Tea With Friends
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While wandering around Old Town during Arts Alive! this past March, I ran into friend and fellow Cleaverite Regan Carney at her usual Second Saturday haunt – Gallery 220 on Main at Toulme.
We were talking about the fantastic variety of work from many visual and preforming disciplines when I said “wish I could do this.” Regan looked at me as if I was from another planet, then said: “Take a lesson!” |
Arts Alive!
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This article in no way attempts to cover all artistic disciplines taught in The Bay, or to do more than show an example or two in a few subjects taught. It's now part of the Cleaver's permanent Resource section and we'll be adding to it as more artists send in their own info!
A few notes:
Here are a few of our teaching artists:
A few notes:
- We’ve listed the artist, artistic medium(s), and the best way to contact her or him. If there is such, a web site is given. Also included is a brief statement about the artist.
- In a number of cases, there is a link to the Arts Alive 2015 website. You can go there, locate the artist and click on Show all to see a much more detailed statement from that person.
- If you're an artists and would like to be listed, send your information to [email protected]. It's a free listing.
- Last thing: Contact the artist directly to talk about lessons.
Here are a few of our teaching artists:
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Amira aka Chloe Harville - Middle Eastern dance. Send text to 228-671-1656. Lesson types: group lessons at Tree House Yoga or private instruction in the privacy of your own home. Skill levels: beginner, intermediate and advanced. See More on Amira at the Arts Alive! website.
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Regan Carney brings close to 30 years of working (and playing) with clay, humor and lots of patience to her classes.
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Regan G. Carney – clay, both functional and sculptural. Email to [email protected] or call 228-216-0210. Member of the Bay Artists’ Coop at 415 S. Neicaise Ave. in BSL. Classes for Individuals in a small group setting (5 or less), along with workshops of up to 10 people. Private group classes of up to 6 people can be arranged as can mentoring.
Regan takes the individual from beginner, intermediate, or master to as far as they want to go. She will teach a variety of techniques, beginning with basic hand-building or throwing, building on those techniques to create a rich personal vocabulary in the art and craft of clay working. |
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J. G. Densmore – drawing & painting in oils and acrylics. Call 504-913-3395. Offering drawing, and painting in oils or acrylics to beginners and experienced art students and artists - teens to adults. Private and group lessons may be arranged. Learn more about Janet’s work at the Arts Alive! website.
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Kat Fitzpatrick - drawing, encaustic (beeswax), or mixed media classes. Contact Kat at 352-281-7704 or email to [email protected]. Beginning, medium and advanced skill levels for adults or highly motivated teens. Kat teaches a system of shapes and techniques that can unlock your ability to see and render the beauty of your world. Encaustic medium is a luscious and ancient form of painting with molten wax that she has been using in her own work for 13 years. Kat travels and teaches workshops around the south as well as exhibiting work in multiple galleries in several states. See also Katfish Studio, 233 Boardman Avenue, BSL.
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Kathleen Johnson - acrylics, mixed media 3D art, web clay molds. Her website can be found at Backwater Studio. Email to [email protected] or phone 228-254-0284. Kathleen is available to demonstrate for groups, art shows and festivals with preference given to those that are promoting the arts to the youth. The classes are free, and, in some cases, the students will be able to take home their work depending on the medium she is working in.
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Joy S. Lyons – watercolors. Call 228-364-2132. Her studio is on Nicholson Avenue in Waveland. Offering private and group classes in watercolors for all levels. See her website for details. Also offering "Java and Joy" a 2-3 hour class for all skill levels where you can bring friend for a social gathering to complete one painting each. Coffee, tea, hot chocolate, and sweets are served.
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Karen Anne Renz – drawing and painting – Call 228-467-2110 or email to [email protected]. Fine art classes are held weekly in September through May. The Youth classes are after school. Adult Classes are offered mornings and evenings. The classes are taught using the concept of “Right Brain Drawing and Painting”. Students advance each year with more intense study to broaden and develop their ability and creativity. Also offering Sip, Dip-N-Stroke- an adult evening of wine and painting and Youth Summer Art Camp held during July for ages 5-14. See more on her web page or at Arts Alive!
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Sustainable Gardening - Old Concept, New Twist
With more people growing their own food, sustainable gardening makes sense. A look at the ways you can maximize your garden space.
