Meeting Jan Karon

Well, first of all, let me tell you . . . Jan Karon is awesome. I was tickled beyond belief to be invited to moderate best selling author Jan Karon‘s appearance in Fairhope earlier this week. Page and Palette Bookstore hosted the popular author of the “Mitford” series at an exciting event which benefited the…

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Fairhope’s Friendly Advice Booth

For over a year now, I’ve attempted to get a good photograph of Sonya and Nancye’s Friendly Advice booth at Latte’ Da Coffee Shop inside Page and Palette Bookstore. First of all, the popular attraction is usually set up in front of a window, so there’s always too much light for a good photo, and…

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Charles Phillips Antiques

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…

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Arts and Crafts Bingo

Mike Lyons, owner of Lyons Share in Downtown Fairhope, made a little game for us to play during this past weekend’s  Arts and Crafts Festival. The popular art gallery and frame shop kept their swing full of happy festival goers. The weather was 98% perfect for this year’s festival which was a huge success. I don’t…

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Marshmallow Chandelier – Back in the Day

How would you like to have a fanciful, edible marshmallow chandelier as part of your holiday decorations? This fine example of a sweet light fixture is from Back In The Day Bakery in Savannah, Georgia. I’ve been saving these photos to show you closer to the Christmas season, because I think all this baking and…

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Anne Byrn Saves The Day

  Anne Byrn. Does her name ring a bell? Where have I heard that before?     Oh my gracious! She’s THE CAKE MIX DOCTOR!!! You know that like me, you’ve loved this cookbook for years! After I packed away, or gave away most of my cookbooks, because the ease of the internet kept recipes…

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Sundae at the Grand

In small towns, we tend to make our own fun. So one day, some people in Fairhope, Alabama said, “Hey, why don’t we try to make the World’s Longest Ice Cream Sundae?” We all came together – all 1,565 students and almost 300 adult volunteers – at the Marriott Grand Hotel Resort, Golf Club and…

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Gigi’s Little Cottage

  This is local artist and gallery owner, Georgie Hackford. Known as “Gigi,” she is a giant powerhouse in our local art scene, but her real house? More of a tiny blip in the world of cottages. But in true Gigi style, even when it’s a tiny cottage, she does it right. Click here to…

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Graduates, respect yourself

  On St. Patrick’s Day, Page and Palette Bookstore presented a lunchtime lecture with Jan-Philipp Sendker, bestselling author of “The Art of Hearing Heartbeats.” As Sendker addressed the large crowd at the Fairhope Public Library, he told of his time spent in Burma. One story was related to a sign he saw hanging on the…

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A Southern Belle’s Favorite Words

There’s definitely an art to living in the South. Moss dripping from ancient trees and bright white cotton fields being ruffled by the breeze paint a fetching picture. So why shouldn’t our vocabulary be just as artistically resplendent? Last week, I had lunch with three precious friends on the outdoor patio at Wintzell’s, and I…

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