Biz Buzz Mother's Day! Shop, Shop, Shop Local!

Biz Buzz By Dianne Lively Yost It’s Mother’s Day season and y’all know what that means: Somebody’s handsome husband had best take his credit cards shoppin’ and hit all the local shops! Y’all check out the fab Mother’s Day page in this week’s newspaper and the Rutledge Page for some great gift ideas! Whidby Jewelers owner Ben Whidby wanted me to tell y’all all ‘bout his great Mother’s Day promotion with his fab Chamilia line of charms and bracelets and more! Anyhow, the deal is this: When you spend $99 on Chamilia products you’ll get a beautiful tote bag valued at more than $65! Wow! Momma’s gonna want that y’all! Plus Ben’s got all kinds of great new jewelry lines in the shop and my fave is the new CoLore | SG line (it used to be called Lorenzo) and the new jewelry is the Fusion Collection! Y’all are gonna flip when you see it! Get over to Whidby Jewelers located at 177 West Jefferson St., right smack across from Town Park! Love it! Oh and check out the Whidby Jewelers ad on the Mother’s Day page! Listen y’all: Nothin’ says Happy Mother’s Day better than a gift certificate from Pure Bliss! Owner Julie Speyer is offerin’ lots of cool discounts for that special mom! Check out her ad on the Mother’s Day Page and take a look at all the relaxin’ ways you can show Momma the love! I sure hope my three kids are flat payin’ attention! Honey MeeMaw loves turquoise jewelry like nobody’s business! I’m talkin’ rings, bracelets, earrings, necklaces, belt buckles and more honey get over to Artisan Alley right smack down from Whidby Jewelers at 199 West Jefferson St., in Madison! They also have great t-shirts, pottery (the bacon cooker is oh-so-cool), art, scarves . . . The list goes on! Check it out y’all! If your momma is nuts ‘bout fashion, honey check out Barkin’ Dogs Shoe Co. and Amelia’s located at 172 South Main Street in downtown Madison! They have so many great fashions to choose from! Check out those fantastic sandals in the Barkin’ Dogs ad! I NEED THEM! Oh and check out the Brighton flips! I’VE ALREADY BOUGHT MY PAIR! Love, love, love it! Honey and my Momma loves Pandora charms, bracelets, necklaces and earrings and the place to find it is at Belles, Beaux & Gifts located at 115 South Main Street in downtown Madison across from the post office! I just love poppin’ in there to see all the beautiful Pandora and fabulous things for the table and home! Plus owner Theresa Bishop has a great sales table in the back! Y’all get over there immediately and check it all out! Oh and don’t forget Perk Avenue is havin’ a fantastic Mother’s Day Celebration on Sunday with Baked Ham or Roast Beef, Mashed Potatoes, Green Beans, Squash Casserole and homemade yeast rolls! Plus Momma gets a free dessert! Love it! Y’all head over there at 111 West Jefferson St. on Mother’s Day for a great lunch! Can’t wait! Meanwhile, the Mother’s Day Rooster is callin’ from Rutledge to make sure we all know ‘bout the great Mother’s Day ideas at LilyBeth’s like those fabulous indoor/outdoor pillows and shotgun earrings! I just love this shop! Check it out located at 106 West Main St., in downtown Rutledge! Reflections Salon in Rutledge can fix Momma’s hair just right for this Mother’s Day weekend celebration! Book me immediately! Plus you’ll get $5 off any service! Call 404-863-2555! Can’t beat beauty! Hey and Yesterday’s Café, located at 120 Fairplay Street, in downtown Rutledge is always a great choice for a Mother’s Day celebration and owner Kris Bray says Momma’s get a free slice of heaven dessert! What? That’s right y’all! Go get it! Oh and if Momma’s wantin’ a more casual flair this Mother’s Day, The Caboose in Rutledge has the best ding dang Reuben sandwich there ever WAS! And, I ain’t lyin’! But, honey if Momma wants y’all to grill her up a supper, get over to Neighbor’s Market in downtown Rutledge and buy her the best ding dang steaks you’ll ever find! Love it! Did you feel that? Honey there’s lots of movin’ and shakin’ goin’ on over at The Co-Op of Rutledge! I was in there the other day and about had a fit! Honey there have been lots of changes and now the Co-Op is sellin’ antiques, art, dinnerware, floor cloths and fabulous plants! I’ll have more on the Rutledge Co-Op next week ‘cause I’ve flat got to scat! Y’all check out the Rutledge Page in this week’s Citizen! But before I go, there’s a new realtor in town! That’s right! Ok so husband and wife team Allen and Julie McGinnis have opened McGinnis Realty & Appraisals located at 135 West Washington St., in Madison and y’all are gonna love their new office! They completely renovated the interior of the space and added fresh paint and a new awning to the exterior! It looks fab! McGinnis Realty also operates an office in Monticello! Check them out at www.mcginnisrealtyga.com! That’s it for the Biz Buzz y’all! Be good to Momma and I don’t mean maybe, shop local ‘cause it’ll mean more to Momma and have a beautiful weekend! I’ll see all y’all next week!

