The Southern Mercantile Blog

A Little Food Goes a Long Way

1/26/2017

Tara

As I sit here contemplating how to begin this blog, I find myself struggling with the syrupy sweet words I am accustomed to using. Today I do not feel syrupy, but rather very heavy. If you live in our area or have been watching the news, then you are aware of the tragedy that surrounds us. We experienced terrible weather this past weekend which resulted in multiple tornadoes that destroyed countless homes and claimed precious lives. I find it hard to concentrate on my work, carry on small talk, or even drift off to sleep at night. I wonder what I can do to ease the pain and loss of the families in our surrounding counties. I am overwhelmed by the many needs but oh so grateful for the ones who have sprung into action. What I do know is the needs that these areas are currently experiencing and I can start there. I will do what I can to support these families and I will stay informed in the days, weeks and months to come. If you too are interested in donating to the families who have been affected by these storms, I would encourage you to find the nearest collection location and give. A little goes a long way.

Something special happens when you invite someone into your home for dinner. I believe that same magic is present when you bring food to their doorstep. Preparing and cooking a meal takes time, it takes thought, it takes love. A casserole has the ability to minister to someone where words can't reach.

Here in the South, it is customary to deliver a casserole to someone when certain life events take place. (Deaths, births, sickness etc.) Whether the event is tragic or filled with joy, sending food their way is an opportunity to communicate that we care and are willing to help in a time of need.

I believe cooking and baking to be one of my love languages. I blame it on my Southern roots as well as generations of good cooks and caring women. I love having people in my home and at my table. We share more than food--we share life.

Only recently have I started this venture in loving people through food. Now that I am married with a home of our own, I find joy in filling the freezer with delicious casseroles (to make dinner for a hectic night easier, or to share with others). This Christmas I decided to make lots of cookies and casseroles to share. When choosing a casserole, I decided on one of our favorite dinners: Chicken Pot Pie. Who doesn't love Chicken Pot Pie?! I found a recipe last year on Pinterest from Lovely Little Kitchen that we just love.

After tweaking it a bit, I have finally perfected it for us--and for freezing! I would like to share this recipe with you, in hopes that you might share it with others!

To Freeze:
Wrap casserole with saran wrap to ensure that it is sealed.
Cover with tin foil, labeling what it is.
*I like to use cute labels, making sure that I give clear directions on how to bake, if it is a gift.
If baking straight from the freezer, uncover, remove saran wrap, and place the tin foil back over the casserole.
Bake at 400 degrees for an hour, or until bubbling.
Be sure to remove the tin foil during the last few minutes of baking to brown your crust!

If thawed, just follow the directions on your recipe card!

*I found that I like to cheat and use canned biscuits to make my crust, but you can use any type of crust you like! This dough works well with freezing, so if you change it up, I would just suggest that you do a little experiment before gifting it!

**Also, if you are having trouble weaving your crust, here are a few helpful tips at Gimme Some Oven!

Sometimes showing love to those around you looks like making a plate of food and taking it to the widow next door. Sometimes it looks like dropping off baked goods at your local DFCS office. Sometimes it even looks like buying canned goods for a local shelter. There are so many ways to love the people right around you, and often times we are too busy to notice.

Though feeding people may be one of my love languages, what is yours? You don't have to bake a casserole to show someone you care--that's just one idea! This world is desperate for love and attention, and if we don't show it to them, they will search elsewhere.

I heard Jen Hatmaker once say that your physical neighbors were not placed there by chance. We were chosen to live alongside one another and care for each other--and if we can't love those directly around us, how can we love the world?

Though you may not be able to reach out to the tornado victims I mentioned in the introduction, I would like to challenge each of our readers to think of someone in your community who may need a little love. Whip up this Chicken Pot Pie, bake a few slice-and-bake cookies, or take them a vase of flowers. Let's consider what others around us may being going through and let them know we care. In the busy-ness of life it is often easy to miss opportunities to love--so let's make one.

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Faithful in the Little Things

1/19/2017

1 Comment

I grew up in a small town. Scratch that. I grew up in a rural community outside of a small town. Next door to my grandparents’ farm and within a mile of the county line, I was the first one on the school bus every morning and the last one off every afternoon. Keep in mind, we have one elementary school, while the middle and high schools share a campus, for the entire county!