- by Regan Carney
- by Regan Carney
The Bay St. Louis Community Garden - photo by Amy Rogers
| While my husband and I were sawing and lopping and clipping away a rampant clump of tall privet, wisteria, smilax and dewberry canes, I was thinking of the permaculture idea of a “food forest” or “forest garden." In just three years, the privet had grown to 15 feet, the cherry tree was about 4” in diameter and was now taller than the privet and the wisteria climbed all the way to the top of the cherry tree. The canes around the edges were thick and quite prolific. I will admit that the reason for cutting this all back (we kept the cherry) was so that the satellite dish which connects us to the internet and the TV could once again see the mother ship. | The Town Green |
squash in the BSL Community Garden, photo courtesy Amy Rogers
The sustainable agriculture part of the permaculture concept is that everything is interrelated in the natural world , so why not encourage that by planting fruit and nut trees close together and then plant shrubby berry producing plants around the trees and then plant viney gourds and pole beans next to that and then herbs and vegetables, and then encourage mushrooms under the foliage. Just like in my clump, there would be no undergrowth because there was virtually no sun on the ground in there.
This is not new. It has been and is being used by peoples all over the world that live on small plots of farmable land. The land can be extraordinarily prolific if all the needs of the plants can be met. Once that happens, there is little for the human to do but harvest and replant. A good example of this is Native American use of corn, beans and squash or the “Three Sisters:. The corn is planted first and once it has reached a certain height, the beans are planted and then a bit later, the squash is planted. The corn acts as a pole for the beans, the beans fix nitrogen in the soil, and the squash leaves keep the water from evaporating too quickly and shades out most of the weeds.
What is new is the use of technology and architecture and social concepts . I am not going to pretend that I understand all of this, but I can give you a reading list and encourage you to go to the next meeting of the sustainable agriculture group that has sprung up recently. Sustainable agriculture is a more understandable and concrete term than permaculture.
This is not new. It has been and is being used by peoples all over the world that live on small plots of farmable land. The land can be extraordinarily prolific if all the needs of the plants can be met. Once that happens, there is little for the human to do but harvest and replant. A good example of this is Native American use of corn, beans and squash or the “Three Sisters:. The corn is planted first and once it has reached a certain height, the beans are planted and then a bit later, the squash is planted. The corn acts as a pole for the beans, the beans fix nitrogen in the soil, and the squash leaves keep the water from evaporating too quickly and shades out most of the weeds.
What is new is the use of technology and architecture and social concepts . I am not going to pretend that I understand all of this, but I can give you a reading list and encourage you to go to the next meeting of the sustainable agriculture group that has sprung up recently. Sustainable agriculture is a more understandable and concrete term than permaculture.
Garlic in the BSL Community Garden, photo courtesy Amy Rogers
The definition of "permaculture" from Wikipedia : “A branch of ecological design, ecological engineering, environmental design, integrated water resources management that develops sustainable architecture, regenerative and self maintained habitat, and agricultural systems modeled from natural ecosystems.”
Oh yeah, that is very intellectual stuff. But we have to start somewhere, so sustainable agriculture is a good starting point. If you are interested in alternative materials for building a house, here is the resource. Have you thought of turning your pond into a fish farm that feeds lettuce that then feeds the fish? Here is where the ideas meet up. Just do a Bing search of Permaculture or Food Forest videos to become really excited by the tangible results that are possible in your backyard.
Resources:
Bill Mollison: Permaculture: A Designers’ Manual, Tagari Publications (1988)
David Holmgren: “The essence of Permaculture”, Holmgren Design Services (2006)
Robert Hart: Forest Gardening:cultivating an edible landscape, Chelsea Green Pub. Co. (1996)
Geoff Lawton: geofflawton.com/sq/15449-geoff-lawton
Oh yeah, that is very intellectual stuff. But we have to start somewhere, so sustainable agriculture is a good starting point. If you are interested in alternative materials for building a house, here is the resource. Have you thought of turning your pond into a fish farm that feeds lettuce that then feeds the fish? Here is where the ideas meet up. Just do a Bing search of Permaculture or Food Forest videos to become really excited by the tangible results that are possible in your backyard.
Resources:
Bill Mollison: Permaculture: A Designers’ Manual, Tagari Publications (1988)
David Holmgren: “The essence of Permaculture”, Holmgren Design Services (2006)
Robert Hart: Forest Gardening:cultivating an edible landscape, Chelsea Green Pub. Co. (1996)
Geoff Lawton: geofflawton.com/sq/15449-geoff-lawton
Early beans harvested from the BSL Community Garden, photo courtesy Amy Rogers
The Mississippi Gulf Coast Birding Trail - Napoleon by the Pearl
Just miles from Bay St. Louis, you can step into another world - and another time - at this isolated spot on the Mississippi birding trail.
