How To Have An Awesome Backyard Summer Party

SERIOUS BACKYARD STYLE: BBQ, beer, and a jazz band.

How To Celebrate Independence Day In Columbia

If you're a South Carolinian, you're probably getting ready to celebrate our nation's birthday tomorrow, since South Carolina is the "most patriotic state in the country". Here's what you need to know if you're not sure how to celebrate in the "Famously Hot" southern-style.

MEAT: The Ole Timey Meat Market is where you should be going to get your whatever you'll be grilling or smoking this weekend. Did you know they have bacon wrapped sirloin steaks? This is where I always buy my brisket and pork butts. If you're looking for some of the harder to find cuts of meat, this is the first place to go.

FIREWORKS: Since you're already over on Rosewood for your meat, you're already right next to Casey's Fireworks, which is the best place to get fireworks in Columbia. They've been around since 1949, and they have something for everyone. Everything from sparklers to mortar shells. This is the only place you need to go for things that go bang.

SIDES: For all your other sides, (if you don't want to make them yourself) The Gourmet Shop has you covered. You can get everything from chicken salad to cheese, to wine, to cigars there.

Enjoy your Fourth of July weekend!

Gear for Guys: Filson's Sportsman Bag

If you're like me, you have stuff that you need to take places. Whether it's going shooting for the day, going to the mountains for a weekend, or just throwing all your kids' stuff into a bag for a trip to the zoo, you need a bag.

You need a bag that can hold all your stuff and keep it organized. You need a bag that isn't going to rip, tear, or give out. Personally, I hate wimpy zippers, so one of my requirements is a bag with zippers that don't suck. Oh, and if the bag could have a little style, that might be nice, right?

So what kind of bag fits this description? Answer and review below the jump.

Gear for Guys: Christmas Gifts for the Southern Man

For the most part, we guys are easy to shop for. We tend to have hobbies of one sort or another that make for easy gift giving. However, if you have a guy on your Christmas List and are struggling to come up with something, Permanent Press is here to help. All of these gifts are Permanent Press Lifestyle™ approved.

For the Sportsman/Hunter: If you're looking for a gift for a shooter/hunter, you're in luck. There are endless accessories for the Southern Sportsman. Even if this guy already has a pocket-knife or a flashlight, he could always use another. For pocket-knives, I recommend Benchmade. For flashlights, I recommend Mag-Lights.

Also, this guy is always going to need ammunition. You literally can never have enough. So if you're looking for a cheap stocking stuffer, a box or two of ammo will be a big hit. If you don't know what kind to get, look and see what he already has in his gun safe. You can buy it online, and it will ship right to your door. My favorite online ammo retailer is Lucky Gunner, but there are plenty out there.

For the Well-Dressed Gentleman: If the Southern guy in your life dresses up during the workweek, there are accessories he might need. For instance, every guy needs a good shoe-shine kit, but it's not something that we would normally buy for ourselves. Allen Edmonds has a nice kit, but there are plenty of others out there. Don't buy this guy another tie or more cufflinks.

For the College Sports Fan: If the Southern man on your list is a college sports fan (and he likely is) then you can get him something to show his team spirit in the fall. If he's an SEC sports fan, there's always this awesome koozie. But even if he isn't an SEC fan, this link should still probably have you covered.

For the Guy Who Likes a Drink: If the Southern man on your Christmas list is over 21 and enjoys a nice cocktail, bourbon is always a nice gift. Belle Meade Bourbon is an easy-drinking boubon with a smooth finish. It also has a little bit of a horse-racing history, so it would be an appropriate drink this spring when the horse racing gets into full swing.

There you have it. If you have any other ideas, I'd be interested to hear them. Hope this little holiday guide helps!

Devine Night Out is Tonight!

The 2013 Devine Night Out is tonight. About 50 different stores and restaurants will be open late for an evening of shopping, and festive cheer. There will be food, drinks, and an oyster roast at Home Advantage Realty. You can find more details here.

Devine Street is one of the few retail locations in Columbia where pretty much every business is locally owned. If you want to support local business in Columbia while having a great time, come on out and enjoy a Devine evening. It's also a great way to get your Christmas shopping done. Last year, I knocked out about 80% of my shopping in one night.

