B R A N D O N  ,  M I S S I S S I P P I 

Natalie never really envisioned her wedding before realizing she'd marry Mac.  Their story is really special, and we thought it'd be best coming straight from Natalie.

"Our story began November 8th, 2017, at a local sports grill.  Mac was a regular at said grill and I stepped in for the first time in my life wondering what in the world got into my mind to meet Mac Flynt at this type of establishment on a Wednesday evening. 

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

F L O W O O D , M I S S I S S I P P I

        ​Say it with us, “TREAT YO SELF.” As crazy as everything is these days, we know it’s important to maintain a bit of self-care, and what better place to start than your skin?! Our friends at SKIN the Spa at the Runnels Plastic Surgery Clinic are here to help.  SKIN is the spa you go to when want to turn back the clock or keep Mother Nature at bay.  They offer treatments for hyperpigmentation, acne, acne scars, fine lines and wrinkles, laser hair removal, and more. They have a team of skin experts who are there to help you and treat you every step of the way.

        “We all benefit from self-care! And if we look good, we feel good!” Aileen, laser tech and medical aesthetician, shared. “Skincare is not ‘one size fits all’ it should be customized to your skin type and condition.”  Custom skincare… sign us up! “It’s so important to be on the right skincare products and have one on one guidance from a licensed aesthetician to help prevent, treat, and protect your skin.” Sounds luxurious, we know! ​

        Now, you’re probably wondering where to start. Don’t worry. You know we have you covered! You can start at SKIN’s Holiday Open House on December 1-2. “Our holiday open house, is truly the best in town!”  And we completely trust Aileen’s judgment. For the open house, there will be no shortage of deals. SKIN will be offering tons of giveaways, bonus cash towards services, FREE Botox vouchers with product purchases, 25% off spa services, just to name a few. This year they’ve made their open house social-distance friendly. You can call in if you know what you want, or schedule a one on one consultation with a member of their team. Head to their website for more info or give them a follow on social media to stay up to date on all things SKIN. 

L O C A L  L O V E :  A N S E  R I G B Y

        Anse Rigby is a name you don't easily forget and a person you'll always remember. Anse grew up in forest, Mississippi, and is a nurse practitioner at St. Dominic's in Jackson, Mississippi.  He is also the worship leader at St. Matthew's United Methodist Church in Madison, Mississippi.  He married his high school sweetheart, Courtney, and they have two beautiful daughters tofether, Ella (5) and charlie (2). "It's a woman's world, and I'm here for it! I'm a loving guy and in touch with my emotions, but I love these three more than I thought possible," smiles Anse.  It's these same emotions that make Anse one of the greatest singer/songwriters that will ever come out of Mississippi... Yep, we said it!

        "Cool story. I've always loved to sing and I've loved being the center of attention (honesty is the best policy, right?)," laughs Anse when asked how he got into singing and songwriting.  Anse's mom bought him a guitar his senior year; and after learning a few chords, he immediately began writing songs.  "As I said earlier, I'm a loving guy and in touch with my emotions so I began writing the love songs!  I vividly remember being on a high school Beta Club trip and a bunch of my friends were in a hotel room and the girls crying after I sang a few songs that I had written. I was hooked!" says Anse.

        After writing a song in November 2016 on his back patio, Anse recalls thinking it was his best yet.  He decided to speak with Casey Combest of Blue Sky Studios.  They professionally produced his first album All Long. Anse knew that he wanted to do a release show and a goal of his was top lay at Duling Hall in Fondren.  "I was skeptical about the turnout and had a small number that I wished would attend so my dream wasn't a flop," says Anse. When he walked out onto the Duling Hall stage that night, he found a packed house and sold out venue! "If you could have been in my mind the week of the show and then the moment that I walked out on stage, you would understand my heart on the matter.  I will never forget that night for as long as I live.  I don't think there will ever be a show that amounts to that night for me," says Anse. 

        When asked if he had any advice for aspiring artists, he had three simple things to say. Don't stop. Find a community of people that have your same desire, and bounce ideas, dreams, and struggles back and forth. Lastly, know who you are. "Don't look at your talent to define you.  Don't find your identity in the 'artist' or 'musician.' It will never fully satisfy you. Find your identity in Christ," says Anse. 

        If you're interested in following Anse's career, you can find his music essentially anywhere online.  He is on both Spotify and apple music.  You can keep up with him easiest through his Instagram or Facebook. If you are thinking about a house show or just want to introduce yourself, send Anse a message through either of those platforms or by email at [email protected]. ​​

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

        For Mississippians, Mistletoe Marketplace is an annual event that's looked forward to year after year. It pulls in vendors and people from all over the country.  So what's the history behind this highly recognizable event the Junior League of Jackson puts on?  We thought it'd be cool to peel back the layers and see where it all started.
       
         We had the chance to interview the first chairman of Mistletoe Marketplace ever, Renda McGowan. Renda recalls her proudest moment serving as Mistletoe Chair in 1980 was seeing all of the hard work, beginning from scratch and having nothing, through the dedication and commitment of everyone in the league, come together.  "When I walked into the Trade Mart, it was an amazing sight to see ​the booths, decorations and cedar trees up.  I felt like it was a monumental accomplishment. I wasn't sure how it'd be received, and I was blown awat when there were lines wrapped around the parking lot of people waiting to come inside," smiles Renda. Indeed it was.  With only a $2K decorating budget, they had to borrow everything.  The Junior League of Jackson made tree stands for all of the cedar trees that were donated.  "Several members broke out in rashes because no one knew that you could be allergic to them," laughs Renda.  The sewing committee made the awnings, created the name, the logo, all of it. They catered nothing... someone cooked dinners, and they even ran out of lunches within the first 45 minutes.  They managed to get merchants from all over to participate.  "We had a goal to make $20k and by the end of the first day, we made it.  By the end of the second day, we more than doubled it," smiles Renda.  When asked what she felt like Mistletoe does for the community, she had two things to say. "It's wonderful in that it kicks off the holiday season and brings together a venue with such a variety of shows and merchandise that you couldn't normally find in one location. Secondly, the money that it raises is absolutely phenomenal. The league is able to turn that back into projects throughout the year to give back to the Jackson community. From it's very umble beginnings, look at what it's evolved into and continuing to do."

         Fast forward to 1986, Mistletoe Chair, Tricia Walters, filled us in on the amazing growth and journey that six years brought.  At this point in time, corporate sponsorships were a radical concept but with some encouragement from her predecessors and co-chairs, Tricia was able to gather financial and in-kind support from several local businesses.  "Remember, this was before email, cell phones, etc.  Everything was done via phone, fax, or face-to-face, and that took an enormous amount of time!  I can't tell you how many "corporate conversations" I had holding both the phone and a small child, using whatever means necessary to keep said child from blowing my cover to the business person on the other end of the dialogue," laughs Tricia.  "I'm amazed at what Mistletoe Marketplace has become thanks in part to the willingness of those first corporate partners who paved the way!  Businesses and Junior League of Jackson volunteers united, turning a simple shopping event into 'magic' for the greater good." 

        To find out more about Mistletoe Marketplace and how to purchase tickets to the 40th Mistletoe Marketplace on November 4-7, 2020, please visit mistletoemarketplace.com.  Tickets for the 2020 market are one sale now. ​