We're looking forward to spring and all things becoming green again! Of course, the weather here in the South bounces back and forth so much, it's hard to know when spring will actually stay. So, the best way to enjoy some green is to bring it inside, and our March Curated Collection is a great way to do just that!

Let's start with our "House Plants" book. Inside, you'll find pictures of beautiful house plants with all the instructions you need for them to grow and bloom in your own home. There are so many lovely plants to choose from in this book, some of which you may be familiar with, but there are other more exotic ones you may have never heard of, like a Swiss Cheese Plant or Flaming Dragon!

Of course, one of our all-time favorite plants has always been sweet little succulents like this. They're easy to take care of, don't make a mess, and just add a little life to any decor. Aren't they just adorable on Roxie and Tara's porches? One succulent from Tara and Roxie's home collections will be carefully wrapped and included in your March Curated Collection! 

One of our new favorite products is this glass plant mister! It makes it so easy to give your succulent just enough water, and it's fun to use too! And, it's so pretty, you can leave it out so you'll use it more often than any other method of watering.

Your succulent or any other small plant will fit perfectly in this white-washed, Moroccan-inspired ceramic planter. Its subtle color goes with any decor and just brightens up your space.

Order your March Curated Collection today, as we have limited quantities available, and you don't want to miss out! Go ahead and bring a little spring to your home!

If you're new to The Southern Mercantile, you may not know that our team has endured two major home renovations over the past couple of years!  Although there are still projects to be completed, and more blogs to be written, we have a majority of the work on our homes completed.  We took advantage of the opportunity to share our experiences with our readers, in hopes of sharing a few tips and maybe even a little inspiration!  If you find yourself looking for a home renovation project, big or small, we'd love for you to take a look back at the projects we've tackled over the years. 

Roxie's Alder Street renovation features a 1940's mill house next to her childhood home. 

Tara's Beech Street Bungalow renovation showcases a 100 year old craftsman style home, also in the heart of downtown Ocilla.

So sit back and relax while you pour over the pages of all of our hard work!  We'd love to hear what you think about our small part in reviving this quaint little town we call home!
​

It's been quite some time since I've given an update on our home renovation--but hopefully it will be worth the wait!  With so much happening in our lives over the past few months, (IMPACT training, the holidays, home inspections, etc.) we have just now been able to tie up a few loose ends in our two extra bedrooms!  Although they aren't 100% complete, I just couldn't wait any longer to share them with you!  If you read the blog, Called to Care, you'll remember that a large factor in our home search involved finding a house that had three bedrooms. I was set on having at least three bedrooms because this would be necessary in foster care if you have children of the opposite sex in your home.  Here is a glimpse into what went through my mind while planning the kid's rooms in our home:

After we began putting our home back together, I started dreaming up what the "girl room" and "boy room" should look like.  I loved the idea of creating a comfortable and safe space that any child might love.  Lots of thought and planning has gone into these two special rooms in our home, and my heart is anxiously awaiting the day when these rooms will be finished and full.

Let's take a minute to look back at the before pictures of the middle bedroom, what became the "girl room".  We removed the pocket doors separating the bedrooms, and put them between the kitchen and laundry room.

I love how the light from the windows fill up this room!  We turned this doorway into a closet for this room, and moved the bedroom door to the right wall, opening to the hallway.

Once the sheetrock was up, I started dreaming of what this room would be!  I had a floral comforter that I loved, and knew I wanted to use in this room.  I pulled a light peachy color from it for the walls, Nearly Peach by Sherwin Williams.  I knew the wall color needed to be soft and welcoming to complement the natural light, and it turned out to be perfect.

My mom gave us my childhood bed to use in this room.  It is a special piece that fit seamlessly into the design.

An antique armoire provides extra closet space, since we were able to fit two beds into this room!

I desperately tried to scrub the yellow brick on this fireplace, hoping it would clean up nicely.  I tried every trick in the book, but nothing brightened it up.  I finally decided just to paint the fireplace white to give it a fresh new look.  I carefully taped off and lightly spray-painted the fireplace cover with a bronzy-gold finish.  We stripped down the original mantels to bring them back to life, leaving them their natural color.

