INSPIREMS

Oh Baby! Baby Shower for Molly Gee {Events}

7/18/2018

Happy Hump Day y'all!
The weekend is just around the corner and we're excited to enjoy one of the last few before the school year comes back around. Today's event is absolutely darling,; we can't stop smiling looking at the beautiful photos from Hannah Groat Photography. This baby shower was thrown for our dear friend Molly Gee Webster at the stunning The Opera House 1853 in Canton! Keep reading for more on this celebration of precious baby Cyrena!

Hairstylists and wedding vendors collaborated to celebrate one of their own and her baby on the way! Molly Gee Webster can usually be found behind the scenes helping beautiful brides look their best for their special day. This time, the day was all about her and her precious baby, Cyrene Ann Webster! The historic Opera House 1853 in Canton, Mississippi was the perfect location to shower this beloved friend.

The decor for this special shower was inspired by the baby's nursery. Bold black and white with pops of mod colored geometric shapes translated beautifully. Handprinted blocks were scattered throughout as a sweet keepsake for many years to come! Guests dined on swanky Mexican grub from 4 Top Catering, petit fours from Campbell's Bakery and super fun bottled Pepsi products. For the food labels, small canvases were painted to match the theme of the event. A painting for the nursery was the gift from the hostesses and was also used as decor!

Georgia Blue Bakery {Insider Inspiration}

7/17/2018

Have y’all popped in and tried Georgia Blue Bakery’s breakfast? Located in the heart of downtown Brookhaven, the bakery is your one stop shop for a hearty breakfast, gourmet coffees, and baked goods. We got the chance to chat with Becky Walden, the executive pastry chef at Georgia Blue Bakery, about her passion for creating cakes and baked goods that bring joy to people all over the state. Keep reading for more on Georgia Blue Bakery!

{Tell us about you!}
My name is Becky Walden and I have an absolute passion for all things baking and Georgia Blue Bakery. I was born and raised in Brookhaven, Mississippi and still live here today. My natural love for baking started early. My mother, Janie Hart,had always owned her own bakery called The Cake Lady. I had always helped her with the savory items but one Christmas she was crazy busy and needed my help. I picked up a piping bag and haven’t put it down since!. From there, I was classically trained under my mother and haven’t stopped baking!

{How did you get involved with Georgia Blue?}
I went to school with the executive chef of Georgia Blue, Trey Maddox. I was so incredibly inspired by his talent and just knew I wanted to work under him. Trey is responsible for Georgia Blue’s famous cheesecake. His recipe is unlike any other cheesecake; it is so light, fluffy, yet creamy at the same time. The crust is unique too, and we always have different flavors in the bakery and restaurants. I was working out of my home doing custom cakes for clients. At a certain point the demand was just too much for me to handle doing on my own. It was at this point that I decided I wanted to join the Georgia Blue team! Trey took me under his wing and I am so thankful to be apart of this family.

{What’s your daily inspiration?}
I’d have to say that my biggest inspiration is my family. I am devoted to my immediate family, especially my son, but the Georgia Blue team is my family too! Georgia Blue is a family brand and we really do care about each other. Everything that we do in the bakery is a team effort. Between Trey, myself, and our head decorator Donna Coley, we are able to collaborate to bring a customer’s vision to life. Every single piece we make is a group effort, nothing could be accomplished without all of our individual skills and talents.

{What’s southern about Georgia Blue Bakery?}
I would have to say that our food and hospitality are the most southern aspects of the bakery. A lot of our recipes come straight from Trey’s grandmother and you can tell that they do! We look to her recipes religiously, we even make our ice cream just like she did! Our treats are made with the special kind of love found in a true southern kitchen. The food we serve comes from the heart and is genuine soul food.

{What’s your favorite part of your job?}
I love the feeling of delivering a perfectly executed cake to a customer. Nothing beats knowing that you have delivered something that is beyond delicious and completely meets or exceeds the customer’s vision. I also really enjoy the life long relationships I’ve formed with clients. We want to be the kind of bakery that serves your family for years, from your wedding to your baby’s first birthday party we want to help you celebrate it all!

