Mud & Magnolias December January 2016

December.

October. November January 2016 2013

&Magnolias

Mud

$3.99

mudandmag.com

Homemade Christmas

Cranberry Recipes • B&B Road Trip Decorating Advice from Aspen Bay mudandmag.com

l

1

Trust Xpress Lube To Help Your Family Get Ready To Travel This Holiday Season

We Wish Your Family a Safe & Happy Holiday!

SERVICES: • Oil Change • Brakes • Tires • A/C Service • Mechanic 2 l on Staff

Come See Us At One Of Our 7 Locations!

1630 N. Gloster Tupelo 662-840-5111

2235 West Main Tupelo 662-840-5154

mudandmag.com

1081 Cliff Gookin Tupelo 662-840-0234

475 East Main Tupelo 662-840-4112

1112 N 2nd St. Booneville 662-728-0400

1804 Hwy. 72 East Corinth 662-287-5003

710 East Avalon Muscle Shoals, AL 256-383-9333

EXPERIENCE YOU CAN TRUST. LOCALLY OWNED & OPERATED FOR 21 YEARS

126 West Main Street • 662-269-2934 Monday-Friday 10-5 • Saturday 11-4

208 West Main Street • 662-269-2513 Monday by appointment only • Tuesday-Friday 10-5 • Saturday 11-4

mudandmag.com

l

3

Barbara DuBoise This is my Day 38! My weight loss is now 25.8 Lbs. I have to admit that the NutriMost system has been not only an answered prayer but a healing process. A process to which I am committed and will continue. Has it been easy to lose 25+ Lbs. in 38 days? Yes, the weight came off nicely, yet it required my focus and concentration to maintain food selections, doses and times required for supplements, etc.

The benefits are worth every concentrated, focused minute. I want to share my next grateful event that has happened and did within the first full week of the program.

Being a senior citizen now, age 64. I had been told by doctors that my episodes of perfuse sweating were hot flashes/flushes. I believed my “internal thermostat� was malfunctioning. As I shared, after the first full week, these subsided and have not returned. That alone has been worth my efforts in this program.

Thank you Drs. Barlow and Mackey for being a part of my journey and thank you Lord for my answered prayer!

- Barbara D.

NO SHOTS NO HORMONES

James Crowe

NO PRE-PACKAGED FOODS

On day 31 of the 40 day reduction phase and I have lost 31 lbs. I am so glad that I decided to do the NutriMost weight loss program.

For me it was about not only looking better but feeling better and being healthier.

DOCTOR SUPERVISED NO SURGERY NO HUNGER

I was concerned that I would be hungry all the time but I found out that the healthy food that I was eating and the weight loss products helped me follow the program.

- James C.

Consultation

By Appointment

27

$$

Sandy G. & Stephanie H. Mother and daughter team up to shed the pounds! Not only did we lose the weight on the Nutrimost system but we also reaped a lot of other health benefits. We would recommend this plan to anyone wanting to lose weight and have a healthier life. Together we have lost 37 pounds and still counting.

- Sandy G. & Stephanie H.

CALL US TODAY TO SCHEDULE YOUR CONSULTATION

877-71-NEW-BODY www.TupeloNewBody.com

18 Days – Deer Park

1 Day – Joyner Area

2 Months – Springlake

2 Months – Lake Circle

2 Months – Meadowlake

5 Days – Lakefield

10 Days – Rogers Acres

28 Days – Winfield

1 Day – North Ridge Crossing

3 Days - Woodland

11 Days – Belmont

18 Days – North Ridge Crossing

6 Days – Esplanade Ridge

4 Days – Old Payne Place

2 Months – Hillside Circle

8 Days – North Ridge Crossing

1 Day – Cedar Point

7 Days – Mooreville

2 Months – Big Oaks

30 Days – White Oaks

8 Days – Woodland Heights

2 Months – Country Club

21 Days – The Grove

38 Days – Belden

1 Day – Oak Meadows

20

%

off

One Item

Exp. Date 12/30/15

Ronaldo

Okolona Gifts

210 West Main St. • (662) 447-3711 formerly Okolona Drug Co. • Lenox China • Hobo Purses & Wallets • Ronaldo Jewelry • Simply Southern • Ole Miss & MS State Collegiate Items • Hot Head • Michel Design Work • Swan Creek Candles • Tyler Candles • Aromatique • Arthur Court • Lenox China • Feltman Bro. Baby • Madame Alexander Dolls • Willow Tree Angels • Christmas Trees, Wreaths, Ornaments & Ribbons

• Adora Dolls • Skosh Jewelry • Victoria Lynn Jewelry • Women’s Apparel • Etta B Pottery

S!

ONLY

IL T ‘ S AY 20 D

TMA S I R H

C

HAMMERHEAD

MUDHEAD GO CARTS

Layaw ay St ill A for Ch ristmvailable as

5005 Cliff Gookin Blvd.

TUPELO 844-0308 4seasonsequipmentcompany.com 8

l

mudandmag.com

M

Contents

&Magnolias

Mud

pg. 29

pg. 45

pg. 69

pg. 75

Features Editor’s Letter pg.10 Home How-to pg. 25 Next up in our “Home Spotlight” series is the warmest welcome spot:a fireplace.

Hit the Road pg. 35 With the holidays around the corner, a bed-and-breakfast road trip is in order.

A Cranberry Christmas • pg. 13

Include cranberries on your grocery list and wow your Christmas crowd.

A Cartwright Christmas • pg. 29

This house is ready for the holidays once interior decorators from MAC & Co. get finished with it.

The Aspen Bay Way • pg. 45

This local retailer knows a thing or two about making a cozy home and its experts give us tips.

Fact Sheet pg. 41 From South Africa to Tupelo, this woman takes on family, work, fitness, theater and so much more.

In The Know pg. 69 This family has the perfect gift for the special people in your life.

The Tintype Man • pg. 75

Tintype photography is rare and this Oxford resident keeps the art alive.

mudandmag.com

l

9

M

Editor’s Letter

It isn’t often I get a first-hand experience of a feature in this magazine. I usually stick to coordinating stories and photoshoots, but then, Lauren (Wood) needed someone to sit for Michael Foster so she could document his tintype photography process (pg. 75). Since we were close to deadline and she knew I would be in Oxford, she resorted to asking me. For those same reasons, I agreed. So there I sat in Michael’s living room with 4800 watts of light (this is a lot, if you were unsure) prepped to blast in my face. That was the worst part. The best part was walking away with a history lesson, an archival portrait known to last 200 years and a life lesson I will take into the new year. As Michael explained why he wanted to do tintypes, he touched on the tedious process and how you must slow down and pay attention to detail. I began to think about the beauty of this process and how people in the Civil War era weren’t even sure what to photograph. It is very different from the technology and digital cameras we know today. I’m the worst about running from one activity to the next and looking at my phone in between. And then saying, “I’m so busy,” when people ask how I am. How annoying is that? Starting now, I’m going to make a concerted effort to slow down, enjoy the details and explore life without constantly wondering if I could be more efficient with my time. Sometimes, as with tintype photography, a slower process makes the outcome more beautiful. I’ll bet Michael had no idea all of this was going through my mind as we watched my face come to life on a piece of tin. Here’s to the happiest holidays and lessons learned in 2015 to make 2016 better.

If you have any thoughts about this issue, please email me at editor@mudandmag.com.

The Cover

If you are looking for a rustic, simple Christmas tree, gather fishing line, fresh cranberries, prepared popcorn and a needle. Photo by Lauren Wood

facebook.com/mudandmagnolias 10

l

mudandmag.com

Lauren’s Tintype Experience

In addition to shooting Ellie’s tintype portrait, the talented Michael Foster also let me sit for one. Being a photographer, this was such an interesting experience. Sadly, the darkroom process has been dying as digital becomes the norm, but many artists still keep it alive. I developed paper prints in high school, but have never seen the wet plate process. Michael let me peek over his shoulder in his mobile darkroom, which is something I will never forget.

And I have a portrait that will last for the next 200 years!

@mudandmagnolias

Mud & Magnolias

@mudandmagnolias

THE STAFF’S FAVORITE HOMEMADE CHRISTMAS TRADITION

Mud

&Magnolias

1242 S Green St. Tupelo, MS 38804 662.842.2611

Editor-in-Chief Ellie Turner

Creative Director Ignacio Murillo 2

3

4

Associate Editors Amy Speck Shannon Johnson Missha Rogers Leslie Criss Lauren Wood

5

6

Photos by C. Todd Sherman, Lauren Wood and Thomas Wells 1 • Ellie: I fondly remember hanging my homemade ornaments on our tree as a child. I also remember becoming a teenager and thinking a tree with homemade ornaments wasn’t as pretty. Now, I’ve come full circle. I want my tree to have that homemade touch.

2 • Shannon: My mom is an incredible cook so it was and is the Christmas meals that will always stand out as my favorite homemade Christmas tradition.

3 • Amy: Every Christmas Eve, my husband makes lasagna for dinner. We don’t eat it very often, so it will be special for us on Christmas Eve. I grew up with this tradition (my mother said lasagna looked “Christmasy”), and we continue it with my own family.

4 • Leslie: Every year after Thanksgiving, my grandmother always made a huge container of homemade snacks that signaled to members of our family that Christmas was near. The snacks are called different things by different folks: party mix, trash. But my family has always

Featured Sales Consultants Leigh Knox Bill Spencer June Phillips Kristen Capps Angie Quarles Lexi Parker

Contributing Editors Sandra Knispel Natalie Richardson Carmen Cristo JB Clark Lena Mitchell

Contributing Photographers Ann-Marie Wyatt Adam Robison Thomas Wells

called them Nuts & Bolts. We use the same recipe that’s been passed down for decades, and when we smell it cooking, we know it’s Christmas time.

5 • Missha: Every year, my daughter and I go to my cousin’s house on Christmas Eve to exchange and open presents and we let all the kids cut out and decorate sugar cookies. They

subscriptions@mudandmag.com advertising@mudandmag.com info@mudandmag.com mudandmag.com

also make “reindeer food” to put out before they go to sleep.

6 • Lauren: My favorite homemade tradition would definitely be helping my family bake

This magazine is a bimonthly publication of Journal, Inc.

and frost all the Christmas cookies! We make peanut butter blossoms and truffles, but it gets really serious when it comes to the sugar cookies. There is a certain level of perfection expected when we frost those, and they end up looking too pretty to eat! (Don’t worry, we end up eating them all!)

mudandmag.com

l

11

& More Shop with us this holiday season for your picture perfect outfit!

