Innholdsfortegnelse for October 2013 i Southern Lady

DON’T YOU JUST LOVE OCTOBER? THE CRISP mornings, the deep-blue skies, the changing leaves that turn otherwise ordinary trees into colorful works of art— we marvel at the unmistakable majesty of autumn and look for ways to enjoy it to the fullest. This issue of Southern Lady is filled to the brim with ideas to make this time of year even more wonderful, and it starts with pumpkins! We have included a fun pumpkin-themed party—complete with delicious recipes—and creative porch décor to add seasonal welcome to any home. Our family dinner brings together kith and kin, and the scrumptious s’mores treats in Recipe Box are amazing—our staff can vouch for the yumminess! If you want to entertain outdoors, you’ll find that our fabulous lakeside tablescape in Seasonal Settings beautifully illustrates…

THE INSPIRATION Hand-painted in France’s Loire Valley, each plate in Gien’s Rambouillet collection highlights a different woodland animal. Rambouillet Dinner Plate by Gien, $310; Bromberg’s, brombergs.com. ELEGANT OPTIONS The metallic glaze of a tortoise-shell-patterned charger brings instant sophistication to sylvan dinnerware. To further dress up the scene, opt for stately goblets, fine table linens, and flatware reminiscent of pearlized horns. Tortoise Gold Finition Charger by Jaune de Chrome, $255; DeVine Corporation, devinecorp.net. Atlantide Flatware by Ashanti, $220 for 5-piece place setting, Castillian Hammered Wine by Napa Home & Garden, $40, Pashmina Vision Napkin by Garnier-Thiebaut, $20, and Pashmina Vision Tablecloth by Garnier-Thiebaut, $200; Bromberg’s, brombergs.com. CASUAL POSSIBILITIES Emphasize the whimsical side of woodland plates by mixing in a punchy color. Then maintain a level of refinement with rustic details, such…

My affinity for personalization began as a teen, when the most sought-after accessory among my friends was a certain brand of leather purse. When I received the coveted bag— complete with my initials—as a gift from my parents, my enchantment with monograms ensued. In recent years, I have viewed some of the most exquisite ciphers on linen, silver, and china, and like that young girl of long ago, a beautiful monogram still makes me pause to study the details. My husband, Neal, and I have made our home a personal haven by incorporating our cipher into the décor from chair cushions to tableware to art. Like us, you might want to have more than one monogram, depending upon the occasion or application. Whether your tastes lean toward traditional, modern, or…

LEAF A MARK Hand-forged ginkgo leaves sculpted in wrought iron turn this light into a work of art. Ginkgo Table Lamp, $489; Palecek, palecek.com. NEW WAVE Say goodbye to boring with this cool column lamp fashioned from striated glass in beachy blues. Talia Lamp in Aquamarine, $300; Arteriors, arteriorshome.com. GLEAM TEAM Pair a striking gold X with a delicate loop in the same finish for a winning combination. Cleo Gold Leafed Lamp, $422.50; Worlds Away, worlds-away.com LESS IS MORE Ditch the dangling cord with this sleek, 60s-inspired lamp that runs on battery power. Jade Cordless Table Lamp, $350; Modern Lantern, modernlantern.com. OUT OF AFRICA Influenced by the designer’s travels, this gorgeous handhammered brass lamp resembles old Moroccan water pots. Taza Lamp in Antique Brass, $150, and Taupe Lattice Classic Drum…

Join us for a Southern celebration at the pumpkin patch! Filled with creative ideas, delicious dishes, and outdoor fun for the entire family, this splendid shindig serves as a timeless ode to the harvest as well as a joyful kickoff for autumn activities. Great Variety What started with the gift of seeds from some unusual pumpkins discovered on a trip to Georgia has grown into a most-anticipated annual event. Melinda Smith of Steele, Alabama, planted those seeds and then the next year planted other varieties. “I thought it would be fun to have a fall party,” she says, so she used the first crop in displays on her wraparound front porch. It was a hit, and over the past 12 years, the festivities have multiplied, along with the varieties available.…

Escape to a place where the best parts of small-town living mix with a rich history of soulful music: Cleveland, Mississippi. Born along the railroad in 1886, Cleveland was a fortuitous crossroads for modern transportation and the Delta’s fertile soil. Here, agriculture and industry thrived, as did the arts and some of America’s most influential music. Today, Delta State University helps Cleveland strike that unique balance of small Southern city and cool college town. Thanks in part to the school, Cleveland offers everyday luxuries not always found in the Delta—things like gourmet coffee shops, hip downtown apartments, and the promise of a cultural event or live music at every turn. W.C. Handy, often referred to as the “Father of the Blues,” claims to have found his own enlightenment in Cleveland.…

