Tomorrow is the perfect excuse to celebrate.  Dress yourself in a lucky shade of green, embrace shamrocks, and honor the heritage of the Irish.  March 17 is, of course, St. Patrick’s Day!

If you are spending St. Patrick’s Day with family and friends, why not whip up an Irish cocktail?  We enlisted the help of Chris Robertson, Bar Director at Bravo! Italian Restaurant and Bar in Jackson, to concoct a delightful drink.  Chris created The Hen’s Teeth, a perfectly lovely cocktail for St. Patrick’s Day: 

“I knew I wanted to be an Optometrist when I was six-years-old.  ‘What do you want to be when you grow up?’ was a question I was frequently asked as a child by my family, teachers and people in the community.  And literally, I always said, ‘I want to be an eye doctor.’”

Dr. Tonyatta Hairston experienced her first eye exam at the young age of six, and was fascinated by the entire process.  She needed glasses, but instead of feeling self-conscious in her new frames, she laughs, “I could see and I looked good.  It spoke to my spirit and said, ‘this is what you are supposed to do!’”

Tonyatta grew up in North Jackson, graduated from Callaway High School and Tougaloo College.  She says, “I am very blessed and thankful to have parents who believe in education and hard work.”  

She followed her dreams and landed in Memphis at the Southern College of Optometry, where she received her doctorate and graduated in 2001.  After two years practicing with a clinic in Jackson, Tonyatta boldly ventured out on her own.  She opened a business in Magee and after several successful years, returned to her hometown and opened EnVision EyeCare and Optical Boutique in 2006. 

What inspired you to open your own business?
“Several things!  Working for someone very early on I realized there were things I wanted to do, but couldn’t.  I have a heart of giving.  When you work for someone else – if someone comes in with a need, you might not be able to meet that need.  I recognized there are people I could help or benefit if I was in the position to do so!” 

“I also didn’t want to play by the rules; I wanted to make my own!  I wanted to make my own schedule and be the captain of the ship.  I decided to move in the direction I felt was best for myself and for others."

Has it been a rewarding journey owning your own business?
“The good has outweighed the bad.  It is tough being a business owner.  I work more as an owner than I even did as an employee.  But it is also awesome to be able to equip other people to make their dreams come true.“

What advice do you have for other women wishing to follow a similar path?
"Whatever it is that you want to do – you must become an expert in it!  Surround yourself with people who have done something similar and learn from them." 

"Find a mentor.  I didn’t really have one, but now I think I am a great mentor because I had to learn so much on my own.  I always wished I had one, so I am thankful to be one to others."

"Ask a lot of questions."

Tell us about EnVision EyeCare and Optical Boutique!
“We are a full-service optometry clinic.  We see patients from 6 months old to geriatric patients.  My oldest patient to date is 104-years-old! We provide comprehensive eye care, which includes checking a patient for their prescription needs for glasses and contacts, examining for eye diseases, and treating those conditions with medication or other therapies.”

“We also offer a routine line of eyewear, with lines such as Gucci, Prada, Ray-Ban, and Marc Jacobs; all of the latest and greatest in eyewear.  Come get your eyes checked, and we will make sure you look good when you leave! I love the fashion element of my job!”

Anything else you want to share?
 “It has been a wonderful journey to get to this place and say I literally followed my childhood dream.  My journey isn’t over yet; there is still more to come.  I am 14 years in and I’m just getting started!”

Thank you, Tonyatta, for sharing your incredibly inspiring story with us!  Tonyatta was also just named "Young Entrepreneur of the Year" by Savvy Inc.  Congratulations on this well-deserved award, Tonyatta! 

We look forward to sharing the journey of more women across the state taking a leap of faith and opening their own small businesses.  For more information on EnVision EyeCare and Optical Boutique, visit their website here! 

