We are fresh off of a trip to Atlanta for Vintage Market Days of Greater Atlanta and boy, did we have fun! We got to stay with a good friend from home, visit with show friends that we only see once or twice a year, and we got to chat with so many of you!  It was three days of excitement, creative inspiration and a touch of exhaustion! This has become a great show for us and a must-stop on the travel schedule for spring!

I was so pleased with this booth set up; it may have been my most favorite so far! I hope some of you caught my Instagram stories on set up day as I tried to give you the process from start to finish.  It is always so amazing to me that we start with such a mess and end up with something so inviting!  If you don't already follow us on Instagram, you can find us at @thesouthernmerc. The beautiful garden arbor that dad helped me build got to make another appearance and served as a lovely welcome to our space.  The shelves were stocked with cute kitchen items, garden decor, and plenty of fun vintage finds!

My mom and I have such a good time junkin' and finding unique and fun vintage items.  I love the personality and sense of nostalgia that vintage items give to your home and work space.  Mixing old with new is such a great way to make a space feel warm and inviting.  These vintage shows are so much fun for me, and also too tempting on my wallet!  I have a hard time resisting the cool and unusual things the other vendors bring.  

It is always a good day at work when you get to be with a good friend!  My friend, Melissa, from Greener Grass Handmade and I love it when we can make our paths cross.  We don't meet up for every show, but when we do, it is so much more fun!

While we truly do enjoy our time on the road, it can be exhausting.  Not only is the physical work so tiring, but the mental strain can be taxing.  There is so much to think of and plan for when you are running a brick and mortar store, while traveling to promote your online business.  The list of things to remember is endless, and you must always be friendly and helpful, even when you are tired! There is the constant mental battle of: Did I pack enough?  Did I pack too much? Did I pack the right things?  Am I making enough money?  Is this worth it?  It can all become very overwhelming! By the end of a travel season, I am usually feeling pretty exhausted and overwhelmed.  On the last day of this show, I was feeling pretty defeated and worn out.  I stepped outside, just to take a little break and regroup.  I have been to this facility several times before, but never noticed the inscription on this bench that is placed at the front entrance. 

I was moved to tears and had to take an extra minute to compose myself before going back in.  It was a beautiful reminder to me that the Lord is with me every step of the way, ready and willing to give me all the strength I need if I will only ask.  The prayer reads:

I had never heard of Paul Eddy, but he must have been truly loved and respected to have received such a beautiful memorial.  He founded the American Indian Festival, which was hosted at The Gwinnett County Fair Grounds and you can read a little more about him here.

This little moment outside the facility gave me just the boost I needed to pack up and make my way home with a renewed spirit.  Now, I am busy unpacking and getting the shop put back together as we roll into the ease of summer in the south.   

If you find yourself on the road this summer, we'd love for you to stop in for a visit!  Visit our flagship store in Ocilla, have lunch in our Cafe, and ramble around our sweet little town.  If you can't make it in person you can always keep up with us on the website!  Join our email list to stay connected and keep up with new products and our travel schedule.  We can't wait to get to know you!

​-Roxie

We had such a good time hitting the road in April and visiting with friends, old and new, in both Perry, and Macon, Georgia.  Our first stop was at the Georgia National Fair Grounds in Perry for Vintage Market Days of Central Georgia. Y'all know we love junkin so vintage shows are so fun for us!  It is always too tempting to bring back more than we took!

Just to give you a reminder of the chaos of setup day, here is a little picture I snapped of our pile as we were beginning to set up.  You can see my faithful helpers, Mr. Crain​ (Dad) and Aunt Janet busy stringing lights.  

Just like that I just snap my fingers and poof!  We end up with this!  Just kidding.  Many hours later we end up with this, but the time is totally worth it and I am always proud at the end!  

This cute wheelbarrow and most of our wash tubs went to happy homes and I must say, I will miss them!  This was such a happy little display.  

The very next weekend we found ourselves headed back to the historic Hay House in Macon, Georgia.  What a treat it is to spend the weekend under the ancient ginkgo trees on these beautiful grounds, and we always enjoy any time we can spend above the gnat line!

