Birthday Weekend

Thanks to my friends and family, I had an awesome birthday weekend. Highlights included brunch at Sun in My Belly, a movie at Starlight Six Drive-In, an amazing trip to Southern Comfort (in spite of its name, it's not a strip club), and a Braves game which included a free concert by the Avett Brothers afterward.

Here is some of the awesome stuff I got:

Lands End Oxford Cloth Sheets. It's going to be like sleeping in a shirt. Obviously superior to t-shirt sheets.

Amazing monogrammed koozies courtesy of my friend, Shannon. I might just throw away all the rest of my koozies.

While technically not a gift, my buddy, Whit, picked up a hat for me at the Masters.

From Bearings: "Curators vs. Consumers"

Bearings is a website and bi-weekly email that bills itself as "A Southern Lifestyle Guide for Men." I look forward to it showing up in my mailbox every other Thursday because it is always interesting, always entertaining, and always well done. They usually have five or six short articles that cover things like clothing, music, food, and activities, and are told from a Southern male's perspective. I particularly credit them for turning me on to The Civil Wars and Heirloom Market BBQ. They were originally based in Atlanta, but have now expanded to Nashville (Paul from Dream of Perfection helps write for them up there). If you live in one of those cities, be sure to visit their website and sign up for their email list.

I received today's email and particularly enjoyed a little piece that they wrote on Curators vs. Consumers. It summed up a lot about how I feel about buying things, particularly nowadays. I have posted it below, without their permission, but I hope they won't mind.

Curators vs. Consumers

We often think of the word curator in the context of someone responsible for acquiring, selecting and editing a collection for a museum or an art gallery. A consumer is a more frequently used label, often in the news describing the average American's spending and purchasing power. Aside from these definitions, how we see the world and live out our lives can be put in the context of being a curator or a consumer.

Think of it from this perspective: On one side is the man who is selective, intentional, thoughtful and on a quest to find things of greater value. On the other, there’s a mindset that defaults to thinking primarily of quantity, disposability, impulsivity and seeking more for more's sake. If we are living in an effort to make tomorrow better than yesterday, making it all count is part of the process of maturity and growth. How we use our time, money and relationships should look more like a curator than a consumer. More like an active overseer of meaning.

We are personally responsible for the safeguarding of our lives and we choose how we make the most of it. A curator asks: Am I making intelligent purchases, buying items that last, or just buying something because it's on sale with little regard for its quality? Am I continually simplifying my surroundings and getting rid of what I don't need or am I hoarding and cluttering up my life with stuff? Does this (experience, item or person) make me a better man?

A key part of living like a curator is defining what's valuable to you. We learn and refine this over time, but it needs to be a way of life and a process of thinking. We've been taught that the all-you-can-eat buffet approach was the standard. Yet, often with the one-size-fits all mentality you pay too much for poor quality, consuming more than is healthy - all because the sales pitch claimed you would be getting "more for the money." More shouldn't be our standard any longer. Life is a prized collection, make it unique and make the most of it. Be a discerning, interested curator and not a heedless, indifferent consumer.

Review of Knockaround Sunglasses

UPDATE: After reading this, seem my updated review here.

If you're like me, you've seen the ads on Total Frat Move, and other websites, for Knockaround sunglasses. Given their low price ($7.00 per pair for Originals, $14.00 per pair for Premiums) and large variety of styles, they've looked pretty appealing. However, the gigantic "Knockaround" logo on the side has really been a big turnoff. For a while now I've wondered just how good or bad they really are. A quick search of the internet did not reveal any real reviews, though.

After they started offering several pairs with mirrored lenses, though, I decided to bite the bullet and order a couple of pairs (I'm a sucker for mirrored lenses). I figured I would try to scrape the logos off, and if I was successful, I'd have two decent pairs of cheap sunglasses. If I couldn't, I'd only be out $30.

Due to the fact that they could almost be mistaken for Oakley Frogskins, I got a pair of the Black/Sunset and Frosted Grey/Red Sunset. It was nice to see that Knockaround gives you several options for shipping, with both USPS and UPS. Mine arrived after a few days and I opened them up. I was a bit surprised at how light they were, but they seemed pretty well made (having purchased a couple of $10 knock-off Wayfarers on Ebay, the quality was actually very good in comparison). While they didn't seem like they'd fall apart, I did have some reservations about how much abuse the frames could take due to the type of plastic they were made from.

