Curtain Call Drawl: Sass Menagerie

Ella Elephant Charm Necklace

Tee: Merona, Target

Skirt: H&M

Shoes: Guess, DSW

Bag: Nine West, Marshalls

Red and white bangles: B Fabulous

Orange bangle: Mixit, JCPenney

Green bracelet: Parade of Shoes

Sunglasses: The Tote Trove

Lator, Gator Charm Necklace

Tee: So, Kohl's

Skirt: Amazon

Shoes: Lilliana, Venus

Bag: Xhilaration, Target

Red bangle: B Fabulous

Black and white bracelet: Mixit, JCPenney

Yellow bangle: B Fabulous

Sunglasses: So, Kohl's

Prancing Bear Charm Necklace

Tee: Merona, Target

Skirt: Amazon

Shoes: Cape Robin, Ami Clubwear

Bag: Lily Bloom, JCPenney

Sunglasses: Michaels

Blue bracelet: Cloud Nine

Yellow bangle: B Fabulous

Green bracelet: Parade of Shoes

It seems that I'm still in a Tennessee state of mind, having just watched the season finale of "Nashville."  Why else would I combine a post about elephant, gator, and bear necklaces with a country music soap update and wrap it all up with a reference to a great American play?  I mean, other than as some sort of high-brow tribute to the Country Bears Jamboree.  And, somehow, I don't think Mr. Williams would like that.

But this post isn't about Tennessee's tales of love lost and not found.  It's about CMT's stories of the same kind, which are, of course, often as bittersweet as Music City's chart toppers.  Last Thursday was "Nashville's" season five finale, as well as its very first finale on CMT and without Rayna James (Connie Britton).  The story line centered around the precarious fate of Highway 65, Rayna's beloved self-made label for up-and-coming artists, with Avery (Jonathan Jackson) and Juliette's (Hayden Panettiere) and Scarlett (Clare Bowen) and Gunnar's (Sam Palladio) forever wayward romantic crossroads singing backup.  Deacon (Charles Esten), too, had new contenders in the romance arena, as he began the slow, arduous process of mending his broken heart.   Less cliff-hangery and more introspective than its predecessors, this finale seemed a fitting tribute to the new Nashville that took flight this season.  A Nashville, that is, that's more about people than plot twists.  And I, for one, can't wait to see where this as of yet untraveled road goes.  Good thing CMT meant what it said about cherishing and honoring the show (burn on you, ABC), picking it up for a sixth season.                   

But no need to pen a sad song just yet, because there's still a drop of bourbon-slash-sweet-tea left in this pitcher.  Which is to say, stop by next week for a new Nashville nugget.  And more necklaces :)   

A Star is Mourned: Rayna's Reign Rains Down on Nashville

 Wild West Wynonna Necklace

Top: Bongo, Sears

Skirt (a dress!): Kohl's

Boots: 2 Lips Too, DSW

Bag: Arizona Jeans, JCPenney

Belt: Sheplers

Sunglasses: Relic, Kohl's

Fabulous Felt Cowgirl Cutie Necklace

Top (another dress!): Bisou Bisou, JCPenney

Skirt: ROSS Dress for Less

Boots: Charles Albert, Alloy

Bag: Nine West, ROSS Dress for Less

Belt: Gifted

Sunglasses: Relic, Kohl's

"Give boredom the boot with this Fabulous Felt Cowgirl Cutie Necklace and her sassy sidekick, Wild West Wynonna . . ." is what I'd say if I were listing these necklaces on Etsy instead of keeping them for myself.  But these days I want to hold on to every little bit of country I can.  I'm referring, of course, to the recent bombshell dropped on beloved TV drama "Nashville."  

The last time I blogged about "Nashville," ABC had cancelled it, and the last episode featured everyone living happily ever after except for Juliette (Hayden Panettiere), who may or may not have been killed in a plane crash.  Although I was sad to see the series, which was one of my favorites, go, I was comforted that no more havoc could be wreaked on the lives and loves of Music City's brightest.  Then, in a plot twist that no one (okay, everyone) saw coming, "Nashville" got picked up by CMT.  Naturally, I was elated, scrambling to see if my cable plan included Country Music Television.  It didn't, and one argument with the Comcast lady later, I was happily signed up for Hulu, where I could watch my old pals plus plenty of new ones for a mere $7.99 a month.  Come January, I eagerly tuned in to Season 5.  And discovered that, land sakes, Juliette was alive!  Paralyzed from the waist down and touched by an angel and all of that jazz (or maybe I should say bluegrass), but back to driving everyone crazy.  As for the rest of the show, it seemed folksier and lighter than before, with an unmistakably fresh, down-home feel.

