Happy New Year! A new year…something to ponder again, isn’t it? I am good at pondering. Every time I read in the Bible that Mary pondered things in her heart, I am reminded that I do, too! Pondering is not worrying; it is weighing things out in your mind or reflecting on things. I have perfected worrying, but that’s another …
Create Joyful Moments This Christmas
Christmas is here, and all the children are running on adrenaline. I remember that feeling well. School is almost out for the holiday break, and kids are counting the days. In each of our magazines, we celebrate the holidays in different ways. We feature fun Christmas outfits to make in Classic Sewing, delicious treats in Bake from Scratch, and divine …
Treasuring Each and Every Day
I think I have been sheltered now for 10 weeks. Being high risk with anemia, my family put the whammy on me early in this adventure. The first week I thought, this is really great. Working from home and finishing up the sewing magazine for press would be fun. Challenging maybe, but fun. Our teams are troupers, and they have …
Make Every Day as Special as You Can
I hope your 2020 has started off with great joy and happiness. We have all made our New Year’s resolutions I am sure, but mine have changed during the years. Oh, yes—I have started 45 diets and resolved to get organized in my sewing room, but as years have passed, my resolutions have changed. During the Christmas season, my son …
Taking Tea With My Granddaughter
Monday was my granddaughter’s ninth birthday, and I was thrilled when she wanted to go to afternoon tea to mark the occasion. Last weekend, Neal and I went to New Orleans to start her celebration. She had selected the Le Salon at Windsor Court Hotel as our tea destination. We published a book, Taking Tea, and one of the featured …
Bake a Cake and Celebrate Life!
As you know, our company publishes Bake from Scratch, a magazine and book series for people who are passionate about baking. I mean … passionate! I have rediscovered my desire to bake more and learn new techniques. It is a far cry from the way I baked growing up. But I have to tell you that cooks like me love …
Cookie Baking Is Essential to a Good Time!
Dear Friends, I would rather have a great cookie than just about anything! It was always a treat at our home growing up to make cookies. Mom would make the dough the night before and chill it. Then at the appointed time, she would divide up the dough ball evenly. We would each take our part and begin to roll …
Ashley Mac’s Is Home to The World’s Best Strawberry Cake—Meet The Owner!
Up next in our lineup of fabulous speakers for the Southern Lady Celebration is the lovely Ashley McMakin! Ashley is a restauranteur and caterer who happens to have the best strawberry cake recipe on earth. She and her husband, Andy, are the owners of Ashley Mac’s, a quality home-style café that serves food that is “just a little bit better …
Happy 4th of July!
What a blessing it is to live in this country! While we enjoy food, family, and fireworks this weekend, let us remember to celebrate our freedom! We often forget, but it is surely not to be taken for granted. Each year I so enjoy July 4th—I think one reason being that it is right in the middle of the year! …
The Key Ingredient to a Soft Pound Cake
Friends, it is no secret that we love pound cake around here. We have celebrated National Pound Cake Day, made countless variations, and even released a wonderful compilation of all of our very best pound cake recipes in cookbook form. Pound cake is just one of those desserts that everyone gets excited about. And there are nearly no restrictions when …