118 West Bankhead St. New Albany, MS 38652 662-534-3515

1204 North City Ave. Ripley, MS 38663 662-837-8344

merlegirls_mn Merle Norman and More Ripley & New Albany

Give the gift of style this Christmas!

We have different styles of designer frames for men, women & children including: Costa Nike Lacoste

Lilly Pulitzer Kate Spade Vera Bradley

Vera Wang Columbia Nautica

Fossil Liz Claiborne Calvin Klein

Let them pick out their favorite!

We have gift certificates available.

D . L CAGLE, O.D. 402 Access Road • Fulton, MS 38843 • 662-862-EYES (3937) Photos by Lauren Wood R AURIE

mudandmag.com 12 Mon.-Thu.8:30a.m.-5:00p.m.

• Open two Fridays a month 8:30a.m.-5:00p.m. l

A CRANBERRY CHRISTMAS

mudandmag.com

l

13

NO E AP IP L JA SE D RY EE R E CH B AN AM R E C CR

Ingredients:

12 ounces fresh cranberries 4-5 green onions, chopped 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped 1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and finely diced 1 cup sugar (more or less to taste) 1/2 teaspoon cumin 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (from 1 large lemon) 1/8 teaspoon salt 8 ounces cream cheese, softened Crackers, for serving

14

l

mudandmag.com

Directions:

Pulse the cranberries in a food processor or blender until coarsely chopped (alternately, you can do this task by hand).

Add the green onions, cilantro, jalapeno, sugar, cumin, lemon juice and salt and pulse until the ingredients are well combined and finely chopped. Transfer the mixture to a bowl, cover and refrigerate for 4 hours (or up to overnight) so the flavors have time to develop and the cranberries lose a bit of their tartness.

When ready to serve, spread the cream cheese in an even layer on a serving plate or 9-inch pie dish. Top with the cranberryjalapeno mixture, spreading evenly over the top of the cream cheese. Refrigerate for up to an hour before serving. Serve with crackers or tortilla chips.

CR

AN M BE OJ RR IT O Y

Ingredients:

8 ounces fresh cranberries 1 cup sugar 1 cup water 10 mint leaves 1 tablespoon lime juice 2 ounces rum seltzer water

Directions:

In a medium-size sauce pot, add fresh cranberries, sugar and water and let simmer over medium heat for 10 minutes. Be sure the berries do not boil as they shouldn’t burst.

Take off burner and let cool to room temperature. Once cool, add mint leaves and lime juice to a tall glass. Muddle slightly and fill glass with ice. Add equal parts cranberry simple syrup to rum. Top with seltzer water.

mudandmag.com

l

15

2015 Christmas Packages “SNOW ANGEL” (for her) $231 • • • •

Hot Stone Therapy Massage Aveda Facial Manicure Pedicure

“HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS” $128 • 60 Minute Swedish Massage • Manicure • Pedicure

“SANTA’S LITTLE HELPER” $44 • Child’s Manicure • Child’s Pedicure • Child’s Cut

“MR. & MRS. CLAUS” • • • •

$287 Couples Massage Aroma Therapy Bath 2 Manicures 2 Pedicures

“JACK FROST” (for him) $205 • Hot Stone Therapy Massage • Hydrating Facial • Men’s Pedicure • Men’s Cut

The

C�eative Touch Day Spa & Salon

2613A TRACELAND DRIVE | TUPELO | 662.844.3734 CREATIVETOUCHTUPELO.COM

Don’t have time to clean up that Thanksgiving Mess? Call Us!!!

Specializing in Conventional, FHA, VA, RuralDevelopment, and New Construction Loan Programs

Call Us for Carpet & Upholstery Cleaning!!

Carpet • Hardwood • Tile & Grout Cleaning

NMLS ID 402002; Company NMLS ID : 1591 (www.nmlsconsummeraccess.org); Branch ID: 888511; AL - 55304; MS - 402002,, Licensed by the Mississippi Department of Banking and Consumer Finance; TN - 114830; WA-MLO-402002

MR. JANITOR inc.

10% off

1142 B W. Main St. • Tupelo, MS

662.844.7713

All Residential Services exp: 12/31/15

16

l

mudandmag.com

Churchill Mortgage Corporation 339 East Main Street, Suite B-1 Tupelo, MS 38804

CR

AN SA BER UC R E Y

Ingredients:

5 cups fresh cranberries 2 cups water 2 1/2 cups sugar juice of one orange 1 tablespoon of gelatin

Directions:

Wash and drain cranberries.

Combine cranberries and water in saucepan. Boil over medium to medium-high heat until the skins burst on the cranberries. Remove from heat and smash with spoon until the cranberries make a thick consistency. Add juice of one orange and gelatin mix and bring to a boil. Turn off the heat, pour mixture into hot jars, leaving a 1/4 head space. Place 2-piece caps and process 15 minutes in a boiling water canner. • Homemade Gift • canned cranberry sauce: cut festive pieces of fabric and place between the two cap pieces.

mudandmag.com

l

17

A

RY NCH R E PU B AN ER R C CID LE P P

Ingredients:

6 cups apple cider 2 cups cranberry juice 1 cup orange juice 1/2 cup fresh lemon juice 1 bottle (750 mL) sparkling grape juice or wine slices of apples, oranges and cranberries

Directions:

Combine apple cider, orange juice, cranberry juice and lemon juice.

Stir in sparkling white grape juice or wine. Add sliced fruit and serve.

18

l

mudandmag.com

PI CRA ST N AC BE HI RR Y O BA RK

Ingredients:

24 ounces white chocolate chips 3/4 cup pistachios (already shelled) 3/4 cup dried cranberries

Directions:

Place all the white chocolate chips in a microwaveable bowl and microwave for 30 second increments until completely melted. Mix in pistachios and cranberries. Place a piece of parchment or wax paper down on a cookie sheet. Spread the mixture onto the cookie sheet. Let harden for at least 30 minutes in the fridge.

Break apart and serve.

mudandmag.com

l

19

RY ING R E SS B N RE A CR GE D SA U SA

Ingredients:

1 pound mild sausage 1 cup dried cranberries 1 cup red onion, chopped 1 cup celery, chopped 1 cup pecans, chopped 1 apple, chopped 1 package of herb-seasoned stuffing mix 3 cups chicken broth 1/4 cup butter

Directions:

Brown the sausage in a pan, add butter, onion and celery. Cook until vegetables are softened.

Add chopped apple, pecans and cranberries. Stir in chicken broth, and bring to a boil. Remove from heat, and stir in the dressing mix.

Place into a baking dish, cover with foil for moist stuffing, or leave uncovered. Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes.

20

l

mudandmag.com

Want to LOSE WEIGHT? Weight Loss Clinic

Phentermine, Adipex, Xenical, Belviq, Contrave, and many new products that will enchance your weight loss.

Available: B12 and Lipotropic Injections

Michie Healthcare Associates, LLC 5823 Hwy 22 South, Michie, TN 38357

Next to Michie Pharmacy

731-239-9470 Walk-ins Welcome

Are you driving to Memphis for weight loss management?

Michie, TN is a lot closer!

We’re just 10 minutes north of Corinth Call for directions.

BRING IN THIS AD FOR A FREE B12

GREAT FOOD LIVE MUSIC GOOD TIMES 4187 W Main St Tupelo (662) 205-4345

Drive a LITTLE Save A Lot of pounds.

STEELESDIVE.NET

Hours: Mon., Tues., Thurs., Fri. 9 a.m. - 4p.m.

Open Saturdays 8 a.m. - 12 NOON for your convenience.

LET US CATER YOUR HOLIDAY EVENT. It’ll be yummy!

Full Service Florist with Daily Delivery to Oxford & Pontotoc

FRESH FLOWERS, GREEN PLANTS & UNIQUE GIFTS!

www.breezyblossomsflorist.com SHOP 662-638-3299 • CELL 662-509-0562 TOCCOPOLA (7991 Hwy. 334 Pontotoc, MS 38863) mudandmag.com l

21

M& M Pontotoc Shop

W Wood

Ey e Clinic Terry Wood, Wood, O.D. • Miranda Wood Wood Maynard, Maynard, O.D. www.woodeyeclinic.com www.woodeyeclinic.com

26 South Main Street • Pontotoc, Mississippi 38863 Office Office Phone 662.489.5907

True Blue Boutique 3 S. Main Street •Pontotoc • 662-489-5903

346-A W. Oxford St. • Pontotoc • 489-1074

Hours: Mon.-Fri. 10 am-6:00 pm; Sat. 10 am-5 pm • Sun. 1-5 pm

22

l

mudandmag.com

M&M Shop Pontotoc Gift Shop e h T 6 S. Main St.. • Pontotoc

489-2251

Pontotoc Antiques

5 Locations Antiques Downtown 662-489-4458 • 108 N. Main Antiques on Main 662-419-9291 • 106 N. Main Antiques off the Square 662-200-2009 • 18 W. Marion Antique Station 662-586-5005 • 347 W. Oxford Cowgirl Clutter 662-586-8151 • 29 S. Main

Located in the Piggly Wiggly Shopping Center Lot Look for the green awning drive-thru!

247-A West Oxford Street • Pontotoc, MS 38863

662-489-4000

We welcome call-ins Drive-thru pick-up order

Between Sisters Sassy & Unique Gifts For All Ages

27 S. Main St. Pontotoc, MS

662-489-0096 mudandmag.com

l

23

During this season of joy and hope, we would like to thank you for your loyal patronage in allowing us to serve your ENT healthcare needs.

From our ENT family to yours:

We wish you a very Merry Christmas and a blessed New Year!

State of the art technology with a hometown feel...

We Are...ENT

Amory, Corinth, Tupelo • Toll Free: 877-944-6513

ASK ABOUT OUR GARAGE MODELS! SEVEN styles to choose from: Above Ground:

Outdoors: 5x8 & 6x12 Garage Models: 3x5 & 5x8

Underground:

Garage Models: 3x5 & 4x7 & 5x8

EST. 1977

(662) 369-8311 www.LeeShelters.com

Be sure your family is safe!

