With stylish clothes and long blonde curls, Sundi McLaughlin looks right at home among the perfume, books, jewelry, decor, and homemade candles in her Southern Pines shop, Mockingbird on Broad. So at home that some of her fellow Broad Street shopkeepers were shocked to learn of her previous occupation — as a prison deputy. But for those who knew McLaughlin’s spontaneous side, it wasn’t that surprising.
After all, it was a whim that, more than 20 years ago, drove McLaughlin to move to Key West to go shell diving. She shared her collection at a roadside shell stand, where she loved chatting with travelers about the colorful conchs. Two years later, she traded her bathing suit for a police uniform and a midnight shift in a Florida correctional facility, where she held art contests for prisoners. When her husband was stationed at Fort Bragg in 2008, McLaughlin once again found herself with a fresh start. In 2010, she purchased her Broad Street storefront and gave the brick facade a fresh coat of blue paint.
Today, Mockingbird on Broad is filled with thoughtful gifts, each of which McLaughlin describes as passionately as if it were a rare conch.
Mockingbird on Broad
162 NW Broad Street
Southern Pines, NC 28387
(910) 692-5338
mockingbirdonbroad.com
When it comes to spreading holiday cheer, the residents of this Chatham County town start early.
Our editor in chief shares a few treasured memories from her childhood home, a Christmas Eve night being one of the very first.
We took some, ahem, creative liberties when we combed through Our State’s archives to find a few favorite stories that carry the tune of a Christmas classic.
From decades-old family recipes to a centuries-old Carolina cookie, we’re filling our holiday tables with dishes that have stood the test of time.
