Happy Halloween!!  While the kids are trick-or-treating tonight, whip up a delicious cocktail for you and your friends!  We reached out to one of our favorite restaurants, County Seat, for a perfectly ghoulish toddy!   They graciously shared their recipe with us today! 

County Seat Fall Apple Smash Cocktail
~ Made with grilled green and red apples, peychauds bitters, mint, simple syrup, and Four Roses Bourbon. 
~ Muddle grilled apple, mint, bitters, simple syrup. Pour bourbon in shaker with that, shake! Double strain into rocks glass with one big cube, drink!

For more information on County Seat, please visit their website here.  

Mississippi is home to one of the most talented duck call makers in the country.  Perhaps I am a bit biased because the craftsman is my dad, but I assure you his products are extraordinary!  Clifford Ammons, owner of Half Moon Duck Calls, creates handsome, functional duck calls that are truly a piece of art.  

His love for hunting was sparked as a teenager in Mississippi. "I started duck hunting when I was fifteen-years-old with one of my best friends, Greg Heblon.  We were shooting wood ducks right outside of Meridian," says Ammons.  "We both got the fever."  

Neither Ammons nor Heblon knew a thing about hunting.  "That first day we went through six boxes of shells and only killed four wood ducks.  It was terrible," he laughs.  "But we both decided that we really liked it and needed to pursue it."  In the beginning of their love affair with hunting, it was Heblon who called the ducks.  "He bought a duck call and started calling.  I wanted to try it as well, but he didn't want me to do the calling.  He wanted to do it," Ammons laughs.

As Ammons perfected his duck hunting skills, he met a famous call maker in Mississippi, Dick Reed.  Reed modeled his calls after Jimmy Riddell, who created a Reelfoot Lake Style call.  "I ended up buying two of his calls.  I looked at his setup and thought, 'I can do this!'"  Ammons, an attorney, has always been wildly artistic.  "I like working with my hands.  I love to draw and to bake, and I can fix almost anything around the house.  I knew I could make duck calls." 

In the beginning, Ammons starting making Reelfoot Lake style calls, similar to Reed.  He eventually switched to Arkansas-style calls, better suiting his taste.  His calls would blow, but they didn't sound quite right.  "I decided if I wanted to become a better duck caller, I needed to enter some contests.  The first contest I entered I came in dead last," he smiles.  "I had no idea you had to have a routine!  Boy did I learn.  From there, I started learning routines and calling in more contests.  I actually won one in Tennessee.  After that, whenever Heblon and I hunted together, he would look at me and say, 'You call them!'"  Ammons had turned a corner.

I remember as a child listening to the echo of my dad blowing his duck call every night in the garage.  Night after night he practiced and perfected his routines.  He began meeting call makers across the country at duck calling contests, forming friendships and collecting calls.  "To me they are a work of art and something that you actually use.  I probably collected from thirty different call makers," he reflects.  "I started refining what I was doing and met a man named Roy Rhodes, who had his own call making company and won a world championship calling contest in Stuttgart, Arkansas.  He helped me get the most and best sound out of a call."

Ammons is an attorney by day and continues making duck calls as a hobby in his workshop.  He dubbed his calls Half Moon, because of the barrel shape.  "A lot of makers make a round portion of the call just after the brass ring.  I didn't want mine to look like every other call, so I starting shaving out the back half of the round portion of the call and it looked like a half moon."

Half Moon duck calls are created out of wood and sometimes acrylic.  "My favorite material is wood, and I love the cocobolo out of Mexico.  You have to have a hard surface for the reed to vibrate against, so I use the hardest woods." Ammons' Half Moon calls are also award-winning.  "A few years ago, there was a call makers contest in the state of Mississippi.  I submitted my call and they blew and judged it.  I won the Hunter's Division for the state of Mississippi for my call in sound and quality," says Ammons.  

Today, Ammons only has time to create a few handmade duck calls a year, but he continues to have a passion for the process and the beautiful result.  "It is not a simple little instrument.  If you shave off 1/1000th of an inch, it is going to sound different.  All handmade call makers will tell you that they all sound a little bit different."  

If you are interested in purchasing a Half Moon duck call, please email Clifford Ammons at [email protected] 

A blooming courtyard set a magical scene for Milla James’ first birthday celebration.  Inspired by Milla’s beloved BlaBla Dolls, feminine colors were woven throughout every sweet detail of the event.  BlaBla Dolls are precious hand-made products for children, knitted by artisans in Peru.  Each doll is carefully created with soft fabrics and vibrant colors.  Naturally, they inspired a perfect palette for Milla’s party.  

Virginia and Hunter Evans wanted to celebrate their first child with a memorable event.  Virginia says, “I wanted to show her that she is loved unconditionally and irrevocably.  She has blessed us in more ways that we will ever be able to tell her in words, and we wanted to portray these feelings to her with the most important people to us in the same space.” 

LeFlure East Foundation’s sunroom and courtyard provided a beautiful venue, and sunlight flooded the party with a rosy glow.  A white cake adorned with pastel roses served as the centerpiece of the party, as guests enjoyed sweet treats and discovered the birthday girl’s new tee pee.  

It was a memorable affair for Milla and her family.  Virginia smiles and reflects, “The smile that you see on my husband’s face is constant.  He is such an amazing husband, and I wouldn’t want to be on this journey of marriage and motherhood with any other man.  That smile on Milla’s face is one that the entire world has seen.  It’s her signature look.  That scrunched nose and smile.  It is one of the many reasons I adore her.  And the smile on my face is because of the happiness that these two human beings make me feel daily.”  

