Urban Hillbilly Chic

perfect for a quick dip after a hot day working in the garden

There’s been a great deal of discussion between my editor and myself over the past several weeks as to a succinct definition of my “aesthetic.”  This is what happens when you put yourself on the market between two covers, s*gh.

Urban Hillbilly Chic (UHC) is a phrase first coined by my friend Rick to describe my humble-yet-earnest efforts at retail.  I’m not sure he was trying to be complimentary – but you know what they say – when a shoe fits…  Part McGyver, part Swiss Family Robinson – I love to work with what is already right on hand.  And if your basement looks anything like my basement – you’ve got a LOT to work with.  Hands-on, can-do/make-do, fresh, playful (can you tell I’ve been messing around with word trees?)

There’s a wonderful frisson between the rough and the beautiful that the garden embodies with grace.  Like the phrase “industrial doilies” – that one’s not mine either but I LOVE IT!!!  Check out the work of Cal Lane, an artist trying to make sense of the world and working in metal, rust, and dirt.  Sound familiar gardeners out there?  His beautiful, raw, and incredibly delicate dirt “lace” installations elevate the stuff I track into the house everyday, to ART.

I’m pretty sure my publisher will NOT go with UHC – admittedly, it’s not for everyone!  But it suits me comfortably and like a well worn sundress, faded in all the right places and much cooler to work in during the summer heat.  Hillbilly? Yes – but in a creative, resourceful and imminently sustainable  way.  Waving my “freak flag” high – and with a bathtub in my backyard to prove it!  A little bit country – a little big rock ‘n roll – but having a whole lot of fun…most days.

Tagged as: books, creative reuse, creative thinking, Urban Hillbilly Chic