Biz Buzz By Dianne Lively Yost Lord have mercy! Momma’s foot stompin’, fire spittin’, head spinnin’ mad as all get out! Sassy Sista’s done talked PawPaw into takin’ Momma’s credit card away! That dang Sassy Sista told him Momma and I were participatin’ in too much exorbitant, superfluous spendin’! Why I oughta . . . Just wait til I get hold of that measly meddlin’ Sassy Sista! First Momma’s gonna slap her to Sunday then I’m gonna jerk a knot in her chain! Anyhow, all hell’s done broke loose at the home place! I’m talkin’ grandma’s china’s gettin’ slammed against the fireplace and Momma’s on a cookin’ strike! Talk ‘bout a budget battle! No biscuits! No grits! No crispy fried chicken! It don’t get no worse off than that! Hey! Y’all wipe despair-ish look off your ding dang face ‘cause the Biz Buzz has a bona fide solution! We’re gonna spike Sassy Sista’s UGA Tailgate Party Cola this weekend before the Tennessee game with some of Momma’s super rare Whippin Whiplash White Lightnin’! Sassy Sista’ll get so shnockered she’ll make Cooter Brown look like the Queen of England! Then she’ll get busted by the Athens Police! Can’t wait! More details next week . . . In the meantime, I’ve done found PawPaw’s Mad Money Stash! TOUCHDOWN! And just in time too ‘cause honey lots of new businesses are flat poppin’ up all over the place! Well don’t just stand there! Put down those peanuts and LET’S GO! First stop is Dixie Seafood which is openin’ at 10 a.m. this Thursday! Ok so they’re located on Hancock Street next to the Madison-Morgan Courthouse in downtown Madison! Right! So I had to pop in there today to check it all out and honey owners Lori Sheldon and Kevin Power have got it goin’ on! Plus a lot of the seafood they’re sellin’ was caught by them! Honey Lori is an expert lobster catcher! I kid you not y’all . . . these lobsters were caught local honey! And, they’ve got lots of it! In fact, my son Harrison has requested lobster for his 14th birthday bash supper this weekend! Yum! Ok! So they’re also gonna have fresh shrimp from the Georgia Coast, crab and all sorts of fresh fish! I flat can’t wait to get my lobsters! Y’all go check it out Thursday and over the weekend! Next up is The Hub in downtown Madison located at 125 West Washington St., in downtown Madison next to Scoops! Y’all won’t believe this but I swear I just popped in there and have already picked out the perf, perf, perf winter poncho! Owner Shirley Northrop, who has an extensive retail background in Highlands, N.C., has got this shop lookin’ fantastic! I love it! Y’all have got to check it out! It’s slated to open Wednesday or Thursday or this week! Honey, The Hub even has FUR! I’m talkin’ vests, hats, scarves and more! Plus it has women’s pants, skirts, tops and more! Y’all get over there this week and check it all out! You’re gonna LOVE IT! Right so! The next new business is The Barn At Oakleaf Farm! Ok so I know y’all remember that fabulous Say Yes! wedding magazine by Lake Oconee Living that we published in February! Well the cover wedding took place at The Barn At Oakleaf Farm and honey they got so much exposure and interest from future brides from the Say Yes! wedding magazine that they are now transforming the barn into a beautiful rustic wedding destination! Owner Lissa Phelps is partnerin’ with Hundred Acre Farms to make the barn a highly demanded wedding and event venue! Ok so we’re all gonna get to see this beautiful space for ourselves on Sunday, Oct. 7 from 1 p.m. til 5 p.m. for an Open House! The Barn At Oakleaf Farm is located at 2230 Sandy Creek Road in Madison! Y’all can get directions from their beautiful website at www.oakleafbarn.com! I can’t wait for this open house! Check out their ad in this week’s Citizen! Oh and they are gonna offer a wedding tasting by Beyond Details and wedding cakes by Sweet Afternoons! Say Yes . . . to the Open House at the Barn at Oakleaf Farm! See you there! And, speakin’ of Say Yes! . . . We are currently gettin’ ready for the 2013 wedding issue that will come out in January! Oh and the premium advertising pages are all OPEN so y’all give us a call at 706-342-7440 to reserve the back, inside front and other premium spots! Oh and to commemorate Breast Cancer Awareness Month in October, The Spa at the James Madison is offering a complimentary 30-minute spa service (facial, massage, manicure or pedicure) to breast cancer survivors on Oct. 16! So make your reservation and celebrate life and good health at the spa! The Spa at the James Madison is located in the Madison Markets campus at 218 West Washington St. in Madison and you can call them at 706-342-7000! Dang! Outta time. Outta space. Y’all be real sugary sweet to Momma! And, I’ll see all y’all next week with lots and lots of fantastic Biz Buzz!