My father was raised on the Irwinville Farms Project, spent some time in the Navy, then took on several different jobs throughout the years until he started his own plumbing & electrical business. My mother married her high school sweetheart, only to have him pass away tragically in their mid-twenties after having three baby girls. She was set up with my father (who also had a son and daughter who lived with their mother) and married him soon after. Three years later, I came along. Mama was a hairdresser, and eventually Daddy closed in the carport so she could run her own business out of our home. At the age of 40, she started college alongside my sisters. Her first year of teaching was my freshman year of high school, and I couldn’t have been more proud to have my mama teaching my classmates!

Mama, Daddy, and me as a high school senior

At my dance recital of The Nutcracker

My family taught me the virtues of hard work, determination, and perseverance. They also encouraged me to follow my dreams, while keeping my head on straight. As a little girl, I dreamed of going to New York City and being a Rockette! I soon realized that wasn't going to happen, but I still dreamed of living in the big city. I was not going to be stuck in the small town of Ocilla, Georgia. You know, sometimes, I think God chuckles at us when we resolve that we’re not going to do something. We have no idea what He has planned for us, and that’s probably for the best!

My junior year of high school, I started dating a guy that I could actually see spending the rest of my life with. He was different from other guys I had gone out with. He had dreams of his own to go to Georgia Tech. First of all, that meant he was not a University of Georgia fan, which automatically made him stand out from the crowd, but it also meant that he wanted to live in the big city of Atlanta. At first, we agreed to have no expectations in our relationship - just see where things went. As we got more serious, though, we agreed that if we ever broke up, that was it; no on-again, off-again like so many of our friends. We had fights and plenty of times I thought we might end it, but we never did!

Chris's senior prom. I was a junior.

Chris came home from Georgia Tech for my senior prom.

Sigma Sigma Sigma - Theta Xi Mixer

My roommate, Jessica, second from the right, waits for Chris to propose to me.

Chris was so nervous before this moment, and I honestly had no idea he had planned to propose that night. I was so excited, the DJ had to ask me if I said yes or not!

While Chris was at Georgia Tech, and I was at Oglethorpe University (also in Atlanta), we had our own friends and activities. We continued to live our own lives, but certainly shared with each other. Visiting each other’s campus and hanging out with each other’s friends was re-invigorating to each of us because of the differences. It was also fun when we brought our two worlds together, like the time his fraternity hosted a mixer with my sorority, or when his fraternity brothers came to our formal with my roommates. Perhaps the most memorable was when my roommate attended his fraternity formal with one of his brothers so that she could see Chris propose to me!

Chris was involved in a campus ministry at Georgia Tech called Christian Campus Fellowship. I began attending with him most Thursday nights as my class and work schedule allowed me to. Through that organization we found out about Globalscope, which partnered with Christian Missionary Fellowship to build campus ministries at colleges and universities around the world. We raised funds throughout our engagement so that within a week of our wedding we could participate in a summer internship with missionaries in Brazil! Family and friends still joke with us that they paid for our honeymoon!

The beginning of our wonderful, crazy life together!

That summer of 2001 was so eye-opening and the best way we could have started our marriage. We did have a team to work with, and we lived with a young couple and their toddler daughter, but we really only had each other and God to lean on. There were breakdowns and culture shock, all of which brought us closer together.

After that summer, we went back to our normal lives in Atlanta, Chris completing his final classes and working part-time with a civil engineering firm, while I began my first year teaching middle school. Even though this was the life we had always dreamed of, something was still missing. We felt like we had left part of our hearts in Brazil and began to have new dreams of going back. Soon, we were presented with the opportunity to go back to Brazil as full-time missionaries and help create a Globalscope campus ministry. We were so excited!

The following spring (2002), Chris’s family farm was featured on a Food Network show called “Food Finds.” If you’ve read my blog “Muscadines, Grandma, and a Husband,” you’ll know that his family grows muscadine grapes. Chris’s grandfather, father, and uncle were interviewed for the show, which focused on the capsules “Papa Jacob” was making from the seeds of the muscadines and the health benefits they offered. At the time, he was making them by hand in his home office. I remember watching the show in our little apartment with one of our friends from Ocilla who also lived in Atlanta. Afterward, we all just giggled and stared at each other, amazed and bewildered at what we had just seen on TV!

