“I’m from the South - I like big hair.”  Carrie Underwood

There are few things quite as luxurious as having your hair freshly blown out by a stylist.  You leave with voluminous locks that look gorgeously shiny for days. 

Much to our delight, our favorite salon, Barnette’s, has recently opened a Dry Bar in the heart of Jackson!  Sarah Coughlin, Manager, says, “You do not have to make an appointment!  Simply come in, and one of our talented stylists will give you an initial consultation.  We do have a menu, but we like to sit our clients in a chair, see what they want, and go from there!”

Stylists Mallory, Cade, Kahla, Sarah D., Tanesha and Emily create beautiful blowouts at the Dry Bar, and also take appointments at their sister salons in Banner Hall and Renaissance. 

Sarah says their most popular looks are The Classic and Southern Style.  The Classic is “Barnette’s Signature blow dry.  No matter where you’re going or what you’re doing, this style is timeless.”  Southern Style is a “Big, beautiful blow dry with extra volume!”

You can pay after each appointment, or Dry Bar offers wonderful Blow Dry Value Packages.  Sarah says, “People love our packages.  You can come in for a blow dry whenever you want, and there is no expiration date!  Our packages make an incredible gift.” 

Dry Bar also hosts Blow Dry Parties for groups of four or more!  Sarah says, “Come in, bring a bottle of wine, and if we know ahead of time, we will provide light refreshments from the bakery!  They are so much fun.  Many brides come in with their bridesmaids on Saturdays before a wedding.  We also have stylists who can do their makeup!”  Dry Bar is open Tuesday through Friday from 10am until 6pm, and Saturday from 9am until 2pm.  A regular blowout is a steal at $35!  If you catch Happy Hour (11am through 2pm, Tuesday through Friday), you will receive a fantastic blow dry for only $25!  Barnette's Dry Bar also offers special blowouts for girls, teens and college students!

We cannot wait to have our locks beautifully blown out at Barnette’s Dry Bar.  Simply walk into their lovely location at 4400 Old Canton Road, Suite 110 (in the same building as Great Scott) or call 769.230.4648.

To book your next girls' day out, please call Barnette's Dry Bar!  La Brioche Bakery will provide delicious catering, and Eventful will help design your perfect event! 

Visit the Barnette's Dry Bar website here! 

Thank you to Caitlyn Sullivan for the amazing photographs!

For many of us, this is the New Year.  There were no fireworks, nor did any confetti get scattered in Times Square.  But school has just begun.  Routines are being attempted, established, re-established.  Bedtimes are coming faster.  Morning greetings are grumpier.  If you have children in school, you are likely excited for them, yet pensive over the way the years seem to be clipping away.

 What are our wishes for our children, their classmates, their teachers, and ourselves as the school year begins?  Maybe we hope that we’ve prepared them to be kind, thoughtful, and obedient.  None of us want to be “the parents” of that rude and disruptive child.  I’m learning that we, as parents, share many fears about what our little ones will be up to as the teachers carefully and tenderly ask for their attention.  I remember the first note we received pinned to our son’s book bag notifying us that our child had been rather disruptive in school that day.  My wife and I were mortified! Had we failed at parenting?  Was there a petition seeking the expulsion of our son circulating through the school?  How bad had he been?  The wave of irrational reaction was overwhelming, and it didn’t seem so irrational at the moment.  Somehow, we meted out the appropriate punishment and survived that event in time for the next one.  We actually had to come to terms with the fact that our child wasn’t perfect.  Can you imagine how dreadful it was to face that reality? 

What I have learned after parenting in community with other parents is that NOBODY wants to be “those parents” of that unruly child…while we are all, from time to time absolutely “those parents.” I’ve learned that we are all the same, for the most part.  And that we want to give our kids the best opportunities to grow and learn and develop into relational individuals.  Maybe we can realize, together as a parenting community, that when we became parents…we became “those parents.”  And that’s alright, because we can share our fears, our worries, and our failures and therefore become stronger and better at what we all pray so desperately for.

Blessings.

2 Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when Christ appears,[a] we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. 3 All who have this hope in him purify themselves, just as he is pure.

Lauren Soley, Owner & Stylist of Lovegood Weddings, recently created an "intimate, traditional, and vintage inspired" wedding shoot.  Today, we are thrilled to share the gorgeous photographs!  Lauren says, "We wanted to create a shoot to show brides that they can have a southern wedding with charm and character, but can keep that traditional feel." 

