By Anne RuisiThe tiny pantry in Amy and Brad Bailey’s home in Edgewood is gone, as is the peninsula countertop in the kitchen. In their stead are a butler’s pantry and a kitchen island, two significant changes made during an overhaul of the first floor.“We had a tiny little cabinet pantry,” Amy Bailey said. “I thought, you know, if we’re gonna do this, I want to have a … [Read more...]
Home Made: Family-Tested Menu Drives Diners to Helen
By Anne RuisiOpen the menu at Helen, Emily and Rob McDaniel’s downtown Birmingham restaurant, and you’re likely going to see items that are literally family-approved. Creamer peas and middlins, a type of heirloom rice grown in South Carolina, is a dish he created with help from his staff but tested on his family at their Vestavia Hills home. It’s served with a … [Read more...]
Like Mother, Like Daughter: ROAR to Honor Marilyn Waggoner at Gala
By Anne RuisiSurgery was about the only option available in the 1970s when Marilyn Mitchell Waggoner’s mother was diagnosed with colon cancer. Initially it was successful. For almost five years the procedure kept the cancer at bay, but it returned and eventually Waggoner’s mother passed away.“We didn’t then have the benefit of knowledge that we do now” to fight … [Read more...]
This Light Still Shines
By Susan SwaglerThere’s an art-filled – and heartfelt – celebration of life happening at The Joy Gallery in Homewood. A colorful, vibrant show honoring the life and the art of the late Robin Nance Metz is on display until March 12, 2023. Metz’s vivid, whimsical paintings, some of her early work as a graphic artist and the clay sculptures she did later in life are … [Read more...]
Working Late: Singing Santa Brings 40 Years of Joy to Children
By Anne RuisiThe anticipation is high among the young children whispering to each other as Steve Pennington, dressed in a dark green and brown velvet Santa suit trimmed in gold, talks with a visitor at Circa Antiques in Mountain Brook Village. It’s almost as if you can hear them ask, “Is that really Santa?”It is indeed, and within minutes, he’s sitting on a high-backed … [Read more...]