This was our set up for the garden market.  Plenty of  bright florals, flower pots, and other garden themed decor.

I had a good time showing off my new collection of hand painted bird nests and wood block prints.  I am busy working on more so if you can't catch us on the road, you'll soon be able to snag one online. 

I know all of you that entered to win a gift certificate have been anxiously awaiting to find out if you've won!  We chose one from each show and the lucky winners are: Judy Etheridge and Janet Williams!  Congrats ladies!  Be checking your inbox for your special prize!

See anything you like in one of this week's photos?  Be sure to check out our shop while you are here.  We are stocked with great finds for home and garden!

You have one more chance to catch us on the road this spring!  We'll be at Vintage Market Days of Greater Atlanta May 31 - June 2.  After that, we are off the road until August, and remember, you can keep up with our travel schedule on our website. Feel free to visit us anytime at our flagship store in Ocilla, GA, we just love company!

I was truly blessed growing up to be a part of a family that traveled.  Since my parents were both school teachers, we had plenty of time in the summer to pack up and hit the road!  Keep in mind, my parents were school teachers, so these were not glamourous vactations full of ski trips, water parks, restaraunts and hotels.  Our road trips consisted of tent camping (thank you K.O.A.), dinners from the cooler (a.k.a. cooler crud) and finding all the cool stops along the way that were free or cheap!  ​While our trips may have been a strain on the family budget, they were full of fun and happy memories (somehow you forget the stressful times when it is over).  My brother and I were really lucky to have gotten to see so much of the United States of America!

From Mt. Rushmore, Devil's Tower, and The Grand Canyon, to a tour up the west coast of California, Oregon, and Washington.  We visited the world's deepest hand-dug well in Greensburg, Kansas, Carlsbad Caverns in New Mexico, an Indian Pueblo in Taos, New Mexico, and the cliff dwellings in Mesa Verde, Colorado. 

​Every once in a while, usually in the fall, we got to go to places like Disney World and Sea World!

Of course, as a teenager these trips got a little embarrassing.  We were getting the car serviced in California on one of our trips, and I realized that my dad was wearing a tie-dyed tank top, shorts, fanny pack, and Mickey Mouse socks with sandals.  We were quite a sight!

​Y'all, this blog would be too long if I named all of the fun places my family traveled over the years!  We usually landed in Colorado for a week or so somewhere along the way to visit with my grandparents and play in the mountains we all still love so much!

Being able to travel and see so much of our beautiful country did so much to help shape who I am today.  I am a southern girl at heart, but I am sure you can tell by touring my home and reading my other posts that my style and personality has been heavily influenced by sights and experiences I was exposed to on our journeys!  What a priceless treasure, to have been able to soak up different cultures, styles, people, and landscapes.  Thanks to my adventurous parents for being willing to load us up and be away from home for weeks at a time.  Your kids are better people for it!

In honor of all of these nostalgic feelings this summer, Tara, Jorj and I thought it would be fun to spread the southern love across the whole country!  During the month of July we want to get a new Facebook "like" from at least one person in every state!  So, if you are reading this, and you don't already follow us on Facebook, head on over and like our page!  If you are a Facebook fan already, we hope you'll tag a friend from a far away place and help us reach our goal!  

​If you are heading out on a road trip of your own this summer, we hope you have safe and happy travels!  Share a picture with us along the way!
​-Roxie

I found myself on the road again last week, and at this point in spring I am beginning to feel a bit like a traveling gypsy! This time we loaded the trailer and headed to North Augusta, SC for Vintage Market Days of North East Georgia. (go figure) The show was hosted in a horse arena with no air conditioning and a dirt floor. The ambiance of this venue was nice for this type of vintage sale, but this girl doesn't like to be hot or dirty so it was a bit of a stretch for me!  

Gaining inspiration from the quickly approaching summer, I brought lots of fun travel/outdoor themed vintage finds.  We loaded in maps, coolers, thermos', and camping equipment.  

