Cemetery Love: Bonaventure and the Day of the Dead

Note To My Dear Readers : Happy New Year!  This post was to have originally been posted on or around my birthday on November 2nd, shortly after Halloween and The Day of the Dead on November 1st.    I hope this post does not seem a macabre way to start a new year.  I confess, as you will see, I love cemeteries. I find peace there, along with art, beauty, and a connection to some of those I love dearly and no longer have.  One of my New Year's resolutions is to make an even more valiant effort to post more regularly. I cannot tell you how many posts I have planned and written in my head. Hopefully more will be making their way to the blog in 2014. I hope you will enjoy them as much as I do creating them.  XOXOXOX  MS

Beginning when I was very young, 

I have had an affinity for cemeteries. 

I find beauty and art in them,
and a way to connect with loved ones
no longer with us.

My grandmother Nanny used to take 

me and my sister Susan to the 

Lambert Cemetery

where my grandfather Frank Bell was buried.

Lambert Cemetery Gates
photo by Donald G. Dalrymple 

Susan and I would beg her to take us to visit 

Grandpa Bell, whom we never knew, 

as he died when my mother 

was a very young child.  

I often stop and wander the same Lambert Cemetery now, 
stopping on my trips back and forth to the Delta.
My visits bring back many memories of people I knew
when I was growing up in Lambert.

Grandpa Bell was already nearly 66 when my Mother was born.
That fact never ceases to amaze me.

Nanny now lies next to Grandpa Bell.
I miss her every day.

We would take 

violets or camellias or daffodils

we had picked in her yard

 to put on his grave.
(One time we took them in a little tin can
that had held blueberries for
 blueberry muffins.
Sometimes the little details 
we remember are odd!)

We would talk to him and ask Nanny questions about what he was like.

We actually got to know Grandpa Bell.

Then we would meander all over the cemetery and read all the tombstones -

the new ones, people me might have known, the old ones, often mossy and too old for us ever to have known, 

and especially the ones with
 little lambs on the top.

We knew they had died as children, some younger than we were at the time, 

so we were especially drawn to them.  

Susan now lives in 
Charleston, South Carolina, 
and this summer we got to again 
wander together in a cemetery - 
the historic Bonaventure in 
Savannah, Georgia. 

As you may remember, 
the Bonaventure and the 
Bird Girl statue that was 
originally located there
garnered huge exposure 
in the book and movie about 
 interior designer Jim Williams 
(more about that in another post!)

For the history of the Bonaventure Cemetery
Click HERE

I love the old trees, 
the hanging moss,
the statuary,
the mossy headstones,
the architectural details,
the feeling of peace from a long ago era... 

After my Bonaventure adventure,

I had been contemplating cemeteries all summer and into the fall.

One fall morning I awoke at my friend Madge's and realized 

a familiar book was 

staring at me from the

 bookcase by the bed.

I have the nearly identical book 

in my entry hall.

I was contemplating what I wanted to do for my birthday, and I took this as a sign . . .

The Brooks Museum 

in Memphis 

was having a party on my birthday,

a Day of the Dead party, 

a Dia de los Muertos fiesta,

and I wanted to go!

Original art by my artist and designer friend Kim Duease.
Exciting news coming soon about Kim's art!

It seemed most appropriate to celebrate 

my birthday and my life 

with 

my friends 

and to celebrate, remember, 

and pray for my loved ones who are gone. 

Dia de los Muertos focuses on gatherings of family and friends to pray for
and remember friends and family members who have died
and typically is celebrated around Halloween,
All Saints Day, and All Souls Day.
Go HERE for more information.

Black and white attire was de riguer.

Madge and I

of course began planning right away.

I love a dramatic eye, 

so black eyeshadow

was a must.

I had a special black and white 

French manicure.

When the day came, 

we started with drinks at the Peabody.

Billy, Madge, and Eric

Eric, Billy, and I

And then on to Brooks . . .

Madge and I couldn't resist a round with 

the Mariachi Band!

Madge and I at the party

As usual,

I concocted an outfit.

I donned all black and white from head to fingertip to toe.
My little secret of the evening - 
I could not find black lipstick, so I wore black eyeliner on my lips.

Til next year, I am still contemplating my Bonaventure photos

and Eudora Welty's 

"Country Churchyards"

is on my night table,

along with 

"Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil"

and 

LOTS MORE . . .

                                                                             

  

From a cemetery somewhere . . .
I leave you with the always poetic and here hauntingly and decidedly eerily Halloween words of my dear and beautiful friend George Cruz:


"She was a gypsy fortune teller, red cape and all. She loved to walk through the old cemetery every evening. She felt it kept her in touch with the other side. But this evening, she had the strange sensation of being followed. When she arrived at her caravan at the edge of the forest, she found a man waiting to have his fortune told. She sat on the forest floor to lay out her cards as the man stood above her, staring blankly at the cards she laid down. She told him of a torrid affair, where passion would bring danger and how he would be in peril of being trapped in a love triangle that would prove too treacherous to live out. The fortune teller looked up and stared deeply into the man's eyes and got a feeling so eerie, her hands froze. She told him it may lead to the death of him. The man looked at her in the most intense way and told her so softly, "You are too late. It has already come to pass. I died but two days ago." The Fortune Teller quickly stood up in fear from the forest floor, as the man vanished before her eyes."
GC

Do you like cemeteries?

