewelry composed of antiques because every piece is unique, no matter how many people make it” says Didi Chisholm, owner of Half Past Noon. Futuristic merchants included Urban Revisions and Rare Bird. These companies are very different; Urban Revisions uses glass to create a futuristic vibe while Rare Bird uses sleek, flat metals and minimalistic shapes to show their fresh prospective. Wild Child Dzigns showed an African-culturally inspired flair in their jewelry, even using the shape of the continent in some of their bracelets. Other companies used more organic and natural materials to show their take on the industry. Academy Jewelry, which was recently picked up by Anthropologie, uses hand painted coral as their organic statement piece. “I just found some coral one day and thought it would be a good idea to put it on jewelry,” says Rachel Albright from Academy Jewelry. The most shocking organic pieces came from Extollo Jewelry who made their accessories from animal bones. A necklace made of cat vertebrae easily captured the attention of anyone passing by. Such a diverse selection truly shows the spirit and ingenuity of our local dealer. As the merchants were speaking of their products, they never indicated a specific seasonal change in their work. They are dedicated to their specific niche of inspiration, their vision, and what they want to wow customers with. “I put many different seasonal pieces on display because someone may be looking for that one-of-a-kind necklace to go with their winter wear even now, and I would not want them to miss it,” says Didi Chisholm of Half Past Noon. The craft being more important than the season was a new, refreshing statement to hear from vendors and exemplified their passion for their creative talent. Getting involved in Richmond Fashion Week’s events and seeing jewelry from local merchants in the area is a great way to network with other crasftsmen and find your new favorite necklace! The materials used, inspirations shared, and passion expressed by these local companies at The Jewelry and Accessory Trunk Show made for another amazing year added onto Richmond Fashion Week’s budding legacy and showed no sign of this city’s fashion industry slowing down. **Check out earlier posted pictures of the event here. The Breadcrumbs widget will appear here on the published site.
Bell(e) of the Week By Tykeya O'Neil and Lindsey Story QuailBellMagazine.com You have until Thursday, April 26th at midnight EST to cast your vote! We'll announce the winner on Friday, so please check back, fledglings <3
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The Anne Boleyn Villain Series: The MediaBy Bayly Ogden QuailBellMagazine.com The first movie portrayal of Anne Boleyn came in 1912. It was a short film about Cardinal Wolsey. Since then. there have been many movies about Henry VIII and his six wives. There have been two different portrayals of Lady Boleyn throughout the films: the independent woman who was following her heart and the cold, calculating woman out for revenge due to the loss of her one true love. In these movies, there are many differences between the fiction and reality. The first apparent difference is the casting of Anne as the “young and beautiful.” The majority of historians agree that Anne was not particularly attractive by standards of the time. As a brunette with dark eyes and darker coloring, she did not fit the typical 16th-century English standards of fair eye and blue eyes (Friedmann). Another element to touch upon is her age. In the films Anne remains a young beauty, but how is this possible throughout a ten year courtship? During the final three years of her life, Anne’s youthful looks faded away due to both the passing of time and the stress of maintaining her marriage (Friedmann).
The Breadcrumbs widget will appear here on the published site.
The Breadcrumbs widget will appear here on the published site.
Spritely SpringBy Tykeya O'Neil & Sean Marks QuailBellMagazine.com Let's be real--you're not going to strap on a pair of fairy wings and start fluttering about in broad daylight with glitter and glee. Okay, maybe some of you will because, granted, you're Quail Bell(e)s. Those of you who have office jobs, though, need to be professional when it comes to incorporating whimsical elements into your spring looks. Want your inner-sprite or elf child to show the tip of its nose to general society? Think 'color,' think 'candy,' and think 'cutesy,' but also think 'structured.' It's spritely spring done right, fledglings. -C.S.
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Black Dogs By Julie DiNisio QuailBellMagazine.com Dogs are seldom portrayed as anything but loyal, affable, and pleasant. But residents of the British Isles have argued that their sightings of the declared Black Dogs have been terror-inducing. These alleged creatures are about the size of a calf and have shaggy black fur and red eyes. Despite their enormous paws, they leave no tracks and are usually sighted at night on deserted roads and in other lonely places. Allegedly, they guard sacred places and treasure. Though they are also known as Hellhounds, the Black Dogs do not always mean harm. Word has it that if you don't harm them, they won't harm you. In some cases, they have even purportedly helped lost travelers. But if you find yourself in a position to see a Black Dog, your best bet is to find a descendant of Ean MacEndroe, a man who gained immunity from the Dogs by rescuing a fairy. Better safe than sorry, after all. The Breadcrumbs widget will appear here on the published site.
