Greenery 2017

By Leslie Anne Tarabella / January 23, 2017 /

I know I’m a step behind, getting the new year off to a slow but wonderful start. Travel plus the flu have pushed my new year back a bit, but thankfully, this weekend I was finally able to get (most of ) the Christmas decorations put away. Here’s my method; pile it all on the…

A New Year’s field trip to Italy

By Leslie Anne Tarabella / January 1, 2017 /

Well, I told you we’d be taking Joseph on a little homeschool field trip . . .   Here we are in Italy!   My husband and I came here five years ago in mid-January, and there were no crowds whatsoever. This time, it just happened to work out that our son Harrison has the…

Two stories — one front page!

By Leslie Anne Tarabella / December 22, 2016 /

For those of you who have been reading my blog for a long time, you’ll remember this story about my husband’s grandmother Mimi. I love it so much, that I’ve rewritten it (I had to shorten it actually) and am using it for this Sunday’s column, which happens to fall on Christmas Day.   I’ll…

Fairhope’s Magical Christmas Parade — 2016

By Leslie Anne Tarabella / December 12, 2016 /

It was so exciting doing the live broadcast with Mark Swalley on WABF 1220 AM. We were perched on the balcony at Page and Palette Bookstore, which was a great spot to watch. The pin on my hat is my husband’s grandmother’s Christmas bells.   There were over 50 groups and organizations that participated in…

The Southern Christmas Queen

By Leslie Anne Tarabella / December 9, 2016 /

You know her well. There’s at least one in each family and several in each neighborhood . . . the ultimate Southern Christmas Queen. Not content with only one measly Christmas tree, she’s been washed and redeemed by the spirits of Christmas Past, Present and Future, and isn’t happy until every single surface is glittering…

The Original Fairhope Guide Book – It’s here!

By Leslie Anne Tarabella / December 7, 2016 /

***I’ll be signing books at the Fairhope Arts and Crafts Festival, Saturday, March 18, 2017 in front of Page and Palette Bookstore. Stop by and say hello!!!   Well, what do you know . . . I finally have a book signing!   It isn’t just me. Actually, it’s barely me, but nonetheless, this Thursday,…

More unique family time at the Firehouse

By Leslie Anne Tarabella / December 5, 2016 /

I’m just now getting around to sorting through the pictures from Thanksgiving at my brother’s house in Smyrna, GA and have decided there are so many new things he’s added over the last year, if I shared them all with you in one post, your computer would start smoking, so I’ll save his new outdoor…

Dyslexia helps develop a story of perseverance

By Leslie Anne Tarabella / December 3, 2016 /

*This is the second story and actual interview I wrote about Fannie Flagg that will appear in this Sunday’s Press Register, Birmingham News and Huntsville Times.  Info on where you can meet Fannie Flagg this week are at the bottom of the page.   Like the tiny scraps of fabric in granny’s worn quilt, our…

Hello, this is Fanny Flagg

By Leslie Anne Tarabella / November 29, 2016 /

I’ll have two separate stories in the paper this week about my interview with Fannie Flagg. This first one tells about the craziness leading up to the phone interview (nothing’s ever easy, right?), then the second story is about what I learned from talking with the popular Alabama-born actress and author.   Don’t forget, her…

Help me interview Fannie Flagg!

By Leslie Anne Tarabella / November 14, 2016 /

Sit down for this big-big news!   Tomorrow, I get to interview . . . Fannie Flagg! AAGGGHHH!!!! I know! Only my all – time favorite author, well I guess to be fair, I should say “one of” because there are a few others I also love, Mary Kay Andrews and Jan Karon being right…