Mrs. Permanent Press and I will likely take Permanent Press, Jr. out for this event, since he's enchanted by Christmas lights. Also, I believe that Fig Columbia will be there as well.

Hope to see you there!

I'll Be Blogging for Fig Columbia!

What's Fig Columbia, you ask? Fig Columbia is a local magazine and social media presence that is dedicated highlighting the great aspects of Columbia, South Carolina. It will be a great place for keeping up with social events, new restaurants, and all the goings-on around Columbia. It's kind of like Garden & Gun, but specifically tailored for Columbia.

About a month or so ago, I was asked to be a contributing blogger to Fig Columbia and provide a guy's perspective on certain things. Frankly, I was very flattered just to be asked, since I'm not the most stylish person. The Shop Tart will be running Fig Columbia's style side, so if you're familiar with her work, you already know that Fig will be very stylish and wonderfully done.

My pieces for Fig will be along the lines of my "Gear for Guys" posts that I've done and tied into Columbia. You can read my first piece for Fig Columbia here.

All of the content that I create for Fig Columbia will be over there first, but will ultimately be linked back here. I would encourage any of my Columbia readers to go check out Fig Columbia for all sorts of great stuff.

If you don't live in Columbia, don't worry. I'm still going to keep Permanent Press going with all my random rantings, football breakdowns, BBQ musings, political mockery, firearm photos, and all of the otherwise brilliant posts you've come to know and love here.

Ten Southern Tailgating Eats

If you're feeling more ambitious than simply going out and buying a Chick-fil-a tray, here are ten great recipes of food for your tailgate that all have a Southern flair. They range from simple (boiled peanuts) to complex (ribs).

I'm most interested in the "Southern Hot Dog" that can include Cajun remoulade, andouille sauce, and Vidalia onion marmalade.

Score.

Happy Labor Day: News Roundup and Links

As you may have noticed, I've been on vacation the last few days. Here are some headlines from around the weekend:

Lindsey Graham to meet with Obama on Syria. Graham actually wants more of a heavy-handed intervention in Syria, so this should be an interesting meeting. My prediction is the Congressional resolution in the Congress is going to make for some strange bedfellows among the anti-war liberals and the Rand Paul libertarians. This vote is going to be close. Personally, I would vote "no". I still don't know what our compelling interest is.

The UGA Offensive Line Gets Ready for the Gamecocks and Clowney. They better do something different that what they did in Clemson. Georgia didn't look like world-beaters last week. And after all the criticism of being "winded" and "out of shape" you better believe that #7 will be motivated in Athens.

The EU wants to put "speed limiters" on all cars, holding them to 70MPH. Obviously, because Europe's biggest problem right now is cars going too fast. 

Here's some good bowties if you like dressing up for tailgates. And here's a Yeti cooler that's perfect for those of you who struggle to keep your keg of beer cold at your tailgate. Maybe drink the beer more quickly, y'all?

That's all I've got. Enjoy the last day of wearing white shoes, ladies. Tick, tock...

SC State Museum to Host "Bourbon and Bowties"

Happy Friday.

On September 5, the State Museum will host a "Bourbon and Bowties" event to celebrate the last days of their latest exhibit. Tickets are $40 for non-members. Might be fun since it combines two things I like: drinking and looking good.

Gear for Guys - A Man's Vehicle

In the context of "Gear for Guys" which I started with some cool boatshoes awhile back and then followed up with a gentleman's knife, I've decided to move to the vehicle that a man needs.

A man needs a car. It gets you from place to place, and it brings all your gear with you. I've picked this particular vehicle for the Southern Man who needs a vehicle that he can put his gear in, go anywhere, take his dog with him (and not worry about the upholstery), and it also looks great. Answer below the jump.

Guys: Upgrade Your Sandals to Boatshoes

With a little inspiration from The Shop Tart, I'm going to try and throw out some cool "guy stuff" in the world of clothing and equipment every once in awhile. Don't get your hopes up too much, as she sets a pretty high bar in the world of clothing and all things glamorous. I'm a simple man. But I'll give it a run anyway.