FROM START TO FINISH, this issue is filled with some mighty fine ways to celebrate autumn’s arrival. We begin with harvest hues and seasonal splendor, interpreted in prints, patterns, tablescapes, and floral arrangements. Then we travel across the South to discover beautiful sights—both indoors and out. (Don’t miss the incredible interiors of a home designed around a collection of blue-and-white Mottahedeh china on page 57.) Food Editor Aimee Lindsey has prepared some delicious dishes for the entire family, including tasty sandwiches, soups, and s’mores-inspired desserts that take campfire cuisine to a whole new level (page 89). And because nothing says “Happy fall, y’all!” like a bunch of pumpkins, we’ve got lots of ’em, along with a fresh crop of ideas on ways to decorate with them. We loved traipsing through…

When Mary Wallace looks back on her childhood in rural east Tennessee, she vividly remembers the few times she was allowed to retrieve her father’s special green military case and “play” with the curious mementos stored inside. It wasn’t until years later, after her father had passed away, that she truly understood and appreciated the contents—cab tickets, foreign coins, medals, and fobs that together told the story of James’s experiences in the air force during World War II. “I was just fascinated by the things my father had kept,” explains Mary, adding she has always had a penchant for “anything with a patina.” The rediscovery of her father’s belongings sent her hunting for and researching other wartime artifacts, and the more she learned and collected, the more her interest grew.…

A simple cabin with a lake view, a beach house on a sandy strand, a high-rise condo amid the sparkle of city lights—we all have our own vision of the perfect getaway where we can enjoy a change of both scenery and pace. Ideally, this sanctuary suits our needs while also reflecting our personalities. So how do we create this little escape? Enter Jan Showers. The trademark of this renowned Dallas designer is the “understated glamour” found in primary residences from coast to coast. Now in her latest book, Glamorous Retreats, she brings that same approach to a dozen second homes. From a sea-glass-hued cottage in Nantucket to chic 29th-floor digs in Dallas to a rustic but very refined lodge in Colorado, the designer displays her unparalleled ability to turn…

ust 45 minutes from Orlando lies the step-back-in-time town of Mount Dora, Florida. Named for hospitable homesteader Dora Ann Drawdy, who settled here in the mid-1880s, the burg and its beautiful lake draw visitors who love to relax in its laid-back atmosphere—and to peruse the vintage wares the area is famous for. Every weekend, antiques hunters can search for hidden gems at Renninger’s Twin Markets, a 117-acre spread of fabulous finds on U.S. Highway 441. They also host special fairs every third weekend of the month (excluding December) with more than 400 dealers and—hold on to your hats—three annual extravaganzas with about 1,400 dealers. Just imagine what you might find! J Local Color Park the car, and stroll through the quaint downtown area, soaking in the flavor of this Old…

hether it’s international travel to exotic locales, a color scheme spotted in a magazine, or the intricate patterning of an antique piece of needlework, the inspiration for the look of a home can be found anywhere. For this South Carolina couple, their heirloom collection of blueand- white Mottahedeh china set the character and style of their space. When homeowners James and Lynn Callihan undertook the complete renovation of their home, they turned to the expertise of designer Kimberly Grigg for guidance. Building on the relationship and trust established over two previous projects together, the Callihans gave Kimberly carte blanche. “They knew that I understood their style, and their life, and their taste,” says Kimberly. “The space was already magnificent, so I had the challenge of making it even more magnificent.…

Becky Brackett and Libby Boyden aren’t afraid to get their feet wet. In fact, a typical workday for the owners of Lowcountry Originals often includes strolling the marshes of South Carolina’s coast, selecting shells, driftwood, and reeds for the company’s line of lighting fixtures, furniture, and accessories. It’s this hands-on, handpicked, handcrafted production process that has customers calling from both coasts and abroad, eager to add the Lowcountry’s casual elegance to their own abodes. And although Becky and Libby are delighted at the overwhelming response to their four-year-old endeavor, Becky admits she isn’t surprised. “After 30 years in the lighting business, I grew tired of seeing commercial lighting that all looked the same. The recession hit, and I realized the time was right to come up with my own line—something…

