If you are searching for the perfect Father's Day gift for the outdoorsman in your life, look no further.  Wren & Ivy, a family business based in Madison, produces handsome, handmade classic hunting and outdoor gear.  Owner B.C. Rogers says, “I connect to the outdoors and the history of my family in the outdoors.  But I was growing increasingly frustrated that classic gear has not changed.  It doesn’t have modern functionality; there is no place for your cell phone.  So, I started Wren & Ivy.  I couldn’t find what I wanted, so I designed and made it myself.  We take classic looking gear and add modern functionality to it.”

Each masculine piece is made one-at-a-time by hand, and there is a lifetime guarantee on every product.  Many of the pieces are made domestically, but most of the products are created in Leon, Mexico.  Rogers says, “Leon is the leather capital of the world and provides the best consistent quality.  All of our bags have a great weathered look.  Our motto is ‘Leave a Legacy.’  The day your bag looks the worst is the day you receive it.  We used ours this past hunting season and after over fifty days in the field, they look incredible.”

Wren & Ivy has an array of Father’s Day gifts.  “We have everything from a sleep bag to a Gentleman’s Grooming Kit.  All of our products were designed by a man and made with masculine materials – wax canvas and bridle leather.  If you want to personalize your gift, embossing is included in all of our products!  It’s nice to personalize a gift for your husband or father.  It really makes it special for them,” says Rogers.

All Wren & Ivy products are sold direct to the consumer.  You can purchase through the website here, or visit Persnickety in Madison.  The logo behind Wren & Ivy also has a wonderful family story.  Rogers smiles, “I designed the logo with an artist friend from Vermont.  My three-year-old daughter is Wren and my one-year-old son is named Ivy.  In the middle of the logo is the Wren, representing my beautiful daughter, and she is surround and protected by her brother, Ivy.  She is resting on three petals, representing the Father, Son and Holy Ghost.”

Rogers adds, “I would never presume my children will take over the company one day.  But, I wanted them to know that everything my wife, Kim, and I do is certainly for them and with them in mind.”  He smiles, “Wren loves to walk in, point to the logo and say, ‘That’s me!’”

For more information on this extraordinary Mississippi company and their products, please visit the Wren & Ivy website here.  You can also click here to view the Wren & Ivy Facebook Page.  For questions, email [email protected]

All photographs courtesy of Wren & Ivy

“Our biggest inspiration for our adoption is God.  James 1:27 states, ‘ Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.’  This adoption has definitely brought us both closer to our Heavenly Father as we lean on him and trust Him.”  Deborah and Stephen Edmonson

Mississippi is filled with incredibly brave and loving mothers.  Today, we are thrilled to feature our interview with one particularly inspiring woman.  Deborah Edmonson is the mother of five lovely children, and an advocate for adoption and those with special needs.  We reached out to Deborah to learn more about her faith and her family.

Tell us about yourself!  Did you grow up in Mississippi?
“I grew up in Mississippi and attended the University of Mississippi where I majored in Special Education.  When I started college, I had no idea what I wanted to be when I grew up!  I changed majors so many times.  One day, I volunteered at a preschool and met the most precious little blonde-haired girl who just happened to have Down syndrome.  That little girl changed my life.  I changed my major to special education and fell in love with all the children and adults I have met through the years.”  

Tell us about your sweet daughter, Taylor
“I am a crazy mom when it comes to my children and I know God used this time in college to prepare me for our 4th child, Taylor.  She just happened to be a beautiful blonde-haired little girl with Down syndrome.  :)  While she was in the NICU at UMC, one of the social workers gave me information on adoption.  Not how to adopt but how to place my precious daughter up for adoption!  I was so angry!  Stephen and I talked about adoption, not putting Taylor up for adoption, but adopting a child with special needs… but it just wasn't the ‘right time.’"

What inspired you to adopt Lillee?
“Time passed and one day God knocked me to my knees and let me know without a doubt that Stephen and I needed to adopt from China. We found out that children in China and many other countries that have albinism are seen as cursed or as demons.  We prayed and prayed and one day our social worker called and told us she had a file on a little 9-month-old girl with albinism.  We immediately accepted her file.  Five months later, we traveled to China to add our Lillee to our family.”  

Tell us about all five of your children!
“Lillee is our 5th child and first adoption. Katherine is 21 and attends the University of Colorado.  She volunteered two summers ago at a foster care center for children with special needs in China.  John is 16 and a sophomore at Jackson Academy.  Karlie is 7 and attends Ann Smith in Ridgeland.  Taylor is 6 and attends Ann Smith as well.  Then there is our Lillee Mack who is now 2 1/2.”

How does Lillee inspire you and how has she completed your family?
“Lillee inspires me through her determination and strength.  She survived 14 months in an orphanage in a communist country without a mommy or daddy.  Her vision is not very good and you would NEVER know it!  (All people with albinism have very poor vision).  I don't know if I can say she ‘completes’ our family.  We may be complete but you never know.  :)”

Why is Mississippi a great home for your family?
“Mississippi is a great place to live with Lillee because there is such a strong adoption community.  We have so many friends that have adopted from China, as well.”  

Deborah, thank you for sharing the story of your beautiful family!  To learn more about the Edmonson family and their adoption story, you can visit their blog here!  

The wonderful family photos were captured by the talented Christina Foto! 

Mississippians know and love their soul food.  Homemade macaroni and cheese, deep-dish cornbread, fried chicken and okra bring southern flavors to life with every delicious bite. 

Did you know that June is National Soul Food Month?  We created a Soul Food Trail for the 2016 issue of Inspiration Mississippi Magazine, filled with incredibly tasty spots, serving the best comfort foods throughout the state.  Enjoy!

