SummerHouse, our favorite furniture boutique in Ridgeland, is hosting a Yard Party tomorrow, Thursday, June 30th!  Head to SummerHouse’s Township location anytime between 2pm and 8pm to enjoy tasty treats from local food trucks, chilled craft beer and incredible live music.  The Yard Party, co-presented by Ambiance Landscape, is a celebration of SummerHouse’s beautiful new line of private labeled outdoor furniture! 

The furniture store and design firm, owned by Jackson native Lisa Palmer, has partnered with a to-the-trade-only outdoor furniture company to create pieces just for SummerHouse. “We are so excited to finally have a private label of outdoor furniture. These pieces are unique, high quality, and beautiful! Our clients have been asking for something like this for a long time,” says Palmer. “We are also offering a 20% discount on all outdoor furniture orders taken the day of the event as a thank you to our wonderful customer base!”

While guests nosh on food and enjoy cool beverages, they can browse the incredible furniture line and learn more about the art of landscaping.  Spending time outdoors with friends and family is a wonderful part of life in Mississippi; this is the perfect excuse to spruce up your outdoor living spaces!   

SummerHouse’s Social Media Director, Laurel Donahoo, says, “This will be a fun event for the whole family to come enjoy! Not only will there be great food and drink, but it’ll be inspiring as far as getting your outdoor entertaining areas spruced up! With our typical Mississippi weather, beautiful outdoor spaces can be enjoyed well into the fall months, so it’s not too late to get some new outdoor furniture purchased and landscaping done!” 

We hope to see all of you at SummerHouse tomorrow! 

For more information about SummerHouse and the event, please visit www.summerhousestyle.com or call 601-853-4445. For more information about Ambiance Landscape, please visit www.ambiancelandscape.net or call 601-906-1540.

Photographs courtesy of SummerHouse include several of the private label pieces, as well as other outdoor pieces available at SummerHouse.

It all started with an enviable collection of cars.  David Sherer, a local car collector and businessman, had a handsome collection of vintage automobiles.  He began driving friends and families for weddings and special events.  Before he knew it, his lovely cars were in high demand, and Way Back in Time became the premier vintage automobile and limousine service in the state.  Over five years ago, Jeff Gordy joined Sherer as fleet manager, head driver and scheduler.  Gordy says, “Our primary cars are a white Rolls Royce, a maroon 1938 Packard, a black 1941 Cadillac Sedan and a black 1958 Chevrolet Impala Convertible.”  The automobiles are simply stunning and make the perfect entrance or exit for any wedding, special event or anniversary.  Gordy smiles, “Our cars have even been in recent movies!  The Cadillac has been in two films over the past two years: Get On Up (about James Brown) and a film in Canton that is still in production.  Our 1958 Impala starred in the hit movie The Help.”  

Every car at Way Back in Time makes a statement, whether you are in need of a vintage pickup truck or sleek Rolls Royce.  Sherer and Gordy are also a pleasure to work with, and will make sure the car perfectly fits your event!  The starting price on any car is $495, and all prices are listed on the Way Back in Time website. 

For more information on Way Back in Time, please visit their website here!  You can also call Jeff Gordy at 601.940.3805 with any questions.  Their impressive collection of automobiles can be viewed here. 

A special thank you to Caitlyn Sullivan Photography for capturing these fantastic photographs!

Last year, an extraordinary organization handed out almost $100,000 in scholarships to young women across the state.  Who awarded these talented women? The Miss Mississippi Pageant, of course!  The Miss America Corporation is the leading scholarship provider for women in the country.  The Miss Mississippi Corporation has led the country in the amount of scholarships provided for a number of years.

The Miss Mississippi contest began in 1934, and has been held in Vicksburg since 1958.  Remarkably, four Miss Mississippis have won the title of Miss America!

Tomorrow night, 44 beautiful, smart and talented contestants will dance, sing, promote their platforms, answer tough questions and show off their style throughout the competition.  Whether you are watching the magical evening live in Vicksburg or enjoying it from the comfort of your home, please join us in encouraging these young women! 

For more information on the Miss Mississippi Pageant, please visit their website here!  The video and photographs are courtesy of the Miss Mississippi Pageant website.

It is officially summer!  Today, we are thrilled to reveal our beautiful summer cover of Inspiration Mississippi Magazine!

Celebrate friendship and early summer's warm evenings with a dinner al fresco.  With the picturesque Barn at Bridlewood as a backdrop, we topped a handsome wooden table with flowers in bright hues of yellow, gold, pink and orange.  Guests were treated to a delectable menu of southern staples including Mississippi raised catfish and vegetables, fresh from the soil.  As friends mingled and laughed, the sun set over the farm, allowing a string of twinkling lights to glow above the intimate party.  What a perfect summer affair!

