Our team recently had the opportunity to sit down with “home-grown” students from The University of Alabama to learn more about their thoughts on staying in-state for college. These aspiring […]

Valentine’s Day is right around the corner, which means it’s time to start planning something special for the lucky guy or gal in your life. This year, skip the tired old dinner reservation and surprise your sweetie with a completely unique date idea. Here are 10 great Alabama date ideas guaranteed to sweep your partner off their feet. 

Designer and Realtor Rebecca Hinds from Ainsworth Homes and Ainsworth Real Estate shares her easiest, most affordable tips for sprucing up your home for a refreshed vibe that will last all year long.

Ten years ago, Birmingham native Daroneshia Duncan-Boyd had a conversation at a dining table and unknowingly built a community that would go on to positively impact the lives of hundreds in Alabama. “Being a Black trans woman, I’ve experienced a lot of hardship in Birmingham,” Duncan-Boyd says. “I just really had no place to receive services or resources, so I created TAKE as a peer group to hear the voices of other Black trans women.”

After the indulgence of the holiday season, you may never want to see another Christmas cookie or glass of eggnog again. And though you enjoyed your time off, you may even be tired of lounging on the couch. If you’re hoping to get the new year started with a little extra pep in your step, a new workout routine might be the way to go. Instead of hitting up your usual treadmill at the gym, shake things up with a fun fitness class in 2023. Whether you want to pedal to the beat, take a swing at a punching bag, or get your adrenaline going on a rock wall, here are six fun workout trends to check out.    

When it’s time to ring in the new year, don’t be caught on your couch with no plans and nowhere to go. If you want to start 2023 in style, there are plenty of options for functions and fêtes across the state. Here are 10 great ways to spend New Year’s Eve in Alabama.

With the holidays heading toward us faster than you can say “season’s greetings,” there are sure to be more than a couple shopping trips in your future. And while it can be difficult to find the perfect gift for everyone on your nice list, you can narrow down the options by choosing to buy local. Alabama has a host of talented makers, artists, and artisans who create everything from handmade earrings to gourmet food products. Here’s our 2022 Alabama-made gift guide. 

We’ve all been there—your pup has the zoomies, you’re looking forward to a night or afternoon out, and you have nowhere to take them. Good Dog, a new dog park and bar with locations in Auburn and Birmingham, has the answer to all three problems. The new concept combines everything dog owners love about bringing their pups to a brewery—the cold brews, ample outdoor seating, and open space—and makes it even better by gearing the space specifically toward dogs. This way, instead of being tied up to a picnic table, your dog can frolic off leash and play with other pooches in an environment that’s safe, welcoming, and fun for everyone.  

Alabama fall is rolling in and with bearable temperatures I can finally enjoy a PSL on the front porch while watching the leaves in our neighborhood turn from green to bright red. We’ve just moved into a new house which comes with a lot of expenses, so as much as I wanted to go all out on my front porch pumpkin display, this is a year of keeping things simple! I am no expert but after owning a few homes and spending the holidays keeping up with decorating trends, I’ve found a few foundational basics that seem to work well for everyone and take minimal effort.

  Traditions, they inspire connections between families, friends, and even strangers. The wonder of meals shared, crafts created, service given, and community started by the generations before us is not […]

When Casey-Jean Miller was just 21 years old, she was diagnosed with ulcerative colitis. Desperate to find relief for her symptoms and make her way back to feeling healthy, she focused on her diet. She began making all her food from scratch and getting in touch with where the food she was eating was grown. She learned how to make bone broth, developed a recipe for a “nomato” sauce with beets and carrots instead of tomato, and experimented with grain- and dairy-free baking.

Flowers and plants bloom during all seasons at the Birmingham Botanical Gardens, but its during the fall when the 67-acre urban garden truly comes alive. Each autumn, the garden draws visitors from across the South and beyond for the annual Antiques at the Gardens event. The premier antique show includes four days of design-focused discussion, demonstrations and panels by celebrated interior designers, floral designers, architects, landscape architects, and furniture designers. 

