Oakleaf & Acorn

Back in May I went to a launch party for Warhorse Workshop that was sponsored by Bearings Guide, Billy Reid, and a store called Oakleaf & Acorn. Oakleaf & Acorn is a store located in Braselton, GA, and the store's owner, John Rich, brought most of his merchandise down to the party and was there to talk about his store and its goods. John was a great guy and spent a while chatting with me and showing me some of the pieces he brought.

Back in June, I had to run up to the outlet mall in Commerce, GA, and stopped by John's store on my way back to the city.

Now, let me stop right now and say something. I think that most people in the know would agree that Sid Mashburn is probably the best, most interesting men's clothing store in Atlanta. However, I'm going to go out on a limb and say that Oakleaf & Acorn is probably the best non-clothing men's store in the Atlanta area (though they do also have clothing).

The store is located in downtown Braselton, which is just one exit north of Chateau Elan. Without traffic, it probably takes about 40 minutes to get up there from downtown Atlanta. The store itself used to be the town post office and barber shop. Since then, the dividing wall has been torn down so the shop is basically just one big room. However, it densely packed with all kinds of treasures. Since a picture is worth a thousand words, I'll let the images below speak for themselves.







It should be noted that John is constantly rotating the stock and decorations, and I was up there last week and things had been changed around a bit from two months ago.

Currently, Oakleaf & Acorn has offerings by the final companies:

• A S Batle Co.
• Baxter of California
• Beekman 1802
• Beetle & Flor
• Billykirk
• Brothers Galleon
• Cause and Effect
• CB I Hate Perfume
• CXXVI
• Farm Tactics
• Filson
• Lonesome Pine Game Calls
• Himilayan Trading Post
• Hitsman
• Marvin D. Poole Knives
• Olaria Studio
• Otis James
• Raleigh Denim
• Sebago
• Southern Proper
• Shuron Eyewear
• Stripling's Beef Jerky
• Warhorse Workshop
• YMYL

If you live in Atlanta, or are traveling down I-85, a trip to the store is a necessity. John is a great guy and will be glad to offer you a bourbon, a cold beer, or Coca Cola and spend sometime showing you around the shop. He's a teacher, so when the fall rolls around, be sure to drop him an email to see if he's going to be in the store during the week, though he's usually there on the weekends.

If you can't make it to the store, John has an online shop which is two years old now and can be found here. He's currently offering a 20% discount on everything in the store, so if something on the site piques your interest, now may be a good time to grab it.

The contact info for Oakleaf & Acorn is as follows:
5117 Hwy 53
Braselton, GA 30517
678-780-9977
john at oakleafandacorn.com

Doozys

I think everyone can agree that koozies are essential. And most people (most people with taste, at least) will agree Croakies are great. Why did it take so long for these two items to get together?

Well, some modern-day genius has finally invented the Doozy. Basically, it is a combination of a koozie and Croakies. You put it around you neck, you put your can or bottle in it, and you're good to go.

As ridiculous as this concept is, it really is pretty practical, especially once tailgating season rolls around. While you're grilling, now you don't have to find a place to put down you beer. If you're playing an intense game of cornhole, you have both hands free to help nail your throw. They're available in a variety of colors, and custom printing options are available so you can buy one for everyone in your office. You can get them for cans or for bottles.

A camo one is available that would certainly come in handy in the dove field.

Additionally, a "We Are Alabama" bottle version is available, with all of the proceeds going towards recovery from the tornadoes earlier this year.

The can versions are only $5.99 and the bottle versions are $6.99. These seem like a great price, and they're cheap enough to pick up a couple since your friends will inevitably try to steal them. Your Yankee friends will probably think they're stupid, but those of us from the South will get it.

Gingham: The Pattern of Warm Weather

While seersucker and madras get a lot of love when warm weather hits (and for good reason), they are, after all, fabrics and not patterns. When it comes to my favorite warm weather pattern, gingham takes the cake. It already kind of resembles a picnic tablecloth (particularly red gingham), so the associations with warm afternoons in the sun come easy.

Gingham comes in a wide variety of sizes, colors, and in a variety fabrics, though some variation of cotton is most typical. While it is usually worn in more casual settings, and the larger prints usually look best for this context, it can also be dressed up, usually with mini- or micro-checks and in a broadcloth-type of material. The photo below shows my own collection of gingham shirts.

