Mud & Magnolias March 2021

Mud&Magnolias October.2021 November 2013 March

HOME and

GARDEN

Fresh Farm Tupelo SAMSARA GARDENS Basil Home Build 2021 HOME TRENDS

CONTENTS

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65 35 22

RECIPES

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2021 HOME TRENDS

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FOREVER HOME

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A SOUTHERN LIVING HOME

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When we think of March, we think of spring on its way, and that makes us think of bright colors and fun flavors. We whipped up nothing but desserts for this issue – things that are light and fresh, and perfect for spring.

The Basil family built their 3,300-squarefoot house from the ground up, with intentions of it being their forever home. But it still had to be suitable for their very young children, an infant and a toddler.

TILING Q&A

We sat down to chat with flooring and tile expert Tracey Marshall at Adair Carpet & Flooring in Tupelo to learn everything you need to know about tile before you rip your floors up and get to work.

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We chatted with two local interior designers to figure out what this year’s trends will be.

The biggest trend? Remodeling and redesigning – finally tackling that problem area.

But with that comes a lot of industry delays.

Robbie Fisher and Beth Mayeaux have always loved flipping through Southern Living’s house plans, but they never imagined they’d build one of their own, until they broke ground on their 11-acre property in Water Valley.

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FRESH FARM TUPELO

Mori Freeze believes everyone deserves a fresh start, and that’s what inspired her to name her flower farm, Fresh Farm Tupelo.

This part-time pharmacist, full-time dreamer has big plans for her farm.

SAMSARA GARDENS

DIY: HOUSE NUMBER + PLANTER

CLEANING HACKS FOR SPRING

DIY: POTTED PLANT PAD

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March 2021 ON THE COVER Peeking Berry Bliss Cake with Mascarpone Frosting, recipe on page 24.

Tour Mori Freeze’s glass greenhouse with us on her flower farm, Fresh Farm Tupelo. Visit mudandmag.com.

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W

hen I think of my childhood home, I think of playing outside in the big backyard under a huge pecan tree; I always thought it would be a great place for a treehouse. It provided the perfect shade for our trampoline, too.

I think of the blue-trim columns and the matching rocking chairs on the front porch, and the colorful flowers my mom would try to plant in our side flower bed each year.

She never had much success with keeping them alive.

I think of the yellow cushions on the big window seat in my room. I would sit there after school and wait for my dad to pull through back to his shop, signaling he was home for the day.

I think of my sister and I running in and out of our screen door giggling, screaming and squealing most afternoons.

We were always finding something to get into.

And while I can remember all these aspects of my house, it’s really my family that makes these memories stand out. My mom walking around in her purple housecoat. My dad sitting in his recliner watching tv each night. My sister and I sitting at the bar in the kitchen waiting on dinner.

When my daughter grows older, I hope she has such fond memories of being at home, too. Even though our house doesn’t have a big backyard or a window seat, it has our family. And isn’t family what turns a house into your home?

1242 S Green St. Tupelo, MS 38804 662.842.2611

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Sarah Brooke Bishop

ASSOCIATE EDITORS Lindsay Pace Kristina Domitrovich Adam Armour

FEATURED SALES CONSULTANTS Leigh Knox June Phillips Nick Boone Teresa McDonald Darla Webb Angie Quarles Glenda Adams Paul Fullerton

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Ginna Parsons

subscriptions@mudandmag.com advertising@mudandmag.com info@mudandmag.com mudandmag.com This magazine is a monthly publication of Journal, Inc.

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RECIPES

sweet like

spring

Spring feels like the perfect time for desserts: Something fairly light and full of fresh flavors.

We’ve whipped up some spring-inspired desserts, paying special mind to berries.

We hope you enjoy these treats!

Chocolate Ganache Tarts with Italian Meringue & Blackberries recipe on page 22

food styling & recipe development by KRISTINA DOMITROVICH photos by LINDSAY PACE

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RECIPES

Blueberry Lemon Mousse Pie with Oat Crumb Crust recipe on page 22

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RECIPES

Razzle-Dazzle Éclairs recipe on page 23

Crawfish Chowder

recipe on pg. 22

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RECIPES

Peeking Berry Bliss Cake with Mascarpone Frosting recipe on page 24

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RECIPES

Pistachio Cream Puffs recipe on page 24

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RECIPES

Crawfish Hassle-Free Chowder Almond Croissants recipe on on pg.page 22 25 recipe

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RECIPES dough, and poke holes in the bottom (and sides, if the tart pans do not allow ventilation); bake for 15 minutes. Make the ganache: Bring the cream and butter to a soft boil in a medium pan. In a large bowl, add the chopped chocolate, then pour the hot liquid over top; let sit for 10 minutes.

Use a spatula to combine – if the chocolate has not melted all the way through, microwave for 20-second intervals. Once completely smooth, add vanilla and salt. Scoop into the tart shells, or use a piping tip fitted with a large round tip; then use an offset spatula to smooth out the top of the ganache. Refrigerate for an hour. For the meringue: Place egg whites and salt in a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, but do not start whisking. Meanwhile, pour water and sugar into a medium pot; do not stir, attach a candy thermometer and place over medium-high heat.

Once the sugar has reached about 180 degrees, start whisking the egg whites on a medium-low setting. Once the sugar has reached 220 degrees, increase the mixer to high. When the sugar has reached 240 degrees and the egg whites are stiff, with the mixer on high, slowly and carefully pour the hot sugar mixture into the egg whites (drizzle down the side of the bowl, and do not pour directly into the whisk). Once the sugar has been completely added, continue to beat on high until the bowl is no longer hot to the touch; then add the vanilla. Transfer to a piping bag, and decorate the tarts as desired. Toast with a handheld torch (optional). Top with blackberries, and serve.

BLUEBERRY LEMON MOUSSE PIE WITH OAT CRUMB CRUST

CHOCOLATE GANACHE TARTS WITH ITALIAN MERINGUE & BLACKBERRIES Italian Meringue: Whipped egg whites, slowly combined with a boiling sugar-water mixture. This pasteurizes the egg whites, while resulting in a thick, glossy ready-to-eat meringue.

Special equipment: Stand (or hand) mixer, fitted with a whisk attachment is highly recommended.

Ingredients: For the tart shell: 1/2 cup unsalted butter, cubed 1/2 cup powdered sugar 1 large egg 1 1/4 cup AP flour 1/4 cup cocoa powder 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt For the ganache: 6 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped 6 ounces milk chocolate, chopped 1 cup heavy cream

1/4 cup butter 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1 pinch kosher salt Italian meringue: 2 egg whites 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/2 cup sugar 1/4 cup water 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract 1 pint blackberries Directions: In a food processor, combine all the dry ingredients for the tart shell, and pulse for about 10 seconds. Add the butter, and pulse for 30 seconds; followed by the egg. Pulse until combined. Form into a ball, and wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, or overnight (if overnight, let rest at room temperature for 15 minutes before rolling out). Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. On a lightly floured surface, roll out the chocolate dough until about 1/8-inch thick. Fit six mini tart pans with the

Oat crumb crust: Everything everyone loves about an oat-crisp topping on a cobbler, but as a pie shell instead. This requires a blind bake (the process of baking a pie shell before adding the filling) to ensure it will be properly crisp once the filling is added.

Specialty equipment: A food process to ensure it is consistently smooth.

Ingredients: Oat crumb crust: 1 1/2 cups rolled oats 1 tablespoon sugar 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted 2-6 tablespoons ice water, as needed Mousse filling: Zest of 1 lemon, in strips Juice of 1 lemon 1 cinnamon stick Pinch of kosher salt 10 ounces blueberries (fresh or frozen), about 2 cups 1 cup sugar 1 cup water 1 1/3 cups heavy cream, divided

RECIPES 1 packet unflavored gelatin, or 1 1/2 teaspoons Topping, optional: 2/3 cup heavy cream 3 tablespoons powdered sugar 1 teaspoon vanilla extract Zest of 1 lemon Directions: Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

In a food processor, pulse together the oats, sugar and salt for about 30 seconds. While the processor is on, slowly drizzle in the butter. If the dough can be pressed together between fingers, forgo the water; if it is too crumbly to stick together, add the water one tablespoon at a time. Press into a pie dish, making sure there are no gaps and the sides are even. Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until lightly golden. Set aside. For the mousse: In a saucepan, combine the lemon juice and zest, cinnamon, salt, blueberries, sugar and water, and place on medium heat. Cook, stirring with a rubber spatula for about 15-20 minutes, or until the blueberries have burst and it has thickened, and the mixture doesn’t immediately return to place when scraped with a spatula.

Place a fine-mesh sieve over a bowl, and use a spoon to push the liquid through the strainer.