Do you celebrate your loved ones 
who are gone?

photo credits: Lambert Cemetery Gate by Donald G. Dalrymple, Marilyn Trainor Storey, George Cruz

My Delta: Art in the City Apartment, Happy Birthday Delta Bohemian Guest House

It is no secret, 

I spend a lot of time in Clarksdale,
 in the Mississippi Delta,

 my birthplace and home of The Blues. 

I LOVE it here.
IT IS HOME.

I first blogged about

Clarksdale, Mississippi, in 2011 HERE, 

after I went up for a visit 

with my former Delta Academy classmate Madge Marley Howell of 

the Delta Bohemian.

Madge and I at the Delta Bohemian Gift Shop
233 Delta Avenue, Clarksdale, MS
We are donning Bohemian Love Wraps

Well, one thing led to another

 between my bird of a feather 

Madge and me, 

and we have worked on 

several exciting joint projects since then, with plans for lots more! 

We want to really make a difference in 

bringing the shine back to 

Clarksdale, once known as the 

"Golden Buckle" of the old Cotton Belt. 

I had these custom signs, using vintage hardware and assorted paraphernalia,
made for the Delta Bohemian and MS Design Maven
What a partnership!
You will see the Delta Bohemian one hanging in the Delta Bohemian Guest House living room

Last week, it was the  

Sunflower River Blues and Gospel Festival
again,

and Madge and I are kicking off 
another joint project.

I will be a permanent columnist on
The Delta Bohemian
with a column called 
"My Delta"
with a link to MS Design Maven
and Madge will do guest posts here 
from time to time.


I am kicking it all off with a series
called My Delta: Art in the City Apartment,
 with this post
celebrating the first birthday of the
Delta Bohemian Guest House. 

 Madge and her husband Billy Howell

decided last year in May to convert their 

early 20th century cook's house,
which was an apartment for years,  

into a 

a short term rental property
just two blocks from downtown Clarksdale.

The former apartment turned Delta Bohemian Guest House
during renovations

They were calling it the
 Delta Bohemian Guest House,

and I was thrilled to be asked to 

design the project.

We totally renovated the 
charming little ca.1920 house, 

bringing it back to life, 

in a fun, colorful, authentic, and VERY

Delta Bohemian style.

As I often do, I started work on the project 

by selecting a color palette that I felt was in keeping with the style and feel 

we wanted to convey.  
The colors were actually inspired by several Abstract Agrarian paintings which I had had for years and had been 
saving for the perfect project.
THIS was finally the one. 

At the time I had no idea that Madge had chosen new colors for her
 Delta Bohemian logo.

When I arrived in Clarksdale with my Benjamin Moore colors all 

picked out for Madge to look at, unbelievably they matched her new logo almost exactly.

The color scheme for the Delta Bohemian Guest House, all Benjamin Moore colors.
And all purchased from Winkel's in downtown Clarksdale.
You will not want to miss the Winkel's fabulous city apartment
coming soon!

The palette represented colors that remind me of my beloved Delta:

Greens, "Chartreuse" and "Grassy Fields", for the crops growing in the fields

Gold, "Semolina", for grains and the 
omnipresent golden sun glow

Denimy Blue/Gray, "Steep Cliff Gray", for the river waters, and the Blues

Red, "Rosy Apple" for the color of the old farm buildings I grew up with and 
the many deep red sunsets which we were told as children represented 
coming fair weather,
"Red Sky at Night Sailor's Delight" 

My first planning session in the Delta Bohemian Guest House.
Renovations were just getting under way, and I had selected several paintings, Abstract Agrarian ones, which echoed our bright, happy, Delta Bohemian color scheme.
Of course we toasted the colors with a glass of wine!

More of the colorful artwork I selected for the house and
 the vintage mushroom light we found for the breakfast area.

We knew we were on the right color path! 

We were, as Madge and I like to say, "Rolling"!

Many late nights, quite a few of which included both of us driving large 

trailers full of furnishings across 

county and state lines, 

Lots of architectural salvage and furniture loaded in Jackson and headed for Clarksdale.

Billy and my Daddy getting ready to load another trailer at my warehouse in Jackson.
Daddy was gone just a few days later.
I was so glad he got to meet Madge and Billy.

rendezvous in parking lots,

Jane Yandall Nalty, a Delta Princess, delivered the painting of her
 that famed portraitist and Madge's cousin
Marshall Bouldin had painted of her in the 1980's
You will see this painting in the "Delta Princess" room.

and text messages ad nauseum later,

we welcomed our very first guests to the 

Delta Bohemian Guest House just eight weeks later in time for last year's 
Sunflower Festival!

And now, unbelievably, a year has already whooshed by, and we celebrate the 
Delta Bohemian Guest House's 
first birthday.