From left to right:

-Brooks Brothers non-iron, navy

-LL Bean non-iron, "Aegean blue"

-Jos A Bank non-iron (now washed enough to no longer be non-iron--awesome), navy

-LL Bean non-iron, orange

-Old Brooks Brothers, dark green

-Brooks Brothers short-sleeve seersucker, navy

The two LL Bean shirts are actually new acquisitions, courtesy of my brother for my birthday. LL Bean has a great selection right now (here and here), with long sleeve shirts for $40. However, I think that I may prefer Lands End's offerings, which are currently on sale for $35 for long-sleeve non-iron shirts. Also, they are offering the shirts in exactly neck/sleeve sizes, which are always preferable to the S/M/L sizing that LL Bean offers. While LL Bean currently offers a pink gingham in their micro-check, I really like the fact that Lands End offers pink gingham in a larger check:

I also like their red version:

Lands End also chalks up another win with the pair of gingham shorts that they're currently offering (only in 9" inseam, but they can easily be hemmed to a decent length). They're also only $35:

While shirts and shorts are great, in my opinion, the king of gingham clothing is the gingham sportcoat. While I would settle for a regular navy gingham sportcoat, this multi-color gingham from Brooks Brothers is also a nice option:

Moral of the story, gingham is a great fabric for the summer. It's versatile, easy to find, and available in a large number of styles. Additionally, darker colors can even be extended into the fall. It's an easy choice for any closet.

UPDATE: Knockaround sunglasses

Back in March I bit the bullet and ordered a couple of pairs of sunglasses from Knockaround. I wrote a review about the glasses which can be found here. In that review, I indicated how one of the pairs had developed a crack in the frame and within less than two weeks had completely broken. Due to their stated return policy (or lack thereof), I didn't bother contacting Knockaround about it and just chalked it up to that being a side effect of buying inexpensive sunglasses.

Well, last week, I received an anonymous comment on that post from a person who said that they had the exact same problem, but that after contacting Knockaround about it, they sent him or her a new pair. Intrigued by this, I sent an email to Knockaround's customer service and they agreed to send me a new pair. Upon getting home from vacation this past weekend, sure enough, I found a new pair waiting for me in my mailbox.

I wanted to write this follow-up as I felt like this was great customer service, and companies that provide such service, particularly on inexpensive and relatively disposable items, deserve recognition for it. If you were on the fence about getting a pair or two based on my previous review, I would encourage you to give it a shot.

I should also note that the other pair of Knockaround sunglasses that I got are still in good condition.

Bearings/Warhorse Workshop/Billy Reid Launch Party

Friday night I went with some friends up to Buckhead to check out the launch party put on by Bearings Guide, Warhorse Workshop, and Billy Reid, which functioned as a pre-party to the Southern Swap Meet at the Goat Farm on Saturday. It was basically a pop-up shop for the aforementioned retailers to display their goods. In addition, practically the entire Oakleaf and Acorn store had been moved down there, and John Rich, the store's owner, was on hand to talk to everyone. I can't wait to make the trip up to Braselton to check out the store.

The guys from Warhorse Workshop, including Ryan Acker (who it was great to finally meet), were on hand to show off their wares. Billy Reid himself was not there, but staff from his Florence store was allegedly in attendance. Additionally, a rep from Sebago was there showing off some of their amazing shoes. I had no idea they were making half of the things they're making (wingtips??), but most of them looked great.

Overall it was a great time, and the free Dogfish Head IPA that was on hand certainly didn't hurt. Here are some photos that I took. I apologize that some of the pictures are kind of blurry.

The infamous and elusive Neil W. Blackmon of The Yanks Are Coming (which, as far as I know, is the world's greatest soccer blog) and Christopher Robinson. Chris is single, likes doing triathlons, and is interested in dating you if you are an attractive female with cool tattoos.

Hipsters doin hipster thangs.

Additionally, Tim Haught, chief designer at Warhorse Workshop had some vintage shirts for sale, as can be seen in the photo below (also in the photo is a collection of scents from CB I Hate Perfume, which is awesome, and which are available at Oakleaf and Acorn).

Seeing as how they were about the only thing there that I could afford, I picked up a couple of vintage Gant shirts from him (which can be seen below). They're a poly-cotton blend, but have a button flap pocket, and a third collar button on the back of the neck. In other words, they're pretty awesome. Be sure to check out Tim's Etsy store, Countyline General.

New Music

I'm not sure if it's the warm weather or what, but I have apparently been in a very country music type of mood lately, as can be discerned from my latest music purchases.

I should preface all of this by saying that I've typically had an aversion for country music, for about as long as I can remember (save for that year in high school when I played football and thought about buying a pickup truck). However, over the past six or seven years, I've been doing some dabbling, mostly as a result of some of Ryan Adams' albums, Gillian Welch, and the O Brother, Where Art Thou? soundtrack, but could never put my finger on exactly what it was that I liked. Thank to Wikipedia I've finally come to realize that I actually like "outlaw country," and it is the poppy, over-produced Nashville stuff that I can't stand. Anyways, here are some thoughts on what I bought.

