We are southern. Tara and I were both born and raised in Ocilla, Ga, the small town that we still call home. A two traffic light, one high school, everybody knows everybody, tiny, sometimes maddening, wonderful little jewel of a town! For me being southern means yes ma’am, y’all, please and thank you. It means sweet tea, fried chicken, pimiento cheese and more delicious desserts than you could eve
r count. It’s church dinners, casseroles for shut ins, summer gardens and dinner parties. A place where gentlemen and ladies still exist, where your front porch is the most relaxing place in your home and where manners still mean something. My parents were not from here so I guess I am technically still an “outsider”. My father is from Colorado and my mother is from Arlington, VA. Even though my parents were not raised in the deep south, I have grown to appreciate my southern upbringing and cherish the lessons I have learned. My southern roots do run deep as my grandmother was raised in Selma, Alabama. Despite living outside Washington D.C. for 60 years, she never lost her classic southern drawl or her need to serve a fruit or congealed salad at every meal. At The Southern Mercantile, both online and in our store, we have taken great care in curating a wonderful selection of goods that we feel represent the beauty and the ease of southern living. We hope, more than anything, that The Southern Mercantile will be a place you can come and relax, read funny stories or helpful how-tos, and feel connected in some way to our little town and our crazy southern ways! The Southern Mercantile is a celebration of everything that is good about The South. Let’s remember how to host fabulous porch parties and wedding showers, and how to can our own vegetables and make our own jams. Let’s take pride in our homes and our gardens, no matter how big or small, and enjoy the best that life has to offer. “Simple Living, Southern Charm.” That pretty much sums it up! Simply living, by appreciating the beauty that surrounds us and taking the time to soak up the history and the nostalgia of our southern roots. There are so many wonderful things that we have learned from growing up southern and we can’t wait to share them with you in hopes that you too will be able to embrace the ease of southern living!
