Just a block away from the cluster that is the rejuvenated Inman Park social scene on Highland Avenue, sits the aptly named Park’s Edge. Self-proclaimed as “Inman Park’s Best Kept Secret,” that will no longer be the case when February 3rd’s episode of Kitchen Nightmares – a reality TV show who’s famous host, Gordon Ramsey, is known for taking a tough love approach to cleaning up restaurant messes – airs and features the quaint neighborhood eatery.
My husband and I joined several friends there on Friday night, hoping to take advantage …

I do hate that I had to keep this post until after Christmas, but today’s Things I Love Thursday is what I gave my parents, and since my mom has a habit of stopping by Lit&Leisure, I couldn’t spoil their surprise.
Raise your hand if your parents are hard to buy for. [Looking at all the hands raised.] Mine aren’t always – often they help us out with ideas – but let’s face it, most of us buy for ourselves the things we need (or want) so sometimes coming up with …

In October I’ve been focusing on table manners in order for us all to “up our game” during the holiday season which is right around the corner. As is typical during the season, we all are hosting and being hosted at one another’s homes more frequently, so now we should be ready to be on their best behavior at the table.
Today’s lesson isn’t about table manners, but more about honoring your host when you’ve been invited to someone’s home for dinner or a party. Bring a gift. It can be …

So my sweetie and I celebrated our fourth anniversary mid-August in Charleston. Which means, amazing food. While I was trying to “not plan” as much as possible, I told my mom before we left that with that many fabulous restaurants, the one thing I felt I needed to plan was the food. One bad meal just isn’t an option when there is so much good stuff to choose from. So here’s the food scoop:
Our anniversary dinner was at Magnolia’s, the only reservation I made ahead of time. Magnolia’s is classic …

My sweetie and I took a road trip to the Holy City last week to celebrate our fourth anniversary. We were trying to decide between Charleston and Savannah, knowing that either one had the potential for being hot as hades, but something about Charleston had a little more appeal to it. We’re happy with our choice. The heat wave broke, and though it was in the 90′s, it was bearable.
When researching a place to stay, I had  a few “must haves”: location, king-size beds, and charm. There were other things …

One of the recent gatherings of the SOC Sistas Book Club was recrafted as a wine tasting.  I know what you’re thinking, “Isn’t every book club a wine tasting?” Well, yes. But this one came complete with 10 wines and a hostess.
What is wonderful about a wine tasting is that you are able to try wines and discover new favorites that you never would have before. I’m not going to describe every one, just a few that rose to the top of my list. But, here’s the list …

My hubby and I were able to put the almost final touches on the landscaping for the front of our new home this weekend after a visit to my uncle’s farm and his Japanese Maple nursery – Quail Hollow Gardens. Located on Crooked Oaks – Pat Dye’s home, farm and hunting grounds – the property could as easily be called a nature preserve. We took John and Kristi – friends of ours who also graduated from Auburn and were students in the 80′s while Pat coached there.
 
The Japanese maples are …

Some would say it is the most unlikely of friendships. He’s best known for his years crafting men from boys on the gridiron. She’s known for crafting iconic characters that leaped from the pages to the big screen. Auburn football coach; Pulitzer Prize winning author.
When Coach Pat Dye sent word to Harper Lee that he wanted to meet her, she responded, “I don’t know why – I don’t know a thing about football.”
To which he replied, “That’s OK – I don’t know a thing about literature.”
But what they do have …

If you have the opportunity, go see this musical. Winner of eight Tony’s in 2007 including best musical, music and choreography, Spring Awakening is based on the play by Frank Wedekind written just prior to turn of the 20th century. It was banned shortly after its release, and only at the turn of the 21st century has been revitalized into a musical that mixes Germany in 1891 with modern music and hairstyles.
It is the story of teenagers on the brink of experience under the pressure of strict and repressed parents, …

On Tuesday night, I went to a local reading / signing featuring Kathryn Stockett of The Help. It is always fun to meet the face behind the words, and I love hearing writers talk about their writing process. And, I must mentioned that she started the evening expressing her pleasure that this crowd had gathered to talk about “the written word” – my chosen theme for the year.

Stockett read not from the book proper, but from the postscript essay, “Too Little, Too Late.” A nice selection, that in her sweet …