INSPIREMS

A Green Oak Christmas

9/29/2020

G R E E N O A K G A R D E N C E N T E R

Is it ever too soon to start talking Christmas? We don’t think so, and neither do our friends at Green Oak Garden Center. Green Oak, a Mississippi staple since 1960, is preparing for their annual Christmas Open House and have cordially invited all of you to join in on the Christmas cheer. If you’re like us and can’t wait until the open house, then we have you covered. We got to meet with owner Karen McKie and get the inside scoop on a few things they have planned including decorating services for every type of person. Get your cup of hot cocoa and keep on reading!

Now we know the end of the year can be a busy and stressful time. Why not lighten your load and let Green Oak transform your home into your ideal winter wonderland? If you want your Christmas installed for you, Green Oak offers a home decorating service that includes a complimentary consultation. Mrs. McKie and her team will take a look at all of your decor, assess what can be used and what can be added, and design a custom display just for you. Once they get your thumbs up, they will install your Christmas decor; and at the end of the season, they’ll break it all down for you. Green Oak even has an option to store all of your Christmas trimmings once the season is over -- and all the snow angels say, “Amen!”

Say you’re the type of person who knows exactly what you want when it comes to Christmas decor. In fact, you have it each ornament, wreath, and garland mapped out for every Christmas to come. Then, Green Oak’s leasing program is the service for you. Once you lock in your design with them, Green Oak will install your decor and store it for three years or until you’re ready for something new. Done and done!

If you’re dreaming of a white Christmas, Green Oak has you covered. Their garden center offers live trees, wreaths, and garland. The icing on top? They will light your tree and flock it for you, so each branch twinkles with the holiday magic we all know and love. Once your tree is ready, they’ll deliver and install it in your home - stand and all!

Can’t you see the tinsel now?! Who’s ready for this open house?! Green Oak will open their showroom doors on November 1st, from 12:30-4:30, so mark your calendar. To stay in the loop, head to their website, or give their social media a follow. We can’t wait to see all the festive goodies Green Oak has to offer this winter!

Treat Your Smile with Uptown Dental

9/23/2020

R I D G E L A N D , M I S S I S S I P P I

What if we told you that you’d spend part of your day in a gentle massage chair with a blanket and warm neck wrap while soothing music played softly in the background? Not too bad, right? Now, what if we told you that’s the exact experience you could have at your next dental appointment? We know it sounds almost too good to be true; but when you visit Uptown Dental, that is absolutely what you’ll find. For doctors Michelle Crews and Claire Griner, comfort is a priority. “We know that very few people enjoy going to the dentist,” founder Dr. Crews explains. ”So we go above and beyond to make each patient as comfortable as possible.”

Not only are patients given a spa-like experience, but their smiles are cared for in each step. “We’ve been able to treat the patient and their smile in a new way,” Dr. Crews emphasizes. Uptown Dental provides care with the latest technology, and they have your smile covered from teeth cleanings to botox to whitening to veneers and so much more. Now, we know you’re probably thinking, “What is all this going to add up to?!” Don’t worry. A visit to Uptown Dental is often the same price or even less expensive than your typical clinic. So you can, in fact, treat yourself while you treat your smile! Visit their website for more information and to book your first appointment with your new favorite dentist.

Fall Trail: Escape Across Mississippi

9/22/2020

We could all use a little getaway from time to time. There's no shame in that! And now you can escape across the state through one of many escape rooms. You might be asking yourself, "What's an escape room?" Don't worry. We have you covered. Escape rooms are live-action, interactive games with elaborate sets that are designed to challenge you and a team through a series of puzzles and riddles. Your one goal is to "escape" the room before time runs out. We've collected a list of venues for you from the Delta to the Coast. All you have to do is reserve a time for your family or team to play. Good luck, y'all!

Mississippi Distilled: Prohibition, Piety, and Politics

9/17/2020

J A C K S O N , M I S S I S S I P P I

If you’re on the hunt for artifacts garnished with a splash of story-telling and twist of imagery, then look no further than the Two Mississippi Museums - The Museum of Mississippi History and the Mississippi Civil Rights Museum - in Jackson, MS. The Two Mississippi Museums have debuted a new exhibit entitled Mississippi Distilled: Prohibition, Piety, and Politics. Not only does this prohibition exhibition show our state’s turbulent relationship with wine and spirits, but it also reveals the science behind ancient alcohols and the role prohibition played in today’s culture. “Prohibition in Mississippi was about more than outlawing alcohol,” Pamela D.C. Junior, director of the Two Mississippi Museums, shared with the Mississippi Department of Archives and History. “This amazing exhibit shows how women’s rights, alcohol, and religion came together at a critical moment in history and continue to impact Mississippi to this day.”

