Innholdsfortegnelse for January - February 2006 i Southern Lady

As we make our way into the new year, I am ever amazed by nature and her beauty. I look out the frosted windowpanes at the bare trees outside, pondering. I think of my dearest friends, the ones who brighten my days and bring warmth to my heart. I sit at my desk, take out my pen and paper, and write my thoughts and feelings. I carefully fold the letter and tuck it into an envelope, add some postage, and drop it into the mailbox, sending it on its way to hopefully brighten the day of its cherished recipient. Yes, there’s nothing quite like receiving a hand-written letter. In this issue of Southern Lady, we take a look at the art of letter writing as well as a few other…

Try incorporating these subtle shades into your décor, perhaps in the kitchen or the dining room, maybe the living room or even the guest room. With these soft tones, you can take comfort in the wave of relaxation, resting comfortably on the fact that these choices clearly define the latest and greatest in subdued-chic. Bright Ideas Once you find a lamp stand to suit your style, the next step is to find just the right shade to complete the look. Though you may be lucky enough to find a stunning, perfectly matched pair, it’s likely that this duo may one day need an update. Separately sold shades—whether in patterns or trims or simple solids—are an easy way to update a room.…

In many ways, Heather was a typical Miss America. With stunning good looks and trim figure, she certainly looked the part, and her heartfelt ballet to “Via Dolorosa” earned high marks in the talent competition. But in capturing the 1994 crown, Heather made headlines that reached beyond the typical news coverage given to winners. She was the first Miss America with a disability; a bout with meningitis when she was eighteen-months-old left her profoundly deaf, which meant she was unable to hear the announcement that proclaimed she had won the crown. The Road to Miss America As a little girl, Heather couldn’t have foreseen that glittering night in Atlantic City. Backed by a supportive family, she was too busy making sure that her deafness never got in the way of…

Throughout the ages, the writing of letters has been not only the chief means of communication but also documentation of historical events. It was a letter that helped persuade King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella to finance the voyages of an ambitious young explorer named Christopher Columbus. The vast number of letters in the Thomas Jefferson collection gives us insight into not only events surrounding the founding of our country but also everyday life at his beloved Virginia estate, Monticello. The precarious nature of war has inspired volumes of letters from the lonely battlefields to home and back again. The loving words have provided comfort on both fronts. And love! Perhaps nothing embraces the art of letter writing as completely as the love letter. The poet Elizabeth Barrett Browning wrote to…

To create the amazing backdrops for the film, Selznick looked no further than one of the industry’s pioneer art directors, William Cameron Menzies. Known as one of the most significant visual talents in the industry, Menzies generated the complete script in sketch form to give the film its overall look and style. Another of Hollywood’s elite, designer Walter Plunkett, was eager to come on board as well. By 1936, the year the book was published, Plunkett was already considered Tinsel Town’s leading authority on period costumes. Almost immediately after reading the novel—which was recommended to him by Katharine Hepburn—Plunkett made his interest known to Selznick, whom he had worked with on the production of Little Women. Selznick, in turn, hired him on the spot. With his thorough research and design…

Accent your home with the bold sophistication of black and white, a style that’s always in vogue. DEFINING STYLE If you are looking for unique, whimsical home furnishings in kaleidoscopic hues, look no further than the innovative MacKenzie- Childs company. The product lines run the gamut from handmade, hand-decorated majolica pottery and fanciful furniture to jazzy, embellished pillows and exquisite lighting fixtures. MacKenzie-Childs’ fresh and original styles celebrate the free-spirited charm of checkerboard patterns, dots, and stripes, showcasing the endless possibilities when designing with black and white. BLACK&WHITE— what a perfect pair.…

