When my older son, Seth, started preschool in 2007, I was put on the Thanksgiving party committee. We had turkey sandwiches (cut into turkeys using cookie cutters), cookie pilgrim hats, apple slices with pumpkin pie dip, and moon pie turkeys. I had decorated moon pies for Halloween after seeing the idea in a magazine (probably Southern Living, All You, or Family Fun, I don’t remember which). I had several moon pies, bags of candy corn, and chocolate almond bark left over, so I got creative and came up with moon pie turkeys!

Now, if you are not from the South, you may not know what a moon pie is, but let me tell you, there is not a more Southern snack than a moon pie with an RC Cola (except maybe peanuts and a glass bottle Coke!). A moon pie is “the perfect combination of marshmallow, graham and chocolate” - just check out the story on www.moonpie.com!

I’ve made moon pie turkeys every year since 2007, either for class Thanksgiving parties or our family Thanksgiving meal or both. Moon pie turkeys are easy and fun to make, so be sure to include kids for this treat! It has become a tradition for my boys to get in the kitchen and help me make them each year. In fact, this year when I brought home the boxes of moon pies, Seth excitedly asked, “Is it time for moon pie turkeys?!” 

Simply melt chocolate almond bark and place in a piping bag with a small round tip. Insert candy corns point down into the edge of the moon pie to make the turkey’s tail feathers. Pipe the melted chocolate around the top edge of the moon pie. Next pipe a dot of chocolate on the flat side and place a candy corn on it point down again to make the beak. As the chocolate dries, it will hold the candy corns in place. I also like to use orange candi-quik to make the eyes by just piping two dots over the beak. I use mini moon pies when I can find them, just because they are the perfect size for kids to hold on to and eat, and usually there are plenty of other desserts around! 

I love having a Thanksgiving tradition that’s fun to make with my kids! I hope you’ll enjoy making your own moon pie turkeys! Do you have any other fun Thanksgiving traditions? We’d love to hear about them! Tell us in the comments below or on our Facebook page.

I shared a post earlier this year about using your special things to make an ordinary get-together a memorable event. Here's just one thought from that post:

“Take the time to pull out your fancy and special pieces to make your next occasion all the more exciting. A few extra minutes for clean up is well worth the result. Being expensive isn't what makes a piece special, it's all the memories shared over those pieces that will one day tell a story. I can't wait to add more memories to my things and have a home filled with all that love.”

I know that most people these days opt for the paper plates and disposable cups at Thanksgiving—but what if we really were intentional about our time spent with family and friends and created opportunities to love on, encourage and talk with one another? Yes, disposable items take the hassle out of clean up, but clean up can be fun! I can remember watching the women in my family all stay in the kitchen after a meal sharing in the clean up and talking all the while. What they talked about, I don't know—but I do know that they were together.  

Using your special things doesn't just look pretty to your guests, but it makes them feel special! The place cards we created and used are another way to make your guests feel special.
“Because of this day--a day when a heart full of gratitude meets a home full of love, laughter and a lot of food--we want to share a sweet and simple printable for you and yours.  This place card printable is a quick and easy way to begin your day being thankful for those that fill your home.  Take a moment to reflect on each name as you write it in.  Take this opportunity to thank The Lord for the place that each of these names hold in your life and heart.”

I am so thankful for Phillip and the family that came along with him. I am so blessed to be surrounded by such wonderful people in my life and I hope that I can show them how much they are appreciated and loved this holiday season.

Now, have you been wondering what in the world is on my table?  Well let me just tell you.  I used my fine china, crystal glasses, vintage silver plate flatware and linen napkins--all of which were wedding gifts!  I scattered votive holders around the center tray to add a little sass.

Inside the tray, I temporarily "arranged" some of my favorite plants. (I literally "borrowed" them from my yard!)  I have fallen in love with ornamental cabbages this Fall and I can't get enough of them!  They love sunlight, cool weather, well drained soil and a moderate amount of water.  For these reasons, they must be planted outside and should not stay in my tray for long.  I also added a few varieties from my succulent garden to break things up a bit.  Who doesn't love succulents?  Finally, I gathered a couple of colorful acorn squash to add a harvest touch to my centerpiece.  

A few helpful hints:
The tray I chose to use was a wooden decorative one--so I was sure to line it with tin foil before I started.  The plant-filled tray should not be used more than a day or two since it is only for decorative purposes.  I made sure the soil was a bit damp before I started rather than feeling the need to water my arrangement once I was finished. (That could result in a mess!)  Be sure to return your plants to their happy place once your special occasion is over to ensure that they remain healthy.    

