Awesome bride, awesome groom, awesome story, and a hurricane...
Robbie contacted me literally about 2 years ago regarding bow ties for his wedding.  An avid duck hunter, he wanted to supply all of the feathers for the wedding, hence, trophy ties for all of his groomsmen.  What an awesome gift!  He collected literally bags and bags of feathers, and when I finally got through sorting them, we decided that all of the ties would be just a bit different, but all would have the underlying theme of the Wood Duck Barred feathers.  I also have to say that Kim was the easiest bride I've ever worked with . 

Well, long story short, their wedidng was planned for the weekend we just happened to have a little weather visitor named Matthew show up in town, so they had a small wedding in Atlanta.  Then had their dream amazingly beautiful wedding hence #idotaketwo on January 14, 2017.  Congratulations to you both, looks like a grand time was had by all! 

Bowties:  www.WadmalawWildTies.com @Wadmalawwildties
Photographer: www.aaronandjillian.com @aaronandjillian  Aaron & Jillian Osteen

As 2016 draws to a close, my thoughts have drifted to who doesn't love a #happyending?  Get your mind out of the gutter, I'm talking about necklaces here!!!  My favorite new necklaces besides the #perfectdroptassle are the new #happyendings, aka the Perfect Drop Tassle, with a Happy Ending.  What is a happy ending?  It's a necklace you can dangle a host of different endings from which should make you happy! You're not tied down to a single tassle, an antler, a cross, a pendant or one of anything.  You can literally "dangle" just about anything off the end of your #happyending necklace.  They start of course with a great foundation necklace, ie one you can wear with just about any ending that makes you happy, or several happy endings for that matter!  What's left will be picked up from @TrailerFash on Monday and put on the website next week.  

Until then, everyone have a SAFE & HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!  2017 Bring it... 2016, good riddance...

#whatdoesntkillyoumakesyoustronger #make2017youryear #endthesadnesscycle #psdontdrinkanddrive #2017bringit

Not to be outdone by the turkey, ham, green bean casserole, squash casserole, rice & gravy, creamed spinach, broccoli casserole, sweet potatoes or cranberry mold, the cranberry shine was a hit. Looking for something festive, it hit me in the grocery store a few weeks back with my dear sweet Patsy.  Well, it was yummy, here's the details...  *remember never, ever ever drink and drive, and never ever ever have the everclear near an open flame (give Molotov cocktail a google if you have any questions on this one)

What you will need:
1 bag fresh cranberries
1 cup white granulated sugar
juice of half a lemon
zest (large scrapes of the skin) of lemon, and orange
1 liter everclear
storage jar(s)

Simple syrup (equal parts sugar and water melted together) this takes about 2.5 cups simple syrup total  so 2.5 cups of water and 2.5 cups of granulated white sugar melted and cooled to make a syrup I usually make a cup at a time and just mix that much with the liquor part.

The know how:
Over low heat melt the sugar and cranberries and the juice from a half a lemon (if the seeds get in there it's ok, you will strain them out later) simmer this for about 1/2 and hour, similar to making preserves or fresh cranberry sauce I guess. this will thicken and turn into almost a jam.  Let cool. I let mine cool overnight.

Combine the mixture (once cool) to 1 liter everclear (grain alcohol, 180 proof - yes yikes) in a glass jar or two, or 3, just divide the cranberry mixture equally.  To this add a couple large zests of the lemon and the tangerine.  Put it in a cool dark place for a couple of weeks (you can shake it occasionally if this makes you happy)

So, after a couple of weeks, get ya a real fine mesh type strainer, and working in batches strain off the liquor from the "stuff"  throw the "stuff" away but keep the liquor part.  Combine 6/4 liquor to simple syrup to make the cranberry "moonshine".  Add another bit of the zestings of lemon or tangerine or even lime, whatever you have, and put in the freezer.  It will not freeze, best is to use a mason jar.  Whenever you pass the freezer, have a little "nip" here and there.  I make this about 2-3 cups at a time and leave the rest "brewing" without the sugar.  It gets better over time. 

What's the most important part to remember?  #everythinginmoderation #DONOTDRINKANDDRIVE


Happy Thanksgiving 2016 from the Island

Why do I make the ties? It all started quite simply - Early on a very foggy Sunday morning, Hannah killed her first turkey, B called it in for her. They'd spent countless hours in the woods - a jake simply wouldn't do. They saw plenty of those. They (i.e. Hannah) took hours of selfies with the video camera, and her camera, they chatted, walked, talked and called birds... Then this guy stepped in, and BAM!!! She had her first bird, well, after B jumped on it so he didn't thrash around and mess up his tail. He was a beautiful bird, what could we give B for his efforts? Hannah wanted the beard and the tail fan of course, but what about B? We wanted him to have something special. I'd heard of turkey ties, but they didn't do custom stuff - it had to be something from her bird. I talked to a friend and she made some, but they weren't what I had envisioned, so I took them apart and made what I had in my mind...

A week after this photo was taken, also on a foggy Sunday morning, Madi, Hannah's sister was in a fatal car accident... nothing would be right again... at least it's still not, 5 months later. So, I take the moments when I'm sad, or alone, or just need to occupy my brain and turn them into pretty things. Things Madi would like, things she would be proud of me for, tangible art - something pretty where there may have been darkness in my world. They are therapy if you will, or for what it's worth. I made a few, changed things up, and made a few more, decided they needed a name...

First thought was "Wild Child Ties" - because it's all about her in many ways, but that didn't exemplify what they were or where they were from (well, the original ones, now I source them from birds who naturally drop feathers and molt), so Wadmalaw Wild Ties was born - because they are all from the wild... and they are made on Wadmalaw. I named one crazy on "The Wild Child", that one's for her... MADI... forever 20... forever gone... but we live on, we make the most of each day, and I make ties... some have even had tears to fall upon them. All are made with love.

Do I want to sell them in stores or mass produce them... NO... just want to make them the way I do, one by one.

My favorite thing is making them specifically for someone, a "Trophy Tie" knowing they will wear it to some function one day, and know it's unique, and that their wife or girlfriend, or employee, or daughter had it made just for him. Even if I don't directly know the person, I still like making them specifically for someone... going through the feathers, picking out the best ones for the occasion.

So there you have it... it's why I make the ties...


#psdontdrinkanddrive #tieoneonresponsibly