Southern Lady July/August 2021

One of the simple pleasures of summer in the South is a ripe, juicy tomato fresh from the vine. My dad always grew the best tomatoes in his garden, which he tended each evening when he got home from work. We had them with almost every supper during the season, and I remember fabulous sandwiches that consisted of a thick slice of tomato on bread slathered with mayonnaise. Sometimes, I would just pick a tomato, wash it, and eat it like an apple—so yummy. The Victorians thought this exquisite fruit deserved an equally special serving tool, and I am all for it. On page 89, we bring you an array of silver tomato servers plus a little history to go with them. I’ve loved these pieces for years but never knew…

TRADITIONS OF SUMMER When the temperature gets close to triple digits, there’s only one place I feel like spending time outdoors: by the water. Sweltering summer weekends usually find me poolside, straw hat on and book in hand. One whiff of chlorine and sun lotion carries me right back to childhood, when my friends and I passed day after lazy day splashing around on floats and playing games of Marco Polo. The alfresco dinner party on page 55 was created with that carefree spirit in mind. The setting is elegant but not at all fussy, and the fare represents a fresh look at crowd-pleasing comfort food, with classics like pimiento cheese spoon bread and frozen Key lime pie. Our second menu in this issue pays homage to a totally different Southern locale:…

WHAT INSPIRES YOU? WE’D LOVE TO SEE—TAG US IN YOUR PHOTOS! Get a glimpse of the beautiful images our social media friends have shared with us, capturing their own inspirationfrom the pages of Southern Lady. Top row: A sailboat napkin fold greets guests at @rosemarythymeblogspotcom’s table, hinting at the seafood to come. Sunflowers capture the golden rays of summer in this cheery vignette by @jenniferjrossdesigns. Pink crepe myrtle petals carpet the walkway in a dreamy scene offered by @sweetsavannahgirl. Middle row: Fresh berries, herbs, and blooms crown @mustloveherbs’s sweet cake. Patriotic touches accentuate @oursouthernhome’s festive porch setup. Bottom row: Drawing inspiration from her surroundings, @table_with_taste creates a captivating coastal tablescape. Gorgeous garden views contribute to @pennypenningtonweeks’s outdoor oasis. Botanical linens and gingham prints pair with woven accents in an alfresco setting…

The idea for LAKE, a line of sophisticated yet simple pajamas, came to Cassandra Cannon and Anne Read Lattimore in the sweet, sleepy season of new motherhood. College friends who had both settled in Savannah, the two women shared a kindred entrepreneurial spirit and dreamed of one day owning a business together, but they truly bonded when raising—and clothing—their babies. “Pajamas were something we talked about a lot at that phase because we were dressing our babies in the softest pajama sets and going to bed ourselves in old T-shirts,” Cassandra recalls. “There were no pajamas in the market that spoke to the functionality and style that we wanted, so we saw an opportunity and ran with it.” At the time, Cassandra was preparing to begin medical school and Anne Read worked…

With names like Magic Unicorn, Cha Cha Delish, and Mr. Gigglepants, it’s no surprise that self-taught chef Suzi Sheffield and her team at Beautiful Briny Sea embrace a whimsical approach when developing their line of artisan dry seasonings. After 17 years of running a restaurant in Columbia, South Carolina, Suzi came back to her native Georgia, bringing along her toque blanche to don in addition to the many hats she now wears in product creation and collaboration. “What I appreciate about it is that I still get to create,” Suzi says. “The salt is my blank canvas. A chef would have a dish—I have my sea salt blends.” Remaining anchored to her passion for food, she set her sights on founding a company that would allow her to continue working within the…

As the pinnacle of berry-picking season nears, welcome friends with a whimsical display reminiscent of baskets brimming with fruit. An aqua seersucker linen sets the scene for a casual affair, while jadeite glassware and white daisies evoke feelings of summertime nostalgia. Write the name of your guest on a sticker with a decorative border and attach it to a toothpick. Press a second sticker on the back to sandwich the toothpick. Fill a teacup with fresh blueberries and position the toothpick securely so the place card remains upright. A single bloom and scattered berries impart a final flourish.…