{What can customers expect to see when they visit Georgia Blue Bakery?}
We serve a delicious breakfast! In addition to that, you can stop by and pick up a cheesecake and our yummy cinnamon rolls that are rolled fresh and baked every morning. Cakes are speciality order only but we would love to work with you to design a cake for any occasion. In our dessert case we have an array of sweet treats from lemon bars, brownies, to chocolate covered pretzels. You can’t forget about our speciality coffee either! We have our own signature Georgia Blue blend and the cold brew is the best there is from Georgia to Texas!

For more on Georgia Blue hop on over to their website. Make sure to visit them at any of their locations in Madison, Flowood, Brookhaven, and Hattiesburg. Also keep your eyes open for the opening of a new location in Brandon! The Brandon location will house both a bakery and a restaurant, we can't wait for the grand opening!

A Midsummer Night's Runway {Events}

7/13/2018

Happy Friday y’all!
We wanted to share a super fun event with y’all today. Our friends at Summerhouse in Ridgeland have partnered with Noggins salon to bring you A Midsummer Night’s Runway! Make sure to mark your calendars for July 19th because you won’t want to miss this!

The Summerhouse team is going to transform the showroom of their Ridgeland store into a dreamy runway to showcase the best of both men’s and women’s local fashions. The event is benefiting the Community Animal Rescue & Adoption foundation- CARA. CARA is a no-kill animal shelter located in Jackson that cares for an average of 300 dogs and 120 cats on a daily basis. A minimum $15 donation from each attendee at the door will go a long way towards helping CARA sustain their daily operations and provide these animals will the care they need.

The event will provide an opportunity for local vendors across the metro area to collaborate and create beautiful looks for a great cause! Noggins salon in Ridgeland, MS will be providing the hair styling for the show. Participating clothing retailers include The Rouge, Hemline, 4450, Row 10, and Blithe and Vine. Sollberger’s and Albriton’s are set to showcase some gorgeous jewelry and Galexie Glister is going to make the Lucid Models and JEA model management models sparkle.

In addition to the fashion show, items will be raffled off to guests. The proceeds from the raffle will also benefit CARA. Make sure to mark your calendar from 7-9 on July 19th! We think this event would make for the perfect girls night out or date night and is such a fun way to benefit an amazing organization.
To find out more about CARA please visit their website.
Check out the Facebook page for Midsummer Night’s Runway
For more on Summerhouse click on over to their home page.

Kendall Poole {Insider Inspiration}

7/9/2018

Happy Monday y'all! Cheers to another productive week in this Mississippi heat! Today we wanted to continue our series of inspirational female business owners and spotlight Kendall Poole Ellis! Kendall is the owner of Kendall Poole Event Planning and Gifts by KPEP. Keep reading to hear from Kendall about her experience as a small business owner in Mississippi!

{Tell us a little bit about you!}
My name is Kendall Poole Ellis and I’m the owner of Kendall Poole Event Planning and Gifts by KPEP. I’m married to my wonderful husband Will Ellis and have two beautiful children, Emma and William! I am so blessed to be able to call Madison, Mississippi my home. I am in love with all things Mississippi and have a huge passion for coordinating events that exceed my client’s expectations.

{Tell us about Kendall Poole Event Planning and Gifts by KPEP!}
I am the lead coordinator at Kendall Poole Event Planning, lovingly referred to as KPEP! At KPEP we specialize in organizing spectacular events. I love to help clients celebrate any occasion. From their wedding to their first child’s birthday party, KPEP is here for it all!
Gifts by KPEP is located in the Renaissance right across from Libby Story and Panera bread. We’re also so excited to announce that we are opening a location in Oxford in early August.! Gifts by KPEP carries items that are sure to make for the perfect gift for any occasion. We also offer custom stationary, monogramming services, and of course gift wrapping! I am a huge believer in supporting local businesses and a lot of the products we carry in the store are Mississippi made.