Discard what won’t pass through, then whisk 1/3 cup heavy cream into the remaining blueberry mixture until smooth. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, or until assembly. When ready to assemble, place three tablespoons of water in a small pot, and sprinkle the gelatin over it; do not stir, and let bloom for 10 minutes. Then, place over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally until the gelatin is completely dissolved; then, whisk thoroughly into the blueberry mixture. Beat the remaining heavy cream into stiff peaks, then gently fold into the blueberry mixture in two additions, until streaks are gone. Pour into the pie crust, and refrigerate for at least four hours.

Before serving, if desired, whip cream and powdered sugar together into stiff peaks, then add in the vanilla. Scoop or pipe onto the pie, followed by lemon zest.

Ingredients: Pâte à choux: 1/2 cup unsalted butter 1/2 cup whole milk 1/2 cup water 1 tablespoon sugar 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt 1 cup AP flour 4-6 large eggs Raspberry filling: 2 1/2 cups (18 ounces) raspberries (fresh or frozen) Juice of 1 lime 1/3 cup sugar 4 tablespoons cornstarch 4 tablespoons cold water 3 egg yolks 3 tablespoons butter, chilled Topping: 4 ounces white chocolate 1 pint fresh raspberries 1 lime, zested Directions: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees; line two baking sheets with parchment, and set aside. Make the pâte à choux: In a medium pot (non-coated will work best) over medium-high heat, combine the butter, milk, water, sugar

and salt. Once it comes to a boil, remove from heat and add the flour, then mix with a wooden spoon. Once evenly mixed, return to heat and stir vigorously for about two minutes, or until a film forms on the bottom of the pan (the film will be less visible on a coated pot).

Transfer to a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or use a wooden spoon), and beat on medium-low speed. Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing until combined after each addition.

After four eggs have been added, stop the mixer, and see if the dough will hang in a v-shape off the paddle attachment –– if it’s too thick, add another egg in the same manner. Use the v-shape test after each additional egg; when it’s the right consistency, transfer to a large piping bag fitted with a large round tip (or a French star tip, for grooves). In one continuous motion, pipe the dough onto the baking sheet, about 4-5 inches long. Space them out about 2 inches, and proceed with remaining pastry; clean up any rough edges by wetting fingers and smoothing them over.

Place both sheets in the oven, and bake for 10 minutes, then reduce the heat to 325 and bake for another 30 (do not open the oven during baking), or until golden. Cool completely before filling.

For the filling: In a medium pot over medium-high heat, add the raspberries, lime and sugar, and

RAZZLE DAZZLE ÉCLAIRS Pâte à Choux, or Choux Pastry: A type of pastry dough used to make desserts like éclairs or cream puffs, made by boiling together water, butter, sugar and salt, and then adding flour. Once the flour is added, it is cooked over the stove until a film forms on the bottom of the pot. At this point, eggs are beat in one at a time, until the desired consistency is reached, or it forms a loose-V hanging off of a spoon or paddle. It is then piped onto a baking sheet, and will rise significantly during baking.

Special equipment: A plain metal pot makes it easier to see the film, though it is not required. A stand mixer, fitted with a paddle attachment, makes mixing in the eggs much easier, as it will get very stiff, which will quickly become tiring mixing by hand.

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RECIPES bring to a simmer. In a bowl, combine the cornstarch and water into a slurry; then slowly drizzle into the pot of raspberries. Remove from heat, and add a spoonful of the raspberries to the egg yolks to temper them, then drizzle the egg yolks into the pot of raspberries, whisking constantly. Return to heat, and stir constantly until it comes to a boil. Remove from heat, and pour the mixture into a sieve (sitting on top of a bowl).

Use a spatula to press the contents through the sieve; then discard the remnants. Add the butter to the raspberry mixture, one tablespoon at a time, mixing thoroughly between each addition.

Refrigerate until chilled, about an hour. Transfer to a piping bag fitted with a pointed filling tip, and poke two holes into the bottom of the éclairs. Gently pipe the filling into the éclairs, until it starts to expand very slightly. Repeat with remaining éclairs. Over a double broiler, melt the white chocolate, stirring occasionally until completely smooth. Dip the top of the pastries in the white chocolate, and transfer to a sheet.

Repeat with remaining éclairs, and top with lime zest and additional raspberries.

PEEKING BERRY BLISS CAKE WITH MASCARPONE FROSTING Mascarpone: A type of soft, Italian cheese, most commonly used in tiramisu. It is far softer than the American cream cheese, and very smooth. It has a sweet, barely nutty flavor.

Find it in the specialty cheese section of your grocery store, typically sold in a plastic tub.

Ingredients: For the cake: 4 1/2 cups AP flour 1 tablespoon baking powder 1 teaspoon kosher salt 1/2 cup butter, room temperature 1 cup canola oil 2 1/2 cups sugar 6 eggs 1 tablespoon vanilla extract 1 tablespoon almond extract 1 1/2 cups whole milk For the frosting: 8 ounces mascarpone cheese, chilled 2 cups powdered sugar 1 cup heavy cream 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt 1 teaspoon vanilla extract For the topping: 1 cup fresh blueberries 1 cup fresh raspberries 1 cup fresh blackberries 1 cup fresh strawberries A few edible flowers, such as carnations, optional Directions: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Line the bottom of two 8-inch cake pans with

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parchment, then evenly coat the inside of both pans with non-stick spray. In a medium bowl, sift together the dry ingredients, and mix thoroughly. In a large bowl or stand mixer, beat together the butter, oil and sugar until creamy and fluffy.

Add the eggs and extracts, and beat until combined. Begin adding the milk and dry ingredients in three additions, alternating between the two, and mixing thoroughly between each addition.

Divide evenly between the two pans, and bake for 38-45 minutes, or until deep golden and a toothpick comes out clean. Cool for about 30 minutes, then run a knife along the pans’ edges before turning the cakes out. Cool completely on a cake rack, or place in the refrigerator until ready to assemble. For the frosting: In a stand mixer, use a paddle attachment to beat together the mascarpone and extract. Add in the powdered sugar and salt, and beat until smooth and combined. Increase the mixer’s speed to high, and slowly drizzle in the whipped cream until very fluffy. Assembly: Thoroughly rinse the berries, then slice and pare as desired. Place a dollop of frosting in the center of a platter, and place one cake on top. Level the top with a bread knife, if desired, then scoop about a cup and a half of

frosting on top (more or less, as desired). Use an offset spatula to spread evenly and to the sides.

Place half the berries on top of the frosting, making sure to spread to the sides. Add remaining cake, and repeat. Top with edible flowers, stems removed, as desired.

PISTACHIO CREAM PUFFS Pastry cream: A rich, creamy custard that is not too thick to be used in a piping bag. It is often what’s found in cream puffs or éclairs, and is made by pasteurizing the eggs, then chilled completely, until smooth and custard-like.

Special equipment: If the cream is clumpy, it will need to be sieved.

Ingredients: Pâte à choux: 1/2 cup unsalted butter 1/2 cup whole milk 1/2 cup water 1 cup AP flour 1 tablespoon sugar 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt 4-5 large eggs

RECIPES Filling: 1 1/4 cup pistachios, shelled 2 cups whole milk 1 egg + 4 yolks 1/2 cup sugar 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt 1/3 cup cornstarch 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1/2 cup butter, room temperature 2 tablespoons powdered sugar, optional Directions: For the filling: In a medium bowl, combine the egg and yolks, sugar, salt and cornstarch. Whisk until smooth. In a large pot, bring the milk to a boil. Slowly drizzle half the milk into the egg mixture, whisking continuously to prevent curdling. Whisk in the vanilla, then transfer the egg mixture into the pot, then return to the stove over medium-low heat.

Whisk continuously until the mixture comes to a boil, about 2-5 minutes. Remove from heat, and add the butter a tablespoon at a time, whisking between each addition. Transfer to a clean bowl (strain if clumpy), and cover directly with plastic wrap to prevent a skin from forming. Refrigerate until completely chilled, about an hour and a half. In a food processor, add the pistachios and blend on high for about 5 minutes, stopping to scrape down the sides occasionally, or until it is a smooth nut butter. Set aside. In the meantime, make the pastry. For the pâte à choux: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees; line two baking sheets with parchment, and set aside. Make the pâte à choux: In a medium pot (non-coated will work best) over medium-high heat, combine the butter, milk, water, sugar and salt. Once it comes to a boil, remove from heat and add the flour, then mix with a wooden spoon. Once evenly mixed, return to heat and stir vigorously for about two minutes, or until a film forms on the bottom of the pan (the film will be less visible on a coated pot). Transfer to a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or use a wooden spoon), and beat on medium-low speed. Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing until combined after each addition. After four eggs have been added, stop the mixer, and see if the dough will hang in a v-shape off the paddle attachment – if it’s too thick, add another egg in the same manner. Use the v-shape test after each additional egg; when it’s the right consistency, transfer to a large piping bag fitted with a large round tip, and pipe mounds about 1.5 inches wide, and no taller than two inches.