Lauren tells us more about the shoot and the talented vendors who made it come together beautifully:

"Lovegood provided church pews, blue willow china, farm tables, mix match chairs, and so much more from our collection. We partnered up with BlackBird Creative to take beautiful shots of our style shoot, and we had a amazing time collaborating on this project.

For our shoot, we wanted to not only to focus on larger elements, but I am such a fan of amazing details that we got some of Mississippi’s best involved to make the vision complete. Adam Trest provided us with a southern blue willow inspired invitation suite and menu. His watercolor art work took the invitation pieces and menu to a whole new level of charm. Our dear friend Jill from Florals by Jill Windham provided us with a breathtaking bouquet with a overgrown feel and all the flowers for our shoot. We incorporated Jill’s florals in the ceremony arch and on the tablescape. For our groom, we partnered up with The Good South to add a light blue bow tie to complete his look. These bow ties are great accessories and gifts for groomsmen for real weddings.  

For our bride, Forrest Paper and Bridal Company brought us a Watter Too dress from their in-house collection. Tamara Wright finished the look by providing makeup and hair for our model. Our flower girl dance around in a handmade dress by Tracy Soley. We finished our details with a three tiered cake from Cakes by Janice with flower details on one of Lovegood’s white finished buffets.

This shoot was one for the books for us at Lovegood."

Thank you, Lauren, for sharing this lovely wedding shoot with us!  

Vendors:
Photography - BlackBird Creative
http://blackbird-creative.comhttps://www.facebook.com/blackbirdcreativems?fref=tshttps://instagram.com/blackbirdcreative_/

Coordinating Director & Styling by Lauren Soley
www.lovegoodweddings.comwww.facebook.com/lovegoodrentals
https://instagram.com/laurenatlovegood

Rentals and Props- Lovegood Wedding and Event Rentalswww.lovegoodweddings.comwww.facebook.com/lovegoodrentals
https://instagram.com/lovegoodrentals

Florals by Jill Windham
https://www.facebook.com/jill.richards.334?fref=ts&ref=br_tfhttps://www.facebook.com/pages/Floral-Designs-by-Jill/511863122168317?pnref=lhc

Dress - Watter Too from Forrest Paper and Bridal Company
http://www.forrestpaper.com/https://www.facebook.com/forrestpaperandbridalcompany?fref=tshttps://instagram.com/forrestpaperandbridalco/

Invitations by Adam Trest LLC
http://www.adamtrest.com/https://www.facebook.com/adamtrestartist?fref=tshttps://instagram.com/adamtrest/

Bow Tie by The Good South
www.thegoodsouth.comhttps://www.facebook.com/shopthegoodsouth?fref=tshttps://instagram.com/shopthegoodsouth/

Cake - Cakes by Janice 
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Cakes-by-Janice/332200093564244?fref=ts

Makeup and Hair - Tamara H. Wright
https://www.facebook.com/hairbytamarahwright?pnref=story

Flower Girl Dress- Tracy SoleyModels- Mayci Anne McCloud, Eric Speights, and Abby Sullivan

Location - Private Family Home, Hattiesburg, Mississippi

An incredibly cool restaurant is drawing huge crowds to the historic Town of Livingston.  County Seat offers authentic cuisine made with fresh, local ingredients, inspired by the history and heritage of the Town of Livingston.

County Seat boasts beautifully stained wood, exposed brick, black and white photographs and gorgeous sliding barn doors, welcoming patrons with its relaxed atmosphere.  “We have a seat for everyone.  From a long community table to quaint booths that have a perfect view of the open show kitchen, to the outdoor patio facing our gorgeous Madison County sunsets – there is literally a seat for everyone at our table.”

The talented Jeremy Enfinger serves as COO and Executive Chef of County Seat, and his beautiful wife, Abby, is the General Manager. Abby says, “Livingston is where Jeremy and I met (on the square at a Farmer’s Market) and where we fell in love and is now where we are growing our business and our lives. We love sharing that with everyone who walks through our door at County Seat!”

With its menu inspired by the Town of Livingston, County Seat is serving amazing flatbreads, sandwiches, sweets and charcuterie, created with ingredients grown by local farmers.  "We serve food that is local, organic, and healthy...but still delicious!" laughs Abby.  “It is so important to visit our local farms, grow relationships with the farmers, and know where our food is coming from.”  County Seat uses beef, pork, chicken, eggs, rabbit, honey, and produce from Mississippi farms.  Abby says, “We know where our food comes from and what’s in it.  No chemicals, preservatives or additives.” 

