Marianna and Micah Whitson’s Favorite Things
Photo by Blake Fitch
Six years ago, southerners Micah and Marianna Whitson moved to the Boston area. As they watched tornadoes rip through Alabama—Micah’s home state—in 2011, the couple began to write love notes back home, in the form of letterpress posters. They soon turned their craft into a company, Old Try print shop, and have collaborated with Garden & Gun magazine and online stores like Bourbon & Boots. Here, the transplants name the things they love north of the Mason-Dixon.
MICAH
Photo by Scott M. Lacey. Styling by Rowena Day/Ennis.
Purveyors
Produce: Wilson Farm, in Lexington, has 125-plus years of farming history just up the road from us.
Spirits: Craft Beer Cellar, in Belmont, for brews. Insane selection.
Ice Cream: Christina’s.
Jeans: Last pair I got was from Raleigh Denim, when we were down in North Carolina. Otherwise, I look for Levi’s 501 Shrink-To-Fits in workwear stores.
Luggage: Filson bags are rugged as all get-out.
Gifts: Black Ink is perfect. Curated to have just what you need.
Wilson Farm Produce photo courtesy of Wilson Farm
Service Pros
Tailor: 9Tailors. I got a seersucker suit from them last year after they scoured the markets to find just the blue I was looking for.
Diversions
New England Getaway: Any place I can easily take to the woods.
Boston-Area Neighborhood: Inman Square takes me back to my first years living outside of the South. She’ll always have a spot in my heart.
The Last…
Book You Read: The Member of the Wedding, by Carson McCullers. Carson isn’t one of the patron saints of southern literature, but she should be.
Concert You Saw: Sigur Rós.
Play You Saw: Newsies, on Broadway. It was my wife’s sixth-grade dream to get there, so we made it happen.
Splurge that Was Worth It: A 2013 Subaru XV Crosstrek.
Must-Haves
Everyday Uniform: Desert boots, 501s, and a gingham shirt from J.Crew.
Drink: Buffalo Trace, neat. No time for pretense.
iPhone App: ESPN ScoreCenter is my lifeline during college-football season.
Comfort Food: Breakfast for dinner.
Marlborough Street photo by Alee Gleiberman
Finds
Restaurant: Il Casale, in Belmont.
Green Space: I can walk a quarter-mile to Menotomy Rocks Park, in Arlington, and feel like I’ve stepped into a Currier & Ives painting.
Cocktail Spot: The Last Hurrah. If it was good enough for JFK, I reckon it’s good enough for me.
Boston Street: Marlborough Street in the spring makes you think that everything is right in the world.
MARIANNA
Photo by Scott M. Lacey. Styling by Rowena Day/Ennis.
Purveyors
Baked Goods: Something Sweet Without Wheat, in Arlington, for tasty gluten-free treats.
Meat: Stillman’s Farm meat CSA.
Linens: Restoration Hardware.
Dresses: Anthropologie.
Sporting Equipment › Comlax. I coach and play lacrosse.
Bath Products: Lush. Their bubble bars make the best baths.
Service Pros
Gym: Boston Sports Clubs. I take a great ballet class there.
Massage: Bella Santé spa, in Lexington.
Diversions
Museum: V & A Museum, in London.
New England Getaway: Seaside towns like Newburyport, Gloucester, or Newport, Rhode Island.
Boston-Area Neighborhood: The South End. I love walking around all the brownstones and brick sidewalks.
The Last…
Movie You Saw: Silver Linings Playbook.
Concert You Saw: Snowden.
TV Series You Followed: New Girl. It’s so hilariously funny, I can’t handle it.
Must-Haves
Beauty Product: Smashbox concealer.
Piece of Jewelry: My wedding band; it’s a small diamond eternity band, so dainty and simple.
Fragrance: Chloé Rose.
Takeout Food: Blue Ribbon. It has the most authentic barbecue we’ve found up here.
Finds
Restaurant: The Neighborhood, in Union Square—amazing breakfast al fresco on their grape-arbor-covered patio.
Green Space: Robbins Farm Park, in Arlington.