I'm a sucker for vintage kitchen items!  We always have to show up with a few of our favorites, like rolling pins, cannisters, enamelware, and milk bottles.

You can never go wrong with trunks and suitcases!  These aluminum suitcases are the first I have found and you can tell by the stickers that they have been well traveled!  There are still a couple left so you may see them pop up in June at our next show!

Vintage Market Days of Greater Atlanta will be our last show for a few months.   If we haven't gotten to meet you yet, we would love to see you in Atlanta!  You can click HERE for more information. Be sure to join our email list, if you haven't already, to keep up with our travel schedule for the fall!

A few years ago, my family began doing something we never thought we’d do - camping! Now, we didn’t want to invest in a camper or RV because we knew we’d feel like we had to use it for every single trip we took, and I still enjoy sleeping in a hotel room for some trips! Instead, we purchased a tent, which claims to sleep 6 people, but in reality has just enough room for the four of us. As our boys grow taller and taller, that tent gets smaller and smaller!

I love going camping in our little tent, though. Not because I’m really that "outdoorsy," although I do appreciate the natural surroundings. I love it because it’s time spent with my family with little to no distractions! When we’re at home, we don’t stop to look for fireflies or build a fire to roast marshmallows. My boys enjoy riding their bikes through the woods so much more than they do at home. Just the simple things like playing cards or eating hot dogs are so much more fun than they would be at home.

On a camping trip, we’re in close quarters with each other, which would be annoying at home. Even when we go on vacation and stay in a hotel room, we have more space. And, since we’re physically closer, I think it also brings us closer together in our relationships with each other. We go on adventures together, doing things we’ve never done and seeing things we’ve never seen before. I love knowing that we are building memories with our boys that they will have for a lifetime.

I’d like to share with you some of our favorite camping spots so far. We’d love to hear from you if you’ve had great experiences at the same locations! Since we’re really just getting started with camping, we’d also love to hear your suggestions for our next camping trip!

1. Tybee Island
http://www.riversendcampground.com

This was our first tent camping experience, and it was a great one! We went with my sister’s family, who had actually been tent camping before, which was a big help. Tybee’s beaches are a lot more natural and less "tourist-y" than many beaches, but we liked that. There are lots of cute little shops and our favorite seafood place, "The Crab Shack." Of course, Tybee is also just minutes away from Savannah, so there’s plenty to do!

2. Anastasia Island State Park
https://www.floridastateparks.org/park/anastasia

Anastasia Island is just across the Bridge of Lions from St. Augustine, with a more natural and less crowded beach. Of course, the trip to St. Augustine is quick, so we enjoyed touring the St. Augustine Pirate Museum, Ripley’s Believe It or Not! and Castillo de San Marcos. Of course, my boys’ favorite moment was when they fired the cannons from the fort!

3. Red Top Mountain State Park
www.gastateparks.org/RedTopMountain

We loved Red Top Mountain because our tent site was right on the banks of Lake Allatoona! My boys just slipped right off the rocks and in to the cool water! We visited the Booth Western Art Museum and The Etowah Indian Mounds. Both were fun and informative field trips that even my boys could appreciate.

4. O’Leno State Park
https://www.floridastateparks.org/park/Oleno

We just visited O’Leno State Park recently, and again, my sister’s family came with us. Located in North Florida, O’Leno is apparently short for "Old Leno," which was once a bustling little town in the late 1800s, until the railroad was diverted around it. We took a short hike from the park area to see where the Santa Fe River actually disappears underground! The river continues underground for three miles before it resurfaces in River Rise Preserve State Park. This time, we didn’t plan much in the way of activities, but we did kayak down the Santa Fe River and saw several springs, including Lilly Springs, where we found "Naked Ed." Yes, he is naked, as my son discovered in attempting to be the first to arrive at the springs! He has a small dock where he sits with a wall to protect your eyes, and he is happy to talk with visitors about his life and family and how he came to be "Naked Ed." It was certainly an experience we’d never have anywhere else!

