This month’s Interior Decorator Spotlight is The Wood Shed by JJ. Allen “JJ” Jones was born and raised in Oxford, MS and was a three-sport athlete at Oxford High School. Getting a degree in criminal justice while also playing sports in college, he quickly discovered criminal justice was not for him. After getting sole custody of his 13 year old daughter, he found himself homeless and living with his daughter in his truck in the Walmart parking lot in northern Mississippi. He moved back to Oxford and found creative wood working to not only be his God given gift, but his passion that he has since turned into a successful business. We recently spoke with JJ in Oxford to ask him 3 questions.

Lee Cauthen knows a thing or two about running a successful restaurant on the Oxford Square. Before opening McEwen’s, he managed the popular Downtown Grill (where Boure is currently located). Lee’s cool, calm and kind demeanor are rare to find in a restaurant owner, but it’s what keeps his staff consistent and happy – and that consistency in both staff and delicious food is what keeps McEwen’s one of our favorite Oxford restaurants!

Hardwood floors are loved for their look, shine and durability. However, many people debate the best way to clean hardwood floors. There is definitely a responsibility to owning wood flooring, so let’s take a closer look at this realtor.com article for the best steps to maintaining these floors.

Jane Cross, owner of JANE on the Oxford Square, is the epitome of a successful business woman with fantastic style, and she is also a wonderful human being. JANE was opened 4 years ago with the goal of bringing fashion inspiration and everyday essentials to build the wardrobe of women of all ages. We believe she’s definitely accomplished that goal and helped to provide mentorship to her staff on a regular basis.

Many of our clients who are building a new home decide to put their current home on the market. But what happens when their current home sells and the new home they are building does not close at the same time? It could leave the homeowner homeless for a few months. This is a great scenario for negotiating a “rent-back” agreement on their current home.

Oxford is host to some wonderful non-profit organizations that provide for our community in so many ways. We want to provide a glimpse of these organizations each month. The Oxford Civic Chorus holds a special place in my heart, as I was its Artistic Director for 5 years and sang in the choir while in college. It was founded in 1998 by University of Mississippi music department professor, Dr. Martha Hitch, and senior music student, Gabriel Statom. This excellent community chorus has been inspiring singers, enriching the community and expanding musical horizons ever since!

With home prices still high, many of you may have considered buying a foreclosure. Foreclosure purchases are up more than 150%! While you may be able to get a deal, you may also be stuck with a very expensive project. Thanks to this recent realtor.com article we can share the 4 most costly dangers to buying a foreclosure.

This month’s Interior Decorator Spotlight is Something Southern. Founded in 1996, Becki Huelse, ASID, opened her full service retail Interior Design Firm and moved to its current location on the Square in 2002. With her husband, Mark, and a team of great staff, they have retail stores in Oxford and Starkville and travel throughout Mississippi and neighboring states. Something Southern can help with any stage of your design project from initial plan review to final furniture layout and fabric coordination. Their main upholstery suppliers, Rowe Fine Furniture and Norwalk, are both USA based and are making great strides in supply chain issues, keeping their warehouse well stocked. Something Southern is the largest Hunter Douglas Window Covering dealer in the state, proudly representing the products since 2004. We recently met with Mark and Becki in Oxford to ask them 3 questions.

I am just finishing up a kitchen remodel at my personal home. It was a large scale project that we knew would be expensive, but we felt comfortable moving forward due to the fact that we had a wonderful contractor (Oxford Cabinetry and Stone) who explained everything in detail before we began the process. However, there are ways to spruce up your kitchen without breaking the bank. Thanks to this realtor.com article for sharing some tips!

Chef John Currence is known throughout Oxford for his four fantastic restaurants: City Grocery, Big Bad Breakfast, Boure and Snackbar. These restaurants helped to elevate Oxford’s restaurant scene and continue to draw visitors (and locals) year round. Snackbar continues to be one of our favorite restaurants in Oxford!

When some buyers (and realtors) hear the phrase, “This home is located in a FEMA flood zone,” many will not even look at the property for fear of having to deal with the dreaded flood insurance! But local insurance agent, Kyle Killens of Goosehead Insurance, breaks down exactly what a flood zone is and how flood insurance works.

“Oh no! The house I want to see is now pending. What does that mean?” We get asked this question a lot! Pending contracts can vary, depending on the contingencies in place. Thanks to this realtor.com article for helping to explain the differences.

With Ole Miss Recruitment starting next week (August 15th) and Ole Miss Football soon to follow, Lily Pad is primed and ready for the new school year. From Bid Day Baskets to Game Day clothing to gifts and accessories, Lily Pad has it all!

Whether you are looking to put your house on the market and want to get rid of the dog smell before showings begin or you just want to neutralize the dog odor in your current home, here are a few tips from realtor.com to help rid your home of that smell!

Oxford is host to some wonderful non-profit organizations that provide for our community in so many ways. We want to provide a glimpse of these organizations each month. The United Way of Oxford-Lafayette County has been serving its residents since 1970. Executive Director, Kurt Brummett, recently shared, “I love the fact that our local United Way touches every age group and demographic in our community through the worthwhile local programs and initiatives we help support within our four focus areas of health, education, financial stability, and basic needs.”

With the start of the Fall semester at Ole Miss just around the corner (August 22nd), Oxford is also looking forward to Ole Miss Recruitment and SEC football! Oxford hotels have started filling up, so why not think about renting a short-term rental when you travel to Oxford. Neighborhood Realty has a few to share!

Kelly Jeffus turned her cheese-making hobby into a passion that allowed her to open our favorite cheese shop in Oxford, Johnston Hill Creamery. All of their cheese products are made by hand using traditional methods and aged in-house in their 150 square foot cheese cave. With no added preservatives, they only use milk and cream purchased locally from Brown Family Farm.

This month’s Interior Decorator Spotlight is Southern Bath & Kitchen. Southern Bath & Kitchen is a division of Southern Pipe & Supply Company, Inc. With over 50 designer showrooms across 7 states, Oxford is lucky enough to have one, and Kimberly Snider is its showroom super saleswoman. She knows it all and can help you find exactly what you are looking for! We recently met with Kimberly in Oxford to ask her 3 questions.

You’ve just moved into your new home and hopefully set up your bed (or maybe it’s a blow up mattress on the floor)! But before you get started unpacking your many labeled boxes, here is a list of 8 things to do (thanks, realtor.com) that will only benefit you in the future.

Hollywood Feed opened its first pet supply store in Memphis, TN in the early 1950s. They’ve grown from their single Memphis location to over 180 locations throughout the country, and Oxford is lucky enough to have one!