VENDORS:
EVENT VENUE: LeFleur East Foundation House
PHOTOGRAPHY:  Caitlyn Sullivan Photography
PRINT MATERIAL: Emily Ferguson for Designs by KPEP
MILLA'S OUTFIT:  Belle N Whistle
PUSH POP CONFETTI:  Thimblepress
BLABLA DOLLS:  blablakids.com
CAKE & CUSTOM COOKIES:  Campbell's Bakery

“Millsaps College is dedicated to academic excellence, open inquiry and free expression, the exploration of faith to inform vocation, and the innovative shaping of the social, economic, and cultural progress of our region.” Millsaps College Mission Statement

Mississippi is home to one of the country’s most celebrated liberal arts colleges.  John Sewell, Director of Communications & Marketing of Millsaps College, says, “We are proud of the recognition that comes with being ranked as a top-tier college by publications such as U.S. News & World Report, The Princeton Review, and CEO Magazine. In fact, in 2015 Forbes.com ranked Millsaps as ‘the best college in Mississippi’ alongside other colleges and universities such as Duke, Rice, Vanderbilt, Tulane and Emory.” 

Millsaps is quite remarkable.  Founded in 1890, Millsaps College recently celebrated its 125th anniversary!  The first chapter of Phi Beta Kappa in Mississippi was established at Millsaps in 1989.  And in the past year, Millsaps was proud to have two students selected as Rhodes and Fulbright Scholars!  We had the pleasure of speaking with Sewell and learning more about Millsaps:

Tell us about your incredible faculty!
“Millsaps is fortunate to have a world-class faculty; in fact, 94% of our faculty members hold the highest degree possible in their discipline. When you combine that with an average class size of 14 students, it’s easy for students and faculty to build learning relationships that last a lifetime.”

What makes its location near downtown Jackson so unique and special?
“Millsaps is located across the street from the University of Mississippi Medical Center – perfect for a student who ultimately wants to become a physician or conduct scientific research. Every year, we have students who participate in undergraduate research programs and medical internships.

On our east side, we’re located across the street from the Belhaven neighborhood, with its rich historic and literary traditions – perfect for a student who wants to study the writings of Eudora Welty as they develop their own voice and style for the printed page.

On our west side, we’re across the street from Midtown, a neighborhood that has struggled with economic development, education, and housing issues for years. Students are invested in working with the neighborhood through the 1 Campus 1 Community program, working in the schools through our education department, and supporting the economic growth of Midtown through programs developed by the Else School of Management.

And to the south, we’re close to the hub of government and business for the state – perfect for a student who seeks a career in the law, marketing, accounting, or any other business-related area. Internship opportunities abound for students through our Career Center and external partnerships developed and nurtured over time.

Finally, our location is close to great music, food, and fun. We’re only a mile or so from the Fondren district, with its eclectic mix of restaurants and coffee houses, and downtown is nearby offering even more places to go for fun on the weekends.”

What does Millsaps offer incoming students that other schools do not? 
“We provide a four-year graduation guarantee for all undergraduates, regardless of their chosen course of study. Our Compass Curriculum, implemented in the fall of 2015 for all incoming freshmen, is a key building block in the Millsaps experience. All students, regardless of their ultimate career goal, will participate in courses that provide them the skills of critical thinking and writing, along with required courses in business knowledge, fine arts, mathematics, non-native language, STEM experience, and understanding of the natural and social world. Students can also earn a bachelors degree and MBA or Masters of Accountancy in five years, and many business leaders enroll in our Executive MBA program.”

Describe the Millsaps motto, Ad Excellentiam:
“Our motto, ad excellentiam, means ‘toward excellence.’ It sums up our focus in everything we do, from the classroom to athletics to public events.”

How has Rob Pearigen changed Millsaps for the better?
“As the 11th president of Millsaps College, Dr. Rob Pearigen brought a wealth of experience, along with an exciting vision for the College, when he was inaugurated in 2010. His passion for a liberal arts education, combined with his inexhaustible energy for Millsaps as he travels around the country (and beyond), have raised the visibility of the College to new heights. Enrollment is up, giving is up, and there is an excitement about Millsaps and what the future holds for the College.”

Tell me about the Millsaps graduates living internationally!  What sets these Millsaps grads apart from other college graduates?
“The only real difference between our graduates living and working overseas, as compared to those here in the States, is their address. The work being done by Millsaps alumni ranges from cutting edge cancer research in New Jersey to multi-national financial deals in London. They are all doing amazing work, but our alumni who are living abroad do offer new and varied audiences for the Millsaps message. We are working closely with them to tell the Millsaps story to prospective students who are interested in studying in America.”

What sets Millsaps apart from other Mississippi schools? 
“We’re not just a school – we’re a community of incredibly talented faculty, students, and staff, working toward a common goal of excellence in everything we do.  We make good on our promise of a world-class education at an affordable value through scholarships and the four-year guarantee.  Millsaps boasts the highest four-year graduation rate of any school in MS, and 95% of Millsaps graduates are employed or enrolled in graduate/professional school 6 months post-graduation.  That’s why The Economist ranking of alumni outcomes places Millsaps in the top 14% of college graduates across the U.S., ahead of Sewanee, Rhodes, Birmingham Southern, Ole Miss, LSU, and Mississippi State, and the White House College Scorecard data show that Millsaps ranks #1 in the state for alumni earnings ten years post graduation.

What is Millsaps' hope for their students/graduates?
“Keep asking questions. Keep learning. Keep challenging. Keep changing the world for the better.”

Thank you so much, John!  For more information on Millsaps College, please visit their website here.  All photographs courtesy of Millsaps College.