River EnvyBy Starling Root QuailBellMagazine.com Itching to spread those wings? If it excites you—wildlife, water sports, sightseeing, history, or pure novelty (tee-hee)—the Potomac River has it, Quail Bell(e)s. Here's our case for the East Coast's fourth-largest river:
On the boat front alone, the Potomac boasts a baseball taxi that takes guests from Old Town Alexandria to The Nationals Stadium; a seasonal canine cruise designed specifically with your pup in mind; a combined bike and boat package that lets you experience George Washington's Mount Vernon estate using both modes of transportation; an authentic replica of a Victorian riverboat; a family-oriented pirate cruise; and more. Whether you're boating, walking, driving, or biking, the Potomac also offers stunning views of local wildlife. According to John Odenkirk, District Fisheries Biologist, the Potomac is “arguable a better fishery than the James simply because it is bigger and more productive.”Odenkirk cites Bald Eagles, catfish, ospreys, snakeheads, herons, and bass as just a few of the watershed's critters, all of which make the Potomac a prime area for fishing and bird-watching. And, yes, fledglings, you can bird-watch with 18-century opera glasses. In the realm of sports, the Potomac is famous for rowing, as evidenced by the presence of numerous rowing clubs and boat shops. Kayaking, sailing, and jogging are popular Potomac activities, too. Just remember to pull up your petticoats. In the words of Odenkirk, “The Potomac is a vibrant community above and below the water.” May that be an invitation for both centaurs and mermaids. The Breadcrumbs widget will appear here on the published site.
I Never Liked High SchoolBy Luna Lark QuailBellMagazine.com I never liked high school, which surprises many people because I always did so well in my classes. The reason I couldn't stand high school is because I love to learn---and contrary to popular belief, the average American high school is not an institution of learning. Oppression does not teach. "Read this book. Answer this prompt." "Learn these steps. Solve this problem." "This is history. This is what happened." There were no alternatives. We were fed questionable material and demanded to regurgitate it like a baby albatross vomits his mother's gift of rotten squid. We were not allowed to think or respond with our heart's eager voices. We were expected to sit, listen, and reply with an idiot's black-and-white mind. "Mark true or false." "Yes or no, boys and girls?" "The best answer is choice A because B and C are simply wrong." That is why I sat alone in the woods, feasting on mint leaves and chipmunk meat. I bathed in the creek and watched the sun set every evening. Somehow, in between fairy adventures, I finished my homework. I didn't want to be taught how to live. The Breadcrumbs widget will appear here on the published site.
La fée verteBy Julie DiNisio QuailBellMagazine.com At first glance, I was completely unsure of what this unsettling green creature was. The jury was still out until I did a little research behind the meaning of this 1906 advertisement. Created by famous Italian poster artist Leonetto Cappiello (a forerunner of modern advertising), this image is actually quite famous. Advertising Maurin Quina, a once popular French brand and type of liquor, the green sprite represents absinthe which was often referred to as la fée verte (the green fairy) in French literature. Would it coerce me to purchase the product? I'm not so sure. But there must be a reason Cappiello's design has been an icon in advertising for over 100 hundred years. The Breadcrumbs widget will appear here on the published site.
The Breadcrumbs widget will appear here on the published site.
Congratulations to Hallie Spradlin! By Tykeya O'Neil & Lindsey Story QuailBellMagazine.com Okay, so we're a little late--but, again--we're doing this for free. Anyway, thanks to all who voted. Hallie Spradlin is the Bell(e) of the Week! The Breadcrumbs widget will appear here on the published site.
Beads and Things at Gallery 5By Christine Stoddard QuailBellMagazine.com Here are a few snapshots from RVA Fashion Week's April 19th Jewelry & Accessories Trunk Show at Gallery 5 in Richmond, Virginia: The Breadcrumbs widget will appear here on the published site.
Bell(e) of the Week: April 16thBy Tykeya O'Neil and Lindsey Story QuailBellMagazine.com You have until Thursday, April 19 at midnight EST to cast your vote! We'll announce the winner on Friday, so please check back, fledglings <3
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RavenCon 2012 Walkabout!By Quail Cam QuailBellMagazine.com Here's a peek at some of the footage we got from putting a camera in a QB Crew member's pocket at RavenCon in Richmond, Virginia this past weekend: Read QB's preview of the event. The Breadcrumbs widget will appear here on the published site.
