Born out of a dream to be a haven for shoppers in the Hattiesburg area, Stephen and Dawn Beam opened the doors of Lovie's in July of 2005 at 1317 Hardy Street, Hattiesburg, MS.

Located in a house built in the late 20's or early 30's, with its high ceilings and beautiful fireplaces, Lovie's offered a warm, exciting environment for shopping with each purchase being wrapped before leaving. Many customers fell in love with the homemade fudge made on site in a variety of flavors. Each room was named for a different theme representing inspirational, home decorations, garden, and whimsical. Much of the painting and creativity was done by the Beams. Many patrons inquired about a brick wall that was very colorful - the wall represented coats and coats of different colored paints through the years. Stephen worked the pressure washer while Dawn swept the water outside the building to create a real piece of art.

Lovie's is named for Lovie Beam, Stephen's mother. Lovie was a loving mother of three with a sweet Southern disposition. Lovie, who died in 1996, was described recently by her best friend, Bernice Johnson. "What I had was hers and what she had was mine. We would put up vegetables together and garden. She was a hard worker and loved to read." Although her education was limited, she knew the value of education and held educators in the highest esteem. When Stephen told his mother that he was going to quit teaching school at Hattiesburg High School and go to medical school, her reply was "Why would you do that?" "My mother thought the ultimate was to be a schoolteacher and she really did not understand why I would want to be a medical doctor when I could be a teacher," commented Stephen.

At the end of June, 2007, Lovie's closed her doors to prepare for her new home at 6565 Highway 98, Suite 150, Hattiesburg, Mississippi. The Beams really let their dreams and creativity go wild - and shoppers will enjoy the masterpiece in the end. The bright colors, carpentry, ironworks and lighting is a treat in and of itself. The Beams are quick to credit Gibson Smith, (who co-owns the shopping complex and oversaw construction – but also came up with some great ideas that were incorporated into the Lovie's project), Craig Sammons (whose carpentry skills ability to see initial vision the Beam's has resulted in very unique buildings), Jason Kelly (who used a variety of white washing and painting techniques to give character to the construction) and Fred Fisher (who not only caught the vision and was a source of ideas and encouragement along the way but helped put the whip cream and cherry on top with fabulous plants and garden settings). Each building has a special meaning and is full of surprises.

There is the Katie Rose Cottage – a quaint little black and white house with bright pink walls. Sure to brighten anyone's day, the room is full of cheerful gifts, trendy jewelry, and fun home decorative. This room has a variety of sorority gifts, lamps and uplifting quotes to decorate a dorm room or bedroom. Encouraging notes and calendars by Mississippi artists are also available in this fun room. This room is named for a dear friend of the Beams who truly knows the joy of giving. Mrs. Katie Rose never misses sending the Beams an anniversary card or a birthday card. Hopefully, this room will just make it easier for the area residents to find a "Happy" for a friend or for themselves.

There is the rustic looking old church – dubbed the "House of Joy". This room is full of inspirational gifts including angels, crosses, and uplifting quotes and Bible verses. The lighting in this building really sets it off. "When Stephen and I first talked about Lovie's, I told him that it was hard to find inspirational items that did not look manufactured. We have tried to find unique accent pieces and gift items that would look beautiful in the home or office and would be an inspiration for families," said Dawn. Lovie's is not a "Christian Gift Store" but the Beam's faith is quite evident in Lovie's warm, uplifting environment.

The tea store – named McRee Tea for Dawn's grandparents and namesake – offers a variety of loose teas and tea accessories. Stephen and Dawn attended the International Tea Expo this summer and are excited about the opportunity to offer a variety of gourmet teas to the benefits in addition to the culinary and social history of tea.

The tea bar located in the back of Lovie's serves both cold and hot teas, sweets including the beloved homemade Lovie's fudge. A special treat is the daily lunch, served Monday through Friday from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m..

 THE BEAMS

Stephen Beam is a local physician at Wesley Medical Center where he serves as Director of the Workwell and the VA Clinic. He has also served a team physician for USM sports since 1989 and enjoys getting to know the players and coaches. Dawn is a local attorney and recently was elected Lamar County’s County Attorney. Although Stephen and Dawn have resided in the Hattiesburg area for many years, they met at a Methodist Church Camp on the Mississippi Gulf Coast in July of 2001 and married in June of 2002. Together, Stephen and Dawn have five children Matt, Jason, and Amy Beam and Will and Sam Newman.