When you tour the time of temperance, you’ll find tales of moonshiners, bootleggers, and alcohol raids as well as artifacts, photos, and more that help illustrate the famed time in Mississippi history. Mississippi Distilled is a carefully-curated, interactive toast to our past you won’t want to miss out on. Tickets are on sale now, so pick yours up today to learn more about the “Wettest Dry State.” For more information on this exhibit as well as others head to the Two Mississippi Museums website.

Life Story {John Ruskey}

9/15/2020

Photo by Rory Doyle | bittersoutherner.com

C L A R K S D A L E , M I S S I S S I P P I

Few know the Mississippi River better than John Ruskey. John celebrates the Mighty Mississippi through craft, creation, and advocacy. As the founder of Quapaw Canoe Company, John has spent over twenty years hand crafting canoes and guiding expeditions down the River. Quapaw Canoe Company makes canoes two ways: the stripper method, using strips of wood and the dugout method which entails hollowing out large logs. John is one of the most experienced builders of dugout canoes in the country. For John, the process of building a canoe is akin to creating a wonderful piece of artwork. Every vessel is unique, and the end product is a functional piece of art. Mastering this craft has taken years of practicestarting with an apprenticeship under master canoe builder Ralph Frese from 1998-1999. Under Frese, John constructed his first cypress strip voyageur canoe, named “The Ladybug.”
John’s passion for the Mighty Mississippi has been within him since he was a young man. “The Mississippi River called to me through Mark Twain initially, I read Life on the Mississippi and The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn,” says John in an interview for “Meet the Locals: John Ruskey of Helena’s Quapaw Canoe Company” by Arkansas Tourism. As a teenager, John and one of his best friends built a twelve by twenty-four-foot raft and floated down the Mississippi River for five months. The services offered by Quapaw Canoe Company allow others to experience that same kind of adventure. “The River is kind of an undiscovered wilderness and we’re here to help people who otherwise would be a little nervous about getting out there on those big, intimidating waters feel better about doing it. We’ll take care of everything!” says John. The Quapaw Canoe Company has three locations: Helena, Arkansas, Clarksdale, and an outpost in Vicksburg. They offer everything from guided, overnight expeditions to day trips and yoga retreats.
John is determined to keep the art of canoe making alive by sharing his passion with the youth of the Mississippi Delta through the founding of the Mighty Quapaws Apprenticeship Program. A similar program exists at the Helena location called the Helena Canoe Club. Through these programs, Quapaw Canoe Company provides youth an opportunity channel their energy into creating something magnificent. In many ways participants are able to learn how to overcome personal challenges through the process ofcarving a canoe.
His love for nature and the Mississippi manifests in other art forms beyond canoe making. John is a talented artist, musician, and writer. His writings capture the experience of floating many of the largest rivers in North America including the Mississippi, the Colorado, the Rio Grande, the Arkansas, the Columbia and more. His work includes The Wild Miles and the Rivergator: Paddler’s Guide to the Lower Mississippi River.

John is a strong voice for the Mississippi River; Southern Living magazine referred to him as an “environmental evangelist for the wonders of the Mississippi River.” He founded the Lower Mississippi River Foundation nine years ago in order to promote access, education, and the betterment of public outdoor recreation on the Middle and Lower Mississippi Rivers. Further, John is on the steering committee of the Mississippi River Network. The Mississippi River Network oversees the 1Mississippi River Citizen Program which is an organization that encourages individuals to take action to protect the Mississippi River from further pollution and destruction.
The Mississippi Institute of Arts and Letters awarded John the Noel Polk Lifetime Achievement Award in 2019. The Polk Award is awarded to a Mississippi artist whose body of work is worthy of extraordinary praise. As Mississippians, we are fortunate to have John encouraging us to be better citizens of this state by being more deliberate caretakers of the Mighty Mississippi.
To find out more about Quapaw Canoe Company please visit www.island63.com. |To get involved with the 1Mississippi River Citizen Program please visit www.1misssissippi.org |To read John’s work you can head to www.wildmiles.org and www.rivergator.org

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