Abby says, “Jeremy and I are both so passionate about bringing good food, good service and a welcoming atmosphere to Livingston. This area is growing so quickly. We feel that we are on the ground floor to an amazing new destination location and are so blessed and excited to be part of it!”

County Seat is a truly unique and wonderful restaurant.  For more information on County Seat, visit their website here!  You can also view their Facebook page here.

Thank you to Caitlyn Sullivan for taking these fantastic photographs! 

It is no secret that Mississippi produces brilliant writers.  For decades, the voices of our state have beautifully conveyed moments of great joy, pain, secrecy and hilarity through their powerful words.  Mississippi authors continue to capture the hearts of readers around the world. 

This Saturday from 9am until 5pm, you are invited to celebrate our published writers at The Mississippi Book Festival, held on the lawn of the State Capitol in downtown Jackson!  Today, Executive Director, Holly Lange, shares more about this incredible event!

Tell us the history behind the event.  Who was involved and why is this event so important for Mississippi?
“A small group began meeting informally in the spring of 2013 to explore the possibility of launching a book festival in Mississippi.  It was hatched over lunch between Jere Nash and Leila Salisbury (with the University Press of Mississippi), gained enthusiastic support from John Evans at Lemuria, and given initial support and funding from Malcolm White with MDA’s tourism office.  The initial group came together at Lemuria and included Leila Salisbury & Steve Yates with the University Press of Mississippi, Traci Carr from the Mississippi Library Commission, Diane Williams of the Mississippi Arts Commission, Mari Irby with Mississippi Public Broadcasting, Sarah McCullough and Mary Margaret White from MDA’s tourism office, along with Peyton Prospere, Emily Gatlin, John Evans, and Jere Nash.  From there, the planning effort expanded with the creation of an official Board of Directors and an Advisory Board, the hiring of Holly Lange as executive director, and associating with the Community Foundation of Greater Jackson to handle all accounting and financial responsibilities.”

This is the first Festival.  Why did you choose the Capitol as the location?
“The location of the Mississippi Book Festival is critical to its success. We believe hosting the Festival at the State Capitol makes it our state book festival, not the Jackson Book Festival or the Tupelo Book Festival. This location will serve as an architectural backdrop to some of the region’s finest authors.”

The MS Book Festival is a non-profit organization.  Where does any money earned go?  How does it support literature and the state?
“The money we raise simply pays for festival expenses. Eventually we hope to make a profit and establish a grant program that will support statewide literacy efforts.” 

Outline the actual event for us.  Which authors will be there, and what can guests expect? Are there any can't-miss moments?
“We have over 80 authors participating in official panels, as well as 50 plus self-published authors and 3 independent booksellers selling books. We have exhibits and programming by the Mississippi Children’s Museum, the Mississippi Library Commission, the Library of Congress. John Grisham will kick-off the event on the south steps of the State Capitol at 10:00 a.m. and his panel will be held at 3:00 p.m. at Galloway Methodist Church, adjacent to the Capitol complex. In addition to panel discussions inside the Capitol, the Mississippi Library Commission will have a 3-D printer experience for kids of all ages on the 2nd floor of the Capitol. On the lawn, various non-profits and foundations will have tents promoting their organizations. On Mississippi Street, there will be rows of tents, under which independent bookstores, self-published authors, book organizations and other vendors will be selling goods. We will have a stage with live music throughout the day and, hopefully, a food truck presence. The Welty Foundation is involved in almost every aspect, and offered the use the Welty House and Visitors Center for a VIP reception the evening before the festival. The William F. Winter Building will serve as the backdrop for an author-only breakfast Saturday morning, where guests can get a sneak peak on the progress of the two new museums going up in downtown Jackson.  There is so much information to share that we send everyone to our website, www.msbookfestival.com for the most up-to-date information!”

What do you hope this festival will achieve?
“To recognize authors and the books they produce and to celebrate literacy, writing, reading, and our cultural heritage.  Mississippi is home to an astounding number of published writers and its time we had a statewide event that recognizes their craft and connects them with their readers, while creating interest in reading and literacy.”

Many great authors are native Mississippians.  Why do you think our state has produced such a large number of incredible writers?
 “To understand the world, you must first understand a place like Mississippi.”  William Faulkner

“As with many Southern Writers, I believe that the special quality of the land itself indelibly shapes the people who dwell upon it.” ― Willie Morris, The Courting of Marcus Dupree

What an inspiring event!  Holly adds, “The festival is free and open to the public! We want everyone to come celebrate at our own Literary Lawn Party!”  For more information, please visit the Mississippi Book Festival Website here, or their Facebook page here!