HAPPY OCTOBER! This escalated quickly. I can and can't believe that this year is flying by so fast! Lately, I've been seeing an increase of trivia nights popping up around town which has me beyond excited! It's the perfect date night or fun group outing with a little competition involved. We thought we'd go ahead and prepare you with our fall edition of Mississippi trivia! Which one is your favorite and which one did you not know already?! 

ALL the praise hands that it's finally fall! So many wonderful things to come with fall and we're so excited to be revealing our fall cover! You may recognize these faces and our most inspirational Mississippian, Stacy Underwood. Stacy founded an incredible organization called HeARTworks and you can read all about on our blog post here.

     Stacy's passion for art fueled her to begin an art program for the homeless in Jackson. For eleven years, every Tuesday, the old cafeteria at Stewpot transforms into an art studio. The artwork that's created every Tuesday is saved and put on display once a year at the HeARTworks Art Show. Everyone is welcomed to come view the incredible artwork and purchase pieces. If this isn't amazing enough, 80% of the proceeds from those sales are given back to the artist while 20% is given to Stewpot Community Services. This year's HeARTworks Art Show is right around the corner on Tuesday, October 15th. It'll be from 5-7pm at Stewpot, 1100 West Capital Street, Jackson, MS.

​     Hey friends! Happy Tuesday! Recently, a couple of our team members attended "Lunch with The Source" and we wanted to share our experience with you! If you're not familiar with The Source, it's a network for women in business created by BankPlus. It's an amazing resource available FREE to you that covers a wide array of topics helpful to all business women in all stages of their careers.
     The Source plans luncheons, events, after-hour socials, podcasts and more. Again... FREE to you. Once an event is planned, The Source emails it out to their subscribers and you then have the opportunity to sign up for the events that you'd like to attend (before they fill up). All that to say... make sure you're subscribed to their emails!
     A few weeks ago, our owner and our editor both showed up to Lunch with The Source where Allison Muirhead was presenting on "Looking Your Best in Headshots and Beyond"; neither had any idea that the other would be there!  Y'all... it was such an incredible hour jam packed with engaging content and wonderful tips. Allison is an uber talented photographer and an incredible speaker. The entire room was full of women zoned in to Allison, learning from a professional. Both our editor and our owner left feeling so inspired and wanted to relay to you how highly they recommend going to these events. "I love that The Source brings together career-driven women who are eager to better themselves and their business, all while meeting and connecting with other like-minded women." says Kendall Poole Ellis, Inspiration Mississippi's owner.

    Aven Whittington understands better than anyone that good food is essential for a great party or event. For the past twenty years he has been managing the catering team of the Mangia Bene Restaurant Group- home of BRAVO!, Broad Street Baking Company and Sal and Mookie's. A passion for entertaining, ability to connect with his clients, and his experience in the hospitality industry result in Aven and his team providing their clients with incredible service and food that takes their events from ordinary to extraordinary, time after time.
     A self-described kitchen guy at heart, Aven was bitten by the cooking bug as a youth. Welcome lunch breaks while working his family's farm in the Delta gave Aven the opportunity to begin expressing himself in the kitchen. Those sweltering summer afternoon cooking sessions transformed into the overwhelming heat of the back of restaurant kitchens in Oxford, Mississippi, during his college days and eventually into the fast paced professional setting of ched Dan Blumenthal's kitchen at BRAVO! in Jackson. While working at BRAVO!, Aven was also learning the ins and outs of the catering business from Jim Hudson of the local Bon Ami. At the same time, Aven decided to pursue a degree in business administration at Mississippi College, making him a natural fit to manage the growing catering operation of BRAVO!
     Aven's approach to delivering an outstanding experience no matter the occasion starts with building a strong relationship with his clients. "Knowing my client and having them be comfortable with me is essential to the process. Once I know the client's personal tastes and wishes well, I can begin to put together the perfect menu for them," says Aven. His experience helps guide clients to crafting a menu that exemplifies their own personal taste but also ensures not one guest goes hungry. "You have to take care of everyone! Hospitality and graciousness are the foundations of a good party!" smiles Aven. "I love my job! I get calls to help people with the special moments in life: birthday celebrations, weddings, fundraisers, and even funerals. It means so much to me to be able to play a small role in some of the biggest moments of my client's lives."
     Please visit www.mangiabene-catering.com for more information on Mangia Bene Catering and to find out how Aven can help you bring the vision you have for your event to life!