24

l

mudandmag.com

- Financing Available -

Meets & Exceeds FEMA Specifications

HOM

E

TL SPO

IG

How-To Home

H T:

FIR

E C A EPL

mudandmag.com

l

25

M

A WARM WELCOME BOONEVILLE, MISSISSIPPI When temperatures drop, the crowd loves a fire to keep warm. The Morgans like theirs to be a focal point in the room and the decorations seal the deal.

MEET THE OWNER: JOYCE MORGAN Did you build your fireplace or buy the home with it already in place?

What’s your favorite thing about that space?

Our house and fireplace was built in 1999. My favorite thing about the fireplace is that it’s the focal point in the room and has a large framed mirror over it reaching the ceiling.

When it isn’t decorated for the holidays, how do you like it to look?

Decorated with seasonal flowers.

26

l

mudandmag.com

Are there any must-haves when decorating the space for the holidays?

All must be red and green, my favorite colors for Christmas.

Do you give your interior designers any direction?

Ron (Reynolds) and Mark (McAlister, of MAC and Co.) need no direction. They are great designers. And I am here when they decorate so they always ask for my approval.

Is there anything you would change about the fireplace now?

I wouldn’t change a thing.

Gas logs or real wood and why?

Gas logs as they are cleaner. Just flip a switch and you have a warm room.

Up Next: In our February issue we want to showcase the best bathroom.

Think you know of one? Let us know at editor@mudandmag.com M

N OTHING RUNS L IKE A D EERE ®®

2298 Hwy. 15 North Pontotoc, MS 38863-9605

True Valuables

155 Hwy. 15 North, Pontotoc

662.489.9947

• Accessories • Apparel • Dolls • Decor

John Deere

662-489-1381 wadeincorporated.com

mudandmag.com

l

27

The Pharmacy is Local Again.

We accept all Medicare Part D plans, most commercial insurances including Tricare for Veterans.

86 South Thomas Street Tupelo, MS (662) 840-0444 Open M-F 8am–6pm & Sat 8am–1pm www.thomasstapothecary.com

136 SOUTH INDUSTRIAL DRIVE • TUPELO 662.687.3383 or 662.790.4598 • M-F 10-6, SAT 10-4 28

l

mudandmag.com

THEBLACKSHEEPBOUTIQUE.NET

A CARTWRIGHT CHRISTMAS The spirit of Christmas really begins to blossom in the Cartwright household in Booneville after a visit from Mark McAlister and Ron Reynolds. “

I

love to entertain, and we do it a lot at Christmas,” said Marcia Cartwright.

The two designers from MAC and Company of Aiken, South Carolina, come in and transform the family’s home inside and out over a two-day period, using treasured collections and

By Lena Mitchell memorabilia as they have for the past six years.

Marcia and her husband Gary Cartwright, who runs the family business, Cartwright Ford, have lots of family members and friends in and out of the house through the holidays.

Both their son and daughter –

Clint Cartwright and Shelley Roper – work in the business as well.

With Shelley and her husband Ryan, and their daughters Lily and Sadie; Clint’s wife Heather, their daughter Ella and a little one on the way in January; and Gary’s parents Eula Mae and Travis Cartwright next door, there are lots of

mudandmag.com

l

29

intergenerational family gatherings with these and other extended family members.

“We’ve created family traditions that start the week before Halloween in October, with a family trip to Disney World, and continue all the way through Christmas,” Marcia said.

Mark and Ron have carte blanche to go through all the stored Christmas items in the household and storage to implement whatever design ideas they have for the year, and Marcia lets them know if she has a particular preferences.

“They put up three trees for us,”

30

l

mudandmag.com

Marcia said. “The one in the kitchen is all fruit, the one in the living room I call my formal tree because it’s a white flocked tree, and the one in the den is the family tree with all our special ornaments.”

The trees are artificial, both because they like to keep them up a long time and also because Gary has allergies.

In addition to the trees, the designers create tablescapes on a dining room buffet, a dining room centerpiece, mantel decorations in the family room, decorations for the stairwell banister and in the upstairs

den.

“I like a touch of Christmas in every room, even if it’s just a poinsettia in a bathroom,” Marcia said.

Outside there are wreaths across the front windows, on the front door, high on the front facade of the house, along the fence, and with various lighting effects to add interest. The family has a group of nutcrackers, including one about 6 feet tall, that are incorporated into designs inside and/or outside, and there’s even a half-tree placed on the wall inside the garage.

“We’ve been working with Marcia and the family so long that they feel as much like extended family as clients,” Mark said. “We’ve gotten to know their tastes and preferences pretty well, and have watched the grandchildren grow up, so everything is very comfortable and familiar.”

Some of the special tree ornaments Marcia likes to incorporate each year include each year’s Disney ornament, a collection of Ford ornaments from Christopher Radko, pewter ornaments Mississippi magazine used to offer each year, touches of Ole Miss, ornaments they’ve collected of

Shelley and Clint’s growing-up years, as well as ones commemorating the grandchildren.

“Every year we take a family trip to Atlanta in November,” Marcia said. “After Gary’s brother passed away some years ago in November we had to find a way to create a new tradition, and one thing the girls love to do is visit Priscilla the Pink Pig at Macy’s in Atlanta. We’ve started adding pink pig ornaments to the tree now.”

Marcia also enjoys displaying her metal reindeers, the Gorham Christmas angels she collected until

the company discontinued creating them and needlepoint Christmas stockings on the mantle, including three for the family pets – Louis Vuitton, the poodle; Mickey, the gray barn cat; and Tom, the black-andwhite long-hair cat.

“For us, Christmas starts Dec. 5, Gary’s birthday, and Lily and Sadie both are in “The Nutcracker” production in Tupelo,” Marcia said.

The lead-up to Christmas includes a trip to Memphis to The Peabody for the Santa brunch. The family attends the Christmas Eve candlelight service at Calvary Baptist

mudandmag.com

l

31

Church in Tupelo, followed by time with extended family in Tupelo watching “Christmas Vacation” and Santa’s visit to the kids.

“On Christmas Day we’ll have breakfast at Shelley’s home with her family and gift opening for Lily and Sadie, and from there to Clint’s house with Ella, then home and lunch with Eula Mae and Travis,” Marcia said.

And in the midst of holiday 32

l

mudandmag.com

celebrations will be the Egg Bowl game, with Cartwright family members firmly in the Ole Miss camp, and Ole Miss’ bowl game.

“I don’t bake a lot of cookies like I used to, but I’m famous for my party mix,” Marcia said. “I cook tons and tons of that and give lots away – making it continuously throughout the season whenever it starts getting low.”

She said bringing out the holiday

decorations and dressing the house inside and out helps to bring the family’s holiday spirit up another level. M

Decor Galore

Mark McAlister (pictured) of MAC & Co. decorates the Cartwright home with his business partner Ron Reynolds. Photos by Lauren Wood.

Our 2016 Tours

• Hot Springs Fling – February 19-21, 2016

• Bellingrath Gardens & The Foley Outlets – March 7-8, 2016 • Myrtle Beach Seaside Escape – April 4-9 , 2016 • Grand Canyon & The American Southwest Adventure – May 5-16, 2016

• Maritime Provinces Fall Foliage Nova Scotia / Prince Edward Island / New Brunswick – Sept. 27-Oct. 9, 2016 • Smoky Mountain Fall Getaway – October 16-19, 2016

• Christmas in the Valley – December 2-4, 2016

• Washington DC – June 5-11, 2016

• A Country Christmas at the Opryland Hotel – December 8-10, 2016

• Mackinac Island & Wisconsin Dells – July 29 - August 6, 2016

• Smoky Mountain New Year – December 29, 2016 - January 1, 2017

662-534-5203 141 West Bankhead St • New Albany • www.barkleytravel.com

What We Do: • We specialize in commercial & residential roofing • Shingle Roofs • Metal Roofs • EPDM Roofs • Modified Bitumen Roofs • We do complete tear offs • Sheet Metal Work • Vinyl Siding Installation • Specializing in re-roofing of commercial metal buildings

IS YOUR

ROOF…

Free Written Estimates

• New Construction • Remodeling • All Types of Roof Work & Repairs

WAGES SHEET METAL & ROOFING Since 1972 Family Owned & Operated Over 40 Years of Experience Licensed & Bonded – All Major Credit Cards Accepted

63 CARNATHAN DRIVE • TUPELO

662-840-5101

Why Choose Us? • Over 80 years combined experience • Licensed, Bonded & Insured • We offer written manufacturer warranty on all new roofs • We also offer a written workmanship warranty on all new roofs • Free Written Estimates • We Accept All Major Credit Cards

200 off

$

ALL NEW

OR REPLACEMENT ROOFS expires 12/30/15

mudandmag.com

l

33

M& M New Albany Shop 10% off purchase up to $50 or more

15% off purchase up to $100 or more

with this coupon

Great Blessing on a prosperous New Year!

We appreciate you!

OPEN MONDAY – SATURDAY 9-5:30

139 West Bankhead New Albany

(662) 534-8188

121 West Bankhead Street • New Albany • 662.538.5984 612 Wick Street • Corinth SOCO District • 662.872.3244

@obsessionsboutique

Obsessions Boutique & Salon

News • Business • Sports Subscribe today!

Total Access including home delivery & newalbanygazette.com

$41 per year 34

l

mudandmag.com

112 West Main St. New Albany, MS 662-534-2002

M

Hit The Road

By JB Clark Illustration by Sarah Barrett The holidays are a time of joy, thankfulness and family. But, with family and holiday travel often comes stress. Luckily, Mississippi is covered in a blanket of bedand-breakfasts that offer a quiet, intimate opportunity to relax and recharge as the holidays come and go. These five destinations are off the beaten path, but not too far out of the way, allowing for a quick getaway without having to go too far. mudandmag.com

l

35

36

l

mudandmag.com

pre-1900s cemeteries tell the region’s history and house some of the area’s musical legends. The nearby Fredonia Church was built in 1848 and is the oldest standing pioneer church in the country.

Must See: Fredonia Church, Main Street, Mississippi Blues Trail Must Eat: Como Steakhouse, Windy City Grill

Como Courtyard Como Owners: Rick and Kay King Distance: 92 Miles Drive Time: 1:30 Kay King moved from Tennessee to Senatobia, Mississippi with her husband to operate their office supplies business.

While looking for a place to live, she fell in love with the nearby town of Como.

