7/5/11

guest post from Manda: hometown tour

Hi guys--- or should I say hi y'all? I've never been to Texas, (unless you count airports) and never been to a Texas small town so I was excited when Manda said she'd be sharing about her sweet little spot in the Lonestar State. :)



Hi. I'm Amanda (or Manda Jane to some). You can find me over at Elf House Chronicles. I'm so excited to be guest posting for Erika today. I thought I would share with all you a little piece of the place I call home. 


I'm a small town girl these days. I grew up here in Pittsburg (notice no H at the end), Texas. Population 4,347. I moved away for about 10 years (where I was trying my hand at being a big city girl) - and said I would never move home. Well, never say never. I've been back almost 4 years now! Small town living isn't so bad! As I worked on this piece for today, I realized that my little town actaully is pretty interesting! I'm going to share some hightlights of my little Northeast Texas town with you.


 
Everything you've heard about Texas high school football is true. You've seen Varsity Blues? It's not far from the truth. We are the mighty Pittsburg Pirates and we take our football seriously. We are not fair weather fans and we support our boys win or lose! I only live a few blocks from the high school - so on football Friday nights I can hear the announcer, the crowd and the band all from my backyard (that's when I'm not actually at the game)!


 
I didn't really realize how many 'famous' things and people came from my little hometown until I started thinking about it. We make the world famous Pittsburg Hot Links here. So good that we've had President's request they be shipped to the White House. It's still a family run, 100 year old business (which I love), and you can find them in grocery stores across America. What is a hot link you ask? It is an all beef, hand tied link in natural casing! I can put down about 10 of them. Each person is different, but I eat mine with ketchup and hot sauce - mixed!


 
Pittsburg is also the home of Pilgrim's Pride Chicken, the second largest chicken producer in the world. This is both a highlight and a sad note at this point. Mr. Lonnie 'Bo' Pilgrim, who helped found the business in 1946 still resides in Pittsburg (even owns the bank my Dad works at), but the business sold out this last year. Sad because my little town and most of those around here relied heavily on this corporation for jobs and we've lost a lot of good people and family's who have had to move to find work. Mr. Pilgrim built this prayer tower years ago for the city and it's a beautiful place. People use it for weddings, pictures, Day of Prayer celebrations and just a place to go and sit and medidate. It was a nice gift to our city!


 
I don't want to bore you too much with our little 'hick' town! But we are the home of Carroll Shelby - known for making mustangs for Ford. We are also the birthplace of Cavender Boots - but you may have to be from Texas to know about Cavenders. And we like to boast we flew an airplane well before the Wright Brothers. The Rev. Burell Cannon built an airplane based on a passage in the Book of Ezekiel and was said to have flown 15 feet in the air for a good 50 yards. However, the craft was destroyed on it's way to the 1904 St. Louis World Fair. A replica sits in our Depot Musuem!



 
Well, thanks for taking the time to learn a little more about my corner of the world. It's nice to live in a place where everyone still waves when you pass them on the street, men still tip their hats and people pull over for funeral processions. I won't lie, I do miss Whole Foods, good sushi restaurants and anything that stays open past 10 p.m.! But, it's home - and that's what truly matters!


 
Lots of Love..
 
~Manda Jane~

Thanks for sharing Manda! I think small towns are fascinating-- the town I grew up in was population 30,000...and now I live in a city of 600,000. Someday I think, though, I'm going to end up living in a small town. :)
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4/15/11

live like a local -- Virginia from Geeky & Sassy



Welcome to number three in my April series, Live Like a Local. Last week we toured Osaka with Louana, the week before was a journey to Georgia with Megan. 

This week I'd like to introduce you to Virginia of Geeky & Sassy. Virginia is a friend I met through Indie Biz and not only is she friendly and encouraging but she has an adorable fresh shop with unique pillows--check it out!


Introduce yourself in a sentence or two (blog, shop, etc):
I'm a wife, mom of two, new etsy shop owner and maker of pillows and home decor fun.  I'm crazy clutsy (I fell down the library stairs at my university and never lived it down) and love to run, hike, drink coffee and eat chocolate.  
Where do you live? 
I live in Muskegon, Michigan....I've lived most of my years between here and Grand Haven, with a few in Nashville, TN  I grew up just south of here in Grand Haven, but moved when I got married.  Muskegon is an old lumbering town with a lot of history.  My Grandma would tell me stories of downtown theatres and shopping during the depression.  Downtown "Ski-town" has been working hard to make it "the place to be" like the other lake towns.  It's been a struggle, but a lot of people have been investing a lot of time and money and it's coming back slowly.  My husband and I actually got married in the downtown theatre on a Sunday afternoon (my church met in a high school at the time and I wasn't up for that ;-)



How do you spot a local?
In the summer locals are on bike, walking and not sunburned. (Tourists seem to think that the Lake Michigan beach's sun isn't as strong)  In the winter they're the ones driving by the out of state cars in the ditch.  

