Browsing: Living

In 2005, I had just returned home from an 18-month mission trip in Brisbane, Australia. Settled back on the West…

There are not many lighthearted memories from Hurricane Katrina, but there are lessons, stories, and moments of strength that still…

Katrina 

That was her name— the name of the hurricane. The storm of the century. Ironically, the great storm that tore everything apart ended up bringing people together. I was only nine years old when I experienced the worst hurricane of my lifetime— Hurricane Katrina. The hurricane whose name still sends shivers down so many people’s spines to this day. 

Hurricanes are a part of life in the south. We recall the aftermath of each one of them, some worst than others. Family and friends rally around those in need. We know how to prepare ahead of time, and what to do when it is over. But the big storms are different, and so it was with Hurricane Katrina. As my wife and I lamented upon returning to our water-soaked home, “this will take a while”.

Some places capture your heart long before you realize they’re shaping your dreams. For Jennifer Boone, that place was Natchez. As a little girl growing up in Hattiesburg, she and her mother would slip away for long weekends in the historic river town. They’d walk the shaded streets, peek into grand homes, and linger in the small shops that lined Main Street. Those trips became cherished memories—and they planted a seed that would eventually grow into her life’s dream.

Labor Day is right around the corner, and I think I speak for all of us when I say that a break is very much needed. Thankfully, you can spend your Labor Day weekend exploring one (or more) of the greatest destinations Mississippi has to offer. Here are the top five destinations I’d recommend. 

Vardaman, Mississippi, is known as the Sweet Potato Capitol of the World for good reason, with over 100 million pounds of sweet potatoes traveling from the fields of Vardaman to tables around the world each year. 

A comprehensive master plan has been recently completed for a new 15-acre district featuring a boutique hotel, restaurants and retail stores on the land between the MSU campus and the Cotton District, developers announced Aug. 20. It is to be named the Crossroads District.

Tucked away in the small town of Collins, Mississippi, Mitchell Farms is the kind of place that reminds you why we love the South so much. It’s not just about the acres of peanuts, produce, and rolling farmland—it’s about family, tradition, and creating memories that stick with you long after you’ve driven back down that dusty country road.

Over the past few days, residents of Mississippi have received some very subtle hints that Autumn might possibly be on the way. 

I know! I know! It’s ninety-something degrees outside right now, and the thought of spending more than 10 to 15 minutes at a time in this humid August heat is excruciating. 

Regardless of the scorching temperatures in Mississippi, it is never too early to start discussing fall fashion and daydreaming about our future fabulous fall outfits. Each new year brings in new fashion trends and endless styling possibilities. Below are five fashion trends to look out for this fall.

Labor Day weekend has always felt like Mississippi’s grand finale of summer—a few last golden days before the light changes and football season takes over our weekends. Here in the Magnolia State, we know how to stretch a holiday into a memory, and Labor Day is one of our favorite excuses to do just that.

In case you have not figured it out yet, balloon arches are a must-have item for all celebrations and important events. 

Whether it’s a birthday celebration, a baby gender reveal, a wedding shower, a graduation party, or a corporate event, the appropriate balloon arch is the piéce de résistance.

August is unarguably the hottest month of the year— especially when you factor in the extreme Mississippi humidity. It is easy to retreat to our homes and sit under the air conditioner—waiting for cooler days, but where is the fun in that? Below are five ways to make the rest of your summer an enjoyable experience. 

There’s a moment in a Mississippi August evening when the sun lets go of the day and everything turns golden. The heat doesn’t leave, exactly—it just stretches out and settles in like your Aunt Shirley on the porch swing after supper. Crickets start their tuning, cicadas take over the rhythm section, and somewhere in the distance, someone’s radio hums out a country song that knows something about heartache and humidity.

Despite the raging temperatures, summer is quickly drawing to a close. And here in Mississippi, the advent of autumn means the loss of two precious commodities, homegrown tomatoes and watermelons.