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. 

They say dogs are a man’s best friend, but a Birmingham-based nonprofit is proving that they can also be much more than that. Animal-assisted therapy provider Hand in Paw has been serving Central Alabama since 1996 when former Greater Humane Society of Birmingham Executive Director Beth Franklin founded the organization. 

Dads are notoriously hard to buy gifts for. With Father’s Day right around the corner, many of you may be panicking over the best way to show the dads and father figures in your life just how much you love and appreciate them. Does a department-store tie suffice? What about a pack of golf balls? If you’re feeling the pressure, don’t fret. We’ve got you covered with our list of Alabama-made gifts that will wow dad and support our local maker community. 

To design is to evolve. This is the creed of Willow Homes designer, Allison Hallman. The Birmingham homebuilding and design company boasts eight years of Alabama Remodeling Excellence Awards selection and serves as a holistic service provider in the realm of crafting, construction, and curating a home. But, it can be a heavy emotional undertaking to tear away the space you know for the idea of something unseen. If you’re in the market to reshape your domain, here are some valuable tips on how to evolve with ease and style. 

Over the last few years, Huntsville, Alabama, has blossomed into one of the most desirable cities in the country. The perfect combination of affordable living, quality of life, education, entertainment, and community draws thousands of new families to the Huntsville area every year. The  locals’ affinity for their hometown was confirmed when Huntsville was named the best place to live in the United States by the U.S. News and World Report. Here are 10 things that make Huntsville great.

More than two-dozen restaurants in greater Birmingham will donate up to 35 percent of their proceeds on Thursday, April 28, as part of the ongoing Dining Out for Life fundraiser. Part of a national effort to raise money for local service groups helping people with HIV, Birmingham’s Dining Out for Life supports AIDS Alabama, which helps provide housing and other assistance, offers education and outreach programs, and engages in policy advocacy.

Spring is the time to shake off the last dredges of winter. For many that means dusting off the cold-weather cobwebs and creating a clean slate. This spring, give your indoor spaces a refresh by decluttering and organizing your home. If undertaking such an overhaul seems daunting, consider hiring a professional take on the task. With the popularity of Netflix shows like “Get Organized with The Home Edit” and “Tidying Up with Marie Kondo,” professional home organizing businesses have boomed.  Alabama has its fair share of professional organizers who can help you take control of even the most overstuffed closets and unruly pantries. Here are a few to choose from:

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When Delaney and Riley McIntyre were in elementary school, their parents Kellie and Dale set a goal for the family: to visit every continent except Antarctica by the time the girls graduated high school. The adventurous family figured they’d accomplish their goal during winter and summer breaks, but all that changed when they encountered a family just like theirs while on a three-week trip to Southeast Asia when Delaney and Riley were in 5th and 6th grade. 

Spring cleaning and home refreshes are top of mind this time of year. Whether you’re looking for simple tips to spruce things up or are envisioning an overhaul of your current indoor spaces, Ashley Gilbreath can help. Based in Montgomery and Rosemary Beach, Florida, Gilbreath’s company Ashley Gilbreath Interior Design is all about bringing joy to her clients by transforming spaces far beyond what they imagined possible. A graduate of Auburn University and the New York School of Interior Design, Gilbreath has been in the business for 15 years, but says every day brings something new. We sat down with her to learn more about her passion for interior design, what spring design trends she’s loving, and her easiest, anyone-can-do-it tips to refresh a space. 

If you can’t make the pilgrimage to Ireland or see Chicago’s famous green river for St. Patrick’s Day, then celebrating at one of Alabama’s many parades or events is your next best bet. This year’s holiday falls on a Thursday, so celebrations across the state span the week before and after. Whether you want to grab a pint of Guinness and dance an Irish jig, or get dressed in head-to-toe green and march in a parade, there are plenty of ways to find your pot of gold (and maybe even a bit of luck!) this St. Patrick’s Day. 

With new developments popping up all over town, business in Birmingham is booming. Ultra-modern lofts and cozy city condominiums are continuously adding to the skyline. And with the number of restaurants, bars, and retail shops growing by the day, there are more than enough ways to spend the day. 

With Christmas right around the corner, everyone’s got holiday gift shopping on their minds. Whether you’re hunting for the perfect something for your picky mother-in-law, school-age nieces and nephews, or that one friend who seems to have it all, there’s something to be said for picking a gift out in person rather than simply hitting “add to cart” on a website. 

With Christmas right around the corner, everyone’s got holiday gift shopping on their minds. Whether you’re hunting for the perfect something for your picky mother-in-law, school-age nieces and nephews, or that one friend who seems to have it all, there’s something to be said for picking a gift out in person rather than simply hitting “add to cart” on a website. 

One of the best things about the holiday season is the hype. Hear us out. Not only do we celebrate the holidays on the dates of their actual occurrence, we get to spend several weeks preparing for their arrival with events, activities, and parties all jam-packed into the month of December. Since the four weeks from Thanksgiving to Christmas often feel like a mad dash to get everything done—from buying gifts to decorating and baking—we’ve narrowed down the endless list of holiday activities into seven manageable categories. Whether it’s seeing a holiday movie, going ice skating, or sipping on a festive cocktail, here are our favorite ways to get in on the holiday hype this year. 

With the holidays creeping closer and closer, there’s no time like the present to get in the Christmas spirit. When you’re not busy baking gingerbread cookies or trimming your tree, there are plenty of festivities across the state. One of our favorites? Checking out Alabama’s many extravagant holiday light displays. From zoos and parks to the historic grounds of historic homes, some of our favorite Alabama attractions have transformed into dazzling light displays just in time to ring in the holidays. Check out a few of our favorites below. 

There’s always good reason to shop small, but especially this year—in the midst of labor shortages and shipping delays—it’s an even better time to support your favorite local businesses. In Alabama, there are countless makers and artisans selling handmade items and handcrafted wares that make for meaningful gifts. We sat down and thought about what local gifts we love to give and receive. It was hard to narrow it down to just a few, but here are our favorite Alabama-made products, handpicked by the staff and contributors of SoulGrown.