“Como is real special in that it is kind of like it has always been,” she said.

“There are very few new homes built — no fast food. It just stays the same, but without ever getting old.”

After moving to the city, King and her husband purchased the Como Courtyard in 2000 and then the Como Steakhouse in 2001.

The Como Courtyard is a townhousestyle bed-and-breakfast situated on North Main Street, near the town’s few restaurants and store fronts. The oneroom townhouse opens up into a lush, private courtyard, enclosed on two sides by brick walls and on the far end by a small guest cottage.

“It’s special to me because of how incredibly beautiful and comfortable it is,” King said. “And it’s totally private. A lot of people like that. There isn’t going to be anyone else around.”

The package deal is suitable for two people or a family. King has families who have standing Christmas and Thanksgiving reservations at the inn.

The city was once home to Hill Country blues legends Otha Turner, Mississippi Fred McDowell, Napolian Strickland and Jessie Mae Hemphill, as well as Johnny Cash’s iconic guitarist Luther Perkins. It was also home to many wealthy cotton and cattle farmers in its early days. It now plays host to music and food tourists stopping by to pay homage to the blues greats or eat at the renowned Como Steakhouse.

On the outskirts of town, beautiful

Front Beach Cottages Ocean Springs Owners: Cathy and Jason Mackenzie Distance: 310 Miles Drive Time: 4:45 What began as a way for Cathy Mackenzie to send her children to Ocean Springs public schools while rebuilding in the wake of Hurricane Katrina, ultimately became a way for her to share her gulf coast passion with the world.

Mackenzie purchased the property that houses several old fishing cottages in 2009 as a way to maintain an Ocean Springs address. She renovated the old cottages and opened Front Beach Cottages in 2011.

Mackenzie is an attorney in the gaming industry and has always been intrigued by the Gulf Coast’s hospitality industry, saying the cottages allow her to experience it as a rental property owner as well as behind the scenes as an attorney.

Each of the cottages is stand-alone with a full kitchen or kitchenette, offering some privacy, but Mackenzie said there are also plenty of opportunities for socializing on the property.

The property sits between Ocean Springs’ beautiful Front Beach and the city’s vibrant downtown, each walking distance on either side.

“The beach is really cool because the city has invested a ton in redeveloping

it,” Mackenzie said of Front Beach.

“There is a performance venue, bonfire pits, a kids park, fishing piers, a splash pad and a cool, wide sidewalk that goes all the way down the beach. It’s also one of the few places left you can take your dog — as long as you clean up after them and keep them on a leash. And you don’t have to pay — that’s unique.”

If the beach isn’t reason enough to warrant a visit, Mackenzie said the growing downtown has some of the best coastal and farm-to-table food around, festivals year round and is home to the Walter Anderson Museum.

“I’m always surprised to see how people find Ocean Springs,” she said. “I grew up in Miami and had never even heard of the Mississippi Gulf Coast and then last week I had guests from Belgium and Switzerland.”

Mackenzie lives on site with her husband and two daughters.

Must See: Front Beach, Walter Anderson Museum, Shearwater Pottery Must Eat: Phoenicia, Vestige

Baer House Vicksburg Owners: Corey and Patricia Rickrode Distance: 210 Miles Drive Time: 3:43 A desire to live and work in a bed-andbreakfast brought Corey and Patricia Rickrode to Mississippi from Northern California this past July, but it was their love for history, specifically Vicksburg’s rich Civil War history, that led the couple to purchase the Baer House.

Shortly after the Civil War, Leona Blume left her family in Louisiana, fleeing an arranged marriage, and used her dowry money to buy a Greek Revival home badly damaged in the war. She redesigned the home in the Eastlake architecture style before marrying

mudandmag.com

l

37

Lazrus Baer, a local Jewish Vicksburg merchant.

The home, which sits blocks from the Mississippi River downtown, was one of the first to have an attached kitchen and outhouse.

“Leona was a strong-willed woman who got what she wanted, and that’s what makes her such a unique character,” said Patricia Rickrode. “An attached kitchen was unheard of at the time, and the rumor is she burned her old cook house to the ground so she could get a kitchen built onto her house. And she had to have her outhouse attached. We have a two-story, four-hole outhouse attached to the main house. Of course, we don’t use it.”

Leona Baer’s story is a big part of a visit to the bed-and-breakfast. The Rickrodes host a social hour each evening between 5 and 6 p.m., where guests have wine and refreshments while the Rickrodes entertain with stories of how the house evolved under Baer’s eye and the following owners.

The house is within walking distance of many museums, including the Vicksburg National Military Park.

“More than one million people visit the park every year,” Rickrode said.

“When our guests go there, it makes us feel like we’re keeping history alive.

And on top of that, the courthouse and museums are just blocks away. There is a lot to see and do if you appreciate history.”

Must See: Vicksburg National Military Park, Biedenharn Coca-Cola Museum Must Eat: Rusty’s Riverfront Grill, Walnut Hills Restaurant

The Century House Meridian Owners: Don and Mamie Nobles Distance: 144 miles Drive Time: 2:17 38

l

mudandmag.com

The Century House Bed-andBreakfast is one of the few vestiges of 1902 left in downtown Meridian. The Nobleses bought the house 13 years ago, in an effort to save the piece of architecture, and have been operating the bed-and-breakfast from the home’s third-floor apartment ever since.

“We’ve always really loved old houses, and this one stands out as one of the fewer old homes left in the downtown area,” said Mamie Nobles. “So we bought it as a way to save the house and run a bed-and-breakfast.”

The house was built in an era when Meridian was a booming railroad town and features Greek Revival columns, heart of pine siding, 12-foot ceilings, pocket doors and antique furniture.

Nobles said the house is beautiful, but the guests who occupy it are its best feature.

Located in the heart of downtown, the Century House is in walking distance of the Grand Opera House and the state’s oldest restaurant, Weidmann’s.

Must See: Riley Center (Grand Opera House), Jimmy Rodgers Museum Must Eat: Weidmann’s

Oak Hill Inn Natchez Owners: Doug Mauro and Donald McGlynn Distance: 285 Miles Drive Time: 4:47 The Oak Hill Inn has received Trip Advisor’s Certificate of Excellence five years in a row and was named the best bed-and-breakfast in America on the same site in 2014.

The owners, New Jersey natives Doug Mauro and Donald McGlynn, spent two years restoring the home before opening in 2005. Jacob Beyer built the 5,700 square foot home in 1835 and it was added to the National Historic Register in 1979.

Each morning, guests are treated to one of 12 rotating breakfasts prepared by McGlynn, who worked at the world-

renowned Brennan’s where he learned to cook elaborate breakfasts while attending school at Tulane.

“We do 12 different breakfasts, so if you stay a week, you won’t have to have the same thing twice,” said Mauro.

“There is always a savory dish and a sweet dish with fresh local fruit, fresh squeezed orange juice and brioche, biscuits or croissants. And our neighbors raise chickens, so the eggs are fresh.”

Breakfast is served each morning on 1830s porcelain in the home’s original dining room, which features the same French Zuber wallpaper found in the White House, as well as a Waterford crystal gasolier.

The home’s beautiful gardens help hide the fact that it is located in the center of downtown Natchez, just four blocks from the Mississippi River.

If breakfast isn’t enough reason to visit Natchez, it is also home to more than 600 antebellum homes, 12 of which are museum mansions.

“They’re magnificent,” Mauro said.

“Between 1835 and the Civil War, we had 180 millionaires living in Natchez and these houses reflect it. These aren’t plantation houses; they’re townhouses where the wealthy lived and entertained.”

Mauro said touring the graves of the same millionaires can be just as fun as their homes.

“I tell people these millionaires entertained each other in life and in death,” he said of the Italian sculptures and marble angels that adorn the city’s cemetery. “And next to the elaborate graves is a live oak tree that I’ve been told predates Columbus.”

Between the wonderful restaurants, historic homes, old churches and basilica, Mississippi River and antebellum history, Mauro said a visitor can stay for a week and still not see everything.

Must See: Natchez Bluff, Mississippi River and Mississippi River Bridge, Longwood mansion Must Eat: Cotton Alley Cafe M

We are excited to announce a new addition to our menu

Digestive Health Specialists Proudly Supports The “GET SCREENED” Campaign

Creative Cakes Cheesecakes

We now offer delicious fresh-baked cheesecakes in several flavors including traditional, strawberry, blueberry, turtle, oreo, & more!

$5 OFF ANY CHEESECAKE must mention this ad

1422 East Main St. Tupelo, MS • 662-844-3080

Offer valid through December 23rd, 2015

Help Raise Awareness of Colon Cancer Screening

By Ordering Your Tag For An Additional $31.

All proceeds from the sale of this tag goes to Mississippi's 70x2020 Initiative to prevent colon cancer.

To pre-order, please go to

F

A

M

creativecakestupelo@yahoo.com

I

L

Y

From The Residents & Staff!

“OUR FAMILY ROOTS RUN DEEP”

www.dhsgi.net Assisted Living 589 Garfield Street, Suite 201 • Tupelo, MS • (662) 680-5565 300 Hospital Road • Starkville, MS • (662) 324-7484

mudandmag.com l 39 2429 LAWNDALE DRIVE • TUPELO, MS • 840-6163

Tupelo Small Animal Hospital “We treat them like they’re our own.�

2096 S. Thomas St. • Tupelo • 662-840-0210 Stephen K. King, D.V.M.; Glenn S. Thomas, D.V.M. Ryan M. Black, D.V.M.

CAMP TUPELO BOARDING

Wm. Hughes Milam, M.D., F.A.C.S. Jonathan R. Kalish, M.D., F.A.C.S. C. Stephen Farmer II, M.D., F.A.C.S. J. Timothy Posey, M.D., F.A.C.S. Paul B. Farabaugh, M.D., F.A.C.S. Kristopher W. Whitehead, M.D.

Roasted Fresh Roasted Local Kay Pittman 662-491-0936

Let Us Supply Your

40

l

www.mybrotherscup.com

mudandmag.com

SERVING NORTHEAST MISSISSIPPI FOR OVER 50 YEARS 830 S. Gloster St. East Tower - 4th Floor Tupelo, MS 38801 Phone. 662.377.7100 • urologyms.com

Q & A

RASHNI BARATH

From South Africa to Tupelo, from a pharmacy to a bank, this woman runs her world.

mudandmag.com

l

41

How long have you lived here?