- by Ellis Anderson
photography by P. Chris Christofferson and Ellis Anderson
- by Ellis Anderson
photography by P. Chris Christofferson and Ellis Anderson
photo by Chris Christofferson
| Getting up early when you’re going to work is one thing. Rising before dawn when you’re heading out on an expedition is another experience completely. Kid energy surged through me on this April morning as I raced the sun's rising to leave. Thankfully, my sensible adult part – although not fully awake - somehow remembered to double-check the items I’d be taking along: Camera, extra battery, hat, wading boots and a fully charged I-phone. I dressed in long, light nylon pants with lots of pockets and a light cotton long sleeve shirt I borrowed from my husband’s closet. | Beach to Bayou |
Chris at work
The pine forests of South Mississippi. From the Willis Vail collection of photographs that have only recently been brought to light. Click on the image to see more.
What became of the old growth trees that once grew on the coast. From the Willis Vail collection of photographs that have only recently been brought to light. Click on the image to see more.
The lightening sky revealed a heavy fog as I drove down to Waveland to pick up my partner in this morning adventure, photographer P. Chris Christofferson. She brought along her own camera equipment, mosquito repellent, several bottles of water and a picnic lunch.
She also gifted me with a nifty fluorescent orange vest. While it wasn’t hunting season, we didn’t want to be mistaken for wild boars by anyone else we might come across while trekking through the Hancock County wetlands. The two of us would be stalking birds, armed with cameras rather than guns. As another safety precaution, we'd also told our husbands where we were going, so in case we went missing for a few days, they might come and look for us.
We were headed to Napoleon (or Napoleonville, as it’s called on the Mississippi Gulf Coast Birding Trail map), the site of a centuries-old historic community on the east bank of the Pearl River. Its residents were resettled when Stennis Space Center was constructed in the 1960s, so now it’s officially “extinct.”
But 14,000 years or so before this place was named after a French emperor, Native American civilizations made this magical land their home, hunting camels and tigers and mastadons. Later cultures built earthworks and mounds that have survived thousands of years.
The incredible pine forests that sheltered eons of animals and humans – ones that must have rivaled the west coast redwoods - did not survive. They were completely razed by short-sighted lumber barons in the late 1800’s and early 1900’s.
“Completely” is not hyperbole in this case. To my knowledge, there’s not a stand of them remaining on the entire Mississippi coast (e-mail me if you know of one!). Yet the landscape near the Pearl still oozes with a primordial atmosphere. One wouldn’t be awfully surprised if a bison came lumbering through the underbrush.
She also gifted me with a nifty fluorescent orange vest. While it wasn’t hunting season, we didn’t want to be mistaken for wild boars by anyone else we might come across while trekking through the Hancock County wetlands. The two of us would be stalking birds, armed with cameras rather than guns. As another safety precaution, we'd also told our husbands where we were going, so in case we went missing for a few days, they might come and look for us.
We were headed to Napoleon (or Napoleonville, as it’s called on the Mississippi Gulf Coast Birding Trail map), the site of a centuries-old historic community on the east bank of the Pearl River. Its residents were resettled when Stennis Space Center was constructed in the 1960s, so now it’s officially “extinct.”
But 14,000 years or so before this place was named after a French emperor, Native American civilizations made this magical land their home, hunting camels and tigers and mastadons. Later cultures built earthworks and mounds that have survived thousands of years.
The incredible pine forests that sheltered eons of animals and humans – ones that must have rivaled the west coast redwoods - did not survive. They were completely razed by short-sighted lumber barons in the late 1800’s and early 1900’s.
“Completely” is not hyperbole in this case. To my knowledge, there’s not a stand of them remaining on the entire Mississippi coast (e-mail me if you know of one!). Yet the landscape near the Pearl still oozes with a primordial atmosphere. One wouldn’t be awfully surprised if a bison came lumbering through the underbrush.
Chris and I were using the new Mississippi Coast birding trail on-line guide. The Napoleonville site is one of the places recommended for year round observation of several “sought after species.” The sighting of one of these birds scores major points in the serious bird-watching world. Both Chris and I are novice bird-watchers, so approached the morning’s expedition with an open mind.
Good thing. While we didn’t succeed in getting any spectacular photos of birds, we both reveled in having a good excuse to go tromping around in the woods, immersing ourselves in the natural world and for that morning at least, becoming just two more creatures in a forest swarming with life. The stress of our everyday lives melted away. We found ourselves in a different world, one where deadlines and obligations became meaningless.
Good thing. While we didn’t succeed in getting any spectacular photos of birds, we both reveled in having a good excuse to go tromping around in the woods, immersing ourselves in the natural world and for that morning at least, becoming just two more creatures in a forest swarming with life. The stress of our everyday lives melted away. We found ourselves in a different world, one where deadlines and obligations became meaningless.