VCU R.A.M.S and 3D Archaeology By Julie DiNisio QuailBellMagazine.com As a kid, I'd always wanted to be an archaeologist, until someone informed me it was less exciting then it seemed. “Boring” is how they put it, actually. And I was pretty content with my decision up until I saw this Virginia Commonwealth University's Virtual Curation Unit's website. Nicknamed VCU R.A.M.S., short for Recording Archaeological Materials Systematically, the program is substantially more Quail Bell cool than VCU's identically named basketball team. A recent development in VCU academics, the Virtual Curation Unit is an offshoot of VCU's anthropology department and is headed by department professor Bernard Means. The program is in partnership with the U.S. Department of Defense's Legacy Program whose goal is to preserve American history and culture through 3D scanning and technology. And what better way to preserve America's true history then by focusing on American Indian artifacts? The (very small) R.A.M.S. Crew took a trip to the State Museum of Pennsylvania this past November where they checked out some artifacts, specifically a snake skeleton from an American Indian village and a Paleoindian point. Not terribly interesting at first thought. But what they do with the artifacts is when their work transcends boring. The Curation Unit scans the objects by means of some pretty sophisticated technology. The MakerBot Replicator works by “creating resin replicas of archaeological items.” Their Next Engine 3D Scanner digitally catalogues the images, giving a more lifelike appearance to the artifacts, allowing a wider audience the opportunity to experience history through their computers. Visit the Unit's blog to keep up with their latest endeavors and (if you're like me) vicariously live your archaeological life through them. The Breadcrumbs widget will appear here on the published site.
Ellen Schreiber's Teenage MermaidBy Jade Miller QuailBellMagazine.com I was a bit skeptical about reading something called Teenage Mermaid, especially with a less than promising front cover featuring some very silly-looking font. However, I ended up being pleasantly surprised. You may start the book for the giggles, as I certainly did, but you finish because of nostalgia.
Ellen Schreiber introduces us to Spencer, a 15-year-old surfer dude who is currently drowning. While he sinks deeper into the ocean, (with some pretty coherent thoughts for someone who’s dying, I might add!) he’s saved by a beautiful girl. This girl is described in a way that’s bordering on silly: “golden yellow and sun-fire orange hair…wonderful pink-lipped smile…angelic skin…and piercing ocean-blue eyes.” Spencer comes to on the beach, alive and unsure if what happened really happened or if it was all a dream…until he opens his hand and sees the girl’s locket. DUN DUN DUN! In the next chapter, you meet Waterlilly, a 15-year-old mermaid who just doesn’t feel like she fits in. She’s flighty, getting low grades at school when she bothers to show up and is obsessed with ‘Earthees.’ This obsession stems from a story about her great-grandfather, who was supposedly an Earthee who fell in love with Lilly’s great-grandmother, a mermaid. They had true love’s kiss and he turned into a merman – very intriguing for a young girl yearning to be in love. The locket Spencer now has was Lilly’s great-grandfather’s and Lilly will be in big trouble if her mother finds out it’s gone. Lilly spills the whole story about meeting the ‘Earthdude’ (no really, that’s what she calls him) to her BFF, Waverly. Lilly describes Spencer to her friend, and his description also seems a bit on the silly side, as Lilly sighs over his “deep-red clay-colored hair…chiseled jaw and soft melt-worthy lips.” Now, I remember the boys in my high school and none of the 15-year-olds had anything close to what could be called a chiseled jaw. But hey, this is fiction, right? The story continues with Spencer looking for Lilly to thank her and return her necklace and with Lilly needing to get her necklace back in order to stay out of trouble, she decides to go down to the depths of the ‘Underworld’ where all kinds of bad characters stray, including a…sea witch! Man, this sounds familiar. Lilly barters with Madame Pearl to get a potion to get legs to be human for a day. Did I mention that Lilly gets to this Underworld by way of dolphin? And that dolphin’s name is Bubbles? Cause yep, that happens. Lilly and Spencer meet up after a crazy day of Lilly trying out school and enjoy an afternoon on the pier and another soulful kiss, as Spencer is “so different…from every soul [Lilly] had ever encountered. [Lilly] felt a connection without…sharing words, a connection just sharing space.” Oh man, intense! Lilly rushes off to return to the ocean and Spencer is left behind. Cue another day and another visit to the sea witch, where you find out Madame Pearl went through the same thing Lilly did but didn’t go back to the man she loved. Lilly knows Spencer is her soulmate and Madame Pearl gives her another potion free of charge. I won’t spoil the ending, but c’mon! You know it ends happily. Teenage Mermaid may not be the most intellectually challenging for tween readers, but it certainly rings with a truth. The intensity that Spencer and Lilly feel for each other reminds me of my own high school relationships. There’s no dating or getting to know each other, just right away being together and being in love. Immature? Yes. Silly? Of course. Does it feel true? Absolutely. So, pick up Teenage Mermaid. It’s a great way to get a few giggles and a nostalgic smile or two. The Breadcrumbs widget will appear here on the published site.