Life’s a costume party—get dressed. So goes the motto of boutique owner Andie Ray. Her delightful shop, Vagabondia, located in Market Square, reflects the fun and feminine flair for life Andie so energetically embraces. “I’m a big fan of the ’20s—jazz music and big band—and I try to set that tone here in the store,” she says. “I’m every bit as interested in how clothes feel as I am in how they look. I love natural-fiber clothing and clothing for real women. And here, we like to provide the entire outfit with all the accessories.” Her commitment to personal service—otherwise known as helping customers get “all dolled up”—is evident as she pulls out a selection of hats for a shopper, helping her find just the right shape and color. Andie…

Wouldn’t it be nice to just get away for a few days? And when was the last time you had an uninterrupted chat with your mother or daughter, your college roommate or best friends? What you need is a girly getaway, a fun-filled mini-adventure dedicated to rest, relaxation, laughter, and delightful conversation. 1 Ritz-Carlton Lodge, Reynolds Plantation Greensboro, Georgia Just seventy-five minutes east of Atlanta’s Hartsfield International Airport lies the sprawling Ritz-Carlton Lodge’s Reynolds Plantation estate on Georgia’s Lake Oconee. In the midst of rolling grass fields and tall, stately pines, a worldclass spa facility awaits guests with 26,000 square feet of pure luxury, providing the ultimate in rest and relaxation. The award-winning spa features nineteen treatment rooms, lounges, saunas, steam rooms, whirlpools, a full-service salon, and more. Here, indeed,…

“Sentimental living”—that’s the term that Alda Ellis uses to describe her style of decorating, and it’s also the term that headlines her television show in Little Rock, Arkansas, as well as her latest book. She says, “It’s a style that has nothing to do with money at all—it is simply the personal touch you give to everything in your life and almost always includes family heirlooms and plenty of creative ideas.” In her book Sentimental Living from the Porch: Four Seasons of Hospitality, Alda offers entertaining ideas to last throughout the year. From a winter friendship basket to a summer wind chime made of tarnished silverware, you’ll find over 150 pages of inspiration. Any room in the house can be made inviting with comfortable furnishings and meaningful keepsakes. —Alda Ellis…

Flower frogs—created to make floral arranging more precise by holding flower stems in set positions—first reached their popularity during the mid-1920s and ’30s. But these most unusual creations can be traced all the way back to sixteenth- century Europe, a time when pottery and china makers typically marked their pieces. Since the turn of the twentieth century, Americans have embraced this useful tool of the trade. Made from glass, clay, plastic, or metal, flower frogs now come in a variety of shapes and sizes, such as simple “rounds” and elaborate—and often artistic—“figurals.” Why are they called “frogs”? Perhaps it is because they “hide” underwater among the stems. Though their exact origin is unknown, their usefulness is certainly no secret. Over the years, they have been referred to by many different…

Oh, how we love the sonnets of Elizabeth Barrett Browning. Since its initial publishing in 1850, Elizabeth’s book, Sonnets from the Portuguese, has remained a classic for poetry lovers, sentimentalists, and sweethearts alike. The sequence of forty-four love sonnets was secretly written by Elizabeth in 1845 and 1846 during her developing relationship with fellow poet and soon-to-be-husband Robert Browning. The two met after Elizabeth praised one of Robert’s poems in her work, “The Courtship of Lady Geraldine.” In return, Robert sent Elizabeth a letter thanking her for the compliment, starting their now famous correspondence. Each poem marks a particular point in their budding romance, which culminated in their elopement to Italy. Interestingly, the collection of sonnets was not planned for publication. Though Robert and Elizabeth married in September of 1946,…

“I had been working at a medical center, and it got to the point where I had to make a decision,” says Lisa Wynn of the long, often late, hours she worked as a nurse. “I had spent so many nights without my kids, missing their school plays and conferences. So I came home one night and announced to my husband that I didn’t want to do it anymore, that I couldn’t do it anymore. I wanted to do something where I could fulfill my creative need.” Within a short time, Lisa opened up her own home decorating shop called Embellish in St. Paul, Minnesota. After only a couple of years, Lisa decided to add something new to her successful business. “A shop became available right next door to us,…