 Click on the image for a larger version of the map |  Napoleon aerial detail, click for higher resolution |
Napoleon is part of the Mississippi Gulf Coast Birding Trail and a highlight of the the Hancock County Scenic Byways.
Here’s a quick run-down on what to expect at Napoleon if you’d like to take your own birding expedition.
Head north on Hwy 607, past the 1-10 Exit 2 interchange, toward the Stennis Space Center complex gate. You’ll see a brown sign pointing to the Napoleon turnoff, turn left there. Eventually, you’ll come to sign pointing to another turn-off to your right, onto a gravel/dirt road. The times I’ve been out there, the road has been in pretty good condition, so most cars ought to be able to handle it with ease.
Here’s a quick run-down on what to expect at Napoleon if you’d like to take your own birding expedition.
Head north on Hwy 607, past the 1-10 Exit 2 interchange, toward the Stennis Space Center complex gate. You’ll see a brown sign pointing to the Napoleon turnoff, turn left there. Eventually, you’ll come to sign pointing to another turn-off to your right, onto a gravel/dirt road. The times I’ve been out there, the road has been in pretty good condition, so most cars ought to be able to handle it with ease.
Slideshow images by P. Chris Christofferson
 Chris Christofferson  Chris Christofferson | Once you’re on the shell road, the first offshoot to the right leads to the old Napoleon Cemetery, a picturesque spot with oaks, Spanish moss and worn tombstones – and some new ones too. The morning we explored, the fog was just beginning to lift, but the combination of mist and a historic cemetery tempted us both. Chris and I slipped through the graveyard, a sense of reverence shrouding us both when we walked through the gate. Miles from any other human, we still spoke in whispers, absorbing the mystical atmosphere. The cemetery road is just a short stub, so we followed it back out and turned toward the Pearl River boat launch. We passed several small ponds marked with bird signage. They’re evidently related to abandoned gravel pits hidden by the woods. There’s a well-maintained fishing pier on the banks of the Pearl and a boat launch that’s popular with local fishermen. After exploring the area and taking several photographs, we left the car in the shelled lot and headed back up the road. Just a stone’s throw away, between the river and the ponds, is one of the most picture perfect swamps we’d ever seen. It hummed with sound and drew us back irresistibly. |
Since the bog is right by the side of the unpaved road, it’s easy to observe without wading in. Cypress rise up on their knees from the surface of water that’s not moving, but is certainly not stagnant – it’s rippling with life invisible to human eyes. The symphony of sounds generated from this small patch of swamp silenced our conversation. Nothing we could say to each other could be as fascinating as the calls and cries emerging from the marsh.
Our bird-photography score for the day may have been exceedingly low, yet we were finally rewarded with the sight of a prothonotary warbler. Although I recognized it from photographs, it was the first live one I’d ever seen. At once, I understand the thrill of bird-watching. Before this trip, I would have rated the excitement of the hobby as being slightly above the level of glacier racing. The yellow bird flited from limb to limb before us and refused to pose for our cameras, but that didn't dampen our joy.
The things that did model for our cameras were the showy jungle-like flora of the area. Chris ended up snagging the Awesome Shot of the Day, capturing the image of a bee gathering nectar from a splendid white bloom. I couldn't identify either the plant nor the insect. It didn't seem to matter.
Our morning ended when I was impaled in the thumb by a rusty fishhook while pushing myself up from a pond bank. Yet, even the possibility of tetanus had me dragging my heels, reluctant for our adventure to end. We added one item to carry in the car for future expeditions: a first aid kit.
Leaving near noon, we were still besotted by the swamp experience. On the way home, we detoured and checked out the trail-head of the Possum Walk Heritage Trail in Logtown and the Ansley birding site, scouting them out for future expeditions – and for future editions of the Cleaver.
Read the first article in this series about the Mississippi Coastal Birding Trail in Hancock County.
Tips for beginning bird-watchers
Our bird-photography score for the day may have been exceedingly low, yet we were finally rewarded with the sight of a prothonotary warbler. Although I recognized it from photographs, it was the first live one I’d ever seen. At once, I understand the thrill of bird-watching. Before this trip, I would have rated the excitement of the hobby as being slightly above the level of glacier racing. The yellow bird flited from limb to limb before us and refused to pose for our cameras, but that didn't dampen our joy.
The things that did model for our cameras were the showy jungle-like flora of the area. Chris ended up snagging the Awesome Shot of the Day, capturing the image of a bee gathering nectar from a splendid white bloom. I couldn't identify either the plant nor the insect. It didn't seem to matter.