Thanksgiving is upon us.  To me, this is a time when family and friends set the daily grind aside and come together for sweet (and much needed) communion.  It is often this day, out of every year, that reminds us what we love most about each other.  It is often this day that draws us to each other, sharing in the sorrows and joys of the months before and months to come.  It is often this day that we reflect on our blessings and realize how thankful we are for those that sit at our table.  Because of this day--a day when a heart full of gratitude meets a home full of love, laughter and a lot of food--we want to share a sweet and simple printable for you and yours.  This place card printable is a quick and easy way to begin your day being thankful for those that fill your home.  Take a moment to reflect on each name as you write it in.  Take this opportunity to thank The Lord for the place that each of these names hold in your life and heart.

Click below to open the file and print your cards.  Check back in later this week to see how I decided to set my Thanksgiving table, using these sweet place cards!

It’s that time of year again, time for the annual Christmas Open House at The Shoppes!  All of you Southern Merc fans that are from Ocilla have probably been to one of our open house events and know how marvelous it is.  For those of you that are fans from far away, let me just tell you, this is quite possibly my favorite weekend of the year. 

The Fourth and Cherry team spends Friday night through Sunday morning transforming The Shoppes into a magical winter wonderland.   Every year we have a different theme (you know I love a theme!) to set the tone for the décor, food, invitations and other details.  This year’s theme was “Christmas in the Pines”.  Appropriate for a southern Georgia Christmas, don’t you think?

My awesome team spends weeks preparing for this event.  Handmade invitations are printed, glittered and mailed a few weeks before the event.  My Dad and Aunt Janet (the wizards) spend the week before making dozens of gorgeous wreaths and arrangements.  My Café girls start planning for food preparations.   Ornaments and decorations are unpacked and priced.  Tara, Jorjanne and I always have a craft project going on like stamped and glittered gift tags for all of the packages or making feet upon feet of paper chains to decorate with.

I could write pages about how much fun it is to deck the halls at The Shoppes and how awesome all of my helpers are (because really, this would not happen without them).  I think for today, I would like focus on what a special day this is for our community.  I am not exaggerating when I tell you that people look forward to our Christmas Open House all year long.  It has really become more like a homecoming, a festive day to welcome in the Holiday season and to visit with old friends and neighbors.  Every year our crowd grows.  This year we had well over 200 people including neighbors from my childhood (members of the original Alder Street Social Club) who traveled an hour to be with us.  One of my Fairy God Mothers traveled almost two hours to be here.   A very sweet couple that taught here years ago came and visited with old friends and students.  Many of my Fairy God Children were able to be here, including one that I haven’t seen in months.  I even had a cousin travel from Texas, just to be here to help for the weekend!  My heart just explodes with joy when I can have so many, who are special to me, gathered in one place, even if just for a couple of hours.

This year we collected blankets for local foster children and had almost 60 donated!  These blankets will be lovingly embroidered with the children’s names and given to them for Christmas presents.  We also had someone from our local “Called to Care” group on hand to talk with folks about “sponsoring” a foster child for Christmas.  Thanks to our wonderful guests, 12 children were sponsored during open house and we are steadily working on the rest!  If you live locally and are interested in helping to provide Christmas gifts for these children, please contact The Shoppes for more information! 

The second Sunday in November has become one of my favorite days of the whole year.  Yes, it is means weeks of preparation and three very long days with little sleep, but the reward is worth far more than the stress and exhaustion of the work.  It is one day when, not only is my shop absolutely gorgeous and filled with happy people, but a day that our community comes together to laugh and love each other and feel good about life.

We want to know about your favorite Holiday traditions.  We hope you will share with us your favorite way to welcome in the Holidays in your home or hometown. 

We have officially kicked off the Holiday season at The Southern Mercantile and we are filled with Holiday cheer!  We are revamping store and can’t wait to share our favorite Holiday picks with you!  Check back soon to see all that’s new!

No drink screams Fall like hot apple cider. There’s just something about the scent of apples and cinnamon that makes me want to curl up with a blanket and a good book around a roaring fire. However, I live in the South, which means that sometimes in the Fall, it is just too hot to curl up under a blanket with a hot drink around a roaring fire. I feel like I’m melting just thinking about it!

Since it has been too hot for hot apple cider, I have discovered Apple Cider Punch! The original recipe can be found at http://www.bhg.com/recipe/drinks/apple-cider-punch/.

We served our version of this punch at our Shoppes’ Christmas Open House, along with a few other pretty delicious treats!

 We combined the cider and juices a day ahead to make serving easier. Instead of using sparkling grape juice, which is super sweet and pretty expensive for the amount we were making, we used ginger ale. Add your own twist to the recipe and tell us about it!