{Bride}  Caroline Carr Temple  (Present Caroline Temple Smith)
{Groom} Charles Griffin Smith (goes by Griffin)

{Hometowns} BRIDE- Jackson, MS, GROOM Atlanta, GA
{Wedding Site} (Galloway United Methodist Church, Jackson, MS)
{Reception Site} (Mississippi Museum of Art, Jackson, MS)
{Bride’s Bouquet} White Hydrangea, Juliet Garden Roses, Patience Garden Roses and Ranunculus
{Bridesmaid Bouquets} Chablis Roses, Lisianthus, Silver Brunia, Ranunculus, Dusty Miller, White Majolica Spray Roses and Seeded Eucalyptus

{How did the two of you meet?}
Griffin and I met in Oxford our freshman year in the spring of 2007.  It was around the time the KA’s, Griffin’s fraternity, went to New Orleans for their Spring Formal.  My friend, Tory McGuire, set us up on a blind date and we immediately hit it off in the bayou.  We made our relationship official in the fall of 2008, our junior year, before we headed down to Baton Rouge to watch Ole Miss beat LSU.  We are so blessed to have met while in school at Ole Miss and share so many mutual friends and memories together.   We now live in Atlanta together, after living in Jackson, WY and Charleston, SC.
{What is your proposal story?}
Griffin proposed to me in the summer of 2013 on a beach trip with his immediate family including his mom, dad, older sister, brother in law, little sister and 6-month-old nephew in Murrell’s Inlet, South Carolina.  Griffin took me on a beautiful sunset stroll down the beach, got down on one knee and popped the question.  We then saw his mom and adorable two sisters hiding in the sea grass who captured it all on camera.  When we returned to the house and the rest of the boys were waiting on the porch that overlooked the bay with champagne to celebrate.  My sweet soon to be father in law handed me a beautiful red rose and told me how he couldn’t wait for me to be his only ever daughter in law.  It was the most wonderful surprise and it meant so much for us to be able to celebrate with family.

{What inspired your wedding and reception locations?}
We wanted to celebrate our wedding by making it personable while entwining the traditional south, with a few modern, elegant aspects and overall fun! Therefore we knew it, our wedding was definitely “mint to be” in Mississippi!  We both felt strongly about marring in the Church.  We chose my home Church, Galloway United Methodist Church.  My Galloway family really holds a special place in my heart and the church itself is gorgeous.  It is a historical church in downtown Jackson across the street from the old capital.  It has a beautiful garden, enormous antebellum columns and stain glass windows.  I had my heart set on the Mississippi Museum of Art because I loved the modern artsy feel.  I wanted out of town guests to get a great first impression of Mississippi.  The MS Museum of Art would show off MS’s creative side.  There was actually an Oxford festival was being held the day we visited, which sold Griffin! We fell in love with the beautiful backdrop mural of green and snow topped mountains with wildlife in the middle of our dance floor that reminded of us Jackson, Wyoming.  We also saw a lot of potential in the enormous, relaxing patio.    So there you had it! The MS Museum of Art was “mint to be” our reception!

{What inspired your color scheme/theme/flowers?}
I wanted a breath of fresh air from winter and bring spring colors early for our late February wedding.  Finding the bridesmaids dresses was first on my list.  Griffin’s favorite color is green and I love pastel looking colors.  My mom and sisters shopped at Bella Bridesmaids in ATL and found the perfect color dress.  It was a mint green; hence where the play on words came from for our “mint to be” wedding and our planning started getting real creative and fun! We had “mint to be” mints to pass out to guests, “mint to be” sparkle sneakers for under my wedding dress, “mint to be” earrings handmade for the bridesmaids, “mint to be” love birds on the wedding cake, and our lighting for the reception was even “mint to be”.  For flowers we used colors of whites, greys, a little greenery, pale pinks, and a pop of bright peach, which complimented the bridesmaids mint dresses beautifully.  The groomsmen wore dark grey tuxes.

{How did you pick “the dress”?}
I did not step one foot into a bridal shop.  My mom found her wedding dress from up in the attic and it was not in the best condition.  It was from 1978.  The dress was beautifully laced with long sleeves and high neck and had a silky flow at the bottom.  My mom helped me zip it up and it really just fit perfect.  I knew this was “the dress”.  It needed to be restored and I wanted to change it up a little to have a hint of my personality in it.  We found Sandra Ashford who had restored my mothers’ veil for my sister’s wedding and she made it look brand new again.  We took the high neck off and made it scallop off the shoulders.  It was stunning.  It was so special to me to be ale to wear my mothers’ dress, being as she is a huge role model to me and has been happily married to my dad for 36 years. 