Our morning ended when I was impaled in the thumb by a rusty fishhook while pushing myself up from a pond bank. Yet, even the possibility of tetanus had me dragging my heels, reluctant for our adventure to end. We added one item to carry in the car for future expeditions: a first aid kit.
Leaving near noon, we were still besotted by the swamp experience. On the way home, we detoured and checked out the trail-head of the Possum Walk Heritage Trail in Logtown and the Ansley birding site, scouting them out for future expeditions – and for future editions of the Cleaver.
Read the first article in this series about the Mississippi Coastal Birding Trail in Hancock County.
Tips for beginning bird-watchers
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May kicks off the summer season in the Bay, with lots of events to celebrate. Popular benefits include Habitat's annual Women Build, a crawfish cookoff (Battle for the Paddle) for Hope Haven, and the St. Clare's Seafood Festival.
Art and music lovers will mark their calendars for the Second Saturday Artwalk, a 100 Men Hall performance, Fourth Sunday at Four and Mr. Atticus's Night Market. Are you ready? |
Upcoming Events
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5/6 - 5/9 Wednesday - Saturday
The annual Women Build event is filled with lots of fun, food, and hard, but satisfying work. No experience necessary! Join for one day or for all four for just $15.00.
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Women Build
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5/9 - Saturday
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Joes & Pros Trout Tournament
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5/9 - Saturday
Don't miss Second Saturday Hot Spots The French Potager, (213 Main Street) and LuLu's (126 Main Street).
Click here for full Second Saturday details! |
Second Saturday Artwalk -
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5/16 - Saturday
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Battle for the Paddle
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5/16 - Saturday
The event is being held outside on Buoy’s grounds and on the beach below the bar, so Buoy Fest organizers are encouraging festival-goers to dress in Hawaiian-style beach wear, leis and grass skirts and to bring along beach chairs, beach blankets and beach balls.
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Buoy Fest
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5/21 - Thursday
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Business After-Hours - California Drawstrings
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5/22/Friday - 5/24/Sunday
In addition to the festival, the 4th annual St. Clare Seafood Festival 5K race will take place on the Waveland boardwalk on Saturday, May 23rd at 8:00am. You can sign-up for the 5K race on Friday at the festival from 6:00pm-8pm, in front of the St. Clare Church on Saturday, May 23rd starting at 7:00am, or on Active.com.
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St. Clare Seafood Festival
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5/24 - Sunday
Fr. Ron & Friends is an acoustic folk group led by Fr. Ron Clingenpeel, an Episcopal priest. Relying on the strong tradition of American folk music, this high energy group reaches back to play some of the most beloved songs of the 20th century in a Pete Seeger Singalong. Everyone who comes gets to join in!
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Fourth Sunday at Four
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5/29 - Friday
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Mr. Atticus's Night Market
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334 Terrace Avenue, Waveland
This month's home is located in the Bay's sister city of Waveland. It may be tiny, but it dazzles with star-power in "Tiny House Nation!"
- photos and story by Ellis Anderson
- photos and story by Ellis Anderson
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Although they call it a tiny house, its visual impact is enormous. Any passerby can see that this is a home shining with star power.
Rising from pilings and tucked into the boughs of a live oak tree, the sleek new house looks like it could be featured in some upscale architectural magazine. Or on a hit television show. One like “Tiny House Nation.” That impression would be right on target. Just a few weeks ago, in April, an entire one-hour episode of Tiny House Nation featured the construction of this very special home (you can watch the entire episode here!). The episode and the house at 224 Terrace made a splash, locally and nationally. It may even have kicked off a new concept for redeveloping Waveland. |
At Home in the Bay
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It all started with Pye Parson, a landscape designer who lived in Waveland pre-Katrina. She owned the popular Sol Gardens on Main Street in Old Town Bay St. Louis. Like thousands of coast residents, Pye and her family evacuated from their Waveland home in 2005, believing they’d be returning in a few days.
After the storm, nothing but a set of brick steps remained. The family relocated to Birmingham for son Quen’s schooling. He was five at the time. Although, they struggled together through the abrupt adjustment, the couple’s marriage ended eventually, along with Pye’s hopes of living on the Mississippi coast. Yet, she found herself unable to completely relinquish the Waveland dream even though she remarried in recent years and built a busy career as a real estate broker.
Realizing the costs of rebuilding on the coast had risen because of fortification techniques and elevation requirements, she began to research tiny house living. The trend to build smaller has been blossoming on the international scene for decades and has recently caught fire in the U.S. The environmental impact of living small appealed to Pye, as did the lower rebuilding costs.