Space them out about 2 inches, and proceed with remaining pastry; clean up any rough edges by wetting fingers and smoothing them over. Place both sheets in the oven, and bake for about 35 minutes (do not open the oven during baking), or until golden. For the filling: In a stand mixer or by hand, add a heaping scoop of the pastry cream to the pistachio butter, and mix until incorporated.

Repeat with remaining pastry cream. Transfer to a piping bag fitted with a large star tip. Once the

pastry puffs have cooled completely, use a paring knife to cut off the top of the puffs; pipe with the pistachio cream, then replace the top of the pastry. Repeat with remaining pastries, and top with powdered sugar if desired.

HASSLE-FREE ALMOND CROISSANTS Puff pastry: Puff pastry is a type of dough that requires a very long process of chilling and rolling dough and butter together to create layers (lamination). When these layers are cooked, the water in the butter layers will evaporate, causing the dough layers to puff, which gives pastries like croissants their signature flakey-airiness. It is oftentimes fickle for at-home or impatient cooks, but can be bought frozen for easier, quicker use.

Find it boxed in the frozen dessert section of your grocery store.

Ingredients: 1 2-sheet package of frozen puff pastry 1 egg 3/4 cup butter 3/4 teaspoons almond extract 2 1/2 cups almond flour 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar 1 teaspoon cornstarch

1 egg + 1 tablespoon water Sliced almonds, optional Directions: Thaw the puff pastry as directed by packaging. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees, and line two baking sheets with parchment. In a medium bowl, mix together the egg, butter, extract, almond flour, powdered sugar and cornstarch until completely smooth. Remove one sheet from the packaging, and on a lightly floured surface, roll out the pastry until about 1/8 inch thick. Along the widest part of the rectangle, use a sharp knife or a pizza cutter to slice the pastry into about seven long, thin triangles (tip: use a ruler to ensure the triangles are straight and equal in size). One triangle at a time, slice a small slit in the center of the base (this will make it easier to roll). Dollop 1-2 heaping tablespoons of filling onto a triangle, near its base. Gently roll up the croissant, starting at the base. Place on the baking sheet, with the tip of the pastry below the croissant (to prevent it from unfurling when baking). Mix the egg wash, and use a pastry brush to lightly coat the entire croissant. Repeat with remaining croissants. Sprinkle with sliced almonds, if desired, and bake for 20-25 minutes, or until golden. M

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Samsara Gardens A naturally-grown, no-till vegetable farm

by KRISTINA DOMITROVICH photos by LINDSAY PACE

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I

n 2017, Quinoa Soedsauer and Reynaldo Budhi’s lives looked very different. Soedsauer was living in Brooklyn, working at a barber shop struggling to pay rent and feeling disconnected from life.

“I’d see the tulips coming up and all the flowers around, and I wanted to connect to this more,” Soedsauer said. “I want to be a part of the seasons and find a way to grow my own food. But I didn’t think I could do it in Brooklyn with the small amount of growing spaces available to people.”

Meanwhile, Budhi was living on the ecovillage Twin Oaks International Community in Virginia, and was serving his community as the dairy farmer –– a position he said led him to becoming vegan. Budhi earned a master’s degree in classical piano, had lived in cities his whole life, taught music, but knew “there was always something missing.”

“I knew I didn’t want to live a regular life,” Budhi said. “I was like, ‘I got to do something, I need to connect.’ I always felt disconnected from my food, nature, the seasons.”

The two met that spring when Soedsauer was visiting their cousin. They bonded while installing a cattle fence, singing Beatles songs. Their first commonality was music: Soedsauer was a music major, too, but they studied jazz saxophone. Their second commonality was a shared sense of disconnection.

Their resolution was farming.

Budhi already had some experience farming through

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the WWOOF program –– World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms. Soedsauer had never farmed, so they spent a month on a farm in North Carolina, “kind of learning the ropes of how to do small-scale gardening that we really wanted to do.” They set a date, October 2017, that they wanted to start farming. They were between Long Island or Mississippi –– Budhi grew up on Long Island and had already worked on some farms in Mississippi.

“We knew the cost of living would be lower, so we’d have a little more leniency in figuring out how to get the farm going and giving ourselves time to figure out what we were doing,” Soedsauer said. “It was an adventure. It’s a completely different culture, completely different world that we didn’t know about.”

It wasn’t just a culture shock for them, because they seemed to be a bit of a culture shock to Mississippi, too.

“We were some crazy hippies coming from some commune in Virginia,” Soedsauer laughed.

They knew they were bringing a different type of farming with them, too. They wanted to be a regentitive, naturally grown, no-till small-scale farm. They weren’t sure where in Mississippi they were going to farm, and they had some land opportunities fall through.

Eventually, they found their ideal landlords. They had a piece of property in Tupelo with a house and nearly an acre of land, and their farming ideals lined up perfectly with what the couple was trying to achieve.

Opening page: Harvested onions drying on a table under a carport, which they use to dry other crops like their garlic. When they first started on their farm, the pair had to fight to weed out wildgrown garlic. Early on, they decided to harvest it, and process it into garlic salt, which they sold. Now, they’ll make other goods like hot sauce and sourdough bread, sometimes even sauerkraut, to retail at the farmers markets. This spread clockwise, starting top left: Quinoa Soedsauer and Reynaldo Budhi sitting in one of their gardens, surrounded by flowers they grew to control insects; Microgreens and head lettuce are some of their most popular items; Collard greens are one of the Southern staples they grow, along with okra; A pickling cucumber on the vine. “They always are a favorite,” Soedsauer said.

“They were willing to let us figure it out on our own,” Soedsauer said, “and make the mistakes that we needed to make that first year.”

Which was perfect, because they made plenty of mistakes that first year. Outside of the learning curve, they also had to do a lot of work to make the land’s soil healthier.

“We don’t use tractors at all, we’re doing everything by hand,” Budhi said. “The basic premise of no-till is little or no disturbance of the soil in order to encourage the biological life.”

Trying to increase the soil’s fertility, they packed their gardens with mulches and wood chips, hoping to increase the soil’s saturation and the soil’s carbon, too.

For regenerative farming, carbon is a gold mine — along with nitrogen, potassium, phosphorus, and the trickiest portion of all: the microorganisms that can’t be seen or tested for. To see if their soil’s fertility was improving, Budhi and Soedsauer would have to play the long game: waiting to see an improvement from their crops. And with a resolve to never use chemical fertilizers, and taking “a very gentle approach,” the long game seemed even longer.

“The main idea is that we’re feeding the soil, not just the plants,” Budhi said. “(If) emphasizing feeding just the plants, the plants’ are the end-all product. But in more regenerative agriculture, we’re feeding the soil, which in turn feeds the plant.”

While trying to be gentle with the soil, they also had to take time to acquaint themselves with their gardens, too. On their farm, they have four gardens, and each comes with its own intricacies: One seems higher in calcium, some of the others they’ve had to combat a problem with over saturation, plus each garden seems to get a different amount of sun, too.

“It’s (been) a slow process of getting to know each,” Budhi said. “The details of each of our gardens.”

“Learning from failure,” Soedsauer said, and they both laughed.

One garden seems to have a particular problem with pests. Rabbits, specifically.

Soil isn’t the only thing they take a gentle approach on: They do so with pests, too.

Soedsauer said they hope by taking a “hands-off approach,” letting the pests have their way, their existence will bring in their predators, and it can all become a part of the cycle –– this cycle reflects the overall meaning of Samsara, a feeling of being connected with the cycle of life, death and rebirth –– and their decision behind their garden’s name.

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“We want to try and allow the gardens to find their own equilibrium,” Soedsauer said.

The duo also plants flowers in their gardens, to attract the right types of pests, and to attract them to the flowers before their crops. Between letting the pests run their course and their soil treatments, they’ve seen the fruits of their labor pay off, and said their vegetables are already drastically better than during their first year of farming. They rotate crops, and each season they debate about what they’ll want to grow.

“One of the choices we make is: Do we grow stuff for money’s sake, or grow stuff for either the novelty or our love of it?”

Soedsauer said. “We’re constantly trying to balance that.”

Soedsauer said throughout the year, Samsara Gardens’ crops usually include: head lettuce, microgreens, “Reynaldo is insistent we grow as much broccoli as humanly possible,” beets, carrots, Swiss chard, pickling cucumbers, cabbage, kale, collards, tomatoes, garlic, onions and potatoes, and anything else they can think of –– “we try and grow every other vegetable we can imagine.”

Soedsauer admits their partner is more patient with trying new crops, like spinach and cauliflower –– “I don’t even want to grow cauliflower, not this year at least. I’m over it.” But despite the challenges they’ve faced and having learned from failure, they both reflected on how encouraging this whole experience has been. Budhi looks back at the first time their dinner was prepared only using things they grew together in their gardens, and says there’s a level of pride and satisfaction that is unmatched.

“When you first have success,” Budhi says, “It’s just, it’s so gratifying.”