For my first installment, it's now June. That means summertime heat, and parties on boats and at the beach and lake. Even though most guys opt for sandals when they want to go casual, you can upgrade from the sandal to the boatshoe. There's nothing wrong with that old pair of Reefs that you have. However, sometimes you need to take it to the next level.

The boatshoe is a staple of the southern man's southern closet. You need at least one pair. First, the boatshoe has the advantage of actually being a shoe. People aren't going to actually see your feet, and some guys could probably benefit from not putting their feet on display. Also, being a shoe, you have a little added foot protection, which is kind of the point of footwear anyway. To that end, you can go with a classic Sperry Top-Sider, or you can upgrade to a Gold Cup A/O (that stands for "Authentic Original) Sperry, which brings a little swagger to your shoe.

All you single gentlemen listen up: If you roll up to your next outdoor/lake party in these, you're definitely going to get some "nice shoes" comments from the ladies. That's my tip for you.

Men's Gold Cup A/O Boat Shoe

Now, these Sperrys are $150.00, so we're talking about a pretty expensive casual shoe. But let's be honest here; this shoe is about a thousand time cooler than the Reefs that you have. Yes, even the ones with the bottle opener on the bottom. For you Clemson fans out there, this Sperry also comes in an orange version for you.

If you're not here for the southern men's clothing and gear, don't worry, the political commentary, guns, and sports aren't going away, this is just something new I'm adding to the mix.

Top Ten Kentucky Derby Hats

But first a little advice: “Do not, for the love of God, decorate your hat with toy horses.”

I like this one.

For guys, simple is better.

Best Toddler Christmas Gifts

I know...I know. You're all wondering what you can get your toddler (or a friend's kid) for Christmas. No need to worry, though. I've got the ultimate gift list for the Southern Toddler. If you want your child to start living the Permanent Press Lifestyle^TM, then you need look no further. Here are three great Christmas gifts for your Southern Toddler.

(1) First, all children need to go places. They have work to do! There are  books to pull down from shelves and cabinets on the other side of the house to open. How is a busy toddler to get there? Look no further than the John Deere Foot to Floor Tractor.

Here's the best part. It's $28.99. In American money. I defy you to find a better deal on a sit-on-top kind of toy like this. This is easily one of the best Southern children's toys you can get value-wise. It works great inside or out.

(2) Moving along, after a long day of pedaling around, a young Southern toddler needs to kick back and blow off some steam. What better way than to go fishing, right? Every good angler knows that the first step in going fishing is that you have to have a good fishing vest.

Obviously, LL Bean rolls out a great fishing vest, but did you know that they make a small one for the little fisherman in your family? Boom. And it's only $39.50. This sucker has all sorts of pockets everywhere, so it's perfect for carrying around all the worms, frogs, and bugs that you find. You can just thank me now.

(3) If you're looking for something educational, that's sweet, but seriously, toddlers are getting their ABCs and 123s from their parents. You don't need to duplicate that. Every good duck hunter knows that identification of ducks is an important skill to have. Accordingly, you'll want to get your young toddler a plush wood duck from Orvis.

Apparently, the lawyers at Orvis say you shouldn't get this for a child under three, but look, y'all. Watch your children and make sure they don't pry the little eyes off and eat them. Got it? Good. Anyway, it will be a great starting point for identification of ducks. After a few years, you're good to go with the first shotgun. But that's a whole other blog post.

[h/t to Mrs. Permanent Press for inspiration for this post]

I Love Weddings

Don't you?

Shotgun Shell Cufflinks

They make a statement.

New Miss South Carolina Crowned

Miss Laurens County is the new Miss South Carolina. Any girl who wears boots with her ball gown is certainly living the Permanent Press lifestyle.

Friday Cocktail Hour: Derby Party

News You Can Use: Essentials for your Kentucky Derby Party. I would substitute the bourbon, though. Go with Blanton's Original Single Barrel.

P.S. Don't drink any bourbon right before you drive a school bus full of kids.

DIY Party Barn

Inexpensive and wonderfully done. This may inspire me to work on a backyard project of my own.