One evening, while doing more tiny house research on computer, Pye ran across a call for people wanting to build a small house as part of a major network TV show. Pye wrote a letter explaining her situation and two days later, heard back from New York. Thus began a six-week series of interviews during the screening process. Finally, the producers selected Pye, her husband Roald and son Quen, to be featured in a first-season episode.
After the storm, nothing but a set of brick steps remained. The family relocated to Birmingham for son Quen’s schooling. He was five at the time. Although, they struggled together through the abrupt adjustment, the couple’s marriage ended eventually, along with Pye’s hopes of living on the Mississippi coast. Yet, she found herself unable to completely relinquish the Waveland dream even though she remarried in recent years and built a busy career as a real estate broker.
Realizing the costs of rebuilding on the coast had risen because of fortification techniques and elevation requirements, she began to research tiny house living. The trend to build smaller has been blossoming on the international scene for decades and has recently caught fire in the U.S. The environmental impact of living small appealed to Pye, as did the lower rebuilding costs.
One evening, while doing more tiny house research on computer, Pye ran across a call for people wanting to build a small house as part of a major network TV show. Pye wrote a letter explaining her situation and two days later, heard back from New York. Thus began a six-week series of interviews during the screening process. Finally, the producers selected Pye, her husband Roald and son Quen, to be featured in a first-season episode.
Although Pye had found a Waveland builder she wanted to work with, she didn’t have plans. Her sister’s husband, Birmingham architect Bruce Lanier (Standard Creative http://www.standardcreative.com/home.html worked overtime at his office and gifted Pye with a set of plans, managing to tick off everything on her “must-have” list: lots of light, a large bathroom area, a space for Quen and his computer set up. The entire structure would be built to satisfy fortified coastal building codes.
During the following weeks, Pye and her family became used to being interviewed and having camera crews filming every reaction and casual comment – both in their Birmingham home and at the site of the Waveland build.
Pye and the producers spent the next year wrestling with roadblocks like zoning, variances and builders who were reluctant to vary from the norm. The house was smaller than regulations – ones put in place in a different era when size equated with quality - allowed. Because of the delays, the house ended up being featured in season three instead of season one.
But finally, in January, Pye and her family were introduced to their new Waveland home. The cameras were running the first time they entered the finished house and captured the family’s excitement and awe.
“When we walked into the house, we hadn’t seen the interior before,” Pye says. “ We were totally surprised. The show really blew it out of the water with the efficient use of space. Plus, I love the way the elements of tile, wood, and metal all work together. “
During the following weeks, Pye and her family became used to being interviewed and having camera crews filming every reaction and casual comment – both in their Birmingham home and at the site of the Waveland build.
Pye and the producers spent the next year wrestling with roadblocks like zoning, variances and builders who were reluctant to vary from the norm. The house was smaller than regulations – ones put in place in a different era when size equated with quality - allowed. Because of the delays, the house ended up being featured in season three instead of season one.
But finally, in January, Pye and her family were introduced to their new Waveland home. The cameras were running the first time they entered the finished house and captured the family’s excitement and awe.
“When we walked into the house, we hadn’t seen the interior before,” Pye says. “ We were totally surprised. The show really blew it out of the water with the efficient use of space. Plus, I love the way the elements of tile, wood, and metal all work together. “
The show’s producers modified the original plan somewhat to meet their own criteria, but Lanier’s sophisticated beach-style comes through loud and clear. Fourteen-foot ceilings in the main living and bedroom area make the 576 square foot house sing with spaciousness and light.
Pye says that her favorite part of the new house is the master bedroom.
“I’m up in the tree with the birds,” she says. “And at sunset, when the light comes in from the West, it’s amazing.”
The bathroom runs a close second. Pye had wanted a spa-like feel and clever use of the square footage gave her just that.
“You give up a lot of space and privacy in a tiny house,” she says. “So you need to splurge elsewhere. Once you close the door to the bathroom, you’re in your own world, with a big tiled shower. It’s amazing.”
The kitchen, according to Pye, is a model of efficiency and a cinch to clean – from top to bottom, she can have it sparkling in just twenty minutes. The loft area includes a small office space for Pye and Quen’s living area with a custom –built computer desk.
The custom feature that’s a design and efficiency hit are the “barn doors,” that separate the living area from the master bedroom. The massive doors are hung from the top and slide easily into place on tracks. One of the doors contains a fold-down table, while the other serves as storage for two bench-style seats. When the family’s hosting a dinner party, the living area transforms instantly into a dining room.
Two distinct outdoor living areas lay claim to space beneath the house and add hundreds of square feet to the home.