Or so I thought.  Before long it reverted to its red alert, hot mess roots, with Scarlett (Clare Bowen) forsaking Gunnar (Sam Palladio) to hop into bed with her edgy but verbally abusive new music video director, the aptly named Damien, and Rayna (Connie Britton) being held at knifepoint by a stalker only to (MAJOR SPOILER ALERTS FROM HERE ON OUT) fall victim to yet another major car accident.  One second she's on the phone with Deacon (Charles Esten), then smash! -- the next, something plows into her.  It was so abrupt, so jarring, I jumped.

Rayna spends the next episode in the hospital.  At first, recovery seems in the cards.  Deacon asks her what she wants, and she glibly says, "A cheeseburger."  Ever the knight in shining armor, Deacon obliges, soon returning with the tasty treat.  But Rayna's fate is sealed when her dead mother appears in her hospital room and gently tells her to stop struggling with her new song because "maybe the song is finished."  Deacon is visibly shaken, pulling Rayna's doc aside to ask if it's normal for her to be seeing visions.  "Perfectly," she assures him, "it's just a side effect of the medication."  But Deacon knows different, and, it seems, so does Rayna.

For the rest of the hour, Rayna focuses on imparting wisdom to her nearest and dearest and saying goodbye, not only to them, but to us.  Rayna is the soul of "Nashville," and her life has touched the life of every other character, as evidenced by her full hospital room.  All too soon it's just Deacon, Maddie (Lennon Stella), and Daphne (Maisy Stella), singing the sweetly heartbreaking "A Life That's Good."  Rayna flutters her eyes . . . then closes them forever.

As character deaths go, this one was as sad as any country song worth its margarita.  A Google search confirmed the rumors that Connie Britton wanted to leave "Nashville," and that Rayna dying was the only way to make that happen and do Rayna justice.  Although it's perhaps unfair to attribute symbolism to a character's death when you know that said death was motivated by the actress's plans to leave the show, I couldn't help but think that Rayna James and Juliette Barnes traded places.  As in, Rayna's life was sacrificed so that Juliette's life could be saved.  And that Juliette, with all her Phoenix-rising-from-the-ashes insights, would one day flower into a full-fledged (albeit snarkier) Rayna.  

After all, the show must go on, even without its leading lady.  As showrunner Marshall Herskovitz pointed out in an interview with Entertainment Weekly, "Nashville" is, at its core, an ensemble story:

". . . the show of Nashville is a world, it's not about one person.  As great as Connie is and Rayna was, it was never just one person.  What people will find as they process their feelings -- and maybe fans will be angry at us or at her for this happening -- but they'll find the fabric of the show more than holds.  It's still this vibrant passionate creative world of people who live their lives in a way that has a fire beneath it."

Well put.  Nevertheless, "Nashville" won't be the same without Rayna's unique brand of guts, class, and grace.  

I'm just glad she got that cheeseburger.

Country Club Kitsch: In Favor of Parties and Nice Knowing You, Nashville

Gibson Girl Necklace

Tee: Merona, Target

Skirt: Marshalls

Boots: 2 Lips Too, DSW

Bag: Worthington, JCPenney

Hat: The husband's closet

Belt: Gifted

Sunglasses: Brigantine beach shop

Sunsational Sunglasses Necklace

Tee: Arizona Jeans, JCPenney

Skirt: Xhilaration, Target

Boots: Charles Albert, Alloy

Bag: Betsey Johnson, Macy's

Sunglasses: Rampage, Boscov's

Gibson Girl Barrette

Leopard top: Macy's

Striped top: Wet Seal

Jeans: l.e.i, JCPenney

Shoes: Worthington, JCPenney

Bag: Candie's, Kohl's

Sunglasses: Relic, Kohl's

This week's projects have one thing in common -- and it's not that I made them from stuff from the dollar store (although that's true too).  It's that I made all three from party favors!  Indeed, the kawaii-tastic guitars in this Gibson Girl necklace and barrette proudly proclaim, "party like a rock star" (lest you forget and wear them to the library or a church rummage sale).  As for the moniker Gibson Girl, it's meant to be a little bit leather and a little bit lace.  In other words, a new spin on a little bit country, a little bit rock and roll, which, dang it all, would've been the perfect phrase to trot out for this post, so much so that I wish I hadn't maxed it out in recent weeks.  Because the leather and lace thing is a little clunky, conjuring up images of 1980s hair bands, which is not what I was going for.  No, the sweet spot is an ever so slightly edgy brand of country.  Kind of like the kind they portray and play on ABC's "Nashville."