5. FDR State Park
www.gastateparks.org/FDRoosevelt

Our family has made several trips to Callaway Gardens, but hadn’t really taken notice of FDR State Park. Boy, had we been missing out! There were so many places to hike and picnic and just take in the beautiful views! Of course, we saw Callaway Gardens again and enjoyed the Butterfly Center and the Birds of Prey show, but we also visited Warm Springs to see President Roosevelt’s Little White House and learn a little more about his life. And, we drove a little farther to Pine Mountain to the Wild Animal Safari! That was one of the most interesting and fun adventures we’ve had! If you go, rent a van - I promise, it’s worth it!

One thing that has always bothered me when we camp is the amount of trash we accumulate by using paper cups and plates. I don’t really like using plastic (just personal preference) and I certainly don’t trust my packing skills enough to take anything breakable! I’ve found the perfect solution here at The Southern Mercantile - our beautiful enamelware! By investing $36 in a set of four plates and four mugs, I’ll cut down on our trash for years to come, and I’m sure I’ve already spent that much on paper goods in the past!

1. Rent a space big enough for everyone to have their own space. We’ve found great houses by searching sites like www.vrbo.com or www.homeaway.com. You can filter by area, number of bedrooms, bathrooms, even pools and hot tubs. Each couple gets their own bedroom, and there’s usually a loft or bunk room for the kids. A couple of living areas plus a game room ensures that everyone in the family has plenty of room for interacting with each other when they want to.

2. When it comes to meals, divide and conquer! Usually, two sisters pair up to plan and prepare dinner; that covers two nights for us. We all pitch in for breakfast and snacks, and either eat out or have leftovers for lunch. This way, we don’t have to eat out every meal, which is usually less expensive and more comfortable. Every year, we say we’re not going to bring so much food - and honestly, it is always less - but somehow we still end up taking home quite a bit. What can I say? We’re good southern women who love to cook and love to eat!
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3. Plan activities, but don’t over-schedule. We usually try to have a day for shopping, knowing ahead of time that one vehicle will return before the other. That way, whoever gets tired first (usually the men or the kids!) can leave, the die-hards can close out the stores, and everyone is happy. We also plan some sort of outdoor activity, such as hiking or playing in the snow. This year, we went zip-lining and had so much fun! (Thanks, Greg and Craig, at Zipline Canopy Tours of Blue Ridge!)

4. Be okay with the fact that some may not want to participate in all the planned activities. It’s also okay for one group to do one thing and another to do something else. For example, while two families zip-lined at Zipline Canopy Tours of Blue Ridge, the others visited Cabbage Patch Kids Babyland General Hospital. We just have an unspoken rule that everyone is present for dinner. That’s our time for everyone to bond with each other. Sometimes we’ll follow up with a movie or game; sometimes we’ll take turns in the hot tub. Either way, it’s all about relaxing and enjoying each other’s company.
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5. Last, but not least, RELAX! If things don't go exactly as planned, don’t stress about it. Remember the reason you’re going on this trip together is to be together and build memories. Everything is not going to turn out perfectly, and that is okay. In fact, sometimes the best memories are made when things go wrong. Like the time we had to stop every thirty minutes for my son to go to the bathroom, and even that wasn’t enough - his poor, sweet cousin ended up holding a water bottle for him to use while we were stuck in traffic and couldn’t get off the interstate! Or, the time my husband nearly drove into the house because of ice in the driveway - my sister kept saying, “You can brake now! You can stop now!” and he kept saying, “I am! I am!” And, we still poke fun at my sister who brought enough Fred Flintstone-sized steaks to feed us all for the entire weekend. The point is to make the best of your time together and HAVE FUN!!

***As a side note, my husband’s grandfather treated us all to a 4-day Bahamas cruise for our Christmas present in 2015! A total of 32 of us sailed away together, and by sticking to these tips, we actually all returned still loving each other! We all found activities that suited our interests, sometimes with others, sometimes on our own, and we made sure that we all ate dinner together each evening. No one got thrown overboard, and we made wonderful memories together that will last a lifetime!