“In the beginning, one of our hardest decisions was where to eat our meals,” Pye says. “We have several outdoor spaces that are really unique. The balcony right off the kitchen has become our favorite place for breakfast, while we tend to have most of our dinners in the living room beneath the house. Then we’ll enjoy a drink around the fire pit in the evening."
Although the family hasn’t been able to leave Birmingham as quickly as they’d planned due to jobs and school for Quen, they’re hoping to move down to the coast full time as soon as practical. In the meantime, they're spending as much time in the house as possible.
Has the family found disadvantages in living small? Turns out the main one is acoustical. Since the house is so small, Pye and Roald can sometimes hear night-owl Quen when he’s up late working on his computer. They’ve solved the problem by creating sound panels that Quen can easily take up and put down.
How about the news that the city of Waveland is considering welcoming developers who want to build more tiny houses?
“Why use an old model? The real opportunity is often in being different,” says Pye. “There’s a huge body of people who miss the “old Florida” and Waveland can offer that experience.”
“I’m excited to be back. The people are wonderful, the landscape is beautiful and Waveland is in the position of being a really cool, eco-friendly place. Our asset is this incredible natural world. You don’t have to invest any money. The beauty’s already here. You just have to promote it.”
Pye says that her favorite part of the new house is the master bedroom.
“I’m up in the tree with the birds,” she says. “And at sunset, when the light comes in from the West, it’s amazing.”
The bathroom runs a close second. Pye had wanted a spa-like feel and clever use of the square footage gave her just that.
“You give up a lot of space and privacy in a tiny house,” she says. “So you need to splurge elsewhere. Once you close the door to the bathroom, you’re in your own world, with a big tiled shower. It’s amazing.”
The kitchen, according to Pye, is a model of efficiency and a cinch to clean – from top to bottom, she can have it sparkling in just twenty minutes. The loft area includes a small office space for Pye and Quen’s living area with a custom –built computer desk.
The custom feature that’s a design and efficiency hit are the “barn doors,” that separate the living area from the master bedroom. The massive doors are hung from the top and slide easily into place on tracks. One of the doors contains a fold-down table, while the other serves as storage for two bench-style seats. When the family’s hosting a dinner party, the living area transforms instantly into a dining room.
Two distinct outdoor living areas lay claim to space beneath the house and add hundreds of square feet to the home.
“In the beginning, one of our hardest decisions was where to eat our meals,” Pye says. “We have several outdoor spaces that are really unique. The balcony right off the kitchen has become our favorite place for breakfast, while we tend to have most of our dinners in the living room beneath the house. Then we’ll enjoy a drink around the fire pit in the evening."
Although the family hasn’t been able to leave Birmingham as quickly as they’d planned due to jobs and school for Quen, they’re hoping to move down to the coast full time as soon as practical. In the meantime, they're spending as much time in the house as possible.
Has the family found disadvantages in living small? Turns out the main one is acoustical. Since the house is so small, Pye and Roald can sometimes hear night-owl Quen when he’s up late working on his computer. They’ve solved the problem by creating sound panels that Quen can easily take up and put down.
How about the news that the city of Waveland is considering welcoming developers who want to build more tiny houses?
“Why use an old model? The real opportunity is often in being different,” says Pye. “There’s a huge body of people who miss the “old Florida” and Waveland can offer that experience.”
“I’m excited to be back. The people are wonderful, the landscape is beautiful and Waveland is in the position of being a really cool, eco-friendly place. Our asset is this incredible natural world. You don’t have to invest any money. The beauty’s already here. You just have to promote it.”
Al Lawson - On Design
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"Cotton, the fabric of our lives." Do you remember that commercial? It always elicited memories from my childhood of running through the cotton sheets my mother was hanging on the clothes line in our backyard on a warm summer day. Like sails flapping over a sea of grass. Perhaps that is how my life-long love of fabrics began!
Now I have the privilege of working everyday with fabrics and introducing them to others. I have the joy of sharing what colors and textures can do to change an environment and influence others. According to research done by the Institute for Color Research (CCICOLOR), "people make a subconscious judgment about a person, environment, or product within 90 seconds of initial viewing and that between 62% and 90% of that assessment is based on color alone." Color is powerful. Fabrics carry that color. Cheers to what colors and fabrics can do to infuse our world with good feelings! |
Landing For Lunch
Take in an "air show" with your breakfast or lunch at the cafe in the new terminal building of Stennis International Airport.