This is how the grey pair looked with its logo (I should note that I had already started scraping before I took the picture):

Using an old trick that I'd heard about on the Ask Andy forums, I used a penny to easily scrape off the logo on the grey pair. I basically got all of it off. Here is what they looked like when I got done:

Here is how the black pair initially looked:

I started trying to scrape them with the penny first, but I hit a bit of a snag. The logo seems to be applied in a different way and it wouldn't really scrape off. I accidentally scraped a little too hard at one point and left a little bit of a gouge. I wasn't really sure what to do, so I did a little Googleing and found some model train forums that talked about ways to remove paint from plastic. One poster actually mentioned using Pine-Sol. While this seemed weird, already being in possession of some, I wiped some on and let it sit for a few minutes. I started scraping with my fingernail, and slowly but surely, I was able to start to remove the logo. Every now and then I applied some more Pine-Sol and would scrape again with my fingernail. After a while, this is how they turned out:

Not perfect, but certainly an improvement from the logo. From more than a couple of feet away, it's pretty difficult to spot.

So, now being in possession of two sweet pairs of sunglasses I started wearing them around. In sunlight, the lenses worked well, though they did have a bit of fogginess (as is typical of lower-quality lenses) if facing directly towards the sun. Although I initially liked the grey pair more, I ended up wearing the black pair more. But after about week of wearing them, I noticed a small crack had formed above the left lens. Here's a picture:

While I don't usually baby the things that I own, I do take pretty good care of things, especially small, expensive things like sunglasses. I can't really say how this cracked developed. In the time I had them, they weren't sat on, and I don't think I placed anything heavy on them. I'm not sure if it came from stretching while putting them on my face or what. Obviously I didn't pay a lot for them, but I would have expected them to hold up for more than a week. I had planned on buying some sort of glue to patch them up, but before I could they finally broke:

Knockaround clearly states on their website that they don't accept returns, and now it's pretty clear why. Oh well, I'm out $14. The grey pair seem to be holding up better, possibly because the type of plastic they're made from is better.

Would I recommend Knockaround sunglasses? Yeah, probably, especially if you're looking for some to take on a trip to the beach or some other place where sunglasses could easily get lost or broken. They have a large variety of good looking-styles, including a number of pairs with mirrored lenses, they're pretty cheap, and the lenses do a good job of tinting the sun. Best of all, the horrible logo can be removed, though it may take a bit of effort. Don't expect to much out of these, though. Be prepared for them to break, and if they last a while, consider yourself lucky.

The Sazerac

Although it's a minor travesty, I had never had a Sazerac until last year. However, it's now one of my favorite drinks to make, and I feel like it's one of the most underrated out there. In honor of Mardi Gras being just around the corner, I thought I would whip one up and raise a toast.

Commonly known as America's oldest cocktail, it was invented in New Orleans around the middle of the 19th century. The ingredient list is pretty simple, with just sugar, Peychaud's bitters, rye whiskey, and absinthe, but the details are in the way that it's put together. I'm not going to attempt to describe the process of how to make it because Chris McMillan from the Library Lounge did such a great job doing it in the video below. Watch the video and make yourself one this weekend.

Speaking of Sazeracs, be sure to check out Ryan Waldron's series on the Krewes of Mardi Gras over on his blog, Seersuckers and Sazeracs.

Blog of Note: Tomboy Style

Do you like looking at pictures of beautiful women doing awesome things like shooting guns, fishing, skiing, driving fast cars, wearing tweed, and generally looking beautiful? Then Tomboy Style is the blog for you.

I don't know much about its author, Lizzie Garrett, but I know that she's got a good eye and runs a great blog. It's also awesome that she uses such large pictures. I'm adding it to my blog roll (on the right side of the screen), in case any still looks at it, so be sure to keep an eye out for it. Below are some highlights.

Review: LL Bean Signature shoes

With my Christmas money I picked up two new pairs of shoes from LL Bean Signature. I got a pair of the Signature Waxed Canvas Maine Hunting Shoe (in the original Marsh Brown color), and a pair of suede Eastport blucher mocs, in the Dark Khaki color. Here are a few thoughts on each pair.

Although there were a number of reviews for these boots when they first came out, I've got to say that really like the Waxed Canvas Maine Hunting Shoe. Not only do they look good, and also provide a different look from the typical Bean Boot, but they also are really light, especially compared to the leather 10" Maine Hunting Shoes that I have (they are the same height). As a result, they'll probably be more comfortable to wear as the weather gets warm.

As for the blucher mocs, I certainly like the appearance. The suede seems nice and I like the color, especially with jeans (though some of the indigo from my jeans has begun to rub off on them). I like the fact that they have the old type of moccasin sole (not the kind used on the regular LL Bean blucher mocs), and they seem like they might have a slightly rounder toe box than the regular kind. However, the thing that I'm not a big fan of is the insole.