They sell their vegetables to local restaurants and farmers market, both mostly in Oxford. They said it’s been a long time since they’ve come home from the market with vegetables left over.

“We’ve been fortunate,” Soedsauer said. “Something changed last year, where I think people realized the importance of your

local food producers. I think we’ve been struggling to meet demand ever since, like for certain things like microgreens, we’re at capacity. We couldn’t possibly grow more than we are, and we still can’t seem to meet demand, which is kind of a great thing.”

Because of the demand for fresh, local produce, they both agreed that Mississippi is the perfect place for new farmers to start out –– there’s always a need for more vegetables. Soedsauer hypothesized that if they had started somewhere different, like Long Island, or Georgia or Florida, where some of Soedsauer’s friends and family are, they may not have seen as much success in a different area, because “maybe it could have been over saturated.” But they also said they wouldn’t have grown to appreciate Mississippi the way they do now.

“Queer identity is something that is hard to navigate being farmers in a rural part of Mississippi,” Soedsauer said. “Deciding what to wear to the farmers market can be a challenge. We’ve felt nothing but welcome in Mississippi … I feel like Mississippi is ready to embrace (change), we’re cherished for diversity in Mississippi, because the people in Mississippi see us and love us for what we are.”

But with their families closer to the East Coast, Budhi and Soedsauer have always known Mississippi was a stepping stone.

“This isn’t where we (plan) to stay forever, but we’re just so grateful we have experienced here,” Soedsauer said. “(Reynaldo) is very intent on planting some fruit trees as soon as possible. …

(In Mississippi), we’re getting to hone how to start with just a patch of grass and turn it into a productive garden within a year, so that when we start over, we’ll know how to hit the ground running.”

When they get to wherever they’re going, somewhere closer to both of their families, the two plan on planting perennials and berry bushes, and of course, Budhi’s fruit trees.

“One of the things that really marks permanence is when you plant a fruit tree,” he said. “Because when you plant a fruit tree, you may not get anything for five to 10 years. (They’re) a marker of, ‘I’m here to stay.’” M Left: Budhi holding a colander of freshly picked heirloom tomatoes and cucumbers; Right: A tomato on the vine. “I think we’re going to try and and beat our record,” Soedsauer said on tomatoes, “And try and spread them out more.”

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by KRISTINA DOMITROVICH photo by LINDSAY PACE

DIY: House Number + Planter Materials: A Drill Screws House numbers A wooden plaque, about 15x9 inches A five-sided wooden box, about 6x6x6 inches Outdoor paint Paint brush Heavy duty plastic liner Staples & Staple gun Soil A plant Outdoor wall mounting kit** Editor’s note: You can buy pre-made plaques and boxes in local craft and hardware stores, or you can make them yourself. **The best mounting device will differ depending upon your house’s exterior; it’s best to ask someone at your local hardware store.

Directions: 1. Cut the plastic liner to fit inside the box, and staple it into place.

2. Use a drill to add drainage holes to the box, and make sure there are holes in the liner that align with the box’s holes for proper drainage.

3. Paint the plaque and the outside of the box as desired, and let dry completely.

4. Align the box with the edge of the plaque, and screw the box onto the plaque. Note: Depending upon where this will be situated on your house, the box planter may cast a shadow over the house numbers. To avoid this, simply switch what side the numbers will be displayed with the box planter.

5. Secure the house numbers according to packaging.

6. Mount on the exterior of your home.

7. Fill with soil, followed by a plant, and thoroughly water. M M &M

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forever HOME story by GINNA PARSONS photos by LINDSAY PACE

W

hen Hanna and Tyler Basil married five years ago, they moved into a 900-square-foot house in downtown New Albany.

A couple of years later, their first child, Kenley, was born, and while the space was tight, it was doable for the family of three. When Hanna got pregnant with their second child, the couple knew it was time to move.

“My granddaddy told me he was going to give me some land in New Albany whenever we got ready to build,” Hanna said. “When I got pregnant with Rob, we said it’s time to go.”

They found a house plan online and dirt work started in March 2020.

“The plan was called modern farmhouse,” she said. “My husband liked it, and he’s very picky. I barely even looked at the plans.”

The basement was poured in April, and the framework started in June.

“I started an Instagram account so I could keep up with everything, the timeline,” Hanna said.

“That’s been so much fun.”

The Basils moved into their 3,300-squarefoot home that sits on two acres the week of Thanksgiving. It has one main floor, with a finished basement and an unfinished upstairs.

“I wanted a basement because I’ve always thought they were cool,” Tyler said. “It will be a place for the kids to hang out when they get to middle school, high school.”

“The goal for the basement is a game room/media room where the kids can have their friends over when they’re teenagers,” Hanna said. “Right now, it has a trampoline in it.”

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The outside of the home is cream-colored board and batten wood siding with a brick skirt. It has double-front doors painted a dark blue called Naval

by Sherwin-Williams.

The couple chose an open-floor plan, with the kitchen, dining room and living room combined in one large space. The home has three bedrooms, a playroom that will one day be turned into an office, three-and-a-half baths, a laundry/mud room, and a large walk-in pantry off the kitchen.

Hanna’s sister, Emily Forman, is an interior designer with a shop in downtown New Albany called Moda Designs.

“Emily helped me with the furnishings – she helped me a lot,” Hanna said. “My dream job would be to work for her.”

Hanna did pick out a few things for the home herself. A guilty pleasure is shopping at HomeGoods

home furnishing retail store, but she also mixed some old with the new.

“The doorknob on the pantry was my granddad’s, and the lamps in the foyer were on my grandparents’ bed stands,” she said. “The gold mirror in our bedroom was my grandmother’s.”

The bathroom floors are covered in ceramic tile while the rest of the floors in the home are luxury vinyl tile. All the walls, ceilings and trim in the home are the same neutral color – Alabaster from SherwinWilliams.

“The walls are light and most of the furniture is light-colored,” Hanna said. “We love lots of light.”

One of Hanna’s favorite spots in her new home is daughter Kenley’s bedroom.

“We put wallpaper on one wall and it just makes the room pop,” she said. The pink-and-white plaid paper adds a soft, feminine touch to the space.

Previous spread: The Basil’s neutral-toned kitchen mixes modern and organic textures. This spread, clockwise: Whimsical elements, like drawings of farm animals, decorate Rob’s nursery; McCarty Pottery lines open kitchen shelves; Soft pink tones add a feminine touch to Kenley’s room. The wallpaper is one of Hanna’s favorite elements; Kenley’s room also includes an elegant cream vanity; Hanna’s said her living room photo gallery is one of her favorite walls in the home; A closer view of Rob’s nursery decor.

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The nursery for 6-month-old Rob features a Jenny Lind crib that was Tyler’s when he was a baby.

It’s been painted a creamy white to update its look.

The heart of the home – the kitchen – has stainless-steel Frigidaire appliances, including a gas stove. Hanna’s dad poured the concrete countertops to give the room a clean, sleek look.

Open kitchen shelves are stacked with McCarty Pottery that Hanna uses every day.

In the original house plan, the back porch was open, but the Basils screened it in to make it more of a living area.

“Tyler loves to grill out there,” Hanna said.

“We have rocking chairs and a bed swing that was made by Tyler’s grandfather. We love the personal touches.”

Hanna and Tyler started dating in high school in New Albany and continued their courtship at Mississippi State University. She’s a school administrator at Potts Camp High School, and he’s a loan officer at BNA Bank in New Albany.

“We wouldn’t live anywhere else but here,” Hanna said. “This is our forever home. We built it with one main story so that we can stay here forever.” M

This spread, counterclockwise: Gold hardware subtly embellishes the kitchen; The Basil family. From left: Rob, Tyler, Kenley and Hanna; Hanna’s sister, Emily Forman of Moda Designs, added a collection of gold trinkets and flowers to the dining room table; A cozy living room nook includes plenty of family photos; The pantry doorknob was Hanna’s grandfather’s.

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Tiling Q&A Tracey Marshall has been with Adair Carpet & Flooring since 1993; but she’s been in the flooring business basically her whole life. Her father started selling carpets out of their garage when she was just 3 years old. Eventually, he opened a store front, and Marshall joined the team. Since her father’s passing in 2007, she, her husband and her stepmother have been running shop. We sat down with Marshall to ask her some questions about flooring, specifically tiling.

by KRISTINA DOMITROVICH photos by LINDSAY PACE

THE FIRST STEPS

TILE 411

One thing Marshall’s customers can count on, tile is going to last a long while.

“It’s very durable,” she said, “it’ll last forever.”

Thanks to its durability, it can be used in many different ways: From kitchen and backsplashes, to bathrooms and showers or even patios. For each type of tile job, there are different types of tiles: What’s used on a backsplash isn’t as strong as what’s used on the floor. Usually shower tiles are on a mesh, so they can “slope for the drain.” For outdoor tiles, Marshall says to go with a porcelain or natural stone, “because regular clay tile, the frost will make it crack.”