If you watch, then you know that the series finale aired this past Wednesday to the tune of almost zero fanfare.  The last preview had sneakily slipped in the announcement, "Next week, on the series finale of "Nashville," . . .," confirming month-long rumors that this ratings bubble of a show had finally popped.  Fans are outraged and saddened by the untimely cancellation, myself included.  Which should come as no surprise considering this fan fashion I made two years ago:

Juliette in the Southern Starlet Necklace

Scarlett and Gunnar in the Southern Sweethearts Necklace

Although I've never been into country music, "Nashville" is one of my favorite shows.  I watched it from the beginning, and as the weeks rolled on, I was surprised to find that I looked forward to not  just the story, but the music, which had a sort of modern, alt-rock, folksy sound I hadn't before associated with country.  From the first episode, I was drawn into the characters' lives as they strove to either break into the biz or maintain shaky stardom while balancing family and romance.  I loved rehashing the episodes on the phone with my mother and sister, often becoming so animated that the husband asked if we were discussing real people.

Still, it may not yet be time to give up the ghost.  The Interwebs are buzzing with the commentary of diehard fans who insist that it isn't curtains for the country music drama, ever hopeful that it'll be picked up by a cable network or even Netflix or Hulu (hey, it worked for "Conan" and "The Mindy Project").  According to this camp, "Nashville" shot two series finales: one tying up every character's story neatly and one allowing the fate of Hayden Panettiere's Juliette Barnes to hang in the balance.  It was the second version that aired, leading many to believe that the show will go on.

So, where do I stand on this issue?  At the crossroads of ambivalence.  On one hand, it was downright haunting to watch Juliette grow so much and come so close to winning back Avery (Jonathan Jackson) only to maybe (spoiler alert!) be killed in a plane crash, meeting the same tragic end as The Big Bopper, Buddy Holly, John Denver, and three-fourths of Lynyrd Skynyrd.  Was it a case of a spoiled star finally getting what she deserved?  Or of a hard-living artist having an epiphany about what's important and then simply reaching the end of the road?  I'm not sure, but the English major in me appreciates that there are possibilities in this last call for a series that detractors have long disparaged as nothing more than an ABC ad vehicle.  I will say this: I was happily relieved to see Gunnar (Sam Palladio) and Scarlett (Clare Bowen) finally reunite after four seasons of will-they-won't-they and would surely hate to see them pulled asunder just to keep a new storyline spinning.  (Ditto for Deacon and Rayna.)  Although abrupt and a little clumsily executed, the plot that leads to their reconciliation (I'm talking to you, icky Autumn and Gunnar fling), makes a lot of sense.  Amid the confusion, Scarlett has the epiphany (epiphanies being key in this finale) that she's in love with Gunnar, despite him accusing her of being afraid of becoming involved with him only two weeks earlier. Yet as obtuse as he is during most of this episode, Gunnar's not entirely clueless.  Scarlett has always let her fears limit her, first by refusing Gunnar's marriage proposal at the end of season one and finally by hooking up with safe choice love interest Dr. Caleb Rand in season three.  So when she decides to take the leap and pursue a relationship with Gunnar in earnest, we know it's for real.  And when Gunnar finally wakes from Autumn's evil spell to grab Scarlett for a kiss during what is meant to be their farewell performance, we know that this is how their story should end, a sentiment verbalized by their manager who contentedly comments, "Looks like they're still a duo."

Although life after ABC may mean a more nuanced, multifaceted format free from the pressure to pander to corporate sponsors, I vote to end "Nashville" while most of its denizens have what they want (Juliette's possible trip to that Grand Ole Opry in the sky notwithstanding).  Because in a world where a tired old tune reigns supreme, happy endings await on the B side.