Art, Artists and Art Lovers Gather at Town 220!

Last night was the opening exhibit of Aislin's Bouquet From the Garden of the Fall. Celebrating the Garden as metaphor and inspiration. This exhibit will be on display at Town 220 in Madison, Ga., until Jan. 29, 2011 and is a must-see exhibit of fantastic art! Exhibiting Artists: Greg Benson, Andy Cherewick, Tex Crawford, Dana Downs, Erin Duncun, Ryan Griffin, Ann Hamlin, Steve Hinton, Matt Holcomb, Don Jolley, Robert Lowery, David Jenkins, Mary Frances Flanders, Mary Leslie, Melin Foscue Miller, Masakatsu Nakagawa, Barbara Odil, Marshall Reddoch, Brian Reade, Father Anthony Salzman, Sam Seawright, Jeanne Wesson and Lamar Wood! The slide show below does not do this exhibit justice. You must see it for yourself! You'll be so glad you did!

Art Celebrating the Garden at Town 220 in Madison

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ABC Network World News With Diane Sawyer in Madison

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World News With Diane Sawyer Highlights Madison

Rhonda Smith of the Spa at the James Madison in downtown Madison Georgia is gonna be a bona fied star on ABC Network's World News With Diane Sawyer tonight, Oct. 6 or tomorrow Oct. 7 at 7 p.m. Rhonda is one of three Georgians the network is featuring about a story they're doing on Georgia Work$, a Georgia Department of Labor program designed to offer on-the-job training. Y'all check it out!

Pictured above is ABC Correspondent Steve Osunsami of Atlanta with Madisonian Rhonda Smith! Of course Steve has his copy of Lake Oconee Living magazine!

Fall Kitchen Tour

Thanks to all of the FANTASTIC shops, businesses and restaurants that advertised in the Citizen's Fall Kitchen Tour Supplement! We can't do what we do without out! :)