Charles Phillips Antiques

By Leslie Anne Tarabella / July 24, 2015 /

Go over the bay, across the highway, over the river, down windy roads, across a bumpy field . . . then, you will be rewarded by finding antique nirvana, Charles Phillips Antiques. The destination shop, which is the secret place of  antique dealers and designers, is tucked away in Theodore, Alabama, which is in the…

Pretty Poppies in Fairhope

By Leslie Anne Tarabella / July 22, 2015 /

Do you remember hearing about the poppy project, “Blood Swept Lands and Seas of Red” last year in London to commemorate the start of WWI? Well, get ready, because a brigade of volunteers is preparing their own version of the public art installation and there will soon be thousands of pretty poppies in Fairhope! Thousands??? You…

First, you make a roux . . .

By Leslie Anne Tarabella / July 15, 2015 /

A church to which I once belonged assembled a cookbook and asked all members to contribute their favorite recipes.  Knowing the longevity of such books, my Mother wisely warned me not to submit recipes that contained the phrase, “open a can of . . .” She said it would haunt me for the rest of…

Cousin Katherine Hepburn’s house

By Leslie Anne Tarabella / July 13, 2015 /

This house belonged to my cousin, Katherine Hepburn.   What? I’ve never told you about Cousin Kate?   Well, actually, Katherine and I were only recently acquainted by ancestry.com, and they confirmed she and I had the same Grandmother. Well, great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great grandmother to me, and great-great-great-great-great-grandmother to her. (That’s eight generations for me and five…

A video, an article and so forth . . .

By Leslie Anne Tarabella / July 9, 2015 /

First, the “so forth” . . . Oops! If you signed up to receive email alerts when I post a new story, you may have accidentally been sent a rough draft of an incomplete post. “Save” and “Publish” look so much alike. I’ve been writing this blog for three years (this week is exactly three!)…

Why I teach Vacation Bible School

By Leslie Anne Tarabella / June 29, 2015 /

This story can be found in my book, The Majorettes are Back in Town and Other Things to Love About the South The word, “Vacation” in Vacation Bible School is a trick that makes sweet church ladies volunteer for the king-daddy of all summer spectacles. No longer a quiet week of coloring pictures of Moses…

Shepherd’s Place in Fairhope

By Leslie Anne Tarabella / June 19, 2015 /

Here’s a question for you . . . what would you do if someone you loved couldn’t safely care for themselves, yet they weren’t quite ready for full-time care away from home?  You’d be surprised at the number of people who unexpectedly find themselves in the full-time position of caring for a spouse, parent or…

Back in Black

By Leslie Anne Tarabella / June 11, 2015 /

A few months after a cheerful parade celebrating her 100th birthday, complete with a ride in a convertible Corvette, my Great Aunt passed away, and I was thrown into a tizzy trying to find a dress to wear to the funeral. Or should I say, a “proper” dress to wear to the funeral. I searched…

Antique Jewelry Lampshade

By Leslie Anne Tarabella / June 8, 2015 /

I’m so fortunate to have a great collection of antique costume jewelry given to me by my two Grandmothers, my Mother and my husband’s Grandmothers. They all knew how I love sparkly-pretty-girly things and for years, I’ve made it into an antique jewelry lampshade which sits on my dressing table.   After I caught a…

Operation Lawrence Welk

By Leslie Anne Tarabella / May 28, 2015 /

This story is included in the book: The Majorettes are Back in Town.  When we’re home on a Saturday evening, and everyone is scattered around the house doing their own thing, I like to slip over, grab the remote control and turn the TV to the PBS station and crank up The Lawrence Welk Show.…