- story and photos by Ellis Anderson
- story and photos by Ellis Anderson
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The Cafe at Stennis International Airport
Jet-A-Way-Café operated by Million Air 7250 Stennis Airport Rd, Kiln, MS 39556 (228) 463-2389
If your idea of dinner and a show means going out to a restaurant and a movie, you may want to switch things up and take a lunch date out to the Stennis Airport, where you’ll have a bird's eye view of the comings and goings of all sorts of aircraft while you eat.
Stennis airport is located right off of Highway 603, as you’re heading north from the coast. While it carries the same name as the enormous government and corporate “city” that thrives on the western edge of Hancock County, it’s located much closer to Bay-Waveland - just off interstate 10, north of MS exit 13. |
Coast Cuisine
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There’s not much signage, so if it’s your first time visiting, drive past Hancock High School on your right and keep straight ahead. Park in the lot in front of the grey and glass building, then walk through doors into a lobby that could double as the ground floor of a big-city boutique hotel.
But, yes, you are still in Kiln, Mississippi. And the name Stennis International Airport is not a delusion of grandeur. Although there’s no commercial international flights traveling to and fro – yet – corporate, cargo, and military aircraft from all over the world frequent the airport. Built to handle emergency landings for the Space Shuttle, airport director Bill Cotter says that the runway is one of the longest in the Southeast, stretching for over a mile and a half. And it’s strong enough to handle super-sized aircraft like the Antonov, the largest cargo plane in the world.
Downstairs in the new air terminal, there are two chic lounges, a large corporate meeting room, a small, but posh, theatre and even small private rooms where travelers can nap in overstuffed recliners.
Upstairs the entire side of the building facing the runway is glass. In fact, it’s designed with the glass projecting outward at an angle, so observers watching the runway can lean forward in their excitement and not a nose will be broken.
While more offices and meeting spaces flank the central open staircase, the lively part of the building is the corner café.
But, yes, you are still in Kiln, Mississippi. And the name Stennis International Airport is not a delusion of grandeur. Although there’s no commercial international flights traveling to and fro – yet – corporate, cargo, and military aircraft from all over the world frequent the airport. Built to handle emergency landings for the Space Shuttle, airport director Bill Cotter says that the runway is one of the longest in the Southeast, stretching for over a mile and a half. And it’s strong enough to handle super-sized aircraft like the Antonov, the largest cargo plane in the world.
Downstairs in the new air terminal, there are two chic lounges, a large corporate meeting room, a small, but posh, theatre and even small private rooms where travelers can nap in overstuffed recliners.
Upstairs the entire side of the building facing the runway is glass. In fact, it’s designed with the glass projecting outward at an angle, so observers watching the runway can lean forward in their excitement and not a nose will be broken.
While more offices and meeting spaces flank the central open staircase, the lively part of the building is the corner café.
The particular Friday lunchtime, the Jet Away Cafe was filled with every imaginable type of uniform from the armed services, as well as corporate types in business attire. Each of the ten or so tables has a great view of the runway. The types of aircraft landing and taking off on the runway varied as much as the uniforms in the dining area – supersonic jets for training NASA astronauts (in fact, two were departing as our group arrived) to sleek corporate jets, to lumbering cargo aircraft. It’s a mesmerizing sight for all ages.
The café is open from 8am to 3. The breakfast menu is served to 10:30am. The lunch menu kicks in from 10:30am - 3pm. It’s a limited menu (you can download it at the end of this article), but the food is so good, pilots with assignments allowing them to pick their destination are flying into the Stennis Airport at lunch time. They’re enjoying the fried or grilled shrimp (in a plate or as a po-boy), catfish, salads and gumbo. Yep. Authentic, made from scratch gumbo. There’s also homemade mac and cheese and crispy sweet potato fries as side options to regular fries.
But don’t expect to be looking at your food very much while you’re eating. The astonishing variety of jets and planes zipping in and out before you is guaranteed to arrest your attention, making the lunch hour fly in more ways than one.
The café is open from 8am to 3. The breakfast menu is served to 10:30am. The lunch menu kicks in from 10:30am - 3pm. It’s a limited menu (you can download it at the end of this article), but the food is so good, pilots with assignments allowing them to pick their destination are flying into the Stennis Airport at lunch time. They’re enjoying the fried or grilled shrimp (in a plate or as a po-boy), catfish, salads and gumbo. Yep. Authentic, made from scratch gumbo. There’s also homemade mac and cheese and crispy sweet potato fries as side options to regular fries.
But don’t expect to be looking at your food very much while you’re eating. The astonishing variety of jets and planes zipping in and out before you is guaranteed to arrest your attention, making the lunch hour fly in more ways than one.
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Download the Jet Away Cafe menu!
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