Me, my husband Navin and my daughter moved back to Tupelo about 10 years ago.

What is your all-time favorite movie?

Up Close and Personal with Robert Redford and Michele Pfeiffer What is the last book you read?

I actually have recently discovered Greg Iles and really have enjoyed his Penn Cage series, but the last book I read was Born to Run by Christopher McDougall What’s your guilty pleasure (food)?

Definitely hot crispy French fries What is your New Year’s resolution?

To get more sleep, which will be a challenge for sure!

What advice would you give to your 23-year-old self ?

I remember wanting to always fit in and

trying to please others. I would say to myself: stay true to yourself and have confidence in yourself!

What brought you to your current profession?

Once my daughter Binita started to drive, I needed to stay more productive and busy so I took a part-time position at Trustmark. It has grown into a fulltime position over the past 8 years and I love being part of this team!

What do you do to relieve stress?

I love to workout, especially going out for a run. I am blessed with great running buddies who I can share great fellowship with while we run. There is nothing better than getting a good run in before your day begins. It helps tremendously with your frame of mind!

What is your favorite holiday tradition ?

I love that the holidays make most of us feel happy and it serves as a reminder to be thankful for all the blessings we

have daily! I love getting to have time together with my family and friends. To me, that is what is most important in life, cherishing every moment that you have with your loved ones since there is no guarantee of tomorrow!

What has been the most rewarding part of training for the St.Jude marathon?

To me knowing that those families and children have to endure so many obstacles with their illness. I feel so blessed to help in a small way. I am so thankful that I am blessed with a healthy child and I can get up everyday to go for a run. Many people are unable to do that. So the most rewarding thing is that I can give back because I have so much to be thankful for!

What is the most played song on your iTunes?

I usually listen to traditional music especially when I workout, so at this moment, it is a Hindi song called London Thumakda. M

What’s your favorite thing about the South?

I have to admit I love the respect that most people demonstrate for each other, but my favorite thing is the warmth and hospitality that I have experienced since we have moved here.

42

l

mudandmag.com

TUPELO PLASTIC SURGERY CLINIC ROBERT C. BUCKLEY MD (662) 377-6630

• Liverpool Jeans • Multiples/Slimsation Pants • Vintage Clothing • UMGEE • Urban MANGOZ • Corkys

20% OFF One Item

Ladies Regular and Plus Size Clothing

Complimentary Giftwrapping Layaway | Gift Certificates Available

Botox Juvederm Micradermabrasion Skin Care

Chemical Peels Latisse Breast Augmentation Breast Reduction

Abdominoplasty Liposuction Facelift

Financing Available With Care Credit www.tupelocosmeticsurgery.com Longtown Medical Park, Ste 101, 4381 South Eason Blvd., Tupelo, MS 38801

216 West Main St. | Okolona, MS 38860 | 662-276-3031 Hours: Tuesday - Fri. 10-5:30; Sat 10-2

We have bulk candy including Jelly Belly and Colorworks M&M's, ice cream, Sugaree's Bakery products, and a great party room in both locations for events!

OXFORD 400 South Lamar Suite C Oxford, MS 38655 662-236-7505 hollissweettooth@gmail.com

STARKVILLE 106 South Lafayette St Starkville, MS 39759 662-617-8108 hststarkville@gmail.com

Hours of operation are Monday-Saturday 10:00 am - 9:00 pm

©JPC2015

mudandmag.com

l

43

Mention this coupon

20% OFF first hour rental expires 1/31/16

TUPELO, MS

709 WEST MAIN • 844.9444

44

l

RIPLEY, MS

mudandmag.com

101 HOSPITAL STREET • 837.4215

THE ASPEN BAY WAY Some artists are born artists, and some artists are created over time. For the duo at Aspen Bay’s flagship retail store in Starkville, it was a series of experiences and opportunities that cultivated their creative eyes, and made them into accidental design mavens.

F

or Claire Johnston, visual coordinator, it was two relevant internships that solidified her love — and talent — for merchandising. The first at Anthropologie in Memphis and the second at DPM Fragrance, Aspen Bay’s parent company, located in Starkville. At the time, she was studying marketing and fashion merchandising at Mississippi State University, hoping she could find a practical way to channel her creativity into a career.

Store manager Anne Ward had a very different experience. She planned to be an educator, but when a friend suggested

By Carmen Cristo she apply for a sales associate position at Aspen Bay, she found a company she wanted to build a career with.

“I grew up in Little Rock, Arkansas, and came here for school. I studied education, so my experience isn’t very formal. I never thought of fashion or design as a practical career path, but I was very interested in it,” Anne said.

In May 2014, when both Claire and Anne were planning to graduate, the store manager position came open, and the visual coordinator position was created.

“I said, ‘You know what? I’m just going to go for it,’” Anne said. “I was getting out of school, and I wanted to continue

with the company. I really loved DPM, so anything here would have been awesome.”

Claire and Anne were hired within weeks of one another. Since visual merchandising was the responsibility of the store manager before Claire’s position was created, the two would be required to work very closely. No one could have guessed how compatible the duo would be.

Technically, Claire is responsible for displays inside the store (including its famed windows), showrooms and product merchandising, while Anne handles the day-to-day of the store, buying and managing employees. Most

mudandmag.com

l

45

tasks they tackle together, or at least they collaborate.

Even as adults and professionals, both Anne and Claire still recall experiences from their childhoods that inspire them as they envision and create. Claire, a native of Byhalia, Mississippi, learned how to sew in high school, following in the footsteps of her grandmother, who was an avid quilter. She also made hair accessories and sold them on Etsy.

“I had always enjoyed the hobby side — making jewelry and clothes. And then, I had my internship at Anthropologie, and it was like arts and crafts on steroids,” said Claire.

Anne was inspired from a young age by her aunt, who is an artist, and her

46

l

mudandmag.com

stylish mother. She also volunteered at a historic site in Arkansas by making her own period dresses with a friend, and sporting them at community events.

“What we both share is a passion for finding things, like antiques, and drawing inspiration from flea markets and estate sales,” said Anne. “Estate sales are one of the things that my mother and I love to do together. When I was growing up, she always had such a great eye for design, style and fashion. We are always studying Vogue and discussing what’s trending and what’s coming back.”

How they stay inspired? Traveling.

When the team visits cities for market, they make it a point to find local shops with unique finds and ideas — little

pieces they can bring back to Starkville, assemble and create a concept.

Sometimes, in their adventures, they stumble upon an Aspen Bay candle, a little piece of Starkville out in the world, inspiring other makers.

“We even get merchandising tips from stores that carry our candles. Sometimes, it’s nice to get a fresh perspective. We are always on the lookout,” said Anne.

“It’s part of who we are.”

They also spend a vast amount of time on social media, staying in the loop on current trends and following a rabbit hole of aesthetically stimulating tagged accounts. Both Claire and Anne suggest creating mood boards on Pinterest for keeping design ideas for projects in one

place.

The Aspen Bay dream team shared with us their top tips for creating a living space that is beautiful and unique, but still practical.

The first tip, understandably, is incorporating candles, especially candles that come in gorgeous containers like Aspen Bay’s.

“They become a focal point of your room. Lighting my candles when I get home is part of my afternoon routine,” said Anne. We always use mercury glass when displaying our candles, but we like to change up the filler with the season.

For summer, we did sand. For fall, we are using dried corn.”

Claire and Anne also love gallery

walls. According to Claire, a home isn’t finished until you have things hanging on the walls.

“We like to mix up not just framed artwork and pictures, but wreaths, mirrors and sconces, too” said Anne.

To liven up a home, they recommend living plants. Claire’s home alone boasts a collection of approximately 20 potted plants. A couple of their favorites are Fiddly Fig Trees and Split Leaf Philodendrons.

Personal items are another must for Claire and Anne.

“Instead of redoing an entire room in a weekend, for us it’s more about creating a collection,” said Anne. We are always acquiring things. We each have a

lot of passed down items. We like having items that have a story, that we have a connection to.”

For Anne, some of those items include pieces of art from her aunt. Claire was excited to inherit her grandmother’s dining table, and reunite it with the tablecloths that covered it when she was a child.

One of their favorite storied finds is an oriental rug they found while cleaning out a warehouse for the tent sale that is now a staple in Anne’s house.

If you’re feeling stuck, they suggest you call a friend for a fresh perspective.

According to Anne and Claire, the key is finding someone who isn’t attached to your belongings to help you decide

mudandmag.com

l

47

where things should go. It also helps if their style is different from yours, too, so that you can create variety.

“When I moved, it was a new place and I wanted a fresh look. I didn’t put anything on my walls. I waited. That’s when you get an artsy friend to come over and look at it and arrange it so that you aren’t always putting the same things together,” said Anne. “We laid everything in the floor and began by creating a gallery wall with similar frames. We grouped things together from there.”

Their last tip: Pick a color story.

Basically, you create a monochromatic 48

l

mudandmag.com

area by grouping everything together of a similar color. Since it’s trending, they suggest displaying copper pieces together.

The final takeaway is that designing a space you love is a process, and often a slow one.

“Be patient. Wait to find stuff. You will find it, and when you do, you will have a cool story. Continuously be looking,” Claire said. “Don’t worry too much about being super trendy. It’s your house; you will probably have it a lot longer than a shirt.”

The process might not ever be

complete, and that’s OK. That leaves you room to grow and change and develop your own style. A truly beautiful space is one that tells your story from where you are. M

Dream Team

First page: Claire Johnston (left) and Anne Ward create the Aspen Bay look at the retail store in Starkville, Mississippi. Photos

by Lauren Wood

Agape Senior Living Are you tired of…

...fees rising?

Comprehensive Women’s Healthcare

...being nickle & dimed with small charges?

...Uncertainty?

Routine Ob/Gyn care • High Risk Obstetrics • Infertility Treatment 3D and 4D Ultrasound • Laparoscopy and Hysteroscopy Surgery Laser/Cryosurgery • Robot Assisted Surgery (including Single-Site) Mammograms • Gardasil • Urogynecology C. K. White, M.D. Johnny F. Miles, M.D. Mark A. Ray, M. D. Kristen Y. Turner, M.D.

Cassie B. Hill, M.D. J. Bennett McGehee, M.D. Brandi S. McGehee, M.D. Miguel A. Luna, M.D.