Later that week, Papa Jacob called Chris. The phone had been ringing non-stop, day and night, with folks all over the country ordering Muscadine Seed Capsules! He believed that there was a real opportunity to create a value-added business based on products made from muscadines, and he wanted Chris to come home to start that business. That summer, we left our big-city life to return home. The plan was to get things started, then leave the company in someone else's hands so we could return to Brazil.

Over the following year, it became more and more evident to us that we were supposed to stay in Irwin County. Serving God was our first priority, but we realized that we didn’t have to leave the country to do that. Looking back now, I can see how God worked through us and the chain-reaction of events that continue as a result of our decision to stay.

That summer, I discovered I was pregnant! Chris and I wanted to share our exciting news with our family in a fun way, so we went to The Shoppes at Fourth and Cherry to purchase a frame for our ultrasound picture. Roxie was at the register, so she was technically the first person we told that we were expecting. We had always known Roxie, since we went to high school together, but we weren’t close friends at the time. Little did I know how close we would grow!

In 2004, one of Chris’s fraternity brothers came to visit us to get away from Atlanta. This was fairly common, as many of his fraternity brothers would visit us, but this guy began to stay more and more often, and eventually he decided to purchase a building and business here in Ocilla. As a result, Matt was introduced to Roxie, and the rest, as they say, is history! You can read more about their story in Roxie’s blog, “Grow Where You Are Planted.”

Thirteen years ago, we could not have known how our decisions would affect the course of our own lives, much less so many others. Although we always tried to be faithful to what we believed to be God’s will, we haven’t always understood while in the middle of it. So many times, we’ve wondered what life would be like had we gone to Brazil. Our boys think it’s crazy that they would know how to speak Portuguese! We still have a special place in our hearts for the people of Brazil. I used to wonder if we missed God’s will by not going to Brazil. And, while I know that God would have used us there, I feel like our purpose is to be here, in this small town, to encourage this community, and to share it with the rest of the world. I feel like for the last thirteen years, we’ve been on the cusp of something great in so many areas.

I’ve struggled with not feeling like I’ve accomplished very much, especially for someone voted “Most Likely to Succeed.” What I’ve come to realize, is that I may never do anything great myself, but I am a part of so many things that are. And, God has worked and will continue to work through my faithfulness to support those “missions.” God may never call me to do great things, but He has certainly called me to be faithful in the little things. That is how I should measure my success.

Had we gone to Brazil, Matt and Roxie would have never met. Roxie and I would not be such good friends. The Shoppes at Fourth and Cherry would most likely have closed. Paulk’s Pride may not exist. Chris would not be a county commissioner. Matt would not be mayor. The Southern Mercantile may have never happened. You would not be reading this post right now!

Please know that I am not taking credit for any of this, but I do wonder how this all would have turned out if I had not played my part. God is using my faithfulness in the little things, and He will use yours too. When we’re struggling, let’s remind each other of that!

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Beech Street Bungalow: The Kitchen

1/13/2017

6 Comments

Tara

In my last renovation update, Beech Street Bungalow: The Floors, I was able to show you pictures of our beautiful refinished floors! After the floors were completely dry, we did our best to cover every inch of them with thick paper! The last thing we wanted to do was scuff them up or drip paint all over them.

The next project on our list was to begin painting! Phillip informed me that as soon as the kitchen was painted, he could begin installing our cabinets and counter tops! That was enough motivation for me, so off to Sherwin Williams I went! I didn't have a problem choosing the color families of my paint, but narrowing it down to a specific color took me a while! As I joked in an Instagram post, it's easy to pick paint colors when you already have favorite polish colors. And if you know me, you know I have tons of favorite polish colors! (Check out: Why Nails Were Meant to be Painted)

We were able to hire someone to come in and touch up a few problem areas we found in our sheetrock, as well as prime most of the house. If you don't get this step right, all of the problems will shine right through the paint! It took these guys 3 hours to do what would have taken me 3 weeks to complete--so it was totally worth the money we spent having them come in! With new sheetrock, you must sand it, prime it (the two steps that were completed for me!), sand it again, paint your first coat, sand it again, and then paint your second coat. When you multiply this process by 7 rooms and a gigantic hallway, you feel defeated. And I did.