A special thank you to our vendors:

Venue:  The Barn at Bridlewood
Photography:  Adam + Alli Photography
Tablescape Rentals:  Pretty Presentations Rentals
Fresh Produce:  Two Dog Farms
Rentals:  Modern Revival Rentals
Hair & Make-Up:  Barnette's Salon
Men's Clothing:  Great Scott
Women's Clothing:  Bella Bridesmaids
Print Material:  Forrest Paper & Bridal Company
Florals & Styling:  Ginger Cook Event & Floral Design
Mississippi Food:  Georgia Blue & Livingston Mercantile
Women's Shoes:  Lauren Lorraine

Inspiration Mississippi is delighted to announce Ice Cream with Friends!

July is National Ice Cream Month, and we have proudly partnered with Sal & Mookie’s New York Pizza and Ice Cream Joint to benefit Batson Children’s Hospital!

Kendall Poole Ellis, Founder of Inspiration Mississippi, smiles, “Batson Children’s Hospital has touched so many lives in our community.  We wanted to create a fun, friendly way to support all of the incredible heroes at Batson, from the brilliant doctors and nurses to the brave patients.  Ice Cream with Friends seemed like the perfect opportunity to join with Sal & Mookie’s and support Batson Children’s Hospital.”

With your help (and many helpings of delicious ice cream!), 15% of all "Batson Sundae" sales at Sal & Mookie’s will be donated to Children’s Hospital! A Kick-Off Party for Ice Cream with Friends will be held at Sal & Mookie’s on Friday, July 1 at 9:30am.  Sal & Mookie will be there along with kids from Batson Children’s Hospital.  We hope to see all of you there, enjoying tasty treats and supporting our incredible hospital and its precious patients!

To wrap up National Ice Cream Month and Ice Cream with Friends, Inspiration Mississippi, along with Sal & Mookie’s, will host an Ice Cream Party at Batson Children’s Hospital. The celebration will take place in Wiser Cafeteria on Thursday, July 28 at 2:30 pm.

We are working closely with the extraordinary team at Friends of Children’s Hospital, a nonprofit organization created to benefit Batson Children’s Hospital at The University of Mississippi Medical Center.  Batson is the only hospital in the state devoted exclusively to the care and treatment of sick and injured children.  The spectrum of care ranges from well-child care for healthy newborns to comprehensive care for cancer, epilepsy, cystic fibrosis, sickle cell anemia, allergies, diabetes and numerous other childhood illnesses.  We spoke with Elisha Bailey of Friends with Children’s Hospital, and are excited to share more about their inspiring work today:

Tell us more about Friends of Children’s Hospital “Friends of Children’s Hospital was created in 1989 by a group of dedicated members from around the state to raise funds and awareness for the state’s only children’s hospital.  The goal of Friends is to build a statewide base of community support in order to raise money for state-of-the-art equipment, facilities and services for all pediatric patients as well as the many specialized programs aimed at improving each child’s stay.  Through volunteer efforts and contributions, members of Friends help Batson Children’s Hospital in its fight against childhood disease and injury.” 

Why is Friends excited to participate in ice cream month with Inspiration Mississippi and Sal & Mookie's?  “We are always excited to join with great community partners that raise not only money for Batson Children’s Hospital but also awareness of all of the great things Batson is doing for the children in our state.”

Where will the money earned go?  Or how will it benefit the patients at Batson? “The money will go to Friends of Children’s Hospital which directly benefits the patients at Batson. Friends assists in purchasing state-of-the art equipment, building facilities, and providing services for all pediatric patients. While we’re part of making the hospital state-of-the-art, we also take pride in being able to create a healing environment for the patients by decorating the hospital for Christmas, providing an on-demand entertainment system for every patient and ensuring activity rooms are fully stocked with craft supplies, toys and items to improve each patient’s hospital stay.” 

We will end Ice Cream with Friends with an ice cream party at Batson at the end of July!  Why will this be a special day for the patients at Batson?  “Who doesn’t love an ice cream party!? Friends of Children’s Hospital, Inspiration MS, and Sal & Mookie's will be hosting an ice cream party for the patients at the end of July. It will be a fun afternoon filled with music, face painting, games, and a visit from Mookie, Sal & Mookie’s mascot.

The patients are often cooped up in their rooms or their floor for days at a time and this gives them an opportunity to get out and be social and have fun. These kids are going through things that are so hard for most of us to imagine so anytime we can bring a smile to their face then it’s a good day!” 

What are some other ways people can support Batson?  “There are a ton of ways to get involved with Friends and help Batson! Check out our website at www.foch.org for details.”

Elisha adds, “We appreciate Inspiration Mississippi and Sal & Mookie's for hosting this fundraiser. We are thrilled to be a part of it and we know that it will have a positive impact on the patients at Batson.”

For more information on Sal & Mookie’s, please visit their website here! 

A special thank you to Katelyn Anne Photography for capturing these beautiful photographs!