“It was pure luck,” says Cammie King Conlon of her landing the role in the classic film as Eugenie Victoria Butler—better known by the nickname Bonnie Blue. “It all just happened to me; I didn’t do anything to earn it. But I do feel very lucky that it happened.” For Cammie, a southern California native, “pure luck” came in the form of her mother, who was eager to get her daughter into a film. And in 1938, Cammie received her role as the ponyriding daughter, but she was under the impression that it was first given to her older sister, Dianne, who was too old for the part by the time production began. “My mother made up a story and told us that Dianne was originally picked so that she…

Individual Beef Wellingtons with Sherried Cream Sauce Sautéed Green Beans with Pecans Swiss Tarragon Potatoes Lemon and Raspberry Cheesecakes for Two Individual Beef Wellingtons with Sherried Cream Sauce Yield: 2 servings 2 (4-ounce) beef tenderloin fillets, 1-inch thick 1 clove garlic, minced Salt and Pepper 2 tablespoons butter 1 cup finely chopped fresh mushrooms 3 tablespoons minced shallot 1 tablespoon fresh minced parsley 2 tablespoons dry sherry 2 tablespoons heavy cream ½ (17¼-ounce) package frozen puff pastry sheets, thawed 1 large egg, lightly beaten ▘Preheat oven to 425°. ▘Rub beef fillets with garlic, salt and pepper to taste. In a heavy skillet, melt butter over medium heat; add beef, and cook 3 minutes on each side, or until browned. Remove from skillet, reserving pan drippings, and drain beef on paper towels.…

“Our goal is to make history personal, to help people reconnect with the past.” —Stephen Cotham, East Tennessee Historical Center Curious about the past? The East Tennessee History Center provides ways to explore and learn in great detail about days gone by. On the first floor, you can tour a gallery, showcasing regional art, and the museum, which depicts an urban street corner reminiscent of the area during the early twentieth century. Though many of the groundlevel exhibits are still works-in-progress for the recently opened museum, you can view the completed portion that features a corner drug store stocked with original products and artifacts, a recreated dentist office, and the impressive Streetcar No.416 that once ran the streets of Knoxville. “It’s one of a kind,” says staff historian Dr. Michael…

To purchase items featured in our articles, please refer to the information below. If an item is not listed, it is privately owned and not available for purchase. To contact the manufacturers and retail stores referenced below, see DIRECTORY OF COMPANIES. COVER Plate and charger available at Table Matters. Champagne glasses available at Cabbages and Kings. SINCERELY PAGE 8: Monogram design by The Chelsea Lion. YOUNG SOUTHERN LADIES PAGE 12: Maegan Harris, www.maeganharris.com. ENTERTAINING TOUCHES PAGE 20: Handmade chocolate box by Angels, Cake and Confections. CELEBRATING MARDI GRAS AT THE MOBILE CARNIVAL MUSEUM PAGES 22: The Mobile Carnival Museum, 251-432-3324; www.carnivalmuseum.com. PIE FROM THE SKY PAGES 25: MoonPie, www.moonpie.com. DESIGNS BY ELIZABETH SHOWERS: A RECIPE FOR SUCCESS PAGE 36: Elizabeth Showers, 214-879-9944; www.elizabethshowers.com. FASCINATING FLOWER FROGS PAGE 38: Modern flower frogs…

Like many little girls her age, Maegan joined her church choir when she was six. By age ten, her considerable talent had earned her a spot as main soloist. And at twelve, she was enrolled in Birmingham-Southern College’s music conservatory. In college, however, Maegan changed her career goals, opting for a degree in mass communication instead of music. She even landed an internship on the popular syndicated Rick & Bubba Show broadcast on both radio and television. But she kept on singing and eventually recorded an album of her favorite contemporary Christian songs. Her performance of the National Anthem at a special event sponsored by the Rick & Bubba Show caught the attention of Darren Morton, the owner of Cornerstone Recording. “He approached me backstage and told me he wanted…

