Erin Napier Shops With ‘Gal Pals’ at Target: Meet Her 3 Best Friends

Erin Napier's best friends

HGTV/YouTube HGTV star Erin Napier's closest "gal pals" (from top to bottom) Mallorie Rasberry, Aly Saxton Smith and Emily Nowell

When Erin Napier is feeling out of sorts, she gets by with a little help from her friends. The HGTV star has a small crew of close girlfriends, whom she and Ben — her husband and “Home Town” co-host — call the “gal pals.”

Her three best buds all live in Laurel, Mississippi, where the Napiers film their hit show and are closely involved in the success of the show, its related businesses, and the revival of Laurel to a flourishing community. Here’s a look at the women Erin counts on in good times and bad…


Erin’s Besties Joke About Rashes, Lipstick & Instacart

On August 31, 2022, Erin posted an Instagram selfie of herself with her three “gal pals” shopping at Target. The photo was taken on August 26, after Ben surprised his wife with several sweet “gifts of time” — including a fun afternoon with her best buds in nearby Hattiesburg, Mississippi — leading up to her 37th birthday on August 30.

Erin captioned the Target selfie as “a post in praise of #galpals,” reflecting on her day with dear friends Mallorie Rasberry, Emily Nowell and Aly Saxton Smith.

“When I see your faces in a crowded room my blood pressure drops and it feels like when you’re little and get lost in a store then find your mom again,” she wrote. “I hate shopping except when I’m with you. I wish this for all y’all.”

In the comment section, the girlfriends chimed in, referencing inside jokes and conversations.

Nowell commented, “Imma find that lipstick dupe and when I do, it’ll be a better thrill than when the scissors slide thru the wrapping paper!” and Erin wrote back, “FROM YOUR LIPS TO GODS EARS BABY”

Rasberry acknowledged the foursome’s closeness, referring to the text messages they send each other as a group.

“God help us if anyone ever hacks our text thread,” she wrote. “And that’s how it SHOULD BE.”

Saxton Smith responded, “@malraz, this just made me sweat even thinking about that happening @erinapier @ebnow” along with a crying-laughing emoji, to which Rasberry replied, “lots of juicy talk about weird rashes and our latest reviews on Instacart deliveries.”

Here’s a little bit about the three friends who Erin relies on most…


Mallorie Rasberry: Best Friend Who Married Erin’s Cousin

Fans of “Home Town” will likely recognize Mallorie Rasberry from her frequent appearances on the show as Erin’s crafty best friend. She often helps Erin with creative projects, from cooking jambalaya with friends when Erin was pregnant with daughter Mae to refurbishing an antique lamp for a client’s home.

Mallorie and Erin met in college at Ole Miss in Oxford, Mississippi, and she wound up marrying  Erin’s first cousin, Jim, and moving to Laurel. In 2018, Mallorie told Gulf Coast Woman the story.

“He and Erin are first cousins — their dads are brothers,” Mallorie explained. “Erin was my roommate in Oxford and was doing her senior art exhibit on Jim and Danny’s First National Bank Building. She did all the ads, promos, and whole marketing package for the business opening so, naturally, Jim came up to Oxford that evening to see the exhibit. I met him at the exhibit and within two years, I had made Laurel my new hometown!”

Mallorie and Jim now own Rasberry Financial Services and are co-owners of Laurel Mercantile, the shop where all “Home Town” merchandise and the Napiers’ favorite home products can be found. She also runs The Laurel Cottages, available to rent via Airbnb, and speaks to Main Street organizations across the U.S. Her own house, where she’s raising daughters Lucy and Lottie, is so adorable it’s frequently featured in media outlets like Country Living.


Emily Nowell: Gal Pal Who Married the Woodworker

 

Emily Nowell is another familiar face in Laurel and a longtime friend of Erin’s. Emily and her husband Josh, who is frequently seen on “Home Town” doing woodworking for upcoming home renovations, are the third set of Laurel Mercantile’s co-owners. Together, the three couples own and run the business, which they opened in 2016. In 2018, the group expanded to a second retail location in Laurel with the addition of the Scotsman General Store & Ben’s Woodshop. Emily serves as the company’s vice president of operations.

Erin blogged about attending and singing at her friend Emily’s wedding back in 2010 and included lots of photos of the event. Josh attended Ole Miss along with Erin and Ben, and met Emily — who attended Southern Miss — via a blind date.

According to the Laurel Mercantile site, the Nowells spent the early years of their marriage traveling as landmen, servicing gas and oil companies, until they learned they were expecting their first baby and moved back to Josh’s hometown of Laurel. They’re now parents to sons Samuel and Teddy.


Aly Saxton Smith: Friend Who Got a “Home Town” House

Aly Saxton Smith and her husband, Jordan, are also longtime friends of the Napiers.. Jordan went to college with Erin and Ben at Ole Miss. Aly went to the nearby University of Mississippi and they met on campus when Jordan was there as a cheerleader. Erin designed their wedding invitations in 2012. According to an article in Mississippi Magazine, the couple moved to Tennessee for their careers, but moved to Laurel in 2017.

When “Home Town” was beginning to take off on HGTV, the Napiers renovated the Smiths’ Italiante mansion in Laurel during the second season. Aly is also the longest-standing employee at Laurel Mercantile Co. From the start, she’s led the team as the store manager, product curator, window decorator, office caterer, event planner, and more.