Marshall says she’s seen an uptick in “fun” retro-styled tiles in laundry rooms.

If you’re worried about cold feet, Marshall recommends opting for heated (it’s all digital now, and can be controlled with a thermostat).

No matter what tile you go for, be sure to buy an extra box or two. That way, if a tile somehow breaks (which, it shouldn’t), or if you knock down a wall later on and need to extend your tile, you don’t have to worry about the manufacturer no longer carrying your tile.

“You just never know when they’re going to drop a pattern,” she said.

Marshall recommends having a rough square footage of the area. “That’ll give you an idea of the cost,” she said. The installer will go out and professionally measure everything before the homeowner places an order to get an accurate read, along with making a materials list to determine installation and labor costs.

Once a customer is in the store, the first thing is to send them home with a few samples.

“They can take it home and see it in a different light,” she said. “(It) looks different in our fluorescent light, and you need to see what it’s going to look like.”

At the end of the day, whether a customer is looking at carpet, tile, hardwood, or laminate, it’s important to keep in mind that there are going to be different quality grades for each type of flooring.

Marshall recommends customers keep in mind that while hardwood may cost more, the installation labor is less; while the tiling materials may cost less, the installation labor will be more.

Most importantly, Marshall tells customers that until an installation crew goes out and removes the current flooring, it’s hard to predict any unplanned costs.

“Once we get in there, we take that floor up, you don’t know what’s under that floor,” she said. “We won’t know until we get that floor up, if there’s going to have to be any kind of floor preparation, materials, labor for it.”

Common corrections include fixing any weak spots, and ensuring the subfloor is “really smooth, no lumps or bumps.”

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THE NITTY GRITTY: GROUT & MORTAR

Thinset mortar is the bonding agent that adheres the tile down to the floor, whereas grout is usually a sand, paste-like substance that seals between the tiles. Mortar is pretty straightforward, though there have been a few modifications. One modification Marshall recommends has “a latex additive in it,” and creates a “stronger bond and it’s a little more flexible.” Most likely, there will be standard color options here: gray or white. Most of the time, the mortar won’t be visible once the tiling is finished, but for lighter-colored tiles or if you’re using a lighter grout, they will recommend opting for the white thinset, just to make sure it won’t bleed through the finished product.

On the other hand, “grout has come a long way.” Grout used to be pretty standard: A sand-based grout that wasn’t stain resistant. Now, there are multiple types of grout and most will have a stain-resistant element; some with very fine sand options, some urethane options, and now even some grouts with finely crushed glass (made for glass tiles) –– both the urethane and glass options provide a little more flexibility. Grout comes in almost any color, but Marshall said most of Adair’s customers stick to gray, white or taupe options, but has been surprised to see that soft greens and blues are making a comeback in the flooring world. Grouts also have stains now, so if a homeowner changes their mind on the grout color later on, it’s a fairly easy fix.

DESPITE POPULAR BELIEF: A high-gloss finish

does not play a role in how slippery the floor is.

MARSHALL’S BIGGEST TIP: Make sure your

installer is worth their salt.

She recommends asking for references on jobs they’ve already done, and “make sure they’re going to stand behind it.”

CLEANING DOS AND DON’TS

Marshall has tile in her home, and she opts to clean hers with water and vinegar.

She’ll run a dry Swiffer cloth over it to “get dust and hair, and then I’ll use my spray cleaner.” She said products like a Swiffer WetJet will leave behind a soapy residue, so that’s why she opts for vinegar and water instead. Of course, there are specific tile cleaners too, and each manufacturer may recommend something different for their tile.

For bathrooms and showers, places prone to mold and soap scum, Marshall still stands by the water-vinegar combo. She also warns to make sure if you’re working with natural stone, then you choose a shower cleaner that’s compatible with natural stones.

She said she’s known a few too many people with marble showers who used KABOOM! cleaner, and stripped the marble of its polish, leaving the finish slightly eroded.

Marshall followed up with some specific things to look out for: “Regular, basic cleaning with warm water and mild soap is sufficient to keep floors looking good.

You can also use a gentle, everyday multipurpose spray cleaner to remove soap scum, hard water deposits, and mildew. Do not use cleaning products that contain acids or ammonia (and other harsh chemicals) as these can damage grout and glazed surfaces of the tile. Choose products that are compatible with your grout to avoid damage or discoloration of the grout. Always dry your porcelain thoroughly after cleaning.

Unglazed tile should be cleaned routinely with concentrated tile cleaners that have a neutral pH. These cleaners are better suited for removing grease, oils and normal spills from unglazed products.” M

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CLEANING hacks With spring kicking in, it’s cleaning season and time to roll up your sleeves and get to scrubbing.

Here are a few useful tips and tricks to make the grime go away a little bit quicker, and make the daunting task of spring cleaning a little easier.

by KRISTINA DOMITROVICH photos by LINDSAY PACE

GENERAL TIPS • Use Goo Gone to remove leftover residue from price tags, barcodes and stickers, to leave your items smooth and clean.

• Clean everything from the top to bottom, so you don’t have to clean the lower half twice.

• Use a handheld squeegee for your showers, mirrors and windows.

• Speaking of showers, don’t have a removable showerhead and don’t know how to rinse the walls when you’re done cleaning? Grab your plants’ watering can, so you can have a pointed spout and more control.

• We all love our critters, but for how much love they bring into our homes, they track in equal amounts of hair, too. If your vacuum extension hose just doesn’t cut it, use a new pair of rubber cleaning gloves to smooth over your furniture, and scoop up the pesky hair.

• Coffee grounds and baking soda are odor eliminators; so if you have a troubled spot in your home, just set out a bowl of either (yes, the coffee grounds can be used).

THE KITCHEN • Use Bar Keepers Friend on Dutch ovens and enameled cast iron to get rid of those baked-on stains.

• Invest in a few nylon pan scrapers. These help cut down “soak time” on tricky-to-clean baking sheets and casserole dishes (yes, you can use it on a cast iron skillet, too!), along with scraping off burnt food bits in the oven and on the stove top.

• Does your sink stink? Quarter a lemon or a few limes, turn the hot water on and put them down your sink, then turn on the garbage disposal. Viola!

• Want your house to smell amazing year round? Place a pot of water and leftover citrus peels on low heat, and let this stove-top potpourri do the job for you (or for a sweeter scent, try a pot of water and a little bit of vanilla extract).

• Dauntingly dirty microwave? Nuke an uncovered bowl of water for about three minutes, then clean as usual. The moisture from the microwave will help loosen the grime, and make it easy to wipe away.

• Calcium buildup on a faucet? Fill a plastic bag with vinegar and hang it under the faucet, so it’s submerged in the liquid. Secure with tape or a rubber band, and let it work its magic for 15-20 minutes. Then, remove the baggy and rinse clean.

• About to deep clean the oven? Vacuum the bottom to eliminate loose crumbs. When you’re done, you can clean the oven without having to worry about scooping up all the crumbs, and getting everything out of the cracks. M

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2021 Home Trends

by KRISTINA DOMITROVICH photos by LINDSAY PACE

Staggs Interiors After college, Mary Stewart, Tupelo native, moved to New York. There, she worked in the fashion industry.

“That’s kind of how I got my start in merchandising and dealing with a lot of fabrics,” she said. “It’s kind of a crossover in a way.”

When she moved back, she started working for Staggs Interiors as a designer, and has been there for the past nine years.

“I love it, every day is different,” she said. “And I love seeing all the new things come in and different looks working with different clients. Everyday is different and interesting, and no project is the same.”

When Stewart first joined this remodel, the dining room was originally the house’s living room. But with some adjustments, it’s been reinvisioned.

“Now it’s a completely open room,” she says, “where it was previously very closed off.”

Stewart has noticed her clients leaning more and more toward open spaces and doesn’t see this trend ending any time soon.

“There’s lots of light, it’s just real open,” she said.

“There’s a lot of sight lines in there, where you can see a lot of the different rooms. It’s kind of like a pass-through, I guess I would say, you get to enjoy it a lot more than a lot of closed-off dining rooms are. And it’s vaulted, so it just feels really airy and open.”

With this house in particular, Stewart is seeing an uptick in almost minimalist decoration styles.

“But it’s full of different textures, lots of neutrals,” she said. “With that look, you pull in different textures and it makes it interesting and it’s a little bit more kind of modern, but there’s still a lot of natural wood elements in the house, so it makes it warmer and just more comfortable.

It’s not a harsh modern look, just real natural.”

Mixing textures with some neutrals –– Stewart said grays are fading out more, though they’re still entirely doable, but usually mixed with other neutrals, no more “gray on gray on gray on gray” –– varying wood tones, and a few rich colors is a way to “keep it real simple and streamlined.”

To add a few fun elements, Stewart said she’s seeing a lot of patterned tiles, particularly in laundry rooms or powder rooms.