Happy First Birthday during the Sunflower Festival,
Delta Bohemian Guest House!

The same wonderful Louisiana couple who were our first guests last summer
have returned.

Ralph and Rosalind
Our very first Delta Bohemian Guests for last year's Sunflower Festival
and our guests again for this year's Sunflower Festival 

The Living Room

Guided by the Abstract Agrarian art, we began
 to acquire funky, bohemian pieces for each of the rooms at the
 Delta Bohemian Guest House.
This stash was for the living room.

We found these chairs at Libby Story in Jackson.
This is one of Madge's favorite stores.

I found the rustic basket light for the living room at
one of my favorite antique markets.

We custom finished all the drapery hardware with
 Benjamin Moore's colored Deck Stain for a weathered finish

We hung the horseshoe over the front door for good luck.
Never hang it the other way.
Your good luck will drain away.

These wheel tables in the living room that Madge and I
 found in Memphis are some of my favorites,
My sister Susan, who collects hides, sent us the cowhide rug

Living Room art by local artist Joey Young
and a vintage ceiling tile representing the Delta Bohemian/MS Design Maven

These drapery panels are cotton dropcloth banded
with one of my bold Swedish linens.
The graphic pillows are also my Swedish linens.

One of the Agrarian Abstracts that inspired the colors in the house

The Kitchen and Breakfast Room

Claxton did just about everything we needed in the house 
as far as carpentry is concerned.

More of the inspiration art 

A vintage yellow industrial stool we picked for the kitchen

I used vintage aprons for the curtain over the kitchen sink, very vintage Delta.

More vintage aprons hang by the back door.
The breakfast drape is also one of my Swedish linens.
The vintage table was built by a Blues artist.

The red bucket full of cotton in the kitchen is a salute to the original owner's 
saloon in nearby Jonestown, which was called the Bloody Bucket.

The wise owl stands guard on the top of the refrigerator in front of
another Abstract Agrarian painting.
Notice that the ceilings are all painted the same colors
 as the walls to add height to the rather low ceilings.

The mirror by the back door reflects the vintage apron curtain,
It is one of a collection of vintage mirrors we used in the house.

Vintage Croquet in the Delta Bohemian Garden perhaps?

The Stairway

We painted on the runner.
I have plans to leopardize it.

The stairway lit at night is very dramatic and inviting.

We used many of the antique mirrors at the foot of the stairs.

Watch your head on the low clearance!
It is marked with fringe and an arrow.

The Master
"Green Acres"

Denis paints the "Green Acres" our Benjamin Moore Chartreuse from Winkel's

We were able to find a great vintage fixture for the "Green Acres" Master.

And vintage lamps

The old rake was my Daddy's, a gift from me
hung over the "Triple Haystack" painting

The authentic Delta Green Acres view from the Green Acres window

The Spare
"Delta Princess"

The inspiration painting and Swedish fabrics 
leaving the warehouse for the workroom and ultimately
the "Delta Princess" room

The Marshall Bouldin painting of 
Jane Nalty Yandall
that she gave us in the Brown's Framing parking lot rendezvous
She is the "Delta Princess"

A bit of an art aside hear,

 the famed Delta portraitist 

Marshall Bouldin III was Madge's cousin.

His first portrait, painted of Madge's 

great-grandfather Marshall Bouldin, hangs next door in Madge's house 

the Salone de Boheme. 

Madge's Great-Grandfather Marshall Bouldin
This painting of him hung in Delta Wholesale in Clarksdale for years
He was the President of the company

The hands in the painting are actually those of Marshall's father

Now back to the Guest House . . .

The Modern Swedish fixture in the 
"Delta Princess" room

The lace covered closet of the "Delta Princess" room
contains a treasure trove of vintage princess "dress up" clothes
and a few BIG surprises

We used many clever doorstops in the house!

The Bath

We played with many tile combinations for
 the completely renovated bath

Madge and I spent several hours selecting a new potty and hardware

Clarksdale is a MUSICAL place, full of love

We used lots of glass

And glass blocks to let some sun into the landlocked bathroom

The Garden

The RED Garden Gate so reminiscent of the old farm building red

Sunflower River  Blues Fest 2012 on the Delta Bohemian Guest House Patio

Hope you will come join us soon in Clarksdale, in the Mississippi Delta, on the banks of the Sunflower River at the
Delta Bohemian Guest House
for the full Delta Experience!
You MUST experience our ART!

I will be wearing 
OPI's Clarksdale nail polish
"Get in the Expresso Lane"
on my toes.

And of course my Delta Convict t-shirt or my
Bohemian Love Wrap.

I AM a Delta Convict
Delta Convict Tshirts available at the Delta Bohemian Gift Shop
on Delta Avenue in Clarksdale

Brought to you by the Delta Bohemian and the MS Design Maven

Click HERE for the
 Delta Bohemian Guest House

Click HERE for the Delta Bohemian

photo credits:  Marilyn Trainor Storey, Madge Marley Howell, Mary Brock Bobo