When it comes to American icons, there are few more notable than Gibson. Founded in 1902 by Orville Gibson, the guitar company began the process of moving its operations from Kalamazoo, Michigan to Nashville in the 1970s and has been rocking and rolling there ever since. Over the years, nearly every big name in music has been seen playing a Gibson. From Jimi Hendrix and Neil Young to B.B. King, Bob Marley, and John Lennon, the brand transcends time and genre. It’s a true classic that’s universal enough to appeal to an audience as diverse as the great melting pot that is the United States of America. 

If Lake Guntersville is one of the most desirable places to live in Alabama, then Spring Creek is one of the most sought after neighborhoods to live in Guntersville. And now, Spring Creek Cove Community, a new development from Ainsworth Homes, is part of the coveted, family-oriented neighborhood.

Revitalization of historic Montgomery is well underway through the addition of fine-dining restaurants, nationally recognized museum and memorials, modern housing developments, and so much more. As the capital city, Montgomery is truly the heart of “the soul of the south.” Here are three reasons why people are making the move to Montgomery and why you should consider making Montgomery home too.

In east Alabama, just miles from the Georgia border, is the tiny town of Ranburne. The community of fewer than 500 isn’t known by many outside of Cleburne County, but in March of 2020 local couple Taylor and Cole Gibbs gave Alabamians a reason to take notice. They opened the Barn of Blooms. a plant nursery and community gathering space selling everything from seeds to shade trees—all grown by local farmers. 

In 2018, full-time physician assistant Caitlin Hastings was feeling a little burnt out from work. As a creative outlet, she began helping friends and mutual acquaintances incorporate houseplants into their homes. Soon, that blossomed into weekend pop-ups where she sold pre-potted plants with care instructions for novice plant parents. And when the side hustle’s growth outpaced her operation, Hastings took a leap of faith and opened Botanica, a modern houseplant shop specializing in tropical, desert, and rare plants in downtown Birmingham. Since opening in August of 2019, Botanica hasn’t stopped growing. In 2020, they opened a second location in Huntsville, and have no plans to slow down any time soon. We sat down with Hastings to learn more about her love for plants, her plans for Botanica, and the ridiculously cool spaces she creates in her stores.

It all started with a 1930s Shirley Temple doll for Mary Charles Robbins. Living in a home with no radio, before television, dolls provided her main entertainment. Today, the Mary Charles Doll House is one of 10 repair shops world-wide that are approved by the Madame Alexander Doll Company. People seek out the tiny historic house in Homewood—formerly the location of Carriage House on Oxmoor Road—from all over the country. Part retail, part museum, the Mary Charles Doll House is crammed with antique and vintage dolls, teddy bears, doll clothes, doll houses and doll house furnishings. Very few things are new, except for the exquisite miniatures for tea sets and doll houses designed and painted by artists specializing in working small. 

Hidden between the frosty-white beaches of the Gulf and the anchorage of the USS Alabama, there is Fairhope. A nested gem of a time since passed, Fairhope serves as a haven of leisure that calls to annual vacationers again and again. So, what is it about this majestic small city that beckons so loudly? April McCraney, a real estate agent in the area, knows first the power of ‘Fairhope Fever,’ and why it’s increasingly vital to ensure the town’s longevity. 

If you grew up in the ‘80s or ‘90s, you may be familiar with Perler beads. The humble craft is made by arranging tiny beads on a peg board, then fusing them together with a hot iron to create colorful designs and shapes. While the concept is simple, the possibilities are endless, and that’s exactly what Birmingham native Aaliyah Taylor saw when she began making jewelry out of the children’s craft in 2012. 

With summer nearly upon us, outdoor spaces are getting plenty of use. From dinner parties and backyard barbecues to quiet nights sipping a glass of wine while watching the fireflies, an outdoor living space is an important extension of a home. Garden designer Troy Rhone has been creating beautiful residential gardens and outdoor spaces for the past 25 years. Based in Birmingham, he’s designed gardens in 13 states, plus two countries, and recently opened a garden accessories retail store in Mountain Brook Village. We sat down with the celebrated designer to learn more about his work, what inspires him, and a couple tricks of his trade.