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“Really pretty pattern tile on the floor is very popular right now,” she said. “It’s kind of like that throwback-vintage look that a lot of people are doing.”

This laundry room was made with the homeowners’ dogs in mind, as they had a dog shower built.

The room’s floor is covered in tile, along with the walls.

“It was a place to do something kind of fun in there,” she said. “Just rich colors, there are some tans and rich green colors. It’s really warm and it would be a place I would want to do laundry –– it’s a neat room.”

Stewart is excited to see more clients with fun ideas. She said since everyone has been spending extra time at home, “they’re really looking at all of their spaces.” “(People are) maybe investing more in their home than they would have previously,” she said. “Being home a lot, they spend more time on Pinterest and the internet and looking at magazines, so they’re getting more ideas and just getting more interested in decorating in general.”

Because her clients have been “immersing themselves in it right now,” when they come to the store, she’s seeing more people who want to buy things off the showroom.

“People are so interested in updating, that if we have it on the floor, they want to buy it off the floor,” she said. “They don’t want to wait 12 or 14 weeks for something to come in.”

This seems particularly true, due to the domino effect of delays in the industry.

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Susan Webb Design Resources, LLC Susan Webb majored in interior design at Mississippi State University. After graduation, she took a break from designing and went to work for an organization in Dallas.

When she decided to get back into it, she did so by starting at a furniture store there in Dallas, eventually moving to Birmingham. There, she started Susan Webb Design Resources in 2004, “wanting just to be a resource to people,” she said. “I wanted to help them get their fingerprints on a project.”

In 2009, she moved her business to Tupelo, and has been taking on residential and commercial projects since.

Over the years, Webb has seen fewer and fewer clients leaning toward carpet, and more people buying in on hard-surface floors. Whether it’s hardwood, as seen in this house, or concrete, “we’re seeing the carpet less and less,” she said. “It’s always a cleanable floor, almost without exception.”

Webb continues to see a draw to open-concept floor plans: Moving the kitchen, dining and living rooms into one large area, perfect for entertaining. Along with that, she’s seen builders and homeowners gravitate more toward clean lines in “the trim, like the baseboard and crown mold –– we’re still doing that, but lots of times it’s real simple lines.”

Accent colors are still a thing Webb is seeing regularly –– whether it’s a kitchen island, a singular wall, or even wallpaper, which she says is making a comeback. Don’t worry, it’s nothing like the stuff at your grandmother’s house that hasn’t been touched since the ‘80s.

“It’s the newest thing, you see a good many geometric (patterns),” she says, “but you might see some sort of floral design, but it’s not going to be what you think of –– it’s going to be something fresh.”

The biggest trend Webb has noticed is due to the pandemic. Because everyone has been spending extra time at home –– whether it’s due to working from home, schooling from home or just traveling less –– she says many people are finally getting to those problemed areas in their homes “They just got to where they didn’t want to think about it anymore, they wanted to do something,” she said.

Whether it’s creating a home office, a study space for the kids or just tackling that one room that’s been haunting them, homeowners aren’t slowing down.

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COVID Delays Due to the increased number of projects, the supply in the home goods, furniture and appliance world has increased, dramatically.

“Every decision is like a little domino,” Webb said. “It affects every other decision.”

Webb guesses that part of the issue, especially in the furniture arena, is that workers are rarely cross-trained for other jobs in the factories.

“Their people aren’t cross-trained for the most part,” she said.

“They’re just not set up to have a lot of people out, and then when you got this pandemic and they had to close for a while, and then get back up and get going, I think that’s the reason for the delays.”

Along with that, a lot of companies are switching to “just-intime manufacturing.” What this looks like: Instead of housing fabrics they’ll need in their own warehouse, they move forward with all furniture orders, and call the fabric vendor about a week or two before they’ll need the fabric in-house. It cuts down on extra manufacturing costs, because “it takes space and money,” to store the fabric.

When a customer places an order, the manufacturer is likely calling ahead to the fabric vendor, and asking if they have the amount of product they’ll need. In the moment, the vendor probably does; but between when the order is placed and when the fabric is needed, something happens.

“I can’t cast a lot of blame,” she said. “I just think we live in a little crazy world.”

Because of certain things being unavailable when needed, manufacturers are forced to go to customers, and ask them to reselect a new fabric, in this case. Which Webb said is problematic, because she and her clients have to look at every other decision to make sure everything will still fit together in the end.

“I mean, you have to rethink it all,” she said. “It’s very time consuming.”

The process is really setting delivery dates back. Webb said for

the house featured, they placed the furniture order on July 29, and it wasn’t delivered until Feb. 1.

Webb said these effects can be seen in every other aspect of home manufacturing: from lighting, to flooring, appliances, shipping, even the subcontractors. She called someone at the beginning of February to redo a client’s bathtub and shower, and the soonest she could be scheduled was in April.

Webb brought up another woman she knows, who just built a house. Their move-in date was quickly approaching, but all their ordered appliances were nowhere near delivery.

“She ended up finding them in stock in Texas, and is getting them shipped in,” Webb said. “‘Cause her house is done, and she’s got a family and she needs appliances.”

Usually, Webb recommends customers place orders three months ahead of when they’d like to see their shipment; now, she’s recommending people “budget their time differently right now,” and they should plan for six months instead.

“I think for the most part, people have figured out how to work in the midst of wearing masks or socially distancing, so things are beginning to get back to normal,” she said. “I think six months is probably an overestimation, but I’d rather do that (because) it could be having a brand-new wonderful home and nothing to put in it.”

If the six months does prove to be an overestimation, Webb says “generally, most local vendors will hold the furniture in their warehouse until you need it, if it should get in early.” But her biggest advice is to buy ready-made if you can; if you can’t, don’t wait a single day to place an order.

“If somebody’s in dire need for something, then you’ve got to go find things that are in stock, and that’s hard to find,” she said.

“Sometimes online, I can find things that are ready to ship, but there’s some gamble with that, because you’re buying just based on a photograph, and you’re not completely sure of the quality of it. But again if somebody is in dire straits, you’ve just got to take some risks to fix the problem.” M

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color trends: reimagined Glidden Premium Flat/Matte, “Rich Navy”

{

wowwing whites • creams • clean white

Glidden Premium Flat/Matte, “Heavy Cream”

{

blazing blues: • royal • navy • nearly black

{

gimme greens: • emerald • dark sage

Glidden Premium Flat/Matte, “Canyon Dusk”

{

new neutrals: • toupes • light tans

Glidden Premium Flat/Matte, “Garden Cucumber”

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SOUTHERN LIVING home

by KRISTINA DOMITROVICH photos by LINDSAY PACE

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R

obbie Fisher and Beth Mayeaux remember being enamored with Southern Living as little girls, “flipping through,” and looking at the different house plans the magazine has featured and sold since its first issue. Fisher was born and raised in Greenville, and Mayeaux in Jackson.

Throughout their lives, they both would move in and out of Mississippi, as lives and jobs required. Fast forward through a few decades — and through Fisher’s careers as a lawyer, the state director of the Nature Conservatory and now as a Mississippi filmmaker, and Mayeaux’s career in software sales — until the two found themselves back in Mississippi, one way or the other, Jackson to be specific. In 2016, the two met at a Lucinda Williams concert and hit it off. Not long after, they started looking at homes together.

At first, Jackson made the most sense — they’d both been there for several years at that point. But then, they realized “we could have lived anywhere,” Mayeaux said. With Fisher as a film producer and Mayeaux in sales, their work could have any homebase they’d like.

“We began looking in Oxford, and then we found this lovely little town of Water Valley,” Fisher said. “We decided to build a house together, and it was funny because we kept thinking, ‘We can’t build a house.’ I mean, that was the thing: My thought was we had never built a house.”

Mayeaux remembers when the two first visited the town, she told Fisher, “I feel like I am in Stars Hollow from ‘The Gilmore Girls.’” Fisher spent time in the New England area

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for her studies, Mayeaux said “so we went to (Water Valley) a couple of times, and there was just this feeling of being home.” The two would revisit Water Valley over weekends, to make sure it was the town for them.

“When you move from a big city to a town of 3,000, you better fit in,” Mayeaux laughed.

They quickly got to know Water Valley’s residents, found a church and decided this was the place for them. Now they just had to figure out what house they wanted to build, but they knew they were looking for a relatively simple layout.

“We’re a couple in their 50s,” Mayeaux said. “We didn’t want a huge house. … We wanted a nice porch, we wanted a space to entertain.”

Remembering their love for Southern Living home plans ­— they decided to start there.

“It was kind of a neat circle-back to that from our earlier days,” Fisher said, “being a Southern Living fan.”

They narrowed their focus down to two plans. Their builder, Kenny Harmon, actually suggested which house to build and urged the couple in that direction. Mayeaux said that one house plan would look best on the couple’s 11-acre property.