{Blog by Mitchell Walters}

The Mississippi Museum of Art’s definition of modern:

mod·ern /'mädern/ (adjective) 
bold, different, innovative, trailblazing, 
fresh, new, edgy

The American Federation of Arts (AFA) and the Neuberger Museum of Art are proud to present When Modern Was Contemporary: Selections from the Roy R. Neuberger Collection at the Mississippi Museum of Art.  This is the first traveling exhibition of this beautiful collection of American modern art in over forty years. 

Julian Rankin, Marketing Director of the Mississippi Museum of Art, says, “Roy R. Neuberger was a devoted champion of the art of his time, and he acquired works by a remarkable selection of modern masters, including Alexander Calder, Stuart Davis, Willem de Kooning, Marsden Hartley, Jacob Lawrence, Georgia O’Keeffe, Jackson Pollock, Mark Rothko, and numerous others.”  The exhibition, featuring incredible sculptures and painting from over fifty artists, will run from April 9 through October 30, 2016.

“It is our great pleasure to host this incredible exhibition featuring work by so many of the Twentieth Century’s most dynamic and revered artists,” said Betsy Bradley, Director of the Mississippi Museum of Art. “Never before in Mississippi have artworks by this inimitable group of creators shared a museum exhibition space; we’re honored to make them available to visual art explorers from across the region and beyond.”

Rankin says, “Complementing When Modern Was Contemporary is a secondary exhibition called Reflections: Works by Modern Mastersfrom the Collection. Also on view April 9 – October 30, 2016, this exhibition features works by many of the same American artists but in this case drawn from the Museum’s permanent collection and from that of Paul and Celia Mabry (Oxford). Moreover it includes remarkable examples by contemporaneous artists not represented in the Neuberger Collection—like Franz Kline, Robert Rauschenberg, and Andy Warhol—as well as works by Mississippi modernist painters such as Dusti Bongé, Andrew Bucci, and George Wardlaw.”

The Mississippi Museum of Art is also celebrating daring Mississippians who are taking bold steps to move our state forward.  By introducing Mapping a Modern Mississippi, the museum is featuring talented, risk-taking men and women who work in all facets of life. Click here to join the statewide conversation and learn more about Mississippi's own trailblazers!

For more information on the Mississippi Museum of Art, please visit www.msmuseumart.org.

By 2013, a once thriving and magnificent elementary school sat vacant in the heart of Carthage.  The 1920’s structure, composed of handsome red bricks and stately white columns, had been completely abandoned.  All that remained was a hint of its original splendor. Carthage native, Hilton Hollis, simply wouldn't stand for it.

"I started performing in the school’s theatre when I was eight-years-old,” reflects Hilton.  “My sister was in the junior miss pageant on that very same stage, and I served as her escort.  This school always had such a special place in my heart.  It was unbelievable to me that they would let this beautiful building go to waste.” 

Now a wildly successful fashion designer in New York City, Hilton spent his idyllic childhood years on a farm in Carthage.  Creative, warm and gregarious, Hilton developed a passion for sewing at a young age.  In 1997, Hilton moved to New York City, studied at the Fashion Institute of Technology, and trained under some of the world’s most renowned designers.  Hilton now designs under his own label, Hilton Hollis, and creates beautiful, wearable pieces for the modern woman.

Hilton partnered with several people from his Carthage elementary class, and started The Local Fashion Advantage, a foundation dedicated to saving the beloved building.   At the 2015 event, the evening began with a silent auction, and one lucky bidder snagged a luxurious package filled with shopping in Atlanta, clothing from Hilton Hollis, and high-end jewelry.  Following the silent auction, Hilton previewed his Fall 2015 collection.  During the incredible Runway Show, guests were treated to musical performances, dancing, singing and fashions by local designers and boutiques.

Over a few short years, The Local Fashion Advantage has raised thousands of dollars, and the charming building has come to life once again.  The old elementary school now serves as a Community Center for special events, and thanks to Hilton and The Local Fashion Advantage, the auditorium finally has an air conditioner.  Hilton laughs, “It took 80-plus years to get it air conditioned!  It is pretty remarkable.”  Little by little, the auditorium has been completely renovated, from the 600 seats to the magnificent velvet curtain.  It has rightfully returned to its original grandeur.

Beyond the financial aspects of the event, The Local Fashion Advantage has given creative Mississippians an outlet to express themselves.  Local designers, hair and makeup stylists, and even aspiring models are welcome to participate.  “Last year we had people from Vicksburg all the way to Memphis.  We even had a few from Birmingham.  It is pretty awesome that a small town like Carthage can pull in that sort of crowd,” marvels Hilton. 

A few young women have even acquired major modeling contracts after walking in the event!  Hilton says, “Two years ago we were doing our first local model casting.  I was flipping through the head shots and noticed a girl named ‘Hollis.’ I immediately wondered if we were kin!  She came in to walk for me and was a complete natural.  She was unbelievable and looked like she had been walking in Paris shows for years.”  Today she has signed with a major model management company in New York City and models full-time!

“I think what we have been able to do has inspired people.  Now that I am away from Mississippi, I love it even more,” smiles Hilton.  "It is huge that we have made some sort of impact, and it goes beyond the financial impact on our elementary school building.  It is really about promoting self-worth and being able to do something above and beyond what you dream you are capable of doing.”  

This year's Local Fashion Advantage Event will be held tomorrow, Saturday, June 4th!  We hope to see you there!  For more information, please visit the Local Fashion Advantage Facebook page here!