Southern Lady January/February 2023

NEW YEAR ADVENTURES Welcome, 2023! If you’re like me, one of the best parts of turning the calendar page is dreaming of all the travel possibilities throughout the months to come—weekend getaways as well as longer escapes. We’ve always delighted in sharing the best of the South’s marquee cities and hidden gems, and this issue spans both. Our travel features this year will focus on Southern college towns, kicking off with a visit to College Station, Texas (page 69). While it’s mainly known as the home of the Texas A&M Aggies—and the university is the heartbeat of local life—there’s so much more to draw visitors in, not least the laid-back vibe for which the Lone Star State is known. On page 95, we take you to one of Atlanta’s most charming suburbs:…

WHAT INSPIRES YOU? WE’D LOVE TO SEE—TAG US IN YOUR PHOTOS!…

A huge copper cauldron of gooey melted sugar roils and boils at Southern Candymakers, creating the beloved confection that shares the city’s French heritage and culinary distinctiveness: the praline. Head candymaker Sue Scalf sometimes has to hire seasonal extra helpers in the busy kitchens, where a luscious lava of sugar, cream, butter, and pecan halves is scooped onto marble slabs—all while visitors watch in mouthwatering anticipation. “We start with all fresh ingredients; we don’t use any preservatives in the candy. It’s all handmade in batches daily,” says Lisa Balderas, vice president of marketing and operations at the award-winning enterprise, based in the French Quarter. Most of the year, small pots capable of handling one or two batches at a time are enough to meet demand. But for larger orders and holidays,…

Surrounded by 300 handcrafted pillows in her tiny Atlanta apartment nearly a decade ago, Mollie Nitzken sensed the seed for home décor enterprise Slightly East taking root. “They sold almost all in one year. Then, people started calling to see if the fabric was available,” says Mollie, who has been smitten with fine textiles since her first trip to Turkey as a teenager. Tissue box covers fashioned from hand-dyed ikat silk and exquisite shirred lampshades made by Indian artisans have become signature products in Mollie’s growing Slightly East line. Pillows of various shapes and sizes, all sewn in Atlanta, showcase the kaleidoscopic range of fabrics she has been sourcing since those early days of peddling cushions to interior designers—a venture that began with a phone call. At the time, Mollie worked for…

“THE POWER OF FINDING BEAUTY IN THE HUMBLEST THINGS MAKES HOME HAPPY AND LIFE LOVELY.”—LOUISA MAY ALCOTT, AUTHOR…

Gather with friends for a blissful repast to reminisce on days gone by and watch for the first winter snow. While rich browns and lush greens ground the table, a napkin ring crafted from fresh foliage enlivens each place setting. Wrap your folded linen with a piece of floral wire, then delicately weave a clipping of variegated ivy through the wire, leaving a small amount to trail gently. Complete the woodland-inspired scene with baskets of baby’s breath, a scattering of pine cones, and a verdant wreath to sit at the center of genial conversations.…