Where, in your opinion, is the best local place to eat? 
Bernie O's Pizza - he's famous for his Twist pizza.  Ah-maz-ing.  Really!  I'd get it shipped if I moved away again!  It's got garlic, ranch, cheese, chicken, bacon, jalapenos, yellow peppers and pineapple.  It sounds disgusting I know, but it's so not!
The Cheese Lady (pictured above) is a fun shopping experience and she has cheeses from all over the world.  She lets you try them and it's a fun time to stand there and pick out different ones.  It's really an experience!

Where do locals hangout?
It's hard to say, because we really do have the 4 seasons.  In the summer I would say walking the boardwalk by the lake, farmer's market, wandering downtown, going to the beach.   In the winter it would be the outdoors sports complex with ice hockey, a luge, cross country skiing or the mall to get away from the snow.  In the fall people like to head to the farms with pumpkin patches, apple cider and donuts.  
Why do you love being a local in your hometown?
Definitely the beach.  I take it for granted.  I can drive by one of the world's largest fresh water lakes everyday.  Coffee, a good book and sunshine at the lake, or kayaking with my hubby.

Thanks for sharing Virginia! I love cheese and visiting of The Cheese Lady sounds like fun!
Link up with your own hometown story or share it with me at rougeandwhimsy [at] gmail [dot] com.
 








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4/1/11

live like a local--Megan from Happy the Home


Today I'm introducing my new friend Megan (and fellow redhead!) from Happy the Home who blogs about life with her husband in Georgia and often shares delicious recipes. I've never been to the South so I was excited to hear about what it's like to live in her town:

I’m Megan.  The beautiful state of Georgia holds my roots.  My sweet husband Ty holds my heart.  My savior Jesus holds my yesterdays, today, and tomorrows. I am planner, a list maker, a bargain hunter, and lover of family, children, hot tea, reading, and sunshine. You can find me here.


Where do you live?
I live in the lovely state of Georgia. I truly love it here…and cannot think of any other place I would rather live. I live just 30 minutes north of the capital, Atlanta.

My hometown is Woodstock. Although I grew up all over north Atlanta. Downtown Woodstock is cute and fun; a combination of antique shops, an old ace hardware, new loft apartments and young hotspots. The city of Woodstock exudes southern charm and the simple life while combining it with modern elements.


 How do you spot a local?
Well, it is the south. College football apparently for a lot of locals is a way of life. Not really in our home, but in those surrounding (to each his own.) so if they are wearing red and black…they are a University of Georgia (and they are die hard fans) and if it is black and yellow they are Georgia Tech fan. Then you also have the local high school mascots and team colors that you learn to recognize. it is also braves country, so people have to represent that Atlanta “A”!
 Where, in your opinion, is the best local place to eat?
 It is a toss up between pure taqueria which serves fresh authentic Mexican food (seriously their guacamole and sangria are a-mazing) and The Right Wing Tavern (yes, you read that right.) the right wing tavern is located in downtown Woodstock’s historic train depot. Though when seeing its name you might find it controversial, it is actual very laid back while poking fun at the crazy world of American politics.


 One of the cool things about the menu at the right wing tavern is that the menu items are named after right wing politicians of past and present as well as including previous first ladies as names of salads. My favorite thing to order is B.L.F.G. sandwich which includes bacon, lettuce, and a fried green tomato with sweet tomato chutney and Creole ranch on white toast along with their fabulous fried pickles. You might be thinking greasy…but it is far from greasy. Soooo good!

Where do locals hang out?
 It depends on the time of year (or sport season). During the warm months (march-mid November) locals are at sporting events all over the place. Baseball parks, tennis courts, and soccer fields. the city of Woodstock has many festivals as well as concerts in the park throughout the spring and summer. the summer concert series kicks off on may 14th with Edwin McCain (the guy who sings “I’ll Be”.)

During the winter months (if we are lucky it is just decemeber-feb.) locals hangout at local coffee shops as well as the local Starbucks and caribou. And at home all huddled up because we are chickens when it comes to snow and ice.

Why do you love being a local in your hometown?
 It is where I learned to ride a bike. It is where we attend the fourth of July parade every year. Its where Ty and I fell in love. It’s where I was hired for my first job (yikes!) It’s where I know all the street names and where they end up. It’s where I learned to drive and where I graduated high school. It’s where I want to open my (dream) bakery. It’s a town filled with memories, hopes, and dreams. It’s home.

Isn't Megan great? Go check out her blog and if you're ever in Woodstock, stop by The Right Wing Tavern for some yummy food. :)

Link up with your own hometown story or share it with me at rougeandwhimsy [at] gmail [dot] com.








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3/30/11

live like a local-- the introduction



I haven't been too many places...
in fact I've never been farther east than Minnesota...(in the U.S. at least)
traveling is on my list of things to do but for now we can to live vicariously through everyone else.

Want to share what it's like to live in your hometown? Email me at rougeandwhimsy[at] gmail [dot] com with photos and answers to these questions:

Introduce yourself in a sentence or two:


Where do you live?


How do you spot a local?


Where, in your opinion, is the best local place to eat?


Where do locals hangout?


Why do love being a local in your hometown?

Please send up to 6 photos of yourself, and the fabulous local places in your town.

And check back Friday for the first location!

If you take part, please link back to rouge & whimsy. Thanks!






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