A few weeks ago, I finally got around to buying the first Whiskeytown album, Faithless Street. Seeing as how I own almost every other album that Ryan Adams has made, I somehow managed to save the best for last. If you're unfamiliar with Whiskeytown, they were Ryan Adams' band prior to going solo with his album Heartbreaker. They managed to release three albums before the band fell apart (mostly because Adams was out of control at the time), but they are great. This, however, is the best of them.

The version currently available on iTunes and Amazon.com (Amazon is where I buy basically all of my MP3s now), has several additional songs than were originally released, but that's hardly ever a bad thing. This album is basically Ryan Adams at his best, making country music, making heartbreaking songs, and making songs about drinking (in fact, 12 of the 21 tracks on the album making a reference to alcohol or drinking, really putting the "whiskey" in "Whiskeytown"). "Hard Luck Story" is really one of my favorite tracks on here, but the slower songs like "Faithless Street" and "Factory Girl" don't disappoint either. There really isn't much more to say about this album other than "go buy it."

I finally got around to seeing the movie Crazy Heart about a month ago, and while I enjoyed it and thought that Jeff Bridges did a great job, it didn't occur to me until about two weeks ago to listen to the soundtrack. I checked it out on Grooveshark (amazing website; you can basically stream any album for free) and knew I had to buy it. There are two versions available, the regular one, which has 16 tracks, and the "Deluxe Edition," which has 23 tracks. I opted for the latter and am glad I did. The best tracks on here are Jeff Bridges singing, though, believe it or not, I really dig Colin Farrell's songs. There are some other tracks, including one by Waylon Jennings and another by Lucinda Williams, which I guess were in the background of the movie, but do a good job of carrying the theme of the movie and album. I'd say the low points are Robert Duvall's a capella song from the movie, and some song by Lydia Mendoza (who?) that's in Spanish, but even those begin to grow on you after a few listens. All in all, this album is great, and if you liked the movie, I'm pretty sure you'd like the album just as much.

The Crazy Heart soundtrack is what lead me to Ryan Bingham. Seeing as how I've typically had an aversion to country music, I was unfamiliar with Ryan Bingham. However, he was not only in the movie as Bad's back-up band at the bar where he got too drunk to play, but he has two songs on the soundtrack. After hearing those two songs, I was sold, and quickly found the first of his three albums, Mescalito. This was one that I didn't even waver over purchasing; I listen to maybe two or three samples and downloaded the whole thing. It's awesome and definitely worth checking out.

DIY Lime Cordial

A couple of weeks ago I saw an article from the New York Times Magazine entitled Case Study: Building a Better Mixer. The article was about making homemade lime cordial.

If you're unfamiliar with lime cordial, chances are you'd be most likely to recognize Rose's, which has a unique neon green color that probably fends off the less adventurous. However, it is essentially de rigueur for making a gimlet. In the article, the author explained his inability in trying to find a higher quality lime cordial (i.e.- one not made from high fructose corn syrup) to try to replicate what a gimlet used to be like, back in the good ole days, presumably. After consulting several recipes and doing some experimenting, he finally came up with a recipe that he thought was best and wrote about it.

I'm a fan of gin and I'm a fan of gimlets, so I was intrigued by this premise. So, the week before last, on a Friday evening in which I had nothing to do, I went to the store, picked up some limes, a peeler, and a juicer, and set out to give it a whirl.

The recipe called for 18 limes, which, according to the author, would yield 2.5 cups of lime juice. Upon arriving at the store (Super H Mart, to be precise, where the limes were 10 for $1.00), the limes seemed a little small, so I decided to go with 25 limes. Per the recipe, I peeled and then juiced all 25 limes. I ended up with 4-2/3 cups of juice, just slightly more than the author had anticipated. I didn't view this as a problem, though, and added equal parts sugar, stirred until the sugar dissolved, then added the peels back and left in the refrigerator. The next day, I strained off the peels, poured into some bottles I picked up from World Market, and left it to sit in the refrigerator for another night to, according to the author, "cure" (I think this is inaccurate and would have probably been exactly the same if consumed that day). Here is a bottle of my finished product.

The next day, I added some gin and mixed up a gimlet. It is definitely tasty; certainly on the sweet side, but not cloyingly so, and adding the peels did add some bitterness to balance out the sweetness. On a warm day, I'm pretty sure these things might go down a little too easily, so be warned. It's also pretty versatile as this could probably be added, with triple sec, to some tequila to make quick margarita, or added to vodka to make a vodka gimlet. Even rum could be good.

If I make it again, I will probably go with slightly less sugar (maybe a 1:0.9 juice to sugar ratio, instead of 1:1). Oh, and I probably won't make two liters worth. All in all, it was a really simpleand cheap recipe, and one that could easily be made in an hour or so (not counting time in the fridge). If you like gimlets, I suggest giving this one a try.

Happy Easter

Seersucker is in season, so I figured the mint julep was too.

He is risen, indeed. Happy Easter.

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.