Get the Look To make a rustic grid that holds the elements in place, cut 2 thin sticks slightly longer than the container and 5 sticks slightly wider. Secure the sticks into a ladder shape, using twine, as shown, and place over the opening of the container. Position the foliage in the grid first, then add the berries. Next, arrange the stems of dahlias and anemones, which should easily stand in place, thanks to the grid and foliage. Wrap a few strands of twine around the container, and tie with a bow. Place the completed arrangement in your entry or on a buffet table to welcome guests with a cheery touch of color. MATERIALS: rectangular glass container sticks gathered from the yard twine dahlias purple anemones white hypericum berries purple…

It’s often said that the easiest way to update a space is with a coat of paint, and that might be true. But the ladies at Pate-Meadows Designs have found another method to accomplish that goal. They skipped the brushes, drop cloths—and drips—and created a beautiful new look with a pair of pretty curtains. And as lovely as this window treatment is, the best thing about it is that other than the gathered ruffle trim, no stitching is involved. Yes, you read that right—no stitching. Made from loose-weave muslin in an ecru hue, the panels employ fusible tape for the hems and rod pockets. The bows at the top are tied with twill tape. Simple, right? Well, it gets even better. Pate-Meadows has put together a kit (available at patemeadows.com)…

PUMPKIN PERCH Give entryway displays extra flourish with items you already have on hand. Flowerpots are charming as containers for smaller pumpkins, while large urns offer a ready perch for statuesque towers. For best stacking results, remove stems, and place largest pumpkin in container first. Insert four dowels into top of pumpkin near its center, and push secondlargest pumpkin over dowels, followed by smallest pumpkin. If rinds are tough, make guide holes in rinds, using a screwdriver or an ice pick GOURD TO GREAT Brimming with begonias and zinnias just a few weeks ago, window boxes now emptied of summer annuals are the perfect spot to mix in fall’s favorite produce. When paired with spaced plantings of evergreens that anchor the box yearround, the season-to-season transition is easier than you…

COLOR COMMENTARY Pumpkins come in a spectrum of colors and sizes, from the plump gray-green ‘Jarrahdale’ and the two-tone ‘Fairytale’ to the tiny white ‘Baby Boo’ and round orange ‘Wee Be Little’. Create vignettes with these seasonal jewels to introduce rich colors into your home décor. Trade in traditional jack-o’-lanterns for natural masterpieces set atop a mismatched collection of white pedestals. FALL SHOWCASE This simple setting honors the season by swapping a commonplace centerpiece for a parade of pumpkins down the table. Known as ‘Knuckle Head’ or goosebump pumpkins, these interesting gourds sport delightful bubbly rinds in a medley of vibrant colors. Place them on milk-glass pedestals in varying heights— leaving the stems long for looks— and finish the tablescape with white plates, pumpkin-shaped salad plates, and green napkins. MONOCHROMATIC…

S’MORE COOKIES Makes about 4 dozen ¼ cups unsalted butter, softened ¼ cups firmly packed light brown sugar large eggs tablespoon vanilla extract ½ cups all-purpose flour 1½ cups firmly packed graham-cracker crumbs ¾ teaspoon baking powder ¾ teaspoon baking soda ½ teaspoon salt 1 (11.5-ounce) bag semisweet chocolate chunks 1½ cups marshmallow bits* 1 sleeve graham crackers (about 9 crackers), broken into pieces Garnish: marshmallow bits 1. Preheat oven to 375°. Line baking sheets with parchment paper. 2. In a medium bowl, combine butter and brown sugar. Beat at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy. Beat in eggs and vanilla. 3. In a medium bowl, combine flour, graham-cracker crumbs, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Gradually add flour mixture to butter mixture, beating until well combined. Beat…

Slice of CHANGE The transformation of a one-week pop-up shop project into a poignant nonprofit organization has PieLab managers Seaborn and Kelley Whatley saying, “The progress we’ve seen in the community makes it all worth it.” In connection with Auburn University’s Rural Studio, PieLab was founded by design program Project M as a means to use young talent as a platform to impact communities. The shop, located on Main Street in Greensboro, Alabama, provides an open place for the community to come together through local concerts, art classes, and everyday civic engagement over a slice o’ pie. The kitchen offers a new menu each day including all madefrom- scratch pies such as traditional Key lime and pecan, as well as one-of-a-kind Chocolate Zucchini and Fresh Rhubarb, in the hopes that…