Weekend Soundtrack

1. SON VOLT: A Retrospective 1995-2000
2. LUCINDA WILLIAMS: World Without Tears
3. WILCO: Yankee Hotel Foxtrot

Share the Style! Roots, Design, Americana.

The Urban Prairie wildfire is spreading. Would you like to help light more fires? The DIRT ROAD TEAM is a grassroots, guerilla marketing effort aimed at spreading the Urban Prairie vibe. Simply post a comment here or email dirtroadteam@urbanprairie.net and tell us how you would like to help. If you qualify, you’ll receive a FREE Urban Prairie tee and a special monthly “Dirt Road Team” newsletter.

PRINTED MATERIALS:
Urban Prairie posters, postcards & stickers are available. Do you own a shop? You could hang a poster, place postcards on the counter and hand out a sticker with each purchase. Would you like to carry “signed” copies of CRACK HEADS, the soon to be released book featuring Chris’s doll head collection?

GUEST BLOGGER:
Chris will soon be appearing as a “guest” on several designing blogs. Have him appear on yours, answering decorating/design/collecting questions. Or, let him come up with his own post talking about his collections, odd take on decorating – all with photos, some exclusively to your blog.

SWAG:
New Urban Prairie “Alt Country Style+Design” tees will be available soon. Would you like to offer these to your clientele or friends? Be the first to wear one.

MEDIA CONTACTS:
Do you have a friend/contact at a magazine/newspaper/design zine that you think would like to learn about the Urban Prairie vibe or Chris?

Join Today! Spread the Urban Prairie vibe. We appreciate your support in helping this little “cult style” thing called Urban Prairie grow like a wildfire out of control.

Updates Soon!

Tons of exciting things being firmed up! Updates soon on: "Crack Heads" the book, "Alt Country Style+Design" new Urban Prairie tees, the opening of Urban Prairie's online storefront, Urban Prairie's first podcast & a possible opportunity to "hangout" with Chris at the Fall Warrenton/Roundtop Antique Show. Stay tuned!

Urban Prairie Pick: The Sky Observer's Guide

Everybody knows the stars at night are big and bright deep in the heart of Texas, and the celestial has always been proudly represented in Lone Star culture, be it bands (Explosions in the Sky), sports (Houston Astros) or the state nickname itself. Amy Cook also sees something unique up there, but the alt-folk singer-songwriter isn’t content simply marveling at the enormity of what lies beyond earth. On The Sky Observer’s Guide—written in a prolific four-week gush—she tells simple, bittersweet, earthbound stories, refracted through the panoramic scope of the heavens. Things like this happen when you leave the industrial clamor of L.A. for a humble, weirdly-named West Texas town like Marfa. Said Amy, “Marfa’s nothing but open sky and a million stars and I think that got me on those sort of analogies—thinking about the bigger picture of it all, putting yourself in the place of just being here on this planet, where you can cover the moon with the tip of your thumb like an eclipse. It doesn’t make you feel insignificant, but it changes your perspective to be somewhere with a wide-open sky.”
The upcoming Sky Observer’s Guide, due 7.10.07, showcases Amy’s brilliant band, with Nina Singh (David Garza, Future Clouds and Radar) on drums, Brad Rice (Son Volt, Tift Merritt) on guitar, and Bobby Daniel on bass. The compelling production by Jamie Myerson is simultaneously lush and gritty, mysterious and honest. As opposed to overtaking the songs, in Myerson’s capable hands, the production allows the lyrics and melodies to shine.

Right Off The Prairie

Good friend Kara Larson-Koenig {see kara-line.com & urbanprairie.net/Profiles} has given me an exclusive on some of her new styles that will be hitting the urban streets or farmlands very soon. Kara who was featured in the May .06 issue of Country Home magazine describes her style as, what else, Urban Prairie: Beautiful clothes for everyday. Some of her favorite dresses are those that look as if they just rolled off the farm.