What kind of inspirational women do you work with on a daily basis? Are they your clients? Coworkers? Which women support/ inspire you?
I am so incredibly blessed to be surrounded by inspirational women every single day. Both the Gifts by KPEP and the KPEP team are made up of driven, talented, and wonderful women that I absolutely couldn’t do without.
The vendors that I work with on a daily basis also inspire me regularly. I am motivated by the successes and triumphs of the women in this industry and am so happy I get to cheer them on throughout it all!

{What’s it like being a female business owner in Mississippi?}
I’ve had a great experience as a female business owner in Mississippi. I have always felt supported by other professionals in the wedding and retail industry since I started my business. That’s not to say that there aren’t challenges of owning and operating your own small business, but I think those come hand in hand with the passion one has for their work.

{Are there any resources you used to open your business that you would recommend to other aspiring entrepreneurs?}
I always say that questions are no good if they are left unasked! Asking questions helps you learn from the people around you. I also think that listening is such an important skill to master too. You’d be so surprised by what you can learn when you take the time to slow down and listen to others around you.

What words of advice would you give to other aspiring female entrepreneurs?
If you’re passionate about something, take a chance on yourself and go for it! Opening your own business can be scary and it takes so much time and work but putting the effort in and letting yourself reach your potential is so incredibly rewarding. Don’t be afraid to ask for help either! Friends and family are far more willing to lend a hand than you’d think, do yourself a favor and lean on them when you need to (I know, it’s hard)!

What’s your favorite part about living and working in Mississippi?
Mississippi is home to so many incredibly talented individuals that never stop inspiring me and my work. The vendors I work with have become like family to me, and I am so thankful for their support. The love in this state is truly incredible. I see examples of kindness, faith, and love every day! At the end of the day, Mississippi is my home and I am beyond blessed to say that!

9. What's in the future for your business?
Our next big thing is the opening of our Oxford Gifts by KPEP and KPEP office location. We are so excited to be closer to our northern Mississippi clients and can’t wait to make memories in the city of Oxford. The store is opening in the beginning of August, come see us y’all!

Keep up with KPEP and Gifts by KPEP by following them on Instagram @giftsbykpep @giftsbykpep_oxford and @kpeventplanning
Check out kendallpooleventplanning.com for more information on Kendall and the services KPEP offers.

Patricia Neely-Dorsey: "Meet My Mississippi" Children's Book {Life}

7/6/2018

Happy Friday y’all and cheers to the weekend!
Today we wanted to feature an author and poet whose mission inspires us so much because it goes hand in hand with our own. Patricia Dorsey is an accomplished poet and Tupelo, Mississippi native whose one goal is to portray a positive image of our great state to Mississippians and the rest of the world. Through her poetry, Patricia is able to impart the love she has for Mississippi to all of her readers. Her poem, “My Mississippi” is being made into a children’s book. Keep reading for more on Patricia and her story!

{Tell us a little bit about you and your work!}
I am a 1982 graduate of Tupelo High School . I received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology from Boston University in Boston, Massachusetts. After living in Memphis, Tennessee for almost 20 years, working in the mental health field, I moved back to my hometown in August 2007.I wrote my very first poem February 14, 2007.

I just woke up out of my sleep with a poem swirling around in my head. I jumped up and scribbled it down.After that, the poems just started to flow and flow. My first book of poetry, Reflections of a Mississippi Magnolia- A Life In Poems was published in February 2008. My second book of poetry, My Magnolia Memories and Musings- In Poems was published in February 2012. My third book "Mississippi In Me" was published in January 2017.

I currently live in Tupelo with my husband James. We have one son,James Henry who is a student at Itawamba Community College in Fulton. I call my books a "celebration of the south and things southern.” Through my poems, I want to give a more positive view of Mississippi and the South, rather than all of the negatives usually portrayed .