The regular Bean blucher mocs come with a removable insole with a leather liner underneath. The Eastport blucher mocs have a leather insole that is not removable. As someone who wears Superfeet removable insoles with my shoes for arch support, I'm unable to use them with these shoes, and find that the insole that comes with the shoe is not quite as comfortable. Also, I've got a feeling that the insoles may get gross pretty quickly if they are worn sockless (though this isn't really a problem for me). It's not a dealbreaker for me, but it is something that I would change if I could.

On a somewhat related note, many people are aware that LL Bean Boots can be resoled for around $40 when the soles get worn down. Something that people may not be aware of is the fact that Bean Boots can be resoled to a different size. So, if you've found a great pair on Ebay but are one size too big or too small, you should be able to send them back to Bean for resoling into the size that you need.

Confession: I wear tiny women's socks

When I started A Trip Down South, I purposefully decided that it would not be a blog in which I shared my deepest thoughts and feelings. There can be a lot of oversharing in the blogosphere (I have a college-era LiveJournal, now buried in the recesses of the internets, to prove that), and I did not want to go in that direction. However, this will be one of those times. I will let you in on a secret, one that only my closest friends know: I wear tiny women's socks.

It all started back with a pair of Banana Republic loafers socks. They were small socks that were, as the name suggests, cut really low to be able to be worn invisibly with loafers. I got two pairs of them a number of years ago and found that they worked really well with my LL Bean rubber mocs, allowing me to finally wear my rubber mocs "sockless" without having disgusting sweaty, smelly feet. The problem with them was that there wasn't really any elastic around the top and they would easily slip down off my heel.

Fast forward a couple of years and while visiting my friend Sean, who works at the Atlanta shoe store, Abbadabba's, I spotted some small socks that looked similar to my loafer socks. They were, however, marketed as women's socks. Seeing as how I wore those loafer socks fairly often, and how I was getting tired of the obvious results of wearing boat shoes sockless in the heat of the South in the summertime, I picked up a couple of pairs.

They are No-Show Socks made by Hue (which most women readers will likely recognize as the maker of tights, leggings, etc.). Unlike my Banana Republic pair, these have elastic around the upper portion, which allows them to stay up better. However, the best part about them is that they have a little silicone pad on the back heel which helps prevent them from slipping down off the heel. While I'm not going to say that they never slip, I would say 85% of the time they manage to stay up, regardless of what type of shoes I'm wearing. I currently wear them with boat shoes, blucher mocs, Wallabees, LL Bean rubber mocs, penny loafers, and other types of dress shoes. I wear them probably 95% of the time nowadays.

So, I recognize that a number of you, especially Dusty if he is reading this, are questioning my manhood. While that's not something that I'm really concerned about, I would like to present my logic in deciding to wear these for those who can't seem to wrap their heads around it:

1. I like the sockless look. It is one that I feel presents a touch of casualness to any outfit. I also feel like it looks better with shorts than any type of sock.
2. Feet sweat, no matter who you are.
3. Because feet sweat, wearing shoes without socks will make your feet and shoes smell horrible. Using powder is only a stop-gap solution.
4. No one likes feet and shoes that smell bad.
5. Shoes that are worn sockless simply do not last as long.
6. These socks allow one to have the sockless look while absorbing enough sweat as to avoid having smelly shoes and feet. They also provide more warmth than true sockless wear, allowing one to go "sockless" even in cold weather.
7. Because no one will see these socks, unless you remove your shoes of course, you don't have to worry about what others will think. If a person wears tiny socks and no one sees them, is he really wearing tiny socks?

So that is my argument for these socks. If you live in Atlanta, stop by Abbadabba's and pick some up. If you don't live in Atlanta, pick some up from Nordstrom. I wear a size 9.5 shoe and the large works for me, but if your feet are much larger they may not be work for you. You can also check out Mocc Socks, which are similar, and marketed towards men, though I cannot attest to their quality or ability to stay up.

2011 Duck Hunting Trip

Two weekends ago, before ice and snow brought Atlanta to a grinding halt, I headed to South Carolina for what will likely be my only hunting trip of the 2010/2011 season. A classmate of ours from graduate school invited us down to his family's plantation for the weekend, which was obviously an offer that we couldn't refuse. Here are some pictures from that trip.

Before we headed down to the Lowcountry, my friend Ralph and I were able to go hunting on Friday morning on some land that another of our friend's has up near Greenville.

Ralph (of the soon-to-be blog, A Ralph Down South: an online tour of the places Ralph has thrown up in the southeast), on the lookout for ducks.

Ralph's Browning A5 Stalker and the wood duck that he got.

The lake we were hunting on, as the sun came up.

Unfortunately, I came up empty-handed that morning.