Apple Cider Punch

6 cups apple cider
2 cups orange juice
1/2 cup lemon juice
1 liter ginger ale


Combine apple cider, orange juice, and lemon juice up to a day ahead and store in the refrigerator. Add chilled ginger ale just before serving.

Usually, you can count on November to bring some Fall-ish weather, though it may not last. And, somehow, the heat and humidity that returns after such a cool spell feels even more oppressive than it did over the summer, even if the temperatures don’t rise nearly as high. Fall weather is tricky in the South, because you may dress for Fall in the morning, but by Summery mid-afternoon you feel as if you’re melting like the Wicked Witch of the West from The Wizard of Oz. 

Enter my favorite article of my Fall wardrobe: the lightweight scarf! It’s the perfect accessory to keep you warm on those cool mornings, but it can easily be removed when the afternoon heat becomes too much to bear. I have quite a collection of lightweight scarves I wear throughout the fall and even into our mild winter. They add color, pattern, and texture to almost any outfit. Choose a bold pattern to make a plain-jane t-shirt come to life, or a solid color to accent a busy print. The easiest outfit is a solid color t-shirt or tank with skinny jeans and flats or booties. Add a printed scarf to match, a blazer or cardigan if you need it, and you look like fall even if the weather around you doesn’t feel like it!
Many people are intimidated by scarves because they don’t know how to tie them. There are many complicated ways to wear a scarf, but I usually stick to a couple of basic and easy-to-wear methods, depending on what type of scarf you are using. 

1. Infinity scarf - Easy-peasy, don’t even have to think about it! Simply place the loop over your head, twist in front, then put second loop over your head. Done!
2. Long rectangle scarf - Probably the most common style of scarf. Place scarf behind your neck with 1/3 hanging on one side and 2/3 on the other. Wrap long end around your neck, then adjust both ends to look even. Or, fold scarf in half lengthwise. Place behind your neck with ends on one side and fold on the other. Pull ends through the fold in front of your neck. Voila!
3. Large square scarf - A little more involved, but very cute. Fold scarf in half to make a triangle. Place center point of triangle in front. Wrap both ends behind neck, then pull in front of shoulders.

Check out Pinterest for some of our favorite scarves and how to wear them!

The heady fragrance of the last honeysuckle and muscadines fading…the earthy scent of peanuts being turned up from the dirt…even the pungent smell of cotton defoliant lingering in the air.  Cheerleaders and marching bands sending football teams to victory… big red peanut wagons rattling down the road…wind rustling through crunchy, colorful leaves. Crisp, cool mornings…children disguised as superheroes and princesses running around… pumpkins & painted hay bales spotted in many front yards. Summer is gone and fall has arrived in the South!

I’ve heard that of the five senses, the sense of smell is most tied to memory. I would agree. Going to college in Atlanta, I can remember kissing my boyfriend goodbye with the scent of honeysuckle and muscadines in the background. I felt like I was kissing my home goodbye, too. Although I didn’t visit often enough for my parents, when I did drive down I-75 and began to smell peanuts through the air conditioner vents, I knew I was almost home. That was comforting to me, even if it didn’t take long for my sniffling nose and itchy, red eyes to appear.

Of course, tied to that dusty peanut smell, is the sight and sound of those red peanut wagons bumping up and down the road.  I remember watching my uncles fill those wagons in the fields, then taking them slowly but surely to the buying point.  Those trailers annoyed me as a teenager – they were always in my way. Now, though they do make me slow down, I am grateful for the peanut wagons (and cotton trailers and hay-balers and tractors and combines) and the economic impact they have on individuals and my community.

 As I grow older, I love this season more and more. While I enjoy my flip flops, I adore tying a colorful, cozy scarf around my neck. It is so much fun to attend fairs and festivals with family and friends, getting lost in corn mazes, taking hayrides, and choosing the perfect pumpkin to decorate. Kids dress in costumes for Halloween carnivals and trick-or-treating, while the teenagers wear their semi-formal dresses and bow-ties for the Homecoming dance. There’s nothing more exciting than cheering your favorite football team to victory, then watching the marching band’s halftime show, while anxiously waiting to see which beautiful young lady is crowned Homecoming Queen!

Fall provides a respite from scorching summer temperatures in the south. Summer is always too hot for anything outside, unless it is in or on the water. That makes us southerners truly appreciate fall. From a few minutes reveling in the cool breeze on my front porch, to festivals, football games, and family gatherings, fall provides multiple opportunities to celebrate being outdoors. And we southerners sure do enjoy a celebration! The south is my home, and I never feel closer to my home than in the fall.