{What’s your favorite unique accessory? Is there a story behind it?}

My mom and I were driving back home from church and spotted the “mint to be” Antique Ford pick truck parked on the side of the rode.  We instantly thought that would be awesome for photos for the wedding!  After we left a note on the truck the driver came out from choir practice.  Of course only in the South he knew some of our cousins and the truck was ours!

I loved my “mint to be” Sparkle Sneakers.  They fit my personality so well.  My feet never felt so good all day and night.  I recommend it to any Bride to be!

Molly Gee Designs
Mississippi artist who hand makes stunning hairpieces and others.  I have known Molly Gee around Jackson.  My mom and Istopped by her tent at Mistletoe and it was “mint to be”.  I fell in love with this hairpiece.  Its beautiful combinations of silver rhinestones with shades or pink and white pearls.  It’s sunning!

{What was your favorite part of the wedding planning process?}
Helping design the Grooms Cake because it was a surprise.  I loved watching Griffin’s face light up when he saw all his tickets he had collected throughout his life transform on his pistachio flavored cake.  He collected tickets of all kinds such as Oxford concerts at The Lyric and Proud Larry’s, Ole Miss and Braves sporting events, traveling in Europe, his favorite band Widespread Panic and many more.  It represented his love for music, sports, travel and our love story.   It was so colorful and propped on top of an antique suitcase with an edible record that sat on top with our wedding song “Home” by Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros.

{Besides the actual wedding, what was your favorite moment of the wedding day?}
Both of our family’s gathered in the small Chapel while guests were filling the sanctuary.  We all held hands while our preacher, Reverend Joey Shelton, led us in prayer. It was amazing and comforting feeling God’s presence.  It was well needed to take a pause and pray together after lots of prepping for the wedding and before walking down the aisle.

My Dad walking me down the aisle was a pretty awesome feeling.  When I was a little girl I loved watching “Father of the Bride” with my Dad. I knew it would be a cherished moment when it was my turn to walk down the aisle with him. I felt very blessed and love him so very much. 

My sister singing our prayer song while playing the guitar was so special.  We knelt down on our prayer quilt that included our new initials and scripture readings.  We made a pillow of the quilt after the wedding and it is now on our bed.  It is such a great reminder of our special day.

I got a little choked up saying my vows, but as soon as I looked into Griffin’s big brown eyes my nerves seemed to disappear.  I knew at that moment that we were becoming one before God surrounded by all of our family and friends, which meant the world to me.  It was the most wonderful moment that I will remember and cherish for the rest of my life. 

{What was your favorite surprise detail/moment about your wedding day?}
Walking into our reception was breath taking.  All of our planning came to reality all thanks to our wonderful wedding planner Kendall Poole Event Planning, family, friends and my mom!

{What was your favorite photo from the day?}

{The picture that represents the two of you best?}

Photographer: Followell Fotography {http://www.followellfotography.com/}
Event Planner: Kendall Poole Event Planning (KPEP) {http://kendallpooleeventplanning.com/}
     She is awesome!! I was so relaxed and could really enjoy my big day because of her!! She blew my socks off!! She is so talented! 
Dress: Sandra Ashford Designer: The Ashford Collection
Bride’s Jewelry: Molly Gee Designs {http://www.mollygeedesigns.com}
Bride and Bridesmaids Earrings: BroqueRevival: Alexandra Long {https://www.etsy.com/shop/BroqueRevival}
Hair and Make-Up: Kristina Myers {https://www.facebook.com/pages/Kristina-Myers/299528236853226}
Bridesmaid Dresses: Bella Bridesmaids of Atlanta {http://www.bellabridesmaids.com/locations/atlanta/}
Joanna August, Chiffon, Dani-long, Color-I Want Candy {http://www.joannaaugust.com/dresses/chiffon/dani-long}
Tuxes: Tuxes Too {http://www.tuxestoo.com}
Venue: MS Museum of Art {http://msmuseumart.org/}
Lighting:  Davaine Lighting {http://www.davainelighting.com/}
Rentals: Great Southern Events {http://www.greatsouthernevents.com/}
Florist: Au Courant Floral {http://www.aucourantfloral.com/}
Catering: MS Museum of Art {http://msmuseumart.org/}
Bar: MS Museum of Art
Band:  The Compozitionz / Jackson, MS {http://www.musicgardenbands.com/find-a-band/general/compozitionz/view-details.html}

With spring nearly upon us, wedding season is just around the corner.  For the gentleman attending an event, you might be pondering a frequently asked question: which suit or tuxedo is appropriate for which occasion? 

