Southern Lady September 2021

Getting a handwritten card or note in the mail has always made my day, especially in this age of email and texting. I used to love getting letters from my grandmothers, usually jotted down in pencil with recounts of farm life, and I would open and read them over and over. I still have some and cherish the memories they bring. While few of us have time to pen a long missive these days, there’s an easy alternative: postcards. I became fascinated with these beauties as a child, and I enjoy sending them as much as receiving them. On page 99, we share the tradition of collecting vintage postcards. What intrigue there is in reading messages from the past and imagining long-ago lives and loves! Whether you pick up a handful…

A TOUCH OF HEART Southern women are known for their determination and grit, especially when following their dreams. Few things make us happier than sharing the stories of ladies around the South who have done just that. As the September issue came together, this inspiring theme became clear—it is filled with proof that pursuing your passion can lead to a uniquely beautiful life. Tour a very special New Orleans garden that landscape designer Kim Alvarez has nurtured for two decades, page 55. On page 13, Carol Rutledge shares the poignant tale of carrying on her late husband’s legacy through a thriving new botanical shop in north Georgia. Alyson Terrel, page 17, left a corporate job to land at the helm of her parents’ Tennessee apple orchard. And on page 19, you’ll meet…

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 inspiration from the pages of Southern Lady. Top row: A basketful of apples freshly picked by @lydiamenziescelebrates has us ready for fall baking. Wallpaper featuring an English-foxhunt motif emphasizes the traditional style of this powder room designed by @alexandra.killion.interiors. We adore the vintage pieces @bonniechasedesigns uses to serve a slice of apple pie à la mode. Middle row: Mornings at the kitchen table receive a cozy upgrade with @lavenderrosehome’s addition of a plush pillow and a throw. An elegant floral centerpiece arranged by@thevelvetboxwood stands out against a blue-and-white background. Bottom row: With a mélange of pumpkins, crotons, and mums, @annaliseahrens is set…

In less than a year, specialty plant boutique Bluem has become a fixture of downtown Rome, Georgia. Perhaps it’s the abundance of potted greenery, decorative vessels, and bottled botanicals that enchant patrons upon entering the beautifully restored circa-1930s storefront. Maybe it’s the friendly face of founder Carol Rutledge, a native daughter whose ties to the close-knit city run deep—much like the 1987 blue Toyota Land Cruiser often parked outside. “That truck is a big deal in this town. Friends called it Old Blue or Blue, and it’s a name that just stuck through the years,” says Carol, who delivers plants with the widely recognized vehicle her husband, Ralph, drove until his death in 2016. “When he would drive that truck, people would throw up a hand. If they saw Blue, they…

When her parents moved from their comfortable life in Los Angeles to a fruit farm in Middle Tennessee, Alyson Wideman Terrel raised her eyebrows and wished them well. “It really did not interest me,” she says. “I know that sounds horrible, but that was their choice.” As it turns out, the apple didn’t fall far from the tree—it just took a little while. Alyson now runs the 10-acre Morning Glory Orchard in Nolensville, where she lovingly grows, hand prunes, and harvests the apple and peach trees that are her late father’s legacy. She has fully adopted his mission of cultivating a family farm in the rolling hills just a 20-minute drive from Nashville. “This was his dream,” Alyson says of her larger-than-life dad, Curt Wideman, who at 6-foot-8 and nearly 400…

Having come to the U.S. at age 13 with a bare-bones English vocabulary, Marcela Carmichael is no stranger to the combined power of grit and sheer faith. She drew on both as the buzz around her husband’s raw, unfiltered honey spread from local shops to national retailers, and she found herself at the helm of the bustling operation. “I don’t have a background in business whatsoever,” says Marcela, a registered nurse who has called Louisiana home since leaving Brazil in 2000. Her spouse, Nathan, needed help managing the booming venture he had jump-started with $500 from his family and aspirations of selling his pure hive-to-bottle product to retail giants. “Right from the beginning, Nathan’s vision was very big,” Marcela explains. “The first thing he said was, ‘I want to do business with…