Photos: Jan Sonnenmair

RED's Designer Spotlight

I'm honored to be featured in the "Designer Spotlight" for RED's hip new newsletter, DAILY DISH, available online now at: redinfred.com/dailydish/June/letter_june1.htm

RED, the hot new storefront in Fredericksburg, Texas offers clean vintage furniture, original antiques, sleek modern pieces and great textured accents. To receive your FREE copy of the newsletter, sign up at redinfred.com.

Photo: D'Ette Cole

1} Wild Flowers
2} Vintage Optomologists Lens Testers Collection
3} Son Volt - Bandages & Scars
4} Antique White 3legged Metal Stools
5} Chicken Fried Lamb Chops

UPDATES

"Crack Heads": The release of the book is being delayed by two or three weeks due to production issues. The first print run was not up to Chris's high standards. Brown said "I have a certain vision going into a project. After seeing the proofs, I just felt a few tweaks needed to be made. I'm very excited about this release." Further details soon.

RED "Designer Spotlight": The Urban Prairie camp has been told that Chris's "Designer Spotlight" should premiere online sometime this week, possibly Wednesday, the 27th, as part of RED's "Daily Dish" newsletter. To assure that you do not miss it, sign up for your free copy at redinfred.com.

Photo of Chris: D'Ette Cole

A Sneak Peek...

A peek at the cover of Chris Brown's latest book "Crack Heads". This is the first release in the Urban Prairie "Oddity" series, under the REFUELED BOOKS label. Details on it's upcoming release SOON!

ATTENTION DESIGNERS!

ATTENTION Graphic Designers & Urban Prairie cult followers! DESIGN the August header graphic for Chris Brown's "REFUELED" blog. The best design will appear on the blog for the whole month of August. Get those creative juices flowing. Entries should be emailed to: chris@urbanprairie.net no later than July 28, 2007.

Specifications must be met to qualify:
GRAPHIC SIZE: Width 9.014" x 4.75" (649 x 342 pixels)
RESOLUTION: 72 dpi

Postcard Advertisement

What Happens in Vegas...

Back from a "styling gig" in Las Vegas. Three HOT days and nights spreading the Urban Prairie vibe. Hope to have UPDATES on all projects in the works sometime this weekend. STAY TUNED!

Lo and Behold are Mike Miller and Karen Linder. They've been in business since 1997 buying and selling cultural oddities, folk art, not-folk art and antiques. Mike is originally from Bethal, Pennsylvania where he reluctantly absorbed the antique trade by working part time in his father's auctioneering business. Karen hails from Middletown, Ohio and defiantly quit her sensible job in the advertising world to join Mike in the pursuit of mysterious and wonderful objects. They travel extensively in search of particularly thrilling items that fall through the cracks of everyday life.

MIKE'S 5 COOL THINGS:
1} Robert Loughlin - NYC artist
2} Adopting a pet from your local greyhound rescue association
3} Tacos al Pastor
4} Neil Young - After the Gold Rush
5} Houblon Chouffe Dobbelen IPA Tripel

KAREN'S 5 COOL THINGS:
1} Auction box lots filled with treasures.
2} Vintage clothing purchased at thrift shops. Recycle and reuse and help save the earth by buying one less thing manufactured in China.
3} Yul Brynner in "The Magnificent Seven". Now that's a manly man. And a gunslinger with honor.
4} Community Supported Agriculture (CSA). Support local organic farming by purchasing a share in a farm and receive weekly shipments of fresh organic fruits & vegetables.
5} Antiques at the Garage in New York City. In Chelsea to be exact. A fantastic market in existence for over 25 years featuring a group of dealers selling antiques, art and vintage clothing every Saturday and Sunday. More info at: hellskitchenfleamarket.com