1041 South Madison St. • Tupelo, MS 38801

662-844-8754 / FAX (662) 844-1973

Our Rates Are All Inclusive!

Even Basic Cable TV!

Facilities Under Management: Countrywood Manor Assisted Living, Mantachie, MS Lakeview Place, Mantachie, MS (Licensed Alzheimer’s & Dementia Care Facility)

Oaktree Manor Assisted Living, Amory, MS Church Street Manor Assisted Living, Ecru, MS For more information or inquiries, call 662-322-4636 or email us info@agapesl.com

mudandmag.com

l

49

M& M Guide Buyer’s Tri County Auto Repair

Christmas Sale December 17th

Family Owned & Operate Japanese & Domestic •Complete Automotive Repair •Air Conditioning •Brake Service •Tire Repair Service •Computer Diagnostics •New/Used Tires

Nick Hazel & John B. Hazel

157 Hwy 178 • Tupelo 662-841-2204 (south of Sherman city limits)

Christmas Sale

100 N. Cummings St. | Fulton, MS

December 17th

M - F: 10 am - 6 pm | Sat.: 11 am - 5 pm | 662.397.3486

shop us online anytime at jwestfulton.com

LAVASTONE INDUSTRIES Stone Sales and Installation

Women’s Shoes & Clothes Children’s Shoes

for Homes, Chimneys, Columns & Fireplaces

S ’ Y G G E P ES SHO

FREE

Grill Kit & Gloves with purchase!

Fireplaces • Stoves Gas Logs 4115 West Main St • Tupelo (662) 844-5178

50

l

mudandmag.com

Unique Clothes & Toys ... For Little Girls & Boys!

115 N Thomas. Suite G • Tupelo • 841-0616 Mon - Fri 10am-5pm • Sat 10am-2pm

1030 WEST MAIN STREET | TUPELO 662.844.1041 | M-Sat 10AM-4PM

M&M Buyer’s Guide Everything for your antiques and repurposing 662-869-7115 703 Pulltight Rd. S altillo, MS

Sale

$495

Sale

395

$

Red Door Antiques

We also have

Linda Hale 1447 Coley Rd., Tupelo, MS 662.321.3070 Thurs. - Sat. 11-5 • Mon. - Wed. Chance or Appt. reddoorantique@comcast.net www.reddoorantiquestupelo.com

Oreck Magnesium® RS

BAGGED

ultra-lightweight cleaning power

ONLY

499 99

$

plumbing supplies

Like Us On

COMFORT ENGINEERING RESIDENTIAL • COMMERCIAL • INDUSTRIAL HEATING • AIR CONDITIONING • VENTILATION

YOUR HOMETOWN CARRIER DEALER SINCE 1936

MSRP: $599.99

SAVE

100

$

At 7.7 lbs., It’s the lightest, full-powered, upright vacuum cleaner with swivel-steering in America.

SlimSwivel™ design gets around and under furniture obstacles.

Limited 7-year Warranty, plus 5-year Extended Life Care Warranty

SALES • SERVICE • INSTALLATION 824 NORTH GLOSTER • TUPELO, MS

4340 Mall Drive • Tupelo • 662-840-0006

DB’s

“Specializing In Meeting Your Needs”

Wireless Two-Speed QuickSwitch® on the handle.

662-842-1602

Floral Designs N’ More

Pottery • Candles • Willow Tree Angels Floral Designs • Tapestries • And Much Much More!

388-A Mobile St • Saltillo • 869-3620

mudandmag.com

l

51

M& M Guide Buyer’s FABRIC

WAREHOUSE Designer Drapery Upholstery Fabric Indoor/Outdoor Different Styles Pillows Home Decor Purses & More!

Relax & Unwind Manicure & Pedicure

40% off

40

$

ONLY ....

Expires 12/31/15

Includes: Warm Towel & Hot Rocks Shellac and Gel Colors Gift Certificates Available!

EXPIRES 12/31/15

Expires 1/31/16 MUST PRESENT COUPON

662-842-4041 2305 W.Main St #D, Tupelo

a Mississippi-made gift October. November 2013

Take it Outside

from homes to marathons to food

$3.99

mudandmag.com

DON’T WEIGHT...

START NOW! DON T WEIGHT...

START NOW!

Lipotropic Injection Now Available

Pops of Color mudandmag.com

(Behind Bancorpsouth Arena)

Adipex P® Phentermine

&Magnolias

Mud

Downtown Corinth • Kermit’s Outlaw Kitchen • The Perfect Camp

$3.99

219 E. FRANKLIN ST. • TUPELO

840-0900

visit us on the web: www.phifabrics.com

&Magnolias

(color, perm, etc.)

Chemical Service with Abby & Monie

Hours: Mon - Wed 8:30am - 5pm • Thurs & Fri 8:30am - 5:30 pm *Open First Saturday of Each Month: 9am - 3pm

April. May 2013

5

$ 00 OFF

ANY ONE DECOR ITEM

2020 South Gloster, Tupelo • (662) 407-0026

Mud

Head Over Heels Salon

Kermit’s Outlaw Kitchen • The Perfect Camp

Downtown Corinth • Earth Grace Jewelry mudandmag.com

l

1

mudandmag.com

l

1

October.

October. November November 2014 2013

&Magnolias

Mud

$25

Initial Visit Only

Habla Espanol $3.99

mudandmag.com

Coffee Hot Spots

Little Five Points • The Biscuit Shop Bessie Johnson • Properly Tied mudandmag.com

l

1

1 year: $20 // 2 years: $30 mudandmag.com/subscribe 52

l

mudandmag.com

5715 E. SHELBY DRIVE • MEMPHIS, TN Between Hickory Hill & Kirby Parkway

(901) 362-7546 mediplandiet.com

a t n Sa Journal is coming to the

• TO PICK UP YOUR LETTERS • Letters to Santa publishes December 21, 2015

• Come to the Journal and meet Santa! • Monday and Tuesday, December 7 & 8: 4-6 pm Wednesday, December 9: 3-5 pm

Open to the public 1242 South Green St. mudandmag.com 53 l 38804 Apple cider, snacks & coloring books Tupelo, MS Free, downloadable photos 662-842-2611

Christmas Specials 2015 santa baby One hour hot stone massage, European facial, Manhattan spa pedicure, Manhattan spa manicure, and Make-up application. $282 JOY TO THE WORLD One hour massage, European facial, Manhattan spa pedicure, Manhattan spa manicure, Make-up application. $253 THE PERFECT GIFT One hour massage, European facial, Manhattan spa pedicure, Manhattan spa manicure. $226 CHRISTMAS BLISS One hour massage OR European facial, Manhattan spa pedicure, Manhattan spa manicure. $157

PEACE ON EARTH One hour massage, Traditional manicure, Traditional pedicure. $137 JUST FOR HIM JINGLE BELLS One hour massage OR facial, Sports pedicure, Sports manicure. $127

Give the gift of Pampering & Relaxation with a Belle Ame Gift Certificate.

Call Ahead and We Will Have Your Gift Certificate Wrapped & Ready to Go.

3265 McCullough Boulevard | Tupelo, MS | 840.5555 WINNER

54

l

mudandmag.com

BelleAmeSalonAndSpa.com

Must-Have Accessories

Reed’s: clutch $26, Sorrel boots $120, Daniel Wellington watch $199, Frye bag $598, Hershel travel bag $24.99 // Southern Roots: clutch $34 // Bailey Diane Boutique: fringe purse $48, lace up booties $34

mudandmag.com

l

55

Shop Baldwyn

C ity o f Baldwyn Sun

Dec BALDWYN

day ,

e mb e r 1 3T H 1 PM - 5PM

114 West Main Street Baldwyn, MS 662-365-ROOF

www.baldwynliving.com

S OF

E TH

BOY

HISTORIC DISTRICT

TIN ROOF

36th Annual

festival

l

dw

Handcrafted Wood Furniture & Accessories thewoodworkings@gmail.com 111 East Main Street Baldwyn, MS 38824 facebook.com/thewoodworkings 662.255.3421 | www.woodworkingsfurniture.com

56

l

mudandmag.com

662.401.4767

OU

yn,

TIQU

E

i

20 Ba

cReaT ivE + prIntB

ta b l i s h e d

12

Es

pp

LocAl

M i ss i s

si

Shop Baldwyn

Unique Items for Your Home Shelia Hall & Anita Sandlin Sisters & Founders

662.365.2120 & 662.365.2121

103 B East Main St. Baldwyn, MS

crossroadspottery.com FOOD • MICROWAVE DISHWASHER • OVEN SAFE

103 S. 2nd St. Baldwyn, MS (662) 365-7331

Wheel-Thrown & Hand-Built Stoneware

BOUTIQUE 101 WEST MAIN ST 662.365.5200

mudandmag.com

l

57

Shop Baldwyn

107 EAST MAIN STREET Baldwyn, Mississippi Now Booking!

662.401.2051 | 662.790.4914

Facebook.com/Blue-August

LIVE MUSIC • LUNCH DAILY Open weekdays! 11am-2pm WWW.FACEBOOK.COM/LULALEESCOFFEE 101 EAST MAIN • BALDWYN, MS

58

l

mudandmag.com

Shop Baldwyn NOW SERVING LASAGNA EVERYDAY! Lasagna

Fish • Ribeyes • Grilled Chicken and Pork Chops Frog Legs Shrimp • Oysters

Agnew’s Restaurant

Hometown Pizza Dine with us while Christmas shopping!

Mini Pizza

Pizza

Chicken Alfredo Smokestack

709 South 4th St. • Baldwyn, MS

365-7059

pizzafactoryms.com

Reserve your Christmas party now!

