We had such an outpouring of support in voting for us on Mission: Small Business. We were able to reach the 250 votes needed to qualify now it's up to Mission: Small Business to select the 12 recipients. 

Just like in politics, there is another opportunity to vote Southport. This time we're nominated for The Indy Channel's A*List. We've placed in the top five for the past few years but it would be great to be number one this year! Our dealers and customers are already number one to us, so it would be great to be number one for them!

You may have noticed our resident jokester Kay Anderson has been missing from the mall.  For anyone who has seen Kay for the past 16 years speed walking through the mall, scavenging through dumpsters, or being a one women moving crew it won’t be a surprise that Kay’s knees have less energy then her. After too many years of grinning and bearing it and never complaining, Kay has finally been forced to put her knees first and have knee replacement surgery. So don’t worry when you don’t see her over the next few months, she is at home recuperating from a successful surgery.

Kay is such an integral part of our Southport Antique Mall family. She brings a spirit of genuine altruism and leaves everyone she meets with a smile on their face. Kay has been dedicated to reusing and recycling long before it was the trendy thing to do; she brings this commitment to the mall by spearheading our green efforts. She is always willing to help; she keeps our egos in check with her good-natured teasing, and keeps us all laughing with her wacky Kay-isms. Get well soon and hurry back!

We will miss her a lot over the next few months; here are some of the highlights of what her mall family will miss most…

“Kay is absolutely the most wonderful, kindest, and orneriest person I know and I’ll miss everything about her but especially her wearing her clothes backwards.  We love her and can’t wait for her to return.” Jane

“I will miss her kindness and caring because she is one of the most kind and caring people I know.” Suzy

“Mostly her sense of humor.” John

"Kay is a mix of kindness and fun with a little evil thrown in. You should all be blessed to work with someone like her. I'll miss you Kay!" Geri

If you’ve been in the mall in the last month you may have noticed that the upstairs has been closed for renovation. We’re very excited to bring a fresh look to Sam’s Attic but we’re even more excited to be offering a new way to meet our customers needs. The upstairs isn’t the only thing getting a fresh look. Keep your eyes open for new projects through out the mall inside and out. The building exterior will also be receiving a facelift, with new paint and a fresh new look. 

Watch for project updates and a full report on what’s new upstairs in upcoming newsletters.

Many of you may remember feeding your sweet tooth by buying candy at the front desk to support Ella Haganman's (future third generation owner) fundraising efforts to travel with her dance team to a national competition. We wanted to give you an update on how the Dynamites, Ella's team, fared at nationals. All the girls had the trip of a lifetime. They took part in fun activities like trips to the beach and aquarium and learned a lot from dance workshops. They even got to meet dance celebrities like "So You Think You Can Dance" season seven winner, Lauren Froderman (See photo of her and Ella on Left).  

While all of that was fun the Dynamites went to compete and they brought home the gold. They earned first place gold in ballet and second place gold in tap. Check out the picture of their smiling faces and winnings below. They send a big thanks for all your support.