“The look of the outside and the floor plan, I think, were an initial draw

for sure,” Fisher said. “We’ve had a lot of friends tell us that it looks like it really was meant to be here.”

“I wanted it to have really traditional, simple, classic features that kind of make it feel timeless,” Mayeaux said. “Delta meets the hill country.”

The house? One of Southern Living’s 12 best-selling plans: the two-bedroom, two-and-a-half bath, Tideland Haven — Plan #1375.

When looking to build a Southern Living home plan, oftentimes, perspectives can connect with others who have completed their build. Mayeaux said each plan has its own Facebook group, and members “invite folks to come see their home.” That’s what Fisher and Mayeaux did with two Tideland Haven homes, one in South Carolina, and the other in St. Simons Island, Georgia.

“It was really good, because it let us see the scale,” Mayeaux said. “That really helped us build the house; it made me see some of the things that just wouldn’t fit for us, or things that worked.”

They were able to size up the house itself, along with what types of furniture they would need. With both having established households, the couple knew they would need to get some new pieces, but Fisher also had several family heirloom pieces they wanted to tie in.

They were also able to see some changes they wanted to implement in their home, because “the Southern Living plans are really, really detailed,” Mayeaux

said. They were able to connect with an approved firm to make changes to the blueprint. One thing about the couple’s home, originally, before the blueprints were handed over to Southern Living, is that it was built to be a weekend house in Georgia. Since it was intended as a vacation home, there’s little storage space. To combat this they added a large pantry-like area toward the back of the house.

For most Tideland Haven layouts, the kitchen shares the open space with the living room, and the dining room is off the side of the kitchen in a nook. With their love for entertaining, Fisher and Mayeaux wanted to switch the two. They added a peninsula to the kitchen, fitted with bar stools, which acts like a divider between the living and dining rooms. Outside of those adjustments, there were just a few tweaks here and there: Adding a wood-burning fireplace on the master’s patio, and swapping the living room’s fireplace (what’s often a double-sided fireplace with the front porch) for a gas fire instead.

They also opted to install the Tideland Haven’s garage extension, too. There, Fisher has her office for Fisher Productions, LLC. It also more or less serves as an apartment for the couple’s guests, as they only have one guest room in the house itself. It’s also where the cats stay: They have three cats and four dogs. The dogs never integrated well with the cats, so they said it works out well.

They’re always interested to see how other builders

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integrate the garage. For Mayeaux, she wanted the garage to be far enough away from the house, so she could enjoy nature’s views.

“I think it’s just beautiful looking out,” she said. “And I wanted to be able to see the landscape through the beautiful windows, verses having to look right out to my car.”

With their customizations in place, they broke ground in the fall of 2017, and the house was move-in ready in August 2018. Next, they filled their home with things that were important to them.

“The one thing we wanted was to live in Mississippi, and I think Mississippi was something that was really common to both of us,” Mayeaux said. “I think our house really reflects our love of Mississippi. We only have Mississippi artists on the walls. We’ve really tried to incorporate things that we love about Mississippi.”

With pieces by Chris Stebly, McCarty Pottery, a tray on the coffee table that was a prize from the Sunflower County Fair Horse Show, a friend’s painting of the Delta, and bookshelves lined with mostly Mississippi writers, the two wanted their home to live and breathe Mississippi.

They also wanted it to showcase Fisher’s pieces from her family. Her mom and aunt collected bird figurines together, which she inherited, along with her mother’s collection of oriental rugs, and a slew of furniture pieces. One side table from Fisher’s grandmother reads underneath, “Mrs. Jacob Peter Fisher, Jonestown, Mississippi.”

“A lot of neat, special (pieces),” Mayeaux said. “It’s just funny little stories.”

One of their biggest ties to family is their landscaping.

Fisher remembers her mother, Georgie Fisher, being a wonderful gardener being a wonderful gardener. She grew various flowers, and landscaped Fisher’s childhood home entirely on her own.

“My mother was a great gardener, that was her real passion and love,” Fisher said.

When her parents died, and she and her siblings sold the

Opening page: In the entryway to Mayeaux and Fisher’s home, a depiction of rural life welcomes guests.

Previous spread, from left: A figurehead sits in the library, next to a pullout sofa for guests; Mayeaux said their style is “traditional, with a lot of antiques,” as seen by their guest room’s dresser with a mirror and a natural-stone top; The couple’s bedroom has a bench window and seating area, and the room’s design is cozy and uncomplicated. “It was almost like we just wanted it to feel really calm and simple,” Mayeaux said; The master bathroom includes a clawfoot tub, along with a shower and two vanities. This page, top to bottom: The couple’s book collection, combined with a collection Fisher inherited from her mother, features almost solely Mississippi authors; The dining room, which shares the grand room with the living room, includes a large cabinet that displays glassware and silver serving pieces. They said before the pandemic, it was not unusual for them to host parties each month.

“You can have a party of a hundred people and you don’t even realize it,” Mayeaux said.

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This page, clockwise from left: The guest room, much like the rest of the house, is filled with natural light because of abundant windows. “I just love looking out of our windows,” Mayeaux said. “When it snowed, it feels like you’re in a snow globe”; The master bedroom features calming colors, like blues and whites. The couple wanted the whole house to feel coherent, so things like light fixtures, fans and doorknobs are the same throughout the rooms; The kitchen, like the rest of the house, uses clean, natural elements to make their home feel organic. The couple opted for real marble on the countertops and the backsplash.

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This page, clockwise from left: Mayeaux (left) and Fisher (right) on their front porch. The two are always ready to entertain, whether outside or inside; The porch features rugs and multiple seating areas. Before the pandemic, they would often bring out heaters to keep their guests comfortable as they flow in and out of the home; A painting of the Delta from Cameron Knight Watson, a friend of the couple’s from Greenwood, hangs above the buffet table in the living room.

home, the new owners hired a landscape architect, Brantley Snipes to landscape as they were putting finishing touches on the build.

“We’d gotten to know her, she’d done my parents’ landscaping, so Brantley Snipes came and did a landscaping plan for us, and helped us put in all of this. And there’s even a little spot back there that she calls Georgie’s flower-cutting garden,” Fisher said. “There’s a lot of connections that circle back to family ties.”

Last year during the pandemic, their builder, Kenny Harmon, who they’re now friends with, brought his tractor over and plowed a patch of land so they could begin gardening. Fisher has gravitated toward vegetables, while Mayeaux has opted for flowers and is “really trying to cultivate heirloom roses.”

If there’s one thing the pair has taken away from building their house, it’s community. Part of that is thanks to Water Valley and its residents. During the pandemic, Mayeaux took up bread baking, and one of their friends will trade with them: Fresh eggs for fresh, homemade bread. But it extends to their contractors, too.

“I mean, our HVAC guy lives right across the street, and if we see a dead mouse or something, we call him,” Fisher said laughing.

“It’s almost like we have these people who kind of have become our

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family,” Mayeaux said. “So it’s been really nice.”

The couple also befriended the daughter of Tideland Haven’s architect, too, Suzzane Stern. James L. Strickland founded his architecture firm, Historical Concepts, LLC., where the Tideland Haven plans come from. His daughter, Stern, branched off and created Our Town Plans, a firm dedicated solely to blueprint plans via Southern Living.

“Suzanne and I have connected via the (Tideland Haven) Facebook group, but now she’s become our friend and we’ve met her brother, and every time they come to the area, we go out to lunch and they come see the house. Of course, we like to think that our house is her favorite,” Mayeaux joked. “But that’s been really cool, to kind of hear the history.”

“It’s a pretty perfect plan, for us at least. And the house –– it just feels like our house, it’s a really good reflection of the both of us,” Mayeaux said. “We love it, we really do. Sometimes I have to pinch myself because I can’t even believe that (it’s our) house. But when I’m gone, I can’t wait to get home.” M

BUYER ’S GUIDE

BUYER ’S GUIDE

BUYER ’S GUIDE

finding a full glass

and a fresh start

by KRISTINA DOMITROVICH photos by LINDSAY PACE

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A

round two-and-a-half years ago, Mori Freeze found herself at a crossroads in life.

“I just tried to figure out what I was going to do,” she said. “I needed something life-giving, something to look forward to, and I decided to start a flower farm.”

Her f irst interaction with the now five-acres she’s named Fresh Farm Tupelo was when her youngest’s highschool senior portraits were taken on the property. She approached the owners and asked if they’d be willing to sell. They were. She and her daughter moved into the house in the fall of 2019. At that point, it was too late in the season to plant anything, especially for a novice grower, but she spent the following months dreaming.

“My dream is that this is a place where friends and family and community can gather together and it be a peaceful place,” she said. “That freedom to relax and just enjoy each other, not just a conversation, but then also creativity — it just opens up a whole different part of a person.”

That first year, she spent much of her time laying groundwork.

Originally, her property was

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surrounded by a chain link fence overgrown with vines. She removed the fence, did a lot of weeding, and worked on creating flower beds and raised beds. She planted zinnias, sunflowers, and a few perennials, “so I wouldn’t be replanting as much.”