Hours: Mon-Sat 6 am to 1 pm Thurs, Fri & Sat 4:30 pm to 9 pm Breakfast served Monday-Saturday 6am to 10 am Plate Lunch served Mon-Fri 11 am to 1 pm 2154 Hwy 370, Baldwyn, MS • (662) 365-5571

Smoked Ribs • Hamburger Steaks • Salad Bar Appetizers Homemade Desserts

1159 North Frontage Road Baldwyn, MS 662.365.2822

662.365.8087

294 Prentiss Street • Baldwyn, MS Mon.-Fri. 10 am - 6:30 pm Sat. 10 am - 4 pm Women’s Apparel • Jewelry

662.365.9876

290 W. Prentiss Street • Baldwyn, MS Mon.-Fri. 8:30 am - 6 pm Sat. 10 am - 4 pm Tanning • Ronaldo Jewelry • Accessories

mudandmag.com

l

59

60

l

mudandmag.com

into the woods

Photos by Ann-Marie Wyatt of Taylor Square Photography True Blue in Pontotoc: tunic and skinny jeans, prices upon request

Reed’s in Tupelo: Kuhl 1/4 zip pullover $79, Kuhl pants $79, Properly Tied button down $74.50, Tommy Hilfiger scarf, price upon request // BB Dakota coat, Trina Turk top, prices upon request

Cozy Christmas photography by Ann-Marie Wyatt of Taylor Square Photography hair and makeup by Belle Ame Salon in Tupelo

Opposite Page: Southern Roots in Tupelo: Piko sweater $28, blanket scarf $24 // Hoochies in Corinth: sweater $26, head scarf $10, pearl necklace $12, bracelet $8

64

l

mudandmag.com

Opposite Page: Milly’s Boutique in Mantachie: plaid tunic $38, beanie, price request // Bailey Diane Jupon West in Fulton: blouse in Tupelo: vest $25.95; with faux fur $29.95, lace vest men’s collarshirt $60,$89.95 cream swing tee $22, plaid necklace $28 mudandmag.com

l

65

66

l

mudandmag.com

Divine Culture in Tupelo: gray sherpa vest $45, black tunic $34.95, dark flare jeans $59.95, black fur-lined gloves $20, small gold in arrowhead necklace $35, Owl Bee Mantachie: gray and gold agate sweater $26 and jeans $28necklace by Sherrod Sisters $60, black felt hat with snakeskin band $28

HISTORIC DOWNTOWN TUPELO 842-6453 | MALL AT BARNES CROSSING 842-5287 |

WWW.REEDSMS.COM

OKOLONA Becker’s Portable Buildings 483 CR 149 Okolona, MS 38860 (662) 447-3779 WEST POINT Jantz Enterprises 1148 HWY 45 Alternate S West Point, MS 39773 (662) 492-4199 FULTON Walton’s Greenhouse 202 James St Fulton, MS 38843 (662) 862-3399 OXFORD Garden Gin 492 Hwy 6 w Oxford, MS 38655 (662) 701-8156 ACKERMAN Frankie’s Pawnshop 9206 MS Highway 15 Ackerman, MS 39735 (662) 285-6006

NEW ALBANY Greer & Greer Equipment 205 S Central New Albany, MS 38652 (662) 534-8640 (662) 538-2868 SALTILLO Pace Auto Sales 1448 Hwy 45 N Saltillo, MS 38866 (662) 869-5235 (662) 401-1314

Need pace Extra S tmas is For Chr s?

Present

S! CALL U

BATESVILLE TUPELO Garden Gin of Walton’s Greenhouse Batesville 3725 Cliff Gookin Blvd 452 Hwy 51 N Tupelo, MS 38801 Batesville, MS (662) 840-8880 38606 PONTOTOC (662) 701-8156 Rogers Furniture AMORY 7540 Veterans Highway W Walton’s Greenhouse BRUCE Pontotoc, MS 38863 1234 Hwy 278 E Snelling (662) 489-1176 Amory, MS 38821 Service Station (662) 231-7616 129 Hwy 32 East GRENADA Bruce, MS Dixie Auto Company CORINTH 38915 22505 Hwy 8 E Southern Carports (662) 983-4492 Grenada, MS 38901 915 Hwy 72 W (662) 226-8155 Corinth, MS 38834 RIPLEY Mike’s Sales & Pawn 10050 Hwy 15 S Ripley, MS 38663 (662) 832-1001

Starting at $64.58

a month!

(888) 982-6837

mudandmag.com

l

67

Joe C. Kea, O.D. Primary Eye Care

3437 Tupelo Commons • Tupelo, MS • 842-2000 (Behind Buffalo Wild Wings)

Appointments Preferred • Walk-Ins Welcome

Monday - Friday 8:30 am - 5:30 pm

68

l

mudandmag.com

©JPC2015

1004 Commonwealth Blvd. | Tupelo, MS | 662.205.4683 Open Tuesday - Friday | Saturday by appointment

M A S S E Y FA M I LY A R T The Shows family started making wooden art blocks for friends and family, never realizing how far the hobby would eventually reach.

By Natalie Richardson

mudandmag.com

l

69

You may have seen The Massey Place art in gift shops and boutiques across the South. They are the simple but popular art pieces made from painted and sanded wooden blocks with Scripture verses, phrases or hymns printed on front.

But behind the trendy, decorative Scripture blocks is a story that reaches beyond the Mid-South all the way to Kenya and China.

Dale Shows, a proprietor of The Massey Place, pauses and tears up as he tells the story. In 2013, Shows was in Kenya helping with the opening of a new school to train Christian pastors.

The African students had come from across the region to learn about Christian ministry and the Word of God from the men who had traveled from abroad to teach them. Yet, in an unexpected request, the pastor who had started the school asked the teachers to wash their students’ feet.

“I just didn’t see it coming,” Shows said.

The trip’s purpose, of course, had been to minister to and serve the new school and students. But the recreation of the Biblical story of Jesus washing the feet of his own disciples left a powerful impact on Shows.

“They’re the heroes,” he said, speaking of the students who had eagerly come to learn more about the Word of God. “That’s why we do this (The Massey Place). This is an extension, a vision of something bigger than ourselves.”

The Showses had always been involved in some sort of Christian ministry. Dale had graduated from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth, Texas, as a counselor. He and his wife, Tori, held couples’ retreats. And throughout the years they had ministered to many individuals by giving counseling, offering jobs and even their home to those in need.

When the Scripture blocks grew from just a hobby to something that was sold in stores, their business naturally became an extension of their family’s ministry. After Shows’ trip to Kenya, though, he and Tori felt called to set their business up so as to financially support the “heroes” Dale had met in Africa.

70

l

mudandmag.com

“We use it to ‘wash the feet’ of those who are doing hard things to spread the Word of God,” Shows said.

So in August 2014, The Massey Place began in earnest. While they did not actively seek out new accounts, they have grown from just about 15 stores to 45 or 50. This year alone, they will fulfill orders for 10,000 to 15,000 pieces, a number they’ve never come close to doing before, Tori Shows said.

And the business is set up so half of their profit is given directly to the missionary who started the pastor’s school in Kenya and a couple who left everything they had to move to and

minister in China.

While Kenya gave the inspiration for the business’ vision, the missionary couple in China inspired the business’ name and quite literally, gave it a home.

When the Showses were still hosting couples’ retreats, they grew to know Jesse and Sue Massey, the couple who eventually moved to China and left behind their farmhouse and 12 acres. The Masseys and Showses had remained close friends and had been supportive of each other’s ministries.

In 2013, the Masseys, now settled in China, gave their home and property to the Showses.

The business was renamed “The Massey Place” to symbolize all the help the Showses have received from God’s people throughout the years.

Now the family of eight lives in the farmhouse. Tori homeschools the children and designs the text for their Scripture blocks, styling phrases like “Grateful” and “Pray” or Bible verses like Colossians 3:2 which says, “Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.” Dale puts it all together in a barn in the backyard.

Every now and then, the children step in to help fill orders.

In future years, they might have to step in more and more. Business mudandmag.com

l

71

is going well, as they just opened a website for e-commerce at www.mkt. com/massey-place. They also plan to expand their line from their current three sizes to perhaps include candle holders, frames and crosses. The business side of things has always taken a back seat to their broader mission, though.

“We don’t have a five-or ten-year plan,” Dale said with a laugh. “We’re about as ‘mom and pop’ as you can

72

l

mudandmag.com

get.”

But as long as they are able to bless people with Scripture in their homes and support missions abroad, they know they are fulfilling their vision.

Local stores carrying Massey Place art: • About the South, Tupelo • The Green Door, Corinth • The Perfect Monogram, Booneville

•Susan’s Flowers and Gifts, Baldwyn • Ultimate Gifts, Southaven • The Square Cupboard, Hernando • Turkoyz, Oxford, Jackson, Harrisburg, Memphis • Mississippi Gift Co, Greenwood • The Mustard Seed, Oxford. M

Photos by Lauren Wood

mudandmag.com

l

73

M& M Amory Shop

Schrock’s

Auto & Tire Service Over 30 years experience in alignments!

NEW & USED TIRES!

All types of maintenance service!

607 East Commerce St. Aberdeen, MS (662) 369-9131

105 Main Street N. Amory, MS (662) 256-4572 Custom Sewing and Quilting Pillows, Curtains & More

The Yamaha Holiday

VIKING WOLVERINE

TM

TM

1,000 UP TO

AS LOW AS 1.99% APR $ UNTIL PAID IN FULL* +

CUSTOMER CASH**

AMORY MARINE SALES 1402 HIGHLAND DR AMORY MS, 388211007 662-256-5656 Garden Center, Nursery & Gift Shop * 1.99%, 5.99%, 6.99%, or 12.99% APR with Minimum Payments of 2.87%, 3.05%, 3.10%, or 3.39% of the purchase amount, based on your creditworthiness,

are effective until the purchase is paid in full. Offer available on approved purchases of new 2014-2016 Yamaha Side-by-Sides made on the Yamaha Card issued by Capital One, N.A. Offer valid through 12/28/15. Your account must be open and current to be eligible for this offer. Some options may not be available and other terms may apply. Your Standard APR is either 12.99%-22.99% or variable 14.99%-22.99%. Variable APRs as of 9/1/15 and apply to accounts opened on or after 11/6/09. Minimum Interest Charge $1. **Customer Cash offer good on select models between 9/1/15 to 12/28/15. Offer good only in the U.S., excluding the state of Hawaii. Dealer remains responsible for complying with all local and state advertising regulations and laws. Shown with optional accessories. Always protect the environment and wear your seat belt, helmet, eye protection and protective clothing. Read the owner’s manual and the product warning labels before operation. ©2015 Yamaha Motor Corporation, U.S.A. All rights reserved. • YamahaOutdoors.com

74

l

mudandmag.com

500 N. Main Amory, MS

662-256-5909

801 3rd Street South • Amory, MS 38821 801 3rd Street •South • Amory, MS 38821 (662) 256-2761 www.cityofamoryms.com (662)Tue.-Fri. 256-2761 Hours: 9 to• 5www.cityofamoryms.com • Sat. 10 to 4 • Sun. 1 to 5

Hours: Tue.-Fri. 9 to 5 • Sat. 10 to 4 • Sun. 1 to 5

THE TINTYPE MAN

Tintype photography is not for the faint of heart. Working with wet plates coated in chemicals requires not just a certain deftness and exactitude, but also a higher risk tolerance. Volatile chemistry is par for the course.