We turned to Doug Douglass, owner of Tuxes Too in Banner Hall, for his expert advice on dressing this spring and summer.  Doug says, “There are many different options for brides and grooms to choose from in 2015 for their formal wear needs.”  Here are Doug’s excellent and easy tips:

~ “We are seeing a lot of grey for early and late afternoon weddings. There are a couple of different styles to choose from that we carry in stock, including a heather grey and steel grey. Both jackets are a modern fit, which is very much in style these days.”

~ “Of course black will always be a mainstay for late afternoon and evening weddings.  One of the more popular styles we carry in stock is the Michael Kors’ Desire. It is also a modern fit jacket and pant, and comes in super 130 wool, which is a great lightweight option for summer weddings in Mississippi.”

~ “If you have a formal wedding in the South at 6pm or after, then a perfect choice is the traditional black tail with a pique shirt, vest, and tie. This has long been an etiquette must and never goes out of style.”

~ “While these styles account for most weddings year-round, there are also some seasonal styles that look great. A chocolate tuxedo is popular in the fall and the ivory dinner jacket always looks stylish.”

Thank you, Doug, for these wonderful hints on dressing the gentlemen in your life!  Stop by Tuxes Too in Banner Hall, and their friendly and helpful staff will be happy to assist you with all your formal wear decisions.  Doug adds, “We have everything in stock and will be happy to let you try on the style that's perfect for you!”  To visit the Tuxes Too website, please click here! 

We also want to thank Adam + Alli Photography for the handsome photos of the gentleman in tails, and Chao Photography for the magical photos at the Mississippi State Fair.

The compassionate, philanthropic and impressive women of the Mississippi State Society Daughters of the American Revolution will be hosting a lovely reception tomorrow, March 7, in honor of our brave Vietnam War Veterans. 

Inside the stately War Memorial Building in downtown Jackson, all Vietnam Veterans are invited to mingle with Governor Phil Bryant, MSSDAR State Vice-Regent Cindy McNamara, speaker Lt. Col William Patrick, G.V. Montgomery dignitaries and Mayors of the Metro Jackson area. 

DAR Member Bette Poole says, "Veterans will arrive to register and enjoy a buffet catered by Wendy Putt, Fresh Cut Catering & Floral.  Guests will assemble in the auditorium for a patriotic program and patriotic music.  Vietnam Veterans will be honored and thanked for their service."

The United States infantrymen in Vietnam saw a staggering average of 240 days of combat each year during the two-decade long war, fought from 1955 until 1975.  58,253 American soldiers were killed (including 636 Mississippians), and 153,363 were wounded. 

Ten central Mississippi DAR chapters have come together to host this incredible event, celebrating the 50th Anniversary of the Vietnam War, and the American Veterans who fought so selflessly and bravely.  The ten Mississippi State Society chapters hosting the reception are Annandale, Chief Red Jacket, Doak's Treaty, Fort Rosalie, James Foster, LeFleur's Bluff, Magnolia State, Ralph Humphreys, Rebecca Cravat, and Walter Leake.

DAR is a service organization of dedicated women who promote Education, Patriotism and Historic Preservation.  More than 930,000 women have joined DAR since its founding over 125 years ago!  Mississippi boasts 3,000 of these members, in 79 chapters throughout the state.  These outstanding women make a difference in their communities, our country, and around the world.  One of DAR’s major focuses is servicing Veterans throughout the year. 

For more information on the MSSDAR, visit www.dar.org.  To learn more about the Veterans of the Vietnam war, please visit www.vietnamwar50th.com.

We hope all of our brave Veterans and their families will enjoy this special and unique reception in Jackson!