Southern Living

“Look deep into nature, and then you will understand everything better.”—ALBERT EINSTEIN FOR ABOUT 10 YEARS, one of my family’s favorite rituals was driving to Brevard, North Carolina, to take the kids to camp—and not just because we were ditching them for three weeks. There are a bunch of legendary camps in the area—Green River Preserve, Camp Illahee, Falling Creek, and Camp Carolina, to name a few—but we were drawn to Gwynn Valley, which sits on 400 of the prettiest acres you’ve ever seen and has a shaded creek running through the middle of it. The cabins are spare wooden structures with porches, bunk beds, and names like “Dancing Waters” and “Running River.” There’s a lake for swimming and canoeing, an old gristmill that dates back to the 1890s, and a…

WHAT WE’RE LOVING, SHARING, AND CELEBRATING MARTA GALAZ CANCIO’S LOVE of entertaining began during childhood dinners. “Everything is around the table in my family—the eating and the time after the meal, called sobremesa, when you stay for hours and chat,” says Cancio, a graphic designer who grew up in Spain but lives in Miami. Her memories led to Casa Felix, a brand that inspires joyful and approachable hosting. Using collages of vintage botanical prints, Cancio (pictured at right with the brand’s cofounder, Veronica Torres) creates paper goods that range from ready-made place cards to custom suites. “My designs are meant to add a special touch to moments that may otherwise feel less so,” she says. Here, she lends her whimsy to a party-worthy table. BRIGHT, COASTAL-INSPIRED DETAILS “Citrus reminds me of summer,” says…

Cornmeal-Crusted Soft-Shell Crab Sandwiches Whisk together 1 large egg, 1 cup whole buttermilk, 1 Tbsp. hot sauce, and ½ tsp. kosher salt in a large shallow bowl. Add 4 cleaned soft-shell crabs (about ¾ lb. total). Turn to coat; set aside. Stir together ½ cup mayonnaise; ¼ cup chopped pepperoncini; and 1 Tbsp. each pepperoncini pickling liquid, chopped chives, and chopped dill in a medium bowl. Set aside. Stir together 1 cup fine yellow cornmeal, ½ cup all-purpose flour, and ½ tsp. kosher salt in a shallow dish; set aside. Heat ½ cup canola oil in a large cast-iron skillet over medium-high until shimmering. Remove 1 crab from buttermilk mixture, letting excess drip off. Transfer to cornmeal mixture; turn to fully coat. Gently place in hot oil. Repeat with the remaining…

“The quality and freshness of the oil make the difference and set us apart.”—CLAY OLIVER “WHEN WE FIRST started, ‘cold-pressed oils’ and ‘Pitts, Georgia,’ were not things you ever heard in the same sentence,” says Clay Oliver, who owns Oliver Farm Artisan Oils with his wife, Valerie. Growing up in the small South Georgia town, Clay loved helping his dad on the family land where they raised hogs and cows and grew corn, cotton, and peanuts. Even so, he couldn’t wait to leave and experience the world beyond Pitts. After college, he worked as a schoolteacher for several years, but ultimately, his search for a different vocation led him back home. “I’ve always enjoyed a challenge, and with farming, every day holds something new,” he says. In 2008, with a declining economy…

“DECORATE the rooms you’re in the most (including pass-through spaces) to make everything in those areas look beautiful,” says Lexington, Kentucky, designer Isabel Ladd. She took that approach in this mudroom, which is an addition attached to the garage of an 1800s farmhouse. It’s a spot the homeowners walk through almost daily, and Ladd’s goal was to make sure that it didn’t feel like just an afterthought. The design has a handsome juxtaposition of both new and old elements, and she even added a dog wash to accommodate the family’s pets. The basin, which was selected to fit a medium-size dog, is surrounded by tile that climbs over 4 feet high to allow ample room for any rogue splashes. “With tile, you should go ahead and add a few extra inches…

DURING the summer of 2020, the Scaglione family—like so many others around the world—felt bored and desperate for a break from the monotony of life in quarantine. Mike, who was used to a demanding job in the medical-sales industry, found himself sidelined and was itching for a way to occupy his newfound free time. “We were all stuck in the house with our kids, and they were constantly on iPads and phones,” he says. “I needed to find a way to get them out.” His solution to both conundrums was to construct a tree fort in their Alpharetta, Georgia, backyard. With little building experience and even less knowledge about woodworking, he got started. “Over the course of four to six weeks, he just plugged away at it day after day,” says his…