“There’s something that is true in this town: Collaboration wins over competition every time,” says Jennifer Ryan, owner of BLUEROOT Co. “And the people who figure that out sooner, understand Birmingham.” Ryan, from Southern California by way of New York City, figured this out pretty quickly when she came to the Magic City six years … Continue reading A Community of Creative Women
Before I get to the details of our time in Germany, I’ll share why I wanted to go in the first place. My grandfather, my Opa, was from Munich, and I grew up hearing about him hiking in the Alps. My Oma was from Nuremberg, and I grew up hearing about that historic city’s landmarks, … Continue reading A Trip to Germany That was a Quarter Century in the Making
Women’s History Month is upon us so here are some books by women and about women to make life better and more inspiring and hopeful. I shared them on Good Day Alabama on WBRC Fox 6 this month.. Emily Post’s Etiquette Updated by Lizzie Post and Daniel Post Senning There’s a lot of incivility in … Continue reading Celebrating Women
Watching Chad Slade make kolaches is surreal. The man is big—a former offensive lineman for Auburn, he also played for eight years in the NFL—so seeing his huge hands gently fill and shape the little pastries is riveting. But the owner of American Kolache in Vestavia knows how to whip up some baked goods, and … Continue reading American Comfort Food with a Czech Accent
It’s in the air. Here are three books that touch on love. Love of the natural world around us. Love, as in love. And love gone wrong. I shared them on Good Day Alabama on WBRC Fox 6 this month. Slow Birding: The Art and Science of Enjoying the Birds in Your Own Backyard By … Continue reading For the Love
Shady Street looks a little … umm … shady (and not in a tree-lined way). But do not be deterred. At the end of this off-the-beaten-path road—down by the Alabama River and very near downtown Montgomery—you’ll find Capitol Oyster Bar. (Again, do not be deterred.) This white, corrugated metal building is way more than it … Continue reading Gulf-Fresh Seafood with a Side of Blues
Continuing my "new to me in '23" experiences, I went to Oxford, Mississippi, for the first time. Yes, I know. How can that be? It's so close! It has that wonderful bookstore! Well, it has a lot of things, and I made the most of my half a day there while Rick was riding his … Continue reading A Day in Oxford, MS
I'm not usually one for New Year's resolutions, but I do love new experiences. So my goal for 2023: one new-to-me experience each week all year! This goal is wide open. New foods to cook (and eat), new authors to read, new food trucks and restaurants to try, new movies to watch, new cities to … Continue reading A Year of Newness: One Week at a Time
I’ve decided to do one new thing a week for this entire year. It sounds daunting, but I don’t think it will be all that hard. I’ve opened this exploration up to all sorts of things like new recipes, reading an author I haven’t read yet, trying a new food truck, hiking a new trail, … Continue reading New Year, New Lots of Things to Read and Do
This has been Bill E. Stitt’s year. A high-on-the-hog kind of year. The founder and owner of Bill-E’s Small Batch Bacon and Bill-E’s the Restaurant, both in Fairhope, was recognized as a Silver Retailer of the Year by the Alabama Retail Association (sales $1 million to $5 million annually; Stitt says these numbers apply independently to … Continue reading Because … Bacon
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