One of my poems "Country Living " is included in a German high school textbook , currently being used in teaching English as a Foreign Language . In 2015 ,I was honored to receive a proclamation from Governor Phil Bryant declaring me as an Official Goodwill Ambassador for the state. The same year, a resolution was passed by the House of Representatives commending my work in promoting positive images of Mississippi through my poems.

I call my work "Poetic Storytelling" I believe that we can bridge many gaps of misunderstanding across regional, racial, social cultural, generational and economic lines by simply telling and sharing our stories. Several of my Mississippi poems are currently included on t-shirts in the Southern Belle T-shirt Company line in my continuing efforts to Promote a Positive Mississippi .
My slogan is "Always, Always Celebrating the South and Promoting a Positive Mississippi "

{Where did the idea for your book come from?}
I wanted a way to really reach the youth of our state with the poem.I knew that pictures with the poem would truly capture their attention. The Meet My Mississippi children's book is an excellent educational tool and fun literary tour guide filled with interesting facts about Mississippi and over 40 amazing illustrations! It is a wonderful way to share love and knowledge of Mississippi across generations. The book showcases some of the best that Mississippi has to offer in a kid-friendly format. It's perfect for kids from 8 to 80!

{What is the ultimate goal in regards to the future of your work?}
Bills were submitted in the 2016, 2017 and 2018 legislative sessions for consideration of “Meet My Mississippi” as the state poem. But the bills did not make it out of committee .We are hoping that things will be different in 2019. In the meantime, we are trying to get the book and poem into every Mississippi home, school, library and museum!
We hope that wide exposure and use of the poem will increase the chances of getting the poem passed as the state poem in the next legislative session.

I want to EDUCATE the world that there is more to Mississippi than all of the negatives usually portrayed.
I want to EMPOWER our children with knowledge that will help to instill a sense of pride in our state
I want to EQUIP our children with knowledge that will help to combat all of the negative images that they are constantly bombarded with
I want to ENLIGHTEN all to a new way of thinking about Mississippi
I want to use my poem "Meet My Mississippi " to help to teach the children of our state ( and people of all ages ) some important things about Mississippi in a way that can be easily understood , remembered and recalled.

{What is your biggest inspiration?}
My love of God and family, My love of this beautiful state that I call home.

{Where does your passion for Mississippi come from?}

She is a huge part of who I am. She has made me who I am and I love that .
I really don't know any other way to explain it. I so often answer interview questions with a poem . I will do so now.
My poems explain my passion for this state and explain me best.

MISSISSIPPI
In the heart of Dixie,
Perfumed by
The sweet, fragrant smell of magnolias
and serenaded with
The melodious songs of the mockingbird,
Lies a true Queen of the South.
Her name is Mississippi .
I don’t know how to explain this place,
Except to say that she “speaks” to me.
The rocks, the flowers, the birds and trees
Speak to me.
They sometimes whisper,
And sometimes they shout;
But always they say,
“This is where you belong.”
2012 Patricia Neely-Dorsey

{What would you say is the most inspirational thing about Mississippi?}
My Mississippi
Is always home to me
She's warm, charming and alluring
She's the queen of hospitality;
I've loved her from my earliest days
She's in my fondest memories
She's in my heart, in my soul and such a part of me;
I love to share her beauty,
People often misunderstand ;
Pleasures abundantly abound,
In my dear magnolia land.
Patricia Neely-Dorsey

{What is the biggest thing you wish fellow Mississippians knew about our state?}
There is so much more to Mississippi than all of the negatives usually portrayed.

For more information on Patricia Neely-Dorsey please visit her website. If you enjoy her work,please purchase a copy of Meet My Mississippi for someone you love!

Photographs courtesy of Patricia Neely-Dorsey

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Oh Baby! Baby Shower for Molly Gee {Events}

Georgia Blue Bakery {Insider Inspiration}

A Midsummer Night's Runway {Events}

Kendall Poole {Insider Inspiration}

Patricia Neely-Dorsey: "Meet My Mississippi" Children's Book {Life}

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