Southern Lady January/February 2020

EDITORIAL EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Phyllis Hoffman DePiano EDITOR Lisa Frederick MANAGING EDITOR Marie Baxley ASSOCIATE EDITOR Ashley Shaw ASSISTANT EDITOR Elizabeth Bonner Czapski SENIOR COPY EDITOR Rhonda Lee Lother COPY EDITOR Barbara McCarthy EDITORIAL ASSISTANT Dorothy Walton CREATIVE DIRECTOR/PHOTOGRAPHY Mac Jamieson SENIOR PHOTOGRAPHER John O’Hagan PHOTOGRAPHERS Jim Bathie, William Dickey, Nicole Du Bois, Stephanie Welbourne Steele CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHER Marcy Black Simpson SENIOR DIGITAL IMAGING SPECIALIST Delisa McDaniel DIGITAL IMAGING SPECIALIST Clark Densmore GROUP CREATIVE DIRECTOR Deanna Rippy Gardner SENIOR ART DIRECTOR Tracy Wood-Franklin CONTRIBUTING ILLUSTRATOR Judy Jamieson SENIOR STYLIST Sidney Bragiel STYLISTS Caroline Blum, Courtni Bodiford, Lucy Finney, Mary Beth Jones, Melissa Smith TEST KITCHEN DIRECTOR Irene Yeh ASSISTANT TEST KITCHEN DIRECTOR Melissa Gray FOOD STYLISTS/RECIPE DEVELOPERS Laura Crandall, Kathleen Kanen, Tricia Manzanero, Vanessa Rocchio, Elizabeth Stringer, Taylor Franklin Wann ASSISTANT FOOD STYLIST/RECIPE DEVELOPER Anita Simpson Spain DIGITAL MEDIA MARKETING DIRECTOR Kristy Harrison MARKETING COORDINATOR Vicky Lewis ONLINE EDITOR Janece Maze DIGITAL DESIGNER Stephanie Lambert ADMINISTRATIVE HUMAN RESOURCES DIRECTOR Judy Brown Lazenby IT…

Happy New Year! I always look forward to beginning anew as I turn the calendar page and imagine what is to come. Now is the time to dream and plan for the months ahead, and this issue is full of ideas to get you off to a splendid start, from simple touches that brighten your home to a cozy mountain getaway in Highlands, North Carolina (page 45). This past fall, we hosted our Southern Lady Celebration in our hometown of Birmingham. What a delight it was to share a weekend of fellowship with so many readers and friends! Among the highlights was an evening with Lori Allen, owner of Bridals by Lori and star of the TLC reality series Say Yes to the Dress: Atlanta. During her talk, she moved us…

BRIGHT BEGINNINGS A few years back, my husband and I initiated an annual tradition of hosting a New Year’s Day brunch. It’s always a casual drop-in affair, with a big pot of hoppin’ John on the stove and a steady stream of friends coming by to catch up after the rush of the Christmas season. On page 57, senior stylist Sidney Bragiel and recipe developer Elizabeth Stringer have taken that idea and given it an elegant twist—the tabletop and menu are both showstoppers! If you’re more of a New Year’s Eve reveler, you will love the sparkly setting on page 37. It’s just like being inside a bubble of Champagne. In the spirit of starting fresh, we thought this issue would be an apt time to showcase a group of entrepreneurial Southern…

Get a glimpse of the beautiful images our social media friends have shared with us, capturing their own inspiration from the pages of Southern Lady. Top row: Stroll a garden path in mild midwinter temperatures like @hillheady in Charleston. Flowers in shades of pink are standout stars on @olga_ofelia_living’s layered table. @cnsdesignsanddecor’s hydrangea-filled sink and (middle row) @thepartywagons’ addition of citrus alongside her floral arrangement are sure ways to brighten blustery days. Feminine pink glassware and blooms have @goingforgrace all set for a glam Galentine’s Day party. Bottom row: Tulips ready to be placed in vases by @happydaysfarm remind us that spring is on its way. @athomeinthewildwood’s Valentine’s Day table is as sweet for the eyes as the taste buds thanks to festive plates topped with homemade confections. What’s not…

As you step through the front door of the Belleview Inn, the hotel’s namesake waltz emanates from a player piano, setting the tone for a relaxed getaway amid traces of Gilded Age glamour and Old Florida charm. Original details, painstakingly refurbished, and commissioned artwork give voice to countless tales of the past while also contributing to its modern-day pizzazz. Railroad and steamship tycoon Henry Plant opened the Hotel Belleview in 1897 as a winter retreat for fellow industrialists and New England socialites. As the railways expanded into central-west Florida’s wilderness, Henry envisioned his new property as a luxe retreat that would pave the way for tourism in what now encompasses the Belleair community and neighboring Clearwater. “He really was instrumental in founding this area,” says Christine Reda, one of several docents…