When I was in college, I had a roommate tell me one time that when she would get overwhelmed at everything she had to do, her dad would ask her, "Emily, how do you eat an elephant?" She would smile and respond, "One bite at a time." Since my sophomore year in college, I have often thought back to that silly reminder that is still so true. After sharing that story with Phillip, he now is the one who reminds me how to eat an elephant. I am thankful for the little things that stick with you through the years and the relationships that make us who we are today.

So, my first bite would be to focus on the kitchen! After analyzing, over analyzing, and analyzing some more, I finally decided on Eider White for the walls!

I had already visited the Cabinet Warehouse in Fitzgerald to shop for cabinets and counter tops. Phillip worked with this company for about 7 years, so he is pretty knowledgeable in this area! He was able to save us a good bit of money by installing them himself. We chose a simple grey cabinet and white quartz counter tops, so I thought that Eider White would work well with those components as well as the other colors in my home.

After painting the kitchen and butler's pantry, Phillip began installing the cabinets! This was so much fun (for me, not him) and made the house start to resemble a home. I don't know about you, but the kitchen is always one of my favorite rooms in a house! I spend so much time in that space doing what I love to do--cooking, baking, (eating), talking, laughing; all with the people I love.

Just like most of the world today, I love Pinterest! I love how organized and inspiring this tool is. Not only do I have a "Home Sweet Home" board, but I also have a secret board for each room in my house! This was the perfect way for me to organize my thoughts and ideas all in one place. Later on, I'll share a few tips with you on how to stay organized (and on budget) during a major renovation like this! Here are three pictures (each linked to the original source) that gave me a little inspiration for this space:

I loved the wooden decorative vent cover! The decorative cover that matched our cabinets was a bit more than I was willing to pay--but something like this, my handy husband could build! I kept that in the back of my mind as we made other choices.

Due to the small size of our kitchen, I was really struggling to design a plan that would give me enough cabinet space. When I ran across the picture of this beautiful butler's pantry, I just knew that this was the answer to my problem! As we tore out the walls, we discovered that there in fact use to be a butler's pantry right off of the kitchen! It was boarded up years ago, but we would bring it back. The original pantry was much like a closet, but we would design ours like the picture above. By doing so, we would gain a hall closet on the other side!

I just loved everything about the last picture you see above. I love the soft color scheme, the two-toned cabinets, the counter tops, and of course, the lights. I too would have a large island with a sink so this kitchen was speaking my language.

Now that you know what direction my wheels were turning, let me remind you what we were working with.

This was the opening we made for our large pocket doors to be relocated.

And with a fresh coat of paint, they were ready to be hung!

We taped off the layout of the island and cabinets to help us determine where plumbing would need to be run and outlets should be put.

Now for the fun stuff. Here is what our kitchen looks like today:

Phillip was able to build a vent hood cover, and I just love it! It gives this crisp and clean kitchen a farmhouse feel.
*Side note: The Keurig and electric kettle on the counter came in handy while working in 30 degree weather! Coffee and warm water for the caulk bucket made my workers happy. :)

I searched for the perfect pendants to hang over the island, and all of the ones I absolutely loved (like the ones in the Pinterest picture) were way out of my price range. I finally found a similar style within my budget, and I am quite pleased with how they look! I also LOVE how the bead board wall turned out once it was painted. I guess all of the scraping was worth it!

After we installed the vent hood cover, we liked it so much that we decided to incorporate that look into the island as well. I knew I didn't want to have a solid grey panel on the back of the island, but I wasn't quite sure what I did want. Phillip suggested for us to try the matching wood running horizontal along the back and we both just loved it! This was a great decision, because it not only will be more durable over time, but it also brings the look together (and cost us a little less)!

This view allows you a sneak peek at our beautiful butler's pantry! I just love how much storage and practical space it provides. The Cabinet Warehouse was wonderful to work with and they were able to order the exact glass doors that I wanted for this space! I am so happy with how it is looking and I can't wait to put on the finishing touches!

You can also see how opening up that wall in the kitchen where we placed the pocket doors brings so much light into the room! It also makes the kitchen feel much bigger when they are open.