Press

RED - The Daily Dish: "Designer Spotlight"
The debut issue of their monthly online newsletter. It is design on the edge! It is happiness in your inbox! It is your daily dish! RED offers collections of clean vintage furniture, original antiques, sleek modern pieces and great textured accents. { Online at redinfred.com } RED, 218 West Main, Fredericksburg, Texas

Reincarnated Rubbish

Seems all my favorite, cool people are being featured in mags this month. San Francisco couple, Fred & Wendy Testu are sharing their unique spin on French flea-market decorating in the June/July issue of Home Companion. Fred runs Grenouille, a warehouse under the Bay Bridge where decorators, art directors and movie set designers shop his tattered treasures that he brings back from frequent trips to France. You can listen to a podcast with Fred at homecompanionmag.com/podcast. Click on the Fred Testu link. There Fred tells how he and Wendy use walls and floors as the backdrop for their antiques. The couple is also featured in the very hip book titled Family Spaces: Creative Solutions for Family-Friendly Interiors. Their dining area is featured on the cover.


Photos: Matthew Millman & Lars Jagatai Bunch

"Crack Heads" PreOrders

Pre-orders for "Crack Heads", a book of Chris Brown's vintage doll head collection can be posted here. Simply include your name, email address and the number of copies you would like to reserve. The handmade, indie vibe of the book and it's package is a true representation of Chris' Urban Prairie style. Each will be printed on recycled stock, uniquely packaged and signed. Copies will be ready to ship at the first of July.

Marfa, Texas

Photos from the Marfa, Texas Series - Allison V Smith allisonvsmith.net

© Copyright Allison V Smith. All Rights Reserved.

1} A Full Moon
2} Redneck Hall, Warrenton, Texas
3} Allison V Smith Photos/allisonvsmith.net
4} Vintage Scissors
5} Neil Young's "Live At Massey Hall"

Blog Survey

Although I almost never leak details or talk about possible projects with folks outside the Urban Prairie camp, I've come to really value you who visit this blog on a regular basis. So, I'm throwing this survey out to you all. Anyone who knows me well is aware of my fondness, or some would say borderline obsession, with BBQ. I have eaten at almost every BBQ joint, stand & shack in the South. I feel I KNOW good BBQ. Here's the project:

The URBAN PRAIRIE BBQ STAND. This would be a one off joint, no chains. It would be "Chris Brown" and Urban Prairie style down to the last detail - and believe me, there would be details.

The building would be a vintage barn feel with a modern twist. There would be long primative farm tables with white lace and vintage chandeliers hanging above every one. Huge bundles of fresh white roses and wild flowers throughout.

The wait staff: Females-Prairie Dresses by Kara Larson, biker & cowboy boots, cowboy hats and vintage aprons. Males-Jeans, t-Shirts, boots, cowboy hat or caps. The guys order pad would fit in back pocket, attached with chain. All would be tattooed, of course!

Music played throughout on vintage drive-in speakers would consist of Johnny Cash, Neil Young, Hank Williams, John Mellencamp, Bob Dylan, Creedence Clearwater Revival, Willie Nelson, etc. LIVE music on Friday and Saturday nights.

And lets not foget the BBQ. Pork meat ONLY. Sauce by Rufus Teague, sweet honey. Texas sweet tea served in white ironstone pitchers with fresh mint.

So, would you eat at a place like this?

I've Been Bootlegged

Chris Brown: BOOTLEGGED
www.chrisbrownbootlegged.blogspot.com

I am alway so honored when someone writes and lets me know when they are inspired by my work and the things I do. A very sweet, young lady named Michelle Kristal, a interior design student, has emailed me several times over the past year. She sent a email about two weeks ago letting me know about her new blog, Chris Brown: BOOTLEGGED. I am so blessed and honored to know I have inspired Michelle and that she enjoyed my Urban Prairie lifestyle enough to have BOOTLEGGED me. I hope to contribute to her blog as often as possible. Visit the blog, have fun and get BOOTLEGGED.

Photo: D'Ette Cole