Flying by NeedlepointBy Christine Stoddard QuailBellMagazine.com Is Mixteco marketable? Maybe. In the hearts of six creative Manchester women, the answer is hopefully. La Cooperativa de Artistas Mixtecas, a new artisan's cooperative comprised of five Mexican Amerindians, seeks to empower disenfranchised Mixteca women through crafting and entrepreneurship. Neither fluent in Spanish nor English, these women come from an isolated town in the Mexican state of Guerrero, where their people have been ostracized for centuries. Since the first Mixteco family came to Richmond, Virginia 15 years ago, the Mixtecos continue to keep to themselves in a trailer park in Southside. While the men typically work jobs in manufacturing and construction, the women tend to stay home, caring for their children. Unable to enter the same male-dominated, unskilled fields as their husbands, the women find themselves unemployed because of the language barrier. Mary Wickham, program director of the Sacred Heart Center/El Centro Sagrado Corazón sought to organize these women after observing their predicament. Many of the women take language and literacy classes at the community center or attend mass at its associated church of the same name. As Mary became more familiar with the women, she learned of their hobbies.
“They make beautiful things.” The artisans work in a traditional form of embroidery that depicts natural and religious symbolism rendered in fluorescent colors. The women specialize in servilletas, or cloth napkins, of various sizes. Smaller napkins are meant for individual place settings, while bigger ones may be used to keep food warm or add flair to the dinner table. Commonly, servilletas are wrapped around tortillas to keep them from going stale. A few of the co-op's servilleta designs include portraits of Mary and Jesus, rows of magenta squirrels, and songbirds soaring over neon flowers. The Breadcrumbs widget will appear here on the published site.
Historic Hotspot: Charlottesville, VA By Julie DiNisio QuailBellMagazine.com While Richmond, Virginia is home to a variety of history, nearby Charlottesville need not be forgotten in the quest for Virginia's most historical city. Charlottesville's dealings with the past are more quiet, perhaps genteel, exemplified in the town's subtle beauty. Named after Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz (wife of England's Kind George III), Charlottesville was chartered in 1762, and as far as historic must-sees go, there are several not to miss. Monticello, home of Thomas Jefferson, is the only home listed on the United Nations' World Heritage List. Tours are available all year long, in the house and on the extraordinary grounds. Nearby is Ash Lawn-Highland, the residence of James Monroe, Jefferson's neighbor, fellow president, and close friend. Charlottesville has another identity in the form of a university town. The University of Virginia was founded by Thomas Jefferson and continues to excel in academics. It is also famous for its Jeffersonian architecture and equally lovely lawns. You can also pay a visit to Edgar Allan Poe's dorm room, restored to the 1826 time period, when Poe briefly attended the university. Finally, if you'd rather take in history while appeasing your appetite, check out Charlottesville's Michie Tavern, circa 1784, which plays a dual role as a restaurant and museum. The Downtown Mall, one of the most renowned shopping districts in the U.S., also provides a quaint look at Charlottesville's Main Street. So when you've already explored all of Richmond's history and are ready to branch out into the rest of Virginia, consider Charlottesville, a subtle yet striking counterpart. The Breadcrumbs widget will appear here on the published site.
Spring Ahead in Your Wardrobe with Trends Fresh From the Runway By Jade Miller QuailBellMagazine.com Photo by The Fashion Police As a Quail Bell(e), Vogue is your fashion bible, but you use it more as guidelines than the be-all-end-all word of style. With the New York Fashion Week come and gone, a girl has to know what’s what to be on the cutting edge of fashion, and the chicest one walking down the street. Here’s what to embrace in order to be on trend this spring:
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