By Donna Cornelius There’s no such thing as a typical day for Erin Weston. As the owner of Weston Farms in Garner, North Carolina, she might spend the morning tending to a broken water line and then dress up for a gala that night. “I’m comfortable in boots or heels,” Weston said. At her farm near Raleigh, she grows magnolia trees and uses their leaves to make her signature … [Read more...]
A Really Good Thing: Martha Stewart Will Headline This Year’s Antiques at The Gardens
By Donna Cornelius Through her TV shows, website and magazine, Martha Stewart has taught even the least domestic among us how to bake the perfect pie, properly fold a fitted sheet, and fancy up our doors with seasonal wreaths. Next month, those who attend Antiques at The Gardens can learn from Stewart in person. She’ll headline the 13th edition of the annual antiques show and … [Read more...]
Spanish Exploration: Homewood Native’s Book Is an Insider’s Look at Basque Country Food, Culture
By Donna Cornelius A new book about an enigmatic, food-centric region in Spain already is stirring up a stateside buzz. “Basque Country: A Culinary Journey Through a Food Lover’s Paradise” made Food and Wine magazine’s recent list of the best cookbooks debuting this fall. Highly regarded chefs Frank Stitt and José Andrés are praising the book, with Andrés writing: “This is … [Read more...]
A Shared Experience: Homewood Theatre’s Bass Looks Forward to Another Successful Season of Live Community Theater
By Emily Williams Though establishing a successful local theater has seemed a slow process to Kyle Bass, the Homewood Theatre is looking forward to its third season with a new strength. “A comment that we get a lot is people saying that they didn’t even know Homewood had a theater,” Bass said. “One of the hardest parts about this process has been getting the word out … [Read more...]
‘Bitten by the Beatles’: How J. Willoughby Became the Rocker Behind Black Jacket Symphony
By Ingrid Schnader It isn’t hard for Black Jacket Symphony founder and guitarist J. Willoughby to remember what motivated him to pick up a guitar when he was 5 years old. “I got bitten by the Beatles,” he said. “Just became a weird freak about the Beatles at age 4. I mean, I was an only child, and I think it’s because I didn’t have video games to play or anything. I just went … [Read more...]