THE FARM T hou g h her mot her a nd grandmothers always had flower gardens — her mom had roses, one of her grandmothers always had lilies “everywhere,” and the other grandmother always had zinnias — Freeze hadn’t always grown things herself.

“I learned years ago that it’s just really good therapy for me to dig in the dirt,” she said. “It’s just a good stress reliever, a good mindclearer.”

She said with her new-found passion, there will always be something new to learn. She’s accustomed to this, as there’s always something new to learn as a pharmacist. But with pharmacy, she said there’s at least a base-line knowledge on which to add.

“I will always and forever be learning on this subject,” she said.

Opening page: Freeze’s greenhouse sits on a bed of gravel. It was built from the ground-up, with the side walls made of collected windows fitted together. This spread, counterclockwise from top left: Flowers bloom in Freeze’s field; She stands on her front porch, where she loves to spend summer mornings; Freeze’s hope is to encourage community. She has several gathering spaces on her land for friends to sit and talk, enjoy a meal together and enjoy nature; Freeze’s favorite window in the greenhouse is the central window above the sink. “It is beautiful, but it’s not perfect. Obviously it has a damage to it,” she said, “(but) that’s definitely is my favorite though. I think that’s gorgeous”; Freeze decorates the inside of her house with flowers, like this vase on her bedside table. She also uses her “bunk room,” a room in the center of the house without any windows, to dry flowers.

She will use them during the off season to make arrangements and wreaths; The greenhouse was under construction this time last year.

Tour Freeze’s greenhouse with us at mudandmag.com.

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“I am so behind the learning curve, I find myself every day reading just to learn how to start the seed better or what fertilizer to use, because I’m trying not to use any pesticides, herbicides or anything like that. I’m not going to claim organic, but definitely natural.”

Along with flowers, Freeze also threw some herbs into the mix; things like oregano, lavender, rosemar y and her persona l favorite, basil.

“I love the smell of it,” she said.

“I love to cook with it, I love pesto and I love the ease of it.”

She says basil is something anyone can grow. This past summer, she expanded and created a small vegetable garden for her personal use. But she found herself unable to keep up with the vegetable garden and the flowers. This year, she plans on just growing vegetables she knows she’ll enjoy throughout the summer — things like cucumbers, tomatoes (she loves to make her own salsa) and okra. “Keep it kind of simple,” she said.

Though she doesn’t plan to personally grow an extensive garden this year, she wants to have some families rent gardening

plots.

“Teach their kids that that seed one day,” she says, “will become a squash vine that has some squash on it.”

She has a lot of plans and projects in the works, actually.

She laughs that her oldest always tells her, “‘Mom, everybody needs a good project.’” Well, Freeze has her hands busy with all sorts of projects she has underway: Her property has a working well pump, and she plans on converting it to a table. She just finished digging an irrigation system by hand that will send water to four or eight new raised beds. She wants to add a bathroom to the well house, which is currently where she starts her seedlings. She wants to convert a garage-like building into a “walk-in cooler for the flowers.”

In the fall, she’ll offer Fridaynight flower arrangement parties, when she’ll encourage the visitors to “bring a picnic or something, just to enjoy the night.” And that’s barely scratching the surface.

Currently, with all four of her kids in college (the oldest is in his third-year of medical school, her second-oldest is earning her master’s, and the two youngest are sophomores at

This page, counterclockwise from top: The exterior of Freeze’s house is over 100 years old and dog-trot style; Her cat, Pumpkin, has adjusted well to country life and enjoys stretching out on the front porch; Near the flower field is a reclaimed barn, where Freeze keeps chickens. She is collaborating with a friend a local artist, who plans to paint a butterfly mural on the back of the barn this year. Next Page, top to bottom: Burgundy flowers add to the array of colorful flowers growing on her farm; Hanging from the greenhouse is a light fixture made from a reclaimed wagon wheel. It uses Edison bulbs; A vintage red wagon holds gardening necessities and decorates the porch.

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the University of Mississippi and the University of Arkansas), she has her German Shepherd, Honey, on the farm, along with her “city-rescue cat turned country,” Pumpkin, who “has this problem: She stays hungry.”

Next to her flower beds is a boxed hive of bees, though Freeze isn’t a beekeeper herself. She has a friend who agreed to share the honey with her and tend to the bees on her land. Currently, there’s only one hive; but this year, they plan to extend it to two. With the extra honey, along with her herbs and some flowers, Freeze has partnered with Sera + Soul in Tupelo to be the provider for their “farm to shower” line of products.

Joining the crew of critters are her 12 chickens, which give her so many eggs she either has to sell them, send her sister home with loads of them when she visits, or bake them into quiches.

“Quiche is the way to go,” she said.

“You can freeze quiche, (it’s) easy, use your leftovers in it.”

One day, Freeze would love to add “a dairy cow or a Jersey cow” and maybe even a goat. Part of that is because of how much she’s enjoyed her chickens — “I cannot tell you how much satisfaction there is to go out there and my chickens come to me and want me to pet them, and they give me eggs every day. I love it, I think it’s fun!,” she said.

But it’s also because of the way she was raised.

Her father would crop-farm, but he also had hogs, cows, horses — the whole gambit.

“On the weekends, my dad would go out there (to the field), and I would tag along. I was very much a tomboy, wanted to be outside. It got me out of cleaning house on Saturdays,” she laughed. “I just love being outside.”

GLASS DREAMS When Freeze first moved out to her property, she spent that winter dreaming.

“I realized that I kind of lost for a while the ability to dream and do something different,” she said. “The greenhouse is my dream house.”

She started planning her windowwalled greenhouse through Pinterest — but had to tweak it a lot.

“One thing I have learned is that I don’t think big enough,” she said. “I’m trying to learn to think bigger. I mean, (if) you don’t take the risk, you’ll never know where you could be.”

It took her a little over a year to collect all the windows. Her best luck was at

antique stores in Tupelo, Facebook Marketplace and visiting her sister in Memphis.

“Anytime I went up there, I’d come back with my car loaded,” she said.

“Anything I could carry, I’d bring back.”

Building it wasn’t easy, and actually her contractor fell through. “I mean, I had a bit of a rough experience,” but thanks to her “sweet boyfriend,” her dreams became a reality. With heating and plumbing, the glasshouse can be a space for pretty much anything — but Freeze has realized she wants to use it for more than just a greenhouse. Mostly, she plans on using it as an event venue — anything from birthday parties, dinners with friends, bridal showers, Bible studies, bouquet classes, “anything you can think of.” Freeze says she’s open to ideas.

“I think it’s kind of limitless,” she said. “The thing I’ve enjoyed the most has been just the conversations had around the table, and that people can find a safe place to come and just relax and dream, and use that creative side that a lot of times we kind of push to the side.”

The table, also built by her boyfriend, measures 16-feet long. She wanted it to breathe community, but also allow for versatility. The table is technically two, that way she can move them in and out of the glasshouse as needed, to cater to any event.

“If I could hear the stories that have been told inside these windows in the homes they came from,” she said grinning, “it would be so neat to hear.”

The glasshouse is Freeze’s favorite part of her farm, and she spends as much time out there as possible.

“It’s fun at night to light it up. My electric bill was huge in December because I would not turn the lights off, I left them on 24/7,” she laughed. “If I woke up in the middle of the night, I’d just peak out and see it, it’s been so much fun.”

There are a few tweaks she plans on making to the glasshouse, but she said that’s pretty true for the rest of the property, too.

“It’s one of those things, where it’s not exactly finished. I feel like it’s kind of like life,” she said. “If you wait till everything’s perfect, you’re going to miss life. You got to kind of roll with it.”

That’s just one lesson Freeze has taken from her new walk in life; another comes from her new house, which is over 100 years old.

“At 53, I discovered that a clawfoot tub is a must-have in life.” M

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Mud&Mag | DIY

potted PLANT pad

by KRISTINA DOMITROVICH photos by LINDSAY PACE Love indoor plants but can’t stand how they can damage the furniture they’re on, and hate the plastic protector trays? Make this trendy trivet, instead.

No. 2

directions

No. 1

materials • Roughly 30 feet of twisted manila rope • Hot glue gun & glue sticks • Scissors

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Make sure the rope’s end has a clean cut, so the beginning of the spiral will be clean.

Apply about 1/2 inch of glue onto the rope, then fold it over on itself once. Hold for five seconds, or until the glue dries.

Apply more glue on the now folded piece, and spiral the rope onto itself. Hold for five seconds, or until the glue dries. Repeat this process, until the trivet reaches roughly an inch wider than the pot on all sides.

When applying the final spiral, cut the rope at an angle (the shortest part should be closest to the spiral), and glue the shortest part to the spiral, to create a more seamless ending.

Place under the potted plant to protect your furniture from any water dripping. M

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