This room seems so peaceful, yet fun, all at the same time!  I have baskets of books and stuffed animals in the room, just waiting to be loved!

Here is a look at the before pictures of the front bedroom, what we call the "boy room".  We turned the bathroom into a walk-in closet, which has been a wonderful place for extra storage.  The most fun part of this room is the bead-board accent over the fireplace that we decided to keep!  Since the whole house was filled with bead-board just like this, we thought it would be fun to keep it visible in one special place!

And here is the finished room!  We used the bead-board accent wall as inspiration for our wall and fireplace colors.  The wall color is Rushing River by Sherwin Williams, and the fireplace is Sea Serpent by Sherwin Williams--which is also our exterior color!  We stripped down this original mantel too, trying to avoid making the room look too busy.

Some very sweet friends of ours passed down this set of bunk beds to us.  They fit perfectly on this wall, allowing the room to still feel spacious. 

I tried to mix in a few patterns without getting too crazy, since there is already so much going on in this room.

Here is one more look at the fireplace.  It is a fun reminder of what all we went through to be where we are today!

I set up a desk area on one wall, hanging a few of my Papa's old paddles for decoration.

With a few books and toys, the room is set.  

Now that the "kid's rooms" are finished, we are ready to welcome children into our home!  This is such an exciting time that we feel like we have waited so long for, and I can't believe it is finally here!  We already have our first placement, and I can't wait to tell you all about it.  But that's another blog for another day!  

I hope you have enjoyed this update, and I hope you'll keep in touch!  I love hearing your thoughts about our progress while sharing this journey with you.

Check out more Beech Street Bungalow renovation stories here!

This October we had the chance to provide the wedding flowers for a sweet friend of ours for her Boho inspired fall wedding. This wedding was extra special for us as the bride, Mary Beth, is Tara's sister-in-law!   

Mary Beth had a vision for a bohemian inspired wedding and we jumped at the chance to help make it happen!  The fall color pallet she chose was so inspiring and a dream to work with.  

It was important to her to incorporate feathers throughout.  Her bouquet was stunning with pheasant feathers, mixed roses, safari sunset, dahlias, mixed greenery and zebra grass plumes. 

Mary Beth's daughter, Paisley, was to be the flower girl.  We created a very special flower crown for her her, complete with sweet, tiny feathers.  Instead of petals, her basket was filled with feathers that filled the air as she tossed them down the isle. 

The mothers and grandmothers all received very special flower bracelets in lieu of traditional corsages.  

Each boutonniere was carefully made with small colorful feathers and eucalyptus.  The groom's boot was set apart by adding a small dahlia to match the bride's bouquet. 

Pampas grass plums and an old wooden cross set the scene at the altar.  The cross was thoughtfully decorated with the flowers of the day.  The plumes held their own as we battled the wind and afternoon rains!  By the time the ceremony started you would never have known the elements had been a challenge.  

Mary Beth and J.D. were a stunning couple. The wedding and reception were hosted in a secluded hay field which made for a beautiful, southern back drop.

The bridesmaids carried bouquets of roses, dahlias, safari sunset and mixed greenery to match the bride.

The reception was kept simple with fresh eucalyptus bundles atop wooden farmhouse tables.  Gold candelabras, votive holders, and Edison bulb lanterns were used to create a beautiful ambiance under the tent.  We used trees under the tent to create a beautiful canopy full of tiny twinkle lights.

It was truly a night to remember and we were honored to play our small part.  It is always so exciting to get to be a part of a unique event where we get to be so creative.  We wish Mary Beth and J.D. a very happy life together!

If you are planning a wedding of your own and need a little inspiration, check out our pinterest board, "Southern Weddings".  It is full of great ideas for everything from your bridal party to the wedding cake!

We also have a few beautiful wedding books left in the shop.  The pages are filled with beautiful pictures, ideas, recipes and how to's to help you create the wedding of your dreams!  Quantities are limited so grab yours fast!  Happy Wedding Planning!

Photo Credit: Tammy Ellington and Brittni Deal