Strains of jazz music spill downstairs to the main level of the 1870 townhouse. Vintage fixtures bathe the old high-ceilinged rooms with soft lighting that sparkles on the sequins and pearls and elaborate silks and satins of the clothing on display. You are taken to another world, one of royalty and privilege and high-rolling good times. You are at the Mobile Carnival Museum, where Mardi Gras is celebrated 365 days a year. A hundred years of Carnival accoutrements fill the museum that opened in 2004. And more are added all the time. Hand-fashioned gowns and trains and crowns and scepters, each more ornate than the one before, line the walls and occupy the display cases to give visitors a close-up view of Mobile’s Carnival history. Mobile was the site of…

Whether it’s a flash of color in the garden or an eyepopping centerpiece on a table inside, nothing compares to the brilliant hues of the amaryllis flower. Named after a shepherdess in Greek mythology, the word amaryllis means “sparkling,” a fitting description given the spectacular, trumpet-shaped blossom. The dazzling amaryllis plant was discovered by Eduard Poeppig while on an expedition in Chile in 1828. Legend has it that as Poeppig descended the mountain, accompanied only by his faithful dog, he was so euphoric at his discovery that he was “often compelled to relieve his full heart by uttering shouts of joy.” The dog, it is reported, “responded with howls of equal enthusiasm.” That enthusiasm is easily understood by anyone familiar with the amaryllis. With seventy-five species to choose from, the…

Nothing says “I love you” quite like an assortment of beautiful flowers. Gathering together roses, daisies, tulips, and lilies in the boldest fuchsia or the palest pink is a pleasantly fun way to express affection and adoration. This Valentine’s Day, rely on shades of blush and bashful to create a stunning floral design for the one you love. Whatever the arrangement—whether it’s a lavish array or a simple bouquet—a thoughtful selection is sure to add to the special occasion. Helpful Tips: Roses are red, Violets are blue, Make a Valentine bouquet With this simple how-to . . .…

Your bedroom is more than just a place to lay your weary head at the end of the day. It is your sanctuary, your safe haven, your peaceful retreat. At the center of your personal hideaway is the bed— oh so comfortable and cozy. You dress it with the finest linens and pile it high with fluffy down comforters and feather pillows. But don’t stop there! Add an elegant canopy of fabric to drape your space in style. These luxurious canopies are made from yards of sumptuous silks or cheerful chintzes flowing gracefully from a corniced frame. Visually raising the ceiling height while adding rich detail, the fabric panels add the look of grandeur that’s fit for nobility. Like a storybook secret garden, a room designed around a particularly feminine…

Here the chatter is lively, the company is pleasant, and the food is absolutely delicious. A platter full of Stuffed Mushrooms gets the party going as guests concur that these tiny caps full of Parmesan cheese and herbs may quite possibly be the best bite-sized food they’ve ever had—that is, until they try the Mini Muffalettas. And then, of course, there are the Bacon-Wrapped Figs, which just so happen to be part of a grand buffet, showcasing an entire array of eye-catching, taste-tempting appetizers. But that’s not all. Mugs of rich Hot Chocolate Mocha and Apple Cider Tea take away any lingering sign of chill as the warmth of hospitality kindles friendships old and new. Easy-to-make treats, in the form of S’mores Brownies and Creamy Lemon Petit Fours, end the…

“Market Square is now becoming the center of downtown,” says enthusiastic resident Helen Short. “From April to June the city hosts free concerts in the square, and in the summertime, people can enjoy a free theater series.” Also in the square, the Dogwood Arts Festival features works and exhibits from numerous artisans and craftsmen. This outdoor festival takes place in April in conjunction with the blooming dogwoods that grace over sixty miles of the city and outlying areas with a spectacular show of creamy blossoms. “People are finding more and more to do here,” says Helen,who goes on to suggest you stop by the Visitor Center that is housed in the same building as WDVX, a radio station that plays a mix of bluegrass, country, folk, and traditional mountain music.…