After we wrapped up, we headed down to our friend's plantation, which is down near Edisto, in the ACE Basin. They've got about 600 acres of impoundment and are right next to the Combahee River. For those in the know, this means a TON of ducks.

In order to get ready for the hunt the next morning, we decided to stay up around the fire until about 12:30 AM drinking some of America's finest macrobrews (Natty Light and Busch Light, of course), and two pints of Mr. Boston Rock & Rye (which is delicious, by the way).


The next morning, my friend William and I were set up in our blind and ready for the ducks.

A view from our blind at dawn.

William and his dog, Joe, after downing a drake shoveler.

After the hunt.

William and I had an outstanding morning. We both managed to limit out in just under and hour. We were covered up with ducks, though they were mostly spoon-bills. In fact, between the two of us, we shot 10 drake shovelers, one hen shoveler, and one teal. No complaints, though. We had an awesome hunt.

The plantation was beautiful and amazing. Here are a couple of photos, though they don't do the place justice.




That night, after an afternoon dove hunt, we celebrated in the only fashion appropriate for the ACE Basin. We headed over to bustling metropolis of Yemassee for a steak dinner at Harold's Country Club.

Harold's is a local institution and was definitely the place to be on a Saturday night, though we didn't stick around long enough to have enough to drink to actually participate in karaoke. Next time...



All in all it was an awesome trip. On Sunday, before the snow hit, we even got to go quail hunting at our friend Kyle's parents' farm. Not a bad way to spend a weekend.

A special thanks to Rusty, James, and Kyle for their generosity.

New Engine-Turned Belt Buckle and Belt Strap from Belts.com

For Christmas, my brother was generous enough to give me an engine-turned belt buckle with my monogram on it. I had previously given him one, and he returned the favor this year. It's a 1-3/16" Trafalgar buckle, in 22K gold plate over brass (neither he nor I had sterling silver in our budgets).

Although I was excited about the buckle, I was confronted with the challenge of getting a belt strap for it. Straps from Dann Online start at $60 for the glove leather models, and only go up from there (to $375 for genuine alligator). Leather straps from Brooks Brothers are normally $88, though they're currently on sale for $66. Still, I was in search of a less expensive option.

I had heard about belts from Belts.com, and in looking at their selection of Dress Leather Belt Straps, I was impressed not only with their variety, but also their prices (many start at just $16.95). However, I noticed that all of the straps came with holes in them, and due to the way that engine-turned buckles are made, the holes are unnecessary.

So I contacted the folks at belts.com asking if their dress belts were available without holes. I received an email back from Jason at Belts.com who informed me that no, their dress belts could not be ordered without holes, but suggested that I look at their "Make Your Own Width or Size" belt straps. These are plain leather belts, but the length, width, and color can be chosen by the customer, and Jason suggested that I simply note on the ordering page that I wanted it made without holes. For just $20, I figured it was worth a shot.

The belt came today and you can see it in the picture above. It did indeed come as I requested it, without holes, and the 1-1/8" width worked perfectly for my 1-3/16" wide buckle. It seems to be well-made, and the leather seems to be pretty good. It is, however, fairly thick (it measures between 4 and 5 mm in thickness), and could be considered a bit unrefined for pairing with this style of belt buckle. These things won't keep me from wearing it, but I will be looking to upgrade at some point in the future.

If you have a similar belt buckle, I would recommend the Make Your Own Width or Size option from Belts.com if you're looking for a less-dressy strap to wear with your belt. However, I really wish that they would consider offering their dress belts without holes, as I would pick up their alligator grain and smooth leather straps in a heartbeat. I'd even be willing to pay a $4 or $5 premium for the option. I'm not really sure how their manufacturing process works, but it seems like it wouldn't be that hard to keep some holeless belts in stock, and I'm sure there are some engine-turned buckle owners out there who would love to have some less expensive choices. Oh well, maybe one day...

Prints for Sale by A Restless Transplant

If you read my blog with any regularity, I hope that you have taken the time to visit Foster Huntington's blog A Restless Transplant. Foster is a recent graduate of Colby College in Maine and is now living in New York City. He's a guy with an amazing eye for detail, and has the photography skills to match.

He recently announced on his blog that he is now offering any of his photos as prints, in either 8X10 or 11X14. If you've seen any of his photography, you know that this is awesome, as most of his stuff would look fantastic in a frame on the wall. The real problem, however, is deciding what to pick. With 287 album in his Flickr account, simply choosing an album is enough of a challenge, not to mention deciding which individual image (or images) to pick. A very small sample of some of my favorites can be seen below.






The image above is really one of my very favorites. It's currently my desktop background on both my home and work computers.

8X10 prints are $40 and 11X14 prints are $80. Contact Foster if you're interested. Also, be sure to check out his other website, Foster & Edge.