Posts by Leslie Anne Tarabella
There’s something charming about a non-sweaty bride
Let’s have an honest chat with nature-loving brides who are planning weddings for next year and insist on getting married outdoors. I’d like to introduce you to a friend of mine, Mr. November. He would love to host your wedding and will make sure you and your guests don’t melt in a heap of sweaty…
Read MorePicnic in the dark
Before I show you my eclipse picnic, I want to say: Shame on the schools and teachers who didn’t allow their children to go outdoors to experience this beautiful phenomenon of nature. What a great science experience, that even prisoners got to enjoy, but many students here had to sit inside and watch it on TV.…
Read MoreA little evil eye in restaurants can work wonders
A restaurant in North Carolina recently banned children under the age of five. They were forced to make the decision after parents refused to lower the volume of their son’s ipad game even though surrounding diners complained it was intrusive. Both supporters and detractors have jumped in to comment, but I think my vote would…
Read MoreHot as new love
Summer in the South — it’s hot as new love, and this is the time of the year that separates those who are long-time Southerners who know how to roll with the heat, from those newer residents who are taken by surprise. Although we welcome new neighbors from other regions, the ones who set in…
Read MoreThe Miss Okra Pageant
I served as a judge for the 43rd annual Miss Okra pageant, and I’ll tell you what — there are some mighty talented young ladies around here. This year’s winner, Miss Louella Rae Langenhooper grabbed my vote when she appeared on stage wearing a stunning green gown, the exact color of ripe okra. She looked…
Read MorePut a monogram on it
This week’s column reminds me of a joke — how much does a sorority girl weigh? Oh, about a monogram! Hahaha! Hey, you know you laughed! Alexis Savannah Smith always complains she can’t monogram her guest towels because no one will use them. Monograms are a very big deal in the South, and a good…
Read MoreDon’t let the crashing waves get you down
For generations, Southerners have flocked to what we consider to be “our beaches.” Stretching along the Gulf Coast from Gulf Shores, Alabama to Panama City Beach, Florida We make the trek every year, hoping no one else has discovered our spot of paradise. We easily recognize those who drove from far away to reach…
Read MoreBeauty Shops vs. Hair Salons
I’m fed up with “hair salons” and want to find a good “beauty shop,” or even better, a beauty “parlor.” When I was a little girl, I’d tag along with my mother and grandmother to Bee Bee’s Beauty Barn, which wasn’t in a barn, and considered itself a “shoppe” — ultra fancy with an “e”…
Read MoreThe joy of cooking with a church cookbook
Laura Jean was asked to chair the new cookbook committee for her church in Prattville, and she’s beyond thrilled. She took the words out of my mouth when she said, “I thought with the availability of recipes on the internet these days, we’d never see another church cookbook again.” Everyone in the South knows the…
Read MoreYou dropped the bomb on me, baby
My 17-year-old son Joseph, had cleaned the kitchen, taken out the trash and was finally sprawled across the furniture in the family room, arms and legs going every-which-way, while he played on his phone. My husband was out of town, and I busied myself here and there with all the mom-things. The TV was on,…
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