By Sandra Knispel mudandmag.com

l

75

“

I

’ve tried to make it as safe as I can,” says Oxford tintype photographer Michael Foster.

“But I’m not sure it won’t get me down the road.” While he won’t use potassium cyanide as a fixer, which can turn into deadly cyanide gas if it comes in contact with acid, he still uses carcinogenic salts that contain heavy metals.

But the images’ archival quality and the fact his work will “outlast all of us and anyone who directly knows us,” are a strong pull. It’s a matter of “having to slow down and become deliberate with your actions,” Foster explains.

Tintype, also sometimes referred to as ferrotype, is a process in which a photograph is made by creating a direct positive on a thin sheet of metal, coated with a dark lacquer or enamel and used as the support for a photographic collodion emulsion, which contains suspended silver halide crystals. The plate is exposed in the camera while still wet.

76

l

mudandmag.com

“The chemicals hate humidity and heat,” explains Foster, the challenge of working outside during the dog days of the Mississippi summer. “Above 70 degrees they become finicky.”

Most widely used during the 1860s and 1870s, often capturing Civil War scenes, tintype photography survived into the early 20th century. Now it’s cropping up again as a specialized art.

“Have mobile darkroom. Will travel.”

That neatly sums up Michael Foster’s motto. Regularly, the 37 year old hooks his darkroom, stashed in a 5-by-8-foot covered trailer, to his jeep and travels to fairs across the state and beyond, always in search of interesting faces and a bit of cash to finance his expensive hobby.

By trade, Foster, a divorced father of an 8-year-old son, is a draftsman, drawing technical plans at a Batesville-based metal building and roofing company. It’s the exactitude of his day job that spills over into his weekend passion. Working with a technology that was discovered

some 155 years ago, Foster starts by mixing the chemicals in his trailer, some days in advance of the next photo shoot.

He wears a respirator mask as he dilutes ether and alcohol, prepares the silver bath, collodion, developer, and fixer.

“There are literally hundreds of recipes out there for each process,” Foster explains. Photographers in the field with their covered wagons had to be flexible if they ran out of certain ingredients. A century and a half later, the process for taking one photo is still just as timeconsuming.

First, Foster disappears into his darkroom where he covers an aluminum plate, usually a 4-by-5-inch plate, with collodion and then submerges it in a silver nitrate bath, rendering it photosensitive. Depending on the camera he uses that day, Foster places the wet plate carefully into either a teak box or a metal case before he leaves the trailer.

Once outside, he slips that box into the back of his camera. Two of his cameras

are Indian-made wood frame Vageeswari cameras, about 70 to 80 years old; the third is a newer metal kind, a Calumet camera, all of them with bellows.

Once happy with his setup, Foster removes the lens cap to allow light to hit the plate. “It’s a lot of guesswork,” Foster admits. Exposure times, depending on natural light or added studio lamps, can run from just a flash to two minutes. Then Foster disappears again into his trailer with the closed box where he develops the wet plate in an iron-sulfate developer, followed by a water bath and a fixer.

Sitting on his living room couch, Foster tells of famous Civil War tintype photographer Alexander Gardner who moved corpses from one battle scene to the next to create some of his iconic tintypes. But Foster is focused on the living. A tintype of his 8-year-old freckled son Grayson looks like Tom Sawyer.

Oxford’s vibrant music scene has begun to discover Foster’s art, or vice versa, making for an ever-growing portrait

collection of local bluegrass, folk, blues and rockabilly performers. His most recent claim to fame is a tintype cover shot on Signature Magazine’s April edition, featuring Jeremiah Stricklin of the band Oh Jeremiah. Last year, singersongwriter Cary Hudson used a Foster tintype portrait for his newest album cover “Town and Country.”

But that kind of portrait may not be for the vain. “Women often hate this process, it’s very unforgiving.” Blemishes and blotches, even when covered up by make-up, still show up in the photograph.

“It’s all there. Spots, bumps, wrinkles, no photoshop available,” Foster grins. But that’s also the beauty of it. At a recent fair in Laurel, the annual Loblolly Festival, Foster had noticed a groundskeeper picking up trash. He was dying to photograph her.

“She wears her story on her face.

There’s real vulnerability,” Foster recalls.

Later that day, the woman happened to be coming past his booth. Politely, Foster

asked if she would sit for him. She told him she couldn’t afford the $75 portrait charge. But that’s not what Foster had in mind. He wanted to keep her tintype for himself. Surprised, she acceded.

The resulting portrait captured her parchment-like skin with fine, furrowed lines across her forehead, touching in its honesty and simplicity. It’s become his favorite photograph. Says Foster with real emotion in his voice, “Portraits like these are the reason I shoot photos.”

The whole process, the woman told Foster afterwards, “made me feel like a million bucks,” an admission the photographer clearly savors. “It’s the reason I keep going.” M For more of Foster’s work, visit michaelnfoster.com.

Tintype portraits by Michael Foster // Photos

by Lauren Wood

mudandmag.com

l

77

M& M Corinth Shop

Clothing • Jewelry • Accessories New Items Arriving Daily!

510 Wick Street • Downtown Corinth Tuesday - Saturday 10:00 - 5:00 662.415.5174

622 Wick St. • Corinth, MS 605 Carriage House Dr., Suite D Jackson, TN M-F 9-5:30; Sat. 10-3 662-396-2299

78

l

mudandmag.com

515 Franklin St. • Corinth, MS

662-284-9889 M-F 10-5, Sat 10-3

516 Waldron St. • Corinth, MS

286-5597

Shop Our Holiday Deals!

Women’s Clothing

121 West Bankhead Street • New Albany • 662.538.5984 612 Wick Street • Corinth SOCO District • 662.872.3244

@obsessionsboutique

Obsessions Boutique & Salon

& DAY SPA • • • • • •

Manicures Pedicures Facials Massage LMT0295 Body Wraps Full-Service Salon

GIFT CERTIFICATES

Make The Perfect Holiday Gift

Pamper Yourself.

You Deserve It! 3001 Hwy 72 West Corinth • 662.287.7445

❖ T-Shirts ❖ Ornaments ❖ Festive Gifts 606 Waldron Corinth 662-594-1479

Shop historic and beautiful Corinth this holiday season!

mudandmag.com

l

79

M&M

Dining Guide Home of the Doughburger

nt

“The Oldest Restaura in New Albany”

LATHAM’S HAMBURGER INN 106 Main Street • New Albany

by

Margarete

Cinnamon Apple Bacon & Green Onion Sourdouch, etc.

• Chocolates • & SOOO Much More!

189 S. GREEN ST, TUPELO • 840-3290

Open Monday – Friday 9am - 6pm • Lunch Served 11am - 2pm

F OurF $5 ase h c p $25 5 /115 /311/ 0/3 s112

es exppi irre ex

Reserve Your Christmas Party With Us!!!

8788 Hwy 363 Mantachie, MS (662) 282-7515 Open Thurs-Sat 4:30 - 9:00 pm

80

l

SENIOR SATURDAYS

20% OFF

20% OFF

mudandmag.com

55 & Older

1155 South Gloster Street Tupelo, MS • 662.740.1919 Mon. - Sun. 11 a.m. - 8:30 p.m.

• Cakes • Pies • Pastries • Seasonal Items • Breads

ery/Chocolates B ak

a

RUSH HOUR

M - F 4 pm - 6 pm

Hibachi Grill, Sushi Bar, Full Bar & To-Go Orders With a Family Friendly Atmosphere

2$ for

20

• 2 Soups • 2 Hibachi Chicken with Veggies • 2 Fried Rice

Dine-In Only. Not Valid with any other offers. Coupon must be presented. Expires 12/31/15

5

$ 00

OFF

Purchase of

$

3000

or more

Dine-In Only. Coupon is valid for a purchase of $30 or more before tax and gratuity. Excludes Alcoholic Beverage, Early Bird Special, or any other special. Not Valid with any other offers.

Coupon must be presented. Expires 12/31/15

1044 COMMONWEALTH BLVD. • TUPELO

(662) 620-8157 Near Best Buy on Gloster Street

$

15

Pickup

tax included

• 451 recipes included • Keepsake, sturdy, spiral-b • Great for Christmas gifts

Pick up at the Daily Journal office will mail to you for an additional $5 Pickup at the Pre-order today by calling 662.84 Daily Journal order 1242 online at djournal.com/cook office: S. Green St.,cookbook@journalinc.c email: Tupelo

M&M

Dining Guide COME JOIN US WHILE YOU SHOP

10% OFF

Family Restaurant

WITH COUPON

Hwy 145 N. • Booneville 662-728-1460 Mon.-Thurs 11-9 • Fri 11-10 Now Open on Saturdays 4-9:30

Check Out Our Daily Specials!

EXPIRES 12/30/15

STEAKS • BURGERS SALADS • SANDWICHES AND MORE! Historic Downtown New Albany • 106 W. Bankhead • 662.539.7005

HOMEMADE DESSERTS

Fish & Steak www.fishandsteak.com

RESERVE YOUR CHRISTMAS PARTIES! PLACE YOUR CHRISTMAS CAKE ORDERS NOW!

218 Carter Ave. Historic Downtown New Albany, MS

662.539.7025

Thursday, Friday & Saturday 5:00 pm - 9:00 pm

Dining Directory

Have your restaurant in the next issue.

Call 662.678.1525

mudandmag.com

l

81

STOVETOP SCENTS Downloadable gift tag at mudandmag.com.

82

l

mudandmag.com

Above & Beyond Always. From Dossett Big 4.

GMC TERRAIN SLE

GMC ACADIA DENALI

CADILLAC ESCALADE PREMIUM

GMC SIERRA DENALI

GMC YUKON DENALI

DOSSETT BIG 4

mudandmag.com

628 S. Gloster St. | Tupelo | 662-322-8832 | dossettbig4.com

l

83

84

l

mudandmag.com