Well there it is. With the exception of cabinet hardware and appliances, we are ready to roll! Our bedroom, bathroom and laundry room are coming along nicely as well. We are having so much fun seeing our dreams come to life and we can't wait to relax in our new home. More updates are coming your way, so be sure to keep up with The Southern Mercantile Facebook page and sign up for our email list on the home page for a weekly website update!

Check out more Beech Street Bungalow renovation stories here!

6 Comments

New Year, New Me!

1/5/2017

2 Comments

Roxie

Happy New Year Southern Mercantile family! I love the New Year. It has become very symbolic for me over the years. I love the idea of a fresh start, a new beginning, a time to wash away the yuck and start over! I live the life of retail so by the time the new year rolls around I am completely exhausted. My house is wrecked, my shop is wrecked, my body is wrecked, and sometimes I feel like my very soul is wrecked! A year's worth of hard work, community involvement and loving a world that is sometimes hard to love has finally caught up with me, and I need a break!

The store is always closed a few days around New Year's so Matt and I have made it our tradition to take a little trip and regroup. Matt started this tradition for us, our very first New Year's Eve together. He had just purchased our building from my Dad and friend Lisa the previous November. On December 31, 2004 Matt surprised me with a trip to Savannah to attend a mascarade ball. Midnight on January 1, 2015 was our first kiss and first "I love you". Ok, I know, too much information! Haha!

Thus began our yearly tradition to make it a point to celebrate the New Year and make it something special! We've only missed one New Year's Eve together, the year that Matt spent in Iraq, serving our country through the Navy Reserve. That was not a year to dwell on, for sure, so let's move on! Chris and Jorjanne started making the trips with us, and though we have tried a few other locations through the years, we usually find our way back to Savannah.

Savannah, GA, might be my favorite Southern city. A visit there just feels like going home. A dozen New Year's Eves and one honeymoon later, you can definitley say this is a favorite spot for Matt and me. The beautiful architecture, rich history and bustling downtown never disappoint. This lovely city is so creativley inspiring to me, I always leave feeling refreshed and excited to get home and start cracking away at the year ahead of me.

This year we started our trip with a delicious New Year's Eve lunch at my favorite restaurant, Belford's. We have eaten here many times over the years, and I have never been disappointed! The atmosphere is perfect, and the food is absolutley delicious! If I were a restaraunt, I would be Belford's!

A couple of cocktails, some fried green tomatoes, and we were ready to conquer a little shopping!

After lunch I made my yearly pilgrimage to The Paris Market. Talk about creative overload! This gorgeous store is brimming with the interesting and unusual. I always love to check out their displays and see what they put together. We all got a little treat from the coffee bar to sip on while we shopped. Topped this off with a stop in Anthropologie, and my day was almost complete!

After an afternoon of good food and good shopping we headed to our hotel to change clothes and head to dinner. We kept it simple this year, no big party or fancy five-course meal. Just some much-needed down time with good friends. Matt was feeling a little silly, but here we are enjoying a nice dinner at Sam Snead's Tavern.

After dinner, it was back to the hotel for cocktails and counting down until midnight! My current favorite cocktail is a Kentucky Mule. Secret confesion: I Love bourbon. This mix of bourbon, ginger beer, lime, and mint was the perfect choice to sip on while ringing in the New Year! You can find the recipe on our "Happy Hour" pinterest page, courtesy of saltandwind.com.

Even though we kept our plans simple this year, the symbolism is the same. I am thankful for this time of new beginnings. My birthday is on January 8th, so it really is the beginning of a whole new year for me! I don't make resolutions because, let's be honest, why set yourself up for failure? I do love to take this time to regroup and re-evaluate as I prepare to start another year in the journey of my life. What a good feeling to know that I can leave behind the failures and short-comings and focus on becoming a better version of myself. New year, new me!

I am truly ready to see what 2017 has in store! I hope this New Year finds you excited to look ahead. May God bless you as you navigate a new beginning and a new you!

"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come. The old has gone, the new is here!" 2Corinthians 5:17

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A Little Food Goes a Long Way

Faithful in the Little Things

Beech Street Bungalow: The Kitchen

New Year, New Me!

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