Southern Lady March/April 2023

CAROLINA CALLING It’s been more than two decades since I first visited Davidson, North Carolina, but I remember clearly how it charmed me from the start. I arrived on a mild, sunny day in late March, and both the town and its namesake college campus were lush with azaleas, dogwoods, and cherry blossoms, the Greek Revival buildings dappled with shade from towering oak and sweet gum trees. All these years later, Davidson is more delightful than ever, and on page 51, we take you on a jaunt through the highlights that combine for a perfect spring getaway. Be sure to make time for my personal favorite: Main Street Books, a terrific independent bookshop whose staff recommendations never fail to hit the mark. From weekend escapes to milestone birthdays, our March/April issue is…

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Restaurant owner, successful entrepreneur, wife and mother, active community member—these titles can all be attributed to Birmingham, Alabama, native Ashley McMakin. Now, the mastermind behind Ashley Mac’s café can add cookbook author to that list. “I didn’t think I’d ever write a cookbook, but compiling my nearly 200 recipes and narrowing down which ones to include while telling my favorite stories was such a rewarding process,” Ashley says of the book, which debuts this spring. Anecdotes of how Ashley Mac’s came to be, kitchen tips from Ashley, and more than 100 recipes are highlighted in Ashley Mac’s Kitchen, including crowd pleasers such as Greek Pasta Salad, Orange Peel Sour Cream Biscuits, and her signature Strawberry Cake. Ashley’s thriving chain of restaurants currently consists of five storefront locations, catering services, and impressive…

When Anne Neilson painted her first angel, the lifelong creative was at a crossroads. Then, a day volunteering at a homeless shelter inspired her career path that led to a gallery, home goods line, and her latest book Entertaining Angels: True Stories and Art Inspired by Divine Encounters. “I painted this one little angel and sent it to my sister. She said, ‘You’ve found your voice,’” Anne says of that first painting completed when she was a teacher seeking a new vocation. Now, her art and the wares inspired by her angels have touched people around the world, including celebrities Oprah Winfrey and Kathie Lee Gifford. In Entertaining Angels, Anne explores how ordinary people can act as “angels” in each other’s lives with a collection of stories from herself and her friends…

Peddling handmade ribbon belts and artsy home goods back in 2003, Elizabeth Hoenscheid and Karena Rasser never imagined their budding accessories business, Top It Off, would eventually pique the interest of celebrity Oprah Winfrey. “We were both working in Boston for a dot-com back when that was all the rage, and we just chatted about things we like to do. I went to school for design; Elizabeth had gotten a master’s degree in entrepreneurship,” says Karena. They instantly bonded over their imaginative hobbies and a like-minded desire to be self-employed. On weekends, the duo hit the road to sell Elizabeth’s hand-painted canvas floor mats and Karena’s snazzy grosgrain ribbon belts at craft shows. Sales were slow going, so the determined women decided to change course on their lunch break one day. They…

“I AWOKE THIS MORNING WITH GREAT THANKSGIVING FOR MY FRIENDS, THE OLD AND THE NEW.”—RALPH WALDO EMERSON, ESSAYIST AND PHILOSOPHER…